#people who can fix stuff are so cool

[ryllen]

he who came to Splatville to depend on himself,

adores people who can be resourceful & skillfully depend on themselves for stuff he usually depends on other people (like, fixing stuff)

[psychomusic]

oc time again! + her town & culture (heavily inspired by pre-roman italic populations)

she is suri sauthon. her story is linked to my swtor imperial agent, tar'x, but most of her life except for the one year away where she meets him, is spent in a town in the mountains of mirial.

despite mirial being cold and desert, and many cities developing underground, her town flourishes thanks to a force nexus, venerated in the form of an ancient, sacred, alive crystal. the ecosystem of that mountain depended on what "the horned crystal" was capable of giving them, but mirialans couldn't live off of that alone, so they developed trade and some rudimental technology, even if oftentimes it was bought thanks to the highly profitable trade of a plant used to make medicines that slowed down aging and had overall healing properties.

note: everything that's generated by this nexus has these healing properties BUT they have to be processed, except for those who bathed in the waters of the cavity under the crystal - the "real" nexus, but not the worshipped one. the waters were sacred but they were not thought to be miraculous, unlike the crystal, who instead was thought of as the keystone of the ecosystem: without it, everything would fall apart (and that is partially true: the cavity was the "real" nexus but thanks to the crystal, also strong in the force, the properties were spread all over the mountains). those who bathed in the cavity's waters - so, all of the town, who had a sort of baptism there - could eat the plant, make whatever food with it, and not only that plant, but everything generated by the nexus, that, again, had similar properties. this allowed people to live up to normal life-spans without advanced medicines or, much, really. to those who didn't live there, though, after the processing, had incredible effects, slowing down aging - for those who took it regularly - and making people able to live up to half a century more than the average]

originally, there were four tribes of nomads that lived thanks to horned farm animals that decided to settle down into one bigger town and other smaller settlements, to live off of transhumance. this division of the tribes stayed into the political and social organization: every person belonged to one tribe specifically, and had slightly different rituals and culture. for examples, each tribe had their own priests and healers, with different techniques and traditions. the town, tho, was guided by a group of people in the high priesthood, a position you could reach only by having earned the trust of all tribes. those high priests had many roles: they guided the people into sacred processions common to all the tribes, they managed the trading with outsiders, they did the maintenance of the temple of the summit (the one that functioned as casket to the crystal) and created a special liquid to offer the crystal that helps it grow.

this particular temple was important because 1. it was very visible, from every angle of the town, and it became an important identity symbol; 2. it stored the venerated horned crystal; 3. it had the altar where sacrifices were made for the crystals. that altar had a hole connected to the cavity, that allowed the liquids to reach the underground; 4. it had various symbols: statues representing each tribe + the high priesthood, and typical mirialan tattoos carved into the wood of the trees that served as columns for the temple, symbolizing 8 values that who dared to enter HAD to have; 5. it was on the way to an important lake (called "mother lake" because the lake the town was built around to depended on the waters of that other lake) where they traveled to in important processions; 6. it was said that a the wizard who unified the tribes made it with its magic, making the plant grow to hold the temple's roof. this wizard was, actually, a force user, obv.

BACK TO HER THOUGH: she's daughter of one of the high priests, who was in charge of managing the trades with outsiders, and lives in a house on the mountains with her mother and him. her parents are from different tribes (that's one of the things that earned him trust from the 4 tribes): when a child is born from two different tribes, they don't pick one to allign to, but they're usually linked automatically to the one with more relatives in it (in her case, the father's tribe: she had many uncles and aunts on his side while her mom only had one sister).

later, though, she got quite tied to her mother's tribe due to a mysterious illness that only her mother's tribe healer was able to cure. she spent 4 years (from 10 to 14 years old) living with the healer and learned her secrets. to better study, she wrote them down. when she returned home, she studied to become a priestess with her father. at 22 (the average age: you can't become priest before your 20s), she was supposed to take a test and become a priestess, but the healer of her mother's tribe died and the tribe asked her to take her place. she couldn't technically do that, but both tribes estimated both her and her parents and she was allowed to become both. she then decided to try to become a high priestess, and became one at 25 (a quite young age). being part of the council, she tried to convince the various tribe healers to unite their knowledges and write them down, and eventually made it. healers still remained tribe based but they now had an "upper, inter-tribe level" similar to high priesthood.

years later, the sacred horned crystal is stolen from the temple by some Hutt mercenaries looking for a profit. given the trust she has earned from all the tribes and the fact that her father is the high priest that deals with outsiders (and she's been hearing stories and advice about it since she was little), she is the one tasked with getting it back. without the growing crystal, the keystone to their ecosystem, the village would have lasted only a few years. in hrr quest, she meets imperial intelligence agent tar'x laran and, as they "solve the mystery" and fight to have it back, they get closer. they'll get married and have a daughter, Vegoia (who's the only one who actually will get to the plot of my story. this was all background)

[kanerallels]

(rant incoming)

[autisticlee]

sometimes I think about how when I went to college for a year before I dropped out (basically failed out,) the counselors/dean told me they can't help me at all or give any accommodations unless I have an official autism/adhd diagnosis. that might sound logical at first, but when you think about it more, it's actually quite fucked up. if someone is struggling really bad, what's the harm in helping them? why do they require a paper to get even the smallest amount of help? people who don't need help aren't going to be failing miserably without help! even NTs could benefit from some adjustments to the horrible school system! (but changing the entire system is a whole other conversation that the school system isnt ready for)

but even if you do agree to jump through their hoops, you realize it's even more fucked up that the diagnosis process requires YEARS in most cases (in my case it took 4 or 5 years, can't recall exactly now, for autism/adhd diagnosis, which would have meant i finished school before getting it if i managed to mot fail out, or i wait that long before going back, which is a whole struggle itself) and they also tried billing me for THOUSANDS of dollars because of insurance issues!!

so you put a ton of time and money into this, and then get told the only accommodation they are willing to give you for autism and adhd is "a little extra time on tests"

....

my test scores were the best part of my whole class experience. that was NOT what I struggled with!!!!! those tests were all online and could be done in the comfort of your home where you can accommodate yourself and have plenty of time left over when you finish them because you are comfy in your own space, (and also, no one was stopping you from having your notes/books/google open to find the answers,) and you don't even need a time consuming, expensive diagnosis for that!

SO WHAT'S THE POINT!!!!!!!

[youremyonlyhope]

Me: I don't like Cats the musical. You could not pay me to ever see it live.

Perelman Performing Arts Center: We're doing a version of Cats inspired by ballroom culture!

Me: Ok... that's definitely interesting... I could be into it... but NO still you can't make me want to see it.

PAC: Here's some rehearsal footage of the cast vogueing to Jellicle Ball!

Me: ...I hate that this actually is working... it fits a little too well...

PAC: Also André De Shields is playing Old Deuteronomy!

Me: ...Why must satan tempt me in this way...

[asclexeposting]

sometimes i feel jealous of cisgender people but then. i dont it’s whatever man. no wait i am. i am very jealous of cisgender people in a fucked up way. what

[medicinemane]

I don't know, I get tired of a lot of positivity

Like yes yes, the world's wonderful and I'm so strong or whatever generic thing is being said (because it's always so generalized to the point of meaningless), but you know shit is what it is, and the only way forward is with changes I manage to make... which you're not helping with at all

And as for like... my internal mood, I'm deeply isolated, sorry if hollow platitudes don't sooth the gaping maw inside me

It is what it is, and I probably get my shit together enough to do stuff like teach out of my basement like I'd like, it's just I believe that I'll be alone in a crowd like I've always been

But positivity... I just... I kinda get sick of it. There's this guy on youtube I watch who talks about economics stuff, he's recently started doing positivity and... I just fucking know his personality enough where it's like sorry mate but I'm not interested in hearing you spout Secret light kinds off drivel

...I don't know, I suppose it boils down to this

One, I can barely fucking take in positive things said directly to me, about me. Generalizations don't help even a little... I'm a mess, I'd really like someone to toss me a life preserver instead of always tossing confetti at me while I struggle to stay afloat... doesn't help

Two, the world is a terribly imperfect place, and rather than taking a mentality of "everything will work out", I think it's important to acknowledge that sometimes good people live alone, die alone, and they never got the break they needed and slowly bled out

I think it's worth knowing that if you can't step in and help yourself, then maybe no help'll come at all

...I don't know, I suppose in the end the core of what I'm saying is a lot of positivity seems like self help tier stuff and... I get tired of that, and I see so many good people struggling and... eh... either I can at least come in and say something positive custom fit to them, or I can keep my mouth shut

Just fucking let me rot. Help or let me fester on my own, you know?

I got rid of the trailer, I maybe did something like cleaning though I can't tell... at what point will my pace on trying to make things better be good enough for people, and I'll be able to stop having people tell me to fix my life... as if I hadn't thought of that already

...everyone means well, it's just tiring

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

UPDATE What's up, it's the proposal guy. You said you wanted to know how this turned out, so I figured I'd tell you. First some context though, because I'm mean and I wanna keep you in suspense longer.

1- I don't wanna doxx us so I'm not telling you where we live, but suffice to say, neither of us are American, and gay marriage has been legal here for less than five years. For both of us, this is the first relationship we've had where marriage was even an OPTION, and I think that's where we've been getting some of that whole 'this has to be a REAL proposal with EVERYTHING' idea.

2- I gotta figure out how to explain this properly. So, I'm pretty used to being the GUY guy in relationships? I was always the one who did the nice gestures, not the one they got done for. Before I met my dream guy, I didn't really notice or care that it was such a thing, I just assumed that's how shit worked. Also, I promised I wouldn't talk a lot about his stuff here, but his last boyfriend before me SUCKED. Anyway point here is, it turns out we both REALLY like feeling swept off our feet sometimes, and a big part of finding each other has been getting to feel special for once? That's a stupid sappy way of putting it the point here is I think all that's what morphed into "I need to be the one getting proposed to, also it has to be completely perfect", and then our Petty & Extra genes got involved.

So I'm sitting in bed thinking about all that up there, and watching all the comments coming in basically being like "Dude, you are BLOWING this" on repeat, and telling me to compromise, and I look up and see him flossing in the bathroom and making all these doofy faces at the mirror, and it's like a switch just flips in my brain, and I'm like "Oh, I'd rather he gets to have his perfect proposal than we both have an okay one". I'm gonna do it.

Morning rolls around, and while I'm 'out for my jog like normal' I hit up a pawn shop for a temp ring (the ring pop thing is cute but NOT HIM). I found one I was at least confident wouldn't get ruined the first time he got his hands greasy (he fixes old machines as a hobby it's hot as hell), got back home, and hid the box in the toe of my nasty ass workout shoes in the bedroom closet, since I figured he'd check there last.

He was still asleep, because he stays up late no matter what and then is SHOCKED he's tired the next day, so I called and booked a table at our usual anniversary spot. (Side note about the 'he picks bad restaurants' thing. This isn't an 'I like Greek, you like Chinese' situation, dude's just BAD at finding places. He either assumes pricey is tasty and I get to eat some overrated gourmet bullshit, or he'll try and find something hip and underground and risk giving us food poisoning again, and he REFUSES to give up and pick somewhere we've been before when it's his turn to plan date night. I'm obsessed with him <3.) Date was set, I'd propose on the 21st.

Some of you might have noticed this, but fun fact! It's currently the 16th.

Last night I'm doing dishes and he's been sent to our room for mug collection duty, and he's taking FOREVER, so I go check just in case he found the ring, because the man's a gift tracking BLOODHOUND. Turns out he hasn't, he's found my Angry Box.

I assume other people have an Angry Box? Basically, we had this huge messy fight right when we first moved in together, and I never wanna let it get that bad again, so I have this shoebox where I keep a bunch of our stuff I can look at if we're fighting and hopefully cool off. There's one of those photo booth roll things, letters we wrote when he moved back with his parents for COVID, the wine cork from our first date, shit like that. Anyway, he's just sitting on the floor staring at it, and I explain about the Angry Box, and then he! Proposes!!! Kind of.

He definitely didn't have anything prepared, because by 'propose' I mean 'ugly cried & rambled at me for several minutes before I figured out it WAS a proposal', but once I got on the same page it was amazing. I said yes, and he had to admit he didn't have a ring for me because he was CONVINCED he'd win and I'd do it, so I grabbed mine because, yeah, he was right. He was like "this is the ugliest ring I've ever seen" and I was like yeah well the plan is to replace it later and he went "No. You can pry this off my cold dead fingers. After I'm buried with it." So I guess it's not a temporary ring anymore.

I'm just gonna go ahead and skip to this morning. I pointed out we still have the reservation, and he said I should propose there anyway because "We can get a free dessert. They have those creme brulee shot glasses you like. And for love, or something" and I said ok deal, but that means you gotta get me a ring to keep it fair, and his eyes LIT UP. When I swung by his work for lunch he was still on the phone with a jeweler and he had a whole page of notes on three other ones. Pray for me.

OH PS: I was RIGHT that he'd been the one behind the cat biting me, but it wasn't about the proposal stuff, it's because I paid my baby sister three dollars to shout 'fuck you' every single time he enters a room she's in for (if you ask me, he should be madder at my sister for charging so little), and he did it by giving her a bunch of treats for biting his hands too, so now neither of us can pet our baby girl without oven mitts on. HOLY SHIT I love this man.

Oh my goddddddd I love everything about this <333 I awwww'd out loud on a voice call, like, six times while reading. You two are friggin perfect for each other and so obviously smitten with each other and I wish y'all all the happiness in the world

PS Are y'all planning to have a big wedding? If so oh boy I can't WAIT to get that one in the inbox

Original post

[astrow1zar6]

Astro Observations- 35

Libra Venus’s are usually so artistically gifted but rarely ever believe in their talents. They’re usually really good at thinks like interior design, party planning/decorating, makeup ect. I notice most never believe they’re that good but the stuff they create is so aesthetically pleasing. If they get confident enough they have the ability to run a really successful business just off their creative

Venus in Leo’s also have amazing artistic talent but the only difference is they have a lot more confidence showcasing their art compared to Libra Venus who’s more indecisive about if their work should be displayed. Most Leo Venus’s I meet are amazing drawers and painters and usually make money from their creativity easy. Also this placement is very ambitious, most I see are well educated and usually make a good amount of money ( probably because of their love for luxury they tend to strive higher than most).

Mercury in the 12th house people are always complaining on how no one understands them but also refuses to talk about themselves.

Scorpio moons I feel like are way more sensitive than cancer and Pisces moons. They just conceal it better.

Capricorn moon are the worst people to vent to imo. It’s like emotions are completely foreign to you them you’ll be crying about ur feeling and they’ll just stare at you like “•—•” Aquarius moons can be like that too but I feel like they’re more open to listening to your feelings while cap moons choose to avoid them completely

On the flip side cancer moons I feel like are the best to vent too. I feel like talking to them is such a no judge zone they’ll just listen to you and support you. They’re natural made therapists!

I notice a lot of Virgo suns are obsessed with being popular or seen as “cool”. It’s probably due to their perfectionist tendencies. Can act a little fake to get people to admire them (ESPECIALLY with Libra placements).

Cancer suns with Gemini placements can be big copy cats

Aquarius moons really love music. They have the most unhinged playlists though😂

Usually cancer Venus’s get married and start a family very young. They mature fast in a romantic sense.

Pisces Venus’s attract so many admirers (it’s an exhalted placement) but because of this they can never make up their mind on who to settle down with. No one talks about how bad these people’s commitment issues are especially the men. They can be more indecisive than libra Venus’s.

Virgo moons stop giving advice no one asks for. Lecturing people about their flaws 24/7 will not help fix them

Venus in retrograde individuals tend to lack a lot of social etiquette. People usually perceive these people as rude or disrespectful.

People with Capricorn and Aquarius in their chart are just tooo cool. Everything they do they make look really cool even if they’re picking their nose. They give off a confidence vibe like they just know what they’re doing which causes a lot of people to follow them or try to impress them. Giving CEO vibes.

Aqua Venus’s are really attractive when they act nonchalant and don’t care. The more the look like they don’t care they draw mad ppl in.

Taurus moons are called boring a lot by their peers

Saturn in 5th & 7th house 🤝 taking things way too seriously when it should be fun

[charmedimsure]

uuuhhhhhm can i pretty pretty please with cherries on top request a Dae-ho x reader where the reader was also in the military? but its like that ep. where they revolutionized? if that makes sense? idk i think it be cool if reader eas good eith a gun

anyways HAVE A LOVELY DAY/ NIGHT love reading your stuff (i binge read it :p)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

pairing: Kang Dae-ho x gn!reader

summary: As a former soldier, you know just what to do when all hell breaks loose.

word count: 3.7k

warnings: guns, death, blood, squid game stuff, panic attacks, ptsd

A/N: i've played so many shooting games i feel like i've been training to write this fic my entire life. i even named it after a shield from my favorite game (brownie points if you know which game). if you find any mistakes no you didn't <3 tried to make this gender neutral but if you find any slip ups lmk so i can fix it

**this can be read as romantic or platonic**

You look at the woman standing between bunks with wide eyes. You weren't sure earlier when you saw her on the screen, but seeing her standing ten feet away from you, you're absolutely positive that you know who this is.

"Sergeant?"

Cho Hyun-ju turns and gasps when she sees you, a smile lighting up her face. She quickly embraces you, you happily hugging her back. You were always her favorite soldier (she never admitted it, being the sergeant of the Brigade, but you both knew she liked you best). You were one of the only people who supported her when she came out. You tried to fight against her discharge but, as a low-ranking soldier, you had no say in the matter.

"I knew it had to be you!" you say, pulling back with a smile. "When I saw someone go back into the playing field to help a guy with only ten seconds left, I just knew it was my sergeant!"

"It's good to see you," she says. "Though, I wish it was under better circumstances."

You nod solemnly. You had just watched at least a hundred people die while screaming and begging for their lives. As a former soldier, it was hard that you couldn't do anything to help the civilians. All you could do was stand there and listen to the screams and gunshots, and then the silence.

"How are you here? Are you not part of the Brigade anymore?" Hyun-ju asks.

You shake your head. "No, I actually left not long after you were discharged. It wasn't the same without you, and I just couldn't be civil with the others after how they treated you."

She nods, understanding. "Well, if I'm going to be here with anyone, I'm glad it's you. I trust you with my life, soldier."

You smile. "And I you, Sergeant."

<>

You and Hyun-ju had made it through the next two games together, along with some allies you made along the way. Together with Young-mi, Yong-sik, and Geum-ja, you had been the first team to succeed in the six-legged pentathlon.

You had also made it though Mingle with some new allies, though not all of your old allies made it. Young-mi's death was hard on your whole group, but Hyun-ju had been taking it the worst. While you had grown closer with Yong-sik and Geum-ja, she had formed a special bond with the young girl and had to watch her die right in front of her.

While you would like to take the time to mourn Young-mi, a lot has happened in the few hours since the third game ended. The vote on whether to go home or stay ended in a 50-50 tie, meaning you're going to have to redo the vote tomorrow. Then, a huge fight apparently broke out in the men's bathroom, leaving five players dead.

Both sides group together to count their numbers, and you find that there's now one more X than O. While the players around you celebrate, a feeling of dread shoots through you.

"Attention please. Lights out in 30 minutes. All players, please return to your beds and prepare for bedtime."

Shit.

Player 047 stands in front of the group. "Listen, you cannot change your minds. We have to win the second vote and get out of here tomorrow, alright?"

As the other players around you nod and move to their beds, you stay sitting, watching the O players. They're already looking at your group. Watching. Waiting. You look at Gi-hun, the previous winner, and know that he's thinking the same thing you are.

<>

"Those bastards are acting suspicious," Dae-ho says, returning to the small circle you formed on the ground. "It looks like they're up to something."

Jung-bae breathes out a laugh. "Whatever those idiots do, once we win the vote tomorrow, it'll all be over."

"You think we'll be okay?" Dae-ho asks, concerned. "They say things were really crazy in the bathroom earlier."

"We need to be ready," you say from your place between Dae-ho and Gyeong-seok. "They've been watching us since the moment they found out the prize money goes up if we kill each other."

The group around you tenses before Gi-hun speaks up as well. "Once the lights go out, people on the other side will attack us."

"Really?" Yong-sik asks from beside his mother.

Gi-hun nods. "Because if they kill us, they'll be able to win the vote and increase the prize."

"So what do we do?" Yong-sik asks.

"Let's attack them first," Young-il suggests. "They're probably thinking we'll just wait for the second vote. We can use it to our advantage. We'll attack them first once the lights go out."

"That's right," Player 047 says. "It'd be better to attack them first. We have more women and elderly on our side. If we get attacked we'll be at a disadvantage." You send him a glare that makes him freeze for a moment before continuing. "Attacking them first would give us a better chance of winning."

"I agree," Player 145 adds.

"We can't do that," Gi-hun says.

"But we have to get out of here," Young-il argues. "You said it yourself. Staying calm won't get us anywhere now."

"That doesn't mean we should kill each other," Gi-hun says. "That's exactly what they want us to do."

Jung-bae leans forward. "'They'?"

Gi-hun looks at him. "The ones who created this game." He turns to face the rest of the circle. "The ones who watch us play. If we're going to fight someone, it should be them."

It's silent before Dae-ho speaks up. "Where are they?"

Gi-hun looks to the ceiling. "Up there."

You all follow his gaze before looking around at each other.

"On the upper levels," Gi-hun says, "are the rooms they control the games from. The man in the black mask is their leader. Once we capture him, we'll be able to win."

"How are you going to fight them?" Young-il asks. "They have guns."

"We'll fight them with guns, too," Gi-hun says.

"But we don't have any," Jung-bae says.

Gi-hun turns to him. "We'll take their guns."

You and Hyun-ju look at each other. This is what you were trained for.

"From those masked men?" Gyeong-seok asks nervously.

Gi-hun nods.

"That's too dangerous," Young-il says. "Even if we manage to take a few guns, we'll still be outnumbered."

"What then?" Gi-hun argues. "Are you going to kill each other all night and hope you survive? Is that what you want, Young-il?"

Hyun-ju breaks the silence. "Do we... stand a chance?"

"We do if we catch them off guard," Gi-hun says. "Out of everyone, they're the ones who would least expect us to attack first. This is our last chance to end these games once and for all."

"How are you going to take their guns?" Young-il asks.

"Once the fight begins tonight, we'll have our chance."

<>

"Lights out in ten seconds."

"Ten,

nine,

eight,

seven,

six,

five,

four,

three,

two,

one."

The lights dim, then turn off completely, leaving only the red and blue lights from the floor.

You roll out of bed, getting under the frame. You feel someone else trying to get under your bed, and you move a bit to make room for Dae-ho. Just as you get in position, you see bodies creeping towards your side of the room, illuminated by the bright blue O on the floor.

There's a scream, and all hell breaks loose.

The lights strobe as you hear the sounds of screaming and bottles being smashed coming from all around you. Somewhere to your right, a bunk is toppled over, sending someone to the ground. Another player runs up to them, stabbing their fork into their neck.

You feel the ex-Marine next to you tense up and put a hand over his, trying to bring him some comfort, or at the very least trying to keep him from blowing your cover.

You hear the buzzer of the door and the lights come on. One of the soldiers fires into the air to stop the fighting as about twenty masked guards come into the room, all armed.

You quickly army crawl out from under the bed, Dae-ho following you as you lay down on the ground.

You hear footsteps getting closer to you, and your ear is moved as a device scans behind it.

You open your eyes, grabbing the soldier so they can't move. "Dae-ho! Now!"

The ex-Marine smashes a bottle over the head of the guard, knocking him unconscious. You take the opportunity to grab the submachine gun off of the soldier, shooting another soldier coming toward you and Dae-ho. You're so focused on the fight that you fail to notice the quivering boy holding his hands over his ears against the bunks.

Grabbing another gun, you quickly scale one of the bunks to get a better vantage of the fight.

"Sergeant!" You yell, gaining the attention of Hyun-ju. She looks to you and you toss the SMG to her. She drops her pistol and catches the weapon, turning just in time to shoot one of the pink guards coming for her.

You use your position to fire at the guards hiding behind bunks. You pull the trigger until you hear a click, cursing as the mag runs empty. You jump down from the bunk, using the butt of the gun to knock a guard out cold. You quickly take his ammo and reload your own gun, firing at a guard trying to shoot Gi-hun.

"Retreat. Retreat."

The voice over the intercom announces and the pink soldiers make their way towards the door. You're able to shoot two more, but most of the soldiers who are still alive are able to make it out of the room. The main guard with the square on his mask is too busy firing back to realize that the door has closed behind him, sealing him in the room with you just as he runs out of ammo.

"Stop! Hold fire!" Gi-hun yells.

Jung-bae and another player run over to the square guard, making sure he won't fight.

"You goddamn bastards!" you hear someone yell on the other side of the room and turn to see Player 047 aiming his gun at a bunch of O players.

"No!" Gi-hun yells, stopping the man before he can shoot. "This is not what we took these guns for. If we do this, we'll be no different from those masked men."

Player 047 lowers his gun, hanging his head and he softly cries.

Gi-hun steps to the center of the room. "Everyone! Don't be scared. Gather round, please! We're not trying to hurt you!"

You walk to stand by Hyun-ju and Gyeong-seok.

"Get the guns and ammo from the dead," she tells the both of you.

You nod, doing as your sergeant says while she takes out the cameras in the room.

<>

Placing one of the last guns on the mattress in the center of the room, you move to stand in line between Jung-bae and Dae-ho, handing the extra SMG in your hand to Dae-ho.

Gi-hun steps forward. "Everyone. We will now head up to the masked men's headquarters. We'll capture the ones who captured us, put an end to this game, and make them pay. Anyone who knows how to use a gun and wishes to join us, please step forward."

You look at the crowd in front of you, but everyone stays where they are.

"Hey," you hear a voice next to you say and turn your head to see Jung-bae stepping forward. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too. But this may be our last chance to make it out of this place alive. Fight with us so we can go home together. All together."

One of the players in the back of the crowd steps forward. "I'll fight with you."

Gi-hun waves at him to come and take a gun. Two other players come forward as well.

You watch as Yong-sik makes a move to step forward, but he catches your gaze as you shake your head at him. It's very brave of him to think about volunteering, but he hasn't even served his mandatory military service yet, and it would kill his mother if he didn't come back. You breathe a sigh of relief when Yong-sik stays where he is.

When it's clear that no one else is stepping forward, Gi-hun turns to you all. "Please check your guns and ammo."

"Let's take one radio each," Jung-bae says. "We'll use channel 7, the lucky number."

You put the strap of your gun around you, checking the mag and putting it back in place when you're satisfied with the amount of ammo that is left. You look to your right to see Dae-ho fiddling with his own gun. Just as you're about to help him, Hyun-ju steps forward.

"Attention," she says, holding up her gun. "This is the MP5, a submachine gun." She continues on the demonstrate how to load the weapon and set it to the mode you should be using. When she's done, she looks at you all. "Are we clear?"

"Yes," you answer, falling right back into the rhythm with your sergeant.

Hyun-ju nods to you, silently telling you to stay by her when you get out there.

"How do you two know each other?" Dae-ho questions, his voice a bit shaky.

You smirk, cocking the MP5. "I was in the 13th Special Missions Brigade. Hyun-ju was my sergeant."

Dae-ho stares at you, completely stunned. "You were in the Decapitation Unit?!"

You chuckle at his disbelief, nodding.

The man can't believe it. He's been bragging about being an ex-Marine while there's been two ex-Special Forces soldiers right next to him the whole time.

Gi-hun points a pistol at the square-masked guard. "Take it off."

The guard slowly removes his mask, revealing a boy no older than 25.

"Good God," Jung-bae says. "Do your parents know what you're doing here?"

The guard just stares at him.

Gi-hun cocks the pistol. "Take us to your captain."

<>

"All players, it is bedtime now. Please return to your quarters immediately. Otherwise, you will be eliminated from the game. Let me repeat..."

Gi-hun fires at the speaker, effectively shutting up the voice. Three guards are stood over you. "Get down!"

You duck behind the wall of the stairs. Feeling a hand on your shoulder, you turn to look at Hyun-ju behind you.

"Cover me!"

You nod, shooting at the guards while she sprints to the top of the stairs. From her new vantage point, she is able to take out one of the guards, causing their body to fall over the ledge and down to the floor.

When you duck down to reload, you see Dae-ho next to you. The ex-Marine is sitting in a ball, covering his ears and flinching every time a shot rings out. You look at him with concern, but your attention is stolen by Gi-hun telling everyone to hold their fire. Dae-ho gets a grip on his weapon and you all move, following Gi-hun and the un-masked guard.

As you move down an alleyway, Gi-hun stops the guard. "How much farther? Is this the right way?"

The boy points toward the end of the hall. "The entrance to the management area is around that corner. The control room is right above it."

Gi-hun pushes him. "Move it, then!"

"Wait," the guard says, reaching toward his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Gi-hun stops him.

"I need my mask to pass security," the guard explains. Gi-hun nods and the guard takes the mask out. He looks up, but before he can say anything else, a bullet goes right through his head.

You all take cover as more shots are fired at you. Something slashes onto your face, and you turn to see Player 072's lifeless body falling to the ground.

You drop the floor and crawl over to Hyun-ju, both of you taking positions in a green square area of the stairs. You nod to each other and duck out of cover, firing at the guards. You can hear the men speaking to each other at the other end of the line, but you focus on taking out as many guards as possible.

You and Hyun-ju alternate firing and taking cover, both of you shooting with deadly precision, doing your best to not waste any of the already low supply of ammo you have.

A player next to you screams and is shot. You turn, shooting at the guard approaching from your rear, taking out a few that are behind that one as well.

"Everyone! Check your magazines!" Hyun-ju calls out.

You take the mag out of the gun, seeing that you have about half of a clip left. Everyone announces that they're around the same.

"Young-il, Dae-ho, can you hear me?" The voice of Jung-bae erupts from your radio.

"Go ahead!" Young-il says.

"I think we're right below the control room." Shots can be heard in the background. "But we need backup and more ammo."

"We're running out of ammo, too!"

"There should be spare magazines in the soldiers' pockets in our quarters. Go get them!" Gi-hun yells through the radio.

"Did you hear that?" Young-il turns to the group. "They need backup! Three of us will go, and the rest will stay! Join us once you get the magazines! Who wants to go with me?"

Players 047 and ... volunteer and they run off towards the end of the hall.

"I'll go get the magazines!" Hyun-ju yells. "I'll come back as soon as I can, so just hold on until then!"

"Hyun-ju!" A voice yells. You turn to see Dae-ho raising his hand. "I'll go!" He hurries over to where you and Hyun-ju are taking cover. "I- I'm out of ammo."

"Do you know the way?" Gyeong-seok asks. Dae-ho nods.

"We destroyed the cameras on the way, follow them," Hyun-ju says.

"I'll go with him," you say. "I still have some ammo, so I'll cover him."

Hyun-ju nods. "I'll cover you. Go!"

You and Dae-ho take off down the stairs. He stops a few times, but you pull him along, keeping your eyes up to watch for the broken cameras. As you're running down the stairs, Dae-ho stops, and you turn to see him staring at a dead guard hanging over the ledge of a window.

"Dae-ho!" Jung-bae yells. "Can you hear me? Where are those magazines?"

You lift your own radio to your mouth. "We're getting them now."

"Alright! We're counting on you!"

You put your radio back in your pocket, grabbing Dae-ho's hand and pulling him along behind you.

You burst into the quarters, letting go of Dae-ho's hand as you sprint to a guard, taking the spare mags out of their pockets. You hear someone say your name and look up to see Yong-sik.

"What happened? Why are you back by yourselves?"

"We're low on ammo," you say, not looking up from the guard you're looting. "We need to get the magazines from their pockets. Help us!"

You look up to the boy to see him nod and run over to a nearby guard. Geum-ja and Jun-hee come over to the help, as well.

Once you've looted all the ammo from the guards, you place them into a jacket you found on one of the dead players. You tie it up and give it to Dae-ho, thanking the others as you lead him out of the room.

Gunshots can be heard as soon as you step outside. You keep moving but when you check behind you, you see that Dae-ho has stopped where he is.

"Dae-ho, we need to go," you urge.

He looks at you silently, but the fear in his eyes sends the message. You've seen soldiers like this before you joined the Special Forces.

Dae-ho stands in his spot, paralyzed other than the shake of his body in fear.

You hear your name and Dae-ho's through the radio. "Where are you? Can you hear me?"

You watch as Dae-ho lifts his radio, staring at it as Hyun-ju's voice comes through.

"Did you find the magazines? Are you on your way?"

Dae-ho looks at you. "I'm sorry," he whispers, dropping the radio on the ground and running back into the quarters with the magazines.

"Shit," you say under your breath. You follow Dae-ho into the room, looking around to find where he went. Yong-sik points toward a bunk and you find Dae-ho curled up there, rocking back and forth. Running over to him, you take the jacket with the mags, ready to run out of there. You take a look at Dae-ho, the pure fear coursing through him as he whispers apologies over and over.

You sigh, remembering one of the lessons Hyun-ju taught you as your sergeant.

Never leave a man behind.

Taking out your radio, you bring it to your lips and press the button. "Charlie Foxtrot."

You put your radio down, knowing that Hyun-ju will know what to do. You had picked up the phrase from your U.S. counterparts, saying it to each other when something goes wrong.

Moving to sit on the bed, you take Dae-ho's hands into yours. "Dae-ho, I need you to breathe with me, alright."

He slowly looks at your face before launching himself into your arms, sobbing into your shoulder. You rub his back comfortingly, knowing you can't leave him alone like this.

After a few minutes, Hyun-ju runs into the room shouting you and Dae-ho's names. She comes running over to you, stopping when she sees Dae-ho in your arms.

"What happened?"

Dae-ho jumps a bit at the new voice, burying his face farther into your jacket.

You look up a Hyun-ju, shaking your head at her. She nods, understanding. You point at the magazines and she scoops them into her arms, ready to take them to the others when the buzzer for the door goes off and more pink guards enter the room, firing in the air and making everyone scream.

Hyun-ju reloads her SMG, ready to take on the entire group on guards by herself. You watch as Geum-ja puts a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"You can't die like this."

You sigh in relief as Hyun-ju puts the gun down. From your hidden area, you try to get the guns and mags away from you, making it seem as though the three of you have been here the whole time.

As the guards come further into the room, you use your body to shield Dae-ho from them as he whimpers. You make eye contact with Hyun-ju. Whatever happens next, you'll face it as a team.

~

Dae-ho tags: @whatthefuckeryfuckityfuck @ally1uvsu @thebiggestigurosimp @come-as-you-are-111 @hiphip-horray @k1michii @tpwkcaryslizb @louissst28 @sshwaa @jennwonwoo @sunnysurvives @lalalaa2210 @tayshs @sunshinethatlooksalive @plntmxrss @lxnnrobin @mariaxman @alexx-iia @batty-barty-crouchjr @kxsm3t @takuma-talkz @peacemakersbeloved @skywalker0809 @soobinbunnie5

[divinesangel]

— random details about your future spouse [PAC]

pm me for an affordable, in-depth personal reading! — 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞!

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟏

they've been through some stuff and came out the other side with a calm, steady mindset. they're the type who doesn't get easily shaken or overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

when things get hectic or stressful, they stay chill and don’t panic. they can handle chaos without losing their cool, making them someone you can rely on in tough situations.

they’re not the type to rush into things. they like to take things slow, think things through, and make sure they’re making the right moves, whether it’s in relationships, work, or life decisions.

they probably have a strong sense of family and respect for long-held values. they believe in things like loyalty, commitment, and honoring what came before, whether that’s family traditions or their own personal principles.

they’re either spiritual or have a strong personal philosophy that guides their life. they probably reflect on the bigger picture and have a deep understanding of their own purpose or place in the world.

they're not afraid to step out of their comfort zone. they love exploring new places, trying new things, and keeping life exciting. they can be spontaneous and enjoy breaking out of routines.

always thinking outside the box. they might have a knack for coming up with new ideas or solutions, whether it’s in their work, hobbies, or just life in general. they love expressing themselves in unique ways.

they don’t take shortcuts. they put in the effort and grind steadily toward their goals, even if it takes time. they understand that success is built on consistent work and dedication.

you can count on them, no questions asked. they keep their promises and show up when they say they will, whether it’s for something big or small. they’re the kind of person you can trust with anything.

they’ve got their finances together. they don’t live paycheck to paycheck, and they know how to manage money responsibly. they’ve probably built a secure foundation for themselves and are smart about financial decisions.

once they’re in, they’re in for the long haul. they’re fiercely loyal and protective of the people they love. they’ll stand by your side through thick and thin, and you’ll always know they’ve got your back no matter what.

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟐

they’ve been through some tough stuff before (like heartbreak or betrayal), and they’re still working on getting over it. they’re in a process of healing, so they might be a bit cautious when it comes to love, but they’re definitely growing through it.

at times, they might feel a little lost or unsure about where they’re headed. they’re working on figuring things out, but they can get stuck in their head, trying to make the right choices. they may need a bit of time to get their confidence back before moving forward with big decisions.

they used to hold onto things too tightly, whether it was their money, their emotions, or their need to control everything. but now, they’re realizing they need to loosen up a bit and trust the process. they’re getting better at letting go of the things they can’t control.

they care a lot about building something real and secure for the future. they’re the kind of person who’s thinking about their career, their finances, and how to make sure they’ve got a strong foundation. they’re not into quick fixes; they’re focused on what lasts.

they can get caught up in the “what ifs” and feel like there are too many options to choose from. they might struggle with indecision or fantasizing about all the possibilities instead of making moves. they’re learning to focus and stop overthinking everything.

they’re someone who’s always looking for fresh starts. they might be starting a new chapter in their life—whether it’s career, relationships, or just personal growth. they’re focused on making things better and are always willing to work toward something new and more secure.

they’re ambitious and want more for themselves. they’re standing at a crossroads, thinking about what the next step looks like. they’re starting to plan ahead, but they’re also trying to figure out what path is the right one for them.

they’re soft-hearted and sensitive, not afraid to show their feelings. they’re the type to express their emotions and be vulnerable with the people they trust. they’re also really intuitive and can pick up on how others are feeling, offering emotional support when needed.

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟑

they’re someone who’s got their life together and doesn’t rely on others to feel secure. they’re proud of what they’ve built and enjoy the rewards of their hard work. they’re confident in their own abilities and don’t need validation from anyone else.

they know that good things take time. they’re not into rushing through life but are all about putting in the work and letting things grow naturally. they’re all about steady progress and building something real and long-lasting.

sometimes they feel unsure of themselves, especially when things aren’t going as planned. they may have moments of questioning their strength or abilities. they’re still figuring out how to trust themselves fully, but they’re working through it.

they can be a little guarded, especially when it comes to their emotions or what they’ve worked hard for. they like to keep control, but they’re learning to let go and trust more. it’s a process, but they’re getting there.

they’re the type of person who handles life with a lot of maturity. they take responsibility seriously and know how to manage their finances, their career, and their relationships in a practical way. they don’t take shortcuts.

they can be hard to read sometimes, and their emotions are deeper than they let on. they’re intuitive and sensitive, but they often keep their feelings under wraps. they might struggle to fully express what they’re going through, but they’re working on understanding themselves better.

they don’t like rushing into decisions. they’ll spend a lot of time weighing out their options and might even avoid making tough choices altogether. they want to make sure they’re doing the right thing, but they can get stuck in overthinking.

when they finally make up their mind, they’re sharp, direct, and won’t hesitate to go after what they want. they’re all about clarity and truth, and once they’re sure about something, they’re confident in their actions.

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 !

hi! it's daphne here.

i'm currently offering personal readings for €8 and soulmate readings for €15 so don't hesitate to send me a private message if you're interested!

thank you for being here!

[joyful-soul-collector]

I've seen a lot of people talking about how Barbie talks about how the patriarchy affects women and how well it does that, so I wanna talk about how Barbie talks about how the patriarchy affects men and how well it does that. Because it does that really well tbh.

At the beginning of the movie, it's made very clear that the Kens are constantly competing with each other, and trying to prove their worth, their Ken-ness, to both the Barbies, and more importantly, to the other Kens. In fact, multiple times through the movie it's shown that Ken seems to find the opinions of other Kens as a motivator for him to do things. He tries to show off to Barbie only after he sees the other Kens saying hi to her. He only starts dancing with Barbie when he sees the other Kens dancing with her. He only goes with her to the Real World after another Ken accuses him of cowardice and he decides to prove him wrong. Barbie says "Ken's not cool!" and Ken responds "He is to me."

This shows so damn well what the patriarchy is like for men. Because for the Kens it's not necessarily about Barbie, it's about what other Kens think of you. Being a man you are constantly, incessantly trying so damn hard to prove to the other men around you that you are a man, the manliest man to ever man, the best Ken to ever Ken. Literally doing backflips trying to prove yourself. And this is before patriarchy is even officially introduced to the story, there's no undertone of power yet, this is just what it's like to be a man around other men. It's toxic masculinity.

And when the patriarchy is introduced, that's increased tenfold. At first it looks like they've banded together to take power, but really they're still competing with each other, they're just doing it differently. Rather than competing to see who can get Barbie to fall in love with them, they're competing to see who can be the manliest, have the manliest stuff, wear the manliest clothes, have the manliest house and decorations.

And then they literally go to war. War is considered one of the few places where it's socially accepted for men to be more emotional, form deep and personal bonds with other men, and that's exactly what happens in the movie. They go to war, and there's an entire song where they bond and learn not to fight with each other anymore.

And that I think is the message from the Kens. For men, the way the patriarchy affects them is it forces constant competition and animosity, even around people that are supposed to be your friends. It makes it impossible to express your feelings unless they're with a romantic partner, and all of this turns you into a pent up ball of emotions with nowhere to go.

Which means that the message is: In order to fix the way the patriarchy oppresses men, men need to learn how to form close bonds with people, especially other men. Because like Barbie said to Ken, he needs to discover who he is without her. Men have learned to lean on women as a crutch, using them to figure out how to Be A Person and express emotions in a healthy way, but this can very quickly turn into a woman feeling like she needs too be his mother and teach him how to do these things. And Ken was 100% doing this, or at least he was trying to throughout the movie. Ken was so desperate for Barbie to be in love with him, not necessarily because he loved her, but because he needed a person he could just exist as himself around. Because he couldn't do that with the other Kens, the only person he could be himself around was Barbie.

And what's so great about the end of the movie is that the Kens did eventually figure out how to form close bonds with each other! They went to war, argued and fought, but by the end of the song they were holding hands, kissing each other on the cheek, telling each other they were enough. Even when Ken is up in the dreamhouse, crying and saying that he looks stupid, all the other Kens start shouting back up to him, saying that he looks cool. And Ken responds by giving one of his new friends his coat, which was clearly very important to him.

What the Kens did, that's what men in the real world need to do. They need to form close bonds with other men and stop competing with each other. Hopefully not by going to war the way the Kens did, Barbie isn't a blueprint for solving the patriarchy lol.

I'd be happy to do it through a song though.

[multific]

His Forever

Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Summary: He gave up everything to be with you. And he doesn't regret anything.

Mattheo loved you. 

He adored everything about you - your infectious laugh, kind heart, and beautiful smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms. 

So, when he decided to take you on a cute dinner date, at a charming little bistro in the heart of the city, he knew it had to be perfect.

As you walked hand in hand down the cobblestone streets, Mattheo couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness wash over him. 

The warm glow of the streetlights illuminated you face, casting a soft, ethereal glow that made you look even more radiant than usual. It also didn't help his case that you wore a dress he adored.

When you arrived, Mattheo pulled out your chair and seated with a flourish, a twinkle in his eye. 

The ambience of the place was cosy and intimate, with soft music playing in the background and the scent of delicious food wafting through the air.

Mattheo couldn't help but admire the way your eyes sparkled with excitement, your enthusiasm infectious.

As you enjoyed your meal, Mattheo found himself lost in your presence, completely captivated by every word and gesture. 

He couldn't imagine being anywhere else at that moment, with anyone else but you.

After dinner, you strolled through the city streets, the night air cool against your skin. 

Mattheo felt a sense of peace settle over him, knowing that he was exactly where he was meant to be - with you.

As you reached your doorstep, Mattheo took your hands in his and looked into your eyes, his heart full to bursting with love. 

"Thank you for tonight," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "I love you more than words can describe."

"I love you too, Matty. I had an amazing evening."

And as you smiled up at him, your eyes shining with love and happiness, Mattheo knew that he had found his forever. 

Taglist: 

@castellandiangelo @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl @manduse​ @jacalineiscomingforyou @mandoloriancookie​

 @deliciousfestsalad @lilliumrorum @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fallout-girl219 @dracaryxzs @snowtargaryen

A/N: Darlings ❤️, my Taglist for some reason is not working...

I'm trying my best to fix this so in case you wish to read my stuff, for the time being please check my blog every now and then. Due to this issue I also had to remove the people who I was unable to tag in previous uploads.

Thank you ❤️

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

/YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE, OR TO STEAL ANY OF MY WORKS TO THIS OR OTHER PLATFORMS/

[fr33time]

A/N: Made this because I was sick a couple months ago, I’m very sure I had covid. I had a really bad fever, my body was aching horribly, everything was just agonizing. Made these because I had the idea while I was sick, but I wasn’t able to actually write anything because I slept for most of the days that I was in bed! This was self indulgent but I made sure to keep it open ended, I finally just finished it! Next time I’ll just make separate parts instead of writing them all together because that took so long… but enjoy these! Smooches! (Btw this is not proofread… bare with me)

♡Taking care of an MC thats sick♡

divider credits @baexywth

Genre: headcanons, fluff

Characters: All of them!

Requesting rules here! (Just a heads up, submissions are closed right now but check back later to see if their open)

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

Jin

Stays in bed with you, he doesn’t care if he gets sick, but he just wants to stay with you and sleep. He stays on his side of the bed most of the time, he tells you that it’s because he doesn’t want to get coughed or sneezed on. The germs aren’t what he minds, it’s that he doesn’t want to feel it on his skin.

Calls Tohma to grab stuff for you, Jin has pretty much moved you into the frostheim house to keep you away from everyone. Jin doesn’t want to get up, so he tells Tohma everything that you need from the campus store.

Being in Frostheim is probably the best for your fever. Even though you feel like you’re freezing, Jin feels your temperature and can tell that you’re burning up majorly. He takes off your blankets despite your whining, and puts his cold hands on your head to cool you down. He’ll give you socks, or cuddle up to you if you shiver too much, but he needs to cool you off immediately.

Tohma

Tells you that he’ll be there at your beckoning call, he doesn’t want to move you over to Frostheim because he thinks it’ll put too much stress on you to be in a different environment. Because of this, he promises that he’ll get you whatever you need while you’re ill. That if it’s in the middle of the night, you’ll need to call him so that he hears it.

Gives you a stuffed animal to sleep with, he doesn’t want you to be alone in the day so maybe a little buddy would help you. It may seem childish but he can’t get too close to you, he has too many duties to take care of and if he’s sick then who will babysit Jin? He’d much rather be with you honestly, but he can’t abandon his post for long periods of time.

He has fixed times to check up on you if you don’t text him that you want something. At the beginning of the day, lunch, dinnertime, and nighttime. He has papers to get around campus anyways, so he might as well check up on you while he does it. When you can’t sleep and you message him, he comes over, asks you to lay down, and rubs your head while he sits beside you.

Lucas

He tries every hack that is known to man, most of them he’s learned while growing up. Some of them… are a bit unique, but even if he knows that it won’t actually work, he still tries because it will bring you relief and that’s enough for him. He tries out herbal medicine as well, you’re not sure where he finds the time to grab all of these things but he lets you know that the general shop has a herbal medicine corner?

He believes that you should get the best rest that you can, so he leaves you alone for the most part and won’t allow people to visit you. You can’t spend your needed energy on other people, so please let him do all of the work… he needs you better. On occasion he’ll rub your shoulders and scoot you back to bed, it won’t take you long to go back to sleep anyways

Lucas is… very hesitant to go near you, he cares about you but he can’t risk his own health as well. What good is he to you if he isn’t feeling well, plus he needs to train, he’ll lose lots of his progress. But when you need him most then he’ll be there rubbing your back and keeping your temperature down. If you get really bad, he sleeps on the floor in case you need anything, you must be suffering and he hates to see you in pain when he can’t prevent it from happening.

Kaito

He makes you so much food that you probably can’t eat. You’ll have to save most of it in the fridge, but with your low appetite all you want are small portions of food. When Kaito realizes this, he gets embarrassed and profusely apologizes, he runs back out and gets ingredients to make you soup. He wants to make sure you eat properly but he jumps to conclusions during the process.

Insists that he does everything for you, it gets to be a little too much and you’ll probably have to tell him that you just want someone beside you. It got to the point where he would micromanage you. But if you tell him, he’ll sit down and chat with you. He doesn’t mind getting sick if it’s because of you, so he sits beside you on the bed and hangs out. He practically moved into the place…

When someone tries to visit you, he tries to get them to leave as fast as possible. He considers this his time with you, and gets a teensy bit snappy at the guests.

Alan

He’s not exactly sure how to deal with a sick person… he uses everything he can to help you out though. He’ll run errands for you and get whatever he thinks is necessary. He comes back with stuff that seems a bit overkill though, he says that this is what the store clerk recommended but it really just seems like he wanted more money out of Alan… but when he remembers back to when he was sick, he gets better at navigating how you feel.

While you’re laying down he tries to put on TV for you but has some difficulty, the remote seems really confusing to him. You try to help him but he lays you back down and figures it out himself… it took a while but he managed to put on a show that you like without opening 4 different tabs.

He feels like he can’t help you that much but he lends an ear out to you, since he’s a ghoul and he tries to upkeep with a healthy life style he hasn’t been sick for a while. He understands that you’re in a lot of pain so if you complain about how you feel then he won’t mind, he tries to accommodate you and if you ever want some quality food then he’ll get Sho to make something for you. He doesn’t show much affection but he’ll pat your head to let you know that he’s there for you. You don’t have to worry about it.

Leo

Leo legitimately tells you that he doesn’t want to touch you with a ten feet pole. He finds it gross when you blow your nose, or cough, and makes fun of how sick you look. Even when you’re sick, he will not calm down with making fun of you.

Makes you put on a mask before he goes near you, he puts on his own mask and sits beside you to scroll through tiktok. You probably don’t want to do any activities, so he’ll mindlessly scroll and show you funny things, or rant about things that pissed him off that day.

He’ll have Sho make you soup, or something you generally crave. Eating when you’re sick is difficult, so he wants you to eat something delicious. He gets some for himself, of course, you end up complaining though because of how much spices he puts on his food. It stings your nose,

Uses you like a test subject to try out trending “home remedies” for your sickness. Most of them prove to be ineffective…

Shohei

Sho comes around and brings food with him every single time. He doesn’t have much experience caring for people when they feel ill but he doesn’t want you to be weak when you get better. Eating is important and even if you can’t taste it very well, you can tell he tried his best to make it look appealing to you. He doesn’t mind feeding you, you’re weak! You should rest.

When he’s with you his phone blows up from either Leo or Alan. When you ask what’s going on he just shuts off his phone and reassures you that it’s nothing… come to find out later that he totally ditched something to come and see you, Leo definitely knows that Sho came to see you and makes remarks about it all the time for the next week. Sho doesn’t care all that much, you needed him to be there for you, so he was there.

He comes up to rest on the bed with you and talks for a while. He thinks that you must be lonely so if you want his company then he’s more than glad to welcome the idea. He buys you cough medicine from the local shop to hopefully help you sleep, it isn’t much but waking up in the middle of the night is painful when you’re sick. He pours a small cup and waits beside you until you fall asleep.

Haru

Animal therapy! Haru is inconveniently busy at all times, he has so many things to worry about and having you catch a sickness adds to his stress. Bringing over the safest animal to keep you company is the least he can do. He uses the animal as an excuse to come see you, he needs to feed it and you can’t since you’re weak so he might as well do it himself! He cares about you and he can’t bare the thought of you having no company around.

As soon as he gets a break, he’s there in a flash. You’re concerned about how quickly he comes around because his stigma overexerts his body when he uses it, he brushes it off when you bring it up and tells you that you’re more important. He makes sure to bring all of the necessities for you, when he’s gone he gets you to text him a list of things you need so that he can pick them up on the way.

He loves to give you massages when you’re feeling ill. Your body tenses up all day from the way you sleep, and how stressed you feel in general. Loosening those muscles are a sure way to give you some comfort in your own little hell. He massages you for however long you want, and puts you to bed afterwards with some water so you don’t cramp up. If he isn’t careful, he can end up sleeping right next to you because this is the only break he has, and you make him comfortable enough to feel sleepy in your presence.

Towa

Towa uses your sickness as an excuse to see you constantly. He’s another person that doesn’t really mind if he gets sick, but you’re not exactly sure if he can get sick anyways. He sees you every night because Haru still needs Towa at the house, but he brings back many flowers for you. Most of them he tries to get you to eat, there’s also some herbs stuffed in there but he insists that they’ll help you. It actually surprises you when most of your pains are gone.

Cuddles you constantly, and plays with your hair, but it’s very relaxing on your aching head. While you drift off to sleep, Towa tells you love stories that he hears about, and hums little songs to soothe you over. In his arms, you feel comforted, and glad that someone’s there for you.

He gives you a bunch of his sweaters to wear while you’re sick. Mostly because he wants you to remember him constantly while he’s away for the day. He makes to bring food when he comes so that he knows you’re eating and giving yourself nutrients that you need to recover.

Ren

Ren doesn’t directly tell you… but it shows on his face that he’s disgusted whenever you blow your nose. He doesn’t want to get sick, it’s inconvenient for him, so he keeps his distance when he’s around you. He stays within your vicinity though, since taking care of you is whats getting him out of doing chores around the safari, but he won’t tell you that he’s worried about you. After all, you’re what gets him through this hell.

Brings over many movies to watch. Honestly he knows that you probably aren’t paying attention, but he needs something to do. He eventually makes his own space on your bed to lay with you… but he makes a pillow barricade so he doesn’t come into contact with your “germ infected side” like he puts it.

He’ll do your dailies for you and log into the guild that you’re both in so that you don’t get kicked out. He doesn’t want you to miss out on rewards, so he’ll do it when you don’t have enough energy to do so.

Runs out to get you stuff but he makes sure to let you know how much of a pain it is. No matter what he tells you, he does it with ease. He makes simple dinners for you like cups of noodles, he has all the time in the world to make sure you’re taken care of.

Taiga

Taiga… is not very well equipped to take care of another person. You fell asleep while he was blowing up your phone and he came looking for you with a bunch of guards. You didn’t really have a say in your door being taken down from its hinges, you woke up immediately, very confused. You tried to explain that you were sick and all Taiga asked was “is kitty-cat sick?” and sent away his goons.

He doesn’t really care if you’re sick for the most part, he actually tells you that he doesn’t give a shit. He got his goons to move you over to Sinostra to make it easier on himself. Throughout your bed rest, it’s mainly his lackeys that take care of you, they get you food, prepare clothes, the whole deal. Mainly because they don’t want a gun to their head if you die.

He doesn’t leave his room much anyways, so he’s always around you. He thinks that it’s better for his luck when you’re around him, so it’s a win-win, he gets luck and you get taken care of. You’re constantly sleeping with Taiga doing the same thing next to you, it’s very peaceful since he doesn’t forget who you are. When you can’t sleep he’ll grab a deck of cards and play with you until you’re passed out. You’re stuck with him until you’re healthy enough to leave.

Romeo

Romeo is possibly the last one that wants to take care of you… He absolutely can’t get sick and he finds everything icky about how ill you are. He may care about you but he sends someone that works for him to take care of you. When he does visit, he stands on the far opposite end of the room from you. Even when you wear a mask he doesn’t dare come near your germ infested area.

He says that if anyone outside of Sinostra comes and visits you, cough on them, he makes sure to emphasize this point towards Frostheim and Mortkranken. If you’re sick, then you might as well temporarily knock down competition for him as he puts it.

If he feels bad enough for you, he’ll try and be closer to you to relieve some pain. You haven’t gotten up from bed for a few days and haven’t gotten the chance to take a shower. He takes it upon himself to help you clean since you’re too weak to do so, once he’s finished and gets you into bed he is out of there so fast. He needs to shower to make sure he doesn’t get sick… if he does, he totally blames it on you.

Ritsu

Honestly his first instinct was to lecture you on the ways that you need to maintain your health since you two are business parters. He can’t have you incapacitated, what if he needs you and you’re not around? It falls on deaf ears though, you aren’t even paying attention because of the pain. He just sighs loudly and presumes the role of taking care of you, it’s probably the least he can do because of everything you’ve done for him… he doesn’t put it like that in his head though, he pieces it like his obligation to take care of you as his partner.

In his free time he comes to check up on you, he knows that it’s after business hours but he can make an exception for you. While he’s there then he might as well tidy up the place and put on soothing music. You need to keep the place in top conditions, especially while you’re recovering. He checks your temperature with his hand often and puts a wet towel over your head to cool off the brain.

He knows that he doesn’t show much sympathy for people, especially in his line of work where you can be recorded and have things used against him but he will be there to take care of you. You’re with him alot and he misses having you around because other people don’t have the patience to tolerate his schemes. When you’re feeling better he actually smiles at you and says “it’s good to see you’re well.” He is so happy you’re back.

Subaru

Subaru brings Lavender from Hotarubi and hangs it around the Clementia house. He wants you to sleep peacefully, and the smell of Lavender is supposed to help you. He sets up a bath for you, and buys bubble bath that smells like lavender as well. Your muscles tense up from stress and he believes that a bath will help you with that, he sets the temperature on the hotter side to clear your sinuses.

He makes you tea with honey to soothe your throat. You need tons of liquid, but water can irritate your throat sometimes and he wants to make the process as painless as possible for you.

When you want something, he’ll go get it himself. He goes back to his dorm to sleep, but if you call in the middle of the night because you need something, he’ll rush over right away, even if it’s when you can’t sleep and want comfort. He finds a way to get out of what he’s doing to check on you.

Haku

He visits you quite frequently, he would bring you over to Hotarubi but he doesn’t want to risk anyone else getting sick. Despite this, he doesn’t really mind visiting you and brings over a care package that him, Subaru, and Zenji collaborated on. It includes small remedies, snacks, some flowers, and a cute little get well card signed by everyone. He wants to show you that everyone hopes you get better soon.

Haku tries to come as much as he can, but he needs to help around Hotarubi and won’t be able to be at your beckoning call sometimes. He makes it up by doing whatever you want while he’s with you though. He mostly tries to leave you alone so that you can rest, or he can stay close by doing his own thing. He wants to keep an eye on you in case you get worse

When you wake up you find little surprises waiting for you, he gets you little trinkets that he thinks will make you happy. He doesn’t need your thanks but he’ll smile and assure you that it’s nothing. While you’re asleep he rubs your head and looks at you for a while, he doesn’t really care what happens to him but he’ll make sure you’re up and running in no time. If he gets too careless then he’ll fall asleep right beside you and end up getting himself sick, but that just means he’ll have the joy of being taken care of by you.

Zenji

Oh how he worries for you… he visits you all of the time to make sure you’re ok. At some point, he starts to camp out at your place so that he can be with you. Since he can’t get you anything, he gets Haku to buy you groceries.

He’s the best at comforting you and staying with you so that you don’t feel lonely. It’s tough on you, being stuck inside at all times of the day and dealing with a constant cycle of being in pain. Zenji gets emotional with you and tells you that he can’t imagine what you must be going through. After the fact, he gets inspired and tells you about a story of a girl with chronic illness that watches the love of her life enjoy the outside world without knowing that she exists.

He writes a note inside of Mortkranken that you’re sick. He hopes that Jiro or Yuri will notice it and provide you with medicine. He likes to watch over you, but it pains his dear heart that you’re so weak and fragile.

Edward

Edward doesn’t immediately come to your aide since it’s the middle of the day when he hears about your sickness. When you’re about to go to sleep, you hear a knock at the window and discover a bat. You realize it’s Edward and let him in, he doesn’t stay for long, he only came so that he could tell you that you can be sick with him…

Once you’re pretty much moved into Edwards room, he does not help one bit. The only thing he does is watch youtube with you, and act like he’s too weak to get stuff for you, and messages Rui… it’s basically Rui doing all the work for you two, it’s not like Rui minds that you’re there, he’s very ecstatic that you’re staying over but he glares at Edward when he makes a mess of the room with his left over clothes.

He clings to you like you’re his lifeline, he keeps his air conditioning cold so that you can be huddled up to him under many blankets. In the middle of the night when you can’t sleep, surprisingly, Edward goes to the garden and grabs a flower that’s he explains can put you to sleep. It’s your best bet, and he says that it shouldn’t have any dangerous side effects to humans, it’s your choice if you want to trust him on human anatomy…

Rui

He takes this opportunity to move you into Obscuary temporarily! He’s been waiting for the chance to have you stay over, even though he’s glad that you’re finally staying, he wished it was on more fun terms. But it doesn’t dim his mood too much, he gets to take care of you while you’re sick! He promises that he’ll give you the best treatment while you sleep over.

Rui focuses on you so much that he stops picking up trash around Edwards room, and tries to convince Lyca to do everything that Rui usually does around the place so that he can take care of you… He cooks you food, makes sure you shower, drink water, sleep, and limit your exposure to outside stresses. He pretty much just wants you to himself, when you need it, he’ll come inside your room and sit down to talk for a while.

He can’t touch you but oh he wishes he can. He would be by your side the entire time and makes sure to let you know that he’s sending the biggest hugs and kisses your way. He suggests that he should sleep on the ground so he can always make sure you’re fine, but you question it a bit since Rui is literally right next to your room. It’s up to you though!

Lyca

As soon as he hears that you’re sick, he piles up a make-shift den with a bunch of clothes around you on your bed. It’s what makes him feel comfortable when he isn’t feeling good, so why wouldn’t it work for you? He also piles in things that you may need, like Kleenex, cold water, a fan, chapstick, and out of his generosity he gives you items that he likes… but honestly they are super random, like a ribbon that he likes to fiddle with during class. It’s his get well gift to you…

Lyca’s knowledge of sick humans comes from Neros, since Lyca doesn’t get sick very often in the first place. So he goes by what he was taught and gives you space, makes you soup (even though his food making skills are a bit questionable), and makes sure you sleep. Sometimes he kinda just sits outside of your room and growls at people that want to see you, because he thinks that you should rest at all times of the day, WITHOUT visitors.

He goes to Subaru to get more knowledge on how to take care of you while you’re sick, so he also goes by what he says. Lyca doesn’t remember the last time he was sick, so he’s carefree about going near you. If you’re feeling lonely he’ll sit in the den with you and keep you company. He’s still learning about how to take care of a human, it’s been a long time so be patient with him.

Yuri

Yuri rushes to your place right away with Jiro when he hears that you’re sick. They have equipment in tow to do a home check up on you, diagnosing what you have on the spot. He’s very methodical about it and go through treatment plans with you, but it’s a lot of thinking to do when all you want is to go to bed…

You’re pretty much moved into the lab against your will, this is so they can keep constant tabs on your condition. Yuri checks up on you very often, despite saying how he has many patients that he needs to see. He lectures you pretty often on what you shouldn’t do while you’re sick, you have to let him know how much pain you’re in to make him go easier on you.

When it’s nighttime and everyone’s clocking in for the day, he comes in and sits down on a chair beside you. Mainly to see how you’re doing, but he’ll never admit that he wanted to be with you. It’s basically his time off but he doesn’t treat it as such. When you tell him that you’re lonely from sitting in this bed all day, and that you want him to stay longer he’ll get super flustered, but he stays for a very long time. He ends up sleeping with his head on your bed with how sleep deprived he is, you should tell him to go to his bed but he won’t wake up.

Jiro

He is as by the book as possible. When you tell him you’re sick he comes over and says that he’s going to do a complete check up on you. Afterwards he tells you what you have and which medications you should be taking.

When a symptom appears, he describes what’s happening in your body that could be causing it. He tells you pretty knowledgeable trivia about the body and it seems like he enjoys sharing it with you. Like how a fever is the bodies response to a virus, it heats up to kill it and you end up shivering because your body is at a lower temperature than what your brain thinks it should be, so the body shivers to raise it. (I personally love this fact)

Texts you from time to time to make sure you’re doing fine, and new symptoms haven’t appeared. He’ll come over if you need it, but you’ll need to tell him what you want directly, he’s not doing all that guess work. When he comes over he stays a bit longer than he should, Yuri tries to call him but Jiro ignores him for a little bit until you’ve fallen asleep. He pats you on the back or the head because he was once told that this is how he should comfort people.

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

[alpaca-clouds]

I really find it frustrating how very different in regards to effort the different companion quests in BG3 are.

Like, you have Astarion and Shadowheart who both have those really nice paced out companion quests with a rather good structure in the story, a dungeon for that quest each and this big bombastic finale with stuff that is only connected to their quest and nothing else. They both also - regardless of whether you romance them or not - have quite a few of cut scenes connected to the quest.

Then there are Gale and Lae'zel. Their companion quests are a lot more weaved into the actual main quest which you can see both positive and negative. Positive: They are a lot more related to the plot. Negative: You will do most of the stuff from their quests either way. You can argue that the creché is a dungeon connected to Lae'zel, and you can also make the argument that Laroakan's tower is kinda Gale's dungeon.

Then there is Wyll, who mostly just hangs around during Act 1 and 2 and then has a little tiny bit of quest in Act 3, though the game will very much make sure to push you into the quest even if you have not recruited Wyll or Wyll has left the party. So, yeah, depending how you read it, there are two dungeons that are kinda connected to Wyll (the Iron Throne and then the Ansur dungeon).

And then... there is Karlach. Karlach's quest can be summarized by: "Fight some fake paladins, get one piece of infernal iron, get a second piece of infernal iron, defeat Gortash." The Gortash fight is not even like the two Wyll dungeons, that are not really Wyll exclusive (I mean, technically none of the quests is), that are optional outside of the Wyll questline. No, you will have to confront Gortash in one way or another to finish the game, no matter whether you have Karlach recruited or not.

And it makes it just feel so very... unsatisfying. I think a lot of the problems that people (like me) have with act 3 of the game really are connected to the fact that the endings for the companions outside of Astarion and Shadowheart feel rather, well, as I said: unsatisfying.

I mean, yes, Gale and Lae'zel are connected with the plot, but also their resolution is kinda pushed somehow into this "post-final-boss" scene and hence feels not really as if it actually resolves somethng. Especially as it feels also so very disconnected from basically everything else in the game you do with them.

With Wyll I would even argue that technically the post-Ansur stuff could almost serve as a proper resolution... If the dialogue was not bugged as hell. At least it is for me. And of course it still does not compare at all with the stuff happening with Astarion and Shadowheart.

And then there is Karlach. I just... I am sorry, I hate how the game handels Karlach. Especially because she is such a cool character. But her companion quest gives you less to do than your average side-quest. It is a fucking fetch quest. That's it. And it has no proper resolution. Because in Act 3 there is not even an attempt made to solve her issue. I spoke about that before: I would be totally fine if there was a quest in Act 3 where the player tries to get the engine fixed in the city. BUT THERE ISN'T. It is like: "Well, Dammon does not know anything. Tough luck Karlach. You gotta either die or go back to hell." Meanwhile I am like: "THEN ASK SOMEONE ELSE?" Ask the Ironhand Gnomes, ask the Gondians, ask bloody Gortash, try to make a deal with Raphael. Like, there has to be something, right?

And look, while I would have loved some Halsin content in Act 3, I am fine with the fact that there is not really anything. That is alright. Because really, the entire Act 2 stuff and how Halsin is interwoven with it might very well be the game's highlight for me.

Just as I am fine that Jaheira and Minsc are more like cameos with not that big of a role in Act 3.

(Again, I cannot talk minthy, because I failed to recruit her so far because I do not like to play evil characters.)

But... Yeah. I will not go here and argue that the game is incomplete. It is not. But it still is very frustrating how the game handles the companion quests in this regard, because the companions are the beating heart of the game. And I think the ending of the game would have been more satisfying if the companion quests had been more comparable in quality.

[bandtrees]

the thing about curly is that it feels like a copout to describe him as "too nice" but i think that really is the situation with him. i feel when talking about him as a leader there's a lot of talk about the anya and jimmy stuff but i feel not a lot about the parts that show his passiveness causing problems before then.

most notably, that he let daisuke aboard a ship not made for five people, and that he told the others about the layoffs before he was meant to. both very well-intentioned, interpersonally Nice things to do, that were welcome as a friend who cares about the crew, but less so as an authority figure who's supposed to have a spine about those sorts of things.

he's not really thinking about the repercussions for revealing this information, or the impact it'll have on his crew's mental states in the months they have left for their last haul, because in his eyes - and this is something he tells both anya and jimmy - they'll Get Through It Together. curly is someone who reassures the people around him a lot in his dialogue. he cares a lot about people but does, in fact, care too much, and when it comes down to it, he can't do much except care.

an important thing to note with the anya situation (specifically in contrast to the "curly only cared about jimmy" take i see around) is that curly does reassure her, and i think did genuinely believe what he was saying when he told her everything was going to be okay and that they'd figure it out together. it's just that he also told those things to jimmy, and when you're a person as passive as curly, if you don't put your foot down people are going to weasel in and use that as an opening.

curly was a good friend, but not a good leader. there's only so much that reassurances without tangible action can do for someone in the state anya was in. he likely let daisuke board because he felt for and liked him, disregarding the fact it was literally unsafe for him to do so because of the pod situation. he told the crew they were getting laid off because it felt right for him to do so, he acted as a "friend" and not as a "leader".

and this is really cool contrast to jimmy, imo, who has no sense of compassion and is quick to take impulsive, ruthless decisions he expects praise for by sole virtue of being hard. jimmy would rather mouthwash someone's open wounds and force another to commit cannibalism than mercy-kill them - because someone dying under his care means he failed, and he can't have that, and so he will drag out their suffering for as long as humanly possible. he can't actually face the consequences of his actions.

both of them have this mantra of "i can fix it" without actually fixing much of anything - however i think curly differs in that he's a compassionate person who doesn't mind being on the same level as his crew (for better or worse), meanwhile jimmy can never shake the title of "captain" and the inflated sense of importance it gives him and that he projects onto curly. curly cares but doesn't act, jimmy acts but doesn't care.

BUT - i think a really interesting thing here too is how they act in the immediate danger of the crash. jimmy hides with his hands on his head, catatonic, while curly rushes in to try and salvage the ship even when it'll endanger him. jimmy is unable to face the gravity of what he did, while curly - even if he's not a good captain socially - is willing to put himself in danger to fix it. it gives the impression that while curly can't raise a hand against other people, he's willing to go down with his ship and put others before himself.

and putting others before himself is his entire relationship with jimmy, no? curly's dialogue with his crewmates is very reassuring, with a generous "we'll fix it together" attitude (see his patience with daisuke in the foam scene, and how he offers to do jimmy's psych eval when anya doesn't want to (compared to how jimmy would likely handle those situations, as we see when he yells at anya when asked to do tasks for her)) - BUT i would argue it's even moreso apparent with jimmy.

curly's povs, in my mind, offer the views on characters we don't see from jimmy's perspective, as jimmy cherrypicks scenes to paint anya as incompetent, daisuke as stupid and spoiled, swansea as mean and unstable - with curly, we see anya is gossipy and likes to joke around, daisuke is willing to fix problems by himself even if he struggles, et cetera. and with curly, we see, in how he talks to and about jimmy, he's very... concerned for him? and walks on eggshells around him.

^^^ after jimmy has pivoted a conversation curly was having about his life to be about his insecurities, and curly takes the bait and reassures him.

in general, he seems wary of jimmy as someone who will blow up if not reassured.

and he talks to, and about him, like he's taken on this quasi-therapist "responsible" role for him. he has this very... mental health-centered way of talking to jimmy - we'll fix it together, one day at a time, hey i believe in you, etc. which gives me the impression of, and this happens very often, a very trusting and overly-empathetic guy who's been roped into a relationship with someone whose safety and actions have been made his responsibility.

(i obviously don't mean this to woobify curly, or to diminish the game's commentary on rape culture, but rather to express that there's more to curly's behavior around jimmy than "shitty men cover for eachother".)

and i think one of the ultimate tragedies of curly's character is that, in the end, what jimmy projects on him -

-was true. this is how curly thought, before he was forced to come to terms, via experiencing jimmy's abuse of him, witnessing anya's suicide and the others' bodies, that jimmy was a monster who was never going to care about curly the way curly cared about him.

but, because jimmy views curly, now disabled, as a complete blank slate because he physically cannot speak for himself, jimmy continues to project upon him the dynamic that did exist between them - no matter the horrors he puts curly through, because if curly let him get away with it then, he'd let him get away with it now, right?

and when curly didn't put his foot down when it mattered, he now no longer can - and so jimmy's words, as long as he's as unable to speak for himself as he was back then, will be in his mouth forever.

:(