#better appreciate that it's all different character traits to describe them

[dontwaitforupdates]

The designs for the Alphabet Soup cast! Here's a quick run-through of their heights, ages, birthdays, personalities, and routes. (You may note that some have extra names, and that is because I forgot to make them gnc designs for some of the characters and have yet to update it). I plan to do introduction posts for all of them but that will take some time. Quick note the MC will be 25 so keep that in mind when looking at character ages.

Abeni/Aatos Stoll: 5' 8.6"/174.244 cm, 23, January 27th, A is upbeat, energetic, and very social. They're one of your classmates at college and as you get to know them more you learn just how much pressure their parents are putting on them.

Bea/Benjamin/Bailey Skinner: 5' 7.5"/171.45 cm, 27, November 12th, B is polite, mindful, and remembers everything. Another one of your classmates that after lending them a pencil you become good friends, when you realize you're B's only friend you have to wonder why.

Cassandra (Cassie)/Cooper/Charlie Menzie: 5' 4.5"/163.83 cm, 29, September 9th, C is laid back, curious, and patient. They work at the gas station you frequent, and they also seem oblivious to your crush. How can you get them to notice you?

Dapisha Grimm: 5' 6.7"/169.418 cm, 26, April 25th, D is blunt, sweet, and a little shy. She volunteers at the company you work for, do you help her realize her dream or do you let her remain the same?

Esme/Eugene/Emery Francis: 5' 0"/152.4 cm, 23, March 14th, E is protective, brash, and overworked. You first see them at the gas station and then you notice them at all their other jobs, what made them so gruff and why are they working so much?

Fiona/Finn/Francis Richard: 5' 7"/170.18 cm, 29, April 20th, F is hard-working, professional, and organized. You meet at a fundraiser your work throws that they write an article for, their best friend then starts to meddle and has you two meet up a bunch.

Georgie Abel: 6' 0.5"/184.15 cm, 30, May 8th, G is considerate, rich, and determined. They are the manager and event planner for your company, you've worked with them a bunch and might like them as more than a coworker... but they're your boss? What to do.

Hayden Bauer: 6' 0"/182.88 cm, 22, May 21st, H is wistful, nature-y, and a total nerd. He volunteers for an event at your company and spends most of it working with you, at the end he gives you his number, will you discover the sad past of this man?

Ihab Pau: 5' 3"/160.02 cm, 22, July 11th, I is funny, sentimental, and creative. She goes to your college and has an apprenticeship at the jewelry shop you frequent, it's hard not to fall for someone so charming.

Julia/Jacenty/Jay Andrews: 5' 9.5"/176.53 cm, 27, June 1st, J is flirty, confident, and adventurous. You meet them at the jewelry shop and after chatting they give you their number, what else is there to this stranger (if anything)?

Kaia/Kai/Kaipo Nilsen: 5' 6"/167.64 cm, 25, January 3rd, K is a tease, put-together, and welcoming. You've been going to school with K since first grade, that's why it was so surprising to find yourself crushing on them now, are you ready to risk your friendship for love?

Lark/Luke/Loren Young: 5' 9"/175.26 cm, 25, January 10th, L is a DIYer, honest, and straightforward. You've been friends with them just as long as K, they used to confess their love to you all the time as kids and only now as an adult do you feel the same, but has L grown out of their infatuation?

Melody/Milo/Madison Kelly: 5' 10"/177.8 cm, 26, October 30th, M is competitive, playful, and smug. Rivals to lovers, you met M in high school and you were happy when he ended up working for the same company as you, now the shenanigans can continue, but something about your rival feels different.

Narith Polaris: 5' 5.8"/167.132 cm, 24, June 9th, N is optimistic, stubborn, and friendly. They work at the library you go to when working on college HW she's really nice and helpful and since befriending them you find yourself at the library more and more.

Ofir (Ollie) Vargas: 6' 3"/190.5 cm, 29, October 5th, O is guarded, loyal, and Indecisive. They followed their friend to a fundraiser event at your work and you caught their attention, after spending the event with you they gave you their number in exchange for keeping them entertained. (I hate their design and it will change do not get attached)

Penny/Pierce/Page Hoffman: 5' 11"/180.34 cm, 25, September 26th, P is athletic, dedicated, and focused. An athlete at your college suddenly starts showing up around your work, they must know someone there, and after a while of running into each other you start to get better acquainted.

Quin/Quentin Stoll: 5' 5"/165.1 cm, 24, November 17th, Q is odd, capable, and prepared. While you're at the gas station your bag breaks, another perfect punch on an awful day, and then this mysterious stranger pulls out a sewing kit and patches it up enough to last till home. Who is this angel and how can you thank them?

Rada/Radek Werner: 5' 2.5"/158.75 cm, 28, August 17th, R is quiet, comforting, and responsible. This pretty stranger who works at the coffee shop is surprisingly at your work's fundraiser event, you say hi and get to chatting, and from then on you greet each other like friends.

Savannah/Samuel (Sammie)/Salem Carpenter: 5' 5.4"/166.116 cm, 28, March 7th, S is tired, apathetic, and unmotivated. They work at your favorite coffee shop and when they pass out after clocking out you insist on taking them to the ER. After that, you start paying way more attention to them.

Tavani Hood: 5' 4"/162.56 cm, 24, December 23rd, T is sulky, immature, and dependable. He's always in the park with his sketchbook out, in fact, you have a game when you go to the park and it's to see if you can spot him. You start talking to him and he shows you his work until he gets protective and secretive over it, what could he be drawing that he can't show you?

Ulyssa/Ulysses Klein: 6' 1"/185.42 cm, 23, April 18th, U is earnest, bashful, and talkative. They work at the library and they always ask you what you're working on, you can't help but notice how adorable and bashful they are. So what will you do with that information?

Veronica/Vincent/Val Bourne: 5' 8"/172.72 cm, 25, February 6th, V is wary and critical, but tolerant of you. You've known V since middle school and you never knew what you did to earn their trust but seeing how you're still their only 'friend' you're determined to get closer to them and maybe even get them more friends or acquaintances.

Willow/William (Bill)/Winter Morrison: 5' 11.5"/181.61 cm, 33, December 19th, W is watchful, sly, and respectful. W is a serial killer and they can't be fixed. You run into them at the park, or well more accurately their dog runs right into you. They quickly apologize and have a lovely conversation with you after that whenever they see you in the park they talk to you. They've always been kind that's why you couldn't help but be shocked when learning of their dark secret.

Xanthe/Xavier/Xan Thomas 5' 3.5"/161.29 cm, 22, February 2nd, X is handy, obsessed, and jealous. X is a yandere route they can't be fixed. X goes to your college and is in some of your classes, you help them with directions once and after that you swear you see them everywhere.

Yazmin/Yanis Vlanos: 5' 9.8"/177.292 cm, 26, July 4th, Y is famous, awkward, and conscientious of themself. You meet them at the jewelry shop and really hit it off, it's only after meeting and exchanging numbers that you learn they're a pretty popular up-and-coming artist.

Zoe/Zander Cohen: 5' 2"/157.48 cm, 20, August 13th, Z is cheeky, geeky, and persistent. Your cousin moves to the city for college so you throw them a welcoming party and meet her best friend Z, this was apparently a mistake because now this brat (affectionate) won't leave you alone. But you won't date your baby cousin's friend, right?

[mylight-png]

A while ago I was listening to Dara Horn's podcast relating to her book, People Love Dead Jews. Within this podcast she discussed the fact that Holocaust museums tend to center stories that highlight ways in which Jews were just like anyone else, putting secular Jews on a pedestal of sorts.

The podcast went on to make the point that we shouldn't have to be like them to be liked. A Jew in a kippah is just as worthy of being accepted as a Jew in a baseball cap, and to position one, the more assimilated one, as "better" is antisemitic.

This made me think of how movies and shows portray Jews, and I realized a similar pattern of idealizing assimilation is deeply prevalent.

There are two main ways Jews are portrayed in movies/shows that I've noticed that are problematic. (For a narrower scope I'll be discussing American media as I am more familiar with that than most other countries.)

The first kind of Jewish representation is the token Jew. This is the character that the viewer wouldn't even have known is Jewish had the show not casually mentioned them celebrating Hanukkah in passing. This is the character who is entirely the same as any other character. An example of this would be in Ginny and Georgia, where a few side characters are revealed to be Jewish. This reveal occurred only for the purpose of making a Hanukkah episode, and immediately one of the characters says the beginning words to most of our prayers, adding "bitch" at the end. This sort of absolutely blatant disrespect towards the words many of us wouldn't even speak fully in casual conversation is meant to indicate that it's okay to poke fun at our religion. (By the way, it isn't okay. Don't disrespect our religion, thanks.) (And no the actress wasn't Jewish.)

Then there's Ben Gross from Never Have I Ever, a similarly extremely assimilated Jewish character. Instead of making fun of Judaism, however, the show plays into Jewish stereotypes. Ben's dad is a wealthy influential lawyer who works with Hollywood. Come on, there's three in a row there. Ben himself is frequently made fun of for being very short (to an extent not befitting the actor's actual stature), and some of his mannerisms could be described as effeminate. All of these traits play into anti-Jewish stereotypes. The protagonist even says she wishes Ben was killed by Nazis and other than a scolding this isn't made to be the big deal that it is.

These sorts of characters are meant to show how Jews are "just like you!" and pokes cruel fun at the few remaining things that do occasionally set them apart. Yes, secular Jews exist, but the way these shows make fun of their Jewish identities is where the issue arises.

The second problematic representation is meant to make goyim feel good about being goyim. This is specifically done through how Judaism is portrayed in these movies.

A major example of this is the show Unorthodox, in which the plot centers a young girl trying to escape her very observant community. This show directly demonized the Jewish religion, making it appear inherently oppressive and twisted.

While some may argue that the show was merely trying to portray the social issues within the community, there are better ways to achieve this.

The book An Unorthodox Match takes on a similar task with a vastly different tone. The book centers a protagonist joining an equally observant community, but not for a moment does the book, author, or protagonist blame Judaism. The book is very clearly written by a Jew who loves Judaism, and yet it manages to highlight similar social issues to the show without blaming Judaism. In fact, Jewish traditions have a fair share of appreciation in the book!

This sort of media is meant to make the goyishe viewers be grateful they aren't part of those communities, but as a Jewish viewer I felt deeply uncomfortable with the positioning of religious Jews as a negative part of society. This media makes the characters seem like they have nothing at all in common with the goyim around them or the goyim watching the show. It's the polar opposite of the previous example.

The first example is showing Jews as "just like anyone else" until they aren't, while the second example portrays Jews as entirely other. Never have I seen an Orthodox Jewish character side by side with the non-Jewish characters in any other context than the Jewish character envying their non-Jewish peers.

Why is the choice either to be assimilated or othered? Why can we not have an observant Jewish character remind their friends that they can't hang out on Saturday, or maybe they bring their own kosher snacks? Maybe a Jewish character muttering a bracha over their food? Why not make being Jewish an important part of their character without making them self-loathe because of it?

Media almost only ever shows two extremes and neither of those extremes has a positive impact on the perception of Jews.

(There is also a pattern I've noticed with Jews and goyim being cast in Jewish roles and how that corresponds to the character, but that's probably another post for another time.)

[prokopetz]

Hey! So I ran a one-shot of Eat God and we had a blast. I have some feedback to offer from both myself and my players (This was actually a while ago but I’ve been busy as hell so I’m only writing it up now, so I might have forgotten some things). 

First off, character creation was just as fun as advertised. My player’s all loved getting to choose their character’s traits and appearance and designing their deicidal muppets. The game’s mechanics also made it extremely easy to create looney-tunes style shenanigans, which both I and the character’s took full advantage of. 

At one point a character with the roving limbs trait was running away with a barrel containing another character (I put the character in the barrel) balanced on their legs while their top half distracted the town guards, a completely different character slipped into the sewers I hadn’t thought about and I had a chance to throw a surprise alligator at them, and a theocratic pastor said that he “carried God with him in his heart” (which ended exactly as anthropophagically as I had expected it too). I also got the great quote from one of my players “I swear to the god I want to eat.” 

I have a few critiques, a few suggestions for things to develop for future editions, and a few questions. My first critique is that I think that having tokens for obstinacy is a little distracting, since you keep track of everything else about your character on paper (we ended up using Sprite flavored tic-tacs that one of the player’s had in their bag) and would be better done on the character sheet. I also think the game could use a formal turn structure for high-pressure situations. It’s a game that promotes chaotic play, and with people popcorning in it got a bit loud and overwhelming. 

For future developments, I think that having more specific action types like attack, help, investigate, etc. would be helpful. Specifying the mechanical effects tied to some of the abilities, like being able to “stun” someone with Primordial Power and Dizzying Display, having a general movement speed that would be doubled by Fast Feet, being difficult to harm with Defensive Dermis, etc., would be useful for the GM. And more examples of NPC abilities would be useful, if only to have something to base homebrew on. 

There are also a few questions I had. First, is there a specific time scale for actions taken in a high-pressure situation like combat? 

Second, I assume that you count the unmodified roll for calculating calamity? Because I don’t believe any roll over a character’s facet would have no chance of triggering calamity, and similarly don’t believe that positive modifiers would increase the chance of calamity. 

Lastly, a general lesson I learned as a GM that I do not hold against your game: be careful how far you let your characters stretch the limits of their abilities in low pressure situations if you’re too socially anxious to retcon in high pressure ones. 

Ultimately I think it’s a great game and everyone had a great time. I meant to run another session but didn’t find the time, so I might have more feedback when I finally get around to that. For credits sake I’m Kendall R., my players wanted to be credited as Noc, Ladybug, and Brynne.

(With reference to this post here.)

I appreciate the feedback. With respect to your questions:

First, is there a specific time scale for actions taken in a high-pressure situation like combat?

There is not. Defining a more formal conflict framework with a specific round length is a potential addition to a future revision, albeit not one I'm committing to adding at this time.

Second, I assume that you count the unmodified roll for calculating calamity?

Dice rolls in Eat God are generally not modified in any way; the value of a particular die is the number you rolled on that die. Effect modifiers (which I assume are what you're referring to here) apply to the roll's Result, which is the number you get from carrying out the procedure described in "Rolling and Reading Your Result"; any comparison which does not explicitly refer to a roll's Result is referring to the values the dice are physically showing.

[littlemoonastrology]

Aries and Libra - Sister Sign Dynamics

Aries knows what they want by nature and is very direct, ambitious and headstrong (with a sweet humanitarian streak!). Once an Aries placement falls in love, they FALL and will do anything they can to make sure their partner feels safe and secure in the relationship. They're very protective and loyal towards their loved ones (and people close to them), willing to support them and even sacrifice parts of their life if they care enough.

On the other hand, Libra tends to be quite abstract, polite and indecisive (but when they know what they want they have no issues going for it!). Whilst a Libra placement might be very attracted to certain traits (and may become pretty obsessive or have some kind of rose-coloured glasses), they may find it difficult to find someone they are actually in love with. Once they find this person though, they fall hard and fast - but they may even be even confused! When Libra placements are in love, they want to make sure they look their best and will try hard to look attractive and be polite.

Both of these placements are very excited by the other and are drawn together especially if they have mutual values! Aries and Libra both prioritise fairness in a relationship, making sure the other is respected and treated well at all times. Aries appreciates the physical (and mental) attractiveness of Libra, enjoying the feeling that they have something to protect and keep safe. This is great, as Libra is attracted to Aries' more masculine side and enjoys the feeling of being protected and supported - allowing them to feel safe and reassured. If both Aries and Libra have mutual values and treat each other with fairness/respect, this can be a fantastic relationship filled with growth and satisfaction! This pairing brings out the absolute best in each other....

...however, it's very important for this pair to maintain some kind of balance in the relationship. Otherwise, they can bring out the worst.

Aries is capable only of doing what they can do (but will go above and beyond) and sometimes this may not be enough for Libra. This may cause Libra to act out of character because they are getting less than they deserve (especially if this is long-term, Libra may start to get confused which causes a sense of inner conflict which they may not know how to deal with). In reaction to this, Aries may start to become quite passive (or aggressive!) as they feel disrespected, stressed and like they're being burnt out. If this conflict isn't sorted out, it's possible it could escalate into some sort of screaming match where both parties are disrespecting the other entirely. Aries may throw out jabs at Libra, whilst Libra may fully critique Aries. It's at this point the pairing realise they don't have any mutual values at all and they both part ways.

In order for this kind of pairing to work (and it definitely can!), it is VITAL that Aries and Libra have similar values, stances on morality, long-term goals and respect each other. Libra shouldn't demand too much from Aries and Aries shouldn't try to be too overbearing with Libra (as it may feel like they're being "suffocated" and have a lack of freedom). Both partners could just accept the relationship is this way - but deep down they may be quite unsatisfied in some aspect of the relationship. If they find this is the case - they can work on it together and learn some form of compromise to both get what they want, respecting each other's differences and personal lives.

Remember, you can't change a person. If you can't accept your partner's flaws or differences you may have then it is better off you both move on to find someone else more compatible for you.

~

{READINGS AVAILABLE}

~

Sister Signs (otherwise known as Polarities) describe a dynamic where two Zodiac Signs are opposites of each other in a Natal Chart.

For example: Aries is opposite Libra on the Natal Chart, making Libra the Sister Sign of Aries.

~

At first when these Polarities meet each other, there may not be much interest to begin with (maybe even some kind of dislike). Although if one decides to start speaking (perhaps over a common interest), both parties end up getting increasingly curious about each other - intrigued by how different the other is. As the connection grows, both parties may start to talk about deeper topics - eventually forming a relationship (or a deeper form of friendship). Both people in the connection in the beginning view each other as someone they can rely on and trust with advice.

However, the connection is not easy to maintain.

As the relationship/friendship continues, both parties may start to resent each other for their differences - maybe resorting to pettiness or start having lots of small arguments. They may also feel like they can't properly rely on the other, trust in the other and this furthers the rift between them. There may be some essence of passion between them still (if they are in a relationship, if this is more platonic take it as some kind of attachment) but these issues disallow the relationship to grow further - creating stagnancy.

Maybe to some extent too in order to get some kind of freedom or feel like they can be themselves, there may be some kind of betrayal involved (although this is in very unhealthy cases). Either way, some important boundaries may get broken and it is very difficult to revive this kind of situation (and often it is better to leave it and move on).

If they decide to cut contact or not communicate, both parties may start to develop some form of dislike/hatred between each other and avoid each other completely, not wanting the other involved in their life at all.

As time progresses and with personal development, eventually both people come to terms with the friendship/relationship that used to be - having learnt a lot and moved on.

~

For this kind of friendship/relationship to flourish, both Sister Signs must learn to accept each other's differences and not try to enforce control/individualism. Whilst they are very different, they should also try to find common interests and learn to view things from the other's perspective. Dedicate your time to learning about each other and don't let petty/small arguments become a big thing in your relationship - prioritise healthy communication.

With boundaries, it is also really important to respect those and lay down expectations in the relationship/friendship to see if there are any similar values in order to avoid breaches of trust. Avoid getting into a relationship or becoming best friends too quickly with your Sister Sign, get to know them first properly and take your time.

This will prove if you guys will be able to make it long-term and are healthy for each other.

~

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[alienatedtsuki]

Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama Appreciation Post

Apparently, I have a thing for feral Naruto, who gains his animalistic traits from being Kurama's vessel; snarky remarks from Kyuubi; them working together; or Kurama being on his own discovering what it means to be human.

Some of these fics are very popular, but I post them mostly to digitalize my reading diary<3. 

A Cage, a Bargain, and Vengence by GoldenEyesObsession(@goldeneyedkim) Konoha has cost Sasuke everything--his clan, childhood, and brother. To pay them back, he searches out a figure of legend: The vessel of the Nine-Tails, the creature that nearly once destroyed Konoha in its early days, and the one responsible for the destruction of Uzushio. If anyone will help him level the village, surely the Nine Tails' vessel will. And if he demands a price, Sasuke will gladly pay it. - Naruto is feared for being the vessel of Ninetails and thus was locked up for decades; he has animalistic traits, is nearly immortal and chooses Sasuke as his reward for destroying Konoha. This fanfic has fantastic storytelling, character description and... well, smut. It is NaruSasu only. I don't get why there is such a small amount of Kudos. Sasuke's POV | Revenge to Konoha, BABY (yes, I like this trope very much) | NaruSasu | Naruto has animalistic traits (13,307)

No Better Matchmaker by SasuNarufan13 Than a millenium old demon fox. Kurama takes up the distasteful task of being a matchmaker for his Jinchuuriki, because clearly Naruto has no taste whatsoever in romantic partners. Honestly, the things he suffers through for the kit! - This is so funny, fluffy and sweet. Kurama is in denial that sns is a thing. I just love their interactions so much.  Kurama's POV | sns is an established relationship | Protective Kurama (4,302)

What it's like to be alive by sprx77 (prequel: We like things related to our survival) Sasuke doesn't realize Naruto is two people in one body, despite all the evidence during the war and after. Sasuke realizes Naruto is two people in one body, and one of them is a millennia old chakra construct of destruction and vengeance. It maybe breaks his brain a little. Don't worry, they kiss it better. - So ultimately, this is smut about (Naruto+Kurama)Sasu. Incredible smut, and how Sasuke describes the differences between Naruto's and Kurama's touch is *chef's kiss*. Sasuke's POV | NaruSasu | KuraSasu | Naruto and Kurama is one | Sasuke is in love with Naruto (5,903)

reverse by blackkat To make a tragedy, you break something beautiful and frame the pieces. To make a victory, you break something mighty and rebuild it piece by piece. To make a life, you glue the pieces together and hope for the best. Kurama's still getting the hang of this 'human' thing, but given that he's 30 years back in time with catastrophes to prevent and a blond brat to save, he'll have to figure things out on the fly. Luckily, living with Naruto's been good for his ability to improvise, if nothing else. - Main paring is Kurama/Kakashi. This has sns in the background, but mainly it is a time-travel fix-it with Kurama being sent back in time in Naruto's body. It is one of the best time travel and must-read in Naruto's fanfiction. Interaction between Kurama and small Naruto is way too sweet and foxes!!!  Kurama's POV | Kurama/Kakashi | SasuNaru/NaruSasu | Learning to be a human | Fluff | Time-Travel Fix-It | Kurama & Naruto | Surrogate Family (386,632)

[rickfucker]

What would you say are some particular traits in a partner that Rick would appreciate? Or something about someone that would maybe them stand out? (perhaps you've mentioned something like this before but my memory is bad, plus I love how you interpret Rick sm)

Love this ask! It’s easy to come up with a pretty comprehensive list of traits I think Rick would like in a person, but I think he also likes a bunch of different kinds of personalities. Like, yeah, I could say that he likes someone who’s just as stubborn and mean as he is because it keeps things interesting. But I do also think that being good natured could surprise him in how much he likes it, because it’s the opposite of how he perceives himself. So do keep that in mind with these headcanons! Just because I think these things would be important, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t like something a lil’ more on the other end of the spectrum ;)

Adventurousness is obviously a must. Someone who’s a little spontaneous when it comes to last minute trips and missions. You gotta be down to at least try anything once. 

Being adaptable or a fast learner is pretty useful to him. If you’re quick on your feet when it comes to problem solving, even better. Rick can solve pretty much all situations, so if you can figure out a new solution before he can, you’ll definitely impress him. People he finds impressive are definitely more attractive to him.

Intelligence doesn’t really feel like a deal breaker (hot take, I know) but it’s a pretty big plus. He doesn’t respect people who don’t have a base line of intelligence, but you definitely don’t need to be anywhere near him in terms of that. He doesn’t expect anybody to be on his level.

This is a bit on the nose, but you gotta be decisive. He’d like a partner who has secure confidence in at least one major area. Could be in social situations (a plus, since he sucks at them), in a personal skill (doesn’t matter what that skill is), expressing absolute certainty in decision making, etc. He likes people who know they’re good and can back it up with evidence.

Someone who can banter with him. You don’t have to be clever or witty necessarily, just have good chemistry with him; you have to be able to flow together well in conversation, in bed, and out in the field.

Skilled in communication!! Another hot take, maybe. He probably wouldn’t even know that he likes this quality in a person (or alien, or… thing). He isn’t good at expressing himself when it comes to basically any overwhelming emotions, right? If you’re good at communicating, you can see through his little tricks or schemes that would push others away. Communication is absolutely a hard skill. Setting boundaries with Rick would definitely level up his respect for you, even if he would seem annoyed, hurt, etc., when you first make it clear to him.

If you can pick out his moods or what he’s really saying when he spouts whatever bullshit he does, it’s going to make his life that much easier. And having a partner who can be absolutely direct with him is the cherry on top. He doesn’t read between the lines when it comes to emotions. If you want him, you have to say it up front. If he’s pissing you off and you say it just like that, that’s something he can understand. Over time, it will become easier for him to open up and be more vulnerable because you don’t mock him or trivialize his feelings simply because he can’t actually put them out in the open. So on top of all that, being observant and intuitive will go a long way with building a relationship.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Rick likes more childish characters, though I would describe him that way. If you’ve got a fun loving spirit, that’s enough. You gotta be able to deal with his sillier antics. If you don’t just put up with them, but are able to join in on the fun, that’s something that he really appreciates.

Obviously, you gotta love the family. Expressing thoughtful care towards the grandkids will go far in winning his affection, especially if the kids tell him that they like you.

Some other quick things: being passionate, ambitious, having a curious or questioning nature (as long as you don’t bother him with too many questions lmao), non-conformity, a little indulgent, a little skeptical (not a follower, anyway), and just the ability to think for yourself. Yeah, he likes attention and being fawned over for sure, but that’ll get boring to him pretty quick. He doesn’t want a sidekick or a yes-man, he wants a companion.

Just being your own person unabashedly, regardless of what he might say about it, is enough to pique his interest.

[sincerely-sofie]

One thing I will say is that saying you "disagree with the term queer" Is Not A Great Look, but that could easily be a me not getting the wording as intended thing - The above assumes you mean just, queer in general though it feels more like you might've meant in reference to yourself? (Which is entirely fine - I'm of the opinion that any given label should be opt-in to anyone who's genuine about it rather than mandatory.)

Really, the main important thing I appreciate is being able to accept others where they're at. Being able to just say "Yeah, sure, ok" and go along even if I don't personally understand is honestly one of my core beliefs* too, and with minimal disrespect it's nice seeing this from a Christian. The little I actually know suggests something worth looking into, and the notion of an eternal soul is something I find fairly agreeable (if not strictly the outcomes of that.) Then again, I'm someone whose personal experience with religion can be described as a tangled web of jokes that ran too long and accidentally became character traits, so, maybe not the best judge of anything here. Also, wow, this post got away from me quickly. Originally meant to just put in the first paragraph and call it good.

*I draw a hard line the second that personal belief starts meaning harm to others. Believe what you want about yourself, but anyone saying someone else needs to change their ways (bar the very beliefs this targets, primarily meaning bigotry/racists) because of a thing YOU feel a certain way about simply can't be tolerated.

Thanks for the critique! Looking back, I definitely should have written “disagree with the term queer FOR myself” (which was actually the original wording I drafted) rather than “disagree with the term queer myself”. I was trying to cut down on my wordiness as I edited my response, but I ended up just making it a confusing sentence to read. Curse my proofreading anxiety. 

I'll try not to get into it too much here because it'd probably derail this entire response to your ask, but I've got a lot of mixed feelings with most labels, especially ones that were formerly derogatory terms. My church has worked hard to pivot from being called “Mormons” because among other (honestly more important) reasons, the term was basically used as a snide and condescending way to refer to my church, and it quickly became the default phrase for addressing us. The fact that members of my faith were basically referring to themselves with an insult as I grew up in the church never really sat well with me, even if we took pride in it. I'm super impressed by those who can take once-painful words and make them into badges of honor, but for me personally, it's a real emotional minefield. Hence, in part, why I don't agree with using the term queer for myself. It's a matter of preference and personal implications.

Agh, I really rambled on for a while there. I hope that made sense.  

For your second paragraph— it's sad to me that so many people have had such disheartening experiences with Christians. I swear, most of us are loving people. There's just an unfortunate amount of very vocal bible-bashers who forget that God's greatest instructions to us were to love Him and love others. 

If you're interested, there's a lot of resources on my church’s website if you'd like to learn more about what we believe (though there's no pressure from me to read up on it!) I just felt like I should share because we don't believe in a Hell where people burn for all eternity. 

We believe in three different “kingdoms” that everyone will be sorted into, with interaction between them being possible so families and friends can visit each other if they end up divided. The least glorious kingdom (for lack of a better term) is still an absolutely amazing place, full of light and happiness. There is a sort of Hell called Outer Darkness that I guess anyone reading about could see it as a form of eternal punishment, but people choose to go there themselves— it's a form of willing separation from God that happens when people who have an absolutely perfect knowledge of the gospel still choose to go the opposite direction. It's not somewhere you go because you drank coffee or swore in life. That'd be ridiculous.

… I opened my mouth and a missionary came out. Oops. 

Anyhoo, that last paragraph is a big deal, Anon! People need to be able to choose for themselves what they'll do in their lives— any forced change is not change at all, and the second you do harm to another person that isn't in the defense of yourself or others, you're in the wrong. As you can probably tell from my tangent above, I'm an advocate for missionary work, which could be seen as telling people they need to change their ways, but the type of missionary work I stand behind is the kind that invites people to learn more— never forces— and respects when they say no. Always honor agency is my motto. Invite, don't incite. That sort of thing. 

Thanks again for the critique! I appreciate your willingness to send it in and share your thoughts. I'll add a link to this ask in my original post so that if anyone else is confused by my wording, they'll be able to see this and get some better information. 

[sharkiegorath]

ok I read the whole Forgotten Realms Avatar series and at the start it's not what i'd call good but it’s entertaining. the third book is decent and fun. then the last two books are suddenly very good and i am scurrying like a rat

from the start I was struck by how similar the mortal Midnight was to Gale: Mystra’s Chosen with a volatile magical item grafted onto her chest, indignant about the gods but determined to finish her duty even if it's certain to kill her, arrogant and reckless but so good-natured it doesn’t really show until the stakes escalate, probably falls in love too easily, purple seems to have been her favorite color... also love the irony of how widely hated Mystra is by BG3 fandom, because at the start of Midnight’s tenure as Mystra she is THE god breaking rules and making divine enemies to try to help mortals and minimize damage. In Prince of Lies she even has an arc about struggling to convince other gods and concluding that godhood is a type of single-minded insanity but thankfully she won’t lose her sense of humanity hahaha ha ha. I need to read the later Elminster books to see exactly how the personality merge worked, but the way it’s described on the FR wiki and cross-referencing BG3 and this series, I assume Midnight is still a strong element of current Mystra. (ok confirmed by Ed Greenwood but i need to talk about this more in another post bc it's giving me extreme brainworms)

Shadowdale is meh but not the weakest book. Adon and Cyric had interesting enough arcs. I think Midnight and Kelemvor do have chemistry based on their banter and basic dynamic, it’s just rushed and bogged down with standard straightmalewriteritis. Kelemvor is a blatant misogynist to drum up initial conflict with Midnight, a trait completely discarded and forgotten in the subsequent books; they somehow missed the obvious hook that maybe Kelemvor is wary of female mages because of his family curse. I did like how by the end of Shadowdale he was about to go to battle and he was staring at puddles thinking “if my situationship was here she could do magic and turn them into steam :(" And I was pleasantly surprised by the ultimately inconsequential character arc of Bane relearning mortality and bonding with a follower, only to accidentally kill him, because magic is unstable because of what Bane did. 

Tantras is largely irritating besides Midnight and Adon's friendship and Cyric's series of successful deception rolls. The underlying plot actually isn’t bad but there are way too many characters holding the idiot ball and not communicating for contrived reasons. In Shadowdale, almost every newly introduced sympathetic character ends up dying shortly afterwards, like they’re just lining up to speedrun emotional investment; it's even more obvious in Tantras. Worst of all, there's very little buildup to Cyric’s villainy after his heroism at the end of Shadowdale. It's frustrating because his corruption could make perfect sense but it was so flat and clumsily executed. Then Kelemvor's curse is resolved anticlimactically. I vaguely recall the story getting better towards the end, when Torm appears, but nothing gripping. There was one cool perspective trick where the story rewinds to show the same mundane scene from Midnight, Kelemvor, and Adon's eyes before they go off on mini solo adventures.

I like Waterdeep, but my opinion is probably improved by comparing it to the previous books and knowing it was written by a different author. There’s still an overuse of epithets, but there’s a noticeable improvement in characterization and narrative logic. Cyric acts more like ‘himself’ in his first scene compared to any point in Tantras. Midnight, Kelemvor, and Adon actually act like friends. I appreciated how they grapple with the ethical consequences of removing Kelemvor's curse, though their Cyric debate feels drawn-out. Waterdeep is also much better at introducing secondary characters, giving plenty of space between their introductions and deaths, and surprisingly making the deaths meaningful later on. The ending manages to make Midnight's ascension feel more tragic than triumphant.

Prince of Lies is great. There's a sharp improvement in how it utilizes POV and weaves a complex story. It might even work as a standalone, but I appreciated it more because I already knew the backstory and characters. There are multiple storylines satisfyingly coming together; all of the new POV characters hold up to the originals; the prose is good; the dialogue is engaging; everything about Cyric is appropriately unsettling and he largely manages to not feel like a cartoon villain. I've already mentioned how I enjoyed Mystra's ominous idealistic arc in this book and I was surprised by how invested I was in the other gods, especially Torm, Oghma, and Mask. The only things I actively dislike are the casual fatphobia throughout and the conclusion of Mask’s role. Now that I think about it, Cyric's arc throughout the whole series and Mask's involvement would've been better if we ever, ever acknowledged that in PoL Mask was basically Cyric's lover (non-physical) (fake cursed sword) for ten years. like what was up with that. hello

I spoiled myself for over half of Crucible because I was getting fatigue from this series fsdoufsdifas. I was hesitant about the start, because it seemed so different from Prince of Lies, but it quickly won me over with the unreliable narrator and scope. At its best, it’s the exact kind of artsy metaphysical fuckery I love from The Elder Scrolls. Cyric genuinely believed in the propaganda version of himself, subtly recontextualizing everything he does until the end! He does a freaky heart swap with his tragicomedic best follower ever! He drinks his not-exes' breakup tears transubstantiated into their last pieces of humanity!

The trial plot is clever, but it stumbles with Mask's involvement - disappointing, because he was a fun character for most of PoL, but he keeps tripping over his own plans and doesn't have meaningful enough connections to the main characters. Overall, though, I love it. It explores why a good person would be a bad god, demonstrating exactly how it disrupts 'balance' instead of leaving it as a vague abstract concept. The ending is brutal, without violence or death or straightforward fates worse than death. It's theological horror, something similar but distinct from eldritch or psychological. It upends the earlier high fantasy and B-plot romance to tell a bonkers story where the biggest betrayals come from within. For all of Cyric's gore and insanity, it's also horrifying to watch Kelemvor systematically closing himself off (even if it's for the greater good), and to see Mystra trying her hardest to be a 'good' god but having her compassion warped through her power and responsibilities.

The thing is, Crucible wouldn't hit as hard without the previous books, including the first two. Midnight and Kelemvor frequently clashed over morality as vulnerable, desperate humans. They developed and matured as people, but it comes full circle as gods. Their friendships with Adon demonstrate how far they come and what they've lost by the end. More controversially, I think I had so much fun partially because the first two books were janky and the third was only kinda good. It was fun seeing the quality go from mediocre generic sword and sorcery pulp to occasionally poetic and absolutely bonkers. On an unintentional metatexual level, it reflects how the characters and their world changed for the better - so the emotional bus crash at the end of Crucible felt more tragic and earned. If the series had been obviously good from the start, it would have to maintain that quality, and the last book would have to work harder to land.

tl;dr i love divorce and that "truly great TV is 200 episodes and 40 of them are the worst you've ever seen" post is onto something

[ramonag-if]

I lost track of this wip for a long time but I'm so glad to have found it again. Just finished my first playthrough since way back when this was just two chapters long and I am so delighted and impressed by the quality of writing and quantity of content! Also!!! I gotta gush about Salyra and Ahlf for a second.

You have made characters that are so flawed and so lovable in a way I very rarely see and it's fantastic! The more I learned about each of them and their interactions with the MC (many of which poor MC didn't even know about) the more I'm fascinated by them. So many of the revelations made genuinely hurt so deeply, Ahlf being the old leader of the blood guard, Salyra's new family, Ahlf never sharing her letters and lying about MC being happy and fine, Salyra's bid to fix the war by having a mixed race baby blessed by the gods, it's all terrible and my poor MC is heartbroken because these two people who should have loved her did such a bad job of it but she's also conflicted because she'd like to at least think that they do actually love her! They were trying to do their best while also being fairly self-centered people. The angst is so so good! And for all that I can fault these characters I can also kinda see their lines of reasoning. It makes sense that Ahlf wouldn't want Salyra back in his or the MCs life, both out of spite and out of real concern for the safety of his child cause like, who goes to give a baby god powers with the express disapproval of their partner??? You can't trust a person after that.

And while it sucks that Salyra has a whole new family now she's more than just the MCs mom, she's a whole ass person and so of course she continued to do the things that people do even without MC around, she continued to live and love and make questionable choices. It's shitty that she never came back, but the vibe I've gotten from both the game and your responses to asks here is that she was under the impression MCs life was better this way, that their life shouldn't be uprooted again, that they knew at least some version of the truth about where she was and how she was.

Never mind her involvement with the princess and the repercussions her counsel has had on countless people! She's so interesting and tugs my emotions in so many different directions. I pity her and I loath her, and I'm playing a character who loves her so much but is crumbling under each new revelation and it's so so good.

And oh my God another thing I appreciate is how consistent your characters are, even when it doesn't paint them in a good light. Salyra is described by many people as stubborn but stubborn is one of those traits that I often see written with only the positive connotations in mind. A character is "stubborn" but it always works out for them, it only chafes the other characters who are bad guys or antagonist, it's more determination and it's tempered and righteous and leads to good outcomes because "you should never stop trying, never give up!", but like that's not proper stubbornness. Salyra is stubborn to the point of ruin, she charges forth with what she thinks is best with what seems to me is little regard for the input of others and it appears to have gone disastrously in many places but she just. keeps. going!!!

I'm having so many feelings about these characters omg. I have so many questions! Though at the forefront is does Salyra even love MC or does she just love the potential she saw in them, the plan she had for them, the symbol they were supposed to be? This ask is so long and for that I do apologize I just wanted to let you know how fantastic I think this story is and I guess express my undying love for the way you've written Salyra, even if it does break my heart lol

Have a great day!

Thank you for finding your way back to the game 🌼 I forget that the game was at one point just a few chapters in and now we're a just past the halfway mark of the full game 😅

I'm really glad you're enjoying Ahlf and Salyra as characters. I never intended to make them this flawed or angsty, but as I wrote their scenes, their characters did become more than the idea I had for them and suddenly Ahlf was emotionally detached and Salyra was heading straight towards martyrdom. I like showcasing realistic characters, which is how I view Ahlf and Salyra. I've always enjoyed family dynamics that aren't always depicted as happy and perfect or the fights are trivial at best so this was a lot of fun for me to write such a complex and painful family.

I've always been stubborn myself, so I know that it can be more of a flaw than it can be a good thing. With Salyra, I based her on a lot of different leaders who would often be successful at rebellions but have really bad personal lives because they were so focussed on their ambitions that it got in the way of everything else. Salyra's best and worst quality is her stubbornness, it's what gotten her this far, but it's also what's ruined her personal relationships around her.

Salyra does love the MC, though you as a reader need to determine if she loves the MC because they're her child or because she can't separate the MC's existence from the plans she once had as them being a symbol of peace and unity 😅 It will depend on your playthrough and there is no right way to interpret her feelings towards the MC. As the writer, I can understand how she might seem to genuinely love the MC and how to others, she might seem like she's manipulating the MC or only loves the idea of them. So you'll need to ask yourself after weighing up her actions and words if it's enough to prove genuine love or not.

Please don't apologise for the long ask 💖 I enjoy reading everyone's take on the characters and the game. It's always my favourite part about sharing updates and the story with others so we can all gush about it together. Thank you for your support 😊

[terrainofheartfelt]

i haven’t read the latest chapter yet because today’s unfortunately a migraine day but i just wanted to let you know that i’m loving “for when my soul’s too tired to speak” and am really looking forward to catching up on it!!! jennate usually isn’t a pairing i’m super into because i’m a lesbian!jenny truther tbh, but i love the way you write them together!!! jenny feels organically matured, and i think you strike the perfect balance between her softer, sweeter side with nate and her “y’all can get fucked” side with nate’s family and ~Society~. sorry if this is a little disorganized just wanted to let you know that i really love your writing and always look forward to your updates!!!!

oh thank you!!! that's very kind of you to say! & I hope you get to feeling better soon 💕💕💕💕💕💕 migraine's are AWFUL

in this house we love lesbian!jenny, and I thank you for indulging me with this fic! I mean, I ship jennate in a decidedly gay way. they're bi4bi. they're super gay for each other

but in any case this has been an excuse for a jenny character study for all the things you describe so I am SO HAPPY that those are coming through and in a way that feels genuine to her character.

it's also been fun to present dair as a foil, because a) i've written so much about them that they're sisters to me and b) jenny as a character is sort of a dan & blair conglomerate? like, jenny and blair are, in many respects, the same flower grown in different soil, and jenny & dan are different flowers grown in the same soil. idk if that's the best analogy bu there is just something so delicious about writing Jenny as she is past all the shit thrown on her, and what does that look like, and how does what she want from life align with and differ from what her brother has? I'm a little sister, so I love writing a little sister.

and what you say about inwardly, privately, jenny being Soft with her person versus the outward "yall can get fucked," when i read that I thought, that's a very Blair trait too!

and i think maybe that's what's most similar about their characters in their arcs -- or their arcs as I see and write them because in this house we also reject much of the treatment canon dealt them -- is that both of these girls start out looking to be loved, and grow into adulthood fighting for it, and are ultimately searching for that same thing, where they can let the hard exterior dro pfor a while, a person they can be soft with without having that tenderness be taken advantage of or treated like a character flaw. It's kind of wild how much of their stories hinges on that conversation blair has with her mom in s4, about finding a (and I'm paraphrasing) "partner you can be weak with, so that you can recharge and be strong again."

and that, is the special sauce that I think makes jenate so delicious, because nate is in search of that too, I think, a person he doesn't have to hold all of himself together for. he can left the soft animal of his body be a bit of mess, and still be loved for it.

in any case, I really appreciate you sending me this message, it was a joy to read, and it was a joy to have an excuse to blather on about the jenate meta that i've been marinating on as I've been writing. thank you, sweets <333

[marshmallowprotection]

Hi! I would really love to ask for a romantic match up for my oc If that's okay? I just love all the characters so much, I'm struggling to decide who to put her with. She has been my oc for a while, but I wanted to spice things up by putting her in a different universe for fun, and where better than mystic messenger!

Here is her information:

Name: Yume Nijikawa

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her, but she doesn't mind They/Them

Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance:

- Hair: long, fluffy and wavy pastel purple hair with lighter purple and blue highlights. It's hard to describe but it's very pretty!

- Eyes: they're a purplish blue that fades to pastel yellow. The shape is doe like, but droopy.

- Build: short, and despite her delicate nature, Yume is actually kinda ripped bc she's in a figure skating club at her university and she also weight lifts as a hobby!

- Clothing style: She likes to wear soft clothing, mainly in the color white with some pastel accents or accessories. She will buy anything if it has teddy bear, bunny or ocean/fish designs though.

Occupation: She's a university student, and she studies music! (I haven't gotten this far, but in the future she will probably be a singer or in the entertainment industry in some way.)

Personality:

Yume is soft, sleepy, gentle and kind. She's outgoing and enjoys meeting new friends and people, as well as having lots of adventures. Though she is considered an ambivert, so she also enjoys a good amount of alone time. However, she can be dangerous when angry, and tends to be very overprotective of those she cares about. She can get a little crazy when her loved ones are hurt or threatened, so messing around with her is a terrible idea. (So don't let that soft appearance fool you! She's fiesty!)

She's playful and has a good sense of humor! She's also good with communicating her emotions and feelings, and encourages others to do so. I would call her a mom friend but she's more like a grandma friend, always baking sweets for everyone and spoiling people. Tho she will hound her loved ones to take care of themselves and even take matters into her own hands if they won't.

- Positive traits: Loving/Caring, Reliable, Intelligent, Patient, Humble and Respectful.

- Negative traits: Impulsive, overprotective, unforgiving (she holds grudges for life unless they're her loved ones), emotional, gives up pretty easily if it's something for herself. Selfless, majorly.

- Hobbies: DIY crafts (mainly to gift to others), baking and cooking, figure skating, singing and dancing (ballet, ballroom...she can do hip hop and other styles though), weight lifting. She also likes to write, and paint. But her paintings look...quite terrible. She enjoys them regardless.

- Likes: S'mores, tea, marine life/the ocean, bonfires, being around people/people watching, naps, bunnies, and plushies.

- Dislikes: Fighting, people neglecting themselves, checking emails, bullies, heavy perfumes.

Background:

- her backstory is actually a pretty dark, so I'm going to take out a good chunk of things that could be triggering. Just know I'm scrapping the surface with the summary. Bro has been through some stuff lol.

- summed up though, Yume lived in a very rich but distant family. They provided for her, and they treated her well enough. But they never truly cared for her, or hung out with her or did anything special with her. Not even for holidays or her birthday besides the basic card or cake- which she appreciated of course, but she wanted more of their time, and she felt selfish for this. She was also homeschooled until high school, so she had almost no friends in early childhood. Besides a couple playmates her parents arranged to keep her busy.

- So when she was old enough, she began people watching. She took notes on others, how they interacted and what they did as they passed by. Eventually, she took these notes and started to throw herself out into the world. At first she was awkward, and not a lot of people wanted to speak to her. But even so, she did her best. And when she joined a private high school, she managed to make many good friends, and even more so now that she is in college!

There's a lot more but this is the most important part that shaped her.

Additional Information:

Her voice is airy and soft spoken most of the time as well.

And she has a lot of tattoos, her favorite being a blue jellyfish on her arm. She also has a dolphin, and sting rays and seahorses.  She wants a full sleeve of marine animal tattoos, and also...she has such a high pain tolerance she is unphased when she gets tattoos. Can just hold cheerful conversations like nothing is happening or she has even taken short naps before during them on accident.

She'd probably like dates either with a lot of adventure, or just napping outside where there is a lot of peaceful nature. She would enjoy camping!

Her love languages are gift giving, quality time, and words of affirmation. I couldn't decide on just one for her.

I match you with...

Jumin!

There is something about your soft and unwavering nature that would speak to him on a level that is hard to explain if you don't know him as well as he allows his inner circle to do so. You know how to meet him in the middle which is saying something because not many people can do that. It is your confidence when it comes to making sure that somebody knows how to say something that needs to be said.

Jumin is well-spoken and read. He knows how to navigate a room! But, when it comes to his emotions, it's a different story. It can be hard for him to say the things that are on his mind because his brain is flowing with a million things a minute.

There is just something about you that lets him slow down and think about what he wants to say. He doesn't have to put up a pretense or wear a mask around you. He can be his most genuine self. He can talk about the things he enjoys more than anything without assuming somebody's going to look at him like a chicken with its head cut off. You don't know how long he has yearned for somebody who enjoys talking to him about everything and anything.

You're the kind of person that would get him out of his assumed comfort zone. He will do many things without second-guessing himself, but you're the one that gets to pull out that wild side of him that's just underneath the surface. He will wind up doing things that nobody ever expected him to try with you. There's Something Beautiful about that. It's about trust and understanding. You give him that. He can only pray that he gives you that in return.

[feartheoldblog]

OI!

4. A character you rarely talk about?

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a "sunshine"?

12. Name an OC that isn't yours but who you like a lot

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they're going?

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection?

Apologies for the large amount, I just adore your ocs xD

AWRIGHT THERE PAL NICE TO SEE YA AGAIN

I am so glad that you like my OCs bc I also adore yours, they are amazing 🙏🙏🙏

This ended up super long sorry so I’ll put it under a read more

4. A character you rarely talk about?

I’m going to use this opportunity to talk about my latest OC who I’ve literally never talked about other than a single sketch I dropped. He has no official name yet (I’ve been calling him Monty lmao) but he’s a Pthumerian that came to Yharnam as part of the excursions into the underground labyrinths. He came willingly and with ease, following the scholars and prospectors who were of course eager to learn about him. His reasoning? Boredom and curiosity, essentially. He’s always been the inquisitive sort of person and loves to learn. What better way to do that than willingly reach the surface? Unfortunately, this doesn’t go too well for him and he ends up half-naked chasing innocent citizens around with a sack- the total opposite of his initial reason for his excursion. He was happy until he wasn’t. Damn the Church and Mensis! Poor Monty.

His sister is also a Bell Ringing Lady and they don’t get on too well, and he wasn’t too keen when she decided to follow suit and leave with him. However, he does care for her and tried to persuade her so stay behind. Of course, the Pthumerians were ‘encouraged’ to go with the tomb prospectors so they didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter.

His worst trait? Pretending that he doesn’t understand the Yharnam language so he doesn’t have to talk to people if he’s not in the mood. On the contrary, he speaks and understands the language fluently. I pity the scholars that tried to speak to him on a bad day lmao

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

Unfortunately, no. I’ve been in fandom for far too long and seen so many bastardisations of characters and I wouldn’t like my OCs to suffer the same fate. However, I am a sucker for plotting stuff with mutuals etc. and I think that’s the best way

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a "sunshine"?

Honestly, the only one I could describe as a ‘sunshine’ is Aoife. She’s literally just a total ray of sunshine with mostly everyone that she meets and is definitely the glue that holds the band of Cleanrots together. She does have her murderous traits of course but they don’t hold any malice behind them; she does her job, and she does it efficiently. Outside of that? The loveliest person ever.

12. Name an OC that isn't yours but who you like a lot

Okay I can’t just name a single OC, I need to appreciate my mutuals’ 10/10 OCs properly.

I love your character Elizabeth and I’m extremely excited to see how her story develops in Stolen but mostly in Scarlet Butterflies, of course. She just seems like such a good person and the type of individual you’d love to be your friend.

@smoughenthusiast ‘s OC Felix is a dickhead but I can’t help but love the lad. He is indeed a murderous cleric but it’s impossible to despise him. I also adore Mathilda and her ways. I support her wholeheartedly 🙏❤️

@gehrmansbignaturals ‘s OC Phobos is also amazing and I love her lore and interactions with the world that she’s in. Her design is also lovely and her relationships with characters are so intricate and well developed.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they're going?

Oh god, probably all of them for different reasons. Freyja is naturally curious and also prefers to travel alone if she can so she’d definitely disappear during the night, explore for a bit and then return as if nothing happened. If he was interested, Phulgrax would stroll into the abandoned house with full confidence and zero regard for any spirits that are potentially haunting the property. He has absolutely zero fear and just assumes that he’s stronger than literally everything. Braith is sly about it, and would only go if there was something inside that she wanted. Treasure for her to sell would be the easiest way, and of course she must travel at night and not tell anyone lest she gets in trouble. Out of my Gilded Rot crew, definitely Bastian or Lithrion. They’re both exceptionally gifted in the art of stealth and you probably wouldn’t even notice that they’re gone. Bastien is curious and enjoys exploring whereas Lithrion would be looking for potential dangers that could be lurking inside.

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection?

I think the only characters I could see with stuffed animal toys would be Aoife and potentially Finlay (her childhood runebear teddy of course). However, Braith absolutely has taxidermy animals scattered around her living quarters so I guess that also counts… as morbid as it is.

I do also think my Pthumerian took a liking to a soft toy sheep in the window of a toy shop in Yharnam and took it with him because of it. He’s totally unaware of it being an odd thing for a 9 foot tall man to keep but he adores it nonetheless.

[transpanda-1]

🍓Hi, we've been meaning to respond to this post for awhile, and we apologize for the lateness on the thought. But speaking as an OSDD 1B system: Uendo is pretty typically seen as one of the better, if not THE best, depiction of DID in a mostly widespread series. (Especially for 2016)

Again we have OSDD (like DID but no memory loss) so we're not one to one with Uendo & co., but we can tell you a number of aspects that are quite refreshing to see.

Many systems in media only have 2 alters despite irl systems usually having more, Uendo shows a more accurate depiction with 4 alters. They also include elements of alters having different ages, gender identities (Kisegawa being AA's first canon trans woman essentially is a bonus), and being fictives (alters that form through the base of a fictional character. Patches (Ippachi), Kisegawa, and Owen (Isoda) are all named and act after real rakugo characters).

One element we deeply appreciate to this day, because it almost cracked our plural egg, is that it also acknowledges not all alters need hard memory barriers. Most depictions of DID assume every single alter cannot remember what the other did. And while that certainly DOES happen sometimes, most tend to share memories like Uendo, Kisegawa, and Patches. DID is diagnosable when ANY memory barrier occurs, I.E. Owen's situation.

We'd say the only real hard "yeah that shouldn't be there" with Uendo is using the term "personalities" to describe the alters. That's an outdated term and implies them not to be people. Luckily, the game pretty cleanly takes the time to set up and communicate that each alter is their own individual, so even if the terminology is a bit off they have the right spirit about it.

So other characters talking ableistly to them is interesting because it overlaps with one of their greatest strengths: brutally mocking the murder alter trope. It's a genuine problem that in many series involving murder/horror/etc. that any plurality tends to involve a hidden alter who's only personality trait is wearing a t-shirt that says "I ❤ killing".

Are the characters of Storyteller acting/talking ableistly to them? ...Sort of, yes. Because if you really think about it, Owen exists SOLELY to subvert the murder trope. Owen is the total opposite of an intimidating murderer: a terrified shy 5 year old.

So it's a weird situation where, yes, Athena is acting a little bit shitty with how she's approaching and assuming that their 4th alter might be the killer (and outing them in court, obv). But the setup is there specifically to slam dunk Athena's (and by extension the player's) assumptions into the trash. So they kind of... NEED to be a little shitty for the subversion to work? It's odd.

Finally, one last aspect about Uendo that makes them stand high above other systems: They have an actual theme.

Most systems themes in media are like "They have DID...! Woo...!" But Uendo BREATHES rakugo. Every alter is a fictive of a rakugo character, their character design and animation are KILLER and beautifully convey both their profession and who's fronting, they co-fronting style is based on rakugo performance, etc.

Uendo feels like a system meant to stand out amongst systems, instead of being unique just because they're plural. And it's not really a surprise when you take into account how many characters in Ace Attorney can be interpreted as plural. Perhaps Uendo is so positive because they have quite the plural history backing them up.

(For example, think of how Maya and Mia are designed to be two characters in one body, and just from the first game! That influenced a lot of characters down the line, Uendo included. Uendo is actually a Maya parallel in AA6, from how every chapter relates to or parallels Maya's spirit channeling. Uendo might be the closest parallel though, they're even the same age as Maya!)

So, is Uendo good DID rep? How's "so good they inadvertently make Ace Attorney more obviously plural in hindsight" rep for you!

Ace attorney fans, people with DID, and ace attorney fans with DID, do you think that Uendo Toneido (/Patches/Kisegawa/Owen) is good DID rep? Why or why not? (And do the other characters around Uendo and co. come off as ableist to you when talking about/to them?)

I stg I sound like an 8th grade English assessment question but I’m just curious what y’all think (since I don’t have DID I don’t think I can make an accurate judgement) (and I may or may not be considering writing fanfic about them)

(I am not always aware if something I’m saying comes off as harmful so if anything stated or asked in this post seems ableist please tell me!! And per usual, if this post is not welcome in anything it is tagged as, inform me of such! I will not get upset!)

[nightcolorz]

My Our flag means death hot takes 🥵🔥 

(Except most of them are frankly not very controversial and I’m really not looking to argue lol)

All Izzy Hands discourse would be solved if people online started analyzing him like he was an interesting plot component that serves ofmd’s themes and not a real person who needs to be held accountable for his actions

Additionally, all Izzy Hands discourse is stupid and exhausting

Black Pete is criminally underrated in the fandom despite being a very prominent character in the show. He’s absolutely hilarious, I can name so many moments with him that made me bust out laughing. We need more Pete appreciation.

Its a big pet peeve of mine when ofmd fan content has the characters talk/think about their sexualities and gender identities with modern language and sensibilities. One of the reasons I think everything is so normalized and no big deal on the revenge is because they have no concept of what being “lgbt” is. It’s just, “I only like to fuck guys” and “I don’t like being treated like I’m a guy or a girl”. Trying to put these characters into boxes and label them with labels that they would have never used just feels awkward to me. It’s much more interesting when people explore how Ofmd’s queer characters would rationalize and explore their identities without having any technical words to describe themselves. It’s really comforting to me as someone who often times gets stressed over not being able to properly label myself.

I think Jim is in a different genre just as much (if not more) than Izzy. Every time it cuts to one of their subplots it’s like being transported to a cowboy revenge movie. I totally get the “Izzy is in the wrong genre” meme, I find it absolutely hilarious, but it just seems kinda weird to me that Jim is frankly the much better fit for that type of joke and I’ve literally seen no one recognize that. We need more “Jim is in the wrong genre” content, pretty much

I don’t want Stede’s character development in season two to be him becoming a badass more competent and rugged pirate. I’ve seen a lot of people who really want that to happen and the idea of it actually makes my skin crawl. The only time we’ve ever seen Stede behave the way we’d expect a pirate to behave (the “unhand me or bleed” scene) was because he was feeling trapped, lonely, and unlike himself. I am definitely down to see Stede spiral down a path similar to that, where he becomes more violent and pirate-y out of desperation or something, but I REALLY don’t want this to be presented as necessary and positive character development. The theme of ofmd is that “there’s more than one way to be a man”, and piracy and the expectations around it are often times used to represent manhood. Stede being an unconventional pirate who wears fancy outfits and doesn’t like blood is essential to this theme, and if he were to subdue or grow out of these traits to fit into the more standard mold the literal villains of the series want him to fit in it would be a betrayal of his character.

All of your “OFMD Season 2 sound track predictions” playlists are wrong I’m sorry 😭😭 guys theirs not going to be any mitski, MCR, or Billie Eilish songs in s2 two please take a walk ✋🏼

Additionally, the only ABBA song I want in season two is SOS. It fits the tone and the plot perfectly, gimme gimme gimme or lay all your love on me would just seem out of place.

While we’re on the subject of season two, you guys know that ofmd isn’t just a show about representation, right? Our flag means death obviously has fabulous queer and poc rep, and that’s great! But just because those things are a part of the appeal doesn’t mean thats the entire purpose of the show. People often criticize ofmd by saying things like “there weren’t enough women, there should’ve been more women characters”. Our flag means death is a show about (and I’ll say this again) masculinity, and the many ways someone can be a man. So of course, most of the characters are men. Just because ofmd is a show known for its positive representation doesn’t mean it’s obligated to include every minority that could possibly benefit from that. And I would totally understand if the critic was “Ofmd’s female characters aren’t well written”, but no one’s saying that! The few women characters in ofmd are adored by the fandom and amazingly well written. So I don’t see what the problem is, there are stories about queer women and women of color that focus on the unique experiences and struggles they face, but ofmd isn’t one of those stories, nor did it ever claim to be.

I don’t think Izzy hates Calico Jack like a bunch of the fandom seemed to decide. They obviously have very similar world views and motivations, and at least some history (jack calls Izzy a sentimental bastard, ffs). It’s more likely to me that Izzy sought out Jack’s help trusting that he was putting Ed in good hands then as a begrudging last minute “which one of Ed’s exs is most likely to agree to this” kinda thing.

All of the canon couples in the show got a partially on screen sex scene (even Mary and Doug, c’mon now). When Stede and Ed patch things up and become an actual couple they are 100% going to be at least implied to have had sex, I bet on it

This isn’t a hot take tbh, but it’s pretty funny to mention that my “omg they’re not queerbaiting” moment wasn’t “you wear fine things well” or the ep6 opening monologue or this is happening, no, I was absolutely certain that they weren’t playing around because of the pee scene. You heard me, THE PEE SCENE. The pee scene was my heart stopper

Anyways that’s pretty much all I’ve got at the moment, ik I have more spicy hot smoking takes somewhere in my deteriorating brain but I can’t find them rn, so stay tuned for a part two if I ever decide I want to break tumblr again with my epic never before seen opinions

[aesthetejun]

ツ 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐍. before anything, i would like to mention that this blog is loooong and detailed. i had so much inspiration and thoughts in making of this character hence why the details. if you decide to read everything, i really appreciate it. i love you here's a flower and snacks for you to enjoy while reading 🌷🍫🍪🍟. last but not least, i, the writer behind, hereby declaring that this account is merely made for roleplay and entertainment purpose only. it is not affiliated with the real SVT’s wen junhui in any possible way.

道に迷いました 。

❝ 𝐒 𝐄 𝐋 𝐅 - 𝐖 𝐎 𝐑 𝐊 , 𝐒 𝐄 𝐋 𝐅 - 𝐏 𝐑 𝐎 𝐅 𝐈 𝐓 . ❞

──── wen junhui ────

道に迷いました 。

𝐈 𝐃 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐈 𝐓 𝐘

──────────

his name’s wen junhui. jun had always been fond of his name, it being a gift from his mother with jun holding the meaning of ‘handsome’ + hui ‘to do better’. jun never really had many nicknames, considering his name is already pretty short. he's alright with nicknames, since he himself uses them often, however, it's wholly dependent on his mood. hui was a nickname his mom used, usually to help ground him, since he often got lost in his own head. it’s the memory of her soothing him that has helped in grounding himself. he'd drop dead before he let any stranger, acquaintance, or even friend that use it. if it were a lover, it may be a different story. however, it's not likely.

june 10th, under a gemini sun, at the crack of fuckin’ dawn, wen junhui was born. there really isn't anything noteworthy about his birthday from his perspective but he's got no problem allowing other people to try and celebrate it for him. he stopped caring about the parties after his mom passed away, since she was the only one who knew how to celebrate it in a way that impacted him — likely because she was the only one who saw beneath who he could be, to see who he was and what he liked. after she died, she took all of that with her. he hasn't even spoken of his birthday since then.

ethnically chinese born and raised in korea. he was born and raised in seoul. he has the innate desire to see the world but work has prevented him from doing so this far. despite the city being so large, he felt trapped within it. it was either that, or the fact that he never really roamed the streets with intent to explore, rather than searching for something.

jun is a cisgender male who finds himself very comfortable in his masculinity. he's never once questioned his gender identity and hasn't felt any desire to experiment with other pronouns. he presents masculine to fit how he feels, often sticking to a stereotypical masculine appearance since it's what he genuinely likes the best. however if he comes across some clothing that he likes in the women's section, he'll buy it without second thought. he sees no point in gendering clothes and will wear whatever he wants, presenting himself however he wants no matter what others say about it.

道に迷いました 。

𝐀 𝐒 𝐏 𝐄 𝐂 𝐓

──────────

jun’s eyes are a deep brown, almost black. his hair is naturally black, though he does like to dye it here and there whenever he gets bored with his current color. it's well managed and somewhat grown out as well as fluffy when untouched by sprays or gels, which he doesn't use heavily anyway. he prefers to style it in a middle part that shows his forehead. with those traits are also a sharp jawline and a pair of defined cheekbones, both of which are his most notable features in his opinion. overall, his face can be described as sharp or even "seductive" because of his eyes and their shape. his face is natural, meaning he hasn't altered it with any surgeries.

naturally well-proportioned with height of 6’0”. jun works out frequently to maintain his muscles but is sure to not obsess over it. his biceps are most notable but almost every other part of his body is defined as well. since he doesn't like the idea of having huge muscles, simply not finding that attractive, he maintains a slim frame since he far prefers the "slim athletic" look. his shoulders are where his body is the broadest, his waist being much smaller in comparison and then his hips being a little wider than that. he has noticeable curvatures, feminizing his appearance a little bit while still remaining masculine in build.

while he doesn't have any tattoos, jun is open to the idea. he likes to keep his options open no matter what so he never has ruled out many things regarding change of appearance. his ears are pierced at the lobes and he's considering getting more in several places. you'll never not see him wearing his mother's earrings in one lobe, he only takes it off when he sleeps, bathes or gets them repolished. it’s simple things — aquamarines, his mom's birthstone, that shine in the light. it has a short, simple chain from which it's dangling from and it moves with jun whenever he so much as shifts.

his style could easily fit in the luxury category and he prefers a darker appearance. black is the most preferred color when it comes to clothes and often times he's wearing high fashion and expensive things. when shopping, he never really looks at price tags and just gets whatever he wants. suits, button ups, chain jewelry, gold, silver, and turtlenecks occur often in his wardrobe and daily wear.

道に迷いました 。

𝐏 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍 𝐀 𝐋 𝐈 𝐓 𝐘

──────────

good traits: realistic, creative, firm, charming.

jun is a very creative person, with a passion for art. besides being an expertise in interior design and painting in his pastime, he loves music. it's something that's really kept him sane both before and after his mother’s death. he is skilled at piano, and has basic knowledge of the violin and guitar.

he's realistic, there really isn't much to say about that. he always has been, and always will be. it's one of the only good traits he learned from his father, along with his firm will and stubbornness.

jun gets his charms from his mother. she was able to attract the eyes of anyone with the way she smiled, and could make friends easily. it's one of the many traits of his he got from her. however, while she was very good at gaining trust, he's excellent at sweet talking.

he's a hard worker and will do anything to achieve his dreams. to peers, it looks as if he works way too hard but in his eyes it's not too much at all. if he wants something, he'll do his best to get himself.

neutral traits: intelligent, mature, rational, meticulous.

his maturity comes with his intelligence. he's very book smart and studying in private school, both at home and abroad, has widened his knowledge about a number of things.

he's not sure socially aware, but he is open-minded enough to learn — and his willingness to learn is intelligence within itself. on that note, he's very rational, especially because he aknowledges that change is a very difficult thing, both within yourself and within the world. once again, a thought process taught to him by his mother.

he is very organised, meticulous person to the point where he just may go mad if anything is in disarray. it's the only thing that easily gets on his nerves. once could say that his constant need for organisation is to help him cope with (ignore) the clusterfuck that is his mind. on the flipside of that same coin, he is very nit-picky with being on time with schedules.

bad traits: pessimistic, standoff-ish, prideful, cunning.

he has his downfalls, his pride and cunning being his biggest two flaws. he had mastered the art of ‘ignoring it until it goes away’, and cannot handle any sort of confrontation. he always either blows up or dissociates.

he also has trouble admitting his fault, and goes into defense mode when someone tries telling him otherwise.

and since he's a realist, he can be very pessimistic as a result. he often looks at all possible outcomes, good and bad. he will live and die by the phrase ‘prepare for the worst, hope for the best’.

and last but not least, jun is perceived as standoffish; and to some degree, he is. but in reality, he just can be awkward around people, having been raised in very sheltered and particulate spaces and groups.

hobbies: piano, reading, painting.

music has always been therapeutic for him even if he was forced to take piano lessons, he was lucky enough to actually fall in love with it. while his favourite music to play is classical, he has recently gotten into playing piano covers of modern songs he enjoys. it holds a very special place in his heart as a ground method, and in some of his fonder memories like music, reading and painting are few of his ways of escape.

habits: finger tapping, cracking joints, smoking.

he taps his fingers. a lot. it's both an anxiety and an impatience thing. usually, he doesn't fidget, but if he's feeling particularly jumpy, he has to stay moving in on way or another. finger tapping happens to be the least disruptive.

he often has phantom pains, so kinda like a natural response, he cracks his joints. doing so offers him a temporary relief, especially if he's in a stressful situation and his body is constantly tensing then relaxing and whatnot.

his worst habit, by far, is his smoking addiction. it was something that he picked up after his mom died, and he hit his all time low. he hasn't been able to drop it — and doesn't see the need to.

道に迷いました 。

𝐋 𝐈 𝐅 𝐄 𝐒 𝐓 𝐘 𝐋 𝐄

──────────

occupation: interior designer project manager. he enjoys his current job, creating attractive spaces that anticipate the needs of his clients.

residence: a penthouse located in cheongdam-dong, which is in the gangnam district of seoul.

financial: upper class.

health: physically, jun is perfectly healthy. eating nutritious (and real) food, skin care, vitamins and exercise are amongst the things he does to maintain his health. however, with his smoking habit, that likely won't remain the case.

道に迷いました 。

𝐈 𝐍 𝐓 𝐈 𝐌 𝐀 𝐂 𝐘

──────────

he's demiromantic, demisexual, soft dom. strictly monogamous, meaning he only wants to commit to one person and wants his partner to only commit to him. love is shown best to him and from him through words of affirmation. there's nothing he likes more than to hear how much someone likes him and in return, he always does his best to say how he feels to the best of his ability. being told how loved he is or just being reassured when he's down or worried is a huge deal to him and will end up strengthening his relationship with someone very much. when he's needy, he can get really touchy, no matter where and who's watching.

when it comes to ideal types and ideal dates, jun is very flexible and sees himself as not having a preference. as long as the person is good to him, he doesn't see a problem no matter what their other personality traits are. being treated well is the number one trait he seeks. the rest of the other person's personality can be anything and he'd still want to get to know them and learn everything about them. usually when asked what his ideal type is, he simply says he doesn't have one.

*if wanting to pursue a romantic relationship with him, please keep in mind that it wouldn't be a bed of roses. relationships aren't always easy, yes, but he hasn't quite healed yet from his past relationship. he'll be restrained and reluctant on this aspect. with that being said, getting to know and emotionally bonding is the most important part before jumping into a relationship to him.

if he did willingly otherwise, not a good sign at all for the long run. that may be a rebound. save yourself time and heartbreak.

interested to interact with wen junhui, here are the rules.

[ladyhindsight]

I think CC's fixation with light hair/eyes has something to do with her inability to describe dark or any other colours that are not green, blue, gold, or grey and her obsession with euro-centric features. And that's why most of her POC characters have European/American ancestry or just have the rarest eye colour in the world. There's definitely some racist ideology in various aspects of the TSC but I want to concentrate on her writing in general...

It's not a secret that CC is a mediocre writer but the way she describes the physical beauty of her characters is.....just mediocre even for CC. Like she cannot appreciate the beauty of a character without excessively fixating on their "light features" even when the character is white.

Most of the important white characters-as far as I can remember- had light eyes or light hair or both (Jace, Clary, Matthew, Kit, Mark, etc) and for the ones with dark hair or eyes only their light features get highlighted: Emma's blonde hair gets more highlighted than her brown eyes, Julian's ocean-blue eyes get more attention than his chocolate-brown hair, Ty and Tessa's grey eyes, Will's and Alec's blue eyes, Keiran's sliver-black eyes, James's golden eyes all get more attention. And dark traits like black hair are only used to tell how their light eyes stand out. There are many ways to tell readers that her characters are beautiful(physically) without fixating on their eyes and CC never does that. The only time she doesn't fixate on eyes is when she is comparing them to Michelangelo's David or some painting that no one knows existed.

Simon is not supposed to be normal, I suppose so he's an exception.

She gives all her main or just favourite characters light eyes and light hair even if it's rare just so she could describe them better and make them stand out from the rest of the characters without putting much effort into it. And yes, I did not mention Izzy as she is not a main character nor CC's favourite.

honourable mention: Lucie in COI mentions that her brown hair is "boring" or something like that and that she wishes her hair was red like Cordelia only for Jesse to tell her that her hair is beautiful. That scene reminded me of how Izzy wished she had light-coloured eyes and how Jace had to tell clary that she is beautiful.

It is at least a complete inability to do so, if not outright unwillingness. All the important characters must look almost otherworldly, and for some reason that, for Clare, involves only typically light features. Her mediocrity as an author does little to help the fact when her go-to descriptions almost always involve just the hair and the eyes. As if by reiterating tens of different ways how any of the characters look it will make them appear more beautiful and rounded, when all she is doing is filling the pages with boring imagery that adds nothing to the story nor the actual characters. It’s one of the most self-indulgent things she does in her writing.

Oh, the paintings. I hate the paintings. Instead of describing the actual sight or what you want to come across to the readers, Clare opts out of describing altogether and just says Caravaggio. …And? As you said, there are multitude of ways to write character descriptions, bring out their appearance and beauty that actually holds value as to their character. When it is so heavy-handed, a point of fixation rather, it tends to do the exact opposite, especially when it involves only certain types of characters holding certain types of features and others are being excluded for the sake of not being that.

I agree with you—a lot of that sucks about Clare’s writing has mostly to do with her painful mediocrity, her thoughtlessness, and the incapability to develop in her craft. She has found her formula, and it’s not really good. It’s no wonder that all the questionable and mean stuff just seeps into everything on the pages. Though Isabelle is heralded as a beacon of beauty, she is more about plunging necklines than her dark eyes. It comes off as a disingenuous cover so that Isabelle’s character wouldn’t seem not included. She is said to be incredibly beautiful, whatever do you mean I don’t favor her? Magnus’ hairstyle is often the point of focus, and his eyes that are not dark but gold-green and cat-like. The more central characters, i.e. Clare’s favorites, on the other hand, are about their eyes and hair to which countless adjectives can be attached. I’m pretty sure that Jem’s silver hair and eyes got more descriptions and drooling that his natural black ever did in the series so far.

Clare really knows only a few tricks and it’s always Blackthorn eyes, Herondale eyes, fiery red hair, crow-black hair, blue eyes, green eyes, golden hair, golden eyes, golden curls, and golden guys.