#but if you're focusing on something else (like‚ say‚ looking at what your opponent in a fighting game is doing)‚ controlling your motor

[fionnaskyborn]

every day (overstatement) i come up with increasingly more ridiculous ideas on how to approach fighting games

[yoichiris]

love me now | itoshi rin x reader

✩ we were born in a box ✩ pro-player!rin, hurt with comfort, secret dating au

when rin first asks you to keep quiet about your relationship, you're too in love to care.

after all, many things weren't public: not the little smile he gives you when he walks into your apartment, not the way his lashes flutter in the morning sunlight, and definitely not his grunts when he pushes into you. these were sides of rin that were only reserved for you.

but the frustration builds, with every goal that rin scores, the more attention he gets, and the more faded into the background you are.

you stand in the audience, the crowd booming as the ball strains against the net where rin has just kicked it, your eyes trained on him. usually you would've cheered, but recently you've been feeling alone. and you know it's unfair, but he doesn't even look for you, completely focused on the field.

"did you see that?" you hear some guy talking to his partner next to you, voice laced with disbelief.

"fucking awesome," someone else says.

these are the moments rin lives for, you think. outplaying the opponent. making the goal in a way that doesn't allow any doubt about his skill. the set expression on his face tells you everything, that he's planned for this moment and this moment only, and it makes you sad that you've never once crossed his mind.

sometimes you watch rin's teammates run to their partners after winning a game. you try to imagine what rin would be like, if he were like that with you. would he be like bachira, who practically swings his partner over the railings? or isagi, who cups his partner's face between his hands and presses a sensual kiss to their lips?

you think harder, and the answer is probably neither.

which is how you end up standing at the gates of his apartment a few hours after his game ends, feeling apprehensive, when you know he'll return after doing his decompression, doing press, debriefing with his team.

rin's eyes change when he sees you.

"what are you doing here?" he asks, barely glancing at you, "i thought i told you always to wait for me inside."

in case someone sees us, is the unspoken part.

it made you feel special when he had given you the code to his apartment, bypassing all manners of security, having your name discreetly given to the concierge at the lobby. but all of that had been for his career, and his career only.

for rin, everything revolved around being the best at what he did. and you understood. but did you really hinder his career that much?

i don't want them to focus on something so trivial, he had told you once. you know he's talking about gossip, paparazzi, sensational headlines, not you, but you can't help but take it the wrong way. were you trivial to him?

"what are you so scared of, rin?" you ask him softly, your stance firm when he tries to redirect you past the unlocked gates.

he scowls, "what's gotten into you?"

"i don't know," you admit, not really knowing what you want to say, driven only by the feeling of loneliness in your chest, "what do you get out of this?"

the confusion flickers over his face for only a moment. always smart, he is.

"out of what? our relationship?" he retaliates, the way he says relationship making you flinch, even if his tone has barely changed.

you're scared to look at him, because you know what you're asking him to admit. i like you, he had said at the beginning of it all. his expression had been blank, but his eyes had an intensity that made you believe him. and you do.

but being head over heels in love with him as you are, thinking it'd be enough for everything... you hadn't been prepared. not for this kind of life with him.

"yeah," you mumble, quiet, "...i'm just tired of being your secret, rin."

he looks frustrated.

"you're not," he tells you, and once again you believe him, but it's just not enough. "what do you want me to do?"

you don't know. is there anything you could ask him to do? did you have the right to ask him to do everything he had already refused once to do?

you've had this conversation. once, twice. but rin's always been immovable, stubborn. and it's not like you didn't know that his career would always be his priority. so you had dropped it, thinking that you could move past it.

"nothing," you reply, voice shaking. you look down. you don't have the energy to do this a third time.

you sniffle, not yet crying. "i'm gonna go, okay?" you tell him, "it was a good game today."

he reaches out to you instinctively, long fingers circling your hand. he holds onto you for a moment, and you think for a second he'll say something. but he breaks eye contact first and lets you go.

"thanks," he says instead, "be careful on your way home."

you think that's your answer and tell him goodbye.

when you wake up the next morning, you feel completely disoriented. you think the noise you hear is your alarm clock, but you quickly realize that it's just your phone buzzing incessantly.

you sit up in bed, wondering if your eyes are deceiving you.

scrolling through the hundreds of messages in your inbox, scanning through most of the keyboard smashes, and seeing rin's name over and over again, brings you to rin's instagram.

your heart pounds as your eyes take in the picture. you've never seen it before, but you recognize the sprawl of your hair, the familiar crumple of rin's sheets around you.

he's in the frame too, his lips slightly parted at the top right, his exposed collarbone leaving nobody wondering what you two were doing. your face isn't shown, but a tap on the picture shows you that he's tagged your private instagram.

of course rin would post the raunchiest picture allowed to be posted to announce your relationship. of course he had to outdo all other relationship announcements. and of course he would do it at 2am, hours after you'd had your fight.

you can barely breathe when you scroll down to the caption.

Liked by sae_it and others

itoshi_rin love you.

your fingers shake as you swipe back to your home screen, to the rin's name on your favorites page, to call him. he answers on the third ring, his voice raspy.

"hey," he grunts, sounding like all those times you've woken up next to him, with his arm slung over your waist, his chin tucked over your form.

you snuggle into your blankets at the sound of his voice. "you have something to say to me, rin?" you tease.

"no," he says, always mean, and you imagine the slight slant of his frown. "i got practice soon. talk to you later, yeah?"

you're about to protest, but he cuts you off— "i love you."

you think he's about to hang up, but there's a moment of silence as he waits, vulnerable, for you to respond. you smile, thinking about rin holding his breath on the other end of the phone.

"i love you, too."

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[igotanidea]

Somebody's watching me : AK!Jason x reader

Request: AK! jason hears y/n’s name from his opponent and just goes nuts like he goes home looking for her.

A/N : the requests is a little twisted, as usual, but I hope you'll still like it anon :D

***

It was gone.

His old life was gone.

And with it, everyone he knew before.

All that was left was revenge, hate, rage. And this unstoppable need for killing someone, destroy something, wreck havoc on every single person who did him any wrong.

Bruce.

Fucking Batman.

He was the Arkham Knight now.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Focused on building his position so that no one, no fucking one, would ever hold any power over him.

And if that meant keeping tabs on everyone under his watchful gaze so be it.

And if that meant putting some pressure on everyone who dared to do as much as step a toe over the line, so be it.

And disturbances?

Defnitely not something he was about to allow.

And now he was holding a gun to one of his goons head.

"What did you do?" he hissed, his voice distorted by the helmet

"Sir, I --"

"What did you do?" Jason repeated pressing the metal more into man's head.

"I-- I disobeyed--"

"You disobeyed. And do you know what happens to people who disobey me?"

"Sir, please this is--"

Jason shot in the air and the man almost fell to his feet.

"It was-"

"I'm not going to give a warning shot again"

"I was-"

"I'm gonna count to three now. One."

"There's this girl."

"Two."

"Her name is Y/N."

"thr-- what?"

"She is very distant family, but --"

"Shut up!" Jason yelled, his face twisted with rage, not that anyone could see his expression hidden under the metal. "Shut the fuck up you hear me!" it took him two steps to be in front of the man, yanking him up by the collar and pinning to the wall with brutal force, half-chocking him "you ever do as much as think her name again and I'll kill you and put your head on a stick as a warning to anyone who dare have a thought of himself. YOU HEAR ME!?"

"y-ye-yes..."

"now get the fuck out of here!" the man was violently thrown on the floor, getting up as fast as he could and rushing out the door. It was truly a miracle he lived to tell the tale, cause Arkham Knight was not known for his leniency.

But Y/N.

Someone from his past.

More than someone.

A girl, a woman, he was once in love with.

A woman, whose name he forgot in the pursuit after Batman.

Or rather - tried to forget.

She was the only one who ever got him. The only one to accept him fully, with all his flaws.

His Y/N.

His Y/N who betrayed him just like anyone else. Who forgot him. Who moved on without giving as much as a single thought to him when he was lost. Who was never looking for him.

His Y/N.

It;s been years since he heard anyone mention her. Years since he swore to never get manipulated again.

And then.

Just a few letters mixed together. Just a few sounds.

And she was right behind his eyes, just like he remembered her. Because even his dark side refused to let go of the rememberance of their time together.

Her laugh. Her smile. Her eyes and freckles from the sun, as fleeting as the summer days they were spending together. Her calmness, care and tenderness when she was patching up his woudns, tiredlessly putting on bandaids and stitches.

Fuck!

He didn't need that.

Just another phase of brainwashing. If not from his capturers than from his own men.

Hell no.

He was going to say no to the past life once and for all.

Hunting her down, wherever she may be.

See her for the last time.

Pour hatred in his heart, destroying all the remaining piece of useless softness and caring he carried in his soul.

Burn the last link connecting him to the past down.

***

She was spending the night in her old apartment. Sitting by the same desk, with the same lamp, in the same posture she ever did.

One leg half bent and folded under her ass, the other hanging loose in the air.

"You're going to end up with numbness..." he muttered to himself, watching her from the opposite rooftop.

Obviously she couldn;t hear him, but something made her raise her head and look outside the window while simultaniously changing the position.

Jason smiled despite himself.

His heart skipped a beat and sudden warmth spread in his chest.

Only for a second though, since he rememembered why he was here in the first place.

Look at her.

So fucking good.

So fucking calm and happy, while he-

fuck!

traitorous bitch.

Maybe it was her plan from the very beggining. Conspiring with Batman only to get rid of him, so they could both be free of the burdening presence of a man once known as Jason Todd.

Y/N...

Regardless of how sweet her name may have tasted on his tongue he would rather cut it off than fall down that rabit hole again.

He was cold as ice. Brutal. Cruel. Ruthless.

And it was not going to change because he saw her.

Not in the million years.

She was the reason of his fallout. She should have stopped him from going on that stupid mission. She should have made him stay, showed him she cared enough to keep him grounded.

It was all her fault that that after being captured all he could think about was how she was going to survive without him. How her heart would break into million pieces, instead of figuring out a way to free himself.

It was all her fault that he became the Arkham Knight. Cause inhumanity was equal with survival. And survival meant living. And living meant keeping his legacy.

So yes, he hated her.

He hated her, because every single thing he did and every little thing done to him was because and thanks to her.

She was the reason of him getting on top, but also the person responsible for his failure as a person.

She was nothing.

She was everything.

And for the first time since capturing, torturing and tranformation Jason felt conflicted.

Y/N...

His Y/N...

Not his anymore...

***

When some force made her stand up and come to window all she saw was a blink of metal on the rooftop. And since she spend half of her life with vigilantes, it was easy to realise that this must have been one of them.

But the silhouette of a running man couldn;t have been Dick nor Tim nor any other hero she would recognise.

And despite herself, she felt a shiver running down her spine.

Someone was watching her.

[aluraveil]

Attempting to Break Up w/ Yandere Harbingers

Pairings: Yandere Pierro, Pantalone, and Dottore x Reader

PIERRO

When your words register in his head he would be fuming. He already lost his homeland and now he’s gonna lose you? That will not happen.

Pierro was a cold ruthless man who showed no mercy to his opponents. Everyone was fearful to get on his badside of and most importantly, nobody wanted to fuck around with him.

With the amount of bloodshed from war on his arms and the heavy weight he carries being the leader of the harbingers, he thought he could never love. That was until he met you. You gave him a reason to return home. He always looked forward to seeing you and you made him happy. But without you? That’s a whole nother story that won’t happen.

The day you agreed to marry him was the day you agreed to become his until the end of time. Nothing could change that. Nothing could ever take you away from him. The diamond ring on your finger was already proof of his ownership on you. You had belonged to him and only him. If you seriously thought that anything else could change his mind, then you would be a complete idiot. You would be a fool trying to deny that.

Good luck trying to leave him though, because he'll make sure that you'll be trapped in his manor with the exits and windows locked shut.

PANTALONE

If you seriously thought that you could ever escape his clutches then you needed serious help. Something that needs to be drilled into your brain is that you could never get away from the Regrator and that you will always be his.

So when you wanted to break up with him, it didn't go as planned. He was supposed to listen to what you wanted to say and your feelings about your relationship. You were then gonna drop the bomb on him saying that you wanted to end things with him and move on with your life. Then the both of you would leave and head your seperate ways.

But oh no. Things didn't go as planned. All hell broke loose and you experienced it first hand.

When you were walking to your boyfriend's office you only had one thing in mind- that was to tell him that you wanted to break up. When you finally arrived, you sat down onto a chair as you mentally prepared yourself. You looked up at Pantalone and you started talking. Your

At first, Pantalone just chuckled at your serious expression as he thought it was quite adorable. You however just sat there confused, something about the way he laughed at you made you feel quite unsettled.

But when it finally registered in Pantalone's head that this wasn't some funny joke, that's when his smile dropped and his eyes stared through your soul.

He was furious. You wanted to leave him? You should have known that you would never get away from him. Not even in your dreams.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when the next thing happened. Pantalone grabbed the back of your head and slammed it down onto the desk.

You immediately blacked out.

When you woke up, you were laying in Pantalone's bed and there were chains on your arms.

Welp, you only got yourself into this situation. The only thing you could do next was pray.

DOTTORE

If your pretty little head thought that leaving him would make you forget all your memories with Dottore then you were certainly mistaken. You could never escape from him. He loved you too much to ever leave you, infact he would never let you go. He was deeply obsessed with you.

The Doctor was too madly in love with you. So when you agreed to be with him, you basically had sealed your own fate.

When you arrive to Dottore's lab, you find that he's busy performing an experiment. You see that he looks very immersed in his research and how he seems very focused while holding and examining some test tubes filled with liquid.

You're quite nervous. He seemed busy. Maybe now was a bad time? Actually no. You figured that since you were leaving him you might as well tell him now instead of delaying the inevitable.

When you finally said what you needed to say, it felt like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. What you didn't expect was for Dottore to throw the test tube in his hand at you.

It felt like time had stopped when the test tube hit you and the glass shards pricked at your skin. You dropped onto the ground screaming in pain asthe liquid inside it was burning your skin.

Dottore quickly rushed over to you and held you in his arms as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a needle. The needle was pricked inside your neck and you quickly fell asleep.

Dottore placed you onto his examination table and he quickly patched up your cuts.

Afterward, he placed you into your shared room without forgetting to place ropes around your arms and locking the door.

[magicmanii]

yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyooyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyooyoyoyoyo

can i pretty please request a rin x gn reader where rin is hopelessly down bad for them? (like he runs to pay for anything they want and gets grumpy/petty if reader insists/pays or runs to open doors for them and is honestly just all around pathetically in love)

BEACHY LOVE

🌺 It's been… like 7 months since my best friend has requested this.. I hope you enjoy…

🌺 It might be a little ooc Rin? Disgustingly in love Rin!!! Rin is a cutie patootie in this!!! Isagi is a little freaked out.. Also I haven't read bllk in a minute so I'm going off of what I know.. THIS IS NOT PROOFREAD!!!!

🌺GN READER‼️‼️‼️

🌺 WORD COUNT: 1,204

Isagi has seen a lot of weird stuff since he's become a famous soccer player.

He's seen fans flash their favorite players in a weird attempt to get their attention, he's seen opponents lose their shit after losing a match, he's even seen his own teammates get weird while playing a game. He can't really say anything about that though…

But what he's never seen before; in his seventeen years of life, is Rin Itoshi, one of the best soccer players in Japan (and also notably one of the most cold and standoffish) rubbing sunscreen into someone else's back.

I mean— helping someone with something without glaring at them or complaining!?

A shiver ran up Isagi's spine.

This couldn't be Rin. This had to be an imposter.

Rin would never willingly do something for someone unless—

Another shiver ran up Isagi's spine. A mysterious apple also fell on his head.

Unless… they were his partner!

Wait. No, he's getting too ahead of himself. Rin, Mr— “I have a stick shoved up my ass constantly” would never be able to pull someone! Especially someone so beautiful!

But then that brought him back to his original question. If this wasn't his partner, who was it!?

Before isagi could question Rin's and this mysterious person's relationship anymore, a monotonous voice broke him out of his stupor.

“Hey, NPC, can you move? You're standing right in front of the door.” said soccer player grumbled out while glaring daggers down at the now sweating Isagi.

“Oh! —” Isagi quickly moved out of the way of the entrance to the shaved ice hut. “Sorry.”

Rin walked in without even sparing isagi another word or glance, clearly focusing more on his task than his rival.

Now that Rin was closer, Isagi could get a look at his attire. And let me tell you. Isagi could feel himself getting traumatized again.

I mean— how couldn't he!? Rin was wearing neon blue swim trunks with flamingos and palm trees on it while also wearing a pair of pineapple sunglasses!

Who was this!?

“Do you have a staring problem, NPC?” Rin coldly asked when he felt Isagi's burning gaze on his back.

“What are you wearing?” Isagi boldly snapped back, not caring if he got a death glare because of it.

“swim trunks.”

“Wha— no kidding! I could tell that much! But why are you wearing ones with flamingo print on them!? And what's with the sunglasses!?” He questioned while pointing at the offending male.

Slowly, Very slowly, maybe it was intentional on how slow he was turning; Rin turned around to face Isagi, his expression far from a welcoming one.

In actuality, if looks could kill, Isagi would be, not 6ft, but 30ft underground!

“if you have such a problem with what I'm wearing maybe you should pluck your eyeballs out.” he spat out before turning back around and grabbing two snow cones from the smiling cashier.

“You should learn how to mind your business, NPC.” was the final thing Rin said to isagi, the pro soccer player shoving his way past the shorter and stomping his way out the hut.

It wouldn't take long before Rin would make it to his partner again. His partner in question looking up at their boyfriend with a questioning gaze.

“Rinnie? What's with the face?” They questioned while reaching out for the snow cone they requested, saying a small “Thank you” as they watched the other sit down on the ground like a pouting child.

“I ran into isagi.” He simply said, his blue eyes staring daggers into the poor snow cone in his grasp.

“So?” Y/N shrugged, looking at Rin with a questionable gaze.

“He had a problem with what I was wearing.”

“So what'd you say?”

“I told him he could pull his eyeballs out if he hated my outfit that much.”

“Aww Rinnie! You like the outfit I picked out for you that much!?” Y/N cooed while lovingly pinching their boyfriend's cheek.

Rin let out a soft grunt but didn't push Y/N away.

“You know, if you like the outfits I pick out for you that much, you should let me pick out all your outfits!” Y/N offered with a cheeky smile

Rin looked at his partner for a moment, his eyes softly gazing at their features: their bright eyes, their pretty smile, their soft hair..

Rin looked away from them with another grunt.

“No way.” He quietly said, a soft, almost unnoticeable blush on his face.

“What!? Why not!?” Y/N whined, a childish pout on their face.

“Because I said so.”

“That's not an answer!” Y/N grumbled

“Why not?” Rin teased while sticking his tongue out

“Because I said so!” They spat back with their tongue now out as well

“You're a child.” The soccer player scoffed, a small fond smile on his face at the sight of Y/N's pouting face.

This earned Rin a gentle punch from Y/N.

“You can go kiss my ass!” Y/N exclaimed before turning around and shoving a spoonful of shaved ice into their mouth.

It was quiet for a moment. All anyone would be able to hear would be the soft lapping of the ocean softly caressing the land before retreating once more, the sound of seagulls squawking away, and the gentle sound of wind brushing through the leaves of the trees.

“You know,” Rin started, successfully catching Y/N's attention.

“I have a gala coming up. You can uh..” He hesitated, a harsh blush growing on his face once more. “You can choose an outfit out for me.” he softly said.

At this, Y/N leaned in impossibly closer, their hand cupping the back of their ear as they let out an obnoxious “What was that?”. If it could, their ear would grow comically large as they waited for Rin to repeat himself.

Cursing under his breath, Rin let out a tired sigh before repeating himself.

“I said—” he started only to get cut off by Y/N grabbing his face.

“That I could pick out any outfit for you to wear to a gala!?” Y/N basically screamed in excitement, a smile running from ear to ear as they inched their face closer and closer to Rin's.

If it wasn't for the fact that his partner just ruptured his ear drums, he would've found their closeness extremely flustering.

But despite his lost hearing, he couldn't help but admire their features.

‘Damn them and their cute face…’ he silently cursed to himself.

Pushing Y/N away gently, Rin crossed his arms and averted his gaze.

“you're too loud.” He scolded, but his scolding landed on deaf ears seeing as Y/N was too busy celebrating their victory.

‘They're such a pain…’ Rin lovingly thought to himself while watching them celebrate.

[obsessedwrhys]

Hi! May I request some fluffy lyca dating headcanons?

|| LYCA DATING HEADCANONS ||

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ fluff, reader is gn!!

Let's just start off saying that she's a very independent and responsible person. She pretty much had to train herself to be when becoming the Captain of the Dusk Patrollers. So when someone like you caught her eye, she was really struggling to set her mind straight.

She prays to Misarte that you never pop up when she's on duty because she knows she won't be able to keep her eyes off you, her sharp vision doesn't help her much either.

She doesn't know what it is about you that captivated her so much. But she knows that for sure it was your kindness. How you are so willing to help the villagers as well as to standing up for them. She admires that deeply about you.

There was this one time she was able to arrive in time when you were caught in a fight. Her arrows flying just past you and into the shoulder of your opponent. You'd turn to see her shoot you a smile.

"Don't worry, I've got your back" She'd say as she draws back another arrow.

In all honestly, she REALLY REALLY tried to ignore her crush on you but it's hard to when she's literally friends with you. Close friends!!It doesn't help either when Lorsan teases her about it. That's why the confession was gonna happen anyway.

Scenario ↴

You were seated by the campfire, resting after spending the whole day helping the others treat the injured. It was then you felt a familiar presence take it's place beside you on the log. You turned and was happy to see it to be Lyca.

"How's Eironn?" You'd ask as she picks up a stick to poke around the rocks inside the campfire.

"Still as stubborn as ever... but he's a lot more tolerable now"

"At least that's progress" She smiles slightly at your words.

You two sit side by side, knees barely brushing each others as the quiet night is filled with the sound of the fire crackling and crickets chirping.

In the peaceful moment, you couldn't help but admire the way the fire reflected on her face. Her strawberry eyes burning like embers. It was when she locked eyes with you that you felt like you forgotten how to breath.

"Is it alright if I tell you something?" She would say after a while.

"Of course, you don't need to ask"

"I know... we're always so open with each other but I'm scared that you might judge me for this"

"Did you do something bad?" You tilt your head and she couldn't help but avoid your curious gaze.

"I guess you could say it like that..."

She'd pause and you don't intend on pushing her to speak, but rather waiting for her to say what she has in her mind. And in her mind she's rehearsing the confession that she had to redo multiple times in fear of coming off as 'too much'.

"I think I've fallen for someone (Y/N)" She blurted out almost too fast, in hopes that you'd miss it so she could play it off like she never said anything.

"You... have? Is it someone I know?" You'd ask even though your gut knew the answer already. It doesn't take a lot of thinking to see the way you've both have been looking at each other. Even a rock can see through it.

"... it's... oh Misarte above... I've fallen for you... and I can't make up my mind if it's a bad thing" She'd sigh and you seem almost too stunned to swallow.

"Why... how could it be a bad thing?" You questioned as your body scoot itself closer towards her.

"Because... I’ve always been so focused on, you know, being the responsible one, making sure everyone else is okay. But being around you, you make me… feel things I didn't know I was capable of. You make me want to be less responsible, to be silly, to be… free. You make me feel like breaking the rules and telling me that its okay to be a bunch of careless fools sometimes. Do you find that funny or have I gone crazy?" She said but her lips were slowly forming a smile, as if she was drawn towards the idea of you two being stupid together. You couldn't help but smile back.

"You're not crazy... it just sounds like you need a break... and I happen to be the right person for it" You'd hold her hands in yours and her heart flutters at your gesture.

"Right person right time...?"

"Exactly"

To be frank, you were like the constant reminder of how she could carry out her duties and be able to relax at the same time. It was as though you were the person to provide her that balance in her life.

When everyone found out about your relationship, thanks to Lorsan literally telling it to everybody, Lyca couldn't last a second in the village without someone asking her how you were doing. Even the mention of your name was enough to have her ears perk up at their direction.

That's why it leads to my next point, she loves loves LOVES it if you happen to be shorter than her (6'2"), because you'll go on saying how her ears does not count to her height to which she'll object to your justification by saying it's still part of her body.

Just seeing you pout about her being taller than you makes her struggle to resist the urge to pinch your cheeks.

Her kisses are 100% sweet and soft, she doesn't know how but it's as though your lips has this ability to melt her stress away. She really can't keep her hands off of you so most of the time she'd be late for work. You always have to be the one to remind her.

Moving on to PDA, this woman sure has an image to hold but this doesn't mean she's ashamed to show you off. Hugs, kisses and loving looks. She really can't hold herself back even if she tries.

She trusts you a lot so she feels as though she can be herself when she's with you.

Just her coming home after a hard day, a visible frown on her face so you don't force her to talk about it but rather hold her in your arms, the feeling of your heartbeat being enough to calm her down.

But if the weight was too much to bare, she will tell you about what's troubling her.

That means the same for you too, she can tell if you are ever in a bad mood. She'd do simple things like maybe taking you to your favourite restaurant, cuddling in a blanket fort together or just anything you like to cheer you up.

Since she's always chatting with people, her social battery are usually drained out by sundown. That's why she falls asleep faster at night when you two cuddle, she calls it her "Recharge Section"

Date nights where you guys go stargazing is a MUST. It's the best thing to do together.

"Hey, look up there. Do you see that constellation?" She points and you'd turn to look, the both of you laid down on the short grass.

"The one that looks like a butterfly?" You asked.

"Yeah, that's it" She'd smile softly as she relaxes her head on your shoulder, enjoying the moment with you.

Though, no matter how pretty the night sky is or how bright the stars are, her eyes would always find it's way to you. Because to her, you are singlehandedly the most breathtaking person in the universe.

Her nicknames for you includes starlight, sweetheart and jellybean. She pretty much comes up with a new one everyday depending on her mood.

Obviously it's common knowledge that she's a busy woman, but when she has free time, she spares no time to make the most out of it. What you both always like to do together when she's free is cooking/baking.

She enjoys the thrill out of it since getting good results from following instructions was always fulfilling for her. However that's not always the case, somtimes she can mess up and get easily discouraged by her mistakes to which you'll be the one coming in to do the saving.

"I'm so lucky to have you..." She'd say with her face covered in flour after her attempt of shaping the sourdough. You can't help but laugh as you grab a napkin to wipe her face clean.

She memorises all your favourite things fast. From your favourite smoothie to your favourite scent, she has all of it noted down into her mind.

Funny enough, Lorsan always run to you for help everytime Lyca is mad at him for something. You're the reason half of the time she let's him off easy.

She also has your intials carved into her bow. It serves as a reminder for her to always be safe when she sets out for her battles.

2000/1000 she is THE babygurl.

[pomegranateboba]

Hey again, Pompom! Thanks for answering the angsty request. You were REALLY good at writing it! I suggest you to practice mode angst writing, but I won't push :)

If there is angst, then let's get back to some fluff (and maybe a bit of crack lol)! So what about the Guides with MC who plays basketball? There's a commotion outside Neb Aula and the LI saw a group of sorcerers watching MC and their opponent playing, which MC looked so cool and focused (maybe hot as well- I can see the sorcerers calling the basketball court something hilarious cuz they probably didn't know basketball exists). That's all for tonight! Thanks!

I suck at basketball haha, lets give this a shot

ArTw boys with a Summoner that plays basketball

Arcturus

Went to the crowd because he was curious

Okay 2 people are playing some ball game...Summoner??

He did not know you could do that with a ball

In awe

Also cheering for you in the crowd

Approaches you after you finished off and started complimenting how good you were

Wants to learn too

He tires, he's not used to such vigorous activity

He doesn't mind sitting in the crowd and cheering for you though

Happy orange man :)

Spica

Was about to break the crowd up until he saw who was the cause of the commotion

Actually stopped to watch you play

Is impressed by how swift you were, your opponent was struggling to get the ball

Afterwards he congratulated you for doing so well, but please don't attract more crowds everyone get back to class

He would rather sit on the sidelines and admire you

Alpheratz

All the noise woke him up and he was about to start exploding people when he saw you

How the hell do you have so much energy

Watches with interest as you dunk the ball

He actually got up and complimented your skill afterwards

You bugged him into learning from you

His height was a huge advantage over you, it was so annoying when he held the ball just above your reach

You had to tell him to actually pass the ball

He got tired and just sat down by his tree to watch you, he can't with vigorous activity

Pollux

Was the one who drew said crowd

Poll was shocketh

How is that possible? How do you move like that- wait weren't you at the other side of the playing area 0.00001 seconds ago? What?

His brain is lagging

His cheering was the one who drew everyone to watch you play against that one innocent person who was struggling to keep up with you

Wants to learn. If you don't agree to that, lock your doors at night

He tried.

He tried.

Give him a participation award for trying.

He kept falling over his feet, the bad luck is bad lucking for real

He doesn't understand why Mid Earthium sports have so many rules

Ah well. He's gonna keep trying anyways (don't let him try again or the school will blow up)

Vega

The only one who knows what basketball is

You used to play with him during your time in Mid Earthium as kids. You know, until you didn't.

This is once again another nostalgic memory

After everyone left, he came up to you and asked whether he could play with you again

It took him 5 minutes to get the courage to ask you, so it was 5 minutes of awkward silence

Could barely keep up with you, you certainly improved by a lot from the last time he played with you

Very proud of his best friend

Of course that only happened when no one was watching, in the evening maybe

He may or may not play with you again so TREASURE THE TIME YOU HAVE TOGETHER

Sirius

Lock this man in your closet and never let him out

Found out you play before anyone else did (except Vega who already knew)

Was lowkey impressed when he saw you play, but of course he didn't say that out loud

Cue teasing

You did your best to teach him (he made you) and surprisingly (is it really that surprising), he picked it up really quickly

Well done, his skills now rivals yours. I hope you're proud of yourself

Will request that you play with him on the occasion

Remember to add extra locks on the closet so that he doesn't escape

Bonk him so that he can't escape the closet

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 350.brb x oc

a/n: eeeee (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322/323/324/325/326/327/328/329/330/331/332/333/334/335/336/337/338/339/340/341/342/343/344/345/346/347/348

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

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-

Beatrice is nibbling on a piece of toast as she sits besides Rooster, watching her husband learning truco - quickly too -  was so relaxing. None else was there yet, Nicole was playing with Bianca and Ewoyn while the twins were on a playmat her mother bought for them in case they came over.

The brunette propped her chin on Rooster’s shoulder, smiling at the waft of his cologne, as she watched, “You are doing good,babe.” she says, “Michael looks…disgruntled.”

Rooster grinned, his eyes focused on the cards in his hand. "Thanks, gorgeous. Michael's a tough opponent, but I'm picking up the strategies."

“At least you agree.” Michael grumbled, “See Leo? Brad think I’m a tough opponent.”

“Well,Brad hasn’t shared a room with you,so he doesn’t know.”

Beatrice chuckled, reaching for a glass of homemade limoncello that her mom had just brought over. She took a sip and savored the citrusy sweetness. "You'll fit right in with this competitive bunch. Truco gets serious around here."

Rooster raised an eyebrow, his attention momentarily shifting from the cards. "I can see that. Michael is giving me the 'I'm plotting something' look."

Beatrice laughed, taking another sip of her limoncello. "Oh, that's just his terrible poker face. Don't let it intimidate you.”

"I'll be on the lookout for any sneaky moves, then."

Claudia, returned, placing a plate of freshly baked biscotti on the table. "Biscotti, anyone? Get it before Guillermo arrives, you know how your older brother is."

“A sweet tooth with a bitch face yeah-FUCK!” Michael grumbled in annoyance, slamming his forehead down on the table, “Fuck how did Brad get so good,so fast?!”

Rooster chuckled, looking genuinely amused. "Beginner's luck, maybe?"

Michael groaned, rubbing his temples. "If this is luck, it's seriously unfair. Leo, help me out here."

Leonardo smirked, glancing at the cards in his hand. "Sorry, Michael, but you're on your own. I can't help you win against the newcomer."

Beatrice grinned, kissing Rooster’s cheek "Looks like Roos has found his hidden talent. Maybe he was a Truco champion in a past life."

"Next round is mine," Michael declared, shuffling the cards with determination.

“You are too competitive,Mike.”

“Shut up.”

“What’s happening?” Guillermo’s deep voice broke the banter and his immense form covered most of the doorframe as he watched all of them at the table. His green eyes dropped to his siblings then to Brad, “Brad’s winning?”

"Hey, Guillermo. Yeah, you won't believe it, but Roos is giving Michael a run for his money in Truco." she says, proudly, hugging Rooster’s arm.

Guillermo's bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? B?"

"Surprised me too," Michael grumbled, looking at his cards with a determined scowl. "Beginner's luck or something."

Rooster grinned, playing along with the banter. "Just adapting.

Claudia joined them at the table, offering a plate of biscotti to Guillermo. "You're just in time. Join the game and give Michael some competition."

“Who else is missing?”

“Our other sisters,” Michael grumbled, “God damn it. Gui,help!

Guillermo hummed, taking a biscotti. "I'm afraid I've retired from the Truco battlefield. My skills are rusty."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Rusty, my foot. You're just scared Michael will cry if he loses."

Michael shot her a mock offended look. "I never cry." they all looked at him, “I never cry.”

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, "Really? Because I distinctly remember the time you lost a bet and had to watch 'The Notebook' with us."

Michael's face turned a shade of pink, and he grumbled under his breath. "That was a one-time thing."

Beatrice laughed, leaning into Rooster. "Maybe we should have a movie night soon. Watch something that will make Michael cry again."

Michael shook his head, waving off the suggestion. "Not happening. I've built up an immunity to tear-inducing movies."

“You didn’t honey,” Hannah says, “You cried watching tik tok a few days ago. And you cried while playing something with yoru friends.” and Michael felt the utter betrayal coming from all sides…so much he just huffed and kept his eyes on his cards

But as the Truco game reached its final rounds, the competition intensified. Rooster, still adapting to the game, managed to hold his ground against Michael's ‘experienced’ plays. In the midst of the game, Sabrina's laughter echoed from the doorway as she entered the scene. "What's all this noise about?" she asked, glancing around the table.

"Roos is schooling Michael in Truco," Beatrice announced with a proud grin.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickering between Rooster and Michael. "Really now? Brad, a card shark in the making?"

Rooster chuckled, nodding. "Beginner's luck."

Beatrice lookd back to cyheck on the twins, who were now carried by her dad who just walked around the backyard, pointing at the orange tree growing close to the fence, bouncing the babies now and again.

Suddenly,Nicole zipped closer to Bea, ‘Mama, look!” she was cupping something in her tiny hands, “S’a fwend!”

Beatrice leaned down to Nicole's level, her eyes widening as she saw a small ladybug nestled in Nicole's palms. "Oh, it's a little friend. How did you find it?"

Nicole beamed, "It has spots!"

Beatrice smiled, "That's so sweet, Nicole. Ladybugs are good luck. Let it crawl on your hand gently." She watched as Nicole carefully extended her hand, and the ladybug crawled onto her tiny fingers. She gasped, then giggled, “There you go, are you having fun with cousin Bibi and cousin Eowyn?” 

And Nicole nods, “Yesh.” she giggles more, “Mama,keep it?”

“Keep the ladybug?” she nods, ‘Oh,honey, no,no we can’t. She has to go back to her own mama,okay?”

Nicole pouted slightly, her eyes widening with a hint of disappointment then she looked down at the little bug. "But... I like fwends."

Beatrice chuckled, her heart warmed by Nicole's innocence. "I know, sweetheart. We can enjoy our time with the ladybug, but then we have to let her go back to her family. It's important to share our friends with others too."

Nicole considered this for a moment, her brows furrowed in thought. After a brief pause, she nodded in agreement. "Okay, Mama. We share fwends."

"Exactly," Beatrice said, giving Nicole a gentle hug. "Now, let's go show your little friend to nonno and the others."

Nicole walked over to where Rafael was now seated next to Michael,still holding the twins to his chest. Nicole excitedly displayed the ladybug to her grandfather. "Nonno, look! Fwend!"

Rafael's eyes lit up as he examined the tiny creature. "Ah, a ladybug! You know, in our culture, ladybugs are considered a symbol of good luck. It's said that they bring happiness and prosperity."

Nicole blinked at him, “...huh?”

“Papa,please,” Beatrice laughs, “She’s only one year old, she only got half of that.”

Rafael chuckled, "My apologies, little one. Ladybugs are like tiny messengers of good things. They bring smiles and good wishes wherever they go."

“Whu’s that?”

“What?A wish?” she nods and Rafael blinks, still holding the twins and furrowing his brows, “Uhhh…well….a wish is something you want really bad.” Beatrice noticed that while her father was speaking, Nicole just watched him intently, unblinking, “And stuff has that power.”

“...mkay! Papa!” Nicole quickly turns on her heel and shows the tiny bug to Rooster, who immediately stops to smile at her, “Wish!” 

Rooster grinned at Nicole's excitement, gently picking her up from under her armpits, “Oh you got a ladybug,huh? That’s nice.”

Nicole's eyes sparkled with innocence as she gazed at the ladybug. "Wish fwends forever!"

The simplicity and sincerity of Nicole's wish brought smiles to everyone around. Beatrice exchanged a glance with Rooster, their hearts warmed by the genuine joy of their little one. 

"Well, I think that's a beautiful wish," Rooster said, his voice filled with warmth. "Wishing for friends forever is something special."

Nicole beamed at Rooster's approval, and she continued to showcase her newfound friend to everyone that looked over at her. Beatrice smiles more, her hand rubbing her heart as she inhales shakily.

Sometimes she can’t believe this is her life.

She got not only the man of her dreams - said man winked at her before he got back to the game - she got amazing kids and a family that loves her husband just as much as she did…and he deserved it. She couldn’t help but feel her eyes stinging, because like her aunt said ‘they were meant to be’ 

If there’s any universe where the two aren’t together, she hopes her other version runs over and finds him there…because there’s no way life would be the same without him. She clears her throat, checking the time and seeing she had to make sure the twins’ got fed, “Roos.” her husband looks over, “I’m going to feed Gavin and Aurora,okay? I’ll be in my old room.”

Rooster nodded, his eyes following Beatrice as she made her way inside, only looking back when she disappeared from view. Beatrice entered the familiar halls of her childhood home, the echoes of her footsteps seemed to harmonize with the music being played outside As she approached the door of her old room, she couldn't help but smile at the flood of emotions.

Pushing the door open the soft glow from the bedside lamp illuminated the room, it made her smile. Her mother was slowly making it more neutral, it was a slow process but it was happening.

Settling into her old bed, Beatrice cradled Gavin in her arms, his tiny hands reaching out as he fidgeted in anticipation of the meal. Aurora, on her opposite arm just babbled quietly. Just as she was about to feed both, she saw her mother’s head pop in, “Oh, hi mom.” she says, gently pulling her shirt up “I’m going to feed them–you alright?” her mother’s eyes were shining with tears, but she was smiling.

Claudia walked into the room, her eyes gleaming "Oh, Beatrice, it's just so heartwarming to see you here, with your beautiful family."

Beatrice smiled, a softness in her eyes. "Thank you mama…”

Claudia approached, sitting on the edge of the bed. She gently brushed a strand of hair from Beatrice's face. "You're a wonderful mother, tesoro. I couldn't be prouder."

Beatrice's heart swelled with warmth at her mother's words. She had come a long way from the young girl who once inhabited this room, and now, she was a mother herself. Gavin latched onto her breast, nursing peacefully, while Aurora, in her own baby babble, seemed to share in the moment. “...I—”

“You are amazing, oh tesoro, I…” Claudia inhales, “When you told me about Bradley I have to admit, i was worried, I was worried…but the way he looks at you oh-” she shakes her head, “He doesn’t look away a second…and that fills me with joy and happiness and…and now you have three wonderful kids.”

"Mom, I couldn't have asked for a better partner," Beatrice admitted, her voice soft. "Brad…Brad is so…h-he has been my rock, especially through all the ups and downs. “ 

I didn’t think he’d stay, she wanted to say.

Claudia beamed, her eyes still glistening with emotion. "He's a good man, and he loves you so much. It's evident in every glance, every touch. I'm glad you found each other." she cups her daughter’s cheek, “...your life will be filled with love and joy, tesoro. It will.”

“...thank you,Mama.” she says softly, sniffling, “I…thank you…I…I know it will. It’ll be amazing.”

As Gavin finished nursing, Beatrice carefully shifted him to her shoulder, patting his back gently to soothe him. Claudia watched with a soft smile, her hand still resting on Beatrice's cheek. "You've become such a natural at this, sweetheart. It's like you were born to be a mother."

Beatrice chuckled, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. "I think Nicole,Gavin and Aurora did a good job training me. It's a learning experience every day."

Claudia laughed warmly, the sound like a comforting melody. "That's the beauty of it, tesoro. Motherhood is a journey of continuous learning, and you're navigating it beautifully."

Beatrice's gaze shifted to Aurora, who was now peacefully nestled against her other arm, her little fingers curled around Beatrice's shirt. "I always wanted a family like this," Beatrice admitted, her voice soft with nostalgia. "I wanted to recreate the warmth and love we had in this house."

Claudia nodded, her eyes reflecting the shared memories. "You've not only recreated it, but you've also expanded it. Our home is filled with new laughter, new stories. Bradley and the kids have woven themselves seamlessly into our family tapestry."

A thoughtful expression crossed Beatrice's face. "Roos has become an integral part of our lives, hasn't he? It's strange to think about the time when he was this new face in our world."

And how scared she was then.

Claudia's eyes twinkled with affection. "It's not strange at all, tesoro. Sometimes, the most unexpected connections become the most precious ones….Your father and I feel so blessed to have all of you here," Claudia expressed, her voice a gentle whisper. "Our home is filled with love, warmth, and the pitter-patter of little feet. I couldn't ask for more."

Beatrice sighed contentedly, gazing at her sleeping children. "Mama…you are going to make me cry.”

Claudia reached over, her hand gently resting on Beatrice's cheek,swiping a tear that dared to go down. "Crying is not a bad thing, tesoro. It's the overflow of a heart that's bursting with love and gratitude."

"We're truly grateful for everything you and Papa have done for us," Beatrice confessed, sniffling . "And–and,” she closes her eyes to regain her composure, “And everything is going so good now, with the kids and my job and Brad’s promotion–”

“...what?”

“What?”

Claudia’s eyes widened, “...Brad is getting promoted?”

“...I…I didn’t tell you?” oh no. Her mother’s face started to change and before she could stop her very fast Italian mother, she heard it, loud and piercing, with some teary tones downstairs.

“BRADLEY YOU ARE GETTING PROMOTED?!”

Funny,she was pretty sure she told her mother that.

[alexanderlightweight]

Okay so I don't know if I'm doing this at the wrong day/time and I totally don't mind if you don't want this, but!! I've read a ton of like, oops we're married type stuff, or married cause we have to. But what about a slightly dark Magnus who deliberately sets out to marry the Lightwood heir to like, take advantage of spousal laws that would give him power in nephilim culture or something like that. Maybe he even plans to get him drunk and marry him, have Alec wake up married to a stranger only, he doesn't expect to fall head over fucking heels for this sweetly gorgeous boy.

I love your words, any words you write, and I look forward to everything you put out! Thank you so much. Your updates brighten my days :)

okay so i loved this prompt especially because i don't know if anyone knows about basically the trope of spouse-napping especially the ones where basically there are marriage ropes that you can bind an opponent with and by tradition, you're married/engaged whatever and it can be used by enemies.

so i hope you enjoy!

lumine

-

“Isn’t this a little crass, even for you?” Ragnor asks with a weary sigh even as he helps Magnus wrap up the last potion and secure it away.

Magnus merely hums and raises an amused brow, because Ragnor was the first to offer to help him and it’s the only time he’s spoken up against Magnus’ plan in any way. Which means that he’s not so much opposed, as he is exhausted and worried about the outcome.

“No.” Magnus says, honestly, because there is very little he wouldn’t do if he found the prize worth it. “And at the very least, we’ll make the clave look like a mockery. And well, I suppose Robert and Maryse’s disgust will be more than enough of a bonus.”

Magnus could go for the girl, she’s well known enough in downworlder circles, but it’s the heir that Magnus wants and it’s the heir he intends to have.

There is little known about Alexander Lightwood, but Magnus knows how important heirs are to nephilim and this one in particular is already rising high in the ranks, quickly and efficiently which is exactly what Magnus needs.

That’s the plan at least, until Magnus gathers up his potions and the gold ribbons Ragnor brought him specifically for this purpose.

Magnus gets to the best vantage point of the battle, a place he warded and scoped out before damaging the small rift enough that larger demons could come through. Now, Magnus watches his quarry enter with two teams of shadowhunters.

Magnus isn’t sure which one is the one he wants, so he waits, and he thinks that perhaps Alexander Lightwood didn’t come, until he realizes how many demons are dropping without contact and he follows the course to a tall roof. There are two shadowhunters there, one is keeping a perimeter and giving orders through her comms though Magnus can only see her lips move and not make it out. Alexander Lightwood is brutal even from a distance and his arrows never once miss. It’s a tantalizing display of skill and then Magnus sucks in a breath of delight as his shadowhunter dives off the roof, tackling a demon that was coming for him, and stabbing it as they fall.

It disintegrates into ichor and ash and Magnus’ shadowhunter lands in a crouch to distribute the shock and then he’s up and moving.  He’s in the middle of the melee now and while Magnus can’t hear him, it’s clear the rest of the hunters do. They ebb and flow around and to him, working like an extension of his commands rather than individuals. It’s as if they suddenly have a hive mind, focused on their leader and only their leader.

Magnus watches, charmed as Alexander gets his hunters into a strange array and then they all break apart into groups of two.

Alexander remains alone, his partner still giving them information from the roof, and he settles into the back, protecting his people and ensuring that he can get the demons no one else’s notices.

He’s in the perfect place to take and yet, Magnus finds his fingers petting the golden ribbons and he finds them suddenly coarse and garish.

If Magnus is going to wrap Alexander in ceremonial gold and claim him as a companion stolen in battle, the traditional battle marriages of shadowhunters, then Magnus is going to do it his way.

Alexander is clearly worth that much and while Magnus knows a bit of what he looks like, he’s suddenly aching to see him closer and touch his face and finally know what color his eyes are.

Magnus waits until the battle ends, relieved that while a few shadowhunters are injured, none are his boy.

It means that Magnus portals away easily and without any worry as he takes a deep breath and unlocks a room he hasn’t used in ages.

Thread craft is rare and while Magnus is talented at it, it’s a unique magic that is better left unmentioned. A secret because even if his magic is ever locked away, Magnus’ very clothes and the threads he wears will rise up to protect him.

It also gives him a very unique advantage and while clothing made by others won’t work as well, he has the time to create what he needs.

The silk ropes he weaves are made from the cocoons of abyssal moths that he and Ragnor spent a century slowly collecting.

Instead of using dyes, Magnus lets his magic create the color and he’s delighted by the rich golds and the vibrant shade of warlock blue that’s twined about the gold.

Magnus is going to catch his boy in nephilim tradition and colors, with warlock significance to let everyone know just who Alexander is going to belong to now.

For the first time, Magnus is suddenly amused and delighted by the fact that nephilim have such a militaristic society that they think nothing of blood and violence when it comes to intimacy.  Most of the greatest nephilim pairings come from one being caught by the other, Magnus sees no reason to change a tradition that works.

Especially when no nephilim has ever considered a downworlder might want to capture one of them or that they'd succeed.

So, despite the clave’s prejudice and bigotry, there is nothing preventing Magnus from slipping through this gaping loophole and claiming himself a nephilim mate. Especially when Magnus is aware that the only way to refuse the bonding once Magnus starts the ritual, is to kill each other or oneself.

Which is fine, Magnus isn’t going to let Alexander harm himself, or Magnus.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Parker Molloy at The Present Age:

Alright, folks, let's talk about the strangest new trend in politics: calling your opponents "weird." Yes, you read that right. In the past week, the Democratic camp has decided that the best way to take on Trump and the GOP is to break out their middle school vocabulary. It all started when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (a potential VP pick, by the way) described GOP nominee Donald Trump and "cat lady"-obsessed running mate JD Vance as "just weird." From there, it's like the entire Democratic Party collectively went, "You know what? He's onto something," and ran with it. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Parker, are you seriously telling me that seasoned politicians are resorting to playground insults?" And the answer is... kind of, yeah. But here's the kicker: it's working. Or at least, it's getting one hell of a reaction.

The Evolution of Political Language

Remember when political debates were all about tax rates and foreign policy? Yeah, me neither. Welcome to the era of political discourse where calling your opponent "weird" passes for a campaign strategy. But before we judge too harshly, let's take a step back and look at how we got here.

Over the past few decades, we've seen a gradual shift from policy-focused debates to character-driven campaigns. It's no longer just about what a candidate plans to do, but who they are (or who they claim to be). This isn't entirely new; politicians have always tried to sell their personalities alongside their policies. But social media has cranked this up to eleven. In a world of tweets and TikToks, nuanced policy discussions don't exactly thrive. Instead, we get catchy slogans, memorable insults, and yes, apparently, the word "weird." It's like politics has merged with reality TV, and we're all just waiting for someone to say, "I'm not here to make friends." But here's the thing: as much as we might roll our eyes at this trend, it's not just about dumbing down the discourse. These simple, punchy messages often cut through the noise in a way that lengthy policy papers never could. They stick in people's minds, spark conversations (or Twitter wars), and sometimes reveal more about a candidate's values than any carefully crafted speech ever could.

Unpacking the Appeal of "Normal"

Let's talk about "normal" for a second. It's a concept that's been at the heart of conservative messaging for decades. The idea is simple: we're the normal ones, the real Americans, the default setting. Everyone else? Well, they're the outliers, the deviants, the ones trying to change everything. As writer A.R. Moxon puts it in a recent Twitter thread: ["What recent discourse is exposing is something I've been trying to say for years now, which is that there is little conservatives care more about than being considered the only normal ones by everyone else, and they'll use bullying and the threat of punishment to get it."]

This obsession with being seen as "normal" isn't just about feeling good. It's a powerful political tool. If you can convince people that your way of life is the default, then anything else becomes a threat. It's why we see so much fear-mongering about the "radical left" or the "gay agenda" or whatever the boogeyman of the week is. But here's where it gets interesting. By labeling the GOP as "weird," Democrats are flipping this script. They're challenging the very foundation of conservative identity politics. And boy, are conservatives not happy about it. Julia Serano, in her recent blog post, nails why this is hitting such a nerve: ["I think it has to do with the MAGA worldview being centered on them being the supposed norm. They are heavily invested in the notion that their perspective and lifestyle is the one true and righteous way that all others must follow. Calling them 'weird' upends this worldview."]

Parker Molloy with another gem of a post on the GOP’s weirdness to Americans who aren’t in the MAGA Cult.

See Also:

The Advocate: Democrats embrace ‘weird’ label, turning tables on conservative rhetoric often used against queer people

[wirewitchviolet]

Consider cloning one of these games...

So the other day someone was showing me the trailer to some neat new indie game they were getting into, and my immediate thought was "that does look pretty nice but FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING! INDIE DEVS, PLAY A SECOND GAME ALREADY!"

Presumably you've already guessed this, but it was a nice little handcrafted thing that was very plainly inspired primarily by Super Metroid. Even had those bubble-looking platforms. I'd say what it was specifically, but I already forgot the name, because, you know, I've kinda seen a few games do this before.

It's not like Super Metroid isn't one of my favorite games of all time, obviously. I'm one of the shockingly few people who played it when it was new and totally fell in love then. And it's also not like there aren't several games made in its image that I also love. It's just that there's way too damn many of them out there for anyone to play, and while I'd never be one to tell someone not to make the thing they want to make due to market saturation or whatever, I kinda feel like we're doing a huge disservice to our collective creativity and appreciation of classic games to all be so hyper-focused on putting our own spins on this one particular game, especially when it kinda knocked things out of the park back when this wasn't a genre it was just this one super cool game with, among other things, a compelling structure to it.

Like, I do love that Super Metroid became A game that's served as a focal point for indie devs to try and recreate. Back when it was first released it actually sold kinda terribly by Nintendo's standards, and didn't really have anything else out there trying to iterate on the concept until we eventually got the Castlevania series going that route, and Cave Story. But at this point, yeah, Super Metroid has been all canonized and studied to death and if you're the sort of person who cares about this sort of thing in the slightest you know all about how it ticks and the appeal and what other ways the basic premise can be pulled in. So it's well past time for people to take another game that's super great and fairly unique and use that as a jumping off point to make some new things. So I'm just going to ramble here a little about some real gems that nobody's ever really gotten around to trying to replicate.

Punch-Out!!

I want to say we're all familiar with Punch-Out!! but... are we? It's a famously difficult game, so odds are good you've seen speedruns or other challenge runs, but you really have to play it for yourself to see what's so interesting about it. A big part of the initial appeal of course was having these really expressive screen-filling characters, which isn't something we're lacking now. It's also real twitchy, basically unplayable towards the end if you're dealing with any sort of input lag at all, which isn't super unique these days, but structurally, the way it's coded, there's all this weird artificial drama to it.

Like, on the surface, it's a pretty straightforward thing. Enemies have tells for their attacks, you dodge those, you hit them in the resulting openings. But there's also the round based structure, knock-downs, and one-off gimmick mechanics in the mix. Officially, we're playing by the rules of boxing where the outcome of a match is decided by either knocking someone down and them not getting back up, knocking them down three times in a round, or running out of time and having to go to some judge's decision. But that's not REALLY how it works.

There's no random chance of someone going down and staying down. You've got HP meters, you take one down, your opponent falls over, waits until late in the count and gets up, forcing you to drain that HP down three times before the round ends, and if yours bottoms out, you get to mash buttons to stand up and have your other two chances. But then there's times you CAN take someone down, not only keeping them down for a KO win, but even getting there without your opponent bottoming out on HP first. The most famous example, I believe of both of these, being Bald Bull's charge. The big dramatic make or break where he just keeps using this special move which isn't terribly hard to dodge, but deadly if it connects, and dodging doesn't really help as he won't stop until the round ends, and then might spend the whole second round doing nothing but. You need to take that risk, and get that frame perfect stomach strike just before he connects to dramatically KO him and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat... or you can do this:

I was actually looking for an example of the all or nothing strike when I found this. If you don't face the charge in round 1, he gets into it sooner in round 2 to force the matter, but if you're still not confident enough to go for it there, turns out you can just drop him early into round 3 and have him stay down... and the only real consistent rule any of this follows is drama. Heck looking at the opening screen here, this person knows tricks for getting a KO on at least the first 10 opponents. Most of them I've always just taken the TKOs on myself. Point is though, the mechanics really run on drama. AI scripts change up if you move onto new rounds. Knock-downs turn into knock outs if and only if it fits a certain narrative. This sort of thing is super fascinating to me. Makes me want to look through the game's code line by line. And the only thing I can think of in any other game that even comes close is, of all things, the Ace Attorney series, with those scenery chewing meltdowns, and scattered scenes that "break the rules" with instant failure penalties or no-win situations where you're then suddenly saved by a friendly NPC's dramatic appearance.

I wouldn't suggest anyone literally try to make a Punch-Out!! clone. There's no real reason to stick to the boxing framework. I'd definitely advise against copying all the broad stereotypes. But there's a real unique soul to the drama-driven mechanics breaking stated rules I'd love to see people really digging into to gain a deep understanding of it and apply that to original games.

Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic

I'm not just being pretentious and refusing to say Super Mario Bros. 2. When it was Mario-ized, there were two huge changes- A run button the original FDS game didn't have, and the fundamental structural change of just having you finish levels with whatever character you like (or use warp zones to skip them entirely). In the original game, in order to see the proper ending, you had to play each and every level with each and every character with no run button. And that's neat, actually.

See, just as an example, there's a bit of a skip early on in both versons of the game, where you can avoid taking a door through some whole area by just leaping across a big waterfall. In Super Mario Bros. 2 anyone can do this, just needing a running start, but in the original release, there are no running starts. Either you can jump that gap by way of good airtime, or you can't. Depends which character you play as. Everyone has different stats, so being forced through the same full set of levels, there's a few little things like this where you have to alter your strategy to reflect the character you're running with at the time. That's cool. The whole mechanic of lifting things and throwing them, or riding on enemies' heads, or stacking blocks to reach higher areas or block fireballs, this is also just cool (and another thing SMB2 tweaked actually, play both and see for yourself).

I have seen literally one indie game that riffed on this idea, Curse of the Crescent Isle.

Umihara Kawase

If you've played it, you know. If you haven't, please just watch this speedrun:

Nothing has physics quite like this game. Nothing really has the same weird mildly distressing dream sort of tone to it either, or weird as hell branching level structure, or the weird system where the game has a time limit, but rather than giving a game over just makes it end after your current level. Other games have played with grappling hooks, but nothing I've ever seen has made me feel like this here is what they were going for.

Altered Beast

You know, I don't even particularly LIKE Altered Beast. I always thought it was a bit too short, a bit too simple, and still somehow it felt like you were just killing time until getting the power-ups that kinda make you invincible for the rest of the level.

There's... something here though. Somewhere with these bodies getting so bulky and beefy with no change to their heads and the voice samples and the sense of spectacle to it all, and yeah the dramatic gameplay shifts with the power-ups. I don't quite know what the secret sauce is, but if you find it, bottle it up, and slather it over something less shallow, you might really have something there.

Ecco the Dolphin

There is such a weird mix in the whole series of new age hippie save the whales vibes and genuinely disquieting horror just kinda seamlessly blended together. So much of it is the sound design, but the claustrophobia, the weird sense of speed, the constant pressure of drowning or suddenly being in the face of some huge nasty thing that'll basically one-shot you. The... unspoken but pronounced notion that this is set in a world where all of humanity died and are totally unremembered. There's a hell of a lot you could do with any of this, and the only game I can think of that comes close to hitting the same notes is Subnautica. Actually for that matter...

Subnautica

I don't want to get into what's so great about Subnautica here, because the most common sentiment I hear from people who have played it is they wish there was some way they could play Subnautica for the first time, again. Just... yeah. If you haven't already, play through it all completely blind, and if you can think of how to recapture all of that, do it, and put it in my hands without a word.

X-Com Apocalypse

So... X-Com is a truly amazing game that to this day feels like a unique enough beast it also wouldn't be bad to try and learn from, but there's actually a good number of attempts at clones already, none quite seem willing to get into the same levels of complexity, and there's the whole remade Firaxis series with a simpler take that a lot of games are using as a template. But Apocalypse? The original third game? That tried to do a lot of new and different stuff. I don't know how much of it didn't work vs. how much is secretly amazing if you internalize how it works vs. what's sort of half-baked per se, but there's some real ambition with mixing the original's tactical intricacies and destructible terrain and such (which somehow works even better with the realtime mode this one has), with this living breathing city. You aren't intercepting UFOs on a featureless world map. You've got a whole separate combat engine on a persistent map where stray shots can damage roads and cause long-term problems because the supplies you order get shipped via trucks that travel on those roads. Tons of factions you ideally want support from but can go attack and rob if they feel like lost causes. A tech tree with really dramatic progress and early discoveries that are either double-edges swords or genuinely just terrible things to try to use.

And then the endgame is really neat because instead of just one big final mission, you flip the whole script, and suddenly you're invading an alien city, picking targets to wreak havoc on and ultimately destroy, one by one. Incidentally this also did headcrabs before Half-Life so... I feel like it should be better known just for historical context.

Shadow of the Colossus

I know this is kind of a big technical ask, but why the hell were we not FLOODED with a whole generation of grandiose setpiece-y boss rush games after this first dropped? Perhaps more than anything else on here, someone really needs to get onto scratching this specific itch again, immediately.

I could totally keep going, but more importantly I'm sure you had some game that really left a mark on you that's been largely forgotten since, which I don't even know about, and you should really, if you're up to it, try and teach the world about it and how great it was by blending the old with something new of your own.

Just... draw from wider pools of inspiration, people.

[crimneo]

Honest feelings

(Crimneo Skit)

Ragna and his Master Jubei were catching up with each other before they were ambushed by an unusual group of enemies.

Ragna (exhausted):  *huff* *huff*  Damn it!

Jubei:  Stay up Ragna.  These guys aren't gonna show mercy.

Ragna:  Yeah I know. (Catches breath) I know..

Ragna gets back into a fighting stance as he stares down at his opponents.

Jin:  Brother… It's time we end this.

Nu:  Nu will make sure you enjoy our time together.

Susanoo:  We will be sure to make you regret your transgressions against us.

Ragna:  (wipes blood off his mouth)  Since when did you three start working together?  Always figured you all were too self-centered to team up with anyone.

Susanoo:  We've found unity within our hatred and with that we've created a compromise.

Jubei:  And that compromise got something to do with killing Ragna?

Jin:  Not quite.  As much as killing brother would bring me joy, we are focused on an entirely different matter.

Ragna:  If killing me is not what you're after, then why are you trying so hard to beat me down?

Susanoo:  Crushing your spirit is part of our objective.  Once you are broken, you will be more than willing to carry our demands.

Ragna:  Like I'd listen to anything you have to say.  And what could be so important to get you guys to team up?

Jin:  You want to know what we're after, brother?  It's simple really.

Nu:  We want you to break up with Neo.

Ragna:  What?

Jubei:  Ohhhh, that makes sense.

Ragna:  What?!  What does she have to-!  Wait… this is because we kept screwing with you guys isn't it.

Jin: You've done nothing but taunt us with your… “lovey-dovey” act every chance you get.

Susanoo:  I can't even focus on destruction whenever you get like that.  It’s so disgusting.  An abomination like her shouldn't feel happiness, especially if it’s through my enemy.

Nu:  Nu was created with the sole purpose to be with Ragna, but if someone else is with Ragna, then Nu won't have anyone.  That Neo… is a target.

Jubei:  So you plan to beat Ragna down and get him to break up with her so you can… What? Go back to your normal lives.

Jin:  Once everything is back to normal we can go back and live the way we used to.  I get to finally chase you down like the old days.

Nu:  Ragna will belong to Nu.  Just as the way it should have been.

Susanoo:  and I can finally focus my efforts on laying waste to this land.

Ragna:  Why would I ever want to go back to those times!  You guys are a pain!

Susanoo:  Though we could be even worse.  As long as you stay with that “garbage”, we will continue to make your life true hell!  If you cut off ties with her, then we, even I, will show some mercy towards you.

Jubei (curious):  (Turns to Ragna)  Ragna, your choice?

Ragna:  Isn't it obvious, Hell No!  If you're still gonna give me problems anyway then what's even the point.

Susanoo:  You could lessen the pain we'll bring as long as you keep away from her.  I see many leverages from that.

Jin:  She's not worth the extra suffering brother.

Ragna:  Whatever your plotting literally could not be any worse.  My life's already hell, what more can you add?

Jubei:  Ragna you're talking about fighting your biggest enemies all at once for what could be for the rest of your life.

Ragna:  I know what I said, and I know what it means.  But like hell I'm backing down just cause they say so.  You wanna break my spirit, well you can damn well try!

Nu:  …Why?  Why Ragna?  Why are you so determined to stay with this girl?

Jin:  It must be some kind of brainwashing.  I still can't believe my brother would fall for someone like her.

Ragna:  (blushing)  Honestly, I still don't know why I love her!  (Looks down)  All I know is that she makes me feel things that I haven't felt before.  She's a damn criminal, she's a troublemaker, she can be devious and also pretty darn sadistic; and yet... she can also be cute, cheery, sweet, and playful. She's also very skilled, very competent, and very clever; my heart won't stop beating whenever I'm around her and no matter what I do I can't seem to get it under control.  Maybe I'm not in love, maybe I'm just going through some phase, maybe this is all just some long term manipulative tactic that someone's trying to pull on me, but whatever it is (Looks up) she's the only one that gets me like this, and a part of me wants it to stay that way.  Until then… until I get it all figured out… (Raises sword) I plan on staying with her!

Jubei:  Damn kid, you fell hard.

Jin:  You've lost your way brother.  (Readies weapon)  You've forsaken what we had!

Nu (Sad):  Ragna… how could you?  (Readies swords)  You've made Nu... very upset!

Susano’o:  It appears you have made your choice.  I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way.  (Gets into fighting stance)

Ragna:  (Shit-eating grin)  Fine by me!

Jubei:  I'll be right beside you Ragna.  Though I gotta say, I respect all that talk you gave, didn't think you had it in you to say things like that.

Ragna (Embarrassed):  Uh- What do you care?

Jubei:  Think you got what it takes to say that to her up front?

Ragna:  Just forget about it okay.  We got things to do.  (Charges in)

Jubei:  Yeah just uh… (Ragna isn't listening)  Something tells me she already heard it.

As Ragna fights the others, Jubei looks at the inside of Ragna's jacket as he sees what appears to be a “bug” device for listening in on conversations.

Jubei:  If this girl really is like anything Ragna said she was; then I'm guessing that came from her.

~~~

Torchwick:  So how's that “bug” coming along?  You've learned of any deep secrets yet?

Neo didn't respond as she tried to hold back her blushing face.  She thought to herself:

‘I knew he was in love, but I didn't think he was this passionate.’

[sophieinwonderland]

Original anon from today about how you use religion:

I wasn't necessarily talking about Christianity or the Holy Trinity. You've done this with multiple gods, and as far as I can tell it's never actually been about religion itself or bringing comfort, and more about how angry you can make anti-endos. However, since you focused on Christianity, I can do that too.

Look, do what you want. Anyone can interpret any god how they please, but there's also a difference between actually exploring religion and disrespecting it.

You may anger some people in your attempts to bring comfort. That happens! But this is not your goal, based on your tone. You have a narrative you want, and followers who believe that narrative, and you don't seem to particularly care who else might run into it, unless they end up agreeing with you wholeheartedly.

I know that you don't like the institution of Christianity. And that's understandable, many don't! Regardless, we should all still be respectful toward faiths we don't follow and the practitioners of them. It is not some random system's fault that Christianity has been used to harm people. And you making light of their religion isn't going to help them see the harmful side of their religion -- it's only going to turn them away.

I am pro-endo. I'm areligious. You're really not going to upset me with these kinds of posts. But you have had, over and over again, religious plurals and religious people in general telling you that the way you talk about religion harms them.

It's not all due to bigotry. That can play a role, yes, but a lot of it is also, as you admitted, because you are "designing [your] posts in a way that ensures it also upsets anti-endos." There is a kinder way to "pollinate your idea flowers" and you know it. You would rather take the easy route that harms people, though, because you don't see your "opponents" as... people. You see them as anti-endos and sysmeds, a sort of generalized mob. You are TRYING to cause upset, rather than trying to reach people and bring comfort and, perhaps, comfort those who don't, at this moment, agree with you.

I think you're just mean, honestly, and not just about this topic. And that really pains me, because you are definitely a figurehead for the pro-endo community. I know you don't owe people who hate you kindness, and you can be angry, and you can tell me to fuck right off and continue what you do. That's all in your right.

But I still personally think respect can go a long way for changing hearts and minds. That's all I was trying to say. And if your response to "be respectful of religion in general" is "I will make them pay"... I think you lost touch.

You've done this with multiple gods, and as far as I can tell it's never actually been about religion itself or bringing comfort, and more about how angry you can make anti-endos.

If you've read my posts and your conclusion is that my posts about gods being plural are only about spiting anti-endos, I just don't think you're reading them in good faith.

I mean, aside from the God is plural ones, the only other that comes to mind was the recent post about the Wiccan moon goddess, which started with a reblog of a pro-endo talking about how they declared the moon to be plural due to its phases, and I replied saying that the Wiccan Triple Goddess should be a plural icon.

That post led to a Wiccan sysmed claiming that was offensive, which I then debunked in a pretty aggressive and argumentative way. But if you look at the initial post that started that, it was just a reblog of a pro-endo. There was no attempt to spread that to anti-endo spaces or use it to anger sysmeds.

If I was saying something with the goal of upsetting sysmeds, I would make sure I was posting in a way that they would be likely to see if they were just casually scrolling through tags.

I know that you don't like the institution of Christianity.

Did I say that?

For better and for worse, our amazing world that we live in today was shaped by the Church. So much of the advancements in the modern world wouldn't have been possible without the backing of the church in early scientific studies. Or at least wouldn't have occurred when they did.

And the Church does provide comfort and community for those who need it. And when my host was homeless as a teen, his family stayed at a shelter ran by wonderful people at a local church.

But the Church has also committed and supported so many unspeakable horrors and atrocities. It's used biblical text to support sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia. We are still battling for rights because of primarily right-wing churches.

I don't hate the institution of Christianity.

I just... I view it as a tool. Religion is something that people wield. They use it for power and control. And that tool can be used to build amazing things, or it can be used to cause pain and suffering. It's not inherently good or bad. It just depends on who is wielding it and what they're wielding it for.

You see this as me hating Christianity. But what I'm actually doing is finding ways make these tools useful for us as they've been others. I couldn't lead the charge on this myself as an atheist, but I would love seeing Christian plurals take this talking point up and run with it!

It's not all due to bigotry. That can play a role, yes, but a lot of it is also, as you admitted, because you are "designing [your] posts in a way that ensures it also upsets anti-endos."

I disagree. The way I'm designing my posts to upset them is playing on their bigotry.

Take, for example, the black Jesus.

Now, there is some debate over Jesus's skin color. What we know for certain is that he wasn't white as he's often been depicted. But many argue that he wasn't black either, but would be brown-skinned, and would respectfully disagree with depictions of him being black as historically accurate.

Whatever your opinion is on Jesus's actual race, to be offended by the idea of Jesus being black requires an inherent level of racism and bigotry.

Likewise, being offended by the Holy Trinity being plural the way sysmeds are requires a level of pluralphobia.

Yes, I'm intentionally making posts that will hurt them. But my weapon of choice for doing so is most often their own bigotry.

[rondo-dev]

The Mindgame Meta - when high skill meets low skill

You're at home with a friend wondering which game you want to play. "You up for some Street Fighter 6? It's pretty sick!", you say. Your friend looks at you a bit scared. "Never played it, but sure."

You boot up the game, give your friend a cheap knock-off PS5 controller, and get into the character select screen. "You can play Marisa, she's pretty easy.", you tell your friend. They hover over her and decide to go with your suggestion.

You know you're going to absolutely wipe the floor with them, but you'll hold back a bit. Keep it interesting.

The characters face-off against each other in the loading screen, you make your character pull a funny face, because you know you can do it. Your friend doesn't, but is probably too focused on their own character and all the unfamiliar sequences.

FIGHT. You move in, ready to play footsies and dominate the neutral game. Get a hit confirm and follow-up with a 6 hit combo. Meaty them when they get up. Cross-over into a super. Wiped. Your plan falls into perfect place in your mind palace.

And yet, as soon as you walk close, your friend runs in like a total baboon and hits your character. Okay, fine. Beginner luck.

They do it again.

And again.

And again.

The sound of what is button mashing eminating from the crappy controller next to you. What the hell is going on?!

MARISA WINS appears on the screen while your friend laughs like a maniac. Stunned, you rematch and go in with absolute concentration.

A repeat of the previous set. Hundreds of hours down the drain and this is the result. You're done with this game. Your friend can go play story mode or something, it's fine. Play something else, even.

Hard and soft skills

Almost all multiplayer games where you play against another player have some amount of depth and skill expression that you learn over time. As you play against, understand, and apply these mechanics, you will become a better player and thus climb the eternal ladder of elo/mmr/other arbitrary number based ranking system.

This number then, in theory, matches you with players of an equal skill level. They may be better at some mechanics you're not well versed in, but perhaps you're better and other mechanics. You didn't get to that rank with sheer luck.

This loop ensures that you will always be exposed to challenges, forcing you to improve if you want to climb and meet more difficult opponents.

I'd consider most of the above "hard skills", where the game tells you "you can do this". However, when you reach higher and higher ranks, "soft skills" become more and more important. What I mean with that is both strategy and getting in your opponent's heads (the mental game).

The Art of the Macro Game

To use mobas as an example for strategy, there's a lot of guides talking about the right way to play the macro game (aka map movements). Do x and y and you will win games. And yes, it probably is the most optimal way to the play the game, you'll get the most amount of gold and apply pressure around the map, forcing your opponent to do things they don't want to do. Perfect!

But what if they just don't have a concept of what the right way to play is? What if they suddenly, at a really bad moment, decide to group up and walk to your location to kill you?

It makes no sense!! They could've done so many other things that were more optimal to try and get you, the high skill player, out of the game! And yet, they did exactly that.

High skill players have an expectation of how the game should be played, and when the reality of a low skill player's strategy (or lack thereof) meets expectation is when the high skill players may ironically be beaten.

Pressure mounting

"gg ez". You feel your anger boiling. They worked 50 minutes for that win filled with insults and questionable comments, damn it! How can they even say it was easy?! You let your emotions get the better of it and write a novel of text in the post-game chat to verbally humiliate your opponent (and make yourself feel better). It doesn't work. You took the bait. You're done.

That's one type of mental game, though not the one exclusive to high skill players. But it is one that anyone can use. Wittling away at someone's mental game is, I think, a big part of how OG won the biggest tournament in Dota twice in a row. Not by typing things in games, of course, but by taunting on Twitter and by making very unconventional moves to target the "star player" of the opponents team. I mean, how would you feel if you already have a lot of pressure on you to win the mid-game for your team, and then you also get ganked and killed before the 10 minute mark? You'll start making mistakes and being predictable by sticking to what you know. Creativity goes out the window.

You may think these are underhanded strategies, but for any competitive game and sport, not tilting is always part of the game. I think it is simply another layer of competitiveness. Keeping your cool is an art on its own.

A dependency on the opponent

There will always be things higher skill players will be better at. Last hitting in lane, knowing when to go in for a kill, higher situational awareness, keeping better track of resources, and much more. These foundational concepts are the things they will always rely on to try and pull a win out of the bag.

What differenciates these things, in a vacuum, is that they don't necessarily rely on the opponent to do something. You know that you can get more last hits. You know by instinct that you have 4 bars of resources to pop into the next combo. You know you can do your super move after certain moves.

The difference comes from where you need to interact with the opponent directly. So when you're ever in the situation where you need to play against a lower skill player, do not overthink things and try to punish the "dumb" moves they are making or find gameplay patterns you yourself can exploit.

"If I don't know what the hell I am doing, how the hell are they supposed to know what I am doing?"

[notesonfreedom]

THE 48 LAWS OF POWER.

A book written by Robert Greene that offers a series of strategies for obtaining and maintaining power in various situations. Here I leave you a summary of the 48 laws:

1. Don't outshine the boss: Make your superiors feel superior. Don't expose your talent too much or you might trigger their insecurity.

2. Don't trust friends too much, use your enemies: Friends betray you more easily, but if you manage to win an enemy, they will be more loyal.

3. Hide your intentions: Keep people off balance so they can't anticipate your actions.

4. Always say less than necessary: Silence breeds power, and talking too much reveals your plans.

5. Protect your reputation at all costs: Reputation is the cornerstone of power.

6. Call attention at all costs: Be visible to be relevant.

7. Make others work for you and attribute it: Take advantage of the work and effort of others to your favor.

8. Make others come to you: Don't run after others, make them look for you.

9. Win with actions, never arguments: Prove your point through actions, not words.

10. Avoid losers and unhappy: The misfortune of others is contagious; stay away from those who bring you down.

11. Make people depend on you: If others depend on you, you're in control.

12. Disarm with sincerity and selective generosity: Emotional disarmament will give you an edge.

13. When you ask for help, appeal to the interests of others: Appeal to what benefits others, not gratitude or compassion.

14. Introduce yourself as a friend, act as a spy: Learn to extract valuable information from others without them noticing.

15. Crush your enemy completely: Do not let your enemy recover, or he will seek revenge.

16. Use absence to increase respect: The value of something increases with scarcity..

17. Keep others in suspense: Be unpredictable, you will confuse others and gain power.

18. Do not isolate yourself: Loneliness weakens you; engage yourself in the web of influence.

19. Know Who You’re Dealing With: Choose Your Opponents And Partners Wisely.

20. Don't compromise with anyone: Maintain your independence so you don't get caught up in other people's affairs.

21. Pretend to be a fool to catch the sly: Let others think they have an advantage over you.

22. Use the Surrender Tactic: Sometimes giving in at the right time gives you the advantage.

23. Focus your forces: Keep your energy focused on what really matters.

24. Be a master at simulation and disguise: Don't reveal all your cards.

25. Recreate your own identity: Be the architect of your own destiny.

26. Keep your hands clean: Make sure the responsibility for the problems falls on others.

27. Play with people's needs to create devotion: Satisfy their deep desires to earn you their loyalty.

28. Be bold in acting: Timidity is dangerous, boldness is powerful.

29. Plan everything to the end: Having a detailed plan allows you to avoid unpleasant surprises.

30. Make your accomplishments look easy: Minimize the effort you put in to make others think you have innate talent.

31. Control Other People's Options: Guide the decisions of others by giving them limited options.

32. Play with people's fantasy: Appeal to people's emotions and dreams to gain clout.

33. Discover the weaknesses of others: Identify what drives people to manipulate their actions.

34. Be rule in your behavior: Power lies in the appearance of greatness and dignity.

35. Master the art of timing: Don't rush; everything has its right time.

36. Despise what you can’t have: Don’t obsess over things that are out of your reach.

37. Create engaging spectacles: Theatrics and spectacles capture attention.

38. Think as you wish, but behave like everyone else: Do not openly defy social norms.

39. Stir the waters to catch fish: Destabilize others to make mistakes.

40. Despise free: What is free usually comes with a hidden cost.

41. Avoid imitating great men: Forge your own path instead of following in the footsteps of others.

42. Beat the shepherd and the sheep will scatter: He demolishes leaders to weaken his followers.

43. Work on the hearts and minds of others: Conquer the spirit of people to control them.

44. Disarm and anger with mirror effect: Reflect the actions of others to destabilize them.

45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much: Radical change can generate resistance.

46. Never look too perfect: Perfection breeds envy and haters.

47. Don't exceed your goal: When you achieve what you want, retire on time.

48. Be amorphous: Be adaptable, don't limit yourself to a rigid form.

These laws are designed to handle situations of power, but it's important to consider context and personal ethics when applying them.

[naniwagusto]

Ok adding on and giving evidence for something I said in this post. I said if she does get her holy powers it has to come from wanting for someone else. I say that because it was directly shown in her 5 ending which is presented as a hypothetical scenario aside from the shitty boobs gag where nobody laughed, nobody clapped, boo we hate your pussy Team Tekken etc.

It was only because she saw someone completely helpless with no obvious solutions to help that triggered her anxiety, but also her desire to take action, to genuinely be the help no self interest attached. It was in that state of mind letting go of ego to want to do the right thing for others because it's a good thing to do that her powers responded to her desires.

I LOVE Asuka's selfishness. I love her egotism. I love that she wants to do good things while only making them terrifying for everyone else, even the people she thinks she's helping. Selfishness alone doesn't mean evil and being egocentric alone doesn't condemn someone to being evil either (I know it's one of the most unserious for the most part idol anime ever but Honoka from Love Live! is comparative here as a great example for egocentric characters being fundamentally good just misguided in approach). But it is true she leans into these traits to the point of denial and self ignorance. Asuka waves her selfishness around so she can avoid feeling hurt and instead feel in control. And while in moderation that's actually a healthy thing to have because it allows you to stick by your boundaries, by indulging her ego too deep it's only disconnecting her from realities of the world around her, and from wanting to think about herself and who she is, about the consequences and responsibility of whatever she does or choices she makes. About how she affects others (the most obvious being how she hurt Lili enough that Lili keeps wanting revenge and yet Asuka brushes her off as if she's silly for how she felt hurt)

She simply isn't in the mindset it takes to have holy powers. Look at Jun, who is merciful and wise and compassionate toward all life, from the smallest ant to Kazuya himself. A person so mastered at fighting she doesn't project the desire to hurt, which draws animals to her as a being of safety. Who only uses violence as the last resort of desperate measures, never without sure reasons.

Look at what Jin went through to get his angel form in 8. Once he had actualized himself and reconciled his pain with Devil Jin in the spirit world, he was calm, focused, free form. He saw his mother and felt at peace. He finally let go of all the negatives dragging him down, let go of his ego that came from holding it in putting everything on himself, and he wanted to heal not just himself but his father by removing the one thing that has equally given them both pain.

Asuka just can't do that yet. She is capable of it I fully believe she is, aside from the tease in her 5 ending. But she has to define the boundary of when she should be selfish, and when she needs to stop using her anger and selfishness to shut out anything difficult and others wanting genuine connection from her. She has to be at peace with herself and let in the vulnerability of being selfless more easily than she currently can.

It doesn't mean she gives up what makes her, her, it's about self acceptance and comfort in showing weakness and compassion for their own sakes.

* it's like this, being selfless is always a gamble where you put yourself at a disadvantage because you're open, you're being vulnerable in lowering your guard for no reason that would benefit you. Asuka doesn't like taking gambles that lead to her being hurt; we can see this even in the way she used to fight. When before 8 and Naniwa Gusto all her fighting was focused on being like a cactus, she needs you to close the gaps in order to feel safe doing anything back. She needs the opponent to come in towards her because dead close means she can't miss. It's like she's afraid to take the leap of proactive attacking even in the way she redirects others energy.

She has to be fully willing to accept when she wants to take gambles, knowing she might get hurt or get nothing at all in return