#just because i can totally see these two as fellow explorers

[silentaura]

−−−  ꧁ it was a place without a name . at the very least , zelda hadn't known what to call the location by anything other than the note ' 𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓊𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓇 𝑔𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓌𝒶𝓎 ' written in hasty , half legible script in her pocketbook . peculiar seemed a fitting title , because upon first visit , it pulled out nothing but questions from her .

a gate , old and rusted , concealed a decrepit hall lost to time . in a way , there was a beauty to it , seeing the the overgrowth reclaim the structure as it returned to nature . she should be wary , with the nightmare moss now prominently written into her compendium in red ink . this is just the sort of place it might thrive in the wild .

goddess only knew what else was in the air .

as a precautionary measure , she wraps her winter scarf over her nose and mouth to act as a filter . resuming her explorations , zelda proceeded to examine the pathways boarded up with stone .

" it seems to be yet another dead end ; however , its curious that the entrance wasn't boarded up as well if all passage ways are nevertheless blocked . " the sound of trains passing overhead echos in the abandoned station . " whatever this structure was , i can tell that at one time , it was once rather grand . . . "

zelda pulls out her phone , opening up her camera application to take a picture of the painted ceiling , stained with the evidence of leaks . as she presses her finger to the brightly lit screen to capture the image , she's caught off guard by the sound of heavy footsteps entering the abandoned building .

: ̗̀➛ @liightaga

[mythicmanuscripts]

Totally ok if this is not up your alley- but would you ever be open to exploring a beta!reader with her omega boys? I think there can be many ways this dynamic could be explored.

But my heart loves the concept of beta's are kinda viewed as spinsters even within highborn families.

so the Reader is enjoying their life at court while the princes are being prepared to see all the alpha's that would like to try for their hand in marriage. And they cannot stand any of their suitors. And instead opt to spend time with the newest beta brought to the court. No one ever suspects stronger feelings for the omegas to bloom but when they do it surprises everyone that they would settle with a beta over a 'stronger' alpha

Oooo brilliant question anon!! I love betas, so I'd happy write more on this!! (for future reference: I'll happily write beta!reader with omega or alpha characters as well as Alpha!reader, the only thing I won't write is omega!reader). Anyway, I'm gonna write a little bit about this concept with some different characters and we can take it from there.

As always, because it's a/b/o I'll hide it under a cut

AEMOND:

So I think this idea actually works best with Aemond, because he tries to not seem very omega like? All these alphas were trying to court him, but they were all trying to treat him like he's some useless vulnerable omega who can't look after himself. He hates every second with those alphas, hates how they make him feel. People keep on telling him how once he finds his alpha he will want to nest with them and look after him and do all those typical omega things but obviously this doesn't happen.

With you being a beta, aemond is immediately more at ease with you and enjoys talking to you more. You always listen to him, and maybe you also train with him? He loves how you are him seriously and how you roll your eyes when he complains about all the alphas that are trying to his hand.

Aemond doesn't even realise his feelings for you at first. One day he just finds himself wanting your scent in his nest, and then soon he finds that he doesn't like to talk to alphas without you. He only clocks what's happening when he hisses at one of the omega servants who try to dish your dinner for you. The poor servants drops the spoon when and runs away, and aemond has no regrets whatsoever because how dare they try to do that?? It's HIS job to feed you, no one else.

He's two seconds away from a mating before he even realises he's in love and he needs you and only you.

AEGON:

Everyone is shocked when they realise that Aegon has fallen for a beta. Out of everyone, they never imagined it would aegon that would want a beta. He's just... so very omega? From the moment he was born he had always been very much a stereotypical omega. He's emotional and sweet and he purrs and hisses and loves being pampered.

Alphas come from all over the kingdom with lavish gifts and aegon bats his eyes and thanks everyone. And sure those alphas are fine, but you're the only one who really knows how to look after him?

Hes not just a needy omega (though make no mistake he is absolutely a needy omega), he's also a little skittish? You're the only one who has mastered just how much guidance Aegon needs without controlling him. He really just melts in your presence aNnd becomes very protective of you.

JACE:

Now as we all know, Jace is easily flustered and he's ver particular about touches and fabric. Most stimuli can feel too much, no matter what they are.

For omega!Jace, I think that he's also like that with scents? He has to find a single alpha scent that he actually wants around him. At best he finds them a little off-putting and most he feels like he can't breath from how strong they are. In fact sometimes even the scents of fellow omegas can bring about that reaction?

Once they move to dragon stone, Rhaenyra sets aside one room as the designated nesting room for everyone, because of course she does she looks after her children very well. Everyone knows not to question if Jace doesn't come into the nesting room for a few days, because every often even those happy pack scents are too much.

But then he meets you, and you smile at him and shake his head and from the moment he gets your scent he's obsessed. It's much milder than alphas or omegas, and in fact many alphas can barely even smell you have any scent. Jace though? He's obsessed, he cannot get enough of it.

[scikeyuri]

i have a problem with discussions from fellow aromatics regarding shipping. the idea that shipping is an inherently allonormative action. and i definitely see why there is an immediate jump to label all shipping, no nuance, as allonormative, but it still annoys me.

i think its because to most people shipping is seen as "i want to see these two be in a romantic relationship" which yeah a substantial number of ships are that, however there are many ships that are way more complex than that.

since aromanticism has started to be talked about more, people have started to discuss more brands of ships than just romantic ones which need i remind you, ship is short for RELATIONSHIP. romantic relationships arent the only kinds of relationships out there (platonic, sexual, queer platonic, familial, etc). and EVEN THEN someone exploring a romantic relationship in fiction doesnt mean they believe everyone has to be in one or even that they themselves want to be in one, proof being...

i dont experience romantic attraction most of the time yet i love shipping. because it can explore the complexities of the human experience. the sweet, the gross, the morally gray, the messed up. my aromanticism has made me intrigued about relationships from an outside perspective. i think humans and relationships are so fucking interesting. and it does kinda hurt to see other aros say im contributing to allonormativity just because of that fact. i dont think the discussions around aromanticism and allonormativity means we have to police people. it is totally fine if you dont like shipping because of your aromanticism but you shouldnt assume every aromantic is like you or that theyre a shipper because theyre victims to allonormativity. and honestly. i think this view kinda undermines the discussion around allonormativity because at the end of the day, these are fictional characters. shipping them doesnt affect them. however, implying that a real, living, human being HAS to be in a romantic relationship DOES. the exception to this is shipping when it comes to confirmed aro and/or ace characters because the argument surrounding shipping those characters usually does show how people view real aromantic people. in the denial that people really do exist that dont want to be in romantic relationships. but again. that is an exception.

hell. most of the characters i ship in toxic ships i usually hc as some flavor of aro. not because "aros can still date!!" but because human feelings and emotions arent black and white. and i like to represent my own feelings with my aromanticism through them.

anyways. my whole point from this long (and probably incoherent lol) post is this. every aro person is different. the world doesnt revolve around you (/lh). and stop policing people and assuming theyre contributing to allonormativity because you dont know if the shippers youre talking about are aro themselves.

[jewishrizahawkeye]

hello fellow members of the tortured poets department.

apologies for my absence from meeting, was being a little to tortured and not enough poet lately 😑.

but i would like to enter into evidence the songs for the days i missed. because it is late i might combine some songs together if they’re next to each other and if the idea for both over laps.

because of that this post will be analyzing fresh out the slammer and florida!!! but specifically how these songs start to explore more about the “american dream” theme that runs throughout the album. i’ve been waiting until these two songs to fully explore it as florida!!! is well… the most obvious place for me to start.

previous days: fortnight; THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT; my boy only breaks his favorite toys; down bad; so long, london; but daddy i love him

references to america are prevalent throughout the album. this does make perfect sense actually considering taylor had set up home base in london and even wrote songs mentioning certain spots (and even liking a boy from london). so taylor choosing to focus the next album on america and coming home after being away fits very well. taylor spent years away because she was afraid of people and moved to a different country to get away. but when she was left all alone and the relationship ended (so long, london) she had to go back home.

this is what we see in fresh out the slammer. the song feels more like a transition song, ie. moving from one location to the other. the song over all is not one of my favorites on the album as while it is nice i don’t feel like it adds as much depth. though i do think it adds more details to certain things touched on. specifically with taylor personifying london as her former partner transitions a bit to this song as she refers to him as a place and what that place did to her. it’s especially interesting to me seeing her refer to it as a prison at times considering in reputation there was also those motifs too but with fame and she felt more sheltered with her then partner. but now it is shown to be also caging her. she ran from one cage to another to protect herself, which is valid, but is now realizing that instead of seeing it as a safe haven.

the main part i want to focus on the song though is how she refers to her next partner viewing her as “the girl of his american dreams”. this is an interesting line and totally not referencing the 1975 as it paints a very distinct picture. the phrase “the girl of his dreams” means the person he thinks would be the ideal partner. this is shown in the media though as negative or in a overwhelming personification with the “manic pixie dream girl” archetype. so already the phrase is on shakey ground, but there’s nothing wrong with saying a partner is “your dream” partner. it can be a compliment.

however, taylor specifically adding the “american dream” to the phrases changes it entirely. she’s now evoking the idea of the american dream that’s the pull yourself up by your boot straps and end up with a house, a car, a wife, and two kids idea. i’m not going to sit here and dissect THAT cause that’s a whole ass lecture. but taylor saying this man views her as “the girl of his american dreams” is saying that she is the ideal partner to settle down with and start a life with. to have a family and get married. which is also noted on many other tracks as something a partner did to her but never followed through. which is ironically what the american dream is. it’s a lie sold to people to keep working and they can hope for a better future. but in actuality they have to keep working and climbing relentlessly to achieve it and never can reach it.

so by taylor saying she’s the girl of his american dreams, he’s selling her a false narrative that she desperately wants and craves but he has no intention on following through and will just use her until he’s done. it’s a very interesting word choice i really like.

and how that idea connects to florida!!!

florida is probably one of the most notoriously known states in america next texas and new york. it’s a hub for weird stories and hurricanes and just all together a chaotic place. but people still love it. in fact, it’s also another part of the american dream as the idea for a lot of people is to retire in florida after they lived their life. which is why i wanted to combine these two as they flow into each other.

taylor uses florida as both a place physically but also metaphorically (and technically as a person if we view it as the “miracle move in drug”) which ties into her using london as both a place and person. florida is the “state” your in post break up and leans into the chaoticness of the actual state. she uses the wildness that everyone has of florida to describe a post break up high.

there are MANY things she uses to describe this. but let’s first look at her referring to her partner as a “hurricane with her name/i got drunk and i dared it to wash me away/barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine”. hurricanes aren’t a stranger to florida and have done extensive damage to the state. but taylor refers to it as a storm with her name, ie. he was made just for her and in this state he’s out to destroy her because of how much damage their relationship did to her overall. but she acknowledges that she did tempt it, she did let it get this far and she had to drink her way through while hiding just to make it out alive.

but this florida, no one asks for questions about why you hate your ex because no one else in this state cares. in fact, they’ll help you hide the body if you help them. so taylor can throw her former lovers who she considered her home town (a reference to london boy “home is where the heart is, but that’s not where mine lives”/“but god i love the english”) but he never considered her more than a passing guest or her feeling like she was arrested there, because of her love for him and wanting to make it work or him keeping her locked away is open to interpretation. so she’s pissed, she’s running free and wanting to escape it all and is in the one state no one cares because they’re going through hell to and can’t bother to care about you.

in this case taylor is referring to florida as the clarity of post break up and running wild and free. which also does tie back into my previous days post about but daddy i love him as that plays into the classic romance piece of a forbidden love. it’s a very quintessential american idea of trucks through fences and small town elders saying to stay away from the good girl. and taylor even introduces it in fortnight by refrencing florida and “another night lost in america”. she is actively introducing the listener on page one to the idea of her longing to run away from it all and have freedom, but freedom looks different there than in florida.

bdilh->florida!!! just screams the idea of american hopes and dreams and young love. it’s wild and loud and messy and destructive and doesn’t see the future. which then later gets wrapped up somewhat in i hate it here from the anthology tracks. because taylor saying “i’d say the 1830’s but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid… nostalgia is a minds trick if i had been there i’d hate it” which can be her acknowledging that the idea this man sold to her and the freedom she fantasized about wasn’t what it actually was and hates it in hindsight.

this post is disjointed, and i apologize, but the idea of the american dream running through has been something i keep going back to on relistens and i wanted to introduce it to the community for discussion. thank you again for letting this be late.

[yanderes-galore]

Harem Concept between Jul and Raia 'Mdama (Halo), Romantic/Platonic intentions. Technically a Sangheili darling would be easier, but I'd be interested on how a Human darling could work out too (probably would lean towards being AU territory due to the circumstances surrounding Raia's canon death). - Scale Anon

Sure! I'll explore this idea, this primarily focuses on Jul though. Looked at some lore so I hope this is accurate!

Yandere! Jul + Raia 'Mdama Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic - Sharing

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Brief mate/Mating mention, Sangheili/Sangheili/Sangheili and Sangheili/Human/Sangheili pairing, Manipulation, Abuse of power, Degrading behavior, Isolation, Death, Violence, Forced relationship.

While I agree a Sangheili darling would be easier, a human darling is an interesting thought.

Jul sees humans similar to The Flood, Raia's views on humans are unknown from what I've seen but we can assume she held a neutral view or held similar views to Jul.

As a Sangheili you most likely are loyal to the 'Mdama family one way or another.

This would allow you to be close to both Sangheili.

Perhaps you are simply viewed as a fellow brother/sister to them, a platonic relationship.

Or if they have romantic intentions... then a potential third partner for mating with.

When it comes to a human you'd most likely be seen as lower than them, a human pet.

Jul would be cruel at times due to you being human while Raia would be more caring.

Honestly if you were human but Raia was comfortable around you... Jul relents before growing reluctantly attached.

If you were a Sangheili loyal to them they'd often meet with you and speak with you.

Jul is the more manipulative one of the two but they both hide their intentions.

They both either consider you one of their family...

Or are preparing how to spring the idea of making you their shared mate.

Jul and Raia would be possessive of you regardless of the intention.

Raia often asks for you to stay by the home she and her mate reside in.

Meanwhile Jul makes it a goal to hunt down other Sangheili or even humans who he feels will take you away from the two of them.

You being human is... similar.

However you aren't really seen as a mate entirely.

You're seen as a companion and pet.

Jul gains a sick sense of pride when he shows control over you.

He dislikes your race... but doesn't really mind you.

Probably because he has total control.

Raia is calmer and a bit more caring to your needs.

Sure, the idea of making friends with humans is an odd idea of Thel, yet she can see the appeal when it comes to you.

When Jul gets a bit too rough with you... Raia tells him to calm down and reel things in.

They're meant to share, aren't they?

As a human you never leave their home.

Their children, if you ever meet them, find it weird that a human lives amongst them.

But if their mother is attached... they'll tolerate things.

Raia is certainly the voice of reason in the family.

Soon, through his wife, Jul puts aside his hatred of humans as a whole to keep you.

In his eyes you're "contained and unable to spread" as you're not around any other humans.

They keep you isolated for a reason.

Things would go down hill when Jul is abducted by ONI and Raia dies.

At first it's just you and Raia.

She appears distraught at the disappearance of her husband.

As a Sangheili you could try to comfort and reassure her, to which she respects this.

She may even think about clinging to you but keeps her composure.

If you're human she calls you over so she can distract herself.

She'd rant her concerns, all while dragging a claw across your soft skin.

You really do bring her comfort.

You're left alone when Raia tells you she has to leave to find Jul.

Well... not entirely alone, another member of the 'Mdama family will look after you if you're human.

If you're Sangheili you're free to roam.

Right up until Jul comes back... devastated at the death of his wife and mate.

If you're Sangheili then Jul calls for you, delivering the news.

You can see the rage in his eyes.

If you're human he calls for you to be brought to him.

At first he resents you... but his wife loved you-

He cares about you as much as he hates to admit it.

So he's going to continue keeping you all to himself.

After Raia's passing the relationship turns solely focused on Jul.

Jul feels he is going to continue this "relationship" between you going in honor of his wife.

If you're Sangheili he tries to indoctrinate/force you into joining his rebellion.

He won't hesitate to use force either.

If you're human he's dragging you with him to his rebellion.

You'll get to see what your race deserves for what they've done.

He won't hurt you, Raia would hate that.

But he will manipulate you to follow his every word...

He plans to honor what he feels is Raia's last wish and keep you in the family... one way or another.

[mask131]

The Dionysos gallery (4)

We finally reach the end of this long Dionysos series - and after dissecting the myth of Dionysos, we reach the conclusion of this gallery, kindly offered by the French Museum of Wine (you can find it all here).

First, I will include there the various paintings I did not have enough space to add in previous post, two paintings coupled with an analysis section I will loosely translate.

Le Tintoret's Ariadne, Venus and Bacchus

The motif of the encounter between Bacchus and Ariadne (who had been abandonned by Theseus on the island of Naxos) and Bacchus' offer to the woman of her famous gold crown made by Vulcan (according to Ovid's Fasts), has been a strong recurring motif in paintings, explored by numerous artists.

"Liber" or "Liber Pater" was originally a fertility/fecundity god whose worship took place within the oldest era of Ancient Rome. By the 7th century BCE onward Liber was associated with wine, and as a result the Romans ended up assimilating him with Bacchus/Dionysos. "Liber" as such became a mere Latin translation of the terms "Dionysos" or "Bacchus" - "Pater" meanwhile kept its role of expressing respect and adoration towards a god.

Jan van Bijlert's The Feast of the Gods

This 1630 painting currently kept at the Magnin Museum (Dijon) asks a quite troubling question: is this pagan scene... secretly a Christian Last Supper?

We are on Olympus. The gods are gathered for a feast. On the left we see Minerva, Diana, Mars and Venus, with Cupid by their side and Flora behind them. At the center of the table, a crowned Apollo appears holding his lyre. To the right we can recognize Hercules thanks to his mace, and Neptune with his trident. Unfortunately several of the Olympians are missing due to the painting having been cut off: for example there is a peacock, but no side of Juno. The motif of the "feast of the gods" was very popular in Holland, ever since an engraving by Goltzius "The Wedding of Psyche and Love" (see below).

However, van Bijlert's painting can be read very differently. In the Netherlands, due to the appearance and domination of Protestantism, all pictures had been banished from the temples, putting an end to the religious painting. As such, it seems that this painting hides within it a Christian scene of the Last Supper. Apollo at the center has the same halo as the Christ usualy has, and the characters surrounding him are twelve in total like the Apostles. Now, while it is a very interesting theory, we should stay careful. As we said before, it seems the reason some of the gods are missing is because the painting was cut (a practice very common at the time) - again, there's this peacock that implies Juno used to be included. Second element: yes the Christ has a golden halo in painting to symbolize his role as the Lord of the Heavens, but long before that, the idea of a halo of light did belong to Apollo. The Greeks saw him as the "solar god" by excellence, since he was the power that ruled and organized all things, and the one that regulated spirits and intelligences (in fact, he was complementary of Dionysos since Apollo tamed, controlled and shaped the vital force and bursts of life embodied by Dionysos).

Bijlert lived in Rome in the beginning of the 1620s and we know that, just like many of his fellow painters, he was deeply impressed by the art of Caravaggio. However, the Italian painter's fame was dwindling by then - and by the 1630s his art had lost any influence over European paintings. In this decade, Bijlert focused his works on the new international trend, the classicism. Here the composition of the panting and the diurnal luminosity are purely classicist. However, the dancing satyr and the leaning Bacchus on the foreground belong to the "naturalism" of Caravaggio: ocre-colored flesh, close-ups on bodies in non-conventional positions...

(Here is Goltzius' engraving)

Second part of this post, extending from the analysis above: Christianized Dionysos! Because yes, you might be surprised to learn that the motif of Dionysos/Bacchus in classical painting was heavily Christianized or syncretized with Christian figures...

Leonardo da Vinci's Saint John the Baptist

This Saint John the Baptiste has what has been called a "pagan beauty", and this painting with a Tuscany imagery "renews the syncretism of the patron of Florence" - perhaps due to the passion for Antiquity the town had when the painting was created. Indeed, while saint John here holds a cross symbolizing the Passion of the Christ, he is dressed in a panther's skin, reminding of the cloak of Bacchus...

Leonardo da Vinci's atelier: Saint John the Baptist-Bacchus

Once again this painting shows the syncretism between the figure of saint John and the character of Dionysos. The painting was first recorded, in the royal archives, as "Saint John in the desert". However, at the end of the 17th century, perhaps due to a restoration of the painting, the name was changed to "Bacchus in a landscape". Here we have Christian symbols: a finger raised to the sky, a stag resting on the ground... But we also have Bacchic attribute: a thyrsus, grapes, a panther's skin, and a crown of what might be ivy or vine-leaves.

Caravaggio's Saint John the Baptist

Here again we have the attributes of Bacchus: the vine, of which Bacchus was the god, and a ram, an animal traditionally sacrificed for the deity. Historians of painting are agreeing that the reason the Caravaggio associated John the Baptiste with Bacchus was because it allowed him to depict the saint naked, and eroticized, very probably to reflect his own homosexuality.

Caravaggio's "Sick young Bacchus/ The ill little Bachus"

This panting of Caravaggio has been interpreted as a self-portrait in a Bacchus-Christ fusion that is very sexual. Here, Caravaggio offers himself to the libertine cardinals of Rome, in an erotic "communion" (remember, "eucharis", means "the good flesh"). The action of carrying to his lips golden grapes gorged with juice is very sensual. Crowned with ivy, dressed in an ancient toga (which reveals a muscular shoulder), he is holding green grapes to his chest, as if he was about to press them. It has been thought that there the Greek wine of Dionysos is a mask or assimilation for the wine of the Christian mass - the invitation is for always a greater feast and bigger celebration, the wine of the Christ "subliming" the wine of Bacchus, ultimately becoming the wine an "universal mass" beyond any religion or era.

Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo's "Self portrait as a crowned Bacchus"

This painting depicts Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo in his outfit of president (called an "abbot") of the Acacademia della Val di Blenio (Ticino) - Lomazzo had just been named to this function, as the inscription at the bottom of the picture reminds the viewer. The Academy gathered all the best artists of Milan - painters, sculptors, musicians... And it was placed under the protection and patronage of Bacchus, the god that relieves from sorrows and worries, the god that inspires joy, the god that stimulates the mind and the creation, the god that frees from bondage. As such, it explains why this self-portrait has Lomazzo as Bacchus. It was an answer to the many disasters of the era, as well as to the new austerity imposed by the figures of the Counter-Reform - such as Charles Borromée, who was the archbishop of Milan and a cardinal within the Catholic church.

The Bacchic references are numerous here. The hat is wrapped in a garland of laurel and vine, with a medallion depicting vine too. There is a thyrsus surrounded in ivy. And finally there is a goat-skin, reminding of how when he was a child Bacchus was turned into a "kid" (baby goat) to avoid Juno's wrath. The compass however within the man's hand is not a symbol of Bacchus. Held like a paint-brush, it is meant to symbolize how Lomazzo "leads" and "drives" his own career like a captain would pilot his ship.

[thirtccnghosts]

reckless || a kacey exploration desc: in which events that lead to kacey's insane sense of justice and what happened at the 2018 Winter Games collide. second person pov.

tw: this content alludes to/has has mentions of sexual harassment, assault, corny writing lol

i. 

You are born for the cold. You can read the ground like the back of your hand and like a gift from the heavens, you claim the mountainside as a birthright. But you are also hot-headed, ice melts beneath you as you carve it into a fine line, a sense of justice instilled from your father, you always knew despite owning the earth below you, it was still sacred. 

That’s to say, it’s for everyone.

ii. 

You’re twelve when your sense of right and wrong is solidified. A quiet night with new snowfall starting to coat the roads, you and your father stop at the pac out, cheap burgers, and today’s extra special because he lets you get a milkshake. You assume it’s him trying to keep you placated through his divorce, but you appreciate it all the same. Hushed tones turn to arguing turns to yelling in the parking lot and hitting the hood of a car. A plead to calm down met with this is your fault others in the little shack look then look away.

But not your father. 

iii.

Your father is not a small man by any stretch. Barrel-chested and with traits built to survive hard times from his ancestors before him, he can be intimidating. But the one he’s now approaching is somehow bigger. More intimidating. Your father told you to stay seated, but as the other man grabs him by his collar, you run outside and call to him. He tells the woman to lock the car doors and yells at you to get back inside. You can see the spit fly from the other mans mouth as he continues to yell. Your father shoves him off and manages to avoid a fist to the jaw, shoving him into the brick wall of the restaurant. The red and blue lights break it up, police coming up to you and the woman and the other patrons. It’s the first time you’ve seen your father in trouble. Once they let him go you ask what he was thinking? Why didn’t he just let someone handle it? He looks to you, hand gently cupping the back of your neck.

Because I am someone.

And someone had to do something. 

iiii.

You think of this as you listen to your fellow athletes wax unpoetic about their fellow competitors. You’re not known for a short temper, but you are known for not keeping your mouth shut. For a snarl in quick quip in response to disgusting behavior. You’re not perfect, your own reputation precedes you as you check twitter and see response after response taking bets on who you have or will sleep with. There’s personal solace in the fact at least you don’t shit talk the women that you wrap in your sheets. You’re young. You got away with stripping on international television, leaked your own nudes and still got to compete. You’re invincible. Your mother and father tell you you’re pushing your luck, so does your exhausted publicist. You tell them it’s fine. 

Besides, you’ve never done anything totally unforgivable.

v.

You tell your teammates to shut the fuck up. To have a little respect for their fellow athletes. They roll their eyes and grumble under their breath. Indignant arguing before you decide to wander and watch the games from somewhere else, somewhere a little more quiet. It’s then you catch Ryan and Elena. Well. You catch Ryan. Her back against a wall, eyes wide, his anger echoing in the hallway only hushing when your footsteps let him know you’re watching. Eyebrow raised you ask just what the fuck he thinks he’s doing and he sneers. She takes the opportunity to hurry away, leaving the two of you alone before he takes the stale silence as a cue to exit.

Elena tells you later she’s fine. He just scared her. He grabbed her a little too hard. She also tells you she’s not the only one. She asks you to not make a big deal of it. That once the games are over it won’t matter. You just tell her it’ll be okay.

You promise.

vi. 

You want to keep your word, you really do. And you try. For Elena, and Hannah, and Lacey, and Anna, and Z’s sake, you grit your teeth and stay silent when Ryan’s in the room. At least, until after your run. You’re at the bottom of the hill. You’ve finished. You survived and thrived another comp. But you just see him at the stand, unable to take a hint. To keep his hands to himself. And you see everyone whisper but do nothing. And someone has to do something. 

And you are someone.

vii. 

You’ve never been violent. But you are in the cold, on your own turf with the snow underneath you, the cold runs through your veins as your fist connects with his jaw. The slush cuts your skin as you tumble to the ground with him, team members and other competitors pulling you away from each other. You’ve never felt anger like this, and you aren’t sure you want to again. It makes you feel sick, it makes you feel the icy sting of the cold. 

It paints you as someone you’re not.

viii.

You recount this in a lawyer's office, NDA set before you, it’s not the first it won’t be the last but they seem to matter less and less the older you get. Who are they to tell you what you can and cannot say? Even as you argue but eventually concede, ink stained scribble on the straight, narrow, line a bitter reminder of the reality, the only question remains;

What did he say to you?

You snort, pushing the neatly starched paper across the glossy dark oak surface. You ask if it really matters anymore. 

viiii. 

It’s the only thing anyone asks you. Videos show that you just snapped. You’re asked this question on the slopes, at the skate parks, in interviews, and even by your friends. The vile nature of it all stains your tongue bitter and you usually just wave it off, but it repeats in your head every time. 

I’ll do whatever I want with who I want. 

x. 

Maybe skin is a language you’re fluent in, and maybe your reputation follows you in the darkest of clubs to the coldest of peaks, but your hands only know how to be soft and steady. At least they used to. The phrase repeats on a loop and sinks your stomach further each time. From someone had to do something the depths of your core developed a new mantra, one that you adopted not only for competitors who think they can do what they want but for those in power who think they can get away with anything, who think they’re the untouchable ones. 

I’d love to watch you try and bully me.

[potofstewie]

Stew's Fic Recs 

Home to all the fics that I highly recommend, short, long or chaptered. 

Yellow by @eiflawriting (Nanami x Black Reader, chaptered)

Stew's Thoughts: When it comes to chaptered romance, I usually have a hard time sitting through it but this fic grabbed me by the throat and sat my ass down. And I sat. I'm actually not in the jjk world like that (i stopped at chapter 20 for like two years now and haven't touched it since lmao) but you know a fic is absolutely amazing if it can bring you in with you not even knowing much about it's canon source material. I highly recommend this and I'll forever give Alfie her flowers for this because this was beautifully written.

Reverb by @chrollohearttags (Eren x Black Reader, chaptered)

Stew's Thoughts: This is another chaptered romance that grabbed me by my throat and I paid attention to its order. This is ongoing as I write this and I honestly enjoy every chapter and can't wait for future chapters because I know Cherry will go above and beyond every time. I'm a sucker for the exploration of characters that aren't the reader and their thoughts/motives on the things around them. Cherry's way of conveying that is inspiring to me. If you're one for music, and its industry then this is the on for you.

Rogue by @redcoaster (AOT, chaptered)

Stew's Thoughts: Oh my god where do I begin with this one. This fic has been by my side since Middle School and it is monumental and so important to me. (lmao if you look thru the comments you can find one that i left) This fic is actually what sparked my love for non self ship fic as well as influenced the way I write. I highly HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who wants a very immersive experience. This story is based on the idea of Eren never existing; only his titan. This is an ongoing fic btw! The author has also created fanart to accompany the fic and I totally suggest for you guys to check it out on her page!

Requiem of a Redemption by @mangalover4321 (KNY, chaptered)

Stew's Thoughts: Okay so, I just started reading this (I'm on chapter 13 as I write this dont spoil me yall) and when I say that this had me sucked in IMMEDIATELY???? Some of you may already know that I'm an absolute sucker for all things Shinjuro (horny and otherwise, he's an interesting fellow) and angst so when I come across a fic that has that and I get to witness him suffer and try to reconcile with his sons? Oh, I'm gonna swallow it whole. All jokes aside, this fic is really amazing and I truly enjoy reading how another person writes Shinjuro and how his mind works.

Mistake and Jealous by @comatosebunny09 (Rengoku x Reader, imagines)

Stew's Thoughts: These two are honestly in my top ten Kyojuro Rengoku fics and I love how Bunny easily pulls me in. The tender moment in Mistake is to absolute gush and die for while the heartfelt moment of saving in Jealous is enough to make one's heart skip a beat. I truly enjoy these works by bunny and I wish I could read them again like it was my first time.

If you wish to see any other fics I recommend, no matter the length, style or content, then check out my stew's recs🍲 tag below!

[donttalkaboutmemes]

Treasure Planet (2002) Sentence Meme Pt 1

Under the cut you will find 100+ sentences from Treasure Planet (2002) to use for your enjoyment!     

"On the clearest night, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargoes of Arcturian saura crystals felt safe and secure."

"Little did they suspect they were pursued by pirates."

"I thought you were asleep an hour ago."

"Mom, I was just getting to the best part! Please?"

"Can those eyes get any bigger?"

"Flint's secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, stowed with riches beyond imagination, the loot of a thousand worlds."

"How do you think he did it? How'd he swoop in out of nowhere and vanish without a trace?"

"Okay, now it's time for this little spacer to go to sleep."

"You think somebody'll ever find Treasure Planet?"

"I think it's more like a legend."

"Sorry. It's been a madhouse here all morning."

"What brings you here curious little one?"

"Oh, they're so adorable at that age."

"I know he had some rough spots earlier this year, but I really think that he's starting to turn a corner."

"Thank you. I will take it from here."

"Don't ever let me do that again."

"We see his type all the time, ma'am. Wrong choices. Dead-enders. Losers."

"Do you want to go to juvenile hall? Is that it?"

"Look at me. It's been hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you going..."

"I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future."

"I really don't know how you manage it. Trying to run a business while raising a felon...fellow...like him."

"Managing it? I'm at the end of my rope."

"Hey mister? Mister, you okay in there?"

"He's a-comin'. Can you hear him? Those gears and gyros clickin' and whirrin' like the devil himself!"

"Hit your head there pretty hard, didn't ya?"

"Mom's gonna love this."

"I keep dreaming one day I'll open that door and there he'll be just the way he was. A smiling, happy little boy holding a new pet and begging me to let him keep it."

"He'll be comin' soon. Can't let him find this."

"The cyborg! Beware the cyborg!"

"I just spoke with the constabulary. Those blaggard pirates have fled without a trace."

"Certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere. Those markings baffle me. Unlike anything I've ever encountered."

"It means that all that treasure is only a boat ride away."

"Whoever brings it back would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers."

"This is it. This is the answer to all our problems."

"Don't you remember all those stories?"

"Would you please explain how ridiculous this is?"

"It's totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone. That's why I'm going with you."

"I'll use my saving to finance the expedition. I'll commission a ship, hire a captain and crew."

"All my life I've been waiting for an opportunity like this and here it is screaming Go [name], go [name]."

"I know that I keep messing everything up and I know that I let you down, but this is my chance to make it up to you. I'm gonna set things right."

"You said yourself, you've tried everything. There are much worse remedies than a few character-building months in space."

"Are you saying this because it's the right thing or because you really want to go?"

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'll make you proud."

"This should be a wonderful opportunity for the two of us to get to know one another. You know what they say, familiarity breeds, um...well...contempt..."

"How cool is this?"

"Good morning, captain. Everything shipshape?"

"I'm not the captain. The captain's aloft."

"I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern, and as usual, it's spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?"

"You flatter me, captain."

"Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars."

"You know I don't mean a word of it."

"I'd like a word with you in my stateroom."

"To muse and blubber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic. And I mean that in a very caring way."

"In the future you will address me as captain or ma'am. is that clear?"

"Again, with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer."

"Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible. I don't much care for this crew you hired. They're...how did I describe them? I said something rather good this morning before coffee."

"There you go, Poetry."

"I'd love to chat. Tea, cake, the whole shebang...but I have a ship to launch."

"That woman! That feline! Who does she think is working for whom?"

"I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain! There's no finer officer in this or any galaxy!"

"Had I know, I'd have tucked in me shirt."

"Don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware. These gears have been tough getting used to, but they do com ein mighty handy from time to time."

"I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder."

"You jiggle-headed blob of mischief! So that's where you was hiding!"

"He took a shine to me. We been together ever since."

"We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch?"

"Captain's orders! See to it the new cabin boys kept busy!"

"So, captain's put you with me, eh?"

"Who be a humble cyborg to argue with a captain?"

"Off with you, lad, and watch the launch. There'll be plenty work a-waitin' for you afterwards."

"We best be keepin' a sharp eye on this one, eh? We wouldn't want him strayin' into things he shouldn't."

"Tis a grand day for sailing. And look at you, you're as trim and as bonny as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint."

"You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies."

"You cut me to the quick, captain. I speaks nothin' but me heart at all times."

"I got two new friends I'd like you to meet. Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket."

"Watch it, twerp."

"Cabin boys should learn to mind their own business."

"You got something to hide, bright eyes?"

"Maybe your ears don't work so well."

"Any last words, cabin boy?"

"You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on the ship."

"Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage. Am I clear?"

"A tight ship's a happy ship."

"I want this deck swabbed spotless and heaven help you if I come back and it's not done."

"Keep an eye on this pup and let me know if there be any more distractions."

"If you pardon my plain speaking, gentlemen, are you all stark-raving totally blinking daft!?"

"After all me finagling getting us hired as an upstanding crew, you want to blow the whole mutiny befor it's time?"

"The boy was sniffing about."

"You just stick to the plan, you bug-brained twit."

"I'll run him so ragged he won't have time to think."

"Thank heaven for little miracles."

"Didn't your pap ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully? Your father not the teachin' sort?"

"He was more the taking off and never coming back sort."

"Hey, no big deal. I'm doing just fine."

"Since the captain has put you in my charge like it or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble."

"From now on, I'm not letting you out of me sight. You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bum without me say-so."

"Don't do me any favors!"

"You can be sure of that, my lad. You can be sure of that."

"You having a little trouble there?"

"If I could maneuver a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today."

[apoptoses]

Omg please don’t apologize for your answer to my genderbent ask!! I’ll admit that as a fellow butch it is really getting to me like…you get it. 

I also don’t really interact with a lot of lesbian media because it’s so sterilized. So often it seems that whoever wrote it was like sure we can have two women hold hands or peck on the lips as long as they’re feminine! As long as they don’t come off as *that* kind of lesbian. Butchness and lesbian masculinity are so often treated as dirty or not taken seriously which is really hurtful! 

And I completely agree that a lot of genderswaps rely so much on hyperfeminity. Slap a pair of boobs on a male character and give him long hair and make up and a feminine name like dude that’s a whole other character now 😭 (and I have to say that I hate it when characters are given silly versions of their names just to make it girlier like c’mon women with masculine/traditionally men names are hot!!)

Maybe it’s just me being butch4butch and projecting but butch!Daniel hits so hard for me like she is literally just canon Daniel to me but afab and how that would change her narrative. I oscillate so often on how I think Armand would be particularly because of his relationship with gender in the books. He’s androgynous but is that just because he didn’t fully mature? I feel like a lot of women are done growing by their late teens so would genderbent Armand be taller or have a different build because of that? It’s so fun to think about and I think she would play a lot with presentation in the 80s and be having gender talks along with the philosophical discussions with Daniel in that era.

Long story short I really love the gender aspect of genderswaps and masc women are so hot and like that is the appeal for me especially since we don’t get a lot of that! I really hope that it doesn’t seem like I’m talking over you or like pressuring you to write anything but I really connected with your response and if it’s something that you’re comfortable with I would really love to hear the angles that you’re thinking of!! <3

No you're not talking over at all! I was so verklempt by someone actually getting it that it took me a minute to answer lol

But exactly, either everything is sanitized ('aw lesbians love picnics and frogs and holding hands in their cottage core dresses!!') or the hyper femininity fetishized. Like I said in my tags, taking a cis man and making him a cis man who doesn't conform to gender stereotypes is no less of a gender swap. But like...society doesn't acknowledge butch/masc/studs, much less acknowledge that we can be attractive.

And YEAH like Daniel did so much solo travel, so much entering of spaces that might not be totally safe for a femme woman alone in the 70s so presenting more masc might be a safety net in a way. And like imagine Armand hearing this soft woman's voice on the tapes when entering Lestat's house but turning the corner and seeing someone like this-

Like!!! Wow!!! Or even with an androgynous masculine shag like-

And when Louis and Armand were together there's a big question of how much they were out in the world vs how Louis' grief kept them from fully entering and enjoying mortal spaces. So like Armand seeing women playing more with gender via clothing, the evolution of pants becoming acceptable for women to wear- would Armand have already embraced that, or by meeting Daniel would she feel free to play around with androgyny and masculine fashion more? I like to think it would be the latter, because their time together was such a period of exploration!

And you can also get into concept of being Other, with Daniel able to relate some way to Armand being othered as a vampire where she is othered as a gnc woman. There's just a lot to play with imo

So thank you SO SO MUCH for this message, it really felt good for me to read ♥ Lately I've had so much anguish over the way I am/attractiveness/getting people to respect boundaries, so it's nice to know someone out there gets it.

[strawberrystepmom]

mrs umemiya i am finding so much enjoyment in reading thru all ur astrology posts — you sound so passionate about it + i am so happy to be able to learn more through them as someone who knows vrie littl about such topics hehe :3 ⭐️ i would love to hear about your favourite placements n what draws you to them if u feel like sharing ! ♡

you honor me once again with your kindness, little fawn. thank you so much for a thoughtful question <333

i love astrology in the way that i love anything that encourages self exploration. we live in a world where it's really acceptable to be totally disconnected with who you are and to disregard your own emotions and internal world. i've appreciated astrology for so long because it encourages the exact opposite - digging in, understanding, doing the work.

there are some deeper aspects of astrology i haven't discussed answering these asks because they require a lot more depth and discussion (houses, lilith placements, conjunctions and what they mean, etc.) but these can also be great for at the very least, trying to get yourself. i have always felt most unhappiness in life that isn't out of our control comes from being out of touch with ourselves. yes i am a pisces. no i won't be taking questions about it.

so i do have some favorite placements. i love everyone equally and appreciate all signs equally but tend to really vibe with fellow water signs (cancer and scorpio), virgo, leo, sagittarius, and capricorn.

no one gets water signs better than a fellow water sign bc we are all just constantly treading water (hahah). emotional depths are something all water placements get so it's no big deal when one of us is having a meltdown bc the others will come in and help.

virgo is my sister sign as a pisces and i have a very strong draw to women as friends and men as lovers. the issue is that virgo men can suit roles that are almost paternal with me bc they feel like the have to fix me meanwhile virgo women are like "i don't get a fucking thing about you. i love you. also don't ever move my soap bottle two inches to the right again." aljfaw;ljfa;lwkasjfjsdaf my sister is a virgo and we literally just had this discussion when i went to go see her

leo and sagittarius are not the same but i view them in the same way in relation to myself. they really amplify my cheerleader tendencies bc i will absolutely cheer these confident people on. they know who they are, what they want, how they're doing it and i'm like "yay!" and i love the playfulness of a sagittarius with the whimsy of pisces. one of my favorite duos but they can be too supportive of one another.

capricorn is actually my favorite sign overall and they get a bad rap for literally no reason. people just don't like practicality. im terribly impractical most of the time but a cap looking at me and going "what are you actual reasons for doing this?" is so like....idk healing. they already know what i'm doing and why i'm doing it but they are like okay well say it and hear how stupid u sound and pisces has this aspect in it too just gentler.

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Community Teaching of Game Features

One of the wildest contradictions of game development comes from the question of how much to tutorialize and how to go about it.

For games with relatively simple controls like Megaman X, you can do the fancy invisible tutorial of its prologue level where it quietly teaches you individual concepts, only moving on - literally only allowing YOU to move on - when you've mastered them. Basic l/r movement? Starts you in a basic screen with nothing. Shooting? Enemy too big to jump over. Jumping? Bottomless pits. Wall-jumping? Pit that DOES have a bottom that you have to wall-jump back out of. Hollow Knight also does this beautifully. Both games have several videos, with Arin Hanson's Sequelitis vid probably being the most famous.

But back when I was playing Pokemon Emerald, I looked up how you get some of the pokemon I hadn't found yet and...there was no way to expect a person to discover the information about how they could be found in game. And when I shared this complaint with my friend with a PHD in Japanese media studies - a literal Pokemon Professor, as she bragged when she first got said degree - she said that the way I'd discovered where they were was probably the way I was supposed to. Gamefreak wants people to share wikis and talk on the playground about the Mew under the truck (it isn't) and make guides and videos about how to get all the Cursed Beasts in Scarlet/Violet and so on.

And I saw a video series from a while ago where Razbuten shared his wife's experience with learning the vocabulary of games later in life (than childhood; I'm pretty sure she's a good deal younger than I am). And something struck me during that explanation: He talked about how many of the lessons he'd probably learned from message boards, guides, or just having someone tell him "you can push b to run in Mario," but here he was trying to have her learn the same lessons in a vacuum. To his credit, one of his conclusions on the same video is, "Don't do that."

But it left me wondering: How much effort should a developer spend on teaching new players? Part of why tutorials trend toward kind of low-effort is because a game can reasonably expect that 80%+ of its audience already knows almost everything about its control scheme, if said scheme is following conventions of the genre - be that mouse-aim on a shooter, the function of HUD compasses with quest markers, or something as seemingly obvious as "press A to jump." Of the remaining 20%, 80% of them can be expected to pick up the controls of the individual game swiftly because they're relatively familiar with games in general. So in terms of True N00bs who need to be taught how to traverse a game, any game, in your tutorial? That's like 4% of your audience. Is it worth tutorializing heavily in a way that some of them won't even read and which might reduce the fun of the first level (that is, the level roughly all of your players are guaranteed to play)? It makes sense that so many tutorials end up feeling so low-effort. And on the other end, if you want one that's glorious and teaches everything while never getting in the way of great players, how much money and dev time has to go into making a masterful experience like the one that Arin Hanson gushes over in his Sequelitis video? Is that worth having one less level in your game? Two? What's the cutoff?

My suspicion is that some studios see the 4% and opt to go low-effort, and others do their best to elegantly include something that at least somewhat gives totally new players a handle on the situation.

The two bits of Secret Sauce I've taken away from this and would offer to fellow devs:

The Safe Zone. Hollow Knight has platforming areas with few or no enemies and with no penalty for falling. Super Mario 64 has the lawn in front of the palace where you can just mess around with the controls and explore.

Fun Controls. One of the things that has helped maintain Nintendo's place at or near the top of the industry for so long is that the movement style for its characters is just fun. Mario in Super Mario 64 is fun to run around the palace lawn in spite of there being no objectives there! This in turn gives incentive for players to experiment with the system and discover moves for themselves.

Blarg, this is neat but got far afield from the point.

The point was that even basic controls of your game can be community-taught, and that will usually be better than you can teach them because it can be responsive to the individual queries the player has. I've experienced the same when trying to figure out how to write a rulebook for a board game. You need one person in the community of people who plays your board game to be able to learn the game from your rulebook, if that. It's possible they'll learn from videos online anyway.

At that point, the value of having your rulebook be effective as a guidebook, a set of examples, and a place to find answers to frequently asked questions quickly gets bumped up over having it be a straightforward how-to tutorial. Doesn't necessarily change how much you write but rather changes the style of what you write, possibly even the format.

[animehouse-moe]

D-Frag! : Near Limitless Fun

Yes, this is an old series. Yes, it can be hard to find physically because of that. And yes, it is fun as all hell. I recently managed to get my hands on all but 3 volumes of the series so I've done a re-read from scratch on it, and it really is just incredibly hilarious. It can be a little formulaic with the whole straight man routine, but it gets both incredibly meta and off the rails with it. I mean, the sheer amount of jokes that they break out in relation to it always keeps it fresh. Getting tired of Kazama making comebacks? There's probably a joke or a remix on the horizon for it. And personally speaking it always gets me, whether it's one volume in or 16 volumes in.

Anyways, let me backtrack a little. What is D-Frag! ? Well. Well.... It's a high school comedy taken the max of what can be weird, with lots of other little bits mixed in. Kazama is a young delinquent who comes to Fujou high believing he'll be able to take it over and make a name for himself. Too bad he gets suckered in by the curious ongoings of a video game club and gets tortured into joining them. From there, his high school career of insanity and infamy as the king of comebacks (and second fiddle to the most fearsome people around) begins as they galivant and explore and in general cause mayhem and headaches.

Oh yeah, and there's 17 volumes and it's still not been a full year in real time in D-Frag! Yeah, that's right, this thing is stretched out, but you don't even think about it. One could only imagine how experiencing all of these moments one after the next would affect a young high schooler. Moving on, some art to break up my monotonous explanations of what D-Frag! is!

I don't think words could really explain what's so appealing to this manga. It's got such a classic feel to it and is so incredibly true to itself. No matter what trope it brings up, it'll subvert expectations and find a way to turn it silly and diffuse any and all tension. It builds things up and up and up, and just as it's about to place the final piece on top to complete it, Tomoya Haruno (the author) comes swooping in to topple it in the most satisfying way possible.

Not to mention, it's running jokes are absolutely top notch. There's definitely some that are rather cliched, but also more than a few that are fresh and enjoyable within the overall approach of the series. Like the constant jokes about the envy and fear that Takao's (one of the characters) chest instills in fellow women and girls.

It's really hard to talk about how D-Frag! is so much fun and such a great read without spoiling because I could talk on end about how refreshing, unique, and interesting redacted was. Or how the entire redacted arc was a wild card that was incredibly fun. Maybe this. Parents exist in D-Frag!, they really do. We see both Kazama's mother and father, we see Roka's mother, Takao's mother, Chitose's older sister, and a handful of others. Oh yeah, and just for effect, Sean Connery is a teacher at Fujou High.

And who totally could would forget the unique side characters of D-Frag! ? There's , and there there's , and of course you can't forget about . Jokes aside, the side characters have a real thing for being bald and weird in general and I'm all for it. It's so out of left field and random that it feels like two series collided to form this single one.

I swear, at least one chapter every volume has these ridiculous battle shounen introductions and interactions, and no matter what they get me every time. And they're so detailed? Haruno sensei absolutely put a good amount of effort into designing them and adding random throwaway details just to make them seem more absurd.

I don't know, I fully admit that D-Frag! isn't some foundational, groundbreaking series that has incredibly well timed or apt and effective humor, nor is it something super relatable or anything that really stands out by critical metrics. But to me, it's just plain dumb fun. One stupid thing after the next, one ridiculous escapade followed by another, guided by Haruno sensei's incredibly odd sense of interest and direction. It's something I don't know I'll ever grow tired of because Haruno sensei has stumbled upon a golden formula for D-Frag!. We're going to hit 15 years of publication this year, so here's to many more. (Also, check out the anime, it's loads of fun for what it adapts from the manga).

[nobodywritingao3]

Hiiii!!!

I saw your post of frantically or hyperfixating on your writing, even though your computer or google docs failed you XD. Hope you came out of that fight ok.

But!! It ignited some questions for about shameful company after going through your tag again.

Far in the future where Tommy and Wilbur had there forgiveness arc after yet to be SPOILER. To the rest of the sbi enter the picture at some point. I can imagine Tommy freaking out with a dragon XD

Does Tommy and Wilbur go on a journey to see stuff outside of the walls like the sea or snow or jungle things, since Tommy was stuck seeing the same things for his entire life :'(.

DO shenanigans occur once they get comfortable with each other, maybe some fluff domestic life.

just please imagine the question marks after them, its not working on my keyboard for some reason XDD

aksjdhaj I am always victorious

tommy would definitely lose his mind with Tecnho but after adjusting to Wilbur and growing up without love he'd appreciate the affection and totally love techno as a big brother

neither Wilbur nor tommy have ever actually been exploring outside the environments they grew up in, although Tommy's was definitely more restrictive. it would be kind of like a shock to the system for those two to travel around the world, but they would definitely take a lot of trips together after growing up as weird forest dwelling hermits. Wilbur goes to the beach for the first time and shovels sand into his mouth <3 he assumes its a naga thing so he calls the others racists for making fun of him and then they find out that no naga ever has eaten sand before meaning Wilbur is just a strange fellow. tommy cries the first time techno takes him to his mountain lair because hes never seen anything so beautiful. after that techno regularly drags both of them around various natural environments

they definitely have shenanigans. there will always and forever be shenanigans. if life has no shenanigans then it simply wouldn't be worth living and after everything they've been through they deserve some shenanigans <3 love and peace and shenanigans on planet earth

big cuddling. lots of giant Wilbur cuddling tiny tommy. tag but it's your *big* brother. fluffy domestic bliss

[semi-sketchy]

I was the anon who sent the question about asking about your OCs and rest assured! I definitely meant the latter—as a fellow creative, I totally understand lacking the energy to draw out every ask or rping as them lmao. (I would die!)

My question is about Tara who is definitely my favorite of your characters so far. I remember you mentioning that Tara was very upset when she found out when she was pregnant and even was mad with Rocky for a bit. This may be a vague question so my apologies if it's tricky to answer, but can you give us some more insight on Tara's relationship with motherhood? Was there a point in her pregnancy where she accepted that she was going to be a mom and even begin to love her children, or did that come more so after their birth? Did she love them instantly or did it take time?

How did Tara’s experience with her family effect how she saw having children? Will her parents and siblings ever meet her kids? What would her parents think of Rocky and their offspring?

SORRY THIS IS SO MUCH FIEKCJKA. I just love exploring family dynamics and you put so much thought into them.

HO BOY DO I HAVE NOTES SO BUCKLE UP THIS'LL BE A LONG ONE

So Tara has a really bad relationship with her family, some trauma that lingers from their constant belittlement still causes her some problems (I wrote a lot about that in her family's bios which you can read here if you haven't already). She is very prideful and confident in her abilities, but it's her character traits that she suffers insecurities about. She's very closed off and avoids showing vulnerability, even to those she's closest with, which masks as a bad attitude. This makes little moments where she shows compassion towards others (mostly kids she sees parts of her past self in) a little shocking.

(Just a snippet that came to mind, nothing else exists but this here. Context is just Cali went missing while Rita was alone so everyone's helping to find her, except they don't want to bring Rita into possible danger.) Rita: Wait! I wanna come, too. Nami: Sorry, kiddo, this isn't an adventure for you. You'll be better off here where it's safe. Rita: But--! Byte: Nami's right. We don't know what we're going to get into. We can't risk putting you in danger. Tara: Oh, let the kid tag along. Byte: Tara? Tara: Come on, you can ride with me. Rita: Thanks, Miss Tara! *leaves* Byte: Tara....why? Tara: It's not like you two were getting anywhere with her. Besides, she just wants to help. Nami: I didn’t expect from you, Tara. What's gotten into you? Tara: Just get in the car.

Even though Rocky is very kind to her, she knows she's jaded. She fears that she's mistreating him and he'd be better off alone. Being aro/ace plays into this as well because Rocky loves her and while she cares very deeply about him, she physically can't reciprocate those feelings. This is why she was so hesitant to marry him and even pushed him away when he wanted to start a relationship. You can imagine, but being the mother of his children is quite the big step to take when you have these doubts and it happened so early in their marriage.

“Tara, you okay?” Ryder asked. She nodded with a yawn. “Yeah, I’m just tired.” “She’s been complaining about being tired for days,” Skye added. Tara looked over and shot a death glare at Skye. “Really, I’m fine.” “I think you better sit this one out, Tara, you’re not well,” Ryder said. She stood up in protest. “But--” “We can handle it,” Byte interrupted, “you can watch the pups.” She stomped her foot and growled. “I’m a rescue dog, not a babysitter! Look, I just haven’t been sleeping well, that’s no reason to take me out of action!” “Tara, we sometimes handle dangerous situations, we can’t afford not to be at our best during it,” Ryder responded. “Go and rest, we’ll see to you once the mission is over.” Hanging her head, she stalked over to the door, grumbling with each step. “Now pups, we have reports of an underwater volcano becoming active--” Tara quickly walked backwards and sat herself back in her spot. “Ready for deployment.” Ryder sighed, having trouble reasoning with his stubborn dog. “Marshall, see that she gets some rest and a wellness check.” “Yes sir!” Marshall stood up and went over to Tara, nudging her to move it. “H-hey!” she protested. “You’re dealing with a volcano, you need me!” “Don’t worry, I can cover for you,” Nami piped up. “After all, I deal with natural disasters, so I have some knowledge of volcanoes. You take it easy.” Her brows furrowed, she let Marshall lead her outside.

She was upset because she wasn't ready for that step, she wasn't ready to put aside her duties, the one thing she had confidence in, to start a family, which is why she lashed out and blamed Rocky at first. She couldn't cope with the reality and took it out on him.

She already had fears about being a bad partner, but now she also had to deal with the fear of following in her parents footsteps and hurting her children the way she was hurt. She may seem snarky and uncaring most the time, but she also works to try and make sure no one goes through what she did. If that means a confrontation, she'll step in without a second thought. She doesn't care what someone does to her, she's already been damaged, but she can't sit idly by and let that happen to someone else.

The weight of her children's happiness falls on her and she doesn't trust herself with it. She knows she's rough, she knows she's grumpy and blunt, she knows she won't be what they need or deserve.

She goes through this alone because while she has made progress, she still has trouble expressing her feelings and wants nothing more than to isolate herself. Rocky knows she's afraid and wants to help her, but all the reassurance in the world can't undo the programming from her childhood, especially in such a short timeframe.

Though when the time finally comes...she's left with wonder and amazement. She still carries these fears, but she learns to love her children in spite of them.

Tara slowly blinked open her eyes, feeling rather warm with Rocky snuggled up beside her back. She stirred slightly as she lifted her head, looking out the door to see the dawn breaking over Adventure Bay. “Y-you’re awake…” Rocky’s voice caused her to jump slightly in surprise as she turned to him, a confused look on her face. He looked at her with hope gleaming across his face, but he slowly lost the expression as Tara continued to stare at him blankly. “…You don’t remember what happened last night, do you?” She slowly shook her head. “It’s…okay. It’s for the better. You had a rough time, Marshall wasn’t sure you could pull it off, but you did.” He licked her cheek and drove his gaze down to the two pups pressed up against her. She watched the newborns as their chests slowly rose and fell next to her flank, her expression easing in the silence. “They’re…beautiful…” “A boy and a girl, one of each,” Rocky stated as he got up and walked over to his little pups. “I was thinking of names… So the boy will be Rocky jr. and the girl will be Tara jr.” She furrowed her brows, shooting an annoyed glare at him. “No.”

She makes mistakes, she's not perfect, but she is not her parents.

Her family relations weren't good and they don't get better now. Even though not all of her siblings were outright cruel, the fact is none ever came to help her or stop the cruelty, which only enabled the behavior. They're the reason she was afraid of the water for a while and never learned how to swim.

Since joining the PAW Patrol, she's basically been able to avoid her family, not even inviting them to her wedding. She has no interest in subjecting her kids to the environment she had to endure, so she's purposefully sheltered them from that. Although, she can't always protect them and family events happen.

Telsa pup: "My mom says all purebred dogs should be with other purebreds. That way we all turn out normal. You two mutts? You’re disgusting." Roxy: "But I took bath today!" Brevon: "Are you really that stupid?" Roxy: "Huh? Why would you say something like that...?" Brevon: "I’m talking to that asshole, not you." Roxy: "Oh, in that case carry on."

It's a situation beyond her control, one she can't shelter her loved ones from.

A female Bernese Mountain Dog turned to him, wearing a white collar and bows on her ears. “How do you know Terra?” she asked in a posh accent. “O-oh, I’m Rocky, Tara’s wife-- I MEAN HUSBAND. Husband.” He felt kind of foolish for messing up on his own introduction like that. The female looked him up and down. “You mean you’re the loser she married?” “Ah, hahah,” he faked a small laugh, trying his best to make a good impression. “Yup, that’s me. W-who might you be?” “Telsa.” He paused, waiting for her to say something more about herself as few moments of awkward silence slipped by. “Hi!” Telsa turned away, going to mingle with her family and leaving Rocky alone. One of her siblings piped up, talking amongst his other brothers and sisters. “How did she ever land a guy?” “I kind of thought she was into girls…” The other male commented.

Her family is never gonna approve of her or her choices and she knows this. They'll be critical and pick at every aspect they can, including her family. They don't respect her, even after all she's accomplished, and they never will.

Telsa sat and watched as Tara struggled to get free from the horde of children. “My, you look...different.” “Wish I could say the same about you,” she said as she finally got on her feet, shaking her coat. “You’re still as ugly as ever.” “Come on, now, there’s no need to be rude. It’s Family Day, after all,” Telsa smiled. Tara rolled her eyes, sitting down and watching as the puppies dispersed. “Yeah, gotta love Family Day.” “Oh please, Terra,” she huffed, moving to sit next to Tara, “you hate every moment of this because these pups are better than yours.” “No, I hate them because they’re little shits.” “Well, they’re more well behaved than your two kids,” Telsa remarked. “Well at least I have only two and not twenty.” “I have nine, Terra,” she corrected. “You know, I have always wondered why you only had two unlike the rest of us.” She shrugged, turning her attention to her kids playing with their cousins. “Just blessed, I guess.” “I suppose it’s all for the better, though,” Telsa sighed. Tara cocked her brow. “What do you mean?” She sat up straight, wrapping her tail around her paws as she turned her attention to her sister. “Terra, you fell in love with a mutt.” “And?” she pressed. Her gaze shifted down, her tail nervously twitching. “Well, your pups…they aren’t…purebred…” “And...?” “They’re…mutteneses!” she blurted out. “And?” Tara pressed further. Her chest puffed out as she snapped her gaze back at Tara. “Well, at least my mate is a purebred!” “You mean inbred, you self-righteous cock,” she remarked. Telsa gasped as she stepped back. “How...dare you!” “What? It’s the truth,” she replied. “And don’t discount Rocky like that. He’s a very kind and smart father.” “Oh please, he can’t even spell your name correctly,” Telsa jeered.

Even though a few have grown up and want good relations with her, she can't forget what they allowed to happen and she can't forgive. She won't give them that leverage to walk back into her life or the chance to hurt those she's now closest to.

For the first time in a long while, Tara has something she deeply cares about, which just marks them as an easy sensitivity to exploit.

And no one does this better than her mother. Heidi puts on a mask of wanting the best for her children, but it always comes out in being highly critical of everything with her husband always backing her.

Tara: “Yeah, well I have other things to do.” Rocky: “Tara!” Tara: “Oh great.” Rocky: “Are these your parents?” Tara: “Yes. Meet Heidi and Alpine. Mom, Dad, this is my husband, Rocky.” Heidi: “…You never did have good taste in men.”

Tara thinks so highly of Rocky, she knows how good he is and how hard he tries to be the best father he can, but all her family chooses to see is a trash mutt.

Brevon and Roxy are somewhat accepted, them being kids it's easier not to blame them for who their parents are. Heidi loves her grandbabies, but they aren't immune to the bias that follows Tara and this is evident by how indifferent Alpine is towards them, often refusing to acknowledge their existence.

Tara's family views her as a disappointment, a scorn on the family name, and her husband and kids are nothing more than an extension of that.

WHEW okay I warned you that was a lot. I didn't feel the need to go super into the family dynamics since I already wrote about that and some of this was taken from a WIP fanfic I plan to eventually finish, so it'll be further explored then.

Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to ramble though because I genuinely love these characters and sharing them so much.

[kvicka]

Hogwarts Legacy - game review

I don’t have this one in my Steam library, so I cannot review there. But I want to get my disappointment with killed potential out. Therefore I decided to post one very long review on my Tumblr.

(Doing my best to write this without any spoiler. Also I am not taking in account anything regarding the author of this universe)

Hogwarts legacy is „not bad“ game but I am not sure if it’s really worth the money they want for it. It could have been great game. There is clearly huge potential but I suspect there were few (revenue-driven) decisions to make this accessible to as many people as possible, that killed this potential thoroughly and it makes me angry, seeing how great it could be otherwise.

What are the main issues? The game pretends to be RPG but you will soon find out that your choices have no impact on anything beyond next sentence. The world doesn’t react to you at all. Characters are just unresponsive scripted background unless they are enemy, vendor or you have a mission with them. That means you can also walk whenever you want, no matter how much restricted it is.

I still managed to play through the game. Took me about week and half. I see the appeal and the potential, but it honestly makes me that much angrier for the decisions that were made to bastardise this. After you finish with the main story, you will find out there is zero reasons to replay again.

But because nothing can stop me roleplaying in my head even if the game is not helping, I am also going to publish one more post full of spoilers explaining my character story.

So let’s look into this in detail and as I like to do, start with positives:

Graphic is nice and the music is nice.

The world is nice or at least at first glance. You get big open word plus Hogwarts castle to explore and at first you will feel really charmed. Your fellow students (during day) got some scripted situations that will run, which makes very nice background and gives you the feeling the Hogwarts are really alive. (Some involving ghosts, some howler from angry parent or just some study-troubles).

You can create customized character and give them their own name, that the game will use in subtitles. Through the game you can even adjust some parts of your look (hair, details on face etc.). You have lot of freedom in outfits (equipment) to the extent where you can give the equipment totally different appearance. I was for example regularly updating to equipment with best stats, but in the end my character was wearing almost the same outfit whole game because I just changed the appearance of it.

The story and side stories (with your friends) maybe not mind-blowing but still good. They are simple (in sense that you will not get 12 plot-twists and you can predict where it is leading) but they are not boring. Side quests are sometimes questionable (like sending student to forbidden forest to investigate?? Really lady??…I am underaged student…) but at least they do not feel repetitive.

If you are fan of the universe with deep knowledge of it, you will probably enjoy the references. I personally liked the “follow the butterflies”.

Combat: Because you can combine whatever spells you have learned, in addition to throwing objects or disarmed weapons on the opponent and with ancient magic ability in the mix, every fight can be completely unique.

Yes, the room of requirement that you can “furnish” and the vivarium’s with magical beasts are quite “magical”, I have to admit that. When you get them, it’s very exciting. So is, ridding Hippogryph, at least the first time or other similar things when you get to them in the story.

 Now to the ISSUES and in my opinion what made from could-be-great game the  not-bad game:

YOUR CHOICES DOESN’T MATTER AT ALL. This is the biggest issue especially as the game tries to look as RPG game. It gives you choices but (beside ending choices) they do not go beyond next sentence or two. The “behaviour” of your character is heavily scripted, which doesn’t have to be bad thing if the game doesn’t pretend you have the choice. And maybe they originally intended  for the choices to impact something but they removed it from the game so some poor lazy player would not f**k-up something by wrong choice and cry about it. Or something like that I imagine happened.  It gets even worse in some part where the script just reverts your choice completely. Like you decide to keep secret but the game will make your character spill by next opportunity without any good reason to do so…..

THE WORLD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOU OR REACT TO YOUR ACTIONS. At first you think how beautiful the world is. How the Hogwarts feel alive as some scripted actions run in background when you access the corridor etc. To give them credit some characters have scripted commenting on something you did in the story so far, so you can be fooled at the beginning. It is nice background. And then you find out that these are actually not characters (NPCs) but really just background. Background that doesn’t react to anything you do unless you are in specific quest that triggers that (there are exactly 2 through whole game….). Meaning nobody cares if you wander into restricted section. Nobody cares that you wander the school at night (plus at night all students will disappear….but to where stays the ultimate mystery because dormitories are always and forever empty). Nobody cares that you wander forbidden forest. Nobody cares that you break-into houses. Not even the family that sits on sofa and watches  you while you loot their treasure chest. Nor the professor which cabinet you are looting and ruining with blasting spell. Hell, if you get attacked by enemy close to these characters, they do not care. First time I went on some quest outside a castle, I was quite worried if it’s safe to wander the forest. And then I saw some guy on the rode walking in front of me. So, I though, ok, it will be safe… Then big spider attacked me and the guy just glitched through the spider and continued walking while it tried to eat me….. I can understand if the developers do not want the NPCs to engage in player fights but they could at least make them run……. But what is even worse, is that the same applies to the side characters that should be your friends. You have no chance to interact with your “friends” outside the quests. You cannot even talk to them after class. It’s ridiculous. And this could be fixed by simple stupid 2 or 3 generic dialogues that could be given to them. Like “hey, any news on blablabla?” with answer like “hey, sorry. Nothing yet. I will let you know by owl, once I find something new”….. Or “hey, really thanks for last time…….” even with answer like “let’s not talk about this here” or  some s**t like that… would make you feel less angry with the whole game. I honestly had HUGE problem with this, because with some “friends”, I had this issue where I was not perceiving them as friend at all and seeing zero fucking reason why I should spill my secrets to them (yes, I talk about you Natty…)

The fact that you can just go anywhere (outside the two mentioned missions) where you can get at that point in game (restriction is basically only learning Alohomora levels) and you don’t need to try and sneak or be careful that you will get caught or reported, that takes lot of fun out of the game

Combat doesn’t have any mechanic for lethal or non-lethal approach. Neither it will anyhow recognize if you were or were not seen. No matter if you use Avada Kedavra or “Petrificus Totalus” on unaware enemy, the result is the same. They turn to dust. Then there is question why to use the stealth approach at all. Honestly it is only useful, if you want to take them down one by one and not fight all at once. I personally prefer to change one of them into explosive barrel and throw him in the face of their friend. That is at least fun.

Open world yes…..but the content it was filled with, beside the story and quests, is very repetitive and often not rewarding sufficiently. From my point of view, I did the things like Merlin trials only up to the point where I was getting at least some benefits from them ( like inventory space) and then I stopped. Because what is really the point of doing them anymore? The treasure vaults are just jokes…there is not even anything valuable in them. You will find just some random equipment (very often not even good one) – and I am not kidding. Killed enemies often drop better things then you can get from treasure chests.

I don’t honestly even see the motivation to keep exploring the word after the main story and side quests are done as whatever is left it is extremely repetitive and unless you are really enjoy brushing your unicorn mane for another 16 or 30 hours, there is nothing more to do after you finish main and side stories.

No point to replay the game. Especially due to fact that your choices don’t matter you will very quickly find out there is no fun in replaying. You cannot really make the character come out much different than the first play. Not even by picking different house. Beside one main story quest that differs based on the house you picked, it will be the exact same script.

 Last point I wanted to mention. But first let’s get this absolutely clear!, I am not complaining in this part about any queer characters, disability characters or other nationalities being included in the game. I am not racist, and I am myself part of LGBTQ+. I am just trying to point out that these topics should not be just check-boxes on developers or marketers list. Because then it comes out unnatural as in this case. I understand that this is sensitive topic in current world, but I still think it could have been handled with more delicate approach, then just: “Disability – check, gay – check, trans – check, now throw random mix of nationalities in without any care for location or time period - check. Great and now nobody can complain that we are not inclusive.” I don’t think this is how this shoudl be done.

 Reasons behind the bad decisions that killed the game?

This is just my speculation, but I strongly believe that future-revenue-based-decisions were made here. Because they wanted to aim for as much audience as possible. For example the casual players that don’t actually care much about any story. Unfortunately, my suspicion was further strengthened when I stumbled upon one ridiculous post on Reddit, where the user complained that he missed learning one spell because “they are just clicking through all dialogues as quickly as possible to get through and by that selected the answer, where you will not learn the spell”…. well WHY THE HELL DO YOU PLAY DIALOGUE-HEAVY RPG GAME IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO LISTEN TO THESE. The answer is easy. Because the game allows for that. You don’t have to read/listen to the dialogues or even to what you are actually selecting to answer. You cannot spoil anything with your choices and it will have no impact on anything whatsoever. Even in this example case, you can learn the spell straight after the mission anyway. So no matter what you click it will not impact the game or your character or anything.  (There are about 2 exceptions. Ending decision for main story. And kinda “ending” decision for one of the side stories. But even with these, they do not affect actually the word after anyway. You will just get different cut-scene let’s say…

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I can admit this can be really charming, but it still doesn’t make the game worth 60€ ...