#to feel the world around them and experience it to its fullest

[imkazz]

saiki k season 2 lore is insane

cant believe some of my moots said there was barely any lore or character development until the last 2 episodes because what the fuck is thissss (huge spoilers)

making this more organised than my last post about season 1 and the finale

teruhashi at first i really really hated her- of course, i loved and adored her as a character but as a person? no. she is a play on the anime trope of 'perfect mary sue girl' and its so fuckin weird becuase its both exactly that and exactly the opposite. she is perfect and looks beautiful and nobody can compare and basically everyone is falling in love with her or completely and utterly jealous of her- exactly like one of those stereotypical girls in those kinds of animes. but then at the same time shes not. teruhashi is intelligent, cunning, calculating, and puts up a delicate facade practically 24/7. she knows her abilities and utilises them to her absolute fullest, and i completely respect her for that. teruhashi recognises that she is 'gods favourite' and she is not shy in the slightest to manipulate that to ensure she gets the advantage. however, this knowledge of everyone else completely obliterates her own self-perception: she believes that she herself is the very role she is acting. teruhashi is determined that she is absolutely kind and perfect and is in no way wrong with anything she does. and with her lack of experience involving rejection and plainness, she completely overlooks saiki and is utterly confused with him as a whole. and at first, teruhashis obsession with saiki is about getting him to just become another guy- get him to say 'offu' to her. she bugs him, follows him, comes up with ploys, manipulates the world around her to try and get it to happen, uses all of her skills to her advantage, only for nothing. i didnt like her as a high school student to another because she painfully reminds me of a lot of girls i was friends with.

but then as the series goes on...... teruhashi changes. i think it was a gradual thing (such as teruhashi becoming friends with yumehara, even- i dont think she actually had female friends up until yumehara because of the amount of guys around her +the fact that all other girls near her would get overshadowed), but it really showed up for me in episode 17 of season 2. where teruhashi got jealous of aiura (fuuck i gotta talk about this diva). yeahhh it was not pretty. teruhashi began changing herself so that saiki could notice her (and i notice that before, teruhashi had only tried to use her own personal skills to get him to say 'oh wow' so this is the first time shes tried changing herself) and i found saikis attempts to dissuade her interesting too. typically, with all of his attempts, saiki would go into her mind and use his powers to try and turn her off, but this time, he actually told aiura to do it.

i think it was also very interesting that aiura was also changing around her appearance, as it really helped set things in for teruhashi. as they both changed what they were like (teruhashi for a boy (saiki), aiura for a girl (teruhashi)) so teruhashi was only getting more and more confused with that bit. 'if im getting more gyaru and aiura more kawaii then why isnt he reacting to either of us?'. and then saiki gets aiura to talk to teruhashi, and i also found what aiura said to teruhashi interesting. it was all that stuff about saiki and what kind of girl he liked. and i really think that she was telling the truth. i really feel that aiura was just saying things about saiki about a whole for all his relationships, romantic or platonic. he likes people who stay true to themselves. kaido is unafraid to feed his delusions/imagination (whichever you please), toritsuka is always honest with saiki (even if nobody wants to hear that pervy stuff), aiura is unafraid to be boisterous and stylish (even if she is a little bit freaky), kuboyasu is genuinely trying to become a better person (even if it sometimes doesnt work), akechi is determined and didnt let saiki sway him (despite all the obstacles that saiki put in his way), nendo is undoubtedly stupid but he is still kind (saiki watched him jump in front of a truck to save a kid thousands of times), on and on and on.

not only that, it is painfully clear to us the viewers that changing appearances doesnt matter in the slightest to saiki- he only sees it for like 3 seconds (i think he said) before it becomes muscle. curling hair or applying makeup or having more meat on the titties doesnt matter to him at all. what matters is what happens in their head, because while he doesnt get an extensive idea about their outside, he gets overly surrounded by everything on the inside. and thats probably why aiura saw that and said that to teruhashi (even if she cant explain the full reason). so teruhashi returns to normal and says that she will make saiki gasp with her own abilities.

but the strange thing is that shes already given that speech before. i cant say exact episodes from the top of my head but she has totally already said that she would use her charms and looks and sweetness to make him say 'offu' and he has always tried to dissuade her using his powers. but it was this one that made him gasp. and like. i was not expecting it in the slightest ok. but i think it makes sense- she has discovered that she can be confident in herself as a person rather than just her natural looks and is determined nonetheless. i think that saiki recognised around this area that she genuinely liked him as he was, even if she had thought he was 'gloomy and hard to read' (i believe she thought that when with his perv grandpa?) she still wanted to be around him and still had that crush. i love how when teruhashi is talking with other girls (kuriko too, but in this specific case im thinking about is rifuta) about her crush on saiki kusuo, that she would mention that at first, it was pure spite and disbelief that anyone could ignore her like that. and then, teruhashi wouldnt fail to continue and say that she grew to have a genuine crush on saiki that wasnt built upon annoyance at the fact he walked past her. and he discovers that he doesnt particularly mind being the object of her affection (unless her fanbase gets in the way oof) so i think that the offu from was a sort of embarrassed yet begruging acceptance towards this parasite of a girl who has attached herself to him lol

aiura shes sososo cool. i love the freshness(?) of her personality for the rest of the cast. finally a female psychic and i am in love with herr. at first i was a bit skeptical with the whole 'finding my soulmate' thing and i was cackling when saiki was just like 'ah yes she is legit but i am Just Better'. and then she continued to show up more and i love her. shes so quirky and very different from the other girls, who we see as much more feminine and in tune with romance anime tropes than anything, and then she comes in with the gyaru style and i love that so much. not only that, her slang and way of speech compared to the other girls (teruhashi, yumehara, mera) is also very interesting.

not only that, i really loved seeing the anime through her eyes and the auras of other characters including the shock-comedy of saikis. then, as she finds out about his powers and all i really loved how they worked together. i know a lot of other characters also saw that, seeing through teruhashi who commented that they were like the 'opposites attract' trope with 'boring' and 'flamboyant'. but then i also really liked how they worked even without any of the other characters opinions. aiura is still not giving up about the whole soulmates thing and saiki just lets it happen. because his ulterior motives is that she would ward off teruhashi so he begrudgingly accepts her to be near him as she pesters him to date/bang.

and then adding toritsuka into the paragraph, the pk psychic kids are golden. i love love love their dynamics. saiki has more respect for aiura only because he holds none for toritsuka. toritsuka sees saiki as superior and saw aiura as a pair of boobs in the beginning. aiura wants to be with saiki and just hates toritsuka because he tries to flirt. and for every mission they try to do together it always ends up in comedy. when saiki turned kaido and nendo to stone? holy fucking shit that really summed up what they were like. the psychic kids really are a weird band of teenagers with powers and it really showed their personalities in that meeting because. aiura stripping in saikis bed and toritsuka peeking through the door and saiki only sees a pile of muscles on his bed and a perv watching through his door. like cmon

i also want to dig deeper into her powers. she is completely ok with people knowing about her powers (like toritsuka but unlike saiki). she uses them to help people out (unlike toritsuka but like saiki). she uses her powers to her own benefit (like toritsuka but unlike saiki). she doesnt want to burden people with her powers (unlike toritsuka but like saiki). i find them soso interesting too because she questions why saiki doesnt use his powers more openly esp because he just has so many at his disposal. and then he sort of shows her why its a bad idea to so openly help people out by the result of mera and her father and i feel like she toned it down a bit after that too (at least publicly).

childhood lore this was insane. the buildup and everything and how it was presented. it first started with akechi being introduced as a new student and it was already unsettling to see saiki be actually a bit nervous about this guy. and then even more of a shock to see this guy blatantly ask saiki if he was a psychic because what- how the hell would this guy suspect, much less know?! and we learn that they were classmates in elementary school and we see a barely-there flashback to saiki standing in a classroom with childrens bodies scattered around him. so the suspense has started. and then we continue to get pestered by akechi but we know what he wants, but not why and thats the whole deal of it. he is the embodiment of those anime characters who are scarily good at deducing things and has a perfect memory too which makes it all the scarier because we know hes not an idiot unlike the rest of saikis friends.

and then to actually know what happens while saiki is going back in time to change it? masterpiece. we learn more about why akechi is pursuing this answer along with what actually happened to make that happen, along with why saiki cant change it without some sort of grave consequence. and the new knowledge that saiki as a kid without limiters is stronger than teenage saiki with limiters is even scarier because of course saiki wouldnt be able to stop himself.. truly an op main character. i also found it interesting how saiki k (the anime) manages to reuse powers over and over too and in such creative ways and in strange comebacks. he went back in time for his parents, he rewound the earth to one year prior because of the volcano, relived the same moment of nendo dying like thousands of times.. they really only ever hinder him.

and then to know what happens? i thought akechi was a creep for following/knowing everything about saiki but.. knowing everything that he knew at the moment? makes sense. definitely creepy, but much better understood. i feel like it was a good decision from saiki to tell him about his powers. if this isnt the first time theyve been like this, then it really does make sense. they were kids. they still are kids. and omfg saiki saying "i decided not to tell anyone about my abilities after that" because all it did was get akechi into more trouble from bullies. but they are now teenagers and have better cognitive understanding than when they were elementary kids so i feel it was justified for saiki to tell akechi because, after all of that trying with time travel, saiki couldnt stop the series of events unless he was making the world suffer. and akechi deserved at least a bit of closure about what actually happened and why saiki left.

and i feel like this series of events is also what makes saiki who he is in the beginning of the anime. he doesnt want friends at all because if they found out about his power they would be curious and want to know more and blab about it to others. and saiki knows the result from having lived it. because if he gets attached, people he loves get hurt. trying to make friends only causes suffering as akechi got bullied for claiming all those things and saiki hurt other kids using his powers because his emotions got out of control (rightfully!! he was like 8 and his best friend was getting bullied!!! of course he wouldnt be able to control any outbursts).

shipwrekced shipwrecked. i cant forget about this one but i was saving this. i realise i didnt write any notes for this one because i was wayy too focused on the actual happenings to comment. because what the fuck. 

yeah that about sums up what i thought at first.

the tropes. holy shit. they added so so many tropes into this one it was. the teenagers on a ship get shipwrecked on an island. all they have are the clothes theyre wearing and miraculously the pantry which washed ashore along with some supplies to build a raft. like all the typical anime things. and even when they suggest to build a raft, saiki agrees with them because its a good cover up. and i really loved the stereotypes that were put upon them: the loner (saiko), the cannibal (mera), pretty woman (teruhashi), leader (kuboyasu), idiot with good ideas (nendo), then saiki and kaido as the ‘followers’ or ‘helpers’.

then i found how saiki got them out genius, despite the fact he was panicking in the beginning about how to fix it. like of course he should be panicking because you cant see any rational way to get out of the situation without telling the rest of them about his powers. and so he tries to keep them alive for a little bit (going home and sleeping, buying food :sob holy shit bruhh), and then when he finally finds a way out (the raft) they play it off as stupid despite being such a stereotype of any shipwrecked movies. and even teruhashi realised that something was off, right? how his clothes were perfectly clean and all, but when he ‘went to work’ (i totally thought he was off to kill something with the saw helpp), he came back dirty. and of course! only saiki would make a whole new island near japan as a way of keeping his powers secret..

i honestly have no idea how to feel about this because.. how did they move on so quickly?! your students/classmates got trapped on an island for a couple of days. shouldnt this be a bigger deal- shouldnt saiki be known as ‘the kid who got trapped on an island’? like bro…. anime logic (if anyone else could. tell me what the hell was up with the shipwrecked episodes other than being satire towards other shipwrecked medias and being a bit of a comedy along with character development towards some characters like saiko)

friends+classmates so like. kuboyasu is a previous gangster and trying to become better/normal (anime trope). and kaido has middle schooler syndrome and thinks hes so cool (/affectionate). they are the two people you would least expect to become besties right. and yet they fit together so well. kuboyasu wants to become normal while kaido wants anything but. kuboyasu is actually strong and able to protect people while kaido can only dream. and it really shows during that mugging episode where kaido knows about kuboyasus past and yet still tells him to run. kaido is so weak and delusional that he probably gives kuboyasu a reason to remain calm and to 'protect his innocence' while kaido wants to be jet black wings and protect everyone no matter their pasts or abilities despite constantly failing and getting into danger and needing that saving himself. and even after that, they continue to hang out with or without others (such as building that fort or taking motorbike classes together??? or even may i mention when kaido trapped himself inside the coffin and kuboyasu was trying to coax him out). so then imagine my shock and delight when they started calling each other shun and aren like OMFGG?? calling people by their first names in japanese culture is a sign of being close with each other (such as chiyo and kokomi). theyre always in close proximity to each other and i adore themm

okok then saiki. and his friendssss. these episodes as a whole just show how much hes grown to care for themm. he follows yumehara and her boyfriend-sworn friend(?) to ensure that neither gets hurt from their misunderstanding. he warms up the classroom for all his classmates because he caress. he foils the plans of the news team to make teruhashi look bad. he stops hairo from getting killed during a robbery. he makes kaidos prank actually happen. he tries to throw akechi off in order to protect both of them from his power. he fucking saved yumehara from falling to her death. he gets beaten up by some fourth graders to help out yuuta. he gets everyone to return their gifts to mera on her birthday. he uses hypnosis to get his class to look better while they perform that play. he catches teruhashi before she falls and carries her to the nurse. he probably wouldnt have done half those things in the first part of season 1. so many of those require him to genuinely care for the people hes helping and not only that, some of those things draw attention to him and he would only let that happen if he truly cares for who he is aiding.

then to add to more about relationships between characters that arent saiki. kuboyasu and saiko. it definitly started as a hate-hate relationship. but then we see saiko crying in the bathroom because mean things were written on his desk and then we also see kuboyasu had tried to clean it off before saiko got there. my heartttt. not only that, but saiko who didnt care about peasants who went out of his way to redo his mansion to fit their tastes? and at first it was for his own ego (so similar to teruhashi omfgg) but then just like her, saiko began to actually care and didnt even understand it himself about why he was so focused on getting them to like him. and ofc he is an ass. he rolls down the window only to close it and drive away because its cold. he withdraws funding from the play just because the class was going behind his back. but its barely his fault. everything is handed to him on a silver platter and he doesnt know better. while kuboyasu had to work for everything. before he was working as a gang leader but now he is working towards being better. and aughh

world lore first off i need to say that the foreshadowing for this was INSANE. do you hear me. i am shaking you by the shoulders while i say that i am still utterly speechless by the implications and impact of episode.

the fucking volcano. holy shit. holy shit. there is so much i have to talk about considering the anime +worldbuilding +foreshadowing +buildup. this is a comedy anime. this is an anime that makes fun of anime tropes constantly. girl running to school with bread in her mouth. background characters. siblings who are a lil too freaky with their siblings. mary sue anime girls. the idiot friends. and then this???? the fact that saiki has been in a time loop for the same year for four years straight is. its literally mentioned by saiki himself when he says 'you might notice something off about this anime' and its poking fun at the fact that high school animes always loop around in order to continue publishing (like how its meant to represent just one year for the main character but theyve had seven winter episodes/chapters and three birthdays for a character). its poking fun at that bit and it uses saiki himself to do it.

the worldbuilding and foreshadowing come hand in hand. in the episode where kuboyasu was first introduced, toritsuka began talking to him about being a transfer student. when kuboyasu asked when toritsuka had entered he said 'second term of second year' so the same as kuboyasu. and we brushed it off as toritsuka being a dumbass. because of course we would, of course kuboyasu would too. but fuckk. we have four transfer students in one year all in second term?? we thought it was just a fucking anime trope thing again. but no. it was all purposeful. and then to add to that, we already knew that saiki had time travel powers. he could control time, we know from his restoration along with (later on from this episode) how he travels back through time for his parents. it was all deliberately set up in that way and so just holy shit.

and now i have to actually talk about that segment itself. the earthquake in the beginning was seemingly comedy and then we see saiki training. cool but not too big of a deal. and then he starts telling us about what the fuck is up just as he tries to stop the volcano. like excuse me?? i found it so very interesting that he continues rewinding time in order to build up his powers daily yet keep the volcano from exploding and intertwining both the time powers and mind control in order to achieve it. and hes gone through second year of high school four times, yet his parents know. it was crazy how nonchalant they were about it too, saying 'oh he can always do it again right' like he is saving the world. how much longer would he do it? how much would he be willing to do? i find saiki so very interesting because he could always just. let the volcano explode but it is in his core to be kind and to help the ones he loves (including the rest of japan). he tries and he knows his limits and yet he is still ready to try again with a new set of abilities.

final thoughts before reawakened too hyperfixated. OOF. anyways im so sad the anime is almost over (for me loll). its sucked me into its grasp because it has everything im looking for. as a high schooler i love all the shenanigans but then as an anime lover i enjoy the satire tropes and as a theatre kid i love the gags and commentary and as a person who looks wayy too deeply into things i love the implications and dark undertones of the series.

[maudiemoods]

I'm majorly in love with Renaissance paintings and idk if this looks anything like one but they definitely inspired me in this drawing

Drawn on the magma hosted by @venomous-qwille !!!

Flats/sketch underneath yayy

[ashascoven]

☽ ✯ venture x witch! reader pt. 1! ✯ ☾

✯ welcome to my first venture fanfic ever!! ╰(*´︶`*)╯

✯ my venture fixation and endless fanfic reading of them has led me here, hours deep into writing my own...

✯ now that im typing this at 4 am on a school night.. i might have to post this in multiple parts..... 23 pages of fanfic that's still a wip uh oh!!

✯ ahem, i hope theres some fellow venture lovers out there who'll enjoy this! happy reading! :D

☆ FANFIC DEETS! venturexreader ☆

reader is a female who practices witchcraft! i wrote her that way because i also am a witch irl! :,)

VERY lengthy build-up fanfic (LOTS of reading.. i type a lot i think?)

venture is referred to as sloan <3

lifeweaver is besties with the reader, referred to as niran!

everything related to witchcraft here may be exaggerated / inaccurate for fanfic purposes.. but i tried writing it all into an experience > just reading!!

eventual ritual smut....

feel free to hmu, hope u enjoy :D

For every night that the full moon showed her face, the couple would be outside to accompany her. •°. *࿐

They'd bask in her glow to the grounds below, cherishing the energy of grace that she brings with her starry companions and practicing gratitude with her.

Both of them would dance around in the grass with bare feet, laughing away at each other's joys until they're so dizzy that they land into the planet’s arms, hand in hand, heart to heart. 𓆩♡𓆪

Gazing at the shapes of the misty clouds above their heads, they'd point out whichever ones reminded them of each other with giddy smiles on their faces.

Sloan would roll over with that sweet, chipped grin of theirs, facing you and holding your face gently.

Their thumb would run along the corner of your lips, eyes sparkling at how much they could just take you under the skies right now. 

“ah, mi cariño, you're so.. beautiful. no crystal in the world could ever compare to your beauty.”

You'd turn to face them, putting your hand above theirs with a blush on your face.

“oh, sloan! you're too kind, my charming agate..”

“anything for the gem that makes my heart race.”

The two lovers would giggle at their silly rock jokes, holding each other close under the night’s gentle breeze. 

Never wanting their time together to end, they'd lean into one another, eyes fluttering shut as their lips meet once again. 

The natural softness of your lips pressed against theirs sent shockwaves through their body, none that their drill could ever replicate on a battlefield. 

You made them feel so warm and loved inside, especially with the way your hands made it to their hair every time you two kissed.

It felt like the world had stopped, and all they could process was how needingly their hands moved all over your body in response, taking their time with each mark, crease, and even speckle of hair.

They loved everything about you after all.. each “flaw” of yours was just another spot that they had the honor of touching and kissing. <3

They'd pull back for a breath, but really it was just to take you in once more.

“you’re so special to me, mi vida, you know that?”

The moon was going to show herself at her fullest tomorrow, but curses, you were dreading her appearance..

“something's brewing.. tomorrow won't be a good day, i can feel it.” You mumbled to yourself, glaring down at the black candle you held with its own silver plate. 

The flame that once stood still flickered at your words in response, emitting up to you in what felt like commiseration.

“mm, something's gonna happen, right? go on, you can tell me~..”

You poked your index finger at its flame in a petting motion, watching as the flickering intensified. The shape of the fire leaned away from your touch in shame.

“don't be sorry, it's not your fault.. shh..”

You tilted your head at it and cooed with a comforting tone, holding the candle closer. 

The flickering stopped and the size of the once spirited flame dimmed down into a ball of burning light.

Moving your gaze back to the rain outside of the window you stood in front of, you sighed.

“just, please protect them for me, okay? i know you can do it, take this and keep them safe..”

You held the candle steadily in front of your face, careful not to drop it with one hand. 

The other hand reached down into the drawer of your altar’s nightstand, pulling out an old, used incense stick.

With the edge of it, you used the dripping wax to draw out a sigil onto the body of the candle, whispering an affirmation in hopes that it reaches the universe in time.

Then, you placed the candle down, thanking it for letting you borrow its energy.

You looked back at your sleeping lover, resting peacefully in the bed you two shared.

They hugged a pillow that you had nudged in place of where you were laying, already drooling all over it. Their hair was a mess and their body already took over most of the bed.

Yeah, they were just in a grey T-shirt and purple boxers with lightning bolts patterned onto them, but god, they were such a sight to take in.

You smiled, before looking back at the window and its altar, your heart feeling a little lighter for the night.

“yeahh.. they'll be alright.”

“moorningg sunshiinee~! (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )”

“mmhh.. whehh..”

“i mean, it IS raining.. but i made you sunny eggs anyway!”

“actually, i dunno if they're.. exactly.. sunny? they're all nice and poached up for you though! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ”

You felt a plate nudge at your side, earning a groan out of you.

“c’mon mi corazon! you gotta eat something!!”

“por favoorr!!! pleaasee wake up, i wanna hug you before i go! (っ´ω`)っ”

“whuh- huh??”

You finally budged at the gloved hands that were lightly shaking at your shoulders, pushing them away.

Squinting at their blurry face, you rubbed your eyes to get a better view of the person in front of you. 

“before you.. go? you don't normally leave this early, sloannnn..” You yawned, looking up and down at their work clothes in confusion.

They had a different color jacket on today, but your tired mind didn't think to question it, figuring it was because of their job.

“yeahh I knooww my love, but there's some.. new ruins that my buddies found at work..! r-really important duty calls, and history awaits!”

“here, eat this for me! please?” They grinned, holding the plate in front of you as you sat up.

“mmh, promise me you'll stay safe baby.” You shoved a piece of burnt toast in your mouth without really looking at it.

“of couurrssee, y/n! don't you worry your little pretty head about me, i'll be fiiinee~ (つω`｡)” They sat the plate down next to you, wrapping their arms around you and snuggling their cheek on top of your head.

“mmhmmm, you better be, or i’ll keep every mirror and glass in this house covered when you're dead!” You reached up, playfully smacking the top of their head.

“nooo!! :( how am i gonna talk to you when i’m a cool mummified spirit thennn?ヾ( ￣O￣)ツ"

“no matter how much your ghost bangs on my crystal ball, screaming ‘y/nnn!! mi amooorr.. my priiinceeessss!!! myy woorlldd!!’.. you'll be talking to yourself.”

“baby nooooo :((, pleeaaase don't abandon me like thaatt, really! don't worry about me, i’ll bring back goodies for you n’ everything! (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ” They pecked your lips, holding your face with the cutest puppy eyes ever.

“awwe, fiinnee. i believe in you, sloan.. i won't curse you with being a lonely spirit.. yet. (´-.-`)” You joked, your hands making it on top of theirs. 

They rolled their eyes, continuing to make a mess of your face with their honey-coconut chapstick.

You happily absorbed all of their pouty kisses like a crystal soaking up a person’s energy. 

You could've sat there and let them kiss you awake forever..

..but unfortunately, the excavator had a job to do.

With one last kiss on your lips, they hurried over to the bedroom’s closet, snatching up a backpack and their signature drill from it, and they waved their way out of the door.

“alright baby, i gotta go now! i love you, i miss you already! (´ ε ` )”

“oh-! i love you more! thanks for the food! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡” You blew them a kiss.

“nonono, thank YOU for leaving those drinks by the window for me! :D” They peeped their head out of the doorway one last time before rushing through the house.

“don't forget to tell the bugs goodby- WHAT.”

“LOVE YOU MOST!! (o^ ^o)ﾉ”

“SLOAN!!????”

“IMSTEPPINGOUTTHEDOORNOW,BYEBABYCAKES!MUAHMUA-”

You watched them scurry down the road from the window, familiar looking jars clutched in their arms with a grin on their face..

They just took your jars of moon water to work.

You've been carefully curing those jars with salt under the moon light for literal years.

What the fuck.

With your palm now on your face, you sighed.

“there's no way they just- okay.”

You pressed your hands together and closed your eyes.

“i won't sacrifice them to the gods in their sleep tonight i won't sacrifice them to the gods in their sleep tonight i won-”

The smell of egg and toast hit your nose, making you look down at your side.

The plate of breakfast was still sitting there.

“oh, hm.” You picked up the fork and sliced an egg open with it, watching how the yolk oozed out slowly, inviting you to enjoy it. 

‘chef sloan, huh?’ You raised a brow, bringing a piece of it to your mouth.

‘did they.. try poaching eggs this time? weird, i thought they were in a hurry.. it’s cooked wel-’

You immediately stopped chewing, the slight taste of metallic water failing to compliment the wetness of the actual egg.

You felt your right eye twitch, hoping that the egg wasn't boiled with what you thought it was.

It was then that the adventurous Sloan Cameron was destined to die by the hands of their own lover.

They jogged through the rain in a hurry, abruptly halting at the bus stop they almost just ran past.

They knew you would've gotten onto them for not taking an umbrella, even more for snatching up their water jugs, but they figured they'll make up for it by kissing you all over later.

With their bags strapped on, drill in their hands, and their girlfriend’s jars now burrowed in their pockets, they were amped for their own little mission awaiting them at a site reserved for the Wayfinder society. 

See, they weren't actually called for any “important duties” at work, nor were any new ruins discovered.

Rather, they had their own plans for today's solo expedition, and that included secretly taking a trip down an untouched mine.

It was near one of the less active dig sites at their main workplace, hidden under old, giant tires that probably haven't been moved for years.

How did they find it? More like, how didn't they?

Their bus arrived, and they climbed on, paying for themselves and the one other person behind them with a ‘oh, don’t sweat it!’

They casually sat down towards the front of the bus, careful not to bang their filled pockets against anything, and sighed in relief. ( ´ ▽ ` )

Them and their drill both took up four seats, all dripping wet from the rain outside. 

Some people gave them looks, but they were oblivious to it, one hand patting their drill while the other held the edge of their seat.

They looked to the front window of the bus with a smile, bopping their head side to side while thinking of you. (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

Any worries about being found or getting in trouble for working on a site alone was out of the window; today was a paid day off for workers in the society.

But Sloan? Oh, Sloan Cameron was the most committed and daring worker that the Wayfinders had. 

If they weren't invited to anything for the holidays, they'd gladly spend their days putting in more time at work, not caring whether it was even meant to be a work day or not.

If they felt like digging, they could dig that!!!!

No one else at work ever minded anyway, their proven ability to work efficiently and optimistically is what earned their reputation of being reliable enough to be left alone.

Uncovering stories of the past cost them nothing more than physically getting active until they felt like bugging their girlfriend to cuddle them to bed.

..Sloan only ever really took their days off if it meant staying home with their beloved now.

Otherwise? They essentially were paid really well just to do what they love; collecting pretty rocks and bones for their lover, going on fun expeditions for their love of archaeology, and building big muscles in the process.

It was a triple-win in their eyes, they wouldn't have life any other way. No bad day or sudden curse could ever change that..

(TELL ME THEY WOULDN'T CALL IT A TRIPLE WHAMMY!!!!!!)

Oh, how they felt themselves warm up at the thought of their goddess at home, but quickly shook their head, reminding themselves why they were here at this specific site.

To think that such a cave with so many marvelous finds was right under everyone's noses was bizarre to them.

Sloan was so happy that they were the only one to know about it, gushing to themselves about all the crystals they'll bring home for their witchy wife to work with. 

They let their mind wander again, imagining the smile you usually have on your face from their grand returns home. 

Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→ Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→

You'd rush out of your little sanctuary shack that was on the side of the house to the sound of the doorbell, nearly breaking through the wall to wrap yourselves around them, kissing their dirt-covered face without a care in the world.

‘welcome homee babyy, i’ve missed you soo much, muah muah!! how was work? anyone i need to curse today? are you hungry?? thirsty?’ 

They chuckled to themselves at the thought of your voice, unconsciously rubbing a hand on the side of their face with a ‘shucks.. (ง ื▿ ื)ว..’

They thought about how you'd take quick notice of the extra bag they've come back with, panicking and offering to help them carry their things inside. 

Then, they'd shush you, shuffling over to the living room mat to empty said mystery bag, revealing an endless galore of a crystal witch’s dream.

From that point on, you'd probably tackle them down and they'd laugh, laying there to suffer the wrath of your kisses with no complaints.

Their imagination strayed towards admiring you.. how kissable your neck always is, how holdable your waist was… how much they wanted to take in the view of you on top of them and absolutely devour-

Nonono, they had a mission right now, and that was to acquire stones for their magical wife!!! ⸜(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝

Sloan eagerly lowered themselves down into the tunnel of the cave, rope in one hand and flashlight in the other.

Their mining goggles were on, their backpack was on their back, and their jackets were off, leaving them in a white tank top. The jars they stole borrowed from you were now in the pockets of their pants.

Water and sweat dripped all over their arms and neck from how humid it was, but they were too excited to care.

They quickly scouted the place out like a sailor, the grin on their face growing at the sight of all of the crystals already visible to the surface.

It was like this mine was carved out for them, each colorful gem crying out ‘take me home to your lover!!! (」°ロ°)」 take me home to her!!! (」°ロ°)」’

Oh, did Sloan listen to their pleas alright, setting their bag and jars down near the entrance, instantly getting to work with their handy pickaxe.

They would've used their drill, but they stuck to pickaxes for these types of missions, wanting to bring home actual clusters of gemstones for you and not.. pellets.

Besides, whole rocks would be easier to preserve in water than crumbs, right?

Everytime they brought their pick down to the deposits of stones, the grin on their face widened in joy.. It was probably bright enough to start emitting light in the darkness of the mine.

The sound of the axe hitting the ores was music to their ears, so they kept swinging and chucking each one of your gifts into their bag, not a single worry in the world to bother them.

“ooohh, myy y/nnn! i can't waaiitt to bringg these homee to youuu~!!◝(⁰▿⁰)"

“i can't wait until they get home so i can kick their ass.”

You crossed your arms with a huff, staring in disbelief at the jars of moon water that were, in fact, missing.

Only one jar remained, and it was in the sink, empty.

Your eyes made way to the pan left on the stove, some pieces of egg still floating in the foggy water.

Your right one was probably still twitching, but you were just too distraught to notice.

“is this what i was having those feelings about?”

You clenched your fist, bringing it down to the counter.

“today was feeling off because my own partner decided to.. snatch ALL of my jars on the way to work.. as if that's something they normally do!?”

You looked at your flytrap plant pet that sat nearby, shrugging in a ‘wtf’ kind of way.

One of the plant’s traps closed themselves in response, slightly seeping downwards.

“ugh, i know, right?! it beats me why they'd just.. DO that, ya know?”

Another trap closed themselves, joining the first one in silently chiming in and sagging down.

“see, i really want to trust in sloan, i love them with my entire life! anndd afterlife! but.. also, who the fuck just steals a witch’s water?! not even a burglar would do that!”

“like, i was curing those for years, man! if sloan lets sunlight touch any one of those jars, i'll curse them for eterni-”

Both of the closed traps opened quickly in unison.

“..you're saying i.. shouldn't? curse them?” You raised a brow, a hand now on your hip.

The plant pods closed themselves back, not dipping their heads downwards this time.

“hm. i guuueeess that's true.. i was considering the voodoo doll approach to really teach em’ a lesson but.. you're right.“

“i can just sacrifice them another day.. today can be ass-kicking, tomorrow will be their downfall.”

You finished with a grin, starting to put some plates away as the flytraps reopened their mouths, sitting as if nothing had changed.

After a couple minutes of washing and drying used dishes from the night before, you felt something soft rub against your leg.

“wha- oh my gosh!! hii squuiishhyy!!” You squealed, lifting up the fat, fluffy creature that nudged its head on the back of your calves.

It wasn't exactly a cat.. or a dog..

Actually, it was a raccoon, a big albino one, and he was here to distract you from the bones you had to pick with your partner.

“myyy fluuffyy companionn, how aare youu?? :D”

You snuggled him, rubbing his face against yours.

He kind of just.. didn't react, cutely letting you hold him with a neutral •ᴥ• on his face.

Then, another soft creature rubbed against your ankles.

“aahh, spaaarkkyy!! my other fluffy companion!! what about you? how aree youu doingg todaay?? >:0”

You smiled, lifting it up to rub the other side of your face.

It wasn't a raccoon this time, but a black possum, and he had a white patch of fur in the shape of a star on his back!

He curled himself into your grasp with what seemed like his own little smile :0)

Both of the pets were adopted and well taken care of by you and Sloan.

Your partner found the possum on the way to work one day, insisting they kept him and named him Sparky because of the way his pointy teeth sparkled.

They couldn't stop running their fingers along his teeth for weeks, having to be dragged away by you for the possum to find some peace.

‘look at how razor sharp they are!! do you think his teeth could bite my fingers off?! id pay him with food, then i could get cool omnic prosthetics-’

‘sloan! that'd be-! ..messy actually, if you're gonna get blood everywhere, at least let me hire a vampire first.’

‘mi amor.. :( vampires only really existed centuries ago! how would you even find one for me right now? are you gonna make one of those cool pacts or something??’

‘id sacrifice you to one from the pas- nevermind, ‘cause you'd probaablyy want that, so i’ll just.. pretend to sacrifice you and not actually do it. (っ˘ω˘ς )’

‘nooOOO!!!! >:((((‘

As for the raccoon, you had found him while having a cleansing session in the woods, luring him with fruits and veggies that you had originally brought along for any wandering fae.

(You also made sure to come back later that day with more goodies as an apology to said spirits, leaving them with fruits, nuts, and honey.)

When you brought him home, you named him squishy, simply because he was fat and.. well.. squishy.

Sloan tried to play with his teeth, followed with their failed attempt at getting the two new pets to play a game..

‘y/n, look! they both have the cuuteestt baby hands!! that gives me an idea..’

‘you hold sparky like that ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ, i’ll hold squishy like.. this! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ we can play rock-paper-scissors! here, this'll be rock..’

And with that, you two now lived with Squishy and Sparky (and other pets being your plants & their bugs too).

A doorbell going off ended up interrupting your moment with your companions, earning a startled jolt from you.

‘oh? who could that- oh my stars-!’

“i forgot niran was coming over! Σ(O_O)”

✯ if you've made it this far, thank you for reading! <33

✯ here is the link to part 2!!, also on my profile.. here are the borders used!

✯ enjoy your day/night, stay hydrated, and keep loving venture <3

[atlantis-just-drowned]

Do you think the DCAs will always feel incomplete and limited among humans because we are biased and unable to understand the world to its fullest extent without simplifying it so our poor little organic brains won't implode, but they are advanced AIs with the possibility to store endless amounts of datas and need a full complex explanation for everything around them, that not even the internet can provide because it only contains the fragments of our history and experiences we were able to archive, filtered through our human limited understanding of those things?

[the-real-rain-world-confessions]

I always disliked how Downpour introduced slugcat colonies, I always thought the base game interpreted them as a kind of nomads with the ability to adapt to their environment, which plays on the ability of the player to learn about their surroundings and utilize this knowledge to the fullest. Same with the whole theme of loneliness in the game, which the devs intended for you to experience. You have nowhere to return since only god knows where your family members are now, and you dream of strange presences calling for you from the void, as a new player you struggle to understand those things and what they mean. And giving a player a place to return, where all of your family defeats the point of the enlightenment you receive and the journey the world forces you to take. For me one of the main themes of Rain World is loneliness and how you deal with it, you are put in a strange place one that you almost cannot put words for its purpose, Joar puts it best in the devlog: "The main character is a creature that's somewhere on the edge between animal and human thinking, meaning that it can only almost make sense of what it sees around it. It can maybe understand that the symbols on the wall bear meaning, but it can't understand the meaning. It can see that one machine connects to another through pipes, but it can't decipher the functionality much beyond that. It can guess that this big place might have served some big purpose, but it can never quite reach a clear understanding of that purpose. We want to mirror this experience in the player." The slugcat interacts with the world and crawls between its machinery, aware of its complexity and current state as leftovers of something beyond. but it cannot grasp what it is, the same feeling a lot of players feel in their first playthrough, as the slugcats feeling mirror through the player. A colony of slugcats is familiar, it gives you a clear indication of what it is, and it echos the game's main ending which makes it lose its meaning to new players which I think is depressing. You struggle to find meaning to your place in the world as a little animal lost in it, and you cannot give the places you reach a concept that you understand, reaching the void and the unseen land is the ultimate conclusion since you reach a place at least your little animal can unite with others of it's kind. Outside of slugcat colonies, Downpour really introduces a lot of new concepts without understanding entirely the core of the main game. Which is fine, it wasn't intended to be a DLC and a continuation of the original game. And the original artistic vision of Rain World will always be superior to me anyway. But it always pinches me when people get into heated debates about whether slugcats are as intelligent as humans or animals. There is not a truth about it, everything that has been said before is a clear personal interpretation. Bringing up DP doesn't help because both DP and The base game imply different things. You could argue that Joar clearly calls them animals in the devlog, and the game emphasizes being an animal perceiving an industrial-like landscape, or you could argue that it is because of the colonies shown in DP, and the art some slugcats practice is what makes them intelligent. Going for the core game, the player is designed for you to relate to its confusion about the world, to its struggles to survive. You mirror yourself through this tiny bear creature but it is where you start to understand the greater purpose of the world it lives in that you start understanding this creature's experience less. This is what differentiates between you and the slugcat, since you have a mind that can connect the dots. A slugcat is a blank for you to apply your thoughts and experiences, but just because you now understand the themes and history of this world doesn't mean it understands.

.

[thewandererh]

anyone ever heard of unravel? it’s one of my absolute favorite games, and it’s message and experience will never leave me. you’re a lil yarn fella exploring the memories of an old lady, and uncovering a heartfelt and realistic story of growth and loss along the way. absolutely gorgeous scenery, puzzle design, and metaphor of a game.

it does all of this with absolutley zero words. the only thing you hear from the game is ambience…and the music. i need to talk about the music.

one thing that’s always stood out to me about Unravel’s music is that it’s based completely on violin. composed and preformed by frida johansson and henrik oja, it’s a work of art (and awesome for studying!). i love this choice of experimenting with an emotional instrument to describe different areas: it succeeds so naturally in capitalizing on the emotion. your character goes through areas themed with sun, snow, water, ice, forests, and metal, and the music compliments it every step of the way. the environment changes pallette after pallette as you experience the story through a vessel of expression that admires and fears the world around it.

you are a yarn cat reminiscing on the good and bad of life. you go through trials and triumphs just like anyone would. but in this journey through the eyes of a wordless red thread of destiny, you experience life to the fullest. this thesis is reflected to its full potential in the music.

frida and henrik are masters of expressing emotion through music alone and i will always admire them for that. never have i heard a question, statement, and exclamation interpreted so thoroughly through instrumentals. they handle cord progression and storytelling so extremely well. the sequel, Unravel 2. continues this emotional-musical trend while incorporating different instruments too, giving the game a collaborative and heartfelt feeling. they add guitar and digital doodads that groove endlessly in their own ambient way, further expanding the style of the unravel games. the music of this game (series?) is a friend to you on your journey—empathizing and playing with you through the ups and downs. it’s a masterpiece of design and i will never stop preaching praises for it.

please play the game (and it’s sequel with a friend!!) on steam. i am on my knees. please. it isn’t covered as much as it needs to be and deserves all the love it receives. the message is timeless, the music is wonderful, and the puzzles are worthwhile. it’s an absolute indie gem that will never leave you for as long as you live.

.-.

this was something different for me, and a bit of a ramble-tumble, and that’s ok. i’ve always admired video essays and rants on social media that feel like persuasive essays. i’m been experimenting with wordplay and sentence structure recently, and wanted to give something like this a try :]. it’s unprofessional since i’m no expert, but i’m noticing something and commenting on it to the best of my ability. thanks for reading!💛

[keruimi]

String of Fate

Pairing: Oikawa Tooru x reader

Warning: Angst with Happy Ending, slight mention of suicide.

Note: I began to notice how some of my oneshots have a little detail of how they fall in love so my apologies if this goes the same with this one. I just really love writing the angst one. Hope you all enjoy it!

_____________________________

In this world where soulmates exist, meeting them is one of the biggest blessings we can receive.

But I, who was born with no red strings in sight, I thought they were just fairytales.

Until the people around me start to find their other half.

One by one.

That made me realize the reality I need to lived in ever since I was young. I was not gifted with natural talent, and even deprived of a soulmate.

That made me question, what did I do in my last lifetime to receive this kind of destiny?

It was one of the things I envy from many.

Without soulmates, its was known that you were already complete.

You were the type of person to live your life to the fullest without worrying about the destined one that was supposed to complete you.

But it made me lonely and empty.

It feel like my world was colorless. It feels like I have no rights to ask for the things I wanted before.

And a selfish thought came to my mind when a woman caught my eyes.

That woman became the reason why I started to hope once more.

Is it possible to break this kind of fate? Is it possible to just look for love by yourself?

Because I was sure I started loving her.

Amari Y/n

A classmate of mine whose heart is very kind. A woman who is willing to lend anything to help someone out.

Yet she is also one of the loneliest in our class. Never belong to any group of friends.

You can consider her as the friend you can run to, but never someone you can stay with.

And I'm sure we both think the same thing.

My first meeting with her is something I can't forget, when I realized I created a happy memory in her senior high school days.

When I lend her the heart that symbolizes the gratefulness of the giver to the receiver.

I was the first one to give her the heart out of how many hearts passed to the other classmates during our open forum.

I am the first one who gave it to her.

It was a simple action that I didn't mind yet the appreciation I heard from her was something that touched my heart.

She manages to appreciate that one action. I began to understand her situation better, that no matter how much she tried to be kind, no one ever told her even a simple thank you.

Not even a slight word of appreciation.

That made me want to care for her more.

Made me want to cherish her more, at least giving me a small hint of possibility that I can find love like the others did.

But I knew I can't never go against fate itself.

That one moment gave me a slight hope of a future full of love until we became friends.

Having her presence became one of the happiest moment in my life. It feels like I can finally breathe for once. Without berating myself for loving someone who is not mine.

But I should have known that we were not in the same shoes.

In other way, she would be destined to meet someone.

And it already happened before we even meet each other.

I knew her heart is already given to another man.

That first failure hurted me, knowing I would utterly be lonely. I wouldn't end up with anybody.

And if I keep trying to seek for love, one way or another, they would leave me too.

That even if I made her happy first, that would only last there.

"Oi Captain, you're lost in thought again" Hanamaki exclaimed as he put his hand on my shoulder as I looked ahead of me, where Matsukawa happily welcomed his soulmate to his life.

The feeling of jealousy can't even be exempted from my friends.

Why?

Why can't I have that same destiny like they have?

"Congratulations" I mumbled that made my friends look over to me who lifted a small smile from my lips.

It hurts.

I would never experience those.

"Hey Oikawa..."

"Quit sulking, I'm sure they are just out there" Iwaizumi hit my back as I just stumbled forward.

Even with that kind of fate, I can accept it. But it's hard to hope already.

Because even if I am admired by many, I only have my eyes on one woman who is already happy in the arms of another man.

I badly wanted to have her and I don't know why.

Yet I can only hope at least that in another life...

She can be mine...

That was a wish I couldn't prevent myself from not thinking.

This was just a one sided love. Where there's no happiness. A wish I would bring until I meet death, completely kept as a secret to many.

Because it was a crime yearning for someone else's soulmate.

But would they still blame me, if I proved myself right?

That she needed me more than her destined one.

Because I proved that to her when we met at the rooftop.

The place where she attempts to take her life.

When that one who was supposed to love her forever, rejected the bond I wished for.

"Let's talk, Y/n" I stuttered out as I saw her holding a knife towards her chest as her hands trembled.

"Why?..." I heard her mutter as tears fell from her eyes.

"What can I still do to be loved by someone?" She looked up at me and I saw the same longing I once saw in her gaze when I first met her.

Why is fate so cruel?

If you're just going to connect her with someone who doesn't want to be her, why didn't you just give her to me?

Why do we always need to cry for the same reason all over again? The existence of soulmates.

"Please listen to me"

"I already did everything" she let out in a tremble as a sob left her lips. "Everything"

"But no one wanted to stay with me. No one is willing to love me"

"You have me" I exclaimed as worry etch in my face as I slowly took one step at a time towards her.

"You have me Y/n" I whispered as she showed a painful smile.

"But you will leave too"

I shook my head at her words as I reached my hands for her.

"When the one who is destined to me decided to leave" she exclaimed followed by a chuckle before she slowly pointed the knife at me.

"How are you any different?" She let down the knife as she took a deep breath.

"I'm tired of trying to reassure myself that someone can still love me. Someone who would treasure me. Someone who can love me for who I am" Tears began to leave her eyes again before she turned her back on me.

"I'm tired of fooling myself that I am worth it." My feet began moving on their own when I saw her slowly walking towards the edge of the roof.

"Please Oikawa"

Her trembling voice made me stop behind her.

"Just let me end this. I don't want to suffer longer than I should be"

"Please" I whispered before I felt my arms surrounded her body.

"Stay with me"

And I finally caught a glimpse of the thing I badly wanted other than bringing my team to the nationals.

It was the red string that connected my heart to hers.

A concrete evidence that my destiny finally took pity on me.

It was the moment that almost scared me but the moment I receive the greatest blessing.

It seems like I don't need to wait for another life.

When she finally became mine in this life.

"Tooru!" I heard the voice of my soulmate as I hummed loudly that made her decide to enter while I continue to pack my things.

I didn't know how I changed but I knew I softened to the world more than before.

When I finally met my soulmate. Even if I was her second chance.

"Are you really going to leave?" She asked me before I felt her arms around my waist.

I turned and sat on the bed before I pulled her to my lap.

"Yes. I want to achieve one of my dream"

"Do you want to tag along?" I immediately suggested when I notice how she sadly gazes at my own.

"I don't want to burden you" she muttered that made me immediately shake my head.

"Of course not Y/n-chan! I think I will manage a different country better if you're with me. Do you really think I will leave without you?" I ask her before I tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe"

"I promise to provide for you, cherish you, assure you, and love you. Because that's my role"

"I have loved you ever since before we even became soulmates. You should know already that I can't live without you " I cheekily smiled at her before pecking her lips.

"So please open your heart to me. Trust me. And love me. If there's a misunderstanding between the two of us, talk to me" I took a hold of her cheeks, still wary of her mental health ever since that incident.

"For you, I am willing with everything"

For a future we both have dreamed.

[bylersbear01]

This is an assignment I wrote for school. It’s kind of long, but I recommend you read it if you’re vegan or interested in veganism. Veganism is something I’m very passionate about and I just hope that my assignment can help persuade at least one person to switch to veganism and save as much animals as possible from a life of excessive pain and suffering.

Veganism: Why you should be vegan

When you are eating a burger, do you ever think about what you are actually consuming? For centuries, people just assumed eating animals was normal or natural because their ancestors did that, but there’s more behind it than just tradition. When you consume a burger, you are consuming an animal that has been tortured and then slaughtered against its will in order for you to eat that burger. Choosing a vegan lifestyle is the most beneficial choice for all individuals, as it is unethical to exploit animals and offers significant health benefits. Ultimately, the choice to be on a vegan diet is a win-win for both individuals and the planet.

Exploiting animals for food, clothing, entertainment, or science is unethical and inhumane. Humans exploit animals for their own benefit. These animals are often subjected to cruel living conditions and suffer unimaginable pain. They are confined in cages until it is time for them to die, and they have so little space that they are unable to sit. Antibiotics are used to keep animals alive and make them grow faster while they are kept in unsanitary conditions. Almost every factory farm genetically modifies cows and chickens to make them larger and produce more eggs or milk than they would naturally. Some chickens grow so large to the point that their legs can no longer support their bodies, and they end up suffering from malnutrition or dehydration because they are unable to go to food and water (PETA). Animals feel pain and fear, and exploiting them for food, profit, or entertainment disregards them as living things that should have the option to live their lives to the fullest, just like we do. They cannot speak up for themselves, so we collectively have to take a stand against animal exploitation so that we can live in a world with less suffering and harm. According to PETA, the usage of fur in fashion causes the deaths of around 100 million animals (PETA). Fur farmers use some of the cruelest methods to kill animals for their fur, including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison. Many luxury brands like Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes include fur in their clothing and items. When animals are tested, they may experience allergic reactions and suffer immensely. When the animals have an allergic reaction, they are killed so they don’t have to suffer any longer. Animals should not be subjected to harsh experiments for the sake of humans. They are living beings that deserve to be treated with compassion and respect. A brand that participates in animal testing is the makeup brand Maybelline. Maybelline is not cruelty-free. This company tests on animals, either themselves, through their suppliers, or a third party. Many companies now produce cruelty-free makeup like e.l.f., Tarte, and Colorpop. Supporting these brands will help the movement towards ending animal testing in the beauty industry (Kitty). A 2017 PETA eyewitness investigation revealed that workers at Liberty Research, Inc., a New York-based facility, drilled holes into the skulls of newborn beagles so that the distemper virus could be injected directly into their brains. Some dogs blinked and even cried throughout the unpleasant treatment and painful procedure, indicating that they were not fully sedated. Most likely in excruciating pain, some bashed their heads against the cage walls, causing blood to flow from their injuries. Others foamed at the mouth and experienced seizures. They were left to suffer without any apparent therapy and were killed after the study (PETA). Animals are forcibly taken against their will to slaughterhouses and killed, often in terribly painful ways. This cruel treatment of animals is not only inhumane but also unnecessary, as there are numerous plant-based alternatives available. Animals don’t have to die so we can eat.

Not only will becoming vegan help reduce the suffering and pain that animals endure, but it will also help you. We can survive on a plant-based diet and don’t need animals as a source of food to live. A vegan diet has been proven to improve one’s health. It has been shown that a vegan diet also lowers the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. The Stanford Prevention Research Group performed a study where they took multiple pairs of twins and put one on an omnivore diet and one on a vegan diet. The results showed that the twin on a plant-based diet displayed an improvement in their cardiovascular health. Also, their low-density lipoprotein - which is the bad cholesterol - dropped on average by 15.2 milligrams over eight weeks. The twin that was on the omnivore diet saw their lipoprotein only fall by 2.4 milligrams over eight weeks. The vegan twins shed around 4 more pounds than the twins who were omnivores, and the vegan twins’ insulin dropped by 20 percent more than the twins who were on the omnivore diet. A plant-based diet is high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants (Moskal). Eliminating animals and animal products from your life can reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, leading to better cardiovascular health. Foods that vegans eat that can help promote better cardiovascular health are fruits and vegetables like apples, berries, kale, and broccoli, grains like brown rice, and legumes like lentils. Humans are also more likely to maintain a healthier weight and have more energy throughout the day if they stick to whole foods and avoid meat. All things considered, leading a plant-based lifestyle can have numerous benefits for your physical well-being.

Eating animals is unethical. They are capable of feeling pain and suffering, so killing them for food is a form of unnecessary cruelty. Some people believe that humans shouldn’t be vegan at all. They believe that they are supposed to be omnivores and get their nutrients from animals and animal by-products. They hold the belief that a vegan diet may not provide all of the essential nutrients necessary for ideal health, such as B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are mainly found in animal products. Although animal products do provide B12 and omega-3, they are not the only options. Some plant-based foods that provide B12 and omega-3 include walnuts, plant milk, nori, brussel sprouts, tofu, and chia seeds, to name a few. Humans have the ability to thrive on a plant-based diet. In fact, they have a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease than omnivores because veganism eliminates all animal-based foods, including dairy, meat, eggs, and products derived from them. This results in a diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. So exploiting animals when we don’t have to is morally wrong. We should show compassion and empathy towards all living beings, rather than contributing to their suffering for our own gain. Making the choice to not consume animals is not only better for the animals, our planet, and our own health, but it also makes the world a more compassionate and sustainable place.

In conclusion, living a plant-based lifestyle not only helps you in the long run, but also saves an animal’s life. This reduces the pain and suffering that animals go through as a result of human consumption. By choosing a vegan diet, you are helping yourself, the animals, and the planet. So not give veganism a try and see the life-changing differences and the benefits it can bring you? Although all animals will eventually die, we don’t have to be the ones to cause it. Especially when we don't have to. We should let them live their lives and not cause unnecessary pain to them when we have no reason to. By choosing to live a plant-based lifestyle, we can reduce the number of animals that die for selfish reasons. This simple change can have a significant impact on the well-being of animals We have the power to make a difference and choose compassion over cruelty.

Works Cited

Animal Aid. “Going Vegan for the Animals - Animal Aid.” Animal Aid, 2016, www.animalaid.org.uk/veganism/why-veganism/going-vegan-animals/.

Chalmers, Matthew. “Animal Rights Facts: Why Should Animal Cruelty Be Stopped?” Sentient Media, 20

Jan. 2021

sentientmedia.org/animal-rights-facts/#:~:text=Using%20violence%20against%20an%20animal.

Cruelty-Free Kitty. “Is Maybelline Cruelty-Free? • Latest Cruelty-Free Kitty Update.” Cruelty-Free Kitty, www.crueltyfreekitty.com/brands/maybelline/.

https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/brands/maybelline/

Foreman, Polly. “Inside the Fur Farming Industry: Can Fur Be “Ethical” or “Sustainable”?” Plant Based News, 16 Mar. 2023, plantbasednews.org/culture/ethics/fur-farming-industry-fur-ethical-sustainable/.

https://plantbasednews.org/culture/ethics/fur-farming-industry-fur-ethical-sustainable/

Mark. “What Is Animal Exploitation? | Types of Animal Abuse | Vegan Men’s Health.”

Www.veganmenshealth.com, 2023, www.veganmenshealth.com/blog/what-is-animal-exploitation.

McManus, Katherine D. “With a Little Planning, Vegan Diets Can Be a Healthful Choice - Harvard Health.” Harvard Health, 6 Feb. 2020,

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/with-a-little-planning-vegan-diets-can-be-a-healthful-choice-2020020618766.

Moskal, Emily. Twin Research Indicates That a Vegan Diet Improves Cardiovascular Health.” News Center, 26 Oct. 2023,

med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2023/11/twin-diet-vegan-cardiovascular.html

PETA. “Dogs and Cats Suffer, Die at Liberty Research.” Support.peta.org, support.peta.org/page/2086/action/1?locale=en-US.

https://support.peta.org/page/2086/action/1?locale=en-US

PETA. “The Fur Industry: Animals Used for Their Skins | PETA.” PETA, 21 June 2010,

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur/#:~:text=Each%20year%2C%20approximately%20100%20million,electrocution%2C%20gas%2C%20and%20poison

Petre, Alina. “6 Science-Based Health Benefits of Eating Vegan.” Healthline, 30 Mar. 2022, www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-benefits

[dinomite2]

Male Neo Agent 3 x Male Human reader (Platonic)

(I Made this gif !)

( idk why I'm doing this I'd just kinda liked this Idea I had)

■ Humanity civilization was starting to grow along with its technology and at a surprising rate and everything looked like it was starting to flourish

■ and at start of your life everything was simple and everything was nice and peaceful you lived a nice young teenager life and had great buddies and friends and had great parents and everything felt like it was a all good

Until Everything was Gone....

■ a war sprung out a massive one, bombs were being dropped, bullets were flying it was brutal for all of you

■ and during this Gigantic worldwide war a random big missle hit the arctic causing The ice there to melt and The whole world to be covered In a gigantic flood

■ some part of humanity including you rushed to their cryogenic pods to pass the time and hope that this worldwide disaster will end

■ but a sudden disaster hit the location of the cryopods and all seemed to perish except for yourself, you survived the entirety that moment and slept and drifted away for what the future could hold for you....

■ You woke up tired, groggy, feeling a subtle cold sensation all over your body you raised your body up and looked at your surroundings It was all just sand, sun and dust and large foundations made of slightly rusted metal and empty cryopods with survival packs on them.

■ You were worried about of what happened to the entirety of your home planet and to see all to turn into dead wasteland of its former peaceful life

■ But you Decided to not to worry about the now ,your new goal was to find human life and or survivors In this barren sandy wasteland and live to the fullest if you could so that is ,so you took a survival pack and headed off

■ You walked and walked and walked and walked until your legs felt like cooked spaghetti and your feet were like under-frozen jello And just over the far horizon you were about to give up and sit for awhile ....

■ But just right over the sandy horizon you saw ... A Human Head ! It was pure bliss to see another Face in this empty desert you Scream out in pure excitement and curiosity while waving your hands erratically

"HEEEYYY OVER HERE !!!"

*silence*

"Men Uniii!!"

"WHAATT"

"Un-nya-giiii!"

You squinted your eyes but still couldn't see who this lone stranger in the desert thanks to the blowing sand in the horizon, Then you walked up a few steps closer still curious to who's saying these randomized gargled like words

And it was ... wait what is that no seriously WHAT IS THIS PERSON it had two black outlines between their eyes and had yellow tentacles as hair and was wearing ragged white shirt.

"What are you?" You said slightly I fear of what this person is and probably what his intentions are

"Oomi!"

"Um Ok how do i do this? Ummm" you quickly questioning yourself of what to do in this current situation while the octopus person tilted their head in curiosity

" I " you said loudly phrasing and pointing to yourself

"HAPPY" you made an exaggerated smile by using your two fingers

"MEEEEET" waving out your two arms upwards

"YOUUUU" clasping your hands together Slightly causing the cephalopodic like stranger to be taken aback

" IT HAPPY TO SEEEE PERSON HERE YOU?"

"Uh its nice to meet you too?"

"Oh god you speak English too"

■ ok so that was an experience you were so panicked about what was happening around in this dry and sandy place , did you die? , are you in a dream?, is ANY of this real ?!.

■ You talked it out with this ..... Squid? Kid? Whatever this person is About where we're you and what this place and what his name is which was Neo

■But enough about you time to talk about Neo he was marveled about who you were and you pretty much said that you were a Human and he went insane upon you were revealed

■ Turns out that your kind was quite a popular thing around this world in museums and he asked if he could say a few and I mean few as in so much that your brain could explode

■ he asked about what you do , eat sleep or like or watch and anything that would be fun for him to know

"How do you eat? "

"Through my mouth "

"What does your hair feel like"

"fuzzy and .... hairy"

"Can I put my hand in your mouth?"

"No"

"Please?"

"No"

"Please?"

"No thats gross dude"

■ he also kind of have to hide you cause if anyone else knew about this who knows how this new world to you could react to this so he gave you a disguise and by placing a paper bag over your head and weirdly it worked!

■you also got few weird looks by some inklings and octolings by of course the paper bag and you walking normally but upon that you made it to his apartment

■ Now spending time as new permanent roommates would feel like a weird fever dream and you trying to get your bearings that half squid half human people were now the dominant species in your world

■ if you somehow have your phone intact and still powered on and still somehow have downloaded videos Neo will watch the HELL out of them Family guy ,Tmnt , Shaun the sheep he'll watch it all right

■ Please PLEASE NEVER introduce any squid or octopus related foods to this octoling will think that you'll eat him in his sleep someday and have some nightmares weekly if you even mention a certain ingredient in takoyaki balls

■ Neo will also take any simple thing that you do and take a extreme curiosity to what you do even if it was a simple human function of yours

■But overall you and Neo will be a great friends even with weird questions and high body differences he'll be like the Bro you never even had or knew! .

And that's it I hope you enjoy this new fan fic and of course stay cool stay safe and most importantly stay on the cool side.

And also two things sorry for the wait I was kinda occupied mostly by school again and should I make requests? soon ill make a poll about it but lemme know what you guys think about it.

[animehouse-moe]

Why You Should Read/Watch 'Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!'

I've wanted to write about Eizouken for a long time now, and after stewing it over following having read volume 5, I feel like I really do need to begin with it from the start. For those that don't want to read a mountain of text to decide whether they should read and/or watch it though? Do it. Even if you're not wooed or in awe at all the detail and information that creates an ocean of animation talk, at the most basic level everybody is able to appreciate and understand the passion that emanates from the characters and this world as they pursue stories and creation with fervor.

So with that in mind, I think it's best to get down to it. Eizouken, by nature, is something that is meant for motion and sound and color, so you can't really experience it without watching the anime. However, by some miracle, Eizouken doesn't rely on those pieces to be successful and creative and expressive.

Right away, you're able to understand that with how they force perspective and even make use of it in the speech bubbles. Not only are the characters and world subject to various angles and such, but the speech bubbles follow suit. An incredibly simple piece, but one that serves to further drag you into its world.

And really, it goes even further than that with how it presents itself. This is within the first chapter of the story, and you already get such a strong idea of how they approach the creation of these scenes. Kanamori and Asakusa are looking over an open space full of students in one panel, and then in the next we're shown the pair from a distance, as if the reader is the one looking over them.

The technique with speech bubbles really is just something else for how it meshes with the world. It matches the angles and perspectives, and in scenes like this really adds to the overall feel of a flow with the scene. It helps guide you in almost mimicking the movement of Asakusa and co.

Also, if it wasn't clear, the manga itself does one of my favorite things with its blocking/storyboarding: it uses space.

It uses the environment around the characters to its fullest, using lower angles to accentuate that feeling of size, like how the girls are sealed in on all sides by tall buildings, or how they very rarely exist on the same plane in a scene. They all take up different spaces in them, and interact with the environment in various ways.

I could just go on forever and ever about it. The characters are always doing something when shown, in different and dynamic poses, and the way Oowara sensei leads readers through the scenes is just awesome. They could have just left it at the interesting scene of Kanamori on the window sill, but instead they allow the conversation to flow and take that positioning and view it from the outside to end the conversation between the trio.

And we're just now getting to how cool the work is with animation/art. I love it, the sketchy overall style of Eizouken works insanely well at expressing the animation process, and the level of detail placed in the art itself is just incredible. Mizusaki's character art is a heavier line weight and is far smoother, while Asakusa's environment/background art is much sketchier with a lighter line weight and more loose details and overall lines.

And then, there's this. The worldbuilding and sheer creativity to approach something so benign with such detail is just wonderful. You're literally getting concept art for a high school student's imagination, and with so much information. It just highlights the incredible depth of passion exhibited by Oowara sensei in creating this story so well.

Plus, the manga art is just so damn pretty.

Anyways, to the anime! I've talked about all the good stuff from the manga, and the vast majority of it exists in the anime, while also elevating various pieces. It starts off with a wonderful anime original section, and just shows off from the get go with it's 2D car driving down a 2D road. I really do love the slightly stretched fov/perspective being used here as well. I'm a real sucker for this type of stylized distortion.

But that's just the start. It takes that dynamic and layered feel of the manga, and extends it by adding motion. Asakusa and the other characters move through environments. The characters exist in their own aspects and are moving and alive, even if they're just delivery men that Asakusa dances around as she explores her new home.

These original scenes totally grasp the purpose and appeal of Eizouken, and extend upon that nature through its focus of animation. It's just such a wonderful thing to see. There's not even words to describe it, truthfully. If the manga is a 10, the anime is a 15 that turns Eizouken into a 25.

And this, well this, it's the first chapter of the manga, and not even the first 5 minutes of the anime. This incredible world, this insane approach to its story, to sharing its passion for animation and storytelling and creation, this is just the beginning. Literally. There's over 40 chapters and 12 episodes of this masterpiece, and I just want to share it with the world, much like how Eizouken wants to share their anime with the world.

[memoriapraeteritorumbonorum]

Letters to Carnistir - IV

Author's note: It's been a while, time really flies these days. I hope you're doing good, wherever you are :)

-

A lot has happened over the past few months, my dear, that I cannot believe how much time has passed since I last thought of you. 

Sometimes, in the darkest, most quiet hour of the night, when it seems like I am the only soul awake, my thoughts wander into worlds and universes far from my own and I am being haunted by my imagination.

Although I lay awake, I do not raise my eyes to look at the moon. Although I feel a bittersweet loneliness residing in my heart, I do not attempt to contact anyone close to me to tell them about it. 

But this loneliness is a different one. One I have never felt before. 

When before, I used to shed tears at the thought of being all by myself at night, I have grown to appreciate the silence. In a way, I believe it to be some sort of compensation for my busy, hectic days.

I seem to be scattered everywhere, all at once. 

It finally makes sense to me, when I remember you telling me how you feel trapped in time's grip. Sometimes, I feel like it is the only thing keeping me sane. Running around from one end of town to the other. Making endless acquaintances. Talking about each of our unique experience of this lifetime we share. 

My heart has grown wistful. I find myself reminiscing about moments I am experiencing in real time, instead of leaning back and enjoying them to the fullest. Perhaps that is the reason I choose to keep my eyes open when night falls and revel in its quiet serenity, because each darkness is the same. There are no places I need to travel to, no people I need to meet. I can lay there, all alone and content. And I am allowed to be consumed by each and every memoria praeteritorum bonorum, no matter how insignificant, without failing to appreciate the present. 

You are a child of the night, that I know. How it comforts me when I lay awake. Somewhere, sometime, our thoughts will collide in a loving embrace, that is when we shall meet again. I am certain of it. 

[hypergamiss]

Hi anon from last question, didn’t mean to sound like that but I assumed you have a age limit to who can view you blog, obviously I’m interested in the content

No hard feelings xoxo💖 but still would like your in put on dating as a teenage girl since no one talks about that

Do you ever sit back and wonder why it’s not common for people to talk about teenagers dating? This is the only time in your life that you can purely date for love until reality slaps you in the face like it did the rest of us (once you become an adult a lot of factors come into play, especially if you want children). It would be reckless to tell teenagers what to do and make them grow up faster than they need to. You should be fully enjoying your youth and living life to its fullest.

When it comes to your standards, never lower them or allow them to be challenged no matter your age.

But you do have to understand that the men or boys your age are at the exact same stage in their life as you are. They genuinely don’t have the means to provide for a partner. Most men do not financially peak until they are in their 40’s. You can certainly find someone who can take you on dates that don’t cost a lot of money (this is where romance plays a role), but it will be very rare to find someone around your age that can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on you on a single night consistently.

I think your best bet for someone your age is to fully focus on yourself and build yourself up so that you become extremely confident. If your a teenager dating adult men, you are increasing the likelihood of being manipulated by the men you date. This doesn’t mean that you are dumb by any means. They simply have more life experience than you and they know how to lie and manipulate a lot more than you know how to detect it.

All this to say, if I was 18, I would forget about the boys. Focus on myself. Find out what I like and don’t like. Fall in love with myself. Workout. Study. Learn how to best do my beauty routine. Travel the world. Learn new languages. Try new cuisines. Etc.

You do this you are more likely to attract men anyways (few of them will be worth your time at this age). And if you’re not confident within yourself, they will run you over. You will come to find out that dating as an adult will be a lot more convenient and it makes a lot more sense.

[firstdivisiongirl]

OH MY GAH HIIII !! I SAW THAT YOU DO MATCHUPS SO I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD A REQ FOR THAT BUT W TOKREV CHARACTERS ??? :DDDD i dont mind anyone tbh so dw abt choosing :33

ok i'll just drop some background info abt myself here :33

i'm aromantic + nonbinary, i am an entp 7w6 and i'm a pisces !! i like to draw, listen to music (either metal or just mainstream music i listen to whatever atp) and dance in my freetime !! :3

based on my personality ::

my friends tend to tell me that i'm the embodiment of the quote "dont judge a book by its' cover" cuz on the outside i act like a full on metalhead and really passive aggressive but at home i sleep next to a whole tower of plushies 💀🙏 and i collect stickers of silly little cats and otters (not my fault that they're so cute oml) i'm usually the clown of the group !! i tend to be hyperactive but my emotions change a lot- one second talking to me is like trying to get a toddler to pay attention to your teacher and the other is like trying not to get bitten by a rabid dog (my friend's words not mine). i tend to be a loud mouth srry . . . i do try to be quiet if necessary but if i get excited when talking i am a walking speaker . . . i get rlly excited if my favorite things are mentioned ?! like i would get rlly happy, smiley and would talk about it until i forget to breathe !! i like to consume horror media ?? idk if i can say that without sounding like an edgelord sobsob im sorry . . . i just love consuming those types of media (as a former kid w unsupervised access to the internet-) and i tend to ramble abt them along w other philosophical topics !! i like to discuss abt meaning of life, whether there are other universes, abt the capabilities of the human mind, etc. they're just so interesting!!! :] i guess im proud to say that my best trait is my humor 😋 maybe im overconfident abt this one cuz i just have pretty dumb sense of humor if im being honest frfr i tend to say things out of context . . . i like terrorizing my friends by saying the most outrageous things and overexaggerating them for the fun of it :333 though sometimes i kinda mean what i say

for my ideal partner ::

i'd say i would like someone who's fun to be around but at the same time they gotta be interesting for me to find them fun . . . like they gonna have smth to them that makes me wanna observe them like they're a lab rat being experimented on and being put under observation :33 ppl like that make me wanna see whats inside them and how they see the world around them !! i just love those kinds of ppl aaaaa ik im overdramatic for this one but like . . . i need someone who can handle me- as in my emotions and sometimes my way of loving . . . cuz if i did love someone, i would obsess over them and would dream of dying w them out of euphoria cuz being w my partner is the only thing that keeps me alive and human 😞 i wanna feel genuine happiness and pure bliss w my partner so thats why after that i think we should die together, that way we both know that finally we lived our life to the fullest (in my pov, 'the fullest' means you finally reach the climax of ur happiness/u live to the moment where you're the happiest you've ever been) (idk if that makes sense but that has always been my fantasy LAWD IM RAMBLING) need someone whos as crazy as i am :333 if he aint insane i dont want him fr i need to make him worse /j

i think thats all abt me :333 pls take ur time and make sure to put urself first btw !! aside from that, its ok if you ignore this one cuz at the end of the day its up to u <333 have a wonderful day/night mwah you're super cool

Hello! Of course you can have a matchup. Thank you for the kindness. I would like to warn you that I picked a somewhat controversial character. I hope you like it!

You Got...

Tetta Kisaki!!!

If boy can handle the chaos the is Shuji Hanma, he can handle you!

You wanted crazy...

Would love to see you smile when you get super excited about something! His favorite thing is to see the person he loves happy.

He is really really smart. So you would have very intellectual and philosophical discussions.

Would love that you aren't all you seem. Because he is the same way. You two can be badasses when out, but totally different when it is just the two of you (and Hanma sometimes when he is being Hanma and not leaving you all alone.)

Movie date nights. He'd let you pick it. If you're happy, he's happy.

[gargusscp]

Decalog 1: Enigma - "Fallen Angel" by Andy Lane

Cracking through the utter avalanche of Doctor Who books in my backlog and rambling about them on tumblr because this site deserves someone who cares to post about the short story anthologies.

The first of Virgin's anthologies uses a pretty standard set-up for its wrap-around segments, entitled "Playback": Seven has lost his memories, stumbled into a private eye's office in the mid-1940s, and together they seek out the help of a psychometrist, whose visions sparked by assorted objects in the Doctor's coat serve as glimpses into interrelated stories from his past. Obviously I can't judge the thing until through with the book, but Stephen James Walker seems to have an alright imitation of period detective novel descriptive language, and it's neat seeing a guileless Seven when one knows a Virgin-era story means there's some overly-convoluted plan in the wings once his memories return.

As to "Fallen Angel" itself, we kick off with as close a crossover as Lane and Virgin can publish without a lawsuit. The narration most commonly sticks to the thoughts and experiences of one Lucas Seyton, a gentleman thief whose shady family history compels him to give back by robbing the world's rich criminality their ill-gotten gains, for both justice and the fun of it. He aliases under the story's title, leaves a calling card with a little stick figure doodle of himself, brushes elbows with working-class friends who enable his adventures, and lives life to the fullest with no apology for his criminality or compunctions as to its righteousness. His voice is also described in tones evoking Roger Moore. In other words, he's a thinly-veiled analog for Leslie Charteris' popular hero Simon Templar, alias The Saint, and the story is basically Lane bumping him against a fellow 60s British telly alumni so they can exchange banter, save each other's bacon, and generally compliment how brilliant they find the other despite differences in philosophy.

S'not a bad thing by any shot. Seyton's an amiably-written perspective character whose blase attitude and observations about the Doctor's eccentricities are amusing, especially opposite so disheveled an incarnation as Two, and Lane uses the homage as excuse for all the classic pulp adventure staples. Rough alleyway encounters, morning after recuperation and pleasantries, high-flying biplane dogfights, desperate manor-bound shoot-outs, the works. Highly amusing to imagine Troughton bumbling and panicking through the best realizations a mid-60s ITV budget could manage, or exchanging quotations from Winnie the Pooh opposite Moore.

The actual plot of the thing is deliberately incomplete, as you're supposed to piece things together through the whole anthology, though I've a complaint all the same. The Doctor accidentally lands the TARDIS in a manor house that's secretly a Time Lord prison for warmongering aliens whose punishment after defeat was confinement in a convincingly faked forever war, and barely escapes the automated security on his lonesome. All the business with Seyton goes down, the Doctor revealing little details all the while, they bust into the manor, and find the prisoners dead, having killed each other over some petty dispute long ago, their robotic guards still viciously attacking any intruders because the Doctor forgot to program their deactivation if their charges died. It's always irksome to me when Wilderness Era stories decide the increased focus on Seven's machiavellian tendencies means all prior incarnations were equally duplicitous and scheming, cause it never fits how One was written or played to imply he was some brilliant Time Lord mastermind with fingers in all their devious little projects. I know we're stuck with it because "Remembrance of the Daleks" is a classic and the Hand of Omega plot point is super memorable, but I'm a stickler for Doctors feeling right, and this bit ain't it.

(Also it's a Jamie and Zoe-era story in which they barely feature, so boo on that too.)

Beyond a bother introduced by the frame story's needs, I'm happy with this self-indulgent fannish runaround. Nice tribute to the then-recently deceased Charteris. I'd say it's pretty solidly...

GOOD

[entering--hyperspace]

Empágos rambles:

First impressions and the moment they realized they were dancing towards something deeper

2. First impressions of each other and how that changed

It's funny because the Dream Visitor disguise made Págos even more distrustful of The Emperor than his actual apperance as a mindflayer would have. Págos is incredibly insightful (proficiency), he knows manipulation, deceit, he knows someone trying to curry favor for their own agenda. He was a soldier, he was taught to do the same thing, of course he would know. So he treated this stranger, someone who appealed too much to his own taste, with none of the true experience to back up the apperance of a grizzled veteran, not to its fullest. So their interactions felt like tip toeing on ice as ive described it before, but there would be moments where the mask would slip, either the emperor would get too fustrated, or he would accidentally let his guard down to whatever he was struggling with. /That/ is what págos would push towards trying to see, and its what kept him from being too antagonistic. 

Meanwhile, The Emperor only saw what Págos vaguely remembered, which already created a bit of a fustrating dilemma. Even moreso when Págos showed he could match every move me made with his own, it made winning him over hard, and it was personally infuriating dealing with someone who shouldnt be able to see past what he was trying to do but Could. Eventually I think this grew into begrudging Admiration, and the games of them poking each other for more information became somewhat pleasant in a way, a chess match with an equal opponent. Overtime, Págos became less of an ally out of necessity, but an ally because he Wanted him to be. He had grown attached to their debates and mind games, he had grown comfortable in the recesses of Págos' mind. Following his actions, delving into his mind as if it were a banquet to pick and choose from, which págos allowed willingly.

3. When did they first "fall" for each other

 I did talk about this on twitter a lot before, but Essentially, for The Emperor he had to go through this entire process of figuring out what exactly he wanted this allyship with págos to be. Págos is different from his previous allies in a way that almost seemed too good to be true. Just as long as he kept the mask up itd work, which was only partially correct. The moment he realized he was fond of him was the moment he realized he could lose him. The fear, the anger of the mask being ripped off and the possibility of death swirling around. This entire time he was puppeteering from the shadows with the upperhand but now he was bloodied and beaten and laying before him. It was scary, págos held his and everyones life in his hands at that moment and yet his expression was stone, his mind was silent, he could not predict what he would say or do. He did not want to lose what he had gained, he was Desperate not to. And then, an offered hand, and the relief that came with it. When págos told him he trusted him more as a mindflayer now than he would have had he kept disguises up it was a new chapter for him and whatever a partnership with págos would entail.

For Págos, it was the talk on the bench in the astral prism, when the emperor's mind wandered into letting him in. It was one of the first conversations they had where there wasnt any disguises in place. The conversation lasted a lot longer in my canon, with págos kind of talking to him about why he doesnt have any particular prejudice against mindflayers and how he sees the world. Even kind of confiding in how he feels different than his companions and finds more comfort in the way the emperor also interprets things. While The Emperor talks about his own experience with his transformation, and how even though hes feeling grief its not an unwelcome emotion bc at least he still Feels something. They end up bonding a lot over the shared feeling of disconnect, and all of their previous conversations are given new light now that identities were revealed, making págos more interested in who he is Himself and their dynamic.

[marshmallowprotection]

I have few questions about GE Saeran time etc

First about that bite... would it be somehow wrong or inapriopriate to ask Saeray later (in the cabin or so) for a small kiss in place of bite like sometime f.ex. parent kiss a child when they hurs themselves to make it "hurt lesst"?

Then I was wondering how he would be around MC if eventually (theorethickly) choose not to be with him? Like we proise that eventually forgive him and thou we want the best for him and we will help him anytime but can't form a romantic relationship? We might be like family, like everyone else in RFA.

But then I asked myself If that is evn possible? Well, after that we have his After Ending and he really rely on us and our support and all. He needs us so much... unless platonic support would work too?

It's not like I'd lieko to have such choice, I'm just wondering what if...

Hm. I don't know. I feel like as warm as GE Saeran is when it comes to touch and being affectionate with you, he'll always hesitate when he's subjected to the sight of that bitemark. He can't take it back, and the pain you experienced is thrown back in his face every time he looks at your throat. He did that. You might hold his hand and smile, but he is just so fraught with shame over that mark.

You might be able to convince him to touch the bruise. You need to take his hand and gently pull it over so he has no choice but to rest his hand against the spot he left. "I'm not angry with you," you'll say. "I'm happy you're here with me, safe and sound. This mark isn't ugly. You're making it better by trying to do the right thing, Saeran. Don't think I want you to pretend this didn't happen. It did. I'm not upset. I forgive you. You're allowed to touch me if you want, too. I don't mind if you start here... with a kiss to make it better."

That's what will gently coax Saeran into trying to make it better for you. He'll do anything to right his wrongs, even something that might seem silly... like kissing your wound with a tenderness that can only be felt... not put down on paper into words. Give him time, he might not forgive himself, but hearing you forgive him... it helps a lot.

Love comes in many shapes and forms. You don't need to be in love with someone romantically to support them. Platonic love is just as important in this life. If you would prefer to be Saeran's friend and his family, nothing more, that's okay. He isn't upset about that. He wants you to be happy, and having you in his life is enough. He wants what you want at the end of the day.

Be honest with him, he'll never judge you for your feelings. You didn't judge him. It's just like I said earlier when it comes to forgiveness. You don't have to forgive him or give him a second chance. He knows it's up to you what you decide to do. If you want him to go, he'll leave and never bother you again. You'll always be in his heart. You taught him a lot and he'll never let himself forget those lessons. It will hurt, sure, it would be a lie to say it wouldn't.

But, being the better person means knowing when it's important to let go of someone when they don't want you around or they just can't forgive you. Love might still be there, but... if you know it's better for space and time... you should honor that. Who knows, maybe time will be what he and you need to meet again someday... or maybe not. The world is full of strange experiences that happen to us all. He wants to live and experience the world to its fullest.

If he can do it with you, he'll forever be happy. If he can't do it with you, he'll be okay. There won't be hard feelings. I promise. Being an adult means learning how to be okay with the end. You don't have to like it, but you have to accept it. If you know what I mean.