#i love answering questions but i for the life of me cannot be general

[spilycoris]

dropping into ur ask inbox to say u should absolutely infodump about ur lamb btw im so curious about them

throws around confetti.

i appreciate.. the ask.. and also i am very clueless when it comes to actual infodumping cause i thrive when people ask specific questions but i can definitely drop like basic info but I BEG OF YOU. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THNGS SPECIFICALLY. i am willing to share relationships etc etc just ASK

so my lamb, a valais blacknose, is called moros (like the personification of impending doom from greek mythology!) and they use they/them as.. most do.

their preferred weapon is a spear (as said in their current reference sheet) and that spear's base is ratau's staff which they carry around constantly as some kind of remembrance (cause you know that trope of a character carrying around an item that once belonged to one of their loved ones because the died? yeah. that.)

they're a silly and whimsical fella. rarely takes anything seriously. they're arrogant. hubristic. and i hope they explode. overly nice to their followers and then the bishops are victims of their bullying (affectionate). thinks violence is a good coping mechanism. i mean they picked the fight pit ritual and rite of wrath. so do with that what you will.

drops a hammer on them

[saddleseatollie]

I said that I was gonna make a post about Hans' side of the Hansry romance so here we go (buckle up because this will be a very long post):

First off, I wanna talk about his responses to all the heart/romantic dialogue options throughout the game.

I find these dialogue choices to be pretty interesting in general because it's SO easy to read them as completely platonic, which I imagine to be quite intentional. Two bros acknowledging that they care about each other, what's special about that?

Except their friendship isn't normal. Henry is Hans' page and bodyguard. Hans is essentially his boss, and Henry is duty bound to follow him everywhere, save him when he's in trouble.

What these dialogue options establish is that Henry doesn't rescue Hans because it's his job. He does it because he wants to.

I simply cannot stress enough how important it is for Hans to hear that from Henry. To know that he is not forcing Henry into anything. He's not just Henry's boss but also a noble, and that puts him in a position of power over him that he probably struggles with to some degree.

Throughout this game we see more of the divide between "Lord Capon of Pirkstein" and simply "Hans". When he breaks down his walls with Henry and becomes simply Hans, it's because he's letting him in. He doesn't do that with anyone else.

So why is it that Hans' responses to the romance dialogues are so...unromantic? Does he not realize his feelings for Henry yet? Does he not accept them?

No. I think that even by For Whom the Bell Tolls (the end of which being the first opportunity for romance dialogue) Hans has not only recognized his feelings for Henry but accepted them.

When? Honestly there are so many possible answers to that question I'm not even going to try (personally I like to think he spent the majority of his time in the cells at Trosky just thinking about him and Henry so maybe then).

"But Ollie! Why, then, are you saying that Hans' responses were platonic?" I hear you asking.

Because Hans isn't stupid. I'm not 100% sure what the punishment for homosexuality by the law was in 15th century Bohemia but I can guarantee it was very bad. I'm not a history buff but google tells me it ranged from burning at the stake to castration and exile. Not only that but remember that Bohemia at that time was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire, which was still a Catholic Empire circa 1403 and would remain that way for another century. Catholics at the time (and some groups even to this day) viewed sodomy (officially defined as any form of "unnatural sexual acts" including but not limited to homosexuality as the word itself refers to anal sex) as a mortal sin. Basically meaning that the near-universal stance of homosexuality at the time would be that homosexual acts meant burning in Hell for eternity.

All this to say that while I believe that Hans himself has come to terms with his feelings, he recognizes that no one can ever find out about them.

So he tries his absolute hardest to play the role of "best friend" and outwardly pretend to have only the most platonic of feelings towards Henry.

And yet. And yet. Hans loves Henry. He loves him so fucking much even while knowing they can realistically never be together. But Hans is a dreamer. We see that from him a lot, actually. He dreams about a world where nobles well and truly take care of their subjects, where towns aren't raided and burned to the ground for war and profit. It's no stretch to imagine he also dreams of a world where he and Henry can be together.

And then Hans is surprise-engaged against his will and his dreams are promptly smashed against the rocks.

I mean this is his reaction to hearing the news.

He says it's because he wanted to wait to get married, to live a life of adventure before settling down. And while I'm sure that's part of it, in the context of a romanced Hans this is him realizing that he really can't ever be with Henry. Hans might be a serial womanizer (overcompensating much?) but he's no adulterer.

Look in my lovely little headcanon where everything is wonderful and beautiful and works out, do they stay together? Yes, absolutely. But realistically, I don't think it's possible. Their relationship is doomed to fail before it even begins. It's a classic example of love simply not being enough.

And that reality is simply too much, so Hans does as he always does, pretends none of it means anything at all and nothing has changed. He'll never love her as he does Henry and that's that.

And then the siege happens, and Henry volunteers for a suicide mission and is probably going to die and Hans is starving.

Hunger and Despair.

Hans is starving. Not just for food or drink but for life and love and Henry.

Hans has always been prone to impulsivity, to acting on every desire. He's shone amazing restraint, all things considered, up until that point. He loves Henry and he feels he'll die of sorrow without him.

Think about that for a moment.

When he tells Henry the tale of Lancelot and Galehaut he puts himself in the place of Galehaut, who died from grief and sorrow over the loss of his lover.

He fears he'll die if Henry doesn't return. Not of starvation. Not at the hands of a Prague soldier.

Of grief and sorrow.

He is so, so tired of holding back. Of pretending. He wants Henry, he needs Henry. Not as a friend or a protector or a squire but as some strange, lovely mix of all three and more.

Then Henry places his hand over Hans' and tells him everything will be alright and Hans realizes, maybe for the first time, maybe not, that Henry may feel the same as he.

And that tiny little spark of hope is enough to make him act. He kisses Henry out of sheer terror and desperation and longing.

Audentes Fortuna Iuvat.

Fortune favors the bold.

It's time to be bold.

[cydork]

Alien Questionnaire - A Biological Perspective

A while ago, somebody linked me a very comprehensive worldbuilding questionnaire. For most aspects of a fictional society, it was great, but I noticed it assumed that anyone using it was making up a fictional human society, or at least a society of beings very similar to humans. As such, there was almost nothing in the biology department, which to me is one of the best parts! Thus, this questionnaire was born.

These questions are designed to help people worldbuild from a biological foundation. As such, the questionnaire only touches lightly on other aspects of a fictional society, and is more of a jumping off point. I wrote it with the aim of using it to develop aliens, but it should be suitable for any project with non-humanoid species, such as sapient terrestrial animals.

Have fun! I'd love to see your answers :)

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

General Anatomy How many limbs do they have? Do they have limbs at all?

What are their primary manipulators? Where are they located? How does this affect their tool use, building ability, etc?

What kind of body covering do they have, e.g. hair, scales, feathers? How do they clean it? Do they shed this covering constantly, or all at once at certain times? 

Can they maintain a constant body temperature? If not, how do they deal with changing environmental temperatures? 

What kind of habitat do they live in? Both specific habitat, and broader such as on land vs in water.

What adaptations do they have for living in this habitat?

What kind of creature did they evolve from?

What are the similarities and differences to their closest living relatives? 

What resource(s) is the most necessary and urgent for them? E.g. for many animals, but not all, it’s water.

What are some common mutations? E.g. eye colours, ability to digest lactose in humans.

What injuries or illnesses are considered disabling? 

How is their healing ability? Can they regenerate? If they can, is that limited to certain body parts or a certain number of times?

Senses What senses do they have? E.g. sight, smell, electroreception, etc.

How good are those senses?

Which of their sense/s do they use the most in everyday life?

How might this choice of sense impact the way they interact with the world? 

Can they detect things that Earth creatures cannot? If yes, how and why?

Movement  How do they move? Do they walk, crawl, fly, etc? 

If they have multiple modes of movement, which is preferred, and why?

Which part/s of their body do they use to move?

What is their speed and endurance like? 

How agile are they? 

Do they rely mainly on their own bodies for travel, or do they use pack animals and machines? 

How often do they move around? Are they mainly sedentary, do they move a lot within a set area, do they migrate, etc?

Do they have different levels of mobility depending on age, sex, or other biological group? E.g. young barnacles are able to swim, while adults are anchored permanently to a surface. 

Reproduction and Lifecycle  How many sexes are there? 

Are there differences between the sexes (ignoring the reproductive system)? 

Are there different castes, such as in honeybees or naked mole rats? If so, what is the function of each caste? 

Are differences in sex or caste used to justify discrimination or hierarchy? How might these ideas differ in different populations? 

Do they have a concept of gender? If so, is gender affected by sex, caste, or some other factor?

How do they attract a mate? Do they release a chemical into the air, do an elaborate display, etc?

Does one individual try to actively woo another, or is courtship more mutual?

What do they find attractive in members of the same species?

What is the usual reproductive partnership? E.g. two individuals, one main reproducing individual with a harem, no set partner, etc. 

How long do they live?

How are young brought into the world? Live birth, eggs, spores, etc?

Is producing young a painful, dangerous process, or is it easy?

How much parental investment is there? Are there many young with little investment, or few young with a lot of investment (r vs K strategy)? Or is it somewhere in the middle? 

How many offspring are produced at a time? Think about how attitudes towards children may differ between a species that produces one or two, and a species that produces dozens or even hundreds at a time.

How do they grow? Are they born looking like miniature adults, gradually growing bigger? Do they have specific phases of high growth, like puberty? Do they have a larval phase, metamorphosis? 

How self-sufficient are they as young? Can they move around and feed themselves as soon as they are born? Do they require parental care? 

What is the usual structure of childcare? Single or multiple parents/related individuals? Communally raised? 

Is sex purely for reproduction, or does it serve other purposes?

What kind of sexuality is considered the norm? This doesn’t just refer to same/other sex pairings, but the culture around sex in general.

Diet and Foodchain What is their diet? Are they carnivores, omnivores, frugivores, insectivores, etc?

Do they feed off an unusual source, for example rocks, metals, or (in appropriate settings) something like magic or souls?

What physical adaptations do they have for this diet? 

Is their diet very restricted, or can they have a wide range of foods?

How often do they eat? What is the culture around mealtimes, if any?

Are they prey for other organisms? For each other?

If they are, how do they deal with it? Do they fight back, have barriers, or do they accept it as a part of life?

If they are hunters themselves, what is their attitude to killing other organisms? Are they respectful? Prideful of their kill? Is it completely trivial? 

If they are hunters, how do they hunt? Are they solitary or packhunters? Are certain members of the group designated to hunt? 

Are the results of foraging or hunting shared, or is it everyone for themself?

Are they parasitic, parasitised, or in a symbiotic relationship with any other organisms? 

Body Rhythms How often do they sleep?

What time of the day are they most active? Are they nocturnal, diurnal, crepuscular? 

Do they generally sleep for one long period a day, multiple shorter periods throughout, or something in between? 

Do they sleep to cope with extreme temperatures or bad conditions, i.e. hibernate or aestivate?

Do they have any biological processes that disrupt their life e.g. moulting, reproductive cycles, etc?

If yes, how does their society accommodate for these processes? Does it accommodate them at all? 

Communication What is their main method of communication? Sound, visuals, scent, etc? Think about their main sense and how this would affect communication.

What is their body language like? What small moving parts might aid their body language?

If they have multiple methods of communication, are they all given equal weight, or is one considered higher than others? 

Society How sociable are they? 

If social, what is the usual social structure? 

Are there hierarchies? How strict or relaxed are the roles?

How are disputes usually settled? Is it more common to be violent or appease the other party? 

If not social, what is the reaction to being with other individuals? Do they become aggressive or stressed? Do they tolerate each other? 

What is the usual size of a community? Do they have communities at all? 

Do they have an in-group vs out-group mentality? If so, how strong is it? This generally relates to how scarce or plentiful resources were during their evolution, and how territorial their ancestors were.

What kind of bonds do they form? 

On the spectrum of individualistic to community-oriented, where do they fall?

Do they have a strong sense of personal identity? Think about how this might tie in with the previous question. 

What are the main things they derive identity from? Occupation, gender, family ties, etc?

Do they have names? If yes, how are these names formed? Are they given by another party or chosen by the individual?

Have they domesticated any creatures? If so, what do they use these creatures for?

Do they have any unusual relationships with other creatures on their planet (beyond predation, parasitism or mutualism)?

Do they produce art? What are their main forms of artistic expression? Think about how this will be linked to their main sense(s), communication method, and/or primary manipulators.

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

GLOSSARY Primary manipulator: Main body part used to manipulate objects, e.g. hands in humans, trunks in elephants, feet in parrots.

Sedentary: Inactive, staying in the same place.

Caste (reproductive): A group within a species with differences in body type and reproductive ability.

Symbiosis/Mutualism: Interactions where both parties benefit, e.g. cleaner fish getting a meal in exchange for picking irritating parasites off larger fish.

Aestivate: To become inactive during hot or dry periods, usually involving being sealed in mucus or soil e.g. lungfish, snails. 

Reproductive cycle: Regular hormone fluctuations that affect an animal’s fertility or attitude towards breeding. The cycles can range from months to years and can include things such as antler growth in male deer, heat cycles, and menstruation in humans.

[adrinktostopyourthirst]

incoming smutty thoughts:

the other night i had a dream i asked something like “how come you always tell me to talk and you rarely do?” and he replied “i like your voice more.” so we know bucky is the “ask for what you want type,” but do you think he’s more or less verbal than her in bed? he’s generally quiet, do you think maybe that leads to him talking dirty more?

Oh, I love this, because I do often write about him dirty talking.

I think we all know that Bucky only speaks when he absolutely has to and even then, it's usually something sarcastic or cynical. Also, Bucky isn’t the best with words. Yes, he can lie and manipulate well, but most of that is body language and perception. It’s fascinating how few words he has to utilise to get what he wants. His skill is mainly in listening and observing and most people know this about him, so they let him.

Just as most people have the good sense to be somewhat on their guard around him, especially when Bucky doesn’t bother to be sly about keeping a close eye on everyone and everything. But he has never really been able to unnerve you. Or… Maybe he has, but it only made you talk more. You share unapologetically and you ramble and you show most of your emotions. At first, he thought it was foolish to be so open and vulnerable. Now, he can see it has probably saved your life (and others’ lives) more times than he can count. With you living, speaking and feeling so out in the open, he doesn’t have to pay so much attention to you.

And yet…

The man cannot stop himself from paying attention to you. Everything else just kind of blurs. It mostly amuses everyone around Bucky how distracted he gets. They pull petty little pranks when he isn’t paying attention. And they fail awkwardly, because Bucky might be smitten, but he’s still a trained soldier.

So yes, Bucky is quiet and you’ve always known that about him. You expected him to be more quiet in bed, too. But he has learned that he loves how responsive you are and it just so happens that you get more responsive when he speaks to you. When Bucky has his tongue buried between your legs or his cock hitting your cervix, he usually grounds you by splaying a wide palm over your back, or thigh, or tummy. However, Bucky has found he likes the way you shudder when he mumbles against your neck or the shell of your ear. He likes how you can only respond with a soft mewl when he uses his voice.

Sometimes he asks you a question and then drives his cock into you with a thorough thrust at the end, making you writhe under him and choke on air. Then he nuzzles his nose over your pulse with a soft laugh. “Who’s the quiet one now, huh?”

You want to answer him, you do, but fuck– his fingers are at your clit and his teeth bite into your collar bone and he’s moaning and– and– Oh God… But he talks you through it. Every step of the way. Teasing. Coaxing. Soothing. Praising.

“That’s the spot.”

“Look at you,” when your eyes roll to the back of your head.

“Hug me tighter, sweetheart,” he’ll groan when you clench around him tightly. “Fuck. Good girl.”

“That’s my girl,” when you come. And the sounds you make - that will have him nearly go blind with pleasure. “There you go. Keep coming for me.”

[serejae]

ITS STUPID | BND

pairing : bnd x reader (NO WOONHAK)

genre : fluff

WHAT ! - bnd when your sulky

wc : 1584 | @onedoornet

-

SUNGHO :

- i feel like he would be so confused if he didnt know why you were sulky

- i also feel like he would ask some light questions but wouldnt push you to answer. but if he didnt get a answer he would be so confused

- he would spend the rest of the day reflecting on what he did only to get no answer

- it isnt until night time when you both are laying by each other and arent cuddling that he speaks up because he cant sleep without your cuddles :-|

sungho got home and saw you in the kitchen doing the dishes, normally youd wait for him to come home for dinner to eat together but maybe you werent feeling it. he tried starting a conversation only to get short responses, he then asked if you were okay only to get a hum he noticed the slight pout on your face as you gave these responses. after he got freshened up he went to eat dinner alone with only his thoughts. he replayed his whole day, actually no week, maybe month. but he couldnt seem to put his finger on what you were mad at him for. as he made it to your guys room, he noticed how dark the room was letting him know that you were asleep. he sighed and laid down, and for about 30 minutes he keeps his composure before speaking up “baby..baby!” he shook you gently, you hummed tiredly wondering why your boyfriend was waking you up. “what did i do? just tell me and i’ll apologize but i really cant think of a reason hun” he said propping himself up to look at you. “you left the toilet seat up” you said as you yawned seeming to not care anymore, he groaned and pulled the covers over to his side “now im mad at you”

“made me worry for no reason” he mumbled

RIWOO :

- riwoo is a worried man

- he’ll do everything in his power to try and calm you down so by the time you two cuddle he can get you to spill out why you were sulking

- he hates seeing anything on your face but a smile and would do anything. ANYTHING to get it off if it isnt a smile

- but hes a master manipulator like he’ll plan all this out for the perfect timing

as riwoo left the room after noticing you were not joining him in a few minutes like you said, he saw you sitting at your desk typing away on your keyboard. aside from your beautiful face he noticed the big fat pout on your lip making him furrow his eyebrows. riwoo sat on the couch behind you as you did your assignment watching the pout on your lips sit there making him form a pout on his lips as well. he didnt like seeing you bothered or upset by something, so he decided since he knew you wanted to finish this assignment that instead of stopping you he’d take some of the burden off your shoulders. he massaged your shoulders, gave your favorite snacks, and gave you a peck here and there. he could see the way your shoulders relaxed and how slowly but surely the pout on your lips disappeared. and when it finally disappeared fully he left a fat kiss on them as a celebration on his end, afterwards when you finally finish he takes you to your guys room and massages your head letting the stress rest as he listened to you complain about your day. his lips curved up when you mention how you appreciated him helping you. in response he kissed your forehead

“anytime”

JAEHYUN :

- wee woo wee woo someone call the dramatic police !!

- HE WILL NOT SHUT THE FUCK UP!! literally blows your head off with questions before he can leave you alone

- he cannot stand you being mad at him for more than 1.36 seconds and make it 1.17 seconds if your sulky

- so as soon as he notices something off hes begging for forgiveness even if he doesnt know what he did

jaehyun couldnt LIVE with the fact tjat he made the love of his life mad like no, kill him. and he dont even get him started if he didnt know why. he has a pre generated apology in his mind ready to be said with tears and everything. he continued to follow you around the house naming all the reasons you could be mad at him even the most ridiculous. “is it cause i ate the last ice cream bar?” “or did i snore too loud” “ohhh its cause i sent too many of those emoji reactions huh?” he continued talking before you turned around “no, no and no!” “than what is ittt” he groaned stretching the ‘t’. you sighed and laid down on the couch to relax, only to feel a man ontop of you (GET OFF ME!!!!) “JAEHYUN” you shouted “tell me” he repeated and he laid ontop of you. “remember when i said i didnt like liz?” you said giving up this whole cold persona. feeling him nod you continue “you said ‘she isnt that bad!’ but your suppose to agree with anything i say and dislike anything i dislike!” it goes silent for a bit then you hear him go “OHHHHH, noted”

now hes a certified hater with you ❤️

TAESAN :

- like sungho doesnt pester you too much about it

- but unlike sungho he doesnt ask questions but observes your moves, and once he sees the pout he knows hes OUT (laugh.)

- anyways literally spend the whole day spacing out wondering what the fuck did he do, he starts reading old conversations you both had. he makes his brain a computer system tracing back each step (while keeping a straight face)

- he folds when you two are having dinner and its silent. he canr take it anymore and ask you if he did anything wrong in the most nonchalant way he can (hes about to start tweaking)

he spent his whole shower standing there backtracking all his steps, from when he woke up to when he got home. after he got out he proceeded to stay in the bathroom and sit there for 25 minutes and 19 seconds scrolling through your messages to see if he had said something wrong trying to find a mood change for him to have to come home to a pouty partner. after finding nothing he sighed coming out of the bathroom and joins you for dinner. the dinner is silent, your peacefully eating but he pokes at his food not being able to get your sulky face out of his mind. he puts his fork down before looking at you “please tell me what i did” he said plainly trying to mask the fact that hes going to explode. you look at him and tilt your head confused, he picks up on your body language and speaks up again “i dont like seeing you pout, especially if it was something i did, did someone do something did i do something?”. he sees your face change when you realize what he was talking about “you never would believe what my mom did to me today…” you continued

he sighed out of relief realizing he didnt do anything and listened with a smile on his face enjoying his dinner.

LEEHAN :

- he would find it entertaining…(sawry)

- but definitely would take you seriously after having a little analysis in his fish brain he ask you why you were mad

- if it’s something silly hes stares at you for a bit processing it again (fish brain) and lets out a laugh making you more mad

- he composes himself and puts on serious mode. proceeds to indulge in whatever you were mad about, as long as ur happy 🔥

leehan didnt expect for the first thing that he would come home to was a sulky s/o. he had walked home to a quiet house wondering where you were, since you didnt greet him at the door like you normally did. walking into the shared bedroom he saw you wrapped in the blanket without your face visible, walking over to your side he saw you scrolling on your phone with a slight pout on your face. he chuckled a bit catching your attention. when you see him laughing it only makes you more angrier, so you flip to the direction facing away from leehan. your reaction suprised him, he stood there for a moment wondering what he did. he sighed a bit before sitting down on the bed behind you as he rubbed your back, “whats my baby sulky for?” he asked softly. “it wasnt very nice of you to call the fish i sent you ugly.” you said huffing. he then remembered that you two wanted to adopt a fish together and were actively looking for one, and it wasnt until this morning that you sent him a link and he cringed at the photo of the fish. it wasnt the most pleasant to look that in his opinion…after finding out the reason your upset with him, he cant help but let out a laugh. after seeing your face to him not taking you seriously he’d panic a little before drowning you in kisses “we can get the fish, even if its a little strange…”

[indiaalphawhiskey]

Hello India, I hope you're doing well. I don't know if you're still answering questions, but I have one:

Don’t you feel even a little bit resentful toward harry for choosing to go solo, distancing himself from the boys, and basically taking the easy route?

I know a lot of people try to justify it by saying he was groomed by his current manager and his family, because of his age, etc., but I feel like sometimes they victimize him way too much :/ I don’t know… He was the chosen one from the start and always had the benefits. He had important people on his side, and I feel like he prioritized less important things over what truly mattered. And you can say he always enjoyed the attention and benefits he had.

Truth be told, I know this question isn’t sent it good faith, but I’m going to answer it in good faith, if only to break someone’s echo chamber, if not yours.

I don’t resent Harry at all for going solo. Which, btw, they all went solo — it wasn’t his decision. If you do a little research, you’ll realize the full circumstances of the hiatus, and the fact that the working situation they were in was completely abusive and untenable, the way most boybands were, but even more exceptionally so because of how much money they were making/how popular they were. Everyone was begging for them to be given a break, but many in this fandom need to find someone to blame when they don’t have the patience to do research and consider context, and Harry’s an easy target because by most objective metrics, his solo career has skyrocketed.

He hasn’t distanced himself from the boys. He was at Niall’s show, dancing and singing. He’s referenced the boys on stage several times and in his BRITs acceptance speech. He constantly collects (and wears) One Direction paraphernalia. Not to mention, he was at Louis’ show after Jay’s death and Liam’s wake. But I’m sure all of this is convenient to omit when you’re pedaling your own narrative of events. That’s your choice.

He hasn’t taken the easy way, though I don’t know how you define that. I suppose you mean because his struggles are less obvious and less relatable. To that, I say, I think your view of what consists as struggle is extremely narrow, but that doesn’t surprise me because I know from the language of your ask that you have no intention of being generous towards Harry as a person, so why on earth would you view him with the nuance and kindness you view whoever is your favorite? Why would you allow him the same grace as any of the other boys?

Neither do I resent him for being “chosen” or for enjoying attention/benefits that he, himself, has worked hard for. I know this is a tough thing to hear because many of you have lost touch with the reality of how capitalist industries work, but making music is, by and large, about making money. The people on the backend of music are not recruiting artists to entertain or because they believe in their voice, they do it because the artists they choose are those that will make the most money.

Harry said it himself in his Grammys speech: he’s aware of how lucky he is because he knows there are other people out there who are more talented than him who will never get the opportunities he has. That is the reality of the world we live in: you cannot take everyone with you, even the people you love the most. Even the people who also deserve it.

What Harry has done, however, is prove he was worth the investment and that he’s grateful for every opportunity he has, which is all any one human can do. He cancelled a show once in three years. He toured during a global pandemic. He constantly gives 500% in and out of his shows (exercise, eating habits, therapy, healthy boundaries with fans). Everything he does is aligned with the longevity of his career, which is as much for his real fans as it is for him.

So, no, I don’t resent a person who’s dedicated his life to providing me with art that has pulled me out of my lowest and most lonely. No, I don’t resent him for working harder than any of us can possibly conceive, personally and professionally. No, I don’t resent him for giving up his privacy and safety and his right to have a quiet personal life in the name of entertaining us. No, I don’t resent him for being rich or privileged, because I can name fifty people who have done so much less for so much more.

The bottom line is, you resent him because you don’t think he deserves it. Thats why you think he’s taken the “easy” way, that’s why you omit his connection to the boys, that’s why you want to characterize his choices as “things that don’t truly matter”, that’s why you want to blame him for “going solo” even if the hiatus was thrust upon them as a collective after Zayn left first. And that’s totally fine. Just say that with your whole chest, because it’s what you believe is true.

I, however, completely disagree with you and truly, earnestly hope no one in your life ever holds your character and ethics to the same standard to which you hold Harry’s. You’d fail, by each and every single one of your own metrics. We all would.

[11queensupreme11]

Okay so I’m currently writing for my next chapter when it suddenly came to me! I totally forgot to ask and idk if you’ve answered this before.

But how would the yan kids react to watching their mom fall in love with Anthonius?

Like that has to be weird, right?! Watching ur mom fall in love with someone who isn’t ur dad or stepfathers?

Especially the girls since they’re kept away from boys and aren’t allowed to have boyfriends!

yaaaaay, can't wait for the new chapter! 🥰

as for ur question, i'll only answer eudorios and axiandros' reactions in more detail cuz i only have their personalities down so far 😅 everyone else will get a more general reaction, sorry 😢

eudorios is like a more unhinged version of his mommy so it won't kick in right away that his mommy's falling in love with another guy (he's just a lil dense guys, sorry, he inherited it from percy 🥺). ngl, he's probably gonna be the last kid to figure it out 😭😭

(just like how percy was the last person to realize anthonius liked her and that she actually liked him back 💀)

but when it finally clicks, he'll go:

eudorios: Oh! :)

and then he internally flips his shit 😭😭😭 he'll continue to watch it all happen with a ":)" on his face while crying, screaming, and shitting tears on the inside. the more he watches, the more he realizes that his TRUE enemy wasn't his father, or brothers, or half-siblings, or his mother's other husbands. no, it's ANTHONIUS. because he recognizes that soft look in her eyes, the genuinely happy grin on her face every time she's with anthonius. it's a look that's supposed to be reserved only for HIM, not some ugly mortal boy! and he's seething at the thought that ANTHONIUS was the first person to ever bring out that smile from her, and not him 💀💀💀

after watching, he'd probably rush to his room to scream into his pillow and everything like a dramatic teenage girl 😭😭😭😭 he'd sulk a bit and then rush out to go find his mother to demand more love from her 💀

for axiandros, he's gonna mentally pull up his shit list, place eudorios from #1 to #2, and put anthonius at the very top 💀💀💀💀💀💀 he's now genuinely concerned for his mother's taste in men because seriously???? did she just have a thing for losers???? first eudorios, and now a literal mortal boy???????

he cannot, for the life of him, understand WHY his mother would ever fall for anthonius. he acts like he knows better, he lets his emotions get in the way, he's rude and ill-mannered, he's a son of athena, he's pitifully WEAK, the list goes on and on.... 💀💀💀

then in comes the jealousy 💀💀💀💀💀 while eudorios is just like their mommy (but more crazy), axiandros is just like his daddy. his jealousy is icy-cold and seething, a sort of icy fury that everyone in the room can immediately sense. expect a lot of biting words and insults spoken in a ruthlessly cold tone, just like poseidon would. like father, like son after all!

as for the other sons, the incesty ones are, ofc, jealous af. but regardless of whether they're freaks or not, most are genuinely in disbelief that their mother had actually fallen in love with a mortal boy before, but there's also a lightbulb moment that goes in their head where they all think "ohhhhhh, so THAT'S why some of us have names related to wisdom!!!! 🤯"

they gotta admit tho, their mom had BALLS OF STEEL to name a child from each of her husbands after anthonius 😂😂

anyway, the more they watch her life, the more they finally start to understand why mother's so kind and loving towards humans. they knew that she was once a mortal (which is still hard for them to wrap their head around, cuz they always saw her as the perfect goddess and mortals are just so... not), but actually SEEING her live her life as one is a whole different thing entirely!

as for the daughters, many of them are wide-eyed and silently side-eying each other cuz ooooooh the DRAMA 😂😂😂😂 but aside from that, they're very curious. most of these girls are either super sheltered (percades and sécy kids), or they're just too used to godly culture (which is all the kids). would their mother marry this boy?? was he mother's first husband? why is she so close to someone that she's not married to? why does she let him touch her, get close to her, why are they ALWAYS together?? isn't that improper????

lmao, so while some of the sons are seething with jealousy, the daughters are getting a culture shock basically 😂

[aroaceleovaldez]

Hiiii!!! Hello i hope you have a great day! :D anyways i heard you have your hc for the argo 2 crew so i gotta ask when i was scrolling theu ur posts about Piper i saw you the pjo alt fashion thing so i'm curious do you have any fashion hc about the argo 2 crew? (Btw thanks for answering my question earlier i really appreciate it :D)

Of course! First and foremost, general hcs:

All these kids are ADHD and half of them are probably autistic. The vast majority of them absoLUTELY have sensory issues and their asses are NOT gonna be able to wear a lot of specific clothes. Tulle voted number 1 most hated fabric at Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood 10th year in a row.

They probably have to make the camp shirt decals a very specific way so they don't end up with the stiff chunky solid print that you get sometimes, otherwise half of camp wouldn't be able to wear them without having a breakdown. Are the camp shirts a required uniform? No, particularly not at CHB. But people want to wear them and if they're specifically being made with sensory needs in mind then there's a very strong reason why campers are picking those over the rest of their wardrobe. They love their sensory-needs-friendly silly t-shirts okay.

Seriously SO many of these demigods are defaulting to a camp t-shirt and their favorite bottoms cause they don't feel like risking a spontaneous sensory meltdown every day.

specific Argo II crew hcs under the cut cause this got long:

Vast vast majority of Percy's wardrobe is thrifted stuff and hand-me-downs. He hates new clothes and needs somebody else to have already worn them in. The more worn they are, the better. He probably will convince his friends to wear in new clothes for him if he can. Every time he gets a new CHB shirt he asks Grover and Annabeth and Sally to trial run them.

Piper is very specifically canonically anti-fashion and i think she'd also be very big on anti-fast fashion specifically as well. Not only does she negatively care about looking fashionable and adores every tacky article of clothing she can get her hands on, but she will kill you with lasers if you try to give her some new cheap clothes with gross seams. She definitely has the weirdest wardrobe out of everybody on the crew though cause she'll pick up random stuff she finds funny. Her and Percy are going thrifting together.

I like the idea that Annabeth's wardrobe is cobbled together from a lot of her friends. She just takes their hand-me-downs or borrows stuff from them that just ends up hers. The only skirts she owns are probably all from Silena, half her shirts are Percy's, etc etc. If she has a semi-coordinated outfit it's a miracle of the stars aligning. She has never a single moment in her life intentionally collected something with the thought of "ooh this will pair nicely with [x]-" nope it's all just "oooh comfy..."

If Nico does not have at the very least an oversized second layer he will DIE. It's required. Big hoodie, big coat, oversized tropical shirt haphazardly tucked into his jeans so it doesn't go down to his knees, etc etc. He's gotta be swimming in it. Oversized shirts are also good but less required so long as he has his oversized jacket. Everything else is comfort: Jeans he's worn to death that are full of holes cause he doesn't want to have to find a new pair that doesn't make him feel like he needs to crawl out of his skin, boots he cannot remember the origin of but he'll be damned if he could ever find a second pair of so he's also wearing them to shreds, etc etc. Also extremely likely to be stealing his friends clothes, though less of everything like Annabeth does and more just shirts and hoodies since all his friends are larger sizes than him so their clothes fit baggy on him which is ideal. The only reason his outfits match are cause the majority of his wardrobe is black or neutral-toned. Bright colors are overstimulating to him but he does have color in his wardrobe rarely.

If Leo does not have one billion pockets on his person he also Will Die. He too is so so specific about fabrics cause a.) fire safety but also b.) bad combo trying to work when you want to shed your skin cause your shirt is Wrong. The suspenders are both for sensory reasons (random compression straps yippee) and cause his toolbelt is too heavy half the time so it helps keep it from falling down. His outfits are built on practicality.

In a perfect world Jason would be running around in a comfy hoodie, t-shirt, and nice long skirt. Unfortunately he is cursed to have to wear pants. Again, practical t-shirt and basic pants combo. I think he's worn practical simple clothes for so much of his life if you try to put him in something too out-there he'll have a sensory meltdown SO fast. Don't show him a top with a bunch of different textures he'll cry. Probably not a huge fan of fitted stuff either. Would be a clothing thief if he were not often one of the largest sizes out of his friends. I hc he and Reyna are similar sizes though so they can share some stuff. He has definitely borrowed Reyna's skirts to just chill in when he doesn't have to do training stuff.

Frank is cursed by the combo of mens department, plus size department, and sensory issues. He'd like to wear a more expansive wardrobe but he'll be damned if he can find something beyond extremely basic t-shirts and pants that both fit him and don't make him want to turn into bees. At least he is the only one of the Argo II crew that can get out of a sensory meltdown by turning into a reptile and literally shedding his skin and then turning back and going "i'm okay 😌."

Hazel is like the only one of the Argo II crew who can tolerate a lot of frills and lace and such. She would love to be wearing cute lolita fashion. She's also like the only one on the ship who cares about that. Unfortunately, frilly cupcake dresses do not pair well with horses (or general demigod training) most of the time, so she rapidly oscillates between cutesy fancy outfits and practical t-shirts and overalls and such. For her t-shirts and overalls combo she is not worried at all about coordinating cause it will probably get barn shmutz and such on it but she does doodle/paint all over any denim in her closet.

Reyna and Hazel are in both Horse Girl and not-tomboy solidarity. They're the only girls on the ship who regularly wear skirts. Reyna basically only wears pants when she's forced to by whatever she's doing (usually training or horse stuff), but otherwise she is so vehemently anti-pants. She does not like pants. Don't look at her with pants.

For a related post, see my Oddly Specifics Pants Opinions Headcanons.

[were--ralph]

Hey i saw you ranting about trans men on a post, and i was just wondering a few things. This is a genuine question, as a stelth trans man, i really cant find anything about a pre op transitioning body attractive. Especially a pre op Chest. Now i do take testosterone, and i think that the parts that i find gross (ex: tits mixed with chest hair) are a perfectly acceptable thing to deal with so i can look the way i want to look. I love my body hair and my muscle growth, i just dont love the obviously not cis parts of me. What do you find attractive about this? I truely cannot for the life of me understand why people find trans men attractive but i would really like to understand.

I think spicy food is disgusting generally. it's like. hot and not fun and to me it adds nothing good to the food experience. Genuinely I don't understand why people enjoy hot foods it makes like. literally no sense.

and yet, people do. it's weird. I've tried on multiple occasions to get into spicy food and it just. suks. every single time it sucks. But everyone else in my family lives by it. And I've asked why for years literally unable to understand it until I realized.

sometimes people just. like things. things I certainly don't like and cannot enjoy whatsoever. But at the same time, this is true for me and not for them. I fucking love coffee to the point I drink it more than water most days, but no one else in my family likes it. BUT other people outside my family enjoy it too.

Life is weird and what I'm getting at is something that took me a lifetime to understand and I still can't wrap my head around it all the time.

People just like things. People love things and hate things. What things mean to one person can mean the world to another and death to the third. There's not always a reason for it, but what you have to do is accept that there are things in life that you just might not like much right now. but as time goes on you'll find value in it the same way your partner will find value in you and all the minuscule things you do and become and like and dislike.

And to build on that point, there are things I hated as a kid that I'm fine with and even love now. Each day changes you more than you'll ever know and with those changes, the acceptance that comes with them may be easier or harder.

So, to answer your question, I don't know! I just love men. Men with tits or pecs, men with vaginas or dicks. maybe both at the same time or neither at all! I just think men are generally attractive no matter the design or what's different about them. and not just men but people who present as masc in general. If you're masc nb there's a chance I'm looking at you through the window of a bar as much as if you were cis-male or trans-male.

I do know for some men, the allure of masculinity displaced with the typically-feminine concept of a vagina intrigues them. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of them together, maybe they just want something unique and new to them. Maybe they just really like vaginas and it doesn't matter who it's attached to, or maybe they just like trans men. Same thing with boobs, some guys just like boobs. Some men have boobs. the overlap doesn't mean net-negative results, it could be double positive.

And I don't expect you to love everything about yourself, god knows I don't love everything about myself, and despite people telling me what's good about me I can still find flaws within it whenever I choose. I think men with chest hair are hot as fuck, but also I've seen some smooth men that are just as if not hotter. I love me a fat man or a man with muscles, but i've seen twinks i'd demolish in one sitting as well. I've seen men with dicks and boobs and scars and and hair pretty much everything under the sun and sometimes I want them to sit on me and forget I'm there and smother me.

What you do have to do though is accept that you have those things, and you are those things, and even though you may not like those things you have to accept that they're a part of you and find value in that. And it's not an easy task at all to love yourself, but you have to try because even if you don't right now, there's a partner who will be waiting for you somewhere. there's a future version of you who loves you as you are. there are friends who love your flaws, pets who don't judge, and there are a lot of things that accept you as you are.

So just say you have boobs and chest hair. even if you don't love it about yourself right now know that there are and will always be people who do, and personally I've said before, but I wish i had boobs and chest hair it's just a perfect look to me. I'm fine with whatever my gender is, i just think its a good look. If I had money for top and bottom surgery I'd get it and never look back. You just have to find the value in yourself we all know is there, and if you can't just know that we know it's there and let that carry you through the day!

[librarycards]

I like your point about something being "pretentious," because I also think the term is used only to silence people who are bringing around important ideas.

I've seen you defend the complexity of academic writing in disability studies, which I also love and advocate for. I'm curious, however, about how you make space for people with intellectual disabilities, reading disorders, and other disabilities that make it a lot more difficult to parse overly academic writing. I remember this came up for me specifically when I was reading Jaspir Puar's "The Right to Maim." It's complex, necessarily so, but I found it deeply inaccessible.

I wonder, can disability studies truly be inclusive if it conforms to norms of academic complexity while sacrificing readability and engagement directed towards individuals with intellectual disabilities? I don't know if there's an answer, and I'd love to hear of any recommended reading you have on making space for people who exist outside of traditional modes of academic knowledge and research in a field as diverse as disability justice and Mad studies.

this is a common question, and i'll try my best to do it justice here -

first and foremost, it's important to remember that disability studies is not an activist project, nor is it one primarily concerned with providing social/academic support to individual disabled people per se. it's an academic discipline with roots in critical theory, queer theory, and literary/cultural studies, with its own intellectual genealogy, roster of normative terms, and citational background. when people -- puar, for instance -- write books like 'right to maim,' they're not writing for a general audience, disabled or non-. they're writing for colleagues and students interested in a particular set of arguments, drawing on a particular set of sources, and operating under the assumption that one has already done the (disability studies, ethnic studies, (post)colonial studies) readings - and, if you haven't, that you'll avail yourself of the lit review portion before engaging deeply with the book.

in short, part of the issue many people have when it comes to disability studies and their frustrations with it is that they do not take it seriously as an academic discipline among other academic disciplines. being disabled doesn't make me a disability studies expert any more than being a human makes me an anthropologist. the inaccessibility, as it were, of disability studies is a result of its specialization. this specialization isn't a bad thing - it's what happens when a field has been built over generations, on the shoulders of earlier fields, and requires extensive background knowledge to engage with. there's really no way around that when it comes to niche scholarly disciplines about things deliberately obfuscated in "normal life." this doesn't mean that nothing can be done to support wider uptake of CDS ideas among activists beyond the academy, but it does mean that our collective liberation as disabled people cannot and should not rest on universal understanding of or agreement x y or z element of a specific scholarly text.

that brings me to the next question, which is mostly about bringing disability studies scholarship to disabled people outside the academy, especially those whose disabilities make it difficult to access higher education. i don't think there's a way around reading the difficult texts if you want to be well-read and familiar with disability studies - or any other field - simply because people don't use complex language and syntax for no reason. we need to make up words for things that never had words before. fortunately, however, there are ways to introduce difficult concepts stepwise and in community, namely, through coursework - because as much as these texts weren't meant to be read by non-experts, they were also not meant to be read alone.

in my own experience teaching disability studies to classes wherein many, if not most students, are disabled, the best way of introducing these concepts is with regular old pedagogical tools like scaffolding, introducing background reading, approaching topics socratically, and encouraging group discussion informed by outside reading and personal experience. it is often helpful to go sentence-by-sentence and break down a particularly salient paragraph, or return to a particular citation to understand where one author's points link up with another's. one might go from puar back to saïd, for example, and also forward/sideways to mel chen or nirmala erevelles. put simply, i think reading these works together - in classrooms, in groups, in pairs, or even alongside others who have analyzed them before you (there are tons of analytical essays about most of these books on academia.edu/google scholar for example!) is one of the most reliable ways to improve your comprehension, and is certainly the method i use to help students better understand what they're working with.

lastly, and i think most importantly, i want to stress that the way many undergrads are taught to engage with any theoretical discourse is really, really damaging. it's damaging to expect an eighteen-year-old to consume and instantly "get" ideas that take multiple lifetimes' of debate to get worked out, if ever. being confused, not-knowing, asking questions, getting frustrated, taking a break and coming back -- these are approaches which many disabled students in particular have been pathologized for, but are actually the best (and certainly most predictable) responses one can have to a challenging text. i did not understand a lot of puar the first time i read her. i have read right to maim several times now, and am still puzzling over new things. a great deal could be done to support inclusion in all of our fields if abled/sane/NT people would stop bluffing and admit that they get confused, too; what an opportunity for scholarly interdependence that would be.

anyways....that's a long answer about something i'm very passionate about, so thanks for reading if you did! my main advice is to keep chipping away at challenging texts, because the process of reading and comprehending, especially done in community, is worth it, and helps lay the groundwork / build the muscle for engaging more difficult texts in the future.

as far as more disabled/Mad scholars thinking about academic literacies/classroom accessibility, there's Mel Chen, whose recent monograph, Intoxicated, deals with research, brain fog, and cognitive disability; Margaret Price, OG Mad Studies powerhouse, has also written at length about both pedagogical and personal approaches to mental disability in the classroom, and recently published a book called "Crip Spacetime" that is functionally an exposé on academic inaccessibility of all sorts.

I would also like to strongly recommend my beloved friend and colleague Helen Rottier, who does disability studies scholarship and works at a university disability cultural center, typically with IDD students. We co-authored a paper on Mad pedagogy that should be coming out...someday? Publishing is slow. But definitely check her work and I'm sure she'd welcome questions from you if you wanted to reach out!

[j-k-writes]

hi!! may i request i promised them i'd keep you safe and i should have been here. this is my fault with alicent?!

Summary - After the death of King Aegon II's firstborn son, Jaehaery's, Y/N Tyrell must face the consequences of his mysterious absence.

Warning - mentions of child death, general HOTD warnings

Y/N paced outside the room, heart pounding in his chest. He had only returned to the keep minutes ago, seeking out The Queen Dowager’s chambers. The news of Jaehaerys’ death had reached him that morning, and he had immediately mounted his horse and made his way toward the keep. He had nearly spilled his stomach over the banister of the keep at the sight of the blood stained bed sheets that were being carried out of the children’s bedchambers. Jaehaerys’ was just a boy, no more than a toddler, and yet he had become a martyr in the war between the dragons.  

Steeling himself, Y/N entered the room silently, bowing to the occupants. “My queen, my hand.” 

Otto Hightower stood furiously, rearing on the man. “Where have you been?” 

Y/N bowed his head in shame, refusing to meet the man’s eyes. 

“Well?” Otto asked again, grabbing Y/N’s face and making him meet his eyes. “The family of the king has suffered a horrible blow, and where were you? Whoring? Drinking?” 

He did not answer. 

“Father,” Alicent spoke, voice shaking. “Please leave us.” 

Otto scoffed at Y/N, releasing his face. “All this family has done for you, Y/N, and you have brought us nothing but shame.” 

Otto brushed past the man, slamming the door behind him. Y/N raised his gaze to meet The Queen Dowager’s, “Alicent I-” 

“Will you not answer the question?” She spoke. 

“Alicent I can't apologize enough.” Y/N said, voice cracking on his words. “I promised your brother I would keep you safe, and I have failed.” 

“I am fine.” Alicent said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “It is my daughter and her family who have suffered. My daughter’s life was threatened and you were nowhere to be found. You promised me that you would protect this family, that your allegiance remained here no matter where your houses’ laid. Does your promise still hold true or are you to betray us as well.” 

“My loyalties have always been with House Hightower, Alicent. How can you doubt that?” Y/N took a step forward, taking Alicent’s hand in his. “You are right, I should have been here. This is my fault. But do not doubt my loyalty because of a foolish mistake.” 

“My grandson is dead!” Alicent cried out, grabbing Y/N’s face with both of her hands. “My children have lost their boy, and you cannot even tell me where you were.” 

Y/N grasped the hands on his face, “I am loyal to you and this house, please listen to me when I tell you it was a mistake, my love.” 

Alicent released him, “This is my punishment.” 

“Alicent-” 

“No.” Alicent walked away from the man. “We have sinned and my children are punished for it.” 

Y/N tried to reach out for Alicent, but she moved further away. She sunk into herself, and Y/N could only watch as the woman’s belief in him fell apart. She shook with sobs, refusing Y/N’s comforting gestures. 

“I want you to leave.” 

“Alicent please, you must believe me-” 

“Leave me!” Y/N froze, and Alicent’s face immediately fell. She turned from him, sobbing into her hand. 

“I will take my leave, your grace.” 

Y/N bowed, turning on his heel to walk out the room, Alicent’s sobs fading as he closed the door shut.

[thera-daydreams]

SCARLET & SHADOW

ᱬ The Darkling x Scarlet Witch!Reader ᱬ

[aleksander morozova x wanda maximoff!reader]

Warning: This will be very canon-divergent, considering that it will be a fix-it fic for the Darkling's story. Will contain elements of violence, manipulation, and gore present in the series. Plus, mentions of depression, trauma, regret (as W. Maximoff) and the inclusion of possible adult themes in the later chapters.

Majority of this will also be based on the Netflix show since I haven't read the entire books yet. There may be inaccuracies and a whole lot of changes. You have been warned!

Otherwise, proceed and enjoy! ♟️🌹

(Sidenote: So... okay. I'm deciding to write this and make it a formal fanfic—as per previous post one and post two—because I seriously cannot sleep with the overwhelming inspiration I'm getting from shipping these two characters. Aleksander and Wanda are practically the same person in different fonts. They both did shitty, selfish things but I need to give them a happy ending. Together. Somehow. And hate it or love it, I firmly believe this idea should be shared to the world. If you know my other JJK fic, you'll know Wanda is an obsession of mine. Also, also, also! Please bear with me if updates are scarce. I'm juggling my academic review, work, another unfinished fic, and my daily fangirling. 🥹)

1. once upon a dream

Aleksander had dreams of you long before he even knew you. Maybe it was the stress of this neverending war. Either way, you weren't real anyway... were you?

(3.9k words)

2. coincidence

The Black General finds himself magnetized by the seemingly inconspicuous gardener in the Little Palace. He gets to know you, contemplating life. Just when he thought you were just a strangely wise, young otkazat'sya woman, he finds out why exactly you decided to work in the Little Palace.

(2.5k words)

3. reflection

You are confronted by a certain Shadow Summoner about your motives in bringing the kids to the Little Palace. He realizes that you've loved and lost so deeply, eerily the same as he had. Perhaps that's the reason why he was so drawn to you; he could see his reflection in your eyes. But the more answers the Darkling got, the more questions he had. Unfortunately for you, Aleksander was a patient and persistent man who would stop at nothing to get what he wants.

(4.8k words)

4. haunted

You were no powerless otkazat’sya, Aleksander finds out the hard way. He’s pushed you too far, and he’s left to deal with the aftermath of the new knowledge he half-regrets he gained. On the other hand, you see something bad about this new world that wished you had never seen.

(6.0k words)

5. ?

(tba)

... more chapters?

Synopsis:

"No more magic." You swore to yourself after the madness that you'd spiraled into; the chaos you'd wrecked upon the Multiverse under the influence of the Darkhold. Now, you had destroyed the Darkhold in every universe.

The last universe that had a Darkhold? Safe. Book of the Damned, gone. It was a land with no heroes, gods, or sorcerers... just... normal people and... Grisha? Either way, it was time for your atonement. Your repentance for your mortal sins.

But when you save and bring three orphaned Grisha children to the Little Palace, working as an otkazat'sya gardener to secretly keep an eye on them, it turns out that a certain Shadow Summoner begins to have his eye on you, instead.

taglist: @idohknow @robertthehoover @the-desilittle-bird @pearlstiare

[thiscityneedslessfog]

the Midnight Channel Killer is a control freak and I’m going to shout about it

Alternate title: I can’t take it anymore, I HAVE to talk about the bitchy spider

I have to say, I love that Adachi is impulsive as hell and that p4’s plot happened entirely because this guy flew off the handle at Mach 8 over not having his rather invasive question answered. He’s not at all a master manipulator (though he likes to pretend he is), he’s an emotional wreckage that’s ruled by his violent temper and desperate clinging to his pride and I’d argue naivety.

I mean, I'm convinced the real motive of the Midnight Channel Killings is a horrific cocktail of boredom, misogynistic entitlement, jealousy, and most of all a desperation for a sense of control over his life... I love that irony because he loses control over his own body in his attempted power grab via Ame-no-Sagiri taking him over in the end before the Investigation Team beats the crap out of her.

Why do I say it’s a sense of control over his life? It's a bit hard to explain, but I've noticed every time Adachi complains about his situation he projects the issue onto someone else. Here he puts the blame on his bosses for casting him out to Inaba when… they cast him out because he screwed up. We don’t actually know what he did (I’d bet it’s information leaking if I had to guess. It sounds pretty severe but it’s clearly not bad enough to completely ostracize him), but it’s clearly was his own fault he got cast out.

Here’s the thing—Adachi clearly genuinely believes he has no control over his life, and makes it abundantly obvious he believes in fate, the idea that your life is decided the minute it starts, throughout his dungeon.

I mean… this is just blatantly not how the world works… talent is just a skill you catch onto faster. Everyone catches onto some things more than others. The real magic ticket is connection. Humans are social creatures. I could go on a long winded rant about this but this isn’t about humanity, this is about one insecure, prideful dumbass. This is why I call him naive, actually—his horrendously warped worldview.

Meanwhile Adachi’s rant after Saki’s death makes it… really obvious that he feels he had no control.

Again, he deflects blame from himself when he made the damn mistake that locked him in here. He firmly believes that he’s a victim in this situation when he caused it himself. And he wants a way out.

It makes sense, right? Adachi is a very controlling person in general, after all. Hell, Yamano and Saki’s deaths both make it obvious. Yamano’s I have more to say on with Adachi being a control freak.

The first thing I want to talk about is Adachi’s threat towards Yamano before he attacks and kills her. So, in my experience (I genuinely cannot cite a source here it’s “trust me bro”) there are two bases of power that you can have over people: trust and fear. Trust is usually built by a good rapport with another party (or numerous other parties) so that they’ll let and even help you get where you need. Fear meanwhile is built on making them believe they can’t stop you even if they want to, and it tends to be easier to spark than trust. And since Adachi is pretty livid with Yamano and feels entitled to her due to his Midnight Channel induced desperation, we get this telling line.

Also, a late edit: I finally found out from some of my friends why Adachi said he wasn’t intending on killing her…

Anyways, I��m keeping in the fact that JYB made this scene genuinely chilling. Holy crap, it’s weird hearing him voice villains. And great.

The second thing I want to talk about is how his really creepy entitlement towards women (including a teenage girl—SHE’S NOT EVEN A WOMAN YET) is another facet of how his controlling tendencies manifest. Not even just that entitlement—it’s his possessiveness and jealousy over them, like they “belong” to him. It doesn’t help that he’s got a violent temper—he killed them both because, again, he flew off the handle!! Yamano’s death has already been mentioned—he was angry at her for “betraying him” when she didn’t even know who he was until he approached her to ask that question.

(hardly can be called an affair when you two aren’t dating…)

But Saki’s was even more of him being a controlling bitch—he attacks Saki because he saw her just talking to Namatame. He didn’t want someone he was attracted to interacting with someone he was jealous of at all, and in response makes some violent advances on her. And then when she literally just defends herself, he kills her in response. All because some guy he hates spoke to her, and that wasn’t allowed in his eyes. Talk about a green-eyed monster…

Not to mention in both situations, Adachi is taking advantage of his inherently more powerful position as a police detective (you know, LAW ENFORCEMENT) and taking advantage of the people around him’s trust in the cops. I mean Saki asked him why she was being questioned right before he cornered and attacked her. I’m mentioning this because these scenes were him aggressively abusing that power that he clearly genuinely wants to have…

And speaking of Namatame, Adachi was panicked when Mitsuo Kubo became his copycat. He didn’t want Kubo to get accused of being the Midnight Channel Killer, he wanted Namatame to be! Just Namatame, nobody else! He threw away a very easy out just because he was so particular about who he wanted to frame for the Midnight Channel Killings.

(As another aside, I played p4 with a large pack of friends and even though I’d suspected Adachi since Yukiko’s dungeon, Adachi throwing in Kubo was what made me go “no way it’s ANYONE else.” Great job, Adachi, you played yourself. 👏…👏…👏…👏…)

He also risked himself being exposed (and got exposed) because of the “threat letter” (which, to be honest, from his interactions with Nanako during his social link, was really a PANIC letter) because even though Namatame was now doing something he wanted the whole time up until this point… Nanako is actually someone Adachi likes, and that one factor being present causes everything to crash. (To be fair to him on this point, it’s Nanako. So it’s a mix of his controlling side AND one of… what, two? Three, if we include Yu…? people he actually is attached to being in danger.)

As for why he’s so controlling, I don’t really know. I have speculations, though. I believe he’s likely got trust issues because he questions why Yu trusted him, and even stifles a laugh when Yu tells him he believed in him.

The fact you’re Dojima’s best friend, dumbass.

Yu didn’t trust Adachi out of naivety. I don’t know if Adachi genuinely doesn’t realize or is in denial about it, but Adachi is Dojima’s best friend. In his second scene and his first where he does anything more than throw up, he playfully teases Dojima upon him saying “Our perp… it’s gotta be someone in Inaba.” Adachi is invited to dinner numerous times, right after Yukiko is rescued, he drunkenly tells you about Naoto being rescued at Dojima’s place, Dojima doesn’t bat an eye when Adachi is near Nanako. Dojima cares for and trusted Adachi, and Yu saw that. And Yu putting his trust in Adachi was putting his trust in Dojima’s judgement by proxy. It makes total sense Yu would trust Adachi…

Not to mention, he constantly pushes people away, like Dojima or Yu or the old woman. Relationships at their core are exchanges—there’s no fundamental difference between a friend and a business partner other than potentially trust and attachment, so I think he’s just… not really willing to give any of himself and just takes. Also he just doesn’t seem used to it (he literally states he avoids the old woman because he has no idea how to respond to a woman who actually acts like a decent parent.)

I think he not only thinks it’s safer to be this way, but…

Adachi is a very proud man, and shows that his sense of pride makes him believe he can do everything on his own. He sees all the events that led him to Inaba, to becoming the Midnight Channel Killer, as out of his control. I mean literally look at his rant after killing Saki above. He was “supposed to be the best of the best,” and blames his superiors for sending him to Inaba when, again, it was his own fault! I think partly because of his pride, he also just thinks “if anyone can do it right, it’s me, so if anyone should head this, I should.” I know tons of people like that! I mean, he tells Nanako that he’s the smartest person in the Inaba PD.

I mentioned this delicious irony with him and Ame-no-Sagiri, but even without all that, despite him being so controlling as a person, Adachi’s not even very good at keeping... anything under control. He was agitated when he realized Naoto wasn’t strung up on the power lines, and… he’s also wildly violent-tempered as Yamano and Saki experienced firsthand—this guy can’t even totally control himself. And manipulating Namatame severely backfired because it led to Nanako almost dying.

the spider is trying to weave a web. he’s struggling.

[theshypinkflower]

how would you think the btd cast + tpof would be parents in general? assume the child is theirs or like they willingly adopted

Oooooo a long answer. Sit down anon we’re gonna be here for while. (THIS HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRAFTS FOR TOO LONG SO HERE HAVE THE FIRST THREE DADS)

🔨Strade:

-Pretty sure it’s canon he’s good to kids

-He’s like the goofy dad that blares his old rock music when picking you up from school to embarrass you

-He’s all smiles and very light hearted

-He does know when to be strict, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary

-With a kid in the house though it’s hard to have victims, I mean when you’re young he can do a good job of keeping you out of the basement but as you get older he’s gotta find another place to get his energy out and film his videos

-If you turn out as sadistic as him he’d be so proud of you

-he makes SUCH good food too, he is a pro at working the grill

-he’s the dad who makes you hold the flashlight while he’s working on a car, you’d always be helping him with projects and what not

🦊Ren/Fox:

-huge nerd dad

-since you were born you’ve been watching anime, playing classic games, reading manga

-he’s a very affectionate dad, he always makes sure to tell you he loves you. He thought your little ears and tail (cmon ofc you’d be a hybrid) were so cute. Even if you are adopted he just has such baby fever, def adopted you as a baby.

-he shelters you quite a bit, he’s worried that you might meet someone like Strade when you finally move out and that terrifies him. No matter how many times hes said he loved strade.

-I see ren being a huge foodie, like hell read about restaurants with like picture worthy foods and he just knows he has to take you with him

-spoils you ROTTEN, his kid will never leave him if spoiled, right? They’ll wanna stick around! Plus your little trinkets and goodies make great distractions when he’s…filming. Plus I imagine as Ren gets older (more like Fox now) gifts are his way of apologizing. Fox is more emotionally distant than he was when he was younger, so saying sorry is a bit difficult.

🌿Lawerence:

-Look I know this question is under the guise of each character WANTING kids but I CANNOT see Lawerence genuinely wanting kids

-Kids are loud, messy, and obnoxious. Aka, eveyrthing Lawerence hates

-He is too terrified to even adopt a kid, he doesn’t see himself as responsible enough to care for a kid. Especially with his sadistic needs and the fact he’s constantly rotting

-He thinks bringing life into this world would be selfish of him (little does bro know he’s infertile)

-If you want kids I’m sorry but it’s a no go from Lawerence. You can have plant babies instead! (Cats and dogs are also out of the question. Sorry, no fur babies.)

(I do have HCs for Cain as a dad but they are more canon aligned with his ACTUAL kid, same goes for Akira. I already did Sano hcs as a parent, you just gotta look through my headcanon tag. I LOVED doing this hc btw, I LOVE IT WHEN YOU GUYS ASK ME THINGS EHHEHEHEHEHEH)

[thejournallo]

Explain the basic: Energy manipulation

Disclaimer: in this chapter you are going to learn the physical and spiritual meaning of energy! Everything I will talk about is information that I got from books and sites online and even videos on YouTube. In my years of practice, I learned as much as I could out of curiosity and what works best for me. I suggest you do the same by learning as much as you can on your own (I will be here making posts teaching this kind of stuff) from multiple sources.

tags: @koda-manifesting

As always, I will love to hear your thoughts! and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! If you liked it, leave a comment or reblog (that is always appreciated!). if you are intrested in more method check the masterlist!

When it comes to energy manipulation, we have to remember the 12 laws of the universe!  According to these laws, we are all connected; everyone vibrates at different rates, and energy is always changing! We can use the knowledge that those laws gave us to manipulate the energy that is around us in different aspects. Before we start to talk about what energy manipulation is, let's learn what energy is, even in a more scientific aspect.

witchcraft: 

"Energy" is often referred to as the life force or spiritual power that flows through all living things and the universe itself. People who practice witchcraft often work with this energy to bring about desired changes in their lives or the world around them. This energy is believed to be manipulable through various practices such as rituals, spells, meditation, and visualization.of course Different traditions and practitioners may have their own specific beliefs and terminology surrounding energy, but it is generally understood to be a fundamental aspect of the spiritual and metaphysical realms of witchcraft.

manipulating energy: 

More often than not, we manipulate this energy, which can happen on a daily basis without our knowledge. In a more visual explanation, we are surrounded by a bubble. Bubble = spiritual energy. When we go out and do our daily things and have our daily experiences, we give some piece of bubble. Energy manipulation is understood if we are using our bubble, understood when we have to use it and use it to our own advantage. for example, "If I feel this kind of bad feeling from a person, I will use a piece of my bubble to protect myself." I used my spiritual energy to protect myself from negativity.

science:

Energy is defined as the capacity to do work or produce heat. It exists in various forms such as kinetic energy (the energy of motion), potential energy (stored energy), thermal energy (the energy associated with temperature), chemical energy (energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds), electromagnetic energy (energy carried by light and other electromagnetic waves), and many others.

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. This means that the total energy within a closed system remains constant over time, even as it may change from one form to another.

Energy plays a fundamental role in all physical processes and is a central concept in fields such as physics, chemistry, and engineering. It's a crucial aspect of understanding the behavior of matter and the interactions between different systems in the universe.

Why am I talking about physical energy?

because we can use physical energy to practice witchcraft. Let me give you another visual example.  We are going on a walk to feel relaxed and release some tense energy. We are using kinetic energy to protect our peace.  It is all in the intention and the mindset when you use this kind of physical manipulation; even lighting a candle before a spell means using thermal energy to protect the space. (I'm saying protection as an example.) You can do pretty much anything; a walk can equal aboundance if that's what you want.

NSFW TALK AHEAD (MINOR DO NOT INTERACT)

It is a bit uncomfortable for me to talk about this, but it has to be said. Carnal acts like sex or masturbation can also be used to manipulate energy, and it is a whole practice in itself called red magic, where you use the build-up energy of the orgasm and the peak release to put your intention in the world. The tricky part is to actually concentrate on your intention until you release it. 

[aprilblossomgirl]

i feel like i'm hurting so much for faifa in this episode. he doesn't deserve to hear that many hurtful words. before i continue, i think i need to say this first: as an asian myself, i will always understand why most (asian) shows choose forgiveness when dealing with bad parents/parenting, no matter how unforgivable they might be seen by the rest of the audience. and that, i believe, is not of any agenda by the showmaker. of course, to not generalize it, few medias didn't go through that route because of a different preference or goal in the storytelling. however, understanding forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean i believe it is always the 'right' way of wrapping up an arc.

thinking about the upcoming faifawine's story starting next week, i feel like some dialogues in this episode, no matter how they really felt off to me, are intentionally right there as a further backstory for faifa. and especially if the directing choice of faifa's expression changes through that scene with the whole family is anything to go by.

when yotha called fai, he said this first: "Tell me honestly. Don’t be scared of hurting anyone." as if yotha knows that fai always keeps his feelings to himself to avoid hurting anyone else.

fai trying to come up with a reasoning, "I was probably just angry with her, but I think everyone was hurt by what happened— Dad, Newton, and Mom." as if to avoid answering yotha's question, "Do you hate her?" with his real answer.

"If Mom really wanted to abandon us, why would she have taken me with her?" shows that fai was not being optimistic (as yotha implied) but somehow trusted the mom. only to be shattered later, "I thought if I brought Faifa who loves being with his Dad and brothers, at least he would ask me to bring him back to visit everyone often and we’d all see each other sometimes. On the other hand, if I’d brought you, Yotha, we might have been so happy that we wouldn’t have wanted to come back and see anyone here again..." (what nonsense! i cannot understand any logic behind this one.) in a way implying that she might haven't been that happy with fai, which somehow validate what he and yotha had been talking about before: "I don’t know why she took me with her even though you were the one who wanted to go." / "Because she loves you more than me." / "That’s definitely not the reason." oh, i was right. mom doesn't love me. but she's hurting. but...

imagine being faifa, hearing all of those hurtful excuses, but his immediate response was trying to justify why mom did what she did instead of trying to validate the real feeling he himself was having. and i say this with my whole being: that's a pretty accurate representation of how we, asian kids, mostly were nurtured. the scene just stabbed me right in the heart.

faifa might haven't said anything, but his face didn't lie. you could very clearly see how his face instantly dropped once mom told her reason for taking him instead of yotha at that time. and i still cannot forget the face he made a few episodes back when mom gave him something he was allergic to. the level of gaslighting here is too suffocating to witness. the emotional neglect just hits too hard. i cannot even begin to break it further into fai's loneliness.

all these made me wonder how the upcoming third arc will 'deal' with fai's inner wound. i hope the show won't brush it off because i think it would add more depth to the romance part, how he navigates his feelings once someone finally enters his life, as it has been implied that wine was also dealing with heartbreak.