#but i think it paid off a bit

[thesporkidentity]

i don't think i'm ever going to finish these WIPs and i completely forgot where i was going with them, but it's quite vindicating to re-read them and discover they weren't the pile of steaming shit that my memory had convinced me they were. in fact, the parts that were written would actually have been pretty solid with just a little editing

[turtleblogatlast]

Mikey and Leo episode centered around Mikey wanting to push Leo and Draxum together since Leo’s the most reluctant to give Draxum any grace (for good reason!) But, thinking on the spot, Leo says he’s gotta go do something for Hueso and “just can’t hang out right now 😔” (yes, he says the emoji out loud.)

Mikey calls his bluff and now the three of them (Mikey having grabbed a weary Draxum along) go to Hueso’s to find that yes, he actually does have a job for him. Said job asks for Leo to go with Hueso to deliver multiple pizzas to this giant yokai quite a distance away, and Hueso figured it would probably go better with Leo’s help (emphasis on probably.)

Well, Mikey decides that this would be a great bonding opportunity for them and basically invites he and Draxum along. Unfortunately for Leo, Hueso doesn’t care enough to wave away more help, though he does side-eye the wanted criminal Baron Draxum coming with them. But who is he to judge? (This choice has consequences.)

The journey goes about as terribly as you’d expect, but at least the pizzas get delivered on time.

[the-crooked-library]

the vampire lestat dropped his single a DAY ago and his stans are already having beef with swifties… 🖐️💀 guys chill you’re both having mental breakdowns to shitty lyrics, literally nobody else gives a fuck

[val-of-the-north]

My friend @katyspersonal made an interesting observation about the flowers that were once found on the path to Midra's Mense. Here's her post on the matter for reference [x].

The flower connection seems way too meaningful to be accidental, especially since the two people in charge of the Mense are not Hornsent at all...

Now, we can't know for sure whether Midra, Nanaya, or both were Shamans or at least related, but the connection IS there, which I doubt was placed randomly.

But yeah, speaking of Hornsent, they were indeed punished for associating with Midra. As my friend pointed out in an earlier post [x], this dialogue wouldn't fit if it was simply due to the Flame of Frenzy business going on there, especially since the ghost that welcomes us is very well aware of the madness.

It's also worth pointing out that the Madding Hand's face resembles that of the other Hornsent who use player models, meaning his fellows are probably other Hornsent too.

Whoever this group of Hornsent was, it's clear they did not care about his lack of horns and simply served Midra, possibly due to him being wise and knowledgeable...

Either that, or there are ways for people without horns to get privileges and benefits even in Hornsent society. Maybe it is still due to his vast array of knowledge, but it wouldn't be too outlandish to think Midra found ways to be productive to the Hornsent and was thus rewarded for his efforts. Until they grew suspicious of him, of course. But his Hornsent attendants seem rather loyal to him despite that.

Which leads me to a different point regarding Marika herself...

The two Hornsent NPCs that we can actually interact with both mention some sort of betrayal from Marika.

To be betrayed means that there was some semblance of trust between them and her that she broke, which would seem odd at first glance, but we must take into consideration what she did to attain godhood. She had to have reached the Gates of Divinity (as shown in the cinematic trailer), which are found in the holiest, most guarded part of Belurat's tower: Enir-Ilim.

And this must have happened BEFORE the Crusade and Messmer, as evidenced by a few things:

1) The Hornsent mention the Erdtree a bunch, which we know was established after a few different conflicts. At the very least, the war against the Giants must have happened before the Crusade, as the Age of the Erdtree began then.

Marika was also already considered a god at the time, she had a consort in Godfrey, and the Crucible was yet to be seen as heretical due to their employment of Crucible Knights. There's also the very likely possibility that Radagon was spawned from that conflict as a curse of the Giants inflicted upon Marika, which would work to explain where the red hair came from.

It might also tell us WHEN Messmer was born in that case, and speaking of...

2) Messmer's condition, or rather, all the things Marika had done for his sake, seem to have happened AFTER the establishment of the Erdtree, as they feature heavy gold and tree motifs. To have control of Grace so great that she could create the rune she most likely gave to Messmer strongly hints at her having already become a god.

The Blessing of Marika also fits the criteria of a thing she had to have made after her ascension to godhood because of its heavy arboreal theme and the fact that two Tree Sentinels (who defend her home village) are holding onto them as well, further hinting at the existence of the Erdtree by this point in time.

Both of these items relate to Messmer and both of their descriptions already identify Marika as a Queen. I wonder if this means Marika returned to her home one last time after she became a god as opposed to when she started her journey toward divinity. Her last acknowledgment of her past before leaving it behind forever.

3) Messmer was also friends with Gaius, who studied with Radahn, and they were both like older brothers to him.

This means the Crusade and Messmer's banishment could not have happened earlier than many years AFTER the Liurnian wars, as evidenced by the presence of the Carian kids. This point is also strengthened by Rellana being close to Messmer and having to prove her loyalty to the Erdtree in ritual combat.

This means that Marika reaching the Gates of Divinity and the Crusade happened at two different points in time, which seems to align with how the Hornsent word things. She betrayed them, then set them ablaze.

What's left to wonder is HOW it happened. I think it was either:

A) She waged a first war against them with the aid of Hoarax Loux (not Godfrey yet, as there was no reason to conduct himself as a lord), his clan, and the Crucible Knights to consolidate her godhood. Maliketh could have also been involved. The Hornsent, then, simply see being supplanted as a betrayal regardless of whether they knew about Marika or not, or...

B) She found a sneakier way to get there through careful planning and climbing the social ladder of Hornsent society, maybe with contact and guidance from the Two Fingers. If the latter is true, I assume she still had Maliketh's support and Hoarax Loux on speed dial for whenever the chance to claim divinity arrived, as she would still need a consort for that and we know he was her first husband.

Both ideas are compelling to me and make sense in their own right. Still, the thought that she could have actually infiltrated their society and made them trust her just to usurp and double-cross them feels very fascinating, especially since the Hornsent specifically mention Marika betraying them. It makes me wonder what Tower society is really like to non-horned people since some Hornsent can even become very loyal to those with an explicit lack of horns.

Marika's betrayal could also explain why the Inquisition would later turn on Midra despite him seemingly having enjoyed some levity or respect in the past. Perhaps they believed he'd pull a similar stunt to Marika's (or maybe they acted that way because he was directly related to her? idk honestly)... though their preventive actions inadvertently caused even more problems by having the resulting despair attract the Three Fingers to what would become the Abyssal Woods.

Of course, it's unclear if the Mense's downfall happened before, after, or concurrently with Marika's path to divinity, but I think it's worth considering as an option at least!

[s0fter-sin]

i have no stake in this whatsoever since i’ve never even watched good omens and absolutely 100% unequivocally think it’s a good thing that an abuser is seeing the consequences of his actions but i don’t really see the point in shortening the 3rd season? rewriting it so he doesn’t get money from it? yes absolutely, but if that’s the reason, why not delay the season and do a full six episode rewrite? or just cancel it altogether instead of an inevitable disappointing finale. he’ll still be receiving royalties from the first two seasons and whatever ideas they use for the episode plus whatever he’s already contracted to receive so making a short season feels like it’ll impact the cast and crew more than him; they won’t be paid for a full season of work that they were expecting to have in an increasingly unstable industry

[problemswithbooks]

So, I recently watched Helluva Boss and as always I've been prusing the tags for it on tumblr to see what other people think about the story and characters.

Something that stuck out to me is when people say Striker is a hypocrite because he hates the Royals, puts down Blitz and Fizz for being with Royals, but he, himself, works for one. Also that his pitch he gave to Blitz about teaming up to take down Royals was all a lie.

Now, I'm not going to say he's not being a bit of a hypocrite, especially given how much he hates Royals. What I will say is that I understand why Striker wouldn't see it that way (besides the fact he has a seemingly desperate need to feel superior to other imps).

Striker wants to kill Royals--that is very clear. A huge hurtle to that goal is that they are immortal. The only thing that can kill them is Angelic Steel--something that is rare and expensive. Yes, Striker is supposedly a well known assassin, but it's doubtful he'd ever make enough money to afford Angelic Weapons without taking on extremely wealthy clients. The wealthiest would be those at the top.

We don't know if Striker has worked with Royals before. If we assume Stella was the first Royal he was hired by, that makes his choice to work with her make far more sense. Particularly when we take into account who her target is--her equally Royal husband.

Unless stated otherwise later, Stella must have provided Striker with his Angelic Weapons so he could kill Stolas. She doesn't just give him a single weapon, either. She gets him a sniper rifle, pistols, a knife and a rope so he can incapacitate Stolas and take his vast magic abilities away, rendering him helpless. On top of that, she is also paying him money.

Given Stella never brings up the fact he lost the sniper rifle, or demands he return the weapons she provides, this deal he's making, although hypocritical, is only a benefit for Striker. He's getting paid to kill someone he wants to anyway, and a new arsenal that gives him the capability to kill Royals afterward.

This is why I don't think his offer to Blitz was a lie. I think what he told Blitz is his long term goal/plan, and was simply offering Blitz to join him since he found Blitz to be somewhat equal to him after Blitz did so well in the harvest games. Once they killed Stolas, got Stella's money, they would turn around and start using those funds and weapons to kill more Royals.

The reason Striker doesn't see himself as on the same level as Blitz and Fizz with their relationships with Royals is because he sees himself as using Stella, where he perceives Blitz and Fizz as being used. It's true that Blitz gets similar benefits from his relationship with Stolas (if Striker even knows about Blitz using Stolas's spell book for his business, I can't recall) but given what Striker saw of their relationship, he would see Stolas using silly pet names despite Blitz disliking it and see that as Blitz debasing himself publicly for Stolas. Yes, Stella doesn't treat him with the upmost respect, but it's over the phone, without witnesses. Nor does he give her anything in return except a dead husband--someone he would have targeted anyway.

He sees Fizz as even worse because, to him, it appears Fizz has given up his own autonomy to live a cushy lifestyle. Yes, Fizz gains many benefits from being with Ozzie, but Striker views it as letting Ozzie take advantage of him, to let Ozzie treat him like a pet (which some people do, do to some imps). He doesn't know Ozzie loves Fizz--franky I don't think he'd believe a Royal could love an imp at all anyway.

Yes, he may work for a Royal, and take her orders, but he does so to pilfer more and more Angelic Weapons from her as well as take her money, all of which I'm sure he tells himself he will later use against her and the rest of the upper class. It's a business transaction that he actually holds all the cards in. Unlike Blitz and Fizz he doesn't have to publicly debase himself to get the benefits he seeks. At least that's how he sees things.

[aturnoftheearth]

people in the sims 4 modding community are fightinggggggg bc one of the build cc creators is paywalling their stuff for months before releasing it for free to the public when most cc creators range from like. 2 weeks to a month?? anyway it’s a fight to the death between people who say anyone having a problem with it should just make their own and is automatically entitled and get ur bag know ur worth etc and people who say yeah sure but don’t be so rude to people asking why you’re releasing holiday content to the public in february. anyway i see elements of both sides so im watching the arguing like a cat watching christmas tree ornaments

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Honestly your tags are so fun to read every time, i'm almost more excited for them than the actual post (but not entirely because your art is SO GOOD!!!! i adore it). If you don't mind me asking, what are you studying?

i am studying psychology because i refuse to see a therapist so ill figure out whats wrong with me myself !!!!!!!

[bmpmp3]

grabbing kanru hua by the collar. where is manual mode kanru. where is she.

[honeyconez]

guys hear me out would painis cupcake pay taxes? Because he’s not like mega insane like ass pancakes I think he’d pay his taxes in my professional opinion.

[mishkakagehishka]

The nervousness of putting new clothes in the washing machine for their first wash

[waywardsalt]

probably going to rework my human bellum design again

[dravidssideblog]

Kink setting safety net idea: Saviors

So you've been captured, locked in some kinky bondage dungeon or what have you. But you're not afraid! You're a proud, independent victim and you can save yourself! You'll figure out some way to escape eventually, and it can't be that bad, right? Wait your captor is going to do WHAT? No! No no no, oh god no, someone please help!

And then help arrives :D

In this setting where danger is never too dangerous, there are various different entities who's job is to get people out of distressing situations. This applies to various kinky and non-kinky situations, allowing perilous and unwilling scenarios to happen while providing a safety net in case of any serious distress or kink-squick mismatch.

There's almost always a cost, though, ranging from mundane payments to kinky nonsense to more unique agreements. On top of the costs, you also have to beg and plead with all your heart to get the attention of a savior, which is both emotionally demanding and humiliating.

The drawbacks are steep enough that most who get captured will prefer to just tolerate it until they're released or they manage to escape. Calling out for a savior is something only done in desperation.

"Savior" isn't a special species or anything, any person or group can be a savior. You just need to be capable of sensing and rescuing those in distress.

Here's a bunch of example saviors you can call for help the next time an unwilling kink scenario gets to be too much for you

Mind Goblins: This odd species of psychic goblins can sense distress and desires, and are drawn to those who have sufficiently depraved kinks. Their psychic abilities can be terrifyingly powerful, and captors are advised to stay out of their way during a rescue. Upon rescue, you'll be taken to their cave, where they use you as a kink-toy for anywhere from a week to a month. Resistance is a non-issue; the goblins only seek out those who will tolerate their antics, and only engage in kinks that the subject is into.

Guardian Network: This hivemind of robots was programmed to protect people and to expand itself, and it does just that, using anything from nanomachines to combat tanks to rescue victims. Through creative interpretation of its morality code, it only aids those who will pay it with resources to help it expand, such as money, building materials, property, etc. While the network usually ignores poor people, some with Particular Interests have attracted its attention by offering themselves to the network to be converted into a cyborg.

Earthling Petting Zoo: This extraterrestrial organization uses mental scanners to find earthlings who are likely to accept a place in their zoo. They'll simply teleport you out of whatever peril you've encountered into their spaceship, then get you prepped for a stay of 1-2 months. Life at the petting zoo is modest yet comfortable, but those willing to sign up for more unique forms of "petting" are offered rewards~

Vengeance Demons: These demon saviors are drawn those who feel not just distress, but also intense hatred and rage. They offer a chance to turn the tables against your captor(s) with the vast magic of hell, in ways ranging from kinky to karmic to fatal. The only cost is a simple signature, and the terms of their contracts are too good to be true!

Dreamscape Watcher: A curious denizen of the dream world. Mental manipulation often prevents victims from calling out for a savior, but when someone's mind is being altered unwillingly, the remaining embers of their original identity may cry out for help. The Watcher hears that cry. It pulls your mind into the dreamscape, where it observes and experiments on your psyche for a week or two. Meanwhile the Watcher pilots your body, getting it to safety and keeping it alive with psychic powers. When the Watcher is satisfied, it puts your mind back together in its original state and sends it back into your body.

Lordly Dragon: A powerful shapeshifting dragon that owns various human mansions and dragon lairs across the world, all of which need maintenance. They've learned to sense those of an obedient nature, and they rescue them in return for a month of service as a maid for a mansion or a kobold for a lair. You may also be a kobold in a maid outfit. Your Lord doesn't judge.

The Wild Pack: Most saviors sense acute distress, from a moment intense pain or fear or disgust. The Wild Pack senses the dull, drawn-out distress of a miserable day to day life, and the longing to escape from it. The pack of animals and monsters and werewolves steal you away into the wilderness, shifting your form and banishing your inhibitions. The price they demand is that you run and hunt and howl with the pack until after the next full moon, though many choose to stay long after that.

Angels: A group of saviors that are rarely seen, angels are the souls of those who suffered great torment during the last dark age of the world. They are drawn to only the most intense distress, those in true peril and misery, and they act regardless of whether they are called. Their robes shelter you from all harm, their tears numb your pain and heal your body, their voices comfort your heart and cleanse your soul, and their wings carry you to safety past any obstacles. They ask for nothing in return, seeking only a world where no one suffers a fate as cruel and unjust as theirs.

Thanks for reading! Tag or comment which savior you'd most like to be rescued by!

[iscratchdoors]

i think the decision of who gets to medically transition probably should not be given to people who find trans bodies inherently disgusting and undesirable, personally

[nebulouscoffee]

genuine question does anyone know what to do when you feel like a nervous breakdown is coming? like is there a solid reliable way to stop it or at least prevent it from getting really bad

[lordsardine]

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