#whoever answers me gets an art from me and.. not that it's very “incredible” but... AT LEAST THEY GET SOMETHING!

[mel-loly]

@vanetheglitchfox

-Hey, Vane! Hru??

Here you go the drawing I promised you:

(↑ second art: by @vanetheglitchfox)

It's very simple.. But at least it's there as promised! I hope you like it ^^💛

[icannotgetoverbirds]

buckle up, this one's a doozy

Idk if it's actually a doozy, but this is the story of how I deconverted from a cult and got my egg cracked at approximately the same time, all thanks to... weed.

Let's set the scene, shall we?

It is December 22nd, 2021. The pandemic has been raging for nearly two years at this point. I am, at this point, still a believing mormon. That said, my attendance to church meetings has been incredibly spotty, with the most reliable method to get me to worship being choir practice.

I am laying in my bed in the evening, and of all possible things, I am thinking about weed. Namely, the church's policy about weed, and the absolute failure that is the war on drugs, and my personal belief system (and also about whether or not I should try weed for my anxiety disorder).

What's mormonism's policy on weed, you ask? Well, it's surprisingly liberal for a whole-ass cult, but still has enough nonsense for the events of this story to play out. To put it simply, you can absolutely use weed for medicinal purposes, but recreational purposes is a big no-no.

This, of course, presents a dilemma: where do you draw the line between recreational and medicinal use, especially in the case of, say, using it to medicate an anxiety disorder? I'm sure that the Church-Approved™ conclusion is "That's between you and The Lord, figure it out yourself, good luck!" I don't remember if I came to that conclusion or not, but I know for a fact that my "prove beyond a shadow of a doubt before you make an important decision based off of Feelings Supposedly From God Or The Holy Spirit" ass would not have been satisfied with that answer.

So I think about it in terms of politics, and logic, and science. After all, science is just our frail and minuscule way of comprehending all that Our Father Who Art In Heaven has created, right? So if Our Father Who Art In Heaven can't give me a straight answer, science surely can.

I come to a few conclusions. First of all, there are very few people, if any, who are qualified to draw that line. I am not included in that group of people. Secondly, nobody in their right goddamned mind would so much as try to draw that line unless they have some serious qualifications in the variety of fields that it applies to. Third of all, and this is where shit starts to unravel very fucking quickly: who in the goddamned fuck are a bunch of old white men who've probably never seen a gram of weed in their entire lives to think themselves qualified to draw that line?

The shelf cracks. The prophets are fallible, even in this day and age. Not only are they fallible, but whoever made this decision is a FUCKING DUMBASS. God must be looking down at them and shaking his head disapprovingly, huh?

So I think to myself, yknow what, this is a stupid fucking rule. And my autistic-disregard-for-stupid-fucking-rules-having-ass was not about to tolerate it. So what do I do? Metaphorically speaking, I chuck it out the window. Who cares? I'm gonna do weed for my anxiety, and if anybody tells me that I'm disobeying god, I can tell them that god doesn't fucking give a shit about weed if he's as kind and loving as the prophets say he is.

A moment passes.

Now wait just a goddamned second! If I'm chucking this rule out the window, isn't there something else I should re-examine? If I'm disregarding what the prophets have said for my own pleasure and recreation, isn't there something regarding the lives, livelihoods, and joie de vivre of countless other people, myself included, that I should be looking at?

Suddenly, the years of (pent-up and suppressed) sheer fucking indignation of the way queer people have been othered by the church hits me all at once, full fucking force. I am angry, angrier than I have ever been. Abso-fucking-lutely not. No. If the prophets are wrong about weed, then they're DEFINITELY wrong about queer people.

And in this moment, I make a decision. "Until the mormon leaders get their shit together, I'm out! I'm fucking done! I'm gonna go live it up and get blazed out of my gourd for shits and giggles, and maybe I'll try a tiny sip of beer, and by god I am going to transition-"

"HEY WAIT JUST A GODDAMNED SECOND"

[Plain text ID: Text in a large, bold, italicized red font that reads "HEY WAIT JUST A GODDAMNED SECOND"]

Shelf shattered, omelette made of my egg, life ruined for the better.

The next morning, I come out to my mom and sister. I still believe in god and mormonism and yadda yadda, I just think the leadership needs to get their heads out of their asses.

Not long after, I decide to finally check out exmormon spaces. Yknow, get the full experience.

I am bombarded with "HOLY FUCK IT'S A CULT. IT RUINED MY LIFE. IT RUINED YOUR LIFE. IT TORE MY FAMILY APART. IT'S NOT EVEN REAL. READ THE CES LETTER, CHECK MORMONISM AGAINST THE BITE MODEL. THINK FOR YOUR GODDAMNED SELF FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE."

I check the sources provided. Well, I'll be damned. They weren't kidding, that mormonism sure can cult started by a con man. At this point, I am now beyond the point of no return. There's no going back. I have seen the light. I want out forever, I want my records removed, mom pick me up I'm scared.

My family never looks at me the same way again :>

[heliosoll]

Hii I'm here with regards to your winx Dr!

I've got a few questions, please let me know or just exclude ones that make you uncomfortable or ones you'd prefer not to answer! First question is, what's the winx society like? it's a mix of magic and tech so it's obviously different from ours but besides that what about the culture, the politics? Is there late stage capitalism there or is it more socialist/communist ish in the sense of workers rights, people not being exploited, universal basic income etc? and education, that's one I'm curious about. Is it possible to study both streams of magic i.e fairy and witch at the same time? or r they inherently antithetical to each other and will clash? It just seems so fascinating to me. In a similar ish vein regarding education, what jobs can a fairy take on after they've finished their alfea schooling? what happens to those who didnt manage to save anyone because it's not like there's a life threatening situation where you have to sacrifice yourself everyday? are they asked to stay back another year? how would you say the economy works over there? are jobs necessary in the same way that they are here? or are fairies kinda just given free reign to roam the magixverse and pop in whenever there's trouble along with the specialists and witches? are there research institutions specifically designed to further their knowledge of magic? it feels like the entire political structure and system is different in the winx universe and I absolutely loved that as a kid. oh yea did it take long for you to adjust having wings? do they kinda just pop out when you need to fly? like what's the sensation like? do you mind describing ig the texture? and if they're really as brightly coloured as what we see in the cartoon? im still having trouble imagining wings that can carry an entire person like woah that's incredible now that I think about it! also how exactly do people travel from planet to planet? does everyone have magic inside of them or only a select number? are there spaceships? can you breathe or fight in the vacuum that is space? or does it not work that way in you Dr? it's all so fascinating. do you get a salary? or is there no need for one??

Hi! How fun! Disclaimer that all of my answers are my experiences in my DRs. All DRs are different, so don't worry if there's anything here you don't want to experience!

what's the winx society like? it's a mix of magic and tech so it's obviously different from ours but besides that what about the culture, the politics? Is there late stage capitalism there or is it more socialist/communist ish in the sense of workers rights, people not being exploited, universal basic income etc?

In both of my Winx DRs, there are multiple planets and systems that have various cultures and societies. What society is like really depends on where you are! Lynphea works on a full trade/barter system; only a couple of major cities use money and only for tourists. Eraklyon has an absolute monarchy with figureheads for smaller cities (like Diaspro's family - the Quidoves). Magix has a direct democracy and is on the brink of socialism.

There's a council of representatives from different planets, however, not every planet is included. It can be a very lengthy process as all powers and the majority of people have to want to be on it (there's a voting process that the council holds separate from whoever's in charge), they have to agree to the council's main rules of morals of society (free healthcare and education, rights for all, etc), and the planet has to elect a representative.

I'd say education is best on Lynphea, Magix, and Solaria! Lynphea has some of the best magic programs in the universe, Magix is such a cultural hub that there's very little bias in the teaching, and Solaria is generally really good at balancing between things like science and healthcare vs arts and history. All studies are considered important and worthwhile there! (Fun fact: Helia attended an art school in Solaria in my DRs)! Zenith's education is good, but it's extremely selective and intense. Their primary education is so good that only people who really, really want it (or need it for their career) further their education, which means smaller programs and fewer spots for students. They're working on it hahah

Is it possible to study both streams of magic i.e fairy and witch at the same time? or r they inherently antithetical to each other and will clash? It just seems so fascinating to me.

Well technically, you can study the magic of other streams, but it's not really possible to practice them. Streams, for the most part, work on completely different wavelengths. For example, in order for a Believix fairy to be a Believix fairy, they need to continuously inspire the people around them. If that fairy were to start trying to use a more witchy input (ie feelings of self-will/self-preservation or intense, negative emotions), their output could backfire badly.

Picking a magic stream is a really important decision! This is actually a big reason why so many magic users don't do it. Picking a stream has a lot of pros (more focused magic, community that can make you stronger, certain career choices, etc), but it also has some cons like magical input being extremely particular.

In a similar ish vein regarding education, what jobs can a fairy take on after they've finished their alfea schooling? what happens to those who didnt manage to save anyone because it's not like there's a life threatening situation where you have to sacrifice yourself everyday? are they asked to stay back another year?

Fairies can pick any average day job they want (like accounting)! But you probably mean magic-specific jobs hahah Well, obviously guardian fairies! The Winx were appointed those positions but most fairies would apply for it. They could apply to guard specific areas like a home town or they could even go to the council and be sent on missions where a fairy is needed.

If someone has picked the fairy stream and goes to Alfea, like 9 out of 10 times they're trying to become a guardian fairy. As for other paths, some fairies get into general politics, others the government (a lot of royals at Alfea), and some will just be traveling fairies. Some fairies even set up their own shops for spells and helping people!

So Alfea fairies actually don't graduate until they reach their Enchantix level! Students are given a two-year period after Alfea's third year to complete this and are allowed to live on campus and continue learning during this time. Once the school feels a student is ready, they'll be sent out on missions either by themselves, with other fairies, or with specialists to help in crisis situations on their home planet. It's extremely rare for an Alfea fairy to not reach Enchantix during this time!

how would you say the economy works over there? are jobs necessary in the same way that they are here? or are fairies kinda just given free reign to roam the magixverse and pop in whenever there's trouble along with the specialists and witches?

For jobs, it depends on where you are again! On some planets, they are necessary, and on others, they aren't.

As for fairies, if they want to just roam and help whoever needs help, they'll need to get registered with their governments and the council if their planet is on it.

are there research institutions specifically designed to further their knowledge of magic?

Absolutely! The magic research programs and institutions on Lynphea are actually to dieee for hahah Domino also had a good one for templars but it faded away after the war :(

yea did it take long for you to adjust having wings? do they kinda just pop out when you need to fly? like what's the sensation like? do you mind describing ig the texture? and if they're really as brightly coloured as what we see in the cartoon?

It did take me a while to adjust to having wings and flying! I had never experienced that before, so it was quite weird at first. They do just pop out hahah They won't pop out randomly though, you still need the intention to do it. The sensation of them "coming out" or transforming mostly felt warm to me. It feels like a surge of warm energy/light coursing through your back (and sometimes your whole body). The texture of wings is very silky but kind of like... staticky too... like you get tingles when you touch them hahah The color really depends on the fairy! A lot of fairies do have bright-colored wings, but there are also plenty with darker or muted colors. The colors correspond to the fairy's personality!

also how exactly do people travel from planet to planet?

Spaceships or teleportation. Do you remember the teleportation postcard that Stella showed Bloom in the first season? Those are extremely common!

does everyone have magic inside of them or only a select number?

Not everyone has magic inside of them; some people have some but not enough to use it. It just depends on genetics! People without innate magic can still become magic users though! They just have to harness the magic around them instead of inside them. It's generally a lot harder though :(

are there spaceships?

Yes :) Commercial, private-owned, and military!

can you breathe or fight in the vacuum that is space? or does it not work that way in you Dr?

In my Winx DR, we could fight! We couldn't breathe unless we had Cosmix. In my Specialists DR, we couldn't do either hahah

it's all so fascinating.

I agree :) I love fantasy DRs so much!

do you get a salary? or is there no need for one??

It depends on the planet again! Some planets pay people for work with tangible money/coins/gems, while others pay with lodging/food. On some planets, a job is more of a partnership and you get paid back with experiences, more information on the field, etc.

This was fun! Thank you for all the questions :) I love talking about my Winx DRs hahah

[petit-papillion]

Hey there! Hope you’re excited for the weekend! I had a question I wanted to ask since you seem so knowledgeable on Charles/or crowdsource if you don’t know. On his Monaco helmet there’s a design on the back for someone named Hugo with angel wings. Do you happen to know who this is? I know Charles has a childhood friend named Hugo but I can’t think of why he’d be on the helmet. Thanks so much!!

Hey! Yes, I am so excited for this race weekend. Also incredibly nervous, because Charles just keeps giving us hope during the run-up and then something doesn't go right during quali or the race to mess it all up again. And we've already had a mess-up (running over debris leading to flloor damage) and yet he still managed to pull miracle laps out of the bag. So now I start to get hopeful again and...

Well, let's not talk about that. On to your question about Charles's helmet. Thank you btw for your kind words and I hope we can get you an answer. First off, great spotting! I zoomed in as much as I could on the one decent quality photo I could find of the back of the helmet:

It actually looks to me like it says "Hug" rather than "Hugo", with a wing on either side, and a halo over the "u". I can only guess this is meant for his father and Jules.

It was definitely a later addition, along with all the sponsors and manufacturer, so it could potentially be related to whoever did the art work, but my guess is that Charles designed (or at the very least helped design) this helmet as it draws on the same diamond design from the kit he designed for Monaco last year.

Anyone else have any idea what the meaning is, or maybe heard Charles talk about it?

[nikethestatue]

this fandom might actually be the worst one I’ve seen!! I flip through a bunch of diff ship accounts bc listen, ship whoever you want, personally I am partial to elucien but I can admit there’s a lot of evidence for other ships as well. I like seeing all art for ALL the ships!! But then today I see a post about how we need Gwyn’s book because she is a victim of SA and it would be great to read a book about her healing journey.

Idk maybe it’s just me but I get annoyed when someone is always reduced down to their SA so I pointed out that Rhys & Lucien also had SA trauma and there has been no healing journey for them?? How are we going to fill an entire book for Gwyn?? Like, Sarah doesn’t seem to delve too much into healing journeys from SA (in ACOTAR at least 🤷🏻‍♀️ idk about other series) and tends to use it as a plot point to create a traumatic background character. It’s something that greatly annoys me tbh

And then I got yelled at?? And told to read the books again?? Like yes, I am a new reader, and yes it was a Gwyn Stan account (didn’t know that at the time, I literally just replied for the first time from a post I saw on my for you feed) - but nothing I said was anti-Gwyn (how could it be- she’s one of my favs too???) ?? I vaguely know there’s whatever ship war going on but I didn’t even comment on a ship post and I didn’t mention any other names/ships so I was genuinely confused about why I got yelled at on a post that only mentioned Gwyn.

All I said was I doubt Sarah is going to write an entire book about Gwyn’s healing journey ? It wasn’t even ship related so why did I get so much hate?? no wonder this fandom is filled with such toxicity, nobody new is allowed to join even casually unless they earn their masters degree of 16000 pages of analysis (apparently reading the books isnt enough?) and so it’s just filled with the same bitter people since whenever these books came out

Maybe bc I acknowledged I didn’t see her as a main character - because she’s not? She’s very much a side character but who cares? She’s still a favorite of mine? Two things can be possible at once, people!!!

Anyways, tldr I got a slap on the wrist and told I don’t know SJM if I think Gwyn is a side character and I’m just like ok I didn’t say she couldn’t be one later but based on the one book she is in… she is a side character?

I hate this mf fandom I should’ve stayed out of it. What did I even do?? I even apologized if anything I said about Rhys or Lucien was untrue?? And now I’m just annoyed because I should still be able to debate theories about my favorite books with people even if I don’t spend 24/7 reading PowerPoints on ship wars??

They got mad because you were right. That's it.

SJM doesn't write post-SA healing journeys. Again, you were right.

We've had male and female characters who were SAed, in TOG, Lysandra and Fenrys come to mind, in ACOTAR it's Rhys and Lucien and Gwyn, in CC it was Lidia (similar situation as Rhys/Lucien).

These aren't books for deep exploration of post-SA healing. I am sorry. This is an incredibly tough subject, without a singular answer. SO anything she'd do, wouldn't be taken well. Some will say 'too quick!' others will say 'not quick enough!' and everyone will have an opinion. The only reason Nesta got an extended healing (and not from SA) was because SJM used the same methods she used for her own issues. Working out, meditation, being with friends, balancing the physical and the mental, relying on her SO. Beyond that, all of SJMs 'healing' is training and being in love. Or nothing at all.

Gwynriels cant accept the fact that Gwyn is a secondary character. She is not more important than Emerie, or Mor, or anyone else, who's had terrible trauma. Her main was Nesta. Nesta's healed and Gwyn is secondary to Nesta. Gwyn's healing journey is over. She because stronger mentally and physically, she trained, she reached and conquered her 'mountain'. and that is all she needed to do.

They dont want to understand and accept that no one is interested in an 800 page of Gwyn's post-SA healing journey. Even they aren't. That's the truth. They want her with Azriel. Getting it on, having sex, being mated. They don't want to read any 'healing journey'. They want her going on missions, swinging her sword, being a badass, being with Azriel, having Gwynriel sex and having a normal fantasy heroine book. it's all performative. They just want Gwynriel. Is all.

[lorephobic]

2, 17, 22 for Saltburn

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

this means nothing to anybody who follows me for saltburn, but i just answered this question about my other blorbo and came to the exact same conclusion for the complete opposite reason. oliver quick would NEVER top because he is clawing to be the main character of every room that he enters. he wants to be desired so badly that he'll reinvent himself into whoever he thinks you want.

there's a sort of trope in obsession-related media where the obsessor ends up forcefully taking from their victim exactly what they want. and i think that oliver subverts this narrative by never taking anything from felix. he never asks for more than he's given. when he finally has the opportunity to kiss felix, he doesn't. he takes from venetia, and he takes from farleigh, and he takes from james and elspeth, but at the crux of his character, is his need to be taken by felix. this is, of course, a metaphor for bottoming LMAO

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

ok so tbh i'm not a huge fic person because i'm so incredibly picky about the way that the media that i care about is interpreted, which is why i've never read a single saltburn fic and honestly i probably won't ever, just because i feel like there is very little room in this story to expand and no way to twist and rewrite it in a way that is true to the characters that i care so much about. but WITH THAT BEING SAID, i was honestly so totally astonished by @125hr's cattonquick art that it made me realize that maybe i do want to see more beautiful art of them kissing and we can all pretend like they had their moment<333

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

this should honestly be it's own post, but since my last rewatch i've been thinking a ton about the final dance being a reflection of felix's initial tour through saltburn, which has been talked about! but what i haven't seen talked about is all of the other scenes that end up echoing each other. felix's life on the screen and oliver's role in it form a perfect mirror image, starting and ending with oliver staring at felix at parties and not being able to touch him. starting and ending with oliver watching felix have sex with someone that's not him. starting and ending with oliver fucking people who aren't felix in an attempt to get closer to him. on a second rewatch, when you know all of the signs, there's such a devastating sense of oliver returning back to square one, lost in a crowd full of felix's friends and nobody even knows his name. there is a time before felix and there is a time after felix and exactly at the center of this timeline, there is a man on his hands and knees in a bathtub getting the closest he will ever get to the thing that he wants.

[nyaboshi]

Kimitomo? :D

@exhaustedwriterartist Answering both of you simultaneously, since Kimitomo and Koa kinda go hand-in-hand.

Be warned that there's some violence in their backstories. I won't go into detail, but it'll be mentioned.

First off. Kimitomo. My big bundle of trauma and unhinged behavior.

Kimitomo is an ex-assassin who used to belong to this notorious clan until he was about 16. When he was about 3-4, the clan invaded his village, killed everyone older than six, and took whoever was left to be integrated into their clan. Kimitomo hardly remembers his parents, but his subconscious is very traumatized.

All of these children were quite literally brainwashed to be the perfect assassins. Kimitomo in particular was among the best at his age, so he and a couple others were chosen to be experimented on to see if their physical capabilities could be enhanced. The other two died during the tests, but Kimitomo survived and was successfully enhanced.

He's quicker and has better instincts than the average human being, and he also has SUPER sensitive senses. He smells, hears, and tastes everything, and he has incredibly sharp eyes. His sense of touch is also boosted, and it kinda gives him like a sixth sense. He can sense movement from within a certain radius of him.

However, he ended up having to sacrifice a great deal of his physical strength. He's very weak, and can't take much damage at all. Defeating him isn't much of a challenge, if you can actually manage to hit him. 😭

He lived as a mindless, highly skilled assassin for years. It wasn't until he was 16 that he finally managed to break out of the brainwashing that was given him. He had been given a job where he was meant to kill off a small, wealthy family and bring a certain artifact back to the clan. He managed to kill the father, but the children's terror broke through the barrier over his kind and threw him back to his own parents' deaths. He broke out of the brainwashing enough to let the mother and the children live and abandon the job.

After that, he ran and plotted a way to take out his clan. He succeeded, killing off all of the older members of the clan. However, he spared the children and helped them to shake off the brainwashing. He made sure to send all of them to safe places where they would have happier lives.

As for Kimitomo himself, he's kinda gone off the grid. He still greatly struggles with the effects of the brainwashing. Unlike the children he saved, he was completely under its control and was only able to partially break free. The brainwash effect is still in his mind, and it takes the form of whispers in the back of his mind urging him into violent streaks. 90% of the time he's able to suppress it. But there are moments where it bottles up so much that it breaks out in dramatic fits and he pretty much goes feral.

He wants so badly to be a good person, but he feels like he'll never be able to get there. He's very pessimistic when it comes to himself, and tends to isolate himself from others so he doesn't hurt them. However, he has a HUGE soft spot for kids. Literally cannot say no to them. 😭

As for Koa, he's one of the children Kimitomo saved from the assassin clan. He was a little bit older when he was saved, so he's still somewhat affected by his old life. However, he's been able to grow up into a kind, albeit VERY broody, young man. He's currently searching for Kimitomo because he wants to express his gratitude and try and repay him for saving him from a fate of murder and captivity.

I have an image of Koa that I generated with AI as a reference until I draw him. Yeah yeah, I know, AI art is controversial and all that, but it helps me to have a visual image of my characters when designing them.

My baby 🥰

I don't have a reference for Kimitomo. I didn't like anything the AI gave me .3.

Anyways. Those are my sneaky boys! 👐

Thanks for the asks, you two!

[transathenacykes]

TOP TEN GAMES I BEAT THIS YEAR

In 2023, I completed 34 games, from Final Fantasy VII to Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion to PaRappa the Rapper. These are my ten favorite, in order, and a little writeup of each I had a LOT of fun doing. Enjoy!

10. DARK SOULS

It’s a game I had to want to like, and maybe more than any of the others on the list, I had to meet it halfway. I’m a fan of challenging games, and - stop me if you’ve heard this one before - Dark Souls is pretty hard. But it’s not bullshit. Mostly. I ran into some hard walls here and there, but those walls turned into my favorite fights in the game once I finally mastered them. The reason it’s so low on the list is because the back half is… Well, it’s not very good, folks. Of the four bosses you need to defeat to open the door to the final area, I could call two of them good fights, and I could only do one of those without hesitating. 

9. THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN IDOL

I love a detective game, and what makes Golden Idol really stand out is its incredible format and mechanics. Given a series of still* images, and the contents of a bunch of random people’s pockets, can you determine what happened? It feels cheap to compare games and not just speak about what I enjoyed of a game of its own merits, but I can’t talk about this game without talking about Return of the Obra Dinn, which had a similar sort of ‘fill in the blank’ approach to its mysteries. Golden Idol’s supernatural elements, twists and reveals, and charmingly off-putting art style lend themselves well to one of the most unique games I played this year.

8. SIFU

This is the best rhythm game I played this year. Finding the flow of Sifu’s combat felt like a dance, going from a steady beat to a frenetic scramble in the span of a single missed step. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m a massive sucker for good movement in games, and Sifu’s jives extraordinarily well with its combat and environments. Really, the only problem I had with Sifu was that it felt a bit short - well, and it didn’t quite deliver the challenge I was looking for, but that’s the fault of whoever described it to me as a Soulslike first just because it has, like… a revival mechanic? Also, the first time it transitioned to a side view for a hallway fight, it basically secured a spot on this list.

7. GHOST TRICK

I tried to play through this game in high school, but got stalled out on some puzzle or another. I honestly don’t remember which, but I’m SO glad I came back to it. I’ve always loved Shu Takumi’s writing and character work in the Ace Attorney series; Ghost Trick is just as good, if not better than any individual AA game in that regard. Really, the characters feel like the ones in the AA spinoffs like Investigations, Great Ace Attorney, or the Layton crossover, which are some of the best characters in the series - but with none of the self-defeating energy of having to be largely unimportant to the mainline games. Also, Missile might be the greatest character in video games ever.

6. PARADISE KILLER

Some games make you fervently pitch their merits to friends, hoping that they’ll play it so you can chat with someone who gets it. This is the fate of many detective games, which live and die in the territory of spoilers. There are detective games that try to get around this by having procedurally generated cases or multiple endings with multiple ‘real’ culprits, which can often be antithetical to what makes a detective game truly sing. Paradise Killer’s answer is that not only is it never going to tell you what the truth is, but that ambiguity is the point. The clues never change, and the only objective is to find a truth that satisfies you. All that is made even better by the premise being steeped in synths and neon, with a vibrantly occult cast who are all just the absolute fucking worst.

5. TEARS OF THE KINGDOM

I mean, come on. It’s Tears of the Kingdom. While I’d really hoped for playable Zelda, what we did get of the character was far more moving than whatever her deal usually is. The chasm was an incredible surprise, and since Skyward Sword is one of my favorite Zelda games, I had a ton of fun with the skydive mechanics. There’s also the building system, which managed the near impossible feat of having things control basically how you’d expect them to once you slapped a steering wheel on them. It felt like there was just so much love for the previous games in the series, without being overly reliant on them. If I had to pick a favorite moment in the game, it would have to be during the Wind Temple’s boss fight, when the Dragon Roost Island theme from Wind Waker cut through the track and made me feel like I could have taken on Ganondorf with a tree branch in that moment.

4. PERSONA 5 ROYAL/PERSONA 5 STRIKERS/PERSONA Q2

Is this cheating? Yes. But hear me out. I knew Royal was going to be on the list, and then it turned out that I liked Strikers and Q2 as much, if not more than Royal. While Royal has higher highs, it also has much lower lows - Strikers and Q2 don’t engage in nearly as much of the weak parts of Royal. But they also don’t function even a little bit without it. Strikers dragged in the gameplay department a little bit, but I loved being able to play as every Phantom Thief - and Q2 was such a vast improvement over Q1 in pretty much every department. So my number four spot on my top ten games of the year is ‘every game I played this year that has Akira Kurusu in it.’ So, since I started Tactica, maybe that counts too… and if you want to be technical, I think I played a few rounds of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in June, so I guess that has the number four spot too.

3. ARMORED CORE 6

In 2023, I really and truly entered my mech era. I built Gunpla this year, I started playing in a really fun new Lancer campaign, and I played the shit out of Armored Core 6. I’d never played one before, but I was hooked from the tutorial boss alone. I beat the game once and, at the advice of a few friends, started a new game plus run - and before I knew it, I’d already beaten it again. I’ll do a third run too, at some point. Once I learned the all-consuming power of the pile bunker, I was out there decimating the arena foes like nothing else - and, once I figured out how to time out my missile strikes, I managed to slam through 75% of the final boss’ health in a single blow. That was the single most satisfying hit of this year across any game. Oh, and - keep an eye out, because I have a hankering to write some Maeterlinck-focused fic at some point. Because I sure do love me my one-off characters.

2. SCARLET NEXUS

Up until the final entry swung through and claimed the top spot, Scarlet Nexus seemed like a complete and total shoo-in for number one. Very few games have ever motivated me to complete them to the degree I did this one, including getting all Steam achievements and a ton of the optional content in game you don’t need for that. Kasane and Yuito are endearing protagonists with cool powers, genuine flaws, and vastly different outlooks. There were some plot threads from chapter one I thought had been dropped, but as it turns out they were only really dropped in Kasane’s story, and were far more focused on in Yuito’s, while he didn’t engage with most of her whole deal until the endgame. She spends most of her story dealing with causality and time travel, and he doesn’t even know time travel is a thing at all until there’s maybe 25% of the game left. And at the end, it still manages to feel complete coming from either side. The supporting cast is extremely strong, too, and the way powers flow together make the fights feel dynamic, fun, and tie to the themes of combining disparate people to make things better for everyone - to stop holding onto the past and strive for a better future, no matter how much work it takes.

1. 13 SENTINELS: AEGIS RIM

You should play this game. There’s no two ways about it. It’s a severely underrated title with incredible art, writing, gameplay, voice acting - 13 Sentinels fires on all cylinders. It’s half visual novel walkarounds with the occasional puzzle, exploring the individual stories of the thirteen protagonists across a variety of genres. One character is doing 80s high school movie hijinks with his exposition-loving best friend, while another is trying to solve the disappearance of her best friend. Said best friend is engaging in escapades with a small alien just like her favorite UFO movies, and a fourth guy entirely is doing Blade Runner shit. At one point, there’s a character who has appeared fairly infrequently and finally becomes available to play, and when he appears on the select screen, he’s standing in front of a sea of flames while the other characters typically appear in front of schoolrooms, city streets, their own homes. The emotional beat when you click through and hear him start talking about how he’s proud to be enlisting as a Japanese soldier in 1944 is one of the strongest in the game. Each story weaves around another and provides further depth to events you’ve already seen, while the entire chronological story is combined into a single timeline of events you’re free to look at whenever. But then, on the other side of the game from the character stories, you have the fights - or, rather, the fight. Because the combat side of things all takes place within  pretty much a single day - a grueling, nonstop battle where the characters must drive away wave after wave after wave of invaders without letting even a single one through. Each has their own mechs and certain special abilities that gear them for different scenarios, and if you want to experience everything, you have to bounce back and forth between the stories and the fighting, constantly unlocking aspects of the other. The biggest problem with the game is just choice paralysis - there’s so much to do, it’s hard to know where to start. But once you’re able to bite into it, chipping away at the Gordian plot rewards you with a deeply moving story about the plight of a generation thrust into a ceaseless strife, burdened by the heavy expectations of their predecessors to finally solve it and the even heavier feeling that there just are no answers to find in the first place. And also, there are sick as fuck giant mechs. I told you I was in my mech era this year.

[fuzedatti]

hi there!! first of all, love your art, your line work skill and how dynamic you make your characters is incredible. second, i found your blog through your Lucifer and Paimon redesigns, so i wanted to ask if you had any design advice for someone who isn’t pagan?

I’m a born and raised Christian, so I’ve never really been allowed to look at demonic, wiccan, or pagan stuff, but i find it so cool. Paganism is absolutely awesome and i can say much better things about it’s practitioners than my own religion’s given that i’ve never met a hateful or judgy pagan.

Anyway, I noticed in your Paimon redesign that you said he was your Patron, which is, again, awesome, and you depicted him as a fox and a middle eastern man because that’s how he presented himself to you and others.

I guess the long and short of this ask is how can someone like me who isn’t in touch with paganism best artistically depict these beings?You drew from personal religious experience to design him, which is awesome!! I’ve never seen him depicted as a fox anywhere else, but i trust you know your Patron better than whoever wrote his Wiki page. Given that I can’t connect like that, I guess i’m just wondering if there are, like, pagan run websites where i can learn from actual practitioners? Somewhere with actual, reliable information about pagan culture and how your Patrons present themselves in the modern day? Paganism has a bad rep cause of Christianity, so I’m always a bit concerned that when i’m doing research (which usually only leads to biblical websites) it’ll be biased or paint the deity wrong.

I don’t wanna just say “oh this is my oc now i’m gonna do what i want with them” because i think that’s just really disrespectful to do with a figure from a practiced religion. I wouldn’t want someone to bastardize my God by oc-ifying him, so I don’t wanna poorly represent someone else’s deity.

anyway i’m sorry if this is a lot, i’m a character designer and i’m gradually working my way through the Ars Goetia demons and i want to make sure to represent them as well as possible. If this is too long and/or you just don’t wanna answer it on your blog, i totally understand. If you wanna message me about anything at all in response to this instead of replying to this ask, that’d also be extremely appreciated. If you wanna just ignore this, that is also completely fine and i will not be personally offended. If this in any way made you uncomfortable or bothered you at all, i’m truly sorry as that was never my intention. I’m just looking to learn more about your religion and practices from a reliable source.

If you got to this point, thank you so much for reading all of that (again, i’m so sorry it’s so long) and I hope you have a good day/night!!

This is a pretty long but amazing question.

Please do not apologize, your question was sincere and came from a place of genuine doubt that is open to learn.

First of all, if you want me to answer any other Occult-related questions please send them to side blog! @sonofstarsnsea. Also thank you so much for the compliments! Line work is my favorite part of my art process, and I have never been told my characters are dynamic, it is truly awsome someone thinks of my art that way.

REGARDING PAGAN/OCCULT DESIGNS

It is very nice of you to think on depth on how to make your designs more interesting and unique via research, since not a lot of people do that and just go away with the first thing that they come off with (Netflix's Lucifer ☠️).

You can absolutely design characters based off pagan/occult beigns! Asking us (occultists/pagans) about these matters is actually the best thing you can do, because you are getting unique and personal ideas that can be translated into amazing stories.

Actually, my Stolas' redesign is based on one of my friends' experience with him, so even inside our circles we can ask for advice regarding artistic matters.

BE MINDFUL: CULTURAL APPROPIATION

Unfortunately, as much as I wish for outsiders to see and appreciate the unseen religions, there are going to be people who will take anything they see as theirs and won't do a more in-depth research.

I remember someone asking me to redesign Lilith, and while I could do that, I didn't (and still don't) feel comfortable doing it. Why? Because Lilith is a closed-practice deity from Judaism. I am not jewish nor I am planning into converting into judaism, thats why I keep a respectful distance from those designs/characters and leave them for those who actually have a say/voice into the matter.

There are other closed practices such as the Kabbalah, Voodou, etc; that you can encounter but it is better to respect it and leave it only to those who practice.

So when designing pagan/occult characters or stories ask yourself: Are these beigns from a closed practice? Am I representing them in a respectful way?

But most importantly listen to those who are part of those practices.

RELIABLE SOURCES: WHEN INFORMATION IS NOT TRUSTFUL

Even I struggle to get information and I take everything I read/hear with a grain of salt.

I personally love watching ESOTERICA on YouTube; he is a jewish scholar who focuses on the studies of the occult, esoterism and spirituality with an academic perspective. He doesn't really talk much about the Ars Goetia (although he does have some videos on it) but he explores Hermetic magic and Gnotisism, maybe that could help you!

I feel this channel should be a great start for you.

Regarding other sources, always use critical thinking and here on Tumblr there are actually good sources/masterposts you can look up to!

I hope this answer helped you.

[ironpatriot2099]

Bad to the bone

story inspired by the chapter of the same name of power ranger jungle fury.

Today has been a horrible day, first I had to take care of everything in the pizzeria because I don't know how to say no, I faced an attack by a greasy pig monster, then my friends laugh at my good girl attitude and to top it off there was an attack by a porcupine monster that pierced me with many painful thorns, what else can go wrong today.

time later at the base

well lily I think that was the last thorn, do you feel any more they are poisonous you have to remove them all

-I still feel one that RJ didn't remove, but the sensation it causes in my body feels incredible- no that's all I'm fine

relax lily it's only for your health

Don't meddle in what you don't care about little blue balls

wow relax lily that was really rude, I think you owe Theo an apology

you are also with me

giving orders today, I'm tired of your pathetic complaints, well I'm out of here.

It feels good to no longer listen to the moans of those assholes for not behaving like a good idiot, two shoes for a change, what's more, I don't want to be that kind of girl anymore. I like to be bad and I won't change for any bastard, but not seeing me I look like a bad girl in these stupid martial arts pajamas I'm wearing, need to make some style changes.

a theft of a motorcycle and new clothes, later

Lily with her new style went to have fun like a bad girl at a biker bar, after the fifth beer she felt that she was missing something, which she would soon satisfy

This is life, without anyone telling me what to do.

hello baby I saw you here alone drinking and she asked me if you want to join me to have fun.

Lily was going to fuck the subject but when she realized how sexy he was  and the big bundle that she kept in her pants she decided to accept his offer

It will be a pleasure, stud

in less than 5 minutes lily and the biker were fucking loud and rude in the bathroom

ah ah ah, that she feels good, come on, stick it harder, she destroys my pussy with your cock

I had never met a virgin as whore as you

Ah, ah, well I'm not a stupid virgin anymore thanks to you.

They continued like this for a couple of hours, without realizing that her morpher was ringing constantly, after they finished Lily kissed her new fuck friend goodbye and added him to her contacts, only to see all the missed calls from his morpher

apparently the pair of useless can't do anything without me, I think I have to go help them... after buying weed and getting some tattoos and piercings

When Lily arrived at the battlefield, she only found the porcupine monster badly wounded and her two friends dead.

pathetic, well it's time to finish the job these two couldn't, well thorny it's time to have fun pulling out your thorns.

After doing her job and removing their morphers from the corpses of the dis ex-ragers, Lily returned to the base.

Lily, where have you been, I'm very worried, I can't contact the boys, because they're not with you and what happened to you because you look like that, you look like a criminal, answer me

Already fed up with Fran's moans, in one quick movement I nailed one of the monster's thorns.

Don't worry, Fran, it hurts at first, but soon you'll see life like me.

and as lily said, soon fran became a mean biker like her.

After breaking her kiss between them, Lily gave the red morpher to Fran.

ok cutie now you're the red ranger my red ranger it's time to take this world for ourselves and mold it in my image we just have to find whoever is blue and i have the perfect stud for that.

While Lily called the cell phone of the guy who fucked her to recruit him and have a night of wild sex for the three of them, humanity could not imagine the dark fate that lies ahead at the hands of these three.

End

[starlightsearches]

Valentine's tag game 💗

thanks for the tags @theold-ultraviolence and @waywardrose, and happy valentines day loves!!

The most painful love crush/disappointment in life?

I've never cared that much about romantic relationships, so definitely the most painful disappointments have been from friendships breaking down. I had a very close friend for more than 10 years, and the end of that friendship was so incredibly hard on me, although I'm much better now :0)

What was your first real date like/what do you imagine your first real date like?

I went to prom my Sophmore year of high school with a boy I had maybe said 10 words to total before he asked me to prom. "Promposals" were really big at my school at the time, and I had to have a friend ask him if he actually was asking me to prom because the way he did it was kind of convoluted. The actual date wasn't so bad, although we did find a dirty diaper on the dance floor???

What would be the most awkward situation for you on a date/has happened to you while dating?

I had a friend who asked me on a date and I was pressured to go, but I did not want to. It ended up being a group date with a mutual friend of ours (the one who pressured me to say yes) and her boyfriend.

Like an hour before we were supposed to go on the date, the boy who asked me called me up and said that nobody could get into contact with our mutual friend and asked if I had heard from her. After like an hour she finally picked up her phone and did not get what the big deal was that she made us an hour late and also did not answer any of her texts or calls. We went to this art museum exhibition, but because we were so late it was super crowded and we could hardly get around. I was sick to my stomach the entire time and counting down the minutes until I could go home.

In the end we went back to his place to watch Spirited Away and my friend and her boyfriend fell asleep on his floor. We didn't finish more than like half of the movie before he asked me if I just wanted to go home.

What was your first kiss like/what do you imagine your first kiss to be like?

I'm part of the never-been-kissed club, but at this point it's gonna be something silly and casual with a friend ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do you have any sexual quirks that others would find strange/is there anything you would never do when it comes to sex?

lol my friends and I all took the BDSM quiz and they were all surprised that I scored so high on bondage, so that's one. Voyeurism is hot to me, too.

And I'm really not into pet play. Collars and leashes are cool, but that's about where I tap out.

Kinkiest thing you've done/could do with a partner?

Literally a straight man's dream because I'm super in to anal. I'm also gonna steal Irma's answer and say using a double-ended dildo 👀

The most romantic thing ever?

hmmmmmmmm, i don't know. just having somebody who wants to be around me :0)

Tagging: whoever wants to join!

[myevilmouse]

Hi,

I always love visiting your blog, and @jedimordsith as well—a nice diversion after stressful real life, and such😜 Thank you for all the posts/fics/etc.

I’m not sure if anyone takes any requests, or if you’d know of any particular fics with scenes/plot-lines of what I wish I could find (short of writing them myself at some point…). 1) I love ‘BrokeBack Mountain’—just wondering if there’s ever been a Thrawn/Luke pairing featuring a similar kind of *enemies to (reluctant) friends/lovers* sort of weave. Ideally, set post RotJ. Maybe set as a spliced-in alternative/additional scene during the original Thrawn trilogy—they’re stuck on a planet, or crash-land, whatever—as Luke is trying to find some sort of gadget/weapon/plot-prop/whatever, before Thrawn/Empire can reach it. In the pursuit of our dashing Jedi, Thrawn ends up stuck on the same planet—a hostile environment (for whatever reason of the author’s conceiving)—requiring both Luke and Thrawn to eventually form an uneasy/ambivalent alliance in order to survive, and escape said planet…and amid the various perils they’re forced to navigate in order to survive, well, you know—stuff goes ‘BrokeBack Mountain’…

2) Additional potential fun-random scene, of little narrative value other than pure imaginative indulgence:

I can never get enough of the dance scene from the movie ‘Freida’/2002 (about the immortal Kahlo, and her relationship DiegoRivera…), where Diego and Antonio Banderas’s character get into some increasingly heated bro-debate on art-crit/socio-political theories, and Ashley Judd’s character basically corks the 2 Males by plopping a bottle of tequila in front of them, and daring whoever can drink the most will get the prize of getting to dance with her. And of course, Salma Hayek’s Freida swaggers on over, ends up out-drinking both the Menz, and proceeds to perform that eye-scorching tango with AshleyJudd’s character, set to Lila Downs’s voice in the background. While the Menz just kinda sit there, jaw-dropped and boon-doggled, the way men (and women) will when 2 incredibly sexy, intelligent, confident Ladies command the space, and the moment, around them, while sensuously diffusing a tense situation. Is there any fic that shows MaraJade with another equally charismatic/kick-A$$ woman, in a similar scenario-set-up, maybe in a dive-bar/tavern, maybe in front of Luke-Lando-TalonKarrde (hell, even Thrawn??—setting of Imperials vs NewRepublics in a scene like Casablanca with the French and Germans—lol)—and for the love of Wookiees, if there’s no fic featuring a scene like that, that you, in your vast repertoire of StarWars knowledge may know of, might anyone of such writing skills as you/JediMordsith embody (and anyone else wanting to try…) indulge this poor, beseeching fanGrrl?? I mean that mostly joking—I know peeps are busy, but just thought I’d inquire, and maybe plant a plot-bunny wish…

thanks for reading this whenever you have a chance, if you’re so inclined—and thanks for all-y’alls awesome blogs🙏😘

Hi!  Thank you so much for this message/ask @chicagosavant! @jedimordsith and I definitely appreciate knowing that our fics/posts bring joy to a stressful day and you are very welcome to come ogle with me and my pervy friends anytime at the wonder that is Luke the smexy Jedi and Thrawn the dashing demagogue.

This is a little long though so follow me below the cut! 

So I crowd-sourced your ideas with some fandom friends so you have the benefit of multiple minds behind this answer 😁

Unfortunately for these great scenarios you have, I don’t really read or write slash (m/m) or femslash (f/f) in general.  Nothing wrong with it, but I’m painfully heterosexual and it just doesn’t melt my butter.  Since fanfic is for fun, I just explore those ships with EXTREMELY limited exceptions (such as my Thranto quadruple drabble or hinting at Luke/dude in random drabbles).

So for your first idea, I think your best bet for the kind of scenario you describe (not really Brokeback Mountain but more like reluctant allies to lovers type thing) would be to explore Ezra/Thrawn fics and Thranto (Eli Vanto/Thrawn) fics.  nu!canon Thrawn is more likely to go on missions than Legends!Thrawn (who would probably just send an underling) so maybe explore post 2017-Thrawndom.  Most of the Luke/Thrawn stuff on AO3 is not really my jam (some mpreg!), but but I can tell you that the best Thrawn/Luke content I’ve read is in the Triumvirate AU series, which you can explore here.

It’s Luke/Mara/Thrawn and sometimes Luke/Mara/Thrawn/Pryce and there is some specific Luke/Thrawn content in the fics that @celinamarniss writes in particular that you will probably enjoy, like this one and this one.

As a totally unrelated aside, I actually did a Trigun dubbed movie trailer to Brokeback Mountain 100 years ago you can watch here.

As for the second idea, regarding a recreation of the dance scene in Frida, it’s unlikely to come from my pen, but it’s definitely a sexy moment/concept for a fic.

There is plenty of Leia/Mara that feature sexy confident intelligent women getting it on, maybe even dancing (tags are great for finding stuff like that…but I only found one dancing tag in my search).  I ALSO found you a Mara/Jyn dancing ficlet.

Since you are putting these plot bunnies out into the world, it’s possible that some awesome talented writer will take these on and write exactly the fic you want to read.  Maybe consider doing a dedicated “plot bunny” post offering them up to a good home?

The reality is most fic writers have full plates and too many ideas and too little time, so you can always do the default option, and tackle these great ideas yourself!  Write the fic you want to see in the world.  You can then keep it private for your own enjoyment or share it with everyone else to spread the sexy, either option is a win!  Thank you again for the ask!  I wish you lots of luck and happy reading (or writing!)!

[hamatosami]

Prisoner-

Chapter 1

Notes: Still trying to figure everything out, but I wanted a new space to write smaller things and hopefully reach a new audience.

For those who follow me on quotev, I’ll shortly be posting my edited version of Eternal Flame on here as well for everyone to enjoy!

Here’s my first little story💙

(ALL OF MY STORIES ARE 18+ MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, GORE, DARK THEMES)

Please read responsibly 🫶🏼

I opened my eyes and all could see was… well… nothing. Before my brain could even fathom what happened, I felt my head thump hard against my skull.

“Fuccckkkkkk” I moaned. My throat was incredibly sore and dry. Lips chapped beyond repair. It hurt to stretch my mouth open. I knew just from that, that it had been days since I’ve had any water…

It was dark… so fucking dark.

I tried to piece together what had happened, like an old drunken memory, but slowly the pieces began to fit together.

I was on a mission. A mission to find out further what the foot was up to. A new drug flooded the city and it was taking lives by the second. After spending months tracking down the dealers, the common denominator lead me right back to foot head quarters.

Surprise surprise. They were only responsible for nearly ALL of the cities jacked up crimes.

Some might call it being a vigilante. I call it my nighttime hobby away from my 9-5 office job.

After years of studying martial arts and a few bad relationships, I needed something to keep me busy and keep me out of trouble….

Ironically enough I ended up in deep trouble.

And by trouble I mean being held as a prisoner by the foot.

This was the first time they ever caught me. I knew it would happen at some point or another. But not like this.

Part of me liked the thrill. I was fearless of a lot. It was always a dark problem I never delt with.

I pulled on my restraints trying to figure out where they were hooked.

My arms burned like hell. They must have held me here for a few days.

My head fell hard against the cold hard concrete. I was sore everywhere. I really took a beating.

My breath was heavy… where ever I was it was cold. My lungs stung and I was barely clothed. I only had on a black tank and jeans. They managed to take away my boots and jacket.

I heard a rustling to my right. There was no way I wasn’t alone.

“Who’s there.” I sounded weaker than I wanted to.

My eyes slowly adjusted to see a figure.

I’m sorry.

A very LARGE figure chained up to my right. Maybe like 6 foot tall. He was chained against the wall as I was.

My body slightly jumped when he opened his eyes.

Are… are his eyes… glowing?!

A remarkable blue, the color of blue topaz unlike any color I’ve seen before. As human like as they were, the way they glowed amung the darkness was supernatural.

“Hello?” I said again to no answer. But his gaze continued to cut me like a knife. It was almost threatening.

He was shackled up the same as I was. Clearly we were on the same team in some way or another. As terrifying as his gaze was, everything in my gut told me I was safe. As odd as that sounds. I looked up to the singular window with bars high above us.

“We’re in a basement.” I said to myself.

That meant the only way out was up.

I already began formulating ideas to get out. Slightly enjoying the puzzle in my head.

The figures eyes followed mine. He then shook his head and huffed.

I looked at him again… if I was going to make it out, whoever my cell mate was would have to be the one to help me out.

“What?” I questioned again. In slight annoyance that he wouldn’t speak. But that’s just the demanding part of my personality.

“You really think you can get through those titanium bars?” His voice struck me like a thunder bolt. Smooth as hell, but it held so much authority.

I didn’t take his sarcasm well.

“We’ll do you have any better ideas?” I began yanking on the restraints.

His eyes being the only thing I could see, clearly shifted from stern to worrysome. He let out another huff and I heard him shift from one side to the next.

Maybe he wasn’t my best choice in an allie.

He shifted to where the moonlight casted through the window. And his skin was… green

Green skin?! I had to be dreaming. I followed my eyes down his body to only see three fingers and toes. And a giant ass shell?!

Then it clicked.

Oh it fucking clicked big time.

I heard rumors for months about turtle vigilantes that roamed the city. I just never believed it was true.

I spent months trying to track them down. And after so many losses and no real leads I gave up and tossed the idea as a made up fairy tail.

I know earlier I said that not much phased me… buutttt being locked in a cell with a big ole turtle might do it.

My eyes trailed back up to see his eyes reflecting into mine.

“Turtle… mutant…” I stuttered. “Ninja.”

A slight boyish chuckle escaped his breath, making me feel somewhat at ease of the situation.

“We’ll when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous.” He huffed.

“I’ve heard stories… about you saving the city.”

He slightly smiled.

“So you’re a fan.” He said amused. “Most people just scream.”

I ignored his comment.

“How did you end up down here?” I questioned.

“Same way you did. Wrong place at the wrong time.” He looked at me fiercely. “What were you doing snooping at the headquarters anyways?”

I paused. I almost felt like I was getting scolded.

“Comatose. I’ve been trying to take the foot down from it for months.”

He snuffed hard. Like a father who was disappointed at their kid.

“Those things aren’t for you to worry about. That’s how you get killed.”

A devilish laugh escapes my mouth.

“There’s not much Im afraid of.” I said turning my head towards the turtle again. His eyes were as serious as stone.

“I saw them hurt you…” he said plainly.

I remembered distinctly getting a beat down from some Japanese chick. She was good I’ll give her that. It definitely motivated for me to practice my fighting skills more.

“It happens sometimes.” I sighed. “its the sacrifice I make to help the city. Even if it means I die. I don’t have anything to live for anymore.”

He didnt continue the conversation, but instead changed it.

“Leonardo.” He cleared his throat. “But call me Leo.”

Leonardo.

It had a nice ring to it. It was a cute name.

“Y/N” I introduced. “Sorry it’s not under better circumstances.”

He smiled.

“My team should be working on getting me out of here. We just have to hold tight until they do.” He reassured. He took a long painful sigh. “I’m glad you’re awake Y/N.”

Thank you so much for reading!!! Should I make a part 2???

Like and comment for more content:)

Sincerely, Sami 💙💙💙

[sunsrefuge]

2, 4, and 10 of the gw2 asks? For whoever you want :)

@commanderfloppy

Quinn!! QUINNIE !! okay okay, so. Important context about Quinn: she’s in my personal AU, but under Commander Phoenix! :D 'Saoirse Quinn' is AU’s where she doesn’t end up the Commander!! She doesn’t get tested on so she doesn't get amnesia, so there are some key differences but she’s still my little blorbo <3 <3 <3

Bonus: since I let Spotify pick for me via music, so here’s what came up that made me think of her!! Mainly, this always makes me think of Quinn and her brother Ambrose !! <3 <3 <3 they’re very close and i love them to Death !!! (Ambrose is, ofc, owned by @mavelleofdawn !! there's art of him guys. art !! he's a cutiepie i love him sm !!)

And would you save the stinging bee, If it fell into the ocean? Yes I would, I'd pull it out, Like a brother to a sister.

Dear Sister, Your Brother by Meg Lynch & Talain Rayne

2. What class would your character just absolutely blow at?

I feel like mesmer… On one hand: she gets kinda tormented by a mesmer during her childhood, (in most AU’s at least,) so she’s pretty scared of them already, and on the other hand: I feel like mesmer requires some sense of a delicate hand. It’s shown to be very graceful and effective, but most effective when gone about with some kind of elegance and self-assurance… Quinn has neither of those, naturally. :’D She’s so incredibly reckless and so very physical in fights - she would die as a mesmer so fast akjshdush

4. Assuming they're a commander, how close were they really to Destiny's Edge? To Trahearne?

This is true for her Commander AU’s and non-Commander AU’s where she still ends up in the Pact: She sees Destiny’s Edge as these huge, big shot heroes, but she sees Trahearne as an absolute nerd, phrased in the most affectionate way possible! So, not very close to DE on a personal level at all, but very close to Trahearne! She feels like she has to either impress DE, or stay way the fuck out of their way. With Trahearne, he reminds her a lot of her brother Artemas (@/mavelleofdawn again! ^^) so he’s gonna get the brotherly treatment!! that’s just how it is!! She’d gently prank him sometimes and tease him about things, but ultimately she’d listen to him pretty well because he does know what he’s talking about! (The same goes for her relationship with Artemas <3)

10. Would/does knowing their backstory change how people (in general but also Tyria at large) view them?

It depends on the AU!!

In my personal stuff, where she's separated from the rest of the Teelings (</3) she ends up an orphan in DR. Adopted by Noble family that she runs away from because they're terrible and the "mom" only got her to hide the fact that their young daughter got murdered by their son,,, whoopsie !! But uh, that backstory is pretty tragic and anyone who knows it tends to pity her, which she hates, so she hides her background a lot!

Per my AU's with @/mavelleofdawn (well, most of them at least!) - Quinn gets stolen back from the Noble family by her older siblings!! They uh. split ways at one point because haha brotherly issues am i right?? but Quinn sticks with Ambrose for the most part! ... im now realizing that there are vague ideas beyond that but nothing solid... are there AU's she joins him in the Aetherblades?? :thinking: that could be fun-- OH!! but to answer the question!! Her background still sounds rough, and i think it'd still get her some pity from people for the rough childhood, but in those AU's she's got a lot more going on so she's less likely to notice akhdashdkaj

[desguavel]

I came across your most recent poem about the "deer" and from there I decided to move on to see if you had any other works which I was pleased to find. I have a few questions that if you could answer I would be pleased! Maybe simply answering if the poems are about yourself or the characters in the art would suffice, but I will ask about each individual piece. These are thoughts and interpretations about your work and you are free to respond if you so please.

*When I use "you" it also applies to character or whoever*

First, in "NATURE KNOWS YOU'RE WAITING", it seems to be the character falls in love near the beach. The rush of emotions are highlighted with the "then after" multiple times over. You then go to talk about crisis. Is crisis a person or the reintroduction of feelings when one is in love? From there on, you introduce "him". His smell, the way he held you and the reminiscence of his touch in that moment in time. " I've asked this before, near the rocks", to me feels like a personal touch that maybe is only applicable to you/ the character. A very alluring poem that leaves a lot for the reader to fill in and even empathize.

In your first piece about the deer and their introduction to your life. It seems as if that 'crisis' you mentioned in your first poem has had its effects on you. It seems like in that moment, it left you longing and maybe even hurt. Maybe it even spiraled into a form of dissonance within yourself. "There is an inclination to run. I’m a longing type, and recently a nostalgic type, so I pine for a person I used to be." goes to reiterate to feel like you did a few months/years back. Does nostalgia play a huge roll in your life now?

In the most recent post continuing the deer, you mention a "manipulator" is this the deer or someone else? You then go to explain the vulnerability that you/the deer faces, but this time there is caution after being "hit". What does the deer remind you of? What importance does it have on what you were "holding on to"? Your love to the deer in the 3rd paragraph is exceptional and it shows the symbolism it has transformed into for you.

Again, these are just thoughts and I just want to say thanks for posting your work!

First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to look over my work and for formulating these thoughts in response to them. Your curiosity is appreciated, and in a beautiful way holding me accountable for what I post. 

I'm going to be honest, I've been chipping away at this response and I haven't gotten far. I'm not very good at letting others know what exactly I did or meant to do (at least not coherently). I don't mean to come off pretentious, but a lot of this runs through me and I hang on to it just a little less unresolved. It takes me a long time to come around, and since I'm still dealing with some of these ideas/feelings/motions it's taking me a lot longer to get to a point where these ideas are super clear.

The poems are about myself, and I'm pretty much talking. I'm describing, introducing, and responding to persons.

Crisis is both, you were right on the money. Represents my boyfriend, and my reintroduction. The scene and my response are so incredibly vivid to me. The rest of the poem there after is a response to his promises, and his washing over. I'm still very sensitive to this part of my life, and it definitely comes back to me as a bodily response.

I'm not going to get very specific responding to the next poems due to how sensitive I feel towards them, and there is also a lot of context to them. You're correct in assuming the effects of the 'crisis', and yes nostalgia plays a big role in my life right now. I miss a lot of how I was and have shared with people how "dim" I've been left. There is a brightness and relationship with humanness I miss. I'm very scared now.

The deer is me: fearful, skittish, curious, cautious. The manipulator is also me, fearful projections led by voices of abandonment and loneliness. What "I'm holding on to" is the 'crisis' and what led to said 'crisis'. The deer is the person after the fact.

Your thoughts have reassured me, and I'm grateful for how accurately you've read them. Tells me that at least I'm coherent, or that these pieces and words read. Thank you.

[potatolordofficial]

I posted 9,519 times in 2022

That's 9,382 more posts than 2021!

69 posts created (1%)

9,450 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@awellboiledicicle

@kitchenelf

@multi-lefaiye

@wherearetheplants

@albatris

I tagged 500 of my posts in 2022

#dracula - 58 posts

#friend art - 50 posts

#destiny 2 - 47 posts

#ask game - 35 posts

#ask game answers - 34 posts

#goncharov - 33 posts

#unreality - 21 posts

#ref - 19 posts

#inferno wip - 15 posts

#multi lefaiye - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#gordon introduces himself as a confirmed bachelor and dante is working through language and cultural barriers as well as brain damage

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Gonna begin asking people who post about transandrophobia not being a thing if they were aphobes in 2016

6 notes - Posted October 16, 2022

#4

bc ive been playing minecraft a lot lately on my brother's realm i've got a map mod so i can see the surrounding region and boy howdy so we're on the tundra island right, we've lovingly named it antarctica

here’s the map for reference

i thought 'hey, i wonder what's around us' and went exploring found a lot of continents (or so i thought) so i went further, realized they're all part of one  supercontinent that's surrounding us, and we're in an inland sea

another interesting note, there are a lot of shipwrecks, ocean monuments, underwater ruins, ruined nether portals, all those things none of them are on or around antarctica so whoever came before us did not settle at all on this island, and i don't know why there are a couple little villages, so it's hospitable to villagers, but not to whatever our precursors were

6 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

#3

Hey bestie it's me here to hand deliver a gas station blorbos ramble!!! Thank you for your participation!! Okay so I had to think a little about something I don't think I've told you about already (<3), and I think I will tell you about one of the original creepypastas that I love and adore. It's about the time Jack and Jerry get kidnapped by an old classmate of Jack's.

So the whole thing is about like. This guy, Beaux, kidnapped these two to sacrifice them and summon an ancient god. Thing is, he doesn't know what he's doing, and they're both unafraid and unimpressed. They spend most of the time heckling him, while he gets more and more agitated.

A running joke here is that Beaux is like. Incredibly racist and nasty. He believes people of color are the reason for all of his problems and he's the epitome of a white cishet man with a persecution/victim complex. I have no pity for him.

Anyway Beaux thinks he kills the part-timer he kidnapped with them, but the part-timer wakes up, punches him in the face, and runs away. Beaux fails to catch him, and he has a fit about how Jack and Jerry are being so difficult and his life has been nothing but suffering. Eventually, Beaux decides to sacrifice himself to summon the god, but he's too afraid to go through with it.

Jerry very enthusiastically offers to kill Beaux instead--Beaux wants to die and Jerry wants to kill him, so it's a win-win! And Beaux accepts. He lets Jerry out, boasting about how Jerry could never have the guts to hurt someone, and Jerry cuts him off by shooting him in the leg. The god comes and drags Beaux to another dimension, and Jerry stops it from taking him and Jack too by peeing on the portal. I'm not kidding.

Anyway yeah Jack and Jerry get to go home with minimal injury!!!

I’m fucking honking what is this series

6 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

#2

p,,, perhaps Dante with 👔?

perhaps...

his daughter gave him the shirt and he loves it

8 notes - Posted October 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

[points at you] tell me about a blorbo. you have ten seconds /s

(jokes aside hi i want to hear about ur ocs pls and thank u, i just don't have specific questions in mind)

Blorbo…

Anyway I’m gonna talk about Renfield bc he’s always on my mind so, cw for body horror, cannibalism, and corpse talk under the cut

Ren is from Inferno, and is the ‘mouser’ in Gordon’s Ridge, the main town the story takes place in. By mouser I mean he eats rats and mice after chasing them on all fours.

He’s not human! In-text no one is sure what he is (except his partner Jordan). He’s actually a parasitic worm that’s attached to the brain of his dead bf. Because of this, he looks anemic and kind of waxy. Like a bad embalming job.

Worms need to eat flesh to survive, and often eat people; they don’t see the issue and don’t distinguish between meats. They’re not human, after all, so that’s not part of their outlook.

He’s also not fully developed; worms like him live in large colonies where they all work to protect the egg clutches and stores of corpses kept preserved for the new worms to live in. However, he was separated from his family in 1700s Britain during one of the Jacobite wars (I can’t remember if I ever specified exactly) and began wandering trying to find them.

Instead he found his first partner, Justin, (who belongs to my partner) who later died, and Renfield switched his old corpse out for his boyfriend’s in an attempt to save him. It didn’t work.

Eventually he stowed away across the Atlantic and ended up in Boston in the 1800s, where he met Jordan. They entered a relationship and, when Jordan left their home, the two headed west.

Ren is very animated, and is mostly gentle, he loves petting soft animals, playing in the dirt, and basking. Another worm has referred to him as a ‘lamb with fangs’, as the gentle aspects of his personality contrast the part where he needs to hunt to survive, and is very good at killing.

He tries to befriend people, but humans interacting with him have their fight or flight response triggered because of the way he moves is just outside of normal for the human brain. Inhumans (the term for supernatural creatures) don’t have this problem.

Also! He just didn't have a name for a while, either he wasn't given one or he forgot it, but he just didn't have a name for a while (he probably went by pseudonyms). Then Jordan read Dracula to him and he latched onto the name Renfield. (as an in-universe reason why he's named that when in reality i named him that as a joke)

12 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

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