#i assume 1000 total

[cockbiteproductions]

hey other astarion fuckers i got a question (spoilers for his backstory ahead).

so it's said or implied several times throughout the game that astarion had sex with the people he lured back for cazador, but how does that work logistically? when in the night and where are they having sex? i would imagine the series of events goes something like this:

they meet in a seedy tavern

astarion is all like "come back to my place so we can fuck" or "let's go somewhere private"

they arrive to cazador's place or go somewhere away from eyes and astarion incapacitates them whereupon they are brought to cazador's place

cazador drinks them dry

where in this timeline is there room for fucking? perhaps a longer one that's not one night stands where they string people along for a while before they bring them to cazador's? but why do that if you could do it in one night?

also vaguely related, is it not suspicious if the same people keep hanging around your tavern and the people they go home with are never seen again? do the victims not have families? where is the flaming fist? is cazador paying them off? even so you'd think with the numbers game eventually one of their victims will have friends/family that are insistent enough that they won't drop the disappearance thing. i have to know how they are getting away with this!!

[echoing-gravity]

Can Marinette Bench press a building?!

(Ladybugs, also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are able to carry objects that are up to 1,000 times their own weight due to the unique structure of their exoskeletons. An exoskeleton is an external protective covering that provides support and protection to the insect's body. This covering is made up of a material called chitin, which is a strong and lightweight polymer. The exoskeleton also gives ladybugs their characteristic shiny, hard shells. Ladybugs use their powerful leg muscles to lift and carry heavy objects, such as large leaves or other insects. The unique structure of their exoskeleton allows them to distribute the load evenly across their body, making it possible for them to carry heavy objects without being weighed down. Additionally, their strong legs and other muscles are equipped to sustain this weight too)

But like with her legs???

I wanna see a MLB x DC fic where Marinette is working with young justice and like a building fucking falls on them but marinette just fucking kicks it away. Or picks it up. Itd be even more absurdly funny if she wasn't transformed and the super strength is like a kwami side effect.

WHAT IS MARINETTES WEIGHT? IS THERE A CANNON ANSWER??? DO I HAVE TO PULL A MATPAT AND DO PIXEL MEASUREMENT MATHAMATICAL BULLSHIT???? I WANNA KNOW IF SHE CAN LOFT A BUILDING OR NOT!!!

[trivalentlinks]

Saw (and reblogged) a Benfords Law post going around asking people to vote the first digit of the current number of votes, which is cool! There's something deterministic about it, though (explanation below cut).

So let's do a more chaotic (less predictable) version and see if it still works:

Please vote the first digit of the number of notes on the post directly above this one on your dash.

So if the previous post has 213 notes, vote 2. If there is no previous post or it has no notes, use the post below. If that also has no notes or would take too much scrolling, vote None.

Then please reblog so more people can see this and we can try to get a better distribution!

Explanation:

For the version where you vote the first digit of the number of votes on the current poll, it's deterministic (up to human/computer error) because:

Based on the total number of votes at the end, say N, you can predict (without Benford's Law) how many votes each digit should have, assuming everyone votes correctly, because you know how many numbers less than N have each digit as their first digit.

For example, when I voted and reblogged there were roughly 28000 votes, and the numbers for digits 3-9 were the same, which could have been predicted from the fact that the number of numbers <28000 that start with a 3 is the same as the number of them that start with a 4, etc: they are all 1,111:

For 3 it's 1000 (for numbers 3000-3999) + 100 (for numbers 300-399) + 10 (for numbers 30-39) + 1 (for the number 3), so 1111.

Same for those that start with 4: 1000 (for numbers 4000-4999) + 100 (for numbers 400-499) + 10 (for numbers 40-49) + 1 (for the number 3), so 1111.

The number for 1 would be the same 1,111 as above except with an extra 10,000 for numbers 10,000-20,000, so total 11,111.

And for 2 would be 81,111, for the same 1111 as before but plus 80,000 for 20,000-28,000 (where 28,000 is the total number of votes).

There would be some error due to people voting incorrectly, or timing issues (someone voting before seeing the page update from the previous person's vote), but the distribution would be mostly predictable.

(Though this is not exactly the right distribution, because in the poll they all basically had 6% and the calculation says it should be 4%; I wonder if a nontrivial number of people are accidentally clicking last digit instead?)

[iiwaijime]

Can you do 🐙💍💐🍺 with Inumaki? 🎀🎀

here u go !! my handwriting is actually much better btw.

yes this is a confession — toge inumaki x gn!reader

wc <1000 || event

cws: swearing, one mention of death threats, gn reader

arranged marriage is not something you particularly adore. thankfully, you're able to pull things around enough for your husband to be your friend, toge inumaki.

he's a bit of a freak but at least he's nice and not like the weird guys from other clans..

totally the type to buy you flowers "for his beautiful spouse xx"

if you remind him it's an arranged marriage he'll be like, so?? it's for show, dude. (it isn't)

after the wedding he goes to yuta's and ugly cries cause you look so perfect and he's literally in love with you

he leaves colourful sticky notes around the house with cute messages; "what a nice friend!" you think at first

it feels weird to actually fall for him after the two of you get married

you being as oblivious you are, feel extremely guilty for this "one-sided" thing

you start regarding him completely differently

has he always looked this good in everything

he lets you borrow all his clothes — whatever you want, it's yours from the moment you lay your eyes on it

"if we're a married couple, might as well let you have the perks too."

text to speech is a godsend

one night the two of you are lying in bed (with an awkward amount of space between the two of you) when you're overcome with an unusually high amount of guilt. you roll over onto your side to look at him. he's still awake, staring outside at the stars. before you can say anything, he types something out on his phone — really fast — and gives it to you. the bright light hurts your eyes, and you have to squint to read the words.

shootimg star mkae a wisj

your eyes trace the stars path as you murmur a wish, propping yourself up on one elbow to get a better look. inumaki looks detached, distant as he — you assume — makes his wish, too.

"what did you wish for," says the monotonous voice of the text to speech app.

"i can't tell you," you reply. "my wish won't come true that way."

he shakes his head obstinately.

"it's just us here, so it's fine," says text to speech.

"i wished for you to get your happily ever after," you confess finally. "i took away any hope you had of a proper relationship, and—"

"shut the fuck up," the monotone voice tells you, and toge is scrambling up to switch the lamp on and scribble something on one of the post-its from the pile that you consistently keep refilling every day. he shoves it unceremoniously into your hands, and it takes all of thirty seconds for the words to register in your brain.

"what the fuck, are you serious right now?"

he grins awkwardly at your reaction, not knowing if it's a positive response or not, but then a moment later, it all becomes clear.

timeskip :3

tysm for reading n following !

love,

hyena

[starbylers]

After spending some time listening and re-listening and thinking a lot, I think I finally have my head wrapped around all these songs. This post is an exploration of what they could tell us about Mike’s story, and also a sort of theory I noticed once I saw the full picture. This playlist is—in my opinion—the story we’ve been theorising for the past two years reflected in 12 songs. That might sound hyperbolic but it’s simply what I heard and interpreted, and wanted to share because I enjoyed writing it. I hope this is an interesting read!

If you didn’t see my last post about why I do believe this is Finn’s Mike/ST playlist despite the somewhat ambiguous title you can read that here. It’s totally okay if you disagree but I’m not interested in debating it, and this analysis is coming from a perspective of assuming we've guessed correctly that the playlist relates to ST (obviously we can't 1000% verify that, but for the purposes of this post that’s my stance).

I’m going to focus on themes and overall meanings in the songs because in my opinion that’s where any connections are going to lie, rather than specific lines holding anything important (aside from a few which I’ll highlight) because I feel like that’s closest to how Finn would’ve thought while making it. Basically a macro level representation of Mike and what he goes through next season, something that would help a person get into the headspace of a character. Oh and my larger point is about the playlist as a whole, which will come together at the end :)

➠ Track 1 | Ballad of the Texas King

The first song is an anomaly in that I think it’s meant to set the tone more than anything else. These explain better than I could hope to:

"Itʼs a murder ballad, and as is common in murder ballads, deals with promise and innocence being snuffed out.” [link]

"Clarke sings of a chance encounter with an ominous figure that feels akin to selling your soul at the crossroads" [link]

Hey kid come along, something is wrong, I believe you now / All this to say only one way that this can go / Come with us for a ride / Don’t it feel like hell? Boy let me tell you, that’s where you are

• • •

A nice little coincidence, Finn himself is quoted as saying season 5 is a “crossroads”. I can see this song being an allusion to inevitable big choices with life-altering consequences next season, and also more mature themes being tackled within Mike’s story. I mean he’s stepping back into his role as leader, and now they’re older that will come with a lot more weight and responsibility in situations where the fate of the world is likely hanging in the balance. Not to mention how his personal struggles will be tied up in that, it’s probable that a slightly darker, more self-reflective—and transformative—tone is waiting for us in regards to season 5 Mike.

➠ Track 2 | What You're Doing

A simple song about a turbulent relationship where one person is unhappy because their partner is messing them around, and they're pleading with them to stop.

Look what you’re doing, I'm feeling blue and lonely / You got me running and there's no fun in it / Please stop your lying, you've got me crying, girl

The partner is the one holding control in the situation, while they feel at the mercy of their partner’s careless choices. The mood here is one of helplessness and desperation while still remaining open-hearted, hoping they’ll change.

I've been waiting here for you wondering what you're gonna do / If you should need a love that's true it’s me / Why should it be so much to ask of you what you're doing to me?

• • •

This is heavily M!Ieven coded. What do we know about their dynamic? Mike is always the one chasing El (trying to “win her back” in s3, terrified of her not needing him in s4, stressing about her being in danger all the time). El is consistently seeking autonomy (choosing to learn about her identity over pursuing romance with him in s2, choosing to break up with him in s3, choosing to leave him behind in s4, and I’m willing to bet she’s the one who removes herself from his storyline in s5). We know their separation will happen early season, and naturally things between them must be unstable leading up to this. El being the one to pull away while Mike stresses over it checks out considering these past patterns, and also the end of s4 with her already closing herself off while Mike appears at a loss.

➠ Track 3 | After The Earthquake

A song reminiscing on a relationship and the failure and death of it, with a sense of lingering nostalgia and unwillingness to let it go. It’s set to the backdrop of a metaphorical car crash.

It wasn't built to last / If you wake up you’ll remember the awful things I said / Looking back to the vibrant days / Those days I'd never let you fall apart but things fade / Why would I ever fall in love again when every detail’s over the guard rail? / Velvet curtains drawn, flowers at your feet / Say you’ll climb your way out of your wake now / Are you awake now?

• • •

In simpler terms…this is a break up song. The longing tone makes sense to me for M!Ieven because I’ve long suspected the initial split between them is not going to be super clean cut (this should make more sense later). Mike and El were together for a long time for their age, and have a lot of intense shared memories. El was also his first and only experience of relationships; it’s going to be difficult to detach. It being the right decision to end something doesn’t mean it’s easy or simple. Even if Mike is gay and didn’t truly like her romantically, he still loved her and in my opinion that distinction isn’t something he’s going to have figured out and made peace with the second it ends.

➠ Track 4 | Promises I've Made

Very straightforward and repetitive, and follows on seamlessly from the last song: this is about having trouble moving on from someone who’s left your life.

Ever since you have gone the days don't seem so bright and I wish I could forget you but I can’t / I have promised myself I wouldn't dream of you but I find that awful hard sometimes to do

• • •

Based on what I’ve seen people might fight me on this, but to me it’s M!Ieven coded mainly because of its positioning in the playlist (directly after a struggling relationship song + break up song) but also because it is technically about an ex love. Could we say it doesn’t need to be interpreted that specifically? Yes. I suppose it could be Byler coded too but personally...the way I would interpret it is as Mike moping over whatever happened with El. There’s not any intense emotional pining going on; if you listen it has a very laid back, chill sort of mood and is honestly very upbeat. There’s no deep heartbreak. It’s just about missing someone. Plus it sort of perfectly closes out the process we see over the last two songs of being unhappy with someone, to breaking up and grieving, to the typical post-break up struggle of navigating this hole in your life and naturally missing what once filled it. This is a whole sub-arc for Mike.

➠ Track 5 | Angst In My Pants

We’ve reached the gay section! This song is about trying to fit yourself into an acceptable—aspirational, even—life but never feeling content, and continuously trying to squash this troubling Feeling, the titular phrase: angst in (your) pants. Some people think it’s a reference to literal physical arousal but others including me think that in context it’s intended more as a metaphor for sexual frustration/dissatisfaction.

I hope it doesn't show, it'll go away / It's just a passing phase / When you’re all alone, you and your head / When you think you’ve made it disappear it comes again, hello, I’m here and I’ve got angst in my pants

The queer subtext here is very clear, I don’t think I even have to explain (check out the cover art too lol). The song closes with a realisation/acceptance that no, this “phase” won't ever go away i.e. it’s just who you are.

Give it a hundred years, it won't go away

I also thought one of the opening verse lines was an interesting segue from the last few songs:

But when you’re all alone and nothing bites you’d wish you stayed at home with someone nice

• • •

Angst In My Pants may aswell be titled Forced Conformity the thematic parallels to ST are that blatant. Another point for team Mike Wheeler actually is connected to the main themes of the show like all his other friends, and no it’s not because he’s somehow oppressed for being a nerd. Also rather than being about feelings for another person the song is about personal struggle with sexuality which excites me to think about in relation to Mike because we’ve been saying he needs to explore his own identity outside of being a love interest.

➠ Track 6 | The Better Side

A very sweet, slow, slightly melancholy song. I’ll be honest I cannot decipher more than 2/3 of the lyrics but here are the most meaningful ones of those I could:

I know you cry and I’m trying to keep you by my warmth

You’re never gonna see my eyes, you’re coloring all the skies you want to / I tried staying alive, keep my head on the better side when you’re far away

You’re on the better side you’re always the better one for me

You’re all that I need, I’m not gonna miss you anymore

My understanding is it’s about pining over someone who is a “better” choice, whatever that means in this context. Deciding you want someone, someone who you don’t currently have, someone who is maybe distracted, distant or physically absent? But vowing to change that because you recognise that you need them.

• • •

This directly follows the Gay Thoughts song, and precedes the Gay Thoughts song 2.0 so I feel safe interpreting it as Byler coded and about how it’s Mike’s turn to pine. (Also because “better” implies that there’s a “worse” i.e. this is a situation where you’re differentiating between two things i.e. in Mike’s case, Will vs El). I can envision Mike and Will getting moments together away from whatever chaos is surely going on, having the space to connect more where Mike starts becoming conscious of his feelings, realising slowly that Will is the “better” one for him. And as the song also suggests, perhaps Will has pulled away from him in the beginning. I think this is possible because the torment Will's likely going to endure from Vecna could understandably cause him to push Mike away, fearing his safety or him finding out how Will feels, and also I just don’t think he’ll be able to stand the pain of being M!Ieven’s couple’s counsellor for much longer without cracking. But I think Mike “it’ll be easier if we’re a team” Wheeler would make it his mission to fix any rift between them, the final line literally being I’m not gonna miss you anymore.

➠ Track 7 | Don't Ask Me To Explain

As far as I can tell, this song is about being afraid to face queer feelings for another person who is also hiding this about themselves, and being conflicted about whether to confess because you're not sure how they feel.

How will I ever know you enough to love you if you're hiding who you are? / How am I supposed to let it show when I don't even know? / Don’t move on without me, who will be watching my body when I sleep? / I don't want to be the one who's coming out first, I'd really like to but I'm just too shy

The end is an admission of…something. I’m not sure whether to interpret it as wishful thinking over this queer relationship you believe you can’t have, or as an offhand comment about forcing yourself to love someone you can’t because of your sexuality. Interesting either way:

It’s so easy to lie to myself and pretend that I could love you but I can't

I did do some research and the alleged true explanation of this song is it’s from one queer friend to another (man to woman, I assume both closeted, maybe a failed romance?) but I could only find one uncited source for that and everywhere else seems to agree with my interpretation so it seems when listening to the song that’s the story people hear. (Plus either way the song is about being queer. Undeniably so).

• • •

It’s not Byler coded we’re way past that, it literally just…is them. It does seem to suggest a level of internal conflict in Mike regarding coming out that I can’t say I expected (yes I have no doubts about canon Byler but I’m also a pessimist by nature—that should tell you how obvious their endgame is though lmao—so I assumed the Duffers would go wrong somewhere). I always thought he would be almost consciously clueless about himself until he finds out Will loves him, and the focus be more on him liking Will back rather than him liking boys (and obviously wasn’t a fan of that), but the prospect of Mike actually being aware and grappling with his sexuality is what we’ve been praying for and builds on the more low-level thrum of sexual confusion in Angst In My Pants. Oh and the song also could suggest Mike suspecting that Will likes him/is queer too before anyone confesses.

➠ Track 8 | What Do You Want Me To Do?

Another straightforward one. It’s quite angsty, a big contrast to the more sad feelings about a relationship from the earlier songs. This is about someone who left you for someone else/someone who walked out on you, who decides they want you back.

You walked out took your chance, turned your back on our romance / You said the change would do you good / But then the bubble burst your dream, turned into a nightmare scream / You came crawling to me your knees, and you were asking me to love you please

The main message of the repetitive chorus is basically: you want me to need you, but that’s not real love. You’re just using me to feel better about yourself.

What do you want me to do? Say that I need you more? Is that what real lovers do? Or only what you use me for?

• • •

I mean isn’t that last part how we’ve always described M!Ieven’s dynamic—all about aligning with the other’s needs whether for safety, validation or feeling ‘normal’, rather than genuine romance? I don’t think there’s any chance at all of El leaving Mike for someone else lol, as I said I don’t think we need to interpret these songs super specifically. But it does make me wonder: could we possibly see a moment of regression for El at some point in the season, after they separate? The focus here in my opinion is frustration at someone trying to re-enter your life when you know they don’t truly love you. Reflecting on their dynamic I talked about with earlier songs and their history in the show (El walking away, Mike scared to lose her), is it possible the break up could leave Mike struggling initially then he progressively understands why it was the right choice (especially after spending time with Will), meanwhile for El it’s the opposite—she’s more sure about breaking up but something happens later on that shakes her belief in herself. Her having one last hurdle to overcome in her dependency on Mike to finally break that pattern of hindering her growth by retreating to him could make sense. And based on this song…Mike would not be receptive to being El’s safety net. Growth for both of them.

➠ Track 9 | Substitute

Again, very angsty compared to earlier. It’s about a relationship characterised by false perceptions (focused on class), and those being what is holding it together. One partner is pretending to be something they’re not, cosplaying as someone else, and the other is also being dishonest/fake.

You think we look really good together / My fine looking suit is really made out of sack / The simple things you see are all complicated / Substitute your lies for fact / I see right through your plastic mac

The relationship breaks down because of this and their partner doesn’t truly want to fix things, and ultimately trades up.

Those crocodile tears are what you cry / It’s a genuine problem, you won’t try to work it out at all, you just pass it by / Substitute me for him / Substitute my coke for gin

Essentially: your partner not knowing the real you because you’re putting on a facade—the facade being the version of you they really like, the thing that was making you compatible—leads the relationship to fail. The literal title suggests neither of them as they are are what the other truly wants or needs.

• • •

Obviously this does not directly parallel M!leven in terms of the topic of the lying but in terms of the themes and core relationship issues…yeah. To me this could be about point Mike has reached after gradually coming to realisations about the nature of their relationship after it’s over, like I mentioned before. I can envision a mid-late season confrontation (or something less aggressive sounding lol) between them, pairing perfectly with the topic of the previous song. El scared trying to fall back on Mike and he’s like…no, we don’t work, I can’t be that for you anymore and this is why: betraying who he is (nerd) to impress her, trying so hard to play the “boyfriend” role (yet they never successfully emotionally connect), if he’s gay then there’s also the facade of straightness, etc. I think it would show a lot of emotional maturity from him honestly, and I really need him to have a strong grasp on what went wrong with El for them to have a shot at forming a healthy friendship, and also to psychologically process all that stuff before getting involved with Will.

➠ Track 10 | The Rebel Kind

A short song about life being tough when you don’t have much (this one is class-focused too), but still craving the freedom that comes from not following societal rules and pressures for how to do life “right”, and instead living on your own terms. Basically the struggle is worth not having to conform. The first verse sums it up pretty well:

They call us the rebel kind but they don’t understand the things a man must do to prove that he’s a man / It’s not easy but I don’t mind, I just wanna run with the rebel kind

• • •

Again, obviously the specific topic is not relevant to ST but the thematic parallels blew my mind, I mean the entire show is about people being outcasts and learning to find strength in that, and the final season is going to majorly drive that point. We know this from the fact that Will “being different” Byers is the one who’s arc is said to tie up the whole show. Now in regards to Mike…if this doesn’t scream forced conformity and deciding to reject it for your own happiness I don’t know what does. It perfectly captures the thematic end point of his arc next season (and not just his but probably the entire party’s in one way or another). Also the toxic masculinity reference in that one line applies heavily to Mike with his history of trying so hard to do what he thinks he supposed to do in going from boy to man i.e. We’re not kids anymore. Did you think we were never gonna get girlfriends?

➠ Track 11 | Block Rockin’ Beats

Another one I think is mainly to set a tone; no real lyrics just beats. In my opinion it comes after The Rebel Kind for a reason. Somehow it just makes sense, it’s got this really loud, frenzied, unrestrained energy to it.

➠ Track 12 | Just What I Needed

We end off with a love (or desire?) song. It’s interesting because it’s quite aggressive sonically but at the same time it talks about being with someone in a simple uncomplicated way:

I don’t mind you coming here and wasting all my time / I don’t mind you hanging out and talking in your sleep

…but it’s also very intense how you feel with them.

Cause when you’re standing oh so near I kinda lose my mind

There’s a repeated line that stuck in my head. It’s obviously written about a female subject, but there is such a rejection of the feminine going on:

It’s not the perfume that you wear, it’s not the ribbons in your hair

It’s saying those feminine attributes are not why this person is attractive—and yeah logically that means the subject must have those things, but as I’ve said I don’t think these songs need to be interpreted on such a specific level. The point being made is about a deeper connection. The line is just intriguing to me from the perspective of Mike being into boys, I mean he could’ve picked literally any other romance song.

I needed someone to feed / I needed someone to bleed / I guess you’re just what I needed

The message here is basically: I was craving the rawest form of connection/intimacy with another human being (that doesn’t have to necessarily mean sexual it’s just those visceral words feed, bleed in comparison to perfume and ribbons which sound very fluffy lol)…and now I’ve found you and it’s exactly what I was looking for.

• • •

With all the themes through the songs of rejecting fake relationships and conformity, and accepting and exploring queerness…Will Byers is obviously going to be the thing Mike needed. I’ve been saying (and so have many) but Byler isn’t happening till the end. Also the playlist finishing with this song is telling in my opinion. Aside from the Castle Byers Classics link, the title itself implies searching for something which is now found, a journey being over. I say this for the purposes of pushing my agenda about this playlist painting a narrative. Hear me out:

Personally……that’s not accidental. It just isn’t. Even if my more specific interpretations aren’t correct, I just cannot believe that this wasn’t curated to draw a particular picture. I believe in coincidences and if the playlist had been titled as it was with a bunch of random unconnected irrelevant songs I’d be the first person to file it under that. But the title and the inclusion of a song from Will’s official playlist and these specific songs in this specific order? Yeah it’s about s5 Mike and I cannot wait to see him! If you made it this far thanks for reading <3

[mangoshorthand]

Abigail sucks harder than Reginald.

I will never watch S4 again, so you might have to correct my memory here, but can we agree that Abigail is a total cunt? 1000% worse than Reginald.

She literally created marigold in the Reggiverse. Reggie had removed it from the Umbrellas, (right? Hence no powers?) and she *chose* to reintroduce it because apparently Reginald needed a lesson on hubris that just happened to take out several billion people in the process.

Abigail. Honey. Just kill yourself if you're that bothered. Don't like it? Just take yourself out of it. What the fuck is this? Why make a weird and convoluted plan that involved brewing up a batch of marigold, giving it to the umbrellas and just assuming they'd drink it when you could have just taken yourself out of the situation? (Not to mention that you could have executed your little world-annihilation plan by finding Jennifer and dumping the jar on her head. Why the umbrellas gotta be your middle man?)

Again, unless I'm misremembering something, this just seems like horrible writing. If there was no marigold in this world, why was it supposedly doomed?

And, I'm sorry, but when Reginald reset the universe using a machine left there by its creator, why the holy fuck did all the other timelines still exist to be navigated by that dumbass subway? Surely that should wipe them out and create a blank slate. It's a *reset* dammit.

[featherandferns]

slipping : where are they now?

jj maybank x fem!barry's sister!reader

content warning: mentions of sex; drug use

word count: 1.5k.

read slipping| Thank you so so much for 1000 followers!!! Since starting this blog in May of 2023, I have written so many characters and storylines. I get so many lovely anon messages telling me about their favourite universes and wondering what happens next after my fics have ended. So, I thought to celebrate 1000 followers, I’d indulge. Here’s the (current) where are they now for all of my fics so far…

JJ never thought watching you thrash Pope at Scrabble would give him a hard-on but here we are. What a journey of self-discovery your introduction to the Pogues have been. 

“Alright, obdormition,” Pope says as he spells out the letters on the board. “Sixteen-points plus a double word score makes thirty-two.”

“Obdor-mito-what-now?” JJ mumbles. 

“Obdormition,” Pope clarifies. He’s smug as he continues, “it’s a medical term which describes the paralysis of a limb.” 

Pope then looks at you and quirks his brows, waiting for you to go. You hold his stare and JJ struggles to hide his smirk because he knows that look on your face. 

“Good one, Pope,” you hum, delicately collecting your letters. “But two quick things. First, obdormition means temporary numbness, not total paralysis, in the limbs.”

Pope begins to frown as he watches you place your letters leisurely on the board. 

“And second, bigger words don’t necessarily mean better words,” you muse. Glancing to JJ, a smile twinkles in your eyes. “I learnt that the hard way.”

Everyone looks down at your finished word to read qualifier. 

“Thanks for the ‘i’,” you chirp. Pope adds up the score in his head and his mouth drops open when the calculation is complete. To save him the pain of having to say it, you announce, “21 points without the triple letter score. But since my Q is a triple letter scorer, that makes it–”

“Forty-one.” 

He looks to JJ as if his friend might provide some sort of consolation. JJ just smirks, proud as a parent, and gets up to grab another beer. He presses a kiss to your head as he passes. Kiara and Sarah stand in the kitchen, sharing a bag of chips. He steals one as he goes to the fridge. 

“Your girl’s thrashing Pope at scrabble, JayJ,” Kie says as she chews. 

“Yeah, I think he might start crying soon,” Sarah adds. 

“Bringing a man to tears: pretty impressive,” Kiara hums. 

“Nah. She does it to me almost every night.”

“JJ, gross,” Sarah snips. All JJ does is snigger and steal another chip.

His eyes drift back to you, giggling like a maniac as Pope stares dismally at the board. JJ’s assuming you’ve just thrashed him with another word. It feels nice seeing you take on a worthy opponent. JJ loved going head-to-head with you in board games, but where you excelled at Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, he triumphed at Guess Who and Monopoly. As if feeling his stare, you turn your head and meet his gaze. The smile you flash him has his stomach clenching, even after all this time. JJ mimics smoking as a silent request and you nod, turning back to Pope to temporary pause the game. The boy seems more than happy for the break and takes to studying his letters and the board as if at some world championship. You snigger as JJ wanders over to you, grabbing your hand and guiding you onto the porch. The two of you flop down onto the couch, enveloped in humid summer evening air as the crickets and critters chirp. 

“Havin’ fun?” JJ wonders as he fishes out his smoke kit. 

You nod, retrieving your vape and taking a hit. “Pope’s definitely got more impressive words than you.”

“What!? You’re kidding!?” JJ sardonically gapes. You bat him teasingly with your foot. “Well, everybody loves you.”

“Really?” you check. JJ glances up from the blunt he’s rolling to catch your queasy expression. His smile falters. 

“Course. Why wouldn’t they?”

“I don’t know. I just…” you break yourself off with a sigh. “I wasn’t sure if they would, considering what people say about me.”

JJ isn’t sure what to say. You save him from trying, offering a solemn smile. 

“I’m not stupid, JJ,” you quietly say. “I know what people think of me and my family.”

“Only because they don’t know you.”

“I guess. I was just worried that that was the whole reason you were keeping me from them.”

“No, of course not,” JJ immediately counters. “I told you before. All of that crap was because of your brother and because of me. I knew this lot would take a liking to ya. They’d be stupid not to.”

“You promise?”

JJ was still grappling with the repercussions of his actions. He knew he would, knew that maybe he might have to forever, but he couldn’t blame you. He’d kept you a secret from everyone for almost a year: it was bound to set some insecurities. He hated himself for it, for making you think that even still, there could be some ulterior motive for it.  But the fact that you were still here and felt comfortable enough to talk to him about it was more than plenty for JJ. He could happily live the rest of his life proving to you that you were the real thing for him. 

JJ dips a finger under your chin and tilts your head up to his, guiding your lips to meet his own. You contentedly sink into the kiss; JJ can feel your blooming smile. Breaking apart, your eyes open into his. 

“Promise.”

Sighing, you nod and snuggle against his side. JJ hooks his arm around your shoulder, holding you secure against him, cosy in your comfort. The two of you sit smoking your respective poisons, basking in the antidote of one another. 

“Is your brother home tonight?” JJ wonders after a pleasant stretch of silence. 

“Yup.”

“Ah.”

“I’m guessing we’re crashing at your place then?” you half-jokingly check. 

“Yup.”

“You know we have to rip that bandaid off eventually,” you hum. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody’s already told him.”

“I know,” JJ sighs, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “I’m just trying to delay a beating.”

You softly slap his chest, eliciting a laugh. “Don’t even joke, JJ.”

“I’m not,” he sniggers. “Your brother fuckin’ hates me, babe. I’m guessing that telling him I’m screwing his sister isn’t going to do me any favours winning him over.”

“Well, just avoid the word ‘screwing’ and you might be okay,” you offer. 

“Sorry. Fucking is what I meant to say.”

“JJ!”

“Rawdogging?”

“You better fucking not be,” you mutter. JJ barks out another laugh before mellowing himself out with another hit of his joint. “Maybe just avoid telling him that we’re having sexual relations altogether.”

“Sexual relations? I think that’s the worst one out of all of them,” JJ tells you. Your hum in reply tells him that you’re not in complete disagreement. As if placing a bookmark in the conversation, JJ presses a kiss to your forehead. “I will tell him, just when this whole treasure-hunt madness dies down.”

You nod. The chase for the key and the cross and the Royal Merchant now included you, and you finally understood what had JJ so preoccupied. It certainly didn’t hurt the group to have a brainiac like yourself working behind the scenes with them. 

With another sigh and a final hit of your vape, you break apart from JJ and pat his knee lovingly. “Right. I better get back inside and finish thrashing Pope at Scrabble.”

“Bring it home, baby,” is JJ’s encouragement. You flash him a grin and head back into the house; JJ’s eyes trained shamelessly on your backside as you go. Wearing those shorts should be illegal just for the places they send his thoughts. At the sound of the shutter door closing, JJ leans his head back, eyes slipping shut, and he continues smoking his blunt. He can hear your laughter drift through from inside the Chateau. Has his lips twitching upwards too. 

He almost jumps out of his skin when someone kicks his foot. Eyes shooting open and joint nearly dropped, he comes face to face with John B. He’s wearing a smug grin on his sweat glistening face. 

“Enjoying yourself?”

“I was finding inner bliss,” JJ grumbles, raising his blunt as proof. “Thanks for helping me lose it.”

“My pleasure,” John B returns. He drops onto the sofa beside JJ. “Your girl inside?”

“Mhm. She’s about to make Pope suicidal.”

“Scrabble?”

“Yep,” JJ grins. He offers the blunt and John B is glad to take. “You guys like her right?”

John B flashes him a look as if to say ‘are you crazy?’. “Course we do. She’s dope.”

“Alright,” JJ mumbles, smiling. He takes the joint back. “Just wanted to check.”

“Is this cause of what we used to say? Before we knew?”

“Kinda. She’s worried that I kept her from your guys because of all that,” JJ admits, never one to keep things from his best friend. 

John B hums, nodding in understanding. “Well, tell her that we were dumbasses to assume. And tell her I like the effect she has on my best friend.”

“Oh?” JJ sniggers. 

“Mhm. Never seen you happier, man. Or so relaxed, for that matter.”

“Well, she isn’t the only one to thank for that,” JJ grins, lifting the joint once more, trying to lighten the load of the conversation. 

“Yeah, well, she’s certainly the main one to thank,” John B counters. He gets to his feet with a quiet groan and heads to the door. Glancing through the screen, a grin comes to light. “You coming in? I think she’s about to finish Pope off.”

JJ gladly stumps out his joint and stands with that. Of course he has to see his girlfriend beat the so-called genius of the group at his game. The boner it’ll probably give him might kill him.

[2dami2furious]

Idk what if Margo is very escapist and basically figured out dimensional travel to get out of her shitty home life and the overall dystopian reality she probably lives in.

From what little we do know about her world it’s heavily implied that she lives in a Ready Player Oneish world where everyone is chronically online. I don’t think id be far fetched to assume that it is likely a corporatocracy controlled by massive tech and media conglomerates whose sole purpose is to keep people online for as long as possible. Everything is artificial and nothing is human. Think everything wrong with the internet times 1000. 

Isolation and a lack of human connection, coupled with her parents loveless marriage, fuels her obsession with the past. She loves the 21st century the same way gen-zers love the early 2000s. The fashion and technology reminds us of a hazy, bygone era where everyone was a little bit more human. Technological limitations allowed for genuine connection in a way that is increasingly harder to find in our world and nigh non existent in Margo’s.

Somehow she finds out about the multiverse. Collider shenanigans blase blah. She sees all of these different universes and the past, which she desperately longs for. A world where everything is simple and people go to real parks, and her parents love each other. Its not some maladaptive daydream that she acts out in her virtual house. It’s real. She just has to figure out how to get there.

She does, eventually. And it’s probably the greatest thing she’s ever done. She goes on an absolute multi-dimensional bender and Consumes Everything. From the 70s to the Renaissance to the 22nd century. Shes so enthralled with these worlds and their quaint existence. She doesn’t even realize that she’s been totally neglecting her spider duties until she’s too late to stop a virtual heist.

No matter. She updates her avatar with the ability to split into multiples, so she can leave traces of her code in different universes that send a live feed to her monitor. This way she is not limited to one world. She sees everything all at once and imagines this might be how god feels.

All of her dimension hopping gets the attention of a certain 6’9 Mexican Spider-Man from 2099. He asks her how she’s able to do it, and shows her his watch. He explains that it’s a prototype and wants to compare notes so that they can maybe come up with a more stabilized version of it. It’s the first time an adult has ever taken interest in anything she does.

Anyway she is one of the first recruits of the spider society and her knowledge is invaluable to its development.

[home-from-hogwarts]

unpopular opinion BUT the Percabeth soulmate aus have got it wrong. Annabeth would be the one who is super into soulmate marks and trusts them, Percy would be skeptic. Think about it.

Annabeth is an analytical character, she loves certainty. A soulmate mark, to her, means a guarantee of the correct decision. She canonically had a really unhappy home life (ie, Athena and her father's issues, etc)- the result of that might be that she imagines soulmates as being her "happy ending." The idea that there is someone out there who is guaranteed to love her would be a hell of a drug for a kid who feels totally rejected at home.

Percy, meanwhile, is already more of a freewheeling character. Between the two of them, he is less likely to want a soulmate mark as a 'crutch' when picking a girlfriend. He doesn't do well with authority- which soulmate marks kind of are, in their own way. His mom has happy relationships with both Poseidon and Paul, and I think we can assume they weren't both her soulmate. Percy is 1000% more likely to just be like, "what gives?"

I always see it the other way around (and only the other way around) in fics lol.

[sas-afras]

does anyone have ideas/headcanons for how regular people carry large amounts of caps around the wasteland? i started collecting bottlecaps in a giant sauce jar and it barely holds more than like, 50 in total, so i can’t imagine it’s easy to transport 1000+ caps like you do ingame without just being part of a caravan

i assume that most of the legitimate trade in universe is done via the barter system, but Some large scale purchases have to be done in caps in more established areas right?? more than just the spurs go jingle jangle jingle

[seri-41]

Let’s estimate AFOs Kill Count 😀

Been seeing people say AFO isn’t a good antagonist cuz he hasn’t killed anyone………. Tf?

So let’s take a look!

Be mindful this is an estimate! 😀

Spoilers and TW for character deaths obviously.

I will be basing this on:

1. Lifespan: AFO is over 121+ years old. Assuming he was active in villainy for most of this time, we can estimate his annual kill rate and multiply by the number of years.

2. Historical Events: Important events and battles where AFO is known to have killed. This includes those who were affected by the battles; civilians, heroes and villains.

3. Direct Kills: Instances where AFO is explicitly shown or mentioned to have killed someone in the manga.

4. Indirect Kills: Considering the broader impact of his actions, such as orchestrating villain attacks, leading the LOV, and creating Nomus.

I will be covering the manga only.

1. Yoichi Shigaraki

2. Kudo

3. All of Kudos relatives and any children/women close to him (Let’s say ~10)

4. Bruce

5. Banjo Daigoro

5. En

6. Nana Shimura

7. The Shimura family (Indirectly, but he still planned it and used someone else so it counts; that’s 5 people).

8. Orphans he collected at the orphanage (Said by Dabi: rogue or useless kids were disposed of)

AFO has been ruling Japan for a long time, and it was mentioned in the Character Book Ultra Analysis he has orphanages all over the country. Let’s take the most reasonable number we can.

If there are approximately 2 orphanages per prefecture in all 47 prefectures, that would be:

2 orphanages per prefecture * 47 prefectures = 94 orphanages (Keep in mind some of these children might have been stolen by AFO/the doctor over the years)

If each orphanage has about 1,000 orphans, then the total number of orphans would be:

94 orphanages * 1,000 orphans per orphanage = 94,000 orphans

So, there would be a total of 94 orphanages and ~ 94,000 orphans. Sound like a stretch but Japan has a population of 122 million so not unreasonable.

Minimum: If we take 1% who are useless or disposed of, that’s 940 killed/nomufied.

Maximum: If we take 50% who are useless or disposed of, that’s 47,000 killed/nomufied.

9. The winged Nomu

10. Other children/people (heroes, villain, and other randomly killed civilians) he and the doctor collected to make Nomu (~50)

11. Oboro Shirakumo (Used an explosive meant to kill Aizawa)

12. The people he gave quirks to over the years that ended up going insane (~100)

13. The people he murdered during his rule at the dawn of quirks directly/indirectly (~1000 +)

14. During his childhood chapter 407 (8 people)

15. The thousands of off-screen deaths especially during the final war (Bare minimum 1000+)

You don’t need proof for that

16. His own mother (Indirectly and not his fault, but worth the mention)

17. The people he murdered in front of the Aoyama family (Let’s say ~3)

18. Those killed during the Kamino incident

19. Tomura Shigaraki

20. Star and Stripe

21. Stain (that’s the blood that came out when AFO punched the guts out of him)

22. Gigantomachia

23. The Glowing baby

Attempted on-screen kills:

1. Lady Nagant

2. Bakugo Katsuki

3. Aizawa Shouta

4. Spinner (Almost turned him into a Nomu)

(-4 for that, but it’s still worth the mention)

In summary:

Annual Kill Rate:

If we estimate a conservative rate of 1000 kills per year (considering both direct and indirect actions), over 100 years, this would result in:

     • Minimum: 100 years * 100 kills/a year = 10,000 kills

     • Bare Maximum: 100 years * 1000 kills/a year = 100,000 kills

Yeah. Make your own assumptions based on this. That man has killed millions on average, so to the people that have been complaining on AFOtwt, here you go.

If you know anyone else I missed, please mention :) if you think I made an error please let me know!

[voxofthevoid]

Have any of you seen me talk about some fic idea or the other and thought, "Sounds nice, but man, we all know you won't get to that until 2800 or something"?

In April, my Ao3 account will be ten years old. Earlier, I made a post about doing something unhinged to celebrate it. It's nothing wild, just not something I usually do. But I figured I'd try stepping out of my comfort zone a bit.

Currently, I have 93 ideas total for JJK, out of which 76 are unwritten. Some are more detailed and high priority than others, but they are all fics I want to write. But there's no way in hell I'll get them all, especially if the ideas keep coming (which tends to happen until I run out of inspiration, at which point I'll stop writing entirely). So, for April, I'll try to write one(1) scene of approximately 1000 words for 15 of these ideas.

Pick the ideas for me, won't ya?

I can't add the descriptions under a read more because it turns out that writing even basic-bitch summaries for 76 ideas racks up one hell of a word count. So here's a Google doc listing them, categorized by ships. Many of these fics deal with a variety of taboo content, including but not limited to all four main Ao3 warnings. I have not included content warnings for each fic because the time needed would be prohibitive. If you've survived my Tumblr until now, you'll likely be fine.

Give me a number, either via replies or reblogs of this post or via asks (if you wish to remain anonymous). For the first 15 unique ideas I get, I'll write 1k. You can send multiple numbers, but I'll only pick one per ask.

The objective is to finish all of them by April and post them throughout the month. I certainly need the head start because taking prompts (even limited ones) and writing short scenes are not my forte. Yay challenge?

The link is here. It's kinda long, but the headings should help you navigate to ships you're interested in.

I'll reblog/update this post every day or so till all 15 slots are taken (assuming they will be 😂).

[kaitsawamura]

FICS FOR GAZA

I am proud to announce I will be joining the initiative created over at @ficsforgaza! They, along with all the other incredibly talented participants, are doing some really great work. Thank you to FFG for creating a tangible way for us to help those suffering in Palestine, even if some of us can't afford to offer monetary assistance <3

THIS POST WAS LAST UPDATED 6/25/24

I might open requests in the future but for now, I am accepting proof of donation to sponsor current WIPs only.

Select a vetted donation link. You can find a good list -> HERE <-

Send me a screenshot of your donation through my inbox or in a DM. Due to these factors, donations cannot be anonymous at this time. I will also be sharing screenshots/proof of donation with @ficsforgaza for their records and verification. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU COVER/BLUR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ON YOUR PROOF OF DONATION.

I would hope this wouldn't need to be stated but please do not reuse donation screenshots. Make a new donation for each request.

Once you have sent proof of donation and chosen your WIP, you can opt in or out to be listed as a tagged sponsor on the WIP's masterlist. Some of the available WIPs have masterlists already live (I would tag you and repost) and some are oneshots that have yet to be posted (you would be tagged as a sponsor at the time that it is finished and live).

I will label each work individually, but please assume that everything I write will be 18+ MDNI/N*FW at one point or another.

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For every $1 donated, I will write 100 words towards your chosen WIP. I.E: If you donate $5, I will write 500 words.

Current Word Count Cap Per One Request: 1000 Words (You can show proof of a larger donation, but this is currently the most words that can be requested per person ☺︎ )

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Thank you for reading and respecting my rules!

THIS IS CURRENTLY A PLACEHOLDER

SERIES

East of My Heart (West of My Soul) | Estimated WC: 50K | Current WC: 25.5K | Chapter WC: 5.1K/12K | BNHA Folk Tale AU | Prince!Izuku Midoriya x Reader | 18+ MDNI

Donations Made to Sponsor This WIP: 1

SUMMARY: Your life is one that is abundant with family and the magic in small things.  But when a great white bear comes rumbling at your family’s cottage door one winter’s night, you are obviously taken aback.  Even more so when he speaks to you in a language you can understand and asks for your help.  Come away with him, live with him in the ice castle he calls home for a year and day and release him from the curse that blights him.  You agree to go with him even if as time goes along, it is very apparent that there is more to this polar bear than meets the eye.  There is more to a lot of different things as you learn to love the polar bear as friend and companion during the day but are visited by a mysterious man who insists on sleeping in your bed every night.  Can you last a year and a day to save the bear from this strange enchantment?  Will you learn the true identity of the man you’ve come to care so deeply for?  Will you find yourself (and maybe love) along the way?

The Farmer and The Wizard | Estimated WC: 50K | Current WC: 3.2K | Chapter WC: 1.2K/3K | JJK Stardew Valley AU | Wizard!Gojo x Farmer!Reader | 18+ MDNI

Donations Made to Sponsor This WIP: 1

SUMMARY: You need a change, a big one. When your estranged grandfather passes away and bequeaths you his farm in a little town just south of the middle of nowhere, you take it as the sign you needed to make a change instead of waiting for one. The farm, while having fallen into a state of disrepair, is just the thing to cure your modern-world ailments. The people are kind and always ready to offer help, if a bit unusual. They have old superstitions, a haunted community center, and a resident wizard. Spoiler alert: those last two on the list take some getting used to. Yes, things are different here but you have a sneaking suspicion that the slow pace and a certain alchemical practitioner are going to remind you that sometimes, all you need is time and a little bit of magic.

that's just wasteland, baby | Estimated WC: 15K | Current WC: 2.2K | BotW/TotK!Link and Zelda x Reader | 18+ MDNI

SUMMARY: Calamity Ganon has finally been vanquished for good, Link and Zelda have finally managed to break the wheel. But things are not as either of them had hoped they would be. Zelda is soon to be Queen with all the duties of such a position. Link would remain her knight and yet, he is restless. When he hears of the restoration efforts in Lurelin Village, he decides that he must go. He can’t stay cooped up within the castle walls, not after so long in the wild. Zelda and Link are unsure of the new direction their lives are taking but maybe they’ll find that their true north is you.

ONESHOTS

a shrike and a thorn | Estimated WC: 3K | Current WC: 1.2K | Priest!Kento Nanami x Congregant!Reader | 18+ MDNI

SUMMARY: You save everyone but who saves you? You don’t know what makes you step foot in that church.  But you do and you spend the next year a dutiful congregant to Father Nanami.  Devoted and kind, he’s exactly the kind of man you would expect to be a priest.  And none of this would be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that you can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to see him lose his religion between your legs.  Unbeknownst to you, the good Father is having the same kind of thoughts.  Will the two of you build a new altar at which you might worship?

They Say It's Your Birthday | Estimated WC: 3K | Current WC: 1.6K | Pro Hero!Eijiro Kirishima x Reader | 18+ MDNI

SUMMARY: Strangers to lovers (they meet in the club), birthday smut for the Birthday Boy, I've had this in my drafts for literally three years to post on Eiji's birthday.

The Indomitable Human Spirit | Estimated WC: 2-3K | Current WC: 366 | Modern!Sukuna x Reader | 18+ MDNI

Donations Made to Sponsor This WIP: 1

SUMMARY: No description for this yet either, just wanted to explore the idea of Sukuna putting his claim on you but not in the way you'd think he would, more in like the thing about how a warring alien race comes to earth and is baffled and fascinated by the enduring human spirit.

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All works marked as such belong to Kait of kaitsawamura © 2020-PRESENT. Please do not alter, repost, or copy my content.

[hotasfahrenheit]

well pals, what i suspected was inevitable has come to pass sooner than expected and episode 5 of 1000 Years Old has already delivered us an episode with no new umbrellas.

i thought we had one-

-the yellow and orange Giant Porch Umbrella on the right side of the screen, but while i was looking through my screenshots because of some other stuff i wanna say about this show, i noticed that umbrella was definitely in a shot from episode 3 that was part of that episode's umbrella post.

this was after they'd started working on getting their ducks in a row to open the shop, so i'm gonna count it as one of Pun's umbrellas (since i just assume everything on the roof is his now) but i won't count it as new for this episode. so the show count goes up, but this episode count is sadly 0.

HOWEVER something we did get this episode is a noticable shift in Pun's umbrella behavior, which correlates to this episode's lack of new umbrella usage in general- he was out of the building and away from home multiple times in this episode with no umbrella. he has explained to Yoh that he uses the umbrellas to help himself stay cool, but this man claims the sun is too hot while constantly wearing sweaters, and is seen regularly taking his umbrellas out at night. i feel like it's pretty clear that his umbrella usage is not just to ward off the sun, and that his umbrellas give him a sense of security. they're emotional support umbrellas, necessary for going out into a world that he has lived in for hundreds of years but clearly still doesn't completely understand.

what else did he do multiple times this episode tho?

leave his umbrellas in Yoh's hands, whether Yoh was carrying the umbrella for him, or just using it while Pun was nearby.

we've seen Yoh using the umbrellas before, but idk this episode it felt more important and pointed, as Pun is making his intents with Yoh more clear and Yoh is also figuring out how he feels.

episode 2 had them on the roof using umbrellas together, but Pun had given Yoh a separate umbrella to use, where this episode, Pun was obviously comfortable letting Yoh have the only umbrella in the area.

his trust in Yoh is growing, their relationship is developing, they're the cutest?

umbrellas as a love language, who could have guessed it.

this episode umbrella count: 0 😭

total series umbrella count: 24 🌟✨

(check my pun's umbrella catalogue tag for previous weeks of umbrella posting!)

[octomae]

okay i beat side order for real this time :3 rainbow infinity... autistics (me) are winning

my tips and strategy under the read more (now with more chip tips since i posted this the day before):

Low Hacks 8's Palette

Hacks (x3): 3 Lives total, Armor recovery 10 seconds, Risky Rewards (18 chips) Strategy: Focus on splash damage, splash radius, explosions, knockback, bombs, ect.

General tips:

Hard and rigorous levels are hard and rigorous. I died on a hard level my first time running 8s palette like a week or so ago and it was... humbling.

ALWAYS have an escape route. Ink the walls. Stay AWAY from corners. The walls of the level are okay but do NOT back yourself into a corner.

Get a bomb you WILL USE. My preferred bomb in the tower is burst bomb (takes little ink, good for inking right away), so I got that from a vending machine.

Splashdown special is good for both taking out enemies quickly and knocking enemies back. I recommend keeping it for the strat I used, unless using it is like your worst nightmare. Don't hinder yourself if that's the case, but it does work extremely well with this strategy.

Don't be afraid to run away from a hoard. Ink with tap shots if you must just to give yourself some ground, but don't be afraid to just book it.

While in the level, stay on the move. Don't take risks; take your time to do it safe and cautiously.

Keep an eye on your membux. It's 100 to skip 1-9, 500 to skip 11-19, 1000 to skip 21-29. I don't recommend skipping early levels unless the chips offered are bad.

Unless a chip you're hunting for/need for your run shows up, take the vending machine floors, even if you don't plan to buy anything.

Don't be afraid to give up and start over if the chips you've got from 1-9 aren't preferable to progress with.

Chip tips:

Knockback (purple chip) and Explosion Knockback (purple chip) are VERY HELPFUL. You want to keep enemies AWAY from you. Just one of either will be enough, two of either won't hurt but palette space is limited and you'll want other chips.

Working together with knockback, Lucky Bomb Drop (green) is also extremely helpful. Just one helped me a lot. Two was definitely worth it. I'd almost say this chip is required.

Working together with knockback and lucky bomb drop, Splash Radius (orange chip) affects bombs and popped portals. Try and get at least one, it'll help you with Smollusk.

Sticky Ink (purple chip)/Poison Ink (red chip) are both very good. One of each is good, but I don't recommend stocking up on them, unless you're having trouble hunting damage chips down. Stock up on whatever sticky and poison you can in that case.

For 8s palette, Main Damage (Close) (red chip) is much better than Main Damage (Distant) (red chip). I completely skipped the latter and did just fine with 3 main damage (close).

Try to get at least one Main Firing Speed (red chip), it'll save you a little bit of a headache and help damage enemies faster and ink turf faster. If you grab more than one, try to get any of the ink saver or ink recovery chips (purple chips)

Splash Damage (red chip) would have been helpful for me since I was focused on explosions for my run, but I didn't actually ever get any. However, if you're doing my strat, it definitely wouldn't hurt to nab a few of this chip.

Just one Main Ink Coverage (orange chip) will help you a lot, assuming you've got sticky/poison ink.

Give Pearl the Drone Splat Bomb (teal chip) so she can actually help you instead of floating around doing nothing. Don't worry about any other drone chips. Upgrading her bomb at least once won't hurt you, but it's not preferable.

Other chips that won't hurt you if you can't find the above chips:

Ink Damage (red chip) - actually not preferable for 8s palette, since it takes a large amount of them to actually show results. however, if it's the only damage chip you can find, get it

Special Charge Up (orange chip) - never hurts to stock up if you can't find damage chips

Hindrance Damage (orange chip) - if you've got more sticky ink and poison ink than other damage chips, this one will help you the most

Disc Piece Drop (green chip) - worth it to nab at least one

Canned Special Drop (green chip) - also worth it to nab at least one

Armor Drop (green chip) - definitely won't hurt to grab one if you need it

Splat Ink Recovery (purple chip) - always worth it

Ink Saver (Main) (purple chip) - extremely good for balancing against how fast your ink goes if you've got more than one main firing speed chip

Ink Saver (Sub) (purple chip) - SUPER HELPFUL if you're focusing on bombs

Ink-Recovery Rate - untold amounts of helpful

Mobile Ink Recovery (blue chip) - not preferable, but useful for a not so preferable run

Mobile Special Charge (blue chip) - same as above. this one doesn't hurt either

Squid Attack (blue chip) - only recommended if you're good at performing squid rolls

Main Piercing (orange chip) - not preferable, but useful

Ink Attack Size (orange chip) - not preferable, but useful

[markantonys]

My Mom Reacts To: wheel of time season 2 episodes 5-8 (episodes 1-4) (season 1)

the episode 1-4 post did not contain book spoilers, but this one does, so beware!

first, some dinnertable questions that arose in the past few days:

mom: 3000 years ago, when the first dragon was around, was ishamael--wait. was ishamael the dragon? me: no mom: but he was around back then? me: yes, he was the first dragon's best friend, but then he betrayed him mom: just like how liandrin is betraying everyone

(also, she keeps trying to call him "ishmael" like the moby dick character)

mom: at the end of 14 books, does good triumph over evil? me: i'm not gonna tell you that mom: well this show won't go for 14 seasons, or if it does, i'll be in a dementia ward by then

mom: how long is someone the amyrlin? me: for life, unless they get removed mom: is it an elected position or would they have like a coup? me: [sweating] it's an elected position

she wanted to know where everything was, so i pulled out the handy randland map mug she gave me for christmas to show her! haha

she also asked if we see more of the other colors (ajahs) in the books, and i said if anything we see less because liandrin and alanna have much less screentime in the books, and she was very surprised to hear that

dad: [setting up a dad joke voice] what's it called when lan dies? me: what? dad: lan's end

(okay that might be an americans-only joke lmao there's a big clothing chain called lands' end, not sure how widespread it is. but it cracked ME up, at least!)

mom: does lan die?!?!?!? me: you read his wikipedia article like 2 months ago mom: well i don't remember any of it, that was a long time ago!

she also assumed that no one who is together now (lanaeve + randgwene) will end up together. i'd straight up told her a while ago that rand and egwene don't end up together but she wasn't totally sure of that now, so i think it's actually okay if i tell her spoilers because she'll forget them immediately djkfjgh

episode 5

"she should be glad to get those ridiculous nails cut"

she was horrified by the horse slaughter!

my dad laughed at the guy getting his head exploded, maybe it's not just rand maybe he just likes to see Anyone have a bad time

elyas: your friends from the two rivers aren't your pack mom: ohhhh 😔😠 elyas: neither was your wife mom: [GASP]

she loves hopper so much and i'm not ready for her to see ep8!!

brown sister trio introduced, we pause as i am tasked with writing down every ajah and what they do lmao

my mom repeatedly asked if suroth was a forsaken. probably because she has The Audacity to talk to an actual forsaken Like That!

not much reaction to aviendha at all this episode! i think my mom was a bit overwhelmed by all the new info being learned in this episode, so she was more concerned with trying to figure out who the aiel and the seanchan are than with paying attention to aviendha specifically (partially my fault bc i first explained the aiel as "those warrior people" and she thought i meant the seanchan lmao). she mourned that we hadn't started our character/terminology list on a bigger piece of paper!

i had to fight to keep it together rather than shout with joy during the gawyn namedrop djkjfgh

mom: did the red one free nynaeve so they could try to escape?? me: yes mom: she is just too complicated for me

in this same vein, my dad later referred to liandrin as a "double double agent"

moiraine: [big sigh] dad: she's always a drama queen

he's not wrong jkdjfg

ishy tenderly stroking rand's face also got no reaction, much to my surprise haha i meanwhile was silently losing it

when the seanchan were bringing out egwene and saying how powerful she is, my dad was like "but she's the wrong one, it's the other one who's powerful" oh my god let poor egwene LIVE djkfg even he is pulling a "did you hear that nynaeve is the most powerful channeler we've seen in 1000 years" on her!

my mom cracked up at moiraine saying "it's your choice rand, i mean it this time" and was like "yeah i was gonna say, is she ACTUALLY going to let him choose here?"

episode 6

my mom literally THE SECOND renna's bracelet linked with the a'dam: "so she can channel too? i thought these people punished everyone who can channel" not her INSTANTLY clocking The Sul'dam Secret when in-world it apparently took hundreds of years for anyone to notice hahaha this certainly lends weight to the "this information Is Known but routinely suppressed, as fascist governments are wont to do" interpretation over the "literally not a single person had any idea until the wondergirls" interpretation

lanfear: why do you think you can't trust me? mom: because you have a silly hat

911 lanfear's just been murdered. i guess some people (straight women) ARE immune to her dominatrix outfit djkfg

my mom also voiced her displeasure with rand's haircut again in this scene. my mom 🤝 me 🤝 mat

BOTH my parents thought lanfear's condition was going to be that rand had to kill moiraine himself! the second he opened his eyes they both said it! they're already thinking so dark!

on that note, i'd predicted my mom would be annoyed at moiraine for refusing barthanes's sandwiches, but that was not the case: instead, she and my dad both went "oh i bet the sandwiches are poisoned" they're so suspicious of everything now! and rightfully so

"i can hear you bickering from the fruit market" got a good laugh

my mom also gave a hearty, appreciative chuckle at mat shitting on rand's hair. he spoke for all of us!

mat: i'll meet you in an hour mom: they don't have watches, how will they know when it's been an hour?

mom when moiraine apologizes to barthanes: why is she being nice? me: because she feels bad mom, as if it never occurred to her moiraine might have a conscience: oh..............

mom when siuan arrives in cairhien: now someone can tell her about liandrin! me: but no one here knows that mom: UGH!!!

haha welcome to wheel of time! the necessary information is always stuck in the wrong plotlines and unable to be passed along to the relevant people!

elayne to nynaeve: if we help ryma, we can't help egwene mom: oh this poor woman, now she's faced with another hard choice just like in the arches! me: [sits there stunned because i never made that connection]

episode 7

my mom loved lan telling rand to tuck in his shirt, naturally

lan: heron dips over the wing [or whatever the name was] mom: what? me: it's a sword form, they all have weird names mom: oh, that would explain why it didn't make any sense

lan: your duty is to protect everyone in the world, not just the ones you love mom: that's a big responsibility :(

she laughed and said "she doesn't like not being the boss!" at nynaeve's face when elayne told her to do what she said

she is SO PRESSED about other characters needing to find out about liandrin. she was so excited when anvaere eavesdropped and then so mad when moiraine left before anvaere could tell her the news (but i reassured her by saying that moiraine is about to go to the same place as nynaeve & co who will be able to tell her)

moiraine: [is Mean to lan] mom: TUH! dad: he should just slay her

mom: so what does this tea do? me: allegedly it will show mat his past lives mom: but it might be a trick me: ishamael DOES call himself "father of lies"

my dad was like "that was cool!" after mat's bad trip, which is among his biggest reactions to anything, other than "[chuckles] that was a good one!" when egwene said "renna i will kill you"

ishy: i just want to close my eyes and never have to open them again mom: so kill yourself then 🙄

911 ishamael's also been found murdered. i think she could put the forsaken in line honestly, "you have a silly hat" "kill yourself" she's just not having any of their shit. i hate to compare her to cadsuane, but it's kinda giving cadsuane.

lanfear's dominatrix outfit did get more appreciation this time though when the silly hat was not present ("they had fun with her costumes")

rand: i need your help lanfear mom: ??????? doesn't he know she's evil???????

"she could at least say something nice to lan 🙄" when moiraine fails to say something nice to lan after getting unshielded thanks to him

lanfear: [broken amyrlin line] mom: is she broken??? me: i think she just meant metaphorically, not physically mom: oh. but their love is broken :(

episode 8

my dad actually put his laptop away to watch this episode with his full attention. this is high praise! he never does that!

mom: who's that? [dain] me: the whitecloak perrin spared when he escaped with aviendha mom: i don't remember that me: we watched that YESTERDAY mom: 🤷

she did remember after another moment though haha but that supports my impression that ep5 was A Bit Too Much New Info for her to take in all at once

lanfear: rand i'm the only one who truly cares about you mom: i don't think THAT'S true!

when perrin tells hopper to stay there: "he's just going to leave his dog out in the desert with no water???"

mom when lanfear calls ishy sweetheart and strokes his hair: wait was he the one she was in love with????? me: no it was rand's past life, that's why she's obsessed with rand mom: rand's past WIFE???? me: LIFE

babe wake up new polycule just dropped (lanfear/ishy/lews/ilyena)

she GASPED when renna cut off egwene's braid! as she should!

she said "too bad min isn't here" during the episode (she thought it would be helpful if min could tell mat what would happen if he were to touch the dagger; i was like "i think he knows it would be bad mom" lmao) and after the episode she anxiously asked if we would ever see min again, dammit mom don't you dare become a min stan on me jdkfgh (although, the fact that she thought we might not see her again indicates it's 0% on her radar that min might be anyone's love interest, which is interesting! a number of show-onlys were at least expecting her to be mat's i think)

nynaeve: i'll make you regret the first kiss your mother ever gave your father mom: [delighted] that's a creative one! dad: there are a lot of nasty women on this show and only one nasty man [ishy] me and mom: TUH!

although he is not wrong to say that s2 was the season of Female Villains and Women Being Mean (and i loved every moment of it!). don't you worry dad, rand's gonna be stepping up to fill the Nasty Man Quota soon enough. and i can't wait!

dad when rand is watching egwene from a distance: he's not doing a good job of hiding me: at least his cloak is the same color as the wall dad: well his dumb face isn't

why is he SUCH a hater when it comes to poor rand jkdjfg please, that's your future son-in-law!

they both were repeatedly pressed about everyone carrying the horn box (or rather "the briefcase" as my dad called it) out in the open

mom: they need to just put it in a sack! me: they don't have any sacks on hand! mom: there's plenty of sacks lying around!!!

she keeps thinking that rand got the heron-marked sword from his mom, and when she saw that turak had one she was like "but i thought those were the swords of the aiel?" and i cracked up imagining how offended aiel would be to hear her say that

she missed rand killing all the seanchan because she was too busy asking me the above question, but when she looked back at the screen she went 1) "oh, this is so gory" 2) "did RAND do all that????"

she was sad about ingtar, she was like "ohhhh, i liked him :(" imagine caring about ingtar, could not be me jdkfg

me: so lanfear is talking about the seals of the other forsaken, she wants this guy to throw them all in the ocean because she doesn't want them to be released mom: why doesn't she just do it herself? me: me: me: i don't know, actually..................

(maybe she just wanted them gone stat but didn't want to leave falme for even a moment while shit was going down with rand and ishy? or maybe she was like, I'm Too Hot And Iconic To Get My Hands Dirty Doing Things Myself)

mom as soon as renna's shown to be alive, after egwene's picked up the collar: she should go put the collar on her!

she been knew again!

mom at the mat-perrin reunion: put the spear down before you hug him, you'll stab someone by accident!!!!

she was glad to see egwene get her vengeance, but added "but now i bet she'll feel guilty for killing someone because she's a good person :("

ishy: [talking about what rand did in his past life] mom: rand doesn't even remember that! rand right on cue: i'm not lews therin!

i warned her "you might not want to look" just before hopper's death, but she did look, and she was very sad. as was i!

she thought that one of the heroes of the horn was stepin and i told her it wasn't (it was just some random guy with similar hair) but maybe i should've let her keep on believing it because it's a nice idea!

mom when the spear goes through ishy and hits rand: OH NO!!!! just like min said!!! me: [vibrating with glee over The Great Cauthor Stabbening]

when ishy said "i'm sorry old friend" to rand here my dad said "that sounds familiar" and i was like what's he talking about? but then realized that's what LTT said to ishy in the cold open!!! my heart!!! thank you dad for catching that parallel, i gotta go make a gifset now

"how is one guy holding off all these soldiers by himself?" mom i cannot believe you of all people would doubt lan!

she laughed at rand being like "[half-dead] who are you???" but made no comment on the subsequent romantic shot of elayne. however, after the episode she was like "'who are you?' rand said................is something going to happen with him and elayne??" and i was like 🤷😁😁😁😁 and then she said "but they both have red hair, are they from the same place?" and i told her that elayne is not aiel and not ALL redheads are aiel lmao and maybe i should've just said "you'll see" but. i don't think it's a spoiler to confirm that elayne is not aiel.

she does not believe that ishy is really dead, and she kept asking me if he was really dead and if he shows up again later in the books and i swear, the three oaths possessed me in that moment and made me incapable of saying "yes he's really dead, no we don't see him again in the books". so i just kept shrugging which probably made it obvious that indeed, this is not the last we see of him haha

mom when moiraine starts weaving fire in the direction of the tower: what's she doing?! everyone's up on that tower!!! me: she's not trying to BLOW UP RAND mom: oh

at some point during all the battles she was like "now what's lanfear up to during all this? 🤨" a good thought to have always!

at the end of the episode: "now we have to wait a whole year or two for the next season!!!!!" she's hooked!!

favorite character roundup: my mom said lan is #1 and egwene is #2, and she also loves loial, and she said that she didn't care for perrin last season but likes him a lot now. my dad said his favorites are "the tree guy" (loial) and "the new woman at the end who's more powerful than anyone we've seen so far" (moghedien! that one was a surprise to me. tumblr 🤝 my dad. i hope he'll enjoy The Season Of Moghedien next season! tho it could also be that he just said her because she was the last character we saw and he'd already forgotten all the other ones lmao)