hawaiilovesonedirection

[ncityzen]

I've started putting time limits on certain apps and every time I go on the settings thing and I see how much time I've wasted on my phone already in a day 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 cold shower of reality

[theharmonious13]

Danganronpa Despair Time Death Prediction (Chapter 2 Released Edition)

*This post was created when Chapter 2 Episode 15 is the latest episode released. I hope there's nothing at the end of this chapter that changes or crushes my predictions for now.

**Spoilers for Danganronpa Despair Time up until Chapter Two, if you're reading this for some reason then happy reading :3

Chapter 1 (Complete)

XXX

Chapter 2 (Complete)

XXX

Chapter 3 (Veronika kills Arturo and Whit)

I imagine because of her talent and unique personality Veronika will end up killing, although after chapter two I can see her being both a victim or blackened because of her secret revealing she 'harmed herself for fun'. I don't have any specific predictions on what she would plan because of her enthusiasm for horror. Might not be in character but I can imagine her making a 'treasure hunt' type presentation for her murders, collecting hints as to where the victims are, or revealing new cryptic information to the group. She could mess with lights, objects etc. in a different way than Min did because I can imagine her planning her crime in intense detail. Despite what I just wrote I hope she survives longer, I love hearing her enthusiasm towards character distress/aspects of the killing game but... I unfortunately can't see her making it to the end. I can imagine with her self harming tendencies she wouldn't mind being executed if she fails :/

I figure she would be smart enough to take out Arturo despite his height because he's the closest thing the cast has to a medical expert. Additionally I think she'd choose Whit to murder because of his smaller size/character archetype (jokester who doesn't take the killing game as seriously), and how it plays into her possibly favourite horror tropes. I could be dead wrong here but both Arturo and Whit seem like they won't really contribute story wise except for their family connections (Arturo's sister and Whit's mother, both of which I'm curious to learn more about). The creator has also confirmed it'll follow the original Danganronpa format, which is why I'm so confident there will be the typical two victims in chapter three regardless of who I guess.

Chapter 4 (Rose kills Hu)

This also mainly came about because of the chapter 2 trial. Unless I missed something up until now Hu seemed to take a 180 type character spin in a niche way, going from the motherly/helpful figure to still that but less so. She's now explicitly (and weirdly imo) delusional when it comes to understanding/connecting with people, using logic and arguing about her morals. With her angry outbursts at those she disagrees with and her newly revealed secret of 'trying to commit suicide three times' I think there's a very low chance she'll survive. She got fully taken advantage of by David and Niko since day 1 pretty much and will still try to be friends with Niko in chapter 3 I bet despite them literally attempting to frame her for their failed murder attempt. She wants to live so she claims but the odds seem to be against her now with the new group dynamic...

Rose I can also see being both a victim and a killer because of her random micronaps, complex memory with irrelevant memories and passive nature. If she is a victim she could leave a note with related to the most irrelevant clue of the case or use it to her advantage intentionally/unintentionally giving a false witness testimony in her trial (similar to Gonta in V3). She has also been betrayed by Nico (when they stole her turpentine so they could use it for murder), so it would be interesting for her and Hu to interact in more detail in the next chapter onwards. Her surviving to chapter four gives her enough time to come to terms with her memory and helpfulness or to have a different aspect of character development in my opinion.

I could see this murder playing out two ways. The first is that the two get in an argument over Nico, causing Hu to attack first. Rose then defends herself on the fly and thus a messily planned murder method and crime scene play out. The second is that Rose somewhat plans to murder for the sake of getting her family out of financial debt, and could use her art forging skills to make false evidence/visual confusion for her crime scene.

Chapter 5 (Nico kills Levi)

So chapter 5 is usually the chapter where characters take drastic action to end the killing game and/or it will be a very relevant to the final trial where the mastermind is usually exposed. Chapter 2 revealed that both Nico and Levi have alot of unlikeable personality traits that have now been brought to light. Both since the beginning of the killing game have also been social outcasts, and have had difficulty reading social cues. As both of them are murderers I would like to imagine in this scenario that to save the other contestants they have a Gundham/Nekomaru type dual. They've both murdered (or almost) before so neither would shy away given the right circumstances.

Survivors (Teruko, Eden, J, Charles, David)

I think this roster makes for a solid survivor group with an interesting range of personalities. I was originally planning to predict Teruko dying in chapter five because of the popular fan theory that her real secret is 'the killing game is all your fault' but if that's true it would make more sense to keep a consistent protagonist/the reveal would be more satisfying if you could see her reaction. None of the survivors (so far) seem to not be friends with each other so it would be interesting to see them work together to end the killing game, especially with Teruko being so distrusting of others.

David being this game's antagonist who can go either way for helping escape the killing game would be interesting to keep around story wise. Him, Charles and Teruko are three characters who contribute alot to each class trial, so I imagine it would be fun to see more late game bickering between them. And of course him getting blamed for things he didn't do because no one can trust what he says. Given how close he was to Xander it would make sense for him to be alive in order to solve all the mysteries surrounding him.

J while having an average intelligence as well as balance between emotional and logical responses would make for a good mediator between the rest of the survivors. She could also be very good for conveying the themes of fame and popularity because of her backstory (they're on live television which would be goof for ratings).

Eden is sort of the Himiko of this group surviving for the sake of her friends, and being the most devoted when deadly truths about the killing game are revealed (and man I want to know if she really used that fork to stab Xander's eye like alot of fan theories suggest).

I'm hoping and praying as a Charles fan that he and dead his brother who has been forgotten about are relevant enough to the plot for him to survive. In a final class trial as the ultimate chemist would be very useful for analysing and collecting evidence (as long as there is no more blood around which isn't very Danganronpa like haha).

[judasgot-it]

Can I please have hcs of how Ango and Mushitarou would raise his daughter vs how he would raise a son? [How strict is he? Is it likely for him to have favouritism? What kind of Father is he? How much does he spoil them? Etc, etc] PLEASEE I BEG 🙏

[This is the last one I swear�� I'm sorry]

These are very very much my own hyperspecific headcanons, sorry idk how to make them cutesy like other people do with the baby shit I'm just being a little straight-up like these guys would 100% fuck up in some places

Mushitaro

Girl dad

i think he would have a daughter kind of like kyouka. although maybe more gothic and a little strange

i can totally imagine him playing dress-up games with her. like, he 100% would be super involved, dude would love to learn about the girls world and get into it

he likes to dress her up because he makes it so easy - bro would make it seem like they're playing a game and it would be a blast for her

he knows all of the specific names for skirts and sweaters now. he can easily get his daughter the perfect outfit because of course he can, duh

he'd be a fun dad. like i can imagine him making dumb dad jokes and "arguing" with her over stupid things

100% he cries over every major milestone she has. like he would cry when she goes to different schools or when she gets her period - he hates to see her change, and cries over an old baby picture of her in his wallet

will forever be daddy's little girl. btw she's 25 and moved out already. but still, shes living in his wallet and is his little girl lmao.

i think the teenage years are actually kind of chill for him, dude gives off chill lame dad vibes. i think he would chill with his daughter after some stupid "canon event" for her and they would bond over movies and icecream

16 and she would just unironically go to the mall with her dad because they're chill like that.

I think Mushitaro gives really good dad vibes honestly. he wouldn't be "cool" but bro would be totally lame in a good way

his daughter wouldn't know jackshit about his life until like she's way older. or maybe on accident. I think thats why he would be a good dad

his ability is a well-kept secret so I think he would threaten her boyfriends and she would just think he's joking or isn't really that threatening. he's not. he would 100% get away with their murders. he probably did once or twice.

its not like he's trying to be dishonest, its just that his life is complicated, and he doesn't want to explain so many horrible things to an innocent child

she learns eventually, but i think she'd get mad on his behalf tbh. like, a lot of it was really shitty

she probably knows Poe and Ranpo, but I can imagine her believing that her dad is just a normal guy compared to them.

Idk i feel like he protects her normalcy and "innocence" a lot more than he should

Like father not like son, fr

exact opposite here, i think he would have a son who would be pretty different from him in some ways

maybe not "giga chad" or anything, but he definitely would be living a way different life than Mushitaro ever could have thought of

i think it would be awkward at some point. at that stage where kids become their own people, but are still too similar to others - he would probably be scared by the weird reflection he sees of himself

i think he loves his son but still hates himself for what he did. so he might pretend that his son isn't like him all that much

might talk to his son a little too much about his "uncle" who he never explains where he is (because he is dead)

when he learns that he's dead, he suddenly doesn't want to talk about him that much.

Probably once saw his son reading his books and overreacted.

i think having a son gives him more melancholy, since he has to reflect far more on his mistakes in life

probably worries himself shitless about what he's doing though

he knows he's going to be ok, but deep down he knows the world is too cruel

His son probably tries to be smart and get away with shit and ends up having the whole detective agency on his ass. Bro can't even sneak out smh

I feel like Mushitaro's parenting style is a little out of the ordinary, since he would probably force the kid to work anytime he thought he was "acting up" instead of idk. time out.

Definitely way harder on a son than he is on a daughter. Favoritism is real guys

I think his son would be way more freerer and think his dad is "weird" so any bonding time they have would be a little overshadowed by it

They get along well enough, but yea it's a bit more tenious

Ango

girl dad

I feel bad, I feel like his daughter would be kind of a bitch

like not a total bitch, but she would be the type to use "my dad works in the government" to her full advantage and also just clock people in for who they really are

a little too much like dazai in that aspect.

probably really sweet as a child and i think ango spoiled her too much in fear of being a bad father

like probably got furniture for his empty ass apartment (what is wrong with him) and buys her useless shit kids like (what the fuck are those kids surprise toys)

so now she thinks she has it better than most people and is willing to take full advantage of that

to be fair. ango is the type of guy who would get bullied by his own daughter. like he can fight back but he would lose and cave in and give her 500$

It's not totally hopeless, I think she's just as smart as him and gives off more barbie energy, so is a little terrifying to have around the office since she just would just unexpectedly call people out for being assholes

only she can bully her dad. she doesn't care if thats his boss

so ango doesn't tell his coworkers that he has an expensive daughter who probably gets in fights. cause why would he? that doesn't really help him

i think she's the bitch that he wants to be

so he isn't too hard on her since he agrees like 70% of the time

loves to hangout with his daughter but it always puts a dent in his wallet since her hobbies are shopping and getting arrested

honestly he probably is glad she's like this. she has a strong identity and is very very hard to sway in one direction or the other

makes him proud

boy dad (rip)

I actually think he would be really nice to his son

he would probably have a son who's a bit of a freak like him and struggles with identity issues, so I think he would be kind since he understands those exact struggles

very very dysfunctional though

bro either orders takeout for the both of them each night or they eat straight out of the pot with spoons over the sink

like, i think unless the mom is in the picture ango would have his son living in his apartment with just mattresses and a suitcase

very very male living space.

like i doubt they'd sleep with blankets half the time

probably brings his 8-year-old son with him to his job and makes him do homework or play games

is probably more popular than ango

if his son has no hobbies then his hobby is to be a paper pusher for him

would raise his son to be his own personal assistant

or to go to a good university

those are his two options

not his fault, bro just sucks at parenting and the only way he can channel his paternal affection has been through training employees

does teach him how to shoot a gun though

his son is probably a mess of a person like he is, maybe a bit better since he doesn't have the drama of losing someone and bad friendship breakups, but i think ango wouldn't really help him develop useful life skills

the man can barely function on his own, so his version of parenthood is just "stay alive" and knowing how to manage under your circumstances

like, his son is more prepared for the end of the world than for anything else

it's complicated.

his son isn't resentful though. he loves his dad and i feel like he would do something that his dad would be proud of

[drbased]

i've been reading your symbolic states tag and i'm both fascinated and relieved. i too am trying to live more in the real world and less in my head. a spark was struck when i read that i should be looking forward to the work of living, rather than dreaming of the symbolic sense of achievement i want.

do you have any tips/advice on getting out of that state? i find myself slipping back to it after a few days/weeks. how did you get out of it permanently?

i also want to hear your thoughts on social media's impact on us with regards to the symbolic state. social media is a literal continuous symbolic state that we are now all expected to participate in. how might we do it without succumbing to living/thinking symbolically?

actually, i would go so far as to state that social media has contributed directly to the current boom and celebration of unreal/symbolic ideals.

thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

Thank you so much for this message 💖

This is, in short, my process:

learn to recognise what makes you feel uncomfortable. mentally trace back to recognise what has made you feel sad, angry etc. The more specific and granular and embarrassing you can recognise as the source of your negative emotional response, the more you're learning about your actual self and not some idealised version of you.

from that, start getting to know yourself. once again, the more granular and specific you can get, the better. instead of thinking 'I am smart', recognise 'I have good analytical skills that I developed during childhood because of x experience' etc. this will help you to stop categorising yourself as a certain type of person and instead will help you to have a healthier relationship with the traits that make up who you are.

before doing an activity, is your mental picture of yourself in the first or third person? because if it's the latter, try imagining yourself in the first person. if this feels humiliating and embarrassing, and the activity seems boring, you've learned something about what you actually like doing. get used to recognising that picturing yourself in the third person is a warning sign. the more you recognise the warning signs, the more you learn about yourself, and the more you can act authentically.

with a better picture of who you are, you're better at recognising what you actually want in the moment. I specify in the moment, because it's very easy to categorise yourself - I spent over a decade doing things because 'drbased would like this activity', as if I'm forced to behave according to someone's OC character sheet of myself. For example, when doing art projects, I feel as if I'm supposed to do a specific design because 'that's the kind of design drbased likes' - which actually makes the activity the opposite of creativity because I leave myself no room for the spontaneity of the human spirit; everything I do has to fit into a category. Recognising that I can just exist in the moment and not as part of some wider narrative has helped me immensely

learn to trust yourself - or, at least, humour yourself until you trust yourself. learning to humour myself is where this all started. I took myself and my point of view seriously, and as such was finally able to stop being embarrassed at being a human being. I approach everything from my own point of view now, and it's wild that I finally understand that that's what being human, being alive, existing is all about.

and here's the big one - or, rather, one continuous and contiguous chain of small ones - I have to actually do what I want, moment to moment. Since I lost the ability to recognise myself as a human being existing in the chain of cause-and-effect, I have to re-establish my relationship with said cause-and-effect. I have to re-attach some neurons, and the best way to do that is with consistent behaviour. I feel something I want to do, I have to do it instantly. The more of a gap I leave, the harder I make it in the long run. I still feel the tug of obligation stopping me from doing what I want to do instantaneously, so this is a long, perhaps a life-long journey for me. but I want that, no matter how exhausting it can get, because every moment I get to show myself love and prove just how serious I am about mending my relationship with myself. One very existentially terrifying thing I've learned is that the medium is the message - the very fact that you're making these gestures to yourself is something that your brain registers. And the simple fact, is, reality feels a lot better when you're directly engaging with it. It's tough, but it's incredibly rewarding and makes life better - remember, you only ever exist in the moment - so thinking of yourself as anything other than in the moment is a form of death of the self. Reinforcing yourself as part of the chain of causality is telling yourself you're alive and want to live.

Make no mistake: I am not completely out of it. I seriously damaged my relationship with my own self-hood and I am sure that I will always be struggling with this for the rest of my life. But how I frame my response to life's struggles is entirely different now - I am making this decision to engage with what I once percieved as the humiliation of mundane life because I can now recognise that for better or for worse, I'm the one living it. I'm the one feeling the feelings and thinking the thoughts and doing the actions. I am the center of my entire perception of the universe, this life is literally my own. I used to think of myself as having some obligation/responsibility to other people and the universe itself - but now I recognise that responsibility is, like, an actual real thing, instead of just getting marks on a test. If I do something bad, that actually hurts real people; and likewise, doing something nice is good because real people benefit. The 'responsibility' comes once again from the equally comfortable and terrifying realisation of my place in the chain of cause-and-effect. As part of that chain, I may have caused irreparable damage to my psyche, but I'm not part of a narrative where I must seek to 'fix myself' - I'm just a human being, and I want to live the best life I can because feeling good feels good, and that's what I want for myself because I care about myself. If I have to spend the rest of my life constantly asking 'what do I actually want right now?' then so fucking be it - because the alternative is a low-level hell of depression and PDA.

I will talk about social media and symbolic states in a reblog of this another time. But I hope this helps - I'm getting better at writing down the stages of what I did to help myself, and it's incredibly gratifying, and the responses I get are validating.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

#14's Past

I finally got over the cringe so here I am with OC stuff again! If you remember, we left off with Fay joining the mob. If you haven't read Introducing #14!, you should probably go do that and meet my little guy before you read this. :)

Solo:

After working for the Butlers (Marcus' family) for a while, Fay garners quite the reputation. He handles pressure well. He's smart and quick on his feet. Though he hasn’t got a driver’s license, he’s a hell of a wheel man. He also does just as he's told and knows how to keep things under his hat. After Big Marcus (Marcus’s dad) insists on teaching him to shoot, they learn he's a crack shot. With such great qualifications, he ends up becoming a gun for hire. A freelance assassin, if you will. 

So he bounces around the country working for a lot of horrible people and becoming one himself. He goes by Ghost on the job— because he’s nineteen and thinks it sounds cool. (Loser. /affectionate.) His occupation gets his name out on various and numerous hit lists. Of course it's never his real name. No. He holds Aaron Farris close to his chest. No one but his ex teammates and the Butlers know him by that name.

Speaking of names, he's got plenty of them. A dozen aliases, carefully crafted by Big Marcus, kept stashed away in a binder. Every page details a different persona. He's got IDs tucked inside as well as reminders of how they act, speak, dress, etc. And the contacts he has for each of them. He's a very organized motherfucker. And he keeps this well guarded. It's his entire life. Or, lives. 

Swapping into a different persona is easy. Sometimes too easy. But it pays well. He can slap on a new accent and change his clothes and it’s like he was never there in the first place.

Familia: 

After a while, Fay hangs up his Ghost persona and starts doing other mob work. In doing so, he ends up earning himself a spot under Tony DiAngelo, eventually becoming his right hand man. Tony grows to think of him as a son, calls him Luka. (“Ya know. That’s what I woulda named my son, if I had one.”) Fay stays in Los Angeles for over a year, working for one of the biggest players on the west coast. 

Until the feds catch up to Tony and raid his building. He and Fay are in his office, in the penthouse when one of his sentinels comes to warn him. Tony tells Fay to take the fire escape and run. Fay doesn’t want to, but Tony tells him he’s ‘too goddamn young’ to get caught up in this. Tony pushes his wallet into Fay’s hands and tells him to get the fuck out or Tony will shoot his ass. (“You wouldn’t.”/ “I’d rather kill you than drag you to prison with me.”) So Fay flees down the fire escape, feeling like a traitor.

With his life ripped out from under him yet again, Fay sees no other alternative. He goes back to what he thinks he’s best at. Being quick and quiet, unknown. He becomes Ghost again and writes letters to his imprisoned father figure. He never gives details, just lets him know he’s alive. Signs them all 'Luka DiAngelo', a boy who never existed.

Settling Down:

By 22, Fay is tired.

He’s killed more people in the past year than he's spoken to. He's got no real friends left, only contacts. No family, only employers. He's been living out of seedy motels and storage units. He's got no stability, no one to depend on. And... He's starting to imagine things, hearing and seeing things that aren’t there. Haha. The pressure must be getting to him... 😅😬

One night after a job goes wrong in North Carolina, turns out killing a senator is pretty tricky, he hauls ass out of there and heads South. He gets as far as Columbia, SC, before running out of gas. That's when he coasts into a hotel parking lot and gets himself a room. He's scared to death and shaking, afraid he's been followed. That they're going to find him. That the man who hired him is going to kill him for failing. After sitting and watching the window all night, he decides he has to get out of this business. He has to. Before he cracks up completely.

After a few days of trying to decide what to do, he hears that Kevin Day is officially playing striker for the Foxes. If he could get a new start after his world fell apart, maybe Fay could do the same. After all, the university is so close. And he’s got money saved up. And it would be fun to watch Kevin play… So he makes a call to Big Marcus, asks him for a favor. Once he receives his new identification papers in the mail, he applies and gets accepted.

Okay! That's all for his past, unless anyone wants to know anything specific. Next post we'll be seeing Fay at PSU, perhaps meeting the Foxes... Also if you have any questions about this loser from my mind, please send me an ask. I will be so happy to talk about him!

fay's friends: @joanofexys @ordei @themundanemudperson @felixvanhuss (if you'd like to be tagged next time, let me know! and if you don't wanna be tagged anymore, let me know.)

[chaos-and-sparkles]

I yearn to talk about my Dracula!Holmes au, and the universe has seen fit to give me free will and internet access, so talk i shall.

Listen. Hear me out just hear me out.

We literally have Johnathan motherfucking Harker whose written POV we read Dracula from for like a solid half of the book, right. Well, no more, he's John Watson now babeyyy, a retired army man now gainfully employed as a lawyer who's off overseas to act as estate agent to the strange and eccentric client who has expressed interest in moving to foggy London... Count Holmes! [insert jazz hands]

Instead of being Evil(tm) and plotting to take over London or whatever, my guy is just Autistic. Also riddled with ADHD and in desperate need of some enrichment in he goddamn enclosure. He will also in fact be trans, because. Of course. Vampirism as a metaphor for queerness and the social ostracization that follows as a punishment and having inherently queer narratives intertwined in them etc etc... anyhow! Count Sherlock Holmes, vampire detective!!!

(I do also want him to be aroace, or aroacespec at least, but I'm willing to negotiate for the Johnlock and the Johnlock alone.)

Mina Harker here is of course the one and only Mary Morstan, although it is clearly a lavender marriage, because we aren't cowards in this household and so Mary gets to be gay with her Lucy equivalent here, just as god intended. I haven't decided who her Lucy equivalent will be yet but this au is still young (technically I've been going insane about it in my mind for like a month or two but whatever) and there's no reason we can't make up an OC for her Lucy.

John Watson, resident gay doctor lawyer, of course, is smart enough to realize the enigmatic Count Holmes' vampiric secret within like one adventure, but he sure is going to have a slow burn of realizing just how gay he is for said enigmatic Count Holmes. We, of course, get to witness this tooth rotting bullshit firsthand as we read his diary entries and some later letters to Mary.

And instead of being one long gothic horror narrative, it's just adventure of the week with your friendly neighborhood crime solving vampire, the various other mythical creatures who do said crimes, and Just Some Guy.

Just, every Sherlock Holmes adventure adapted into this au with other supernatural elements. The guy from the Red Headed League is a local villager being bamboozled by a leprechaun, the Silver Blaze thing is about a kelpie. Everyone including Sherlock was operating on the assumption that Irene Adler was a siren, but actually she was just a regular human, and instead of unlearning misogyny (bc I don't see trans vampire Sherlock living so long through changing times and society and being sexist), Sherlock has to learn not to underestimate the intelligence of humans.

Also, he's just really excited to have this new human, John, living in his castle. So curious, too, about humans, he has sequestered himself from them for such a long time and John seems like a very interesting one. He's probably the first friend Sherlock has had in a long time, too.

Also. Instead of being warded off or harmed by garlic, to Sherlock, garlic is just the vampire version of cocaine. He just gets high as fuck off garlic. Could live on the stuff. And the reason people think he's warded off by garlic is just because he was seen getting high off his ass, turning into a bat, and flying away in loop de loops upon consuming garlic one (1) time. And everyone thought it's his weakness. And he never bothered correcting them bc Why Would He. He's basically getting free cocaine left and right from villagers who are scared/wary of the supernatural Count Holmes and only go to him when there's no other option, and it's no bother to leave people he's not investigating alone.

I genuinely do think cocaine!garlic addicted Sherlock has so much comedic potential, it really is so beloved to me. Just imagine, if you will, an extremely put-upon John Watson caring for Batlock who has gotten high off his ass and refuses to stop flying into his own antique chandelier.

I was also thinking that it would be funny to have Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Turner in place of Dracula's sexy vampire roommates or whatever those three were lmao (I couldn't think of a third character, sorry)

Also. Obviously. Van Helsing has got to be Moriarty, by virtue of opposition. I do think their whole deal has a lot of potential to be very funny and entertaining also. I am also considering it might be fun to have Lucy's other suitors be the Scotland Yarders, like Lestrade, Gregson and what have you, but that risks missing out on the very fun possible dynamic of "Sherlock being exasperated with the dumbass out of their depth Yarders he keeps helping" raised to like the hundredth degree so. I honestly would like people's thoughts on that.

Anyway so YES, Dracula au please and thank you. Maybe with endgame QPR Johnlock? Yes? Please? Queerplatonic husbands Johnlock is my shit.

In conclusion: THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK <3

[makoodles]

I have been reading Avatar fics for some days and I have to tell the world something:

WHY IN THE NAME OF SANITY ALMOST EVERY Y/N FEELS SHAME FOR EARTH AND HUMANS???

Like truly, I understand in comparison with Na'vi humans look like monsters, but I rarely have seen a reader who would defend beautiful things that humanity has done. Just look at it: books, arts, paintings, architecture, so many cultures (dead and alive) etc... You cannot tell me humanity has nothing to be proud of.

So imagine Na'vi with human reader, who is forced to speak only Na'vi language with her mate, because he wants nothing to do with human stuff (she's an exception). But her level of speaking this language is not so high and she can't really tell what she truly wants to say. So, one day, when Na'vi mate were humiliating her race and calling humans stupid, she just EXPLODES, screaming DO YOU KNOW HOW SMART I'M IN ENGLISH???

She shows him ancient architecture (for me it's always the best), make him to listen human music, prepare human food, demonstrate paintings of great artists etc. In the end she kills her mate with questions: well, what your people can do?

I believe Na'vi is going to be impressed, but will never admit it. Although he's stoped speaking trash about humanity...

Oh, I finally spoke out.

Sorry if it's a lot.

idkkkk i think that's a complicated one because of the message of colonialism

like i feel like a human on pandora has to come to terms with a lot of things, like the fact that they've arrived on the planet with a violent colonising force and the sheer amount of destruction that's wrought on the planet thanks to our species arrival there.

and i guess a big part of earth in the avatar franchise is how it's dying due to human greed and climate change etc, and how the humans on earth are completely disconnected from mother earth and everything, and i think it would be kind of difficult to have pride in your planet and in the achievements of humankind when you see the connection the na'vi have with their home

i reallyyyyy hope we learn more about what earth is like in the next movies! the deleted scenes from A1 were honestly so interesting, i love the aesthetic of it lolll

one thing i can really imagine is human reader telling their na'vi s/o about like household appliances that make life so much easier. like talking about how much they miss microwaves and fridges, and electric showers and dumb shit like scented candles, and your na'vi s/o will be listening with rapt attention bc they have no idea wtf you're talking about

[oceisastar]

surprise, it's kaveh,,,

,,, again!

a/n reader has some typa vision loll

the existence of mehrak makes me think so hard,,, like what else is kaveh capable of,,, i know he likely found her in the desert, and she's some ancient tech, but he's not an idiot... surely he has studied mehrak, knows what makes her tick,,,

just like how you know the best spots to touch him at and the right words to make him melt<33

nngh but kaveh is so smart!!,,, i know he could make himself his own toy!! maybe it's even almost it's own entity, kind of like mehrak but minus the sentience, where he can control if it vibrates or if it fucks him with only a flick of his wrist,,,

but ofc he can't make himself cum as well as you do!! no artifical object can call him your good boy like you do, or hold him hand as you fuck him, or kiss him as tenderly as you move your hips...

and oh imagine kaveh teaching you how to use the toy. he teaches you how to use your vision to make it float, to make it vibrate at different speeds and intensities, to even teleport from hand to hand,,,

but eventually he almost regrets teaching you,,,

keyword: almost.

you have learned to use kaveh's toy and you've learned to use it well. he melts beneath you, shivering and moaning and reaching out for you—hugs that you always, always return—when you run the vibe along his dick... the obscene sounds of the vibe fade away to the background as all kaveh can hear is you whispering sweet, loving things in his ear between each hickey you tenderly suck into his neck!! as you coax him to his orgasm, he pleads you to do the trick he showed you—one where you rhythmically tap the toy as it vibrates—,,,

except your beloved forgot to consider how your voice alone, often paired with love declarations and always tender love, could make him cum on the spot<33 so when you begin tapping the vibe between each syllable of "c'mon, come for me, songbird, my kaveh," he comes immediately and so intensely and beautifully<333

and if he looks at you after, a gorgeous wreck still shivering from aftershocks, and begs you, "one more?," one more time to say "my kaveh?," who are you to say no?;]

kaveh one chance pls

also out of morbid curiosity, are there any kinks beyond like praise or smth that ur into? thirst-wise. like uhhh tentacles. a/b/o stuff. bondage!! overstim. sensory deprivation. so on. it's rlly not that hard to make so many of these soft and tender lmao so it does upset me sometimes that there's so little like loving bandage or wtv 🤧

MDNI

I’m picturing reader w an anemo vision for this. like making the toy float in the air

I love this 😭😭 him needing u bc it’s u that makes him feel good. your presence and words and just you. not just the toy

hugging him 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I’m crying. I love this so much

cumming from someone’s voice alone 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥵

so much delightful softness. I enjoy this dynamic a lot. it’s refreshing. I love how loving it is. fills my heart with adoration.

~

tw ??? discussion of some intense kinks

I’m gonna be so straight w u I don’t really understand a/b/o but I do enjoy the concept of heat. I think it’s very sexy. (don’t explain a/b/o to me further I don’t want to know lmao) just the idea of not being in control of yourself and needing so badly is so hot to me. abt the desperation and need (and usually yearning) that ensues in the fics I’ve read w/ it. I don’t care much for the alpha/omega aspect of it tho. it’s more abt the need and desire than that power dynamic.

I’m into other stuff too but I won’t give too much away. bondage and tentacles etc aren’t my thing — I’m not a fan of restrictive stuff. I can see what u mean abt there not being enough tender stuff w it! it’s usually really centered around degradation etc which is not great.

I really have a strong fixation on tiddies tbh I want to suck on them soooooo bad (esp women <3). not bite them but suck on them bc didkskskal

this one is pretty specific but smth abt sniffing undies is so <3 it’s sooooo sexy and naughty to me. like the character just burying their face in a pair of mc’s underwear and getting off is soooooo hot to me.

I also (depending on my mood) like somnophilia. again, back to the desperation piece — just needing ur partner so bad u can’t wait to eat them out and they wake up moaning and grinding in ur face. even better if they cum while asleep 🤤

[tiredsurvivoronmain]

Hi, I found your account because I also like Chrisker and DBD and I really enjoy your fanart! (I learned about them through DBD XD)

I also wanted to ask if you think the rumors about Wesker having a crush on Rebecca are true? I came across that due to both, DBD and RE fanart etc and I really hope it's not true

Hi anon! Thank you! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying my art! <3

Honestly the whole thing makes me uncomfortable but I don't think that's the case and I'll try to explain it. First off, I HATE that photo/Easter Egg with a passion. Secondly, as it's an Easter Egg I don't consider it canon.

Easter Eggs in games are supposed to be silly and funny or creepy, plus EEs generally aren't supposed to be connected to the plot or canon. They're more of a little challenge/puzzle for the player to figure out hidden Easter eggs, the result is usually intended to give the player a 'lmao what??' or 'wtf' reaction, something that's not meant to be taken seriously. Sometimes it's just something to do to get a hidden trophy.

I did read somewhere that Enrico and Wesker shared the same office, and since Rebecca was on Enrico's team it's possible that he was the one who had the photo, not Wesker. (there's only one S.T.A.R.S office so where was Enrico's team supposed to work??) Additionally, the photo wasn't even developed yet it was just on a film roll; the player had to be the one to develop it (at least in RE2R, idk about the OG RE2). In both RE1 games when it was just Wesker, Chris and Rebecca, when Rebecca joined in the conversation between Chris and Wesker, he didn't hesitate to shoot her, as if he was annoyed about being interrupted by her. If he had an interest in her I imagine it was because she was a threat; she was smart and a medic, if she had the resources she would be able figure out cures/vaccines for viruses. OR he may have wanted her to work for him as a scientist when he bails from Umbrella as she's intelligent enough. He can't work alone he'll need his own team of soldiers and scientists.

But overall no I don't think it's a canon thing. The photo was probably amusing in the OG game at the time but these days it's not so amusing and in bad taste tbh. (it's not something that's aged well imo). I try to ignore/avoid the whole thing altogether but if I had to go with a reason for it I either go with the 'it was Enrico not Wesker that had the photo in the desk drawer' or the Chrisker version; Wesker didn't want Chris to develop an interest in Rebecca (Wesker is the jealous/possessive type) so he took the film roll/photo with the intention to dispose of it but forgot about it or before he could get rid of it he and his team had to go to the mansion. Bc of the idea of Chris getting a crush on her or he might have seen Chris and Rebecca (who was new to S.T.A.R.S) talking one day and it got under his skin, he had particular malice towards her in a territorial/jealousy kind of way.

Also wanna say I don't hate Rebecca! ;; I just really don't like the photo Easter egg and the association it has with Wesker. Wesker can be a creepy bastard sure but I think it's more of an intimidation tactic to be the one in control, nothing more. An 'all bark and no bite' situation. Considering how fruity and high off his ass on hubris/power he was I don't think he actually felt anything for Rebecca. If anything I consider Wesker to be on the ace spectrum and doesn't really feel anything for anybody (with the exception of Chris maybe seeing how obsessed he is with him, romantically/sexually or not). This is how I see Wesker:

I hope that reassures you ;-; (and anybody else who was concerned about it)

[mothbart]

Hey luv!! What are your fav marauders hcs? Feel free to go on for as much or as little as you’d like!!

oh my god YOOO ECHO you just opened up a can of worms. i'm gonna stick this under a read more because i have so many thoughts and feelings. and people may or may not agree with these and that's okay <3 these are just how i see everyone. this is so incredibly long and i do not expect anyone to read this lmfao

WE ARE STARTING OFF STRONG WITH JAMES.

-james potter is not a sunshine character. he is not all rainbows and happiness. james potter is a human being with a big fucking ego who thrives on attention. james potter hurts people intentionally sometimes. james potter knows how to hurt and he knows exactly what will really drive the knife through. james potter does things for others because it will benefit him in the long run sometimes. does that mean he's awful? NAH. he can still be funny and loyal to his friends and sweet and nice and an overall happy guy, but james potter is so much more complex than that and it makes me so sad when people just water him down to someone with a golden retriever personality.

-i love the idea of lily evans being blunt and a straight shooter. not enough to be a dick but enough to get her point across. she doesn't hesitate to tell someone what she wants, how she wants it, and when she wants it. she knows what she deserves and she'll do what she can to get that.

-i love how people paint marlene to be...loud? if that makes sense. like loud in the sense that her presence is known, like it's almost impossible to not see marlene. like my baby is full of life and personality and she is a true life of the party kinda gal and she knows it. mary is the exact same way. mary is giggly and free and does not give two shits about what people think of her. they're both hard workers even though everything just comes naturally to them.

-i don't think that regulus is always cold to the people he cares about. like i think that he's not afraid to show his friends/his partner that he cares about them and doesn't hide it. do i think that he would use his words? not necessarily. he shows them instead. he takes care of them. he'll do things like help sirius clean his house because he doesn't have the energy to do it himself. regulus will make james his favorite meal when he's had a bad day and isn't ready to talk about it yet. he'll pick up small trinkets at vintage stores that remind him of his friends and just toss it to them to show that he thought of them, etc.

-dorcas is ruthless. dorcas cares deeply and loves too hard and she will never hesitate to rally for those she cherishes. dorcas will defend and fight and the people around her admire those traits. she's smart and dedicated and she loves to learn new things and she'll always try things once, even if it's something she knows is completely illogical but because barty talked her into doing it once, she'll argue but she won't straight up say no.

-remus can be mean, but he chooses to always stay calm. he will never hurt anyone intentionally, and if he does hurt someone, he feels guilty. BUT he doesn't allow people to walk all over him either? if that makes sense? like he knows how to draw boundaries and he's not afraid to remind someone that they crossed them. he's not afraid to call out his friends for shitty behavior, like this man is KNOWN for humbling both sirius and james because they both enable bad behaviors with each other, and remus will sit there and remind them the consequences of their actions. it's not guaranteed that sirius and james will listen to him, but he'll keep doing it until one of them has that smack in the face that what they're doing is probably not the best. remus is like their conscience.

-peter. okay. specifically with peter, i imagine him like that kind of friend that will follow whatever the leader of the group (i feel like who the leader is kind of alternates mostly between james and sirius) wants. like if sirius and james do something that will have a negative consequence, peter will egg them on and enable them too but will act like he nothing to do with it if it blows up in their faces. he won't hesitate to throw his friends under the bus if it means that he's safe from any consequences.

-sirius <3 okay listen. i am very much a strong believer that sirius is loud. he makes himself known. when he walks into a room, attention is on him and he knows it. he basks in it, but there will be times where he doesn't want any of it. sirius does things on a whim. he's impulsive, reckless, he lashes out, he self-sabotages and he's aware of it. he can be manipulative and he knows when to be. but he also has a big heart. he cares so much about his friends and regulus and he will bend over backwards for them and do anything he can to protect them. even if they've pissed him off in some way, he'll hold it against them but that doesn't mean that he won't help them if they needed it.

-BARTY. look. we all know kolowv and if that doesn't explain barty crouch jr then i don't know what does. because kolowv is my literal barty. he's sarcastic, he's funny, he's gone through it, he has a hard time accepting help and will only allow it if it's literally shoved in his face and he can't get out of it. he cares about the people closest to him and he'll fuckin go to bat for them. he's inappropriate in every possible way you can think of at the worst times possible but also when he's aware that it's needed. he knows the consequences of his actions and to be quite frank, he doesn't give a shit. i think that he can also be awkward and he's very quick with his wit.

-evan and pandora. evan is quieter than pandora, always has been and always will. they work as a team, they will never work against each other. pandora is evan's piece of mind, and evan is pandora's. evan reminds pandora to quit being such a fuckin pushover and that she's not a doormat while pandora reminds evan that it's okay to openly show that he cares about people. evan is more shut off than pandora, he's not really a "talk about their feelings" kind of person but pandora does her best to encourage him, and sometimes he listens. did i mention that pandora is actually a yapper because she is. and evan will listen to whatever his sister has to say, even if it's her talking about her favorite animal.

okay i think....that's all i have so far...anyway if anyone actually read all of that thanks and im sorry for the novel <3

[teatitty]

Dandelion, in book and game canon, is noted for being a master of the seven liberal arts. For those that don't know, the liberal arts irl are: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Music and Geometry; so lets briefly breakdown what each one was back in the medieval and middle ages [since those eras are the basis for the series] and see exactly how intellectually smart Dandelion was

First we have the Trivium, which were the three basic tools of reasoning and expression and were the gateways into much higher fields of learning

Grammar: The study of written works and forms of writing, usually through memorisation and reading of classical texts. Learning and diagraming the parts of speech became common, and other language-related knowledge like spelling and vocabulary have grown out of grammar studies

Logic: The easiest way to describe this is basically philosophy - there's a lot of "discussions and investigations into truth and opinions" which would be why Dandelion has so many Thoughts about things

Rhetoric: Closely related to Logic studies, this one was about learning how to express your opinions and make clear concise arguments

Next we have the Quadrivium, which are all about maths and the traditional arts we know of

Arithmetic: The basic mathematics such as addition, subtraction, division, multiplication etc as well as mathematic notation

Music: Though less widespread now, back in the day music studies were incredibly important for students to understand and appreciate creation by learning about the various forms and instruments of music - in short, Dandelion would be able to play far more than just the lute if he wanted to

Geometry: This one would have covered everything from architecture to engineering to surveying, all of which are now their own separate disciplines of study. So, in ye olde times, Geometry used to be far more practical in application. This is why I like to joke that Dandelion is like if Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci were fused into one person

Astronomy: The contemplation of the heavens and humankind’s place in them received more emphasis in an era where less was known and more was imagined than today. Astronomy was at first considered essential for fields such as navigation and determining dates, but grew to include more advanced mathematics and physics studies

Plato is probably the most famous of real life masters of these arts to give an example of how impactful and important they are in our history, so Dandelion being a master of all 7 and being qualified to teach at the university itself is no small feat by any means. Intellectually speaking, Dandelion is easily one of the smartest characters in the books - but he's also impulsive, curious to a fault, tempermental and often doesn't follow his own common sense, which is why he has Geralt and the Hansa to look out for him lol

[kimtaegis]

random question, but do you also feel like "man, i use my cellphone so much, i'm addicted to it, it's literally an extension of my body and i wish i used it only for minimal things, i wish that i was too busy living and having fun to even think about using it"

but then the person i am today wouldn't exist if it wasn't for my phone. it's true, in my childhood i was alerady totally immersed in it and growing up (today i'm 20) everything that i've learned was through my phone. the opinions i have with me and everything that i've learned about life and society and such came with the internet. if i hadn't had it, i wouldn't have known 90% of the things i know. it's a scary thought, but it's totally true

then again, without my phone, i wouldn't have been able to read the things i've read so far, i wouldn't have been able to listen to music (my favorite thing to do since i was younger), i wouldn't have learned english, i wouldn't have met BTS and i wouldn't have access to their songs and all their contents. and i can't even imagine my life without them (as all armys say, but it's just so true)

isn't it insane how something that is your biggest addiction and brings you so many problems is also your greatest source of learning and comfort? :(

what are the odds that you sent me this not even two days after I had talked about this for the first time with my irl friends??? that’s kind of crazy.

I understand that you feel torn about it. you seem to be a smart, self-reflective young person, both sides of your thought process are totally reasonable and they can absolutely co-exist! you can still yearn for a life that’s not ruled as much by any kind of technology while also acknowledging how it shaped you as a person, and not in a bad way at all. I pretty much said the same things you did to my friends last weekend, it’s baffling. and aren’t those all really great things? it’s not like you’re just mindlessly scrolling through brain-rotting tiktok videos, you said yourself that you’re talking to people, educate yourself, enjoy music etc etc. you’re actually enriching your life, I think that’s the important thing to point out here. but the most important thing remains to not forget that there is a life outside out of your phone as well. actual people around you. nature. restaurants, cafés, parks, cinemas, your friend’s house, museums, concerts and the list goes on. find a balance that works for you, and I hope that there’re places and activities that make you not want to look at your phone for a bit because they’re more important or enjoyable in that moment 🤍

[fromtenthousandfeet]

I love your blog! And I always like to read your takes, because sometimes I feel like I'm just imagining things and going crazy. I know entertainment industries are full of corruption and secrets, but I didn't realize the amount of manipulation and gaslighting that they can pull not just in their employees/ artists but also on the public and fans.

I still have so many unanswered questions and I'm also a little bit scared too for what may come. I really wish it was as simple as making art, publishing it and enjoying it (sigh)

Also, I can't wait for your next post! When will you publish it?

Thank you so much for the kind note!

I really wish it was as simple as making art, publishing it and enjoying it (sigh)

Agreed.

A few months ago I went to see Two Door Cinema Club at my favorite local venue. It's a large enough space to feel the energy of the crowd, but small enough to create a sense of intimacy between the band on stage and the audience below. The show was sold out and the crowd was packed in tight. There were an equal number of men and women with a decent range in ages. TDCC put on a great show and absolutely nobody cared about stream counts, chart placements, awards, IG follower, YouTube views, etc. Nobody cared about which member of the band was the best looking, most popular, or had the most stable voice. Everybody was there for the music.

I'm sick of chart manipulation, bot streaming farms, fostered parasocial relationships, fans bilked out of their hard-earned money with overpriced merchandise, fake competition between artists, and boring music. I want to listen to more albums like FACE rather than meaningless generic pop songs churned out by western songwriters (but could have been written by ChatGPT).

Let's form a better understanding of how music labels work, how artists' contracts work, and how the entire industry manipulates and gaslights both musicians and fans alike. Let's be smart music consumers together.

This video is so informative and a great place to start learning about the dirty deeds of the music industry.

[marciabrady]

Your take on how Ariel's love for collecting is so downplayed both by the fandom and Disney themselves has always been a huge pet peeeve of mine. I say Disney as well because I had been playing this cool game called Disney Mirrorverse that re imagines the Disney characters as "guardians with superpowers" and each character has an atribute based on their qualities in their films, and ironically, when you have to go into dungeons to collect treasures, among the characters that have "searching skills" for that, Ariel isn't despite that her whole hobby in the film was looking for lost human artifacts, instead that role in the game was given to Belle, which doesn't makes any sense because in her movie she never actually collects but they did it because "Oh she's smart because she reads!". It's frustrating. Or when I see this 'Modern AUs' that paint Ariel as a popular singer when she never cared for singing in her film!

Give me antropologist-archeologist Ariel who looks for lost treasures and objects through risky expeditions, who learns and imparts her knowledge based on the collection she has created through her own hardwork, who appreciates other cultures based on what she learns about them, who keeps learning and wishes to learn more to educate herself better ('Ask 'em my questions and get some answers'). Destroy the stereotype that Ariel was a 'dumb girl' because in my opinion she's one of the most intellectual princesses because her love for learning! She may not had a good teacher in her film (Scuttle) but imagine her in the hands of an expert of human culture, she would excel! (Hence I love the crossover idea of mentor/student with her and Milo from Atlantis. Having an actual antropology professor teaching her all she wanted to know about humans would had been Ariel's dream come true). THAT'S THE ARIEL EVERYONE IS SLEEPING ON. I even recall that in the earlier lyrics of PoYW Howard wrote this lyric "I should start an aquatic museum" A museum of human things!

I love this message so much and it's thoughts like these I was so hoping to inspire with my post! I think Ariel exploring different worlds through her studies/collections offers such a heightened appreciation of how to view life and allowed her a portal through which to have those experiences before the tangible ones were attainable to her. I also think it's such a beautiful way to showcase the passionate part of her. The most lovely people in the world are those who find an interest, whether it's a culture or old Hollywood celebrity or a film, and devote themselves to the study of it and learning all the nuances of the ins and outs of a production or the different facets of a person's career, etc, and they're always so bursting with knowledge and joy and discovery whenever you ask them about it and that so reminds me of Ariel. Again- thank you so much for this message!!

[mediaevalmusereads]

Cursed Cocktails. By S.L. Rowland. Aethervale Publishing, 2023.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: fantasy

Series: Tales of Aedrea #1

Summary: After twenty years defending the frozen north against some of the most dangerous threats in the nine kingdoms, Rhoren “Bloodbane” has finally earned his retirement. While the blood mage's service to the realm may have ended, burning veins and aching joints remain, and Rhoren soon learns that a warmer climate offers relief from his chronic pain.

And a chance at a fresh start.

In the warm and relaxing atmosphere of Eastborne, the umbral elf finds a new purpose and a sense of belonging. He may have left the frozen north behind, but he brings with him the skills and strength gained from a lifetime of defending the realm. Along with his most prized possession—a book of drink recipes inherited from his father.

Spilled cocktails may not carry the same weight as spilled blood, but opening a tavern brings a unique brand of challenges. With the right friends and a little bit of luck, he might just have a recipe for success.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: blood

OVERVIEW: This was my book club's pick for January, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own. I'm not a cozy fantasy reader, so I'm grateful that my book club has me read things outside my usual go-to genres. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected my mi d to wander since I don't usually do well with low-stakes stories, but the stakes were just high enough and character-driven that I was able to devour this novel in a single day. While there were some minor things that didn't gel with my personal taste, this was an enjoyable read, so it gets 4 stars from me.

WRITING: Rowland's prose reminds me a lot of romance prose in that it's quick, direct, and fairly unadorned. Though it's not lyrical and doesn't use a lot of heightened metaphor or imagery, it gets the job done, and I had no problem picturing the scenery or the mood. I can see how this prose style can both appeal to a lot of readers or poor some readers off; whether or not you like it will depend on how straightforward you like your prose. Personally, I thought it was appropriate for the genre, so it worked for me.

What I liked most, however, was the cocktail recipes that popped up here and there. Because cocktails are central to the book, Rowland was smart to include a few recipes, which not only made me as a reader thirsty, but was a nice way of creating sections within the narrative. If I had any complaint, I would say that I think the descriptions of these cocktails could have been more sensuous; any time food plays an important role in a story, I want the flavors to leap off the page, so to speak, so I can vividly imagine the taste. In this case, I think Rowland could have pushed the language a bit more, relying less on generic terms like "refreshing" or "sweet."

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Rhoren, an elven blood mage who is seeking to start a new life after retiring from the North Guard. Rhoren ventures south to a warm climate to ease the pain his magic has wreaked upon his body, and he has with him his father's journal, which is full of cocktail recipes. When he arrives in a city called Eastborne, Rhoren quickly makes a number of friends who help him find a new purpose: opening his very own bar. The only problem is the location is said to be cursed!

This story was incredibly low-stakes in that there were no arch villains, no big fights, and no politics that threatened anyone's livelihood. Instead, the stakes were all character-driven: Rhoren wanting to find purpose, Rhoren wanting to leave his past behind, Rhoren wanting his business to succeed, etc. While I usually have a hard time getting through low stakes books, this book did a good job making me care just enough to keep reading, and the more I learned about Rhoren, the more I wanted him to succeed.

What also made this story satisfying was the fact that Rowland brings secondary characters back around to have some role to play in the plot. Rhoren meets a lot of seemingly random people when he first arrives in Eastborne, and it would have been easy to write a couple of feel-good scenes and call it a day. Rowland ensures, however, that these characters don't just have their 5 minutes to shine, but makes them active participants in Rhoren's journey. It made each scene feel purposeful, and for that, I appreciated the secondary characters more.

CHARACTERS: Rhoren, our protagonist, was fairly compelling in that he had a goal to pursue and a past to escape. I liked that his arc was all about finding a purpose that was less grandiose than the army but no less important, and that his dreams were small but honest. I also liked that Rowland didn't shy away from talking about chronic pain and the costs of using blood magic. Rhoran's attitude towards his powers is extremely balanced, and if this wasn't a cozy fantasy novel, I suspect Rowland might have inserted some angst in there. But as it stands, Rowland seems just annoyed enough to want to start a new life, and I think a lot of people can relate to that.

If I had any criticisms, I would say that I think there were scenes that were a little drawn out. This is just personal taste, however, since I'm not a cozy book reader and don't put a lot of value on scenes such as going shopping or sitting around by the fire. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, but I did find myself skimming here and there when I felt like I needed to move on.

I also kind of wish more was done with the "cursed bar" part of the plot. I won't spoil what happens, so I'll just say: when we find out what was causing the curse, I thought it would have more bearing on the plot than it did. I thought it was some kind of omen or would reveal something narratively significant, but it didn't, and I was a tad disappointed.

Kallum, Rhoran's friend turned business parter, was endearing because he was so soft with Rhoran. Kallum is kind and understanding, and it seems like very little ruffles his feathers. He's also free with compliments and adorably enthusiastic about alcoholic drinks. Part of me does wish that his goals were a little more informed by his past; as it stands, we don't know a while lot about his background, and though he dreams of owning his own bar, there's very little complexity other than pure love and joy. Personally, I wanted a little more than that, but again, this might be my personal taste.

Side characters were also endearing and everyone was so kind-hearted and respectful that the world of Eastborne felt non-threstening. I never felt like anyone had ulterior motives and despite referencing poverty, I never felt like our characters were in any danger. This might be just the thing some readers are looking for, but it also might grate on others, so go in knowing you're reading a cozy fantasy, not a gritty one.

TL;DR: Cursed Cocktails was a surprise delight; with a compelling protagonist and quick, direct prose, this book was easy to get through and easy to be invested in. While I do wish Rowland had leaned into the sensory experience of the cocktails more and had done a few things different here and there, this was, overall, true to its cover promise: a cozy read.

[golvio]

One of the reasons why I love shipping Ganondorf/Ghirahim is because of the hurt/comfort potential.

You've got this guy who was built and designed to be exclusively a Weapon Solely For Killing People. However, if he was designed to be the same kind of being as Fi by whoever made him for Demise (I like to think it was one of his "children" that emerged from him who was a higher-ranking demon who desperately wanted Dad to notice them, and unwittingly passed their love/desperation to their creation), then he also has some very strong caretaking proclivities. However, Demise doesn't seem to me like the type who'd really need a Pearl/Robot Butler style personal attendant/tutorial buddy, so those instincts of Ghirahim's likely went largely unfulfilled.

But then he's got this guy who's a lot more squishy and prone to getting injured/dying horribly due to destiny putting a big fat target on his back on top of his tendency to pick fights with powerful people, and who's also got a bunch of needs that Demise would've dismissed as frivolous and proof of humanity's inferiority, and oooooh man is that like throwing grease on a stovetop fire.

It sort of...gives me the complicated feelings I felt when Wakaba came home to Saionji in the intro to "Wakaba Flourishing," where she says "I'm back!" and locks the door behind her, because even though she's generally the kind of person who likes to take care of the people she cares about, hiding Saionji in her dorm room while he's banned from the school grounds is also her way of making sure she finally has this boy she's had a crush on for an incredibly long time all to herself. It's a really, really interesting relationship and power dynamic in a series that's already got a lot to say about those topics, especially with regards to gender roles.

And Ghirahim to me is defined by this sense of duality. He's clearly got this really aggressive, violent side because of the purpose he was made for, but he also seems to be ashamed of that. The "Demon Lord" persona he cultivated in Demise's absence was ostensibly so he could act as a temporary leader without his behavior reflecting poorly on his Master, but I think that it was also the sort of person Ghirahim wanted to be. His abandoning it at the end of the game is a symbol of his resignation and regression to the role he was born into, and his dehumanizing himself back into a tool for Demise to wield. But...I wished that he got the chance to safely explore both sides of himself and to reconcile and even learn how to blend them instead of feeling ashamed of one or the other. Him being put into a hospitality/caretaking role as opposed to being sicced on someone feels like a good space to give that a shot.

How good he'd actually be at taking care of an injured or sick Ganon would depend on how practiced he was at it. I imagine he wouldn't have a great bedside manner despite his enthusiasm because he wasn't designed for hospitality work and doesn't have much knowledge of medicine or the general care and keeping of humans, but he's also likely designed to read vitals, etc. like Fi (albeit with the intention of using him to either efficiently kill targets or maximize the amount of suffering an enemy experienced when Demise wanted to "amuse himself" with them).

However, he's pretty smart. He was able to figure out a lot about what Hylia was planning based on barebones context clues from the ruins scattered around Hyrule. He could probably reverse-engineer basic first aid and maintenance protocols from his understanding of anatomy as well as pursuing other knowledge through observation and further study. Not sure how great a cook he'd be, though, considering he doesn't need to eat and is never seen consuming anything that's not blood (and even then, that could've just been for intimidation factor rather than actually needing anything in it). His tongue's definitely prehensile, but it doesn't seem functional for things that aren't talking or emoting. I imagine he'd take getting takeout or actually serving things up incredibly seriously.

It's also fun to imagine Ganon gettting spoiled rotten because lord knows he gets put through the wringer at the end of every game. The mental image of Ghirahim picking up and carrying this big huge man/extremely lanky skeleton like a grumpy old cat is really cute, too. Also, the image of Ghirahim pushing along a Ganondorf who's withered to the state of his mummified TotK self with his muscles all fucked up by atrophy in a wheelchair, with the latter being all "I'm so pathetic, I failed again and I can't even get up and walk across the room, how can you even stand to look at me," and Ghirahim just inwardly being all "YES! YES!!!" because he finally has his lover all to himself, no interruptions, and is just so excited he gets to walk him through the park for fresh air and moonlight exposure and is already running up physical therapy routines in his head for when he’s well enough to start moving his poor old joints again.