#so choosing not to invoke that

[ainulindaelynn]

Extremely random thought for your Wednesday (or Thursday, depending): I just encountered the term alexinomia for the first time and now I'm so so fascinated (and also laughing about the fact that there's unintentionally a name in the term for apprehension of speaking names).

But I've always felt that way? I RARELY use people's names. Rarely. It effects both talking to people and talking about them, but usually only the former. And its more pronounced with people I care deeply about - the more deeply, the less likely I am to use it. As an example, I don't remember the last time I said my partner's name to them and I think the total instances could probably be counted on one hand in the entirety of our ten year relationship.

It's not always a good indicator of affection though, because sometimes I'll push past that deliberately as a mark of emotion. But that's like.... terrifying lmao

There's just something so bizarrely intimate about names??

Since reading it I've been confounded by that element of it being more difficult the closer the person is. I read a few articles and it seems like there are widely ranging opinions on the topic as a whole (wide enough to toss the lot out imo) and for me at least, I don't think it's social anxiety. It doesn't feel trauma based. It's not my shotty memory. It's just... very specific. And it feels about connection.

I was explaining this to my partner and I think I figured it out, at least for me:

Names (any name a person feels intense connection with, given or chosen) feel intimate to me. Period.

And using one feels like striking that intimacy intentionally.

And I'm careful about that.

But I also think (and maybe in weird for this), the way you feel about a person is usually evident in the way you say their name. Not necessarily the inflection or circumstance, although sometimes. Something about the syllables? I don't know. It feels transparent most of the time.

Which, if true for other people, means saying someone else's name is revealing about my own feelings toward them and however much affection is (or isn't) behind it. Which is why people who are closer are often harder. It's more vulnerable. It's easy to say someone's name when, in my mind, they are at arms length, when I don't care about how they receive or how much they reciprocate.

Idk, that's such a strange social phenomenon and now I'm curious if other people experience this too and if it's for the same reason?

Such a bizarre thing.

[lizzybeeee]

DATV explaining the 'Regret Prison'

A REGRET PRISON IS STUPID AND I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT ITS NOT

TL;DR: a prison can serve as a metaphor but it shouldn't be entirely comprised of a metaphor.

From what I understood from what the game gave us: Solas has made a new prison to move the God's too - since bringing down the veil would free them from the Black City. This new prison is separate(?) from the fade or so far removed/contained that bringing down the veil would not compromise it...apparently. We interrupt his ritual, Solas gets sucked into the new prison he made, and the elven gods are free.

When Rook gets kicked into the fade they're physically there - which means it's a physical place in the fade, like how it was a mixture of physical/thought when we entered it in DAI. Which makes sense - the gods are real and living beings, they need to be in a place, there must be some aspect of physicality to it.

Alright, cool, it's a Black City 2.0 - I assume it's better defended to prevent people breaking in/out again?

NOPE.

We get there and it's a 'regret prison'?? It's tied to the regrets of those within it? Composed of regrets??? Solas had to wait for the right moment for Rook to be sufficiently 'full of regret' that they could switch places?

So is the prison tied to Solas's regrets? If so, how can Rook escape? The prison seems to work around the idea that it relies on the regrets of the person it's holding to work - which is how/why Rook was able to be trapped and later free themselves (along with whatever remains of the team apparently being able to do something on their end, not that we hear about it).

WHICH IS STUPID!

Are you telling me the prison intended to hold to megalomaniac elven gods was going to imprison them based on their own regrets? Is Solas assuming that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain are as self-pitying as he is? They'd break out quicker than Rook did! He made a time out corner for the elven gods to sit in and gave them an out if they reflected on their emotions/regrets or decided that they don't regret what they did. Elgar'nan, a spirit of tyranny, is not going to 'regret' his actions - he is going to justify them by telling himself and others that he knows what's best.

We can come across some of Solas's regrets in the prison if you run around a bit and explore:

Remnant of Failure - talking about the orb from Inquisition.

Remnant of Parting - talking about Mythal

Remnant of Reflection - more vague, talking about the Titans I believe.

So maybe he altered it - maybe he intended the prison to be 'locked' with his own regrets because after a millennia of having a pity party he still can't bring himself to self-reflect and look to the future. But what if Solas died? Or if his guilt lessened - would it diminish the strength of the regret prison?

We already have pre-established lore (though DATV has shown they don't really give a crap tbh) that once the being that has claimed/altered an area of the fade is slain, it's influence diminishes both in and outside of the fade. So if the prison was tied to his regrets then it would require Solas to basically live forever to keep it stable - especially if he brought down the veil and removed the one barrier that kept the world and the fade apart.

Rook and Solas needed some assistance to exit - but it doesn't seem like it was much! Solas used his dagger and Rook just...got out through a fade tear? This is Solas's 'more secure' second prison? It has a worse track record than the Black City! If Rook - who is not an elven god - managed to escape the regret prison what is to stop anyone else from breaking in and out of the prison?

And what did Solas intend to do with the blight - the bulk of which is apparently in the black city?? If bringing down the Veil would free the gods in the black city doesn't that mean that the blight would also be released?! Did he have a plan? Why does he go fully ahead with bringing down the veil at the end if the black city is still there and filled with blight?!

I get it: the 'regret prison' is a metaphor for how Solas holds onto the past and how Rook can move past their regrets and grow. He's trapped by the past - it's a prison. Cool. But this prison is supposed to by a physical place to contain the gods - not just to solely contain Solas. The mission is literally called 'A Cage for Gods'.

The Black City is an actual place that's so far out of reach of anywhere else in the fade that no mage can ever reach it while in dreams - let alone physically, which was only done once and took tremendous effort/blood sacrifices. It made sense - it was cool to see floating in the sky in DAO!

Though it's not said specifically, it's strongly implied that Arlathan is the Black City. You can see in the concept art that floating elven city is exactly the same as the black city in DAO! It's this foreboding thing just lurking in the sky - a constant reminder of the sin that led to the horrors of the blights and darkspawn. A real place with lore and history that also serves as a metaphor for the hubris and destruction of those who call themselves gods and act as tyrants -> for both the evanuris and the magisters.

I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS BIOWARE!

WHAT IS THIS KINGDOM HEARTS NONSENSE???!!

[antirepurp]

i don't WANT realistic video games i don't WANT a million physics simulations and ray tracing and skin pores i want whatever the fuck shadow 05 and sonic 06 were doing with their level designs and art directions and i want it NOW

[rotzaprachim]

שם עברי: אסא בן-ירון

Nombre hebreo: Asa Ben-Jeron

Galactic Standard: Cassian Jeron Andor 

Rabbi Tarfon Said: You are not required to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. - Pirkei Avot 2:21

[nejackdaw]

Man... I love the concept of Eragon's spellcasting so much. Usually spells draw on some sort of mana pool, in books and games, and if there's not enough left you simply cannot cast the spell you want to cast until there is.

Magic in Eragon doesn't care if you have enough "mana" left. Spellcasting in Eragon says "you invoked something ancient, and it is going to draw off your life in order to do what you asked, even if it kills you." You cannot stop once you start. Spellcasting is incredibly dangerous and takes a ton of training to (1) know your limits and what will go beyond them and (2) slowly, slowly increase that limit.

If your endurance and constitution are high enough, you can cast a complicated spell and come out of it feeling exhausted and kinda like shit, but it's done now. If they're not high enough, all you can do is sit there and slowly die knowing you made the wrong choice.

Idk I had a dream last night that used Eragon style magic and it was like WOAH

[jaypgartifacts]

october is coming. which means, of course, that it is time for the horrors. tfw the dream self must confront the Nightmare Self

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

Stuck on the idea of vampires as a kind of reverse fae, or like someone's twisted, perverse attempt at moulding humans into fae.

They're repelled by liminal spaces.

A vampire could never enter fairyland, not just because they'd never be welcomed, but because most of the usual entry-ways are naturally barred to them.

They can't cross running water. They can't be seen in mirrors. They will wait forever at a crossroads, unable to pick a direction to go in. They can't even step over a thresh-hold unless there is absolutely no ambiguity about whether they are welcome inside.

They crave human blood, iron and salt, but are repelled by herbs and plants. They are supernaturally prevented from harming you unless the rules of hospitality have been invoked.

A fairy may replace your newborn child with something unnatural and ever-hungry. A vampire will do the same, but with your grandmother's corpse.

The fae are typically associated, even in stories where they're the bad guys, with flourishing and purity. Vampires, even in stories where they're the good guys, are typically associated with decay and corruption.

The fae turn ancient human burial mounds into fancy halls for their courts. Vampires take ancient human castles and let them grow mildewed and cobwebbed, exchanging the beds for coffins, turning them into burial places.

Fae don't tend to live among humans, but can generally pass for them with relative ease if they so choose. Vampires nearly always live among humans, but tend to find not revealing themselves a huge struggle.

I can't think of many stories I've read where fae and vampires even exist in the same universe, let alone ones where they actively interact. I feel like their enmity is almost more inevitable than that between vampires and werewolves, however.

The rivalry between vampires and werewolves is, essentially, the rivalry between two apex predator species who share a territory. (Even in stories where the werewolves aren't actually hunting humans.)

The vampires hate the werewolves because the werewolves interfere with their access to prey. The werewolves hate the vampires either because they consider themselves aligned with humans (the prey species), or because they are also predators and the vampires are competing with them.

By comparison, I think there's some story potential in the fae finding something genuinely creepy and uncanny valley about vampires.

They're immortal, like them, but also dead. They can be beautiful, like them, but that beauty is something they actively require humans to sustain. They like to inhabit beautiful and ancient ex-human dwellings, like them, but they actively work to make those places dark, damp and empty.

Fairies who are unflappable in the face of all sorts of Otherworldly monsters, can look an eldritch horror in the eye(s) without blinking, and have never been phased yet by any human, but will recoil from even the weakest vampire.

Vampires who hate fairies just as much, but in a more envious way. The way that the creature for whom immortality is a curse is bound to hate the creatures for whom immortality is an eternity of sunlight and laughter.

Maybe their touches burn each other. Maybe vampires can't stand physical contact with anything so alive and vital. Maybe immortal fairies become ill from too much exposure to the undead.

Maybe they fight over the human population when their territories overlap. The fairy need for servants and people to make deals with, competing with the vampire need for thralls and blood to drink.

Just… fairies and vampires. We need more stories about them interacting.

[phantomsies]

die for me • a. artlert - kinktober part one

“..once I get inside, you’ll wanna die for me..”

kink: drug play

📝 other themes and things: producer/artist!armin, fem!black reader, drug use (coke use, percs in nether regions, you get my drift), fingering him for .2 seconds, mirror play, choking, oral sex (m. receiving), backshots, heavy kissing, squirting, spit play, pet names, prone bone

wc: 2.2K

📃 foreword: hi lovelies! just wanted to say thank you for allowing me to start fresh and supporting my work/transition throughout all of this. Also, being patient with me bc I’ve been slow as hell about posting again!

═✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿═══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

euphoria. It’s a feeling of excitement that manifests in different forms..a sensation achieved by the best experiences. Some get there by taking substances, others through thrill seeking. And for Armin Artlert?

“Oh God…yeah, that’s it, beautiful. All the way down…”

it was the fulfillment of his carnal desires…a constant high he’d chase with liquor or whatever narcotic he was choosing to divulge in for the evening. Just one of his many, less than savory vices. He knew it wasn’t a lifestyle he could maintain forever..and hell, it may even catch up to him sooner rather than when he’d like. But for now, he was enjoying the chaotic ride and every bump it had to offer along the way.

“Ahh!—fuck…good girl. Now hold it..I know you can do it, baby. Just take that dick to the back of your throat f’r me..all the way.”

it was an evening like the many others (y/n) (l/n) spent in the company of the famed producer and notorious bachelor. You’d spent the entirety of your day seated in a high chair as makeup brushes patted your gorgeous face. That delicate crown filled with luscious, kinky curls sat atop your head and was styled for a photoshoot. It was in the midst of a break that you’d return to your dressing room, greeted by a dozen roses..along with the charming smile of your beau. He was adamant on the fact that he despised interrupting your work but he truly couldn’t help but to sneak in some quality time with you. It was widely out of character for him and quite frankly, hell had a better chance of freezing twice over than Armin being monotonous! However, you’d invoked quite the change in him and it was so obvious, it was almost laughable. He’d inform you that he wanted you to finish up your job without pause but tonight, he’d be coming to scoop you up and he wanted you all to his lonesome.

fast forward, and that plan became reality. Now here you were..being all but defiled on his bedroom floor as you sat with your thighs slightly spread and upright on your knees. Saliva had pooled and trickled down from your mouth to those plump breasts he adored. Your pretty face practically smeared with spit and his precum. A beautiful, delicious mess, all of his creation and he loved it.

“Here, open your mouth, beautiful.” “Mmmm..thank you...”

With that, he greeted you with another lob of spit whilst gently tugging your head back. That’s when you’d begin to devour that thick cock whole..from the base to the tip with little resistance. Swallowing every inch and allowing him to hollow out your throat as if it were nothing. It was no unbeknownst secret to him that you were pretty damn freaky of your own volition. Hell, there were instances that you’d made him tap out but you were on an entirely different wavelength at the moment. You were practically insatiable and Armin was enjoying every waking second of it! A grin would stretch from ear to ear on the producer’s face when you’d take his shaft into your palm and stroke it. Meanwhile, your lips suctioned around those swollen balls, alternating between them to place gentle kisses and licks along the veined perimeter.

“You’re such a good slut for me, baby. Oh my gosh, I love you..you’re going to make me come so hard, I swear..” his tone was almost desperate and whiny as you continued on. But perhaps, the best was yet to happen when he felt a foreign sensation emit throughout his body. Those gorgeous brown eyes had become dilated and you were practically unstoppable.

“Am I making you feel good, daddy? Like when I spit on this fucking dick for you?”

“Yes, sweetheart. You’re doing fucking amazing. Make sure you get all that precum too..”

So much so, that your head would completely lower onto his shaft, taking the entire thing down your throat and holding it in place with minimal gagging. You’d stay there for a few seconds longer before coming up and emitting heavy strings of saliva with you. Once you did so, strings of your bodily fluids would seep down his pelvis and once it did, you’d use that makeshift lubricant to tease his other entrance.

“Fuuuck! Baby… ‘S so good..swear I should marry you right now.”

Nearly reducing him to a babbling mess. Constantly doting on you as you awoke all of his carnal desires. Exploring and opening his eyes to things he’d never experienced. He’d had his fair share of sexual encounters but there wasn’t one girl who’d ever pushed the boundaries the way you had. He had fallen in love all over again at that moment. One could even chock it up the heightened sensitivity you gained when taking drugs. It were almost as if both of you were in another reality and completely out of your heads. He’d even sniffle a few times, wiping his nose from the powdery substance he’d consumed earlier. You on the other hand, had been given a pink tablet that had melted on your tongue and since, (y/n) had lost all sense of morality and self control. The only thing on your mind was fucking him until he passed out and vice versa.

What was even more attractive was that you hadn't stopped moaning around his shaft and stroking your clit since you’d been down there. Becoming increasingly more aroused and soon, you’d need something to fill that ache in your womb. Fingering yourself hadn’t been quite sufficient, despite your orgasm already. With a deviant grin on your face, you’d begin to giggle and lob more saliva around the entire area; even making slurping motions on his that sensitive sack.

“Yeah? I’ll really let you do whatever you want to me then.” Ironic considering that you had already surpassed limits that other girls wouldn’t dare. That’s when he’d lean forward and place a deep kiss onto your lips, shoving his tongue into your mouth and clutched your throat in the process.

“That’s very..very good to know. Here, do me a favor and crawl over to the mirror, sweetheart. I’ve gotten something for you.”

suddenly, you were on all fours..swaying your hips as you followed his instructions. Like a lynx in the wild who couldn’t be tamed. His view was consumed with that round, plump ass and those fat pussy lips in the back and it was enough to make his cock twitch once more. Coated in precum and spit, Armin stroked himself, bucking his hips up into his palm before joining you on the floor. His knees were grazed by the furry carpet whilst he mounted behind you. The giant reflective glass perfectly captured both of your expressions in that moment. Grinning from ear to ear, completely dazed but certainly not confused. You both knew exactly what you wanted. Those pupils had become dilated and the surrounding areas bloodshot…

“Look at you..so perfect. You have no idea how beautiful you are, baby…” it was whilst he was talking, the desperate blonde reached over and retrieved another small baggy from the bed. It was just one of many substances he’d procured for the evening. Affectionately dubbing them his ‘party favors’. He’d usher you to back up against him as he maneuvered so that he was somewhat positioned underneath you. With your thighs spread to the opposite side of his own and that ass placed atop his crotch, Armin would place a hand into the center of your back to ensure that it was slightly arched.

“There we go, sweetheart…keep it just like that.”

Meanwhile, he’d run a singular thumb between your wet folds and that puckering asshole. All of it was so perfectly on display for him. Sucking his teeth, the famed producer would go on to extract the pill from the baggy before teasing it against that other entrance. It took a moment for you to get acclimated but it didn’t take long for the sensation to kick in. That puckering hole accepted it with ease and immediately began to take effect. Strings of your arousal were already leaking but once he inserted that tiny tablet, you were practically insatiable. That dazed expression on your pretty face became all but a permanent fixture…drool seeped from the corner of your mouth and your pupils remained glossed over.

“G-aghhh…I love it..makes me so fucking wet..”

Armin, becoming ecstatic at the sheer sight alone uttered a laugh as he navigated your hips until that dripping cunt was positioned right above the aching tip of his cock. “Yeah, you always did like these…I swear you’re the only person who would let me do some shit like this.” “Well you’re the only man I’ve met, willing to do it..so I guess it works out.” The two of you exchanged another set of laughs before the real action began.

“Can I put it in now, angel?..”

“I’d be pissed if you made me wait any longer..”

“Somebody’s eager..that’s my girl. Now stay still.”

foaming both at the mouth and entrance to be stuffed full of him, (y/n) would take a glance back and await his next move. Suddenly, you’d find yourself releasing a loud moan and arching your back even further as that swollen tip penetrated your hole. The initial feeling was like none you had ever experienced..it always was as if it were the first time with Armin. Hell, that’s just how amazing the sex was. But it was something about those substances coursing your veins and adding fuel to the fire that hit differently. In a matter of seconds, you were both trembling but could not stop. Slowly but surely, he’d feed you deep yet rhythmic strokes, trying to maintain his composure.

“Oh my gosh…look at how wet you are already, sweetheart. This pussy’s so creamy.”

Just as you were beginning to become acclimated with those strokes, Armin would increase his speed and begin to feed you more rhythmic thrusts. His hips snapping against your backside as he dug his nails into your flesh. The collision of that thick ass made it all but impossible for him to maintain his composure.

“Mmmmph..that dick feels so good..so deep in me..”

“Yeah? I’m not even in your spot yet and you’re already dripping. Might have to feed you some of this shit more often, baby.”

the soft whine escaping your lips as your head tilted back and it allowed him the opportunity to coil his hands around your throat. It was then that you were met with a slight hinge of aggression. Not in a violent or mean way but it was stemming from the fact that he was overstimulated. Those drugs were coursing through your systems at rapid speed so any sensation you felt was increased tenfold. Every thrust, every thrash, every touch and every glide in and out of those wet folds were driving him crazy! The same applies to you..every stroke became far more intense than the last and that ball of climatic energy began to swell in the pit of your stomach, ready to burst at any second. Strings of dripping warmth began to stain his exposed thigh and the carpet underneath your clashing bodies. Before long, those minimal droplets would expand to a large puddle as he caught a glimpse of your face in that mirror…you’d watch your own reflection as your body jolted around and suddenly your eyes were at the back of your head.

“Shit! I’m fucking coming!..”

“Theeeere we go, sweetheart. Squirt on that fucking dick..good girl.”

Whilst you released a heavy stream of warm juices, Armin would keep a light grasp on your hips as he allowed you to ride out your orgasm. Those sweet moans and shrill cries pooled out along with those divine droplets of your bodily nectar. It wasn’t long before you’d find yourself writhing around underneath his entire body weight though…as he had maneuvered you into a prone bone position shortly after. Pinning those wrists behind your back, Armin would then plank himself atop of your trembling frame; bucking those hips against the rippling flesh of your ass. The sight of that recoil alone was enough to make him reach his own peak. But alas, he’d maintain his stride a little bit longer. After all, neither of you had any plans of quitting any time soon…the adrenaline of the moment and the influence of those substances were keeping you both amplified beyond what should have been normal human capacity. But perhaps, the strongest one of all flowing throughout your veins was pure, unadulterated lust!..an insatiable desire for one another that couldn’t be kicked with the strongest of rehabilitation. It was a night that had only reached its beginning stages and who knew what lay in wait next…

“I’m gonna play in all these pretty holes, baby…I don’t give a fuck how long it takes. Not gonna stop until we pass out..you know how I like it.”

and it was a venture that you were looking more than forward to!

[tealvenetianmask]

Stolas's Trolly Problem

I've been noticing the all too common "Stolas is a bad dad" takes coming back post-"Mastermind." For the thousandth time, no he's not. But let's engage a little.

The argument goes like this. "Stolas is willing to throw his life away and make Octavia suffer to save his lover. So he's choosing Blitz over his daughter. He doesn't care about her enough."

I invoke the trolly problem. There are all kinds of variations. You're on a bridge over some train tracks. The train is headed for three people tied to the tracks, but you have your hands on a lever that can divert it to hit just one person tied to the tracks instead. What do you do? What if that one person is your loved one? What if the three people are all elderly and have already lived fulfilling lives? What if you have the chance to sacrifice yourself so that no one else has to die? And so on . . .

This is Stolas's variation of the trolly problem:

The train is headed toward a loved one (Blitz) tied to the tracks. Stolas doesn't want to live in a world that doesn't have Blitz in it.

There's no lever, but he's standing on the bridge.

Stolas can save Blitz by jumping from the bridge and throwing himself on the tracks in front of the train. But he'll die (as far as he knows) and he'll harm another loved one, Octavia, who will lose her dad.

Stolas also recognizes that his own actions played a role in Blitz ending up in this situation, so I think a feeling of responsibility nudges him a bit as well in the direction that he chooses.

He's responsible for Via's wellbeing too. *casually tearing my hair out*

Here's the thing about the trolly problem though. THERE'S NO GOOD CHOICE, and certainly no objectively morally correct choice. Otherwise it wouldn't be hard.

Either way, someone Stolas loves deeply gets hurt. Either way, he will not come out unscathed himself. So protect Blitz from death or protect Via from the pain of loss? I think that for him the choice is easy, but both options are objectively horrible.

And getting furious with him for making the wrong choice is missing that point.

I saw this awesome non-fandom comic yesterday that points out a major flaw in the trolly problem, and uses it as a metaphor for systemic oppression. You should all read it. Essentially, it's this: WHY. THE. FUCK. Are we debating the morality of saving one person or another when we should be asking WHO IS OUT THERE TYING PEOPLE TO FUCKING TRAIN TRACKS?

Which I think is at least part of the point of "Mastermind." We focus on Stolas's choice, but everyone in that courtroom who sentenced Blitz to death had a choice too . . . one where no one had to suffer at all.

[threetrenchcoatsinatrenchcoat]

Why Dev Patel failing to jump out of a window is so cool

This era of movies tends to skirt the line of satirizing so much as to stand for nothing. The tradeoff of sincerity for meta humor is not in a ratio I recall voting for. I get wary every time a story possibly maybe makes fun of me for caring about it, and I've come to accept that I think of sincerity as a fragile thing. But fragile is not the same as meaningless.

Let's talk Monkey Man. Bobby/The Kid/Dev Patel is trying to get out of a building and leaps sideways into a window, ready to smash through it and land on the street. He clunks against it, he falls to the floor out of frame, the window remains fully unscathed, and the action music cuts out. A beat. Then he gets up, the chase keeps going, and the music kicks back in. In a lesser movie, this choice is saying, "Aren't action movies stupid? Anyways I guess here's an action movie." On the other side if nothing is ever changed, it's saying, "Aren't action movies perfect already? Anyways I guess here's more of the same." It's great when you can subvert expectations in a way that doesn't undermine everything else, so here's why this isn't undermining its premise and even enforces it.

First off, after coming back in, the music keeps playing and being a legitimately exciting beat underscoring the rest of the scene. The joke knows when it's over and gets out of the way. Second, this trope is a great target for this bit; windows are so much more reinforced than this genre ever credits. But then the magic is that the entire rest of the movie is consistently brutal. The window bit comes from a unified authorial voice that also earnestly digs into the action before and after it. A deliberate drawing attention to the difficult realities of action only works if the rest of your action does hit harder than the fare of movie you're invoking.

And Monkey Man delivers. Every henchman takes so many hits before going down, and the hits are bloodier, closer, and quieter than Hollywood action. And the last thing that makes it work is that it only happens the once. It brings up John Wick and rather explicitly claims this movie will be smarter, and it does the joke with the window to ask you to take the violence seriously. Every time a movie distances itself from its genre, it's making sincerity take so much more work every other minute. Lots of movies give up on it entirely. This movie chooses the work.

[shishuri]

I honestly think Lakan's character design is smart.

Lakan's character design was made to be sus AF. When he was introduced, either in the manga or in the anime, the first thing you would have thought was "this guy looks sleazy", or there is an immediate reaction of, "i hate this guy". Because he has a generic design for an actual sleazy, character, you know that character in any anime that with one look, you know he is the bad guy. It also adds that Maomao's response to hearing that he is nearby or she could possibly meet him was with wary or fear, in case of the anime, that one jumpscare scene of angry Maomao.

And then we finally get to see him in action, he presented himself as this drunkard high official that seems like he would take advantage of anyone and everyone, he would take the woman he is infatuated with, with force. He invokes hate and disgust, it is fueling the 'hate bonfire'. we would never root for this guy, we hoped that he would never get Maomao ever.

And then we get the chapter Balsam and wood sorrel, Lakan and Fengxian's history, we got slapped so hard with their reality, and all that hate bonfire got immediately doused in one swoop. He was the opposite of everything we saw him as the audience.

He never forced himself upon Fengxian, he loved and respected her too much for that.

He wanted to marry her, it was against his will to just up and leave her after they had their first night.

Finding out that Fengxian was gone broke him.

She was the only person he could see her face and she was gone.

And then he met Maomao, he sees her face too, he described her as like a Wood Sorrel, the nail polish Fengxian used, this was their child and all he wanted was to be with her and raise her.

After all that the biggest gut punch for us the audience is when he was about to choose the Courtesan to redeem, without getting Maomao's hidden message. Meimei bless her heart, she was also inlove with him but she still led him to Fengxian, after all those years and all the damage to her face due to Syphilis, he still recognizes her voice and her face, she was still the most beautiful person he has ever met.

We the audience judged him right away from the moment we met him, but all along we were so wrong in a way. He is just a doting father to his children and loves his wife no matter what.

If this doesn't invoke the iconic

You need to check if you still have a heart 😂

He is admittedly sleazy when it comes to his job as a strategist,but that's besides the point cause that's his job lol..

[saphig-iawn]

A Simple Question

As a general rule of mine, I try and make the little hypnotic spells I weave into my playthings bespoke in their design. While the outcome of a spell maybe similar, the journey to that destination is tailored to each one.

For instance, if I wanted to hold my Doll in place I could simply tie the calming feeling of their body slowing to a halt to the word 'freeze'. Its simple, concise, but its a bit too common of a word.

There can become a numbing to its presence in the everyday life of a Doll. "Put that on or you're gonna freeze.", "Can you get the food from the freezer?", 'freeze' becomes mundane. Its power, diluted.

The words I choose to weave into my Dolls have a presence. They place the spotlight on themselves when they wind from my lips into their mind.

It makes no sense to me to limit myself to just something short to cast a spell on my Dolls.

I refer to my hypnosis as magic and spells because there is pleasure to be found in the mystical nature of something indescribable like hypnosis, and treating it as such.

So, peppering the air with short, sharp stabs of vocabulary can make conversation feel transactional and impersonal.

But invoking a spell with a phrase or a whole sentence? Therein lies the rub.

And so, this is where I have grown to love a certain little question.

One that would feel like Cupid's arrow striking their heart when they heard it.

One that a sweet submissive doll, before any of my spells have been woven into them, can't help but answer with obedience.

One that a Doll of mine would never dream of resisting once my green ribbon had found purchase in their mind.

In common parlance, it is a cheeky asking of a favor, but with me it is an extension of my will.

It is a pulling of the strings that I gave you when you submitted to me.

It is a natural extension of the new you I shaped.

It is the fulfilling of your new purpose.

Are you ready to hear it, and obey?

Good.

Now...

Would you be a doll, and say "Yes Miss Saphi"?

[idkman-ijustwannamakeatournament]

Round 2: Match 9

"Two Sides of the Same Coin"- Two things that are regarded as part of the same thing. Even if they're very different, they have at least one common thread that helps them fit into this trope.

Propaganda (under the cut):

Hajime Hinata and Nagito Komaeda:

"Both of them grew up talentless in a society where talent is basically everything, where the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy believed and enforced that if you don’t have a talent then you won’t ever really amount to anything or live a fulfilling life.

The difference between is that Nagito accepted his place as a “stepping stone” for people with talent, viewing himself as worthless unless used as a tool, while Hajime tried to get into Hope’s Peak Academy and discover a talent so he could be confident in his future, taking drastic measures (signing up for an experimental project that ended up erasing his entire personality) to become something more. the parallels between them make me unwell"

Stanley Pines and Bill Cipher:

"They're both conmen voiced by the show's creator Alex Hirsch, but while Stan is just a shyster who spent his life selling vacuums, going to prison in Colombia, and impersonazing his twin brother for 30 years, Bill is a demon who makes deals with people.

Bill throughout the show tricks people into making deals with him that they often regret. He makes a deal with all 4 of the Pines' family members, but only Stan was the one to trick and out-con Bill, which leads to both their demise (Stan got better).

In his last moments, Bill invokes "AXOLOTL", the "ancient powers" so that he may return. In the choose your own adventure book, it turns out that the Axolotl is a giant cosmic being, that made a deal with Bill. It says,

"If he wants to shirk the blame, He'll have to invoke my name. One way to absolve his crime. A different form, a different time."

This lead to a lot of speculation, but one of the most popular theories is called "Same Coin" theory. It says that Bill was reincarnated non-linear into the past as Stan, which explains them having the same voice actor, (tho so do other characters), both of them being conmen, Stan "redeeming" himself by defeating Bill, and why Stan's memory returned so quickly after being mind-wiped to kill Bill."

[inthenameofloveforthesakeofpower]

iamhalsey: Day 8 of counting down to The Great Impersonator, October 25th ⭐️ THE GREAT IMPERSONATOR #8: the mystical madame herself STEVIE NICKS!. TRACK 5: PANIC ATTACK. There were so many looks to choose from but I HAD to invoke this witchy ballerina from Rumors. That pose was NOT easy to do while controlling the tulle! Stevie, as we know, is made of magic ✨

[revelboo]

I love Everything Is Alright sm and GOD i feel so bad for Megatron in such a specific way. Imagine you're in charge of a group of astronauts and they keep running off to go fuck the alien fauna, like bestie I'd be losing my shit too.

That’s pretty much what’s going on. 🤣 Poor guy is having a breakdown over all of his followers being deviants. I feel almost bad about how much fun I’m having in traumatizing Megatron- I swear I really do like him. I just also love making it worse. 18+ content

Everything Is Alright Pt 92

IDW Starscream x Reader, Soundwave x Reader, Megatron x Reader

• Choosing to ignore the furious Seeker, Megatron turns his attention to Soundwave and curls a lip. “For Primus’s sake, cover yourself,” he growls. Hand lifting to run over his face, he gestures at Starscream. Hears the Seeker actually hiss at him, wings flared and he ignores that, too. “That isn’t a pet.” Or maybe you are. A pet they frag. It’s not like this mess can get any worse. “Are both of you bonded to it?”

• It?! Spike still buried inside you, he’s aware of your little hands clinging to him. Of your fear and the way the bond amplifies it. “Keep away from my sparkmate,” he snarls. Stiffening as Megatron turns his stare on him, those cruel optics narrowing in calculation. Trying to figure out how to use you against him. To hurt him. Spark aching when you hide your face against his neck. Painfully aware of how fragile you are and that his frame is all that’s shielding you from Megatron’s anger. So it’s a surprise when Soundwave stands and moves between him and Megatron.

• “My sparkmate,” Soundwave says, hating the lie even as he makes the claim. Knows it’s necessary, though. Because if you only belong to Starscream, you’re as expendable as he is. Aware of Megatron’s dislike for the Seeker and that it isn’t wholly unwarranted. Starscream’s deliberately invoked his wrath so many times with so many plots and schemes. So Soundwave lies to keep you safe. And because he wants that, wants to keep you, hold you in his arms. If keeping the self destructive SIC on a leash is the cost, he’s willing to pay it for you.

• Why does it have to be like this? Holding onto Starscream as Soundwave lies to their leader, you just wish suddenly there was somewhere you could run away to with them both. Just the three of you. But you know how incredibly selfish the thought is as soon as you have it. To ask them to leave everything they know just for you? Star’s spark is still connected to you, tendrils of energy snaring you like he’s trying to hold onto you despite the threat looming over him. The feel of him wrapped around you helping calm the terror, because in his arms you want to believe it’ll be okay as foolish as it is. That feeling of safety singing through you despite the danger.

• “Of course, it is,” Megatron mutters. Two of his commanding officers both sparkbonded to an organic alien. The same alien. Why not? It’s not an epidemic of xenophilia, it’s an epidemic of insanity. “I understand having impulses, but this?” Sees Soundwave stiffen slightly as he gestures at Starscream and the human. His communications officer at least having the decency to look slightly embarrassed about it, the Seeker still glaring and defiant. “You understand that just because you’re fragging it, doesn’t mean it changes anything. You’ll bring me the… pet before reporting to your duties.” And he can try to figure out what you’ve done to both of them. Some sort of pheromones? The interfacing can’t just be that good. So, it must be something you’re doing- some strange human mind control making his Decepticons all crazy. And Shockwave can figure it out since Hook is also compromised now.

• “You think I’m going to hand over my mate?” Starscream snarls, ignoring the warning look Soundwave shoots him. So furious he’s shaking as Megatron stares him down. Not again. Please. He can’t just give you to that sadist. Before Megatron had only thought you were a pet, but now that he knows you matter? Knows what you are to him? Tries to lift up, intending to fight and you cling to him. Hook a leg over his hip. Hears your frightened, little ‘don’t, please’ and his spark hurts with it. Because he’s still connected to you, can feel that fear isn’t for yourself it’s for him. And it tears through him, the unfairness of all of it. That he can’t just have this one thing, the only thing that really matters. “You’re not invincible,” he growls at Megatron, not caring if the warlord hears the threat there. Because to protect his mate? He’ll burn the world down around him.

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[yuurei20]

I just finished the new chapter drop on EN and may I ask why Idia freaks out about Ortho (robot) calling him by name?

Doesn't everybody except Malleus call him Idia? When Ortho (robot) shows up in the dream world he even has this line "And why are you calling me Idia...?"

He doesn't know who Ortho (robot) is, right? So why WOULDN'T he be called Idia? Or am I missing something?

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 💀🤖

This is just a theory, but I think maybe what has happened is this! ↓

We know from Yana's interview that the story is complete and that she is not the only one who knows what is going on:

"The full main plot that I was to share with Disney seemed linear and uninteresting, so I submitted character details and sub-plots at the same time." - Toboso Yana (2023 Apple Store Interview)

But it is possible that Aniplex USA are not in the know 👀

The English-language translators can only work with what they have, and it's possible they haven't been told what points are going to be recurring, etc., so changes that they make to the localization that would be innocuous in any other situation are turning out to be important later on--and we have seen this before, also with Idia!

Idia has a line of "Leave it to your big bro (nii-chan)," which is extremely important.

We see that he used to say it to human-Ortho when they were children, and it uses the nii-chan variation of "big brother," not robot-Ortho's "nii-san"!

Every time Idia says it, he is invoking human-ortho.

But it seems Aniplex USA might not have known this about the character until the same time as the rest of us: when they got to Book 6.

As a result there are earlier instances (Book 5 and Ortho's ceremonial robes vignette) where Idia says his oft-repeated line and it was either rewritten or just removed entirely from EN.

And this is possibly what has happened with Ortho's "nii-san"!

While robot-Ortho has been programmed to refer to Idia as "nii-san" (and chooses to continue doing so for himself after Book 6), human-Ortho would use "nii-chan," in what seems like a throwaway character detail that is actually so important it was practically a plot point in Book 6.

More here:

That is what confuses Idia in Book 7! A humanoid he doesn't know has appeared calling him "nii-san," which no one has ever called him before.

But Aniplex USA possibly didn't know how important this was going to be! Ortho was localized to say "Idia" every time he says "nii-san," so that is what this scene became: Idia wondering why someone is doing what everyone does (call him "Idia"), possibly making it seem odd that it bothers him.

And unfortunately for the poor translators this just kept repeating in this chapter!

Originally Idia is confused by the three different entities all calling him "brother," but on EN he is just wondering why he is being called his name (which EN itself established as the status quo).

And that is why it seems that Idia is confused by someone referring to him in the same way that most all the characters do ^^

This also seems to have happened with the "boom bada-boom boom boom--hah!" line on EN!

It is a direct homage to the original animated Hercules movie, but while it was recreated faithfully on EN for Book 7 it was changed to Book 6 into "AW YEAH! BOOYAH!"

Did Aniplex USA not realize that it was an homage to that specific line until they reached Book 7?

It is possible that the translators don't know where the story is going and are just doing the best with what they have, ending up in curious situations like this as new content is released that compromises changes they have made, catching them by surprise!

And we have seen this happen before, with the word "imagination:"

"Imagination" was removed from EN until Book 6, which is possibly when the translators realized that it was supposed to be important.

And it seems to be very, very important, to the point that it is possibly being set up as the key to defeating Malleus.

In a line that was retained on EN Ortho explains to Malleus himself, "Magic is powered by imagination, so you can't manifest or defend against what you don't know."

And in the original game it is a concept that was established as early as Book 1!

(I also wonder if that is what has happened with Ace and Epel having their dialogue changed from “Housewarden” to “Headmage.” Did Aniplex USA not know the significance of these two characters having issues with their housewardens, and decide on their own that Crowley made more sense?)