#but it really exaggerates the natural differences between us

[bethanythebogwitch]

I listened to reading of some askreddit threads (don't judge me, it's a guilty pleasure) about doctors and healthcare and I notices some major division on topics when the answers were from the doctor's POV and patients' POV. I'm of course not qualified to draw conclusions from this, nor is Reddit a good place to get data, but here are some recurring points I found where the doctor and patient position appeared to be different.

Doctor POV: we can always tell when people are faking pain for opioids. It's extremely obvious.

Patient POV: multiple doctors accused me of drug seeking when I was actually in agony from stones, appendicitis, endometriosis, a tumor, etc.

Doctor POV: people who try to diagnose themselves are really annoying and counter productive.

Patient POV: I only figured out what was wrong with me by searching the internet after multiple doctors dismissed or failed to diagnose me. Alternatively: I went in with a good idea of what was wrong based on past experiences/family history/ etc and the doctors didn't take me seriously. Some would even refuse to do tests to check if the self-diagnosis was correct.

Doctor POV: the phrase "I know my body" is usually used by people who don't know what they're talking about. We are the ones who know medicine so we can tell if you're sick or not.

Patient POV: I knew something was wrong with me because I know my body and know when something isn't normal. The doctors wouldn't take me seriously and told me nothing was wrong after only doing basic tests.

Again, Reddit is not a good place to get data as the nature of the website encourages people posting more sensational stories and exaggerating or fabricating stories to get upvotes. In addition, most of these stories are likely far from the average doctor and patient experience. However, it appears that there may (emphasis, may) be a disconnect between doctors and patients that involves doctors not taking patients seriously and thinking they know better than patients about their own bodies. It seems like defaulting to thinking patients exaggerate pain to seek drugs and that patients don't have any way of understanding their own health is really detrimental.

Do not take this post as me saying you shouldn't go to the doctor. If you need medical help, go to the doctor. The medical system isn't perfect, but it's the best we have. And go to an actual doctor, not a naturopath, homeopath, or other quack.

[shipsandmyths]

lately I've come across a couple people both here and on tiktok that are now getting into supernatural and basically going "woah you destiel shippers were not kidding, I always thought you were probably exaggerating". And it's like we definetely were not, but I also wonder where this reaction comes from and I think I've got it.

We all know what fandom is, especially if we're talking about non-canon ships. We take the subtext and make it textual, we live in the crevices of stolen glances and romantic paralels. But most of the time there's another (straight) canon ship that the writers can use to queerbait us, being like "see? this is who he really wants". Take BBC Merlin, for example: the devotion and closeness between Merlin and Arthur is obvious, but it's easy to point at Arthur's feelings for Gwen and say "see? this is what's real. you're reading too much into it".

Destiel doesn't have one. The very (mysoginistic) nature of the show means neither Dean nor Cas have any significant relationships the writers could point to and show us the "truth" so there is nothing to distract from what's obviously happening on our screens. There is no great romantic storyline to tell us "this is who he really wants" so they are all that it's left and what's between them becomes undeniable. What's even worse, the other main relationship in the show is as platonic as you can get because Sam and Dean are related (let's ignore the existence of wincest please and thank you), so the difference between Dean's relationship with Sam and his relationship with Cas is so stark, so obvious, that is hard to even begin to compare them and try to paint them both with the same brush.

I know I'm just rambling but would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[pantherxrogers]

Coucou j’ai une requête une histoire d’Ateez sortant avec une fille plus petite mais vraiment plus petite (5,3) qu’eux . Please 🥹

bf!ateez dating a shorter reader

🐰 pairing: ot8 x gn!reader

🐰 warnings: kissing, a little suggestive, extremely fluffy, not proofread

🐰 summary: what each member of ateez would be like if they have a shorter s/o

🐰 a/n: i don't usually write about height, so this was a challenge lmao. thank you for your request bby! i hope i answered it correctly. i used google translate, so i hope it was correct 😅

also! i used lowercase for this one. it feels appropriate for a headcanon lmao. let me know if y'all prefer this or sentence case!

This is a work of fiction and is not meant to represent real events or the actual personalities of any K-pop idols mentioned. All characters and situations are purely imaginary. This story is created for entertainment purposes only, and no harm or disrespect is intended toward the idols or their fans. Enjoy!

seonghwa

as one of the taller members, seonghwa is used to helping out shorter people

it’s in his nature to nurture, so he uses his height to your advantage

he’s particularly useful when you’re in the kitchen, helping you reach anything on the top shelves

that being said, he feels like his heart is going to stop when he sees you jumping up on the counter to reach the bowls

“ah, hold on, honey. let me get that for you.” you pretend to be annoyed but secretly love how much he dotes on you

"thank you, 'hwa," you stand on your tip toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek

he's happy to help with no reward, but he's a sucker for the way you dote on him afterwards

hongjoong

given that he’s already on the shorter side, there isn’t much difference between the two of you

you don’t mind his height, it makes that all the more easier for you to love on him

you’re quick to wrap your arms around him from behind, pressing a quick kiss to his cheeks, causing a subtle blush to spread across his face

he is still slightly taller than you, so he likes to remind you of that sometimes

when you guys take selfies, he likes to hold the camera up a little higher to exaggerate the difference lmao

the other members often tease him about how you guys are perfect for each other, even down to the height

they really do mean it though, you guys are like magnets when you’re together

yunho

it’s no secret that yunho is the tallest member, always standing out in a crowd

whenever he goes in for a kiss, he practically folds himself in half to meet you. sometimes you scold him for his dramatics, but he doesn't want you to put in extra work

he loves picking you up randomly?? like whenever he sees you walking around the apartment, he will literally swoop you up and put you over his shoulder

it never fails to catch you off guard, but you'd be lying if you said you don't enjoy it

unlike seonghwa, he likes to tease you a little bit before he decides to help you reach things

sometimes he'll purposefully put things on the top shelf so you'll have to ask him to get it

"yunho, why is MY apron on the top shelf?" you huff, playfully rolling your eyes at him

"oh, that was YOUR apron?" he's terrible at playing innocent, but you find it adorable anyway

yeosang

like hongjoong, he's not the tallest member

still, there's a couple inches between the pair of you

he actually doesn't think much of it all, never being concerned with things like that

he just loves being around you and being as close to you as possible

we all know yeosang loves his sleep, and he's always firm on being the bigger spoon

"babe, i'm col-" before you can even get the words out, he's wrapping himself around you, cuddling into your neck

you're grateful that he isn't too much taller than you, often joking that he's the perfect sized body pillow

as soon as you're intertwined, he's usually out like a light within minutes. like literally.

san

san loooooooves being taller than you

not because he's superficial but because doting on you is actually his favorite thing in the world

unlike yunho and seonghwa, he can actually be a little overwhelming with how much he wants to help out

"san, i don't need you to get the milk. it's only on the second shelf, honey," you explain, softly patting his back from behind.

"oh, i don't mind. here you go, baby," he smiles, handing you the milk and kissing the top of your head.

you chuckle to yourself, knowing that this is just the way san is

he's never condescending when he helps you out, he really just can't help but spoil you in every way possible

mingi

mingi never really thought too much about his height before he started dating you

but now, you remind him of it all the time

not to be annoying, but you loooove that he towers over you

it's even more attractive that he never makes a big deal out of it

"mingiiiiii," you pout up at him, puckering dramatically for a kiss

"oh, sorry, baby," he hums, before leaning down to meet your lips. you're quick to loop your arms behind his neck, making it easier for him to scoop you up.

but now that he knows the effect his height has on you, sometimes he like to play into your hand

when you call him into the bathroom, he makes a show of leaning against the doorframe, his tall figure filling up the space. your words trail off, laser-focused on him and the way he crowds the space.

"yes, jagi?" he smirks, flexing his arms slightly, "i'll help you out, don't worry."

let's just say that he helps you out, buuuuut it might not be with what you actually called him in there for

wooyoung

wooyoung is so bratty about being taller than you lmao

(affectionate) teasing is his love language, which he amplifies when he's with you

"oop, watch out, babe!" he makes a show of steadying himself, "i didn't see you there!" he exclaims, loving the way you roll your eyes at his antics.

"woo, not this again," you sigh, nudging off the hand he used to pat the top of your head.

his laugh is over the top, but he's quick to soothe you with a soft kiss. "i'm just joking, baby," he hums, wrapping you in a hug. he brings a hand under your chin, coaxing you to make eye contact with him. "you know i love you just the way you are, right?" the sincerity in his voice makes your heart flutter. you nod at him, afraid of what your voice will sound like if you speak.

instead, you press your lips to his. you've never doubted his love for you. and you never will.

jongho

again, there's only a few inches between y'all

but let's not count jongho out! he loves doting on you too, even if he doesn't want to admit it out loud

now jongho really could not care less about height, but you like to boost his ego sometimes

"bear, do you mind grabbing my purse from the top rack?" you hum from the closet.

"of course, baby," he hums proudly, stretching his arms to grab your handbag. he holds onto it, puckering his lips in return.

you press a loud smack to his lips, giggling at his dopey little smile

"thank you, bear," you purr, going back in for more.

[thetriggereffect]

True Blood - The Medical Advancement With No Medical Applications

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed True Blood, but I was always annoyed about one thing in particular: The whole setup is that scientists came up with a way to make artificial blood, but the only time we see this miracle advancement is in a bottle marketed to vampires. This is incredibly myopic, as this would be one of the most significant medical advances in history.

First of all, the Red Cross spends $2 billion a year collecting blood-- a majority of its operating budget. That money would no longer be needed, and would be spent on other causes. The Red Cross itself would become a considerably less influential power, which would probably be good for everyone (including the Red Cross).

In a world where blood is available by the keg, the average human lifespan would probably spike by 20 years. There are plenty of ailments, illnesses, and conditions that can be treated quite effectively with blood transfusion, but aren't, because blood isn't really available on that type of scale.

Every ambulance would be carrying a couple of gallons of O positive. In large hospitals they'd be working out of 50 gallon barrels. (This sounds like an exaggeration, but you'd be amazed how many different fluids are used in medicine because you just can't have that kind of blood on hand-- and because they're NOT blood, they have limits that unlimited transfusions would not.)

You would literally have a new class of licensed medical professional-- a transfusionist, falling somewhere between a phlebotomist, a paramedic, and a nurse. And they would be in incredibly high demand, because oh, buddy, we now have a world with elective blood transfusions.

Getting an "oil change" would be part of the spa experience. There would be teams doing housecalls out of a van ambulance, and blood boutiques in every shopping mall. Wealthy people would get transfusions the morning after a night of extreme partying.

And, I know, that's not the story they wanted to tell, but there would have been impact on the vampires as well, because the availability of True Blood would make real blood more readily obtainable, because humans could donate large quantities with no ill effects. (Hell, get a license as a transfusionist, go around in a van, and trade housewives a couple pints of True Blood for their natural blood... they'll PAY YOU to do it, and you can sell the blood or (if you're a vampire) drink it yourself.)

[project-sekai-facts]

Does the play in revival my dream is really racist/stereotypical ?

Yes, I don't think it was intentional at all in fact it's pretty clear the intention was to say "don't judge those who are different from you just because you don't understand them" but ultimately they failed at that.

The play presents it as a very "both sides" kind of issue in terms of the natives and colonisers not understanding each other. There's also this line:

Before this the town dwellers (colonisers) had been incredibly rude towards and fearful of the forest people (natives). The girl Emu is playing rescues a solider after her people attacked him, even though the soliders had literally just invaded their land "just to check" if the natives were gonna attack the town. "They're not all bad" to the officer who just led a march onto someone else's land just in case is not the right message here at all.

Also ultimately it's revealed that the conflict between the both sides was instigated by a third party. The worse coloniser who wants to exploit the natives for their natural resources. The townspeople are the good colonisers who should be forgiven for their actions because they were manipulated by the antagonist who is a bad coloniser is also not a good look. Like it really hammers in the "not all bad" message here by introducing the only character who you are meant to think of as bad. Not like the other townspeople were incredibly racist before they made amends with the natives. That can be forgiven because they don't really think like that they were just manipulated by the evil exploitative coloniser. Do you see how bad that message is.

(Also there's a line about how the townspeople might sell Emu to another country for interacting with them and maybe we're meant to view it as an exaggeration but either way. Why are we meant to be forgiving towards these people again?)

While the movie Emu and Nene's cards seem to take inspiration of is based on the Emishi people, it's more likely that the play is based on Ainu people, due to the more recent archetecture used in the sets, as well as the costumes for the officer and subordinate (refer to Tsukasa's rmd untrained). Emishi people are believed by historians to be ancestors (but ethnically distinct) to Ainu people. I strongly suggest looking into the history of Ainu people and the oppression they faced from the Japanese government and other countries (European ones surprise surprise), because the oppression dates back over a millenium and is far too much for me to reasonably cover in any detail. In brief, the government for centuries has regarded the Ainu people as a primitive and barbaric group (both terms are also used in the rmd play), and in recent centuries took their lands in northern Japan with the expectation that the Ainu would assimilate with the Yamato Japanese people. Post WW2 they were denied rights to their traditional practices and even their language due to governments pushing for monoculturalism.

That's not even going into the fact that the reason wxs is the only unit that has card sets based on other cultures (this and island panic) is because they're treated like costumes, which in itself is an incredibly dehumanising and racist way to think.

[cringefail-clown]

Jakehal is very fun. But why dirkkri? I dont understand what's appealing about it :? confused

theres a lot of things i like about dirkri and honestly i dont even know where to start lmfao

first of all, and its mostly a funny reason - davekat on crack. like some traces of davekat are still there - the arguing about shit, stoic facade vs emotional mess, all the good stuff, but its also so much more exaggerated it makes it this much more ridiculous. gets even better when you consider them under the lense of swap aus like alphaswitch or tbau, where they land on the meteor together. theyre most likely hunting each other for sports by the year two

second of all, the funney. theyd be so fucking funny together. their smallest arguments would take like twenty pages of non-stop flow of red-orange text to resolve, and not because they came to a consensus but because some third party physically dragged them away from their electronics. it doesnt do any good, since it only gives them both time to think over new arguments to use, and theyre back at it as soon as they get their phones back. like if we had a tournament about which ship would do the most collateral damage to the overall group, i think these two would be Up There. karkat would gauge his eyes out from frustration, because now not only does he have to deal with his piece of shit, know-it-all other self, but now theres also Fucking Dirk thrown into the mix. their home life is absolute insanity, a small jab about the other forgetting to buy sugar once again devolves into a screaming match about the merits and flaws of communism or some other inane shit. and theyre doing it for fun, they enjoy debating with each other, because often times they have vastly different opinions, and comparing their beliefs challenges them intelectually and morally. from the outside perspective theyre one of the most dysfunctional pair in the paradox space, when in fact thats simply how they want their relationship to be, and it makes them better people overall.

third reason is that theyre thematically delicious. dirk is a control freak, micromanaging his and his friends constantly. hes terrified of losing control, but hes also desperate for someone to just tell him what the fuck he should do. dirk doesnt think he should be in control of others, because he believes hes a naturally evil person capable of horrible acts, at the same time he doesnt trust anyone else to get things done but himself. hes a whole collection of contradictions.

kankri desperately needs to be in control as well. hes constantly injecting himself into conversations he has no business being in, trying to find someone thatd listen to what he has to say. hes wants to guide others, but his efforts are flawed, because he doesnt listen to other perspectives - hes got tunnel vision, as he thinks hes the one in the right while everyone else is wrong or ignorant (cringefail seer literally). he doesnt trust anyone else to make decisions for him, and becomes defensive when he thinks others are attempting to coddle him. his ass was definitely culled on beforus.

theyre also both so fucking lonely. dirk conciously tries to put difference between himself and his friends, worrying hell "corrupt" them. kankri tries to connect to his friends, but his behavior alienates him from them to the point of no one except maybe porrim want to have anything to do with him.

my point is, kankri wants to guide people but has to learn to listen to others and reflect on his own flawed opinions. dirk has to learn to trust that people closest to him can get shit done on their own and loosen up, as well as realise hes not evil at the core. them helping each other out - dirk teaching kankri about different perspectives, kankri teaching dirk about letting others do their thing - is something i think about a lot.

also i like to think theyd spar for fun a lot as well. its not really a reason and wholly my own personal headcanon but i wanna mention it as well bc its so funny to me. i like the idea of kankris behaviour being a complete reverse of karkat - where karkat is all bark no bite and doesnt like fighting or violence, kankri puts up a front of the beacon of love and peace and tolerance, but in his free time he gets his rifle and goes shooting at the fucking squirrels or some shit. i think he wouldnt have the same qualms about strifing as karkat. like dirk would try to jokingly jab his finger at kankris side and he would just fucking flip him over his shoulder and onto the table breaking it in half, because he doesnt like being touched unexpectedly and by gods dirk when will you fucking learn. he goes from 0 to 100 real fast. its such a hysterical concept for me.

[rootedinrevisions]

In the Wings: Part 3

SUMMARY: The natural chemistry between you and Glen continues to build in subtle but meaningful ways. When Glen casually invites you to join him for lunch at a nearby food truck, you find yourself unexpectedly spending a relaxed afternoon together, where easy conversation flows and hints of something more begin to surface. Later, as a stressful, windy day on set pushes you to the edge, Glen notices your struggle and steps in to offer comfort, reminding you how appreciated you are. His small but sincere gesture leaves a lasting impression, strengthening the connection between you.

OTHER PARTS: PART 1 I PART 2

WARNINGS: None.

WORD COUNT: 1.9k

TAG LIST: SEE COMMENTS

If you would like to be added to any of my Tag Lists please feel free to comment, send an ask, or send a DM and I'll be happy to get you added! Below are the fandoms I currently write for.

Glen Powell (himself and the characters he's played)

Top Gun: Maverick (Hangman, Rooster, possibly others soon)

Marvel / MCU (Bucky Barnes as of now, but possibly others soon)

WWE / Wrestling

As you grabbed your bag, ready to head out for lunch with the other hair and makeup artists, there was a knock on the door. You paused for a moment, glancing over at the other girls, then back at the door. You instinctively moved to set it down, assuming somebody was coming by for a touch-up or something work-related.

Before anyone could respond, the door creaked open, and Glen stepped inside, flashing that effortless smile of his.

"Hey," he said, hands tucked casually in his pockets. "I was just about to head down the beach and grab something from this food truck everyone’s been talking about. Thought I’d see if you wanted to come with?"

You blinked in surprise, your bag slipping slightly from your hand. But lunch? You hadn't expected that. A touch-up on his hair or makeup, sure. But not lunch.

"I was actually about to head out with the girls," you said, nodding towards your friends who were already grinning and nudging each other as they packed up their things.

One of them waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don’t worry about us. You should definitely go."

"Yeah, seriously," chimed in another. "We'll be fine. Go hang with Mr. Food Truck over here."

You could feel your cheeks warm slightly, their teasing not helping your decision-making process. You glanced back at Glen, who was now leaning casually against the doorframe, waiting patiently for your response, a light smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Are you sure?" you asked your friends, not entirely sure why you were suddenly so nervous. 

It wasn’t like you hadn’t spent time with Glen before, but this felt… different.

"Absolutely. We’ll catch you later," one of them insisted, practically pushing you toward the door with an exaggerated wink. The girls’ playful encouragement was impossible to ignore, and you gave them a sheepish smile as you turned back to Glen.

"Looks like I’m in," you said, trying to sound casual as you slung your bag over your shoulder. 

Glen’s smile widened as he pushed open the door for you to step through.

"Awesome. Let’s go," he said, motioning for you to follow him outside. 

As the two of you made your way toward the beach, you could hear the muffled giggles of your friends from inside the trailer.

As you and Glen made your way down the sandy path towards the beach, the breeze carried a light saltiness in the air, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore mixed with the faint murmur of people in the distance. The sun wasn’t harsh yet, just a comfortable warmth that seemed to reflect the ease between the two of you. You glanced at Glen, who walked beside you with an easy stride, his hands casually tucked in his pockets.

“So,” you began, deciding to break the silence, “is this food truck really that good? Or are you just hyping it up because you need someone to share the disappointment with?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, it’s good. Trust me. I don’t joke about food, especially when I’m the one making the recommendation.”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” you teased. “But if it’s not as good as you say, I’m never letting you live it down.”

Glen raised an eyebrow. “Deal. But when it turns out to be incredible, I’ll expect a full apology. Maybe a handwritten letter.”

You rolled your eyes, grinning. “You’re not getting a letter, Powell. At best, you’ll get a shrug and a ‘fine, it’s okay.’”

The two of you exchanged playful banter as you neared the food truck, the line not too long but bustling enough to add to the lively atmosphere. 

Glen ordered first, then stepped back, watching as you read the small chalkboard menu. “Go ahead and order whatever you want,” he said casually, “my treat.”

You gave him a look, raising an eyebrow. “Trying to buy my forgiveness ahead of time, huh?”

“Just being polite,” he replied with a shrug, though the smirk on his face said otherwise. You shook your head, but didn’t argue, stepping up to order your food.

A few minutes later, with your meals in hand, Glen led you down toward a quieter spot on the beach. He kicked off his shoes and gestured to a space just far enough from the water to avoid the rising tide but close enough to hear the gentle crash of waves.

“Here good?” he asked, glancing at you for confirmation.

You nodded, sitting down and adjusting yourself on the soft sand. Glen settled beside you, stretching his legs out in front of him and balancing his food container on his lap.

For a few moments, you both sat in comfortable silence, focusing on your food. The sounds of the beach washed over you, and the sun glittered off the waves. It was one of those rare moments where nothing felt rushed, where you could just sit and enjoy the simplicity of it all.

“So,” Glen said between bites, “you think you’ll be working on a lot of big sets after this?”

You glanced at him, considering the question. “I mean, that would be nice, but it depends. This gig’s definitely been the biggest so far, but I try not to think too far ahead. You never know with this industry.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s true. It’s kind of like that on our side too, you know? You could be riding high on one film, and then nothing for months. But something tells me you’ll be busy. You’re really good at what you do.”

His tone was genuine, not the teasing or lighthearted vibe you’d gotten used to. You paused for a second, taking in his words, then gave him a small smile. “Thanks. I don’t usually hear that directly from the actors, so I’ll take it.”

“Well, consider me the first of many,” he said, his voice soft but sincere. He took a sip of his drink, his gaze shifting from the ocean to you for a moment, holding your eyes just a second longer than you expected. It was a brief, almost imperceptible moment, but it left a faint flutter in your chest.

The conversation flowed easily from there—lighthearted, playful, filled with shared stories and a few inside jokes. It was comfortable, and as the sun dipped lower in the sky, you found yourself not wanting the moment to end. There was something easy about being around Glen, something that didn’t feel forced or overdone.

After you finished your meals, the two of you stayed seated on the sand, watching the waves roll in. You could feel the faintest hint of something lingering beneath the surface—an unspoken connection that was becoming harder to ignore. But neither of you pushed it, neither of you addressed it outright.

Instead, you sat together in that quiet space, the gentle breeze brushing past, and let the moment be exactly what it was. It was enough—for now.

* * * *

The following week on set was a rough one. The wind had been relentless all morning. Every time you thought you’d finished touching up one actor’s hair, another gust of wind would come through and undo all your efforts. Between rushing from one trailer to the next and trying to juggle all the touch-ups while keeping a smile on your face, you were starting to feel like you were barely keeping up.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, the weight of the day was pressing down on you. The momentary breaks you’d been hoping for never seemed to come, and now you were back on set with your hands full of hairspray and a comb, trying to tame Glen’s wind-tossed hair for what felt like the tenth time.

He sat in the chair in front of you, wearing his flight suit, waiting patiently as you worked. But even through the focus of your task, you could feel his eyes on you. Normally, you’d crack a joke or chat, but today, you just didn’t have it in you. You were too focused on trying to get his hair right despite the elements.

“Everything okay?” Glen asked softly, breaking the silence. 

His tone was different from normal—it was gentle and concerned.

You gave a quick, dismissive smile, not wanting to draw attention to your exhaustion. “Yeah, I’m good. Just a little tired.”

But Glen wasn’t buying it. His eyes studied your face as you continued to comb through his hair. “You sure? You seem a little... off.”

You paused for a moment, glancing at him through the strands of hair you were fixing. Part of you wanted to shrug it off, to keep pushing through the day without letting anyone know how much it was getting to you. But Glen’s genuine concern made you hesitate.

“I’m fine,” you said, though your voice lacked the usual energy it carried. “It’s just... you know, the wind’s doing a number on everyone’s hair, and I feel like I’m putting out fires nonstop.”

Glen nodded as if he understood exactly what you meant. “Yeah, it’s been pretty brutal out here. But hey, you’ve been handling it like a pro.”

You finished with his hair, stepping back and giving it one last check before capping your hairspray. 

“Thanks,” you said, managing a small smile. “Just trying to keep everyone looking their best.”

Glen stood up from the chair, and before you could step away, he reached out and pulled you into a brief, warm hug. It wasn’t a grand gesture or anything that would draw attention from the rest of the crew, but it was enough to make you pause. His arm wrapped around your shoulder, offering a sense of comfort you hadn’t realized you needed.

“You’re doing a great job,” he murmured softly, his voice close to your ear. “Just so you know.”

It was a small thing, but it hit you harder than you expected. You felt seen—all the effort you’d been putting in, and that moment of kindness washed over you like a breath of fresh air. You hadn’t realized just how much you needed to hear those words until they left his mouth.

When Glen pulled back, there was a quiet, understanding smile on his face, and for a second, you felt like everything was okay again. The wind was still blowing, the work was still piling up, but somehow it all felt a little more manageable.

“Thanks,” you said softly, your voice carrying more sincerity than before. “I really needed that.”

Glen just winked, a playful glint returning to his eyes. “Anytime. Just don’t tell the rest of the cast—I can’t have them expecting hugs every time they need a pick me up.”

You laughed, feeling a little lighter as you gathered your things. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

As Glen walked away, you watched him go with a newfound appreciation for the way he had managed to lift your spirits. It wasn’t anything grand or over the top, but it was enough to keep you going for the rest of the day. Sometimes, all it took was a small moment like that to remind you that you weren’t just invisible behind the scenes—you were seen, and you mattered.

[amostnobleyandere]

Yandere! Noble! Scaramouche x GN! Reader (Arranged Marriage)

A/N: hey look first post!!!! this blog is basically just a place to dump my thoughts on yanderes and situations w them// if you’re not comfortable w that, please leave!!! this is not the place for you

GN reader but!!! the word “bride” is used once so do w that what you will .

remember, this is a mature blog !!! don’t like don’t read!!!!!!!!

warning(s): male! yandere, toxic relationships, slightly narcissistic yandere, verbal abuse, child neglect, arranged marriage, toxic behavior, bad parenting skills, loneliness, obsession, yandere scaramouche, scaramouche is his own warningetc. etc.

Synopsis: there’s this specific scenario ive been thinking of lately : an enemies to lovers, but with a yandere that is particularly bitter and hasn’t really experienced an unconditional love before but then his initial hatred of you turns into an obsession. I thought scara was perfect for it :)

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neither of you had wanted to get married; you, the child of the last bloodline of a falling noble family, and scaramouche, heir to one of the wealthiest and most prestigious names in the empire, would have never been pushed to marry under normal circumstances. it could only be assumed that fate had revealed its hand and placed its destiny upon you.

you had never even met the young man that society had branded as ruthlessly curt with a lash-like tongue. you had never expected to, considering how far apart you were, in different circles and in different worlds

he was the duchess’ nephew and only heir, and was untouchable in both stature and power. in contrast, your family name was declining rapidly. you knew why your mother and father had accepted the marriage proposal the day it came, and you knew why they decided not to tell you until the letter in reply had already been sent. you had no say in the matter

how your parents arranged a marriage between the two of you? well, you could certainly guess; noble ladies gossiped and gasped about the young man who was rich with a handsome face, but with an incredibly arrogant personality and a razor tongue that both reflected his wit and endless scorn. you thought that the rumors must have been over exaggerated, as they always were, but for the duchess to have to reach out to your family to find a spouse for her son? had all the other contestants being rejected, and now they were picking through the scraps that were left? or perhaps, had they rejected him?

now, you weren’t so sure

even then, some part of you had never thought they would agree to something like this; they had concluded that this was what was best for you, had even told you that you will live a much happier life if you were in a household that wasn’t always on the edge of crumbling and giving way to time; you could see that they did have the best of intentions. and still, you felt betrayed

unbeknownst to you, at the time, your fiancé had felt the same way toward his mother; the expression of his feelings on the matter, however, included a lot more yelling and rage in his questions as to why he was being dragged into this. he was used to being disappointed, but being so blatantly used?

unfortunately, scaramouche’s defiance was only met with a cold silence and a blank stare, and after he had vehemently denied to go along with the marriage, his mother had only said that nothing could be done. he had no choice in the matter.

and the gentle glint in her eyes, that had still remained their after all these years, that stayed as she firmly reprimanded him, only served to make him more furious.

and so, his resentment for you, the other victim in this situation, came naturally.

when he met you for the first time, his regularly crass and sarcastic attitude only got worse. you could see the embarrassment dawn on both your parents’ and his mother’s faces, cringing every time his voice got a little too loud or when he said something particularly blunt. he made snide comments on your upbringing, your title, even your clothing wasn’t spared the ruthless bite of his words. between his curt and cold attitude and your futile attempts at making conversation, you two didn’t exactly hit it off when you first met

and then, when you finally got sick of it and told him what exactly you thought of his words and his money and where he could shove them, his resentment turned into something much more personal: spite.

he reasoned that he had every right to hate you. to be overly rude and childish whenever you so much as got the idea to be five feet near him. he never asked for the marriage. he doesn’t care about how much it would benefit the two of you, and he’s long past trying to finally please his mother into loving him, so why should he have to act like the perfect husband for someone who is below him?

your parents seemed to love you plenty though. if their guilty eyes and shifty glances were anything to go by. even if they were shamelessly grabbing at the wealth and prestige of another family, he could tell that this marriage was meant for you and your future. even if you didn’t want it. even if you seemed to dread it. every time they brought you over for a scheduled date in the lonely garden at the back of the duchess’s estate, there seemed to be a subtle pain in their eyes.

perhaps, a paternal regret at having to make their child miserable so that they could eventually have the things they weren’t able to give them.

…well, it gave him more reason to torment you.

————————

there seemed to be no way out of the awkward meetings. your parents were hell bent on having scaramouche as your husband, and his mother was just as determined. so, when you did have to suffer through seeing each other, you kept trading thinly veiled insults, practically sulking every time you heard the others name, and bickering with the each other at every opportunity. it became a familiar routine for the two of you, to not get along and verbalize your frustrations through jabs and taunts

strangely enough, scaramouche grew fond of the bickering. you were practically the only person who would speak to him so casually. with so little respect and without fear of him blowing up. he thought it was refreshing. no one hardly ever talked to him anymore, and even a child that had everything and more could not curb his own loneliness by himself…he would never tell you that, though.

he thought that at least it was entertaining to tease you. actually, if you weren’t so annoying, he might have actually gone as far to say it’s pleasant having you in his company. It certainly beats the large, lonely house he had to wander every day.

plus, when was the last time he had talked this much? when someone had looked at him and acknowledged his existence without him having to work for it?

—————————

as the engagement progressed, you two ended up spending hours together every week, whether you wanted to or not, and while you were mentally and emotionally exhausted from the stress your parents were putting you through, he’s looking forward to your meetings like they’re the highlight of his week…it’s ridiculous, he thinks, and he thinks, and he thinks, and oh god now he can’t get you out of his head.

then suddenly, you’re calling it off. the whole engagement. miraculously, you guilted your parents into going back on what they had agreed to.

his mother is appalled and frustrated, a bit exasperated now that she has to find another suitable bride for her son.

scaramouche is beyond furious.

he goes quiet with rage. he’s more snappish now, towards the maids, towards everyone. his attitude is no longer his usual arrogance and crudeness. his usual bitterness rose into an explosive temper and ruthless training just to keep himself confined to a state of sanity. there is, once again, for the first time in many, many years, an unmistakable fear of abandonment that is raging in his head. he feels so wronged.

and it’s your fault.

and then, he goes silent. if they thought it was bad when he talked, see what they think when he’s quiet.

for his mother, it’s unnerving. to the servants, it’s downright terrifying.

no one realizes that he’s calculating. no one really expects it. everyone assumed this was one big temper tantrum after suffering a huge blow to his pride.

scaramouche was really only clutching his shattered heart after giving it to someone who threw it away.

—————————

what he wants at first is revenge.

that’s what he wants to think he wants. he wants to make things even between the two of you; make you suffer like you made him. force his way into your mind in the worst way possible, and keep himself there to get the message across.

for the first few agonizing days after the annulment, he thinks; maybe that he should tamper with your parents businesses and make you a pauper, someone who is reduced to having to take care of their parents after you fall from the graces of society. and then, after that, he’s hoping you’d come crawling back to him, and ask for his help and his hand. and he’d oh-so graciously accept you back into his life; not before making you beg for it, though.

then again, perhaps toying with whatever lover you have would be a good way to get back at you. he just assumes that you have one, because you must, for you to just abandon him like that.

you should have just stayed.

either way, he’s going to make you regret it.

—————————

it doesn’t take much for scaramouche to convince his mother to have a much needed talk with your parents.

and despite everything she’s done, ei does want to make her son happy. she wasn’t blind after all; he’s always seemed to be on edge, ever since the accident, but he had changed in the short amount of time he had know you. the boy she had failed to raise and care for, someone who was now so far out of her reach, seemed to be more calm and content when you were by his side. it had been a long time since she had seen her nephew look forward to something this much.

whether you want the engagement or not matters less to her.

—————————

and so, your resistance all comes apart so easily. Ei is one of the most powerful people in the empire, so it doesn’t take much effort before she’s luring your parents into throwing you back to them and into scaramouche’s waiting arms. It would be the least she could do as his mother

it’s only a matter of time before you’re resting in the palm of his hand once again; the engagement is back on, running smoothly towards your fast approaching wedding, like your little rebellious mishap never even happened

scaramouche is reveling in it. he feels as though he’s won. and in truth, he has. he imagines the look on your face, how you’ll have to greet him eventually, look him in the eyes after tossing him to the side and then losing, and thinks about how he’s going to make your reunion as painful as possible when you do meet again

his wishes are fulfilled when not even a month later are you pushed into the expansive garden by servants and abandoned by them even quicker, watching them scurry away with pale but oddly relieved faces. once again, you were meant to suffer through another lunch date after you thought you had finally escaped and left the gloomy estate behind forever.

the familiar stone pathway and expansive flora only served to bring back bad memories of your failed attempt to gain your freedom and reminded you of what you would have to look forward to for the rest of your life. it’s only the scuffle of boots against the ground that brought you back to reality.

you knew exactly who was standing behind you.

—————————

when scaramouche saw you standing there, muscles taught and shoulders tensed as you refused to look at him, he took his time observing you, savoring the moment and committing it to memory.

his slow and deliberate footsteps did little to calm your fraying nerves. You were both surrounded by tall hedges and the gentle sound of water coming from nearby fountains. no one else was around. You were completely isolated, with only your fiancé- no, your crazed future husband- keeping you company.

and as always, his presence was suffocating.

“you know, trying to run away from me was cute, but it got annoying after the joke was over. did you really think you could go against a duchy? don’t make me laugh.” his voice had a high and condescending lit to it that seemed to grate against your ears. your stony facade crumbled soon after, instantly revealing the confusion and panic that welled in your chest.

��…why did you do it?” your voice came out hoarse and low. you whirled around, finally looking into those violet eyes. scaramouche felt a shiver of excitement run up his spine as your watery gaze met his.

“you hated this engagement just as much as I did. why did you drag me back here? we both could’ve been free.” a bitter laugh escaped your throat that pathetically choked off into a sob.

he laughed lowly as his head titled down, shielding his eyes from you. the sight made you shudder involuntarily.

“‘drag you back?’ deary, you belong to me. you did the moment I decided I wanted you. what you want doesn’t matter anymore. You don’t know what’s good for yourself, clearly.”

when he lifted his head back up to meet your eyes, he was smiling. the soft turn of his lips wasn’t full of cruelty or malice, scorn or hatred, and somehow that made the uncharacteristically gentle look so, so much worse.

scaramouche picked up your limp hand, gently turning it over, and slipped a ring onto it. it was like putting a heavy shackle on a caged bird; it was needless and unnecessary, you were already trapped. the world did not need anything else but the duchess’s final word to let everyone know who you belonged to.

but, as you stood there staring blankly ahead, you noticed scaramouche seemed genuinely happy to see the band resting on your finger.

the smile he wore turned more playful, more mocking, as those piercing eyes looked at you as if you were pitiful and small, beneath him, something that needed guidance

and his purple eyes locked with yours as he slowly pulled you to him and brought you into a soft kiss.

—————————

“Give me your love. Give me your validation. Hand yourself over to me, body, mind, and soul.”

“And what if I don’t want to?”

“Darling, do you think you have a choice?”

[librababe99]

hey veronica :))

i was wondering if you'd want to do a follow up for the friends to lovers fic. maybe something a little smutty? in my head it's just slow and sweet and she's reassuring Wade that yes she really does want him and he's just who me ??? whAt?

totally fine if this doesn't pique your interest though!

Hey Nikki !! This TOTALLY piques my interest---Wade is definitely one those guys who needs to be reminded how wanted and loved he is 🤭

I hope this second part does it justice!

More Than Just Friends: Part Two

Tags: MDNI, 18+ONLY, Wade Wilson, Female Reader, First Dates, Implied Smut, Set during the 2016 Deadpool Movie

Summary: Wade and Reader finally explore the depths of their newfound relationship....

wc: 1.4K

| More Than Just Friends: Part One |

After that night in Wade's apartment, something had shifted between the two of you. Everything was the same, yet completely different. The easy banter still flowed, the teasing grins and flirtatious remarks, but there was an undercurrent of something new—a closeness, an intimacy that hadn’t been there before. It was as if you had stepped into a new world with Wade, one where feelings were laid bare instead of hidden beneath layers of sarcasm and jokes.

Tonight was your first, official date. 

You stood outside Wade’s apartment, feeling the familiar flutter of nerves as you knocked. The door creaked open, revealing Wade in his typical “trying but not trying” attire—black jeans, a snug shirt, and his favorite leather jacket slung over his shoulder. His eyes swept over you, and for a moment, he looked genuinely taken aback.

“You clean up nice, hot stuff,” he said with a grin, but there was a warmth in his voice that made your heart skip.

“Not so bad yourself,” you teased, stepping inside and closing the door behind you.

The plan was simple—dinner at one of Wade’s favorite low-key spots and then… Well, you didn’t know what would happen after, but the idea of it made your stomach flip. Being Wade, he insisted on not doing anything too fancy. “Who wants to be stuck in a stuffy restaurant when you could get some killer tacos and people-watch the weirdos of New York?” he’d said, and honestly, that sounded perfect.

Dinner was easy, comfortable, the two of you falling into the familiar rhythm of conversation. Wade made you laugh the entire night, spinning stories about his latest jobs, exaggerated just enough to be ridiculous. The whole time, though, there was an edge to him, a certain awareness in the way he looked at you. His eyes lingered longer, his touches were softer, more intentional.

You found yourself watching him, too—how his smile crinkled his eyes, how his voice softened when he leaned in close. You’d always been drawn to Wade, but now there was a sense of longing mixed in with the affection, something that made your heart race whenever your knees brushed under the table or when he caught your gaze and held it for a second too long.

By the time you left the taco joint, the city was alive with lights and sounds, and Wade took your hand, lacing his fingers with yours as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The two of you walked through the streets, your pace leisurely as you talked about everything and nothing.

“You know,” Wade said, glancing sideways at you, “this was nice. Like, not that I hate being covered in blood and guts every time we hang out, but this? This was nice.”

You laughed, squeezing his hand. “Yeah, I could get used to this.”

A comfortable silence settled between you, but beneath it was that same tension—the unspoken promise of what the night might hold.

Eventually, you found yourselves back at Wade’s apartment. The moment you stepped inside, something shifted. It wasn’t awkward, but there was a weight to the air, a charged anticipation. Wade shrugged off his jacket, tossing it onto the back of the couch before turning to you with a look that made your breath catch.

“So… do we end this night with a classic movie? Something with lots of explosions and bad one-liners? Or do we…” His voice trailed off, and for once, there wasn’t a sarcastic edge to it. He was giving you an out, a chance to keep things light.

But you didn’t want light. Not tonight.

You stepped closer to him, your fingers brushing his arm as you tilted your head up to meet his gaze. “Or do we what?” you asked softly, though you knew exactly where this was going.

Wade swallowed hard, his usual bravado flickering. “Or… we end it like this.”

He closed the space between you in a heartbeat, his lips crashing into yours in a kiss that was both hungry and tender. His hands gripped your waist, pulling you closer as you melted into him, your arms wrapping around his neck. It was the kind of kiss that made your head spin, that made everything else in the world disappear.

When you finally broke apart, both of you breathing heavily, Wade rested his forehead against yours, his hands still holding you as if afraid you might pull away.

“You sure you want this?” he asked quietly, his voice rough with emotion. “I’m… not exactly the easiest guy to be with.”

You cupped his cheek, your thumb brushing over the rough skin where his stubble had started to grow in. “Wade, I’ve wanted this for a long time. I know what I’m getting into.”

He closed his eyes, exhaling a shaky breath. “I just… I don’t want to screw this up.”

You smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead before looking into his eyes. “You won’t. I’m not going anywhere.”

The vulnerability in his gaze made your heart ache. Wade had always been the guy who covered everything with a joke, the man who never let anyone too close. But now, here he was—completely open, trusting you with the parts of him he’d never shown anyone else.

You guided him toward the bed, the two of you moving slowly, every step filled with intent. Wade’s hands slid up your back, fingers trembling slightly as they traced over the curves of your body. His usual confidence was still there, but it was gentler, more tentative.

When you reached the edge of the bed, you gently pushed him down, straddling his lap as you kissed him again. This time, the kiss was slower, more deliberate. Your hands tangled in his hair as his lips moved against yours, and the feeling of him beneath you, warm and solid, made a wave of heat pool in your stomach.

Wade’s hands rested on your hips, squeezing gently as he pulled you closer, and when you broke the kiss to look at him, his eyes were darker, filled with something deeper than lust—something like adoration.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” he whispered, his voice thick.

You smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to his jaw. “So are you.”

You could feel his breath hitch as your lips brushed over his skin, his grip on you tightening as you began to slowly unbutton his shirt. There was a quiet intimacy in the moment, something that made everything feel right, like this was exactly where you were meant to be.

When his shirt fell open, exposing the hard planes of his chest, you trailed kisses down his neck, savoring the way his body tensed beneath your touch. Wade was usually the one in control, always one step ahead with his quick wit and faster hands, but now, he was letting you take the lead, letting you guide this moment.

“I want you,” you whispered against his skin, and you felt him shudder beneath you.

Wade’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze locking onto yours. There was something vulnerable in the way he looked at you, something raw and unguarded. “Are you sure?”

You smiled softly, your hand resting against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your palm. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

For the first time, Wade didn’t crack a joke, didn’t try to deflect with humor. Instead, he kissed you again, slower this time, savoring every second. His hands moved over your body, reverent and gentle, and when he whispered your name against your lips, it felt like a promise.

The night unfolded between you, slow and unhurried, each touch filled with meaning, each kiss a reminder that this was more than just a fling. Your bodies moved together with an unspoken understanding, a gentle rhythm that mirrored the years of friendship, trust, and quiet longing that had always simmered beneath the surface. There was no urgency, no need to prove anything—just the overwhelming intimacy of being close, of knowing that this moment wasn’t just about passion, but connection. You could feel it in the way Wade held you, his touch tender and almost hesitant, as if he was afraid of breaking the spell.

When you finally collapsed together, bodies entwined beneath the sheets, Wade pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, his arms wrapped around you as if he was afraid to let go.

“You still here?” he whispered, his voice hoarse, but there was a smile in it.

You nodded, resting your head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “Still here.”

And in that moment, you knew you always would be.

[monosanimegenericzone]

Hunter x Hunter: Conspiracy theory

this is a big leap and a reach and feeds my narrative satisfaction.

and it involves HEAVY troupe copium and apologist things of that nature.

you've been warned. proceed with a grain of salt.

(also gonna. put it under a break bcs this got long as hell XD)

I think the troupe was not solely responsible for the kurtan massacre and are on the Black Whale 1 to show the one responsible that they aren't going to continue to protect his clean record.

allow me to explain, starting with yorknew.

so i have had this theory knocking around in my head that the yorknew auction was meant to be a sort of finale or huge thing. because that was a big deal right, that's the world mafia they're pissing off.

AND it was weird bcs chrollo wanted everything at the auction. the troupe calls him out on that. and since we all know chrollo is a theatrical bastard, there is a meaning behind everything so this is no different.

so why does he want to declare war on the world mafia.

here's what we know.

meteor city was selling their own people to the mafia for a guarantee of safety from the black market. we don't know if these people went willingly or not but it was why the mafia didn't want to continue to pursue the troupe. the connection between meteor city and the world mafia was very important.

we know a few things changed between the troupe flashback and present day.

a) the troupe gained a reputation. until yorknew, apparently no one knew they were from meteor city.

b) the elders learned how to use nen. at the very least, we know of one counteractive nen ability that was used to protect the city's citizens from unfair indictment. there were probably more but we dont know for sure.

c) the mafia had gotten really comfortable with their connection with meteor city, now relying more on the city than the city relied on it.

chrollo was the one who most likely set up this relationship. it was his promise to set up the city as a hub for criminals so that he could personally witness and sift through the absolute scum of the earth to find sarasa's killers.

so based on all of this:

Yorknew City was meant to be the start of chrollo's grand finale to tear down the criminal infrastructure in meteor city.

but, things happened. and he got his ass beat.

POINT IS: Chrollo organizes his attacks with purpose.

.... SO WHY THE FUCK IS THIS DUMBASS TRYING TO ATTACK THE KAKIN FUCKING EMPIRE.

"attack" being an exaggeration but cmon. stealing from is the same thing as coming over and spitting in their food.

here's where the conspiracy theory comes in.

what if the kurta massacre wasn't exclusively done the troupe.

yes this is the part with the troupe apologist bullshit but hear me out. i have something interesting to share.

so at this point we know the troupe doesn't do petty theft anymore. this isn't just a "hey the kakin empire is rich. lets rob them :D" job. chrollo on a mission.

i saw this on twitter and a single post led down this downward spiral. (images are linked to the post)

so these pages stood out to me. the troupe never starts fights? that sounds stupid. sound goofy even.

but it's true.

or, phrased correctly, the troupe doesn't start fights they don't know how to finish. since chrollo is the head, they all function as his limbs, meaning they share his mentality when approaching combat: he will not take fights he can't guarantee he will win.

that being said, as shown in the pages above, they will ALWAYS pick up the gauntlet. if someone picks a fight with THEM, the entire gang will spin the block. aint no one surviving.

in the succession war arc, they were framed for the murder of a char-r member because luini was a toxic fan.

so here's the hypothetical: what if the troupe was framed for the kurta massacre?

we know their hands aren't clean. uvo, chrollo, phinks and pakunoda all recall the killing, so that's evidence they were there for it.

here's some things I don't understand about the event though.

a) the kurta were supposedly super well hidden, to the point that when kurapika was shown in vol 0/the phantom rouge, there were tribe traditions that forbade anyone that couldn't hide their eyes properly from going outside of the village. this was like. i think 1 year or so before the massacre.

b) when exactly did the eyes become relevant to body part collection? if it is believed that the troupe attacked the clan for the money that the eyes sell for, that means there must have been some already on the market. we dont get confirmation of this

c) how was a process for preserving magic eyes conceived at this time? im flabbergasted.

leaning mostly on point b, the kurta clan must have had previous victims of their scarlet eyed members getting got. which leads to point a, heightened protection of the kurtans with scarlet eyes.

but, as is anything in the hxh world, if there is something rare, there will always be a market for it.

now keep in mind what i said before: the troupe never picks up fights unless they know they can win and unless there's an ulterior motive. money doesn't matter to them, neither does infamy. at this point they're grade A bounties so yeah, neither of those things mean jack shit.

so i raise the idea that was in that twitter post: what if someone framed the spiders for the massacre and they took it in stride. that's free street cred, of course they claim ownership.

but let's go back and analyze, because who in their right mind would pick these randoms.

the kakin empire would. or someone associated with a high seat of power that can't afford to be tainted with something like genocide.

let's look at fourth prince tserreidnich.

im not saying he specifically pointed the finger at the spiders, but he was most likely the benefactor that wanted the scarlet eyes in the first place. he would stop at no means and he lets his people handle the dirty work.

he even has a damn head that is probably also kurtan.

so let's go out on a limb and say that tserreidnich ordered a party of mercenaries to track down the kurta clan so he could expand his collection. but, obviously, the group can't take the blame, so they pin it on the troupe or claim to be the troupe.

and because the troupe was wronged all of those years ago, chrollo is now aiming a full frontal assault against the kakin empire. hisoka is just a side quest. chrollo *remembers* how he was wronged.

so to recap. here's how the theory says the story goes.

the phantom troupe is in lukso province for whatever reason. probably to target the large movement of body part collectors to the region or something completely unrelated.

the 4th prince's team moves into the kurta village and starts taking the eyes. the kurtans successfully fight back and demand to know who they are. they answer, "we're the spiders"

and the kurtans, now hell bent on revenge for their fallen, seek out the troupe and pick a fight. and the troupe being the troupe, pick up the gauntlet no questions asked.

(alt. the kurtans seek out a powerful ally in the troupe to fight back against what we assume are trained human hunters and when they fail, beg to be killed as well)

chrollo at the time doesn't question the interaction. it was a gang of violent vagabonds trying to right a wrong that the troupe didn't even participate in.

it bothers him, just a little bit, that someone would try to frame the troupe for an atrocity that they didn't do. sure, it fit their narrative and added to their reputation, but it bothers him that someone out there had used their name.

but come yorknew, he's confronted with a surviving kurta. and the problem resurfaces.

he has his hands full trying to reroute the course of the yorknew heist and has to cut a lot of his plans short. he still completed his goal and started the process of severing ties between the mafia and meteor city.

but now the kurta are a problem in his life again and once he gets that damn chain out of his chest, he has two things to focus on:

a) getting away from hisoka to gather abilities

b) figuring out how to deal with kurapika

he remembers the kurta and is totally okay with shouldering the blame for their elimination. but that means that he's clearing the name of someone else for free.

and he doesn't do shit for free.

since he doesn't have to worry about meteor city immediately (the 10 dons are dead and the world mafia is in shambles), he can move onto bigger fish.

right now, his goal is to figure out the truth behind the kurtan massacre. and his search leads him to 4th prince tserriednich. a man in possession of eyes that the troupe didn't sell and way more than the 36 total that *should* be on the market.

THAT is why chrollo is picking a fight with the kakin empire. THAT is why he is on the black whale one. he's here to settle a 7 year old score, and if he can take hisoka down at the same time? good for him.

anyway thats my crazy conspiracy theory. there are some wrinkles in here that may be defied by canon reveals later in the story.

but damn would this make sense for why chrollo is on that damn boat. bcs i know he isn't stupid enough to send the ENTIRE TROUPE on a suicide mission just for hisoka.

so unless we get a reveal of something else substantial, this is what i'm working with.

[sameschmidtdiffname]

I’m so fond of Soft for her Loved Ones Katniss and a Peeta who knows his grumpy wife is the soft one. I think that he always knew she was soft since he saw her with Prim, and that was part of him realizing she loved him. “She lets me get away with murder and my smile and baby blues get me anything”.

On a serious note, I do feel like during their growing back together period, Katniss is just so incredibly gentle and careful with Peeta when she can be. Like when they get close enough they're back to spending every day (every hour, every minute) together again Peeta has to barely suggest something before Katniss is up and running to get it for him. He nics himself once with an exacto knife during a project and Katniss is suddenly all "Doctor Everdeen" again and Peeta 'never had genuine care and affection growing up' Mellark, who somewhat remembers how she used to care for him pre-hijacking, is just slowly melting at every fret and touch, just watching her care with the biggest, lovesick puppy eyes he's ever had because it was tortured out of him to remember how nice it feels to be genuinely cared for.

I feel like this is even more exaggerated by the fact that after Mockingjay Katniss and Peeta I think switch some aspects of their personality. Like I would imagine Peeta is more akin to Katniss at the beginning of the series with falling in love now because he's very skeptical even though he can now remember how he used to feel, but that's like a completely different person in his head almost, so it's more a theory than a memory. So everytime Katniss is kind or loving to him at first he's nice about everything while internally semi distrustful of the whole thing, and definitely not fond of the idea of allowing himself to be vulnerable. Meanwhile Katniss has switched to needing validation and affection so bad it hurts, but knowing she can't demand it because that's not fair to Peeta so she just pours as much love as she feels she's allowed into all of her actions without trying to reveal her state of longing for him because she's just glad he's returned to her period. It doesn't have to be romantic.

I also feel like this would apply to when Katniss has nightmares and Peeta eventually begins comforting her via physical touch. I think it would be extremely obvious how touch starved Katniss is post-Mockingjay even though she tries to hide it for Peetas sake, and eventually Peeta just can't handle not doing whatever he can to help ease her mind, even if it's just holding her hand (which helps a lot) until all the subdued feelings just come pouring out that night they finally confess while tangled in their bedsheets.

Once they're well settled into their relationship? Peeta is 1000% abusing his husband privileges. One time he's three days into a painting project, there's acrylics all over the floor and Katniss tries to clean up but Peeta is insistent that it's fine because once they dry he can just scrape them off the floor with a washcloth. No, really honey, I used to do this all the time, as he pushes her quickly out the door of his study because he's way too invested to chit-chat and wants her to be surprised by the work anyways (he likes the praise from her seeing it go from a rough sketch to a full blown painting, especially since it's turned into a where's Waldo situation of her looking for themselves in his paintings.) And then he goes to clean up the paint himself only to realize this is really nice paint that has stained really nice Capitol-grade imported wood and it is not coming out. Katniss is fully aware of what happened the minute Peeta comes home rambling quickly about these "wonderful rugs Effie had" and "I just had to get one for the house" because "It's good luck" and he'll tell her about it some other time, he's gotta get this rug upstairs. Ignore any bumps you hear! (She does not. The bump is Peeta falling down the stairs cuz his prosthetic glitched and between the giant woven rug and his natural clumsiness that fucker went down.) But she doesn't say anything because he has this stupid smile as he presents her with three paintings and a basket of cheese rolls because he just loves her so much, that's all.

Then there's one time a load of laundry goes missing and Peeta is just insistent that the clothes must be in some odd corner unwashed, even though she could've sworn she put that load in the wash. So for two weeks straight she's just constantly thinking about this load, sometimes getting out of bed in the midst of the night when she can't sleep anyways to look for the damn clothes because they're obviously somewhere. Clothes don't move. But then her husband starts asking her to give up, they'll pop up sooner or later, and she's starting to wonder why he's baking so much bread. Like, lots of bread. Bread with cheese, or honey, or nuts. Just constantly kneading dough in their kitchen while chewing on his bottom lip, lost in thought. And at first she's convinced she's actually losing it. Maybe she's starting to have black out episodes. Is that even possible? To do something and just have absolutely no memory of the event at all? What if she starts hurting people during these episodes? What if she's already hurting people while she's in these episodes?? And that's why Peeta is so nervous now???

She's got an appointment with Dr. Aurelius next week, she'll bring it up to him. Peeta is definitely hiding something from her. But then one day after she comes home from her hunting trip, longing for her favorite sweater instead of the one she's wearing today, Peeta is beaming in the kitchen saying he found the load and it's all washed and hung up in the closet. "Oh, it was just behind the washer! Who knows how it got there."

Except Katniss knows she checked behind the washer. Three times, actually. And Peeta doesn't smile like that naturally. So she's not crazy, and Peeta has got something going on. So, when they go to bed that night, Katniss waits for three hours before she finally slips out of bed, knowing he's too konked out at this point to notice her missing and sneaks into his study to see what all could be in there. And after an hour of looking, she doesn't find anything, and now she feels bad for suspecting something and going through her husband's things. She's about to click off the light when she notices a bottle of oil paint missing in a set she'd bought for Peeta a little while ago for his birthday. And things start clicking together. Because first off, he doesn't go through paints that fast. Second off, even if he does, he never throws away the bottles. Like, ever. There is an entire drawer filled with empty bottles and such of paint and other supplies partially because Peeta needs to remember the names or brands, and partially because Peeta hates the idea of potentially wasting something unless he is fully convinced it's done. Which he never is.

It takes one day before he confesses, and when he does it's because Katniss casually mentions how her favorite sweater doesn't seem to have an old snag from when her ring caught on the yarn and nearly ripped a hole in the arm. And that's how she finds out Peeta accidently left a poorly closed bottle of azure blue paint in his pants pocket and not even Effie had been able to save the load, so she helped him reorder everything. Thus why he's been stress baking. And Katniss is way too entertained to be mad because at this point, there's no better reprimand than the one Peeta has given himself.

But idk tho. I don't think about them much :)

[opbackgrounds]

With all respect, you sound weirdly over the top with this one Nami side-plot and demand way more coherency of it than anything else in the manga. You treat Sanji's love-heart gags way more seriously than Nami's abuse gags (or Luffy's eating ones or Chopper's infoptency ones), too. It sounds like a really bad-faith reading tbh. [For example, the dress line fits with Nami's fashion obsession which has legit reasons and her being used to being taken advantage of is literally her origin story, but you pretend like those readings don't exists?]

Well, firstly, this is my reading of the manga. I'm not going to go out of my way to think of how other people might interpret a scene, because that's not what I'm doing here.

Secondly, I've been very vocal about other storylines I don't like, including Chopper being incompetent, but the subplot with Absalom has been the most sustained bit of bad writing in the manga. It's going to get more attention, because there's more of it. There will be more negativity in the future when I get to other things I don't like. Fans of Punk Hazard, you have been warned.

Thirdly, if I've given the Absalom-Sanji-Nami story a bad-faith reading, you've given a bad faith reading of my analysis. My issue isn't and never has been Sanji's love-sick chivalry--I wouldn't have defended his fight against Kalifa during Enies Lobby otherwise--it is the tonal dissonance between the subject matter being displayed and the character's reaction to it. I even praised the parts of his fight with Absalom that highlight his self-sacrificial nature, even if it makes him act ridiculous such as taking a stab wound to avoid getting blood on Nami's wedding dress. That's silly, but it's the sort of exaggeration that suits the series, and fits in the same category as Nami hitting the boys when she's annoyed with them.

Like Hogback, Absalom's actions are coded with the language of male obsession and objectification, sexual assault, and rape. Both characters only only care for the objects of their obsessions because of their victim's physical attractiveness. The implication is Hogback gave Cindry a post-mortem boob job. Nami literally gets attacked while she's bathing. They're very similar characters, so I think it's fair to ask why they're treated so differently by the narrative.

I also said that I believe the marriage subplot could have been written in a way that's more innocent and lighthearted, but Oda merrily skipped over the line once he included the imagery of sexual assault. That is my line in the sand, and it is absolutely a black mark on both Sanji and the series as the whole that Oda decided to highlight the similarities between he and Absalom instead of their differences. It moves the character from chivalrous dweeb to sex pest, and it's a decision he's doubled down on many times as the series progresses.

Nami being okay with being forcibly changed into a wedding dress after being drugged into unconsciousness by someone who tried to attack her because she "is fashion obsessed" is patently absurd, as is her being "used to it" because of her past. What I was trying to express is that it would have been nice if Nami had gotten as angry at what Absalom did to her as she did when Lola was attacked. Perhaps I didn't express myself well in that regard, but all in all I stand by my criticisms.

[space-matt]

More than just a joke

matt.sturniolo x fem.reader

summary: an accidental confession turns playful flirting into a genuine romance, who would have thought?

request: yes -> anon

author’s note: hii within this request I wanted to add my beloved Niall, but you can choose to put anyone!  hope you like it, let me know ♡

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺

English is not my first language, if you see grammar and typing mistakes, I apologize in advance! I just ask you not to be rude to me ♡

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺

As we filmed our regular videos with the triplets—Chris, Nick, and Matt—the bond between us had only grown stronger. The four of us shared a unique camaraderie, and our on-camera dynamic was always vibrant and filled with light banter and playful moments. 

However, during our filming sessions, I noticed that Matt had developed a habit of subtly flirting with me, often accompanied by a bashful grin and a barrage of cheesy, yet endearing lines. Unbeknownst to none, Chris and Nick would exchange sly glances, fully aware of Matt's infatuation with me and his shy, yet charming attempts at flirting. 

Each filming session became a delightful mix of playful interactions, including Matt's endearing, albeit slightly awkward, attempts at romantic overtures.

And, of course, you played along. His flirty comments always made you laugh, and you couldn’t help but flirt back, thinking it was all harmless and in good humor.

Today, you were filming another video, just like any other. The four of you were sitting together in the car, cameras rolling as you prepared to review some funny videos and react to them. But, as always, Matt found a way to start flirting with you.

“You know, this video would be a lot better if we were watching it on a date,” Matt quipped, flashing you that signature shy grin.

You laughed, shooting him a playful look. “Oh, really? You sure you could handle a date with me, Matt?”

Chris groaned loudly, tossing a pillow at Matt’s head. “Here we go again! Do you two ever take a break?”

Nick chimed in, shaking his head. “We should rename this video ‘Matt’s Flirting Hour.’ Honestly, it's getting hard to keep up with you two.”

But today, there was something different in the air. The banter between you and Matt felt more intense, and you noticed the way his smile lingered just a little longer than usual. It was like the whole flirting routine had become second nature, but neither of you seemed to want to stop.

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth cheesy line from Matt, Nick sat up with an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, that’s it. I can’t take it anymore! We need a distraction. New game, everyone. Let’s rate each other’s celebrity crushes.”

Chris, ever the instigator, grinned. “Oh, I like this idea. Let’s see where everyone’s head is at.”

You laughed, intrigued by the sudden change in topic. “Alright, I’m in. Let’s do this.”

Chris went first, of course. “Olivia Rodrigo. She’s iconic, gorgeous, and honestly, she can pull off any look. 10 out of 10.”

Nick nodded approvingly. “Solid choice. I’m going with Billie Eilish. She’s got that cool, mysterious vibe. I’m here for it.”

All eyes turned to you next. You smiled mischievously, knowing your answer might catch a few of them off guard. “Easy. Niall Horan.”

The reaction was immediate. Chris raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Niall Horan? Nice. You into the whole ‘singer-songwriter’ thing, huh?”

Nick laughed. “Yeah, I see it. Niall’s a cool dude.”

But it was Matt’s reaction that caught your attention. The smile that had been plastered on his face suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of surprise and… something else. His jaw clenched slightly, and you could tell he was trying to play it cool, but his eyes gave him away.

Chris noticed too, nudging Matt with his elbow. “Yo, Matt, you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Matt blinked, snapping out of whatever trance he had fallen into. “What? No, I’m fine, it’s just… Niall Horan? Really?”

You raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback by his tone. “Yeah, why? What’s wrong with Niall?”

Matt fumbled for words, his face turning red as he stammered out, “I mean, he’s fine, I guess… but… I don’t know, it’s just… you could do better.”

Chris and Nick both exchanged glances, sensing that something was up. Chris decided to poke the bear. “What’s the big deal, Matt? You jealous of Niall Horan or something?”

Matt looked visibly uncomfortable now, running a hand through his hair as he tried to laugh it off. “I’m not jealous, I just—”

And then, before he could stop himself, the words came tumbling out in a rush. “I just don’t like hearing you talk about some other guy when I’ve been trying to get your attention for months.”

The room fell into complete silence. Chris and Nick stared at Matt, wide-eyed, clearly not expecting that level of honesty to come out of their usually reserved brother. You, too, were caught off guard, blinking in surprise as Matt’s words sank in.

He looked mortified, immediately realizing what he had just blurted out. “I—uh, I didn’t mean—”

But there was no taking it back now. He’d said it. He’d admitted that all those cheesy lines, all that playful flirting, had meant something more to him. It wasn’t just a joke.

You didn’t know what to say at first. For months, you had assumed that Matt’s flirting was all in good fun, just part of the easy banter you shared. You never considered that there might be real feelings behind it. But now, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes, everything started to click into place.

“Matt,” you said softly, taking a step closer to him. “You’ve been serious this whole time?”

He shrugged awkwardly, his face still flushed. “I mean… yeah. I thought you’d just see it as a joke because… well, I’m me. But yeah, I guess I wasn’t joking.”

Chris and Nick, sensing that this was turning into something real, slowly backed away, giving you and Matt a bit of space.

You smiled, a little overwhelmed but touched by his honesty. “I had no idea, Matt. I thought we were just messing around.”

Matt gave a sheepish smile. “I was, but… I wasn’t, if that makes sense. I like you, and I guess I didn’t know how else to say it.”

For a moment, you just looked at him, realizing how much you enjoyed all those little flirty moments you had shared. Maybe you had brushed it off as a joke for so long because you were too afraid to admit that you liked him back.

“Well,” you said, your heart racing, “if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Niall Horan stands a chance compared to you.” (I’m joking, Niall is perfect)

Matt’s eyes widened, his face lighting up with surprise. “Wait, really?”

You nodded, smiling warmly. “Yeah. I think I like you too, Matt.”

A huge grin spread across his face, and for once, Matt was completely speechless. Chris, from the other side of the room, couldn’t help but pipe up. “Wow. Didn’t see that one coming.”

Nick laughed, shaking his head. “Matt actually did it. Respect.”

Matt turned to you, still smiling but clearly embarrassed by his brothers. “So… can I take you on that date? For real this time?”

You laughed, feeling a wave of relief and excitement wash over you. “Yeah, Matt. I think I’d like that.”

As the camera kept rolling, you realized this video had taken a turn no one expected—but somehow, it felt like the perfect ending.

"Despite their initial teasing, Chris and Nick are genuinely happy for Matt and wholeheartedly give their approval. Following this, the playful flirting on camera continues, but now it is infused with a new genuine undertone that both you and Matt are excited to further explore."

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Taglist:  @sturniolosreads @mayhem-72 @dracoflaco @lyzsaphrodite @ifilwtmfc @xoxo4chrisss @soimightlikeoldmen69 @inlovewithmattstur @sturniolobendystrawsposts @tillies33ssss @junnniiieee07 @blackhorses-posts

[lemotmo]

I think parts of that fandom are kind of in a tailspin of reality at the moment. Her ask box is still closed but this is OUCH

My friend received an ask telling him that he can't hold that deleted clip against Tommy because it's not technically canon since it was deleted. In the same ask they told him he had to give Tommy credit for letting Buck set the pace. Sweetie, you can't pick and choose what parts of a deleted clip you can claim are canon and what parts you can ignore. That's not how it works. The part of that clip that is absolutely canon is the repeated pattern, in non deleted scenes, of blatant dismissal on Tommy's part regarding any type of conversational depth when it comes to the topic of Buck and their relationship. I don't need a deleted clip to prove that's what's happening.

A couple of things are fairly obvious here. The traffic on that post is not what it would have been even 3 weeks ago. That's the first thing. Yes the numbers were decent but not great and certainly not impressive. They are representative of a small fandom, which is what you are. The second thing is they didn't trend on Twitter or Tumblr following the post, something that definitely would have happened a few weeks ago, and a barometer his fans constantly like to use as 'proof' of popularity. So something has shifted/happened. It could be that all the people screaming that they had been blocked by the official show account were being honest and the account moderators figured out their spamming game. Something that was always going to happen eventually given the kind of things they were openly admitting they were saying and sending. The Buddie fandom figured it out weeks ago and quickly started making up the commenting ground on the posts, they also, wisely, stopped engaging with the Buck/Tommy comments on those same posts. So it was only a matter of time before they became drowned out anyway. Meaning the numbers were always artificially inflated and once they weeded out the duplicate accounts the numbers naturally decreased. Or the more likely scenario, the hype faded. Something that was also always going to happen.

Anytime a show has 2 men kissing it's going to be talked about. People will watch it. Get excited over it. Want more of it. But if the show doesn't provide content of some kind, the excitement from the wider group at large, dwindles. My ask box, along with my friend groups ask boxes, pretty much confirm that the die hard shippers don't really care about the couple. They ship Lou. Buck and Oliver are just the character/actor Lou is paired with. Look at their behavior towards Oliver. He didn't engage with them, he doesn't promote the pair, and he doesn't follow Lou, so they openly turned against him. That was never going to be sustainable from a large numbers perspective. The audience cares about Buck not Tommy. It was never a smart strategy. Making it almost exclusively about Lou was never going to end well. The frantic posting following the release of the clip trying to explain why it was actually a good thing that Tommy doesn't care what the 118 thinks of him, when anyone with just a passing knowledge of the show knows it's actually a very bad sign, tells me all I need to know. You're aware of the reality of what the show, THUS FAR, is doing. Only it doesn't match the content you paid $200 to hear, my apologies $169 to hear, so you feel cheated. That's not Oliver's fault. That's not the show's fault. And it's why I'm more certain each day that Tim put a stop to it. Those videos created an unmitigated disaster for everyone not named Lou.

I also think some people genuinely don't understand the size difference between the two fandoms. The Buddie fandom makes up a significant number of their audience as a whole. Their fans are not all on Tumblr and Twitter. They have general audience fans. That is not an exaggeration. And it's something the show is more than aware of. Do not try to pretend the show doesn't know that. The general audience/passive fans, like them as a unit. It's just a fact. And never, until now, has a group tried so hard to pretend they aren't an audience favorite. They are. I also think there's quite a few fans like me. I don't classify myself as a shipper. I want the best story for the characters I love, Buck and Eddie. I like Tommy for the larger Buck and Eddie story I think they're using his character to set up. Once it's been set, I don't need or care to have Tommy stick around. Once the newness of the Buck/Tommy pair settled lots of casual shippers were always going to make their way back to the Buddie side. It's the side with all the context. It's also the side the actor/character the show cares about is on. And I promise you Oliver gets a say. Ryan gets a say. Lou doesn't get a say. Paid for headcanons don't get a say.

Ooooof, well--

Nothing to add to this one I think, so I'll wisely stay quiet. Thank you anonymous OP for being so based in reality. :)

Thank you for sending this to me Nonny. It's appreciated, as always.

Remember, no hate in comments or reblogs. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of the anonymous OP’s posts, you can find all of their posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[bisnes-socks]

i decided to actually monologue about finnish vowel harmony (while avoiding my real responsibilities) inspired by this post by @seokoilua so anyone wanting to learn the difference between "khaarija" and "käärijä", here goes!

disclaimer i am not a linguist or a voice teacher. just a nerd trying my best.

so that post is a great example bc you can see jere say the word "käärijä" in a very relaxed manner. the second clip is even better than the first, because he keeps his intonation very naturally finnish.

listen to his voice and look at the shape of his mouth. the Ä vowel is not a very "relaxed" vowel. that's because it is a front vowel.

finnish vowels are divided into front vowels, back vowels and neutral vowels. front vowels are: Ä, Ö and Y. back vowels are: A, O and U. neutral vowels are: E and I.

notice how front vowels kind of have like an equivalent in the back vowels. Ä and A, Ö and O, U and Y? it might feel natural to think they are similar sounds, different flavours! but no! they are not!

back vowels are called back vowels, because the sounds you produce should resonate further back in your head and even deep in your throat. they are very relaxed vowels: your jaw is relaxed and there is little to no tension. The A vowel is about as relaxed as you can get. U and O of course demand some tension in the lips and a bit in the jaw, so you can form the necessary shape with your mouth, but your jaw should still be preeeetty relaxed and your lips are forming round shapes more than anything.

now look at jere saying käärijä again. "käärijä" is not forming round shapes in the lips. front vowels bring more tension to the lips, the mouth opens to the sides much more.

front vowels are called front vowels because the voice should resonate much more to the front of your face and mouth. think almost nasal (but emphasis on the almost nasal. i'm saying this because it's a common way to understand making your voice resonate in the front of your face. you don't need to go fully nasal for front vowels.)

so, if we want to talk about what bojan does "wrong": you can't see his mouth shapes very well in the first clip, but i've noticed, in multiple videos, that he tries to say "käärijä" by opening his mouth bigger but taking his jaw down and forming round-ish lip shapes. he is mimicking an A vowel but trying to make it Ä by adding some sort of twang. he gets close when he mimics jere's voice and accent, but have you ever noticed that his jere imitation is more nasal than jere actually is? bojan seems to be trying to pull the vowels he knows naturally into a nasal placement, because i'm sure he can hear that jere's placement is different - he just hasn't grasped the nuance.

and this here is why generally speaking, in finnish, front vowels and back vowels don't go together. it's käärijä and not käärija, because it couldn't be käärija. käärija would be very difficult to say to a finnish person, because to jump from a long ÄÄ to a short A would mean having to adjust your vocal placement really quite radically. (the exceptions to the rule are compound words and loan words, for reasons. sorry to tell you this.)

so bojan's solution is some sort of a half way placement that he makes more nasal depending on how funny he wants to sound, i guess lmao. HOWEVER i think he has improved and sometimes gets very close, but in the Ruisrock clip a finnish person can definitely hear that his Ä vowels are just a tad off. that's because they are a bit too round and a bit too "in the mouth" - like an A with an accent, not a clean Ä. (btw "in the mouth" is a very neutral vowel placement, used for E and I in finnish.)

final thing: i know some of these things can be hard to hear and hard to see, because finnish is not a super expressive language vocally. it's quite... low key and monotone even. but if you want to learn the differences in vowels, i might suggest doing them exaggerated first to find the placement and then toning them down to make them flow easier.

and anyone with actual proper expertise on the matter, feel free to jump in!

[massivechestplate]

Is anyone else tired over recent events? Not in a sleepy way, but in that bone-deep depression way?

Bit of a long post about the general Gacha game-sphere. Needed to get this off of my chest, might as well scream into the void.

I ask this as someone who flirts between these gacha games out of boredom mostly. They're free, they're phone, they got Story, and I'm not spending a cent on them personally, so that's why I play them.

But every fucking day it seems we got another controversy. Bad VA this, fired an artist that, White_Pharaoh.png being handed out like fucking candy on Halloween lately.

And then we discuss on how Its Bad, and we all know Its Bad, people discuss on what to do, Boycott, torch the franchise and run, stay and try to fix it, ignore it because it's been your Comfort Media for the past 3 years, all that stuff. And it's hard. And a lot of those choices always feel half-assed.

I've been around a bit, I've seen it. I was around when Fate Grand Order had LB7, Wandjina, and all the other shit on 2023 JP hit, and there was talk, some talked but stayed, others left but chose to still engage with Type-Moon works, some might've left completely but I never heard of them.

I was around when Project Moon fired Vellmori, and there was betrayal, some deciding to leave, others staying because Project Moon wormed into their hearts and they decided to stay even knowing what was happening. Knowing what it was now built on and where the lines were drawn.

And I'm here now in the midst of the Hoyoverse shittery round 2, I don't think I need to speak at length on that. We've all seen it.

And all the time every potential choice to take feels half-assed?

Do you leave, abandoning the franchise as if leaving without fighting to improve something makes you good, preserving your own morality at the cost of never making anything better? The lack of evil substituting for substantial good?

Do you boycott? If so is it purely not spending money or not even logging in? Does it even make a difference? After all, when do these oversea companies really listen to anyone outside their country of origin? Is it enough to stop on that one specific game and still buy other works, or do you condemn the whole?

Do you continue on as normal, to indulge in the media? To continue what brings you joy and comfort? Is criticizing and acknowledging the faults enough or just lipservice?

Are we arrogant to impose our values on others, hating foreign companies not conforming to our beliefs? Or is this completely reasonable, every scathing speech and point completely justified and never bordering on some level of sinophobia?

And just... it's hard. Hard enough trying to be a Good Person normally but here? In this space? Part of it feels natural and some action is necessary for the Good of Everything, the other part feels like a big fuss over something ultimately small and meaningless.

And it hurts. You give out pieces of yourself to these stories, let it become a part of you, then become forced to tear it out of your heart just to be Good. And when I say that I don't mean in that internet point "I'm a good person way" but the way of being Good with yourself, proving only to yourself.

And it doesn't help that plenty of us have devolved into humanity's good old passtime of tribalism, mockery, and a lack of empathy for The Other. Everyone's been taking the piss out of the other gacha players for the stuff their games pull as if their own games haven't done the same. Some of it might be in good nature, over exaggerated and self-deprecating, a joke or criticism, but its honestly become indistinguishable from genuine malice and contempt.

And...

I'm tired.

Tired of seeing this. Tired of dealing with it. Tired of wondering what to do, what's the best choice, what choice even is there.

Part of me is honestly tempted to just not care. To accept that I'm a bad person by playing these games and going through with it anyways because I'm so tired and cynical that hedonistic indulgence just becomes more worth it than trying to be good. At most accept a Gacha-game that's a 'Lesser Evil' compared to another, if that even counts.

Because it hurts. Because you let these stories change you, touch you, let them into your heart, and then have to tear it out with your own two hands and pretend it doesn't hurt. And you can't feel like you can mourn what you lost, because someone will come in and start raving about how it's dumb you even cared to begin with.

I've seen arguments for every option, from people I don't respect and people I do, strangers and prominent community figures. I've warred with the argument of "Morally Pure Media doesn't exist, don't beat yourself up over it" and wonder just how absolute that statement should be.

And I don't know.

And all I want is to go to sleep, and wake up and have it magically be better.