#his way of thinking is p straightforward and logical though

[fizzyghosts]

Hywel is inspired by a mix of my issues with stories with nonhuman protagonist/about nonhumans becoming human AND vet posts ive seen warning people about the dangers of anthropomorphisizing animals. Its fine to joke about your pets doing things out of spite or other human emotions, it does put you at risk of not being able to read their body language correctly. Cats dont cry out of sadness, a cat crying, with actual tears streaming down its face, is a sign of a medical issue. A dog smiling isn't doing it bc its happy, it means its nervous. Not being able to spot these is bad, and sometimes even dangerous, for you and the animal.

If you never get past Hywel's human appearance and treat him like one its like getting a reactive dog, doing zero research or training, and then taking it to a dog park. If Hywel mauls someone in town then its on you.

[yamayuandadu]

Hello! I saw your discussion about Inanna on Twitter and got a bit confused. You said that the tutelary goddesses of Uruk, Zanbalam, and Akkad were all "Ishtar" and "Inanna," with the only difference being on a cultic level. But then you proceed to say, "never such a situation as 'there's one goddess named Inanna and one named Ishtar.'" Did you mean that Ishtar and Inanna are practically the same? As a bonus question, who is the deity in the image you posted on Twitter?

I’ll start with the bonus question, since it’s something new, while the rest will pretty constitute reiterating what I already said many times.

Admittedly, I was a bit confused at first, because the last image I remembered posting on twitter was this:

That’s not a deity, it’s a plushie (officially "Ouioui series Y Pathetic Suctipoda") made by the company Itemlabel; they come in blindboxes with between 5 and 12 designs in a series. This specific one is sold out already, though.

Then I remembered I used a crop of the quite unique plaque from the temple of Sin in Tutub as a reaction image at some point:

I’m going to assume that’s what was meant. 

In the 1970s it was in vogue to try to link this remarkable work of art with the usual repertoire of entry level monster combat myths, without any real regard for spatial and temporal distribution of these motifs, but that never really caught on and it’s thankfully no longer a thing. As far as I am aware, today there are two proposals regarding this scene which are worth considering. The first is that it shows the defeat of Enmesharra (Wilfred G. Lambert, Babylonian Creation Myths, p. 288). The logic is fairly straightforward: the one-eyed entity has an eerie sun-like head, which according to Lambert offers an interesting parallel to Enmesharra’s epithet zimu, “splendour”, and the fact in a late account of his defeat it is reassigned to Shamash. He speculated scenes where gods with rays coming out of their body are defeated might be related, and offers an interesting insight that perhaps Enmesharra came to be regarded as luminous in some way due to accidental similarity between his name and Inanna’s arguably most famous epithet, Ninmesharra (which is basically the feminine version of the same name; note that there’s also an unrelated god list exclusive Ninmesharra who is an artificial exercise in inventing a wife for Enmesharra to match Enlil’s en-nin pair ancestors). I think Lambert’s arguments are quite compelling and they basically formed the core premise of the non-gay parts of my Inanna story. However, the one-eyed entity has yet another proposed identity which might fit even better. Andrew R. George in Nergal and the Babylonian cyclops points out that textual sources might indicate that a cyclops might really just be a cyclops. While infrequent, references to a mythical creature named igidalu (probably a loanword from Summerian igi dili - in other words, “one eye”, “monoculus”) are known from various sites, including an omen indicating Nergal was known as a vanquisher of such a specimen. It’s worth noting the birth of one-eyed animals was associated with Nergal too, which strengthens the possibility that we’re dealing with a well known myth which simply didn’t survive in written form. The only thing George doesn’t address are the rays, but it’s not like the “monoculus” necessarily had to look fully human-like.  With the interesting stuff out of the way, let’s go back to your initial question. A solid chunk of it is already covered by the previous ask response, so I will only cover some misunderstandings you seem to have under the cut. Plase read previous ask responses and check the recommended reading doc in the future though because I'm kind of tired of repeating the same basic points every few weeks.

To begin with, cultic information is the most significant and should not be dismissed the way you seem to do. Most myths were just scribal exercises, offering lists and various displays of personal devotion are what reflects actual religious activity.

Inanna and Ishtar are names. “Umbrella terms” as Tonia Sharlach put it (and that’s without going into the existence of ordinary nouns ištar and ištartu). There was no singular Ishtar and no singular Inanna, there were numerous deities who could be referred to with both of these names. There is basically no sound way to have one “character” named Inanna and one named Ishtar; either stick to having just one - a type specimen of sorts representing a whole category - or go into more detail and include like 5-6. Megaten took the dumbest route and I’m frankly not interested in talking about it anymore. An early example, what I brought up on twitter, is that the tutelary goddesses of Uruk, Zabalam and Akkad (the city) were pretty clearly separate from each other. Separate hymns are dedicated to each of the three in the Temple Hymn collection, for instance. Each of the three had a separate repertoire of names. These repertoires partially overlap, most notably the names Inanna and Ishtar were applied to all three of them (and to a plethora of other deities) but we’re fundamentally dealing with related, but still separate, deities.

It is safe to say I. of Akkad was an Ishtar before I. of Uruk and I. of Zabalam were, but she was hardly the only goddess named Ishtar (indeed, you’ll find specimens as far west as Ebla). There’s a recurring argument that she was, for political reasons, conflated with Inanna of Uruk during the Sargonic period and this lead to the interchangeable use of the names Inanna and Ishtar later to refer to various deities; this is not impossible though it’s worth noting that a lexical list from Ebla, which is pre-Sargonic, already recognizes the equivalence between the names Ishtar (“Ašdar” if you want to go by Eblaite orthography) and Inanna. Also, it’s worth noting that it’s sort of questionable to speak of fully separate “Sumerian” and “Akkadian” pantheons - putting aside the fact each city-state would have its own pantheon, the lines don’t neatly correspond to languages, ex. the names Sin and Nanna probably started to be used interchangeably before writing was even invented - and despite being nominally Akkadian, the former was the one preferred in Lagash, arguably one of the parts of Mesopotamia with the highest % of Sumerian speakers.

Regardless of how the names came to be interchangeable, there’s no clear evidence for the goddess of Akkad NOT being considered separate despite sharing some of her names wirh others. If anything, with time she only became more distinct, with the epithet Annunitum becoming her primary name (and she also got a “twin” who splintered off from her, Ulmashitum, named after her temple). The case of Zabalam is even more complicated. Technically, it is possible the tutelary goddess of Zabalam was not originally named Inanna, but rather Nin-UM (reading of the second sign is uncertain). That’s how she is referred to in the Zame Hymns from the Early Dynastic period; there’s some disagreement whether we’re dealing with a case of an attempt to “Inannize” an originally completely unrelated goddess or if some sort of splintering happened (in which case the name Nin-UM would be secondary). In any case, she is also pretty clearly a distinct deity. The Weidner god list keeps her apart from the “regular” Inanna. Furthermore, while the circles of deities associated with both overlap (ex. Ninshubur and Nanaya occur in sources from both Uruk and Zabalam), the connection with Shara is effectively exclusive to Inanna of Zabalam (save for the awkward inclusion in Inanna’s Descent)

While myths might skip this sort of distinction, it’s worth noting that’s not 100% guaranteed. For example, there’s a proposal that the hostility between Inanna and Gilgamesh, which is a motif originating in Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven (which predates the singular epic by a couple of centuries), might indicate that implicitly Inanna of Akkad or Zabalam was meant instead of Inanna of Uruk (Douglas Frayne, The Struggle for Hegemony in “Early Dynastic II” Sumer, pages 63-64).

[johnbierce]

Cosmic horror cares not what sits its throne

I've been thinking and talking a lot about cosmic/existential horror lately, and what codifies it as cosmic or existential horror. Obviously, the threats being, well, cosmic or existential helps, but on a more mechanical narrative level, it seems to require a small group of criteria:

That the threat is inhuman. More on this in a second.

That the threat is (obviously) existential- to humanity, to civilization, to culture, to sanity. Not a mere "this monster's gonna kill and eat you", but something more profound.

The threat follows an internally consistent logic that is utterly incompatible with its own, a whole different set of laws and rules than ours. When I talk about a threat being profound in criteria 2? I'm talking about this. A normal horror threat is either a) a violation of the normal rules; or b) punishment against the characters for violating the rules, with a lot of overlap between the two. Cosmic horror? It's neither a violation of the rules nor punishment for breaking them, but a whole new ruleset being forcibly overlaid atop our own- whether that be the rules of civilization, culture, or even the laws of nature. That ruleset? It's also a common source of the inhumanity of the threat.

Usually, the cosmic threat is profoundly indifferent to humanity. And even when it's not, the danger is usually nothing personal- we're just in its way, or are useful resources for it. (There are quite a few notable exceptions- Lovecraftian depictions of the fae, like in Charles Stross' later Laundry Files novels, are commonly more actively malicious.)

Vibes. (Let's be honest, this is just most of what differentiates subgenres.)

H.P. Lovecraft? His threats were, well... racist, xenophobic delusions, for the most part. Sometimes common for his time, sometimes niche, but all existing xenophobias against different cultures, nations, religions, ethnicities, etc. On a literary level, he presented them as fundamentally a threat to his preferred way of life, with dangerous alien rules. (Even for his own time, he was an over-the-top bigot.)

Well, that and fish.

Modern cosmic horror, though? Its writers have realized that there's so many alternatives to xenophobic myths to enthrone as the threat. P Djeli Clark in Ring Shout turns the KKK and racism itself into the threat. Victor LaValle brilliantly contrasts very personal, vicious human racism with the impersonal, indifferent threat of cosmic entities in The Ballad of Black Tom. Terry Pratchett posited malls as cosmic horror in Reaper Man. Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation trilogy has an alternate, out-of-control alternate process of evolution as (at least part of) a cosmic threat. In my own Mage Errant series (and a number of other series), the cosmic horrors are basically just capitalism.

(In Mage Errant, the cosmic threat is an answer to the question "what horrific extents could extractive capitalism turn to in an effort to preserve itself? Specifically in a universe suffering a heat death, but more generally as an analogy for extractive capitalism's efforts to preserve itself here and now.)

There's so, so many ways to take it. The paperclip maximizer, the fascinating thought product of the silly, awful little Rationalist cult in the Bay Area? It's a fantastic cosmic horror threat. It's pretty straightforward: It's an AI built to maximize its production of paperclips, even to the point of wiping out humanity and tearing apart the Earth, Solar System, and eventually universe to make more paperclips. Obviously inhuman. Obviously existential. Obviously operates on alien but consistent logic. (Works great as a creepy metaphor for modern corporations and profit. Modern corporations are basically Lovecraftian entities.)

Like, you could have hard SF cosmic horror- Von Neumann swarms that have developed emergent, possibly intelligent ecosystems, for instance. Suburban sprawl as cosmic horror. Or, I dunno, Regency romance cosmic horror, where regency romance plotlines try to brainwash all sentient beings into looping regency romance stories eternally. As long as the threat is existential in some way, and is inhuman operating on inhuman logic, it works.

Or it's just fish. Sea critters are evergreen cosmic horror. You ever seen a bigfin squid? Or a viperfish?

Fucking fish.

[ijime-deactivated20150440]

because i feel the need to theorize about tftbn

So, when i read todays chapter i realized i had been making assumptions… but this is a mystery story so you should have theories. I dont have any particularly deep theories but i think id be cheating if i didnt write them down.

i am not actually aware of where the fandom is, so this is probably rehashing known theories for anyone who is.

firstly, i had been on the assumption that Samium told Su that her ”futile” quest wasnt actually futile, and there was a straightforward way to kill Kuroka and leave Shiko in her place. Honestly i still dont really get why shes so defensive about anyone seeing the conversation otherwise, but i guess that could be a failure of emotional imagination on my part. Or she hasnt actually viewed the tape that far. Todays chapter made that theory feel weirdly thematically dissonant, so im currently rethinking…

Secondly, ive also assumed the whole timeloop stuff is entirely fake. As in, the inner circle intentionally faked it same way they faked the wonderchild-turned-monster stuff. This theory i admit is entirely contradicted by p much all metanarritive constructs (The prologue and existence of the Playwright and so on stongly hints at an Umineko-style metaworld commentary-on-repeating-story, and the Playwright just says its a timeloop multiple times), however, there has yet to be any not-easily-faked evidence of this timeloop. Balthazar is obviously in on it, and knows about the fact Su doesnt like to be called Shiko from their introductions. Fang might be in on it, but they might have been tricked by some more subtle trick the main cast is unaware of. Its also suspicious that Fang is the only one to notice obvious hints like the fake audience… i think the thing this is supposed to mean is that Fang remember previous loops, and compared audiences across loops, but if loops are fake Fang p much must be in on it.

I also strongly believe a lot of the inner circle have Zeno-style fake bodies, which are probably not remote-controlled, but just golems trained as mimics (or possibly upload-your-conciousness-to-many-bodies-style clones, depending on whether golems can be concious). Obviously I came up with this teory after it was revealed Linos had one, im not that smart.... However, im also leaning towards some of the boys being fake in the same way, accounting for the coordinator scene where they claim the boys didnt travel to the Sanctuary. This makes Bardiyas death kind of inexplicable though (since the logical assumption would be that all the boys were fake, otherwise how did Bardiya end up in the Sanctuary?, Or if he didnt then his gored body was faked, which like, by red truth bodies arent entirely fake so it had to have been someone elses body... the theory ends up with too many epicycles) This has the problem that some people would use the power while fake, but we see Zeno do that, so there must be some trick. My guess is someone is casting things at a distance via the ”rune-pipes”.

I guess i should also mention that i p s buy the wonderchild being faked. Of course this isnt watertight either, and i guess the wonderchild would be the prime suspect in my reductio where almost everyone is fake.

[femboi-rayne]

Part of why Tamarin is very interesting and fun to me is how unique he is from my other characters; I have a really hard time wrapping my head around any thinking that differs from my own, so I make a lot of my characters have the same or a very similar thought process and logic system to me. Tamarin's logic is almost completely different, yet it still works for me because of his simplistic and straightforward way of thinking.

He's creative, he's capable of strategy, though it never comes from deep knowledge - he doesn't even know water is super effective on ground - it comes mostly from visualization, some guesswork on the unknowns of the situation, and dumbass luck (he looks at his surroundings and he goes "yeah, I could probably pull that off >:P"). He can picture his plan playing out in his head pretty well, minus the gross lack of understanding of how anything works, which often means a different outcome than what he was expecting, but he doesn't plan very far ahead in the first place, so this provides minimal setbacks and he will simply follow it up with another dumb idea.

Anyways: Happy birthday, cupcake man!! 🎉

[silverbladexyz]

Hiiii congrats on 100 followers!! I was wondering if I could get a match up? Maybe mentor or sibling figure? Happy either way tho. I know I sent this in a little late so please ignore this if you've got too many requests :)

I use any pronouns, mbti is infp-a, I'm caught up with the manga but I haven't yet read the light novels!

It might take a bit of time but I get along with most people, I really try not to at times but as soon as they tell me even something remotely personal to them I tend to get soft ;; though id say, it's very difficult for me to get along with people who blame other people for their own mistakes and then just sit there crying about it when it's completely on them. If something is your fault and you start to get overwhelmed because of it that's totally okay and I understand, it's just when they blame other people that pisses me off. Those are the kind of people I really dislike but if u give me enough time with them I'm sure I'll warm up eventually. ANYWAY

im very into reading, art and animation, I like to make jewelry and do embroidery, baking and dance, and I play bass. That's all that comes to mind for hobbies I don't really do many extracurriculars in my free time either I use to do a few martial arts but that was a few years ago now :p

Anyway thank you very much ♥️ hope ur having a good week and I hope ur blog continues to grow and thrive :DD

Also fr just ignore this if its too late

Hi anon!!! Thank you for the kind words >.< and it was quite nice writing your matchups, so enjoy :)

The images used are not mine. They belong to their original owners.

Calculating...

Your mentor is... FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY!!!

-Fyodor is an intense mentor; he would be training you nonstop for your missions. He will give you breaks, however these breaks are short-lived. Literally when you've sat down and had a breather, he would start to teach you again

-He likes how you're quiet and observant. Fyodor doesn't really see anything wrong in observing other people before interacting with them; in fact, he encourages it even. He does give you some tips if you're suddenly forced into conversation with someone, because sometimes it happens on missions and he would hate it if you couldn't handle it well

-Fyodor was not expecting your talkative side anytime soon. On one hand he's glad how you don't trust people easily, but on the other hand he's slightly confused on why you kept it hidden for so long. He thinks that with the right training, your energetic side would be quite beneficial in missions

-He also appreciates how you communicate. Fyodor isn't someone who is really in touch with emotions, and he prefers keeping conversations straightforward and logical. Communicating through writing is probably more efficient because Fyodor is a very busy man, so he wouldn't have a lot of time to have a full-on face to face conversation

-Learning new things? Ask and you shall receive. Fyodor has a lot of knowledge hidden in that anaemic self of his, and he will gladly teach his dear student anything that you asked him to. When he's teaching you, he has this way of keeping lessons informative and interesting, so interesting that you never want him to stop teaching. He secretly likes your willingness to learn

-Affection? There is nothing more foreign in Fyodor's vocabulary book. I wouldn't recommend touching him though, because not only would it be awkward, his skin is also cold as ice and not to mention there's the danger of his ability accidentally activating. But compliment him, give him some hand-made gifts, and he will slowly get used to it. It still is kind of awkward for him, but I'm sure he can manage it

-Fyodor also likes your artistic hobbies. I'm pretty sure he would drop you some book recommendations to read in your spare time, and he has really good taste in books. He will look at and compliment your artworks and embroidery, and even listen to you play bass! Needless to say, he is a lover of art and he is secretly happy that his student shares the same love

-Nowww Fyodor will most likely teach you the skills of conversation. Such as how to gather information, how to gain someone's trust quickly, how to manipulate someone even; needless to say, you wouldn't have social anxiety anymore 👍

-He would make one of his subordinates teach you self-defence. Your martial arts experience comes in handy, because being part of Fyodor's organisation is quite dangerous. Even when Fyodor makes sure you don't run into too dangerous situations, it's still better to be safe than sorry

-Apart from your lessons, Fyodor wouldn't really have a lot of spare time to spend with you. So he might ask Ivan or Nikolai to keep you company, but in his (rare) breaks he would be perfectly happy to spend time with you, perhaps even engaging in conversation with you every now and then

-He cares for you in his own way. Your missions have lower risks than the other subordinates, because Fyodor plans it all out and makes sure that there's nothing you can't handle. Even when he's still his own nonchalant self around you, he is secretly more relaxed when he's around you

-Nobody dares to mess with you, because who would want to mess with the devil's student? You definitely get some privileges, because Fyodor’s subordinates all respect you and listen to you. If someone still dares to pick a fight with you then say goodbye to them because they won’t wake up the next morning

-Chess games! You always lose but it’s fun playing against Fyodor. He teaches you a few tips and tricks, and even if you know nothing about chess he still makes it a fun experience. I’m pretty sure that under his guidance, you could become a state chess player

-Fyodor is a very interesting mentor... and he teaches you what he knows so that one day, you will succeed him

And last but not least, your sibling figure is... NIKOLAI GOGOL!!!

-He’s quite a chaotic and interesting brother figure

-Nikolai didn’t really mind your quiet personality at first; he’s already used to Fyodor. He would continue to talk with you energetically, and I feel like he would be the type of person you would click with

-He was pleasantly surprised at your talkative and affectionate side. Nikolai feels honoured that you trust him enough, and he is so going to reciprocate the platonic affection x10. Basically complimenting you everyday, hugs, headpats, even piggyback rides if you asked for it

-He lovessss receiving your handmade gifts. Nikolai basically goes ‘did you make this for me?’ before showing it to everyone and saying how awesome his little sibling was. He also tries giving you his own hand-made gifts, and even when some of them may be weird, the thought’s still there

-I feel like he might like art too. Drawing and painting? You could draw anything and Nikolai would hang it on his bedroom wall. Making jewellery and embroidery? Just tell Nikolai and he would immediately be aweing at your handiwork. He finds dancing very cool and would be down to learning it from you. And baking? Just say the word and Nikolai is immediately getting all the ingredients and equipment for you

-Would totally want you to teach him bass. Mostly so that he could mess around with Fyodor, but he will sometimes be serious and play a piece on the bass. You should advise him to watch Davie504 (he’s an awesome bassist and youtuber)

-Nikolai would also love to teach you anything that you asked for. Such as how to fight an opponent, how to keep a conversation interesting, and even some magic tricks! He loves doing small magic shows for you, especially when you’re upset. He likes it when you laugh, because your laughter is so precious to him

-Please but if you’re upset, he would listen to you rant or cry and afterwards would say a few words of encouragement. Would also give you hugs, but these hugs last longer and have far more deeper meaning. Nikolai cares about you a lot and just wants to see you happy and free

-That one time somebody hurt you, he immediately took care of them. No questions asked. And let’s say that the way that he took care of them was not the prettiest to say the least...

-Anyways, he loves taking you out to places to hang out! Such as amusement parks, circuses, fun fairs, you name it! Nikolai loves spending time with you, and why not spend some time together doing fun stuff? Of course, he also is perfectly happy staying in comfortable silence with you too

-An eccentric but caring older brother otherwise. Nikolai seeks the ultimate freedom for both of you

Sorry that this was kinda late!

[anghraine]

kazaera replied to this post:

I hear you! TBH, the mystic kingship angle is especially odd given the backstory - Isildur’s heirs were *never* the kings of Gondor, as the whole thing with Arvedui shows.

Yes!

In fairness, I can see that there had to be some reason Aragorn isn't already king, nor any of his ancestors for nearly a thousand years, especially given that on the patrilineal side this is all being reckoned through, it's been even longer since they ruled in Gondor specifically (given that the last Gondorian king of Isildur's house was, uh, Isildur). Dynastic nonsense is a very natural explanation for that! It just makes the royal mystique pretty hard to buy into for some of us—and we're clearly a minority, so it was successful in some sense.

And you can see Tolkien trying to work the dynastic drama out in the drafts—like, there's a version iirc where Anárion was the elder son, and Gondorian preference for heirs of Anárion is a lot more straightforward in that case, whereas canon has this involved debate over whether Isildur forsaking the South-kingdom meant really forsaking it or just that he left for a time. (Also, Gondorian Dúnedain seem to have reservations about the heirs of Isildur in general.) But the switch in birth order seems like a clear attempt to bolster the legitimacy of Aragorn's claim.

Perhaps Tolkien himself felt that the situation seemed a bit sketchy and political, yet there does need to be a political explanation for why the heirs of Isildur were rejected by the Gondorian Dúnedain. The political explanation is realistically messy and involved, though, and so you end up at "well, the rules of male-line primogeniture allow Aragorn to *checks hand* magically heal" to a point that can be kind of ... ??????? if you can't buy into it.

So I do have some sympathy for the difficult balance there, but the political and mystical elements do still clash quite a bit. I kind of wonder if it's another case of Tolkien's affinity for the atmospheric, almost romantic, soft-magic kind of fantastic approach colliding with his methodical and painstaking way of thinking about things—he wants things to be evocative and mystical but also to be consistent and make sense. (It reminds me in a weird way of how Elvish languages function in LOTR—Quenya is so tied up with the spiritual in LOTR and so intensely politicized in almost every other context that it can feel weird, and Sindarin in LOTR operates on one part linguistic logic to nine parts vibes.)

Aragorn and Arwen rebuilding Arnor while Faramir rules Gondor would have made for a very cool take - now I almost want to write some snippets from that AU :P

DO ITTTTT

*cough*

I've thought of various scenarios where it could work out, and without drastically altering personality, it seems like the simplest approach is either "Aragorn chooses not to claim the throne of Gondor and leaves Faramir as Ruling Steward because of some kind of crisis in Arnor and/or among the Northern Dúnedain or Elves" or "Denethor doesn't lose his sanity, doesn't die, and isn't about to step aside for Aragorn, but can begrudgingly acknowledge his contributions enough to grant aid after the war, with the provision that his heirs remain Ruling Stewards."

(I do really like the idea of parallels and inversions between Arwen and Éowyn in this scenario, also.)

[intheticklecloset]

The Cure for Insecure (Haikyuu!!)

Primary Universe

Please don’t pass out, lol. I originally wrote these two prompts separately, intending for them to stand on their own. But the subject matter was so similar and the lee in question was the same, so I decided to combine them. I think it worked out really well. Enjoy!

~

Hinata was able to chalk up the first couple of sniffles to someone having an itchy nose in their sleep or something ordinary like that. But by the time the fourth and fifth ones rolled around, he sensed something was off. He rolled over to where Yamaguchi was lying beside him, surprised to see that Nishinoya – who was on the other side of his fellow first-year – was in the process of propping himself up. Even in the darkness Hinata could tell he was concerned, so he sat up, too.

Noya glanced at him, frowned, and shook his head slightly. Hinata frowned back and scooted forward, trying to get a better look at their friend’s face, but it was difficult when it was dark in here and he was faced away from him.

“Hey,” he whispered, trying not to wake their other teammates. “Yamaguchi?”

The sniffles stopped, but Tadashi at least had the decency to admit he was awake. “Hmm?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” There was a bit of a pause that spoke more volumes than his words did. “I’m fine.”

“Are you crying?”

Yamaguchi quickly swiped at his eyes. “It’s nothing.”

So you’re not fine, Hinata thought, pushing his blanket to the side and scooting further forward.

Noya spoke up next, also in a whisper. “Do you want to talk about it? We can go outside if you want.”

“It’s late,” Tadashi countered.

“So? I don’t mind. Do you, Hinata?”

“Nope,” Hinata replied.

“No, it’s…it’s okay, really.” Yamaguchi finally turned his face to look at them both as best he could manage in the darkness. “I’m just a little…I don’t know. Overwhelmed, I guess.”

“By what?” asked Noya.

“Everyone.” Tadashi curled up on himself under his blanket. “You guys are all just so amazing out on the court, and I’m—”

“Also amazing,” Noya interjected quickly, firmly.

“Yeah!” Hinata struggled to keep his voice down. “Your serves are way better than mine. That’s why Coach has you pinch serve for me, remember?”

“But…” Yamaguchi’s voice sounded tiny, even while whispering. “That’s all I’m good at.”

“If that’s all you were good at, Coach wouldn’t even let you on the court at all,” Noya said. “Serving is what you’re best at, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you can do well. Plus, you’re a first-year. You’ve got so much time to improve it’s almost unfair. You’re doing great, dude. Don’t tell yourself you’re anything less than awesome. Okay?”

Tadashi sighed, pulling his blanket up to his chin. “I guess.”

Hinata couldn’t help but notice that by pulling his blanket up, his friend had left one of his feet exposed. He grinned, seizing the moment before really thinking it through. He reached down to scribble his fingers along the bare sole. “Cheer up, Tadashi!”

Yamaguchi gasped and yanked his foot away, rolling over to face him. “Don’t do that,” he whispered frantically. “I’ll wake everyone up.”

If anything, that only encouraged Hinata to do it again. Beaming, he grabbed the base of his friend’s blanket and pushed it away, latching onto his ankle and tickling his foot again. Yamaguchi jerked, trying to use his other foot to kick him off, but then Noya decided he wanted in on the fun and started gently digging into his sides.

“No, s-stop!” Tadashi pleaded, giggling as softly as he could manage. “P-Please, I c-can’t keep q-q-quiet like t-this!”

“We just want to see you smile,” Noya teased. “Come on, man, stop being so hard on yourself. You’re awesome!”

“S-Stop! N-Noya, Hinata, p-plehehease!” Tadashi slapped both hands over his mouth to muffle himself before he got any louder, but kept kicking at Hinata as much as possible while rolling around on his bedroll helplessly.

Noya and Hinata grinned at each other in the darkness, keeping up their gentle tickling for another minute before deciding to show mercy, allowing Yamaguchi to catch his breath. The uncontrollable smile on his face was reward enough for their efforts.

“Feeling better?” Hinata asked.

Tadashi let out a couple of leftover chuckles. “Y-Yeah…actually, yeah. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Noya nudged him gently, then lay back down. “Take it easy, okay? Get some sleep. We’ll need you tomorrow.”

Hinata also settled back into his own bedroll, while Tadashi rearranged his blanket and snuggled up in the fetal position, still smiling, feeling leagues better. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow to get here so he could play more volleyball with his friends.

*

“I heard you, you know,” Tsukishima said.

Yamaguchi looked at him, confused. “What?”

“That night at training camp. I heard you.”

“Oh.” Tadashi blushed, glancing away. “I’m sorry. I was trying to keep it down, but it was kind of hard with them both tickling me like that.”

“I meant I heard you crying.” Tsuki frowned. “I didn’t care about the other stuff. It was actually a relief after I’d been worrying about you.”

Tadashi opened his mouth to reply, but didn’t know what to say, so closed it again. He glanced around the gym nervously. They’d gotten back from the training camp yesterday, so today’s practice had been a little easier. Everyone was getting ready to head out for the night – save for Hinata and Kageyama, of course. Yamaguchi had met up with Tsuki as per usual, and now they were having this conversation by the gym doors, ready to leave but not going anywhere.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered at last. “I didn’t mean to make anyone worry, least of all you. I was just having a rough night.”

“You played better the next day, though,” Tsuki observed, glancing at him in his trademark, critical way.

Yamaguchi suddenly felt like he was on trial. He hurried out the doors into the cool night air. “Come on.”

“Why is that, Tadashi?” his blonde friend continued, following right behind him. “You’ve been encouraged before and never done that much better the next time you played. I assume they were encouraging you.”

“Yeah,” Tadashi murmured. “So what?”

“The only different factor was that they tickled you.”

“So what?” All of a sudden Tadashi felt Tsuki grab onto his shoulders and turn him around, gazing intently down at him, mouth set in a firm line. Yamaguchi wanted to be literally anywhere else. “L-Let go of me.”

“So,” Tsuki said, ignoring him, “the logical conclusion to my observations is that you played better because they tickled you. Is that right?”

Yamaguchi felt so cornered he went into panic mode and did something he almost never did, especially to Tsukishima. He shoved him away and started yelling at him. “So what, Tsuki? What does it matter? You make it sound like it’s such a crime that it made me feel better! Leave me alone, already! So I’ve got insecurities and their messing with me like that made them go away for a while. Who cares?”

Tsuki straightened. “I care.”

Tadashi hated this feeling of being trapped in a conversation in which he was being made to feel like he was in the wrong, so he turned and started walking away again.

Again, Tsuki followed him. “Do you like it? Being tickled?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Tadashi felt close to tears, and he hated that even more. Why was he so bothered by this? “It just…it helps me forget for a while, that’s all. I like forgetting.”

“Would it help if I started tickling you?”

That made him panic even more than he had earlier. Tadashi whirled on him, glaring up at him through the first tears. “Stop teasing me about this! It’s not funny. You’re making me freak out. Like I don’t already feel like such a child about this as it is. Just leave me alone!”

Something in Tsukishima’s features changed then. They grew a little less intense, a little less critical. He paused, then reached forward and dug his fingers into Tadashi’s sides.

“Ah! No! Nonono, wait!” Yamaguchi sputtered, trying to back away, but Tsuki followed his movements and after a moment the smaller teen found himself pinned against the outside wall of the gym, trapped for real this time. A few panicked giggles escaped him. “Tsuki, nohohoho!”

“You said this helps with your insecurities, right?” Tsuki asked. “Well, I don’t want you to be insecure talking to me about this. So let’s take that out of the equation.”

“P-Plehehehease, wait!” Tadashi snickered, squirming against the wall. “Tsuki!”

“I don’t think you’re being a child,” the blonde said, as serious as always. “If this is what helps you, then I want to use it.”

The fact that his closest friend was being his normal, honest, straightforward self even in the midst of this silly activity told Yamaguchi he was being serious about it, despite the subject matter. And that finally allowed him to give up and let the gentle tickling work its magic on him, taking his insecurities about everything and evaporating them into the night air.

When he’d tickled for a couple of minutes and it didn’t seem that Tadashi was fighting him or the activity itself any longer, Tsuki gradually slowed to a stop, inwardly marveling at how his friend’s smile seemed plastered to his face at this point. “So,” he asked, “would it help if I started tickling you?”

Tadashi blushed, averting his eyes, but still smiling. “I-I mean…maybe?”

“Do you feel better now than you did a couple of minutes ago?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Tsuki finally allowed himself to smile in return, both to make his friend feel more at ease and because this whole situation was amusing to him. “Okay. Then I’m putting this at the top of my list of ways to make you feel better. Sound good?”

Yamaguchi finally met his eyes again, surprised, and the relief and excitement was clear in his voice when he spoke. “R-Really?”

“Really.” Tsuki considered a moment, then smirked and grabbed Tadashi again, resuming his gentle, ticklish assault, satisfied when his friend started giggling once more, brighter and freer than the first time. “I’m not usually a fan of tickling in general, but being tickled looks good on you, so I think I can make an exception here.”

Tadashi whined. “Dohohohon’t tease me!”

Tsuki chuckled. “Don’t tease you? Please.” He started scribbling wildly all over his friend’s torso, enjoying the squealing laughter he got in response. “It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

[catt-nuevenor]

I don't know if you're okay with this kinds of asks (please ignore this if you're uncomfortable with it) but... If the ro and mc are having 'fun' In bed when suddenly their kid comes in/almost comes in, how do they react? What kinds of excuse would they say?🤣

As previously stated, I'm trying to steer clear of cringe humour with this react, and instead going more into healthy responses to such an awkward encounter.

Hope you all enjoy!

I HIGHLY recommend you head over to the reacts page to read this. There you can enter your own names and pronouns for the characters.

Reacts Page

P

P swept the blanket up and over MC in a single motion, the fabric falling with an uncanny perfection across their otherwise naked body. Searching through the folds of bedding and discarded clothing, P found their hand and held it comfortingly as they propped herself up and smiled at their partner's child.

"Hi CH." They smiled, doing their best to keep the queasy shame out of their voice. It wasn't anything to feel ashamed of really, but instinct drove a heated blush up from the base of their neck.

The little child was quiet, looking between their ren and P in a stilted silence.

MC turned about in the bed, facing their child. "Are you alright CH?" They asked gently.

CH frowned. Not in an angry way, they didn't seem sad or hurt either, just puzzled. "What are you doing?"

P felt their lover's entire body tense in the span of a heartbeat.

"We..." MC looked up at their with the devotion of utter desperation.

"We were making love CH."

CH's frown got deeper, whilst their ren paled.

"What's does-" The child began, only to be interrupted by a voice from the corridor behind them.

"CH? Could you come and help us with breakfast please?"

P let out a subtle sigh, the expression, along with their relief, shared equally by their lover. After reassurances from them both, CH turned and scampered out of the room, almost forgetting to close the door behind them.

"I could just about kiss that woman right now." P chuckled, deflating bodily, resting their forehead against the warm sanctuary of MC's shoulder.

"Do you think A realised?" They mused, playing with a curly lock of their partner's hair, while their other hand was still entwined with P's.

The woman huffed. "Probably. Even more reason to sing their praises later."

MC laughed, and P lightly pressed the tip of their nose to the sound. "I'm not sure they'd really appreciate a serenade, or a kiss for that matter."

Propping herself back up on their elbows P smirked. "Really? I have it on good authority that I'm a pretty good kisser. Or are you just trying to keep me all to yourself?"

They'd find CH later, sit them down, and no matter how much it might make them both squirm, they'd answer all their questions as honestly, and sensitively as they could. P would also go find A and let their off of washing duty for the next two months.

But that was all for later. In that moment P and MC had far more present matters on their minds.

L

L felt a little bit sick. What the hell had they done?!

Why hadn't they remembered to lock the damn door? It was automatic most nights. Tuck CH in, retreat back to their private room, get utterly engrossed in MC, and before anything else, lock the door.

They hadn't noticed at first. They was too busy with 'other matters' to notice the slow creak of the door's hinge, or the small voice that asked for their ren. MC had. They'd noticed right away.

With a mortified groan, L pulled their knees up to their chest, tucking their head into the cradle of their crossed arms. Great, just great. One stupid mistake and not only had they likely traumatised a small child, but they'd more than likely ruined their relationship with MC.

Their soon to be ex-lover was with their child, trying to find a way to explain what it was they saw, and settle them back to sleep. How the hell they planned to do that L didn't have the foggiest. And what was L doing? Hiding like a coward.

This time, when the door's hinges gave their low creak L heard them, but they didn't look up. They couldn't bear to see MC's disappointment.

The bed dipped slightly as they sat down, and L automatically shuffled aside to make a bit more room. Then, a thick silence descended, burying their shame beneath renewed guilt.

"Are you alright L?" MC asked gently, startling the young fisher.

They looked up, eyes wide, jaw slack, thinking they must have misheard. "What?"

With a compassionate smile, MC reached out and took L's hand. "I said, are you alright?"

"I- You-" They spluttered, treading between confusion and annoyance as their eyes flickered between their partner and the door. "But, CH-"

"Is fine L." MC said, stroking their thumb across L's knuckles. "A little confused, but mostly worried that they upset you."

"What!?"

MC leant in close and kissed the gaping woman's cheek. "Remember it is still the middle of the night love. You don't want to wake the others do you?"

"No. But-" L dropped their indignation to a whisper. "What about CH? How can they just be fine with it?"

MC shifted further onto the bed, tucking their bare feet back under the rumpled blankets, gesturing for L to lay down beside them once they'd settled.

"Children understand more than you think." They explained, pulling the blankets up over them once L had joined them. "I told them the truth, that we were showing each other how much we loved each other in the way adults in a relationship do. That it was a natural part of some but not all grownup relationships, and that it wasn't anything to be ashamed of or worried about."

"And they just accepted all that?"

MC nodded. "They'll probably have a lot of questions in the morning, but I'll take some time to sit with them and go through anything that worries them."

"I-" L struggled to find their way back from the crippling embarrassment of moments ago, and back to some sense of logic. They should be a part of this somehow. The realisation almost threw their straight back into full scale panic, but they did their best to keep calm.

CH thought they'd upset their, while they still feared they'd upset them. The most straightforward way to reassure them both was to talk it through. Maybe...

At least they'd both have MC's support, no matter how awkward the conversation went.

When L asked to help, MC kissed their so sweetly they felt some of the anxiety melt away at once. The rest would likely sit there till the talk tomorrow. For now though there was comfort, warmth, and the familiar tangle of limbs to enjoy as they let their dreams sweep them away into sleep.

A

"Ready for this?" A asked, squeezing MC's hand tightly for a few moments when they saw the panic in their eyes.

With a dry gulp MC shook their head. "Not really." They glanced at the open door, no doubt wondering whether there was still time to make a run for it before their child arrived.

A patted their knee, smiling warmly when they turned their nervous gaze to their.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting to have to have... this conversation, not yet anyway."

The Cunningwoman gave a sympathetic nod. "No, I imagine not."

It wasn't really anyone's fault. Just a poor sense of timing, and forgetfulness. It was lucky CH didn't come in a minute or two earlier, who knew what they would have thought upon seeing that particular part of their love making. It was all unfortunate but none of them could go back and change the past. It simply was what it was.

A took in a calming breath, letting the morning air flow in and fill their lungs, before letting it go once more. It had to be done. If they simply let the matter lie CH would more than likely build up their own theories on what they had seen. Would they think they were fighting? That A was in someway hurting MC? Or worse would they think that sex was something expected of them at their age?

The idea made A's skin squirm, and their insides writhe. No. They would tell CH what they were doing plainly, without oversimplification, or gratuitous detail. They'd explain that it should be an action of sincere and mutual trust, that no one should ever take what was not freely given, and that it was a complexity of grown up relationships, and that when the time was right, and they met someone they cared for and trusted, and that both they and their partner wanted to take their relationship to that level of physical intimacy, only then would they need to consider sex.

MC chuckled quietly beside their, attempting to muffle the sound behind their palm.

"What is it?" A asked with an amused smile of their own.

"You have that look about you." MC explained, placing a fingertip on the fold of a slight frown that sat between their dark brows. "The same one you get when Erda gives you a difficult customer to manage."

A laughed. "I'm sure CH will be much better behaved than that."

Their lover shrugged. "I don't know. How many seven year olds have you dealt with?" The soul smirked as a lick of confusion danced across their partners expression. "Any question you hope they don't ask, you can guarantee they will."

A flutter of nerves tickled at the base of A's throat, though they did their best to remain outwardly calm. "Well, it's a good thing I have a practiced hand with me, isn't it?" They said, laying a soft kiss against MC's jaw, revelling in the sigh it drew from them.

There was a light tap of a tiny hand upon the door. A drew herself back, settling as naturally as they could beside MC, still holding their hand as they called out to their child.

K

"I don't understand why you hid it from them this long." K said, resting their weight back upon one hip, pivoting slightly to keep MC in sight as they fussed around their room.

"Because a little child shouldn't have to worry about things like that." They snapped, frustration and shame making their temper brittle.

K watched quietly as they slumped onto the bed, their head resting in their hands. They didn't understand the burden their efenhlytta struggled beneath. Making love was natural, every creature upon the earth or in the waters procreated in some form, yet it was only people that put such pressures on the act. Made guilt when there was no logical reason to be any.

Cautiously they sat beside their lover, and despite the ease with which they might do so, they made no move to touch them. "What will you tell them?" K asked, keeping their words, and their voice, calm and gentle.

Of course they expected them to bristle, or snap out a response born of frustration once more, and they was shocked when instead MC slumped further into the bed.

"I don't know." They said on a fragile whisper. "I don't know what I'm going to tell them."

"I didn't realise this would upset you to this degree." K said, after a brief but pointed silence had settled between them unbroken for many minutes. "Would you like me to talk to CH."

The child's ren looked up from the cradle formed of their fingers, considering their with something close to curiosity, though the finer detail of what it was that curiosity was focused upon seemed lost to them both.

"You'd do that?" MC asked, clearly not ready to believe K's answer before they'd even had chance to reply.

The strange woman nodded. "Of course, if you want me to."

They let their mind linger a while on the offer, the ease at which they might pass on the burden of the conversation they had no desire to have. But deep down they knew they could never accept.

It wouldn't do CH any good. They needed to be comfortable when they discussed what had to be discussed, and while they both got along far better than they used to, K's presence still unsettled their child.

"No." MC sighed, though they made effort to smile through the exhale. "Thank you though. If-"

They hesitated.

"If you would... be there with me? When I talk to CH."

With lithe fingers, K caught MC's chin and delicately tilted their head about so that their eyes might meet. "For you my efenhlytta, I would stand before the greatest of challenges, no matter how dire."

K kiss demanded all the attention MC's worries might steal away for themselves. When they pushed them back into the sheets, they could not help the muffled gasp.

"Shall we finish our own conversation?" K murmured into the delightful warmth of their efenhlytta's neck, kissing where their quickened pulse fluttered visibly beneath their skin.

"What- what conversation is that?" MC breathed, their breath hitching as K nipped ever so lightly at their prize.

The strange one smiled. "The conversation your child interrupted earlier, of course."

[hopeymchope]

I finished World’s End Club

The hardest thing about completing a Kodaka or Uchikoshi game is always that bereft feeling; the knowledge in my heart that there’s nothing out there that will fulfill me as much as these guys’ stories do, and now I’m fresh out of their stuff once more. Y’know? It’s like “Well shit, now I have to settle for something lesser.”

Anyway. I finished World’s End Club. The whole thing took about 16 hours (according to the in-game clock on my save file), and I’m currently redoing a couple of stages for stickers that I missed. I doubt that’ll last me more than another hour, though, so I should be 100% finished at 17 hours. Granted, that’s with me bypassing the first hour because I’d already completed it in the demo... so that makes it around 18 hours long in total. Much shorter than the average Uchikoshi or Kodaka work, clearly!

And man, they sure do pack a lot of twists and turns into those 18-or-so hours. Admittedly, there is time to slow down and talk to the characters to learn more about their backstories or what they’re thinking (typically during “Camp” scenes). But the other two types of scenes — “Story” and “Act” scenes — are chock-full of new reveals or weird plot developments up until like, hour 15. It’s all of the usual twistiness of an Uchikoshi story compacted into a shorter timeframe. 

In addition to this being shorter than Uchikoshi’s or Kodaka’s most notable prior games, it’s also much lighter. Despite somewhat dark themes cropping up at a few points, this is a far kinder and more uplifting game than Zero Escape or Danganronpa ever were. I mean, hey, it’s about a group of 12-year-olds, so it almost necessitates that lighter tone. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but I love the core cast of kids. Sure, there are a few of them who remained thin enough that I never got very attached to them, but I mean, it’s a pretty big cast. Most of the storytelling time is spent on the central plot, so I understand the shorthand of using some stereotypes in there. Some of them do get mined for depth. If there’s one problem with them, it’s that they’re too young for me to feel comfortable shipping any of them. :P They’re BABIES! 

The bottom line here is that I loved the latest Uchikoshi-penned ride. I will remain in the tank for his works for a long time to come. But now, In order to actually list and go off on some of my (relatively few) gripes with the game, I have to get into Spoiler Mode. 

MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

SPOILER MODE  ACTIVATED

Look; I didn’t love all of the twists thrown at us. I can come up with workarounds for some of the ones that bugged me, but let me go off on which twists most irritated me and why, okay?

 First off, the reveal that all of the strange monsters and creatures were just “illusions” doesn’t make any sense. If they were just illusions, there’d be no physicality to them. So there’d be no way that a giant pillbug could abduct Pai, or that some Yetis could run off with Pochi or Yuki. So they’re very obviously NOT just illusions. Hell, while we’re at it, maybe we should inquire as to how we got “Game Over”’d by a bunch of things that weren’t there. Some of the available deaths are even specific to the exact form of the monsters we see, like if Reycho gets snapped up and chewed up by one of the large flytraps in Kagoshima. You’re telling me an illusion did that?! Maybe they’re some of MAIK’s robots that are projecting illusions around themselves or something? That seems like the best way to accept this. It keeps the basic spirit of what MAIK said to be true while also justifying how it could operate. And yet..... the game even goes so far as to claim that Pielope’s transformations are just illusions. For some, that makes sense, but we clearly physically interact with at least one of those transformations — the kids actually grab onto the Train Pielope and hold onto numerous individual parts of his transformation while riding the train. So again: That CAN’T be an illusion if you can grab onto all the parts of it. So... what gives? If Pielope never physically transforms, then how’d they grab all the pieces of her transformation like that?

The twist with Reycho doesn’t quite work logically, either. For starters, if you go back and read his “inner monologue” dialogue from the game, there are numerous instances where the dialogue doesn’t seem to fit with it being the thoughts of the “Otherworlder” OR Pochi, the two parties supposedly controlling him. The thoughts in question only work if Recyho was somehow thinking for himself already, so I guess we have to fanwank it and just assume that his “self-awareness” was starting to come through early? (I didn’t care for the reveal that Pochi was controlling Reycho either, because it has this whole tone of “You were controlling someone who never mattered because they were just being controlled by somebody else who wasn’t even the player character, ha-ha!” But the later twist that the “Otherworlder” was actually controlling Reycho made it better for me, so I’ll let it slide.)

The other thing that didn’t work for me is the reveal that Pochi is a robot. Even events that come AFTER this reveal are made more problematic as a result of it. First off, it makes it confusing as to how/why certain “X-Type” robots exist. I guess MAIK created the X-Type robots? Because he somehow reached the ability to communicate with another world? If so, where are the other X-Types? We know there have to be some others if Niyan and his gang are already familiar with the whole concept. What was their purpose? Did MAIK also program his own robots to have emotions?  Because Pochi is clearly very emotional. Even though MAIK hates emotions... ? Perhaps this game isn’t meant to answer everything, and they’re setting up for some kind of sequel. I find that pretty unlikely, but I can’t say it’s impossible. However, the big reason I don’t like the Pochi Robot reveal isn’t really the logic problems with it. It’s that they knew we’d like Pochi because he’s an introverted gamer, but then the reveal of his true nature takes all that away. He was never a gamer at all. He wasn’t even all that shy. He was just keeping to himself to hide his true nature... and his “gaming” was just him controlling Reycho. So the things that your players were most likely to dig about him are utterly erased. So in the end, who is Pochi? He’s a compassionate, heroic, self-sacrificing protagonist. Which makes him a lot more generic. 

A closing thought: If, by some miracle, this game ever gets a follow-up sequel or spinoff, I see a lot of potential in how they could mix and match the various characters’ abilities. I understand that the platforming isn’t really the point of the game, and that’s why it feels undercooked... but that also makes it the area that could most easily be improved upon. I was initially excited for the chance to be able to swap between characters so that I could have Mowchan turn into iron, then Reycho would throw him onto a ledge. Or maybe Pai could block an attacking enemy while Tattsun shoots it! Alas, this is a simpler game than that. And while I am ok with that, if they ever take another shot at it, it doesn’t have to be this straightforward and simple. They can have more fun with the platforming side. Let’s go ahead and mix and match our powers!

[pepperful-qt]

Hi there! Can I request hcs of kuroo, kita and semi with a big brain s/o? It doesn't just apply to s/o academically, but more so about life in general (like having ~streetsmarts~) thank you!

you said street smarts my mind went to jj bittenbinder. ngl i kinda used the wisdom proficiencies from d&d as reference for this hahaha nerd i hope it’s what you want! also i just want to thank you for requesting my not-so-secret fav semi semi

Kuroo, Kita, & Semi with a big brain s/o

* * * * *

Kuroo Tetsuro

oh this man appreciates it. he’s so entertained

you know that drinking game that Tyrion does with Shae where he guesses something about your past and if he’s right you have to drink, if not he does? that’s what you do minus the drinking part obv,, unless

as a person with high charisma himself, you make it a game to see who can bluff out and/or fool the other (you almost always win)

any time there’s a game night and you’re playing a social deception game you always win. no one can get a lie past you

if it’s a teamwork one, you and Kuroo crush everyone else

you find ways to skimp on your hw but still come out fine. he has no idea how, and it both annoys and impresses him

“i thought you stayed up watching buzzfeed unsolved instead of studying last night??”

“yeah so what?”

“but you got a 96%”

he knows that intelligence isn’t just defined by what you’re able to memorize out of a book, and you’re a perfect example of that. he respects you a lot

you’re the type of person that reads random articles and therefore has the most random bits of trivia that you throw in conversation

he can have an intellectual conversation with you, since you always come up with unique perspectives. he loves asking your opinion on things, bc who tf knows what’ll come out of your mouth

you don’t know what a derivative is to save your life but you know the location of every 7/11 in a ten mile radius, and if they carry a specific type of onigiri or cup noodle flavor

but fr you give the best advice and are always there to lend an ear

you watch murder mystery movies together and try to figure out the culprit, sometimes actually arguing over it

other times you’ll watch a drama and make bets on who’s gonna do what or end up with who

rip Kenma in the corner just trying to live his life

it’s hilarious seeing you interact with someone who is not “big brain” or street smart

let’s just use Lev as an example for no particular reason, just bc

you quickly learned that Lev would believe almost anything you said, he was that fascinated by your apparent wisdom

so you and Kuroo will sometimes join forces and see what you can get him to believe. you once convinced him that if you kill an insect you’d become that insect in your next life and die the same way, and for a solid month he would start crying if he ever stepped on an ant

chaos couple™

you have this whole atmosphere about you that is just “do not fuck with me” bamf if i do say so myself

which tbh is one of the things he finds most attractive about you. you knew exactly what he was up to the first time he started flirting with you, but you weren’t intimidated one bit. you became a challenge~

10/10 best looking couple of the three

* * * 

Kita Shinsuke

the two voices of reason, bless you both. you’re very similar, but also very different

he’s the definition of high intelligence & high wisdom with low charisma cleric kita omg, while you have both high wisdom and high charisma with an intelligence stat you barely use (high or low lol)

he’s the kind of guy who always thinks things through with logic, and he’s always sure of his decisions

you on the other hand, have an intuition based logic

freaks him out when you rely on your gut instinct but somehow it always pays off

“why?” 

“just because” 

“but why??”

you’re adaptable in almost every situation, always know what to say, and have an uncanny ability to read people

which actually comes in handy in your relationship

he’s not the best at expressing himself but you always seem to know his emotional state and thought process, something no one else except his granny has really cracked yet and you do it so easily. sometimes he wonders if you’re a mind reader

you knew he liked you before he did & you asked him out first ~

“Shin-kun, you look happy today!” 

“Ah, I was able to clean all the volleyballs after practice and still had time to fold and organize the scrimmige vests by color.”

meanwhile Atsumu: “hE litERALLY?? looks the sAME??!”

speaking of the twins, you’re great at handling them

Atsumu tried to scare you away the first time you showed up at practice before you and Kita announced your relationship, but you were calm and polite

which tbh put him off more than if you’d clammed up or gotten angry. he almost felt bad for being rude. almost.

imagine how bad he felt when Kita found out

the both of you are both feared and respected by the team 

you’ll help Kita out with his self-assigned chores sometimes, figuring out new ways to be efficient and not lose quality

he also loves how he can trust you to take care of yourself, whether it’s walking home alone or losing you in a crowd or just looking after your health. he still worries and dotes on you but it’s out of love, not because he’s concerned you’ll hurt yourself unintentionally 

he loves a person with common sense @ inarizaki

you’re both really good at getting gifts for each other, since you’re both very perceptive

one time you guessed his favorite flavor of ice cream and it made the butterflies a’flutter

there’s this silent competition between you two of who can give the better gifts

wishes you would study more though ngl. he knows you’re smart you just don’t always dedicate that intelligence to your schoolwork

he finds it charming how you’re always looking at things from different angles rather than the straightforward path. he thinks it’s a very good quality

that “yeah but what if...” kind of mentality

we already know he appreciates that attitude if he doesn’t really take it on himself

you’re both able to appreciate the nuances of life and enjoy the moment together

your relationship is one of the most balanced and strong out there tbh,,

* * *

Semi Eita

you’ve got this charm that makes people respect you. a certain type of confidence, if you will, that made him first notice you

lots of students were intimidated by the members of the volleyball team, for their height and reputation etc, but you never showed any reservation, not even with Ushijima

as well as your conviction, you have take no shit attitude that comes in great handy with certain members of the team it’s also hot af

you can banter with Tendou and you provoke Goshiki all day long but never Shirabu bc you know what’s up

you do however irritate him with mind games, bc you know he’s a little shit who stole your bf’s spot and needs to be taken down a peg sometimes

you: *describing the quantum wave trolley problem”

Shirabu: *screams*

all the while Semi is trying and failing to hide the smug little smirk on his face

with Semi though, you’re able to just talk

he enjoys conversation with you bc he’s never bored. you make him think and you make him laugh, both good things

sometimes you’ll point something out that just makes him go “oh” bc it seems so obvious when you point it out

other times it’s something so outlandish that he can’t help but crack a smile or let out a laugh 

sometimes it’s the connect the dots meme “you didn’t connect shit” lmao

again, solid advice giver with no holds barred. anyone who needs to be straight up told what they need to hear comes to you, bc you're usually right

and Semi himself can get lost in his own head so it's nice to have you to ground him

you’re decent in your classes sure, but where you really impress is your strategy in game. any game

once you were invited to play laser tag with the team and you whipped out a battle plan that annihilated the other team

alternatively, you show no mercy in monopoly or uno, damn your relationships

it’s actually very annoying how quickly you pick up the rules and nuances to games and use them to your advantage

if you’re both very competitive, it’s usually better for everyone if you’re both on the same team

but he likes a challenge heh

okay, we know he’s bad at dressing himself when it comes to casual outfits. no common sense. you notice this too

“Eita, sweetie, if you go out like that you will get mugged,, even in Miyagi.”

you’ll walk down the street hand in hand and you make random guesses or stories about the people you see 

“that guy is totally a scammer” or “bet that lady looking at the papaya is trying to start a diet for the third time, look at her face” and he’ll chuckle

he knows there’s always something going on inside your mind and he wants to know

when you’re lost in thought he’ll tap your forehead

“hey what’s going on in there?”

he enjoys listening to your musings and thoughts and opinions. you either have a crazy gut instinct or have some unique thought you’ve internally debated over for months

gets inspiration from you actually, even if he doesn’t realize it

likewise, you realize he has a lot on his mind he doesn’t say, but you have a way of making him say it, even if he is hesitant and abrasive at first

you’ll call him at 3am with a random thought and he’ll grumble a bit but actually will listen to you with the smallest smile on his face

* * * * * 

i hope??? this was good??? also lmk if this is too long without a read more i’m not sure :P

[soaptunes]

Coil - The Ape of Naples - Album Review

An unsettling swan song carried by a voice of uncomfortable depth.

I wasn't sure of what to make of this one going in, and coming out of it I think I'm only just hanging on to a proper way I feel about it. It's a confounding listen, never completely revealing its hand in terms of what emotion it wants to convey to you, but always creating an atmosphere that's teeming with life. An alien life, maybe a life from some pitch-dark sea, but a life. Opener "Fire of the Mind" sets the tone with a more straightforward version of what we'll hear for the rest of the project. Over dirgelike accordion chords and squalling guitars, vocalist John Balance moans disquieting poetry. "Death is centrifugal/Solar and logical/Decadent and symmetrical/Angels are mathematical/Angels are bestial/Man is the animal" His singing isn't tuneful, when I say "moans," I mean that motherfucker moans. His voice has effects on it that make him sound like he's at the bottom of well, yelling his grim lyrics to the people aboveground with a crazed urgency. The energy is like a man yelling omens at you on the street in the middle of a storm, fully and totally convinced that he has the gift of prophecy. And he might've - just months after the material for this album was recorded, Balance was killed in an accidental fall from a two-story balcony at home. This record serves as his last statement, and what a morbid statement it is with that knowledge. "Pay respects to the vultures, for they are your future." I'm sorry if I get wordy or abstract about this record - it's not a straightforward one to break down, but I'll try. This is an experimental album often tagged as "post-industrial," but it really bares little resemblance to Nine Inch Nails or Ministry, acts that the general public would associate with the “industrial” genre. Coil are instead very direct descendants of the first generation of experimental industrial musicians, who used unnerving tape loops, rigid drum machines, and occult, literally industrial imagery to produce music that was challenging, disturbing and totally engrossing. John Balance played in Genesis P-Orridge’s second band Psychic TV, and his partner, Peter Christopherson, who was largely responsible for assembling this album after Balance’s death, was active even earlier, in both Psychic TV and industrial godfathers Throbbing Gristle.

This record builds upon those sounds, but has a wandering quality to it. Instrumentals loop and meander, unconventional instruments like singing saw find a place in surreal, circus music-esque compositions, whimsical sounds like xylophone and funky jazz sax turn menacing and dark. I hope you can see what I mean when I say it’s difficult to talk about on a purely objective level, I feel like I have to talk figuratively. The album’s unsettling sounds are paired almost exclusively with lyrics preoccupied with death, dying, and decay. On “Triple Sun,” over muffled beats, minor-key marimba, and deep bass synth, Balance drones ad infinitum “then I swallowed the one you bury.” There’s a double entendre there, though - “you bury” or “yew berry?” Is he devouring a corpse or committing suicide? Neither’s great! It’s clever writing and a great enforcement of horror. “Amber Rain” sees Balance mention “I don’t expect I’ll understand/how life trickled through my hand.” As far as I can tell, the narrator of the song has just killed another person, with “amber rain” being an obfuscating term for blood.

Speaking of blood, the one track where Balance feels as though he really gets to let loose is the terrifying “It’s In My Blood,” which sets a beeping riff like a pager over a simple beat, then introduces horror movie-esque brass and strings. Over this, Balance proceeds to screech. It’s animalistic, unhinged, and blood-curdling. After the first scream, a chugging beat starts up, and a whole horrific progression ensues. It really does sound like he has something in his bloodstream that’s killing him. The final track, “Going Up,” is, apparently, a cover of the theme tune to a popular British sitcom. It’s also just about the only moment of respite on the whole record, with Balance’s keening falsetto reminding us, of death, that “it just is.” Some other highlights I enjoyed were the spooky-sad funhouse mirror anthem “Tattooed Man” and the unexpectedly driving and melodic “Teenage Lightning 2005.” Overall, while this isn’t a record to be listened to casually, it is an impressive piece of work that sets out to establish a crushing feeling of dread and an intimate familiarity with the end, and accomplishes that with incredible skill over the course of an hour. Nothing more, nothing less. Hair-raising in its soundplay and unceasingly dour in lyrics, delivery, performance, and concept, Coil’s final album - and John Balance’s musical epitaph - are captivating, strange, and deeply haunting. FAVORITE TRACKS: “Fire of the Mind,” “It’s In My Blood,” “Tattooed Man,” “Teenage Lightning 2005,” “Going Up” LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: “Heaven’s Blade” (feels kind of out of place in its distorted pop stylings) RATING: STRONG 8 - LIGHT 9

the ape of naples on spotify

[istgimamess]

Reaction: [ S t r a y K i d s ] finding out their s/o is a [ S u p e r n a t u r a l C r e a t u r e ]

"...hi it's the anon from yesterday! so I'm not sure what way you do your reactions but something i haven't seen yet but would like to is a reaction to finding out that either their s/o or friend, whichever you'd prefer, is a supernatural creature (like werewolf, fae, witch, shape shifter, mermaid, demon, angel, anything really) for stray kids!

let me know if I didn't give you info that you need for a reaction or... if there are any problems with my request, I'm kind of shooting blindly since you don't have rules or anything right? so yea, i hope this is fine tho..."

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[ C h a n ] finds out you’re an [ A n g e l ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ C o n c e r n e d ]

^ he’s logical, fair and patient—he’s known for having a logical minds and a fair judgment. He strives for fairness and justice constantly. This makes him a  wonderful mediator. He’ll analyze every situation with his little legal eagle brain and logical mind; with the help of that he can organize all things well and eliminate the irrelevant. So when you finally admit to being an angel, show him your wings, he’ll most like keep quiet. 

^ also, he’s a great listener—he’ll most definitely listen to your side of the story before making any irrational decisions about your relationship. This goes back to his logical, fair and patient way of thinking; he’ll most likely just sit there quietly and let you do the talking, the explaining. ^ he soaks up all the ideas and information around him like a big brainy sponge. He hates conflicts and confrontations and always watches his words while communicating, talking in a way as to not offend you. When he finally does say something, his words will be well thought out, calculated.

^ he always knows a lot more than he lets on, most likely he already knew you were abnormal—a bit different—from the very start of your relationship. And he was just waiting for you to get comfortable enough to admit it to him, to officially let him in on the secret.

^ he’s very understanding. He’s very thoughtful and interprets things that most people miss out on. This will be beneficial to you when you begin to try and explain to him why you kept this a huge secret for such a long time. He’ll see that it, your unwillingness to tell anybody your origin story, has nothing to do with him not being worthy of knowing. He won’t take it personally.

^ he’ll tell you like it is, straight up, because he’s an honest and upfront person. He’ll wait until you’ve finished explaining and when you question him on his thoughts and feelings in the moment, he won’t sugar coat it—which can be both good and bad.

^ but, also, he can smell bullshit from a mile away. If you omit any significant details, or lie in any way, he will catch on almost instantly. And he won’t be happy.

^ he’s loyal to the bone and fiercely protective of you; finding out you’re an angel won’t change that. If anything, he’ll feel even more protective of both you and your secret. ^ he’ll forgive but never forget. Even though he won’t show it on the surface, he’ll be extremely hurt that it took you so long to tell him. Logically he knows it has nothing to do with him, but emotionally it will feel like you just don’t trust him enough. He’ll forgive you for keeping such a monumental secret, but he’ll never forget that feeling. But once he listens to your story, does his own research, his concern for you will outweigh those hurt feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So I did some research,” he trailed off, you jerked at the echo of his voice in the otherwise silent room.

“Research? On what?” you gaze over at him, not quite meeting his eyes.

“You. Well, angel’s in general, but mostly you.” his voice is much lower, the silence drags on for a moment too long. It’s suddenly stifling. 

“And?” you breath out, still caught off guard.

“What does Éloa mean?” he questions, taking a step around the bed to face you, get a better look. You narrowed your gaze, heart suddenly in your throat. How did he find that name? Did he know? Was he just testing you? You take a deep breath, eyes dropping down to the carpet beneath his bare feet. You decide to just answer him, literally. “It’s the name of an angel.” He tilts his head, contemplatively. And there is something dangerous in his eyes, something you can’t quite place. “I’ve never heard of him.” “You wouldn’t have.” you pull the blanket closer to you, resisting the sudden urge to spread your wings, stretch them wide and flee.  “Was he a fallen angel?” his eyes are darker now, assessing, he definitely knows. You know he knows. So why wasn’t he saying? “She was, yes.” you hesitate, not wanting to give too much of your past away, but unable to stop yourself. “Lucifer tricked her into falling from heaven.” “Tricked her how?” he was still standing above you, he wouldn’t approach you, hasn’t since the night he caught you in full form.  You meet his gaze. “She fell in love with him.” His eyes narrowed, his face pulled into a grimace. How disgusting must it feel to find out your girlfriend is not only a fallen angel, but also a fallen angel who was once in love with Lucifer. You shrink, your wings drawing in closer to your body. “Did he love her?” Like an addict loves his addiction, you think, bitterly.. “The only way he knew how.”  He must have been able to see the pain in your eyes because, for a moment, pure concern crossed his features. He shook his head, schooling his expression once again. “How could he trick her?” “He never told her his name.” you whisper, your voice breaking. And suddenly he wasn’t across the room, standing above you at a distance—he was right in front of you, knee on the bed, arms around your shoulders. “Shhh, it’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it now.” He reached forward to cup your cheek, the touch surprising you. "Please understand that no matter what you are or what has happened in your past, I am yours. I am devoted to you above all else, including my own life."

You exhaled after holding your breath for what felt like forever, tears spilling over in excess. "That's pretty heavy, Chan." His expression was impassioned, and the backs of his fingers brushed the side of your neck, thumbs wiping away the wetness on your cheeks. "It is a burden I am glad to carry.” ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[ C h a n g b i n ] finds out you’re a [ W e r e w o l f ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ C u r i o u s ] ^ he’s kind and protective. He feels responsible and is always willing to help you out when you’re in need. He will go to great lengths to make sure that you feel loved and you’re happy. He will always stand up for the underdog, (no werewolf pun intended.) This is beneficial to you because his compassionate heart will win out over his logical mindset. 

 ^ he’s extremely loyal. If there’s one trait imbedded in him, it is his loyalty. He physically won’t be able to turn his back on you—werewolf or not.

^ he’s also very honest. He tends to be extremely direct and straightforward with you. He gives honest feedback to you when you ask for it. He would never speak a white lie just to avoid conflict, or be deemed reasonable, so you wouldn’t have to worry about him bottling up his true thoughts, opinions and emotions on the subject. 

 ^ that being said, his honesty often comes off as excessive bluntness. Therefore, at first, you might catch some heat in that department. 

^ he, at times, can be very inflexible. When he has committed to something, in this case a way of thinking, he’ll fight tooth and nail to stick to that way of thinking. Regardless of how much proof he has in front of him, it will be difficult to convince him otherwise—especially when he grew up believing that werewolves were myth, not real.

^ once he has a significant amount of proof, though, he’ll be insanely curious on the matter and his crazy sense of humor will resurface.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait, are you an alpha? An omega? Do you turn when you feel threatened?” his wide eyes, his random questioning—it all catches you off guard.

“I’m considered a dominant amongst my pack. And, yes, I guess I would if I felt threatened.” you nod slowly, holding his gaze. You’re the werewolf here, the freak of nature, but this boy—this human—is the weird one. 

“What’s a dominant? Are they more important than a submissive?” he crawls closer to you, his jeans catching on the carpet beneath you.

“Not necessarily. A submissive wolf is not incapable of protecting themselves: they can fight, they can kill as readily as any other. They are a treasure in a pack, just as important. A source of purpose and of balance.” you catch yourself quoting your great grandmother, the very first female dominant in your pack, a rare, smart, capable wolf.

“Then why does the dominant wolf exist? If a submissive wolf is just as capable, just as important, why make the distinction?” he interjects, your baffled at his level of curiosity.

“Because even through submissives are just as capable and important, they’re very different. It’s a dominants job to protect those beneath them.” you pause momentarily, watch a multitude of expressions cross his face. “Protecting a submissive is far more rewarding because a submissive will never wait until you are wounded or your back is turned to see if you are truly dominant to them. Submissive wolves can be trusted. And they unite the pack with the goal of keeping them safe and cared for.”

There is a long moment where you just stare at each other, his eyes glazed over, a childlike expression on his face. “So you’re a werewolf trapped in a human body?”

You stifle a laugh, unable to control your facial expression. "Well, yeah, that's kind of the definition."

"No, really. You’re trapped?” his eyes widen slightly, he leans forward, anticipating your answer.

"Oh? Are you trying to ask me the last time I shifted?" you voice, confusion written all over your face.

“Yes.” he nods enthusiastically. You briefly debate telling him about the traffic incident, but ultimately decide against lying.

“On your birthday.” you admit, sheepishly. “There was a lot of traffic and I was running late.” you trail off, suddenly awkward. But then he laughs, big and loud, throwing his head back.

“That’s so cool! I want to be a werewolf. How do I get a werewolf to attack me?" he smiles wide. And you roll your eyes, shake your head in pseudo disappointment. “Stand in the middle of a forest under a full moon with a raw steak tied to your face, holding a sign that says, 'Eat me; I'm stupid'?”

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[ H y u n j i n ] finds out you’re a [ M e r m a i d ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ P r a c t i c e d ]

^ he’s very empathetic with a lively imagination and a friendly disposition. He has a boundless capacity for empathy even with those who he barely sees eye to eye with. This is great for you because, even if he is initially angry that you kept such a secret from him, he’ll still empathize with your situation, your story.

^ he’s more emotional than your average guy. He is intune and prone to the infectious emotion of those around him. If he see tears, he will likely cry. If he can sense hurt in your voice, it will sadden him also. 

^ he will love you unconditionally no matter what or who you are.  ^ he’s selfless and generous. No matter how big the secret, how hurt he is from your omission, he will always be there when you need someone. Because he is so practiced in the idea that he can’t live without you, he will always show up when you need him.

^ that being said, because of his idealistic nature, you can often find him walking alone. He can be overly trusting and it often leaves him feeling betrayed, hurt and vulnerable. He might view your lack of openness, truthfulness, as a betrayal within your relationship. And that might make conversation with him, for a while, very stilted. He’ll seem impassive at first, but he will eventually warm back up to you.

^ he’s not one to give up easily. He puts in the work to get what he wants in life and he won’t let it slide away without a fight. He won’t let you go over something like this, not after he’s just got you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There, with bare feet and drenched hair, you were crouched like a child. Upon hearing him approach, you looked up, peered into his dark, hesitant eyes. You wore only an enormous men’s sweater, his sweater—with no extravagant pattern or color, the sweater was a dull beige. Your knees were pulled up inside of it, thin pale ankles peeking out from underneath. The wool sweater alone was dry, as the rest of your head, hands, and feet were as wet as if you’d just been pulled from drowning. Tiny rivers flowed off your hair and pooled on the wool sweater, leaving it dark in splotches. Water droplets glistened on your skin, not running off, as though they couldn’t quite bear to leave you. His eyes held yours in a way his hands did not. His empathetic gaze schooled, his expression practiced, controlled.

“So...a mermaid?” you twist your head the other direction, his voice breaking your concentration momentarily. At this he took a sudden step forward, as if compelled. He had caught a glimpse of pink gills under your chin, his busy eyes dancing along your neck with a new found curiosity. You became overwhelmingly self conscious, tucking your chin, keeping your neck hidden from his view. It had always taken your gills longer to disappear than your tail. 

“My mother told me stories of mermaids. She said they sometimes sing to humans to lure them underwater.” his voice trailed off, momentarily. “But you have a horrible voice.” your gaze snaps up, catching the mischievous look in his eye, his grin.

His teasing catches you off guard, you fumble with your words, “Yeah, well...I've been practicing. Want to hear?” you glare at him, halfheartedly.

He lets out a soft laugh, “I'm always happy when I'm surrounded by water, I think I'm a Mermaid too...or at least, I was a mermaid in a past life.” he crouches down, he’s much closer to you now.

“Are you in pain?” you choke out, the idea of him hurting, in any way, unbearable to you. You don’t know why you asked that, he’s obviously just joking—keeping a steady conversation with you, trying to keep you calm.

“Pain? Why would I be in—” he trails off, eyes snapping in your direction. “Wait, are you in pain?” the absolute, genuine concern in his voice has you pulling up short. Your breathing shallow.

“Mermaids hurt when we’re in human form.” you admit, quietly, eyes glued to the rocks on the horizon.

“But...but you never look like you’re in pain, you’re always smiling, always so...graceful—” he cuts himself off abruptly, eyes narrowed. It’s as if he’s angry at himself for not catching on to your discomfort much sooner. “What does it feel like?”

“When your tail divides and shrinks until it becomes legs, it’s very painful. It feels as if a sharp sword is slashing through you. Everyone who sees a mermaid on legs will say that they are the most graceful human being they’ve ever laid eyes on—” you remember, vividly, all the times you were complemented for your gliding movement; not even a seasoned dancer is able to tread as lightly as you. “But every step you take feels as if you are treading upon knife blades so sharp that blood must flow.”

There is silence, the ocean waves brushing against the sand, caressing the shore—it’s the only noise you hear for a moment. 

“Then shall I take you home and put you in the bathtub?” his unsystematic question is enough to pull you out of your thoughts completely, his brand of humor easily calming you in your panicked state. You’re suddenly very thankful.

“How do you always know just what to say?" you ask, a smile on your lips. His laugh rumbles through you as he puts his arm around your damp shoulders. "Practice, I guess."

You pull back and give him a quizzical look.

"I spent three years imagining what I would say to you if you were mine," he says, tugging you closer. “I should hope I know what to say now that I've finally got you.” ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[ J i s u n g ] finds out you’re a [ D e m o n ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ B e w i l d e r e d ]

^ he’s very intelligent and he’s always ready to expand his knowledge reserves. He usually has a systematic approach to life, he always ensures that he doesn’t miss any loophole behind. So when he finds out about you being a demon, he’s both bewildered and inquisitive.

^ he’s usually very calm and collected on the surface. But underneath he has a great intensity that demands he bring order to his world. He struggles with the need to rearrange his frantic interior beneath the calm exterior until everything is perfect. This might make him seem more freaked out, frightened, than he actually is.

^ he is highly patient with you and always tries to find the good in everything around him. So in reality, even though he initially seems frazzled at your confession, he will actually give you enough time to fix up your act—explain yourself—when need be.

^ he can, at times, be very judgmental. He tends to appraise and judge people based on one particular viewpoint in that person’s life—especially if he doesn’t know that person well enough. That being said, your relationship is solid enough to outlast his initial judgment.

^ he can also be very fussy, as sometimes he gets lost in the details. His strong likes and dislikes make him quite finicky at first. And he’ll definitely feel some type of way that you kept him in the dark for so long.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All the demons of Hell formerly reigned as gods in previous cultures. No it's not fair, but one man's god is another man's devil. As each subsequent civilization became a dominant power, among its first acts was to depose and demonize whoever the previous culture had worshipped. The Jews attacked Belial, the god of the Babylonians. The Christians banished Pan and Loki, the respective deities of the ancient Greeks and Celts. The Anglican British banned belief in the Australian aboriginal spirits known as the Mimi. Satan is depicted with cloven hooves because Pan had them, and he carries a pitchfork based on the trident carried by Neptune. As each deity was deposed, it was relegated to Hell. For gods so long accustomed to receiving tribute and loving attention, of course this status shift put them into a foul mood.

And when Hell, itself, was in a foul mood, demons—specifically the ones planted here on earth—got the brunt of it. So to say you were in a bad mood would be an understatement. In hindsight, it might not have been the best decision on your part to agree to speak with Jisung about your origins in that moment.

“It’s not fair.” his voice wavers, the emotional confrontation taking a toll on him.

“What, that I’m a demon or that you managed to date me?” you bit out, tersely. “Don’t.” his voice was abruptly dark. 

“No, you’re right, it’s not fair—but what makes earth feel like Hell is your expectation that it should feel like Heaven. Earth is earth. Dead is dead. Good is rarely good and bad is always bad. You’ll find out for yourself soon enough. It won’t help the situation for you to get all upset.” you snap back at him, voice just as dark.

‘‘What’s that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me now?” his eyes narrow.

“How miserably hypocritical,” you respond with a growl. “You think it’s such a burden for you to be tricked into dating the devils servant? What about the burden of me being me?” your voice is much lower now, your practically spitting venom in his direction. “No sooner am I offered a chance to flee Hell than I yearn to stay.”

“I didn’t want this.” his dark eyes, his bewildered gaze reflecting a huge amount of regret.

“Few families hold their relations as closely as do prisons. Few marriages sustain the high level of passion that exists between criminals and those who seek to bring them to justice. It’s no wonder the Zodiac Killer flirted so relentlessly with the police. Or that Jack the Ripper courted and baited detectives with his—or her—coy letters. We all wish to be pursued. We all long to be desired. That’s what I did, I pursued you, I desired you. Anything beyond that is your fault.” you turn, ready to flee out the door, the overwhelming urge to hurt something, someone, frightening you.

“My fault!? Is it my fault that I want you? That I want that feeling of standing with you against all odds and succeeding? That I want it so bad, I’d risk destroying everything I’ve worked for?” he spits at your back, crossing the room in a long stride to block your path to the door. “Is that my fault? I should walk away. But all I want to do is follow you, out that door, down the street, all the way back to hell.” his fists are clenched, his face red, you’ve never seen him so frustrated—with you or himself. “What the hell am I doing, falling in love with a demon?”  His sudden confession almost knocks you from your feet. Anger and confusion painting his face.

“You love me?” you whisper in a fit of shock.

“Yes.” he whispers right back, voice matching yours, as if his own confession shocked him as well.

“Enough to follow me all the way to hell?” you’re baffled.

“Well, according to Google, 98.3 percent of lawyers end up in Hell. That's in contrast to the 23 percent of farmers who are eternally damned. Some 45 percent of retail business owners are Hellbound, and 85 percent of computer software writers.” he hums to himself, pausing in thought. “Perhaps a trace number of musicians ascend to Heaven, but statistically speaking, 100 percent of them are cast into the fiery pit. As are essentially 100 percent of journalists and redheads.” he finishes with a satisfied nod. “Readheads?” you cock your eyebrow, completely thrown by the turn of conversation.

“What? I told you! I googled it.” he smiles, oddly proud of himself.

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[ F e l i x ] finds out you’re a [ V a m p i r e ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ P l a y f u l ]

^ like Jisung, he’s appears very calm and collected on the surface; he will struggle with his external facade and his internal need demanding order. This might make him seem very impassive in the moment, as he tends to shut down when confronted with mixed and conflicting emotions.

^ he has an analytical mind that can see things in black and white. He is capable of finding solutions to tough problems, always. He has a keen attention to detail, and likes to absorb everything before making a decision. So he will probably, like Chan, be very quiet and expressionless during your confession.

^ he has a very clever mind. And he will go through all possible elements of thinking before making any decision—so you won’t have to worry about fear, disgust or uncertainty driving him to make an impulsive decision about your relationship.

^ he’s very honest with you, he will always tell you exactly how he feel about you—to your face. He doesn’t like to sugar coat his words. For him, honesty is the best policy, even if the truth hurts. So when he does settle his mind, his inner conflict, enough to respond to you articulately—you might experience some unintentional savagery, but it most definitely will not last for long.

^ he’s pretty old school, a bit conservative and old fashioned. He’s not really into modern changes and prefers things in their old traditional ways. This is beneficial to you, in the given situation, because you are much much older than you seem. Your aura brings that old fashioned feel, and he will still appreciate that—even after realizing why.

^ once he wraps his head around the concept, around the idea of you being a vampire and living off of blood, he’ll be extremely playful. He’ll love to tease you, and honestly, he’s the type to be into a little blood play.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yeah, I get it, you're a vampire," he said. "Creepy. And okay, a little hot, I admit." 

"You don't mean that." you gape in his direction.  "Come on. I still like you, you know, even if you... crave plasma." You blink once, twice, and it’s as if you’ve never seen him before. “You what?"

"Like. You." Felix enunciated slowly, as if you might not know the words. "Idiot. I always have. What, you didn't know? We’re literally dating." he sounded cool and grown-up about it, but you saw the hectic color in his cheeks, under the moonlight.

"How clueless are you? Does it come with the fangs?" he sniffs, eyes darting around him, never really settling on you.

"I guess I...I just thought.... I don’t know. I just didn't think...You're kind of intimidating, you know." you finally admit. "I'm intimidating? Me? You’re the vampire here!” he spluttered out. "You're the one who's intimidating. I mean, come on. All that power, and you look... Well, you know how you look." 

"How do I look?" you were fascinated now, you moved a little closer to him on the couch. He laughed nervously. "Oh come on. You're a total model-babe." 

"You're kidding." you deadpan, completely caught off guard.

"You don't think you are?" he shot back at you, side eyeing your expression. You shook you head."Then you're kind of an idiot. Smart, but an idiot." he crossed his arms, momentarily lost in though. “So? What exactly do you think about me, except that I’m intimidating?” he questioned after a moment of silence.

“I think you’re…you’re…ah, interesting?” your the one tripping over your words now. If you were capable of blushing, you’d be beet red. “I think you’re kind of beautiful...for a human. And really, really strange.” You look away, keeping your eyes on the opposite wall.

“Beautiful? But I’m a boy.” he whines.

“Boys can be beautiful too, it’s not subjective to one gender. Besides, beauty is a state of being—it’s inside—not just physical attractiveness.” you reprimand him for his narrow mindedness.

He smiled and looked down, the color in his face deepened. “Thanks for that,” he murmured, “I thought you only considered me to be bratty.”

“Well, to be fair, you are bratty.” you smile, peeking at him out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey!” he gasps, affronted.

“What? You can be bratty and beautiful,” you shot back, repeating yourself once more. “I think it’s interesting.”  There was a beat of silence, “So, your not scared of me? You don’t hate me?” you whispered into the dark room. Before he could even open his mouth to reply, you continue, “I have been stabbed, shot, burned, bitten, beaten unconscious too many times to count, and even staked. None of those would hold a candle to the pain I’d feel if you hated me, if you were scared.”

His dark eyes find you in the light of the moon, his hand reaching out to intertwine with your. He opens his mouth, closes it and opens it once more—as if trying to articulate his feelings properly, as if trying to find the words. “That's pretty hot," his deep voice carries in the otherwise quiet room.

"What? Me being staked?" you admonished, unprepared for the turn of conversation.

"Well, no. Of course not. I meant the idea of getting rough with you is hot. I'm a big fan of full-contact sports." he wiggled his eyebrows in your direction, his voice playful, and you couldn’t help but laugh. Throwing your head back, you squeezed his hand, “I'm sure you are.” ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[ J e o n g i n ] finds out you’re a [ N y m p h ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ D e l i g h t e d ]

^ he’s incredibly open-minded and tends to think and do things differently than others. He thinks for himself and likes to keep an open mind about all things. He’s not the type to judge a book by its cover. So you won’t need to worry about any judgment being thrown your way.

^ he’s a true free spirit, meaning any attempts to keep him from being who he really is will make him turn away. This is great, because he has learned to treat others as he wishes to be treated; he won’t ask you to suppress who you are, or change in any way, for the fear that you might do the same to him.

^ he’ll most likely need some space and freedom to work through his thoughts on your unusual upbringing. However, he will be very vocal about exactly why he needs space, as to avoid any miscommunication. He would never up and leave you for being open and honest with him and he wouldn’t want you to think otherwise.

^ like Jisung, he is also quite the intellectual. He can amaze anyone with his original ideas; this is great because, right off the bat, he will be so overwhelmed with curiosity, overflowing with questions, he won’t have the time to be upset with you.

^ sure, he’s a bit of an intellectual rebel and he will loudly defend his opinions, but he’s also willing and open to learning. Ultimately, telling him you’re a forest nymph will be like telling him you had grapefruit for breakfast. He has a great power to form and understand abstract concepts and conform and adapt to new information like he’s known it his whole life—like it’s no big deal.

^ he’ll be delighted with your honesty, insanely curious and extremely playful.

^ he’s also very stubborn at times. It is often hard to change his mind about something once it is set for. But you’re close enough to actually succeed in this area, an area which others have failed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You wake up sudden—a chill crawling down your spine—in a puddle of cool sunlight. Your hands asleep beside you, your hair draped on the lawn like a mantle of cloth. Frost grows on the window glass, forming whirlpool patterns of lovely translucent geometry, and you stare up, momentarily forgetting where you are. Sitting up slowly, you lean forward and breath on the glass, giving the frost more ammunition. Now the winter nymphs can build castles and cities and whole ice continents with your breath’s vapor. In a few blinks you can almost see them moving in, ready to do their seasonal damage to your lovely forest, to your home.  That’s when you hear it, a shift in the cool grass. And suddenly he’s right there, crouched down beside you. He rocks forward, and hisses in an attempt to scare you out of your thoughts. But you knew he was there the entire time, you could sense his presence. He could never truly sneak up on you in the forest, not with the many trees and plants and animals—the many eyes and ears.

You turn to him, with a bored expression, “Really? That’s all you got?”

You stretch your wings, hear their crackle, as a show of complete content.

“Not fair! How did you know? I was really quiet this time!” he pouts, whining about how unfair it is. “Also, why are you out here? It’s kind of cold.” he finally sits down, pulling his knees up to his chest.

You shrug your shoulders, resisting the urge to smile. There’s a pause, a beat of silence, where you both gaze up at the outer side of the house; the windows covered in frost catching your attention, yet again. And then you feel his gaze on you.

“It’s nice.” he whispers and you turn your head to face him, confused.

“That you exist.” he smiles at you and you feel your heart drop.

“I think humans don’t want merely to see beauty...we want something else which can hardly be put into words—” he cuts himself off, momentarily, watching your face carefully. “We want to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to become part of it. I think that’s why we have peopled air and earth and water with gods and goddesses, and nymphs and elves.” he trails off again, and you’re left speechless. His dark eyes catching on the curves and lines of your face.  And then the moment is broken, he looks away, back up at the frost bitten windowsill. But your heart still thumps in your throat. “And this is nice," he begins with a sigh. "Like...one of those paintings where a nymph or Athena is drawing the gods and goddesses." your eyes follow his gaze back up to the windowsill, you see that he’s referring to the intricate designs hidden within the frost. Winter nymphs have a tendency to hide such patterns, such art, in their work.

You hum in agreement. “And here I was thinking you were an utterly uneducated human," you said teasingly.

"I am a student," he responded with hauteur. "I am classically educated.”

"Plus, nymphs are pretty," he adds, in after thought.

You laugh. "I could stare at them all day," he continued. His tone was carefully neutral, but his eyes never left yours. And you found you couldn’t look back, and not blush. He reached over, delicately pulling you into his side—it was only then that you realized how closely he held you, and how the gentle incline of the hill brought you almost eye to eye with him.

One side of his mouth twitched. "Your cheeks are like cherries." he chortled, delighted.

You tucked your chin into the wool of his coat. "It's cold," you said, defensively. He shook his head. "I am not complaining. I think they're rather charming. They make you look like a winter nymph.”

“I find that really offensive.” you grumble in response, the forest nymph and fairy blood in you disliking the comparison all together. He laughs, warmly, and pulls you even closer. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[ S e u n g m i n ] finds out you’re a [ W i t c h ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ R e l u c t a n t ]

^ he’s highly reliable, it’s in his blood to keep up with commitments. People often completely rely on him to complete complicated tasks with efficiency and perfection as he is naturally very rational. It’s that rational side of his mind that will force him to listen to your explanation to the end.

^ he would never, consciously, let you down; he consistently gives his best to meet your expectations. He’s the first to answer your call and the last to leave a situation when you’re in need. This will be beneficial to you as he will be compelled to stop, listen and hear you out.

^ like Felix, he is extremely analytical. He will think everything through—weighing the options, good and bad—before making a decision about your relationship.

^ at first he’ll be quite reluctant, hesitant and unwilling to budge in his prejudice. It’s something he can’t help, growing up believing witches are evil, dark, dangerous and manipulative. But deep down he knows you, and this will be all he needs to encourage understanding and acceptance.

^ he’s a problem solver. He likes to tackle problems of close ones and the people around him. At first it might seem like he’s trying to control the situation, but you will soon realize that he is only analyzing your situation to find ways of helping you improve your life.

^ he can be critical at times, overly demanding. It’s because he already has a clear picture in his mind about how things should be done. But he’s also open to change, and once he comes to terms with your witchy ways, he will become the most supportive boyfriend you could ask for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “So tell me about it,” he interjected, pulling you away from your inner dialogue. 

“What?” you look up from your study table, eyes meeting his across the room.

“Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Do you practice Black Magic? Have you ever put me under a spell?” his face is blank, expressionless, but his voice gives away his anger and confusion.

“There is no such thing as White Magic or Black Magic.” you turn you head away from him, unable to accept him being so cold and cruel to you. “If you are participating in magic, you are interfering with the natural order of how life would have developed without your hand in it. You are manipulating reality to suit your own personal needs. Regardless of whether you perceive it as "positive" or "white light", you are manipulating life. And just like life, it’s not black and white, all good or all bad.” you trail off, your stomach in knots. It’s best to be truthful, you know this, but it hurts you to think that something like this could damage you relationship. Or worse, end it. You feel the telltale signs of tears forming in your eyes, the heat almost unbearable.

“And no, I’ve never—I would never use it on you.” there is a brief silence and despite him approaching you, stepping much closer, you resolutely keep your eyes lowered. 

“Can you tell me about them?” his voice was much softer now, much too close. You look up into his eyes and realize he’s referring to the plants on your bed side table. You take a deep breath to steady yourself, slowly stand up from the chair and turn towards your bed.

“These are tropical palms. They bring strong solar energy into your home that break up stale energy, and keep your home safe from nasty spiritual entities.” you trail off, carefully watching his expression. “This right here is African violet, and it’s associated with love and magic. But I use it because it’s vibrant purple flowers pull lunar energy into your home. Lunar energy is most important to those in my coven.” you whisper, the vivid memory of your grandmother and aunt surrounding themselves, filling their homes, with African violets almost brings tears to your eyes. “Aloe is associated with the water element because the gel inside the leaves. They’re cooling and healing.” you continue on, pulling yourself out of your reminiscing. 

Finally you turn to the last plant, your moms personal favorite. “The clusters of star shaped flowers that grow on the long tendrils of the hoya, also called a wax plant, produce truly intoxicating nectar whose aroma fills the whole house. It also bestows blessings on anyone who smells it.”  You wait for him to say something, still avoiding his unnerving stare, unsure you want to even see his reaction.

“This stuff? These plants? They really mean a lot to you, don’t they?” his voice is barely there, a whisper, but his words still have the same affect. You blink, once, twice, and the tears you were so set on holding back, fall.

Suddenly he’s there, pulling you closer to him, guiding your head into the space between his neck and shoulder. His warm embrace is enough to comfort you by itself but he still whispers to you, “It’s okay, it’ll be okay. I’m not mad. I won’t leave you. It’s okay.”  And, for once, you truly believe it.

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[ M i n h o ] finds out you’re a [ S h a p e s h i f t e r ]

His initial reaction:                                                       [ E n t h r a l l e d ]

^ he’s focused and competitive. When he wants something he just goes for it. Also, when he sets his sight on something (you) he allows very few things to get in his way and does anything to achieve his goal (to be with you.) This focus, this competitive nature, will keep him present and attentive during your confession. 

^ he’s also extremely brave and daring. He isn’t afraid of challenges in life, so what appears to be a crazy risk to more conservative people is just a normal day for the brave-hearted Minho. Because of this, he won’t be afraid. When you tell him, show him, what you really are—he’ll be more enthralled than fearful or confused.

^ one of the great things about Minho is his loyalty to you. He values trust and honesty making him a fiercely loyal boyfriend, and he expects you to be the same way. That being said, he most likely will be upset that you felt the need to keep such a secret. But he will quickly get over it, dismiss those feelings, once he realizes just how honest you’re being with him in the present. ^ he respects you and treats you with amazing loyalty, generosity and kindness. Him finding out you’re a shapeshifter definitely will not change that.

^ however, it most likely will take him a hot second to be content within your relationship dynamic again, as a part of him perceived your lack of truthfulness as disloyalty. There's a pretty good chance that your actions will cause some big-time resentment to him, at least for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “It’s okay, I mean if you want to, if you need to—” he trails off, his eyes sympathetic. “I’m okay with it.” 

You look at him ready to cry again. Not out of pain. Not out of need. But because his words rub that part of your soul that suffers, that wants to be explored like a virgin land that has remained intact for centuries and craves to be occupied, appreciated and transformed. So you let yourself go.

You groan as your limbs lessen into shorter proportions and your neck stretches. Auburn-coloured fur emerged upon your fevered skin, and the sounds of your bones cracking, shifting in an echo around the cold mountain side. Your snout elongates and your teeth sharpen.

You were panting and, with one last shudder, your body slides from human to fox in a crack. Minho stood there, face drawn up in a twisted expression full of empathetic pain, watching the frost dissipate on your hot tongue, sending tiny rivulets of steam into the air. In this form, the world was sharp and clear, he was sharp and clear. You never realized how many different colors of shadow there were, how the angles of his face cast such an array of shade. It made you savor the dark beauty of the cold evening even more.

Minutes passed by—him staring at you, and you staring at him—both of you almost caught in a trance. When a little blue butterfly fluttered up to you, and landed on your snout. You blinked at it and it fluttered to your ear; it was winter, cold and lifeless on the mountain side, why were there suddenly butterflies? A big yellow butterfly gently floats over and lands on your paw, and as if reading your mind, Minho cocks his head to the right, “Well, that’s different.” 

Soon a whole swarm of them float up and down around you, like a swirl of multicolored petals. It happened once before, in your backyard, when you shifted on a late afternoon.

Your magic must be strong enough, in that moment, to attract them—despite the weather and location. Butterflies were small and light, and very magic sensitive. For some reason you made them feel safe and they gravitated to you like iron shavings to a magnet. Minho let out a quiet giggle as a bigger butterfly landed on your forehead and you shook it off, affronted. Resisting the urge to fight the assault, you took a step back. They ruined your ferocious badass image, but you’d have to be a complete beast to swat butterflies.

Now if a baby deer frolicked out from between the mountains and tried to cuddle up, you would yip. You wouldn’t bite it, but you would most definitely yip, maybe even growl. You had your limits. Minho slowly approached you and reached out, his fingers hesitant. You tilted your head down, letting him touch your ears. His hand trembled slightly as he caressed the fluffy protrusion. You knew they were warmer than he thought they’d be, a living extension of the human inside. He petted your pelt next, charmed by the coarse fur and the feel of your muscles bunching and moving underneath. Finishing off with your tale, he ran his fingers through it, slowly, thoroughly.

Sitting back, he winked down at you. "You probably get this a lot, but…I like your backside.” he laughed at your annoyed yip. “What? It’s so fluffy.” You stretch back into human form, the change much easier in reverse, and look up at him from the ground. “Always gotta be the smartass, don’t you?” you roll your eyes, with a smile.

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To the beautiful anon who requested a supernatural s/o reaction [Stray Kids,] I hope you like it!!! 😅😅 It was superrrr fun to do, so thank you for the request, loveee! 🥰

[jangmi-latte]

personality asks at your service! coco has become an official consultant in this cafe. and since there was quite the request, we'll combine it in this post right here! just go under the #personality asks with coco to find yours!

jidwhufhifh *resists the urge to get talkative* this is one of my favorite personality asks since vil is an enfj and i am an infj. wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

ahem, anyways, enfj and infj are compatible simply because they have 3 traits that they have in common. Inuitive (N), Feeling (F), and Judging (F). both traits can get really talkative when talking about their interests and most of their interests lie in the concept of art, science, literature, and philosophies. their only difference is that an ENFJ’s energy is around others hence the Extravert (E) in their personality while an INFJ’s energy revolves around themselves hence the Introvert (I). 

the only issue here is that an infj and enfj are secretive in nature -- not because we want to but both personality types tend to be the listeners and will guide you instead of focusing on ourselves. which is why an INFJ is an Advocate and an ENFJ is a Protagonist. we are under the diplomats section of personality types. so, if an infj and an enfj are to be in a relationship, it is important that you apply communication and value in your relationship.

as an enfj, respecting an infj’s personal space is important as well. though you are willing to help and challenge an infj, they prefer to grow by themselves and have a little space of their own to improve. and as an infj, learn to communicate your thoughts and don’t hesitate to approach. both parties can be sensitive in nature due to their Feeling (F), but that’s alright. it’s simply because we can absorb and analyze another person’s emotion through speech and action. 

i won’t be expounding on vil here since i have a full analysis of him coming up. we don’t have infjs in twst and vil’s the only enfj. oh! did you know and infj/enfj is rare around the population of boys? you don’t see that everyday!

oh my.. complete opposites i see...

well, like i said, don’t rely on personality types for compatibilty. it all depends on how you approach the person. so, an ENTP and an ISTJ are NEARLY opposites. the only thing you have in common is your Thinking (T) and it is likely that you fall in conflicts here and there. damn, an ENTP is a Debater and an ISTJ is Logistician. see what’s going to happen? endless bickering.

let alone, ISTJs (J) have Judging in their systems and an ENTP is Perceiving (P). the way you both communicate is full on information. your ideas come first before your feelings and you would like your belief/knowledge to be addressed to the other party first. ENTPs would are going to be passionate about their topic and are sometimes traditional and would want to share their ideas commonly to those they’re close with. both of you are talkative, no doubt, but ISTJs would overthink and question the an ENTP adhere’s to their ideas.

however, the fact an ISTJ is Sensing (S) and an ENTP is Inituitive (I), an ISTJ can be attracted to the way they communicate. very passionate and endearing might i say. an ENTP’s approach to an ISTJ is that they are very logical. while an ENTP relies on their way of thinking and imagination, an ISTJ would focus on facts and real world ideologies. 

ISTJs are calm and very observant while ENTPs can hae a big burst of energy especially when they become talkative. a twisted wonderland example of this is Riddle/Silver (ISTJ) and Floyd (ENTP). 

please istg you can already imagine, see, and even HEAR the dynamics of these two.

straightforward personalities, you both won’t hesitate to insult each other and share you thoughts about the other immediately. i’m pretty sure looking at riddle and floyd wowuld depict the whole dynamic of an ENTP and an ISTJ. 

like i said, depending on the approach of an ENTP, they can either be calm or a burst of energy. Lilia is an ENTP as well and can get along with Riddle just fine. Floyd is the chaotic version of an ENTP while Lilia is the calm version of an ENTP.

another version of this compatibility is Silver and Lilia, very calm in communication. Lilia is very straightforward and loves to tease with his ideologies while Silver can be imaginative and passionate about his. if you want me to expound more or if it’s very confusing, you can ask me!

oh my oh my! this is adorable. another near opposities except you two are Perceiving! in all honesty, this pairing can work depending on your ideologies (hence the perceiving trait). since you’re an estp, your infp crush would want a friendship that involves idealistic, sensitive, and thoughtful matters. they want to grow and develop along with their relationshiip.

there will be ups and downs in your relationship considering how 3 of your traits are opposite to one another. estps prefer to enjoy the moment and are looking for companions that can accompany them during their lifetime. you could say they really value relationships because of their S traits (sensing). between the two of you, it can be really awkward until you find something where you two connect. 

think about grim and idia. grim is an ESTP while Idia is an INFP. that CAN be an example of how your relationship can go if you don’t find a connection. 

now you as an estp, your energy can make an infp tired in a way they can’t absorb your energy. an infp can be too caught up in their idealistic thoughts (due to being an Intuitive and Introvert) and imagination. while they live in their head, an estp live in the real world. you like taking risks while infps avoid that. so be careful with your energy around them!

overall, i suppose you both can find interests. when you’re able to get close to an infp, they would show how lively they can be privately. they really admire conversation and your energy can make them spill more (they can be talkative about their interests). take it slow with an infp and you can get there! remember, your energy should match with theirs in order to get close to them! <3

[sanjiafsincedayone]

Sanji as a leader P.2 - Disciplining the crew

I’ve always felt like Sanji is one of the ones in the crew whom steps into the role of a leader the most. I just wanted to analyze a few of the moments and charactaristics that make me feel this way. However, this is not a competition, I’m simply trying to highlight some of Sanji’s qualities as a leader.

Which is why I decided to make a series of posts that all focus on different sides to Sanji that I think are worth discussing in relation to the leadership skills that I personally see in him.

This is the second part, but it’s really short. It’s about how Sanji often is seen disciplining the crew and why I think these moments show some of Sanji’s qualities as a leader.

This is basically a long character analysis that I had to devide into different parts! Enjoy~

In my first post I started with talking about Sanji’s position as a chef and this is partly a continuation of that. About Sanji’s past on the Baratie and being used to being in charge, I don’t think Sanji’s attitude has changed even after joining the crew, and he still bosses Luffy and Co around when he has to. Of course he’s still loyal to Luffy, but compared to for example Zoro he definitely challange Luffy more on a daily basis. Just like Nami does. Often these two seem to team up and “be the adults“ to diciplin the crew.

Again him and Nami share this type of personality and it’s often used as a gag. They might be “beating some sense into them” mostly for laughs but it’s all the same relevant for why people can see them as being in charge. I actually often see people use this argument in favour of Nami being “the real best option” for a captain, but Sanji certainly has his moments too.

In the Skypia arc alone this gag is used a lot, and Luffy and Usopp are both forced to listen and apologize. In fact the whole time Sanji, Usopp and Luffy are as a small group one could easily mistake Sanji for being the leader. Similarly with how Nami pushes them towards their goal in Whole Cake Island, Sanji is there to keep Luffy’s focus on their main priority.

We can clearly see that Sanji is the one with authority in these situations, he even explicitly says to follow his orders. Sanji, being one of the more sensible people on the crew, certainly has his hands full trying to keep the more unruly ones in check. 

Mostly this type of moments are directed towards Luffy since it’s part of his character to be rash and entirely unaware of what his actions might lead to. However, it’s not only used for a gag. 

A very serious moment when he intervenes is of course during Usopp and Luffy’s argument. He kicks and yells at Luffy which brings him out of his heated anger. It’s obviously a very violent approach, but Sanji knows that it’s the only way to stop the strong and bull-headed Luffy. The point is that even if these moments are partly used as jokes the crew still listens and do what they’re told and Sanji is often used as a voice of reason of sorts. 

There are times when Sanji is simply angry and it doesn’t lead to something constructive, something that happens when he gets frustrated and doesn’t control himself. As seen below after Usopp leaves Sanji is frustrated because he feels Zoro could have stopped it, though logically here they had no idea Zoro not getting rid of the Frankies would lead to something like this. (Of course Zoro isn’t right either saying Sanji should have done something in stead.)

We also have many times Sanji getting annoyed with Zoro in general, mostly based on personality difference and the fact that while Sanji feels responsible and has a job on the ship and has to work, Zoro is basically only a fighter who spends his free time doing what he wants, mostly sleeping, training or drinking. 

In their differences we can tell Sanji feels a sense of duty towards being productive and helpful, which also influence him to take the lead in not only fighting situations but every day tasks as well. My point here is that Sanji’s personality in contrast with people like Luffy and Zoro is less carefree and thus ends up being responsible more often in situations that aren’t related to power.

He puts them in their place when needed. He more often doesn’t use violence, but for people like Luffy it’s probably a faster and more straightforward way to show it’s important. In the end no matter if the moment is small or not Sanji is seen berating the crew (mostly Luffy) from time to time, stepping in when it’s needed.

Sorry for this short part... When I first made this it was all one really long post, but then I decided to split it up in stead. It might have been better to include this in one of the other categories but since it was already started and made as a part I’ll let it be that and post it as such. I hope you still enjoyed reading it.

[argentdandelion]

Grace Monroe is a Liar (And Why That’s a Good Thing)

Note: this article does not sufficiently weigh Simon’s bad behaviors in Episode 11, “The New Apex”. This article has been kept unmodified for posterity.

Grace Analysis

“You know Sheena...you were right. Chloe shouldn't smile until her parents can afford to give her braces."

Grace is not simply a liar, however: she is also, to put it plainly, fake. She’s something of a social chameleon, but rather than drastically changing her presentation to fit in, she dons a fabricated, friendly and encouraging persona to make others “fit” her own desires. She even has variants of her persona for different audiences. She sounds like a friendly “cool kid” to 15-year-old Jesse, claiming he was a “natural” on his first raid although he only halfheartedly kicked a cube. She acts like an adoring parent to the younger Apex kids, squatting to the level of shorter Apex children, praising their offerings, and telling them she’ll keep the offerings someplace special. To Hazel (and Tuba) she acts like a kindergarten teacher at the first day of school, simultaneously making Hazel excited about The Apex and acting assuring to Tuba.

The most striking evidence for Grace’s lying social-chameleon-esque acts is how much her mannerisms and very voice change when addressing the Apex kids and Jesse compared to addressing Simon. In the first and second episode, she feels open to banter and bicker with Simon, such as exchanging unflattering nicknames or saying she doesn’t want his “ripeness” (body odor) giving away their position; she treats no one else as a friend like this.

Grace is not simply an insincere “queen bee” highschooler-type, either. As Uncivilized Elk has pointed out in “Cult Recruitment in "The Mall Car" – Infinity Train Analysis & Review” (warning; profanity), intentionally or not Grace’s tactics with Jesse show a step-by-step plan to indoctrinate Jesse into the Apex’s worldview. She praises Jesse and acts as if she cares about him, but is only manipulating him to a particular end. For example, when Jesse thinks the candy tastes bad, she convinces him to throw it to the wheels of the train, telling him he can “do what he wants”. However, this is almost certainly a precursor to making Jesse accept “wheeling” (killing by throwing them to the train’s wheels) denizens. Furthermore, in “The Jungle Car” she misdirects Hazel on who’s to blame for an unpopular decision, minimizes it (saying Simon was “confused”) and “resolves” the problem almost immediately: very suspicious abuser or cult-like behavior.

Initially, she engages in cognitive empathy (internal emulation of the emotional states of others) without really caring about others, to figure out how people work and so manipulate them. She has a utilitarian sort of approach, changing her persona to make others do what she wants and change them. To be fair, it’s possible not all of her kindness and empathy is faked. When Jesse took his exit, Simon calls him “weak”, but Grace says he wasn’t weak, but misled, and says: "We just lost another human, Simon. Show some respect.” Still, she’s certainly not sincere, overall. For example, despite teaching him he can “do what he wants”, when what Jesse wants goes against The Apex, Grace and Simon immediately try to stop him.

However, over time, Grace's temporary, utilitarian approach of altering personas to her goal makes her "become the mask". She eventually finds it hard to justify her continued kind and compassionate acts to Hazel in relation to her Apex worldviews, and the contradiction causes her distress.

Simon Analysis

Simon, in contrast, lies much less than Grace and is more open about how he feels, especially in his disdain for Denizens. While he initially seems friendly, when Jesse’s off on a raid he has no patience with MT’s concerns and outright tells her to “get out of here before Jesse gets back. You can’t help him like we can.” (Possible: it didn’t occur to him that Jesse might still trust Lake, so being too mean to Lake would come back to bite him.) He is also more open about his disdain for nulls around Hazel, though it would clearly benefit him to tone it down before they can “ditch” Tuba.

Two of Simon’s more important deceptions are notably half-truths, not outright claims. He claims MT broke Todd’s ankle, which is technically true: Todd kicked MT’s metal body and in the process broke his ankle. Arguably, him saying “no one knows” where the passengers go is him honestly saying he doesn’t know exactly where they go; how could he know Jesse Cosay’s home was in Arizona, and which specific location? Indeed, sometimes he does not lie even would it be very practical to do so. For example, although acting as if he “couldn’t save her in time” and pretending to be deeply unsettled by Tuba’s death would have gotten rid of Tuba and not put Hazel’s cooperation into question, he outright tells Hazel he wheeled her. His attempt to comfort her about “never hav[ing] to worry about that null again” could suggest obliviousness to the viewpoints of others, but it could also be his version of trustworthy, straightforward honesty, in accordance with his own beliefs.

It’s important to note that, though Simon is more honest than Grace, he still lies, deceives, and manipulates others. The difference between them is finesse, speed, and frequency. Though Simon may think of Grace as his plaything, or come to think of her as such, it’s Grace who’s effective at making others her playthings, by manipulating her social presentation like a social chameleon.

Root Causes

Arguably, both Grace and Simon do not treat people as means in themselves, but means to an end: in essence, other passengers are treated as tools for their own goals. It’s interesting to see how much Grace and Simon treat Apex members (and each other) like they treat nulls: that they are “only good as they are useful”. When they stop being “useful”, in the sense of helping the Apex or each other according to plan, they eventually become aggressive. Admittedly, the change to aggression is slower and more complicated for Simon to Grace in Season 3; Simon’s end goal for Grace could easily have been “comfort and companionship”, which friends naturally give anyway.

Grace emphasizes Jesse’s ability to choose for himself, but when Jesse’s decision strays from The Apex’s values and Grace’s plans, she doesn’t let him go with a “you’re missing out, buddy” lamentation. Instead, she says: “I wanted to go for the easy way, but you made it hard” and shows the Flecs where Lake is, presumably so they can do the dirty work for them. Jesse has value to Grace as an Apex member, one under her control, and not in any other sense. Grace’s logic for showing Lake to the Flecs parallels Simon’s actions in trapping Grace in her own memory tape; he says “you made me do this”. The Cat outright says Simon treats Grace as an object with: “and how should she be acting? She’s not like one of your toys.”

Grace Monroe is a liar, and much more so than Simon. And it’s because she is, in the words of the Memory Tape’s Hazel, a “coward leading cowards”. Grace’s lying comes from her fear: her fear of being wrong, of not being enough, of being alone. Her kindness to the Apex kids, faked or superficial as it may be, probably comes from the desire to give them what her parents would not. Adding onto her cowardice and fears, she initially hid her dropping number from Simon in “The Chat Chalet Car” because she "didn't want the Apex...or you...to see me like this...and think less of me." Though her fear Simon would think less of her for it was unfounded, as Simon sincerely supported her then, afterwards she hid her number from Simon. She “cut him out” (in Simon’s words) from her lack of courage to be open and honest. As Memory-Hazel points out, when Grace had the “chance to make it right”, by revealing she knew about Hazel’s condition when it was obvious she was a turtle, she did not.

Conclusion

Grace and Simon are both villain protagonists messed up by unresolved trauma and eight years of being on the train with no guidance whatsoever. One starts off slightly worse than the other, only to get much better discard her animus for nulls. One starts off slightly better, only to get much worse and expand his animus for nulls to humans as well: his former best (and only) friend, at that. It’s the tiny differences in how they relate to others and operate that cause their slightly different moral starting points and massively different end points.