#lessons vs regrets

[harmlesscigarette]

"Sometimes, at the end of everything, the only option you have is to make it worse."

Tell Me I'm Worthless, Alison Rumfitt

[anbaisai]

Do you do speedpaints? Your artstyle is so lovely, I honestly just want to see your process ♡

Thank you! I... actually haven't ever recorded my progress because I'm rather embarrassed about it (including how long it takes me to complete stuff that seem simple at a glance 😭), if you ever watch me draw I think it'd be very frustrating because it's almost never a linear process of sketch -> line art -> colours 💦. This is because I always notice problems I didn't notice at first in my sketch and have to frequently make up for it by re-sketching (and finding refs) in the middle of lining, or do a loooot of adjusting and fixing near the end. So it looks a bit more like sketch -> start line art -> several hours of fixing my mistakes and redoing parts -> FINALLY finish the lines -> colour -> possibly more fixing.

Redoing things in the middle results in the sketch usually looking quite different from the one I initially started with, so I can't even make a proper progress post unless I saved screenshots from earlier stages. HOWEVER. I do have one example I can share because I did send friends screenshots, so here's a rough idea of how I made this piece!

This was the sketch I started out with:

And then this is after I very obviously went to the bathroom mirror to get better refs:

I care a lot about getting anatomy correct even if parts are covered in the final product, so I usually can't avoid sketching the body before I add clothes, hence the different colours just to help myself understand the pose/anatomy better. It wouldn't be this much of a struggle if I sat down and did some more drills practicing anatomy properly via figure drawing or something, but well... I'm lazy... so I always just study the pose or anatomy I need for the piece on the spot.

Line art, which is usually the stage I put the most work into:

Colours + any special effects or final adjustments:

All in all, I'd say my steps are pretty straightforward and nothing special, but hopefully this was somewhat helpful!

[o4o41]

About Sunita, bib mom, Cammy and Cyntia.

from Rise of tmnt, Mutant Mayhem, Mutants Unleashed.

The problematic portrayals of female characters.

Taking bad examples of underhanded, narrow-minded and negatively wired creators.

While I'm glad they made more females in Rise of tmnt like Kendra, box-comentator girl, Tailor Swift-alike

I can't help but think about how both Sunita and Big mama where following tricky-by-appearance or temporary ones syndrome. Idk, both females.

Separately, another problem that I had is how mutant unleashed game made a female character who's a threat who was also having that temporarily female character syndrome (1. Laird-fever as in "she was never seen again" trope (except when nobody forced you to do that, the way he had creative rights like before. To about fridge female characters like in an ugly gwen-stacy syndrome mentality, narrowminded and negative strawmen approach since the 70s)), 2. Ciro's-antifan/antishipper toxicity tendencies (treating their core fans poorly since being called out on their poor and OOC portrayals on female and minority characters. Typical.), 3. Model Minorifying or Narutifying traumatised characters, *insert a LOTR meme* smb simply doesn't like the people, that's all, that's ok, that's totally fine)

We need to get out of that mold really. This pattern to fem charas. Since 2012 irma and 1987 Mona.

Sunita can be written as a troubled girl like 2003 Quarry who really stuck as a rock-monster underground but would really want to be a human. (Or talisman has ben10ability but that's another story). Or can be an Earth-originated human alien just crazy stuff happened there so she is no longer a human.

Added with big ma and Frida. Make their dynamic not so on the surface level. And if keep the tone of the rise with pure motives and dignity. Maybe if you can't make Frida strong and independent, Lara Croft level smart and baddie maybe make ma and Fri aquintances who (falsely)have a common aim or interest.

[syluslnd]

RAAAAA I LOVE YOUR STORIES SM!!!! Anyway, be sure to take breaks and get much sleep. <3

Okay so on to the request, Reader and Sylus having their lil date night at a fancy restaurant. Reader gets up and she excuses herself to the bathroom. After a while, while sylus is waiting and waiting.. Reader never got back to the table. Sylus got up to look for her. He finds her eventually but! There was a group of guys surrounding her. Reader was in distress while trying to be polite to the group of guys. (She can fight them if she wants. But it's 1 vs 5 she didn't want to take the risk)

(this one is on you, either Reader sees sylus and goes to him and hides behind him and they both leave OR protective Sylus mode on. Go wild)

Anyway PLEASE AND THANK YOU 🙏

sylus protecting you

Sylus had gone all out for the evening, treating you to an extravagant dinner at a high-end restaurant, where crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead and soft classical music played in the background.

He'd been watching you intently, every movement, every smile-captivated by your joy as you two laughed, shared bites and basked in each other's company.

At one point, you excused yourself to the restroom, assuring him you'd be right back.

But minutes ticked by and the faintest hint of worry flashed across Sylus's eyes. He gave it a moment longer but then feeling something was off, he decided to go check on you.

As he moved through the corridor leading to the restrooms, his gaze darkened as he saw a group of five men surrounding you, blocking your way back. You were politely trying to defuse the situation, a slight tremor in your voice as you asked them to let you pass.

"Gentlemen" Sylus's voice cut through the air, calm, almost deceptively so. "I believe she asked you to step aside."

Relief flooded your face as you darted toward him, instinctively hiding behind him as you clutched his arm. Sylus glanced down at you with a reassuring smile, then turned his gaze back to the men, his face now a mask of deadly calm.

"Go back inside, kitten” he murmured, though his tone held an unyielding edge.

"You don't need to be here for this."

You shook your head, stubbornly refusing to leave. "I'm not leaving you alone with them" you insisted, voice wavering slightly but resolute.

Sylus chuckled, a low, dark sound that sent a chill through the air. "Stubborn as ever." He gave you a quick nod, as if to say, fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. Then, his entire demeanor shifted as he turned his full attention to the men, his eyes now burning with a dangerous intensity.

"You picked the wrong person to harass tonight” Sylus said, his tone cold as ice.

Without waiting for a response, he closed the distance between him and the nearest man, striking him so swiftly that the man staggered back, clutching his face.

"What's wrong?" Sylus taunted, voice dripping with cruelty as he caught the man by the collar, slamming him against the wall.

"You thought you'd pick on someone innocent? Let's see how brave you are now."

One of the others lunged at him, but Sylus sidestepped with ease, delivering a brutal punch to the man's stomach before grabbing his arm and twisting it with a sickening crack. The man crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain. "Stay down or I'll make it worse” Sylus growled, his voice deadly calm.

The remaining three men exchanged glances, but Sylus gave them no time to react. With ruthless efficiency, he knocked one down with a swift kick, then grabbed the next by his shirt, whispering, "If you so much as look at her again, I'll make you regret it."

In a final move, he threw the last man back against the wall, his gaze a merciless glint as he stood over him. "Let this be a lesson” he spat. "She's mine and you're nothing more than a pathetic waste of space."

You watched in a mix of awe and shock, seeing Sylus unleash a side of himself you rarely saw. He straightened, brushing off his suit as if nothing had happened, before turning to you, his expression instantly softening as he took your hand. "Come on, kitten” he murmured, his voice back to its usual gentle tone. "Let's get back to dinner."

As he led you away, you couldn't help but lean into him, heart pounding, your respect for him growing deeper than ever.

[jellybelly-may]

❝𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐑𝐞𝐯 𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬!❞

‎‎‧₊˚✧[this is why i don't bring anyone home!]✧˚₊‧

Sano Siblings + Izana (with a younger sibling!) ft Grandpa Sano [platonic!]

cw: -

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General Hcs:

living with this family is…chaotic lively

Grandpa Sano usually sits at the table, reading his papers as the chaos unfold

there’s always a mix of teasing, laughter

and occasional bickering

scratch that - a shit ton of bickering

and mostly it comes from mikey vs izana

emma pops in now and then

shinichiro tries to butt in but gets targetted instead

you’re the baby of the family

usually you get coddled by your older siblings

not that you mind

they sure have their own ways to show their love to you tho

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Shinichiro

the classic doting oldest brother

takes you for rides on his bike 

at safe speeds unlike mikey

teaches you all the basics of bike maintenance

even though youre not interested 

if you are, then it’s a bonus for him

he’s the one you go to when you need advice

or when you’ve had a rough day

his shop is your safe haven, where you can hang out and watch him work on bikes

occasionally you meet his friends from his previous gang

speaking of which, you always get to listen to stories about his younger days (which he subtly hints the life lessons learned) 

and of course you know his embarrassing stories thanks to waka-nii san

of course shinichiro denies it

he might not be the strongest, but he’s got a heart of gold and always puts you first

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Manjiro/ Mikey

the overprotective brother!

mikey’s protective instincts kick in full force when it comes to you

anyone who tries to mess with you quickly regrets it

mikey ends them with a roundhouse kick to their head

he has a soft spot for you that most people dont see

surprisingly shares his food with you 

when hes not leading toman or fighting in general, he spends time with you usually by napping with you during the afternoon

that or he takes you on rides that are a little too fast for your liking

secretly happy when you express interest in bikes, just like him and shinichiro

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Emma

the caring, nurturing older sister

she’s the one who helps you with schoolwork, does your hair, and gives you advice on friendships

although you really can’t trust her with relationship advice because of that incident with a certain blond  

forgive me emma

loves loves loves going shopping or visiting new cafes with you

loves treating you sweet treats and sharing gossip

emma is your go-to for any girl talk or when you need a listening ear

likes to show you off to her friends because

youre the cutest and smartest thing ever!

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Izana 

the distant protective brother

while izana is more distant, he has a soft spot for you

that he doesnt show 

he’s protective of you in his own way

keeps tabs on you from afar to make sure you’re safe

probably makes the tenjiku members to keep an eye on you too

when hes around tho, he often acts like he’s not interested

but you catch him watching over you or giving you advice in his own cryptic way

izana might take you to places that are meaningful to him 

will snowball fight with you ONLY if you start first

lets you care for his pet fish and plants when hes not around

quietly plays some songs for you on his guitar when you’re napping 

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Grandpa Sano

makes sure you all don't fight to the extreme

pretty sure he teaches you karate basics for self defense ofc

or he makes mikey to do it

tells you old stories of your siblings

especially embarrassing ones

nags your older brothers to look out for you since they’re involved in gangs 

incredibly proud of all his grandchildren 

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Bonus scene:

The Sano household was anything but quiet on this sunny morning.

The smell of freshly cooked eggs and toast filled the air as you hurriedly set the table, trying to dodge the occasional flying object—usually something small that Mikey and Izana had tossed at each other in their ongoing spat.

"Shin, tell Mikey to stop being a brat!" Izana growled, his eyes narrowing as Mikey smirked across the table, arms crossed proudly.

"Mikey, stop riling him up!" Shinichiro pleaded, stepping between them and waving his arms in a desperate attempt to keep the peace.

"We’re supposed to be having a nice breakfast!"

"Tell him to quit being so sensitive!" Mikey shot back, sticking out his tongue.

"Both of you, knock it off!" Shinichiro’s voice had that exasperated tone you knew all too well. He looked at you for backup, but you were too busy trying to keep the plates from tipping over in the chaos.

Meanwhile, Emma was at the stove, completely unfazed by the ruckus.

"You guys better sit down and eat before the food gets cold," she called over her shoulder.

You finished setting the table, carefully placing Grandpa Sano’s favorite tea cup in front of him. The old man sat at the head of the table, newspaper in hand, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil unfolding around him. He hummed contentedly as he read, occasionally sipping his tea.

As you took your seat, Mikey and Izana finally settled down—more due to the smell of Emma’s cooking than Shinichiro’s pleas. Mikey grabbed a pancake from the stack before it even hit the table, while Izana rolled his eyes but followed suit.

"Calm down, there’s plenty for everyone," Emma said, placing the platter in the center of the table. She then took her seat next to you, reaching over to serve herself some eggs.

Shinichiro sighed in relief, finally sitting down as well. "Can we please just have one peaceful meal?"

"Maybe next time, Shin," you teased, nudging him with a grin.

Grandpa Sano lowered his newspaper, peering over the top with a twinkle in his eye. "Ah, nothing like a good, lively breakfast to start the day," he said, completely unbothered by the earlier commotion.

Despite the chaos, the room was filled with laughter, chatter, and the clinking of utensils as everyone finally started eating. It might have been a mess, but it was your family’s mess, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[amielot]

Horse Girl AU Master Post

just in case: my art tag | sideblog @toleima | ko-fi

Everything else under the cut. I will be updating this constantly.

Horse Girl AU (HGAU)! In which Hob busts a wild and abused centaur by the name of Dream out of the circus and attempts to earn that horse's trust. This is difficult since Dream hates humans and wants nothing to do with them. The two go on an adventure.

I post the comics in somewhat chronological order. On occasion I will jump back to add a new beat or scene I wasn't motivated to do at the time so this master post is nice for me to flesh out previous scenes or moments while still letting everyone read things sequentially. ENJOY!

PSA: longer comics are best viewed on desktop so they can be clicked through like an animatic.

Miscellaneous comics

Height chart

A guide to centaur ears

Satellite dishes

Horse Girl AU vs Centaur AU!

Apples ( This has a nebulous location in the AU timeline. It's the first comic I did of them and it helped me establish their character dynamic <3 )

Receipt

Spoil that horse

Spoon

In the Circus

Posters

Manticori

Jailbreak!

On the Run

Don't know I'm here

Rainfall

The barn

Broom system

Tarp

Warmth

Thank fuck he's eating

Horn

Knife system

Two hearts

One pair of lungs

Bray

Ears

Preferences

Dreams

Animal magnetism

Maintenance

Don't hurt yourself ( Brushing pt.1)

That's enough

Hasn't been brushed in awhile (Brushing pt.2)

Hot bath

Touch starved

Nightmares

Kick

Expectations

I don't understand

Herd

Neighbor

Convo

Fey

Morning

Dont make me regret this >:(

Gift

Uno Reverse

The Sheep

Had Fun?

Pouting

Night Visions

Stars

Don't Leave

Sweet tooth

Touch Starved Round 2

Sensitive

Braid

Scent

Scritches

Roll

404

What You Look Like

Gesture

Immovable Object

The Herd

Desire and Death

Foals

Destruction and more foal sketches

Despair!

The HGAU ask tag

I sometimes drop lore here and I tag it when I do.

Fanart inspired by the AU

I'm gonna fuck that horse by @fishfingersandscarves

Dream horn art by @teejaystumbles

Manticori by @cloudsofcondensation

Horse girl au nsfw by @teejaystumbles

Saddle by @yellobb

Dream Circus Poster by @rexwrendraws

Dream poster embroidery by @embroiderling

The Lamb by @embroiderling

The Centaur and the Phoenix (cw blood) by @dragonnan

Fragile by @embroiderling

Bath day: Centaur AU AU by @dragonnan

Lamb embroidering ask by @embroiderling

Fics inspired by the AU

Old Town Road (AKA The "Hob is a Horse Girl" Fic) by @arialerendeair

Soft Hands by @delta-pavonis

Deep Seat by @delta-pavonis

Levade by @delta-pavonis

Lessons in Not Getting Caught with Your Trou Down by @sleepsonfutons

The Rope by @shadowpuppet-storyteller

All Wound Up by @seiya-starsniper

The Gift by @seiya-starsniper

In Flagrante Defisto by @bovivinator

[honey-crypt]

I need farmer to ride Elliott so much that she overstimulated him to the point he passed out then she basically gives him head for the cherry on top🥰🥰😝😝

a/n: i regret nothing in the phrases used in this work of fiction

warnings: mentions of edging, overstimulation, blowjobs, and skinny dipping (minors dni)

tagging the elliott squad: @fuerrziah @sonicsbigmassivepersonality @pxtofawn @razberry-cookie

★ save a horse, ride a cowboy - elliott x farmer ★

★ elliott’s a sensitive guy… in more than one facet of life

★ but really, would you be surprised that the guy who cried at the end of every romance novel was the same guy who could nut at the slightest touch?

★ of course, over the years of sexual encounters, elliott learned how to hold himself back from climaxing aka edging; it made his orgasms 100000x better when he started edging

★ however, you- stardew valley’s farmer- were about to teach that redheaded author a lesson

★ it’s unstoppable force vs immovable object, as the two of you battled it out to see who could make the other cum first

★ however, you found his weakness when you perched yourself on top of the writer and slammed your gorilla grip pussy onto his cock

★ elliott swore he saw yoba that night, as you rode him like a cowgirl in those old western ferngillian films

★ he tried and tried to hold himself back for as long as he could, not wanting to lose the little wager you concocted up

★ first to cum has skinny dip outside willy’s shop, he thought back to the bet you two agreed upon while your cunt sucked his soul (and dick) out

★ elliott could bear the thought of getting caught in the water nude, much less outside his friend’s (father figure) shop/home

★ yet, the more he felt your heavenly pussy engulfed around his weeping cock, the less willpower he had to hold back his orgasm

★ but then you had to do it, you had clench down just at the right spot to make elliott see stars; the writer quickly unraveled and came hard

★ euphoria and relief waved over elliott like the waves outside his cabin, as he emptied himself into the condom

★ but you didn’t stop, you kept going, your pelvis colliding with his while you rode elliott

★ his dick was too sensitive, it was too much! elliott was practically foaming from the mouth from overstimulation

★ he couldn’t vocalize his thoughts, only a series of moans and slurred remarks escaped his lips

★ yoba, the way you bounced on his cock like a bunny in heat, the sensation of being overwhelmed by pleasure?

★ too much, elliott’s eyes rolled back into his skull and promptly passed out from the stimulation

★ his eyes soon fluttered back open and noticed that you were no longer on top but rather by his thighs, face close to his leaking cock; the condom was off, exposing him to the frigid night air

★ he stared down at you, as you gently took his dick in your mouth, warm and wet just like your pussy

★ you made work of him once more, sucking elliott’s sensitive cock off just as hard as you rode it

★ drool dripped down his chin and onto his bare chest, as elliott climaxed once more, coating your mouth in thick globs of cum

★ “i win” you stated before climbing to bed with him and snuggling up

★ guess he had to skinny dip tomorrow

[yanderes-galore]

Lamb vs TOWW (COTL) (Both Platonic)

4/8. Thats halfway.

Hm... I'll see what I can do, yeah. Sharing may have worked better but we'll see.

Yandere! Platonic! The Lamb vs TOWW

(Bishop! Darling)

Pairing: Platonic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Overprotective behavior, Isolation, Cults, Violence, Blood, Jealousy implied, Forced companionship.

I feel in this situation, you'd have to be one of two things.

You'd have to either be a Bishop or a Follower.

Yet Bishop would make the most sense.

As then you'd be a sibling of Narinder and The Lamb, as your sibling's pawn, would naturally take a liking to you.

But there's also the option of being a Follower.

Maybe even one who was a Bishop.

Either way, this rivalry seems a little strange as the power is imbalanced.

For this concept I'll make you a Bishop.

It would probably also be an alternate version of a concept I've already done. (Which I'll link here)

I imagine you wouldn't like either of them.

Narinder was your brother.

While he loved you, he began to resent you for siding with your other siblings.

Narinder was close to you when you were both Bishops, before he was sealed away.

He adores you, his beloved sibling.

You could have been older or younger, either way you two often visited each other's domains.

Narinder visited you the most, however.

He was always the most protective of you.

Although you both felt betrayed later on.

Due to Narinder defying natural order, you felt betrayed he was stealing your Followers from you and expected support.

Meanwhile, Narinder felt betrayed that you sided with Shamura instead of him.

As a result, you were brutally injured just like your other siblings, leading to Narinder being locked away and you guarding a chain.

You despise him, The One Who Waits....

That was the title Narinder went by once locked away.

There's times you catch yourself missing your protective brother, he and his deep purr brought you comfort.

Yet whenever you caught yourself thinking like that, you'd just touch your bloody wound to remind yourself of what he's done.

You'd never heal from his scars.

He didn't hurt you as severely as your siblings, yet it was enough to remind you of your fight.

Narinder, even now, probably still loves you.

He's always been obsessively attentive to you and your flock.

He regrets hurting you, but you had to learn you made the wrong choice siding with Shamura.

He should've mattered more to you.

Now, many years later, you're reminded of Narinder through the Red Crown.

Lambs were meant to be sacrificed to prevent the return of your brother.

You were there when the last one was executed, their large eyes looking at you with such despair.

You never enjoyed watching them die.

It was pointless to attempt to stop it.

Yet you wished you did when that Red Crown was at your doorstep.

This could end one of two ways.

You're slain, or Narinder orders you to not be killed.

If you simply surrendered your crown to this Lamb, you could live.

Although, there's a good chance you're slain like the rest.

The Lamb does not view you in any special way until you're reformed.

If you are slain, Narinder laments the loss quite a bit.

Narinder admits you were too proud or scared of your siblings for your own good.

Said emotions are what made you falter years ago, and it appears you still never learned your lesson.

So maybe it was for the best... one more punishment towards your disobedience....

If you were spared by The Lamb, Narinder is amused yet grateful.

The exiled Bishop muses that The Lamb must be fond of his sweet sibling if they spared you.

It's good you surrendered your crown and unlocked your chain...

Narinder for now allows The Lamb to care for you.

Soon Narinder will have no need of The Lamb anyways once he's free... then he can look after you like before....

If you surrender, it gives The Lamb time to cultivate a friendship with you.

Upon learning your story and attempting to heal your wound, The Lamb begins to wonder if they should really be following TOWW.

If this was after you were slain, they'd have to befriend you slowly after pulling you out of Purgatory.

Eventually, Narinder and The Lamb will fight, stripping the former Bishop of his powers.

The Lamb becomes a God and now looks over you both.

You and Narinder barely talk, and depending on how you're converted, you may struggle to speak with The Lamb too.

You have good reasons to hate them both and their former partnership.

Yet both of them appear to selfishly care for you.

Narinder wants to make amends, to show he still loves you, his dearest sibling.

Meanwhile The Lamb tends to separate you, wanting to protect you from Narinder.

A platonic rivalry would definitely have the dynamic of Narinder wanting to be closer but The Lamb protecting you.

You and your siblings certainly struggle to trust Narinder again.

You not trusting him hurts Narinder.

He's powerless now, he won't hurt you again!

Please just come back to him.

The Lamb, however, keeps dragging your attention back to them.

They distract you from the issues between you and your brother.

They want you fully dedicated to them.

Essentially, The Lamb steals the sibling and friend role from Narinder.

Which leaves the cat baffled.

It would mostly be manipulation from both sides.

Narinder keeps reminding you of times you two got along years ago.

He pulls you close, purrs against you, admits he regrets what he did and misses you...

The Lamb, in response, starts encouraging you to stay beside them.

They make you a disciple, they give you gifts, they remind you that they helped you when Narinder hurt you.

They pull you close into their wool, bleating gently to soothe you.

They give you everything, as if trying to heal your wounds and heart.

Truth is, you just wish to relax.

You're tired of them both acting like snakes, hissing in your ear temptations.

Out of care or not, you don't like either of them.

Narinder can't get rid of The Lamb, but The Lamb could get rid of him.

The only reason The Lamb doesn't is because you still care for Narinder somewhat.

Yet the longer this rivalry goes on...

The Lamb may just lock Narinder in a prison or get rid of him entirely to keep you to themselves...

After all, who will you trust more?

The sibling who harmed you...

Or The Lamb who wishes to protect you from such pain happening ever again in this new life they gave you.

[thana-topsy]

SKYRIM OC ASKS

I wanted to make a more in-depth and lore-building set of questions for people's Skyrim-specific OCs! This can be used as an ask game, or if you just want to answer them all without waiting for people to ask, have at it!

(Thanks to my good fandom buddies for all the suggestions!)

Which areas of Skyrim do they find most beautiful and most dangerous?

Which cities do they prefer to stay in and why? Which cities to they avoid at all costs?

What are their religious affiliations, and how does their worship (or lack thereof) affect their day-to-day life?

Do they believe the College of Winterhold caused the Great Collapse? If no, what is their theory?

Would they be able to live off the land if they were lost in the wilds of Skyrim? How skilled are they at foraging and hunting?

What is their opinion on Skyrim's "bandit problem"?

Do they regret journeying to Skyrim? Or, if they were born in Skyrim, do they wish they could leave?

What is their favorite kind of food that can only be found in Skyrim?

Do they believe in snow/sky whales?

Are they a part of any factions, guilds, or organizations?

If they are a magic user, what is their favorite school of magic? Do they have a natural talent for magic, or does it require diligence and study?

What are their prejudices? What groups have they come to think of as 'other'? Mages? Nords? Elves? Lollygaggers?

Do they believe the old nordic tales about the Dragonborn? If they are Dragonborn how has their experience differed?

Who is their mentor? Who do they go to most for lessons?

How do they feel about consorting with daedra? Do they collect their artifacts? Are there some they would never interact with vs. some they would consider calling upon?

What are their opinions on the civil war? Do they support a side or leave them to their own devices?

Do they have family? Who doe they consider to be family?

What is their stance on taking a life? Do they kill without a second thought, in the name of a god or daedra, or do they adhere to pacifism?

How are they with money? Do they hoard, or do they spend until their pockets are empty and they have to find work again? Have they saved for any houses?

Can they read?

[kkvqwrites]

You Flinched | 141 Headcannons

Don't mind me, just some 141 boys reacting to finding out reader has a history of abuse or DV. We all know that our boys would never harm a loved one, but I began thinking about them responding to their loved one being triggered. Because trauma isn't rational.

CW: DV mentioned/alluded to (not on-screen), trauma

Characters: Simon "Ghost" Riley, Johnny "Soap" MacTavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John Price, gn!reader

Word Count: 2,833

A/N: Yes this is self-indulgent because I have my own history and use my comfort characters to help. So I hope it can help someone else in the same way it helps me. Also forgive me, I threw it together on a whim and didn't really edit it.

Simon "GHOST" Riley

Simon is usually very careful with how he presents. He knows he's big, he knows he's intimidating, and most of all he knows what it's like to be vulnerable and scared of someone bigger than you. He knows when to use his voice/stature to his advantage (like on the battlefield) vs when to tone it down (like in private). He never wants to be scary to those he loves, ever. In fact, he wants his loved ones to have the opposite experience from what he had growing up.

That said, we all have our moments. It was, you both could admit, a silly argument over what ended up amounting to a non-issue. He was fresh back from the field and sleep-deprived and you had had a long shitty day and so a small disagreement became an argument. Somewhere in the bickering Simon decided he was over it. He stood, crumpling the paper he was holding into a fist and raising his voice, which he almost never did.

The combination of the fist and the yelling was what did it. He stood up so tall, so fast, and suddenly you were eight again, hiding in the cupboards and terrified to make a sound. Not knowing what would happen if you were found, but knowing for certain it wouldn't be good. When your parents went into their rages, there was nothing to do but hide and wait it out. As if reciting a dance you knew by heart, you shrank back, hands coming up defensively.

Simon noticed instantly, despite your best attempts to play it off. He knew all too well the look of a terrorized inner child and recognized it immediately in your pale face and shrinking posture. It broke his heart; he immediately regretted lashing out as it was, but this was even worse.

He'd step back, giving you space. He'd ask permission before approaching you and before hugging you, and once you gave it you'd be wrapped in an embrace that was both tender and hard as steel. He'd hold you for a long time, not saying anything. If you cracked and it all came spilling out, he'd listen intently. If you didn't want to talk about it, he'd respect it and not breathe a word about it until you were ready. You could feel in his heartbeat his need to make you feel safe warring with his desire to find whoever made you afraid and teach them a lesson about fear.

Simon is a man of actions, not words, and he's never been a fan of "sorry" and instead prefers follow-through. Now, though, the word poured from his lips. Wrapping your arms around him in return, you forgave him wordlessly.

The next free time you both had, he'd surprise you by taking you to a shooting range. Another weekend, he'd teach you basic knife skills and how to throw a decent punch. If questioned, he'd say it was something he'd been meaning to do for a while with a dismissive shrug. But you had a hunch, even if he couldn't or wouldn't verbalize it, that he was sharing with you the ways he'd learned to overcome feeling powerless when he was younger. By learning to defend and fight back, you could take your agency back and walk into the world unafraid. It didn't matter that he'd grind anyone who bothered you into dust, because it was about you and making you feel empowered. Simon wasn't one to give you bouquets of flowers and poems, but he could give you this. And, slowly but surely, it started to work.

John "SOAP" Mactavish

You and Johnny were out with some mutual friends at the pub one night, drinking and having fun. Your boisterous Scotsman was ever the social butterfly, and he never failed to bring the party wherever he went.

You and a friend were laughing at something on your phone, and when you handed it Johnny to show him, you froze as your eyes saw an unmistakable silhouette over his shoulder. You recovered quickly, sure that it was a mistake, but not quickly enough. Johnny's face went serious as he studied your expression, which was suddenly tense.

You'd play it off, not wanting to ruin the good vibe. You'd even double check to reassure yourself that it wasn't him, but your stomach would sink once you looked back. In a corner of the bar, nursing a glass of dark liquor, was your ex. He noticed you at the same time, and the eye contact made you feel sick.

At this, Johnny would take a look for himself, and would pick out the man eyeing you from across the bar right away. After giving the man a once-over, he'd turn back to you.

"Is that who I think it is?" You'd nod. You had told him bits and pieces of how your ex treated you, but left out the worst of it lest Johnny go on a rampage to defend your honor. He's loyal to a fault and would not take kindly to anyone mistreating people he cared about.

The unfortunate thing was, being special forces came with an ability to read people and situations, and your reaction to seeing your ex filled in the gaps well enough for Johnny to understand what wasn't being said. You were scared, and the man seemed to know it by the smug expression he wore as he stared at you.

Rather than cause a scene, as you had feared, Johnny scooted so he completely blocked your view of the other man (and the man's view of you via his broad shoulders). Seamlessly, he'd continue the conversation with the folks around you as if nothing was amiss, despite his hand never leaving your thigh in a move that was at once possessive and reassuring. You leaned into the touch, comforted by Johnny's presence and relieved that the situation had seemingly blown over.

A bit later, Johnny announced he was going to the bar to get another round for the table. On instinct, your gaze shot to where your ex had been sitting, but his seat was now empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, your eyes turned to follow Johnny through the room. You could never get tired of looking at him. It wasn't until he reached the bar and clapped a fellow patron on the shoulder that you realized the individual he was talking to wasn't the bartender, but your ex who had moved seats. Keeping his hand on the man's shoulder, Johnny struck up a conversation like a true natural.

Oh no.

You braced for a commotion, but Johnny's expression and body language stayed friendly and open. You couldn't hear what he was saying to the man, and if asked he'd tell you he was just introducing himself. But when he let go of your ex's shoulder and flagged down the bartender to order a drink, the other man threw some money onto the bar and all but ran out the door.

The place would become a frequent haunt for your friend group, but you'd never see your ex darken the doorstep again after Johnny's talk with him. Good riddance.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

You and Kyle had been going steady for a bit now, and you were excited to introduce him to your family. Well, most of your family. You didn't have a good relationship with your stepdad, and Kyle respected that it was a sore spot for you. He would never pry, but he could pick up on how your tone would change when your stepdad would come up in conversation, how your posture would change when your mom dragged him into the frame to say hello during your video chats.

A big family dinner was the perfect opportunity to introduce everyone to Kyle, and you were looking forward to it. Truly. You had a nice outfit picked out and Kyle bought some fancy wine to bring, hoping for a good first impression. He needn't have worried; your aunts and cousins all fawned over him, and your uncles were endlessly impressed by his stories from his job. Long story short, he was a hit.

He stayed by you all night, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb as he made conversation. At first, you chalked it up to being the new guy in the room, but the ease of his posture suggested he wasn't nervous. Rather, his frequent check-ins started to make it feel like his closeness was for your benefit. You were the one who was nervous, looking over your shoulder every few minutes praying you didn't see a certain face in the crowd. You loved your family, but get-togethers always came with a certain amount of anxiety. Every time your eyes strayed around the room, Kyle's followed, taking in the crowd. Even more frequently, you caught him sneaking glances at you, as if assessing if you were alright.

You were alright, until the front door opened and you heard a specific voice boom in greeting. Your mom and stepdad strode in, late as always, your mom carrying the casserole dish and your stepdad slapping a case of beer on the counter. Your demeanor changed immediately, shrinking yourself as if you could become invisible if you just hunched enough. It didn't work, of course, and they spotted you within seconds. Before you could react, Kyle was in front of you, placing himself between you and your parents with a smile and his hand out to shake.

"I'm Kyle, heard lots about you," he said neutrally, shaking hands with both of them. They turned to you, but Kyle spoke again. "How was the drive? Heard you had to come across that new expressway, have they finished that yet?"

It was like that the rest of the evening. Kyle remained an immovable barrier between you and your stepdad, keeping him engaged in conversation and unable to address you. You and your mom were able to slip away shortly to help set the table and catch up, and every time you snuck a glance at the men out of the corner of your eye, the view was the same: Kyle orienting himself as a physical wall, keeping you out of eyeshot. His body language was at-ease, his smile friendly enough, but his eyes were tight, not like they had been when talking with everyone else.

When everyone grabbed a seat, Kyle pulled a chair out for you before quickly stealing the spot next to you from your stepdad. You looked at him with gratitude and he squeezed your knee reassuringly under the table, all the while maintaining conversations with those around him as if nothing was amiss. If you hadn't already loved him, you certainly would have after that night.

Captain John Price

Ah, spring cleaning.

Well, it was November, but still. It's refreshing to get rid of old stuff and start anew, but it's also essential when you're combining two households. John had finally convinced you to move in with him, so the two of you were creating piles labeled "Keep" "Trash" and "Donate". Upon reaching the bottom of an old box labelled "Miscellaneous," you came upon something that had your stomach churning. Old records: Johnny Cash, the Sex Pistols, the Doors. You hadn't realized you had them, and you weren't particularly fond of who they belonged to.

You didn't realize you had frozen in place until John snapped you out of it, coming up behind you with a hand snaking around your waist and his chin resting on your shoulder.

"Whatcha got, love?" He whistled when you showed him.

"The condition those are in, you could get a pretty penny. I didn't know you collected vinyl, I'd have bought a player."

"They're not... mine." You explained, as briefly as possible, that they were your ex's and must have gotten mixed up in your stuff when you split several years ago. He hummed in understanding.

"Right, then. To the garbage with it?"

It was the logical solution. He hadn't asked after them, so he must not miss them that badly. You would rather lie down in traffic than have any contact with him. But John's comment about their value stopped you from throwing them onto the "Trash" pile. Damn your too-kind heart, always causing problems.

It was easy enough to find your ex's contact info; you had changed your number after the split, he hadn't. Soon enough, you had agreed on a time for him to swing by and grab the stuff when he was free. The rest of moving made the days go by in a blur of organizing and unpacking and bickering over where the toaster should go and which wall to mount the TV on. That is, until you looked at your calendar and realized that it was today. This afternoon was the interaction you'd spent the week trying not to think about. You'd stepped around the box of his things all week, mentally blocking out why it was sitting in the front hall. You'd managed to stay busy, and bury your anxiety in the endless tasks that come with setting up a new home.

But time had run out, and in mere hours you were going to be face to face with someone you had once sworn never to see again. The realization made the room feel too small, made the air feel too warm, made you feel like you were suffocating. Suddenly you just had to get out.

"We need... yogurt." You blurted, walking too quickly and too loudly into the foyer to grab your keys.

"Yogurt? Right now?" John called from the kitchen.

"Yes, right now! For... for a recipe," you mustered, hoping you sounded convincing. This had been a mistake, a huge mistake, and your brain was screaming RUN! RUN! RUN! as loudly as it could. Hand on the doorknob, however, you froze. If you left, John would be here when your ex arrived. He'd answer the door, introduce himself, and hand off the items. Shouldn't that be ideal? No contact between you and him, simple and easy. But rather than provide relief, the thought made you sick to your stomach. It felt like a defiling almost, to think of him entering your new sanctuary and meeting the love you thought you'd never have. It felt wrong on every level, and your feet rooted to the spot in agreement.

"Still here, love?" John came into view, the book he'd been reading in hand, finger acting as a bookmark. "I was thinking, I could go if you wanted. Just text me what we need. Don't you have someone coming by?"

Yes - that's it, you thought. Have John go, get him away from here before he could arrive. You'd handle it on your own; you'd done it before.

Nodding, you stepped aside, slipping your shoes off next to the door. John put his book down and approached, taking your place and grabbing his keys off the hook. He turned to kiss your forehead, but stopped short and stared at you. He noticed for the first time that you were fidgety, as if anxious for him to leave when usually it was the exact opposite. His ever-observant eyes spent several seconds taking you in, and you knew as he asked the question that he already knew the answer.

"Everything alright?"

Of course it was! How silly to think otherwise! You began playing it off, the same way you had gotten so good at doing back when you and he were still together and your friends would ask you the same thing. Just hyper, just busy, just this, just that, always an excuse to avoid saying "I'm afraid." Afraid of what mood he'd be in, afraid of what awaited you when you two would be alone later. Fear you hadn't felt in a long time, but could feel now just as bone-deep as it had been back then. As if your body had stored it as muscle memory just in case this day came.

"Are you nervous about something?" It was another question you could tell he already knew the answer to, and you wanted to feel irked about it, but looking into those eyes you suddenly just felt tired. Tired of carrying the fear and the uncertainty alone. So you exhaled for a long time, and slowly told him exactly what you were nervous about.

It felt good to get it off your chest. Until now, no one had ever known the extent of what had gone on. You expected John to explode into some fit of hyper-masculine protectiveness like guys on TV, but he didn't. He listened to you talk, and then he nodded and sat on the couch, reopening his book on his lap.

"What are you doing?" You eyed him suspiciously, unable to believe that that was the end of the conversation.

"Well, I'm waiting right here. And when this lad knocks, I'm going to answer the door and have a little chat with him."

[harmlesscigarette]

"Sacramento Airport," Yesika Salgado

(image description available in alt id)

[shovellyyy]

Silly Uncle Sukuna stuff with Nephew Yuuji. <3

~~

Writing:

Sukuna and his (not) regrets.

Badass Unckuna.

Supportive Uncle.

Sukuna's old man noises.

Swimming lessons.

Yuuji and Megumi playdate.

Sukuna vs Technology

How to care

~~

Art:

Unckuna Shenanigans.

[izvmimi]

high school sweethearts vs young adults who fall in love vs second chance at love vs elderly love birds:

"i've loved you since i was young and confused, and promise to grow with you for the rest of my life"

vs

"i've figured myself out and somehow i've grown in parallel with you; it's like fate we've only grown to cross with each other and never let go"

vs

"i've learned from my life and all of my hard earned lessons brought me straight to you"

vs

"i've lived my life without regrets and want only to see the sunset with you until the end of days"

[primus-why]

I Feel TFOne Could've Handled This Better...

Hot take but I feel like folks have been really generous with the take that OP was unable to find ~the perfect words~ in the heat of the moment (and thus should be given some grace) when he told D to stand down and "not be like Sentinel"... namely cuz I don't feel that the narrative supports this?

Like-- after all is said and done, OP doesn't reflect on that part of their split. He doesn't have a moment where he seeks validation or voices his regrets over the choice of his words, it's actually cut-and-dry. The narrative (as it stands) supports that OP saw D-16 acting up, so he called him out and stood on business, down to the last scenes where he's basically like "yeah it's a shame but y'all knew I had to do it to 'em."

It didn't have to be much! I'm not saying to absolve Megs, just show OP looking at things from a different perspective/contemplating a bit on that tough choice and the morality of the moment. Some examples of what I wish we had:

B-127 straight up blurting the obvious by later chatting with Orion like, "Wait so you told your best friend that he was acting just as bad as the guy who enslaved us for our entire lives and was torturing him like an hour ago? Oof. Seems kinda harsh." Then have some of OP's regret show on his face.

OP asking Elita-1 after Megs is banished if he did the right thing. Have Elita back his choice up, saying, "You should have seen what he did after you were... gone. It was terrifying. I know it was tough, but you made the right call." OP is grateful for the support, but a conflicted look still flashes across his face before he steels himself to look out towards the horizon... and the future.

Have OP walk past other mechs/former miners who didn't go with the High Guard saying stuff like, "Wish I could've given Sentinel a piece of my mind!" "Yeah, but I'm glad he's gone for good." "Ugh I miss everything." "Oh, it was crazy! Megatron picked him up and then he rrrrriiipped-- oops, hey there, Mr. Optimus... Prime... sir?" And have OP wave hello, looking a bit sick when they leave.

Post-credits scene with Starscream going on and on, asking Megs when they'll be back to teach the upstart Prime a lesson. Megs grabs his face to shut him up. "Patience, Starscream. The Prime thinks I'm no better than Sentinel... but I'll show him. He wants Iacon? He can have it. In the meantime we'll take the rest of the planet! Then I'll come back, crush Prime under my heel, and we'll take Iacon too. Sentinel's reign will barely be a footnote, because I'm about to become Optimus Prime's worst nightmare." The vocal performance would really need to sell this-- like picture Megs saying something like that from a place of anger and hurt, not so much a place of genuine evil or malice.

Basically instead of Orion's assertion being backed up as black and white/good vs bad, I wish we had some different opinions/reactions from the characters sprinkled in there. Like you can't tell me out of allllll the miners who weren't strong enough/willing to go with the High Guard and ended up sticking around that NONE of them were like "eyyo honestly?? Kiiiiinda glad Sentinel is dead. Wish I could have helped, tbh." like come onnnnn...

And you can't even argue that he's not an active threat-- I don't think everyone would see things that way! It's not just about the threat he physically has, but the threat he represents and is very likely to act upon if given the opportunity! He has a proven track record of not only being sneaky and conniving, but also capable of dealing some serious damage/killing people bigger and stronger than him, plus he has the backing of the Quints. All he'd need to do is wriggle his way out of jail and run off to his sponsors, then he'd probably be back to hurt more people! (If the Quints didn't just kill him out of incompetence lmao). There's a lot of "ifs" here, but I think it's a valid argument that not everyone would agree on what is the right or wrong way to handle Sentinel once he was down long enough to, like, do something about him.

I feel the situation needed a bit of nuance. In some way I wish they had kicked the can and had D and Orion bicker while Sentinel escaped, then have D get frustrated enough by the loss of Sentinel to point fingers (and his fusion canon) at Orion, who then falls and becomes OP. (Megs could still show some of thar emotion/remorse right after he does it too.) Not only would this open the door for a sequel, but tbh the Quint might have just killed Sentinel anyways and sought to deal with the miners uprising themselves lol. (Maybe that could have been an after credits scenes too instead of the B-127 bit??)

Would love to see a moment in a sequel where they have a calmer moment after arguing for a bit. Have OP mention how Megs was out of line, that it hurt and even scared him to see him act that way, and Megs can quietly point out "you said I was as bad as Sentinel... is that really how you see me? After everything we went through?"

Then OP can fumble the bag again lmao like "D, I... I'm sorry, that didn't come out right... but you still took things way too far..."

"Why am I not surprised-- your opinion is what matters the most! Maybe that's why you became a Prime, since you're so good at acting like the world revolves around you--!"

*gets interrupted by someone else before another yelling match ensues*

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (December 3-9, 2023)

I made a frame from this shot Wikizilla's Image of the Week. No regrets. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, I love ya. When I was a teenager, explicit queerness was anathema to most big-name franchises. Those dominoes have been slowly falling, often in lower-profile tie-ins first, and to me this is a huge one: 69 years without a queer live-action Godzilla character are over. And Cate's the main protagonist of the show! I'm not under the delusion that media representation will cure all society's ills, but it sure doesn't hurt. Now, the non-Tumblr parts of the fandom are being completely normal about this, right? Right? Whatever, that's why you'll never get rid of me here. Cate had a couple more sweet moments with May in this episode, and Mariko Tamaki wrote episode 7, so don't expect her to stop kissing girls. Hopefully she's learned a valuable lesson about cheating though.

"The Way Out" is also another gift to those of us who have always wanted to see more of the ramifications of a world where Godzilla exists, from underground towns for the super-rich to ruined cities where federal troops shoot looters and harass people experiencing homelessness. And the show continues to find ways to use kaiju to talk about COVID, from Cate and Kentaro's exchange about San Francisco truthers ("It's easier than waking up every day and thinking, at any moment, the same could happen to you") to the blink-of-an-eye speed at which the threat went from on the news to her front door in the flashbacks.

As I foretold, we got a Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer, an amusing contrast to the weighty Toho flick and Apple show already fore of mind. It's Adam Wingard unbound, that's for sure. The human cast seems pared back, a longstanding Monsterverse problem, and the kaiju fights were far and away the best part of Godzilla vs. Kong, so hopefully this approach will play to his strengths. But that movie also had excellent VFX, and some of the shots in here are rough. There's time to fix them, at least... which probably can't be said of Godzilla's design. I like that he's pink (did some Warner Bros. executive take the wrong message away from Barbie?) and sporting a thagomizer on his tail, but his proportions are uncanny. And I see Kong found the Infinity Gauntlet; good for him.

I am, of course, not done talking about Godzilla Minus One. It added over 200 screens and made $8.3 million in its second weekend in the U.S., a minuscule drop considering that its $11.4 million opening "weekend" spanned five days. Almost a third of all tickets sold this weekend were for Godzilla or Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron, remarkable in a market so allergic to foreign imports. That brings its total to $25.3 million (more by the time you read this). With an avalanche of Christmas blockbusters on the way, its grip on premium-format screens is about to slip. Still, I see it hanging around theaters for a while. I have never seen the fandom so united in praise for a film before, and it's making plenty of new fans.

Some of those fans are in high places. Variety leaked that it's on the 20-film shortlist for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars (to be narrowed to five nominees), something I, again, never expected to read about a Toho Godzilla film. Alas, it's locked out of this year's Best International Film category due to the quirky nomination period.

Much has been made of how great the film looks on a $15 million budget. I have two caveats, one in each direction. No one is quite sure where the $15 million figure came from; Yamazaki said at a recent con appearance that he only wished he had that much to play with. (He has yet to divulge the actual budget, just that it was above ¥1 billion.) Now, unions in the Japanese film industry are much weaker than in Hollywood, so a given production budget goes a lot further in Japan. All the same, I doubt that alone explains Minus One looking better than most superhero movies made for twenty times the cost. I'll offer a couple more reasons: Yamazaki has extensive visual effects experience (he's been the VFX supervisor of all but one of the live-action films he's directed), and the film's big effects scenes aren't as busy or lengthy as many of the Hollywood counterparts. I don't know if Disney will ask Yamazaki to direct the next Star Wars movie (that would require there to be a next Star Wars movie), but the studios here should be taking notes.

the sphinx, a blog with a ton of American Godzilla rarities to share, has outdone itself—behold a continuity and dialogue script for the U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla! Included in the download is a detailed comparison with the film. No huge differences, apart from the script giving the secretary added to the U.S. version a name, but a fascinating piece of history all the same.

The Minus One incarnation of Godzilla (MaiGoji?) has joined Godzilla Battle Line, accompanied by [SPOILER]. To be honest, my enthusiasm for this game has been flagging, and I'm not caught up on the strategies developing around these two, so I'll just refer you to Sir Melee's channel as usual. This Godzilla's also doing a collaboration with the Japanese mobile game Fleet of Blue Flame.

Tiffany Grant, Asuka's original voice actress, will narrate the audiobooks for the Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA light novels which explore an Instrumentality-free path for the show. Seven Seas Entertainment published them in English from 2019 to 2021, which, to be honest, was also news to me.

This one's for my fellow library workers: the obscenely popular Who HQ nonfiction series for children is publishing a book about Godzilla next June. I don't know if this will have quite the same impact on today's young Godzilla fans as the Ian Thorne tome had on Gen Xers and Millennials, what with the Internet and all, but it's certain to be more factual. Expect illustrations instead of licensed photos, and not just because of Toho.

I can finally talk more about the Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers mobile game without fearing a DMCA. Not that there's much to talk about; it's freemium through and through and I'm not sure I know a single person who's excited for it. Interesting to see some critters from the comics break into another medium, at least. Here's the trailer.

[muninnhuginn]

just generally musing to myself what makes thematic and plot sense for the link clink ending after reading some other people's takes the past few days. no real conclusions here, just some thoughts tied together with a string.

I've seen arguments that what needs to happen is that Lu Guang needs to accept Cheng Xiaoshi's fate and move on without regrets. This idea that the past has to remain as-is and you have to move on is a thread that the show has played with quite a few times. It's written into the very rules underlying the dives. The most obvious instance being the earthquake arc, where Cheng Xiaoshi was unable to save Chen Xiao's mum, but he *was* able to deliver the messages and thereby help CX gain closure. It's laid out by Lu Guang that it *was* worth it to deliver the words, and Cheng Xiaoshi takes this conclusion with him when he confronts Emma. (Of course, the fact this lesson was given by *Lu Guang* casts a different shade over the whole affair. I don't think it can be entirely discarded, given LG even admits he's going against his own rules, but it reads more like something he's trying and failing to convince himself of.)

So, the past has to stay as it is. We see a few different approaches to this idea in s2 - of people refusing to move on and trying to change the past. Qian Jin wants to force his wife "not to cheat"; he wants to alter her behaviour because she didn't act as he wanted. Li Tianchen wanted to change how *he* acted back then, even if indirectly, because he sees himself as his mother's killer, and thinks this is the point at which his tragedy was locked into place. They both thought their 'tragedies' were down to a single event. It's not that simple.

Lu Guang wants to personally protect Cheng Xiaoshi by controlling all scenarios. Not exactly taking his will, but limiting his choices. There's probably a whole post to be made on how QJ/LTC/LG each approach the agency of the ones they want to protect, but that's not for now.

Anyway, Li Tianchen as the foil to Lu Guang. At the end of s2, he has in theory let go of Li Tianxi but in practice he's just burying himself deeper by following Liu Xiao. Trying to entirely shun the past so he can believe that he still has some element of control. Both LTC and LG are at the extreme ends of clinging on vs letting go and that means the correct answer has to lie somewhere in the middle. Not shunning the past, but accepting it, and using that resolve to move forward.

So, Liu Xiao. We don't have much on him but what we do have is his belief that uncertainties should become certainties. He's deterministic and set explicitly as the counter to Lu Guang, whose own aim is to change events rather than lock them into place. They both want to *control* all aspects, but for differing reasons. In fate vs free will, it makes sense that our protagonist is on the side of free will, but it's interesting that he's presented himself so much as the opposite previously. He and CXS haven't exactly switched places, but to the audience, they've definitely taken on traits of the other.

Liu Xiao's whole spiel about how all options will eventually lead to the same outcomes, with him set *against* Lu Guang, very much seems like it's a setup for a "defeat fate" type plotline though. It's hammered in that there is no escape, no other option. Are we expected to accept this? It doesn't seem so. It's something I'm struggling to reconcile somewhat with the earlier messages about accepting the past, but maybe that's not quite it. Maybe it's about control vs freedom?

Trust fall. Every dive with LG and CXS is an act of mutual trust where they need to act in tandem. Dives go astray when one party acts without the other. For CXS, this is about him acting against LG's instructions (texting Emma's parents, staying in the earthquake dive). For LG, this is about him withholding info because he doesn't trust how CXS will react.

Lu Guang needs to put his trust in CXS before his withholding of information creates an unresolvable rift. He needs to stop trying to control CXS in order to keep him safe. We saw how that spun out for Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi. LG needs to put the choice into Cheng Xiaoshi's hands and let him decide his own fate. It reminds me of how Cheng Xiaoshi laid everything out for Emma and let her decide whether to live. It was only outside interference that prevented her, but she did make the choice to survive. And she did it by remembering those small moments. By accepting that tragedy happens but there are still people that make it worth it.

For LG and CXS, they need to mutually trust each other and that's how they'll find their way through.