#but that doesn't mean that there are not also things that are unique about the situation

[shanastoryteller]

HAPPY DAY OF YOUR BIRTH!!!!! Draco and wizarding politics please?

a continuation of 1 2 3 4

"You're being an idiot about this," Draco says in greeting.

Harry's lips twitch up in the corners. He holds out a bouquet of light pink French roses. "Hello, Draco."

The roses are beautiful, in perfect bloom, and with just enough variation between them that they're probably not the product of a copying charm, although he supposes they could be a unique bit of transfiguration. However, considering it was Longbottom that finally got him to agree to this, there's a decent chance they're natural grown.

"Thank you," he says grudgingly, taking the flowers. They smell nice, which is another point in favor of the natural grown theory. Getting scent correctly is rather advanced and can be tricky even for masters. Pansy's not a master but she has a knack for it that few others can replicate, but he attributes that more to her vast perfume collection and obsession thereof than anything else.

Harry rubs the back of his neck, looking at someplace over Draco's shoulder. "Uh, yeah. No problem."

Merlin.

"First thing's first, don't slouch," he snaps. "Look me in the eye when you're speaking to me. Don't fidget. You killed a dark lord, Potter, and it would behoove you to occasionally act like it."

"I had help," Harry says, but he doesn't straighten and meet Draco's eyes, letting his hand fall back to his side. "Also, you should probably call me Harry if we're doing this."

Help. As if that means it doesn't qualify. One of Harry's most irritating qualities in school was that he was arrogant over the wrong things. Depressingly little has changed. "Apologies. You killed a dark lord, Harry, and it would behoove you to occasionally act like it."

Harry's definitely smiling at him now.

He turns to go find a vase. He could leave it for the elves, but hopefully by the time he gets back, Harry will have moved his mouth into a more appropriate shape.

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

Might be an odd question, but let’s be real, ghouls are pretty unique physically; no noses, inhuman eyes, ~ribbed for her pleasure~. Do you think a Ghoul Kink is a known phenomenon and, if so, which ghouls take advantage of it? Are there any that avoid a partner who wants a ghoul specifically so they aren’t objectified?

Fun ask! Ghoul fetishization is definitely a thing, even in canon. I've seen it mentioned a lot in fan works, but there's also at least a couple mentions of ghoul fuckery/fetishization in the games. New Vegas, especially, is pretty forward with the idea that there are people who want to get down with ghouls. You can recruit Beatrix Russell, the hired gun employed by the Followers of the Apocalypse, to work as a sex worker at the Atomic Wrangler, as the twins who run the place are looking for a ghoul for a high-paying regular client who has specifically requested one. There are also multiple ghoul sex workers employed at Gomorrah, both male and female, which implies demand for sex with ghouls on the Strip. Medical records can be found that note possible physical side effects of fucking a ghoul, which means it happens frequently enough for doctors to note common outcomes.

For the record, I'm looking at this more from the angle of pure fetishization (bad, dehumanizing) rather than just having a higher than average level of attraction to ghouls (acceptable, sexy). When it comes to the latter, I don't think most folks would have an issue.

Ranking Ghouls' Thoughts on Ghoul Fetishists

Will fuck a ghoul fetishist, doesn't see an issue: Michael Masters, Patchwork, Andy Scabb, Kyle Edwards (though he has a bad experience if he does so, which changes his mind), Dean Domino

Might fuck a fetishist, but keeps their guard up about it: Ahzrukhal (someone being that into it kinda spoils it for him), Gob, Murphy, Snowflake, Hadrian, Rotface, Eddie Winter, Edward Deegan, Tommy Lonegan

Avoids interacting with fetishists: Barrett, Dr. Barrows, Charon, Crowley, Quinn, Roy Phillips, Winthrop, Grecks, Harland, Jason Bright, Joshua Graham, Raul Tejada, Arlen Glass, Ham, John Hancock, Kent Connolly, Vault-Tec Rep, Captain Zao, Gunther Jenkins, Cooper Howard

[blondeaxolotl]

WAIT WAIT MONO demon bugfolk?? Im very intrigued. so you said they aren’t actually bugfolk, yeah? whats the difference? are they just demons who have buggish features?

Hiii Bunniiee :Dc I hope you're ready for a yap session LMAO

Bug demons mimic actual bugfolks! In both appearances, behaviour and culture, but of course they are still their own thing. Though, they basically are just "demons who have buggish features"

Bugfolks are probably the most unique looking creatures in my au, they have wings, antennae, and multiple limbs. But most importantly they're the nicest out of any creatures 💜, the most "threatening" looking bug is still as nice as that ladybug bugfolk you talked to. The only time you should be worried about bugfolks harming you is if you've made yourself out to be a threat/danger and out to harm someone, then get ready to be chased down by either an army of ants or a swarm of wasps LMAO

Bug demons are demons who mimic and try to blend in with the other bugfolks, they are not "true bugs", they're just a type of demon that looks like one. When you're not paying attention it's pretty easy to mistake a bug demon for a bugfolk. A few details you should look out for is to see if there's any horns on them, since they don't bother hiding them it shouldn't be hard. But sometimes their horns can be their replacements for antennae, so you might have to look closer and see if their "antennae" are moving or if they're just stiff as hell (meaning they're horns).

another detail is sometimes they lack the "extra limbs", all bugfolks have extra limbs, four arms (or legs) or more. A majority of demons can shapeshift to change their appearance, bug demons included. Surprisingly a lot of bug demons prefer to just have less limbs than more, the only time they have extra is to blend in, but those who don't try to just continue walking around with their two arms. It might not be a big difference for other creatures, but for bugfolks it's kind of uncanny valley to see a "bugfolk" without their extra limbs. Bugfolks are always the first to notice when a "bug" isn't their kin

Even though they try to mimic bugfolk behaviours, a lot of bug demons are naturally more.. Rude and insensitive. An example of this is dealing wiith someone who's afraid of bugs: Bugfolks are immediately alerted when there's someone who has a phobia of bugs, they keep their distance from them and avoid touching them unless given permission to, they'll talk to the person, but they won't force them to look at them or do anything the person doesn't want them to do. If a person with a bug phobia enters their hometown, they'll do their best to make sure the person can enjoy their stay in comfort just like someone who doesn't have a phobia of bugs. They're also given a bright colored ribbon with large bells attached to wear on their wrist, this is to alert other bugfolks to avoid accidentally touching them or scaring them. Bugfolks want everyone to feel welcomed and safe in their hometown, so people with bug phobias are treated extra nice, basically princess treatment for them 💜💜💜

Bug demons on the other hand.. questions asked immediately, persons comfort later. Majority of bug demons cannot seem to grasp the idea of a "phobia", and that usually means they try to get into the persons face while asking them questions they can't answer (and most of them they're also either insulting them or poking fun of them because they think it's funny). Examples would be:

- "A phobia of bugs? What, are you scared of me or something?" <- tries to get into the persons view and force them to look at them. - "Eh? If you're scared of us, why the hell are you here? Are you trying to make yourself look more pathetic?" <- in response to the person staying in the bugfolks hometown - "Whoops! Sorry! I couldn't see the bells you're wearing, maybe wear them on your head next time hehe" <- after purposely poking the person hard after noticing the bells and acting like they "didn't see it".

These are only some examples, but in conclusion bug demons like to pick on those who have any kind of phobias of bugs. Not all of them do this thankfully, but in general this is basically the main reason why bug demons quickly get tackled and banished (rare times even killed) from the bugfolks hometown. If there's anything that bugfolks hate, it's bullies, especially those who pick on someone for something they can't control. Bugfolks want to make themselves out to be friendly and welcoming, if some asshole tries to sabotage their reputation, the end result for that guy won't be pretty.

Bug demons originally snuck into bugfolks hometown and try to blend in for the purpose to catch one bugfolk off guard and devour them, but in recent years few bug demons just full on moved in and adapted to living with the bugfolks because it's way more peaceful here than where they come from. Not all bug demons are rude and out to eat someone while others are, so bugfolks are fine with sharing their space with them as long as they're respectful and do not harm anyone.

Bugfolks might not be as strong as other creatures like beastfolks n such, but lord I don't think any creature would survive pissing off or harming someone in front of them and the next thing you see is hundreds of angry giant wasps speeding directly towards you with either the intention to kick you out or harm you (pray it's the former)

Insane long yap but yeah tldr Bugfolks: actual bug, nice, friendly, will only harm you if you attacked first or are picking on someone. Bug Demons: not bugs, they're demons, some are nice but alot of them are not, they bully those with phobias because "funny", they eat actual bugfolks. Yeah that's about it I think

[sejianismodding]

🌸 Unique "TagValueNumbers" - Part 10 🎁 For my "CAS Filters" mod! (Patreon)

Before I do the whole copypaste of the post body, I would like to state that some drama has arisen concerning my "CAS Filters" mod, post release. If you find that I have added a filter for your content to my mod and you do not wish to allow simmers who download your content to be able to filter your content under your creator name while using my mod, you are welcomed to request that I strike your filter from the mod and it will be removed in the following update.

—

We are now in the post-release phase of this project, which means new filters will be added in "feature updates". HOWEVER, if there is a 9-digit "ID" assigned to a creator filter in my glorious spreadsheet, it can be added to content ahead of the next "feature update".

I will try to provide JSON files for all "PENDING" filters ahead of "feature updates". If I do, they will be available on the Patreon post and any mirrors that permit me to share JSON files.

As always, you are welcome to request any name added to the list, but you are also welcome to request a 9-digit "ID" if one has not been assigned yet, and also request a JSON.

Simmers can also request personalized "IDs" for personal use, similar to how I made one for "my anonymous friend".

—

Tumblr appears to have a limit for how many users I can @ in a post, but I would like to @ everyone on Tumblr when I create filters for them, as a way to notify you about what I'm doing and so simmers who see this post can find you easily.

I might come off as an egomaniacal arsehole at times (always for good reason), but it's because I care about our community.

I opted to not re-blog the Tumblr OP linked above because it is subject to lots of changes and Tumblr doesn't update the "preview" of re-blogged posts, HOWEVER, you're more than welcomed to re-blog the Tumblr OP and/or this post.

🌸 A UNIQUE 9-DIGIT "ID" FOR EVERYONE:

The 9-digit numbers following your name are to be used in the "TagValueNumber" field for the "SpecialContent" TAG.

Each 9-digit "ID" is unique to the creator it was made for - it is based on your creator name. I made them using a slightly convoluted system I devised in order to ensure that every "ID" is unique and that the filter list in CAS maintains some semblance of alphabetical order. These "numbers"IDs" can potentially be used for other things, but we'll get to that later.

🎓 HOW IT DO, PIKACHU:

If you're well-versed in creating or modifying CAS content, all you need to do is add a new TAG to your swatches - you can do just the first swatch, but you should do all swatches - and change the "CategoryNumber" to "127" (without the quotes), and change the "TagValueNumber" to the desired 9-digit "ID".

For everyone else who is new to this, there are detailed instructions in the form of easy to follow screenshots attached to the Tumblr OP and the Patreon OP, with further text-based instructions in the Patreon OP.

Individual JSON files for Sims 4 Studio for each filter TAG are also available, to make the process of adding these TAGS easier.

@atelierlena -- 201835437

@atomiclight -- 201866425

@catnipsims -- 203286477

@deetron-sims -- 304338766

@fluffusnow -- 306583387

@linzlu -- 512469580

@ser-bia-sims -- 719377368

@sifix -- 719434900 -- Sifix is retired. I will override their items.

@tommeraas-cc -- 820666372

@whirliko -- 923447545

TBC...

—

[CAS SCREENSHOTS PENDING™]

—

[mythicalcoolkid]

You don't wish your disability was worse or more visible, you wish your disability was taken seriously. Please stop confusing the two, I guarantee you would not get the support you need JUST by being more severe or more visible. Please listen to visibly disabled people when we tell you it isn't better on our side

[library-windows]

well shucks, thanks

And also: not a stretch at all! The fonts are very much part of the character design.

The more erudite monks and nuns -- i.e., the ones in the official hierarchy (Gernot, Ferenc, and Mathieu in the monastery, and Cecilia and Lijsbet in the convent) and the ones in the library/scriptorium (Illuminata, Zdena, Piero, Aedoc, and Guy) -- all speak in blackletter/Gothic script.

And because I will take any opportunity possible to point at my wretched little blorbeau, Brother Guy in particular has a unique way of writing his Ys because he learned to write in a Burgundian hand, not a German one -- which means that Andreas can identify his handwriting, if he's a craftsman who takes an interest in such things.

The cursive font is based on Carolingian minuscule, I believe, and used for characters who can read and have some education (the first dialogue below is from Father Thomas, since there's no nametag on it).

And the simplest handwritten font is used for characters who can't read, or who can read but don't do it much in practice; most of the inhabitants of Tassing speak with this font.

Several of the monks and nuns also speak this way, even though it's noted in-game that everyone at Kiersau is literate -- characters like Wojslav, Matilda, Lukas, and Volkbert all use this font. So without ever actually saying it, we're shown that there's still something of a class divide even within the abbey -- between the officials and the scribes/artists, and the people who are doing the more mundane work in the kitchens, the gardens, the infirmary, etc.

The Druckers, as printers, all speak in type rather than written font (including Marie, Bert, and later Magdalene).

Andreas, Werner, and other university-educated characters speak in a humanist minuscule font to reflect them as more modern -- in their background, if not necessarily their personal philosophy.

(Also interesting, or at least interesting to me, is that when we see characters' actual handwriting, it's in cursive -- we see it with Andreas, Magdalene, and Guy, despite their speech being humanist, printed type, and monastic blackletter, respectively.)

But anyway what's really interesting is how the fonts change -- I don't think it happens much with Magdalene, but you see it multiple times through Andreas' perspective, where sometimes text is erased and rewritten in a different font as Andreas learns more about the person he's speaking to. Baron Rothvogel initially speaks in cursive, which changes to humanist writing when Andreas finds out that he's highly educated, despite not going to a university.

Old Til and Florian both start with the simplest "peasant" font; but if Andreas talks to Til and learns that he is a voracious reader with an interest in Roman history, it changes to the cursive font. And in Act II, Florian's read so many books by way of Claus Drucker and has become so enthused about the availability of printed books that his speech turns into type.

The Sommerfelds also start out with the generic peasant font, which turns into type when Andreas learns they're printers.

Some font changes, like the baron's and the Sommerfelds', are written into the story; but if Andreas never stops to have that conversation with Til, or if he gets Florian in trouble in Act I and the abbot forbids Florian to get books from Claus, then the font changes don't occur. Til's is entirely dependent on Andreas learning his assumptions were wrong, and Florian's is dependent on the abbot allowing him to get books from town (which doesn't happen if you rat him out to Gernot or the archbishop).

tl;dr you are 100% correct on the intentional font use! They serve as a quick shorthand about certain aspects of the characters, and also show us how Andreas in particular sometimes "rewrites" his perceptions of characters from his initial assumptions -- as well as showing us that Andreas' assumptions are informed by his own biases, and aren't always correct.

There is a lot of information from Lettermatic themselves here about the process of designing the fonts, it's pretty interesting stuff!

I've hit the image limit in this post which indicates to me that I've probably said enough

(EXCEPT THAT there is an additional point about characters with changing fonts that spoils Act III/the conclusion of the game, so I'm putting it under a readmore just to be safe)

Spoilers for Act III and the climax of the game! IHR WURDET GEWARNT

When Andreas meets her, Amalie initially uses the same bastarda that the educated monks and nuns use, which immediately switches to the "peasant" font when Thomas implies to Andreas that she's illiterate.

That remains the font used for her until the very end, when her role is revealed and it changes again -- not to the regular blackletter of the Kiersau monks/nuns, but to her own unique font/hand that we've been seeing throughout the game, without realizing it's hers.

Kiersau is an old abbey, Andreas, and sometimes even I wonder if it - if we - have outlived our purpose here. . . . Sometimes I wonder if we were meant to change and we just... forgot to.

So here's something I thought was interesting.

Between Act I and Act II, the townspeople of Tassing age and change. Some of them begin going gray (or go grayer). Some grow longer beards or hair. Some have cheekbones become more prominent, or have lines on their face that develop or deepen, even subtly. And of course it's especially obvious with the kids of Tassing, who are growing from babies into children, and children into teenagers.

Even those characters who don't have visual changes to their faces or hair have differences to their clothing to show that time has passed. They've changed, even if it's only replacing or restyling old clothes, or growing out their hair. People have died, been born, gotten married, moved into town, built new businesses, taken up new ideas - the growth and change is often modest, but it's visible.

But at Kiersau Abbey...

... nobody changes - so much so that most of the monks and nuns don't even have different portraits between Act I and Act II, despite the passage of seven years.

For those that do, the only change is to the color of their habit (the seven years between Act I and Act II would encompass the entire period between entering the abbey and solemn profession, so anyone who was a novice when Andreas was there in Act I would have necessarily professed by Act II). The only other one who changes is Aedoc, whose "image" becomes more worn - but even he doesn't change facially. (Compare him to the visible aging of Ill Peter, another elderly male character.) None of the members of Kiersau physically change, visually, in those seven years. No lines on their faces, no gray hair, no wrinkles, no beard growth, no drooping, no aging, nothing.

The only ones who change regardless of the outcome of Act I are Cecilia, who was far more worldly and savvy than her counterpart, more proactive and less caught up in Kiersau as a bubble; and Piero, who understood and accepted that change was inevitable and didn't fear it. And the only way that they could change was to die, and disappear altogether.

And for all that there's been at least one major change to Kiersau with the closure of the scriptorium (and possibly more, depending on Ferenc and Matilda's fates in Act I), almost nothing has changed in terms of how Andreas/the player sees and experiences the abbey. Of those characters in the abbey who have "grown up", Zdena is still half-heartedly tending to the remains of the library under Illuminata's supervision (and Illuminata herself, though she's now Mother Superior, is still in the library sorting books). Lukas is still in the kitchen, and still can't quite figure out what to do without Wojslav directing him. Volkbert is still doing the menial, grubby work nobody else wants to do. He even lampshades how taking his vows hasn't really changed anything except the color of his habit:

I'm a monk now. . . . I still do the same work, but now I have the same robes as the other brothers.

One expects the abbey to change more slowly than the town, given that the monks and nuns aren't likely to be getting married or having children (one presumes, at least); but even those characters who have, in name, taken on new roles are still functionally doing mostly the same things they were doing seven years ago.

The only members of Kiersau that we see change, grow, take on visibly different roles, and age are the ones we see in Act III, after the abbey has been destroyed and they've moved on elsewhere.

Obviously Kiersau Abbey is not some kind of actual pocket dimension where time doesn't move (unless . . . ?). But it's posited even within the text of the game as a deliberate anachronism, a medieval holdover in the early modern age; and it's set against the inescapable presence of the Church's inertia versus the looming Reformation, and the growing social unrest against the feudal status quo. A major theme of the game is the inevitability of change and loss, and how being able to accept it and move on is essential for growth/survival. And it's clear that the stagnation has reached such a point that there can be no lasting change on a social scale in Tassing until Kiersau burns.

So all that said, I don't think the visual contrast between the clear progression of time in Tassing, and the lack of it in Kiersau, is a coincidence.

This is Kiersau, Andreas. You should know by now, nothing here changes.

[trappedinafantasy37]

One of the things that had my mind spinning for a while is that in the Shadowheart origin, if you reject Shar, Minthara will apologize. She will believe that she and the rest of the companions held Shadowheart back from achieving her destiny. She blames herself for Shadowheart making a choice completely on her own, thinking that Shadowheart's concern for herself and others held her back. Minthara feels it to be her fault that Shadowheart is not as powerful as she could be and she is to blame for Shadowheart walking away from her destiny. Minthara sees herself as having failed for Shadowheart making the choice that she did.

I know it is cut content and cannot really be considered canon, but she does something similar in the breakup. Where she's yelling at Durge and asking why they rejected Bhaal. And Durge can tell her it's cause they love her. When the breakup was slipped in, I was initially so angry because Minthara calls Durge stupid for choosing love over power (when Minthara herself chooses love over power). Especially since the breakup happens like 10 minutes after the alurlssrin confession where she says the two of you have an unbreakable bond. I used to be so confused on why she would be so upset that you actually loved her. Then I realized that she's not upset that you love her. She's upset cause she fears that your love for her held you back.

Even though she sees you as her equal, she keeps putting herself as less than you. Where your wants and desires are more important than her own, and your greatness should be put above any affection you have for her. She wants you to love her of course, but she does not want to be what holds you back from reaching for power. To Minthara, power is safety and she has never felt safe. She wants you to keep elevating yourself cause the stronger you are, the safer you will be and by extension, the safer she will be. So you picking her over power means you are less safe and by consequence, she is less safe. And as much as Minthara loves loves, she needs to be safe first. It's why it seems like she keeps making the same dumb mistakes over and over, getting herself into precarious situations. It isn't because she's necessarily blinded by love, but she feels her proximity to power should keep her safe.

I also had a discussion with someone on Reddit, talking where it almost seems like Minthara keeps putting herself in positions of servitude, despite having some pretty ambitious goals involving world domination. We are talking about someone who has been a servant of Lolth her entire life. She tells us she was raised to be a soldier in Lolth's army and that was all she was meant to be. For 200+ years she was a servant and has never been anything else and doesn't know how to be anything else, and I believe she is too afraid to try to be anything else.

As a paladin, she was responsible for keeping social order, follow the word of whatever Priestess was in charge and enacting Lolth's will, partake in surface raids, and kill any of Lolth's enemies. There was very little room for her to achieve what she wanted, because Lolth had to come first. And even if there were things she wanted for herself, they still ultimately had to please Lolth in the end. Her time in the Absolute is no different. She just swaps the Absolute for Lolth and keeps up with the same shit (although she is too brainwashed to tell). So of course she is stunned when Lolth abandons her and the Absolute attempts to kill her and throws her deep into a crisis of faith. 200+ years of service has always bought her safety, until it didn't. So when you come along, she just swaps you for the Absolute. Telling herself, "I just need to be better than I was for the Absolute, better than I was for Lolth, and I should be okay." And her little rant about the gods, Lolth, Bhaal, the Absolute. Minthara is not anti-god. Minthara is anti-gods who do not reward their followers for their service. Because to her, service should be rewarded with something (other than death). She plays both sides when it comes to Shar because although she does think Shar is a poison in Shadowheart's life and believes Shadowheart is better off without Shar, at least Shar did reward Shadowheart for her service by making her a Dark Justiciar and elevating her to Chosen.

You would think she'd learn, but she doesn't. Not because she's stupid, but because her basic need for safety isn't being met. And so be fair, her "mistakes" with Lolth and the Absolute were relatively recent. So she keeps pushing people down the path of ruin and never going down the path herself directly, thinking that if she helps you become powerful, she will be safe. Where if she stands beside as you walk down this path, you will reward her for her service. Where she does not believe you would betray her because she helped you get that power. Where she thinks her service to you should buy her safety. Because to her, the most important thing she can be to you is useful. And she is terrified of being useless. So she provides you with unbreakable loyalty, devotion, and servitude, (and perhaps love). Where she will help you achieve your ambitions, whether it be to become a Dark Justiciar, the Vampire Ascended, the Slayer, or a god. Her path to safety, and greatness, and true power is forever lost to her down in the Underdark. So all she can do is help you walk down yours.

She keeps doing the same stupid shit over and over, making the same mistakes with people over and over, cause her fundamental need to safety is never being satisfied. And her service to various gods and entities technically did buy her safety, but only for an unknown period of time. And when she loses that safety, she thinks that the problem is her. That she was punished because she was not a good enough servant. That if she was a truly good servant, she won't lose your safety and your protection. And she thinks love interferes with your perception of her as a servant. She wants you to see her as a loyal servant first, lover second, because the only things in her life to be truly rewarded was her service, whereas her love got punished.

[wasteful-sam]

I'm so glad we get to talk about this! Honestly, I've spent a lot of time looking at his face model to better understand how to write his dialogue and actions.

And I've got to say: I believe Larian gave him a unique face for a reason. It expresses a lot of traits we suspect he could have/traits that are hinted at to expand his characterization in the limited time he has in the game.

Here's my interpretation (this is 50/50 my headcanon and things you probably thought about yourself).

First and foremost, he looks relatively older than his siblings. However, if we judge by their interactions, it is pretty clear that they are very close in age. To me, the intention here was to show that he carries this family basically, so he has to deal with a lot of stress. He's the one trying to earn what little money he can through magic tricks or any manual labor available (which could also explain his surprisingly high Strength stat for a wizard).

We get the confirmation that Rolan places the sole responsibility of getting his family out of poverty on himself during interactions with him in Act 1 / during the party (I won't be quoting the exact words, but you probably know what I mean).

This ambition of his pretty much dictates the unique features of his appearance:

The wrinkle between his eyes - not only due to him being a grumpy man but because he probably squints - he has to read a lot to teach himself magic. The same can be said about his dark circles and wrinkles under the eyes - he reads, squints, stresses out, repeats.

His chin has some wrinkles, too, but it is probably because he tightens his jaw when he's annoyed (which is often).

His cheeks are sunken, perhaps a nod to the fact that his family is poor and he doesn't eat as much as he needs to.

His skin texture, especially on his cheeks, reminds me of someone who shaves regularly. Combined with his clean hairstyle and pristine robes, it feels like he's trying to present a polished, professional image - to impress Lorroakan or other wizards, maybe. I imagine he feels the need to prove himself, especially as a tiefling in a world that judges him harshly.

Freckles. In my experience, characters are usually given freckles to show that they are sensitive to external/internal factors. And we know how Rolan gets very emotional if he just hears a wrong comment/assumption about his persona.

Overall, his face shape and features are sharp and pointy, which shows that he's not quite a fluffy man and displays his life struggles.

Case in point: 100/10 character design and visual storytelling. He is perfect.

Also the pic to showcase what I'm talking about x)

If there's one thing I love, it's Rolan's skin texture, I love his visible pores, his freckles and his wrinkles. They give his beautiful face so much character, whenever I'm doing VP and I zoom in on his face it makes me so happy to see all these little "imperfections". I love that sweet Wizard.

Thank you Larian 🥹

I'm in my feelings today okay?

[insanescriptist]

Adel eventually got around to it! Some weeks and a couple reminders later...

-=-=-=-=-

Q. So how'd you get the idea of this?

The idea of a FSN/JJK xover happened because I got a little nostalgic for complex magic systems, tried to find some good FSN crossovers that I hadn't read and also I might have been rereading some of Slex's fics (specifically this one ) and went huh. Then there was a little math work and I realized the FSN cast could feasible be of age to be upperclassmen.

Speaking of the little math work, due to the Amnesia by Fire, Shiro doesn't have a birthday but is considered 17. So I went to Rin, who is in Shiro's year and saw her birthday. And then I looked at JJK's profiles to see how old they were and saw that Geto was 1. younger than Gojo by two months and 2. that was the same day as Rin's.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. Who agitates for birthday parties?

Well, obviously Gojo. For cake purposes. If he covers ingredient costs, he gets cake!

Honestly, I suspect this will lead to further ridiculousness, because of Gojo Satoru is just Like That.

Satoru: he's responsible, good looking, hard working, skilled and can cook. I'm going to ask him to marry me. Shoko: and what about his girlfriend? Satoru: she can be the mistress.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. I thought Divine Energy wasn't possible to be used by mortals/would kill them

If it did, then the history teacher that Caster enchanted to keep up with a Servant would be dead by Caster's hand.

Nasu verse says something about how the mana in the Age of the Gods would be too much for modern mortals/magi. Which the Age of the Gods would have plenty of Gods shedding mana into the world to produce miracles by faith and so on. (Also in Nasu verse, modern humans are weaker, because there's a lot more of them.)

Anyway, it's mentioned that JJK techniques are unique to the individual/family and can be improved by various means/vows. Which are binding.

And then you have Heavenly Restrictions. Which are clearly an observable phenomena by some metric. Or else they wouldn't be know.

In Nasuverse the Gods have more or less left. In JJK, you have Cursed Spirits that have ascended to godhood as part of their background lore. Hello, Michizane Sugawara. (Sakuna, as powerful as he is, is still a Cursed Spirit. Not a god.)

So yeah, you can easily have lots of little gods having favorite little meow meows for specific spiritual techniques. Alas, can't just talk to them to figure it out. That would be too easy.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. Power Creep in JJK?

Eh, yes and no. I haven't read the manga (it's on my list) but most shonen do end up with some degree of power creep. JJK's is a little awkward in some places, but not completely unexpected for the genre, especially as it tends to scale exponentially instead of at a set rate. No, seriously, it kinda does on the ranking scale of things. However the math does place FSN Servants and ofc, magi as very weak in comparison. Because of the whole, set rate. Behold, the power of exponential math. Crazy numbers and that means crazy power.

If traditional weapons were used against curses and sorcerers measured their effectiveness as a gauge: Grade 4 - "A wooden bat is enough." Grade 3 - "If you have a handgun, you can rest easy." Grade 2 - "Close call with a shotgun." Grade 1 - "Even a tank might be insufficient." Special Grade - "Cluster bombs might work.

-=-=-=-=-

Q. Nasu's metaphysical mechanics confuse me

Yes, they're not the most straight forward system. Basically it's concepts and ideas, with other factors tossed in to make them stronger/more effective.

Basically you want to Min/Max everything in your favor. From yourself to another concept you like/have researched/your family has researched for X amount of time. Do all this. Ahead of time. And you can still lose because someone negates a boost of yours or has a bonus you didn't account for. A magi walks with death.

We'll take the idea of Hero for example. A Hero fights monsters, perseveres over challenges and brings hope. So applying the Hero status to someone would metaphysically boost Attack, Endurance/Strength/Constitution and also Charisma, at it's most basic. Maybe just an all around stat increase of say, 1 or 2 points.

However with it being Very Generic, you get Very Minimal Boosts. So you get more specific. Apply the idea of say, a Knightly Hero. More strength, more speed, more charisma. However a Knightly Hero is as a concept, not great at magic. So greater stat increase in specific fields.

So you get more specific and do say... a Dragon Slaying Knightly Hero. Well, obviously you get a bonus against dragon type things or things that are similar to dragons. Same general bonus as a Knightly Hero, but probably with a higher rating.

Even so, without the innate compatibility, the effects are going to be less than ideal. Dressing a pig in pearls doesn't make the pig a lady.

But say, you apply the Concept of a Welsh Hero to a Welsh Girl, in a Welsh Village, that has been worshipping said Welsh Hero for centuries, and controlling every detail to increase compatibility.

Well, then you can get someone like Gray. Who has magically been changed into a vessel best suited for King Arthur, with the exception of King Arthur's soul. So if you applied the concept of King Arthur to Gray, then you'd have an A+ compatibility, thus theoretically allowing King Arthur to be reborn. Once you acquire the soul of King Arthur and put it into Gray. Which a bit tricky.

Flipping over to JJK, Incarnations of dead sorcerers into a living being/possession is part of how JJK's Culling Game came to be. As I haven't read JJK, you can see how it's very much the reverse process to Gray's transformation. Souls tossed into various vessels.

You can also do it to other concepts beyond "Hero," such as say, Consumption, Acceleration, Resonance, Imaginary Elements etc. Which also sound somewhat like the basis of a Sorcery Technique.

No seriously. There's lots of similarities in the systems at the base of things. Since it's all metaphysical and JJK's sorcerer's are still fundamentally human and thus interact with the world in fundamentally human ways with human understanding of it.

As further example... The Zen'in Cursed Technique of Construction is basically a magus' Gradient Air/Projection, done out of Cursed Energy. Shiro's blades are made using Tracing, an Advanced form of Projection. Construction apparently is Energy Intensive, which is why Mai usually only makes bullets, because she has small reserves of Cursed Energy and JJK fundamental world building says that you can't really increase the energy reserves in a meaningful way without specific training over a long period of time or by use of vows. Shiro meanwhile by specializing in what he's making and adding in his bonus of Origin and Element (Sword by Sword) can be super energy efficient. So long as he's making a Sword(sword), Sword(bladed object)?? and SwORD(weapon)??? but not S̶̯̲̘̝̦̾̀̀W̴̙̹̪͓̩͛̃̍͛Õ̸͕̓̈͐Ŗ̵͔̇̌̋D̴͈̗̆͊̓̎ (alien weapon). (The definition of "sword," in Shiro's Unlimited Blade Works is Very Flexible. Rho Aias makes no fucking sense to be in there otherwise, except under Very Flexible Terms.)

Q. So still no plot?

Again, I'm not writing this. I'm just building the sandbox.

Q. So that Domain Expansion and Unlimited Blade Works, they're similar but not the same right?

Yeah. Very Similar at a glance. Function pretty similar too, but also still fundamentally different.

A Domain Expansion is basically, at it's core, amplifying a sorcerer's Cursed Technique over a defined area, an area defined by the barriers of the Domain. The boundary is the important part as by imposing a boundary, you are limiting range in exchange for accuracy. For someone like Sakuna, who as a Cursed Spirit and immensely powerful and skilled, he doesn't need the sure-hit effect when he can just aim. It helps that his Cursed Technique is effectively straight lines of cutting energy.

A Reality Marble is expanding a person's innate world (it's laws, limits and rules) and imposing it on an area of reality. Most easily done by spirits and aliens. Humans usually can't do it, but those that do are a little warped.

So uh... Kenji likely has a Reality Marble instead of an actual Domain Expansion. Surely this isn't a problem at all.

Q. Why would Shiro become a Sorcerer in JJK terms?

Fighting Cursed Spirits would absolutely let him be so happy. He gets to save people from monsters! Fulfill his purpose (as a sword)! Save people! Be a hero! Slay Curses!

Except.. except... except... fundamentally the enemies in JJK are Cursed Spirits, born from accumulated Cursed Energy from masses of people. Japan has the highest amount of Cursed Spirits due to Reasons, so much so that Tengen has set up Barriers (of Cursed Energy) around Japan to do minor Purification (Cursed Sorcery Skill). Barriers of Cursed Energy, exposing the Japanese population to Cursed Energy for generations surely will have no knock-off effects in the latent Cursed Energy reserves of non-sorcerers and thus increase the frequency of Cursed Spirit Genesis, especially combined with higher modern population compared to historic populations.

Yeah. Oops. This might be a problem that's only going to get worse. And has been for some time. Whoopsie..

Q. So who would win if the Magi Association fought the Jujutsu Administration?

Pretty sure Jujutsu could kill off the magi individually, but someone would likely end the world somehow. My money would be on Atlus or a Dead Apostle Ancestor.

Primate Murder is a Good Boy.

Q. Still not gonna write this?

No. Enjoy the sandbox.

Having vague thoughts on how JJK would go if it got crossed with F/SN

Since the main characters of F/SN are just old enough to be upperclassmen to Gojo Satoru

[talentforlying]

tbh i think the coldest and most shocking thing that can happen in an argument with this man is if you call him "john" and he corrects you to "constantine". biggest red flag you can find on the play. sounds pretentious when you're not experiencing it. means he's absolutely fucking furious with you.

[violentlydefending]

genuinely always so shocked to see mirei hate. like literally god forbid women do anything.

[seductivejellyfish]

Making this post against my better judgement but:

It is 100% true that decolonization does not have to include mass expulsion and/or revenge and those are scare tactics and false flags used by colonizing powers to prevent decolonization actions.

However, it is ignorant, willful or accidentally, to ignore the history of Jews as a group specifically when imagining the future for Jews in the middle east after Palestine is freed.

White people in the US, for example do not have a legitimate reason to fear that they will be expelled from their homes in the event of landback successes. That fear is manufactured and based on nothing.

Jews absolutely have reason to fear that they will be expelled from their homes in most countries in the world. That fear is more or less legitimate in various places due to a variety of factors, but it is not built on nothing, it is built on the history of Jews being expelled from nearly every country in the world, and a current state of the world that is still rife with antisemitism.

The region around Palestine is not on the whole wholly hostile to the state of Israel because of humanitarian support for the people of Palestine. That is absolutely a large part of the motivation for action for many people in the region and around the world, but on the governmental level, many of these countries are also deeply antisemitic and have eliminated the Jewish populations of their own countries.

It is reasonable and logical, not invented, for a Jew to fear expulsion from their home in the middle east without a Jewish state to protect them.

That does not mean that Palestinians want to force Jews out, kill them all, etc. Those are still false flag claims to discredit the movement.

It also does not mean that Jewish safety should ever come at the cost of Palestinian lives and safety. Palestine must be freed, and it is not on the suffering Palestinians to reassure Jews that they won't be 'taking revenge' or anything like that. It also doesn't mean that there shouldn't be any physical returning of home and lands - there absolutely must be.

But it it disingenuous to compare the situation precisely to other decolonization situations in this respect and gets in the way of communication. The Jewish fear of expulsion is not a fear built on nothingness and guilt, though those of course contribute to the fervor of that feeling among settler Israelis. Jews have real historical and current reasons to fear expulsions from governments of the world, even if they do not have immediate reasons to fear mass expulsions from a specifically Palestinian government.

And a second time, for good measure: It also does not mean that Jewish safety should ever come at the cost of Palestinian lives and safety.

[ashleygraves-number1defender]

This art is so cuteeee 🥰 fav BOP is a very tough choice but Eurasian Kestrel! The reasoning is in the tags because I intended it to be a short explanation and wound up rambling, oopsie

Heres my girlie and the main reason behind the favouritism lol; she’s a year and a half old Eurasian Kestrel and owns my heart and soul! (Last pic was with her juvenile plumage)

american kestrel

tell me your favorite bird of prey :-)

[pagesofkenna]

what if i think mormonism is definitely christianity and thats why its bad

👍❓

Sure? Whatever?

I can't tell if you're legitimately looking for my approval or just trying to be witty and cutting. I struggle to believe you actually care what i think.

That post was from two days ago, i had to hunt a bot to find it. How far back are you on my blog? I tag mormon post as '#lds things' so you can block it and never have to deal with the fact that i post that kinda stuff sometimes. Blocking tags is an integrated feature on tumblr now, you dont even need xkit anymore.

[nova-rogue]

re that character design post no shade to the reblog (my dear beloved chase do not feel bad this also is no shame cuz i get it) but i do think it's an unfair comparison to draw character designs under a microscope from two very different pieces of media that are built on entirely different creation platforms with different levels of companies (or in dungeon meshi's case, lack thereof and with just an individual) for "who has better character design". you have to look at how an engine is used for the video game, how none of those characters are being hand drawn, how genshin *does* have good character design for a mobile game (all characters are easily identifiable by silhouette), and all designs are being heavily dictated by admittedly chinese buisnessmen higher ups who are, the most accurate part of the post reminds us, looking for monetary appeal.

if you look at OTHER hoyo games (take Zenless Zone Zero for example) there IS more variety, as they've upgraded the way they produce games they've introduced a wider variety of character models and character designs. they DO still have a colorism problem (unfortunately understandable though still reprehensible bc it's a chinese corporation) but they do not lack variety and i think that it's really just cherry picking to choose a game that its not only going to be 5 years old shortly but also was not even remotely possible of being created the same way as a manga that is hand drawn by an individual who values variety.

you simply cannot properly compare the two. they're too different in production and it's an unjust comparison. you can talk about the great character design of dungeon meshi without thinking you need to tear down genshin.

[drdemonprince]

if sex is no big deal and just a normal thing like having dinner with someone, how do you square that with the belief that children can't consent to sex? Like idk this whole thing of "sex is a normal act like any other and we shouldn't treat it differently" makes me soo uncomfortable because i feel like it's really obviously not in a lot of situations? Otherwise what's the difference between being told by my boss to have lunch with one of our prospective clients being told by my boss to blow one of our prospective clients? :/

let's take your dinner example to its logical conclusion, because you are on to something here, but I don't think quite in the way that you think.

children are forced to eat food that they this really dislike (due to sensory issues, allergies, or just run of the mill unfamiliarity) quite regularly by their caregivers. they are also sometimes denied the right to eat because they didn't behave the way their caretakers liked, and sent to bed hungry, or barred from eating food that they can handle, and instead left to go hungry because they won't eat food they can't handle.

treatment like this causes a lot of food issues and trauma to children. It exacerbates eating disorders and erodes a child's sense of their own body autonomy. It can also cause children to have nutritional issues and a scarcity mentality around food that can be really damaging to them.

similarly, people are forced to share meals with people who they are viscerally uncomfortable around all the time too, often to extreme negative effects. employees are forced to sit down with clients who debase them or harass them. Young people in particular are forced into sharing tables with relatives who have crossed their boundaries, insulted them, abused them, bullied them, and whom they want nothing to do with. people in recovery from eating disorders are surrounded by co-workers, family members, or friends at meal times who speak about calories and weight loss and comment on their own bodies and other people's bodies in incredibly invasive and triggering ways that often make them feel way worse, and make taking care of their own bodies far more difficult.

when a powerful institution wants to exert control over other people, they also often do so using food. prisoners are given almost no control over the kind of food they eat, and are often given very low quality food that is in a disgusting condition, or that violates their own nutritional requirements or religious beliefs. patients in hospitals and in mental institutions are also subjected to such treatment, and people in poverty are expected to eat anything that they are given without complaint. It is an extension of their dehumanization to control and limit the kinds of food they're allowed to access, and how and when they are permitted to eat.

each of these experiences surrounding food can be incredibly violating and harmful. food is quite frequently a tool of control and abuse. yet it is not because there is some magical quality to food or to dinners that make them uniquely fraught with the potential for trauma. these experiences are traumatic because they involve a violation of a person's body autonomy, and a lack of social power.

sex isn't any different from dinner. we just have a series of cultural beliefs surrounding it that make the pressure involving sex something that's both a lot more acknowledged, and mostly encountered in the private realm.

Sex is treated as an almost magical thing, at once both sinister and sacrosanct, and so people are primed to see the potential for harm in it, and it is frequently used as a tool for harming people because it is so loaded, but that doesn't mean there aren't abuses involving every other mundane human activity that we simply are conditioned to ignore because doing so is so normal.

People's body autonomy surrounding food is violated traumatically all the fucking time. unfortunately because we consider dinner to be a neutral activity and sex to be this incredibly fraught and almost magical one, we ignore the massive amounts of coercion, pressure, and violation surrounding food.

your boss shouldn't be able to force you to get dinner with someone. and people are uncomfortable with discussions about body autonomy that neutralize sex, because it forces them to confront how little freedom we actually have in every facet of our lives.