#i feel so blessed to have his limited 5* card

[roseapov]

Happy Birthday Zayne!

5th September 2024

[rebeltarot]

FORECAST ➕ What blessings are coming toward you?

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[3 piles] ・ [4 decks] ・ [5 cards for each pile] ・ [letters, signs, messages, songs]

Hello love, and welcome to my pick-a-card reading. you can find instructions and my disclaimer below. please read these before choosing your pile. 

ⓘ Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction.

Disclaimer: All Tarot readings on this blog are meant for entertainment purposes only. My Pick-a-card readings are based on my knowledge of the tarot and my intuition. Tarot is a divination tool and should not be considered a replacement for medical or professional guidance. It is not intended to be used as such, and any choices made in response to my readings are your own responsibility. All interpretations are speculative, and whether you believe in it is your choice. Readings are for self-reflection purposes only; take what resonates, and leave the rest. My readings are timeless unless stated otherwise.

Painting: Leda and the Swan - François Boucher

Helpful Links: How to choose your pile ➕ Request a reading

Your reblogs are highly appreciated. Thank you so much for supporting my work!

© rebeltarot 2023 - all rights reserved ・ do not steal, copy, change, or redistribute my content.

PILE 01 ➕

ⓘ Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction.

CONFIRMATION

Signs and confirmation that this is your pile. This can be anything from your initials, astrological placements, significant messages or signs, places, songs, etc. Please use your discernment.

R, E, S, S, 33, Virgo, 5th House, Sun, Taurus, Love Affair, Narrow Eyes, Thin Nose, December, Empowerment, I'm intimidated by you, Dance with me - make me sway, A present, I like naps and you, Live every day with intention

Song: Like Me - Chase Icon

WHAT BLESSINGS ARE COMING TOWARD YOU

Tarot: Page of Wands, The Emperor

Oracle: The Hound, South Node, Self-Worth

Hello, and welcome to your reading Pile 01. Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction. Your blessing relates to a passion that you have—something that inspires you and that you are curious about. This certain area of your life or topic that you are so interested in might feel like it holds limitless potential. It's like the sky is the limit. This passion relates to something where you consider yourself a novice, someone who is still discovering, learning, and maturing. Your blessing is your graduation in this area. You will grow from the Page of Wands, who carries a fierce love and passion, to the emperor, who is successful, steadfast, and confident in his knowledge. The banana on the page card stood out to me. Bananas are associated with fertility, prosperity, spiritual growth, and good luck! Your passions and interests play a bigger role in your life, and your blessing is heavily linked to that. It might even go as far as to relate to something that you have loved and enjoyed ever since you were a kid. For some of you, this could mean that you will turn your passions into a business or career; for others, this could be about your quality of life and confidence in general, though that seems to be a smaller group. The Hound relates to the keyword "pursuit," which immediately made me think of the song "Pursuit of Happiness" by Kid Cudi, especially the line: "I'm on the pursuit of happiness, and I know, everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold." I do feel like you might have been distracted by careers and interests that were considered valuable and honorable in our society, but your blessing is going back to the roots and your authentic passions and interests. You are focusing on the present while utilizing your past, especially the knowledge that you attained when you were still young or even in a past life. Your blessing is that your talents and skills will build your future and, for most of you, your career. You are and will be intensely pursuing an idea or passion that will help you achieve your goals and attain abundance, whatever that means to you. You have previously chosen the path of least resistance, but you are now learning that if there are no hills and valleys, you should be wary of your direction. As mentioned before, your past plays a big role, especially in the passions you have had ever since you were a kid. The number 33 could be of significance to you. This passion that I keep on referring to is something that has never left you, something that has always been on your mind—similar to unfinished business. And you are unable to ignore it now. You have been toying with this idea before, and now you are pursuing it in full force—your passions, your happiness. There could have been people in your life who doubted you and the potential you see in your pursuit; however, the self-worth card is reminding you that you can see more than others can. You can recognize the potential, and in turn, people, events, and material objects are drawn to you. By aiming higher, you are attracting even greater experiences in your life. Your energy will grow, and remember that receiving is action. Stay loyal and true to your curiosity, and you will be greatly rewarded. Journal prompt: How do I relate to the word "deserving"?

Your reblogs are highly appreciated. Thank you so much for supporting my work!

© rebeltarot 2023 - all rights reserved ・ do not steal, copy, change, or redistribute my content.

PILE 02 ➕

ⓘ Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction.

CONFIRMATION

Signs and confirmation that this is your pile. This can be anything from your initials, astrological placements, significant messages or signs, places, songs, etc. Please use your discernment.

O, P, E, N, C, Scorpio, Mars, 6th House, Leo, Green Eyes, Sincere, Crush, Responsible, Unwanted Change, I want to marry those eyes, I keep falling for the bad ones, You are my true love - my one and only, You are not shrewd enough, Be true to who you are, When you love what you have you have everything you need

Song: Jungle - DillanPonders ft. Ruby Waters

WHAT BLESSINGS ARE COMING TOWARD YOU

Tarot: Page of Pentacles, 7 of Cups

Oracle: The Three-Toed Sloth, Midheaven, Gratitude

Hello, and welcome to your reading Pile 02. Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction. Your blessing relates to choice, especially in your career life. You are quite an ambitious person, someone who is industrious and goal-oriented. You seem to be new in your career. This might relate to the industry you're in or the job you're doing. Either way, your work ethic, and your diligence have led you to attract options in your life. These options represent different great opportunities that are opening up for you. However, you might be still searching for your purpose. These choices that are presented to you are urging you to realize what it is that you want. They are guiding you to search for your purpose. I feel like thus far you have been quite consistent with what you are doing and with the industry you are in. However, you might be stuck in a rut. "I just want to be alone and quiet in a room with a chair, a fireplace, and a tea cozy. I don't even know what a tea cozy is, but I want one." This is a quote from Buffy (TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer). There is this urge within you to take a break and go for the unknown. You have this inner calling for something that you do not understand yet. A vacation could bring you the clarity that you need. Stepping away from your usual stressors and your daily rut will bring you a much-needed break that will eventually lead to a breakthrough. You will be inspired to break the mold and to look for an abundant source of life and energy that refills you daily. During this much-needed break, you will get the opportunity to reflect on your professional reputation and what it truly means to you to be successful. You will take responsibility for your authority, replacing learned definitions of concepts such as success with your understanding of them—a definition that fulfills you, inspires you, and makes you happy. I feel like you will reawaken an ambition that might not make sense to others but fulfills you deeply. Whatever hidden dream you've been carrying with you will come to the forefront, and it will guide you towards your potential. Your blessing is that you will be recognized and appreciated for your genuine self and dreams, as well as your authentic achievements. You will be living out your potential and experiencing deep love and gratitude. Journal Prompt: What does success mean to me? Who is the person I admire most, and why?

Your reblogs are highly appreciated. Thank you so much for supporting my work!

© rebeltarot 2023 - all rights reserved ・ do not steal, copy, change, or redistribute my content.

PILE 03 ➕

ⓘ Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction.

CONFIRMATION

Signs and confirmation that this is your pile. This can be anything from your initials, astrological placements, significant messages or signs, places, songs, etc. Please use your discernment.

I, I, E, E, A, Libra, 7th House, Sun, Throat Chakra, Heart Chakra, Equal relationship, Hurt people hurt people, I'm becoming the best version of myself, Now that you have me do you want me still, I can't really explain it - I'm so into you, Guests coming - Means trouble, Your next love affair will surprise you, Do not wait too long before saying "Yes", So much fun

Song: More - K/DA

WHAT BLESSINGS ARE COMING TOWARD YOU

Tarot: 10 of Swords, Page of Pentacles

Oracle: The Toad, Moon, Forgiveness

Hello, and welcome to your reading Pile 03. Please remember that a "blessing" can be anything that protects us, makes us happy, or points us in the right direction. This is such a beautiful pile, wow. The 10 of Swords talks about painful endings, betrayal, and deep wounds, but it also signifies the ending of a cycle. Whatever is represented by the 10 of swords, it cut you deep, and it might have felt like you were drowning in your pain. With the page of pentacles following the 10 of swords, I can see that your blessing is you becoming and growing into a new and pure person. Someone loyal to their principles and values. Someone who, despite their pain, does not harbor resentment or hurt but instead focuses on their intentions. You are diligently working on yourself and your healing journey. Pentacle energy relates to foundational matters and earthly manifestations. It's where your subconscious meets your ego. Obviously, this is and will be quite new to you, as we have an ending here and a new beginning represented by the page, but you will be able to achieve your goals and stay loyal to yourself. This positivity will attract new and pure connections in your life. "If more of us valued food, cheer, and song above hoarding gold, it would be a merrier world." A quote from the book "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. I feel like your previous ways of dealing with this wound focused on the future and the next best thing. Arriving and living in the present moment could have felt unsafe to you. There is or was a lack-mindset here that had you focused on what you were missing, leading you to hold onto things that weren't good for you or that weren't serving a purpose in your life. This does not have to relate to material things; it could talk about careers, connections, pursuits, etc. Your blessing is that you will learn to observe things clearly as they are. You will reconnect to your subconscious and work with the ebbs and flows of your emotions, honoring your current phases and working within those cycles. You will look to your feelings and intuition rather than your logic. The way you see and perceive the world will drastically change, and in turn, it will release and free you from the shackles of your past hurt and pain. By not harboring resentment and focusing on your intentions, you will reconnect with your sense of self. Your blessing is healing. It is self-forgiveness and a sense of belonging. You will be fulfilled, and you will realize that holding onto and following a dream only satisfies you if you focus on the present and gratefully work with what you have. Journal Prompt: Can I forgive myself for loving people who hurt me?

Your reblogs are highly appreciated. Thank you so much for supporting my work!

© rebeltarot 2023 - all rights reserved ・ do not steal, copy, change, or redistribute my content.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

BTS General Energy (November)

I thought I look into what is going on with the members. I will pull a couple of cards to see what is going on. I am feeling pulled to pull abit more cards for this one.

Jin (The Fool/8 of Pentacles/4 of Cups/Parrot Spirit) It seems there was something he leaped into without much thought. It was like he believed things will work itself out. I am getting a bit foolish. This could do with his new release. It seems there lacked passion and creativity there. He did the work, but he may feel disappointed with the final result. It is like he is reflecting on what more he can do. He kind of feels empty here. It is like where are the emotions and passion here. I am getting missed opportunity here. He might need to be careful about what he says to himself and not be too critical of himself and what he did. I just see the keyword watch your words. I see this as he should be careful what he tells himself and to be kind to himself.

Suga (The Hermit rv/8 of Swords/Ace of Wands/Swan Spirit) He feels a bit out of his element and comfort right now. There is a struggle to go inward and reflect, although it may be much needed. He feels a bit limited and trapped in his head. He might feel like he can't breathe at times, it may be anxiety episodes from time to time. I just keep getting out of my comfort zone here. But all this ignites him, this will inspire some creative energy. A new fire within him will come out of this. This may be implemented in his work and music in the future. As I say, great music, or the best comes out of pain and struggle, so he will use that to fuel his creativity. I feel he needs to put that energy somewhere and it is best to put it to good use. Swan spirit wants him to look deeper and do some inner work. This could be hard for him, but to heal, deep work will be needed. So, he can understand where his inner turmoil is coming from.

RM (Judgment/3 of Pentacles/4 of Swords/Moth Spirit) His energy seems in a good place. It seems he is growing and on this personal development and journey. It seems he is freeing himself of the past and constrains. It is like he is growing and elevating on a spiritual level. He is learning not to make mistakes from the past, growth is happening here. He is working with others very well, focused on his duties and working with his comrades. He might be taking a break or relaxing at the moment. It is like he is learning not to stress anymore. I also see him not trying to do too much anymore. He is learning to be part of a team. With this Moth spirit he is learning to surrender and not to hold on too tightly to things or try to have too much control over things. Love this for him.

J-Hope (8 of Wands/The Star/5 of Wands/Squirrel Spirit) Welcome back to my bias! So, looks like things are already going to be busy, but he seems excited about the ventures ahead, but a lot is coming to him. There is a lot he wants to do now that he is back. He has a lot of hopes and dreams, aspirations he wants to fill. It seems he is channeling from the universe or asking it to help him during this time through the energy or communication, it is like he is asking for help. He might also be counting his blessings or finding ways to protect himself energetically. This may be a time of healing for him as well. There seems to be a lot of conflict around him, and I see him trying to rise above that. Squirrel spirit reminds him to always believe in himself, take small steps and to remain grounded through all the drama around him, always to stay true to his vision and beliefs.

V (4 of Pentacles/The Sun/7 of Wands/Parrot Spirit) Okay this is interesting. He wants to be protect some sort of investment, or his money. He might not want something about his career and money to be brought to light. He is in a protective energy, being pretty closed off. It is like he is protecting his energy and himself, keeping his distance. The sun just gives me exposure or something coming to light. I don't know if there are people after him and he is trying to shield himself. I won't go further, because either my team or his don't want me to go further, not feeling too well here. Parrot spirit wants him to be careful of what he says to others and to protect his words, because others will use that against him and spread things.

This section is for a question an anon asked: His thoughts on the layover vinyl? (The World/Death) Not sure why these cards came out, it is not saying much about his feelings/thoughts, not sure he cares too much about it. It was a chapter closing, and ending, to begin anew. This makes no sense by the way. I tried to clarify and got the Justice card, still makes no sense, like things happened how it should have happened. I don't see him having any attachment to it or caring that much personally. It is like it was out of his hands, there could have been something with the law and legalities as well. Anyway, he is personally not affected by it.

Jimin (Queen of Swords/9 of Swords/Page of Pentacles/Dove Spirit/Canary Spirit) Now, he could have a women helping him deal with his struggles and stress right now, or this person is causing it. Or he could be trying to gain clarity about his worries and stress. He could be having trouble sleeping as well, thoughts consume him, especially at night, which makes sense. He is trying to channel it through his work. Trying to work on a skill or practice to get him out of his head. Dove spirit wants him to find peace within himself and Canary spirit wants him to use this energy and put it in a song, or maybe just dance and sing to let out steam. I know this helps boost my energy and spirits, so maybe he needs to do the same.

Jungkook (4 of Pentacles/The World/Page of Cups/Giraffe Spirit) This is all over the place. He is kind of in a selfish greedy energy, keeping what is his close to him, not willing to share what he has or who he is with others. It is like this is mine. There is a cycle completing for him, a chapter ending that he will be very happy about. A sense of achievement he will have here. He seems to have his heads in the clouds, being way too dreamy and idealistic, not really seeing things for what it is. Giraffe spirit wants him to see the big picture, to look at things from a broader perspective and not through his rose color glasses. It is like he is not in this reality, maybe using some sort of escapism methods to deal with what he is going through. Also, his emotions can be all over the place with that POC's energy. He may need to ground himself. There is an immaturity he has that he should work on as well.

Well, no surprise this was very interesting. Taehyung one intrigued, I will see if more pops up in his perspective reading, I have planned for him. Sending these boys love and healing, because some need it.

[hananoami]

[03/24] Deepspace Trials Progression

A little late to post, but I've successfully clear all three directional orbit stage 70s, unlocking their personal title soles Xavier's [Sands of Time], Zayne's [Dream's Finale], and Rafayel's [Scarlet Thorns]! Additional rewards for clearing the directional orbit - stage 70 are the following: 40 diamonds + 1 Empyrean Wish + 4000 gold. This stage did not have an achievement locked behind it, so no achievement points were gained from successfully clearing these stages.

Sundays are the best days for deepspace trial progression because all three directional orbits are available. I generally try to keep a record of the stages I've done that gave me difficulty to clear in case others might find my experience insightful for their own attempts. I apologize if my explanations are a bit confusing! Most of my notes are me rambling, but my inbox is always available if there are any questions. Feel free to leave a comment and I will try my best to help any way I can.

𝚇𝙰𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚁 (3/3) stage 73 to 75

stage 73

was such a pain in the ass trying to kill those frenzy mobs fast enough in order to get the dmg buff. you'll have to do it do it 3 times throughout the fight, with each round getting progressively more challenging. 1st round had 2 mobs with 3HP bars no shields + 1 frenzy mob 3hp no shield. round 2 had 1 tanky af wanderer with 3HP bars + 2 shields; then another tanky af frenzied wanderer with 3HP no shield. last round had the final 'boss' with 4HP bars + 4 shields. the frenzy wanderer had 3HP no shield. was there a stellactrum? idr, but i dont think there was? anyway, my advice for this stage is to group up the wanderers as close together so you can use [Active Skill] on cool down to burst damage faster. use [Resonance Skill] to break down wanderers with shields, and once those shields are broken use [Active Skill] to deal a burst of damage to a weakened wanderer. the targeting system in his game isn't the best. to avoid hitting a different wanderer i usually try to face the frenzy wanderer, standing as close as possible to focus target it in order to center all damage around that specific one. if defeated within the time limit you should get a notification about receiving an active damage buff. MC also emits a red glow.

stage 74

nothing worth noting. just go in and do some big deeps!

stage 75

the game sets x0 and x5 stages as more challenging than the others. this was pretty easy imo. 4 wanderers spawn at once with 3HP bars + 2 shields each. group them up, break shields, and burst damage them down.

𝚉𝙰𝚈𝙽𝙴 (1/3) stage 77 to 80

stage 77

nothing worth noting. just go in and do some big deeps!

stage 78

required 4 ruby and 1 pearl for protofield stellactrum bonus. i don't have [Neon Night] for the NT pair, but i do have his HC pair from the [Heartfelt] series. this stage was to stand near the sensor until it reached 100%!

stage 79

this also required 4 ruby and 1 pearl for protofield stellactrum bonus. was a kill all wanderers type of stage - 2 rounds. each had 2 wanderers with 3HP bars + 2 shields and 2 monsters with 3HP bars. it helped to group them all together in order to do AOE dmg. would recommend matching the stellactrum for the bonus bc it really helped here to break down their shields -- even if the memories are low leveled!

𝚁𝙰𝙵𝙰𝚈𝙴𝙻 (3/3) stage 70 to 73

Successfully cleared his directional orbit: fire stage 70! I do not have a clear vod for this fight, but I can provide screenshots of my team set up and their attributes.

Team 1 required 4 pearl + 1 ruby to match the protofield stellactrum. there were 5 mobs with 3 HP bars + 2 shields. using his [Resonance Skill] to group up the mobs really helped. blessed to have his myth cards.

Team 2 required 4 violet + 2 amber to match the protofield stellactrum. ngl i had so much trouble with this one. in my case it was more of a skill difference than a stat issue. what worked for me was to save my [Resonance Skill] to spam on cooldown and only use the [Active Skill] when the shields were completely broken for maximum dmg. also remembering to pick up his beacon when it drops [Passive Skill] with charged attacks and being able to move out of dmg areas/dodge in time to gain their [Support Skill] really helps.

[oldjane]

So the lovely Lina @laviejaguardia tagged me to post the first line of my WIPs.

Girl.

I counted them. I opened up the folder named WIPs, sorted out the TOG ones, and started counting.

Well.

Let’s just say I have a Problem.

How about I limit myself to, say, ten?

1. ARRANGED DIVORCE AU

“What do you mean, I have to divorce Nicolò?”

Joe is staring at his mother as if she just sprouted a second head – which, frankly, would be less shocking than the words he just heard her utter.

“It’s not like the two of you have a particularly passionate marriage,” the Queen says delicately. “Listen, Yusuf, I know this comes as a surprise, but with your brother renouncing on the throne, you will become King someday.”

“And I can’t be married to Nicolò for that?” Yusuf interjects, and his mother sighs deeply.

“It’s not precisely, ah, impossible,” she says carefully, as if the word leaves a bad taste in her mouth, “but your prospects have suddenly become a lot better.”

2. BALLET AU

It’s been one of those days.

It would be easier if it hadn’t been one of those days for the last ten years, but alas. Being brown and Muslim is still enough to be singled out in the extremely closed ballet community, even though Joe’s been part of it for 25 years now. It doesn’t help either that every bloody dancer, choreographer, director, seamstress, donor and critic feels the need to throw in a quip about Yusuf’s start through a charity summer camp for inner city kids in Rotterdam.

3. CAMBOY AU

Joe doesn’t have the money to sign in to another session with ItalianStallion, he doesn’t. Being an artist is his dream and his joy, but it doesn’t leave much disposable income in the budget for online porn.

But ItalianStallion is worth eating ramen for the next week.

The thumbnail for tonight shows him on all fours, and much as Joe loves it when he is on his back, his legs hooked over some bars out of the camera frame, showing his impressive cock as he jerks himself off or fucks himself with his large fingers, he loves the man’s ass even more. God, the idea of sinking his cock into that tight hole alone is enough to get him hard.

So he gets out his long-suffering credit card and logs on.

4. CHANGELING AU

“Think carefully,” the fae hisses, baring long, sharp, bloody fangs. “One of these cribs holds your precious, innocent baby. The other… does not.”

It laughs, ugly and cruelly. It sounds like nails being dragged over smooth stone, and it feels like a thousand sharp knives are dancing over Susanna’s spine. There’s a bright, unnatural light coming from the lantern, but even in this light she cannot see any difference between the cribs, between the babies reaching out a stubby hand towards her, gurgling softly. Even the blanket the child was wrapped in, the one her grandmother embroidered with her rheumatic fingers, has been magicked to look exactly the same, blue violets around the yellowing edges.

5. WIBBIT AU

Nicky has known since he was a toddler that his prospects in life were not great. His father and mother loved each other very much, and as such Nicolò was blessed with eleven older siblings.

His mother taught him, as soon as he would understand, that Bartolomeo, as the oldest, would inherit the family fortune, Giuseppe would be sent to university, and there was money set aside for Fabrizio to start on his way to knighthood as a squire. Flavio and Angelo might be able to be provided with the tools to start an apprenticeship with a tradesman, and Matteo would have to be satisfied with the cheapest option possible: a sword and a career in the military. Whatever was left, would of course need to go to the girls, as a dowry.

6. SOULMATE TOWER AU

Joe doesn’t really know how long he has been in here. It has been years, decades maybe – but why would he keep track of the time?

Every day is the same, and though he has a few small windows, bolted shut, showing him the passing of the seasons, it means little to nothing to him.

He will likely not ever leave these rooms. He has everything – a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom with a huge tub, a desk, a studio, even a gym with a small pool. When he needed something – clothes, food, art supplies, a new computer – severely doctored to avoid contact with the outside world – it is brought to him within hours.  

7. KING+KNIGHT AU PT II

The oak doors close behind them.

On any other night, Yusuf would listen to the creak of them falling shut with a heavy heart, knowing Nicolò was on the other side of them – so close, and yet it might as well be the whole ocean between them, so vast the distance seemed.

But tonight, he is holding Nicolò’s hand in his, and Nicolò’s taste still lingers on his lips.

8. TAILOR AU

In the three years since Joe’s opened Cuppa, he never once stepped into the store next door.

It’s not that he has anything against it, really. It’s more that he doesn’t have much place in his life for a tailored three-piece suit. He likes to think he rocks his faded jeans and backwards cap just as well as any suit, and it’s more practical behind the counter of a coffee shop to boot. To be completely honest, Joe might be of the opinion nobody needs to drop hundreds of pounds on an outdated, boring fashion trend – but he wisely keeps it to himself as he steps through the tastefully decorated glass door.

A bell chimes delicately above his head, but nothing else happens. Joe stands around a bit awkwardly, looking at the racks of dull black jackets and trousers in front of him. He scoffs slightly. See, just wearisome, tedious, uninspiring clothes. No room for any personality or experimenting.

But he’s forced to reconsider when he ventures a bit further down.

9. EXES TO LOVERS AU

Joe’s only ever been dumped once.

He was nineteen, then, and his boyfriend was only sixteen, so it might have been for the best, but still, it still stings. He’d really imagined the two of them making it, ending up together, falling for each other over and over again. Nicolò had often called him an incurable romantic, back then, with his soft accent rounding the vowels. It was usually followed by a kiss, though, so Joe hadn’t minded too much. It wasn’t like it was untrue, anyway.

But Nicolò might not say it anymore, if he saw Joe now. Dating casually, never too long. No promises, no expectations. Always the one leaving, before things could get serious.

10. GAY AWAKENING FUCKBUDDIES AU

Joe barely makes it to the couch before collapsing. He doesn’t even kick off his shoes, shed his jacket – he is completely drained after his afternoon shift at the call center.

Nicky, his roommate, best friend, and Joe’s personal hero, is there instantly, steaming glass of mint tea with enough sugar to make the spoon stand up straight in his hand.

“That bad,” Nicky says, putting the tea on the coffee table and lifting Joe’s legs to sit down.

“Worse,” Joe groans, as Nicky takes of Joe’s shoes before he put his stockinged feet in his lap. “You are an angel.”

“I know,” Nicky says mildly. “You’re gonna have to sit up to drink your tea, though.”

Another dramatic groan.

“I’m not sure tea will help today.”

I should probably finish any of these (or the other 40+ in the folder) instead of this new series I’ve got in my head... Any preferences?

[zoydraft]

AF's Jack-o'-Lantern Cube

March 22, 2024 Draft. 4 players, 5 packs of 9

List: cubecobra.com/c/8rja

Earlier this week AF posted a last minute offer to host a draft in the Toronto Cube Community Discord (let me know if you want an invite), finally at a time that wouldn't make me feel like a neglectful parent. We drafted his Jack-o'-Lantern Cube as a pod of four. It's a lower-power synergy list with some streamlining restrictions: no shuffling and thoughtfully limited tokens.

The environment pushed towards back-and-forth games with lots of relevant decision-making. At times it felt like retail limited, while other game states felt more puzzle-oriented, with a lot of on-board information to navigate, but not to an unmanageable degree. There was rarely an unambiguous beat down; both sides of the table were taking actions and shifting the dynamics of the game most turns. Boards seized up sometimes, but there was never a point where there was nothing relevant for me to do.

This should all be taken with a grain of salt. With the draft set up, each seat only saw 150 cards* out of the full ~400 card list, which pushes decks and gameplay to a Sealed vibe: with decks deploying suboptimal cards and games extending a little longer. If anything, it's interesting that the synergies were able to shine in that small pool.

* (9+8+7+6)*5 = 150

I drafted a low curve red white artifact creature deck. There wasn't a specific card that pulled me in, I'm always willing to draft aggro decks and the colours felt open (I read that correctly). In pack 1 or 2 I got Arcbound Shikari on the wheel and that locked me for this modular / +1/+1 counters build.

AF warned us that removal is scarce. Volt Charge and Settle Beyond Reality were representative of the calibre of removal, and did a lot of work for me. I had to be picky about what I removed, and you rarely double-spelled with them. The Proliferate on Volt Charge did a lot. On the other hand, Pyrite Spellbomb's shock was often dead. There was a shortage of 2 toughness creatures I needed to kill (could be poor threat assessment by me), but there were also on-board effects that invalidated it, like adding counters or sac'ing for value. Fierce Retribution played narrower than I expected.

The removal suite gave games a retail texture: most game actions added to the board (although two-for-ones aren't common) and inefficient removal is worth running.

I struggled in the draft to identify creatures above 2 mana that I really wanted for this deck. Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle was huge for me, and I didn't have complaints about the others. Blessed Hippogriff, Sanctifier of Souls, and Twinshot Sniper may have made my deck better, but they're more value-oriented than natural top-end for an aggro deck.

I'm a degenerate for lands, so the 10% fixing lands felt light (I run >17%), but the Clue lands felt good—slow, but worthwhile. I had enough artifacts that Rustvale Bridge's typeline was never relevant. I didn't see anything that paid off a critical mass of artifacts.

My first match was 2-1 against a base blue deck (with some red and black, IIRC). Time of Ice caught my eye. It was both good and engaging to play around.

After that I went 1-2 in a marathon match against a BGr deck. Neither of us could get many clear attacks. I could chip away with flyers and Gingerbrute while Tireless Provisioner would pump out food to undo the damage. Thankfully for me, Grateful Apparition kept pumping up my Modular creatures, especially Arcbound Javelineer, but it wasn't enough to grind out the match. Makeshift Munitions was huge, finishing off game one and a difference maker later l.

Finally, I was taken out 2-0 by 5C stuff. Games didn't last many turns, but they were dense with decisions.

The length of games was potentially an issue, and I have a few theories, all of which probably have a grain of truth to them:

I am slow. All three rounds, my match went longer than the other one.

My deck did not have a good way to close out games beyond chipping away. The closest I came was piling counters on Gingerbrute, but it was always answered quickly.

There is a lot of lifegain. The GBr especially was pumping out Food tokens and didn't have something better to do with it than eating it. My deck had a bunch of lifelink that was totally incidental, so life totals didn't have a sharp tendency toward zero.

Given the powerband, there are a lot of unfamiliar cards, many of which were not brief. I don't think it was egregious, but amid everything else I do think it slowed things down a little bit as people grappled with what cards were actually doing.

Ultimately I think the cube is providing the kind of gameplay that AF is pursuing. The decision-making is rich, aggro is restrained, you play to the board, and even when combat slows down you're still taking meaningful actions. On the other hand, that may need to be balanced with the time games take to play. The limited pool of tokens and restriction on shuffling help, so I know it's a consideration.

Thanks a ton for hosting, and to everyone for the games. I had a great time drafting, playing, hanging out, and reflecting on the cube, and I hope to play it again in the future!

[softsnzstuff]

Doctor Eddie and nurse Steve going on their first vacation together and Steve falls sick on their first night there? He insists for Eddie to still go out and enjoy himself but Eddie stays in and takes care of Steve. Even if he’s sick, Eddie is determined to make this a nice self-care vacation 🥹

Yes okay this is so cute! I find the idea of being sick on vacation so good? Like they don’t even have the comforts of their own bed, and they’re limited to the clothes they packed. I mean they obviously weren’t *expecting* to get sick.

Anyways, this is another that’s been in my inbox far too long. Sorry LOL I get busy sometimes. -KB

*****

“Alright there Steve?”

“Hmm?” Steve looks up and realizes he’s been shifting uncomfortably in the taxi. “Uh yeah sorry. Just excited to be here.”

The younger man smiled and turned towards the window so Eddie wouldn’t see him wince as he swallowed. His throat started to feel weird on the plane, but by the time they’d touched down in Seattle, it was full on sore.

The yellow taxi slowed to a stop outside of the Holiday Inn. Steve reached for his wallet but Eddie pushed his hand down.

“I got it Steve.” He smiled at his boyfriend and pulled out his card, handing it to the driver.

While Eddie paid, Steve opened up the trunk and pulled out their suitcases and set them on the sidewalk. A tickle started to bloom in Steve’s sinuses. He scrunched his nose, pawing at it for a second.

Eddie stepped out of the taxi moments later, joining Steve by the suitcases. He put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Ready?”

“I- AESSHiew! iiTSCHew!” Steve pitched forward, bringing his elbow up towards his face.

“Bless you, bless you!” Eddie laughed, “Guess you’re not used to that West Coast air yet.”

Steve tried to play it off as nothing, “Yeah, must be. Let’s go check into the room!”

***

Their hotel room was clean and simple. Bathroom was to the immediate right of the door. If you kept walking straight you’d be met with a desk, two armchairs, and a king sized bed.

Steve looked at his watch - 5:30pm. “Hey Eds is it okay if I take a shower before we head out? I feel like I’m covered in plane…”

“Yeah go for it! I’m going to research some good options for dinner!”

Grabbing a change of clothes out of the suitcase, Steve shuffled into the bathroom and turned on the water. The steam slowly billowed through the small tiled room, fogging up the mirror.

As he rinsed off his body, he breathed in the steam, coughing slightly when his breath caught in his throat. The coughing must have loosened something within him, because congestion seemed to settle in his head.

He turned off the water and grabbed one of the fluffy hotel towels. He was drying off his body when another tickle blossomed deep in his sinuses. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the urge to sneeze away.

God this was terrible timing. Eddie never took a day off work as is, and it was so hard to get him on this vacation. Now he was so excited about it and Steve went and got sick?? Just fucking perfect.

The tickle was intense, but Steve couldn’t sneeze or Eddie would hear. He pulled on a long sleeved shirt and then rubbed at his nose, sniffling.

“Huhhh… heh.. HEH!”

False start - Steve sighed with relief. He managed to hold back the sneeze for the time being as he put on his jeans and sniffled wetly.

Steam crept along the ceiling as Steve opened the bathroom door to join Eddie on the bed. The older man was sitting on the edge, looking at one of the little brochures the hotel provided.

“Find anything snf good?” Steve asked.

“Yeah I think so! Do you feel like anything in particular? There’s a few options…”

Steve’s attention span dissipated as it turned to the newly formed, intense tickle in his nose. He tried to focus on his breathing while also trying to listen to Eddie.

“…at the top of the Space Needle which sounds awesome, OR…”

“Hihh…” Steve started to breathe in quietly, but tried to stop it. Eddie continued listing off dinner options.

“…I know you like cheese so we could always try Beechers. But otherwise we could- are you even listening?” Eddie turned around just in time to see Steve lose the fight with the impending itch.

“HEH-iiTSHew! H’yeSHuhew! heh- HEH- h’EKTshyUE!….guhhh”

“Bless you! Christ..”

Steve’s arm hovered over his face. Eddie looked at him knowingly and used his own hand to gently lower Steve’s arm. A tendril of mess snapped away and the damp spot in the crook of his elbow was exposed.

“Aw Stevie… why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” He grabbed some tissues from the box by the bed and pushed them into Steve’s hands.

“I did’t start feeli’g sick until we landed.” He sniffled soupily against the tissues.

Eddie looked at Steve for a moment and then folded the brochure and set it down. “Let’s stay in tonight. We can order room service.”

“N’do Eddie we came all this way. You should go out still.”

“How about this: we stay in for dinner and if you still feel bad tomorrow, I’ll go to the Starbucks Reserve and get you some tea. Then I’m still technically sightseeing.”

Steve sniffled helplessly, “Deal.”

[gar-trek]

please share what you have to say about food cubes!!

I was feeling a little apprehensive about releasing the TOS Food Document™ because it is so damn long…. But since you asked anon

DISCLAIMER:

This is focused solely on food as it appears in the original series. Whatever explanation of food synthesizer/replicator that may come in later series does to apply here. I am also not a Star Trek expert. I’m sure there is some super fan out there who knows everything there is to know about food in TOS, but that person is not me. This is just my thoughts as I’ve observed instances where food is shown or mentioned in TOS. If my thought process is flawed, or I make some claims that don’t really make sense, I am sorry. The food canon is very complicated and vague, so this is me just trying my best to make sense of it. I’d also like to mention I did not explicitly cover the meal scene in What Are Little Girls Made Of? Or the ice cream scene from And The Children Shall Lead, but I do make reference to them. I’m sure there are other food scenes I didn’t get to cover here, so if I’m missing a few pieces, I’m sorry.

Anyway… let’s get into it!

The original series, food, and other things that keep me up at night

I don’t care about continuity or plot holes in Star Trek: The Original Series, and if I did, I think the show would become rather unwatchable. It’s not about what happens to get us from plot point A to B, but more important that we do get there (ie, who cares how or why Spock’s brain has been removed from his body, it’s more important that we do get it back inside).

This being said, there is one aspect to TOS that baffles me to no end, and its something I just cannot overlook: the food. Food, the entire concept of it as it appears in TOS haunts me. Each time they show or mention food it makes less and less sense. It’s a never-ending nightmare and I spend every day trying to understand what goes on in the Enterprise Cafeteria. Today I would like to explore a couple food instances on TOS, and hopefully make a little sense of what is happening.

The first chilling incident: The Man Trap (S1E2) - Rand is a thief

In this episode, we see Yeoman Rand on her way to deliver Sulu his meal. She is carrying a tray of colored food cubes (which is what I will be referring to them as here, because there is no official name) and what we can assume to be some kind of alien variant of celery (earth celery with some red crap stuck on top). While waiting for the turbo lift, Rand eats one of the celery sticks intended for Sulu. My question is why. Like literally why does this happen. Sulu never mentions it (maybe he doesn’t notice). She never mentions it to him, which means we can assume she doesn’t want him to know. So why is Rand stealing food? Does she not get enough to eat? Is the limits for how much you get to eat on the Enterprise that strict you need to turn to thievery to get a proper meal? and if that the case, she’s shorting Sulu on his allotted food. In this same scene, we see Ensign Green (who is really a salt-sucking monster) make a grab for the tray as if he too is going to steal Sulu’d food. However, Rand slaps his hand away and asks “who do you think you are?”, a hypocritical statement considering Rand is also in the act of stealing food. So Rand, I must pose the same question to you. This scene has no resolution, so any interpretation is up to the viewer. Whether you think Rand's actions make her a girlboss or a thief, is up to you, however, one thing is undeniably true: Rand eats food off other people's plates.

Other food-related things of note in this episode is that Sulu sprinkles salt on the celery sticks. This means they are either bland or that's just his personal taste. Also, when Rand gives him his tray, he says “may the great bird of the galaxy bless your planet” and this has nothing really to do with food, I just thought it was kind of badass.

(Sulu’s food tray with 3 celery instead of 4 because Rand ate one)  

Incident two: Charlie X (S1E3) - synthetic meatloaf

In Charlie X, we see Captain Kirk make this comment in passing:

“Today on earth it is Thanksgiving, if the crew has to eat synthetic meatloaf I want it to look like turkey.”

This statement leaves us with a couple undeniable truths:

1. Meatloaf is a meal option on the Enterprise.

2. It is synthetic, meaning the meatloaf may not contain any meat at all.

3. It is not shaped like turkey, but it is possible to do so.

if the meatloaf served on the Enterprise is synthetic, then it very well could be made out of the same stuff the colored food cubes are made out of. Also, (and this is pure speculation so take it with a grain of salt) since we never hear anyone refer to the colored food cubes by name, they could literally be the “synthetic meatloaf” that Kirk is referring to here. In this case, the term synthetic meatloaf would not mean a synthetic version of the popular American dish meatloaf but instead loafs of synthetic meat. Since we do not know exactly what synthetic meat looks like, it very well could be brightly colored cubes.

In either case, Kirk is asking them to turn synthetic food from one shape to another. We understand this is possible through the food synthesizer, however, if all the food they eat on the Enterprise is synthetic anyway, then why did Kirk specifically mention synthetic meatloaf in the shape of turkey? would the turkey not instead be made out of synthetic turkey? why must the synthetic turkey be made specifically out of meatloaf? isn’t every single food that comes out of the food synthesizer made out of the same thing? It would have made more sense for Kirk to say “it's thanksgiving so can you made the food synthesizers produce turnkey?”. However, Kirk is like, a really cool guy, so it is possible that the meatloaf comment is just a fun joke. Either way, we know that synthetic meatloaf is a standard menu item on the enterprise, yet we have never seen anyone consume it.

Incident 3: The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E11) - Green leaves

In this episode, Kirk goes in for a physical, and Doctor McCoy reports that the captain is 2 pounds overweight. In response to this, the Doctor changes the captain's dietary card to help him lose a little wight (🙄). We later see the captain served a “dietary salad” in place of his usual meals. The existence of dietary salad is interesting for many reasons. Most importantly, we understand that dietary salad is somehow better for you than what is usually served on the Enterprise. It most likely has a lower caloric intake than say, colored food cubes. However, as discussed before, most if not all the food on the Enterprise is synthetic. If the food is created, and not naturally made, then one can assume its caloric value can be controlled. Would it not be possible to make a lower-calorie version of colored food cubes? one would assume that the cubes are made to have the perfect amount of nutrients to satisfy yet keep humans a healthy weight if they are in fact a form of synthetic man-made food. How would the captain overeat, if portions are pre-determined by dietary cards? Is Kirk somehow going rouge and consuming food that is not created by the food synthesizer (the captain's secret cookie stockpile??).

The existence of this salad also begs another question: is it synthetic as well, or are they growing fresh salad on the Enterprise? We do know that they are able to grow things on the ship, however, there has never been any discussion of growing crops specifically for consumption. If this is the case though, it may explain why we often see crew members eating celery sticks. Perhaps things like celery sticks and dietary salads are grown on the Enterprise, but all other food is synthetically created. In which case, who’s job is it to harvest food and prepare it for meals? Did Rand have to put that dietary salad together all on her own?

One more interesting point about the Salad: When Kirk first receives it, he asks

“what in the devil is this? Green leaves?”

which prompts Rand to explain that it’s a salad. It is very possible that Kirk genuinely has no idea what a salad is. He may have never had one, nor heard of the food in his entire life. Later we see him eat the salad with his hands, which further proves the point that captain kirk doesn't know what salad is. Why captain Kirk would somehow have no knowledge of salad is up to speculation.

Incident 4: The conscience of the king (S1E14) - Cry over spilled milk 

In this episode, Lieutenant Riley is served colored food cubes and a glass of what appears to be milk. There isn’t much of significance here, other than the fact we know it is possible to get a glass of milk with your meal on the Enterprise. Unlike Sulu, Riley doesn’t have any celery sticks but seems to have a larger serving of colored food cubes as compensation. We also learn that milk is served in a large glass, something that seems very impractical on a starship.

Riley proves my point moments later when he spills milk on a control panel and shatters the glass. This begs the question, who is going to clean that up?

Incident 5: Tomorrow is Yesterday (S1E20) - Chicken noodle soup

In this episode, the Enterprise accidentally beams a 60′s army man abroad their ship (for the second time). This random chad ensign asks the man if he’s hungry because he’s a troll I guess and he wanted to flex their cool future food machine. The army captain guy is like sure, I could go for some chicken soup right now (a very natural response to being beamed onto a spaceship for the first time). Chad ensign has like three cards in front of him, and I guess one of them just happens to be chicken soup because he puts it in the machine and the soup appears. Grant it, we never actually get to see the soup with out own eyes, but the army captain does seem to be pretty convinced that it is chicken soup just by the smell. This opens up a couple possibilities:

-The food synthesizer can make almost anything you want, and the card is maybe like a very broad category, like a dinner card, and when you put it in you can pick any dinner food you’d like.

or

-The food synthesizer can only make what is specific to each card, and the ensign just got extremely lucky and happened to have a card that was the exact food the army captain wanted.

More evidence, which we will go over later, points more towards the theory that one card is equal to one specific type of food. In this case, it is unclear how the synthesizer food cards are distributed, or how you get your pick of what food you would like. It is also more likely that options would be limited. This does make sense, however, it makes this scene very confusing, as, as I’ve pointed out, the ensign had a very limited number of cards, but exactly what the captain had asked for. Pure luck? what mind game was that Chad ensign trying to play with the poor man who was abducted from earth... we will never know.

One more very interesting thing is established here: The transporter room has a food synthesizer. Why this is is purely up to speculation. In my mind, having a food synthesizer in the transporter room would be like having a full kitchen where you park your car. Seems pretty useless, but maybe the guys in the transporter room requested easy access to snacks? Why the transporter room would get this special privilege is again, up to speculation.

Incident 6: Space Seed (S1E23) - Dinner with Khan

In Space Seed a special dinner is put together to welcome Khan onto the Enterprise. We see that they are being served colored food cubes and celery sticks. Doctor McCoy walks into the dining room and comments about how the display is “very impressive”. However, this seems like a very unusual comment considering we are shown the only food we have ever seen consumed on the Enterprise. What exactly makes this food “impressive” as compared to other celery sticks and colored food cubes? Is there some way to tell this particular food is better that we don’t know about, but is obvious to everyone on the Enterprise?

There is also a chance that Doctor McCoy is just very easily impressed with food, and upon seeing any food spread he is likely to comment in wonder. Note the way Scotty is looking at McCoy. His face is a mixture of confusion, judgment, and pity. Perhaps Scotty is thinking to himself “bruh, it’s literally just colored food cubes chill out man,”. There is no explanation as to why Scotty is giving McCoy such a look, so this very well could be the case. Even though it is a silly explanation, I don’t think it should be ruled out that one of McCoy’s personality traits is being overly excited about food of any kind.  

Incident 7: Journey to Babel (S2E10) Party food

Much like in Space Seed, in this episode, we get to see a meal put together for a special occasion. All the diplomates are getting down at a mixer where a spread of food has been provided. These snacks seem very similar to colored food cubes, however I do think they differ. They may be the same type of food, but different in some way. In which case colored food cubes is an overarching category of food, and here we see two different types. The smaller more brightly colored cubes can be put in drinks, though if this is what you are supposed to do with them, or just the preference of that one alien species I do not know. Though I must point out, we have seen colored food cubes served in brown sauce in What are Little Girls Made Of? (S1E8) so it is not completely unheard of to have your colored food cubes served soggy.

The other type of colored food cubes we see are a lot larger and more pair shaped (in reality, they probably were just skinned pairs dipped in food coloring, but for this essay, it’s important that we completely ignore the fact there is another life outside of Star Trek). Now to me, these are very interesting, because the dull color and apparent texture are a lit more similar to standard colored food cubes we have seen thus far. I would even go o far to say that this is the same exact food, just sans the cubed shape. So really, standard colored food cubes are just the cubed version of whatever this food is. This, again, is just speculation, but it does point us to the fact that colored food cubes are not naturally cubed (I’m going somewhere with this is promise)

Incident 8: The Trouble With Tribbles (S2E15) The trouble with Chicken sandwichs

Here we see Kirk attempting to order a chicken sandwich and coffee. What he gets instead is a plate full of tribbles,  hilarity ensues. I think this scene is interesting because we can add to our list of food items that are on the menu at the enterprise cafeteria: chicken sandwich. However, this is another food item we do not see. There is no way of knowing if the Enterprise's version of a chicken sandwich is what we would imagine a chicken sandwich to be. Much like the meatloaf and the soup, because we do not see it, there is no way of knowing if the food exists in the way that we as 21st-century people understand it. The events of TOS take place more than 200 years in our future, so to speculate that food could change a lot during that time isn’t a stretch. I don’t know, just some food for thought (lol)

Incident 9: By Any Other Name (S2E22) Living deliciously

In this episode, an alien taking the form of a human enjoys some colored food cubes. He makes a comment about how they are good they are while enthusiastically eating his food. This is a very important moment because it tells us that colored food cubes do taste good. In fact, they taste really good. Just before he eats, the alien comments on how humans could just take pills that give them all their nutrient needs and give up food completely (think the Jetsons cartoon). On the Enterprise, they do not eat just to live, but because they enjoy their food as well. This tells us that colored food cubes are at the very least, worth eating, and at the best, very delicious.

One more interesting thing: Spock is eating some kind of soup while everyone else enjoys colored food cubes. This could be a Vulcan preference, however, we know that Spock is vegetarian. This could be alluding to the fact that Colored Food Cubes are made out of meat.

Conclusion:

Yes, I asked a lot more questions than I answered. There are some things that make absolutely no sense to me, primarily, the food synthesizer and diet cards. Some evidence points to the fact that the food synthesizer can make practically anything (see Tomorrow is Yesterday, And the Children Shall Lead). However, one dietary card is equal to one specific food, which would mean they would have to produce a lot of these dietary cards if there is many meal options. How these cards are distributed, and what their limitations are, we do not know. And although we do not know the limits of what the food synthesizer can create, we do know these food have been served on the enterprise at least at one point:

-colored food cubes (variety)

-celery

-synthetic meatloaf

-synthetic turkey (Thanksgiving Special)

-Dietary Salad

-Milk

-Chicken Soup

-Chicken Sandwich

-Mystery Soup

-Ice cream (variety of flavors)

All of this food (except for maybe the dietary salad and celery) are synoptically created, so what they are actually made up of, I cannot say.

And finally, I would like to make a point about the colored food cubes. I think upon first inspection one would assume colored food cubes is a dish created specifically for space travel (think the food created for modern-day astronauts to consume in space). However, we learned that there is possibly a variety of colored food cube dishes. Since there is such a wide variety of food on the Enterprise, why would they also need to create a food specifically for space travel? I think that colored food cubes are actually a common dish, not intended specifically for space travel. Perhaps it was an alien food that got popular on earth, maybe it was a dish developed later in Earth's history by humans. I can only speculate, but I do think it is more than just boring space food. Everyone seems to have a preference for it, so I think it’s a dish you can eat over and over again and not get sick of. What colored food cubes taste like is completely up to speculation, but I would assume they are a savory food, considering we often see people enjoying them for their main meal.

I still have more to say, but for the sake of everyone, I’ll end it there. This was a lot of thought dumping, so if some of the things I said made no sense at all, I’m sorry. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts on TOS food! please share with me what you think colored food cubes would taste like :)

[trueheart79]

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[hnychn]

KARASUNO’S MANAGER !!

SYPNOSIS — it’s a new year and the karasuno team decides to throw a new years party in the school gym

WARNINGS — tooth rotting fluff <3

AUTHOR’S NOTE — none of this is realistic but shut up and let me live laugh and love with the idea it’s real

⇀ HAPPY NEW YEARS BABESS

⇀ so it all started out when noya and tanaka came up with the brilliant idea to throw a new years party

⇀ and since canonically, everyone in haikyuu are losers, everyone agreed 😀

⇀ of course you invited your boo kenma 😼 and the nekoma team

⇀ and kuroo invited the fukurodani team since bokuto heard about the party somehow

⇀ the party is held in the gym, it's byoc

⇀ "bring your own cups"

⇀ cause y'all broke broke 😭😭✋🏼

⇀ kidding . . . about the cup part, y'all are broke though . . .

⇀ anyways, so the team put you in charge of getting the drinks

⇀ . . . but they never specified non-alcoholic 😼

⇀ so you, being the six foot seven giant you were, got some alcohol

⇀ it was surprisingly easy

⇀ like the guy behind the counter didn't even ask you for an ID or anything and he probably assumed you were 21+ because of your features 🤡

⇀ i mean you do be chiselled by the gods themselves 🤪🥴

⇀ not me simping over you 🤺

⇀ so the party is about to start and you come in with literal bottle of alcohol like fUCKING JACK DANIEL'S AND WHISKEY AND RUM AND ALL THAT SHIT

⇀ and when daichi saw you with all the paper bags filled with bottles of alcohol he just-

⇀ . . . 🧍🏽‍♀️

⇀ "y/n. . ."

⇀ "yes? 🤠"

⇀ "why. . .why do you have alcohol?"

⇀ "you said to get drinks. ."

⇀ "i mEANT PUNCH-"

⇀ all daichi wanted to do was punch you 🏌️🏽‍♀️

⇀ LMAO BUT NOYA AND TANAKA TURNT UP WITH THE ALCOHOL

⇀ they poured that shit into those punch bowls? ya know? the ones in those cliche highschool movies

⇀ they got red solo cups and everything 🔫

⇀ anyways, so people start showing up and daichi panics because no sir, these minors aren't getting drink on his watch, but oops-

⇀ kiyoko locked him in the shortage closet 👁

⇀ "i'll let you out in 20 minutes"

⇀ because babes knew that's all it'll take for everyone to be blackout drunk

⇀ and she was right 💅🏽

⇀ fifteen minutes into the party, noya, tanaka, yamamoto, lev and a bunch of first years are drunk drunk.

⇀ suga, kuroo, asahi, and ennoshita are also drunk but like they're the chill typa drunk y'know?

⇀ they playing a game of uno with normal playing cards 🧍🏽‍♀️

⇀ kenma . . . doesn't want to be there BLESS HIM LMAO-

⇀ he's sitting in the corner, red solo cup in hand because kuroo took his pspspsp and won't give it back, even if he is drunk

⇀ and you- good god

⇀ YOU. ARE. D R U N K.

⇀ i'm talking the embarrassing type of drunk

⇀ you're dancing on one of the volleyball poles like a fucking stripper and bokuto is throwing napkins at you like they're ones please- 🔫

⇀ kenma is just in the corner staring like 🐚🌝 hello yes, officer? imma need animal control here asap.

⇀ LIKE DJFJD WTF IS MY BF DOINGG

⇀ he's embarrassed for you 😔✋🏼

⇀ but in the corner of your eye you see kenma sitting all alone so you go over to him, alcohol nearly spilling over the side of your red solo cup

⇀ "what're you doin all alone here, kitten?"

⇀ kenma crinkles his nose because you smell like alcohol, but he just shrugs

⇀ he says something but you can't hear him over he loud music, so you lean closer but you end up spilling your drink all over your shirt and you just

⇀ "ew it's sticky . . . i guess I'll just take it off"

⇀ SO YOU DO

⇀ IN A CROWDED ROOM

⇀ OF DRUNK POSSIBLY NOT STRAIGHT MEN

⇀ and holy fuck-

⇀ how knew you were so foine 🥴🥴

kenma's eyes widen when you suddenly pull off your shirt, your chest still slightly damp from the drink spilling on you. he could feel heat rushing to his face the longer he stared. kenma wanted to look away, he really did, but it was something about the way you rubbed your hands over your abs and chest to wipe off the moisture and the way you looked down with hooded eyes that had him entranced. he couldn't look away, and by the sight of the other people in the room also staring at you with no shame, they couldn't either.

despite being drunk, you could tell people were staring and it filled you with a sort of confidence you only got in the privacy of your room with kenma. speaking of kenma, he wasn't fairing any better. his head was turned to the side to look away, but his eyes betrayed him and stayed focused on your chest.

you smirked.

kenma gasped as you suddenly leaned forward, your hand slamming onto the wall next to him and the other pushing him by the hip, your cold fingers slithering up his shirt and sending chills up his spine. your breathe was warm next to his ear and kenma's blush intensified.

"see something you like, kitten?"

kenma's breathing began to get heavier the longer you whispered in his ear, his chest and pants tightening. kenma refused to look up, knowing half of the people in the gym were staring, but he would by lying if he said it didn't turn him on more than he already was.

your stopped whispering in kenma's ear and began trailing kisses down his jaw and neck, leaving marks behind. kenma had to bite his bottom lip to stop noises from escaping his mouth, but his restraint was limited due to the small amount of alcohol in his system.

your fingers traveled further up his shirt and caressed his waist, pulling him closer to you. pulling away from his neck, you turned to his lips, sucking and biting on them as if it would be the last time you would be able to. kenma's neck was littered with hickies that, even in the darkness of the gym, were extremely visible.

but before things could go any further, you were ripped away from kenma by a fuming daichi, "first you bring alcohol and get everyone drunk, then you try to fuck your boyfriend in the middle of the gym? i'm gonna kill you, y/n."

⇀ you were put on daichi watch for the rest of the night 😔🔫

⇀ but by the time 11 rolled around, you were a bit sober so i guess that's good

⇀ everyone gathered into he middle of the gym and counted down until midnight

⇀ kiyoko and yachi had hung some of those colour changing lights and gave the room some amazing vibes

⇀ and kenma was standing next to you, your arm slung over his shoulder as the lights hit his face perfectly and outlined every feature of his beautifully

⇀ you smiled down at him

"it's already 2021, huh?"

kenma looked up at you and immediately looked away when he saw that you were already looking at him. even after months of dating and nights spent in each other's embrace, he still got nervous when you looked at him the way you were right now.

eyes so full of love and lips pulled into a satisfied smile.

"yeah. . . i guess. . ."

you laughed and pulled him closer to your side, kenma stumbled a bit and grasped onto the new shirt you put on. it was a spare that you left behind in the clubroom one day.

"c'mon kenma! new year, new possibilities! what are your new years resolutions?"

kenma shrugged, burying his head deeper into your side, "i don't have any."

5 . . .

you smiled, "really?"

you looked back up at the digital clock kiyoko hung up on the wall just for new years, your smile never faltering. kenma loved that about you, your ability to smile no matter what. no matter the circumstances.

4 . . .

"what about you?" kenma asked, a small bubble of guilt building in his chest for not answering how he thought you wanted.

you looked down at him with the same lovesick eyes and satisfied smile, kenma felt his heart stop, "me?"

you looked back up at the clock, "hmm. . ."

3 . . .

"i think. . . " you drew out, a playful smile on your face when kenma pouted at your long answer. he slapped your chest when you laughed at him.

2 . . .

"i think," you tugged kenma in front of you and rested your chin on his head, a lazy smile drawn on your face as everyone else yelled about, excited for the new year.

1 . . .

"i think i have everything i could ever want right here."

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!

kenma gasped as you suddenly turned him around, lifting his face by the chin. everyone around you cheered as the clock hit 12 and it was now January 1, 2021.

kenma's heart pounded when he saw the same old lazy smirk on your face and the same old lovesick look in your eyes; but no matter how many times he's seen it, he would always feel the butterflies fluttering in hit stomach.

"happy new years, kenma." you whispered as you pulled him into a kiss.

what a way to start the new years.

⇀ everything after that was a blur

⇀ the party amping up as a way to start the new years and you were sure even daichi had a cup full of some unholy concoction of alcohol kiyoko made for him

⇀ when you woke up, you were in bed, kenma laying a your side.

⇀ with close on, y'nasties 👁

⇀ your head felt like it was going to explode and your stomach turned in ways it shouldn't

⇀ but you were too lazy to get outta bed

⇀ me 🤡

⇀ so you just pulled kenma closer and went back to sleep

⇀ dreaming of a happy future with the man in your arms

taglist:: @stickystrawberrysyrup @420-uwu @nvthvlyy @kaiwai @goshizaki-jun @thetrash-mammal @dprhvn @bakuhore

a/n :: i'll add the read more thing in the morning, i gotta start getting dressed for the new year party. this was kinda rushed too so sorry if it's a bit jumbled or something

[meimi-haneoka]

Akiho Shinomoto - a manifesto of love

Despite becoming one of my favorite characters in the whole Cardcaptor Sakura franchise (and I would’ve never expected to love a new character this much), I realized I’ve never spent a long post for her, like the ones I did for SyaoSaku or for Tomoyo and Syaoran long time ago.

And there’s a lot to say, because Akiho Shinomoto is actually the first character who has introduced the concepts of evil and child abuse in Cardcaptor Sakura.

Something that wasn’t even remotely conceivable until (almost) 5 years ago.

Often considered boring and weak from the CCS fandom, Akiho actually harbors an immense strength inside of her, which goes mostly unnoticed to everyone, in-story friends included. Let’s see why.

Sentenced to death, for lack of magical powers

Once upon a time, a baby girl was born in a clan of powerful magicians, the most ancient of Europe. Clan members seemed happy and curious about the new entry to the family. They had great expectations about what magic she would develop, as everyone else in that family. At the ripe old age of 1 year and a half / 2 years, the baby girl was expected to show some signs of magic, but she had none. But hey, maybe she would become powerful later, let's pat her head and wait patiently. At that time, the Clan still showed some kind of "attention" for her.

But by the time the girl was around 6/7 years old, no fragment of magic appeared in her. Unacceptable. She's the daughter of two top rank magicians, in a clan of magic prodigies. Yet, she showed none of those gifts. They kept comparing her with some boy, living in a far away country, part of another famous magical clan. The girl suddenly held no more interest for her Clan. They actually started seeing her as a stain on their Clan's pride. Suddenly, the focus was all on how they could surpass the other rival clan. The girl was left all alone. A magicless member of the family is a member who doesn't even deserve being talked to. An interrogatory, at most. Who cares if the little girl wants to socialize, if she wants to play, if she's the only young person in that Clan, already without her parents who died so early on? The only thing this girl was good at was reading books, so all that's she's allowed to do. Not even playing with stuffed animals. For some reason, she's allowed to keep only ONE plushie, which is basically everything to her. But books and dolls can't fill that sinkhole she's already feeling at such young age.

Obsessed with this "anomaly", when she was about 2 years old, the Clan had the baby girl examined by a member of a Magic Association in England, known to be the den of shady magicians. A 8/9 year old bored magic genius, named “Yuna D.”, was her examiner. The boy said "She's like a blank book". The girl grew up, and the situation was still the same. The disapproving stares of her relatives cut the little girl’s heart like a sharp knife. They called her “worthless”, “useless”. They even doubted she could really be the daughter of her powerful parents. So what should they have done? Let the little girl live her life like any other regular human being, or taking literally the words of a BORED, EMOTIONALLY UNDEVELOPED CHILD who literally spat out the first thing that came to his mind?

Although the choice should’ve come easily for any normal human being with a functioning brain, they actually went in the other direction, greedy for power. And so, they decided to treat the girl like a tool, using her to store all kinds of magic for them to use. If she couldn’t be of any help to her clan with her capabilities, they would give her a purpose.

On some kind of altar, halfway between a lab rat and the sacrificing ritual of a sect, the most ancient Magicians of Europe together with the Magic Association performed a dangerous magic on her, which afterwards would take its toll even on the casters: they turned her into a magical artifact, capable of engraving in herself all the magical books she would encounter, transforming her de facto into a book herself. As if this wasn’t horrifying enough, this spell will progressively try to crush her soul and conscience, until it gets destroyed completely. So when the artifact will reach its limit, it will be the death of her, as a human being. Only a shell of her will remain. And judging by what was said later on in the story, they actually hope for her to lose her consciousness completely, so they can make use of her more easily.

Afterwards, they burned the book they took the ritual from, so the procedure would remain in their knowledge only. Greedy till the very last drop.

Once their perfect magical tool was achieved, turning a little girl into some sort of artifact, both the Clan and their accomplices couldn't stop bragging about it. The only positive words Akiho has ever received in her life by her people were after she was turned into a tool.

With a newly found purpose for that stain on their clan’s pride, they sent her away into the world to collect all the magic books she could find and write their powers into her, even though she was still just a child. For reasons still unknown, Yuna D., the boy who involuntarily caused this horrible ritual to happen and basically condemned her to death, offers himself to accompany her. The very first decision he took in his own life. That decision will change forever the course of their life, for both of them.

Rising from the ashes, towards a future of hope

Rehashing Akiho’s past is important to understand her personality and behavior fully. CLAMP, in the Clear Card manga, have portrayed the story of her past in a very peculiar way: it starts as any other fairytale, with light tones and cute designs. But as the story progresses, and the horror ensues, the tone of the tale changes, and so the drawing style too. It becomes serious, and “realistic” (ad opposed to the initial cutesy style). What started as a possible generic fairytale, turned into a real nightmare.

On top of being deprived of the love of her parents ever since she was born, because apparently they died right after, Akiho spent her early childhood in complete solitude. Those magicians who were supposed to be her remaining family were too absorbed into their own greed for power, to consider the needs of a baby girl. Not to mention that they had some kind of disgust for her, for being magicless. She was denied attention, cuddles, conversations, play activities, toys. She was denied love and care. All basic things that contribute to shape the personality and psychology of a person. Akiho grew up with the conviction that she wasn’t worth any of that, because no one gave it to her. One of the complaints I have seen the most about her in the fandom, is how she’s always so apologetic, to the point of becoming obnoxious. If you think about it, one of the most prominent characteristics of her personality is how she continuously apologizes to people, thanks them for any smallest thing, and is always, constantly seeking validation. 

But if you stop for a second to think about her past, you’ll realize with dismay that those are none other than symptoms of the abuse she suffered in the past. She was called “good for nothing” and ��useless” by her clan and the Magic Association, and those words carved themselves into her heart, forever scarring it. Akiho grew up believing that she was really worthless and good for nothing just because she couldn’t meet the expectations of her clan, and it’s apparent when we see her considering herself “extremely clumsy”, even though we have afterwards seen that she’s perfectly capable of cooking, sewing, even playing sports. She only needs the dedication of someone who would teach her that.

With a disastrous psychological situation like this, one would naturally wonder how this girl didn’t commit anything extreme yet. Completely alone in the world, deemed useless. Unloved.

Books, books were her first lifeline. The fictional, magical, wonderful worlds depicted in those stories saved her sanity, making her dream about a better life, about friendship, about love. They taught her everything. They gave her the hope that those things existed out there, and maybe one day she would be blessed with them too. The fantastical characters kept her company when no one was there for her (yet). And she loves them viscerally for that, to the point of seeing herself mending damaged books in the future, as a possible occupation. Just like they mended her lacerated heart.

The second lifeline was her meeting with Kaito. Uncharacteristically to him, Kaito showed immediately a kind and interested behavior towards her. This was so shocking, so incredible that Akiho’s first reaction to his introduction was to run away. No one ever addressed her with the intention of having a conversation. No one was ever interested in what she was reading. Even just by this you can get a glimpse of how miserable her life had been till then. Full of psychological issues himself, thanks to the human connection Kaito gradually turned his attentions towards Akiho from contrieved mannerism, to genuine and sincere gestures. Akiho can feel that affection, even if her self-criticism always pushes her to believe that she’s nothing more than “job” to him. It’s something small, but what she’s experiencing with Kaito is her everything, and more than she’s ever had.

The third lifeline is Momo: Akiho doesn’t know, nor remotely imagines she’s actually a living magical creature. But she has been her constant presence ever since she was born. Her connection to her is special, and you can see it in their daily (one-sided, for now) interactions. Akiho talks to Momo, she greets her when she comes back home, she constantly carries her around, she thinks about giving her a little dress as a present. Momo is Akiho’s strength. The love this girl pours into what she believes is just a stuffed animal is incredible. It goes to show Akiho’s immense capacity to love something/someone without expecting anything in return, but actually just enjoying the simple presence and courage they give to her. If you think about it, it’s the very opposite of what she experienced with the only human interactions she’s ever had before Kaito came into the picture. Her aptitude to selfless love is also remarked between the lines in chapter 49, when Akiho is telling Sakura about her relationship with Kaito. Despite all the ugliness she went through, she’s still able to find in herself the strength to overcome all of it, and change her life for the better.

This certainly hasn’t been an easy or quick process, because in the flashbacks of her journey with Kaito we always see her with a pensive/serious look. It must have been extremely hard to start trusting others, when she had no one she could count on in her own home.

Akiho’s capacity to love and rise from the ashes of her terrible past has been so contagious, that it has started to affect Kaito too.  As Momo said in chapter 51, once you’re given the reason to change, no person can ever stay the same. This must have been true for Kaito, but certainly for Akiho too.

I’m absolutely positive that Akiho (and possibly, Kaito too) will be the symbol for one of the most important, beautiful messages in the whole Clear Card Arc: even if your life isn’t perfect, even if your past scarred you in multiple ways, there’s always hope. Hope to turn over a new leaf and change yourself for the better too, in the process. Overcome everything that had you stuck in pain and grief. Achieve what you always wished for.

[tomhollandnet]

Tom Holland Says Losing Roles to Ansel Elgort + John Boyega Made Him a Better Actor

For an actor who says he’s “achieved everything I could possibly want to achieve,” Tom Holland is still finding ways to engage, challenge, and test his physical limits like never before. Best known for his turn as the Spider-Man himself, Peter Parker, Holland is moving beyond the Marvel universe into roles that see him digging deep and maturing on screen in new and exciting ways, including “Cherry,” from “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo. We had him answer our Backstage 5 questionnaire for a walk down memory lane and a reflection on those who have influenced his career most.

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? I haven’t a clue. I don’t even know if I have a SAG-AFTRA card. I must, right? If I did, it’s definitely in the mail somewhere.

But it would have been “Billy Elliot” that got you Equity, is that right? I assume so. I have no idea. You can ask anyone who helps me with my career, I am the most poorly organized person in the world. There is someone who’s taken care of it, I’m sure!

Fair enough! What’s your No. 1 piece of audition advice? I have this little cheat that I used to do where I would get something really wrong in the first take in the room, so that the casting director would be like, “You should try and do it a little bit more like this.” And then I would do it how I’d actually planned on doing it, and it would show them that I was really good at taking direction. That’s a little trick that I used to do, just to kind of show people that I was malleable and able to work with others.

That’s great. At what point did you learn that that works? I don’t know where I got that from! I just started doing it one day. But it’s been really helpful. Sometimes it gets a bit tricky, though, when they ask you, “So, why did you make that choice with that line? Why did you say it like that?” And you’re like, “Oh, fuck. Ummm, because…of the research I did yesterday!” It can backfire, but it has been quite helpful for me and my short little career.

Do you have an audition horror story you could share with us? I’ve had quite a few. I’ve read the wrong lines at the wrong audition before. I remember my audition for “Star Wars,” I was like four or five auditions in, and I think I was auditioning for John Boyega’s role. I remember doing this scene with this lady, bless her, and she was just a drone. So I was doing all of this, like, “We gotta get back to the ship!” And she was going, “Bleep, bloop bloop, bleep bloop.” I just couldn’t stop laughing. I found it so funny. And I felt really bad, because she was trying really hard to be a convincing android or drone or whatever they’re called. Yeah, I obviously didn't get the part. That wasn’t my best moment.

What advice do you have for pushing through rejection as an actor? I remember having a really, really informative conversation with my dad. There was a film called “November Criminals.” Ansel Elgort played the lead role in that film. I was auditioning for it and I got really close, and I thought that that film for me was going to be, like, my steppingstone into a young-adult career. And I didn’t get the role, and it really beat me up. I remember being really angry about it. My dad sat me down, and we spoke about dealing with rejection. He’s had to deal with rejection his entire life in his career, and he was really kind and said, “Son, that’s part of success. If you won every single time, winning would become losing.” It’s like, if I can shoot 4-under in golf every single day, that would become really boring. You need to lose so that the win feels like a win.

Do you have an acting mentor? Two people come to mind. My life changed so quickly and so drastically from when I got cast as Spider-Man. One person was—the way that they behaved on set—was Robert Downey Jr. He is the godfather of the MCU, and he is arguably one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He is so professional, he’s so kind, he treats everyone on set with respect. He’s never late, he knows everyone’s name. So, for me, that was the perfect kind of role model, where I was like, “Well, if he's like that and he’s the biggest movie star in the world, then I have to be like that. Because I’m not the biggest movie star in the world, and there’s no room for me to not be as respectful as he is.” And then the second person would probably be Zendaya. When we started shooting the first [“Spider-man”] film, she, Jacob [Batalon], and I all became best mates. She was so helpful in the process of my life changing, because not only are you making big films and you’re traveling the world, but everyone starts to know who you are. And you have to behave differently. You have a responsibility to kind of uphold this idea of being a role model to young kids. And, arguably, she’s the best at that. You can’t really find anything against Zendaya, she’s kind of like the perfect person. It was so wonderful to have someone like her in my corner, to help me grow through that process. And, yes, I’ve made mistakes—I went through a phase where I hated taking pictures with people, and I was like, “No, no, no, leave me alone!” She really taught me, she was like, “That would probably stress you out more than saying yes and being nice about it.” She was so right. It’s made that whole process so much nicer. Having her as a friend has been so valuable to the success and happiness of my career and life.

And, finally, what’s one screen performance that every actor should see and why? “Primal Fear.” Edward Norton. Richard Gere. He is so good in that film, and I’ve always sort of aspired to play a role like that. That performance in that film is flawless.

[hifumi-gigolo]

what are 5 of your favorite hifumi pics (not your top 5 since i'm sure they can't be ranked) but just. 5 Really Good Ones

God bless you for asking me this. This is what I have been WAITING for *cracks knuckles* first off: this shot from the anime, the first scene I really saw him in and the beginning of everything😩💛

This one from the manga, hes so cute and I love his happy/excited expression, the salute...the wink....the he🥺😩💕 omg hes so beautiful and cute I´m gonna have a breakdown making this post

I feel like this is very random but I absolutely love this shot from the anime ending?? once again the wink...the happiness...himmm omg😭💛

This image is just 😩🖐 hes so cuuuute, his bright smile, hes handing you the rose,,, I wanna kiss his cheek

this tiny manga shot. minifumi. hes just looking, lil´ eyelashes🥺 absolute baby

5 more honorable mentions under cut because how do you expect me to choose only ten 🧍‍♂️

his smile is my entire life fuel I don´t need anything else just keep this man happy 😩💕

HES BLUSHING AND I AM WEAK HES SO CUTE

hes,,, hes so,, p- pretty,,,🥺 his eyes on the right someone call me an ambulance my HEART-

the pic quality is unnecessarily good?? him,,, his hair looks so fluffy and the rose,, and he,,

every time he smiles and winks I die but also live longer

Also his snapshot and official hoodie&shirt arb cards but tumblr has an image limit and I should stop putting more

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol. 5: Mukami Yuma [Track 1]

Original title: 贈り物

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 5 Mukami Yuma [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Tatsuhisa Suzuki

Translator’s note: Oh how the tables have turnedーー Since most of the CDs have the guy be in charge of rewinding time, it was nice to see Yuma give it to the MC in this one, only to have it come back to bite him in the ass a few minutes later. I love how she actually did not hesitate to use it at all, even though he warned her not to. We stan a sly, cunning MC in this household, haha.

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 1: A Gift

Yuma enters the room.

“...Oh! Sow!”

You turn your head.

“Ya were in my room? Perfect timin’ I got this nifty lil’ thing, so I wanted to show ya!”

You ask him what he received.

“This was delivered from Karlheinz.”

*Cling*

You tilt your head to the side.

“Ah. It’s an hourglass. Never received somethin’ like this before.”

*Flip*

“Accordin’ to the card that came with it, it’s addressed to both of us... But why did he give us this? I don’t really get it, but he might be givin’ us his blessings!”

You smile, noting he seems happy.

“Haha. Well, yeah. It’s a gift from the man I look up to, ‘course I’m happy. It’s actually been on my mind this whole time. Our relationship ruined the future that man wished for, right? No matter what anyone may say, no way in hell I’m givin’ ya up still. But...Somewhere deep inside my heart, I felt as if I disappointed him. That I failed to live up to his expectations, ya could say.”

You comfort Yuma.

“However, when I consider he’s still congratulatin’ us now like this, I feel very grateful.”

You nod. 

“Well, that’s all just part of my own imagination tho. I honestly don’t know what truly goes on in that man’s mind just from readin’ this card.”

You point out there’s something on the back of the card as well. 

“Oh! The back? ...Hm?”

*Flip*

“Oh...You’re right, there’s an additional note. Uhm...Let’s see...Ah!? Is this for real!?”

You ask Yuma what is written on there.

“Seems like this isn’t just a regular hourglass. It’s a model from the Demon World which can rewind time if ya flip it over. It runs on magic so there’s only a set amount of times ya can use it but...He gave us quite the dangerous toy, huh?”

You sigh.

“Good point. All of his gifts are always a lil’ over-the-top. Just look at the elaborate decoration on this thing. Ya can just tell it’s no ordinary hourglass. This kinda fancy stuff doesn’t fit me.”

You note it’s pretty.

“What? You like it?”

You nod.

“I’ll give it to ya then. Here ya go.”

*Cling*

You seem hesitant, asking once more if he is sure.

“Yeah. I’d be a waste of a treasure on me, so it’d probably be best if ya hold onto it instead. Ya know...Pretty things like that.”

*Cling*

“Yeah! Don’t ya dare lose it! Ah! Also, be careful not to flip it over, ‘kay? Apparently time will rewind after all.”

You promise to be careful.

“Haah...Will ya actually be cautious? You’re still as much of a klutz and airhead per usual so I’m worried.”

You protest, puffing out your cheeks.

“Nah, ya definitely are. That part of ya hasn’t changed one bit since we met. For example, ya thoughtlessly ate my precious Sugar-chan back when ya had only just arrived at this manor, right? Do ya remember?”

You tell him you could never forgot.

“Heh. At first ya were shittin’ yer pants ‘round us, but afterwards you’d just casually eat our food. Not sure if you’re an airhead, or just shameless.”

You reminisce about memories.

“Hoh! Now that ya mention it, that happened as well! That was when I sucked too much of yer blood and ya collapsed, right?”

You nod.

“Ya were makin’ a long face over at the infirmary, so I had no other choice but to put Sugar-chan between my teeth like this...”

Yuma bites down on a sugar cube before leaning in and kissing you.

“Mmh...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Hm~ And fed it to ya mouth-to-mouth, right? I remember, don’t worry.”

You get flustered, making a fuss.

“Hehe...Right, right! Ya made the exact same baffled expression, I had no idea if it actually felt good or not! ...Oh! I remember feedin’ ya tomatoes as well! I just forced those inside yer mouth tho.”

You scold him for doing that. 

“...Aah? Ya still gonna complain ‘bout that now? I fed ya my tomatoes, so don’t be whinin’ ‘bout any discomfort. Actually, weren’t ya to blame back then ‘cause ya upset me by givin’ me the silent treatment? It was basically yer punishment.”

You frown.

“For some reason...Lookin’ back on all those memories, I really fed ya the whole time, huh?”

You giggle, nothing how he likes to take care of others.

“Haah? I’m a carin’ guy (1)?”

You remind him of that one time he nursed you back to health.

“Aah...Yeah, that happened too. Guess I can’t prove ya wrong then. Ya mean that one time ya broke a fever, right? Ya were stumblin’ ‘round the hallway with yer face bright red. It’d be bad if ya had died on us back then, so I had no other choice but to cook up some stew. I actually made it ‘cause I was cravin’ some as well tho. It wasn’t for ya. Didn’t I tell ya back then as well? Yet ya kept on complainin’ ‘bout the size of the ingredients with that cocky attitude of yers.”

You try and explain yourself.

“Ya might have not said it with that many words but I could tell by the look on yer face! ...You’ve been kinda fragile ever since we met, huh? Oh! You’ve always been weak to my fangs as well.”

You protest. 

“No? Don’t ya remember? You’d make that ecstatic expression from the second I latched onto ya. And in the end, you’d come beggin’ for my fangs yerself.”

You deny it.

“Nah, I’m not wrong. Just admit it. Ya are weak to my fangs. Ever since we met and ‘course, to this day.”

You pout.

“Take for example that one time I sucked ya by the window? Ya were makin’ a shameless expression even tho someone could have easily spotted us.”

You flush bright red. 

“Heh! How’s that? Can’t deny it, can ya? You’re weak to my fangs!”

You shake your head. 

“You’re damn persistent, just admit it already...”

You refuse.

“Che...I’ve given ya this much proof and ya still won’t acknowledge it? Ya can be surprisingly stubborn at times, huh?”

Yuma walks over to take a seat on the bed.

*Thud*

“...’Kay, as you wish. Let’s fight it out then.”

You tilt your head to the side, clearly confused.

“Yeah. ...Well, take a seat over here for starters. I’ll explain it to ya.”

You take a seat next to Yuma.

“Listen up. I said ‘a fight’, but we won’t be throwin’ fists. I’ll continue suckin yer blood like usual. However, if ya end up beggin’ for them yerself at any given point, ya have to admit that you’re weak to my fangs.”

Your eyes widen in shock.

“...Don’t seem so surprised. If ya really aren’t weak to them like ya claim to be, ya can easily endure as much, no?”

You ask him how long you have to endure it. 

“The time limit? ...Geez, ya sure are cocky. Let’s see...How does one week sound to ya? If ya beg to have yer blood sucked within the time frame, it’s yer loss. If ya endure it, ya win.”

You agree with the rules.

“Heh. Ya think ya can manage for that long? In that case, let’s get this challenge started right away.”

*Rustle rustle*

“Pretty sure just bein’ honest and acknowledgin’ it would be the easy way out tho. You’ll only end up sufferin’ more if ya drag it out.”

*Rustle*

“After all...I’ll make sure to torment ya plenty, you’ll be cravin’ me so badly, it’ll make ya go crazy. ...I’ll start by plungin’ my fangs in this nape of yers and suckin’ yer blood.”

Yuma bites you.

*Sluuuuurp*

“Haahn...”

*Sluuuuurp*

“Haah...Heh. You’re already cryin’ out sweetly.”

*Rustle*

“I’m holdin’ back a lil’ more than usual, but seems like you’re already feelin’ good? However, this is child’s play to ya, isn’t it? Then get yerself together. ...Heh. This is only the very beginnin’. I told ya, didn’t I? That I’d toy with ya to my heart’s content. ...That bein’ said, bite marks really look great on ya.”

He runs his fingertips across.

“Hm? Does it hurt when I touch them? But bein’ stimulated that way makes ya ache as well, doesn’t it?”

You shake your head.

“Don’t think ya can deny it. Even if ya do, yer body tells me you’re enjoyin’ it. Mmh...”

*Smooch*

You flinch.

“...See? You’re enjoyin’ this after all, aren’t ya? ...Ah, speakin’ of which...Ya liked this too, didn’t ya?”

*Smooch*

“Hehehe...You’re givin’ me some pretty interestin’ reactions. I’ve turned you into quite the slut if ya get excited just from havin’ yer ear kissed.”

*Rustle*

“In the end...Yer body is no match for the pleasure. Say...Ya want more, don’t ya? Then just say so. ...It’s easy, isn’t it?”

You refuse.

“You’re a stubborn one, huh? Then...How ‘bout this?”

*Smooch*

“...Heh. How’s that? Yer whole body should be tinglin’ all over just from a few bites here and there.”

¨Rustle rustle*

“Hehe. Judgin’ by the look on yer face, you’re really feelin’ it. Seems like ya can’t give a proper reply either. If I were to suck ya one more time, you’ll...”

*Cling*

“...Haah!? The fuck...? Whatcha gonna do with the hourglass?”

You tilt the hourglass to the side.

“...Ah! You! Don’t tell me...!”

*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*

“...Uwaah!?”

ーーー

“...Ah!? ...What happened just now...!?”

Yuma looks around.

“Wha...!? Ya used the hourglass just now, didn’t ya!? So...Time has rewinded!?”

You blink in confusion.

“Why does the person who used it look so damn puzzled!? This feeling...We’ve definitely gone back in time! ...Ugh. Yer clothes don’t look disheveled anymore, nor do ya have any bite marks. Which means...We’ve really rewinded to before I sucked yer blood...”

You grin.

“Fuck...Ya brought us back right as things were gettin’ good too! Ughー! I was literally one hair away from pushin’ ya over the edge! ...Hm? Actually...Was that yer goal? Did ya use the hourglass ‘cause ya knew ya were ‘bout to lose our bet?”

You admit it. 

“Tsk. Look at ya bein’ all sly. I didn’t expect ya to pull that sorta trick. I shouldn’t have thoughtlessly handed it to ya. Well, whatever. Let’s start over from zero. I’ll suck ya relentlessly this time, so ya won’t even have the time to think ‘bout usin’ that lil’ hourglass of yers...”

*Rustle*

“Now I won’t stop even if ya beg me to.”

You quickly make a run for it.

“...Ah!? Oi...! Where are ya goin’...!? Don’t ya dare think ya can get away! Hold it...!!”

Yuma chases after you.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) 世話好き or ‘sewa-zuki’ is used to refer to someone who finds enjoyment in helping others out, or looking after them. 

[spidermaninlove]

Tom Holland Says Losing Roles to Ansel Elgort + John Boyega Made Him a Better Actor

BY BENJAMIN LINDSAY | FEBRUARY 18, 2021 11:00 AM | LAST UPDATED: FEBRUARY 18, 2021 11:27 AM

For an actor who says he’s “achieved everything I could possibly want to achieve,” Tom Holland is still finding ways to engage, challenge, and test his physical limits like never before. Best known for his turn as the Spider-Man himself, Peter Parker, Holland is moving beyond the Marvel universe into roles that see him digging deep and maturing on screen in new and exciting ways, including “Cherry,” from “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo. We had him answer our Backstage 5 questionnaire for a walk down memory lane and a reflection on those who have influenced his career most. 

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? I haven’t a clue. I don’t even know if I have a SAG-AFTRA card. I must, right? If I did, it’s definitely in the mail somewhere.

But it would have been “Billy Elliot” that got you Equity, is that right? I assume so. I have no idea. You can ask anyone who helps me with my career, I am the most poorly organized person in the world. There is someone who’s taken care of it, I’m sure!

Fair enough! What’s your No. 1 piece of audition advice? I have this little cheat that I used to do where I would get something really wrong in the first take in the room, so that the casting director would be like, “You should try and do it a little bit more like this.” And then I would do it how I’d actually planned on doing it, and it would show them that I was really good at taking direction. That’s a little trick that I used to do, just to kind of show people that I was malleable and able to work with others.

That’s great. At what point did you learn that that works? I don’t know where I got that from! I just started doing it one day. But it’s been really helpful. Sometimes it gets a bit tricky, though, when they ask you, “So, why did you make that choice with that line? Why did you say it like that?” And you’re like, “Oh, fuck. Ummm, because…of the research I did yesterday!” It can backfire, but it has been quite helpful for me and my short little career.

Do you have an audition horror story you could share with us? I’ve had quite a few. I’ve read the wrong lines at the wrong audition before. I remember my audition for “Star Wars,” I was like four or five auditions in, and I think I was auditioning for John Boyega’s role. I remember doing this scene with this lady, bless her, and she was just a drone. So I was doing all of this, like, “We gotta get back to the ship!” And she was going, “Bleep, bloop bloop, bleep bloop.” I just couldn’t stop laughing. I found it so funny. And I felt really bad, because she was trying really hard to be a convincing android or drone or whatever they’re called. Yeah, I obviously didn't get the part. That wasn’t my best moment.

What advice do you have for pushing through rejection as an actor? I remember having a really, really informative conversation with my dad. There was a film called “November Criminals.” Ansel Elgort played the lead role in that film. I was auditioning for it and I got really close, and I thought that that film for me was going to be, like, my steppingstone into a young-adult career. And I didn’t get the role, and it really beat me up. I remember being really angry about it. My dad sat me down, and we spoke about dealing with rejection. He’s had to deal with rejection his entire life in his career, and he was really kind and said, “Son, that’s part of success. If you won every single time, winning would become losing.” It’s like, if I can shoot 4-under in golf every single day, that would become really boring. You need to lose so that the win feels like a win.

Do you have an acting mentor? Two people come to mind. My life changed so quickly and so drastically from when I got cast as Spider-Man. One person was—the way that they behaved on set—was Robert Downey Jr. He is the godfather of the MCU, and he is arguably one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He is so professional, he’s so kind, he treats everyone on set with respect. He’s never late, he knows everyone’s name. So, for me, that was the perfect kind of role model, where I was like, “Well, if he's like that and he’s the biggest movie star in the world, then I have to be like that. Because I’m not the biggest movie star in the world, and there’s no room for me to not be as respectful as he is.” And then the second person would probably be Zendaya. When we started shooting the first [“Spider-man”] film, she, Jacob [Batalon], and I all became best mates. She was so helpful in the process of my life changing, because not only are you making big films and you’re traveling the world, but everyone starts to know who you are. And you have to behave differently. You have a responsibility to kind of uphold this idea of being a role model to young kids. And, arguably, she’s the best at that. You can’t really find anything against Zendaya, she’s kind of like the perfect person. It was so wonderful to have someone like her in my corner, to help me grow through that process. And, yes, I’ve made mistakes—I went through a phase where I hated taking pictures with people, and I was like, “No, no, no, leave me alone!” She really taught me, she was like, “That would probably stress you out more than saying yes and being nice about it.” She was so right. It’s made that whole process so much nicer. Having her as a friend has been so valuable to the success and happiness of my career and life.

And, finally, what’s one screen performance that every actor should see and why? “Primal Fear.” Edward Norton. Richard Gere. He is so good in that film, and I’ve always sort of aspired to play a role like that. That performance in that film is flawless.

Source:  Backstage

Tom can’t stop talking about his bestie, Z!  

[rinharu-purple]

Lucien: MLQC’s Mastermind

Yes, I said that Lucien is the creepiest LI in my opinion, and I wouldn’t choose him in a million, billion years. BUT, Lucien is by far the one person, who is pulling the strings and is the driving force of the MLQC universe. He is the only person who acquires all the information from all sides and is connected to every important actor in the story. Therefore, Lucien has become the second LI I’ve started to follow more attentively. Mind that the ranking ist 1) Gavin 2) Gavin 3) Gavin 4) Lucien ;)

In my manifesto, why Gavin is MC’s choice, I’ve already mentioned briefly, that Lucien has the strongest EVOL among all the characters but is also the strongest character (it’s not the MC or the Black Queen, let’s not fool ourselves)

The Machiavellian

Before we talk about Lucien’s part in the MLQC universe, we should first look at him as person and observe the elements that make up his personality.

In the game, all our guys have their personal priorities. Gavin and Kiro are on the front line, fighting for peace and prosperity, Victor, well...I don’t think that he cares for anything else besides MC, maybe his position. But with Lucien, his priority is not a person or a concept, but rather a philosophy. Lucien wants to see the next step in human evolution and is determined to take any measures necessary to see it to it’s end. Other guys can not stand oblivious to other things that come up their way in achieving their goals but Lucien only has his eyes on the prize and to him nothing else matters, no one else matters and no ethics matter. 

Machiavellianism denotes cunningness and claims, that those dark triads use whatever means necessary to gain power. If we consider the choices Lucien has made throughout the story so far, we can clearly find his manipulative ways in getting other actors to the positions of his conjecture. He lies to MC and hides his personality as Ares, penetrates Black Swan to use their facilities, but also uses LFG’s resources for his R&D projects all the while concealing his true nature. 

Another trait of a Machiavellian, is that he is charismatic and friendly, all the while displaying no emotions. I think, there can be two possible reasons as to why Lucien has limited display of emotions. The first possible explanation has something to do with his parents passing and the trauma he suffered afterwards. Among all LIs Lucien is the one with the most loveless childhood and teenage years, the most important years in developing one’s psychological traits and during those years Lucien received alongside with Kiro the most blows. That resulted in him losing the connection to his emotions as a defense mechanism. 

Another possibility might be him losing the connection to his emotions as a result of a chemical reaction in his brain due to excessive testing Black Swan objected him to. Lucien’s EVOL was created in a lab and he was the first man-made Evolver. Lucien is called various times a psychopath, because he shows signs of psychopathy such as lack of remorse, empathy or compassion. It is said that that kind of behavior might occur due to a misconnection between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the amygdala. Considering the fact that Lucien’s parents were killed right in front of him and that he was both physically and psychologically abused for the coming years, this might have led him to experience an imbalance in his chemical balance. One might argue, that his altruistic actions in the orphanage are an evidence for his compassion, I think it is yet another disguise for his unethical ways of reaching his goals.

The Orchestrator

In all honesty no one is actively seeking alliances and keeps tabs on other’s actions for their agenda like Lucien does. Maybe Commander Leto but he mostly fails in drawing others to his side, because he is not able to speak in their pendants’ language or resonate with their perspective. Lucien, on the other hand, is gifted with an extraordinary ability to observe his surroundings and companions, making it very easy for him to talk to them in their terms and desires. Lucien doesn’t show much empathy, UNLESS, it contributes to his cause, in that case he can perfectly put himself in other’s shoes and plays them in such a meticulous way, that they join him willingly.

That is how Lucien directs MC successfully in entering the Black Cabin or in understanding the evolution core.

Lucien is not exactly a piece on a chess board, but is a player, who knows all the pieces very well, knows the rules of the game, has observed many games and took notes of how they all has turned out and therefore knows what kind of a game he is going to play. Just watch closely. how he co-operates with Kiro and the Black Queen. He knows that Kiro is using Black Swan for his goals, much like he does, so he uses his hacking abilities to access to information. The Black Queen is the initiator of everything in S1, so he makes sure to stay close to her. He knows that Victor is searching for MC and trying to understand the Evol gene, there he has an investor. 

The Cool, Calm and Collected Type

in the MLQC universe, everyone loses their composure at one point or another, because...who wouldn’t? Time and space warps constantly and people are also changing their stances depending on the time-space constellation they find themselves in. 

MC loses her cool almost on a daily basis, Gavin was in a constant haywire in the Daybreak era, Victor literally threw people into black holes in CH11 and freaked out as he saw the Black Queen for the first time and Kiro walks around in a bipolar state. So, everybody is pretty unstable due to understandable conditions but we never see Lucien lose his cool and this is one of his best qualities. 

Here is the thing about Lucien. This guy is always at least one step ahead of everyone and he achieves this by two simple rules: 

1) Acquire all possible information

2) Observe everyone and everything at all times

Why am I saying this? It lies in the basis of anxiety and angst. We humans tend to feel uncomfortable in the face of an uncertain situation, meaning in the wake of the unknown. MC is constantly anxious, because she doesn’t know what is going on, why is everyone after her, why is she blessed with the unconditional affection of 5 equally attractive men? (ehm, but not quite equally ehm *Gavin* hihi, sorry, Gavin-stan gotta Gavin-stan ^_^). Anyway you get the picture. Gavin went haywire in CH22 because he was pushed in a tight spot and therefore had angst. Same goes for Victor in CH11 his mind went blank as he saw history repeating itself and then in CH18 when he saw with his own eyes what could the girl of his dreams might become.

We don’t see Lucien in such deadlock situation though do we, and I think it is mainly because he is always prepared for every possibility and he can calculate them meticulously, because he possesses the largest chunk of information and also keeps tabs on everyone and everything that’s going on. So, when a crisis occurs he doesn’t freak out, sure he gets surprised at times, because the outcome of a a certain situation is the possibility, which he calculated to be no higher than 1% and yet there it is. But since he’s already took this into consideration, he has a plan. Combine this with his knowledge about the persons and organizations involved in the matter, then you have a calm Lucien, who is in control of the situation. Thus, he is calm. You can actually also bind this behavior of Lucien with that of a predator, whose movement are languid, is non-reactive and doesn’t mind turning his back to his opponents, since he doesn’t perceive them as a threat.

If this wasn’t enough, Lucien manages to joggle all of this without exposing himself. Even in the last stage of the play he never gets caught. Unless he willingly exposes himself, as in the case of revealing Ares to MC. MLQC actors can usually see through each other and use their weaknesses to meet their own ends. MC is obviously Gavin, Kiro and Victor’s weakness and their opponents can see this pretty easily. IT’s not quite the same with Lucien though and he doesn’t let himself be blackmailed or threatened by any weakness. He always keeps his cards close to his chest. 

Considering the fact that Lucin is the least outstanding LI, this is pretty impressive. So I guess this makes him the embodiment of the phrase “still waters run deep”.

The Renaissance Man

Lucien is a man of science and aesthetics. Explaining phenomenons with associations and loading them with philosophical substance. He doesn’t necessarily perceive things bluntly as they are, but interprets them in a meaningful way. The way he associates MC with a butterfly, how he wants to entrap her in ajar, so she wouldn’t get away, alas taking the only resource of color in his life away. Not only that, but he can also break down the matters at hand to its fragments and can therefore work his way up from there. He is blessed with a strong deduction ability, so he can connect the dots easily, come to a conclusion and act accordingly. No doubt that the other guys have very good deduction abilities, but because Lucien always has a bit of an information more than them, he can find the solutions just a little bit faster in my opinion. 

Reading is a necessity for his guy much like eating and drinking, Which is why we see him reframing events in the context of a certain story he’d read at some point in his life. With time, I will add here some of his quotes about certain situations to explain what I mean. Or even better, if you have some, that are evident in you opinion, you could add them in the comments. I really enjoy reading/hearing Lucien’s philosophical, scientific explanations to certain moments in MC’s life. They are always to the point and helpful.

-------------

So this is my very first analysis on Lucien and I have to admit, I still have  so many material to check on him, so if anything is missing please bear with me here :)

I was watching Joe’s Twitch while I wrote this, so there are many spelling, grammar mistakes, which will be corrected gradually.

This post will get better and better, scout promise!