#i mean i might be wrong and i'd be interested in eventual corrections but that is my gut feeling | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sineala · 3 months ago

Note

I subscribe to the newsletter of an author I like who wrote a book about 9/11 and the War on Terror and the security state in the US and how it led to the election of Trump, and it's all very serious but apparently the author is writing an Iron Man comics series. I don't read the comics, and a lot of what I know about them comes from your fic, so I'm honestly not sure how much fanon vs canon knowledge I have. 😂 But the series sounds like it might be interesting I think? The author talked about it in his newsletter today. (This link should work. Probably.)

https://www.forever-wars.com/iron-man-how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline-succession/

I am actually really excited about this run! I try not to get excited about new Iron Man runs because chances are high that my hopes and dreams will be crushed, and I know that just because someone writes, say, stunningly excellent non-fiction, it is not a guarantee that they will be great at writing fiction at all or superhero comics specifically (cf. Ta-Nehisi Coates on Cap), but judging by everything Spencer Ackerman's been saying in interviews, his run sounds like it's going to explore a lot of interesting themes.

The post you linked links to an AIPT podcast that he was on a few days ago to talk about his new Iron Man run. For those of you who don't listen to podcasts (this is also me), the Iron Man subreddit has what seems like a fairly comprehensive summary of the interview, and I am really looking forward to the run. Issue #1 apparently hits stores on October 23.

But I will tell you why I am actually now really excited about this run. It's not relevant to anything about the comic itself. I am nonetheless very excited.

Last month, after he was announced as the new Iron Man writer, in order to hype up his run, he posted an offer on his blog: if you add the run to your pull list, and you email him proof that you're pulling his run and include a snail-mail address, he will mail you some cool Iron Man stickers.

I eventually got around to doing this last week. I was assuming he didn't actually pay attention to any of these emails so I dashed off a couple sentences about how I was looking forward to his take on Tony because he'd posted a photo of the Iron Man comics he was reading for research and several of them were among my favorites. And then I went off to get bagels.

By the time I had come back with bagels, twenty minutes later, he'd written me a very nice reply substantively engaging with the content of my extremely off-the-cuff message -- geez, if I'd known he was going to be actually reading them I would have put a lot more thought into it, you know? It was very kind and I was not expecting it.

He spelled my first name wrong in the reply, despite it being in the email header and also the name I had signed the email with.

This happens to me a lot. I have a first name that is very common in a lot of languages, but none of those languages are English. I'd say there's a 50-50 chance that a native English speaker will spell or pronounce my name wrong. This is unfortunate, because I live in the US and mostly interact with native English speakers. (My wife @lysimache immediately knew how to pronounce my name. I mean, it wasn't why I married her or anything, but I feel like it was a big plus on a personal level.)

If I have to give my name for something, I will reflexively spell it. The second-to-last time I voted, they'd switched voter lookup to you giving them your name rather than you giving your street address, which was a surprise that filled me with dread. My wife was in line ahead of me and she was completely finished voting by the time the poll workers had finished correctly spelling my name. (The last time I voted, I just handed them my ID, which is not required in my state, but I really wanted this to go faster.) I went to the doctor last week, and when they called my name in the waiting room, they said it wrong. I corrected them. They said it differently wrong a couple minutes later. I corrected them again. They said it wrong again. At that point I gave up.

(If I could think of a name I liked better that I was absolutely sure that most people could spell and pronounce, I would change my name. I still have not found one.)

So, you know, I'm used to it. It happens. Frequently. I was not at all surprised that he spelled it wrong.

He then emailed me again to apologize for spelling my name wrong. Like, immediately. One minute later. He said he was sorry and he knew a lot of people with a similar name.

Dude. Nobody does that. Nobody actually apologizes. Especially not in an email to a rando like me. He did not need to do that. At all. I was not expecting him to do that. He did that. I was honestly touched. No one bothers to do that. But he did.

I got my stickers in the mail yesterday.

I have redacted the portion of the note that has my name in it, but he absolutely spelled my name correctly.

Mr. Ackerman, sir, I hope your comic sells a million copies.

#replies #celticjade13

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seth-whumps · 6 months ago

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okay i have a proposition.

i have this idea that i can't get out of my head but i have a feeling it might not be in character/plausible so feel free to change it or message me if it is But

is there any scenario where a glitch to morri's personality systems would like. make them act completely out of character but not necessarily in a distressed way?? like they either become super happy and affectionate or like sad and weepy or even just act vaguely drunk/silly? i know its kind of a weird ask and its not really whumpy but i just think it would be so silly to see that side of them and jj's reaction to it ( ๑˘ω˘ )

feel free to make it whumpy if you can too! i'd be very interested to see that, but either way i have another whumpy ask ill send in a bit!

bug. bug your MIND. okay this one is short but incredibly sweet. and it is not beta'd because I was so excited to write it and I love it a lot so thank you for the ask bug I dedicate this one to you!!!

"What on earth are you doing."

"Hugging you." That's all Morrigan says in response. Their arms are wrapped around JJ's shoulders from behind the couch, snug and warm, and their hair is infuriatingly tickling his left ear where their chin rests. "Do you want me to stop?"

JJ lets out a short breath. He is very, very confused. "...Uh, no, you don't have to stop, just. Since when did you get cuddly?"

"Am I being cuddly?" Their head tilts, nudging his ear. "I'm just hugging you."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Is there any particular reason?"

Morrigan stops to think. It's strange, hearing the soft hum of their breath behind him, as close as they are. Morri isn't touchy, and he doesn't mind respecting their space, so whatever the fuck this is, it's nothing short of seriously freaky.

"You seem... stressed." Morrigan releases him, and maneuvers to sit next to him. The couch dips, and they fold their hands. "I want to help."

"Stressed? I mean, maybe. I just got the new assignment, so I'm a little tense, but..."

Morrigan leans their head on his shoulder.

He stops in his tracks. "Morri?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you... okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you? Your shoulder is very tense."

JJ barely scoffs. "Yeah. You're laying on it. Forgive me if that's a bit surprising."

"It's supposed to make you relax," they say, frowning and sitting up. "Could I hold your hand instead?"

"Uh--?"

"Or maybe..."

Morrigan then lays fully down and rests their head in his lap, all while JJ holds both hands up in complete and utter bewilderment. What on earth is happening?

"Woah, Morri. Hey. Snap out of it. Who are you, and what have you done to my robot?"

"Not your robot," Morrigan corrects neutrally, "and I'm trying to help you. Physical contact is supposed to help stress levels. Your heart rate is increasing, though, am I doing it wrong?"

"Okay, Baymax." JJ gently pushes them upright, and holds them by the shoulders. "Do me a favor and run a system diagnostic."

"Copy."

Their eyes blink rapidly. The left one shutters into a solid yellow, the color oddly cold for its shade. Morrigan goes motionless for several seconds.

Eventually, they jolt. "Oh."

"Oh?"

One eye blinks as they readjust. "Small bug. I... am overreacting."

JJ tilts his head, confused. See, normally, an 'overreaction' ends in several hours of dissociation or trying to coax down his friend from committing murder. This doesn't seem like an overreaction. It's strange, but nothing close to what he's used to. "To what?"

"You."

"Excuse me?"

Morrigan takes a breath, flinching back. "Sorry. I'm sorting it. You're registering as a target."

JJ tries to relax. "That is a lot more threatening than the hug you gave me."

"No, I was trying to--" They frown, frustrated. "You're stressed. I'm reading it as a threat. I tried to calm you down. Make you less of a threat. Best option was to hug you."

"Oh." He nods, and breathes out, doing everything he can to make himself look harmless. "Makes sense. Are you still reading me as a threat?"

Their eyes glaze over, the way they do when they're looking at something only they can see. "Yes."

"Want to fix that?"

Morrigan's eyes focus immediately. "What?"

JJ opens his arms in an invite. He wiggles his eyebrows. "Sort out the bug with some cuddles, Morri, c'mon! I give great hugs."

"You are..." Their gaze is captured by something, for just a moment. They sigh, heavily, and lean in for the hug. "...an absolute moron," they mutter into his shirt.

"Hey. Is it helping?"

Morrigan settles against their chest, curled up adorably. Their eyelids flutter shut, no doubt working through whatever line of code snapped in their systems. It'll take a while to fix it all. "I suppose."

"Then I'm a genius."

"Shush."

"Sort it out, cuddle bug."

"Never call me that again."

(JJ wouldn't mention it to anyone. But Morrigan enters stasis there, in his arms. And even if the couch is less than comfortable, and he has a mission early in the morning on the other side of town, he doesn't move an inch.)

(Because Morrigan, despite everything, is very very warm. And JJ wouldn't let go for the world.)

this is tooth-rotting fluff and I Don't Care it was SO FUN TO WRITE so I hope this fulfills your ask!!! thank you bug!!!!

#fluff #tooth rotting fluff #morrigan white #jace vela journey #cuddling #android whumpee #strings universe #prompt fill

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theintrovertbean · 2 years ago

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Okay so Hi, after seeing the kinky headcanons it made me wonder, how would you think Nadia would be with an MC with low libido?

Because well my MC for Nadia I made her an ex-sex worker because i wanted to and because i wanted someone experienced to teach Nadia since it's practically canon that she didn't have prior experience to romance and sexual stuff before Lucio, also after that job it is known to lose libido or sex drive and because honestly when i was reading her route first i didn't catch the sexual scenes on time i would just be like "oh she is hugging me that's so sweet... why are they putting emphasis on her biting me?... oh!" And i think that would be my MC's reaction most of the time, she would just be like "oh that tickles jajajaja" and Nadia would just sigh in her mind and think oh well maybe next time i think.

So what do you think?

Hello there 👀

I think it's pretty much canon that Nadia has like zero experience with romantic relationships. Not sure about sexual relationships, tho, but MC definitely isn't her first.

I tried to take on a more realistic approach, which means that it's not all sweet and cuddly, but instead, it includes some issues that could happen to anyone. Sexual incompatibility is a dealbreaker for many people, but I think Nadia and MC could make it work due to the wonderful love they share. (But please, correct me if I'm wrong at any point.)

I like this request a lot, and it is very inspiring! Thank you, and I hope you'll enjoy it!

Also, your MC seems very interesting and I'd love to learn more about her! I really wonder how her background would connect her to The Arcana's storyline.

Nadia with an MC who has low libido

Nadia is undeniably horny for MC, but she noticed that their sex drives might not be the same very early into their relationship. Still, she wanted to make sure, so she and MC had a conversation about it.

The Countess is a very understanding woman, and she takes the news calmly. MC's low libido is not a surprise to her. She asks MC if there are any things that she shouldn't do, if there are some things that might make them uncomfortable, etc. They needed to set some boundaries, and Nadia was okay with it. Boundaries are necessary for every relationship anyway.

At first, Nadia struggles a little. She knows that a low libido doesn't mean no sex, but she still feels nervous and frustrated. Nadia would never pressure MC into anything, and she is afraid that MC would agree to have sex only because of her and not because they want it, which would be no fun. The fear of rejection would also generate some anxiety in our favorite Countess, and that's a no no.

Nadia would feel insecure at some point, which led to another conversation. I must emphasize that Nadia is an insecure woman. She is aware of her outer beauty, but inside, she is someone who has gone through a lot. Her first marriage failed, and throughout her entire life, she felt like she was never enough. That does horrible things to a person.

Nadia needs reassurance to make this relationship work. She needs MC to tell her that they love her, they're attracted to her, and that none of this is because of her. Nadia needs to know that she is enough.

They would also have to find other ways to be intimate. Of course, sex isn't the only way, but with a libido as high as Nadia's, it can be very important to some, and that's valid. During the evenings, when they are both free, maybe they could read together or create something artistic.

Cuddles. There would be lots of cuddles and sweet kisses.

Eventually, it is not really that big of a deal for them. Nadia is a busy Countess, and a busy Countess is a tired Countess. Many times, she would be too exhausted to even think about sex, so it is nice that MC would not shake her awake in the middle of the night for a quickie.

If MC initiated having sex once in a while, Nadia would be over the moon. I imagine their sex would be a slow, passionate lovemaking rather than a quick fuck. Nadia would definitely want to savor the moment.

Also, Nadia would masturbate a lot. Even the sight of MC is enough to turn her on, and she would much rather take care of herself than pressure MC into anything. Needless to say, she thinks about MC whenever she touches herself, moaning their name as she comes.

In the end, no matter what happens, there is never any pressure. They'd find a way. I just know it. As long as both Nadia and MC love each other the same way, their relationship will work out.

#nadia satrinava #arcana nadia #the arcana nadia #countess nadia #nadia x mc #nadia arcana #nadia the arcana

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evilkitten3 · 2 years ago

Text

some examples of these, bc that personally helps me with remembering this stuff:

peeked - she peeked between the curtains, trying to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.

peaked - the movie had peaked in the 80s, but it had stayed quite popular throughout the 90s as well.

piqued - the prospect of hearing such a tantalizing tale piqued my interest.

phased - berets have phased in and out over the years, but they've never quite gone away.

fazed - he wasn't at all fazed by her biting tone.

weary - after such a grueling trial, it would be a wonder if any of them weren't weary.

wary - growing up, my mother cautioned me to be wary of strangers.

due time - he will pay his dues in due time.

do time - "it's time to do this," she said. i hid my grin. "yup," i agreed. "it's do time."

per se - her answer was not per se troublesome, but the look on her face when she gave it concerned me.

per say - (i couldn't think of a sentence that worked, but the implication seems to be that someone is being charged something for each opportunity they have to make their opinions known)

breathe - as the smoke cleared, it soon became much easier to breathe.

breath - as the killer passed, i pressed my hands over my mouth and held my breath, certain he would hear the rapid thumping of my heart

wander - the dog has a tendency to wander, so we made sure to get her micro-chipped.

wonder - the beauty of the waterfall was a wonder to behold.

defiant - he remained defiant even as the guards dragged him away.

definite - though our scientists have been hard at work, they have yet to reach a definite conclusion.

wanton - she charged forward, swinging her axe with a wanton glee for the carnage to come.

wonton - i was surprised to hear he'd never had wonton soup before, so of course we had to order that as well.

bawl - almost as soon as the plane had taken into the air, no less than seven babies began to bawl.

ball - we balled so hard i thought my eyes would fall out. (the joke is that "to ball" is in some places slang for "to have sexual intercourse", so you technically "ball your eyes out" isn't wrong, it's just hyperbole, much like "bawl your eyes out" or "laugh your ass off". still kinda a weird thing to say, though)

sike - "sike!" she cried, momentarily confusing me, until i followed her finger to where hungarian bantamweight greco-roman wrestler andrás sike stood waving at us.

psych - if i don't stop overthinking this, i'm going to psych myself out!

sleight - skillful sleight of hand is a requirement for a successful magician.

slight - he had a slight frame, which he was trying and failing to conceal with a massive overcoat.

complementary - her shirt was complementary to her shoes.

complimentary - the coffee was complimentary, the waitress had told me with a smile. (quick note– the coffee picture up there is cute, but incorrect. "complimentary" means both "expressing a compliment" and "free of charge" - a complementary coffee would be a coffee that goes really well with something)

discrete - as you can see, there are several discrete shelves for each genre of book.

discreet - i'd never once worried about confessing my worries to her, as she'd never had any issue being discreet.

born - jesus was born in a manger.

borne - jesus was borne by mary.

(for those last two, please ignore if you're reading this before 1775, in which case it doesn't apply to you and you needn't worry about it)

lightening - during the last weeks of pregnancy, you will experience lightening. (note: this refers to the noun; also called "dropping")

lightning - there might be a lightning storm this tuesday! (note: technically this actually did used to be spelled as "lightening", but then that got contracted to "light'ning", which eventually became "lightning". so... not wrong but no longer technically correct either)

loose - to the captain's horror, the knot was far too loose– whoever had tied it, he vowed, they'd be swabbin' the decks for the rest of the year, assuming they survived the storm.

lose - i have to admit, i really do hate to lose.

affect - your attitude will affect your chances.

effect - the emperor wielded his power to great effect.

(those last two are really challenging for me, so i decided to throw some alliteration in there)

there - "look there!" he cried, pointing towards the horizon. i gasped as i too saw the outline of a ship cresting the waves.

their - it was their concern, not mine, so i bit my tongue.

they're - they're going to over there, to their house.

to - to infinity, and beyond!

two - the students split themselves into six groups of two and one group of three.

too - you've gone too far!

and a few more i know people struggle with:

its - the dog tilted its head inquisitively to the side.

it's (it is) - "it's a damn shame," the old woman said with a sigh.

it's (it has) - "it's been quite a day," the postman chuckled nervously.

(this one is really confusing, but "it's" DOES NOT DENOTE POSSESSION - it's exclusively used as a contraction. the possessive form is the one without the apostrophe, so for anyone who uses it/its pronouns, that's the one you should use. for example, "laura laughed uproariously, its shoulders shaking" - the shoulders are laura's, laura uses it/its. also, "it's laura's turn to do the dishes" - laura's pronouns aren't coming into play, it's simply its turn to do the dishes)

your - your name is sally.

you're - you're named sally.

(the easiest thing to do with contractions is, in my experience, to break them up. if you aren't sure whether the contracted word is the right one, use the full version instead. for example, if the sentence you have is "you're cat has escaped", try breaking that up. "you are cat has escaped" doesn't really make sense, so you know to use "your" instead - "your cat has escaped")

would've - i would've done it myself, but i didn't want to step on your toes. (this is the contracted form of "would have")

would of - just incorrect; this one doesn't work in any way that i'm aware of

advice - i gave him a piece of advice.

advise - i would advise against that.

(the difference for those two is that advice is a noun and advise is a verb)

calender - i put the paper in the calender.

calendar - i made sure to mark the date on my calendar.

(a calendar is used to keep track of times and whatnot; a calender is a machine you press paper in)

capital - lilongwe is the capital of malawi.

capitol - the legislators assembled in the capitol.

principal - she recently became the principal of the local elementary school!

principle - these are the principles upon which this chess club was founded.

counsel - i would counsel you to exercise caution, my liege.

council - the city council voted to ban man-eating shrubbery.

rein - i tried my best to rein him in.

reign - the reign of the empress lasted thirty-seven years.

rain - rain beats down, down on the outer walls.

choke - thick smoke billowed around us, and we started to choke.

chock - as the airplane rolled to a halt, the wheel bumped gently against the chock.

whine - much to my irritation, he soon began to whine.

wine - she doesn't have a drinking problem, although she's quite fond of wine.

y'all (you all) - y'all best come inside now!

ya'll (you will) - ya'll have to try harder than that to beat me!

vicious - he gave me a vicious grin

viscous - viscous saliva dripped from the creature's jaws.

except - everyone except jim came to the party.

accept - i invited an old friend, but i hadn't expected her to accept.

insure - a subsidiary was set up to insure risks.

ensure - you are to ensure that none of these pesky adventurers escape this dungeon alive!

assure - i assure you, the toothpick roller-coaster is completely safe.

then - if you want me to believe you, then you're going to have to prove it.

than - i felt safer with her than with her sister.

bear - this is a burden you cannot bear alone.

bare - he ran through the woods completely bare.

uninterested - as a child, i was completely uninterested in boys, so it took me a while to realize i was gay.

disinterested - a judge should always remain disinterested.

(note: disinterested does not mean "lacking interest", but refers instead to impartiality. however, this misconception is so widespread that it's frequently used as synonymous with uninterested, although that's also the earliest known usage of the word, so it's really up to you whether you care)

emigrate - brian said his dad is going to emigrate from belgium!

immigrate - alice's aunt is going to immigrate to czechoslovakia.

e.g. - i don't like sad events (e.g. funerals).

i.e. - cats are quadrupeds, i.e., they have four feet.

(e.g. stands for "exempli gratia", which means "for the sake of example", and i.e. stands for "id est", which means "that is")

stationary - a properly parked car will remain stationary.

stationery - i love buying new pens at the stationery store.

whose - i wonder whose table that is.

who's - who's that man over there?

a lot - there sure are a lot of geese in that lake.

allot - i'll allot each group ten minutes for their presentations.

adverse - the toads had an adverse impact on the region's environment.

averse - he's very averse to noise, so he spends a lot of time in the library.

aisle - whenever my family takes plane trips, my mother always insists on the seat closest to the aisle.

isle - the isle was only an hour away by boat.

allusion - his novel makes a striking allusion to the alexiad by princess anna komnene.

illusion - the witch conjured a powerful illusion to distract her pursuers.

pursue - i will pursue that witch to the ends of the earth!

peruse - he began to peruse the books in the history section.

ascent - the ascent up the mountain quickly grew more and more challenging.

assent - i couldn't think of any better plan, so i reluctantly nodded in assent.

canvas - together, we painted the sunset on the canvas.

canvass - as a politician, she has to take some time to canvass for votes.

cloth - his dress was made from a deep red cloth.

clothe - i can't afford to lose this job; i have to feed and clothe my children!

clothes - my grandmother kept her clothes in a small wardrobe.

complacent - she'd been at the top of the class for so long, she'd gotten complacent.

complaisant - she had a cheerful, complaisant nature, so she got along with everyone quite quickly.

defuse - he did his best to defuse the bomb.

diffuse - thanks to the internet, it's possible for ideas to diffuse even further and far more quickly.

disassemble - the pieces snap together, so it's not hard to put together or disassemble.

dissemble - he's a straightforward, honest person, so he won't dissemble just to spare your feelings.

elicit - i managed to elicit a response after hours of pestering.

illicit - he bought some illicit drugs.

emoji - 🙂

emoticon - :)

kaomoji - ( ＾∀＾)

eminent - his brilliance led to his rise as an eminent scientist.

immanent - death is immanent in life.

imminent - climate change is an imminent crisis.

preeminent - the mona lisa is a preeminent example of da vinci's work.

flesh out - tumblr user's like to flesh out movie and tv plots.

flush out - hunters may use hounds to flush out their prey.

pray - i will pray for his safe recovery.

prey - cats are famous for toying with their prey.

hangar - the airplane was safely led into the hangar.

hanger - he hung up his coat on a hanger.

hoard - she had a veritable hoard of trophies.

horde - a horde of people flooded the streets.

levee - i drove my chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry.

levy - he intended to levy a tax on imported goods.

loathe - i loathe that man.

loath/loth - i am loath to the thought of leaving you here.

(note: for that last one, due to how frequent incorrect usage is, there's a strong argument to be made that at this point "loathe" is effectively just a variant spelling for "loath")

marinate - i let the chicken marinate in the sauce.

marinade - i made a marinade for the chicken.

palate - she pressed her tongue against her palate.

palette - the artist poured several splotches of paint on their palette.

pallet - all he had to sleep on was a lumpy pallet.

past - though he tried and failed many times in the past, jeremy still believed he could climb the rock wall.

passed - i passed by her house the other day.

perpetrate - i plan to perpetrate a burglary tonight.

perpetuate - if the system is not changed, all it will do is perpetuate the problem it is intended to solve.

pored over - i pored over my textbook for hours.

poured over - poured over the pasta was a thick, creamy sauce i'd never seen before.

prescribed - the doctor prescribed him some medicine.

proscribed - murder is among many things proscribed by the law.

suit - she wore a crisp suit to the wedding.

suite - the twins lived in a hotel suite.

taut - to my relief, the rope remained taut.

tout - she does her best to tout her wares.

there are more but i've been doing this for. a while and my wrist is hurting. feel free to ask me for any clarification, or if there are other words you're struggling with and need an example for!

tldr: the coffee image is wrong. if you take nothing else away from this, take that. both of those images show a complimentary coffee.

IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST

OR ‘PEAKED’

BUT PIQUED

‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’

THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA

#language #english

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ozma914 · 9 months ago

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A Toy Soldier Story

As a kid, I had to use my imagination. No cable, no video games, no Anarchist Cookbook on the internet. If I’d tried to buy the ingredients for a bomb, the store clerk would have been on the phone to my parents before I reached the door.

Then I’d have to cut my own switch, ending my bomb-making aspirations. Instead I wandered, literally, over hill and dale, made dams in the creek, plodded through swamps. I had a handful of favorite toys, dogs for companionship, and imagination. Any place was a playground, any object a toy. Every now and then I still check out the toy aisles, but today’s toys just aren’t interesting. You can’t play with today’s toys. You sit and look at them while they play themselves.

I'm old enough now that grandkids and pets are the best gifts. Not that I'd turn down 60s era Marx toy soldiers.

Oh, you might press a few buttons, but they do all the rest. They make noise, flash lights, speak to you, move around, until they need recharged. I’m not talking just about video games, which at least give you hand-eye coordination. But on that subject, what do the game makers brag about most? Better graphics and sound, and realistic cut scenes.

Heaven forbid you should imagine any of that. We generally got toys twice a year, for Christmas and birthdays. My parents never bought me toys because I got a good grade, or cleaned my room, or avoided juvenile hall. I did that stuff because if I didn’t, I’d have to cut a switch. Getting a switch used on me was bad; having to take that long walk out to the bush to cut one was much, much worse. I’d rather pull my teeth out with pliers and use them to chew off my own ear than get sent out to the bush. Don’t get me wrong, I got some great toys, it's just that I played with them. I got a scale model of the Starship Enterprise. I didn't push a button to make it fly: I held it out and whooshed it past my imaginary planets. How did my Enterprise make that “whoosh” warp sound? By me saying, “Whoosh!” I had to use my – say it with me – imagination.

I've had this fire truck for fifty years; it never moved on its own once. If it did, I'd freak out.

Have you ever played World War II video games? The realism is amazing, and if you’re not playing with someone, the game console itself moves the other characters around. I got a Marx "Battleground” play set. Plastic tanks, cannon, flags, landing craft – and get this, landmines, wounded soldiers, and stretchers. I had German, Japanese, British, and Confederate soldiers from several wars. You can’t have enemy troops these days, because the soldiers of Politically Correctness would pitch a fit. You'd probably get in trouble for pitching things, too. Eventually I learned war is a terrible thing, even when made necessary by various bad guys, but I still loved my play set. My parents, you see, taught me the difference between fantasy and reality. For example, fantasy was seeding my battleground with firecrackers; reality was them finding out and sending me to cut a switch. Fake battles led to my lifelong love of history, and I've never invaded Russia once, so I think I did okay.

I had a few remarkably “real” guns, meaning they were my size. No one imagined using one to rob a bank, or being mistaken for a gang member. My favorite was a Thompson machine gun, with which I defended our barn many times. No computer program was needed to produce my attackers – they came from my – wait for it – imagination. Another favorite gun was my Kentucky rifle, a muzzle loading weapon used in the Revolutionary War. My mother called it her mop handle.

But with the mop taken off, it was the perfect size and shape to win our independence. I fought off entire regiments of Englishmen with that rifle, alongside a company of Minutemen that was very much real to me and my imagination. I’m sure I looked ridiculous in the field behind our house, stabbing with the bayonet on my mop handle, getting hit and falling to the ground, then getting up to defend Lexington and Concord yet again. What did I care?

My favorite toy gun. If it was good enough for both Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury, it was good enough for me.

Not that fake warfare was my only interest – not with Frisbees, Matchbox cars, and paper airplanes available. My single speed Schwinn bicycle doubled as a spaceship and police car; walkie-talkies were useful for spy missions; and a beach towel was sufficient to make a superhero costume. I could go on and on (as my regular readers know.) Two chairs and a blanket made a great tent; small sticks and stones could become a city, waiting on an attack by Godzilla; and oh – what we could do with a cardboard box. The possibilities were endless. I can’t help thinking today’s kids are missing something important … and I’m not talking about the switch.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

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Remember: Books make great bases for your toy soldier battles.

#kids toys #toys #vintage toys #toy #childhood #childhood memories #nostalgia #humor #history #family

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theveil-and-thepath · 2 years ago

Note

Hello again, love!! I give you the 10 of Cups in time for your celebration!!! 🎊🥂

For my 2nd qs, I hope this qs would be okay, how will my first serious relationship be like? If not maybe a general love reading?

For my 3rd qs, I'd like to ask for a general message from the Universe?

Thank you once again!!! I truly am thankful for this opportunity to ask you once more. I hope I can do an exchange reading for u maybe some other time when I get to practice my tarot skills better. I actually bought a cheap tarot card months ago and I've been practicing it for quite some time. Lol sorry for my randomness. Thank you once agaim, Veil! 🤗 Hope you have lovely lovely months ahead! ♥️

Hi there! I just did your other reading (sent private). Thank you so much for the gift, I love the 10 of cups and I hadn’t received it up to now. Be confident in your readings, I have noticed that I got pretty good readings from people who are very new to tarot, so I never really make a distinction. Mostly what changes is the way cards are interpreted, but the cards themselves are always correct and can help people anyway. So keep practising and you’ll get more used to it.

How will your first serious relationship be like? nine of pentacles, five of pentacles, page of swords. Will your first relationship be the last/the one you want for life or spouse? seven of pentacles, eight of cups, page of swords.

Your first serious relationship will be one from which you will walk away as soon as you notice the other person doesn’t have your best interest in mind and perhaps is even secretly in competition with you, and you have some petty arguments. It makes me feel like it will be the first relationship that you take seriously but the other person might not take so much so it will end pretty quickly. I think I am asking the wrong question.

What will your first long term relationship be like, like 3+ or 4+ years. Ace of cups, the magician, seven of cups. What an improvement. Well, the first longer relationship you’ll have will be one of mutual affection for sure, perhaps this person is self employed or really good with their hands (in your field it mustn’t be so uncommon, but I am seeing this anyway). It will last more than 4 years and there is potential for marriage (I asked if this relationship will last more than 4 years and I got the 10 of wands, 2 of cups, and the hierophant). When you are with this person it feels like a blessing, like a bath after an exhausting day, this is someone who will encourage you and may partner with you in work or will be extra supportive to your career, someone independent who will encourage that in you. With the seven of cups as the last card, the end of this relationship is now open ended, you will be able to envision different possibilities with this person, you can daydream possible futures together or you may be unsure at first how it will go, where it will lead. It can mean that that you will love this person dearly and for that reason it may be easy to be carried away, but I don’t see this card as negative here, I see it as an open ended future. I would say there is a chance you will meet this person within the next 5 years.

A general message from the universe to you. Seven of wands, page of pentacles, queen of wands. Keep pushing, your effort will be worth it and your future self is so much more confident than your current self that you wouldn’t recognize her if you saw her. The message is of encouragement for when you face tribulations. It’s short, but it is keep going because the struggle will end eventually.

(feedback can be private)

Game will be open for extra 24h

#The Veil replies #birthday game #free readings

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spookyconsultingcriminal · 3 years ago

Text

This is my first pride month as part of the aroace community and I'm just so happy!!!

I have identified as ace for about seven/six years now. It just felt so good to finally understand what was going on with me, especially going through high school when absolutely everything seems to be somehow connected to sex and sexual attraction.

After that every time I considered a romantic relationship I'd simply brush it off, because I was afraid I'd not be respected as an asexual person and stuff.

I've been living normally ever since. Until, well...This year.

There is this guy at work and I had one of my platonic crushes. He was just so handsome and seemed so nice and cool. We became colleagues and eventually we started to text. Out of the blue he said he liked me.

I was shocked!

Mostly because I never saw myself as someone who anyone could feel attracted to. I mean... I don't think I'm pretty and I'm also socially awkward. It just... Doesn't make sense for me.

Yet... He was there, saying he liked me. Saying I was beautiful and funny and awesome.

So I thought "why not?". I had a crush on him after all.

We started to... I don't want to say date, because I didn't feel like we were dating and the whole thing happened within a month. But we started to talk about our situation and stuff. He asked about my asexuality and after I explained the whole thing he said he was completely alright with it.

I WAS THRILLED. If I had any doubts before they almost went away completely after this.

Almost.

I was trying my best to make it work, because he said he was alright with me being ace and that NEVER happened before.

But then things started to get weird.

He always said he liked me just the way I was (I know, Bruno Mars vibes) and yet he tried to change me every now and then

I mean, I'm not the most affectionate person in the world. I have my own way of showing affection and I reckon THAT'S OKAY.

But he would constantly ask for physical affection like kissing (he was my first kiss EVER) and hugging, which I loathe (I only hug people I REALLY trust and love like me mum and me best friend). And when I didn't give him what he wanted he would simply rant about how life was hard for him and how he just needed care and physical affection. He even mentioned on one of his rants that he had such a busy sexual life in his previous relationship and that I "would never understand it" because I am ace.

He would also talk about the future so often. I might be crazy on this one but it made me feel trapped, ambushed in a way.

I talked about getting a master's degree in a different city? He said we should look for flats.

I bought this beautiful ring that looked like an engagement one? He said I was engaged to him.

I said I never wanted to have kids? He said it was okay, we could get lots of cats or dogs.

All in less than two weeks.

He also seemed very comprehensive, but he constantly disrespected my boundaries to the point of hugging me during an anxiety attack when I was feeling hyper sensitive ( everything was just too much. The lighting of the place seemed too bright, the sounds were too loud, every touch or movement physically pained me) and I clearly said that I didn't want to be touched.

By then I was more than uncomfortable, I was a proper mess. I would have BIG anxiety episodes only thinking about changing and being more touchy or more affectionate because I needed to be what he wanted.

He was so understanding about my asexuality, after all.

I was freaking out with everything and one day I simply started to wonder why I was feeling that way. Everyone seemed to do it and handled it just fine. It seemed so easy. Why was it excruciating for me?

And then I started to analyse my whole journey.

For a few times I questioned my romantic attraction because I had such a hard time developing feelings and even an innocent crush seemed awkward. I had no problem acknowledging some people's beauty and always thought that this was my way of having crushes on people. I never once had a romantic relationship, but I had fallen for a guy back in High School. We never dated but I am sure I felt something for him.

He was my best friend and we had such an incredible bond. But before having a crush on him he was my friend. It took me a whole year to realize I had feelings for him. I never entertained the idea of settling in with someone, but I'd certainly do it with him.

And then it hit me.

It only happened because I had a strong emotional bond with him. That's why it was being so hard for me to be in a pseudo relationship. Because I felt nothing whatsoever. He was basically a stranger so feelings weren't exactly on the table. I had only started this because he was a person who seemed nice and that showed interest, and besides thinking he was cute I felt nothing more.

I had searched about the aromantic community before and was quite the advocate. One of my best friends is a strict aroace and I always talked to her about the aro spectrum.

I remembered the definition of demi aromantic and it just clicked.

I felt so damn good. SO DAMN GOOD.

I never thought I could ever feel the way I felt when I first said I was ace, but here it was again. That same incredible feeling of relief.

I wasn't broken, I wasn't wrong, I was just different. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

As soon as I understood this, I decided to break up with the guy. I was just so thrilled to tell him.

I thought "well, he was so understanding about my asexuality. He sure won't mind me being demiaro"

LET ME POINT OUT I WAS DELUSIONAL!

I reckon I was the most polite person (is this correct?) in the whole world. I explained it all. The communities. The way I experienced both romantic and sexual attraction. The way I didn't have romantic feelings for him, but I still wanted to be friends.

He said it was cool. That he was happy for me and that he still had a friend.

I really thought it could work.

Less than 24 hours he texted me a bunch of atrocities. Said I was a bitch. I broke his heart violently. That he was going to k*** himself.

I felt so divided, it was like there were two of me fighting inside.

The first one was desperate for him. Feeling so bad for being who I am. If I were normal, this wouldn't be happening. I would be able to have a normal relationship like everyone else.

The second was skeptical. This might sound very hard, but I'm being truthful. I had no shame and no guilt. I felt nothing whatsoever. I wasn't responsible for the version of myself he created on his mind.

+ I didn't feel like I had been cruel or emotionally irresponsible.

Two days after these, he texted me again with a completely different attitude. One that made me really annoyed and that completely destroyed the first version of me that was still saying it was all my fault.

He said he was ready to continue our relationship. That he wasn't going to feel bad for loving someone WHO COULDN'T LOVE HIM BACK. That it was alright and he just wanted to kiss me and be with me.

I don't even know why I got so mad, but these made my blood boil. I just felt like he was offering himself as some sort of cure. That if we continued what we had, I would eventually develop feelings for him and he was willing to wait for it.

I cut him off completely.

I could never EVER be with someone who makes me feel guilty of being myself.

He has been making my time at work a proper hell lately. Still trying to make me feel guilty, and though it's been hard, I honestly don't care.

Ace, demiaro, an introvert, not prone to touching...

I am not changing to please others. And I sure won't change for him!

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professorsnape394 · 4 years ago

Text

The Potions Master’s Apprentice

Chapter Four: The Three Broomsticks

A/N: This is the fourth part to my fanficiton ‘The Potions Master’s Apprentice (Severus Snape x OC)’. Chapters 1-16 can be found already uploaded on Wattpad under the same name. Feel free to leave requests in my inbox for anything Snape related you want me to write. Leave a comment below if you wish to be added to my tag list.

Pairing: Severus Snape x OC (Dumbledore’s Granddaughter)

Summary: A talented young witch is employed as an apprentice professor at Hogwarts, but who will she be working under? Severus Snape is not best pleased with his new responsibility of taking on an apprentice, however she is relentless to create a friendship between them. Will she be successful? Or might the friendship just go a little two far? With the eyes of her grandfather constantly watching over them, an attempt at a relationship might not be in the cards for Aria Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

Word Count: 1733

Warnings: n/a

Credits to Gif Creator

The following days transpired just as the day before had done; a lot of potion brewing and a little conversation. However, more notably Severus Snape was actually participating in the conversation for once. Aria could not yet say she had seen a pleasant side to the man, however he was acceptable to converse with at the very least. By the end of the third day he no longer pretended to busy himself with textbooks and he actually elected to help with the potion brewing for once. Being able to talk to the Professor and ask him any questions helped her a great deal in learning the correct procedures. She felt herself being more at ease around him, and soon enough they had developed their own way of working together, that she found quite enjoyable. Even Severus had become accustomed to the woman's presence in his classroom as she pranced around the cauldrons, laughing every now and then at his sarcastic comments he hadn't entirely meant to be humorous.

Aria had been lost in thought as she stirred the final potion to completion. "I was thinking." She said cautiously. "It's pretty hard finding things to occupy myself at nights, there isn't much to do here, except aimlessly wandering the halls. How do you feel about maybe taking a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend, have some dinner, maybe drinks? It would make a change from the elves cooking, although I admit they'd be pretty hard to beat."

"I appreciate the offer Miss Dumbledore. However you know how I feel about spending time with Mr. Hagrid, I doubt a change of setting would convince me, especially with the addition of alcohol." Severus spoke, his tone softer than it usually would at such a request.

"Hagrid wouldn't be there." She hastened to add. "He mentioned he has business out with the castle grounds. I just figured since the two of us would be here anyway, it wouldn't make any sense for us to sit alone."

"You may have forgotten, Miss Dumbledore, but I like being alone. I eat alone every night, and I do not wish to simply be your back up plan, now Hagrid has left you to do the same."

"I don't mean for you to be a back up plan Sev- Professor Snape. I just think it might do us both some good. After all haven't we been getting along better these past few days." Aria wanted to get to know the man more, she felt they had got off on the wrong foot and the way to fix this was spending more time together, and hopefully they would even become friends at the end of it all.

"You haven't been as disagreeable as I expected you would be, I will admit. This does not change my previous opinion." He stated.

"At least consider it." She pleaded.

With a sigh Snape flipped another page. "I'll consider it." He agreed, continuing reading his book, no longer interested in conversing with the young witch.

The next few days dragged in more than ever. Aria enjoyed keeping herself busy and was not used to having this much free time. The only thing keeping her sane was her passions for drawing and nature. She chose to combine the two and spend her days outside, sketching the beautiful landscape she found herself in. She preferred to opt for portraits, capturing the essence of humanity in her sketches, but trees were fine too. She shrugged.

Sunday morning eventually came around and Aria chose to tackle something she had been putting off ever since her arrival at Hogwarts. A small pile of letters had accumulated on her bedside table, ignoring each one as they came in. She immediately recognised the scrawled writing on the envelope and could not face opening them. Every second day she received a letter and it broke her heart knowing what lay within. Reading each one carefully, she knew she could not face writing the response the sender desperately awaited. Instead she scribbled a small, generic reply, making sure to include that she would be too busy to write often due to her crazy schedule. This of course was a lie as she had virtually nothing planned for the next couple of weeks until term begun. Aria did not want to face even reading any more letters as long as she remained at Hogwarts, and so she swore to herself she wouldn't no matter how hard she knew it would be.

A firm knock echoed through her quarters just as Aria sent her letter off with beautiful brunette barn owl. "Come in." She called curious as too who would be calling on her. Shocked to see Professor Snape striding into her private chambers, Aria couldn't help but question his presence there.

"I've had time to think about your offer." He stated blankly, visibly out of his comfort zone.

"And?" Aria pressed.

"And I suppose there would be no harm in joining you for one meal. After all, as you say, we both will be here alone, we may as well keep each other company."

"Fantastic!" His colleague gleamed, jumping up from her position on her couch. "Just give me some time to get ready and I'll meet you there? Say six oclock at the Three Broomsticks?"

"Six is fine with me. Don't be late." He warned, leaving the room just as quickly as he came.

Aria entered the Three Broomsticks at five forty-five, ensuring Snape had no reason to reprimand her once again for her tardiness. It stunned her to find the sallow skinned man already sitting at a booth, firewhiskey in hand, patiently waiting on her arrival. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched him tap out a rhythm on the side of his glass as he took yet another sip. She wondered if it was out of impatience or nervousness, either way she thought it slightly endearing to see.

Hearing the click of a familiar set of heels quickly approaching him, Severus Snape looked up from his glass, almost needing to hold back the urge to smile, but managed to keep his composure. He rose to his feet, holding out a hand to greet the fellow Professor, instantly cursing himself for such a foolish action. "Sit." He commanded, motioning to the seat across from his own. "I'll get you a drink."

"Oh no, there's really no need Professor." Aria insisted, shaking her head, causing her beach-like waves to brush over her exposed shoulders. "I'm afraid alcohol doesn't agree with me at the best of times." She admitted.

"Correct me if I am wrong, Miss Dumbledore, but as I recall it was you who suggested a meal and drinks. Or did I mishear you." Snape asked, feeling almost foolish, having already down two glasses of Firewhiskey.

"I did say that didn't I." The young Miss Dumbledore blushed. "I apologise, sometimes I just cannot stop myself when I speak, I often forget the consequences of drinking, which as it happens is the ultimate consequence of drinking." She chuckled.

The older man shot her a small look of disdain, not at all as amused as she had expected him to be. He let out a small grunt of dissatisfaction, and proceed to down the dregs of his drink.

It took a few more awkward moments of silence and Severus being slightly more irritable that Aria had wished for before the two finally settled in to a rhythm of conversation. Soon enough it came time to eat and Aria took it upon herself to call over the waitress. As he ordered Aria watched as Severus made no effort to look up at the woman serving him. It crossed her mind that maybe this was a deliberate attempt at ignoring her voluptuous breast and curvature of her hips. However, on the other hand she considered that maybe he truly was not interested as she thought back to their conversation a few days before.

"She's stunning." Aria couldn't help but observe. "You should go for it, chat her up, she might be into the dark, brooding, intellectual type."

"As I told you before, Miss Dumbledore, dating it not top priority for me. If you find her so attractive why don't you, as you say, 'chat her up'." Snape replied sarcastically, not expecting the woman to take him seriously.

"I might just." She said, finding her eyes following the waitress back to the kitchen for a moment or two. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous as the witch watched the woman walk away from their table, though he was not sure why.

"So tell me Professor Snape." The young Professor began. "What are the other Professor's at Hogwarts like? Who am I took look out for? Who's my competition." She grinned, wriggling her eyebrows menacingly.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." He hummed in response.

"You know." She shrugged. "Who are you close with? Will I have to fight them for custody of you." She laughed, although the Professors expression did not change. "What I'm trying to say Severus is, I'm new here, besides yourself and Hagrid I know no one. I'd like to consider us friends, though you may have a different opinion. I was simply trying to express my nervousness at being the new girl. I was hoping you'd be able to help me settle in, introduce me to your other friends and colleagues that is." She sighed.

"You do not seem to understand my disposition, Miss Dumbledore, that which I feel I have made abundantly clear. I am not one to socialise. I am not one to make friends. I am here to teach and teach alone. I do what your grandfather asks of me and that is the extent of my relationship with the staff. They understand how I am, and respect that. I do not bother them and in return they do not bother me. You have been the first to struggle with this concept, Professor." He struggled to grant her the title.

"I didn't realise." Aria stuttered slightly, not understanding how she had not caught on. "I had simply thought you had a vendetta against me, due to my position here at Hogwarts. I didn't realise you shut yourself off from everyone. I apologise for any inconvenience I have caused you." The tone of her voice softening, becoming almost a whisper-like volume. She was embarrassed she had forced him out of his habits and brought him to the Three Broomsticks to clear the air. She realised now it had been a pointless act. This man had been stuck in his ways for over a decade and she would not change that a fortnight into knowing him.

"I am here, aren't I." Severus stated, trying not sound as harsh as he previously had. "Had I truly despised you I would not be wasting my time here with you. I have come to the realisation that if we are to work in such a close proximity to each other, it would be best if we maintained at least some level of civility with one another."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Professor." She replied shyly, remaining silent. Immediately Severus regretted opening his mouth. He didn't entirely hate her company and in fact he had found himself starting to enjoy the evening. It took him a minute or two to gain the confidence to speak the words aloud, but he figured the pay off was worth the sacrifice of a small amount of pride.

"Will you stop fretting woman." He demanded. "I was just beginning to find your constant rambling tolerable. If I wished to spend the evening in silence, I wouldn't have made the effort to accept your invitation to come here tonight. You have managed to entice me thus far, do not spoil what may be your one chance at a friendship with me."

"A friendship?" This piqued her interest.

"You know what I mean. A working relationship. A tolerance. A chance for me to accept your position as my apprentice." Snape corrected himself, fumbling over his words.

"Mmmm." She smirked, taking a small sip of butterbeer. "I'll just pretend a friendship is off the cards for us then, Professor. Although I don't recall you mentioning trips to Hogsmeade as an exception to your reclusive personality." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Despite his annoyance at her persuasive abilities, and daring comments, he was glad he had convinced her back to her previously inquisitive self.

Both choosing to ignore any reservations they might have about their 'non-friendship' the two spoke for hours with ease. With each empty glass of fire whiskey Severus Snape found himself relaxing more into the conversation, his reputation becoming a distant memory. It was the first he had allowed himself to truly relax in possibly the whole of his life.

It seemed in one evening Severus had gotten to know all there was to know about Aria's life, although strangely she mentioned nothing regarding her family and Snape chose not to pursue the subject. He loved listening to her talk, she was a rambler, rarely needing any interjection from him except the odd mumble here and there and that's the way he liked it. He was a listener, he loved taking in new information no matter the subject. Most importantly it meant he did not have to share anything about himself, unless the woman specifically asked, and even in those rare occasions, she knew better than to pressure him when he chose not to provide an answer.

Aria told him of the schooling she received in Ilvermorny, her school in America. She told him of her job working in a local alchemists after she left school. She confided in him of her dream to become a professor, or an auror even, really she was just desperate to make a difference in someone's life and her dream would not succeed by spending the rest of her days working in a dingy old shop. "And that's why your grandfather brought you here?" He questioned, the topic piquing his interest. "You told him of your dream to teach?" "I guess you could say that." She agreed, not wanting to raise any more questions than necessary. "He didn't bring me from America though, if that's what your meaning. I was already here. My mother sent me to school in America to protect me, with all that Wizarding War carry on and what with me being a Dumbledore, she didn't want to put me in any more danger than I already was. She remained here with my father however and I visited on the holidays." Snape raised a single brow at the mention of her mother and father but changed the subject completely, seeing the woman being to shy away slightly.

"It's getting late." Severus observed. "I should walk you back to the castle before it gets too dark."

"That would be nice" Aria smiled, rising from her seat.

The couple made their way back to the beautiful lit up castle as the sky turned a deep shade of blue above them. They continued to speak all the way down to the dungeons, this time Severus participating just as much as Aria. The Potions Master escorted his apprentice to the door of her quarters, the two of them swaying awkwardly not knowing where to go from here.

"You can come in for a drink... if you'd like." Aria hesitated to ask. "Although I'm not sure I have anything alcoholic, so tea might need to suffice."

"I appreciate the invitation, but it's been a long day for me, I'm afraid I must retire for the night." Now they were back in the familiar castle grounds Severus felt as though he had suddenly returned to his body, and the events of the night lingered at the forefront of his mind, a deep feeling of regret developing in his stomach.

"Very well." Aria agreed, feeling slightly uncomfortable herself. "Good night, Professor Snape."

"Good night, Miss Dumbledore." He spoke softly, rocking anxiously the balls of his feet, waiting for the woman to disappear into her quarters. With a simple nod and one final smile from Aria, she vanished from his sight. The sound of the door closing echoed through the halls, ringing in Severus' ears, and suddenly he felt more alone than he ever had before.

Aria stood with her back to the door, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. As much as she enjoyed the evening with her mentor, the intense awkwardness that occurred at her door, got her thinking about the man on the other side. Her intention was to get to know the man better, and though he did not confide in her much, she felt she had achieved that, maybe more than anyone ever had.

Why had he allowed her to get close to him when he claimed to distance himself from the world?

This thought circled her brain for the rest of the night.

Taglist:

@ayamenimthiriel

#severus snape #severus snape imagine #severus x oc #severus snape one shot #Harry Potter #harry potter and the goblet of fire #harry potter fanfiction #severus snape fanfiction #severus x reader #severus x y/n #alan rickman #potions master #potions masters apprentice #dumbledore #dumbledores granddaughter #severus snape x reader #severus snape fluff #severus snape smut

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fanatiquee · 3 years ago

Note

If it's ask random Louis questions day, is there anything in particular to the way he speaks? he has a very unique cadence that you capture!

askbox OPEN: ACCEPTING ANONS

an anon after my own heart! if I had to chance a guess as to who sent this, I think I know. But, to answer your question! As a matter of fact, there is. The way that I write Louis' dialogue is based first and foremost on the pattern of Louis' speech in Interview With the Vampire. He doesn't speak very often in the other books, and when he does, it doesn't sound much like himself. The most sustained example we have of how he speaks is from IWTV. Anne Rice had (at times) a real talent for developing individual character voices. Louis' patter, so to speak, is framed in a particular way. Rice styles him as someone who speaks English with relative confidence, but not in the way a native speaker would. For example:

"Living in New Orleans had become too difficult for him, considering his needs and the necessity to care for his father, and he wanted Pointe du Lac."

There is nothing exactly wrong with this sentence, but it is strangely constructed. Louis' use of 'necessity' here is also slightly unusual. It isn't incorrect, per se, but it is an interesting choice. The way he frames the idea is also slightly disjointed, 'the necessity to care for his father', is almost clumsy. What he essentially means is, 'considering his needs, and that he had to take care of his father', but what he says it, 'the necessity to care for' which conveys the same essential idea, but not in a way that flows naturally. He does this often throughout the book. He also tends to speak in a way that defies the usual conventions of grammar, and is even grammatically incorrect at times. He uses the phrase " x and me" in places where it would be more correct to say "x and I" or "myself and x", and all of this is because he is not a native English-speaker.

We know that Louis was born in Paris, and so he probably learned Parisian French as a child, though no doubt with a few regional influences. Its important to keep in mind that Parisian French only became France's national language at the coming of the French Revolution. France was very linguistically diverse, and his bourgeois parents probably grew up speaking regional languages as well like Gascon, Catalan, or Occitan. Then, of course, Louis was brought over to New Orleans where he would have been influenced by Haitian patois as well as Spanish. New Orleans was a French and Spanish colony for Louis' youth. He would have learned English, eventually, but it would have been primarily for reading purposes at first. So his English doesn't move with the same rhythm that a native-speaker uses.

I also use his IWTV sort of, sprawling, long-form way of constructing and conveying ideas. He also has this rhetorical, borderline socratic way of interrogating his own thoughts and ideas. Here is an example of both:

"And oh, how much I wanted to confide to him the breadth of what I didn't understand; how, searching all these years, I'd been astonished to discover those vampires above had made of immortality a club of fads and cheap conformity. And yet through this sadness, this confusion, came the clear realization: Why should it be otherwise? What had I expected? What right had I to be so bitterly disappointed in."

You can see in the above quote, he is teasing out the same concept over a series of sprawling sentences, with this sort of rhetorical self-reflexive style of questioning thrown in. I try to think about this when Louis is speaking, especially if he's talking about anything at length.

Those are the main 'guiding principles' I consider when I'm writing Louis' dialogue. I consider, firstly, how he might construct his sentences given he's a native French-speaker, what words he might use that would seem unusual or disjointed, and in a lot of ways this compliments the second consideration, which is simply that he can be long-winded.

#long post #✟. ASK ᴛᴀɢ.#thank you so much!!!!!#Hope this answers your question and makes some sense <333 I'm a little tired #don't reblog! <3 #📖 𝐼𝑁𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑉𝐼𝐸𝑊 𝑅𝐸𝐷𝑈𝑋

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ratralsis · 3 years ago

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Disco Elysium pt. 2

I finished my first playthrough of Disco Elysium a week or two back. I still won't call it a "fun" game. It isn't fun. It just isn't. It's tedious and it's slow, and it's very good at making me feel at all times like I'm not doing things right. But I did do things right, mostly. I don't think it's really possible to do everything right in one playthrough, but I did what I could.

I was mistaken about the way that the flow of time worked in my previous post. Like, badly mistaken. I'm not surprised that nobody corrected me, but I'm glad I figured it out. I had thought that time simply continued to pass during dialogue scenes, but that's wrong. In fact, time pretty much ONLY passes during dialogue scenes. If you want time to pass without talking to someone, you have to interact with a book or something in order to conjure up a dialogue and make time pass. Otherwise, though, whether you're running or walking, time just doesn't go by.

This changes strategies quite a bit when trying to maximize what you can do in a day. Reading fast doesn't do anything. You just have to make sure you've chosen the right dialogues to have. Not that there really seems to be an upper limit on how many days you have anyway, at least, not as far as I can tell.

Eventually, I'd like to play it again. I tried jumping right back in the day after I finished it, but it just wasn't happening. I was trying too hard to rush through things without really planning, and wound up wasting a lot of my time on that all-important first day.

I don't want to get into too much detail about what I did and didn't do, because this game is very easy to spoil, and everyone has a unique playthrough. But I will say this: I decided, early on, that I absolutely loved Kim Kitsuragi, my assigned partner, and that I wanted to do right by him. I wanted Kim to like me, too. There's certainly no "Kim romance route," or anything like that, but you can definitely win Kim over by the end of the game if you're a good cop. This doesn't necessarily mean earning a lot of "Good Cop" points, but it does mean trying hard to stay honest with people, focus on the case, that kind of thing. Obviously, I did a bunch of side quests, but I always tried to connect them to the main case.

I suppose that a big part of it is that I largely agree with Kim's own opinions about the world. I'd love it if the world were a better place, but I'm not as interested in revolution as the straw-man communists of Disco Elysium. Still, at the end of the game, Kim did call me a communist to the other cops, which kind of stung a bit. But I get it. That's the kind of thing I'd like to try to do differently in a second playthrough.

There's a point towards the end of the game where a big event happens. If you've played it, you know what the event is. It's the one that leads to the endgame. The one where, if you fail a certain skill check, Kim stops being your partner.

The way skill checks work in Disco Elysium is fascinating to me, even though I don't much like it. No matter what your stats or skills are, there's always a chance of failure and a chance of success--there's no way to ever get it to 100% one way or the other. That kind of bothers me, as does the simple fact that, one time in three, I'm still going to fail a check that has as 67% chance of success. That makes me crazy.

But one thing I like is that you can get modifiers on checks based on other things you've done. Like if you stammer at one point in a conversation, then you might have a harder time on a skill check later, with a little note that says "-1 Stammered." Or if you help someone out in a side task, you might get a bonus to persuade them of something later with a little note that says "+1 Did them a favor."

Those aren't quite real examples, but they're close enough.

At the point in the game where you have to make the skill check to get Kim to do something that will determine whether or not he's still with you at the end of the game, I had two bonuses on the skill check:

+1 Kim trusts you. +2 Kim *really* trusts you.

There's a common saying in storytelling that "less is more." I've railed against it in the past, and I'm going to rail against it here, too. Those two lines are the most unsubtle things I've ever seen in a video game. The game is just outright telling me, at that point, "Yes, you did it, you made it." It's as blunt and forceful as the lead characters in a romantic comedy saying "I love you" at each other.

One metaphor I've heard to explain "less is more" is that if you step on someone's foot, it'll hurt more if you're wearing a stiletto heel than if you're wearing a wedge. The idea is that, if you're writing something, you want to distill it down as short and simply as possible. Don't use a lot of words on something that doesn't need them.

You may have noticed that I tend not to follow that advice. My theory is that while yes, it hurts more to step on someone's foot wearing a stiletto heel than a wedge, if will hurt them even more if I drop a bowling ball on their foot. Or if I run them over with a fucking steamroller.

Obviously, if I gently place a bowling ball on someone's foot, it won't hurt them at all. An unmoving steamroller won't hurt anybody. But you can take a big, heavy, object, move it with skill, and really do some damage. Sometimes, more is more, too.

And Disco Elysium understands the concept of "more is more" better than nearly any game I've ever played. From my inner dialogue telling me that the guy saying "Nice job, detective dipshit!" is being sarcastic to my composure skill telling me that Kim is trying not to laugh at me to the most completely insane dialogue tree options that I'll never, ever pick (because I want Kim to like me, remember), Disco Elysium can and will absolutely BURY you in more at every opportunity.

At one point, I found a book that contained a primer on the alphabet, which I could both read and talk to Kim about having read it. There was no reason for that. It was just there. And I loved it.

I loved the sad, decaying, desperate atmosphere of the game world. A lot of people didn't like the ending. I loved the ending. The world was not saved. If anything, it was clearer than ever that the world was completely fucked. Dying. On the way out. Possibly irreversibly so. But in the meantime, maybe my cop and Kim could make it a little less bad for the doomed people who have to live in it.

And, frankly, that's the best any of us can hope for, I think.

I don't know that I can take Disco Elysium's lesson of "more is more" with me as I continue writing my book. For the record, I also spoke with Jess Haskins of Paperback Studio about my book. I hired her, you see. Paid the fee for a 90-minute consultation. She was helpful. Sort of.

The net result was not super uplifting--I was left feeling, more than ever, that the story I want to tell in my book is one I shouldn't be trying to tell. But I still want to tell it the best I can despite its problems, and I'm still going to. I made a promise to my mom before she died, after all. I'm going to keep it.

But "Kim *really* trusts you" works because it's a video game. Because the game stops for a moment and lays out all the cards for you. The same way that a Final Fantasy game that gives you both Thor's Hammer and Excalibur is going to have to tell you the exact attack bonus given to you by each of those legendary weapons, or an X-Men game is going to have to tell you a numerical value for how much damage Cyclops's optic blast does to a sentinel. Games need to give you this information so that you can play them.

In theory, Disco Elysium could just tell you to make a check without telling you the odds of success or any of your bonuses. But by telling you the odds and telling you the bonuses, it makes your actions feel that much more valuable. You didn't just close one eye when lining up a shot, you got a +1 bonus to your Hand-Eye Coordination check for it.

You didn't just spend the last six days befriending Kim Kitsuragi, he *really* trusts you.

Can I do that in my book? Probably not. The big difference between a video game narrative, even a linear one like in a visual novel, and a book is that you don't have to earn your way to the climax or the resolution of a book. You just keep on reading, and even if you don't pay attention, you get to the end of it. In a video game, at least, a good one, you have to pay attention. You have to work for it.

When I finished Final Fantasy XII for the first time, I had no idea what was going on. Why I was fighting the guy I was fighting. Who the countries involved were. That game asked too much of me. I didn't like it. I've never gone back to play it a second time, or gotten any of its re-releases. It's a bad video game, and I won't apologize for saying so. That's purely my subjective view.

So you CAN get to the end of a video game and not have the plot make sense, but you still have to work to get there. And that's what can make a game hit you so much harder.

In Earthbound, when I fight the final boss, I cry every time. Every single time. I cried when I was 13, the same age as Ness, and I cried in my twenties and in my thirties. Because I'm attached to Ness and Paula and Jeff and Poo. I've traveled with them for hours, days, weeks. I've watched them struggle and claw their way across time and space to face off against a monster so powerful that their child-sized minds can't even comprehend it, and then I watch them overcome it.

And in Disco Elysium, not everybody gets Kim to trust them. I got Kim to trust me. I earned that. I got Kim to dance with me in the abandoned church. I saved his life, and he saved mine. I learned about his embarrassing nickname from a previous role with the RCM and didn't make fun of him for it. I was honest and vulnerable with him: when we were approaching a suspect in the tunnels beneath an old building, I told him, truthfully, "I'm scared."

"Don't be," he said. "I have a gun."

"I do, too," was a dialogue option. I didn't choose it, though.

The result of all the time and effort I put into trying like hell to impress and befriend Kim Kitsuragi was four words that had no business ever being in any game that believes that less is more: "Kim *really* trusts you." And that hit me as hard as a dropped bowling ball.

So is it a fun game? No. Absolutely not. Is it a good game? Of course it is, just like everybody said, and I'm glad I played it, and I'll play it again someday. But not right now.

#ratralsis plays #text post #long post

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bronyinabottle · 3 years ago

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In a recent post on I Dream of Twilight Sparkle I said that I noticed asks that were not in my inbox the last time I decided to read through my entire ask box. So I did the same for my mod blog. And while there were some also that I didn't see before. Most are questions I feel either I feel like I may have already sufficiently answered enough with my thoughts on an episode and/or it'd be weird at this point to answer something that's obviously years after the fact.

But there is two I found that I feel like I may want to respond to. The person who sent it was someone who used to discuss the show with me almost all the time, though obviously they must no longer be on Tumblr as all their blogs are deactivated. But I still want to answer since it is sort of relevant to recent stuff. Particularly in their 2nd ask.

By the way, I'm always open to questions on the show or even non-pony topics here on my modblog. I still do love talking about G4 ponies and I wouldn't mind some questions if any of you would like to know my opinion on anything. Now that the show has been over for nearly 2 years , I can have a perspective on many topics about Friendship is Magic that I wouldn't mind sharing. Maybe some things have changed here and there, though I think I still generally have a positive attitude towards most things for certain. I stuck with the show until the very end, and was satisfied with how it ended. And I still have interest in doing more in G4's world even as G5 approaches. (Though I'm sure perhaps once that movie has aired that may be the focus of any questions sent here)

((My answer and more after the break))

For the most part, I think I still generally agree with what I said in my initial thoughts about the Season 6 finale. It's a solid episode with some great interactions between Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax. Though the way the ending is executed is a bit of a headscratcher. Maybe somewhat less so since thinking about it now, like even if Chrysalis did keep some things loyal. What would stop them from eventually seeing what Thorax's changelings did shortly after.

But I suppose I wanted to answer this mostly about Starlight. Since while the Season 6 finale made HomerJ get over some remaining feelings about Starlight. I'll admit it took literally until writing Secrets of the Dragon's Tear (A year after the show was over) to realize the sort of potential that Starlight had. The baggage from the Season 5 finale always felt like a cloud above her for the entire rest of the show's run. And I consider Season 6's largest mistake is not trying harder to endear us to Starlight. That's what that season's entire job was, to try to make us feel a little better of how rather rushed Starlight's redemption was by giving us a more expanded look into Starlight's character. And unfortunately, I feel like it failed at that in my opinion. Thus I basically disagree (Though respect the opinion of) with those who would say the Season 6 finale was when Starlight finally won them over.

Don't get me wrong, I like how Starlight is portrayed in the episode. But it would of been stronger if say the season had explained more about Starlight's past. How did Starlight get her cutie mark, and given her opinion on Cutie Marks how did she feel at the time?

Instead, we mostly just got Starlight reuniting with Sunburst that didn't exactly give any more details to her rather vague reasons for turning to darkness from him moving away other then finding out Sunburst's personality and how his side of the story went. And from there we had Starlight befriend Trixie... in an episode I still don't really like to this day.

Ironically, the character in the Hearth's Warming episode that casts Starlight as the story's version of Scrooge (Snowfall Frost) is given more reason to sympathize with then Starlight herself.

Starlight then just about disappears up until the episode that introduces Thorax. Where she doesn't do much other then be among the crowd that Spike has to convince that Thorax is not evil.

The next time we see her is Every Little Thing She Does. Which is something of a controversial ep from what I hear, though ironically despite my skepticism of Starlight at the time. I actually sort of liked that episode since it was basically Starlight's own Lesson Zero. Though I get why Starlight deciding to hypnotize all the Mane 6 besides Twilight against their will would not be approved of. Though it does feel like at the very least Twilight and the rest give her enough of a piece of their mind at the end.

And that's how things stood before the Season 6 finale happened. Even though I do think Starlight has good moments in said finale, nothing earlier in the season really dispelled many of my feelings about the Season 5 finale's ending. So despite a good showing, I could hardly care for it. I wasn't convinced yet we were given a satisfactory answer about the many questions that Starlight's sudden redemption prompted.

Another part of my thoughts I feel still applies is when I mentioned that Starlight's a "Diet Sunset Shimmer" (Which considering what I did to link the two for SOTDT, is a bit funny in hindsight). It took just one movie (Rainbow Rocks) for the fanbase to turn a 180 on Sunset. While an entire season with Starlight as one of the good guys goes by and she remained just as divisive as before if not more so by the end of Season 6.

Come Season 7, and Starlight appears quite a bit more often though under the assumption that the Season 6 finale was enough to warm you up to her. There were many complaints during the first half of Season 7 that she was appearing more then she should (Even in an Equestria Girls special where she got to meet the character she was so often compared to). Though another thing about Starlight in Season 7 in hindsight is besides from her meeting a few more friends like Maud. Starlight isn't actually given much to actually work towards. They dropped the whole student aspect so it's not like she was doing friendship lessons under Twilight anymore (Though I suppose on the bright side for the detractors, it lessened worries about her becoming an Alicorn). Season 8 and 9 does somewhat fix that by having Starlight employed at the school, first as a counselor and ultimately ending with her as the school's Principal as Twilight herself got promoted to sole ruler. Which I'm still unsure about if fans of her character feel that was a proper ending for her. Though probably the best that could of been done in context of not much having been done with her over time.

Still, at least for me personally it felt there was alot missing about Starlight and as time went on it became obvious I wasn't going to get the satisfactory answers about her that I wanted. So as a result, I only had lukewarm reactions when a new Starlight episode was coming up. It also didn't help that there were two episodes that raised my hopes of at least one interesting aspect that would of been cool to see. The first being the episode "All Bottled Up" which I had hoped would mean it would be an episode that's somewhat genie related. And then there was Road to Friendship where Starlight and Trixie try to travel to Saddle Arabia (which is an important location in I Dream of Twilight Sparkle)... and yet never actually get there. So even on the few times that I was hoping to be excited about a Starlight episode, it dropped the ball. Partly my fault for getting so hyped about something that wasn't promised, but I would of loved to at least SEEN canon Saddle Arabia.

I'd never say that I hated Starlight back during the show's run. But she was a frustrating character for certain back then. I couldn't hate Starlight as much as some others did, but at the same time I couldn't like her as much as others. She was in likability limbo. For every fun and or good moment that included her, it's brought right back by either lingering problems that arised from the Season 5 finale or otherwise dropping the ball in some way.

In some ways, she's still a frustrating character. Though that's just how it'll always be with the canon Starlight. It's up entirely now to fanon to give their approach on Starlight that was never done in Canon. With SOTDT, I obviously did a bit of a "Fine, I'll do it myself" when it comes to making Starlight a more satisfactory character for me. Though I'm sure there are many interpretations that are vastly different from how I approached it that can satisfy others and probably be more popular and better written then mine. (My interpretation might be understandably controversial just for Starlight being put back on a path where she'll likely become an Alicorn eventually. Something Starlight detractors feared the most. Though I think I at least try to explain as best I could that makes sense with the story, her cutie mark moment being similar to Twilight's, and the identity of her mother. And I myself sort of feared Starlight becoming an Alicorn might happen, so for me to actually write it so that it might be inevitable. That's just how much of a 180 I've taken on Starlight because of writing SOTDT)

I think I mentioned this before, but I can pretty much say that in a way that I can actually say I like Starlight now. But sort of in a "FiM's biggest missed opportunity" sort of way that it becomes sort of sad to look at how canon Starlight was done. Rather then me simply shrugging her off back when I didn't care so much about her. I also understand it's a bit cheating to say I like Starlight now after doing my own sort of fanfic that had her in a major role since that might be me tooting my own horn a bit.

Though I will say as much as necessary that I am very aware alot of what happens in SOTDT would have been impossible to do in canon and I don't plan on pushing what I did to expand on Starlight's backstory as gospel. It only applies to what I'm doing on the blog, I will not be making a case that my interpretation is the only correct one. I'd actually welcome seeing some different interpretations on things such as who Starlight's mother is, what they feel her past was like outside of the Sunburst leaving incident, and/or especially how Starlight originally got her cutie mark. (I've even said my personal guess is different then how I did it in SOTDT, as my guess is she got it the first time she discovered the cutie mark removal spell). Cause if nothing else, I've realized Starlight is a very interesting character that I think would be fun to explore all the possibilities with. It certainly could be something for those still on the G4 train to talk with one another about.

#my little pony #my little pony friendship is magic #starlight glimmer #to where and back again #season 6 #g4 #mlp g4

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tora-the-cat · 4 years ago

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Phantom Troupe Members in order of who I'd be least to most upset to see die

No one asked for it but I just want to be clear on my opinions on the phantom troupe and no one’s been able to stop me yet <3

Disclaimers:

a. if you like these characters then yes I think thats objectively funny but like. it doesn't make you a bad person, cringe culture dead, like what you like, I'm just someone on the internet, etc etc. go ahead and leave angry rants/dissmissive insults/'umm actually's/etc etc for me to not read anyway tho <3

b. I refuse to look up anything about them, including their names, because I don't care enough. And also because I'm going to spell their names from memory and then laugh when people correct me. So, like, know that I'm not messing up any of the names on purpose, and might not mess them up at all, but I'm not doing a joke or anything with the spelling I just really care that little

c. Also!! Mild manga spoilers?? idk why you would care because it's literally just about the phantom troupe but if that bothers u for some reason then goodbye have a nice day <3 this WILL spoil deaths that I'm pretty sure happened. Maybe. No I haven't read the manga I have ADHD and haven't properly hyperfixated on HxH since I was 13 and didn't know what Manga was.

d. I lied through my teeth! I'm a Gemini bitch, if someone somehow actually cares enough about my correct opinions about the goddamned phantom troupe to leave a mean comment I'm absolutely going to read it.e. also if u actually somehow want to talk about the phantom troupe in a civil way (excluding H*soka) PLEASE hit me up. I don't know if reasonable Phantom Troupe stans exisit but I assume they do and I promise I'm funny and nice and surprisingly conflict avoidant and I'd honestly luv 2 study u. I'm not mean the worst I'll do is ghost u I'm an Aquarius mars I swear <3

Hisoka. I hate this clown man so fucking much. Like he has funny moments I guess but it doesn't make up for how uncomfortable I am every time I see him. The rest of this list will be funnier because the rest of them are funny and obviously shiny plot devices and not much else, but the fact that this clown man is alive makes me so angry. Also there'd be no entertainment value left here after the emotional exhaustion I'd have complaining about Illumi and also I forgot he joined until just now, so I'm grouping these bitches together and moving on.

Chrolo Lucifer: this man is so funny purely on a fandom level. Like he has half the personality of a stale potato chip, but he's hot and does atrocities and pretends to have thoughts so he lives in everyone's head rent free any way. Not me tho because I'm sexy and cool. Anyway I want him dead purely because the reactions would be hilarious (on BOTH sides to be clear, because people celebrating his death would be almost as funny as people mourning it), it's what Kurapika and the Kurta's deserve, and there's literally no reason for him to exist other then to eventually die.

sphinx: he's just. really annoying. I can't back this up because I don't remember anything he does I just remember thinking he was annoying.

nobabunga: He was mean to the boys!!!!! It's a death sentence those are just the facts. He cried and I gave a nice good chuckle. I want him 2 die then never get mentioned again until Illumi offhandedly mentions that he's Kikyo's brother or cousin or somehting so Kalluto can inherit his swords. Not because they should use them just because I think Kalluto deserves swords and also it would inspire a wave of people caring about Nobaunga WAY too much (one group hating him on principal for being a member of the Zoldyk family, one group deciding he's a Big Brother Icon and reimagining him having a cute and hillariously out of character relationship with Illumi/Kalluto/Killua/Gon, and a mix of the two pumping out psycology breakdowns with entirely too much time and effort put into them, none of which I will watch but each of which will add a week onto my lifetime out of the pure amused euphoria of knowing they exist).

Franklin: Boring. He's in the phantom troupe he can do better then overplayed-frankenstein-aesthetic and bullet fingers. uninspired. At least everyone else sucks in an interesting way.

Uvo: I can't lie his fight scenes were actually pretty dope, and I HAVE to admit that it is HILARIOUS just how much work Togashi put into overpowering/hyping up Uvo, specifically so he could have an established baseline for exactly how incomprehensibly and overwhelmingly excessive Kurapika's will and hatred is. Also that demi lavato AMV of his and Kurapika's fight is just free dopamine. Glad he's dead but he was funny while it lasted and I can appriciate what he gave to the story.

boxing gloves. I know nothing about them (including their name). They might already be dead in the manga but I don't think so.

Pakunda. I don't know how to elaborate on her bc I don't care about her all that much but some part of me can't help but kind of like her a little? I dunno. her loyalty would almost be commendable if it wasn't to Chr*llo.

Pheiten. his character concept and design is literally 'what if we combined Levi and Aizawa and then made him super fucked up' which is impressive because he was made like two decades before either of them. can't justify putting him this far up the list either because he's honestly kinda boring and overplayed but he looks cool and he's funny in a 'what the fuck is wrong with you??' way so here he is.

Kortopi. No I won't elaborate. Yes I know they're dead and I have no significant emotions about this besides >:I

Shizuku. She's cute and she has ADHD and plinky(?) the vaccum is one my favorite nen-things in the show. I'd love to study her and I honestly like her a bit more then I want to.

Machi. I love her specifically because she hates Hisoka. That's all she needs to get a pass in my book. doesn't hurt that she has pink hair and the closest thing to resembling common sense in the group. If Hisoka kills her I'll riot because she doesn't deserve that but if anyone else does it that's fine.

shalnark should be the leader of the Spiders, there, I said it. he embodies them and their narritive purpose and their nonexistant philosophy and arbitrary but unshakable rules and their faux 'emotional depth and complexity' that so many people buy into. He's so funny I love him so much. Like cholo is out here trying to double major in philosophy and theology and fooling thousands into thinking theres a single thought in his head meanwhile Shalnark's only personality trait is being a buisness major with no empathy, and if he was in charge the phantom troupe would loose all of the ambiguity people somehow beleive they have. Like Shalnark is played so straight that I can't help but lowkey love him. Kurta theory is fun in a fucked up way like tfw u become emblamatic of the group you helped kill your clan and you didn't even know because you live in meteor city. Yes I know he's dead and yes it's the closest I've ever come to caring about the troupe and yes it took me three whole days to get over it. Not my best moment I'll admit.

For the record if Kalluto dies I'm going to have at least one mental breakdown. Fuck you.

#hxh #phantom troupe #hisoka tw #hisoka #illumi zoldyck #chrollo lucilfer #phinks #shalnark #nobunaga hxh #franklin hxh #uvogin #pakunoda #kortopi #shizuku hxh #machi #kalluto zoldyck #luv u bby

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theintrovertbean · 2 years ago

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Tumblr now officially hates me, so I have to post this again AGAIN. I wonder who's tiddies I have to suck for my posts to show up in the tags.

Sorry for posting everything twice, but that's the only way @yourguyrai can simp for me.

Hello there 👀

I think it's pretty much canon that Nadia has like zero experience with romantic relationships. Not sure about sexual relationships, tho, but MC definitely isn't her first.

I like this request a lot, and it is very inspiring! Thank you, and I hope you'll enjoy it!

Also, your MC seems very interesting and I'd love to learn more about her! I really wonder how her background would connect her to The Arcana's storyline.

Nadia with an MC who has low libido

Cuddles. There would be lots of cuddles and sweet kisses.

In the end, no matter what happens, there is never any pressure. They'd find a way. I just know it. As long as both Nadia and MC love each other the same way, their relationship will work out.

#nadia satrinava #countess nadia #arcana nadia #the arcana nadia #nadia arcana #nadia the arcana #nadia x mc

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black-streak · 5 years ago

Text

Saturday night's alright for fighting (but Sundays are meant for rest) - Curious New Hobbies

Part 11!

My god this took a while to write! Special thanks to @st0rmy-w1th1n and @mysnis (hope this is your correct Tumblr) for bouncing ideas with me and @kceedraws for giving permission to use her breakdancing au as inspiration for this!

Tagsss: @persephonebutkore @emjrabbitwolf @mystery-5-5 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @fandomkitty8 @dast218 @silvergold-swirl @shizukiryuu . @my-name-is-michell @kurogaya913 @elspethshadow @thecatnipmademedoit @shamefullove @ladylucina28 @crazylittlemunchkin @rayray384 @cassiejaydee @yuulxd @ladysblackcat @naclychilli @caffeinetheory

~---~

They had meant to go the arcade for their date tonight. In fact, they'd even walked in and started scoping out games to play, but alas it wasn't to be.

Within moments of arriving, who else but Damian would single Mari out and immediately tell them to leave.

And of course she protested. In response, Damian only pointed at Jon over at the pacman machine (how dare he, that's the game Marinette was searching for!) and mentioned his lack of ability to keep secrets and suddenly she turned and dragged Tim right back out the door.

Walking down the sidewalk, he side eyed her, considering the best way to start his interrogation.

"So. You trying to keep me secret then?"

"No! Of course not. Just might've forgotten to mention something like… over a month ago."

"And it involves not letting Jon know we were there?"

"Only because he's a nark who would've ruined the fun. And heaven knows Damian and I wouldn't be satisfied with a void bet."

"You made a bet about our relationship with Damian?"

"About your family," she partially corrected.

"Do I even want to know."

"Was supposed to tell you a bit ago so you wouldn't ruin the stakes, so probably not, but im telling you anyways."

Sighing with false exasperation, he gestured for her to continue.

"We have an ongoing bet over how long it'll take everyone to figure out that you and I are together and not Dami and me."

With that, she relayed all the details of their bet and his part in it, manic grin spread across her face as her gait gained a small skip to it. Tim couldn't help but shake his head at her antics, amused despite an itch in the back of his mind saying this wouldn't end well.

"Alright, I'll play along. Honestly, I think you'll both lose. Your predictions are too specific. Too many potential outlying factors."

"True, but we did give set time frames. So at least one part of the bet will absolutely be clear on who won. Plus, I find victory in the fact that Damian didn't think of that possibility. That we'd both be wrong."

"On another note, we need to find a plan b. Anything in mind?" He asked, reaching out and snagging her hand to draw her closer.

Shrugging, she looked about them, seeing if anything caught the eye. Suddenly Tim stopped, accidentally yanking her back when she kept walking. She let out a sound of protest only to see his eyes locked on the building across the way with a considering look.

The building was gray brick with no windows, however a neon purple sign to the right of the black wood door declared it "The Underground", a well known club amongst Gotham dancers and while neither were necessarily that, word had gotten around enough for both to have heard of the place before from word of mouth.

"How do you feel about checking it out?" Tim asked, a curious look about his eyes, studying her.

"I'm not opposed to the idea. Little surprised you're interested though," she commented, letting him lead the way inside.

A quick ID check and they were in, the room dark with neon tube lights flashing across different surfaces and strategic spotlights placed to bring attention to the various raised platforms. It was strange actually. The wall directly to the left of the hall they entered from held the bar on a raised level only to slide into a ground level dance floor which was normal enough, however in the opposite corner was a raised platform where different people would hop up to take advantage of the spacing to show off both freestyle and blatantly choreographed moves. Another few spotlight platforms raised up randomly in the floor, but the main focus was a rather large circular one in the center of the place, raised just enough to make it easy to see from anywhere in the place, but not so high as to block the view across the way. These places were the most lit up, allowing the anonymity to the dancers below while allotting the attention to those who choose to step up. Beyond that, there were many crevices and alcoves holding tables into the walls and a small hallway across the way presumably heading to the bathrooms. An upper balcony held only the DJ.

While Mari took in her surroundings, she felt Tim lead her out into the crowds, before turning back to her with a questioning look. Leaning in she spoke into his ear, a spark gleaning her eyes, "You've been before, haven't you?"

"A few times. It's the perfect place to destress without the nonsense of keeping an image. As long as you stay in the crowd, no one cares who you are," he replied, spinning her around before stepping in so her back pressed to his chest. His hands ghosted down her sides to grasp her hips, starting to guide her into the beat.

For a while, they stayed like that, separating slightly and coming back together to follow different dances as the music flowed and changed around them. Turns out Tim was a surprisingly good dancer.

Cheers broke out as a new song turned over, the first beats of Bum Bum Tam Tam coming over the speakers drawing attention towards the main platform as a pair jumped up, starting to get into the beat, working around each other only to burst into perfectly synced choreography at the first breakdown, resulting in more cheers. The two dancers would break away after that into a more freestyle, only to flow back into more rehearsed moves once more.

"Wait is that," she trailed off to a groan pressed to her shoulder.

"Yeah. That's them. Didn't know they came here."

As the song came to an end and the two on the platform jumped down, they could only stare as none other than Dick and Kori unknowingly made their way towards them. Tim pulled back from Mari subconsciously, not quite comfortable being so fully on display in front of people who actually knew them. Which made exactly zero sense when considering how much they cuddled in the manor.

Finally the two spotted them, their grins widening and a new energy emerging as they rushed over.

"Timothy! Starshine! You guys are here!" Came Kori's exuberant greeting, grabbing them both up in a hug.

"Hey, Mar, Damian not like dancing enough? Had to drag Timmy out?" Dick teased.

"Dami's at the arcade with Jon. And actually, coming here was Tim's idea," she answered amicably, conforming to the rules of the bet and not correcting Dick's obvious assumptions. "That was amazing by the way. You two looked great up there!"

Tim smirked down at her, seeing through her antics, especially now that she'd let him in on the rules of her game. Doesn't mean he couldn't play into it himself, he thought as he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his chin atop her head.

"She's a great dance partner," Tim mentioned after both Kori and Dick had thanked and waved off Mari's compliments. "Considering learning something more structured with her, myself. Maybe give you two a run for your money."

"You definitely should! I can help with figuring out a style for you two if you'd like!" Kori offered immediately as Marinette turned to look at him in excitement.

"She has to agree first. Who knows, maybe this was a fluke and Mari will never dance with me again," he sighed in defeat.

Marinette turned, practically bouncing in anticipation, "Are you kidding? I'd love to! I want to come here again too."

"Even if you don't take my help with the dancing, I can record you two so you can look back and see for any needed improvements? That's what Richard and I do," Kori further offered up, Dick jumping back in right after.

"Oh yeah, it helps immensely. Especially if you were wanting to perform it on the platforms here."

Tim and Mari met eyes, before coming to an agreement, "Yeah, we'd appreciate that actually."

"Great! We'll set up some time here soon. In the meantime, I could definitely use a drink," Dick stated, looking back towards where he'd originally been headed. Kori grabbed onto Marinette instead, leading her back into the fray of dancers.

"We should invite Stephanie next. She would make a most interesting dance partner," Kori rattled on, suggesting a girls night that Mari agreed to immediately before getting back into the music with her new dance partner of the moment, Tim and Dick rejoining them shortly after.

The night continued on this way, the four trading off between them, two not aware that it'd become a double date by this point. Eventually parting ways from the two, Tim and Mari made their way back towards his apartment, breathless and happy despite the unexpected interruptions to their night.

"How come we never end up at your place?" He asked suddenly.

"Because my apartment has become workzone number 2. Seriously, the place has essentially become a studio for my work that just so happens to have a kitchen and bedroom. Among other secrets not meant to be divulged… yet."

"Is that pertaining to the mystery of your magic."

"Perhaps."

"Mmm, whenever you're ready, I'll be happy to keep them for you. Though I can't imagine anything bigger than holding two technical gods in your pockets at all times."

"Shhh, don't let them hear you say that!"

He only chuckled, leading her into the complex and up to his penthouse. Silence overtaking them until the door had clicked shut.

"You staying the night, sweetheart?" Tim asked, toeing off his shoes and walking towards his room to get changed.

"Mm, think I might," she replied, following him in and stealing a shirt before wandering into the bathroom to get first dibs on a shower. She still found it lucky that while he might be the shortest of his brothers, she was still small enough to be buried in his clothes. Made it easier for night like these.

Finishing up, she plopped herself on his bad as he went to shower as well.

Eventually, the door reopened, Tim entering in only pajama bottoms, hair still damp and in his face. She hummed her appreciation, enjoying the view and reaching out to tug him closer.

"Is it weird how comfortable we've become in so little time?"

"Only if you're uncomfortable with it."

"I'm not."

"Good."

With the affirmation, he picked her up only to lay her out further up the bed. Stretching out at her side, he pressed kisses to her cheek and down her neck, hand trailing against exposed skin, clearly enjoying having her in his home, in his bed, in his shirt.

'Hmm, what were two raging insomniacs to do with the rest of their night?'

…

Bonus:

Not a week later, after a long discussion with Damian to ensure that Kori was not included in the bet and swearing the alien to secrecy, they asked her to film something for them. A dance they had come with that was just for them. Not anything that could be performed in a club or for anyone to see. Maybe one day they'd post it somewhere or show Dick, but for now, it was theirs alone.

youtube

#timari #timinette #maribat #first one with video link #probably only one #lookbup bum bum tam tam on Matt steffinina youtube for Dick and Koris dance

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