#hope i can make the part 2 justice because i have a lot of concepts that i can't forget but 2 that i love the most

[jkvjimin]

bangtan gif challenge ☆ ↳ a concept that you cannot forget → love yourself: answer (ver. E)

[chaoticbardlady99]

Pinkie Promise? (Astarion x F! reader) MDNI 18+

Author note- this is specifically for @spitfireunhinged who wrote a beautiful little post with a concept that I adored. I hope I did it justice and you enjoy!

CW- NSFW, mentions of SA

Synopsis- You tell Astarion that you don’t think sex is as good as people say it is. Astarion is determined to prove you wrong.

*not my pic. Please let me know if it is yours so I can give credit

I rewrote this like 7 times. This draft is lightly edited, but I couldn’t wait to post it!

Part 2: I Triple Dog Dare You

Astarion had heard the phrase “pinky promise” before. It was usually between Leon and Victoria before Leon left for a hunt. She always made Leon pinkie promise that he would come home and Leon always swore it- his pinkie hooked with hers.

The whole thing made Astarion vomit, but he thought it was just a “them” thing since he had never heard it before.

Then you used it on him and he had hurt your feelings terribly. He had called you a child and then proceeded to mock you.

You had just smiled at him sweetly like you usually do, apologized for invading his space, and for crossing his boundaries.

When Astarion had come by an hour or two later to drop off a book he ‘borrowed’ (it was his book, but he wanted an excuse to talk to you again), he heard you sniffling and asking Karlach if you were a child. You were so upset by his judgment because you like him as a person and thought the two of you were friends. Karlach said that some people just aren’t capable of being nice.

Astarion found you after Karlach went to sleep and pinkie promised to never call you a child again (and that he doesn’t think you are a child).

Suddenly, it was your thing and it slowly became more enduring as time went on. A part of him was envious if Karlach or Gale offered you the gesture first and you would give them one of your breathtaking smiles. He wishes he could initiate it, but it feels far too intimate to him. Asking someone to promise him something? Perish the thought! No one can truly be trusted. Well- maybe you can be trusted.

Astarion doesn’t know when he became so infatuated with you and your existence. Maybe it was that first night at camp when the two of you got to know each other a little bit better. You hadn’t been able to sleep because you were struggling to adjust to the new environment. You asked him lots of questions that he honestly had struggled to answer, but you were actually interested in him- not just his body.

Astarion was beginning to crave your presence and he despised sharing it with anyone else. One time he even went as far as making you pinkie promise you wouldn’t kiss Gale when he had called you over. You had scoffed and said that is ridiculous because “Gale would not kiss you ever, yuck!” , but did it anyway.

Low and behold- Gale did not get his kiss. He’s tried since, but you have rejected his advances. Astarion likes to think it’s because you like him more- want him more.

So maybe that’s why he was quick to drag you away from the Tiefling party after you had made your rounds- not wanting to watch you be with another person a second longer. You let him take your hand and you giggle as he chastises you for taking so long to talk to everyone else.

“How dare my self-proclaimed ‘best friend’ spend so much time not in my presence!” Astarion melodramatically states, “I am hurt, Darling. I thought we had something special.”

You blow air out of your mouth with an eye roll and smile at him.

“Well of course we do,” you say matter of factly, “but I also knew the minute I went to talk to you that I wouldn’t talk to anyone else.

“I’m the fearless leader!” You say with emphasis, “Leader of the Freakshow- welcome one and all to the most traumatized individuals alive!”

Astarion’s chest bursts with laughter, “how very on the nose of you, my Dear.”

“I must keep all of us humble, my Sweet,” you say boldly.

He tsks at you and twirls you around, “I’m afraid you aren’t allowed to steal my lines- that is going to cost you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Certainly.”

“Name your price.”

Astarion pauses- right now doesn’t feel like the moment to go full throttle. He has more work to do.

“I need time to think,” he says lewdly, “there are so many things I could ask for, after all.”

You hum in agreement and smile at him coyly.

Maybe it’s because you are the first person he has actively sought out since he has been released from Cazador’s grasp.

Astarion guides you to a spot in the meadow he had found earlier. Well- actually he had followed Gale to it earlier- Astarion just found an even better spot like 10 yards away.

Gale had stupidly announced to Wyll around the campfire that he was going to ask to spend time with you alone tonight.

There was immediately not a chance in hells that that was going to happen. Gale found a nice spot in the forest- Astarion found a better one. Gale brought a blanket and wine? Pfft, Astarion can do that.

You stop in front of the blanket and wine before you look at him- a nice blush running up your neck.

“Is this for-?” You seem surprised.

Which Astarion finds very interesting considering you are from Noble society- shouldn’t you be used to being courted? Astarion is almost certain you’d have at least a hundred suitors.

“For you?” He smiles charmingly, “well of course, only the best for you, my Dear.”

You duck your head and you blush even harder. Astarion guides you to sit with him. You both drink the wine and talk. You ask him questions about himself and he asks plenty about you.

Astarion isn’t sure when the conversation turns into talking about sex- that had always been the original intention of the conversation.

“Sex can’t possibly be all that great.”

“Pardon?”

You shrug your shoulders and slightly slur the sentence again with emphasis.

“Sex can’t possibly be all that great.”

Astarion is shocked to his core. You flirt back and forth with him as if you’ve bedded at least a couple men.

“You’ve never?”

“No.”

“How?”

You look at him with a puzzled expression. You are staring at him as if he’s grown a second head.

Hypocrite. You’re the one spewing none sense!

“How?” You state incredulously, “you have looked at me right?”

Oh yes and I’ve imagined fucking you until you are screaming my name, but that’s beside the point I suppose.

“I’m nothing much to look at. I’m always the friend- never the girlfriend or the lover or whatever!” You emphasize with your hands, “no one has ever felt that way about me and if they have- they’ve never gone for it so I assume it’s just not that much fun.”

Astarion feels like he’s dying all over again. That was your assumption? Not that you might be horrifically oblivious because he’s only tried to to get in your pants several times. One time he quite literally asked you to come to his bed that night and you showed up with a book.

“Darling,” Astarion’s exasperation obvious, “I’ve been trying to have sex with you for a couple weeks now. Probably even more than that at this point.”

You stare at him with wide, unblinking eyes.

“You,” you stammer, “you want to? With me? No way.”

You laugh nervously, “you are beautiful and intelligent and-“

“No, no way.”

Astarion raises an eyebrow at you and smiles seductively. Your lips part slightly as he pushes you on your back and parts your legs with his knee.

Your arms automatically wrap around his neck- your pupils blown wide with lust. Astarion kisses to the left and right of your lips- grinning when he hears your huff in frustration.

“You sure do keen a lot for someone who doesn’t think sex could possibly be ‘that good’, Darling,” Astarion coos, you tighten your lips in embarrassment.

Astarion rolls his eyes at you and cups your face while putting his thumb in your mouth, pressing down on your tongue. You hum with pleasure and peer at him through hooded eye lids. Astarion feels his cock strain against his pants

“So, my Dear,” Astarion drawls, “do you want me to fuck you? Would you like to see all the bliss you are missing out on?”

You nod eagerly and Astarion presses his thigh against your growing heat. You whine around his thumb and you run your tongue against his skin.

Fuck.

“Are you going to be a good girl for me?” He asks hotly.

You nod- Astarion can smell your arousal and feel it seeping through both of your pants.

“Pinkie promise?” He says teasingly, pulling his thumb out of your mouth to hold out his pinkie.

You hook your pinkie with his and whisper, “pinkie promise.”

Astarion pulls you in for a mind numbing kiss- caressing your lips with his until you are keeping up with his pace. He feels your arms around his neck pull him in deeper.

Your kiss against his lips is sweet and intoxicating- for a second he completely forgets about the purpose of the evening. Astarion could sit here and just kiss you like this until the sun comes up.

Your breathing hitches and Astarion watches as you desperately try to find release by riding his thigh- your movements erratic and wanting. The sounds you are making fill him with excitement and for the first time in a while- he’s actually eager to be inside someone.

He realizes your moaning has become muffled all of a sudden and he looks up to find you covering your mouth- your cheeks and ears are bright red while you pant with arousal.

Astarion laces his fingers through yours and holds your hands down on either side of your head- your pupils are blown wide from lust. The galloping of your heart is like music to his ears.

“Oh no,” he whispers seductively, “do not keep those delicious moans of yours from me, Darling. You promised to be good, remember?”

“Y-yes,” you say between heavy breaths- this time you are the one to surprise him by closing the space between the two of you with a needy kiss.

Astarion unlaces his fingers from yours as he begins unlacing your trousers- quickly discarding them to reveal your soaked underclothes. He growls involuntarily as the smell of your arousal hits the back of his throat- you smell incredible.

Astarion could leave it at just taking your pants off for now, but Gods does he want to see more and if you are willing to let him, then he is not going to deny himself the pleasure of being able to touch and kiss every inch of your body.

Your shirt is next and you don’t even fight it- helping him get the article of clothing off and helping him discard his shirt as well. Astarion stops and looks down upon your naked form.

“Gods you are exquisite,” Astarion says as he begins to kiss down your naval, “open your legs for me, Darling.”

He leaves tiny love bites as he goes- wanting to make sure everyone knows exactly who you belong to. You are a whimpering mess underneath his touch as he presses his fingers to your clothed clit- teasing you slowly.

“Asta-“

You are cut off by your own sounds of pleasure leaving your throat as he slips your underwear off- slowly pushing one finger into you while playing with your clit using his tongue. A string of curse words leaves your mouth as he begins to pick up the pace with his fingers and basks in the way pleasure looks on your face, how your body is writhing for him, and the tumbling praises for him echo through the clearing.

He rolls your sensitive nub between his teeth and he has to hold your hips down as you keen underneath his touch. Astarion adds a second finger- still meeting some resistance, but you aren’t stopping him, in fact- you are giving him complete access using your tadpole right now (intentionally or not) and he can feel how desperate you are to feel fuller. Then he adds the second fingers and the euphoria that rings through your body goes straight to his groan. Astarion can feel his cock straining against his pants as he brings you over the edge with his fingers and mouth- your sweet pleasure dripping down his chin and his fingers. He languidly cleans his fingers off with his mouth, humming in delight while making eye contact with you.

Your eyes are half lidded and glassy- your mouth is slightly parted open. He leans forward and leaves a chaste kiss on them and begins unlacing his own pants- slipping them off and throwing them to the side- his underwear quickly following.

Astarion lines himself up with your entrance- your orgasm coating the head of his cock and he has to fight the urge to slam into you right away. He lines himself up with your entrance- teasing you. You look more nervous now than lustful and Astarion feels his gaze soften. He hovers over you and caresses the side of your face with his thumb. The last thing he wants is to start with you in the wrong headspace.

"Wrap your legs around my waist."

You obediently comply- your back slightly arching and your pert nipples are touching his chest. You sigh in arousal at the contact.

“This may hurt a little,” he says, “we can stop whenever or however much you need- we can stop completely and try again another time even.

“But do you want me to continue?”

You smile up at him with relief and nod coyly.

“I trust you, but please go slow,” you whisper.

Astarion feels a tightness in his chest when you look up at him. Your eyes are so vulnerable and of all the people you’ve decided to trust you chose him. Astarion is fighting not to dissociate- wanting to give you his full attention.

Astarion slowly begins to push inside you. You cry out and clutch at his shoulders- taking a sharp breath as he slowly sheaths himself inside you. Astarion has to fight the want- no need to go faster- you are so damn tight and Astarion is almost wondering if he should have done more foreplay.

He rocks in and out of you- making sure to check on your facial expressions. There are tears pricking your eyes, but your look of discomfort is becoming more and more euphoric as he keeps rolling his hips into you gently.

“Hells darling,” Astarion manages to moan out through clenched teeth, “you feel so fucking good.”

You whimper at his praise and Astarion lifts you up by the hips so he can get a better angle. He thrusts a minuscule harder this time and the whimper that leaves your mouth is making him feel positively feral.

“Astarion,” you whine, “ple- please I need more.”

You definitely don’t have to tell him twice. Astarion snaps himself up into you at a faster pass- your keening only encouraging him to go faster- both of you moaning and gasping while clawing at each other. For the first time in the last 200 years- Astarion does not want to stop. Despite the feelings that are always there, this may be the only time he’s actually experienced bliss while being with someone.

"Such a good little pup, aren't you?"

You clench around him at his words, you beg him to fuck you harder, and he drops your hips back to the ground before putting his face into the crook of your neck- kissing and praising you as you ride out your high.

“You were such a good girl for me,” he breathes into your air, “thank you.”

Your hands find purchase in his hair, tugging his lips to yours. If he needed air, the kiss would have suffocated him from how intense and wanting it was- the air between the both of you feels alive and Astarion barely registers that he’s finishing inside you until he’s collapsed on top of you- his head resting on your chest as it races in time with your breathing.

“That was amazing,” you say breathlessly and Astarion can’t help but laugh.

“I told you so.”

You plafully slap his arm and laugh- the sound filling his body with comfort. He can hear your heart beat begin to slow down and your breathing becomes deeper.

“Thank you Astarion,” you say sleepily, dozing off with your hands teasing his curls, “not just for this- for everything. I feel worth something when I’m with you.”

You yawn and Astarion tries to focus on the sound instead of the twisting guilt in his stomach. He cares for you too and that might be where he fucked up.

Your breathing quickly evens out and he is drowning in the smell of sex and rose water- a scent he heavily associates with you. Astarion stays there with his head on top of your chest- trying to get his bearings together. That was like no other sexual encounter he has experienced before- it was blissful- so why the hell is he about to have the melt down of the century?

“Shit,” you jolt awake, accidentally pushing Astarion off you- your eyes are still glassy “sorry I should probably not just fall asleep here- I’m sure you want to get back to your tent…”

Astarion pulls you back down and against his chest as if it’s exactly where you belong. The idea of you leaving right now makes his soul twist painfully. No, he needs you to stay. Existing is easier with you around- it has been since he met you on the beach.

“Stay,” he whispers, “please.”

There is a pause and he worries he may have overstepped his bounds. You look up at him with sleepy, kind eyes. If peace were to have a face- it would be yours.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” You smile at him sweetly.

The word leaves his mouth before he can stop himself, “pinkie promise?”

You give him the biggest, toothiest grin he has ever seen. Astarion is certain you may be the single most beautiful person he’s ever met.

You take his pinky in yours and then place a soft kiss against his cold lips.

As you pull away, you whisper against his mouth, “I pinky promise.”

[soaringwide]

PAC: What's great about you and how can you boost your self-confidence?

PILE 1 > PILE 2 > PILE 3

Today I wanted to do a lighter Pick a Card tarot reading and focus on the topic of self-confidence and how you can boost or improve it.

I hope this reading provides you comfort and help you understand what's awesome about you and what you can feel proud of :)

As always, this is a general reading meant for multiple people, take what resonates and leave out the rest.

IMPORTANT: I'm going on vacation until the end of September (2024) so there won't be new pick a card in the meantime, and I won't be able to do paid readings either. Shop is still open but keep that in mind because I'll either have to refund you or have you wait till I'm back. I'll be around a little on tumblr though in case someone wants to chat!

book a reading ★ all PACs ★ pinned post ★ instagram

PILE 1

Cards: the Magician, 10 of Swords, Queen of Swords, Page of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacles, Justice, Page of Wands, the Lovers, the Sun, King of Cups

What's great about you

You are able to draw a lot of strength from your inner struggles, using your pains and failures to fuel you and turn them into something that can propel you forward. Having high expectations for yourself and a deeply seated sense of your own values and opinions, you are not just someone who let themselves go for too long, but someone who always pick themselves back up and find a way to bounce back. Nothing is truly a failure if you can learn from it and come back of it stronger, smarter and more determined.

You know what you want for yourself and out of your life and you are determined to make things happen at some point. It's like some type of very determined energy, that while not super fast moving per say, does not back§ off before anything and keep moving no matter what, slow and steady like a deeply rooted tree inexorably growing year after year. You are someone with a vision, a dream that you hold firmly and I see you also having faith that things will turn out in your favor if you just keep pushing long enough.

It's not wonder that the magician takes the center stage of this part of the reading, as this Major Arcana represent the power of someone who brings concepts and ideas into reality. Someone who is always learning, always evolving, someone who seeks mastering everything they put their mind to, turning the most unfavorable situation into something that can serve them and their goal.

How to boost your self confidence

With the appearance here of Cups and Wands, which you were lacking in the previous section, you're basically being urged to balance yourself and complete your set of tools, so to speak.

The page of Wands adds the spark, the passion, the enthusiasm. It encourages you to be more optimistic and recognize your own power, and embrace your vision even further, allowing yourself to lean into it and really go along with it openly and with an adventurous spirit. This message is highlighted even further by the Sun, encouraging your to clear up your doubts and be more carefree. I think that you would gain a lot from letting go of the struggle mindset, knowing that yes, your resilience is admirable, but you don't need to struggle to do everything. Things can be easy and exciting too, not everything needs to be a struggle, and you have that power within you too.

The King of Cups is here to remind you that your emotions are not your enemy, but important carrier of messages and signals from the inner realms to take care of yourself in a gentle manner. I think this ability to pick yourself back up we mentioned earlier may sometimes make you a bit harsh with yourself, and you're being encouraged to be softer.

On top of that, in both sections, there is a strong Mercury influence, with on one side the Magician, and on the other Justice and the Lovers (both gemini cards, which is ruled by Mercury). What it means is that you can lean even more into your intellectual and communicative qualities, which you already have albeit in a rawer form.

With these cards, there is also a strong message about choice. Basically, if you want to feel more self-confident, you have to chose to embrace it first and foremost. To decide that this is a goal of yours, to believe in it and go for it, because with this here I don't think it's necessarily on your radar right now, but mostly some type of noise in the background. With your go-getter energy, really making it a priority will propel you forward with force.

You are a born storyteller, and the main protagonist of your own story. So what story do you want to tell? Embrace your vision and the world will open to you.

PILE 2

Cards: 2 of Cups, Queen of Swords, 8 of Cups, 5 of Pentacles, the World, the Tower, Ace of Pentacle, the Chariot, 3 of Pentacles, the Lovers

What's great about you

It seems that you have currently closed, or are closing, some type of painful cycle that made you feel a great sense of loss. Perhaps it is related to a relationship or an union of some kind. It made you feel like you were lacking something and broke your world and the vision you had for the future. You were left disappointed and perhaps even made you feel some type of hopelessness.

However, I don't think you gave up, but instead, you decided to move on and refocus on yourself. Which makes me think that right now, you are in this transitional phase. Why this message is showing up here is to tell you that you might not see it, but this ability of yours to bounce back and prioritize your own needs is admirable and a great strength.

What's great about you is that you know when enough is enough, you know what is worth fighting for and when to let go, and you know you can rely on yourself to advocate for your own happiness.

You are being encourage to see it, celebrate it and embrace the fact that while a new chapter is closing, a new one is opening too, even if you can't see it quite yet.

How to boost your self confidence

You are being encouraged to focus on a goal of yours, perhaps some type of dream or opportunity you'd like to go for. Do not linger on what you have lost, or what didn't came into being, but rather, on what could be in the future.

Let yourself dream and use that yearning to power you up and go after what you want. The Chariot as a character is someone who went through something difficult and learnt from it, leaving the doubts and uncertainty behind to embrace their desire to go for what they want. It's a card of movement and determination, of effort leading to success.

What I'm getting here might be different for different folks, but with the 3 of Pentacles and the Lovers, the main message I'm seeing is that you need to focus on building something for yourself first and foremost, working on that goal or dream of yours and seize the opportunity that are available to you without fear that you are not ready or good enough, because you are, and work towards it with patience and focus. For those who resonate with the relationship part of the previous section, it is possible that a better union is on the horizon once you allowed yourself to be in a better and more fulfilled place mentally and emotionally, and for others, it's talking about a more harmonious relationship with yourself where you would be able to accept who you are and love yourself more.*

(*Note: that is not to say there will be no relationship at the same time, simply that the cards comment on the harmony with yourself being primordial here. It's not mutually exclusive.)

So yeah, don't let past hurt dictate how you should feel and what you should go for. Let that go, leave that to the side, and look forward to the horizon. And remember to love yourself like you would like to be loved, for the amazing person that you are.

PILE 3

Cards: Temperance, Judgement, the Sun, the High Priestess, 5 of Cups, the Tower, King of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, 9 of Wands, the Hierophant

What's great about you

This pile is for those who have been intensively learning from their past and healed from it. There are three main messages here.

First, I see that you have learned to balance things between your rich inner world and your outer, more mundane life. I think you are highly intuitive and connected to your inner self, however, in the past, that may have made you overly detached from the world, and I see that you have made a lot of efforts to close that gap. I keep getting the word dissociation so perhaps that's relevant to some of you. Perhaps also you were described as overly mysterious or closed-off, and you worked a lot on yourself to be more open and actually connect with others authentically.

Secondly, I see that you went through a time of intense grief, which doesn't have to be about someone you lost (but could be) but can also be a general sense of loss or deep disappointment regarding something. For a long time, you stayed there licking your wounds and lamenting on the past, but then, you reached a point where you could not go on like that, some type of wake up call that made you move forward again.

Lastly, and tying the past two message together, you learned to let go of your catastrophizing or pessimistic mindset and are now more joyful, more optimistic, carefree even. There is a cheerful and youthful energy about you that some people who went through very heavy things and managed to come out on top hold, and is very inspiring to others who can sense it even if they don't know the details.

How to boost your self confidence

Here, I'm getting that after all the work you've done on yourself, it's okay and even highly encouraged to focus on your comfort and physical abundance too.

I think you may have put that to the side a lot, perhaps because it wasn't a priority or perhaps because you didn't think you deserved it, but here you're being urged to see that it's actually an important part of your life too. There is some type of legacy that you are able to leave, because you have the skills and/or wisdom to pass it down, and that could lead to a lot of success on different levels for you.

You need to let go of this mindset that you are not good enough, that you are unfitting to the things you want to get or to do, and also let go of this mental box you put yourself in where you were focused on surviving instead of thriving.

There is also the message that you hold a precious wisdom that could make you a point of reference in something, and that you need to recognize it and learn to actively share it. People will come to you for advice once you see that, but you have to see it yourself first and start to actively act on it.

[gffa]

Hey! What are your favorite Obi-Wan-centric books/comics, if I may ask? Have a nice day and may the force be with you

Hi! I have a bunch that I've enjoyed! Trying to keep this as Obi-Wan-centric as I can, though, honestly, for as much as he appears in a lot of stuff, he's not necessarily always the center of the best stuff for his character. NOVELS - CANON:

Padawan by Kiersten White - This book dethroned all other books for me to take the #2 spot of Lumi's Favorite Star Wars Book Ever! It's charming, it's thoughtful, it's good-natured, it's funny, it had a fun adventure, it gave Obi-Wan some hellion little best friends as a Padawan, and just made me fall in love with the world all over again.

Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure by Cavan Scott - The CYD books (same concept as Choose Your Own Adventure books) can be an acquired taste, but I found so many lovely moments in this book, some genuinely delightful details (MACE WINDU THEATRE NERD) and some great Obi-Wan & Anakin moments. Plus, Bant Eerin recanonization!

Brotherhood by Mike Chen - I have talked at length about the problems with the Anakin parts of this book (basically: if you take it at face value, it's pretty vile towards a Black character), but I have a ton of affection for the Obi-Wan half of this book. The way he moves with his feelings, acknowledges them and lets them pass through him, the way he genuinely cares about the Neimoidians, the way he tries to be thoughtful and you can see how deeply he cares about Anakin, is all really good.

From a Certain Point of View: A New Hope (specifically the first one, not the second one) has three short stories that are stellar for Obi-Wan: "Master and Apprentice" by Claudia Gray (make sure it's the ANH anthology, not the full novel by the same author), "There is Another" by Gary D. Shmidt, and "Time of Death" by Cavan Scott. All have either really lovely insights into Obi-Wan's character during ANH or have him being utterly hilarious.

NOVELS - LEGENDS:

Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover - While not actually perfect, there are some things I don't fully agree with or think the book matched what was on the screen, when this book gets it right, it gets it so right that no other book has ever compared. This utterly elevates what was already my favorite Star Wars movie, and this man can turn a hell of a phrase.

Wild Space by Karen Miller - This is a book that I could pick apart in a lot of ways (it feels like two half-books stitched together rather than one coherent story, it doesn't earn its ending, it doesn't really do justice to the Jedi), but I love it because it's such an utterly dramatic book, everything about the events is larger than life, and has a spar with Obi-Wan and Anakin where he smacks Anakin on the ass, touches his face and tells him he did well and the look on Anakin's face in return almost makes Ahsoka cry because she's so touched, and contains the phrase "wringing wet and blowing hard" about their duel. Like, that's the kind of chaos you're in for and it's AMAZING.

COMICS - CANON:

Obi-Wan by Christopher Cantwell - It's only a five issue mini-series but it's a great look at Obi-Wan's character at various points in his life and I had so much to say about it, so I really felt it held up to analysis, and it really brought the feelings.

Obi-Wan & Anakin by Charles Soule - Another five issue mini and it does not get near enough credit for being tremendously well plotted and illustrating a lot of bigger points about Obi-Wan, Anakin, the Jedi, and the Republic, why good people were making the best choices available to them. Also, the single most gorgeous art I have ever seen in a comic.

Any of the Age of Republic comics by Jody Houser - These were a series of oneshots focused on various heroes and villains, and if you're specifically looking for Obi-Wan content, the Obi-Wan one and the Anakin one were FANTASTIC looks at the character.

Clone Wars: Battle Tales by Michael Moreci - Another mini-series and IIRC Obi-Wan was only in some of them, but he got some truly great moments of defending the clones and being an amazing leader in them.

COMICS - LEGENDS: These are so much harder because they're so spread out and often times it's just one or two issues that even have Obi-Wan in them. Ones I do remember enjoying:

The Clone Wars: The Smuggler's Code by Justin Aclin - A short graphic novel where Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka go on a beach vacation and run into a criminal from Obi-Wan's past and the entire story is UTTERLY UNHINGED, it's so hilariously over the top that I hyena laugh ever time I read it.

The Republic series from Dark Horse had a bunch of good Obi-Wan moments in it, if you don't mind paging through a lot of other characters. It's about all the Jedi, so they all get their turns, so I would suggest getting this one from your local library to find the issues you're most interested in!

Honestly, so much of reading SW books and comics is the willingness to pick out small fragments of gold amidst the bigger blargghh, like would I recommend Jedi Apprentice or Jedi Quest as some of my favorites? No, probably not, but that doesn't mean that Jude Watson didn't know how to turn a hell of a phrase and that I won't pull out fantastic quotes from those books! Would I recommend the Titan magazine comics? No, they're charming but the art is wonky a lot and they're too short to really go into much depth. If anyone has any comics recs to include, feel free to add on! The novels were easier to remember, but there have been so many comics that I feel like I'm missing some obvious ones.

[wachtelspinat]

I have a serious question! What references did you use to learn to draw Roadhog's body type? It's my first time trying to draw a body like his and I'm STRUGGLING. I'm using your art as reference because your depictions of him are godly, but I could use any tips you have. He's my babygirl and I want to be able to do him justice 💓

hey ! good question and thank you very much for your kind words <3

i've been drawing body types like his not enough to say very comfortably that i know what i'm doing, this is mostly due to me not having done a lot of studies in this regards (i wanna change that)... but i've been trying to push it ever since the midnight crew days (since i love drawing our fabulous boy hearts boxcars and he's kinda the same category)...

i kind of looked at various references through out the years, starting with concept art from bioshock 2...

... to pictures of strongmen (they sometimes lack roadie's gut but pictures of them are amazing for arms, the chest area, necks, backs and all that)

(these are dennis kohlruss, eddie hall and rongo keene as examples)

this is older but you get the idea, just to see how things flow when there is more than just skinny muscles and skin.

sometimes it helps just tracing their ingame models, altho i'm more often changing a bit here and there (mostly roadie's giant hands... they’re just not... they just don't go with my stupid idea to go more realistic lol) but i think it's a good way to get a feeling of his body dimensions, especially length of legs, torso etc.

as a general tip i'd say don't be afraid to experiment! you know how to draw a skinny leaf of a guy? try adding more volume to it, try defining muscles through layers of skin. always google ref if you need, you don't know how a double chin rounds exactly? or how some skin folds at the sides move when twisting the torso? google it, or make ref yourself, see what your body does. because in the end we're all consistent of the same parts, it's just a matter of dimensions and volume i think

there are also a LOT of amazing artists out there i draw inspiration from drawing the best, beefiest bears... and yes i mean that in a literal way... they are mostly furry artists on the nsfw side of things, hence i'm not linking them here (i'm sorry)... but in general... idk if you're on twitter or what your preferences are, but a lot of artists specialize in drawing roadhog-type-o-guys and they're so much better at this than i am. and it's not just artists... to be perfectly honest a lot of people upload very good ref on twitter in form of photos of them it's just... mostly... nsfw x') last but not least, i can always recommend the book "morpho fat and skin folds" for certain things

hope this helped a little and if you got any more questions or idk, need help with a certain pose?? feel free to ask

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

WIP Questionnaire

Thanks @buffythevampirelover for the tag! This game looks fun!

Rules: answer as few or as many as you'd like!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

TSP: Lexi was! TSP started out as a school project, and we had to create a character sheet for our first person narrator! That was "Alexia" who is now just "Lexi" (but her full name is still Alexia).

SOTL: The concept! "School for fairy tale characters" was basically it. I got discouraged a bit when I found out this concept already existed, but that didn't mean I couldn't do my own take!

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

My favorite types of intros for TV shows are original theme songs or very catchy instrumental music. 30-60 seconds is a good length. I'd hope that for TSP and SOTL. Hope this isn't a cop-out.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

TSP: My favorite characters to write for are Lexi, Gwen, Akash, Robbie, and Carmen. Lexi because the arc I gave her is an exaggerated version of something that speaks a lot to me. Gwen because I wasn't expecting her to be as interesting as she ended up being planned to be. Robbie and Akash because of how funny and sweet their dynamic is. Yes, I love them separately, but they're a package set. Carmen because she's just so damn interesting I love studying her under a microscope.

SOTL: I am barely into writing it, but it's Jack at the moment. Shocker, he has three chapters while Tierney and Úrsula have one each! But the reason is that he is average at everything, but he doesn't let that get him down! He's funny and relatable and a dork.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

TSP: Hm, good question. The only thing coming to mind right now is Young Justice (the cartoon). Starts out with this fun group of kids, becomes extremely dark. Ensemble cast. Sneaking around. Superpowers. Fight scenes. Drama.

SOTL: Insert fairy tale retelling here.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

TSP: Juggling everything. The world building, I guess. Making all the characters distinct was something I struggled at for a while, but I'm getting much better at it. Trying to figure out how the world works is challenging, but I am having fun. But juggling all the moving parts to make it cohesive is a challenge.

SOTL: What is plot?!! Also battling my ambition to do every fairy tale ever. I'm gonna have to make a lot of background characters that will get their own side stories separate from the main series to get all that I want. I probably will do that.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

TSP: Yep! Alium has a lot of fantasy creatures, animal hybrids, and fun things I just made up. Custos the dragon is the only truly prominent one right now. He's a blue fire dragon and is adorable. I also have kitsunes. Animal hybrids include unibison, ferretsnakes, cowyotes, beaverducks. Things I made up include the elemental foxes and blue hedgehogs.

SOTL: Hofiwi is an anthropomorphic bear! She was cursed to be anthropomorphic, this is not a normal thing in this world. I love her and she's just planned at the moment. Can't wait to do more.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

TSP: Hovercrafts, dragons, teleporting, trains, and some other power-based travel

SOTL: I'm still figuring this out no one has gone anywhere yet. Dragons or carriages would be cool. Maybe I can mix them with something modern to fit the setting.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

TSP: World building! Specifically the power database since that will be the backbone for everything.

SOTL: Reading fairy tales... I need to do that more

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

TSP: Powers, diverse cast, queer/disability rep

SOTL: same as TSP but fairy tales!

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

If I see one (1) fanart between either my life will be complete.

This was fun!

Softly tagging @mk-writes-stuff @jezifster @blind-the-winds @little-peril-stories @sleepywriter00 @mysticstarlightduck @sarahlizziewrites @writernopal @gottestod-writes + anyone who wants to join!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites - giving a slightly harder nudge than usual cause I really want to see what y'all have to say! Still optional obviously

Blanks below the cut!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

[harmonictechnicality]

oh my god i am IN LOVE with your memory log series!!!!!! such a GOOD concept and every new part is even better than the last - so so good I get so happy whenever a new part pops up on my dash!! Also hoping that Steve gets some recognition for his efforts bc I know he was only there at the beginning due to obligation but he tries so hard anyway despite everything! Love the contrast between him immediately being flirty about his appearance (a safe topic for him) yet shuts down the moment someone even tries to insinuate that he's helping ..... love that characterization

OMG anon, thank you and your kind little heart so much for saying that!! I reallyyyyy hope that you continue to enjoy it. One of my fears is that the following parts will fall flat in comparison or that I won't do these character's justice. So if the release dates get longer, it's just because I'm striving to keep the momentum of their love story alive 💕 Yes I *adore* that you mention Steve's determination in this fic. How it has evolved from helping the kids, to helping Eddie, and kind of... helping himself between those two goals. I am thinking about making a longer post about this because Steve's characterization is really precious to me, he's so well beloved by the fandom.

So to make sure I get his vibe right, I rewatch his scenes (only) in show order a LOT. But I also watch his episodes of Beyond Stranger Things. One of the biggest takeaways I get out of those 2 episodes is the creators saying (this is a loose quote), "Steve goes from being the most selfish character to the most *selfless* character of the entire show." And since Joe and the writers do everything they can to achieve that selflessness, I try to do the same (without losing his douchey and ditzy qualities along the way).

Those are a lot of things to include, and I'm pretty imperfect at covering it all, but I do my best to make him sound authentic.

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me your thoughts, it means the world to me!! I hope you have an amazing day out there!

Stay golden ✌️💛

[hollowsart]

Again me. X3

Why you're choose sloth for your spidersona? I can guess they're cute but maybe you have other reasons x3

One more thing.

Can you write your opinion on The Spectacular Spider-Man's Mysterio nd Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio? I'm alright if this will be different from what I'm thinking.

Hello hello again!

This will be a long response:

===

1) I tried to make a spidersona before that was like a Spider Crab/Japanese Spider Crab because "spider" and also those are my favorite crabs ever, as well as just to be silly, however nothing was working, so I gave up and forgot about it until this year. I really love sloths, they're my favorite animal ever and so I had the brilliant idea to make mine a sloth instead of a spider! Really makes mine stand out from the rest, plus it wasn't too hard to design it in a similar way to spiderman! Lots of similar design elements, like the black around the eyes and all!

I am also archnophobic and think sloths would be more friendly. It also makes people underestimate me in a fight with their preconceived notions of how sloths are vs how I actually am because of my enhanced abilities from being bit by the genetically modified spider!

Also makes my spidersona more unique and personal to me 💕 and you're not wrong about sloths being cute!! They're adorable 🙏💕🦥

..I did recently draw up a quick concept of an alternate spidersona for myself that is actually based on a spider like everyone else, the spider I chose was a Bunny Harvestman:

They're the only spider I can withstand looking at surprisingly (they're kind of cool?), plus.. cute bunny.. and a nice color palette!

----

2) I never saw Far From Home, but I am disappointed that the character isn't a rejected melodramatic theater kid with a background in the movie making business. That's all I've really gathered about him. I like my Mysterio/Beck to be a goofy funny silly guy who can be a real big threat and very serious when he wants or needs to be. I just feel his character wasn't done the justice he deserves, I guess. I don't have any desire to watch FFH to gain a more thorough opinion on Jake's take on the character tho, unfortunately.

I hope that's not disappointing?

TSSM's Beck/Mysterio, however, is by far my absolute favorite version of him and I've grown so fond of the one from the Amazing Mary Jane mini comic series where he works with MJ to create a biopic of himself. (Learned it's a part of a bigger more complex story and all but ehh, I'm gonna ignore everything before and after that little series. It's better that way. More enjoyable to imagine Beck just really wanted to make his own biopic movie with no real bad intentions or ulterior motives for making it. Genuinely his character was so cute and charming in that comic, oh my gosh 😩💖)

I haven't read really hardly any comics tho, but I just wanted to mention that!

Anyways TSSM's is absolutely my favorite above all others. He's everything I like about the character and then some! A shame the cartoon was canceled because I would have LOVED to see more of him. That's the version of the character that got me into him, got me to like him (also I mean, Mysterio's design in general from almost anything he's been in has been really eye catching and appealing, so..) and is also the main base of inspiration to my own version of Mysterio/Beck and his personality and overall design.

Smoochable blorbo 💖 would hold hands with him if I could..

[spinningbuster98]

Mega Man Zero 4 Part 2: Laughing Death in the face

Pegasolta ain’t exactly the easiest boss in the game, due to having to fight him over a bottomless pit with wind pushing you in different directions and the man himself spending some time off screen. Hitting him with his weakness also requires lots of precision and timing because he can dodge attacks at the last second.

I actually quite like Heat Genblem’s stage, it’s essentially a better version of Mattrex’s from X5 and you just gotta love Zero’s nonchalance at plunging headfirst into the barrell of an active giant particle beam

The boss himself is tricky due to the way he often dodges at the last second and his really precise hitbox, especially during that attack when he retreats into his shell.

Then you have the mid-game stages and I sure hope you found a Sub Tank in one of the previous stages because Kraft is fucking tough, with a plethora of attacks that move at insane speeds. You can actually destroy most of the stuff he flings at you before it hits you but good luck figuring that out on your own in the midst of all this shit!

What follows is one of my favorite moments in the series: Zero telling off the humans of the settlement

Yeah sure Zero is a good guy and he’s not gonna change his mind about wanting to save these people in need,but he also won’t hesitate to speak his mind when he sees those same people acting like cowards and being willing to let one of their friends, who helped them so much, die just to save their own skins. He doesn’t mince his words, he calls them a bunch of cowards and, most importantly, this makes them reflect upon their actions and change for the better. And Zero holds no hard feelings afterwards: he tells Neige that the settlement sent him to rescue her, which is only half true since he doesn’t mention their initial attitude, most likely because he doesn’t want any unneccessary drama to spew forth again

What I like the most about Zero 4′s story is that it works as a sort of anti-misanthropy message.

Weil is a raging misanthrope and he doesn’t try to hide it, not in the previous game and certainly not here . He hates people for the punishment he (rightfully) suffered 100 years ago and believes that concepts such as justice and heroism are little more than masks and excuses that people use to hide their natural hypocrisy and cruelty, in reality not being all that much better than he is only they’re being liars about it. Now under his rule, not to mention after all the shit that came before, the people start acting in a way that seems to prove him right in a sense: they act cowardly, with prejudice, willing to stab each other in the back

Then there’s Kraft: once a noble hero (although just how noble is questionable since he’s described as a warrior of Neo Arcadia who used to defend humans, which sounds just like the Four Guardians who also had no qualms about killing innocent Reploids if they felt it would benefit humans, but at the very least Kraft doesn’t seem cruel and he genuinely loves Neige so he certainly wasn’t evil per se before Weil came into the picture), now a willing pawn because he’s been led to believe that there’s no hope left in a world under Weil and they should all lie down and take it and just hope it all ends as painlessly as possible

However Zero’s actions (and especially words) manage to wake up the humans of the settlement, forcing them to look back on their behaviour and start changing for the better, even starting to accept reploids as equals for the first time in centuries

Niege’s words will also have an effect on Kraft...though one that will be much more complicated...

On another topic boy does the Part system suck!

In Zero 3 you obtained chips by either finding them in the stages or after defeating specific bosses

Here they want you to build them by grinding and combining specific parts dropped by enemies

The issue is that you need to know HOW to combine them to get what you want, and for this you need part recipes, which can only be obtained by talking to certian NPCs at certain points in the game

Even then most recipies are just not told to you in any way and you will need to go over to the Internet to find out how to build the actual good stuff

And even THEN in can be a grind to get the materials you need!

Yeah I don’t even bother, it’s not like you absolutely need parts in order to complete the game, i’ve done so without them many times

It’s just the epitome of this game’s very confusing design decisions

[nana2capriccio]

[ Kiryu - Gekka Bijin - English Translation ]

己龍 - 月下美人 [Moonlit Beauty]

JP Lyrics: Mitsuki Sakai | EN translation: me:3

Note: a detour from shuka ensen buuut that album is giving me a hard time so here's one of my fav singles! notes at the end as usual, but this time i'm trying something different putting short notes by the lyrics! lmk if this is too distracting :-)

This song is a pretty lightweight one where the speaker talks about the youthful arrogance of someone else. I didn't really do it justice since Japanese lacks pronouns which makes translating to English sound quite clunky, but I hope you get it!

-

Iro ha nihohe to chirinuru wo wakayotare so tsune naramu [this is basically the Japanese ABC's]

This is paradise on Earth Crouching down, I close my eyes 1

"Can't see"

"Can't speak"

"Can't hear"

"Can't touch"

"Can't feel" [i.e., emotionally]

...Am I dreaming?

On my deathbed, my head hangs down, for I am already a withered corpse

If you just sliced the stitches holding up my weak points... 2

I scream: the flowers bloom with dazzling colour Shouting as if I've got control over my life 3

The shadows of yesterday are beckoning From the emptiness that surrounds me

If I shake off the dizzying pain Just reach toward the light and shout

["to touch it in a dream would be..."]Dreams are fleeting But if I can touch the real thing, I'll be sure

Iro ha nihohe to chirinuru wo wakayotare so tsune naramu

Uwi no oku yamake fukoete asaki yumemishi

You cover your eyes with both hands, lamenting the darkness

Wallowing [lit. rotting] in your self-pity Your head's so far in the clouds, it's comical

On my deathbed, my head hangs down, for I am already a withered corpse

That incessant, nagging [lit. pecking like a bird] pain has become my whole reality

Crying out, my skin goes pale It's "transparent", yet "richly coloured"

I just have to be myself Still surrounded with emptiness

If I look back, I see a sweet and colourless nectar To get drunk may be to delude myself, but my heart feels so full

Dreams are fleeting But if I can touch the real thing, I'll be sure

Life blooms, wilts, falls, withers, then ends

On a moonlit night, when the time is marked by the flowers blooming 4

Will you let yourself become a living corpse? Or will you cry out for your life til the day you die?

Will you sway with the wind holding onto a dream? Will you sway with the wind and hold onto the present?

I scream: the flowers bloom with dazzling colour Shouting as if I've got control over my life

The shadows of yesterday are beckoning From the emptiness that surrounds me

If I shake off the dizzying pain Just reach toward the light and shout

Dreams are fleeting But if I can touch the real thing, I'll be sure

Iro ha nihohe to chirinuru wo Waka yotare sotsune naramu

Uwi no oku yamake fukoete asaki yumemishi wehi mo sesu

-

1: "closed eyes" as used in this sentence is a wordplay. The way it's usually spelled is 目閉じる (to close one's eyes), but the song spells it 眠綴じる, which has the same pronunciation except 綴じる means "to bind" or "to file", for example like folders in a file cabinet or a stack of papers bound together.

2: I took a lot of liberty translating this because the "weak point" mentioned is a difficult-to-translate Sanskrit -> Japanese concept. To put it literally: "If you cut off the buds of marman sewn together". In Sanskrit, marman is a "weak point", which can refer to any weak part of the body (both spiritual or literal) or the "core" of any being.

3: Literally "as if I'm spinning the threads of my own life/fate", I know this does make sense to an English-speaker but it's just...so much longer a phrase in English and this translation already sounds characteristically "translated from Japanese" enough 😭

4: This is referring to flowers which only bloom at nighttime, for example the evening primrose. The point is that the speaker has lost track of time and only knows what the time is because the nighttime flowers began to bloom.

[kittyball23]

Welp, happy 1-year anniversary to this movie! While not the best, it still exists 🤷 Honestly the best parts of it for me was seeing the Ericka and Mavis moments. I also was kinda hoping there would be a DVD out by now so I could complete the collection I have at home, but I’m sure whatever contract is needed for that is floating in limbo somewhere too. Anywho, I’ve put some of my answers to a 20-question game from the Amino App that was made for the first movie’s 10th anniversary (didn’t see that post until a couple of days ago, lol) under the cut in case you wanna know more about my thoughts on Transformania and also the rest of the franchise! :D

Thoughts on the franchise as a whole

Ah yes, Hotel Transylvania. To have sparked 4 movies, a show, shorts, some video games, and graphic novels, I’m guessing it was popular enough among folks xD For me, the movies are cute enough as they go, and entertaining with its cartoonish interpretation of classic horror icons. There are memorable moments and characters, maybe even good life lessons at times. Overall enjoyable films, and a fun watch :)

2) Favorite character

Ericka Van Helsing. She’s a bad@ss 😎

3) Favorite movie

3rd movie, hands down. A lot that had to do with how entertaining the Van Helsings were and also for giving us the Drericka ship ^_^

4) Favorite song

3rd movie had a lot of great songs, but if I had to decide my favorite it would be “Love is Not Hard to Find” from movie 4

5) Favorite video game

Don’t play video games, so N/A

6) Favorite actor/actress

Kathryn Hahn ✨

7) Thoughts on the TV series

Well, I only saw a handful of episodes from the TV series… and then stopped xD Idk, I guess it just wasn’t what I thought. Characters felt a little OOC, and just didn’t hold my interest :/ Honestly, what I would have liked would be a show taking place post HT1/HT2 since it takes place in about a 8-year time period give or take and could potentially have stories to tell with humans and monsters getting along, looking more into how they’ve each adapted at the hotel, and also just more of the characters we’re familiar with from the movies themselves

8) Favorite episode of the TV series

Like I said, haven’t been dedicated to watching the TV series, so can’t really say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

9) Favorite character from the TV series

From the episodes I did watch, I’d say Lydia was most entertaining

10) Favorite graphic novel

Motel Transylvania. I like the concept of expanding the hotel, and Johnny’s efforts in trying to make that happen xD

11) Genndy or Derrick (Director)

Probably Genndy

12) Adam or Brian (Dracula’s voice actors)

They’re both great, honestly

13) First impression of this franchise

The first movie came out when I was in like 6th grade, and I do recall classmates taking about wanting to go see it. But it didn’t really catch my interest, even when I did watch it for the first time in 2018. I felt it was too childish, and the fast movements bothered me

14) Latest impressions of this franchise

I think it’s kind of losing its steam a bit, because plot-wise 4 wasn’t the best it could be (which I guess was also part of the reason that led to the decline of the fandom…) but guess I can still appreciate what we have

15) How did you discover this franchise

My little bro got interested back in 2018 after seeing trailers for the third movie

16) Favorite zing

DRERICKA 💕

17) Favorite moment of all time

Transformania’s smoochy time scene (I mean hey, it’s pretty much the closest we got to an on-screen liplock from Drericka, plus I just can’t get enough of how clearly in love these two are with each other 😍 And how grossed out Mavis is as a result of that xD)

18) Did the finale satisfy you

Err… it was okay. Nothing more, nothing less. I do like the idea of Drac retiring and giving up the hotel to Mavis and Johnny, but the execution of the rest of the film’s plot I felt didn’t do it as much justice as it could have. I guess with all the switching around with the release date for this movie going further and further out, I was anticipating something worth the wait (also, January 14th?? The October release date I think would’ve been ideal since it’s spooky month. Even this January would’ve made more sense since it has a Friday the 13th in it)

19) Do you wish for more

At some point, yes, but maybe in 5+ years as a breather. If it does come back, I think an animated special of some kind would be cool, or a 2D show that takes place after part 4 with the brand-new hotel

20) Would you recommend this franchise

All in all, I would say yes! If you want just some silliness to pass time, with a mostly likeable ensemble of characters, then this is it :)

[luckyrave]

Chainsaw Man Chapter 109 Thoughts

I knew it!  I just knew it was all about patience and waiting this entire time. A perfect allegory to describe this feeling when it comes to Chainsaw Man Part 2.  Tatsuki Fujimoto is really quite an anomaly when it comes the current generation of anime and manga. A lot of people I believe can attest to this especially after watching season 1.  He just knows full well what his readers want to see in storytelling, but instead of giving them what they want off the gate. He likes to make sure proper time and care is placed before certain things occur within the story, and this is definitely one of those situations.

 Yuko’s onslaught continued like it never even stopped despite what Asa attempted to do when “that student” offered to save her life. It got significantly worse when a few members from The Devil Hunters Club attempted to land a mark on Yuko, but she repeats the same thing as before. Instant death before they even got a chance to escape with their lives in tact. Once that was taken care of,  she notices Asa unconscious on the ground with much concern as to how her best friend ended up in this condition.  At least, before she notices “The student” that hid behind one of the broken infrastructure of The Academy  and grabs hold off of her believing that’s the reason Asa is knocked out. Thus, a single person steps in before Yuko could kill “The Student she has in her clutches”.  Somebody many people have been anticipating for quite a long while. Denji. 

He swoops in like a hero stepping in at the last second when all hope is lost against a villain causing havoc and chaos. Yuko doesn’t view him as much of a threat while using the same evasive action she took against the other students who stood in her way. There was only thing that didn’t cross her mind which was a simple fact that Denji was Chainsaw Man. The mere sight of his presence caused her to instantly freak out and wanted to stay away by using her tentacles, but nothing really worked as he slices and dices everything that comes his way. 

What left Yuko in confusion was being unable to read any of Denji’s movement.  All she could really do was read his mind and be puzzled by the thoughts going on through his mind. ALL HE’S THINKING ABOUT IS HOW TO EXPOSE HIS SECRET IDENTITY  WHILE MAKING IT SEEM NATURAL.   No lie that had me laughing because it was just classic Denji! A simple concept of relying on sheer instinct which was something I think we all knew Denji’s done before.  Moments later,  Asa regained conscious while feeling some pain as she gets back up on her feet to witness Chainsaw Man standing before her. Not even a second passes for Yoru to regain control of Asa with an ounce of disgust towards Chainsaw Man as both look towards one another bringing a close to the chapter. 

All in all, This chapter of Chainsaw Man gets an Amazing+ rating. It was a huge adrenaline ride from start to finish seeing how things escalated within this small section of Yuko’s attack on the school. I absolutely loved Denji’s entrance into the story again looking completely unfazed and confident to take on The Devil that’s attacking his school. There was no holding back just the amount of sheer will and strength as he took on Yuko was done amazingly. The only minor nitpick I have with this chapter is that we don’t exactly know what happened with “The Student” after Denji took out the Justice Devil, but I definitely feel like we’re gonna find that out in the next chapter.  Not just that, but Tatsuki Fujimoto just knows how to leave his readers wanting more by having Chainsaw Man and Yoru stare off in the final two pages. You could also add in the fact that it went by really quick as a minor nitpick, but damn Fujimoto knows his writing and it’s incredible. So far I’ve posted each chapter thought day after day and I think given my current pace I should be caught up before the latest chapter drops her shortly, but that’s just only gonna add more for what’s to come with Chainsaw Man.Until then, I hope you all take care of yourselves out there.                    

[ughwhateveridek]

Blog 2

Karma

"A boomerang returns back to the person that throws it."

-Vera Nazarian

In today's world, this word gets thrown around a lot. Does anyone even know what it truly means?

Karma is the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. In simple words, it's good or bad luck, viewed as resulting from one's actions.

But people don't get this. Most people just use this word when their own sadistic desires get fulfilled.

People who use this word way too often are definitely a lot, but the people who actually understand its meaning and believe in it are very few.

It is also often confused with 'destiny'. Karma isn't necessarily the same as destiny; but it can be seen as a part of it.

Karma is also defined as 'the law of cause and effect', in the sense that every action brings about a corresponding reaction.

The ENDLESS KNOT is a famous symbol that represents 'Karma'. They symbolize the interlinking of cause and effect, a Karmic cycle that continues eternally.

But, all this leads to one major question arising, IS KARMA REAL OR JUST A MYTH?

I feel the answer to this question is subjective. A lot of people believe in Karma because they have experienced instances where, when they'd lost all hope, "Karma" came through for them. While on the other hand, people could just as easily argue that the concept is stupid and all the things that happen are mere coincidences because it makes people feel, for even just one second, that the world isn't all unfair; there is still some sense of justice.

I personally believe in it, maybe because it reinforces that there is still fairness in this unjust world, or maybe because something like this has happened to me, or maybe for some reason I just do.

A few years ago, my then best friend and I had a major fight because of a guy she brought into our life. The guy wasn't even someone she was romantically interested in, he was just a little more than an acquaintance. Yet she distanced herself from me for him. All our other friends saw this; asked both of us to make amends. I was ready to forgive her, she just never apologized. The fight was never resolved. She later ended up dating the guy. At that point it had been more than 6 months since we last talked. Their relationship went on for a good 2-3 years. A few months ago I found out the guy dumped her for someone else and for old times sake I reached out to her, asking her if she was okay or not. She ended up apologizing and we're on talking terms now.

What was that? Karma? Coincidence? Something else? I don't know. I only know that my faith in some God-ly things was restored that day and suddenly I was a believer.

Karma is also said to have linkages to past lives. A lot of people don't believe in past lives or rebirth, but I do.

I know someone who's scared of bobby pins, yes the not-at-all-dangerous pins people put in their hair. She'd been scared of them for as long as I can remember. A while back she got really into meditation and I don't know how true the next part is, but apparently in meditation when you reach a certain level, you can see visions of your past/future life (past life regression). She ended up seeing one such vision where she was killed in her previous life by nails being nailed into her head. Awful, right? But suddenly her fear of bobby pins started making a lot of sense…

"Why does this always happen to me?", "Why do I always suffer?", are some questions that a lot of us wonder about quite often. You're this wonderful person and who always thinks about others yet you still get tested so much, yet things always seem to go wrong. Why is it so? Maybe it's your past life? Maybe you're paying for the sins you committed in that life? Nobody knows for sure. But still, why not be good? Why not help people around you? Why not always be kind? Because no matter whether you believe in Karma or not, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being altruistic (to a limit, of course) and personally the smile you get afterwards is bigger than any reward you can possibly imagine.

[mitigatedchaos]

I'm a politics writer. I write about politics, metapolitics, political theory, social combat theory, and futurism, for the most part.

As I discovered, even the uncensored versions of Llama-2 just don't have a lot of political or strategic theory in their training data. You can't call it up, because it's just not in there.

Censored Llama-2 is worse. You'll be cruising along and then bump into some prog shibboleth, and then it will spiral off from there. The 70-billion parameter model works through things at a much higher level than the simpler ones, but it's annoying, because it interferes even when playing around with fiction. You can't just delete and regenerate the response, because the ideology is embedded too strongly in the model.

Nous Capybara 34b is different.

It's based on the Chinese model, Yi-34b-200k. Its only languages are English and Chinese. It leans lib, but it has a lot more political theory. You can ask it for war plans in which your fictional country goes to war with America, and it'll draw up war strategy for you. These plans will be very basic, general stuff, but will in general make sense.

You can tell it you don't like the ideology of Social Justice, and it will agree to reframe its response. You can tell it to provide a right-wing interpretation of the topic under discussion, and even though that's not its default, it can draw up a reasonable one.

It also has a tremendous context window. A conversation about a particular variety of devil recently stretch to around 6,500 words (~8k tokens) without too much issue.

Further, Nous Capybara incorporates LessWrong posts as part of its training data, meaning it was put out by our guys.

But despite all this, it's still not currently useful in the day-to-day writing of mitigatedchaos.

The information is too unreliable. The ideology of mitigatedchaos is too boutique, and would probably need a dedicated to-AI-explainer text of 4,000 words or more as a standard background in order to call up all the components. Mitigatedchaos posts are very dense, with a 5:1 compression ratio, and routinely move between concepts quickly. Even setting that aside, Yi can't write a mitigatedchaos post because it's just not working at a high enough level of abstraction.

(Actually, a 4-6k word list of ideological statements to feed into an LLM and see what happens might be a good project.)

So while you all were chewing on the Swift Pill post, I was asking Nous Capybara to combine Ranma Saotome and Tanya Degurechaff into one character, and then propose a suitable isekai scenario.

Why? Because with the mashups, I always hope it's going to suggest something totally off the wall, something I wouldn't have expected, and the results are usually disappointing, but the stakes are low.

Naturally the results were all pretty boring. The back and forth did lead me to thinking about the need to decompose the { soldier } and { gender-bending } elements, and assign them to different isekai worlds, in order to exploit the world transition, and how much potential story energy might be available from the world transition.

One thing that might be interesting to try out is vibes-based prompting - dumping a short, unrelated document of particular tone at the top of the prompt, telling the AI to ignore it at the top, and then put the actual prompt beneath it at the end. Human-written sources are dense information, and this might be able to draw out different behavior.

Is the "Swiftpill" an experiment in AI-generated content? It has a few hallmarks of AI roleplay, particularly in the repetition of concepts (date-break up-write song, "giver appears to be Taylor Swift") through different parts, and the inclusion of a loss of identity which sits at odds with the stated premise of becoming Taylor Swift (ignoring the pill's one condition completes the transformation). It bears the shape of similar posts, without a coherent conceptual throughline of its own.

It is not in fact AI-generated. (In my experience, an AI would not generate that post without some considerable coaching.)

the inclusion of a loss of identity which sits at odds with the stated premise of becoming Taylor Swift

Good noticing. That was deliberate. This is discussed in the previous post that I was writing while you sent this ask.

[taurianskies7]

Let me clear this up for you:

Since no one seems to understand. Time to rant. 

CONCEPT OF KARMA

I absolutely hate how western practitioners have twisted the meaning and bastardised it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely rooted in my roots and I’m not an extreme traditionalist but people using the concept of karma by first misunderstanding its foundations and then using it to justify horrendous shit is unbelievable. Which then, leads to people trying to divorce karma from its associations.

Okay, let’s just break it down. Idk how they just reduced Karma as “what goes around, comes around” & treated it like a cause and effect deal, because it isn’t. Using Karma to justify suffering and oppression was NEVER it’s original purpose. Looking through Hinduism & Vedic teachings, Karma is a law that human in the centre of responsibility, in every way, shape and form. There is a reason Karma is tied with Saturn (Shani), the God of Karma, Justice and Retribution, and ANY astrologer can tell you how Saturn operates in similar principal. Karma doesn’t teach people to shut up & suffer because they deserve it. Karma says that the cycles that exist are created by and through humans, their suffering & good fortune accordingly and by virtue, it is in their hands and will alone on how they want to cultivate their actions.

It DOESN’T discount systematic oppression.

It DOESN’T tell you to sit on your hands and suffer because it’s your fault.

It DOESN’T tell you that you’ll get good things after suffering.

What Karma does is present you with the situation of your life, then waits and watches what YOU choose to do with it, how YOU work or manage it. Ultimately, being tied to Saturn, it expects you to take responsibility on creating your own situation.

And no, I’m not saying this in the way that the way people are, and how they’re suffering is because they somehow “were a bad person in their previous life, etc etc”, I’m saying that it acknowledges that people have different situations & personal suffering, yes, a LOT of things in life are fundamentally difficult but you need to understand, the planets or the gods didn’t create suffering on such a global scale, it was ultimately humans/men themselves that perpetuated and continued the cycle of suffering, and it is, ultimately, in our hands to make it better or worse. Karma treats everyone equally this sense, but it is very difficult to understand this if you don’t realise that the concept of Karma is deeply tied with cycles, especially as Hinduism treats time as a cycle itself, and often times people really can’t and don’t have the knowledge of comprehending anything but their own/current life while they’re alive. 

Karma isn’t an immediate slap in the face (unless you have those placements that make it so) as you know, the GOD OF KARMA is literally called the slowest/slow moving planet and is symbolised by a tortoise, the effects of your Karma accumulate and thus it usually manifests in the various cycle of lifes. I understand that western practitioners or those growing up with largely Christian themes/society can’t understand because we don’t have a definite “end”, the only “end” that comes from cycles of reincarnation is through burning the ties of Karma and liberating the soul. There are three types of Karma:

1. Sanchita karma, the sum total of past karmas yet to be resolved. 2. Prarabdha karma, that portion of sanchita karma that is to be experienced in this life. 3. Kriyamana karma, the karma that humans are currently creating, which will bear fruit in future.

There are some things in life you can’t control, there are also things in life that you can control. Karma is a continuous cycle until you achieve moksha, which is the ultimate goal of liberation.

Hinduism/The Vedas has recognised and understood the way the Law of Karma works, that’s one of the main reasons Dharma was made one of the aims of life, the act of good deeds, performing proper responsibilities & personality that ultimately gears you towards attaining (good)karma that will make it easier for you to pursue the other “Purusartha” aka aims of life, and of course, the path towards liberation in general.

From this perspective, we see life as fundamentally connected with everything, including people, action, deeds, nature, planets, the universe etc etc, Karma is just a law that explains one part of such. Astrology has always been one of the main tools used to deeply study the bond between the planets and a human existence (soul & body), one of the main reason Karmic Astrology exists is because the intrinsic ties our existence has with different elements of life, and of course, the soul that has & will be going through everything. Now that you’re in the end of this post, I hope you never misuse the concept of “Karma” because I’m going to arrive there with Saturn to slap a bitch.

[caspianjames]

Having Young Royals brain rot now about August??? I think he’s often made out to be the villain and he’s really,,,not??? Did he do a shitty thing? Absolutely. Do I think he’s a bad person? Absolutely not. He’s incredibly well written and I think in a lot of ways he’s very easy to empathize with. Here’s why.

That kid has pretty much everything going against him. Canonically he’s what? 17? 18? His dad is dead, he clearly doesn’t have a good relationship with his mom or stepdad, he’s clearly never had a safe space to process his dads death and work on recovering, he’s relying on stimulants to get through school, the girl he likes decides to date him but only cuz she can’t get his cousin, he has virtually no caring adults in his life, he’s bankrupt and terrified that the only semblance of normalcy he has left (hillerska) will be ripped out from under him. That kid is a fucking mess and absolutely the consequences of this mean he’s going to lash out. He gives so many warning signs that he’s not doing okay too. But so, to break this down point by point:

1. His dead died in a rather horrific manner, his mom moved on but clearly was not around to make sure that her son was okay. He’s often referred to a stupid or prideful for not wanting to give up part of the family estate so he’s not bankrupt except that’s the only thing he has left of his dad. And it’s not even his fault he’s bankrupt, he’s a kid!

2. Not having a safe space to process his dad dying is sort of visibly a given, but actually to take that one step further I think he DID have a safe space. It was Erik. And then Erik died and this kid truly has nothing, not even Wille because he was more interested in Simon than paying attention to what August was going through (which isn’t Wille’s fault, he hardly knew August and clearly had different values and stuff from august. But watching the show I get the feeling August is really looking to be someone meaningful to Wille and Wille just,,,really doesn’t like him). He said this in a roundabout way to Felice, too, when he was jealous of her relationship with Willhelm. It was something like “you’re my girlfriend, you’re supposed to comfort me so that I can comfort him.” Which I think is a two fold thing where firstly, no one realizes how hard Erik’s death hit him and how much he needs someone to tell him that stuff is going to be alright, but secondly, the last thing we see Erik tell him is to take care of Wille. So now he also feels like he’s failing to do that. And Willie, the one person who he could relate to about Erik, hardly wants anything to do with him.

3. I am SO interested to see where the plot will go with the meds he’s relying on. I don’t think it’s ever actually made clear if he thinks he DOES have ADHD or whether he’s just using the meds to cope but either way it’s a problem that shows he doesn’t have adequate support, you know? Even the school counsellor dude was just like “ok guess ur gonna walk out of my office bye then” instead of altering the headmaster or his parents or a teacher he trusts or ANYTHING. And, as the season progresses he gets more volatile. Why? He’s out of meds (and, whether or not he actually has ADHD and needs meds, that means he’s low on dopamine and is going to start doing stupider stuff to get his brain to reward him). (Side note, given the role ADHD and also substance abuse plays in the series I really, really hope they do both concepts justice)

4. Felice dating him even though she has no interest. No hate to her for that, honestly, I don’t think she was really interested in anyone except making her parents happy with her. She’s under a whole different kind of pressure. But august? He clearly really likes her and is trying hard with her, until everything sort of falls out of his grasp nearer the end of the season cuz he thinks she’s in love with Wille and is otherwise not coping well at all.

SO ALL THAT leads up to him outing Wille, which we see from Wille’s POV but never really from August’s, right? We see Wille yelling at August about how he was supposed to be able to trust him, but honestly I think from August’s POV Wille broke that trust first. We said already that pretty much the only thing August had left going for him was Hillerska, and by extension his friends and community there. When Wille wants them to make Alex take the fall for the drugs to save Simon, he literally exposes August and basically rips that away from him sooner than August is ready for, because now all the boys know that he’s bankrupt. In Wille’s mind it’s not a big deal - it’s a means to an end and he already knows he’s asked his mom to cover August’s tuition. It’s a very calculated but very smart move.

Except that Hillerska is all that August has left, and in a sense, Wille takes that away from him. Can you imagine how horrible that would feel for August from someone he trusted?? And honestly there is nothing more dangerous than someone who has been wronged and feels like they have nothing to lose. You can tell when Sara sees August at the computer. He doesn’t make up a story, he doesn’t care. He just wants to hurt Wille back in the only way that he can regardless of the consequences.

I don’t even think he’s homophobic or anything, either. He took the video initially to make fun of Wille with, and then when he realized what it was he didn’t say anything. But in that moment that was the one thing he had on Wille that he could weaponize because he knew it would be taken badly by the general public. 

And then he gets the call of his tuition being paid and you can see reality crash down around him when he realizes rationally what he’s done.

Anyways. My conclusion is. This poor kid has literally no one looking out for him. Like, not a single person. And that’s what happens, you know? No one does horrible things or irreparable damage to themselves or others on a whim. There’s almost always a build-up of hopelessness or anger that has to overflow first. This is a real life thing. This shit is preventable. And I really, really hope we get to see that with August. I hope we get a redemption, but an honest one. Because no matter what led to his actions, they still have real consequences. I hope the show creates a storyline where we see him getting what he needs from the adults around him while also having to deal with the consequences of his actions.