#the story all that is is telling to itself

[thydungeongal]

#Jumping back to the meat of this post because jesus fuck it seriously derailed later on.#I patently DO think it's unfair to call a game that has queer writers on its team as Swiftie-levels of imagined gayness ftr.#And that person who called those queer writers' work as akin to a paint coat of faux queerness... just kind of needs to pause.#And seriously think about the implications of what they're saying.#That tag set that talked about their frustrations with queer art needing to be confrontational in these classifications WAS correct.#People need to stop being so overly-fucking-critical and pretentious about what makes art gay or not.#If art has canonical queer characters. Queer writers. And queer enjoyers. Then maybe it's not your place to dictate that they can't view it#as queer or as gay in some meaningful way to them personally or in certain aspects.

Sorry but you just keep repeating the same point that's been made a number of times: queer art isn't simply art made by queer people and enjoyed by queer people. Now, D&D as a game has queer creators and is enjoyed by queer people, myself included: but the game itself does not care at all about sexuality or identity. This is not a bad thing, and I'm of the opinion that D&D as a game does not need to care about sexuality and identity. But the game is neither textually or subtextually queer.

Now is it a game that can have a lot of significance to queer people? Yes! Can queer people use the game to tell stories that resonate with their experiences? Again, yes! But as stated before, it's the players, not the game, who bring that into the game.

And like seriously I feel many people are just frustrated because they want to call every piece of art they interact with "queer" like the art catches the gay from being interacted with by us. But like. Something being queer art doesn't make it automatically good, nor does something not being queer art make it bad. Queer people can enjoy the same art as The Straights, and in fact in many cases they do!

D&D is the Taylor Swift of TTRPGs by which I mean it's something with broad mainstream appeal and name recognition and also there are people out there who pretend it's gay

[sanjisluvbot]

Yandere Batfam x Neglected Reader

A/N: recently I've gotten into DC bc a new superman is coming out this summer! Along with getting Nightwing edits on my TT I have been seeing alot of Batfam and neglected reader ( why is y/n always neglected Lmfao). Anyways as I work on my other stories tell me how you enjoy this and if you want the finished product. See you wednesday!

The smell of fire filled your lungs and you begged all above to remove the burning filing through your nostrils. You lost track of where your mother was and hoped she made it out. The heat was intense and as more smoke encased itself in your tiny chest, time was running out and there was nothing left to do but lie on the wooden floor. Just as you thought you were closing your eyes for the last time there— in his dark glory— Batman. 

The dark knight finally came to save you, the rest was history. 

You wake in the hospital, a smiling nurse adjusting you and explaining everything to your tear-riddled doe-eyed self. Everything you’d ever known was erased, there was no trace of your mother and a man from Gotham decided to take little old you in. The smog of Gotham was different than New York, it lay on top of the city like a weighted blanket and made it all the more sinister. You arrived at the manor, biting your lip anxiously as it looked like the home of vampires and every other night creature you could think of. Two men were waiting for you when you stepped out of the car, both tall and sturdy-looking eyes hardened by the trials of life. The man with oceanic blue eyes stuck his hand out, eyes slightly softening when he noticed your apprehensiveness. You reached out and felt callouses and the warmth of his palms. 

He smiled at you introducing himself as Bruce Wayne, and then his butler, Alfred. They were both doting and kind, showering you with the affections left absent by your missing mother. You found yourself often in Bruce’s lap while he worked or in his bed crying into his chest when you were reminded of your mother during the night. Eventually, you begin to call him dad. Daddy’s sweet little girl is what they called you in Gotham. You were spoiled rotten and Bruce was constantly praised for saving you from a life filled with loneliness and the perils of poverty. 

As you got older Bruce became busier, and you no longer had the time to even cuddle and watch movies on rainy nights. You inquired with Alfred about what was different, and why had he become rather distant from you. Alfred reassured you every time, but you felt a pang in your heart when he introduced Dick Grayson into your little family. He spent almost all his time with Dick now, only sparing you a glance on the very off chance that he had a break. No one would be forward with you on what exactly was going on and, as much as it hurt and your tears soaked your pillows you never cried in front of a soul. The seeds of resentment were growing within you. 

Neglect and anger were apparent. Sometimes, when you linked eyes, you could see a glimmer of the father you once adored and spent every waking minute. You were infatuated with your father’s eyes, they held every word he didn’t whisper like he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. You hoped that even without blood relation you mimicked that feature, maybe save your relationship before it’s fully weaned.

Dick wasn’t that bad in the beginning, you welcomed him with slightly open arms and apprehension. He would entertain you and your heart would flutter when he smiled. But that did not stop your bond being severed without a care.

High school rolled around and your anger boiled over, having Dick be a year older and going to the same school was a nightmare. There was an obsession when it came to you, Bruce Wayne’s youngest, Dick Grayson’s little sister, no one left you alone. Dick would only acknowledge you if the boys cooed and whistled, not even in a way an older brother would be protective of his sister. It was more of a threat. A threat entangled with possessiveness. 

At one point you lashed out, upset at him for ruining your chances with a guy you were interested in. “ Dick, what the fuck is your issue? I liked him!” your yell echoed in the empty hallway. He looked down at you, an indescribable look and you furrowed your eyebrows urging him to answer. He looked away for a moment licking his lip before turning around without a word. 

There was that flutter again. It was wrong and with the excitement came the dread of fully understanding that flutter.

Lmk what you think !

[peliginspeaks]

It's been more than two entire years since I finished BaL and now I'm using mobile data at work to be angry about Veils. Okay so. Here's the thing.

When it hunts, Veils paints itself as a beast. It tells you it's only natural for it to kill, that its appetite must be sated, that its confinement down here is to blame for its actions. This creature, who controls the silk industry in Victorian London, claims instinct is its only motivator and to accuse it of strategy or power-hunger is absurd. But when you want to kill it? Then of course it's an incredibly complex being, so much higher on the chain than you, with plans and strategies beyond your feeble human mind. The whole point of the narrative Veils paints around itself is to both excuse itself of accountability and lift itself above the very idea of being fallible, by manipulating its image to fit either mastermind or animal as it sees fit. And people fall for it. I'm not going to yuck anybody's interpretation of the story (very genuinely I love and value differences in that across players) but I see very very few people acknowledge Veils as a political threat or essentially member of government, and many more focus on the monstrousness of it and the role of instinct in its reasoning.

Bag a Legend is in many ways a story about "violence begets violence", about cycles and corruption, but it's also (as many many stories in Flondon are) a commentary on authority. Veils is, at its core, an authority figure who extended its role from political violence to at-will physical violence against its own charges. Its base role, even if it hadn't become the Vake, is violent. It is heavily involved in the Great Game as well as controlling a vast chunk of London industry, and was actively negotiating the purchase of the Sixth City when the PC killed it - a political action in the interests of the Bazaar that would have killed a vast swathe of people it has no reason to care about beyond as a resource. Even if it had never sunk claws into a person, it would still be violent and extremely dangerous. April knows it, the nuns know it, but it seems a part of Veil's strategy is to get any prospective hunters to forget about that part of its role only when it's convenient and remember it only when it's intimidating.

Incompetent when questioned and all-powerful when threatened. The parallel to real-life corrupt authority is just. Infuriatingly familiar. Excellent job, Failbetter.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Why did no one tell me about the little “omake” chapters of DandaDan?

I was today years old when I learned the existence of these little extra omake or bonus chapters of Dandadan that expand on what’s going on with some of the other DanDandan characters like the Aira and Evil Eye Jiji one for example.

I thought it quite cute that Evil Eye cared enough about Aira to help her with getting her old friends to start talking to her again. That was actually oddly sweet of him.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the Evil Eye might secretly have a widdle crush on Aira. Doesn’t have to be true. I mean it’s just me spitting here.

But I’d be lying if Evil Eye crushing on Aira is definitely feeding into my thoughts on Aira and Jiji eventually being a couple.

I DO LIKE the Jijira ship. I mean Dandadan got me wracking up new ships to love like Uno cards with each new arc.

Already I’m Team Momokarun - obviously. Otherwise why am I even here if not to suffer at the hands of Yukinobu Tatsu as he proceeds to write the most beautiful shoujo romance love story disguised as a shonen battle anime that the world has ever seen and taking his sweet ass time doing it too. That magnificent romantic bastard.

---

I’m Team Jijira - I just think they’re NEAT okay? Our secondary BAKAS IN LOVE potential couple next to Momokarun.

No seriously, I think these two can actually work really, REALLY well together if Aira would just come to her senses of seeing that Okarun is OBVIOUSLY in love with Momo and NOT her, get over him and redirect her interest to the guy who is actually always by her side more than Okarun. Meaning Jiji.

As for Jiji and where he stands on love and romance. To all the people who keep saying that Jiji is in LOVE with Momo, I raise you one important question? Where? Where is this love you keep insinuating that Jiji has for Momo?

Believe me, I have watched the anime. I have read the manga up to date and all I’ve seen so far is a good boy who just simply cares very deeply for his childhood friend and is very protective of her. Nothing more.

I mean Aira is more obvious with her feelings for Okarun than Jiji is for Momo.

I dunno man. The Momiji ship and its shippers is giving me Zutara from Avatar vibes. Ya’ll up in here painting this magnificent love story between these two characters and telling everybody who would listen about it but when you actually read the ACTUAL canon content, there is nothing to insinuate anything like that at all.

Then again, I might just be biased because even IF Jiji DID in fact have a crush on Momo … that means shit because WE KNOW Jiji will NEVER end up with Momo BECAUSE SHE IS IN LOVE WITH OKARUN AND HE LOVES HER TOO!

Not unless Tat-Tat writes an arc where there’s an alternative universe/ reverse time line type shit where Momo ended up with Jiji instead of Okarun due to weebly wobbly, timey wimey stuff.

And now thanks to Aira omake chapter with the Evil Eye, I have more reasons to believe that Jijira could be a possibility. Either way, my Jijira shipping heart has been fed.

---

I’m Team Vaminta: or Kintola? Whatever the official Vamola x Kinta ship is called. Doesn’t matter. Vamola is (literally) a queen and Kinta is her king. Nuff said!

My goat and baby girl deserve each other!

---

And finally; I’m Team Rinuma - yes, yes, I KNOW Rin and Zuma have yet to actually officially interact in the story but how can I NOT ship them prematurely. The girl with gravity powers making people float and the boy with the umbrella? C’mon it’s like poetry. The ship practically writes itself even if Tat-Tat hasn’t gotten there yet. I see the vision and I’m embracing it while I can; dagnabbit!

---

So yeah, those are my current favourite Dandadan ships. Returning to the omakes, I also enjoyed the Chiquitta one.

Did not know Chiquitta was attending school on Earth. I mean it would make sense since his father is currently working on Earth so that Chiquitta can get all the milk he can get to keep himself healthy and strong. Yeah makes perfect sense actually.

Loved the chapter showing Chiquitta protecting his classmates from older bullies. Like father, like son. Chiquitta got hands man! That’s our favourite kappa son!

Also Chiquitta imitating Jiji of all people when interacting with a girl is insanely cute. Of all the people for Lil Chiqui to copy, why Jiji of all people? Then again, better him that Kenta, am I right?

There’s also speculation now that the little girl that suspects Chiquitta to be an alien is actually related to Okarun.

Like she’s his little sister and that Okarun comes from a large family where possibly some of the background characters we’ve probably overlooked throughout the story may allegedly be related to our favourite Yokai speedster.

Personally I’m down for this theory since it’ll actually confirm Okarun as being from Earth instead of my crazy theory of him secretly being a member of a humanoid alien race who was abandoned on Earth at birth and raised by a human family or someting like that. .

Because we have yet to glimpse into what Okarun’s home life is as yet, it’s got me wondering if Okarun even has a family. I mean surely he has to have a home because in spite being a loner/outcast for most of his school life, Okarun is always well-clothed, well fed and stocked up on occult-related magazines.

So outside of the alien heritage theory, it wouldn’t surprise me if Okarun actually comes from a pretty wealthy family and the reason why he’s always seen ready and flexible to go off on his own without his parents wondering about his whereabouts is probably because Okarun’s parents/caretakers are probably living a life where they’re never home with him.

Perhaps Okarun’s parents work overseas and the reason for Okarun’s deep fascination with the occult is cause its related to his parents’ occupation.

Maybe his parents are archaeologists or astrologists or a pair of people who study these kind of things and often have to travel abroad for long periods of time while Okarun is left alone; unable to accompany them due to him attending school in Japan.

I mean, it would make sense why we haven’t seen them as yet in the story. To me, Okarun living alone because his parents work overseas sounds more plausible than them secretly being alien.

Perhaps the little girl who suspects Chiquitta of being an alien doesn’t necessarily have to be someone related to Okarun. Perhaps she’s his neighbour or something. Or maybe she doesn’t even know Okarun and is just someone related to Chiquitta’s side of the story.

On the subject of aliens, it would actually be pretty funny if Okarun’s parents were another pair of refugee aliens who have been living on Earth for years and thus Okarun is secretly an alien who was born and raised on Earth.

Like his parents brought him up on the occult to desensitize him to the existence of the alien race. Their race; although they never revealed the truth of their alien lineage to Okarun, wanting him to grow up believing himself to be just a “normal human boy on Earth” when he actually isn't.

I mean that’s another theory for the pool of possibilities.

If Okarun parents are indeed secretly aliens then imagine them being Ken Takakura fans as much as Momo is because his movies were the first thing they were exposed to once they came to Earth and thus they decided to take the surname of Takakura and named their Earth-born “alien” son, Okarun after him.

It would honestly be insane if there comes a time when Momo gets to meet Okarun’s parents and the first thing they bond over is their shared love for Ken Takakura.

That would actually be insanely cute.

Overall, these are just little headcanons. For all I know, there’s probably no twist to Okarun at all.

He could really just be a regular guy who, despite everything that life had thrown at him, lucked out and found the love of his life and the literal girl of his dreams when she just happened to be passing by on a bad day and noticed him for the first time.

That really could be just it.

Then again; who really knows.

We really have to see what Tat-Tat has cooking up in that noggin of his for this ongoing love story he's made.

The most I will say is that the longer the story drags on with us readers never seeing or knowing anything about Okarun’s homelife, the more this squiggle meister will start to believe that he’s secretly an alien until it’s debunked by the actual story.

~LMS (2025)

[fulcrums501st]

On micro-expressions and their effectiveness. (ft. example from s1ep3)

Micro expressions communicate effective info only when deliberately and specifically calculated into the scene from the start.

the issue with peope justifying writing in s2 with micro expressions isn’t that we shouldn’t use expressions to understand a story, they’re obviously intentional and they are an aspect of storytelling. The issue is that s2’s writing is messy and inconsistent, and thus so are the conclusions we draw from the character expressions. Especially if we are supposed to infer character motivations ONLY from expressions. Character motivations/internal conflicts are left up to interpretation in s2 when they should be deliberately clear and explored within the story instead of being left to random facial expressions.

the writing surrounding the scene with the expressions must be specific, so that the audience understand the specific context and intention behind the expression. s2 is cluttered making this hard, and it makes the micro expressions present unreliable in understanding character motivations and thoughts because they are left vague and up to interpretation. when these should be fundamental aspects of characters are specifically explored and clearly showed.

Micro expressions can’t tell us these things when the writing itself doesn’t surround the expression with enough specific context in the story for us to be able to catch what it means. Thus, micro expressions can’t be used as an alternative to dialogue or direct action all the time when the writing itself is so all over the place.

Example of micro expressions in s1 that work to tell the story with specific intention cuz the writing and directing surrounding the moment is clear, deliberate, and precise.

A man asks about a little girl’s sister, holding a knife behind his back. Hiding his intention to kill the little girl. But that is clearly his intention. At least, originally.

The girl is clearly distressed.

So she flings herself into the nearest person to her. Disarming the knife the man concealed.

The moment is slow, and gives us the chance to take in what is happening. Just as the man does. And he is caught off-guard, stunned.

The girl declares that she was left and that her sister is no longer her sister. The still stunned man, listens as we deliberately zoom in on his face, to take in the expression. As we will take in his thought process.

He looks to his own brother, who betrayed him, left him, whose betrayal decided he was no longer his brother.

We zoom in on the man’s expressions, again, as he looks down on the little girl. He connects that she has been abandoned by a sibling, just like he had.

Earlier in the episode, there was another crucial deliberate, and striking expression that we saw from this man: fear and vulnerability. when faced with the same violence his brother used when betraying him years ago. It humanizes the man by showing us how on a such human level this betrayal was still hurtful and traumatic, no matter what he preaches about moving past it. It is still a memory that sparks vulnerability from this unique trauma. A sort of soft spot.

The man, clearly empathizes with the same type of betrayal the little girl is now facing. This same moment of vulnerability that he evidently has not fully moved past from. A trauma that he relived that same day. He hugs her, comforts her.

The man’s complex thought process and change in motivation is deliberately expressed with expressions only. Every line. Every shot. Everything had specific intent and vision, as the script does, and the moment is paced in a way for us to take in the character changes that are occurring.

s2 leaves micro expressions up to interpretation as it does with many of its character arcs and motivations. Leaving the conclusions the audience makes from the scenes inconsistent and sloppy, unlike s1, because we are not deliberately led to understand our characters with these expressions. in this scene the shots and expressions show us what Silco is thinking a because it is parked paired with the specific and deliberate context (his relationship to Vander) and very intentional dialogue(“she left me, she is not my sister anymore”)

This allows us to understand his thought process and motivations, mostly without words. Expressions must be deliberate and paired with specific context for us to properly understand the character’s thinking. The directing itself must emphasize the expression and context if the expression itself is the main way a character’s thought process is being conveyed. And the scene must be paced in a way, and point to specific beats in a way forces the audience to understand what is being communicated. The direction must come into play.

s2 does not do this as effectively, because the writing is inconsistent and cluttered. Making the micro expressions lazy and unreliable arguments for character intention/motivation.

[fuanteinasekai]

Oh, hey. Maybe this is a good time to post the thing I've been trying to write for… more than a year. It keeps getting too long because I'm basically covering the entire manga, so instead I'm just going to hit the biggest points and let you fill in the gaps yourself.

In Volume 1, Natsume meets Tanuma for the first time. Much of the story revolves around Natsume's inability to tell what is ordinary and what is yokai, a problem he refers to twice as his "unstable world." This weakness is a major running theme, and he shares it with all other powerful characters. It is likely one of the main reasons they choose to live in isolation or in the exorcist/magical world. Focusing on this in the story about meeting Tanuma may have originally been meant to highlight his fear that Tanuma wasn't real, but it's the perfect foundation for his long-term arc.

In the author's note for Taki's storehouse arc (Volume 11), Midorikawa-sensei says this:

自分はおかしいのかもしれないと思っていた田沼にとって、不安定だった世界を肯定してくれる夏目の存在は大きな救いになったのに、自分はたいして夏目の力になれないというのはもう田沼が友人として抱えていかなければならないジレンマかなという気がします。 "For Tanuma who thought there might be something wrong with him, the presence of Natsume who affirmed his world that was unstable is a great relief, but Tanuma can’t really support Natsume himself. This is a dilemma I have a feeling he must be facing by now as a friend."

This "world that was unstable" is a clear reference to Natsume's "unstable world," but cannot actually be the same so it must be a parallel. The simplest possible interpretation is that the ideal solution to Tanuma's "dilemma" would be "affirming" Natsume's "world that was unstable." That is, the ideal conclusion to Tanuma's "dilemma" arc would be to somehow help Natsume navigate the boundaries between the yokai and ordinary world. In this same story, Tanuma is able to sense the location of the demon's leg before Natsume can see it.

In Volume 12's Omibashira arc, Tanuma spends most of the story sensing yokai-related things: Sensei not being Natsume, the bottle, the presence of the monkey oni, the separation of the yokai world itself, and Omibashira. Each of these is accompanied by the same "zawa" sound effect that accompanies Natsume encountering strong yokai energy. Tanuma gets hurt because he doesn't trust his senses, and tries to confirm Omibashira visually.

In Volume 16, Tanuma reveals he always knew Ito-san was not what she claimed to be, and that he had come to believe she was "an ayakashi or something like that" once he learned they were real. The same story reveals that Natsume's presence has stabilized Tanuma and allowed him to grow stronger physically and have fewer headaches and illness. In other words, Natsume's power offsets the negative effects of Tanuma's power.

In Volume 22, Tanuma has a vision while Natsume sleeps peacefully, adding another dimension to his sensitivity. Later he tells Natsume the staircase yokai is not the one he dreamed of because its face was different and it didn't feel "malevolent." As is often the case, Tanuma was dismissive of his vision (ability) until Natsume validated him.

Later in the same volume, we finally get the origin story for the Book of Friends. This implies a major turning point in the manga as a whole.

Tenjou-san, in Volume 23, is the story of the four boys and Homura-sempai's investigation of the eponymous possibly-cursed painting. At one point, Tanuma says this:

夏目の世界はあいまいなものがいっぱいなんだな　おれは…やっぱり時々夏目と同じ世界を見てみたいなと思うけど　見えるものが違うからこそ確認しあえることもあるのかもしれないなって "Your world is full of uncertain things, huh? I… still feel like I want to see the same world as you, sometimes. But I also think sometimes it's because we see differently that we can confirm things with each other."

The context for this is not the painting, but rather Natsume's fear that Homura-sempai could be a yokai—Natsume's "unstable world." Natsume brings this up again at the end, but Tanuma's role remains unresolved. That's because this dialog was never meant to set up the end of Tenjou-san—it's meant to set up the end of his entire arc. Tanuma couldn't help yet because he doesn't accept that he can "judge the authenticity" of magical objects until By Invitation of the Queen in Volume 29. Realizing he can also sense who is human and who is yokai is yet to come. If he can tell the difference, that means his power offsets the negative effects of Natsume's power.

In Intermission Detectives, Volume 24, only Tanuma is able to ignore the unimportant and notice the significant yet tiny details. Nishimura and Kitamoto are preoccupied with the leading lady and what her beauty implies, while Natsume is too distracted by the possibility of a yokai in disguise to think about anything else, arguably too distracted to enjoy the movie. That means every Tanuma story between Tell Me Your Name and Village of the Sleeping Vessels has had a yokai in disguise—or the possibility of one—as a major plot point.

Village of the Sleeping Vessels introduces Tanuma's "light," an ability he has had few opportunities to use. The same story introduces Ban, a character who can somehow judge the authenticity of magical objects. Ban's name literally means "companion."

This is the beginning of the "female collector" storyline, which also has undertones of "growing up." Hence the combination of Reiko (Natsume's foil must grow up before him), Natsume's interest in magic (to be independent of his mentors/protectors), and Sensei's vulnerability as well as his frequent long excursions (to motivate Natsume's independence or reliability). Tanuma is central because he is meant to be Natsume's life-long partner, without whom Natsume cannot have the life he wants.

In an author's note, Midorikawa-sensei describes Tanuma as "surely able to support Natsume, but unable to come." This is a marked shift from the critical tone of most previous Tanuma notes, a shift which is maintained throughout the "female collector" stories. This is also the same "support" from Tanuma's "dilemma."

Like Intermission Detectives, By Invitation of the Queen (Volume 29) juxtaposes Tanuma's high perceptiveness with Natsume's confusion and fear of yokai in disguise. The same story is Natsume's first physical meeting with the "female collector" Shinobu. It is not a coincidence that she meets him at Tanuma's side, or that Tanuma is the "hero" of the story. His strengths will be relevant to the rest of Shinobu's storyline. Natsume is the one who realizes Tanuma has the power to sense what is real or not, and Tanuma himself is initially skeptical. However, his description of the "occult" fakes as "clean or pure" and Ban's dolls "oozing something sinister" suggests that he is sensing spiritual energy. It is also similar to how he described the yokai in the Volume 22.

Portrait of a Girl implies that Tanuma's power is significant through Matoba and Ban. Matoba's curiosity and the constant threat of meeting Tanuma builds tension, and Ban's shock at Tanuma's ability to see the light in the mirror suggests that they share the same rare ability. The ceiling yokai is able to hide from Ban by hiding from the mirror, implying Ban also shares Tanuma's weak sight. At another point, Natsume overhears an exorcist talking about his ability to use "good tools" even with fading (weak) sight. This isn't about Natsume or the regular exorcists, so it must be about Ban and his dolls, Tanuma, or both.

いつも友人の側に行きたい気持ちを抑えて蚊帳の外で待たなければならない田沼がすでに内側にいる状況 [や、一族の中で生きてきた的場さんの身内の事情や術具についてなど、] 描くことができて嬉しかったです。田沼は実際は出来ることは多いのに本人出来ることなんか大して無いと思ってしまうタイプかもしれないと感じました。 "I was happy drawing things like Tanuma, who has always had to wait outside the mosquito net, repressing the desire to go to his friend's side, but is suddenly on the inside […] I have a feeling Tanuma might be the type who thinks there's not much he can do when in reality he can do many things." (Volume 31) [n.b. the "mosquito net" idiom was used in Nitai-sama when Tanuma described being allowed to help "instead of being outside the mosquito net"]

Matoba is almost suicidally obsessed with "tools," his sister (perhaps spitefully) collects them, and Ban is a scout for magical things, so it makes sense during this storyline to focus on Tanuma's own ability to scout. However, there's little to no set-up for this ability in the manga. Even Tenjou-san, which was the perfect opportunity to hint at his ability with the painting, hinted at identifying yokai instead. The coexistence of the "pure" painting with the "pure" humans is not coincidental, but a retroactive hint to future readers that the ability to recognize what is "real" is the same whether the the "real" applies to an object or person.

So while Tanuma's ability to scout "powerful" tools may be important in the short term, it's a mere step toward his true power. The ultimate goal is to reveal that Tanuma's sensitivity to spiritual energy extends to yokai as well, and that he can tell Natsume what is yokai and what is not and even, it seems, what is malevolent and what is not. Through this, he would become irreplaceable, the only person Natsume can trust to give him peace, to affirm his unstable world, and to allow him to be as indifferent to random yokai as Shinobu.

The only thing that works against this is the inconsistency with which Tanuma appears to notice yokai. But this has been addressed through his "ability to judge authenticity." When Natsume first points out that Tanuma knew the box wasn't real, Tanuma initially dismisses his feelings as a "hunch," before going on to talk about how he never had a chance to be exposed to fakes before. He then admits that the "occult" collection felt "clean or pure," but he only noticed because he had Ban's dolls as comparison just before.

Natsume himself describes Tanuma to Natori as "cautious" and "deep thinking." In other words, he is the opposite of impulsive, only acting when he has gathered enough evidence to make a case. Tanuma would have felt things many times without reacting until he had more to go on. Fun fact: when Natsume first brings up Tanuma's power, he actually starts by talking about how he was "spinning in circles" "confusing [human matters] for ayakashi matters" unlike Tanuma who "sees people clearly." Midorikawa-sensei is a troll.

Tenjou-san (yes, again) addresses this gap from a different angle. When Natsume considers telling Nishimura and Kitamoto the truth, Tanuma suggests Natsume still needs the "space to be treated normally" "unlike me, who always worries and asks if there's something there." In other words, Tanuma feels bad about talking about yokai unnecessarily, which means he's not going to mention a feeling he doesn't think is important. This likely goes back to Volume 5, when Natsume admitted to lying about yokai and wanting to keep things "normal" between them. (The original Japanese is an incomplete sentence, but this is what he seemed to be getting at.) This is why, for example, Tanuma says he "didn't want to bother" Natsume when he wasn't sure he was possessed in Volume 8. He's not just unsure of himself—he's actively avoiding potential validation to give Natsume space. This is also probably why he gets more… excitable recently—the more Natsume talks about yokai, the less Tanuma feels the need to hide his interest.

All of this only addresses Tanuma's power and how it solves his dilemma. It is heavily implied that Tanuma's dilemma is at the heart of his sense of inadequacy and, in turn, his "characteristic sense of distance" from Natsume. This suggests that the reveal of the true extent of his power could lead to him being more open and finally closing that gap. But I'm not quite sure of this. Despite Tanuma's feeling of a "wall" between him and Natsume and being "unable to keep up," they're much closer than they used to be. This could mean that it's their closeness that will lead to revealing his power, thereby centering Natsume's emotional development rather than Tanuma's insecurity. And that matters because their emotional bond is at least as important as what their powers mean to each other.

While the hints at Tanuma's power have been comparatively subtle, his emotional support has not. Throughout the manga, Tanuma has helped guide Natsume through his anxiety and emotional trauma. He listens to him talk about his grandmother being an unwed mother with powers like him, confronts him over hiding his true needs, and sees through his lies or silence when others can't. In Volume 13, Tanuma's role in Kitamoto's story implies that he grounds Natsume and allows him to accept attachments to the town and the Fujiwaras. In the Volume 26 notes, Midorikawa even says that Natsume is able to deal with "sorting out his feelings" by spending time with Tanuma without even talking. This emotional connection is particularly evident with the Fujiwaras, whom Tanuma is invested in because of their importance to Natsume. In Volume 20, for example, his conversation with Natsume about the Fujiwaras is clearly framed as something between the two of them, that Taki can only observe.

This Fujiwara theme makes its appearance in Portrait of a Girl when Tanuma gets invested in Morio's relationship with his adoptive parents. These characters are an obvious mirror for Natsume and the Fujiiwaras. At the end of the story, it is also Tanuma who resolves Natsume's feelings of anxiety about why Morio sold off all of his parents' belongings. I had previously thought of Tanuma's emotional support as a kind of parallel to his power, but the mingling of the above with Tanuma's increasing involvement with the exorcist/magic world changed my mind.

Tanuma's emotional support relies on his empathy, understanding of people, and ability to see what others don't. It's not one single thing. When Natsume talks about Tanuma's ability to "see people" he also brings up his "night vision" which is a completely separate ability from all of the above. There is overlap in the abilities he uses to help Natsume with the ordinary world (e.g. Fujiwaras) and the abilities he uses to understand what is yokai and what is ordinary. This is why By Invitation of the Queen is simultaneously about Tanuma's ability to see through people and his ability to sense the "purity" of the box. Tanuma's extraordinary perceptiveness is an entire collection of talents, all of which he can use to see what Natsume can't, to give Natsume inner peace, to allow him to live in the moment instead of constantly looking over his shoulder. But only if he's there—just as Natsume can only offset Tanuma's sensitivity if he's present.

If Natsume is allowed to support Tanuma in the same (or similar) ways, and if Tanuma realizes how powerful he truly is and Natsume allows him to help, then their relationship will be truly balanced. They will be able to support each other in all ways, in all worlds, without worrying about being too much or too little.

This is what makes Tanuma the Sasame to Natsume's Misuzu—without whom Natsume cannot be "fulfilled" even when "surrounded by liveliness." It's what makes him the light in the dark forest, Natsume's guide through the fog that all with sight suffer. Tanuma may need Natsume to live, but Natsume needs Tanuma to live.

[driftingthruspace]

ok so dialtown!!!! very coolio groovy radical gnarly indie object-head dating sim visual novel that costs 8 dollars when not on sale :3 so yes very cheap and worth the price!! (OoOOooOOooOo you should totally buy dialtown and play it this totally isn't a hypnotization OOOooOoooOoo)

anygay. get your seatbelts ready and buckle up for the basic plot...

welcome to the lovely dialtown, some random-ass place in northern wisconsin, where every living thing (well, not exactly. plants and the such aren't beholden to this rule, but you get the idea) has some sort of object as a head! typically, women have typewriters, men have phones, enbies do whatever the fuck they want because they're cool like that, the usual... and yes, this even applies to animals. insects. local cryptids. god himself. you name it.

and YOU (yes, you!), the absolutely WRETCHED player character... is a green, hexa-nippled, gender-and-species-ambiguous cryptid Menace™ (key word: menace) who lives in a tent at the park because they refuse to be domesticated in any way, shape, or form! truly, the most contributive member to society, amirite or am i right???

then suddenly, you realize valentine's day had creeped up on you.. no, wait—

you realize your heavily pregnant self needs to lay eggs, and fast. and the osha-violating funfair is the perfect place for your future offspring! but naturally, playing as this delightful local threat, your ass is BROKE AS HELL!!!! (womp womp) and thus cannot get into the funfair without the precious moolah that you lack. alas, financial aid is needed for this imperative task...

and that's when your wonderful mind concocts a plan worthy of a pulitzer prize: you remember, "oh shit, it's valentine's day!!" (whaaat? no way!) and that the funfair is doing a special offer: 2 tickets for the price of 1 if you bring a date with you!! yup. you know where this is going. you better have the best rizz out there, because now your goal is to find a functioning member of society to latch onto like a damned parasite so you can finally lay your deplorable, unhatched children upon this dark, dank earth!

...also known as attempting to find Lové in this cruel year of 202X. i know, i know.. but romance (and sex, unfortunately?) ain't dead yet in the world of dialtown!!!! go pursue your romantic dreams to your heart's content by attempting to get with the park's pathetic swan wrangler, or maybe the chipper movie theatre cashier, or perchance the oh-my-god-why-is-there-so-many-ways-to-fuck-up-her-route bored bank teller, and more!!!! wanna find out who else? just play the game ;)

..and find out that perhaps your kooky shenanigans may have more weight than you realize....

but who's to say?

dialtown: phone dating sim, always available on steam 👍

on a more serious note, this game is pretty goofy and doesn't take itself seriously most of the time, but it will hit you in the feels with an actually really damn good story and the way too relatable and lovable cast if you get far enough /pos

also just to add on a bit, the visuals are pretty good (they prioritize color schemes. just stare at the backgrounds!!) and fitting considering the tone of the story. also the soundtrack is an absolute banger. the characters' themes fit them perfectly and the music is fully capable of setting up the right emotions for whichever scene

i recommend playing it for a good laugh or two for casual sake, though i understand its humor definitely isn't for everyone. and as you can probably already tell, it can get pretty raunchy at times, so be warned. do whatever floats your boat! you can watch a playthrough instead! i do have to say you can only really get the full experience by actually playing it blind though (and what i've already said aren't really spoilers so have fun if you choose to >:3)

and, of course, there's always the option of not engaging with this piece of media at all. mayhaps my description of the game is far too out there for your tastes. oopsie daisy! (but to be fair, dialtown really is out there)

anyway imma go eep soon. if you need me i'll be in my coffin. or something. i hope this is a satisfactory introduction to dialtown, gory 🫡

may this t-shirt post torture you no longer 😌

happy thanksgiving

[fairestbeard]

Every song counts on The Bear.

Note: This is adding to what @ambeauty posted about Sydcarmy songs and how music serves as part of the story telling.

We all know that music is a very necessary part of television or any kind of motion picture for that matter, if for nothing else, for its aesthetic value. But many times it goes way beyond the aesthetics- it contributes to the mood, depth and even acts as a narrative device.

The Bear nails down the latter perfectly. Music in The Bear is not to be overlooked at all. It is in itself a conveyor of not just mood, depth and narration – but intention. It lets you know what these mostly quiet (haha) voices are really trying to say. It spells out the between the lines.

Storer establishes this firmly in The Bear’s pilot System. They come out swinging with giving us the music as its own voice.

After Carmy’s very lovely, not at all disturbing dream, we’re plunged right into his immediate, very frantic world at The Beef with “new noise” which later blends in perfectly with “old engine oil” while he tries to innovate in the midst of lack. The music is chaotic, it’s urgent. There’s Carmy running against time contrasted with visuals of old photos- time passed. There are no words but the music tells you that what’s happening here is an attempt to blend new ideas into an old system. The moment he catches a break, everything goes quiet.

After meeting with Syd and receiving some confidence boosting last words, Carmy is back in the kitchen to give some orders and get the day rolling. Don’t Give A Damn by Serengeti starts playing. Here’s part of the lyrics:

I personally view Serengeti’s music as Carmy’s main voice for season 1 (because it reads very stream-of-consciousness, is very attuned with his struggles of the day lyrically and always plays when he needs to be in control of the kitchen). Meanwhile he faces a lot of objections to the changes he’s trying to make but he is standing his ground. You can tell he doesn't have the utmost respect of the people he is dealing with but it’s clear that he’s the one in charge, regardless. The dominant voice. Until Richie appears, that is.

The change in the atmosphere as Richie enters The Beef is so jarring. It is immediately obvious that he's the favorite of the two in that kitchen. A new rock and roll song overpowers Serengeti (I tried to find out what song that was without any success). Notice how when they go into the walk in away from everyone else except Syd, the music goes quiet.

After Carmy takes a good shot at Richie with the subject of inheritance, Serengeti (Don’t Blame Steve) starts playing and a battle of voices and sounds ensue. It’s white millennial rap vs Gen X rock and roll and each song gets louder and dominates when the respective character is making their argument. This time Richie comes out on top, having the last word. Carmy is looking humiliated in front of his girl his new employee while Richie's Gen X rock and roll closes out the scene.

Later, when Carmy taste tests the new sandwich with The Beef staff, the same mix of “new noise” and “old engine oil" plays again in the same mix.

Also we see Tina trying to assert herself as well by putting on her own music on the stereo but Syd shuts it down immediately by manually turning it off, kind of foretelling how their own relationship will go.

The Bear wants you to understand that the music is saying something. It’s a part of the story in such an integral way. So we always have to take into consideration what the music is implying in any given scene. Storer is letting you know there’s nothing wasted, there’s nothing offhand.

Everything is intentional.

[everythingiguess]

Thamepo is just so interesting to me. I enjoy this show a lot and I need to talk about it.

It may seem like a pretty common plot —which could have something to do with the fact that it had been in the works for about 5 years before its actual release- but personally I feel like that's what makes it so enjoyable. You can't really go wrong with this kind of plot if it's handled correctly.

And I actually love all the main characters, which is something I usually have trouble with. In most cases I start liking them a lot but as the show progresses I notice that I don't really know all of them as I would like to.

And that's not the case with Thamepo! It makes me so happy; the fact that the show took its time to let us know each of them individually is one of the best things they could've done. This gave them a strong foundation to tell their story.

I know some people feel frustrated about Thame and Po not having scenes together as much as other bls, which is understandable, but I think that with a show like this it's the right way to go. I feel like it was necessary to focus on establishing the whole story and the environment, otherwise it wouldn't be believable. That includes getting to know all the band members, the people around them and the roles they play in their lives. Now that it's all established, they can focus on Thame and Po's relatioship more, which is what it looks like they're going to do; I remember seeing a clip of the actors talking about how surprised they were fans were so invested in the first half of the show because they thought people would start tuning it for the second part, so I'm guessing it's because that's where we have all the romance.

It's great and I love it because once Thame and Po are in a relationship, their dynamic will be very different from those in other shows; Thame is a popular idol and Po is not and that's a problem. This by itself should let us know that they will have a lot of difficulties and we've been given a glimpse of it in the Pepper-focused episode. Once it all begins, as an audience we'll completely believe in everything that happens because we're now immersed in the story and how everything works for people like the Mars' members. They won't need to explain every single thing to us because we already know and understand their situation.

We know because they took their time with the story, and they've done it so naturally. So of course I love it, and I think a lot of hard work has gone into this series and it shows.

I'm confident that if they hadn't done it like this it would have felt weird, absurd and careless.

[fatcatlittlebox]

I had an ask about why there is a difference in the scene where Halbrand returns Valandil’s sword vs the scene in the forge that I just analyzed and I think it’s an important answer. Firstly, shots of hands always signify something in cinema. Where they are placed, who they belong to, what is being exchanged and even the movements. I could write a whole thesis on Spielberg’s use of it in his films. And it’s no different in TROP. Hands convey intention, intimacy, ownership, emotion. Alot. Charlotte Brandstrom was even asked about the closeup shot of Adar's hand in an interview. The reporter asked her specifically about the scene where Adar is planting seeds in season 1 and this is what she said:

CB: I always start, I mean, first of all, visually, I always like to start with a character moment and not with a geographic moment. I don’t like to find out where I am, but I want to know what it is about. So by starting on a very tight insert of the seeds, I make it mysterious, and I think it’s more gripping because you want to find out more, and it says something right away about the character. And then I cut to wide, and it’s a tendency that I’ve developed more and more, always starting small and going wide, because I feel you sort of grab the audience’s attention and you also, I mean, as I said, you create small character moments, and those are the moments that most important I think in the story. (x)

So there you have it. The director is straight telling you that if you seek insight into these characters, it’s in these small, close details. And they purposefully edit it to keep it ambiguous. Not because they want to keep it vague. It's because there is the suggestion that there's probably more than meets the eye. There are multiple clues and multiple layers at play. These visual clues are supposed to be revisited and reinterpreted.

I bring this up because those close up details are a key difference in the scenes. So, let’s contrast the two: one in which Halbrand returns Valandil's sword to him. It may seem the two scenarios are very similar but there's more to it. As I said --it comes down to the details. In this case, their hands. Notably, you never see their hands in the same frame of this scene. Not in a close-up. Not when the sword is exchanged. There isn't anything sinister about it. It's just not emotional or personal. There is no subtextual communication here between the Valandil and Halbrand. Because this gesture isn’t meant for him. It’s meant for the elf standing behind him. And Galadriel in the background isn’t coincidental. You see the camera subtly shift from right to left to catch Galadriel witnessing Sauron offer the sword. Again, this act is meant for her.

Later, with Galadriel in the forge, the context changes the whole subtext of the knife exchange. First, Sauron can’t help but draw her closer. So he feigns dropping the sheath of the knife so she rushes to his side. The proximity is intimate, charged. Then, there is the act itself of placing the knife in front of her. In the context of Galadriel pleading with him to join her cause, this gesture can be interpreted as symbolic of his acquiescence. A sign of his allegiance, his loyalty and ultimately a pledge of his life. But an added layer to this (after it is revealed that Halbrand had been Sauron), is the deeper, more earth-shattering meaning: he is offering to pay his penance. Sauron, repentant, apologizes in this scene. And this act is subconsciously meant as proof of his contrition. He was this close to facing judgement. Hers. He was this close to telling her and putting himself at her mercy, as if to say, “Here it is. The peace you seek. Seize this dagger and end it all. Take your revenge.”

Between this knife, Valandil's sword and all the way back to when Sauron returns her brother's dagger, he has been telegraphing his loyalty and allegiance to Galadriel every step of the way. That was no ruse. It was not a ploy. Whether this was subconscious on his part or not, his intention had been consistent and genuine. He was offering himself.

Instead, she counters his offer with one of her own. Not knowing she was increasing the stakes. “Bind yourself to me.” No peace shall be found except at her side. And Sauron foolishly convinces himself into believing that this will balance their scales. It is his arrogance (somewhat delusional) the idea that he could be the architect of her pain, and the author of her deliverance. And yet that is very in keeping with his hubris.

[archtroop]

Time to bring this back!

The issue in question is Nightwing Annual 01 (2021)

https://www.dc.com/comics/nightwing-2021-annual-2021/nightwing-2021-annual-1

And a good day to link the albums Jason has advertised on his wall. First is, Shallow Life by Lacuna Coil (2009)

Tracks:

"Survive", "I Won't Tell You", "Not Enough", "I’m Not Afraid", "I Like It", "Underdog", "The Pain", "Spellbound", "Wide Awake", "The Maze", "Unchained", "Shallow Life".

And I'm not kidding when I say, EAACH AND EVERY SONG is Jason-coded, I fucking mean it.

"Spellbound" was released as a single and has a "story music video".

The OTHER poster in the room is Slipknot by Slipknot (1999). This album includes the track "Wait and Bleed", and if you know, you know. Because, common, if the line "inside my shell I wait and bleed" doesn't stir something in you !

Link to the album on Spotify:

Lastly, and that one is up for interpretation, the artist of this specific issue, Cian Tormey, made a deliberate choice with styling the panel of Jason hooded with eyes in pitch black, that will make any nu metal generationer associate the panel with non other but The Vengeful One by Disturbed, 2015.

The aong itself is is found in the album "Immortalized" (2015).

The character of "The One" is the mascot of the band, and in itself we are talking about a corner stone of the genre, whether they like it or not.

All to say, my guess would be that whether the choice here was done by the writer or the artist, my bet is on the artist.

So anyway, someone should ask him about that, yeah?

This is him posting about that very issue:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cian Tormey (@ciantormey)

ThanQ DC, for canonically establishing Jason Todd as a mid-late 90s early 00s metalhead, aka the least appreciated metal generation, I'm in your debt ☠️💀☠️💀☠️

Also, arguably, this panel aswell (The Vengeful One, the resemblance is too striking to not at least consider) :

[aunteutis]

TLDR;; my personal Severance theory for what the hell is Lumon's deal. it's a cult, but with great benefits (plus dental!). also, the MDR Orientation Booklet! yay!

hi, so,,,, hyperfixation time:::

the Severance Reddit guys (they're the real heroes and we're all a family here at Lumon) said there was something called the 'Lexington Letter' - it's sort of a proof of concept letter/story for Severance's worldbuilding, probably more intended for the studio rather than audiences at first, apparently published as promo later.

SPOILER WARNING HERE, just this once.

so i read it all, and the letter in itself has some elements of the base/what i guess is the original story: car accidents, severing because of depression, Lumon appearing misteriously, innie-outie communication, people following people. it's written as an exposé on Lumon, sent to a small newspaper in hopes they will publish it. it's very interesting (and another piece of media to obsess over), so i'll leave the link here in case you want to read it:

the thing is:: this letter includes a copy of the Orientation Booklet, and it explains the refining process as if the readers were innies.

it goes on about the process, but it defines the data to refine as part of four different categories: WO, FC, DR and MA.

each of these categories ellicits the following emotional responses that we are told about during the show:

WO=melancholy

FR=joy

DR=fear

MA=rage

NOW::: i'm probably not the first to notice this, so please chime in if you did. but i think each of these categories corresponds to each of the four Tempers that Kier believed to conform every human soul/personality. those being WOE, FROLIC, DREAD and MALICE.

so the (human) refiners are !!instinctively!!!! classifying numbers that correspond to each type of the four Tempers that their biotech-founder (and presumably god) believed to make humans, well, human. and every time they put the numbers in each bin, the bin shows a progress report defining how much of each of the four categories there is already. much like the 'balance' between tempers Kier talked about.

small interruption here (i promise it'll be relevant later): in the Lexington Letter, three things are mentioned that stood out to me. first, the letter itself tells about the explosion of a truck of Lumon's business rival, Dorner Therapeutics. the accident kills 6 people, and the explosion is triggered barely two minutes after one of the files has been fully refined. so -at least according to the original show's plan- the refining process is an actual thing with a tangible function. it actually IS encrypted data that they're looking at all day.

the second thing was very brief: some sort of controversy regarding Lumon's feeding tubes that had caused a libel suit (by Lumon) that made another small paper go bankrupt. it's mentioned as a deterrent, and the Lexington Letter is not published.

third (last one, i promise):: Peg, who writes the letter, says at one point that a Lumon employment ad came up on the radio just as she said, alone in her car, 'Fuck this job' (her former job). as if it heard her, basically.

so, end of interruption. bringing me back to::: THE THEORY.

we have the Four Tempers; Lumon, a biotech/generally huge everything-corporation with (according to Devon) influence everywhere; and at the center of it all, Kier, who is effectively a messianic figure.

we have the Gemma reveal (Mark says in s2ep2 that he identified the body, so there WAS a body).

then there's Ms Cobel/Sigwell's shrine and //feeding?// tube, with the name Charlotte Cobel on it, and an apparent lore-compliant, unknown controversy to go with it.

finally, we also have a fuckton of encrypted data that:: a) needs refining b) actually serves a purpose in the real world c) we are very briefly shown that the file's progess is related to Gemma (dead, but also alive, personality-lacking, and in the experimental floor) and, presumably, other people. and goats.

i don't really know the purpose of it, but i think they might be sequencing the human genome and personalities of everyone //related to Lumon//? to like. make replica people??

like,,, sure, maybe they want Mark specifically to chill forever with his not-so-dead-anymore clone of a wife, but it IS a biotech company that plays god with life and death, and HAS a god like in their company policy. they have legends, and paintings, and rites, and scripture, and mysteries.

like. Lumon is -BY DESIGN- THE ultimate intersection between a literal religion and corporate loyalty/devotion that plagues and defines the current job market paradigm. the work is mysterious and important, and the company provides or punishes as an absolute and final entity. Kier is all-knowing father, overseeing judge, the origin and ultimate motive for everything. you don't even need to exit the Lumon product ecosystem to live, because they're already everywhere outside. hell, they've existed from the beginning of the only history you need to care about--late industrialism!! the rise of the market economy!! wouldn't it make sense for them to give you a solution to the final problem of death as well?

so, my current theory (To Be Forgotten Tomorrow) is that they are trying to deliver on that promise that every religion out there gives. they're ending the finality of death, and making people again. not just physically; they are literally bringing back complete reproductions of people, body and soul. they use the severeds' intuitions (and probably some sort of conditioning in their chips) to estimate the precise balance of tempers that make up distinct human personalities, just as Kier said.

because think of Ms Cobel, or Mark. for me, they are the most extreme cases. if you had lost, say, your wife. or your mother, or daughter. the person you loved the most, dead. and if a family company that you've seen everywhere, and known all your life, stepped in and told you they'd be able to rid you of the pain. or bring them back. if they told you that if you're loyal enough, blindly trust them with your own agency, they'll make everything right - wouldn't you take them up on that offer?

and now that's out of my head yaaayy. sorry for the long thing. i hope at least the letter and manual helped.

if you read all that, congrats! you've been awarded a fingertrap.

kiers!!! (as in 'cheers'. like. you get it, right? right.)

❤️❤️❤️

[buckgasms]

Ok I did a bit more thinking about this post

Naturally I got very carried away and added some romantic smut towards the end. Sorry not sorry. Enjoy ✨

So let's say your Witcher Bucky is invited to some fancy event at a palace, and you beg him to take you because you've never been anywhere like that before.

And even though he thinks those events are more trouble than they are worth, he can't resist the way your eyes shine and you squeeze at his arms as you playfully pout at him. So he relents.

You venture into town for a dress for the occasion, and whilst nothing really feels right you end up picking a dress that makes you feel good, matches your eyes and when you twirl a little it swishes around with you.

It takes a few days to travel there, but you are happy to spend time together. He tells you stories about places you come across, some are funny, others are a bit like something from a horror story. You definitely snuggle up closer to him each evening, worried about monsters finding you. But he keeps you safe, letting you press your body into his. He doesn't mind that at all.

A problem arises when he sees you in the dress. He is gobsmacked at how beautiful you look, and he has no interest in leaving the room for a stupid party when you look like that. He growls as his hands slide over the soft fabric, squeezing at your waist. You giggle and pull him in for a kiss, promising him that he can do what he likes with it after the party.

Once you get there, you both keep to the sidelines, watching all the fancy people gliding around the room, laughing loudly and making a show of who they know. Some people come up to Bucky with quiet respect, shaking his hand and complimenting your dress. They say things like, "he saved my life" or "I owe him everything for what he did for me..." When you are alone again you link your arm into his and pull him down to kiss his cheek. Pride swells in your chest as a faint pink tinges his skin.

I'm going to say something happens. Like a mini disaster. Maybe an uninvited guest arrives and starts threatening the other partygoers, or makes a threat to the royal family. Chaos descends and you get separated from him. It's just a clash of swords and blood and shouting that sends you fleeing to a dark corner, praying it all ends soon.

Married life is quiet and safe. This is not that.

When the madness ends you are discovered by Bucky, his face pale and full of worry.

"Are you hurt?" You both say breathlessly as he takes you in his arms. You say you're fine and he indicates no damage as he pulls you from your hiding place. But as you look at the carnage your legs stop working and you are frozen in place. You can't walk through that.

Without hesitation he lifts you into his arms and you bury your face into his neck, gripping his hair between your fingers as he paces out of the room. He's muttering how everything is ok and he has you, the sound making his chest vibrate, oddly soothing as you cling tighter.

Finally you are back in the room of the little inn you are staying in. You'd both like to go home but it's a two day ride and that's out of the question with the state you are in.

Moments after he sets you down you notice a cut on his arm and spring into panic/action mode. You fly around the room babbling apologies for making him carry you and hunt for your little pack of bandages and medicine.

It takes him grabbing your face and making you look at him to stop your panicked babbling.

"I'm ok sweetheart, it'll heal itself in no time..."

The softness of his voice immediately sends you into a flood of tears, collapsing into his chest, telling him how much you love him and how you don't know what you would do without him. He chuckles softly, stroking your hair and occasionally wiping away your tears.

When you calm down a little he sets you on the bed and pulls off his filthy clothes, tossing them in a corner before kicking off his boots. You kneel on the mattress and he comes to you, letting you help him remove his shirt, exposing his broad, hairy chest to your soft fingers. His hands reach for your body and he tuts.

"Your pretty dress is ruined"

You look down and see the marks and dirt on it before meeting his eyes.

"Take it off?" You ask and he obliges, pulling at the skirt until it glides over your head, leaving you almost bare in front of him. Having forgone a bra, as none of yours suited the dress, you are immediately exposed to him and his hungry eyes. You were worried about it this morning, but you didn't care now.

He pulls you in, cupping your cheeks and pressing soft but desperate kisses to your lips, travelling over your cheeks and throat. You return what you can, letting your hands explore him, sighing when he kisses those certain magic spots.

More clothes hit the floor before he nudges you backwards, slowing guiding you to lay on the mattress, his huge form towering above you.

He grips your ankle and pulls it up to his lips, before trailing along your shin and placing more kisses to your knees. He alternates before sucking gently at your soft thighs, peppering them with little marks of devotion. Your hands grip his hair, trying to guide him to where you want him most, and he obliges, although painfully slowly.

He pushes your thighs wide, holding them open with ease, still kissing the soft skin there, tantalising close to your folds until you groan his name.

"Please... Please do it..."

He chuckles, always enjoying your shyness at asking and he grins up at you.

"Ask me properly my love. Don't be shy..."

You groan and feel heat burn your body as his smile gets wider. More teasing kisses are given as he waits patiently for you to relent.

"Will you....can you....kiss me....here?"

You spread your legs a little wider as an offering and, taking pity on you, he relents. You tried your best and he's happy to help you work on that later. For now he dives in, kissing and sucking at your folds, his tongue expertly torturing you in the most perfect way. You cry out in relief as the pressure starts building, writhing under him as he spoils you.

He slips a finger in as he sucks hard on your clit, groaning at the way your body reacts to his actions. You whimper at the sensation, digging your fingers into the mattress. The coil in your belly tightens to breaking point as his fingers curl and his tongue flicks enough to send you over the edge.

As you catch your breath he continues his path, more kisses to your hips and stomach, making you giggle as it tickles. He lavishes attention on your breasts, sucking and nipping at your impossibly soft skin.

When he finally reaches your face you are a wreck. Eyes glassy with emotion, lips swollen from biting them and your hands gripping his face so tight he wonders if you are scared to let him go.

"I'm here darling. I'm here and I'll never let you go..."

You emit a little sob as you pull him to you, kissing him like you might die if you don't. You wriggle a little until you can feel his hard cock line up with your heat, still kissing him and holding him tight to keep you grounded.

He groans as you make contact, jolting a little as feels your wetness drag across his cock.

"Bucky please..."

He pulls away the slightest amount to allow him to sink into you before he's back, pressing the full weight of his body into yours. He's barely moving within you but you both pant and moan as he stretches you, the sensation enough to make you see stars.

"I love you"

Both of you whisper it, between kisses and bites and groans. His pace increases and your legs shake, tears slipping down your cheeks as he reminds you of who you belong to, and what he would do for you.

"I've got you baby, just let go..."

"No one's ever gonna hurt my girl, my wife...mine"

"Fuck...you feel what you do to me? You see how you make me crazy sweetheart...."

It all adds to the heady atmosphere and as he fucks you harder and deeper you feel the coil snap again, harder and longer than before.

He curses as your climax sets of his own, holding you still as he fills you up, kissing and praising you for taking him so well.

You curl up into his body after he collapses next to you, his arms scooping you in closer still and you swap lazy kisses and gentle strokes to his cheeks and chin.

You start to drift off, exhaustion finally settling over you but you whisper one more 'i love you' which he easily returns, and he starts counting down the seconds before he can take you back home...

[chdarling]

hii I just read TLE 1 and 2 and I wanted to truly thank you for being the joy of my life these last weeks. I’m going through a very hard time, I’ve experienced death, division and sickness in my family in the last six months and reading your work made life worth living again. You reminded me the beauty of friendship, of love, and of fighting for what’s right. TLE really felt like a long hug and I really needed one. So that’s it, I just wanted to personally tell you how much I appreciate your writing. We often underestimate the positive change we can make on people’s lives. Can’t wait to read TLE 3, I’m sure it will be splendid:)

This means the world to me. I often feel like my responses to these asks don’t appropriately convey just how much they mean to me, but truly, there is nothing that matters more to me than knowing my story has helped someone through a tough time. That in itself helps ME through a tough time haha. Thank you, and I hope things get better for you soon. Sending all my love and long hugs. ❤️❤️🫂❤️❤️

[hootshooch]

actually now that I think of it I've noticed Gale has a little Habit of contradicting himself and I suspect it's a consequence of him Talking Too Much without considering what he's really saying before he speaks out loud

He gets offended when you call Tara a "cat" but he calls her a cat himself multiple times, both before and after telling you she is a Tressym

At the party he might tell you he doesn't have any friends (before asking you, the player, if you would like to be his friend), but he obviously considers Tara a friend and he calls Elminster his friend when you meet him, too. Not to mention any of the other companions you have recruited by that point (he doesn't consider Karlach a friend? Wyll?)

If you tell him as a Cleric (or possibly a sorcerer) that there are MANY other sources of magic to draw from than just Mystra's Weave (which is the truth), he will get defensive and argue that Mystra is "magic itself" - and then later he'll talk to you all about Shar's Shadow Weave in Act 2 (meaning he knew about it before).

I'm sure people who are more familiar with Gale's character can point out other examples of him doing this, too. Like I've said this could also just be a side effect of multiple writers working on one story (on Larian's end) but even if that's the case I feel like it's in-character for him, too.

I love my contradictory nerd ❤️

I think it's hilarious that Gale says "I have a cat" when you first ask him about himself

But later when he brings up Tara again if you say "are you... talking about your cat?" he's immediately like "what the FUCK did you just call her?? She's a TRESSYM!!"

my dear YOU called her a cat

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

'I’m Still Here' shows what authoritarianism looks like, says star Fernanda Torres

The role of a mother who rebuilds her life after her husband goes missing during Brazil's military regime in the 1970s, portrayed in "I'm Still Here," earned actor Fernanda Torres her first Academy Awards nomination. But she says winning the Best Actress award is not her priority.

What the Brazilian actor would like to see happen in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2 is for the movie itself, which portrays the true story of former politician Rubens Paiva and his wife Eunice, to win. "I'm Still Here" has been nominated for Best International Feature and for Best Picture, a first for a Brazilian movie fully spoken in Portuguese.

"The Paiva family deserves it, and Eunice Paiva deserves it," she told Reuters in an interview on Friday, one day after her nomination, adding that a prize in the international category "is already great."

The movie, which tells the story of Eunice Paiva's struggle to uncover the truth about her husband's forced disappearance in 1971, "fulfilled a civic duty" of showing people what it means to live under an authoritarian regime, Torres, 59, said.

"When you read in a history book, 'civil rights were suspended,' that's just a sentence. But in the film, this means that they can enter your house, take your father, then take your mother, your sister, leave you all alone," she said.

Continue reading.