#hooo boy that’s excellent

[wehavekookies]

How are you finding Baldur's Gate 3? Turn based games aren't really my thing but I've been watching clips and reviews of it, and I really, really want it for the story and the companions.

Hooo boi. I'm not even halfway through (even tho i have over 100 hrs on the counter already, someone help me lmao XD), but I will write some (spoilerless) words.

So, my opinion is heavily biased because: • i was extremely invested in BG1 and BG2 back in the days and have tons of fond memories from these two games, so revisiting this world (and meeting some characters again even) has a big sentimental aspect for me on top of everything new;

• i've played campaigns set on the Sword Coast (including Baldur's Gate) and in Avernus, so seeing some locations and characters I recognize either from earlier computer games or from tabletop is super fun;

• i really enjoy 5e mechanics so this is also a big fun factor for me. I recreated a build from my current Curse of Strahd campaign (Cleric of Knowledge Domain / Divination wizard) and having this comparison - I am super satisfied with how the mechanics have been translated (and in some very minor aspects - changed) into a computer game, fantastic work on this;

But all these personal things aside - I think it is objectively a fantastic crpg. I haven't been so invested in a story and in characters from a computer game in a loooong while, i both laughed and cried, I feel my decisions matter, every detail (and there is A LOT of details) feels like it's there for a reason, there is something intriguing / exciting / surprising literally around every corner, zero (0) repetitive quests, and you can feel tons of love and care put into this monster of a game.

As a fan of turn based games and board games and 5e fights and all that I also have to also say- the design of battle encounters is fantastic, and the further you go the more fun / surprising they get.

Also the music is excellent.

Also also this game is extremely horny.

To sum it up: I think it is an excellent thing, beautiful, engaging, fun, made with care and respect for player's time, and I already feel I will be doing another playthrough after i'm (one day) done with this one.

If you are worried about the battle aspect: there is a game mode that allows you to focus more on the story and presents less challenging encounters - haven't tried it but maybe something to look into, I'm sure some reviews cover it.

All that said: I'm done with work for today so back to the game lol.

[stringsnwires]

Also, I feel like you’d have strong opinions about legos. Discuss, if you wish.

Sure, I have some opinions. I had me a few sets as a boy, but I never did nothin' by the book. Which was kinda stupid. That's the whole appeal. But I liked it better to tinker with them n my own mechanics.

The only thing that I have to say that matters is that those things are a work of geniuses. Lookie:

LEGOs ain't been changed in the 40 sumn years they been around. All have been made with CA (Cellulose Acetate), and were recently changed to ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) for the foreseeable future. They changed from something that was easy to deform to a damn near impenetrable little brick toy. I mean, don't set one under a hydraulic press or nun, but for a kid? That feller can pass that set down to his boy and the boy after him and it ain't gonna be changed.

So, not only have they found the ultimate material for strength, but also an excellent one for molding. They heat ABS up reaaal hot, then inject it into these into these precision-engineered molds under high pressure to get all them crevices. N when I say precision-engineered, I mean it to the extreme. The tolerance ain't more than 5 measly microns. For a toy? That's no error at all. They're identical! They're cooled all rapidly to maximize efficiency. Won't crack or nothin. I'm talkin' seconds!

They're also recycled to make more bricks when them or their smart 'bots detect an anomaly.

I don't know how they color em real well. But it's all precise n accurate n seamless.

Y'all know that click when y'all put em together? Intentional. It ain't no LEGO brick without it. Hooo. Them's are perfect little things. Only thing I'd wanna be a boy for again.

Maybe y'all already knew all that.

[hughjidiot]

Complete Thoughts on the TDI Reboot Season 2

Well, the remaining episodes of season two are out in the wild, and since I'm snowed in today I've been able to watch them all multiple times. Now that the season is over, here are my overall thoughts on all of the characters, their plotlines, eliminations, etc. Spoilers below the cut, obviously.

First, a quick recap on everyone I talked about in my analyses of episodes one through eight.

As a Scary Girl fan it was disappointing seeing her get booted first, but understandable since at the end of the day she is mostly a gimmick character.

Chase I was glad to see go early, since his subplot with Emma had run its course and was pretty much the only thing Chase had going for him.

I wasn't too broken up about Millie going home third, since she'd already been a major character in season one. I just wish Priya had had more of a reaction to her best friend getting voted off, but more on her later.

Emma being eliminated early on was a surprise, since I thought she could get an arc of finally moving on from Chase now that she'd broken up with him for good. I guess there's always season three, if gen 4 gets one.

I have mixed feelings on Nichelle. On the one hand it was cool seeing how she'd been training in between seasons and become a much better player. On the other hand her elimination was really, really stupid. Like my least favorite of the entire season. A fake movie contract that she never even questions the validity of or even how it got there in the first place? Seriously??

Bowie was great for the few episodes he lasted. His whole subplot of being torn between MK and Julia's cheating to help them win while also not wanting to disappoint Raj made for some excellent drama in the first third of the season.

I'm also mixed on Axel and Ripper. On the one hand Axel got some depth showing that she's a bit of a romantic under her rough exterior, and Ripper was much more tolerable here than he was in season one. Unfortunately they got a major downgrade after they hooked up, being more concerned about making out than actually, you know, focusing on the competition to win a million dollars. Also Chris calling them both eliminated when Ripper grabbed Axel as the Drone of Despair was carrying her off? Yeah that was kinda cheap.

Lastly, Zee. I really enjoyed Zee, he constantly got laughs out of me. But once again, his elimination had me scratching my head because how the hell did he learn everyone's secrets in the first place? Did he walk in on everyone doing something embarrassing like with Priya kissing her pillow? Or did everyone decide that the soda stoner seemed like a trustworthy guy to share their secrets with?

And now for the final seven. And boy what a mixed bag they were.

Damien was pretty good this season. I really liked how he made an effort to compete this time around despite still being scared of pretty much everything on the island. I actually had him pegged as a potential finalist and was sad to see him go when he got outplayed by Julia stealing the Invincibility Idol out from under him.

Priya and Caleb... hooo boy, Priya and Caleb. I'll be honest, this whole season-long romantic subplot was kind of a mess. So first they had Caleb only wanting an alliance partner in Priya while she was crushing on him, only for Caleb to actually catch feelings for her, which then imploded after Zee revealed Caleb's original intentions. Then they had a whole deal with Julia manipulating both of them to try to keep them apart, and THEN they had Caleb make an alliance with Julia to save himself, which caused friction between him and Priya because Caleb doesn't wanna go back on his word?? It honestly felt like the writers were just throwing anything at the wall to see what stuck, and as a result the whole plotline felt like a tangled mess. Also this resulted in Priya getting a ton of screen time after she was already one of the main characters in season one. I can't call this the worst romantic subplot in TDI history because there have been way worse, but it also wasn't great either.

Wayne and Raj I'm also mixed on. I liked them in the first third where they opposed MK and Julia's cheating, but after that they were just kind of there. Honestly I wish they'd kept some of that animosity going into the merge and set the Hockey Bros up as season-long rivals for MK and Julia. In fact they could have used that for motivation for Wayne in the final challenge against Julia and Caleb, which would have given his ultimate victory more emotional weight. While I don't hate Wayne winning, I feel like it could've been done in a more interesting way.

Lastly, MK and Julia. These girls were easily the best part of the season for me. I loved their friendship born of mutual respect for each other's skills, to the point where MK wasn't even mad and honestly impressed when Julia pulled one over on her to get voted off. While I'm a little disappointed it didn't evolve into a full romance, I still enjoyed their friendship. Plus I feel like the seeds have been planted for a future romance if we get a third season, and overall the fandom has been given a lot to work with.

As for Julia herself, she really came into her own as an antagonist this season after sharing that role with Bowie in season one. Granted some of her methods did feel a little forced (see Nichelle and Caleb above), and it felt like there was untapped potential for a rivalry between her and the Hockey Bros, but overall I really enjoyed Julia.

And there you have it. Overall, I think I'd give this season a 6.5/10. There were a lot of elements I liked, but an equal amount of stuff I didn't enjoy. It's not as good as the best of Total Drama, but also nowhere near as bad as the worst. Personally I would love to get a new season with this cast, I feel like there's still a lot of untapped potential here.

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

the fact that Colman Domingo and Jeffrey Wright are gonna lose to Cillian Murphy for best actor angers me for some reason. That and Sterling K Brown losing to RDJ for best supporting actor, when Sterling is a much better actor than RDJ

hooo boy ok so I have some THOUGHTS. RDJ is literally a republican and friends with Mel Gibson and tried to bring mel into the mcu.

Meanwhile Jeffrey wright is literally always excellent?? like ok just as an example I think he should have been nominated for Basquiat for a golden globe or oscar

Then for Angels in America he has like no emmy noms? wtf?

Or for westworld no acting noms either???

Its just so tiring!!!!

And like don't get me wrong I'm not as well read on Colman Domingo's body of work but he's excellent too!!!

and sterling k brown is just omg!!!

Like he carried the whole of that show on his back!!!

its just so unfair!!!

mod ali

[manofthepipis]

Also so so sorry for writing for so long and clogging your askbox (I’m literally so obsessed with your story) :’) but there’s one more thing that I wanted to add, and that’s the relationship between Clicks and Spam. Like hooo Boy, Theres a lot to be said about those two. One thing that Ive noticed with Clicks and Spamton respectively is how… similar they are. Like, even the other Addisons make remarks on how those two behave like one another. “It was one of the things Clicks and him shared. The most impractical way to handle practical problems.” I think that this is why Clicks has such a strong resentment to Spamton in the beginning because he sees too much of himself in Spam. Maybe he might have felt the most hurt by Spamton’s abandonment. Like, maybe they were really close pre-bigshot era and Clicks just thought that Spamton was becoming too self centered or something? Or maybe it was like the typical why not me mentality? I honestly think that if Clicks and Spam want to have a better development with one another. They need to have a heart to heart y’know? Like with no one else present. Clicks having the chance to express all of his emotions, and Spamton having the chance to tell him that his life in the mansion wasn’t a bed of roses like Clicks initially thought. Like, these two need a therapy session together or something!!!! Love them tho!!

cries never ever apologize ur completely fine!! honestly i love the questions and such it makes me feel so validated as a writer ;v; (also super enthusiastic as i get a lil excuse to talk about these guys that i love so)

also i'm living for this analysis like i'm rlly glad i could get their similarity across :D I feel like the fact they're both addisons (or in spams case, former addison), clicks would understand how self-centered spamton is, as selfishness just kinda runs in their darkner type (makes for the best salesmen) but instead i think you've rlly hit the nail on the head when u brought up his 'why not me' mentality.

Like in addition to stemming from how hostile he was to spamton in-game, I tried to paint him as just feeling superior to spamton from day one. I thought it would fit better if he was a newer addison, and seeing both banner and survey excelling above the addison that's trying to still gain a semblance of respect in their group, clicks joined the winning side of not really taking spamton seriously and just seeing him as "that guy". so when the insufficient-email-addison finally surpasses them, it leads to the intense jealousy and resentment when spamton made it big.

tho now clicks is coming down from this superiority pedestal he's been on for so long, partially because he truly cares about spamton, but also, because they're so similar, and because he's still kinda selfish, he's thinking instead of "why not me" it's "oh shit THAT could have been me".

i do plan to have them talk, bc i think out of all the addisons, clicks would benefit the most from a one-on-one :) i have all of them talking next chapter that's super duper late bc of life but if everything works out, I'll have it up sometime soon!

[sparxwrites]

As my proxy is being temperamental and I couldn’t find anywhere else to put this, this is my review/comment on your fic “puppies”.

First off, congrats! You managed to break my smut-free streak for Hermitcraft/Life series fics,which I’ve maintained for about as long as I’ve been in the fandoms! That was the most restraint and progress I’ve shown/made in ages! And of all the places to take the burgeoning trust I’ve been carefully tending and yeet it into the void, I picked your story out of all the other I could’ve read!

Secondly, I thought that knotting and that sort of thing wasn’t really up my alley… HOOO BOY, I was wrong. Goddamn, that was amazing! Incredibly hot, veritably obscene, even! …anything else I say here ventures into the realm of TMI, I’ll just leave this bit as-is.

Generally, one hell of an excellent fic. (Sorry to leave this in an ask, but I can’t leave a comment on AO3 at the moment.)

aaaah, thank you so much!! very flattered (and delighted to be the one to convince you of the joys of knotting :3c). come join us on the Dark Side of the hermitcraft fandom, where we have lots and lots of great porn.

(and please don't apologise for sending this in an ask! always lovely to get asks on here instead of / as well as comments on ao3 <3)

[unevenpatterns]

My parents ask me about random things very often and I used to be confused about why they did it. Especially in subjects they know way better than me.

I asked them whether they tried to google first and 70% of the time the answer would be yes. But if you already looked it up, how do you still not know???

Then I saw how my mom googles things... Hooo boy, my brain almost broke watching it.

It was either by typing a whole ass sentence like "How do you make the cells in excel stand on top of each other and then chance one to blablabla...." or by writing a few very unspecific keywords that gave a million results like "Excel cell top"

Googling is truly a skill.

[readingtoinfinity]

Identity Crisis (DC comics, 2004)

The one that, uh... ruined Dr. Light's usability as a villain for decades. There will be some oblique references to sexual assault. Viewer discretion is advised.

The infamy of this book rings out across DC Comics, a step forward or a stumbling block on the path to telling dark yet mature stories. If there's one thing you know about this book it's what Dr. Light does to Sue Dibny, the wife of the Elongated Man. If there's two things you know about this book, it's what the heroes do to Dr. Light. Successful in its day, reviled in its legacy, and controversial from the get-go, there's few people who would touch it with a 39'-6" pole.

I, however, am no stranger to controversy in the things I enjoy. I was introduced to Marvel's Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers, specifically) during her actions in Civil War II, and the fact she's not supposed to be so zealous and authoritarian is a small disappointment for me in every story I read with her in it. My favorite run from Wonder Woman was in 2011, during the New 52, which made Changes™ to the source material that have since been undone. And the Transformers comics I got into were the runs starting in 2006 from IDW. I even enjoyed Heroes in Crisis when I first read it, though I would want to re-read it before nailing that opinion down. And I am current with Berserk. So, I thought: what worth is there in this comic?

It turns out: quite a bit. And yet.

I will be going into full spoilers, but my opinion is thus: there are many good parts of this book, many interesting and even commendable additions or changes to the source material. But the stuff that's bad is... well, awful.

Spoilers ahead. Minor, for certain, but spoken plainly. I will restate my trigger warning about sexual assault: I will be speaking bluntly about it briefly.

Buckle in, folks: it's a long one.

The good: this book manages to nail the voices of most of the characters featured within. That one panel of Ma Kent unknowingly committing a horrible faux pas about the Waynes is hilarious and remembered for good reason.

And Superman is written in an excellent voice. He represents the changes that come over the heroes: a fundamentally good man, strained and stressed by events that hit too close to home. Afraid that his loved ones may be hurt, wanting to spend more time with them to be sure they're okay (and perhaps be there when he's needed? Or for their final moments?) and wanting to catch the villain who committed the crime with a little too much vengeance and a little too little justice.

This happens to many characters; Ralph Dibny the Elongated Man, Oliver Queen the Green Arrow (often the GOAT), Tim Drake as Robin, and a surprisingly humane focus on Captain Boomerang, Digger Harkness. The rebuilding of the Calculator's character as an evil version of Oracle is also a version of him that's stuck, for good reason.

The final twist that Jean Loring was behind the murders is also hard-hitting. The final confrontation between her and Ray Palmer's The Atom is also a gutpunch of an emotional reveal, as Ray learns just how far she went to get his attention. The final issue pulls no punches, either, letting its ending be a bitter pill to swallow, that justice may still have happened but it cost our heroes to get it done.

The bad: ooh boy. Hooo boy.

Most of the decisions are not in the execution. A bad decision was made much earlier in the process, and all the people working on these comics did their level best to bring them to life. The fact several heroes made a terrible, immoral decision in the past is dealt with in the present far better than it is justified in the past, for one of these decisions.

Many of these stem around Dr. Light, for which I have twofold criticism. Primarily: they didn't need to make him a rapist. For the sake of the comic, torture or threats could have worked just as well. If the writers wanted a gut punch, maybe Sue could have been pregnant before and had a miscarriage, so the fact she dies pregnant hits harder. Rape is just such a big thing to write into a superhero story that it pales everything else when it comes to seriousness, and the fact Dr. Light gets away at the end is highly frustrating.

But on a more meta level, there's very little focus on women in this comic. Sue's rape is a motivation for the heroes to enact gray justice on Dr. Light, but she's not given the spotlight for how it affected her. Wonder Woman has one (fantastic!) scene extracting information from a crook, but otherwise doesn't speak much. Firehawk is given some attention, and her through-line about hero work is impactful, but it's a small bit of screentime in a crowded book. Black Canary and Zatana both had pivotal roles in the backstory, but Zatana is pressured into casting the spell that sets this off, and Black Canary is merely one of the voices for one of the sides that decides the issue. Starfire shows up at one point, to support Dick Grayson. The stories of the women are secondary to the stories of the men, and usually in support of them.

There is also a toxic message about crying in the book. At Sue's funeral, only women cry, and Wonder Woman not crying is noted by Green Arrow as being strong. A minor thing, truthfully, but I hated it and it stuck out to me.

There is also Deathstroke. I don't like his appearance in this book. He shows up, circlejerks his way to victory against the Justice League (though not Green Lantern, and this is because they're the best) before vanishing from the book. Very few villains do something interesting in this book, despite how many are used. It feels a lot like setup for other comics, which I don't care to go read into and might be incorrect.

The twist around Jean Loring is also shocking, but it comes as more of a swerve than genuine setup. As someone who read the Silver Age Atom comics I would never have figured she would've had it in her (granted, in the Silver Age women weren't allowed to have personalities unless they were evil). And in this book it doesn't seem like she could've done it either, no less than because of the camera that records her hanging attempt showing someone else doing it, something we are shown differently in the final issue. A (normal!) mystery shouldn't be able to trick me if it's actively lying to me! I get the feeling Jean Loring wasn't considered as the culprit at first, or if she was the writers didn't do that good a job of setting her up. You would need to sprinkle a little more into the earlier pages so that the readers could eventually figure it out.

And that is the greatest sin of this book: it's unfocused. Dozens of characters are brought to the page only to do very little. The moments of the heroes connecting warmly with their families are scattered between a darkness this book wasn't ready for. One of the villains commits what is arguably one of the greatest sins mankind can commit and he's boiled down to a red fucking herring. The book was so focused on shock that it forgot substance.

The book is enjoyable to read. The time it took to parse its pages was made simple by the excellent prose. But there are choices made within that absolutely grind my gears, choices made in the writing room that carried with them terrible consequences. I can see why Identity Crisis was successful and why it's so reviled today. It's like staring into the faces of Two-Face; on one side, a handsome, well-groomed man; on the other, a horrible, unsightly scar, followed underneath by the sickly-sweet smell of burnt flesh.

I don't want to recommend this book to anyone. But it's something worth studying. Just keep in mind what you're in for.

[brain-depositary]

Hooo boy, I have a hypothesis that literally no one will like.

There is a proposed disorder called Developmental Trauma Disorder which can be caused by chronic and prolonged interpersonal during crucial developmental periods and can manifest similarly to this "late-diagnosed AuDHD" phenotype that is getting a lot of attention now.

Gender identity in humans is hammered out IIRC around two years of age, meaning that the average trans person in our society, even if everything else in their world is excellent, is not having a critical social and emotional needs met though their entire early development period. Which, when you think about it, wow! No wonder so many trans people have symptoms of this disorder!!!

However, DTD is not recognized and unlikely to be recognized anytime soon. Drawing a straight line between emotional neglect and trauma symptoms is real controversial, because it would mean we would have an obligation to fix something that's hard to define. The best we're probably going to get is a strong relationship between ACEs (averse childhood experiences) and all sorts of mental and physical health problems.

So, trans people are not only extremely likely to have this developmental trauma, but also one of the most psychiatrically observed populations there is, because of the aforementioned requirement/strong encouragement for psych treatment before gender treatment. The psychs notice these symptoms, but because DTD doesn't exist, all these people get shuffled through and labeled with significant autistic traits, even autism itself, because the criteria for that label meanwhile is expanding.

I keep hearing from autistic people that a lot of what we consider autism symptoms are really trauma responses because there are no autistic people in our society who are not at least signficantly neglected since birth. The same is true for trans people. That there are significant similarities in response to this adversity is unsurprising. It doesn't mean it's the same base cause.

Anyway, I await my tar and feathering.

something that should be taken with a grain of salt are the statistics talking about the high rates of mental illness + neurodivergence among trans people (ocd, bpd, adhd, autism, etc)

I see both sides of the political spectrum taking these studies at face value - conservatives say we're broken, and trans people try to come up with reasons why for example autism + gender dysphoria makes sense and why one of them feeds into another

at the end of the day you have to remember that we're the one category of people on this planet who are legally required to go see a psychiatrist in order to receive non-psychiatric medication and surgeries.

more trans people are in therapy by law than any other demographic of people, and as a result, this captures more comorbidities.

if I had to look at my own family & rates of mental illness?

mom, dad, 2 maternal aunts, maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother, sister, sibling, and me all have OCD.

7/9 of them are cishet, never been to therapy, never diagnosed. 2/9 are trans, required therapy for hormone treatment, and were diagnosed.

you don't have to do any math to just see that the resulting statistics end up intensely skewed.

and we can think back to how autism was virtually never diagnosed more than 50 years ago - ruling out any grandparents being included in statistics - and even my parents' generation (they're in their 60s now) wouldn't have been included either.

I don't think it's to anyone's benefit to accept these studies uncritically. a lot of these things are hereditary and far more prevalent in the overall population than people realize

[whoreiaki-kakyoin]

https://nasti-bnha.tumblr.com/post/648408600546508800/burnt-sugar

THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY HOT ??? Thank you for sharing holy fuck!! Pspspsps, sugar daddy Joseph lovers come get y’all juice 👀

[kinomiakai]

Whats the weirdest thing you've heard someone say about Naruto? I saw someone on tiktok say that orochimaru was 100% a good guy, and that it was ok if he did experiments on babies.

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh oh. oh that. that is a....a take. I’ve seen....honestly my mind just spiraled through a whole bunch of terrible things and I am going to make an executive decision and spare y’all from all of them.

What’s the best Naruto take you’ve ever heard??? Mine is that Sasuke fucks up and says dattebayo once and lives in shame for the rest of his life

[musclesandhammering]

Hooo boy. Excellent meta 🤌. I have SO many thoughts on this.

So, first of all, I think the reason for this double standard goes back to the fact that, from the beginning of their arcs, the writers knew they wanted Loki to be the villain and they knew they wanted Wanda to be a hero. And heroes generally speaking can do no wrong, while villains are vilified for everything- even things they’re not responsible for.

I do think, though, that the whole thing with Wanda’s actions being narratively excused and justified and given a pass didn’t just start in MoM. All the way back in AoU when she was first introduced, she and her brother didn’t just let a well-meaning scientist experiment on them… they knowingly allied themselves to and pledged service to a literal nazi organisation. And then later they allied themselves with a sketchy robot guy who openly admitted to wanting to murder a group of people who had nothing to do with their parents’ deaths (the rest of the avengers had done nothing to the maximoffs atp to deserve this). And in the service of this openly-stated murderer, Wanda set a weapon of mass destruction (Hulk) loose on a city full of innocent people where a bunch of them were murdered literally just to cause chaos for the Avengers. And for all of these atrocities, you have to admit she was treated A LOT softer than most other characters would be (not as soft as in later seasons, granted, but still with kid gloves). When she decided to turn things around, there was zero pushback. The only one who opposed was Bruce for like .3 seconds. Zero reluctance or grudges held on anyone’s part. Why? Because this 20-something year old who gleefully murdered people to satisfy her own rage was just a kid doing stupid things, right? Just because your motivations are sympathetic doesn’t make your actions excusable, and she’s the only character I know of who that would fly with.

All of this isn’t to mention how later in Civil War, she’s coddled and Innocent Young White Woman-ified to a DISGUSTING degree despite having murdered multiple people in the intro. I know it was an accident, but irl when someone accidentally murders a dozen people they can’t just say “but I was trying to save them :(“ and get off scot-free with people actually praising them for it.

On to my main point, though…

When it comes to her and Loki and the double standard there, the thing that bothers me just as much as the narrative making excuses for one and not the other is Wanda and Loki’s actual perceptions of themselves.

There is no point in any show or movie where Wanda KNOWS that she’s the bad guy, where she GETS why people are against her, where she ACCEPTS that her actions are wrong. The entire time, she is always convinced that SHE’S the aggrieved party and that SHE has a right to do what she’s doing and Gawd Why Are These Meanies Opposing Me!! She thinks she had every right to kill Tony (and the rest of the avengers apparently) in AoU and even after her change of heart, she never acknowledges that she had been wrong about that. She thinks the government and Team Tony are being unreasonable by “locking her in her room” in Civil War when Tony had literally managed to get her time out in an all-inclusive mansion as a punishment for murder, and at no point does she ever realise how ridiculous that is. At one point in Wandavision, she tries to say she was doing people a favour by keeping them in the hex and that they’re all fine and acts like she’s being attacked when people come in and try to get her to stop holding innocent people hostage and torturing them. In MoM she excuses her entire murderous quest by claiming she’s just being a good mother and when confronted about it, she tries to claim there’s a double standard between her and Stephen’s rule breaking and that he’s essentially making her out to be a villain unjustly (which… no). She’s extremely selfish and at no point does she ever show any genuine self awareness.

Loki, on the other hand… In the first Thor movie he doesn’t see himself as a villain because… he genuinely isn’t? What he did was obviously horrible to an outsider, but TO HIM stopping Thor from becoming king was absolutely necessary (he’s right), and taking the throne was a burden not a goal (it’s true), eradicating the frost giants was for the good of everyone (that really is what the asgardian culture BELIEVES, that’s what he’s been taught his entire life. To him, it’s just a fact.). At the end of the movie, he even has a moment of realisation of how badly he’s fucked up, and the next second he literally kills himself. In the first Avengers movie, he 100% knows he’s a villain. He’s very visibly aware of it (lol) and he’s loving it. He’s a gleeful villain, he’s having fun being bad. And the same is true for The Dark World and the begging of Ragnarok (when he’s impersonating Odin). Sure, he has some very emotional and sympathetic motivations but at no point after Thor 1 does he actually believe he’s the good guy in all of this. He knows what’s up.

These completely opposite levels of self awareness are very telling, I think. Not only does the narrative and all the other characters think Wanda is an innocent widdle bby who can do no wrong, Wanda is a raging narcissist who also believes it. Not only does the narrative and all the other characters think Loki is an evil irredeemable piece of shit, Loki also believes it.

i think the big difference between Loki and Wanda to me personally is that no one tries to excuse Loki's actions in MCU. When Loki attacked new york, he was sent to prison. When Loki attacked Jotunheim, Thor tried to stop him and told him it was insane. No one around Loki was being like "bro, it's fine that you tried to invade a planet!!" or "attacking Jotunheim was fine just this one time because you were sad :( " Like Loki attacking Jotunheim was bad. Loki attacking New York was bad and no one tries to say otherwise. (And the thing about New York is that there were extenuating circumstances. Loki was being threatened by the Other and Thanos. The Other hurts loki on screen. Like we know that there will be consequences for Loki if he stops attacking New York and MCU has confirmed that he was under the influence of the scepter by some degree.)

With Wanda things are just...different, and I miss the way that she used to be. Wanda in AoU was a stupid kid who made a stupid choice to get experimented on with her brother because they were angry. They joined a terrorist organization because they thought it was the best way to get back at Tony for inadvertently killing their parents. They were stupid kids. But the thing that a lot of people overlook when they have the "why did they join hydra" question is that that is the point of their arc in AoU. They wanted mass annihilation, so they join hydra, then Ultron, who says they can promise that. But when Wanda sees what that looks like and she sees what Ultron can do AND what the mass destruction would look like, she AND Pietro realize that isn't what they want. Both of them had ALREADY made the stupid choice and they spent the rest of AoU trying to fix it and do better. When Wanda gets up in that building and walks out those doors, she has decided then protecting life is more important than personal vendettas or revenge. And that's what made her a hero. Not that she had glowy hands, but that Wanda decided then that she wanted to use her gifts to help people. Civil War does a good job of carrying this arc forward, especially when we see how much accidentally killing eleven people affected her. After AoU, Wanda values life.

But then WandaVision happens and...wanda is holding an entire town captive, and everyone in the narrative on the "good side" is trying to excuse what she's doing. "She's upset!" "It's okay that she held this town captive this one time because she was having an emotional breakdown and we can let it go :(" or "they won't understand your pain" and it makes me frustrated because Wanda did a horrible thing and she never has to face the consequences for that. She doesn't try to make amends with the town, she doesn't promise to do better. She doesn't go to prison, or get held accountable.

SHE LITERALLY BRAINWASHES AGATHA AND NO ONE -- NOT ONE -- SAYS HANG ON.

Instead, she takes the dark hold and floats away because everything Wanda did was explained away by grief. And like. Loki is not the same. His actions were never excused by people around him, but he actively tries to do better from TDW on. He helps rescue Jane and protects Thor. He takes care of Asgard, he and Thor move to repair their relationship. Loki puts Asgard's safety first over his own by coming to help Thor with Hela. Loki dies for Thor. He may not verbally accept responsibility for what happened, but his actions show that he did and he's trying to do better.

After the end of WandaVision, Wanda doesn't. She doesn't care about life anymore, it's an inconvenience to her at best. You cannot look me in the eye and say that Wanda in Infinity War would be hunting down a child across the multi-verse to murder her in cold blood.

In MoM, Wanda is actively killing everyone and anyone and she is completely aware of what she's doing. Like people claim corruption by the dark hold, but like...corruption by the darkhold is not explained. If I'm remembering right, Agatha was also corrupted, but she was the only person who was trying to force Wanda to let the town go, even if she did kill the dog. Agatha was trying to help. She didn't really get turned evil, just morally dubious. So arguably the same should be said of Wanda, right? That Wanda's core was still there and these were things she would have done anyway, the dark hold just pushed her over the edge. Wanda is trying to kill a kid.

And i am ALSO aware that this is just poor writing on MoM's part -- because MoM sucks -- but I'm still frustrated because I miss Wanda. I understand that she was grieving, but I still wish that someone would hold her accountable. Killing someone off (even though I still doubt she's dead) is not a redemption arc. You don't get to do one good thing before you die and it erases everything that came before.

And I am still mad that the narrative tried to justify Wanda holding a town hostage for two weeks. Bud. She may be an Avenger, but that doesn't stop her from being capable of doing some really crappy stuff.

Loki was held accountable.

Wanda wasn't.

[academicdisasterfic]

2021 in Fanfiction

Okay, I had this idea to do the three defining fics of each month of 2021 for me, in a very self-indulgent and rambly way, and Lou said it wasn't a completely stupid idea so...here you go? This list will mostly be Wolfstar and Drarry with a few other pairs, but otherwise vary wildly in terms of date, rating, and themes. Please be sure to read all tags, etc.

This was a very turbulent year for me and I read so many fics and consumed so much art that helped me get through it - much of which didn't make it on here. I tried to narrow it down to the pieces that have really stuck with me or evoke very specific memories - the fics that I'll think of when I think of this year.

If you would like to do your own list, please do and tag me! However I will not tag anyone because this legit took me hours lol. We all have to preserve our energy around this time of year.

Without further ado:

January

I reentered fandom after years of not really engaging with it by reading All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 (Remus/Sirius, 526k, M) - and look, when I say it destroyed me, it destroyed me. It's now got the most amount of hits on Ao3 of any fic (nearly 5 million what) and deserves every single one. I don't think I could ever read it again, purely because of the inherent trauma of Remus and Sirius' canon stories, but I am so grateful to have read it and for how much MsKingBean89 has given the Wolfstar fandom.

So in an attempt to rebuild my serotonin, I turned to the wondrous Text Talk by @juuuuzou (Remus/Sirius, 141k, NR) and it was the most delightful reading experience. This fic has became one of my favourites to revisit and the dynamic between Remus and Sirius was so well done and gorgeous.

I also read Liebestraum by @quoththethestral (Remus/Sirius, 101k, E) and this was such a dreamy, heartbreaking, ultimately joyous fic. The sequel just dropped and I squealed when it hit my inbox. The pain and joy of seeing Wolfstar address their past and rebuild their relationship is breathtaking, and James and Lily are pure perfection.

February

I started off the month in magic realism heaven with Everything's Connected by mizdiz (Remus/Sirius, 44k, M). I think this was the fic that made me realise how creative it was possible to be with my own writing, and I was so inspired by the imagery and language of this fic. It has the classic hurt aspect of Wolfstar, but a whole lot of comfort too.

My next read was Alt Ed by nachodiablo (Remus/Sirius, 61k, M) and I very quickly bullied everyone in my life into reading it after. This story reimagines the Marauders if Remus were homeschooled and it's such a joyous ride - non-canon compliant, amazing Sirius and James friendship, boss Lily and Remus friendship, hilarious, witty, and so imaginative.

And then...I reread Running on Air by @tinyhistory (Harry/Draco, 74k, T) and boom, I'm back in my Drarry phase. This is such a popular fandom classic, but it's for an excellent reason - it's as close to a perfect story as I could possibly imagine. It made me want to be a better storyteller, because I fell for this story in a way I hadn't fallen for a story in a very long time. This fic genuinely changed my life in that way - I don't think I would have had the courage to start writing without it.

March

Hooo boy, Such Great Heights by aideomai (Harry/Draco, 93k, E) sucked me in and did not let me go. No matter what I'm reading, I look for elements of whimsy, and I think that's why I love aideomai so much. Obviously their other fics are excellent and I devoured them immediately - I especially loved In the Hand - but this fic was my entry point and therefore gained a very special place in my heart.

She Was Pretty by @skeptiquewrites (Parvati/Lavender, 4k, E) is one of those stories that punched me in the gut with feeling and depth. I am a massive Tee fan and I think the overwhelming feeling I get from her fics is home. This fic felt like home. It has the nuance and complexity that these girls deserve, a complete unravelling of JKR's misogynistic bullshit, and Tee's usual stunning prose. I read this perhaps five times in a row.

freely, as men strive for right is my favourite @bixgirl1 fic (Harry/Draco, 17k, E) which is saying a lot. I actually just reread it after typing that last sentence because I hadn't in a while - I am obsessed, it's fine. Ron's conversation with Harry in the kitchen - iykyk - is something I think about at least once a week? I think this fic, in short, is just everything I love about Drarry in relatively few words. I also adore examining relationships, watching them grow, rather than the story ending at the happy-ever-after. I love friends to lovers. I love this Draco. I love this fic with my entire being. I don't think I can drive home the point more???

April

The Ordeal of Being Known by @lou-isfake (Harry/Draco, 146k, M) came into my life exactly when I needed it. My anxiety at this point was so awful that I couldn't sleep more than a few hours a night, I wasn't eating, I wasn't functioning. I think that if you've read this fic - and at this point, if you haven't, what are you doing - you know how special it is, and I've certainly screamed at Lou enough about how much I adore it, but it truly has become my comfort read and something I revisit over and over when I need some joy.

I already yelled about A Brief History of Dragons by @eyra (Remus/Sirius, 21k, M) in this post but will I ever stop? Probably not. It's my favourite Wolfstar fic I've read this year, utter perfection, so creative and atmospheric and whimsical and heart-wrenching. It's the most beautiful depiction of neurodivergence and love I've ever encountered. I don't need to go on, you need to go and read it thx.

Oh gosh, Soup-pocalypse and the Great Curry Cataclysm by @norelationtoatticus (Harry/Draco, 104k, E) - much like TOOBK - came into my life when I most needed it and instantly became my safe little security blanket. I've probably read it six times (can you tell I'm autistic and latch onto familiarity???) and each time it's like a hot bubble bath for my soul. It's hilarious and endearing and charming and I just wanted to hug Draco and Harry the entire time. Plus, it's my favourite ever Harry raising Teddy fic.

May

This was the month GallaPlacidia entered my life and I read every single fic in a two-day hurt/comfort fever dream. However, my absolute favourite was The Bolthole, which Galla wrote with aideomai and @tepre (Harry/Draco, 54k, E). I started listening to it on the GallaPod while going for very long walks and something about it - the setting? the amazing believability of Harry's trauma and how it manifests? literally everything about this Draco? - got me. It made me cry in just the right way, and made me laugh just as much.

I then read If the Fates Allow by saras_girl (Harry/Draco, 80k, M) and - yeah, this is another fic that I just consider to be perfect??? Friends to lovers, mutual pining but Harry's an idiot, there's an adorable village, saras_girl signature cute and whimsy creatures, plus Harry has a dog!!!! I tell literally everyone to read this because it's just that good - and I couldn't tell you why this fluffy advent fic beat Turn or Foundations!verse for this spot (both fics were also favourites this year, and I read them all in a row) but perhaps it's just that it saw into my soul a little bit.

Okay babes, I need to find more people who have read Astra Inclinant by @tinyhistory (James Sirius Potter/Scorpius Malfoy, 336k, T), because at the moment I have only one (1!) person who understands the narrative MASTERPIECE that is this fic. I don't think I can even do it justice??? It's not epilogue compliant??? Harry and Draco are both single dads and James and Scorpius are only children???? Teddy is the actual love of my life??? Harry's growth as a father is the most emotional and beautiful thing in the world???? The slow burn isn't even painful because the journey is so sweet??? The wedding scene (iykyk) is the funniest fucking thing I've ever read????? I have highlighted quotes from it that I want read at my funeral. What can I say, I'm a prepared lad.

June

Look, Beneath a Big Blue Sky by @eyra (Remus/Sirius, 68k, E) is not the only reason I want to move to Yorkshire, but I'd be lying if I said I don't sometimes daydream about tiny lambs and rolling fields and Hope Lupin's crumpets. This story is so sweet and meandering and expansive, with Eyra's usual intricate and poetic writing, and this is now one of my Wolfstar staples. I'm going to cheat a little here and also throw in the Crowns and Coffee Cups series also by eyra (Remus/James, 9k, M) because this series got me into Wolfbucks and now I'm a bit obsessed.

Electric Light (Neville/Draco/Harry, 18k, E) is my favourite seefin fic and my favourite triad fic. I am a huge Neville fan (he's just a good boy) and I love his depiction here, as well as how he draws Harry and Draco together. Harry is utterly heartbreaking but so loving and loveable, and Draco is just trying his best (bless). The emotions in this fic feel so realistic and present and raw. This fic got me into exploring more triad fics and also looking at character studies in a new way.

Friends? Is That What We Are? by @l0vegl0wsinthedark (Draco/Harry, 33k, E) is the fic I go to now whenever I'm sad. It's just so funny and real and the most perfect friends-to-lovers scenario, and is full of the A+ banter and amazing chemistry I've come to associate with this author. June was a really difficult month for me and this fic made it so much brighter.

July

Well, Rooney. You've come out as trans and left your marriage. What are you going to do? You are going to read Just what the doctor ordered by @wolfstarting (Remus/Sirius, E, 96k) over and over again until you know every word of this damn perfect fic off by heart. I don't have enough good things to say about WrappedUp's writing and stories - I love all of them - but this fic pretty much carried me emotionally through the aftermath of my breakup and reminded me that 25 is actually really fucking young. Remus in this fic felt like he saw my soul. I'm obsessed.

This is also the month I met one of the best people in the world, because a friend sent me 1:40am by @softlystarstruck (Harry/Draco, 5k, T) and I then went through and read every single one of Bee's fics before sliding into their DMs and more or less begging them to be my friend. Something about 1:40am made me think that whoever wrote it had to have the most beautiful, lovely mind, and I was right.

I've been reading @lqtraintracks for years, but this was the month I read Heart Like Neon (Harry/Draco, 41k, E) and fell in love with LQT all over again. This fic just felt really comforting to me - Drarry's relationship was so well done and just gorgeous, the story was fascinating, and it has fantastic trans rep. After reading this, I went on a week long LQT binge and it was such a happy and horny and healing time for me.

August

Okay - sometimes, part of healing heartbreak is just consuming nonstop angst, and stitched and sewn by @wheezykat (Harry/Draco, 8k, E) is the perfect mix of heartbreaking and painful with an ending that warmed me to my toes. In a month where guilt and grief and overwhelm threatened to drown me, this fic was a hopeful reprieve, and I can't thank Kat enough for writing it.

In a similar vein, sometimes healing heartbreak is also just consuming things that feel like pure sunlight, and that's what Life goes not backward by @shealwaysreads (Harry/Draco, 9k, T) feels like to me. I read this sitting in my favourite spot, a quiet stretch of beach that tourists rarely find, and as I read the last line Evermore by Taylor Swift started playing and I burst into tears (I am nothing if not a gay cliche).

Rounding out this (frankly embarrassingly emotional) month was Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (Harry/Draco, 61k, E). I had seen this fic recced so many times and it did not disappoint. The development of Harry's relationship with Draco was perfect, slow and uncertain and wonderfully vulnerable all at once. It's such an original story, so perfectly executed and I devoured it. Also, I read the scene where the vicar and Draco kissed about five times and sometimes I hear Christ, Draco in my dreams and wake up in cold sweats of horniness.

September

I usually flat out refuse to read canon compliant Wolfstar because I try to not make my depression worse lol. Then my darling @scattered-moonlight said that annual honesty by @alwaysalreadyangry (Remus/Sirius, 18k, T) was their favourite fic and talked so much about it that I got sucked in...and I am so glad I did. Look. It's sad. It fucked me up in the best way possible. It's also one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. I couldn't recommend it more.

And then that trend continued because I came across the queer masterpiece that is Calamity's Child by @aibidil (Teddy/James Sirius, Remus/Sirius, 42k, E). Admittedly, it makes Wolfstar's story even sadder. I cried a lot. But it also healed and stitched me up so beautifully and filled me with a buzzing hope. Teddy's characterisation just spoke to me on a whole 'nother level - as a mid-twenty-something with a string of failed relationships, bad decisions, and still no idea what I want to be when I grow up, it just felt lovely to have someone be like "that's all okay! you'll get there!". This fic was an amazing tribute to queerness and queer history and I couldn't possibly love it more.

And then! AND THEN. @onbeinganangel and @babooshkart hit us with Quick as a Flash of Lightning, Unhurried as Eternity (Harry/Draco, 10k, E) and this whole masterpiece just...lit up my soul. Harry's internal dialogue was so heartbreaking but the promise of the future, the pure and utter joy of future Drarry, was just magnificent. When I finished this fic I was like "This is why I love Drarry." And Boo's incredible art - oh my god, I saved it onto my phone and stared at it for probably hours. Painful and joyous all at once.

October

Hello again my love @lou-isfake. This was the month I read Like the Son Holds the Moon and was instantly like, okay, favourite. But then I read Oh, Sinnerman (Harry/Draco, 40k, E) and it was like Lou tore open my chest and peered inside. I've never felt so raw after reading a fic. @babooshkart also produced art for this fic that I once again stared at for hours; Boo is so amazingly talented at capturing the essence of a story. I talked about this fic in this post as well but I think it was Harry's voice that really got me here - perfectly done.

This was also the month that Lou sent me a message saying "Roo, have you read The Taste of Țuică by @fluxweeed (Harry/Draco/Ron, 15k, E)?" after I spent twenty minutes waxing poetic about how much I love Ron Weasley. And then I read it. And reread it. And reread it. oh my fucking god. This fic. Let's put aside the scorching hot smut for a second and talk about the character study of Ron done here because it is flawless. FLAWLESS I TELL YOU. Godlike. Oh my fucking god. Also, as a Percy Weasley stan (which I will not apologise for) Show them the night that they dreamed about before has to be mentioned as well - kill me. ded.

And then, another comfort fic entered my life. Just Stay by @nv-md (Harry/Draco, 2.7k, M) is the mutual pining of my dreams. Not only is Ali an amazing beta, friend and all-round good egg, she is an incredible writer who captures love in such a special and tender way. This is the fic I read when I wake up at 3am after nightmares. It's my happy place.

November

Not to brag but I have very amazing friends who trust me with their words and I got the privilege to cheer read to be a bit of warmth (for you) by @softlystarstruck (Harry/Draco, 9.3k, M). Although I knew instantly it was going to be such a special story, rereading it once published still made me weep. Bee does hurt/comfort to perfection and this is no exception. The way Harry and Draco's relationship unfolds is so unique, so precious and tender and sweet, and it blows me away every single time.

You know how there are some fics where you just want to reach through the screen and personally thank the author for writing them? Yeah, Bridges by @cavendishbutterfly (Harry/Draco, 16k, E) is one of those fics for me. Set in Budapest - my favourite city ever, huge bonus points for that - this story not only has an impeccable Draco whom I love more than life, but is a wonderfully gentle and tender exploring sexuality narrative for Harry, and is just done with such care and joy.

Stupid Love by @the-sinking-ship (Harry/Draco, 17k, E) had me wheezing into my pillow at one in the morning. I read this after seeing the amazing artwork that @bluebutter-art did for this fic and it was so fantastic that I was like i have to read this fkn fic. It's so good. It's so funny. It's so quintessentially Drarry. You can just tell how much Sly loves this ship, and it's a fic I'll definitely be returning to over and over again.

December

I'm doing four recs here. Deal with it and read them all.

Starting off this month was a comic by the wondrous @bluebutter-art - so rest your weary heart with me. (Harry/Draco, M). I'm pretty sure this fic made my heart expand to about three times its regular size - my chest ached. Fuck. Blue's incredible style paired with the heartwrenching premise made for a blissful reading experience. I love it with every fibre of my being.

I read Special Recipe by @peachpety (Harry/Draco, 1.1k, T) after seeing @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm's gorgeous art for it here. I am a sucker for AUs, particularly college AUs, particularly with jock Harry. I've decided this fic is my love language. It's up to everyone else in my life to work out what that means.

Joy's art also led me to Mise en Place by @corvuscrowned (Harry/Draco, 5.4k, T) which - as someone who feeds everyone in my life rather than talking about my emotions - brought me endless joy. Draco was just perfectly sneaky, and Harry understandably oblivious. What a delight.

And finally, @m0srael's show me how to be your boy (Harry/Draco, 14k, E) is the hurt/comfort of my fucking dreams. Draco and Harry are so sweet and scared and gorgeous, Teddy is an angel, and I love unusual careers. This prompted an excellent cathartic cry and subsequent general contentedness after reading. Amazing.

...and that's the year! Please, if you read any of these fics, leave the authors kudos and comments and praise them for the brilliant work they do for this fandom. Thank you so much for carrying me through such a turbulent year, endlessly inspiring me, and letting me meet some of the most amazing people ever. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2022 xxx

[neptune-cinths]

Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy, Leviathan

entry : hi hi !! heres some levi content that i had whipped up recently, apologies if there are any spelling/grammar errors

Okay so, I know all of us know that Levi’s the grand admiral of the navy in devildom. It might be a bit confusing since he’s in his room all the time and super shy and introverted , but here me out here

When Levi puts on his uniform and is in his demon form while he’s putting it on, THAT’S the time where his personality does a complete 180 spin.

His squirming and playing with his fingers when many people would look at him are gone. It’s almost as if they were never there in the first place. His voice is strong and can even be heard down the hall when addressing his subordinates and soldiers.

His head is held high and his arms are crossed together. His eyes are hard and cold, eyeing every soldier in front of him. Seeing if they’re making any mistake.

His purple hair is slicked back and his horns are decorated with small gold trinkets with equally as small rubies, most probably from the treasures that the sunken pirate ships had brought with them.

A dark grey coat had been slung over his shoulders, his collar popping out. The gold tassels on his shirt’s shoulders and the diamond shaped golden buttons he has on make for an excellent touch. On the left side of his shirt are all the medals he had received and won, with varying importance being signified with the colors it had on.

The neckline had swirls of gold on it, with RAD’s signature medal at the bottom. His gloves were the same color as his coat and had small outlines of the symbol of envy around it, making a chain of orange around the ends of the glove.

He had on black pants with the same small orange symbols making a ring around the end of each pant leg. His tail would be sticking out, much longer and larger than usual.

He would usually wear this type of attire to formal navy occasions, one example would be if it was an anniversary of the establishment of Hell’s Navy. The Admiral would still prefer to not mingle around any of his subordinates or his colleagues, usually staying in the far back nursing a cup of Demonus.

Though, if someone were to strike up a conversation with him, his answers would be short and straight to the point. It also doesn’t matter if it’s one of his brothers or Lord Diavolo himself, he’ll still keep up the “strong and cold Grand Admiral” facade.

If he isn’t at the back watching everyone, then he’d be at his private office sorting out the various files that had been piling up on his desk. His mind wanders to when this normie infested party would end and how the new episode of [insert long anime title here]‘s newest episode just came out exactly 1 hour, 37 minutes and 48 seconds ago. Shame that he had to go this party and miss out on such good content.

I’m also pretty sure that he’d have some sort of ruri / anime themed item inside one of his desk’s drawers. It would probably be a back up pen if ever his ran out or just a small figurine to get him going into the day.

Levi as an Admiral is strict!! He will not hesitate to call someone out in front of everyone if they’re disrespecting him, his brothers or you!! He will also correct his subordinates if they said something that’s been recently been disproven or something that’s incorrect.

Levi isn’t quick to anger when he’s in his uniform, but it really depends on a situation. If it’s something very important or if it’s something that they have all been collectively working on for centuries and someone messed it up somehow, hooo boy they’ll be seeing why he’s called the Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy.

On the other hand, if it’s something small and insignificant, then they’ll be spared and won’t be humiliated in front of everyone.

He is a master strategist and that’s probably one of the reasons why he’s so good at games. He’s able to think about all the possibilities that the enemy might do to hurt the seas of the Devildom and normally draws out a plan that catches almost all of those possibilities. But, he still has a back up plan if ever things don’t go as planned.

This didn’t come out of nowhere as well, he took his experiences from when he was a General in the Celestial Realm’s army and applied it to the Navy. Although, he did have to tweak certain aspects about his plans in the earlier centuries of him being an admiral. He had made mistakes at first since he was new to the game, but he adapted pretty quickly.

He also had to learn about the topography of Devildom’s islands and the different sea creatures.

He had to learn demon courtesy and how to act/converse with both high class demons and low class demons. All from our royal butler, Barbatos!

Though, Levi still gets the shivers whenever he thinks about that time

All in all, Grand Admiral! Leviathan is strict and needs all your respect, but still has some of that otaku energy in him.

End

—————————————

afterthoughts : if any of my irls see this;; no you don’t !! ty again for reading if you made to to the end !

[luxeavenger]

hi miss evie!! can i ask u a question? so i’m a virgin and i have been on nsfw twitter for the past two months, anyway i’ve met a lot of cool people, most people i meet tell me that they wanna take my virginity, which i’m cool with! but i have a breeding kink n the guy i’m gonna meet up with next month wants to cum in me, which i’m also cool with!! but i don’t wanna get pregnant, i don’t think i want to take birth control, i don’t want it to mess me up, n this guy reallllly wants to cum in me, any advice u can offer? btw i’m 20, he’s 29

hooo boy nonnie. this is gonna be long, and i apologize in advance

first of all: i’m glad you have made the decision to have vaginal sex for the first time. even though virginity isn’t a social construct and all, it’s still kind of a big deal. so its excellent that you’re taking control of your experience. that’s awesome, and i’m so happy for you 💜

second of all: birth control may mess with your body a little bit (depending on what you get), but a baby will mess with it a whole lot more (and i say this as a woman who has a child)

also, abortions are expensive, and (depending where you are) potentially illegal

whatever you decide to get/use for birth control, you need to decide soon. some of them take a few weeks to a month to actually begin working, so if you’re meeting this guy in a month with the intention of having unprotected sex, you need something on board NOW

there are definitely options for non-invasive/non-hormonal methods of birth control, and this isn’t something you want to leave until the last minute. if you haven’t already, talk to your gyno about it asap. make sure you let them know specifically that you intend to have unprotected sex, and super duper do not want to end up pregnant

now. regarding the guy (and only because you asked for general advice): i am begging you to be sure you’ve vetted this guy. generally speaking 30-something-ish guys who are scouting the internet for sexually inexperienced, barely-out-of-their-teens girls are—generally speaking—not the sort of guys you should trust around your vagina

everyone here knows that people online aren’t always trustworthy, so it’s important for the both of you to specifically state what you expect from this encounter. you don’t want to meet this guy and find out he thinks foreplay is for chumps and he plans on shoving in dry

and make sure this guy has a recent sti test on paper, that he brings to you in person

lastly (and please note this is strictly a mother hen thing—i can’t help it, i’m mom to a teenage girl, and also a sexual assault survivor) i would strongly suggest that this encounter take place somewhere where you can have friends nearby. that way, if things get out of hand, you can shout for help with the assurance that someone will be right there to help. for instance—a hotel room with some friends next door, with a copy of the room key, and instructions to come tearing in like a bat out of hell if you shout pelican (or something like that). i’m not saying he’s definitely going to be an asshole, but you don’t know him. so you should go into this encounter with the peace of mind that you have backup if anything does go wrong. it’s sort of like bringing a designated driver with you if you plan on drinking

i had vaginal sex for the first time when i was 15. and while it was an awkward, uncomfortable experience, it was with someone i knew, and trusted. so i had a reasonable expectation that i’d come out of the experience unscathed. but not everyone is so lucky their first time. so having some common sense precautions in place will help you feel in control of the encounter, so you can let go and enjoy the experience

good luck, and have fun nonnie 💜

[madame-mimsy]

Theory Behind the Reward Tier Levels in Janus’ Corridor.

Has someone done this, already? Probably. But nothing says mental exhaustion like procrastinating on schoolwork by over analyzing the levels of tiers in Janus’ Corridor of Stored Rewards.

So with the release of the amazing art by James von Hollen (@ignoreitforever on Instagram) of each of the tiers (and the honestly delightfully terrifying images of Janus ripping through a wall like the Shining), I’ve had some thoughts on what the levels mean in relation to them because I am a Fander and we cannot leave well enough alone gdi.

See, at first I liked the idea going around that Janus was just giving tiers based on people he liked, as he’s stated that he prefers Remus over the others in livestreams. But the thing is, he obviously does NOT like Virgil, so that doesn’t quite fit to me. And the idea that it’s just giving preferential treatment to the Dark Sides made sense to me, until the new images came out and we had padlocks galore.

Instead, my theory is that each tier is based on how deep into the secrets he’s promised in his Corridor you go. The further along the more he WANTS to keep them secret, and thus the more money it takes, meta-wise, to pry those secrets loose, and why there is no Janus level tier. There’s no way he’d want to reveal everything he knows, no matter the amount. He (Janus) even got downright angry when people tried bugging him for spoilers in streams.

So instead he has the tiers listed by how willing he is to make that Side “public” or not. (Longwinded theory under the cut)

So first we have the Logan tier: the Federal Education Budget 

Rewards: 

Scripts

Patron-Only Polls

Extended Videos

Monthly Livestreams

Exclusive Photos and BTS Content

Ad-Free Videos

From the Snake’s Own Mouth:

“Ohhh, so you decided to share with us? Then, I suppose I can share with you.”

Honestly, this startled me because of the fact that it looks so arcane and mystical, which doesn’t match how I imagine Logan at all. My friend @onnastik​ pointed out that the creature on the right, surrounded by sigils, is the demon Baur, who among other things is said to “teach natural and moral philosophy, (and) logic...” which fits the bill pretty perfectly. 

Speaking of a bill, the name for the tier fits Logan perfectly, too, to me. The Federal Education Budget is not only the budget used in the American system to make sure kids have free education until the highschool level, but is also part of the college loan system. It signifies public education, and that’s why I feel that Logan is the lowest, and thus most accessible, tier. Janus considers him bland, safe for public consumption, and maybe even wants to put up a front of logical intelligence first and foremost, to make even the broadest view of Thomas seem as intelligent as possible. 

And look at how much the basic tier gives! That’s a huge amount for just the lowest tier, and gives you plenty to enjoy. That fits the ideal of something like a broad education system, and gives a very open feel. Logan’s tier is literally an “Open Book” of all sorts of delights.

And with that horrible pun, we move to Patton’s tier:  The Monthly Allowance.

Rewards:

10% Merch Discount

Members Only Sticker

Bonus Videos

Directors' Commentary

Bloopers

Ad-Free Videos

Exclusive Photos and BTS Content

Monthly Livestreams

Extended Videos

Patron-Only Polls

Scripts

Your Name In The Credits!

Exclusive Sticker

From the Snake’s Own Mouth:

“That not enough for you? Fine. I'll give you everything from that last tier, PLUS...”

For all that it is creepy as heck, the fact that Patton’s tier is also a pun is perfect. The candles heat must surely make this... heartwarming. And the addition of blooper reels in the rewards, and the commentary, feel more personal than Logan’s open tier. Which is why I don’t think Patton was the first tier.

Patton wears his heart on his sleeve too much for Janus’ tastes, I bet. All of those emotions just out there where anyone could see? Those bloopers that showcase how imperfect Thomas and the crew are? Yikes. That is definitely something a certain snek wouldn’t want to be the most public option, though, at the same time, Patton’s gentle qualities and general love of the fandom also mean he’s a good symbol to push closer to the front of the Corridor, and doesn’t need to be as hidden as some of the others.

Also the fact that Patton’s tier has a sticker as a reward is absolutely perfect and you can’t tell me otherwise. Can’t you just imagine him going “Thank you so much, kiddo! Let’s watch some bloopers and play with sticker books! I’ll get the cocoa”? He’s the good goofy dad and stickers are fun. Bloopers and being silly are fun. It’s perfect for the sweet lad.

Then we have the illustrious Roman’s tier: A Prince’s Ransom.

Rewards:

Members Only Sticker

Your Name In The Credits As A Writer!

Never-Before-Released Janus Tee for First 1,000 Patrons

Scripts

15% Merch discount

Patron-Only Polls

Extended Videos

Monthly Livestreams

Exclusive Photos and BTS Content

Join The Writer's Room

Ad-Free Videos

Bloopers

Directors' Commentary

Bonus Videos

Exclusive Sticker

From the Snake’s Own Mouth:

“You want more? Really?? … You can only half tell, but I’m blushing over the fact that we’re worth this much to you. How about, everything in that last tier AND...”

Hooo boi there’s suddenly a lot more to unpack here. This is in no way an insult to the lovely Crew as a whole, but doesn’t it feel like this tier has more bribery going on than the last two? More self-centered reasons to join? It’s not just your name in the credits like Patton offered: it’s your name as a writer. That T-shirt (which I 100% leaped at when I saw this because holy heck it’s so pretty), and of course the mysterious Writer’s Room.

This tier feels very creative as well: look at all the stuff about influencing the show, the art of the shirt, etc. This is all about being showy and creative like our wonderful prince. But it’s not the first tier, even though Thomas is very much a creator. Why? Why is the tier for the showiest, flashiest Side just randomly tucked in the middle, not even the highest for show?

Because Janus doesn’t want Roman to be the first thing everyone sees. Our sweet boy is definitely eye-catching, but he can also be vain to the point of pompous, even annoying. And his fragile ego isn’t something that Janus likely wants to show off. Janus’ statement about “blushing” and “being worth that much to you” even feels like it matches that pride and ego. 

And that fragility is in the crown’s design, too. At first glance it seems fine. Very fantastic, with Roman’s sun symbol in lovely display. But a longer look reveals cracks, broken sections and fissures. And a slight, odd green shine, too. Hmm.

No, Roman couldn’t be made the first tier because of his pride, but his is also the last tier to not have any outright locks on it...

The Strange Dark Son’s tier: OK, Now You’re Making Me Feel Guilty...

Rewards:

Monthly Livestreams

Your Name In The Credits As A Writer!

Personalized Thank You Video

Never-Before-Released Janus Tee for First 1,000 Patrons

Scripts

Member's Mug

15% Merch discount

Patron-Only Polls

Extended Videos

Exclusive Photos and BTS Content

Join The Writer's Room

Ad-Free Videos

Bloopers

Directors' Commentary

Bonus Videos

Members Only Sticker

Exclusive Mug

Exclusive Sticker

From the Snake’s Own Mouth:

“PLEASE, don’t give us any more money! I don’t know what we could possibly do with it! But alright… since I like you, you can have everything in the last tier, and I'LL THROW IN...”

“Now you’re making me feel guilty” is absolutely what I would expect Virgil to think about someone giving him money because they enjoyed Thomas’ content. He’d freak out, and want to make sure to do something equally nice in return, to say thank you. Hence the thank-you video. 

NGL I can also imagine him panicking and rushing around his room to pick up a random mug and just thrust it out at the gifter in return too, before hiding away in an anxious mess, but anyway. xD

The artwork for this seems to very much be in homage to the Annabelle Doll: a supposedly haunted ragdoll, kept locked in a case at an occult museum.

Something interesting about this doll’s story, though...

Wiki: “According to the Warrens, a student nurse was given the doll in 1970. They said that the doll behaved strangely, and that a psychic medium told the student that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a deceased girl named "Annabelle". The student and her roommate tried to accept and nurture the spirit-possessed doll, but the doll reportedly exhibited malicious and frightening behavior.”

Huh. Who else do we know that when confronted with too much coddling responds by lashing out?

And this is the first tier with a lock. The glass is chipped (from inside or out?) but the lock is holding. The doll is inert and doesn’t seem likely to do anything unless disturbed, if it matches the original story. Which seems to fit Virgil relatively well. Sure, he’ll make you anxious (maybe those cracks are where the influence leeches free), but doesn’t seem intent on outright harm. Also the cracks and the creepy living doll cabinet as a whole made me think of spider webs and our boi’s Halloween decor, so I thought that was excellent, honestly.

This tier is hidden behind Roman’s shining pomp. It’s outright locked away, as if to keep it from seeing the light of day. The Dark Side tiers both seem this way: hidden from prying eyes by the splendor of the first few tiers.

And the most hidden one of all... Gross Profit.

Rewards:

Members Only Sticker

Bonus Videos

Directors' Commentary

Bloopers

Ad-Free Videos

Join The Writer's Room

Surprise Gifts At Least Twice A Year

Exclusive Photos and BTS Content

Monthly Livestreams

Extended Videos

Patron-Only Polls

15% Merch discount

Member's Mug

Scripts

Never-Before-Released Janus Tee for First 1,000 Patrons

Annual Video Call

Personalized Thank You Video

Your Name In The Credits As A Writer!

Exclusive Mug

Exclusive Sticker

From the Snake’s Own Mouth:

“Oh you bougie rascal, you! Your generosity is seen and I truly thank you for it… but a few kind words from me aren't enough, I'm sure... so how about, you get everything from the last tier ALONG WITH...”

Firstly we have exclusive tier level gifts that Janus won’t even reveal. Meta-wise, this is likely more because the team has to decide what those gifts ARE, and how to safely ship them, but the way it sounds in the description not only feels super secretive, but also very much like Remus to me, as well. I’m pretty sure any and all gifts from him are a surprise in some way. Whether that is pleasant is debatable, but it’s still a surprise!

The highest tier also looks to have the highest security. Look at that sturdy, metal bound chest and huge padlock. Not only that but it also has chains wrapped around it to hold it shut, and even then, the contents are actively seeking to escape, like our delightful trashman would. Even the shuggoth-like appearance matches his presence as a shifting, terrifying and likely quite gloopy entity, capable of squeezing even where he’s not wanted.  Even the green fabric below looks stained with mud or blood or something equally as upsetting. The image does a great job of showing how hard it is to contain Intrusive Thoughts, as a whole, and is likely a main reason Janus drinks so much “juice” on his birthdays. 

Unlike the last image, this one is outright trying to break containment, and oddly, it almost seems like someone left a golden key in easy reach for just that purpose... A key which also looks rather oddly shaped, to me.

It’s hard to tell from the angle, but it doesn’t look like the eye is a simple circle, but that it has a point, like a heart almost. Or even the ornate letter D from the Corridor logo?

I can’t be sure of that, but what I can definitely be sure of is the sheer amount of lock, key, and chain symbolism our Snekky Fren has to his name.

While Janus has no tier, the entire SITE has his symbol, like a brand. 

Every post, the icon, the about page, it’s there. And the snake isn’t trapped by the lock, but guarding it. It looks to have a green highlight around where a chip is (hmm), but other than that, it looks quite solid, and well-guarded by watchful creatures that never blink.

The shape of the lock looks like it could be heart-shaped as well, like that golden key allowing the Remus tentacles to wriggle free.

They also do a heckin blep and honestly what could possibly be better? 

So yeah, that’s my way overly long ramble about the tier levels and what I think they mean. Maybe if I’m not too lazy I’ll do one on the pictures of Janus playing peekaboo with my nightmares on the about page. 

God but this art is amazing and y’all need to go preesh the artist holy heck.