#then they pretty much are in the true neutral middle or have no preferences or leanings towards gender whatsoever

[gemini-atz]

ATEEZ + Fashion Designers

Seeing Ateez members be so loved at PFW and seeing their individual styles expressed was super inspiring, I wanted to make a post of designers that I would absolutely loveeee to see dress each member! Who knows maybe it will be a reality one day 😳

김홍중 Hongjoong - Thom Browne

I think HJ would look soooo good in anything Thom Browne, he takes classic tailoring and menswear and then adds so much texture and surreal or silly details and has so much fun with it, it feels so playful and I think it fits HJs vibe!

정우영 Wooyoung - Yohji Yamamoto

What can I say, Wooyoung just looks good in black!! I think he suits the layering and textures of a classic Yohji runway and I could see him having a full wardrobe of Yohjis RTW for everyday.

최종호 Jongho - Dior

I think Jongho would look great in Dior, I feel they are kind of known for classic menswear. I notice the stylists tend to keep Jongho in this type of simple and modest silhouette and maybe that’s what he’s more comfortable in! Butttt I think they could still have a lot of fun with the little details (like those star buttons) and fabric patterns to make Jongho’s fits more exciting! So I think he would suit a Dior runway

강여상 Yeosang - Schiaparelli

I wouldn’t say Schiaparelli is known for menswear but this collection in particular gives off such a royalty vibe, like if we lived in a modern fantasy setting this is what a prince might wear to a ball , which I think fits Yeosang since he really does have such princely and handsome looks to me. I think he could pull off this exaggerated tailoring well

송민기 Mingi - Robert Wun

I thought this particular Robert Wun collection was soooo romantic and just sexy when I first saw it. It's another collection without a strong "menswear" vibe, but I think with Mingi's height and body proportions if Robert designed a look for him it would be jaw droppingggg. I don’t know if Mingi would choose this designer for his personal style 🤣 but I’m fantasizing over here !

최산 San - Bottega Veneta

I think San’s warm and simple vibe really fits this Bottega collection, I feel that they are known for their quality especially their bags and I think that would also appeal to San. I could see him wearing this in Italy just feeeeeling himself. He’s already so loved by Dolce I think more Italian houses will want him.

박성화 Seonghwa - Peter Do

I think these looks speak for themselves!!! 🤣 When Seonghwa dresses himself it seems like he tends to go for more loose fitting and gender neutral vibes which I know he said is his preference. I think he looks so amazing in suits and tailoring so I feel like this collection meets in the middle and he could pull anything from Peter Do off with EASE.

정윤호 Yunho - Mugler PFW 2009

Yes, I had to include a very specific runway for Yunho. Since it’s from 2009 these gettys are the most HQ pics I could find lol! I would not think of current Mugler as my first choice for Yunho but this specific runway with these menswear looks…..(I’m super Yunho biased so it’s probably pretty clear why I thought of this runway skdjdjdjf )

Mugler is without a doubt one of the most iconic fashion houses of all time, and Thierry and his brand have influenced fashion so deeply it’s crazy to watch his 90s runways and see something that influenced a trend to this day. This runway is 15 years old and true to the cycle of fashion I think if you put Yunho in any of these looks today he’d start a craze 🤣

✩Gemini Notes✩ This was a longggggg ass post but seeing HJ making so many connections this PFW has me foaming at the mouth I cannot wait to see what opportunities await our Ateez next year!!!

[minecraftrelatedrandomness]

pirates smp morality tier list based vaguely on canon and partially on vibes, 2024/04/23

as per usual, this is about the cubitos and not the real-life people

[link to tier list, 6 late additions were manually added]

Characters in each tier are listed based on alphabetical order of preferred names

Level 1: No one is on Level 1 / purely white morality because that's kind of hard to achieve at all, and especially not on the high seas.

Level 2:

Cleo: Doesn't partake in enough lore to do anything bad, one of the few consistent characters who actually didn't kill anyone.

Graecie: Trying so hard to hold it all together, may have had her fair share of interpersonal conflicts but generally plays a voice of reason.

Jojo: Probably one of the most emotionally stable people on the Isles, and tries to sympathize with others for the most part. Can't blame her for making incorrect inferences based on limited information.

Will: Had the potential of dropping lower according to data from the writer's room, but in canon? Not really, actions were all perfectly understandable and reasonable in accordance with present knowledge, just… the idealistic approach did NOT work out. (Nor would the cynical approach, according to the writer's room; my guy's just doomed by the narrative either way.)

Level 3:

Eloise: Mostly just living her life; points deducted for the occasional bounty.

Michela: Releasing the Corruption did seem like a bad idea… at the time. In hindsight, it was the right decision to make, but in the moment… IDK, this one is just vibes.

Ros: Generally just a nice and sweet person; points deducted for the Sabertooth ordeal, but in her defense, there was blackmail and threats involved. Points also deducted for verbally endorsing Sausage's more questionable ideas and suggestions. Based on vibes.

Scott: Didn't exactly do anything wrong; points deducted for occasional pettiness. Again, a vibes judgement.

Water: Again, just living her life and being mostly nice; points deducted for occasional mishaps like being Eloise's bounty accomplice.

Level 4:

Acho: Mainly just here for being way too Byronic for stars own good. And also the self-destructiveness and sunk cost fallacy ordeal towards the end. But mostly vibes.

Aimsey: Points deducted for the pride/thinking oneself invincible (to be quickly proven wrong) and dishonesty, but let's be real: they're mostly nice, and that's pretty good by our standards.

Kyle: I've either heard through the grapevine or vaguely recall that his character arc was going to go in a much darker direction, but didn't have time to play it out, so this is my compromise. Also, it would be funny to put him in the same level as p!Acho.

Seapeekay: Live fast, die young, but essentially did nothing particularly bad.

Level 5:

Apo: Essentially written to be True Neutral to be dragged in opposing directions, and out of respect for canon, he's smack in the middle of the scale.

Bek: Has jerkish moments but is willing to do the right thing. It's mostly just the mercenary business and all that.

Eret: Mostly keeps to themself and just cares about themself. The worst thing they actually did in canon was the bounty. Big True *Chaotic Neutral vibes.

Guqqie: The classism is what puts her as far down as here. Otherwise, she's capable of being nice, she's just… not usually nice, you know?

Oli: On the self-serving side and just wants to go home to his family and make big bucks and all. Points deducted for capitalism.

Owen: Big carpe diem energy and only really cares for himself, might need therapy to unpack all that but that would be anachronistic.

Sausage: Again, it's the joke-classism and the trolling. Capable of being nice and does care about people around him, but still has a jerkish streak. Technically dips down to Level 8 for a bit towards the end, but in his defense, he was possessed at the time and fighting it.

Level 6:

Kuervo: Only ranked this far down for the mass murder. The fact it was tyrannicide is pretty much the only thing that keeps him from dropping to a lower level. Otherwise, probably a 4, but by that point, he wouldn't be here at all.

Scar: May have questionably left his old crew to die to save himself. Whether he actually killed them himself is never confirmed. Scamming leaves him in this tier. Didn't stick around for long enough to confirm or deny this level.

Tubbo: Here for the casual non-canonical murders and theft and vandalism and all that. Didn't stick around for long enough for further judgement, but from the ~2 weeks he was here, this is what leaves him at.

Level 7:

Shep: This man's moral compass is not pointing north!! Let's check off the canonical murder and voluntary manslaughter first! But then he's also capable of being nice to some people and he doesn't exactly take pleasure in hurting others or go out of his way to do so, so… compared to, say, his mentor, he's already somewhat decent.

Level 8:

Martyn: Being from the Datastream means he's playing 4-D chess with the world but I am not excusing his tomfoolery, especially since he is having a hard time comprehending that HIS ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES on the world! The whole Blondbeard arc. Just… that. And also how he acts towards p!Ros in canon is just plain mean… laughing about wanting to see her cry as her castle gets burnt and bombed to its foundations is… ARGH. THIS MAN. HE IS SO CLOSE TO CROSSING THE LINE.

Levels 9 and 10: Special spot reserved for Iris and co. for crossing the Line.

Everyone else: Didn't stick around for long enough, but I can vaguely clear a few off or speculate:

Olive: Definitely below a 5; probably 2–3 based on their one (1) stream.

Shelby: Maybe Level 5 for being kind of a rude snob, but didn't stick around to complete her Alexis Rose arc, so I'd say there is potential for her to be Level 4 (or lower), but we don't know with what our information is.

[aqua-dan]

What advice would Mera and Arthur give teenage Garth if Roy was bullying him

Sorry that it has taken me so long to answer this, but to be honest, I've had a hard time formulating a response to it. I feel like there's so many different nuances that I have to explain and I don't even know where to start...

Okay, I suppose I'll try to answer the base ask first: They probably wouldn't have much advice for him. It would probably be something along the lines of "ignore him" or "try not to worry about it." Unfortunately, I doubt that either Mera or Arthur would have much good advice for him in a situation like that.

Beyond that, it really makes me want to ramble about Roy and Garth's early relationship because it is so messy and complicated. To be honest, Garth really wasn't around Roy all that much during his teenage years. They converged on a few missions through the Teen Titans, sure, but after Roy joined the team permanently, there wasn't all that many times that Garth got to interact with him. (Retcons have changed this a little bit, but.... I prefer this version...) In those few interactions they had, most of them were negative. Roy had a lot going on in his life and that caused him to lash out at people. This wasn't fair to them, mind you, but he did it to just about everyone.

Eventually, Roy started to grow a lot as a person and stopped being so much like that. The other Titans got to see his growth and they all grew pretty close. But since Garth was absent most of the time, he didn't get to bond with Roy the same way the other Titans did.

Because the very limited interactions they had were mostly negative, Garth held onto the idea that Roy was a total jackass and specifically didn't like him.

On Roy's side, that's not at all true. Yeah, Roy was definitely a douchebag when he was younger, but he does not hate Garth. The things he said to Garth that came off negatively weren't specifically about Garth. He would have said it to anyone in those situations.

When they started to interact as adults, they held two VERY different views of how their relationship was. Garth thought Roy not-so-secretly hated him (and also thought he was racist towards Atlanteans), and Roy probably felt fairly neutral towards Garth but also had a little bit of nostalgia about him by proxy when talking about the old Teen Titans. I think that he WANTED to be closer with Garth, so he defaulted to the old jokes and jibes that seem to have worked for the other members regarding Garth.

Garth... wasn't fantastic at standing up for himself when he was younger, so he didn't make it very clear how much those comments upset him. He would tell Roy to stop, but never really enforced it much, thus allowing Roy to think it was all part of the little "game" between them. He thought he was coming off as affectionate in his teasing, and Garth never set the boundaries in an adult fashion to make it clear how much he didn't like it. (That isn't to say that Roy shouldn't have stopped when asked-- he just didn't understand HOW serious it was.)

That was until Gargoyle manipulating their emotions sort of forced them to confront this whole thing. I very much wish that comics meta hadn't made it so the confrontation became slightly moot after that point. Regardless, Roy's reaction to Garth actually telling him what he thought about him/his actions is VERY telling about Roy as a character and how he viewed all of their interactions.

They still clashed after this, but also had some very interesting conversations where they were able to meet in the middle.

If I were in charge of writing for them, I would LOVE to go and explore their relationship more and build off of that conflict. I would love to set up a situation where they are forced to confront this stuff again.

I'm off topic now tho.... But my point here being that Roy really didn't bully Garth in the classic sense. He absolutely DID put Garth down and make him feel awful, but the vast majority of it came from misunderstandings, miscommunication, and simply not being around each other much. So many of their issues could be resolved if they just TALKED.

So idk if the opportunity for Garth to ask Arthur or Mera advice on this would even arise, necessarily? Garth didn't really talk to them about this kind of stuff, and also the situation was far more complex than your typical childhood bullying.

I hope this provides at least a somewhat satisfactory answer! And sorry that I don't have more specific things to say on the Arthur/Mera front!

[haledamage]

World Building Whenever - Kade Mithal

I keep forgetting to post this for an actual World Build Wednesday, so we'll just call it World Building Wsaturday

B A S I C S

• Full name: Kade Mithal. That’s all, no middle name or anything. Though depending on her mood (and where she is in the story), she also goes by: 

• Kaden Rose (a favorite alias) • Kade Lok • Kade Cadera • Sometimes also will put “of Clan Lok” or “of Clan Cadera” at the end of her name, to represent her adoptive clan/husband’s clan respectively • Briefly experimented with Kade Bradensdottir, for memorial purposes, but it didn’t stick • Her callsign is “Shrike”, because cute and tiny but deadly

• Gender:  female, in a “I don’t know, I just work here” capacity. doesn’t care what people assume she is

• Sexuality:  pansexual

• Pronouns: she/her, but also any

O T H E R S

• Family: birth family unknown; Mako, adopted sister; Braden, informally-adopted father (deceased); Artus “Mandalore the Vindicated” Lok, adopted father (deceased); Torian Cadera, husband; Hana and Rin, daughters; Jayin, son. Another kid on the way, gender/name unknown

• Birthplace: unknown (Coruscant, presumably, since her first memories are there)

• Job: Bounty Hunter, “Acquisitions Specialist”, Commander of the Alliance

• Phobias: no major phobias that I can think of. A few deep-seated fears (loss, mostly, specifically of losing her family), but I don’t know that I’d call that a “phobia” as such

• Guilty pleasures: gardening. I wouldn’t call it a “guilty” pleasure, but it is one she keeps a secret. Ruins her tough-guy image

M O R A L S

• Morality alignment: Chaotic. Chaotic good, I think? Maybe chaotic neutral. But definitely chaotic

• Sins: lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath 

• Virtues: chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

• Introverted/extrovert

• Organized/disorganized

• Close-minded/open-minded

• Calm/anxious

• Disagreeable/agreeable 

• Cautious/reckless

• Patient/impatient

• Outspoken/reserved

• Leader/follower (no preference/inclination one way or the other)

• Empathetic/unempathetic

• Optimistic/pessimistic 

• Traditional/modern

• Hard-working/lazy

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

• otp: Kade/Torian. Pretty much love at first sight for both of them, though I think he fell a little faster.

• ot3: Kade/Torian/Rass. I have many thoughts about this, but they’ll have to wait for their own post. May end up making this their new canon, haven’t decided yet.

• brotp: Kade & Mako. Torian may be the love of her life, but Mako is her true soulmate.

• notp: Kade/Tarro Blood, obviously. If she could, she’d resurrect him just to kill him again. Other than that, besides the obvious like Skadge or Valkorion, none I can think of

[joanofarcbutsilly]

john “soap” mactavish x reader

ft. ghost

cute little thoughts about soap and reader finding a place to enjoy

reader is gender neutral! can be read as platonic or romantic!

my favorite order at MY local diner is included as a little easter egg hehe

one of the ways soap shows you he cares is by remembering as much information about you as he possibly can

pov: you and soap are at a diner you two love to visit on your off time after being relocated

a little establishment that’s pretty close to the base, just near enough to be able to sneak off without being caught be ghost

simon always knows when you and johnny leave camp, nothing really escapes him, especially the goings on at work. even though he will ALWAYS be able to find another task that needs completing for one or both of you, he also knows that soap loves the thrill of your “secret” rendezvous. he won’t admit it, but he finds it very cute, and how could he put a stop to such a simple pleasure?

anyways! back to soap!

so you two are at the your little hide out hole-in-the-wall, just chatting it up about anything and everything

soap LOVES to gossip

he will tell you some probably (read: definitely) fake stories. like the time he had to share a bed with the rest of the 141 at a safe house, and he SWEARS TO GOD that when he woke up in the middle of the night he saw simon and price cuddling in their sleep.

you can make fun of him all you want, call him a no good liar, say you KNOW it’s not true, you can even bring proof! tell him about the time you and ghost had to share a little patch of floor for bedtime, and when you knocked into him in his sleep he punched you in the stomach so hard you almost threw up.

soap says simon must just not like you that much, because he SWEARS ghost has kissed him on the forehead in his sleep.

he is such a faker.

there is no real point in arguing with him, he will defend each and everyone of his tall tales to his death. he has swore on everything he holds dear, including his mother, and locked pinkies with you so many times that it’s a little inside greeting for the two of you now.

you and soap have also challenged yourselves to try EVERYTHING on the menu. johnny insists that you give every menu item a shot, even the ones you know for a fact you won’t/don’t like. HOWEVER, he always has a clever excuse to why he can’t eat anything with mushrooms.

the seriousness of his “allergy” to mushrooms has been recorded ranging from hives, to immediate anaphylactic shock, he’s even claimed that he will combust into flames.

YOU have to try everything though. no excuses.

once you have managed to taste the entire menu, you go back to ordering whatever is your favorite

which brings us to soap’s next little quirk

soap LOVES ordering for you

not in a controlling way of course! he just loves to show off how well he knows you, to the smallest detail!

he knows EXACTLY how you like your favorite drink. how many creamers and sugar packets you like in your coffee, the juice you prefer (and has no shame in asking for mixes of several types, since he knows that you like an apple and cranberry juice concoction), and if you like iced tea, he knows how many lemon slices you like and if you like it sweetened or unsweetened. he knows all of this by HEART. your preferences are tattooed onto his soul.

so when the waitress comes over and turns to you to ask for your order, soap holds up both of his hands frantically and exclaims for you to wait. he then leans forward with his eyes closed and his elbows on the table, fingers massaging his temples.

“hmmm-“ he starts, much too seriously for the problem at hand, “they wan’ a denver skillet. eggs sunny side up. extra cheese and peppers. replace the toast with pancakes. with chocolate chips. and sprinkes. and whipped cream.”

he breaks character when he can’t hold back anymore and his face cracks into a smile, “could ya’ make the pancakes into a mouse?”

the waitress is charmed and amused by the two of you, and especially appreciates the generous tip she gets from you both, so she is more than willing to put up with your shenanigans.

soap still has a sly grin when he asks you if you’d like to change anything

soap is a human garbage can, so if you order for him (just make sure it doesn’t have mushrooms), whatever it is, he will loudly declare that it was the best meal he’s ever had.

when you and the rest of the 141 eventually have to move from this base to the next, this little tradition continues. you and soap immediately hunt out the closest local eatery, and start all over.

bonus!!

soap cannot keep his mouth shut, and will tell ghost all of the details of your excursions when he gets bored on coms.

ghost will just ignore him most of the time, just humming in false acknowledgment of whatever the hell soap is saying.

BUT. soap doesn’t know it, but his Lt. has taken the liberty to visit the same establishments as the two of you, and has escaped running into you guys by the skin of his teeth.

thank god he never stays, because soap would be in SO MUCH SHIT

[chaosandcrimson]

no way is that ESPERANZA RIVERA UMBRA.. they're a 34-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being QUIET & LETHAL but there are some people who have seen them being STEALTHY & SERENE. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of sneaking up on someone without making a sound, an improbable amount of knives hidden on your person, and looking like an entirely different person out of your work gear, but that could just be because they're considered the MAFIA PRINCESS SILENT ANTAGONIST around town. just keep an eye on them & see if their true colors shine through..

I was tame, I was gentle, 'til the circus life made me mean "Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth" Who's afraid of little old me? Well, you should be

OVERVIEW

Name: Esperanza Jacinta Rivera / Umbra

Nickname(s): Essie

DOB: February 4, 2090

Age: 34

FC: Eiza González

Height: 5'8"

Pronouns: She/Her / They/Them

Sexuality: Bisexual

Occupation: Owner of The Floral Dilemma / Enforcer and Assassin for the Skyport Mafia / Personal Bodyguard to the Underboss

Relationship Status: In a relationship with Mercury Midwinter

[+] charming, serene, stealthy [–] bashful, quiet, lethal

BIOGRAPHY

tw: death

Esperanza, affectionately nicknamed Essie, was born into a middle district family. For the first five years of her life, her existence was pretty uneventful; her parents worked regular nine to five jobs, and when they weren't doing things as a family, she spent most of her time trailing after her big brother Nicolas.

Their parents were killed when Essie was 5 years old and Nicolas was 8 years old. There was no rhyme or reason to it—they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The siblings were put into the foster care system and placed in a home that might not have been that bad if it wasn't so overcrowded.

They stuck it out for a bit, but eventually decided to take their chances out on the streets. Over time, they ended up gathering a small group of fellow street urchins who all managed to survive by looking out for each other.

Essie was 12 years old when Nicolas joined the Skyport Mafia and their station in life drastically improved. She wanted to attend school, but after years of living out on the streets, she was severely behind. Connie arranged for her to be home schooled and tutored until she caught up enough to attend high school.

In exchange, Essie began secretly training under Connie as an assassin. She saw and admired how seamlessly the older woman moved between her civilian lawyer persona and her mafia assassin persona, and how the two almost felt like entirely separate people, and decided to emulate it. But she took it a step further.

When she started working as an assassin, she took the name Umbra and chose gear that completely conceals her identity. Her clothes hide her figure, her mask obscures her face, and it even provides voice modulation—although she does not speak much in general, and prefers to sign when communicating.

Her identity is kept secret from almost everyone including her fellow mafia soldiers. Even her gender is unknown, and she purposefully uses they/them pronouns when in her Umbra persona to keep it that way.

Meanwhile, in her civilian identity as Essie, she attended college and business school before opening a flower shop in the middle district. The Floral Dilemma is a neutral business with no mafia ties and no illegal activity.

When she was 27 years old, her and Nicolas orchestrated a coup to take out the underboss. He was getting old, hadn't gotten onboard with Reina's vision for the mafia, and had a history of giving increasingly irrational orders. The operation was a success, and her brother became the new underboss with Connie's endorsement, whom may or may not have been involved all along.

As a result, Essie went from being relatively unknown to having a public persona as the little sister of the underboss—the mafia princess who is purposefully kept away from the business. Similarly, Umbra went from being an assassin to being the infamously masked personal bodyguard of the underboss.

It was Essie's increased visibility that prompted her brother to place a mafia soldier at her flower shop as an employee. It was mostly for appearances—Umbra could obviously look out for herself, but Essie wasn't supposed to be able to. She picked Mercury, who also became the underboss's personal driver.

It didn't take long for working together at the flower shop to turn into Essie and Mercury low-key flirting with each other all the time. On the other hand, working together under Nicolas became Umbra and Mercury being mildly antagonistic (weapons were drawn multiple times) but always having each other's back.

It was very funny and kind of endearing when he eventually confessed to having feelings for both of them, and she had to explain to him that he was not, in fact, crushing on two different people. They have been together for the past five years, although for obvious reasons she can only date him publicly as one of her personas, and it made the most sense for it to be Essie.

MISC

She has a number of cybernetic enhancements that mainly improve her stealth, speed, and agility. Most of them are very discreet, and the ones that aren't she keeps carefully concealed when in her Essie persona.

The only people who know that Essie and Umbra are the same person are the mafia leadership (including the capos), Mercury, Cassie, and Oda.

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

When I made my "which characters read as neurodivergent" tierlist, someone pointed out in the comments that Arisa could have been put in one of the ND tiers, and I suddenly questioned why I hadn't put her there. After all, this was my response (minus the egregious typo): "Arisa I honestly tend to look at as neurodivergent. Her loneliness and being an A+ student, masking to the point of going too far with it, passionate rants, are definitely relatable in that sense."

So what possessed me to put her in the "something going on here, just not necessarily ND" tier? I've thought about it and I think I've figured it out. I like to read Arisa as physically disabled.

This is probably in the realm of headcanon, but it's the type that makes use of canon, you know? I look at her as having an invisible disability. With that in mind, I've used the fact that in the anime, she is for some reason shown sitting on a toilet a couple times (although not actually shown taking a shit, I guess she's just... sitting there...), which is very natural but just isn't the case for the other characters I feel like? That's not usually their pretty girl cute girl place to hang out... ... I've used that fact to create a metaphorical picture where she has IBS or any other sort of condition that makes it preferable for there to be a bathroom nearby at all times.

I know she's not taking a painful shit because I watched this scene, but nothing about this framing proves that she isn't.

And I genuinely think it fits her writing. Having a disability that requires regularly going to the bathroom would easily explain why she avoids going to school - not only is having to leave in the middle of class inconvenient, but it is also a difficult thing to admit to socially.

...And I know BanG Dream! is a family-friendly series with appropriately young fans, so let's get it out of the way. Haha! Poop! ...Regardless, I'd like to talk about this disability neutrally, for what it is, and speak positively about representation of it in fiction.

This is of course not mentioning the stress and fatigue that induces. So let's say Arisa has such a disability. Despite caring about being an A+ student (which she was even in her music school when she was a kid, and we know she was happy about her successes), she becomes anxious at the idea of going to school. Although her grandma isn't given much characterisation, one could infer that the knowledge that this is due to her diagnosed disability - her pain and discomfort - is why she allows her to skip school so often without questioning it. Generally, adults tend to care about that. She takes this habit from a young age and because of that, doesn't form friendships, and what little social life she has is made difficult by the anxiety she already experiences in the first place.

On top of all of this, a mix or her physical appearance and her distant behaviour has her come off as a distinguished young lady. (Not something I'm making up - Eve often mentions it, but other characters also point to her being very delicate, very well-spoken.) Keeping up that façade is made all the more stressful by knowing the social stigma that comes with having the kind of disability that affects your gastro-intestinal movements. Of course, that doesn't exist in a vacuum, and it also hides her sharp tongue. Still, why don't people know about her true personality, if not because she's extremely avoidant from the get-go? All of this explains her behaviour - avoiding social functions (from fear of being "found out"), being socially awkward (from lack of socialisation), and possibly even laying hard into the perception that she's elegant (...and that's why she's so distant, definitely no other reason...!).

And the reason I care enough to lay all of this down is that such a story is honestly very wholesome in the end. Despite her circumstances that made her avoid social life, the introverted Arisa is found by her future wife an extroverted friend who brings her out of her shell. She even ends up in a band! Despite her disability, Arisa is able to participate in social life and stand on stage, be cool, be pretty, be fun, do what she loves to do. This isn't a stress-free life... as we know, Arisa is often stressed out (see picture above). And she might even have to deal with pain and difficulties around and during concerts, but with people around her who want her to be there, the world can be made accessible, less scary and worth the effort.

I'm not against reading Arisa as another neurodivergent member of PoPiPa, especially since neurodivergent can mean many things, but something about her possessed me to think about the possibility that there's a different reason for her "being a little weird". Kasumi has to me a very clear case of ADHD, Tae is the "airhead" character which I also choose to read as a brand of ND and not just... an anime trope..., Rimi is very shy (also fits the food fixations and weird interests bill), Saaya is neurotypical as balls but her social life is impacted by external factors (her family; her mom's disability!) and I think it fits the bill that Arisa has her own reason to be isolated from the social norm. Hey, it even makes Saaya seem less like the weirdo/only neurotypical in the band! Since PoPiPa has this theme going on between the lines, I think it's interesting to look at the possibility that the factor that isolates one of them is a physical disability - because that is a genuine factor for loneliness.

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

Gentile. | Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story touches upon possibly distressing themes, such as domestic abuse, infidelity, racism and non-consensual intercourse. Period typical attitudes do not represent the author's personal view. Reader discretion is advised.

Story description: Whilst you're trapped in an arranged and loveless marriage to Praetor Quintus, a chance meeting has you spiralling into an intense and passionate love affair with the most tenured agent of the Cohorte Urbanae.

When you find out you are pregnant with his child, it's only the beginning : Nothing you've ever known remains intact when a certain Preacher reaches the ear of Capernaum, including yours.

Chapter summary: Arriving in Capernaum, you realise that your arranged marriage to Quintus might never know a true breakthrough.

Chapter list

Your husband, you know better than anyone, is a volatile man, and despite the decent amount of time you have known him for, his mannerisms are still thoroughly unpredictable to you.

Praetor Quintus removes his heavy helmet with a sigh, a thin sheen of sweat shimmering on his bald head, and steps out in front of you to take in the sight of the chamber that he’d call his office for an undisclosed period of time. “It’ll have to do,” falls from his lips, a statement that might be deemed neutral to some, but you know that tone. He’s displeased with the size, the decor, and perhaps even with the plasterwork. He is, all in all, critical of everything.

You, on the other hand, can’t care less. The room is still half-empty, but the small chaise longue you usually rest on during days that Quintus wants you in his office is already standing in the corner, a little daylight streaming in through the window. It makes for the perfect spot to read some books, although you’d prefer a bit more privacy.

“We’ll be settled in no time,” you reassure him, causing him to look at you with a raised brow. 

“Of all places, we’re stationed in Capernaum. Don’t think it will be easy around here, dearest.” The nickname makes the hairs of your neck stand on end. How could a word usually so loving be spoken in such a cold way, you think to yourself, for there is no comfort in his drawling voice. You’re certain that the man hasn’t even grown fond of you, despite your second wedding anniversary rolling around in a few weeks from now. 

Not that you had been too keen on marrying him, either, for you are naught but a pretty thing on his arm. Being your father’s property, alas, you had no choice.

“As long as I have my books, I will be satisfied everywhere in the world.” you told him earnestly.

He scoffs. “You and your books.” With a roll of his eye, he tosses his helmet onto his desk with abandon. “It would have bored me out of my mind ages ago.”

You hug the bag that hangs over your shoulder a little closer to your body, the familiar outlines of your leatherbound journal pressed against your chest. “Well, I quite like it, thank you very much.”

“As long as you don’t keep them lying around.” he chastises you like a father addressing his daughter with a distant edge to his tone, and it causes you to shrink. 

A thought pops up in your mind - he had promised you your own little sitting room where you could store your books and write on your poetry - and you open your mouth to ask him about it, but a sudden stranger on the threshold causes the words to get stuck in your throat.

A middle-aged man clad in red takes off his helmet and holds it under his arm, one hand against his chest. “Hail Caesar,” he says, catching your husband’s attention, who eyes him with characteristic suspicion.

“Hail Caesar.” Quintus replies, not satisfied with the fact that he had not yet given the centurion permission to speak, but he doesn’t mention it. “And you are…?”

“My name is Gaius, Dominus.” the man explains, his gaze momentarily falling on you, and he gives you a slight bow out of respect. You nod at him in response before his attention shifts back to your husband. “I oversee part of Capernaum when it comes to—”

Quintus smiles one of his oddly fake grins and holds up his hand, giving a small shake of his head. “Don’t even bother with that right now, Gaius. Can’t you see my wife and I are busy unpacking? You may return in half a day or so, once we have settled at least a little bit.”

“As you wish, Dominus. Forgive me for the intrusion.”

He turns to leave and you are finally able to ask the question you had been meaning to bring up. “Quin,” you pipe up with a pet name that wholly replaces your calibre to call him darling, or dear , or love , which are three terms you are certainly not assigning to him for neither fits his personality, “I would like to withdraw myself to our residence, if that is alright.”

Your husband looks at you with a furrowed brow as if you had just asked the most ridiculous thing you could have, but raises his voice to call back the guard that had just left the chamber, “Gaius!”

The summoned guard once again appears with a dutiful look on his face. “Yes, Dominus?”

“Please escort my wife to our new residence at the end of the street. Make sure no one gets their filthy paws on her - even better, make sure that no one so much as looks at her, do I make myself clear?”

Gaius’ eyes shift to you. “Of course, Dominus.”

“I will see you soon, darling,” Quintus says, walking closer for a kiss. When you don’t move your head to meet his lips, he presses one against your cheek before withdrawing, resting one hand on the small of your back, “Tonight.” 

There is a look in his eyes that alerts you of what he wants and you shudder unpleasantly, dread already setting in the pit of your gut. The fact that you have not yet borne him an heir is often subject of your domestic squabbles, even though it is unfair that he blames your barrenness on your character and nothing else.

“Naturally, Quin.” you breathe before following Gaius outside, who soon halts to have you catch up to him. There is a certain stiffness in his shoulders that makes you wonder what he is so nervous for. 

“Tell me something about Capernaum,” you query, Gaius looking at you from the corner of his eye. “What is it like?”

“Restless,” Gaius replies with a tight-lipped expression, as if he is afraid he will say the wrong word, “Things have been worsening around here ever since our previous Praetor… Prematurely retired.”

You hum, letting your eyes fall on a pair of orphans that sit on the edge of the street with a cup in their hands. The denarii in your pocket are burning against your leg, pity making you feel sick to your stomach at the sight of their fallen, pockmarked cheeks. 

“My husband will live up to his reputation,” you state matter-of-factly, knowing that there must be a reason that Quintus had been selected and sent all the way from Rome. “I am sure that things will become better around here, soon.” The promise is perhaps a wish, for you miss your friends and family, whom you had to leave behind in favour of Quintus’ profession.

Gaius gestures to the right to have you turn the corner. You follow his instruction and are met with a decent house made from dark basalt stone, groups of slaves moving chests of items inside. A few of them gawk at the pair of you, causing you to drape your Palla over your hair to cover up a little, feeling scrutinised.  “Hurry along!” Gaius barks at one of them lingering in the doorframe. They all scurry away, continuing their work. 

The residence is not large but spacious enough, and when you mention the room that Quintus has promised you, Gaius helps you find it. He is a silent man and attempting to start a casual conversation is off the table almost immediately, prompting you to follow him in silence.

“This must be it,” you tell him upon entering a room that contains most of your chests, where a few tall shelves have already been placed against the walls. There are two windows, which look out over the town square. Despite the village being cramped, you can count yourself lucky with a corner room like this one, which gives a false sense of space. Gaius nods, giving you a small bow with a hand on his chest, and leaves you to yourself, the only sound left being the men downstairs carrying furniture into the house.

You sigh and look around the still quite empty space, but soon envision where you want your sofa to stand as well as your desk, and you begin to unpack your belongings that are already standing on the floor. You finger the brass SPQR etched onto the small chest, unsure of how much to unpack. After all, you have no idea for how long you will be staying here.

Inside are your golden clips, hair pins and other jewellery. You store them in your desk, that has been shoved against the wall where you don’t want it standing. Taking a mental note to ask Quintus to get it moved later, towards a spot where you’d have more natural light coming in, you continue the task at hand, getting installed to your best ability.

Your tunics are already neatly hanging in the wardrobe, several pairs of sandals stored at the bottom. Somewhere during the afternoon, a female slave brings you water and some figs, which you thank her for. The dullness in her eyes causes the money on you to weigh down on you again, but you know that Quintus would be livid if he found out about you secretly slipping some money their way.

The lowering of the sun has already cloaked the fishing village in hues of pink and orange when Quintus finally appears on the threshold of your room, dark circles under his eyes. “Finally,” he murmurs upon seeing you, and you look up from your thoughts, an unopened book resting in your lap. “If everyone is as incompetent as the workers I’ve seen today, I doubt I’ll have any employees left by the end of the month.” Knowing him, he’s given at least five of them the sack already.

When you don’t reply, Quintus clears his throat. “I hope that you’re satisfied with your room here, darling.”

“I am,” you tell him with a genuine smile, “I love it.”

“Good.” he retorts with a rather sarcastic edge to his voice, adding: “It’s the best room in this place, you better be thankful.”

“I am.” you repeat, although different in tone this time, with your smile falling from your lips.

Quintus crosses his arms over his chest, observing the way you have put away your belongings. He drags a finger over a shelf that had already been hanging on the wall and looks at the dust that gathers on his skin with chagrin. “Would have expected them to deliver this place clean, at least. Moving to Upper Galilee is bad enough as is, with all kinds of vermin scurrying about. Let me know how you want your furniture arranged, I’ll send someone over soon enough. For now, follow me, dear.”

You rise to your feet and put your book away before heading after your husband, who leads you through the residence that is already fuller than it was when you entered hours prior. A few slaves that are still unpacking cower at the sight of him, falling silent in their whispered chatter, not daring to make a noise. He leads you to your shared bedroom, a rather large space with an adjacent, open washroom containing a small basin as well as a polished mirror on the wall above a small dressing table, where your perfumes and powders were already on display. 

“This is our place,” says he, already taking off the heavy pendant necklace that sits around his shoulders. “We will sleep here together.”

You give him a tight-lipped nod, swallowing the comment that you had already figured that out by the sight of the large bed, and you fold your hands in front of you expectantly.

Quintus clicks his tongue and steps forward, cupping your cheek in his hand. You resist the urge to move away from it, enabling your usual habit of just closing off your mind to the disdain that seeps through your veins whenever he touches you.

His fingers are already on your Palla , and he unravels it with ease, like he has done plenty of times before. “How is your cycle?” he quizzes. You are unable to sell him the lie that you are in your infertile days of the month, sighing deeply before responding.

“Fertile.” 

“Good,” Quintus breathes, letting go of your cloak, letting it pool around your ankles. “Undress and join me on the bed,” he mutters with his lips against your temple, pressing a cold kiss against your skin.

And you do as you’re told, shutting your mind off, fulfilling your marital duties to the man you loathe so much, distancing yourself from your own form as he takes you.

Once done, Quintus pushes you away with a disinterest that he doesn’t even bother to cover up. You turn away as he steps out of the bed, not wanting to see his naked form withdraw to the bathroom, where he washes himself without so much as a word of thanks.

Defiled in the sheets, you force back your tears, drifting away into a slumber that teases the hope that he’ll be gone once you wake up, so that you can cry properly without his judgemental sneers.

A waft of cologne tickles your nose and a readily dressed Quintus appears in your field of vision, prompting you to look up. 

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“No.” you say apologetically, “Sorry.”

He lets out a sound of slight indignance before repeating the comment you had apparently missed: “I said, I am planning on throwing a party tomorrow. I’ll be inviting the men amongst the higher ranks. Gives me a chance to introduce the new rules I’m planning on issuing around this mess of a village. As for you, you better show up looking your very best. Didn’t marry you for nothing.”

You hum and give him a small nod. “Of course, Quintus,” you tell him, knowing that saying no is not an option, and you lay down back on the bed, closing your eyes. He sighs, turning towards the door, where he momentarily halts on the threshold. 

“Oh, (Y/n).” 

You once again look at him. “Yes?”

“Don’t wear your purple stole tomorrow. Can’t look too rich around here.” 

As if the residence itself isn’t ostentatious enough as is.

“Of course, Quintus.” you comply

He mutters no final greeting, the pad of his sandals becoming a distant sound as he leaves. 

You allow your tears to flow freely now, sliding down your face towards the duvet, where they are absorbed by the rough linen that was witness to your misery, sobs of agony shaking your desecrated form.

Next chapter Chapter list

[the-unrelated-theorist]

The Overworld Theme

(And the Men from Another World)

Well! Well well well well welly well well....

I know most people are sick of theories based solely on the OST. So I decided to annoy y'all with another one, anyway.

I've been playing these games for over 2 years and I'm still discovering new things about the OST's. I may even be the last UT fan to notice these, but here goes.

So, Waterfall, Another Medium, and The Core all have the same intro. Some time ago, I finally noticed this intro does appear in Ruins, just not as the intro- it's actually near the very end (starts at 1:20- listen to the bells in the background).

But it wasn't until this comment on YouTube:

...that I went back and checked Ruins against Another Medium and The Core. Listen to Ruins again, starting at 1:02. Compare it to Another Medium, from 0:07-0:51.

And to The Core.

The ending of Ruins gets remixed in all of them. Or Another Medium got remixed into the Ruins. Anyway, it's there. It's a little hard to tell if you're not looking for it- or it was for me, anyway- but it's there.

Now, we all know that every one of Undyne's themes on a Neutral Route is a remix of Ruins (Waterfall, Quiet Water, NGAHHH!!, Spear of Justice), BUT... even Battle Against a True Hero has a bit of Ruins. Listen to the bells in the background at 0:38- it's the beginning of the middle BAATH (1:36).

Now, then...

It makes sense to me that Undyne's themes all get remixes of Ruins, since I now know that Ruins is pretty much the Overworld theme. Undyne is the hero of the Underground.

So then, why does Mettaton have so many themes that are remixed from the Overworld theme?

Death By Glamour is, of course, just a remix of The Core. So that's one very obvious place where Mettaton reuses the Overworld theme for himself. BUT:

Starting at 0:26, we can hear the intro to Spear of Justice. This also gets remixed, much more softly, in "It's Showtime" and "Live Report."

For the longest time, I thought Alphys had just included a bit of Undyne's theme into Mettaton's coding. But now I realize the whole thing isn't specifically Undyne's theme but rather an Overworld theme. So as it turns out, then, Mettaton is just incorporating the Overworld theme into his own themes, just as Undyne does.

This makes sense when you think about it. Undyne is the Hero of the Underground. Everyone knows her. Why shouldn't she be allowed to use the Overworld theme? Mettaton is the Star of the Underground. Everyone knows him. Why shouldn't he be allowed to use the Overworld theme?

This, then, brings up one more question:

Why doesn't sans use the Overworld theme? We see him literally everywhere in the Underground from Snowdin to the MTT Resort. sans speaks with Toriel, so he has a connection to the Ruins. We don't see sans in The Core or New Home, but we do see him in the Judgment Hall in Asgore's castle. sans is EVERYWHERE, even more so than Undyne and Mettaton. Why doesn't he use the Overworld theme?

It could just be his style, his preference- he simply prefers that little jazzy theme of his. But... Papyrus doesn't use the Overworld theme, either. And he's almost as "everywhere" as sans is, through our phone calls, through chatting with Alphys via the Undernet, through knowing Undyne. Not to mention the fact that Papyrus is arguably the most important character in any run, since so many Neutral endings hinge on whether you killed Papyrus or not. (And then, of course, there's Papyrus' notable absence from Deltarune, but we're not talking about Deltarune today.)

"sans" appears anywhere that sans appears, whether it's Grillby's or one of sans' sentry stations or the MTT Resort (albeit remixed into "It's Raining Somewhere Else"). "sans" also permeates sans' entire house, EXCEPT for Papyrus' room, where no music plays at all.

But neither of the brothers uses the Overworld theme. In addition, "sans" doesn't appear outside of sans themes, except for "Bring it In, Guys". Same goes for "Bonetrousle"- "Bring It In, Guys" and STMPWYFS are the only non-Papyrus songs in which "Bonetrousle" appears (and, like, it's pretty obvious why we hear the trousle of bones in a song that might play you fight sans, amirite?).

The skelebros show up more often in the Underground than any other character. And yet they have no musical ties to the Underground whatsoever.

Could that be because they're not from the Underground at all?

"Beware the man who came from another world."

Thanks for the tip River Person- but which one?

[cloudbattrolls]

@condescensionsation (for the conversation ask that got ungraciously eaten by tumblr)

--

The silver desk in the middle of the well-lit office had once belonged to Jamie Abnale, but was now covered with duck knickknacks. Its pencil mug was decorated with a dancing kittycat meme, and it was dustier in the few spaces not covered by stray papers or notepads that had never been so disarrayed when the blueblood had used it.

It now held a nameplate that read 'Chimer Latrai' and the eponymous fuchsia was settled in a chair she'd brought in to both spin around and accommodate her tall stature.

On it rested a folder that had ‘RESTRICTED’ printed on it in imperial red.

Chimer looked at the man anxiously sitting across from her, his worry clear from his stiff posture and fins held at a determined neutral half-mast.

It was a little funny, though not the kind that made her laugh. More the ‘where did my life go’ type.

“So…I mean. Your résumé is good. Ullane said you’re pretty solid, a few incidents aside. I’m not gonna phone up Queenpin for a reference, but I’m sure she’d say the same. But why did you apply?”

“Tuuya recommended it to me.” He admitted, seeming sheepish about the fact, his glow spots flicking brighter and dimmer in turn.

The fuchsia snorted. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. You don’t eat people, right?”

The violet looked scandalized at the very thought. She laughed.

“Great. Already an improvement. But like, you’re pretty busy these nights already, aren’t you? What made you want to go back to your old gig?”

Thrixe shrugged.

“Money. I don’t charge the clinic or Kaningård too much, they’re both good causes. But also…I want to keep my skills sharp. I feel…restless.” He admitted.

“My life is great. Better than I ever thought it’d be. But even though I’m doing work I enjoy, it’s not quite the same.”

Chimer nodded.

“I know you can follow orders. Probably better than worms mcgee can, though I admit they weren’t always wrong when they decided to divert. Hurts to say so, but it’s true. More importantly…do you understand you’ll be going directly against the empire at times?

Tuuya’s said to me that you still have tendencies that way, which I’m not gonna lie, is pretty funny given your whole deal.”

The hybrid winced. “I…I am no longer loyal to the empire. I haven’t been since I faked my death and fled. Then they tried to kill me a second time.” He said with a sigh.

Chimer’s eyebrows raised.

“Yet you don’t sound mad about that.”

“I’m a threat.” Said the violet bluntly. “A major threat. From a security standpoint, trying to eliminate me made sense.”

She laughed softly, rolling a pencil between her fingers.

“You sure are, bud. You’re a threat I want on my side…because even though I’m out of my old politics now, there’s a whole new field I’m playing in. I know now that the only reason no one screwed with me before was the resistance’s protection, and the resistance is gone, thanks to a certain freckled moron hunting their leader.”

Thrixe blinked. This was complete news to him, and he had no idea who the freckled moron was.

“Corelo’s great, but he has his own stuff to deal with, and I prefer him close to me.” She continued. “He’s best on the management side. You I need in the field, when trouble comes calling, or when I need to prevent it.”

She straightened up, her gaze harder.

“But will you go against the empire? Not just ignore their rules. Not just slide under their radar. Actively step up and fight their forces. Can you do that, Thrixe?”

The violet thought.

Then he nodded.

“Yes.”

Chimer Latrai grinned.

“Great. Welcome to the team. We have doughnuts every other week.”

Thrixe looked confused.

“I don’t eat doughnuts.”

His new boss looked at him in mock horror.

“You are a sad, weird little starfish.”

The violet rolled his eyes.

[ieatwormsandtheytasteverygood]

Fuck yuo *introduces self(s) again*

Apparently we go by Áesgirr here. so I'll be doing that too. We use he/him, hey/hem/here/heren/hem self, and 'e/'em/'er/'ers/'emself. We're a transgender genderqueer man, bisexual, and aromantic. Bodily 18, Irish & South African. We're physically disabled, have autism, ADHD, psychosis and a few special extras to make life interesting (read: painful). We plan on converting to Judaism when/if possible, but can't for at least a while yet.

We're pretty inactive just because we forget that tumblr exists. Repeatedly.

Our autism decided to make a special left swing right back to Jirt & the Silmarillion, but we've still quite some fondness for mediæval history, and naturally for philology & other linguistics.

Fluent in (Modern) English, Middle English, and Afrikaans (albeit getting out of practise). Vaguely conversational at German, Swedish and Zulu. Quite terrible at Irish, Welsh, Setswana and Middle Scots. And we can understand quite a bit of Modern Scots, (written) French, Dutch, Old English, Ecclesiastical Latin, and various related languages.

We're eternally trapped in the hellscape that is the Silmarillion fandom, but also Doctor Who & its associates, Star Trek, Our Flag Means Death, Shakespeare (we love the political plays), Good Omens, and probably some others. It's a thing.

We have so many pets and we love them to bits. <333

We also like art and writing, but unfortunately our art blog is completely separate to this (irl people know about our art blog), so no art here alas. We might post some of our calligraphy however! We love love love music, and we sing tenor, and play the violin and cello. Please send obscure folk music to us!!

The main lads (gender neutral) that're currently active are:

Ruthuifin - he/him, e/em. Aro neu, cassgender. Ñoldo (elf). Far too old and far too good at making terrible jokes. You don't want to know what e has to say about elf marital law. It's terrifying. And he's probably actually tax-fraud-romantic for all he goes on about it /j

Orchalon - no pronouns (auxiliary he/him). Anattractional, cassgender/agender (masculine or neutral terms preferred). Cursed to be Ruthuifin's brother, and Malto's cousin. Vaguely elvish, vaguely draconic.

Malto/Cóleblein - he/him. Probably aspec? Also an elf. He's the reason why we spent R4000 on all 12 volumes of HoME. Don't ask about the vat of wine incident.

Gwenwynwyn (not the real one; it's a pseudonym) - he/him (or any masculine pronouns). Sometimes host. Won't be active here really, so no info needed.

Piers - he/him. Unlikely to be active here (we're not sure if he's used tumblr at all lol). Human, queer. He will be queercoded and there is nothing you can do about it.

Eon - he/him. Also unlikely to be active. Bisexual. Human. He struggles with Modern English & as such refuses to learn it, instead speaking Middle English. I wish I was that cool.

Inan - he/him, hey/hem. Unlikely to be active. Gay man, human. He likes drawing.

Bethac - she/her, it/its. Cormorant dæmon. Plays translator for Inan. Self-described bitch, and user of the word "crunge".

Pádraig - he/him. The One True Pope. Pan-oriented aroace, cassgender (or something like that). Formerly human, now a horror beyond your comprehension. His hobbies are insomnia and hating the British.

Rhys Fychan - he/him. The token cishet man of the system (alongside his cousin, Rhys Hen, but shush). He enjoys pre-mediæval Welsh law, and writing.

Gwen - she/her. Wolf dæmon. She likely won't talk too much.

Obligatory DNI list: pædos, animal abusers, people who post using entirely inaccessible fonts (think faux cyrillic kind of thing). If you're going to be a dick about our identity please just move on. We can & will block liberally, especially when it comes to sexybots. If you're not in fact a sexybot and we end up blocking you, send us an anonymous ask with your username & we shall unblock.

Have a great Tuesday, and may you never experience the horrors of Malto spouting cursed Silmarillion facts.

[neverhangd]

Send me Ⓐ and my muse will rate yours: (haha for Raoul? Haha who am I kidding he has a knife to my throat and he's insisting. Haha please help me)

Send me Ⓐ and my muse will rate yours:

Haha, such a kidder! Haha please let Eve go. Please. 🥺

ALWAYS/STRONGLY/PRESENTLY SOMETIMES/VAGUELY/IN THE PAST VERY STRONGLY/IN THE FUTURE NEVER

Attractiveness:

repulsive || hideous || ugly || not attractive || unappealing || not unattractive || meh || no preference || ok || mildly attractive || nice looking || cute || adorable || attractive || pleasant on the eyes || good looking || hot || sexy || beautiful || gorgeous || hot damn || would tap that || perfect || godlike || holy fuck there are no words

Personality:

grating || irritating || frustrating || boring || confusing at best || awkward || unreasonable || psychotic || disturbing || interesting || engaging || affectionate || aggressive || ambitious || anxious || artistic || bad tempered || bossy || charismatic || appealing || unappealing || creative || courageous || dependable || unreliable || unpredictable || predictable || devious || dim || extroverted || introverted || egotistical || gregarious || fabulous || impulsive || intelligent || sympathetic || talkative || up beat || peaceful || calming || badass || flexible

How likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending || fuck no! || never || no way || not likely || not sure || indifferent || I’m asexual || maybe || probably || it depends || fairly likely || likely || yeah sure || yes || would tap that || hell yes || fuck yes! || wishing that could happen right now || as many times as possible || we are already having sex

Level of Friendship:

never in a million years || worst of enemies || enemies || rivals || indifferent || neutral || acquaintance || friendly toward each other || casual friends || friends || good friends || best friends || fuck buddies || bosom buddies || practically the same person || would die for them || true friends || my only friend || sorry raoul no friendship for you. lovers or obsessions there is no middle ground.

First impression of them:

I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to could get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them || he terrifies the living hell out of me || am i going to die??? i’m going to die.

Current Future impression of them:

I hate them so much || I don’t like them || I don’t trust them || they annoy me || they’re weird || I’m indifferent || meh || they seem alright || they’re growing on me || truce || I think I like them || I like them || I’m not sure if I trust them || I trust them || they’re cool || they’re genuine || I think we’re going to get along || I really like them || I think I’m in love || oh fuck they’re hot || I love them || take a bullet for him? yes. and shoot one. and not shoot one.

How good of a kisser:

worst kisser ever || terrible || bad || awkward || just okay || alright || pretty good || good || makes me moan || excellent || exciting || oh god they’re good || I dream about it || fucking amazing || absolute perfection || again daddy || we haven’t kissed (but fuck you I do what I want. obviously.)

[ethos-logos-pathos-blog]

Red's Burrow is right on the money as always. "Work smarter, not harder" is definitely a good way to think about circumventing secondaries, and "the ends justify the means" is more of a primary thing.

Secondaries, by definition, aren't about morality at all. They're entirely morally neutral, in fact. (One of my favorite things about the SHC system). Secondaries are just how you go about doing the things you do.

So, as a circumventing secondary (Snake Secondary), when I'm masking and code switching, I'm not think about whether or not my "end" goal justifies the "means" of what I'm doing. I'm just being myself; there's no thought put into it. Some Snakes may have models and performances that change the way they use their Snake Secondary and the way they conceptualize it, but as someone without any Secondary models or performances, its all very fluid on my part. I can be in the middle of a conversation and know that I'm masking, but I never had to pause and make a choice to do that; it's just my default setting.

Ironically enough, in my experience, neutral mode as a Snake Secondary is a much more conscious choice than masking. My masks are like my clothes. They're the way I present myself to society, and there's no way I'm walking outside without them on. The outfits I pick are what best suit my environment. I don't have to think about needing to wear a coat and boots during the winter, just like I don't have to think about adjusting my tone and posture to fit a business scenario versus a casual hang out with friends.

To an extent, everyone code switches; the only difference is that Snake Secondaries do it all the time, with pretty much everyone. For me, it's probably somewhat of a coping mechanism. It's not entirely specific to Snake Secondaries, but I do believe Snake Secondaries are often very good at reading people. We pay close attention to our environments and adjust accordingly, often rapidly, to every new bit of information we pick up on. To me, that's just smart. That's how I've protected myself in a lot of dicey situations and managed to come out ahead in a lot of otherwise unfortunate ones. My masks make me feel safe, and without them, it's a lot like being naked. Going neutral is a very personal thing for me, a true "mortifying ordeal of being known" experience. If anything, I'm more likely to wonder if the "ends" (of a situation) are worth it if I have to abandon my preferred "means" (masks).

Is "the ends justify the means" a circumventing secondary saying?

It can be... depending on the person. I hesitate to agree fully because this is usually a saying that involves ethics and that ventures into Primary territory. I've had plenty of conversations with Bird and Snake Secondaries who have strong negative feelings about lying, manipulating, or other skills, so they do put limits on their means.

I think a better (or at least more neutral) motto for Circumventing Secondaries is "Work smarter, not harder."

[arcxnumvitae]

Preferences

Just another mass headcanon post. Wanted it down just because I use broad labels (bi, pan, so on) but there are distinctions that differ among muses in terms of sexual preference. And who doesn’t like to learn new things

Ven: The sllliiightest preference towards women but it’s so small there’s not much point in me saying anything

Qingshan: Big preference towards Jian

Ren: Leans towards women

Alexa: Wo....men....I think?

Katarina: Ironically, leans towards women

Dawn: Also towards women

Cornelius: Moderate preference towards women

Huaxiu: Personal/moderate preference towards men (finally)

Raven: Big big lean towards women

Eira: Leans towards men

Arya: Rare in any case but leans towards men

[starlightshore]

Why do you think the player is an in universe entity? In undertale specifically. I feel like it takes away a lot of what Frisk could be if they are only a puppet

it’s both! frisk is both their own person and under the control of the player. I think Frisk has more control than Kris, but still very much influenced by the player.

long post because i don’t want to clog ya’ll’s dashes.

I think we can all agree on this? you control the soul, same as you do in deltarune.

See, even choices are chosen with the soul. This is the same.

Now, for the choices themselves, I believe they are the opinions of each kid.

They can drastically different opinions!

But I think the biggest and most important viewing of these choices as each kid matters the most here, when you’re at Toriel’s house.

Chara wants to stay and is inquisitive about the Snails. However, Frisk is persistent about leaving, referring to their original home and asking the same questions three times.

And Frisk does more than just supply potential replies -They can even talk on their own without your input.

Frisk will ask Gerson: “What if the child is a human” which -at this point, Frisk wouldn’t know about Chara and is actually about themself. (Chara should already know this information, so we know this is Frisk asking.)

And then in the pacifist ending, you have two choices: “I want to stay with you” and “I have places to go.” Now, either Frisk is unsure of staying with Toriel, or because of the chat with Gerson I believe it’s Frisk who is sure. They want to stay with Toriel -but Chara prefers Frisk go somewhere else. (Each interpretation is valid, who’s to really say!) But here we are! An actual character arc, right here! So Frisk isn’t just walking along the ride but rather reconsidering their choice to leave the Ruins. Toriel even finds it funny.

So on a quick tangent, i promise this is relevant: the plaque in the first puzzle room recommends you stick to one route and stay on that route -that a middle ground is not an option. Which references the Deltarune prophecy, and also references your actions as the player having to stick one method of either FIGHT/MERCY to get the two major endings. In addition, monsters believed was Chara originally, and now view you to be it.

Asgore in neutral/pacifist: (It’s Chara-Frisk’s hopeful eyes that remind him of the hope for monsters/the prophecy. He believed in both kids.)

AKA: this is me proving the Deltarune is important to both Chara, Frisk and the Player. How it’s both shown repetitively to matter to your choices and the game’s routes pretty explicitly -or at least as explicit Undertale gets.

Anyway the point of this is to show that both routes are majorly important, and that Your specific choices influence both kids (both literally, as you playing the game and in-universe here) depending on your choices of FIGHT/MERCY.

Going to briefly recover this talking point, sorry to go over it again so soon:

The dog food bag changes depending on your exp. How Chara views the world within the glass half empty/half full depends on if you’ve been killing or not.

If you punch the dummy, depending on your LV, Frisk will feel different about hurting the dummy.

Frisk is only named in Pacifist, while in No Mercy is defined by You, the player, selling Frisk’s soul -aka the culmination of Frisk’s entire being. A name has power, a name is also the culmination of someone’s being in a sense. The two routes are two extremes on the spectrum.

Now, back to Toriel and Frisk at the pacifist ending. Toriel talks to Frisk, naming them and talking about their choices on this. When Toby is very clearly separating the player characters and You the player in both Undertale and VERY explicitly in Deltarune, this matters a hell of a lot. We, the player, don’t have the choice to stay with Toriel forever because Frisk made that decision to move forward -and it’s their choice and their life to live with Toriel or not.

It’s why it’s so important that Flowey emphasizes this if you try to True Reset:

So, please.Just let them go.

Let Frisk be happy.

Let Frisk live their life.

I think that sums it up. Frisk goes on this journey WITH you, and is not you. It’s still partly their choice -as much as someone who is under control of the Player can choose of course.  And by the end of no mercy, they have zero input if their literal soul is sold or not. And it’s your choice if Frisk gets keep their happy ending, too.

EDIT: this is just more for fun than for the analysis i made above lol.

so like, Frisk acts out their own in cutscenes. I think if Chara’s control is only relevant in No Mercy, because the moment you spare Chara steps back and is unsure of the plan. that you showed kill or be killed in not a rule anymore, and that its possible to get by with sparing. Anyway, Frisk will do things like chase after the annoying dog on their own, play along with the puzzles in snowdin ect.

for more frisk characterization, they’ll have opinions and feelings that chara describes.

* (Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with  determination.)

* "Ballet Shoes" - Wpn AT 7 * These used shoes make you  feel incredibly dangerous.

* (Your face reflexively scrunches up.) (referring to Papyrus’ spaghetti)

* Look at these cool toys! * They don't interest you at all.

Tldr;.....frisk is baby :)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Is being agnostic as bad as being religious? I’ve heard a lot of people say that being agnostic is pretty much just a worthless middle ground that tries to please both religious people and atheist people, does more harm than good because it doesn’t go explicitly against religions and the atrocities associated with them like atheism does, and one that can’t even be described as an actual position in and of itself. For clarity’s sake, I do not believe any of that as I am currently agnostic myself.

A/gnosticism concerns knowledge, a/theism concerns belief.

"Agnostic" only tells us that whatever your belief in gods, you don't claim it to be knowledge.

https://religion-is-a-mental-illness.tumblr.com/tagged/agnostic

Regarding a/theism, you either possess a belief or you do not. There is no middle ground. It's like "do you own a car?" You either do, or you do not. It's not a question about the gods, but about you. "I don't know" doesn't really work here. It would be like "I don't know if I own a car." Surely you know if you own a car/possess a belief in god(s), however you define them. If you're really not certain if you own a car/possess a belief in god(s), then it seems like you don't.

If I ask you if you have a pen, and you say "I don't know" and then go looking, one of two things will happen. Either you'll find a pen, or you won't. Even if you don't find it, it doesn't mean you don't have it, but for all intents and purposes, we have no alternative but to proceed as if you do not. What we do know is that your answer is not “yes, I have a pen.” (This is similar to being found Guilty or Not Guilty, the latter including both Innocence and Indeterminate).

Remember: atheism doesn't claim that a god does not exist, it indicates absence of a positive belief.

Gnosticism, as a claim to knowledge, carries a burden of proof. If you assert that a god conclusively does or does not exist, then it carries a burden to make that proof, either way. Gnostic atheism carries a burden just as gnostic theism carries a burden.

You do not need to prove to me that you have a belief in god(s), or that you do not have a belief in god(s). I believe you. That doesn’t mean I believe in god(s), but I believe you, that you know best whether you do or do not have a particular belief in your possession. But the claim that this belief is true (i.e. a claim to fact) carries a burden.

With this in mind, I don't think being agnostic is a problem at all. Indeed, agnostic atheist is the most neutral position of all. It requires no belief and makes no claim of knowledge. Every baby born in the world is by default an agnostic atheist.

I generally default to being an agnostic atheist. It's not necessary for me to claim that god(s) don't exist when it's only the claims of other people that they do. I don't have to disprove what has not been proven, I can simply debunk/refute theistic attempts at proof. I don't need to disprove a non-denominational vaguely defined but supposedly necessary cosmological transcendent prime mover when I can simply notice the argument is fallacious and has a recursion built in. I don't need to insist that an elephant-headed Hindu god doesn't exist when I can just laugh that people worship Babar.

That said, i will assert that certain specific gods don't exist, especially when they cannot exist. The god of the bible explicitly cannot exist. Xians describe this god in ways that are mutually exclusive: a perfect being that needs worship; an all-knowing being that grants free will; a "good" being whose ways are unknowable, etc.

Regarding "agnostic" in the "middle ground" sense, and considering all of the above, since atheism is the default position, my stance is that someone who says they are "agnostic" is implying "agnostic atheist." When I define terms in this way, I've found that the majority of "agnostics" are indeed agnostic atheists.

I believe the misunderstanding of "agnostic" - or if you prefer, the adoption of the "middle ground" definition - can be tied back to a misunderstanding of "atheist."

It has been useful for theists to insist that atheists/atheism claim that "God (theirs naturally) does not exist," because it seems to put atheism and theism on equal footing. People, who would likely be best described as atheists, are reluctant to associate themselves with the term because they can't prove that god doesn't exist (the theist strawman definition) and say instead that they don't know. The pool of atheists therefore looks smaller than it really is. This "middle ground" has been invented, but actually isn't there.

And because "atheists" are still looked down upon, a testament to the efficacy of theists claiming exclusive rights to morality. While non-belief is on the rise even in the US, atheists frequently still rate at the bottom of who people would be willing to vote for:

2007: https://news.gallup.com/poll/26611/some-americans-reluctant-vote-mormon-72yearold-presidential-candidates.aspx

2012: https://news.gallup.com/poll/155285/atheists-muslims-bias-presidential-candidates.aspx

2014: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/05/19/for-2016-hopefuls-washington-experience-could-do-more-harm-than-good/

2019: https://news.gallup.com/poll/254120/less-half-vote-socialist-president.aspx

2020: https://news.gallup.com/poll/285563/socialism-atheism-political-liabilities.aspx

Something something “systemic” something something.

And general distrust remains high:

2011: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/study-of-the-day-religious-people-distrust-atheists-as-much-as-rapists/250005/

2011: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22059841/

2012: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-atheists-we-distrust/

2018: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/pop-psych/201805/the-distrust-atheists

It's hardly surprising then that people may be reluctant to say they're an atheist. Even though, if we were to evaluate their beliefs under the bivariate definition, they would probably be categorized as such.

Which isn't necessarily a problem. Identifying with personal attributes is how many of today's problems have emerged. Identifying with beliefs prevents people from changing them, and identifying with non-beliefs makes no sense at all. I've never seen anyone put "aBigfootist" on their Twitter or Tumblr bio.

"In fact, "Atheism" is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a "Non-astrologer" or a "Non-Alchemist." We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs."

-- Sam Harris

https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1411068252688580608

I'm an atheist because I don't believe in God or gods. I don't "identify" as an atheist; I simply am one, by definition. My atheism is the result of a conclusion I came to, and I don't identify with my conclusions. Changing one's mind should not trigger an identity crisis.

There's an infinite number of things people don't believe in. How could you ever “identify” with non-belief of all those infinite things?

So, I do get why people would (mis)use the word "agnostic." I just think it gives the wrong impression about both "agnostics" as fence-sitting/hedging-your-bets, and the strawman "atheist" that believers insist upon. (Seriously, I've seen believers get very annoyed when someone explains what they really mean by "atheist" and it contradicts the theistic narrative.)

Which is why I've consciously changed my own terminology, and mostly refer to "non-believers" - that is, those who are not explicitly believers - reserving "atheist" or "atheism" for when the specific categories are actually relevant.

"None" serves the same function. My father is obsessed with the word "unaffiliated" after I introduced him to it. In the sense that we have no need for religion or god belief, and live outside the belief bubbles.