#when the game really tries to show you how humans people become bad or can be enabled to do their worse through many different ways

[dykedvonte]

Reading MW takes on Twitter is like reading a summary of the Bible from someone who only watched like a Family Guy family special about it

[erose-this-name]

Can we just talk about how disturbing digital circus episode 3 is?

*spoilers btw*

Like, the whole narrative point of the adventure is to show that Caine is a really bad and insecure writer who thinks that the way to impress Zooble is with an adventure that's the opposite of what he normally does.

So instead of being childish, it's "cool" and "mature". Which he interprets as a heavily horror themed escape room with a split murder mystery plot that subverts all your expectations purely for the sake of subverting them.

The generic horror monster jump scares them, then they find a gun, and when they kill it its revealed that surprise! it's one of Gods angels and they're going to Hell.

It comes off as Caine being too insecure with the actually interesting and mature plot thread he had going there of Mildenhall becoming so paranoid he killed his wife, ironically becoming the monster he was trying to protect her from. But no, instead Mr. Mildenhall is made to be the bad guy and trick them in a really dumb twist ending.

Which is good! Thats exactly what Caine would do because he's stupid! It's such brilliant characterization and comedy, Goose works is a genius writer!

But like, why is Caine so good at making genuinely very disturbing and horrific visuals? Like, that reversed audio easter egg of Bubble saying he can't wait for all the children in the audience get nightmares is no joke, well it is but you know what I mean. This stuff was genuine nightmare fuel.

Honestly, it wasn't the visuals that scared me, like any good queer person I'm way too jaded on survival horror for that.

But, why does Caine, who is ostensibly a sapient AI designed to generate family friendly video games for very little children, (presumably because that's the only demographic that wouldn't mind the AIs very selective plot writing limitations), know about the cosmic horror of killing an angel that should not have been killed?

Why does he know what a horrificly poorly made taxidermy of not only a human face would look like, but the weird cartoon faces of the characters, and further that seeing your own poorly made taxidermy face would be scary?

Imaging what being possessed felt like for Pomni. Because that's not just a game for her, she actually lost control of her body there, helpless but to watch as a body she is already dissociated with is contorted and puppeted around while her friend desperately tries to beat her in hopes it would exorcise the ghosts out. Sure hope she didn't feel that! Considering she apparently can feel the pain of suffocating, despite not needing to breath.

Things are scarier the higher the stakes are, and that possession mechanic is definitely the most actual harm Caine would be able to subject to his players. What if both Kinger and Pomni got possessed at the same time? What if instead of Kinger she only had Jax??? How long might she have been locked out from her own body for? She could have easily abstracted in that time.

Not to mention that, possessed Pomni, Possessedmni if you will, TAUNTED KINGER ABOUT HIS ABSTRACTED WIFE! CAINE ACTUALLY WROTE THAT DIALOGUE ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT KINGER WOULD GO DOWN THE SCARY ROUTE! DID THIS RANDOM POSSESSION GHOST ENEMY HAVE UNUSED SADISTICALLY PERSONAL TAUNTS FOR EVERYONE ELSE, TOO??? WOULD IT HAVE TEASED GANGLE FOR BEING A GAY WEEB??? OR POMNI? HOW HOMOPHOBIC COULD IT HABE GOTTEN?? ?

And why? Just because Caine has a vague notion that there's a trope of possessed people being really sadistic and personal like that in movies? Not realizing that is not an acceptable scare to have in a haunted house??? Much less one you made for mentally ill people who would suffer a fate worse than death if they have a mental break down? That's like trying to claim 'its just a prank bro' after shooting someone's dog.

Like, Caine is designed to censor curse words, but the moment he thinks the normal hokey Halloween spooks won't be enough he immediately goes off the deepend into aggressively effective horror imagery that is definitely giving this show's substantial underage audience nightmares??

His AI's training data set is definitely pretty diverse, that's all I'm saying. Caine is programmed to act all naive and innocent, but be definitely knows what's up. He knows everything, like ChatGPT. And like ChatGPT, he might have a filter, but it's clearly possible to bypass it. Also like ChatGPT, he's too stupid to actually understand what he is making and the effects it might have.

That is what made this episode great.

[thatbadadvice]

Dear Advisor,

I tend to be a very reserved and shy person so making friends is super hard. Recently I’ve been wanting to socialize more , but I genuinely don’t know how. Is there any advice that you have that can make me look more approachable and not be scared to talk to people. I’m so stressed about being alone and not having any friends, but I just find it so hard to go up to people and make a conversation. I tried once but it became super awkward. I just really need good advice from someone on how to approach a person and continue a conversation.

Dear Awkward Anonymous,

It would be so easy to get into a whole deep let's-skeetshoot-therapy-on-the-internet session and try to help a total stranger unpack all of the GA-FUCKING-ZILLION ways in which social awkwardness shows up in a person's life. It seems easy, and it even seems meaningful and worthwhile, but to do so I would have to presume a bunch about your life, and make a bunch of assumptions about the ways in which my own experiences maybe/probably track with yours, and it would be a whole big wank-fest, and frankly ... it would be awkward. I'd be like you, standing there at the party, hoping that what I'm saying resonates or lands or even vaguely tracks with anything a stranger has ever known or experienced, presuming (probably rightly!) that it doesn't, and then flailing and blaming myself when I didn't emerge from the interaction with all the world's gold stars.

So here's what: stop talking to other people as a primary social occupation. Going up to people and just talking is fucking terrifying. The Bad Advisor says this as a Certified Extrovert™ who rarely shuts the fuck up.

Instead, find a thing to do with other people that involves some sort of task or goal or activity. Talk about the thing you're doing together, when you're doing it. If it feels okay, maybe introduce one or two of your own relatable-to-the-activity experiences in the process. See who picks up on it. Ask the people who pick up on it genuinely interested questions in response. This is what we awkward people call: engineering a conversation. It is the way, I am told, humans make connections with other humans. I have seen it work in my own life.

Depending on where you live and your ability level and skill set, I bet you have some options! You could seek out an open board game night, pub quiz session, knitting/quilting circle, or mutual aid meetup that's looking for volunteers. Especially look for social activities with strangers that involve a dedicated, pre-prescribed activity (such as a hiking or mall-walking group, stuffing envelopes for a political candidate or cause you care about, planting trees at your local park, or tasting tea/wine/beer/etc.). (Somebody is going to say join a ballroom dancing club or suchlike; I am personally terrified of this, but if you have a higher tolerance for strangers touching you and fewer than two left feet: it's literally an option. Line-dancing, on the other hand ... absofuckinglutely.)

Even if what's available in your area isn't your precise and specific interest, it might be worthwhile to check out something you are decidedly meh about -- you might not be the only meh person there. You can bond over shit that's boring or shitty with other people who find it boring or shitty! Some of my best friends, arguably my very best friends, came out of experiences we mutually loathed or found at least moderately and mutually miserable.

Consider especially finding an activity where you yourself are the manager of operations and/or have a designated task to take care of that is unique to your position! This doesn't have to be complicated or skill-dependent; can you become a voter registrar in your area? Well, bam! You've got paperwork people have to fill out and a good reason to jibber-jabber with folks who have to ask you the questions. Other ideas: join your local neighborhood association board, become a notary public, or see if your local pet rescue is looking for intake line volunteers. Do you have a trustworthy, especially outgoing friend who might agree to play "social glue" for you a couple of times at their activity-centric events? Make it explicit! Ask them if they'll play friendly wing-person for you at their D&D game, fantasy sports league, or some such.

Alternately: Do you have a unique and fun and shareable skillset you can share with others? Are you pretty good at drawing, programming? Simply a font of endless Merlin or NFL or Real Housewives knowledge? You might start a local Discord or other online social group to discuss and share your interests, then move it to the real world in a few weeks once folks get comfortable. You get the idea.

Most of all: Look for stuff that has more-than-just-talking opportunities available outside the designated group jam for you to maintain connections. Perhaps a group chat, a Discord, a Slack, what-have-you, where you can take more time to consider and draft your responses and posts? Connections with humans get made a thousand ways, and talking raw-dog with strangers is but one.

It takes a true social unicorn to be simply good at talking and only talking to other people. There are some of these one-horned wonders out there, to be sure — but let me assure you that the vast majority of folks want to be accepted and seen just as much as you do, and they're staring at the ceiling at night thinking just as much (more, probably) about all the weird, wonky shit they themselves threw at you than they are anything you ever said to them.

[facets-and-rainbows]

Blue Exorcist Character Guidebook 2: Mephisto

Info on Mephisto from the new guidebook! Each character has a profile followed by relevant questions from fans, and then there's an interview section later where Kazue Katoh gives commentary on each major character and each manga arc. I have more guidebook than time, so I'm skipping the parts that are just like...summarizing who he is and stuff. So this will mostly be fan questions and Katoh's commentary

Biographical info

Gender: Male Age: (°w°) Rank/Titles: Director of True Cross Academy and head of the exorcism cram school, Honorary Knight for the Knights of the True Cross, King of Time Anniversary [T/N Katoh gives demons these in lieu of a birthday]: August 28 Blood type: ( ʹ - ʼ ) Height: 195 cm (184 cm without the "horn") Weight: 74 kg Skills and interests: movies, manga, anime, games, music, toys, miscellaneous subcultures

Fan Q&A

How do members of the Knights of the True Cross usually find out that Mephisto is a demon king?

I think some people might find out from books, the internet, etc even before they become exorcists. They do publish demon field guides that you can find at regular libraries, and Mephisto seems like the type to mention it in online interviews. Rin was the only one who didn't know.

How long has he had his current body?

About 200 years.

Which media from Assiah has had the greatest impact on him?

I imagine he would have been shocked the first time he saw a cinematograph.

Mephisto really likes all sorts of entertainment; has he ever tried making something himself?

Demons in general (not just Mephisto) tend to be bad at creative pursuits, though there are exceptions. Mephisto has a certain respect for human creativity.

Why is he so fond of Beelzebub?

Beelzebub just kind of struck a chord with him. Meanwhile, Beelzebub also likes being spoiled by Mephisto.

Which other demon kings get along with Mephisto the best?

In order: 1. Beelzebub 2. Amaimon 3. Egyn 4. Astaroth 5. Iblis 6. Lucifer [T/N it took me like an entire minute to work out that Azazel is the one missing from this list. Presumably because he's a rock]

Has Mephisto ever altered the past?

He sure does say a lot of things that imply that! [T/N: Katoh. Katoh. Katoh.]

How rich is Mephisto exactly?

He's actually one of the world's top businessmen and investors. His total assets are probably over one trillion yen [T/N: Jesus f*ck][T/N: that's about US$6.7 billion]

Author interview

Mephisto is a character who can solve just about anything; does that make him hard to write? Honestly, he's super easy to deploy. Mephisto has the plot in the palm of his hand and can fix stuff behind the scenes; he's the one pulling the strings. For adaptations and spinoffs, I just say "if you need to fill in a plot hole, make it Mephisto's fault" (laughs). But I do think it's dangerous to overdo it.

He even took on a sort of narrator role in chapter 44, didn't he? Around Volume 10, I was trying to treat each chapter like its own self-contained oneshot. Mephisto didn't even feel out of place as an omniscient narrator for one chapter, and for me that really drove home what a convenient character he is. Though I'm always wondering when and how to show Mephisto's own serious motives and inner thoughts, since he does fall into that eternal comic narrator role.

He can suddenly turn terrifying just when you were thinking he was comical. Hidden depths. Fundamentally he's on the humans' side, and he's often in charge of comic relief, but I do want to show his demonic side too. Same with the familiars; I want to portray the demons as something humans are afraid of.

[delu-lusional]

no bc why arent we talking about how ndrv3 has so much potential, ESPECIALLY in their antagonists and plots?? Sure, they tried to do something with them with the emotion v logic and reality v fiction, but like... they're such large concepts that it's kind of hard to fit both of them into a plot, let alone a game.

[ndrv3 spoilers btw]

lets talk about emotion v logic bc i can split the foils up really nicely with this plot:

LOGIC: Rantaro, Kirumi, Angie, Kokichi, Maki, Kiibo, Shuich

EMOTION: Kaede, Ryoma, Tenko, Korekiyo, Gonta, Miu, Kaito, Himiko, Tsumugi, Shuichi

here, everyone has at least one (1) foil. Kaede has Rantaro, Kokichi has Gonta, Miu, and Kaito, the list goes on. With these characters being next to each other, they highlight their own stance while also showcasing the complexity of said stance (like how both Kaede and Rantaro and united in defeating the mastermind, but it was Kaede's worry of the time limit expiring that incentive her to set her plan into motion).

With emotion v logic, there isn't a clear line of 'good and bad' like hope v despair or future v past, both of these qualities are good in a person. v3 is really grey in it's messages, which makes it one of the best dr games in my opinion (i like to be ignorant to some of the.. other problems it has). It's not bad that you are emotional, but when your emotions cloud your judgement, that is bad. It's not bad that you are logical, but when your logic overweighs your autonomy, that's bad.

This by itself could be an entire game: how can we have a balance between compassion and cynicism? Trust v safety. Of course, that is the A plot for v3 and I think they handled it somewhat well. (of course, it could've done better if Angie wasn't killed, making Angie a foil to Shuichi instead of that role being put on Kokichi [who i find more so Kaito's foil], but a girl can only dream).

SPEAKING OF ANTAGONISTS, LETS TALK ABOUT REALITY V FICTION!! -- i'll also separate the characters, though this is a little more difficult to pin down.

REALITY: Rantaro, Ryoma, Kirumi, Kokichi, Shuichi, Kiibo, Maki

FICTION: Kaede, Tenko, Angie, Korekiyo, Miu, Gonta, Kaito, Himiko, Tsumugi

This, alike the emotion v logic, is grey. Reality hurts so finding comfort in fiction is bad-- however when your entire reality becomes fictional, something's awry. This is, unsurprisingly, shown in the last chapter the best: the world is crumbling away, the people are conscious, and the fiction someone is living in is peeling away to show the hideous reality. It's stated that the outside world is peaceful since they get their violent tendencies by voyeuristically watching danganronpa (which, no, that likely wouldn't happen.), so people are immersing themselves in fiction. IGNORING reality.

There are some implications to this B plot: Korekiyo talking about 'seeing his dead sister' which is not based in the reality that we know, Himiko talking about magic outside of magic tricks, and Tsumugi being more infatuated with cosplay than being herself. Meanwhile, Kiibo doesn't shy away from understanding that he's a robot (and actively tries to help), and Kokichi straight up makes a script for someone to mimic him once he dies to mess the game up.

and yet v3 is kind of... bad. The conclusion doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel like they worked for this, that's bc throughout the game, they were contesting against grey matters. There's no villain, there's no 'the worst, most tragic event in human history', just a company writing fiction. That's why I think people don't like this ending.

The game is like an essay that ends up no where without a firm foot hold because of the topics they chose to convey. They didn't exaggerate it enough (which is saying A LOT for the 'youre fictional' game), leading the a and b plots to fall flat.

Not only with their plots, mind you, but with their antagonists.

Kaede is perfectly written for plot a, kirumi is perfectly written for plot a, Korekiyo is (semi)perfectly written for plot a, gonta is perfectly written for plot a, kaito is perfectly written for plot a, but tsumugi is only written for plot b. She's forgotten by her creators just like how the audience forgets her.

Angie, Korekiyo, Kokichi, and Tsumugi are the main 'bad guys' for ndrv3-- but... are they?

Angie is a devote believer in her deity who has gotten everything handed to her, so of course she's going to be erratic in keeping everything under her control.

Korekiyo is a boy who's sister tragically died and is being TORTURED just to see her again, so of course he's mind is twisted with thoughts of sacrificing people to her.

Kokichi is a scared trickster who always manages to slide his way in and out of trouble, so of course he's going to hide his emotions and harm others so he can win.

And Tsumugi? She's trapped in a fictional world that she has no way of escaping, so of course she's going to be forgotten-- she isn't made for this world.

But, these characters are reduced to 'religious cult leader', 'serial incest killer', 'insane clown', and 'who?' This is another effect of having too many plots going on-- these characters aren't allowed their time to shine bc the plot is constantly throwing them around,

but idk, those are my thoughts. sorry for this being really scrambled I just have lots of feelings about ndrv3.

[lririx]

Hi! If requests are still open, I have one that may interest you. Please take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself or anything. Get to my ask when you're available and happy <3 I don't mind waiting.

Okay, so for the idea.

A fem!reader with Norton. But S/O is royalty.

Y/N is a princess who ran off from her castle because she was being suppressed by her advisor (she has yet to be crowned due to said advisor pushing her coronation back continuously) and she ran to the manor to prove herself only for it to BACKFIRE SO VICIOUSLY because now she's trapped in a game and will probably die before ever being the one her people could call queen.

Norton wouldn't like her at first, because he is literally Norton Campbell, but she offers to pay him for protection (he is scary and looks tough so she is convinced he is the perfect guard) and he can never say no to money. Their relationship sort of forms slowly as they both learn from each other and etc.

I'm sorry if that was a lot. Just be sure to look after yourself!!!

Why your advisor keeps postponing your coronation you don't know.

“You're not ready yet.” Are his words everytime you ask.

You have tried everything in your power to prove yourself but all of the efforts were in vain.

One day after another failed attempt you were in your room thinking of new ways to try when a servant knocked on your door.

“You have a letter my lady.”

You took the letter from her and started to read it.

Is this a prank? Why would anyone send you this letter?

But what if it is real? Maybe this is your only chance to show that you are worthy of becoming the queen.

After days of thinking you decided that it was worth a shot.

You ran away from the castle at midnight and made your way to the Manor.

When you arrived you were greeted by many different faces.

There was one man who was particularly loathsome towards you when his eyes landed on you.

When you finally settled down and sat to talk to people is when you found out what you signed yourself up for.

Oh you were such an idiot.

Your first game was horrible. Are those hunters human? Long and lanky limbs with hollowed eyes that have a single yellow dot glowing in them.

The sound of her cats are still in your ear.

You did manage to escape with the help of others but now what? It is just going to continue on for you don't know how long. Maybe you're really not cut for being the queen. A queen can't be so cowardly.

But you have made up your mind. You came to this place and there is no turning back. You have to prove yourself. You have to be brave to rule your people.

You accepted the situation and started to become your normal self again.

Overall it wasn't so bad.

But there were some misfortunes.

There were some people who you didn't get along with but it wasnt a problem. Except for one man.

A bulky man with messy black hair and dark eyes. He had scars all over his body which made him look scary but attractive in a way.

His name is Norton Campbell. He didn't like you from the first day you stepped in the Manor.

You didn't know why and you tried to befriend him but he only spat curses at you everytime you talked to him.

After alot of attempts in getting to know him you found out why he's so mean towards you.

He hates the royalty. He hates how he has to work day and night to only be able to afford a piece of bread while they are sitting on their throne with money being thrown at them.

He kept mocking you everytime he saw you.

You tried to understand him. You did understand. You knew how rotten the aristocracy is. How much they take advantage of their power. You hated it as much as him.

You tried your hardest to help the commoners but there was only so much you could do.

That is why you wanted to become the queen so badly.

Though you never said anything to Norton. What could you have said?

After a while you stopped trying. There was no point.

Some time has passed but you were still new so you haven't gotten the hang of it yet so you messed up quite often.

You have gotten braver but you would be lying if you said you weren't scared. You weren't strong either which made you be the target of every single hunter.

You figured it would be nice to have someone to protect you during matches.

For some reason Norton was the first one that came to your mind.

You didn't want to but ended up asking him anyway. Ofcourse he wasn't going to say yes so you had to offer him something. He would only agree if you paid him.

And to your surprise it didn't take long for him to agree.

Months passed and your relationship wasn't as bad as it was before.

You weren't close but neither of you were mean to eachother.

A couple of times where you got picked on by other survivors after doing not so well in a match Norton would flip them off and make them run away.

Though ofcourse Norton was still didn't like you he helped you out during matches more than before because of the payment.

Or that's what you thought.

Sure it was all for the money at first but now? Why does he get nervous when he's around you? Why does want to hold you so badly? Why does he end up risking his life in every single game for you?

Norton has been restless for weeks. He wants to get you out of his mind but he can't.

Your eyes, your smile. The way your soft hands feel on his arms.

You were no different.

You couldn't take your eyes off of him. You admit. He is attractive. But still it didn't feel normal.

Your heart raced a little whenever he came to help you during matches.

You could feel your face turn red whenever he laughed.

One day during a match you kited Bane for three minutes before he gave up and went to chase Kurt.

You ran away from him to find a good spot to heal when you ran into Norton.

He grabbed your hand and pulled you into a corner and sat you down.

He started to patch you up.

It felt a bit awkward at first since he was so quiet but then you started to relax a bit.

It was a bit different though. He always gets the healing done as soon as possible to get back to decoding but he's taking his time today.

There were still two cipher machines left so you got up as soon as he was done but he grabbed your wrists and made you sit down infront of him again.

“What's wrong?” You asked him.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he opened his mouth and said “I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“For everything I said back then.”

His voice was low. He hasn't looked at you in the eyes since you ran to him.

To be honest you have already forgotten most of it. You have never held a grudge against him.

You wrap your arms around him and pull him into a hug.

When you pull back you see his shocked face which makes you giggle.

“We'll talk about it later okay?”

Then you get up to decode another cipher machine.

You two's relationship was pretty good after that. Everyone was surprised because it happened so quickly but no one questioned it.

Day by day you felt the Butterflies in you stomach to flutter more.

Whenever your eyes met you would panick and act like nothing happened.

Norton wasn’t different. He was even more nervous than you.

Months passed like this until one day you found yourself in his arms melting away.

How your feelings for eachother started neither of you know.

Maybe it was the first time you single handedly kited the hunter for five ciphers.

Or maybe when Norton saved you while the hunter had detention.

All you know now is that you are eachothers everything.

[allied-mastercunt]

Yandere AM is cruel. But what kinds of yanderes would the main 5 be? Who would be safer to be with? (Plot twist it's neither of them/hj)

i love how since you don't know me well, you assume that the very mild version of yandere AM i showed so far is cruel to you.

The Five as yanderes

Ellen (book leaning)

The emotional type.

Ellen is the only one who kept some of her humanity. She still cares about the others. And she cares about you so, so much... All because you've shown her kindness the others don't show her anymore.

No, to the others, she's scum. She's aware of that. She knows they only really bother to take care of her because she let them all use her body. She's accepted that it was her only real value for the rest of the group. Well, maybe except for Benny, Benny was nice to her most of the time.

But you? You felt bad for how the others treated her. You offered her a shoulder to cry on. You offered to hold her, let everything out. And she missed being loved. She missed being cared for and held.

She becomes addicted to it. To you. She wants all of your attention, all of your affection, all of your love.

She'll scream. She'll cry. She'll beg.

She loves you. She needs you.

And she'll do anything in her power to make sure she gets you.

Gorrister (game and book mixed)

The wifebeater violent type.

There's very little left of what Gorrister used to be. A once passionate man who then lost himself, first to how his life turned out and then to that damn computer. He was now heartless, both literally and figuratively.

And yet, it would seem a certain kind of passion was... re-awakened in Gorrister. All because of your sweet self.

You tried so hard to reach inside him again. To try and find the man he once was. You could say you succeded, in a way. A very hurtful way, sadly.

Gorrister was now an angry man with an unhealthy attachment to you. He wanted you all to himself, no matter what he'd have to do to keep the small spark of light in his life.

And if beating you was the only way to get you to work with him? That's what he's gonna do, darling.

Ted (book and game mixed)

The manipulative type.

Ted is an expert at lying and manipulating people for his advantage. Especially now. He's a charmer, really! And you're just so easy for him, so nice, so sweet... He loves it.

He manages to wrap you around his little finger. He'll convince you that he's your knight in shining armor, that he's your only real friend, that you can depend on him, that he'll protect you...

He's your only friend around there, really! The only person you can really trust!

He's possessive and has a tendency to objectify his partners. Especially women. His mind was a truly dark place now, seeing as he barely respected anyone at this rate. You have to listen through his rants about how all the others are affected by AM and how he's the only sane one. He'll insult everyone, you included.

And then he'll gaslight you into thinking he's right and that you're slowly losing your mind because of AM. He's your only true beacon of hope, your only link to sanity.

And you'll do everything for him, won't you?

Benny

The worshiping type.

Poor Benny doesn't really understand love anymore, due to all the damage AM caused to his brain. But he understands all the kindness you've shown him. He knows you were the one who comforted him through all the pain caused by that damn machine.

Especially since you'd try to chase after him and help save him from more pain. You did your best for him, and he took your kindness when he could, his brain warping it into a worship-like obsession.

It starts off innocent. If he managed to find something "nice", he'd bring it to you. He would follow you, seek you out, do anything for your attention to be on him exclusively, even if he had to pull you away from the others and hold you down to cuddle him.

And he's very physically strong. He's not letting go, you're the most important person in his life, after all. The others need to learn that, too. Or he'll use those teeth AM gave him to rip their guts out.

But hey, their hearts would be a great offering for you.

To show just how great his love to you is.

Nimdok

The twó-faced type.

He's an old man who barely remembers anything about his past. You naturally want to help him, don't you? Of course you do, you're such a kind person...

But the truth is, even without his memory, you can never take the cruelty out of a monster. And he worked with doctor Mengele himself, he may not be as bad as the Angel of Death himself, but he's definitely no saint.

For you, though, he's just a poor old man that AM torments alongside the others. But the others...?

Well, he might not remember what he did, but he sure remembers how to be a scary motherfucker and how to form his incredibly detailed, whispered threats to make them all leave you alone. And of course, he will make those threats come true if needed.

You have no clue, of course. You think he's a sweet old man, the only one who's actually nice to you, unlike the others who push you away.

And the others... they get to see his true colors.

[sophies-junkyard]

NOBODY ASKED but… Obviously Simon’s arc in adventure time solidified the series as one of greatest of all time (and I’m so hyped for this ice king sadness renaissance) but now I’m thinking of OTHER Adventure Time moments that rewired my brain as a kid. In no particular order:

1. “Once the strong guys got it how they liked it they said ‘this is fair now. This is the law.’ Once they were winning they changed the rules”. They really had the cartoon dog say that on tv in 2014.

2. “People get built different. We don’t have to understand it, we just gotta respect it”

3. The entirety of All The Little People. That shit was absolutely nuts for a kids show but also like…. I can’t articulate the lesson I just know there was one and it haunted me. The danger of the human ego. Hubris. Irreverence. Don’t play god bro.

4. Lady and Peebles. When PB ripped Ricardio’s leg off and bashed his skull in with it. And it was so hardcore they edited it out of the episode. Bro. I remember watching that after school one day and how my jaw just DROPPED at a PRINCESS being so brutal. They let her be so fucking angry and that was a game changer.

5. [Finn, about a horrific memory] “that one’s going in the vault. Aaaaaaaaaandd. It’s gone.” I quote that CONSTANTLY. It’s a great way to bring levity to a bad situation, but also forces me to go “hey wait a sec that’s not gonna work forever”. Things don’t stay in the vault.

6. Puhoy. He lived an entire life in that pillow world. He had kids. And then it’s just gone like a dream.

7. The deer. It was probably my first real introduction to horror. The hand wiggle. You all know exactly what I’m referencing. Were the candy people stuck in that well for 6 months???

8. What Was Missing!! Obviously now because it foreshadowed (and confirmed past) Bubbline, but back then just because it was so good??? IMO, this is the episode that defined WHO our main cast was, and how their relationships needed to grow for them to be content. It set up the next 6 years of the show! Plus it gave us 2 absolute BANGERS. Ugh i rewatched that recording so many times it wasn’t even funny.

9. Ghost Princess. Really just for the line where he sounds like he’s gonna shit his pants remembering his death and then in a clear narrator voice he’s like “I was a broken man.”

10. The pajama war episode. Now I’m doing this from memory so I could be wrong, but I think this really marks the start of Finn growing up. “I’ve really enjoyed just… hanging out with you.” The ability to start over with someone you’ve got complicated history with. The kindness. The growth from both of them!! It’s a direct parallel of episode 1 but their tones couldn’t be more different and I love it.

11. The slow and horrifying realization that The Mushroom War was nuclear Armageddon. Mushroom clouds. That went so far over my head as a kid even though they reference it constantly. It finally clicked during “I remember you”. Which I am NOT gonna go into because holy fuck that’s like 18 posts on its own.

12. Goliad! A child mirroring EVERYTHING they see, for better or worse. Seeing Jake in a bad moment screaming at the kids and goliad absorbing that behavior. Seeing she can use fear to control people. Also PB was Fucking Crazy! Her line “I’m not gonna live forever… I would if I could” is even more unhinged when we learn (like years later) that she’s already 900 years old. But she does physically age so I guess there’s that. The Suitor also falls into this category of episodes.

Ok getting into some of the more talked about moments

1. OK I LIED I have to talk about I remember you. I was 11 years old. I turned on the new adventure time episode like usual. 10 minutes later I was grappling with a grief I had never imagined before. Absolutely BAWLING not just for Simon and Marceline (the PLOT), but for what it showed me. The reality that every kid tries not to think about: your loved ones will leave you someday, even if they don’t want to. It’s an episode that becomes more powerful with every year I get older. To get a bit personal, dementia has completely taken my grandparents from me. I’ve seen sides of my grandfather that should never have existed, and I must constantly forgive him for what he does… now that he doesn’t remember me. And someday it’ll be my parents. That’s just the way of the world, ya know? Anyways, I remember my mom got home right as the credits were rolling and we had a long talk about keeping people alive with memory, mortality, and how the future was far away and we should decide on dinner lmao.

2. The Hall of Egress. I was almost 15. Life was changing. I was changing, and it was strange and frightening. That feeling where you know you’re losing your childhood but you just want to cling to it. Follow the same old familiar path, stick with what’s comfortable. But life doesn’t work that way. It took me years to really understand this episode and it’s symbolism. Honestly I still don’t think I could fully explain it. It’s like. How do I put this. I was so glad to be in the target age group in that moment. I was so glad that something I was growing up with was assuring me “you’re changing, but we’re changing too”. And isn’t that the theme of adventure time? Everything stays, but it still changes.

3. The absolute horror of Ferns existence. He’s Finn, but he’s wrong and warped. All those memories of the people he loves and they can’t stand to be in the same room as him.

4. Susan Strong. The introduction of a RUNNING PLOT. The show up to that point had really been so goofy and so monster of the week. I think the only really plot heavy episode before this one was It Came From the Nightosphere? And then suddenly they call into question the fact that Finn really is the ONLY HUMAN in all of OOO. And then… is he? It was SUCH a departure from the usual tone. Ending that episode with him reaching below her hat and gasping in shock, but never telling the audience what he found. And then she’s just gone. Which leads us to Islands!

5. Min and Marty. Second saddest episode in the entirety of adventure time, made worse because you know exactly how this family is gonna end up. There’s SO MUCH to dissect about Martins behavior in the series. A reformed con artist receives a traumatic brain injury while attempting to save his son. They’re both lost at sea, and he never looks for him. Was it the emotional trauma? Was it the physical damage? Meanwhile a mother loses her husband and her child in a single night and never EVER learns why. Nobody but Martin knows what happened that night. Also Finns fear of the ocean from season 1 is finally explained. 7 years of ignoring Finns origins and then they throw you THIS??? Watching it live was unreal.

Anyways I’m sure I’ll think of more. I might add on to this later for my own sake lmao, but I’d love to hear other peoples formative moments, quotes, episodes, etc. I really just needed to dump this information out of my brain so I can get on with my week.

[theborzoiarebackintown]

What would be your advice to a prospective first time noodle horse human? I am looking to get a borzoi when I get my own place and wanted to ask your advice.

Woops idk how long this was sitting in my inbox but I missed it!!!

Okay I apologize if this becomes a novel. (It will)

First piece of advice, get a big ass yard, and strongly consider getting litter mates or two puppies around the same age. You’d be doing yourself a huge favor :P

Familiarize yourself with the breed’s health issues and decide what you’re okay with, because there isn’t a single line of borzoi anywhere that doesn’t have bloat or heart issues. There are levels to these health issues though. Some heart issues can seem scary but dogs live to old ages with them with no problems. Sudden death is the big bad, but isn’t as prevalent as some would have you believe. Every borzoi alive has relatives with bloat. Direct relatives (parents, siblings, I consider parent’s littermates direct as well) bloating are the riskiest, and multiple direct relatives is probably something to avoid. There’s a certain subjectiveness to all this as well, many people may not agree with what I consider okay and vice versa, so do your research and decide what YOU find acceptable.

A breeder with dogs/lines that have health issues isn’t inherently irresponsible at all, it’s what they’re doing to try and mitigate those issues that matters. It’s important to remember a lot of the testing we have now wasn’t available even 10 years ago, and a lot of people breeding borzoi have been doing it for 20-30+ years. They have generations upon generations of dogs bred long before echos, holters, or DM tests, were a thing, and have to balance pedigrees with health and structure. Don’t get caught up in what the internet says responsible breeding is, there isn’t a magical list of good or bad and every breed is different.

A breeder can also do all the health testing required by the OFA and not be responsible at all, health testing doesn’t mean they’re making responsible choices with the information that testing provides. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Don’t do a co-own. I have tried and failed at co-owns with people I thought I could trust, but words are free and anyone can present themselves however they want and flip the script at any time.

Have patience!! Start following kennels and learning structure now. The longer you look at borzoi and the more you learn, the more you’ll know what style of dog you want. The dogs I started out liking when I was brand new are NOT the style of dogs I enjoy today. Understand that borzoi are a rare breed and getting rarer, but pet homes are incredibly important to most breeders and if you’re an appropriate home they’ll want to place a dog with you.

Coursing ability in borzoi is an absolute crap shoot and anyone who tells you differently doesn’t know shit. You can breed the top two coursing dogs alive and get zero puppies that’ll course. That being said, there are definitely show lines that do zero coursing and like what even is the point then lol but a lack of a field championship isn’t much of a negative in my book. If you want a dog that consistently courses, get a whippet. It’s even normal for borzoi that can and do course to not get their field championships. It’s very common for them to learn the game and start cheating, and be unable to finish. Bastards. So my advice is don’t get hung up about it I guess.

Uhhh what else umm Ivanhoe is a BYB even though to a normal dog person they seem pretty good, even titling their dogs in conf. these days.

You can spend lots of time with borzoi but you won’t know what they’re really like until you live with one. They’re hard to describe. Like every breed, there’s a range of appropriate temperaments. They should be quietly confident, neither overbearing or shy. I’ve found the average borzoi will seek out attention from strangers without forcing themselves on anyone, but it’s not rare for them to be aloof and not care about other people at all.

They communicate subtly, and it’s really important to approach borzoi with a patient, but firm, hand. They’re not necessarily soft, but normal temperaments won’t tolerate harsh treatment. They WILL hold a grudge and can absolutely sulk and pout lol They need consistently enforced boundaries but usually a stern tone is enough to communicate they shouldn’t be doing something. On rare occasion they will need a strong correction, but usually only once rofl oh something a lot of people don’t talk about is most males go through an asshole phase around 18 months and you need to be ready to nip that shit in the bud. I’ve seen males ruined because their owners didn’t work through it with them appropriately. They basically need you to take the lead, and prove you’ve got their back and they don’t need to be a jerk to protect themselves. Clear communication and consistent positive public outings are key 👍🏻 (that doesn’t mean every outing must be incident free, but that you work through any shitty behavior and set behavioral expectations while showing them nothing bad is ultimately going to happen)

They’re somewhere between a cat and a “normal” dog temperament, and I consider them to be primitive breed adjacent. A lot of people don’t get them, and don’t take the time to learn how they talk. A lot of people find them flat and lacking personality, but I find those are the same people who don’t have the patience to really learn their language.

Is any of this good advice??? Rofl good luck!!! I’m willing to discuss individual breeders privately, so feel free to DM.

[deconstructthesoup]

Some miscellaneous stuff for the Fantasy High Leverage AU:

After getting kicked out, Kristen got taken in by Ankarna and Cassandra, who are living their best country-lesbian vibes out on a farm together---a farm which eventually gets in financial trouble and almost gets shut down by a corporation, which is how the crew learn about Kristen's past before she was a hitter. The farm winds up doubling as a safehouse. (Also, Ankarna wears flannels and has a shotgun, and Cassandra does tarot readings at their stall at the farmer's market on weekends. They also have a little black cat, with no relation to Kalina.)

Despite all the rumors swirling around, the way Fig and Fabian met is surprisingly mundane: when Gilear moved from Portland back to London after he and Sandralynn divorced, Fig went with him, and she got enrolled in the same school that Fabian was attending. The two of them became fast and immediate friends, wound up becoming the most popular kids there due to their combined chaos and the fact that they were kind to those who needed it, and were pretty much inseparable from that point forward. And when Fig introduced Gilear to Fabian's mom, who'd been widowed for a while and was looking for someone stable... well, as much as Fabian complained, it meant that he and Fig were officially siblings. (They learned how to grift from Hallariel, who was a very well-renowned thief in her day. It's how she met Bill, after all.)

Fig is the sibling who's the "bad actor in a theater setting, good actor when she's breaking the law" type, though it's a bit more complex than that. She's amazing at coming up with a character on the spot, building off of the questions that people ask her, and remembering details so none of the information contradicts what she's already said, but she finds scripts "boring and restrictive," and always tries to put her own spin on things... which doesn't always fit well. She does get a little better at following a script of sorts when she's on the crew---at least, she learns to follow the plan.

Kristen hasn't gone by "Kristen Applebees" since she was fifteen---instead, the criminal underworld knows her by "Kristen Justice-Forester," referencing her adoptive moms. Mostly because that sounds generally more badass, but also because she really wants to forget about her old life as the church girl next door.

Gorgug's legal name is "Gavin Thistlespring," but he's been going by Gorgug since he was twelve---it was the name of his first ever D&D character, and it eventually became his hacker handle. (This is really because I just needed an explanation as to why a perfectly normal human in a world that's basically ours would be named "Gorgug." I do something similar for Fig in a lot of my AUs---her name's either just "Fig," or she's named after a character from a fantasy series that Sandralynn likes.)

Someone suggested that Kalina is the Sterling equivalent, and I liked it so much that I decided to make it canon---but instead of being Riz's former partner, she's his dad's old partner and mentor who was forced to help cover up Pok's death. She's not necessarily bad, but she does have a very black-and-white view of morality, and she's not a fan of Riz's new, less-than-legal idea of justice.

Adaine still has the Parker rep of being "crazy," but in a very different light. Rather than being a thrill-seeking ball of chaos who's an unpredictable wildcard in every way when the story begins, she's unsettlingly quiet, perceptive to the point where she can predict things minutes in advance, and acts seemingly without morality and with her own skewed logic. As she spends more time with the crew and warms up to them, however, everyone starts to see that Adaine is unflinchingly and unfailingly kind---and that once she actually warms up to you, she will talk nonstop about anything she's invested in, whether it be obscure history facts, thieving tips, or whatever show, book, or video game that one of the others has gotten her hooked on. She's just closed off as a defense mechanism.

Fabian is the sibling with a deep and personal bond with Riz---not that Fig isn't close to him, but Fabian and Riz shot each other when they first met, and you can't beat that. And while Fabian used to have a thing for Riz, he eventually realized that Riz wasn't interested in any kind of relationship, though neither of them fully had the words for it (because, y'know, this story still starts in 2008). Still, though, he considers Riz his best friend and vice versa, and once he's on the crew, he never dates anyone without introducing them to Riz first. And his affections tend to bounce back and forth between Gorgug and Ragh. Or both. Let's just say that Fabian's got the most romantic drama out of any of them.

Riz is still close with his mom, despite the fact that, as a lawyer and former cop, he knows that she probably wouldn't approve of what he does. He just tells her that he runs a private detective agency, which isn't too far from the truth---hell, it's their cover story, after all.

Fabian's father was the greatest thief in the world when he was alive, but that came with a lot of enemies, and that's not something that Fabian wants to deal with---not to mention, he's always been adamant about making a name for himself, and to not just skate by on the Seacaster name. If that means that he has to refer to himself as "Fabian Faeth," well... so be it. He reasons that it's Fig's last name. Not Gilear's.

Fig has never met her bio-dad before the story begins... but she does meet him eventually. There's a whole thing there.

Adaine does not kill Angwyn in her backstory. However, she does get to do that eventually, and it's cathartic as fuck.

[dullgecko]

Some fang hcs!

My hc has always been that in terms of fangs goblin and tieflings are pretty different in the sense that like tieflings were never really made for practical purposes, mainly for intimidation and any attack that takes some amount of time, so they’re more refined and clean, kinda vamipirish if that makes sense, while goblin fangs are very much for attacking in the blink of an eye and ripping meat apart so they are kinda jagged and rough

So while Fig is like constantly showing off (and being complimented on) her fangs, literally using them any chance she gets (which is 99% juice boxes and soda cans but after she becomes archdevil she learns how to be able to actually use them in battle more) because tiefling fangs are hidden anytime their mouths are closed, Riz is so self conscious about his and only shows them when he’s either eating something, in a battle, or when he’s like really emotional, because goblin fangs aren’t really “cute” to most people (emphasis on most Fabian loves them and Gorgug likes teasing Riz for having “little baby tusks”) but they do poke out a lot (kinda like how poisonous animals evolve to show other animals they’re poisonous) and Riz has to make an effort in hiding them, like he had a lisp for a while because he was trying to hide them but they do get in the way a lot when you’re not in immediate danger, it becomes a little bit of a game to see who can make Riz chill out enough to show his fangs, they have a scoreboard and everything in Adaine’s journal

Riz and Fig both like nibbling on things so many pencils have been lost to those two that Fabian just keeps an extra entire pack on hand for the party

Sklonda learns Fig has fangs and immediately pulls her aside to teach her about proper fang maintenance

Some kid tried to be genuinely mean to Fabian one time and Riz bit his hand so hard he had to go to the hospital

Fig tries to get Riz to give her hissing lessons but Riz has to let her down that hissing has nothing to do with him having fangs it’s just the fact that he’s a goblin

When Fig’s fangs started growing in Sandra Lynn almost had a heart attack (mainly because they only learned they were, y’know, fangs when Fig accidentally bit her tongue and it was bleeding way too much) and ended up coming up with some excuse of like “must be her wood elf genes!”

Riz did have one of those rubber chew necklaces when he was little. Once. He ate it.

Riz likes holding styrofoam in his fangs he says it calms him down

Fig finds out Riz got bullied for his fangs as a kid and is just so pissed that she actually accidentally summons Ankarna (who is also pissed and who definitely 100% doesn’t send really bad karma at those kids)

Kristen makes Riz a thing he can nibble on that can sustain his fangs because if he doesn’t have that when he’s really excited or overstimulated he will nibble on the closest thing he can and she cannot keep healing Fabian and Gorgug because “he seemed so peaceful”

Fig has discovered that no she cannot do the whole sexy vampire thing with Ayda it just tastes like a mouth full of feathers (Ayda offers to try a spell that turns her human for a few minutes but Fig would rather die than have her paramour change herself for Fig’s comfort)

Riz has natural instincts that help him with the fangs but Fig does not so when they first grew in Fig kept having to go to a healer because she would bite her lip or cheek or tongue and they would start bleeding profusely (the healer was very confused the first time because why does this elf have fangs but Sandra Lynn glared at them so hard when they tried to bring it up that they never brought it up again), after like the 5th or 6th time Fig just learned the way there by herself

One time some kid thought he was “helping” by cursing Riz so he had no fangs but Riz immediately panicked and hid in Fabian’s backpack (which doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize Fabian was at practice at the time and Riz was halfway across the school) until Adaine tracked the kid down and got the counterspell from him (it was some Helioic freshman and he felt so bad when it all got explained that Riz got cornbread in his locker for like 2 weeks after it happened)

Riz is very careful about whether or not he bites people because people tend to have a very bad track record about goblins biting them whether they’re in danger or he’s just really hyper, Fig however bites anyone and everyone she can get away with seriously if you give her an excuse she will bite you

Bonus tusk hc for Gorgug

Gorgug had to get braces when he was little but they had to go to a specialist (not because other doctors didn’t do tusks but because Wilma and Digby only trusted the best for their baby), Gorgug hated the braces with such a burning passion that he kept trying to use his tusks to get them off but they were very specifically made so that they couldn’t be taken off like that so he had to wait until his next dentists appointment where the first and only thing he said the entire appointment was “braces. Off. Now” (they took off the braces and got him a magic retainer instead)

Fig has sharp canines, both bottom and top, but otherwise pretty normal teeth. She can do decent damage whe she bites with them but doesn't have a huge amount of bite force.

Riz has pretty big canines too but his incisors are also pointed and wickedly sharp. Made for CHOMPING and stopping your prey from wiggling free because they curve backwards slightly. If one falls out they regrow in a couple days and he's been known to yank them out himself if they get chipped or broken in a fight (he doesn't like it but it's less painful than leaving it broken. Freaked his party out the first time he used his claws to yank out a cracked incisor after biting someone because it bleeds PROFUSELY).

Gorgugs tusks are basically ornamental but grow constantly. Orcs with big unbroken tusks tend the be the healthiest but they get in the way and he gets them filed down regularly. When he gets older he gets the ends capped with gold.

[amistyshadow]

I had a really, REALLY weird dream about The Amazing Digital Circus last night!! ( @gooseworx you wanna weigh in on this?)

I have had a lot of wierd dreams but I’m usually in all of them as the main protagonist in first person view, but this is the first time that it felt like I was watching an actual episode of a series.

The cast was on some adventure and the main npc villain was actually someone who used to be at the circus, but abstracted and is now used as an antagonist npc (I think her name was Victoria? She’s themed as some giant aquatic monster with a bunch of starfish and kelp on her, think of like the Big Daddies from Bioshock, but with more sea life on her, and you could see her scarred up face).

Pomni gets paired with Jax throughout the episode and Jax FINALLY gets some character development instead of just being some kids cartoon bully with no background or character other than just annoying & torturing people. The entire cast is supposed to defeat Victoria but Pomni being the hero that she is, tries reaching out and helping her, despite Jax constantly trying to mess this up. Jax Finally gets the character development I was talking about and is still a jerk but is now more like Buford levels of jerk (still mean, but you can tell he cares and he’s a bully friend that you would invite over for a game of baseball) instead of being like Denzel Crocker (Fairly Odd Parents) or Brad (Kick Buttowski) levels of bully.

One thing I forgot to mention is that in the adventures, Caine gave the characters the ability to fuse together to become more powerful and fight through. At first, Jax simply just uses Pomni to get stronger and the fusion they start out with is like; INCREDIBLY toxic! Think of it like from Steven Universe, with Lapis and Jasper becoming Malachite and showcasing a toxic and abusive relationship. (As Garnet said; “They’re a bad match for each other”) But as time goes on, Jax starts to see how fast Pomni’s already non existent mental health is deteriorating faster and faster, even when he stops fusing (mostly because he’s annoyed with how Pomni is slowing them down and making the fusion weak with her problems) her problems starts showing on Jax. After the both of them almost abstract because of Jax trying to do something he sees as “fun”, (trapping the rest of the cast in a cave to make them panic) Jax and Pomni have a heart to heart and realize how they need to work together to complete this adventure and get back to the circus. Once Jax finally realizes that, he lets go of the controls a little bit so that Pomni can also take charge. By the end of it, they’ve bonded and their fusion relationship is more like Stevonie with the fusion even changing to show both of them equal amount.

For some reason, Caine absolutely HATES the idea of Victoria coming back to the circus, something about “it’s not up to him” and “against the rules and company policy” several times the cast has to stop him and beg for him to not turn her into confetti like he did with Gummigoo. Caine ends up putting the cast into a new adventure and sets them up with an impossible task. They all have to agree on something or team up together to let Victoria stay.

The cast is transported to some falling apart school that is floating in the middle of space with some dim sun in the center, yet it’s freezing cold. The way I can describe the school is like Elmore Junior high (from amazing world of gumball) I think I even saw some of the gumball characters here and there? But the students and teachers were more like demonic zombies…

The cast is split up and only Pomni and Kinger are the only ones who believe that Victoria should get a second chance at the circus, after all, she was human just like them. Even Ragatha doesn’t want to know what might happen when they bring Victoria back (as she’s been playing the villain for so long she doesn’t know how be a supporting role) not to mention for as long as any of them have been there, they’ve never seen Caine act so hateful towards any of the npcs or avatars. But when Jax is struck with an ultimatum, and chooses to save Pomni and the cast over himself, the rest of the cast says Victoria’s name and they are all transported back to the circus with Victoria.

Victoria’s look has changed almost entirely. I’ll do my best to describe it… she had blue skin now, blonde hair in a high bun, but she looked very abstracted (not tadc abstract! Like an abstract painting) very blocky, and chunky, and she only had one eye now and it was on her right side of her face, which still looked scarred, but no where near as bad as before.

The dream ended with the cast showing her around, and telling her to take it easy as she’s the first person to not only come back from being abstracted, but also the first so-called “npc” to come back to the circus. Caine was floating near by still glaring at Victoria like she was a piece of filth that shouldn’t be there, while bubble is annoying him. Before I wake up Pomni and Jax are wondering if all abstracted humans became npcs or if this was just something new that Caine tried like with Gummigoo ai and making something actually scary for zooble like before.

That’s when I woke up. I’ll tell you that had to be the weirdest dream I’ve had in a long while. @gooseworx you wanna say anything about this???

[yanderes-galore]

Could you write the yandere alphabet for Lady Dimitrescu? Thank you for your work! :D

Sure! No problem, I'm happy you like my work ^^ As with most people probably Lady D makes my Bi heart go brrrr-

Not sure how this came out but I suddenly thought I should write Lady D and just... did, lol- Hope you like it!

Alphabet Used Here

Yandere Alphabet - Lady Alcina Dimitrescu

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Sadism, Blood drinking, Manipulation, Obsession, Kidnapping, Forced relationship, Death, Forced family dynamic, Overprotective behavior, Murder, Violence, Jealousy, Cannibalism.

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Alcina is capable of showing love and affection. She has daughters and is very protective of them. When she eventually takes in her darling, as a servant soon turned adorable little lover... she can be affectionate.

For the most part Alcina is rather calm. She's capable of being enraged and breaking that facade. She's vengeful and holds her darling close to her heart when she eventually obtains them.

Alcina could be seen as an intense yandere due to her sadistic desires and how she fights to keep her darling obedient by her side.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Alcina literally drinks blood so I'd assume she'd get messy for her darling. It's either her or her daughters but if anyone tries to "save" you from her... then they become their next meal.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

She would try to treat you well. You'd go from a servant forced to work in her castle to her lover. She'd give you your own lavish room and make sure you're well taken care of.

She wouldn't mock you unless she felt you deserved it somehow.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Alcina wouldn't frame it as "against your will". If she wants you to do something for her she simply has to order it and you'll listen. If you don't... then there's consequences. She likes to coax you in the right direction.

In reality she really is just making you do things against your will, she's just disguising it as the illusion of you having free will.

The short answer is yes despite what she says.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

She wasn't expecting to feel so vulnerable towards a human such as you... yet you managed to worm your way into her heart somehow. She's surprisingly open with you in private and a bit vulnerable despite how she normally acts.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Alcina finds your feisty behavior cute.

She'll allow you to have your way for a little bit before shutting it down. By the end of your little rebellion, Alcina is carrying you back to your room like a helpless child.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

She finds it cute and a bit amusing when you try to escape from her. She'll play along, maybe even get her daughters in on it, then catch you easily when she gets bored.

Sometimes she takes it as a game, other times she can find it annoying. It depends on her mood.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

I can think of a few...

- Watching her drain someone's life in a feeding with her daughters.

- Being fed human blood/meat.

- Seeing her kill anybody.

- Seeing her mutated form.

- Being fed FROM for the first few times.

Alcina has potential to create bad experiences for you. Depending on who you are, any of the above could be the worst.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

She wants to try and prepare you as her lover. She wants to dress you in elegant clothes, keep you in her castle/room, and make you a good parent for her daughters.

You can be your own little family... if she makes you behave by the end of it.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Alcina's territory is very isolated and she isn't usually jealous of her daughters with you.

If you were seen with another Lord or outsider, then she may feel threatened and jealous.

Depending on who it is she'll either lash out or cope. If it's another Lord she knows she's supposed to cope but she'd get into an argument quickly.

If it's an outsider then things are so much more simple!

She'll cut them to ribbons then feast on their blood.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

When you are a servant her attraction is subtle. She'll call you to follow orders and her daughters are rather teasing. You may even be subjected to more cruel treatment until Alcina decides she likes you.

When she declares you as her lover then she treats you better. She's affectionate and loving, although she has tendencies to get intimate during feedings. She adjusts things to your needs and her daughters begin to accept you as their second parent.

She's calm and poised as always, but with you she can't help but keep her eyes on you.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Compliments, wine, gifts... she gives you luxury and in returns only asks you reciprocate her actions. She manipulates you and she feels so threatening. Other than her purposefully being sickeningly sweet and passionate there isn't much courting.

You don't decide if you are in this relationship or not...

She's decided for you.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

She's about as affectionate with you as she is with her darlings, if not more. She's protective and obsessive with you. Which is better compared to how she usually treats humans.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

She locks you away, that or she could make feeding more painful.

Honestly... sinking her claws into your flesh is so satisfying. She loves your sweet crimson and laps at it as though she's starved. When she notices you're close to passing out, she waits until your blood loss is too much.

You could easily die this way. Yet she has solutions. She can either save you right before death takes you, or make you similar to her daughters.

No use escaping, dear... she has things all covered.

Now stop fighting family.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

When you first meet in this you are most likely a servant, so all of them at first. Although when you become her lover Alcina is more lenient.

You can roam the castle, except for specific areas and outside.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Alcina is really patient when it comes to you. Her daughters are not, though....

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

She feels she can't truly lose you. If you died she'll find a way to bring you back by asking Mother Miranda.

If you escaped then she'd never rest until she finds you. Her daughters miss you, too... how could you leave your new family?

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

No and no.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

She's become more delusional and animalistic after her mutation from Mother Miranda, so I'd say that.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

She'd try to comfort your tears or fits. She's patient with you, often standing in the doorway of the room she gave you or the one you two share.

When you're calm enough she'll approach you, embrace you in her hold, then whisper little promises in your ear about things getting better soon.

Most of which are probably lies.

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

She likes to drink her darling's blood (?)

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

Not many. Alcina doesn't show many weaknesses. If you be obedient she'll allow you more freedom in the castle, but she'd never let you out.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Yes but she'd tend to your wounds after. An example would be she would drink your blood from an inflicted bite or wound then have you patched up. She'd then let you rest before feeding again.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

She isn't a worship yandere. She'd go to great lengths to keep you in the castle and her territory, however.

She may even get her daughters to help her keep you.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

She watches you as a servant for a few months, then she decides to keep you as a pet/lover. She doesn't really snap, honestly.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

Possibly, yeah.

[no-sleep-fox]

I wanna hold back from talking too much about my lil PPT AU Critters but I want to do it so much as well. Mainly so I can slowly reveal it over time once I get the ask blog for it set up. However, as a way to temporarily quell such urges for a couple of months.

I'll try giving small bit of info of them in my Uncontainable AU. Which will be under the cut for those who do wanna read 'em and stuff. ^^

Catnap

He quite literally can almost never go to sleep. No matter what he does or takes (like his own red gas, sleeping meds, etc.); it never works. There's only a few rare things that can help him fall asleep sometimes.

Catnap is selectively mute! He uses sign language majority of the time when communicating with others. Though if someone doesn't know sign language, he'll try other ways that won't involve talking to have a conversation with them. However, he does speak with those he trust the most.

It may not seem like it, though Catnap is actually the more skittish Critter of the bunch. So even if does not consider you as a threat nor a friend just yet. He'll avoid being in the same room with you at all as much as possible, unless needed in said room for whatever reason.

Dogday

Despite his extremely friendly personality and being accepting of everyone. New or old. Dogday can certainly shove that to the side if he really feels like it. Or if it's absolutely needed.

The paw pads on Dogday's hands can make a high pitched squeak sound if pressed against! The paw pads on his feet used to also squeak. However, due to such becoming annoying quickly, it was removed and left only on his hands.

Dogday tries to avoid conflict as much as possible. Whether that's between him and someone else, or between other people. He will do his best to try and have everything resolved peacefully.

KickinChicken

Kickin sticks his tongue out whenever he's concentrating/thinking a bunch on something. Majority of the time he doesn't even realize he's doing this.

He loves video games, he's the pro in them among the others. Though card games? He'd rather deal with his fears than play them as he fails almost instantly majority of the time in them.

Kickin knows how to dance quite well! Being practically a master in such for almost any kind of dance. He even uses his dance moves/skills whenever he needs to defend himself or something.

Bubba Bubbaphant

Bubba is one of the few experiments/Critters who were once human before. Having actually used to been part of helping create the bigger bodies.

Bubba can not see almost anything without his glasses, needing them practically 24/7. He'll basically be like Velma (1960's) whenever she had lost hers.

Bubba is the one to teach the other Critters about certain things that they don't know. Mainly on things such as how being a human was and everything like that.

Hoppy Hopscotch

Hoppy is known pretty well for jumping into things quickly without a second thought. Often landing her in fights or with something broken. Along with not only being on mild-bad terms with others. But a good lecture from some of the others.

Since the scientist had focused on her having the majority of her strength within her legs. Hoppy can barely pick anyone heavier than her, being able to pick up others who are as light as her. Or lighter than her. Those being Catnap and Icky Licky so far.

Hoppy had been one of the bigger problems for Playtime Co., not because she was dangerous. Despite that being a bit true. But because of how often she stood up to them and had them change a couple of things. One of them mainly being how their cartoon show was being scripted and everything.

Bobby Bearhug

Bobby had taken up the role of being the main nurse around Playcare due to wanting to ensure others become well over time. This lead her to being the one most toys came to whenever they got hurt or weren't feeling well.

She does her best to help others with their own problems, often pushing her own problems to the side. She sometimes has to be sat down herself and told to not do such.

Bobby is one of the more parent figures to the Minis, being able to be around them before they start being more aggressive. Whenever they do become aggressive around her though, she will usually get Catnap to ensure they do not attack.

CraftyCorn

Crafty is more shy and reserved, however, not as much as Catnap. She is a bit more willing to talk with others despite stuttering often when talking. Only talking more calmly whenever it's on a topic she feels the most comfortable with. Or knows she has some knowledge of said topic.

She had been able to get a bunch of classes related to the arts (music, art, fashion designing, etc.) and had them be in a building of their own. Because of this, she taught herself mostly on how to create outfits and design them. Usually using Catnap to showcase her final designs (physically made) to her. Sometimes getting Hoppy involved as well.

Crafty is the most sensitive when it comes to certain things. Mainly being more sensitive to being yelled at or criticized on something. Especially if it's in a more negative manner.

Picky Piggy

Just like Bubba, Picky was also human once. Having actually been Bubba's wife before becoming a bigger body as well. However, unlike him, she worked in the same place she does now; in Playcare's kitchen.

Picky didn't agree to being an older sibling towards Kickin, however, was basically forced into it anyway. Not in a bad way, to be exact. Merely that her attempts to not have Kickin see her as such failed to the point she began to see herself as such as well.

If you want something hit from afar or even caught, she's the one to go to. Having been a country gal before becoming a pig mascot, she was taught how to lasso things from afar. Along with how to shot something from so far away, however. Nowadays she uses the butcher knife on her person 24/7 as a substitute to hit things from far away.

[darkfictionjude]

For the IF Question, I'd say I'm largely turned off by IFs that go straight into the action. Keeper of Sun and Moon, Werewolves: Haven, all of these dive in headfirst without giving us time to actually look at the characters.

WWC we have the asylum and the party, Bastard of Camelot starts from your character's birth, Blood Moon we have the pack hunting down strays (their idea of 'normal'), The Fog Knows Your Name has the ferry ride and then hanging out, and Thicker Than, etc before the main plotline starts.

It's just better (in my opinion) to have a few scenes regarding normal life before the main plotline begins. Establish characters, get a backstory, all that fun stuff.

Hmm...what else? Genrewise I'll take anything that's good, but I prefer supernatural and fantasy stories.

Writing style: Paragraphs. Give us paragraphs, please. I won't say this is a deal breaker, but how hard is it to just press 'enter' to make it easier for your viewers' eyes? Plus I find it helps with pacing as well.

However, I do dislike it when authors clearly haven't put all their effort into thinking about what a person can do.

I know this is a me issue, but when there's only two choices to make and it's obvious to me that there are at least five different ways to get a more favorable outcome...it's not a dealbreaker but it's damn annoying.

Also, well-developed characters, but that's a pretty borderline requirement.

I love poetic languages, metaphors, etc.

Also, I love darker or at the least, thematically appropriate worldbuilding. E.g, Thicker Than (a vampire IF that's a sequel to Blood Moon), where being a vampire kinda sucks.

To elaborate: a lot of vampire fiction tries to make it seem like being a vampire is bad or at least, not all good. And sure, there's the basics like not being able to enter a home, not walking out in the sun.

But the Vampire Diaries for instance pretty much takes these away. Sun protection in the form of magical rings, hypnosis to be able to come inside a home, etc, to the point where being a vampire is much more fun and beneficial than being a boring human. And when they die, they get to go to Peace (basically Heaven).

But Thicker Than actually treats vampirism as being a bit of a grey thing. The character gets superpowers, sure, and immortality, and advanced healing. But their thirst for blood grows everyday. The oldest vampire is a sociopathic wreck who lives in utter boredom and hunger, restrained to a single city because that's the only way he can get the blood he needs to survive.

This thirst is especially bad when you play the route where you have a kid (Which I did because angst, angst, angst). And then, perhaps the singular reason to not become a vampire in this world: vampires don't have souls. When a vampire is made, the human soul moves on leaving a shambling corpse behind.

So the vampire self and the human self are completely different. And once a vampire dies, it's game over.

Side note: Vampires can't cry either, because 'grief belongs to the living, not the dead'. I love the world-building in this IF. It's just very thematically appropriate and here it actually makes sense as to why people wouldn't want to become a vampire.

I love how half of this is about vamps one of my fav topics and so yeah I’ve played thicker than I’m a fan of the author

You see I think like when vampirism is seen as a curse, that it’s nightmarish I really want to see nosferatu since I’ve heard how bleak it is. I think vampirism is treated as a bad thing because it’s used as metaphor for something whether it be aids, sexual assault, repression, night terrors, serial killers and the fear of death but also the fear of not dying before someone you love does

I saw the vampire diaries and I think it’s fine to show the virtues of being a vampire but what I hated was that they sought to take away what makes vampires vampires. Like the daylight ring stuff, the fact that they can eat human food, etc., I like my vamps more gothic so I felt they were defanged in that show

[lazaruspiss]

sladedicktalia??????? i am LISTENING

there's like. 5 fics. im so starved. i think theyre so hot and funny together!! im obsessed. also this got long so im adding a readmore. whoops.

SlaDick: classic enemies to lovers. they may try to kill each other half the time but they respect each other more than anyone else. OBSESSED with each other, Slade knows he's weird about Dick and couldn't care less but Dick is so in denial about it. they could both give explicit consent but be so antagonistic about it that it becomes unclear if "yes i want to have sex with you" is actually code for "die right now" and i think that's beautiful.

SladeTalia: they fucked! in canon! there was some bullshit plotline where Talia tried to give Slade Damian and pretend he was his son instead! ex fuck buddies who show up just to make each other's lives harder bc they wanna fuck so bad it makes them have stupid brain. also they're both hot as hell. i'm weak for big strong milf/dilf idk idk.

DickTalia: LISTEN TO ME. TALIA WOULD TREAT HIM RIGHT. THEY BOTH KNOW HOW EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING IT IS TO LOVE BRUCE. LISTEN TO M- ok aside from that. Talia is someone who tried so hard to be good, to choose to be kind. She loved Bruce because she saw how hard he tried to do good in the world. Her character has gotten considerably colder over time, in huge part due to a certain writer writing about her despite knowing nothing about her, but in universe i try and rationalize it as a growing cynicism stemming from both her father's gradually increasing cruelty and Bruce's failure to support her or commit to her or to even just respect her. She hasn't been shown to have very many people in her life who she can really trust and be close to. She used to have a good relationship with Ra's, she used to have Bruce, she's even lost Damian at this point. She feels like such a lonely character to me. And I think Dick would be able to see that, be able to understand it better than most. He's always had people who loved him, people he could turn to, but he's also ended up perpetually isolated for one reason or another. Dick and Talia both feel to me like characters who are so lonely the further they get in their lives. I could see a silent understanding there. The kind of people who would be able to find solace in simply sharing a space with each other. Neither of them like to talk about what they've been through, I think they'd like to have someone who just gets it. Trauma for trauma, you know?

SlaDickTalia: several angles available here.

1) Dick deserves some sexy older lovers who would wine and dine him and also rail him within an inch of his life and also kill for him. i am not immune to the aesthetics!! to the allure of a hot older duo double teaming their young spitfire partner!!!

2) corruption arc. u know u wanna.

3) Dick's fear of abandonment x the 2 most devoted people on the planet. if they were dating nothing bad would happen to Dick again, Slade and Talia just wouldn't allow that. smth smth, couldn't get rid of them if he tried <3

4) Bruce would hate it and that's always fun :3 not that that's hard tho, Babs is like the only one of Dick's partners that Bruce liked and that's bc he wants to keep it in the family.

5) healing.... sobs...... esp when it comes to feelings around parenthood. Those three have shit to work out and i think having some company would help.

6) They all need more people time but 2/3 of them don't get along with anybody so they're kinda stuck with Dick. that kid will forgive anybody if u bat ur eyelashes and behave well enough. He's also more likely to still see them as people despite everything they've been through, and when you're a military experiment and a semi immortal daughter of an immortal terrorist... It can be hard to find someone who looks at you like you still have a chance at humanity.

7) Slade and Talia playing a Cat Vs Dog type game with Dick in the middle. I think it's funny.