#this ask troubles me because i don't know if i should add a read more

[webslingingslasher]

interest peaked… how the turn tables

how does trouble react when peter bites her? 🎤

'trouble?'

'reading.'

'trouble?'

'go away.'

'trouble!'

you promise yourself that this is the one and only time you'll give into him. your face must show how annoyed you are because peter softens you right up with 'i love you.'

'aw. i love you too, handsome.' you wait for more, he doesn't offer anything. you lean over for a quick kiss before settling back into his sheets. the second your eyes are back on your book, peter bids for more attention.

'cuddles?'

you're not moving a thing, peter said you could read all afternoon if you wanted and you're going to do it. you pat your chest while shifting down, if he wants a cuddle, he has to come to you.

'i'm reading.' peter doesn't need another clue, he's pushing himself up and moving to lay on top of you. his weight adds a nice pressure, subconsciously a hand finds itself dragging through his curls while the other supports your book.

'trouble?' it's a whisper, you respond with 'shh.' your hand slowly stills the further you find yourself invested in the story, peter doesn't like it one bit. you hit the next chapter, honing in on heavy dialogue you're taken from reality and thrown into the page.

you jump, a soft yelp tumbles from your lips while your book drops and you push at peter's cheek. 'ow, ow, ow, ow! stop biting, stop biting!' peter digs his teeth in further, you whine and try to hold him back, it hurts more.

'peter,' you plead with his name and it's enough to make him let up. 'what? you've got very yummy arms.' it's the same excuse you use on him, you frown and stare at the soft indent he left behind.

'you bit me.'

'payback. let me get another.' you squirm away, 'no!' peter catches your arm and holds you still, you're still trying to fight him off when he latches on to the meat of your bicep. 'you're nibbling, i don't nibble!' it's a lie, you use him like a chew toy and you should be thankful he's being so easy on you.

peter lightly thrashes his head from side to side, it's like a dog with a bone. peter's the one with a pain kink, not you. 'i don't like it! i bite, you kiss, that's the rule!'

sweet relief, your attention lost from your damp skin by falling into the deep pits of peter's eyes. they're so pretty that you could spend limitless hours just looking at them.

'i'd kiss you if i could have your attention for two seconds.'

'then ask me!' peter blinks, a small frown forms. 'i tried. you shut me out.' he was pining for your attention and went for the one thing that would rip you from your alternate universe.

'does my petey want some love?'

a tender kiss is placed where his teeth were a minute ago. 'just a little.' you could set aside a few minutes, your book wasn't going anywhere.

'okay, give me hugs.' you ready yourself for a blanket of peter, instead he shakes his head and uses a hand to hold himself up, over you. 'no hugs. kisses.'

'what if i want hugs?'

peter said what he said. 'kisses.'

'hugs.'

a pretend grumpy face, he surprises you with a peck. 'kisses.' you poke his shoulder. 'kisses always mean more to you, i know your secrets.'

'no secrets, i promise. can't a guy just makeout with his girlfriend without being interrogated?'

your eyebrows raise, 'from kisses to a makeout. see? i knew there was something up with you.' peter takes a deep breath and eases into that smile. the one full of boyish charm, the one that makes you feel warm and giddy under his touch because it feels like he's undressing you in his mind.

'trouble,' you lose all air when he places a barely there kiss on your lips. 'please let me kiss you.' you can't think straight when he whispers against you like this, especially when he's pleading.

'you can kiss me.' it's just as quiet, you can feel peter's smile when he leans in. he's so gentle you tug him closer by his shirt, in ten seconds you're pressing up and begging him for more.

you halfway notice when peter sets your book on his nightstand, this time you can't blame him for starting more than just a kiss. but you will.

'just a makeout, huh?'

'it's a paperback. we don't wanna crush it, right?'

'next time don't be so sneaky and just fuck me from behind while i'm reading.'

a sharp inhale, peter's pupils blow wide. an aggressive kiss, your bottom lip might be bruised in the morning. 'don't tempt me with a good time, trouble.'

'it's not tempting if i'm asking.' another kiss, peter can't hide his love if he tried.

'have i ever told you that you're the best thing to ever happen to me?'

[38riku]

𝐁𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐓.𝟐 ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🎂 ꒱ ˎˊ˗

includes ace and deuce (i was gonna add more but i hate it when i have a lot of drafts) this is part two. you can read part one here

warnings // none.

𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀

Hey, Prefect, guess what day it is. I'll have you know it isn't an unbirthday—it's MY birthday! Which means I'm the star of the day. Wonder what kinda fun things are in store.

to his surprise the two of you had a similar idea of fun. in hindsight it isn't that much of a shock. you guys are together 24/7! as a group, not one on one like now.

there's really nothing different about it.

sure, it's nice having your undivided attention without a pesky feline hogging it. plus he can actually hear your laugh when he jokes. was it always like that? a funky yet endearing sound? probably.

he's starting to notice things that he should've a long time ago and it makes him feel weird.

you're thoughtful, to the point it makes him wanna gag.

"this place better be good. it's my birthday after all so i'm head honcho!" he exclaimed, taking a seat on the opposite side of the booth you shared.

"cater recommended it. i asked him what place in town had the best burgers and viola." you were too busy looking over the menu to see his face, and thank the seven you were, otherwise, you would've notice him gaping like a fish.

"oh! and they serve cherry pie! you think it's as good as — what's wrong with your face?"

jaw on the floor.

he was positive he only mentioned his favorite foods once or twice, yet, you remembered it.

and for a second time, he brushed off the odd feeling bubbling in his chest.

the last time was hard to ignore. you sprung a gift on him last minute before entering campus. it was, ironically, a deck of cards.

"learn a new trick other than a basic sleight." you joked, nudging him slightly. "oh! and don't let riddle see these. all the aces are an ace of hearts." winking, you bid him one more 'happy birthday' before leaving.

they were just a deck of trick cards. it wasn't anything special.

so why was his heart racing?

𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐃𝐄

Do you have plans later? Actually, no, I should get straight to the point. We're celebrating my birthday at Heartslabyul today. Would you come to the party?

he did it! he asked you, personally.

it may not seem like a big deal but riddle threatened to off his head if he didn't stop pacing. apparently it's against the rules to have inner turmoil on your birthday.

ace asked him why he was nervous. 'it's the prefect, we hang out all the time!' and yes, why that might be true, deuce had never invited done something like that.

delinquents don't have many friends. let alone birthday parties.

"happy birthday deuce-y!" the nickname ricocheted off the walls as you successfully stole the spotlight. "sorry i'm late but riddle said i had to be properly dressed or whatever."

your rant went in one ear and out the other.

he's never seen you dressed up and wow, you cleaned up nicely.

was it shock? freezing up, cheeks flush, trouble speaking, sweaty palms — his symptoms all align with shock. that has to be it.

"thanks for still showing up." he spoke after regaining basic functions. it didn't last long because you hugged him. arms around torso, face to face, lasting more than three seconds hug.

friends hug all the time. he's shared a similar embrace with ace, albeit riddle forced them to, but this is was not like that.

"course I showed up! fancy clothes wasn't gonna stop me from celebrating one of my best friends." your smile reach ear to ear and he struggled to remember if it was always that bright and pretty.

"we both know you're more tenacious than that."

deuce now understands why he was nervous.

© 2024 — 38riku. Do not copy or repost or plagiarize my work. All Rights Reserved.

[honey-on-your-tongue]

Kinktober Day Five: Sex Worker

Kinktober Masterlist

Miguel O'Hara x female reader

He walks into the place you'd been left in. A small cell, not really a cell but more like a small interrogation room.

You were captured. Not an anomaly, really, just some lucky young thing that had found a way to move from universe to universe, offering your...services.

As Miguel walks into the room, he has Lyla display your file onto the screen on the wall.

Your name, your age, your original earth and your...profession, among other slices of your information.

You're quiet, watching as he reads up on you. You pick at your nails, goosebumps on your skin at the cool ac that makes the room a little chilly. Not that your outfit helps: a tiny dress, thigh-high boots, and very thin lace stockings. You're freezing, really. But you refuse to say anything.

“Can I go now?” you ask after a while of staring at his broad, muscular back.

He turns to face you, red eyes scanning you as you sit on the table. “You know how much trouble you're in?” he asks. “Not only are you in for universe hopping, but also for prostitution.”

You roll your eyes. “It's illegal for me to do what I want with my body?”

“It's illegal to sell sexual services,” he replies, sighing sharply.

“Why? It's my body. I do with my body what I want and I get paid for it. What's the issue?”

He glares at you. “I'm not going into this. It's illegal, you did it, you broke the law. Period.”

You laugh softly. “Oh, come on, it's not like you've never hired a hooker.” He gives you a look. You raise an eyebrow. “You've never been with a hooker.”

“No need. I prefer to avoid the diseases and keep my twenties as spare change.”

You're in character right away. You lean your elbows on your knees, putting your chin in your hands. “Twenties? Nah, honey. I work in hundreds and thousands. You either pay for an hour or don't get any.”

He gives you a look. “I didn't ask.”

“And, no glove, no love,” you add, grinning at him.

“I really don't care.”

“Why are you so mean? You should respect me because a) I haven't been unkind to you, b) you're supposedly a hero, and c) I can help you with your little issue.”

He frowns. “What issue?”

“All that stupid, pent up anger. You know why it is?” You grin and don't give him a chance to answer. “Sexual frustration.”

Miguel scoffs. “What?”

“You heard me.”

He glares at you. “I keep the multiverse from collapsing and you think I need some prostitute to help me?”

“Don't be so condescending,” you say firmly. “And don't undermine my work. I make more than you do.”

He frowns. He checks your file, rushing through some items until he finds that what you're saying is, indeed, true. He looks surprised for a second before turning to you, a little bit pissed.

“I'll make you a deal,” you say. “I help you out with your anger, and you let me go.”

He scoffs. “What?”

You get off the table, moving to stand in front of him, making the size difference between him and you much more noticeable. He's huge, tall and broad, and so handsome.

“Let me help you,” you say, voice soft and sultry. “You know you want me to...”

He glares at you. “What are you going on about?”

You smile softly as you get on your knees. “I know I can help you. You know it, too. Come on, honey, no need to be shy,” you say, giving him a look full of fake innocence.

He doesn't reply. You can see the look in his eyes, a silent desire that aches beneath the surface. You've seen that look so many times, you know it so well...

“You just gotta ask,” you tell him lowly. “Just say the word...”

He sighs and you smile, already knowing you've won him over. You move your hands to his thighs, holding yourself steady as you inch your mouth close to his crotch. His breathing is heavy, his eyes are growing dark, hungry.

You smile sweetly. “Say the word,” you whisper. “Do you or do you not want me to help you?”

“Yes,” he says quietly.

You kiss his cock through the fabric of his suit and he groans lowly. You smile, kissing again. “Does this thing come off?” you ask.

A quiet growl leaves him and he picks you up, turning you around and bending you over the desk until. You gasp at the sudden movement, the pressure of his body on your back, his hard cock pressing against your ass.

“You're in trouble,” he warns, his thick, rough hands tugging your stockings down almost aggressively. “I'm going to have to fuck that stupid attitude of yours out, ¿me oyes?” You hear? He leans down, running his sharp fangs down against the side of your neck. “I'm not stopping until you fucking behave.”

You laugh softly, smoothly. “I don't behave.”

You can feel him smirk against your nape. “Oh, bonita, I'll make you behave.”

-----

@yagirlheree @sukioyakio @obi-mom-kenobi @celestia80s @manlikemilesmyguy @zaunsin @naniiiii12 @everlastlady @avatar-lover @siidmm @dhollandhs @spikedhe4rt @missing2socks @itzraven101 @miguelspookiebear @mochikomochisoft @sunset-euphoria @kishibeswh0re @m4dyy @icreatedthisat317am @keiva1000 @jakescumdump @ravisinghs-wife @tengens4th--wife @oceancerulean @pookiesmookie69 @juwandiko @aisyakirmann @ninebluehearts @vampireluvvr @saturnstringz @4imhry @iheartlinds @pigeonmama @eyweveng @braverthanthenewworld @livingwithinyou @switchiest @httpstoyosi @lyn-soso @6thhokageswife @normsdaughter-alt @thel0velykey190 @tojibreedingme @icouldntthinkofanythingclever @theloneshadow24

*if you want me to add you to my Miguel taglist, comment or send me a message <3

[karereiko]

Hello, everyone from Yuumori fandom.

Guess what, because of Concert that will be held in July all parts of Moriarty the Patriot Musical (op1-op5) are available to rent and watch online. With my Morimu fanarts or other talks about it I often get asked where you can watch it, often my answer is that you have to buy DVD or Bluray to watch this wonderful adaptation of Moriarty the Patriot manga. I know it's a big cost and hard to get for some so Streaming like this is a great opportunity to watch Morimu.

Official twitter posted few days ago about this possibility and here is the post with all information about it:

1600 yen is great amount to check if you will like it and wach it because I think it's worth any money, director who made morimu clearly loves manga, he treats source material with care and even makes it batter at some times, there is also a lot less cuts than in anime, like a lot. May be little spoiler or not, but Baskerville arc is there and Durham date too, as well as many Sherlock and John stuff that was cut in anime, some things from Moran arc etc. this is already big selling factor, right?

Actors are amazing and they love and care for characters they play. I wasn't into any actor adaptations before Morimu, I was ok with musicals but not caring too much about them and Morimu sold me since first part and it only got better and better each part even if you think that's not possible. Songs are there to make emotions and moments deeper or to have real fun with plot they show, they are not there just for song to be there. So yes high recommendation for you all to check Morimu if you didn't saw it yet. The most amazing thing is that you don't need VPN to buy those streams.

I was going to write about this few days ago and was busy, good I didn't because I talked with friends in Yuumori fandom who knows morimu and we were troubled to recommend this stream to people who doesn't understand Japanese. Morimu is faithful adaptation so almost like 70% lines comes from manga and you should understand what's going on if you read manga. Still, with subs it's a lot easier.

Kana did amazing job in creating English translation for Morimu Op1-Op4 at this point, all who bought DVD/Bluray versions of Morimu are using those subs and if you decide to buy own copy after seeing stream then those subs works great with DVD/Bluray versions.

So we talked over the stream matter and from what we checked with this plugin to Chrome it's possible to play subs with Morimu stream after you rent it (It works only with Chrome but if you know other program like this you can try it on different browsers, we only checked Chrome and this plugin) :

The only matter is that Kana saved subtitles in .ass file format, but you can easily format them to .srt file format that this plugin plays with this site:

You just open subtitle file and save it as srt, and open it with plugin to your Morimu stream. If you will have any more problems with subs them write me a message and I will try to help as soon as work let's me.

I think this is the easiest option that creators gave us now to watch Morimu, it was never so easy to buy or rent it until now, you had to use crazy VPN programs and other stuff to just check on it. So this is best option since for sure it won't last forever. Such promotional streamings are only around when new part is coming up, currently Concert I mentioned.

So for other things I wanna to say. If you get your copy of Morimu then please don't share it, don't post it to any social sites. Company that makes Morimu is quite strict with that matter and they do search who uploads those musicals and strikes them down/ deletes files even on places like google drive. Even without it, it's a matter of love for Moriarty the patriot. As much as fandom wants more people to watch those musicals, any piracy might destroy our chances to get Op6, possibilities for future streams and other stuff. Currently with Op5 we reached end of Final Problem arc and there is hope that maybe one day New York arc will be done in op6. Any piracy, sharing and messy stuff might destroy such chance, so please if you hold dear MTP then respect those rules. Watching streams with your friends in closed groups after you buy it isn't bad but please hold from any public sharing (they would be taken down anyway, but it would still put us fans in very bad light).

I know end of this post was not nice but it had to be told. I hope this possibility will help you see Morimu and fall in love with it like I did. I would recommend at least seeing OP1 and OP2, it should hook you and OP3 is where everything hits even more than op1-2, more hits from songs, more hits from sherliam stuff.

Hope to see you in Morimu cult :D... ehem... fandom. May you have "wind" (for some Great Detective) in your heart like William....

[writers-potion]

How to write things that could be trigger warnings?

Novel Trigger Warnings: How To?

Writing About Sensitive Themes

Trigger warnings or no trigger warning, a writer must take caution to provide an accurate and meaningful exploration of topics like suicide, abuse, trauma, etc.

Make use of sensitivity readers to provide feedback

Get a first-hand account from someone who has a similar experience to what your character will. Even if you can't get an interview with someone face-to-face, there are amazing blogs and YT videos out there.

EXPLORE IT MEANINGFULLY, NEVER USE IT AS A "SHOCK FACTOR". Think about how the triggering elements add depth to character, throw a meaningful question to the audience or make the worldbuilding more realistic, etc. Throwing these elements in because you can't think of a better idea is exactly what you don't want to do.

Don't let the trauma/mental disorder, etc. become a character's entire personality. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "oh that character with cancer" or "the troubled one" - nope. A character is more than just an aggragate of their dark past.

Think about the genre you're writing. If you're writing horror and label is correctly, you can expect readers to give you more liberty to throw blood and gore around. If you do this for a YA romance, it's probably going to be a big no.

Focus on the characters and their reaction, rather than the act itself. Life is 10% events and 90% how you deal with them.

Stay away from exaggerated stereotypes. No Hollywood.

To Warn Or Not To Warn

A trigger warning is essentially a statement cautioning a consumer/reader that the content may be disturbing or induce a traumatic response. 

Common Arguments For Trigger Warnings

They give a reader the choice to avoid encountering content that forces them to revisit past trauma.

It isn't always obvious from the book cover/synopsis, etc. that potentially triggering content comes later down the story. It helps them make an informed decision.

Common Arguments Against Trigger Warnings

It becomes a spoiler.

Trigger Identification: There are as many different triggers as there are readers, making it a practical impossibility to adequately warn every potential reader about every potential trigger.

Genre expectations should adequately help readers choose. If you're reading an action thriller, you'd reasonably expect violence.

Some teachers, librarians, and publishing professionals argue that content labels are a form of censorship, and that the line between labels and trigger warnings is thin.

I am yet to make up my mind on whether trigger warnings are a necessity, or it should remain a choice that's left up to the author - so I'll leave it up to you to decide. Let me know in the comments about what you think.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

💎For early access to my content and priority questions,  become a Writing Wizard 

[lokisprettygirl]

Brokenhearted (Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon Modern AU) (18+)

Read Chapter 12 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 13

Summary: Samantha's threat and Daemon's growing popularity brings you trouble.

Warning: 18+, Smut, Angst, violent thoughts, stalking, Discussion of mensuration and Pregnancy, bloodshed, flashbacks of abusive relationship, toxic masculinity, sexual abuse, Samantha, traumatic distressing content, Daemon is a big time smoker so if it’s something triggering don’t read it, alcohol drinking, mention of past trauma and therapy, cigarette smoking, possessive behaviour, violence, baby needs therapy, baby is trying

"Hey" you cupped his cheeks, being careful to avoid the bruises on his face, you hated how he seemed after a fight, so bruised and broken, all you wanted to do was take him to your bed and treat him tenderly. The conversation you had with Viserys just now had made you feel conflicted, you wanted to tell Daemon but you didn't know how he'd react, you didn't want to add to his traumas as he already had more than enough of his share. Realizing that something had happened to him when he wasn't even in his senses would crush him.

You pecked on his lips softly so he pulled away and looked at you curiously,

"I'm not fragile darling, kiss me like you mean it" he mumbled against your mouth so you clutched your fingers around his messy braided hair and kissed him as passionately as you could before you had to pull away to catch your breaths.

"I don't see you as fragile Daemon, you have the most persevering soul i have ever known of but is it wrong of me to want to treat you with care?" you whispered softly so he smiled, the kind of smile that made your heart warm and giddy.

"You flatter me darling, I love that" he pulled you even closer if it was possible and rubbed his nose against yours "I do enjoy your care and your delicate touches against my skin, I really do" he whispered before he kissed you again.

Before things could get heated you made him take a shower because he had to show up for an event and you wanted to wait until you were both in his room. He wasn't the only one with pent up sexual frustration but you didn't want a quickie like last time, you really wanted to love him and please him the way he deserved.

The talk with Viserys was looming over your head, Daemon had to compete in the finale after five days but Samantha had something against him that could ruin it for him, his reputation could take a hit and he'd definitely be prodded over the accusation meticulously which in turn would affect his concentration..

While Daemon was busy with the meet and greet, Viserys caught up with you again.

"Can I ask you a question?' You asked him so he nodded "Why does it matter now? I mean it happened years ago..it's not that big of a deal right?" You asked him so he sighed.

"She's just trying to stir up the controversy, get people to doubt his abilities..I don't think he's ready for that. It took him so long to even return to the sport, god knows how he'd react to this" He answered you in plain and simple words, Daemon was unpredictable in his actions especially when it concerned Samantha.

"So what do we do?" You asked him and he shook his head in defeat, he had no answer, they could take the matter to the court but then everything will come out in the open, every ugly truth from Daemon's past will be investigated and that was the last thing his little brother would want for himself. He knew him far too well to understand that Daemon wouldn't want his past out in the open like that.

"Well ..You know what she wants"

You turned your head to look at him as he said that, frankly a bit appalled by the suggestion.

"You're joking right I'm not letting her hurt him again or be near him anywhere..we should just go to the court, file a case against her" you said to him, your voice came out all agitated and irked. Viserys didn't blame you for that either, he knew what he was suggesting would hurt you.

"He wouldn't want that" Viserys said to you, making you shake your head in disbelief.

"Why not?"

Why won't Daemon want justice? You didn't understand that.

Daemon was at the booth signing cards and meeting his fans but he could see you and Viserys talking from a distance, he couldn't help but wonder what you two were discussing, his curiosity was piqued to say the least. Viserys liked you as a person, he had made it clear, he never really liked Samantha even when Daemon was smitten with her, maybe it was Viserys's own experiences with Allison that he had warned him that she wasn't the woman for him but at the time he was too obsessed with her to pay any heed to Viserys's concern. He wished now that he had listened.

Once the event ended, he took you out for dinner but he could tell you weren't entirely there with him, you seemed lost in your head.

'Something wrong?' He asked you as he chomped on his salad so you smiled,

"Nooo..why?"

"Just..you seem lost" he shrugged as if he wasn't affected by your behavior.

"I'm not lost..just thinking about you"

Well, That wasn't a complete lie.

"Thinking about me? I'm right here darling"

"I know"

He smiled as you said that.

"Do you remember the night we met?" He asked you so you hummed in response, for a moment you didn't respond, your mind went back to reminisce about the night.

"I'll never forget..my knight in black hood..what about it?"

"Nothing..just..glad i was there is all"

A smile graced your features at his words,

"So am I"

You couldn't have gotten any luckier that night.

As you both returned to the privacy of your room he kissed you and you took his jacket off before he picked you up and laid down on the bed with you right on top of him,

"I like you alot" he smiled as his fingers tucked your hair behind your ears,

"I thought you loved me" you made a pout and he pressed his thumb on your puckered lips.

"I do..but I loved Samantha as well and I didn't like her at all..you however..I like you..alot, more than anything"

As soon as you realized what he meant you leaned down and kissed him, never in your life a man had made you feel this way. Never in your life have you been made to feel so loved and important.

"I like you alot too mister"

"I know you do"

You unbuttoned his shirt and his breath hitched in his chest, the position wasn't something he felt comfortable with, he had never allowed a woman to control the situation in that way after everything he had been through.

"You okay?" You asked him softly so with bated breaths he looked into your eyes, your fingers were still undoing the buttons all the way down before you unbuckled his belt.

"I am just ..not comfortable with this darling" as soon as he said that you quickly made him sit up by grabbing onto his arms.

"It's okay..you can always tell me you know that right?" Your fingers curled around his neck as you kissed him. He nodded in response before he slowly flipped you underneath him.

"It's not that i don't want to ..I just..need time love" the pad of his thumb caressed your cheekbones as he whispered.

"All the time in the world baby"

He kissed you again as you finished your words.

All the time in the world? Daemon wanted that. He really wanted that. Even though he knew forever was a myth.

"Make love to me now handsome" you rubbed his lips with your fingertips and you could see his cheeks reddening, something you said made Daemon Targaryen blush. You never thought you'd see that day.

"Mmm are you going to take it like a good girl?" He grabbed your chin with his thumb and forefingers, the gesture made you bite on your lips involuntarily. Every time he dominated you in bed you felt like a submissive girl willing to do anything for her daddy. He just had that sort of effect on you.

"Yess sir" he shook his head as you said that.

"Call me daemon sweet thing"

He wasn't rough with you, not that he didn't want to but you asked him to make love to you and he wanted to love you the way you deserved to be loved. He felt your hands all over him but his mind felt numb with pleasure whenever you caressed his scalp, just the way you touched him so tenderly never failed to warm his heart.

He was so in love with you, a feeling he had sworn to never feel again, he just wished he was able to express it better than this, he wished he was able to live up to the love you had for him in your heart.

That night you slept peacefully but the next morning you woke up to a spicy headline in the entertainment section "Breaking News: Professional UFC Fighter Daemon Targaryen and his Scandal-Filled Shocking Past"

Daemon was everywhere because of his stint in the international league, normally it wouldn't have made such a stir in the media but he was special, your special boy. He had made a miraculous return to the brutal sport after years and nobody was expecting him to even clear the qualifier round, let alone have him in the finals. The sudden increase in his popularity of course came with its unwanted side effects. His past would always haunt him but this time it wasn't Samantha, it was some other woman he had dated during his hoe phase, her name was Diana.

Diana claimed to have had a six-week fling with Daemon three years ago. The article included the link of a Reddit thread she had created, in which she described their intimate encounters in excruciating detail. She rambled on about how he was the most arrogant man she has ever known in her life, she also claimed that he was emotionally abusive towards her.

You knew Daemon and his mood swings were not uncommon, you could understand in a way as how she must have made that assumption that he was abusive but daemon wasn't abusive, he was toxic for sure because of everything he has been through but he didn't lie or promised anything, he was honest with you and you knew he was honest with every other woman before you.

The post had gone viral pretty quickly because she posted a selfie of them together at a club, he seemed so sexy and so intoxicated, there were few other women who came forward in Diana's support to tell everyone that Daemon Targaryen was everything that was wrong with the world.

On that particular thread when another user asked why she stayed with him for weeks if he was so offensive and rude to her, she replied 'Because he was a god in bed'

Well that was true at least.

'How are we going to tackle this?"

Daemon' asked his newly appointed publicist James, he didn't want people talking about him like this, he didn't enjoy such gossip on his name. He didn't even look at the article or read the thread, he was not at all interested, you on the other hand obsessively went through every comment on that post.

You were just watching him converse with his publicist as well as Viserys who was in the hotel room with you two.

His publicist had asked him to just put out an apology statement which he denied quickly, he didn't want to apologize for what had happened between him and those women. As other people left the room he took a cigarette out and lit it up immediately, he was stressed you could tell, every time he reached for a cigarette with such desperation you knew he was extremely stressed and in need of comfort that he'd never ask for.

"Do you remember her?" You asked him as he sat down next to you on the couch,

"I don't want to talk about it" you nodded as he said that and got up from the couch to give him some space but he grabbed your hand and looked up at you .

"Don't be upset" he gave you unintended puppy eyes so you smiled.

"I'm not upset" you cupped his cheeks and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Then sit down, don't leave"

"Okay..I just thought you needed space" you sat down next to him so he sighed.

"Not from you..never from you"

"Okay..I'm here then" you smiled as you linked your fingers with his, he put the cigarette out and leaned his head against the couch, those bruises on his face looked worse somehow today.

"I do remember her ..5 '10, brunette, she was young" he told you so you hummed in response as you thought about her, you were more than happy that he wanted to talk about her instead of acting as if he wasn't bothered at all by this nuisance.

"How young?" You questioned.

"Barely in her early twenties at the time, I didn't know that when I–" he looked at you so you smiled,

"Took her home and had sex?" You asked him softly. This wasn't making you feel jealous at all, you didn't feel it, not a smidgen of jealousy.

"Yeah..she looked older in the club"

"It's alright she wasn't a child" he nodded as you said that.

"What was she like?" You cleared your throat so he snickered before his expressions turned serious,

"She was just a girl darling…just another girl"

"Do you remember everyone you have slept with?" You questioned him again,

"Who do you think I am darling? A harlot?" he chuckled before he resumed speaking "Course I remember..those flings never ended in one night stands, they all stuck around for a while, you know i enjoy stability" he said in a nonchalant manner, his voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Did you like any of them?"

"Sexually..yeah I liked all of them" You bit on your cheeks as he said that. Still not jealous, not at all.

"Emotionally?" You asked him sheepishly so he smiled and tilted his head to the side to gauge your expressions.

"Are you jealous sweetheart?"

"Maybe .. I am" your voice came out in a whisper, you didn't want to admit it so quickly.

"I'm glad you're not pretending to feel otherwise," You narrowed your eyes as he said that, "There was one…before you ..but I wasn't obsessed with her. I didn't want to get involved in that way, but she…was different from the others...had to move to LA so we ended on okay terms unlike those other chicks"

Okay you were ready to accept that you were a complete jealous mess now.

"Does she have a name?"

"Miranda" you gulped as he answered quickly as if her name was on the tip of his tongue. To think of him feeling such affections for some other woman boiled your blood.

"Why don't you want to apologize? I mean.. It's just a statement" you asked to steer the conversation so he shook his head.

"Exactly..it's a statement.. apologizing means i did something wrong with them" you nodded as he said that "I never lied, or lured them under false pretenses. They knew what they were getting in from the first day" you agreed as he said that, you also knew what you were getting into because he told you loud and clear but you also knew that you were the first one to fall for him and break that 'no strings attached" code. Maybe those girls wanted more with him as well.

"Yeah you told me the same on our first night together"

You said to him so he thought about it for a moment, maybe he was a jerk to those women he dated casually but he wasn't going to apologize for that or give any justification for his behaviour, he didn't want anyone to see that side of him, to think of him as someone who acted out like a child because he was abused by a girl he loved. He didn't want the world to see him as a victim.

"I did"

"But things have changed between us, maybe they just wanted to change things you know ..fix you ..girls see a emotionally reclusive bad boy and suddenly develop the 'I can fix him' problem"

He chuckled as you said that. The smirk on his face made him look so goddamn annoying and so fuckable at the same time.

"Did you have that problem?" He asked, his voice dripping with smugness.

"Maybe" you got up again so he grabbed your hand and pulled you right on his lap,

"Emotionally reclusive bad boy huh?" He grabbed your chin with his fingers and kissed you passionately until you were struggling to breathe in his mouth. When he finally pulled away you took a deep breath to allow the oxygen to reach your brain.

"You know what I mean"

"Have your opinions changed since then?" He asked you curiously,

"Well you're still a bad boy sometimes"

"For the world yeah" you smiled as he said that "As much as I enjoy watching you burn green with jealousy, you need not feel so. You're my girl, my only one, what you have done for me–"

"I have done nothing -" you cut him off and then he did the same to you.

"Shhhhh you never let me finish my words you know that?"

He pressed his thumb on your lips as he spoke sternly to you, his tone was authoritative, brows were furrowed in slight frustration. You knew he was going to fuck you as soon as this conversation was done and over with.

"Sorry" you mumbled meakly, making the corner of his mouth curved into a smile.

"After that bitch I had sworn to myself that I'd never make the same mistake again but then I met you ..you changed everything for me ..I'm here today because of you" you sighed as he said that. You didn't want to take credit for everything, it didn't feel right or deserved, besides you didn't want him to be with you just because you have supposedly done something for him..

"Daemon you know I love you.. but I don't want you to love me because you feel that you havee to love me" one of his brows raised as you said that.

"That is what you got from what I said?" He asked you as he looked in your eyes intently but you didn't respond "You're such a silly girl you know that?" he cupped your cheeks with his large hands and kissed you lovingly before he spoke again,

"I know I'm not the most expressive bloke but you're not an obligation for me..I am not in love with you because you're here whenever I need you. I'm in love with you because you make me want to be here with you all the time, you make me wish i could spend every fucking second of my life with you" your arms wrapped around his neck as he finished speaking.

You had your insecurities as well, you didn't feel enough for him, even more so now that you have seen how women were reacting to him. Yeah some people were put off by his arrogance but most were turned on by his prowess in the bedroom arena. The more famous he gets the more attention he will have on him, you didn't want to lose his attention or lose him to some other temptations. You didn't think you'd be able to come out unscathed if he was the one to break your heart in that way.

This feeling combined with what you knew about Samantha was enough to make you feel stressed out of your mind.

"I am scared of losing you" you mumbled softly so his grip around your waist tightened "I control myself alot ..with you" he looked at you confused as you said that.

"What do you mean love?"

"I can get emotionally clingy and it's not good ..not for me.. especially not for you"

"You can cling to me darling..it won't bother me..I'll do anything for you" you placed your palm on his lips as he said that.

"Don't say that ..I don't need such power over you"

He smiled at your words, that was the whole reason why Samantha was able to manipulate him and then ruin him slowly. She was able to do it because he allowed her to do it.

"Alright but you need to let loose love, I'm all yours i promise..why are you so anxious hmm..I can feel it" your eyes teared up as he said that, he then hugged you as warmly as he could, as tightly as possible without suffocating you both.

"I'm just .. being silly, I'm your silly girl" he couldn't help but smile. He adored you, completely and hopelessly.

"That you are, though is it an ailment a good fucking can cure?"

"Mmmm maybe"

He quickly laid you down on the couch as you said that, his shirt was off his body in one quick motion, he wasn't a foreplay type of guy but then he kissed you tenderly, so slowly and sensually, soft fleeting kisses that made your brain turn into a mush, he didn't stop until he had you squirming and humping against him for some friction against your core.

He placed his arms on the head of the couch as he shoved his cock in your wet warm slippery cunt, his thrusts were torturous, every moment of his hips was sluggish and deliberate. He enjoyed the look of ecstasy on your face, he kept his eyes on you as he drew several orgasms out of you, one after another.

He was so in love with you and he never wanted to hurt you, he really didn't want to hurt you but he knew he was going to do so, he just thought he had more time with you, he didn't want to fuck it up so easily, so quickly..he wanted forever with you.

But the moment the truth about what you and Viserys were hiding from him was revealed to him, he knew he was going to break your heart and hurt you. He was going to do everything he had promised not to do to you. He had to leave you and he knew it was a decision he'd regret for the rest of his full life.

🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

Taglist (please check your setting if I’m not able to tag you)

@simbaaas-stuff @ajthefujoshi @witchybitch2 @hypocritic-trash-baby @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @thefallenangel21n @kmc1989

@stupidthoughtsinwriting

[hurpdurpburps]

My Comprehensive Otherside Picnic Pilgrimage Destination List Pt. 1

This is by no means a complete collection but rather something I put together out of curiosity/an investigative itch, so feel free to add your thoughts or personal findings in the replies/reblogs. I'll be returning to Tokyo in January for a couple weeks and might cut out a few days to do an OP pilgrimage of sorts, so this is mostly for my own purposes that I'm happy to share with whoever's interested. I should note here that a good number of these places have closed for good, but I decided to keep them in the list for documentation.

Hunger Warning: There's a lot of food mentioned.

Spoiler Warning: Events up to Vol 8 are mentioned.

Word Count Warning: Some parts contain pretty lengthy commentary, mainly from my personal observations and experiences.

1. Saitama University

To be fair, Sorawo's college has only been referred to as "a university in Saitama" but I think Saitama University is undeniably the most obvious candidate.

Descriptions of the university's distance from the area's major train station (Omiya) and the one closest to it (Minami-Yono) are a dead giveaway, but the anime also did a cheeky wordplay (埼玉大学 > 犀玉大学, but both are read as Saitama University).

Unlike the real Saitama University cafeteria, however, the anime added more colour to its version because the all-white of the IRL place makes it feel like a depressing hospital food court more than anything.

2. Sophia University While not explicitly named as such, it's clear that Toriko attends Sophia University from the description that Sorawo gave in Vol 5. Even the description of the Yotsuya campus facilities on the official website fits to a tee:

The university Toriko attended was right by Yotsuya Station on the Chuo Line.

I’d read up on places to eat on campus during the train ride here. Two cafeterias, and two cafés, I think? Oh, and a convenience store too.

The cafeteria I was heading to was on the fifth floor.

When I was leaving the cafeteria, I spotted some stairs off to the side. It looked like there was outdoor seating. The building was L-shaped, and the five-story section that jutted out from the rest had terrace seating on the roof.

Ngl, I'm feeling a little cheated of my college experience... My alma mater is of a similar ranking (if not even higher) to Sophia but our campus had pretty terrible food options. Four years of 7-11/Family Mart because I was too lazy to exit my faculty building for lunch break, but also partly because the one time I went all the way to my campus cafeteria at the begging of my then-crush and I thought the food was pretty lame (or at least not worth the cross-campus trek). We also don't have a terrace T-T

Also here, I just want to make a personal note on how fitting it feels to me for Toriko to be attending Sophia, and studying English Literature no less. Tokyo has no lack of famous 'elite' or 'fashionable' universities but each has its own unique sort of branding/stereotype and tbh I can't see someone like her fitting in any of the others. Not to mention the fact that she's already silently drowning at Sophia (socially, at least).

The gate that led on to the main street was wide open and no one asked to see student ID at the entrance.

It was Tuesday. Just a perfectly ordinary day of the week. It was almost noon, so there were a lot of people walking around. I blended into the crowd, effortlessly infiltrating the campus.

Japanese schools are so notorious for their lack of security, perhaps due to complacency from the general safety. My university had closed twice during my years as a student due to bomb threat emails (both times conveniently around finals lol). Depending on what's going on in the world or country, there'd also be a wave of annoying crazies yelling into their megaphones around campus campaigning for God-knows-what from time to time.

3. KOGA Seibu Ikebukuro (皇雅西武池袋店)

This is the Chinese congee restaurant our Troubled Trio visited in Vol 3 after the events of the Kotoribako. Unfortunately it seems to have closed for good but you can still see old reviews and photos on their Tablelog page.

We talked it over, and came to the conclusion that rice porridge might be good, so Toriko, Kozakura, and I had come to a Chinese rice porridge place inside the Ikebukuro Seibu department store.

I kinda laughed imagining 2 college kids and an early-30s tiny woman sticking out like a sore thumb among all the other tables:

It was afternoon on a weekday, the place was at maybe 40% of capacity, and everyone there but us were old ladies.

Discovered thanks to this guy on Twitter (also Miyazawa follows him so he might be somebody...?)

Feeling a little sad because I used to live in Toshima-ku. If I'd discovered OP a couple years earlier I could've tried out their food. I'm kinda picky about Chinese food in Japan but this place looks pretty good.

Some language and culture trivia:

We had come on the simple idea that you eat rice porridge when your stomach’s not doing so well, but this place had a food therapy menu managed by the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy next door, so it felt like it might really work for us.

薬膳 (yakuzen, or yao shan in Mandarin) is the term used in the Japanese version of the novel, referring to medicinal cuisine. The more general idea of food therapy (食疗) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concept dating back to probably the beginning of Chinese civilisation.

The TLDR of TCM principles is the belief in healing/nourishing of the body through naturally imbuing herbs and hence their medicinal properties in one's regular diet. Probably also where the Chinese belief of "以形补形" (nourishing what you eat) comes from, such as eating some kinda tendon stew if you sprained an ankle to make it heal faster, or whatever.

Figuring I should take the opportunity to try a type of tea I hadn’t drank before, I ordered kantoucha. Toriko went for sanzacha, and Kozakura had maikacha.

せっかくなので飲んだことのないお茶を頼んでみようと思って、私は冠藤茶にした。鳥子は山査茶、小桜は玫瑰茶。

Sorawo and gang probably didn't know what these plants were because Chinese hanzi were used for the menu names instead of their Japanese counterparts. I've omitted the "-cha" suffix below as it simply means "tea" and is pronounced the same way in both Mandarin and Japanese:

Kantou/冠藤 = "Crown Vine" (hanyu pinyin: guan teng).

As a Chinese kid who grew up surrounded by TCM, even I had to scratch my head for this one and boy, researching it was a hell of a rabbit hole. Apparently "Crown Vine" is the polite name for "Chicken Blood Vine" (鸡血藤), which not only sounds nasty but looks nasty (risky click - don't say I didn't warn you).

Here's what Wikipedia says about this peculiar plant's medicinal properties:

有行血补血，调经，舒经活络的功效，其药用来源为豆科植物密花豆的藤茎。本品苦、微甘，温。归肝、肾经。

"It has the effects of promoting blood circulation, replenishing blood, regulating menstruation, and relaxing meridians. This herb is sourced from the vine stem of the legume Spatholobus Suberectus. It is bitter, slightly sweet, and warm in nature. It belongs to the liver and kidney meridians."

Meridians (经络) are a pseudo-scientific concept that still holds a lot of weight in the TCM world, and also popularly butchered in historical/wuxia (武俠) pop media. You can read the Wikipedia page here for more information.

As for my kantoucha, it had a light flavor, and was surprisingly easy to drink.

Yeah buddy... Hope you liked it at least. Sounds a bit too wild for me.

Sanza/山査 = Hawthorn (hanyu pinyin: shan zha).

The Japanese language does not have a kanji for hawthorn, and the plant is instead represented by a katakana reading of the Mandarin pronunciation (サンザ).

Toriko took a sip of her sanzacha, which turned out to be bittersweet.

Not sure why hawthorn tea is bitter. Never had it myself but I ate a lot of candied hawthorn and hawthorn flakes as a kid and it's pretty sour-ish before being processed with sugar.

Maika/玫瑰 = Rose (hanyu pinyin: mei gui).

The Japanese word for rose is most commonly バラ in katakana, or very rarely 薔薇 in kanji.

You might notice that the Japanese and Mandarin readings of these words sound somewhat similar - that is due to the on'yomi. On'yomi is partly the reason why native Chinese speakers (like myself) pick up Japanese more easily than other language speakers (barring Korean).

Due to the long history of cross-cultural exchanges within Asia, many regional languages have, to a certain extent, Sino-roots. Verbally, Korean and Japanese share many similarities with older, southeastern Chinese dialects Cantonese and Hokkien, due to Guangdong and Fujian being bustling ports/trade hubs of the past. Knowledge of Cantonese helped me greatly when I was taking Korean classes taught in Japanese (my 6th and very new language at the time - like I barely knew how to ask for the nearest restroom kinda new).

It's also why we have the hanzi (汉字) - kanji (漢字) - hanja (한자) trifecta - all three mean "Chinese characters", denoting their written linguistic legacy from imperial Han China through the centuries.

Mine was the two-color rice porridge set with crab rice porridge and chicken rice porridge. Mmm, it had a gentle flavor. The salt was used sparingly, so I was grateful that it came with ebi chili and pickled Sichuan vegetables on a separate plate.

Toriko, perhaps wanting something meatier, had gone for the kakuni pork rice porridge set. The big bowl of rice porridge with kakuni pork, bok choy, and goji berry came with a separate bowl of wonton soup. Kozakura had the yamucha set, which came in a bamboo basket, and the boiled gyoza and shumai were letting off steam.

"Yamucha" here is the incorrect katakana-derived romanisation of "飲茶" (lit. "drink tea"). Pronounced as "yum cha" in Cantonese, the term simply means "going for dim sum". You might be wondering - what's the difference between dim sum and yum cha then? Dim sum is a noun referring to food specifically, while yum cha is a verb/event/action.

Eg. You can say "Let's go yum cha" or "Let's eat dim sum" but you don't say "Let's eat yum cha".

Also I love how Toriko manages to piss off Kozakura every time she opens her mouth so effortlessly lmao.

“What is maikacha? I can’t even imagine.” “I don’t know, either, but it said it was supposed to help suppress irritation.” “That certainly does seem like a good fit for you, Kozakura.” “Yeah, I’m feeling irritated at this very moment. I hope it comes soon.”

4. JUNKUDO Ikebukuro (ジュンク堂書店 池袋本店)

The bookstore frequently visited by Sorawo, and also the IRL collaboration partner of the series. Miyazawa recently held an in-person interview and livestream session at the Ikebukuro flagship store with his editor for the launch of Vol 9, where they also shared a lot of unpublished/uncommissioned art by Shirakaba (see this amazing post for screenshots).

It's also the only place I know of that carries signed copies of the novels. As of yesterday (5th July 2024), signed copies are still available at Shelf 41 (the Hayakawa section) on the 3rd floor. How do I know this? Because I begged my friend to pop by Ikebukuro and pick up a couple for me ;___;

Phone and online reservations for the signed copies are not allowed, and it's limited to one book per volume per person. Go get it while it's hot.

I recorded the livestream as Junkudo's archives were only up for like a week. I can share the recording if anyone asks me for it but the livestream is entirely in Japanese so YMMV.

5. Cafe Pause Ikebukuro

The cafe where Sorawo and Toriko had their first falling out over the search for Satsuki (File 4 - Time, Space, and a Middle-Aged Man).

Miyazawa even made an acknowledgement tweet.

I guess the business really liked being featured in this series because the anime replaced a bunch of other locations in the other files with this one place.

The cafe also hosted an 8-part promotional series featuring the two main voice actors called Otherside Special Activity Report (裏世界トクベツ活動報告) where they did some light meta-commentary and even tried holding guns featured in the series.

It's also right behind Junkudo so I guess it's a great pilgrimage combo if you're in the neighbourhood.

"We were in the cafe behind the Junkudo bookstore in Ikebukuro, where we’d gone after meeting up. Toriko was enthusiastically trying to discuss plans for our next expedition when I spoke up."

Here's their website and Instagram if you're interested.

6. Italian Tomato Café Jr. Ikebukuro West Entrance (イタリアン・トマト Café Jr. 池袋西口店)

This is where Sorawo, Toriko and Akari had a little chat before getting ambushed by feline assassins (File 7 - Attack of the Ninja Cats). There's a few Italian Tomato Cafes in the area, but this best matches what the novel says:

When I headed for the underground plaza by the Metropolitan entrance of JR Ikebukuro Station, Akari Seto spotted me first and was waving her arms.

Together with Toriko, who protested, Why not? Isn’t that kinda mean?, we got aboard the elevator that went above ground.

A standard chain cafe/restaurant type of thing, convenient for when you're peckish, if nothing else. NGL tho I am a big fan of Japanese family-restaurant style pasta.

Website here if you wish to know more about the chain.

7. Bali-An Resort Shinjuku (ホテルバリアンリゾート新宿)

Ah yes, the fabled love hotel in the lore of OP (File 16 - Pontianak Hotel). A quick Google search for "Kabukicho Bali love hotel" gives you not one but four results in Kabukicho alone. I guess business is booming.

Unfortunately, none of their exteriors matches the novel's description:

The facade of the building was stone (or aesthetic paneling designed to look like it, maybe) and used spotlights to give it a high-class image. The building was surrounded with greenery, exotic sculptures, and flowers, along with architecture that evoked the southern seas.

The walls shielding the entrance from view were the barely love hotel-y thing about it, but even those walls were gaudy, covered as they were in ivy and colorful flowers.

However, Bali-An Resort Shinjuku (the first one) has a word-for-word match with the interior description for one of its rooms. There's even a dedicated section for girls' party (女子会) packages on their website.

Here's a 360-degree view of the Royal Garden room (ロイヤルガーデンタイプ).

The first thing to catch my eye inside this room that was decorated in earthy tones were two canopied double beds in the back. Hibiscus petals were scattered over the top of their white blankets. Next to the wall there were two black leather massage chairs. In the front of the room was an L-shaped sofa and a wooden table. The table had a silver bucket of ice placed on top of it with a bottle of wine sticking out. Along the wall there was a mini-fridge, and a shelf with a microwave, and on top of that shelf was a large TV surrounded by a bamboo frame. It currently showed nature footage from Bali. There was the sound of the waves rolling in and out, and gamelan music played at a subdued volume.

“Lookie, lookie! There’s a sauna!” Akari shouted, looking through the door to the side of us that she had opened. Beyond it was a washroom with a selection of amenities including face wash, face lotion, and face masks. Across from the sink was a large dry sauna that had room for two.

Toriko walked in, pushing the bathroom door open. The tub was made of black stone, and was an almost round heart-shape, or maybe more of a peach-shape, and it was large enough it seemed to cry out “get in me together.”

None of the lobbies match the novel's description, but here it is anyway:

There were couches scattered around a lobby with dark-colored flooring, and lines of decorative plants as tall as a person. The space was softly illuminated with spotlights and indirect lighting, and a languid Balinese gamelan piece served as background music interspersed with the sounds of water and birdsong. Was this aroma foreign incense, perhaps?

For a gigantic room with two beds, massage chairs, room service, a huge ass bathtub, large couch + TV area, sauna and free amenities, 26,800 yen is honestly a steal, especially when you consider it's right smackdab in the heart of Shinjuku. I'd totally stay at this place bruh.

8. Jimbōchō Book Town (神田神保町古書街)

Jinbocho is the neighbourhood that houses the building with the elevator that leads to the skeletal building entrance on Otherside. The area is served by a couple of stations but Sorawo and Toriko reached via Ochanomizu station.

Book Town is one of the more classic 'old school Tokyo' locations favoured by fans of literature. It's a treasure trove for people who love hunting for secondhand books. It's no wonder why Sorawo is familiar with the area.

I have no idea which specific building that houses the elevator is supposed to be, but my guess is this one - it's the only one I could find that appears to match the description in Vol 1.

"The place Toriko led me to was a building in Jinbouchou. It was a tall, thin building with a bunch of shops in the back of Book Town. Ten floors in total."

If I'm right then it would be really funny as the building is literally called Jinbocho building (神保町ビル) lmao.

Book Town used to be a pretty lively (or as lively as a secondhand book district could be anyways) locale but COVID-19 unfortunately caused many of these legacy businesses to shut down, so now it's a lot quieter. I'm not sure how long this street will last so if you ever visit Tokyo I do strongly recommend visiting it, if only for the vibes.

Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of the rich history of this area.

Book Town also has its own website that carries a great deal of information if you're planning on visiting.

9. Shosen Grande (書泉グランデ)

The flagship store of the Shosen bookstore chain, located near Jinbocho station. Sorawo waited here for Toriko before their second venture into the Otherside together (File 2 - Hasshaku-sama Survival).

It's hella huge with seven floors - and apparently also a popular shopping location for weeb/otaku merch. This is the official floor guide on their website.

10. Maison c

The quaint little wine bar near Junkudo Ikebukuro where Sorawo and Toriko had a rather gloomy dinner after the Ninja Cat saga (File 8 - Little Bird in a Box).

We were at a wine bar near the Junkudo in Ikebukuro. It was the middle of the week, but the dimly lit establishment was filled with customers. In one corner of a place where there were young couples having a lively time, we were having a quiet after-party of our own.

Definitely a cosy little spot, if their Instagram is anything to go by.

11. Meat Bar Modavaca (ニクバル モダ・バッカ)

The steak place near Shakujii-kōen station where Kozakura brought Toriko and Sorawo to shortly after events of the kidnapping (File 12 - The Matter of that Farm).

Unfortunately it seems this place has also closed for good, but the location, menu, prices and other information from their Tablelog page and Instagram perfectly matches the description given in Vol 4:

We entered a bar and grill that was conveniently open all day and started off with rosé wine, even though it was still bright out. I’d never thought of rosé as anything more than “that kinda pinkish sweet stuff,” but the taste of it was crisper than I had expected, and I liked it. Next, we ordered prosciutto, flame-seared meat sushi, and red wine. We had the staff cook us some expensive meat that cost 2,000 yen per hundred grams, and devoured the steaks after watching them sizzle on a hot iron grill.

It was already evening outside. As I watched the people being spewed out of the station one after another, I caught myself unconsciously searching for that woman in the crowd.

12. Kitchen Nankai Jinbocho (キッチン南海 神保町店)

The "Western food" (洋食) place Sorawo and Toriko visited for a quick builder's lunch in Vol 6 (File 20 - T is for Templeborn).

This is actually a pretty famous spot, so much so that it even has its own page as a Chiyoda-ku attraction. Most famous for their black curry.

Settling on a place that served Western-style dishes, we joined the salarymen and construction workers for a hearty meal.

I should note that there's a bit of missing nuance here. The original Japanese text is as such:

あんまり気取らない感じの洋食屋を選んで、スーツ姿のサラリーマンや工事の作業員に交ざって、がっつりボリュームのある定食を食べた。

The bolded part roughly translates to "We chose a rather unpretentious Western restaurant...", with 'unpretentious' in this context referring to a place that doesn't feel very conscious/fussy about attire/appearance. This part is entirely omitted in the English version.

I don't think it's a big deal per se, but it's the inclusion of small details like that which adds flourish to Miyazawa's writing, and it's kind of a pity when they get missed out like that.

There's also a slight mistranslation here:

I ordered tonkatsu curry with a black roux and lots of cheese, while Toriko had roasted flounder with ginger. We scarfed down a whole bunch of chopped cabbage and white rice on top of that and headed back to the elevator with our bellies full.

The corresponding Japanese text is as follows:

私は真っ黒なルーにチーズのたっぷりかかったカツカレー、鳥子はヒラメのカツと生姜焼き。キャベツの千切りと白いご飯をわしわし搔き込んで、お腹パンパンでエレベーターに乗った。

The bolded part states "flounder katsu and shougayaki", which actually means a piece of breaded, deep fried flounder, with pork stir-fried in ginger sauce on the side.

True enough, there is a dish called "fried flounder shougayaki rice" (ひらめフライ生姜焼きライス) according to the real restaurant's Tablelog page. Here's a review of the restaurant featuring multiple photos of the dish.

13. Keio Plaza Hotel Shinjuku

Explicitly stated as the location of the First Anniversary Dinner in Vol 7 (File 22 - Toilet Paper Moon).

The buffet that our fav girls stuffed their faces at is the Glass Court Super Buffet, located on the 2nd floor. Looks pretty spankin' and swanky if you ask me.

“The buffet here’s on the second floor. I told you, you don’t need to get all worked up about this.”

I'm omitting the novel's lengthy descriptions of the food out of mercy to us all.

The second half of the night takes place at the Aurora Sky Lounge on the 45th floor.

Fun fact: I ran into a bit of confusion looking up this place due to a translation error in the English version lol.

“I hear there’s a lounge on the fourth floor here.” “A lounge…?” “It’s got a night view and you can drink there.”

There's a Cocktail & Tea Lounge on the 3rd floor but I'm not sure what kinda night view you can get apart from dirty concrete in a city jam-packed with skyscrapers lol. A quick check against the original proved my hunch about the mistranslation was right.

「ここ、四十五階にラウンジがあるんだって」 「……ラウンジ？」 「夜景が見えて、お酒が飲めるとこ」

14. Charcoal-Grill Yakiniku Gyurakutei (炭火焼肉 牛楽亭)

In the anime-special episode 10, our little gang went for some good ol' grilled beef.

It's a little up in the air about how accurate this one is. There is only one place called 韓国炭火焼肉 牛楽亭 (lit. "Korean Charcoal-Grill Yakiniku Gyurakutei") in Tokyo, located in the Shinjuku section of Iidabashi that has since shut down.

The restaurant name might be an off-brand reference to Anrakutei (安楽亭), which is an affordable yakiniku chain around Tokyo. There's one in Ikebukuro and another in Shinjuku. But cheap places tend to use electric grills instead of charcoal, so... idk bro.

15. Omiya Ichibangai (大宮一番街)

The place where it all started - when Sorawo discovered a gate to the Otherside on a random day in April.

In contrast to the west side of the station, where further development had yielded large buildings, the east side was still a sprawling town of small buildings and multi-tenant buildings, the same as it had ever been. It was on the east side, on the corner where two narrow streets met, that I came to a stop. Pachinko parlors, ramen restaurants, taverns, parking lots… In between the various assorted buildings of the shopping arcade, there were many shops with their shutters lowered. Their signs had been taken down, and nothing was posted out front, so you couldn’t even tell what kind of businesses they had been.

I've been to Omiya station once, but that was before I knew about OP and it was on a blitzy winter day in mid-January. The station is pretty big and the immediate surrounding area is bustling, but everything looks just so slightly dated compared to downtown Tokyo, like a time capsule from early 2000s IT-bubble era Japan, which is wild because it's technically only 20-something km away from Ikebukuro. I was only there to meet a friend and didn't get a glimpse of the rest of the area outside of the passing "car passenger POV", so I didn't really feel the "forgotten suburban Showa town" vibes from the novel when I read it but YMMV.

A quick Google search for "大宮商店街" shows a shopping street called Ichibangai to the immediate east of the station, and street view images match up the screenshot from the anime, so this specific area's your best bet.

I casually approached the building and slipped into the gap between it and the neighboring one. The lock on the side door was broken, so I knew I should be able to get in. I’d been able to do so the last time I was here, at least. Turning my body sideways as I proceeded down the gap, I put my hand on the sliding door. It got caught if you tried to move it normally, but if I put in some force, and lifted it up a little—there, it moved.

The back room of a shop that had gone under. The ceiling and wallpaper were in poor shape and the sink and gas stove against the wall were dark with grime. There were chairs and a table in the center of the room, covered in dust.

I crossed the room and approached the back door.

I pushed the door open with trepidation, and on the side was just the back alleyway, as I’d expected. There was a puddle on the bare concrete surface fed by runoff from the external portion of an air conditioner.

I took a step out into the alley and looked towards the arcade. It was blocked off with an iron bar gate and a padlock. Turning the other direction, the alleyway came to an immediate dead end with the back doors of some other buildings. Oh, I guess it had never been possible to come in through here before.

Omiya might be in Saitama but it's still a pretty urban area, so don't go breaking into empty shops or whatever... Still, taking a walk around the vicinity would be a good experience I think.

16. Yamaguchi Mansion (山口マンション)

Toriko's supposed apartment building near Nippori station - as deduced by this extremely detailed post. There's no need for me to repeat what's already been said so I'm just gonna add my own two cents for this section:

It wasn’t a particularly new building, but it still looked expensive. I hated that my reflexive reaction was—Little Miss Moneybags sure lives in a nice place, doesn’t she?

Definitely looks old - records I could find on Google show that it was built in 1985.

Also definitely expensive - apart from being so close to a Yamanote line station, it's got elevators! Japanese law doesn't require elevators to be installed for buildings shorter than 5 floors, so cheap developers often cap at 4 floors and call it a day. How do I know this? I used to live on the 4th floor apartment of a 4-storey building (also next to a major Yamanote line station), and let's just say every day was leg day.

I should add that it's an actual residential building located at the end of a street so I wouldn't recommend lingering, because that's pretty sus behaviour to anyone living nearby. I suggest maybe just a quick glance and move on to explore the rest of the neighbourhood.

Also if you're wondering why it's called a "mansion" - it's the Japlish term for a condo.

17. Casa N.Y Apartment Ginowan (宜野湾市Casa N.Yアパートメント)

The closest thing I could find to anything remotely New York-related on Okinawa…

Looks like a slightly old run-of-the-mill Japanese Airbnb though. My best guess is Miyazawa saw the name and decided to embellish things a little bit...

The location and exterior somewhat barely match up at least...?

Calling it a pension made it sound like some kind of resort, but this place was smack-dab in the middle of the city. It was a wooden penthouse on top of a three-story building, and right outside our window, across a street lined with palm trees, was a big billboard for a consumer finance company.

We were some distance from the center of Naha, so no matter where we planned to go, we were going to need a car.

Ngl, this is probably the wonkiest entry on the list.

18. ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Resort

Expensive rates? Check. Poolside bar? Check. Taxi distance from downtown restaurants? Check. Credit cards sure are convenient eh.

We stayed in a super expensive room at same-day arrival pricing, swam in the pool, ordered cocktails by the poolside, and went beach-combing for bits of coral. Then we took a taxi into town at night to eat Ishigaki beef and locally caught fish, then send Kozakura pictures of all the tasty food and alcohol.

Now I'm tempted to do this myself... Girl math is best math...

Fun fact: spamming someone with food photos (or on social media in general) is called 飯テロ (lit. "food terrorism"). And this post is starting to feel like it.

19. Chichibu Waraji Katsu Tei (秩父わらじかつ亭)

In Vol 4 (File 14 - The Inviting Hot Springs), Sorawo and Toriko mentioned that they ate a place called Golden Waraji Katsu (黄金わらじカツ) located within Seibu-Chichibu station after escaping Hasshaku-sama for the first time back in Vol 1 (File 2 - Hasshaku-sama Survival).

“Oh! That was here! I remember now. We caught a taxi on a mountain road, came back here… ate some katsudon at the station, and went home, right? It had a gaudy name. What was it again?” “Golden Waraji Katsu.”

While there isn't any shop of that name IRL or within the station proper, there is indeed one waraji katsu shop located within the food court of a hot spring facility called Matsuri No Yu (祭の湯), which in turn is directly connected to Seibu-Chichibu station (wth that's so nice???).

The facility is mentioned in the novel as well:

There was a building with a number of facilities, including a hot spring for people making day trips to the area, as well as a food court, attached to the station building.

Waraji katsu-don is a specialty dish of Chichibu. "Waraji" (草鞋) refers to Japanese sandals made from rice straw, although I'm not sure what is the special relation between this footwear and Chichibu, or what makes this katsu-don so different from the standard variation.

20a. Nipponichi Ikebukuro (にっぽん市 池袋)

The Ikebukuro private room izakaya that Sorawo booked in Vol 8 to celebrate Toriko's birthday. I did a Google search in Japanese for "Ikebukuro izakaya Japanese-style private room" and this seems to fit the bill off the bat. The entire izakaya is split into private rooms that can seat anywhere between 2 - 20.

I lacked the guts to book dinner for us at a hotel, so instead I chose as nice a drinking establishment as I could: a Japanese-style tavern in Ikebukuro with private rooms that was reasonably priced, and had good reviews for both the alcohol and seafood.

The indirect lighting of the private room shone softly on her golden locks and indigo irises.

Today she was wearing a relaxed, sky-blue dress, not something showy like when we went for dinner at the hotel. She was probably matching the vibe of the tavern.

Seems like a bingo. Pretty intimate interior, if you ask me... Maybe that's why Toriko finally mustered the courage to confess formally later that night lol.

We got more drinks, trying out some unfamiliar Japanese sake.

Their menu also has a dedicated fresh fish section, along with a very extensive sake list... which is a double wham in my books.

20b. Oto-Oto Ikebukuro (音音 池袋店)

There's another private room-only izakaya in Ikebukuro that also fits the description in the novel both in terms of food and interior, but I'm placing this as Option No. 2 because I think Sorawo at this point would rather stab herself in the eye than book the Couple's Room (right pic):

Like literally I would call this the sort of place you bring a girl to get laid after, you know???

Anyways, for those of my pals here who do want to get laid, you can check out the place on Tablelog here.

The Rest (???)

So, that's a cool 20.

There are some locations that have too few details to be narrowed down, such as the DS Labs building, the Shinjuku izakaya where Toriko donned Hasshaku-sama's hat (File 3 - Station February), or the yakitori place near Shakujii-kōen station that they settled at to escape the stalking cats (File 7 - Attack of the Ninja Cats).

Meanwhile, others, like the Chichibu hot springs inn they visited in Vol 4 carry too many research details for me to fit properly in the remaining space left in this post.

I'm sure there's also a bunch of locations/clues that I've forgotten that were visited throughout the 9 volumes, so I'll make a sequel if I come across any new clues/locations as I re-read Vol 1 - 9 in my sparse free time.

I might also do a post casually comparing the JP vs EN (and even CH) versions of the novels, since there were certain parts of the localisation that I felt made characters come off a bit too strong compared to the original.

[molars-chain]

Hello, I'm Jasper, or rivsticks on discord, as named in Red's post.

I want to start this out by saying, I'm going to take this as an opportunity to explain my side of the story, which I was never given a chance to previously. My goal is to show you the offenses I was banned for, and explain as accurately and honestly as possible, so I'm going to be posting all the related screenshots in which I spoke for the sake of clarity and context. For that reason, since I'm on mobile, I'll be posting screenshots in subsequent posts. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and take this at face value.

Yes, I participated in fandom discourse regarding Prospero and his sexuality. This topic is something important to me as an aroace person uninterested in romance, as representation for us is few and far between, but I never meant for it to become any more than just that- impersonal fandom discourse. Yes, I involved myself in the conversation about proshipping and it's definition, but that was to ask for clarification about one of Red's messages and briefly add my opinion. I'll admit, I probably could have handled that a bit better, but I don't think it's grounds for this reaction. There was no secret clique, or any premeditated attacking of anyone at any time, notice how there wasn't a single screenshot to corroborate their claim of shit-talking. They came to that conclusion on pure assumption only, and have taken it as fact since with no chance of defense or counter. It's bad faith. Again, I want to reiterate that we were a loose group of friends, not a 'clique', and it's not fair at all to take what another member of that server said and let it reflect on me under the guise of, 'but they were a group'. Nobody should take responsibility for anything I said, and I will not take responsibility for anything anyone else said. I am my own person, able to think for myself, not part of a single entity like how I am consistently grouped. I find it troubling that that is the narrative that was spread without any chance for me to truly defend myself. I have been name dropped multiple times as if this were the case, and I will be honest, it's a little frustrating. They said they pride themselves on taking all sides into consideration, but as far as I know not a single person named in the ban was dmed for any sort of clarification.

Now that I've said my peace with that situation, I'd like to touch very briefly on the Crimson situation. I feel that if it's so intertwined with me that you have to drop my name in a post about it, I should add my two cents. I think it's childish to bring my and my friend's ban up again months after it happened, to try and justify letting Crimson back into the server. Ignoring evidence like this against someone, just because it came forward from an individual Red deemed untrustworthy (with little to no proof, I may add) when you could have easily asked for more context or uncensored screenshots, is irresponsible. That's all I have to say.

Thank you for reading. I'll be posting the screenshots soon, they're giving me some trouble.

[zimthandmade]

Hello,

I am an art student (art on instagram link in my account, I am too lazy to post on two different platforms), and I love your art style and creativity, you are incredible ✨

I am at that point in my studies where I am getting decent at at least some of the techniques, but struggle using them to give life to my own ideas.

Do you have any advice on character design and environment study? I admire how you manage to give so much personality to your characters just with body language, it’s amazing, I have lots of trouble just managing to make mine look like themselves in two different sketches. Every time I feel like I got it right I lose it the moment after :(.

Where do I start when I want to study for a project, and how do you organise your work?

Thank you for reading, I hope this ask finds you well ❤️

Hi there!! Thanks for reaching out!! <3

Yeah character consistency can be tricky! My go-to strategy for character design is to break them down into their most basic idea. Can be a colour, a shape, a line. Look at this concept art from Inside Out:

The more complex you go, the more tricky, complicated and hard to get right in different drawings will be. That's not a bad thing but you should always keep the very core idea of a character in mind when designing and drawing. If I may add some of my own things in here:

I settled for a very angular Mello and in contrast a rather round Matt. In canon, they're both pretty round, so I thought I'd break that up for a more interesting duo dynamic. For me it's also helpful to think of your character as a map with set distances and points of interest. Take Mellos focal points like the beak-y pointy nose and his blocky hair and the rest doesn't matter that much anymore if you only get those features right. I don't know, I'm super bad at explaining, there's a reason why I'm not a teacher :'D

Maybe you could try to draw your character as tiny or as quickly as you can, that also works well for me. Because you absolutely can't get lost in details and have to break them down to what really matters.

When I see complex characters with tons of tattoos and complex scars or wild hairstyles and details that just absolutely don't matter to the overall design, I always think of the poor poor animators that would have to animate that character if they were part of a TV show haha

As for environment study?? Bruh, I'm as lost as you.

Where to start on a project? Anywhere, as long as you start. Sitting in front of a blank paper is the worst thing. Drawing bad is better than not drawing at all. Look at other art, maybe even copy some, trace some, anything that helps you get into the flow.

Organising things is a supreme dicipline. I would say I give my best to stay organised but fail miserably. But I had people tell me I'm insanely organised, so... No idea. Taking the whole Death Note AU thing as one big project, I try to keep things seperated by characters, eras, themes or places, depending on what makes sense and throw all the files in the respective folders but it's getting more cluttered by the minute... What helps me if making overviews, like lineups of characters or something like this:

Colour chart where I can just pick the colours and not rummage through my files to find a fitting reference for different characters.

Oof that turned longer than I wanted, I hope you can at least find some helpful information out of my rambling :'D

[spiralingnoodle]

Since we're on the train of not clogging the TMA tags with posts about The Magnus Protocol, let's also please stop tagging posts from your RP blogs with the character tags.

Reblog so this reaches more people in the fandom and those who may need to see it can see it.

If you do this, I don't hate you. But please let's be mindful.

I know you want your blogs to be noticed and to get interaction, but tagging every rp post with a main character/fandom tag only clogs said tags with RP posts. Not only that, but many use heavily edited fonts and that, I've been shown, breaks text-to-speech horribly. It makes disabled people's browsing of the tags very difficult because (as said by disabled friend) "every five post, I get a scrambled nonsense audio that takes like 3 minutes to read on the text-to-speech, let alone try to read it by myself with my poor eyesight to figure out if it's and actual fandom post, RP or what".

I hate making these posts because I feel like a bit of an asshole, like, I know most of you aren't doing that to cause trouble or to intentionally clog the tags, but it's difficult to browse non-RP posts when the tag is half-flooded with RP posts. Please stop doing this and remove the main tags from your previous posts (there are ways to mass delete a tag, I think it's ab X-kit thing!).

I've spoken to other people who are also noticing this issue and as a former roleplayer I felt I should speak up.

(Also, please if you know someone who does this, do not send hate to them. This is not a post to incite that. This is just me sharing tumblr RP etiquette from back in the day when I used to RP here in several fandoms. Do tell them, politely, but do not harass or be disrespectful)

Tumblr has no algorithm, and yet half of the posts from character tags I follow are from RP blogs even though I don't follow any nor have liked/reblogged their posts. How? Because these blogs tag their asks, their starters, their IC posts WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER TAGS AND THE MAIN FANDOM TAGS.

As a former tumblr RPer, I'm asking you not to do this. Instead I bring you a suggestion. What can you do instead of tagging your RP posts?

Make a promo post.

Yes! A promotional post of your blog with all the info, you can even add an edit (but please ask for permission if you use someone's art and credit them). Kind of an intro to your blog so people know "ah, I might like following this person's RP" or "cool! I'd like to RP with them!". I did this a lot and it helped enormously! And yes, you may tag these with the main character/fandom tag, but they're ONE post. They won't clog the tags like tagging every single one of your RP/asks.

[mageofseven]

MC's Bra Game: The UnDateables

I still don't know what I'm supposed to call these guys 😅

I mean, I've seen some people use the term side characters, but that's including the three characters I can't write for yet because I've never gotten to read the story when they were added (Raph, Thirteen, Mephisto). So I guess I'll just stick to this name until I learn a better one.

But anyway! Time for Dia, Barb, Soli, and Simeon to play the Bra Game~ 😁

And honestly, I think this came out better than the Brothers' did~

•▪︎▪︎◇°●♡●°◇▪︎▪︎•

Diavolo:

Oh how this man loves this game!

Not in any pervy way; MC only plays it with their boyfriend when he's buried under work and super stressed

And unlike Lucifer, this prince welcomes the distraction graciously

Or like, any distraction from his work, if he's honest.

Unfortunately, that meant the game would end too quickly for the couple so MC had to add extra rules.

The human would sit on their boyfriend's lap and have him close his eyes.

Sometimes MC would bring items with them and other times, they would just take things off the prince's desk.

Eyes still closed, Dia would feel for the object and guess what his Queen nestled between their boobs.

The demon would purposely give incorrect answers just to make the human laugh

And of course, the game would be paused every now and then between kisses.

Barb always has to stop in and gently, but firmly remind his master about his deadlines

Causing the game to die down a bit till the couple gives each other just one last kiss and MC leaves their now less stressed boyfriend to his work.

Barbatos:

It's hard to get Barb to play with them 😔

But this man has a bountiful amount of patience with his Dear so he never gets frustrated with them.

MC will show up out of no where while he's working with the same smirk on their face; Barb always knows they want to play when they have that smirk.

No matter what object the human would stick in their bra, the butler always had a spare, and I mean always.

Like, how many feather dusters do you have, man???

AND THE PENS!!! MC could steal 20 off this man and he's suddenly have 50 more to use.

Like dear devil! Did you steal all the pens from Walmart's shelves before you started work this morning???

It's funny how this starts because MC wants to play their own game but then unknowingly starts playing one of Barb's.

Once the human's mood changes from amazement to discouragement though, that's when the man calls it quits.

"I'm sorry, my Pet, but I really need to trouble with some other business." He'd lean in and kiss them before whispering in their ear. "I'll see you later to night."

And with that, the butler would walk away.

It takes a moment for MC to realize that whatever they stuck in their bra is now gone and in the hands of the walking figure in front of them.

Now grinning, the human can't wait for later that night~

Solomon:

This was a game that Soli was all too comfortable playing.

Like, MC started it because they wanted to see their boyfriend blush, but in truth, the man was as composed as ever.

No red face, no sign of being uncomfortable.

He just slid his wand out of their partner's bra as if he was releasing it from it's usual holder.

Suddenly, the sorcerer noticed MC deflate. That silly mood they were just in took a 180.

"Am I not playing this right? What's wrong?" He frowned

"You're not reacting..." They mumbled. "Most guys blush or get embarrassed, but you treat this like I asked you to clean up your room..."

The non-immortal just felt...so unattractive. Is their body really so boring to him?

Soli raised an eyebrow.

"Little Minx, why should I be embarrassed to touch what's mine?" He asked, looking genuinely confused.

"You freely give yourself me. So if you ask me to touch your chest, I will." He raised his hand up to their hair. "If you ask me to stroke your hair, I will."

The wizard took a finger and traced down their head, passed their shoulder, down their arm, to their waist, and curved in towards their inner thigh.

"And if you ask me to give your attention else where, I will." He said with his usually smirk. "Why should I be uncomfortable with what you give me? Especially when I love every inch of it. Every inch of you."

Now it was MC who was blushing. They went to cover their face with their hands, but Solomon took them both and held them between his own.

"Now that's what I like to see. Are you feeling better now, Little Minx?"

MC gave a shy nod.

Soli chuckled before leaning into them, resting his head against theirs.

"Good."

Simeon ft. Luke:

This is not a game the two can play often.

I mean, their relationship is suppose to be a secret

And people would definitely start asking questions if they saw the angel's hand over the human's boobs.

The couple can't even imagine how they'd talk themselves out of that one.

Luckily, MC is allowed to have sleepovers at Purgatory Hall occasionally.

The human joins the three guys for dinner, plays board games with them, bakes, those sort of things.

The brothers think MC does this for Luke and in truth, they do somewhat.

During the evening, MC is at this sweet boy's beck and call; whatever he wants to play, they're down for.

But once the sun goes down and the clock strikes 9:30pm (21:30), the little boy is led to bed by Simeon (his bedtime is usually 9pm (21:00), but Simeon let's him stay up just a little longer when MC sleeps over).

That's when Solomon retreats into his room with that all knowing look in his eye and tell MC that he hopes 'you two have fun'.

Sometimes though, Luke will fight going to sleep so he could spend more time with MC.

To make it easier on their boyfriend and the younger angel, MC will join them to get Luke tucked in, make sure theres a glass of water by his bed, and even tell him a story if he asks for one.

Any outsider would see this scene as two parents cajoling their child to sleep

...If only that could be true.

On a more positive note, when the small angel falls asleep, the couple will tiptoe out of his room and head back to the living room to enjoy their alone time, something very rare and precious to them.

In the other timelines where they date the other Boys, I see their MCs as this chaotic and loving force, one who would definitely do this bra game with their guys.

It's harder for me to imagine Simeon's MC trying to play this game though. Maybe it's because of how their relationship is, but I see his MC as a very gentle, more subdued sort of person.

Still, if they did somehow wanna play...

"M-My feather..." Simeon stuttered, face red.

And no, this was not said as his usual endearment to the love of his life

But was referring to his actual feather

Which MC nestled between their boobs.

Simeon occasionally loses feathers when in his celestial form.

MC has made a habit of collecting them when they fall.

They've said they find it comforting to have a piece of him with them, even when Simeon cannot.

The angel found these words very sweet and keep them close to his heart

But he never imagined his Feather would put one of his feathers...so close their heart. Literally.

"Want...want it back?" MC asked softly, a blushing forming on their cheeks.

"That's--no, I'm fine, my Lamb." Simeon gave an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

MC leaned in closer to their boyfriend.

"Love...please."

With their cute face pleading him, the angel struggled to refuse.

It's just like he's always said: he wants to give them everything and deny them nothing

And these words rang in his head as he slowly reached in to pull out the feather, careful not to touch their boobs

Which in truth, the human found funny. After all, his lips had no issues being there last weekend, but now suddenly he feels that his hand grazing their boob would be the ultimate taboo?

Still, they kept in their laughter, even as the feather gently tickled their boobs as the angel pulled it out.

Once out, MC couldn't help laughing at the red-faced man.

A small smile broke out on his face as well.

"You never fail to surprise me, my Feather."

[newtdrawz]

Could u do dally and pony friendship hcs🫣

OH MY GOD YES I CAN

You don't understand,, how obsessed I am with their friendship omg 😭 (lil warning these are prolly ooc but I really tried 😭😭 I promise) (feel free to add on to these I love seeing other ppls hc's!!)

Ok throwback to my Ponyboy HC's post where I said Dally is really supportive of Pony's hobby in art!!!!!

Dally might be (secretly ofc he would never admit it) like the #1 fan of Pony's art, besides Johnny and Soda obvi

He really likes watching him sketch and paint, it's memorizing to him and he can't fathom how it looks like a picture from a camera almost, he tells him that too. ("I dunno how you're able to do that so quickly, Pone." "It looks like a photograph almost.")

Pony always tries to downplay his talents and Dally (ofc in his mean/tough love Dally way lol) tells him not to do that and to not sell himself short

Dally truly believes Pony could be famous from his art. That he could get out of Tulsa and make a name for himself. He doesn't really know how to communicate that to him besides the rare compliment here and there.

Another throwback to the post where I did the hc that Johnny and Dally will sit in and listen to Pony read,,

Dally doesn't like reading, never really cared for it. He thinks Pony reading all the time is a little funny and he'll tease him abt time to time.

When he first finds Johnny sitting in the lot with Pony and Pony reading one of his books out loud to Johnny he obviously had to interrupt and obviously sit with them (they're happy to include him btw they don't mind 😭😭)

Dally will not. Shut. Up. He asks Pony abt a million questions abt the book. ("Well why'd the guy go and do that?" "Why's he stupid?" "Wait what happened before that?" "What's that ladies name again?" "Wait What's she look like again?")

This is one of the very few (and probably first) times Pony talks back/sasses Dally ("Why don't you be quiet and let me finish reading the page? And then maybe you'll know what's happening.")

Idk how to explain this but Dally is def the type of friend to feed into his friends delusions 😭 or like hype them up for something they definitely SHOULD NOT do,, like ykwim?? And he def does it with Pony

He definitely encourages Pony to get into a little bit of trouble, just a tiny bit.

Obviously Pony can get in trouble on his own and he does plenty but Dally just encourages it a little bit more lol

He calls it "getting Pony out of his comfort zone" while Darry calls it "peer pressuring" (there was def a conversation/argument abt it 😭😭) (Dal: I am NOT peer pressuring him, I'm getting him out of his comfort zone. Dar: yes you are Dal! Dal: No I'm not! Pony do you feel peer pressured?! Say no. Pony: No... Dal: See?! He's fine. He's having fun!)

Dally 100% keeps Pony out of any real trouble tho, the kind that'd get him sent away or seriously hurt. He'd never encourage him to do something bad enough to warrant those things.

Ok, Dally is actually really nice but in a mean way. Like he's aggressively nice where no one's sure if they're being threatened or complimented or insulted. He's no different with the gang

If Pony or Johnny are like really bad at something Dally will threaten the rest of the gang to lie and be nice 😭😭😭 he won't be nice because it's not expected of him but he'll make everyone else be nice.

One time Pony tried to bake a cake and for some reason he just can't bake. He can cook fine but not bake. So it was like awful but ofc the gang tried it.

When Pony isn't paying attention Dally turns to the gang and straight up threatens them. ("This thing tastes like shit but you're all gonna tell him it tastes good or I swear I'll shove your faces into the cake.")

Dally has no idea WHY he does it, cuz he's not nice (he is) and he doesn't care abt Johnny or Pony's, or really anyone's, feelings (he does he's just emotionally constipated 😭😭😭)

Dally still is kinda mean to Pony though, not mean but like teasing?? Like in a big brother way

Sometimes he just says things without really thinking abt it or randomly teases him (like Pony reading all the time and being a nerd and not talking to girls)

One night they're both sitting on the porch smoking and it's kinda late and Dally randomly just says "ya'know I don't really mean it, right?" And Pony says yeah and Dally just nods and they go back inside.

After that Dally still teases him and stuff but Pony kinda knows now to not really take it heart cuz that's just Dally being Dally.

From an outsiders perspective it does look/sound like Dally is just being and a-hole 😭😭 but the gang just knows him enough that it's some weird love language he has to just be mean to them 😭

Whenever Dally's about to do something really stupid/dangerous/illegal he threatens Pony and Johnny to not do it

Before he does anything he'll look both of them in the eyes and either tell them to beat it incase the police show up or back up and hideout

He looks directly at Pony and goes "Do NOT tell Darry I did this infront of you or else." ("Do not, and I mean do not, EVER do what I'm about to do or I'll beat both of you.")

Dally is basically like the only one rlly allowed to be mean/tease Pony (in his head at least 😭)

Dally makes fun of him plenty and Pony just rolls his eyes and laughs. Dally will ruffle his hair and punch him in the arm and all that.

But the minute someone who isn't Darry or Soda or himself says something rude to Pony he just gets so mad 😭

One time he threatened Steve cuz Steve said something to Pony. ("You better shut up and leave the kid alone, Steve.") (Steve's confused cuz like not even 5 seconds ago Dally just called Pony an idiot or something 😭😭)

He's especially this way with socs and authority figures

And it's not like Pony can't defend himself or anything, Dally knows he can but he just gets mad anyways and again he just starts talking before thinking and next thing he knows he's nearly throwing hands with someone cuz they were an a-hole to his friend lol

He's basically the "only I can be mean to him and no one else can" type of friend 😭

Ok this post got a little out of hand 😭

I had waaaaaay too much fun with this I just really love talking about and making hc's 😭 I'm still trying to nail down Dally's personality so if (which he probably is,,) he's ooc sorry 😭 I literally can't help taking the characters and literally changing sm abt them from canon 😭😭 it's truly a problem but I will try to get him right 🙏

(If there's any spelling mistakes or anything sorry I did this half asleep w/ a headache cuz I was so excited abt this ask 😭 I couldn't wait)

[grimoire-of-geekery]

What is your advice for someone who can read tarot relatively okay for other people but is trash when it comes to reading for themself? (Cards dont make sense and literally every card is reversed despite careful shuffling to get a healthy mix of both upright and reversed cards)

*hugs* I know that frustration all too well.

Ok, so here are some things I say to everyone where tarot reading is concerned:

It's not just what the cards say, it's what they don't say. A tarot deck works by representing the whole world and all of the various turns and twists of fate people can experience. When Death shows up, but not the Ten of Swords, that's because you're dealing with Death, but not in the form of an ending. Likewise, if the Three of Coins appears and not the Eight, then your experience will reflect financial growth and demonstration of your mastery, rather than the learning of that skillset.

For this reason, I encourage diviners to adopt a different method for reading inversions than "the bad version of this card" or "the opposite." For the latter, there's already a card in the deck for any "opposite" meaning you could come up with. For the former... every card can be bad or good in the right circumstance. For myself, I use a method where the inverted cards are signs that the querent will have difficulty understanding that card, and I should take pains to carefully explain that one, pointing out nuances that might be missed. Generally it means the card is "shadowed," or their own beliefs and views obstruct the truth. Another really good one I read recently is the idea of an upright card being "invoked" and an inverted card being "banished," which is a very interesting perspective. I like the idea of "this card is departing from you, or taking its blessing/curse/experience away."

Those two things I say to everyone, just to clear space. The first really specific piece of advice I'd give to you if you're having trouble reading for yourself is do not add cards. Read what's already there. Take a picture of it, note everything in a journal, and look at it periodically. Focus not on what your feeling is, but what the card means. Do research, look it up in books, especially your own writings on the card if you have them. Seriously, adding too many cards makes the reading even harder to read. "Clarification" cards are a joke.

In addition, check your spread. The spreads we use are how we talk to the world and ask for information. Make sure that when you lay those cards in that pattern, you actually want the information the spread can offer. If you're looking for advice, don't ask a spread that's solely about prediction, that sort of thing.

I'd also suggest you take a look at the deck and see if it really expresses how you experience the world, and then I'd do divination that has nothing to do with your wishes for a while, to see if it can accurately relate the world to you. I wanna be specific here- what I'm talking about here is not how you wish the world was, but rather how you experience the world as it is. The deck is meant to reflect the world as it is, and reveal its secrets to you, and if the deck isn't doing that for you in your readings, you may need to use a different deck, or maybe even a different divination method at all.

If all your cards are coming up inverted all the time, that's a sign. The deck is specifically speaking to you and saying something to you. If it were my own deck, that would be a message that "you ain't gonna get it, so you may as well stop asking." I can't say what that omen means for you, but I would consider it a big one, maybe a step or two above "stalker" cards, and just below the significance of a reading that's more than 80% one suit. If that's the case, I'd ask your cards what they're trying to tell you that you're not getting, and record the answers. For myself, I use three-card combinations for those kinds of specific questions.

If you wanna reach out and talk to me more in depth, I'm definitely available if you wanna come off anon and have a conversation, or you can just send a few more anon asks if that's your comfort level. I hope I helped, one way or another. *hugs*

[inkblackorchid]

I was gonna try to keep my mouth shut, but I can't. I just can't. I have to go on another Aki rant because I feel like I'm going to explode. It's about this scene:

This drives me insane and I'm putting this under a readmore. Expect incoherent screaming, all ye who enter here.

Ok. Ok. I have so many issues with this scene. Specifically, with the way it develops later, when Aki's busy trying to figure out how to save a child from being swept up by a storm:

And I just. Look, I think the fact that I already wrote a fic that basically completely turns Aki's reaction here on its head should basically tell you everything. But! But. Allow me to defend why I think this whole scene is one big heap of horseshit, with a bit of analysis of canon and actual evidence to back up my claims and shit.

The thing is, I have seen people give this scene a charitable read. I've seen people be happy for Aki to enjoy freedom from the psychic powers that have given her so much trouble in her life. And the thing is, if this were season one or season two Aki, I would be completely on board with that take. Unfortunately, this scene is preceded by the pre-WRGP arc. But more on that below.

Moreover, I can make an educated guess about what they were going for here (in terms of messaging, because this is a kids' show at the end of the day and messaging is something you have to be properly concerned with when it comes to these). I can imagine it running somewhere along the lines of "you don't need special powers to be a hero". Or even "you can grow past the hurt and/or the mistakes in your life and still become a good person or even a hero". And really, I wish I could believe that take. It's just. The writing simply doesn't add up. I wish it did, but it doesn't.

This is where we get back to the pre-WRGP arc. And not just that, actually, but the timeskip between the dark signers and pre-WRGP arc, too. Because the thing is, the last time we have seen Aki in anguish about her powers on-screen by the time the episodes above (108-109) arrive was during the DS arc, during the duel with her father, which happened during episodes 40-41. 40. to. 41. This was over sixty episodes ago at this point. And after that, that's it. As far as the DS arc is concerned, Aki's conflict about her powers is resolved the second she controls them for the first time when her father tries to interfere in her second duel against Yusei.

(Yeah, remember this moment? That was literally the last time we saw Aki in conflict with her powers.)

And I know some people would argue "but what about the dark signer duel with Misty?". And yes, I get it. Misty does accuse her of having murdered her brother with her powers and Aki gets incredibly (understandably) upset about it. But the thing is, we know that's fake, and during the duel, Aki knows that, too. She goes as far as insisting that there were no casualties at the duel where Misty thinks Toby died.

(Yes, I have screenshot proof for literally every dumb little thing in this show, why do you ask?)

It's only after Misty keeps pushing and backing her into a corner during their duel (and literally gaslighting her) that she begins to believe Misty's version of the events. Which is why this doesn't "count" as Aki being in conflict with her powers the way her second duel with Yusei does. At least not to me, feel free to debate me over this if you wanna.

Okay, but what am I driving at here? Fair question. Let me hop back to after the dark signers' defeat.

So, we know there's a half-year timeskip between the DS and the pre-WRGP arc (which was allegedly enough for NDC to connect the city and Satellite, deal with all the social issues that entailed, and also build a giant duel network, which I will never believe but I digress). Unfortunately, what exactly our main characters did during that timeskip is never addressed, it's just kind of there to segway immediately into the WRGP setup. So the only thing we can do is guess at what they got up to based on where they are as people by the time we get back to them during the start of the pre-WRGP arc. So where's Aki at when we see her again after the dark signers' defeat then?

Oh, she's attending duel academy again now! That's nice. So that probably means the student body isn't scared shitless of her anymore and she's not being ostracised anymore.

Wow, she's an exceptional student! That means she must be a really good duellist. So she got the hang of her powers, then?

...Ah.

Do you start to see my problem? Past the DS arc, we are not being given any indication that Aki is still struggling with her powers or still resents them or herself like she used to. You could be forgiven for thinking that she's healed in the meantime. She's fine. She has accepted herself and can now use her powers safely. Which makes her later claiming "she no longer needs that cursed power" a bit... hmmm. And another thing. The fact that she refers to it as "cursed" rubs me the wrong way. After the defeat of the dark signers, she literally never does that even a single time before the moment in the hospital during the storm. (I'd post all the screenshots to prove it here but for one, tumblr doesn't allow it, and for two, I hope you'll believe I did my due diligence without it.)

And it just irks me. If the powers are still a "curse" to Aki by episodes 108-109, why give us the moment above?

And why give us this moment, where she saves Sherry, Yusei, and herself with those powers?

And why give us this moment, where she literally uses her powers at a public event to protect people, and is evidently not cussed out as a witch for it? Neither of these moments do anything to indicate that Aki still hates her powers. They don't indicate that she sees them as a "beast of burden" or necessary evil of a sort, either. On the contrary, I don't think it would be too out there to claim all these moments make her look rather badass. Like a small celebration of "hey, now she can finally use these powers for cool and not evil things!".

Yet, somehow, we still end up with episodes 108-109, where the writers expect the audience to buy that Aki was secretly still hoping she might eventually be rid of these powers after all. And maybe this would be easier to swallow if there weren't also the fact that they later literally go back on it to add to this confusing mess. Because the thing is, we all know the finale scene after the three-way duel with Sherry where Aki protects them with her powers (which have suddenly reappeared, aha!) again and also finds out she can use these powers to heal. So not only is the framing of Aki suddenly being glad to have lost her powers extremely weird, it's also temporary anyway!

So my question is. What was the point. What was the point of all this if the writers ended up going back on it anyway? Because I want to believe there's a reasonable, charitable explanation that also makes sense with what they show us in terms of Aki's characterisation past the DS arc, but if there is, I cannot for the life of me find it. If anything, this whole thing feels like it completely contradicts itself.

First, they tie up Aki's conflict with her powers with a neat bow after she manages not to hurt her father anymore. Then, they launch into the pre-WRGP arc and blatantly tell us that she can now control them. No questions asked. Indisputable fact, and we get nothing that contradicts that, either. Then, we get a bunch of setup showing her using her powers, too, and what's more, we get other significant players in the cast taking notice of it, too, as though it might become relevant. Because Sherry isn't the only one who gets curious about Aki's powers.

(I will never understand how Placido's hood works together with his horn-thingies and have stopped trying at this point.)

The literal, central antagonists of season 3-4 also take notice of it. Like that means something. Like it'll come up again later. But, well. We know it doesn't.

Instead, she suddenly loses her powers out of nowhere (and we are never given a reason for it, either, which does nothing to make this writing decision seem anymore understandable). And, look. The thing that upsets me most about this isn't even the fact that it feels a little inconsistent with Aki's character post DS arc. If that were the only problem, I could still suspend my disbelief far enough to go along with the idea that she secretly still hated her powers quietly in the background and wanted them gone anyway. What really pisses me off is that it reeks of zero setup and knee-jerk decisions in the writing room ten miles against the wind. If they wanted us to believe Aki's glad to be rid of her powers, why give absolutely no indication that she's at odds with them past episode 41 anymore? Why let her state outright that she can now control them? Why show her on several occasions using them to her own and other people's benefit, the way a hero would? And if her powers are supposed to vanish and it's supposed to make sense, why is there no reason for it? They already used cyborg timetravel at that point, they could have literally come up with any nonsense related to that and it would have probably made at least more sense than just letting her powers vanish for no reason at all. Also, if the message behind all this is supposed to be either of the things I mentioned way above—if the idea the audience is supposed to be getting is either "you don't need special powers to be a hero" or "your past and/or your mistakes don't define you and you can heal and grow past them"—why reintroduce the powers, which, in this reading, would be a symbol of Aki's pain, of her mistakes and her dreaded past, at the very end, during the finale, then? It just doesn't add up, and it frustrates me to no end.

The writers wanted to make the moment Aki realises she can help people (well, one person, a child) without her powers seem triumphant so bad, but every time I watch it, it just completely falls flat for me. This isn't a triumph, this is a hot mess of bad writing decisions. All I'm saying is, if they wanted me to buy that Aki would be happy about losing her powers here, they were missing a hefty amount of setup and also shouldn't actually have given them back to her during the finale (no, not even as healing powers).

Moreover... I'll freely admit I also have a personal problem with this scene. I've seen this show and these episodes several times by now, and during my last rewatch and my current one, something about this scene has been creeping up on me, and I think I've figured out what that is now. So I talked about the possible message behind this scene already, and the reading I've given so far was fairly forgiving. But the thing is, there is another reading that has occurred to me that I can't unsee anymore. As much as you could make a valid case that this scene is trying to say that people don't need to be special to be heroes and save others, that past mistakes don't define us, and yadda yadda, there's also a much, much less pleasant way to interpret this scene: "You're better off if you don't stand out." And I'll freely admit, this interpretation probably occurs to me specifically because I was considered a "weird kid" at school, singled out by bullies, and avoided by "popular" kids (take a wild guess why I relate to Aki so much!). And over the years, you learn to downplay that "weirdness" because you become desperate to be accepted by someone, anyone. And given everything the show gives us about Aki's relationship with her powers, it'd make sense that this idea would be buried somewhere in her head, too. It's better not to stand out. Don't be weird. Sand down your edges so there's no chance people could get upset about them. You're better off being whatever everyone else considers "normal" than being whoever you are. It doesn't matter if this is a part of who you are, just become someone else. Someone who's easier to accept. Who's easier to love. You don't need your "weirdness".

You don't need this cursed power.

You know, the "cursed power" that Aki had from the beginning of the show, that was a part of her for years, and that the show didn't give any indication could vanish. The power that we were led to believe would just be there forever, because it was simply a part of Aki, not a conscious thing she (or the narrative) could choose. The power that we were, for all intents and purposes, led to believe she had mastered and maybe even accepted along the way. But sure, let's get rid of that. It's better if she's """normal""". And more convenient for the writers, too! After all, if she doesn't have powers anymore, they can't cause plotholes (of which the WRGP already has enough) and can't possibly give Aki any more badass moments, which makes it that much easier to sideline her. And let's package this weird, shittily set-up moment in a message about how she's better off without her powers anyway. She's happy! It makes complete sense that she's happy. She's finally normal like everyone else. Ignore the way people who might relate to the character could possibly interpret this moment differently. And ignore how none of the writing surrounding this moment makes sense.

...Sigh.

Okay, I think I've let off enough steam. I just. Yeah. I'm sorry, but I cannot for the life of me view this scene in a favourable way and watching it today made me want to chew glass tbh. My only solace is that they went back on this trainwreck writing decision in the finale. Which, really, just makes this whole mess really, really pointless, doesn't it?

For anyone who stuck around this long, thanks for reading. Sorry if this got extra-rant-y. Idk man, I just think “it’s worth the effort to accept yourself as you are, even with all the bits you might not like at first” would have been a better message than whatever this turned out to be.

[mbti-notes]

hi! im an entj and i wanted to know if you have any tips on how to be a better student whilst not thinking too much about grades or results. i feel like i place alot of emphasis on grades and results and i think it often hinders me at times. i often have trouble finding more ''meaning'' in my work and i'm not sure how to add more value into it other than achieving a good grade.

Your question is too vague because you haven't specified what level of schooling you're at and what your idea of a "better" student looks like. This "hinders you" how exactly? What is the exact nature or source of your discontent? What exactly are you aiming for? Without this context, it's hard to craft a response.

Did you know that professors in the US are witnessing a "literacy crisis" in their students that has never before been observed in the history of modern education? While there have always been unmotivated and underachieving students, nowadays, an alarming percentage of motivated students are barely able to handle more than ten pages of text at a time (the average assignment used to be 20-30 pages), nor are they able to analyze and comprehend the meaning, themes, or arguments being communicated in the text.

A literacy deficit poses a serious threat not just to the student's individual success, but also to the integrity of higher education and the functioning of society. Colleges have no choice but to "dumb down" their offerings over time. But more importantly, a successful democracy is difficult to sustain without intelligent and literate citizenry making sound judgments about complex social, political, and economic issues.

One obvious factor contributing to this problem is that many students have fallen behind due to the pandemic. Another obvious factor is the smartphone and the major role it has played in decimating people's attention spans. Extended focus and concentration are extremely important for learning, but endless internet scrolling trains the mind to expect rapid change and crave instant gratification. Yes, anyone who genuinely wants to be a good student should care deeply about the factors that hinder/inhibit their learning process. Increasingly, misuse of technology, such as smartphone addiction and excessive reliance on AI, is a major factor that prevents students from reaching their greater potential.

High school and college students are still in the early stages of ego development. Since their self-awareness hasn't had much time to develop, they don't tend to be aware of their own underlying motivations, for example, they will often just do something because it's just what everyone around them does. Additionally, heavy social media consumption at this stage of life leads them to believe that "success" is just for show or about obtaining likes/praise.

This brings us to the main factor to consider, which is that students are increasingly trained to be motivated by extrinsic rewards. For example, in the US, school funding is often tied to exam scores, so teachers have been forced to focus more and more on teaching only to exams, in order to secure funding. Higher education has also become much more competitive, which means excellent grades are essential for securing a seat in university.

While there is nothing wrong with extrinsic motivation per se, there is something wrong when a person is only motivated by extrinsic rewards, to the point where they are completely ignorant/neglectful of intrinsic rewards. The research strongly suggests: People who are more intrinsically (than extrinsically) motivated tend to be better learners because they assign their own value to learning and understand the inherent virtues of intellect, knowledge, and skill, apart from their real-world applications. The topic of intrinsic motivation comes up often, I suggest you read past posts.

Before you asked me for "tips", did you put in a reasonable effort to inquire into yourself and figure out why you overemphasize extrinsic rewards? Could you come up with the reasons/causes on your own, through self-reflection? It's difficult to find the right solution to a problem when you don't understand its origins. This is an important point because a common symptom of extreme extrinsic motivation is abnormally low self-awareness due to having little to no inner life. How's your inner life?

With regard to type development, people who are very extrinsically motivated tend to a) be too easily influenced by environmental factors, and b) lack introverted development. The answer to your question already lies within you, specifically, in the state of development of your introverted Ni and Fi functions:

1) Extrinsically motivated people tend to believe that their life lacks meaning because the world lacks meaning. What they don't realize is that meaning starts from within, so the actual problem is that they aren't able to generate enough meaning on their own.

Ni is a key function for constructing meaning, usually through patiently exploring context and connections to a bigger picture (of life as a whole and/or the world at large). As such, lack of Ni development commonly manifests as:

dislike of ambiguity (due to preferring clear categorical answers)

impatience for complexity (due to wanting easy answers)

superficiality (due to not going beyond the known/obvious)

lack of vision (due to overemphasis on rapid results)

Since you didn't provide any details about function development, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. The only thing I can say is that all of them are detrimental to learning. Clarify your aim: Do you want to be a good student in school or a good learner in life? Do you know the difference? It is the difference between lower order versus higher order learning, which I have already explained in previous posts.

A good student wants to know the final answer. A lifelong learner uses ambiguity as an opportunity to explore more nuanced truth.

A good student can handle some challenges but stops at the most difficult point. A lifelong learner takes the initiative to unravel complexity and eventually encounters profound wisdom.

A good student reads the book all the way through. A lifelong learner is intellectually curious, which leads them to discover new realms of knowledge far beyond the book.

A good student follows instructions and is reasonably competent as a result. A lifelong learner sees the greater potential of the field as a whole and gradually becomes an expert as they attempt to realize that potential.

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any meaning for you, is it because it's boring, or is it because you haven't really given it a proper look? This isn't to say that you have to be an expert on everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to truly appreciate something until you dig deeper into it and actively nurture appreciation for it. This brings us to the second point...

2) Extrinsically motivated TJs tend to believe that "utility" is the only measure of value. What they don't realize is that value is inherent to existence, so the actual problem is an inability to recognize value.

Fi is a key function for assigning value, usually through forming uniquely personal and intensely emotional attachments. As such, lack of Fi development often manifests as:

taking things for granted (due to not honoring their value)

dismissive attitude (due to lack of emotional attachments)

passionless existence (due to fear of emotional intensity)

Again, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. I can only inform you that they also tend to be quite detrimental to learning:

Human beings need to stay fed and sheltered in order to survive, but they also need activities that affirm their humanity and enrich their life. What happens to learning if your only concern is securing a comfortable material life?

Human beings learn best through feeling deeply moved and inspired by the best of what humanity has to offer. What happens to learning if you remove the human component of knowledge and only treat it as "data", just another object for your consumption and disposal?

Human beings discover themselves and express themselves through their varied interests, which is how every subject comes to have its fans, devotees, and experts. What happens to learning if you refuse to take an interest, downplay enthusiasm, and temper or repress passion?

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any value for you, is it because it is "worthless", or because you are blind to its value? This isn't to say that you must love everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to know yourself truly and feel energized about learning as long as you have a habit of dismissing every aspect of life that isn't immediately or practically "useful" to you.

Having intrinsic motivation basically means you generate your own personal reasons for learning. Nobody can force you to care or take an interest. Becoming an adult means you have to be the one to realize the virtues of going above and beyond whatever is required to ace exams. It may all sound very abstract, but this makes the difference in determining whether you will end up being just another cog in the machine of society or whether your life will always feel imbued with a greater sense of meaning.

[terraliensvent]

guys read the whole post im sorry its long just trust me

my dear devoted readers, today i come to you all with some really interesting info about the development of the planetary subspecies and tycho's handling with it

unfortunately however, this post will be lacking in screenshots, due to those who dmed me not wanting to face any sort of retaliation from the rest of the team (for this i do apologize, typically i try my best to include verifiable evidence for any claims i make on here but for this one you guys will have to take my word on it, but i promise that everything said here is truthful to the info ive received)

so first of all, i had some people from terra staff message me a bit ago to talk about it, mainly to deflect give more info and clear up misconceptions.

heres some of the main points:

lore about the general species is being worked on, theyre just trying to figure out the best way to present it (and apparently they thought making a whole secondary site for extra lore would make sense? they might not follow through with this though because someone explained how dumb that is and how you can just use LK)

coy and civ started the species with no lore so thats why its taking so long (this doesnt explain why the planetary subspecies took precedence over like. basic building blocks. but ok)

the planetary subtype wont have as many plot holes when released "in full" (why release it if it isnt finished??)

so to all of those points, i asked the hard hitting questions im sure you all are dying to know:

"i guess my main issue is why was the planet subspecies released in such a half baked state? why not work on finishing the general species lore first instead of doing it in such a confusing order? and as an add-on to that, why even release the planet subspecies when multiple people say its not even finished? this just seems like a huge mess of self-imposed problems there are other events and such that can be done while species lore and even the planetary species are worked on, why not expand upon one of the other pre-established subtypes first instead of rushing out a new subtype when nobody was even asking for it"

now put a pin in this because while i was waiting for a response, i actually had another member of staff dm me.

i asked them the same questions as above and they told me that tycho had supposedly been planning the planetary subtype before he even got ownership of the species. it seems that because of this, him and temul pretty much fast-tracked the development and release of it because they had personal involvement in it, all the while ignoring suggestions made by lore writers and other staff members. (however it should be noted that on further discussion with the other person who dmed me, temul was very receptive to suggestions, its just tycho who was the main blocker to ideas. apparently, according to one of the DMers, temul was even ok with having all the lore info on the main site, it was tycho who said he didnt like/want the idea after it was brought to the coder) there were even people part of the discussion that WANTED the subtype to be all celestial bodies (like, yknow, the logical idea that most members ALSO want), but tycho kicked that idea to the curb in favor of only having planets. apparently "literally everything involving lore has been pretty much pushed to the side because both them and tycho are just so excited about making this subtype real." in other words, tycho wanted to charge forward with their personal endeavors without paying attention to the work that NEEDED to be done in the species. additionally, they had this to say

"I don't blame them for being excited, I think it's a really cool subspecies, but they're both coming up with things on the spot as the event goes on and it's just getting convoluted and straying farther from the original idea"

so just going based off this, id say theres some pretty big trouble in paradise when it comes to the work being done behind the scenes

this was my response:

"sorry if this comes off as rude, but i think thats a pretty..chaotic? way of doing things at best it really doesnt read in the best way to know that tycho/temul/others will shove aside more important matters to focus on the thing they want and it comes off as selfish. it still boggles me why they thought the subtype release was more important than having general species lore, and even more so that if they supposedly cared about the subspecies so deeply why they would rush it out with little to no info seemingly even being finished."

to which they responded that the subtype isnt more important than the general species lore, but there really isnt anything they can do about it.

additionally as a side note, apparently there are lots of ~important~ people checking this blog (but its not allowed to be mentioned at least in the lore writer/OA server), to which i say hii! feel free to address the various controversies here that get swept under the rug like the bdsm demon shit weve been talking about!!

anyways

thats basically where our convo ended, i think it paints a very pretty picture of how things seem to be going in the background especially relating to this new subtype.

now remember how i said to put a pin in that other conversation? lets get back to that,

the response i got to my BURNING QUESTIONS was...an idk? the person dming me really had no explanation for why the subtype was rushed out, just that tycho said he had the idea for a while and wanted the rest of the team to expand upon it.

so after my other convo, i was intrigued to learn more about the previously mentioned trouble in paradise. i asked:

"hm, im gonna make an assumption here would you say that tycho and temul pushed out the subspecies without really..consulting? the rest of the [team]? it seems like there wasnt a ton of aggreeance on this and i actually had another person dm me saying that tycho and temul would frequently throw out suggestions from the [rest of the team] like would you say it would be a fair assessment to say that most of the [other members of staff] werent completely on board with the new subspecies being released at the current time and in its current state

this answer was intriguing as well, they said that tycho really didnt pose it to the team, more so just said "here you go, this is what youre doing now." they also confirmed my suspicion that a lot of people really dont agree with the subtype rules, in fact "everyone" wants to change the subtype to not require the planets be circular (which is a pretty dumb rule, even Earth isnt circular), but tycho says no so they just have to roll with it. they say they like tycho and think hes a cool guy, but "sometimes his decision making skills aren’t so hot"

later on in further discussion, they said this (section has been paraphrased by me to protect anonymity)

my guess is they released the subtype in its current state just to give members a taste of whats being worked on in the background, but in my opinion it should have been kept secret until it was completely finalized. both to avoid a community uprorar and confusion, and for the simple fact that its just sloppy and doesnt look good for the species. honestly, we dont even know what things will be changed on official release, the discussions are still ongoing. the team is very disjointed at the moment, there are attempts to make communication with the whole team, but miscommunication is very frequent. there was actually an issue yesterday relating to the new subtype (but i cant go very in depth with that) there are lots of things i dont agree with, but i dont feel like im able to speak up. like for example, the second site idea didnt seem that bad at first, but the more i thought about it the less it made sense. despite that, everyone else seemed fine with it so my opinion really didnt matter anyway.

in addition, they also said that they're losing passion for the species, since every day, every new controversy, and every instance of sweeping things under the rug seems to be bringing everything closer to crumbling down.

what can we gather from all this? well, like previously stated, there seems to be trouble in paradise. this seems like a coy 2.0 situation where everyone can see the clear solution, but the one guy in charge doesnt like it so everyone just has to abide buy his rule. in addition, it seems like terra staff is just a shitty workplace in general, where team members feel they wont have their voices heard, or that their suggestions will immediately be kicked back. i think this is all a VERY interesting glimpse into what things are like behind the scenes, and im curious what others think about it all.