#i mean if anyone does have any examples feel free to tell. Curious

[eclaire-went-bam]

ppl, especially low/no-empathy ppl, who talk to ableist anti-pd cluster b abuse believers with the upmost patience & understanding are so crazy (/pos) for that because what

how do y'all sit there and level w/ them just. so much.

i know it's kind of necessary bcs even if they don't listen to us anyways, they're only gonna think we're 10× worse if we don't walk them through the spiel w/ hands held (which we're not even owed to do anyways) but like i can hardly see myself doing it

so like

respect

[chaethewriter]

Jack Champion x gamer gf! reader

J. Champion with a gamer gf headcanons

a gym rat and gamer girl in love.

A/N: incredibly short and silly, because this was just on my mind.

◇ even before he had asked you if he could be your boyfriend, he knew about your gaming addiction— obsession.

◇ no matter where he saw you, your eyes were always set on a screen.

◇ whether that be on your PlayStation, computer or even the Nintendo Switch.

◇ he knew you liked gaming, but when you started dating, he truly got to meet gamer you.

◇ you stayed at his house often, it was almost your second home.

◇ the main reason being: the two of you were glued together.

◇ it doesn't matter what either of you were doing, as long as you did it together.

◇ moments when you sat somewhere with your phone being opened on Genshin, waiting at the gym while he was training.

◇ this also meant your stuff being in his bedroom.

◇ your Nintendo Switch for example.

◇ whenever the two of you were free from any work and college, you would be lying down on the bed, resting your head into his lap.

◇ you would be playing any form of tactical strategic game as he ran his fingers through your hair.

◇ he would watch the way your nose scrunched up as you glared at the screen to figure out how to ambush the enemy without getting your team killed.

◇ the movie he had put on the television long forgotten as he watched you in admiration.

◇ he would give commentary as he watched you, asking you things that he saw as he was genuinely interested in the stuff you like.

◇ "babe? What does that icon mean?"

◇ "do you get to dress up your main character?"

◇ "is there a reason why you put the arrow users behind the sword users?"

◇ he knows he might sound dumb, but he was genuinely wondering.

◇ you looked like you knew what you were doing, as if you put all of your energy into it.

◇ it was cute.

"Are you sure I can try? I mean I don't want to ruin your rounds-"

"Jack, babe, it's fine! I will help you." You were playing 'fire emblem three houses' on Jack's lap, but you couldn't help but feel a gaze burning into your skin. You had looked to the side, watching how he watched you with interest. You knew that look, he was curious, eager to try.

So you told him he could.

You were still in his lap, the Switch in his hands as yours were on top of his to guide him.

"What I always do is keep the bow user behind with the healer, before that I usually put mages, then axes and polearms and swords. I usually put cavalry on their own as they're pretty strong. Sometimes I leave them with healers, as they also have another weapon to use so that the cavalry isn't all alone."

He had no idea what you were saying and it was noticeable in the way he was playing.

Attacking a cavalry with a bow user, but he was getting there.

You couldn't tell him off, though. The way he was fully concentrating in the game with his chin resting against the top of your head.

◇ when the two of you were at your home, he would sit you on his lap as he watched you game.

◇ one of his arms wrapped around your waist to keep you in place, his other hand occupied by his phone.

◇ his phone was long forgotten though, as he watched you carry in your valorant match.

◇ you play without a headset when Jack is around so that he doesn't feel closed off or ignored.

◇ this is how he hears the toxicity of Valorant though.

◇ genuinely gets angry when you get insulted.

"Bro, why you assuming aimbot? Not my fault I can actually aim." You groaned into the mic as your fingers aggressively tapped on the WASD keys. You got into yet another toxic match and it was pissing you off.

"Make me a fucking sandwich, fucking bitch."

Now that made Jack furious. The grip on your waist got tighter as he cussed the other player out into the mic. He wouldn't let anyone get off the hook so easily, not when they degraded his girl.

"Who do you think you are, fucker? Treating women like trash? You're so fucking pathetic." His voice was hoarse as he spoke, venom laced into his words.

◇ worries when you play any game that involves communication via the mic after hearing what words are exchanged.

◇ call of duty, apex, valorant.

◇ any shooter games.

◇ he just worries that the words will get to you, but seeing how much you enjoy the game, as well as the way you knew how to reply to such comments he just knew you would be okay.

◇ that wouldn't stop him from being the overprotective boyfriend, though.

◇ eventually, Jack actually wanted to spend his time gaming with you as well.

◇ you were over the moon when he had told you that.

◇ your gym addicted boyfriend? Wanting to learn about the game world?

◇ you knew you had to start easy.

◇ something cute, interactive but romantic.

◇ minecraft.

◇ he knew about minecraft. He had played it a couple times with friends, but that was years ago.

◇ he had bought the game on his phone and you helped him with his own avatar!

◇ fun fact: the name of your shared world is actually your shipname.

◇ he hits all the flowers he can find for you.

◇ his entire inventory is filled with different kinds of flowers.

◇ follows you around like a lost puppy when the two of you go hunting.

◇ wants to be your knight in shining armor, but only has flowers to smack the zombies with.

◇ screamed when a creeper blew up not so far away from him.

◇ gets distracted by the most stupid things he can find.

"do we need this web?"

"rotten flesh? Should I take it?"

"this polar bear reminds me of you babe!"

"babe help! I lose you."

"can you come get me? I think I'm lost."

◇ he loves to spend his time building you guys' house and he acts like that's actually what your house will look like.

◇ "hmm, I actually want the dinner table to be here, since you like sitting down and facing that way, right"

◇ you told him it's just a game, but he wants it to be as accurate as possible.

◇ he squealed when you tamed a cat and called it Butters.

◇ he spends time fixing cute dates in minecraft while you're busy with college: picnics, mini zoos— since he knows you're more of an indoor person.

◇ you thank him with a lot of irl kisses.

◇ all over all, he's trying for you and he enjoys spending time with you, no matter what. <3

◇ BONUS

◇ he is so jealous whenever he catches you playing gacha games.

◇ why? He always catches you drooling at some hot animated characters.

◇ sits far away frowning, arms crossed as he watches you giggling at your phone.

"Babe! I'm the real deal! He doesn't exist!"

◇ he just wants attention, pls tell him you love him. <3

[ezgee-badally]

-PINNED POST- (This entire Post is OOC)

-PLEASE READ WHOLE POST BEFORE INTERACTING-

18+ NSFW

MINORS GTFO

Actual Real-Life Homophobes, Transphobes, Racists, Rapists and Misogynists Fuck off and die! This is fantasy only. I’ll find out who you are and block you.

Asks are welcome from anyone. If you’re a curious Dom looking for tips or a Sub who wants to have some kinky interactions but want to stay anon, anyone with pussy is welcome for kink interactions too regardless of gender. Read more about my boundaries and limits below before submitting any questions or you may be ignored.

28 Cis Male, Canadian, Dom

GENERAL TRIGGER WARNINGS: I regularly include in my stories kinky and MADE UP/NOT REAL/ FANTASY depictions of Sexual Assault, Misogyny, Homophobia, Verbal abuse and Physical abuse. I add specific trigger warnings to my individual stories. If you feel triggered by something you read and I forgot to put in a warning please DM me and let me know.

I call myself straight but My sexuality is that I like pussy and I’m not really picky about whether the person who has it is a man or a woman. I do like Tits but also don’t care if you’re flat. Really, I have no set “Type” I like both femme and masc presenting people. Tomboys are just as hot to me as girls in cute dresses or tight outfits as an example.

My Boundaries are firm with strangers, I understand if you make mistakes or misread the pinned post but you get 1 warning before I block. Friends and Mutuals I’m a bit more forgiving with. But will still block if they push too far.

This blog just gives me a place to get shit out of my system. I volunteer a lot of my free time to support 2SLQBTQIA+ spaces and programs, but there’s been some internalized misogyny that has come up that I’m trying to deal with in a healthy way so it doesn’t get in the way of my volunteer work. Part dealing with that includes this blog.

I don’t have a crazy sexual history it’s just very diverse and I’ve experienced a variety of things. I’ve played out some Dykebreaking scenes a few times with consenting adults IRL it’s intense and takes planning and it is very draining but intensely hot and rewarding. I’m into more than just into Orientation play but that’s mostly what this blog will be.

I like writing, and I sext a lot. So this kink blog thing was just a natural extension of that.

NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT SHIT!

✅Into Roleplay, CNC, Orientation Play (Dykebreaking, Misgendering, and occasional Acebreaking), Humiliation, Cuckolding other men and/or Cuckquean, Abduction, Anon kink, Public Sex, Drugged/Intoxicated, sometimes Hypno is fun, Breath Play, light Impact play (No tools), Light Bondage and occasionally Anal. Very hot when women/girls call me “Daddy” but I’m not seeking out a DD/LG dynamic or into age-play. I’m sure there’s more, will edit as things change.

⚠️Soft Limits (Things I’m not actively Into but will explore with a TRUSTED partner or TRUSTED mutual.) are… Somno, Foot Stuff, Heavy Impact Play (w/tools such as whips or paddles) Complex Rope Play (Needs practice), Object Insertion, Lactation, Kigurumi, Impregnation

🛑Hard Limits:

Forced Feeding, Scat, Piss Play, Snuff, permanent Injury/disfigurement, Infantilism, Haematomania, Knife Play (I’ll use a knife or scissors to cut off your clothes if you want just don’t ask me to cut you.)Furry Play, Necrophilia, Beastiality, and Age Play.

When I begin a post or DM with “OOC:”it means I’m talking “Out Of Character” as a human being outside of the fantasy.

When I begin a post with “IC” it means I’m talking “In Character” almost all my posts are In Character, you will only see me specify this if It is a post where I switch back and forth between OOC and IC and have to clarify.

Example:

OOC: Be safe, Practice Rack. Fuck homophobes.

IC: Dumb dyke whore. How does it feel cumming on your rapists cock?

I will only share Private messages/DM’s on my blog if it has been previously agreed between me and the person on the other end of the DM’s.

If you don’t tell me a specific safe-word when we start interacting we use the stoplight system by default. If you have a preferred safe word then tell me.

GREEN = Yes keep doing that

YELLOW = Take it easy or be careful.

RED = IM SAFEWORDING STOP RIGHT NOW

LAST OF ALL! BE SAFE!

Safety Tips:

- Subs, Learn boundaries from more experienced Sub’s so you can learn the difference between abuse and kink.

- New Subs should read “The New Bottoming Book”

- New Doms should read “The New Topping Book”

- Don’t doxx yourself for any reason.

- Stay anonymous online

- Be aware of the risks of sending pics and giving out your name.

- Practice RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink)

- If you are going to do something potentially dangerous then be aware of the potential dangers and put safeguards in place to minimize them.

[ambrosiagourmet]

Feel free to ignore this, but I love reading your analysis and was wondering how you start analyzing things? I try to do it myself but I always feel so unconfident in my interpretations and feel scared about posting about them and them being “wrong.”

Just curious to see how you approach your analysis and meta! Have a lovely day!

Ooh, what a good question! I'm happy to share a little, sure.

Under the cut bc it got long hehe 😅

So my first (and probably the most important) response to this is: it's hard to feel 100% sure that you are totally "correct" about this stuff.

There are always going to be other ways to interpret things. There are things you miss, or perspectives you don't consider. There will always be people who disagree. And even if you are as accurate and totally convincing as humanly possible, there always going to be different types of analysis that you can't cover all at the same time!

I think, especially when it comes to like, doing casual analysis for something you love, it really helps to just follow your passion. It's fine to speak confidently about an interpretation that you find compelling, even if you haven't considered every possible angle of how it could be wrong. It's about what speaks to you, after all.

For instance, the conflict-avoidant Falin post (which is currently the analysis post of mine with the most notes) was largely born from an interpretation of Falin that really resonated with me, based on a couple of points I remembered strongly from reading the story. It's definitely not the only way to look at Falin, and I don't think it's like the universally correct interpretation of her character. But it is the interpretation that got ME interested in talking about her, and in turn, resonated with other people, too!

I have plenty of anxiety about this stuff, so I won't pretend that it's just easy to turn off that "what if I'm wrong, though" part of your brain, but I will say it doesn't hurt to try to start writing. You can always draft a post and come back to it, or delete/private it, or reblog it later to add more context or nuance. You aren't shackled to your opinion forever, much as the internet (and anxiety) can make it feel that way.

As to where to actually start with analysis... for me, it's almost always either a detail, a question, or both.

Here's an example of an Idea In Progress I've been thinking about.

While I was grabbing screenshots from the Nightmare chapter, I noticed that Marcille's hairstyle there is similar to one of the chapter covers I'd also just looked at:

So like, that's interesting to me! Especially since the cover was from the chapter where Marcille makes her deal with the Winged Lion. So then I can start to ask like... what does it mean that there's this similarity? I could tie it in to the way I think the Lion kind of infantilizes her, talk about what influence the Nightmare chapter might have had on Marcilles decision. Alternatively, I could ask, are there any other similar times Marcille wears this hairstyle? Any other hairstyles that are repeated at key times?

Any of which could lead to some fun analysis! Alternatively, it can also just be fun to post about the detail without the analysis. Just be like, "hey, look at this weird thing." Other people might chime in with ideas about it, or maybe it will sparks something for you later! Either way, you'll have an easy reference saved for reference. Even if deeper analysis doesn't come, it's still fun to have pointed out. Details and connections are just. They are just great. And Dunmeshi especially has SO much to dig into.

(Oh, also, quick aside here: ignore anyone who tells you the details don't matter and weren't intentional. It fully does not matter. If drawing a connection helps you realize a new meaning in the story - if it inspires and motivates you - it's worth investigating.)

Anyway, the Adventurer's Bible is also a great place to find details to jump off of. The timelines and little blurbs highlight important events or facts about the characters, and you can then go fishing for other times those things come up or are referenced in the story.

In terms of starting from a question, it can also be fun just to spend a little time with something you don't feel like you totally got. I had a great time doing that with the succubus chapter, for instance. If there's a scene you find yourself kind of skimming over because its not clicking for you... go back and try and examine it! Even if it's just a small thing - an expression you missed or a panel with a funny little joke - it can be just as rewarding to try and pay attention to the parts of the story you don't understand as it is to dig into the parts you do.

~

Really, in a lot of ways, I like to use analysis as an excuse to just spend time with a story I care about. It's a way to savor it! And if you can write up those thoughts and ideas, you can share them with others, which can be even better. A dish doesn't have to be perfectly cooked to delicious, after all. Go, with Senshi's blessing, and make good food.

And of course, as with all things creative, never forget about Two Cakes:

[lovelivingmydreams]

Questions about powers in your Raven Poetry AU because there is a voice in my brain that is screaming at me to learn everything possible about this world’s magic system. (Sorry if any of these were answered in an earlier chapter and I forgot about it) (and I’ve only read up to chapter 30 so if any of these are answered in a later chapter… yeah.) (also feel free to not reply at all, idc)

So, in this AU, everyone has a power, right? And they manifest/become strong enough to be noticeable during childhood. (how does that part work?) Are there any cases of people who don’t develop powers? Or whose abilities don’t develop until adulthood? Are there any really useless powers/powers with no practical applications like… idk, always switching radio stations at the right time to catch the beginning of a song? Being able to fold paper perfectly? Being able to lower the IQ of anyone within a metre radius of you by exactly 3 points? Does everyone have a completely unique power? Are some powers more common than others?

Functionally, Roman has multiple powers. But technically (and I would assume legally), he only has one. Are there people who technically do have multiple powers? Like, could someone have super strength and X ray vision with absolutely zero connection between the two?

Focusing on Roman, do his different gimmicks have some kind of time limit on them? Would they ever time out at an inconvenient moment like mid-flight? Or do they magically fade away when Roman wants them to, or when it’s safe for the power to disappear? There is an image in my head of Roman frantically trying to come up with a poem for flight while falling through the air, but (based entirely on vibes) it doesn’t seem like such a scenario would be possible. I know you’ve mentioned that he doesn’t tend to do more than two, maybe three powers at once, but that he probably could if he had to… and what would the repercussions of that be? Does conjuring powers wear him out?

Really curious about what’s going to happen with the Fortunas Trinitae (hope I spelled that right) plotline, but if any of the answers to these next questions would spoil that, probably don’t answer? Ultimately it’s up to you if you want to do spoilers though. (Might not even be spoilers, like I said I still have 20+ chapters to catch up on)

So:

Theoretically, could Roman summon powers of wealth creation, fortune telling, and luck manipulation? Or is there a plot device that keeps that from happening? Can Roman only summon physical abilities like the angel wings and fire monster? No, right? Cause he had that study boost thing. Are there any powers that he’s unable to conjure? Can he copy powers? Can he steal powers? (Is there anyone whose power is stealing/suppressing other’s powers?)

Virgil… definitely something is up with his spidey sense. Pretty sure that it has to do with Professor Daniel’s experiment thing, and also that I’ll probably find out once I actually read the rest of the fic.

uh. yeah. I think that’s all the questions I have? If there’s anything else you feel like sharing about the magic system, PLEASE DO. No worries if you haven’t thought super far into it, I just think it’s really interesting! Sorry for the long ask, and again, no pressure to answer. Have a great day!

Hi! No worries. I got so excited when I saw all these fun questions. It means so much to me that the world is of interest to you. So let's get started: (warning long ramblings under the cut)

Yes, everyone is born with some kind of power. Some cause physical changes in the body (like Logan's tail) and those will be noticable at birth. Other powers will present themselves sooner or later. Virgil's by example is a very intuitive power so he'd be using it from very young even if he didn't understand it yet. Roman's power wouldn't show up until he developed a certain way with words and found his passion for the performing and literary arts. In my head the power can change slightly with the personality of the person. The baseline is established at birth. But by example, Logan's curious nature made him understand all the animals. Someone else with the same 'baseline' power might have just developed 'animal instincts' or develop better senses.

There is always a power. Sometimes you don't realize it is a power until later. But developing a power is as much a given as having a heart or a brain. They might not all be equal but they are all there. There are always late bloomers but that's more a late teens situation. There might have been one or two cases of adults discovering their abilities. But that's more not realizing what it was. Like how do you know your power is attracting luck? Or maybe you have healing powers but every time you just figure you didn't hurt yourself as bad as you thought until you are seriously bleeding one moment and then perfectly fine the next.

There are plenty 'useless' powers. One of Virgil's teachers always knows when it's going to rain. There'll be a character who can change the flavor of food. Mundane stuff. We didn't give the main cast any of those cuz we were having too much fun comming up with them.

There are more common powers, you'll find that telekinesis is one of the comon ones. It manifests slightly different in every user though. But Ro's dad does a good job explaining that in a later chapter so that's all I'll say on the matter for now.

There is always a connection. Wether it is obvious or not. You get one power. That power can give you multiple benefits or be used creatively (Like using telekinesis to fly). But there is always a same point of origin. Being able to use multiple powers like Roman does is Extremely rare. So no Superman's in this universe except for in the comics where the artists can take liberty with the established rules behind powers if they really want to. Superman is an alien there cuz it gives a canonical reason to why he has multiple powers that have nothing to do with each other.

About Roman's powers. I'm pretty sure we elaborated on that before, but a refresher never hurts. Roman's powers run on his emotions. That's why he got so powerful when he was upset about Virgil being kidnapped the first time. So falling out of the sky likely wouldn't happen. It would mean he went form high emotional state to perfectly calm in a second. He always knows he's running out in time. He's practiced enough to be able to tell. Speaking of practice, the more practice he has with a power the easier it is for him to summon it. His charm barely requires any energy anymore as he's used it so much to keep his secret identity. Using a lot of powers or fighting for a long time, is emotionally draining of course. He'd get exhausted if he did too much for too long.

Trinitas Fortuna: He could defenitely do that. But they'd all only work temporarily. Maybe that's good enough for TF maybe not. We'll have to wait and see. If Roman can dream it he can do it. It does help if he is familiar with the power in question though. The study boost one was improvised and gets better with time. I'd say his limits aren't in his power but in his own disposition. If he's scared or grossed out by one it likely won't manifest. So stealing someone's power would only happen if it was the only way. And it would likely not be permanent as none of his powers are permanent. We don't have an All For One in this universe and I'm inclined to keep it that way. But there might be a few who can turn other people's powers off for a bit Erasure Head style.

Virgil. You should defenitely read on for that one yeah.

Something we'd like to add... Well not sure how obvious it is in the story. But in this universe, powers have been part of the human experience since forever. Every belief system has their own spin on where they come from. Scientifically it is just accepted as fact with no difinitive answer on the how and why of it. Of course there is an attempt at categorizing cuz we're humans and our love for boxes is only outdone by cats. So there are active powers (not always happening, only when you choose too. Roman for example) Passive (Can't turn it off. Ever. Like Logan). And within those you have a sub category of Body modifications. A power that changes the body of the individual from the standard humanoid form. Those can also be active or passive. There are still powers that lie in murky waters probably with this one, but it's the best they could come up with.

@skeletinmoss anything to add?

[therhythmafterthesummer]

I’m new to your lore and werewolf stuff in general bc I didn’t like it until I saw your stories and I was wondering.. you mentioned in some wr ask that Chris had had some human gfs before and now ofc woman of the year pretty who is also human. In the werewolf lore is it that a human and a wolf can just be together intimately and it just fits like .. lock and key😭😭 I mean is there not any difficulties? Or is the unturned cucumber just normal? And did he even have sex with humans before and was that why it didn’t work it? Is pretty just the queen of monster cucumbers? Idk im just curious if the thought of this makes me you uncomfortable I’m sorry and if you don’t wanna answer just don’t 🌸♥️ oh and of course as you can tell by how you activated the never ending curiousness in me I love the stories!

pretty, woman of the year AND queen of monster cucumbers KJSHDFKSJDF

i hope you know i'm cackling over the concept of "unturned cucumber" 😭😭😭😭

i love this question, i'll answer under the cut!

okay, so... Chris' unturned cucumber looks virtually like a human penis. if anything, it's a very above average, concerningly big appendage, but it certainly looks normal (alpha's by nature have big cocks, that's just how it is).

the fact that it looks normal doesn't mean it's exactly like a human cucumber, though. we know for a fact that even in his human form, he produces copious amounts of fluids, and he's able to "pop a knot". this last one would've been the most clear indication to anyone else that he wasn't normal. however, in this universe, an alpha con only pop a knot if they're going into rut (and maybe..... maaaybe if their partner is ovulating... but i haven't decided on this one fully yet, so take it with a grain of salt lmao).

this means that, as long as he wasn't going into rut, he would've been perfectly capable of having a human partner. and he was! he did have a human partner. maybe they had a bit of... technical difficulties, considering his size, but that's something that can surely be troubleshoot, where there's a will, there's a way 🤣

i don't think he spent his rut with this human partner at any point, though. in my head, he might've tried to spend his rut with someone else once and realised something wasn't right, which is why he usually spent his ruts alone. but even that time, i don't think it would've been a human.

as we've seen with minho and kitten (and i'm taking them as an example because they're technically not soulmates), humans can, in fact, take an alpha's cucumber, and a knot. although, it's very likely that not all humans can, considering how vaginas come in all shapes and sizes, and some might be too short, the cervix might be too low, etc. again, where there's a will, there's a way. the ass is there (which is much more lenient when it comes to big cucumbers), the thighs are there, there are just many other options skjfhsdjkfh

pretty isn't necessarily the queen of monster cucumbers, but she's the queen of chris' monster cucumber specifically. the universe made her for him, just like it made him for her, so they naturally fit together perfectly, like in your lock and key simile.

in It's Cold Out, pretty's inner voice in the narration does say that if he had been any bigger, she doubted she would've been able to take him in at all, which is kinda true. but the bottom line is that he isn't any bigger, he's just the right size for her.

hope this answers your question!! if not, feel free to drop another ask and i'll gladly answer~

also, these concepts apply to wereroomies' lore specifically. other a/b/o universes might work a bit differently (:

thank you for sending this in, i loved thinking about it!!

[its-wabby-stuff]

Okay, in the first season of Rise, the boys trade out their old weapons for new ones. The glowy ones. I always believed that Draxum had imbued each of these weapons with their mystic ability, and that is shown throughout that series.

Upon learning that the boys actually have their own mystic abilities, the most they play with it is making more advanced versions of their previous mystic powers. All good, work with what you know and such.

But now, I’m curious.

Were the weapons always meant to produce its specific outcome, or do the weapons work more as a mystic focus rather than actually having powers? Think Thor’s hammer, how he can use that to focus his powers but his powers don’t come from the hammer.

To clarify, since I don’t know if that made sense.

Was Leo’s Odachi created with the intention of opening portals. Like that’s what it was designed to do, anyone who grabbed it could use it for that purpose and that purpose alone. Done. The sword does all the work. The basic, we already know this about the sword.

Or was it meant as a focus. Meaning if Mikey had decided he wanted to switch it up and use a sword now, and he grabbed the Odachi, he wouldn’t open portals with it, but he could light it on fire, as it pulls from his own mystic ability. The sword is only as powerful as those who wield it.

Now, I hear what your saying, because we’ve seen other people (like Splinter) use Leo’s sword to make portals. Clearly it was designed for that purpose right?

Perhaps that’s a level of atunement. The weapons atune to someone and carry that power. Like how Thors hammer allows other people to wield Thors magic. So if Mikey, on that particular day, had felt like switching it up and grabbed the sword before Leo, it would now atune to him and his abilities, allowing other people in contact to also use his ninpo.

Frankly, Draxum himself is no help on uncovering this since he barely gives any reaction at all to the boys wielding the weapons. No sense of- so that’s what that does, or even I can’t believe you fools can’t use them. But if I’m wrong please feel free to tell me. (It’s been a minute)

All this could just means that the boys unlocked parts of their ninpo far earlier in the series, and could provide evidence that ninpo is unique to each person who wields it. They didn’t just pull from a large pool and focus it into something they already knew, but rather that skill was chosen for them.

Why each skill was chosen would be another question entirely.

This could explain why Mikey got ahold of his mystic ability rather easily, since it all came naturally. Raph as well. And why he was able to awaken greater power through the tonfas, in an action that very much replicates how their actual Hamato ninpo works, surfacing power in times of need. In fact, their ninpo awakening without weapons happens in a way that mirrors when Raph pushed more power into the tonfas.

It also adds to Leo’s difficulties using the Odachi at first, because he was pulling from himself. And it’s very hard to accomplish something when you don’t actually believe you can do it. Hence why the sword always worked best when Leo believed in himself.

Donnie is actually a great example of this, seeing as he had no previous experience with mystics and didn’t have a power to pull from, yet awakened an entirely unique mystic power.

God I wish they hadn’t cut the Karai training arc cause I would’ve loved the Donnie finally caving into mystics story (along with the slightly angsty parts of him feeling like he can’t do it). Argh!!! We were robbed. (Just gonna go write it myself…)

While either option doesn’t really matter as of right now, since the series is over, I do think it’s fun to think about when imagining the cut Karai training arc. Or if anyone is writing a separated AU or collision, or if people are just interested in analyzing the hell out of a show like I am.

After my entire tangent, I’m curious if you agree.

Thank you for your time! I’m trying to get attention so likes and reblogs are much appreciated! 😊

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the tags or comments. I read all of them.

[minibunbon]

Absolutely crying about how useless the internet is now a days ;_; 

I started reading punpun (like 100 years too late I know) and why is there literally no place for like spoiler free dicussions anymore. I just want to chat about v1+2 without spoilers and enjoy my slow read through of it (b/c I am slow at reading everything now a days woops).

Please if anyone would like to chat about punpun but now spoil things please talk to me. 

[Goodnigth Punpun - V1 + V2 English Omibus Spoilers Bellow]

I really like it so far, and I’ve always wanted to read it but it. I know minimal things about it but it being a depressing coming of age / life line story I always wanted to wait until I felt like I was in an place where I feel ready to read it. And I am glad I did b/c it’s real intense, but also uggg it really is so good, I think it captures how depressing the world is so well. And the monologues are so raw. 

Also I really love yuichi’s character, and I can just tell this man is set up for failure but I want him to learn and grow from his mistakes so bad. He seems like a nice man who is just unable to grow from his experiences and it’s so depressing. In a weird way I find myself connecting to him more than anyone else in the story. Not that I share experiences/are the same age as him. But I feel like that lonely unsure of what to do with your life afraid to over commit to anything before you ‘ruin’ things for good (for example like punpun’s parents may feel they have)... Extremely relatable for the young adult in me.

I don’t really connect to punpu yet tbh, I’ve only seen him through elementary and middle school so far. I really do like the potrayal of his just fear of himself and fear of loneliness. And also his lack of good role models and subsequent view of the the world because of it. It’s really so sad all of it lmao. I guess that’s the point of the book. But it’s really just a lot of bad circumstances with good stuff mixed in but you know if people don’t have the right love and support in the end what can you do. 

Especially with volume one, all PWC stuff was kind of wild. I feel like it’s really a fine line between children just being children and also the real danger and skewed understanding of everything they get from exploration of things they might not be ready or might be scared by... Like children will always be curious about this stuff... I mean everyone is, but these kids got into some deep shit because of some of the things they saw and many of them will come out with trully formitive expeirences for the worse. I think they will all kind of be fucked up because of this after all... 

Anyways I kind of just want all of the adults int this to try a little bit harder and be a little bit better people. Because it just feels like they all have it in them if they just tried a bit more... For punpun’s and aiko’s sake. But I know it wont be like that. And since punpun and aiko kids they will not be able to break any trauma they have yet, so it continues to fester within them as they grow. Maybe they will in the future, but also maybe they won’t. And that’s just sad. Life really is about just observing those aroudn you and either trying to become a better person for whatever reason or failing to do so. 

Also in v2 there’s this whole part about punpun thinking he’s this terrible vile thing for wanting yaguchi to loose, and when he does he feels sick about it. And it’s just very relatable, the feeling of like being the worst person in the whole work when you’re 13 years old and feel any emotion what so ever. Again it’s the whole tthese are all normal things for children but without any proper guidance or safe space to explore/understand these things then it all just consumes and makes them feel awful. Honestly amazing of this Inio Asano dude for capturing how a depressed child thinks/feels/acts/views the world. 

Anyways my take away from these two volumes is very much just, how much I wish everyone was just a bit of a better person. Then none of this would have happened and no one would be sad. But the world’s not like this at all.

[maliro-t]

actually i'm just gonna talk about the actual examples more because it's fascinating to me

In dai the instances of the cadence breakdown into a few categories (I am counting full verses individually, even if they occur in the same scene, with a full verse being composed of two 8 bar lines and a 9 bar hallelujah conclusion):

9 stories about fade journeys (three for each prompt)

4 verses in a major cutscenes (this includes trespasser)

3 verses in prompted/"simple" dialogue

3 instances in Cole banter/dialogue

Here's what I found:

I'm excluding the fade stories because they're honestly not that important, but they are beautiful so go look em up or talk to Solas in Skyhold!

Cutscenes

HAVEN: first spotlight cutscene after the prologue

I've journeyed deep into the Fade in ancient ruins and battlefields to see the dreams of lost civilizations. I’ve watched as hosts of spirits clash to reenact the bloody past of wars both famous and forgotten. Every great war has its heroes. I’m just curious what kind you’ll be.

SKYHOLD: dream of Haven, scene requires higher approval

I told myself: one more attempt to seal the rifts. I tried and failed. No ordinary magic would affect them. I watched the rifts expand and grow, resigned myself to flee, and then…It seems you hold the key to our salvation. You had sealed it with a gesture… and right then, I felt the whole world change.

TRESPASSER: the one scene in Trespasser lmao

I sought to set my people free from slavery to would-be gods. I broke the chains of all who wished to join me. The false gods called me Fen’Harel, and when they finally went too far, I formed the Veil and banished them forever. Thus, I freed the elven people and, in so doing, destroyed their world.

[…]

I lay in dark and dreaming sleep while countless wars and ages passed. I woke still weak a year before I joined you. My people fell for what I did to strike the Evanuris down, but still some hope remains for restoration. I will save the elven people, even if it means this world must die

Prompted Dialogue verse in red with concluding line in purple

SKYHOLD, POST HAVEN: Tell me about Corypheus // What will he do next? // Are you sure?

Inquisitor: You’re sure that’s what he’ll do? Solas: As certain as is possible, assuming I can plausibly predict a man who seeks to rise to godhood. Inquisitor: And can you? Solas: The key is understanding this: no real god need prove himself. Anyone who tries is mad or lying. His deception will undo him, as it has done countless fools before.

GENERAL DIALOGUE: Tell me about the fade. // I'd like to know more about demons.

Solas: [Your Dalish say] [Your Circle say] [The Chantry says] that demons hate the natural world and seek to bring their chaos and destruction to the living. But such simplistic labels misconstrue their motivations and, in so doing, do all a great disservice. Spirits wish to join the living, and a demon is that wish gone wrong. (Reply: "Can we change that?") Herald: Is there a way to coexist? To live with them, if not in peace, at least without such active confrontation? Solas: Not in the world we know today. The Veil creates a barrier that makes true understanding most unlikely. But the question is a good one, and it matters that you thought to ask.

Second verse does not occur with any other response (options "I don't believe that" or "I don't care")

Cole Dialogue

BANTER:

Cole: You are quiet, Solas. Solas: Unless I have something to say, yes. Cole: No, inside. I don't hear your hurt as much. Your song is softer, subtler, not silent but still. Solas: How small the pain of one man seems when weighed against the endless depths of memory, of feeling, of existence. That ocean carries everyone. And those of us who learn to see its currents move through life with their fewer ripples. Cole: There is pain though, still within you. Solas: And I never said that there was not.

BANTER:

Cole: Bright and brilliant, he wanders the ways, walking unwaking, searching for wisdom... Solas: I do not need you to do that, Cole. Cole: Your friend wanted you to be happy, even though she knew you wouldn't be. Solas: (Sighs.) Could you... if you would remember her, could you do it as I would? Cole: He comes to me as though the Fade were just another wooded path to walk without a care in search of wisdom.  We share the ancient mysteries, the feelings lost, forgotten dreams, unseen for ages, now beheld in wonder. In his own way, he knew wisdom, as no man or spirit had before. Solas: Thank you.

POST CAMPAIGN: Solas speaks through Cole

 I'm sorry, Cole, but with your gift, I fear you might see the path that I must now walk in solitude forever. This fate is mine alone. Indeed, I would not wish it on an enemy, much less someone that I once cared for. Though you reach out in compassion, I must now insist that you forget.

And that's everything! Obviously, there is always the possibility that I missed something, and there's a bit of ambient dialogue and quest specific stuff that I either didn't look at or didn't have easy access to, but most of those are so short as to not be in the running, and I do feel pretty confident that this is every example of the cadence in the game

As a bonus, here's a verse from Tevinter Nights, included in the Mortalitasi's Tale in The Dread Wolf Take You, allegedly spoken in Dread Wolf form:

"YOU MEDDLE PAST YOUR UNDERSTANDING, FOOLISH MORTAL MAGES, AND IN DOING SO YOU THREATEN ALL CREATION" […] "YOU USE MY IDOL CARELESSLY TO VANDALIZE THE SEA OF DREAMS. NOW FEEL THE PAIN OF WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED." […]  "FROM THIS MOMENT, SHOULD YOU EVER BIND A SPIRIT, THEN YOUR LIFE IS MINE"

(note that this story is hearsay wrapped neatly around a lie so whether it actually happened is obviously a bit up in the air, but this is a literary tool anyways so whether he said it is not that important imo)

So, some of this dialogue is foreshadowing, some of it is exposition or wistful contemplation, and many of them are stories. The Tevinter Nights example is commanding and intended to be intimidating, spoken from the mouth of a strange monster. For me the best throughline is just his kind of otherworldly-ness (this is a great explanation of it in Weekes' own words), and in game specifically a hint towards how completely different Solas' perspective is from literally any other person alive. It's easy to say, "He does it when he's thinking about the how things used to be!" which is true a lot of the time, but when half of his in-cadence dialogue is made up by stories that are decidedly NOT about history that he lived, that explanation falls short for me.

There are also plenty of times where he's talking directly about Elvhenan that are not in verse at all- often times those are quite rhythmic, but not always, and almost none of them have even a single full line that fits the cadence (the only ones I found that do are the iconic verses from trespasser and that is literally it!). There are a couple examples of this where I kind of expected it and didn't find it, such as his comments about Falon'Din, or at the Winter Palace, or even in the post credits scene with Flemeth.

That being said, I think it's also generally not that useful to spend time looking at why a verse might exist in one place and not another given just how impractical it would be to do every single time and the fact that there is tons of truly blatant-with-hindsight foreshadowing that doesn't have a lick of verse to it. From both a 'this is hard to do!' craft perspective and just a pacing perspective, there is no reason for him to be doing it in every conversation.

The only main exception to this rule is that there are three full verses in collaboration with Cole, while no other companions have any dialogue with Solas featuring the cadence. That it's only Cole matters, as influenced by their closeness, but also of course Cole's ability to intuit so much about other people. Every other verse is in conversation with the Inquisitor. You saw more than most etc etc iykyk

What's so interesting about Cole's examples in particular too is how, again, collaborative those verses are. Two of the three of them are spoken by Cole himself (although one is a message from Solas to him, likely in response to Cole's own searching), and in the third, Cole speaks part of a line, which flows seamlessly into the conclusion.

We can compare this to the verse to the inquisitor about false gods (an example with clear reference to Soals' contempt for the Evanuris), which is interrupted after one line by the inquisitor's questioning and continues on without incorporating their speech. So, he has no problem carrying on without help (there is a single other exception to this which I'll get to in a minute). In fact, I would wager that he prefers it that way! I find that so many of these lines are kind of double speak- like his way of being quietly vulnerable without actually telling you what he's feeling or thinking about. The rhythm is a way of encrypting vulnerability into his speech without having to actually take his walls down; I personally read it as him placing an intentional distance between what he's saying and what he's feeling. The conversations with Cole are really intimate in that way (as Cole's conversations with everyone are!), with Cole instinctually absorbing and using that code as a way of taking on those feelings and instantly expressing that he understands them without having to explain.

(I think that reading is supported by the banter between them about compartmentalization and Solas' "softer, subtler...still" pain)

There is, of course, one other collaborative verse, and I think it's the most interesting. That is, the conversation between Solas and the Inquisitor about demons, which begins with a verse from Solas, and is followed by a second verse if you choose the right option.

It's wild because the Inquisitor says the first line! Versus Cole jumping in in the middle or delivering a whole verse at Solas' request.

The second verse directly follows Solas' first, and only occurs you express curiosity and open mindedness at his ideas, which we all know is something he really respects.

So, what has happened here is that you have accidentally stumbled upon on his exact wavelength, and you might notice that the rest of the verse, after you ask if coexistence is possible ("Not in the world we know today. The Veil creates a barrier that makes true understanding most unlikely.") is point for point Solas' motivation for destroying the veil as outlined in Trespasser. You have expressed to him an interest in the goal which he is quietly sitting on, and he responds back, with that careful distance, that the only way for that goal to be achieved is to destroy the world. And because you start the verse (unknowingly!), he fills in the rest himself.

And as a side note, I know it's literally a difference of a few words but for Weekes to carefully write three variations to the start of the first verse in that demon conversation depending on the PC's cultural background while still maintaining the rhythm in each is so impressive to me 🫡

I don't really have a conclusion here because I just wanted to point out some of (what I think are) the lesser-known verses that he has, but for one last thought-

While combing through this stuff I was reminded of a banter between Sera and Solas where he tries speaking to her in Elven, of which she is of course quite dismissive. He says to her, "…our people can sometimes feel the rhythm of the language despite lacking the vocabulary," and I think the use of the cadence or even just the general iambic rhythm of his speech pattern is related. You can say it's his old fashioned-ness or nostalgia, but I think it's partially just tied inherently to a time and place and perspective built on a language that only barely exists now, and every once in a while, when he speaks it seeps through the cracks.

ok i have no sway here and idk what veilguard will be like but idk if people know how few and far between the solas cadence lines are. like i did actually go through pretty much all of the dialogue in the game (thank you da wiki and GENITIVI CHRONICLES omg) and in all of dai there are 19 individual verses (which relatively is a VERY small amount) and they are all extremely specific instances. About half of those are from the same dialogue tree, specifically his fade stories which are all in verse. He has a lot of other dialogue that is quite rhythmic and has built in iambs and is performed very deliberately, but not everything he says that has that bounce is actually in the cadence.

[psychewritesbs]

Megumi’s FULL name reveals a lot about his character. It captures his kindness, his energy, but also his inner darkness--the kind of darkness that al lot of people in the fandom are speculating will drive him to become a sort of villainous figure in Jujutsu Kaisen.

But, in order to REALLY understand Megumi, you have to understand the basics of how Japanese uses its three alphabets differently from English’s one alphabet. 

Yes, Megumi meaning “blessing” is a huge deal, but I think his last name is just as important.

Here’s why...

TLDR at the end

I can’t really explain who Megumi is without understanding a bit about kanji and how it’s used, so feel free to skim or skip to the end of the essay.

But if you find Japanese culture as a whole fascinating, then read on.

How Written Japanese Uses Kanji

What I’ve come to realize about kanji is that it’s “literally” a symbol meant to represent a concept. For example, 目is the kanji for “eyes” and is meant to symbolize and look like an eye.

But the way Japanese uses kanji gets complicated (at least for me) when a particular kanji can both represent a concept (as in the example above) AND be used to make a specific and completely unrelated syllable.

Like seriously... the fuck.

A notable example can be found in Your Name where Taki writes a note on Mitsuha’s notebook asking her who she is.

Taki uses the kanji 前 which means “previous” but is also associated with the syllable “mae” to say “o+mae”, the informal way of addressing someone. I thought it was a curious detail that Taki does this instead of spelling out “omae” with either katakana (オマエ）like I’ve seen most manga do) or hiragana until I realized it was most likely a deliberate choice on Makoto Shinkai’s behalf. 

Similarly, we already know Megumi’s name means "blessing” because it’s a big part of the plot. Especially in relation to it’s opposite: “noroi” or curse (呪) the anime’s central theme.

With that said, a lot of people are rightfully confused about Megumi’s name because of his resentment towards his father as he mentions in episode 5. 

Is Megumi a girl’s name?

The whole issue with Megumi’s first name is that the kanji for “Megumi” is primarily considered to be a feminine character. From doing some research I  understood that you can have a “Megumi” name for a male but you would use different, more masculine kanji. 

I’m assuming sort of like in the "o+mae” example where you could use kanji that represented the syllables for “Me+Gu+Mi” or any such combination like “megu+mi” and “me+gumi”.

Similarly, you might have noticed that in a lot of anime, characters introduce themselves and sometimes there is mention of the kanji characters used to write their name.

An example of this is the name Shiemi. There are several ways you can combine kanji to spell that name, but one combination uses the kanji for aspire + blessed (which is also Megumi’s kanji character) + beauty (志+惠+美 ). 

Ready to make this more complicated?

You can also spell Shiemi with the kanji for “aspire”, “bloom”, “laugh”, “poetry”, etc.

This is a very creative take on name meanings if you ask me.

In other words, this is how Japanese people give their children “meaningful” names the way in the US someone might name their child “Matthew” because they perceive them to be a “gift of God” (the name’s meaning).

The fact that the kanji 惠 representing the concept for “blessing” was chosen for Megumi Fushiguro’s name, however, speaks a thousand words in much the same way kanji represents concepts. 

The reason Toji did not care about Megumi’s gender when he named the baby he was about to have, was because to Toji, who came from a cursed (呪) life, Megumi, and the life he had with Fushiguro-mama, was the embodiment of a blessing (惠) . 

To be honest, however, it is his last name that I am most interested in breaking down. That one doesn’t get as much attention and I think is just as important for his character.

The reason being is that I suspect it is Megumi’s last name which embodies the reason why Sukuna is so fixated and fascinated with Megumi.

Fushiguro and the darkness within

I believe it is in an interview or perhaps the fan book that Gege Akutami talks about Itadori, Kugisaki and Fushiguro all being plant names. 

That being said, yes, Fushiguro is a tiny wild flower endemic to Japan.

But as with the naming convention rules I shared above, the story the kanji in his last name tell goes beyond the flower symbolism. In fact, I believe the name of the flower is not spelled using these kanji (but I could be wrong).

TLDR...

Fushiguro is made up of two kanji. 

“Fushi” (伏), which means to bend or bow down + “guro” (黒), which means black. However, it is safe to say that this last kanji can also mean “darkness” since it is used in that word as well.

Taken literally then, I am assuming Megumi’s last name to mean “bow down darkness”.

Bow down + Darkness + Blessing.

Symbolically speaking, you could say that his last name is sort of paying homage to the darkness within. Ironically, his first name is such a beautiful homage to receiving gifts for which we feel grateful. This is consistent with how Megumi sees the world in black and white terms sometimes.

And if you really think about it, Fushiguro is also a clever play on words for his cursed technique being shadow based.

But more importantly, his last name reminds me of Megumi going feral while fighting the Yasohachi cursed spirit. 

I think one of the reasons feral Megumi is so popular is because he took us by surprise. His character trope is the cool and collected deuteragonist after all.

I’m not sure anyone imagined that he was repressing such a blood thirsty...

manipulative...

sadistic beast within.

It makes me wonder whether it is a matter of time before Megumi gives himself over to all of his inner darkness, bitterness and resentment (cursed energy). 

And perhaps that is exactly what Sukuna sees in him. Throughout the manga there is quite a bit of mirroring happening between Megumi and Sukuna (example). 

Personally, I am wondering whether Sukuna sees a younger version of himself in Megumi and that is why he is so interested in both keeping him alive, and his growth as a sorcerer.

So, what do you think? Lots of theories about the Sukuna x Megumi dynamic, so I am always curious to hear what other people have to say.

As for me... I have to go adult. 

[styx1an]

A Chat about Chat

A short fic about how Chat came to be a singular being, written by yours truly. By all means, this isn’t canon, it’s just my interpretation of things.

Word count: 1,863

Fandom: RTGame, Miitopia (NGL I’m a little displeased with how I wrote the ending, but oh well!)

You know, there is this odd sense of irony in knowing how terrified Chat was of Magical John when they aren’t even human nor a singular being in the first place. Wait, so you didn’t know? Of how they became such a being in the first place? (They chuckle.) Then I suppose that means I’ll have to tell you their story. Well then, shall we begin the tale of Chat? (You see the twinkle in their eyes. They must’ve been waiting a while to be able to do this.)

> You nod. You’ve been waiting a while to understand Chat’s origins. Tonight, like many others, belongs to the storyteller.

> You shake your head. No thanks, you think you’re too tired. Dawn shall rise anew soon, and you will not waste your time with tall tales.

(They nod, pleased with your decision.) Then I shall begin to relay their tale.

Our tale begins in the vast lands known as Twitch, a domain that belongs to another, a far crueler being whose tale is for another time. It is a place where one is free to express their opinions and whatnot (as long as it suits the many whims of its Amazonian overlords, of course), and many are versed in the easy to learn, but difficult to master art of gaming. Many such masters have gained a large following, and even if they do not possess such skill, more often than not their humor and charisma paves the way to fame.

One example of the latter would be RTGame, a man of sizable repute. Aside from the frankly ridiculous story of the origin of his moniker, he is also known for doing some… questionable things for the sake of entertainment. There are still tales of his quest in the bathtub along with Gilbert (yes, the very same Gilbert on the quest to defeat The Darker Lord Khadgar!), the night of the Painted Wall’s Communion, the birth of Mr. Compost- But my dear, we are here for one of his lesser-known exploits, one that would change the world as we know it.

> You lean closer to the campfire, watching the storyteller with a renewed interest. Where does the tale lead? Where does it end? You need to know.

> It’s getting even later. You think some rest will be needed before tomorrow’s travels begin. Perhaps the rest of the story can wait another time?

It was a dark and stormy night. The then-Dark Lord Von Karma had just been unleashed upon the land, and I Want Die set along the path of salvation with his fellow party members, Mr. Bean the Warrior, Goofy the Thief, and Mint the Horse. He was pleased with the ease with which they vanquished monsters and saved (literal) faces, but the lack of actual conversation within the party had begun to get to him. Mr. Bean had nothing to offer other than a simple “Bean!” every now and then, and Goofy terrified him with all the “hyuck!” and talks of absolving the world’s many sins. Mint is a horse and therefore cannot participate in a verbal conversation unless you happen to understand what her neighs meant. She also happens to be the most normal member of the party, strangely enough.

Either way, I Want Die longed for a proper conversation.

And God took notice.

It was inevitable. The fourth party member was always going to join, whether he wanted one or not. It shouldn’t be notable in any way whatsoever, yet here I am regaling this tale to you.

It is not how Chat had come to join the party that I wanted to explain, but rather how they came to be.

Do you remember the man I had called RTGame? I hope you had not thought of him as irrelevant to our tale, as he is the patron saint of I Want Die’s adventures. Surely you know of the vast armory that belongs to the party? The various delicacies fed to the team? All his work. Along with his followers’ contributions, of course.

Chat was what he called his followers, the ones who watched his various endeavors as he traveled across the land of Twitch. Oftentimes the crowd would conversate with him (hence their name), offering jokes and sardonic commentary whenever he did anything remotely comedic. Other times, RT would have to tell them off for being such a rowdy bunch- the usual group of thousands could never keep quiet for long.

It happened that Chat witnessed I Want Die’s pilgrimage along with RTGame. They all looked upon him with a jolly sense of humor (after all, their master is well-versed in the art of comedy), some wondering where his travels will bring him. The others who knew how it would all end kept silent at the behest of RTGame. Either way, every single one of them was enjoying the show he had put on for them. 

And came the time to summon the fourth member.

As per usual, RTGame withdrew into his workshop, closing the curtains around him so no curious onlooker could see inside. But that did not stop Chat from yelling their predictions and demands.

“EDGEWORTH” one cried.

Another begged for a certain “End Mii!”

“CHAT CALM DOWN!”

“!uptime”

“69420toesucker just subscribed for 5 months!”

“TURG”

RTGame smiled at them. He wasn’t surprised at all at their reactions, rather it was something he had hoped would happen.

“Alright then Chat,” he said, “here they are!”

His pale, thin hands reached out to open the curtains-

And unveiled a faceless, empty husk of a being. 

Under any other circumstances, Chat would’ve rioted, demanded justice against the irony of sending a faceless doll to retrieve the faces of others. But they had no time.

Almost in an instant, the skies darkened. Clouds swirled up above with vibrant shades of violet, cobalt, magenta. Bright blue lightning strikes a tree and dissolves it into dust. Somewhere distant, something roars. The air feels thick- something magical, something electric is positively buzzing. Magic truly is in the air.

And thunder strikes once again. 

The crowd is gone.

Silence fell. All that is left is the master and the doll, no longer an empty husk.

> You look up to the storyteller, their eyes reflecting the blazing flames. You have a feeling that you know how this ends, but you’d rather have them confirm it first.

> You’re sleepy. As tempting as it is to continue listening to their story, you must admit that the very idea of slumber is even more tantalizing.

RTGame had managed to do exactly what he wanted. Chat’s consciousness, placed inside of a single, physical being. A puppet controlled by a hivemind would not be very easy to control, yes. But the idea intrigued him. And wouldn’t it be better than having a large gaggle of people constantly behind him, watching his every move? It could help I Want Die on his journey too.

So it is settled. It happened that one of the members of his temple had just crafted a rather nice puppet, in case RT needed one. And he did come to use it. It does look a little plain, as both body and head are painted in the same shade of bright white. However, the face was not white like how it was in the beginning, but a disturbingly pitch-black space. No, that’s not the right word.

Rather, it was like a void had formed. That’s also not the right phrase to describe it either, as there were drops of ichor dripping down onto the ground, dissolving the once green grass. But I digress. 

Chat broke the silence that had fallen between them, wailing as a cacophony of noises and emotions spilled out. Despite what RT had done to them, they were still determined to voice their opinions. Quite in character, really. 

“RT WHAT”

“NO NO NO”

“!uptime”

“I'M ON TV!!!”

“bazingabanana just gifted 5 subs!”

“that’s kinda meta”

As their voices grew louder, ichor kept pouring out of the void. As expected, RT thought to himself. He still needs to act fast. So with a quick snap, he fastened a wooden mask the temple-goer made; the same shade of white, a pair of beady black eyes almost as dark and soulless as the void, bright purple ears. 

The yelling and complaining didn’t stop of course. Still, as their voices were muffled by the mask, it was an arguably better experience than the previous ear-splitting wails. And it was less deadly too. Ichor had stopped dripping down onto the grass, which meant that the constant sizzling would finally stop.

Now, one last thing.

RT stared into Chat’s eyes.

This in itself wouldn’t have been quite a remarkable action had it been anyone else, but it’s Chat that we are talking about. The very sensation of doing something as simple as gazing into a hivemind’s many souls wasn’t anything ordinary, either.

It felt like you had just plunged one of your hands into ice-cold water in the middle of winter and not only are you freezing, you’re scared and you don’t know whether you’d come out in one piece.

They all stared back. Thousands and thousands looked upon RT, all different yet whispering the same things, each claiming to be an individual yet virtually nothing distinctive belongs to them. A true hivemind. It’s exactly what he wanted, but he wondered if perhaps other troubles would arise.

He let himself go from their gazes. It asks too much of him.

“Alright then, Chat. Ready?”

A gaggle of voices reply, sounding their agreements.

“OK then!”

--

I Want Die finally opened the inn door, after convincing himself that he’d like this new friend. That this one would be neither an anime villain, a comedy star or a horse. Someone with actual rational thoughts and words to speak.

In front of the door stood a short figure, clad in a purple mage’s robes. Their pitch-black eyes looked at I Want Die, and a chorus of voices came from their permanent smile:

“Hi, I’m Chat!”

And I Want Die wondered if he had forgotten to cross off ‘hivemind’ off his list of potential party members.

Chat’s introduction ends here, of course. But not their tale. The journey was far from over in fact. The party had yet to meet the Royal Court, witnessed the court’s love affair, or get kidnapped by the Dark Lord Von Karma. Even the party wasn’t complete, as it was only the first party I Want Die would encounter in his tale of redemption.

And it’s not the only story either. You haven’t heard of Magical John’s past life, or how Cupcake isn’t as pure as she seems. Gilbert’s fear of the kitchen. How Jefferson came to be, and Obama’s past life with Mr. Bean.

But I’m afraid I must stop here, for it is late already, is it not? Our journey must continue tomorrow. Let us rest. Goodnight, may the stars shine for you. (They head off into their tent, leaving you alone with the flickering embers of a dying fire.)

> You bid the storyteller goodnight. Perhaps they’ll tell you another one of their stories, underneath the moonlight once more.

[ghoste-catte]

I was curious what advice would you give to someone new to writing fics? I've been wanting to get back into it but haven't seriously written something since high school. I hope this isn't an annoying question or anything!

Not an annoying question at all! I'm just a little worried that I won't have terribly good or useful advice. To be honest, I also sort of stopped writing in earnest right as I finished high school, and didn't pick it back up until my late 20s. It's certainly an adjustment! But I think the few things that really helped me get back into writing fic as a hobby and something I spend quite a bit of time on would be:

Write for yourself first, then find your other motivations. My original inspiration in getting back into fic writing was that there just were not that many fics I liked for my favorite pairing, and I wanted more of them, and I especially wanted more with the tropes and characterizations I wanted to see. I think at the very core of anything you need that internal spark that drives you. At the same time, for me at least, if I just relied on my own drive, I would not get much done; I need some external guardrails. So having people send prompts, or writing for particular events, or writing stuff for friends really helps me to get my ass in gear and finish stuff. That may not be the perfect motivator for you, and that's fine! You just gotta figure out what is.

Be open to inspiration. Anything and everything can be spun out into a story with the right tweaking. Obviously stuff like music is a classic inspiration source, but I've also pulled ideas from poetry, from memes, from Reddit threads, from YouTube videos, from rambling conversations on Discord and from real life to make fics out of. So many times, someone will post a silly Twitter screencap, and I'll think, There's a fic in this. And a lot of the time, there is! Research is a wonderful thing, but so is serendipity. If you're out there actively looking for ideas, eventually one that you like will stumble past you.

Find your community. I can genuinely say I never would have finished more than one fic if I didn't have fandom friends to talk to about even stupid headcanons, to bounce ideas off of, and to encourage me (and to encourage them in turn!). Discord has been a godsend, and some of my closest online friends are people I met in the GaaLee discord server. As I've gotten more comfortable as a writer, I've also joined general writing servers and Reddit communities and have found them immensely helpful on both a motivational level (bingos, sprints, owe-me challenges) and on a craft level (plot workshopping and writing ethics and live grammar help). It's a lot easier to think about fic ideas and hash through problem moments when I have a constant stream of fandom-related chatter coming from the little people who live in my phone! Ao3 is an amazing website, and it's great as, well, an archive, but it isn't social media by design. If you want conversation and human connection and cheerleading, you've gotta forge out and find it.

Make it a habit ... If you want to produce anything longer than a couple hundred words, you really have to set aside time for it. And writing is just like knitting or dirt biking or painting little model figurines: the more you do it, the more easily it comes. When I was first getting back into the proper swing of things, I committed myself to 30 minutes of writing per week. Just 30 minutes. I didn't even hit that goal every week, but there were tons of weeks I got on a roll and went over that amount, and by the end of the year I'd written over 200,000 words. I used to spend an hour laboriously tip-tapping out 200 words, but now I can easily blow through 1k in a 50 minute sprint. It's all about training that muscle.

... But don't make it a chore. With fanfic, you aren't doing this as a job, and you aren't ultimately doing it for anyone other than you. That means you can take breaks when you need them, you can set deadlines and then fail to meet them, you can write stuff and then decide to never post it. When you start getting burnt out, when the practice loses the joy and energy, stop. There's no 'hustle' here. In our capitalist society we're so trained to push past our limits and keep going even when it hurts us, but the hobby you do for connection and relaxation and whatever else shouldn't be like that.

Ignore metrics. Sometimes stuff isn't gonna get hits, or kudos, or comments. There are some basic 'rules' as to the stuff that does and doesn't get traction, but every time you post something it's a roll of the dice. If you're focused on watching that kudos counter tick up, you will get bummed out fast. And any writer will tell you that the stuff you think is your best work will never be the stuff that gets the most accolades. So you have to find something else to give you a sense of success. For me, it's watching my wordcount go up in my stats and those occasional comments where someone has a lot to say and that one person who always leaves me a <3 emoji (and, shout out to @egregiousderp, having someone to have long one-on-one conversations with about the stuff that never made it to page).

Don't strive for perfection. It's really easy to want your first ever fic to be a complete showstopper, the best fic fandom has ever seen, hitting all the tropes and the ideas and the characterization that you just know fandom is missing and would be everyone's top favorite if only it was written. This is a trap. No one fic can be all things. Most people who want to write an epic as their very first venture will not see the end of that epic, because they haven't put in the practice hours to make something on that scale work. That's not to say you can't start out with a big, sprawling multichap, just don't expect it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread if you're just starting out, and be okay with abandoning it for greener pastures if you get to that point. Think of the first time someone makes a vase out of clay or bakes a loaf of bread. That's never their best vase or their best bread. If they keep up with it, they'll make more and better vases and loaves. Likewise, your first fic is probably not gonna be your best fic. See it for what it is: your launchpad.

You can't edit an empty page, but you can over-edit a full one. This kind of spins off of #7, but if the words aren't there, you can't fix them. Daydreams and headcanons are fantastic (and god, how many times have I wished for a speech-to-text engine that projected my falling asleep thoughts onto a Google doc for later perusal), but they aren't fic. If you want to write fic, you've gotta get comfortable with the idea of sloppy outlines and rough first drafts. You can't build a house without a frame and you can't build a man without a skeleton (I mean, you can, I guess, but he'd be one floppy man). The nice thing about fic is that it doesn't matter if that frame is structurally unsound or the skeleton has 18 too many bones, you can clean that up in the editing process. But you can't start hanging curtains and arranging furniture in something that doesn't even have walls. That's the process. But! Also know when to set down the editor's pen and say, "Okay, this is good enough for government work", and call it done. ("Done" doesn't have to mean "posted", but it does mean, "I'm done picking at this for now, and I'm gonna go write some more stuff".) Over-editing can make stuff seem laborious and forced, and it prevents you from actually improving. To continue belaboring the house metaphor, you can spend your whole life rearranging furniture in just one room, but the end result of that is a pretty narrow existence and a room with a lot of footprints and tracks in the carpet.

Write shit down. When you have ideas, jot them down--in a notebook, in a Google Doc, in the Notes app of your phone, in pen on the back of your hand. You think you will remember that brilliant line of dialogue or sparkling snippet of narration or genius plot that came to you in a dream, but you Will Not. Write it down. Write it down. Write it down! There have been so many times when a fic was completely saved by past!me having written down my shower thoughts about what happens next in the fic, that present!me had completely forgotten about and was floundering over.

Have fun with it! Try different stuff. Try stupid stuff. Try experimental stuff. Do stuff you've never done before that you aren't sure will work. It's important to get comfortable with your niche (for example, I know I'm never going to be the sort of person who writes intricate plots of intrigue or super long 100k epics or detailed battles), but you can't find that niche unless you explore lots of different niches! Figure out what you love and what you absolutely hate, and then keep doing the stuff you love.

Okay, so that was actually TEN things, but ... I hope you still found this helpful. Feel free to send another ask if any of this was confusing or unclear. Good luck with your fic writing and, if you want, send me a link to what you've written once you've written it! I'd love to read it.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1015: Morning Texting (King of Fighters)

Shingo: Morning, Leona-san! 😄

Leona: Shingo-Kun.

Leona: I hope your morning is going well so far.

Shingo: It is!

Shingo: I'm finally off today, but I haven't really thought about what to do yet

Shingo: Well, actually, I did thought about going to beach later, but given how we're already halfway close to summer being over, there's no doubt the place is crowded already lol

Leona: I see.

Leona: But question.

Shingo: ?

Leona: What does the word....."lol" mean exactly?

Leona: I've seen and heard it a few times in the past that I made me a bit curious of it's meaning for a short while.

Shingo: Oh. Well, I wouldn't exactly call it an actual word for starters. It's more like a slang if anything

Leona: Slang?

Shingo: Yep. At least when you're texting someone.

Shingo: See, Lol is short for "Laugh Out Loud". It's like how wym is short for "What You Mean" and so on

Leona: I see.

Leona: So basically, it's a shortcut to keep phone users from making a sentence or two.

Shingo: Something like that lol

Shingo: I could show you s few more examples if you want.

Leona: No thank you. I'll pass.

Leona: Though, I am curious to know more about that smiley face you typed out.

Shingo: Smiley Face?

Shingo: You mean this 😄

Leona: Yes, that

Leona: It looks cute.

Shingo: I agree!

Shingo: But this, my cool, silent friend, is what we call an emoji

Shingo: They're little facial pictograms you can type out to express how feel or just for the fun of it

Leona: Is that so?

Leona: And where do you get them exactly?

Shingo: You see the keyboard you're using on your phone right now?

Shingo: If you press the backwards sign on the top of it, you'll see a smiley face on the left.

Leona: I've found and pressed on the smiley face you mentioned

Leona: There's so many of them to choose from.

Shingo: Nice!

Shingo: Which one of these would u say it's your favorite?

Leona: 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Shingo: Ooh! Kitty emojis!

Shingo: Cute for text messages and as pets

Shingo: Don't tell Antoine I said any of that, he will always be #1

.........................................................................

Leona giggles lightly at the recent message as she begins to text Shingo back.

.......................................................................

Leona: Your secret is safe with me, Shingo-Kun

Leona: Don't worry lol 😉

Shingo: Well, would you look at that?

Shingo: You're getting the hang of this already! I'm so proud

Leona: Lol thank you~

Leona: I've hardly if ever texted anyone before. So it's nice to know more about it functionalities.

Leona: Have you thought of what to do for the day yet?

Shingo: Nope. My mind's still on blink

Shingo: But I have thought about a new technique to write down on my notebook

Leona: I see.

Leona: Well, I'm free for today as well. We could spend the day with one another if you like.

Shingo: Sure! I'm up for it!

Shingo: Got any plans for the two of us?

Leona: I was thinking we could walk, maybe even jog around town for a while. Then after that, we could head over to the training base to do a few sparring matches.

Shingo: Cool!

Shingo: But uh....r u sure you want me as a sparring partner?

Shingo: There's no way I could keep up with u speed wise

Leona: Perhaps.....

Leona: But you seem to be improving greatly in your combat skills as of late.

Shingo: U really think so?

Leona: I believe so, yes.

Leona: While you lack in speed and agility, you make up for it in strength, quick strategic think, and lots and lots of endurance.

Leona: Take your match with K' from a few days ago for example: not only were you able to hold your own against him within twenty or so minutes, but you've also managed to keep him on his toes for once.

Shingo: LOL yeah no fooling!

Shingo: Still kind 9f surprised that I've lasted that long tho

Leona: That, in it of itself, is worthy of being proud of.

Leona: And I'm sure that if you can try and emulate a similar method from your previous match to ours, it's possible that you'll be able to catch up with my movements in no time.

Leona: Not that I would make it easy for you of course 😉

Shingo: Lol don't worry. I wouldn't exactly any less from you, Leona-san

Shingo: I'll just have to work even harder to be a worthy match up to you!

Leona: Just try not to work yourself too hard, okay? I'm just glad we have the chance to hang out more if anything

Shingo: I'm glad too, Leona-san!

Shingo: It makes me appericate our friendship even more than before, u know?

Leona: Likewise. Your sweet and kind nature always manages to put a smile on my face 😊

.......................................................................

Shingo's heart melts into a smile as he places his hand onto his chest before he continues texting.

......................................................................

Shingo: U sure about that? Cuz I think yours is making me smile already!~

Leona: Lol Is that so? That's very nice to hear~

Leona: But back at the topic at hand, what's the location you want to meet up at?

Leona: I'm already heading to town as we speak.

Shingo: Already!?

Shingo: Okay. Do you remember that coffee place I work at?

Leona: Athena's Coffee Shop? Yes, I believe I know where it's located at.

Shingo: Great! Once I get myself ready, I'll meet you there in jiff!

Shingo: I'll try not to take too long along way

Leona: Take as much time as you need to prepare yourself. I don't mind the wait.

Leona: But do be cautious and mindful around the road once you come out outside.

Leona: I've noticed the traffic is starting to pick up on my end, so I don't want you to get yourself caught up in all of it, got it?

Shingo: Yes, ma'am!

@tampire

@illyrilex

@helsic

@cyber-wildcat

@theweebmaster31

@caleb13frede

@keyenuta

[elfy-elf-imagines]

Begin Again | Thranduil

Pairing: Thranduil x Elf!Reader

Genre: Fluffy new beginnings

Warnings: ---

Words: ~2k

Note: If you’d like to be added to a tag list for any of my works, there’s a link on my page 💕 Also, I’m big dummy and lost the original request, so I couldn’t remember what all you wanted in this one-shot. So requester, whoever you are, I’m so sorry! And if you’d like another part to expand on your full request, please let me know!

  It’s strange.

  You’re whole life, you’ve always heard about how horrible it is for an elf to lose the one they love. It’s been described as feeling as though you’ve been ripped into two pieces, forced to live on without your second half. You’ve heard it feels like tiny needles stabbing into your heart until you can’t feel anything but a stifling anguish that seeps into your bones, poisoning your body from within until you eventually fade away.

  Yet you feel none of that. You feel nothing at all, like a soul wandering aimlessly for the rest of eternity, cursed with never finding a purpose or reason to stick around. But being forced to endure, none-the-less. You can sail, as an elf that’s your right, and perhaps you would find peace, wrapped in the warm embrace of Valinor as you forget all your fears and pain.

  But you don’t want to be happy, because being happy means you forget, and you're not ready to forget your beloved yet.

  The forest floor beneath you is damp from the rain that blessed Eryn Galen a few days ago. The mud sinks in between your toes as you nearly melt into the soft ground. The forest around you is lush and green, wrapping you in its warm embrace that allows for a moment of respite from your thoughts.

  The forest is empty, only the gentle sway of the trees and emerald leaves falling to the ground your company. You stare up at the sky that peaks through the canopy of leaves, the stars are out tonight and they burn brighter than you’ve ever seen them. And you wished to climb to the tops of the trees if only to feel the soft glow of moonlight on your skin.

  But that would be a foolish thing to do, a whimsy only a child would fulfill. So you simply stand in the clearing, selfishly hoarding the only spot you’ve discovered that the sky is visible.

  You thought yourself alone, something you covet more often than not. 

  And yet.

  “Forgive me, I did not realize this spot was currently occupied,” a baritone voice sounds behind you.

  Your heart pounds against your chest, the owner of the voice easily recognizable through your deep daydreams. Whirling around quicker than you’ve ever moved, you see King Thranduil standing at the edge of the clearing. He’s lacking the usual extravagant attire he usually dons, instead opting for a slightly more casual outfit. But he still wears clothes that could’ve been woven from silver and gold, the cloth glittering in the dim light.

  “My king,” you say, immediately bowing your head down in respect, thoroughly inspecting your dirtied feet. “I will take my leave.”

  “There is no need, it was I who interrupted you,” he moves further into the clearing and closer to you. His movements are smooth like a cat, his icy blue eyes lazily focusing on you.

  “Yet you are the king,” you reply, voice hardly above a whisper.

  King Thranduil is an intimidating figure, anyone within five feet of him would agree. Not in the way that lady Galadriel of Lothlorien is - her power so great you can’t help but feel suffocated, yet it is her kind smile that soothes even the most skittish. Lord Elrond carries himself with a warm presence, like a father he is kind and caring, but stern as well.

  No, King Thranduil carries a sense of tragedy with him that can’t be masked by his cold eyes or looming figure. He is the shining example of how horrible things could get for an elf when their other half passes. So far gone is he, they whisper, that not even his son can pull him from his melancholy.

  “Then as king, I order you to stay. It would be nice to have some company,” he responds, leaving no room for argument. So you nod your head in agreeance, but keep your head lowered, tracing every speck of mud covering your toes.

  “Would you not even look at your monarch?” he asks, but his voice isn’t laced with anger or malice and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think there’s a hint of humor in it.

  “I apologize, My King,” you say, lifting your head to meet his gaze. Your eyes meet his and for a second, you jolt, a sensation filling your body, something you haven’t felt in years.

  “I have never seen you before. How have I never seen you?” he questions, thick brows furrowing in frustration and confusion, but his eyes remain locked on you, as do yours.

  “Y/N, My King. I just arrived here a few moons ago from the Lorien,” you respond. He says nothing for a few moments, keeping his intense gaze locked on you. And for a brief second, you swear that he could read each and every thought that passes your brain, that’s he seen every memory you have.

  “Well then, allow me to formally welcome you to Eryn Galen, Lady Y/N. Tell me how have you found my kingdom, thus far?” he asks, sweeping his arm out in a grand gesture as he welcomes you.

  “It is very beautiful, My King. The trees are so tall and the leaves so green,” you say, glancing up towards the sky, enraptured by the emerald canopy above you.

  “Do they not have trees this tall in the Lorien? I was under the impression their forest was quite beautiful,” he replies, sharp eyes locked on you.

  “They do but not quite like here. Do not misunderstand me, the Lorien possesses great beauty, the mallorn tree is magnificent to look upon, but Eryn Galen offers a different beauty. I find myself in great need of change these days, it would seem.”

  “Perhaps one day you could humor me and tell me of what would need to warrant such a drastic change?” You turn to look at him, meeting his steely gaze, and he raises a single eyebrow at you. However before you can open your mouth to speak, he turns and leaves. Leaving you behind in the small clearing, and for a moment, your heart starts fluttering in a way it hasn’t in a long time.

  And you turn back around, watching the leaves dance through the sky, free from the confining grasp of the branches. A small smile rests on your face, losing yourself in daydreams you never thought you’d see again.

  “Lady Y/N, how lovely of you to join me,” King Thranduil's voice is crisp and clear, perfectly projecting across the large room. He sits languidly at a chair, carved from wood with delicate engraving dancing on the tops of them. A glass of wine in one hand and the other slung over the top of his chair, he is the picture of ease.

  “It is my pleasure to join you, My King,” you reply, lowering your gaze to the floor once he meets yours. With slow and tentative steps, you move towards the open space to his right, where a glass of wine already poured. Your heart is racing, sweat building up in the palms of your hands as you open and close them. What feels like a lifetime later, you reach the chair, a guard so still he could’ve been a statue, pulling it out for you as you sit in it. 

  “Thank you,” you quietly say as the guard pushes your chair forward.

  “Please, leave us” Thranduil’s voice is commanding and firm, not allowing any room for questions he does not wish to answer. Silently and quickly, every guard in the room filters out. And as their light footsteps disappear, you and Thranduil are left in the room...alone.

  A small burst of courage surges through you, your gaze leaving the fine china it was tracing over and over again to meet his gaze. His eyes are just as icy blue as you remember, but somehow they seem softer than they had been in the forest. Or perhaps the light is playing tricks on you.

  Everyone knows that elves only truly love once.

  Your mouth is dry, nerves suddenly overtaking you. What are you supposed to say; to do? You’ve never spent much time in the presence of royalty, often preferring to stay in the shadows, content with a simple life. Yet fate seems to have other plans for you. Or is this just simply Thranduil, and the gods have nothing to do with his intentions - whatever they may be?

  “Do not be so nervous. Please, drink. The food will be ready momentarily,” Thranduil says, motioning towards you with a wine goblet in hand. You nod, still silent as ever.

  With a shaky, damp hand, you reach towards your wine goblet, grasping the cold metal in your warm hands. Taking a deep breath, you pick it up, bringing it towards your lips. The wine is smooth as it pours down your throat, cool and soothing to the dessert inside your mouth. It’s slightly sweet, not at all holding the bitter aftertaste the wine of Man possesses.

  You set the glass down, turning your attention to Thranduil. He watches you with sharp eyes, an expectant look on his face.

  “It is very good, Your Grace,” you mutter, and in exchange for speaking so quietly, you manage to keep your voice steady.

  “Excellent.”

  You smile, and it’s all nerves and anxiety, closely resembling a grimace rather than a beaming grin. Your heart is fierce against your chest, and you fear in that moment he will hear it. But if he does, he doesn’t comment on it.

  “If I may be so bold, Your Grace, might I enquire as to why you’ve called me here?” Your voice is louder this time, but there’s a slight waver towards the end, betraying everything you feel.

  He’s silent for a moment as if he’s gathering his thoughts, figuring out a way to deliver whatever is running in his mind. You nearly crack, the apology for overstepping your boundaries on the tip of your tongue when he finally speaks.

  "Am I not allowed to simply get to know my subjects?" Thranduil asks, a sly smirk resting on his lips. He brings the goblet of wine to his lips, slowly sipping it. He lowers it slightly so that it rests just below his chin. 

"Of course, but I suppose I'm just curious as to why you've invited me to a private meal with you. Am I correct to assume you don't do this with every one of your subjects?" you say, your eyes wide like a doe, with hands in your lap. Your fingers intertwine with each other, a way to distract you from the anxiety in you. 

  Thranduil continues to watch you, an unreadable expression in his ocean eyes. He inhales deeply, leaning farther back into his chair. After a few moments of silence, he opens his mouth. 

  “I find myself wanting to get to know you better. I find you intriguing.” Your mind turns blank, all sense and reason leaving it. For a moment you don’t believe you’ve heard him correctly, not grasping that a king would be so curious about you.

  “I do not understand, what about me is so interesting? We’ve only met once, hardly having a full conversation,” you say. Your voice is firmer than before, drowning with disbelief.

  “Then it would seem you’ve made an impression.”

  You open your mouth, and then promptly close it, not sure how to proceed. Your heart is fluttering, though due to anxiety. Not this is something… different, a type of nervousness, but not due to fear. A light feeling that also leaves you light with giddiness and not weighed down by dread.

  But it can’t be.

  Elves only love once. Yet the mantra you’ve repeated over and over again seems to be losing its weight, the words no longer feeling as true as before.

  “Would it be alright, if I were to get to know you better, My Lady?” he asks, his voice softer than before, his fair face still neutral, yet less austere than it had been the first time you met.

  Elves only love once.

  And yet.

  “I would like that very much, Your Grace.” Your smile widens, less unsure than before, your eyes shining like starlight. The prospect of something new is exciting yet also terrifying at the same time. You should run and hide, fiercely guarding your already fragile heart like a dragon watches over its treasure hoard.

 Elves only love once. And yet.

  You push aside those fears, in favor of welcoming a chance at a new beginning.

  And yet.

o0o0o

Tags: 

@lunatichaotiche​ | @aearonnin​ | @emiliessketches​ | @vibratingbones​ | @moony-artnstuff​ | @ranhanabi777​ | @kenobiguacamole​ | @ceinelee​ | @thranduil​ | @samnblack​ | @abbiesthings​ | @Strangebananabatranch | @bitter--fruit​ | @keijibum​ | @lifestylesleep​ | @lilith15000 | 

[vizowrites]

“We” vs “Me”| or “Why BlitzStrike Works So Well For Me But Stolitz [as of episode 6].....Doesn’t”

Alright my Loves, so I said that I was going to talk in further detail about my feelings regarding Stolas and the multi-layered portrayal of his relationship with Blitz in the new episode, and today’s the day where that happens!!  First of all, though, before I really get into my feelings about things, I want to just make it ABUNDANTLY clear that I’m not trying to sway anyone from one side to the other, or trying to shame anyone for shipping two fictional characters.  I’m fully in the boat that you are completely entitled to ship whoever you want, but I also think it’s wise to at least be able to recognize the faults and flaws in a pairing--and especially to be able to recognize them in the context of an IRL relationship.  In this analysis in particular, I’m specifically focusing on these two relationships within the realm of the Helluva Boss universe [......Hell] and within the specific context of their characters as they’ve been portrayed in the show thus far.  And, my biggest disclaimer of all: I’m doing this for no other reason than I felt like putting my jumbled thoughts together into a cohesive post so that they don’t have to stay bouncing and buzzing around in my head.  Please keep that in mind that this is just pure personal opinion and interpretation before anyone comes at me with torches and pitchforks.  <3 <3 

SO WITH THAT LONG ASS DISCLAIMER OUT OF THE WAY 

Let’s finally get to the good stuff.  And the not so good stuff.  :D

So I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone who follows me here that I’m a huge BlitzStrike fan.  What I think fewer people know is that when I first entered the fandom a few months ago, I actually was on board the Stolitz train like so many others that I’ve met here in the fandom.  Naturally Stolitz was the first major pairing I was introduced to, and I did find both the characters of Blitz and Stolas incredibly interesting and compelling in their own rights AND saw the potential in how they could really come to grow into one hell of a relationshp over time.  I was honestly really excited to see it happen, too.  

And then I watched Episode 5 [still my favorite episode, btw] for the first time and had this sudden question hit me like a truck that even now is still relentlessly burning in the back of my mind because I still haven’t found a legitimate answer for it: Why in the FUCK wasn’t Blitz falling head-over-heels in attraction to Striker throughout this fucking episode??

And I don’t mean that in a “They’re so hot and I ship them now why didn’t they get together?? DX DX” kind of way--I mean that in the genuinely perplexed “I don’t understand based on what has been presented to me thus far about Blitz as a character and the storyline overall why he’s reacting so nonchalantly to this whole thing”.  To Note: This is me wondering this from the context of what’s in the show itself, not from any extra fan materials like the Instas or Twitter or just straight up knowing that the most likely answer is that there are people on the creative team that ship Stolitz really hard and realistically wouldn’t have probably written Blitz as being attracted to Striker because that would just be--to quote Jack Sparrow--blowing holes in their own ship.  No, this is me disregarding ALL of that and trying to rationalize this with myself from the perspective of a fan whose entire knowledge of the show and its characters comes exclusively from what’s in the episodes themselves.  .....And that’s where I just can’t find my answer, except for the Stolitz positive “He’s not attracted to Striker because he’s in love with Stolas” answer.  Which really doesn’t even feel like a satisfying answer, because the entire vibe I’ve gotten from Stolitz in the show has just felt.....strangely.....off.  Like, the framework is there and the elements are there, but I’d felt as though they had so far to go still that it would be entire SEASONS before they got there.    

And THEN the new episode [Episode 6] came out and I’d heard a handful of fans going crazy because the show was finally addressing Stolitz in full, and I thought to myself, “Well, maybe if the show really is going to go with saying that the reason Blitz wasn’t interested in Striker is because he’s in love with Stolas.....sure.  I’m curious to see how they finally establish it in an episode, especially since there’s only two more episodes left in the entire first season.”  And then I watched the episode.  And then it hit me why Stolitz just does not do a damn thing for me but BlitzStrike does despite the fact that we’ve had 4/6 episodes [5/7 if you count the Pilot] of Stolitz but only 1/6 [1/7] of potential--not even canonical--BlitzStrike:

When Striker talks about Blitz, or interacts with Blitz, he always talks about them as a “we”.  As a team.  A partnership.  OR he just straight up puts the entire focus on Blitz and his accomplishments and keeps himself out of it entirely.

When Stolas talks about Blitz, he always talks about them within the context of “me”--of himself--of what Blitz does or should do for him.  Even here in episode 6, in the most “selfless” instance we’ve seen yet, where he does ask about Blitz’s safety first BEFORE going right back into how Blitz’s actions affect him and what Blitz should be doing in response for him.  Stolas’s focus is always automatically set to himself--and even when it comes to the people he supposedly loves the most.  

To explain what I mean here, let me give some examples directly from the show itself, starting with the Stolas side of things: 

Episode 1

Blitz, in the middle of trying to hide so much that he actually clamps both of his hands over his mouth just to muffle the sound of his own breathing, knowing damn well that this psychotic bitch who already shot him once won’t hesitate to do it again if she finds him.....gets a call from Stolas.  Stolas, who we clearly see from his leisurely hang out time in his bubble bath, is literally watching this happen and is fully aware that calling Blitz right then was potentially putting him in danger. But what does he say when he gets Blitz on the phone?  He offers--not help--but Blitz the use of his book in exchange for monthly sex.  Stolas literally uses Blitz’s peril as leverage here--consciously or not, though given the fact that he knows the situation at hand, I’d find it very hard to argue that he didn’t do this on purpose--just to get him to agree to be his bootycall until further notice.  

Stolas not only doesn’t lift a finger to help Blitz once in all of this--even at the moment where he and Millie are about to be shot in the face--but instead continues to stay on the phone talking about all of the things he wants for their upcoming future rendezvous.  He already got exactly what he wanted out of this and he still just continues to go for more for himself.

Episode 2

.....There are honestly so many fucked up things that happen here as far as Stolas and his relationship with Blitz goes but honestly the thing I want to draw the MOST attention to is actually Stolas’s storyline with his daughter, Octavia.  I know it’s a little left field, but bear with me--this is actually something I want to use as comparison for Stolas’s relationship to Blitz as we go along:

When Stolas first decides that he’s going to take his daughter to Loo Loo Land, he does so while completey setting aside the fact that she doesn’t want to go.  He just offers her assurances that it’s going to be so much fun because he remembers that she loved it so much when she was a little girl--effectively putting his memory above her wishes even as she’s sitting right there and telling him that she doesn’t enjoy the idea of going now.  

Stolas doesn’t actually notice just how uncomfortable he’s making Octavia throuhought their entire trip by spending his time sexually harassing paying more attention to Blitz than he is trying to cheer her up.  This tells me that Stolas--though I do believe he genuinely wanted to do something to make her happy--still wasn’t able to completely overcome his own self-centered tendencies at first even when it’s for her.  And this is the person that Stolas loves more than anyone or anything else in the entire world. It still wasn’t enough.

It’s only when Octavia runs off and completely breaks down that Stolas finally gets the much needed slap-to-the-face of reality to understand just what he’s putting his daughter through--and, for the first time in the entire show, he actually puts someone else’s needs and well being above himself.  It’s the one solid honest display of love that we see from Stolas in the entire show--and it’s how we as the audience come to learn that that’s how Stolas shows that he loves someone: When he puts their needs above his own with no strings attached or expectations of something in return.  A true selfless act just because he loves them.  **Keep in mind the parallel of Stolas carrying Octavia out of Loo Loo Land at the end, and how it compares to Stolas carrying Blitz out of D.H.O.R.K.S headquarters.

Episode 5

The. Fucking. Cigarette.  I had no idea that something so small and quick would be able to infuriate me as much as it did, but the fact that Blitz used the post sex cigarette to free Stolas from his wrist bondage but then Stolas turned around and put the cigarette out on Blitz’s horn which is literally a part of Blitz’s body just.....honestly it sums up exactly what I’m trying to get across in this entire huge ass post: Stolas only ever thinks of himself first and anything pertaining to anyone else just doesn’t cross his mind at all unless you blatantly put it there in front of his face.  And the fact that he’s still at this point with Blitz all the way here in Episode 5 is not.....promising for their relationship.

The fact that Stolas literally cannot stop himself from calling Blitz “Blitzy” or talking to him in such a condescending way no matter how frustrated Blitz gets and how many times he asks him to stop.  I just--how is that supposed to be interpreted as someone talking to a person that they love?  There’s no respect or dignity given to Blitz at all on Stolas’s part, and the fact that it seems to be presented as a “Oh teehee it’s just their cute couple thing” is just.....I really, really don’t like that.  It also doesn’t match with the Stolas in the very next episode which I quite frankly think is because the creators have been listening to the feedback from fans and were like “We need to SHOW THEM that Stolas actually does speak to Blitz respectfully!!” but that’s just my personal opinion there and, also, it still didn’t happen.  

Episode 6 

Keeping in mind that THIS is finally the episode where we see Stolas actually save Blitz from danger and demonstrate even the slightest inclination towards his well-being.....I think that honestly makes the next few things here even more fucked up

First and foremost: “WE”.  The second after Stolas asks if Blitz is alright and gets the assurance that he is, he roughly grabs his cheek and points out that “If you get in trouble, I get in trouble!  WE don’t want that”.  The fact that this is the first time that Stolas ever talks about Blitz in the context of “we”--when really what he’s really saying is that him [Stolas] getting in trouble is going to be a bad thing for all of them--is just.....so, so disappointing.  At least with this I could hope that perhaps the idea here is that Stolas is genuinely afraid that if he gets in trouble, he won’t be able to protect Blitz from the undoubtedly much worse trouble that he would be in as an imp, but still.  The fact that Stolas immediately reverts back to his self-centered perspective so quickly after supposedly being so worried about Blitz’s wellbeing, really makes it seem as though it’s just his own ass that he’s trying to protect.  And that.....isn’t  exactly what I’d been expecting from “the episode that confirms Stolitz is canon” feedback I’d been hearing.

"Am I going to get ANY thank you for the rescue Bltizy?”  This for me was kind of what actually lead to me having this whole epiphany over Stolas’s selfish perspective in the first place.  I realized that even here--even when he’s just been the most “romantic” towards Blitz that he’s ever been in any previous episodes up until now [and yes this shift in his character was incredibly jarring for me because of that]--Stolas still goes right back to thinking about what he’s going to get out of this now that he knows Blitz is safe.  Let’s take this back to that thing I was saying about Episode 2 and comparing how Stolas rescued Octavia and how he rescues Blitz.  Obviously they’re going to be different because it’s Stolas’s daughter vs his hook up BUT just think about where the focus is for Stolas in both of these scenes.  With Octavia, Stolas is entirely focused on making things up to her--taking her to do something she wants to do--even if it’s something that he himself doesn’t fully understand or isn’t fully into.  That doesn’t matter though, because the entire point is that he’s doing something just for her.  It doesn’t have to be about him.  But now go back to the scene where Stolas is carrying Blitz out of the room.  What does he do?  Ask what Blitz is going to do for him.  That just takes the idea that this scene was a confirmation of their love and throws it right out the window.  Stolas--as we’ve been shown before--would never ask for something in return from someone that he actually loves.  

Now let’s take a look at the one and only episode we have of Striker and Blitz interacting together, with an honorary shout out at hallucination!Striker’s appearance in Episode 6: 

Episode 5: 

Striker knows Blitz’s name.....and he uses it.  He’s literally the ONLY other character that we’ve seen so far refer to Blitz as “Blitz” instead of “Blitzo” or “Blitzy” by someone who wasn’t a member of I.M.P..  Aka someone who wasn’t a member of Blitz’s family.  He shows Blitz respect at that basest level, and only builds on that from there going forward.

Striker first recognizes Blitz for being “the bold imp that started his own killin’ biz”.  Not his hotness, not his skills in the Harvest Moon games because at that point he hasn’t seen them yet.....but for his accomplishment in starting up his own successful business down in Hell.  He treats it as an accomplishment.  With the kind of respect that comes with acknowledging another person for their accomplishments.  Right there, within two seconds of meeting him, Striker demonstrates more respect for Blitz than Stolas has yet to do in the entire show.

The Harvest Moon Festival Games.  Now this is something I find fascinating to think about from Striker’s perspective in particular.  We as the audience are shown pretty early on that Striker has a strong desire to be the one who comes out on top.  He likes the idea of being superior and he openly relishes in the praise and attention he gets for being better than everybody else.  ....Except Blitz.  When they tie in the games, Striker doesn’t seem bothered with sharing the spotlight with him at all.  If anything, he--again--respects just how skilled Blitz is in rightfully earning his place beside him on the stage.  That, to me, is HUGE.  I’m not going to go so far as to say that Striker necessarily sees them as equals because I think that might be going a bit too far for his ego but he does still fully acknowledge that Blitz is in the same general class as him: that is to say, better than most.  Worthy of the same kind of acknowledgement and praise that Striker gets.  I literally can’t get over just how big of a thing that is for what we’ve been shown of Striker’s character, and I think it’s unfortunately something that’s incredibly easy to miss or gloss over. :(

And now--for what I personally think is the most significant thing of all--we have: “We”.  How many times does Striker suggest during that final scene between them that he really wants Blitz to join forces with him as equals?  He never demands that Blitz join up with him, he doesn’t threaten him into joining up with him--Striker barely even hurts Blitz at all during their fight scene compared to how he tried to straight up murder Moxxie--and, most of all, Striker continues to acknowledge that Blitz deserves better than his current arrangement with Stolas.  And he’s right.  But instead of putting it as “I’M right and this is why you should do this”, he always puts his focus on Blitz himself, or the two of them together as a partnership:  “You are so above sucking on a a digusting rich pompous Goetia” | “We could be the most dangerous beings in Hell, Blitz” | “You could partner up with me and klll the unkillable--starting with the one that treats you like a plaything”.  It’s just--I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me this long to put together why Striker appeals so much more to me as a romantic interest for Blitz, but really breaking it down episode by episode and comparing the differences in wording between Striker and Stolas’s dialogue when it comes to Blitz is just.....holy shit. 

Honorary ShoutOut of Episode 6: 

The fact that the only thing hallucination Striker has to say to him is “But you don’t want to do things alone Blitzo!” is really, really interesting to me in the fact that he’s.....not......wrong??  Like, To be fair, Striker, RoboFizz, and Verosika all spill their harsh truths, but the thing is.....Striker’s is markedly different in that his wording really isn’t harsh or aggressive at all the way the other two are.  He’s just kinda stating a fact in an overexaggerated way because tripping balls hallucination sequence.  It’s very interesting to me that that’s the worst that Blitz can imagine him to say--as well as the fact that halluci!Striker calls him “Blitzo”, which is really weird considering that Striker’s never called him “Blitzo” once in the entire show.  Makes me kinda wonder where that came from tbh. 

Alright so, in conclusion of this very long and rambly styie post: I want to take things back to where I started by reiterating that this is not me trying to convince anyone that BlitzStrike is “right” and Stolitz is “wrong”, or that you should stop shipping what you’re shipping in the fandom.  This was just me honestly getting way more excited than I should’ve been over having my “Eureka!” moment for realizing why this new episode didn’t put me back on the Stolitz train like it did for so many other people--and why, in fact, it actually made me think even more favorably of the idea of Blitz and Striker being together.  

Thanks for sticking around with me for this very long read, I hope you found it interesting, and I really really hope that it didn’t piss anyone off or rub too many people the wrong way.  Like I said at the beginning, ship who you want to ship!!  That’s part of the fun of being in a fandom.  I’m just hoping that this might help make it easier to understand at least one perspective on why Stolitz is seen as being so problematic as a ship [as of where they are right now].  

Here’s to seeing where things go from here!! 

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Hi! I love everything that you write and heh I am a fan! 😄 tbh this is my first time requesting something on Tumblr! If you don't mind and if I am not being a bother...can you write about how the guys would react If MC suddenly starts making meme references? I don't know how I got the idea but I am REALLY curious. And love you! :D

Hiya! Tyvm for the kind words, and apologies that this took a while! I hope you have the chance to enjoy it regardless ❤️❤️❤️ Love you too, sweet pea! I promise to get to the next request you’ve sent ASAP~

Aight but this would be hilarious because the range of the reactions is just ungodly. I will be putting this under a cut after Napoleon so I don’t clog up everyone’s dash, but all the suitors are included below otherwise! 

Comte is the one that recognizes a few, but didn’t really stay in modern times long enough to be as well-versed as a Gen Z kid might. Regardless he finds the wittiness and absolute chaotic fuckery to be delightful, and will 100% support the harmless nonsense. It never fails to get a laugh out of him

Mozart that first day be like: “Buzz off MC I hate you” MC, because she likes swinging bats at wasps�� nests: “Well that’s not very cash money of you” Mozart: ?????????? Comte, giggling in the bg like the secret fae he is This one’s just because I’m petty, but after the events of Comte rt I just imagine them encountering Vlad again and MC’s just “I lived bitch.” while Comte is flipping him off behind her lkjahgkjhdsg

Comte @ Leo when he finds the latter under his desk: Had it not been for the laws of this land, I would have slaughtered you.  MC: wheezing from the hallway as she’s about to give him his letters

MC: So how was your day, honey? Comte: Good, good--briefly had to go beastmode upon the punk that pilfered my lint roller MC, biting her lip to keep from laughing: So does Leo still have his kneecaps? Comte: for now.

Comte, @ literally anyone upsetting the MC: I won’t hesitate, bitch

Comte: Be careful with my emotional baggage, it’s designer

MC: What if I was evil and ran towards you at very fast speeds Comte: My arms are strong, I would catch and hug you

Leo and Dazai are the ones that don’t have a single reference point but are filled with so much dumbass chaos energy that they just. Understand immediately???? Nobody knows how or why, but they just catch on so fast--adapt the language in a matter of weeks. Never underestimate the power of combined boredom, depression, and humor

I swear to god I just see MC taking them their Blanc/Rouge and being like “here you go sir, one enslaved moisture” and they just go fucking hog wild from day one. MC starts impersonating Theo when he leaves the room around Dazai, like fake deep voice “you all only hate me because you do not like me and I am mean to you. grow up.” Or like the MC meets a baby on her travels with Leo around town and she holds them and says v seriously and sagely “So you are Baby? I have heard tales of your exploits.” and Leo about loses his shit right there. They both think MC is the funniest person alive--they’ve never been more eager to throw a ring at someone in their entire life.

Also a bonus for my beloved Dazai:  MC, facing even the slightest inconvenience (like dropping her fork) in the most dramtic voice possible: Life is not daijoubu. Dazai: wheezing

MC, after watching Theo turn down a woman at the bar in the meanest way possible: bro quit letting the darkness consume you u r scaring the hoes Dazai, literally rolling around on the ground, half-drunk and dying:

MC, walking alongside Dazai and stopping to stare at her reflection in the River Seine. Dazai’s expecting some sad or twisted shit, since people often feel comfortable talking about those things around him, but instead she just: “Oh, it’s you. The source of all my problems.” And he about falls into the river from shock HAHAHA

At this point don’t be surprised if his next book is about an absolute madlad woman similar to MC

Napoleon finds it to be a delightful quirk more than anything? He doesn’t really understand it, but he finds it funny when they change their voice for effect or speak in exaggerated tones. If it’s just comprehensible enough for an outsider to understand--or Sebas gives him context--chances are it’ll send him into a laughing fit

For this one I just imagine MC singing that Ratatouille meme song obnoxiously bad while cooking, and Napoleon and Comte are just so wildly amused by it bc it makes zero sense and it’s only vaguely French at this point

MC @ Napoleon while they’re cooking brunch: Can I offer you a nice egg in these trying times?

MC, conflicted because she’s tired and wanted to sleep in but also got to see Napo’s cute sleeping face for a few hours: For my next stunt, I’ll wake up at 5AM on the day I can sleep in. Sebas: Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise MC: early to bed and early to rise makes me a massive bitch Napoleon: laughing in agreement

Isaac is the type to be bewildered and concerned at first (especially when he hears the more nihilistic ones hoOOOoooOO BOY) but eventually begins to understand it’s some bizarre attempt at humor (that hurts Zack baby). While some part of him laments that it reminds him of Dazai and he’s secretly jealous of how she and Dazai bond over it, he will sometimes join in the chaos when the mood strikes him and he’s feeling mischievous

Isaac: How are you feeling? MC: Oh, I’m not Isaac: seconds from dialing 911 Isaac: Are you okay? MC: Oh yeah dw I just suffer from that syndrome where your neutral expression makes you look like you’re an angry serial killer Isaac: say sike rn

Isaac, tutoring MC and correcting something:  MC, muttering while redoing it: The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math. Isaac: unable to help a laugh

One time MC was avoiding Isaac for fear of hurting his feelings and he just confronts her like: Isaac: back by unpopular demand, me! What’s wrong, MC pls MC was so hecking proud of him

Isaac, telling MC about a recent discovery he learned at uni from another professor: bones typically heal stronger after they’ve been broken--so long as they’re set properly, of course MC, looking him dead in the eyes: So what you’re saying is that I should break every bone in my body until I become superhumanly powerful? Isaac: please do not, no

Mozart and Jeanne are just. Totally lost. Why are you talking like that??? Why are you making “crab hands”???? They don’t understand. Maybe never will. They reach a point where they just kind of laugh and shake their heads, endeared by the oddity after they’re used to it and have determined it isn’t a threat/insult. 

MC: It’s a cold and it’s a brooooken, Waluigi. Waaaaluigiiiii...waaaahluigi..... Mozart: surprised, then starts snickering and playing along on the piano

Arthur, asking MC very personal questions out loud because he is an idiot sometimes: Soooo MC, are you a top or a bottom? MC: I’m a threat. (If he asks a second time, the response will be “Wouldn’t you like to know, weatherboy.”) Jeanne, fighting a smile:

MC, about to punch an asshole: Your free trial of being alive has ended Jeanne, seconds from laughing for the first time in 100 years:

Also, because I genuinely can’t help myself. You know that knight meme like “Parry this you fucking casual.” I cannot stress enough that it is literally the personification of Jeanne’s entire character. I’m not even joking.

Arthur and Shakespeare are utterly fascinated by the rapid evolution of wordplay and the sheer hilarity. They will ask all about these so-called “memes” and ask for examples of them if MC can show them (either somehow accessing her phone or drawing them). MC draws Arthur the knife cat meme and he about a s c e n d s at the hilarity of it all, points and yells THEO IS HOLDING THE KNIFE. He is correct. They will be delighted and follow along eagerly, and--god forbid--will make their own based on late 19th century struggles.

Is this where Shakespeare got the idea for “What, you egg? stabs him” and “You are a saucy boy.”? I’m too scared to ask. Don’t even get me started on “The Fool jingled miserably across the floor.” That one is just too on the nose...

I can’t even imagine what would happen to Shakespeare if MC like translated vines and memes into Ye Olde English around him. Imagine she’s at one of those noble balls and hears rumors of these two guys living together and they’re so obviously gay and he says “And those gents w’re roommates.” And in the most false surprised tone ever MC just replies “oh mine own god, those gents w’re roommates.” Imagine having a wife that’s just as hilarious as you are and hits you with all the force of a bag of wet mice every time you speak in retaliation, he’s going into palpitations.

Every time Arthur does smth stupid MC just: “I Pretend I Do Not See It.”

Vincent is tickled pink by MC’s penchant for finding joy and/or amusement in nearly everything they do, and he smiles gently when he sees them muttering and laughing to themselves. He wants to be able to join them in what they love, but he has a harder time following along and understanding the darker humor sometimes. Mostly gets confused??? Please give him the easier ones to mimic and laugh when he tries--or just include him in your jokes MC. He’s babie your honor...

But he also. Will not. Stand any kind of self-deprecation or borderline verbal self-harm. He’s usually very easygoing and calm, but for whatever reason that stuff makes him go deathly quiet and upset.

MC, after something goes horribly wrong, hugging Vincent: Oh Vince, we really in it now Vincent: giggling a little despite his worries, relaxing

MC: Theo stop simping for Vincent that’s my job

MC, when Theo leaves the room and she gets Vincent all to herself: The evil is defeated.

MC: And this is where I would put my will to live...if I h a d one! Vincent: ;-; MC: oh shit, oh fuck, I was only kidding Vincent wait (MC was subsequently lectured and loved on for many hours)

Theo is conflicted because on the one hand, he loves to see you smiling and having fun. On the other, you’re clowning as hard as Dazai and Arthur and he can only handle so many monkeys in his circus. Most of the time he will roll his eyes and be the straight man of this comedy, but you might find him cracking a smile--or accidentally letting a chuckle slip past his lips now and again.

MC, after meeting Theo: I’m a nice person, but I’m about to start throwing rocks at people.

Theo, those first days: Oh? You’re approaching me? Instead of running away, you’re coming right to me? MC: I can’t beat the shit out of you without getting closer.

Theo: Every time I ask MC to explain “vibe check” to me she hits me with some kind of improvised weapon

MC, after the “incident” (you know the one): This year, I lost my dear lover Theo Theo, in the distance: QUIT TELLING EVERYONE I’M DEAD! MC: ;-; sometimes I can still hear his voice...

Sebastian is last because oh boy. OH BOYYYYY I LOVE HIM. Okay so the way I see this happening with Sebastian is just. So wild. Because at first he’s t r y i n g so hard to be the proper butler man. He does not meme. But then he starts to drift closer to what Niles from The Nanny was, where he’ll quip and joke in private or when the situation is just beyond the amount of absurdity he can handle without making a snarky comment. Everyone in the house can’t fathom how Sebas and MC got so close so fast, but there are points where they’re just “Are they even speaking English anymore???” It’s 11 times funnier than normal because Sebas almost never smiles or laughs when memeing, the deadpan quality of his playing along sends MC every time

Has ABSOLUTELY said “HEY. PANINI HEAD. ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME???” jokingly when MC made a mistake in the kitchen. They laugh about it for y e a r s

MC: I can’t date someone who keeps a lamb as a pet, that’s so weird Sebas, brushing Lotte in front of MC: MC: MC: Okay, I will make an exception because she looks very polite

MC and Sebas, fully aware of the fame some of the men will reach in modern times: We will watch your career with great interest.  (I s2g that’s like half of Sebas’ rt right there I’m crying)

Sebas rt with Lotte be like that 500 dollar Mareep meme: “sometimes a family can be just a boy, his gf, and their 500 dollar two foot tall Lotte”