#i think there's other people that can provide much more entertaining interactions of that sort

[oaxleaf]

i know my a mag a day stuff has floated away a bit from actual in depth analyses and more into, idk, personal philosophy sessions? and although it's always still rooted in the actual episode, i'd like some feedback on whether i should tone it back a bit? because on one hand, i still want to keep it tma related, but on the other, what i really do love about tma (especially these later parts) are the philosophical and ideological questions presented. and as subplots wrap up and i don't want to reiterate the same thing over and over again, it's getting a bit harder to pure focus on the episode contents, but i'm wondering if i'm straying a bit too far away?

[adelheidvonschicksal]

KNY Vongola crew x Yor-like Fem Reader platonic! S/O is pretty much the only Varia member who’s not hostile towards Tsuna and his friends, even genuinely being nice and welcoming to them. I think Tsuna as a boss would be a bit relief if there was at least one Varia member who’s cooperative.

Tsuna Sawada

You’re his favorite member of Varia. Though, that isn’t hard to be considering how the other members of your team are—loud, angry, downright scary.

He feels much more comfortable when you’re in the room. Tsuna knows at the end of the day, Xanxus is the one in charge of your faction of the family, and he needs to learn to deal with the violent man but it’s so much easier for him to ask you to do that for him, often leading to Reborn telling him to man up about the situation.

He prefers your methods of teaching others. You’re usually so patient, so he’s even more surprised about how strong you actually are—he doesn’t know why. He guess it’s because of your sweet nature, but then he remembers that you’re a cloud guardian—like Hibari—then it becomes more obvious that he should’ve realized how strong you were beforehand.

Hayato Gokudera

He doesn’t trust you. Go figure. He doesn’t really trust anyone in Varia further than he can throw them after the entire Ring Battle incident.

Even if you came after that incident, it’s still hard to trust you. It isn’t until you help the family in the future that he comes to have some level of respect for you.

Too bad your cooking is only better than his sister’s. You might trigger his PTSD when you offer him something to eat.

Takeshi Yamamoto

You two get along great! He’s one of the members you’re more familiar with since he was training with Captain Squalo for so long.

Takeshi likes you too, and he’s the first to vouch for you when it comes to interacting with the family.

He also tries to teach you how to cook. Luckily, sushi is one of the few things you learn how to make because it doesn’t require a stove much.

He’s definitely called you Mom by accident at least once.

Ryohei Sasagawa

Like Gokudera, he’s a bit wary of you at first but quickly warms up to your sunny nature.

Loves your cooking because it fits all his macros as a boxer. He also likes to spare hand-to-hand with you when given the chance.

He’s willing to help you with a lot of things, and he’s usually very polite to you because you remind him of his younger sister.

Overall, he has faith in your abilities when it comes to being on the battle field with you.

Hibari Kyoya

He didn’t show much interest in you at first. At least until he learns from Dino that you’re the new Cloud Guardian for the Varia. Then, he’s much more interested.

The giant machine they had masquerading as a Cloud Guardian didn’t provide entertainment for him, so he’s curious to how strong you are. To put it mildly, he wants to fight you any and every chance he gets.

He’s impressed at first that you manage to last much longer than the Gola Moska; and the next thing you know, you’re in some sort of rivalry with the other Vongola Cloud Guardian.

You don’t mind though because it’s fun to get your energy out with him, and he kind of reminds you of yourself as a spunky kid. And frankly, Dino thinks you might be just as crazy as his student is under the sweet nature. At least it stops the Bucking Horse from getting attacked instead.

Chrome Dokuro

She feels comfortable around you as another female member of the family. You’re also sweet spoken and protective of her so she feels like your family.

You do sweet things for her, like helping her with her hair, or giving her fighting advice.

However, she can still be a bit shy sometimes due to your affiliation with Varia but she does appreciate you.

Mukuro Rokudo

Unfortunately, he doesn’t carry much opinion of you.

He’s curious to the degree that he’s curious about all things, but he hasn’t marked you as someone of special interest. You’re strong but so are a lot of people.

However, he does appreciate that you’re kind to Chrome, so he has a decent relationship with you when it comes to his vessel.

Lambo

Since he’s still a little kid, it’s easy for him to adore getting your attention and having you take care of him. He feels much safer when you’re carrying him.

However, when you fight, you scare him very easily to the point he’s scampering away from you, and you have to work to get back on his good side and to remind him that you’d never hurt him like you would the enemy.

It takes time for you to learn how to get really small kids to like you, especially after feeding him some not-so-good food on accident. It’s a work in progress.

[write-like-wright]

sorry if i'm answering your question in the wrong place, i'm still not entirely sure how actually talking to people on tumblr is supposed to work lol

i think a big reason why so many people like ace attorney even when they haven't played it is honestly, probably vibes. the ace attorney characters are all brilliantly designed, in that you can tell their personalities based simply on the way they look. combine this with weirdos who don't care about spoilers, and you get fans who haven't played any of the games. i can see someone becoming a huge blackquill fan from fanart or something, and then extending that to the other characters as well. or they really like the idea of gay lawyers, and like to see content of them being gay (honestly fair). there's also a lot of entertaining youtube videos out there (*cough* objection funk *cough*) that can be enjoyed even without knowledge of the series (even if they should probably play it before watching videos about it), which definitely adds to the whole 'vibes' thing. i've noticed that your blog posts a lot of screenshots of the characters saying silly things, or being sassy, or acting gay, etc. so i could see why even people without much attachment to the ace attorney series as a whole might interact with you specifically, it's just another silly thing to laugh about. you're pretty good at adding the right (wright) amount of context as well, and your tags provide a more personal insight into the screenshots, so if i had to imagine it from the perspective of someone who hasn't played any of the games, following your blog is sort of like a more structured version of listening to a friend in the other room yell at you excitedly about the series (i mean this in the best way). you said "what do people get out of out-of-context screenshots" or something to that effect, but although they're out-of-context of the rest of the trial, the jokes make perfect sense on their own.

sorry if that was a bit long and rambling, but those were all the reasons i could think of.

guys, someone with 500 iq actually explained it!!!!

honestly, thank you so much for sending me such an in-depth reaponse. this is one of those things that i simultaneously get and don't get based on how i personally function as a human and interact with media. to me, this is like being a fan of a movie series without ever having seen it and that's not something i could ever relate to, but i suppose different strokes for different folks.

[quetzalpapalotl]

I joke a lot about how Tarantulas has terrible taste in men and rebounded with Overlord because he's good in bed and willing to go along with his kinks yadda yadda. But in a seriousness I think him going with Overlord does make sense.

What do we know of Tarantulas interest in Prowl? Tarantulas likes the way Prowl sees the world, the way he schemes and manipulates because Tarantulas thinks their similar. Tarantulas sees the entire world as his scientific playground, something he can poke and see how it reacts, but he had no specific goals. Prowl gave that drive a focus.

But Overlord really is the same as Tarantulas. He's equally unashamed and driven to enjoy himself in the most unconventional ways (there was truth to the jokes). Just like Prowl, he's detached to the world in a way that reminds Tarantulas of himself, except he doesn't have Prowl's pesky little problem, which is that Prowl doesn't actually enjoy the way he himself is. Overlord has no qualms. So surely, even though Overlord is completely self-serving, he won't betray Tarantulas because he has no reason to if all Tarantulas is doing is providing entertainment. (Please note that despite their partnership, Tarantulas is not foolish enough to think Overlord wouldn't harm Verity just because he asked, so to protect her for Springer's sake, Tarantulas just distracts Overlord).

Not to mention that Overlord is just a great learner and good at everything. He can't replicate Tarantulas' engineering, but he can follow along Tarantulas' explanations and provide commentary. And then, he was actively trying to appeal to Tarantulas because he needs him, so when Overlord says that he's totally down to mess with the war and see what chaos erupts, why would Tarantulas doubt that? Overlord loooves messing with people.

That's another thing, Tarantulas favorite objects of study is the Cybertronian war itself, to which Overlord can complement his perspective. Mmm how to explain it, they're both very detached from other people, but Overlord actually puts himself in the scenario and messes with them. He had a more intimate understanding of how people work than Tarantulas who studies it from a distance. Overlord took control of Garrus-9 by the fact that he's Overlord and unbeatable, but he still designed a structure for his rule to perpetuate his rule on it and the torture of Autobots. That sort of thing would appeal to Tarantulas, I think. Tarantulas set him to play the role of Megan Guiglione to mess with the Cybertronian intervention on Earth and Overlord played the role perfectly.

There is something to be said however, about the fact that Tarantulas is far more willing to bicker with Overlord than Mesothulas ever was with Prowl. I mean we only see so much of their interactions, but the dynamic seemed to be that Prowl would need something and Mesothulas was happy to come up with something in response. With Overlord he actually goes and says "no, this is how we're doing things". Which honestly, probably has to do with how after Prowl's betrayal he wasn't willing to just follow along anymore, not even with Prowl. But yeah, it seems that even then, once he got a taste of connection, he couldn't help but crave it.

[rosehearrt]

do floyd and trey or jamil gogogog

ACCEPTING ━ Give Me a Character;

Floyd Leech.

How I feel about this character

Floyd is hands-down one of my favorite characters. I love so much about him, from how he interacts with the world around him to his personality, which ( mood swings aside ) can go from goofy to terrifying in seconds. He's so much fun, and his child-like way of expressing his enjoyment is precious. The gap-moe between that and his role as a member of what's basically an in-school gang and his appearance of a member of some sort of fish mafia gives me life. He's the best boy!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Obviously Riddle is my number one. From their manga chapter to in-game moments, the shipping hints are ridiculous. I think they're so hilarious because they go so far beyond opposites attract. But I also think Floyd would be really good for Riddle, because when he feels like it, he's incessant about things, so I think he would be the type of partner who would be really good at teaching Riddle to loosen up and that it's okay to just take a break and have a good time.

I also ship him with Kalim, just because I think their interactions are really cute. That one unfortunately doesn't go too deep for me jgdhrsej but I love every piece of fanart I see, and I love the idea of Kalim's never-ending happy energy being like a jumpstart for Floyd's bad moods ( i.e. really good for getting him out of them ). I think he'd give Floyd as much attention as he wants and would support him and adore him in ways Floyd isn't used to, since he's usually the one getting in people's faces with his attention!

Honorable mention for Idia. I think Floyd and Idia is a hot ship lmaoooo.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Floyd and Jade, obvi. What more can I say? They're great. I haven't liked a pair of twins this much since the Hitachiins, so,,, it's been years.

Floyd and Azul is wonderful too! They seem to have a complicated relationship ( Azul seems to have one with both twins ), where, imo, Azul seems to question their friendship often/think that whatever they have could be easily ended if the twins get tired of him and decide he isn't providing suitable entertainment anymore. It's the prey holding the predators on a leash which is kind of awesome, even more so because the predators are letting it happen. But then, going beyond that, there's something very genuine there since they've all been together since they were kids. It makes me happy.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don't really have one ( I don't think ). Maybe that he isn't stupid? I know that's a fact given the canon material, but certain parts of the fandom like to portray him that way which isn't something I enjoy.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I really want to be able to have a look deeper into the family life and childhood of the twins. I want to see why they are the way they are, because out of all of the other non-housewardens, they seem to be seriously inherently screwed up somewhere. And that's even taking Rook into account, because while I can see Rook portraying certain obsessive traits and maybe a hint of sadism at time, most of that seems teasing, and he seems to have a large heart behind all of it, whereas Floyd and Jade seem completely self-serving and are liable to wage psychological warfare on others ( Jade ) or get just plain violent ( Floyd ). I also want to see more about their relationship with each other! I know they love each other and care a lot, we've seen that part is genuine. But I want an even closer look. How similar are they? Does this ' love ' they have for each other extend past self-interest? In other words, would they sacrifice for each other or put the other above their own selfishness? I'm not sure, but I'd like to see.

[swayaminfotech]

7 Amazing Ways Mobile Apps Are Changing the Business of Entertainment

Today, we live in an era where mobile applications have become a necessity, and they are much more than just a fancy feature on your smartphone. This is further proved by the fact that at this year's Google I/O, Google highlighted about 150,000 app developers who were jointly credited with developing 800,000 mobile apps.

It is difficult to ignore these figures and what they represent in today's world. There is an app for practically anything you can think of, from shopping to health, dining out to ordering in, finding directions to booking a cab, and much more! However, the entertainment and media industries, in particular, are undergoing a massive transformation as a result of the introduction of mobile apps. And it is because of mobile applications and their quick growth that the media and entertainment industry has undergone huge transformations and gained a more focused consumer base.

While there are enterprise apps, business apps, functional apps and a plethora of other applications, there are also gossip and entertainment apps, that seem to be doing rather well! The mobile phone has transformed the world of entertainment. This has changed as a lot of entertainment content is now available to consumers through mobile applications which gives people an entirely new mode to connect and know what is happening, therefore, fresh entertainment content as well as enables them sometimes to create it themselves.

Mobile applications are employed in all industries, but the entertainment business benefits the most from this technology. The entertainment industry is all about interaction, content, and a large audience. It is apparent that the entertainment business is significantly reliant on mobile applications, hence many mobile app development companies are focusing on entertainment app development.

Let us look at some of the factors that demonstrate how mobile applications are revolutionising the entertainment business for the better.

How have mobile applications changed the world of entertainment?

Several approaches are having a transformative impact on the way the entertainment industry operates today. We've identified the seven most common causes of this issue.

1. Creating an Independent Platform

Mobile entertainment apps can provide a standalone platform for movies, music, live streaming, news, sports, or a combination of the above. This has allowed many artists to build large audiences while providing content for consumers.

Previously, and in the absence of such alternative platforms, only professionals with exclusive access to traditional platforms had the ability and freedom to create videos, develop games, or generate any other type of material. Today, the process of application creation is much simplified, which means that the platform is open to any talent without restriction.

2. Monitoring and adapting to the trends

It was difficult to follow significant trends before the advent of social media. However, since the advent of social media, we as a community have witnessed a new trend almost every day! Almost every social media channel has a section dedicated to showcasing current trends.

The entertainment applications can even place the most recent releases or future events that they will be streaming at the top of the trends so that users are aware of what the majority of other users are viewing and enjoying.

3. Dispersal and Data Collection

The distinctive amusement applications open nowadays have advanced into a source of information that is particular and veritable. When done accurately, excitement app improvement permits app clients to exchange any sort of fabric, substance, or other true and accommodating data on the platform.

4. Marketing and Advertising.

Mobile apps can be a very efficient means of brand promotion and marketing. According to a recent report, 90% of mobile users spend time interacting with mobile applications solely due to ease of use.

5. Easy and Unobstructed Content Flow

Entertainment mobile apps have made it possible for all material to transfer easily across worldwide marketplaces. Anyone with legitimate content to contribute can use these applications to reach the specific audience they're looking for.

Entertainment mobile apps allow users to access a wide range of content while on the go, from anywhere in the globe.

6. A separate domain for gaming and music.

Gaming is extremely popular in the realm of entertainment, and gaming apps bring it to the gamers' wallets while also providing multiplayer choices for aficionados from all over the world.

Music has also become more accessible to individuals who are passionate about it, with the transition away from traditional music cassettes, radios, and websites and towards mobile phones that can be carried anywhere and used to play your favourite music on the go.

7. Enhanced user engagement

By definition, entertainment applications are designed to entertain and engage app users. It is most likely due to the enormous amount of features, the variety of information within the apps, and our innate curiosity about other people's experiences.

Some individuals have so many followers on their entertainment apps that they are practically celebrities in their own right, and these fans or followers will follow them through mobile applications from which they can interface. This is the reason why interaction happens to be among the greatest components and advantages of any entertainment app designed for mobile phones.

Conclusion

These applications will continue to dominate the entertainment business. People will undoubtedly continue to enjoy this form of entertainment in the years ahead. As a result, their company's growth must pursue the Mobile Application Development Company Rajkot

Is described as a superb Mobile App Development Company that can assist you in producing fully functional mobile applications for Android, iOS, and Windows. In particular, we focused on solutions for the entertainment business, making entrepreneurs' dreams come true!

You can be the next one! Contact us if you want to develop entertainment apps or any other genre that will drive business transformation in your sector. 

[log13archives]

January 5th, 2018

This chapter is the one that introduces everything starting at the very beginning of this incident. The first thing that catches the eye is the introduction or the "blurb" of the story.

Quotev, at the time, was somewhat going down in use as people started to move on to other big websites like AO3, Instagram, and so on. As you can also see, Valerian did not list this under any sort of specific tag or type of fan-fiction. I would categorize this myself as a a Sci-Fi Creepypasta. Looking at this now, I am concerned that maybe Valerian could have been dealing with something mentally that he felt he needed to express in this format. Maybe he was dealing with some form of schizophrenia where his mind led him to believe he was being watched.

Either way, I'm going to still look at this with an open-mind because I still consider Valerian to be someone I grew close with at the time.

Continuing on with the "meat" of it all, I will be discussing the chapters with some notes and what I think. If you wish to read the chapter yourself prior to these notes to better understand, the story is posted on the pinned "About" post.

The introduction to the chapter is still the same as the blurb

It starts to feel or read like your usual creepypasta from 2013. A bit cringe-worthy. Why would anyone think they're safe with a pocket knife and a lighter, I haven't a clue, but I guess you make due with what you have.

I think it's set somewhere else in another country, because the woman says she's from the states (USA). Maybe Valerian was located in Russia or another country close by at the time. What place would be that warm at the time though? 24 C is about 75 F, so that's warm, even for that late at night. Unless it's the morning if we're going 24hr time.

There's trees and woods where he was. Where is this place? It's definitely someplace in the North, but not too far where it's warm in the evenings. Wisconsin and most Northern USA states like this along the border of Canada were like this in 2018 (I'm accounting for the year because we ALL know this planet is getting worse in climate).

He's 25 at the time. calculate it to about now, (2024-2018)+25=31 years. He is or would've been about 31 present day. I was only 17 at the time he wrote this, but I don't think I started interacting until much later? The details are fuzzy, but the comment section will help me set a time-frame. I will state now that he never once asked for anything beyond just usual conversation before any weird assumptions are made. If you're going to have those assumptions and message me about them, please do not and just leave.

Valerian lived with his family (mother, father, and a sister) during this time. Past tense because spoiler alert: bad times ahead.

Who is after him?

The last bit translates to: If not Goodbye to you too. Help me, if you hear or if you can.

The comments on this chapter do not give much insight. They're the usual ones that believe the story to be false or think it's another creepypasta. Valerian doesn't try to be aggressive in his replies to these comments, and only replies to two people. He almost seems like he still hopes to entertain and provide information despite his dire situation.

I'm thinking I might do an analysis on his profile page as well since there were some things on there that could hold more information. I just know I have a lot of chapters to go through and little time to do so (unless I wish to get muscle cramps on my fingers from typing on my phone). This is just the first chapter, so we'll see what happens.

[drewoclock]

Screen Life

Originally published June 25th, 2013

"Can’t you just step away from your screen and do something?  Read a book!  Go outside!  Live your life!"

I’ve been the victim of a diatribe similar to this and I’m sure I’m not alone.  I spend many hours a day in front of a screen.  I live in this time where technology is spreading like butter in a wildfire and one screen can provide you with access to all sorts of things.  And I sometimes feel bad about it.  I feel that stepping away from the screen would be doing the right thing.

But is it really the right thing?  Why are people so inclined to be upset about other people being in front of screens in the first place?  Is it because they think I’m curtailing the amount of experiences I can have in my life?  I can understand why they’d think that.  Sitting in front of one screen in one spot gives the illusion that I’m not doing all that much.  But in reality, there’s so much that I could be doing in front of that screen.  Watching movies, reading the news, doing research, communicating with people, arranging events, journaling, etc.  There’s certainly things to do outside of a screen, but there’s an awful broad amount of fulfilment in front of one.  

Not to mention, a lot of my life is away from the screen.  I exercise regularly and I actually do very much enjoy sports.  There are many activities I enjoy that I can only do with human interaction, including just being around people.  And you know what?  The outdoors can be a pretty neato environment to do things in.

And I do explore these screenless things.  I want my life to be as chromatic as possible.  It just happens that a lot of the ways I make my life dynamic involve being in front of a screen.  Isn’t that kind of like being in front of a book?  I mean, books are awesome.  They’re a good medium for storytelling and great for research.  But don’t they also involve being in one spot staring at one thing?

And yet, I still think more of seeing somebody reading a novel than someone sitting in front of a phone or a laptop.  I think I know why.  Nowadays if you ride a train, which are you more likely to see: Somebody in front of a screen or somebody reading a book?  Definitely the former.  But which is more interesting to watch?  The latter.  It’s the more compelling thing to see because it happens to be more unique.  In fact, maybe it’s our desire to be entertained by humanity that makes us so inclined to be angry at people in front of a screen.  We’re only mad because they aren’t as fun to look at.

What an awkward position to be in.  Technology has condensed things so that we can have it all in one place, yet it has given us all a resentment for the people that utilize it because they become more boring to observe as a result.  But that’s just human nature; we’re more entertained by the more unique.  If for some reason it was the norm for everybody to be playing outside and throwing a picnic, I imagine I’d want to scream at them to “live life” and sit in front of a screen.  Well, not scream it.  I’d probably blog about it.

[norisbeinghuman]

Happiness isn't found on social media

We live in the age of social media. So much of our interactions, information sharing, news acquiring and entertainment happens there. Yet many of us have a somewhat (or very) mixed relationship with them. And rightly so. When you think about it, it is the strangest thing. We go there to see things we (mostly) didn’t choose ourselves, served to us in small bite-sized bits: – an interesting fact! – a sad story :( – an update from a “friend” you haven’t talked to in 12 years – a funny video! – a scary thing you should look out for!!! – Before you get the time to digest one, you move onto the next. Over and over again. Scroll, scroll, scroll. There are so many good things social media have given us, and I love them for that. But today, I am once again choosing to take a break from them, because of all the bad things they do to my brain.

All the world’s woes

Admittedly, I am not very good at knowing myself. It often takes me 24+ hours to figure out how I feel about things. Today, I had a bad day. I have been feeling exhausted, fragile, weepy, upset by the smallest things. Every little disruption to my day would leave me feeling off-balance for way longer than it warranted. Why? Well, that’s the most annoying thing. I had no idea. No idea whatsoever. I knew something was wrong, but didn’t know what. (In such cases I usually assume it’s me that is wrong, which, understandably, doesn’t help much.) It took the better part of the day, but eventually, I figured it out (with ample help from people who love me). As usual, it’s not just one thing, but today, the biggest one was over-saturation of difficult things I have been watching and reading.

Never in the history of humanity did people have the ability to know so much, to such detail, about events happening on the other side of the world. And, sadly, it’s so much more common to hear about the terrible events happening on the other side of the world, rather than the happy ones. I understand that. These things are important. Raising awareness is important. But let’s be honest, what can I do about these events that are so much bigger than me? What can I do about wars and genocides, about discrimination, about corporate greed, about large-scale pollution, about species loss, about babies dying, about suffering, about scientific fraud, about famines, about about about?

Don’t get me wrong, there are always things that can be done, and there are a lot of people doing them, but no one person could take on all of it. So the thing I end up doing about these terrible things most of the time is, simply, feel sad and helpless. And that doesn’t help anyone at all.

When do I get the time to process this?

In a true Nori-fashion, I haven’t been quite aware how much these things were affecting me. When I would get a few minutes of time when nothing was happening, or I felt like I needed a distraction, I would reach for the little box and scroll and scroll and scroll. And at some point I would realise that in the background, I had a thought. Or maybe a feeling. I would be thinking: oh, that was interesting, should learn more about that; but I didn’t remember what that was. Or I would feel a bit sad or upset, sort of in the back of my mind; but I didn’t remember what about. And more often than not, I would think and feel several things at the same times. Sometimes I would even scroll back, trying to identify what it was that stayed with me. There was rarely only one thing.

There is so much good content on social media, with so many people putting in a lot of effort to deliver an important, concise message, or to provide entertainment for a moment. They know they don’t have more than a few seconds of our attention, because we are about to scroll on and never see their post again, so they pack it as full as it gets. Every bite now carries the calories of a three-course dinner. That is the actual design of these platforms. A new topic every second or two.

I don’t know how about you, but I am often left with a mix of impressions, ideas, thoughts and feelings, fighting for my attention, fuzzy in my mind, yet following me around relentlessly.

What is more, most of us go to these platforms in the small bits of time when what we are seeking is a mental break. A little breathing room for the mind. If I am honest with myself, I definitely do not come back from them with a clear head.

Why am I scrolling?

Why am I there though?

I think the answer, as usual, is complex. I genuinely like and appreciate a lot of the content I run into, both from people I chose to follow and from people that the algorithm decided to show me. And that is the main reason I am there. But of course, there is a lot of content that I get served that I do not care for much, or even actively dislike. Stumbling upon a good post feels like winning (a small) lottery. And “good”, in this case, doesn’t just mean something that fits my interests. It means something that resonates with me right now, that I feel in the mood for right now.

It’s definitely a little dopamine hit.

But there, right behind the edge, could lie another gem. Something that might be even more interesting/entertaining/surprising/funny/eye-opening. Maybe, maybe not. The pull of it is magnetic, and sometimes I scroll before I had the time to finish reading the previous “gem”.

How naive of me, though, to not consider that all of these, the hits and the misses both, affect me? That maybe I shouldn’t be exposing my brain to that much unrelated, varied information whenever I get an idle minute? And for what? Finding something interesting or funny or cool or useful and not even giving myself the time to process it properly? For spending my time and energy on things I will hardly remember five minutes later?

Who/what decides what we see?

In the old days of social media, you knew what you would get. Mostly. You followed people because you wanted to see what they were posting, and expected to be shown exactly that. Nowadays, that is usually not the case. Most platforms offer a mix of things you did ask for, along with a bunch of posts you didn’t ask for. Usually ads. Or sponsored content, as they call it nowadays.

Everyone nowadays knows that the end users of social media aren’t their customers. The true customers are the advertisers, we – you and me – the end users – are the product that the platforms are serving them.

But it actually went even further. While advertisers might be the paying customers, that doesn’t mean they are being treated well. Quite the opposite, they are being asked to pay more and more just to have their content delivered to people who have already signed up to see that content. The goal is not to make a good product for the end users, not even for the advertisers, it’s to maximise the profit for the shareholders.

How are they getting away with it? They got us all trapped. Our friends are there, the people we want to hear from are there, our pictures and memories are there, and in the case of the advertisers, their customers are there. And the platforms ride the thin line of serving us as many ads as possible without actually driving us away; and extracting as much money from the advertisers and publishers as possible without them giving up on the platform. Cory Doctorow calls this process “enshittification” (what a wonderful name, isn’t it?) and talks about it, and more, both on his blog pluralistic.net and in his book The Internet Con. Very much recommended.

Nobody likes ads, but that is the main way that social media platforms make money. In order to keep us there, and show us those ads, they need to offer something engaging. The trouble is, engaging doesn’t necessarily mean positive, or true for that matter.

As humans, we are wired to notice things that are wrong, dangerous, or scary. It makes sense from a survival point of view – to pay extra attention to whatever could harm us. But in many cases nowadays the danger is very far away, highly unlikely, exaggerated, or even imaginary. We still get upset and angry about it just the same. And it gets our attention, our reactions, comments and likes and replies. It makes us look, which is what the platforms want, but it doesn’t make us happy.

Social media have been facilitating polarisation in societies all over the world. I am not going to go as far as to say that they did it themselves, because I don’t think they ever thought about that. I think it’s a side effect of algorithms that are trying to maximise time spent on the platform. Nothing draws people more in than feeling like a part of a group and having a them to blame all the problems on.

Social media are echo chambers, where we get to hear what we want to hear, often the things that make our blood boil and enrage us. Because we are on the right side, and they are obviously not. The truth is, there is no they. There are just people.

Being intentional

Now that I (finally) realised that these small, innocent-looking bits of the world are using up a lot of my mental space and affecting how I feel, I decide to be much more intentional about them.

I think it’s time that, when I get a moment of time I feel the need to fill out, I might as well fill it out with something I actively decided to engage with. Something that is made to keep my attention for more than a quick glance. Or maybe, just maybe, spend some time with my own thoughts. An actual moment to clear my mind.

I am not quitting social media. There is too much there that I value for me to quit. But I do not need to engage with them multiple times a day. Not even every day, really. Probably not even every week. Social media are great for finding interesting things, but real learning and understanding requires a bit more time, and a bit more attention. And entertainment deserves that kind of space too! I will try to prioritise longer form writings and videos. There are plenty amazing books, audiobooks, long videos, comprehensive blog posts and podcasts that cover all the topics under the sun.

And I have recently even rediscovered RSS feeds! They still exist! My website has one too, BTW. Just saying. Or you can sign up for the newsletter.

I think it’s time we started to protect our attention and our mental energy, whether it is getting drained by social media or anything else.

Originally published on https://noriparelius.com/post/happiness-not-on-social-media/

[traggalicious]

OKAY i’m sick of reblogging the same post (also idk if that actually works well as a format) so here i am jus makin a new post! If any of y’all want more of Ceridwen I think posts with her are tagged as such (#ceridwen), or you can check out the tag #Traggy’s OCs. Should prolly make an intro post or smth but anyway.

(My darling Ceridwen <333)

Post Beginning RealTm Under the Cut:

Ceridwen is from an elven community known for being accepting of drow (and other) refugees, leading to a population with a good amount of mixed blood and an affinity for darker magic. This also led to this settlement being a fairly common target for vengeful drow, for a multitude of reasons. Lost servants, traitors, runaway sacrifices, or even just as a regular-ass target bc ‘aur naur, fuckin Elves and non-Lolth drow’, and all that.

But anywayyy this settlement ends up utilizing skills such as necromancy and all that, due to the fact that if they’re just gonna have people *sent* to them they might as well avail themselves of the resources, it won’t do just to let their bodies sit there. So those drow attackers become soldiers for the community, or labourers!! Those used in the community are stripped of flesh and all that to minimize spread of disease. The Lolth-sworn can have the bio-warfare but us? No thank uuuu.

Anyway this also leads to a sort of militia/standing army vibe w/ the citizens — all are trained in rudimentary medicine and combat before continuing in a specialized path of either. Ofc you can make the choice to specialize in necromancy but Ceri was like hey can i do. Everything. I’m kidding but she graduated the Medic shit (which is why she has the scars—those scars are a mark of a skilled medic, with a steady hand and eye for detail that allows for well-healed and cool-ass scarring) and then focused on necromancy bc MAN.

Reasons for the Necromancy specialization: One: she’s afraid of death. Not the process and shit, but of being dead, of what comes after. She’s terrified of the uncertainty of it, and of the very real philosophical and moral dilemmas that come w/ the existence of soul-based magic and deities that actively partake in regular life. Oh, and Lolth. She’s her own brand of fucked up. And TWO: She’s interested in biology, and anatomy n shit, and plus she wanted to do more than just healing. Don’t get her wrong, healing’s good and useful, but she’s got all this magical power that needs using and in a community where necromancers are kinda like… the necessary job nobody really likes, she’s goin for it. Like YAY, magic, science, don’t have to interact to much with people! Also she is very much interested in the tales the dead have to tell. Especially when those tales involve plans to harm the community.

Anyway that stuff aside, for a good while after graduating, Ceri apprentices under a Necromancer in the community, fucks around, finds out, experiences a couple semi-traumatizing events, and adopts a fucked-up animal? And then! Valinid shows up! Around then he’s still pretty young, fresh from escape. This is like, the tenth place he’s been to and gods does he hope the drow here mean safety and not hurt. He’s been run out of towns, actually attacked, and begrudgingly accepted after fending off attackers. But this place accepts him. Val joins the community as a general handy-man, training with the younger ones and teaching newer techniques, providing insight into current events in the Underdark.

Ceri finds him fascinating, from his looks to his past to just *him* as a person. It’s not like he’s some experiment, of course not. But he’s interesting, and she likes him, and he listens and entertains and matches her energy (which is pretty lowkey, generally). And on a deeper level, he gets her fear of death, of divine retribution, of being wrong and paying dearly for it. They grow together, eventually forming a QPR, bonding over desires to learn and grow outside of their environment of origin—though motivations beyond that vary.

This is where he grows into his Paladin ways, seeing what could’ve been and what could be, where he develops his moral code and establishes himself as a real actual Paladin, protecting the weak and all. And eventually, he goes on his first adventure, and Ceri of course tags along. He wants to protect and save and make amends. Ceridwen wants to expand her magical and medical repertoire, experiencing and observing new things for the sake of Knowing. Love her for that. On this kinda random and barely-planned ATLA style adventure, they meet new people, form a party of nerds, Val gets a boyfriend, Ceri loses an eye, lotsa shit happens.

Eventually, they come across the Shadow-Cursed Lands, but like. Before it’s Shadow-Cursed. This is when it’s in later stages of conflict but it’s not been cursed yet. Val stays because he sees people in need (and there is drow presence in the growing cult of the Absolute), and Ceri stays because Val stays,,, and she totally isn’t crushing on Isobel or Jaheira from afar. Val fights, she studies and heals. They have a casual alliance w/ the Harpers. Then the Curse hits, Val retreats until Absolute shit starts happening Worse, so he goes there. Ceridwen stays near the edge of the Shadow-Cursed Lands, studying it and its inhabitants. She often stays at the Last Light Inn.

Aaaand then. She’s kidnapped and tadpoled. Whoopsies. Val is off on an adventure, having just recently visited. So. Once again! Oops. This is where the story begins, and this long-ass backstory ends. Love y’all, especially those who read thru this whole thing lmao <333

[xx-slug-xx]

Yeah, I’ve given a few flips through the books that booktok has recommended, and even a few of the generic “suburban mothers’ book club” centered books. A lot of it is straight up smut and/or has controversial and taboo themes that are main topics in them. They don’t say how bad these things are in real life, because there’s no need. And honestly, I feel like if these sorts of books were fanfics, then antis would say it’s “romanticization”, “normalization”, or any of the other buzzwords they like to use. It’s ass backwards thinking that the fans of these books aren’t harassed, these books aren’t being censored, people aren’t called pedophiles, nobody gets doxxed, and most importantly, nobody is being reported to online tip lines, but fanfic authors and readers are. As if fanfiction is a “lesser form of literature” even though I’ve read fics that are written better than actual publishings.

They are so cut off from what “normal” means that they indirectly complain about what the norm is generally reading. They tell people to touch grass, but they’ve clearly never interacted with the real world if this is how they are acting. The real world doesn’t really give much of a shit about what kinds of smut you read or view. It doesn’t matter to most people because the rest of us are working at our jobs, providing for our families, taking care of kids or pets, and hanging out with friends. Not to mention people usually care more about the state of the world atm, since it’s currently not the greatest it’s ever been. If most people are going to advocate and support something, it’s probably going to pertain to their rights, the economy, the government, etc. Things that DO matter. Fiction only really matters when it comes to freedom of speech. Nobody cares what smut your reading or writing, because you have a right to read it and create it. Sure, it may be weird or off putting to some folks, but they really don’t care beyond the mild discomfort they feel and carry about their day, from what I’ve noticed. But usually, most people also enjoy dark topics and fantasize about the taboo, statistically speaking.

Humans typically, but certainly not always, are fascinated with fucked up things. Back in early civilization, we used torture, gladiators, and many such other methods of fucked up to keep us entertained. Now, because we know that hurting people is not a good thing, we can explore fucked up shit with fiction. Dark topics are all over our media. Books and other literature are only one of the many forms of fiction in which we can explore these topics. And if someone is turned on by it? Who cares, it’s not real. If someone reads or watches something fucked, and carries out that action irl. Then that person has other issues going an and fiction does not deserved to be censored because a hand full of folks out there might conduct those actions in the real world, despite their better judgement.

one thing i don’t think antis are ready to confront is that outside of our type of fandom… people aren’t like them.

booktok is full of open and honest recommendations for monsterfucker books and “dark” romance - books that usually involve abusive or harmful partners, incest/psuedo incest, massive age gaps, and general dynamics that wouldn’t be desirable in real life. and because this is all on tiktok, where the algorithm reigns supreme, sometimes these recs end up outside of booktok. and you know what people do? they usually go “whoa, the books are porn?” or “that’s a little too much for me…” and chuckle a little at some of the very intense themes that booktok has come to love.

it’s easy, respectful, and common for people to see tropes and themes they don’t enjoy, and to NOT attack and harass people about it.

[amourdivine]

                     𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔?

hi, my loves! i hope you’re all doing well! i got the idea for this pick a card last night, when i quickly read for a friend regarding a person from the past who was secretly crushing on them. i hope you enjoy it and don’t you dare tell me no one is crushing on you! i can assure you that people notice you positively more than you think. let me know if this resonates & please feel free to provide feedback, if you so desire.

how to choose your pile.  take deep breaths for a few minutes & look at each and every one of the piles separately. which pile sparks a feeling inside you? which pile gives you a strong memory or calls out to you the most? take your time and feel free to come back to it later.

♡ ♡ ♡     if you’d like to book a personal reading, click here.

♡ ♡ ♡     pick a card masterlist & information.

disclaimer. this reading is for entertainment purposes only. tarot is a divination tool designed to help you design your life & align your choices with your best intentions. it is not a substitute for medical and professional advice, nor is it meant to be taken as such. i do not take responsibility for any choice(s) made by you or others regarding my readings. please remember you are responsible for life and in power of it, no one else! ♡

amourdivine. © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content.

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑶𝑵𝑬: 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐃. your cards: nine of wands / ace of cups / three of swords rx / page of pentacles / the devil rx / eight of wands rx.

So much hesitation here, pile one! This person could definitely be someone who works with you or goes to the same school / college (I’m mostly getting college). There is a lot of physical attraction they’re feeling towards you, but they’re not taking any action whatsoever & that’s because they’re too afraid. Honestly, they might silently read you and observe you when you’re not looking, but they could feel you’re too good for them. I’m mostly getting someone who attends the same classes as you, for my college students. I don’t think they have approached you at all - if anything, the most you’ve interacted with them were a few hellos here and there, but they’re not sure if you’ve noticed them at all. I think this person is a bit insecure and can be in their head a lot, but they’re a very brilliant student and might be on top of their classes. For a few of you, they may have just healed from a very messy breakup and now they’re not sure if they want to enter the dating scene again. I didn’t pick anything for the bottom of the deck, but The Moon came out in reverse, so they might be daydreaming and fantasizing about getting to know you. I’m getting heavy Capricorn energy, but also Aquarius & Aries, maybe Leo as well. 

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑻𝑾𝑶: 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐑. your cards: ace of swords / justice / king of wands / queen of pentacles / four of cups / page of pentacles.

This is someone who might come off very strong, pile two. They could be very sharp and intelligent, might be a college student as well but they could already have another degree. I think this person is very admirable and they might even come off as bossy or be in a leadership position of sorts, but I think they’re very proud. They don’t even wanna admit to themselves that they’re interested in you and they could be rationalizing their feelings about it. This person is very practical and to the point. They’re not into mind games and they don’t want to invest in things that won’t be successful in the long run. I’m hearing “eagle eyes,” so they’re probably very observant, but people don’t know that. I think this person is very fair as well, quite sensible and pragmatic, but not very romantic or in their feelings at all. Off the top of my head, I can definitely see Aries, Leo and Libra with the Justice card. They’re a very successful person and might be in an important position, so they could be a lawyer, a counselor of sorts, an entrepreneur or someone who works with the law. A very responsible and committed person, they’re super successful materially, but they play it so cool that you’d never ever guess. They’re probably in their mid to late twenties or early thirties. For some of you, this could be a teacher (not a message I wanted to deliver, but that’s what came out!).

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬: 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐎. your cards: knight of swords / three of cups / page of wands / five of swords / six of swords / knight of pentacles.

Alright pile three, this is most definitely a friend or someone who’s started out as such. For many of you, this person could have stayed in the past and you may have had a falling out or several conflicts with them. This person definitely wants to come back and make an offer towards you, but if they eventually do so, it’ll take a long, long time for them. However, they might be a bit impulsive or even harsh with their words, even impatient and stubborn. A lot of Aquarius and Gemini energy, a bit of Libra as well. They know you’ve walked away from this connection, but they’re still hung up on you and haven’t been able to move on from what has happened between you two. You cherished this person a lot, but they might’ve had “shiny object syndrome” and didn’t treat you right. I cut the deck in half and we had Strength in reverse, so they’re trying not to be too much in their feelings, but they’re feeling vulnerable and they don’t like that. Two of Wands also wanted to come out and that tells me they really lack foresight and might not be very good at planning, but they still want to offer you some sort of apology or message regardless - they’re very unsure and insecure on how to go about it though. I also got Leo and a bit of Sagittarius for this person.

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹: 𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐉𝐀𝐙𝐙. your cards: six of wands rx / four of pentacles rx / queen of swords rx / king of swords / the star rx / six of pentacles.

This person could be very, very private, pile four. I think they’re very skeptical and a bit unbalanced, because they don’t seem to have a healthy relationship with their spiritual and emotional side. They might even be a bit harsh or off putting, come out as cold or overly logical and even pessimistic. This person might have withdrawn from their social media profiles or gotten more private over the past few weeks or months because they don’t like it when people see their vulnerable side. I think they do everything in their power to not be seen as weak and that might be why they’re crushing on you so secretly. This person might even be a bit rude towards you? I cut the deck in half to know more about their feelings - because there were no water cards in here and I got The Empress, so to me, this person views you as someone who’s very successful, very empowered and beautiful, kind of like... the whole package. They might think you’re out of their league even though they’re a bit arrogant. To be honest with you, pile four, I don’t really like this person’s energy - they might wear a lot of masks to hide their flaws and aren’t emotionally balanced.  It was difficult to read this person’s energy and this Six of Pentacles feels out of place even, because I’m not getting that they’re a charitable person, but they could be very wealthy and well-known offline. For signs, I’m getting Leo, Gemini, Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn.

amourdivine. © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content.

[cynettic]

hi, i hope i'm not bothering you, but i can order a Scaramouche × Kitsune reader, the two met before the vision hunt (and before he was a fatui if you want) the reader was always in the same place, sometimes having a conversation , the good old routine, but with the hunting of visions the reader disappeared not wanting to give up his own vision, and years later a reunion, SFW or NSFW is by your will, thank you, I really admire your work

Summary - Scaramouche met you as a child, growing up with the constant assurance that you would be right there, sitting at your spot where he could meet you with every visit. He isn't happy when you suddenly disappear.

Pairing - Kitsune!Reader x Yan!Scaramouche

Warning - Slight Yandere warnings?

Penpal - Ahhh- hope this is what you were looking for. I couldn't find a spot to put much nsfw unless I considered writing more for the series ( I could, just put a request in if thats what you’re looking for ). But I hope you liked it!! You're not bothering me at all and I'm glad you like my work!

A/N - Alright- so considering that with the 2.1 update with Scaramouche coming in, I just wanna state beforehand that I wrote this prior so I dont know if we learn about his backstory or anything!!

Link for Part 2

Stay With Me

Scaramouche was used to the routine he’d found himself going along with every visit to Inazuma. As a child he’d pass through the wild fields that stretched just beside his hometown, adventurous and curious with all the tenacity of a child.

And of course you, a kitsune that sat perched on the ground awaiting the Kitsune Saiguu, was bound to notice him. Unlike the other earth kitsune statues, you hadnt turned to stone during your wait. Instead, staying in the same place did you interact with travellers and the locals, which included Scaramouche.

“Fox person!” The little boy chanted, pulling at the hems of your clothing. Bright blue eyes bore into your own, and you slowly shifted your head to pay attention to the boy who was on the verge of bouncing on you.

Humming in reply to his excitement, the little boy paused, both of his small hands still tightly clasping the fabric of your clothes. Soft matted hair brushed past his face in a messy manner, calling out the boy for his boundless running and rebellious urge to keep his hair messy despite his parents wishes.

“Play with me!”

Staring at the boy only a moment longer, you simply chuckled at his antics. “I’m afraid I cannot move from the spot in which I dwell~ Perhaps I’ll be able to entertain you if you bring cards?”

But the young boy had made up his mind at the statement to which you couldn't move. A pitiful frown enfluged his face as he cast you the nastiest glare a five year old could muster. “Boring!” He shouted into the distance of the fields, dramatically turning on his heels and bouncing up into a sprint away. You watched his small figure fade away into the background, absentmindedly sighing and returning to your mindless thoughts.

As a child, Scaramouche would pass by you fairly often. Frequent when he asked you to play with him, and storming away with the same expression when you denied him. Nothing out of the ordinary, you’d lived for an exceptional amount of time, and even though grumpy children were not your specialty, you’d grown accustomed to their behaviour.

Growing up, Scaramouche got no better. You soon noticed his violent tendencies before they became an issue, the way the children shied away from him when playing Temari. Hiding in front of a tough exterior, he scared them away and laughed, approaching you later with tearful sob.

“Will you play with me?” He asked again, trying to hide the fact that he still wept when the other children pushed him away.

But your answer stayed the same, helping him wipe his tears and coaxing him into your arms. Not the first time you’d made contact with a human, but the first time you held them in such an affectionate manner.

It was clear Scaramouche was beginning to see you as some sort of pillar of reassurance when he began running away from home to simply ask to be held. You always welcomed him with open arms, urging him to head back to his household and sort things out. There was no harm in simply providing love and comfort for a child who received none was there?

“Now now, hurry back home little one. Your parents must be growing awfully worried if you’re out by this time at night.”

“My parents dont care about me!”

Darkness slowly pooled into the fields, an obscure shade covering the two of you from the tree you were under. Biting back form your normal emotionless statements, you pondered for something to soothe and convince the boy. Misunderstandings and hardships were normal from what youd seen with children, and you could only offer your hand on his shoulder, a promise. “Go back, I promise to stay here if anything further happens. But you shold give them another chance dont you think?”

And so he’d sprint back to his hometown, and you wouldnt hear from him again till he ran up right up to you a few days later. Begging you to play a game with him. The normal you supposed, and with a grin that seemed to stretch wider with every day, you told him the same thing you told him every single time.

“You cant move?!” Scaramouche nearly yelled one time, tiny fists curling at his side. “Thats… thats stupid!”

“It is isnt it?” You only smiled in response.

Unsatisfied with your response, he clawed your arm, pulling you with all his might. Strong, you realized with surprise that he was much stronger than most children his age. Easy enough to tug away from, but strong enough to take you off guard.

Snapping your hand back to your side, you narrowed your eyes. You weren't angry… no, you hadnt felt strong feelings like that after the disappearance of the Kitsune Saiguu. “Do not attempt to move me,” was your curt response, said in the most stern voice you’d used with the boy.

He’d looked at you only a few seconds longer before bursting into tears, turning away and running. You didn't feel regretful for defending yourself, only turning once more with a tired sigh to stare at the distance.

But just as you stayed ageless, Scaramouche grew older. Still, crossing each others pass was inevitable when you sat in the plains, just alongside the path that lead to his hometown.

With a permanent scowl that seemed to stain his face, he still seemed to have mature a tad bit. Maybe hadnt improved in the social department, because he now scared children and adults and alike, but more mature…

“Hm? Whats this?”

Once again, sitting criss cross under the large tree that provided the perfect shade on sunny days, you stared at the boy expectantly. His hands hesitated at your question, but he resumed shuffling. “Cards,” he simply said in response.

A small featherlike feeling flitted across your chest, making you feel lighter and… almost ticklish. A small smile crossed your face, and you recognized the emotion to be one of adoration. For him to have remembered words you’d spoken years ago, it gave you a warmth you’d sorely missed. A warmth akin to watching him and the other children grow up.

“Ew, dont smile like that, its creepy.”

Swatting at his head, he frowned further when you laughed. “You’re more mature,” you pointed out, lazily leaning back. “You need to work on your people skills though, as someone who hasnt moved in years, thats pitiful that I know more than you.”

“Shut it!”

But as he grew up, you hardly got to see much of him. He’d reached your height and then fully disappeared, leaving no goodbye. And much as you hated to admit it, you hardly noticed, not when days passed in a flurry. You were used to being by yourself, entertaining the kids and greeting the people that passed by.

Sometimes, there’d be the reminder of the warmth he’d given you. But it was quickly overshadowed by your duty to remain seated in wait for the Kitsune Saiguu. A dedication kept in its earnest, but beginning to dwindle.

Inazuma was beginning to change.

“The vision decree…” you repeated, staring at the traveller who’d mentioned it to you. “Care to elaborate?”

The new archon threatenening to take away visions from every inhabitant of Inazuma. It was preposterous, so much that you didnt move. Your vision meant the world to you, but so did the Kitsune Saiguu. You werent sure just how you weighed the two till you saw civilians passing by you, ones you recognized, ones that didnt recognize themselves.

It was snowing, cold snowflakes melting into your skin while your hair soaked in the water. Unflinching, you hummed to a little tune, awaiting someone to pass you so that you could attempt to strike a conversation of somesort. The unnatural weather distanced all who entered the field though, and you simply waited. For the Kitsune Saiguu, for someone, or for some form of entertainment, you didnt know. You Slowly closing your eyes, you decided not to care.

“Im gone for five years and you’re still sitting here like a dumbass.”

Eyes snapping open, you find yourself face to face with a complete stranger. Dark purple hair with dark blue eyes, piercing and dangerous in a way you dont recognize at all. Fancy clothing that you cant identify or put a name on.

The boy took a step towards you, crouching down to stare at you directly. His eyes scanned over your figure briefly, and he brushed the snow out of your hair and ears with one flick of his hand. In the next, he was offering a coat to you. “Take it, you’re probably getting cold.”

You leaned forward, ignoring the coat he offered you. Gently, you raised your hand to brush the hair from his eyes, centred on the way his pupils widened. Offering a small moment of surprise and one glimpse into the small childlike blue eyed wonder he was. “Kiddo,” you breathed, pulling your hand back and scanning him once again. “You’ve grown.”

“And you havent.”

Snickering at his comment, you took the coat. You didnt need it, but he looked like he didnt either. He was already wearing clothing that kept him warm, and with careful observation and an untouched coat, you settled on the fact that he’d brought it here. Brought the coat here for you.

“Still havent improved with those social skills of yours have you?”

He scoffed, letting himself fall back till he was sitting fully. “I dont want to hear it from someone who refuses to move an inch for years. Lazy ass.”

You open your mouth to retort, but instead laugh at his comment, shaking your head. “Gained some humour on your journeys have you? Bad words too it seems. Anyways...” He had sat down, which meant that he meant fully well to sit, chat, and catch up. That familiar warmth filled your chest, a contrast between the cold snow. “Welcome back.”

It wasnt often that Scaramouche visited Inazuma, but when he did, he was sure to visit you. The two of you would sit down for hours, talking about the most trivial topics. He never mentioned what he did in his time away, and you never asked.

But things began to go downhill when news of the vision decree finally took action.

“Its no joke anymore! The Raiden Shogun has taken custody of almost a hundred visions!”

In that moment you made your decision, weighing your vision over the Kitsune Saiguu. Awfully selfish you knew, but you’d spent decades sitting there in wait.

And for the first time you sat up from your position on the ground, clumsily stumbling upright but gaining balance. It takes a few steps until you’re back to normal, and you begin your journey in order to escape the Raiden Shogun’s vision hunt decree.

_-_-_-_

You didnt expect to see him again.

Long grass tickled at the skin of your legs, making you adjust your footing to no avail. Sun slowly descending past the mountains to mark the start of an evening and the soon approaching night. A normal day of exploring the mountains and islands of Inazuma, observing the constant changing situation, and running away from the vision decree like a favourite past-time.

With the exception of a firm grip on your wrist.

Dark purple like hair, same hate brimmed eyes and lavish clothing. You recognized Scaramouche the moment he had appeared, looking just as surprised as you were. That being before he snatched your wrist and snarled, “You.”

You wouldve considered it pure luck to find him, an unexpected reunion with someone you actually remembered. But no, his tone had some predatorial edge to it that had you cringing. Hard. “Yes, its me.” You answered back with a frown, trying to loosen his hold. “Nice to see you too, is something the matter?”

He only seemed confused at your words, pulling you closer.

“Something the matter?” He asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, to start, you’re not sitting at your damn spot.”

Taken aback for a moment, you wondered if that sole fact was what drove the boy to such lengths. Surely he couldn't be so troubled over the fact that you moved… “The vision hunt decree, I'm sure I mentioned that I was sticking around in wait for the Kitsune Saiguu. I decided to wander around and avoid the conflict until I could settle back.”

“You could’ve waited for me,” he stated almost instantly. “I could have protected you.”

You felt your brows furrow quizzically. “Wait for you? Why in the world would I-”

“Why wouldn't I?” He pushed you closer till he could fully grab both wrists, taking a step closer as if his words would resonate clearer in your head. “You took care of me as a child, it would only be fair for me to repay the favour.” But he only seemed to be looking for excuses. “And besides, you can't just up and leave… I didn't know.”

Before you could interject with the obvious answer that he didn't need to know, you stopped. You’d lived decades, nearly centuries if you’d kept count, and you had learned to read people's expressions even when you’d stayed away from them for so long. He didn't know. It hit you in the most unpleasant way that he wasn't aware that it was none of his concern. To him, you were just another thing he needed to keep track of, something he had control over. His face basically screamed, ‘I depended on you to stay in that place.’

Deep breath in and out. You’d lived long, longer than him, you could deal with a child throwing a tantrum.

“Don't worry,” you gestured to the vision ta your side. “I'm strong enough to protect myself, I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be back when the vision decree ends.”

Unconvinced, he pulled you closer, just until your faces were mere inches away from each other. “No,” he said in a stern voice. “I’d rather you by my side, where I can protect you. I hate to question what you’re capable of, but you’ve been sitting down for as long as I’ve known you for.”

“I’ve lived decades more than you,” a simple reply, hopefully enough to get by him. You snatched your hands back with ease, ears flinching slightly when a cold breeze swept past you. But you stayed firm, not wanting to look vulnerable against the imposing air he had around him.

Still unconvinced. “You’re coming with me.”

“No I’m not.”

You’d known him as a kid, watched him grow up along with all the other small ones in his hometown. And maybe you admit you cared a smudge bit about the warmth he gave you when settling down to play cards, but he was different. He had changed in the worst way and you weren't about to deal with it.

“So you’re not coming with me voluntarily?” He asked softly, taking a small step to which you responded by stepping back. He had his hands up, as if telling you he wouldn't hurt you. But the way he said voluntarily sent shivers up your spine.

“No.” Hand on your vision, you held your own hand up threateningly.

He took his time when tilting his head, taking a deep breath in, and then appearing in front of you in just a short stride. Too quick to react, you hesitated before you could attack him. You didn't want to hurt him, he was still a child in your eyes, and you paid the consequences for that. He slid his hand just along your neck, and a jolt of electricity seemed to thrum inside you just as you collapsed in his arms.

Scaramouche was quick to catch you, hoisting you up into his arms dearly. “I do hope you’ll come to understand,” he said softly, cradling your unconscious form in his arms. Making sure not to crush your tail when carrying your legs, he looked past the mountains, sigh resting on his lips.

Because Scaramouche liked to have control of the things he held dear. Like keeping all your valuables neat and tidy in a closet, he was happy knowing you were safe and stable in that spot you always sat on.

And he couldn't have you moving could he?

[superhero--imagines]

Etsy Store Here l Ko-Fi l Commission Info

Part 2 Here!/ Part 3 Here! / Playlist Here!

* Sorry guys but this mans been living in my head rent free

* So the first time you see Satoru it’s with those black specs he likes to wear and you get a glance at those GORGEOUS eyes

* He meets your eyes for a second before looking away, it’s the briefest of interactions

* But your heart is racing and you can feel the familiar heat of attraction starting to lap at your face

* ‘He looks just like a prince’ you think

* You find out pretty fast the ‘prince’ similarities stop at appearance

* “Ah it’s not my fault you’re so weak~” You hear him say with the princely smile as he teases Utahime

* It looks like he’s held something so high she can’t reach it

* “Try your best, if you drink plenty of milk I’m sure you’ll be tall enough one day~” he says before laughing with that same princely face

* “You shouldn’t pick on those that are weaker than you” Geto intervenes, somehow making the entire situation worse

* You watch as Gojo laughs

* You’re starting to think he might be the real curse you need to exorcise

* You continue watching him as Utahime tries to kick him in the crotch

* “You silly girl, did you forget there’s an infinity between us?” Cue Gojo’s “A-hahahahaha” laugh

* Yeah, he’s definitely a demon

* You keep your distance, Gojo’s beautiful and all, but you’re not dumb, you’ve heard about the Satoru clan.

* “Hey Geto-Kun, who do you think would win in a fight me or a lion?”

* Besides that guy is way too reckless, you’d rather not get all mixed up in that if you can help it

* You watch as Satoru takes his shirt off, his well defined chest glistening

* Still, you’re grateful for the show

* Little do you know the famous Gojo Satoru has taken note of you as well

* Naturally given his ability he notices everyone, but he especially takes note of you

* It’s not because you stand out, quite the opposite

* You blend into the background easily, supporting others when needed

* But not to the degree where you unable to defend yourself, or you’re sacrificing your own life for someone else

* He grins

* Looks like he found something interesting

* You’re at the vending machine eyes racking over the drink selection

* But there’s another thirst quenching sight right next to you, their hand resting on the vending machine, that princely smile aimed right at you-

* “So what do you say?” Satoru asks, and you start to wonder if that princely smile seems just a bit wolfish “Do you want to be my lover?”

* You’re kind of annoyed

* What an impetuous question, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve spoken to each other, and you only need both hands to count the words said in each of those encounters

* “No”

* You turn your attention back to your drink choices, it’s pleasant weather so you don’t want anything hot.

* Anything carbonated is out of the-

* Gojo moves closer, peering into your face with that grin

* Ugh does he have to stand so close

* “Why ‘no’? I know you think I’m attractive”

* “I also think you’re a womanizer with a god complex”

* And really why shouldn’t he be?

* He’s probably the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen in your life, not to add the sheer power he contains in that body of his

* But just as he has the right to be a womanizer with a god complex, you have the right not to take part in that narrative

* He backs away, leaning back against the wall

* So he’s not going to deny it

* Well, at least he’s somewhat self aware

* Those clear blue eyes catch yours again, and you have to fight against every human instinct from showing any human reaction

* You turn back to the vending machine making your selection when a smile lilts onto his mouth

* “Friends then”

* “Just colleagues” you reply, grabbing your drink

* But as you walk by you push a canned beverage into his chest.

* It’s a can of green tea

* It’s his favorite drink

* He looks to you seeing a bottle glinting in your hand

* So you didn’t sacrifice your own thirst, but you also didn’t ignore his needs

* He feels that same wolffish grin curl onto his mouth

* “What an entertaining person”

* After that if you’re anywhere within a 50 feet radius of him he’ll go out of his way to get your attention

* “Oh wow, looking especially radiant this morning (Y/N/N)” he’ll say with a playful seductive wink

* When you don’t respond he tries annoying you instead

* “Ah you can’t reach that? Here let me-” and then he’ll proceed to hold it even further out of your reach

* He’s expecting you to jump up and down, or at least give some sort of response but you just walk away

* Well that wasn’t what he expected

* He feels that grin spread across his face again

* Very interesting

* His attraction to you is pretty shallow

* He’s interested you because you’re entertaining

* And you’re entertaining because you aren’t interested

* Which only makes him that much more interested in you

* Its a paradox

* You watch him flounder around, annoying Utahime for a giggle

* Well it doesn’t matter anyway, you know how he is, he’ll get bored soon enough and lose all interest in you

* He’s not the strongest {f*ckboy} for nothing

* You see him turn to meet your gaze, offering a boyish smile and a wink

* You make sure not to give any reaction, turning to listen to something Shoko is telling you

* You hope he can’t sense the twinge of heat you feel on your face

* You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find the attention a little flattering

* I think for the most part you’re right, Satoru is mostly playing around-

* At least at first.

* You’re just something new and fun no one knows about, and wildly entertaining since you never respond the way he thinks you will

* You’re kind, but not at the expense of yourself, and he likes that

* Besides you’ve got this quite sort of consideration for others-

* It’s not flashy, it’s so subtle most people hardly notice

* It’s in the way you bring an extra snack for Utahime when she’s running herself ragged training

* “They were having a two for one special”

* Or the way you’ll get your teacher a plushie you saw at a shop at the station because you know he needs more

* “I just thought it was cute, but I haven’t got any room for another one”

* You’re quiet, someone who hears things and she’s things, but never says anything about them

* A wallflower

* But you’re not weak

* There’s something about those two things put together in the same person that entertains him to no end. Like a paradox or a puzzle he can’t seem to solve no matter how hard he tries

* Satoru’s had at least a hundred lovers, and a great many of them had provided him with their own brand of kindness and consideration

* But he’s never felt something as warm as when he see’s a lunch box in his dorm after he hobbles back from a mission that lasted a little longer than expected

* He peers at the note attached, it’s not even signed but he knows it’s from you

* “I know you think you’re god or whatever, but even gods have to eat”

* He doesn’t know why, but he’s overcome with the urge to cry

* He gulps hard- it’s not like this a lunch you made by hand or anything, it’s just something from the convenience store

* And it’s not like this note is particularly affectionate or special either, he’s gotten entire love letters from his previous lovers

* So he’s not sure why he saves your note, placing it behind a picture frame where only he’ll know it is , or why he thinks that convenience store lunchbox is the most delicious thing he’s ever had

* Even though he knows he cares about you, and that he’s grown quite fond of you -

* I don’t think it clicks for him

* And part of that is because well, he’s Gojo Satoru

* He collects lovers like some people collect photographs or memories

* They serve their purpose, and he lets himself be entertained by pretending all the feelings are real, and then he moves on to the next one

* It’s just what he’s used to

* And this whole paradox you two have going on could go on for a few years until something finally shifts

* He went a little too far with one his half-flirting-half-tormenting pranks

* And for the first time you give him a reaction, it’s only for a second, but annoyance and anger mar you face

* And then just like that, it’s gone and you turn and walk off in the other direction

* Sh*t.

* He went too far didn’t he?

* It should be fine right? You’re not too mad at him right? You’ll get over it-

* Right?

* But for the next few days you don’t speak to him, and you don’t make eye contact

* It bothers him more than it should

* Normally he would be annoyed that his toy would have the gall to blatantly ignore him like this-

* But this is different than that.

* He’s-

* He’s feeling regret

* He shouldn’t have acted that way to you, maybe if he had just done something differently, or said something differently-

* It’s not like the way things were between you two was ideal or anything,

* But at least then you would at least speak to him

* ... and every once in while he would get to see you smile

* It’s never at him, it’s mostly when you’re with Shoko or Utahime

* Occasionally when you’re with Nanami or Geto, who you’ve been talking to more recently

* He’s pretty sure you three are talking about him, just one day away from forming a “down with Gojo Satoru” club

* Still that smile when you laugh-

* The way you look so carefree and young and so full of life is worth all the slander in the world to him

* He needs to see that smile, to know something that wholesome and kind exists somewhere in this cruel world

* Satoru’s thinking about how to go about apologizing to you

* He’s caught between buying you a Lamborghini or buying you a special grade tool when he ends up running into you

* “Ah, could you help me with something?”

* He would quite literally give you the clothes on his back right now if you asked

* You stand up on a a chair holding a glass of water

* “Apparently this is supposed to help with concentration or something” You say pressing the glass full of water to the ceiling

* “Can you hold this broom?” You ask and Satoru nods, holding the broom handle steady as you make sure it’s pushed against the glass holding it steady

* You nod approvingly down at him

* The rest happens pretty fast, you’re off the chair, carrying it away

* “The broom is actually a special grade tool, so cursed energy won’t work on it”

* You grin

* “Have fun figuring how to get out of that Baka Prince!” You say with a laugh

* And Satoru is dumbfounded

* But not because you just pranked him into a holding up a glass of water with a broom

* But because as you were rushing away, you showed him your teasing grin

* It’s the first time you smiled at him

* And as he looks up at the glass of water, a smile slowly spreads across his face

* It’s not the wolffish smile he usually has when he’s around you, or the princely smile he uses when he’s trying to get something

* It’s a genuine smile

* Ah, so that’s it

* He’s fallen in love with you

* If you’re not the one entertaining him, then he’s just not interested

* Ah geez

* He was so focused on trying to get you to fall in love with him that he really didn’t see this coming

* Well he’ll have to start being serious about pursuing you now-

* Though for you to pull off something like this on him tells him you’re his ideal match without a doubt

* A wallflower with a mischievous streak, he likes that.

* He scratches his head with his free hand

* “I wonder how I’m supposed to get out of this?” He muses looking up at the glass full of water

[flopy-hana]

Ok I have a lot of thought about this so.

You have a book, or piece of media or whatever. The book has a plot and presents certain ideas. The reader interacts with the book, and makes certain interpretations and stuff. That would be the basic reading process.

However, there are many variations to this theme. You know how they say, that with abstract art, you can take from the piece as much as you put in? The same happens with books.

Some people read a book about a child rapist and think "omg the author is a child rapist". Some people read a book about wizards and think "cute! Magic!" And the idea of magic slaves in the book goes unchallenged. Some people read about sex with a vampire and think "wow that's hot". What you get from a book depends on what you are looking for. Mainly.

The thing is, you can also get other stuff from a book. You are not immune to propaganda. Books were originally a propaganda tool. Think the Bible. That's a damn popular book that tells little stories but is actually trying to teach you values.

That's the thing. When someone writes a book (or media or post or whatever) they write with explicit and implicit ideas. Explicit ideas is when the character tells their friends that revenge for their dead mom is gonna ruin them. The implicit idea would be that hate is bad, forgiving is good, and moms are worth avenging. I don't know if I'm being clear. I am referring to the things that go unchallenged because they are obvious.

You see, those are usually values. Things like, killing is bad, love is good, helping is better than hurting. I do think that when you are exposed to these ideas, you can change your opinion about them. And if you aren't looking too hard at the text, you might be being exposed to some ideas without noticing.

This isn't necessarily bad. Some sort of moral propaganda is inevitable in any text, mainly because the author has a set of beliefs. And not every belief that appears in a text is meant to convince the reader that that's a good thing.

Look, let's mention an example. Think about those books where a guy dresses as a woman to kill women more easily. That's transphobic propaganda, plain and simple. But someone might not notice. And they probably aren't going to go straight to thinking "maybe this woman in the bathroom is actually a man who is trying to kill me", but they might see more merit to ideas like "ok but what if the reason this guy is dressing like a woman is because he is trying to hurt women". Just, the fact that we think someone has to be a guy to be able to hurt women is a very common idea. Like, a female serial killer would be a diversity win.

My point is that, what someone gets from a book depends heavily on how they interact with a book. Reading critically and recognizing the unsaid biases needs some practice. And even books that aren't political are political. Hozier said in an interview "a child drawing a house is political, because of how they define a house" (or something like that).

So. All books have some sort of moral commentary.

In the same way that readers look for different things in a text, authors try to say different things. While there are always some implicit ideas, a good author can control their subtext, and any author can control the text. So, what can an author try to provide?

Well. I'm gonna say that an author can try to be philosophical/political, entertaining, or both. If I am reading a run of the mill romance novel, I do not expect many philosophical reflections, except maybe about the subject of love. The Good Place has a lot to say about the nature of good and evil, and is also funny.

There isn't a point in the spectrum that is inherently better than others. You can't fault a hammer for being bad at putting screws. They just have different purposes.

We as a society have a set of shared values, with some differences. One of the things we usually think is that learning and knowing stuff is cool, and maybe even productive. On the other hand, having meaningless, aimless fun, is, well, meaningless and aimless, which is bad and unproductive. So, a book that is only entertaining is "worse" than a book that discusses some philosophical dilemma.

And then you can also, of course, judge a book by what it says (or what you think it says), to justify why the bible is better than twilight or whatever. This would be the "this books is morally bankrupt and poisoning your brain" argument.

My conclusion is that a book can indeed "poison you brain". Media can change your opinion on certain things. But it's not immediate, it's not always and for everyone in the same way, and it's neither good nor bad. If you can read critically you can notice. But it doesn't need to be that deep.

And there are no books that are better than others. There are books that are funnier, or that say more about the nature of humanity, or lovely or hotter or cooler or whatever, and there are personal preferences. And the way we differentiate between good and bad art says more about us than about the art.

can I be so real with you. can I be honest. totally aside from the moral panic about women on booktok being """porn addicts""" because they're reading erotica, I think it's so fucking goofy when people act as if there needs to be some kind of societal reckoning with how tiktok books "aren't very good." like, okay? they're commercial products mass produced for entertainment. tiktok didn't invent that; you're going to have to take it up with pulp magazines and dime novels and comic books. you guys would throw up if you found out about Fanny Hill.

[junowritings]

HELLO, DARLING 💕💕 I'm here to bust in and ask for some sweet, sweet Twst fluff! May I have some Ruggie, Azul, and Deuce reacting to thier fem!s/o protecting them in a fight?? Maybe some dude trying to swing at them and their gf gets in the way and protects them! Pls give me the good, much love and you're amazing 💕💕💕💖💖💖

First request! Thank you so much honey I am always happy to provide some peak content~! I had way too much fun with this and it shows lmao but I hope you enjoy~! 💖 💖 💖

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

Ruggie

♡ Ruggie’s used to stepping on a few toes and tails with his antics - he’s a little trickster at heart but it’s all in good fun, he swears! It’s just unfortunate circumstances that perhaps one or two people sometimes get caught in the crossfire of his schemes, never anything too serious, but enough to leave more than a few people grumbling about it by the time things actually get sorted back out. Rarely do things ever actually spiral out of Ruggie’s control, and even if they do, chances are no one stays too mad at him for too long...most of the time. The times they do? They tend to get a bit out of hand.

♡ When a group of students attempt to corner him on the way back to the Savanaclaw dorm, he isn’t even sure what’s got them so heated - they start cussing him out, ranting about how he must think he’s such a wise guy, getting so cocky and not knowing his place. He’s not phased by what they say at all, if anything he’s not fussed in the slightest and would probably make a comment about them coming up with something more original if he could get a word in their bickering. It gets tiring real fast, and Ruggie’s looking for an out before these guys have even finished talking.  

♡ Sure, he could use his unique magic in this situation, but given that it would only affect one of them and more than likely piss them off even more in the process, it wouldn’t do much to save his hide right now. Three against one hardly seems like a hard fight, but if Ruggie is even remotely concerned about the odds it doesn’t show for a second, instead - chances are, they’re just gonna yell it out of their system and then storm off so he can go back to what he was doing. Arguably, that just makes them angrier, and soon enough their heated bickering becomes thinly veiled threats, as though they’re trying to rile him up into instigating something - they want a reaction, an excuse to justify starting a fight, but Ruggie’s not naive enough to fall for that trick. 

♡ When he doesn’t, one of the students finally snaps, lunging forward and snagging the collar of Ruggie’s uniform, bunching it up until he can feel knuckles pressed against his throat and he has to tilt his head up to avoid the fist curling underneath his chin. As the other hand rears back, the laid-back smile on his face becomes strained, and Ruggie squares the guy with a pointed stare as though waiting to call their bluff on actually taking a swing. He doesn’t get the chance to find out, as in the next moment the hand’s gone from his collar and Ruggie finds himself looking at the back of a blazer as a new voice joins the scene - one that he recognizes.

♡ He can’t see your face from this angle, but he can hear the hostility in your voice as you square up to the three boys, standing to your full height as you curse them out and order them to back up, asking what the hell they thought they were doing to your boyfriend. And just like that, those three hotheads dissolve into cowering pups right before his eyes, all bumbling words and awkward shifting as they try to talk their way out of the situation they’d been caught red handed in. They’re doing a poor job of it, and you’re clearly not buying it as you fold your arms and fix them with a scowl, taking a step forward as you move to completely shield Ruggie from their view. 

 ♡ Ruggie can count the amount of times someone has actively gone out of their way to protect him on one hand, so the situation is as bizarre as it is entertaining. He feels a smug kind of pride at hearing you declare the word ‘boyfriend’, and hearing the anger in your voice is enough to convince him that it’s for the best to let you handle this whole thing. Still, Ruggie just can’t help but peek over your shoulder as you tear those guys a new one, shooting them a shit eating grin and enjoying the way that their expressions twist into grimaces, pissed but unable to do anything less they risk even more of your rage.

♡ All you have to hear is one of them mention ‘putting him in his place’ for your expression to visibly darken, and all three of them know that they’ve messed up at the sight of your face. You barely even have to feign lunging at them to get all three of them to bolt, just about toppling over each other as they flee down the corridor and round the corner, effectively vanishing from your sight. Even then you wait a beat, listening out for their footsteps until you can’t hear them anymore before you allow the tension to fall from your shoulders. Ruggie thinks that’s the perfect time to chime in, resting his head on the shoulder he was peeking over as he snickers.

♡ “Shishishi~! Did you see the way they ran? Talk about spooked!”

♡ You find yourself chuckling along with him as you look at him out of the corner of your eye, watching his expression carefully before you shift around to fully face him. The first words out of your mouth are words of concern, asking him if he’s okay and if they hurt him in any way. He’s quick to brush off any of your worries, giving you a non-committal shrug and assuring you that he’s fine - he’s dealt with way worse confrontations before, so it’s not skin off his hide now that they’ve scampered off. 

♡ You’re not entirely convinced, he can see it in your face as you regard him - you seem to want to press the question on those ‘worse confrontations’, but after a moment you seem to drop it. Instead, you reach out and attempt to straighten out his collar and tie, though both are still a wrinkled mess by the time you’re finished; even so, Ruggie seems to appreciate the sentiment, and that lax grin from before is back as he slides out of your grip. He’s still gotta get back to the dorm, but it wouldn’t hurt to have company on the way back, if his new ‘bodyguard’ wants to tag along~

Azul

♡ Azul’s no stranger to people’s ire - he’s gained more than a few enemies over time, having his fair share of scorned patrons cursing his name before he’d even enrolled at Night Raven college. He’s learned quickly to gauge whether someone’s just blowing off steam or if they’re a serious threat, and he learned even quicker how to deal with those situations accordingly; after all, it’s bad business if you’re busy being hounded by clients looking for a bone to pick. He’s got countermeasures in play, and a few backup plans if things become too dicey for his liking, but he’s fortunately rarely had to use them barring one or two troublesome incidents thanks to the Leech twins.

♡ Floyd and Jade have, of course, been a big help in handling these little confrontations whenever they arise, having nipped most of them in the bud before they’ve even had the chance to darken the doors of the Monstro Lounge, so there’s been a relative peace in the place when people are there to have a good time rather than try and start fights.

♡ Things come to a head when someone actually manages to slip through into the Monstro Lounge, and Azul comes out of his office to the sound of someone shouting his name in a tone that sets the precedent that this is not going to be a peaceful interaction. He sees their face before they even turn to face him - expression twisted up in anger and hands balled at their side as they glare daggers at the other patrons, as if trying to discern if the dorm leader is sitting amongst them. Azul recognizes them immediately, and, upon realizing that the twins aren’t present in the lounge, rationalizes that it’s up to him to smooth things over before they end up disturbing the other patrons and causing too much of a disturbance. And so he plasters on his most neutral, unassuming smile, and greets the new ‘client’, watching them whip around to face him as he steps forward to talk to them.

♡ Azul already knows what they want to talk about - of course he does - he’s learned to keep track of every face that passes through those doors and his interactions with them. And yet he allows them to talk, and get what they want off of their chest; talking to them like this isn’t going to get them anywhere, and it appears they’re more in the mood for yelling than they are for actually talking. So he allows them to rant, if only to calm them down enough until he deems them rational enough to listen to what he has to say; and after a moment this seems to actually have done the trick, as the yelling soon quiets down in frustrated grumbling, and the eyes once drawn to the scene from nearby tables begin to return back to what had previously caught their attention. That’s when Azul finally speaks, extending an offer to finish this conversation back inside his office - after all, he’s sure they didn’t come here simply to make a scene when there’s a peaceful resolution to be reached, right? 

♡ It’s with that thought in mind that leads Azul to a momentary slip in judgement - turning his back on the troublesome patron and begins to walk back towards his office, expecting them to follow him. Which they do, with a raised fist. He doesn’t hear them storm after him, but what he does hear is the gasps from onlookers as they watch the person in question rear back their hand, fist aiming right for the back of his head. It should have connected - afterall, they were close enough to have landed the hit, but it never comes.

♡ Instead, a sharp shove at his back has Azul’s stumbling, and not a moment later, he’s spinning around to see what’s going on and finds an unexpected sight. The patron’s sprawled out on the floor, cradling their face in both hands and swearing up a storm as they rock back and forth, nursing what looks like a solid hit to the nose. And towering over them is none other than you, blazer discarded and sleeves rolled up to the elbows as you shake off the hit from your hands, winding up your shoulders as you stare daggers down at his would-be attacker. It doesn’t take a genius to discern what’s just happened in the span of just a few moments, but Azul’s suspicions are all but confirmed when you snap at them to just try and punch him again - watch what happens, you dare them.

♡ Anger flashes across the patron’s face, and for a second Azul truly believes that he’s about to watch a brawl break out between this troublemaker and his girlfriend as both make a move to jump the other. Thankfully for all involved, they don’t get the chance to see that show, as not a moment too soon the twins are there to intervene and split it up before any real fight begins. Jade’s hands are on your shoulder, guiding you back gently but firm enough to ensure that he can pull you away from this fight if you try to push the issue; you reluctantly follow him as he backtracks over to where Azul is standing, still grumbling about it under your breath. Floyd, on the other hand, is all too eager to take care of the one still cradling their face, sporting the beginnings of a bloody nose as they’re hoisted up onto their feet and promptly directed to the nearest exit.

♡ Azul makes a note to deal with that person later - though he’s got a sneaking suspicion that the twins are already well on their way to taking care of that in his stead as Jade leaves to rejoin his brother once you’re standing face to face with their dorm leader. For now, he turns his attention to you, watching you huff and rub idly at the hand you’d punched with as the beginnings of an apology tumble from your lips. 

♡ You didn’t mean to get involved and cause so much of a scene, but when he’d turned away and you saw the person rearing back to sock him, you were up from your table and swinging without a second thought. You couldn’t just sit there and let him get hurt, what kind of girlfriend would that make you if you did! You’d never let him get hurt as long as you were around - that was okay...right?

♡ The passion behind your voice is enough to convince him that you mean every word, and you can see his expression soften a little as he takes your hand into his own, thumb brushing over the scuffed skin of your knuckles, red marks becoming visible as a testament to the force behind your punch. Your expression twitches with a flash of discomfort - looks like you’d underestimated the force on your hand; Azul’s not surprised, going above and beyond was a penchant of yours that had gotten you this far, and perhaps what had led to you worming your way into his heart in the first place.

♡ At your expression, Azul gives your hand a pat before taking a step back, using the hold to guide you. He certainly doesn’t mind the protective streak - in fact it’s a rather endearing trait, one that deserves proper compensation in return. But the first order of business is getting that hand tended to, and Azul makes that his priority as he leads them to follow him to his office, pleased when you fall into step with him and follow his lead. 

Deuce

♡ Honestly, with how much of a protector can be over his friends, Deuce is in desperate need of someone just as willing to square up for him. He takes their safety seriously, even though part of him knows that realistically they can all take care of themselves just fine if anything actually happened. That still doesn’t stop him from wanting to step in whenever things get dicey, especially whenever it comes to you or your friends, and that either becomes a sweet sentiment, or the bane of your existence depending on how many altercations this ends up dragging him into.

♡ Maybe it's because of this that a fight was bound to break out sooner or later, but for what it’s worth, this one wasn’t actually caused because of him - it was because of Grim. That feline had a habit of breaching people’s boundaries, and sure enough it was just a matter of time before things escalated into a fight before anyone even had a chance to figure out what had even happened. Deuce wasn’t around when it happened, but the sound of yelling had caught his attention and led to him looking into the passing hallway trying to figure out what was going on. He recognized some of the voices, he swears it, and sure enough he finds the owner of those voices right in the center of the hallway, a small circle of people getting into each other's faces.

♡ Both sides are yelling, and at the sight of Ace and Grim smack-dab in the middle of the bickering, Deuce finds himself getting in-between them if only to get the one guy waving his hands around away from his friends before someone got slapped. Almost immediately there’s a hand in his face, an accusatory finger jabbed in his direction as all that anger at his friends is now squared directly on him. Deuce feels himself getting angry the more this guy screams into his face, cutting him off every time Deuce tries to get a word in; it’s clear that he’s not going to get any answers from this guy any time soon, so he calls to his friends behind him, ignoring the shout of ‘Hey, don’t ignore me!’ directed at him as he does so.

♡ Deuce looks away for a second, talking to Ace over his shoulder to try and find out what started this whole thing in the first place, when he feels someone grab a fistful of hair and yanks. Pain blossoms through his scalp and he hisses, a hand flying up to snag the wrist of the guy and wrenching it forward, digging his fingers in to force him to let go only for the hand to grip tighter. There’s another sharp tug, and Deuce can see Ace and Grim diving forward to help him from the corner of his eye, their shouts of protest only seeming to anger the guy more as they round in on him.

♡ But someone else gets there first, and just like that the hand is being wrenched from Deuce’s hair and he hears something go sliding across the floor. Turns out it’s the guy, whose expression is a mix of anger and bafflement as he tries desperately to reach for something behind him - no, someone. There’s a hand wound into the back of the guy’s blazer, hoisted up enough that he has to arch to go along with the item of clothing. The guy tries to reach behind him, but every time another hand peeks out from behind him to swat it away with ease, eliciting frustrated whines when the guy realizes he’s stuck.

♡ Deuce’s face must be priceless as he takes in the scene, watching a familiar head duck out from around the guys shoulder and flash him a grin, giving him a thumbs up. He hadn’t even seen you in the crowd, did you jump in when you saw him getting hurt? A part of him feels bad that you’d seen it happen in the first place, but that’s soon quashed when you turn your focus back to the guy who’d swung, who by this point had lost the gumption to keep swinging and was now just waiting for you to release your grip.

♡ You give it a few more seconds for good measure, before you allow your hold to loosen and you step away, still giving the guy a cautious glance as you move to stand in front of Deuce, Ace and Grim in a protective stance. There’s a beat of tenseness, waiting to see if the fight is going to start back up again, but when the group starts backtracking, retreating to who knows where else, it’s clear that at least for now things have been resolved. And with that out of the way, you turn your attention back to the boys, sticking Grim a pointed stare as you huff out that you’re talking to him about this later. 

♡ Then you turn your focus over to Deuce, and he immediately straightens up under your attention waiting for some kind of comment about the confrontation, or maybe a warning for him to be more careful. You take his face into your hands, and though confused, he follows along with your movements as you urge him to look down; he doesn’t know what you’re doing until he feels a hand smooth through his hair, easing the tousled hair back into place as you ask him if it still stings. Your tone is soft, and Deuce finds himself flushing as he hurriedly reassures you that it doesn’t hurt - it’s fine, really! You’re not entirely swayed, but the moment is broken when you hear Grim make a gagging noise telling you to stop being so weird. And just like that your attention is back onto Grim again, fully prepared to choke him with that damn bow as Deuce straightens back up, carding a hand through his hair and trying to will away the pink flush beginning to rise to his cheeks.