#my intelligence has always been like one of the things i have a weird complex about due to not getting an education until high school

[californiaquail]

just in case anyone thought i was exaggerating about how stupid my coworkers think i am today one of them told me i could write "turbid which is like the scientific word for cloudy" on a urinalysis sticker. i have a college degree in a science

[agaypanic]

heyyy, can I request a chase x fem!reader oneshot where they are like online friends and have grown to like eachother so much to the point he invites her to the island. He's boasting about it but no one believes him until she shows up. Chase is giving her a tour and some of the guys try to show off how powerfull they are and shes not impressed, she's only ever blown away when chase starts to talk all genius-like (Because intellegience is such an aphrodisiac). Its a little based off that one episode where hes defending himself from the others saying how he has talked to girls and that he has an online friend who is possibly a girl.

Smart's Considered Superior (Chase Davenport X Reader)

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Summary: Chase decides to invite one of his online friends to the island. Everyone’s shocked to find that this person actually exists, and even more so when it’s a girl. Chase’s brothers try to impress her with their bionics, but she’s too focused on Chase’s intelligence to even spare a glance.

A/N: in this, chase helped donald make leo’s bionic leg for plot purposes

***

Chase was known to be a perfectionist. Being the most intelligent man in the world gave the boy a superiority complex. He needed everything to be his way, and his way was always above and beyond anyone else’s standards.

So no one was too surprised to see him running around the academy to make sure everything was spick and span, and everyone was on their best behavior.

“Chase, what’s up with you?” Bree asked as she watched her brother frantically clean up the Mentor’s Quarters they shared. “You're being weird.”

“Weirder than usual.” Adam corrected.

“I have a friend coming over,” Chase answered shortly.

“A friend?” Adam, Bree, and Leo looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. Chase rolled his eyes and walked out of the room, heading to the common area. His siblings followed him, still amused. “Very funny, Chase.”

“I’m serious,” the genius hissed, stopping in front of the hydroloop’s doors. “She’s on her way right now.”

“She?” Adam’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Now I know it’s a joke.”

“It’s not a joke. You can see for yourself.”

“Oh, I’d love to!” Adam settled into a chair by the window, keeping a watchful eye on the hydroloop station. Bree and Leo quickly joined him.

Chase shook his head before turning back to the hydroloop. No matter how much teasing he would endure from his family, he was determined to enjoy today.

After about a minute, Chase’s siblings were waiting for him to drop the act. Nothing was happening.

But then suddenly, the hydroloop car could be heard zooming into the station. Everyone perked up, waiting for the doors to open to see who would be on the other side.

“Oh my god.” Bree gasped as she watched someone step out of the hydroloop. “It is a girl!”

Adam, Bree, and Leo watched in disbelief as you stepped into the common area, smiling at Chase. He reached out for a hug, which you eagerly returned. In a flash, the three siblings were out of their seats and standing close to you and Chase, observing the interaction curiously.

“It’s so great to finally see you- Oh!” You were talking to Chase when the sudden presence of the three others surprised you. Chase sighed.

“Y/n, these are my siblings; Adam, Bree, and Leo. Guys, this is my friend Y/n.”

“You’re friends with a girl?” You couldn’t help but laugh at Adam’s question. Chase sighed and rolled his eyes, clearly less amused. “How did you even meet her?”

“Online,” you answered simply before deciding to go into the long explanation of it. “Well, I went to Mission Creek High, but Chase and I had only interacted a little bit. And then you guys got busted for the whole bionic thing and moved here, so we fell out of touch, but then we found each other again online. We’ve been talking for, like, months before Chase finally asked me to come over here.”

Adam, Bree, and Leo stared at you, processing what you had just told them.

“No, this has to be a prank.” Leo decided, much to Chase’s chagrin.

“Come on, Y/n. I’ll show you around the academy.” Chase gently but quickly guided you away from his siblings, who were hot on your tails.

***

“And this is the training center,” Chase said, taking you to the last stop on the tour. There were a few students scattered around, talking or sparring with each other. “Once a week, we have bionic battles so the students can move up a level. But besides that, they just come in to show off to each other.”

“Hey, Y/n!” Adam called out from across the large room.

“Like now.” Chase rolled his eyes, and the four of you looked at the eldest Davenport. 

“Watch this!” With an excited smile on his lips, Adam bent over and easily picked up a large medicine ball. “This is like a thousand pounds, and it feels like holding a baby. Or Leo.”

“Shut up, Adam,” Leo whined at the comment. Meanwhile, you looked only slightly impressed at Adam’s abilities. Leo shook his head and turned to you. “You know, I’m bionic, too,” he said with a smirk.

“Really?” you asked, slightly surprised. From what you could remember from going to school with the Davenports, Leo seemed pretty normal—well, normal for Leo.

“Just his arm and leg,” Chase corrected, and you turned to look at him curiously, silently asking for more information. “Well, our bionics are microchips implanted in our necks and integrated with our nervous systems. But Leo’s right arm and left leg were destroyed in different incidents, so the damaged pieces were replaced with bionic technology.”

“Oh wow,” you said, completely fascinated. Not with Leo, even though the conversation was about him. It was Chase, and the way he talked made it seem like he was an expert in the subject, and it was easy to recall any piece of information. You suppose that that was true about any subject in the world. “Who did all that?”

“Well-” Leo tried to reenter the conversation but was cut off by Chase.

“The arm was made by Douglas Davenport, who, long story short, is our biological father. And the leg was made by me and Mr. Davenport.”

“You made a bionic leg?” You asked, stepping closer to Chase in your excitement. “How?!” 

Chase smiled, quickly falling into a spiel about how he repaired Leo’s leg with bionic technology. Every now and then, Leo would try to say something, or Adam would try to get your attention by lifting a few thousand pounds. But they quickly realized their attempts were futile because you hung on to every word Chase was giving you, completely captivated by his knowledge and the charisma that radiated off of him because of it.

[beanghostprincess]

i would care if you talked about luffy's issues please talk please tell me all your takes, genuinely (< anon who enjoys your takes)

I am so thankful you asked me this because Luffy is genuinely one of my favorite characters of all time, especially when it comes to shonen protagonists. I'm always saying I don't like shonens (says the one that watches a lot of shonens) but that's mainly because the main characters never feel... Well-written enough for me to like them. But, well, One Piece is different. With all characters, really. It's one of the first shonens I watch that I genuinely love and enjoy because of the characters (shout out to Mob Psycho 100 being one of my favorite animes of all time too because of that same reason).

Luffy is a very complex character and I think that's why he gets mischaracterized most of the time when it comes to the fandom. Some people make him too dumb. Others make him too childish. Others make him way darker and more depressed than he truly is. And I'd say that's weird, having in mind how much the show talks about Luffy and is focused on Luffy's POV, but I kind of understand because people aren't used to characters that are both optimistic and realistic at the same time. Most of the time people consider an optimistic character to be completely idealistic (a good example here is Uta. She is idealistic because she's been sheltered for so long and thinks something as complex as the corruption in the world can be solved with a few songs and love) and refuse to acknowledge the fact that somebody with hopes and dreams can also understand (first-hand, even) the suffering within the world. People like extremes. They like to make both Law and Zoro extremely edgy. They like to babify Sanji and Koby. They forget about Nami's character depth to make her only "the mean lesbian" of the group (that term makes me so fucking furious you don't even know). Etc. Etc. Etc. The thing is: Luffy has layers. His personality varies. He's optimistic. He's realistic. He's stupid. He's emotionally intelligent. He's impulsive. He cares about the safety of the people around him. He's careless. He feels guilt. He's confident. He's so damn insecure. He's playful. He's the most serious character too. Etc. Etc. Etc.

What I want to say with all of this is that Luffy, despite being always perceived as this childish, dumb, and careless character within the fandom, has so much depth and trauma he deals with every fucking day. I once saw somebody saying Luffy is "not smart enough to understand the feeling of sadness" and I started laughing because what the fuck does that even mean. And... Is that person watching the same thing as me? Because the guy has suffered the injustice of the world so many times and so many losses that I can't even count them.

Basically: People portray Luffy as if he hadn't gone through any type of trauma when OP has shown countless times that he has been through a lot. A fucking lot. Perhaps it's the fact that he's the one hiding it all the time in the show, always replacing sadness with the need to be stronger so he doesn't feel like that ever again (aka protecting everyone so he doesn't lose anybody again. And not even in a selfish way to not be alone, although we could say that he does feel like that to some extent. But because his loved ones do not deserve to disappear or die in those ways and he feels guilty whenever it happens because every time, he says it's because he wasn't strong enough to protect them) and that's why most people don't realize how much pain he has gone through. But that's not a very valid argument because we have a lot of arcs that prove it otherwise (Sabaody, Marineford, Film Red, Wano...). So, yeah, I guess people just don't know how to read.

Starting through chronological order, I want to talk about his abandonment issues and savior complex that always seem to go hand in hand.

Luffy doesn't like to be alone. He's a very empathetic and extroverted person. He doesn't like to be bored, always loving the company of somebody else. But, sadly, he has always been kind of alone? People come and go for him all the time, and you can't tell me that doesn't affect him psychologically. He's 7 when he meets Uta and Shanks and the kid has never been more excited! That's when his dream of being a pirate begins and it's the first time he has a friend. A real friend, not just random animals he manages to find or older people that sometimes take care of him. Luffy gets bored easily, so of course, Shanks and Uta, being something new, make his life brighter. With dreams and new experiences and hope for a newer, better life outside his village. And then Uta and Shanks have to go, of course, and he stays all alone again. From what we've seen, the only thing Luffy did when they weren't around was just... Waiting for them to come back to him. That's it. Luffy's joy basically comes from being with people, and especially when he's fixated on somebody in particular, he doesn't let them go. Then they come back... But Uta is not with them anymore. That's Luffy's first heartbreak, in my opinion. It's when he decides that he has to be stronger. He loved Uta so damn much. She meant the world to him. And suddenly she isn't there, giving him no time to say goodbye, and... He only has Shanks. But Shanks refuses to tell him the truth about what happened with her. So here you go! It's the first time Luffy loses somebody this dear to him and the first time Shanks betrays him enough for him to get angry at his hero. He ends up accepting it, of course, but not because he has moved on, but because both Uta and Shanks told him to be stronger. More mature. And he forces himself to grow up faster because he wants something. He wants to know where his friend is, and if Shanks refuses to tell him because he's just a kid, then he'll just have to grow up and become stronger. To become a pirate and to keep the promise he made with Uta. The movies aren't canon so I just keep thinking about Luffy wondering where Uta is, and it breaks my heart every time.

Then Ace and Sabo appear in his life and... They are literally everything to him. I like Garp. He did what he could do. Kind of. But he leaves Luffy on his own with Ace under the care of some bandits (Dadan we love you, queen). So he can't really blame Luffy for the way he turned out to be, honestly. The thing is: Ace and Sabo are, again, something new to Luffy. They are not just friends. They are his brothers, now. We don't talk enough about Luffy's maturity and respect for other people's dreams even when he's just a kid. Luffy literally was kidnapped and beaten up and he didn't dare to say a word about Ace and Sabo's treasure because he respected their dream. He's loyal and understands other people's feelings and hopes perfectly. His empathy and emotional intelligence are just perfect. Then, well, you all know the story, but these two become the most important thing in Luffy's life, not only because they are his brothers, but because they are the representation of their dreams and future. And then it crashes into a million fucking pieces because of Celestial Dragons and classism and rich people quite literally saying "We are burning down the poor because they don't deserve to live! Woohoo!". And it's Luffy's first time realizing that the world is unfair and fucked up and that there are people that believe to be superior to others, a thing that Luffy fights against all the time.

So, Luffy learns that the world is extremely fucked up at a very young age. He has first-hand contact with the abuse rich people inflict on others, in every way. He suffers from the torture that is fighting for your life in the world of pirating and thieves when he's not even a pirate yet. He's just a kid. What the fuck. And then he loses Sabo. His older brother literally is killed by a celestial dragon and he can't do anything about it. He can only cry, of course, he's just a kid. What is he going to do? So he decides to become stronger. Because he feels weak in the hands of what is the injustice of the world. He feels trapped by that injustice, in my opinion, and wanting to be stronger is just the path to freedom. Because freedom means being able to save the people he cares about.

And here's the thing: Luffy's need to become stronger always comes from the guilt he feels after losing somebody, blaming himself even though he literally could have done nothing at the time to save Uta or Sabo. He has a severe savior complex, not to feel better about himself (although you could say that it would certainly fix his fear of being weak) but to not lose anybody else. For some reason he always feels responsible for the faith of the people he loves, he's constantly putting others first and sacrificing himself and then feeling guilty and weak when he can't save them when it wasn't even in his hands to save them in the first place.

Kid Luffy goes through a ton of stuff in his early years and the fear of being alone... Of losing somebody he cares about... It haunts him. He sees Shanks and piracy as the meaning of freedom and strength. It's just that simple for him: If he becomes a pirate, he'll be strong. If he's strong, he'll be free. If he's free, he'll never lose anybody again.

And yet, even if he's confident he'll manage to do this... He's still a kid. He's still a little brother. Ace's little brother. He depends on Ace, too, because that's the one person he has left. Ace promises him he won't die because he's just as confident, and says this as if Luffy was stupid for thinking something could happen to him. Not to get too into Ace's character right now, but the fact that he's constantly wondering if he should be alive to then realize Luffy needs him to stay alive... Is so damn beautiful.

And then he literally dies in front of Luffy. Protecting Luffy. And Oh, boy if that doesn't kill him... But that comes after Sabaody! After losing literally all of his crew! God, stop hurting this guy already for fuck's sake-

Long story short, Luffy manages to get a family. Not a crew. A family. He's not alone anymore, and he proves constantly that he won't let any of them go or die on him the way it happened with Uta and Sabo.

Water 7 is... Rough for Luffy, to say the least. Because it's the first time he sees everything he has built crumbling down. Robin is taken by the Marines. Usopp wants to leave the crew because he doesn't feel like he fits in, even though Luffy knows he is perfect for the family (Usopp just can't believe him because, you know, insecurities suck). And he has to learn how to be a captain. A true captain. He has to make the harsh decision of fighting his best friend and letting him go (his worst fucking fear) at the age of 17 because he's the captain. He has to be mature. And strong. And he definitely doesn't feel like those now. Not when Robin is also on her way to be executed.

Usopp is leaving. Robin might die. And it's just like Uta and Sabo all over again.

So, basically, Luffy grows up too fast. He grows up too fast, with the fear of abandonment and being weak, and the weight of being the captain of a whole crew resting on his shoulders. Besides, he fights against the world government for Robin because he refuses to let her die thinking she doesn't deserve/want to live, and it reminds me a lot of Ace's story. Ace doesn't think he deserves to live but then stays because he realizes that Luffy loves him and needs him. Robin, thanks to Luffy, realizes that she wants to live and that she has a new family to fight for.

Nobody dies and Usopp comes back this time, so everything ends up turning out fine after all! Yay!

Then Sabaody happens and I swear my guy can't have a fucking break.

Who has suffered more, Jesus Christ or Monkey D. Luffy from Sabaody to Marineford? I think we already know the answer.

He loses all of his crew. All at once. His worst fucking fear. They vanish right in front of his eyes and he can't do anything. He feels weak. He's shattered. Completely broken. But he's optimistic, still, because he believes in his crew and he knows they'll find a way to be together again! They've ben through a lot together, and they can find each other in a few days in Sabaody again. It's fine. But he has to delay it, of course, because his other biggest fucking fear is happening right now: Ace might die. His older brother might die.

So if you mix the trauma that caused him to have abandonment issues and a savior complex with the fact that Ace is the only sibling he has left and he is completely alone because his crew isn't by his side anymore... You get the most heartbreaking arc of the show! Awesome.

He does everything he can to save Ace. Ace complains about it, begging him to stay away from danger. And he refuses because he's his brother. He has to fight for him. And he does. And Ace dies anyway. Ace dies protecting him, too, and the hope that was left within him dies completely at that moment. Everything is shattered. His whole world is crumbling down. And I think that Luffy dies too at that moment.

For Luffy, losing Ace is not like losing a limb. Losing Ace is losing his everything. Ace meant the world to him. He was the representation of their dreams and hopes and past and future. He was the only person who knew Sabo like the back of his hand, too. And now Luffy is the only one carrying their souls. All alone.

That's probably Luffy's rock bottom. He doesn't think he deserves to be a pirate (or alive, either, but I don't want to get too deep into his suicidal thoughts I definitely think are a real thing because then this becomes too dark. But yeah. I think he does think about that too). He doesn't think he's strong enough. And he's completely broken.

There's this line from Fleabag that I absolutely adore: "I don't know what to do with it." / "With what?" / "With all the love I have for her. I don't know where to put it now."

Because Ace is gone. He's completely gone. And all the love Luffy has for him turns into grief and he doesn't know what to do anymore if Ace's soul isn't in the world to look after him. He doesn't know what to do if all the love and feelings he has for his brother go to waste. And it's his fault. Because he wasn't strong enough to protect him. Because he wasn't able to protect himself, Ace having to sacrifice himself for him. (And we know he feels guilty about this because he tells Sabo the second they meet again. He apologizes for not protecting Ace. He feels guilty about what happened still. And Sabo is just glad Luffy is okay because he knows his brothers too well to know already what happened).

Then our beloved Jinbe comes along (I love you. Please adopt me) and, following that quote of Fleabag: "I'll take it. No, I'm serious. It sounds lovely. I'll have it. You have to give it to me." / "Okay." / "It's got to go somewhere."

Jinbe reminds Luffy that he still has his crew. That he still has people who need him alive. People that love him and care for him. That he can't be weak if he has helped so many people already. That they're willing to take both the love and pain Ace makes him feel. And it's such a great character development for Luffy... It makes me go insane. He remembers his crew one by one and realizes that he's not alone anymore. That he has to be stronger for them and for Ace. And for Uta. And Sabo. Jinbe is there with him when the others couldn't, and it has nothing to do with Luffy's issues but I just want to mention how much I love Jinbe for this.

But he still feels the need to be stronger and the fear of losing his crew and the people he loves still haunts him. He tells the straw hats to meet after 2 years (that's a long fucking time. Like. Longer than the time they've spent together. Imagine the loyalty, damn). And it's... It's so beautifully written. The 3D2Y scene is one of my favorites because it shows the loyalty and love they have for each other, and how Luffy is willing to become stronger for the people he loves and the ones he has lost along the way. I literally have the tattoo. I am obsessed with the whole concept.

As I said, Luffy's abandonment issues and the fact that he wants to become stronger to never lose anybody again (Savior complex much?) still remain even after his character development. Because that's not something you get rid of. That's just how he is. And I think that, as long as he is with the straw hats, it won't be a problem.

Also I wanted to mention his reunion with Sabo! The guilt he feels for losing Ace? The way he clings onto his older brother as if they were going to take Sabo away from him? They're extremely codependent and I am here for it, honestly. Sabo would die for Luffy and Luffy would kill him if he did that. Also, I don't know where the fuck Sabo is now because I'm only watching Wano but I swear to God if something happens to him I will murder somebody with my bare hands. :)

Oh! And then it comes my favorite arc of all the show: Whole Cake Island (to the surprise of literally no one!). Luffy, in the beginning, is extremely optimistic when it comes to rescuing Sanji. He's simple like that. "If he doesn't want to get married, we rescue him. If he wants to get married, he just brings his wife with us!". And if Sanji didn't want to come back to them (truly not wanting to) he would accept it. But Sanji wants to. Luffy knows Sanji wants to go back to the Sunny with them. He knows Sanji isn't being true to himself. And God, he's desperate. Because Sanji is stubborn and his self-sacrificing and deprecating thoughts are even stronger than Luffy's, and he won't give up until Luffy lets him go. But Luffy doesn't want to fight him, he just wants his cook back. Because he knows that, no matter how much harm he does to him, Sanji is only doing it to himself (one of my favorite quotes from OP). So, Luffy goes again through the desperation of not losing a crewmate, but losing one of his wings. Without Sanji, Luffy can't become the king of the pirates. He's willing to die from starvation for him. Are you- Are you all aware that he almost fucking dies from starvation? I don't think we talk about that enough because what the actual fuck. There's this thing they tell Luffy (I don't remember exactly when or the exact phrasing) about him wanting Sanji back out of selfishness and not because of Sanji's well-being and... I partially agree? Don't get me wrong, Luffy does everything here for Sanji because he knows Sanji is suffering and lying to himself. But Luffy is selfish, too. Luffy doesn't want Sanji to go away because he loves him. That's his cook. He doesn't want to lose anybody else, even less knowing that they're going to be unhappy. That's kind of for me the confirmation of Luffy's abandonment issues. Like- He does everything for his crew, of course, but he's so scared of losing them. Then Sanji comes back to them, of course, and they have their own Pride and Prejudice moment. Not even Jane Austen can write shit like this.

I kind of want to talk about Wano but I haven't finished it yet (I'm like, on episode 1056) but I would like to mention how beautiful it is for Luffy to carry Ace's soul and promises like that. And also the responsibility he carries during the whole arc to save Wano? That's so- It's so fucked up. He's such a good leader and captain and everything I said in this post and all the things he does in Wano show that he will become the king of the pirates. I love him so damn much. I can't even write it down properly.

Anyway, summarizing everything: Luffy has a lot of abandonment issues and a savior complex that becomes unhealthy to the point of sacrificing himself and always carrying the burdens of everyone else. Because he fears he might lose his loved ones if he isn't strong enough. So. You know. It would be great if people stopped saying he's just childish and fun and that he doesn't have any character depth because he's probably the most complex shonen protagonist I've ever seen! He has suffered so damn much it hurts! Live Laugh Love Luffy! <3

[jay-whyy]

Perhaps; Mixing Dazai Up And Putting Him Back Comprehensively

As a hater of Dazai Osamu from Bungou Stray Dogs, I'd like to think that I have a rather clear view of the guy. There's nothing about him in particular that pisses me off, but there's everything about him that messes me up.

I've been assigned as his kinnie far too many times, despite how I'd like to think that I'm closer to Fyodor Dostoevsky. My results have constantly gotten in my face, and I'm upset.

Personally, I'm not a Dazai or Fyodor kinnie. I belong to Fernando Pessoa, a jumbled up man, as most know his personality to be. Friedrich Nietzsche would suffice too, I suppose.

Nonetheless, the following is my analysis of the mystery known as Dazai Osamu. Please note that there will be comparisons made with Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen.

Perhaps the only real thing about Dazai that we see is his suicidal tendencies, so I will be starting from that and spread my way out.

This is from the experience of someone who used to be suicidal when experiencing childhood depression, so many things might be off, but not too off.

I remember... My suicidal tendencies stemmed from a sense of pity for myself. Oddly, I was suicidal before I was depressed.

According to my information of that man, which is barely any, Ougai Mori took him in when he was in the midst of committing suicide. Obviously, the guy was already suicidal.

I see a descend into depression, throughout his years in the Port Mafia.

He didn't change at all when he defected, and entered the Armed Detective Agency. His mask changed, not him.

He put on a mask where he seems so close to himself, yet so far.

He switched up his tactics. Truth is, he probably doesn't care for Atsushi, his mask does.

Because, understand this, if a person can change, he was always capable of change, he just didn't want to.

Maybe Oda mattered to him, an escape, if you will. Or perhaps, a chance to discover a new mask, one that felt more comfortable.

And when we compare the oh-so-beloved Dazai to Gojo Satoru, Dazai starts to seem weird. There is one major question: Why does he need a mask? Unlike Gojo, he doesn't hold the responsibility and weight of his people. In fact, he doesn't have his people.

Perhaps it's a nasty habit, to keep the mask on. But... I refuse to believe that he hasn't tried to remove it.

I am to presume that his mask was removed for the first time when he was at Bar Lupin, when he feared things would start to go south. Yet, he seems so much more real then, as compared to during Oda's death.

I don't know if I'm going crazy, but that's what I see in my memories.

And I'm just now realizing that life is hard, because everyone in Bungo Stray Dogs is broken, emotionally constipated in some way. Except... Fukuzawa, perhaps?

So, to get back on track.

Dazai has no reason to be wearing a mask, but he is wearing one.

And, let's see.

They mentioned that Dazai and Fyodor Dostoevsky are parallels, right? I'm not entirely sure how they are parallels, because they appear entirely different to me, but let's analyze.

The only common ground I see between the two of them is their intelligence. Or rather, their thinking process.

Understand that Dazai is so much more complex than Fyodor's, because at least we understand that Fyodor has a goal, but where is Dazai's?

Often times, people mischaracterize their MBTIs, so I will be providing my own using Fyodor. Ultimately, their thinking processes are the same, just serving different purposes.

Fyodor is definitely an introvert.

Between sensing and intuition... That is where they differ.

Definitely thinking, and finally...

Between judging and percieving, I'd say it is judging.

Now, to comprehend this, we look at the difference between an INTJ and an ISTJ. These two MBTIs are so similar, yet so different.

For me, I feel that Dazai is an INTJ, constantly responding to Fyodor's ISTJ schemes. Why? Because I think Dazai should be able to complement Fyodor, and Fyodor is definitely an ISTJ.

The INTJ holds the cognitive stack of introverted intuition, extroverted thinking, introverted feeling and extroverted sensing. I won't be explaining what exactly the cognitive stack means, but in short, this makes him a crazy intelligent man who is entirely emotionally constipated.

He doesn't understand himself, which makes it so that others don't understand him. After all, how can the master of the house show his guests around his house, if he himself is unaware of every twist and turn, every painting on the wall?

And his intelligence, it's made possible from his keen eye to detail, cracking Fyodor open and acting accordingly.

And, I'm an INTJ myself. I can observe some parts of myself in him. I just never comprehended the way in which he functioned.

I'd always thought that Fyodor would've won, but Dazai came back on too because he can adapt. He can figure Fyodor out, and pull him along.

And his experience is what makes him so refined of an individual. The mafia didn't fuck him up; The mafia allowed him to thrive, thrive till he could survive, till he could figure out the mask that people liked.

[cinnamonest]

I'm now into the 5th season of hxh. As soon as I finish this series I will actually make a proper post but in the meantime I want to shout into the void how I feel about some of these bastards. Yes I was too lazy to turn off subtitles before taking hulu screenshots. I've been cutting into my sleep hours to watch this since the past week since I keep having to work overtime so this might be incoherent and delirious idk. I'm not entirely sure I'm awake right now. This might be a dream. Anyway

Hisoka was the only character I was familiar with by name prior to watching and like. I always assumed the pervert schtick was like a one-time line/single scene that people just took and ran with it. I was incorrect

I know full well this man would most likely kill me but like. I think I'd be okay with it. I think it would be a good way to go and I would probably accept it. I'd thank him even. I'd ask him to step on me while he does it. Or maybe I'm right at the threshold where I'm so pathetic I'm genuinely not worth killing which I think I'd also be okay with as long as I can still get knocked to the ground and have him step on my neck. Please sir

Also a large portion of me watching this, up until this past week, has been while I'm at home bc I've been home a lot recently and I often have a parallel play thing going on with my mother where in the evenings I'll watch something or play games while she browses facebook or reads her Bible/Christian books and she'll like pay half-attention and make comments every few minutes on anything I watch. In true parent fashion she's managed to be there for like every scene of random naked shots or weird moaning and says nothing, but once just looked up, made a face of deep discomfort and went back to highlighting her Bible. I think about this a lot. I'm sorry mom

I'm very weak to comic relief men actually and I have a triple weakness to token perv characters and furthermore my ovaries were created as such that men who are incredibly intelligent while also being astoundingly dumb are my kryptonite so my boy, be he as he may, dare I admit, does things to me. I think if you pulled the typical tease line where you say something about having a problem and needing a doctor to inspect you or just flash him he might die on the spot and that is very endearing to me. One could torment this man with the slightest of skin or sensuality it would be very easy. I appreciate you leorio

I want to protect Killua but like does he need it really. Like the "oh poor baby I want to hold him and squeeze him and never let anything harm him" urge is there because of my blatant maternal complexes but at the same time I know full well he does not need protecting and would realistically be the one protecting anyone else but like the urge is still there. I don't care. I WILL find something to protect him from and I WILL do it

Also very tsun. I can sense it. I know I'm dumb and weak and I would get snarky comments about it but that's okay. I would let the middle school aged boy bully me. I'd be okay with that

I think Illumi looks kind of like an insect. However he also terrifies me a little bit but I don't think that would particularly bother him. I think I could tell him both that he terrifies me and that he looks like a bug and he would have an entirely neutral response. Would probably just ask what kind of bug but may be disappointed if I name a non-cool bug. I'd probably say a grasshopper. I don't know how he would feel about that

I think what would be infuriating to me most is it is difficult to get much of a reaction out of this dude. Like you can be a total nightmare to have as a captive and the most you'll get is a :/ response. In attitude at least, like he'd probably still snap my wrist if deemed appropriate but would do it with just a mildly exasperated face/voice. I would try so hard to get a strong reaction and would never get it and that infuriates me. What right do you have to infuriate me like this bug man. Stop staring at me with them big ol eyes

I think if this man were to be living a normal life and not running with criminals he would wear socks with sandals on a daily basis. Like those thick white halfway up the calves socks and tan buckled sandals worn exclusively by boomer middle aged dads. And it's not the only trait he would share with middle aged men either I think he would care deeply about the quality of his lawn and mispronounce foreign things in a way that is borderline creative for how wrong it is. I think he just is a middle aged boomer dad trapped in a younger man's body. Release this man into a Home Depot and he will immediately adapt to his natural habitat

I am terrified of this man because due to who I am as a person I immediately evaluate all male specimens on what I think sex with them would be like, and cannot imagine a scenario involving this man where I come out of it without actual internal damage. Like you know how people joke about "rearranging your guts/insides" well this would be that but like actually genuinely. I think intercourse with this tank of a man would automatically necessitate medical attention. However do not mistake my horror for hesitancy because organ rupture is a price I will willingly pay for the experience of a realistic simulation of what I imagine it feels like to be a sick gazelle that falls behind the rest of the herd only to start hearing suspenseful nature documentary music

I cannot look at this man without my blood pressure immediately rising. I have never been simultaneously so strongly attracted to yet have such a strong desire to strangle someone. I think the worst part of this is that he would somewhat let me attempt to strangle him but would find it endearing and would start going on an analysis of my personhood and I will be real with you all that would peak my fury and I would become violent. And blah blah "understanding myself" hey man can you maybe not mass murder and go on your journey of self discovery by doing drugs or taking a road trip or something like a normal person in their quarter life crisis. Is that so hard.

As my fingers type these words I can feel my heart rate increasing and I am filled with immense fury and arousal at the same time. Why are you attractive? What is wrong with me? I hate it and I hate myself for it. I have to unironically take a break from typing to take a deep breath. I have to move on because I'm getting heart palpitations

Shalnark seems underappreciated. I love him so much but he also terrifies me in a way none of the others do. Like sure being blatantly cruel or loud or huge like some of the others is one thing but he's too cheery. It scares me on a visceral level. Sir why are you smiling like that. I do not trust it. Or rather realistically I know I WOULD trust it if I met this man as a stranger because I'm very gullible and that would not end well for me. This boy would probably be like one of the absolute worst people to end up stuck with once you get into it but that is very well hidden from the surface and I do not like that. I know I'm naive as all hell and I would fall for the same tricks over and over and I just know that would be used against me

On the bright side though this does mean he would actually fit the classic, original yandere trope since originally yanderes are supposed to be super sweet and cheery externally, so there's that

My skrungly. My tiny son. Y'all do not understand my predicament because I have a NEED to squish his face in my hands, I have an unbearable urge to pat his head and ruffle his hair, it is a literal physical intrinsic need like food and water and I need this but like at what cost. Is the price one I am willing to pay. The answer is probably yes actually. What are a few broken fingers for a moment of pure bliss. Likewise even if by a mere 2 centimeters I am taller than this man and that brings me great satisfaction. I hold great power in my hands. I would be sure to bring this matter up on a daily basis at great risk to my well-being

Baby boy you are the warmth of my soul and the love of my life and the brightest star in my night sky which is really saying something because you have about as much positive energy as a funeral. Regardless. Baby boy. Baby

I want Kurapika to know I love him. If Kurapika has 100000000 fans I'm one of them. I'm Kurapika has 10 fans I'm one of them. If Kurapika has 0 fans I am dead. If I were a shounen anime protagonist that just got the shit beaten out of me and I'm crumpled on the ground on the verge of unconsciousness and/or death I would have flashbacks and imagery of Kurapika go through my head and then I'd get a sudden burst of willpower and energy to miraculously get back up and kill the villain in a single blow. If I'm having a bad day and a singular thought of Kurapika passes through my mind it becomes a good day. Knowing Kurapika is a spiritual experience for me. I have a small orgasm every time my eyes are graced with Kurapika's visage. I think about Kurapika at minimum 127 times daily and if I fail to do this I will die instantly. I would protect Kurapika with my life. And by God I would gladly volunteer myself for clan rebuilding. Sir if you ever want to spread your bloodline I am right here. I will leap at the chance to spend the rest of my life as your personal incubator. I feel like he'd be paranoid and overprotective and lock me in the same house forever but you know what? I'm fine with that. Walking through our house at night will be like a semi-obscure 2000s Japanese horror rpg because every step you take there's a set of big red eyes staring at you but instead of weird Japanese demons its just pouty tiny kurtas. I am in physical pain because the most screen time he's had in ages is a phone call. Where is my boy. What have they done with my boy. If he does not return soon I will become violent

[isfjmel-phleg]

June 2024 Books

I have been tired and unmotivated most of the month, so I ended up mostly rereading random things, including a lot of pretty light stuff.

The Sylvia Game by Vivien Alcock (reread)

Weird story that may not be Great Literature but continues to be Rebekah Bait.

The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron

Although the second half of the book didn't work for me as well as the first, I did especially appreciate Emrys/Merlin's relationship with his mother and his struggle with fearing his powers.

The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson (reread)

The family relationships of this story are its greatest charm. Believable sibling dynamics, especially. The setting and the style and the general feel of a classic children's story are lovely, and the featuring of a protagonist in the 1910s who has Ojibwe ancestry is fresh and interesting. I found this book still enjoyable the second time around.

Thematically, though, I think there could have been some more nuance. At times, it seemed to veer into dealing with serious emotional concerns like struggling with major life changes beyond one's control by advising Just Stop Being So Negative And Choose Joy--a very simplified solution to a complex concern.

A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag by Gordon Korman (reread)

Another one of those early Korman books that make me wonder if he was familiar with Psmith--this story features both the impersonation of a terrible Canadian poet and the desire to avoid working in an uncle's fish business as a plot-driving motivation.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald (reread)

I did not grasp as a child how very, very 1950s these stories are!

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (reread)

I reread this one with the intention of analyzing its portrayal of emotional neglect, and that is indeed very much there, but I got a bit distracted by realizing that there's an argument for Anne's having ADHD. It would explain a lot of her behaviors. (Why didn't the recent adaptation take that route instead of the nonsense they opted for?)

Spineless by Samantha San Miguel (reread)

Heavier on the adventure than the historical fiction side of things, but good fun, with some nice characterization. There's a sequel coming out this fall that I'm planning to read.

Magic in My Shoes by Constance Savery (reread)

Very light compared to many of Savery's other books, but also very rereadable.

The Memoirs of Jack Chelwood by Constance Savery (reread)

I already talked about this here.

The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery (reread)

I have nothing intelligent to say about this one, but it's always a pleasure to reread.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster (reread)

The protagonist's engaging voice makes the letters fun to read, but this time I was deeply weirded out by the romance. She's being groomed by an older man who has financial power over her and whom she views in a parental/guardian-like role, he's pulling all the strings and controlling aspects of her life that are none of his business and keeping her dependent on him, and his in-person interactions with her can be unpleasant also. By the end, I was more worried than happy for her. I think the set-up of "correspondent turns out to be someone you've met in real life and leads to falling in love" can be done in a way that's sincerely romantic (more in the vein of The Shop Around the Corner or You've Got Mail), but this particular version of that plot has not aged well.

When Patty Went to College by Jean Webster (reread)

...so as a refresher I reread this one, which features a lively heroine's escapades at college without a creepy romantic relationship.

The White Feather by P. G. Wodehouse (reread)

See the essay here.

Comics

The Ray 1992 and 1994 (reread)

For the sake of analysis for posts this month. This is the one time of year that DC acknowledges that their current version of Ray (who is practically a different character from the 90s version and exists in a completely different continuity) exists, and that version is rather one-note, so I wanted, at least for my own amusement, to delve into the original version of the character, who is rather multi-faceted.

Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 4 (reread)

I read these as they were released, but I own a print copy now.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Vol. 1-2

A gift from my brother! This was my first experience with DW in comic form, and it was fun. I appreciated the presence of a companion who is a library assistant (not a librarian! there's a difference! and don't I know it).

The Flash Vol. 9: Full Stop

I picked this up at a library book sale quite a while ago when I was still able to go to those :/ This is post-Flashpoint stuff, I think? and I'm very post-Crisis in my leanings, so it was confusing for me without full context.

Superboy Book One: Trouble in Paradise (reread)

This is the only collection of Kon's solo, covering #1-10 and #0. It begins with Knockout and ends with him and Tana starting to officially date. I've read these issues before multiple times, but they will never not be worrying.

Batman: Under the Red Hood: The Deluxe Edition (partial reread)

All the feels. Can I please erase from my brain what happens between Jason and Talia though.

[obsoleteozymandias]

Hopefully I'm doing this right (Feel free to delete/ignore if your request matchups are closed or if you don't feel comfortable writing it) I just wanted to request a Matchup for Twisted Wonderland

Appearance: 5'0, waist-long straight black hair with full bangs, round almond brown eyes, round face (pale-ish??), just an Average Asian/Filipino, has a bit of a resting b face, so I try to always smile with my eyes.

I like wearing dark academia clothing but I also like clothing that looks grundge-y (my style is either masc or fem, no in-betwen)

My MBTI: ENFP

Zodiac Sign: Leo ♌

Sexuality/Gender: Demiromantic Asexual (I just say I'm Demisexual), Agender/ Genderfluid (She/her/They/them)

Personality: Ok whew, I dont know how to begin- My personality is a bit of a mess, I can be childish and playful but serious at times. I'm prone to hyperfocusing on things, I get defensive easily, and I am prone to getting a bit aggressive when I'm extremely mad/ pissed off. My tone of voice comes out as cold and mean (But I try to make it friendlier), I am stubborn (very stubborn when I know I'm right, I'm insistent on it too and rarely backdown) and I'm pretty confident and independent. I work in street smarts but my intuition is pretty strong, I'm quick to think on my feet. Some people have told me I like I have an Inferiority/Superiorty complex where I act like I'm the best but feel like the worst. I like acting average when I'm aware I'm not and I like playing Devil's Advocate, I like acting innocent and cutesty when I know I'll benefit from it. I like acting naive to fool people (My survival skills, apparently), I can be eccentric and follow my heart than my head most of the time, I am more inclined to go with the flow instead of sticking to a routine or schedule (Been told that I'm a walking Adhd). My friends have described me to be a "Golden Cat (or something)- Black Cat appearance and Golden Retriever Energy.

Likes: Sleeping and Daydreaming

I like chocolates, especially the extra bitter dark chocolates. And whipped cream makes me absolutely feral. My favourite type of chips are honey butter potato chips. I love blueberry cheesecakes and chocolate chip banana muffins. I also like the different colored macarons. I like my chocolate bitter but when it comes to tea, I will rival Kalim's sugar serving

I like the colors red, blue, and green.

I like roses, specifically the half colored roses (half red, half white), Sunflowers, and Forget-Me-Nots.

I like both dogs and cats.

Dislikes: Hypocrites, people who have no sense of morals and principles (people who cheat in school, just to be a top student, without actually learning anything), people who flex their wealth around. I dislike veggies because they have a weird aftertaste, specific textures (sensory issues go brrr)

Partner Preference/s: Its either one or the other for me (usually, when I simp for characters, They're either INTJ/ISTJ or ENTP, its crazy) To be more specific... I would prefer a partner who is incredibly smart/intelligent in academics (or just being knowledgeable in general), someone who is studious (I like nerdy people ngl) and being dorky about their interest. Sometimes, I find great attraction to people who seem aloof and closed off, I like cracking people open (not literally), people who compliment me, that we are different but similar in the things that matter. Someone who just gets me in ways that I couldn't/wouldn't anticipate.

My Love Language (Receiving): Acts of Service and Quality Time

I'm sorry for the word vomit 😭 I wanted to be as specific as I can

Hereeeee ya go

== Twisted Wonderland ==>

I match you up with…

Jade Leech

Jade is one of the few people who can appreciate the more manipulative ways you deal with people. When he sees you put on a cute or innocent act to get what you want, he’s SUPER intrigued. 

He’ll get closer to you with politeness at first, but you know he genuinely loves you when he shows you his more cunning and less than polite side. 

He’s also someone who can appreciate your lightheartedness. He himself is somewhat reserved and distant, and I imagine you’d be like a ray of sunshine in the ocean of his life. 

Side note: you and Floyd are a chaotic friendship which he frequently finds himself being both annoyed by and extremely fond of. 

Catch him making you all sorts of teas and drinks with your favorite flavors, or having you taste-test some snacks at the lounge that he already knows you’ll love. 

Is he offended when you put a lot of sugar into you tea? A little bit. Does he find your delighted smile cute and will overlook that? Absolutely. 

Jade and you are both independent creatures, but you find solace and acceptance of eachother wholeheartedly in one another. 

[infinitethree]

Lee’s wings visibly twitch as he feels the presence of the Observers return.

At his side, Daz clicks his tongue softly. “It must no longer count as Council business, then,” he sighs, a frown tugging at his mouth.

It’s weird to see him so serious. Logically, he knows that this is the real Daz– or at least realer than he’s ever been for Lee before.

That doesn’t stop it from feeling like he’s peering into the uncanny valley when he looks at him.

Daz studies him, and a faint smile rises up. “Alright, kid. Ready to learn some admin secrets?”

Honestly, Lee wants nothing more than to learn what other secrets Daz has. He can tell that whatever he’s going to learn…this is important.

That’s why the other Council members are in other rooms. The two of them are in the hidden…lounge…thing? That can only be reached by breaking two specific blocks and climbing up into a hidden passageway.

It’s paranoid as hell, and it reminds Lee of his Dad.

Bouncing a little in his seat, he nods enthusiastically.

Daz seems pleased by the enthusiasm, but mostly keeps a straight face. “Good. So…” he leans forward, resting his arms on his knees. Lee automatically mimics the pose, his curiosity cresting nearly painfully.

“Mobs love their admins. Mobs won't intentionally hurt their admins, not without provocation. Well…outside of a select few cases. Don't try to talk to a wither, that doesn't go well.”

He frowns. “That can't be right– Dad and Lucid would have noticed.”

There's a soft huff, and Daz explains, “They never were so deeply, cripplingly lonely that they started talking to mobs. They had San, after all, even if somehow the server didn't have other players.”

That…would be true, he guesses. It does make sense in that light.

“But I've seen hostile mobs attack them.” “I don't know if Day clocks as an admin any more, and for Lucid…are you sure they attacked first? Or were they just getting close, and Lucid attacked them? Because if they're attacked, of course they'll retaliate. If they're going to die either way, they'll adhere to their normal instincts.”

Fuck, he can’t say for sure. He'll have to pay closer attention in the future.

“Some mobs, though? They're more than just that. Some mobs are smart– smarter than some players, even! They have their own languages, cultures, and customs.”

He sucks in a sharp breath, vaguely aware his wings are fluttering in surprise. “But why hasn't anyone–?”

Daz tilts his head to the side. “Why haven't you?”

The question echoes the way his dad will try to make him figure something out on his own.

It's super weird to notice the similarities between his Dad and Daz.

With a sigh, he answers, “Nobody thought it was possible, so nobody considered it.”

From the smile Daz has, that seems to be the answer he was looking for. “And when nobody suspects something, their ignorance is the best smokescreen.”

Another sigh escapes him. He's getting a little more used to the real Daz, but it's still unsettling to see him like this.

“Now,” Daz says, “Knowing that there are two mobs who are unique, which ones do you think they are?”

Immediately, Lee answers, “Villagers, obviously.” “Nope.” “No?!” “They’re more complex than, say, a zombie, but not enough to truly consider intelligent.”

He has to consider it. What mobs act abnormally?

It doesn't seem like it would be outright hostile mobs, but he could be wrong. But purely passive ones don't quite feel right, either. And if it was a culture, surely they must lump together in large groups…

Ah.

He straightens up and says, “Piglins. Attie says they're always respectful and appreciative if he gives them more than just gold ingots. They have homes, too, with bastions…and San wouldn’t be able to see inside those too easily.”

Daz grins at him, seeming pleased he figured it out. “Yep. That's where one of my secondary sources of income is from, actually. I have deals with several bastions for ancient debris. I give them gold and overworld goodies in exchange. I'll take you on one of my meetups next time. They…”

Unexpectedly, a wistful expression crosses his face. “They’re good folk. They'll be overjoyed to have an admin and a half who know how special they are.”

From the way he's talking, and a nudge from his weird sixth sense, Lee says, “You like them, don't you?”

“...They were friends, back on my original server. It was lonely so far out– not that I had many people who wanted to see me, anyway. Dream told me they were smart, so I…started going to local bastions. I learned their language, their customs…” Daz trails off, brow furrowing faintly.

“And?” “...That's a story for another time,” Daz sighs. “For now– tell me the other mob that has true intelligence.”

Lee huffs, aware that he’s not going to get Daz to budge if he doesn’t want to.

If the big clues for Piglins were being clustered together and having homes, what else fits?

Wardens do have homes, sort of, in ancient cities, but they’re kind of weird and definitely not clustered together. And also extremely hostile, at least to most players. Maybe it’s different for admins, but…that still doesn’t feel quite right.

Witches are also pretty solitary, and it��s not villagers, so…what other mobs have a structure linked to them?

…Wait.

“...Endermen?”

Daz hums, face giving nothing away. “Why do you think it’s them?” “They’re not in them, but the End has cities, they’re always found in groups, and a little bit because they’re neutral but can become hostile if you don’t follow their ‘rules’.”

Another pleased smile forms. “That’s mostly correct. Not sure what the deal is with them and cities, honestly? But…yeah, endfolk are a stickler for their rules. Speaking of which!” He narrows his eyes, and points at Lee. “Do not approach any endfolk on your own. They have complicated, delicate customs and social networks, and you can very literally and without hyperbole start a war by saying or doing the wrong thing. If you fuck up, dozens to hundreds of sentient, sapient beings might die. You’ll need training just to be able to shadow a meeting with them. Piglins are much, much more forgiving. While endfolk might give you some slight leeway for being a small god, that won’t get you far if you piss a group off. Their grudges run long and deep, Achilles, and they will have no issue targeting you and yours for failure to follow their rules.”

He swallows, shrinking back a little at the idea. Even if he might have gotten curious and done it before, hearing exactly what that might lead to has killed any desire to jump the gun. “Okay.”

Daz studies him for a long moment, and then exhales in clear relief. “Good. They’re tricky to deal with, but…” A faint sparkle enters his eyes, and he adds, “but, well– if you can pull it off, it’s very profitable. Elytras are easy to sell…or easy to pretend to buy.”

Lee’s jaw drops. “You’re– where does the money go? You can’t be pocketing it, right–?” “Why not? Genuine elytras obtained through hard work are still being put into the hands of new players. The person who did that hard work is being paid.” “Wh– but it’s an unfair advantage! You’re just– you’re cheating!”

The other potential admin rolls his eyes. “I’m using skills that I put considerable effort into learning and/or are innate to me, the same as Orph and his music or Attie and his jewelry. I’m honestly at much more risk doing things like this than just going to hunting for cities myself. But that also takes time, and I’m running desperately low on that as it is. Ultimately, it’s not my fault nobody else considered that endfolk or piglins are capable of making deals like this. I’m not going to apologize for using whatever tools and skills are at my disposal to their fullest.”

He groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. “Prime, I kinda get why Aster thinks you’re a dick.” “And he’s a sanctimonious idiot who, despite all the shit he’s been through, still thinks the best of others.” “That doesn’t–” “Also, he sees his original Dream in me. Plus he’s so fucking pissy that he was the only one who caught onto what I’m really like. Hell, several people defended me when he tried to warn them!”

For several long moments, Lee studies him. A vibe forms, and he says, “You see your original Dream in him, too, don’t you?”

Daz startles a little, and then laughs without any humor. “Fucking vibes, huh?”

It’s not a yes, but it’s not a no. It seems like it would be easy for Daz to just lie about it, but he doesn’t seem to want to do that.

Interesting.

“What about him is the same?” “I don’t want to get into that,” Daz sighs. “I feel like it’s important–” Tone firmer, Daz states, “Drop it.”

Some innate alarm bell warns him that disregarding this won’t end nicely, so he reluctantly concedes. “...Fine. Okay, so– Piglins and enderm– endfolk, are both waaaay more advanced that anyone else knew. What other magical admin secrets do you have?”

Daz blinks at him, and tells him, “Admins needs claims to function. A claim can be anything from a token to a charm to a pair of glasses, but it’s preferable if it’s worn. Claims act as a way to reinforce their bond with a person precious to them and a warning sign to others. Rejecting or taking back a claim is tantamount to rejecting the associated admin; a symbolic gesture that signifies that they are no longer worthy of that bond. Conversely, reciprocating the bond with an item in return expresses the opposite, that the claimed person is claiming the admin back.”

That…sounds an awful lot like the jewelry Attie makes. But Attie isn’t an admin, and he makes jewelry for everyone. “Isn’t that just normal, though? The giving gifts thing, I mean. Everyone does that.”

“In Sanctuary, sure. But even that started from an admin. Your dad might have traded his spark, but the instincts likely remain. From what I’ve heard from Atlas, the jewelry was subtly and unconsciously encouraged, until he took it upon himself to develop a formal system for it. Once in Sanctuary, it bloomed into a server-wide custom. As far as I can tell, your dad and Lucid have no idea that it’s just a normal admin thing.”

Lee makes a face. “Are you sure? It seems weird to–” “Imagine what it would feel like if Aster gave back his earring.”

The very idea is like a punch to the gut. Something deep inside of him screams at the concept, and he doesn’t even realize he’s having a panic attack until Daz is hugging him. “Shh, hey– it’s not real, I was just using an example. That stubborn bastard would literally die before he gave up his earring. But that’s my point– non-admins don’t feel that strongly. They might be hurt, but they wouldn’t freak out over just the idea of it. Claims are an innate part of us, just like flying is to avians or being stubborn is to Tommys.”

The hand rubbing his back, carefully running underneath his wings so they aren’t pinned down, is enough to calm him down. The way that Daz is further explaining it is soothing; his tone, his gentleness, even the tension in his body.

He’s worried that I’m so upset, he thinks, and feels weirdly relieved about it.

Despite his evident intelligence and capacity to manipulate and lie, Daz is distressed just by Lee being so out of sorts.

He wraps his arms around Daz, making him pause. Slowly, a hand goes to his head, and the other admin carefully cards a hand through his hair.

It feels a lot like when his Dad or Theo or even Aster does it. Every past experience has taught him that this means comfort and protection and safety.

With a soft, shuddering sigh, he wraps his wings around Daz and leans more against him. Daz tells him, “I didn’t think it would get under your skin that badly. I’m sorry. I guess I just…forgot how bad it is.”

That’s right; Daz knows this because he has the same instinct. Then…from how he said that, he’s had claims be rejected before?

“Who would hurt you like that?” “...I don’t think that’s a good topic for right now. Everything is still a lot, yeah? So let’s hold off that particular distressing chat for another time. I know you’ll probably learn about it eventually, but…now you know the important parts that relate to you,” Daz tells him.

Fair enough. 

Daz continues, “Admins get attached to things and to people much more intensely than non-admins. We can’t help it; it’s a part of who we are. I’m pretty sure it’s because we need to love the server we end up becoming admins in, but it’s not like I can call up a god who can explain that.”

Might not have a direct line to a god, but you have something even better!

Lee flinches at the sound of that voice, already wary of the problems it can cause. He heard enough from the Council to never want to encounter it again.

Aww, kid…you look so tense! Hah, you’re gonna be so fucking obvious the second you spot any of them outside of here. I mean, pfft…you might as well just announce to everyone that there’s something sus about them!

He looks up at Daz, whose expression gives nothing away. “I’m aware of that; it’s on the agenda. Thank you for your warning, Scribe. Is there anything I can help you with?”

There’s a soft scoff. You’re no fun.

A pleasant but still chilly smile curls up on the other admin’s lips. “But not boring, right?”

…No, not boring. Now that you’re actually taking fucking action again instead of having a string of panic attacks in a corner–

Daz was having panic attacks?

–you’ve actually made things interesting again. So interesting, in fact, that I’ll give you a little…boon.

Those bright cyan eyes crinkle as Daz’s smile grows. “That’s awfully kind of you.”

Uhg, save the fakeness for someone who doesn’t know you backwards, forwards, and inside out. Anyway, your boon is this; one of the Observers has been tattling to Day and Lucid about admin shit. If you keep making things fun, I might see fit to give you more info.

The smile drops, like he’s taken the statement to heart, or maybe like he’s just that unhappy with that knowledge. “I’m going to guess that I have to go big for you to bother doing that.”

The Scribe coos, Aww, you already know me so well! The frequency of quality of info is gonna depend on how much I like shit that happens because of your actions. 

Daz nods, rolling his shoulders. “Understood. If there’s nothing else you need me for, I need to prep Lee on how to lie effectively. We don’t have forever, after all; he’s gonna have to go home soon.”

A cackling laugh makes Lee shudder. No, no…this has been fun. I approve of the chessboard you’ve set up. I’ll take my leave…for now.

As Lee gets to his feet, the unseen entity murmurs, Just remember that there’s always another person, just as smart as you, who can provide entertainment. So don’t disappoint me, Daz. You won’t like the price of failure.

Despite the Scribe having left, that warning has left the room feeling frigid. Daz shows no outward sign of how he’s feeling– likely because he’s good at acting– but the vibes tell him one thing with absolute certainty.

Daz knows exactly what the Scribe meant, and he’s terrified of whatever threat was just made.

[abuddyforeveryseason]

This is the Buddy for February 26th. It's a Harry Potter thing. I'm a Hufflepuff.

I'll be honest, I never finished the Harry Potter series. I did start reading the last book (the deathly hallows one) but for some reason or another, I didn't finish it. I only know the end thanks to reading spoilers online.

Same thing happened with Star Wars, too - I watched the first part of Return of the Jedi at my grandparents' house one day, and didn't see the end of the story until a few years ago. One of those weird nerd things, I guess. People do think the last movie of the trilogy's the worst, anyway.

The one thing about Harry Potter people are into is the four houses aspects. It's fun to pick a house and have this sort of kinship with other people who share your choice, and to be able to tell people abut yourself through this common pop culture branding.

The four houses are kind of based on the four humors of ancient greek medicine, as popularized in obnoxious detail by Ben Johnson.

Gryffindor is Sanguine - they're sporty, brave and "good at everything" - and of course, the type of people who only exist in fiction, or in the minds of people who think real life works like fiction, and see themselves as heroes. But all attempts at mapping personalities usually has a "good guy" personality just in case.

Slytherin is Choleric - evil. Technically, bitter and angry, which does describe Draco Malfoy. And evil people in general are usually angry, right. Cholera, of course, is yellow bile. Have you ever noticed that, when you're angry, you feel heartburn? That's the bile rising. In Japan, there's even the idea that when someone is really angry, they need to throw up.

Ravenclaw is Phlegmatic - Nerds, pretty much. If all the brainiest students go to Ravenclaw, how come they don't win every house cup? Though the idea that intelligence is an innate personality trait is pretty unintelligent in itself. Phlegm, as we know, is snot. Nerds are always sniffling and complaining about allergies, right?

Hufflepuff is Melancholy - basically "the rest" of the personality group, for people who aren't strong, smart or angry enough for the other three. Melancholy is the worst of the personalities, the opposite of sanguine, having neither the intelligence of Phlegmatic nor the strength of Choleric. Melancholy is the black bile, which totally exists, and comes from the spleen. What else would the spleen do?

So, basically, Sanguine/Gryffindors are strong and smart, Choleric/Slytherins are strong and dumb, Phelgmatic/Ravenclaws are weak and smart, and Melancholy/Hufflepuffs are weak and dumb.

People choose their Hogwarts houses based on their personality, or rather, the personality they wish they had. Choosing Gryffindor means they have a hero complex, or see themselves as brave. Good thing they've never been in an actual emergency situation to see how they'd do, right? Slytherin is the edgelord house. They act like they're above simplistic morality and "know only the strong survive". Ironically, many Slytherin characters were born rich. Ravenclaws are proud of their nerdiness. That often just means reading a lot or being good at math, though. Not so much the scientific humility aspect of nerdiness. And Hufflepuffs are the ones who claim to reject the whole idea of the house system and take pride on being part of the "loser house", since it means they're refusing to put themselves in a box.

Makes sense that I'm a Hufflepuff now, right?

[positivelybeastly]

🖤(for bobby? ^_^)

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy / beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that / perfect / godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

Classic bear/twunk synergy going on here, tbh. I think Hank's always been aware of Bobby being objectively a very handsome young man, but I don't think that it's the kind of handsome that makes Hank descend into lust - he just doesn't quite read that way to me. He's cute, he's good looking, but, idk, this is one that boils down way more to how they interact and their personalities than anything else.

personality:

grating / irritating / frustrating / boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

This is one that can really run the gamut - Hank can either find Bobby to be one of the single most annoying people on the planet, or his single best friend on the face of the Earth, and yes, there's plenty of room in between for those to exist simultaneously. I've talked before about how this friendship has soured in recent years, but even with Hank retreating from it, I don't think he sees Bobby as a bad person, just not one that he can rely on or find solace in a lot of the time. His emotional needs are too complex and their history too messy - in Hank's mind, anyway.

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

Bobby/Hank is something that kind of has to come with an emotional component, imo. Hank's era of relationships without emotional investment are long since gone, and especially if he was going to have sex with a friend like Bobby, he would want to be sure that it isn't going to ruin what they have or make it worse. He can get sexual gratification plenty of places, but the relationship that Bobby offers, platonic or non, is too valuable for him to ruin it just to get his end away.

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends / fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

This one really varies depending on the time period, tbh. I feel like the times they were closest were the 60s and the 80s, so O5 and Defenders/X-Factor, with the 00s really seeing the end of their friendship and the trend more towards just - knowing, one another. Hell, there's a moment during Avengers vs. X-Men where Bobby joins Scott's side of things, and he tries to appeal to his and Hank's friendship, and Hank is just. Cold, towards him. He doesn't even flinch. I think there's a lot of bottled up anger in there.

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Let's be real here, teen Bobby was annoying as hell, but then, so was teen Hank. Teenagers are annoying! But I definitely think that Bobby was Hank's first real male friend, the one I'd point to as, this is where Hank learned to make proper friends with people, and that counts for a lot.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Ahahahahahahahaha how depressing of an answer do you want?

Oh, wait, I know.

X-Force Beast wouldn't piss on Bobby if he was on fire, and Bobby doesn't even think of him when he's dying. If they don't hate each other, it's because they don't care about one another anymore.

[mysterycharacterflowers]

A bouquet of azalea, red calla lily, thistle and amaranthus (love-lies-bleeding) VS Tartarian Aster

First, let's talk about the bouquet of azalea, red calla lily, thistle and amaranthus (love-lies-bleeding)

Meaning and why these flowers were chosen: Firstly, azalea, because it’s famously toxic and thus has been used as a death threat [...]. This fits my guy because he’s killed a vast number of people, and because his appearance and presence are generally threatening. But [...] it also symbolizes temperance, abundance, fragile or held-back passion, and prudence, which better suits his actual personality, as he’s a careful, reserved, thoughtful person with an abundance of intelligence; with the symbolism about passion, the only person he’s loved romantically he didn’t ultimately pursue or have a chance with, and even familial love for him tends to be an understated thing. Calla lily, because it symbolizes death and so does he, and because it also symbolizes rebirth and, from the right perspective, he’s certainly been reborn a couple times. I’d specifically go with red calla lilies, since those also symbolize determination and he is nothing if not devoted to his goals when it counts. Thistle, because it symbolizes pain, which he has both endured a lot of and dealt out a lot of; aggression, which for a while overtook him; and protection from evil, which he always does his best to provide. Amaranthus (love-lies-bleeding), because it can symbolize hopelessness and he spent quite a bit of his life full of despair; it also symbolizes immortality and he more or less has that Description: He’s an earnest, downtrodden person who tried to turn away from his ‘normal’ life because of something horrible that happened to his loved ones, but then once he came back into action, it turned into a long journey as far downhill as he could be pushed. He spent years half out of his mind [...] During this time, even those who might have considered him a friend before quickly considered him a lost cause and generally dehumanized him, which is even worse because their perspective there was understandable. He’s often very critical, and doesn’t necessarily know where to stop; he’s always been intense, and people are usually uncomfortable around him, whether it’s justified or not. He’s as moral a person as he can be—he’s not exactly anti-murder, but he has high standards, when he’s his usual self—and as practical as he can bear to be. He almost killed a (technical) family member once, but on the other hand he also helped them kill a personification of a cosmic force, so it balances out, right? He’s a weird mix of straightforward and mysterious, and an absolute icon of creepy good. He’s alive against all odds and extremely tired to a magical degree. He’s also, at least implicitly, in a lot of pain due to some murders. Physical pain, that is.

Check his post here for the full description

Now, let's talk about the Tartarian Aster

Meaning and why this picture was chosen: It means 'I wont forget you' which is DEEPLY on brand for her character. This is for two major reasons, the space yuri plot with the reincarnation thing that ends with them having to go separate ways to save the universe from imploding, and the fact that a lot of her actions a based on her mourning and canon severe complex PTSD. Description: - Extremely PTSD-riddled 20-something STEM major plagued by emails. - Grieving a lot of people and Really Going Through It but still manages to teeth-grit hold onto hope for the future. - Space lesbian subtext. - Friends include some space frat boys, her male workwife, a character that looks like every letter of the LGBT+ at once, and several robots. - Enjoys playing video games

Check her post here

[road2nf]

All nerds need a community of other nerds. Otherwise we tend to allow the rest of society to convince us that there’s something wrong with who and what we are. We start to forget that we are awesome, which easily leads us to forget to be awesome.

I haven’t been a Nerdfighter for very long. It was probably about a year ago that a friend showed me Mental Floss, which I enjoyed and watched sporadically, clueless that John did anything else and that Hank even existed.

It was only late December 2013 that I discovered SciShow and thereby came to know and love Hank. I wouldn’t say I was a Nerdfighter though until February of this year, when I found the Vlogbrothers channel.

Prior to that, I thought John and Hank were cool dudes, but now I am addicted to Vlogbrothers videos, I own a copy of TFiOS that has collected my tears and been passed on to my sisters, I have pictures on facebook of me doing the Nerdfighter gang sign thing, etc.

So yeah, I’m kinda new here, but in my few months so far as a Nerdfighter, I feel like the world sucks a bit less just knowing that there is a community of people who proudly call themselves nerds, are committed to viewing the world and the people in it complexly, and work together to try and make the world suck less.

All nerds need a community of other nerds. Otherwise we tend to allow the rest of society to convince us that there’s something wrong with who and what we are.

We start to believe that we shouldn’t let our intelligence show and that we shouldn’t like things enthusiastically and that being weird is bad.

We start to forget that we are awesome, which easily leads us to forget to be awesome.

In high school, I didn’t know anything of Nerdfighteria, but I had an entirely insane best friend, who helped me to worry less about what people thought about me, and I had Dustin, who did the morning announcements on Fridays and always signed off by saying “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome.” and that is how I made it through.

Humans are extremely complex, but humans are extremely predisposed to ignore the complexity of other humans and of the things other humans do.

All this does is screw humanity over.

At the core of most of the world’s problems are people not actually understanding the problem and people not understanding each other.

Even though their videos are short, John and Hank never just hand us basic summaries and generalizations of things. Instead, they always give us something to think about and invite us to discuss it further and share our questions and insights.

They help us remember that the truth resists simplicity, and they have created places on the internet where intelligent discussions of complex issues can be had without all intelligence being lost and buried at the bottom of an ocean of hater comments and trolling.

Kids and young adults are used to being talked down to by less young adults. but even though John and Hank are about twice the age of most of their audience, the way in which they address their viewers makes them feel less like teachers (in the way one generally thinks of teachers) or any other sort of authority figures and more like really cool, really smart, older brothers.

They don’t belittle your intelligence.

They don’t make you feel stupid for asking a question.

They don’t make you feel foolish or weak for asking for advice.

They’re people to whom young adults can look up but not feel inferior.

I get very anxious in real-life social situations, but if I ever get the opportunity to meet John and Hank, I don’t think I’d be all that scared to approach them.

-care623

[tsintotwo]

Hello! I hope you are doing well. I am new to tumblr and your tumblr/blog was the very first one that got my attention when I looked up Tom Sturridge. You've got to be the most sweetest, sensible and the nicest person on here in regards to pretty much everything, especially Tom. I recently found out about Tom through the The Sandman, as I think many have too. It's a shame that a lot, if not all, are either objectifying him and or dismissing him completely as if he, himself is not just another human being. By dismissing him, I mean: ridiculing him for his quirky? attire to his haircuts to his naturally lean body figure. Most call those degrading comments: 'light hearted jokes' and or it's not like Tom is going to see them so we can say whatever. Then the same herd will go on about preaching body positivity and mental health. Moreover, it seems quiet obvious (at least to me) that he [Tom] is really a shy and a reserved person, perhaps even has low confidence in himself. He has even expressed how anxious he gets when the cameras are on him. But, knowing all that, such demeaning comments on how he stands or acts have never stopped. And most of the time, if not always, he is dressed up by a stylist for red-carpet events (recently by; prada, thome browne, ysl) and so if he isn't giving a photoshopped-vogue-model-look that doesn't mean he is subjected to ridicule 🤷‍♀️. He likes to reuse and recycle his everyday clothes - so what?. Aren't people always going on about how celebs are so full of themselves, decking themselves in brands head to toe giving people complexes and yet, here is this person doing to the exact opposite of it but instead of being appreciated, he is being made fun of it.

I, for one find it refreshing to see a celeb that isn't 24/7 pinned up, copy-pasted PR created humanoid but, in fact, has his own thought out opinions/answers and a personality unlike others. He is intelligent but if we are going to be shallow then the dude's got looks as well. I am perhaps being biased here but it just sucks to see someone so genuine be diminished to materialistic things .

I feel like you also see more to him than just someone who is good-looking. You most certainly don't have to reply back. Just wanted to share my 2 cents and perhaps know what do you think.

p.s: sorry for my grammar, english is not my first language.

Have a great day and happy holidays! :)

Anon, I have this thing. It's this: I find new stuff I like all the time- art and artists, things and people. They hype me up, I find communties to share my enthusiasm with about them, they give me good times, it's all fine. But then sometimes, more rarely, I stumble on something that I don't just like, I LOVE. I'm a chronic underfeeler and am mostly used to mild emotional middle grounds, but these things make me feel in extremes. Sometimes I don't know how to handle it.

That's how it is for me with Tom. I just love him, and he makes me feel a lot of things. This means I have to be cautious. I have to take Tom content- be it news, pics, gifs, stories- in doses I can manage, I have to curate what I see or learn. Otherwise, it could get messy. I could accidentally look at a picture in the morning and not get anything done that day because I'd just be having too many thoughts and feels. I could come across something someone said about him and it would make my brain go seventeen different ways and I would flash-freeze. And all of it would leave me scrambling for some sense and sanity. Call it a deficiency, call it weirdness- but this is how it is.

So, anon, this means I actually don't look at a lot of Tom Sturridge things said and made by other people. I don't ever look up pap/event photos of real-time things he's been doing 'cause I'm not comfortable (seems sorta stalkery to me), but even without that, I don't look for gifs, pics, fics, anything. I don't follow any stan blogs, any tags. I just can't handle it. I produce content (I learned making gifs, sound edits, video edits in the last few months, I've written more than I ever had before), because I need content and can't go searching for it. I have to be discovering him in my own terms.

Things being this way, I actually didn't know a lot of things you just told me. I didn't know he was actually being criticized for his quirks, his body, his clothes. That people were making fun of him. I'm not surprised to learn, though.

You see, it's a slippery slope with interest/obsession with people on the silver screen. I do NOT believe we should be crticizing artists in this way. But if I go tell someone- 'What gives you the right to talk shit about someone's personal choices? Actor or not, they're still real people.', they might counter with a bunch of things. They might argue that celebs consent to be objectified when they show off their bodies, agree to be photographed in enticing clothes, do titillating scenes. They might say it's those people's job to perform for us, capitalizing on our interest, so we have a say when they don't. They might say there's no need to be so serious about harmless trash talk about people who don't know we exist (as you mentioned). And, they might even ask me, if I'm acting so high and mighty about treating celebs like 'real people', how do I feel about being this hyperfixated on a 'real person', browsing their irl videos for hours, cataloguing every detail of their face, body, mannersim in some kind of internet shrine? How is that not creepy?

I don't have answers to all of these. And I understand this is a long-winded discussion you didn't ask for. But the definitive things I can tell you are these:

1. Half the reason I love Tom Sturridge so much is he seems to, frankly, not give a fuck about the performative side of being a celeb. It seems that acting/sometimes modelling is his job, not his lifestyle. It's funny- just a couple days ago I was talking about this with another blogger here. And I said the same thing: I LOVE that he'd show up at fashion afterparties in duck sweaters, would wear one random pair of blue pants to three different things, wouldn't care what other people think about his hair. It's HIS hair, HIS body- we may have preferences, but I don't believe we have a say. If you've been on my blog, you may have seen that I talk about takedown culture and living despite other people's judgement- I believe in that, I do that, and I deeply respect other people who do that without harming anyone. Those are my favorite people. (And quirky is my favorite brand of humor, so that's a win as well.) 

2. Tom is hot. I won't pretend that's not the thing that got me into him. But that was months ago. Skin-deep appreciation only lasts so long; if he didn't interest me as a person, I wouldn't still be bothering. As much as I don't really know him or will never know him, the parts of him that he chooses to share with us are enough for me to root for him forever. As you mention- he seems genuine, and beyond that, I could go on and on about why I think he's great, but in summary: sometimes people just click for you, you know? They just do it for you. I'm sure lots of celebs are lovely people, but for me, it's got to be Tom. 

3. I think a major problem with general stan culture is people want the shine of the celeb they like to reflect on them. I like Taylor Swift, and on twitter, there are lots of people who are always talking about her chart positions and records she breaks and stuff. It's because they want to be able to say, 'Well, I like someone who is that great!' It's almost like they're trying to raise their own worth by showing off the credits of their screen idol. So, for people used to this practices and these standards, someone who doesn't conventionally 'perform' in the public eye is an anomaly, and they're kind of standing there metaphorically poking that someone with their sticks, going, 'Do it, do it for us!' It's sad to see their trash talk and their bullying, but I don't think they will change. So I'll just gently remind you that when someone says those stuff about Tom, it says more about them than him, and I hope it doesn't have the power to upset you. 

Whew! That was a lot of things I just wrote, but writing is never something I mind. Thank you so much for the kind words that you said about me, and for giving me a chance to share my thoughts. Hope you had a great day, and happy holidays! (Don't worry at all about grammar, I learned English as a second language as well.)

[galacticnova3]

mimics? :eyes: do you have somesuch sort of mimic lore post somewhere? i'd be interested to learn more about em

I do, but Tumblr search is still garbage and so it has been lost to the depths of my blog. I’ll just make a new one right here.

Mimics are essentially a class of shapeshifting creatures defined by their habit of, well, mimicking things, rather than just one or two species of monster. They generally start out as small little blobs that separated from an older mimic before choosing their first disguise. As they grow the number of things they can shift into does as well, but their diet actually has an impact on how well they’ll be able to resemble something. This is because a big part of their shapeshifting is based in reorganizing their cellular structure and, in doing so, materials stored within. When something is consumed its basic structure is “remembered” in a sense, and the more of that material the mimic has to work with in the first place, the less they have to “fill in the blanks” so to speak. A mimic that is nigh indistinguishable from a real wooden treasure chest has likely eaten wood from still-living trees to accomplish that. As expected, the vast majority will make themselves look like inanimate objects— particularly those that garner attention from intelligent creatures like people— but it isn’t unheard of for them to try and copy other creatures as well.

Artificially created mimics exist as well, via the use of dubious soul magic and… other stuff, I haven’t figured out the details. Basically, they’re made when mimic making juice™️ gets applied to an inanimate object, imbuing it with a weird-but-still-functional soul and making it more fleshy than what it was originally. Notably, the intelligence of the resulting mimic depends on how much gunk™️ is used in relation to the size of the starting object. Using more will give a more complete soul, and mind by extension, so such mimics can essentially be like people, though that does not have much bearing on their carnivorous tendencies. They can learn morals and ethics and such to change that, but if that doesn’t happen you end up with mimics like Lon; fully able to understand that other people are complex and emotional and not the same as just animals, but not caring because being smart doesn’t remove you from the food chain.

Genetically, they all may as well be their own species of one individual. As I have said many, many times before, mimics can’t reproduce sexually, and this is why. Even those born from the asexual reproduction of existing mimics will gradually become their own thing as a result of the way they process organic materials. Using the wooden chest mimic example from earlier, they’d have copied some of the cells of the wood they ate, meaning that at least a portion of their genetics is from the wood’s source; if you did a DNA test, there would be tree showing up on it. Now apply that same principle to any and every other organism the mimic ate, whether plants or animal or fungi, and you have A Mess Of A Genome. Baby mimics start with a mess and make it their own, the exception being artificial mimics who get the joy of building their genetic nightmare from scratch. (Biologists hate them! Spit in the face of how living creatures and their genetics are supposed to work with this one weird trick!)

Socially, they tend to be solitary; think of it like hide and seek where you really don’t want someone showing up and trying to hide in the same place. They’ll usually opt for doing a little cannibalism over trying to work together with other mimics, especially if they’re larger and more experienced. That doesn’t mean there are none who hunt in groups over working alone, but it’s rare and almost always involves groups of individuals who weren’t that great at survival to begin with. One slightly weird looking chest among normal ones is suspicious; if all the local chests look a bit off it can be chalked up to poor craftsmanship by whichever local made them. There are exceptions to this, of course, like the duo I usually post about, but most mimics aren’t interested in things like sharing or teamwork or friendship. It’s all about survival of the fittest and knowing what will draw the interest of explorers, travelers, and whoever else might be fooled into becoming their next unlucky meal.

Mush is an outlier, they’re just a little creacher. A little babert. Sure, they came from a mimic who would totally relate to the antagonist of The Most Dangerous Game, but starting out small and weak and then being shown things like kindness and food, and that people can give you food, and that sometimes people give really yummy food, and being pet is nice, etc has set them on the path of not becoming a boat identity thief who enjoys murder and got another boat into doing murder also. Why kill people when you can use your little fella fungus charms to make them give you cap pats and treats?

[fryingpan1234567]

@verylostv this is not shade I just wanted to explain things lol

SLYTHERINS. We’re kinda goofy.

source: https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-slytherin-best-worst-traits/

this site says the main traits are

goal-oriented

ambitious

self-confident

cunning

natural leaders

shrewd

loyal

self-reliant

pragmatic

strategic

rule breakers

judgemental

haughty

vindictive

prejudiced

elitist

arrogant

selfish

sneaky

cruel

personally I trust ScreenRant idk about you guys

now I could analyze the shit out of every character I put into Slytherin, but mostly I want to bring up loyalty, yes, but I’m SO glad it mentioned arrogant

Percy is arrogant. He’s earned it, sure, but he always has been. He’s just like that. Maybe it comes from being a New Yorker or the son of one of the most powerful gods, but it’s always been there.

I think all demigods are goal-oriented? They’ve got ADHD and sometimes amble, but they have quests. They can only leave camp on a quest. Tasks and goals are the most important thing to any of them.

Percy!! Natural leader!! Main character energy tbh (I wonder why)

RULE BREAKER. IT’S ON THERE. THERE HE IS. PERCY’S WHOLE CHARACTER.

And now Gryffindor!! Listen we’re goofy but y’all are goofier smh

source ScreenRant AGAIN

loyalty again. before you laugh, look at any Gryffindor and tell me that’s wrong.

bravery

courage

daring

adventurous

stubborn

HERO COMPLEX LMAO YEAH THAT’S ON THE LIST

self-righteous

short tempered

reckless

oh my god stop it’s LITERALLY the Gryffs

Piper is basically all of them and I’m living for it

anyways Puff Peeps

source SR again

not technically a personality trait but they produce the least amount of evil wizards!!

appreciation for animals and nature

they’re kinda good at everything/ they’re all-rounders

loyalty. again. yeah I know

high value in friendship

kind

giving

understanding the importance of food (this list is weird guys)

will be there when needed

humble

value in hard work

outsiders/ don’t fit in

therefore lack of house pride

failure to put themselves first

lack competitive nature

difficulty expressing themselves

can’t always stand up for themselves

not always too opinionated

overly dependent on others

too nice

sometimes fade into the background

yeah I didn’t love that list but there it is it hit the major points

idk how to explain it but this is just so Jason And Nico like dude

finally Ravenclaw

you know the drill we source SR

witty

oblivious

intuitive

calculating

quick thinking

egotistical

intelligent

perfectionist

creative

cold

independent

distant

judgemental

wise

secretive

anyways I just. Annabeth

Annabeth, who hits every one of these so hard.

Annabeth, who is the most Ravenclaw Ravenclaw to ever Ravenclaw.

I rest my case.

[vacantgodling]

Hi Ren I hope you've been doing well :) If you had to pick, who would you say your favourite oc is and what do you like most about them?

hey ish!!! i’m doing okay :’) i hope you’re doing well too & that the parousians is coming along ok!!

i have A Lot of ocs, so it’s hard to pick just one favorite however i’ll give u a couple that i’m really attached to!

hya & amon — i mean it’s kind of obvious i’m obsessed with the two of them lol. they’re kind of a package deal and their dynamic drives me insane in the best way lol. individually, i’d say that i just enjoy how the two of them are so so shaped by their experiences and the lives that they’ve lead, but neither of them will necessarily acknowledge that? it feels realistic to me in a way; messy people who can’t escape the chains of their past until they face it but they just don’t Want to face it. they both are scared of being weak, but it’s really emotional vulnerability that helps pull them out of this loop that they’re in and that’s powerful to me. also their bickering and general attitudes are so fun to write and think about haha.

darren — genuinely i love how his real strength in this whole story is his emotional maturity and his ability to befriend and make connections with other people. he’s not the strongest one there, not by a long shot. but he’s on of the most stable person there; at peace with himself even despite learning things about himself that he never knew before. idk i just want more protags that are defined by their emotional strength lol. also he’s just fucking funny to me. love that guy.

clear brightendale — i don’t talk about tcol nearly as much as i should bc y’all don’t KNOW how obsessed i am with clear mother fucking brightendale he is ONE OF THE BIGGEST BLORBOS. he’s got trauma, he’s struggling, he wants to be good and has a twisty backstory where he feels like he’s terrible, he’s got sexuality trauma, i am imprinting on him i am turning him in the microwave i am kissing him bc he’s my ANGEL.

lath — also a super huge tcol blorbo for me (and a fave of henrike bc they’re intelligent) i just love his perseverance. i love how he’s both revered and feared. how he singlehandledly made it so tcol could even be possible like agH. i also love how off he is. like myths have hero’s sure but those heroes aren’t always like charismatic guys like in his lifetime lath was actually seen as super weird and people didn’t usually like hanging around him (he rarely ever blinks, he’s super blunt, he only really cares about fighting and combat — so many of my characters are autistic coded bc it’s what i deserve) but he!! is a hero. i’m like mad excited for when he actually shows up in the main storyline bc i’m obsessed with him,,

di & toph — similar to amon and hya they’re kind of a package deal. i’ve had and been obsessed with the two of them for so long, part of me kind of mentally refers to them as the precursor to amon and hya bc they kind of are! the only thing is they actually have a much easier time expressing (especially now in this new iteration of them in lukewarm rejection) how they feel about each other and caring for one another. they’re better adjusted. if darren and gabe are on the “super loving and supportive” and amon and hya are the “toxic but they’re good for each other” then di and toph are kind of the middle ground on that lol. toph was the biggest blorbo for the longest for me until hya came to mind lolol. but that punk rock boy will always reign supreme. i love how unapologetically himself he is, and his backstory with the chains no matter how i’ve done it is one of my favorite powers i’ve ever created tbh. di snuck up on me, but he’s similar to clear in the sense that he’s one of my horses for dealing with complex real world esque pain in a way. i love how hard he tries to forge a path for himself and to just be more confident in himself bc mood. and i love how he’s got many contradictions lol :’)