#like sometimes it’s good … rarely but it will find you

[ghostlyferrettarot]

🍄Pick a Picture: ♡₊˚🦢・₊✧𐦍️ Which Archetype do you embody? ♡₊˚🦢・₊✧𐦍️

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🧚🍄🌳Masterlist🧚🍄🌳🧚🍄🌳Masterlist 2🧚🍄🌳

🫧˚˖🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️Pile 1: The Queen 👑 Hi Pile 1, you embody The Queen archetype. You probably feel an inner strength that drives you to take charge of your life. You're like that friend who always knows what to do in any situation, and most impressively, you trust your intuition to make decisions, even the most difficult ones. It's not that you always feel 100% confident, but you have something inside you that tells you you can do it, that you deserve the best, and that you're made for great things. Your presence may make others look at you with respect, even if you don't seek attention. You simply have something about you that projects confidence and power. People listen to you, not only because you have great ideas, but because your voice carries weight. You know your worth, and that's something you can't hide. It's not boasting; it's an inner truth. Sometimes, you love to surround yourself with beauty, with the exquisite, with what makes you feel good about yourself. Material things and luxurious experiences appeal to you, but it's not just for the pleasure they bring; you like the idea of ​​elevating your surroundings, of having the best because you know you deserve it. Don't be alarmed if you sometimes feel a little alone in your path, because being a Queen sometimes means being in a leadership position where few understand what's going on in your head. But deep down, you relish that independence. You're not one to please everyone, because you know your path is unique and you're not held back by what others think. And no, it's not about being arrogant or believing yourself superior to others. It's about being aware of your own power, your ability to create your reality, knowing that whatever you touch can be transformed into gold. And if you ever doubt yourself, remember that being a Queen also means acknowledging your vulnerability and being true to yourself. True greatness lies in accepting all that you are.

🫧˚˖🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️Pile 2: The Mystic 🦄 Hi pile 1, you embody The Mystic archetype. Perhaps you're that person who always has an incredible intuition about things. Sometimes, you don't need proof or logical reasons to know something is true. You have that sixth sense that leads you to understand people or situations without them telling you directly. And the most incredible thing is that, when you follow those hunches, you're rarely wrong. It's not uncommon for you to be drawn to topics like spirituality, astrology, tarot, or even ancient philosophies. Perhaps you enjoy meditating, seeking inner peace, or simply connecting with something bigger than yourself. The feeling of being aligned with the universe, as if the cosmos is working in your favor, is something that fulfills you. And although you sometimes struggle to explain what exactly makes you feel so connected to everything, you know in your heart that this is your truth. You're not uncomfortable with the idea of ​​being alone with your thoughts or your rituals. In fact, sometimes you prefer solitude because that's where you find clarity. People may not fully understand your concerns or the way you connect with the world, but that doesn't stop you. In your heart, you know the mystical path is yours, and it's okay that others don't understand. If you've ever had that feeling of being "in tune" with the universe, of feeling that coincidences aren't random and that everything has a purpose, perhaps you are one of the Mystics. And, of course, you don't have to have all the answers. Sometimes, the beautiful thing about being a Mystic is being comfortable with uncertainty, with the wisdom of knowing there is so much more to discover and that the truth is always evolving. You see the things others can't, you see the beauty in beyond what feels "normal"; that is really special pile 2 <3.

🫧˚˖🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️Pile 3: The Lover 💕 Hi Pile 3, you embody The Lover archetype. People see you as warm, welcoming, and empathetic. You have a natural ability to connect with others on a deep level, as if you can effortlessly see into people's souls. You're not afraid of vulnerability; on the contrary, you embrace it because you know that only when you show yourself as you are can you create true connections. In your world, authentic relationships are paramount, and you do your best to cultivate and maintain them. You live in a state of constant awe for the beauty of the world, and you're not ashamed to express what you feel, even if it means being vulnerable. Perhaps at times, you find yourself always searching for something that will ignite that spark of emotion, of intensity. You don't settle for the superficial, because you know that true magic lies deep within, in genuine connections that transcend words. And not just in relationships with others, but also in your relationship with yourself. You've realized that self-love is essential for everything else to flourish. And yes, you may sometimes feel a little lost in your emotions, as if your heart is guiding you down unpredictable paths. But that's what makes you unique: that ability to let yourself be carried away by what you feel. People often see you as someone capable of loving wholeheartedly, without fear of rejection, because you know that even in vulnerability there is strength. You're not afraid to give your best, even if it means exposing yourself to pain. And when you do, you do so with the certainty that life itself is worth living that way. This archetype is also related to sensuality,so maybe you enjoy the small pleasures: a good meal, a conversation, a walk at sunset, etc. You know how to enjoy life to the fullest, because you understand that love and enjoyment are what truly give flavor to everything. I love that pile 3 <3!

🫧˚˖🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️ Thank you for reading and let me know if it resonated!🫧˚˖🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️

[imsobadatnicknames2]

Actually @kaelor0409 , I'm sorry, telling you to read that entire first linked post would have been needlessly mean. I've just been snippy about this topic because people keep trying to talk past me about it ever since I made this post, rehashing arguments that I've not only replied to countless times but also made myself in the past. I still think there are parts of it you should read if you're truly interested in understanding this perspective, so I've taken the liberty to go and screenshot them for you

From the Principia Apocrypha on GM principles:

From the Principia Apocrypha on player principles:

From blizzic's reblog of this post:

You should probably still read that second post I linked if you want to at least try to understand why I think trying to achieve perfect separation between player and character skills to allow players to play character with skills they personally might not have is not the end-all be-all of TTRPG design considerations and sometimes it's acceptable for it to take a backseat to other game design objectives, such as having players exercise direct narrative control of certain mechanics that are part of the main intended gameplay loop. "Allowing you to play a game who is good at X even if you're not good at it yourself" is, by itself, a value-neutral game feature, which becomes good or bad depending on the context of what X is and how X relates to a particular game's design priorities.

Still, I think you're projecting a lot of things onto me that are completely uncalled for.

Nowadays I mostly run dungeon-crawlers that handle investigation and perception through direct interrogation of the fiction instead of through skill checks or any similar mechanic, such as The Black Hack, Knave, or even older editions of D&D (skills checks didn't become A Thing in D&D until 3e). And it has very rarely if ever resulted in players being "bored out of their mind", because:

1) I recognize the simple fact that making something secret means I have to accept the possibility that players will completely fail to find it, and design my adventures accordingly. If there's something that will ruin the entire experience or grind the game to a halt indefinitely if the players fail to find it, then I simply DON'T make it secret so they don't fail to find it.

2) I don't make players sit twiddling their thumbs until they find the one secret thing hidden in this room. If they don't find it they don't find it, they're probably not even sure there is something to find, and can move on to something else, there's always another route to pursue and something else to do in a dungeon so there's no point in holding them hostage until they figure something out.

Which... all of the issues you're presenting as inherent problems of this approach seem like they come from the place of making very different and uncalled for assumptions about how the way the people who favor this approach run their games.

And also, as blizzic already pointed out. I never positioned this approach as the superior way to run every single TTRPG under the sun, so I don't know where the "baseline for all TTRPGs" comment is coming from. I said very specifically that I'm talking about dungeon-crawling games (and using that definition to mean dungeon-crawling games where the focus is on the dungeon-crawling, not "dungeon-crawling" games where the point is to fight a series of combat encounters that happen to take place in a dungeon). If you think I'm saying this is how every TTRPG ever made should be run forever and ever you're kinda just putting words in my mouth.

If there was one thing I could retroactively erase from existence in the entire history of the tabletop RPG medium it would be the concept of using "perception checks" or "investigation rolls" or any similar mechanics in dungeon-crawling RPGs to determine if the PCs can see a detail in their environment.

"A DC 15 Perception roll is required to see..." "A DC 20 Investigation roll will reveal..." no. Shut up. If the thing is in plain sight or can be perceived with the senses by simply existing in this space and taking a look around then the PCs are perceiving it and describing it to the players is part of your role because you are their source of sensory information about the in-game world.

And if it's not in plain sight or deliberately concealed in some way then they simply DON'T perceive it but can reveal it by narratively interacting with their environment until one of their actions undoes whatever's concealing it, not rolling a die to see if they can Perceive Hard Enough to reveal it.

[stillwatervoid]

VILTRUMITE MARK IS SO (CHEF'S KISS)

I honestly cannot list who'd be my #1 fav Mark bc it always shifts on the mood lol but he's always high up there! (I… uh, this is another long one - sorry 🙏)

It's got me thinking about Viltrumite Mark recalling a human childhood friend he had since his early years on Earth (I HC sometimes that he was raised on Viltrum since a young age, but still lived a few years on Earth), so when it calls time for his people demanding he finds a mate— Well, all he can think about is Reader back on Earth.

The same one that made him laugh before he forgot how to. The same one who bandaged his cuts back when he was a fragile human, but Mark still smiled because Reader was also human. Who geeked out with him over a ridiculous comic book about a dog wearing a cape until the Sun went to sleep, and they found themselves cuddled beneath the blankets for a sleepover. Who enjoyed running his fingers through Mark’s soft hair, saying the other kids were stupid for making fun of it. Who kissed his cheek on Valentine’s Day and told him that he stayed up all night with Reader’s mom to write him a poem in a paper heart. One made in childish scribbles that still conveyed love as sweet and melting as the candy gifted on such a romantic day. He handed it to Mark before running away. Too scared to wait for Mark’s reaction.

The same one who still wondered what happened to Mark since he left Earth with his father, without a word, the day after. It was Mark’s only regret: leaving before he even gotten a chance to tell him. To give Reader his own stupid heart-shaped love letter, with a poorly drawn Seance Dog and - with the help of his own mother - cheesy, but honest lines that reflected words he never knew how to express. Now, he understood the reason for his father’s stares that night. Just like his father was leaving his mother behind, it would be the same for Mark. Mark would hold onto a confession in the shape of paper hearts that never reached their intended recipient. That wouldn’t even exist on the same planet. His father told him this feeling would fade. Mark didn’t know who that reassurance was for between them. Because those feelings stayed for him and stung his eyes, for days and nights on end.

The scribbles of those words he required even his human mother’s assistance on were still written better than if he had the chance to re-do it now. He lost too much touch of Earth - his… humanity. The part of him he still cherished as it was one of very few he had left to feel connected to Reader. It wasn’t weak, like how his father and the Viltrumites tried to tell him. It was the only thing keeping him together.

Not a wrinkle ever creased in those paper hearts. Not a tear, not a wear, which is the opposite of how he could say the state of his own heart has been in ever since that day.

(That got majorly outta hand oops lmao I just wanted to write awkward Mark courting Reader the Earthly way 😂)

Anyways, so uh, yeah, MARK COURTING READER (after tons of tears with their reunion) WOULD BE SO CUTE AND FUNNY

Mark bringing him a whole ass tree instead of flowers and taking limbs of a giant kaiju he defeated to him as a “rare delicacy he can cook,” that good stuff~. Mark hoping Reader is watching him whenever he defeats enemies (whether it’s on the news or Reader actually witnesses it) because he wants to be seen as a strong, dependable and worthy mate. His way of complimenting Reader’s outfit is… interesting, especially when he tries to insert an Earth term he heard: “That’s a sharp outfit, Reader. Careful. You could puncture the hull of an empire class Viltrumite Warship, leaving thousands to suffocate and drift in space… because it’s so sharp.”

And if Reader tries initiating any physical contact, such as simply hugging, handholding or cuddling? Poor Mark is confused and sorta stiffens, not used to this… gentle touching. He remembers doing some things like that with Reader when they were younger, but Viltrumite upbringing dies hard, and he questions it until Reader points out how it’s Earth’s way of couples showing affection. “You’re also courting me,” Mark states rather than asking. Despite his usual stoic expression, there seemed to be a flicker of happiness, relief that his actions were being reciprocated.

Oh, and I just know Mark said “Fuck it” to the majority of the Viltrum planet. They’d never accept Mark choosing a mate that couldn’t produce heirs, so Mark doesn’t mind snapping some necks and exploding some heads. Those people never mattered to him anyway. He was forced there by his father.

Even despite Reader being biologically unable to get pregnant, I HC Viltrumite Mark to have a major breeding kink. “I can’t put a baby in you, but I damn well will try. Fuck biology.” 🥰

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO STRANGERS TO LOVERS???????

yup, yup, I'm eating this shit up!! The whole idea of reconnecting with someone you thought was gone forever? Gimme!! And it fits Viltrumite Mark so perfectly—the whole ‘re-learning how to be human,’ how to be soft and kind again, and the reader being the only one who gets through to him? Ugh, I’m weak 😭

And the courting?? Oh yeah, I see it. Mark being all in but totally missing the human side of it—showing up with a whole tree instead of flowers because in his mind ‘bigger is better’??? Like… I see him seeing all these humans and their tiny bouquets, and he thinks they’re not even trying 😭

Heh... about the breeding kink... yeah. You're one of mines. I feel this with every damn version of Mark. Maybe I'll wite smth with that 😌

[on1knee4marksmen]

Gregory House with a teenage daughter (platonic!!)

------------✙------------

General Hcs :) (more like rambles)

🩻House & teenage daughter that looks juuust a bit too much like him? Buddy don't get me started-

🩻I feel like he'd really get along with a teen daughter (he's just a teenage girl too, I fear)

🩻Like he's one of those cool dads that you can share anything with without getting scolded/grounded or anything like that. Don't get me wrong, you're getting raised with manners, but you're also getting raised to be a menace when it comes to standing your ground.

🩻I mean c'mon, it's Greg House we're talking about, he's pretty goddamn stubborn.

🩻You guys also have a bunch of inside jokes. One of which being referring to eachother with the most exaggerated, old-fashioned, formal forms ever known to the English language, when in reality you're just telling him to buy toilet paper on the way home because there's none left

"Father, I regret to inform you that I require hydration, however am far too away from the only water source in our fortress and am far too lazy to raise myself upon my feet."

"My dearest, dearest daughter.

No fucking way, get your lazy ass up and pour a glass yourself." "But dad-"

🩻Btw swearing is 100% something natural for your household. House would probably squeeze in a remark or two if you overdo it, but overall he has no problem with hearing swears from you (because he also swears every now and then)

🩻(Off topic, but you'd regularly make puns about the apartment being a 'House-hold' and he'd pretend to hate every single one of them, but deep down he'd actually find them amusing)

🩻Apartment is a mess. All the time. Almost everywhere.

🩻But I don't mean filthy mess. I mean just untidy, but you guys know what's where and find a way around it

🩻Unspoken rule that you tell eachother whenever you move something, just in case the one that did the moving forgets

🩻Despite him being a pretty good cook himself, he wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know how to do stuff properly when it comes to cooking. He always helps you and you sometimes pout about it (but you're grateful deep down)

🩻You convinced him to let you cook dinner by yourself once. Almost burned the kitchen down. You apologised a thousand times, but you guys did have a laugh about it later, so it's all good

🩻Most times you guys order takeaway, cuz House doesn't really have motivation to cook often

🩻And if you surprise him with your first home-cooked meal (this time without burning the kitchen down)? He wouldn't tell you face-to-face, but you can see the flicker of pride in his eyes and the hint of an almost fond grin tugging at his lips (even if it needs a bit of seasoning)

🩻He might not feel like cooking dinner, but making breakfast definitely comes easier to him. Expect scrambled eggs and sausage/whatever ham he could find in the fridge greeting you when you wake up. He might even make pancakes on weekends/rare dayoffs

🩻Aaah he loves that you share a music taste with him if you do!!

🩻If you don't, he won't stop you from listening to it ofc, he'd just complain about it whenever it wasn't on headphones (🙄)

🩻But if you did share a music taste? ... Getting noise complaints from the neighbours about classic rock getting blasted past 10 pm wouldn't be the most uncommon

🩻Would support you in any hobbies you have, 100%. Both financially and by psyching you up.

🩻You draw? He has a sketch/artwork of yours framed somewhere in his office. Crochet? He still keeps the mini crochet doll of himself on his keys. Knit? He wears the scarf you made him every winter. Read? He's buying you at least one new book every month or two. You'd have to help with installing new bookshelves though, he'd do nothing but lay on the couch for the most part and blame it on the leg™. Play any instrument? You have the whole ass setup for it in your room at home. If the instrument is suitable for piano duets, he's so down to do one with you

🩻Would so be down to playing any type of video game with you. You guys probably have a gamecube/nintendo 360/xbox/whatever the hell there was in his time I have no idea

🩻Lets you mess around on his Gameboy if you ever come to work with him and get bored

🩻Greg might be kind of an asshole to people and he might claim not to care, but he definitely cares, especially about you.

🩻If you're happy, he genuinely feels at ease too. But if he senses any shift in your normal behaviour, anything that he might find alarming? He wouldn't push it more than an "Anything wrong? Or are you this frowny all the time?" or a "Wanna talk about it?". But he'd do his best to subtly show you he's here for you and you can talk to him. About anything that might be troubling you, anything

🩻House isn't used to saying 'I love you', but he does his best to show it to you.

🩻Until one day you come home crying and he realises - he has no idea what to do. So he does what feels most unnatural to him, but knows that you need. He offers a hug. If you accept it, he gladly wraps his arms around you and tucks your head under his chin. Rubs your shoulders and back a little. Offers to hear you out if you need to talk. Then proceeds to trashtalk whoever/whatever made you cry with you. He's a number 1 gossip buddy, makes you feel so much better by doing it too. He'd then order your fav food and offer to do whatever you wanted, really. Ends the night by sending you off to bed with an awkward shoulder rub, but a look of soft longing in his glossy eyes (he wants to kiss your forehead and tuck you in like he did back when you had nightmares, but he's scared of being vulnerable with you cuz you're older now)

🩻Overall, House is pretty emotionally constipated at times and doesn't like being vulnerable or showing affection. But he'd be a cool, loving father and I die on this hill.

[0viraptoraskblog]

what do u think would attract the btd/tpof squad?

Canonically they like pretty much anyone, since BTD is a player insert game; but I’ll say a few I can think of:

Strade- Anything that sticks out from others, but especially people that look easy to kidnap. Small/frail people, those that look uncomfortable, etc. Gato also said ‘displays of emotion’ like yelling or crying make him interested too.

Ren- Anyone, really. Ren’s attracted more to personality— someone he can connect with. In terms of looks, Ren isn’t picky. He likes everyone, but there are some things that catch his eye: those with animal features like himself, people much taller or shorter than he is, and sometimes people who are a bit on the chubby side. He also likes a more feminine look in appearance, regardless of gender. But all of those things are individual likes, he wouldn’t turn someone away if they didn’t fit any of those.

Lawrence- People that indirectly remind him of himself. He’s not super attracted to physical attributes, mainly how you act. Once you’ve gotten closer, that’s when he starts to notice your body. He doesn’t discriminate, he knows all bodies are different and still beautiful. He canonically likes people who are plus sized, but I think he’d also like those with interesting features (rare eye color, birth marks, even unique body structure caused by a medical condition) he notices the little things.

Sano- I think Sano likes a healthy, fair complexion or otherwise dainty features that would make for a good doll. He’s not too picky about looks, but that’s the kind of thing that would attract his attention on the spot.

Akira- anyone. He does like people, especially girls, who wear revealing clothing; both because he finds it attractive, and he likes the confidence they must have to wear it.

Vincent- mostly the same with Akira, actually, but he especially likes people who are smaller/skinnier than he is.

Farz- Personality is mostly what he cares about. If you’re not annoying, you care about him, and maybe do some nice things for him here and there, you guys are set.

Rire- Someone confident and unpredictable. He wants to be entertained, and he needs you to be interesting for that. If you have the courage to talk back to him, he secretly enjoys the challenging aspect of you.

Cain-Interesting people. If you have unique reactions, ways of speaking, etc. He wants to be surprised and entertained. He doesn’t have a body type preference much at all.

Derek- Well, I think he’s attracted to people who are ‘conventionally attractive’, like if he just glanced their way. However, he’s more pulled towards people he can pick on (he goes out of his way to put others down), but if he does this often enough with an MC or something, he’ll probably grow attached. He’d find you attractive inside just because he likes messing with you so much, but he’d never admit that.

Celia- Women. I know she’s pan, but she’s had issues with men lately (her husband and coworkers), so she kind of shuns them before even making a real opinion. She may still like a man, but you’d have to treat her beyond amazing.

Mason- He looks for someone strong/athletic to be his prey, since they look like they’d put up a good fight. However, I don’t think he’d base attraction off of that. He’s mainly focused on personality (can you beat him and prove your strength? He has respect for you after that.)

[utilitycaster]

Sorry if you've answered this kind of question before, but yesterday's ask about the villains made me think about the opposite: what kind of story do you think Bells Hells could have worked well in, the way they are? With their complete disinterest about the world I struggle to imagine them working in anything but a monster of the week kind of format where things are just kind of thrown at you...

Hey anon,

This is a fantastic question because it gets to the crux of something I don't know if I've properly articulated and honestly might not have the right words for so if any of my mutuals who have a greater degree of expertise in narratology/storycraft than I do want to mark this up with red pen, go nuts.

The way I approach characters in stories is not just who they are initially; but who they become through the process of the narrative in which they find themselves. I'm not immune to a first impression! I repeatedly find myself initially drawn to more driven, serious, emotionally closed off, genuinely good but kind of a bitch about it characters; and dismissing the ones I see as chaos gremlins, and then having to recant myself if/when the chaos gremlins show more depth through their actions. I rarely find myself drawn to a character like Nott or Fiedra (to use a couple recent examples) from the start; both won me over utterly. This isn't always the case! Sometimes they don't win me over! But my point is that I think most people have archetypes they immediately latch onto and are comfortable with and even might ultimately prefer through the course of the story (and I am no exception), but character and story are inherently intertwined with each other. It's essentially nature vs. nurture but for narrative.

So: a big part of the problem is that Bells Hells were given a story that failed to challenge them in such a way that they would grow into it. They were told what to do and infodumped at and their own motivations often wrapped up remarkably early in the narrative with little effort on their part so that we could get to the Moon Plot, and then suddenly the bottom dropped out and they were suddenly supposed to do a bunch of vitally important quests with relatively little guidance or oversight, and like many a sheltered teen going 1000 miles away for college, they did not respond well. Unfortunately, instead of taking the "well fuck it I'm going to do jaegerbombs and see what happens" route they went the "I'm going to beg whoever I see as an authority for answers while also resenting them for not giving me the answers I wanted or worse, suggesting I try to come up with my own" route.

I think had Bells Hells had an introduction rather more like the Mighty Nein's or what we know of Vox Machina's, they'd have become people who could make those decisions! Because the thing is, both those parties kind of did have a Monster of the Week format early on because that's a really normal way to start a campaign! If they'd spent their lower levels having to reluctantly work together without any benefactors and take watch in a hostile environment and take on weird jobs for money, I can't guarantee that they would have become decisive and self-motivated and interested in the world around them, but I think it would have been much, much more likely! No one was particularly intelligent, but to give an example, Imogen did have a lot of interest in finding out about her powers! A narrative in which that was not a "we have to give her the answer in the first 50 episodes so we can get to the moon plot" but rather a slow burn that required seeking out knowledge and following threads throughout the campaign would have meant regular trips to libraries or archaeological dig sites or academic institution, and that could have served as an ongoing motivator and as a means for other characters to learn more about the world while Imogen was reading about her magic. But because those avenues were largely closed off after the beginning of the campaign and the answer given at like, the 40% mark, there was no opportunity for her to grow or change or develop other interests.

There's a reason why the classic D&D setup is "you meet in a tavern, you take weird jobs on the job board, and you eventually fight god" and not "you meet in a tavern, you have a series of benefactors, you resolve 90% of your backstories in the first 40 episodes, and then the BBEG happens" and it's because taking weird jobs on the job board is what turns you from "only fit for Monster of the Week plot" to "a group of people who can make complicated decisions and who have a deep interest in the world." The only reliable way I've seen to get around this is by explicitly telling your players "This is the basic premise of the story I want to tell, so I need you to play curious and decisive people from the jump." Disliking the odd jobs route of an early campaign but wanting a complex ending is like wanting to run a marathon but refusing to train for it.

I've been trying to focus my critique of Campaign 3 on the campaign itself and not its fans at this point but I think this is relevant: I find a lot of fans are not really that happy with much of what happened, but are big fans of Bells Hells as people (to the point of treating them with more personhood than their detractors). This has led to some statements I can only describe as wildly stupid and in bad faith in which they seem oddly incapable of processing the idea that one's opinion on a character can - and should! - change over the course of the story based on that character's actions; whenever I and others were like "hmm, I don't like the turn Ashton is taking" it was interpreted as some kind of Rapid Onset Bigotry That Exclusively Applies to Ashton And Not FCG (or Dairon, or Yudala, or FRIDA, or like, any other nb characters) or (hilariously given what I just said) inconsistency and not "if you used to like someone and then they said something really shitty, you might not like them any more". And the thing is, that is the problem of Campaign 3 in a nutshell, even without the fandom - Bells Hells seemed to be simultaneously terrified of seeming like bad people and also all too willing to be self-absorbed and inconsiderate, and most crucially never seemed to realize that stasis and indecision are themselves horrible qualities that many people dislike. Bells Hells as the characters who showed up in Campaign 3 episode 1 were not doomed to be the people they became; the narrative (and obviously the player choices) led them into that. I do not, after 121 episodes, give points for lost potential; but a different campaign from the start might have actually brought out that potential and made them into characters who could be the focus of a good story.

[f4iryt3a]

Rolan letter pt1

To my ever-radiant morningstar,

You’ll forgive the dramatic metaphor, I trust. I’ve spent the day correcting apprentice illusions that would have made even a kobold blush from second-hand embarrassment — I needed something bright to cleanse my palate. Naturally, my thoughts turned to you.

I’ve never been one for flowery prose. I leave the sunlit speeches to paladins and poets — and to you, of course, who manage to speak of grace and mercy without ever sounding naïve. It’s a rare gift. I used to envy it. Now, I find myself comforted by it.

This tower is quiet again. Too quiet. The echoes of spellwork hum through the marble, but they don’t fill the space where your laughter used to linger. You always did have a way of softening even the sharpest edges — mine most of all.

I’m not good at saying these things, but let me try — as plainly as I can. You are... what I never thought I would find in this life. Not just light, not just warmth, but the stubborn refusal to look away from the shadows — and the strength to still smile anyway.

You believe in something greater. And somehow, in your luminous, maddening way, you made me believe — not in gods, perhaps, but in mornings. In second chances. In us.

When the sun rises over the city and the stained glass of this tower catches fire, I sometimes pretend it’s you walking in — robes loose, fingers warm, telling me I’ve been up too late again. It’s foolish. I indulge anyway.

I don’t know where the next path will take us — whether you’ll return to the temples, or whether I’ll find myself buried in books until I’m white-haired and insufferable — but I know this:

You are etched into me like a spell that cannot be uncast. And should you call, I will come. Always.

— Rolan (Yes, I could have ended more poetically. But you’d roll your eyes if I did — and then kiss me anyway. I like that.)

--

the first of a long list ♡

[captaindibbzy]

At the height of my job hunt I was applying to hundreds of jobs a week and I very rarely got any sort of acknowledgement that I had applied, let alone a rejection, but what also struck me is that the companies I applied to acted like they were the only ones I had applied to, so if they were offering me an interview they'd phone me up and go "Hi! I'm calling about the job you applied for, and we'd like to offer you an interview."

And then I've got this moment of "how much information can I ask for before they get insulted?" Cause i could have applied to over 300 jobs in the last few days alone, and I was expected by the job centre to write every single one of them down, and they all had very generic names, and half the time they didn't actually list the company cause it was done through a recruitment agency.

I would write down the job title, the reference number, and where I had applied to each job. Recruitment websites like Total jobs would send me a bulk email at the end of a spree saying what I had applied to, but often a company would demand you use their internal recruitment system and that wouldn't send you anything or any acknowledgement you existed at all.

These days I'm convinced that a good chunk of employers just run your CV through ChatGPT and get that to tell them if the application is any good, but back in 2016 I'm sure they didn't bother opening it at all sometimes.

And my most common response to an interview was "you were fine and did nothing wrong, but someone else was better." And then I'd find the same fucking job reposted the next week.

I hate job hunting so much

So I watched this video about collecting rejections as rocks in a jar and I couldn't help thinking that I wish I had more rejections which is kind of weird but

When you job search these days, it feels like screaming into a void. You almost never get rejected, you just don't hear anything. I find it weirdly difficult emotionally because you can't help hoping that maybe you will hear, and I've gotten interviews 2 or 3 months after applying so there is precedent. You aren't able to emotionally dismiss any opportunity, because who knows?

I would much rather have a rejection and close the door. Given how all this shit is automated anyway, how hard can it be for the company to send out an email saying the position was filled? My last job hunt (about a year ago), I had two interviews in the same week and received an offer from the second one. When I emailed the first, out of courtesy, and told them I was withdrawing from consideration, they told me they had already hired someone. Can they not even email the interviewees? The lack of consideration is astounding to me.

And then HR people have the audacity to complain that people will skip interviews without notification, who treated whom without basic human decency first?

[takusan-no-ai]

I’ll Watch Over You

PAIRING: Chiaki/Ibuki x Male Reader (Romantic) (Separate)

SUMMARY: (Y/N) has to take care of his girlfriend.

Being Chiaki’s boyfriend is more challenging than it would seem to the untrained eye. She’s not a difficult person or anything, it’s just that she doesn’t take good care of herself. So, as her boyfriend, you’ve taken it upon yourself to better those nasty habits of hers. Taking her out for walks, feeding her, bathing her, making sure she gets adequate sleep…you swear your girlfriend isn’t a dog when your friends ask about her.

For starters it’s making sure she gets enough sleep. Sometimes Chiaki would stay up all night long trying to finish an entire game franchise. It gets especially bad if she wants to platinum it too, so you’ll typically give her a timer. After it ends she has to go to bed. And if she doesn’t, which can sometimes happen when Chiaki is too absorbed into her game, you’ll pull the plug. Harsh but it beats exhaustion and headaches.

Because of how she tends to tunnel vision when gaming, Chiaki often skips meals. She’d eat breakfast at the very least, but the moment she gets to gaming her stomach would be rumbling for hours. If you’re not busy you’ll take the time to feed her while she games; but if it’s been a while and you don’t have the time, you’ll just opt for hiding the system until she eats.

Sometimes you’ll have to force her to take a bath. She just gets forgetful at times. But the moment she gets a whiff of herself, Chiaki hops right in. No objections. She’d even bashfully ask you to join her sometimes, wanting to bathe together. It’s moments like those that remind her she has a loving boyfriend. She promises cuddles afterwards for always helping her.

There’s never a dull moment with Ibuki! Being her boyfriend is all about having the energy, and patience, to keep her from getting herself injured. But even with such precautions in mind, she’ll always find a way to keep things moving! Ibuki Mioda loves keeping you on your toes. She says it “boyfriend training” but it seems more like she gets a kick out of teasing you.

Speaking of teasing, patience is key with Miss Mioda. Whether thats patiently keeping her music volume lower at night. Or patiently making sure she doesn’t leave you behind in the morning for going “too slow”. It all boils down to self discipline. Ibuki doesn’t always try to annoy you intentionally. Sometimes shes just thinking a mile a minute and is raring to go now! Now! NOW!

And you’ve always got to make sure she doesn’t wander off somewhere dangerous. Or do anything dangerous to herself. Or do anything dangerous to anyone else. Being Ibuki’s boyfriend has given you a sixth sense, capable of stoping her before she even gets the chance to act. Running with scissors? No. Singing underwater for five minutes? No. Streaking— No!!

The calmer moments are a blessing and a curse. When she’s just strumming her guitar, trying to find the perfect melody. It all seems fine. Then you bring her lunch that you made and it’s now a world’s fastest eater contest. She just can’t help but find a way to express how excited she is! And though tiresome, Ibuki appreciates how you spend time with her and listen to her, often incomprehensible, ideas.

- Fin

[strawbeaniie]

really happy with how the silly little sprite of azalea came out!! ALSO if you have a twst oc i'd love to ypa about how our lil blorbos could interact !! ↓Azalea's relationships in depth under the cut ↓

☂️Ramshackle ; Yukito -> Az sees Yukito as a little sibling, constantly doting on their well being and making sure to do everything he can to make sure yukito is comfy! With Grims help, Yukito tries to hep Azalea relax more Grim -> Close friends! Az treats him like a little brother, but Grim would consider them best friends at minimum! He and Yukito are much closer then him and Az! Az somethings lectures him :( ────────── ❤️♣️ Heartslabyul Riddle -> They're on good terms! Az senses Riddles a bit of a workaholic and they are shaking hands on it. Not particularly close, but will make sure the other is taking care of themself Ace -> Most of what he knows about Ace is secondhand from Yukito! A bit of a mischievous kid, but not bad by any means. Deuce -> On good terms! Deuce will get embarrassed by Azalea because the guy calls out his behavior as kinda awkward sometimes, but Azalea means well he thinks! Cater -> they relate to one another so much !! they'd have sleepovers all the time! probably helps az with understanding trends bc hes bad at getting those Trey -> friends to lovers! awkward flirting stage, azalea doesn't make a move until a little before book 7 ──────────

🦁 Savanaclaw Leona -> Azalea will do small favors for him, Leona will treat him to hotpot or some tasty meal in return! They have a couple of mutual friends that make them closer then they'd be otherwise Jack -> Jack admires Azaleas dedication to making sure Ramshackle is alright! Ruggie-> Thinks Azalea is overly dote-y and sometimes it comes off as the guy babying him. Azalea wants to take care of Ruggie in a way he hasn't experienced often (they clash a lil) ────────── 🐙 Octavinelle

Azul -> They have similar signature spells, and Azul preceives Az as hiding that information. Azalea got kicked out of Octavinelle over this Jade-> They exchange recipes often! Sometimes they'll exchange food items with one another! Floyd-> Az is a little intimated by him, but Floyd seems to find him amusing enough. Arturo-> Arturo struggles to open up to people in general, and Ruggie doesnt' seem to fond of Azalea so he's not quite either. Among other reasons. ────────── 🌵Scarabia

Kalim -> friendly toward one another!! azalea is kinda awkward around the guy and never sure what to talk about! Jamil ->az thinks hes a pretty quiet kid overall! ──────────

🍎Pomfiore

Vil -> hes v thankful to vil! one of his closest friends. who helped give him confidence and helped give him the courage to become ramshackles dorm leader Epel-> Good Kid! Strong sense of self, Azalea likes that about him! Rook-> rook encourages azalea to talk about his feelings more! probably v emotionally open with the guy and its embarrassing. ──────────

🌀Ignihyde

Idia-> They get along best when talking about niche video games Azalea's into :D! Ortho-> Azaleas adopted another little brother!! they get v competitive when doing activities together, a rare sight for azalea. ──────────

📚Diasomnia Malleus -> Azalea doesn't want to ruin what they have, and knows Malleus is still figuring himself out, so he doesn't want to ask to much of Malleus! He wants Malleus to choose him for him and not because he feels obligated too, for this reason he keeps his feelings a secret! Silver -> trying to figure out why he sleeps all the time! sometimes will help silver train bc az wants to be able to use his own abilities better too! Sebek-> sebek doesnt think azalea is all to worthy of malleus, and sometimes, azalea can't help but agree? mostly bc he feels guilty for hiding his feelings from the guy! overall, enjoys his bright and bold personality!! Lilia-> they are old pewpwas together /lh no but i think they'd get very close to the point some ppl might speculate their dating! but i think its just, two emotionally reserved men get v comfy with goofing around with one another ! and i think malleus would get a little jealous bc he thinks az likes lilia

[spirit-lanterns]

I feel like in your hybrid au jade would be a snake...which is kinda obvious but still! Just imagine snake jade....with her cool and sharp fangs...god I love her..you know how like snakes are milked for their venom? I feel like it'd be kinda funny for this tall and slightly intimidating woman to just bite down on a piece of plastic and fill a cup with venom, like I'm so sorry but that's hillarious

I feel like she'd either be a black mamba or a purple mangrove pit viper

-🐇

AWWWW poor Jade. Having to have her venom milked because the Vet needs it for scientific research. You would never force Jade to give up her venom if she didn’t want to, but I’m afraid Jade loves you too much and will begrudgingly bite down on a cup to fill it with her toxins. Just standing there in discomfort and embarrassment while her mouth is wide open in the silliest way possible.

It’s okay, you give Snake! Jade a rat for her troubles, as well as a kiss on the head for being a good girl. While her ego is slightly damaged, she does feel proud that her venom is so highly sought after by you, and she finds herself bragging to other snake hybrids about how rare and precious her venom is.

Besides being a venomous snake, imagine if Jade were a constrictor type of snake instead. She’d be absolutely massive with the tendency to coil around you and “crush” you in hugs whenever she’s excited (or aroused). Sometimes, you’d wake up to Jade having snuck into your bed, coiling her muscular tail around you and keeping you bound to her side. “Oh, so this is where you’ve decided to nest for our clutch?” She purrs, getting excited at the prospect of having some eggs with you. I’m afraid that if you sleep in one place for too long and Jade catches it, she’ll think you’re ready to lay some eggs and will start hinting at you to breed with her…

[willgrahamscock]

a niche ship had me deleting all my filters on ao3 and just raw dogging it in there. discovered that I’m even more of a freak than I previously believed and also that sometimes you gotta give that tag you hate a try

[campbyler]

hello! im a big acswy fan! this is not a question, i just wanted to thank you guys for making acswy mike wheeler be a one direction stan, a glasses-wearer, a book annotation enthusiast and a pin collector. representation matters and i am being represented!!!!!! he is me!! i am him!! we are one!!!! super excited for what's to come (this isn't pressure in any way shape or form, just thought i'd let y'all know im looking forward to the rest of our camp whiteman journey!!) 💙💛

you know, i was actually just talking to someone about this the other day but i think it’s so interesting that we gave both mike and will glasses in this fic (astigmatism4astigmatism so true to me) but we get so many more comments about people loving mike with glasses than we do will! i do know some aspects of mike’s characterization are more intertwined with the plot/more written in than will’s are (the zeldaisms, annotations, etc) but i can probably count on one hand the comments we’ve gotten about glasses wearer will LOL. maybe i should conduct an official study or something? i feel like that could be interesting data to collect. ANYWAYS, just thinking aloud there for a mo bc it reminded me and i have a hard time shutting up but THANK YOUUU and you are so welcome!! i think we have adequately represented ourselves in our mike and will and pretty equally as well (and also very bravely refrained from projecting when it wouldn’t feel right. even when we Reallyyyyy wanted to 😔) not to delve too much into the details of Everything but book annotator mike specifically is such a real and true hc to me!! i think his copies would just be so well loved and dog eared and scribbled in, except for maybe some special editions or gifts, etc. i just see him as someone who really enjoys and appreciates his things but without feeling the need to keep them perfectly preserved or pristine. and — this is very important, i don’t think it has officially come up here before —the lore behind the 1D part of his characterization is that mike is a happy victim of Guy With An Older Sister Syndrome and was exposed to their full discography when nancy was into them during their peak. i think the combination of the music being catchy and fun and all around good and enjoyable + the nostalgia of rare sibling bonding time would have really made it stick for him! (<- spoken as someone who spent years holding her younger sister hostage in the car and playing music for her. can guarantee it works)

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

just finished el mundo gira and i thought it was like. comically bad. sorry to any el mundo gira stans, but tomorrow's writeup will have some hater energy.

[yeonban]

Tobias is such a neat acquaintance to have and be on good terms with (the closer the better) because of the sheer array of connections he has. If he can't obtain something through one of his identities, it's certain he'll be able to obtain it through another. Sometimes he even makes his different aliases clash "in public" (ex. 'Tobias' did a crime but 'L' or 'E' [<-stealing L & Elijah's assigned letters like no tomorrow so there won't be any similarities between the used names] caught on to it early & averted the worst of it) to gain certain people's trust. He's on "give me x/y/z" terms with everyone, from the most lawfully-aligned to the most criminally-aligned. At times because of their shared interests, at times because of their "close" relationship, at times because of threats be they real or perceived. He's on the phone with the besties (Presidents) and then immediately after on the phone with the worsties (biggest underground names) and none of them have any clue he's the same guy their opps are currently also seeking help from. 😭

[s4pphoiduser]

maybe a little corny but idrc i guess. so: maybe i'm just getting older or maybe my age/aging is totally unrelated to all this but i find that these days, now that i've grown out of being an angsty teen looking for anger and hate in every corner of the world, i find that now i am more struck by kindness, especially in fictional worlds that are harsh and demand a character let go of their kindness and inherent goodness to survive and never be taken advantage of or things like that. i like when characters are so kind that it's truly truly one of their core traits. i know it's not exactly rare, but these days... kinda feels like it. i'm always struck by characters who fight to be good and kind and still believe in fickle things like love and other people. characters whose kindness make others wary of them and draw them closer simultaneously. characters whose goodness and insanely strong (fought-for) sense of love and humanity (and i don't mean humanity like humankind as a whole; i mean a person's sense of humanity, i mean people. i mean people need people. i mean people need closeness and love and things that like that) makes others around them more likable and ... human. characters whose kindness/goodness/big big big hearts humanize everyone who gets the chance to be basked in the glow of that beauty.