#proud of them for being so creative and clever

[steveharringtonsstrugglemeals]

Ok that last post I reblogged got me thinking... DM Steve. Somehow he gets roped into DMing a few campaigns for the Party and he's 100% the type of DM who acts tough but is setting up his players to succeed. Not like Eddie — he's genuinely a really tough DM, even if he does want his players to do well. Steve is all about fostering his kids' confidence and making sure they have the chance for some fun escapism after all the shit they've been put through. He's still gotta be a dick about it though — just like how he gripes about giving the kids free rides, he acts cocky and then complains when they break through traps which he carefully designed to have hidden weaknesses that match they Party's strengths. He's great at picking up on pieces of the kids' personalities in their characters, and using that to make sure their adventures are meaningful. Most of his NPCs are basically just versions of him, because he's not the most creative he claims — but really because he just can't resist using the characters to tell his kids he's proud of them.

And this feeds into his "rivalry" with Eddie: Steve already knew that his campaigns weren't the most complex or immersive, he just doesn't have that level of detail-oriented planning skill. It doesn't matter, he was just doing it as a favor to his friends, right? But then the kids start school and all of a sudden they won't stop gushing about Eddie Munson and how grueling his campaigns are, how he gives each of his NPCs unique voices, how he's the coolest and smartest person they know. And yeah, it kinda chafes against all of Steve's insecurities. Even playing DnD, he still manages to be the dumb jock, right?

It takes a while, but inevitably Eddie finds out that Steve has DMed in the past. Steve immediately gets defensive about it: yeah maybe he wasn't the Party's first choice for a DM and maybe his campaigns weren't exactly masterpieces, but the kids enjoyed them! Eddie, on the other hand, is close to fainting over the idea of Steve Harrington, of all people, as a Dungeon Master.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

I'm an A-Level student and so many of my classmates use ChatGPT for essays in Law and RS and stuff - like, they sound proud of themselves, as if they're cheating the system and being clever? Just makes me feel very bleak. What are we doing man

Well, the unfortunate news for them is that they are going to struggle if they make it to uni.

This is the big problem with AI - it cannot analyse a single thing. If I were to say to you "What are the features Tumblr users would most want and why?", you are a human being with a brain and experiences and decision-making skills, and you could probably sit and come up with an answer. You would base that answer on things you personally find lacking, or want to see; you would also base it in things you have seen others bemoaning on the site.

For example, I reckon I'd say something like:

The permanent ability to boop people with a cat paw, which is implemented as opt-in. Also customisable, so you can choose whether you want a random cat paw to appear on your screen each time it happens to you. Also a different animation for super boop/evil boop, and maybe more boop options than those two, and maybe also different paw colours.

Actual enforcement of hate speech rules. We all agree to them when we join, so it's perfectly legal to delete someone for spouting Nazi shit AND YET.

No more banning or censoring queer folks' accounts

More ability to adjust the interface for disabled bloggers, e.g. colour and contrast, font, layout, switching off moving GIFs or other animations by default, etc.

Tag editing, it's frustrating having to delete whole tags.

Tag memory! Where have my tags gone??? For a year now I have slightly better luck on desktop, but for the most part, which of my tags are remembered by autofill and which are never, ever offered to me has been wholly divorced from how often I've used them. And my tags are often lengthy and odd, so it's become much harder to use mobile.

No data scraping. This is the anti-cap site thank you. Also on that note, get rid of the For You section and any other algorithmic tracking, because it's just as likely to show you a Nazi blog as an anti-Nazi one as long as you have spent any time at all discussing Nazism.

Better blocking ability, on that note.

Better search function

I could go on, but you get the idea. That's analysis that I've done, based on discussions I have seen and taken part in, and my own experiences.

I just asked ChatGPT. Here's what it had to say:

"Tumblr users have diverse preferences, but there are several features that many users would likely appreciate: 1. Improved Content Discovery: Tumblr is known for its vast array of content, so improving content discovery mechanisms such as personalized recommendations, trending topics, and enhanced search functionality can help users find more of the content they enjoy. 2. Enhanced Customization Options: Tumblr users value the ability to customize their blogs extensively. Providing more themes, layout options, and customization tools can empower users to express themselves creatively and make their blogs unique. 3. Integration of Multimedia Formats: Tumblr is a platform where users share various types of multimedia content, including images, GIFs, videos, and audio. Enhancing support for different media formats, improving media upload and management features, and optimizing the viewing experience can enhance user engagement. 4. Improved Mobile Experience: Many Tumblr users access the platform via mobile devices. Therefore, optimizing the mobile app for better performance, usability, and feature parity with the desktop version can greatly enhance the user experience. 5. Community Engagement Features: Tumblr has a vibrant community, so features that facilitate interaction among users, such as improved messaging, reblogging, tagging, and commenting functionalities, can foster a sense of community and increase user engagement. 6. Content Moderation Tools: Given the diverse content on Tumblr, providing users with robust content moderation tools, including options for filtering, blocking, and reporting inappropriate content, can help ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience for all users. 7. Monetization Options for Creators: Many Tumblr users are content creators who would appreciate opportunities to monetize their content. Introducing features such as ad revenue sharing, subscription-based content, or integrated e-commerce capabilities can incentivize creators to produce high-quality content and invest more in their Tumblr presence. 8. Accessibility Features: Improving accessibility features such as alt text support for images, screen reader compatibility, and customizable text sizes and color schemes can make Tumblr more inclusive and accessible to users with disabilities. 9. Privacy and Security Enhancements: Enhancing privacy controls, data protection measures, and account security features can help users feel more confident and secure when using the platform, which is especially important given concerns about online privacy and security. 10. API and Third-Party Integration: Opening up Tumblr's API and allowing for easier integration with third-party services and apps can encourage innovation and development within the Tumblr ecosystem, providing users with more options and flexibility in how they use the platform. Overall, focusing on improving content discovery, customization options, community engagement, and user safety while also providing opportunities for creators to monetize their content can help Tumblr retain and attract users in a competitive social media landscape."

It's possible that feels alright, on first glance. But take a closer look.

Every point made is vague, and disconnected from any real life examples. In the very first point, it thinks we want better search functions (yes!) but also more algorithmic recommendations (no!). It wants us to have personalised recommendations AND better security, in fact, which are incompatible - but an LLM doesn't and can't know that. Monetisation of the platform is something that has historically faced appalling backlash from users, and this thing is suggesting ad revenue sharing and subscription services.

Because, its suggestions are generic suggestions. These are not Tumblr-specific. No mention of queerphobia, no mention of Nazis, and absolutely zero understanding of what the specific users on this site actually want.

... all of which is to say...

It's what is academically known as descriptive work. It lays out some facts, but there's no depth, no analysis, no interpretation of those facts at all. Why would we want third party integration? What apps are we calling for? Give examples. Would that aid ad-blocking? Search functions? In that case, wouldn't third-party integration be tackling the symptoms and not the cause? Shouldn't we work better ad-blocking and search functions into Tumblr at a base level?

And in school - even up to A Level - that's okay. You won't get top marks for that, because it's all too vague and too descriptive, but it's fine. School-level assignments tend to be more broad and less applied, too, which LLMs fare better with.

But in university, you start with descriptive facts, and then you are expected to analyse. If you cannot analyse, you run a very real risk of failing. Which means if you've spent your GCSEs and A Levels not bothering to learn those analytical skills and letting ChatGPT do the work for you, you are going to face an extremely uphill struggle when the expectations of study increase.

So, to round off, try not to get too discouraged. You know you aren't doing it, which means you are the one actually learning and developing and growing. Others will learn eventually, and probably more painfully. You do you!

[bigcowboydyke]

about your disability pride month post: is there anything important/significant you think people should take notes on when writing a character with an upper arm prosthetic? (like starting from the elbow if i phrased correctly)?

Yeah! I think the biggest is that you ought to consider first, esp if its an OC, your reasoning for making the character disabled- you wanna make sure you're not fetishizing or exploiting their disability to prop up abled characters. I've got a list of questions for authors to ask themselves along those lines that I can post or dm

Secondly, you have to consider what level of realism you wanna go with. If you have a character where, in universe, the prosthesis functions in exactly the way an arm does, you could just go with that if you want - it's the path of least resistance, right? BUT you ought to consider that most prostheses in media exist in that way AT THE EXPENSE of good representation of disability. Erasing disability or "curing" it with magical prostheses IS a form of ableism that is so pervasive it just goes unnoticed by most. I believe personally that disabled bodies are worth portraying well even when the creators of the source material did not do that. SO if you want to go with real well thought our representation, here are some common things I think authors and artists often miss (specifically as it pertains to upper limb prostheses):

1) I already said this, but seriously, I cannot emphasize enough that upper limb prosthetics ain't cheap and are usually uncomfortable. Your character, if they are poor, or even like middle class, won't have access to multiple high tech popular mechanics cover story type robo arms. Even if they did ...

2) Not all limb different folks use prosthetics! I personally have used multiple and I disliked them. I tried very hard to learn, but there are multiple requirements to be able to use each model and sometimes, a lot of times actually, limb different people - especially people without a hand or an arm function Better without prosthetics. Be aware in your art that limb different people are Whole. How you ask can somebody without an arm, say, do all that stuff?

3) Consider the idea of adaptation in your writing and art instead of relying only on magicking disability away with prosthetics. Disabled People live in a world full of barriers and tend to be Very creative about navigating it, adapting to our environment through just being a little clever about how we do things is the biggest way i see other people with upper limb differences interact with the world. There are three main ways that we go about this without prosthetics: Using adaptive equipment, Finding an alternate method, or as a last resort, asking for help.

Example 1: I have like 1.5 arms ok so obviously only 1 hand, and I need to clip my fingernails every once in a while. The obvious solution to me, while it may seem gross, is just to bite them off. Bad habit, but efficient. I could use those horrible little nail clippers, with my remaining stump and a little finagling but it takes forever. I could also get some adaptive nail clippers - they make great big handled ones for ppl that can't grab the little ones. Or, I could ask my partner to trim them, but I'm usually too proud to do that. Let disabled people have their flaws too lol!

Example 2: I love to rock climb. This is where adaptive equipment comes in. I could slip off a rock climbing wall pretty easily right? So bouldering (rock climbing without harnesses) is totally inaccessible to me. But if I go to a gym that has harnesses, then that's fine - they catch me if I fall and that's adaptive for me.

Adaptive equipment comes in many shapes and sizes and can be regular items repurposed.

3. If after all that you Must create art or write about an OC or preexisting character that uses upper limb prosthetics, consider that in general, limb different people's prosthetics are not equivalent to having two arms. Prosthetics are only practical for limb different people if they enhance your life or are useful in some way, however, getting one high tech enough to do that is unlikely because they are expensive. There are different groups, clinics, and charities that make lower cost options but they tend to be much lower tech than is depicted (and often are clunky). My first prosthetic was a long flat piece of metal, similar to a doctors tongue depressor, attached to a plaster cuff velcroed around my stump. The idea was that since I had a little bit of stump poking out, I could pin objects against the metal and it would work like a crab's pincers. It was okay, but I did accidentally smack many. Many. Things with it, including my own face and since it was metal, that was unpleasant. Obviously hindered more than helped. Also it did not look even remotely like a hand.

4. Which prosthetics you can get generally depend on what you got on you. Literally. Bodily. With upper limb prostheses, If you don't have an elbow or wrist, your options are almost exclusively limited to the pricier electric options that are both super futuristic, unavailable to many, and also like new car priced. Many of the manual, non-electric models depend on the ability to flex a wrist or elbow, so if you have those things are a little more accessible overall. It also matters whether you are born limb different like me, or if you are an amputee. Amputees are more likely to be candidates for prostheses than people like me because they have all those preexisting muscles and nerves for prosthetics that are higher tech and require surgical attachment Also prosthetics might be an easier learning curve, and more useful for somebody who has been abled bodied than it would be for somebody who never had that limb in the first place.

5. This is a little thing and ... Not to get too medical with it ( and neither should yall) but limb different people often have physical changes associated with lack of or loss of limb. If you do not have a limb, you are not going to be developing the muscles that are surrounding it in the way an a nondisabled person would. Again for example I have 1.5ish arms which means I've got plenty of stump on my "affected" limb. Even when I did Varsity sports and everything, I was never able to get beefy on that side. It is a pet peeve of mine that many people do not seem to get this - Most art I see of vash the stampede has him with two super beefy shoulders and like yeah i get it that's hot, but if hes got roughly the same amount of stump as me, he probably shouldn'tlook like that. Another thing in this vein is chronic pain is associated with limb loss and limb difference- I have it and its reasonable that any prosthetic user or nonprosthetic using limb different person is more likely to have it. Again these are little things but if you're looking to do good representation you need to consider that limb difference is not just a cool little stylistic choice to make a character look tough or what have you - limb loss and limb difference mean that that character will not only think differently than abled bodied people, but move differently, pose differently, have different routines and preferences than are ever represented in most media. Disability is not a style, and it's not a diagnosis, it's an identity. It's important above all to be respectful of that by letting go of centering able-bodied expectations and aesthetic in your art and writing. Hard to do but i believe in y'all!

Hope that helps! I've also got a bunch of links to go along with these points, if you want them lmk! I'm always happy to take asks about this stuff!

Tl;dr please consider making characters that don't use prosthetics, or don't use them excessively because it's more realistic, better representation, and makes me, a disabled dyke on the internet, really happy.

Lastly if y'all liked my advice and appreciate my time you are always welcome to tip me for it - my c*sh*pp is $neptunedrive

[openstorygames]

If you've never played a TTRPG with tweens, you're missing out.

These kids are clever and creative and funny (sometimes in unintentional ways).

They're old enough to grasp complex rules but young enough to not care enough to be rules lawyers (mostly).

They still believe that adventure is just around the corner in their real lives. They love the freedom of making their own choices in a game, but they're still learning how to be a team player.

They break out in song randomly. Or start wrestling each other irl.

They latch onto details you didn't think mattered—and in their own way, that adult groups don't.

They'll make silly and immature decisions because they are silly and immature, in the best way, just like they should be!

They're willing to take risks that adult players often avoid, and when the GM rewards those risks, they are so wonderfully proud of themselves.

They don't mind consequences for bad choices, provided you make it fun.

They speak up when they don't like something (including consequences for bad choices), and they're creative collaborators to find a better a solution.

But most of all, tweens deserve a place where an adult treats them like they're a little more grown-up than they are. Where it's safe for them to try new things (even things like swearing under their breath) without being immediately corrected or squeezed into a box that doesn't feel quite right.

They deserve the chance to discover what it means to be people who care about others, who feel compassion, who recognize dignity in creatures not like themselves (whether that's smelly boys or giggling girls or a geriatric robot who stutters).

They deserve space to practice being human. And TTRPGs can be a beautiful way to give them that space.

Tweens are incredible, creative, valuable humans. Playing TTRPGs with them will make you better, more willing to laugh at yourself, and more aware of the brilliance within those kids you only thought you knew before.

[obeymematches]

Hi! I was the one who requested the daughters one. Can you write it for the undateables?

sure thing bestie🫡 sorry I made you wait 💔

With his Daughter

Diavolo:

● As the future Queen of Devildom you'd think his daughter is the perfect little girl in pretty dresses holding tea parties with her stuffies....

● My sweet summer child...

● She's a menace.

● You know girls usually take after their father. Diavolo is a fully grown adult and he can still be a menace.

● Can you imagine what he was like as a toddler ?? ● His little girl LOVES speaking her mind and Diavolo is very supportive of this habit. He adores how little kids think; and say the obvious. He damn sure won't be getting in the way of her freedom.

● Little girlie also likes to climb trees, play in the mud, prank the staff, if you get her one of those electric cars from the Human World she'd never get out.

● Likes to yell and throw tantrums; this is the only behavior of hers which Diavolo dislikes, though he is very patient with her regardless. Explains to her why she is being too much right now BUT let's go get icecream instead just to calm down.

● Think of Muffin from Bluey. Exactly.

● She is hectic, she is faaar from perfect, but his daddy doesn't let anyone tell her off or make her feel bad about it.

● As the other parent.... you hardly can rest with this two but if anyone, it's you who can slow them down a bit if this is not your style.

Barbatos:

● He has experience raising kids, though usually sons.

● He was not prepared for his daughter to steal his heart so effortlessly though.

● He is absolutely in love since day 1. She was just born and now he'd do anything for her.

● Though she is not going to be so spiled to do whatever she wants, she must learn to be nice and polite - though I think she is a much calmer kid than Diavolo's, for example.

● She likes to pick flowers, play on the swing, dress pretty, and she likes to give kisses. She also likes to help her daddy cook!!

● Her dad is so proud of her, even when he is tired he refuses to rest unless they had playtime.

Simeon:

● Antoher person with experience; though the infant stage is new for him as well.

● He'd absolutely love his child no matter the gender, but his little girl is a copy-paste version of him of course he is obsessed.

● Gets up every single time she cries, does anything to calm her down, has endless patience. ● Hardly ever gets frustrated even when he hasn't slept well in years. Truly a perfect example.

● Likes to go on trips as a family!!!

● Very soft-spoken with her, explains everyting as many times as needed.

● His daughter isn't too spoiled but she has everything a kid needs. Has simple toys, non of that loud flashy stuff.

● Loves to read her stories inside, in the garden, on the road, doesn't matter he just wants to make sure his baby is set for a good, creative, happy life.

Solomon:

● Okay I doubt he was the protective kind BEFORE becoming a father..... and he is not going to change AFTER becoming one either.

● Kids must learn how the world works right?

● It is the best for her to experience everything.

● Yes he is there to calm her down, provide aid, etc, but he is not going to stop her from touching a thorn for example

● Like superglue his daughter is right there with him at all times. He can only use the toilet if he manages to leave without her noticing.

● I loove to imagine him carrying his daughter on his shoulders!!!

● Ah imagine him playing blocks with her 🥹 Building the prettiest castle just for her to destroy!

● Likes to wear matching colored clothing with her

● His heart breaks to shreds when she refuses to eat anything he cooks... there is no going back from that. Easily the worst feeling he had in the past centuries.

● His daughter is very clever for her age at all times. She might tutor some of her classmates if she likes them.

AN: did you know the base of your personality is inherited from your parents? yes you might change on purpose here and there, yes society, your culture also shapes you as you grow, but the base material you have to work with is inherited

AN 2: i have no clue where part one is but i trust it is on my blog somewhere 👉👈

[ephemeral-roses]

Since it's been months, I am now forcing myself to be a brave little boy to post my process on my version of Ares, along with some art of Aphrodite. And sorry if the post is tagged weirdly, I still am unsure how to properly tag posts. I post every blue moon, so I don't think I still have an understanding of it.

These are my most recent and decent art of him, and I got a few notes on his design.

● His first scar is the one on his cheek, but it wasn't from any war or battle. When he was younger, he was exactly what one would imagine Ares to be, very arrogant and proud, with fighting on his mind despite having never been to any battles. He would play a game where he and someone would spar, and whoever gets the biggest scar wins. Hermes lost, only because he was so good at it.

● The tattoos he has are from Thrace, where he is said to have been born and was his favorite place. The symbol on the back of his hand is a snake, relating to them being one of his sacred animals.

And here is some art of him I made a few months ago, based on some paintings I've found of him. My favorite genre of Ares art is when he is dorned with flowers, the Erotes are playing with his weapons, and he is very happy with Aphrodite. It makes me very delighted.

Speaking of Aphrodite, this is what she looks like. I got a few notes on her personality and design.

● Since she is Aphrodite, she is very vain, focusing on her physical appearance a lot and becoming emotional whenever someone undermines or doubts her beauty, with the ability to become wrathful.

● But, as a mother, she is able to self-love aside for her children, putting her entire attention to them. Before she gets with Ares, she has already had a handful of children with previous lovers. Ares doesn't mind, of course.

● Her design is, of course, based on her origins from the sea and her being a sea goddess.

● She emerged from seafoam but was then taken in by Dione.

● Despite valuing her appearance and the way she presents herself and encouraging others to do the same, she does have one little quirk she inherited from her years living in the ocean. She eats like a beast, especially when it comes to seafood. When it is in her sight, she is devouring it like a wildwoman. This is just being very silly and having fun. Don't worry about it.

● Her little, uh, braid thing (I guess, I don't know what you'd call it exactly, I'm not good with hair) is divided into 7 sections, for the 7 types of Greek love. I'm gonna be transparent here. This is me trying to sound clever and creative when I'm not.

● When she is upset, whether sad or angry, her body starts resorting back to water and seafoam. I still can't find out how to draw it, unfortunately, even though the visuals look cool in my mind.

I am gonna try to post more frequently, especially the designs I've come up for the other gods. So far, this is all I could bring my energy to post.

[therentyoupay]

im completely feral over all your jelsa stories!!!!!! do you ever write established relationship jelsa or have any headcanons about what they would be like together in a serious relationship or marriage????

THANK YOU SO MUCH. 😭😭😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕🙏 thank you thank you nonny for this super sweet ask and this really lovely question and all of your love and support!! 💕💕💕💕💕

i have... never actually written established!relationship (in any fandom), now that i'm thinking about it? that said, i guess i can come up with a quick list of some headcanons, maybe? 😂 i will have to think about this more, but for now, here's a quick drop:

elsa is an early riser; elsa helps jack create more sustainable sleeping patterns and habit formations 😂

when jack gets Impetuous Urges to Do Something Rash and Impractically Spontaneous, elsa will ground jack, reminding him to think before acting. (he occasionally Still Does It, anyway.) elsa knows what she signed up for, lol.

jack loves to play Harmless(!) Pranks, just to watch elsa’s reaction. (he is no longer allowed to sneak up on her after The Incident).

they also quibble over the definition of "harmless" and the specific logistical implications of that; for a while, jack was banned from further pranking, but then he got more creative at showing elsa that pranks could be wholesome and genuine, in which they could both be in on the joke. however, due to elsa's deeply-rooted Need to Excel and her (Not-so)Secret Competitive AF Streak, her retaliation in escalating the Cleverness Prank War quickly resulted in jack's prompt implementation of the Prank-Free Zones and Time Periods. (no, he was not scared.)

elsa, usually reserved, has learned to let her playful side show more often with jack. she might still pretend to be exasperated by his antics, but sometimes it's part of the game (or habit).

elsa sill struggles with opening up emotionally sometimes, but she progressively feels safe enough to share her innermost thoughts and fears. with time, she confides in him more about her worries. she still never likes the idea that jack sees her Imperfect Parts, but at least she can tolerate the discomfort (and, yes, take comfort in it) now

(jack loves elsa's Imperfect Parts, and jack admits that he is Weirdly Proud and Competitively Honored to be one of the only people, even including anna, who gets to see them. he also is strangely Comforted and Validated that elsa is, in fact, not perfect because for a while there, he was pretty freaked out and intimidated by how fancy she is.)

until he realized that no one ever let her actually be a Weirdo before, and once he realizes the Truth of Elsa Also Being a Secret (albeit perhaps more Subdued) Weirdo, the Universe Aligns.

jack listens to elsa's Big Conversations intently, activating varying levels of Serious Mode.

jack is getting better at recognizing the moments when elsa needs him to play and needs him to listen or Give His Opinion or any combination of those things.

jack learns that it's not always about Saying the Right Thing (which he is not very good at, anyway, or so our Serially Unreliable Narrator thinks), but rather being able to read elsa's mood and anticipate what she might need (even if she is not aware of it herself yet).

elsa is meticulous about planning and preparing for special occasions.

elsa likes traditions! jack likes tradition only because elsa likes them, lol, and hey, okay, these are more fun than he thought?? (who knew fun could be organized??!!?)

so he really wants to show (off to) her by pulling off Incredible Planning Feats in her honor, too (they do not go as smoothly, lol).

jack will often go out of his way to spontaneously create something meaningful, a moment or a gift or a gesture, that reminds elsa that he cares. he is big on words of affirmation, gift giving (but like, souvenirs that he collects on adventures like, "i saw this rock and it reminded me of your cousin olaf, we should put it on the window after we paint his face on it"), and acts of service, as well as physical touch and quality time. HE WANTS LOVE. he wants TO BE LOVED. he wants to prove that he is worthy of being loved.

(and elsa has to get him to Chill Out sometimes, remind him that he doesn't have to Do Things For Her/Anyone in order to be deserving of care; he is more than what he provides for other people.)

(jack gets its, and appreciates it, but also, the Urge to Provide and Protect is still strong, even after so much time, and sometimes Old Habits Die Hard.)

i get the sense that he'd be the type to he wake elsa up in the middle of the night to take her on a surprise adventure, or convince her to Do a Fun Thing without any preparation (/warning).

and she would Be Alarmed at the Lack of Plan (especially if/when jack Did Not Think This Through), but he also took precautions to ward off Concerns by pacifying her with tea, or reassurances that yes, he did call ahead to make sure the restaurant was open before they left the house, of course he did, he would never just leave home without double-checking beforehand (and frantically googles it two minutes later when he thinks she's not looking; she is, naturally, and even occasionally pretends not to be).

elsa approaches conflict with a desire to resolve things Calmly and Logically. she tries to understand jack’s perspective, even when she disagrees, and she’s careful with her words, not wanting to escalate the situation.

however, she can sometimes withdraw emotionally, fearing that she might say something hurtful if she’s too overwhelmed.

jack was initially (and, honestly, still is, even though he understands more now) hurt by her tendency to shut down when she Feels Too Much, and understands (although it's still hard) that elsa needs time to process her feelings and organize her thoughts.

jack also helps elsa actually Feel her Feelings, instead of just trying to intellectualize and analyze them. (she hates it, BUT sees the value. jack lives for these moments in which he realizes that he's actually contributing positively to her life and helping her in some way, rather than just being a burden or a nuisance, as was/is his fear.)

his initial reaction might be to push for a resolution quickly, but he’s also deeply afraid of Creating Distance between them, so after the first few fights, he really makes an effort to find the right balance between Pushing Hard Enough and Not Pushing Too hard, so that he doesn't drive a wedge between them as they work things out.

jack FEELS intensely, and can be so stubborn. he does not always have the most precise vocabulary or tools to describe his thoughts and feelings, or identify the root causes of what is actually going on inside him; sometimes elsa asks a lot of insightful and guiding questions that help jack come to the conclusions himself, and other times, she Puts Into Words the very thing that he had been thinking or feeling, but could not name, and it is very reassuring to have someone who understands him well enough to be able to do that.

after conflicts or arguments, they take time to Decompress and reassure one another (especially if at least one of them, if not both, was Overthinking again).

when they argue (and healthy couples do, remember!), it’s a dance of patience and understanding: elsa might need a moment to Collect Herself, and jack learns to give her that Space while also making it clear that he’s ready to talk whenever she is, and that he is going to try very hard to be Rational and Patient About It.

in the end, they both prioritize their relationship over any disagreement, always finding a way back to each other.

[mdhwrites]

Belos' Empire Was Perfect

In theory. For a kid's show dictatorship, I don't know how much better you could do with your concept, especially with the themes that TOH was going for.

I want to emphasize this because it's going to sound like this is praise for a bit: IN. CONCEPT.

Belos' dictatorship has a very easy methodology to it as presented by literally the only three elements of oppression we ever see. The Conformatorium in episode one and the prejudice of wild witches which... Wait on that one. And finally the last one is of course the coven system. This forms the backbone what is frankly one of the most basic elements of any dictatorship: The loss of self. Without individuality, you do not have self worth and thus do not consider whether the treatment you are being given is what you should be getting.

This is coupled by the Wild Witches being the enemy of all. You do not question the state because they are the only thing protecting you from that boogeyman under your bed that will destroy all that you know if not for them. Adding theology to that is honestly barely a change. It just means you worship the government approved god rather than the government itself. It really cannot be understated how that BARELY changes the actual mechanics of a dictatorship besides them likely implementing prayer more.

But none of this is violent besides the wild witch stuff and even TOH tried to be clever in showing that the enemy never existed (in the dumbest possible ways that I have discussed before but I couldn't find my blog about it). So... No violence but all the oppression of a dictatorship! That's literally perfect for a kid's show about rebelling against a system that wants to push you down and put you in a box.

Partially because it allows for some of the best parts of being a kid to be the driving method for success: Friendship and Creativity. Your open heart and open mind. In a world that is stagnant, you will bust it open with your ideas and your unique personality, especially while mixing with others and giving them back their own individuality. This isn't complicated but it works EXTREMELY well.

And TOH executed on none of this concept.

That isn't even an understatement. Wild Witches DO exist, we see them being round up in Eda's Requiem, but that's also the ONLY time we see them. So the main enemy is only humanized through Eda who is a genuine piece of shit before Luz so Belos is kind of right about her unfortunately. So the boogeyman is real and indeed the only people who give a shit about them is the EC so yeah, the populace is just correct to fear them.

And why wouldn't they when they have complete freedom under the government? We see PLENTY of weird people during the time of TOH and none of them go to the Conformatorium. The prison may as well exist just for the pilot for how much it actually matters or does its job. The idea that being different and unique will get you jailed just straight up does not exist after the first episode except for a VERY discordant moment of Luz and King being jailed for walking on grass. Otherwise, NOTHING.

(To drive this home briefly: Someone in my Discord pointed out while I wrote this that Gus' interest in humans is seen as weird and discordant from the rest of the populace. It is why he isn't more popular despite his skills. So... Why is he able to be loud and proud about that interest if your unique interests get you jailed?)

And in return for submitting to the coven system, the citizens of the Isles enjoy protections they don't appear to have had before, have a level of technology that COULD NOT have been a thing during Belos' rise or else he literally couldn't have done it because his rise to power is genuinely terrible, and they have freedoms that anyone in America shares. As far as we know they don't even censor which is dictatorship 101. They don't even enforce their own rules because so long as Eda, the most wanted criminal on the Isles, doesn't literally point herself out and scream at the top of her lungs who she is, no one, not even the guards, will bother coming for her. The Isles is genuinely idealic in this way.

And it comes back to a problem that TOH has of well... Yeah. It had to be appealing and easy because Luz is a genuinely terrible person. If the Isles had been awful, a place truly hostile to her like Amphibia was to Anne, then she would have just gone home. The only way she decides to stay in the Isles is because she's cosplaying. Not because she actually has a sense of justice or duty against corruption, otherwise Luz might not have taken until HOLLOW MIND to actually for once speak against Belos or do literally anything against the EC (and only once she doesn't get to have her witch cloak because of it because these writers have no idea how to write a genuine hero or honestly a properly good person. Just nice ones.) but because she can pretend to be Azura. We even somewhat got confirmation because she literally ends the series just admitting she sees Azura as her. She quotes the god damn book and what is supposed to be cyclical is actually INCREDIBLY toxic because it's just a fulfillment of her fantasies rather than any acknowledgement of reality or growth besides "I only can exist in a fantasy world," which is GREAT messaging to your LGBTQIA+ and Nuerodivergent fans. Thanks show.

So this concept they have for their themes essentially REQUIRES that there be a dictatorship, and allows for one you can do in kid's shows (reminder: there is somehow a stock trope of a villain getting ultimate power and immediately going Nazi with it in kids' shows. They ABSOLUTELY could have shown more than what TOH did.). They just also couldn't because the protagonist they wrote and the wish fulfillment they wanted to play into, as well its 'subversive' elements, literally couldn't function with it actually existing. With the show actually being about taking down that hates you just for being you.

And I REALLY want to emphasize that that's not new. POKEMON has their main villains, including Team Rocket, not care about the individuality of their Pokemon, and thus be willing to brutalize them, because all they care about are results. The main villain for Slugterra's whole thing is robbing slugs of who they are, turning them nasty and violent, just to make them 'more powerful' and that WAS a Disney show. TOH could have done this...

They just didn't and I cannot tell you why besides them not actually being interested in telling their own story or themes because otherwise, why did you include this?

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[consumedbyfeels]

Ashes to Ashes Spoilers

Okay so I am not okay after "Ashes to Ashes"

spoilers below

First off I love how proud Buck looks when Tommy gets his award.

And go Chim put Gerrald in his place, Also I hate him but you have to admit "I heard you got your wings" was a clever way to insult Tommy, it doesn't even sound inherently like an insult so A+ for creativity even if you are being a dick.

I just love the Gerrald a man who is playing prejudice bingo and winning had to watch a gay man, a bisexual man, a hispanic man, a asian man and a black lesbian receive awards and play nice and be professional while doing so, He must have hated every moment and I love it.

LEAVE HENREN ALONE!!!! WTF they are best parents Mara could have and they were so close to being family. I know they are going to fight like hell for her and the firefam with be with them every step of the way, but damn that women has it out for Hen and she has the power to make her life hell. I hope they can win but I'm scared, that is a powerful enemy to have.

Also Buck being a good friend to Eddie about the whole Kim thing and being supportive but also lowkey knocking sense into him. I have to admit my favorite part is eddie being confuse whos at his back door and even more confused when it's buck who asks if he can come in as if he doesn't have a key and barges in whenever he wants.

Eddie confronting his feeling over Shannon and finally getting closer is going to be great for him after it blows things up a bit. Marosal and Chris could not have had worse timing but it'll end for the better I believe. I just wanted to give Eddie a big hug in that scene, I was about to start crying with him. Poor baby.

Also bobby telling Buck he knows Tommy is a good man because they haven't had to talk about it is amazing. We love a supportive dad.

Athena honey, "there is a part of you I could never touch" ouch. My Bathena heart.

Nooo Bobby better be okay, I just know the next episode is going to be heartbreaking.

You can see Amir getting angry as he looks at the photos. Bobby is going to blame himself and that's going to spiral into something bad. Athena's going to blame herself because she asked Amir to come over and everything and now Bobby is hurt.

Also where is Harry during the fire? May is probably at her place but Harry was staying with them. I'm guessing he wasn't there cuz neither of them went all Papa/Mama Bear but I'm gonna need confirmation of this fact pleas ABC.

I hope Bobby lives and stays at the 118.

They really set up for all kinds of heartbreak in this episode. There was a lot packed into this week.

Why is everything but Tevan and Madney a dumpster fire holy shit, I am not okay. Don't get me wrong I am happy Tevan and Madney are thriving they deserve it but damn,

If you need me I will be consoling my broken heart by reading/writing Tevan fics.

[columboscreens]

I hope it isnt rude or presumptuous of me to barge in and vent, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Columbos family. I just finished "no time to die" and I can't get over how bad that episode was. Maybe its me and my headcanons getting in the way but No Way is he from a family of cops. And not a single one of them sounds like they're Italian or new yorkers the blasphemy! To me that mans from an Jewish immigrant family, and proud of it.

combined with:

yeah the whole "family of cops" thing in no time to die came off as cheesy, contrived 90s copaganda, so i just kind of ignore it. it's hardly canon, so feel free to do the same! i picture columbo with a big, loud, italian family myself, in which he's just about the only cop.

I will say though, i actually totally agree that he comes off as more jewish than not. columbo is, in canon, a good little italian boy married to a catholic woman, so the natural assumption is that he, too, is catholic. but peter falk was a very organic, naturalistic actor--as a student of sanford meisner, his primary acting imperative was to live and behave truthfully to the self under imaginary circumstances. so for someone who was barely religious himself in the way "cultural jews" tend to be...

what i'd pay to hear the words "had the fuckin bar mitzvah'" come out of that man's mouth

...to me, falk's "truthful self" is just so jewish to his core that, because he puts so much of himself into the character, it bleeds clean through to columbo, and we get all these jewish mannerisms out of the supposed catholic! (jews, of course, have a rich and historic presence in italy, so there's no preclusion on that front.)

once you notice the little things, you can't stop. his phrasings, his gestures, the ways he interacts with others, his boiled eggs, his gastrointestinal sensitivity, even his sense of humor.

chag pesach sameach

there are, of course, more substantial pieces of evidence than ordering chinese food for his extended family or needing an antacid every time he eats too quickly. i'm not jewish myself, but i grew up in a very jewish neighborhood, had more jewish than gentile friends growing up, and my partner of seven years is jewish. to me, what really codes columbo as a jewish man is how well he embodies many aspects of specifically jewish ethos.

being honorable, sensitive, and humble, he's the ideal mensch. one tenet strongly prioritized in judaism is tzedek, or one's ethical obligation to righteousness, equity, and compassion. he is both moved by suffering and tenaciously committed to justice.

jews hold the deepest respect for both religious and civil law, and you will note that columbo is neither an outsider nor a vigilante--he is a sanctioned agent of the legal system respecting and following the process of the law in his pursuit of murderers. he functions within it, sometimes in spite of it, but not outside of it. when he gets creative, he toes, but never quite crosses the line.

he thinks for himself and thus has a strong moral compass; he treats everyone with kindness and empathizes readily with individual struggle. he is patient, courageous, and clever--all particularly valued qualities in judaism.

(rakish semitic looks aside)

paramount is columbo's intellectual curiosity, love of learning, and propensity to question, which is, too, seen as fundamental to a faith built entirely on asking questions. whether he's gently yet methodically poking holes in a suspect's alibi or wondering how much a random stranger paid for his shoes, he never has a shortage of them. he's a little guy bursting with chutzpah, perfectly at home both asking a prime suspect if he can have a closer look at his hand, and God Himself to spare sodom and gomorrah if he can only find a few good people...

if you really needed any further evidence that he's God's Chosen...

[sonkitty]

Trickery Post #8 - Muriel

I thought that with the 6 Threshold Tricks found, having posts trying to simplify what they are as much as possible, and some GIF sets made, it was time to tell the world outside of Tumblr...at least Reddit and Discord.

I found on Discord that my post about Threshold Tricks was shared already.

Reddit gave me some upvotes, which was nice, some confused comments, which was understandable, and something I took as an insult of being thought of as AI, which was not nice at all.

My being human is a very big requirement of solving the puzzles because of the imagination required. I have to think of things like, "Looking through a window is an earthly object touch because people look through windows to see things on Earth," and "Crowley never let go of the door."

Setting aside the AI thing though, I did note a couple of remarks about how smart one has to be or people feeling themselves too "dumb" to understand.

I took note of these things and have thought about it a lot.

I take pride in having found the Threshold Tricks because it's not easy, but I also never really thought of my success as because I'm so smart.

I met challenges. I played a game, and I played it well enough to find some things that were supposed to be found.

I had to think about what do to play, but it took me reading 41 Discworld books later to realize the word that might suit what people meant is "clever."

And, indeed, being "clever" is not all that common or come all too easily to many people.

I have been called "clever" once or twice over my lifetime, and I do consider myself at least resourceful when it comes to solving problems outside of playing Earthly Objects.

And yeah, I would say my own play at Earthly Objects is clever, and that's why I think it's as good as it is and am proud of it. All those things I said I like to think of as traits about Crowley? Those are traits I would at least want to have too, if I don't have them. I think I do have them for the play here at least. Being creative is one of the hardest things for me to do, but I still try.

I did go through numerous drafts of trying to explain how to play Earthly Objects, as an audience member, but I was mainly just venting and maybe doing some thinking. I eventually decided not to publish it though bits of it have made it into other posts of mine over time. It's not like anyone has ever asked me how to play.

But anyway...sharing the information outside of Tumblr was an awkward learning experience. I at least took some of the reactions in mind with how I went about making my posts, even if it probably wouldn't help the readers in those places any better. The experience was, in fact, the cause of a massive hesitance to do this project on YouTube though not the main reason in the end.

Still, I wanted to have at least made the effort. You know how sometimes people make a post that goes, "Why didn't anybody tell me that..." something or other? I wanted have it on record, that yes, someone did tell you, or tried to, anyway.

Despite those issues, I did gain something from the process of making posts to try and share my findings with other people.

As a reminder, I did notice the Tied Hands are pocketed into Crowley's vest on the exit for the Heaven elevator.

When I made my GIF set for the Heaven entry and exit, I was very, very selective about which parts of the scenes I hoped could show that bigger threshold best or were most relevant to what is happening in the game.

And this cut right here, this cut showed me that Crowley's silhouette was eerily particular about how it looked with that door frame.

Something was going on with this thing. I lacked the simple explanation for how the Heaven elevator was tricked. I had always known even if I had never articulated it quite that way in my head or my posts. Crowley not touching the buttons is too easy of an explanation compared to the other two bigger thresholds.

Well, I still couldn't think of an answer.

The pockets thing was overwhelming.

I wanted a break.

I had long suspected that Crowley and Muriel knew each other in some earlier draft of the story. This suspicion came from things like Crowley saying, "Who's this now?" the first time he and Muriel encounter each other, and "You're forgetting about the bees." That's a reference to memory, and Muriel seems to possibly be an angel who has had their memory wiped at some point.

Muriel references Crowley by name and talks as if they encountered Gabriel in a scene from the story we never saw.

I noticed that Crowley and Muriel scenes had certain bookend traits. For instance, Muriel's first scene is followed by Crowley's entrance to the coffee shop. By now, we know that is The Perfect Entrance Trick.

So, I figured I could at least make a better log and see if those bookends amounted to anything.

Things did not bode well for my "break from pockets" idea when I realized that Muriel places their notepad in their pocket when they enter the elevator.

Obviously that alone on most viewings doesn't mean much, but now I knew The Pocket Trick existed with all of its monstrous complexities. And I knew that the Tied Hands were at least active during the end of this broad touch for a bigger threshold.

Oh shoot. That meant I had to watch things even more closely now that I got further confirmation that pockets are involved with...everything.

It looked like the Tied Hands might retie and the Belt Head might activate even before the exit.

I could not believe what I found with Muriel.

Part of why this project is so important to me is because of how amazing and special this finding was.

Muriel definitely has special bookends with Crowley. I could find only one scene of Muriel where a Crowley scene was not the front of the back bookend to it. That's when Muriel arrives on Earth and is the subject being seen by Mrs. Sandwich.

Crowley is in the front bookend to Muriel's only minisode scene.

But the Threshold Tricks.

My God, the Threshold Tricks.

We have mainly been focused on The Pocket Trick and The Door Trick the past couple of posts. As a reminder, there is also The Perfect Entrance Trick, The Bigger Thresholds Trick, The Sunglasses Trick, and The Window Trick.

These things matter for understanding the scale of this bookend connection.

Muriel's scenes bookend the Threshold Tricks.

Let me show you.

Here is Muriel's scene before the first Threshold Trick, which is The Perfect Entrance Trick.

...

Here is a Muriel scene before Triple Part 2, for the eventual Single, of The Sunglasses Trick:

...

Here is a Muriel scene after Single #3, for the eventual Triple, of The Sunglasses Trick:

...

Muriel is with Crowley and in the Triple of The Bigger Thresholds Trick.

...

Here is Muriel given focus briefly in the scene before the Single of The Pocket Trick:

..,

Here is Muriel in the scene for The Single of The Pocket Trick:

...

Here is the show reminding us Muriel is with the other angels for the scene after the Single of The Pocket Trick:

That means Muriel is pocketed into the last touch of The Pocket Trick.

We're up to 4 out of 6 Threshold Tricks by now, by the way.

...

Here is Muriel just before Triple Part 3, for the eventual Single, of The Sunglasses Trick, finishes:

...

Here is Muriel shortly after Double #2 for The Sunglasses Trick finished:

This part here is the only time Muriel is the one who bookends both sides of a Crowley scene. He tends to bookend Muriel's scenes on one side or both.

This places Muriel before The Door Trick.

Then The Window Trick happens. That way, Muriel does not fully bookend either of those Threshold Tricks.

Muriel is not on screen during these two Threshold Tricks happening in the Final Fifteen. We know they are in the area, and they stay off screen during these things.

Once The Window Trick is done, Muriel shows up on the back bookend.

In case you missed it, that means that Muriel pockets the Threshold Tricks because Muriel is the front bookend to the first of the group and the back bookend to the last of the group.

Crowley still manages to bookend both sides of Muriel's last scene because he gets that extra cut just before the credits start.

...

Now you have to have been following along or playing the long game to understand just how incredibly special that was.

Muriel has helped us so much in figuring out Crowley's play with key moments.

Muriel helped us figure out the short sideburns with the literal use of the word "human".

Muriel helped us figure out that Crowley shows reflections in his sunglasses when he wants to see something someone else is showing him.

Muriel helped us figure out that Crowley was possibly invisible in the elevator on the exit from Heaven.

Muriel has just been there helping us all along.

Muriel helped Crowley trick the Heaven elevator while misdirecting the audience into thinking Crowley is tricking Muriel.

I've taken this setup of these various scenes involving both characters to indicate that Crowley and Muriel have a deep trust in each other. They may have had a history as friends and/or mentor and student.

...

Other things I remarked on with my Bookend Buddies post was the boxes for Crowley and Muriel and that Muriel convinces Crowley to change his appearance. When he does, his tie is then pocketed into his newly manifested gray jacket.

Crowley knew Muriel's rank before Muriel ever gave it to him, based on the scenes we saw, and Muriel knew Crowley's name before we ever saw them given his name.

Sure, you can make guesses, and reasonable ones at that, for why these things happen, but the story still took the time and effort to put them there.

Crowley can know Muriel's rank because he's the Acting First-Order Archangel due to Gabriel's amnesia. The torch was passed to him, possibly by accident, when Crowley and Aziraphale performed the hiding miracle in episode 1. Hence, the special torch Overhead Light Crowley gets. Then learning the rank is a power Crowley has at least once he entered Heaven first.

Muriel can know Crowley's name because Saraqael does, and Saraqael provided it in any information given for Muriel's assignment on Earth.

If we still want something not so easily explained away, perhaps we lost the first draft of the story where these two really learned this information about each other, and it just stuck with them in their latent memories.

...

After that post, I broke down my work on the overall Earthly Objects game into a new set of posts. I made a post with a GIF dedicated to the Ground Zero cut of The Door Catch. I included some text describing the situation. The new Earthly Objects format was 3 posts, all linked to one main post.

In that main post, I acknowledged that this game tricked me into playing it. I'll go on about that here. This series of posts is named "Trickery" after all.

When I read other people's posts about the sideburns way back, I realize now that I recognized a game without those exact words in my head. This recognition was that of an invitation to play. I accepted that invitation without realizing it. All the pieces were in place to attract a player like me to begin with. You've got David Tennant as Crowley, for starters. Then you have a story with a lot of things that left me generally uneasy because I didn't know it, but I felt it, that what I just saw were games.

I just so happen to be a person who has the types of experiences useful into playing the games well enough to progress.

Then you give me an excuse to dig through videos and pictures of David Tennant as Crowley, thank you very much.

But the challenge is something that really impresses me about these games.

Like I said, I thought if it's that obvious, it can't be that hard. And then if it were that hard, I would just give up because I couldn't figure it out.

But that's not what happened.

The sideburns game wasn't all that hard, but in the process of playing it, I found the Earthly Objects game, and I found Earthly Objects just plain interesting enough to play that too.

Earthly Objects was challenging, and more challenging than the sideburns game, but I was still able to pass the challenges right up until figuring out a few things about The Pocket Trick, just enough to miss that one's core concept.

Then I initiated Round Two of the Threshold Tricks without realizing it.

Then the game was very, very hard, but it still wasn't so hard that I completely gave up on it. I had learned so much, and I could still progress in small increments.

If I had known the game was going to get so hard, I might not have played. But I really am glad I played. It is the most amazing game I have ever played. Granted, I'm biased because down in its core, this game is largely built around David Tennant being such a perfect Crowley.

Nonetheless, I was tricked. It really was that hard because pockets, but I didn't know any better, obviously.

...

I eventually made another Bookend Buddies post regarding Muriel since I picked up on a few more things.

I still didn't have the simple explanation for tricking the Heaven elevator, but I felt I was getting close. It had something to do with the threshold thinking Muriel was arresting Crowley.

I didn't have the exact words, but the ideas pointed in that direction.

I also believe I found that Muriel has a Pocket Frame during the exit for Heaven and that the Pocket Frame is "Angel Arms."

Here are my two best guesses for the possible Touch Point:

Oh, speaking of, you remember how I mentioned thumb tips are relevant to the mechanics of The Sunglasses Trick and The Pocket Trick?

Muriel's doing something with their right hand if you look very closely:

Muriel might actually be the source or cause for the light to go up over Crowley. And...when the light does go up, that's when The Bigger Thresholds Trick gets its rainbow.

I also got a clue about the "first" thing with Crowley even though I didn't have it solved.

Just as Crowley prioritizes being first in using the Heave elevator, Muriel prioritizes being last.

In fact, there is a general "last" pattern found with Muriel once you look.

~BEGIN BOOKEND BUDDIES PART 2 EXCERPT FOR "LAST~

During the entrance part of the Triple (using the Heaven elevator), Muriel follows Crowley both times. They follow him in. They follow him out. That makes sense. There is only two of them, and Crowley wants to be first.

But...

When it comes to the exit, Muriel is last in the sequence of Crowley, Saraqael, and Muriel on the trek toward the elevator. When the angels follow Crowley toward the bookshop, Muriel is last there too.

As already stated in the last post, they are also the one who closed the doors.

Here are some more "last" patterns found with Muriel:

In their second and third matchbox scenes, they are the last character introduced to the scene.

They imply their own rank is last with saying they did not know there was a rank down from theirs.

They have a back bookend scene to the last of the Singles that became the Triple of The Sunglasses Trick.

They are the assistant for the last part of The Bigger Thresholds Trick.

They are the assistant for the last part of The Pocket Trick.

Due to Muriel's presence in episode 6, they also are on the back bookend of these last parts of these Tricks.

Both The Bigger Thresholds Trick and The Pocket Trick are complex tricks because they take place over more than one episode. While Muriel could not be the assistant to the last complex Threshold Trick, The Sunglasses Trick, it is the one time they bookend a Crowley scene on both sides without being in it themselves, if one assumes Aziraphale's moment alone is still the argument scene that is and I am remembering things in general properly.

In the entire season, Muriel is the last character seen to open and close a door.

~END BOOKEND BUDDIES PART 2 EXCERPT FOR "LAST~

...

Well, so much for a "break form the pockets" on that adventure. It was fun adventure all the same. I really liked seeing the bookends form together that way.

...

Speaking of pockets, at a certain point with The Pocket Trick, I had mostly hit my limits.

I redid the introduction for The Pocket Trick and since I like that one, you'll see some of it here in this post; it's probably a little edited since I initially posted it.

~BEGIN THE POCKET TRICK BASICS INTRO PORTION~

The Pocket Trick is difficult to say the least. This Threshold Trick was almost certainly meant to be found last because, from my own experience, it snowballs into an increasing realization of its profound impact on a lot of what is happening in Good Omens 2.

It is the epitome of the saying, "Big things come in small packages," and that was assuredly intentional.

The Pocket Trick is a monster.

It is a gigantic, frustrating, infuriating, challenging monster.

But at least it has a sense of humor.

And it's insightful too.

I call it a "giant pain" most of the time.

The core concept is, "Think outside the pocket."

That phrase is more commonly understood as "Think outside the box," but this Trick is about pockets. We'll think outside the box and replace that word with "pocket".

Once we start to think outside the pocket, a lot of other things in this confusing Trick start to make sense. Specifically, it helps to understand the idea to pocket while pocketing and grasp that these touches are puzzles using assorted word play and imagination.

It takes time for various aspects of this Threshold Trick to truly sink in.

I eventually thought of that core concept because Crowley gets boxed in, like in a frame—a Pocket Frame, but not fully boxed in as part of the touches in the Trick. Reason being, it's like putting Crowley in a pocket. There are both words right there. Plus, there is a lot happening outside the pocket. In fact, there are so many things, when I first started to grasp how much this Trick entails, it felt like everything matters when it comes to the pockets. That realization was—and still is—overwhelming.

~END THE POCKET TRICK BASICS INTRO PORTION~

Something that was lost from my previously shared notes on The Pocket Trick and the above excerpt was that at one point, I described this Trick's effect as more like hitting you like a ton of bricks. A snowball effect is more apt, so that's why I eventually changed it.

As you can see, I eventually committed to believing I have the core concept right.

With my play for The Pocket Trick being so limited, I felt ready to return to working on my posts for Crowley's sideburns. I made a new main post, more assuredly naming the game as The Sideburns Scheme.

I eventually changed the name of the "angry lightning walk" to Storming Out and described it as a dual tutorial for both games. The answer to the question, "How else can I figure out how the sideburns work if I know the story is lying to me?" is that..."The answer is in the question." You can't, so you have to rely on that answer to progress further in the game.

For a few months, I focused on going over all of Crowley's scenes with the sideburns while acknowledging and sometimes playing Earthly Objects in between. I also put forth a theory that Crowley performed a Big Miracle we didn't see that his hidden by that sequence. This miracle put the Book of Life into the matchbox that is in Heaven. I think Muriel was heavily involved in whatever was truly hidden. I suspect whatever this event is also how Crowley earned the more saturated red streak in his hair.

During this time is around when I decided to start reading Discworld novels in a desperate attempt to improve my play.

I ended up redoing the individual posts for The Pocket Trick in between making those sideburns posts. When I reached the first such touch, something sort of crystallized for me that I had already hinted at in the sideburns series of posts: The Threshold Tricks have at least two rounds of play. When I set aside the time to go over The Pocket Trick again and discovered the Tied Hands, that was my initiating Round 2 without realizing it.

While I do think Crowley is visible to Mr. Arnold and Aziraphale during the music shop scene, I think he's supposed to be invisible to the door, for the threshold he is tricking, because you can't really see Crowley's reflection on the window pane itself.

Getting back to the sideburns post series, as I reached episode 5, closer to the episode's end, I did have one extra realization. It's one of my last bits of my progress in the Earthly Objects game.

Every Threshold Trick is linked to a ball invitation.

You may recall that I took note that Crowley has a lot of touches in the magic shop. As I was working on my sideburns posts, I noticed a certain cut that lingered on those who had been invited on camera for the ball invitations. I also noticed Mutt's spouse.

Then it clicked. Mutt's invitation was an invitation for him and his spouse. They are a couple who were planning to celebrate their anniversary this night. Their invitation is linked to The Door Trick. The Door Trick is actually two Tricks, a Threshold Trick and a Magic Trick. Mutt's invitation is actually two invitations, one for him and one for his spouse. Additionally, Crowley touches the door on his way into the location.

That meant that I had to look at the other five invitations to see if they linked to the other Tricks, and they did.

The Window Trick is a match to Mr. Arnold's ball invitation because of Crowley's touch on the window pane. While two Threshold Tricks are happening in this scene, neither is the findable match specifically for the ball invitation. The clue is in the dialogue, Crowley touching the window, and the mechanics in use making sure that he is still visible to Mr. Arnold for Mr. Arnold's ball invitation.

The Bigger Thresholds Trick is a match to Mrs. Cheng's ball invitation. The three thresholds are behind Aziraphale and Crowley though Heaven's is not active yet. There are traces of hints to the touches involved for the tricks.

For example, Crowley is touching Aziraphale, but he does not let go of the touch. Aziraphale does.

Shadows are relevant to the Triple, and Crowley's shadow is on Aziraphale. Also, Crowley is by an angel.

I can't find anyone switching lanes, but I can find Aziraphale switching their sides by his turning around. He did switch their sides on exit from the pub.

The Perfect Entrance Trick is a match to Justine's ball invitation because of the background humans. One is touching the actual same coffee shop door used. Others have visual touches with the other thresholds. There is a human at the door to the coffee shop who I definitely noticed. I eventually determined their Black and White had meaning, but I think I also sensed their relevance was something more...and this link for Justine's invitation to a Threshold Trick was it.

The Pocket Trick is a match to Nina's ball invitation. Crowley touches his left pants pocket, and this pants pocket touch is not part of the touches for The Pocket Trick itself. It notably uses Crowley's left hand and left pocket. Generally, his other present day pocket touches that are not in The Pocket Trick involve the right pants pocket or both pockets.

The Sunglasses Trick is a match to Crowley's special invitation to the bookshop instead of the meeting for his ball invitation. The main clue is that his invitation has the third of three special face touches he has with his sunglasses in his Earthly Objects play.

...

In the next post, we'll go over finding the simple explanation for the Heaven elevator.

The play is ridiculous and complex, but given how many months it took to get the answer, and what I'm trying to both preserve and show in this project, it makes sense to make a post about it.

We're nearly done for this series. (For reference: Trickery)

[daegutowns]

svt as brooklyn 99 characters

tags: b99 au, i am obsessed, i’ve been rewatching this series for the 600th time now, only 80% accurate, i stretched it a little bit

thank you to alice (koogyv on twt) for the amazing thread that i highly interacted with as inspiration. there are many similarities. i expanded upon it more.

this is my take: 

det. jake peralta 

hoshi 

“i wasn’t hurt that badly. the doctor said all my bleeding was internal. that’s where the blood’s supposed to be!” 

arguably, this is the best pairing made. he’s silly, hard-working, creative, and most of all -- he’s gunsta think about the turtles. even as a jokes-first seriousness-second type of person, jake is a thoughtful and caring person who would put himself down to save others. he’s sharp, perceptive, and great at deduction, but often discredits himself with his great delusion, playfulness, and childish nature. he’s a trendsetter and loves to joke around, and when he has a great thought, he’s going to put it into action. (“yeah, that’s right. i’m about to monologue, son.”) his favorite movie is die hard (hoshi as a shawol), is canonically broke (hoshi’s constant money loss due to him spoiling everything), and tries to annoy suspects into confessing their crimes. 

men can have duality. they can be serious and also put orange soda in their cereal. hoshi, as a Super Gemini™ knows all about it. he’s playful but knows when to be serious and takes his line of work very seriously. sure, he has some growing up to do and can immerse himself in a different role (horanghae <3) very easily, but he plays to his strengths and that of others with his determination and persistence. 

capt. raymond holt 

seungcheol  

“wait a minute. this isn’t the championship cummerbund. this is some common cummerbund. and, you’re not cheddar. you’re just some common bitch!” 

“this bitch? please. watch.” (to the dog, ‘some common bitch’) “shake… shake! psshh. idiot.” 

this is probably the most obvious and predictable choice after jake=hoshi. a born leader, full of wisdom, and no-nonsense… well, some nonsense is okay. captain holt is ambitious and looks after his squad with both care for their goals and their personalities. even though he may seem a little unapproachable or stoic, he’s actually a really funny and goofy guy. he laughs when he eats marshmallows (“a marshed mallow? don’t mind if i do.”) he’s very adamant about his passions (like john phillip sousa being the skrillrex of his day) and his a very consistent guy (ref. rock painting no. 367). he is sassy to the max and will tell you things exactly as he finds them. and he does NOT mess around when it comes to his dog. 

cheol, most of all, is the ultimate dog dad -- just like holt. cheddar is to holt like kkuma is to cheol. he spoils his dog, and he is proud of it. he’s someone who caters to the learning style that each person needs: stricter but with jokes for jake (hoshi), encouraging for rosa (woozi), detailed with a binder and written formalities for amy (seungkwan), and with actions (ref. the croque monsieur) for charles (dk). he’s attentive, thoughful, and silly at heart. 

det. amy santiago 

seungkwan  

“gross, rosa! those are our dads! i mean, that’s not what i think. captain dad is just my boss. never mind, i’m teaching father the math. whatever, rosa!” 

super badass, but also a teacher’s pet, know it all, and scrapbooking expert. may come off as super uptight or a buzzkill, but genuinely cares about the other detectives on the squad. when you have hella big aspirations, it’s not that unreasonable to see why competitiveness, sharpness, and intellect are his best traits. under all of the work-oriented personality, there’s someone who is ambitious, thoughtful, clever, and protective of the people he loves. it’s hard to not be so uptight and to let loose (as opposed to some totally scheduled fun!), and don’t make fun of him if he sucks and is horrible at it. (title of his sex tape.) 

seungkwan was my top choice, mainly because of his competitiveness with hoshi (jake) as svt’s most famous frenemy pair. there’s a lot of responsibility and workload that seungkwan carries and continues to put on his shoulders, which his members love and appreciate (just how the squad appreciates and acknowledges amy’s dedication to being a detective). things can get wild and crazy sometimes, which is why seungkwan just needs to recharge sometimes. 

det. charles boyle 

dokyeom 

“i got this low tag performance polo with moisture wicking technology. kept me dry all morning. and a dry boy is a smart boy.” 

if you’re looking for a supportive best friend who will always cheer you on, this is him. he’s a major foodie, he loves jake (hoshi), and his arch nemesis is sergeant peanut butter, who is a horse. he’s possessive and jealous almost as much as he is a superb friend, which is obvious by the way he instantly is suspicious of every other best friend jake (hoshi) can make in his life. (“don’t make any new best friends! haha… maybe you shouldn’t go…”) he gets jealous of many, like old beat cop partner stevie schillens, brian (?) from camp, and even cannibal jail cellmate caleb. also definitely dresses up as people from halloween that no one but him can understand. he is just someone that is the embodiment of living life according to his passions. very caring, thoughtful, and funny. 

dk was a good choice for boyle for me since he is super clingy and also is a supportive friend. even if he knows it’s silly or mischievous, he will play along. dk is relatively less prone to disgusting and gross sexual innuendos than charles, but is still super excited to share his jokes and hobbies. has a lot of holiday cheer and his down to be friends even after being turned down. 

det. rosa diaz 

woozi 

“plans are plans. i’m a badass, not an anarchist.” 

mysterious, a little scary, but reasonable and thoughtful. rosa is a character that’s easy to stereotype, though also arguably one of the more complex characters in this show. hard working is an understatement, and even though he may not be the most outwardly affectionate at first glance, rosa is super thoughtful. work comes first, but through the many trials and tribulations that life throws, business remains separate from personal… except the friendships. rosa went through the academy with jake (hoshi), so they’re really close. as much as jake jokes around and everything, they still trust each other and work with each other really well. (“diaz has been chuckin’ d-holes into my mouth since the academy.”) on top of that, is a bicon (bi icon). 

woozi was my go-to choice on this one. his demeaner seems a little intimidating (especially because of all his muscles now too!), but he means good. he gives off mysterious vibes, but he’s just figuring it out. now he is truly no-nonsense, and he makes sure others know this. he’s still down for the different personas and everything, but he lives his life by a strict set of rules. his neighbors think he’s emily goldfinch (woozi)… his coworkers think his name is rosa diaz (wooahae)… wait. what? 

sgt. terry jeffords 

mingyu  

“terry loves yogurt.” 

literally just a big softie that looks scary/big/muscular but is actually so babygirl. he’s so caring and loves the squad to death, always making sure that they have all the resources they need to survive. even when other captains come and go, terry is always there. terry loves yogurt, terry loves love, and terry loves foreign films.  kind of has a rivalry with boyle (dk) for strange reasons instigated by boyle himself, but is supportive nonetheless. (“hey, people like the way i look.” “sure they do, big guy.) he’s actually very well-educated (studied abroad in japan), is a great dad, and is always down to help others work out the right way.

this was such an obvious choice for me (with the only other option being cheol). mingyu is an inherently kindhearted person like terry, but also knows how to draw boundaries. he is someone who is worried about the safety of the people around him because he’s a family man, but also someone who loves to get down as vacation terry. also talks in the third person, but it’s okay since he’s hot. 

gina linetti 

myungho  

“aren’t you forgetting something?” [...] “no! pay your bill! damn, who raised you?” 

the human form of the 100 emoji. would be the perfect human president, based upon his skillset, dance ability, and bloodlust. he is the paris of people. has been jake (hoshi)’s childhood friend and went through high school with him. cares enough to steer jake (hoshi) on the right track (ref. brandon bliss) but to also enable him in their own goofy shenanigans (the DDC + the lacroix siblings). super smart and well-versed in the people around him because only gina would suggest savant (vernon), the hacker, to become their new IT guy. iconic entrepreneur. 

i know that hao is super humble, and gina says that being humble is her best trait. despite this, there is no one else who would love to not be involved with all this police nonsense (bc gina “does not listen to a lot of things you all [the detectives] say”) but also be relevant. she’s actually very street-smart, great at comebacks, and the ceo of her own company that she literally just made up. 

dr. kevin cozner 

wonwoo  

“that’s the oompiest oomph you’ll get.” 

prim, proper, and unhinged. he loves raymond (cheol) but most of all, allows love to prevail. works as a classics professor at a university, spends a sabbatical in france to enrich his teaching experience, and loves a good croque monsieur. would absolutely go off on jake (hoshi) if he gatekept a nicolas cage movie that's a period piece set in greece based on some dumb book. despite his no-nonsense attitude sometimes, he is still down to dress like a pervert to go to the library with jake (hoshi). also, super badass because he runs over seamus murphy with a car. 

i was kind of going for wonwoo’s quieter but more serious and studious vibes. i think super knowledgeable, especially about gaming and editing, while kevin is knowledgeable about classics like boetheus and the odyssey. both are super smart, sassy, and protective people. 

doug judy 

jeonghan 

“i sold a guy a fake pekinese. twas a cat.” 

he’s in and he’s out! he is there for the vibes and the elaborate schemes. he will outsmart everyone in the NYPD and get away with it. (many, many times.) one of jake (hoshi)’s best criminal friends but would still betray him every time. he would definitely lie and tell his family that he owns an architecture firm instead of being the pontiac bandit, and jake (hoshi) is his assistant mangy carl, whom he saved from a life of living on the streets selling his body. goofy and silly, but don’t underestimate him. you’ll always be one step behind him. 

i think jeonghan is definitely slick and goofy enough to be doug judy. above all else, jeonghan’s mind works harder than anyone else in mafia. just like how he immerses himself in different roles (and often makes them up) in don’t lie and bad clue, doug judy has transformed into many different roles in his life (cruise ship singer, architect, etc.) 

capt. jason stentley (CJ) 

jun 

“okay muchachos, let’s roll up on these muchachos!” 

great start, and love the double use of muchachos, jun. became a captain due to his extreme luck. he is just always in the right place at the right time. showed up to his first day in grey sweatpants because he “totally biffed it” and spilled hot cocoa on himself. introduced himself as ‘captain stentley’ but didn’t like how formal that sounded. ‘captain jason’ wasn’t it either, so CJ was the move. numbers are so crazy, and overall so, very supportive. he just wants to help. 

i was just thinking of someone a little silly and laidback. will be strict if you ask him to, but he’s honestly more there for the vibes. he can be a little clumsy, but i was mainly just going for the slightly airheadedness vibes and the lovable nature. 

det. adrian pimento

joshua 

“whoo… haha… hey chuck! it’s pimento.” 

just a little bit insane. it’s a side effect of being undercover for 12 years for jimmy “the butcher” figgis, but i digress. he sometimes still calls himself paul sneed due to being extremely traumatized. overall just a funny and great character. used to be boyle (dk)’s roommate and just found himself in his son’s closet at some point in time… got mistaken as a closet monster… just normal human things. (but he was also screaming with dk and his son.) has a very riveting, intense, and sexy relationship with rosa (woozi). 

this one was a little more of a stretch, but only because pimento is actually insane. all the years of ptsd has made him into a very strange person. josh is a little strange, and maybe he could be pimento if pimento was watered down into a lacroix. (like, the flavor is barely there.) there’s a distinct slight insanity that josh has (ref. gose episode the8 and the 12 shadows) that is hard to replicate. 

fire marshal boone  

dino  

“your only move is passing the ball to jeffords and running across the field.” “i’d like to see you try!” 

so done with the entire police department. will always be down for a rivalry or argument but genuinely a softie. just generally suspicious of jake (hoshi) and charles (dk) due to their antics and strong adherence to the rivalry. demands an apology because this is the fire department’s jurisdiction! all of that comes crumbling down though, when jake (hoshi) reveals his sad past with sal’s pizza…. but he still competes with jake (hoshi) on arresting the criminal in the end. some things never change.

i was honestly looking for someone who would love nothing more than to call out hoshi and dk on their BS and tomfoolery without enabling it and thought of dino. boone is a pretty lovable character for someone who is supposed to be a villain of some sorts, and it fits in pretty well with dino. plus, he’s the head of the fire department, kind of like how dino had to choose being the maknae of svt versus being the leader of a younger group. (kind of.) 

! vernon

okay i was genuinely very torn about who should be vernon, because i genuinely had a lot of different options. 

corey park (savant) 

hacked into a police precinct’s computer system just because he could. (he only exposed everyone’s search history.)  “it was like taking candy from a baby.” he was turned in by his mom, but fortunately now has a job -- courtesy of gina (hao). very intelligent and laid back

i saw vernon here because he definitely has a mischievous side. while his pranks and jokes are on the mild side, he’s definitely still a troublemaker. he’s down to work for the greater good. 

cheddar the dog  

“this isn’t cheddar, this is just some common bitch.” a very special someone. definitely is seungcheol and wonwoo’s child. loves wedding cake and is very well-behaved. extremely intelligent and loves participating in halloween heists. does not like being jake (hoshi)’s dog bra :// 

this was based on alice’s thread and was so funny. if cheddar were a human, vernon would be cheddar. the sass and intellect can only be matched by Thee hansol vernon chwe. 

other fun character pairings that i thought of: 

kkuma as cheddar the dog: two words -- so spoiled. also would be cheol (captain holt)’s baby. i digress. 

jun & dino as young hitchcock and scully: just two people motivated by helping the city. kind-hearted and brave people, who may or may not have gotten addicted to wing sluts while checking in on a witness that their captain screwed over by not putting in the witness protection program. outstanding people who became a lot more interesting, to say the least…. 

josh as madeline wuntsch: strangely tense relations with holt (cheol) due to their rivalry, but overall an outstanding cop. ½ of svt’s evil twins so you know he’s down for some evilness. oh raymond, i notice you haven’t done your time as a beat cop…. (if josh is here, who’s guarding hades???) may be a cheuksin, a korean toilet ghost who--

jun as mlepclaynos (the clay is silent): opens the door, is questioned by detectives, takes the picture of the suspect. he’s from neokrakagovia and celebrates dogs losing their virginity. jun definitely would! less because he’s weird and more so because he’s so kind and willing to go with the flow that it just happens. later says he’s not mlepnos. did you sell him horse blood? would you like to buy horse blood? he plays the violin beautifully. “guitar.” (ref. some day morning)

[dailydeathinparadise]

The Death in Paradise franchise is coming to Australia with an original, home grown spinoff series, Return to Paradise, coming to ABC in 2024. The series is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC, who will screen the series on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK. Return to Paradise combines the DNA of the original global smash hit murder mystery series, with a new, unique Australian take.

Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove, Return to Paradise is six gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.

Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke is the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force – with an intuitive approach to detective work, she has built a reputation for being able to crack the most impossible of cases. However, she’s suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove, a beautiful, coastal paradise... and Mackenzie’s worst nightmare.

Having escaped her hometown at the earliest opportunity six years ago, Mack vowed she'd never come back, leaving a lot of unfinished business and unanswered questions. On her return she’s still no fan of the town, and the people of Dolphin Cove are certainly no fans of hers. In fact everyone would prefer her not to be there, including Mackenzie herself.

But when a murder takes place in Dolphin Cove, Mack can’t help but put her inspired detective brilliance to good use and determines, despite her reservations, that she needs to make the best of it, including tying up the loose ends with the man she left at the altar six years ago.

Created and Executive Produced by Peter Mattessi, James Hall and Robert Thorogood, Return to Paradise features a crack Australian writing team led by Mattessi alongside Elizabeth Coleman, Alexandra Collier and Kodie Bedford.

ABC Head of Screen Rachel Okine says; “We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios Productions Australia and Red Planet Pictures to bring a unique Australian sensibility to this beloved franchise. Return to Paradise promises to be whip smart, intriguing and entertaining - audiences of all ages are invited to play along to figure out whodunit, all while feeling as if they’ve been transported to the perfect summer holiday”.

Kylie Washington, General Manager and Creative Director, BBC Studios Productions Australia says; “Like audiences around the world, Aussies love a good crime series, they’re addictive and bring in audiences week after week. Death in Paradise is a bona fide hit so I’m excited to work with ABC and Red Planet Pictures to expand this world even further. Return to Paradise will introduce audiences to entirely new Australian characters, settings and cases for the team to crack, but with an unsettling amount of murders for a small community guaranteed. This is the second local drama from BBC Studios Productions Australia and is an exciting step as we build our premium scripted business in Australia under Warren Clarke, working with an all Australian creative team.”

Alex Jones, Joint-MD of Red Planet Pictures said: “We are so proud of the global success of both Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise – each selling to hundreds of territories, watched by millions, and regularly claiming the position of top rated drama in most of them. Return to Paradise is a brilliantly exciting new addition to ‘The Paraverse’ which we are sure audiences will love just as much. It is a completely original drama but takes the essence of what viewers love about Death in Paradise – the fish out of water premise coupled with the most cleverly plotted murder mystery – and gives it a uniquely Aussie flavour. We are also thrilled to already have BBC One and iPlayer in the UK on board as broadcast partners for the show which means that us Brits will be sure to get to meet Mackenzie and the residents of Dolphin Cove in 2024!”

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “Everything we all love about Death in Paradise - the humour, the beautiful scenery, the likeable characters, the ingenious plots - now in a fabulous Australian setting. I cannot wait for BBC viewers to be introduced to Detective Mack and the good (and not so good!) folk of Dolphin Cove. What a treat we have in store!"

Return to Paradise will air on ABC and ABC i-view next year and will be shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. It will be distributed globally by BBC Studios.

Production Credits: BBC Studios Productions Australia, Red Planet Pictures. Produced for the ABC in association with the BBC. Executive Producers for BBC Studios Productions Australia are Kylie Washington and Warren Clarke, for Red Planet Pictures are Belinda Campbell and Tim Key and for ABC are Rachel Okine and Brett Sleigh.

[chaosteddybear]

agape 1, 2, 3 & philautia 4, 5!!

Aw thank you for asking!! For Mix --

Agape 1: Does your OC wish to make the world a better place? How far do they see that as being their responsibility? What lengths would they go to in order to help achieve this?

Absolutely. He wants the world to be safer. He wants people to resolve their differences with words and logic and dialog, even arguments. He wants his loved ones - in particular - to be able to enjoy themselves without watching their backs...

And he does see this as his responsibility. If not him, who? "Clearly not the queen, not anymore." He's a bit full of himself that way. He sees other people and their motivations and wonders if they'll even do a good job. No, he must get involved! But, he must not leave his pack behind as he does...

I suppose in terms of the lengths he would go to, I'd have to say all of them. Depending on the risk and the reward. He would absolutely sacrifice himself to keep his pack safe, to keep the world safe for them. But if he thinks they'll be less safe in the long run without him, he won't do it.

Agape 2: Does your OC feel a spiritual connection to the world around them? Do they have a particular love for nature or living things?

ABSOLUTELY. Mix fucking loves nature. He clears his head and balances himself by going out and spending time in it, as a matter of fact. The mountain, the beach, the lake, the jungle - he loves them all (but his favorite is the mountain). He also has a level in shifter. He doesn't use his animal form to do useful things, just to get in touch with himself and allow himself some extra freedom, so it's just one level.

Agape 3: To what extent does your OC believe in the value (or even existence) of true altruism? Do they see an unselfish concern for the welfare of others as being naïve or foolish? Or as a moral quality to which people should aspire?

Oh. Oh. Oh. Absolutely. It's who he is. It's his purpose. To be useful. To accept nothing back. He doesn't see it as naive at all, though he does ask himself sometimes. Yea, sometimes he wishes there were more people like him out there.

However, he does not expect this from anyone else he loves. But it does leave him disappointed in deserting soldiers.. Failing ones... "If your job is to keep them safe, you better fucking do it". When they end up being more of a danger to those they're sworn to protect? Mix sees them as the enemy and will treat them as such. That's not altruism and must be squashed.

Philautia 4: Which of your OC's qualities makes them the most proud? Do they think more people should be like them in this regard? Or do they quite like being rare in possessing it?

He is really proud of how driven and determined he is. There's nothing - in his mind - that he can't do. He's clever. He will find creative solutions to weird problems. He will figure out how to use that weapon. He will see the threat before it reveals itself fully.

He does not like being rare in possessing it. While missing this quality can be a strong reason he admires somebody and wants to protect them, a deeper love comes from others who would rather be by his side.

Philautia 5: Has your OC always had the same opinion of themselves or has this changed over time? Have they learned to love themselves - perhaps with the help of others - as their journey progressed? Or have the consequences of their actions only served to erode their sense of self-worth?

YES. At first his guilt eroded his ego a lot. He had to walk the line of thinking the world of himself, but also the regret and hating himself for not being there. He wanted to help from the shadows. No praise, just help. Praise made him uncomfortable because he never felt he deserved it, even when he knew he did... If that makes sense?

He learned to accept the light - which he had been really shy about at first. He loves bringing people hope of course, and killing those that threaten his pack. But the awe people respond with? The worship? "No thank you."

However, he got used to it. Eventually, he even learned to love it. I almost cried when he danced around in his little halo for the first time!!! He likes to feel pretty and be loved. Who knew?

He grows in so many other ways between eras too. From Rambling to Pack eras, he learns that there's something to live for, and that he can make amends by being better next time. Which becomes his drive for a while.

The ask

[urwendii]

🧡🎃🕷 inspired by a fun conversation with @cilil and @a-world-of-whimsy-5 on our Discord server based on this spider night light robot

Mairon is bored and decides to prank Melkor. What can go wrong.

In retrospect Mairon should have known it was bound to end badly, he had been by his Master's side for long years now, had witnessed his rises and falls and seen the scars of the Silmarils left on his spirit. Melkor, in recent days, was not someone to casually challenge or taunt without fearing any sort of retribution.

Still, Mairon was a craftsman, an inventor, and someone who simply had to do what he wished to do when the ideas arise. Maybe it was because he had been bored lately, there was not much to do during the Siege except sending your usual Orcs company and watch them being slaughtered from the top of the parapet. The entertainment was turning dull though and after watching some nameless Noldo flip the finger at him from his perch and turning the offending asshole into a charred spot on the ground, even that did not provide any sort of relief for his increasing boredom. And as a few Angband courtiers had long realised, a bored Lieutenant never bode well for anyone.

So it turned out that he — after ignoring the sour mood of his lover and retreating to his study — Mairon had an idea in which to channel his sudden burst of creativity. And perhaps Melkor should not have told him off earlier, and perhaps Mairon should been used to the swinging moods of the Vala but really he was simply taken by inspiration — and a slight penchant for pranks he might have kept from his time spent in friendship with Ossë, long ago.

And so once he was done working on it and gushing about his cleverness and genius — and having two Orcs repeat these same words exactly to him (the satisfaction of a well done job was the sweetest when covered with praises. Even if he had to force them out of his armies lately.) — he climbed back to the top floor where he and Melkor shared living quarters, to set things in motion.

The small contraption was made of dark metal and carefully woven limbs spanning the opposite sides of its round body. 8 legs, each articulated and built for great speed as well as flexibility to climb on various surface. A cubic luminous shape sat upon it, its golden halo gentle and warm — unlike the blazing cursed light of those stupid jewels his lover was so enamoured with (no Mairon did not want to discuss this particular topic.)

It was really a glorious creation, a light spider. He chuckled in amusement at how it was the opposite of Ungoliant and her unlight even if the shape of his creation bore the same likeness, albeit on a far smaller scale.

The thing was, Mairon had wanted to prank Melkor out of boredom and humour. What he had forgotten to take into account was the Vala's newfound hatred and fear of spiders (not that he would dare say this to his lover's face. Melkor and fear were a touchy subject. Well, one of many).

And so when the high pitch shrill came from his room followed by a loud banging noise, more screams and what definitely sound like broken furniture, Mairon knew he had to think fast.

The room had been trashed into ruins while Melkor swing Grond around with a panicked wild flash in his eyes and the poor spider was tucked on top of the huge wardrobe that took half the space of the northern wall.

"Mairon! Kill this thing!!"

He really did not want, the little thing was very cute with her own luminous body but one shattered window later and Melkor was now using ice to attempt to freeze the poor thing. And failing miserably at proper aiming. And by the 4th attempt of Mairon trying to coax the small thing to him to remove it safely to his study and then forced to realise it had now grew sentient (yes well he was proud of this too) and seemed determine to persecute his lover by chasing him down the hallway, Gothmog and another Valarauka had offered their help. Delicateness was not a balrog trait and by the end of the struggle — weeks later, half of the living quarters of Anbgand had been laid to waste.

Less to say that — extensive material damage aside— Mairon was not surprised at all when he was later sent to retake Tol Sirion by himself.

Still. It had been worth it.

[fallowtail]

knowing i provide nothing of value and have nothing special i can provide people and nothing interesting or fun or smart or clever to say ever, and am not knowledgeable about anything, not smart, not educated, i can't write or draw or create anything or hype people up or help them in a way that matters, and just continuously provide nothing of any merit to give me any worth of my own right...the only thing i'm good for is giving other people a spring board to jump off of or bringing other people together so they can be creative and successful and have fun and be smart while i sit in the background being completely pathetic and useless. god. i am such an npc who just exists to point the player characters in the right direction and i need to stop pretending i was ever meant to be anything else lol. this is the only thing i ever get complimented on and it sucks so fucking bad. like i'm supposed to be proud that my only character trait is being a stepstool, to be the hype man, the guy who has nothing of inherent value about themselves, who only functions to cheer everyone who is better than them on. i know it's a vital function to society but why does it have to be me!! this isn't something that "getting help" (major airquotes bc i do not believe anything can help me tbh) can fix bc its an inherent character flaw, and inherent lack of purpose and worth and no amount of "positive thinking" is going to be able to fix that. some of us are just worthless little bugs under the rock who are important to society because we feed the bigger bugs but otherwise we're nothing lol.