#i really like them and would draw them more often

[carasspice]

"My dear lady wife, is it really necessary for you to titillate the staff in that way?" asked the colonel as he sat back in his armchair, huffed and puffed on his cigar and stared across the room.

"My dear husband, you may have been a colonel in the army twenty years ago but that does not give you the right to bed our maid every afternoon. If I choose to have a little flirtatious enjoyment with the butler; the window cleaner; or the pizza delivery man I will. What's good for the goose etcetera."

"Pizza? But we don't eat pizza." he stuttered and puffed another cloud of his foul smoke into the air.

"You may not my dear, but your wife has certain needs that require a younger man's energy. Shall we leave it at that or do you require a more detailed explanation?"

"Oh rather. We may not get together so often these days but the maid appears happy enough and I do enjoy your exotic tales of debauchery. The colonel gets a little steamed up with the intimate details, however the moments that push my steam to the limits are when I have your frilly panties on my head, you have your hands on my knees with your underskirt high up your back and his todger is plunging relentlessly into your delightful derriere. Watching your ample titties swing back and forth as he plunges deep ... oh my word. I do so enjoy those times, such fun all round."

"As I am only too well aware and your good lady wife is happy to share such intimate moments, however my dear man, may I remind you that you were going to advertise for a younger butler, Atkinson is 78 and simply cannot get it up any longer. Johnson will be finished with the windows very soon, I will be heading upstairs to my bed chamber for the remainder of the afternoon should you care to watch us, otherwise you will have to wait until tomorrow for my summary."

"Atkinson has been in our employ for generations my dear, I will not exchange him for a younger model but why don't you book Johnson for additional work, would that suffice? I'll call him in to discuss possibilities."

"No you won't my love," she replied as she stripped to the waist, lay back and watched Johnson staring in between the blinds, "I believe that should I be able to offer him suitable rewards and make it worth his while, he may agree but that will depend on his other commitments, shall we say three afternoons per week or would you prefer me to have him in the mornings so to speak?"

"Quite so my love, there's nothing quite like a happy and fulfilled marriage in my opinion, mornings would be preferable as I hate to be disturbed when I have the maid in my hands. She is so supple and full of cuddles and squeaks when I catch her."

"If you say so my dear husband but I suspect that she catches you, you never were the quickest around the bed chamber."

"Hah, I confess that she has a few years advantage in that respect. While we are on this topic, I have a draw full of her white frilly panties, is it out of order to return them or what should I do with them?"

"Perhaps you should ask the girl later, I'm sure you will collect another pair today. Ah Johnson, I see you've finished and I have a proposition as long as you don't mind the colonel watching us cavorting from time to time."

"No milady, does the colonel prefer the bedroom, kitchen, library or in here?"

"Mister Johnson, the colonel would be delighted if you will kindly attend to her ladyship's bottom at ten o'clock sharp each Wednesday if you please as I am to be at my club by one."

"Variety is the spice of life Johnson, obviously Wednesday will be in the study with the colonel's presence es always, what would you say to Monday, Wednesday and Friday at ten o'clock. Terms will be agreed I trust, shall we go upstairs and commence our negotiations?"

xxx

[thyfleshc0nsumed]

how do you find public spaces to fuck (re:the rooftop + dyke)?

sincerely, horny lez

Good question, I will answer it in this response eventually, but first, you have to sit through me intellectually jerking myself off for a moment because I think it may provide some useful perspective.

Public sex has been part of my life for as long as I've been having physical sex at all. As an adolescent it was mostly out of necessity, but these days it's mostly out of convenience. The vast majority of the sex I've had in the last year or two has been public.

I think it's important to clarify that for me at least, public sex is not an act of exhibitionism. If there's any sort of philosophy behind it besides sheer utility, I'd say it's something like not allowing our society's mores and hangups around sex and privacy dictate the terms on how and where we (especially as gay people) engage with our sexuality.

I think there's this gut impulse many people have--including many gay people--around public sex, and I think it speaks to the reactionary view of human sexuality that is unfortunately the stock standard in these times. For many, the idea of people having sex in public gives them some sort of 'ick' that they can't seem to articulate.

Often discussions around public sex are framed like this: "if I walked in on people having sex, it would make me uncomfortable, I didn't consent to that, so people should not be having sex in public." It would be fairly reasonable to experience discomfort in this imagined scenario--in fact, I think most people probably would--and that discomfort isn't a problem. The problem is that the premise assumes a few crucial points, notably that 1. Walking in on public sex is a common occurrence and/or the desired outcome for those engaging in it 2. Discomfort is a form of harm 3. Exposure to (non-hegemonic) human sexuality is capable of causing some kind of nebulous psychic damage to the witness.

To the first point: in my decade or so of regular public sex, I can only think of one instance where I was actually walked in on. It was an alley off of a major road and probably only at around 1030p. I mention this because we absolutely would have chosen a different, more secluded location/time if we were doing anything other than fully clothed kink and maybe some kissing, because again, the goal for most is not exhibitionism; no one really wants to be walked in on, so we choose locations where it is less likely that we will be.

To the second point, I have little to say besides that it simply isn't. Discomfort is an everyday part of life and is something all people experience regularly without calls to stop every potential source of it. So what is it about this topic that makes people react this way?

This leads us to the third point: non-hegemonic modes of sexuality are treated as degenerative and caustic and therefore must be hidden (or eradicated) entirely from the public sphere. It is the classic double standard; think of things like the "Don't Say Gay" or "DADT" laws or more broadly the attempt to remove even the mention of the existence of gays from curriculum. Most of the people who fight for such measures likely don't take the same issue or action with a 48 foot billboard for the local strip club or with a heterosexual couple kissing on screen.

And while the spot that people place the line may differ greatly, this ire against public sex still draws from the same well of reaction against perceived degeneracy that the fascist draws from. If this is not self evidently a negative thing to you, I have little I can say to convince you.

Some may be thinking 'okay, even if it is not harmful or degenerate, why do public sex?' To me, it is just as strange that so many keep their sex lives confined to the home and I could posit the same question. Neither way of doing things is any more natural or unnatural than the other, one is just the societal default. If it would bring you joy, why not engage in public sex?

The world is large, and if you know where to look, there are countless spaces you can carve out and stake the pervert's claim to. Alleyways, parks, bathrooms, rooftops, and beaches are the first to come to mind for me. To answer your question directly, you find them by making them and taking them.

Time is a large factor here as well. A given spot in a park at 9p may not be suitable, but might be more so by 11p, and even more so by 1a. My experience is that the later it gets, more spots become viable with less heavy precautions.

Another factor is coverage. An open field is riskier than behind a tree. The middle of an alley is riskier than behind a dumpster. You want to limit the amount of vectors through which you could be exposing yourself. I value coverage from sight lines over seclusion.

Something else you want to think about is whether or not you are on private property. If you are, it's possible that there are security personnel sitting in a car somewhere nearby or a resident who notices you. At that point, the issue is not even the sex, it's the fact you're there at all.

Finally, you always have to be ready to dip. Be aware of your surroundings as best you can, listen for cars and people, don't get too caught up in the moment that you're blinded. You gotta be ready to pull your pants up and walk quickly away. I'd rather be safe than sorry. If something's not right, get outta there. If you can't, well, don't have your dick out at least.

Anyway, all that to say go out and have fun. Good luck and enjoy yourself. The world has room for you to fit yourself into.

[wachtelspinat]

do you have any advice, resources or practices you recommend for making your art more expressive? I adore how you push expressions and body language, and the way it keeps its weight is phenomenal! I wanna learn how to do that, too!

hey thank you so much <3

one of the most important things that i've learned on my way and that i've kept in my mind ever since is what makani states in [this post] sometimes i go into a drawing and just try to construct it bit by bit, only to realize that the eyes don't fit the mouth etc... then i remember to treat it all as ONE expression and (second very important lesson incoming) i erase everything and start anew (i know it feels bad to just delete a sketch of a head (you don't have to delete it right away, you can always just take another layer) but believe me it not only saves you tons of time, you also learn more when you just start over from scratch. the thing i do is as follows, i keep the bad sketch open and try to figure out what i don't like about it, and put extra focus in those areas in the new sketch. like i think the eyes were too dull in the first try? the solution is to draw them open even wider, turn up that expression a nodge, try to "bend" it). i know this sounds exhausting, you might think isn't it easier to just try to fix the first sketch? i thought so too for many years, but believe me, if you don't like it, start a new one. you will always be amazed on how good it can turn out (and, as said before, the benefit of analyzing your own art and trying to figure out what went wrong and fixing it in a new attempt is HUGE.)

third thought on this is "don't be afraid to push the boundaries". like i grew up being a huge ren & stimpy fan as a kid, i love classic cartoons, i love exagerated expressions so much, eyes popping out, sweat drops flying around, over the top visualisation of feelings. that's my shit (pizza tower i'm looking at you). then on the other hand i also love things feeling palpable and real, hence the weird mix of my style i guess... what i want to say is: don't be afraid to push your expressions a bit. not only is it fun, with the right balance it really adds to it all (in regards of body language and facial expressions likewise).

and last but not least, so important: use references. i often take photos of myself doing weird gestures just to see how the mouth or the eyes would look like for a specific expression, how the nose wrinkles, how the shoulder come up when trying to visualize that someone is tense etc etc. use ref, please, not only photos but also drawings, try to figure out how other artists translate certain gestures in their art, how can you stylize this (everything ofc without copying directly from them... like for personal practice everything is cool and chill, but respect the rules of the artist community)

it is hard to pinpoint down how everything we do in our art lives comes down to what we draw at the end of the day, like everything i post, how it looks, is the result of almost 2 decades of drawing with a purpose, but i hope this helps a bit.

[fxckn-sxck-fr]

Oh well, since you encouraged me... Something that's been on a mind since I've read your older brother!Dick I just keep thinking of the incest potencial... Even with the more than controversial ages

���𝐈𝐒𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍…

!!! 18+ THEMES, DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT, GN reader, fauxcest, age gap, toxic dynamic, noncon, making out, disgusting touching, brief hints of sexual content, general yandere fuckery, manipulation, kind of grooming(?), controlling behaviors, poor reader trying to cope so hard.

GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA—

Don’t worry, pooks, I saw all of your other asks about this idea and I’ll try to remember to hit all of the points you bring up. I just wanna keep it all in one place.

ALSO, ALSO, ALSO, LIFE WITH OLDER BROTHER ENJOYERS. HEY. HEY. LISTEN. If you’re not fucking with this ask and you don’t want the wholesome platonic dynamic you conjured in your brain ruined for you, DO NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER. LIKE, AT ALL. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You literally clocked me so badddd. Yes, the undertones in that series are 100% intended. I’m not gonna add anything overtly incestuous, but like… the subtext is there for the freaks to pick up on. Platonic incest where the lines blur every now and then, I love you so much.

Anyways, lemme get to yapping for real.

If we’re going to vaguely follow the Life With Older Brother series, Dick suddenly being so friendly to you would be… a little bit jarring. But try to think about it from his perfective: he wasn’t really there for Jason, and the thought of failing another younger sibling is too much to handle. Maybe he’s just trying to be more present for you. As weird as he may come off, you should at least give him a chance.

The beginning isn’t all that bad. Even if he’s relatively new to the older brother thing, you can tell he’s trying his best, and dare you say it, he’s actually fun to hang out with. Playing video games, going out for ice cream, trashy movie marathons… it almost makes you forget about those weirder behaviors. Almost.

Now, one thing you quickly noticed is how touchy-feely he is. Whenever you’re together, it seems like he’s always got sort of body part touching you one way or another. Sometimes, it’s subtle: a knee resting against yours, a very quick head-pat, his hand brushing against you as he gestures at something. Nothing all that noticeable unless if you’re very sensitive to touch. But then there are times where it’s a little more… overt. Like when he slings an arm around your shoulders. Or when he holds your hand while out and about. Or when pulls you against his side by your waste when it’s a crowded area. Every now and then, you find yourself wondering if this is normal. Do siblings usually touch each other so often? It kind of makes sense, but… considering you haven’t even been siblings for a full year, should he really be this comfortable around you yet?

If you think you can set boundaries with him, good fucking luck. He might’ve made it seem like he was hearing you out, but it won’t be long before he’s back at it with the touching. Okay… maybe this is something he really can’t help. As annoying — and weird… and uncomfortable — it may be, you’ll probably just have to suck it up and get used to it. Some people are just very handsy. But not like that! Oh my god, no. Dick’s Nightwing; a good guy, for Christ’s sake. He would never do anything like that!

(… Right?)

Here’s the thing about platonic physical affection: how weird can it get before people finally draw the line? Is it forehead kisses? Hugging someone by the waist? Having them sit in your lap whenever the opportunity arises? Are any of those things actually weird, or does Dick somehow make them weird? Because, yes, he still most definitely acts like an older brother — he certainly teases you like one, and you constantly have to fight against the urge to bite him like a feral weasel — but the touching… well… maybe familial affection is just a concept foreign to you (thanks in no small part to Bruce), but Dick somehow makes it feel like something else.

And you’ll admit; you don’t actually know what that something else is. All you know is that you’re pretty sure big brothers do not do that gentle, extremely intimate thumb-stroke thing to their little sibling’s face before a forehead kiss. And they also do not come up from behind their little sibling for a hug.

And the lap thing?

That was probably the turning point.

Because what older brother has their little sibling sit on their lap while watching TV? One hand on your hip, the other on your thigh… he’s doing that weirdly intimate thumb stroke thing on your bare skin, and all you can do is sit there and think, oh… I don’t like this. If you’re brave enough to ask him what he’s doing, he’ll play dumb. Hm? What do you mean, kiddo? He’s not doing anything… what are you talking about?

Before you can even begin to express how uncomfortable you are, however, his fingers start toying with the hem of your shit. You’re acutely aware of his knuckles brushing against the flesh of your torso, sending an uneasy shiver up your spine. Dick’s no stranger to touching your waist area, and while you still don’t really like it that much, you’ve gotten used to it. But this? Something about the actual skin on skin contact makes you freeze up entirely.

“You know,” Dick would thoughtfully begin, “I’m probably the luckiest big brother in the world. I don’t think you realize just how cute you are, (Y/N).”

His hand then inches its way up your shit.

BadbadbadbadbadbaDBADBADBADBAD—

Don’t bother fighting back. Don’t bother yelling at him. Don’t even bother squirming as he gently begins to run circles into the skin under your shirt. His grip on your thigh is like iron, holding you down to his lap and making any struggle futile. In fact, if I were to venture a guess, you’d probably be too petrified to even move, the shock of the moment rendering you completely immobile. This was supposed to be your big brother; yes, he’s a bit weird and overprotective, but he’s still your fucking big brother. And while your knowledge on big brothers may be extremely limited, you know for a fact that this is crossing a line.

Your faces become closer and closer until his breath is ghosting against your lips. “I love you, kiddo. You know that, right?”

You don’t dare to offer him a response. Hell, you don’t even know what you could say to that. The only thing filling your brain is the brazen warning bells screaming for you to get the fuck away from him. Except you can’t. For whatever reason, your body’s frozen in place, limbs weighing you down like heavy ice blocks.

You can’t move.

You can’t fucking move.

And, of course… he takes advantage of that.

By the time his lips softly plant themselves on yours, it’s too late. The lines between platonic and whatever the fuck this is have long been crossed, and you can never go back to pretending like everything is normal between you two. All of the subtle warning signs you opted to ignore were now blaring in your mind like loud sirens, almost mocking the fact that you didn’t fucking trust yourself.

This can’t be happening. This absolutely can’t be happening. You thought of this creep as your big brother; was this really the same guy that helped you with homework and let you play games on his laptop? Was this really the same guy under the Nightwing mask?

While the kiss evolves into something a little more passionate, he doesn’t take it too far. Just a gentle make-out session with roaming hands. He ends it by holding you against his chest, seemingly content with just occasionally peppering kisses to your face for the next hour or so. Neither of you say anything during this time. Even if you want to yell at him and demand why the fuck he did that, you’re too shocked to even form a coherent thought.

The man you thought could be your big brother is a massive fucking creep.

You think you’re going to be sick.

He doesn’t go out for patrol that night. Instead, he simply picks you up and carries you to his room, dressing you in his clothes for bed. You’re still trying to process the humiliation of letting this all happen as he slips you under the sheets with him and cuddles up to you. Sleep doesn’t come easy to you that night. How the fuck could it? Not only do you have that stupid fucking kiss haunting you, but now you have this sicko’s hand playing with the waistband of your shorts (his shorts), and god. You’re not sure how you didn’t throw up then and there.

So. What happens afterwards? Well, first off, no more phone. Dick’s not an idiot; he knows the lines he crossed that evening and would rather you not call Bruce or Alfred or the police. You’re also not allowed on his laptop unless if he’s supervising you, and your ass is not going outside anytime soon. Then we have the gross shit… yeah, now that he’s had a taste, he’s gonna be all over you. It won’t go that far just yet — he’d rather ease you into that territory, much like what he’s been doing before — but it can get a bit steamy. At least for him. You might still be grossed out over all this or whatever.

You know what the worst part is? He still has the audacity to act like your older brother. It doesn’t matter how many times he touches you or forces you to kiss him: he’ll call you kiddo through it all and offer to play some video games afterwards. In fact, are times where you both return to your previous sibling banter and you can almost convince yourself that things are totally fine. There you go again, falling for his meticulously set up trap.

This new dynamic might take some time to get used to, but Dick will try his damned hardest to make it seem natural. So what if Big Brother sometimes wants to pin his cute little sibling against the counter and leave love bites on their neck? Sometimes, it just has to happen. No harm, no foul. This could be normal if you stopped being so weird about it, you know.

And, you know what… you may find yourself finally accepting that this is your new normal. What else are you supposed to do? You can’t call anyone, you can’t run away, you can’t even fight back because he was trained by fucking Batman… you sure as hell don’t have to like it, but maybe you can make peace with it. This is nothing more than an annoyance from your big brother. That’s all. It’s not him grooming you. It’s not him taking advantage of you. It’s just him being a little irritating at times. Ignore the urge to throw up… ignore how your skin crawls whenever he’s near you… every sibling has their flaw, and being a total creep is Dick’s.

You’d probably begin to despise Bruce a little, too. Did he know how fucked up his former ward is? Or is the exact same way? Guess you’ll never know, because the man can’t even bother to check up on you. He essentially took you out of the system and threw you into the den of a wolf, subjecting you to a new personal hell you can’t even escape from. And Alfred… you thought he actually cared. Is he not concerned about the sudden radio silence on your end?

You really can’t help but wonder if anyone even thinks about you outside of the apartment, and with Dick being in control of what information he feeds to Bruce over the phone, all you can do is guess at this point. In the meantime, Big Brother just came back and needs a hug… why don’t you come on over to the couch, kiddo?

Ugh. There are so many fucking directions I can go in from here. You mentioned Bruce (or eventually Tim) becoming suspicious and finding out what’s going on, and GRRRRR. SO GOOD. SO FUCKING GOOD. I need to write a blurb about this. It’s so addicting. I just had to get some of the base ideas on this out because this concept has been marinating in my brain for way too long. I’m not kidding, I was going to actually explode if I didn’t get to talk about this. I NEED MORE OF THIS TYPE OF SHIT.

[lost-in-fandoms]

putting vibes out there that there are not enough jealous/possessive!daniel fics in the maxiel canon https://www.tumblr.com/rb19/728566875373682688/f1-grand-prix-of-malaysia-october-01-2017?source=share

You are of course very correct and every time this moment gets brought up to me i go a little insane so i wrote this the other day in like. 2 seconds.

One thing that everyone says about Max is that he mellowed out with the years.

He came into F1 as a hot-headed teenager, aggressive on track, brash off it. Of course, people who really knew Max had always seen the shyer, softer, parts of him, the gentle smiles and the caring gestures, but as he had grown older he had let the harsher exterior crack a little, letting a bit of the squishier parts of him through.

People don't tend to say the same about Daniel.

The meaner voices called him washed, past his prime, the kinder ones called him more patient, more measured. But Max had known Daniel then and knows Daniel now, and he can say that between the two of them, Daniel is the one who mellowed out more.

Max remembers the fights they used to have, harsh words and harsher voices, all passionate pride and venomous jabs. He remembers the tense debriefs, the insults flying.

Of course, at the end of the day everything would get resolved, but the aggression was always there, just under the surface.

The same aggression that came out when they kissed, bites drawing blood, coppery taste blooming on hungry tongues. Hands leaving red imprints on skin, nails raising lines, fingertips pressing bruises.

It wasn't always like that, but it was like that often enough that it's most of what Max can remember about their thing back then.

Hazy memories of being pushed to his knees and choking on dick, of hands wrapping around his wrists to hold him still, of hot breaths against his ears, growling litanies of you're mine, only me, only this, mine mine mine.

Now, Daniel presses the words like kisses on the divots of his hips, brushes them feathery soft on his jaw, licks them against his rabbiting pulse point.

He's gentle when he opens Max up, loving and mellow, giving Max one, two, three, four fingers with languid patience, and their kisses don't taste like iron, but just like each other, intertwined and melted into each other as they have been for years.

Sometimes though, when Max has his face pressed against the pillow, burying wanting sounds in fabric that smells like home and not like a hotel, Daniel's hand will press against the back of his neck, fingers digging in just for one moment, and he will be thrown back to another place, another time, another life.

And Max will come, a Daniel from the past hissing in his ear is the accent enough to get you going then?

[scarletdreamers]

Hannibal & Fashion I

How to dress like: Hannibal Lecter (but feminine) > An explanation to the essentials and character of his iconic style.

We all know that Hannibal is nothing short of an absolute fashion icon. His outfits are always perfect, down to the details. He knows how to blend shape, colour and patterns in an old-fashioned yet innovative way like no other. Which is, for many, very refreshing in a world of hoodies and light wash jeans.

For Hannibal's style there are a few key characteristics I had to keep in mind. If I had to describe his style in a few words, I would say it's elegant, sharp, formal, expressive and aristocratic.

All his suits, shirts, trousers, are perfectly tailored. He pays a lot of attention to silhouette and the way his clothes accentuate the lines of his body. His suits have a sharp and intimidating yet smooth and refined shape. The shoulders, trouser-legs and ratio of his ties, waistcoats and lapels are geometric. They are razor-sharp, while around his waist and thighs the suits are much softer. They draw attention to his body. Hannibal is a proud man who isn't afraid to show his good qualities off. His body is one of those and isn't afraid to get his clothes perfectly fitted, so that they reveal everything and nothing at the same time.

Hannibal isn't afraid to incorporate feminine touches into his outfits, so I imagine if it were to be the other way around, there would have to be traditionally masculine touches like suits, overcoats and old school uniform-ish aspects.

Inspo:

So, if you want to copy his silhouette, it's important to work with the ABAB ratio, as I like to call it. Wide at the shoulders, tight at the waist, wide at the hips and slim from legs down. The contrast between a refined waist and a top that's big, pointy or puffy around the shoulders is perfect.

Hannibal's look is all about elegance and generational wealth and standard (he is a count, after all). In his day-to-day outfits we often see him incorporate traditional, royal details in his outfits. He wears all kinds of top quality fabrics (loads of great wool, linen, silk/satin for his ties, velvet and even leather). Texture is very important in his style. And so is detail. At operas, fancy dinner parties and other elite gatherings we often see him wear cufflinks, which are beautiful pieces of jewelry that still have a masculine feel and can be worn even by men who usually don't wear accessories. At one dinner party Hannibal wears an ASCOT TIE! (second picture above) Which is really revolutionary, because even though they were very common with the aristocracy and other high society in the late 19th century, almost no one wears them anymore, let alone styles them right. Hannibal however takes these pieces and makes them WORK.

Inspo:

If you translate this to key aspects for your style, at first looking for high quality fabrics is important. They are more expensive (most of us are not anywhere near Hannibal's budget range), but they are worth it because they make you more conscious of what you buy and will still be good pieces after years. As I mentioned, go looking for wool, silk, linen, etc.

Also, what would a Hannibal Lecter inspired wardrobe be without patterns? My top picks would be: pinstripe, monochrome plaid, subtle houndstooth, and of course classic floral patterns or even paisley like his ties! Anything that looks like a Victorian era wallpaper will work, to be honest. (Our king of classy patterns)

Inspo:

The cufflinks and dramatic ties made me come to the conclusion that a more feminine variant of that would be elegant and noticeable yet fitting jewelry. A statement bracelet or necklace, for example. The same goes for bows and neck scarves. A bow or a neck scarf could be a good solution if you're not a fan of ties. (Neck scarves are amazing, I own multiple in different patterns and they can make the most plain outfits interesting!)

Hannibal wears a lot of very formally appropriate clothing, even in his casual outfits. Despite his style being 'exotic' and noticeable, it still is very neat and modest. He wears suits and nice long sleeve shirts always buttoned to an appropriate point even during summer. You would never catch him in shorts. Some people compare the way S3 Alana dresses to the way they imagine Hannibal would dress if he was a woman, however, I think that Alana dresses too bold for Hannibal. Her colour palette is too bright and she wears a lot of lacey, almost lingerie-ish tops. Hannibal's palette contains more muted colours. A lot of different colours and patterns, yes, but they are always in muted/darker shades. Even the whites and light browns he wears aren't really ''light''. The only thing really vibrant I remember him wearing are his beloved, spotless white shirts.

Inspo:

So, personally I'd go with longer skirts or straight leg/slim trousers. Not too wide. Suit jackets that don't reveal too much and slim and notable but appropriate shirts. Maybe a turtleneck here and there. Nothing Hannibal wears is really ''baggy''. When he is wearing a looser shirt he pairs it with well fitted pants (the cooking scenes). There's always balance.

Don't wear obvious logos! Yes, Hannibal wears loads of luxury brands, but you would never catch him buying a Gucci tie that actually has the Gucci logo on it. Brands can cheapen the look of a product, despite popular beliefs. And plus, with Hannibal it's all about the piece of clothing itself, not about the tag it comes with.

There's a few small and specific things that you should 100 percent incorporate in your wardrobe if you want to dress like him, which are:

A pair of nice leather gloves

A white button-up

Leather shoes (oxfords, loafers, anything with a classic academic and italian feel to it. There's plenty of beautiful loafer heels on the market, I own a vintage italian pair and they're the most comfortable heels to ever walk in)

A good knit sweater for casual wear! Brandless, though Ralph Lauren has some that really fit the vibe

A classy watch with a slight vintage yet modern feel

And a transparent murder suit of course, but I suggest you are a little more careful buying that ;)

Colours are also quite interesting. Go with a lot of deep, jewel-toned colours. Loads of greys, browns and whites, but not too much black. Try to stick to deep greens, royal blues, burgundy & wine. A lighter pop of colour such as light blue, coral or purple are also appreciated, as long as precise thought has been put into the colour palette. Colour theory works in clothes, too!

Before we round it all up, I would like to talk about his truly formal looks, as well. I'm talking opera and such.

It's nothing other than social etiquette for a man to wear a tuxedo to a black/white tie event. Opera and high-class parties often automatically classify as one of those. Hannibal is a man of etiquette, he wears his tux. However, it's the details that make him stand out. When everyone else wears black, he wears deep blue or green velvet. He wears mother-of-pearl cufflinks on french cuffs and patterns on his (bow)ties. His truly formal style is minimal, but still special because of the fabrics and details he choses. He makes sure there's always these little elements that make him stand out from the crowd.

Inspo:

So, if you were to imagine this in the form of dresses, you should go for dresses that are minimal in details, but classy and a little vintage in shape. Maybe a jewel as detail here and there, but it's mainly about the fabric and the shape. About an asymmetrical neckline, an unusual way of draping, gloves, just something extra. Don't go for anything too sexy or revealing. Instead go for chic and sleek, maybe bare shoulders and no straps. This draws attention to the collarbones instead of the breasts. Look for dresses that expose, for example, your neck or your arm. It makes an outfit classy and mysterious.

No matter how good his clothes look on him, Hannibal's style will never not feel a little out of place in modern society. Because honestly, who (except for Parisians and New Yorkers) wear such formal three piece suits to get groceries? Hannibal's style feels a little too vintage, a little too royal, and a little too pretentious to not be noticed on the street, but then again, Hannibal likes standing out. He isn't a trend follower, he's a trend setter. He has his own personal style and what he wears only makes him more charming of a personality. He's a fashion muse, certainly in his circle of highly cultured friends. So, don't be afraid to draw attention! I like to think that Hannibal and Oscar Wilde share the same opinion on overdressing: which is that you can never be too overdressed or overeducated. One of the most important aspects of Hannibal's style is that he doesn't follow the mass. He wears what he feels best in, and his clothes reflect the confidence and power that comes with that.

So, dress stately! Dress elegant, dress like you're a member of the royal family, take that button-up you reserve for special occasions and make it a daily statement! The most important thing when dressing like Hannibal is confidence. Your clothes are a way to show off your style, intellect and originality to the world, because we all know Hannibal is far less intimidating in his prison jumpsuit than his own clothes ;)

Should I make this into a series? Is there any interest in other characters?

Anyway, thank you for reading <3

[vignirek]

Wukong + Macaque headcanons (part 2)

Wukong:

- Wukong's drawing style is akin to classic paintings, while Macaque's drawing style is anime + cartoony

- his body temperature permanently became warmer from the furnace and he became less susceptible to diseases bc the heat kills the bacteria before it can do anything + he has developed an immunity to most diseases due to his stacked levels of immortality (though maybe there's still a small percentage where he can get sick somehow)

- never saw the need to learn how to cook food bc fruits were available all the time (and he can also use his hair transformation + duplication powers whenever he wants, so he never lacks food)

- his clones are pretty much direct copies of him and function like a monkey hivemind in a sense

- whenever he feels really lonely, he rolls up a blanket and curls up next to it while he sleeps (and pretends it's Macaque bc in those moments he really misses him + they used to hug each other often in the past and he misses that as well)

- dancing was his and Macaque's mutual favorite activity (it's also the only thing he was able to do without stage fright getting in the way bc Macaque was there to keep him grounded); secretly he really wants to do it again but doesn't know how to approach Macaque with everything that happened

- Wukong is an extravert, while Macaque is more like an ambivert (basically an in-between or a combination of traits from both sides-)

- has kept Macaque's personal belongings from the past in very good condition to this day and still looks after them (in spite of how angry he is at Macaque, he can't even fathom the thought of throwing them away, so he just keeps them tucked away in safety instead)

- Wukong was pretty much Macaque's dance partner in the past very often, so consequently, Macaque frequently joined in to draw with him (and even posed for paintings on occasion)

- besides his standard outfit, he typically wears gender neutral clothes (and occasionally wears skirts) (monkeys have much less of a gender difference than humans so I doubt he'd care about which clothes he wears due to growing up with his monkeys)

- he and Macaque liked to give each other small gifts: Wukong would gift bird feathers and Macaque would gift flowers (Wukong preserved most of those flowers in tree resin, while Macaque made the feathers into necklaces or head accessories)

Macaque:

- knows how to play multiple musical instruments but his preferred picks are dizi (horizontally held flute) and erhu (two-stringed bowed instrument), though he hasn't gotten a chance to practice much in the present; he also sometimes practices his singing in private

(yes he typically gets headcanoned to have a love for theater- but I wanted to do something different bc technically Macaque never touches anything theater related ever again since "Shadowplay" in canon)

(also bc I like to imagine Macaque singing Alejandro Saab's covers of songs for silly purposes) (also i just like to think that he has a good sense of rhythm even without his ears)

- likes to watch anime in his free time (his artstyle is canonically anime-like so I think he'd like anime too- idk which series he'd like though)

- forced himself to learn how to prepare food during the years of not living on FFM (it's at least implied that post-resurrection he was absent from the mountain for some time and only came back there sometime before season 4); eventually picked up a more varied diet bc he couldn't afford to be picky and only eat fruits like he used to

- much more likely to get sick than Wukong due to him being more "mortal"

- his clones overall have distinct personalities to them, but Rumble and Savage gradually developed more than the rest and gained their own personalities and thoughts overtime (they just happen to look like shadow copies of Macaque) (though maybe they chose to shapeshift at some point and changed their own looks to suit their preferences)

- optional/limbo headcanon (a.k.a. one i like but not fully sure about): self-enforced (and a pretty bad) habit of covering/hiding injuries out of his need for independence (and possible trust issues)

- struggles with sleeping after all the things that happened since season 3 (and the events of S5 indirectly made his insomnia worse)

- optional/limbo headcanon 2: typically a confident person but his insecurities get to him during particularly bad days, he's often very quiet and prefers to hide under blankets during those times

- he usually goes through the day with his sensitive hearing just fine but can still get overstimulated in some cases

- would probably have a massive playlist of songs he likes if he knew how to use music apps

- usually prefers practical clothing, but he does like to wear accessories (scarves, bracelets, necklaces, etc.) - Wukong gifted Macaque a few paintings during the time they were still close and Macaque has kept them to this day (like Wukong, he can't convince himself to get rid of them because they're still precious to him, no matter how bad their current relationship is)

[laseracronym]

SFW Alphabet (Aizawa Shouta)

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He's pretty affectionate in his own ways, but it's more subtle in public. In public, he's not much for kisses and hugs, but he'll let you hug him. Mostly, he keeps close to you, drawing near enough that you can feel the heat radiating from his body, walking close enough that your hands or shoulders brush. He leans in close to you and speaks in soft tones just so that he can be in your space.

In private, he's very hands on, cuddly. He'll squeeze your hip as he walks by, put his arms around you from behind and push his face into your hair. He'll gently take your hands and ask about your day, he could spend hours listening to you, if only he had the time.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Very loyal and protective. Shouta is dedicated to the people he cares about, no matter if his feelings are romantic or platonic.

You'd probably get to know each other through hero work, as that takes up a large portion of his time, so you would either be a hero yourself, or involved in the industry in some way. I think you'd have to be a bit persistent in order to become close to him.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He's a big cuddler, especially if it's a prelude to a nap, he loves taking a nap with you. He likes holding you close and resting his head on your chest. You'd be his personal pillow.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Marriage never really crossed his mind, part of him doesn't think he's capable of settling down with a partner. He's used to being on his own, putting distance between himself and others. I think for the right person, he would find himself considering more (when he falls, he falls hard) and it would lead him to reevaluate his life and his priorities.

I think he's pretty good at cleaning. Clutter can accumulate, there's always worksheets and paperwork left out and he's not the best about tidying up when he's so tired, but since he's so minimalist with what he owns it's not egregious. If not tidy, he keeps things clean, what needs scrubbing is scrubbed, the washing is washed.

He can cook very very basic meals but he's mostly a takeout/microwave/jelly pack fiend.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He'd do it in person, and be very blunt about it. He wouldn't try to be mean but he can be awkward with his feelings and he'd be pushing forward a stoic face to hide any of his own hurt feelings. Not the worst break up to experience, but not the gentlest either.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

I think the concept of commitment to him is more the promise between two people than the ceremony itself. That said, marriage appeals to him from a practical standpoint. He doesn't want to have to go through hoops to be by your side in an emergency. As soon as he realizes in love with you, he'd want to get married for that reason alone.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He's very physically gentle with you, especially if you're not a hero yourself. He always worries he's too rough with you, even just holding you close, like he might squeeze you too tight.

Emotionally, he's very blunt, he doesn't sugarcoat things. He's never been one to soften the blow. He tries, though, but it's a work in progress. He's also very awkward when it comes to vocalizing his affection. He has surprisingly tender, poetic thoughts about you, but the thought of voicing them makes his tongue twist in his mouth and his hands sweat like he's a schoolboy all over again.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He likes hugs in private, bringing you into his arms whenever he has the chance. His hugs are warm, tight, and prolonged. You can feel the tension seep out of his body the moment he has a hold of you. He'll press his face into your hair or your shoulder and breathe you in. He won't let go for at least a minute or two.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

A long while after realizing he's in love. He can be awkward with his feelings, and putting his heart out for someone else to see in a way that's so upfront and vulnerable would be surprisingly intimidating to him. There's not a lot that scares him, but saying "I love you" that first time would be terrifying.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He can get a little jealous, but only if someone else is actively hitting on you. If that happens, then he comes up to loom behind you and gives the other person a look that says "back off" and it's pretty damn effective. If you bring it up to him afterward, he'll act like he has no idea what you're talking about.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are slow and tender, unhurried. It's like he's trying to savor the taste of you. He loves to press a kiss to your temple or the side of your head, letting his lips rest there as he soaks in your presence. He appreciates any kiss from you, of course, but he's especially fond of when you kiss his stubbled jaw.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He's great with kids, though it perplexes him. He's always sure that they'd be scared of him, but kids have a way of sensing a good soul and they see it in him.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He's not always there with you when you wake up, unfortunately. He's late to bed, early to rise. When he does have the morning off, he's impossible to wake up, rumbling and grumbling through your attempts to rouse him like a bear in hibernation. He's also very stubborn about you leaving the bed, he'll lay himself partially on top of you to keep you in place, pulling the blankets tight around the two of you and pressing his face into your collar bone. You'll just have to resign yourself to your fate, not that you're complaining very much.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights with Shouta are usually spent inside. Usually you both are together in the living room, talking or watching a movie or just cuddling with each other. Sometimes, you go out with mutual friends if they manage to convince Shouta, but a quiet evening at home is more his speed.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It's very slow, bits and pieces over time with the occasional long talk in bed (he's always more open in the dark of the bedroom). It takes him a while to even start to open up, even once he trusts you. He's just used to locking pieces of himself away, not poking at the things that hurt him.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He doesn't get angry very often, especially with you unless you do something reckless that puts you in danger, but then that anger is a mask for his concern. More often than anger, he gets irritated and snappish when he's overstimulated. If you're ever threatened or seriously hurt, that might be when you see actual rage from him, but not towards you, obviously.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He's very observant and remembers a lot of the little details about you. More than observant, he's genuinely interested in you, so it's easy for him to pay attention, to remember. It's through remembering these things that he finds another way to express his care, because his words often fall short (or at least he feels they do).

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The first time you held hands, that first contact, the first time he let you into his space and accepted your touch. He remembers how soft and small your hand was in his, the racing of his heart, the nerves that threatened to cut off his breath. He remembers the warmth that bloomed in his chest, the irrational, fuzzy, poetic thoughts that filled his head.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He's very protective, maybe a little overprotective. If you're also a hero, he has your back in the field when he can, he keeps up to date on your activities and is willing to drop everything should you need backup. If you're not a hero, he'll make sure you have at least a little self-defense training for when you go out, he does everything he can to make sure villains don't find out about your connection to him, and when he's out with you, he's always at least a little on guard (another reason he prefers evenings at home)

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He's not one for planning dates or big romantic gestures, but he does pay attention to important events in your lives, especially if they're important to you. He's good about the little things, gifts and gestures and just making sure that he's contributing to your lives together. He remembers your favorite orders from restaurants and treats you like and runs a bath and gives you a massage when you've had a long day. He's very thoughtful.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He's really bad about looking after himself. He puts everyone else before himself and doesn't know when to quit. You will be up worrying some nights.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He doesn't care about his looks, the only thing that's close to an exception is his facial hair. He likes having a bit of scruff and he hates the occasions where he has to shave it all off.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would. He didn't understand the concept until he fell for you, but suddenly he got it. You became an irreplaceable part of his very being, and it's as thrilling as it is terrifying to think about.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He truly, honestly doesn't care either way about having a wedding, but if you do have one, he will cry a little.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He doesn't want a partner that treats him too much like a "project". If a partner's too interested in changing core parts about him, then he's out.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He loves a good nap, he can sleep just about anywhere at any time. He can somehow tell when the chaos around him is something that needs his attention or not, seemingly choosing when he can sleep through it.

(Let me know if there are any other characters you'd like me to do this for! I might do the NSFW version as well :3c)

[noahs-blue-jeans]

Unspoken Moments

Desktop means title! this is a long one btw

I've been thinking about the unspoken moments between Byler which brings to mind that, for Season 5, they've cast young versions of Mike, Will, and Jonathan. I'm not the first to speculate that we'll be getting some Lonnie scenes, nor the first to probably suggest this, but I wanna parse it out anyway.

I think Mike and Will may have done something gay without realizing it, and Lonnie and Jonathan found them. Lonnie first, even. What could they have done? Any innocent thing lonely young gay boys would do: caught holding hands, sharing a space very closely (looking at Will's drawings in bed together perhaps). Any number of things that a fuck like Lonnie clocks as fag behavior.

And I think this could be the inflection point in both boys' sources of trauma, in regards to their internalized homophobia. A trauma that Mike took further to heart which didn't break until seasons 3 and sort of 4, when he becomes the way he is in those periods.

Parents are also, despite popular belief, not often stupid when reading their children. Lonnie is horrible and Ted Wheeler is a lame ass bitch, but they are still correct in clocking their sons' queerness the same as Joyce and Karen, who of course have a loving and accepting approach. Joyce is most explicit in accepting Will, and Karen gives Mike The Speech that many queer kids get from their well meaning parents, a big signal that she knows Mike loves will as more than just a friend.

Alongside this moment at 8 years old, I think both boys have become increasingly aware of how they behave with each other, and other moments may have happened off screen that we could see in S5 flashbacks.

Even in the 80s, little gay boys knew they are gay and liked their best friends. I have no doubt Mike--as much as Will--is aware that he loves his best friend romantically. You know how you feel about people, even at a young age, and in the moments of Mike's solitude, after spending time with El and playing at kissing, you cannot tell me he doesn't instead think about Will. That he doesn't think about when they'd play together, or watch movies just them, or when they would sit close and look at Will's drawing together. That fingers or knees would touch and they're too young to really notice the implications, but they know they like it and each other.

This, to me, adds to the many explanations for Mike's behavior in seasons 3 and 4, and why he begins to come around by the end of the latest season, since he's old enough to be physically unable to deny it anymore, and beginning to accept that he and El won't work because of how he feels about Will. I like to imagine that those few times Mike's calls got through, he and Will would exchange a few pleasantries but then they'd sit there in silence, not even realizing they're listening to the other's breathing. A tension felt across the continent, sure as the sun sets in the west.

This freaks them both out, we don't see it, and instead we see Will coming to terms with his feelings as best he can by way of The Painting; Mike, in contrast, puts on a false persona to hide from these feelings.

In conclusion! I think these two shared some unspoken, unseen moments that we will soon get in flashbacks and Vecna Visions, and we will see these boys go on the journey of accepting them and finding power in the love they've always shared.

[elendsessor]

ngl i think its so important how the metaphor cast feels like a found family both in comparison to atlus’s/studio zero’s backlog and the general jrpg landscape

repeat after me: metaphor is not a megami tensei game.

this being said, there was definitely some influence because of the devs working on it, though this is due to the gaming landscape. save for indie titles, you’d be hard pressed to find a studio, especially one owned by a big company, to even be given the chance to make a new ip. atlus in particular has a history of financial flops, which is actually why the sega merger is so important. without sega, no matter how successful persona got, they would have died out in the 2000s/early 2010s. this is also why they lean on persona a lot more. of course, persona isn’t the only influence behind metaphor despite the big names having worked on modernsona, as some of its dna draws from traditional fantasy rpg tropes and digital devil saga. however, this has influenced how the game was approached on several levels, as diverting too much could have caused the game to flop. metaphor hinged most of its success based on studio recognition and marketing, and considering how persona is atlus’s cash cow, it needed to take every advantage it could get.

metaphor can definitively be best described as experiencing some first game syndrome pains + development hell complications, but in general, its plot and especially character dynamic writing seems to have been an exercise for the studio they couldn’t get while sticking to persona. no matter how you feel about the series, there’s no denying that, particularly with p3 onwards, it became a very mainstream-influenced anime rpg, filled with tropes and fanservice galore. only issue is how this alienates potential players. everything wrong with persona’s team writing is one reflected throughout the genre because it was made to fit that genre.

the anime rpg market is over saturated, the fandom reputation didn’t help, and to be honest, like many jrpgs in general, the party relationship falls into the trap of having minimal group chemistry outside of a shared goal, leaving them to not truly feel like a collective group of friends once the big bad goes down, especially if there’s a punching bag. as such, there seems to be plenty of reevaluation of how topics and characters are handled in order to attract a new player base turned off from the genre.

and that’s probably why i love the approach to metaphor’s main cast the most. while all end up having a shared goal aka we need to kill that fucking twink, they’re really initially brought together because they’re societal outcasts one way or another, then grow to like each other overtime due to exposure breaking down several barriers.

the biggest example for me is how heismay begins to shut down his perception of paripus after the eht ria arc, as its the first time he hears about what was actually going on the day his son was killed—there was an uprising from a tribe often forced into slavery and becoming lab rats, and unfortunately, an innocent bystander got caught up in it.

his relationship with basilio is really interesting in that regard tbh. there’s a growing respect once he and fidelio decide to help them out in defending other innocent kids caught up in a mess, and i think seeing him lose a loved one really put into perspective paripus aren’t inherently violent. sure, the magnus brothers were on louis’s side because at least fidelio believed might makes right, but having the courage to not abandon morals just to people please? takes a lot of guts.

that’s really where that respect starts to be gained even if it isn’t obvious. by the time the final day rolls around and they help hold the line? heismay actually being nice to basilio and even saving his life feels earned.

junah’s also really important. while initially from a shitty place and not holding sanctist beliefs or at least the extreme parts of it, given how she gets taken into a powerful family, finds success really easily despite her tribe, plus a lot of special treatment from every major group really gives her that unintentional superiority complex. she only goes along with will because they’re both from the resistance, initially treats him like an assistant, and one of the first things she says on the runner is denouncing how it isn’t up to her standards.

it’s another quiet background development in that it’s subtle, but she does end up challenging her worldview upon meeting eupha. being raised in an entirely different culture only to start seeing parallels in terms of faith being warped, causing unnecessary loss of life? that’s why she came to the conclusion she wants to help. this isn’t mentioning the follower ranks, furthering that understanding of how not everyone gets the same treatment as her because of things out of their control.

also noticed how everyone loses someone close and how at least one team member fills that same gap. extra bonus points for gallica because what’s this? a navi character that isn’t beating up on a single character and even then comes from a place of caring, praising those when they deserve it and showing worry when things don’t go as planned?

not a lot of games have this close knit relationship gained, usually only sticking to a couple characters liking one another and everyone liking the protagonist. it’s refreshing. the writing team deserves so many kudos for it it’s insane.

[wesleysniperking]

I'm really looking forward to the backstory spotlight of the Red-Hair Pirates! (if we get one that is).

Given the revelations about Shanks, it’s mind-boggling to see how he inspired such deep loyalty in renowned figures like Benn, Roux, and Yasopp. I really want to explore how each of them earned their notoriety. Although people often hesitate to draw parallels between the Red-Haired Pirates and the Straw Hat crew, I believe it’s important to emphasize how much Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp differ from and resemble Shanks’ commanding officers.

I admit I might be a bit biased, especially regarding Yasopp and Usopp, but if the Red-Haired Pirates receive more focus, fans will surely go crazy over what they've overlooked. I would love to see Shanks, Benn, Roux, and Yasopp have a moment reminiscent of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp’s “walk to Arlong Park,” presented through flashbacks of their origin stories.

[bogkeep]

okay i Finally. finished wind and truth

first i wanna preface that maybe i should've waited to read/listen to this book until i was in the right mood for it, and until i had some better Quality Audiobook Focus Time (which is usually when i work with clocks at school) instead of scattering it piecemeal throughout my winter break. at least the second half i've been listening to while assembling watches at my practice placement, which has worked very well.

as for the Mood, i just haven't been vibing that much with brandon sanderson's work lately, not because it's Bad or anything, it just hasn't been scratching the right itch. i still feel dismayed with all the worldhopper business and the MCU feel that they invoke in me. i also feel like the last two books have had more of a pathologizing bent to them, bringing contemporary psychology into a high fantasy world in a way that feels Weird. i loved the first three stormlight books so so much and they didn't feel Like That, i think. granted, i also read them for the first time before a kind of. uh. a period in my life that for better or for worse changed who i am as a person, and my tastes in stories might just have Changed.

i think the two first books especially have a much more limited scope, and stayed very close to their worldbuilding, which was a huge draw for me in the first place. but with the introduction of more and more Cosmere Lore and Off-World Characters it has gotten harder for me to keep up and keep invested in the larger plot, like... first we establish a lot of rules and now we insert elements that don't follow the established rules so keep up!! same goes with the modern psychology aspects - inserting concepts from our contemporary culture, particularly concepts that our perception of which changes frequently as we learn more about them, into a world as alien as roshar, just. feels intrusive! obviously i think roshar should have therapists, but it seems incredibly odd to me that nobody on this planet has "invented" therapy in any form for thousands of years. idk. i don't know how to feel about kaladin's therapist arc! thematically, as a synthesis between his medical identity and his military identity, i'd buy it. he's always been inspiring and has experience overcoming bad brain times. but in practice... idk!!! idk. i think angling it explicitly as therapy made it weird to me.

it was similar with shallan's plurality - book three had her accepting her plurality, and book four had this incredible intro with her being open about it, changing her hair color to indicate who was fronting, veil making friends with kaladin and adolin as her own person, i Loved That So Much. but then the book got like, Really medical and clinical about it, like you can tell the author talked to some people for increased accuracy, but it... mh. reducing shallan's alters from their own people to "no we are Purely a coping mechanism who only exist as training wheels to you" made me so sad. like, Thematically i understand why shallan's story is taking the integration route, but it made me so sad to fridge veil over it! like, several characters in these books get arcs centering about accepting their personhood and their right to exist in peace and make their own choices, but veil and radiant Don't Get That because the story hammers in that they're Just coping mechanisms. i would personally much have preferred that for shallan's character development, they relinquish their burdens to her (her Memories and her Violence) and then they could stay and exist and find identities beyond those burdens. maybe that's a radical take but it is my take

ANYWAY sorry that's a lot of lukewarm dismay. here's things i enjoyed:

- ace jasnah !!!! jasnah is ace.

- i really liked kaladin's, dalinar's, szeth's and adolin's arcs !

- genuinely dalinar is an incredibly written character and his arc over all five books is really really good and i think about dalinar moments often. i love that he has changed so much and still finds new ways to change. i can't believe it took like five books for me to go "wait is the way of kings just The Bible. is this an allegory for the bible" and even then i still think it works so so well. like i think his story would rule even if it was just straight up the bible and nohadon is jesus

- kaladin and syl dancing together <33333333

- very happy for renarin and rlain congrats to them

- the more i think about adolin's arc the more i love it. i love that he lost a leg Possibly Permanently. i love that he had a Privilege Revelation in the middle of a life or death fight. i love that he forms bonds with spren without oaths that rules so much

- gavinor as odium's champion was an inspired choice!!!!! i'm sad that he got sidelined so early when things could get soooo juicy

- i am So pleased szeth fired his spren. i am also very pleased that his spren got character development

- oh god when i realised szeth's mental illness arc was moral ocd. yowch (complimentary)

- szeth's story in general... man !!!!!!!

anyway that's what ive got for now. my freshest impressions straight from the oven

[lesbx]

things that the walking dead (and zombie media in general) have to pretend doesn’t exist/can’t work/ doesn’t mention/avoids at all costs because if they didn’t, it would negate a lot of problems (not uhm actualying 🤓 i’m just pointing out things i like analyzing :3):

chainlink fences are genuinely not really possible to push down with human strength and in fact are often designed with the express intent of resisting a massed effort to do so (in the case of the prison fences) so while not invulnerable, they are by no means a meager defense against even an extreme number of zombies

reaching an island would be basically the best solution possible for achieving safety since even if it has zombies on it, its a finite space that can be cleared eventually and then it’s good forever. characters will often mention this but it’s almost always immediately scoffed off as a pipe dream that can’t even be pursued and not talked about again (bc it’s too good. it’d be boring.)

the overall effectiveness of things like bite sleeves or even just tough work clothing, not even actual armor but just thick materials, that would prevent the majority of lethal bites. the crushing force could still hurt you depending on where you get caught, but it wouldn’t break the skin or get infected. it wouldn’t help if you were being torn apart by a dozen of them but against any one of them, it would massively lower the risk if one grabs you

like islands, mountains are also a really safe bet if they’re steep enough since you could seal off roads that lead up to create a safety bubble, and generally have a better idea of where any could be coming from since they can’t climb. the very first camp in season 1 is on a mountain and it gets run over once and as far as i remember they never even try it again

finding functional and even gassed up cars would not be hard even years into the apocalypse. there’d be millions sitting in driveways and on main roads and all throughout towns, all for the taking basically anywhere you’d need one

same thing with guns and bullets. especially in america, in GEORGIA for crying out loud, there would be tens of thousands of these to find in any given place. more than anyone could realistically scavenge or hoard

the effectiveness of leading and drawing out zombies with sound or bait is not used as much as you might think because it’s too smart and negates basically all tension of exploring an abandoned area because it’s not interesting if the characters just get rid of the danger beforehand. even if people in any real life situation would absolutely want to do that

[beef-brisket]

In one of the many grand rooms of the monastery, Adam stood by a large, oak desk as Lucifer went through the many draws.

Adam's never been down this end of the monastery, let alone been in any of the rooms. If he wasn't feeling like he was sinking into a deep sadness. He hasn't felt this down since his parents first forced him to dress in a nuns outfit.

But to hear his father wants him hurt? Isn't he broken enough? Why does he wish such pain on his son, who's done nothing to him? His parents have ruined him for anyone, everyone he's met has been mean to him in some way, and they allowed it. Encouraged it, even.

Maybe they do want him dead? He couldn't imagine why they would want him alive after everything.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Adam walked around the room, looking for a distraction.

He looked at the mantelpiece that was above a large fireplace. It was almost obnoxious how large it was. This would easily heat this whole part of the monastery, but no. They're using it for one room. For one person.

Lucifer occasionally looked up from the papers he was reading. Everything so far was filled with extremely juicy information, like embezzlement and inappropriate relationships. One of the older nuns has a drug habit. But nothing was as interesting as watching Adam.

His eyes followed Adam around the room, and he quickly caught on to the different mannerisms the man displayed.

His arms were wrapped tightly around himself, like he was trying to keep himself together, he would avoid any mirrors, and he would often shuffle his feet to stop his high heels from clicking on the ground.

Lu: Adam, do you know a sister Vagatha?

Lucifer noticed how Adam jumped when hearing his name. He quickly turned around, eyes locking with Lucifer's. He could almost taste his fear.

Adam knew the name all too well. She was one of his tormentors. But no one believed him, especially after she saved a few children the last time they went for a grocery run in the nearby town. The side of his face started to burn, like he had been pushed by her all over again.

Adam: I- y-yes. Why?

Lu smirked and held up a piece of paper: Her and another sister are in a relationship.

Adam swallowed his jealously. It must be nice to be loved by somebody: Oh? That's... not allowed. But good for her.

He gave a small smile, it's more than he wanted to give her.

Lu hummed: You could use that against her, don't you think?

Adam: What-?! Use- against her-? N-no, no, I don't... want to hurt her. Or her partner. She... deserves love. I'm happy for her.

Lu: Hm. You really are a saint, aren't you? After all she's done to you... and you still want to protect her. Oh well, I don't think it would have done much, unfortunately. Her relationship with Charlie is on file, so someone must know.

Adam perked up at that: Charlie? That's... Lilith's daughter.

Lucifer: Oh? Amd Lilith is...?

Adam: One of the faculty members. This must be her room... no wonder there's so much expensive make up around.

Lucifer: Looks like she's protecting her daughter.

How is it someone as selfish and self-centred as Lilith could love her daughter more than Adam's parents love him? Not that he's surprised, Charlie is basically a living rainbow. She's never been mean to him, but she doesn't step in, either. Not that Adam would want her to, she'd most likely get in trouble.

Adam: ...That's good. She's a sweet girl.

Lucifer couldn't believe it. This guy didn't seem to have one bad bone in his body, even though most of them were broken by years of... psychological abuse? Physical? Who knows.

I also really love Nun Adam. But this time let him be a real nun and Lucifer come up as the devil looking for a new human bride 👀

I'm weak for aus like this.

I love nun!Adam au's!

Maybe too much.

Who am I kidding? There's no such thing. I'm so keen for this btw!

Let's start a new rp!

[cherryozyi]

It's been a while since I've drawn these two inanimate objects.

[ricky-mortis]

Hatchetfield @femslashfortnight Day 2: Retro