#my country the new age ask meme
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nubreed73 · 6 months ago
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For the ask the vidder questions: 10, 12, 21!
10/J - What was the best comment you’ve received on one of your vids?
Nothing can ever top the brilliance of this comment (from a vidder I adore) on my JGY Vexercise
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12/L - Most underrated vid that you wished had gotten more views?
On AO3, I would say Green Light which is in my personal top 2 out of all my MCTNA vids but has one of the smallest hitcounts for a full-length fanvid. It however has a ton more views on YouTube so going off YouTube hits alone, it would be Lonely Weather (KIngdom)
21/U How would you describe your vidding style?
Music/flow-centric - I very rarely edit songs and I have never vidded a song that I don't love. Precision in the edit is imperative to me and I obsess over the minutae of the timing.
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reactionimagesdaily · 18 days ago
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Reaction images aside, how are you holding up?
Aww, thanks for asking. :P
To be honest, I'm probably doing better than most. I'm a healthy cishet white man who lives in the UK, so I don't have nearly as much to worry about as I know a lot of people do. (Also hey, I'm enjoying the new Dragon Age game, so that's been nice.) But I also know what kind of ramifications this election is bound to have, both inside the US and beyond.
(I mean, the world's biggest democracy is getting overtly more hostile and authoriarian in real time (y'know. again), and I know on this side of the pond we've got some real brain donors who'd love to see something similar happen here. I'm worried about what Trump could do once he's back in charge, and I'm worried about what might happen to my own country, with it's 'special relationship' to the US, as a result. And I'm not alone in that.
All this on a fuckin' Wednesday...)
Anyway, I had a longer thing written out here about the concept of orthopraxis (just while I was trying to get my thoughts in order, lmao) but the core of what I want to say is this:
I think we're about to see an uptick in people being shitty
I'm going to counter that by doing un-shitty things
What do I mean by un-shitty things? Well, I've been meaning to participate in Amnesty International's 'Write For Rights' campaign for months - I just fired off my first email today. I've already donated to causes supporting Gaza in the past, but now I'm also planning to write to my local MP about how annoyed I am that my country is still culpable in genocide. Make my voice heard, you know? I also want to keep making art that people enjoy, because I think that's important. And I'm going to buy another commission from an artist I like, because they could probably use something good in their life right now. And... to be honest, I'm not sure what else I'll do yet. When I figure it out, though, I'll try and actually do it.
Maybe for you, un-shitty things mean something smaller scale. Hugging your loved ones for longer, or giving that loose change you always carry around to the next homeless person you see. That's good too. Maybe it's something larger in scale, and that's awesome! But to anyone who's reading this, I'd definitely recommend doing something that not only feels good, but is also TANGIBLE. Not only does doing feel good, but it means that you're improving someone else's life, in however small a way. Which, y'know. Net positive, innit.
(Yes, I'm aware this is basically the 'when you see someone being so mean it inspires you to be kinder meme', lmao. No, I don't really care.)
You asked me how I'm holding up? Well, the first thing I'd like to do is respond to your question in kind: how are you holding up? In a general sense? In specific ways? Hopes, anxieties, plans?
And the next thing I'm going to do is tell you that I'm more than holding up.
I'm locking in.
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libraryofgage · 11 months ago
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PJO Steddie Seven
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six
PJO show is living rent free in my head everyone. I love that funky little fantasy show
Anyway, welcome to part 7, where we learn more about some of the kids' powers, get a peek into Steve's growing troubles with his powers, and Steddie get a fun little development too
As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)
Oh! And a meme, another meme for you at the end lol
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While the kids have no problem adjusting to Camp Half-Blood and making friends (several of the other campers have asked El to freeze them if only because they think it's funny), Steve runs into a few bumps. He's not used to relaxing. He's not used to letting his guard down and having the children out of sight for so long. And he's definitely not used to his powers feeling beyond his control whenever Eddie is around, which is...well, always.
Don't get Steve wrong. He likes being around Eddie. In fact, he looks forward to it. Steve hasn't smiled or laughed this much or been around someone his own age in a while. It's new and kind of weird and just a little scary.
But it doesn't at all help with his growing nervous energy. He keeps waiting for a shoe to drop, quickly followed by another. It never does, and Steve fully realizes what a problem this is when Eddie is in his room one day and casually says, "Your clouds are different."
Steve blinks, looking over at Eddie in one of the chairs. He has a guitar in his lap, idly strumming as Steve's phone plays music for them. Steve had just been nodding off, feeling relaxed and sleepy when Eddie spoke. "What do you mean?" he asks.
"They changed again." Eddie says, frowning slightly as he points at the clouds drifting along the ceiling. They're a slate color now, not exactly brewing up a storm but looking ready to start pouring down on them. They aren't gloomy, though. It's more like...like the tension you feel when a natural disaster is about to strike and the clouds are the only warning you'll get of its arrival. "They were starting to turn white, but they're grey again."
"Oh," Steve says, flopping back on the bed with a sigh. "They're supposed to reflect my mood."
He hears the chair shift and steps coming closer to the bed before Eddie sprawls across the mattress next to him. "What's got you so grey, sweetheart?" he asks. Their hands aren't touching, but Steve can feel that now-familiar buzz at his fingertips, the little arches of lightning begging to reach out if he'd only let them.
Steve curls his fingers into a fist, refusing to succumb to the urge. He considers lying, just brushing off the question, but then he makes the mistake of looking at Eddie. He looks right into Eddie's brown eyes, and his resolve crumbles. His fist uncurls, their fingertips brush, and he allows a harmless spark to pass between them. "I'm just on edge," he says, looking back at the ceiling and watching the clouds. "Restless, I guess."
"You're used to fighting monsters and moving across the country, Stevie," Eddie says, sliding his hand closer to Steve's so their fingers are tangled together and a current begins to pass between them. "Being all...still is getting to you."
"Yeah, no shit," Steve says with a quiet snort. "Can't do anything about it."
"Well...there is Capture the Flag next week," Eddie points out, shifting closer, like their hands aren't enough. Now their arms and shoulders are pressed together, and Steve inexplicably feels some of that nervous energy disappear, like Eddie is taking it from him. "It can be an all-out bloodbath, you know."
Steve huffs softly, getting a wry smile. "I'm not sure anyone's gonna want to be on my team," he says. The other campers avoid him. Despite his best efforts, his attack on the patrol campers spread fast and mean, and everyone is a little wary. "So, unless I can be on a team by myself, it probably isn't gonna happen."
A few beats of silence pass, and Steve is about to assume he's somehow fucked up the conversation when Eddie says, "You wouldn't be alone. There's me. And the kids. And I could get the Hermes Cabin to partner with you. Plus, you know, you're a Zeus kid, Stevie. You ask to be in charge and nobody's gonna argue."
He...hadn't thought of that. Steve frowns slightly, letting the idea turn in his mind. It would be a challenge, of course, especially if all the other cabins decide to team up. But...a challenge means pushing himself, reaching limits he's never come close to, letting go completely and losing himself in the battle, whether he wins or not.
The clouds above them start to roll, broiling with the energy of a storm that's all thunder and lightning, and excitement surges through Steve. He doesn't even realize he's letting it get the better of him until Eddie yelps and jerks his hand away.
Steve blinks, jerking up and reaching out to Eddie but stopping halfway. "I'm sorry," he says, frowning slightly as he watches Eddie look at his hand. "I'm really sorry. Are you hurt?"
"No, no, it was more...," Eddie trails off, and then he gets an obnoxious grin and looks up at Steve. "It was more the shock of it."
A beat passes before Steve groans, grabs his pillow, and whacks Eddie in the face with it. Eddie dramatically falls back on the bed, lamenting Steve's cruelty and superior fighting skills as Steve laughs. When Eddie finally stops hamming it up, he pushes the pillow away and says, "So, I'd guess you're excited?"
Steve rolls his eyes, his cheeks hurting from smiling. "I...have an idea already, yeah," he says, looking at Eddie and leaning closer. "Wanna hear it?"
"Hell yeah," Eddie says, his eyes lighting up as Steve lays it all out.
And so begins a week of planning.
It's a week (most of which was spent convincing the Hermes Cabin to join his team and agree to just sit back and guard the flag) that leaves Steve buzzing with energy on the day of Capture the Flag. Eagerness makes his limbs tingle and his body beg to pace as he looks over the demigods in front of him. It's just the Hermes Cabin, Eddie, and the kids, meaning they're facing off against the rest of the camp.
He can't blame the Hermes kids for looking like they've already been defeated. The only reason they're still hanging around, Steve is sure, is because he and the kids promised to do all of their chores for two months if they lose.
Steve takes a deep breath, rolls his shoulders back, and consciously lets go of the Mist around him. He's used to holding it close, using it to cover himself and make him look, well, weaker, that he has to purposefully send it off. He knows the moment it's completely abandoned him; the demigods all stand straighter, only the kids and Eddie dare to meet his eyes, and the snakes poking through the hole in El's beanie start tasting the air with interest.
"You've put your faith in me," Steve says, his volume normal but his voice still booming in the otherwise silent clearing. "You probably think we're fucked, but you'd be wrong. So, listen up. I will be offense. Eddie, Will, and El will be extraction. And you, with the strength of numbers, will be defense. Guard this flag with your life, and we will win. If any of the enemy manages to slip past me, hold steady. You are the final line of defense. Your job is the most important, and I expect you to give it your all."
The hesitant expressions have become impassioned, if not a bit confused by the fact. Steve grins at them, feeling the air crackle between his teeth as his excitement grows. He exhales sparks, his fingers buzzing and his skin close to bursting.
Steve doesn't often pray to Zeus. He's never felt a need to, and several goddesses have made themselves better known to him. But now, as excited for the fight as he is, Steve thinks to Zeus, If you've never watched me before, then watch me now.
He puts on his Blue-Team helmet, the distant horn ringing in his ears as the lightning floods through him, and heads into battle.
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Eddie's role is simple: keep El and Will from getting hurt. He'd be offended at the simplicity if he weren't already plenty aware of his inability to fight well. He's built for defense and retreat, which is why he's got his shield at the ready and is preparing himself to jerk the kids back at the slightest hint of danger.
They're crouching behind some dense bushes, Will and El peeking through the gaps at some Red-Team campers, the first line of defense for the red flag. "So, what's the plan?" Eddie whispers, shifting slightly as he looks between the two kids. Thunder rumbles, and it takes every shred of Eddie's self-control to not look at the gathering storm clouds above them.
"Will makes them daydream," El whispers back, her beanie squirming as though the snakes can feel their imminent freedom. "If that does not work, I will turn them to stone."
Eddie slowly nods, glancing at Will as he cups his hands to his mouth and whispers unintelligible words into them. "And, uh, how is making them daydream supposed to help with distractions?" he asks.
"They are very strong daydreams," El replies.
Will finishes whispering, and a purple dust-like swirling mist is nestled in his palms. He nods to El, waiting for her to carefully make a larger opening in the leaves before gently blowing the mist from his hands. Eddie watches as it twists and curls around the Red-Team campers, slipping under their sleeves and floating to their ears and eyes. The mist settles there, a thin and nearly imperceptible film that Eddie wouldn't know to see if he hadn't watched Will make it.
A few seconds pass as the campers slowly relax, their grips on their weapons loosening until a few swords fall to the ground. El waits a few more seconds before picking up a sizeable pebble and throwing it at a tree across from them. Despite making a loud thud when it hits and falls to the ground, none of the campers blink or move an inch. The only movement Eddie can see is a slight sway and the occasional twitch of fingers, like their body is trying to follow through on movements they make in their daydreams.
"Metal," Eddie whispers, keeping pace with El and Will as they move out from behind the bush. If everything is this easy, they'll get back in time to see Steve fighting. Eddie would love if he could see Steve fighting again. "How did you do that?"
Will flushes slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not a lot, really," he says, his voice quiet and a little embarrassed. "I mean, I just use dream-speak to give the daydreams specific emotions and then send it over."
"Dream-speak?"
"You know how you can't read in dreams? And if you try to remember exact conversations, you can only get snippets or a word or two? That's dream-speak," Will explains. He thinks for a few seconds before adding, "It's, um, supposed to feel intangible."
"How long does it last?"
"Usually," El says, her voice soft as she pauses and gestures for Eddie and Will to follow, "around twenty minutes. But it depends on the person." She leads them to large boulder, all of them ducking behind it in time for some Red-Team campers to walk by.
"Holy shit," one of them says, looking in the distance at the gathering storm clouds as she slows down. "Man, I am fucking glad we're not fighting that Zeus kid."
"No kidding," the other mumbles. "He's a monster."
Eddie has heard plenty of people call Steve a monster in the past week. Most of them say it with awe in their voices, unable to find any other word to describe the sheer power they saw from Steve. But others, like the one here, say it like Steve is a monster for them to defeat for the glory of it.
He clenches his jaw, grip on his shield straps tightening some. Before he can do anything, El reaches up to her beanie, and Will slaps a hand over Eddie's eyes. He hears the hiss of a writhing mass of snakes, aborted shouts, and then nothing. When Will takes his hand away, the two campers are statues, shock and terror contorting their expressions. El, with her beanie back in place, considers them for a moment before turning. "We should keep moving."
Eddie doesn't argue, but he does hold up a fist to El, grinning when she slowly bumps it with her own. She then turns to Will, her expression expectant, and she flashes her own tiny smile that matches Will's when their fists gently bump together.
Of every game Eddie has participated in, this game of Capture the Flag is by far his most relaxed. Will and El seem to have plenty of experience sneaking around and launching sneak-attacks. The closest Eddie gets to seeing any kind of action is when a Red-Team camper happens to stumble across them on their way back from the bathroom. Even then, before Eddie can raise his shield to block their sword, El slides in front of him and rips off her beanie.
"Thanks," he says, keeping his gaze away until the beanie is back on.
"You are welcome," El replies, staying quiet for a few seconds before adding, "Steve would be sad if you got hurt."
With that statement dropped on him, she continues leading the way to the Red-Team base. By the time they reach it, several Red-Team campers have been deployed to support the other campers fighting Steve. Between those, the ones stationed on the other side of the forest, and the campers they've disposed of, only twenty remain to guard the flag.
"I'm surprised the Athena kids aren't more prepared for you," Eddie whispers, glancing at El. She's the kind of secret weapon everyone knows about and prepares for, but he hasn't seen any of that so far.
El glances at Eddie, considering her response for a few moments before looking at Will. When he nods, she says, "I have not told Steve, but the Head Camper for Athena approached me two days ago. She offered me a personally-designed weapon if I did not use my powers during the game."
"El agreed," Will says, picking up the explanation with ease, "and promised not to use her powers to steal the flag."
"I am not stealing the flag," El finishes, a proud smile tugging at her lips, "I am capturing it."
"You're a little devil, you know that?" Eddie asks, grinning brightly.
"No. I am a little gorgon."
-----
They leave a garden of statues in their wake, and El takes a few moments to sigh and say it's not as good as her mother's before they leave with the Red-Team flag carefully hidden under Will's shirt. As they approach the border between the team territories, the sounds of battle grow. Swords clash, fighters shout, and lightning cracks between them all.
"We can take the long way," Eddie offers, his tone reluctant as he glances in the direction of the fight. They're close enough that a few trees are singed on the edges from lightning strikes, and Eddie holds his shield tighter. Letting the kids get anywhere near that fight isn't protecting them, and he should direct them in a wide circle around it.
But something is calling him, urging him closer to the fight in a way he's never felt before. He's not an Ares kid---Eddie has no desire to enter a blood bath---but he gets the feeling that Steve is going to need him soon.
"El and I can make it by ourselves," Will offers. "It's only a few feet away, and the game ends once we cross, right?"
Eddie nods, frowning before taking a deep breath. "No, it's okay," he says, waving for the kids to keep moving. "We'll try to head straight through and end the game sooner."
It's a choice he was expecting to regret, but doesn't get the chance. Nobody notices them, even when they get close enough to see a swarm of Red-Team campers surrounding Steve. None of them glance in their direction, too distracted by the fight to spare any attention to three insignificant campers sneaking by. Thunder rumbles endlessly above them, a deafening soundtrack that's only broken by cracks of lightning striking the ground and knocking campers back a few feet.
"Steve is having fun," El observes, sounding happy for him as they approach the Blue-Team border.
"He's never really let go, huh?" Eddie asks, getting a quick peek at Steve through the swarm. He lost his helmet at some point, leaving his feral expression and static-raised hair in full view, and arches of lightning jump across his body, occasionally reaching out to strike any Red-Team campers that get too close.
"No," Will says, his voice soft as they approach the border. The moment Will steps over, the horn sounds in the distance, and Eddie waits for the fighting to stop.
But it doesn't. Nobody in the swarm seems to realize the game is over. They continue to attack Steve, and Steve continues to fight against them, the air churning and sparking and ready to burst. A few seconds pass before Eddie realizes they won't stop until only one side is left standing. He gets it. Kind of. Steve carries the air of royalty; a challenge. If you can beat the son of Zeus, a literal Prince of Olympus, the glory of that achievement is untold. And it seems his fellow campers have fallen prey to that glory, utterly lost to it
Eddie feels that urge to join Steve surge through him again. He swallows around a sudden lump of nerves in his throat, searching for any other peek at Steve he can get as he says, "You guys go ahead. I'll help Steve. We'll catch up."
He doesn't bother waiting for El or Will to answer. He just rushes into the battle, something he never expected himself to do. Somehow, he doesn't meet any resistance. Lightning strikes the ground around him, pushing Red-Team campers back and urging him on, and Eddie wonders if Steve knows he's coming.
When he finally reaches the center of the battle, he sees Steve swing his bat against someone's side, the nails dragging painfully before he kicks the person back. Steve has lost his chest plate as well, and the only armor he has left are the wrist guards. There are slashes in his clothes and the edges are burnt. Eddie is almost distracted by the sight until he sees a daughter of Ares rush Steve from behind, her sword raised to bring down on his back.
In a move of unprecedented grace (seriously, Eddie will look back on that moment and never understand how he managed to not trip over himself), Eddie springs into the battle. He rushes at Steve, sliding behind him, twisting, and raising his shield in one smooth movement. The sword comes down on his shield, sending vibrations down his arm but otherwise causing no harm to him or Steve. Eddie pushes back as hard as he can, sending the daughter of Ares sprawling before pressing his back to Steve's.
"Thanks," Steve says, his words crackling and sparking against Eddie's ear. He thinks it's just a phantom sensation at first, but Eddie soon realizes lightning is literally arching between them, jumping across their shoulders and through their hair and buzzing down Eddie's chest.
He licks his lips, electric ozone lingering on his tongue, and Eddie is fascinated by the taste. "No problem," he says, his body following Steve without thinking. It's easy when he can feel the bolts of lightning between them start to shift, telling him which way Steve is going so he can keep up. "You know the game is over, right?"
"This is the most fun I've had in years," Steve replies, his tone implying that should explain everything.
And, yeah, it kind of does. He sounds genuinely happy and thrilled, his voice teeming with eagerness that's punctuated by the sound of his bat hitting a Red-Team camper in the head hard enough to make their helmet ring.
Eddie knows Steve would stop if he asked. Eddie knows he could talk Steve down from this lightning-fueled battle high. Eddie decides that wouldn't be nearly as fun.
"Okay," he says, pressing closer to Steve's back and blocking an arrow headed straight for Steve's shoulder. "Have fun, sweetheart."
Eddie didn't know it was possible, but Steve's power surges again, like it was just simmering under his skin, waiting for permission. And Eddie gave it. Bolts strike from the clouds above while arches jump across Steve and Eddie, running down their arms and leaping at Red-Team campers who get too close. They don't stop; the lightning continues to jump from camper to camper, electrocuting whoever it touches, and Eddie realizes he should have been electrocuted, too.
He blocks another sword, lightning crackling along the edges of his shield and shooting off sparks when its hit, and looks at the white-blue arches running along his arm. Without thinking, Eddie touches one, a gentle buzzing spreading through his hand as the arch transfers and jumps around his palm. It tickles more than anything else, and Eddie would think it's harmless if a Red-Team spear didn't get close enough for the lightning to jump and shock the camper unconscious.
It's not that the lightning jumping between him and Steve is harmless, Eddie realizes, it's just that it won't hurt him. He feels like some of the lightning has settled in his chest, crackling and warm and soothing. Eddie glances over his shoulder, taking in Steve's breathless smile and the way light splashes across his face with each bolt that hits the ground and the sparks that jump from his bat.
That feeling he got when he first saw Steve, the breathlessness and awestruck realization that the whole prophecy was just him, hits Eddie all over again. He lingers in it for a few seconds, letting it wash over him and settle in his limbs, before getting yanked out by a particularly close lightning bolt that makes his ears ring.
Right. A fight. That he's part of.
Eddie forces himself to focus on defending Steve's back. He blocks arrows and swords and shields and, once, a battle axe that makes his shield groan. That one pisses him off some. This shield was a gift from Hermes, a gift that showed surprising knowledge of Eddie's interests, and he'll be damned if it breaks. As though fueled by his anger, the lightning on his shield crackles and shoots down the battle axe, converging on the camper until she drops the axe with a yelp.
He doesn't get to linger on that too long; another arrow comes straight at Steve again, and Eddie is far more occupied by blocking it. And so it continues. Steve fights, lightning strikes, and Eddie defends him the entire time, giving Steve the space and security to just let go and release all the energy that had been building since he arrived at camp.
It's over sooner than he expects. One moment, Eddie's arm is buzzing from a particularly strong hit to his shield, and the next, the field is silent. Thunder still rumbles above them, lightning still crackles around them, and Eddie's heartbeat is pounding in his ears. Campers are scattered around them, all breathing but most knocked out for a while. Eddie takes a deep breath, feeling the air spark harmlessly in his lungs, and slowly lets it out.
He rolls his shoulder and retracts his shield, placing it around his neck again before turning around. "You good?" he asks, looking Steve over for any obvious injuries. His clothes are even more singed, the hem of his shirt blackened, and his hair is sticking up wildly but still somehow perfect. Steve's tense, his muscles strained as he pants, looking around them before his gaze finally lands on Eddie. He's still gripping his bat tightly, his knuckles white, and Eddie is about to gently pull it away when Steve just drops it.
Eddie blinks, frowning slightly as he starts to ask Steve if he's okay. And then he can't speak at all, because Steve's hands are cupping his cheeks and Steve's chest is pressed against his own, and Steve's lips are thoroughly occupying his. Lightning shoots through Eddie, jumping down his throat as Steve's tongue licks past his lips.
It doesn't hurt, though. Nothing from Steve could actually hurt him; instead, it makes his fingers tingle and his lips buzz and his heart jackrabbit against his ribs. Eddie is filled with an inescapable energy, and there's only one way to expel it.
So, he kisses Steve back. Eddie wraps an arm around Steve's waist to tug him closer and pushes a hand into Steve's hair, finally feeling the soft strands tangling between his fingers. He tilts his head and lets Steve have the quiet groan that slips from him when tiny bolts jump from Steve's molars to Eddie's tongue.
Eddie is breathless and floating and completely under Steve's spell and...and...and he's confused. Because Steve yanks himself away, a panicked noise in the back of his throat as he takes a step back. His chest is still heaving, but Eddie knows it's for a different reason now. Steve starts to say something, his lips swollen and red and begging Eddie to kiss him again, but no words come out.
And then he does something Eddie never expected Steve to do. He runs. He panics so badly that he runs back toward the Blue-Team base, leaving Eddie in the middle of the Red-Team carnage with a floaty brain and a stupid smile.
Maybe, if it had been anyone else, Eddie would be panicking, too. He'd be worried about the person actually liking him, worried about what the kiss meant, worried about any number of things, really. But it's Steve. Eddie knows Steve. He knows Steve's laugh and his walk and his lightning and now his kiss.
There are only two possible reasons for Steve running away: either he panicked because the kiss was too sudden, too heat-of-the-moment, or he panicked because of the literal lightning he sent through Eddie. Both are easily addressed, easy to soothe Steve down from freaking out about so they can get to kissing again.
Eddie's smile widens some, and he takes one last look at the campers around him before carefully making his way past them, figuring he should tell Chiron they'll be needing ambrosia and nectar.
-------
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For those who made it this far, a meme:
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So why do I think Dual Destinies is a dogshit game @elzux?
It all boils down to one very simple thing - almost nothing about the game feels like Ace Attorney.
I think the first important thing to note here is that by the time Dual Destinies came out, Ace Attorney had been my special interest for over 5 years. I was extremely familiar with the original trilogy, as well as Apollo Justice and both Investigations games. At that point I didn't dislike any of the games I had played, Apollo Justice was my least favourite but I still loved the game a lot.
Now to the meat. Why doesn't Dual Destinies feel like Ace Attorney? Let's break it down.
The dialogue - lacks the usual humour and snark. The game can't keep me focused on the dialogue. In a game where reading the dialogue is required to play the game. The dialogue is so, so boring and often nonsensical that I found myself skipping huge blocks of text, just because I either couldn't or didn't want to read what was going on. It's a massive drop in quality in a series that is known for its top tier dialogue, which usually effectively furthers both the plot and the characters. Here we instead have dialogue that feels like someone who only knew Phoenix Wright through early 2010s Youtube memes had written it. My favourite example is from DD-1 where Phoenix's inner dialogue reads (Noooo, come back my beautiful contradiction!). First glance, it's okay. Maybe even funny. Second glance, hold up. Phoenix would never think that. He might have used this as a punchline after 4-6 text boxes of lamenting, not just as a single one sentence reaction to one Objection by Payne, of all people.
The characters - closely tied to the dialogue. The returning characters don't act like themselves. The new characters are paper thin and without agency. The side characters are so boring I still barely remember anyone's names. Phoenix is stupid. Why is he stupid? Phoenix is goofy, yeah. He's a silly little guy. Sometimes he's slow, although his literal character arc of the first 3 games is becoming The Best Attorney Ever. He can't be stupid 10+ years into his career. Especially remembering that he JUST tried to reinvent the entire court system in his country (more on this later). That's simply not something an idiot or an incapable lawyer fucking does. Apollo isn't Apollo. He's given three new backstories here and in result, Apollo Justice ceased to exist. He was kind even if a little sarcastic, he was unsure about himself, and he was so willing to learn. And here? Here he's just a mean prick and a know-it-all. Yeah okay he's traumatised yadda yadda then why is he like that in DD-2 as well? You know, BEFORE his bEsT fRiEnD died? Also what fucking best friend? How about you talk about his mother instead? Why turn his cute speech patterns into some traumatic goddamn mess? Literally no one asked for that. Athena is an awful character for the first half of the game, then gets some meat, and is then devolved back to 0 by giving all her agency to Simon Blackquill. Amazing. THIS is the game series praised for its strong female characters? Give me a break. I don't know anything about Athena except that she's a polyglot and has PTSD. That's not a character, that's a plot device. Simon Blackquill is kinda okay but he's also the first major overstepping a line Ace Attorney does. His character is too ridiculous. Why is a death row convict a prosecutor. Even within the AA universe it just doesn't make sense. He's just too much. Bobby Fulbright/Phantom is the 3rd worst character of the entire series. Where is Klavier Gavin. And let's talk about character designs while we're here! They're awful! Not only are the 3D models ass, but Pearl Fey's aged up design is fucking horrendous! Also this is the first game that really feels like it was made for cosplayers. The characters don't feel like characters anymore. This is an anime convention in a courtroom, now.
The plot - again closely tied to the dialogue as dialogue is the main device used to move the plot along in Ace Attorney. It fucking sucks. The cases don't make sense. It's a trend started by AJ, but DD takes it a step or a hundred further. Every case is so deeply uninteresting that even after having now freshly played the first 2 cases, I couldn't really summarise their plots for you. Where's the motivation, or the motive for that matter? Who cares? Who are these people? The only interesting case is the last one, and it's only interesting because of the last half of it. That's where the game peaks, I'll admit it's even good for a moment there. Then it's of course brought down by the whole Phantom thing (refer to section "The characters"). It's so one-dimensional, something Ace Attorney has barely ever been before. It's like Berry Big Circus: The Game. I'm miserable writing this thinking about how I still have four more cases of this to go. But most importantly: WHY give Apollo all these fucking backstories? And WHY erase everything Phoenix did in AJ? Where's the jury? Why was it buried? What happened? What? Where's Klavier Gavin?
The game mechanics - this is huge. First off, let me go back to the beginning where I said by the time DD came out, I had already made Ace Attorney my entire personality. I knew those games through and through. There's this very specific Ace Attorney logic that one either has/learns along the way or doesn't. Like when you're cross examining and you can Just Tell what to press, or what to present, even if you're not entirely sure why. The games are intuitive, so to speak. Well, not DD! DD remains the only game in the series beside PLvsAA where I have to look up stuff in a guide or save scam to save my ass. DD diverts from the AA logic so much that playing it doesn't feel like Ace Attorney. I can excuse PLvsAA, it was a PL game to begin with so I can understand why sometimes the writing would be lacking, but the 5th installment of the main series!? No way. Also, the mood matrix is easy and stupid and comparable to how Pokémon for the past 10 years has tried to one up itself with each generation when there was no need. Mega evolution was great, why would we need all that other shit. Magatama was great, we don't need Perceive or Moods or Seances. Fuck you. Sorry I'm getting really riled up now. And finally, of course, the elephant in the room. Why. Why can you not examine each location? What? What the fuck? That's where the best dialogue happens. That's where you build the characters you fucking morons. In the background. That's why we have the entire stepladder thing. You can't just take that out. The moment I realised they had done this I lost all hope for the game and haven't seen it since. But Unski, there must be something you like about Dual Destinies, right? It can't all be that bad, right? Right?
Correct. Here's an exhaustive list of all the things I liked about Dual Destinies. -The OST was only the 3rd worst in the series. This isn't entirely on the composer though, it's also that while I like the orchestral arrangements well enough, they just don't quite hit the intensity I fell Ace Attorney deserves. Yes this includes DGS. -Speaking of OST, probably the best Truth theme of the series, and also some of the best Reminiscences are here. -Aura Blackquill is a solid good character with an interesting backstory and her own agenda. She is easily my favourite character in this game, and A tier in the over all series as well. -Phenomenal, haunting artwork. If you've played the game, you probably know which one I'm talking about. -Sometimes the cutscenes weren't entirely awful. -They brought back the black Psyche-Locks. If only they could have done that on someone more meaningful.
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pinkpastels113 · 2 months ago
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intro post
okay so i realized that i've never done one of these and i kinda want to!! esp for the new people following me and my side account @caitlynspistol, which i plan on keeping even if my fandoms and otp brain rots change
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name: wenz (pronounced as when-zzz, or if you're anne, whence is fine too LMAO). it's not my real name but that's what i'm comfortable with on here!
pronouns: she/her.
nicknames: i respond to girl, girlie, dude, or any cute pet names hehe
age: 22
personality type: enfj (protagonist mbti personality). i also relate to harley quinn, lexie grey, annabeth chase, red of hearts, and chloe beale (besides the barging into other people's shower part). more of a golden retriever than a black cat, esp at work and around people i like and can be myself with, but can be a standoffish opinionated moody lil binch if im pissed or annoyed lmao
lgbtq?: yes. i think im labeling myself as bi but leaning towards wlw
country: usa (even tho i be so tired of it sometimes 💀)
comfort fandom: pitch perfect and bechloe! it's the fandom that i originally joined tumblr and got an ao3 account for, and the pairing that i feel the most comfortable and natural writing for
type of content creator: i'm more of a writer than an artist but i'm trying to explore more of my artsy side. i've loved drawing since i was 5. it's just difficult sometimes to motivate myself and practice my art when everyone else is so much better HAHA
i prefer to write drabbles and one-shots more than multi-chapter fics bc my attention span and motivation just. won't let me. but if enough people encourage me and ask for them-!! i also like to write aus? and fluff? and meet-cutes i think :)
current obsession/brain rots: glassheart from descendants the rise of red but im scared that caitvi will take over this spot when the new arcane season releases lmao
others: wenclair from wednesday, chaggie from hazbin hotel, harlivy from dc but mostly the tv show, damie from the haunting of bly manor, percabeth from percy jackson
guilty pleasures: nikkenzie (dork diaries), miraculous ladybug (ADFSJHDSLK MY SISTER GOT ME INTO THIS DON'T COME FOR ME-), sunset shimmer x twilight sparkle
comfort/fav shows: grey's anatomy and friends
comfort/fav movies: tangled, mulan, mean girls, just chick flicks in general ig, the pp franchise
music: i'm a swiftie so pop :) not the ones that are too techno but like soft? but also catchy. i also like throwback 2010s music bc those SLAP
hobbies besides being a part of the fandom: i like to play card games, read/discover contemporary romance books, paint, text or hang out with my friends, do puzzles, be a couch potato, play wild rift (league of legends on mobile), watch asmr videos on tiktok, and just explore the city ig
special tags?: "wenz can talk" for my posts that i just yap in, "w writes" for my writing, "w sketches" for my art
anything else to share: i love getting asks! like from ask meme games or just getting to know you questions, nothing too personal tho! i also welcome any kind of interaction that gets me to talk about my fandoms/brain rots/ships. pls don't be shy lmao: you can interact through tags in a reblog or through an anon ask if you don't know how ima react. worse case scenario i just won't reply? but i'm not gonna judge or bash on you or anything unless you come for me first 😭
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dorka · 10 months ago
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Most mar a garbage day is megirta (egybol ossze is omlott a site)
Over the weekend, the always-excellent John Burn-Murdoch, over at The Financial Times, posted an alarming bit of demographic analysis that has now gone very viral. It’s from a column Burn-Murdoch wrote titled, “A New Global Gender Divide Is Emerging,” which shows a tremendous political gap forming between young men and women around the world.
Burn-Murdoch followed up the column with a lengthy thread on X hypothesizing as to what may be causing this gap and thousands of other users have offered up their own diagnoses, as well: Smartphones, video games, economic inequality, lack of education, an over-correction post-#MeToo.
Interestingly enough, though, the bulk of Burn-Murdoch’s reporting focuses on South Korea, the US, Germany, the UK, Spain, Poland, China, and Tunisia. Which, aside from China and Tunisia, were all countries I worked in, covering elections and far-right radicalization, in and around the time period those countries’ respective political gender gaps began widening. I’m not saying I have a tremendously in-depth understanding of, say, Polish toxic masculinity, but I did spend several days there following around white nationalist rappers and Catholic fundamentalist football fans. And, in South Korea, I worked on a project about radical feminists and their activism against the country’s equivalent of 4chan, Ilbe Storehouse.
In fact, between 2015-2019, I visited over 20 countries, essentially asking the same question: Where do bad men here hangout online? Which has given me a near-encyclopedic directory in my head, unfortunately, of international 4chan knock-offs. In Spain, it’s a car forum that doxxes rape victims called ForoCoches. In France, it’s a gaming forum that organized rallies for Marine Le Pen called Jeux Video. In Japan, it’s 2channel. In Brazil, it’s Dogolachan. And most, if not all, of these spaces pre-date any sort of modern social movement like #MeToo — or even the invention of the smartphone.
But the mainstream acceptance of the culture from these sites is new. Though I don’t actually think the mystery of “why now?” is that much of a mystery. While working in Europe, I came to understand that these sites and their culture war campaigns like Gamergate were a sort of emerging form of digital hooliganism. Nothing they were doing was new, but their understanding how to network online was novel. And in places like the UK, it actually became more and more common in the late-2010s to see Pepe the Frog cosplayers marching alongside far-right football clubs. In the US, we don’t have the same sports culture, but the end result has been the same. The nerds and the jocks eventually aligned in the streets. The anime nazis were simply early adopters and the tough guys with guns and zip ties just needed time to adapt to new technology. And, unlike the pre-internet age, unmoderated large social platforms give them an infinitely-scalable recruitment radius. They don’t have to hide in backrooms anymore.
Much of the digital playbook fueling this recruitment for our new(ish) international masculinist movement was created by ISIS, the true early adopters for this sort of thing. Though it took about a decade for the West to really embrace it. But nowadays, it is not uncommon to see trad accounts sharing memes about “motherhood,” that are pretty much identical to the Disney Princess photoshops ISIS brides would post on Tumblr to advertise their new life in Syria. And, even more darkly, just this week, a Trump supporter in Pennsylvania beheaded his father and uploaded it to YouTube, in a video where he ranted about the woke left and President Biden. Online extremism is a flat circle.
The biggest similarity, though, is in what I can cultural encoding. For ISIS, this was about constantly labeling everything that threatened their influence as a symptom of the decadent, secular West.
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(X.com/jeremykauffman)
Taylor Swift, an extremely affluent blonde, blue-eyed white woman who writes country-inflected pop music and is dating a football player headed for the Super Bowl. She should be a resounding victory for these guys. Doesn’t get more American than that. But due to an actually very funny glitch in how they see the world, she’s actually a huge threat.
Pop culture, according to the right wing, should be frivolous. Because before the internet, it was something sold to girls by corporations run by powerful men. Famous pop stars through the ages, like Frank Sinatra, America’s first Justin Bieber, or The Beatles, the One Direction of their time, would be canonized as Great by Serious Men after history had forgotten they rocketed to success as their generation’s Tumblr Sexymen. But from the 2000s onward, thanks to an increasingly powerful digital public square, young women and people of color were able to have more influence in mainstream culture and also accumulate more financial power from it. And after Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was able to connect this new form of pop influence to both liberal progressive politics and, also, social media, well, conservatives realized they had to catch up and fast. And the fastest way to do that is to try and smash the whole thing by dismissing it as feminine.
Pop music? It’s for girls. Social media? It’s for girls. Democrats? Girls. Taylor Swift? Girls and also a government psyop. But this line of thinking has no limit. It poisons everything. If Swift manages to make it to the Super Bowl, well, that has to become feminine too. And at a certain point, the whole thing falls apart because, honestly, you just sound like an insane loser.
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mastermindmp3 · 7 months ago
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I continue my agenda that TTPD is secretly a western album, I swear—
God. This song. This song.
At this point, I should put a boiler plate disclaimer that I understand these songs are very much about Taylor's life, and this one especially so. It's all about scrutiny, about the press and the media circus of being a child in the spotlight, about not being able to grow up (you stay the same age you get famous at in the public's eye, to paraphrase Swift.) It's about the mental side effects of that, of the suffering she admits to hiding: I want to snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me.
I think there is an expectation that people (any people, not just celebrities) should only show signs of distress when they are at rock bottom. If you're functioning, if you're getting out of bed most days and still brushing your teeth, etc, you aren't depressed enough to complain. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me is Swift striking back at that mindset, that actually, she shouldn't have to perform rock bottom ( because she seems done with performing peak happiness ) 24/7.
However, I really want to dive into the imagery of the song, and then maybe elaborate on it too much.
I'd be remiss to say that I'm writing this the day after she performed it live for the first time, and I am so utterly obsessed with the live performance. The lights, the mirrored platform giving the appearance of levitation, and say they didn't do it to hurt me—
BUT WHAT IF THEY DID?
In general, that section of the bridge is my favorite. I've already referenced it twice! To give context, the full line is: So tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is? And say they didn't do it to hurt me, but what if they did? I want to snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me.
( That is followed by the line that has become a meme, and I wrote a whole post being annoyed at that. It will forever rot in my drafts. )
The speaker's description feels like hypervigilence, the kind caused by a life time of whispers and daggers behind your back. If you've ever been the center of a workplace drama, or the odd kid out, or the New Person in a club or activity, or just have anxiety, you know this feeling well. You know the feeling of asking - is this about me?
I love the phrasing of I want to snarl, because it shows that she is expected not to. She is expected to... Actually. Let me set this up.
There's a parallel to her country contemporary Miranda Lambert's Mama's Broken Heart. Lambert details allowing herself to be dramatic and heart broken after she feels like her life went up in flames. Where Swift's speaker enacts supernatural revenge, Lambert's is more mundane (cutting her bangs with scissors, hunting him down at the bar in their small town.) The bridge, here, describes the expectation that is put upon young women:
Powder your nose, paint your toes / Line your lips and keep 'em closed / Cross your legs, dot your eyes / And never let 'em see you cry
Swift's speaker, jilted and in pain not just from her lover (the who's who of who's that) but also from the scrutiny she's placed under (by her community, her friends, maybe even the press) has decided that she will no longer be the picture perfect woman. She will no longer bow to their whims, and is executed by public opinion for it.
So I leap from the gallows and I'll levitate down your street.
This very strong imagery.
Historically, women who have been hanged are expected to act a certain way. We often think of witch trials, but women have also been executed for crimes like murder and theft. They are to act penitent, to appeal for public approval with their final breaths. If they serve as anti-examples, begging for God's forgiveness and showing other women to behave, how to not make their mistakes, then they are granted posthumous grace.
But speaking of witch trials. Women and men who were accused of witchcraft were not witches, not in the modern sense of the word, or the historical one. Some were midwives, some were just poor women, old women who had things their neighbors wanted to take. Some were widows, and some were just disliked. It had nothing to do with their "crimes," and all to do with wanting to get rid of someone "unseemly."
The witch trials are often used as emblems of sexism - because they were. They were a tool of patriarchal oppression against women who fell outside the system, for one reason or another. ( I'd also like to note this oppression went doubly strong against women and men of color. It's a very loaded topic. )
The imagery also makes me think of Margaret Atwood's Half-Hanged Mary, a fictionalization of the real life Mary Webster. Webster was accused of witchcraft by Phillip Smith, and taken to be hanged in Hadley, Massachusetts. Mary, a woman in her approximate 60s, survived the whole night, was supposedly buried, and still emerged alive.
Atwood's fictionalization has the same spite, the same rage as Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, "Tough luck, folks, / I know the law: / you can't execute me twice / for the same thing. How nice." By the end of the poem, she has become the witch they accused of her being.
Here, the speaker of Who's Afraid of Little Old Me does the same. Almost implied to be a ghost, but the imagery also implies a witch, a woman too powerful for the rope to kill - she decides to return to haunt her accusers, her killers. She crashes their party (there were often parties or auctions of the women's belongings)—
Like a record scratch as I scream — who's afraid of little old me?
She, too, has become what they accused of her being. I am what I am because they trained me.
Phillip Smith, by the by, didn't do so well. He disappears from the account around 1683. In The History of... Massachusetts Bay... by one Mr. Hutchinson, "...it happened that she survived and the melancholy man died." Webster went on to live for 14 years after her hanging.
It felt a very apt comparison to make.
There are other metaphors at play here - a media circus going on in the background, references to the stage animals that have killed their handler for their mistreatment. The title is a reference to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a play about how lives are so complex behind closed doors.
But in the end, I think it all furthers that same metaphor.
The pain of being in the public eye for too long has hurt the speaker in ways that the audience can't understand, because they have not lived it. Very few people are at that level of fame and scrutiny, and while a non-famous audience can relate in some ways, the speaker feels the only way to get the severity across is to invoke death and false hangings.
She is asking for them to see her as powerful, but also as human, and flawed, and hurt.
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pajulammas · 1 year ago
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19 with sonadow for the fic prompt meme? You write them so well I couldn't not ask for them too :3
(YIPPEE Sonadow my beloved!! I love how these are like. Soft prompts. And I still don't make these scenes very romantic KFHSKLFHLKS)
19. ‘it made me think of you.’
“Hedgehog,” a deep, monotone voice called Sonic.
It was early autumn, and Sonic was relaxing in the shade of a tree, his back against its trunk. He opened one eye and glanced towards Shadow standing right in front of him. His hands were behind his back, which was unusual for him – Usually he kept his palms visible, either on top of his chest with his arms crossed or clenched tightly against his sides. This unusual pose made him look almost shy or nervous, if it wasn’t for the intense stare and serious face. Regardless, Sonic found it a little adorable.
“What’s up, Shadow?” he asked.
“I found this,” Shadow replied and moved his arms, showing off a knitted scarf.
It was a long scarf with white fringes, consisting of white, light blue and pink stripes. It was clearly meant for humans considering how long and wide it was – but for a tiny hedgehog it would be just as cozy.
“Found it? Like a lost item on the ground, or bought from a store?” Sonic chuckled with a shrug.
The scarf looked brand new, but he still found it hard to believe that Shadow would buy such a scarf. The colors didn’t look like something he would wear, although they would look nice against his dark fur. Maybe it was for Rouge? She was known to wear pink and white, after all.
“The latter,” Shadow said and placed the scarf into Sonic’s hand, “It made me think of you.”
Sonic looked at the scarf for a moment, then glanced at Shadow with a raised brow. Shadow’s face didn’t change, so Sonic wrapped the scarf around his neck once around, letting it hang loosely. It was a nice scarf; it was warm, and the wool didn’t feel too itchy. But he was still a little confused why Shadow would get him one.
Sonic grinned and gave Shadow a thumbs up, “Thanks! Why so, though?”
“It has similar colored stripes as that button on your hoodie,” Shadow said and pointed at said button.
It was a round pin button consisting of five stripes: the top and bottom stripes light blue, the middle one white, and the two in the middle of them pink. While Sonic didn’t wear clothes that often, his trusty red and white hoodie came in handy whenever the weather got cooler. And since it was his favorite hoodie, he displayed his pin button on its chest proudly.
“I’ve seen those colors in that order in many places. Is it a symbol of sorts?” Shadow asked.
Sonic nodded: “Oh yeah, it’s a flag.”
“Which country?” Shadow asked.
“No no, it’s a pride flag. The transgender one to be exact,” Sonic explained, trying to hold back his laughter.
Shadow tilted his head – that was a new term for him. “Transgender?”
“It basically means that your gender differs from the one you were assigned at birth,” Sonic explained with a smile.
He didn’t talk about his past often, but Shadow was someone he could trust. His brooding rival had shown his vulnerable side to him many times, demanding that Sonic should never let anyone know about it. So, he could trust Shadow to do the same with his personal life. Even though him being trans wasn’t really a secret, per se.
“For example, I am a guy, but I wasn’t always one. Or, technically I was, like deep down. I kinda knew it from a young age, but it took me a while to realize it,” Sonic added, lifting his gaze towards the sky. He gazed at the horizon with a contented smile. “And I couldn’t be happier with who I am today.”
“I see. So, you don’t let the circumstances of your birth determine who you are, but forge your own identity instead?” Shadow asked.
Sonic let out a lighthearted snort. Shadow was so dramatic, but in a very endearing way – it was clear his words were genuine.
“Yeah, you could put it that way,” Sonic grinned.
“I can respect that,” Shadow nodded and crossed his arms, “But it won’t stop me from beating you in the battlefield.”
“Sure thing, buddy. But come sit with me for a moment,” Sonic said and patted the empty spot right next to him. “Five minutes of rest, and then we can fight.”
Shadow huffed and sat down, closing his eyes and leaning his shoulder against Sonic’s. Sonic turned his face towards him, giving him a fond look. He really liked being around his rival during gentle moments like these. Even when he came to him looking for a battle, he was still thoughtful – Sonic would have lots of use for that scarf now that the weather was getting colder every day.
“Tch. You need five minutes to prepare for your loss?” Shadow mumbled.
“Hah, I’m so gonna kick your ass in a moment, Shadster.”
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nubreed73 · 2 years ago
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So this weekend it will be an entire year since I lost my mind over MCTNA and SeonHwi and I’d like to mark the occasion so send me an ask with a prompt and I’ll do my best to fill it! (500-1000 wds)
I’ll take SeonHwi or Hwi/Bang-won or both or even single character genfic if that floats your boat. pr0n or non-pr0n totally welcome.
Thank you for being here!
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daydreamerwonderkid · 7 months ago
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What is 1 weird or funny lie you told?
Buckle in, kiddos. This one's a long one.
So, the irl name I chose for myself was taken from a character from one of my favorite manga. This character is extremely popular and well know within multiple fandom spaces and is instantly recognizable.
I chose their name because I can personally relate to their struggles and you can actually shorten their name to another that sounds more "common." Win-win.
Here's the thing. Despite how INSANELY popular this character is, I've only met FOUR people irl that instantly knew where I got the name from.
For the past 7 years, 99.9% of the time-regardless of age/demographic/fandom interest/etc-someone will hear my name and the immediate questions they'll ask are either:
"Oh ... are you French?" or "Are your parents Italian?"
"That's such an old sounding name ...."
"How pretty! Are you parents fans of classic literature?"
You have to understand something. When you're meeting with new people, especially strangers in a professional and outwardly conservative setting, it is extremely awkward/impossible to explain that your name was taken from a fucking manga character.
So what the fuck do I say when I'm in a very professional meeting with a very professional potential client and said very professional potential client asks me about my name?
I tell them that I have a crotchety great grandmother who was furious that my parents didn't carry on the family tradition of naming me after a ye olde ancestor from *insert European country.* She'd call me by this ancestor's name whenever she was babysitting me which drove my parents absolutely crazy. By the time I became a teenager, I preferred my ancestor's name over my birth name. My parents have made peace with it, but we still joke about how I "betrayed" them.
Yes, it's a lie. Yes, I cursed myself to wander this path by choosing such a weird name in the first place. Yes, I love my name and I will not change it.
It's funny, too, because my name helps me stand out in my profession and among my peers. Hardly anyone I meet forgets me because of my unique name. So it's sort of given me an advantage in my career, especially considering a lot of my job relies on successful networking and consultations.
And, yes, I do get questions about my great grandmother from time to time. Fortunately for me, I do have an actual crotchety great grandmother so I don't have to make up anything on that end.
In unprofessional/casual settings, I have given the actual story behind my name. It still surprises me when I meet people who are hardcore anime/manga nerds and they don't recognized my name. I feel like a crazy person whenever this happens tbh.
But yeah. I absolutely refuse to attempt explaining the concept of anime and manga in the workplace, let alone the fact my name was taken from a character with a popular and very Google-able meme attached to them.
This is the hill I've claimed and the grave I've dug atop it.
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angelswhispers · 6 months ago
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Hi Ya'll!
My names Zamura and welcome to my blog!
Today (technically it was yesterday but shhhhh) marks the second anniversary of my blog so I thought now would be as best time as any to make my first post! I will be a Lurker no more!
I'm a Lee leaning Switch and I've been in the Tickle community for awhile starting on Wattpad... *shivers* the dark days... But anyways, as of recently I've been on more of the Kink and Fetish side of the Tickle Community on here
I'm not new to Tumblr but I am new to using it so bear with me 😅
This blog is going to be a NSFW blog so MINORS DNI.
But otherwise if your 18+ I'd love to talk, make friends or something more 😁😉
I'm a simple country girl who loves Fanfiction and Spice, relatable stuff, neurospicy Audhd stuff and memes. Are some of the things im going to posting, along with anything else I feel like. It's gonna be a mix of everything 😂
Here's a few things about me
Name: Zamura
Age: 22
Pronouns: She/Her
Sexuality: Straight
Relationship status: Single and ready to autisticly mingle
From: The USA
Hobbies: Singing, photography reading, video gaming, writing
Things I like/My interests: Tickling obviously, anime, Romance books, video games, board games, cats, dogs, music, psychology, poetry, deep topics
Two Fun facts about me: I have Tourettes and I can crack my knuckles to the pink panther theme song
Feel free to message me or ask me Questions!
I don't Bite... Much 😂
But Please be Kind and respectful! If your a creep and or act like one I will not hesitate to block you.
Thanks Byeee
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Credit: @tickle-ghost and @ticklishphyllis
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fairymint · 8 months ago
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🔥
Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.
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Creativity is a muscle, and recharging it is also important. So is investment! Listen. What I'm about to say is rather tongue-in-cheek, because I know all about ableism, anxiety, depression, etc.
But you can't just sit there and stare at a screen. One way or another. I was taught that 'only boring people are bored', which might be harsh for me to agree with 1:1, but it's a point.
There's no possible way you've published all the headcanons that you can. If you got nothing, you're forgetting something. Legit go look up the profession, hobbies, interests of your muse. Their country, their voice/accent. age group. Or, just anything. That's just surface level, as there's a whole world surrounding them as well. You can learn something new every day, just by observing. Take TV breaks, whether that's youtube, media, etc. Your RPing should take cues from real life without having to match up with it. (pokemon rpers, do you know the body language of your critters' base species? monsters, do you know how their bodies work? talk about that shit for example. Animal body language, or even a human nationality's body language is a good start for most people.)
Shit sucks? Do something about it. I'm not gonna fault the bored/depression posting at its core; but there's a lot of indirect handwringing about it. The community sucks, my brain sucks, etc. But you have to help start the solution. I'm a fan of productive posts, such as asking for reassurance when down, starter calls and opens, those're good. But don't be afraid to be productively critical; use "I" language instead of blaming or "you/we" if you have to. "I feel like my headcanon/meme posts are being ignored rn" sounds much more reasonable than "you guys suck at this" or "can we do this/that/etc.???" which a lot of psas can use. Try to be direct with your own wants, as those psas are simply the first step. You should probably still assume ignorance/apologetic/disability over things such as failure and malice, simply because of how we're wired.
Connect the dots. Lotta people don't know where to start, but you have to somewhere. tiny, "boring" opens don't have to stay that way after you answer them, and first impressions may be wrong, but they at least happen. Follow the animal rule; for every no that you have, give a yes. The more yes's and starting points, the better off you'll be. If you don't have any dots to connect, you probably need to do some reading. Bios, blog posts, just pick a person and start. You should know which muses yours would call like, an old-ass or something. Which they'd go to for a favor. Which they like. How they'd treat a stranger, etc. People do lore-correct when they diverge, but there's other paths to open. Find em.
Also like, you have a body. Take breaks to drink, eat, etc. RPing is a great customizable hobby as far as difficulty and speed goes, but you can't run well on empty.
to put it very simply, practice. If you can't, it's a sign something is amiss. Heed them.
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borisbubbles · 11 months ago
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Eurovision 2023: #22 - #21
Mild like is not a zone I prefer to rest long in, so let's make the next two a package deal so that only 20 remain going into the new year!
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22. SERBIA Luke Black - "Samo mi se spava" 24th place
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Decade Ranking: 63/116 [Above Fyr og Flamme, below TBA]
Spaaaaavaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai
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But I am getting ahead of myself.
In the days leading up towards towards the rehearsals I got the feeling that Luke would only barely squeak by despite being both Serbian and reasonably well-liked by the fans. This came with the slow realization that "Samo mi se spava" is kind of cringe, oop. All memes eventually become stale, and that rate at which they age accelerates further if the music's kind of not good lol. Not everyone can have the eternal resilience of "In Corpore Sano".
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So yeah, I totes understand why the Latvia stans were pissed they missed out while Luke basically passed to the Grand Final based on flag. However, many acts sucked in the semis, so I'm not bothered if one I liked (sorta) qualified over one i did not (sorta).
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Not to get things twisted though, "Samo mi se spava" was serviceable for what it was, as a Melovin-lite combination of shock horror and an art major's irreverent graduation project. Once you've accustomed to the senseless krumpcrat choreo and the atonal mewling however, you just have to recognize Serbia's 2023 entry was the vanity project of an ageing emo twink . Do I enjoy it? Yes, but only as ~A Piece~ (not as "a song") and only in small enough doses. Take, a listen every four months.
All that said, there are two small things about "Samo Mi Se Spava" that I greatly enjoy.
(1) the frogmarches remain hilarious so let's enjoy that in gif form:
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What a great way to finish A Piece.
(2) I merely have to think of Luke to hear "SPAAAVAAAAI" and "HELLO?! GAyME OVuh" ring through my mind in his characteristic gaywhispervoice and that ALWAYS produces a chuckle. So ultimately, while "Samo mi se spava" was admittedly not very good, it does manage to lift my spirits somewhat, and for that I'm willing to carry it to 22nd in my list!
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21. UKRAINE TVORCHI - "Heart of steel" 6th place
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Decade Ranking: 62/116 [Above Luke Black, below Kalush Orchestra]
Yeah, Tvorchi did well for themselves. Given the war and the general air of misery surrounding last year's Vidbir (unironically a contender for worst NF this year, even under the circumstances) and the fact that Ukraine picked their most disappointingly heterosexual entry yet, there was no way "Heart of Steel" could become good. Like, who does this appeal to? What sort of person listens to this edgelordian church cabal, and thinks "ah, my favourite has arrived." Just the Musk fanboys, right?
Fortunately for us, Ukraine is the one Eurovision country that always understands the assignment. What do you do when your song below par? You provide a good show at least.
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and it kinda nibbled.
...
...
Yeah, there's no punchline. Sorry but it's NYE, i cooked the family dinner by myself and you may think it's a small step to go from roasting broccoli to roasting mediocrities, but the latter action takes up too much thinking space for a brain semi-operating on sparkling wine that is trying to weave in and out of social conversation. Jeffrey sang well, I liked the presentation and it didn't drag the more enjoyable entries around it down, what else can a one ask for? It wasn't going to get any better than what we got. Count them lucky stars, and all that.
Fourth place in the televote is a VERY stupid result (this is more in range of a 14th placer if it were any other country) but let's not end the year on a sour rant. "Heart of steel" could have been a morose drag. Instead it was moderately bemusing. Upward and onward to better things.
THE RANKING
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CONGRATZ FOR MAKING THE TOP 20 to the following:
ALBANIA / ARMENIA / AUSTRALIA / AUSTRIA / AZERBAIJAN BELGIUM / CZECHIA / ESTONIA / FINLAND / FRANCE ICELAND / LITHUANIA / MALTA / MOLDOVA / POLAND PORTUGAL / SLOVENIA / SPAIN / SWEDEN / UK Some of you kind of don't deserve to~ ps: Happy New Year Everyone!!!
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kaaaaaaarf · 30 days ago
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My dearest karfyyyyyyy happy new music friday to you aloneee and for the ask meme 22, 19, 12 pleasseeeee <3 <3 <3 <3
Hiii lovely Sailor Scout!!! 💖 Happy New Music Friday!!
19. What fictional doctor do you wish was your doctor?
I don't really watch a lot of hospital dramas, but I wouldn't say no if the Doctor from Doctor Who showed up.
22. Strangest thing that has happened to you this week?
Hmm...can't really think of anything to be honest. I had a tooth ache that was really bad and magically went away. That was odd, but not complaining.
12. Something you want to monologue about?
This is going to be more of a rant and honestly, no one will care except for a few Canadian moots...putting it under a cut for people who don't wanna hear me rant about politics.
I've had it up to here with the bullshit immigration policies my government is putting into place. It's xenophobia masked as concern about how foreign students are being treated. If they really cared about that, they'd put stricter rules in place with the schools, not limit visas. They also say that they are worried about our population growth and our ability to sustain more people but thats also bullshit! Last I checked we are actually declining as a population. More people are dying than being born. What is reducing permanent residents going to actually do? Our old age security and national pension are already struggling, having less people contributing is just making things worse. They just want to appeal to the liberal conservatives because an election is coming up and the liberal government are terrifed they will lose to the conservatives and you know what? I'm scared too, but this is not the fucking answer. I wish everyone would just vote new democrat so we could have a left leaning government that actually cared about the people of this country, but no one is going to do that, so we're just fucked regardless. ANYWAYS.
These Are Sure Some Asks
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blue-thief · 10 months ago
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I asked for kins but now i need to know your opinion on kiis
Ship It
1. What made you ship it? i remember binge-reading the manga for the first time back in august. i only took breaks to eat and go out with friends + family and stuff. but i had to pause once kaiser got introduced bc i was so fucking FLABBERGASTED by how fucking gay the kiis first meeting was 😭😭 i didn't hop on board with the ship right away but i just kept getting exposed to kiis + kaiser-related fanart and memes on pinterest........... now they're all i think about. they are everything to me now.
2. What are your favourite things about the ship? they're the funniest pair in the whole series. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO."/"oh wow, is that a new way of saying i love you?", "YOU'RE FINALLY BIG ENOUGH TO EAT YOICHI", "HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE CLOWN OF MY STORY?????" I COULD KEEP GOING. the symbolism of the naked emperor and the knight who's come to slay him, take his kingdom, and dye it his colours oougguoihgjuhg. and this brand of rivals to lovers where their hate fuels them to challenge each other and stimulate insane growth. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SHIT. AAAAAASGSJSKDJDJSIUS
3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? i know i defend the age gap and everything + the age of consent in their respective countries makes everything fine + i have personally made a few jokes every now and then BUT i feel like the fanbase as a whole oversexualizes the ship wayyy too much. i did a game with my friends where it was like "search x ship on google and scroll until you come across something nsfw" kaisagi was the worst fucking ship for the game 💀💀
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thebrisingamen · 1 year ago
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ESCAFLOWNE VOICE MEME; Read More for anyone who hasn't watched the series. Tons of spoilers ahead, you've been warned.
Introduce yourself! When did you first watch Escaflowne? What brought you into the fold?  Hi, I'm Norse, an internet Elder. My Uncle knew I liked anime from my watching Inuyasha, and he would buy me and my cousins birthday/Christmas presents. He, however, never asked what anime I liked lol. He picked up the Fox VHS tapes and I watched them so much my father started quoting parts of them and the tapes had lines in them. Nothing else truly compared to this story before or since in anime, especially in other Isekai stories; no other story genuinely gives me a feeling that this IS another world; there's no overpowered protagonist, just a teenage girl and the worst powers to have during wartime.
Who is your favorite character and why? Was it love at first sight?  Has any of their qualities or quirks swayed you on characters in other series?  I like a lot of characters in the series, however, my psychotic boy Dilandau is probably my favorite. On the surface, he is just an insane, pyromaniac child soldier but there is SO MUCH to unpack with his character. Not only is he unstable and insane, when we get the reveal that Dilandau was/is a manipulation of Celena, it's very interesting. How many children were just like him in the Empire? He can't possibly have been the only "success" in the Empire. Aside from Celena, does he have any false memories implanted in him? Was his personality chosen for him or was in the influence of all the manipulation on his body and fate? With the Dragonslayers added in, are all of them also the same age as their commander? Does Zaibach regularly have child soldiers? He's just such a fascinating character to me, in these regards. I wish the transformation between Celena/Dilandau wasn't so thorough, though. Like that there were still some remnants of the Dilandau personality in her. Second favorite character is Folken, solely because of Paul Dobson voicing him, but his personality is also pretty interesting to me. As far as other characters, nah, I tend to like these psychos often, they just seem like they're fun.
Which side are you on? What do you think happens Post-Hitomi when she leaves? Who do you think will be the next opposing power?  I think the show does a good job of showing us that there are no good or bad sides; even Zaibach only started conquering because their new leader gave them the knowledge and power to defend themselves at first and they lived in a barren wasteland. I am on Fanelia's side, however and I hope that they are able to restore their Capital City in full and that everyone is able to reach a tenable peace I think a lot of peace talks and treaties and marriages of political convenience end up happening between several of the allied countries and that there will be a pause in the conflict; Zaibach will more than likely pull back and maybe crumble from the loss of leadership and the split in power. Though they were wiped out militarily; I can't imagine General Adelphos spending funds on the Sorcerers anymore. I forsee similar issues that plagued Europe in our history happening to the world of Gaea, but I think that the next opposing power will likely be Basram or Zaibach, potentially Asturia if their influence reaches over to Zaibach.
Least favorite plot point? Was there something you think should have changed? What do you think would have made it better.  I hate the love triangle here, as per usual. It makes sense and removing it would be bad because it is critical for our characters' growth, but I still hate the Allen/Hitomi interactions near the later half of the series solely because its there ONLY to delay Van/Hitomi. Which is the point, of course. I also really don't like the REVEAL that 'GASP' Emperor Dornkirk was...SIR ISSAC NEWTON?? All along??/ Like bitch how'd you fuckin' SURVIVE that long.
OTP? What kind of art and fiction would you like to see? What are some head canons you have for them? What is you NoTP OTP; Van/Hitomi; I think their romance is well developed and I like them. They definitely have more of an equal footing with one another and support one another, with believable roadblocks. SOMEONE PLEASE DRAW THEM KISSING WE NEVER GET IT IN THE SERIES. As for fan pairings, I actually liked Folken/Dilandau before some reveals, but honestly Folken getting TWO partners is pretty funny for me, even if it's in the afterlife. NOTP: Allen/Millerna or Allen/Hitomi; gross, he's SO MUCH older than both of them. Dilandau/Van is also a big No from me.
What would you like to see in a figurativ remake/sequel? Would you include more minor characters? Would you want a whole new story that could be a stand alone?  Honestly, I'd love a stand alone or if it's a sequel series, mostly focusing on the internal politics of Gaea. Possible focus on Merle, Chid and maybe Dryden and Millerna. Or maybe just references too them, I have questions about the world but I'd like to leave the main story alone.
Movie, Series, Game, or Manga preference? What are things you did/didnt like of each?  Series; The manga is awful and the movie is wildly different from the series. I'm most familiar with the series.
Do your favorite impression! Bonus points if you can do a conversation with a scene cut in! LORD VAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
What do you think about the idea of a re-dub? What are your feelings about the current cast selection for Van (and others if more are introduced)?   Well since we had the Funimation re-release at the time of doing this, I think a new dub really forgot the deeper charms of the original dub; there's no depth of feeling to most of the voices and the acting feels phoned in, not to mention that several of the characters that are supposed to have a commanding presence and deeper voices don't, and it sounds the same as all current Funimation voice work...Awful and Samey. I find that Aaron Dismuke was actually a good choice for Van, same with Alexis Tipton for Merle, as while Aaron gave a slightly different flavor for Van it was still a good portrayal, and Merle seems to be an easy character for VAs to portray. However, once again Funi ruins things by casting Vic Mignonana (idc how to spell his last name) as Folken, like are you SERIOUS? He can't compare to either Paul Dobson OR Jōji Nakata in terms of rich toned voice, or a commanding sort of voice at all. And my boy, Dilandau, is ruined. My poor little meow meow isn't psychotic enough, isn't funny enough and isn't threatening enough. Joel MacDonald sounds exactly like 30-year-old man reading for a teenager and doesn't understand Dilandau's character at all, even on basic level. Bring back Andrew Francis. Basically the Ocean Dub is superior, if you're gonna watch in dubs imo. I prefer the sub just because Maaya Sakamoto as Hitomi is just BETTER than either English VA imo and both English VAs made me actively hate her for a lonnnng time. But if I watch in Dub its gonna be Ocean Dub.
Recite your top five characters by name.  Dilandau, Folken, Van, Hitomi and Dryden
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