#definitely one of the best games of the year

[is-this-ai-generated]

AI generated verdict: provable and confirmed

long post incoming. sorry (not actually sorry).

tells: this was a tough one, at first glance, to point out any one aspect that made me go "that's definitely genAI." chiefly, the subject matter was that special kind of uncanny that triggered my brain to look deeper.

i couldn't find the smoking gun on a cursory investigation with just my eyes. nothing like "that guy's got 7 fingers and an extra arm" here. as such, i speculated that it was done by a very proficient user of genAI, someone who has a lot of experience in crafting prompts and iterating on output.

but that didn't stop me because the uncanny feeling was pretty intense.

in the end, the major things that tipped me off were meta-contextual in nature, if we were to assume this was a real photograph: the practicality of the object, and, crucially, the presumed level of media coverage of the object, were it to exist in real life.

much like with the egg salad machine post from last year, it boils down to two questions: "would this object feasibly exist in the real world? and if so, would it cause media stir/considerable attention if it did?"

put it simply: if you see an image purporting itself to be a real photo and your immediate reaction is "wow! that's really cool, i've never seen anything like that before in my life! it's really impressive, even!" my tip is to reverse-image-search it, to be safe.*

(*if you care, that is. all my posts are written with the assumption that you're reading them because you want to avoid getting tricked by genAI.)

and if, by image-searching said image, you are unable to find any article, no matter how big or small, highlighting its existence, and yet it's somehow all over social media, you can allow yourself to feel suspicious. because it is.

so in my search, predictably, i could not find any such article anywhere about this supposed object. but i did find the inspiration that this image seems to be based around.

there appeared to be a set of arcade cabinets that were carved from marble mentioned in a handful of niche gaming publications and/or other dubiously verifiable outlets in 2023... except it wasn't actually carved from marble. it was an earlier instance of genAI images for proof of concept purposes.

on to the source of the image itself.

source: it required a bit of deep-diving in multiple reverse-image searching platforms to drill down to the original poster.

eventually, i was able to uncover the following account on twitter: https://twitter.com/goo_vision

further than that, i was able to find the original tweet in which they posted this image: https://twitter.com/goo_vision/status/1909308836143362139

this account is self-identified as an "artist and designer" and states that they use "generative AI tools" in their bio. the poster also appears to get a fair amount of AI haters in their comments, to which they've replied defending their use of genAI in their works. lastly, they also post multiple images that all share a very similar theme repeatedly within a short period of time (such as 20+ images of various types of "arcade or media cabinets made of unusual materials"), a hallmark of iterative genAI images.

why is that a hallmark? when you request a genAI create an image based on a text string/prompt, it will often produce multiple feasible images that it "thinks" match to what you asked for. the user can then rate each image, if they so choose, to help educate/train the algorithm to be more accurate in the future. it looks as though this user may be using midjourney (or something similar; i'm guessing midjourney because it's really good at replicating photorealism) to generate these images and are picking through the ones they like best. pretty standard stuff, nothing out of the ordinary there.

bottom line is that this is another example of someone on tumblr reposting something they found elsewhere and not only not giving appropriate backlinks to where they found it, but also failing to tag it appropriately as genAI.

alright, this post is long enough. if you have questions about this one, or any other posts in general, feel free to send me a message; asks are open.

and as always, my ever-present disclaimer for my blog: I do not make these posts to drum up drama, call for brigade-ing/trolling of any identified sources, or insinuate any sort of moral failing on anyone whatsoever for reblogging/liking these images. i also do not make these posts to "dunk on" genAI users or enjoyers.

I created this blog to educate those who want to learn about what to look out for when it comes to AI generated images, how I come to my conclusions, and the tells they can look out for in the future. I do not condone any measure of harassment, bullying, or hate mail sent to the originating artist(s) that may be identified in my posts. this should also not be used as a jumping off point to harass or send hate mail to any blog I reblog from, either.

please check my pinned post for more info on how I run this blog.

[taeyongdoyoung]

t-t-teach me

summary: college life sucks. but at least you get to study with the hottest guy on campus... pairing: soobin x reader genre: college au, slight angst, smut, colleagues to study buddies to lovers warnings: academic setting, studying, mild allusions to anxiety/insecurities, reader is older than soobin, kissing, praise kink, size kink, handjob, fingering, lots of touching, protected sex (gasp), manipulation if you squint but it's all consensual, some lyrics references as usual author's note: someone on social media commented that soobin's "t-t-teach me" part in love language lowkey sounds like "t-t-touch me" and i couldn't get it out of my head so here we are... word count: 2.2k

Your college life is pretty boring. Study, eat, study some more, eat again, sleep, repeat. So, when your most handsome colleague (in your humble opinion) asks you to help him study for the upcoming exams, you are tempted to agree.

"Pleaseee, Y/N," Soobin begs so cutely. The way his glasses are slightly tilted doesn't help your case. "I can even pay you!"

"I don't want your money, Soobin," you shake your head, determined to play with him a little longer. After all, it is not every day that such a hot guy acknowledges your existence.

"What do you want, then? I'd do anything, I really need to pass, my whole future depends on it."

"Well, shouldn't you have studied throughout the year?" you tease him. "Instead of, I don't know, partying or whatever it is you and your squad do."

"I don't even go to parties. I'm just in my dorm playing games all the time."

"Case in point," you tsk, pretending to be disappointed.

"Okay, I realize I should have taken the courses more seriously, but can you please consider it?"

"What's in it for me?"

"I told you already, the sky is the limit. Just t-t-teach me the material," he stammers sweetly. "When the professors do it, I literally can't focus and understand anything."

"You do realize this isn't an easy task, right? We have less than a month until finals. Even if I do help you study…I can't promise you'll pass."

"Where's your confidence, teacher?" Soobin pouts.

"I haven't agreed yet!"

"Oh, but you just did," Soobin is too adorable to say 'no' to.

So, this is how it starts. Every day, after your lectures end, you go to Soobin's dorm to study. You use every method that has been helpful for you throughout the years. Highlights, flashcards, quizzes, you try everything and anything in order to help Soobin understand the material. At the end of each week you prepare a short test that is meant to aid Soobin in revising the most important information. The first week, his results are disastrous. You honestly don't see any hope but you promised him you'd try your best so you keep modifying the material in order to improve his understanding. The second week, his results are still below average, but slightly better. By the third week, he has definitely reached the expected pass level.

"My God, Soobin, this is amazing progress!" you praise him honestly.

"Really? You think I'd be able to pass?" he asks, still worried about the upcoming exams.

"If you keep up the great work, you surely will," you are confident that he'll make it. "We have one more week until the first exam, I'm sure we'll manage to cover some more ground and revise the essentials."

"Yeah, I think there's still enough time to stick to the plan you made," Soobin nods thoughtfully.

"Here's an idea that might be motivational. If you pass all your exams, I'll reward you."

"Reward me how?" Soobin eyes you curiously.

"However you like."

"What about me paying you back?" Soobin reminds you of the original deal.

"You can just buy me dinner at that sushi place near the university," you suggest simply.

"Sounds good. I'll do my best to pass."

"I know you can do it!" at this point, you genuinely believe in him and are amazed to see how much he's improved.

The exam period starts sooner than you'd like and you now have less time for your study sessions with Soobin, prioritizing individual preparation instead. Honestly, you kind of miss seeing his pretty face every day and explaining things to him. Talking about the material out loud has been helpful for you, as well. The final exams pass by in a flash and now you only have to wait one more week for the results to come out.

"How do you think you did?" you ask Soobin on the phone.

"Ugh, don't ask," he complains. "Even though I felt like we covered all the material, having to explain it in my own words and provide examples was so draining. I have no idea how I did but don't get your hopes up."

"I see," you reply with a sigh.

"I'm not gonna ask how you did, because I'm pretty sure you nailed them," Soobin shuts down any possibility of boasting before it even started.

"Hey, the exams were pretty difficult for me, too," you mumble shyly.

"Yeah, yeah, talk to me again when you flaunt those 100 points."

"Just because I tend to get high results most of the time, doesn't mean I don't struggle," you express your feelings a little harsher than intended.

Soobin is stunned into silence.

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me to say. I guess I never realized how much effort you put into studying."

"It's okay, I'm used to being misunderstood," you answer sheepishly.

"Just because you're used to it, doesn't make it okay. Get some rest. You sure deserve it."

"You too, Soobin."

And with that, the phone call ends. Tensions run high as you anxiously check your email once every two hours for results. You probably care more about this than you should. Only this time your own results are not the only thing on your mind. You really want Soobin to be satisfied with the work he's done. Because you feel like you poured more energy into helping him and you would really hate to see him fail. Not only because you'd feel responsible for it, but because you genuinely like him and want to see him happy.

After what feels like forever, the results are out. Of course, you can only see your own due to privacy reasons. But you know Soobin has also received the same email as every other student. It is only the content that varies. You quickly check your stats and though you didn't get a 100 points everywhere, as Soobin jokingly suggested, you are still pretty proud of yourself. You eagerly grab your phone, meaning to call Soobin when you stop yourself in the last second.

What if he didn't pass all the exams? What if he doesn't want to talk about it? So, instead, you wait until he contacts you first. Luckily, you don't wait long.

"Come over" is the simple message he sends you.

You put on a jacket and practically sprint to his dorm. Is he okay? Is he inviting you over to celebrate or to drink his sorrows away? Your mind races and so do your legs as you near his room. A hesitant knock on his door. A quiet "It's open".

You cautiously enter and study Soobin's expressions in an attempt to read the room. He doesn't look depressed but he doesn't look ecstatic either. What's going on? You just need to know, the uncertainty is killing you.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Soobin asks you coldly.

"Uh…good news?" you mumble, feeling more nervous about whatever he has to say than about your own results.

"Good news is I passed all my exams. I got between 60 and 75 points on most of them."

"That's…incredible! Congratulations, Soobin!" you exclaim proudly. "I'm really happy for you! Wait…what are the bad news, then?"

"The bad news is…you promised me a reward," he whispers darkly.

"Why is that bad news?" you are utterly confused, as you sit down on the couch next to him. "You deserve to be rewarded, you worked so hard to accomplish this."

"That's true, but…I'm not sure you'll like the way I want to be rewarded."

"Anything is okay," you vow, not knowing what's in store for you. "I'll keep my word."

"Oh, I know you will," Soobin smirks and crashes his lips against yours, shocking you completely. Is this really happening? Did you just…both pass all your exams and are now kissing with the hottest guy in your university to celebrate?

"T-t-touch me," he begs so prettily who are you to reject him?

"Where do you want me to touch you?" you easily agree.

He grabs your hand and slides it under his shirt so that you are now caressing his abs. Fuck, his skin is so smooth and hard.

"You're so pretty," you mutter what you've been thinking every time you see him.

"I try to look my best for you," Soobin admits.

"Shut up," you shake your head in disbelief.

"Yes, teacher," he teases you.

"Don't call me that," you groan.

"What would you prefer? Ma'am?"

"Ugh, no, that makes me feel old," your eyes roll.

"Well, you are older than me. How about noona?" Soobin blinks cutely.

"Oh my God, do you ever shut up?"

"Touch me somewhere else," he doesn't ask this time, he demands. You don't even have the time to ask where he'd like to be touched before he's grabbed your wrist again and moves it right on top of his clothed cock. You're seriously gonna die. You're gonna die right in this moment and you won't even go to that cute sushi place. "Take my jeans off."

Your hands are shaking but you do your best to follow Soobin's orders. All your academic knowledge is completely useless in this moment. What you lack in practice, you try to make up for with enthusiasm. Stroking his length and licking him softly seem to do the trick and Soobin grows harder under your touch.

"Why are you so pretty?" you can't help but marvel.

"It's both a blessing and a curse," Soobin grunts loudly. "Wait, stop."

You immediately halt your movements, letting go of his cock.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" you ask nervously, almost getting teary-eyed at the thought.

"What? No, you're doing amazing, I just…didn't want to come yet."

"Oh, I see," you reply, even though you can't see shit. "When do you want to come?"

"Wrong question, teacher," Soobin disregards your preference for not being called that. But in this moment, you no longer care. "Replace the wh-word with another wh-word."

"Hmm," you ponder out loud. "Where do you want to come?"

"Inside you. If you'd let me."

"Erm, I'm not sure…" you try to find a polite say that you are not really interested in getting pregnant at this point of your life.

"Relax, I've got condoms," Soobin laughs at you gently. "We can save the risky activities for after graduation."

He's already thinking that far into the future?

Soobin touches your folds gently, trying to ease your worries.

"Does it feel good?"

"So good, Soobin," you confess.

"Yeah?" he smirks proudly, as his long finger stretches you open. "Bet I can teach you a thing or two myself."

"I believe you," you sigh wistfully, as you near your high.

While Soobin puts on protection, you try to think of a logical solution as to how this will work. Honestly, you are too wet to care but his enormous size is still intimidating. Your brain seems incapable of coming up with a formula, so you give up entirely. Thinking only makes it worse.

When he slides inside of you, the feeling is so overwhelming you need something to keep you from falling apart.

"Talk to me," you beg.

"What do you want me to talk about?" Soobin asks.

"Anything."

"Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax, morphology, phonetics and-"

"Oh my God, really?" you scoff in disbelief. "Exams are over, let's put that behind us."

"What's your love language?" Soobin wants to know.

"Probably words of affirmation. What's yours?"

"Same. Quality time, as well," he responds.

"Oh yeah, definitely," you agree.

"You're taking me so well," Soobin immediately puts the newfound knowledge to use.

"You're fucking me so well," you whisper sincerely.

And this is all it takes for you two burst in each other's arms, experiencing pleasure like never before.

Once you've dutifully helped clean each other up and are cozied up underneath the sheets, the time for a more serious conversation arrives.

"I don't wanna lose this," Soobin gestures in the air between the two of you.

"We can keep studying together," you reply dumbly.

"That's not what I meant," Soobin chuckles. "Wanna spend time with you. We don't have to be studying, we can watch movies and I can teach you how to play games and…other stuff."

"I like the sound of that," you smile warmly.

"Actually, I have a confession to make," Soobin blurts out.

"Oh?"

"Deep down, I knew I'd pass the exams somehow," Soobin whispers. "I just couldn't be bothered to study. Needed an excuse to get close to you."

You can't even be mad at him.

"I have a confession, as well," you say in return. "I agreed to help you because I wanted to know more about you. I could tell you're smart."

"Is it the glasses?" Soobin pouts adorably, tilting his head to the side.

"Nah, you just give off that…sexy nerdy vibe. Glasses or no glasses."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is. From one nerd to another."

"I can live with that," Soobin flicks your nose playfully.

"You still owe me sushi, by the way. For helping you study."

"Oh, teacher. Sushi is not the only thing you'll be eating tonight."

The End

[laplumasucia]

ravi headcanon time

- i’m a pansexual ravi truth

- ravi comes from a wealthy family (they could afford his hospital bills AND this man owns rental properties in Cali? thats generational wealth bby)

- ravi has 2+ siblings (buck’s not the first to yap at him, okay?)

- he has a good relationship with his parents (funny, relaxed father + stricter mum. he secretly loves her concern and advice and pestering)

- bobby tries to adopt him like buck (and eddie) and he’s like “hey cap, you’re a great guy and ily, but you kinda act like my dad” and bobby is like ???? bc he IS his dad and ravi brings up his bio father and how close they are and bobby can’t believe someone in the 118 actually has good parents. like wdym you are happy to go see your whole family ?????????

- ravi has a nonbinary partner. the 118 thinks he is poly bc he keeps saying “they” and shows photos of what seems like at least two people (a masc person and a femme one) but one day the team meets ravi’s person and ask abt the “others” uhhhhm no that’s a single genderfuck i fear

- ravi genuinely thought buck and eddie were together when he met them and he can’t figure out wtf their relationship is. divorced? and remarried? friends to lovers? idiot4idiot? queerplatonic?

- ravi doesn’t mind buck talking abt eddie its that just ravi is done with how little sense it all makes “so he went to texas with our son” “damn another divorce?” “no his wife died, they didn’t divorce” ??? “anyway, he’s the best father in the world” “go back his wife???” “yeah, she was killed in an accident years ago. remember that random lady he cheated with? they looked identical” “he cheated on you with his dead wife’s doppelgänger??!??” “no he cheated on his gf” “HE HAS A GF?!?” “well not anymore” like how can ravi make this make sense

- hen and ravi are secretly besties bc they both detect Bullshit everywhere.

- chimney gaslights ravi over everything. absolute bold faced lies. it makes understanding the 118 even harder.

- ravi didn’t know maddy was buck’s sister for years so now he doesn’t know if its gaslighting or true

- ravi and his partner have a cat who is their child. ravi loves that thing. his princess. they found it at a shelter and it was so fluffy and round. perfect.

- ravi has book smarts more than street smarts but doesn’t know it. can recall maths and literature from school but he will see his buddies going through ptsd and be like “weekly crash outs am i right?” then high fives them

- he texts all lowercase with ironic emojis and it confuses everyone but eddie who was a twitter girlie and has a son. buck pretends he understands but doesn’t

- chim and ravi love to match esp with sunglasses. even though chim gaslights ravi, that’s his little buddy. that’s his guy.

- ravi sends texts to the 118 family minus buddie abt buddie and they give neutral group reactions then all dm each other going crazy. the one person who remembers to dm ravi is karen.

- ravi babysits chris and denny once and is immediately initiated into a trio. like chris + buddie is family. henren + denny too. chris and denny are a cute duo. but The Trio. the boys are BACK. chris and denny have a chill new friend with a car, a steady income, and every video game ever. like yes game nights with mums/dads are epic but ravi doesn’t know not to let them say fuck.

-ravi is a little cutie pie princess. like yes he’s a big strong man but he is a sweatheart. not quite a himbo but definitely has his dumb blond moments. like yeah he will volunteer for terrorism bc those are his emotional support unhinged gay coworkers.

- ravi is a bobby lives truther. obviously bobby IS alive in my fanon but like ravi never believed he died he was like nah nah you guys are trusting the GOVERNMENT. not on my watch.

- going back to the lack of street smarts, sometimes he forgets his filter and will just speak his mind. he’s smart and perceptive so its usually accurate but he will spill devastating truths. he sees eddie back in LA and goes “thank god you’re here. buck rlly needs some dick” and eddie is like ??????? then maddie has the baby and ravi is like “thank god bobby didn’t die bc that baby is not a robert…. so what’s his name?” “kevin” “maybe robert isn’t such a bad idea”

okay that’s what i can think of for now. lmk your headcanons. obviously i’m right but like are YOU?

[wardingshout]

hey guys have you ever heard about the game Star Stealing Prince? <- that's a rly cool link

sweet dreams and not so sweet dreams

[txttletale]

hi! what are your thoughts on the first 3 dr who episodes this season? your commentary was a highlight for me last year :)

overall -- pretty good! a huge step up from the first three episodes of season 14, in my opinion. robot revolution is really delightfully goofy and stupid in a way that encompasses a lot of what i like about doctor who--from the ridiculous robot design with their goofy faces, to their pizza planet spaceship, to the laugh-out-loud-stupid twist of the Al generator. i especially like the extremely classic-who-reminiscent 'we're going to indicate that a Time Thing is happening by flashing lights at the actor's face while blasting a weird synth at you'. i didn't even think the incel stuff was that on the nose, although the 'its like video game? I blow stuff up like video game?' scene made my eyes roll like sonic the hedgehog

lux is definitely the highlight: i think it's literally the only RTD2 episode where i think the disney money was actually put to good use to do something they couldn't do without it. mr ring-a-ding himself was obviously the highlight, great performance and great animation--the 'don't make me laugh' bit was a really fun reveal with a good payoff. the whole sequence with the layered fictions and the fans was delightful, i really liked how the episode managed to navigate a middle ground of acknowledging historical racism without having to make it the focus of the whole episode.

and the well! i loved the well. it's nice to have a good straightforward Scary One, i kind of think that horror is the tone that modern who is best at. the steadily building tension is great, the fact that we don't really learn much more about the SPOILERS and that it doesn't even play by the same rules is really fun, the extremely dark implications of the ending are really fun--it's just solidly put together.

some of the trademark RTD2 issues are still here though, i don't understand why this era struggles to desperately with pacing. every single one of these episodes felt too short or too long or like too much time was given to the wrong stuff. but overall i am much more invested in the belinda-doctor dynamic than i ever was in anything with ruby, because there's some real friction and tension there that actually draws me in instead of that saccharine conflict-free besties coffee shop aucore dynamic.

but yea good season one of the reasons im so mad about lcuky day is that up until here it's been nothing but bangers

[thezombieprostitute]

Royal Treatment

Summary: You and your friends need to blow off some steam and you make a new friend who's more than he appears.

Warnings: Politics, Talk of economics and government. Please let me know if I missed any!

A/N: Reader is female and shorter than Ari. No other physical descriptors used.

Part of the Royal Vows AU.

You grip the letter like your life depends on it. Reading it practically tore your heart out. Years of work, months of preparing your presentation for the King and his advisors, and all for nothing. The preserve would be torn down to make room for more hotels and tourist attractions. Never mind the ecological impact. Never mind that botanists had found potential new medicines. Nope. "Where's the profit" was the name of the game and you couldn't offer anything more substantial than potential profits.

Thankfully your friend group knew that, win or lose, you were going to need to let off some steam. They were hoping it would be getting to enjoy the very tourism industry you were fighting against because you'd gotten a small victory, but now it was just the only way to safely and legally let off steam. The four of you pooled your money together and managed to reserve a room at The King's Rest, the biggest hotel and casino in the kingdom. All you could get was a room with a single king-size bed for an entire weekend. Sure, it'd be cramped and definitely no bringing guys to the room, but it would still be a lot of fun.

You've set up two budgets for yourself: one for food, drink and trinkets, the other for gambling. Once that gambling budget is gone, it's gone. You can move money from the gambling budget to the other one, but not the other way around. If you're lucky, and you're not feeling particularly lucky, you'll walk away with more money than you started. But it's always good to have rules and limits to avoid the heavy debts you can get into.

Candace had scored tickets for a show at the VIP level of the casino. It's not a show you'd seek out on your own but, screw it. You're all going to dress up in your finest and go just because you can. You've got one flashy outfit and accessories and you're going to let yourself feel gorgeous, even if the teal does stand out.

Ari never cared for visiting Lloyd Hansen's kingdom of Rumica. The Hansen line of kings had long built up the reputation of their kingdom being the best place to visit. Not live, though. Hansen has noticed an increase in his people moving to Ari's home of Bellin and was pitching a fit that could lead to trouble for everyone.

Rumica was, on paper, the richest kingdom. People from all over the world would visit just to spend way too much money for the sake of a vacation. The common people getting to live like kings and queens, including dropping money as if they had plenty.

But the kingdom's infrastructure was lacking. It's citizens continuously lost housing and land to "development". The only way to make a living was by serving the tourist. And even then, "a living" was barely enough to support their families.

The kingdom was tourism machine that was never satisfied and Ari hated every second he had to spend here.

So, of course, King Hansen moved their meeting so that Ari would have to spend more time there. Got him the biggest suite at The King's Rest and tickets to one of the shows just to make sure he went out. It would be rude to refuse the gifts after all.

Ari also knew it would be a chance for Lloyd to gather information on him. Lloyd was famously paranoid, and not without reason. Rumor had it he even cooked his own meals just to make sure they didn't get poisoned. The delay between Ari's arrival and their meeting would be used to assess him, find his weak spots.

Ari smirked at the idea. His stepmother had taught him how to read people, how to figure out, within minutes, if you needed to plead, argue or bribe someone to win them over. It was an education reserved for ladies of the court, to be their husband's support. Sarah understood that Ari would be much more capable in a diplomatic capacity if he had that training. Men like Lloyd thought they had power because they could spend the time and money to study their quarry. Ladies only needed a few minutes to get a read on you.

Though he'd been granted gifts due to his status, Ari was adamant to his security team that no one know who he is when he's out and about. When he's outside of the suite, he's Guy Thomas. Sure there'd been family photos of him in the media, but he's grown out his hair and beard enough that the photos barely look like him anymore. And he got along well enough with his security that they could easily pass for a group of friends on an outing.

Ari isn't looking forward to going out and about but, despite its grand size, the suite is too confining for him. He and his team head out to one of the restaurants to eat before the show he has to go to. Usually he keeps himself pretty well on alert, on the lookout for Lloyd's people, but he's suddenly distracted. In the sea of gold and black, there's a spot of bright teal that catches his eye. He wants to walk towards it but Max, head of his security team, draws him back into the group and turns him back towards the restaurant.

The show was set to start and you had no idea what it was about. For once, you didn't do your research beforehand. Then again, when the show is titled "Zombie Burlesque" you're pretty sure you get the gist of what's going to happen. You and your friends settle in, all happy chitters and drinks, eagerly awaiting the entertainment, only quieting when the lights dim, signalling the start of the show.

In one of the balconies Ari is not at all interested in the show. He's spotted the bright teal in a sea of black and red. He's trying not to be obvious about watching you and your friends, but he wants to find out more. Such an odd color choice, one that calls to him. Such lovely laughter, more real than anything he's heard since he landed in Rumica. Others in the audience are so reserved in their mannerisms but you and your friends are so openly enjoying yourselves.

Are you a plant sent to spy on him? Draw him in for Lloyd's spying purposes? Or are you something real? An oasis in the desert?

He has to know.

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989; @lokislady82; @peaches1958; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[davrinsleftpectoral]

A Word With Friends/Wip Wednesday

Thank you @jenn2d2 for the word of the week, and @hedwigoprah for making a tag game that makes me really stretch my brain muscles. Not gonna lie, this one hurt lol.

This week's word is Perspicacious

Definition:

Quick in noticing, understanding, or judging things accurately or of acute mental vision or discernment.

I took the easy way out this week. I won’t do it every week (probably). Also put it in this WIP of my Chuck E. Cheese AU. So enjoy a snippet of Welcome to Nug E Cheese. This is still part of the first chapter. If you’d like to read the beginning, you can find it here

Some people like to torture Lucanis with angst and feelings. I like to torture him with bad coffee and the horrors of a minimum wage job.

==

“Sorry, don’t mind me.  I’m just gonna get old Joe going,” he explained.

“Good idea. I need some coffee after that meeting,’ Neve agreed.

Turvi approached old Joe. The machine was ancient. 15? 20? Years old. No one was really sure. They suspected it had been left behind by the original construction crew when then store was built.  He took a deep breath and began The Routine.

“Good morning Old Joe,” he began.

Lucanis looked up from his papers and didn’t say anything, simply raised one eyebrow.

Neve smirked at him, “Trust the process. Old Joe likes Rook the best.”

Turvi then turned on the machine. Turned off the machine. Unplugged it, counted to 15, and plugged it back in. He filled the water reservoir, put in a new filter, and grabbed the budget sized can of store brand ground coffee. When Lucanis spotted the giant can, Turvi thought he heard a small sound of distress. Once the coffee was in, he closed the the lid and wrapped a big rubber band around it to keep it shut. 

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Lucanis finally chimed in. “What is the rubber band for?”

Turvi grinned. “It’s like a seat belt, you gotta strap in, it’s for everyone’s safety.” Next he hit the start button, and after that he banged on the top 3 times. “You see Neve, the reason that Harding’s coffee isn’t as good, is that she only hits Joe twice because she feels bad. He needs 3 to really get going.”

Old joe wheezed and started to gurgle and bubble. “When you hear the wheeze, you know it’s going to be a good pot.” He turned around, hands on his hips with satisfaction, grinning at Neve. Lucanis didn’t say anything for a moment. The man’s eyebrows were furrowed deeply though.

Lucanis handed his completed paperwork over to Neve. She flipped through the pages, skimming over his writing. “Well, this looks good. I’ll go see if we have any spare polos in storage, but I’ll have to order you more. We weren’t expecting to get anyone new today,” Neve said by way of apology. 

“If you can’t find one, he can wear mine,” Turvi offered. “I can just wear the Gus suit for the day, instead of switching in and out.”

Lucanis’ eyes widened, but he stayed silent. Neve must have clocked the face he made, because she chuckled. “Keep your clothes on Rook. He can wear his own shirt if we dont have one for him.” 

Old Joe started beeping. Turvi stepped to the side and dramatically bowed and swept his arm out towards Neve. “Ladies first.”

Neve rolled her eyes at him as she got up to grab a mug. She poured the steaming liquid and made a little hum of displeasure. “Seems this batch is a little thick. Oh well. Better luck next time Rook.”

“Thick?” Lucanis squeaked, visibly paling. “And you guys actually drink that?” He asked incredulously, as Neve took a sip. 

“Yes, very perspicacious of you,” Turvi replied. 

Neve chuckled hand on hip, “Well look who’s putting that word of the day calendar in the break room to good use,” Neve said with a laugh. 

“I try,” he confirmed with an answering smirk. 

Turning to Lucanis she shrugged, “It tastes fine, and it does the job. We work in a Nug E Cheese. We can’t afford to be picky,” she shrugged. “Now let me go see about that shirt.”

==

The Routine is based on actual ancient food service machinery. Not the exact routine. But my sister works at an ice cream stand that has very very old machines. You do need to do weird stuff to make them work properly, and there is an actual rubber band holding parts together. Also there is way too much smirking going on. It’s still a wip okay?

Thank you @serensama for the tag. No pressure tagging @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @biowaredisasterbisexual @seaglassmelody @thedissonantverses @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai @woundedsoul12

[izumiphoenix]

The Truth Behind the Mask

(1/? part of “Astarion: In Search of True Self” — [masterpost here])

Even before I played, I kept stumbling upon Astarion fanart and memes that made me assume he was just some overrated character who was only popular because of his flirty, sassy attitude (I’m so sorry Q^Q). That’s why I didn’t have the best first impression even before I started.

And even in-game, when you first meet him, Astarion seems like a shallow, selfish and flirty guy - someone who doesn’t really care what others think and just follows his whims.

Couldn’t be further from the truth!

From what I’ve seen in some discussions on social media, though, a lot of players still hold that first impression - even after completing his route. I’ve even seen people call him a red flag, label him evil or say they were disappointed in general.

Also, I feel like most guides (at least the ones I’ve come across) simplify his character too much - mainly focusing on which choices will gain his approval or disapproval. Maybe that’s to avoid spoilers, but still. There are definitely other players who see the deeper layers too - so this is just my way of sharing my personal journey of discovering the real Astarion.

So, how did that first impression start to unravel? When checking with the guide and watching his reactions and body language, I started thinking about why the approval/disapproval tips work.

How Approval Looks on the Surface

Let’s look at some general tips for gaining Astarion’s approval points: 

choosing evil replies/actions 

seeking power 

siding with evil characters 

deceiving your opponents  

supporting his desires  

being understanding and accepting towards him 

(bonus one, haven’t seen guides mention this) sarcastic replies  

And disapproval points: 

making pompous heroic statements (like “Worry not! I shall save everyone!”) 

helping the weak 

being open about your party's situation (tadpoles)

being judgmental or unsupportive towards him  

naive/goodie-two-shoes responses  

In most cases, it is explained by his natural inclination towards evil forces and power, making Astarion seem like a self-centred and power-hungry vampire who might, with Tav’s influence, turn to become a bit of a better person. Or not. 

But while it’s technically true that those actions affect his approval, there’s much more nuance to why Astarion reacts the way he does - especially in the early stages.

So what's really going on?

The first contradiction that made me feel confused about the reasons for Astarion’s reactions was how nice Tav is being to him (of course, if you chose good replies during their interactions) – a person who is mean to everyone else would be just as mean to Astarion. It didn’t make sense to me; a kind and understanding Tav would fit much better in the story.  

So what is going on there? Why does Astarion need a kind and gentle Tav who is cold and dismissive to the rest of the world?

Because he is terrified.  

When we first meet our pale elf, he has just escaped (as in been kidnapped) from 200 years of slavery, humiliation and torture where his wellbeing completely depended on Cazador’s whims and every mistake meant punishment. Of course he’s paranoid. Of course he’s always calculating risk. 

It’s not about Tav’s choices being good or evil, it’s about their possible consequences for Astarion. He doesn’t want Tav to be evil, he just wants to feel safe. That’s all.  

Let’s Look at That List Again

So let’s look at his approval/disapproval list again: 

refusing to help someone - approve! we don’t want to risk 

seeking power - yes, please! power means safety!

siding up with evil characters - they are strong, so why not use this to our benefit? 

deceiving your opponents - we didn’t even have to fight and got want we wanted? don’t see a problem  

supporting his desires - maybe this time, I won’t have to fight for what I want

being understanding and accepting towards him - finally someone doesn't treat me as a monster

sarcasm - humor is our everything, especially when there’s nothing else left 

On the other hand:

making pompous heroic statements - you are saying these cringe things with a straight face AND putting us in danger? hard nope! 

helping the weak - no one helped me, why should we bother 

disclosing truth about their situation - have you heard about caution?!  

being judgmental or unsupportive towards him - no thanks, had enough of that

naive/goodie-two-shoes responses - are we going to be fine with a leader like that?..  

What Kind of Tav Does He Need?

Astarion isn’t looking for an "evil" Tav - he’s looking for safety. Well, technically, he isn’t looking for anyone at all. But the kind of Tav he opens up to tends to be:

pragmatic, cautious and clever

emotionally intelligent

non-judgmental

strong enough to lead and survive

That’s why he feels comfortable with a Tav who might choose to be distant toward strangers but treats him with consistent care. In this context it’s not suspicious, it’s sensible. He doesn’t expect help from the world, and he respects those who understand that reality. In a hostile world, survival is more likely in a group, so he clings to the party and tries to secure his place using the only tools he knows: charm, wit and usefulness. And a part of that strategy, making sure the leader favors him and he won’t be cast aside, leads to his initial approaches for Tav. But we’ll get into that more in another post.

So if Tav shows kindness to him? That’s exactly what he’s aiming for. And it doesn’t even matter that much if they still go out of their way to help others - because if the care they show him feels real, that already shifts something deep inside. That already gives him a reason to start hoping that this might be real.

The Mask

So there’s the charm, the flirtation, the flair for drama. Some players may read that as shallow or even foolish. But it’s not. It’s a mask - one he’s worn so well and for so long that it feels real. It’s what kept him alive under Cazador for the last 200 years.

But if you keep going, if you give him time and space to feel safe, you start to see it slip. The closer Tav gets to him, the more glimpses we get of his real self - thoughtful and warm, wary and sharp, sometimes silly and awkward, and, beneath it all, deeply hurt. And if you stay with him through to the end, when he finally feels safe enough to stop performing, his whole demeanor changes. He’s calmer. More grounded. Still witty - but in a different way.

Still Astarion. Just more himself.

<next part>

<back to masterpost>

[thewintersoldierdisaster]

can we get a headcanon of reader and andrei when they first got together?

okay so picture cute little babies because reader and andrei are 20 and 21 when they first meet! 🥹

you meet in a bar, some thoughts are here and the early days of your relationship are kind of stressful and chaotic

after seeing andrei three times in three days, he immediately leaves for a week and a half long road trip of games

you left things kind of vague - you exchanged numbers and made out twice, but there was no real discussion about when you would see each other again

so you try not to stress when a couple of days go by without hearing from him and you’re certainly not going to be the one to text him first and like distract him

at this point you don’t know what his superstitions are like and you don’t want to disrupt his routine and be hated like jessica simpson was when she was dating tony romo

you’re busy with school too, so it’s easy to kind of distract yourself, but your best friends have definitely heard all about andrei and how much you like him already and why isn’t he texting dammit?

one night - and you’re not proud of it - you search him on social media, checking twitter and his tagged pics on instagram. just to see if he’s been spotted anywhere

it backfires because of course he’s been spotted out and about in the cities that they’re playing

and of course there are pretty girls taking pictures with him every where he goes

and of course he’s smiling in the pictures because why wouldn’t he be? he’s 21 and a professional hockey player, he’s probably sleeping with half a dozen girls in downtown raleigh alone

you’re spiralling over this man that you’ve only known for three days in a way only twenty year olds can spiral and your best friends take your phone, banning you from social media for the time being

by the time andrei’s road trip is over and the canes are back home, you’re managed to calm yourself down about the whole thing

and then he texts you

it’s fucking adorable - half a dozen random emojis (which you’ll come to learn is his signature, he just gets really excited when he’s texting and his thumbs are maybe a little too big for the screen) and a message that says “sorry i went mia i’m going to keep doing it but can i take you to dinner to make up for if?”

and fuck if you aren’t charmed by the message - must be because you read it in his accent

he takes you out for dinner two night later and you click instantly

your relationship isn’t always easy and the early days are full of highs and lows as you adjust to him being away for chunks of time and not being totally present when he’s focusing on hockey, but you wouldn’t trade any of it because andrei’s the best thing to happen to you

[lunalaastra]

The Brothership Experience:

This was fun to draw XD Like I said, I think I’m keeping it a sketch ‘cause I think it kinda works

[mmelete]

thanks for the tag @winnie-bearr and for anyone who also tagged me in this game ❤️

ohhhh man this is hard lol but here is my best attempt:

Four! he is. just such a guy. I love his character design in LU and i honestly enjoy all interpretations of him in fanfiction! There is just so much room for headcanons and also great canon material to work with.

Wind. LU would not be the same without Wind ❤️!! He's such a fun character to write and draw!

Warriors. One year ago I would've never put him in top FIVE but @crazylittlejester def convinced me with his awesome fics! He's honestly such a great character.

Sky. although I cannot write about him for shit, I love him dearly ❤️

Hyrule. A recent discovery, but Hyrule is such a fun character to write!

Time. he's chill, time paradox (?), very cool guy ❤️

Twilight. I love his big brother-y dynamic in LU and in fanfiction. Unfortunately, I just can't put him any higher 💔

Legend. I don’t know, just my personal opinion but I feel like he's. Overwritten? There's sooo many legend-centric fics, which is great! But. I just feel like there's such a variety of interpretations of his character that I don't prefer. But based on LU canon, he's fun, definitely a notable character but not my personal fav!

Wild. As winnie said, not a big fan of LU's interpretation. It's still good, but again I feel like there's soooo much Wild-centric fics that are just pure angst--which sometimes I enjoy, but also. let him be silly! Yes he is a traumatized guy but he enjoys making seal-puns in BOTW!

open tags!!

Gonna try and start a tag game, so let's go!

We've all got our favorite Links, but I wanna know how ALL the LU Links rank for you.

I'll start! And just to note, I've only played Sky, Wild, and Twilight's games so far.

1. Sky- My favorite Link, though his game is my second favorite

2. Wild- Second favorite Link, but his games are my favorite

3. Warriors- Haven't played his games, but @crazylittlejester has made him one of my top three

4. Time- Gives big Dad vibes, he's just trying to keep his children out of trouble

5. Twilight- Absolutely the big brother

6. Legend- Not as bitter as I often see him portrayed. He's just a (older) kid whose been through a lot

7. Hyrule- Played his games a LONG time ago, never made it past the first dungeon. I don't really have much to say about him though

8. Wind- Cute kid, I like him but don't have much to day about him either

9. Four- I unfortunately don't know anything about him beyond LU, sorry Four!

Tagging:

@skyloftian-nutcase @crazylittlejester @skyward-floored @sprite-and-the-bunnydragons and anyone else is welcome to join as well!

[blueskittlesart]

*sigh* thoughts on Nintendo's botw/totk timeline shenanigans and tomfoolery?

tbh. my maybe-unpopular opinion is that the timeline is only important when a game's place on the timeline seriously informs the way their narrative progresses. the problem is that before botw we almost NEVER got games where it didn't matter. it matters for skyward sword because it's the beginning, and it matters for tp/ww/alttp (and their respective sequels) because the choices the hero of time makes explicitly inform the narrative of those games in one way or another. it matters which timeline we're in for those games because these cycles we're seeing are close enough to oot's cycle that they're still feeling the effects of his choices. botw, however, takes place at minimum 10 thousand years after oot, so its place on the timeline actually functionally means nothing. botw is completely divorced from the hero of time & his story, so what he does is a nonissue in the context of botw link and zelda's story. thus, which timeline botw happens in is a nonissue. honestly I kind of liked the idea that it happened in all of them. i think there's a cool idea of inevitability that can be played with there. but the point is that the timeline exists to enhance and fill in the lore of games that need it, and botw/totk don't really need it because the devs finally realized they could make a game without the hero of time in it.

[righteous-pines]

Moon 0

[flock-of-cassowaries]

For what it’s worth, I’m almost 40, and it’s way better than being 21. My brain was not a fun place to be when I was 21, but now that I’m older, I find that almost every day-to-day function has gotten a lot easier, and a hell of a lot more manageable.

(Except pulling all-nighters and still being sort-of functional the next day. Can’t do that anymore. Sleep 👍.)

But. Overall, I’m so much happier now than I was in 2007.

Also - something I’ve realized is that guys who say shit like that are mostly posturing for other dudes. Like, “Look what an alpha I am. I only date really young women!” :

1. They’re full of shit, every single one of them. (The same 45-year-old college classmate who continuously ran his mouth about how women “expired” at 24 definitely slid into my DMs well after I had passed what he termed to be my best-before date.)

2. They’re trying to impress other dudes. As a woman, you’re basically just a piece of scenery in their game of Homosocial Status Quest. Any form of romantic or sexual relationship they could theoretically hope to form is less appealing to them than winning the esteem of other shitty dudes. It is deeply, appallingly, hilariously pathetic.

unfortunately I’ve completely internalized the idea that I’m not worth as much as I get older. I looked forward to turning 21 for obvious reasons but I know I will dread every birthday after that. even then when I talked about turning 21 a lot of asshole guys on twitter “jokingly” said I was used up/worthless/a hag etc etc. so that just made it worse. ofc I don’t think other people are worthless for aging, just me. I’m already conscious of my age and I’m only 21, turning 22 soon. it kills me that RW asshole losers have made me internalize such a terrible thing. it makes me hope I’ll be dead before I hit 30 cause of all their disgusting comments. I hate them so bad

[splinteredsweets]

i'm gonna go insane

whenever i watch the opening of wreck it ralph i can't help but wonder ... ok so originally and for years i've always thought the other bad guys just didn't fully understand how much shit ralph has gone through for his entire life and they have better lives which i think is in parts still true , as they do appear to have get-togethers often and they seemingly have other friends while ralph had no one , but i unfortunately don't feel like that's the extent of it and that there's more to it than that .

on one rewatch something about their phrasing bothered me ... 'we've all felt what you're feeling and we've come to terms with it' like this could either - again - mean just that 'we didn't exactly like doing bad things but as bad guys it's our job to' but then i thought ... what if they also experienced a similar situation of mistreatment by their good guys and npcs ? what if they still experience that ? but it's just easier to deal with because they all have each other ? if bad-anon isn't just for 'im bad and that's good' but like the only place they find acceptance ?? bc like when ralph is walking home from pac-man's , the other characters he comes across say 'bad guy coming' like ??? do all bad guys experience this ??? but we just don't get to see it ??? ralph is the only one stopped by surge protector in the instances we see but who's to say the other bad guys don't get stopped on occasion too and we just don't see it ? or maybe they're let off easier bc they've 'accepted their place' . oh my god .

and at the end of the movie , ralph is treated better by the nicelanders , which is good ofc , but how are the other bad guys doing ??? if they've been through something similar , are they being treated better too ??? i sure hope so ... like maybe there was like some kind of meeting offscreen like 'hey can we stop outcasting bad guys for just doing their jobs please' idk ... i just have a horrible terrible feeling there's no way the other bad guys aren't facing or at the very least have faced similar discrimination . it's just easier to deal with bc they've had to forge a community to support eachother . because no one else will give them the respect after-hours . im sure someone else has mentioned this before idk i just need to get it out b4 i lose my mind

i could phrase this all more eloquently but i think i might just end up overthinking myself to death i tend to do that a lot

[obsessedoverwater]

I really really want some reincarnation knuxadow angst I may start a draft

Something Something Projecting your love and ideals on someone that both is and isn't the person you knew

Something about losing everyone but this one person and mayhaps becoming a little codependent

It ends doomed because I DON'T think they should be happy actually make them suffer immensely