#it is relatively affordable imo

[dayisfading]

i splurged on a skincare set recently and have been using 3 products regularly for a full week now and regrettably my skin is now incredibly soft and i have not had a major acne breakout in that time--which is pretty impressive concerning how much my skin flares up with my digestive issues and it's been a Bad Week

i had sorta given up on my skin looking even just Okay because it just didn't seem like it was ever going to improve as long as i have these digestive problems and i didn't want to waste money on products that wouldn't do anything

but tbh even if these were just making my skin soft i would be sold, i didn't realize it was possible for my skin to not feel kinda dry and rough all the time

[artbyblastweave]

It seems like both Nolan's Batman trilogy and The Batman (2022) are attempting to interrogate/deconstruct/reconstruct/whatever the inherent problems with the Batman character, but (imo) these depictions don't go nearly far enough. Do you agree? If you could make a Batman movie how would you go about it?

It's been a very long time since I've watched it, but my read on the The Nolan Trilogy is that to the extent that it's interrogating anything about Batman Specifically- vs trying to make some high-falutin' Nolanian point about the nature of Myth and Heroism Yadda yadda yadda- it's interrogating the difficulty in getting audiences to take the character seriously, with the long shadow of Adam West, Tim Burton and the 90s Cartoon hanging over the property- the cocktail of camp and dreamlike otherworldly stylization that all previous installments used to carry the character over the finish line of believability. The result is 21st-century Batman (derogatory), all tacticool body armor and ripped-from-the-headlines surveillance state gizmos and military-industrial surplus tank-cars and antagonists who're laundered through the anxieties of the post-9/11 zeitgeist of the Foreign Anarcho-Orientalist cultists Out To Destroy Our Way Of Life, For Reasons. It's still irreducibly a story about a guy dressed as a bat beating the shit out of a clown, but it's the least about that that it can get away with being. And from an engineering perspective, it clearly worked- it was an incredibly popular installment, even before we'd crossed the cultural rubicon of superheroes being truly mainstreamed. But it's pretty obvious from my tone that I've soured on the project pretty thoroughly.

The Batman (along with it's companion piece The Penguin) is actually much, much closer to being a deliberate mediation on the core dynamic of the character and the implications thereof, in a way I personally found extremely satisfying; it manages to strike a balance between portraying Being Batman as a fundamentally juvenile and half-baked response to the problems that he's attempting to address (real) and portraying Being Batman as fundamentally really really really really cool. Any time he's shown doing Batman Shit it's framed as genuinely awesome; it falls into a vaguely similar zone as Nolan, except instead of feeling like it's trying to be as little like a comic book as it can get away with, it's trying to feel as much like a comic book as it can get away with without having someone like Clayface or Solomon Grundy show up. At the same time the story is adamant in its thesis that even if it works, you would have to be an incredibly weird person to think of, and then commit to, Being Batman. This six-foot weirdo in body armor is the biggest freak in any room that doesn't also contain The Riddler. Everyone is a little on edge when he's in the room, and consequentially a lot of the film reads like an extremely deadpan comedy- the polar opposite of the camp of Batman 66, where everyone treating this guy as perfectly normal is part of the gag. Of course, this comes back around thematically in that Bruce is afforded his eccentricities because he's incredibly rich- nobody else could get away with ignoring their own finances (and the massive graft at play) in order to go ride a motorcycle around attacking muggers, and he only solves the last puzzle because a cop who happens to be in the room has a blue-collar brother who works with a flooring tool that Bruce (who spent an extended sequence vandalizing the incredibly expensive floor of his penthouse!) can't even recognize. If you can't tell from my tone, I like this movie a lot! Anyway, In terms of how I'd do it, I think the currently unexplored option is a live-action film where due to the cranked-up four-color peak-comic-book insanity of the world around him, Batman comes across as the only sane one, despite the fact that he's dressed as a bat. This would a story about a relatively well-adjusted if somewhat taciturn and subdued guy doing a thankless job, except the thankless job is Being Batman. He'd have the same ridiculous Bat-everything overpreparation as Batman 66, deployed with significantly less verbal fanfare but without ever missing a beat. The first scene in the movie would be him getting bodied out a second story window by one of the genuinely superhuman bruisers like Grundy or Clayface before regaining his footing and squaring up, and the rest of the opening would be a montage covering a Day in the Life of Batman. Kevin Conroy's deadpan, matter-of-fact characterization translated into live action. Do You See My Vision

[ultronexclusives]

hi first time asking and i'm very happy to see somebody who also write for Ultron, he's quite underrated imo, if your requests are still open, may I request for 616 Ultron who is yandere with AFAB reader?

Oh, of course, anon! This is an interesting idea, I had to do research for this version so if I get anything wrong, don't hesitate to let me know

I also apologize for the long ass wait, procrastination took me hostage

I've got like, three soon to be four other drafts, so idk how long that's gonna take

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

(Not my art)

Only You

Summary: you've been getting by in life just fine, that is until you meet a particular robot who'd do anything to have you, quite literally anything

Genre: Yandere

Warnings: possessive Ultron, overprotective Ultron, obsessive behavior, stalking, implied kidnapping, paranoia, blood(small amount), Ultron treats Reader as the most precious thing he's gotten his hands on, Reader almost breaks down at her job

Female Reader

[If you are sensitive to the above warnings, do not proceed beyond this point]

Request #2

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

Ultron stared lifelessly at the human that was now dead at his feet, blood staining his metallic hand and the concrete of the alley he stood on.

He replayed the "memory" of the human on his knees, begging to be spared and pleading for mercy. It was pathetic really; he had no right to beg for mercy, especially since he's been following around the human female that oh so rightfully belonged to the automaton. And that kind of action doesn't go unpunished.

Ultron flickered his gaze over the corpse, as if to make sure that the human was fully dead. Seeing no vital signs, he stepped away and walked out of the alley, stopping once he reached the empty street. He turned his gaze upwards toward the night sky, seeing the full moon and its accompanying stars.

His artificial mind drifted back to the human female that had somehow managed to catch his interest, the feeling akin to anger within his systems slowly fading.

He remembered the way her hair perfectly framed her face, the way her eyes would sparkle when she got excited, and her smile, oh, her smile is the best part about her. The way her lips would curl up when receiving a gift, or when she'd meet a relative that she hadn't seen in a long time. Either way, it made her evermore beautiful.

Ultron tore his gaze from the night sky before turning and walking down the dark empty street, a destination already set in his navigational system.

═════════•°•⚠•°•═════════

You pulled your jacket tighter around yourself as you felt a breeze of cold wind blow past you, the almost freezing chill causing you to shiver. Your steps were quick yet careful, making sure you didn't accidentally step wrong that would result in an injury.

It was a mistake walking around on the streets of New York, especially at night. Though, it wasn't your fault that you were walking around this late, your work had made you stay after. Well, it technically was your fault, you needed the extra hours for more pay to be able to afford rent. Whatever the reason was, it was still a bad idea to be out this late.

You walked further down the dark and empty street, keeping your gaze slightly lowered. You slowly checked the watch on your wrist and let out a shaky breath, seeing that it was almost 10pm before silently starting to regret the overtime you took.

If you had known you'd be out this late, you probably wouldn't have taken those hours.

The street lamps flickered above you as you kept walking, your shadow only visible once under the light. Your footsteps were quiet on the concrete, barely anything could be heard except your faint breathing and the sound of your footsteps quietly pattering against the ground. You glanced upwards down the sidewalk and see that you're just a few blocks away from the apartment complex you lived in, shivering again as another cold breeze blew past you.

You, once again, shivered yet it wasn't due to the wind this time, no, it was due to the sudden feeling of someone watching you.

You let out a shaky breath as you kept walking, your movements not once faltering to not give whoever it was the satisfaction of making you feel uneasy. Though, there was a small voice in the back of your mind telling you to look for the stranger, to confront them and ask why they're watching you, but you knew better and decided against it, not wanting to possibly get injured or worse, killed.

That feeling still lingered, even when you got to the apartment complex doors, they were still watching you.

═════════•°•⚠•°•═════════

You looked so... captivating, as the humans put it. Ultron didn't know what it was about you that caught his attention but he wasn't going to leave you alone until he found out what the reason was, despite his programming.

He sees the way you appear to tense up as he stares at you, along with the way you keep your gaze forward so you wouldn't make eye contact with him. It was a little amusing to him, to see you so paranoid, yet there was an odd sense of protectiveness travelling within his circuits.

'So weak, so fragile, so... vulnerable.' He thought, his gaze on you not faltering. 'A pretty thing like you shouldn't be out all alone.'

He knew someone like you shouldn't be out alone at night, especially with all the hidden dangers. Though, Ultron wouldn't let anything happen to you, not if he can help it. No one should be able to even think about laying a hand on you, even if it was a friendly gesture. Despite this, he'd stick to the shadows, keeping his distance and interfering when necessary. He wasn't going to show himself just yet, waiting for the perfect time for him to enter your life.

═════════•°•⚠•°•═════════

"Next in line, please!" You called out, tapping a couple things on the register screen.

It was another day at your somewhat boring job, the only thing, or person rather, that kept you from going insane was your manager and best friend, Alice.

"Hey, [____]!" You hear her cheery voice exclaim, sounding almost too happy for a job like this. "I can take over the register if you want me to so you can go on break."

You gave a soft hum, lightly dismissing her suggestion.

"No, it's okay, thanks though." You simply replied, then turned to the customer that was now in front of you. "Hello, welcome, what can I get started for you today?"

Your excitement was fake, obviously, but you needed it if you didn't want to lose your job.

"Yeah, I'd like my usual, thanks." The customer said, his answer vague.

Oh great, he's one of those people.

"Alright, and what would that be?" You asked, feigning friendliness to hide the sudden distaste in your chest.

"Um, did you not hear me?" He scoffed, scowling slightly. "I said that I'd like my usual."

"I understand that, sir, but-"

"But nothing. You heard me, now put in my order."

"Sir, if you could just tell me what you want, I can-"

"I already told you, I want my usual. Now hurry it up, I'm running late."

You had to prevent yourself from snapping at him, his attitude alone almost making you want to throw up.

"Again, I understand that, sir, but I personally do not know your usual." You spoke, keeping your voice as level as possible. "So could you please tell me what you want so I can get to the other customers."

He did not like those words, at all.

"Are you stupid? I already told you what I wanted." He snapped, slightly raising his voice.

You started to mentally panic, that one word getting to you more than it should.

"S-sir, please-" you started, only to get cut off again.

"No, just shut up and do your damn job." He spoke rather harshly, a nasty scowl on his face.

You faltered at this, slightly lowering your gaze. You lifted your slightly shaky hands up to the register screen, entirely unsure of what to do. You bite your lower lip to prevent yourself from sobbing, feeling tears prick the corners of your eyes.

Maybe you should've taken Alice's earlier offer of her taking over the register, though you didn't want her to deal with an asshole like this guy.

A hand on your shoulder brings you from your thoughts, and you lift your head up to see Alice standing next to you. She takes one look at you and immediately knows the situation, then turns to the customer who had yet to say his order.

"What seems to be the problem here?" She asks with a brow raised.

You couldn't bring yourself to answer as the man across the counter does so almost immediately, his voice still sounding upset. You tuned out the man's voice, not wanting to hear any nasty words he might be throwing your way. You bring your hands up and quickly wipe your eyes so you wouldn't cry, your heart racing intensely in your chest. You then hear Alice say something and watch as the man turns to leave without ordering anything, making you almost sigh in relief.

"You okay, [____]?" You hear Alice ask, bringing you from your thoughts.

You couldn't give a reply and kept your head lowered, still shaking from the whole ordeal. You hear her sigh at your absent response before she laid a hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up at her.

"Take the rest of the day off, go home and relax." She said, a somewhat stern expression on her face leaving no room for argument.

You give a slow nod before turning and heading into the back room, untying the work apron with shaky hands. You gather your things before slipping the fabric over your head, taking no time to fold it and stuffing it into your bag. Without another thought, you walk out the back door of the establishment and around to the front of the building, tensing up as you got that familiar sense of being watched.

═════════•°•⚠•°•═════════

Ultron was enraged as his beloved human was upset, and the fact that another human made her feel that way didn't make it any better. How dare he berate Ultron's beloved? He had no right, he most certainly had a death wish. The automaton would deal with the problem, and he already had a method of doing so.

═════════•°•⚠•°•═════════

You slowly woke up to the sight of your bedroom, before lightly stretching your limbs and letting out a faint groan. You slowly sat up in bed and let the blanket fall from your body, revealing that you were still wearing your work clothes from the day before.

Were you that tired that you forgot to change? Maybe, but you weren't sure.

You dismissed the thought before standing up from the bed and deciding to get changed, wanting to put on something a little more comfortable. Though, before you could get to your closet, there was an outfit already laid out for you on the other side of the bed, which made you confused. You most certainly don't remember putting those clothes there but then again, you didn't really remember too much of last night because you were probably so tired.

You slowly stripped yourself of your work clothes before putting on the clothes laid out on the bed, a shaky breath escaping your lips. You now wore a comfortable sweater along with a pair of sweatpants, which were both grey in color. You let out a yawn before moving to leave your bedroom, the door creaking open just slightly. You stepped out into the hallway only to immediately stop in your tracks, the faint scent of food hitting your nose.

"What the hell..." You mumbled, waking up a bit more.

Your feet automatically guided you down the hallway, even though you probably shouldn't go towards who or whatever it was that was cooking food in your apartment kitchen. You took slow steps down the hallway, your heart racing in your chest.

Who the hell was in your apartment? Was it an intruder? No, that couldn't be it, why would they be making food? Was it a family member or a friend? Maybe, but they'd let you know before hand if they were coming over, especially this early.

You quietly reached the end of the hallway, which led to the living room. The scent of food cooking was more prominent now that you're closer. You slowly reached the kitchen doorway, but you don't step in just yet. Instead, you slightly peek around the corner before immediately hiding, your heart beating even faster in your chest as your eyes were slightly wide.

Who did you just see? What did you just see? That was certainly no man, but it sure as hell looked like one.

"No need for hiding, I know you're there." A robotic voice says, making you shiver.

Great, there goes your plan to hide.

With a slight hesitance, you slowly stepped out from behind the wall and in the kitchen doorway, revealing yourself to the metal being. You watched as it- he; you weren't sure- slowly turned around, your eyes widening further.

What the hell is that?

"Who are you?" You asked quietly, a sense of fear taking place in your chest.

"I am Ultron. I am here to protect you." He says, slowly moving towards you.

You take a step back as he steps forward, and this process repeats until you hit the back of your sofa. You watched as he kept walking until stopping mere inches in front of you, causing you to tilt your head up to look at him.

"Protect me? From what? I'm not-" you muttered out, about to protest that you weren't in any real danger, yet you were interrupted.

"Humanity is inherently flawed, but I intend to fix that." Ultron says suddenly, lifting one of his hands. "Not you, however, you're... perfect."

You nearly recoiled as he oh so gently stroked your cheek with the back of his hand, shivering at the metal of his hand. You held his gaze, staring into his red eyes. At least, where his eyes should be.

You didn't know what this robot wanted from you, and that thought terrified you.

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

Ah, obsessive love, am I right?

Anyways, I'm thinking of writing a Pt.2

[cabeswaterdrowned]

what do you think are the main similarities vs differences between Ronan and Andrew?

Hey! I don’t know how long this has been in my inbox (which I have been neglecting in recent months) but sure I actually have quite a few thoughts on the comparisons in the fandom and where I see them as accurate/inaccurate.

Let’s start with the similarities; they’re both traumatized mentally ill gay men who react to their trauma in ways that aren’t palatable to those around them because the ways in which they act out are destructive to themselves and those around them, are perceived as troubled/angry/having issues with authority, they’re both iterations of the bad boy with a softer side trope (although imo very different iterations, but I’ll get to that later), they’re both members of two trios one of relatives and one that’s a polyamorous triad / friendship group and there are certain parallels in these dynamics (although also a lot of differences imo, which I’ll get to later), they’re both characterized as extremely loyal to the point of being dog-like, they’re both motivated by their care for other people and have little regard for their own life (with Ronan he’s clearly suicidal, with Andrew he canonically self harms and there is a case to be made for him being suicidal imo, no it’s not explicit and jury’s out on whether Nora meant to imply it but there is room to read him that way), oh and they both love cars.

However, there are loads of differences and I do feel like blanket comparisons of them within the fandoms tend to create false equivalencies that do a disservice to one char/source material or another which is why I’m excited to get into my thoughts on that matter. 

•Let’s start with their backgrounds and how they are perceived by those around them, because I do feel like important context for comparing their behaviors is that Ronan grew up wealthy and has always had *some* type of support system (not a healthy one, but he has always had someone caring about him on a basic level of doing what they can to keep him alive). The way people around Ronan view and react to his mental health is quite terrible, however his wealth does protect him from certain systemic forces as there are limits to what the police / mental health institution / Aglionby staff can get away with in their treatment of him / the level to which they’re allowed to dehumanize him. Meanwhile Andrew’s whole storyline is like. Imagine the worst ableism you can imagine being allowed to go completely unchecked due to classism and here are the effects. (It is relevant to acknowledge that both of them have a lot of white privilege though and that comes across in the way they interact with police in the texts, they’re rude and violent to them in ways chars like Nicky or Henry could never afford to be). On the other hand I do think Andrew is perceived as being self-sufficient and competent by those around him (his friends, his family, even the upperclassmen who hate his guts view him as being capable of protecting Kevin and see him as a formidable force), whereas Ronan although he’s seen as *scary* by outsiders gets kind of treated with kid gloves in a way by those closest to him (Gansey and Declan are both guilty of this). 

•In terms of their mental health they both experience depression or depressive episodes, however Andrew’s depression is characterized more as a numbness/apathy, the absence of feeling etc. whereas I don’t think language like that is used to describe Ronan’s emotional states nearly as much with him there’s more focus on anger and grief  (Andrew has a lot of anger too but it manifests differently). 

•imo this is partially informed by the class difference and how it influences their worldviews, but Andrew is a much more strategic character than Ronan is. Yes he can be reckless and impulsive, however he is constantly surveying his surroundings, the other people around him, and is very perceptive with sizing up threats and maintaining the structure he wants to impose. He’s control-oriented and cerebral in the way he interacts with the world in a manner that’s more similar to Adam or even Gansey than it is to Ronan imo. I do think Ronan is far more observant than a lot of characters give him credit for, and he’s more emotionally intelligent than Andrew is (would also say Andrew and Adam are similar in their low empathy issues) but he’s just not a strategist and he doesn’t care about control in the way Andrew/Adam are obsessed with it (can be traced back to them both being abused poor kids who were constantly robbed of control growing up, and therefore are hyper aware of the hierarchies around them and how they are being weaponized against them (although Andrew does not glorify or find those hierarchies to be aspirational in the way Adam does, he’s more Ronan-like in how he feels about them even though he has Adam-like perceptiveness of them) and so their strategy is to be hyper vigilant and to take advantage of weakness where they see it)). 

•While both of them are well developed characters who go beyond the typical bad boy with a soft side character sketch, I do think the jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold trope is played straighter (only straight thing about him etc. ) with Ronan than it is with Andrew. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation. Andrew is a much harsher, significantly more morally ambiguous character than Ronan is (I don’t think of Ronan as a particularly morally ambiguous character tbh. Adam and Hennessy, those are morally gray characters but Ronan is as I said. Much more of a jerk with a heart of gold character). 

I think Andrew’s narrative could be looked at as a really effective subversion of that trope (it’s been too long since my last aftg reread for me to Really go into my thoughts on how this is accomplished know I would have a lot to say on this topic if it were fresher in my mind), whereas Ronan’s narrative sort of. Utilizes that character conceit to explore topics around grief and trauma. Both are good storylines (well. Ronan’s og trc storyline is good anyway) but they accomplish different things to me. 

•When comparing and contrasting Andrew & Aaron & Nicky with The Lynch Brothers I would say a big stand out difference is Andrew being so much in the *protector* role, not that Ronan isn’t protective especially of Matthew but that family dynamic is like. Yes Declan and Ronan are Matthew’s coparents (lol) but ultimately Declan is the Guardian tm and responsibility for both of his brothers fall on him. I would say that Nicky and Andrew have a sort of coparenting dynamic when it comes to Aaron (one of my favorite genres of aftg fic is actually exploring this dynamic pre series while the twins were in high school I find the possibilities fascinating) but it’s more of a Nicky is good cop while Adam is bad cop type of parenting dynamic. They sort of bring different things to the table but share in the responsibility (which makes them sound oddly functional lmao they’re Absolutely Not). That also goes back to what I was saying about Andrew being treated as more mature and adult by those around him than Ronan is while on the flip side also being dehumanized more (and there is analysis to be mined from Andrew being a character who comes across as extremely mature or extremely immature at different points in the books and how that can be read as a reaction to his CSA trauma but that’s a different meta). But yeah, Andrew is treated as an adult and a protector in that dynamic in a way that Ronan is not is basically what I meant. I also think while Ronan-Declan and the Twinyards have a fair amount of parallels Ronan and Declan just had a stronger foundation before their issues really took hold, and that prevented them from cold shouldering each other to the extent Andrew and Aaron do for a lot of canon. I also think it’s worth noting that Andrew and Declan (not counting Greywaren) are the chars who find what their ain’t shit dead parent did to be unforgivable while it’s Ronan and Aaron who love and in Ronan’s case defend them. I feel like there are definitely other comparisons of note in their dynamics but that’s all my brain is supplying at this time. 

•When comparing and contrasting rodansey and kandreil, well the most obvious and key difference is who is “in charge” in the dynamic because Andrew is clearly the Leader of the pack in the same way Gansey is (yes their leadership styles are different but it’s equally true for both dynamics) whereas Ronan is the character who never vies for leadership while Gansey-Adam engage in their psychosexual power struggles, and despite (or more likely because of) being the most abrasive character of the bunch he tends to serve as a point of relief in their conflicts (ex: doing something awful enough that adansey had to start speaking to each other again after the Gansey-offers-to-buy-Adam a phone debacle). Andrew and Ronan are both seen as “non-competetive” and as lacking the drive Kevneil/Adansey have but I would argue they both are driven characters in certain ways it’s just that their goals and motivations aren’t about things like academics or a quest or sports or leadership, Andrew is scarily driven when it comes to protecting/preserving himself, the select people he cares about and whatever structurally is allowing things to run as he wishes (he’ll help Coach or the upperclassmen out when the result helps him protect Kevin or keeping the team in line so they don’t mess things up for him and his family, for instance) and Ronan is passionate about things like dreaming and the farm it just isn’t the type of traditional ambition Adam has. However neither of them are interested in being #1 for the sake of it, Andrew prefers to be in charge for protection / self-preservation / control but he gets no pleasure out of it, so that is something that kind of.. neutralizes them when it comes to certain inter-group conflicts. So that they have in common. 

•Kandrew & Ronsey comparisons — well in terms of similarities there is the dog motif of it all. in terms of differences, ronsey have a more static power dynamic where Gansey is always in the “master” role, their dynamic does change over the series but mostly in the sense that they both form other bonds and Gansey isn’t Ronan’s sole reliable connection by the end of the series. But there’s never like. A dramatic change or a time / circumstance when Ronan is more in power in the dynamic (yes he’s the more powerful character magically but that never impacts the nature of his and Gansey’s relationship). Kandrew meanwhile have a sort of. Double inverted master-pet dynamic going on where yes Andrew is Kevin’s *guard dog*, Riko calls him a pet etc. but there are also times where certain characters see Kevin as Andrew’s possession and Andrew has a lot of authority over Kevin in certain situations due to the nature of their deal. I also think there’s more of an evolution to the power dynamics of their relationship from TFC to TKM then there is for Ronsey which I’m sure I’ve talked about before but I’m too lazy to go into my thoughts so just check out my Kandrew tag if your curious. They have a more contentious relationship than Ronsey do (this is a pro for me as I like contentiousness <3) for sure, in a lot of ways I find Kandrew and Adansey to be similar as they’re the relationships between characters who love each other to very insane, codependent degrees but fundamentally misunderstand each other (class difference plays a role in both cases) and they tend to have the ugliest conflicts, also they’re the dynamics I’ve spent the most time hyper focusing on in these trios that says nothing about me and my preferences at all <3. 

•Andreil & Pynch comparisons — the most obvious difference is that even at their most contentious Pynch were never nearly as antagonistic as Andreil were in the beginning lol. Andreil have a true enemies to lovers arc whereas Pynch are slow burning, but their early TRB dynamic only looks adversarial when you compare it to the Gansey dynamics in early TRB, there’s always some level of friendship there it just deepens significantly as the books go on. I also think that Pynch are both more concerned with societal norms than Andreil are, between Ronan’s Catholicism and Adam’s obsession with conformity + the ideal WASP life, and that influenced the type of relationship they try to have in td3, whereas Andreil are very comfortable with not fitting into typical boxes for relationships. And I will say that while as a series I definitely prefer trc to aftg as a series, I do find andreil to be a more compellingly developed romance overall than pynch. I do think the difference between a sole narrator and multi pov affects this.

There are definitely other points to compare/contrast but these are the ones my brain supplied atm. Andrew is more My Type of character than Ronan is since I unfortunately can not resist an emotionally repressed neurotic freak with control issues it’s a peak male character design from my pov, but I don’t think that makes him a better character than Ronan just more appealing to me (while trc appeals to me more than aftg as a media for other subjective reasons). When it comes to objective writing I would say that Ronan is a more developed character but that Andrew’s narrative is more cohesive and so in some ways more successful. 

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

Now that I've slept on things and the high from the Reruns announcement is out of my system I gotta say... I can't be excited about this. All I see now is yet more proof of Paperfold's greed and their lack of care for their players, as well as for the longevity of LADS.

I don't want to be a party pooper. Truly, I don't. I want to be unreservedly pumped and happy about this. As someone who came relatively late to the game, Reruns are something I've prayed for since late October when I ordered my Tablet specifically to play LADS (yes, that's how much of a Sylus simp I am). But this is not the way to go about it, imo. It's a slap in the face to F2Players and low spenders, as well as to those of us who spend a fair amount.

Just think about it. Assuming the rerun banners will have the same pity system as the regular banners, we'll need 140 wishes to be guaranteed the card we want. Now run that banner alongside a new banner, and in worse case scenario you'll need to cough up 280 wishes, in the span of a week or two. That's a lot of dias/money. And now imagine you want to rank them up...💀

And the company does this whilst giving us no additional ways to farm dias. It's a fact that at present we don't have ways to grind dias or mats regardless of whether you spend money or no. Orbits and abyssal chaos are finite. SHC is the one renewable source of dias we have and as we all know SHC is hard as shit. Especially if you main Sylus or Caleb b/c they just do not have enough cards nor Stellactrum. In Sylus' case, his one yellow four star was locked behind a paywall in the form of a Promise card, which is now no longer obtainable. As for red, he only has one. Single. Card. That's it. So basically, you will need to brute force with him not only in SHC but in Orbits which require tons of mats and stamina. Leveling up one card in this game is hella time consuming and hella expensive. Same goes for protocores. Those are also expensive af to level up.

So what I'm saying is that the game is now throwing additional banners at us whilst giving us no way of keeping up which is a HUGE issue. Hell, we can barely keep up as is. This is not conducive for longevity. The moment a competitor comes out, one with equally pretty graphics and appealing LIs, a lot of people are going to migrate to it. Because why stay with a game that does not care about its playerbase? That does not give you ways to grind or keep up? That does not even communicate with us?

And don't come at me with "Is this your first gacha?" It's a moot point. What I've written above still stands: we aren't given enough resources. Not even the bare minimum. That's a fact. And look, neither I nor anyone else is saying that this game should be free, or that F2Players should be able to obtain every single card of every single LI. Of course not. But I truly do believe that obtaining every card of your favorite LI is not unreasonable. Paperfold would not lose out on it. Whales are gonna whale anyway, and those who want to increase affinity will go for R1 or above of their fave LI regardless.

The thing is, Paperfold make tons of money. They're not a small fresh on their feet indie company. They are a multimillion company. They can afford to be more generous to their players. They can afford to give us more resources and additional ways to grind. But they do not. Because they are greedy and they do not care enough about us to even give us the bare minimum in return for all the time, money, and free marketing we give them. It's as simple as that.

(Note that when I speak negatively about Paperfold it is always directed at the execs, management team, CEO etc. The devs and the writers are amazing and deserve nothing but love and praise)

So yeah. I feel very sad and disappointed by this, especially so b/c Reruns were one of my biggest wishes for this game. But the issues and greed are too blatant for me to ignore :/

[h3lfaerie]

Random: "I'm just saying, Hiccup Haddock wouldn't be muscular."

Me: *cracks knuckles and puts on glasses* Let's do this shit.

---

*AHEM*

Okay, first of all.

Nutrition.

As we all probably know, the more nutrients and the better food you get when you are a child the more fit and taller you will grow as an adult. Usually. Now looking at How To Train Your Dragon, consider that Hiccup was very short and scrawny when Berk was still being attacked by dragons. And then once the dragons stopped attacking and the village suddenly had more food instead of it being stolen all the time, Hiccup went from scrawny and tiny to a WHOPPING SIX FOOT TWO.

And yes, that is his actual height in the last two movies.

And that is largely on relatively little sun and poor nutrients from limited amounts of grains and meats and root vegetables (plus mildew's cabbage).

Training.

Whether you have watched Race To The Edge or not, you know this little shit can fight. Good. You think you gain that sort of technique by not living sparring ring?

While Hiccup is definitely more strategic in his fighting style as opposed to people like Astrid and Heather (who are both distinctly heavy-handed imo), his strong suit is his agility. Paired up with a high proficiency with a... long range of weapons (largely leaning towards swordsmanship). One, that takes a lot of practice, two he's doing it with a prosthetic leg. Consider the amount of pain and hindrance that would cause him throughout training. He is literally disabled. He needs to work twice as hard. His pain tolerance alone would be through the roof.

Sparring-wise the constant footwork and quick directional changes would vastly improve his balance and leg strength, while wielding a sword would build his shoulder, arm, and core muscles. The constant need for precise strikes and defensive maneuvers refines hand-eye coordination and grip strength, which would explain why he is such a good shot with things like his shield-crossbow contraption. And also sparring develops cardiovascular endurance due to the rapid movements and bursts of action, in other words - stamina. He's got plenty.

Now, here you may probably think "But his design for the Inferno is hollow. Isn't that because he can't lift a sword?"

NOPE.

That design was entirely afforded to him by Viggo Grimborn in Race to the Edge. It was a strategic decision.

Have you SEEN the prototype of that thing:

Like first of all that is VIOLENT. That is a serrated blade. It's meant to GUT people. (Go on and tell me Hiccup doesn't have anger issues, I dare you.)

Secondly, I'd argue that has more metal than a normal sword.

And thirdly... proof of Hiccup's physical strength can be seen in the following scenes (I wish I had GIFs, I'm sorry I do not. Those are all moments from RTTE):

Exhibit A:

Knocks Astrid off her feet during sparring.

Exhibit B:

Knocks Savage off his feet while being chased.

Exhibit C:

Catches AND STOPS an axe going for his head held by someone thrice his size.

Exhibit D:

Knocks Snotlout's tooth out with his non-dominant hand.

Excibit E:

KNOCKS TOOTHLESS (A WHOLE DAMN DRAGON) OFF A FUCKING CLIFF BY HIMSELF.

Shall I go on?

Blacksmithing.

Blacksmithing is a highly physical craft that builds strength, endurance, and coordination. Hammering hot metal requires po-wer-ful arm, shoulder, and chest muscles. Lifting and maneuvering heavy materials cannot NOT strengthen your back and stomach if you've been doing it for weeks, let alone years. Which he has.

The repetitive swinging motion of the hammer builds forearm and grip strength, which is essential for control and precision. And working in the heat of a forge is ... For one, a glorious sweaty bonus, for two, it basically serves as a sauna after an excruciating amount of physical labour. Ever wondered why people go to a sauna after a workout? The heat can help repair muscles that were damaged by exercise and it can reset your thermoregulation thresholds. In other words, hot temperatures feel less severe. And I wonder why HE of all people, would be in need of THAT.

TLDR; Blacksmithing is a FULL-BODY workout that not only builds physical resilience but also sharpens mental focus and discipline.

And Hiccup started doing it as a CHILD.

As a substitute for dragon killing.

And last but not least (in fact probably the most important).

DRAGON RIDING.

Have you ever been on a horse? Have you ever seen equestrians? I'm really grateful to have had the privilege to ride a horse and let me tell you ... Your whole body hurts after.

-> Core strength.

The constant flexing and contracting required to stay balanced in the saddle works your core muscles like there's no tomorrow, including your abs and obliques.

-> Inner thighs and pelvic muscles.

Speaking of maintaining-your-balance-and position-while-riding... Applying strength against the saddle, effectively squeezing it with your thighs, while maintaining that rhythmic back-and-forth-and-up-and-down motion CONSTANTLY if you don't want to get flung off... yeah, it destroys your inner thighs and pelvic muscles. Can confirm you walk like a penguin afterwards. It's grueling.

-> (I'm not gonna include the posture and trunk exterior muscles here because Hiccup rides like a hunch-back, therefore those benefits would not be applicable to him, cause he's a lil' gremlin.)

And lastly, staying in that saddle is not easy, even with the right technique. You need to have built your body a certain way to keep your seat if you want to move onto galloping (much like a dancer can't go en-pointe until they've strengthened their ankles). Until then, you're stuck with trotting for weeks. And trust me it still leaves you sore.

TLDR; Horse riding can: improve your balance and coordination, increase your flexibility, burn over 400 calories per hour, serve as yet another FULL-BODY workout, and improve your reflexes.

Now change that to dragon riding.

Now change that to riding canonically the fastest, smartest, and rarest of the known species of dragons in this universe?

Just the FACT our boy wasn't done flung off in that Test Drive Scene in HTTYD 1 is a cause for a standing ovation.

In conclusion:

Realistically, Hiccup Haddock wouldn't be a fishbone. HE WOULD NOT BE BULKY EITHER. THAT IS AN ATROCITY.

But considering all that we've listed, if you wanted to consider realistic expectations based on his levels of physical activity, nutrition, and his growth spurt in response to that, he would, at the very least, be tall as fuck, and absolutely built.

And as a bonus: Have you seen his parents? The genetics are THERE.

THAT SAID, everyone's allowed to have fun with Hiccup's design! That's just my interpretation. It does not and should not invalidate anyone else's.

I'm well aware that Hiccup Haddock is a huge representation for the disabled community. Particularly those with chronic illness, neurodiveristy and limb difference. So, I'd like to finish this off with: I simply decided to go on a deep-dive, but really it's not that deep. This was just the result of my three-hours-long hyperfixation.

We love all and any renditions of Hiccup Haddock the Third, because he is just that lovable.

If you disagree with mine, that is absolutely okay ❤️

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[lotusdrops-world]

filo!sylus HCs

first and foremost, this is my first time posting HCs. Kind of cringe but at least I'm free 🤤. This is written in taglish, but let me know if you want me to write the english TL as well (for non filo speakers.)

cw: some are suggestive 🔞, kinda self-indulgent? HAHA

filo!sylus college student but his major is business administration or mechanical engineering (imo). Pero maluwag luwag pa schedule niyan kaya nag hahanap pa rin siya time para makasama ka everytime para mahatid ka pauwi.

filo!sylus waiting for you outside the university campus, leaning on his motorcycle. your classmates would often tease "huy may jowa ka pala ah!", while you roll your eyes playfully and walk towards him, cocky smile plastered on his face. Proud pa 'yan siya!

filo!sylus na kapag every time pumupunta siya sa bahay niyo, mag dadala at mag aabot pa 'yan ng kilo-kilong prutas, bigas, tahong, o etc., May business pa nga yang pamilya niyan kaya burgis (referring the way he introduced himself as your bf in-game). Old school na pangliligaw pero humble 'yan siya. Feeling niya kasi ang low effort if hindi siya mag sho-show off a little.

filo!sylus at dahil nga may business ang parents niya, may tauhan din sila. Sina Luke at Kieran, magkambal na boy din ng business nila. If busy si Sylus, sila taga abot sa gate niyo ng mga padala niya, may kasama pang pa message: "Sabi ni kuya Sylus miss ka na daw niya. Pag 'di na raw siya busy, mag kita daw kayo bukas!" sabi ng isa kambal.

filo!sylus where you invited him to a birthday party ng kamag anak. Tuwing karaoke with your family and relatives, pinilit mo siya kumanta o mag duet...only for them to discover na sintonado ang kuya! Pero syempre ich-cheer pa rin ng kamag anak mo si Sylus, magalang eh HAHAHA (nanliligaw 'yan siya!) itsura palang eh panalo na sa kanila.

filo!sylus where ininvite ka niya sa Marikina riverbanks. He's waiting for the right time to finally ask you to be official, and you on the other hand, waits for the right time as well. Kahit matagal mo ng sure na sure ka na sa kanya. When he finally confessed, sinagot mo na siya. He just couldn't believe it. Like the loverboy he is, he hugged you tight and swore that he'll take care of you. "Salamat sa pagtiwala s'akin."

filo!sylus date but midnight stroll around españa blvd. manila where you guys just eat kwek-kwek, or any tusok-tusok. Of course libre niya. Afford niya sa mamahalin, in fact you guys always eat around sa mga burgis na restaurant.(spoiled na spoiled?!) To change the pace, iniinsist mo na simpleng stroll lang muna. Saya-saya nyan pag gusto mo pa ng isang o dalawang stick ng tusok-tusok, tas libre ka pa sa mga convenience store para mag ice cream for dessert.

filo!sylus kapag wala yung parents mo sa bahay, nag hhang out kayo sa sala. Of course bebetime tas may banter, holding hands dyan, kiss sa cheeks, at sa lips. Si Sylus 'di mapigilan pag dikit sayo.

"..Nag palit ka pabango?" tanong nito, sabay nuzzle sa leeg mo.

"Nakikiliti ako, Sylus!" ang sagot mo while giggling.

"Ang bango mo kasi eh. Para sa'kin lang to ha?" anyaya ni Sylus.

....at yun na nga ang kaganapan (I will leave that to your imagination EME)

filo!sylus but after that night of 🤭 mag aalok pa 'yan siya mag milktea sa labas o kumain ng takoyaki if may open pang store sa gabi. Baka ma aftercare 'yan. Bibili pa kayo salompas sa pharmacy or convenience store para ilagay sa sumasakit na parte ng katawan mo.

filo!sylus but if it's that time of the month again (regla), he'll make sure na yung kinakain mo ay palaging healthy. There was a time na walang tao sa bahay niyo & your parents are away. Kaya ang contact mo lang ay si Sylus, siya lang din kasi pinakamalapit.

"Sy...nakakahiya man pero..."

"Yes po? punta ako dyan?"

"Bilhan mo na rin ako pads."

"Sige po. Ano brand? with or without wings? daan lang ako sa pharma tsaka dalhan kita foods, within 5 min lang 'to. Wait for me."

filo!sylus last but not the least, sinasamahan ka niya sa night reviews mo for your upcoming exams. Minsan physically, but always virtually. Video call, para may constant reminder ka na "pahinga ka muna mga 10 minutes." o review buddy "tulungan kita sa pag memorize nyan."

These are my filo!sylus HCs for now! SOON I hope I can squeeze my brain juice for more. I love him so much. I don't usually read fanfics, AUs or HCs in my local language but after reading some, I swear it changed the trajectory of my life. Again, let me know if you want me to TL this to english, esp. for non filipino sylus sister wives ❤️🐦‍⬛

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi! Your blog is wonderful and so are you. I'm writing fanfic for a book series and I've been thinking about hair protection for soldiers. The founding Emperor and his Champion were both Black, and the army is generally a motley crew of varying nationalities, so reason dictates someone figured out hair protection on the march early on. Silk-anything is out of the question however, it'd be too expensive and the average soldier wouldn't know how to repair it, let alone be able to repair it well with what's available. I've come across loc socks made of cotton, but does that work for the general variety of protective and short hairstyles, people who can't take care of their hair that regularly? (There are no regulations about appearance beyond keeping their kit in decent shape).

What I'd need is a relatively durable, easy to take care of, acquire and repair fabric - any ideas? I'm willing to invent one if necessary (through the power of fantasy). Also, what would we find the "better than nothing" category? Not as a go-to, but for actual better-than-nothing-situations, when someone still wants to make an effort. (Would it be enough to cover their hair with whatever in that case? Or would that be counterproductive?)

There is also the option of magic, but that feels like a cop out for the bigger picture. Not to mention it wouldn't be feasible for the average soldier who isn't a mage, and the mages would need to know how and have the power to spare, even if it's just charms. - Though I am considering that on a smaller scale for my two favourites, both are Black and very close, one of them is a mage and there is a good chance they both came prepared to the party - so having charms tied into their hair that keep things at bay, until they have the time to properly take care of it would work out for them specifically. But it still seems more logical for them not to rely solely on that when it's not the usual approach. I'd like the baseline to be that everyone who needs it is provided with a protective hair covering, that could be relatively easily replaced if necessary (a lot of places just aren't gonna cough up fabric on demand). And treat magic more like an occasional bonus option, not the default.

For a second I was like "hell EYE I can't afford silk, this is satin" and then I remembered you said this is a fantasy world and maybe satin doesn't exist. 🤣

Yeah, cotton would work for bonnets, loc bonnets, and socks. It's not gonna be as good for moisture retention, but if that's all you got, that's all you got, and it'll function. It is the "better than nothing" category imo lmao. I'm sure wool would be *okay* if someone made it, but wool gets hot and it can get in your hair and it can't stand the rain and I just... I don't think it's a good idea.

I do think using charms in the creation of the caps mass production to strengthen the cotton would be a smart move, because that way everyone has a protective cap but it won't wear down with time if it's been boosted. Admittedly though, I've had this loc bonnet for years magic free, and it hasn't failed on me yet! Give it a good washing and 👍🏾 So if the magic isn't there to spare, I think cotton is fine.

[ofswordsandpens]

apparently the spiders are coming in future seasons because they were a “production nightmare” for ep5

and “boss Grover” (ooc grover imo too) was expanding on his innate empathy ability?

according to rick recent post

🤷‍♀️

I'm glad to hear the show is not intending to write out Annabeth's arachnophobia as I initially feared, but as it stands it's still a bummer that the spiders didn't make their appearance at the Thrill Ride imo. (Again, not saying what we got in place was bad). But the act of Percy having to literally haul Annabeth away and buckle her in into the boat because she was paralyzed by fear and screaming her head off is just imagery that never left me and I wish we had gotten to see that.

(And I will say that some of the things that RR has said they couldn't translate accurately to the screen... I do side eye it a bit. He phrased the spiders as distracting rather than adding it to the scene and idk, in my opinion the spiders will translate well.... if you translate it well? And again, if their reported budget is correct, I just think the show runners can afford to be a bit more... creative? innovative? Idk. Grain of salt sort of thing I guess.)

Then with Grover, it's not necessarily the act of him picking up on Ares hiding something that was ooc to me, more just how relatively calmly and cooly he was manipulating the God of War? Like in SOM when Grover let the cyclops think he was his bride and played into that part, his terror was always pretty present lol. The scene and energy it the diner in the show felt wayyyy more like a Percy or Annabeth type move, rather than a Grover one to me.

[urists]

One of the things that I think is often underappreciated about heavy industry is how things that look like One Industry are not actually just One Industry. Like - okay, let's take oil and gas [1]. That's a pretty good-size industry - about 5 trillion dollars. Big players!

But realistically it's not monolithic. You can break it down into a couple of main groups - upstream (get the fossil fuels out of the ground), midstream (get the fossil fuels to a refinery), downstream (get the crude feedstocks into usable forms). Each of those groups has different incentives, because they do different things.

For example, a somewhat disconcerting fact I learned a while back is that downstream folks (as well as their close cousins, chemical manufacturers) generally adore regulations. Regulations mean that large companies have an incredibly strong barrier to entry, because they can afford the passel of lawyers required to parse the arcane guidelines put forth by multiple different agencies, while smaller companies fail. [2] More regulations, more consolidation, more oligopolistic profit.

Meanwhile, the upstream drillers, who occasionally implode catastrophically due to the boom-bust nature of drilling, generally don't consolidate [3] - but the oilfield service companies, who are in the business of fundamentally selling shovels (or, y'know, paramilitary contractors) frequently do! Because they have different incentives. Same industry, same group, but not interchangeable.

And yeah, the idea that "things are more complicated than they seem" is not new, and it's not limited to just heavy industry. But I do think heavy industry is one of the places were we can't see it nearly as easily. We put refined gasoline into cars to drive on asphalt roads to places heated or powered by natural gas. We can say that all of those things are products of the oil and gas industry, and that's not inherently wrong - but realistically, the fact that I can put refined gasoline into a car and then drive it on an asphalt road to a place that operates off of natural gas is a minor miracle that took a hundred and fifty years of continued innovation to accomplish. Lumping it all into one industry means you might risk forgetting about the fractal layers of complexity that actually make it possible.

[1] Because I know it decently well and have a fair number of contacts in it, but am not directly employed by it

[2] In unrelated news, the US has not successfully managed to build a large refinery since 1977. The refinery in 1977 was built by Marathon, the largest refining company in the US. It currently owns ~3 million barrels a day of refining capacity, or approximately 16% of the overall refining output of the US.

[3] this is a gargantuan generalization, but it's imo overall relatively true; the fracking industry is about as small-business-friendly as you can get in oil and gas

[piosplayhouse]

Imo "accountability culture" references condemnation of an action that has a direct real effect on real people - mocking a group of people, donating to harmful organizations knowingly etc etc. there's an undercurrent of realistic harm scaled of course to the influence someone has to inflict that, a billionaire donating thousands of dollars to antitrans orgs requires more attention and accountability than a small business owner shopping at hobby lobby for supplies because they have no other affordable option in their town.

On the other hand "call-out culture", called that because people will literally title their docs of "evidence" as "call-out docs" is more catered to and an issue in small fandom spaces, where condemnation isn't directed towards actions that have had a direct impact on anyone, but instead just look bad or could hypothetically cause harm (as the writer chooses to present it). These focus more on quantity than quality, with emphasis on digging up as much tangential evidence of anything as possible. Call-out docs can have some elements of accountability culture, particularly when they're directed towards an account/person who, though having a relatively small impact, directly harmed people through grooming or mocking or whatnot, but these will often be either exaggerated or mixed in with nonsense additions like "liked a problematic anime 2 years ago" or "retweeted an unrelated post from someone who was already cancelled". Because of this, reading through entire call-out docs will often leave you thinking "well that was a waste of time" or "why did they put allegations of abusing their ex next to shipping bakudeku". There's a disconnection between what are real harmful actions that need to be addressed and remedied and things added because they have bad optics or make the doc longer and therefore more "valid" in the eyes of a culture that prioritizes QRTing with how many -isms someone is rather than how much harm they've actually done.

[alliluyevas]

Here's a potentially controversial AG question for you.

Do you think adult Felicity would continue to own slaves?

Oh, wow, yeah, this is a heavy hitter. Honestly, historically and statistically, almost certainly yes. But there is definitely a semi-plausible chance otherwise.

I'm going to reframe this question slightly, because due to the legal system of coverture in her time, if Felicity marries, which she almost certainly will, her husband will have ownership of any property either of them bring into the marriage. So the question is more accurately: will adult Felicity be the wife and mistress of a household that owns slaves?

I don't mean to reduce adult!Felicity's moral or personal agency, but the answer to this question may also depend on who she marries, both in terms of his socioeconomic status and his personal beliefs about slavery.

Felicity's father and maternal grandfather are both slaveholders in the book series, though in different socioeconomic niches. Mr. Merriman is a shopkeeper in town with two enslaved laborers, Marcus and Rose. Grandfather is a plantation owner and there is presumably a larger workforce. (I can't remember exactly what the legal situation is after Grandfather dies in the final book, but I believe Mr. Merriman inherits the plantation through his wife which would imply she has no brothers, and then administers it while primarily living in town. I could just be completely making that up, though, and I couldn't find confirmation online and don't have my Felicity books on me at the moment.)

If she marries a man who is similar in socioeconomic status to her father (ie, a relatively prosperous shopkeeper or artisan in Williamsburg) he will likely own or rent slaves. If she marries someone similar to her grandfather, he definitely will. I can see either of these routes as plausible for Felicity. Living primarily in Williamsburg, she may be most likely to encounter townsfolk, but she would also potentially be courted by young men attending college at William and Mary, who would likely be from plantation families elsewhere in Virginia, or she might marry the son of one of Grandfather's neighbors or something. (Side note: there is one existing character in her books who might be a potential future Mr. Felicity: her father's apprentice, Ben. Felicity and Ben clearly get along really well and have a lot in common, and when Felicity reaches the age where she is thinking about marriage, Ben will likely be around, either still working with Mr. Merriman or a business acquaintance/family friend. It wasn't uncommon to marry someone with that kind of family/business connection at all. If Felicity were to marry Ben, he would likely eventually be in a similar socioeconomic niche to her father.)

So, what are the possible futures where Felicity and her husband are not slaveholders?

First of all, she could marry someone who is socioeconomically in a position where he simply cannot afford to do so. This is, imo, the least likely. I don't think her parents would encourage this. (I think Mrs. Merriman may have married slightly "beneath her" as I kind of got the vibe that Grandfather is wealthier than Mr. Merriman is, and he certainly is in terms of ownership of both land and slaves, which is how wealth was generally calculated in Virginia. On the other hand, this might also be a town/country divide, and Mr. Merriman is evidently able to comfortably provide for his family.) Also, if she was to fall in love with and marry someone of a lower socioeconomic rank, it is possible that her family would financially help him rise rather than that Felicity would just go off and be broke with him.

I think a more plausible route would be that Felicity either marries a man who is actively against slavery and her beliefs are then influenced by him or she independently develops anti-slavery convictions prior to her marriage and then chooses a man who has similar beliefs.

I do want to point out that there were a lot of Virginians in this general period who expressed anti-slavery beliefs while still continuing to own slaves. I think in many cases these people were experiencing genuine moral discomfort and conflict but ultimately chose to prioritize their own financial well being. I think, unfortunately, the most likely future may be one where Felicity experiences some moral qualms over slavery and questions some aspects of the society she lives in, but ultimately chooses to stick with the status quo.

However, I think there are some semi-plausible paths where Felicity and her husband might end up in a situation where they choose genuinely meaningful opposition to slavery. There are other situations in the AG books where characters get an ending that is better if historically less plausible, after all. (IE Addy's family is able to reunite. Samantha's relatives adopt Nellie.) Even if it's unlikely, this outcome for Felicity would not be unheard of.

For instance, she might marry a Northerner and goes to live wherever he is from. (If he chooses to move to Virginia permanently, he might also choose to conform to the economic system of the slave culture in his adopted state.) This happened with one of Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters who married a man from Massachusetts and moved up there with him. This would have been a woman about a generation younger than Felicity, but it's not outside the realm of possibility to happen earlier, either. I can't really picture Felicity wanting to leave her home and family, but if she's already developed anti-slavery beliefs on her own she might think it's worth it.

She might also marry a Virginian who believes slavery is wrong and is actually willing to do something about it. I wish I could remember the man's name, but I was just reading about some young plantation owner who wrote to Jefferson in the 1820s about his deep discomfort with slavery and his desire to free his slaves. Jefferson basically advised him to go slow and do nothing for the time being, and this man wrote him again chewing him out saying it wasn't enough. He ultimately chose to leave Virginia, and settle in Ohio, where he purchased plots of land so that his newly freed former slaves could start their own farms. This is later than Felicity would have been finding a husband, and this man's decision was one very few of his peers would have made. But, again, it's not impossible.

I think the man I just talked about had primarily ethical objections to slavery, not religious ones, but I think the most plausible way for Felicity to develop meaningfully anti-slavery convictions is through religion. The Second Great Awakening would have begun when Felicity was in her mid-twenties. Some people in Southern states who became evangelical Christians during this time period began to believe that slavery was a sin against God. The most famous example of this is Robert Carter III, a Virginia plantation owner who became a Baptist and ended up freeing over 500 people. (He also ended up having to flee the state of Virginia because people were threatening him over this and lived the rest of his life in Baltimore.) Evangelical conversions were most common among the lower classes, especially in the beginning, but also took off among women from higher social classes. Robert Carter notwithstanding, wealthier men were the least likely to be born again. So I think it's very plausible that Felicity might choose to become a Methodist or Baptist, but if she was 25+ at the time she would likely already be married and it is less likely her husband would also convert. So she might end up in a situation where she is opposed to slavery but her husband, who does not share her religious beliefs, is not, and he controls their property. Or, it's possible she marries later than the average, or she is widowed young and remarries a man from her church, or manages to convert her husband.

So, I can definitely see some pathways for an anti-slavery adult Felicity, but it would require both her and her husband to develop convictions and the moral courage to enact them that were highly unusual for people in their class and context. Unusual, but not unheard of.

[mayakern]

I don't make a whole lot of money (I'm in grad school which doesn't really pay...), but I've been picking something special and a little expensive (for me, I know your skirts are reasonably priced since they're slow fashion pieces of art) to get myself every couple months as a ~little treat~ to motivate myself through school

So I've decided I'm saving money for a mini skirt in Sept/Oct! I'm thinking the pumpkin one if that is still one of the options by then. I'm very excited!!!

aw that’s really lovely, im so glad you like the skirts so much!

also, i’ve gotten some confusion on this, so to set the record straight—i fully recognize that my apparel is more expensive than some people can afford and that’s ok! i don’t hold it against anyone. it’s just when people call it overpriced that i feel the need to address/correct people.

saying something is expensive is value neutral (IMO), as it only speaks of the price relative to the buyer’s budget. saying something is overpriced is negative, as it means the item is perceived as having less value than it is being sold for.

that’s when i feel it is a good time to come in and educate people about how expensive it is to do custom printed clothing items using certified safe materials, handled by people being paid ethical wages, who are making small batches of clothing (relative to the scale of a major chain). all of those things drive up our cost per garment significantly over what target, walmart, or shein would pay and i think this is just stuff the average consumer doesn’t know about.

[sotogalmo]

what do you think garrett and abby’s relationship would have been like if garrett lived and they grew up together? (i know abby technically wouldn’t exist if garrett lived but let’s just. play pretend here ok)

YES... Play pretend.... !!!!

Okay so.

Imo, Garrett is much quieter than Micheal is and all that. Calmer, quieter, level-headed, unaware of some feelings because in the small info we get, he doesn't really seem to care for himself (but that's his nativity?? I think?? Lil bro is unaware) and is moreso confused and worried why his brother is calling out for him, but I think he calms down enough

In an au where he Lives, I think he would just stay the same but with some sarcasm to himself??? He seems like a very monotone sarcastic guy, can't control voice level and tone. Kinda just like movie Mike but more healthy, and slightly more outgoing. Autistic guy !!! All of them are autistic as hell

I think when Abby was born that was when he was The Most Emotional. But considering time and year, he would hide it and just cry in his room because like.

When Abby is young, I think he would like. Indulge in her weirdness. She meows? He meows back. He also would make a lot of animal sounds.. mainly birds because he prefers them, but yeah.

I feel like would also like to learn like. Mythos. Blasts him with the LMK Tang persona a bit (I do not know if I'm explaining it correctly............)

When they both get older I just think they'll slightly drift? Garrett, in aus where he lives, always seems to like. Honestly just have a better life then Mike does, lives in some sort of city, etc etc. + being a daddy's boy/dads favorite, so there's that small idea

But since I'm like. Autistic, it's not really that simple and he's autistic during like. What? Early-late 90s? Or something like that? So I don't think he would've had much of an easy life. At least a decent one due to his dedication, and how "perfect" he seems to be (at least slightly better than his brother in some way, but yk. He isn't). I just think he would lose his temper a lot and get dragged into fights. "Ouhhh let's see if we can break mr.perfect here", type of reason from the others ,, yeah

He doesn't pack a strong punch (he quote unquote fights like a girl), but he can still slightly fight. Only a bit. It's never been on his mind that he would be in a fight ever in his life. So he didn't know that this would happen when he would leave to live his own life somewhere he had the money to afford to— maybe when he was turned 23-ish he moved away to said place/area

Anyways. During this, I think he would like. Visit when he has the money, time and effort (his social battery) to. I mean, he probably has the money taken care of- he just slightly forgets to do so (my autistic man)(but with that he writes it on the calendars to remind himself— goes to visit for special occasions, holidays, and honestly just cuz sometimes he wants to. "It's a Friday? I'm gonna visit anyway"). Slightly think he'll be seen as "cool" when he does visit Abby and Mike. Like

"cool uncle/aunt who buys stuff for relatives" in a way, but minus uncle/aunt spot since he's their brother. But again he really. ..... Feels like he wasn't all that connected with his family??? I dunno just to fill up the whole kidnapping death of what happened in canon, in this au, he just. Stays to himself, trusts himself more, etc + the idea of him living away and having a better footing then Mike does

But he does make sure to visit important occasions because he wants to and that's his family. Distant but makes up for it with gifts and being at special events and being a nerd and all of that

[p0orbaby]

According to deloitte report arsenal wfc made around 17.9 million in revenue last year (23/24), whereas chelsea wfc made 13.4 million, so even though they won the league and were in the uwcl semis, they earned less.

The thing is chelsea are investing their money totally unburdened by the worry of being sustainable bcs there aren't any financial constraints in the women's game in Europe. And it's working really well for them.

Arsenal on the other hand are investing in their women's team, but they are trying to make it financially self sustainable in the long term, which has its pros and cons. The biggest con being that they're behaving like they have financial constraints when in reality they don't and so they don't always go after the top players aggressively enough.

The fact is that many other wsl clubs should be investing much more. IMO for example liverpool isn't under nearly enough scrutiny for underinvesting. Their men's team is constantly around too of the PL table, but their women's team was only recently promoted after being relegated.

if you read the bbc article i linked in another response it does actually mention the deliotte findings!

the revenue thing also applies the other way. the money made by the women can be used to strengthen the men. in theory most of that 17.9 mil might not have even seen the pockets of the women team

the article also says this

"It's partly money, and partly priority", Dr Philippou said.

"We see the 'big six' of men's football sitting at the top of the WSL table. More income on the men's side seems to mean that there's more income on the women's side".

But there also has to be the intent.

"Most men's sides are losing money or are technically insolvent, meaning that their owner has to put money in to ensure they survive the season. This can lessen the priority to diversify in women's football".

a men’s team can’t invest if they don’t even have the money to put into their own squad

so if the men can’t put money in, the salary cap will be tighter, relatively of course. 40% of revenue can be spent, total, on player wages. the teams that don’t do as well in the league and don’t get help from the men’s team aren’t attractive to move to. less pay, less likely to get higher profile players, less likely to win silverware.

its a balancing act. high profile players will demand more money but there’s a limit to this as of the soft cap. you can’t pay half like 4 or five players megabucks and give the rest the scraps. you’ve got to have the right value players with the money you can afford. which is different for every team

and if the men, like liverpool, don’t help invest in their women’s team, the likelihood that they’ll get enough revenue to have both great players and enough to buy more is very slim

like i said before no one is blaming chelsea for spending, but as stated by a women’s football financial expert, the more they spend the more risk the league could be in

if something is easy to predict, no one’s going to watch it. which means no one will want to sponsor and no one is going to pay for the media rights

i would love the teams to invest more I really would but it’s not always possible, or an option, or even a priority…

[prince-liest]

hi! I always get super excited about fandom OCs, so it's been such a treat to hear about Tzafael! I worked a little on a design for them (lmk if you're ok with me posting it) but a lot of questions came up:

this is gonna sound really vague, but what's their vibe? I'm getting "pretends to be a gentleman but will ABSOLUTELY fish for compliments and randomly fuck with people cause of the power play" but I could be totally off. does he ever snap at people/hurt them if they're not polite? are they super condescending like some of the other angels or is he more like adam and kind of,,, uhh openly a dick? or are they more of a crowley type (kind of gooey inside and mostly left heaven because it was too bureaucratic and constricting)? do they burst into hell buildings and just incite chaos? again I know this is super vague but like ,,, basically I need a dialogue snippet to know what they're like lol

what's their accent? do they have special vocal quirks/tics? special catchphrases or words they use a lot?

do they have any real friends in hell (not just contracts)? do they miss anyone from heaven?

did they like being an exorcist?

hobbies?

what are the implications of the magpie/eyeball motifs? do they have a transcendent sense of sight? are they overstimulated or even haunted by the fact that they have to see so much all the time? do they have any bird habits (preening is a must lol but anything else?)? do they have a nictitating membrane and freak people out by blinking sideways with all of their eyes?

is their magpie form like a really scary demon form or are they just like. a normal bird. (that's way funnier imo)

I'm sorry but,,, I'm such a sucker for angst. where's his soft spot? how does he react to having it poked? does he lash out like a panicked animal or break down and try to hide?

do they have sharp teeth? I've seen that in other art of them but since they're not technically fallen I'm thinking of just doing fangs

how would he react to seeing a child (is he good with children? does he terrify/terrorize them?)?

what does "very good grip strength" imply???

whew, sorry for that monster of an ask! you said you liked talking about them so I just vomited everything that came to mind while I was drawing him, but definitely don't answer anything you don't find interesting!

PLEASE DO NOT APOLOGIZE YOU HAVE MADE MY EVENING. Both by offering me a delightful plethora of questions to answer about Tzafael, and also by drawing them aaaaaaaah- I would absolutely love to see you post it!! <3

Long post incoming!!

Their vibe: They are still an angel, and subscribe to morals that involve seeing themselves as a relatively good person - kind of like Lucifer's sense of superiority over sinners! So they are polite and friendly in a way that sometimes makes it evident that they know they can afford to be because they're above most of the people around them. They won't overtly fish for compliments, but that's why stroking their ego is so effective: they won't ask for it, but it's their most major vice. It's like petting a purring tiger. They enjoy when their presence is shocking, so they will absolutely walk casually into places where they know anyone able to identify them will freak out, and they'll visibly find the results amusing, but they won't outright admit to doing it on purpose. When they actually get into conflict with people, they like to look like they're being the bigger man about it, but they're honestly biting at the bit for a reason to go casually nuclear on someone who looks like they deserve it.

Speech patterns: Tangible but not over-the-top valley girl accent. They think it's fucking hilarious. Mildly prone to nefarious laughter, though it's generally because they're genuinely amused.

Friendships: Their concept of friendship is a little bit detachedly celestial. They definitely have friends in every ring, but they're bad about accidentally not visiting for long periods of time and they're prone to feeling like nobody in hell can genuinely understand them. They make contracts with relative ease with people they are friendly with specifically because they like feeling like the person people come to for powerful assistance. They'd probably do best seeing if they can befriend any of the seven sins, to minimize the baseline imbalance of power level and lifespan, but it just feels awkward when they all know Lucifer. The unassuming, baseline comraderie is the main thing they miss about heaven.

On exorcism: They fucking loved the power trip of being an exorcist. Too much. That's why they stayed in hell in the first place. And then they thought about it too damn long and got to know the locals, and now it's just fucking awkward to go around killing indiscriminately. Knowing too much really took the fun out of it! They used to join in on the exorcisms when they came around again, but not anymore.

Hobbies: They keep fish! They like setting up self-maintaining freshwater aquariums of various sorts, and particularly enjoy feeling like they've captured a genuine slice of nature in a fish tank. They visited Vox's shark tanks once and thought they were boring as hell because the sharks are mechanical and he doesn't have any live flora. They also enjoy being a huge gossipy bitch, which is arguably like 90% of what they actually use their powers for.

Powerset: While Lucifer has the power of Creation, Tzafael has the power of Sight. They see a great many things, and they see those things As They Are. So, basically: localized omniscience. They can't read minds, but they can tell if some is lying to them, and they can also see everything within a certain vicinity (depending on how hard they're pushing it), including through walls. This isn't weird or overwhelming to them: it's how they were designed to exist! If anything, losing that would make them feel blind. They also have a very small amount of foresight, which is mostly useful for being hard to hit in a fight and also being obnoxious by unintentionally interrupting people's sentences. This does not help them come off as less condescending.

Leaving heaven: Seeing the truth of things as they are, and seeing everything around makes the facade of heaven frustrating and tedious to swallow. They prefer hell because it feels more honest!

Bird traits: Absolutely hell yes to the nictitating membranes on every single eyeball, which also doubles as protection against any eyeball stabbing! They preen, they adore shiny shit, they love to gab and gossip, and while they are mostly a magpie, any bird seraph is going to be a bird of prey in some way or another, so it is as difficult to break their grip as it would be that of a raptor of similar size. I think it's implied that all heavenly and some demonic beings have various stages of their true forms, so their humanoid birdform is a similar style to what we see from Sera in the first few seconds of meeting her, and their true form is closer to what we see of Stolas at the end of Truth Seekers in Helluva Boss, except with about a billion more looming eyeballs. As for their most humanoid form's teeth: I figured they'd stayed in hell long enough for their teeth to go sharp like Lucifer's, but I am also super down for fangs if you have a design you're playing with!

Children: Ehhh...kinda cute, when they're not Tzafael's responsibility. Frequently funny in small doses or from a distance. Delightfully honest or else delightfully poor liars. Often just not their bag, though, especially if they kids are spoiled or self-absorbed (sorry, what was that? "Hypocrite"? Must have misheard.)

ANGST: They are a social animal and they miss their flock! They keep mooning about potentially reconnecting with Lucifer because they fucking miss heaven, except heaven doesn't feel like it did when they were a kid, so it doesn't feel like home. Any small inconveniences, they feel free to whine about with deliberately humorous dramatics, but when they feel genuinely hurt, they withdraw, hide in their nest, and keep it to themselves as best as they can. It hurts the ego to admit that kind of weakness when they're supposed to be a fucking seraph, especially when they feel alone and without equals in their place in the world. But even though heaven turned out to be a damn lie, they miss family. On a more minor note, they're also a poor sport about being genuinely made fun of in bad faith.