#like v dense but really really great

[dark-moonlust]

Hi there, this is my first time sending an ask.

I was wondering if could you do a bear hybrid x fem reader. I really love the concept of a bear hybrid but there's not really a lot of stuff on that.

Thank you, your avid reader

Sure thing anon! I hope this is to your liking! 🖤🥂 Happy reading!

Claimed by the Bear Hybrid

Pairing: bear hybrid x f!human reader

Summary: you are strolling the woods when you meet a bear hybrid who claims you as his.

Warnings: minors don’t interact, 18++!!!, slightly non-con, oral (f!receiving), big 🍆, p in v, lots of 💦.

I've written a second part for this one and you can find it here.

“You’re mine now,” the creature rumbled, deep and commanding. 

You forgot how to breathe, your heart stuttering at the sight of the bear hybrid before you. Standing on his two back feet, the massive hybrid towered over you, making it impossible for you to escape. The creature had the build of a very big and muscled man, but his dark fur, size and strength were unmistakably bear-like. 

Not to mention that between his legs hung the most glorious cock you’d ever seen. It was as thick as your forearms and long, longer than seven inches—with the angry red head leaking moisture. Two heavy, hairy balls hung from between his thighs, throbbing visibly. An involuntary shiver traveled through you, not at all fearful. He grunted and shifted, his nose smelling the air. Then his eyes, they were completely dark, fixed on you with a hunger that brought back the fear inside you.

Oh, how foolish you had been thinking that a stroll in the woods would be harmless. You were alone with an apex predator in his own habitat, and he was about to devour you, oh the irony… the forest was dense and filled with the sounds of nature and the chirping of birds. It was such a beautiful morning, so unlike your fate.  

“Pl—please… I won’t hurt you,” you uttered, terrified out of your wits. “Let me go and—”

“Never!” he rasped powerfully. “You. Are. Mine.”

You barely had time to react before he closed in on you, his huge body dwarfing yours. He was three heads taller than you and that much heavier. A strong hand grasped you as he scooped you up, hanging you over his shoulder. Paralyzed, you shouted and writhed, but no help came as he carried you effortlessly toward his cave. 

Once inside his lair, cool air welcomed you to a bed of soft furs. His eyes never left yours as he climbed on the massive bed beside you, his hands gripping your ankles, strong enough but careful not to bruise you. You couldn’t escape. Tears flew down your cheeks as he ripped your clothes apart, his sharp claws removing every layer until you lay completely exposed before him. 

“Shhhh…” his voice was soothing. “I will not harm you, little human. You are my mate.”

“Nnn…no.” Embarrassed, you crossed your hands in front of your breasts. “This can’t be! We can’t—”

“You are mine,” he repeated stubbornly. “You tremble and leak nectar for me.”

To prove his point, he spread open your legs, exposing the soaked slit of your pussy. Your plump folds glistened with arousal, and you flushed at the sight. You’d refused to accept what your instinct was telling you, but there was no mistaking it now; the hybrid didn’t want to kill you; he wanted to fuck you. And for some strange reason that made you ever wetter, your heart beating frantically.

Your breath hitched when you felt his callused fingers brushing along your chest. You protested, but his strength was great, and he drew your arms apart, exposing your breasts to him. Big hands cradled each breast, thumbs skimming over your nipples until they turned into hard little buds. You whimpered, tears in your eyes, because each stroke felt good, awakening a mix of fear and arousal. You could feel his strength, his raw power, and it both thrilled and scared you. 

“Pretty and soft,” the hybrid muttered as he massaged your mounds and caressed your nipples. “Such roundness.”

It was at that moment that you realized you had arched your back to offer more of yourself to him. He took this chance eagerly and bent down to engulf the entirety of one tit in his mouth. The suction was warm and wet, his tongue rough and textured as it circled your nipple. Lips quivering, you shivered as he stroked and suckled, crying out softly when he alternated to the other mound. 

Strong hands moved to your hips, gripping them firmly as he lowered his head between your thighs. He inhaled your pussy, then breathed over it. You shivered all over, especially when his tongue flicked out, licking up and down your folds before delving inside. You jolted at the electric sensation, long moans escaping you as his rough tongue fucked you with primal thrusts. He ate you out, his growls vibrating against your pussy. Hands gripping the sheets, you rocked against him, hips arching toward his mouth. 

“Such a soft little cunt; it tastes so sweet, better than honey,” he murmured, tongue spearing your pussy. 

“Pl-please,” you whispered, barely able to form the words and unsure of what you were begging for. To stop? To keep going? You were so pleasure-hazed that you had no idea what to do. 

He chuckled. “You’ll get more, mate.”

Hands gripping your ass, he brought you closer to his face, spreading your folds as he continued his sweet torment. His snout caressed your clit and you bucked against him, your moans filling the cave and echoing off the walls. Your orgasm tore through you, strong and blissful, surging from your head to your toes, and despite your violent thrashing, his tongue still drove inside you, devouring every drop of your release.

Head falling back against the bed, you opened your legs obscenely, offering your pussy to him. He licked you fiercely, then your inner thighs, then up your belly and your breasts. You whined when you felt the heavy weight of something warm and leaky against your fluttering cunt. You looked down and gasped; your ankles were hooked over his broad shoulders and he was rubbing his cock against your slit, his thick girth looking inhumanly big in contrast to your small pussy.  

“I’ve waited so long for this moment,” he growled, his hands caressing your inner thighs. “You’re my mate, and I will claim you.”

“Stop— you’re too big—”

But it was too late. A soft hitch of breath left you when he pushed the cockhead inside. It parted your moist pussy lips and drove inside, inch by inch. You whimpered at the stretch, yet his fullness invaded you without discomfort, bottoming out inside you as his balls squeezed against your bum.

You’d done it. You’d taken him. Wow… 

Your thoughts faded when he started moving inside you. Holding your tiny waist in his big hairy hands, he pumped powerfully inside you, watching as his dick spread your lips, then came out covered with your juices. You gripped his arms for dear life, your nails digging into his thick skin. He liked it because he fucked you faster and deeper, each thrust driving you higher and higher. 

“Yes, only my mate can take me,” he growled, his cock making your belly bulge. “I’m going to fill you up, claim you, make you mine.”

The bed creaked from his thrusts, your tits bouncing. He licked them up, suckled them in his mouth as he pounded into you, the plap-plap of skin slapping against skin obscenely wet and lewd. Your cries mingled with his grunts of pleasure, your walls clenching and unclenching around his cock as a second orgasm overwhelmed you. He kept fucking you and followed right after with a feral roar, filling you up with buckets of his cum. He pumped for minutes, over and over, until he had marked you with his seed. 

Breathless and spent, you couldn’t help but collapse into the sheets that smelled like musk and earth. Your body still tingled from the intensity of your union, your legs weak. You couldn’t believe what had happened. You’d heard of many cases of interspecies mating, and now it had happened to you as well. This bear hybrid was your mate. Your soulmate. He’d claimed you, bathed you in his seed. And even if your bond was unusual and fresh, you felt like being truly home.

“You’re mine, all mine,” he murmured, nuzzling your neck, his breath warm against your skin. 

[eclairsnme]

♡ POV: Being The Itoshi Brother’s Elder Sister ♡

Part 1 / Part 2

The brattiness continues (with a sprinkle of denseness)

tags: idol!you, crack comedy, reunion, familial love, sfw, somewhat of a brat (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

notes: she thinks highly of herself, it’s almost as if she’s the reincarnation of Gojo Satoru.

oh, spoiler alert she's going to meet someone who also thinks very highly of himself. ^_−☆chu~

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

“Sae!”

The clacking of your high heels echoed throughout the airport as you chase your damn little brother.

What a sight out of a bad Netflix series, except it’s real life. But this is more like a horror movie for a celebrity like you. In your pristine clothes and all, chasing like a wild animal!

“Sae!” You huffed, trying to catch up with him.

Damn, that soccer player with his long legs.

What is a celebrity like me ME chasing a mere man down like that! -

That is exactly what your manager thought too, as he tries to keep up with you.

So, how did you exactly come to this point of peak desperation?

It all started last night when Sae relayed to you that he’s going back to Spain straight after the Japan U-20 match.

In all honesty, you didn’t really care all that much since an idol like you had better things to do (^-^)v.

Then it struck you. As a good sister… I should stop him!

Unlucky for you, being oblivious to all else except idol-related issues is your biggest flaw.

To put it simply, you were pretty dumb when it comes to relationships.

And that was the start of your plan to “stop” Sae from returning to Spain.

Lucky for you, Sae was smart. He halted his steps and said, “Sister, are you stupid?”

But his EQ wasn’t all that great.

“S-stupid?” You stuttered out at his bluntness.

“Yes.”

Sae looked around their surroundings noting that they had already caught the attention of some prying eyes.

Sigh

Sae continued, “Just go back home.”

“But,” you gave him your best puppy eyes. V✪��✪V

But, indeed, he was unaffected by your usual antics.

“What business do you even have in Spain?”

“Well~ the business of being a good sister!”

A tangible silence ensues from the absurdity.

“Idiot.”

“Sae, is this how you see your sister? As an idiot, uncaring sister?” You asked him squarely still trying to put on your Oscar-worthy acting skills.

Alas, Sae did not respond to you but instead said, “I’ll let you know when I reach Spain.”

Sae entered his departure terminal leaving his pouty older sister.

Sighing, he looked back and gave you a little wave, after seeing you smile, he walked further in until you couldn’t see him.

Besides the two celebrities — a top idol and football prodigy — was their manager profusely bowing to each other to apologise for today's event.

Being a manager is not an easy job, especially when attending to the Itoshi siblings who do not have the best attitude.

Your manager turned to you, “Let’s get on with our schedule today shall we?”

“Did that act look like I was a very caring sister?”

Caught off guard by your question, Mr manager stuttered out a yes.

You let out a satisfied grin.

Job done !＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／

Mr manager sighed.

–

Inside the car, you asked Mr Manager what your schedule was for today.

“A commercial shoot for this up-and-coming game you will be promoting, a meeting with our sponsors and…”

And everything else that came out of his mouth just drowned out. You checked your phone and saw no reply from Rin.

I wonder how Rin is feeling after crying so much that day…

“Also, someone called our studio just now. It was a German man — I’m not sure what he said but he did mention your name specifically, and he addressed you by your real name.”

Your ears perked up.

“A German man who knows my real name?”

In your life, you only personally know one German man and his name is Kaiser something.

You met him a few years back in Germany. You thought he was an extremely unintelligent person as he kept speaking to you in German even though you didn’t understand a single word that exited his mouth.

You remembered he kept saying “Süße” (*sweetie) and he would always kiss the back of your hand, which you thought was a German thing.

What a culture shock it was, people in foreign countries sure do have a very different way of greeting people compared to in Japan.

“So did that man mention his name?” You turned to Mr manager.

“Michael Kaiser. He also left his personal phone number it seems.”

“Give me that number.” You held your hand out.

“D-do you even know this man? He could be a stalker!”

“Maybe~”

“Maybe?!” Mr Manager raised his voice, then he paused for a moment, “Hold on, that name Michael Kaiser sounds real familiar…”

As Mr manager wreck his head about that, you thought back about this Kaiser person.

Back when you were having your world tour in Germany, you had some free time to explore the streets of Germany. So you snuck out of your hotel room, it was all fun and games until you lost your way in a foreign country you have never visited before.

As a young girl, stuck in an unfamiliar country, unfamiliar street, and unfamiliar language, you could only cry.

That was when you met Kaiser.

Ah! How embarrassing it was to cry in the middle of nowhere now that you think about it! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

So pathetic of me!

Both of you were pretty much strangers, you were surprised he remembered you and how he still managed to find you.

Oh! I really am a worldwide star! ↖(^ω^)↗

You giggled to yourself.

“Ah, I remember now!” Mr manager exclaimed, practically screaming into your ears.

You pushed Mr manager away and side-eyed him, “What is it?!”

“Michael Kaiser! He is a popular prodigy football player from Germany!”

Football player?

“Is being a football player a popular occupation these days?”

So this Kaiser person is a football player too? And a prodigy at that too? The world really has no shortage of prodigies huh?

Of all the football players you know, all of them are dubbed prodigies. That being said, you only know three football players — Sae, Rin and now, Kaiser.

“Mr manager, don’t tell me you are a football prodigy too?”

“Surely you jest, miss. I-if I was a prodigy,” he hesitated for a second then said in a hushed voice, “I wouldn’t be working for you.”

“What did you say?” You frowned at him.

“N-nothing!”

“As punishment for saying that, go call that Kaiser person and ask what business he has with me.”

“But I don’t speak German!”

“Go figure it out then!”

I shouldn’t have said that Mr manager berated himself.

“Oh, after my schedule, drive me to that restaurant I told you about,” you snickered, “I’m going on a ‘date’ with my youngest brother.”

—

“Did you wait long?”

You tapped your younger brother who seemed lost in thought.

“No… I just arrived too.”

He visibly looked disturbed by something and you knew exactly what it was.

“Are you still upset by your brother?”

Rin clenched his fist and swallowed down his frustration.

You placed your hand over his clenched fist and pacified him, “Don’t let it get to you alright? Sae is still going through puberty!”

A few days ago you booked (more like Mr manager booked) a private room in a fancy hotel restaurant, to treat Rin to something nice since you thought he looked pretty melancholic.

“Sister, puberty ends at the age of 16 for males.”

“Well, Sae will forever be a little boy to me! Anyways, order what you want! This sister of yours will be treating you so order up!”

You took a glimpse of the menu and salivate at the picture of the A5 Wagyu steak. Oh, how succulent and fatty it will be!

However, you reminded yourself that you have to watch your weight. As an idol, one cannot stress the importance of weight management.

You used all your 10 fingers to mentally count how much you’ve eaten today.

You grimly looked at the wagyu steak and fries and decided to go for a simple duck confit with a side of salad.

Rin glances toward you to see what you are ordering and saw you intensely glaring at the picture of a steak.

“I’ll get the duck confit with salad, what about you?” You close the menu bidding farewell to the steak.

“The wagyu steak for me,” Rin replied.

You signalled the waiter and placed the order.

After ordering, what followed was an air of silence and strong awkward energy.

After being an absent sister for god knows how many years, you’ve never really communicated much with this teenager Rin. You were only close to him when he was just a teeny tiny boy playing football with Sae. Even then, he was still closer to Sae.

Rin will only approach you whenever he was upset with Sae. He will then subsequently cry to you about his problems. Now he still cries to you as you recollect the day the U-20 match was over and Rin poured his heart out.

Not knowing how to proceed with this conversation or the lack thereof, you prompted him with a question, “Do you have a girlfriend?” (๑╹ω╹๑ )

Rin stared at you as if you were joking around, “I do not have time for that.”

“Is football the only thing on your mind?”

“Yes.”

“You are just like your brother.” You frowned at Rin and the other little one.

Rin’s resentment grew inside of him like a tumour as he is reminded of his brother.

Uh-Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.

You quickly tried to divert his attention.

“Ooohhhh look at this Rin! The photo for my photoshoot! Don’t I look absolutely gorgeous here?” You held up your phone and nervously giggled.

Rin eyed at your phone.

“It looks alright.”

“Just alright?”

Just like a game of ping pong, it’s your turn to seethe. In your list of top 100 things that annoy you, to have someone not acknowledge your beauty was number 97! It’s on the lowest scale because 9 out of 10 times, people will appreciate your beauty. The rest are just haters! _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Humph! I’ll let that slide just because you are Rin-Rin.

You tried to think of a topic and were reminded of something.

“So what’s the deal with Blue Lock? Are you doing well there?”

Rin summarised his full experience in Blue Lock and he didn’t forget to sprinkle in his hate for this boy called Isagi and of course your other little brother.

Your little brother really needs to get some therapy with all these astonishing degrees of anger and hatred.

Then the food came interrupting Rin’s heated tirade on how much he hated Isagi and Sae.

You both had a hearty dinner and Rin kept shoving beef steak onto your plate despite you saying no, so you had no choice but to eat it.

It was a very conflicting experience having to eat something you love yet having calorie restrictions.

The life of an idol sure is tough.

After finishing dinner, both of you left the restaurant. Before leaving the hotel, you excused yourself to the toilet.

The toilet was so far you could’ve just walked half a marathon, not to mention it was secluded at the very corner of the hotel.

You sighed, at least I think I burned some calories.

“Süße!”

“!!!” You felt someone’s hand snaking around your waist. ⊙▽⊙

Thinking it's some creepy stalker of yours, you reflexively swatted the hand away. But the person in question was firm.

Perfume wafted through your nose as he presses his body against yours.

You let out a soft squeak at the contact. (〃ω〃)

Finally making eye contact with the man, you realise it was someone you know.

“Kaiser?” He smiled like a Cheshire Cat as you mention his name.

“Meine Leibe,” he brought you to a warm embrace, to which you similarly return his hug.

German’s greetings sure involve lots of skin contact, you thought to yourself as you felt Kaiser’s heat radiating through you.

He finally released you from the hug.

You quickly took notice of the rose tattoo that seemed to go from his neck down to his left arm which he didn’t have before when you met him in Germany.

You pointed to his tattoo to somewhat question him since you didn’t speak a lick of German.

He lifted his left hand for you to have a better look. You held onto his hand to inspect the tattoo but he had a better idea. He pushed his hands against your lips.

A soft shriek escaped you.

Your lipstick was sure to have stuck onto his hand. And more importantly, you have to reapply your lipstick!

What is this man thinking! ಠ╭╮ಠ

While you quickly reached out to your purse for your lipstick, you saw Kaiser bring his left hand to his own lips staining his lips in the process from your peripheral.

When you finished reapplying your lipstick, Kaiser was intently watching you.

You instinctively tried to rub off your lipstick from his lips but he was faster to grab your wrist and pulled you closer to him, so close that you were just a few inches away from his lips.

What’s wrong with Germans and their love for skin contact? Is this normal in Germany?

“I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long, meine liebe,” Kaiser said in German.

You drew a big fat question mark in your head. ( •́ ⍨ •̀)

What did he just say? And why does he look like he’s going in for a kiss?

True enough, Kaiser brought his lips to your lips. He invited his tongue through your parted lips tasting you for the very first time. He allowed his hands to yet again snake around your waist pulling you closer to him as if you weren’t already stuck to him.

What is this? This is a German greeting too right? ╭( ๐ _๐)╮

His other hand found its way to your chin. He tilted your chin slightly up to deepen the kiss.

As much as dancing your tongue with an old German friend was exciting, you couldn’t help but realise you were still in public. What if someone saw you?

You place both hands on Kaiser’s chest, slightly pushing him away and breaking the kiss.

“What’s wrong, Liebling?” His hands are still on your waist, trying to pull you back to him.

“Sister?”

You quickly detach yourself from Kaiser catching a glimpse of Rin from the corner.

You noticed that he was blushing. Oh, he definitely saw all that.

(๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

“Rin!” You exclaimed feeling like you were caught in the middle of some illegal act.

“Is that your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?”

That’s unbelievable, never in your whole life have you had a so-called “boyfriend”. What is Rin on to make him believe that?

“Then, why were you kiss-”

You promptly interrupted Rin from his imagination, “This is my friend, Kaiser!”

You pointed over to Kaiser, and he took the opportunity to catch your hand into his grip and ultimately hold your hand.

“-just a friend,” you tried explaining it to Rin. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

Rin, however, looked over at his sister and the blonde-with-blue-streaks-haired man who is almost as tall as Sae, who was just a second ago kissing so intimately and now holding hands like a couple would behave.

Hard to believe they are not a couple; what kind of friends eat out each other's face.

Kaiser? Rin ruminates on that name.

Rin knows a Kaiser who looks just exactly like him.

“Michael Kaiser,” Rin carefully enunciates his name, which causes the man himself to grin at him.

“Rin-Rin, you know him?”

“Prodigy player and also a member of the New Generation World XI,” said Rin glaring at Kaiser. (⩺_⩹)

In response, Kaiser didn’t say a word but just responded with the usual smug grin.

“What? When did you learn German, Rin-Rin?”

“What’s your relationship with my sister?” Rin continued to question Kaiser.

Kaiser brought your hand to his lips and gave it a gentle peck, “what do you think, Itoshi Rin?”

“You know me?”

“The little brother of Japan's football prodigy, Itoshi Sae, and you who will always live in his shadows as a nobody.” Kaiser snickered at Rin.

Raw anger shot through him. He yet again clenched his hand into a tight fist, seething with anger. Every word from him stung him.

Unsure of where this conversation is leading, you stared in confusion. That was until you saw Rin sudden change in mood.

What had made the conversation turn so sour for Rin?

You were dumb but your EQ was not that severe to not see that Rin was somehow at the losing end of the conversation.

You let go of Kaiser’s hand and ran to your little brother.

“What’s wrong?”

You saw the dark, gravel look on him almost as if he was about to break someone’s joint.

Placing a hand over his back and patting him just as you did when he was younger, you guided him down the hotel’s hallway towards the exit.

“Let’s go home.”

“Meine leibe?”

He received no response from you, instead he only saw your retreating figure.

☆〜（ゝ。∂）the end (for now) ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

< you have reached the end! thank you for reading babes! (〃∀〃)ゞ I really appreciate all the love you are giving to this ongoing series! look forward to more spine-crawling fluff! ʅ（´◔౪◔）ʃ *evil laugh* the harem begins now>

Part 3

[useless-catalanfacts]

bon dia!! I'm moving to Catalunya this fall to be an English teacher's assistant and I'm so so excited to learn catalan and explore your beautiful country 💗 Do you have any recommendations for places or activities around the Lleida región? Moltes gràcies ☺️

Bon dia!

In Lleida (the city itself), the most iconic site to visit is the Seu Vella (old cathedral). It's a Medieval cathedral that was also used as a stronghold in war in the Early Modern Period. It's located on top of a hill, so there's great views of the whole city from there.

(Photo)

A natural place: the Congost de Mont-rebei (Mont-rebei Canyon). This is the river that is used as the administrative dividing line between Catalonia on East and Aragon in the West (La Franja). It's a very beautiful place, but I don't know what it's like now with the drought. There's a very nice walk near the La Pertusa chapel and in an excavated part of the rock walls so you can see the river. Many people also go kayaking or similar things but I don't know if there's enough water now. (For context, we're having a very bad drought, it has barely rained in 3 years and all the reservoirs are practically empty).

(Photo 1 / Photo 2)

In spring, it's also very pretty to see the fruit tree fields around Lleida. The most popular town to go to is Aitona, but you can also see it in Seròs, Alcarràs, Torres de Segre, and others.

(Photo)

Some historical small towns near Lleida that are nice to visit include Vallbona de les Monges with its Medieval monastery, and the towns around the Riucorb river (I would recommend the town Guimerà, and also Verdú to visit its tower), Montfalcó Murallat is also nice but very small. For a bigger town: Cervera. It's interesting to see the university building in Cervera, when Philip V (Spanish king who conquered Catalonia in 1714) made all the universities in Catalonia, Valencia, Mallorca and Aragon close down, he only allowed 1 university, which he moved to Cervera because it was a city where many people had supported him in the war and because it was in a rural area so he could closely control the students (university students in Barcelona and other places had been very involved in the war against Philip V).

(Photo 1: Santa Maria de Vallbona monastery. Photo 2: Guimerà)

An archaeological site: Fortalesa dels Vilars in Arbeca. This was a fortress inhabited between 775 and 300 BC, you can visit the archaeological site and the museum with the objects found. Arbeca is also famous for its olives (called arbequines), definitively worth a try 😋🫒 you'll find them in most markets and supermarkets.

(Photo)

If you're near, when it comes to archaeology, there are also some prehistorical rock art sites. The most well-known in the area is the wall La roca dels moros in Cogul.

(Photo 1)

Those are the places I'd recommend closest to Lleida. If you can move more, I also really recommend going up to the Pyrenees mountains (in the north of the Lleida province). There's lots of Medieval architecture there, lots of cute villages and some wonderful natural parks.

The bad thing about the Lleida area is that it doesn't have as good public transport as more densely populated areas, because outside of Lleida city itself it's very rural. So you might have to rely on cars.

Another activity in Lleida: the most famous food from there is snails, there are different recipes, the most widespread is caragols a la llauna, but they also serve them with allioli or with vinaigrette. There's also many other delicious foods, but that is what most people associate with Lleida the most.

Aaand that's what comes to mind in the areas near Lleida. I'm not from that province so I don't know it as well as other areas, if someone reading this has more recommendations please feel free to add them in the reblogs or comments.

I hope you enjoy your time in Catalonia!

[youremyheaven]

Sailor Moon & Nakshatras

I thought it'd be interesting to correlate the different Sailor Moons and their powers with the themes that are present in different nakshatras.

This is a super low effort post so all of it is just speculation and I'd love it if you guys told me what you associate with the different Senshi.

Other than Sailor Moon herself, there are 9 sailor senshi who protect the solar system.

Sailor Moon

A crystalline object which provides her basic power, contains limitless power and is the source of all energy in the universe. She can call upon her future self to use the power of both the future and present crystal to double its power.

she's the only one who has no power of her own and has to rely on some object so i guess that makes her Moon dominant??

Sailor Mercury

Sailor Mercury has the power to create and manipulate water. For the entire first story arc, she uses her water-manipulating capabilities only to create solid and dense clouds of mist and fog, chilling and blinding the enemy while her allies prepare more direct attacks

this is actually super on brand Mercury behaviour

Sailor Venus

I feel like Sailor Venus has more powers than other senshi??

It includes: Flight, Magic, Transformation, Longevity, Immortality (Type 4), Limited Shapeshifting, Teleportation, Forcefield, Light Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Energy Projection, Weather Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, Data Manipulation, Creation, Reincarnation (Overtime not applicable in battle), Can Survive in Space, Resistance to Mind Manipulation, Death Manipulation, Existence Erasure, Gravity Manipulation, Radiation Manipulation, Poison Manipulation, Power Nullification, Resistances to Status Effect Inducement and Soul Manipulation, Resistance to Telekinesis etc

idk if this is Venus' "being better than others" theme lol but i feel like these are powers that belong to all 27 naks and not just Venus

Sailor Mars

Precognition: Rei is shown to have strong precognition, where she can make full use of this ability to predict events from the near future, but it can fail sometimes.

Pyromancy: Rei is also shown to have a great affinity with fire, to the point where she is capable to manifest her future sights by forming images on the flames. The images are very enigmatic and unreliable.

Purification: Even when she is in her civilian form, she can use her "ofuda" (a Shinto talisman used to protect homes from evil spirits) to "exorcize" people, while yelling "Evil Spirit, Disperse!" (although it can cause normal people to faint, as shown in episode 10 when she tried to "purify" Usagi).

Sixth Sense: Rei is sometimes shown to have a "sixth sense", using it to detect "evil presences" and approaching danger, as shown in Chapter 6 of Codename: Sailor V manga, but it can fail sometimes when she mistook Usagi for an evil spirit.

Expert Archer: As a Shrine Priestess, she is an expert archer, and this potential is shown in her "Mars Flame Sniper" attack.

these are a variety of powers that don't really all connect to Mars energy, it's giving strong Venus & Jupiter vibes tbh

i associate the purification, pyromancy and precognitive abilities with Venus and the sixth sense, expert archer ones with Jupiter

Sailor Jupiter

Electrokinesis, martial arts, longevity, and "emphasized superhuman strength"

these powers are a bit random, i guess the author wanted to emphasize martial arts and physical strength with the masculine grahas but I get more Mars and Sun vibes ngl

Sailor Saturn 

Daughter of a possessed mad scientist, a terrible lab accident in her youth significantly compromised her constitution. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, she is able to become the Soldier of Silence, Sailor Saturn. She wields forces of destruction so powerful that she is rarely called upon to use them, and unlike the others, her Senshi and civilian personae seem somewhat disconnected. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to heal others.

this backstory is in itself very Saturnian and I think Saturnians do suffer a lot of abuse and injustice in their lives. So all Saturn naks like UBP, Anuradha & Pushya

Sailor Pluto

Manipulation and control of spacetime, Time Wave Generation Teleport others over short or vast distances. Open rifts or doorways in space through different eras Freeze all of time (forbidden) Erect a shield of time-space energy

i mean it goes without saying but this is literally Punarvasu & Swati. both these naks have themes of space and time travel

Sailor Uranus

she possesses powers associated with the wind and sky, precognition, as well as sword combat.

this is giving me Mars & Venus energy, more specifically Bharani as it is a Venusian nakshatra in the Mars ruled rashi of Aries

Sailor Neptune

exceptionally strong psychic abilities and is the only Outer Scout who has such powers and she can channel the power of the ocean. 

I associate Neptune's abilities with Pisces (neptune rules pisces so this is a no brainer) and I connect it to PBP, UBP & Revati

[yuseirra]

i need u to know I read your tags on my post about the OnK side stories and got blasted into a crater by my feelings 😭 I COMPLETELY AGREE....... idol is such an incredibly personal and revealing song, it rly does feel like Ai's whole arc compressed into a really densely packed mv....

Hello!! sorry for taking awhile! I wanted to reply to this fast, but I also wanted to attach an Ai to the reply because she deserves the love. I haven't used the search function on tumblr lately, but whenever I did for this series, I found many good analysis from you. I thought 'wow, they write so well!' So, it's an honor to hear you agree! ;v; Ah, I read tags on my posts all the time too and I LOVE the really sweet ones, so I'm glad what I've written's felt like a good piece of feedback for you. I felt like jotting down my thoughts after having read the side B story.

Yeah.. IDOL felt like a song that was "painfully revealing", it was very exposing of everything Ai went through, so blatantly without a single filter of protection, that's how I felt about the song at first. As I read the comics, I came to understood that's probably what Ai wanted to do all along. I understand why that character said that lies are a form of love, she tried so hard to pose as this invincible and perfect individual, not just to save her face and be loved, but for everyone around her. I believe that Ai must have thought being that way would be a way to compensate for others, meeting other's expectations and all, what they want from her as well so she tried again again and nobody ended up seeing her behind her mask because she ended up being too good at it. All of that seems to have resulted from the lack of love in her upbringing. She wasn't loved, so she wasn't sure what love was. I think the thing here isn't that she CAN'T love, but is unsure of the idea of love. She was quite loving all along, but she wasn't sure if she had was really love and she had a hard time expressing it. Keeping up a front was her idea of "loving" but that kept her from being understood and accepted as a person. So that's why she was so straightforward about everything in the song IDOL. She wanted to be understood and loved back and engage in a "truthful" manner.

People say Ai is a complex character and she is, but I don't think she's so hard to understand. Her mentality may seem a bit extreme for some, but I feel none of it is exaggerated or unrealistic. There could be a lot of people feeling this way, just in various degrees. Her story was short, but I think that's why it was still able to leave a lot of impact.. ;v; whenever I listen to IDOL, I feel Ai is a great character. She's always been striving to get what she wants, and she did in the end.. you can feel how much she tried despite all the troubles she had! She's in fact, not as perfect and a bit awkward at times, but she was always hardworking. So I like that in that song. It really shows a lot about her character :)

Thank you for the message, and for the translations again! Hope you have fun with the series, I'd love to see more good analysis from you because I agreed with a lot of the takes you had from your posts, I appreciate you insights!

[bluginkgo]

Wtf am I doing ranting again, you may ask. I was gonna talk about absolute solver again... but then my brain said "Nah, more nuzi." And who am I to refute that argument?

Spoilers, duh

Yes, how fricking typical. A duo of an emotionally scarred emo girl and a retriever puppy boy that get together. But honestly, after being in the usual angst department shipping for a couple of years now, Nuzi is such a refresher. Not to mention, that despite Liam Vickers focusing his story mostly on lore (LORE THAT I CRAVE AND LOVE), he takes time to include little things like nuzi. Nuzi didn't have to happen, but I'm so glad it is pretty much canon. Makes the dark and unbearably scary moments for the duo... bearable. I could go on a whole tangent about these two, but I mostly want to take note of how N interacts with Uzi. (I might do a post later doing the opposite, analysis of Uzi interacting with N.)

To put it simply, N is soft. Wow, Ginkgo what a revelation! (That was sarcasm) I know thank you. But seriously. When he talks to Uzi, his voice softens. Especially taken notice in ep4 during the Falling... for you? scene. Perhaps I'm just dense, or maybe I wasn't paying enough attention when watching the first time, but when N pulled the "therapy session" I was fully expecting for him to chat to her about the murder spree. How fricking wrong I was. N took me by surprise and asked the question that was ACTUALLY bugging Uzi the entire time. Not the killing spree, not the issue with her solver going haywire, not the backstory of her mother. None of that! It was if she was lonely.

"No, don't look. I'm gross and eating people and stuff."

"Yeah, we'll figure that part out. But you know that's not what I mean."

After rewatching the Murder Drones like 20 something times, it still baffles me how he talks to her. Softer, more open, willing to admit he's also scared- despite being a fricking disassembly drone, a demon in the eyes of regular worker drones. I can see where that trust comes from.

Uzi's fought and killed N before. But instead of fighting again, she puts blame on humans that "supposedly" made him.

"Do you really think that the company won't dispose of you, once all the workers are dead?"

Of course, there's way more evidence on how Uzi's comments, mannerisms, and remarks gave N a reason to trust her. There's also something I took notice of. The difference between N's chat with V and Uzi.

In ep3, N is cornered. Uzi and him had a misunderstanding, and V is very hush hush about their past. He has no other place to turn except to V for answers.

"V, if you're hiding something. We can figure this out together!"

He's open, here. Trying to get answers from out of thin air. Now, don't get me wrong. I love V. V is, by far, my most favorite character in the show. I love her violence, sarcasm, and character growth. But because this was only ep3, she's also trying to do what she believes is for the best. And we see why she was very hush hush about their past. N himself said "Not dealing with this great to be immediately honest." When he first lays his eyes upon the experimentation absolute solver was doing in the mansion. In V's perspective, it's better for N to forget. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

You can even see that she's guilty in the following frame for what she was about to do- cut N off literally and figuratively. Of course, since then, V has come a long way. Going even as far as trusting Uzi with everything.

But here's the difference.

"Just avoid another whole spire. Baby steps, together?"

Maybe it's just the moment, maybe it's just simple animation choice. But they made him here uncertain. The same "we can do this together" line, following his attempt with V, is less bright and more uncertain. A question, instead of a statement. He was at least somewhat ready to be shot down again, but instead Uzi met him halfway and took his hand in this big mess. It's these somewhat little moments that build the trust between the two, and what makes Nuzi so wholesome. There's no secret past about them, no big overdramatized misunderstandings. Just two people- or robots- learning how to get through this big mess of the universe ending.

And not to mention that the "together" line comes back to bite on us. The teaser for ep7 and 8 have that line as the last thing we hear.

"...figure things out... together."

I'm probably repeating things people have already said... bite me. I love Nuzi and how they've developed throughout the season. I may be after Murder Drones mainly for lore, but damn me, Nuzi is a really great addition to the entire package.

[christiansorrell]

TTRPG Read-Through: Traveller - Book 1

Here is a read-through I did about a year and a half ago (originally posted on Twitter) of one of the all time classics: Traveller by Game Designers' Workshop! This read-through just covers Book 1 - Characters and Combat from the original Traveller box set trio of books. - Christian

This is the 1981 Second Edition printing of the classic Traveller three zine box set! Been wanting to read this for ages now. It's discussed A LOT in Mothership circles.

Really interesting to see GM-less and solo play options here. Didn't realize that was being done explicitly at this time. Also, nice to see "he or she" language here rather than the just "he" you see a lot in older games.

The UPP is clearly the creation of an utterly deranged mind. This seems like a huge overcomplication of just listing stats (unless all your players are proficient in hexadecimal).

[Hi, it's me from the future here (aka now - 2024): I've learned to embrace and love the UPP (or more specifically the planet stat version from one of the other books). It's complicated at first but really quick and cool once you know how to read it.]

I really like Social Standing as a stat replacement for charisma or charm or other social skills you tend to see. Feels like it would have more impact on the story and less of a "Roll to see if you convince him, I guess" sort of anticlimax social skills have most of the time.

I'm now into the "you can die during char creation in Traveller" bits. Really cool in some ways. Really comical in others. It recommends you enlist your bad stat characters into the Scout service because of it's high mortality rate (so you can roll a diff char before play), lol.

Essentially, you roll stats and that's your entire character but to give them some experience they can enlist in a Service. You have to roll to get in and may get rejected. If so, you submit to the draft (get into one at random). You can die. You can gain skills and promotions.

Honestly, the char creation feels like a solo game unto itself. Risk v reward of how far to push your enlistments to boost your skills and standing and benefits. You could have a whole story in your head by the end of it. Great Session 0 material.

As a 34 yr old, this hurts. Apparently, I have -1 Strength, Dexterity and Endurance now...

I admire commitment but asking GMs to use this full char creator for all NPCs (which means generating chars until you get one capable of filling the role you need) is truly too wild. Best part: at the end, it just says you can also pick whatever you want for stats and skills.

The weapons and intro text have much more of a space as a new age of sail vibe to them than I was anticipating. It's cool. Far more Dune than Alien (so far).

Interestingly (unless I missed something), skills are detached from your stats. Your base stats make getting into a Service easier and help you with Saving Throws and such, but skills have their own modifiers based on the situation and your expertise. It's cool (if a bit dense)!

In case you were wondering, there is absolutely no art in this entire book. I'm hoping we'll get some in one of the other two books with vehicles and ships and such but won't be holding my breath. Gives the whole thing a very Serious vibe.

Always interesting to see how older games chose to handle this (or not).

Here's the UPP in action along with quick listing of other character info. Interesting even if it is just too overcomplicated for my tastes.

Can't overstate how much char creation feels like a whole solo game of its own. You can roll a character at age 18 and have them go through seven 4-yr terms in a Service before retiring and having substantial cash, specific possessions, memberships and social standings. Wild.

The character sheet mentions PSIONICS which is exciting (but I'll have to wait till Book 3 for more on that apparently).

Combat is straightforward but has some unique bits: a focus on stealth as an option and movement/attacks occur by all parties simultaneously which means everyone (enemies too) gets to move and then everyone chooses who to attack and you roll them all. Sounds really fun.

Stats have cool effects in battle. Your Endurance stat is the number of attacks you can make before needing to rest (can you imagine if DnD just didn't let you do a base attack at a point?). Strength and Dex can boost or lower certain weapon rolls like you'd expect.

If trained in a weapon, you can give your expertise as a negative mod to your enemy's rolls to attack you to reflect parrying and blocking which is cool. The skills also add to your attack rolls. Skills just seem really useful overall here.

I just love that we get stats for broadswords, revolvers, and laser carbines. Plus, there are even special tables for archaic weapons for when encountering lower-tech civilizations. It feels like a really wide open interpretation of what space could look like. Feels exciting.

A few more equipment tables and a final quick reference page at the back and that's all for Book 1. I'll be back with Book 2 and 3 in the coming days!

Main thoughts: Character creation is very involved but really cool - its own game practically. Skills are very deep in a way that feels refreshing when compared to more stat-focused games. Combat has some fun, chaotic twists. Feels like a wide universe of possibility here so far.

I'll add Books 2 and 3 to this thread when I give them their own read-throughs. In the meantime, here's my newsletter (last two months have Mothership freebies): https://meatcastle.substack.com

And here's my website (with links to my games and modules and all that good stuff): https://shop.meatcastlegameware.com/

Thanks for reading!

[myemuisemo]

While I was pondering whether Mrs. Douglas had a "freeze" reaction to trauma in chapter V of The Valley of Fear, chapter VI appeared with the answer, and I fear Letters from Watson will soon provide chapter VII, so let's get cracking.

There are three things top of mind for me today:

The Panic of 1873

Yews

Dumbbells

The Panic of 1873

When I worked out the timeline for Cecil Barker's recounting of "we did this for five years and this for one year," etc., etc., assuming that the story takes place in late 1888 or early 1889, the year I got for Barker's likely arrival in the U.S. was 1873.

That's significant: he set off to make his fortune, ending up in the gold fields of California, about the time that a global depression was starting.

The short version of the Panic of 1873 is that after the Civil War, U.S. railroad bonds (that is, the debt used to finance railroad construction) were the hot investment, not just in the US, but in Europe, especially Germany. Nineteenth-century investing was mostly in bonds -- this is why people talk in Victorian novels about having investments in 3-percents that pay 10,000 pounds a year, or similar. When you invested your money, the company was literally in debt to you, and it paid you a safe "coupon" of interest on that debt.

Not all bonds were the same. People were "ruined" by investing in companies that did not have stable cash flow or were outright fraudulent.

The initial problem in 1873 was not with the railroads, though, but with trading in the bonds. When German investors moved on to other investments, there were too many railroad bonds running loose, causing their value to plummet. That took out a US bank that had a hefty investment in those bonds, as their asset value dropped. The bank failure caused a panic, which cascaded through the system. This article and this one explain some of the specifics.

Anyway, Cecil Barker seeks his fortune abroad at a time loosely equivalent to the Great Recession of 2008.

In 1873, California was wrapping up efforts to exterminate native peoples -- no, I'm not exaggerating. This was not covered in 4th grade state history, 5th grade U.S. history, nor 8th or 11th grade U.S. history when I was in school!

By 1873, Gold Rush hysteria was over and some of the original sites in the Sierra Nevada foothills had been largely mined-out and abandoned, though mining still continued where it could. San Francisco was establishing itself as "the Paris of the West." The Central Valley, where I live, was getting rail built down its length, with towns established at various points for taking on fuel and water, as well as for picking up wheat and other crops that didn't require intensive irrigation (which wouldn't arrive for ~40 years).

It's not me, it's YEW

After decades of reading British novels, I have finally looked up what a yew is. I'd always envisioned something like the Chinese juniper that's planted everywhere around here: a low, dense hedge with soft packets of needles and a pungent, dusty scent.

Nope. I far underestimated the yew. It is a tree that makes Tolkien's Ents look small and non-threatening. Visit this yew-focused page to see the most terrifying trees. The existence of the yew also explains folktales of the British Isles where fair folk live in hollow trees. Yikes.

The yew traditionally symbolizes death, so the yew hedge is an excellent place to hang out after one's husband is mysteriously murdered.

(While you're there, the Ancient Tree Inventory is great for hours of exploration and arboreal terror.)

Where is the missing dumbbell?

The fact that Douglas has dumbbells at all is interesting, as the physical culture movement only really took off in the US in the 1880s, and it was slower to arise in England due to a greater cultural emphasis on "games."

He may have been influenced by his German first wife, as it was German immigrants in the 1850s who popularized the "Turner" movement of liberal political philosophy and physical fitness, the latter through vigorous gymnastics. Turnverein had a significant role in bringing PE into American schools.

Depending how one interprets the dumbbells, Douglas could be:

Forward-thinking

Eccentric

Worried about physical attacks or about aging

Very into German culture

We can't ask Mrs. Douglas, as, per Cecil Barker, Douglas' "perfect" trust in her did not include telling her... oh, anything actually important about his life.

I really want to know who was using whom in this household.

[theladyragnell]

Ooh! Re: book recs for the new year, do you have any lesser known fantasy (or sci fi tbh) recommendations? Or better known but pre-2010s books - I've kind of devoured a lot of the modern stuff, and we have a shockingly similar taste in books

Ooh, excellent! I never actually know what's lesser known? So I'm going with things I haven't seen a lot of internet buzz about, with a decent amount of indie and self-pub. A lot of it will be fantasy romance, but I'll try for a variety!

The Devotion of Delflenor by R. Cooper (I'm going to keep trying until someone reads this piney piney lady knights book, damn it)

The Tea Princess Chronicles by Casey Blair

Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch (a lot of people were talking about Seducing the Sorcerer by the same author a year or so ago, but I like this one better!)

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and then if you like the concept behind that, try the Steerswoman books by Rosemary Kirstein

Ariah by B.R. Sanders is very worldbuildy and cool

Sharon Shinn flies under the radar sometimes but tends to have cool worldbuilding concepts, I'm midway through the Elemental Blessings series and really enjoying it

Felicia Davin's Gardener's Hand trilogy is great, and Davin now has a historical fantasy romance(/verging on erotica in places) epistolary series coming out, of which I've read the first, The Scandalous Letters of V and J is very fun.

I've only read the first of Effie Calvin's Ieflaria series of largely sapphic fantasy romance, but I had fun with that one!

I like Amy Rae Durreson, who usually writes m/m fantasy romance, try Reawakening on for size but be warned the second book has a plague in it

If you like middle grade, I really like Merrie Haskell's fairy tale retellings and her short stories for older readers too, she's very Robin McKinley-esque

(Speaking of, if you haven't read Robin McKinley, please do, any of her you can get your hands on but particularly her fairy tales and Chalice)

Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler is one I don't remember a lot about but the concept is great, it's the kind of alternate history I wish more people were writing instead of 18,000 "The Nazis/Confederates Won" books (and similarly, P. Djeli Clark's Dead Djinn books, though those have a much bigger dose of fantasy)

CJ Cherryh can sometimes be a bit dense for my mood, but I've read the first three books in her series that starts with Foreigner and there is SO much fun politics and worldbuilding. (I haven't read fantasy from her, just sci fi, sorry, almost posted this without making that clear, this is very much sci fi!)

Okay, that's what I've got for this exact second! I'm on a different floor from the bookshelf that has the most of my older fantasy on it, so there's not quite as much of that as intended, but it's what I've got in me!

[chamoemileclown]

How do you art, and where do you art?

hi my name is moe! i've doing digital 2d art since about 2017 and here's a big post about the how and where of it!

the program i use for my 2d art is firealpaca! the version i use is free to download with the exception of a popup ad that shows up when you start up the program! it's a great, very consistent, program that has updated a lot and improved since i started and i don't think i can vouch for it more. everything i include in this post applies to firealpaca specifically though you can probably do similar things in other programs im a college student on a budget and im very comfortable working with this program.

the three main brushes i use i got off firealpaca's brush marketplace! they're all free crayon brushes the first one hard one being the one i use for lineart, the second sort brush i use for sketching, and the third hard one i use for coloring. i think this might be the reason why i get some stuff about people associating my art with childhood/ children's illustrations, im a big fan of using texture where i can and these help to add a lot of visual interest.

seawatt jumpscare

you may see that my finish pieces don't have a lot of flat colors if you zoom all the way in. that's because i use a lot of noise to make the colors look less flat. it sort of reminds me of construction paper, gives a little bit of a fuzziness to it.

i have it set to color at usually around 50. i turn it down sometimes if im working on something smaller. my canvas sizes usually are about 1500 x 1500 just to keep a more consistent square shape across most of my drawings.

another thing i do to make my art pop is i duplicate my lineart layer, use protect alpha to color the duplicated layer another color that's usually brigther than the original layer, put some gaussian blur on it and add multiply or add to the blending on that layer.

with versus without the added layer! i have this set to add on 31% opacity and ill add more or less if i want the effect to be more or less subtle. it's not very noticable but i think it helps a lot with line clarity and can make something almost glow if you wanted that effect.

here's another example with a multiply layer (i turned up the opacity to give a better example) subtle and it fights a lot with tumblr image degradation but it makes me happy.

i also make a lot of use of halftoning as you can see in the examples above. I usually only use it to make shadows darker and highlights stand out but they're also really good at filling up dead space like backgrounds to make them more visually appealing

with versus without halftoning! in firealpace you achieve this by using a 8-bit layer (one highlighted) once you add the layer hit the gear icon by the layer and use that to modify the halftoning to your choosing

i usually have mine with a density of 40 but you can tweak it to your choosing. you can also change the blending type on these types of layers i usually just use multiply/ add and occasionally overlay. mess around with the opacity! make it more or less subtle! have fun!

halftoning is tricky to use in firealpaca however due to the way it works. usually i apply it with my soft crayon brush since it hangs around 35% opacity. you can get a more dense halftoning using more or less opacity on your brush and can go back and forth over the halftoning to layer more on. you can also layer two different layers of halftoning to create interesting effects

two different halftoning layers laid on top of each other ^

more opacity + two different halftoning layers laid on top of each other ^

when you go to combine all your layers however because 8bit layers when combined with regular layers lose their halftoning properties. my way around this when combining everything is going layer > merge all when going to finish up and convert everything to png.

that, for the most part is all the technical stuff. i wish i could tell you how i knew what colors to pick but for me i usually pick some variation of green and just go with it. i usually pick the lineart color with my background colors in my mind and go from there until i get bored. complimentary colors such as blue/ orange and red/ green are usually good picks.

did you notice the background/ lineart is green in this picture? that's because the red cancels it out. i sneak it in there sometimes C:

that's pretty much the how of it all, as for the where, usually my bed

that's all

[theink-stainedfolk]

Yellow, like Sunflower

He had a lovely voice. I was stopped by his incredibly wonderful voice. Although it wasn't polite to gawk, his voice was incredibly lovely. It was yellow, and it was a lovely shade of sunflower yellow. His smile was equally as lovely as the sun's, which is beaming down on Sunflower. I was anticipating his warm sunrays like a sunflower.

"Would you like to see our book stall, please?" He spoke to me. I was too astonished to speak.

He sighed in shame and rubbed his head. "But if you don't want to, that's absolutely great too. Not everyone likes books, do they? Haha.."

"I LOVE READING." I spoke out loud. He was also gazing at me, shocked because everything had happened a little too rapidly. "Would you mind showing me your book collections? I... I love books." I muttered.

He smiled while directing me to his cubicle.

"Thank you; in all honesty, I noticed a lot of people reading on the internet and such, but I now know that not many people find books to be enjoyable. We might have to go back, I was afraid." He spoke.

"Many people do, but they are not present; if they were, your entire stall would already be empty. The event was held in the scientific department, which is a problem." I muttered. Sometimes the university's rules are awful.

He chuckled. "You're correct. major in history?"

"Close up, English major." I grinned.

"Heyo! You've at last acquired a client!" A young woman with short blue hair and a jumpsuit yelled with a moss-green voice.

"Naturally, a literary major would visit this place." A boy who looked like a Victorian poet, had freckles, and spoke in a stream-blue voice stated.

"You guessed it perfectly; I believed he majored in history." The boy who had a voice like a sunflower stated.

"Obviously, you are so... What was another word for dumb?" The young man dressed in poetic garb pondered. "Dense?" I spoke up.

The boy's fingers were snapped. "That is the phrase! Dense! Dense-head"

"Hey buddy,I thought we were friends." I felt a small nudge from the boy with the Sunflower-like voice. And my entire body started to tingle with electricity.

"I'm Bitna Kim, also known as Betty. majoring in sculpture" Making a V-sign with her hands, the young woman with the moss-like voice spoke.

"Cecil Morrison major in history." He said while winking.

" My name is Hidaka Taiyou, you can call me Taiyou. I also major in history." Even his name had a lovely sound to it. Twice clapping his hands, Taiyou called attention to himself.

"Let's give him some room to shop however he wants! Right ….?"

"My name is Elatha Donovan. major in literature. I'm glad to have met you all."

"Yes, give Elatha some room. Back to work, everyone!"

I browsed every book, but I wasn't sure what I should get.

The tone of his voice made it clear who was behind me when he asked, "In dilemma?"

"I don't really read fantasy, so could you suggest a book that you enjoy?" I asked

"The books are called Trials of Apollo; Apollo is the Greek god of the sun and one of my favourite gods. The stall has two of them, but if you want more, I have the entire series at home." Taiyou said.

"Oh." I'm not sure whether this is just a coincidence, but meeting a boy with a voice like Sunflower and having him recommend a book about a sun god to me is overwhelming. "I really appreciate that, and I'll be sure to contact you if I need the third book as well." I said shyly 

"Haha, you'll come for sure. See you then!" I waved to him and started walking over to Cecil to give the money.

When my heart compelled me to act,I handed him my favourite book of poetry and said, "Here. I particularly like this one; it's called 'Yesterday I Was the Moon.' By Noor Unnahar. If you need any additional poetry books, feel free to contact me." My cheeks suddenly began to warm up with embarrassment. "Then, I'll see you then. Bye!" I said as I sprinted back to my apartment from the university.

[zenosanalytic]

OK, So:

I'm watching this video essay from acollierastro(which is great, and you should watch it), and as you can see it's mainly about space elevators, but in the course of explaining the challenges with THAT she brings up a a point that I LOVE that NO SPACE TRAVEL FIC EVER Mentions, which is Interstellar(she calls it Galactic, which is Also a good name uwu) Navigation.

Like: stars move, and they don't move at the same rate, and they don't move in straight lines because gravity curves space. We tend to think of space travel as a straight path from point A to point B but NO! That's not what you have to do(coincidentally this is also one of the many, Many reasons why the dark forest hypothesis is bullshit)!! What you have to do is send a Leetle ship from One chaoticly moving object(the solar system), through an unknown and chaotically dynamic medium(Spess), to ANOTHER, Specific, chaoticly moving object(your destination), and you have to do that accurately, over numerous light-years, understanding that EVERY slowdown or course-change which occurs due to malfunction or for the safety of the leetle ship will DRASTICALLY change your needed course and resource requirements, oh and ALSO: the only idea you have for where the destination-star could be is where it was many MANY years(possibly centuries or millennia) in the past. Like: even if you choose a star you have a long history of observation for, and thus numerous datapoints for calculating its velocity and vector, it may not be where you expect it to be because some Event you haven't witnessed altered its trajectory, or simply because it moved through a star-dense area and all that gravity altered its course.

Interstellar navigation is SUCH a huge problem, such a COMPLEX problem Filled with unknowns and (due to the scale of the distances and speeds involved and the limitations of detection)unknowables, and so many people just ignore it! And I mean: that's fine for Star Trek and the like, it's a conceit that allows for cool stories, but when someone's trying to present themselves as talking about this IRL, or their SciFi as "Hard" and "Grounded", and they IGNORE the MASSIVE PROBLEM of navigation, I just find it really difficult to take them seriously.

And so I liked that she brought it up ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Anyway: enough of my ranting :p :p

[witchcraftingboop]

Hi! May I ask which are some good super starter or basic grimoires? I tried Agrippa and just...it didn't go in...i have the Picatrix but I honestly think I'll just get the same result, it's way above my head. Is there anything simple i might "get" or should I honestly just accept it's not for me and move on? Thank you!

Hey, so I have this post right here that goes over why no grimoire that's worth learning from with the intent to practice it through is going to be classified as beginner/starter/etc. So I'm not going to rehash that part.

As for "getting" Agrippa, I think it's important to remember that it's an encyclopedia. As such, when you're beginning to explore grimoires, it's best to use it as a reference book. Can you use Agrippa as the foundation of your own practice? Yes, but unless you're already familiar with occult concepts and topics, it might require far more than one or two surface readings to fully digest what it's talking about.

So since it sounds like you're newer to grimtrad circles, I have a few books that I think might help build that foundation without all the dense walls of text and jargon to read through (though please bear in mind that I struggle to remember what is/not common knowledge even in mundane matters, so if some of these are a bit trickier to navigate, feel free to blame it on my incompetence):

A Deed Without A Name by Lee Morgan (staple)

Conjuring Spirits by Miller (Miller's work is v good)

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish (read critically, don't accept everything blindly)

The Hermetic & Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus - Waite & Paracelsus (denser)

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in Greek and Roman Worlds

Elucidation of Necromancy

Celestial Intelligences by Kaminsky (denser)

Wortkunning

Some books that I worked with or through that seem easy enough to bring to real life application, with the right dedication and mindset:

The 6th & 7th Books of Moses

The Sworn Book of Honorius

The Book of Oberon

Seven Spheres & Gateways: Through Stone and Circle (1 book) & Through Light and Shadow (different book) - best combo, anyone can practice these really

Keys of Solomon & Grimorium Verum & Secrets of Solomon - solid combo

The Goetia of Dr. Rudd (a particular fave)

The Complete Mystical Records of Dr. John Dee (learn a bit of Latin first or have a solid translator on deck)

Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) & Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies & Techniques of Greco-Egyptian Magic - best combo, imo

Orphic Hymns Grimoire & The Hekatæon & Tartaros - another good combo

The 32 Keys

Azoëtia & The Black Dragon series

Book of St. Cyprian

I think it's worth mentioning that reading more is a great way to broaden your awareness of occult concepts and topics. If you look at how things are considered across different dedicated areas of study, then you're more likely to understand the foundations of said thing. One perspective is very limiting. It's better to seek out multiple. By reading from the first list, which should give a pretty solid introductory to broad concepts, and then sifting through the grimoires mentioned, you should be able - through applying yourself properly to the task - gain an understanding of how these things may function/interact in a living tradition, and then through applying them yourself gain the practical knowledge of how they actually are.

And as a closing note: I would personally recommend leaving behind the idea that you're supposed to "get" occult books. You study from them, you learn what you can from them, and through implementing what they speak of and experimenting with what interests you, you acquire that knowledge plus your own discovered knowledge and heightened awareness. In this way, you'll come to realize why I refer to my engagement with the occult as a study and practice.

Of course, if none of this was helpful, you can feel free to disregard my input here as the ramblings of a twenty-something nobody. Have a good one!

[stardewsnail]

Alex SFW Alphabet

SFW Requests are CLOSED

Bold  = complete

Italicized = available

crossed out = in progress

Remaining: Z, Y, X, W, V, U, S, Q, P, O, G, E, B

Snail’s Directory

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

I hc Alex as the most physically affectionate of the singles. He wants to be touching his partner at all times because that’s how he feels safest. Linked hands, brushing shoulders, arm around their waist—please let this man nap in your lap while you play with his hair. It’s all he wants.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Alex is the most touchy feely of all the Bachelors he is the lap dog that doesn’t know (or care) how big he is. He is the cuddler at all times. Will cuddle all hours of the day. The only thing that makes him hesitate to get to his work out. He has to be touching his partner at all times. He is a love.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Looking at Alex, you wouldn’t think he’d be particularly adept at domestic labor but that is incorrect. He’s been helping out ever since his mom got sick, and then especially once he moves in with his elderly grandparents. This man can cook, clean, and fix things around the house. Which is great because this boy cannot wait to settle down and have a family of his own. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Alex is someone who wants to create the stable family he never had—I think once he fell he’d fall hard and the obvious answer is marriage. Definitely a monogamy kinda guy, he’s looking for his person. He’d want to get married fairly quickly, not really seeing a point in waiting. 

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Alex is aware he’s a big guy. He knows he’s strong so he tries to be gentle—he can get a little over excited and pick up his partner in the heat of the moment. When it comes to sex, he will be so so careful unless his partner is into leaving bruises and being manhandled. Emotionally…he’s a little dense. He tries his best but he has a hard time parsing other’s emotions. His biggest problem would be going into problem solving an issue (often times badly) rather than having sympathy.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Alex loves hugs. He especially loves coming up to hug his partner from behind so he can smoosh his face in their neck. Frankly he would carry his partner around on his back all day if they’d let him. He also gives excellent hugs. Warm, just the right squeeze, and he also smells unoffensively of something axe adjacent.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?

If Alex hadn’t had the positive influence of his grandparents really loving each other, I think he would avoid saying it as long as possible. As is, he takes care when he says it. He has to be sure of his feelings and that he’s saying it with meaning and truth.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Alex is nervous about kissing, but he really, really likes it. He loves to receive forehead kisses (even if his partner will likely have to pull him down to their level to reach!). They really make him melt. He likes to kiss his partner on the shoulder, or the crook of their neck—it just feels especially intimate to come up and hug them from behind and press a quick kiss to whatever exposed skin he can reach.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Alex loves kids—he so wants to be a dad and care for his child the way he never was. He’s scared shitless by the idea, but he knows that’s what he wants. He’s one of those guys that’s just nice to every kid he interacts with—Vincent thinks Alex is really cool because Alex will play catch with him if he asks and he’s sort of become a secondary elder brother which had ended with him being an unlikely friend of Sam’s.  

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Kinda glad M and N were requested together because they’re similar—Alex thrives on routine, so he’s going to be up at the same time doing the same thing every day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Once again, big into his routine (brush teeth, wash face, put on pjs, etc) but part of his routine that CANNOT be skipped is cuddling before bed. Its required.  Nothing he can do about it, sorry. Please lay directly on top of him and let him hold you.

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Alex is the type to be open from the beginning but not realize the magnitude of what he says. Like he will just drop some traumatic backstory like it’s funny or like it’s no big deal.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It’s going to be getting married. He absolutely cries at the altar at how wonderful his spouse looks and he’s gonna be so emotional trying to get through his vows. He gets to spend the rest of his life with his best friend. He couldn’t ask for more.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Alex is going to try really hard with every date, gift, and anniversary. He’s more hit or miss with everyday stuff, but give him some practice and he’ll get the hang of it. While he puts a lot of effort into it, expect traditional things—roses, chocolates, dinners—he’s sweet and a little old fashioned but he really treats his partner like a gentleman. 

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

[imustbenuts]

yakuza 1 kiwami thoughts after finishing it, very mixed feelings about this game :v

WHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. WHO. HOW. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS. the story. the COMBAT.

i get it. i really do. this is probably a project they started and finished in a short time by reusing assets and pulling the old motion capture data from the master and applying it in the remake. the future of the series hinged on this very flawed original ps2 game. the pacing doesnt let the story sink in and ferment as a result of this ps2 mocap. i get it.

the graphic updates are great. majima everywhere is actually really fun. kamurocho is super cool. the dialogues in the substories and MES are zingers. wonderful. amazing. the pores on everyone's face, fuck yeah. gimme that!

BUT. the main game makes me want to drop a sega arcade machine in front of SEGA's building over in japan. the maimai machines are getting it.

because i genuinely. i dont understand why certain decisions are done in the creation of this game.

story wise i get trying to preserve the og as much as possible and changing things as minimally as possible but. but. i would have re-written a lot of things. hell, i would have rewritten at least one thing and that is yumi.

as it is theres a lot of bits that seems like *checks notes* mr. yokoyama was on the fence about. but sir. SIR.

if you flesh out nishiki, flesh out yumi too. they are a package deal to kiryu's character foundations. im actually really ok with nishiki despite that ending where kiryu and nishiki dont talk! but then yumi??? she hasnt endeared me. COME ON SEDUCE ME MR. YOKOYAMA, SEDUCE ME WITH HER LIKE YOU DO YOUR MEN! im playing as kiryu, so for the love of GOD SEDUCE/ENDEAR HER TO ME.

щ(゜ロ゜щ)!!! WYD!!! you kind of did it with reina with y0!! sir!!

and also, why is yumi's tattoo and literal key defining trait is that shes beautiful (with the gekka bijin shit) and thats. it. beauty = instant love interest for kiryu and nishiki. this was already stupid in 2005 asian dramas, it was stupid in the 90s and its still stupid today. (source: me with all these asian dramas absorbed as background noise growing up)

if yumi doesnt get fleshed out, then drop the romance. just tone it down or drop it altogether. id even argue theres even maybe a better foundation for her to be kiryu's sister than romance, but thats my personal opinion stemming purely from the lack of polish she gets.

there is no in between here imo. the problem is that kiryu seems very... dense when it comes to romance and sex to the point that he reads like one on the ace spectrum. in y0 hes 20 and so reads like his brain was button mashing the hormones, so that still tracks for me. i can also accept him being attracted to anyone but that attraction must come with screen time. he spends more time thinking about nishiki and worrying where haruka's mom is than he thinks about yumi.

this poor butchered girl. yumi's character quality is like. as good as the ring he gave her. a mcguffin. hhhhhhgh. and then she dies getting shot by the guy she decided to move on with while kiryu is in jail instead of waiting for him, like shes... getting punished for it... jesus christ this writing choice is dreadful.

fine whatever... j-drama tragedy and all that. i can still accept all of these flaws bc y7 and y8 are such a GREAT time, and mr. yokoyama has clearly gotten better at this writing thing.

in retrospect for y8 personally, maybe kiryu is so dense he doesnt realize this love is more like a crush or some platonic or familial affection. and in y8 that has evolved into a twisted what if scenario hitch-hiking on his sense of longing for an alternate future that isnt rooted in any reality. (did they date???????????? even stayed together for a while to see if they were compatible in their daily lives or language? i think majima has even cleared the dating hurdle with MES here...)

THE COMBATTTT WHYYYYYYYYYYY

im. what. what is this. did people QA this enough?

so a bit about Game Design: Crowding.

generally, when the Player Character in an action game is surrounded by multiple enemies, it is ALWAYS a good idea to code some semblance of chill into the AI. if a few enemies starts whacking the PC, then the others in the crowd must hang back and chill. otherwise the PC gets stun locked and their health drains to a flat 0 leading to a game over in a snap.

fps games does this by purposefully making enemies have poor aim.

action games does this by limiting the amounts of attacks on screen from enemies.

so. why is it. the enemies here have a built in auto dodge, block and a stun lock dog piling brain.

not even monster hunter has this amount of read coded into their attack patterns. neither does the souls games. it's also offset by the longer than usual attack animations that asks the player to both read and commit on the screen from enemies and their own avatars alike.

but y1k. ?? ?? ?? ? ??????????????????? w h y. why did it toss out this piece of common sense out the window for the 2 brothers boss fight in debolah and for jingu. naze. doushite. wei shen me. WHY.

i think the most telling thing is when, during multiple BULLSHIT fights i was constantly thinking how i wished i was fighting majima instead...

majima is such a saving grace for me here. what a frustrating ride.

y1k reminds me so much of the same flaws gintama had early on, and i know for a fact things get good and there are good things in here. i really do like some of the plot points. but ugh. ghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhg.

it just wasn't. sincere enough. you know?

tiger drop.

[eccentric-nucleus]

anyway in news not about web fiction i decided to get a city on mars recently, and while i was getting it i also got a few other books, so i might do some brief book reports as i try to work through them

'a city on mars' was basically as expected? the secret twist is that the entire latter half is about space law and how complicated the existing space law is & how, no, you can't just have some people set up homesteads and call it a win for private ownership. it's complicated. but they did have a whole chapter about the ecological aspect, namely, we (as humans) have no clue how to construct and maintain a fully-sealed biosphere, and there's very little (though not no) funding going towards running, you know, Biosphere 3-through-5000 experiments to figure that out. it's kind of vitally important to be able to grow food and produce oxygen in a closed loop, and we can't really even do it on earth much less in outer space or on another planet. (the iss for reference gets oxygen through electrolysis, and it gets water by collecting urine etc as well as environmental humidity. they're solar-powered. so plants aren't necessarily required for oxygen so long as you have a lot of water & water recycling; it's just a question of how much algae sludge you want people to be eating.)

anyway, it was basically some pop sci light reading where i basically already knew their basic thesis & conclusion. reading books that agree with my worldview, that's me

the next book in my pile is reigning the river, which is... we'll see. i'm only a chapter into it so far & i'm not sure i'm gonna read the whole thing, depending on what it focuses on. it's way more densely anthropological, so sometimes the prose gets a little frustrating to read, but i mean. that's scholarly texts for you. i really need to read more of this and fewer webnovels V:

so far it's mostly just sharply underlining: hey this shit is complicated. there's a dense web of social, legal, technological, political, and religious factors that go into basically anything that happens, and so now here are 200 pages about how those apply to this specific river. this is about the years 1991-2008, roughly, and there's a little statement somewhere that's like "the book documents the rocky past of the bagmati and closes on the formation of a promising new river action plan." well as it turns out history doesn't just stop happening and the river action plan didn't turn out so great. apparently the thing they're currently trying (in 2023) is making huge dams to collect rainwater in artificial lakes during the rainy season so they can release water during the dry season to keep the river flowing at all. several scientists involved have been like "that's not gonna work" but they're gonna build some dams anyway!!

anyway it looks to be an interesting if potentially frustrating and depressing read given the decade-and-change of stuff that's happened after it was published.