#he isn’t attacking Ratio

[queerly-done]

Bust…

Or

MAYBE I’LL TAKE IT ALL

I don’t need to only post WH content this month so have some Aventio/Ratiorine because I miss them dearly

[rainystarshower]

Hai! I would like to req ratio x gn! Reader (omg i feel like your page is gonna be full of ratio fics lmao) anyways reader is like super clingy and always clings to him everywhere they go, holding his arms or his fingers (i feel like hes gonna be flustered anytime reader does that) even when they go to bed together, ratio couldnt even get out of bed in the morning cuz how tight reader holds his arm. Honestly you can pick the scenario cuz i couldnt think of anything lmao i hope this isn't to much

‘Your touch!’

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chara : Dr. Ratio

cw : fluff, gn reader, veritas ratio, reader is STRONG🔥🔥🔥

a/n : HELP UR RIGHT ANON IM GETTING SO MANY RATIO REQUESTS😭 But like, whenever I check the dr ratio x reader tag there’s only one fic per day...ratio fans are STARVING!! More food incoming from Rei!!!!!!!!

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈✩┈┈┈┈┈𝄞

Ratio couldn’t bear this anymore. Nighttime, he sat in his office chair, door locked to prevent you from entering. You were the reason he was like this after all. With his furrowed eyebrows, be buried his face into his hands, annoyed but flushed. He was extremely flustered and he just couldn’t contain it anymore!!

After taking a deep breath, the flush on his face slowly started to decrease. Now it was time for him to think back, as to why he’s so flushed! He leans back into his office chair, looking up at the ceiling — his brows still frowned. He recalled all those memories of you and him...

...

You slammed open Ratio’s office door as he was working — startling him a little. Without another word coming out of his mouth, you instantly crawled onto his lap and hugged him, resting your cheek on his shoulder. You could feel how Ratio’s heart started beating faster, and how he immediately stopped his breath. You only smiled as he tried finding words. “What are you...” Was all he could let out, before you dug your face deeper into his neck. “Nothing. Just missed you” you murmured. You could feel the heat of his cheeks rising every second.

Another moment, where you and Ratio were just walking along the sidewalk of Penacony, talking about trivial matters. Slipping your hand into his, he notices and flinches. You show him a smile and he sighs, the blush on his face undeniable as he lets you hold his hand.

Or even that moment in bed, where you had come home late, seeing Ratio already asleep in your guys’ shared bed. You instantly changed and snuggled up close to him, either burying your face in his chest or hugging him from the back. He opens his eyes after you finally fall asleep, trying to keep his heart beat steady.

...

All those times, gosh, you kept clinging to him! He didn’t hate it, no, never... But you were distracting him! It was like everytime he was in your vicinity you’d immediately interwine your hands or fingers, or you’d straight up hug-attack or pounce on him!

Lost in thought of you, he almost fell out of his chair — being startled by you breaking open his locked door. “Are you gonna sleep?” You ask him, walking over to his chair from behind and wrapping your arms around his neck loosely. Your damp hair from the shower you just took wetting Ratio’s shoulder and face slightly.

“Yes, after I finish the current project. There’s something missing in it.” He says, surprised you broke down the locked door, but feeling cooled and immediately forgetting about it by the water on his face and your hug. “Have you been sleeping enough? It seems like you haven’t.” That’s true, he hasn’t. He’s constantly kept awake, all because he isn’t used to the affection you pour onto him. Every small touch feels like he’s falling in love with you all over again, sparks that he thought could either never be lit again or lit at all — burning with every touch. “I’ve... Been distracted.” He admits, ashamedly. You pull back in surprise. “You? Distracted? Do tell why Doc!” You sit yourself ontop of his desk, taking his hand and playing around with it. His gloves, or just inspecting his hands.

He looks at you, praying you don’t notice his flush. His expression is unusually softer, he looks at you as if you’re something he just cannot figure out. He would never say this directly to your face, but, he’d like to hold you forever. “Someone has been distracting me.” He turns his head away, his eyes flickering from you time to time. “Is a co-worker bothering you?” You ask, still holding his hand but looking at him. “Not... Quite. They distract me in a way everytime they do little acts of touching me, I seem to be unable to stop thinking of it.” Your eyes widen, and he notices. “Such measly touches... Unable to escape my mind...” He repeats. You feel his hand slightly flince, going stiff for a second. “It’s... An addictive feeling...” You feel your own cheeks burn slightly. He looks at you from the side of his eye.

Your laugh fills the room, his face now turned to face you. He scoots his chair closer to you, his eyebrow slightly twitching. “Why are you laughing?” He articulated. “Nothing, you’re just adorable! Is this your way of saying you enjoy how clingy I am?” You wipe the tear from your eye that evolved from laughter, smiling at him and refusing to let go of his hand — not that he minds. His jaw slightly falls open, as if he’s unsure of what to say. Searching for the words. Only you could make him feel like this... Like an idiot... “Perhaps.” He almost denies.

You sigh fondly. Ratio immediately noticing the warmth in your smile. You jump off the table and stand besides Ratio’s chair. He looks at you, rather puzzled as to what you’re trying to do. But before he knows it, you scoop him up from his chair, your arms and hands underneath his legs and back. He’s caught off guard, he yelps.

You immediately take him to your shared room, closing the lights and leaving only one lamp with a warm dim lighting open. Then taking off any bothersome piece of accessory Ratio wears on his person and immediately cuddle him. He looks at you, surprised. But how he loved it when you held him like this, or when he held you. He didn’t say a thing, only embracing your touch in that moment — making the two of you drift into slumber.

—————————

Anon this idea of urs was so big brain I think I crapped myseld

[yurinaa-world]

hiii!!! can I request dr ratio x shapeshifter reader? Like for a scenario reader was cooking at their shared apartment with ratio and he just gotten home after a long day and was startled thinking someone else was in the apartment but it was just reader in another form. And where ratio was walking around penacony but stop his track seeing a cat was following him but was surprised seeing the cat talked but it was just reader, and another time where reader was flirting with ratio but didn't noticed they were in another form (idk just a little yapping from me lol)

💫𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈: Veritas Ratio x Gender-Neutral reader

💫𝒮𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒾𝓈: with a reader shapeshifter reader

💫𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈: Fluff, mentions of cheat (not like that i swear), Spelling Mistakes

💫𝒩𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈: I took the second idea and changed it up a bit 🤥

💫𝒱𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓈 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜 "𝑀𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑔𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒶 𝒢𝓊𝒾𝓁𝒹"

It isn’t too much of a shock to you when seeing him have a fond gaze while petting a cat with a comfortable and enjoyable part of its body depending on what he enjoys the most. (Being a nerd even when indulging in his desires isn’t much of a shock to you).

Yet it’s jealousy that gets the best of you, why must other creatures pay attention when you exist? You can be any animal but prettier and cuter and you can’t forget how good-looking you are in general. 

Now, you're currently seething in jealousy at the sight of Veritas staring so lovingly at a cat.

One of his knees on the dirty sidewalk of Penacony, a rare sight without his bust (that he loves to wear), a gentle hand out to the little cat on the streets that seemed to immediately come to adore a small drop of veritas’ kindness, the cat jumping into his arms, while he has a gentle look on his face. So unfair! That thing over you! That itself should be a war crime against the universe! Glaring at the little in his arms. Even if you did indeed follow him, he shouldn’t be betraying you!

His face turned surprised when he jumped out of his arms after getting skittish. You would never do that, you would let him do all sorts of things, whatever he wished. Watching him walk off and continue what he was originally doing. Hah, you could easily take his attention if you wanted to! You what you’re going to prove everyone wrong (basically fighting demons).

Well, of course, you were able to attain his favour, attacking him when he’s at his lowest, which is him sitting on a bench. Pressing your furry head on his leg and wrapping your tail around him, makes him cave instantly, his hands coming to bring you up and onto his lap.

Yet, your act doesn’t stay for long. “Veritas how can cheat on me!” you whine instantly turning back human, straddling his lap while your arms are wrapped around his neck. “What gave you the idea i resort to something like that.” He sighs, already used to your dramatic behaviour. “You show love to some street cat and not me, I'm way cuter!” you complain, shoving your face closer to his.

“You’re so dramatic.” so dramatic that he still loves you

[ironunderstands]

My reaction (or rather rebuttal) to this amazing theory by Lalody’s lore; and how I think it exposes a problem with theory making in general

Now disclaimer, I would like to start off by saying that this is not an attack on the creator of this video in the slightest. This is a very well researched and thought out theory and I 100% understand why she came to the conclusions she did, even if admittedly I believe they are a bit of a stretch. I also am not here to debunk anything, lore is not my speciality or something I really care about in general, and admittedly I’m not very well versed in it even if I know the basics.

Rather, this post is going to be discussing this theory from a thematic/charaterization perspective, and why I think it’s wrong because of that- as well as how it exposes problems with theory making in general.

This is going to be mostly a stream of consciousness-style rant, and although I recommend you watch that video before reading this (both because it’s a) very good, and b) obviously relevant to the conversation), I’m going to be speaking very generally about the content in it, so you don’t necessarily have to watch it.

Alright, on with my major problem with this theory: ie, never in a million goddamn years would it make THEMATICALLY make for our dear Veritas Ratio to willingly become an aeon

His whole character is about being human and humanity man

Ratio, in essence, is the most human character in Honkai Star Rail, and I don’t mean that literally, as there’s reason to believe he isn’t.

Rather, him (as well as Aventurine and Acheron) are characters that embody the human spirit/what it means to be human.

I could talk about them at length later, but in Ratio’s case, the story makes a point that despite how remarkable his life and achievements are, he is still at his core, human, mundane, and not unique in the face of the universe- that is what makes him INTERESTING.

He objectively has amazing accomplishments- ones which by far qualify him to be a member of the Genius Society- Lalody mentions it herself (and thank god for that).

However, every step Ratio takes, he reaffirms his humanity and mundanity- LITERALLY

He calls himself a Mundanite constantly- hell he made a whole secret society of them, he believes that any person, fool or genius is capable of living their life to the fullest, and he dedicates his time trying to help them rather than chasing the stars himself. Ratio is very self aware, admitting he’s not good with people and can be rather abrasive, admitting he knows how he comes off to others, but refusing to change despite that because that’s who he is. His opening a chest voiceline has him saying that he accepts the material offer it values- like any man would. Never in Ratio’s life has he distanced himself or put himself above others, and the quest introducing him is called the MUNDANE and the Divine for a reason.

At his core, Ratio is no different from any other person and that’s what makes his objective exceptionality meaningful. He’s a character that smacks you in the face with how even the average person can achieve great things in live- that creativity and intelligence aren’t limited to Geniuses- aren’t limited to those acknowledged by Nous, by the divine.

Hell, that’s something I ripped straight out of his first character story because at his core this is who Ratio IS

He is a rejection of the divine- not an embrace of it

To make Ratio an Aeon would take everything he stands for away, and be a direct spit in the face to how inspiring he is both in universe and for the players.

Making a character whose whole thing is saying “you do not need to be extraordinary to do great things,” and then going “hah psych he’s a god actually and this is unachiveable for normal people, just like every other genius- you know, the people he stands against!” would just suck. It would suck. I don’t have more intelligent words for this other than saying that doing THAT would suck ass.

It’s not that Ratio couldn’t become an Aeon, it’s that he would never WANT to be one. It would be the most tragic thing ever to do to him, and would hurt him in every way possible to do so. Tearing him away from the thing he cares about the most, from what defines him as a person would be worse than killing him off in my opinion, and in universe he would hate that more too.

There’s several reasons why he doesn’t like the Genius Society, and their disconnect from humanity is one of them. Hell, when Screwllum invited him to work together, Ratio instead of centering the project in aeons, chooses to focus on people instead. Screwllum likens them to both ends of the spectrum- with himself and the rest of the Genius’s exploring Divinity, and Ratio Humanity- or rather Mediocrity.

That’s also why me and my Screwllum loving friend believe that in “The Mundane and the Divine,” Ratio is the Mundane and Screwllum the Divine, so to make both of them divine would ruin that dichotomy, and the whole opposites thing he currently has going on with Screwllum, Ruan Mei, and the Genius Society in general.

If he’s an aeon- if he’s divine too, then who is left to be the mundane?

2) Why is he stealing Ruan Mei’s and Acheron’s nachos

If any of our playable characters are going to become an Aeon, it’s her for obvious reasons. From a meta perspective, pulling that same shit twice or robbing Ruan Mei of the plot line she deserves and slapping it onto Ratio is cheap and stupid, especially considering he’s her narrative foil which only again goes to prove that it wouldn’t make sense for him.

As for Acheron, the reason I mention her is because the only Aeon I can actually see Ratio becoming is the Existence- who a) probably already exists b) finding them is her storyline anyways, and if anyone is going to become them, it will be her c) although I absolutely believe Ratio’s personal philosophy is incredibly similar to Acherons, they’d actually have to interact on screen once before it would make sense for that to happen.

Either way, the theory itself is an interesting premise, but there are far better characters to ascribe it to, which leads into my final point.

3) Why the hell would the writers do this?

Just because they can doesn’t mean they should, and from a thematic and character perspective, I have already gone over why if they care to actually do his character justice, they would never ever consider making Ratio an aeon, unless it’s against his will or something.

Which is why I think this video is actually an exemplar of the problem with theory making in all fandoms now a days- ie; people don’t actually stop to consider whether their theories make sense in the story.

And I don’t mean logically. Honestly I’m going to call this the Game Theory Effect because they do it better than anyone- just because something can happen in a story doesn’t mean it should.

The writers could make Ratio an Aeon, they could go “oops it was all a dream” again in Penacony and local astrophysicists could theorize on how I managed to throw a brick at my computer at light speed. They could do literally anything and justify it in the process because HSR is a work of fiction, but that does not mean the story itself would be good.

This is more of a criticism of how people approach storytelling in general, seeing media only for their plots and not for their themes, which is frustrating beyond words, because at least in my opinion, the most interesting parts of stories are their themes. Also, I feel that when debunking theories, people should focus less about the logic behind them, and more about whether they would actually make sense or not to be involved.

Moreover, Lalody’s video raises some very interesting ideas, and it’s caused me to think of a storyline involving similar elements- but in an opposite direction.

What if Ratio was initially Divine- but willingly became Mundane. Maybe it wasn’t willing and he was forced to be this way, but either way, it would make far more sense- and be far more interesting- if we see him reject divinity rather than embracing it.

It’s no secret Ratio’s lore is sort of a black hole at the moment, which is half the reason why so many crazy theories about him exist- we barely know anything about the guy personally. However, I’d liked to see it filled in a way that doesn’t completely demolish his current character, or who he literally is currently, as I rather like Ratio in his present form, and a bait and switch might actually drive me a bit nuts, just saying.

There’s plenty of speculation to be had, especially considering that one Cosmodyssey occurrence that haunts my every waking hour game please explain, but I’d like the hsr community to move away from the “Ratio is super special and extraordinary” direction, because what makes him interesting is the fact that he ISN’T

[finisnihil]

Hello pookies let’s talk about Aventurine and Topaz

Penacony spoilers+Analysis ahead

Let’s start off the bat, I personally like Aventurine more than Topaz and the main reason is because Topaz willingly works for the IPC while Aventurine doesn’t. Some people have pointed out in other posts of mine that Topaz didn’t voluntarily join the IPC. Her planet was dying and the IPC bought it, she joined because it was required of her, but here’s the difference. She chooses to stay.

She emphasizes in her talking with Bronya and the Trailblazer than she doesn’t stay with the IPC just because she has to or because she needs a paycheck. She stays because she likes working for them.

Also, she sees what was done to her planet as a good thing. In her eyes, the IPC saved her planet, in her eyes it isn’t exploitation. She tries to force the same thing on Jarilo-VI to the point she attacks the Astral Express for trying to stop her after Bronya declined the contract. She felt entitled to Jarilo-VI and when she was told no she ignored it. To her, the IPC are the best. It’s no wonder either, as far as we know she hasn’t seen the truly ugly side of the IPC yet because the IPC need her. In her character stories other IPC constantly hype her up, she’s a prodigy, she makes the IPC more efficient. She raises the success rate from 63% to above 80%. Even in her early days we see her breaking rules and getting away with it because the IPC value her too much to lose her.

They don't even question her calculations. Adding to this, when Aventurine is first introduced, it's after she's punished for her actions on Jarilo-VI.

He gives a lot of context about Topaz's power in the IPC. She "dodged a bullet there", implying she theoretically should've got a stronger punishment than being demoted a rank and losing some bonuses she's mentioned she doesn't care about. He even mentions that somebody is "looking out for her". Topaz has backing. He also mentions Jarilo-VI was a high-risk low-reward situation and that her "kind heart" was a liability. Topaz has the room to take on such cases and exercise her "kind heart" because she isn't at risk of losing everything if she screws up. There's little consequences to her actions, there's powerful people protecting her, and the IPC need her. Topaz can leave at any time, she choses not to because she likes the IPC. You see this power dynamic in her character trailer.

A throne is strong imagery and she's surrounded by money, the real representation of power in the IPC.

So let's talk about Aventurine and why I think he's interesting and why I like him more than Topaz.

Let's start with his power dyanmic within the IPC, or more so, his lack of one.

Aventurine has a serial number on his neck and Dr Ratio specifically calls him a "thrall". The term thrall in this context seems to imply he's a captive of some sort of the IPC*, to them he's a product. We can feel his lack of power in the way people talk to him.

Sparkle speaks to him in a super derogratory way and belittles him by implying he had to humiliate himself to influence Sunday. Meanwhile Dr Ratio writes him off as ruining everything before he gets to really do anything.

He gets power by gambling for it. Power is fleeting and he can lose it easier than most.

At one point he talks about how much money he loses wasting ten minutes. Ten minutes is nothing for Topaz but to Aventurine it's lost money and if he's not making the IPC money he's useless and viable to be cast aside. He can't afford it because he has no power. Compared to Topaz, he can't leave. He has less room for screw ups.

Onto friendship.

When friendship comes up, he keeps the idea at a distance. He asks how friends benefit him. Sparkle says he treats friends like bargaining chips and when he's talking with Dr Ratio he says that "Friends are weapons of Avgins". To him, friends are used for or against you.

He doesn't have any real friends, he's always on his own. He has no backing. He can't trust anybody because he's in such a vulnerable state and everyone around him looks down on him because of his heritage. Dr Ratio even tells him he causes too much trouble to have freinds, likening him to a peacock with a jarring call.**

Finally I want to analyze this conversation between him and Topaz. When asking for her help, he calls her old friend, implying he's planning to use her. The thing about Aventurine is that compared to Topaz, he's more ruthless because he has to be, he doesn't have the wiggle room she does, even Black Swan notes this saying he'll go to extreme lengths to maintain an advantage. Right now, that's what he's doing because he's being thrown to Penacony as a sacrifice. For the reasons above he seems to be the most expendable Stoneheart. He notes Penacony is a lost cause and Topaz is shocked that the mission isn't given to a higher ranking Stoneheart. He eggs Topaz into being his project manager with the idea she'll recover what she lost on Jarilo-VI. What he's really doing is using her to shield himself. With her involvement the IPC will be less likely to cut their loses with him, because they need Topaz and if he puts his eggs in her basket to care for they're less likely to be left to break by the IPC. If things go wrong he takes the blame… unless he has Topaz to sofen the blow. He's gambling on her power in their dynamic.

*My personal theory as of 2.0 is that the Sigonians and Avgins had a war and the IPC backed the Avgins for a benefit of their victory, assuring it. Aventurine was a captive or some sort of "war prize" hence the serial number and Dr Ratio calling him a thrall. It also explains the negative view of Sigonians and the very favorable view of Avgins among other lore we've gotten about it. I may do a seperate post of this theory.

**Sparkle and Dr Ratio liken Aventurine to a peacock frequently. Male peacocks use their feathers to attract the attention of female peacocks. This matches Aventurine's very flamboyant and charismatic character and his place in the story.

Feel free to add discussion, have a great day, mwah!

[oraclesblog]

Tatsuki Fujimoto: An Anomaly in Shonen

It’s no secret that within shonen anime/manga, female characters are often sidelined and or treated like plot devices to further the storylines of male characters. However, Chainsaw Man, written by Tasuki Fujimoto, takes a different approach to the way he handles and writes his female cast.

The women of Chainsaw Man not only defy traditional stereotypes but also have agency, development, relevance, and strength, as well as character arcs that center around furthering their own story’s instead of being dedicated to their male counterparts. An interesting way to see this is by juxtaposing how Fujimoto handles the two-boy, one-girl trio formation compared to how other mangaka handle it.

Often times in Shonen anime, the author will formulate a main trio of characters consisting of two boys and one girl: one main character, one deuteragonist, and one main heroine.

The issue isn’t with the gender ratio of the trio itself; it’s with how mangaka handle the gender ratio in the trio. The MC and the deuteragonist often get numerous opportunities to hold plot relevance within the story, whether through strength or character writing, while the female characters are either sidelined or reduced to just being love interests. This is seen in Naruto with the way Sakura is diminished as a heroine and put at a heavy disadvantage in both writing and strength. We see it again in Jujutsu Kaisen with how both Nobara and Shoko are handled. Although they aren’t love interests, they are still either pushed to the side and made completely irrelevant (Shoko), resulting in the female character falling into the token girl trope, or fridged to further the storyline of their male counterparts (Nobara). Attack on Titan also faces a similar issue, despite the immense potential Mikasa had coming from a warrior bloodline and having an interesting backstory. She was ultimately reduced to being a simp with no agency or development outside of being a love interest.  

Oftentimes, when authors of shonen manga create these types of trios, the women don’t get nearly as much time and effort put into the creation of their characters. They exist for the sole purpose of being a token, a love interest, or completely fridged.  

However, Fujimoto subverts these common tropes and actively writes against them. This evident in the main trio of the series. 

Power, the main female heroine of Chainsaw Man and the only girl within the main trio, isn’t a character that exists solely to push Denji and Aki forward. She’s also not a love interest or just there to be a token. She is her own person, her own character within the narrative of the story. She has agency, development, and a rich backstory that only further adds to the complexity of her character. Power gets a character arc that isn’t centered around Aki and Denji but one that centers around the deconstruction of the preconceived notions she has about humanity and the concept of human bonds and relationships.

What makes the main trio of Chainsaw Man so rich and fulfilling is the fact that Fujimoto understands the concept of balance. Denji, Aki, and Power are all separate individuals that exist within the narrative of the story for different reasons and purposes. They all have a unique backstory, wants, and needs that aren’t attached to one another, despite being a trio, because Fujimoto knows what character agency is, and he doesn’t negate that based on the fact that one of the characters in the trio is a woman.

[aaakikoo]

random low effort Attack On Titan headcanons

-> I’m back from the long ass break lol, I’ll try to most more regularly <3

-> nothing is 18+ so everyone can interact, some of these could be a lil icky n they could give ur favs an ick but some r rlly sweet too <3

-> this a guy ver ill do a girl ver soon!

-> girl ver

EREN J.

listens to rap but fails to rap as fast as the rapper so it turns into him mumbling.😭

has a collection of funk pops

doesn’t have a mid, or bad but TERRIBLE spice tolerance.

thinks that his loud motorcycle is hot

his breath smells like onion sometimes

surprisingly doesn’t sweat alot

his fav colour is sage green and black

tries to act manly infront of mikasa but ends up looking stupid

argues with armin but when he proves him wrong he says “that’s exactly what I said!” 💀

doenst use sunscreen

tries to make food for armin and mikasa but fail so the trio end up making food together instead

lends armin his clothes

ARMIN A.

drinks jet black coffee every morning

his breath always smells like mint

has a collection of polo shirts

get sad/offended when he sees those tiktoks of ppl saying that blue eyes are scary.

listens to true crime on the daily

is very very organized like WAYYYY too organized, on his desk his pens, papers, clips etc are all sorted out in different containers, his clothes are washed and ironed perfectly in his closet with each drawer, his bathrooms smells so expensive all the time.

wears those shorts with longer black shorts underneath

has little/to no hair on his body expect his face

has a pet parrot

is allergic to dogs

JEAN K.

this man has a collection of colognes but only used 3 of them.

also has a tie collection

unlike eren he only knows how to cook the basics, coffee, salads, pancakes, cereal, eggs and bacon, pasta & noodles.

he isn’t super organized but like to have control, I feel like he’d have an obsession with vacuuming especially the living room.

watched BEN 10 as a kid

Fav colour purple

smokes cigs, but only sometimes.

calls his car “his lady”

loves to paint/draw

he’d be one of those guys who wear shorts and a tank and no socks around the house (nun wrong w that)

hairy legs but no hair on his arms n chest??? 😭

asks to borrow ur Netflix

spam comments under his partners posts

loves frank ocean

CONNIE S.

surprisingly I feel like Connie would know how to bake and very responsible when it comes to that.

still has the hand writing of a 7 year old

has a collection of tote bags

has a silver piercing in his left ear

loves chunky belts and chunky silver rings

a huge fan of ariana grande

doesn’t like sea food

loves to watch reality tv and get involved in drama

a nice gym bro

doesn’t smoke but drinks on occasions like he really takes his chance

has fully loaded biceps

has 3 suits. Black, grey and navy and rotates between them.

has seen every show/movie on Netflix

LEVI A.

black coffee everyday as well

loves to collect exotic types of tea

has a skincare routine of face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen

uses a bonnet when he sleeps

doesn’t eat meat

listens to rain ASMR when he can’t sleep

always has a bottle of water with him everywhere

his showers r 30 mins long

only wears suit pants

has a wallet with a pic of Hange in it

his fav cake is cheesecake but only eats it if the biscuit ratio is bigger than the cream cheese

loves red tulips

reads the news paper and listens to the radio everyday for 15 mins

ERWIN S.

eats only eggs and bacon with orange juice for breakfast

has a huge collection of suit shirts that he wears everyday

carries a small comb around

has a pen in his chest pocket

when he sees a good looking man he always admires them out loud

has 2 colognes that he rlly likes and wears

really good at cooking

tries to say Gen z slangs

a huge MJ fan

loves Sherlock Holmes

a hairy man

loves dogs

only uses sunscreen on his face

has a little bit of a sweet tooth

uses Vaseline all the time, he has a tub at his place, a tub in his office and a stick with him all the time

REINER B.

lactose intolerant

loves to rewatch his childhood shows/movies

loves salty things, actually he eats quite literally anything

scared of animals

has a fear of heights (??)

actually really great with kids

always rushes to the other side of the car to open the door for his lady

sucks ass at cooking

he is really strong but doesn’t have very good stamina

loves to play video games

very good at literature, wants to be an author (modern AU)

BERTHOLDT H.

nut allergy

has long fingers

very shy and doesn’t really have an opinion on anything

[generalsdiary]

is this enough for a love confession?

Dr. Ratio x Aventurine

warnings: none

word count: 2k

a/n: idk if this is wht ppl call tsundere, this attacked me at 1am last night and held me in a chokehold until i wrote every single thing veritas had to confess, help? not beta read, aventurine came home guys

description: a small argument tips Ratio over to confess his feelings to Aventurine

„should I apologize?” beat. he tilts his head, annoyment fills the sound of his voice, “should I fucking apologize? for being… what?... capable! of-“ vague gesticulation, “actual conversation, for being ‘smart enough to keep up with you’ and not disappoint?” his tone of voice suggests he is getting agitated by the second while trying to remain calm, “for being a competent conversationalist?” Aventurine scoffs, he takes the black gloves off of his hands along with the jewelry. “you will look at me while I talk to you- or, I’m sorry, is the view of a gambler- below one such as yourself?” he steps forward, taking Veritas’ chin in his hand making the taller man face him. Ratio’s expression appears tired, defeated almost.

Veritas’ eyes turn to meet his. there’s a certain silence, stillness… he knows he set him off by being insensitive or saying something that is triggering to a tired Aventurine. the apology is already dancing on his lips, ready to spill over the soft hills of the plush pink. Veritas hums, “I apologize, I must’ve been careless, although you seem a tad unwell in this moment- perhaps a cold shower would help? furthermore, no, you needn’t apologize.”

“I’m tired of this. I feel like you just don’t care.” Aventurine hisses with disappointment dripping from his words, he lets go of Ratio’s chin and looks away. “I… do not care?” Veritas calmly asks. “Aventurine, is this truly about that or did you have a difficult day?” “can it not be both? and, perhaps, do not undermine me, Doctor.” Aventurine snaps back like a whip.

Veritas sighs, pinching the skin between his brows in thought for a couple of moments. after sorting his thoughts he stands straight and looks at Aventurine who isn’t even turned towards him anymore. his words start low, calm, and slowly crescendo into a louder tone, more confidently, “I care. of course I care. not even a fool would be able to miss how much I care. I stand beside you at this moment and my heart and mind is yours, my body-“ he gives a dry chuckle, “is yours the stomp on. and if you’re expecting some warm, romantic words you’re asking the wrong man, I am a lot of things but I am no romantic.” he looks to the ground, gathering his thoughts once more. “if something happened to you I would never be the same. if anything, I think I’d turn for worse, seeking knowledge that is forbidden for a damn reason just to... bring you back. and, I’d- I’d take you reborn in any shape you’d come.” he takes a deep breath, “I cannot imagine starting my day without embracing you first thing in the morning, smelling your shampoo on the pillows, your hair falling through my fingers like melting gold… I cannot imagine my baths without you annoyingly popping in asking if you can join- or my breakfast without you reading me the day’s news while I complain about the insignificance of it. maybe I’m a creature of habit, and I simply grew used to you and you may argue that.” he falls silent, speaking the next words a tad louder than a whisper, “I yearn to be near you. I gravitate to you like a metal to a magnet; uncontrollably and eagerly. my day feels incomplete when I do not get to share it with you and everything that happened. the weight of your body on top of mine feels comforting at night and I cannot sleep without the pressure on my chest and your scent around me. mentally I feel like I crawl on my knees to get home to see you, like an insect bent over and staying low to the ground. just to get to you and my heart begs to kiss you when I do get home. to taste your lips like drinking mint tea with honey, the freshness because it feels every time like it is the first time, and honey because I cannot resist the sugar the same as any other human. I feel like a parched man without your touch, I can barely breathe when I don’t see you and that damn plaster head doesn’t help to tune it out when I’m sick and you’re my only remedy. and on the days you cannot handle physical contact, I pray that the next day I could be blessed with that exhilarating feeling of kissing your lips. like now… you took off your gloves and I’m weak in my knees like a little boy over how pretty they are- like I’ve never held them before, how delicate they look, how I get to see them, and how I wish to kiss every pretty vein while telling you its name in Latin and its function. what a blessing it would be to hear you giggle at my funny words and gentle touch, and then I’d kiss your knuckles and talk even more; about your bones and joints, naming them and talking all the time like I’m a teenager trying to impress my crush when all I’m doing is rambling as an excuse to look into your beautiful eyes and get your attention on me. you could hate me and I’d be happy you’d use your time on a strong emotion while thinking of me. you are my sun, I circle around you, a moth to the shiniest flame. and perhaps I can now understand believers of religions and sinners because I’d pray for your time and your gaze, and, oh Aeons, I’d sin for you, for your presence, your body, your voice, your everything. so please, please… do not say I don’t care when I would rip the skin off of my own body to keep you warm. I’m yours… Kakavasha, even if it burns me and destroys me from the inside out.” a stumbling love confession, portraying a man lost and needy. with his ending words he steps closer, and rests his forehead on Aventurine’s.

Aventurine feels speechless, he has a full monologue surely ready to give to Veritas if the need arises but for now he looks at him with shaky eyes and a trembling bottom lip, itching to meet his. he outstretches his arm, taking Ratio’s hand in his and the taller man exhales deeply.

“you do care,” Aventurine whispers the only thing that comes to mind. Veritas opens his eyes and stands straight once more. he nods. “perhaps I ought to care less”

“marry me” Aventurine raises his chin, meeting Veritas’ gaze with a sweet smile. “absolutely not. the concept of marriage is idiotic, moreover, I do not require a piece of paper to tell me I am loyal to another” he scoffs, rolling his eyes at the thought of it, making Aventurine chuckle. “hm.. of course not…”

“dinner?” Veritas suggests in a normal tone. “sure, official?” Aventurine suspects this might not be a casual outing. “sadly. we must show up for a dinner event, organized by your employer and mine.” he observes the smaller hand in his, thumb caressing Aventurine’s knuckles. “maybe I’ll find a way for us to leave early.” Aventurine flashes him a smile, “music to my ears, Doc.”

a/n: yes I even sneaked in a Kafka reference in there (the writer not the hsr character), also in case you didn't read it - I wrote a dinner event fluff thingy about them hehe here legato*

[thewritetofreespeech]

May I request Nanami with an s/o who's got a video game-inspired cursed technique? Raising her or another person's stats, finding weaknesses, etc.

Nanami isn’t too familiar with video games.

He hasn’t really played one since Yu died, as he was always pestering Nanami to play with him. It sort of lost what little interest he had after that.

The concept is interesting though, from what he can understand.

Sort of like his Ratio Technique, their ‘Cheat Codes’ allows them to spot weaknesses in an enemy’s attacks & defense. Granting them a superior advantage though.

It does have it’s draw backs though.

Like any ‘game’ it can’t be one sided. So using ‘Cheat Codes’ for too long significantly drains their cursed energy and wreaks havoc on their body.

Nanami tries to take as much of a burden off them when he can in a fight. And after hours he makes sure to nurse them, when needed, to make sure they are ok.

He’s only ever seen their domain once and all the bright color, Mario 8-bit landscape gave him a headache.

[viridianevergarden]

So it seems that one of the main gripes that antis have about elriel is the way Azriel worded his big question to Rhys. That the way he said it screams entitlement to Elain? I’m going to break this down a little.

"The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another."

I really don’t think anything is wrong here.

Consider how Azriel is for a moment. He is of a more sophisticated character and he talks that way normally. The sentence is structured poetically, yes? Azriel is of a poetic sort, as we have seen on many occasions.

Azriel is referring entirely to the numerical imbalance that is present between the 3 to 3 ratio because that’s what it is. A numerical imbalance. Thats why Elain is referred to as “the third”. Weren’t Nesta and Feyre referred to as the “two”?

But it’s only wrong that he referred to Elain as the Third? Okay.

He wasn’t specifically referring to the sisters individually. He was referring to them alongside his brothers as a group. Of course she is the Third, because that is what she is. You’d think an English class would teach that.

This doesn’t mean that he sees her as an object.

Its quite the opposite that he sees her as such, given the fact that this man -across 4 books- has risked life and limb for her, spent time with her, gave her his dagger for her own safety that no one else has ever touched, actively sought her out on many occasions, and defended her against Nesta and *Lucien? Come on now. Let’s be real.

*Voicing that she doesn’t even want him in the BC is a defense in her stead.

No one does all that to slip under someone’s dress or get into their pants. Across 2 years mind.

The “given to another” line really isn’t serious just like the aforementioned.

She practically was given to another. She was thrown at Lucien, as per Lucien’s pov, since he’s oh so important. The cauldron shackled her to him as he is to her. It’s merely an observation. No entitlement.

The way Azriel spoke about Lucien regarding the blood duel, fighting him and beating him, etc. People think that Azriel is screaming entitlement by merely stating that he’d beat him? Oh lord. After Rhys and the narration confirmed that it was true? Spending precious page space to make that known?

Not entitlement. Merely stating the obvious, an observation just like the rest. A truth that SJM was trying to convey.

And don’t start with the “He’S a HiGhLoRd’S sOn, He’D bEaT AzRiEl.” Respectfully, silence. Highlord power is passed on by the death of the current highlord. Highlord esc dominance ≠ highlord power. SJM spent page space to make the fact that Az would win known, get over it.

Then they have the matter of “well why didn’t he fight Rhys back and confess his love for Elain then?”

There’s three answers I can give:

This is a BC, he won’t do that until it’s in a book that he actually stars in as a main character, which obviously is the next installment.

Azriel, as a person, feels he should not love her. That he does not deserve her. That he taints her very being. And that she is too good for him and Lucien. So that statement would be completely out of character for him to do so here. This man hates himself so much that he feels he doesn’t have the right or reason to fight for his love for Elain. So he won’t.

Rhysand himself.

The explanation on Rhysand:

Rhys shut him down as soon as he walked in

Taunted and antagonized him

Threw wild assumptions at him

Instigated

Threatened him

And then immediately proceeded to shut him out

He effectively gave no room for Azriel to open up. He didn’t even ask Azriel what was happening or what he felt. It was an immediate attack as soon as he walked into the office.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Being shut down instantly

“What of Mor?”

Antagonized and taunted

“you think you deserve to be her mate?”

Wild assumption

“So you’ll what? Seduce her away from him?”

Instigated + assumption

“Snarl all you want. But if I see you panting after her again, I’ll make you regret it.”

A threat

“Get out.”

And shutting him out

After throwing knives of assumptions at Azriel, trying to bait him with Mor, he threatened him and then kicked him out.

Rhysand is at fault for not creating a safe space for his brother to explain. Azriel merely gave him curt answers in response because that’s all he allowed him to do.

It’s only salt in the wound that we know that Rhys knows of Azriel’s self worth/esteem issues and still treated him this way. But given the time this BC took place, I’m cutting Rhys some slack.

Again, keep in mind that Azriel won’t fight for his love because he feels he has no right or reason to. Not right now.

Could his question about the sisters and the cauldron have been worded better? Sure. I think it was worded well enough though because it explicitly states the disparity that he sees in a logical fashion.

Azriel isn’t entitled, he doesn’t feel entitled.

The irony of it is that some people think he is all the while the man feels as though he doesn’t even deserve to be in any close proximity to Elain. To be around her and to see her light.

People fail to consider the emotional and mental state of Elriel, completely ignoring their words that made it so obvious of what they’re thinking and feeling and wanting all so they can determine what they want them to do instead.

Very ironic indeed.

[miminmimikyu]

Prodigy episodes 13-14: I was not prepared

I’m so excited!!!! Rok-Tahk-centric episode!!!!!!! I feel like she's been a little pushed to the side the last few episodes? But I love our science genius, so excited that her groundbreaking work from ep1 is key here! Though Dal saying that Rok prevented a core breach in 10 minutes is a little disingenuous innit, poor girl was in there for... years?

Is this going to turn out to be the origin of the attack Tribbles seen in Picard S3?

For someone who just obtained a very perishable miracle body, Zero really hasn't got their sense of self-preservation down yet.. That really was a sickening crushing noise when the Tribble ran over Zero.

Of all the Klingon designs we’ve seen in Star Trek, I really like Prodigy’s the best. The Bibble really freaks me out though

Rok truly has made it as a scientist now that she has uttered the words “what have I done??” while lit dramatically. S2 is truly a Rok-Tahk unethical science speedrun: she already has created identical(ish) holographic copies of herself and her friends that are seemingly self-aware and may feel existential dread, she proposed to infect an entire population of creatures with an experimental genome editing retrovirus, and unwittingly created a new form of life from a discarded cell culture dish. Also her argument for encouraging Zero to take up some strangers' offer to put them in a physical body was her own scientific curiosity. Girl! But I guess that one's ok because Zero wanted to do it anyway.

Maj'el looking out for the others and opening up is one of my new favourite things

Chakotay saying: “let’s set a course for home” referring to Voyager-A is justtttttrttttt asggsshshshjajakka

Chakotay reaaaally was holding onto that smelly t-shirt full of holes until he was within range of Janeway. Him being nervous to see Vice Admiral Janeway is unexpectedly so cute! But Dal, really...? "Looks like someone's ready to be sent to the Admiral's ready room?" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

It isnt a true voyager-adjacent series if Janeway doesn’t die at least one time, even if it's offscreen.

Hang on, hold on a second, let’s play a little longer in the universe where Captain Tuvix is leading a ship full of Enderprizians!!!

Shattered Voyager-A is so pretty! Though I don’t really understand in what way the ship is shattered? Going in a turbolift or transporter takes you across a boundary but they were able to walk from sickbay to the transporter room just fine? Or was that a different transporter room on the same deck? Ah well.

Scdhdbdhsjsjsjka Mirror Universe Janeway is too much <3 is that decoration on her eyebrow a nod to Seven’s ocular implant, or a trophy? I now understand why Voyager never had a proper mirror episode. Living Witness Evil Janeway leaves a powerful impression but she has nothing on Mirror Janeway's theatrics. She would have been too powerful for a live-action late '90s sci-fi show

fssksksksks I love that they’ve gone the Evil Abed route with the facial hair. And then, after spending all that time perfecting his appearance, Chakotay ends up reuniting with Janeway in a skintight catsuit and sporting a fake grease goatee+moustache on his face……….

Dammit it’s impossible to determine what’s going on between Janeway and Chakotay because they were doing shit like this for 7 years when they were on Voyager too!!

There isn’t a reality where Chakotay can hurt Janeway and there isn’t a reality where Janeway doesn’t get into Chakotay’s personal space like they’re still in a 4:3 aspect ratio <3<3<3

[puckpocketed]

21/12/2023 Seattle Kraken vs LA Kings

The Summer I Fell For Hockey - Strategy, Expectations, and Earning Your Ice: On 1-3-1 and Joey Daccord

My regulars filter in on my last day of work for the year and ask me how my games went, and I take a moment to think: people who are this nice to their baristas are probably going to heaven. They’ve been so patient and kind and interested, and commiserate with me over the losses (except for Simon, large latte, who is cheerfully smug as a Red Wings guy that hasn’t let go of the 6-5 comeback game the Sharks forced through). Yesterday, I caught the tail end of a near-shutout from the Kings against the Sharks, and this past Sunday they beat the Kraken 3-2. The LA Kings have won against both of my beloved teams in succession this week. Not even two days ago, I published an essay on the importance of staying silly and taking losses well with the help of my fellow fans. I remind myself of all this throughout the day as I serve — and yet there’s restless energy under my skin as I head home. I keep thinking about an errant comment made on the Sharks’ broadcast: that the Kings play a 1-3-1, and it’s what held my Sharks’ attack hostage for so long.

I talk about my profound attachment to hockey as though I just switched it on one day. While this makes for a convenient explanation, the truth is that I’m still falling. Hockey’s been great to watch, as a new fan. The learning curve isn’t as steep as it feels trying to get into other sports, and I do myself the favour of starting simple — the puck goes in the goal, and sometimes there are fights. But I can’t just sit here and be satisfied with a casual, passing interest, and when I get home the 1-3-1 won’t let me go. I have to chase it. Playstyle and team identity can be so hard to quantify and analyse in a game that moves so fast, but even my novice eyes see how playing against the LA Kings is absolutely suffocating.

Before I had the language for it, I described it as “the 1-3-1 bullshit”, and in my head I thought about it as whatever the hell they did to choke off the Sharks’ approach through centre ice as I watched them strip puck after puck, watched even the most promising looking rushes become lost. The backbone of a 1-3-1 is an impenetrable wall in the neutral zone, which sounds pretty cool until you look up videos and find that 11 years ago crowds were booing teams that used it. It consists of one wing forward posted deep in the offensive zone, the centre and the other forward and a defenceman in the neutral, and the last defenceman hanging back to capture stray pucks. It’s the ice hockey equivalent of turtling; a completely defence-oriented system that’s used to maintain leads. The trouble, of course, is that the Kings are just using it regardless.

Applying the ramping methodology to learning about hockey players, I see a pattern emerging in me — I start with what’s most familiar. Goaltenders are pretty straightforward, conceptually applicable across athletic disciplines; I like that I can see someone stop a play, throw their body in the way and dive on the puck and it’s as simple as that. Amongst dizzying line changes and d-men pairings and hockey formations, my ears and eyes land over and over again on Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord. It takes me a minute to figure out why.

Today, a national broadcast day, the puck is dropped 20 minutes late — I know this because I overslept my nap alarm by about that much and still managed to catch it. First period is reminiscent of their game against the Kings earlier in the week: the Kraken struggle to maintain puck possession, and the Kings have a staggering 19-6 lead in shots on goal. Even with the lopsided shot ratio, Daccord remains unbreakable. He dives for pucks, he’s quick on the glove and just as effective with his stick. I am brought back to his last few games played, where a shootout and an overtime hung on his performance. There are all-round agreements on the Kraken defensive line letting Daccord down in the past couple games, forcing him into making some impossible saves. The 9-round shootout with the Kings was an anomaly; and it could be said that this deep into a shootout, it’s less about the players (whose shot quality becomes increasingly questionable as the coaches scrape through their star forwards and down the line hierarchy for shooters) and more about a battle between goalies. I wonder, idly, if he’s thinking about that shootout loss, or the overtime loss against the Stars. He seems like the kind of person who would take that responsibility on his back, no matter the extenuating circumstances.

The Kings give me anxiety, this first period. Their defence looks airtight. Whenever the opponent gains possession, executing an effective 1-3-1 means bombarding the attacking forwards with bodies as they try to cross the blue line to mount a rush, to force a dump in or a puck turnover. The Kraken can’t break through — the one time they do, they lose control of the puck to speed. This chokehold; it exposes the gaps in any given team’s communication, baits them into stupid mistakes. The disdain people have for this system isn’t because it’s dirty or dishonourable or unfair, but rather because it makes for some very uninteresting hockey. It’s got a lot of names; the neutral zone trap, the trap, the 1-3-1. At the height of its popularity, it's said to have contributed to the infamous Dead Puck Era.

In modern day hockey, players are faster, more agile, and can blast through the 1-3-1 with prejudice; and the NHL have adjusted their rules about passing and handing out penalties for obstruction in the years since the 2004-05 lockout — all of this has resulted in a much lower rate of play for the trap. What fascinates me is that the Kings play it anyway, and if they weren’t up against my teams I’d probably be enraptured with the total buy-in from the players (I’m half captivated by them as it is).

What I learn about Daccord, in a slow trickle of Kraken media skimmed on my lunch breaks and between game periods, is that expectations are high. The Kraken’s main goalie, Philipp Grubauer, was the one in the net when they went to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. What I read is: Daccord is Grubi’s replacement, the kid they drafted from the Ottawa Senators during expansion who’s made waves as the starting goalie for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Grubi faced a comparably high amount of shots on goal in the postseason and still managed to maintain an incredible save percentage according to reports in May — and there’s that damned playoffs run again, insinuating itself into the expectations of a very different Kraken roster. The shoes Daccord must fill are big. Brighter stars have burned out against that sort of pressure.

Going into the second period I brace myself for the Kraken to get scored on. This is how it’s gone before — it’s a numbers game in the end, I reason to myself — get enough shots on goal and one is bound to slip through by way of unforced error or lucky bounce. And yet, Joey’s as sharp as ever. He slaps down shots in succession. Glove, stick, body. What could beat an airtight defensive trap in the neutral zone? A wall at the crease. Perhaps he is thinking about those lost games, perhaps that’s what has him so lit up tonight.

Then, the impossible happens in the wake of a faceoff: Tanev decides it’s turbo time, and suddenly the puck is in the net and the Kraken are on the board. They work hard on the forecheck, they ice the puck rather than give over possession, and their penalty kill is tight; and beyond that, Daccord is on fire. Early on in third period, Jordan Eberle, or Ebs, scores off of an absolutely magical pass between the skates of a Kings player, courtesy of Matty. Again and again, the Kings’ momentum is halted by Daccord’s glove, and as I sit and admire his tenacity I notice something else: what the fuck is he doing playing the puck?

Let’s talk about goaltending on a broader scale. Of the dozens of games I’ve been able to watch and in all the highlights I’ve seen, the goalies have looked — and I say this with the utmost respect — pretty good, but not all that unique or special. They do what they can, but there’s a reason why the NHL’s most recognizable names tend to be forwards and centres; saving goals is like ruining the fun, even if you make an impossible catch, everyone loves a star who can dominate the game by scoring and skating and defending in their own way. Goaltending ‘style’ was a mystery to me. I had a healthy respect for goalies when I first started watching hockey, but I never thought of any particular players as eye-catching — until now. Now I realise exactly what has me so excited about this player: Joey Daccord doesn't play quite like any goalie I’ve seen so far.

 I could give you a history of goalies who play pucks, a Greatest Hits list of players who broke new ground and invented the style that Daccord is emulating, but it’s not actually that long. One specific incident that always comes up in these conversations about goalies and pucks is Patrick Roy’s infamous deke on Gretzky — a move that had him crossing the red line and earning a penalty. Martin Brodeur was so good at leaving his crease to play the puck that he changed the rules of the game; with the introduction of the trapezoid behind the crease and the new rules around goalie puck handling, Brodeur’s newly minted playstyle was seemingly killed in the cradle. Still, even with the new rules, there’ve been goalies who pushed that envelope, acting as an additional man on the ice and allowing for breakaway passes to a waiting forward on the blue line. And as I sift through Kraken games and other Kraken media, I find out that Joey Daccord is one of them. 

‘At times he acts like a seventh defenseman, or a 13th forward,’ writes Kate Shefte, in her absolute banger of an article on Daccord meshing with the team as he takes on more net duties. I dig a little deeper and find out that, as per the only Kings goal of the match, that this puck handling isn’t without its risks. Some time in third period, not long after the Kraken secure their second goal, the puck comes down the ice. Daccord leaves the net to play the puck. The bounce off the boards is awkward, and catches the receiving player off-guard and sends it right onto the tape of a Kings player, and though Daccord dives for the ensuing puck shot right into his net, his stick misses it by what feels like half-inches. In a twist of unimaginable irony, one of Daccord’s strongest advocates is the person who whiffed the recovery of the bounce.

Justin Schultz — Schultzy for those keeping score — is quoted in that very same Shefte article saying, “He’s so talented back there with the puck. I don’t think I’ve ever had a goalie that plays the puck that well.” All that trust, and in the end to fail at following through with the player you so believed in? It must sting. (Privately, I hope Schultzy is okay. I want all our players to have short term memory for these mistakes and misplays, I want the shining vision I have for a team family to remain.)

It probably won’t be the last time it happens, but this doesn’t phase me one bit; risk for reward is what makes a player exciting to me. Joey’s got to be fearless, and probably a bit cocky, if he’s putting himself out there and breaking conventions. There must be some unshakeable bedrock of self-assurance that has him skating out of the net and playing puck after puck — because even after such an unforced error, he keeps fucking doing it.

What you’ll find if you go looking is a startling consistency in Joey Daccord’s media appearances. Joey Daccord, the relative unknown, has the same sentiments and the same stories as Joey Daccord, the NHL game-winning goalie. You can track his development and his vision year on year as he grows as a player if you look deep enough.

What people have to say about his puck handling is three things: he’s unbelievably patient on the draw, he’s one of the best they’ve ever seen, and he won’t stop if you keep giving him chances. What I find watching and reading his interviews is a sincere and hard working young man who couldn’t give you a canned, media-trained response if you paid him for it. In contrast to some of the absolute cardboard-bland, deadpan responses you might see from even the most talented of players, Daccord finds his way towards something resembling charm. It’s an awkward kind of charm, for sure, one that comes from a kind of self-seriousness that has him reaching for genuine answers while staring off into the distance in contemplation, or dragging out a funny anecdote.

For anyone who’s been around in the Kraken tag, you’ll have seen in real time my stumbling upon a 2020 web interview Daccord agreed to do with two kids who run a YouTube channel called Max and Ben Talk Hockey. It’s got your typical webcam video and audio quality, and it really could use an edit or two — but it captures me from the moment I press play. It was conducted after Daccord recorded ice time with the Ottawa Senators in 2019, and to date it’s one of the longest uncut pieces of Daccord media you’ll find. Joey maintains his absolute determination to be sincere. Where he could’ve just humoured them, he answers all of their questions as seriously as if he was speaking to reporters from the Seattle Times.

In 2021, a year after his talk with Max and Ben, Joey recounts how one of his assistant coaches imparted a vital lesson on mentality and pressure while he played for the Sun Devils. “You’re good enough where you just have to be the average version of yourself,” he says, quoting Mike Field. In that 2020 interview, speaking into his webcam, he echoed the wisdom to Max and Ben: “For me, I try to be Average Joey, because I think Average Joey is a really good goalie. So if I play like Average Joey, it’s going to be above average compared to most people.”

Towards the end of the interview, something he says catches me. The question Max asks is about his experiences being a backup goalie, and how he deals with that.

“You gotta earn your ice,” says Joey, with the certainty of it being a personal mantra. What a soundbite! What an absolutely electric quote — and it was given in the closing minutes of some obscure interview for a channel with less than 300 subscribers, probably half that at the time of recording.

Knowing all of what I know about his personal philosophy, I must recant my statement on his lingering doubts and self-flagellation about previous losses. He might never make excuses, but he carries with him a lesson that no doubt forms the foundations of his seemingly endless confidence and resilience — that he can’t be too hard on himself, because that way lies madness, and that Joey Daccord on an average night is more than good enough. 

True to his word, he played like himself, like Average Joey. The Kraken end the game 2-1, with Daccord posting 42 blocked shots — equalling his own franchise record.

And if that’s what Average Joey is like? He’s more than earned his ice.

[bipabrena]

New Beginnings (Chapter 1): HxH fanfic where the Royal Guards and Meruem survive.

A fic where Pouf and Youpi arrive before Netero activates the nuke, and they save the King. The mortified Hunters find themselves stunned when the King shows them mercy. Gon is unable to transform once Pitou admits Kite is dead. The fic will mostly follow the Royal Guards, and Meruem grows to love them for their devotion. He and Komugi separate from them to live a peaceful life, and the Guards begin their shenanigans. They'll fight at Heaven's Arena (Pouf will interfere in Chrollo's quest to become a Floor Master, impeding his fight with Hisoka), they'll meet the Troupe, go to Greed Island, and meet Gon and Killua (who have not separated) again. KilluGon-HisoIllu pairings. Hisoka is raring to fight them, which might end up terribly for him. The Guards will exploit their potential (since in canon they were newborns) by training, and will reach Meruem's level and beyond. Gon can't let his grudge against Pitou go, even with the reincarnated Kite's encouragement. Read it here.

X

Forty seconds before Netero unleashed Zero Hand, Pouf and Youpi descended upon the battlefield, reflexively cloaked in Zetsu. What greeted them was a bewildering spectacle of colours and flashes moving with such velocity that even their exceptional senses struggled to keep up.

Their eyes darted frantically along the blurs. Frankly, they couldn’t even tell the progression of the fight.

Who had the leverage?

Which one was the enemy?

Which one was the King?

Then, abruptly, the frenetic blurs of dance ceased, leaving only the sight of an arm hurtling through the air.

"Ah, there he is!" Pouf moved to dart forward, but Youpi restrained him.

"Wait," Youpi appealed as Pouf glared at him. "The King has the advantage. The old man's lost two limbs. If we interfere now, we’ll only be insulting the King.”

Pouf frowned. He turned to look at the scene, biting his lip in concern. His wings blazed in multiple shades of colours as he decided to release his scales.

And then, in a blaze of brilliance, the entirety of the old man's aura transformed into a light as blinding as a star. Pouf and Youpi shielded their eyes. The next they heard was an immense explosion. They could almost feel the heat from here. As the echoes of the blast subsided, they cautiously surveyed the aftermath, only to be met with settling dust and debris.

"No!" Pouf's cry echoed through the air, but Youpi restrained him a second time, his strength holding Pouf in check.

Pouf growled as he recoiled in Youpi's arms, desperately trying to reach the King. "Youpi, release me!" he snarled, but Youpi remained resolute.

It’s not that Youpi didn’t want to help the King. The matter was that Youpi's newfound clarity, the alarming evolution he'd undergone during his short fights helped him assess situations dispassionately. He could now maintain a cool head, and he could segregate myriads of dangers accordingly.

“Look,” he pointed once the dust settled. “The King is alive, and the old man is withering away. Let’s allow His Majesty to finish him off, then we can return to the palace and help Pitou.”

Surprisingly, Pouf nodded. “I’ll create a clone to go back. I want to notify Pitou that we’ll be coming soon.”

Their eyes were keen on the distant figures of the King and his opponent. As the conversation progressed, Pouf's brow furrowed. Then, he squinted.

“Do you see anything?” Youpi asked.

“… There’s an abundance of white, purple, and black in erratic ratios. The old man exudes worry and fear, yet his confidence remains steadfast. In fact, I'd dare say his confidence is only growing.”

“But he’s about to die, isn’t he? That last attack seems to have drained him.” Youpi wondered what the King was saying to him.

“No…” Pouf’s brows creased, “something feels wrong.” It was now Netero’s turn to talk. “I was right. His confidence, no, his cockiness is growing,” his voice trembled. “Alarmingly so.”

Youpi’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“… Something’s wrong,” Pouf raised his voice with a quiver. Then, he let out a wheezing breath as Spiritual Message's emotional patterns became clearer.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Youpi, get out of here! I’m getting the King!”

“What? Wait, Pouf, what’s going on?”

Without further hesitation, Pouf raced towards the King. “Don't ask questions! Just go!”

“I can’t leave you two here! I’ll come with you!”

“No time to argue! Do as you please!” Pouf's voice grew distant.

“Meruem, King of Ants, you understand nothing… of humanity’s infinite—”

Netero abruptly stopped when he saw a flash before him. This hesitation, this nearly imperceptible delay was his doom.

“Pouf!” Meruem's shout was loud and wrathful amidst the sudden chaos. “Unhand me! Unhand me at once or I—”

“He bears a bomb, Your Majesty! We must flee!” Pouf's voice rang out.

“What are you—”

Despite his moribund state, Meruem could discern the shock etched upon Netero’s face. Without hesitation, he plunged two fingers into his chest, piercing his heart.

“… What…” Meruem mumbled.

Under normal circumstances, the bomb would detonate in 0.3 microseconds. Yet, nestled within Netero’s failing heart, its activation awaited the cessation of all vital functions. With two and a half seconds to spare, Pouf and Youpi seized the opportunity, propelling themselves away in a blur of motion.

Barely enough to avoid the detonation site.

When Pouf reached Youpi with the King under his arm, Youpi clasped Pouf's hand, unleashing a burst of speed that shattered the sound barrier. Through the transformative power of his metamorphosis, Youpi reshaped his form, sacrificing muscle mass to enhance his agility. This allowed him to propel himself 1.5 times his usual velocity, distancing them from the impending detonation.

As the bomb erupted, their extremities felt like they'd tripled in weight. The air around them felt scorching, and the shockwave hurtled them through the air, propelling them towards a wasteland filled with mountains. They rammed onto one, but the strength of the shockwave had been so violent the crash wasn’t enough to decrease their momentum. Youpi brought his wings forward and wrapped them around Pouf and the King to protect them, bearing most of the impact.

The momentum decreased after one kilometre. They fell onto the ground and rolled, until they finally came to a violent stop, battered and dazed.

For a moment, they were motionless. Then, they coughed.

Pouf and Youpi sat on their knees, struggling to regain their bearings. Their hearts raced as they gasped for air, feeling smoke in their throats. Meruem rose stoically, seemingly unmarred by the ordeal.

It was then that Pouf's brows creased. “Y… Your Majesty!” he cried raspily at the sight of the cuts permeating the King's body.

“Your Majesty!” called Youpi. “Are you alright? Are you in any pain? I can take us to Pitou in eight minutes!”

Meruem dusted himself off. Then, Youpi grunted slightly. His balance momentarily faltered before regaining his footing on one knee.

"Are you alright?" Pouf inquired. It did not go unnoticed by him in midst of the chaos how Youpi had borne the majority of the impact.

Youpi responded with a subtle nod, indicating that he would manage. Their attention returned to the King, awaiting his reaction.

“… A bomb,” Meruem muttered, his gaze drifting skyward. So many stars, he briefly recognised. “How undignified.”

No, he thought to himself. The old soldier was merely fulfilling his duty. He stuck to his resolve to the end without allowing his heart to be swayed. And yet, for such a lethal thing to exist…

He looked down again. “Did you fight off the intruders?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

To their immense surprise, the King's gaze softened slightly. “Meruem,” he announced with pride. “My name is Meruem. I know that now. So, from now on, call me Meruem.”

“… Meruem-sama,” they said collectively with a nod.

“No. Meruem.”

“But, sire—”

“Don’t make me repeat—” A realisation dawned as he spoke, and for a brief second, he was shocked something so obvious didn't come to him until now. “You left Pitou all alone.”

“Yes, sire, we wanted to—”

“Did you neutralise the intruders? Or did you leave her and Komugi in the palace alone with them?”

“The man I fought is completely defenceless. I removed his Nen ability,” Pouf reassured.

Youpi swallowed heavily with a drop of sweat bead on his cheek.

Noticing, Pouf's brows creased warily. “Youpi, what is it?” 

Youpi lowered his head, seemingly unable to meet their gaze.

“Did you not kill them?” asked Meruem.

“I… I didn’t.”

“What!?” Pouf screamed. “They did not best you in combat, so why are they still alive?”

Pouf blabbered incessantly, with indignation, but Meruem told him to quiet down. Imperially, he firmly told Youpi to explain himself. To not lie to him.

And so, Youpi did. He recounted his encounter with Knuckle and the others, detailing the events surrounding Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and the ensuing bargain.

Despite his shame, Youpi met Meruem's gaze with unwavering honesty. “I felt that breaking a promise would make me a loser, even if it were a promise made to an enemy. I understand that I have betrayed you, and for that I’m unworthy of asking for forgiveness. But please, Your Majesty, allow me the chance to ensure your safety and eliminate any remaining threats. After that, I will accept all punishments.”

Meruem’s eyes were shadowed, and so they couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Pouf erupted in a tirade of indignation. “How could you do that!? You allowed your feelings to cloud your judgment! You prioritised yourself over the King! As we speak, these intruders may kill Pitou! And once we’re there, they’ll fight to take the King’s life! I can't believe you'd be so selfish as to—”

Silencing Pouf and addressing Youpi directly, Meruem was calm. "Firstly, I commanded you to call me Meruem. I tire of repeating myself. Secondly, I only asked that you don't lie to me. I see no reason to punish those who speak the truth. Let's return to the palace now."

Their mouths hung wide. Pouf's mouth moved, but no words came out.

It was then Meruem's gaze drifted into the distance. “… I trust Pitou,” he said with implicit sincerity.

They were dazed. It had been not long ago that the smallest of inconveniences resulted in Meruem whipping their faces with his tail. All they could do was comply. Meruem held onto Youpi’s leg with his tail, and Pouf followed behind. During their return, Youpi provided a detailed account of the enemy's abilities. Pouf could only shake his head with a scowl, veiling his anger.

Three and a half minutes before their arrival, Knuckle and the others advanced towards Gon's location. Pitou had already succeeded in healing Komugi, with fifteen minutes remaining. Outside, Ikalgo briefly stood guard to assess their surroundings, joining the group shortly after.

She’s already fully healed… thought Pitou. I just need to think of something fast. I can’t take her with me to Peijing, but Pouf and Youpi aren’t here. And even if Pouf were here, he hates Komugi. I fear what he might do in a misguided attempt to protect the King. I know he'd be able to convince Youpi, too.

Knuckle, Killua, Palm, Ikalgo, and Meleoron arrived. Pitou grew increasingly nervous as they spoke to Gon, and all Gon did was assent. It seemed his own allies were as wary of him as Pitou was.

Then, Pouf arrived.

Gracefully flying through the window, Pouf warily observed the enemies. Knuckle contemplated using his ability against Pouf, but he knew the distance afforded Pouf ample time to evade. Similarly, Meleoron found himself unable to act, but because he was trapped in a paralysis from being uncloaked before two royal guards.

“… Pouf,” Pitou’s eyes widened. In any other situation, she would be thrilled to see him. But knowing that they differed in how they saw Komugi, she was wary. Was he here on a mission of his own... or, her throat tightened, was he here with news of the King?

Pouf barely restrained himself from smirking smugly. “The King has defeated his enemy. He will arrive shortly along with Youpi and my real body,” the Hunters froze. “Is the woman healed?”

Pitou’s eyes glistened with relief. “Yes, she’s okay! Please tell His Majesty that Komugi is okay!”

The Hunters found themselves unable to breathe.

It wasn’t just Pitou now, but Pouf, Youpi, and the King. This was bad. No, not bad. This was the worst possible scenario. This woman was their bargaining chip, but if the King was coming, if he could get a hold of her, the Hunters would lose their only leverage. For Gon, the knot in his throat was different. The current situation meant that Pitou had no reason to keep her end of the bargain.

“You mustn’t be afraid,” reassured Pouf with a condescending smile. “If you obey, the King will surely spare your lives. His heart is boundless, that way.”

“Yeah, and then what!? He’ll just turn humanity into a bunch of mindless soldiers!?” Knuckle yelled boldly.

Pouf closed his eyes as his smile widened. “That depends entirely on His Majesty.”

With no reason left to lie, Pitou withdrew the surgical tools from Komugi's body. The wound closed seamlessly, leaving no scars, and the oxygen mask vanished.

"She will wake soon," Pitou informed Pouf, who nodded in acknowledgment.

The aura around Dr. Blythe turned thinner, which suggested Pitou would deactivate the ability. Before she did so, Pouf spoke. “Heal your arm.”

“… Oh, right.” She extended her arm as she rose to her feet. The box opened and scissors emerged to cut down her sleeve.

The darkness and rage in Gon’s expression gradually vanished as the realisation kicked in. The realisation Pitou had neither the reason nor intention to fulfil her promise.

In just fifteen seconds, her arm was healed. She clenched her fist until it scrunch, and swung it around. She was satisfied.

“We’re here,” Pouf announced.

The allied ants' expressions twisted with fear, their lips downturned in a whimper of terror.

In an instant, Pouf's sharp eyes caught Meleoron's subtle gesture. As Meleoron's chest rose with a deep, silent breath, he felt a sudden pressure on his neck and something sharp against his temple. His surrounding allies had only felt a breeze.

Meleoron let out a whimper of pain, and when they searched for him, they found Pouf as if he'd never moved from his position, now holding Meleoron in place. His claws were pressed against Meleoron's temple, with his leg firmly planted over Meleoron's to force him still. He drew blood.

“M-Meleoron!” cried Knuckle.

"I won't allow you to escape or make anyone invisible," Pouf stated coldly. "That's your ability, isn't it? You plan to use such petty tactics against the King. You might try holding your breath to flee, but I can pierce your brain faster than you can activate your power. The choice is yours."

Meleoron trembled.

“Be grateful I did not kill you on the spot.”

Immediately, Pitou positioned the unconscious Komugi behind her and drove herself into a corner. Even if they tried, they wouldn’t be able to harm Komugi. Pitou was, quite literally, shielding the girl with her own body. She'd noticed Gon’s aura grow darker. Witnessing Pouf's threat towards the chameleon traitor only fuelled Gon's instability further, Pitou noted.

Read the rest of the chapter here.

[ironunderstands]

Dr.Ratio + this one Cosmoddessy event and how it implies that he has connections to fucking Ampherous IM GOING INSAN-

I have been thinking about this for literal months and what drives me even more nuts is that NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT BESIDES ME. IVE SEEN NOBODY ELSE BRING THIS STUPID, STUPID EVENT UP EVEN AFTER AMPHEROUS GOT NAME DROPPED IN GAME.

So here it is, and I hope you understand why I have been tweaking out over it for so long

So Hoyoverse, why did you make Sparkle imitate another member of the masked fools who’s from Ampherous and why did you give that character TWO OF THE EXACT SAME FUCKING MANNERISMS AS HIM. AAAAAAA

WHY DOES SHE WEAR A PLASTER LIKE HE DOES??

WHY DOES SHE SAY HIS FOLLOW UP ATTACK VOICELINES??

WHY IS SHE FROM THE GENIUS SOCIETY BUT NOT REALLY SHES A FOOL ACTUALLY??

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!!

And sure, maybe this would be unremarkable

a) The Cosmoddesy event didn’t also predict important things like Yubki’s introduction, so the stuff included in it isn’t necessarily some one off joke or not relevant

b) the person relaying this information wasn’t Sparkle, who absolutely knows things we aren’t privy to

c) this wasn’t literally the only other in game mention of Ampherous besides BS in 2.3 and Himeko reiterating what BS said in 2.4

d) Ratio didn’t share the same inspirations as Ampherous (they both have heavy Greek/Roman inspo)

e) Ratio’s backstory and relationships with other people weren’t an absolute fucking void

f) his character stories are told by a person IN UNIVERSE meaning they can get shit wrong

TLDR: what the ever loving FUCK. What does this mean, where are they going with this, EXPLAIN HOYOVERSE EXPLAINNNN

[lynzylu]

SPOILERS FOR TEENAGE MUTANT WHAT NOW AU! I just wanted to show how far @tangledinink‘s story has come from start to now, with the first perspectives of Splinter of Chapter 1 and Chapter 17. Because I quickly caught first glance of the first couple paragraphs of Chapter 1 while going to read the newest one and WOW. The writing quality hasn’t changed one bit, but we’ve gone from 0 to 60. Wild. Love your story, man. Gets me every time there’s something new

Chapter 1:

“Did you drink all the milk AGAIN!? Dude!—“

“What?! You know I need an exact milk-to-rice-chex ratio in order to enjoy my breakfast, Leo!”

“Have any of you seen my dance bag? It’s not where I left it!”

“Why do you need it, anyway? Isn’t dance on Thursday?”

“Leo, today is Thursday.”

“What? No, it’s not. If it was Thursday, then my American Literature essay would be due, and I haven’t even started it yet, so there’s NO WAY—“

“If my toaster is destroyed, I will be making whichever child is responsible pay for the replacement!” The warning rang out over the general chaos of the morning.

“Oh shoot—“ Yoshi could hear the frantic scrabble of a belated attempt to rescue the burning pop tart, which Yoshi could smell from all the way in the living room. Parked in his reclining chair, the TV playing in front of him, he munched contentedly on his own breakfast which he had acquired earlier before his teenage sons descended upon the kitchen. He was not much of a ‘morning person,’ but it was a necessity if he was to eat in any sort of peace.

This was a typical morning in the Hamato household.

Chapter 17:

He actually had tried to throw himself over the balcony this time.

Not that it worked. Stupid witch ex-girlfriend and her stupid witch spells.

He had to get out of this goddamn Luxury Box.

Those were his children down there. He should be with them.

He tried everything. Every option he possibly had, he tried it. Pleading, threatening, physically attacking the guards-- thus far, none of it had worked. Of course it hadn’t. Part of him had known it wouldn’t, because Big Mama already knew this song-and-dance and she had never lost before. This was an old game to her. She had over a decade of experience in keeping him where he did not want to be.

If it were that simple to wriggle his way out of her trap, his life would be very different today.

He tried anyway.

All it had gotten him so far was this fuzzy spin to his head and a painful tingle in his nerves that was quite nearly nostalgic.

“Let me down,” he snarled, for the millionth time, clinging to the railings of the balcony so hard that his knuckles were white, absolutely bristling. “I should-- I should get to fight with them. Since when have you ever denied Lou Jitsu a performance? Let me--”

“Noodles, dearheart, that would make it too easy!” She scoffed, tsking a bit, having long since lost interest in anything he had to say. “It’s no fun if it’s not a challenge. But don’t fret, huggypoo. You can still watch. Come on-- sit with me.”

[gemkun]

@duelmarks said : ❝ Hey doc, I had a fine idea — what if my next mod ain't just any ol' thing but an in-built music player? Y'know, like those gadgets folks carry around, but right there in my chassis. Just picture it, ridin' along with them tunes playin' right from within! ❞ // attacks Ratio

      ⸻       whenever   the   cyborg   comes   prancing   along   to   his   refuge   of   sanctitude   ,   it   can   only   lead   to   the   brewing   of   a   catastrophic   storm.   by   the   whip   lashed   to   his   waist   or   as   a   result   of   other   measures   ,   is   a   scenario   the   doctor   does   not   wish   to   examine.   nor   ,   realise   the   dormant   inevitability.

  for   now   ,   the   request   remains   guileless   enough   ,   though   hardly   anything   can   be   ruled   out   when   it   orbits   the   gunslinger.   since   —   by   and   large   —   repercussions   move   with   him   in   every   stride   ,   sowing   disasters   in   his   very   wake.   leaving   the   scholar   to   deal   with   the   troublesome   aftermath   ,   should   calamity   befall   unsuspecting   victims.

  legs   cross   in   his   sat   posture   ,   addressing   the   consumer   amidst   the   process   of   ordering   an   impromptu   alteration.   ❝   i   would   not   waste   my   imagination   on   your   trivial   proposition.   ❞   latched   along   ebony   ,   his   fingers   drum   against   the   arm   of   his   chair   ,   as   if   in   deep   thought   —   ruminating   on   this   harmless   but   unnecessary   adjustment.

  pitched   ,   his   chin   tilts   ,   caught   by   an   index   and   thumb   whereupon   he   rests   to   mull   over   the   outcome.   ❝   this   isn’t   an   attempt   to   bypass   the   capabilities   of   the   synesthesia   beacon   ,   is   it   ?   ❞   of   course   ,   the   mundanite   knows   the   dilemma   associated   with   the   revolutionary   advancement.   that   pressing   complication   ,   by   no   means   ,   indicates   he   has   any   intention   of   restoring   it.

  ❝   besides   ,   i   dread   the   arrangements   you   would   play.   ❞