#because i just care too much about wrong things that aren't what's truly important in life

[drysauce]

uni definitely isn't for me but everything else isn't for me either so i have to somehow bear with it i guess

[huellitaa]

why people don't like you ₊˚⊹ 💬🎀

okay this is not as harsh as the title suggests but i wanted to put it literally bcuz this is a problem i've struggled with for the longest time. im gonna be brutally honest here. there are so many reasons why ur not of the social status you want to be or don't have as many friends as you like yadda yadda yadda. SO ,, here's my thoughts on why that's the case , and how to help! 🫶🏻🎀💬

──★ ˙ ̟🎀you're fake

whether its cuz ur trying to "fit in" or because you have a completely different personality stored in the back for everyone you meet, ur fake. its very simple. its not necessarily a bad thing, it just means ur insecure.

🧁𓂃 ࣪˖ how do you deal with this?

stop trying so hard girl. it's not that deep. there are 8 billion people on this earth and counting, u really think this person's gonna matter when ur living ur dreams and thriving even more than you ever imagined you could? no. move on. next please!

find out who the fuck you genuinely are. you're never gonna live your life if YOU aren't the one living it. once you get a start on finding who YOU are it's gonna make you more authentic -> more magnetic -> more attractive in every single way, including social.

u arent obligated to fit in. think about the type of people that you see in the street and you stare a while at, the type of people who stand out from a crowd for whatever reason, the people u look up to, ur idols who you could never imagine to meet in a thousand years; do you think they fit in? do you think merging with a crowd is what made them appeal to you so much? no. think abt that.

wake the fuck up and realise u deserve better. why are you neglecting yourself by hiding yourself from the world? would u do that to anyone else? would u get anyone else to change themselves just so they can fit in? girl get a hold of urself!!! you've been through so much and youve made it so far and yet you're still pretending to be someone you aren't?? you deserve SO much better. people who truly deserve you will always love you for you, no one else.

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 ur too awkward / anxious

i want to preface this by saying theres nothing wrong w this at all and i completely understand but ur gonna face some problems of people interacting with you. or you interacting w them. or both. i was diagnosed w generalised anxiety disorder when i was 11, so i understand how much this can impact ur life not just socially but in all areas.

⭐𓂃 ࣪˖ how do you deal with this?

first thing im gonna mention to preface is this can be a symptom of an underlying condition u may need to get checked out. if its impacting ur everyday life please seek therapy, i am not a professional and cannot help u w this, even if i'd like to. i love u ♡

find what is making u anxious. what about social interaction is scary to you, and why? why does interacting w others make u nervous? is there a specific thing ur worried about or u find nervewracking? always. find. the root!

have compassion and empathy and patience w yourself. its perfectly okay and normal to some extent to feel like this and of course we're all gonna feel like this sometimes but its important to treat urself with care, especially in these times.

treat urself as u would a child. i recommend treating urself like a friend a lot but when ur in a delicate and emotional state like this its better to treat urself like ur ur own child. take care of urself with the same love and attentiveness as you would your own children and give yourself time and take care of yourself to work through the issue. ♡

break things down and take it slow and simple. break it into steps and PUT. YOURSELF. FIRST until u feel able to go back out into the public again and be That Girl ♡

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 ur straight up mean

this can be anywhere from just being generally disinterested in people, being constantly negative all of the time to being just really shitty and rude. we all have the same potentials and possibilities but sometimes we can fall into the trap of negative patterns when interacting with others, which is okay. everyone messes up sometimes. but the important thing is is that we fall back out of that and become even better for it!

💬𓂃 ࣪˖ how do you deal with this?

try ur best to put ur ego aside and think about yourself from an outside perspective. would you wanna be friends with you? if you were another person, how would you think people feel around you?

(🗒🎀 note: if that's too difficult, create someone in ur head or mentally assign ur traits, the good and bad, to someone you dont really know, and think ab how youd feel around them. insecure? jealous? confident? excited? nervous? think about it.)

i know it sounds weird but literally just sit down and talk to people close to u when you get the chance or the opportunity comes up and ask if anything you do comes off rude or blunt or abrupt or any sort of negative trait you think might be the issue here. or just subtly (or directly, either one works) try and find out their opinions on you so u can figure out if that aligns w what and how u wanna be, and then how you can change that.

just be generally more sweet and polite. people are easily gonna like you more if ur not a total dick. stop being mean to people, say please and thank you, compliment strangers, smile at everyone, put ur ego aside cuz its really not that deep girl.

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 ur too nice / people pleaser

okay being nice is not a bad thing. there is a fine line between being THE nice girl and being A nice girl. there is a fine line between being kind and being a pushover. you don't have to sacrifice urself to be nice to people. being nice should go both ways!

🧁𓂃 ࣪˖ how do you deal with this?

first things first, like all things and like i've said a billion times before, you need to address the root of what is causing you to act like this. this should always be the first thing you do when addressing any problem, esp w urself. why are you acting like this? what is causing you to endlessly seek approval like this and sacrifice urself in the process? think.

start saying no to people, even to the littlest things. if you want to do it then sure, but start saying no so much more often. it gives you a sense of control and shows you only you have a choice in the things you do in ur life, no one else.

define kindness. is what ur getting in return to this unconditional self sacrifice genuine kindness, or friendship, or respect, or attention, or whatever else you assume you're receiving from all of this? only you can answer that. ask urself what the genuine meaning of all the things ur trying to gain from this are and then see if that aligns w what ur receiving. (🗒🎀 note: also read this post of mine for more on this! ♡)

again, therapy is gonna help a lot w this. if this is making an impact on ur life, social or otherwise, then i am not a professional and cannot help u w this (as much as id like to). ily and i believe in u ♡

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 you seem "unapproachable / intimidating"

people are threatened by talent. people are threatened by beauty. people are threatened by what they aren't. so, congrats! you've achieved your goal! 🩷💭

🫶🏻𓂃 ࣪˖ how do you deal with this?

i told my therapist once that people have told me i seem rude, unapproachable, intimidating, etc. and i felt really upset about it because i dont wanna come off that way. i wanna be nice and approachable and someone people can talk to. and she asked me what i would do if my favourite celebrity or famous person or whatever was my age and was walking through my school. i told her i'd think they were really cool and want to be friends with them, but wouldn't be sure how to go about it bcuz they'd be super intimidating. think about that.

🗒️🎀 note: but if you do find that people say this or act like this around you a lot, then you might need to do some introspection and ask urself if anything ur doing makes people feel like that rather than their own insecurities and mindset. ♡

i just want to quickly add that not everybody is going to like you. everyone feels a general sense of dislike from time to time and this post is what i mean by that, NOT how to make everyone like you bcuz that's literally impossible and something you shouldn't waste ur time and energy on. as harsh as i may have been in this post ur amazing and i love u no matter how much improvement you have to do ♡ i love you and am proud of you and you should be proud of yourself too!

all my love... 💬🎀🫶🏻💗

[as-if-and-only-if]

the thing that I've got to say is that it really is ethically straightforward that you should vote Harris.

it's not even a trolley problem, it's a trolley triviality. I don't want to use the meme because it seems disrespectful to use those specific images of MS paint people when these are real lives we're talking about.

The analogy itself is serious, though. it looks like this:

the track diverges at the lever; many people are on lower track, while no one is on the upper track. then: the tracks re-converge and continue, and there are people on the track after that convergence.

The point is that the lever—the vote—can be used to prevent those lives on the lower track from being lost, but cannot save the lives lost after the re-convergence.

it differs from the classic trolley problem in an extremely important way: there isn't anyone on the upper track. as such, it's not a question of "who do we save?"—it's only a question of "do we save the people we can?"

(I need to emphasize, because many on this site have long shed the shackles of reading comprehension, that this does not mean that no one dies as a consequence of U.S. or presidential policy choices in a vacuum. It means that your vote cannot prevent that, but your vote can prevent strictly more people from dying, with no trolley-problem type tradeoff of "who do we choose to die".)

~~~~~

you might think that this is abstracting away too much of the real situation—but it turns out it's ironclad.

to see that it is, and reconcile it with reality, we have to ask: what is not modeled by this analogy? where might it fail?

this amounts to asking the question: is there a benefit to killing the people on the lower track that makes doing so "worth it"?

that is: what justification might you have for saying "yes, we actually need to let those lives on the lower track, the ones we could save with the lever, be lost"?

and the answer—as you might have guessed—is that there is no such justification. no peculiar fact about voting means that you should let those people die.

~~~~~

so why do some people—very passionately—insist that not voting is right? I'll survey a few of the most common attempted justifications I've seen, such as:

"I'm not going to vote for less genocide." This is obviously equivalent to "I am totally fine with more genocide!", a truly horrific stance, and yet I have seen it nearly verbatim from so-called "leftists" a few times. My guess is that this usually stems from a kind of perceived moral contamination: a feeling that a "vote for" a candidate is a moral alignment. This is artificial; not real; not consequential. A vote only makes you responsible for the difference between the two tracks while they diverge. Touching the lever doesn't make you responsible for the track. Choosing between these two outcomes is all voting can do—and because voting for most is easy, and doesn't stop you from doing anything else, there are no trade-offs. No "I'm not at the lever, because I had to work on another way." (If your vote is suppressed, that's another story—but this doesn't imply a general anti-voting stance.)

Ironically, some who aren't voting feel they are "keeping their hands clean", when they are in fact actively increasing the chance of more death and suffering. This is kind of the definition of getting your hands "dirty"; it just doesn't feel like it because they're not touching a voting machine, which is kind of just magical thinking. it's not a point not made frequently enough, I think: what some think of as "doing the right thing" here is very much doing the wrong thing, with respect to their own underlying values of right and wrong, and with respect to what they say they care about. those who claim to have the moral high ground by not voting do not actually have it at all.

On that note, some people (fewer, though) seem to think that touching the lever does make you responsible for the track in a real outcome-based way. That somehow, voting lends "legitimacy" to the track, and that by not voting, we are maybe creating a future with no people on tracks. This is just not true; a dangerous fantasy that asks you to sit back and wait for a utopia that's not coming. There are enough voters in this upcoming election that that institution is not going anywhere anytime soon; you'd need a coordinated movement of not voting plus plans for what to do after the state has lost legitimacy, and that is just...obviously not here. To think otherwise is to live in that fantasy, and so to abandon ethical thinking at all, as ethics comes first from a confrontation with reality. you cannot act ethically without acting practically. However: the margins are thin enough that a few people deciding to vote (who wouldn't otherwise) could actually change the outcome. You can actually save the people on the lower track.

Some people think that the tracks never separate at all, or that the same people are on each, or that one way or another, Harris and Trump are "the same". If you think this, please look beyond tumblr "leftists" for facts here. You've been bombarded with all and only all the bad stuff about Harris (not arguing with most of that—though there are misconceptions, e.g. that Biden/Harris provided no protections for trans people); but you haven't seen how much worse Trump is on every single one of those cases, issue for issue, including Gaza. If you think Gaza can't get any worse, you've essentially written everyone still alive there off for dead. Likewise for any group who would suffer more under Trump. Needless to say—don't do that. The comparison—the difference between the diverging tracks—is all that ethically matters when deciding whether to flip the lever or leave it alone.

Some people think voting is primarily "speech", a means to communicate (or worse, merely express), and probably do not realize that this means they think the outcome of "sending a message" (which would do nearly nothing in real terms) is worth killing the people on the lower track.

Similarly, some people think that it's meaningful to "punish" Harris or the dems. (Truly, putting punishment over the cost in lives and suffering is the most horribly american thing to do here.) Some people just want the feeling of punishment, of blame; some people try to excuse their actions in advance ("well, if the dems lose, it will be their fault"), conveniently omitting their own agency in voting, and thus excusing them from the practice of acting ethically at all. Some people think that punishing the dems will actually push them left in the future, to which I say: you don't have a good reason to think this at all, based on history. Parties go where the winning is. And if you do still have a hunch to the contrary, I am sure you don't have a good reason to be reasonably certain of it. This means that you are paying for a gamble, a mere chance, one unsupported by fact, with the lives on the lower track. You can find another way.

~~~~~

Let's be concrete for a moment.

Since this is about difference, let me gesture to a few obvious differences between Trump and Harris: LGBTQ+ rights, Gaza, climate change, mass deportation of illegal immigrants, education, voting rights (and, yes, democracy), the economy, housing, the long-term future success of leftist movements and activism (much more difficult under Trump, who, no joke, has said neatly verbatim he wants to use the national guard and military to handle the leftist "enemy from within", and who can now do so thanks to the supreme court's ruling on presidential powers), everything Lina Khan and Deb Haaland are doing, etc.

And before you respond with something bad the dems or Harris are doing with respect to one of these—I know. Now compare it to Trump on the same issue. That is the only thing relevant to acting ethically in this brutal, tightly-constrained situation.

For example: Harris doesn't want to ban fracking or reduce oil consumption (bad), but wants to fund renewables, stay in the Paris agreement, strengthen climate initiatives in general.

Trump wants to completely gut funding for renewable energy, withdraw from the Paris accords, dramatically increase oil consumption, commercialize NOAA, weaken the EPA, and so on.

We don't get neither. A vote for none is a vote for "worse is fine by me". We are handed the terrible task of making one of these work, and any person actually, practically concerned with that would choose to try to make the Harris version work then spend precious resources fighting the overwhelming tide of the Trump version.

Only someone who does not actually care about these issues is okay with letting Trump in.

Unless you are capable only of black-and-white thinking, unless you can write off the lives in the difference and convince yourself this is ethical, you can see that letting Trump in only lets more lives be lost, and does not reduce anyone's suffering. No trolley "problem". No trade-off.

Voting Harris is not moral alignment. It's not unconditional support. It is maybe the most conditional action you can take: there are only two real outcomes. One not only has more people, as in a trolley problem, but also results in the death and suffering that would result otherwise.

~~~~~

So there it is, spelled out in the most painstaking detail I'm willing to give to a tumblr post: a few of the failure modes of reasoning that lead to not voting. Often simplicity is too simple, a meaningful departure from reality, but in this case the opposite is true: the simple argument

There are two possible outcomes: one of them eases no one's suffering and creates a great deal more. Therefore choose the other, instead of allowing the worse one to come to pass.

—stands up ethically in this case to every sublimation of righteous anger into misguided action.

And I am not using "righteous" sarcastically: it is right to denounce the Biden/Harris admin on Gaza, it is right to denounce the dems on not doing enough for climate change, etc. But that is not the question being asked by your vote. Do not give the right answer to the wrong question.

The question is only: Harris or Trump? Which outcome should happen, now, in the real world, when it's one of exactly two, when "neither" really, truly isn't an option?

If you do not vote, what will your answer be to the people on the lower track? I am sorry; I dreamt nobly, of no track, no lashings at all. No, I was not kept from the lever. It did not even compromise my dream to push it. Still, I just couldn't bear to touch it; still, you had to die, to save me this discomfort.

acting ethically does not always feel righteous. it is not always a release valve for righteous anger. it does not always feel like progress; sometimes it is only the prevention of catastrophe. it is still ethical. it is still necessary. vote Harris. vote to save the people you can.

[moonspiritmars]

ope I just realized a big reason I was feeling really frustrated/angry on behalf of Evan with the discourse surrounding if K asked for consent or not to fix Evan's arm was because as an autistic person, Evan reads very autistic to me. So when I see people say K asked for consent and then go back and watch the scene and the words "can I try to fix that poorly healed bone," are not explicitly said, I think about all the times I have been harmed by people being vague (both on purpose and not) and not saying what they really mean. The amount of times people have said that I gave consent for something when I very much did not, because they interpreted what I said as consent to fit their narrative and actions is much too many, and for so long people wrote it off as me being naive, turned it around on me, made it my fault when I was the one harmed, the one with my boundaries violated. Oof.

I have had this happen with malicious people and I've had it with non-malicious people, and that's important because K is not malicious, I think they just care so much that sometimes they don't know where to put all that love and care. Also, I read K as neurodivergent/could see them being neurodivergent too, so this isn't me saying they were acting like a neurotypical person, I just think that even neurodivergent people sometimes get really wrapped up communicating in their own ways and forget that for some of us our understanding of language is deeply literal and reading between the lines/interpreting our words differently than what was explicitly stated can be really, really harmful for all parties involved. (sometimes I can hurt people too with my literalism! it's not all black and white obviously)

Like I said, I feel deeply for K because deep down at their core I truly believe their actions aren't about seeing people/things as objects needing to be fixed (despite it coming off that way sometimes), I just think they see themselves as inherently worthless if they are not always using all of their energy trying to help. I get that, and how it feels like you're drowning when you're not giving yourself away to people and causes because theres too much, always too much, love and care and concern and it makes you feel like you're going to implode. One of the hardest lessons I've learned is that sometimes my need to help, to fix, to care, to give, is a little bit more about having control than it is just wanting to help. When you grow up with chronic instability you claw and scratch at anything that might anchor you, and often it's the need to feel like you have worth, you mean something to other people, and you're willing to give yourself away as long as it means you have stable footing beneath you. All of that is to say that I do not blame K (or other people with similar circumstances to mine) for having an unhealthy relationship to control, it's just that in learning so many of my actions are also attached to deep insecurity I've been allowed to finally start healing the way I deserve to heal, and I just want that for others too.

Anyway I need to get my Sam post out before the next episode because I didn't finish it and then watched last nights episode and that was a huge mistake because now I have even more I wanna write about. She is such a complex and beautiful character and every single one of her actions speaks to who she is at her core and I just wanna give her a hug. Truly feels like the peak example of being alone doesn't always mean you're lonely, and being lonely does't always mean you're alone.

anyways pls don't get mad at me I'm sorry if anything came off wrong, all I was hoping to do was explain why I was feeling the way I was in case it helps others understand why they were feeling similar/different things during that scene. Like I said, I love K, and also this wasn't slander towards anyone who isn't autistic (also autism manifests in different ways), I just realized how my experience as an autistic person with adhd always really shapes how I view the media I consume and found it illuminating in this scenario especially.

(can you tell I've been chronically misunderstood my entire life by the way I'm prematurely apologizing also people being upset with me makes my tummy hurt because I take it really personally and would rather keep the peace than hold firm to my opinion at times)

((but I mean if I said something wrong I wanna know asddfgjrlgk wow y'all are learning a whole lot about how my brain works through a lil post about dnd oops))

[lalune9x]

chapter 354 got translated today and man. yoojin one shotting a guy while being hand cuffed? top tier yoojin moment, hes truly the only one who could be the mc of s classes 10/10.

but tbh the way that part is written is kinda difficult to envision. if you have the time, could you sort of step-by-step what happens there? its a very short scene, only like 3 lines of text max, it just happens so fast that i couldnt read the action well enough to understand it.

omg yeah I love that scene so much, you don't expect it at all so it's kind of shocking, but then it also makes perfect sense because of how disgusted Yoojin is by the guy threatening a kid, especially his brother, and the fact that the guy was still posing a threat to the people Yoojin cares about. It's like the perfect storm of things that would motivate Yoojin to coldly off someone.

and honestly the action was a bit hard for me to understand too. I think it's not written that well in the first place, like the details aren't there in korean. but below is my personal take on that overall scene, with my minor interpretive embellishments to flesh out the physical action sequence! basically I think the most important details to understand are 1. Wanyong is standing across the table from Yoojin, 2. Yoojin moves to fully sit on top of the table with his knees on top of it facing Wanyoung (that's my interpretation since the novel only says he raised his body up on the table and sat), 3. the motion he does is like a back roll (뒤구르기) off the table.

I found this video that might kinda help visualize the roll? although in this video the motion is as if Yoojin used the leg closer to Wanyoug, but the way I visualize it is Yoojin twisting his body more towards Wanyong and using the leg farther from him in order to get more momentum... I might be wrong about that though.

edit: thinking about it more, I'm less sure that what the author wrote physically makes sense lol, but it specifically says he drove the guy's neck using his knee into the table's edge by "rolling/twisting my body fully as if doing a back roll" (몸을 뒤구르기 하듯 완전히 굴리며 그대로 테이블 모서리를 향해 내 무릎을, 개새끼의 목을 내리찍��다), so...

(Chapter 353 + 354 excerpt below the cut.)

---

After being dragged around and moved over long distances repeatedly, I was genuinely exhausted, not just saying it. I didn't care about dinner or anything else, I just wanted them to let me rest already. But the place they led me to, down a plain, empty corridor, wasn't a bedroom. It was a small room with the atmosphere of an interrogation room, where a middle-aged man was sitting at a table.

"...Your face looks familiar," I said.

The middle-aged man looked at me and smiled.

"Long time no see, Director Han Yoojin."

His intonation and lip movements were Korean. Was this guy Korean?

One of the Chinese hunters twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me. Them suddenly acting like this made it clear that the middle-aged man in front of me was a non-Awakened.

"Oh, how delightful to meet a fellow countryman in a foreign land~" I drawled. "Or at least that's what I should say. But who are you, again?"

As I approached the table, the middle-aged man stood up, his lips twisting into a sneer.

"I was part of the Hunter Association. Thanks to Director Han—"

"Oh, I remember now! You're Wanyong-ssi. Your family name is Lee, right? Wow, no wonder these Chinese guys seem to know so much about me. You've really been living up to your name, Wanyong-ssi."

My Poison Resistance was one thing, since many people at the hospital knew about it, but my 'Sapling' Skill had been kept top secret. I'd only told the Association about it during our negotiations about the Awakening Center.

At my words, Wanyong's face suddenly contorted, and he seized me by the collar. 

"You little shit, you're all talk!"

"As if I could out-talk you. How much did you blab about me, huh? Your face is nice and shiny, so it seems you've been treated well."

"I was the Director of HR for the Hunter Association—!"

"Yes, Wanyong-ssi, I said I know that already."

His face contorted even more—he looked like he was about to hit me.

"If you've sold out your country to get where you are, it makes sense to just live quietly. So why did you want to come see me? What else did you sell off? Being the head of HR, you must have leaked all of the Association Hunters' abilities. Good thing Director Song isn't officially part of the Association, huh? The Association wouldn't have just thrown you out, either. They would've made you sign a contract to keep your mouth shut, so I guess you got a nice 'bonus' for opening it."

Just in case, I temporarily turned off my Curse Resistance. If Wanyong-ssi suddenly made an about-face and embraced me, it might nullify his curse. He spat out a string of curses in response to my words. Had he not been able to lift the curse he'd gotten as a penalty for breaking his contract? He seemed physically fine, so I wondered what kind of curse it was.

"I worked my way up in the Association from the very beginning!"

"I heard about that. You played a big role in kicking out the early members, didn't you? Those who kick people out are bound to be kicked out in return eventually. Life goes round in circles, doesn't it? Seems you got what you deserved."

Did he meet me just to vent his frustration? That didn't seem likely. I never expected the people expelled from the Association who had managed to avoid prison would live quietly, but I also hadn't expected them to start selling information so quickly. Even if I had known, there wasn't much I could've done to stop it.

'They should write stronger contracts.'

But the Association had to consider human rights issues, too. They couldn't write stuff like 'your head will roll if you talk.' That was also why they often turned a blind eye when hunters hid their skills or stats during registration.

"Did you bring any friends along with you? How's MKC doing? I heard they teamed up with China as well. Did you sell off a lot of information about the Rearing Facility? What about Haeyeon?"

When I mentioned Haeyeon, Wanyong-ssi's grip on my collar tightened. He yanked me partway onto the table. The sharp edge of the metal table hurt.

"Younger brother or older brother, both bastards…" that guy muttered through gritted teeth. What did Yoohyun have to do with this?

"Why are you dragging someone else's younger brother into this?"

"Don't you know that when that little shit Han Yoohyun first awakened, the Association tried to take him in? Well, that bastard caused quite a mess."

I knew about the Association temporarily taking Yoohyun in for protection, but a mess? As I involuntarily frowned, Wanyong’s mouth started running again. His mouth was clearly much livelier than mine.

"Since he was a minor and an S-rank, we tried to persuade him to join the Association. I told him that if people found out a kid who had no other resources was an S-rank hunter, his family wouldn't be safe either."

…I recalled how cold Yoohyun had become when he returned after having been gone for a few days. So the Association bastards had been feeding him that nonsense. It wasn't entirely wrong, though. If Yoohyun and I had remained on good terms, there definitely would've been people trying to take me hostage to exert control over an S-rank hunter who had no backers.

But to threaten a kid with that kind of talk? What kind of adult did that?

"As you said, he was just a kid. And you tried to make him bow down to you by using his family? You filthy fucking bastard."

Trying to manipulate a child by exploiting his weakness. It was utterly disgusting. Even between adults, using family as hostages was a dirty move, but he was a minor. Rage flared up inside me.

The bastard sneered. "Do you know that fucking brat destroyed the temporary accommodations for high-rank Awakened and beat down all the Association hunters? We tried to persuade him as nicely as possible, but fuck, that little shit threatened to kill us if we interfered with his plans to create his own guild—"

"He did a good job, then," I said.

My Yoohyun was clever. Before he got Seok Shimyung's help, I had worried about how he would manage to establish a guild by himself. But it turned out he'd been ordering around scumbags like the guy in front of me. I was glad that kid had an easier time than I thought.

"You failed to use his family as leverage against him, and since he was an S-rank hunter without any weaknesses, you must have been terrified. Because if you pissed him off, he could've just killed you all and gone overseas, where he'd be welcomed. So you had to quietly clean up after my little brother to stay alive. Thanks for that. Really, thanks."

Once Yoohyun actually established the guild, threatening them like that wouldn't have worked. Because if he wasn’t careful, it could have negatively impacted the guild. But before that, even if they tried to cause a scene by threatening to publicize the situation, he had nothing to lose. After forming the guild, there was a chance it could have become a weakness, but Seok Shimyung probably handled that well.

Wanyong spat more curses. I glanced around to check my surroundings. Two hunters were guarding the door, and Chu Huoyun stood beside them, looking bored. There was one more guard standing by the table, but he wasn't that close. He didn't seem like a high-rank hunter, either.

"So, Wanyong-ssi, do you still have connections in Korea? Although the Association has been cleaned up, it hasn’t been completely overhauled, so I’m a bit concerned."

We had only excised the most critical parts. Although internal cleanup was ongoing, it was impossible to completely eradicate the rot.

The edge of the metal table. Would it work? I should've worked out more.

"I can't escape from here anyway, so how about you just tell me who the spies are?" I suggested, then said, "Ah, this position is uncomfortable."

Grumbling for him to let go of my collar, I casually pulled myself up fully to sit on top of the table facing him.

"You think I'd tell you that?" Wanyong said. "But I can offer you some advice, Director Han."

Hmm, was this perhaps one of those moments? Where the one who defected first tries to convince the other person to join them, saying something like, 'If you want an easier life, too~' I've seen scenes with that kind of 'comrade' talk before.

Either way, this guy would keep leaking information from Korea, and he had also threatened my little brother.

"Really? Someone who picks fights wants to give advice?" I asked. "You're terrible at your job."

"You picked the fight first! After you got fussed over by all those S-ranks, I wanted to come and enjoy seeing you get dragged in here—"

I threw my upper body backward hard. My back hit the table and the bastard gripping my collar stumbled, falling forward across the table beside me. At the same time, I kicked off its surface and raised my leg over my head towards him. My bent knee made contact with the back of the bastard's neck, and as I twisted my whole body backwards like I was doing a back roll off the table, I drove my knee — and the bastard's neck — down toward the table's edge.

Bang!

That loud impact noise accompanied the sickening crack of his neck breaking. One of the Chinese hunters rushed forward a moment too late and grabbed me. Wanyong's body slid off the table and collapsed onto the floor.

"Healer—shit, no, he's dead!"

A knee strike alone was dangerous enough. With the metal table adding to the force, a non-Awakened would have a hard time surviving. Chu Huoyun leisurely strolled over and nudged Wanyong's body with his foot. Then he turned his gaze to me. I smiled as if asking if he had a problem.

"You're more ruthless than you look."

[swans-chirping-in-the-distance]

YOU have a very interesting take on sokeefe. you don't just love every part of it- please elaborate, your tags on anti sokeefe posts are FASCINATING

THIS TOOK FOREVED IM SORRY ILYSM FOR THIS AHDJDLFKWNKDJF

I think one majorly important thing about sokeefe is that precious bond they have with each other. In fact, that's what makes me love the ship so much. It's truly stunning to see such a natural love built on years of trust and support. They clearly display so many different ways of loving, whether it be emotional, physical, mental, or verbal. The way that Shannon captured them is something I'm not sure I've seen anyone else do the same way.

Sophie ignores her feelings for Keefe for the majority of the series and writes it off due to insecurity. And Keefe knew that. Yet, instead of just telling her how she felt, he decided to let her decide how to act. To not rush her or pressure her. To let her make her own decision. He held himself back and let her be with his best friend without telling her, which many adults couldn't bring themselves to do. But he did it for HER. Because he loved her, whether he said it or not. How terrifying must it have been for Keefe to be so vulnerable as to fall for someone when that had made him hurt so much in the past? How terrifying must it have been for SOPHIE, who'd not let herself realize she fell until she was far too gone to come back from this unscathed?

The two are often very physical with each other, from the constant support of holding one another's hand to the gripping hugs late at night when their sobs are louder than their family's disappointment. Not only do they show how they feel about each other with touch, but also with general body language. The comfort of Keefe turning her head gently to look at him. The way they relax around each other, their facial expressions and their hands involuntarily grabbing the other's without a moment's notice. The display of casualty hidden within the deep depths of their relationship. They even manage to think about each other with the same sort of intensity, the determination to keep the other alive and the sheer desperation not to lose the other. They're reliant on each other's safety, not because their lives would be in danger without them, but because a huge part of their happiness would.

The two often joke around with each other, but they know when to stop. They know when it's time to get serious, to remind the other of how high they think of them and how much they care for them. How they'll always be at each other's side. Their words say "I love you" for them. And while they're in terribly traumatic situations and had such different backgrounds, they're the only ones who understand each other. They're absolute foils who were born to be enemies and fell for each other anyway. Their relationship is a beautiful one, but it's also one that's extremely fragile.

Sokeefe's relationship could go wrong in many ways. There are multiple paths towards a toxic relationship that would be really easy for their canon characters to fall into. For example, while for now they help each other stay brave and empathetic, their vulnerability towards each other makes them more prone to toxicity. They're both known for being reckless. How easy would it be to accidentally get the other to do something terrible? Would killing a random Neverseen member be self-defense? Would that really help anyone in the long run? They're traumatized kids forced to lead, like a malfunctioning toy released before it was fixed. They have no idea what they're doing if you really think about it. Who are they to advise the other?

Another issue I've noticed is one that's super minimal now but could become a huge issue. Sophie, being a relatable teen girl, likes apologies for things that hurt her, even if she knows it's technically not the other person's fault. She's not going around asking for apologies that aren't warranted, but she's accepting them. And that usually doesn't matter much, but it does with someone like KEEFE. Keefe, who blames himself for things that aren't his fault because it's all he knows. He feels so guilty for his and his family's existence that he takes it out on himself. And that could turn into a problem. Because a boy who apologizes for everything he didn't do doesn't fit well with a girl who accepts them. Sophie would never want Keefe to blame himself for things more, but she could inadvertently cause it with ease.

On top of all of that, they often struggle with looking at each other realistically and being truly reliable about the other. Keefe doesn't think Sophie's perfect; don't get me wrong. Part of the appeal of Keefe is that he sees her flaws and still loves her through them. But he also doesn't do much to help her fix said flaws. Perhaps it's out of his own insecurity in thinking he has no place to judge others because he believes he's worse, but my point stands nonetheless. And Sophie often forgives too easily, which lowers her own standards while also making sure Keefe can't grow from his mistakes because no one's acknowledging them. They seem to move too fast at times, and slowing down could really help. Get therapy and learn to bite the bad habits in the ass, in a way.

Another interesting aspect of their relationship are the parallels of their own to others. A loyal girl desperate to believe the man she loves is good, even when he keeps doing wrong? A girl who doesn't realize there's a difference between good and right until it's far too late? I think we all saw the ruedacted/ Lodestar sokeefe parallels. And if you took any koralie interaction and changed the names out? Sokeefe moment. It's just so easy for them to end tragically, but they're so desperate for it to work out. They're walking on the most delicate of ice for a chance that they can meet in the middle. They're running across a tightrope, hoping they don't fall to the ground. They're pulling at the web in hopes that they don't get stuck in its fabric, but they ALWAYS do. Sokeefe is a beautiful relationship built on trust and love, but trust and love don't always mean something is good for you. Their entire existence is truly a bittersweet delicacy only to be enjoyed by the most careful of takers.

[onehundredandeleventropicalfish]

Dream has a nasty habit of giving advice and not taking it himself:

He tells Orpheus to grieve for Euridice(I'm not sure if I spelled that right) and then get over the loss, but he never got over Orpheus' death;

He tells Hob that taking away someone's free will is dishonorable. Yet he imprisons Nada and unmakes Gault for defying him;

He warns the fox lady against revenge but he wastes his precious energy on trapping Alex's mind in a nightmare after he gets freed.

He's such a bastard and I love him

He loves and cares so deeply for everyone, yet he's petty and spiteful. He never stops loving yet he can be so cruel to those he cares about

I don't remember where but I read this somewhere about Dream: "he can love without forgiveness and forgive without love" and I think that sums up Dream pretty nicely. He's full of contradictions and that's what makes me love him as a character so much

you know, ironically, while it's absolutely true that dream can be hypocritical, you're definitely not wrong, those first two actually aren't, as far as he sees the world

because the thing that hurts dream the most is that he cannot see himself as a living being - he is endless, he has a purpose, that's the extent of his existence

and therefore he doesn't dream, doesn't have a story, shouldn't want things for himself

and this is why he causes his own tragedy, because he is a person and he does need the things that make up someone's life, but he refuses to believe so

so when he's talking to orpheus, the important part here is "you are mortal, it is the mortal way"

dream would benefit greatly from being allowed to mourn orpheus, but he can't, he has a job to do, and allowing himself to grieve would interfere with his purpose. so he has no choice, he has to bury it

"so live" only applies to orpheus, as far as dream's concerned, because he doesn't think the endless live

gault falls under the exact same logic. dream sees his creations as extensions of him and is always surprised when they go beyond that. and if he's not allowed a life of his own, if he has to spend eternity fulfilling his purpose as it was given to him, they do too. they're not mortal, they don't live, and thus they don't have free will

(i'm honestly super curious to see what happens in the show from here because gault didn't exist in the comics, and dream actually acknowledging she was right is a major step forward that comic dream never managed to make)

and nada had free will

she just didn't think she did

that's how hell (or any afterlife) works, in the sandman universe, there is no being that judges it. death doesn't decide where you go, and neither does anyone else. you go where you believe you should

which is what makes sure people get to the right afterlife for their particular religion, but also it means that everyone in hell believes they deserve to be there

dream may have put her there, but he didn't have the power to keep her there. when she says "only your forgiveness can free me", that doesn't mean dream has to formally pardon her, it means she can only leave when she stops feeling like she was in the wrong here. and a part of her hates him for this, but a part of her is also stuck feeling guilty, and that's what's keeping her in hell. it's still a shitty move on dream's part, don't get me wrong, but when he said that to hob he was not currently doing anything to prevent her free will. had she truly decided what dream did was unfair, she could have left

revenge, however, that's where you're absolutely right. dream knows, on so many levels, that revenge causes more problems than it solves, and yet this is the one indulgence into human feelings he actually allows himself

he tells the fox not to, he tells hob revenge is a bad idea, he's constantly explaining to people he cares about not to take revenge because it will get them hurt. he is the prince of stories, and he knows how revenge stories end

(destruction even says he was disappointed that dream is still viewing everyone as stories, he'd hoped one day dream would realise people are people)

dream, though. dream doesn't have a story, so who says his revenge has to end in tragedy? he pushes down all his emotions for the sake of the world but anger doesn't want to leave, anger is good at convincing you it deserves to stay, anger can be righteous

if everyone else is just a story, well, the end is that they get what's coming to them. they deserve to be punished for hurting the people dream cares about, and who better to ensure the end of the story than him?

(and he doesn't realise how much his own emotions are influencing those decisions. he thinks he's being rational. he's not. what you were saying about him being both loving and spiteful always makes me think of orpheus - he loved his son more than anything in the world, he was a genuinely good dad and he did everything in his power to keep orpheus from tragedy. but then when orpheus ignored him and got hurt anyway, dream couldn't help but be angry at orpheus for causing their entire family so much pain, and that's why he walked away)

all the endless have different ways in which they see themselves in comparison to mortal beings. the more emotionally healthy ones realise that there's very little difference between the two. and then you get desire who explicitly admitted (in internal narration) that their entire sanity is hinging on believing that they are in control of the universe, they physically can't believe dream when he says they serve humanity and not the other way around. and dream, who sees everything and everyone as a story, except himself

he's not a living being, he doesn't follow their rules. he's not playing the game, he's the referee

except that's not and never was true

and that is the root of all of dream's problems

[jadedresearcher]

It will be okay.

I get that the US election feels like it's so huge the fate of everything is at play. And its important. Don't get me wrong. I very much have opinions (that are likely quite obvious given my reblogs) on how I want things to shake out. But it will be okay.

Even if the worst possible outcome happens. (which please, don't lose sight of the fact that its not guaranteed. The future can still be changed, please vote if you have an opinion on what future you want to reach for). I am not saying this because I want to cover my ears and believe in hope and dreams or whatever. I'm saying this because if the worst possible outcome happens there will still be tasks we can do to make things better for everyone. You will still have power. And the people who care about you will too, if you are too tired to use it. You've see a lot of reblogs going around about how it will be more important than ever to be active in local politics if the scary result happens in the election, right? That isn't blind optimism or busy tasks to work out anxiety. It works. It genuinely, truly does. And we know this because its worked before: The "gilded age" was a Period of US politics with rampant corruption.

"Presidential elections between the two major parties were so closely contested that a slight nudge could tip the election in the advantage of either party, and Congress was marked by political stalemate."

Does that sound familiar? Hardly sounds like something from 150 years ago, does it?

"Many cultural issues, [...], became hard-fought political issues because of the deep religious divisions in the electorate."

It's like looking into a mirror.

And do you know what happened? Do you think it was forever and everyone just died from despair? No. (i mean obviously, we're here now aren't we?) It was fought against, little by little, building momentum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Era

"Progressive reformers were alarmed by the spread of slums, poverty, and the exploitation of labor. Multiple overlapping progressive movements fought perceived social, political, and economic ills by advancing democracy, scientific methods, and professionalism; regulating business; protecting the natural environment; and improving working and living conditions of the urban poor."

No trend is forever. Nothing is set in stone. Any amount of corruption can be undone. The past proves it's possible.

"Initially, the movement operated chiefly at the local level, but later it expanded to the state and national levels."

And it is undone by exactly the means people have been saying all along. Being active locally. By caring. By not giving up.

Sure, the past is not today. There are plenty of differences and there are no guarantees in this world except one: there will be change. And each and every one of us can do things that matter to make the change happen in the direction and speed we want it to, little by little.

[maspers]

Whether or not you can or should fight people based on the Element that best represents them:

Hydrogen: You can if you'd like and they'll totally fight you back if prompted but like why

Helium: They're so detached from everything you couldn't fight them if you wanted to. 

Lithium: Oh believe me they want to fight you but if you do you'll just feel bad for hurting them

Beryllium: They are dramatic and vaguely poisonous so you'd think fighting them would be a bad idea but trust us you really need to

Boron: You totally can and it's usually pretty easy but don't let your guard down because they're really good at last-second victories

Carbon: DON'T. Their defense is impeccable and their attacks are razor-sharp. You will be hurt. 

Nitrogen: Everyone wants to but nobody can figure out how

Oxygen: In most cases, you can and should. But in some cases you will sorely regret it and you can never tell which cases those are.

Fluorine: FETCH NO NOT EVER

Neon: You might need to, but they'll just laugh it off once it's over. 

Sodium: Please fight them before they get worse. You'll have a ton of fun too. As a side note, if you're fighting *alongside* them all you need to do is give them time to prep and they're the best ally you can ask for. 

Magnesium: You might not want to but you really should. Don't worry it'll be over quick. 

Aluminium: Nah. 

Silicon: Strike fast, strike hard, don't let them access the internet or call a Carbon for backup. 

Phosphorus: Do you like to gamble? It's basically a 1 in 3 chance of A) You could but it won't do much B) You can and should as soon as possible and C) DO NOT THEY WILL EAT YOU

Sulfur: You'll regret fighting them, but it needs to be done

Chlorine: Best not to unless you are truly prepared to combat their aura of doom. 

Argon: Good luck finding them in the first place, and even if you do find them it'll just be like Neon

Potassium: You should but it won't be as fun as fighting Sodium

Calcium: Why would you want to? They're busy contributing to society best not to bother them. 

Scandium: Ugh I suppose if you HAVE to

Titanium: Please do. You won't accomplish anything but at least you'll know you tried

Vanadium: It'll be difficult because they never shut up but once they run out of breath their fate is sealed

Chromium: You should fight them but watch out they have a good reputation so if you aren't careful everyone will hate you. 

Manganese: Please don't. Chances are they already feel like they've lost, so just pat them on the back and tell them it's gonna be okay. 

Iron: You shouldn't. You'll want to. You'll really want to. But they're too important and if you win everything will be ruined. 

Cobalt: Don't bother. They'll flee at the first sign of conflict and your victory will feel hollow. 

Nickel: YES FIGHT THEM AND TAKE THEIR MONEY

Copper: You should fight them, but don't destroy them too hard because defeat means friendship in their eyes and they're actually really really helpful in just about every context

Zinc: Why on earth would you they are precious babies who never do anything wrong and just want to help don't hurt them! 

Gallium: You probably shouldn't, seeing as they're always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 

Germanium: You won't want to fight them because they seem like Silicons or Carbons but it's all an act you should totally fight them to make you look better. 

Arsenic: Don't fight them. Even if you think you've won they'll already have put things in motion to ruin your life

Selenium: You totally should if only to experience the bizarre disorienting feeling of not knowing who won

Bromine: You can, and you'll think it was a really bloody defeat but actually they'll be totally fine and you'll get a headache an hour or so later once you realize what happened

Krypton: Bold of you to assume you can even hurt a superhimbo

Rubidium: You'll hear about them and think they're worth fighting, but then you meet them and discover they aren't. Fight them anyway as punishment for wasting your time. 

Strontium: You can and should, they seem normal but are secretly a menace. 

Yttrium: Don't, they're way too weird and all their weird friends will join in. 

Zirconium: Fire a shot and then run for the hills, #totallyworththepain

Niobium: Don't, they've lost too much already

Molybdenum: Really don't. They'll punch your face in then go back to whatever project they were working on

Technetium: It's a bot. It's a freaking bot. Why are you trying to fight a bot? 

Ruthenium: I'm not sure they even know how to fight

Rhodium: They're like Chromium but genuinely harmless, so while you can fight them there won't be much point to it

Palladium: Why on earth would you fight them, they're hot AND reasonably sane! 

Silver: Yes, please. They start by throwing your arguments back in your face, and then turn nasty before trying to finish you off with memes. But since they're really predictable once you've fought one you've fought them all. 

Cadmium: Not worth the sick feeling you'll get afterwards. 

Indium: PLEASE fight them. They're really easy to deal with, but if you leave them alone too long they start screaming so you need to fight them regularly

Tin: You can totally fight them, they'll sit there and take it with minimal complaining, but don't push them over the edge unless you want to deal with someone even more ruthless than Carbon

Antimony: Don't, you're just giving them more blackmail material on you. 

Tellurium: They sit on a throne of lies, so really really don't fight them unless you're trying to protect Gold. 

Iodine: DON'T FIGHT THEM WE NEED THEM TO MEDIATE OTHER FIGHTS

Xenon: You'd think fighting them wouldn't be worth the effort because they lurk most of the time but if you start a meme war you'll summon them and it'll be like fighting an epic secret boss in a video game

Cesium: You should NOT. They will overwhelm you quickly and then continue to harass you at regular intervals

Barium: They're really boring but you can still fight them to kill time

Lanthanum: Go ahead

Cerium: You can fight them but it'll really take a while for them to really get going. 

Praseodymium: Heck yeah. There's always two of them but neither should be a problem because neither knows what they're talking about. 

Neodymium: Heck no. There's always two of them and they both fight dirty. 

Promethium: You should, they make for good practice

Samarium: Only fight them if you want a lot of attention. 

Europium: Ugh, no. They won't fight back, just repeat everything you say really loudly and in a sarcastic tone of voice. 

Gadolinium: You can try, but they're usually busy listening to music. 

Terbium: They're one of Yttrium's weird friends. The geeky one. 

Dysprosium: Frankly you should just reward them for being willing to fight for whatever bizarre argument they're making. Sure you could defeat them easy, but letting them live is so much funnier. 

Holmium: Go right ahead. They are loud and precise and need to be stopped

Erbium: One of Yttrium's weird friends. The mystical one with the Crystals.

Thulium: Sure. You probably already have. 

Ytterbium: One of Yttrium's weird friends. This one actually can fight so keep them distracted while you deal with the other weirdos

Lutetium: Pfffft don't bother nobody takes them seriously anyway. 

Hafnium: Do it and do it soon, because otherwise they shall surprise attack you

Tantalum: YES. THEY DESERVE EVERY PUNISHMENT EVER. 

Tungsten: They are very very good at fighting, but have flaws you can exploit. Which is good, because it will be necessary. 

Rhenium: You'll never get the chance. They'll fly in, pepper you with obnoxious memes, then go back to lurking. 

Osmium: They are older and wiser and know more than you and any attempts at fighting them will just lead to them giving you advice and helping you learn. But you should still fight them because… 

Iridium: ...when you attempt to fight an Osmium an Iridium will show up to defend them, and you NEED to fight those stuck-up prats. 

Platinum: Everything bad that people say about Gold is a lie, because they're true about Platinum instead. You must fight them. It will hurt a lot but they really need to be stopped. 

Gold: You will never fight them because you will be too busy protecting them. They are too pure for this world and deserve love and support, regardless of what people may say about them. 

Mercury: They are a writhing mass of insults and memes. Approach them with cold logic and only cold logic, otherwise you will die. 

Thallium: You won't realize that you really need to fight them until it's too late. 

Lead: They've been fought and defeated in the past so just let them go about their business fixing their mistakes. 

Bismuth: No don't, why would you even want to. They're like the most helpful people, and even if you did fight them they'd just outlast you with a patient smile. 

Polonium: I guarantee you've beaten a bunch of them before without realizing. If they argue back then you'll definitely die but they never do

Astatine: NO. NO. FETCH NO. NO NO NO. DON'T EVEN ACT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO. THEY WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU LOVE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE. JUST DON'T. 

Radon: It'll be hard because they seem untouchable but they are a cancer on society and must be dealt with posthaste. 

Francium: I mean you could but they'll totally destroy themselves if you give them a couple minutes so just wait it out. 

Radium: Idk I guess if you can if you want to but they're usually too busy reminiscing to notice

Actinium: Nah. They're just attention seekers. 

Thorium: Oh please like you could

Protactinium: You'll think they're an Actinium so you won't fight them, but if you did fight them it'd be very cathartic. 

Uranium: Do it, but hold back. They're loud and annoying but they're really just a kid who doesn't know better. 

Neptunium: No need, they're already playing damage control and dealing with everyone else. 

Plutonium: BEAT THEIR RACIST BUTT ASAP

Americium: You'll want to because of how loud they are, but don't mistake volume for anger. They're actually pretty chill and only get genuinely mad if there's already a flame war going on. 

Curium: Leave them to their science, they're busy. 

Berkelium: They're like cardboard. You could fight them but it won't mean anything. 

Californium: Please do, and bring me pictures. 

Einsteinium: You shouldn't. Because if you do it will be because they want you to and are recording your actions for future analysis. 

Fermium: You'll never need to because they only seek out and interact with people who like and agree with them

Mendelevium: They are social experts who know everything about everyone and would be very dangerous if they weren't completely stupid. OHKO them and then let them go back to their ineffective scheming

Nobelium: If you somehow manage to beat them everyone will love you for it, but that's never happened. 

Lawrencium: No need, they're busy spinning. Wheeee! 

Rutherfordium: You can and should, but be aware fighting them will reveal uncomfortable truths about yourself

Dubnium: In Soviet Russia, Dubnium fights you. You'll be fine. Probably. 

Seaborgium: DO IT. PLEASE. TAKE THEM DOWN A PEG. 

Bohrium: Hit them once to prove a point then let them go back to reading, because if you  interrupt them for more than a minute they will destroy you out of spite with their intellect. 

Hassium: If you want to, sure. 

Meitnerium: Don't. They've worked hard to get where they are today and don't have time for anyone's bullcrap, including yours. 

Darmstadtium: See Hassium, though make sure you don't lose because that would be REALLY embarrassing. 

Roentgenium: NO. They will target all your weaknesses and atomize you. 

Copernicium: Lolololol sure it'll be easy since they're in dreamworld half the time

Nihonium: You can, but only if you're willing to fight fair. They are always up for an honorable duel but the moment you try to fight dirty they will call you out and cut you down. 

Flerovium: Go right ahead if you like, no one will care either way

Moscovium: See Dubnium except they're more ruthless and cold so just fire a parting shot and back off

Livermorium: I actually don't really know what fighting them is like, but it's probably lame

Tennessine: DON'T. They will compose a song about you. A mean song. You will cry.

Oganesson: You totally can, but honestly that might be a bit cruel.

[savi-of-ithaca]

Do you have any wisdoms?

Like, any nonspecific ones

hmmmmmm. gather round, gather round. ahem ahem, well...

1. stay silly. don't take everything to heart, it's not that bad, trust me, just always be a little silly. not for anyone else's sake, but for yours. and don't rush things, yes, there's a lot of things to get done and indefinite amount of time, but that's how you get burned out. take care of yourself.

2. know when not to be silly. sometimes people need a person to talk to, who'll listen and give good advice, and as someone people usually turn to i've got quite a bit of practice. in those moments never take other people and their emotions for granted. otherwise, in my eyes you just simply aren't their friend. friends need to listen, to communicate, and to respect if the friendship is ever going to last...you can't just expect friends to know when something is wrong either. want help? show them, tell them.

3. don't worry too much...ultimately, the people around you may never see you again. or they might be so close to you that they won't even care what impression you give off. stressing about how someone else sees you is NEVER fun. ofcourse it is normal to want to know how the other person views you but never spend too much time trying to manipulate it

4. focus on learning to do things on your own. now i'm not saying never take help, it's alright to ask for help, but some fundamental things that get done for you when you're a kid living with a guardian that you just need to keep in mind you will have to do yourself. you need to be careful, you get only one life

5. if you disagree with a friend over something, that doesn't mean you leave the whole relationship behind. that's just stupid. you'll never find someone who agrees with you on every major thing, and what's important is that you get past it and still enjoy being friends. don't set your expectations for people too high, everyone has flaws and it's your job to look past it and then maybe work through it together. i think it's important to mention that changing someone should never be your end goal, you have to accept any flaws and work through them TOGETHER, only if the other person is willing. it's their life and you can't control them in that way. the only thing you can control is if you accept them and want to continue to be in their life.

6. if you like someone, hold onto them. talk to them everyday/often, show them you have interest in them, tell them about your day, ask about them, just grab onto the person because eventually we let go of them, so it's best to make the most of it...and if we don't let go, you now have a good friend for a long, long time. and this one's hard for me to follow myself but try not to be afraid to ask someone to be friends with you. really, the worse that can be said is no, usually followed by a valid reason. because if the person gives any other reason, or is mean, you wouldn't have enjoyed being their friend anyway. don't be afraid to show care, because it will eventually come back to you. <3

7. never put all your eggs in one basket. from personal experience, if you let your life revolve around one person, you WILL end up hurt. keep people close to you, and keep more even closer. everyone needs a support system. just, for life. keep your own definition of "close", but never ignore the people who can help you when you need it, who need help themselves.

8. tell stories. stories can help you learn so much about yourself, about the people around you, about the people listening. who answers your stories by asking questions, remembering the details and truly appreciating how important your stories are? those are the people you should keep with you, because they try and a friendship/relationship is always a two-way street. what stories bring you joy? who were the best people you have met, that gave you brilliant memories? can you do anything to give the same memories to someone else?

9. respect yourself. know your boundaries, don't try to hurt others with them but use them as intended, to protect yourself for anything you think could hurt you. you don't have to stoop to someone's level if you don't want to and you don't owe anyone your emotional stability.

that's all i can think of that's important for now, do tell me what you think. thankyou for the ask! <33

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Performance Event - Winter Troupe's Tenth Play: Nomadic Bartender - Episode 9

!! this and the next chapter are the play, while not currently voiced, reading along in game will offer a better understanding of a lot of actions that aren't perfectly described through text alone

Guy: …

Hisoka: He said he wants another glass of “Journey”.

Guy: Got it.

Hisoka: …

Guy: Is something wrong?

Hisoka: I’m glad you got to meet your dad again.

Guy: It’s all thanks to your encouragement. Because of what you told me, I was able to be honest with him.

Hisoka: I’m glad…

Hisoka: … Your dad said that…

Hisoka: Even if you had forgotten about him, the most important thing was that you were happy.

Hisoka: … August might have felt that way too.

Hisoka: In a dream, he told me that forgetting would be easier. But it was a dream, so I don’t know if that’s how he’d really feel…

Hisoka: Maybe wanting me to forget everything and live a new, happier life was a gift from August, in a way.

Hisoka: I’m sure Whizz wanted Gin to be happy, too. Away from the dangerous world of the wizards.

Hisoka: I think that he chose to erase Gin’s memories because his happiness was important to him, even if it meant Gin would forget all about him.

Guy: … That might be what it is.

Guy: I think I understand, now that I heard my father’s words.

-

Izumi: It’s finally the opening day.

Tsumugi: Guy-san’s acting has gotten even better ever since he reunited with his father.

Izumi: Guy-san and Hisoka-san managed to drastically improve the last scene.

Guy: …

Homare: You are invincible because you have strong allies by your side.

Guy: You’re right. I was able to reunite with my father because I had all of you supporting me.

Guy: I never thought the day when I would be able to look at him and call him Dad once again would come.

Guy: I’m truly grateful.

Guy: Today, I would like to show my father a play that depicts my and my precious friends’ growth as actors. I will be in your care.

Homare: Leave it to us.

Tsumugi: This time, let’s show him Guy-san the actor, rather than the barkeep.

Tasuku: I’m certain it’ll make him happy.

Azuma: Come, let’s go.

Hisoka: … Let’s do our best, as we usually do.

Guy: Yeah.

-

[Buzzer sounds, the curtain lifts]

Gin (Hisoka): “Haah… Guess it’s about time. I should just start drinking everything by myself. Once I’m done, I’ll close up shop for good.”

[Door opening]

Whizz (Guy): “Hello.”

Gin: “!! Welcome!”

Whizz: “ ——��

Gin: “Um? Is something wrong?”

Whizz: “I’d like to work here.”

Gin:  “Oh, what… I’m sorry, but we’re not hiring at the moment.”

[Door opening]

Whizz: “Welcome.”

Gin: “Listen to me–”

Customer: “Hello?”

Gin: “Huh? What? You’re a customer for real? W-Welcome!”

Customer: “This is my first time here. So please give me a drink you’d recommend.”

Whizz: “Right away.”

Gin: “Hold on a sec, why’re you–”

[Whizz takes off his jacket]

Whizz: “...”

[Shake, shake, magic sparkles]

Gin: “!?”

Customer: “Woah, that’s quite the performance.”

Whizz: “Thank you for waiting. This is a Gin Fizz.”

Customer: “A Gin Fizz? Haven’t heard of that one before…”

Customer: “But it’s got a refreshing look, and it’s tasty. For some reason, it reminds me of my hometown. Ah, it’s the smell of lime…”

Gin: “Sir? Are you alright?”

Customer: “... Sorry. I started remembering all sorts of things...”

Customer: “I haven’t gone back home in a while. I’m thinking of going to see my parents.”

Customer: “Okay, with that decided, I’ve got to start packing. Thanks for the drink, it was delicious.”

Whizz: “Thank you for your patronage.”

Customer: “It was my first time here, but this is a nice place. I’ll come again.”

Gin: “Th-Thank you very much!”

[Door closes]

Gin: “That customer even left some gold coins…!”

Whizz: “He may be in disguise, but judging by his appearance, that man was a noble.”

Gin: “... I dunno about your flashy, traveling performer way of making drinks, but those skills of yours are the real deal.”

Gin: “How do you feel about going through a trial period for a while?”

Whizz: “I’ll be in your care. My name is Whizz.”

Gin: “I’m Gin, the owner. I look forward to working with you.”

Izumi: (Both Guy-san and Hisoka-san seem very motivated. As you’d expect of them, they look very natural standing next to each other in a store.)

-

[Door opening]

Gibson (Tasuku): “Good evening.”

Whizz: “Welcome.”

Gibson: “So there really is a shop in a place like this.”

Gin: “It’s a little hard to find, isn’t it.”

Gibson:  “My friend lives nearby. He heard from an acquaintance that a new shop opened ‘round these parts, so I came to check it out. Looks like I made the right choice.”

Whizz: “What will you be having?”

Gibson: “Hmm, I wonder.”

Gibson: “Usually when I go out drinking, I’m with a large crowd, and we go wild on cheap drinks. But that isn’t the case today.”

Gibson: “Something I can drink slowly would be good.”

Gin: “Whizz-san makes magical cocktails that can wash away your worries.”

Gibson: “My worries?”

Gibson: “...”

Whizz: “I can make you something I’d recommend, if you’d like.”

Gibson: “Y-Yeah, please do.”

[Shake, shake, magic sparkles]

Gibson: “ —That’s amazing.”

Gin: “That’s why I said they’re magical.”

Gibson: “I see.”

Whizz: “Thank you for waiting. This is a Gibson.”

Gibson: “Hm? Is the cocktail called Gibson? What a coincidence. My name is Gibson.”

Gin: “... Is that also one of your tricks?”

Whizz: “Just a happy coincidence.”

Gibson: “Is this onion? Hmm, it’s my first time drinking it, but it’s quite dry.”

Whizz: “This drink is said to have originated from a man who didn’t like alcohol, so he floated onions in water to make it look like he was drinking.”

Gibson: “Just pretense…”

[Dream-like flashback starts]

Gibson’s father: “Congrats! You did it.”

Gibson’s mother: “Being assigned to the First Order of Knights means your future is all but guaranteed. That’s amazing, Gibson.”

Gibson’s father: “You’ve finally made it to where your brother is.”

Gibson’s mother: “You always seemed to fail right at the most crucial moments, so we were worried about how this would go.”

-

Colleague: “You can even hope you’ll get to marry an Earl’s daughter, now that you made it to the First Order of Knights. That’s gotta take a weight off your shoulder as the second son.”

Boss: “You should have your fun before you get married. But make sure you keep an eye on the people you date.”

Colleague: “This is what makes enduring those tough days of training worth it.”

Boss: “What’s with that brooding look on your face, you oughta be happy!”

Gibson: “Yeah, you’re right.”

-

Friend: “Listen to this, Gibson! My master has recognized my skill, I can open my own shop! Finally!”

Gibson: “Really? Congratulations!”

Friend: “We used to do this together all the time as kids. You were so good at it, that I thought you’d follow through with it too, but now you’re a knight.”

Gibson: “You’re pretty amazing, though. You used to say you’d open your own shop and be a supplier for the royal family, and look at yourself now.”

Friend: “Yeah, I’m one step closer to my dream.”

Friend: “But still, I’d have never thought that the Gibson who couldn’t hurt a fly and ran away from sword training would make it to the First Order.”

Gibson: “Right…”

[Dream-like flashback ends]

Gibson: “I’ve been wondering lately… Is this really what I wanted for myself?”

Gibson: “My discomfort grew every time I was praised and congratulated…”

Gibson: “I might have just been following what others thought was right for me all this time.”

Gibson: “Starting today, I will think about what I want to do, and what I should do moving onwards. I will think for myself, and walk through my life without following anyone else.”

Whizz: “Is that so?”

Gibson: “I feel like this cocktail cleared me of my doubts. It really is like magic. I will come again.”

Whizz: “Thank you for your patronage.”

Gin: “Thank you very much.”

[Door closes]

Whizz: “They do say that alcohol is the best medicine.”

Gin: “I’ve never heard that one before.”

[Door opens]

Whizz: “Welcome.”

Hunter (Tsumugi): “—gh.”

Gin: “Are you alright?”

Hunter: “I’m sorry. Could I rest here, at least for a little while?”

Gin: “Of course. Feel free to use the couch over there.”

Hunter: “Thank you so much…”

[Shake, shake, magic sparkles]

bro i rly dk what to call these

Gin: “Wouldn’t it be better if we gave him water?”

Hunter: “No, this is good.”

[Hunter collapses]

Hunter: “——”

Gin: “Sir? Are you alright!?”

Whizz: “He’s just sleeping, I believe.”

[Dream-like flashback starts]

Hunter’s wife: “Dear, dear.”

Hunter: “Mh?”

Hunter’s wife: “Shouldn’t you be going soon? Here, take this to snack on.”

Hunter: “Ah, thanks. I’ll go now. I’ll probably be back in around 3 days. It’ll be tough, but I know you can make it through.”

Hunter’s wife: “Yes. You be careful too, dear.”

Child A: “Mooom! I’m hungryyyy!”

Child B: “Dad, when are you gonna be back?”

Child C: “See you lateeer!”

Child D: “WEHHH! Big bro hit me!”

Child E: “I wanna go with you~!”

-

[Door opening]

Hunter: “I’m home…”

Hunter: “Everyone’s asleep… *sigh* I have work early tomorrow, so I should go to bed–”

Child F: “Wehhhh!”

Hunter’s wife: “Mh… You’ve been awake all night… Ah, dear, welcome back.”

Hunter: “I’ll stay up. You go and sleep.”

Hunter’s wife: “But you have to wake up early tomorrow, don’t you?”

Hunter: “It’s alright. I can get by without much sleep. I’m a hunter, after all.”

Hunter’s wife: “Fufu, how reliable. Thank you.”

Child F: “Wehhhh!”

Child G: “ Wehhhh!!”

Hunter: “Oh my, you woke up too? There, there…”

Child F: “Zzz…”

Child G: “Zzz…”

[Dream-like flashback ends]

Gin: “Sir?”

Hunter: “Ah.”

Gin: “Are you alright?”

Hunter: “I’m sorry. It seems I haven’t been sleeping enough.”

Whizz: “Here’s some water.”

Hunter: “Thank you very much. Whew…”

Hunter: “I used to make a living by hunting, but I didn’t earn enough to support my seven children like that, so I came to the capital to work.”

Hunter: “But I just can’t seem to get used to this job…”

Whizz: “It must be very lively in the house with 7 children.”

Hunter: “Yes, very. Honestly, there are times when everything is just too much, and I start worrying about whether I’ll be able to put food on the table for all of them…”

Hunter: “But, well, this isn’t something I can talk to my wife about, when she spends every waking moment taking care of our children…”

Hunter: “Thanks to sleeping earlier, though, I do feel sort of refreshed.”

Hunter: “Seeing my children’s sleeping faces in my dreams brought back some of my happiness…”

Hunter: “I want to do everything I can to raise them well.”

Whizz: “Would you like another cup?”

Hunter: “Yes, thank you very much. Um, could I also have some snacks?”

Gin: “I’m really sorry, we only serve alcohol here.”

Hunter: “Are you alright with bring-your-owns?”

Gin: “Yes, of course.”

Hunter: “That’s good. I haven’t eaten anything today…”

Gin: “They look delicious.”

Hunter: “These are the snacks I used to bring with me when I went hunting, it’s my wife’s recipe. Would you like to try one?”

Gin: “Are you sure? Thank you very much.”

Gin: “The spices work well together, it’s delicious. I suppose it’s because she cooked the meat while it was still fresh.”

Hunter: “She’ll be happy to hear that.”

Hunter: “Well then, I’ll come again some time. I’d like to come with my wife too, if possible, but I don’t know when we’ll get that chance.”

Whizz: “We will be waiting.”

Gin: “Thank you for your patronage.”

[Door closes]

Gin: “... A food menu, eh?”

-

[Door opening]

Rickey (Homare): “Good evening.”

Gin: “Welcome.”

Rickey: “So there really was a store here. I had no idea until I heard from a friend.”

Whizz: “What will you be having?”

Rickey: “Hmmm… Whatever you recommend.”

Whizz: “Coming right up.”

[Shake, shake, magic sparkles]

Gin: “... Isn’t this a little too sweet?”

Whizz: “I’ll simply make something else if it doesn’t suit his tastes.”

Rickey: “Is this lemon in carbonated water?”

Rickey: “I used to drink cocktails like this a lot back in my day. How nostalgic. I could only handle sweet drinks then.”

Rickey: “My friends used to tell me I should just drink plain carbonated water at that point.”

[Dream-like flashback starts]

Rickey: “Let’s increase our import of Western goods. The next queen and the distinguished princess’s mother is from there, after all. It’s bound to become popular in the capital.”

Associate A: “In that case, I happen to know a weaver.”

Associate B: “We should find a craftsman to create the tableware as well.”

Rickey: “If this works out for us, we should open our own shop.”

Associate A: “Yes.”

Associate B: “Let’s make it the biggest store in the capital!”

-

Subordinate A: “Rickey-san, this contract needs your approval.”

Rickey: “Ah, yes… I see no problems. You may proceed.”

Subordinate A: “Okay.”

Rickey: “By the by, how did the talks regarding Ryoran’s outlet go?”

Subordinate A: “My team is working on it. Progress is going well.”

Rickey: “I see…”

Rickey: “(My business has been growing steadily, and the number of branch locations have been increasing.)”

Rickey: “(However, all my old friends wanted to do their own thing and left. In the end, I was left by myself…)”

Rickey: “(It’s almost like the passion I had when I first opened shop has dimmed.)”

Rickey: “Whew… I should get going.”

Rickey: “Hm? There’s still a light on?”

Subordinate A: “If we want to expand our business to Ryoran, I think it’d be good for us to consider this as well.”

Subordinate B: “Quite true, the South’s culture has reached the capital, and a lot more trades have been taking place.”

Subordinate B: “Our store prides itself in its catalog of rare items.”

Subordinate A: “I’ll bring this up to Rickey-san next time.”

Subordinate B: “I will, too. I’m sure he will see the appeal!”

[Dream-like flashback ends]

Rickey: “When I was young, some friends and I opened a shop. We worked our buttocks off, and the shop quickly grew.”

Rickey: “But before I knew it, my friends started leaving, one by one. And I was eventually left alone.”

Rickey: “I thought those feelings of pushing forward that I had back then would never return.”

Rickey: “I was just reminded that I have new friends by my side.”

Rickey: “Those new friends of mine are as passionate and full of hope as I used to be…”

Rickey: “Seeing them makes me feel like there are still things I need to do.”

Rickey: “Thank you for reminding me of how I felt when I found that excitement again. I suppose this cocktail’s nostalgic taste has something to do with it.”

Whizz: “There is no need to thank me.”

Whizz: “Old friends are something you never truly forget about.”

Rickey: “It seems you also had those kinds of friends.”

Whizz: “Yes… I’ve been looking for them for quite some time, but I have not been able to find them.”

Rickey: “I’m certain you will meet again. Thank you for the drink. I will bring my new friends next time.”

Whizz: “We will be expecting you.”

[Door closes]

Gin: “I think we should close up for today soon.”

Whizz: “You’re right.”

Gin: “But still, your cocktails really do seem magical, Whizz-san.”

Gin: “Not sure if magic can be considered a compliment, though.”

Whizz: “... Perhaps so.”

Gin: “I wonder what magic actually was like?”

Gin: “I can’t really imagine it, because I only know it through fairy tales. I wonder if wizards really did exist in the past.”

Whizz: “... There should not be many people who know, nowadays.”

Gin: “Guess you’re right…”

Gin: “Ah! This is the most sales the shop has had ever since I opened!”

Whizz: “Congratulations.”

Gin: “This is all thanks to you, Whizz-san. It looks like I can keep the store running for a while longer.”

Whizz: “I'm happy to hear that.”

Whizz: “I just remembered… Do you have any plans to serve snacks or food?”

Gin: “I wish I could do so, but my cooking is terrible, and I don’t have a supplier–”

Whizz: “The bar’s location is not so bad. If we can increase the number of regulars and get them to spread the word, I think it’ll get us back on track quite quickly.”

Whizz: “Also, there don’t seem to be many shops here offering food at night, so capitalizing on that demand should work to our advantage.”

Gin: “Now that I think about it, the snacks Hunter-san gave me the other day were delicious…”

Gin: “If we can find something that can be preserved, then all we’ll need to do is plate it when it’s ordered.”

Whizz: “That sounds like a good idea. How about we discuss this in-depth tomorrow?”

Gin: “Okay!”

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) all characters in this play are named after cocktails! of all of them, rickey's history also relates to the character, as it was invented by colonel joe ricky after he asked a bartender to add lime to his bourbon with carbonated water (source)

[irlactualhuman]

thanks for answering my ask about the talking at thing :]]

I never really thought about that before, I just wanted to be sure I understood right before I attempted to comment on the post lol

I think its easy for me personally to fall into both categories, doing the talking at when I'm in a situation where I feel nervous (I'm a compulsive oversharer, sometimes I actually just say things lmao) or just really excited (then I get caught up in my own words and excitement in having an opportunity to share), and I also struggle with asking people questions. I don't want to seem like I'm prying, and also I find myself thinking that if someone wanted me to know something they would just tell me, which is flawed thinking because as you said, people do want to share, its just the concept of inviting them to share what they want to, the same way I want to be invited to share. More so I find myself letting myself be talked at when I really enjoy the person's company or don't want to come off as "too much", and fear judgement or saying something wrong. It's a balance I have to work out, too.

I'm used to being interested in people and them not being interested in me, or at least not interested in me to the same extent I am in them. I guess what I do is just let them talk at me and feel special because they wanted to share those things with me, and listen in a very npc-like manner and not really provide anything to add. Then afterwards when I'm alone I feel yucky with myself for not expressing myself or allowing myself to share my personality, and feel bad for all of the opportunities I had to share my opinions, ideas, or take on a topic and then feel disappointed or not valued. I love talking but I want to be encouraged to talk and share my opinions too, it feels more valuable and important and just nice when you feel like someone wants to hear what you have to say, you know?

I think what would/does help me in scenarios where I feel like I haven't shared is to realize, number one, that I haven't shared anything yet even though internally I do have something to comment on, and two, to make myself speak even if I feel shy about it whenever I feel like I have something to say that is an equivalent to what the other person has told me. Like if they ramble to me about something that happened, i'll respond to what they said or ask any questions I have, and then respond to their story with a similar one of my own. Also, it helps to remind myself that yes, someone who feels comfortable enough to share with me on a topic and I also feel comfortable sharing with would probably not be mad at me for also feeling comfortable to share with them. As you wrote, meeting them on their level. I don't know if its egocentric or an overstep or something to assume someone sharing also wants you to share too (on second thought that makes more sense to me than I thought) but sometimes you just gotta reassure yourself that you do belong in spaces and you are valid and your voice matters too.

Thank you for your response Lea! You verbalized feelings that I didn't even know I had, I don't know if this response makes sense but it is something for me to think about and be aware of now. This helped me a lot even though it probably might just sound like me mirroring your post.

Heyo. Happy to help! Always. 😊

Genuinely, I feel like people probably DO give a damn about what you have to say if they're already trying to share stuff with you.

It makes sense that they'd want you to share in turn. If you're already in that situation. That one on one sort of intimate endeavor. Even if they might be kinda bad at prompting you. Like duh. I mean. I would. I care. And it's not like it's truly their failing. Maybe they don't know how.

Perhaps we could both stand to give them the benefit of the doubt and think they're at least as loving and indulgent as we are.

Maybe, if they aren't, seeing that we are might inspire them to be.

Maybe it's worth taking the risk regardless.

Personally, I just... really could use the prompting. At least a little bit. At first. Yknow. Like a running start. I never shut up once I get going. Obvs. But I'm fuckin shy.

And ugh. I would share the world with them, had I the world in my pocket.

Or maybe it's just that I really want someone to be as intense about me as I am about them. Which is foolish, I'm sure. Maybe. Perhaps. Maybe not. I really don't think it'd be at all tiring or yucky, as you said, if we're both sharing. The energy is held between us, rather than only going one way.

What beautiful magic we could conjure with that energy. Dontcha think?

[prodigal-explorer]

*materializes into existence*

Hey, my dear moot :D

Putting some positive things in ya ask box.

I want to hear more about Aubrey! I know she's one of your favs, so feel free to infodump and rant about her <3

I'm also curious to hear your thoughts about Hero and Kel! From what I remember, they're brothers, right? I love brother relationships in media, like Roman and Remus (SaSi). But yeah, wanna hear your thoughts.

Anyway, have fun with this :D

aww thank you so much!!!!

i would LOVE to talk about these three amazing characters! sunny and basil are the main characters (for good reason considering that the main tragedy of the game revolves around their journey), but these three side characters are just as engaging and interesting as them! and those three are aubrey, hero, and kel!!!

let's start with aubrey. ladies first, after all!

so this is going to be as close to a spoiler-free post as i can make it, though i'm sure you've seen my posts enough to have like a full beginning middle and end of the game LMAO

one thing i do have to mention though is SPOILERS FOR MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. i can't really write about these guys without mentioning it so if you don't know of any deaths in omori don't read yet!

anyway- AUBREY.

for me, the main thing about her that i love is her loyalty to herself and her values. some people are flighty. they do whatever everyone else seems to want, or they're unstable when it comes to their own opinions on things. there's nothing particularly wrong with those people, but i've always greatly admired people who always know who they are, and aubrey, like it or not, always knows exactly who she is.

that's why she gets so ANGRY when people don't know who she is, or choose to misconstrue who she is for their own benefit. the entire TOWN does this, painting her as some brutish, stupid, rebellious bully character just because she comes from a rough part of the neighborhood, she doesn't have a lot of money, and her parents aren't there for her. of course she's going to get mad at people who further perpetuate that image of her.

aubrey has nobody on her side in her teenage years. her parents are deadbeats who don't give her the time of day. her best friend, the only person in the world who truly loved her and treated her like a sister, was ripped from her when she was a little kid. and when that happened, all of her other friends faded away too. aubrey was left alone, just like she had been before she found those friends.

god, she is just such a tragic character because the thing about her is that as a young child, she gave and gave all she had to her friends. she tried so hard to be a good kid, a good friend, a good little sister figure. but none of it paid off in the end. she still ended up alone. she gave and gave, but the only things in the whole world she really wanted to take, true friendship and unconditional love, was completely out of reach because the sad truth of it was that everyone seemed to care more about each other than about aubrey. everyone else had parents or guardians they could turn to. everyone else had a support system when tragedy struck. aubrey's support system was erased by said tragedy.

people give aubrey a hard time, but she was a little girl. she was learning about the world just like everyone else. and when everybody you love either willingly leaves you to fend for yourself or is ripped away from you by cruel force, you start to harden and turn uglier, in a metaphorical sense.

also, another thing i love about aubrey is that she OWNS UP. she knows she's flawed. she can be impulsive, she can take arguments too far, her temper isn't under control all the time. but the important thing is that aubrey has the maturity and emotional intelligence to get up, SAY SORRY, promise that she won't do that bad stuff again, and then actually adhere to that promise. aubrey is so noble, and her being is filled to the brim with such integrity and dedication.

really, aubrey never wanted to stop giving. it sort of happened against her will. but the second she found the ability to start giving again, she did. i just love aubrey. she was an adorable, sweet little girl who grew into a smart, wonderful, incredible teenager. her journey is so special to me, especially as an afab person. aubrey often gets pushed aside due to being a girl (people try to deny it but it's the truth), when really, her journey is a perfect coming-of-age arc that fully encompasses the game's message: self-forgiveness.

aubrey knows how to forgive herself, and she doesn't expect forgiveness from anyone else. she does the best she can, and then continues on, always aiming higher, always trying to be better. sometimes, she makes mistakes. sometimes, she falls into holes and has to dig her way back up to where she started. but she never STOPS.

i just love aubrey so much.

okay! hero and kel!

so while i am obsessed with their brotherly dynamic, i regret to inform you that they are not really all that similar to roman and remus in my opinion? i see some similarities, but their relationship to me is extremely different, in a cool and interesting way!

hero is the older brother. he is around three years older than kel i believe, and he is responsible, charming, dorky, and the poor guy is a bit of a people-pleaser. he has a strong passion for cooking, and he loves taking care of his friends and his brother, making sure that everyone's safe and happy. he takes on the role of the sort of parental friend alongside his late girlfriend, mari, and he always acts with a royalty-like decorum.

until his girlfriend passes away, and he is left all alone.

hero blames himself. he hates himself for not being there for his girlfriend in her last moments. he thinks it's all his fault that she's dead to begin with. and he starts to become very, very depressed. he stops cooking and decides to give in to his parents pressuring him to go to college (for either medicine or law, i don't remember). he can't get out of bed. he can't move on. he's frozen in time.

eventually, hero heals with the help of his large support system. being an extremely likeable person, hero has a lot of people by his side as he struggles with mari's death. and when he's able to, he tries hard to be there like he was before. to be responsible, to be charming, to be the perfect oldest child, the perfect friend, the perfect son. everything has to be shining and perfect, and- oh, he's still in the trenches and he's pretending to cope when really, his grief is taking on the form of intense perfectionism? oh dang, okay, then.

but in all seriousness, hero's story is one that shows that healing is not always linear and that everything is not as it seems. he's also such a sweetheart, and i love how he tries so hard to support kel and his friends through everything.

speaking of kel! let's talk about him! now kel is not my favorite character, but he's far and away the most similar to me. he's sporty, he's got energy for days, he never thinks before he speaks, he does crazy shit, he's curious, he explores, he always tries to find the how, the why, and the solution. he's a problem solver and a go-getter.

the problem?

everything he's expected to do, every problem he's expected to solve, hero's done it already.

hero is clearly the child who gets more positive attention in the family, and kel can't deny that he deserves it. hero gets perfect grades, he's so kind and smart and gentle and perfect, how is kel supposed to keep up?

it's heavily implied that kel has some form of adhd. he struggles with sitting still and impulse control, he feels very strongly about fairness and justice. he struggles in school, but adores being active and playing sports like basketball. kel is the kind of person who tries so hard, even though things don't come easy.

and he is endlessly loyal. honestly, i think that's one of kel's biggest flaws. he's very loyal, to the point where he'll support somebody who's blatantly wrong just because they're his friend. while this is a bit of a dangerous trait to have, it is admirable in its own way because this makes kel a very trustworthy person. it's easy to tell where one stands with kel. he isn't the kind to be a very convincing faker.

he and hero seem very different, but they truly fit together like a glove. despite occasional tensions, they love each other more than life, and their weaknesses and strengths balance out so beautifully. kel tries to pull hero out of perfectionism, convincing him to relax and enjoy life instead of stressing over whether or not everything is perfect. hero reassures kel that he's enough, no matter what people say. hero makes sure that kel gets all the love and attention he deserves, since he knows the playing field isn't even, and he knows that it's not right.

i just love them.

i love all three of them so much.

thank you for asking!! this was so fun to make!

[oswaldsleftbicep]

real important question here: who do you think that is the best husband material from the game? and pls rate them from best to worst-

rating the boys as husbands

a great way to wrap up my married life series! i kinda dived more into the cons of marriage in this, stuff i didn't get into in the original posts. i'd love to hear what y'all think about this, how you'd rate them, etc. that being said, these are all my opinion, based on my own perception and standards as to what qualities a life partner should have

married life hcs: part 1 | part 2 | part 3

genre: other, angst if you squint

cw: first draft and unedited rambling

Lucia

❧ he's a great husband; not much changes in your relationship so it's all still very fun and youthful and full of spark

❧ he pulls his weight around the house and makes sure to support you always

❧ since he's the breadwinner, you aren't required to work in order to keep y'all afloat, so if you aspire to be a house spouse, this one is for you!

❧ he has his moments where he doesn't take things as seriously as he should, he likes to brush things off and look on the bright side as often as he can. however, he knows very well when to stop and take things seriously, which saves you from a lot of intense arguments

❧ also, because of his work, he gets incredibly busy and there are times where you see very little of him and it can get stressful, especially once the two of you get so used to seeing each other all day, every day. the stress of being the new king also piles up on him, and every now and then he really struggles with managing it, and he can end up snapping at you or shutting you out for a bit

❧ overall rating: 9/10

Levy

❧ y'all have a very quiet marriage and life together- which absolutely isn't a bad thing! it'a all just very lowkey, but the love is always there

❧ and the life and home you two share is so full of domesticity and comfort, it truly is a safe space for the both of you

❧ you both have to work to support yourselves, which paired with the fact that he's not extremely helpful in terms of housework is,, not the best thing ever. don't get me wrong, he tries his hardest, but growing up having most things done for him is a deeply rooted habit of his

❧ you also have to keep in mind his attitude; levy is a very stubborn man, and he's been known to go behind loved ones' backs to get his way. communication and patience are musts in your marriage with him

❧ when arguments do happen, expect the silent treatment and cold shoulder, but by the end of the night, he will always come back to you and neither of you will go to sleep before talking things out

❧ he might take you for granted every now and then, but his love, appreciation, and admiration for you is eternal and will keep him tethered to you forever

❧ overall rating: 7/10

Mefy

❧ you love him, and he loves you. that's something that you have to remind yourself of a lot.

❧ right off the bat you have the secrecy about what he does for work; you have essentially no idea about his life outside of your shared home, and you often find yourself wondering, "who is my husband when i'm not around?"

❧ similar to levy, he doesn't do much around the house, and he doesn't seem to be too apologetic about it. this especially sucks considering that you have a job too. you can't stay home to take care of things, so you have to squeeze in time after work to meal prep and clean the house

❧ a lot of the time, you just feel like your marriage was more of a mutual agreement than a statement of your romance and devotion

❧ if you can set aside his secrecy, deceptiveness, and meanness, he's very sweet and considerate of you and your relationship. he sets aside his own opinions, and pays attention to the things you care about, keeping them in mind to bring up at a later date

❧ he leaves you wondering a lot of things, which can cast shadows of doubt in your mind, but you know he's faithful and will always return to you. that trust and confidence is one of the biggest things keeping your marriage afloat

❧ overall rating: 4/10

Oswald

❧ trying my best to set aside my own biases for this one-

❧ it's very hard to find a man more devoted to you than oswald. he takes his vows very seriously, and dedicates the rest of his life to act as your servant not literally of course but ya know. anything he can do to make sure you live a safe, comfortable, and secure life, he's doing

❧ he really tries his hardest to help around the house with cooking and cleaning, but his strength really lies in the latter. it's very endearing tho, seeing him try his best and looking to you with a sparkle in his eyes, eager to please

❧ but then you have to keep in mind his other job; assuming that he continues working for lucia and kaim, and until there is a complete cure for his condition, he will likely continue to be sent on missions. how long he's gone for, you never know, and the only solace you get is his promise to return home to you

❧ and then you have the effects of his condition. he tries to keep you at a distance from him when he goes on a rampage, but things can happen. he's hurt you once before, and it would absolutely eat him up if that ever happened again. there are risks, but in the end, it's an illness and support from the one he loves most is what keeps him together

❧ overall rating: 9/10

Kaim

❧ he's dedicated his life to servitude; to him, marriage is just an extension of that

❧ he wouldn't just marry you for the heck of it tho, he really loves you and is thoroughly devoted to you, and it shows with how gentle he treats you, and how he pampers you in his own special way

❧ you know that being married to him ensures that you'll be well taken care of and secure in your way of life

❧ but it's hard for him to keep home and work separate, and it can sometimes seem as if he's more your boss or overseer than your husband. he takes charge of a lot of things at home, has specific expectations, and instructs you on things to do a lot

❧ it's rare for him to just relax and be with you, as his life is basically his work. the infrequent, sacred time you have to yourselves is often right before bed, unwinding together and relishing in each other's closeness, which appears to be all he needs

❧ overall rating: 6/10

Mikael

❧ this man has a lot of complexity to him, and a lot of it is due to internal conflict. he has such string desires, but because of his upbringing, way of life, and status, he's learned to stifle those desires down into performative indifference

❧ he relies on you to help him with that, and he's learned to be comfortably vulnerable with you, which really strengthens your marriage

❧ he sticks his nose up at a lot of domestic housekeeping tasks, resulting in you either doing it yourself, or forcing him to help out while he pitches a fit lol

❧ he's a big homebody, which shows he's comfortable in the house you built together and gives you slight peace of mind in that you always know where he's at, but if you ever want to go out somewhere, it can take a while to get him to agree

❧ in order for this marriage to last and be successful, you have to be willing to help him, to help each other, grow and adapt and heal. there's a lot of therapy-esque reflection and conversation between the two of you, most often late at night

❧ overall rating: 5.5/10

Ricardo

❧ he's surprisingly great to live with: he's tidy, does his part in housework, knows how to cook

❧ the fun and youthful excitement of y'all's dating stage relationship lasts very well into your marriage; he refuses to go quietly into your aging together, and really values having memories and fun experiences together

❧ his frugality can get a tad bit annoying, especially because it's conditional. he's great at budgeting and paying bills and dues, but every now and then he'll make an impulsive financial decision

❧ which ties into his reckless behavior. having you and your marriage in his life definitely calmed him down, but old habits die hard. at his core, he still has those heartless, borderline psychotic impulses

❧ and let's not forget his dark ending. he is capable of that, and whether you're aware of it or not, the risk for that becoming a reality is still there. you've helped him change and become a better person, helped him mellow and settle down, but how much can nurture reverse nature?

❧ overall rating: 6/10

Noel

❧ he tries his best, but doesn't fully grasp this whole marriage concept

❧ the beginning of your union together consists primarily of you teaching him how to live with someone else. every now and then, it makes you worry about if you're treating him like a child

❧ don't get me wrong, he learns and understands eventually, and he becomes a good person to share a life with, but for a good while in the beginning, your union gets tested

❧ he's a prime example of you need to live with your partner for a while before you get married

❧ honestly, you don't feel as though your relationship with him changed much after marriage; if anything, you just feel more responsibilities piled up as you have to essentially train the poor man to be a husband

❧ and it's not his fault, remember that, he's lost everything at one point, memories included, and every day is a learning experience. as long as he has you by his side, he's confident that he'll become everything that you deserve

❧ overall rating: 4/10

Lucas

❧ life with him is full of adventure and bright, warm feelings. with it, though, is a feeling that you're walking along a tightrope, suspended high above the surface of the earth, but as long as you have your focus on one another, you'll always remain balanced

❧ it's not like y'all are struggling to get by either, early on in your marriage just has the classic vibe of newlyweds working hard to save up and build a beautiful life, sticking by one another through thick and thin

❧ his,, collection of belongings can be a reason for a bit of stress, especially if it all just continues to pile up. he won't clean or organize his belongings regularly unless you ask him to, and he never really sees a problem with it

❧ the two of you are always up to something, there's hardly ever a boring day in your shared life. on the other side of that coin, though, is his desire to always be going somewhere, wandering about and almost getting himself into trouble with his nosiness

❧ this one's hard to explain, but all he's ever wanted was you. he's waited countless lifetimes to have you, and he'd do it all again. yet, there's just something about him that tells me there's an unfulfilled desire within him, something that he'll continue to search for and will leave him perpetually, partially unsatisfied with his life

❧ overall rating: 8.5/10

[onlyhereforghosttrick]

Alright if I am to truly be a Pmd blog I must have a hastily drawn loredump at some point so

Starting with the partner, Aigiel! Now, Aigiel was raised as part of a clan of Espeons known as the Kirien clan.

They live somewhere northwest of the Luminous Springs, mainly differentiated by one particular genetic trait in a marking in their eyes or on their eggs (as pictured above, in an example of it in their eyes).

Now, something I have yet to mention is their main tradition, that being when one of their children turns *rolls d20 offscreen* 18, where they take an almost weeklong journey to Luminous Spring proper in order to completely evolve into Espeon. It's always viewed as a rather important event in the clan, seen as passing the legacy to a new generation, more so important given there aren't many children born into the Kirien clan. (There are like, 10 Espeons tops at any given point.) And of course, with how important this event is, any mistakes are meant with less tolerance than usual (which already isn't much). Now, while the last one from three years ago failed this process and managed to evolve into a different eeveelution, a disgrace if they've ever known it, that means nothing of Aigiel's ceremony or how it would go. ...and yet...

... Through some (admittedly crudely drawn and predictable yet) tragic twist of fate, something went wrong. And so, she was abandoned. Left in the forest like an experiment gone wrong at best, without a care for her safety. That day... She had been meant to die a failure, unable to uphold a legacy that she had been trained to inherit. And yet, like the failure before her... She kept fighting. She may not have known too much about survival, the children in the clan having been fairly sheltered for most of their lives, but she knew what she should and shouldn't eat, and that going back and begging for a second chance would do no good.

Despite her limited survival skills, the thing is that they were exactly that: Limited. And a while into wandering, looking for some other sign of civilization... She made the poor choice of wandering into a random cave. Now, it wasn't the cave in specific that was the problem here, quite the opposite- The problem was not knowing too well how to fight or defend yourself, and then cornering yourself in a room with no exits.

While what pokemon it was isn't entirely certain (if only because it isn't all that important, just that there were three of them and they were imposing), The terror they gave the young Eevee was. And so... all they could do was pray. Pray for some kind of hope. Some divine intervention, anything... But all she could do was hope someone would somehow hear her wish... "I want to live".

And somehow, through some miracle, her wish to live was heard- and some force of fate gave her the opportunity to keep living. And so she took to running, hoping to escape her current predicament. And yet... for every blessing, misfortune must also fall... some extra emphasis on the fall. While being in the wrong place this time didn't kill them, well... you read the text on their artfight ref.

Honestly, looking back, Aigiel realized she was rather lucky to have escaped with just a broken tail. At the time though... all she could concentrate on was ignoring the pain and getting out of there. Taking a stone she'd found in the cave as a reminder of what she'd been through, Aigiel somehow managed to find her way over to a nearby town- not the Treasure Town known in Explorers, but one surrounded mostly by forest aside from the connections to some underground lakes known as Cedar Town.

And so, after all she had survived... she decided something. She would be one of the kinds of pokemon who could help others, and who were strong enough to do it. An exploration team, Aigiel decided. That would be the kind of pokemon she would become. And thankfully, the wait for a partner didn't take very long...

[mbti-notes]

hi mbti, entj with an exfj mother. whenever we get into arguments, she responds by yelling at me and blaming me and admittedly i respond by yelling back at her. she has been like this for the entirety of my life and when i try to communicate with her calmly after an argument she just ignores me. i want to have a better grasp on how to control my reactions during arguments as it takes a lot out of me to try and reason with her or even get an insight into other solutions i haven't considered. thank you

Why are you interested in personality type? Many people are merely in it for ego validation. Some people are looking to improve their relationships with different types. IMO, if you want to get something truly valuable out of type theory, you have to enter into the learning process with a clear intention to develop a deeper understanding of humans, to gain the kind of wisdom that helps you become more empathetic and compassionate toward yourself and others. In other words, do you genuinely want to understand your relationship with your mom and connect with her better, or do you just want a quick-fix to end the conflict and get her off your back?

When you seek to resolve a conflict for mostly egotistical reasons, you won't get very far, because it's easy for the other person to detect that you care more about your own comfort than their well-being. To resolve a conflict properly, you must approach it primarily from a place of care and love. If you aren't able to do that, you're signalling to the other person that you're not relationship-ready, so they won't have much motivation to meet you halfway, hence, the reluctance to engage with you. Why waste energy on a discussion that will go nowhere? Why waste energy trying to explain something when the other person doesn't seem to have the desire/capacity to understand? I'm not accusing you of anything or judging who's right or wrong. I'm simply making sure that you are aware of your intentions because they matter a great deal in conflict resolution.

It is indeed important to keep yourself in check when things get too heated, but that's really only the first of many steps. At most, it keeps communication going, but it doesn't constitute a full-fledged solution to the conflict. You haven't described or provided any representative examples of the sorts of things you argue about, which makes it very difficult for me to know what exactly lies at the root of the conflict. And perhaps that is the problem: You're not grasping what lies at the root of the conflict, so your ideas about how to solve it keep dancing around the problem at best. Dancing around means you have no clear direction or no clue about what the finishing move should be. What is your long term vision for this relationship?

In terms of ENTJ development, dancing around is likely related to underdeveloped Ni: your way of thinking is too short-sighted and superficial, so you're unable to grasp what's really happening beneath appearances, let alone set a long term vision to strive for. In the context of relationships, the superficiality of underdeveloped Ni is also linked to underdeveloped Fi: you are unable to recognize and address the underlying feelings and emotional needs in play, so you end up band-aiding the conflict only to have it recur in the future.

Every personality type has its fair share of challenges, difficulties, and weaknesses. If you don't understand what they are in your own type, you won't make much progress in personal growth. If you don't understand what they are in someone else's type, you won't be able to "speak their language" or frame ideas in a way that makes sense to them. Recurring relationship problems usually require a two-pronged solution of personal growth as well as growing your understanding of others. Developing Ni+Fi should help you with both.

The most obvious difference between you and your mother is T and F. By definition, feelings and emotions matter a lot to Fs and how they make decisions. Healthy Fe doms don't anger easily because they: don't like the stress of extreme emotions; are usually willing to give people the benefit of the doubt; prefer to see the good in people; hope for kinder ways of resolving conflicts. There are really only a few things that anger Fe doms, mostly involving:

lack of care shown to the things that are very important to them

ignoring/dismissing people's needs and feelings

taking them and their thoughtfulness for granted

violation of their personal rules/boundaries

antisocial/immoral behavior that causes harm or suffering

Have you done any of the above? If so, have you admitted the mistake, provided a humble and honest explanation for it, sincerely apologized, and made a promise to do better? That is often all it takes to get back in the good graces of FJs, but you'd be surprised at how often people simply can't or won't take the first step toward reconciliation.

It takes two to tango. When the lines of communication have broken down, it's sometimes necessary to step up and be the bigger person and apologize first, in order to encourage the other person to respond in kind. It's not about who is at fault or who is to blame or who started it (i.e. pettiness). It's really about acknowledging that feelings have been hurt and needs have been neglected, and then making a gesture toward repair. In essence, it's about ending all aggression and, instead, opening up opportunities to show love.

To be clear, this is not about rolling over, placating, or appeasing. You also need to address why you feel in conflict, why you feel upset. You wouldn't be getting into arguments without feeling strongly about something or other. Oftentimes, ENTJs are unable to speak about feelings and emotions directly because they fear being vulnerable and/or simply don't have that level of self-awareness. But vulnerability is precisely the gesture that is needed for the other person to feel more confident about reconciliation.

Vulnerability shows that you are finally ready and willing to get real, to discuss the very heart of the matter. Speaking honestly and authentically about feelings is quite difficult for most people, usually due to ego reasons, but it is necessary for building more meaningful and fulfilling relationships. Until two people can feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable with each other - to approach with zero intention to judge, shame, blame, accuse, or attack - they won't be able to resolve relationship problems once and for all.

Of course, one big reason people fear vulnerability is because it leaves them open to being manipulated, exploited, or attacked. You can't control other people, so trusting them always carries some risk. Give people a few chances to return your vulnerability in graduated steps, but if they can't reciprocate or they use it against you, it means they are not relationship-ready. At that point, feel proud that you were brave and put out your best effort, but acknowledge that the relationship has hit a hard ceiling for reasons beyond your control.

If you have a tendency to nitpick or debate the details of who's right and who's wrong in an argument, you're basically trying to establish dominance and doing the opposite of being vulnerable. And chances are, you're ignoring what matters most, which is healing the injury that was caused by the conflict. It could be injury to a person or to the relationship as a whole. In the midst of heated conflict, it's easy for feelings to get trampled, boundaries to get violated, trust to get betrayed, and painful memories to get dredged up. One reason people avoid conflict is because it's difficult to get past the injuries.

When someone's leg is injured, you don't tell them to get over it and keep walking only to make it worse, rather, you get them off their feet, reduce their pain, and then gently repair what was fractured or broken. Feelings and emotions are real. Emotional pain often registers in similar brain areas as physical pain. It requires time, sensitivity, the right kind of comforting, and a focus on fulfilling unmet needs to heal emotional pain. When you don't allow time and opportunity to heal emotional injury, you're basically leaving people to writhe in pain alone, so don't be surprised when they have zero mental capacity for anything else. Have you ever tried to reason through a difficult problem while experiencing intense pain?

One of the great things and also one of the most difficult things about being F dominant is that feelings and emotions always loom larger than other types. Are you able to understand and accept this reality about them? Fe doms deeply value loving relationships and are thus easily pained by unloving behavior. Fe doms generally find it difficult to bring up their own negative feelings/emotions because they don't want to cause a disturbance or be a burden. As a result, they might get into the habit of suppressing how they really feel, which might lead them to also develop a habit of exploding any time they are unable to suppress any longer. And once feelings get too big, they'll find it difficult to articulate what's really happening inside, due to inferior Ti.

The remedy is to provide them with a safe, nonjudgmental, and compassionate space to speak freely at all times. But this means you have to be prepared to hear things that you don't want to hear and/or things that don't make sense to you (and require tactful clarification). To get better at girding yourself, you have to deploy Ni+Fi to step back and see the bigger picture (i.e. don't take it personally), and to look beyond the surface content of their words and understand what they really mean, with regard to:

what exactly is causing them to feel bad

what you've contributed to their negative feelings

what it is they really need or which of their needs remain unmet

what rules/boundaries were violated and require repair

what unloving/immoral behavior needs to be stopped

what unfair/unjust situation needs to be righted

Once you grasp the underlying problem, you'll have a much better chance of negotiating the right solution. A simple but effective way to improve your conflict resolution skills is to be more curious and listen more, to ensure that you are in touch with the reality of the situation, rather than operating on faulty assumptions. Family relationships are often the most challenging relationships, but learning how to navigate them effectively can set you up with the skills you need to navigate all relationships effectively throughout life.

I have already written a lot about function development, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. I've also recommended books on the resources page. There's no shortage of information. What remains unclear is how motivated you are to improve your people skills and what end goals you have for this relationship.