#she does TECHNICALLY have a modern verse - but not like a one outside that-

[silvertiefling]

KATYA - MODERN AU

Replace all the jean shorts with like, cargo shorts tho, because anything tight is the ENEMY. But basically it would be a lot of black, lot of baggy tops (probably lots of holes), things with pockets, very few accessories (besides bandages from her latest pub fight).

[phinkslave]

Hi, since you said you're down to write some Kakanaru stuff here's my idea and plots. Obviously you can just write the stuff you're comfortable with writing about.

AU: modern (Top possessive Kakashi x bottom golden retriever innocent Naruto). Kakashi-centric/ Kakashi POV

Pairing: Kakashi(35 yrs old)/ Naruto(aged up-20 years old), Shikamaru/ Temari (mentioned), Obito/Rin (mentioned, married and have kids), etc.

Tags (i guess?): smutty, angst with fluff happy ending

Rating: Explicit (D/S undertones. Pet names/Praise kink)

Background: Kakashi is a detective and Naruto is a college student (occupation is mentioned for details). They met at a chess club that Shikamaru dragged Naruto to (they're besties) and Kakashi over heard Naruto complaning about getting rejected by Sakura, but somehow the fact Naruto's bi slips (just to introduce that he likes dudes) during the convo and Kakashi took interests in Naru because he likes how Naru looks, and the fact that he could potentially pursue Naru due to the fact that he likes guys. After that he kept going back to the chess club to stalk on Naru, then eventually pretends to bump into Naruto and the rest is history.

Plot: Kashi gets to know Naru more and meet up outside of chess club, and he started tutoring Naru on some of the subjects Naru gets stuck on at uni, only to discover that Naru is pretty smart but just doesn't care much about his future. He only acts silly because he's a golden retriever but ppl think he stupid. (kakashi also discovers that Naru is rich because he inherited a big company from his dead parents) - Iruka takes care of the company until Naru is good enough to be CEO (which he technically is because he's 20).

On Naru part - Naru gets rejected by Sakura and she's kind of a toxic girl because not only does she take advantage of Naruto but she also leads Naru on whenever she misses her crush (Sasuke- who is Naruto's close friend, they're on good terms in this one). Sasuke is in the friend group (sasuke, neji, choji, ino, Hinata, shikamaru, shino, etc - except Sakura cus she toxic) . And Naru would submit to Sakura's asks like taking her to places and get her stuff to please her. Which Shikamaru would disapprove of and he'd try to protect Naru.

Kakashi has commitment issues and even tho he took interests first in Naruto but he didn't want to commit because he failed multiple relationships in the past due to his nonchalant nature. Which is where the angst comes from because Naru would get mixed signals from Kashi.

Naru desperately wants to date Kashi but to Kashi Naru is just a FWB, but Kashi wants to keep Naru on a hook because he's also obsessed with Naruto and wants to keep Naru to himself. But he's a hypocrite because he's very protective of Naruto and would mock/ uses sarcasm towards Sakura when he smells her taking advantage of Naruto, or anyone who takes interests in Naru.

Naru is a golden retriever and a people pleaser so he kept thinking Kakashi doesn't commit to him because he's not good enough for him. Naru always thinks there's something wrong with him because he's insecure and doesn't think he's good enough.

Also Hinata has a crush on Naruto but only Kakashi notices it and because he's possessive he would get super jealous.

The story goes on about Naru pleasing Kashi by doing whatever Kashi says but never asks anything back. It's angsty until Kashi notices he's been selfish (unintentionally - because Kashi is pretty sweet, just easily jealous/possesive) and he also realized he fell in love with Naruto. Kashi couldn't handle his feelings so he avoided Naru for a while. But eventually Kashi confesses his feelings with Naruto after Shika came to Kashi and confronted him.

In this verse Obito and Rin are Kashi's best friends growing up. His past relationships are described as him just not caring about the other person and a workaholic/nonchalant and unexpressive. Obito is the one who has to keep dragging Kashi out of work. Yamato is Kashi's coworker for more background information.

Physical Description: pretty much like the show where whiskered blondie Naruto is muscular and stronk and Kakashi is also as ripped. Only difference is Naru has slightly longer hair and wears glasses cus he looks hot with it haha.

Explicit stuff: Half a Virgin Naruto (he got a bj at some point by a girl when he was younger but that's it). Kakashi is dommy and he took Naruto's virginity. Naruto has never dated or been with anyone before.

Kakashi discovers that Naruto has a thing for praises and pet names (baby, good boy). Naru calls Kashi "sensei" in the bedroom sometimes when he slips up and Kashi's feral with it. (Basically theme 1,4,5,6,12,14 in your list on how the sex goes)

P/S: I'm sorry it got too long (I got specific cus I never do such a request so I'm just trying to not be vague about it). I don't know if too specific requests/ description bothers writer so if it does I'm sorry :(( Thanks for reading till the end!

The Chess Club Encounter

okay, i’m ngl this was soo fun to write but also so far the hardest thing ever. i genuinely hope you like this cuz it was a lot to take in and i just hope i did it up to your standards or up to at least something you expected. I wasn’t comfortable writing the smut part for kakashi and naruto but i implied it at the end so i hope you enjoy. 💞

Warnings: language, implied smut, talk about oral sex, angst, happy ending

BRO THIS WAS SO HARD???????????? LIKE I KNOW I DIDNT EVEN DO IT RIGHT AND IM SO SORRY I TRULY DIDNT WANNA LET YOU DOWN.

Kakashi Hatake. He was leaning against the doorway of Konoha universities chess club, his sharp eye observing the room. He was watching the chess match, but to be honest to himself, that wasn’t the reason he was there. What had really brought him here was a golden-haired, blue-eyed young man who had caught his interest.

__________________________________________

Naruto didn’t know how he found himself to be in a classroom, playing chess with shikimaru. His fellow college student dragging him to the club. They sat across from each other, having some idle talk. Kakashi strained to listen, catching snippets of the conversation. At some points they were talking about chakra, when all of a sudden Naruto spoke up, and with his next sentence his expression being a little gloomy.

A loud sigh left naruto as he began, “Bro, she really rejected me again,” Naruto looking dejected. “I really thought that maybe this time…it’d be somewhat different ya know.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Sakura’s not worth it, Naruto. I don’t know why your so stuck on her. She’s genuinely such a drag. I don’t get why you keep trying. Go for a girl with some decency, like hinata for example.”

Naruto’s face flushed. “I know, but it’s hard, you know? I mean, I like girls and guys, so if we talk about it in that sense, i could have anyone….. but…even so. ”

__________________________________________

Kakashi’s interest piqued. Naruto was bi? since when? for how long? Kakashis mind was racing. His hope just grew ten times. Maybe he did have a chance. This information was pretty new to kakashi. Nevertheless he was hopeful. He continued to frequent the chess club, watching from afar. Using his detective skills to always listen in on his conversations without actually having to approach the two boys. Constantly trying to find the right moment to approach Naruto.

__________________________________________

After a few weeks have gone by of kakashi finding out about naruto’s sexuality. He decided it was time to make his move. He would really weird himself out if he continued to just stalk the young man. Using the weeks he calculated naruto as thoroughly as he could using his detective skills. Knowing the little details like how on tuesdays he leaves at 6pm and how thursdays he doesn’t show up. Though, on friday, he planned to exit the same time naruto did. Planning to ‘accidentally’ run into him as they both left the clubs classroom.

__________________________________________

“Sorry about that,” Kakashi said, his tone casual yet calculated, giving the back of his head a scratch with a closed eye smile. “Naruto? I’m surprised to see you out here.”

Naruto blinked up at him, “surprised? i’m not a dumb kid anymore sensei! … Also just because i’m in the chess club, it doesn’t make me smart.” He crossed his arms, gruffly finishing his sentence.

Kakashi chuckled. “Easy Uzumaki. I’m just joking. Though, how have you been, it’s been so long. I like the long hair for a change.”

They started talking, finding common ground easily. Kakashi did used to be his sensei, he knew naruto’s interests. making it easy for him to keep a conversation going. Though it has been a while, kakashi was happy to have learned about his university subjects.

__________________________________________

“Yeah so my chakra control class. Sometimes kurama can be annoying and it’s hard to not flip out ya know. Sauske has been tryna help, but he just can’t explain right sometime.”

Kakashi had to take his chance.

“If you’d like Naruto, i could help you train.” It was risky, as it’s been so long but why would he say no?

“hm? Really kakashi sensei? I don’t wanna be a bot-“

“No no, not at all, really I insist.

“Alright then!”

__________________________________________

Ever since that one interaction, Kakashi and Naruto’s meetings became more frequent, ranging from not only meeting at the chess club, but also universities training grounds, library and even the local ichiraku ramen spots, sometimes not even to study. It would just be a hangout or even just to have dinner together. Kakashi tutored Naruto in various subjects, noticing that Naruto is much smarter then he’s been given credit for. He had the potential of a genius, he just lacked due to laziness.

“You’re actually pretty brilliant, Naruto,” Kakashi said during one of their sessions. “Why don’t you try like this often? If i’m being honest, you dont even need my help.”

Naruto shrugged. “I don’t know…guess I just don’t see the point sometimes. Everyone looks at me, they all expect me to take over the company mom and dad left behind. Though to be completely honest with you sensei…I don’t know if that’s what i want yet.”

Kakashi was intrigued. Sure a company could be a lot of work, but the pay would be great. Not only that, it’s way better compared to any little lousy job the village provides. Naruto was quite wealthy nonetheless, Iruka managing the company until Naruto was ready, constantly making sure Naruto still gets his share of money to be able to stabilize his life. This just made kakashi yearn for naruto’s love more. Showing how great naruto is. He doesn’t care about money or things like that, he just wants himself to be happy with who he ends up being.

__________________________________________

Kakashi is a patient person. Not only that, but it also takes a lot to get under his skin. One simple thing that makes his blood boil….Saukra. Naruto’s interactions with Sakura frustrated Kakashi. Saukra was a toxic girl. It was so clear to everyone as well, so why was Naruto so blinded?? Using Naruto whenever it suited only her. He has never seen someone as selfish as her. Well, sure he has as he’s gone against mainly evil people, but at least they openly admit to their wrong actions. Sakura acts like a little oblivious girl to naruto whenever she is in need. Constantly leading him on, giving him false home, asking for money. Kakashi would catch himself constantly overhearing her making demands, demands that Naruto would always be quick to comply with. Much to Shikamaru’s disapproval.

__________________________________________

Kakashi and Naruto were getting ready to leave a quick study session. They were walking in silence, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. It was somewhat a comforting one. Kakashi couldn’t hold back his thoughts. His mind still stuck on the way Naruto lets sakura treat him. He knows he’s smarter than that, he knows that naruto knows he’s being used. “You know, Naruto, you deserve better than how she treats you.”

Naruto looked down. “What are you talkin about?”

“Why do you constantly feel the need to keep her happy? You know deep down how bad of a person she is.”

Naruto made a frustrated expression, “Kakashi sensei, with all due respect, i want to hit you for what you just said…..but I know. I know what she’s doing, she thinks she’s slick. All I just want is to make sure she’s her happy….if she’s happy, then that’s all that matters.”

Kakashi was taken back just a bit by his sudden threat, but he ignored it. “It’s not your job to please everyone, Naruto,” Kakashi said, his tone softening, giving a light chuckle, “Sure you can write literally save the entire world, but when it comes to happiness, not everyone can be happy. Keep her happy, i’m not saying don’t, but not at the cost of your own happiness.”

naruto squinted his eyes at kakashi, arms resting on the top of his head. “Geez kakashi you really are such a mentor.”

_________________________________________________

Despite kakashi being glad at his growing closeness to naruto, he felt like he struggled with his own issues. Issues like commitment. He generally likes Naruto, more than he cared to admit, but that wouldn’t be fair to all his past relationships. All of them failing due to his nonchalant nature. He couldn’t help but sometimes be so emotionless. Even though he felt different with Naruto, he didn’t want to hurt Naruto. He didn’t want to risk losing any ounce of friendship he’s worked so hard to have made.

__________________________________________

“Kakashi sensei!” Naruto bumped into kakashi at the little convenient store by the training grounds. Kakashi has avoided all last 3 study sessions and without giving naruto anything more of a ‘i’m busy’.

“oh, Naruto. Hello.”

“What’s up! where have you beeen. I need you, my grades gone down 2 percent.”

kakashi gave a light chuckle, “Naruto even during our study sessions, it would mainly be you, you got this.” As he attempted to walk away.

“wait,” naruto grabbed his wrist, clearly causing kakashi to be flustered, “when is our next session?”

“i’m sorry naruto i have to go,” gently pulling his wrist away and rushing out of the shop.

__________________________________________

Even though kakashi was staying distant. He still couldn’t deny the possessive streak that emerged whenever someone else showed interest in him. Even as quiet as Hinata’s crush on Naruto, it only fueled Kakashi’s jealousy, and his protectiveness over Naruto became more apparent. Kakashi was resting in the detective joint apartments with yamato.

“kakashi senpai, i’ve seen the changes that you had when you were with naruto. You were more alive and happy. i worry for your mental health, all you do is just stay in bed now.” Yamato said with his blank expression.

“Yamato. Please i’m fine.” Kakashi said with a sigh.

__________________________________________

Shikamaru confronted Kakashi.

“You’re hurting him, you know. Naruto’s done nothing but try to make you happy, and you keep pushing him away. You love bombed him. and if i’m being honest, thats worst then anything sakura has ever done. You gave naruto genuine hope.” Evident annoyance in shikimarus face.

“stay out of it shikimaru.”

“why should I? your hurting my bestfriend, im not gonna sit back and watch.” he said, lighting a cigarette. “Naruto nonstop talks about you, excited, only thing he has was your guys’ lil sessions and now, you won’t even give him homework help? pathetic.”

Kakashi was forced to face his feelings. Realizing how unfair he’d been, “shikimaru, will you help me.”

__________________________________________

For a little while longer Kakashi avoided Naruto, struggling with his feelings. But eventually, he couldn’t stay away any longer. With shikimarus help, he found his way outside of naruto’s dorm. Knocking on the door.

Naruto opened the door with a blank face, “kakashi? what are you doing here?”

the first thing that popped in kakashis head was to why naruto didn’t call him sensei? “Naruto, that’s kinda disrespectful, you should keep calling me sensei…you gonna let me in?” He said with a closed eye smile and a bead of sweat on his forehead.

“oh i just assumed you weren’t my sensei anymore as we didn’t have anymore study sessions? forgive me sensei! come in i guess….” moving out the way to let the older man in.

“I’m sorry, Naruto,” Kakashi said, his voice sincere. He just approached and said it. He didn’t know how else to do it. He thought it would be better to just let it out. “I’ve been so. so. so. selfish. I do care about you, more than I’ve let on. Shikimaru told me. he told me how you developed feelings for me…it’s just….I just didn’t know how to handle it….if i’m being honest…i just didn’t want to hurt you. For your happiness truly is better than my own.”

Naruto looked at the silver haired man, evident happiness in his face, “Sensei a simple ‘i like you’ would have sufficed ya know,” as he laughed so hard, he gripped his stomach.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Hey, i just poured my heart out, do you like me back or not!”

Naruto’s smiled. “Of course I do, you idiot.”

Kakashi pulled him into a hug, looking into his eyes, “…..Can i?…”, his lips inches from naruto’s.

“Please kakashi….i want you..”

“Call me sensei…”.

__________________________________________

[deathleadsarc]

here's a massive compile of JJK info that I wanted all in one place.

NAME: Qistina Quina Leota RACE:  Qistina is a German born woman of Arabic descent APPEARANCE: Roughly unchanged. Conservative blouses and skirts, carefully pulled back hair. OCCUPATION: Bio-Chemist. Previously a surgeon. Transferred to a lab in Japan to study cursed objects and spirits. Visited the School many times before settling in Japan until the Culling Game. BIRTHDATE: Oct. 31st 1985. ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil GRADE:  ???  ( this is one of the only details I’m on the fence with. So I’ll say for her abilities potential, she’s a GRADE 1 ) AFFILIATION: none. technically, Jujutsu High and it’s students. She is not formally involved, but will help on occasion, for a very specific price. Her weakness for children plays a part in that. I could also see a verse where she went along with Geto's cult/plans.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:     Creation and Destruction   :   Alchemy.

Along with being able to perform menial tasks one could think of when creating and destroying is involved  ( fixing things, getting the dirt off of things, making things dry or repairing dents, etc ) She can also increase the amount of metals in the body to cause toxicity of varying types, turn the air into carbon monoxide, rust and decay metals outside the body, etc. It can melt the skin, the bones, the eyes  -  boil the blood and rot the insides. She mostly uses her Alchemy and knowledge of the human body to further her research into organically transmuted human parts, organs, and cursed injuries. Initially beginning her research to replace several failing organs of her own, continuing when she became a little too fond of what her own Alchemy could do.

RULES: 

She must know what her target’s components are, or at least have an extended guesstimate, in order to transmute it. 

Requires the joining of array’s on her Hands.

There must be Equivalent Exchange involved, but not necessarily from only her. 

Each dive into the more intense Alchemy requires a significant toll. for her, it is her mind that suffers.

Examples.     Clouds of radiation from the soil and rock in the ground  -  as all soil and rock contain radioactive material ( like uranium, thorium, and radium ). Meaning, she can also cause Ionizing RADIATION . Which is the kind that minerals, atom bombs and nuclear reactors emit. The main thing it does to the HUMAN BODY is that it weakens and breaks up DNA , either damaging cells enough to kill them or causing them to mutate in ways that may eventually lead to cancer. With alchemy, she could speed up the process. 

     OUTSIDE OF A BATTLE SETTING , she can uses her alchemy to just do the exact opposite. After her duty in battle she spends her time in the medicinal field, to help remove certain radiations, toxicity, and ruin in not just the surrounding areas of their enemies but around the country too. When understanding the components of that cursed energy, she is able to steadily deconstruct it - though she tends to get intense headaches after each transmutation.

WEAKNESSES:  Close Combat. Her intensity in her work. Technology. Having to fight against children or teenagers.

Qistina's JJK verse is her at her most modern and probably the most modern version of her you will ever be seeing. She's 'most human' here, but not really. she encourages students to be at their best. doesn't help them even when they beg and cheers them on while they're getting their ass beat by some low level curse like "I know you were taught better than that!!"

she wants to see people at their best. Despite the desire to maim and kill and bleed dry her opposition and even thinking of doing such things to people in that world, she still has the desire to see the true heart and soul of the world around her! no secrets or holding back, no mollycoddling, she's just.

she's just her.

[ If Bell has a room a JJTech, would she make it feel like home, or treat it more like a temporary workspace? ]

     that.... is not something I had ever thought of before! She’s a bit fickle with her workspaces and home, as she considers her ‘work’/’alchemy’ to be something that makes her feel as if she’s at home. Her Sanctuary, as she always calls it. If she knows she’ll be staying somewhere and will be using her alchemy extendedly, she’ll be making that space a very comfortable one. Over time, it’ll look more like a home for her. potted plants, countless books, beds for Basker, ruffled feathers and torn paper corners from Poe, etc. She’s quite meticulous when it comes to curating a space for herself to be comfortable! So even just stepping into a room of hers, it’ll look as if she’s lived there for ages.

JJTech applies to this of course! When it comes to her work, she doesn’t ever want to feel like things are missing in that space. Just a regular table or even a hotel table, she has a hard time concentrating because she.... requires the addition of her pencils, tools, bookshelves, scrawled notes, literal space where she can stand and walk about in thought - you get the idea.

She’ll probably playfully refer to it as a Sanctuary but even in this more modern verse of JJK, she takes that term very seriously. and especially treats the room very seriously as well. 

[ Pieces of her Yakuza verse fit rather nicely with her JJK verse so I’m reposting these bits into that tag! ]

In this verse, Qistina will have her two lovely little yellow canaries Sol and Luna. She brings them downstairs to the clinic ( living in the above loft to keep Qistina herself close by ) considering that these small birds are very attached to her and very greatly need her around throughout the day. They really require company from her.

There is also a rather large Raven that has been following her around since she arrived in Japan, having fed it a few times. She’s taken to calling him ‘Poe’, and he’ll usually hang out around the windows for her to come outside during her lunch breaks ( and yes, she still gives him food )

During these breaks, she will go through her stock of medicines at that moment during the day, place orders through her laptop if need be, make calls, etc. But every other day, you’ll spot her practicing her Japanese and handwriting. HINT: it is very meticulously written, in fact, it looks more like typing than handwriting. She frets whether or not her kanji/katakana/hiragana is legible. At the moment, she’s at a N3.

N3 is the INTERMEDIATE LEVEL: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. Reading. One is able to read and understand written materials with specific contents concerning everyday topics. One is also able to grasp summary information such as newspaper headlines.

I’d say she really beats herself up over not knowing kanji, despite even native-born Japanese people constantly learning Kanji in schools all throughout their life. However, though her Hiragana and Katakana are perfectly memorized and never mistaken, she’ll do the same thing if she forgets even the simplest of words or phrases.

Everything she does must be perfect, just like in all her verses. Her note-taking is something you’d see in some pinterest board ; highlights, straight lines, descriptions, lots of pretty writing, sometimes even diagrams, etc.

Her speech is incredibly polite and highly formal, but sometimes she’ll slip into the same dialect depending on who she speaks to. Picking up certain shortened phrases and really sounding like a native speaker... buuuut you’ll still hear that incredibly over-polite speech.

[DOMAIN] 

The Realm of Truth. Killing and mutating the DNA and cells. A pure white area. A single, massive door behind her. The Eye of the One pulling and dragging you in as if each touch is breaking down the body, molecule by molecule, until you are consumed fully by the door. A slow, agonizing death as ionizing RADIATION courses through the body. Dying a thousand deaths in an instant, leaving you alive and well with the pain of that death still ever shivering up and down the spine.

At least until you start breathing again, touched by the oxygen of earth, there comes the chain reaction of the body. Cells broken down little by little until the agony of dying again and again finally destroys you on the molecular level. Returned to Nothing. a pure blast of radiation none can survive.

[aaronafgash]

10 NEW SONGS - 2/9/24

I’m starting a series where I write about approximately 10 new songs. These are intended to mostly address new releases for that respective week (new music is released on Friday’s), but I may dip into older songs I discovered at times, especially for bad weeks for new music (like this one). There’s no order here, but the first few songs will generally be the ones I’m most excited about.

1. Feeling Good Today - Faye Webster

I’m a Faye Webster fan through and through, but this is a different sound for her. Production wise, “Feeling Good Today” is stripped down, simple, and gorgeous - just one electric guitar and some piano near the end of the track. But I don’t think we’ve ever heard her sing in autotune. You don’t hear a lot of harmonized autotune like this, outside of Bon Iver and T-Pain (wow - those are not two artists I expected to be pairing together today), but it lands. Excited for Faye’s next project (March 1st).

2. Double Standards (feat. Sampha) - Ghetts

Didn’t know much about Ghetts before hearing “Double Standards”, but a Sampha feature always demands my attention, and I was not disappointed. Sampha obviously does not miss on this hook, but Ghetts comes correct right away, rapping “Jack's in the airport with drugs in his baggage / And security are troublin' Muhammed 'bout a sandwich”. Later, he brings up Ukraine getting international aid/support but Palestine being ignored. A jazzy, progressive, politically-charged UK rap with a soulful hook? Sign me the fuck up.

3. Holier - JD. REID Remix (feat. Shygirl) - Kelela

Kelela follows up her outstanding Raven album from 2023 with a remix project, just as she has with her past albums Hallucinogen and Take Me Apart. The album is hit or miss, but the JD. REID “Holier” remix is landing for me. Cool production, mesmerizing Kelela vocals, a fun Shygirl verse. (For the record, the Flexulant x BAMBI “Closure” remix is the best track on this album, but that one was released two months ago.)

4. Alesis - Mk.gee

Had a harder time getting into Mk.gee’s recent music so it wasn’t shocking that I wasn’t loving his new album Two Star & The Dream Police. Fortunately, “Alesis” redeems the otherwise underwhelming project. Nothing crazy about this song, but I found myself enjoying his tone and melodic choices, and the production is, as the kids say, a vibe. I was hoping for more considering how excellent his work was on Dijon’s 2021 album Absolutely, but at least we have this!

5. You’re Always On My Mind - Owen Vonn

Technically released last week, but I found it this week and I'm already struggling to hit 10 songs - fuck it! This is just a fun little house remix / reworking of “You’re Always On My Mind” by SWV, breathing some modern life into a classic ‘90s joint. Not mad at it, although it’s a bit repetitive and could have been cut down by a minute or two.

6. Since September - Walter The Producer

We have officially hit the “this week sucked ass for new music and I gotta reach for older songs I discovered recently” portion of the writeup. I had never heard of Walter the Producer, but “Since September” from 2023 is a bop, and the influence from Steve Lacy is inevitable here. Definitely keeping an eye on Walter moving forward.

7. Fifty-fifty Clown - Cocteau Twins

I found Heaven or Las Vegas my freshman year of college, and I was completely blown away by the title track, but for whatever reason, I never really got into the rest of the project. After watching videos of multiple artists on the Grammys red carpet declaring this to be their perfect album, I decided now was the right time to dig back in. One thing that’s always struck me about Cocteau Twins’ music is how modern it all sounds. “Fifty-fifty Clown” was released in 1990(!), but it still sounds so futuristic. The excellent production is one thing, but it’s the vocals that floor me - Elizabeth Fraser was OUT HERE. Her swirling, angelic voice is so stunning, you don’t realize that official lyrics for the song don’t even exist! 

8. Taurus (feat. Julia Zivic) - CARRTOONS

Became familiar with CARRTOONS after hearing his fantastic album Saturday Night from last year (2023). Came across this track this week after seeing him perform with Julia Zivic on Tiny Desk and immediately did some research to find more songs by her. Taurus feels like a warm, lazy, comfortable weekend day. Does the fact that I’m a Taurus impact my feelings about this song? Who’s to say!

9. Till There Was You - Peggy Lee

I had only ever heard the Beatles version of “Till There Was You” - after doing some digging, I found out that Paul McCartney was introduced to Peggy Lee’s cover of the original (written for a musical in ‘57). The more you know! Anyways, this is chill. Classy, almost-tropical, cruise ship vibes. I’m a fan.

10. I’m Goin’ In (feat. Lil Wayne & Drake)

It’s been a, uh, long week for Drake. Amongst other things that got big this week, his verse on the 2009 song “I’m Goin’ In” was all over my TikTok. It’s a great verse and really shows how hungry he used to be as a rapper in comparison to how he approaches his music nowadays. I love how he raps “21 years and I ain't ever met a good cop” here but on 2020’s “Pain 1993” he says “Police in my city, man, I keep they pockets greased up”. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. ACAB.

[sevenkittensinatrenchcoat]

Jellicle Songs: Order of Introduction

So, the Cats wiki says that, though Munkustrap always gets the first line of the show, the rest of the opening lines in Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats can go to any character. But, I’ve noticed that there are a few different patterns that different types of productions use, and that most productions after 2002 use the same one.

Now, there are some lines that almost always go to the same characters, most of them in the first and second verses:

“Are you blind when you’re born” is always Munkustrap’s line.

Outside of the Broadway Revival, Demeter always gets “Can you see in the dark?”

The next two lines go to Skimble and Asparagus, though they can go in either order.

The next three lines go to Chorus Tugger, Alonzo, and Babygriz.

The second verse is also almost always the same. It goes: Jellylorum, Coricopat, Jemima/Sillabub, Chorus Deut. Newer productions have Coricopat and Tantomile say both of their opening lines together instead of each getting a separate one.

In older versions, where the twins aren’t in unison, Tantomile opens the third verse.

“Familiar with candle” is always Jenny’s line. Sometimes Victoria sings it with her and sometimes she doesn’t.

“With book and with bell” is where things start to get complicated:

Pattern 1: London Version

There is a clip of a rehearsal of this number in London in 1993 or 1994, a few years before the VHS was done. Though the VHS is mostly London-based, the line distribution differs wildly from what was probably still the order onstage in London while the VHS was being filmed.

Now, for the sake of clarity, I’m going to define what the verses are here. The first and second verse are easy to divide, because they’re both followed by a chorus. But, there’s no chorus between the third and fourth verses. I consider them two separate verses, because the melody repeats.

“Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?” opens the third verse.

“Are you mean like a minx? Are you lean like a lynx?” opens the fourth verse.

There are a few lines in these verses that always go to the same character:

“Are you Whittington’s friend?” is Bomba’s line.

“Were you there when the pharaohs commissioned the Sphinx?” is Cassandra’s line.

Not even the Broadway Revival, which seems to delight in breaking from tradition for the sake of it, changes this.

Now, back to the London Pattern.

The lines that differ are:

“With book and with bell”

“The Pied Piper’s assistant”

and every line following it until Cassandra’s line at the end.

So I don’t have to retype entire lines over and over, I’ll nickname the lines:

Book and Bell

Pied Piper

Heaven and Hell

Mean Minx

Lean Lynx

Keen to Be Seen

In London, but the early 90s, and in London-based productions, the order is:

Book and Bell: Admetus/Plato

Pied Piper: Rumpleteazer

Heaven and Hell: Mistoffelees

Mean Minx: Mungojerrie

Lean Lynx: Usually Carbucketty/Pouncival, but this can also go to Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus.

Keen to Be Seen: Traditionally Etcetera, though the line usually goes to whichever cat will be swinging on the trapeze. In the original London production, that was Etcetera. Most productions don’t include Etcetera (what is wrong with these people?), so the line gets passed around. Productions that include Electra will usually give the line, and the trapeze, to her. Productions that don’t include either queen kitten usually give the line to Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus, but he’s sometimes switched out with Carbucketty/Pouncival.

The VHS only has two of those lines follow the London pattern. There is a reason for some of this, however. It can mostly be explained by:

Pattern 2: Broadway Version

There’s actually a surviving video recording of the original Broadway cast singing Jellicle Songs on YouTube. A lot of the lines are said offscreen, but I’ve been able to piece together who probably sang what based on other Broadway-based shows that followed the same pattern.

Book and Bell: Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Now, the original Broadway cast cut these characters, so what they most likely did here was have Carbucketty and Etcetera, the two characters who were cut when Jerrie and Teazer were added, sing those lines. In the Mexico and Buenos Aires versions, both Broadway-based, Jerrie and Teazer sing the lines and you can hear two voices in the Broadway clip. This is probably where they got it from.

Pied Piper: Mistoffelees. I rarely find productions where this line is said offscreen. Misto is a camera magnet.

Heaven and Hell: Plato

Mean Minx: Pouncival

Lean Lynx: Victoria. Only London-based productions had Victoria be completely mute at this time. Others gave her a single opening line to herself, and then nothing for the rest of the show.

Keen to Be Seen: Tumblebrutus. Like with Etcetera, he was the original trapeze cat.

The VHS used the Broadway pattern for Misto’s line only. The VHS Misto was played by Jacob Brent, who was playing Misto on Broadway at the time. Fergus Logan, who was playing Misto in London at the time, played Tumblebrutus in the VHS, which is why he gets Heaven and Hell in that version and that version only. Both actors were given the opening lines they used onstage.

The VHS didn’t borrow anything in the opening from:

Pattern 3: Vienna Version

But, I’m talking about it anyway. Since we have a full recording of the Vienna production and two productions based on it, we can observe that most of the line distribution in the three versions differs from both London and Broadway, but are identical to each other.

Jennyanydots says the entire “Familiar with candle? With book and with bell?” by herself.

Pied Piper: Pouncival. This one was really hard to figure out, because he only sang the line onscreen in the Zurich bootleg, which wasn’t zoomed in. Vienna and Paris, both professionally shot, didn’t show Pouncival saying the line, instead focusing the camera on Mistoffelees. In Broadway-based productions, which these technically are, Misto got this line. But, Vienna-based Mistos are mute. Misto is more officially mute than Victoria in these productions, though Zurich Misto does say “Old Deuteronomy?” at the beginning of that number. He can speak, but he can’t sing, and there are very few spoken lines in the show. In Vienna and Paris, he’s completely mute and has to mime to the twins so they can speak for him.

So, since Misto is mute, Pouncival, usually played by his understudy, says his line while Misto is the one attracting attention to himself.

Heaven and Hell: Plato. This didn’t change from Broadway.

Mean Minx: Tumblebrutus. Now that Pouncival has Misto’s line, Tumble steps in on Pouncival’s line.

Lean Lynx: Victoria, also unchanged from Broadway.

Keen to Be Seen: Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Mute Misto created a domino effect of line changes. Pouncival gets Misto’s line, so Tumble gets Pouncival’s line, so Jerrie and Teazer get Tumble’s line, so Jenny sings both her line and their line.

Outliers:

I’ve mentioned the Broadway Revival being weird already, but the other standouts are Hamburg and the VHS. Hamburg and the VHS are the only productions to give Teazer the “Lean Lynx” line. Having Jerrie and Teazer have lines that play off of one another is so obvious that I’m surprised by how rarely it happens.

Also, Teazer was offscreen when she said her line in Hamburg. I’m not entirely sure if it was her. Either Victoria has Book and Bell and she has Lean Lynx, or Teazer has Book and Bell, which she normally shares with Jerrie, and Victoria has Lean Lynx, her usually Broadway line. I actually couldn’t tell, so this might not even be a thing.

The main VHS outlier is Electra with the “Book and Bell” line. I haven’t seen any other production do this and it probably wasn’t what London was doing at the time. The way they’d arranged everything else, you would think they would’ve given the line to Plato. You’d also think they’d give Pouncival Lean Lynx. Perhaps they wanted to try something new, and giving Jerrie and Teazer these lines works too well for no one to do it.

These Modern Productions:

First, because Broadway and Vienna had Jerrie and Teazer share a line while Coricopat and Tantomile had separate lines, and newer productions have the Psychic Twins sing their lines together, there’s an interesting reversal. Earlier shows put emphasis on Coricopat and Tantomile as separate characters, while sometimes having Jerrie and Teazer act in unison. In newer shows, the opposite is true. And the opposite is always true, because nearly every production uses the London Pattern.

I went through my entire bootleg/pro-shot collection and searched the Cats wiki and YouTube for clips from other shows to compare as many Jellicles Songs as I could find. Around half of them are from the era between 1981 and 2002, when the original London production was going, while the other half are from after that.

Japan and the Broadway Revival broke from tradition to such an extent that I couldn’t factor them in. Japan has its own traditions and the Broadway Revival saw itself as a reset of the show, so it tried to be as different from what came before as possible.

Hamburg and the VHS are also outliers, but they have more overlap with other productions than the above two. The above two are the only versions to have a character other than Demeter get the second line. They break from any pattern immediately. Hamburg and the VHS mostly keep their pattern-breaking to the third and fourth verses.

So, the Older Productions are:

London

Broadway

Vienna

Paris

Zurich

Mexico

Buenos Aires

Hamburg

The 1998 VHS

US Tour V (Though all the bootlegs are from 2005 or later, it was still a Broadway-based production that started up in 2001 as a continuation of the original Broadway)

The Newer Productions:

London Revival

UK Tour 2013

UK Tour 2016

Berlin

German Tent Tour

Madrid

Moscow

Dutch Tour

Out of the Older Productions, only the London production used the London Pattern. Broadway, Mexico, and Buenos Aires all used the Broadway Pattern, with Hamburg also doing a very similar thing. Based directly on Broadway, US Tour V also used the Broadway pattern, despite being newer than the other versions in this category. The VHS was a hybrid of London and Broadway. Vienna, Paris, and Zurich used the Broadway pattern

London: 1

Broadway: 4

Vienna: 3

Other: 2

There’s a fair amount of diversity with a slight lean towards the Broadway Pattern. The productions that use the Broadway Pattern exactly are all from the Americas. Different regions of Europe have their own variations.

As for the newer productions, excluding the Broadway Revival, they all use the London Pattern. Every single one of them. Three of the productions are from the UK, so that’s to be expected, but the pattern is now everywhere. Berlin was partially based on Hamburg and started in 2002, right as the original London was closing, but it uses the London Pattern. Other German productions followed suit, taking more inspiration from London than from earlier German language productions. The first production in Dutch, Amsterdam, was Vienna-based, but the Dutch Tour is London-based.

Honestly, I’m kind of disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with the London Pattern or London-based productions, but do they all have to be like that? I’d prefer for there to be some diversity. The Broadway Revival provides that, since America always has to be different from everyone else, but I honestly don’t like the Revival arrangement. In earlier versions, each line went to a different character, while the Broadway Revival gives some characters multiple lines, leaving characters who’d normally have lines with nothing. Skimble has his line, but he also gets Keen to Be Seen. Jellylorum gets both her line and Jenny’s line. Sillibub gets her line and Lean Lynx. Munkustrap has three lines to himself.

So, though I appreciate the Broadway Revival for giving us something different, I wish it could provide a good different

tldr: Every production in the western world is either London or Blankenbuehler and that’s a bit boring.

[depressing-debbie]

Modern AOT Headcanons Part 2

Characters: Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Sasha, Connie, Hange

REINER

Cries at sad movies and doesn’t even try to hide it

Makes homophobic jokes and has to be reminded that he is, in fact, gay.

Got in a fight outside Taco Bell and is no longer welcome in that establishment.

Technically has his drivers license, he’s just a really terrible driver. Nobody will ride in the car when he drives because he keeps almost crashing.

BERTHOLDT

Really likes the idea of learning piano, but never does. It’s not even that he’s scared or lazy, he just never considers that he should actually learn.

Gets really nervous before he checks out at a store and he always has to have everything ready and prepare what he’s gonna say. Literally has a breakdown trying to put his money back in his wallet while someone is waiting in line behind him.

Drives Reiner EVERYWHERE. He’s not even that good of a driver, but he’s too scared to let Reiner drive.

Gets really flustered watching even vaguely spicy movies or TV. Everyone makes fun of him because he stopped watching a show after two characters kissed (it was just “too much”

ANNIE

Does not speak in school. Has never said a single word. Nobody’s even sure if she has a voice at this point.

Drinks cherry coke

Lesbian. I will take no criticism on this point. Probably walked in on a really cringy GSA meeting and pretended she was straight for another year.

Had to teach Armin how to use the train, and he still makes her go with him every time because he’s anxious.

SASHA

Goes to the gas station at 2 AM with Connie and finds all the snacks she hasn’t tried yet.

Communicates solely in old vines. If you aren’t well versed in vine, you might as well not talk to her.

Begs to do Mikasa’s makeup, and on the few occasions that she agrees, it turns out surprisingly good. She also did Connie and Jean’s makeup once, and they took a million pictures.

Olive Garden. Unlimited Breadsticks. Do I have to say more?

CONNIE

Actually really good at math and history, but he still gets terrible grades because he picks random answers on tests.

Didn’t realize that only seniors can participate in senior pranks, and got suspended for putting chickens in the elevator. Jean got in trouble too because he started cackling while Connie was yelled at.

Drinks the Mango Loco and Khaotic Monster Energy’s. At pretty much any point in time, he has one on him “for emergencies”

When a few of us friends came out as gay, he panicked and thought he was gay for weeks. He only calmed down when he got “straight” on an Am I Gay quiz... still has the occasional doubts though...

HANGE

Really terrible with computers. Everyone think’s they’d be great, but every single electronic device within six feet of them just breaks down.

Cuts their own hair. Hairstylists just don’t understand the complexity of their hair’s personality, and they need to do it themselves.

Levi set an alarm on their phone reminding them to eat throughout the day because they just get so distracted.

Has one favorite sweater. It’s a navy blue turtleneck, and they wear it so much that everyone wonders when they have time to clean it (they don’t)

[planesofduality]

Dragon Age: Origins companion descriptions and dev notes from the game files

Just pulled this from the game’s character files. Gives some ages for characters (probably rough estimates, potentially retconned ), archetypes, writer-defined flaws, etc

Morrigan

Description

Morrigan lacks the will to care about most things enough to excite herself over them. Her primary concern is her survival. She has a difficult time relating to other people, and feels extremely vulnerable outside of the marsh. Her sense of humor is dark and twisted, and she finds the most morbid things amusing.

Her primary goal is to gain skills and knowledge and become a powerful sorceress in her own right. She believes that having a child with the PC's blood will give her access to this power.

Phonetic

More'-rah-genn

Age

30

Occupation

Witch

Morals

None at all. Morrigan learned morality from her abomination mother in the marshes where she grew up.

Appearance

A svelte, exotic-looking young woman with long black hair and large eyes. Her body is relatively thin and not strong.

Flaws

Morrigan has a difficult time relating to other people, and feels extremely vulnerable outside of the marsh

Skills

Is an accomplished witch; is skilled at wilderness survival.

Speech Patterns

Morrigan does not use contractions and speaks in what almost sounds like poetic verse.

Accent

None

Purpose

Companion and possible romance for the player

Relationship to Player

Party Member

Archetype

(Maybe change to "Cultural Background"?)

Demeanor

Morrigan is usually calm, collected, and fairly confident. Her charisma is fairly low--she prefers to remain in the background.

Personal Background

Morrigan was raised in the marshes by her sorceress mother, Flemeth, and had little contact with society proper.

She and Flemeth have a relationship more like servant and master than like mother and daughter.

She fears being rendered powerless (magically or personally).

Alistair

Description

A stern-looking young man with a strong chin. Very handsome. Some resemblance to King Cailan.

Phonetic

Al'-iss-ter

Age

32

Occupation

Grey Warden, bastard son of the king's father

Morals

Alistair has a strong moral sense that was taught to him in the church, but his bitterness makes him struggle with it.

Flaws

Alistair struggles with the resentment he feels over his birthright.

Skills

Trained as a paladin, Alistair can fight and has the ability to dispel magic.

Speech Patterns

His voice is deep but quiet. His tone sharpens into steel when required, but more often he is conciliatory.

Relationship to Player

NPC, companion, one of the only fellow Grey Wardens left after Loghain's betrayal

Demeanor

Generally self-depricating and conciliatory. Retreats into broody silence rather than raise his voice to be heard.

Shale

Description

Shale was created centuries ago, a female dwarven warrior who volunteered to undergo the magical process created by the master smith Caridin to become a golem -- literally her soul was put into a creature of stone, turning her into an unstoppable warrior. The process of creation is a grueling and agonizing one that uses forbidden blood magic, and the torture of it convinced Caridin that creating golems was morally wrong even if it involved volunteers. He refused to make more, and when the dwarven king attempted to force him he destroyed his forge -- or so everyone thought.

Most dwarves like Shale were lost in the wars against the darkspawn, and Shale was lucky to be found and reactivated by a human mage that brought her to the surface world. During his magical tinkering, however, he accidentally restored the memory of her creation, causing her to go berserk and killing him. This resulted in her becoming inert -- meaning she stood in the center of the village where the mage brought her, watching the villagers for thirty years as they thought her nothing more than a dead statue. When the player reanimates her, she realizes she is free-willed but remembers little else of her past.

Phonetic

as in "pale"

Age

500

Occupation

None -- formerly an inert yet aware statue

Morals

She is basically a good person, though she has little regard for the value of life and much prefers that the most direct action is taken in any given circumstance. Things like honor and love tend to complicate matters and irritate her, and she will seldom be understanding when they are given preference.

Appearance

A giant stone creature with crystals and runes all over his body. Shale is large enough that she must crouch to get through most doorways.

Flaws

She has lost touch with the fact that she was once a living thing herself -- and thus her value for life in general has eroded. She dislikes things that are frail and weak and tends to assume that all people she meets are flawed. Not that she believes herself to be perfect -- she is simply pessimistic about people in general, yet at the same time unconvinced that anything can be done to improve the matter. She has the perspective of a passive observer in this: having been an observer for so long, Shale has no idea what to do once the player reactivates her. She has no history and no purpose, and is thus lost.

Skills

Skilled warrior, also possesses the ability to augment magical energies around her (a buff for mages)

Speech Patterns

While Shale is technically female, her voice shouldn't be particularly feminine (the fact that she was once female actually comes as revelation partway through her plot) -- as a golem, the sound should be deepened and will require some processing to make it sound a bit unearthly (she does, after all, speak via magical means). As far as how she speaks, Shale tends to be somewhat sarcastic and pessimistic as a rule. When she banters, it is with a bit of bite and acidity to it, and she generally doesn't seem to care deeply about anything -- when she does, however, her voice should get a powerful and booming resonance to it.

Accent

Indiscernible

Purpose

comedic relief, party member

Relationship to Player

Companion

Archetype

Wizard of Oz-like Creature in Search of a Purpose

Demeanor

Shale has spent the last thirty years forced to helplessly watch a village as an inert statue, while the villagers want on with their lives around her unaware that they were being watched. This has made her quite cynical on the nature of humanity in general, and she tends to point out the flaws of others with acidity -- having been forced to watch quietly for so many years she has developed no "filter" and thus often says whatever is on her mind. She has free will now and is not afraid to use it, and thus will come across as independant and even precocious at times. It is important to note, however, that Shale is not malicious -- she was once a noble warrior and if anything her sarcasm and pessimism are come by honestly. The only things she truly reserves hatred for are birds. Forced to endure assaults by pigeons for decades she now plots revenge against them in almost comic book villain-like fashion.

Personal Background

Prior to being found by the player, Shale was a golem that was forced to serve anyone who held her control rod. Her last master died after experimenting on her magically, however -- which resulted in her becoming inert and forced to watch the village she stood in for 30 years. When activated, she discovered that her control rod no longer functioned and she had free will -- but had no idea what to do with it, and no purpose or history that she could remember. She accompanies the player out of a lack for better things to do, hoping to find something that is recognizeable and attempting to find a purpose to her existence -- which, from the player's perspective, will be to spend her time mocking everything around her and being pessimistic about their chances for success. Thankfully, she is excellent at battle and quite eager to leap into any fray. Shale doesn't care much for folks, after all, so laying into them with stony fists doesn't much bother her.

Cultural Background

Although Shale was once a dwarf from centuries ago, before the dwarven kingdoms fell to the darkspawn, her memories prior to the last thirty years is hazy at best. She is familiar with modern life, although she feels very much as an outsider amongst it and has no traditions of her own. Indeed, she is not even aware she is a dwarf (or female) until the player encounters Caridin.

Oghren

Description

Once a warrior of considerable reputation, Oghren fell apart when his wife -- the Paragon smith, Branka -- abandoned him to go chasing after her obsessions in the Deep Roads. Oghren became a drunkard, and his normal irreverence became a foulness that managed to alienate almost everyone he knew. Oghren is foul-mouthed, contentious and completely inappropriate even at the best of times. Indeed, he acts like this knowingly and no longer cares whom he upsets. He remains obsessed with mounting an expedition to find Branka, but has almost given up on the idea since no-one will pay any attention to him any longer.

Phonetic

Ogh'-rinn

Age

35

Occupation

Warrior-caste dwarf, meant to serve as a guard or as a soldier to protect Orzammar. He's essentially exiled or "fired" from that role when the player arrives.

Morals

He kills and loves and drinks and farts and insults at will and likes to put forward an image that he doesn't care about morals -- truly, however, he has a sense of decency and wouldn't do anything that was truly wrong except by accident.

Appearance

Dirty, mighty, possibly gross. Long natty beard.

Flaws

He says whatever's on his mind, which is usually the worst possible thing to say. He also has a temper that can get him into trouble.

Skills

Fighting. Lots and lots of fighting.

Speech Patterns

Quick to anger, Oghren is often losing his temper over something. He is just as quick to laugh boisterously or to tell a rude joke at the most inappropriate time. He adores poking people's buttons, and the easier they are to upset the more he will enjoy doing it. He the crude, salt of the earth type, though it should always be in a good-natured way. No matter how foul he gets, he should always ultimately be likeable.

Accent

Dwarven

Purpose

Comedic relief and party member

Relationship to Player

party member

Archetype

Boisterous Drunken Warrior

Demeanor

Drunken, aggressive, and innappropriate. Usually rude, sometimes sad.

Personal Background

Oghren married the brilliant smith Branka, and when she was elevated to the status of Paragon her entire family was made into a new clan. Oghren proudly headed the clan at her side, but eventually Branka took her entire clan and headed into the Deep Roads in search of ancient dwarven treasures despite his objection. Oghren angrily remained behind and after hearing nothing of Branka has tried many times to get a search party put together -- despite the fact that is marriage to Branka was already over. He has since had the right to bear arms stripped from him and become a drunken loser, so when he encounters the player this is his first chance at actual redemption (though he is far too proud to admit this).

Cultural Background

Dwarf from Orzammar, member of the Warrior caste

Wynne

Description

Wynne is a spirit healer from the Circle of the Magi. She has served the Circle for most of her life and is a well-respected mentor and mage. Wynne has very strong morals and sense of duty. She believes wholeheartedly in what the Circle does and believes that through discipline, learning, and wisdom, mages can learn to control and use their gifts to serve Ferelden.

She believes that fear of magic stems from a lack of understanding. She is careful in her speech and carries herself with dignity because she knows that she will be judged as a mage firstly, and wants to present herself as someone who is to be respected, but not feared or reviled. Wynne was saved from death by a Spirit of Faith which has now bonded to her and sustains her. The spirit is weakening and when it can no longer sustain her, Wynne will die. She knows this and has made peace with it.

Phonetic

win

Age

55

Occupation

Circle Mage

Morals

A noble person. Compassionate. Believes in the goodness of humans in general, thinks everyone can be good, if they are just given a chance and shown the way.

Appearance

Older woman with grey hair. Neat and well-groomed. Has aged gracefully, good-looking in a mature way.

Flaws

Tendency to mother everyone. Lectures. May be disapproving and cold to those she doesn't agree with.

Skills

Wynne is sustained a Spirit of Faith, which she may summon to help the party, or meld with completely to become a warrior form.

Speech Patterns

A quiet voice with warm tones. Speaks thoughtfully, never raises her voice. Sounds very learned, almost noble.

Accent

Standard accent, possibly British-sounding. Educated.

Purpose

Follower, Plot Giver - Save the mages in the Broken Circle.

Relationship to Player

Mentor

Archetype

Wise old wizard advisor

Demeanor

Calm, a voice of reason. Does not lose temper easily. Genuinely warm and friendly. Proper and polite.

Personal Background

Taken to the Circle at a very young age. Excelled at magic, especially healing magic. Very sensitive to the spirits of the Fade. Because of her talent, she was given the role of mentor at fairly young age. She accepted this role but bungled the job due to hot-headedness and an inability to empathize with the student who was assigned to her. The student finally escaped the Circle and Wynne believed him dead and blamed his death on her treatment of him. This guilt has informed her actions ever since and she has become a very warm, caring and empathic person, always able to see things from another's point of view.

Some time in the past, Wynne also had a son. However, because mages are technically not allowed to marry or have children, her son was taken from her and given to the Chantry to raise. She does not speak of this often and only reveals this to Alistair.

Cultural Background

Circle Mage from Ferelden

Dog

Description

Dog is a mabari dog, a highly intelligent wardog. The player will get to name Dog.

Phonetic

dawg

Age

3

Occupation

Wardog. Fetches things.

Speech Patterns

Barks

Purpose

Loyal companion

Relationship to Player

Loyal companion.

Cultural Background

Ferelden Mabari Dog

Leliana

Description

Leliana spent much of her life in the service of the Orlesian court as a bard -- an entertainer who traveled the land and doubled as a spy and sometimes assassin. Over time, her deeds left her with the feeling that she was not built for such a life. She felt guilty about the wrongs she had done, and eventually fled her masters in court. This meant secretly fleeing to the east and hiding out in a small convent in the Ferelden town of Lothering. There she found her calling, entering the sisterhood and beginning what she thought would be a life of religious contemplation and -- she hoped -- some measure of peace with her past. While there is a deeper side to her, a very spiritual side where she tries earnestly to look for meaning in even the most mundane things, on the surface she comes across as cheerful and witty and perhaps even a little flighty. Ultimately she is a voice of good and will try her best to steer others around her in the right direction.

Phonetic

LEL-ee-AH-nah

Age

26

Occupation

Bard, spy

Morals

Her concept of good is more 'nice' than 'good' (e.g. would let one seemingly penitent bandit go to be nice, rather than turn him in for his crimes)

Appearance

Red hair, pale, slender

Flaws

Has flights of fancy, hard to take her seriously. Sometimes a little too whimsical for her own good.

Skills

Singing: Leliana will sing several songs throughout the game. She should have a sweet voice, suited to folk songs.

Speech Patterns

Melodic, warm, maybe a little husky. There should be a slight lilt to her speech.

Accent

A hint of a French accent, but not to the point of caricature.

Purpose

Companion, Romance

Relationship to Player

Party member and potential romance interest

Archetype

Good Girl With a Past

Demeanor

Cheerful, sassy, charming. Flighty, loves making up stories about things and people.

Personal Background

Leliana is originally from Ferelden, but spent most of her youth as a companion to a noblewoman in Orlais. As a young lady she was brought under the wing of a bard-master called Marjolaine, who groomed her to be a bard and spy. Leliana's charm and her disarming manner made her extremely successful in her work in the noble courts of Orlais. She enjoyed her life as a spy, but something went wrong and Leliana was forced to flee to Ferelden. She took refuge in a cloister in Lothering, hiding for years and becoming Affirmed in that time. Also, she has begun to believe that the Maker has not left the world and that he in fact speaks to her through signs and omens. Her beliefs put her at odds with the Chantry but she clings to them nonetheless.

Cultural Background

Fereldan, brought up in Orlais.

Teyrn Loghain mac Tir

Description

Loghain was born a farmer during a time when his country was under foreign occupation. When he was still a boy, he joined the resistance, where his considerable tactical genius quickly became apparent. He became close friends with Prince Maric, the last true heir to the Ferelden throne, and together they led the rebells to drive out the invading forces of the Orlesian Empire. Maric raised his friend to the nobility, and Loghain is almost more of a symbol to his people than a man: He represents the Ferelden ideals of hard work and independance.

But the war has never truly ended for him. He sees Orlais waiting in the shadows for a chance to strike again. And now, with his friend's death, he's left to defend their land all alone. Fearing King Cailan's plan to ask for Orlesian aid against the Blight, Loghain leaves the young king to die on the field at Ostagar. Now he's trapped in a downward spiral as he struggles to save his kingdom, but every action he takes only brings it closer to ruin.

Phonetic

Tay'-ern Lo'-gayn mac teer'

Age

50

Occupation

Regent of Ferelden

Morals

To save Ferelden, at any cost

Appearance

Regal, manly, intelligent, mighty

Flaws

Obsessive, believes too firmly that his way is the only way

Skills

Strategy, a fine warrior in his own right

Speech Patterns

Loghain is a gentleman farmer-turned-general and hero. He's charismatic, down-to-earth, and radiates a confidence that draws others to follow him. His lifetime as a soldier has given him a guarded demeanor that's easy to mistake for being callous.

Accent

Ferelden

Purpose

Villain for much of the game, possible follower

Archetype

Conniving hero-turned-villain

Demeanor

Cunning, sly, charismatic

Personal Background

A farmer's son, Former war hero, strategic counsel to Kings Maric and Cailan, betrays Cailan in battle

Cultural Background

Ferelden

Sten

Description

The platoon he led to investigate the Blight was ambushed by darkspawn, and he alone survived, badly wounded. Looters found him and stole his belongings. He was rescued by farmers and when he awoke alone and without his sword (equivalent to a Spartan losing his shield) he panicked, killing the entire family. He then gave himself up to the villagers. He joins the player only because he hopes to regain some measure of his lost honor by dying in battle against the darkspawn that slew his men.

Phonetic

stehn'

Age

30

Occupation

Warrior. He wants to regain the honor he lost in killing the family by fighting the Blight.

Morals

Very strong

Appearance

A giant of a man with white hair and golden skin, very muscled and with unusual eyes. This is fairly typical of the qunari -- they are the bronze giants, great philosophers and scientists.

Skills

An excellent fighter.

Speech Patterns

He is a man of few words -- literally, as he is unlikely to respond to questioning from a "lesser" being with anything but terse sentences. He will use qunari words sparsely in his lines without necessarily explaining them, and speaks in rather clipped tones as if speaking is unpleasant for him. He actually just isn't very confident speaking languages other than qunari.

Accent

Qunari

Purpose

Follower

Relationship to Player

Party member.

Archetype

the Philosophical Alien

Demeanor

Sten is a laconic smartass, he presents a stoic, practical face to the world, and speaks as if he has only so many words allotted for his entire lifetime, yet he can't resist the chance to say something sarcastic. He's actually somewhat soft-hearted, though he hates if anyone notices this, and typically expresses affection for his companions by needling them. For the most part he gets by appearing gruff and unfriendly.

Personal Background

He spent most of his life fighting in the island's perpetual three-way war between the Imperium, the qunari, and the Tal-Vashoth. When he was sent with a small group of qunari warriors to evaluate the rumored Blight in Ferelden, they were ambushed by a group of darkspawn, which killed most of the party in the attack. Pillagers then stripped them of their valuables, thinking they were all dead. Some farmers found him and nursed him back to health. When he awoke, his sword was missing. Since Qunari warriors can't return to their kith without their sword (it’s assumed that a warrior who comes back alive without it discarded it to run faster in deserting the battlefield), he panicked. Thinking the farmers had robbed him, he killed the entire family. The player finds him in a cage outside Lothering, waiting to die.

Cultural Background

Sten is a Qunari, a member of a race that is foreign to this part of the world and whose people were at war with the human races for over a century before agreeing to a peace which has turned into an almost permanent détente. Still, the Qunari live quite a distance away from the part of the world where this game takes place… so someone like Sten is a curiosity more than an object of hatred. The Qunari are fanatical devotees to their religion, which compels them to dominate other races in order to improve them and bring them order. They are technologically advanced and hold magic in contempt, and this lends Sten an air of superiority over the other races around him. He is snide and superior – even while at the same time he is grim and subdued due to the fact that he has failed at the mission he was given. His failure, however, is between him and his conscience. It is not the place of lesser beings to speak with him about it.

Zevran Arainai

Description

Zevran is a member of the infamous Calabrian guild of assassins known as the Crows, though not by choice -- he was sold as a young slave to the Crows and trained to become one of their operatives. While he has worked as an assassin in Calabria, his first major assignment was to come to Ferelden and hunt down a surviving Grey Warden -- who just happens to be the player. Upon being defeated by the player, Zevran leaps at the opportunity to offer the player his allegiance in exchange for a chance to escape from the Crows once and for all.

Phonetic

ZEV-ran' AIR-ah-nye

Age

24

Occupation

Assassin

Morals

Few -- Zevran was raised in a whorehouse and trained from a young age to become an assassin. The only morals he possesses are those that lead to less complication for his job.

Appearance

Pale, slicked-back hair, has many tattoos (a feature of the Calabrian Crows), quite handsome and roguish.

Flaws

Hides his true feelings behind his bravado, doesn't believe in personal attachments. He is ultimately loyal only to himself.

Skills

An excellent thief, incredible agility, very knowledgeable with poisons.

Speech Patterns

Zevran is a suave, smooth operator. He tends to speak in a seductive and playful manner, playing the lothario whenever possible, and rarely gets upset -- if need be, he will become a silent, efficient killer but never lets his emotions get the better of him. Always practical and easy-going, he enjoys keeping others off-balance and on their guard.

Accent

Calabrian -- slightly Spanish, but not thick

Purpose

Romance for a female (or male). He is a pragmatic companion who is fine with immoral deeds and will betray the player late in the game unless the player has taken time to befriend him.

Relationship to Player

captured by the player and sworn into service in exchange for his life

Archetype

the smart-mouthed expert; the gigolo with a heart of gold

Demeanor

Often amused and light-hearted, rarely takes anything seriously except his job.

Personal Background

An orphan to a prostitute elven mother, raised poor and then sold to the Crows to become an assassin. He is virtually a slave to the Crows and eager to find a way to leave them without being killed.

Cultural Background

Calabrian (roughly equivalent of Spanish)

[moon-forest-princess]

The Moon as a healing gift; Not a deity

NOTE: This is my own personal belief based on my own spiritual understanding of the Bible and the world and what I believe to be true. I am no biblical scholar, nor a general religion scholar. I am simply a Christian and Elven soul, so these conclusions were just made by my own prayer, thought, and study. You don’t have to agree, I’m just sharing my thoughts... which is why this is so haphazardly written lol

I identify as a Lunar Elven soul. Because of this, I naturally feel a lot of affection and love for the moon. She is my favorite celestial body. She is the one who makes me look up and smile. She makes me feel something I can’t explain. I feel most myself when I see her softly staring back at me among the stars and clouds. 

But I only call her ‘her’... for fun, because I like to personify the moon. The closest earthly version of my ‘kin’ are the Kaldorei from WoW, who worship the moon goddess Elune and I love that concept. I have a moon goddess character I’ve created for the fantasy world I have built as well. 

But outside of these things? I do not see the moon as a deity itself. I do believe that the moon is a representation of feminine energy. I also believe that its energy deals with things like intuition and insight. 

But as expressed in one of my other too-long writings, when it comes to spiritual guidance and worship, I am lead by the question of “Why try to seek guidance from creation (the stars, celestial bodies, energies, the earth, etc) when one can simply just talk to the Creator Himself?”  Naturally, if one does not believe in a singular universe creator, this would be null and void as a point, but for me, this is the very crux of my stance as a Christian elf.

We are warned about this in Deuteronomy 4:19:

“And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.”

Or in more familiar/modern terms: 

“When you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them.”

And I take this warning seriously. I refuse to turn to idol worship of the moon itself, adopt another culture’s moon deity, or deify it myself as a being. The moon did not die for me and cannot build a personal relationship with me or provide for me a comforter and present help in a time of trouble. It is a creation, not Creator. I believe it is alive with energies the same way you, or I, animals, and plants are alive, and is holy as a creation, but not a/the source of Holiness or Divinity.

But I do believe that the moon is an important tool and gift to us. That verse says that God gave us the moon as a heritage. Heritage is “a special or individual possession; an allotted portion”. The obvious heritage being that it is the natural night light we all can enjoy the beauty of as people born here on this Earth. But taking it further, I believe that the moon is meant to serve many purposes spiritually. 

🌙For one, it serves as a reminder that we are reflections of God. If we are to see ourselves as the moon, and God as the sun (Jesus as the son/sun), we reflect the Light of the Sun. We are to be a Light and we were made in His image, and thus, we are meant to reflect the way Jesus acts, talks, and is. 

🌙Just like the moon sourcing its glow from the sun, our Light is not from us, but upon us. When I shine, the power and spiritual gifts and abilities do not come from me or my own power. They cannot. They come from God. I don’t believe we can cultivate any sort of spiritual gifts on our own, by our own power. Whether demonic or holy, positive or negative, I believe that these spiritual gifts have a source beyond our own being. Just as the moon shines form the sun’s glow (although negative gifts I wouldn’t exactly liken to coming from the ‘sun’ in this analogy, as they are dark and may often come from a false light).

🌙Each phase of the moon is a reminder of change, transition, and renewal. The sun remains the same throughout time and time again, but the moon appears different each night. Just as God remains the same, but people change. But we can never change who we are at our core. The moon is still the moon, whether crescent, waxing gibbous, or full. 

🌙The moon is a gift God bestowed upon us to give us light in the darkness. And that is what connects with me the deepest.  As a lunar elven soul, I have been always finding myself among the darkness. Not of it, but within it. Surrounded by it. Dark situations. Dark people. People battling with Darkness within and without them. I see the darkness in things. But within this darkness, it brings me joy to find ways to spread Light. Like the gentle beams of the moon spreading in the darkest corners of forest, I feel that that is the significance of my connection to it as a celestial body. 

This pouring of Light can help to bring others healing, but not by my own power or source. Rather, by the Light that was gifted to me. I take no credit for the healing that others may receive through my prayer work and fasting and Lightwork. I only take credit when obeying God when He guides me to do it. Even then, He has given me a mind to want to do so. 

Technically I consider myself a Healer in this sense, but truthfully, it’s more like God is the Doctor and I am only a nurse at the front desk, making sure you have the information you need, as instructed to me by the Doctor (okay the Doctor Who fangirl inside of me chuckled when I reread what I typed lolol). But He is the one who evaluates and operates. I simply help you through the hospital door. Get you talking. Advocate for you as bet I can.

As someone who is learning to navigate the gifts of Burden Bearing and Intercessory Prayer, I connect with the moon for these reasons. 

So, in conclusion.. TL;DR-- I believe in the healing and renewing energy of the moon and its light casted at night, as a reminder of being a Lightworker, a Child of God. It is not a god, but an extension of Him just as we are.

[goreprofonde]

Aaron Rodgers - Climax

“Life is a collective impossibility.”

There were so many languages. Aramaic, Phoenician, Etruscan, Tamil, Moabite, Umbrian. Too many languages. From where did they all come? It was a puzzlement, especially if you believed—and if you were authoring the Pentateuch you no doubt did—that all these speakers were branches of a single family tree. Why would Noah’s descendants, leaving the Ark to replenish the Earth, differ so greatly from one another? You needed an etiology, you did. If you were Greek, you might blame Hermes. If you were Bantu, you might blame a famine-induced madness. But if you were writing the Book of Genesis, you might blame, well, God.

The story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11 is short—very short. You’ve probably heard it, or at least something like its broadest outlines. In only nine verses no longer than your average nursery rhyme, the postdiluvian people (speaking but one language) decide in their arrogance to build a tower to reach the heavens; the Lord sees it and is displeased; and so the Lord confuses their language and scatters them about the globe. Short, sweet, and to the point: Pride goeth before the globe-scattering fall.

Or at least that is the traditional interpretation. And it’s not an unreasonable one—what few dots there are seem to connect in a pretty straight line, and old-timey Yahweh was quite prone to smiting, having just exited his “drown them all” Great Flood phase. Like so many ancient stories, it easily calcifies into something abstract and removed from the specifics of the story itself. But actually reading the nine relevant verses is quite a time—especially when read from the perspective of an acolyte of God fashioning an explanation for the world’s diversity of languages. For the Lord did not just punish the people for their hubris; he did so out of fear that their unity of language and of purpose would make them his rivals (“and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”). And the Lord did not choose just any punishment; he chose exactly the thing that the people most feared (“and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” / “and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth”). Taken together, it paints an astonishingly bleak picture—humanity, its highest goals easily scuttled by outside forces, overseen by a vengeful, jealous God more interested in chaos and the psychological scars of a self-fulfilling prophecy than in peace or understanding. (And all this from Moses, one of God’s chief troubadours! Imagine the story a naysayer might have told.)

It’s hard not to think of the Tower of Babel in the wake of Climax, Gaspar Noé’s latest boundary-pushing entry in his own foreboding corner of the cinéma du corps/New French Extremity. Noé is not shy about citing his idols and reference points generally, from Godard to Kubrick to Lynch, nor has he been subtle about the influences on Climax—in addition to referencing the Tower of Babel, Shivers, and The Towering Inferno (among others) in interviews, Noé has helpfully laid out a wealth of data points surrounding the monitor on which he displays his dance troupe’s introductory interviews. Among the citations: Argento’s Suspiria; Fassbinder’s Querelle; Żuławski’s Possession; Pasolini’s Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom; and Buñuel’s Un Chien Andalou, not to mention various books like Taxi Driver and How to Succeed at Suicide. The ways in which these influences play out are sometimes obvious (e.g., Selva’s (Sofia Boutella) agonized, writhing convulsion in the hallway explicitly recalls Isabelle Adjani’s subway paroxysm in Possession), sometimes less so (e.g., Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, which—according to Noé, the little stinker—appears because “I like the title and I like the book...because it’s so cruel”). There is no Holy Bible propped up against Noé’s mid-1990s tube TV, but the idea of a vengeful and jealous overseer disrupting an attempt at something greater is central to Climax. As he did in Irréversible, Noé realizes that hell, unbearable as it can be, is only made more hellish by the possibility of heaven.

Climax begins (like Irréversible) with the ending. Lou (Souheila Yacoub), covered in blood, is seen from overhead stumbling through the snow before collapsing. Something terrible has obviously happened to her (this is Noé, after all), but unlike Irréversible, which unfurls a fully backward chronology, this prologue is only a brief flash-forward. After the credits play, Climax introduces us to its large cast via the aforementioned interviews, quickly sketching its players’ backgrounds, interests, and fears as the dancers—applying to be part of some sort of international touring group—discuss sex and drugs and other points of interest to the bohemian twentysomething circa 1996. From there, Climax moves to an abandoned school on the outskirts of Paris where the group is rehearsing, and it is at this point that Noé provides his greatest shock of all: joy. As the dancers krump and vogue and contort in what can only be called harmonious dissonance, Noé’s unbroken take evokes the bygone MGM musical of Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, celebrating the amazing things a body in motion can do not by simulating that motion through quick-hitting edits but through the camera’s unblinking gaze.

Of course, Climax’s version of the cinematic dance number has a decidedly modern bent not incidental to its overarching themes. The participants in manager Emmanuelle’s (Claude Gajan Maull) group are not performing in the classical Astaire-and-Rogers style, nor do they look like the cast of Singin’ in the Rain. Instead, they are diverse in almost every way—nationally, ethnically, sexually, socioeconomically. What they have in common—in addition to youth—is an affinity for creative movement and a desire/belief (perhaps born of naïveté) that through their collective efforts they can make the world a better place. Climax early on declares that it is a French film and proud of it and a large sequined French flag hangs behind the dancers, framing their efforts. For a time, it seems as though these young performers, accepting of all comers and overflowing with joie de vivre, might represent a new, aspirational future for France, free of the petty jealousies and insecurities and bigotries that define (and mar) life as we know it.

But Noé is not one for uplift, and as the prophetic prologue cautions, this jubilant beginning must come to an end. After their astonishing first dance—several of the most infectious minutes one is likely to see onscreen—the performers become revelers, celebrating their upcoming tour with food and merriment and sangria. That sangria happens to be laced with LSD—something neither the dancers nor we yet know, though some pointed shots of the punch bowl and the too-frequent mentions of its contents suggest trouble—and will soon cause this utopian mini-society to erupt into death and madness. But the eruption is that of a festering boil. Cleverly, Noé follows the initial dance with a series of conversations among the participants, mostly broken off in pairs. While further fleshing out their characters and deepening certain audience connections (and introducing Tito (Vince Galliot Cumant), Emmanuelle’s young son who, being a child in a Noé film, cannot possibly meet a good end), these interactions also reveal the lie behind the seeming idyll we have just witnessed. Sexual gamesmanship, misogyny, mutual distrust, power dynamics, a general unease—even before the drugged wine has taken hold, no amount of common bond or feel-good sentiments can fully inoculate against the crassness and misanthropy of the human condition. Vive la France—unless that French flag plays less than wholesomely to some of the carousers whose skin color may have left them disadvantaged under its auspices. God is with us—unless God, wary of his waning primacy and unwilling to go down without a fight, has been against us all along.

From there, Noé gifts us one additional extended dance sequence—this time shot from above, like a devilish cousin to Busby Berkeley’s showstoppers—but the additional knowledge we have gained makes the number play very differently than its predecessor. It is still exuberant, still exciting, still full of technical and physical marvels, but there is a sense of disquiet coursing through it, of tenuous allegiances and bids for attention. The playful back-and-forth of the first dance feels slightly more strained; the seemingly effortless flow of before is supplemented with an element of jockeying and competition. All these workers building a tower, but unsure about one another’s methods or their mutual destination.

Being a Noé film, it is no surprise that from there Climax descends into recriminations and mutilation, child endangerment and incest, and ultimately into a crimson-lit nightmare resulting in death. Noé’s superb camerawork—always a hallmark—not only complements the dancing beautifully (one truly wishes that he, along with Edgar Wright, would make an out-and-out musical, though for Noé that would almost certainly have to be Sweeney Todd), it also brings to life the increasingly fragile (and ultimately disintegrated) mental states of his crew of revelers. While Selva is probably the closest thing Climax has to a protagonist as the camera follows her back and forth from the common space to the dorm rooms the group has been occupying, no one seems fully safe/sane—not Selva, as she comes undone in front of some nature-backdrop wallpaper; not Lou or Omar (Adrien Sissoko), who abstain from the sangria for personal reasons that end up visiting upon them violence (whether Western culture dislikes a Muslim or a sexually active woman more is a question Climax does not definitively resolve); not even Daddy (Kiddy Smile), as he good-naturedly DJs the proceedings. That Climax employs so much improvisation is nothing short of miraculous, given how intricately some of Noé’s long takes appear to be choreographed. But beyond mere showmanship (of his own or his performers), these extended sequences give Climax the disorienting effect of feeling both dreamlike (or, perhaps more accurately, nightmarish) and realistic. Real life does not employ the careful and selective cutting of a movie, unfolding as its own long take, yet the memories thereof are fragmented in a subconscious act of self-editing, making Noé’s aesthetic appropriately both distancing and suffocating.

This visual evocation of an unyielding descent into hell is complemented perfectly by Noé and Ken Yasumoto’s sound design. The music that previously served as an enthusiastic soundscape turns menacing and relentless, with the percussive beats and throbbing bass driving the drug-addled action perpetually forward, stymieing any possible reflective moment. Yet that merciless music is preferable to the screams and groans it sometimes drowns out—cries that are themselves preferable, in the case of Tito, to a sudden silence that is deafening in its horrific implications. Even the comparatively hospitable environs of the sleeping quarters see Dom (Mounia Nassangar) attacking Lou and Taylor (Taylor Kastle) taking advantage of his sister, Gazelle (Giselle Palmer). As the sangria brings out the group’s (somewhat) latent paranoia and aggression and worst impulses, a downward spiral is inevitable; once gravity takes hold, escape velocity becomes nearly impossible to achieve.

Unlike Irréversible, Noé does not end Climax on a tragic but perversely bittersweet note; instead, he ends it with a possible explanation for the madness that disquietingly suggests that the madness was unavoidable. The perpetrator’s outsider status implies the doomed nature of group activity. The lies told in the instigator’s interview speak to the inefficacy of preparatory efforts. Most upsettingly, the culprit’s name, drawn from Greek mythology and literally meaning “breath of life,” points back to God and the Tower of Babel. The people banded together in an attempt to do something great, something just within reach. But God wouldn’t have it. So he scrambled the synapses a bit—a different language here, a chemically disrupted neuro-receptor there—and voilà, his supremacy was re-established. But to what end? “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair,” said a king of kings, until nothing beside remained. Pride goeth before the fall; when the proud one is divine, the fall leads all the way to hell.

[madamhatter]

IMPORTANT HEADCANONS TO CONSIDER

“None of this is terribly important to consider when comes to m-” Too bad, Sophie.  “No! I didn’t want these details released!” Too bad!

can they use chopsticks

Modern Sophie knows how to use them and prefers cooking with them! In her opinion, they are are both an essential and also one of the greatest cooking utensil to have of easy it is to wash them, they’re great for precision, and are multifunctional. She would have a pair in her kitchen and would regularly use them whenever she can.

Canon Sophie, however, will not have much experience with using them. Eating with chopsticks will be a challenge. However, she will fall under the same preference as her modern self, finding them a wonderful addition for her kitchen! 

what do they do when they cant sleep

A far too common situation for Sophie, most days of her week are spent unable to gain any peace and allow herself to feel safe and relax enough to close her eyes. Anxiety will keep her staring at her ceiling, if she actually cared to stay lying down in bed.

Her routine would always involve movement and/or work. Usually, she would be confined to her room, filling out surplus paperwork or on projects she brought home with her. On rarer occasions, and surprising for those who know her as a ‘recluse,’ she would leave the house and walk some blocks around her neighborhood during the peaceful night. She doesn’t very much care for her safety at this point, and would let herself to get lost into the nighttime. 

Modern-verse, she would add on continuing and playing video games that she hasn’t had the time to finish. Usually, it would be strategy games like Fire Emblem, visual novels like, for example, Type-Moon or Frontwing, and mobile games like gachas and hidden object games. 

what would they impulse buy at the grocery store

Sophie never considers impulse purchasing at stores. To be frank, this is the woman responsible for buying the groceries and budgeting for her family to ensure they have sufficient funds to keep this household above the water. If anything, impulse purchases she does are for her sisters and stepmother. When she remembers what they mentioned wanting particulars or indirectly mentioning something they saw on the television, it would be most definitely waiting for her family members in their rooms, or the kitchen, depending on what they were talking about. She would feel intensely guilty, and undeserving, about purchasing items for herself, but it mean doesn’t she wouldn’t -- it just happens as rarely because emotionally handling that is exhausting. When she does, it is usually either affordable art supplies and flower seeds. Depending on the verse, she would either have a garden (backyard) to plant them or she resorts to growing them in pots and anything she can get her hands on. 

what order do they wash things in the shower

Theoretically, from top to bottom. If it’s a day where she needs to wash her hair, it would start at her scalp and end at her toes, but the very last part would be her private bits! Usually, she would focus on her arms and hands, to then her shoulders and chest, to then her back, and finally legs and feet. She doesn’t get the luxury of spending much time in the shower because she very feels like it should be a “get in, get out” thing to do in the mornings. However, it does depend how emotionally spent she is on the day. Something cute that she does, when she’s in her better moods or wanting to ‘escape’ a bit, is that she’ll hum and sing to herself while showering! 

what’s their coffee order

Guess who is the person who dislikes coffee and would refuse trying it at all? That is Sophie Hatter! Unless she has to try it out of obligation or wishes to be polite, she would not drink it. If made to have some, it would possibly be more milk or cream than coffee that way she can handle it. If someone were to think that introducing her to sweeter alternatives would help, quite unfortunately wrong you are! Sophie does not have a sweet tooth and is notoriously picky when it comes to anything sugary. 

what sort of apps would they have on their smartphone

Having some difficulty navigating her phones (professional and personal lines), she has very limited knowledge on how to use it and has only perfected using her phones for particular functions.  On her professional phone, it was very limited and one 5-6 apps are downloaded to the phone, outside of the pre-installed apps that she would use regularly. This would be related to programs that’ll help her keep track of stock exchange, investment monitoring, budgeting, creating, scanning, and signing documents, and those very niche  duties. However, she will treat herself to having one art application that is also installed on her personal phone. On her personal/private phone, it would be the similar situation where her apps are limited. However, there are some that Martha and Lettie installed for her like certain social media apps that Sophie uses passingly, but never focuses too much on it. Something like Twitter may be her “go-to” but it’s an private account not even under her name (compared to the corporate account) and she posts her sketches and fanart and her random thoughts and questions. She’d probably also have the almanac app downloaded beside several art apps, a flower guide, bird-watching guide, and one or three games she’d sink some hours (mentioned earlier). 

how do they act around children

Sister-turned-parent (as she did function as both mother and father for her sisters), Sophie easily finds herself understanding and getting along with children. Generally, though, she is a friendly but firm figure, always entertaining what a child has to say and listening to what they’re expressing. Being around children would reveal her doting and gentler side faster than most things, but it would also reveal her protective nature as easily (She was cursed as a black cat in the books when she had Morgan and anytime she felt her child in danger, she shifted herself, willingly, a panther. She doesn’t play around.)

As sad as it is to say, she is much more expressive but honest with children; she has this particular care and respect about those so young and being able to live their childhoods. She idealizes the idea of ‘childhood’ and finding it such an imperative and special time in anyone’s life. Given her lack-of childhood that she never had, it is particular sensitive for her and she acts on the “I went through this and no one else should” ideal. 

what would they watch on tv when they’re bored and nothing they really like is on

Any nature channel or music channel (i.e., classical) that she can listen to while she does something around the living room. If she cannot find something she’ll enjoying watching, she wouldn’t really spend her time sitting and just whatever when she can easily be doing something else that does interest her. 

tagged by: @ninthsanctum​ { technically stolen from ya’! I just took the full ver. instead of the abridged ver.  tagging: you! take it! now! 

[sapphicdalliances]

Dear Chocolatier,

thank you so much for being here!! my sincere apologies for the lateness and messiness of this letter! sorry about my incredibly inconsistent capitalisation! it has been updated on the 8th of january, and may receive more updates this week.

I’m a simple bitch with simple tastes; here is a general summary of my preferences, and fandom-specific notes and prompts can be found further down!

I very much enjoy:

Fics that are short, but imply a longer, deeper verse; since this exchange is for short fics, but some of my prompts seem expansive, I just want to give you carte blanche permission to dip into an AU, splash around in it, and simply not provide additional details.

Comedic tones, slice-of-life, lighthearted fun, any amount of improbable romcom tropes

Am also on board with misunderstandings and drama as long as there is a happy ending!

I’m deeply okay with AUs, and most likely would be down for any modern, romcom, fantasy/fairytale, gender swap, or remix/crossover AUs you feel inspired to explore! My favourite settings include mundane/urban fantasy (witches! werewolves!), anachronism-stew-with-magic western fantasy jumbles, and disney’s Tangled.

Writing tropes I love:

Proposal fic

Wedding fic where the couple getting married is not the main couple

Outsider/third character POV of the main couple

Exes who are still in love/getting back together

Friends-with-benefits-with-feelings/did a bad job keeping it casual

Shipfic where two or more couples are contrasted

Oblique declarations of love/saying i love you without saying i love you

Provision and caretaking (acts of service!)

Aggressive matchmaking/wingmanning by an enthused friend

Hanahaki, or any other improbably dramatic instances of Cannot Spit It Out

Arranged marriage/fake marriage/fake dating

Epistolary fic

Regrettably I also love a/b/o, especially the kind that emphasises on scent safety and contains little to no actual sex

Art tropes I love, if you offered art:

Art where the characters simply look fond.

Fashion remixes – street fashion, cultural/traditional clothes, festival clothes, renfaire-esque clothes, beach photoshoot, get wild with it

Putting animal characteristics on one or both of them

Botanical motifs + celestial motifs

When plants grow directly out of people

The thing where character A is focused on something they’re doing or seeing, and the character B is focused only, wholly, desperately on A. please… the Gaze

Depictions of intimacy where faces are partially or fully hidden, but the body language is gentle

Characters SLEEPING next to each other, or comfortably doing separate activities in each other’s presence

If you wish to get frisky with your fills:

Yes!

Go for it!

I don’t have strong top/bottom preferences (and usually enjoy it when they switch or are otherwise generally equitable) so whatever you’re in the mood for is fine!

Kink tropes I very much enjoy include oral, restraints, praise kink, when proud characters cry during sex because they love their partners so much, and xeno tropes.

I love non-horny sex scenes; comedic, silly, charged, fraught, or simply affectionate exchanges that happen to include sex are my favourite. Feelings are the real kissing disease.

But like, if you wanna get horny about it.

Chase your bliss.

They simply must be in love.

I’m not as into:

Kidfic

First person narration

Soulmate AUs specifically

Kink wise, my only major squicks are incest, teacher/student, and public sex/getting caught, but i’m also not super keen on daddy kink, toilet stuff, or anything with blades or needles.

In general, please avoid:

Character death or serious/permanent injury

Animal abuse or death

Infidelity

Hopeless or downer endings

Fandom specific info:

Haikyuu!!

changed my life, cured my depression, what can be said about it? truly one of the most important series to me of all time. all musings on craft and creativity aside, let’s focus on the TRUE LOVE!!

i’m all caught up with the manga and supplementary materials!

suggested prompts: - sakuatsu, being mean to each other on purpose vs. being soft to each other by accident - kagehina or iwaoi dealing with LDR - kyouhaba are forced to cooperate on an innocuous, preferably wholesome task, such as gardening, or finding the owner of a lost dog, and it goes approximately As One Would Expect - bokukuroo + overheard phone conversation: and you've slept together how many times now? hmm. yeah, that's not technically a bromance (not in a no-homo way, just in a we-are-both-so-stupid-and-like-each-other-so-much-way) - actually that overheard phone conversation would work for any of these ships.

suggested prompts, art-specific: - festival clothes!! - put some wings on some of them. now it's bird romance, which is for birds - (i lied, this isn't art-specific at all, wingfic is always welcome in any of its forms) - just pick up your whole boyfriend and carry him like that. maybe even kiss him.

Or please do remix it with any of my general tropes listed above!

Oofuri

suggested prompts: - Hanai and Tajima really. struggle to get together. for like a bunch of years probably? Tajima copes with it by patiently processing his emotions in a healthy way and enjoying some casual dating. Hanai copes with it, as he does all things, by not coping - The ways Abe and Mihashi learn to take care of each other… Mihashi cooking 4 Abe… T_T

Promare

i simply think the twink and the himbo are in love.

Ace Attorney

favourite klapollo dynamic goes like this:

klavier: *genuinely and sincerely in love with apollo, in a very soft way* apollo: *furious* he's mocking me. why are you like this? klavier: I enjoy your company apollo: FINE, KEEP YOUR SECRETS

also consider: - what if klavier was a big ol golden retriever and apollo was just an angry liddol bunny. like, think about it

Or please do remix it with any of my general tropes listed above!

Wotakoi

I love that this series has three couples in different stages of a relationship: one who’ve been together for years and love each other like well-worn grooves; one who have history but have only just recently begun a relationship and are discovering each other anew; and one who probably will not bring themselves to share a kiss for another 27 calendar years.

Narumi/Hirotaka: Honestly, the main couple of a series usually goes over my head a bit, but the more i thought about these two the more wretchedly fond of them I became. The thing I think of the most is how Narumi taught him how to smile as a child; how she did things that meant nothing to her, so easily does kindness come, but that meant so much to him; and how now that they are grown, he does things for her that take no effort, but shake her foundations. I think theirs is a love that grows quietly; something that cannot change the world, but can change them.

Koyanagi/Kabakura: My thoughts on these two are not complex, but they are deeply positive. I love how huge their personalities are, and how they fit around and against each other; I love the implication that despite their endless bickering, they are not an on-again-off-again kind of relationship, and have instead chosen each other over and over again for ten straight years. I love that despite everything, they are kind to each other, first and foremost; they find ways to apologise and to take care of each other, and treat each other gently in private.

Kou/Naoya: I love every ship in this manga equally but perhaps I love Kou/Naoya more equally than the other two? They are just so kind and so silly, and so sweet to each other in exactly the way both of them didn’t realise they were missing. I think about Naoya being told that Kou is “okay with being alone”, and realising that “okay with it” and “have accepted it” are different, and taking his little baby steps to fix it. I think about Kou giving Naoya every last drop of patience he’s trained himself not to accept, and doing so because it simply makes her happy. My only concern is that they are both bottoms. I don’t have a solution for this.

suggested prompts, fic:

- accidentally dating ft. Kou and Naoya, or, “and you’ve made out how many times now? Hmm. Yeah, that’s not technically a bromance.” - 5 times Hirotaka and Narumi almost, almost kissed, and 1 time they did; the unresolved romantic tension may kill me and it would be worth it - what Hirotaka and Narumi taught each other (apart from the more mundane gaming and life skills, i believe that she taught him how to smile and be loved by others, and he taught her how to be loved by herself!) - smutty domesticity ft. Koyanagi and Kabakura — a lazy Sunday, laundry in the sun, fucking on the couch, everything easy with familiarity - (addendum to above: pegging)

suggested prompts, art: - festival clothes - someone’s getting married - naoya: *hands kou a tangerine* *hands kou a tangerine* *hands kou a tangerine* *hands kou a tangerine* *hands kou a t - red string of fate motifs

Or please do remix it with any of my general tropes listed above!

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun

seowaka: they are idiots, and they like each other very much, but they do not know. i love a tall crying boy and his short but much more powerful girlfriend.

chiyo/nozaki + chiyo/nozaki/mikorin: im rooting for her in the face of such overwhelming stupidity. one himbo is difficult enough to seduce but two. chiyo is a hero and a woman of rare courage. i like the pair and the trio equally; again, if you go with trio, it’s important that they all love each other please!

suggested prompts: - 5 times any of these ships went on a date without realising, and the time they realised - urban fantasy AU where Waka is a hapless monster hunter and Seo is an annoying but deeply harmless werewolf who’s been terrorizing his town?? - fairytale AU where Seo believes she must rescue the prince from the tower and deliver him back to the kingdom capital, and the prince, who had not realised he’d been kidnapped, thinks Seo is a usurper from a rival kingdom who must be supervised all the way back to the kingdom capital to be served her justice

suggested prompts, art-specific: - festival clothes… - nozaki carrying chiyo, who’s carrying mikorin - (seo carrying waka) - waka sleeping peacefully in seo’s presence… :’(

Or please do remix it with any of my general tropes listed above!

we made it through all the fandoms.

Thank you for making it to the end of this whole disaster; I hope at least one of the prompts sparked joy! The most important thing to me is that whatever you end up doing, you are able to enjoy the process at least somewhat, and deliver a creation that you like! I can also be found on twitter at @hawberries_ (for art) and @popplioikawa (for general ramblings). If you need some more inspo, I recommend going through my art tags for the selected ships because I put a lot of Opinions into my fanart.

[cadcnce-archived]

          BIG ASS CHARACTER SHEET FOR                    FANTASY VERSE WYLAN

I found an image while going through my files for cursed pics to send @spiritmaiden​, they had the audacity to take it and fill it out for the fantasy verse of their sky-zel, so I of course have to match the effort for Wylan because I’m not about to be shown up. It’s hella involved, nobody’s getting tagged but damn if you want an exercise in hitting your character then give it a shot. Most is under the cut because of length.

Character’s Name: Zachary Reis (Born) Wylan Rechtur (Used) Character’s nicknames: Ze (by his sister) Wy (by his friends and preferred) Zephyr (mercenary name, also what you’d see on any wanted posters) Gender: Male Righty or Lefty: Righty Age: 25-26  Height: 6′-0″  Weight: ~180 lbs Eye Color: Emerald green, bright and wide filled with a mix of confidence and playfulness. Hair color: Dark brown, messy and falling to his ears. Unkempt may be a good descriptor, but he generally keeps it down flatter at the least.  Distinguishing marks: His body is pocked with marks and scars from fights and other disagreements, but the ones most easily discerned are knife scars on his hands, and a short arc above his left brow. Describe physical traits in one passage: A good way to view him is concealed strength and agility. He’s toned and in good shape but doesn’t often dress or carry himself in ways that would flaunt this. His posture and pose are loose, and his expressions can be lazy and playful. So the moment he flips that switch and uses the full brunt of his power? It’s a surprise. He’s also a bit on the lanky side, his body size doesn’t fully compliment the size of his limbs. 

FAMILY/ RELIGION

Parents: Mother and father were disappeared/dead when he was just a bit over 6 years old and his sister was an infant. They were involved with the church but not royalty themselves. Wylan never spent much time figuring out what. They had a life left for him and his sister that he threw away as well. His father was a gentle soul while his mother was razor sharp and firm. Siblings: Younger sister, Katelynn Reis, but goes by Lyn with her friends. Wylan calls her Kat. She’s ~5 years younger than he, and remains with the church training and working as a healer. Whereas Wylan ran away from being a Paladin, she stayed strong to become a Cleric.  Significant Other: Verse dependent, Wylan typically is averse to romance and prefers casual encounters.  Children: None, nor is he open to them initially in his canon.  Other relatives: None remain living that he is aware of. He and his sister were raised by his grandmother on his father’s side, but she passed away shortly after he left the knight’s academy, when Wylan was roughly 16-17.  Pets: None. But he does enjoy talking to cats. Friends: Wylan is the type who ‘knows a guy’, he’s close with many tavernkeeps and makes nice with the adventurer’s guilds and their members as well. His work as an informant necessitates things like this. Wylan is also the type to consider most anyone he encounters and converses with a friend, whether they like it or not. His best friend though would easily be a wandering adherent by the name of Emke. I don’t care what the thread is about in some way she’s involved in his life. They’re platonic soulmates. Enemies: As a mercenary and hunter, some others in his craft would consider Wylan to be their rival, and in many cases he would view them just the same. It’s hard to say he has any enemies outside of pointedly evil factions however! Relationships (other): His relationship with his sister is an odd one. They’re still in touch via letters and the occasional visit, and he does what he can to support her with his money, but they’re not close like conventional siblings. There’s a strange codependence between them. Wylan depends on Lyn as a ‘rock’, and she depends on him as the ‘sea’. Ethnicity: Human! His origins are mostly a mix of Germanic/Portuguese if you wanted a comparison to Earth races/ethnicities. Religion: He recognizes the existence of higher powers but his relationship with them isn’t the best. As if being rebellious to his parents wasn’t bad enough he has to be tsundere towards The Light. This is noted when he uses holy magic such as wards and smiting spells and getting rebound into his own body upon use. Superstitions: He’s incredibly wary around the undead and spirits. So catch him spreading salt when he has to camp somewhere less than lively. Also give him a moment to sharpen his silver weaponry...  Diction, Accent, ETC.: His dialect is pretty clean, though this depends on who he’s speaking to, being the travelling sort he is he’s capable of lightly ‘faking’ various accents, or just being lazy with his own manner of speech. Traces back to proper speaking that was drilled into him as a child and then his own rebelliousness. SCHOOL/ WORK / HOME Education (Highest): He was well learned with the academy work that he actually accomplished. While he never finished and never put his all into his studies, it was clear to his teachers that he had a gift for learning but a problem with conviction.  Degrees: None! But just so I still have something here, one of his informal titles is ‘The Gale’s Fang’. Vocation/Occupation: Jack of several trades, wrapped up best as a mercenary informant, and a monster hunter. He’s good at tracking both people and monsters and taking them down- lethally or not so much. Employment History: Wylan was fully involved with the knight’s academy from the age of 6 to 16, so for those 10 years he had his hands full dealing with that and trying to figure out himself (poorly). Upon leaving the academy after the accident, he took up arms and was given tutelage by the thieves’ guild which taught him how to use his senses and move quietly through the shadows. Wylan didn’t make a good pickpocket, but he was good at reading other people and exceptional at duels. It wasn’t long before he took the advice of the guildmaster and made better uses of his talents. Not necessarily for good, but for more profit. By the age of 22 he was an accomplished and well connected informant, bartering information as well as putting his swordwork to use headhunting and slaying monsters that made issue outside the cities in which he frequented. This continues to current/canon start of interactions. Salary: He’s affluent enough not to worry too much about his state of living, but he can be prone to splurge spending that puts him in a bind for a few weeks at a time, at least until the next job puts money back on the table. Status and money: Continuing off the above, he’s decent enough with his funds (after sending money back to help out his sister) but wouldn’t be well off enough to be considered rich compared to his modern verse. Fortunately he has enough renown that jobs aren’t too hard to come by for him. And many barkeeps and friends are willing to open a tab for him. So he’s not too desperate.  Own or Rent: Wylan typically rents inn rooms when he stays in the cities, and camps when he’s out in the woods. Technically he also owns if you count helping his sister keep her own place running (thought it’s really about 30-70, with his sister funding most of it)  Living Space: Wylan never stays long at the room. It’s a place to go back to and sleep. Personal belongings? Very few. Most things he owns that he wouldn’t want to lose stay back with his sister kept in a basement or separate room that he uses on the rare times he’s back in the capital/holy city from which he originally hailed. As you can imagine, this isn’t very often.  Work Space: N/A! He doesn’t have one! Given his work is almost entirely in the field. Main Mode of Transportation: CATCH A RIIIIIDE. Though he’s apt to have a horse around for transport if he isn’t going too far. Long voyages for when he changes locales would probably be hitching a ride with a caravan. He also doesn’t mind voyages on foot too much. PSYCHOLOGY Fears: Externally he has an aversion to ghosts and spirits. The concept of the dead coming back to haunt you isn’t something he much cares for. Having access to light magic should mostly assuage this, and yet it can give him goosebumps anyhow. Ironically he has a fear of large mammals in his modern verse but that shit doesn’t apply here given he’s a monster hunter! Internally he fears being forgotten, not making a name for himself, and dying before he can truly feel alive.  Secrets: His birth name, Zachary Reis, isn’t something he will bring up with anyone. It’s not necessarily a ‘dead name’ for him, but it’s one he threw away the same time he decided he was going to toss away his ‘fate’ as a paladin. Taking the name of Wylan was another way he took his life for himself in his mind. Despite this being a path of self destruction. His sister is also something he doesn’t often bring up unless he very much trusts that person.  IQ: Surprisingly high. He picks up a lot of information doing the work he does, but you wouldn’t be blamed for not believing this. Eating Habits: They could be a lot better. He eats enough to get by, but his diet isn’t as varied as it could be. Wylan hunts small game when he can, but he isn’t an exciting cook so ALAS. This boy prefers hitting up taverns and getting basic meals like stews, jerky, sandwiches, etc etc. Sleeping Habits: Wylan is a very light sleeper. Typically if you so much as step into the room he’s sleeping in he’ll snap into awareness. It takes a loooong day of exertion to keep him sleeping deep otherwise. Frustrating is how he ‘fakes’ being asleep. So someone could come in and start rummaging and he would still breathe and move as if he were still sleeping. Up until he sits up and stares or cracks a joke. Dare you to kiss him when you think he’s asleep.   Book Preferences: History tomes every now and then. Wylan doesn’t read much fiction and prefers any time he spends reading to be somewhat productive! Make up for other education he missed as part a result of running on the academy. He also reads up on magic and sorcery to work on the wind affinity he also has.  Music Preferences: Wylan doesn’t play any instruments but he DOES love love love to dance and sing. He’s an entertainer at heart and loves to rally people however he may. Suffice to say he’s amusing to go drinking with. And not just because he starts bar fights to amuse himself. Groups or Alone: He’s primarily a lone fighter. Some hunts he will of course work with a team of other hunters, he’s not stupid enough to take on the larger beasts by himself, but there’s a preference for doing things on his own terms. He’s self aware enough to know that his ways and methods can be grating, but ah... how all of that clashes with his desire to show off and have an audience. Being Wylan is suffering. Leader or Follower: He’s both, but prefers to be a follower if he can help it. Let other people make the plans then nudge them this way and that to better fit your own methods. He’s a prankster and a good compliment to most parties after all, so you’d be wise to utilize him! Lest he utilize himself... but that said, he’s an anti-hero, so there’s possibility in there for him to be a leader as well and take charge. It just isn’t his default nature and he’d rather not. Planned Out or Spontaneous: Wylan is chaos incarnate. Most everything he does outside of necessity/work is spontaneous. All his mischief and plans are cobbled together and thrown out there. Sometimes he’ll do a bunch of things at once, like throwing a bundle of darts at the wall to see which ones stick. And oh my fucking god don’t get me started on being romantic he can’t plan for shit in that department. Journal Entries (Do they keep one?) Nope. Not a daily journal at least. He’ll keep notebooks and the like for jotting down intel and what have you for jobs he takes up. But most of the time he’ll just have little notes in his pocket, and not really chronicle his life. He may also make ‘fake’ entries to tease people or trick them. See what he did to Zelda the one time. Be careful what you believe... Hobbies, Recreation: Tricks!! Sleight of hand!! Cards and dice!! Part of growing up and learning with a thieves’ guild is getting involved in lots of things that make use of your hands and dexterity. He likes playing random games with folks and oh! People watching. Stalking. Not the cutest thing but Wylan makes a hobby out of ‘testing himself’ and exercising his talents. His hobby is unfortunately annoying people, to summarize. How Do They Relax: His hobbies help him to relax! Also, if you can believe it, sitting back in a group conversation and watching the conversation happen and move forward. Learning about other people is something he likes doing, which is hypocritical since he can make himself so difficult to learn by contrast. BUT THE REAL THING HE DOES.. is practice sword fighting. Slow rhythmic swings of his blade, almost like a dance. He focuses his thoughts and calms his soul when he practices. It’s like a mix of swordfighting, dancing, and yoga. Controlling himself. Feeling himself. It’s multiple things.    What Excites Them?: PEOPLE. Things! Happenings! The unknown and pushing himself to new limits. Honestly one of Wy’s biggest drives is doing something or becoming something that will make him ‘Feel Alive’. Because for all of his antics and frivolity he’s very much fighting an encroaching darkness in his soul. So he’ll search out bizarre things to get involved in. It’s one of the reasons he’s bugging Zelda, because her involvement in witchcraft and his own suspicions have him interested huehue. Pet Peeves: Being ignored. Like perfectly disregarding his existence and whatever he’s getting up to. If you’re not reacting to him being him then that means he’s not being effective and he’s losing. It’s his only real weakness...  Prejudices: None. He’s not the most respectful person so most everyone, royalty or important or otherwise gets subjected to similar treatment. If anything, the more important you are the more likely you are to get annoyed! Attitudes: He’s usually with a front, a mask if you will. His general attitude is curious and nosy, but that’s fronted with a playfulness and proclivity for being annoying. Don’t be fooled, he’s usually something more pensive and calculating underneath that exterior. Wylan actually quiets a fair bit once that mask is taken away, his mood swings down and his tone is a touch deeper. Stressors: Things going awry and his friends being put in danger. He absolutely does not do well with people he cares about being hurt. One of the worst things that can happen to him is his sister dying for example, and has lead to one of his most self destructive plots I’ve written, in this verse especially. Lovers? Don’t hurt them. Don’t endanger them. The idea of rivals or enemies going after people he cares about.. hoo. MAN. None of that please. He can be SO damn possessive. In relationships he’s very self conscious as well of fulfilling their needs. So if his partner remarks, regardless of how offhandedly, they’d like more of something he will TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.  Obsessions: Being an absolute pain in the ass. And in cases where someone has wronged him or someone close to him? Tracking them down and getting closure/revenge. That shit takes him to the brink of killing himself. Addictions: None to the point of being problematic, but he does love eating pickles.  Ambitions: To make a name for himself, to be renowned and respected. To feel alive and accomplished as a person. He’d also like to take down a dragon someday. Get some armor from its scales and a sword out of that shit. As Seen by Others: Capable and dangerous, but impossible to work with for long periods. Keep a tight lip around him lest he use that information against you and learn things you’d rather keep secret. A lecherous womanizer. As Seen by Self: A body of broken glass, encased in a shell, covered in masks. Who are you? What are you? Where are you even going? You’re lost. You’re aimless. You’re swimming and swimming and eventually you’re going to be tired, aren’t you? ASTROLOGY/PHISIOLOGY Birth Date: October 10. Time of Birth: Evening. Western Astrological Sign: Libra Traits Associated with Western Sign: Social, Clever, Unreliable, Diplomatic Traits Associated with Chinese Zodiac: N/A, seeing as I don’t age Wylan with the years this doesn’t really apply. Handwriting: Clean when he needs it to be, but otherwise a quick script with lots of pen strikes. He’s capable with drawing diagrams and the like as well! This boy can throw out monster diagrams with weak points and other ecological notes oh yes yes. Sexual History: Wylan was already exploring that sort of thing before he left the academy, so yes... as early as 16 he’d already lost the v-card. He doesn’t really do relationships and enjoys casual encounters. Many a maiden at the bar or elsewhere has taken him for a spin. Typically partners aren’t reoccurring in fantasy verse, however. He’s... well, very good in the performance category.   General Health: A+ healthy aside from the sleep and subpar diet bits. Strong and good stamina. Medical History: He’s nearly died one times too many. Been stabbed, cut, poisoned, bitten, but hey he’s still alive! And that’s what he’d argue matters with this business. Allergies: SHELLFISH. Chronic Illnesses: None to speak of. Handicaps: He’s somewhat of a type B tsundere. It’s awful.  OBJECTS Purse / Bag: He’s got a coin purse that he’ll carry spare gold around in for spending on what have you. Supposedly food but he’s weak to splurge purchases. Most everything else he keeps on him in his pockets and his belt. Wallet: Uhhh see above, coin purse!!! He’s got enough for the week or so!! Don’t try and pickpocket him because he will catch you and you will feel stupid. Fridge: He doesn’t keep food around. He more or less has to scavenge for everything he eats either through buying or hunting. That’s kind of the life for the vagrant he is, isn’t it? Medicine Cabinet: N/A, but he does keep bandages and salves at his room.  Glove Compartment: N/A!! Junk Drawer: NNNNNN/AAAAAAA Kitchen Cabinets: Wylan get a house so I can fill this out challenge. Bedroom Hiding Place: Behind a wall panel or somesuch if he can manage. Otherwise in the floor or outside the window. Closets: His wardrobe typically includes tunics, coats, leather armor and harnesses for his weaponry! He’s got a couple swords in fantasy verse, and he’s got throwing knives and a grappling hook!!  Backback: Yeah uh see above, what a question. Locker: None Desk: WYLAN KEEP ITEMS AROUND CHALLEEEEENGE.  Clothes pocket: Daggers, notes, maybe a writing implement and paper so he can jot things down. He’s also got little knick knacks like a gem or a monster tooth to show off. Isn’t it cool??? Also lint.

OTHER Halloween Costumes: Werewolf!!! Get him in either just a lazy one with gloves and ears or deck him out in the whole garb. Love that idea on him. In one verse Big Bad Wolf is his nickname, and in another he flat out IS a werewolf! So yeAH. Tricks: He’s very skilled at sleight of hand!! Card flourishes and dice rolls. Cup games. Illusions and dexterity... he’s a slippery one! He’s also likely to catch you in words, using things you say against you. He gets really meta and oh how annoying that can get... Talents: SWORDPLAY- He learned from a very early age at an esteemed academy where only the best knights get trained. He mixes that style with a more ‘street’ type that he picked up with the thieves’ guild and even further as a monster hunter and mercenary. Suffice to say that all mixes together into multiple stances he can switch between depending on what he’s up against. Strong sweeping strikes, vicious stabbing and leaping, poised dueling and parrying... he’s a TOUGH fight. MAGIC: Wylan is at odds with his use of holy magic that utilizes the light to bless and heal. Until he comes to terms with himself and the power he wants to channel it’ll have ‘blowbacks’ on himself. Fingers will burn, head will ache, and his stomach will flip. But it’s still undeniably effective for where it is! Aside from that he knows some wind magic to supplement himself. He’s not known as ‘Zephyr’ for nothing after all! Gusting steps, slashing winds, REALLY BIG JUMPS!!! If you throw him he’s a fantastic projectile! And lets see- DANCING! He learned it first as part of his etiquette as a knight, but it’s something that’s evolved with him and oh does he enjoy festivals for that reason. Ballroom styles are what he’s most familiar with. Dance with him. Please dance with him. Politics: Indifferent! Doesn’t care for authority figures to begin with so in any case or kingdom with a monarchy he’s very buh about it. He’s very self-accomplished and his beliefs would push him towards meritocracy over anythign else if you ask me!  Flaws: Suspicious, possessive, and very persistent. This could be a strength too but for the most part can be seen as a detriment because of how it ends up being applied. Which is in self-destructive tendencies WOO. He’s also very lustful, and can be distracted by a fine woman and let himself be swayed by his desires over time. Have I mentioned he isn’t the most reliable? He’s apt to lie to people and give intentionally wrong impressions just to make it easier for him to slip away. You gotta go up a few levels to unlock that... So yeah, sins are WRATH, LUST, and ENVY. Strengths: NONE. Okay if you earn a solid place as his friend there is almost NO limit to what he’ll do to protect you. Wylan has a ridiculous amount of determination and mental fortitude and he can and will strike down a GOD to keep those things that are precious to him. He’s also an amusing character to have around, if you are feeling bummed he is almost guaranteed to find a way to cheer you up and support you if only so he can not feel as guilty teasing as he usually does HUE. He’s got a very up beat personality! Sure, a lot of it is a mask but he WANTS it to be real and that’s what really matters if you ask me. His reckless optimism can be endearing. There’s a lot of other surprising mental qualities such as how clever and quick witted he can be. Part of that mental fortitude lets him think and fight on his feet regardless of how much pressure he’s under. It takes a LOT to dampen his thought processes. Drugs/Alcohol: He drinks frequently, but he wouldn’t be counted as a drunkard. Wylan rarely drinks to excess, and prefers to do so among friends and good company. Passwords: Uh, do ritual prayers count? Magical spells? Heh. Email Address, Home Page, Blogs, etc.: Oh if only this were for modern verse... Time and place: Medieval fantasy! Magic and creatures! I also love throwing Monster Hunter vibes in for the big monsters he goes up against. Special Places: For him? Cliffs overlooking the ocean. Abandoned temples he can just chill at. For all he enjoys being around people now and then he really appreciates quiet isolation. Special Memories: Lots of memories with his sister before they more or less split ways. There’s one in particular where he was trying to teach her swordplay when she was just a little girl, and she about stubbed his toe when the wooden practice sword fell right on it. Her panicked attempts to try and heal him were something that really stuck with him.

[lifesliced-a]

i’m going to be talking more about ren and hina with their individual and combined experiences since japan’s laws on prostitution give some leeway to the sex industry as a whole. obviously the below content warnings are due to them being of a sexual nature, so discretion advised. 

that being said, i’m aiming to take this from a respectful and technical approach to a character that lives a very different life than some of the other characters on this blog. also this is really, really long. i tried to do my research here as well as tie my character into all that research.

HOST STUFF / REN’S MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB:

hina and ren have a small age difference of just a year, both having gotten into the industry at a young age ( both 18 ) .

as a host, ren is pretty strict in the day-to-day about hosting. it is exactly as it seems: he hosts and he manages the club.

it’s smoke and mirrors basically, catering to having drinks, flirting with customers, and basically entertaining them. a host can touch the patron, but usually not the other way around. ren is a little less strict to this in his own management of shining!, so long as it falls under the guise of socially appropriate ( returning a gesture from a host for instance, or a hand on the shoulder ) . 

hosts are allowed to give their numbers and often take their clients on dates, which in turn leads them back to the host club to make more money. the goal is to keep revenue coming in. shining! is aimed to the ‘classic’ experience, what many would think of in reference to ouran aesthetically speaking ( and not much else ) . as much as i keep ren at a dissonance from that show overall so as to not be confused, the idea of shining! started as a tourist attraction / pop-up. it no doubt drew that crowd in, and quite purposefully given that foreigners and locals alike were apt to visit. it was a pop-up for a few years before having permanent residence in the red-light district. it’s supposed to be a diamond in the rough; a place for affordable class.

ren was part of the original set of boys hosting for the ‘pre-shining!’ days, and is the last out of them to have not moved to another club / part of the industry. he was chosen just before he turned 19, having worked at another smaller club before he was scooped up. 

WHO RUNS SHINING! BEHIND THE SCENES?

his name is ishikawa goro ( though ren doubts this to be his real name ), and is a member of the yakuza, utilizing shining! for purposes mostly beneath ren’s nose. he started the pop up, he hired ren, and he got the business off the ground while entrusting ren to manage it. ren was known as umi then. goro was the one that suggested he go by ren, finding it fitting for him.

he has been involved in ren’s life for almost ten years based on where ren’s primary verse picks up, and has basically been a formative figure in ren’s life where one was lacking. there is no sexual element to their relationship, though ren had a slight affection for him at first that was quickly realized to be a more fondness. 

goro’s appearance changes often, mostly his hair color. he goes from natural black through shades of brown and blond often, wanting to keep himself from being noticed too often. he acts as a part of the underground.

he comes off pretty cool, collected, and in control. he has all the chips in favor, the deck is stacked, the game is rigged. he tends to give the illusion that power is shared, or that he’s out for everyone’s best interest, but he typically has his own interests at heart. he will do whatever fits agenda. if helping benefits him, he’ll help. if not, he typically won’t intervene. he finds reasons to do things that might not directly benefit him, but those are solely motivated by personal interest. he has a soft spot for children, and tends to be aggressive with offenders that are dangerous to children. this is ren’s best selling point honestly.

WHAT DID REN DO BEFORE THERE WAS A PERMANENT LOCATION / DURING OFF-SEASONS?

when the club wasn’t completely profitable as a full-time position, ren definitely learned early to work around the law. japan’s prostitution laws allow for a lot of loopholes --> read about japan’s laws on prostitution and what sex workers do / where they work to get around these laws. 

>>>> “ Prostitution in modern Japan, as defined under Japanese law, is the illegal practice of sexual intercourse with an 'unspecified' (unacquainted) person in exchange for monetary compensation,[1][2][3] which was criminalized in 1965 by the introduction of article 3 of the Anti-Prostitution Law (売春防止法, Baishun Bōshi Hō). ” <<<<

this leaves the door open to other acts that sex workers can engage in outside of ‘sexual intercourse with an unspecified person’. that basically means they can’t engage in traditional sex with strangers for money, but could have paid sex with an acquaintance. this does not mean they cannot perform oral sex and other sex acts that are non-coital are permitted to be paid for by unspecified persons. there is a term for the industry that i’ve come to understand is like an overlaying term for many different places with different business called ‘health’.

in ren’s case, he’s used this as a strong argument for having paid sex with clients as they are ‘in his realm of acquaintances’. he meets his private connections via the locations he’s worked at, primarily shining!.

ren kept a small string of locals that came to the pop-up location in his black book to keep a small revenue coming in from 19-21. shining! is a running business with four walls by the time he’s 22, to which these connections grows, and he becomes busier ‘moonlight’. however, from 18-21, he did work at a few other locations to supplement cashflow. he has also temporarily returned to some of these gigs shortly after kyosuke was born, and during his transition between apartments ( to which he is currently living at 27 ) .

ren’s options, in comparison to hina’s, are a bit more limited in being hired in what one could consider a “legal establishment”. a lot of his work is reliant on his customer base from shining! and other connections. so when he wasn’t working at shining! or meeting with regulars off the clock ( or ‘friends of’ his regulars ) , he acted as a male equivalent of what’s called ‘delivery health’ which is basically a type of call girl. ironically this is what ren transitions to full-time after leaving shining!, having built up a solid customer base as he follows his former #2 host**

** this host, sho, is a major connection in ren’s life. ren hired sho at shining! to be the genki type. despite their initial differences, rne and sho realized quickly their opposing appearances and personalities could make them more money together than apart. they’ll host together or bounce off each other ( “see how mean ren is to me!” or “see how difficult sho makes my job” to play sympathy ) , which quickly moved to them hosting after hours together. individually they do well, but together there is more profit. they also have an affair together on and off. **

SO WHERE DOES HINA FIT INTO THIS? SHE’S A HOSTESS, RIGHT?

she is! hina met ren when the club was a pop-up, coming to be hosted after constantly having to host. ren understands, as he’s done the same. their connection was pretty quick. 

before hosting, hina’s first job as a sex worker was as an onakura, and she did that for six months while trying to work a few part-time jobs. finding herself, similarly to ren, unable to rise above her circumstances, she quickly quit that to pursue more money.

for a short period she worked as a call girl, but eventually found hosting to be her saving grace while still remaining in the industry. she was given the opportunity by a friend who was a hostess at the time, and had suggested she apply. cleaning herself up, hina excelled quickly, and is quite good at her job. 

where she used to moonlight for $$$, she now gaslights ren for cash due to their connection as mother / father to their son. he always obliges. there is love in that love-hate.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

how it all boils down --> both hina and ren are essentially sex workers, though ren is more into the realm of prostitution than hina is. he is the primary caretaker for their son, and his mother, and thus his financial burden is far greater. 

a big reason he leaves his manager position is because a) it’s not going anywhere and b) he can’t let sho leave without him. now that he has a clientele that’s more than several individuals, he can work effectively as a “man on call” and get a larger pool from there. his services are more open, more direct, and not under the guise of ‘hosting’ anymore. they still fall into being advertised within the legal confines, but he’s still in the red light district: at the end of the day, ren is ( and has always been ) a prostitute. there’s nothing wrong with that, and in reality he really is the one that has the hardest time coming to terms with the technically terms for his career. he’s only doing what’s been the oldest profession in the book, and he’s filling a niche that’s more saturated by men wanting women and not women wanting men ( or men wanting men ) .

over time, ren has definitely acted outside of the law, but he mostly does what he can to stay within the legalities forced on him. the reason ren got into this wasn’t originally to go full-in, more needing some quick cash after he had to drop out of university and take care of his mom. from there, it sort of just spiraled, and he was in situations he was either too young or naive to understand, or was just making bad decisions. by the time he met hina and got her pregnant, there was no way ren was going to get out.

he traditionally hosts women more than men, though he sleeps with men and women rather equally with men being a slightly larger margin. there is a stigma of gay men living openly, and he provides comfort as a temporary lover. they can pretend he is their own / their boyfriend for a night.

while most of his female and male partners, for their own reasons, seek him for comfort and sex, others have been more violent. it’s no shock or secret that, especially acting independently without shining! to back him, ren has found himself in trouble, or just some extreme sexual situations.

he’s been hit and choked, which is not uncommon, to full on beaten up. he takes it as some clients just like it rough, and he’s there to provide them whatever kink they pay him to indulge. his motto is: i like what you like. a husband has walked in on him, but didn’t seem surprised. he’s been with couples, has been passed around, and basically is keen to do whatever he has to leave the situation still able to go to the work the next day as ren / come home at night as yori ( kyosuke’s father ) .

** at some point during their time together at shining! through their time post-shining! that ren pursues some cam-work with sho. he usually is masked as they do ‘live-streams’ where they perform with / on each other at the discretion of the chat. this is an on again / off again type of deal, though they typically do well, and get a good portion of views from westerners **

[bells-of-black-sunday]

Monster au (the l.egion)

Same jobs as modern verse no jail or prison time for anything they did in Ormond because I am lazy:tm:

They’re out of highschool and they all live together in a shitty home in a not bad, but not great part of town and they’re just trying to get any work they can get

They still put on their masks every now and then and go out and vandalize and commit arson and rob the richer part of town, they just can’t do it as often as they’d like

Frank

werewolf

Tall, he’s 6′5 now and even taller when he’s full doggo 9′3 also still 19 for simplicity

Just like normal verse, he was passed through many a foster home though he was mistreated a lot more due to his werewolf status and humans natural distrust of him and his nature that only grew more unruly with age. As normal he found himself in Ormond and made his home with his 3 other friends.

Frank still has a desperate want to fit in, something that’s stuck with him throughout various schools and homes. He tries to make himself look as human as possible by shaving every day, not smiling too often as to hide his fangs, and trimming back his claws. His head hair grows too fast to him to even really bother cutting it short every week, so he just keeps it up and out of the way.

Still closeted as hell, it’s just another insecurity on top of everything else

He keeps a close eye on the moon, having several calendars around his room just to make sure he doesn’t forget what phase it’s in. He only transforms on full moons, though he’s grown not to hate it as much now that he’s not constantly ridiculed for it. Though Julie and Joey tease him for being essentially a big dog, he’s kind of grown to look foreword to it. embracing a part of himself he felt ashamed of for so long.

Julie

vampire

Still 5′8 and 19 for simplicity though she is really not looking foreword to immortality

Pure vampire, not turned one, both her parents are among high society and she really couldn’t care less, whatever fancy labels they want to call themselves she doesn’t really care for. To her she's just a vampire, that simple.

The sun burns her skin and hurts her eyes, she finds it incredibly annoying and tries not to be outside during most of the day and when she is she’s wearing long sleeves and pants trying to cover as much skin as possible. Sunglasses, hood up standing in the shade.

She gets blood from blood banks, she technically can drink animal blood, but it’s not as good for her and she doesn’t like it. She’s not an ethical vampire, she doesn’t care.

Very protective of her friends and outwardly impatient and sarcastic with people outside of her friend group, she just doesn’t trust people

She has no contact with her family and she couldn’t be happier

Susie

Siren

Still 5′0 and 18 for simplicity, she gets longer in the water going up to 8ft purely by her long eel-like tail

Same as Danny she is legally allowed to kill one person a week though due to her slow metabolism she has no desire to outside of the legal time span

Her voice can mesmerize and charm anyone who hears it, thus why she chooses to talk around friends, she’s learned ASL as a way to talk to strangers even if she opts out most of the time.

As much as she’d love to live near the water, she doesn’t want to deal with the hassle that comes along with it. Nobody likes a siren, but especially not near boats. Ponds and rivers is where she tends to spend most of her free time, talking with Julie while she paints.

Her eyes may be white, but she can see perfectly fine. It’s just a by product of relying on people to imagine what they want you to look like when you charm them. The more detail they can project the better.

She only gets her long tail when she’s wet, it is incredibly inconvenient. She has gills on her ribs that she has to keep wet and maintain even when out of the water that is also incredibly inconvenient

Very good relationship with her family, her mother is a siren and her fathers a mermaid she took after her mother while her little brother took after their father

Joey

Demon

Still 6′1 and 18 for simplicity no extra height

a demon in a human skin his family left hell to escape the growing political tension around a thousand or so years ago, he’s the youngest.

Being able to blend into society a lot better than most monsters, his tattoo shop does pretty well for itself

It doesn’t take too much for him to keep up his disguise, and he doesn’t have to eat anything special to keep himself alive so it’s not too inconvenient.

He’s the friendliest one of the group not really caring about too much about what either humans or monsters are doing

Just like Susie, he has a really good relationship with his family and is half human which helps a lot of things

He’s immortal, but ages like a normal human physical aging stops at around 40

[spiritmaiden23]

OK!!! AU TIME!! I’m a lil sleepy bc I took some sleeping pills ;v; by accident. Excuse the errors in this post, you will def see why I always log out once I take them for work hweoh ;v; let’s get going. Today I bring you, Priestess Zel in Dark Fantasy... tomorrow? Who knows?

The time period of the verse doesn’t really matter, it’s very flexible in that it can take place during modern era or somewhere else down the timeline... considering Zel is an immortal goddess time has no meaning to her as such she doesn’t understand a lot of things pertaining to the outside world considering she spends most of her time in Faron Woods! Wondering around the area and trying to pick up the shattered pieces of her for you see, Zelda has lost her memories and her heart dun dun duuuuun!!!

She’s a here goddess, namely goddess of the lost souls Hylia who’s supposed to look after the souls of those tied to mortal realm and guide them to the other side. She collects these poor souls, purifies them, and grants them rest and reincarnation by sending them off to that world. An incident, however occurred after fighting against the demon lord Demise who wants the souls to eat as a means of gaining power, as such he steals souls of the dead and living. Here, he in fact wins the battle against her and it ends with her defeat. He shattered her heart into pieces and Hylia has lost her identity, powers, and divinity. She had no name and she wonders around as a priestess due to the rare healing and sealing magic she possesses, a remnant of her powers ;v; she goes by the name Zelda and believes herself to be human! She is mortal, technically, and in her current state can die. 

She’s actually lost and more than likely sealed away in Faron Woods which is at the heart of The Lost Woods, which is why she doesn’t really have any of her memories despite spending hundreds of thousands of years in the woods. Time doesn’t really exist for her so she has no clue what’s going on outside the woods. Faron Woods and The Lost Woods are both actually sentient! There’s a rule to everyone in the lands of Hyrule that no one is to entire the forest on the account that it may be alive along with dangerous creatures residing in there. The woods is a lot like underwater where there are large creatures floating around the place.  

Besties with the Deku Tree and koroks along with the Kokiris and fairies!  

Doesn’t come across humans that often, in fact never does!! She’d be excited to meet another human! 

The gods are actually looking for her since the world outside of Faron Woods is, for the lack of a better term, fucked without their goddess guiding the hundreds of lost souls. And Demise be out here eating them all because of course he does. Each soul carries an essence of life, if one were to eat the soul they can gain powers and are that much closer to immortality the more they consume.

And of course, spooky dark fantasy elements are here... this is all I can type up I am sorry that’s the extent I will come back to this post tomorrow. 

Doodle doodly doo! She has a flower in the center of her dress!! And and!! A skull in the center of the flower as well as on her chocker because we need vague goth elements in her, although she wears super simple clothing. She does wear a flower crown with a veil behind it but I can’t draw that, it’s a gift from the children of the forest aka the koroks and kokiri!! She carries a knife around just in case ;v; The dress is two layers, with one being down to her hands.. maybe wrist area while the other layer goes around the the ankles!! It’s white, as a call back to her spirit maiden dress ;v; 

[aion-rsa]

Industry Review: HBO Finance Drama is Softer-Hearted Than You’d Expect

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In 2020, it’s hard to imagine a workplace that engenders less sympathy than the trading floor of a City bank. A puppy-kicking farm, perhaps? The Trump Campaign? Being asked to experience fellow-feeling for the people who choose to work in the gurgling bastard tank of corporate finance is a tall order. We all recognise City traders as the bad guys – to a one, rapacious, conscience-free, Patrick Bateman-alike monsters who’d sell their grandmother a bundle of toxic assets if it turned them a profit.

A viewer could be forgiven then, for approaching a drama about a cohort of graduate interns at a top London investment bank in a spirit of mean-hearted glee. What knobbers has the show lined up for us to loathe? Will it be all burning £50 notes in front of homeless people, doing bumps off the face of a Philippe Patek and high-fiving over sex workers’ backs, or just mostly that? We’ve seen The Apprentice. We know what enjoyable rage a pocket square and an Etonian accent can inspire. 

Well, forget about using Industry as fuel for your daily Two Minutes Hate. This show is no  Succession-like zoo of the morally corrupt. The ambitious young people killing themselves to land these coveted positions, it turns out, are human beings like the rest of us. Clever. Driven. Vulnerable. And – against your every instinct – easy to root for. 

That’s down to power, or a lack thereof. These kids (some Oxbridge graduates and Old Etonians, some bright sparks from elsewhere on the the class and geographical map) may have been on top of the pile at university, but at fictional setting Pierpoint Bank, they’re on the bottom rung. That makes them the comparative underdogs – a bundle of fresh-faced young potential you start off wanting to see running for the hills, and then quickly shift to wanting to see absolutely bossing it.

Quite how they absolutely boss it is a total mystery. Unless you’re already versed in the ways of the trading desk, none of Industry’s work scenes will make the slimmest slice of sense. Precisely no allowances are made to get the finance-thick viewer up to speed, which could be considered intellectually flattering, but is more likely down to the fact that it’s simply impossible to explain to civilians. You’ll have to watch the trading scenes like a dog watching a human conversation: Gibberish gibberish STRESSED VOICE gibberish gibberish HAPPY VOICE gibberish gibberish WALK?

Luckily for the financially challenged among us, there’s loads of sex and drug-taking in between the misbooked non-farm payroll errors, and that’s all very easy to understand.

Read more

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By Louisa Mellor

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The Undoing Review (Spoiler-Free): Classy Thriller With An All-Star Cast

By Rosie Fletcher

Episode one is directed by Lena Dunham – whose Girls was clearly an influence on the tone. There’s mild satire amid the life-or-death trade deals and hedonist shagging, all built on a foundation of non-judgement at these young people who’ve chosen a career with rich financial reward but that places them under geological pressure. 

One reason for this show’s empathetic, if not quite apologist, approach to high finance and the young people who want to work there, is its autobiographical inspiration. Screenwriters Konrad Kay and Mickey Down met at Oxford University and worked in London investment banking after graduation. Down lasted a year and Kay lasted over three, but both emerged with a particular perspective on the rarefied environment and the stories it could tell. 

It’s an environment with striking and – as the writers tell it – natural diversity in ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, class and gender. Investment banks like to call themselves meritocracies. Be the best and earn your place. Industry prods usefully at that idea, exploring how far it does and doesn’t apply. It’s a naturalistic portrayal of the modern, competitive workplace with convincing texture. Even if you’ve never stepped foot on a trading floor, you’ve probably shared a Tube carriage or a pub smoking area with these people. They feel real.

Much of that is down to the cast of mostly newcomers, led capably by Myha’la Herrold as new American recruit Harper. Our main PoV character, she’s an outsider with some intrigue in her past, and an engaging, revealing relationship with her older mentor Eric (Ken Leung), the immigrant Roger Sterling of the piece.

Marisa Abela does terrific work as Yasmin, who lives rent-free in Notting Hill in her one of her non-dom parents’ London properties and therefore has a great deal of ground to make up in the goodwill stakes. Yasmin is precisely the kind of character whose ‘How I Spend It’ money diary would inspire rage on Twitter, but after four episodes, I like her and – thanks to the writers and Abela – might even understand her. 

Harry Lawtey plays Robert, “a whole snack” according to Harper and Yasmin. Even he, the Prince of Canary Wharf, has vulnerabilities in the form of his cheap suits and estuary vowels. David Jonsson plays Gus, who’s written his life plan on the inside cover of a copy of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. Informer’s Nabhaan Rizwan plays Hari, who’s desperate to seem keen and buys in to the whole 24-hr desk, sleep is for wimps toxicity. Rounding out the cast in supporting roles are Humans’ Will Tudor and Skins’ Freya Mavor. It’s a good ensemble, think Skins meets This Life.

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Get past the technical language in the first episode (engage your dog-brain), and what’s left is an appealing character drama about timeless themes – youth, ambition, sex, relationships and status. It wins you over. By the end of episode four, you might even start thinking that… greed is good?

Industry starts on HBO on Monday the 9th and on BBC Two on Tuesday the 10th of November.

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