#but i can't speak or read or do anything to a useful/practical level

[culmaer]

holy shit sina ken toki e so many fucking languages

i applaud you

ah, well, so about that. most of the languages in that list are supposed to be crossed out ! back when I made my blog you could do a few html things in the blog description, but it doesn't show up anymore, especially not on the app/mobile. so now it just looks like a long list of languages which is a bit misleading

I am definitely interested in all those languages, and have taken a few classes or self-studied most of them over the years, but I definitely don't speak all of them

should probably be edited/updated, but I'm not even sure I'd still remember how to do that...

[culmaer-sideblog]

please forgive me, but I need to complain and over-share or my brain is going to explode please feel free to ignore

[ardbar]

You know. Noobs aren't really expected to last very long. Every time we see one that isn't Evbo, they never last long. We watch at least 5 of them die. Who knows how many Evbo has watched die. They probably aren't expected to last more than a few weeks.

And who would waste resources teaching things to people who will be dead in a few weeks anyways? Who would even teach them things? The Pros? The pros would Never, even if it was their Daily Task they would likely just sneer at the Noobs and call them stupid.

It makes me wonder. How many things are considered Common Knowledge that Evbo simply doesn't know even exist? How many things does he do that everyone else would consider him Utterly Insane for that were just... normal on the Nood Level?

EMF catches him using a bucket of water and bar of soap to wash his clothes instead of a washing machine and just thinks he likes doing it the old fashioned way. Shades Pro sees Evbo counting on his Fingers, only after 5 he's speaking jibberish. Shades decides he misheard him or Evbo is fucking with him. Seawatt finds him picking grass blades off a grass block and turns away with a roll of his eyes, not seeing Evbo stuff the fistful of grass into his mouth. He says that even reading is parkour because that's how he refers to all things he's never seen before (and 90% of the time is Correct in this assumption) and EMF and Seawatt think he's just making a joke.

And no one helps him because they don't know he needs help. They don't know that he can't read or write, he doesn't know numbers past 5 and ended up making up names for them, doesn't understand any sort of machine, even unable to understand how furnaces work really, as they had them on noob level but had no fuel for them, he eats grass blades because sometimes... sometimes Pros would "forget" to deliver some meat to his house, or he would be late and not get any, or sometimes the hunger would just get To Bad. Does he even know what a callender is? Evbo has no idea any of these actions are incorrect or that there's things he should learn.

After all, how can he possibly ask for the answers to a question he does not know exists?

Wait I actually love this. I've also believe that Evbo just wouldn't know as much as everyone else because as you said the Noob level just has no infrastructure. Like to your point about him saying even reading is parkour, he specifically mentions he only started to learn it after becoming the champion. This really goes to show how the noob layer just wasn't cared about. However this has always made me question some things, what exactly is the point of the noob level if ranking up is impossible. The master level is obviously a parallel for the wealthy elite, which would make the pro level something around the working class, following this type of logic the noob's would be like the lower class and menial labor. However, the noobs don't actually do anything. While we didn't spend too much time in the noob level all we really saw was that they have to do their daily parkour for food and then as long as they follow the rules they have no other tasks. Do they just exist to keep the pro class busy, to make the pros not realize they are still at the bottom of the social hierarchy?

Personally I think it would be cool if that was why the Noob layer is so underdeveloped and as you said not well educated. The noobs were only a means to an end. I think it would make sense that the Pro level has the biggest population since they aren't prone to dying like the noobs and because they do most of the jobs. Because they have the biggest population and thus a decent amount of sway the champion keeps the noobs around to make the pro's antagonize them instead of trying to rebel against the masters and him. By keeping most of the conflict between the pros and noobs he has effectively prolonged his society.

The noob's exist as an example that things could always be worse. That while the pros need to work to get time to practice parkour they at least have food, they at least have nice homes, they are safe as long as the noobs exist.

Personally I think it would be really fun wrote a fic about various things Evbo does and everyone else just looks at him like, "how are you alive right now?"

[hms-no-fun]

Hi! I just read your post about your opinion on "AI" and I really liked it. If it's no bother, what's your opinion on people who use it for studying? Like writing essays, solving problems and stuff like that?

I haven't been a fan of AI from the beginning and I've heard that you shouldn't ask it for anything because then you help it develop. But I don't know how to explain that to friends and classmates or even if it's true anymore. Because I've seen some of the prompts it can come up with and they're not bad and I've heard people say that the summaries AI makes are really good and I just... I dunno. I'm at a loss

Sorry if this is a lot or something you simply don't want to reply to. You made really good points when talking about AI and I really liked it and this has been weighing on me for a while :)

on a base level, i don't really have a strongly articulated opinion on the subject because i don't use AI, and i'm 35 so i'm not in school anymore and i don't have a ton of college-aged friends either. i have little exposure to the people who use AI in this way nor to the people who have to deal with AI being used in this way, so my perspective here is totally hypothetical and unscientific.

what i was getting at in my original AI post was a general macroeconomic point about how all of the supposed efficiency gains of AI are an extension of the tech CEO's dislike of paying and/or giving credit to anyone they deem less skilled or intelligent than them. that it's conspicuous how AI conveniently falls into place after many decades of devaluing and deskilling creative/artistic labor industries. historically, for a lot of artists the most frequently available & highest paying gigs were in advertising. i can't speak to the specifics when it comes to visual art or written copy, but i *can* say that when i worked in the oklahoma film industry, the most coveted jobs were always the commercials. great pay for relatively less work, with none of the complications that often arise working on amateur productions. not to mention they were union gigs, a rare enough thing in a right to work state, so anyone trying to make a career out of film work wanting to bank their union hours to qualify for IATSE membership always had their ears to the ground for an opening. which didn't come often because, as you might expect, anyone who *got* one of those jobs aimed to keep it as long as possible. who could blame em, either? one person i met who managed to get consistent ad work said they could afford to work all of two or three months a year, so they could spend the rest of their time doing low-budget productions and (occasionally) student films.

there was a time when this was the standard for the film industry, even in LA; you expected to work 3 to 5 shows a year (exact number's hard to estimate because production schedules vary wildly between ads, films, and tv shows) for six to eight months if not less, so you'd have your bills well covered through the lean periods and be able to recover from what is an enormously taxing job both physically and emotionally. this was never true for EVERYONE, film work's always been a hustle and making a career of it is often a luck-based crapshoot, but generally that was the model and for a lot of folks it worked. it meant more time to practice their skills on the job, sustainably building expertise and domain knowledge that they could then pass down to future newcomers. anything that removes such opportunities decreases the amount of practice workers get, and any increased demand on their time makes them significantly more likely to burn out of the industry early. lower pay, shorter shoots, busier schedules, these aren't just bad for individual workers but for the entire industry, and that includes the robust and well-funded advertising industry.

well, anyway, this year's coca-cola christmas ad was made with AI. they had maybe one person on quality control using an adobe aftereffects mask to add in the coke branding. this is the ultimate intended use-case for AI. it required the expertise of zero unionized labor, and worst of all the end result is largely indistinguishable from the alternative. you'll often see folks despair at this verisimilitude, particularly when a study comes out that shows (for instance) people can't tell the difference between real poetry and chat gpt generated poetry. i despair as well, but for different reasons. i despair that production of ads is a better source of income and experience for film workers than traditional movies or television. i despair that this technology is fulfilling an age-old promise about the disposability of artistic labor. poetry is not particularly valued by our society, is rarely taught to people beyond a beginner's gloss on meter and rhyme. "my name is sarah zedig and i'm here to say, i'm sick of this AI in a major way" type shit. end a post with the line "i so just wish that it would go away and never come back again!" and then the haiku bot swoops in and says, oh, 5/7/5 you say? that is technically a haiku! and then you put a haiku-making minigame in your crowd-pleasing japanese nationalist open world chanbara simulator, because making a haiku is basically a matter of selecting one from 27 possible phrase combinations. wait, what do you mean the actual rules of haiku are more elastic and subjective than that? that's not what my english teacher said in sixth grade!

AI is able to slip in and surprise us with its ability to mimic human-produced art because we already treat most human-produced art like mechanical surplus of little to no value. ours is a culture of wikipedia-level knowledge, where you have every incentive to learn a lot of facts about something so that you can sufficiently pretend to have actually experienced it. but this is not to say that humans would be better able to tell the difference between human produced and AI produced poetry if they were more educated about poetry! the primary disconnect here is economic. Poets already couldn't make a fucking living making poetry, and now any old schmuck can plug a prompt into chatgpt and say they wrote a sonnet. even though they always had the ability to sit down and write a sonnet!

boosters love to make hay about "deskilling" and "democratizing" and "making accessible" these supposedly gatekept realms of supposedly bourgeois expression, but what they're really saying (whether they know it or not) is that skill and training have no value anymore. and they have been saying this since long before AI as we know it now existed! creative labor is the backbone of so much of our world, and yet it is commonly accepted as a poverty profession. i grew up reading books and watching movies based on books and hearing endless conversation about books and yet when i told my family "i want to be a writer" they said "that's a great way to die homeless." like, this is where the conversation about AI's impact starts. we already have a culture that simultaneously NEEDS the products of artistic labor, yet vilifies and denigrates the workers who perform that labor. folks see a comic panel or a corporate logo or a modern art piece and say "my kid could do that," because they don't perceive the decades of training, practice, networking, and experimentation that resulted in the finished product. these folks do not understand that just because the labor of art is often invisible doesn't mean it isn't work.

i think this entire conversation is backwards. in an ideal world, none of this matters. human labor should not be valued over machine labor because it inherently possesses an aura of human-ness. art made by humans isn't better than AI generated art on qualitative grounds. art is subjective. you're not wrong to find beauty in an AI image if the image is beautiful. to my mind, the value of human artistic labor comes down to the simple fact that the world is better when human beings make art. the world is better when we have the time and freedom to experiment, to play, to practice, to develop and refine our skills to no particular end except whatever arbitrary goal we set for ourselves. the world is better when people collaborate on a film set to solve problems that arise organically out of the conditions of shooting on a live location. what i see AI being used for is removing as many opportunities for human creativity as possible and replacing them with statistical averages of prior human creativity. this passes muster because art is a product that exists to turn a profit. because publicly traded companies have a legal responsibility to their shareholders to take every opportunity to turn a profit regardless of how obviously bad for people those opportunities might be.

that common sense says writing poetry, writing prose, writing anything is primarily about reaching the end of the line, about having written something, IS the problem. i've been going through the many unfinished novels i wrote in high school lately, literally hundreds of thousands of words that i shared with maybe a dozen people and probably never will again. what value do those words have? was writing them a waste of time since i never posted them, never finished them, never turned a profit off them? no! what i've learned going back through those old drafts is that i'm only the writer i am today BECAUSE i put so many hours into writing generic grimdark fantasy stories and bizarrely complicated werewolf mythologies.

you know i used to do open mics? we had a poetry group that met once a month at a local cafe in college. each night we'd start by asking five words from the audience, then inviting everyone to compose a poem using those words in 10 to 15 minutes. whoever wanted to could read their poem, and whoever got the most applause won a free drink from the cafe. then we'd spend the rest of the night having folks sign up to come and read whatever. sometimes you'd get heartfelt poems about personal experiences, sometimes you'd get ambitious soundcloud rappers, sometimes you'd get a frat guy taking the piss, sometimes you'd get a mousy autist just doing their best. i don't know that any of the poetry i wrote back then has particular value today, but i don't really care. the point of it was the experience in that moment. the experience of composing something on the fly, or having something you wrote a couple days ago, then standing up and reading it. the value was in the performance itself, in the momentary synthesis between me and the audience. i found out then that i was pretty good at making people cry, and i could not have had that experience in any other venue. i could not have felt it so viscerally had i just posted it online. and i cannot wrap up that experience and give it to you, because it only existed then.

i think more people would write poetry if they had more hours in a day to spare for frivolities, if there existed more spaces where small groups could organize open mics, if transit made those spaces more widely accessible, if everyone made enough money that they weren't burned the fuck out and not in the mood to go to an open mic tonight, if we saw poetry as a mode of personal reflection which was as much about the experience of having written it as anything else. this is the case for all the arts. right now, the only people who can afford to make a living doing art are already wealthy, because art doesn't pay well. this leads to brain drain and overall lowering quality standards, because the suburban petty bouge middle class largely do not experience the world as it materially exists for the rest of us. i often feel that many tech CEOs want to be remembered the way andy warhol is remembered. they want to be loved and worshipped not just for business acumen but for aesthetic value, they want to get the kind of credit that artists get-- because despite the fact that artists don't get paid shit, they also frequently get told by people "your work changed my life." how is it that a working class person with little to no education can write a story that isn't just liked but celebrated, that hundreds or thousands of people imprint on, that leaves a mark on culture you can't quantify or predict or recreate? this is AI's primary use-case, to "democratize" art in such a way that hacks no longer have to work as hard to pretend to be good at what they do. i mean, hell, i have to imagine every rich person with an autobiography in the works is absolutely THRILLED that they no longer have to pay a ghost writer!

so, circling back around to the meat of your question. as far as telling people not to use AI because "you're just helping to train it," that ship has long since sailed. getting mad at individuals for using AI right now is about as futile as getting mad at individuals for not masking-- yes, obviously they should wear a mask and write their own essays, but to say this is simply a matter of millions of individuals making the same bad but unrelated choice over and over is neoliberal hogwash. people stopped masking because they were told to stop masking by a government in league with corporate interests which had every incentive to break every avenue of solidarity that emerged in 2020. they politicized masks, calling them "the scarlet letter of [the] pandemic". biden himself insisted this was "a pandemic of the unvaccinated", helpfully communicating to the public that if you're vaccinated, you don't need to mask. all those high case numbers and death counts? those only happen to the bad people.

now you have CEOs and politicians and credulous media outlets and droves of grift-hungry influencers hard selling the benefits of AI in everything everywhere all the time. companies have bent over backwards to incorporate AI despite ethics and security worries because they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and everyone with money is calling this the next big thing. in short, companies are following the money, because that's what companies do. they, in turn, are telling their customers what tools to use and how. so of course lots of people are using AI for things they probably shouldn't. why wouldn't they? "the high school/college essay" as such has been quantized and stripmined by an education system dominated by test scores over comprehension. it is SUPPOSED to be an exercise in articulating ideas, to teach the student how to argue persuasively. the final work has little to no value, because the point is the process. but when you've got a system that lives and dies by its grades, within which teachers are given increasingly more work to do, less time to do it in, and a much worse paycheck for their trouble, the essay increasingly becomes a simple pass/fail gauntlet to match the expected pace set by the simple, clean, readily gradable multiple choice quiz. in an education system where the stakes for students are higher than they've ever been, within which you are increasingly expected to do more work in less time with lower-quality guidance from your overworked teachers, there is every incentive to get chatgpt to write your essay for you.

do you see what i'm saying? we can argue all day about the shoulds here. of course i think it's better when people write their own essays, do their own research, personally read the assigned readings. but cheating has always been a problem. a lot of these same fears were aired over the rising popularity of cliffs notes in the 90s and 2000s! the real problem here is systemic. it's economic. i would have very little issue with the output of AI if existing conditions were not already so precarious. but then, if the conditions were different, AI as we know it likely would not exist. it emerges today as the last gasp of a tech industry that has been floundering for a reason to exist ever since the smart phone dominated the market. they tried crypto. they tried the metaverse. now they're going all-in on AI because it's a perfect storm of shareholder-friendly buzzwords and the unscientific technomythology that's been sold to laymen by credulous press sycophants for decades. It slots right into this niche where the last of our vestigial respect for "the artist" once existed. it is the ultimate expression of capitalist realism, finally at long last doing away with the notion that the suits at disney could never in their wildest dreams come up with something half as cool as the average queer fanfic writer. now they've got a program that can plagiarize that fanfic (along with a dozen others) for them, laundering the theft through a layer of transformation which perhaps mirrors how the tech industry often exploits open source software to the detriment of the open source community. the catastrophe of AI is that it's the fulfillment of a promise that certainly predates computers at the very least.

so, i don't really know what to tell someone who uses AI for their work. if i was talking to a student, i'd say that relying chatgpt is really gonna screw you over when it comes time take the SAT or ACT, and you have to write an essay from scratch by hand in a monitored environment-- but like, i also think the ACT and SAT and probably all the other standardized tests shouldn't exist? or at the very least ought to be severely devalued, since prep for those tests often sabotages the integrity of actual classroom education. although, i guess at this point the only way forward for education (that isn't getting on both knees and deep-throating big tech) is more real-time in-class monitored essay writing, which honestly might be better for all parties anyway. of course that does nothing to address research essays you can't write in a single class session. to someone who uses AI for research, i'd probably say the same thing as i would to someone who uses wikipedia: it's a fine enough place to start, but don't cite it. click through links, find sources, make sure what you're reading is real, don't rely on someone else's generalization. know that chatgpt is likely not pulling information from a discrete database of individual files that it compartmentalizes the way you might expect, but rather is a statistical average of a broad dataset about which it cannot have an opinion or interpretation. sometimes it will link you to real information, but just as often it will invent information from whole cloth. honestly, the more i talk it out, the more i realize all this advice is basically identical to the advice adults were giving me in the early 2000s.

which really does cement for me that the crisis AI is causing in education isn't new and did not come from nowhere. before chatgpt, students were hiring freelancers on fiverr. i already mentioned cliffs notes. i never used any of these in college, but i'll also freely admit that i rarely did all my assigned reading. i was the "always raises her hand" bitch, and every once in a while i'd get other students who were always dead silent in class asking me how i found the time to get the reading done. i'd tell them, i don't. i read the beginning, i read the ending, and then i skim the middle. whenever a word or phrase jumps out at me, i make a note of it. that way, when the professor asks a question in class, i have exactly enough specific pieces of information at hand to give the impression of having done the reading. and then i told them that i learned how to do this from the very same professor that was teaching that class. the thing is, it's not like i learned nothing from this process. i retained quite a lot of information from those readings! this is, broadly, a skill that emerges from years of writing and reading essays. but then you take a step back and remember that for most college students (who are not pursuing any kind of arts degree), this skillset is relevant to an astonishingly minimal proportion of their overall course load. college as it exists right now is treated as a jobs training program, within which "the essay" is a relic of an outdated institution that highly valued a generalist liberal education where today absolute specialization seems more the norm. so AI comes in as the coup de gras to that old institution. artists like myself may not have the constitution for the kind of work that colleges now exist to funnel you into, but those folks who've never put a day's thought into the work of making art can now have a computer generate something at least as good at a glance as basically anything i could make. as far as the market is concerned, that's all that matters. the contents of an artwork, what it means to its creator, the historic currents it emerges out of, these are all technicalities that the broad public has been well trained not to give a shit about most of the time. what matters is the commodity and the economic activity it exists to generate.

but i think at the end of the day, folks largely want to pay for art made by human beings. that it's so hard for a human being to make a living creating and selling art is a question far older than AI, and whose answer hasn't changed. pay workers more. drastically lower rents. build more affordable housing. make healthcare free. make education free. massively expand public transit. it is simply impossible to overstate how much these things alone would change the conversation about AI, because it would change the conversation about everything. SO MUCH of the dominance of capital in our lives comes down to our reliance on cars for transit (time to get a loan and pay for insurance), our reliance on jobs for health insurance (can't quit for moral reasons if it's paying for your insulin), etc etc etc. many of AI's uses are borne out of economic precarity and a ruling class desperate to vacuum up every loose penny they can find. all those billionaires running around making awful choices for the rest of us? they stole those billions. that is where our security went. that is why everything is falling apart, because the only option remaining to *every* institutional element of society is to go all-in on the profit motive. tax these motherfuckers and re-institute public arts funding. hey, did you know the us government used to give out grants to artists? did you know we used to have public broadcast networks where you could make programs that were shown to your local community? why the hell aren't there public youtube clones? why aren't there public transit apps? why aren't we CONSTANTLY talking about nationalizing these abusive fucking industries that are falling over themselves to integrate AI because their entire modus operandi is increasing profits regardless of product quality?

these are the questions i ask myself when i think about solutions to the AI problem. tech needs to be regulated, the monopolies need breaking up, but that's not enough. AI is a symptom of a much deeper illness whose treatment requires systemic solutions. and while i'm frustrated when i see people rely on AI for their work, or otherwise denigrate artists who feel AI has devalued their field, on some level i can't blame them. they are only doing what they've been told to do. all of which merely strengthens my belief in the necessity of an equitable socialist future (itself barely step zero in the long path towards a communist future, and even that would only be a few steps on the even longer path to a properly anarchist future). improve the material conditions and you weaken the dominance of capitalist realism, however minutely. and while there are plenty of reasons to despair at the likelihood of such a future given a second trump presidency, i always try to remember that socialist policies are very popular and a *lot* of that popularity emerged during the first trump administration. the only wrong answer here is to assume that losing an election is the same thing as losing a war, that our inability to put the genie back in its bottle means we can't see our own wishes granted.

i dunno if i answered your question but i sure did say a lot of stuff, didn't i?

[rizsu]

cherry balms gojo, nanami, geto.

sum. ex bf gojo, ceo nanami + one night stand geto. zzz not proofread sry !!

gojo satoru.

“literally why are you sneaking around?” gojo questions. although he's basically crashing in your house, he still finds it odd that you're acting as if he hasn't seen above and beyond from you. his eyes trace your figure, he engraves every detail in his mind—almost as if he's slowly forgetting and doesn't want to.

gojo leans back onto the bed's frame, hands folded behind his head with one leg up. if you were to be honest, he looks devourable—if it's even a proper word. he's sporting a fitted black t-shirt, gray sweatpants, and a silver chain. a fit that'll make anyone drop; simple yet defines.

you waddle to your closet, careful to not slip on the water dripping from your body. yeah, you just finished your bath and would've changed your clothes right in your room, but someone decided to welcome himself. piling your outfit on your arm, you grab your phone from the bed and waddle back to the bathroom.

well, that was the plan but yet again gojo had other plans. one swift movement of his hand (lightly) gripping on your robe and you're pulled right back down to his level.

“do you need something!?!?” “you maybe. i dunno.”

.

.

.

oh okay! you think, not sure if you should act surprised or if you should bite his arm to set you free. either way, it's not like he'd react. after all, he's been your (ex) boyfriend for more than two-three years. he knows you.

gojo doesn't let you go—in fact, he uses the same hand to wrap it around your waist and keeps it there. surely enough simple touches between exes are fine right..? maybe it isn't. who knows and who cares? not him!

even though your break-up was mutual, it didn't fail to leave a salty taste in gojo. he's good at masking his negative feelings but sometimes, that barrier is broken and he has no proper/healthy way to deal with it. approximately two weeks after the break-up, gojo tried flings, one night stands, hook ups, and even dates but they all failed after he reveal his longest relationship being two-three years. absolutely no one wants to compete with someone who was practically his soulmate.

“SA-TO-RU!” a call of his name along with slap on the arm shakes gojo from his thoughts. apparently, he's been zoning out while staring directly at you without blinking which creeped you out. you know better than anyone that when gojo zones out, he zones out. it's like having the eyes of god spawn in front of you without warning.

gojo ruffles his hair, redirecting any out of place hair strand back to its position. sighing, he looks at you before speaking his mind, “let me kiss you.”

now it's your turn to sigh. eons of knowing gojo and you still manage to react to his shameless requests.

nanami kento.

“okay, can i change first at least??”

“no, thanks.”

“what do you mean “thanks”!?”

busy and boring. that's it. those are the only words that can describe office worker life. you agree, it's nice to work for a large corporation as their advisor but it's so boring. you can't stress enough how many times you forced your eyes to stay open. the time can be two hours into work and here you are, opening your eyes with your fingers to not succumb to the creeping slumber.

stretching your body, you let out a yawn before fixing all documents to deliver for your boss. every day you thank god that your boss isn't some old man that's impatient. your boss, nanami kento, likes punctuality but he gives a grace period of one day. anything later than a day results in extra work and payment cut.

throughout the long hallway, the clacks of your heels can be heard but you don't mind; it's actually a nice sound. makes you feel like a true professional. standing in front the door that reads ‘Nanami Kento: Official C.E.O’ in a gold plated sign, you knock twice while speaking your name, “y/n l/n here, boss.”

no more than thirty seconds later, nanami orders you to enter as he says his goodbyes to some random that you assume to be a business partner. gesturing you to come closer, nanami folds his glasses into his shirt as he spins a pen on his hand.

“i take it you're finished with the documents?” he assumes, glancing at you before his gaze returns to the stacks of paper on his desk.

marking every fifth booklet with your fingers, you neatly place them on the less crowded side of his desk, “yes. they're all signed too, boss.”

clicking his pen, nanami praises your work with a little “good job.” and signs off his last signature needed for the day. placing his pen in its holder, he reclines back into his chair with a moan of relief. the feeling of his back getting some support will never not be good.

you awkwardly stand in your position, hands clasped together behind your back as you await his next instructions. luckily for you, he never delays anything.

“sit here,” nanami taps his lap twice. he watches you hesitate before you make any movement towards him. closing his eyes, he leans his head back into his chair, stretching it to the left and right. nanami feels your weight shifted to the edge of his knee—yeah, he doesn't like that. why are you closer to his desk than you are to him?!

“i said here, y/n” “my bad..”

shifting closer to him, you get close enough to sink your head in the junction of his shoulder to neck. just close enough so that you don't need to rest your entire upper body on him.

“if i'm going to be honest, this feels so wrong.”

nanami hums at your sentence. with his head is still resting on his chair, he questions you, “how so?”

you fiddle with your fingers—you can't quite put it into words. there's something about it that feels taboo but it's not. this overthinking can possibly be the side effects of indulging in too many drama t.v. shows.

“i dunno.. it just does? not really but yeah.” “quit overthinking.”

although he's holding a neutral expression, nanami's smiling at your worry. he thinks it's actually the dumbest thing to worry about but he'll keep it to himself.

“you're here because i want you here. also, you're a talented woman.” he reassures you, squeezing your thigh with one hand in an automatic rhythm.

geto suguru.

geto enjoys the sweet dream he's having. after a long night, all he needed was a nice shower, one or two cigarettes, and sleep. twisting and turning, he relishes in the soft sheets until his hand accidently slaps something—most likely your face. his hand halts in its position as he sits up sharply at a perfect ninety degree angle. who the fuck, he wonders, looking at you who's also enjoying a good sleep even after that slap.

it takes geto about ten minutes to function his brain's thinking ability and remember what took place before he knocked out cold. oh right, he thinks. he remembers meeting you at some club, offering to take you to his and the rest is history. surprisingly, that was out of character for him. as much as he flirts and makes out like his fellow friends, he's never gone more than a make out session.

taking a big yawn, geto runs his hand up and down his torso before concluding that he should go back to sleep. slamming his head down, he reaches for your waist and pulls (drags) you close enough so that your back's directly on his torso. if he can't hug his pillow because you stole it, he'll simply hug you.

with a leg thrown over you, one hand comfortably resting on your upper body as the other's under his head, geto sinks back into slumberland with you. he's going to keep you there until he wakes up again—whatever happens before that is not his business.

[hualianisms]

Not father & son, not master & disciple, but a secret third thing

First of all, let me preface this by being clear that everyone is free to headcanon anything they want and like/dislike anything they like/dislike! That being said, sometimes I see international fans interpret FDB as LLH's son, or their dynamic as parent-child or otherwise familial, and as a native chinese speaker, I just wanted to share some reasons why I personally did not interpret them as familial.

Granted, at the start of the show, FDB is kept in the dark and also not up to LLH's level of skill in solving cases. However, FDB quickly catches up in crime-solving skills, intellect and maturity by the 2nd half of the show, after a well-written growth arc. I think the beauty of the characters and relationships in this show is that they grow & evolve, and are meant to do so. The dynamic that LLH & FDB had in episode 1 is quite different from their dynamic at the end of the show. By the later episodes, they are 2 adults who are very much equals.

Why I don't read them as father & son:

LLH & FDB act and speak in a manner that is far too informal & familiar with one another, which would be extremely inappropriate for any kind of parent & child, even a surrogate one. Several times, FDB calls LLH by just his first name "Lianhua", and sometimes even calls him "Damn Lianhua" when he is angry/upset at LLH. This would be extremely rude for a disciple to call a master, or a son to call a father. No son talks to his father the way FDB talks to LLH, and no disciple talks to their master like that. Unless the son/disciple hates the father/master, and is outright rejecting his father/master altogether. As we see in the show, not only does FDB not hate LLH at all, he instead cares deeply for LLH and would do anything to save him. Why, then would someone scold/curse someone they care about? Does the trope of the upset spouse/partner sound familiar?

For comparison, see FDB's interactions with He Xiaohui, who he is close to - he is informal & affectionate with her, but never calls her anything other than "娘 niang" ("mother"). I can't emphasize enough how taboo it is in Chinese culture to ever call your parent or parental figure by their name under any circumstance.

2. In ep 31, FDB himself explicitly rejects the idea of LLH as his shifu and himself as LLH's disciple, responding that he is too old to be LLH's disciple and it was merely a joke. He clearly sees LLH as an equal, and rejects the notion of their relationship being anything other than that of 2 adult equals. LLH also tells his shiniang that FDB is not his disciple, and a few episodes ago LLH told FDB that he has never understimated FDB.

Coding/hints as something other than platonic:

Zhiji/zhijiao - FDB calls LLH his 知交 zhijiao in ep 19, and 知己 zhiji in ep 34. "In this life, I, Fang Duobing, recognize you as my only zhiji." is practically a love declaration. And this bond is reciprocated by LLH, bc in a deleted line in ep 19, translated by forayuarchive on twitter, LLH is the one who first calls FDB his zhijiao.

To clarify, Zhiji is not specifically a romantic term, but it's what was used in both The Untamed and Word of Honor - both dramas based on danmei novels with canon gay main pairings - to bypass censorship, to code the bond between the main duo as deeper than your typical platonic male friendship. (See this post for a detailed explanation of the significance/history behind the term zhiji, and see this twitter thread for an explanation of the meaning of zhijiao in MLC - especially how zhijiao is specifically mutual, reciprocated).

2. Married bickering - forayuarchive on twitter has discussed in these twitter threads how the tone of many of LLH & FDB's interactions (especially FDB) is similar to how married couples or romantic partners speak to one another bc of the level of familiarity, tone and language. For my fav example, see this note (translation by forayuarchive) that FDB left LLH in ep 35, which reads pretty much like a note that a spouse/partner might write when leaving their shared house in a hurry.

3. "Xiaobao" - Personally as a native Chinese speaker, LLH calling FDB "xiaobao" in front of everyone is a level of intimacy that genuinely would make me feel embarrassed to hear as a third party. 小宝 xiao bao (literal meaning = "little treasure") is usually something you call actual babies/children AND is FDB's family nickname for him, so if you're calling a grown man that in front of everyone including his colleagues, family and even strangers, then one might assume he is likely either your biological family or your romantic partner. (For comparison, just imagine calling your s/o their parent's special childhood nickname for them at work.)

4. Deleted lines where FDB calls LLH "xiaohua'er". 小花儿 Xiaohua'er ("little flower") is very intimate and feels like something someone might call a lover. Or, at least, definitely not a platonic shifu, even less so a parental figure. (For meta on the names that LLH & FDB use for one another, see forayuarchive's twitter thread.)

5. More deleted scenes (translated by forayuarchive on twitter), perhaps cut due to censorship, which make apparent LLH's high regard and deep care for FDB. For e.g., a line of internal monologue by LLH in ep 40, translated here by forhenjun, shows that LLH thinks of FDB as the only person in his two lifetimes who has always treated him as a human being rather than putting him on an unfair pedestal.

6. Official MLC accounts act like as if they ship them.

As murderedbyhomework mentioned, there is a song in the official soundtrack of MLC called "Fanghua's Day-to-Day Life" (yes, the exact same words as their ship name). Sounds like a couple's daily domestic life, doesn't it?

The official iQiYi Romance youtube channel lists clips of LLH & FDB under the romance category.

The official MLC douyin account posts MVs with emotional captions (e.g. this one translated here by forayuarchive) that emphasize how much both LLH and FDB mean to one another. Another official MLC douyin calls LLH & FDB the person each other trusts the most.

The MLC clips posted by the official Guangdong TV weibo account also has captions such as these (translated by rice_jpg) that straight up describe FDB's feelings towards LLH as "when you like someone" (very similar CN phrasing as the phrasing used to describe romantic crushes).

7. They are subtly paralleled with a canon straight romantic couple (see fanqxiaobao's twitter thread on the parallels btwn LXY/QWM scenes and certain LLH/FDB scenes). MLC also made a distinct change from the novel by not having FDB get married to Princess Zhaoling, even though the drama could have easily given FDB a romance with her.

8. If you're familiar with chinese romantic tropes or the danmei genre, LLH & FDB fit many common romantic tropes e.g. sharing a drink on the rooftop under the moonlight, forgotten first meeting in childhood (and then meeting again properly as adults), power couple fighting side by side (they even held hands!), nianxia, protective younger ml, sickly older mc - just to name a few. Danmei even has many stories of shizun/shifu & disciple pairings who fall in love as adult equals.

There's honestly lots more but these are just some off the top of my head. Again everyone is free to interpret anything! This is just me explaining why as a native chinese speaker I personally did not read their dynamic as that of a father and son.

[banjomelodies]

I see a lot of people on Tiktok get mad at Lyney and Lynette for supposedly not having a super close relationship to Freminet, but like..

I feel like they do have a close relationship to him. I've never seen them actively try to ignore or shut out Freminet like some Tiktok Freminet fans would make you believe.

People forget that Lyney and Lynette are TWINS. Blood-related twins. And they're also bonded by trauma on top of that. Them being closer to each other than with Freminet would be a given. They've experienced the horrors and joys of the world together, and met Freminet during that journey. Their relationship with eachother would always be different than what their relationship with Freminet would be like. But that doesn't mean they don't care about Freminet, either:

Just by looking at their voiceovers, implications in character stories, and how they interact in official videos.. they do care A LOT about Freminet. Is it the same level of constant and consistent checking-in that two traumatized twins do? No! But that doesn't mean Freminet is unloved! And a good way to see that is just by looking at Freminets opinions on them.

These are his opinions about Lyney.

Lyney shows Freminet every single new card trick he comes up with, the second Freminet cracks the smallest smile, Lyney knows his tricks are going to be great. Lyney is happy that he could make Freminet actually feel joy! Lyney also goes out of his way to go to Freminet, and show him new material he's working on. If he didn't care about Freminet, why would he even bother trying to get his opinions, or trying to make him smile?

And the second one, about Lyneys mask. Freminet is a character that hardly speaks his own mind because he doesn't like the awkwardness that comes from it (teapot conversations prove that), but he's clearly comfortable enough around Lyney that he was able to walk up and try having this conversation with him, despite knowing it likely wouldn't end well. If him and Lyney had a dirt poor relationship, Freminet likely would've never tried to initiate the conversation in the first place.

This is his opinion about Lynette.

He does say something about how Lyney and Lynette always work better and smoother with eachother, and that he can't do the same. But Lynette tries to cheer him up when he's down on himself. She tries to tell him that everyone has their own strengths, and that this doesn't mean anything regarding his usefulness, especially with his skills in machinery that nobody else in the orphanage has. Lynette does care about him!

(the part that cut off would be this: "Here, have mine too." Said Lynette as she filled his cup with tea, "We're family.")

And this is from Freminets character stories.

Freminet expresses obvious doubt of his place there. Lyney and Lynette are two siblings who practically can read each other's minds, they always know how to speak and interact with eachother, and it'd obviously bother Freminet, who's self-worth is already incredibly low, on how he thinks he'd just be an extra part left to waste in comparison to the two.

But Lyney and Lynette both go right in with including him. Lyney gives him and Pers a crucial role in their plans, and Lynette offers him her food and more tea, while straight up telling him that they're family now. If they didn't have any interest in trying to treat Freminet like family, they both could've easily let him fall into the role of just an extra piece in the corner to call upon when needed, but they didn't.

And. To add on!

Lyneys video:

---

Lynettes video:

--

Freminets Video:

The three of them all cameo in eachothers videos, Lyney and Lynette both do rehearsals in front of Freminet and regularly ask him for opinions, and Freminet wants Pers to be part of their show!!

Stop saying Lyney and Lynette don't like Freminet, Tiktok!!

[givehimthemedicine]

i read the Lumax analysis and ngl i feel the same about Byler. why is Will practically doing all the work. Mike just ignores him, then Will speaks up, gets shut down. no apology to his face. then Mike has the gall to pull the "b-but you won’t abandon me, right 🥺?" card seconds before they move to Cali and Will eats it up.

Mike was scribbling his next letter to send to El, while Will was making a painting as a gift for him. when they reunite at the airport, Will is so giddy, and happy even when he spots Mike wearing the Minion suit. he is going in for a hug, fully expecting he’ll get one. despite the lack of phone calls he believes that Mike is gonna match his energy. he doesn’t. he is ignored. again. when Mike realizes he is losing him he swoops in to apologize. what do we get for rest of season? it’s just Will comforting, reassuring Mike and listening to his problems. he notices Mike being upset as they are burying the corpse and talks to him, he notices Mike moping as he reads El’s letter, etc. then the grand culmination - van scene.

i give Mike a pass for not noticing Will sobbing as hes muffling his cries with his hand and turned around. but what about before? when he was giving the van speech at times Will looked and sounded like he was 2 seconds away from bursting into tears. how did Mike not notice something was wrong when he was obviously paying attention to him. and if he did that’s even worse.

Jonathan being there isn’t an excuse. he could have said something, anything, subtly to check up on him or comfort him. he didn’t do that. "you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all. like she’s better for being different" ok so why are the Duffers so allergic to showing us that. when was the last time that happened. season 2? when Mike said it’s not his fault Will doesn’t like girls, that they are not kids anymore, him wanting to play DnD, which led to Will having a breakdown and destroying Castle Byers, his safe place and cry as he ripped up their photos and called himself stupid - was he feeling better for being different? or worse? did he feel uplifted by Mike shoving in his face how normal he is unlike Will? that he’ll never be like them? that they are moving on, being grown ups and Will is stuck? could some bully at school outright calling him a slur be as hurtful as the things his best friend, someone he trusted and loved said to him then? that he never received a proper apology for.

Mike gets free therapy sessions. Will gets a few crumbs of attention and affection when Mike gets forcibly separated from El.

Mike and Will aren't characters I pay particular attention to, so the townsfolk will please forgive my newborn take.

I absolutely see your point and agree Mike has had terrible PR with Will on many occasions. but while he's often an asshat when it comes to Will's feelings, I'll say at least Mike is regularly shown to be concerned for Will's welfare in the life-and-death-plot way, and is actively involved in making plans and taking actions that save him. (Mike's the one to rally the party to go out and search for Will. to insist he's alive somehow after they all saw his dead body. to build "hey let's make sure we don't also kill Will" into the MF-killing plans. etc)

that's where I think a comparison to lumax isn't so tight because I can't think of anything Max has ever done for Lucas's welfare on either a plot or feelings level. (the writing has never really given her an occasion to save or help Lucas the way he is for her.)

and for all his shit, we have also seen Mike be really good to Will on the feelings level (mostly thinking about his incredible loyalty in season 2 and the swings speech. his commitment to Will in the front half of the show is on par with that of Joyce and that's saying something). it sure would be nicer if that was more recent/consistent, but it has happened, which I can't honestly say for Max. the nicest thing Max has done for Lucas so far is allow him to be nice to her.

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hello this is a question that came about from watching the new Fallout TV show and a character named Maximus. He’s a relatively neutral character and his arc is very wonderful coming from a writer and big book reader but I noticed that the average viewer doesn’t understand his character and actually hates him… my question is as an author is it okay to make your story more digestible to people who lack perception since it’s the general audience for mainstream media and how do you do that without losing your story? Idk this was probably too complex and a stupid question 💔

Not a stupid question! There are no stupid questions.

Going to unpack this a bit though. (I haven't seen the show.) First some general points, but then some advice on balancing complexity in a story.

So. Some things to get out of the way:

You don't know what the average viewer is thinking. Just because their opinion on a character is different to yours, doesn't mean they lack perception. Do we sometimes have an issue with critical thinking in the modern age? Yes. But we also live in an age where people bring a vast array of different insights and experiences into the stories they read/watch. 99% of the time a story doesn't have just one right interpretation, especially if it is a more complex narrative.

You CAN try to write a story that is more digestible to a general audience, but if you do have concerns about the media literacy of the general population, focusing on providing unchallenging stories is not the fix to that. People learn through engaging with interesting work and having discussions about them - e.g. when they are given the opportunity to. Perception, like anything, is a skill trained with practice. No one's born with it. There's no inherent us/them that can't be changed.

Will you be happy and fulfilled as a writer writing stories that you feel are dumbed or watered down? I know I wouldn't end up writing the versions of stories that I want. Similarly, you probably won't then attract the readers/audience that most resonate with your ideas, because you don't give them the chance.

Generally speaking, people hate being talked down to. As a reader/lover of stories, if I thought a writer was talking down to me and thought I was an idiot who couldn't understand the themes/plot, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with their stuff. It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? It's like being written off before you even leave the gate.

Okay, now some advice: Amazing children's books are a great example of stories that are simplified to appeal and meet the audience where they are at, without losing the richness that makes them resonate and engage readers/audience. However, there are adult examples too. They share some qualities.

These often have:

Clear structure (there are a myriad story structures that you can use to make a story hit beats the reader expects and create a sense of satisfaction, while still giving you room to play.)

High concept story idea/plot (so, stories that can be explained/pitched in a line. E.g. children are forced to fight in televised death matches (Hunger Games), a famous author is imprisoned by a dangerous fan who doesn't approve of his new work (Misery), 'it's jaws in outer space!'). These stories have simple premises that often have wide-appeal, but the stories themselves can be complex.

Engaging main character(s) with a clear goal/agenda. They don't have to all be morally pure, but for an easy win, your character should be likeable/easy to root for. In a children's book, e.g. at the simplest level, these are often also high concept. (E.g. a mouse wants to be heard so is convinced it needs a lion's roar to be loved - The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright)

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Game of Thrones was phenomenally popular, for example, but I don't think it's an easy to sink into world/simple set of characters.

Watering down an existing story to fit a different target audience is often not going to lead you to write the best story. This is because it's like trying to fit a triangle into a circle, or make a banana bread into a savoury scone. However, there are plenty of stories with mass-appeal that offer readers a variety of different levels to engage with them, so it is very possible to write a brilliant story with mass appeal. But you work from the foundations up, not from the finished product down.

I hope this helps!

[sherylhooper]

Okay, okay, I've seen way too many tiktok about how every Soukoku shipper also ships SatoSugu and I just have to say it.

No, lmao.

You have to be reading the BSD manga and novels with your eyes closed to even compare the level of relationship between Dazai and Chuuya to Satoru and Suguru.

They aren't on the same level and SatoSugu is even lower than Shin Soukoku.

I'm very sorry that SatoSugu black and white stuff can't even compare to Akutagawa and Atsushi's black and white (Atsuhi literally has white hair with black strip and Akutagawa has black hair with white strips).

Sorry but Geto isn't Chuuya and Satoru isn't Dazai. Suguru didn't have the same impact that Chuuya's existence had on Dazai (or anything close).

"My one and only" isn't the same as Chuuya making Dazai's suic!dal ass give life a chance. And this was way before Dazai and Oda even met.

"I believed a man like you wouldn't kill bunch of my students" (when in JJK 0 Geto mutilated Maki, Panda and Toge, lucky them that Yuta knew Reverse Cursed Technique) isn't the same as everybody and their mother telling Chuuya about Dazai being dead but him still using Corruption that could very well kill Chuuya himself and everything around him if Dazai trully was dead). He believed Dazai was alive WITHOUT DAZAI EVEN CONSULTING HIM, They need no words to know (and trust) each other.

SatoSugu isn't the same as Soukoku when Dazai spent every second and every minute of last 7 years thinking and dreaming of how to kill Chuuya (as he tells Sigma).

Atsushi's "just the two of us" and Akutagawa's "is there a need for more" is more impacful than SatoSugu's tragedy. Sorry, not sorry, but in canon some people don't even care about Geto.

He is just some guy who just was... there...

And I like a lot of genoc!dal mass murderer bastards: Sukuna, Toji, Obito, Madara. Hell I like Naoya's misogynist ass more than Geto.

Speaking of Obito, my respect is always there with Kakashi who just found out that the idol he practically worshipped was in fact very much alive and had started the Shinobi World War 4 and he still didn't hesistate and went for a kill!!

What have Satoru been doing all these 10 or whatever years while Geto still had "excution" on his head? Who knows how many civillians he killed in those years.

Yeah, I know, I was ranting but even filtering satosugu stuff on tiktok don't stop the videos from popping up 😒

[jemariel]

Falling With Style

By Jemariel

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Dean/Cas

Words: 15,831

Tags: Wingfic, Dean has angel wings, Human Castiel in the Bunker, domestic fluff, wing grooming, flying lessons, love confessions, Cas has self-worth issues, first kiss/first time together, Profound Bond Gift Exchange: Hot Entity Summer

Written for the Profound Bond gift exchange for @eyesandwingsonlyafterdark !! I hope you enjoy 💙💚💖

Summary: Dean's facing a long summer cooped up in the bunker with nothing but his own brand new eight-foot angel wings for company. And Cas, of course. But the former angel is acting super weird about this whole thing, and Dean can't figure out why. He could sure use some help from the expert, though.

(In which Dean learns to fly, and Cas remembers what it's like.)

Read on ao3!

Excerpt and tag list below the cut, let me know if you want to be added to or removed from my tag list!

On this particular Thursday, Dean finds Cas in the library. Deep in the stacks, in a section that mostly contains books on angel lore, as far as Dean knows. He’s got an armload already and is peering with great concentration at the cobwebby shelves.

Jackpot.

Dean sidles closer, winching his wings in tight as they’ll go so they don’t knock anything off the shelves (again). Be a shame to give away the game.

Closer… closer… years of practice keep his feet and breathing quiet until he can count the hairs on the back of Cas’s neck. And then, just as Cas is juggling his books from one arm to the other—

“Whatcha lookin’ for?”

Cas jumps about a half a mile, and a dozen moth-eaten volumes go tumbling to the floor. Sam’s gonna kill him.

Worth it.

“Dean—” Cas exhales, a hand on his chest and murder in the set of his jaw. “What the hell are you doing?”

Dean grins and relaxes his wings a touch. “Just having a little fun,” he says, tongue between his teeth. For some reason, getting a rise out of Cas always gets him giddy. It’s like champagne bubbles under his skin, and ever since he sprouted these feathery intruders, that’s where he feels it the strongest. It’s like all the feathers are standing on end. It’s happened before. Like the time he pretended not to know or care about the Library of Alexandria for an entire hour, and Cas had gone on a righteously livid rant that left him flushed and sweaty. There’d been a chalkboard involved. Or the time Cas had wandered into the kitchen all pre-coffee grumpy in nothing but sweatpants while Dean was making eggs. That hadn’t exactly been Dean getting a rise out of him, but it gave him the goosebumps all the same.

Dean had chosen not to analyze it too closely.

With a glare in Dean’s direction, Cas crouches down to pick up the books, ruddy around the ears. It’s then—looking down at Cas’s head just below waist level—that Dean realizes just how close he’d positioned himself. His wings tingle harder, and his stomach does this funny little twist as he shuffles back to a more respectable distance. Suddenly, he has to swallow a whole mouthful of saliva and clear his throat before he can speak.

“Seriously, what are you doing back here?” he asks. Totally neutral. Completely normal.

Rising to his feet, Cas hands over one of the books. The spine looks like it’s decided to make a break for it, hanging on by a few bare horsehair threads. Dean actually feels bad for a minute before he reads the title.

“Alchemical Properties of Angelic Minutia? Sounds grim.”

Cas nods, still averting his gaze, fingering the dusty pages of a slim, gilt-edged volume. “I was hoping to uncover a solution to your… predicament.”

“Gabe said it would wear off on its own, right?”

One of Cas’s eyebrows climbs toward his hairline. “And you trust him?”

Dean snorts, handing the book back. “Not even half as far as I can throw him, but why would he lie about that?”

“I can think of a dozen reasons. But even assuming there is truth in that, why shouldn’t we try to”—he gestures vaguely with his laden arms—“encourage the process?”

Dean considers, crossing his arms as he leans against a bookshelf. The edge of the shelf digs into his bare bicep, and he shudders to think what kind of dust his feathers are picking up. “It’s not so bad,” he says. “Kinda grateful for the vacation.”

Cas squints at him in flat disbelief. “Dean, you have put up a protest every time Sam has left on a hunt for the last two months.”

“Yeah, well.” How does he explain this? “Netflix ain’t gonna binge itself, right? C’mon. I’ll make some popcorn.”

Cas nods vaguely as Dean slaps him on the shoulder and turns to escape the library. “Give me a moment to… reshelve these, I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Read more on ao3!

Tag list below:

@magnificent-winged-beast @starsinursa @silvie111 @gneisscastiel @yourspecialeyes @weathergirl83 @daughter-of-the-rain-and-snow @maliciouslycreative @suckerfordeansfreckles @rosemoonweaver @paperwhitenarcissus @maiosaurus @naruhearts @super-powerful-queen-reyna @anironundomiel-blog1 @jasminrogue @onsarah @cassbutt-and-the-righteousbi @elanor-n-evermind @sharkfish @fangirlingtodeath513 @angelarbaugh @psychoticblackhappiness @holyllamabanana-blog @lanaserra @freckles-and-wings @7faerielights @casbean @destielhoneybee @feraladoration @deaneatscake @generaldeliciousness @bre95611 @psychicbouquetblaze-stuff @lizleeillustration @hexentaenzerin @peacewhenuaredone-blog @nickelkeep @ellen-of-oz @malmuses @ltleflrt @archiival @idaaeri @kazshero @depairt

[k-dokja]

Summary: The needed communication with you after everything he had gone through in recent days.

Jake won't think about it.

Because if he does, he'll somehow manage to call upon your wrathful spirit and get an earful for getting into trouble again. He promised he wouldn't, he's breaking his promise again. If you don't want to put up with him anymore, he'd have zero grievance about it except the guilt he will harbour for the remainder of his life, however fleeting it will be.

It's one thing that he got involved with the gang business, he made his choice long ago and you respected that. You chose to stay with him in spite of his foolhardy crusade to save Sinu. He couldn't ask for more from you. But now, he's on the run again, Big Deal is scattered and arrested, and you haven't heard from him for days.

Jake won't think about it. If he dwelled on how you must be feeling any longer, he might do something stupid and run back like he's not a wanted man. Truthfully, he'd have followed that impulse had it not for the real potential that you'd be affected by his actions, too.

He saw your messages. All fifty-something of them. He read them all and thought about replying for days now, but every time he typed something, his fingers faltered and once again, he was at a loss for words. No excuse would suffice at this point and the longer he lets it go on, the harder it becomes to answer you.

Like it or not, he's on the fast track to win the title of 'Worst Boyfriend of the Year'. One would need an insurmountable level of stupidity to overtake him in this race at this point.

Even when he has the chance to contact you, with a new SIM card and a new phone, he can't do anything except stare stupidly at your phone number on his screen. Typed out, but he was doing nothing to initiate the call. You'd probably yell at him if you even thought to pick up a strange number.

He'd deserve all of it and you'd deserve better.

Jake sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Better get this out of the way sooner than later, lest the wound fester and turn into blisters that will scar. He presses the call button, and dread pools at the bottom of his stomach.

A few rings pass by before a familiar voice speaks up from the other side. "Hello?"

He swallows. Not until he hears you that he realizes how much he missed you. You sound a bit more nasal than normal, he wonders if you're well. It's silly to even consider that your life is going on fine while he's in hiding, but it'd be arrogant to assume you're suffering because of him.

He won't know until he asks and it's a challenge to get there when his throat is this dry. Slowly, Jake says your name. It's more of a tentative plea than a greeting.

You go quiet. He doesn't need to see your face to know you must be upset at him. With a deep breath in, he braces for all of the scolding you will unleash upon him.

"...Are you safe?"

But it never comes. What he gets instead is your quiet concern, he doesn't know how to deal with that. It's far easier to pacify you when you're mad at him because he's used to it. Used to all of your irritation and your sigh and your eyes rolling. Not this, however. Not the fear of disappointing you even further.

He never quite knows what to do with it. "Yeah," he says, "I'm with an old friend of my dad... Lineman is also here. We're fine for the moment."

"Okay." You say. There is a silence after that makes him think you're trying to pick your next words. What he gets is a question. "Do you know how to get out of this?"

It's pragmatic and practical, he feels silly to think otherwise of your reaction. He almost wants to laugh, but he has to settle with a smile on his face, "We have a plan, a vague one, but it's a start. I don't know how long this will take but..."

Jake heaves out a long sigh. The truth isn't easy to admit even when you're this calm. "I can't guarantee anything, I'm sorry."

"When have your words ever meant anything?" You're the one who laughs and he can't help but wince. "Just try to stay alive, and if you do, let's talk when you're back."

He hates the sound of that. He hates how his entire body seizes when you say those words, but he has no choice but to agree with you. He has done enough damage as it is. "...All right." He adds, perhaps needlessly. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," you say, "I'll have to go back to practice now, will you stay in touch?"

Jake won't deny that he's disappointed by how short-lived is your conversation, but he mentions nothing of it. "Yeah, same number," he says, "I'll let you know if something changed."

"Thanks," you reply, "please stay safe."

"I will," he swallows again, not knowing if he has the right to say these next few words, but he says them anyway, "...I love you."

It takes you a few seconds to answer. A few seconds too long. "Goodbye Jake," you say, "I hope I'll see you soon."

The call ends before he can say anything else.

Suddenly, his mouth feels bitter with regret.

[project-sekai-facts]

Regarding your post about censorship: I'm like 90% sure most of this is not censorship (they left the entirety of buddy funny as it was. I refuse to believe "partner" is where they draw the line). I've played tons of Japanese video games in official English; the usual standard for translation is, in practice, that it shouldn't be obvious it wasn't originally written in English. Imo, this is the actual difference between "the miles i fell in love with is so cool!" (Not grammatically incorrect but not how actual people speak) and the official. As for it having romantic connotation to begin with, lol you said you got that from looking it up but Google the same thing in English and you will still get only romantic advice because it just assumes you're asking when the appropriate time to say I love you in a relationship is.... It could've been a joke, or a gay allegation, an anime way of speaking, or even nothing. How would you know which? I absolutely do not mean this in a rude way and I'm really sorry if it comes off like that but. I don't think you can comment on the connotations of words or level of casualness without speaking the language yourself.

Same with minoharu; it's (unfortunately) not canon. If she actually said "I love you!!" Regardless of dictionary definitions, it will be read as a romantic confession by most players, and you often say the game likes ambiguity so I take it that's a no. "I like you!" Is rather an awkward thing to yell in english, though. So "you're the best" is what they substitute.

(Please don't blame the translators for stuff this insignificant tbh. Some things in early game may sound clunky, but they've really smoothed out over time in terms of word choice sounding natural (...event names notwithstanding). I've done translations between my first language and English for fun; if you linger on every last word and it's connotations, you will go /insane/ reallyyy quickly. Imo no two words in different languages have the exact same meaning, connotation, use case etc. Ever. Differences of this level are utterly inevitable when games have so much text.)

Anyway. Thanks for all the effort you put into this blog, it's a fantastic one and it's not my intention to be harsh, if it comes off like that please just delete this ask. Don't feel bad about something some stranger on the internet said.

to be honest I don't think it's all censorship either, i just kinda went off on a tangent about things getting removed in translation and i did put in the post reasons why these translations actually are valid (aside from Toya woao because they did leave that one in the card name so it was a deliberate choice to remove it from the story, thereby also removing the reference in the card name). That Asahi post is old and I have done more research into it since, because my JP isn't good so I've gotta make up for it somehow, and literally every dictionary definition and anything I can find for that word frames it as romantic. For the extra mile I checked Japanese dictionaries for languages other than English. I found one thing saying it can be used for an idolisation, but even in that instance the way it's framed in the story is still done in a way that could be viewed as ship tease. In other words, it's probably romantic. Even if he's just talking about the character and not Tsukasa, it has a romantic reading and removing it was a deliberate choice. "The miles i fell in love with is so cool" might sound a bit rough, but it could have still been translated to keep the original context no problem. You could've just done something like "well of course it was cool. i fell in love with miles for a reason" or "it was so cool! as expected of the miles i love". the thing is with writing for a game like this is sometimes people need to say things that in real life you would probably just say in your head. the POV character for this event is Rui so we can't just take a look at the thoughts of the characters, which is why what they're feeling needs to be conveyed through text even if it sacrifices a bit of the realism. especially in a visual novel styled game like this because the characters are limited to a 2D model with limited movement and expression. if this was an anime you could probably get more leeway with what they say because you can convey the character's feelings through various other means (eg: the animated MVs that don't have any dialogue but could convey a story and emotion much better than looking at the in-game version of the scene with no dialogue). Don't worry I don't think you came off as rude and I know I shouldn't really talk about a language I don't speak but I hope the research can at least kind of make up for it.

Minoharu isn't canon I know but it's very obvious that what Minori feels for Haruka goes into romantic territory, whether you like the ship or not. And sure, if you put "I love you" most people would probably read it as romantic by default, but that hasn't stopped the translators before. "You're the best" honestly is a valid localisation that still conveys pretty much the same meaning I just find it odd that "I love you" is removed here, a flashback scene from a point in time where minori and haruka didn't know each other, but is translated with accuracy in multiple interactions between An and Kohane in present day. If Minori and Haruka don't know each other it's slightly less likely that people will interpret it as romantic and slightly more likely that people will interpret it as a simple idolisation but with An an Kohane actually knowing each other and having a close and affectionate relationship the go-to is probably gonna be romantic (which isn't wrong considering the events of BFST and Wishing for Your Happiness, but still sticks out that they left this in here but change it for another couple with heavy romantic subtext).

I'm not blaming this on the translators, they're just doing their job and obviously with localisation you've gotta lose stuff, it's just that some of these are very specific things to cut (eg: any indication of Asahi feeling romantically towards Tsukasa's character and ambiguously Tsukasa himself is completely absent in the official translation). I'm blaming this on the higher ups at sega who get the final say on what is and isn't included in the translation. You can't translate everything directly because languages don't all work exactly the same, especially english and japanese. obviously due to these differences, you're not going to be able to translate everything directly and localisation is necessary (regardless of language) to make it accessible and easy to read for an audience outside the country of origin. but there are gonna be questions raised when a scene is localised to keep the same meaning as the original text aside from one line that removes notable queer subtext. because if they can keep the rest of toya's speech in line with the original but they specifically remove the part about him wanting to stay side-by-side with akito forever and change it to wanting to perform side-by-side, despite the fact they left in the "now on and always" part in his card name, that was removed from the story intentionally. they kept what asahi says to tsukasa with the same meaning as well, but any indication of asahi feeling romantically towards the other is completely gone. the issue is that sega seems to be intentionally removing queer subtext from the game.

don't worry anon this wasn't harsh, and localisation is something that actually interests me and i've read into quite a bit, so i enjoy the opportunity to talk about it. and thank you as well!

[qqueenofhades]

hiii ❣ it's a bit random but do you have any advice for a beginner writer?

i want to write web series and while i'm going to write for my pleasure, i still would love my work to be good enough to have readers.

but while i read stuff and write fics, i don't think it's enough to help me write an original several episode work. + i want to write in english but i'm not a native english speaker.

do you have a textbook or any resource in mind that you'd reccomend to a beginner writer?

Unfortunately, I don't have one single one-size-fits-all resource or silver-bullet magical writing improvement tool that I can recommend, as everyone learns/practices in different ways and some people swear by things that don't work for other people. I can't speak to the value of Grammarly or any other online tool that promises to make you a better writer, as they can often be used to feed your work into AI, make bizarre and/or flatly incorrect suggestions, or otherwise be confusing and unhelpful for a newbie writer, especially someone whose first language isn't English. If you work better within an interactive framework or just want to see if it does seem useful, then by all means do check it out, but don't feel like you HAVE to use it (or anything else) if it doesn't offer much to your process.

As ever, and unhelpfully, my advice for becoming a better writer is to write a lot and read a lot, in all kinds of genres. There's really no get-good-at-writing-quick hack to suddenly get you where you want to be overnight, but you CAN get there by dint of steady and sustained progress. You say that you already read things and write fics -- which is great! You clearly already have some practice with the overall concept, and you are not starting from total scratch. While a lot of writers have a goal of something they really want to do (i.e. in your case, write a web series) and feel like the first one they write has to be The Real and Good One that they only launch into after appropriate years of practice, that's not the case. You can start writing the series now, if you want to. You'll have to also share it with people who you trust to give you helpful and honest feedback (the mortifying ordeal of being known, etc) while also respecting the skill level that you're currently at and not tearing it down for being up to professional standards or something else that doesn't accurately reflect where you are and what you need feedback on. But yes, you will have to write steadily, share your writing with others, and challenge yourself to read and write in different kinds of texts -- i.e. not just fic or amateur fan content, but literature, nonfiction, genre fiction, academia, special interest subjects, and so forth. Writing by professionally published authors is not necessarily always better, but it does give you a sense as to what is deemed marketable, what the general skill level and standard is, and what you might like to emulate or try to do with your own projects.

Also, as a side note, I think that plenty of amateur or fan-written content on the internet is not necessarily outstandingly good, technically speaking. This doesn't mean it's bad -- plenty of people read and enjoy it anyway, and aren't coming in expecting it to be an award-winning piece of fine literature. Standards for what is good, enjoyable, or well-written vary dramatically by genre, medium, what your audience is expecting and/or paying for, and so forth. Some people also have high and/or picky standards for what they will read or what they find enjoyable to read, while others will just go along with the story and don't care as much about the format or technical prowess or so forth. So it is very much a subjective measurement, and if you get to a place where you enjoy reading your own stuff and find it engaging -- regardless of what arbitrary skill level you feel yourself to be on -- chances are that other people will too.

[mandg-readings]

I’m a new listener and I think your readings are so amazing. I often read to my husband on long road trips while he’s driving, so I have a little experience trying to show when different characters are speaking. It’s so hard! You do such an excellent job, particularly when the four of them are together. I can always tell the difference between Draco, Ron, and Harry which I think is extremely talented of you. Not to mention the mixing! And sound effects! I can’t even imagine beginning to do such a thing.

I’m really really thankful that you’re recording Lionheart! I’ve been really wanting to re-read it soso badly, but just can’t justify spending the time when I have such a long reading list and so little time to read. So thank you thank you thank you! You and GT are both so talented, and I’m in disbelief all the time that y’all gift us things like this.

Thanks again 🧡

OMG I'm so jealous of your husband! I wish my partner would read to me... he must love road trips with you. Have you thought about becoming a podficcer? 👀 we can always do with more, with the ever expanding catalogue of fics. Totally agree with you on the difficulty in making characters sound different, especially with big scenes and a large cast of characters. When the Golden Quartet are in the same room as similar sounding voiced characters it can be hellish. E.g. the Christmas Party chapter was SO much fun but the only difference between Hermione and Daphne is the slight posher enunciations, then you've got Lupin, a deeper Harry gravel voice, with Harry...and Draco with Sirius, who is just a deeper Draco voice 😂 If characters aren't regular cameos then I tend to just throw whatever comes out of my mouth tbh, if I can't remember what it was, then the listener can't - is what I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

And thank you for saying so about their voices, I worked really hard on Ron's because he sounded too similar to Draco in my initial practice recordings. Sound effects aren't too bad to be honest! It's just a case of finding something that matches the little movie in your brain, and then if you can't find a royalty free sound, there's the effort and task of re-creating one with household items or yourself. For example, I'm the pistons of the Hogwarts Express, just slowed my "tshh tshh tshh" down gradually and lowered the pitch. Did the same inhaling into the mic up close for the Dementors. As for the werewolf scream/howl in CH20 something, make like Hermione and "awooo", play with the tempo a bit, find a royalty free male scream of agony and mix the two together. It's more time consuming than anything, to be honest with you!

Haha, this fandom is a bit like throwing Netflix on and scrolling endlessly till you find something to watch, but then all of a sudden there's 50 shows you want to watch, all at the same time. Too much bloody choice but I say that lovingly because we're never going to be starved. One of my favourite romance manga has a dead fandom, there's like 40 fics for it, most are in Spanish and I've read them all. So Dramione fans do not know how lucky they are to have such a thriving community!

The entire collective mind of the Dramione fandom is so generous and talented, it's mind boggling, and over a year in I'll be reading something and be overcome with that feeling of "holy shit, this is free to read." We can thank a mixture of "wow I can do whatever the fuck I want" and insane levels of passion for that. And YES, totally not biased of me to say that GT is one of my favourite writers, and Lionheart is not just the one of the best fanfic I've read, it tops anything published I've ever read, the beautiful prose, the amazing characterisations and depth, so much depth to every single character, among many other things I could gush about, and I'm so grateful to them for allowing me make the experience more accessible to people.

Thanks so much again for your kind words and for listening to my podfic, apologies if I rambled on a bit. I was clearly feeling talkative today. 🤗

[fictionfixations]

Summary of Riddle Rosehearts' Vignettes

(referencing the wiki pages of the vignettes)

(so far. im doing this because i like riddle. also because i have a long term goal of reading every vignette. also because some people are still missing vignettes because of recent birthdays or events. theres the stich event going on right now, and i have his card, but i havent started the event yet 😭)

(..ill also quote parts of the vignette if im not sure how to describe it without it giving off the wrong idea, or unsure how to reword it)

(if there are any typos im sorry)

(...you ever type it down and then accidentally delete it before saving. AGHH)

(if I put the wrong character name anywhere im so sorry)

(theres also an overuse of character names but sometimes you really cant tell whose speaking unless clarified and i cant be bothered to be like 'the [dorm] housewarden' or anything like that so just. names. thats it.

Dorm Uniform - Only the Garden Roses

(I'm sharing the relevant hashtags to you in case you want to use it for something.)

(Part 1) --HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE-- Cater's having trouble memorizing spell formulas. There's a practical magic exam next week, and Trey tells him that if he fails it, he could fail the class. Riddle stumbles on the two of them and asks them to explain what happened. Trey informs him, while Cater's jokingly annoyed at him spilling the beans. Riddle questions Cater if he's doing that badly but Cater assures him that it's just that one course, much to Riddle's displeasure regardless. The thing Cater's having trouble over is "autocleaning via implement magic infusion", or "the spell to get brooms and dustcloths to clean a room automatically" as described by Riddle. The housewarden himself hasn't learned it in class, but he's read it in a book.

It's confusing to Cater because it's all about a process where you have to do it exactly right or it fails, which is tripping him up. Trey agrees with him by talking about everything else you'd have to worry about so it wouldn't ruin something instead.

Riddle brings up that Cater's signature spell (copying himself) is complicated (as in probably something difficult to do), and then asks why he's struggling.

Cater clarifies that he's good at multitasking, but when it comes to having to line up everything beforehand, it's tough.

Riddle understands, and then offers to help him study. Trey questions if he's up for it since it's junior-level homework, but Riddle brushes him off by stating how he's the housewarden (and thus should have the ability to help anyone of any year), and he refuses to let anyone drop out or fail a grade.

--LIBRARY-- Riddle and Deuce bump into each other in the library. Deuce is startled at how many grimoires are around Riddle (20, and are pretty big), questioning if he's going to read them all, to which Riddle responds that he will.

He then clarifies that he's compiling a study guide for Cater, and that it's all for note-taking.

Deuce offers to carry the books to the desk, and Riddle thanks him.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - HALLWAY--

Riddle's angry at Cater, yelling at him to explain why he can't memorize a simple 300-paged textbook. Cater meanwhile explains that he can't just memorize it in "like one or two days", clarifying as well that each page is filled to the brim with tiny text.

Trey tells Riddle to "use our indoor voice", and Riddle apologizes.

He continues on with how the study guide contains quite literally everything Cater'd need in relation to the test. "Fundamentals, applications, trick questions… The solution to every possible challenge can be found within these 300 pages."

And then says, "Just memorize the entire thing!"

Cater starts off with appreciating that Riddle put a lot of work into it, and he does wish he could remember it all, but that it's difficult for him because he keeps getting sleepy by the time he hits the third page.

Riddle gets ticked off because he hadn't even gotten past the Table of Contents.

Trey tries to calm him down, and then tells Cater that he could try reading it out loud, putting emphasis on the fact that Riddle put a lot of effort into it, and Cater's apologetic, and says he's gonna "hit the books hard, starting today!"

Riddle reminds him of the consequences of failing, and Cater acknowledges it, before snapping a quick picture of the study guide for Magicam. He leaves to do a "cram sesh" in his room.

Riddle disapproves of Cater's constant checking of Magicam, while Trey says that he can understand the desire to distract yourself from doing something you don't want to do.

Trey then goes about helping Riddle understand Cater by asking Riddle what he'd do if he had to eat something he hated.

Riddle responds by saying that he'd change his approach to "make it as edible as I could manage", going through a whole strategy of what he'd do, before he then gets an idea of what to do for Cater.

It ends with Riddle asking Trey to teach him something.

(Part Three)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Cater gives up on taking a break from Magicam and takes a morning stroll, stumbling into Riddle.

Cater tries to make up excuses, while Riddle then mentions that he made a Magicam account the day prior. Cater's surprised, and Riddle questions if he has an issue with it, to which Cater says he doesn't. He continues on to explain that Riddle had stated before that he had no interest in making an account.

Riddle asks for his Magicam handle, to which Cater eagerly shares. Riddle advises him to check it every day, and that he "won't want to miss any of my posts."

--CLASSROOM--

Cater's phone notifies him of a post by Riddle. It's a photo of a broom, with the description, #1stThings1st #WhenCastingASpell #Tap4RoomCornersWithBroom #LevitationSpell #SageAndSalt"

He comments to himself about how cute it is that Riddle's "tagging like a newbie".

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - CATER'S ROOM--

Riddle's made another post, this time about a dustcloth. "#AfterBroom #MagestoneInBucketOfWater #5DropOfPurificationPotion #WaterTemp20OrLess #KeepItThere!"

Cater notes how there's starting to be a pattern.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - RIDDLE'S ROOM--

Riddle's talking to himself about the next post, that being of a spell formula for brushing carpet. "#WaterMagic #FireplaceAshes #SilverApple", and then posts it, to which Cater immediately likes it.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

A few days later, Riddle asks how Cater did, to which Cater responds that he did really well (85 on written, A on applied). Riddle says, "I'd "like" that if I could!" And then gets embarrassed.

Trey congratulates him, and Cater thanks Riddle. Trey then talks about how he was caught off guard when Riddle went to him to ask how to create a Magicam account, nor had he been expecting Riddle to try to get Cater to memorize the spell formulas via photos and hashtags.

Cater agrees, talking about while the notes were making him tired, the hashtags clicked with him. As thanks, he "got a reservation at a pancake cafe with Magicam-ready entrees---my treat!"

Riddle responds that that was a "one-time assist", and that if he almost fails again, it's off with his head. Cater understands, and that he'll "do it the old-fashioned way from now on."

Riddle sets down a bunch of books, to Cater's surprise. He explains that Cater's going to read them all for his next test.

Birthday Boy - Happy Birthday

(this is the one with Yuu as the interviewer)

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - BIRTHDAY PARTY VENUE--

Riddle talks about how pleased he is by the attention to detail of everything. He also notes that the "pansy embroidery on the tablecloth was done by Ace and Deuce", speaking about how it's crooked, but that it also makes it charming.

One year, on his birthday, his dormmates told him that he had an urgent summons from Professor Trein. When he opened the door, everyone from the dorm was inside, and "they set off party poppers, put an odd hat on my head, and bellowed "Happy Birthday!" in unison." In that moment, he was very confused and startled, and he recalled that Trey and Cater had laughed when they'd seen the look on his face.

He goes on to say that he "repaid" them for surprising him the way they did. Especially noting how it "takes quite some nerve" to mislead him, but then explains that "it was my first time having such a boisterous time on my birthday."

(Part Two)

In response to a question about what he does with his free time, he says that he tends to the hedgehogs. Riddle clarifies that they have a system whre they take turns to do so, so he doesn't have to visit them everyday, but that he still likes to check up on them, because they're delicate and he wouldn't want to see them neglected. He goes on to say that he keeps "a close eye on their food and the area temperature."

Riddle says that he wants to be a medical mage in the future. He explains that "it's a medical practitioner who specializes in treatments involving magic", and that someone has to be "an exceptional mage AND a licensed doctor" to be allowed to take the exam. He goes on to talk about how they have to be able to treat various different physical compositions, "dispel harmful enchantments from patients", and so on. How it's a very demanding profession that requires a great degree of proficiency and knowledge related.

He says both his parents are medical mages, and that they've raised him since he was young to be one as well. Riddle had taken it as a given and never considered other options, but "as I've spent my days upholding the Queen of Hearts' Rules", he's "taken an interest in the legal profession." He also started "reading books about judicial topics" too.

(Part Three)

Something Riddle's really good at are speed crosswords. When he was a kid, the textbooks his mom got him every month had crossword puzzles at the last page. He hadn't been allowed any other entertainment, so he'd "greatly looked forward to solving crosswords after I was done with my studies." He goes on to talk about how it'd gotten boring just solving them, so then he started timing himself, and had fun trying to go faster with every attempt.

One thing he enjoys about them had to be how accomplished he feels after. That "it's satisfying to fill in empty squares", "but the real reward is the way they let you apply the results of your daily studies." He likes moments where he can "make practical use of the knowledge I've accumulated". He also notes that he's been thinking of "holding a speed crossword tournament" to raise the other students' grades.

He goes on to say that he's been creating his own crossword puzzles since he was young. He'd started making them because he thought "it might be nice to give Trey and Chenya puzzles to solve." He continues on to say that he's "created over 3,000 of them." Then he invites Yuu to take part once the tournament becomes a thing.

Halloween - Training Regimen

(Part One)

--POCKET DIMENSION - SPARKLING HALL--

Riddle's dancing with a ghost. The ghost talks about how she wasn't great at dancing when she was alive, but that this kind of dancing is enjoyable. Riddle's thankful, and explains that she doesn't need to worry about being perfect for a casual party, and taht "everyone must enjoy themselves on Halloween. That's the rule."

Riddle then changes dance partners with Vil. Vil compliments him on his dancing, and that he hadn't expected him to be a good dancer. Riddle talks about how he's had "an interest in social dancing since I was a child", and that he'd learned from his mother "as part of my rigorous education". He's more used to "dance routines that have set steps", instead of the ones "where you just move your body to the rhythm."

Vil says that he doesn't need to scowl, because he hadn't been insulting him. Riddle says that it'd came off like Vil had been "making light of my athletic abilities." Vil clarifies that "the point I was trying to make was" that he was able to dance without stumbling whatsoever. It was an improvement, compared to "how your legs shook like a newborn fawn's last year."

(Part Two)

[Flashback Start - Soon after he became housewarden]

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle's irritated at how long the meeting was, especially with how it was "just people pushing work of on each other". Trey explains that housewardens are busy, but Riddle says that he's busy too. He starts talking about how he's going to change Heartslabyul to actually "embody the Queen of Heart's spirit of strictness", to which Trey tries to get him to "dial it back a little", and that the students might be a little confused on what to do because of the sudden housewarden change, especially so early in the year.

Riddle says that "things are so dire" because the upperclassmen haven't been doing anything about "their indolent behavior." Then he suddenly stops, telling Trey to go back to the dorm without him, because he'd just remembered something he had to do.

Trey leaves, and Riddle takes a breather to take off his heels, finding he has a blister on his foot. He reasons that they're new shoes, and that he's "never worn high heels before". He questions why people wear them.

Vil offers him a bandage, noting that he'd been wobbling, and that "your dorm honors the Queen of Hearts, but your unseemly gait hardly does the same." He then asks why Riddle chose to wear heels.

Clarifying that housewardens are allowed to "make adjustments to their dorm uniform as they see fit", and he also notes that Riddle doesn't seem to enjoy wearing high heels. He also mentions that the housewarden before Riddle wore sneakers like the other students, so it hardly seemed necessary.

Riddle agrees, stating that it also annoys him when people think he wore them to look taller. He goes on to explain that "both the Queen of Hearts and the first Heartslabyul housewarden" wore them. He'd had his uniform "tailored to match that of our first housewarden", believing that he should abide by tradition, which means dressing formally.

Vil brings them back to getting Riddle to accept the bandage, and Riddle agrees. Vil gives him advice on what he can do to "cut down on blisters", to which Riddle thanks him and asks for what class he's in, so he can get him a new one. Vil refuses, but Riddle goes on to state that "it's a rule in my dorm to always return what one borrows."

[Flashback End]

(Part Three)

--POCKET DIMENSION - SPARKLING HALL--

Vil speaks about how Riddle had gone through the effort to find what class he was in and then gave him a new bandage.

Riddle explains how after that, he'd gotten a "manual on proper walking technique", "watched videos on correct posture" and how to "walk more gracefully", and then "added both to my training regimen." He's glad that he can show Vil that he's more used to them now, so he could correct a poor impression. Vil notes that he figured Riddle had "mellowed out considerably since those days", but that "some things never change". Regardless, he says he sees "no hint of that previous newborn fawn."

Riddle goes on to talk about benefits that heels offer, like how walking elegantly has him automatically straighten out, and that the good posture makes him feel more energized. Vil agrees. Riddle also mentions that it's satisfying to watch the "Heartslabyul students instantly straighten up when they hear my footsteps." Then they both talk about their respective Queens, and how the clacking "can announce one's presence, while inspiring both respect and fear."

Tsumsitter - Riddle's Tsum

(Part One)

--MAIN STREET--

Riddle tries to calm himself down by noting how he already tasked Cater with figuring out what'd happened, and that he needed to get back to Heartslabyul.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - EXTERIOR--

There's a rustling in the bushes, and he believes that it might've been a hedgehog that escaped, so he tries to get it to come out. When nothing happens, he starts speaking in hedgehog.

Something smacks into him. It's his tsum.

He's confused, thinking it's a plush toy, and that someone threw it at him. Riddle's startled when it moves. He comes to the conclusion that the "safest bet would be to secure it now", so he grabs it.

The tsum causes a fuss, but when Riddle tells it to settle down, it goes still. Riddle notes that what the tsum was looking at was the red roses, before going on to say that they "should have spare hedgehog cages". The tsum then slips away.

Riddle chases after it.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Riddle thanks Cater, to which Cater exclaims how cute him and his own and Cater's tsums are together, and he takes a picture. Riddle is unimpressed. He doesn't really get why they've been tasked to watch over them, though.

Cater says it's fine cause they're cute, but Riddle instead goes on about how "looking after a living creature is a serious responsibility", and that they "must remain vigilant" considering they don't really know anything about how to care for them.

Riddle hadn't been able to get it in a cage so he'd kept it in his room. When it was "lights out", however, "it hopped up on my pillow and slept soundly until morning." He notes that it's behaving at the moment, but that he doesn't think it'll last long.

Trey notes that they both look tired, finding himself right in deciding to bring them tea. Deuce tells them to try some of Trey's lemon tart.

Cater takes a picture of his tsum with the tart. Ace also mentions the tea. Riddle takes the tea in an attempt to relax.

Deuce comments on the similarity in appearances, and Riddle then notices it, but doesn't understand how it resembles him at all.

Deuce says they have a similar vibe, that they're both intense. Trey says "it has a certain dignity about it."

Riddle's tsum runs into Ace, making him drop his fork. Deuce offers to give it a slice, but Cater figures that's probably not it considering his tsum hasn't been doing anything, and that they also don't have mouths.

Riddle asks Ace if he was about to take a bite of his tart, to which Ace responds yes. Riddle reminds him of rule 89, that being "Never eat a tart before the queen without the queen's permission." They realize that the tsum knows the rules, and stopped Ace from almost breaking a rule.

Cater says it might've been a coincidence, meanwhile Riddle is smiling at his tsum, praising him. Ace and Trey have a bad feeling, and Cater goes to leave with his tsum.

(Part Two)

--CAFETERIA--

Riddle's tsum runs into two Heartslabyul students for breaking a rule. Riddle compliments him and then they both go back on patrol for any rulebreakers. Ace says that they should finish up, as Riddle's been going a little overboard "now that he's got a partner in rule regulation."

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Riddle compliments the tsum for finding another rulebreaker, about to step in when the tsum rushes off. Riddle yells at him to come back, and the tsum knocks into someone.

Riddle says that "his attire may be in violation of the rules", but that it isn't allowed to "tackle students willy-nilly", and that it isn't okay "to make their jobs more difficult in the process." Riddle then questions if the tsum is even listening to him.

Trey, Ace, and Deuce come to check up on him. Riddle's tsum runs away. Riddle orders them to get it.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

They captured the tsum on Main Street, and now both Yuu and Grim are here as well. Trey's off getting the tea and snacks. The tsum suddenly hops off Riddle's shoulder and slams into Grim.

Riddle's confused, before noting rule 23, "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair".

Riddle then tells him that "private tea parties don't qualify", and that Grim's not a cat, but a direbeast. The tsum doesn't agree with Riddle's interpretation, much to his displeasure. Ace grumbles that they're going at it again, and Cater compares them to siblings.

Birthday Jacket - Happy Birthday

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Azul offers Riddle a gift, that being a lamp with suit cards. Riddle comments on Azul actually using his intel for "something positive", and says that it'll look good in his room. Azul asks him to describe his room, and Riddle says it's a good place for studying, and that he even has "a storage system that allows me to locate any reference books or other matierlas I might need at a glance".

Azul then clarifies that the lamp is a scent diffuser. Riddle says he's "heard that different scents can have different effects", but that he's never tried them before. Azul figured, so he'd gotten "several essential oils that might suit your tastes", having him only pick one however since his "gift budget is limited".

(Note: To my understanding, interviewers get given a budget to get a gift for the birthday person. It's mentioned in Rook's Birthday Jacket vignette because Kalim wanted to "build a museum with famous exhibits just for you" or "book a private performance with a theatrical troupe", but that "those things take time, and I got told none of that would fit in the gift-giving budget".)

The first one reminds Riddle of the feelings he gets when "galloping through the woods and fields on horseback". The next smells like lemon, and the third smells like roses. Riddle then chooses the one with the roses.

(Part Two)

When asked which student he'd choose as a sibling, Riddle contemplates on choosing either Silver and Sebek (as Azul prompts him to think of those closest to him at school outside of his dorm).

Riddle mentions a moment where Silver fell asleep while they were "changing after morning class", and that Sebek and he had to carry him to class. Riddle also notes that Sebek "looks out for others, in his own way".

Riddle goes on to say that he "often ends up looking after others", so instead he figures that "in the interest of not having to sacrifice valuable study time", he wanted someone with good grades and a good conduct, coming to the conclusion of Jade.

Azul is shocked.

Riddle explains that he couldn't think of anyone else, and that he'd choose Jade as his younger brother. Azul is very much confused.

Riddle clarifies that "an older brother would occupy a higher standing than a younger one", so that if Jade did something wrong, he'd be "entitled as his elder brother to correct his actions". Azul can't believe Riddle's so reckless that he'd choose Jade as a younger brother for that reason.

(Part Three)

If Riddle were to transfer to a different dorm, it'd be Diasomnia, talking about how it's "home to a great many students with outstanding magical prowess" and that he would "fit neatly among their ranks". Azul calls him bold.

Riddle goes on to say that "Diasomnia students all use magic more regularly than students from other dorms", so that staying there he could "gain new magical insights".

Azul agrees with him, and then asks if he'd still aim for housewarden. Riddle says that he would, because he "wouldn't get any other opportunities to face off against one of the top five mages in the world", and that Malleus being powerful "makes him worth challenging in my view".

Labwear - That Was My Intuition

(Part One)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - RIDDLE'S ROOM--

Trey asks Riddle if hes' done writing the "report for the housewarden meeting". Riddle offers to have Trey take a look since he's finished. Trey's surprised by the big stack of documents, and asks if he wants it to be "delivered to the headmage". Riddle agrees.

Trey tells him not to work too hard, and then leaves.

Riddles goes over the "registration paperwork for the interdorm Spelldrive tournament", noting that Azul's "outlined so many rules that merely READING them is tedious". It starts raining pretty heavy, and he hopes Trey brought an umbrella.

--CAFETERIA--

Trey sneezes.

Riddle comments that he'd told him to "stay warm" and "get yourself to bed early", but Trey had been up late finishing his homework.

Cater asks why Trey's apologizing when he's "the one who caught a cold" so he asks for what happened. Riddle informs him that "Trey got caught in the rain yesterday while he was running an errand on my behalf".

Riddle tells Trey to take his temperature (again) after dinner. Cater tells him that he should go to the nurse's office. Trey keeps insisting he's fine. He keeps sneezing though, so Cater goes to walk Trey back to the dorm.

--LIBRARY--

Riddle's searching for a hot soup recipe, and Lilia asks him what's wrong, and notices the cookbook. He asks him if he cooks, as he'd "thought the vice housewarden was in charge of that".

Riddle starts to explain but Lilia interrupts, coming to the conclusion that Trey has a cold. He continues to clarify that they're in the same classes, so it'd be hard not to notice, and makes a correct guess on what Riddle's looking for.

Lilia says that he's "no stranger to seeing people struggle with things outside of their usual element" and that Silver's been through it many times. Riddle says he isn't struggling, and that he just needs to find a recipe.

Lilia says he probably won't find one though, because he himself had "looked for the same thing in here before", as "mild, cold-busting soups are so simple to make that cookbooks never bother detailing them." Riddle figures he'll come up with something else then, but Lilia offers to teach him how to make one.

(Part Two)

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - KITCHEN--

Riddle comments on how cold it is, but Lilia says "of course it's cooler in here when not in use" as it's "full of heat sources", before bringing them back to the topic of the soup.

For how much water to use, Lilia says to "measure out how much you think he'd eat", and goes on to assume how much soup stock to add as he can't remember the exact ratio.

He goes on to say that there's "a lot of intuition involved" with fine-tuning the flavor, but Riddle doesn't really get it. Lilia instead asks him "what suits YOUR palate?"

Riddle "likes strawberry tarts, but one can't exactly put those in a soup." Lilia challenges him instead with a "can't you?", and that "it seems to me like putting in foods you like is a good way to whet the appetite", and goes on to mention other ingredients.

Riddle's confused that it gets put in soup, but he figures that "it IS important to maximize nutrient absorption".

When asked how much to add, Lilia says, "the more nutrients you put in, the faster he'll recover", so Riddle figures he should add a lot.

Lilia comments that "when I last made this, I added chili pepper too", and that "Silver practically sprang out of his seat after one slurp."

Riddle questioned if "stimulants" would be "counterproductive", and then says he's done with his seasonings. Lilia asks if he's not putting anything else in.

Riddle agrees, saying that "I let thoughts of Trey guide me" and that "that was my intuition." Lilia concedes and says that "all you have to do is boil it, and you're done". Riddle questions where to set the heat, as it's "giving off a rather…pungent odor."

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - TREY'S ROOM--

Trey had been napping since he'd gotten back to the dorm, so he was awake now (it's night). He's "feeling a little bit better" and "taking care of some homework".

When asked what Riddle's got, Riddle replies that he'd made some homemade soup, and that "no pressure if you'd rather not partake" considering "it was my first go at" this kind of thing, "so I'm not sure how well it turned out". He also says he'll "eat it for breakfast tomorrow if it doesn't suit you", but Trey says he doesn't mind, and thanks Riddle.

Trey takes a sip, and Riddle says he doesn't need to have it while he's there. Trey (coughing) instead says that "you went through the trouble of making it", so he wanted to "give you feedback".

He goes on to say that it's "not a bad first effort". Riddle starts to speak but then sneezes. Trey worries over him.

--SCHOOL INFIRMARY--

(the next day)

Jade advises Riddle to take care of himself. Riddle thanks him for "walking me to the nurse's fofice during class" and apologizes.

The nurse isn't there but "there's an open bed" so he takes his temperature and then gets an ice pack.

He forgot to change, but he can't be bothered to take off his labcoat. He wakes up to Trey greeting him, and that class is over.

Riddle asks what he's doing here, and Trey responds that "I heard you were sleeping in the nurse's office" so he "came to check up on you". He asks how he's feeling, and Riddle says he's feeling better, before being interrupted by a sneeze.

Trey tells him to take it easy, and also thanks him for the soup, and that he'd finished the entire batch. Riddle calls him a fool, before saying that he can walk back to the dorm and go to bed. Trey offers to walk him there but Riddle refuses, before sneezing again.

Ceremonial Robes - What Is Your Verdict?

(Part One)

--MIRROR CHAMBER--

Riddle hopes that some more composed students will "find their way into Heartslabyul" as many of the freshmen are lacking decorum. When it goes to Ace, Riddle says he pities "his future housewarden". Riddle quickly orders him to return to his seat, as he "has no tolerance for rulebreakers", complaining to himself that he'd "have to drill basic manners into him before I even get started on the Queen's laws."

Sebek orders the others to "comport yourselves with dignity and cease your whispering", causing Riddle to believe him to be sensible.

Sebek gets put in Diasomnia, and then immediately loses his composure with "AWWW YEAH, BABY! WOOHOO! I'm in the same dorm as Malleus!" to the shock of Riddle, before he quickly gains his composure. Riddle questions if he just imagined that.

--SPORTS FIELD--

Riddle asks Silver if he's been "neglecting your preparation", but Silver says he has "it under control", before noting the lack of freshmen coming their way.

Riddle explains that "they're likely starting with more popular clubs".

Sebek interrupts them, asking "where I can observe the Equestrian Club".

(Part Two)

Riddle recalls his name, and Sebek accuses him of being a spy, "sent to uncover Diasomnia's deepest secrets".

Riddle responds with "I mistakenly believed you to be a man of diligence and decorum" and that "like all other Diasomnia students, your well-mannered facade bellies your supercilious nature."

Silver tries to explain that Sebek's a special case, but Riddle says he remembers Silver "being rather aloof" when they first met. Silver figures he wasn't that bad, and gives Sebek advice to "correct your attitude at once" and that "it is because of pople like you that Diasomnia's reputation suffers".

Sebek however, refuses to be reprimanded by him, and claims he hasn't done anything wrong.

Riddle interrupts them to start the tour. "I was a bit dismayed by the audacity Sebek displayed as a mere freshman", however "I understand that every dorm has its own customs and ways of thinking. He goes on to say that that's also true for the Equestrian Club, and that if Sebek intends to join them, that he'll need to "adhere to our ideology."

Sebek agrees, and Riddle starts going over the fundamentals. How it can be both dangerous to them and the horses, so they require a delicate touch. "In this club, your upperclassmen's word is law, and for your safety, you are obliged to obey."

Sebek says he'll "obey any orders, within reason," and Riddle notes that he's taking riding seriously.

Sebek talks about how it's an important skill "if I am to serve under Malleus" but that he wishes "to see the other club members' skills before I decide whether or not to join."

Riddle calls it "a fair assessment", and invites him to judge himself if "our club meets your standards". He apologies to Silver and asks if he could ride first, to which Silver agrees.

Riddles goes riding on Vorpal.

Sebek's impressed, and Silver speaks about how Riddle's "trained relentlessly to achieve perfect riding technique" and that "he is even more skilled than I am".

Riddle then stops Vorpal there and asks Sebek for his verdict.

Immediately, Sebek's "ready to submit my entry applications". Riddle's surprised, and Silver notes that "normally, freshmen only submit an application after observing all of their prospective clubs."

Sebek instead figured that "what if I were to submit it late, only to find that the club is already at capacity?"

Riddle agrees "if you've made up your mind", and welcomes him to the Equestrian Club.

Apprentice Chef - Riddle Making Cabbage Rolls

(Part One)

--CAFETERIA - KITCHEN--

Riddle's questioning what size leaf to use as the recipe doesn't sepcify. The ghost chef tells him that "you can always make adjustments when you're doing the rolling".

Riddle then goes on to ask "what volume of water do I need for the parboiling," and the chef responds that he doesn't need a precise measurement, "as long as there's enough water to immerse the cabbage leaves fully."

Riddles goes to measure with a ruler for mincing but the chef stops him, saying that it isn't necessary. The chef then asks why he signed up for the Culinary Crucible. Riddle says that "a housewarden should be the best at both academics AND cooking."

He also says that "it makes sense to get a head start on living independently."

The chef then asks Silver, who responds that Riddle had invited him, hoping that it could help him with his "dozing habit". It made sense to him, and he was "always ready for an opportunity to learn how to make better food."

The ghost comments on how both of them "seem to know your way around the kitchen well enough" and that "you've had no issues handling any of our cooking implements".

Silver clarifies that he always falls "back on the same crutch-- salt, pepper, and sauté" and that he'd like to do more. He'd also like to "cook more enjoyable meals for the father who raised me".

Riddle starts sniffing.

The chef asks Riddle if Silver's words had moved him to tears, but Riddle explained that while "it WAS touching", that wasn't why he was crying. It was the onions. Silver asks if he's okay.

Riddle asks "how do I make it stop?!" Silver tries to stop him from rubbing his eyes, but… "Rubbing my eyes just makes it worse! It stiiings!"

The ghost chef praises him as his "fillings came out with a very nice texture".

Riddle wants to do more to make them equal, but the chef reassures him that "once they're all swaddled in leafy goodness, you won't be able to tell 'em apart", and that "spending TOO long cooking can impact the freshness of your ingredients" to which Riddle concedes. He attempts to pack it tightly but "I pulled too hard and ripped the leaves!" The chef tells him that "that means it's time for you to try again using one of the spare cabbage leaves", and Riddle says "I'll roll it perfectly next time, just you wait!"

(Part Two)

Riddle and the chef start having a chat. Riddle mentions that "seeing Silver cooking up close was a clear illustration of how much more i Have yet to learn" and that he "memorized the recipe front to back" but "still got stumped at several points when it was time to go hands-on". The chef agrees with him about how recipes can be "unclear about measurements and the exact order of operations".

Silver notes that "even an ace academic like you still needs lots of training when it comes to mastering the ins and outs of cooking", and Riddle agrees. He states that "there are plenty of things in world beyond the limited aggregate of my experience" and that it was a "good reminder to stay humble."

--CAFETERIA--

Riddle brings out his dish to the taste-testing table, to be greeted with Malleus.

Malleus notes that they vary in size and that "these two are so lopsided next to each other, it's like a parent and their tottering child."

He explains that as it was a "meal prepared by Riddle" he was "prepared to be blown away by a masterful display of technique" but that "the flavor and plating are both entirely pedestrian".

Riddle thanks him for his honest feedback, and the ghost chef reassures him by saying that he'd done well for his first time.

Riddle thanks the chef, and continues on to state that "I'm not one to shrink from a challenge" and that "one day" he'll "reign supreme as the finest cook on campus".

Suitor Suit - Can't Make a Fool of Myself

(Part One)

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Ghost guards are trying to catch him, but he states that "that's my 362nd victory" and that "as long as I'm here, none shall pass". One of them calls him "tiny" but "as strong as a monster", to which Riddle glares.

50 more ghosts arrive, to Riddle's irritation, "if I don't stop them they'll pose a threat to Ace and the others. But even I have my limits…" A rose petal falls off his jacket and he recalls an encounter.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - ROSE MAZE--

Riddle says that the roses should've been finished pruning before the next day, but that "because of all this Ghost Bride nonsense, I'm nowhere near done!"

Malleus comes across him, and Riddle greets him. Malleus wanted to thank him, as "you're going to rescue Shroud and the other captives, yes?" And that "my retainers Lilia and Sebek are part of that group." Riddle shrugs it off as "I'm not rescuing Lilia and Sebek for your benefit", as the "Heartslabyul Housewarden is expected to show initiative during campus emergencies".

Malleus comments on his maturity.

Riddle asks if he's familiar with "the concept of noblesse oblige", as it's a "prominent school of thought that has a long history in the Realm of the Roses". "Those with power and status hve a duty to aid the weak, proportional to their station".

Malleus wonders if he judges him for his conduct being "unbefitting a leader". Riddle says that "your position as prince of your land must come before your position as housewarden", and that "though you may wish to fly to your retainers' rescue, you are constrained by circumstance."

And that in contrast, "leader or no, I come from common stock".

(Part Two)

Malleus states that he was worried over nothing.

He goes on to say that "as you presumed" he "cannot enter into an egagement lightly, even on false pretense", and so that was why "Lilia and Sebek went on my behalf", but that "it troubles me that there is nothing I can do to free them."

Riddle says that "you must think me rather incompetent." Instead though, Malleus says "I've witnessed firsthand how you care for your vassals and your determination as a leader". That "I assume you've received no royal tutelage, yet you have the bearing of a king all the same."

Malleus continues on by saying "you carry yourself with dignity and grace but you lack a certain…majesty" and that if he's "to impress the princess" that he should "wear something indicative of your stature. Riddle reminds him that he's not an aristocrat.

Malleus then asks if he'd share one of the pruned roses with him. Riddle agrees but asks what he's going to do with it. Malleus gives it to him, saying "when adorned upon you, this simple rose carries more weight than any medal."

He tells him that "if you are king of this rose garden, you must carry yourself with a rose's strength and nobility."

Riddle finally concedes as "with a genuine prince telling me this, now I really can't make a fool of myself". He goes on to say "I swear upon this rose, I shall fulfil my duty and rescue all the captured students."

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle refuses to give up, recalling the promise.

The ghost states how he's "not even flinching" and Riddle responds with "of course not! After all, I am…"

--DIASOMNIA DORM - LOUNGE --

Silver asks Malleus if they "shouldn't try to rescue Father and Sebek", and Malleus responds that "it'll be fine", as Riddle has set off.

Silver comments on how he's "surprised at how much faith you have in him." Malleus instead says that "I am merely acknowledging the truth. After all, he is…"

"THE KING OF HEARTSLABYUL!"

Tropical Wear - If That's the Rule... (to be added lol. to be honest i havent even started the event yet)

School Uniform - Ignorance Is No Inconvenience

--INTERIOR HALLWAY--

Riddle tells a group to step aside, as they're blocking the hallway. Azul asks if Riddle's not going to "spare the exam results a glance", while Riddle asks "what would be the points, when the results are always the same?"

Azul agrees, however "I thought you may have slipped for once, but I see you aren't one to be underestimated." Riddle admits to struggling with a question.

He mentions that "three days before the exam, a paper was published, citing new discoveries to propose a wholesale reevaluation of the kingdom's history."

Azul then says that "in fact, I heard the faculty held a meeting about it. As one student managed to answer it perfectly, they decided to deduct points from the rest of us instead."

Riddle apologies, but Azul shrugs it off as "we all had access to that new paper, you're simply the only one who took notice of it" and that "I'll have to keep a closer eye on any new research that crops up" to which Riddle says he'll "do the same". He then leaves.

--HEARTSLABYUL DORM - LOUNGE--

Cater offers some treats from Trey to Ace, but needing to take a few pictures first. Ace comments on the phone case as it's "crazy popular". Cater nods, saying that "mine's legit, too".

Ace then says that he's "been looking for one too" but with a different design, describing it as "that one with the weird creature that's got a bushy head, and feet comin' out of its eyes".

Cater recognizes what he's referring to, but says "this diamond pattern really speaks to me".

Riddle interrupts by saying that they should probably sit if "you insist on keeping this up", startling Ace who asks when he got back. Riddle responds that he'd returned a moment ago, and that, "putting the queen's laws aside, prattling on in front of the entrance is simply bad manners."

Cater apologizes, meanwhile Ace asks if he's seen Cater's phone, and if it's awesome. Riddle asks if he bought a new phone, but Ace clarifies about the case, and how it's the "hottest thing on Magicam right now". Riddle asks "what about it is so unique", to Ace's surprise that he didn't know.

Ace asks how he can "even manage to hold a conversation with anyone" while Riddle assures him that he's "never been inconvenienced for not knowing what's in vogue before." Cater asks "what if Magicam winds up on an exam, though?"

And talks about his perfect score streak, to which Ace is in disbelief, before realizing that "with all the studying you do, it's no wonder you don't know what's going on in the real world".

But that "Ace has got your back! See this design is--" To immediately be interrupted by Riddle stating that he didn't "recall asking for your help", and telling them to "either sit down or return to your rooms to study". He later states though that "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look into it a little."

PE Uniform - Don't Say a Word

--SPORTS FIELD--

Riddle's documenting his reuslts, but they're all below average. Kalim greets him out of nowhere, startling him. He asks if they can do the sprint together, to which Riddle asks if he doesn't "have a partner already".

Kalim says that Jamil's "on some other exercise" but that "we're supposed to be in apirs, so why not run with me?" Riddle agrees, but on the condition that "you aren't to say a word after we're finished". Kalim agrees, albeit confused. Vargas tells the "next set of runners, take your positions". Then they go off.

Jamil comes over, asking if Kalim's already done. Kalim nods, stating "you looked like you'd be a while, so I just went ahead and did it." Jamil asks what time he got. Kalim responds with "I can't remember" but that "I'll bet it's faster than yours'll be!" Riddle chimes in with "you were 6.81 seconds" and that "perhaps you should consider writing it down next time".

Kalim thanks him as hew was "about to do it over again for a new time, too", and then tells Jamil to "hurry up and do your sprint". Jamil thanks Riddle for babysitting him.

Riddle shrugs it off as "you deserve a break once in a while." Kalim then says "it's kinda nice to see even you can't come first in everything, Riddle" and that "Between you and Azul, I thought I was the only sophomore housewarden who wasn't amazing at just about everything, but"

Jamil then covers his mouth and apologies to Riddle. Vargas then tells them to move onto personal exercises. Kalim asks about dancing together, while Jamil says that "you're the only one who wants to do that" and asks instead "what do you think of practicing our flyting instead? We have the perfect teacher right here."

Jamil then asks "you don't mind, do you?" Since "Class E has their flight test soon". Riddle refuses to teach them how to fly but that instead "you're free to watch if you wish".

He then flies off. Both Kalim and Jamil admire his flying. Kalim calls him amazing, but Riddle instead says that "a true mage simply excels in magic over fitness."