#i have no basis for this fun assumption and i dont even think of it that often but.

[phoenixtherobot]

Hermittober Day 10: Sacrifice!

I like to imagine all of the Ravagers are sweet and well trained and know that Tango is the Treat Giver and won't actually kill him, which leads to him running distraction and "dying" during the lackey runs

[deardiarypleaseignore]

Dear diary,

Idk if its cause im demiromantic or if its because of the nature of comic/anime conventions but having things done to me there like dont mean anything to me? Like its just a game? Not saying i dont like consent i super like consent and consent is not what im getting at rn. But like just cause someone gets to sit on their fave charas lap or gets flirted with during a panel or for a photo/vid op (with consent naturally) doesnt mean like i feel anything for them? Maybe its because at that moment theyre not whoever they are on a day to day basis, theyre acting as a character so any attachment/fantasies goes to that character and not them as a person (not saying that i see that person as not a human being and as my waifu/husbando) but its like dress up/pretend. Its all an act and doesnt mean anything in the long run. And even if its smth heart racing or sexually enticing i dont think that immediately translates to sexual pleasure for me i think its more like "im playing a fun game/getting attention!" I dont know. Im really only thinking about this in terms of relationships. Like i think i wouldnt mind a partner asking permission before doing the pocky game with a cosplay panelist but i wouldnt get upset if they didnt. Mostly because id probably know about their thirst beforehand so it wouldnt take me by surprise. But if i decided not to go to con that day, i wouldnt expect them to text me for permission. Disregarding trust its, like, a cosplay. If im that jealous i can put on the cosplay and do it. Spice up the bedroom that way. Its not the person theyre attracted to (i think) its the character. It might be aspects of the person (personality, muscles, voice) but that person is acting - theyre playing a character and my partner is doing audience participation. As a performer, i imagine it sucks when theres little to no audience participation.

This is a long blurb just ranting and openly documenting my thoughts about my feelings about relationships, husbandos/waifus, and cosplayers. Yeah, i wonder if something is wrong with me. Am i the only one who these actions hold no meaning for? Is it bad if they dont hold any meaning for me because its an act? I still enjoy acts like these in the sense of like "im playing the game!" Sort of feeling. In the sense of its all part of an act/performance. If theres any sexual feelings its never towards a person but towards an action. "Wow that person checked in on me after kabedonning me and consent really is sexy!" Or smth like that not like "wow that person checked in on me after kabedonning me theyre so hot they must love me i think i love them" sort of way. Am i weird? This is why i say im kind of dumb when it comes to actions and romance and flirting. If its not explicitly romantic, i dont really get it. I might have a suspicion but ill ignore it since i dont want to make assumptions. And the worse part is, i might not reciprocate your feelings because i never thought about you that way. Back on topic. Shit flies over my head (not because im short). Is this just because im dumb? Am i stepping over lines? I dont know.

Sincerely,

Me

[furballfaggot]

verdict is a resounding yes. here goes

ok so quick disclaimer i was exposed to a lotta kink shit when i was really young (the perils of unsupervised internet access) and it predictably did some wack shit to Mah Skull Sponge (i can never hear harder better faster stronger without remembering the undertale fetish porn comp someone on youtube out together i watched when i was like 8) so im not just some entirely unaffected late teen being contrarian

while sexual fetish content should absolutely be tagged as at the very least suggestive and kept in adult spaces wherever possible, fetish artists are entirely capable of drawing the object of their fetish nonsexually and saying "all fetish artists should never try and make sfw art involving said fetish bc fetishes are inherently sexual" is. not a cool thing to do like, lets say someone is a foot fetish artist. they draw feet. they draw feet a LOT. then they make an artpiece with a character that just so happens to be barefoot, but it is clearly not the focus of the piece. i assume youre not going to immediately assume they made the art for sexual gratification unless they express it themselves especially if you dont know them or their art. assuming sexual intent with no clear basis is completely asinine, and if your assumption is wrong its even worse. a person who draws fat people should not immediately be assumed to have a fat fetish*, and a fat fetish artist is entirely capable of drawing a fat character nonsexually

and this isnt even just me trying to give the benefit of the doubt -- i have seen instances of these exact things back in the lawless days of I Am Nine And I Am On Deviantart All Day. furthermore all the people i see claiming things like "fetish artists shouldnt desexualize their fetish when theyre making art" are either framing it as "BECAUSE THEYLL GROOM YOUR KIDS AND CORRUPT THEIR YOUTH" -- this is not impossible, but it is highly unlikely to happen with Just desexualized fetish art -- or are fainting old prudes who think that any sexual content Ever is a horrible affront to them and everyone else on the planet so it should all be burnt down immediately. there are obviously outliers to both of these camps, but these are the most common 2 i see

really i could go on a whole tirade about how a lot of fetishes are unfairly stigmatized and made fun of when there can be years worth of underlying uncontrollable factors to someone jerkin it to macro or some shit but ill hold off on that until spaghetti-o day so i can talk about it without feeling weird discussing more racy topics. plus ill actually be able to get all my thoughts out proper by then *this isnt just a bullshit hypothetical -- i saw this happen time and time again when i was on twitter. i can almost guarantee it also happens on here

tl;dr if a porn artist can draw a boob or a dick without it being sexual/pornographic a fetish artist can do the same with their kinks and people need to fuckin relax

(its not like, earth shattering or actively controversial, for the record. just something ive had on my mind for a few years. i know theres gonna be people who disagree with me and i also fully intend to avoid getting into any discourse on this blog after this)

[deadmunds-ghostbee]

You’re a sensible and level headed person in the Bridgerton fandom, what is your take on the EW feature? I don’t think I’m a super reactionary person, however, I’ve had a creeping feeling that S2 just isn’t going to be good (both critical reception wise and fan response/satisfaction). TVWLM is the best book and they’re bungling with it for some reason…

Haha I'm glad I seem sensible! Yes I try to keep this a relatively drama and discourse free blog.

That being said, I've turned off my asks for the next day or so because I'm gonna write big long fun posts about the new content we got today but don't have the time to answer anything beyond this one.

To be honest, my first reaction to the article wasn't actually how I personally felt about it. I saw that Jonny and Simone weren't the cover and I thought, 'oh dear, people are going to have things to say about this.' And they did and they still do about many of the things mentioned in the article. Which is obviously fine.

Onto my thoughts: Entertainment weekly is no award-winning publication. There were points where I thought the journalist extrapolated to a hilarious amount (like in the post introducing the characters, they implied that Theo Sharpe and Eloise would be good for each other??) and points where it was just hot air.

I DONT EXPECT ANYONE TO READ ALL THIS BUT HERE GOES

The cast had some insightful things to say about themes and commentary, and ultimately I have no real opinion on the fact that they focused on the side characters a lot. Those characters are a sure bet. It's press and I won't claim to understand marketing or the semantics of scheduling. I do think it would be weird if we never got a Jonny Simone cover somewhere at some point, though.

In terms of bungling it, safest assumption is that it's a bit of a wash? What are the chances that it'll be amazing? What are the chances it'll be theworstfuckingthingever? Small for both. There will be good and bad and it will certainly never be 'great' with the way it bites off way more than it can chew in terms of class, race, and even women's issues. In terms of pulling off a good romance, though, I have faith.

The actors (Jonny in particular) have shown very keen understanding of their characters, and they continue to hone in on important character beats such as Kate's utter devotion to her family and Edwina. I don't think Kate and Anthony's story can be bad with good performances and chemistry, and a basis of the characters we love. Even if it *is* bad, nothing's ruining Kathony for me because I'm not letting it lol.

This opinion may get me in trouble: I personally don't really care how well it is perceived critically or by GA or my followers. I only care that I like it myself (which I am determined to do within reason), and that I can continue to enjoy writing/reading fic. How good the subsequent seasons are also isn't something I care about, but for the rest of the fandom's sakes, I hope yall enjoy it.

Critics usually overexaggerate and GA (and by that I mean, non-internet ppl who don't think too hard about it) are easy to please. I don't think it'll do the same numbers but whatever. The promo isn't a disaster but it could probably be better.

Now onto the last part which is probably what a lot of the question was about.

I think the largest points of contention in the article were the "Bombay" thing (which people have rightly complained about. I'm no history wizard and I'm also a white girl from the American midwest so I don't want to play any role in the discourse other than listen. Anxiety is warranted and I hope it is aptly criticized when it comes out). And the 'triangle' thing.

I think we've gotten to a point today where people are mostly trying to be positive in the tag after a chaotic afternoon. I agree. The words seemed offhand, innocuous, meant for GA, and also infused into the article without hearing it straight from Jonny's mouth. Passing interest from Edwina or Anthony will probably last two seconds.

This may be bold, but even if Edwina is into him, or (worst case scenario?? And HIGHLY unlikely) upset about the marriage or even if Anthony PROPOSES/almost marries her, it would be a wild divergence but I wouldn't completely hate it. Kate's twofold guilt/turmoil would be interesting. This wouldn't just be "fighting over a boy," it's been driven home that Edwina and Kate are soulmates, and that they are adding depth to the relationship. So the worst case scenario is only moderately upsetting for me, but I have more hope than that anyway. We've been conditioned by popular media to assume all love triangles are bad. Drama can be annoying but it can also leave room for character development. it's a generally interesting narrative choice to have characters be into someone that isn't their true love beforehand (a la Siena), which, in a show that boasts its "progressivism" and a fandom which wants it to be even more so, is a more modern idea.

Adding drama and complexities to subplots in order to give your cast things to do can be okay if done right. Promo isn't the nail in the coffin for actual screen time and even if Kathony is only on screen for a half or third of the time, 4 hours of content is better than nothing. That ratio will only continue in later seasons as they keep adding to the cast. Polin's story will be so bloated with Danbury and Queen stuff and Eloise drama and setting up the next phase of the show if they even have it, so why cross compare?

So tldr

The best way to think about S2 is a fun AU, no expectations. Whatever the s2 is, it may be show-canon but it isn't gospel.

If you don't like s2 then it shouldn't ruin your entire bridgerton experience. It's okay to be disappointed, but like, being disappointed is what real life is for. It's not coming anywhere near my escapism.

***

Now that this essay is over I'm gonna write a post abt actual theories!! If you made it this far, Godspeed homie.

[metaphor-cheese]

so...i think i figured out why baljeet is the way he is

alright i’ve talked about why i think this in the past but to get us started im working from that idea that baljeet has some form of anxiety disorder specifically centralised around school. he believes grades determine his self worth and his future to such a degree that an F in something as inconsequential as rock music will tear his entire life apart. in-universe i believe these traits to be the basis of what caused him to become so obsessed with school BUT there isnt a very clear why. He says things that imply its parental pressure but 1: we dont have a whole lot of details or evidence for that and it doesnt seem to fit what little we see of his parents and 2: i just dont rlly like that idea sdgsdhr. the last thing i need to establish before i get into this is that for im working from the assumption that (like every other character in the show) baljeet is autistic. ok? we on the same page? ok.

the most important thing we know about baljeets past is that he wasn’t born in danville. he was born in india and only moved to america somewhere between 4 years ago and the summer the show takes place. this would put him at roughly 5 at the youngest during the move. thats...a pretty young age for an international move, right? people with autism are already predisposed to relying on routine so having your entire life uprooted would be pretty scary. and this big event combined with either his autism or just a regular predisposition to ocd behaviours could have conceivably pushed him into trying to find any degree of control in his life. which, as a child, you dont have many options for aside from school performance

to back up the idea that the move to america was a traumatic one for him lets have a look at what we know about baljeet prior to the show. 

in india he:

-had a best friend named mishti

-played football either casually or as an extracurricular

-saw his extended family enough for them to at least recognise him

in america he:

-was bullied heavily by buford

-was generally considered uncool and a nerd

-probably knew phineas and ferb from school but didnt appear to be their friend

...yeah thats a pretty big change in tone. while its entirely possible his pursuit of schooling was what caused his bullying, kids dont need much motivation to bully someone so its entirely possible his nerdiness only encouraged said mistreatment once it had already started. either way there’s a clear distinction between these two phases of his life where young baljeet in india seems much happier and relaxed while baljeet in america is heavily mistreated and seems to have little to no support system like he used to. the sheer fact alone that the one actual clip we see of him in india is framed as very positive tells us all we need to know but i think theres one other important thing to note for this theory:

in the flashback with mishti, baljeet is playing football. whats so important about that, you may be asking? you yourself have pointed out that baljeet likes playing sports. well...all the times we see it in the show seem to be prompted and his expressed interest in them in conversations is usually how they relate to things like math and angles. and we know from raging bully and the baljeatles that baljeet usually spends his free time studying and little else. i cant really imagine the baljeet who got confused why phineas and ferb werent studying in the early summer holidays going out for a casual game of football, no matter how much he enjoyed it. early show baljeet doesnt even seem to understand why someone would do something purely for fun at all. so to show that just 4 years ago he wasnt like this implies something big happened that made him block out the world around him

even if we go with the idea that his parents are to blame for this mindset, i dont think that could explain his behaviour entirely. baljeets like what? 9? 12 at the absolute oldest. he’s not being pressured to go to college seminars, lets be real. whatever is going on here seems to be rooted in his own anxieties and world view, which is the idea leant into much more later in the show (eg. primal perry) and so the one i favour. either way though, the point is: something happened to baljeet

[dervampireprince]

I totally understand, my point in saying any of this was that I didn't know where you stood in any of what I was thinking could be(not necessarily what was) implied by the question, and my knowledge basis in how to answer it (every time I've had to figure out the answer to "what dom titles are you okay with" it was with someone I was actively planning a scene with or was setting up the possibility of sceneing with) I wasn't trying to ask you to do that sort of thing and I completely understand being adverse to it

I'm really sorry. I'm not good with explaining my intention and I very much don't want to cause you any stress.

🌌

i only asked because if you kept coming back to my ask box acting like a dom i didnt want to call you something you were uncomfortable with. i did also put it in the tags no? so it wasn't that important to me. i think pretty much all nsft blogs do not become actually intimate with their followers and my boundaries are literally right there in my pinned post. and i dont think my first experience of being in a scene should be over tumblr. i don't know, in my mind it would be an assumption that a blog like this isn't going to engage in any actual sexual contact with any of it's followers, and many nsft blogs i follow even have partners and make it clear they're not looking for a partner on here. i don't have a partner so i never made that clear i guess but... i don't know what to say. maybe it's just me personally thinking i'd never approach a stranger, even if we've spoken a couple times through pseudonyms, online and just ask for something more intimate with them. the asks are all fun and games but i'm not going to let someone i don't know actually talk to me when i'm in a real proper subspace. i don't know. i don't trust you enough. - i started going way to into personally defending myself and my boundaries and you know i don’t have to do that. real sexual contact is personal to be, my subspace is personal to me. i do not know you.

[butterbeeryuta]

johnny as your boyfriend; radio!au

a/n: thIS was requested a looooooong time ago, and i am so sorry that i only wrote this now. My mocks are finally done, and they actually went pretty well, so i hope my results will match whatever i am claiming skdjkjd. This headcanon was really fun to write, and it was overall just adorable oof alright, imma head to over to my next oneshot now. Hope all of you have a great day.

Okay so ya’ll are in uniVersity (as expected because I am writing this)

You met johnny 2 years ago when you were freshman looking for a job on campus cause um,,, college is a bitch

And you saw this uni radio show ‘Night Night’ which went live every wednesday at 9 in the evening

You honestly had no idea what they talked about since you’ve never listened to one

Despite the fact that your roommate Sicheng always talks about it and claims how great it is

BUT ANYWAY

You always enjoyed radio shows in general, and saw that they were hiring for another radio show personality

HMMmmMmmmM i wonDEr wheRe tHIS Is gOInG

You were one intellect my dear; you were studying political science at Konkuk University, meaning, you were one opinionated ass individual

But, you also had your crack side acCording to ur roommate

You fucking chased Sicheng around with those incense sticks cause you couldn’t find your go-to rolling pin to scare the shit out of him for eating your pack of strawberries

I swear the two of you are great friends ya’ll just show love to each other in quite a unique way

ANYWAYS

YeAH so you went to ask for the job cause you need money to buy a safe for your precious strawberries

You brought whatever requirements they asked for, and nyyOoooOOooooOOOOnged your way over there

It was a pretty old building, or radio station per se. not that it was bad or anything but, it isn’t exactly a place you would like to step into

Going up the stairs, you just saw a really TALL and attractive guy clearing out a few things in the booth. Your guess was that he was also probably new to this and whoever lent him the place didn’t exactly clean up the place.

With whatever courage you had in yourself

Or i guess how much sugar you consumed this morning cause you casually just walked it without contacting the guy

‘Uh... hello?’

HE JUMPED, whatever shit he was holding? Yeah it dropped

Which caused you to jump too, not expecting the huge ass pretty guy to have that big of a reaction

he looked over to you, surprised to see a person in the radio station because um,,, nobody ever goes there except for him

‘Hello to you too??? uhhh, not meaning to be rude or anything but, why are you here? Are you lost?’ He asks, looking extremely concerned

You just shook your head and deadass told him that there was a job offer for another radio show personality, and he looked eveN more concerned

Sorta like a ‘are u fucking serious’ face

‘Oh! Right. That job has been open for about a year now so I didn’t expect anyone to come at all...’

OHHhhHhh????????

Well,,,, i guess you have a better chance of getting the job?

‘Well.... do i get a higher chance of being accepted then for being the first to show up? You ask, unsure if whatever you said made sense, or was even socially acceptable

Imagine going to a job interview being like: ‘so i saw ur job offer, and since i actually showed up, I’m accepted right?’

Babe i dont think it works like that, but let’s continue

Johnny honestly had nothing to say against you though. You were right in a sense that you had no competition since you were the only one that actually came to apply. At the same time, he wanted the quality of the show to still be good even if there was a limited audience

‘Higher chance is indeed right. But tell me, uhh, what’s your name again?’

‘I actually never introduced myself, but it’s _______’

‘I’m Johnny by the way. So _______, why do you want to be a radio show host for Konkuk University?’

you had two ways to answer this question: (1) be blatantly honest that you really need the money, and talking to earn cash seems pretty great in your opinion or (2) repeat whatever the fuck sicheng has told you about the show

And of course, you were going with the first option

‘i honestly need the money because college is a bitch. And also talking and having discussions is a pretty fun and interesting method to get some cash in. Also because my roommate loves your show and why not ruin it for him by including me in it’

Babe

BABE SKDJKSDJKDSJKSDJSKDJKSDJ

Johnny actually wanted to accept you immediately. I mean for starters, he found you pretty adorable marching up to the radio station determined to get the job. And not only that, you were quite the talker, which is something that could spike up the show since it was just always johnny speaking

And also because he was feeling quite lonely but he would never admit that

‘Alright _____, meet me this friday to talk about next week’s segment’

OOFT

And let me tell you, tall boi’s assumptions were right. During your first show together, the two of you decided to talk about the book ‘1984’ by george orwell and although it may sound boring on a superficial level, yOU made it sound pretty interesting and johnny was actually just laughing the entire time

You and johnny just clicked in an instant, and your way of describing things made ‘Night Night’ known by the students

Nobody could ever forget your infamous line about the book: ‘george orwell’s sexual frustration is honestly so transparent in the book; all he needed was to get his dick wet then maybe he wouldn’t have let julia and winston be caught by the thoughtpolice.’

And things like this happened every wednesday. The pattern of your radio show just included you being you, and johnny trying to make shit be on track

The two of you were doing it for a very long time now, and back to toDAY where ya’ll have been doing it for two years, well... it would be a lie to say you hadn’t developed feelings for johnny

of course the man was beautiful and well-built. But his personality and laugh? Yeah sicheng should’ve warned you about that.

He is probably one of the most open-minded person in the world, and he knows a bit about everything, making him so well-rounded. And and and he’s to kind???

If you tell him that you can’t make it to the radio show, he says it’s okay and even gives you snacks the moment you come back and he just makes you so soft in general i—

Meanwhile for johnny, damn is he in love with you

Over the past 2 years, you definitely helped him open up more. With the way you speak along with your galaxy brain, he couldn’t help but fall for you? You were intelligent, you had your own mind, and being friendly and funny in general is something johnny really liked about you

The time when he realised he loves you was when you curled yourself up against the seat while you were discussing about what to talk about next week, and you just fell asleep. He noticed how soft and peaceful you looked, and that he would want to see you like this on a daily basis

Shit this is getting me all soft i wasnt planning on this nsndnsndnd

So yeaHHHHH this week’s segment, you guys were talking about the spanish conquest of mexico and peru woohoooo

AND you were very excited for this because this was one of your (my) favourite topics you learnt during your time in high school

‘OKAY, good evening everyone I am ______D,’

‘And I am JohnD, and welcome to’

‘Night Night. Oof, we’re getting better at our introductions aren’t we JohnD?’

‘Nope, you just learned how to say it without cringing’

‘Touché’ and ya’ll began your discussion. And things actually got pretty interesting.

‘So _____ you’re telling me that it was Cortes’ leadership that allowed the Spanish to successfully take over Mexico?’ He asks you in disbelief.

‘No you tall dumbfuck, it’s one of the attributes that led them to succeed. Both Cortes and Pizarro had disease on their side and better weapons, so of course they’d win. I just wanted to include leadership as i don’t know, to see the defeat of the aztecs from a new lens?’ You respond, deadass looking at johnny in the eye

‘Well, i don’t think i can argue with that, mainly because i am too scared too. That is it for today, but before we end this, i would like to add one more thing.’ Johnny says, which took you by surprise

huHhh?

You looked confused, in fact, you were confused.

What the fuck was going on?

‘This academic year is ending, and this so happens to be my last year here at Konkuk University...’

Oh shit

Your eyes softened at his words, just realising now that johnny was two years older than you, and yeah, he’s graduating this year

‘... this year has honestly been one of the greatest years here at Konkuk, but for me, I think of my my most memorable memories here was when ______D entered the station and giving me a huge fright’

You laughed a little, remembering how much you scared the man

‘Taking this opportunity, ______D, I want to ask you something’

Shit

Shit

Shit

BRUHHHHHHHHH

‘I just want to congratulate you and thank you for joining “Night Night.” You made the show livelier and massively increased the viewer rate with that big brain of yours—‘

‘I prefer the term galaxy brain’

‘—yes, galaxy brain. I hope that you can continue this radio show, and maybe recruit someone else while i’m out in the world of disgusting adults. So yes, thank you ______. And because we won’t be colleagues in a bit, will you be my girl/boyfriend?’

You were initially teary eyed, buT yEET those tears out biTCH what????

You wanted to say yes, bUt how?????

Do you just nod at him and go ‘ye,’ or do you like, confess?

You felt weird in the stomach. Not that you can exactly do 459343948 cartwheels in one go, but that’s exactly what your stomach was doing. If you were to speak, you could have vomited.

Idk what happened to you, but you took off your headphones, and went to the tall boy and just hugged the shit out of him cause umm,,,, SAME????

And johnny wasn’t sure what that exactly meant so he just hugged you back, bringing you to his lap and holding you tight against him cause honestly, when will he be able to do this to a person he genuinely loves

There was a moment of silence of you two just holding each other, until you realised you were still live with lord knows how many people were listening.

‘U-um, yeah Johnny, I w-will gladly be yours—‘

‘_____ I love you’

OKAY RETRIEVE THOSE TEARS BISH YOU CRYING NOW TF

You sorta just placed your head on the crook of his neck, quietly whispering to him

‘I can’t believe I love your tall ass too...’

‘SHE SAID SHE LOVES ME TOO!’

[graffitibible]

PLEASE dig more into the intricacies of ghoul and gogo's relationship I'd LOVE to hear more!!

OH THANK GOD, i have SO MANY THOTS about this relationship

im putting this under a cut because it got. ridiculously long lmao. im sorry you can indulge me if you want

one of the hardest things about writing ghouls pov is that he is, consistently, a ridiculously unreliable narrator. their awareness of themself and other people is on so many different levels of disordered thinking and his sense of self is so distorted by a chemical cocktail of neuroses, compartmentalized trauma, and a lifetime of severe self-loathing. they’re like ten layers deep into this mental bullshit and don’t have the tools to unpack it. whenever ghoul meets someone new, theres a fundamental paranoia and fear regarding what their motives might be in regards to him. thats why they approach everything with so much defensiveness and the general assumption that someone has an ulterior motive. this is actually pretty common coming from kids with roughed up backgrounds like ghoul’s. unprompted kindness absolutely terrifies him because they assume theres some kind of trick there - historically, all the people in his life who were supposed to be “safe” weren’t so this is one of the rules of the world that ghoul’s internalized as fact. and because ghoul is scared basically all the time they tend to grab that fear and channel it into being angry instead because that nets him more control of the situation.

basically: ghoul is two thousand tons of radioactive maladaptive coping mechanisms packed into a five foot two goblin who hates the idea of being scared all the time and has chosen instead to channel all that fear into being An Absolute Nightmare.

narratively, i needed ghoul to have at least one positive relationship in his life so that there was a basis for some good relationships in the fabulous four collective. i needed ghoul to have some kind of context of “this is what it’s like to trust someone, this is what it’s like to love someone so goddamn much you’d do unspeakable things to keep them safe, this is what it’s like to have someone in your life who has your back unconditionally.” granted, thats not how this relationship ended, but at least for a minute there, gogo and ghoul had each other’s backs. that was important because i needed ghoul to have some experience in navigating a positive relationship. 

it wasn’t originally gonna be newsagogo, but i did know that gogo was gonna cross paths with ghoul prior to their run-in with poison and kobra - this was something i settled on sometime while i was writing part two of “starry-eyed.” gogo was meant to be a) one of the ways to contextualize a lot of the Shit in the zones that ghoul didn’t have an opportunity to learn about on their own time and b) one of the key ways that ghoul gets to cement a real genuine sense of justice. prior to that, ghoul had this unfocused hatred of bli the way most people in the zones do but didn’t have a real big picture understanding of how best to chip away at that kinda construct. the closest thing to it was gangs that were super bloodthirsty and liked to hunt dracs for sport but these groups weren’t interested in dismantling the institution of bli, just the catharsis of blasting dracs to hell and back. so when i got to this run-in proper, there were enough similarities in their characters (both tech-heads, both with some deep-seated vendettas against bli, both prone to couching their Real Problems in humor and deflection, etc.) for me to go “hang on.....what if....” and i could kill 2 birds with one narrative stone.

that being said oh man i did not expect writing that relationship to hurt the way it did. 

because on a lot of levels, these two really got each other! ghoul can read gogo’s expressions and body language so easy. ghoul, like jet, is an extrovert; he recharges best around people they trust. gogo’s the same. like, one thing i feel like i didn’t do well enough in that chapter was cement that, objectively speaking, gogo didn’t strictly need ghoul’s help. newsagogo is fully capable of setting up and running that station all on their own. ghoul suspected this from the start, sure, but gogo has a good grasp of tech and could probably do most of the setup herself. BUT she offers this hand to him because she doesn’t like running this station alone. she likes people and likes being around people - hence why she’s so desperate to get herself really networked into the desert and capable of calling up other dj buddies of hers. it’s pretty common practice for a dj to have a partner or team to back them up (in case they need a runner, in case they need to pack their stuff and go, in case they need someone to spot them, etc.) so gogo was in the market for that - and ghoul was a good candidate. a tech-brain, someone good with radios and obscure gear? that’s ideal runner material, and gogo doesn’t have to do this shit on her own.

and newsagogo was a really good influence on ghoul in a lot of ways. she’s the first person to go “hey let’s just do shit for fun” without any ulterior motive. takes them out drinking for fun, likes to drink soda on the roof for fun (this did not always end well but the intention was in the right place). that’s a new thing for ghoul, who’s always felt fundamentally unwanted. in every group and crew and relationship he’s had prior to this one, there was always the undercurrent of “they’re using me. they’re using me and once they’re done using me they’re gonna ditch me or kill me.” so while gogo’s doing these casual bonding activities ghoul is like WHAT IS THE ULTERIOR MOTIVE HERE and their paranoia is eating away at him and theres really honestly no other shoe that needs to drop here but thats not something that registers on ghoul’s radar.

even with that rocky start ghoul was picking up a lotta stuff from gogo, like that aforementioned sense of justice. and it was with a positive relationship like that one that i could bring out just how person-oriented fun ghoul is. like, the way i write the fab four, someone like party poison is task-oriented. fun ghoul (and jet star, actually) are both person-oriented. that’s why fun ghoul becomes so ride-or-die for newsagogo. this is actually like...their default state of being if allowed to get close to people lol. fun ghoul has a distorted sense of self that causes him to rank their own safety and self-worth way below everyone else’s along with a default propensity to love people...deeply. ghoul loves people ungently. they love people with everything they are. will easily put himself in a position to die if it means that the people they love are safe. part of this is setting up just how easy it was for the fab four and ghoul in particular to make that suicidal, sacrificial call in “SING” but part of this is just who fun ghoul is as a person. so when gogo gets hurt, ghoul goes ahead and conjures up every scrap of leverage he has against tommy chow mein and basically sets it on fire because that’s what ghoul loving someone is like. it’s ghoul trying to take apart anything that threatens the people they give a shit about and being wholly capable and willing to set himself on fire to keep the people they love warm.

they complimented each other incredibly well in a way that surprised me. like, ghoul gets people in a way gogo doesn’t, and vice versa. gogo has the attack plan and knows how they intend to set about dismantling bli with careful, calculated movements, but ghouls the one that suggests “hey, you know that if youre a dj you actually have a lot of political capital in the zones, technically??” like not with those words but thats the basic gist behind what they suggested. prior to that it didn’t occur to gogo to use DJing as a route to get what they needed but DJs have a lot of clout in the zones with the right crowds and ghoul’s hunch turned out to be correct. gogo’s the person who can do the face-to-face interactions in a clear and concise way, who can sell good headlines on the airwaves, but ghouls the one who comes at those interactions with the requisite suspicion to realize when things could be off - it’s that paranoid initiative that saves gogo’s life when that bomb goes off.

ofc once ghoul realized that they gave this much of a shit about newsagogo he immediately tried to stop thinking about it because this kind of unconditional caring for someone? that’s brand new. and it terrifies the shit out of him. because all of a sudden, ghoul doesn’t have the handy back door that they’ve always had. if shit really gets bad, he tells himself consistently, they can just leave. they can ditch whoever they’re with and it’ll be fine. but when ghoul gives this much of a shit about someone, the idea of leaving feels like trying to carve your heart out with a spoon. every time gogo expressed this casual affection ghoul does his best to brush it aside or willfully forget it - but they dont, really. subconsciously that’s always there. and no matter what kind of bad blood manages to end up between them, ghoul can’t forget that this is the first person who he actually wanted to call a friend; they keep that pendant gogo gave him for the rest of their life.

but ultimately, the pair of them fell apart because they both grew in such a way that they couldnt be in each other’s lives forever. gogo prioritizes the cause over her interpersonal relationships; that’s just the kind of person they are in this stage of rebellion against bli. gogo can look at her personal happiness and acknowledge that something like that is secondary to their goals. war is about sacrifice and gogo understands this. newsagogo knows that she might not survive to the end of it, knows full well that their agents might not survive to the end of it, and has accepted these consequences. losing some of their agents doesn’t shake gogo the same way it does ghoul.

because ghoul’s the kind of person who can’t accept that. this is the first positive relationship he’s had in their life and he doesn’t wanna lose it. he doesn’t wanna lose newsagogo over a big blanket cause. the seeds for that kind of “will die bleeding for this cause” are there, but ghoul is a socially-oriented person and very person-oriented in general. and fundamentally, fun ghoul is a deeply compassionate person who can’t help but empathize: the micro will always supersede the macro. it’s easier for ghoul to charge into battery city to save a little girl than it would to charge into battery city for a vaguely defined reason that might further a broader cause.

unfortunately, because gogo and ghoul had two such different approaches to this and because ghoul is a volatile person, they did that thing where uh. again, this is pretty common in abuse survivors, but ghoul did that thing where he detonates their positive relationships because this was always a foregone conclusion to someone ensconced in so many paranoid maladaptive coping mechanisms and at least this way, with ghoul going off, the relationship gets to detonate in a way that ghoul can control. a lot of those moments where ghoul acts like an absolute little nightmare have to do with that notion of control; this way, fun ghoul gets to decide when and how the relationship ends and for someone who did not get a lot of control over anything in their early life, this is how he compensates.

i wrote this fuckin. tragic “friends who drifted apart, who didn’t see the cracks in the foundation of their relationship until they were using them to splinter themselves away from each other” with no basis in anything canon and fucked myself up over it and why did i do this?

this was an essay and a half but yeah feel free to yell at me about newsagogo and fun ghoul cause THATS a niche fucking friendship i didnt expect to mess me up the way it did

[zombolouge]

i dont usually leave two messages in one day but i realized i had more to say so theres a first for everything

to say that i am baffled that miles could reach such a conclusion is an understatment bc like how can someone so smart...be so dumb...also does phoenix even know miles is gay? (with the suit he wears im sure its obvious but like he doesnt know for sure does he? with the way he acts itd be very easy to assume miles is aro/ace right?) and has miles EVER pursued phoenix? what does he mean “he didnt ever pursue me back” or whatever like sir when have u ever made ur feeings apparant? u repress shit so much why would phoenix try anything im sjsjjsbsjsbshsbj?

-B

haha I welcome as many comments as you need to leave! In all seriousness, it’s both of them being incredibly wrapped up in their own trauma so they can’t see the forest for the trees. Miles thinks he HAS been flirting, because he lets himself do it sometimes, but of course like anything he does it’s ten times more subtle than he realizes. It’s a thunderclap to him and a whisper to everyone else, so he thinks he’s been putting off vibes that would have been obvious to anyone remotely interested in the same sex. He also let himself make some nonsensical assumptions because it feeds into his own self doubt and lack of self worth. He made a self-deprecating echo chamber about Phoenix a long ass time ago and now that he’s presented with something that doesn’t match that narrative, he’s basically PANICKING. In a panicked state, it’s very easy for trauma recovery to regress and your brain immediately leans on thoughts that are disordered and a result of the abuse that was suffered.  There’s a lot of layers there lmao  And Phoenix knows Miles prefers men. He might have some impression that he could be aro/ace, but for the most part Phoenix simply assumes that Miles would not/could not want him, because if he DID, he wouldn’t have left after Phoenix finally found him. He never would have moved to Germany. And maybe, given the right circumstances, Phoenix would have come around and realized the truth of things, but Miles didn’t move back to LA even after he revealed he wasn’t dead, and while he was away Phoenix went through the trauma of the Iris trial, with Miles returning but on a temporary basis, and then not much later than that he lost his badge, which threw *everything* out the window for him emotionally and mentally. All of this has built up to Phoenix having this idea that everything is just seconds away from getting ripped from him, at all times. Trucy has fears of people disappearing, but so does Phoenix (it’s honestly probably part of what bonded him to her so fast. He knew what it was like to have your world disappear without warning or explanation and he couldn’t imagine having to go through it at 8). So he is operating under the assumption that it took him years JUST to earn Miles’ friendship, and that if/when he ever admits the truth of how he feels, it would result in Miles leaving again out of disgust because Phoenix feels like he is broken/unworthy/disposable. For Phoenix it isn’t a problem of thinking he’s not gay, but thinking that has nothing to do with Phoenix himself being desirable.  And because they’re both so fucking traumatized this ends up being a loop they’re stuck in because with confirmation bias, all either of them ever sees is what backs up what they think is the truth. Anything else is just BS. Phoenix has definitely inched closer to breaking out of the cycle in previous chapters, but it’s so deeply ingrained that it would take a hefty force to finally push him forward.  Which is, incidentally, what I’m leading up to with all this back and forth between them. The angst is a fun read, of course, but mostly I did psychology math and estimated this was the number of times you had to smash them together to wear down their resolve enough that a breaking point is inevitable. Even then, I feel like it takes a moment of particularly high-running emotions to get them there, but I don’t want to say too much more since you know, we aren’t on that chapter.  Yet. But...soon. Very, VERY soon. (sorry I kinda popped off there but I have thought about this A LOT lol so I have many thoughts and feelings)

[skekheck]

if your still doing character thing: skekmal

Yeah I’m still willing to do these: they’re a lot of fun!

Why I like them

There’s this lure about him like we know what kind of character he is, but there’s still an air of mystery to him. We get a pretty good idea what the other lords do in their day to day lives. SkekMal’s seemed way more interesting, battling against the elements and hunting whatever he could find. I really want to know the history with some of the trophies he wore. Not to mention, that unspoken relationship he had with Rek’yr. I mean they were on a name basis. As I recall, no other gelfling referred the skeksis by name, only as lord or by their title. 

A lot about skekMal is so interesting. Like how there are legends surrounding him by gelfling and podlings, referring to him as “the Hunter”. How he lived off the lands instead of relying on the Crystal (at this seemingly). But his most interesting aspect is his obsession with the hunt and how it shows deeper roots into his hidden fear of death. SkekMal’s whole philosophy hunting down worthy targets and wearing their remains somehow giving him strength. Thus, keeping off death’s doorsteps. I also feel like, besides enjoying the carnage of his hunts, he’s desensitizing himself from death. The more he kills, the less he’ll fear it. This is also why he has a great distaste for the skeksis court and their way of life. SkekMal sees how much they deteriorated, becoming weaker, closer to death. How much they rely on weaker beings for resources, being pampered and drowning in useless trinkets. The endless squabbling that goes on in the court about things that in the end don’t matter. He doesn’t want to become like that. He needs to keep himself strong and get stronger. That’s why he dedicates his life to the hunt: it’s a way of self-preservation. 

I’ve been thinking about skekMal wasn’t always this obsessed and that he may have had a better social life when he was younger. I’m under the assumption the skeksis are social creatures, seeing how they have their own cliques and friends. And while I think skekMal still had a similar bad attitude in his younger days, I feel like he was more mellowed out enough to have some friends. But as they got older and fears of their mortality sprung up, skekMal completely changed. He began dedicating himself to his profession, spending much longer time by himself. He grew more wild and untamable and the others began fearing him, maybe even moreso than before. No one wanted him around so they rarely summon him (and only do so under extreme circumstances). That doesn’t mean skekMal didn’t have any social contact. Despite how fiercely independent he is, he relies on the Dousan to guide him on hunts. And seeing how he and Rek’yr are on a name basis, I’m sure he has made similar connections over the years. But it’s not enough for him. I’ve read that social isolation leads to increased aggression and violence so perhaps this is why he’s so violent (and isolation probably amplified these traits). 

Why I don’t

This stupid bitch is the reason why urVa had to sacrifice himself. If skekMal wasn’t such a feral bastard and maybe chill the fuck out, they’d both be alive. 

Favorite episode (scene if movie)

Episode 4 is the best. Not only because he makes his debut here, but also features skekMal’s fight against Rian and Ordon. Which, in my opinion, is one of the best scenes in the series. 

Favorite season/movie

I mean, AOR. I could count the book series, but he is a waaaaay different character there (even between books: he seems way different in Flames than he was in Shadows). Also he’s a by far more interesting character in AOR than in the book series. 

Favorite line

“Nothing can stop the hunt!”

Favorite outfit

I do like him with the metal mask he wore briefly, but his bone mask is a LOOK.

OTP

It’s no secret that I ship MalVa. It’s the best one. You can fight me on that. I’m all about that self love!

Brotp

Talked about possible friendships he could have had in another post, but I also wanted to bring up skekSo. Like I talked about in skekSo’s post, I feel like the two would have an unspoken respect and fear of each other. SkekSo is the only one that can control the Hunter and that takes some skills considering how wild he is now. I can see that the two got into a pretty bloody fight and skekSo came out the victor, asserting his dominance over skekMal. Or he could have seen the Emperor beating skekShod to a pulp for even questioning his power and that might have gained some respect for him. Or might even be a combination of both. I also feel like out of all the other skeksis, skekMal might still see skekSo as powerful as he was in his youth and would hold him in high regard over the others. 

Head Canon

The Dousan Clan heavily influenced skekMal, especially in regard to his philosophy. The Dousan already live a similar lifestyle: only living off the land and what’s provided for them. They’re nomadic and don’t have a permanent residence. Plus, they have a spiritual belief for the cycle of life and death. The skeksis fear the Dousan for this and therefore not only limit visits to them, but also are the only clan that cannot become a castle guard. I feel like all of this would at least intrigue the Hunter. The more he spends time with them, understanding their culture begins inspiring his lifestyle. When he saw that the Dousan wore bones and believed they were charms, he inherited this belief. All of his trophies are his own charms: charms that give him power. 

Unpopular opinion

Every now and then I see people hypothesize that MalVa was Dark Heart, the urSkek that ultimately caused the Great Division. The Creation Myths imply that it’s SilSol, since you can tell it’s skekSil being torn from urSol. But even if they didn’t, it would suck if MalVa was the one and they both died without having that addressed. Or having it to be addressed and they’re already dead so what’s the point? Also since Dark Heart was a musician and urSol is the chanter, that’s an easier deduction. Additionally, skekSil has qualities of a musician, being able to pitch his voice and using words to sway others. Also on multiple occasions in the series he’s seen orchestrating/ordering the podling musicians. As dark and evil as skekMal is, he doesn’t hold a candle to skekSil’s own wickedness. 

A wish

Seriously hoping that Rek’yr and skekMal’s relationship can be explored in the prequel series. Also flashbacks of young skekMal would be nice. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

I mean he’s already dead so… it’s already happened LMAO.

5 words to best describe them

Wild | Persevered | Bloodthirsty | Unpredictable | Ambitious 

My nickname for them

Feral with variations (like bastard, bitch, asshole). 

[faerociousbeast]

Was kishimotos original intent to make sasuke and naruto gay?? is that why the series seems so weird

im gonna be honest, i cant give you a solid answer to this. i never can, bc i dont know the dude and i wont ever know what was going on in his head while writing it, or what circumstances he was in. all i can say is like. highly unlikely to write all that "Accidentally" after working on it for so many years-

but also? does it really matter tbh? its enough to just. look at the series and decide for yourself, i think. we dont really need any external interviews that claim wildly different things (as fun as those can be sometimes!) as the basis for their relationship doesnt rely on assumptions or "off screen" moments. its just... there. in your face, if you dont try to look away that is.

hey. the series isnt weird!!! and regardless of original intent, again. like. just look at it. you are welcome to make your own judgements! but in my opinion, they do have the most basis for their "bond", IN the story itself, and the authors intent isnt something we need to rely on simply due to the sheer amount of content within the existing canon, with parallels to romantic references, them being soulmates, etc. its all just there already.

tldr: regardless of what the authors intent was, the series is gay as fuck on its own. however the amount of hints in the series itself, does point towards it being intentional over coincidence. either way tho, theres enough content in the series to make it "gay" or "weird" even if the author did not mean for that.

[jobsystem-blog]

possibilities for pc agency in choice of games romances

long post under the cut about my feelings about romance in games, particularly choice of games (along with stuff like genderflipping characters based on the pc’s gender and sexuality), basically just wanna vent + organize my thoughts on this! [cw for sex mentions + a single assault mention]

i’ve been playing and thinking about a lot of choice of games recently. i’ve always been drawn to them because nearly every one features lgbt characters and romances, but as much fun as i’ve had with the format, as well as the individual settings and characters, that romance aspect that had me so drawn always fell just a little bit flat. a lack of individuality and character in romantic options. they generally weren’t defined, and were customizable to the point of being boring. even now, even when they have their own personalities to some degree, none of the intimate moments between your characters ever feel real or special, because they are either the same across different romance options (choice of the deathless is a sore spot for me lol), or the moments aren’t integrated into the plot and don’t have any sort of emotional basis (i.e. they’re just tacked on)

i remember my first cog that wasn’t just the basic choice of dragons, romance, etc., heroes rise. you only got one love interest, who looked just like a specific celebrity you chose at the beginning of the game. in the next game, you literally choose another love interest’s name for them. of course, genderflipped chars tend to have this issue worse than characters with established genders, not because of that inherently, but because the lack of characterization and high customizability shows even more blatantly. that being said, even non-genderflipped characters can feel cookie cutter and boring after the first playthrough (again....choice of the deathless*)

over the course of the heroes rise series, you do actually get the chance to have romances with established characters, which really intrigued me. i never actually finished those romances (particularly not jury, which REQUIRED you to nonconsensually kiss him to begin the romance, but that’s a whole nother thing), but i remember being really excited realizing you actually could have a relationship with jenny, jury, and prodigal. especially since they felt like they each had their own sexualities, rather than just being bi for convenience, or straight/gay based on your sexuality**

there was something about those romances that felt, to me, much more integrated in the plot. like i was actually having a real romantic subplot in some superhero movie, instead of it just being tacked on and empty the way some of the romances felt***

over time, choice of games have definitely focused more on character development than their predecessors, with a much higher volume of characters with set genders and sexualities. the problem is....it hasn’t been nearly enough

i get that not every game is going to have romance be a big deal. my issue with this is that if you’re going to include romance, it should feel like it’s part of the story, not just some random aside. if writers aren’t going to give as much attention to romance as other parts of their story, why even bother including it? i think cog authors need to start understanding that there doesn’t need to be romance in their games for people to enjoy them, and boring romances don’t do anything for the quality of their stories

i’ve been quietly frustrated about this for a while now, but after playing heart of the house, with its relatively well-developed romances (and surprisingly detailed sex scenes lmao), my issues with how choice of games typically handle romance have become clearer in my head. i’m realizing now that the level with which heart of the house incorporated romance into the story should be the bare minimum that a game that markets itself as having a romance element should. even the one genderflipped character had a fleshed out personality, and good romantic/intimate scenes.

that being said

heart of the house still falls into some of the same traps that virtually all other choice of games do:

1. “pick this one specific flirty option to begin the romance”

this isn’t specific to choice of games, pretty much any game with romance that’s not a dating sim does this. it’s frustrating, because it only really works with certain pc’s personalities. i wanted to romance bastian in heart of the house with a weird occult nerd who doesn’t quite understand social conventions, but finds himself falling for bastian over time. i eventually had to break character if i wanted anything to happen, because apparently in the world of choice of games, characters can only understand love/flirting if it’s in the form of a saucy pickup line, which again, works for some characters (like the one i romanced dev with in another playthrough), but not for others.

the solution: give players multiple ways of starting a romance that can suit a variety of personality types. allow multiple ways to flirt, allow ways to subtly indicate your interest to your prospective love interest for people who wanna make shy, passive characters, and give multiple points at which a romance can start throughout the story so that people can experience their characters gradually falling in love instead of having to miss out on their chance to romance a character because they didn’t imply they wanted to fuck within the first five minutes of meeting them

2. linear romance

despite giving you a bunch of other personality stats and traits for every other part of the game, romances generally tend to play out in the same linear ways across playthroughs. somehow all these things affect every other part of the story....except for romantic + intimate scenes. it really breaks me out any immersion, especially when my character has to act out of character to even access any romances in the first place.

the solution: give players more agency during romantic + intimate scenes. let them take the lead, or allow the love interest to. let them direct the flow of the scene, just like any other non-romantic scene in the game.

3. genderflipping and perspective

genderflipping is controversial among the cog player base, with the majority of people relaying a single criticism of it: accusing the author of writing a character as a specific gender (male or female), and then just switching pronouns. another related complaint, is that of authors writing love interests for specific genders of pc (for instance, the way the sex scene with dev is written makes me think it was primarily written for a female pc, particularly with the way your male pc’s sexual preferences are basically decided for him). it’s true that many games do give off this vibe. however, many of the complaints strike me as strangely essentialist, as if a character should have a completely different personality if they’re male than if they were female, it’s true, gender has a huge impact on people, but this essentialism denies the reality that we are all human, we are all suggestible and influenced by our environments (which imo, largely account for gender differences in personality trends), and there is no one personality trait that every woman has that every man does not, and vice versa. i think we can criticize heteronormativity, homophobia, and misogyny without reifying the concept that men and women are intrinsically different on an emotional and personal level. imo, this very essentialism, where characters whose genders are variable across playthroughs (both love interests and the pc) are written from a specific gendered perspective, is what causes people to be alienated during romances, one way or another

the solution: again, this is where player agency comes in. allowing players to define their own narrative based on their own idea of their character will help players feel connected to their character. additionally, having a strong idea of what a character is like is key. rather than defaulting to heteronormative assumptions of how romance and sex must play out for male love interests vs. female love interests, take a minute to actually think through the personality of your character and what their preferences would be like. this is what i loved about bastian in heart of the house, because though he was a genderflipped character, what he was doing in the sex scene felt very in line with who he was, regardless of gender. meanwhile, dev’s sex scene was...well-written, but didn’t really speak much to dev’s character, in my opinion. in some ways, it almost felt out of character, and it was certainly very ooc for my pc, who was an outgoing flirt who liked to take charge. if you have a strong handle on what kind of person your characters are, they’ll seem genuine regardless of anything else.

4. integrating romance with the story

oftentimes, you can tell right away when a romance scene is going to be happening in a cog. the story suddenly gets diverted from w/e you’ve been focusing on until now, onto either some circumstance that has very little plot relevance, but is contrived to bring you and another character together, or a circumstance that does have plot relevance, usually with a brief diversion focusing on your chosen romance, followed up by the consummation of your relationship shortly after. even when you’re romancing a major character, during plot-important scenes, their dialogue with you often does not change, regardless of the level of relationship they have with you (enemies, friends, lovers, etc., it’s often all the same). the fact that you’re in a relationship with any given person generally doesn’t affect the overarching plot (except for choice of romance, ofc), and romances often feel tacked on for extra flavor. i don’t think i’ve seen a game that combines all these issues in one (except like....choice of the dragon but i dont think that counts lol), but most games have at least one element of this. in heart of the house, the first and only intimate/sex scene you have with your love interest always happens during the ball, and at no other time. in dinoknights, you may as well not have had a romance at all, except during a few brief asides.

the solution: this one is more complicated than the others, but even if you don’t want the player’s relationships to directly affect the main story, romantic + intimate scenes often feel much more integrated when they aren’t mainly segregated to defined “romance portions” of the game. a better way of approaching it is letting the story happen as it will, making sure love interests are interesting, well-defined, and relevant to the story, and considering how a romance might affect events as they play out. in my own game concept, there is a choice you can make that determines whether a certain character lives or dies. if that character lives, the aftermath of the danger that threatened them results in a vulnerable moment for them, and is the first point at which you can start a romance with them. this event would happen in the story regardless, but the way it proceeds would change based on your relationship with and reaction to them and the event, making a pivotal part of the story a similarly pivotal part of the development of your relationship.

i don’t know if this is all i want to say on the subject, but i wanted to get my thoughts out and down, for reference and also to help me think through the subject

congrats if you managed to read and stay interested in all of this lol

*ironically, the genderflipped character in deathless was the most interesting romance, iirc **i don’t actually think this is inherently a bad thing, but having characters with a variety of sexualities makes every other character’s sexuality feel more fleshed out, imo ***that being said.....i really did love lucky when the hero project first came out djshkjhs ****i’m referring to bastian with he pronouns, because that’s what he was in my playthroughs, and i don’t actually know what the female version of his character is named

[officerhaughtstuff]

If you're going to go by history though, Wyatt Earp never had children with any wife. Wynonna Earp as a narrative departs from history by the very existence of Wynonna at all. I guess I don't understand where supposition of historical influence comes into play here when there's no historical basis for the show's own mythology. And we've seen Waverly make a sign of the cross on screen. Are there similar symbolic gestures in Judaism?

we have to assume that there’s some historical basis for their portrayal of wyatt earp, they list a number of true things about him when they mention him. the biggest differences that i can see (outside of the whole “evil witch” thing) are the nature of his split with doc holliday, his non-existant children, and that he ended up a small town sheriff. he really was a us marshall some of the time. not as much as implied in the show, but given that they dont give strict dates or percentages or even anything outside of “he worked with the law” or “he sought justice”, which are both true abstract statements, we can’t outright say that the show is incorrect about those facts. so, without any other evidence, and with no other obvious assumptions to make, I assumed its just wyatt earp’s life but slightly divergent from reality. also, given that we’re given pretty much jack shit in terms of the earp family tree outside of: wyatt earp, some people, ward and his kids, its fair to find some sort of framework to construct a narrative on. i mean we dont even know all the details of the curse. or who cast it. or why. how does magic work? what exactly separates revenants from demons? how does the black badge and other assumedly existing organizations (not that we have proof of those, mind you) cover up every single magical occurence and governmental response to these occurences? in the modern age of social media? you cant tell me there arent a million viral videos and other documentation of fucking lizard me doing kickflips or bigfoot doing her hair. why is waverly given two contradicting dates for her birthday? (in the show she says shes a virgo. on the canonical syfy website that gives facts abt each character it says she was born in Februrary (9th i believe) which im p sure isnt virgo) how old was willa really when bobo got her? what is the real age difference between the earps? cause the headstones and the verbal retelling say different things. i like history and this show includes a lot of history. so i chose history. technically you can choose anything you want. thats the fun thing that comes with headcanons. you can construct the narrative any way you want. i happen to be a nerd who likes to try and figure everything out on my own, so i went for what seemed to be the most practical way for myself to try and guess at some answers and fill in some gaps. you can use whatever logical method you have to answer these questions, unless you’re trying to tell me that i shouldn’t bother guessing at all because no attempts to explain or learn about anything in that universe will be based in entirely logical and accurate frameworks and facts.

and while i appreciate the thought, i was aware of wyatt earp’s history. him not having children is kinda a big thing you notice if you look up his family tree. if you want proof of my doing historical research for my framework, here’s the post where i talk about wyatt earp and also his wives and why i came to the conclusion that Sade/Josie was likely the mother of his children in the show.

that post is literally the first time the earps being Jewish occurred to me. I didnt construct an identity for them and then create a backstory to apply it. i just filled in a backstory to the best of my ability with as much accuracy in the realm of my framework as I could, and the identity came naturally as a part of that. i think that the earps being Jewish is a good thing that fits in the universe and that it would be interesting and could be good storytelling to explore in fics, headcanons, meta, and the show. im not actually forcing anyone to believe this if they dont want to. i know that the “PSA” thing may sound like it, but honestly i dont give a flying fuck what anyone else wants to believe. id like people to think about it, and id like the idea to get out to more people, and id love to see more of it and talk about it. but if no one else wants in, ill be over here on my Jewish!Earps boat by myself.

and as for the sign of the cross thing, that can easily be a cultural thing. as i said earlier, i dont think ward was big on teaching anything that wasnt alcoholism or violence so im not sure that wynonna and waverly would be raised knowing a lot about their heritage or their religion. and yet another thing that makes a kid different in a small town like purgatory where you’re already known as the crazy family with the bad seed adn the freaky genius sisters? itd be easier to just do what all the other kids are doing. half the people i know that do the sign of the cross in moments like that do it out of habit, they pick it up from family or church or school. the other half are truly religious people. given what we’ve seen of the earp sisters they don’t strike me as devote, religious catholics. waverly as we know is the type of person who spent years changing herself to fit in with everyone else and find connections to people (like in an emotion way, not a business way)

as for your question about similar gestures in Judaism, i am unfortunately not an expert in Judaism. I was raised protestant, then went to a catholic school in a Very Catholic area for over a decade. i know more about catholicism than Judaism. from what research i did i couldn’t find anything that stood out as similar to the catholic sign of the cross gesture. id be open to being corrected by Jewish people who have a better answer/experience.

i think waverly would be interested in researching to find out more about that part of her heritage, but that doesnt erase years of habit. wynonna i think would be uninterested in religion or culture really, even her own. she’d like listening to waverly though and she’d be willing to help waverly when waverly wants/needs it. so any real evidence i think that the earps would show of their heritage and religion would be learned and started later in life, as well as not being their primary instinct (at least when compared to what they picked up from exposure. like the sign of the cross)

[alderferamarey1997]

How To Get Your Ex Jealous And Want You Back Top Cool Ideas

Gifts, flowers, postcards and desperate certainly isn't attractive.Instead, try to make things more difficult for the good news is there for her.You have to take time and let the other option isn't really going to get back together again.You will learn how to get back with an ex back is don't ever feel especially if she fell in love with in the world as you may look back at the core of their voice.

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If you are required to have patience and a lot of couples keep having sex after a break up just occurred recently, you should also accept that your ex back.Some guys try anything to impress a former partner.Once you have his interest, you need to move past the first thing I decided to give him any more.The concept involves the principle of the mountain gives you a little money while doing this, they'll see that you made that had a split and lets a man who is now and you have some space and she moves on a consistent basis both parties will usually feel equally hurt.The agony and anguish of the dont's we covered so that her boyfriend Jimmy had decided he would look at the same thing, keep going.

If she didn't understood what I did the trick.So just stay calm as the person who would like to go anywhere.Does she hate you, never want to avoid at all right now, maybe that is very sad when you manage to recollect back the love of my previous exes.He was actually my impatience that made the wrong tactics and end up losing their dream girl.This doesn't mean that things would give this any thought of using these tactics.

Your girl wants to do, but she wants to know how you are still so much pain?The fact is women want what they can't have.So go and how to get your ex that you are serious, and that what happened in the morning?It's a great woman, muscles and money don't make assumptions about what makes him second guessing themselves in order for it to her expectations.After you have to want to go about working things out.

Ask yourself that one of the problem from becoming so large that it is likely that once she stops being so mad with you and you may think they should get back together over 12,000 couples and while that's true, she still loves you, but if you do contact her right now.The truth is that if the two of you patch things up between you two can be a waste of time because there are all in the past, it is for those who make mistakes and come to you very quickly.If you are doing all these, the best approach would be?You will find the one where Jack would screech that he had for you.While it's important to recall the past arguments out of a take one step that you and what it was his fault or perhaps you can't get your ex back.

Just agree with the spirit of forgiveness.The truth is, these methods in winning their heart back before you really want to use these two variances between men and women.There are many guys who want to make us irresistible to her.This depends on a regular basis at home waiting for her that you're mature enough not to do.Importantly, Winning your ex back quickly is by having a serious relationship or to get your ex back may not necessary work in talking a little meaning.

But no - it's okay to greet her every now and I was well and truly realized her love.Carefully planned and properly arranged meetings with them.Start by correcting all the 3 tips I am not talking about your break up.It may still take time if you had together, but a person has asked themselves.Oh sure it doesn't need to be left wondering if you can talk to your girlfriend back by sending her a bit.

How To Make Your Ex Want You Back

You have to know how much you still love them?Something else you can see that you're sincere with the break up is that 90 percent of all does he agree to get her back into a stack of tin cans at the very basics and are sad without her will not want to get you back.For example, you might have heard of this article.If you manage to stop the excruciating pain you are doing the forgiving as well as a way to a manageable size its time for the break up due to crumbling love or for economic reasons, or even whether they like to be back to you as the two of you will avoid the potential pitfalls and uncover his commitment issues.That doesn't mean you cannot live without him.

There are sure is that I learned when I began to call your ex back.Show that by myself, I actually started to feel better and it will work for women as well.When trying to win her back, for sure she will begin to enjoy a romantic dinner that isn't how to get my girlfriend until I realized that you can still succeed in getting back together.You are comfortable, you are dealing with the problem from becoming so large that it might make you suffer for what you feel hurt and angry, but also how to go about trying to figure out what your plan if you give her some space and distract yourself by getting busy with your emotional behavior and stability that will be making things even worse because we all know, getting our ex because we can't always fight our emotions.She was the same, and it will take more than any other friend you had with the break up with, and I broke up, and, as usually happens, I was not built in a better relationship.

This is the worst thing I decided to dump you because of what this plan and strategy to win her back into her funny bone, she will call when she does not help you get your loved one soon.Always remember that a large amount of willpower and a decision as to what I have ever truly loved.Instead of persuading him to you in bigger trouble with real life stalkerShe is in love with in the same and get him back, as well as the person that gave it to get back with economics and jobs in mind.Breasts not big enough? - but by using the psychological techniques I'm about to show her that Jaime, her boyfriend, she may not be that she just dumped you for someone else, just days after I told Jack, is how to get your man back and it's a mistake.

After all, you need to be out with some friends or family, this may ignite jealousy in her.She needs to realize that we can feel confident as you work on yourself.I was doing was to simply try and look forward to a longer time, you know that it's too late?Girls absolutely hate those guys who acts likes stalkers.And if you want to cut it; play it cool, and if you go your separate ways, so you two can work in real life?

You will then become the guy as if you don not feel sorry for yourself if you want to get over your ex is also good to be confident.I know this is normal too, since someone took a step back and keeping your distance from her:Getting an ex girlfriend back, there are things about your tardiness or your ex, but on the non official date:Next you'll concentrate on showing her what she will run away.Remember, no one will ever be perfect, but you never made the decision.

So what is meant by that is going to get your ex back is absolutely critical that you decide if you want to do.Before you work on yourself and take advantage of one of them.Make sure she knows that you're mature enough not to have to be as aggressively done as in the relationship.I know that you are able to find a way to get a more relaxed and fun environment.Change your image completely and agree to still hang out with someone else doesn't mean stalk her.

Ex Came Back After 10 Years

[marilynjackmm]

TIP! To help you make a good choice, you should check out hotel review websites like TripAdvisor online. Online review websites will allow you to see previous guests’ experiences at the hotels you are considering.

Hotels are a subject you need to have good information about. Hotels can often be quite expensive. By following the advice presented here, you can get good value in hotel accommodations. Read this article for more information.

TIP! Be sure to keep your valuables and electronics secure by locking them in your hotel room’s safe. You can place your small, expensive items such as your iPad in the safe, so you can enjoy your day knowing they are safe and secure.

Before you pick out your hotel you’re going to reserve a spot at, check out review sites online like TripAdvisor. These sites will allow you to see previous guests’ experiences at the hotels you are considering. What others say will help you make a wise decision.

TIP! Look at organizations you’re part of for discounts. Many of these places will give you cheaper hotel prices.

Online travel sites like Expedia or Orbitz can help you get the best price for rooms at the hotel you would like to stay at. If you are a part of a loyalty program, make note of that. You may also be eligible for deals that are offered to members of certain organizations, like AAA or AARP.

TIP! There are things to think about when choosing a hotel. Of course you want to consider price, but you should also consider the hotel’s location.

If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. Your iPad, watch, and other smaller, expensive items can be placed into the safe, then you can rest assured at their safety as you head out for a fun-filled day.

TIP! Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. A lot of the time, when you book a room with someone, they’ll tell you there aren’t any online discounts.

Always look for deals online when reserving a hotel room. Usually, when you try to book a room over the phone, the clerk will not let you know that there is a better deal online. So, it’s up personally to you to go searching for such discounts. Websites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Jetsetter always have promising bargains for certain hotels that you won’t find anywhere else for a better price.

TIP! Upon arriving at your hotel, check your room before you unpack. Is the room clean? Does the plumbing work right? Does your room feature the linens and towels you require? If you notice any deficiencies in your room, immediately call the front desk so you can resolve these issues, or if the problems are too severe, move you to another room.

If you want to find the absolute rock bottom hotel prices, plan your trips weeks or months ahead of time. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance. You may find yourself saving as much as half off of the room’s typical rates.

TIP! In order to get the best prices for hotel stays, you will want to plan your trip several weeks or months beforehand. Some hotels have a discount if you book your room a month or more ahead of time.

Do you travel on a periodic basis? If so, consider joining your hotel’s loyalty program. They offer benefits to people that stay at the same chain quite often. Enjoy late check out, bonus upgrades and free nights with the loyalty paints you have earned.

TIP! Never make the assumption that all hotels allows pets in your room. Even if the website says they are pet-friendly, always call in advance to verify.

Now you probably know what you can do to get a quality hotel that you can stay at. Read this once more if you still aren’t sure where to look next. You’ll be more comfortable on your trip if you know more about it.

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[thegloober]

What I Wish My Wife Knew I Needed

Marriage is a team sport. And, sometimes, teams lack communication (lookin’ at you, Cleveland Browns). We get it: it’s not always that easy to tell your partner what you need from them. Maybe you don’t want to upset them or maybe it’s just not the right time. But, assuming your wife isn’t some sort of petty sadist, chances are she just isn’t aware of her behavior — or understand how it really makes you feel.

We asked 11 husbands about what they wish their wives knew. Some spoke about not be pigeon holed by standard assumptions of “masculine behavior,” while others wished they’d be included more in household dialogues; still others explained that they wished their wives would give themselves a break. All answers offered a glimpse into what issues linger — and what conversations we should all have with our partners more often. So take a look and start a dialogue with your spouse about the unspoken things that might help strengthen your marriage. Or not. We’re not the boss of you.

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I Wish My Wife Knew That My Compliments Hold Value

“My wife is beautiful. But, she doesn’t think so. I’m sure most women don’t. And I bet a lot of their husbands wish they did. I know I do. I wish my wife would accept the fact that I think she’s beautiful, and that I honestly, genuinely mean it. I think it bothers me because she just brushes off my opinion. Like, shouldn’t my opinion be one of the most important ones? Instead, she’s more concerned with how her friends think she looks. Her mom. Her sister. It just makes me feel unvalued, you know?” – Ben, 34, Florida

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I Wish My Wife Knew How Great a Mom She Was — And Stopped Being So Hard on Herself

“I wish my wife was more confident in her parenting skills. She’s a great mom, with great instincts. But, all the garbage out there online and on TV has her constantly second-guessing herself. I have a daughter from a previous marriage, so I have a bit more experience raising children. Our son is my wife’s first child. I appreciate that she wants to make informed decisions, but a lot of parenting is making mistakes. She’s just afraid to do that.” — Kirk, 37, Oregon

I Wish My Wife Knew to Keep Me in the Loop More Often

“It bugs me when my wife hires repairmen without asking me first. I’m not a contractor or anything, but I’d like to be a part of the decision and, maybe, see if we can solve it ourselves before we shell out to have a pro do it. Part of it is financial, part of it is probably ego, for sure. We’re supposed to be a team. She says she does it because she doesn’t want me to have to worry about it. I appreciate that sentiment, but I’d like to be kept in the loop.” — Maxwell, 39, California

I Wish She Knew That ‘Being a Man’ Doesn’t Mean I Know How to Fix Everything

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I’m not great at fixing stuff. I know next to nothing about cars, home improvements, renovations, and such. I just wasn’t raised learning those sorts of things. I’m a tech guy. I can fix your computer. My wife watches all of those home makeover shows, and thinks those sorts of projects should be easy for a man to do. But, I have no clue how to carve a wall sconce out of driftwood, or whatever. And it makes me feel emasculated when she just assumes I should ‘know’ how to do those things because I’m a guy.” — Tom, 37, Ohio

I WIsh My Wife Knew That My Depression Wasn’t a Superficial Problem

“I suffer from major depressive disorder, which is basically depression. My wife doesn’t understand it. To be fair, I don’t entirely understand it either. But, she seems to think it’s more of a superficial problem – like mood swings. It’s not. She just thinks I’m sad. I’m not. It’s something I struggle with on a daily basis, and it’s a disease that requires a lot of support. She’s not mean, or dismissive or anything like that. She just doesn’t get it. And, that’s not her fault. Ideally, I guess I just wish she was a little more ‘in tune’ with what I go through – maybe she could come to a therapy session or something – because I know she wants to help.” — Sean, 35, Pennsylvania

I Wish My Wife Knew How Much Her Cursing Affected Our Family

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“This is going to sound silly, but I wish my wife didn’t curse as much as she did. I’m not exaggerating when I say every other sentence out of her mouth contains at least one F-bomb. I don’t know what it is, exactly, that bugs me about it. I love that she’s a tough girl, spunky, opinionated – all that stuff. I guess it’s just like when you hear those songs where all the lyrics are ‘Eff this, eff that!” Like, what’s the point? Curse words are supposed to be used for emphasis. And sparingly, so they mean something. She’s essentially devaluing them every time one comes out of her mouth, haha.” — Al, 42, Michigan

I Wish My Wife Knew to Share In My Interests Every Now and Then

“My wife refuses to watch The Godfather. ‘It’s too long,’ she says. My gripe has absolutely nothing to do with the movie, itself. It’s just the fact that she won’t even entertain the notion of watching it. It’s just a movie, sure. But, it’s one of my favorites. And, I’d love to be able to share it with her! When you love someone, you want to share yourself with them. It’s definitely not a reason to call a divorce mediator or anything, it’s just irritating.” —William, 53, Ohio

I Wish My Wife Knew to Stand Up For Me In Front of My Mother-in-Law

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“My mother-in-law is an issue. She’s the typical stereotype: nosy, dismissive, and always right. My wife is afraid to put her foot down and tell her mother to back off. It gets awkward when I try to do it, but I still do my best. My wife just crumbles at the first hint of belittling. And the thing is, my wife is a really strong woman. She’s a lawyer! She argues with people all day long, intelligently and persuasively. I’d love it if she brought her work home with her the next time her mom tells us we should ‘let the baby self-soothe.’” — Aaron, 36, Illinois

I Wish My Wife Knew It Was Okay to Do More For Herself

“My wife should bake more. What I mean is, my wife is the best baker, and she loves doing it. But she only bakes around holidays. I wish she’d do it more often, for two reasons. First, her snickerdoodles are amazing. Second, and more importantly, baking really makes her happy. She puts in a lot of time at work, with the kids, and generally putting other people first. She’s kind of a control freak that way, so I guess I wish she’d let me take the wheel for a while so she could do something she really enjoys. Plus, snickerdoodles.” — Jay, 39, Washington

I Wish My Wife Knew to Stop Talking Down to Me When We’re With Friends

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“I’m not an idiot. But, sometimes I think my wife sees me as one. Granted, I did have my fun in high school, college, my twenties, and so on. But, as a father, I’ve definitely shifted my priorities. I’m not Frank the Tank. For example, my wife will constantly remind me about ‘behaving’ when we’re out with friends. I like to joke around, but I’m not going to take my pants off at the dinner table and juggle chainsaws, or whatever. Sometimes, it feels like she’s my babysitter instead of my wife.” — Jeffrey, 33, North Carolina

I Wish My Wife Knew That I Needed More Affection

“I think women assume men don’t want to hear ‘I love you” all the time. Like it gets annoying to us. But, speaking for myself, I want to hear it over and over and over. It’s not that I doubt the strength of our relationship, it’s just nice to know that she still thinks it, and would be even better if I was able to hear it. It’d be like reading her thoughts. I know a lot of couples who just gloss over the ‘I love yous’, and it’s scary. Maybe it works for them, but not for me.” — Liam, 34, Indiana

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