#with highly likely no satisfying outcome

[spinningblueberry]

okay turns out that being extremely fatigued after work and being unable to do most basic tasks when arriving home isn't the norm and I am not just lazy...

Will make an doctors appointment tomorrow even if I really don't want to 😭

[prokopetz]

Metroidvania where each upgrade modifies or disables a particular form of game-mechanical bounds-checking.

For example, one upgrade might disable underflow checking for the player character's heath meter; most damage sources only inflict one "unit" of damage (assume a very coarse-grained health system, like Legend of Zelda hearts), so this isn't terribly useful in the general case, but against any damage source which inflicts 2+ health units in one go this can be exploited to make your health wrap back around to full if the final value would be negative. Apart from its situational applicability in fights against bosses with highly damaging attacks, this also serves as the game's equivalent of a hellrun mitigator; damaging environments knock off two units of health per tick, so as long as you ensure that your current health value is always an odd number it will just keep wrapping around indefinitely.

Another upgrade might uncap the player character's falling velocity. Mostly this just lets you get places quicker, but in locations where it's possible to fall long distances it can get you going fast enough to clip into the floor. The game's progression logic explicitly incorporates these floor clips, and several areas are gated by long vertical shafts with one-tile-thick floors at the bottom where the only way to pass is to use your uncapped fall speed to clip through.

Late in the game you pick up an upgrade which disables flag checking for scripted events, making all events available regardless of whether you've satisfied their prerequisites or not. This is mainly useful for completionists, since it allows map areas gated behind "permanently missable" flags to be freely explored during the 100% cleanup phase, but it also grants access to several events whose prerequisites are impossible to satisfy during normal play, including story events which require multiple mutually exclusive outcomes to have happened simultaneously. The narrative implications of this are not addressed.

The last upgrade, of course, disables the map position check that automatically kills the player character if they're out of bounds. This is necessary to reach the final boss.

[astraystayyh]

Breathe

hyunjin x photographer!reader. friends to lovers with so so much tension and pining. hyunjin is too pretty (yet again). suggestive in the end and reader is wearing a dress. inspired by Bathtub hyunjin.

thank you hyunjin yet again for being my eternal muse and inspiring this brainrot. wrote this while listening to All mine by plaza so.. please enjoy <333 feedback is highly appreciated 🫶🏻

Is it possible to drown in the depths of your emotions, until breathing becomes a forgotten process, one that eludes each one of your senses?

Yes, you believe, if standing before a vision of ethereal beauty, as you are now, all encapsulated within Hwang Hyunjin’s being.

The camera slightly shakes in your grasp as you linger by the threshold of the bathroom, eyeing Hyunjin’s silhouette submerged in the waters. He’s sitting inside the bathtub, fingers running through his raven locks, awaiting your return.

He doesn’t seem to notice your presence, nor do you wish him to. Instead, you remain silent by the door, allowing yourself a few seconds to savor the intoxicating aura he exudes.

See, he isn’t doing anything particular, nor is he adorned in anything enticing— a simple white shirt and matching linen pants. And yet, his presence fills the air, compelling oxygen particles to flee from your being, leaving you transfixed, unable to do anything but gaze at him.

“I can feel you staring,” he remarks casually, his eyes still drawn before him as he leans back, tapping the edge of the tub with his ring-clad fingers.

Your heart pulses against your ribs, a dance that the organ knows intimately by now, one that Hyunjin alone can orchestrate. It isn’t the first time he’s had this effect on you, it is a familiar territory you first breached when Minho introduced you to him.

Hyunjin is a friend, but his hands find your waist more times than deemed platonic, and you like his touch much more than you’d like to admit.

“I'm assessing my subject, you know?” A faint grin dances upon your lips as you approach the bathtub. Hyunjin is doing you a favor— you just booked your first photography gig, and your client only has one condition: to shoot it in a bathtub. You wanted to translate your vision to life beforehand, and Hyunjin volunteered to help you.

“And how do I look?” he inquires, his smile a sugary dream that coaxes forth his left dimple. You place your camera gently on the countertop, bending down to inspect him up close.

His eyelids glisten with the golden glitter you delicately applied earlier. His skin is dewy, glistening underneath the warm lightning, and his lips drip crimson, courtesy of the cherry chapstick you carefully tapped into place.

There is always a myriad of visions that come to your mind when you think of Hyunjin— a blazing fire where each flame surges higher towards the heavens, a burning dance of passion and confidence; or a delicate red rose standing resilient in an empty field, vulnerable yet unwavering in its strength.

And now, you see a siren, beckoning mortals with a voice of beauty, ensnaring them with its hypnotic allure, much like he captivates you in this moment.

“You look nice,” you settle on saying, and he playfully pouts, his thumb grazing against your wrist lightly, akin to the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wing. “That's it? You never compliment me properly.”

“Someone’s gotta keep your ego in check,” you shrug, grabbing a dozen of roses and scattering them all around his body. You nod, satisfied with the outcome, finally retrieving your camera.

“Let's start with a simple shot, look at the camera, as you would when seducing someone.”

Instead of looking at the lens, Hyunjin's gaze finds yours first. With a deliberate slowness, his eyes trace the contours of your form, sending delicious shivers down your spine. His pupils dilate, his gaze darkens, before he reluctantly tears his eyes away, finally shifting his focus to the camera.

it takes you a few beats longer to find your voice once again.

“Hold still, one… two… three,” you murmur, capturing a few shots, pausing for a few seconds to admire the warmth of the light bouncing off his honeyed skin. “Perfect.”

“Me or the picture?” he teases, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and you roll yours in response.

“The photographer.”

“You’re right, you're perfect,” he replies simply, and you're momentarily taken aback, your eyes widening slightly. He notices, a small smile playing on his lips as you grab his hand to adjust his pose.

“You aren't allowed to speak anymore,” you declare, guiding his index finger to his lips while his head rests on his other curled fist. He grins, before his expression morphs into a smoldering gaze, one that blankets your skin in hues of red from its sheer intensity.

“Look at me this time,” you instruct, and he nods obediently, directing his gaze towards you. Though your eyes remain fixed on the lens, you can sense the intensity of his gaze piercing through you—suddenly, the white dress you're wearing feels too sheer to contain the flames ignited by his stare.

“Mm,” you hum in approval as you look at the result. A sweet realization washes over you as you notice the subtle shift in his gaze— does he know his eyes unconsciously soften when they land on you?

With each click of the camera, your nerves dissipate, replaced by a growing confidence as each shot turns out exquisitely. They look worthy of gracing billboards worldwide, a privilege of working with a model as beautiful as him, one who portrays emotions as if they were crafted solely for him to feel.

“Good, let's try an overhead shot now,” you instruct, slinging the camera strap around your neck before climbing into the bathtub, legs on either side of his body. You’re hovering over him as he gazes up at you, his fluttering eyelashes echoing the erratic beat of your heart.

Your eyes briefly trace the contours of his now-translucent white shirt, a veil that delicately clings to his form, accentuating the sculpted lines of his physique—the arc of his v-line melding seamlessly into the fabric of his trousers. He possesses the body of a masterful dancer, a muse Michelangelo himself would have revered.

“Take off your shirt,” you suddenly request, and though your words are met with a quirked eyebrow, he obliges effortlessly. With a fluid motion, he peels the garment from his frame, sending it sailing across the bathroom's expanse.

“Good?” he questions but you remain silent because words have suddenly become beyond your grasp. Your client's request for a portrait suddenly feels inadequate and you almost itch to cancel it, because you know it won't exude the same beauty as Hyunjin’s. For each fiber of his being flusters you, makes you hyper aware of your every pulse point and how they all come together to chant Hyunjin’s name.

“Look up at me as you lean back,” you finally say, positioning the camera directly above his head. With each click, your heartbeat speeds up even more at the sight— collarbones and arms bathed in the play of light and shadow, his long, wet hair cascading over broad shoulders, and worse of all, a faint smirk that graces his placid face, as if he's aware of how breathtaking he looks in this moment.

“Should I do this?” he asks, picking up a rose and brushing its dewy petals against his lips. You swallow hard, nodding meekly before swiftly capturing a few more frames.

Emotions twist you into a peculiar being, yearning for your very soul to liquefy, transforming into the water droplets adorning the rose's petals, longing to caress Hyunjin’s lips too.

Hyunjin suddenly straightens his posture, hands coming to rest gently on your calves, fingers dancing along the hems of your dress with a delicate touch.

“How’d I do? Do I look good for you?” he asks and your knees weaken beneath you, his words rendering you a merciless leaf, swayed by the fiery winds he commands, with his words, with his touch, with his eyes, all solely on you.

“For me?” you echo, and he nods, his hand moving languidly up and down your leg, pausing delicately at your knee.

“Mm. You're the only one I want to impress.”

Your response escapes your being breathlessly. “And why is that?”

“Didn't you ask me not to speak?” he grins, running a hand through his hair. Swiftly, you place your camera on the counter before kneeling down, your thighs now brushing against his own.

“Speak,” you command, and in an instant, he seizes your waist, drawing your body close until you're straddling him, legs enveloping his middle.

“Say it again,” he whispers, and you thread your fingers through the strands of his hair, gently tugging at the edges until his head tilts back, exposing the expanse of his neck.

“I said…” you trail off, leaning in until your nose grazes the warmth of his skin.

Being this close to Hyunjin isn't unfamiliar to you; your interactions have always teetered on the brink of almost-kisses, your bodies drawn together like magnets, two halves of an orange yearning to reunite.

Yet, this moment feels different, much more fateful, as if the universe has granted you one final opportunity—to finally ignite in passion or perish into ash.

“Tell me. I want to know,” you urge, your voice a whisper against his skin, laden with unspoken desires.

“Because... I like you a lot. So much that you're the only one I think of all day. And I want you to like me too. I feel like I need it to breathe.”

His response catches you off guard with its vulnerability, the intimacy it drapes on this moment. The water envelops your intertwined bodies as your hands find solace atop his chest, his rapid heartbeat seeping into your palm.

“I always forget how to breathe around you,” you confess, a sheepish smile gracing your lips. The grin that blooms on his face is radiant, casting a glow on the room that cannot be replicated by artificial lighting.

“If you forget how to breathe, I'll give you all my oxygen,” he promises, his thumb tracing gently across your cheekbones. You see the sun in his smile, feel its warmth in his words that burn you. “I think it always belonged to you anyway,” he murmurs, his lips hovering tantalizingly close to yours. “I think... I wanna give you back what's yours. Would you let me, pretty?” he asks, his voice a tender plea.

And amidst all the planets you know and the countless universes that may exist, you cannot fathom a single one where your answer would be anything but yes.

“Please,” you whisper, and his lips crash against yours in a fervent dance.

Your lips part before swiftly meeting again, and you close your eyes, surrendering to a world where all your senses converge to breathe Hyunjin in—your hands exploring the contours of his chest, your mouth savoring the sweetness of his lips infused with your cherry chapstick, your nose inhaling his scent, a delicate blend of vanilla and tobacco pulling you into a dizzying dance, your ears catching the gentle rhythm of his breaths and the faint thud of his heartbeat, all resonating within you.

And you don't need your eyes to see Hyunjin; he's indelibly etched behind your eyelids from all the time you've spent admiring him before.

“Fuck,” he whispers as he draws back, “I should have kissed you much sooner.”

“Mm?” you grin, intertwining your hands behind his neck, “Was it that good?”

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

“Then show me,” you grin, a playful glint in your eyes.

His gaze sparkles with mischief, his lips curling into a self-assured smirk, his hands finding your waist once more. Breathing is not necessary if it gives you Hyunjin in the end.

“Oh, I will.”

[moonchild033]

Moon in the Houses (Part 1)💃💝

This is primarily based on how Moon is related to CHANGES and what possible changes moon placements can bring over time. I've included some other random points too.💛

(These observations are based on the whole sign system, sidereal charts and all obs are subject to change with other aspects in the chart, so don't conclude anything with a single placement, take whatever that resonates and leave the rest,hope you enjoy giving it a read, take it lightly!) ❤

Moon in 1st house- Your overall personality might easily change from time to time. You could also make frequent changes in your appearance. The way you express yourself, whether you are in your confident era or low self esteem era can be easily noticed. You could've been someone who cared a lot for others and emotionally highly expressive but suddenly don't give a fu*k anymore and more closed off. In younger years you could've been more short tempered and take everything personal or straight to the heart, after sometime you find yourself easily moving on and not bothering too much. You are that person whose fashion sense improved a lot and had a mad glow up, people from your school could be amazed by seeing your recent Instagram photos lol. People could say, Oh i almost couldnt recognize you, especially around and after the age of 22. No matter the ascendant, your eyes could be very expressive and frequently blinking or distracted. You can experience significant weight gain or loss, sometimes you feel fat and sometimes lean, your weight could also fluctuate a lot but anyways pretty AF.💅🤩

Moon in 2nd house- You could be an extreme saver, then could think life is to live why am I saving all this if I can't be happy NOW?! So u start to spend, then regret ur decision and go back to saving. You can face difficulty in differentiating between a hobby skill and technical skill you want to improve and pursue, especially can think about making your extracurricular skills as a main source of income. Ex.:You could be doing nail art for fun, then suddenly decides to make it a main career, not satisfied with the outcome and back to keeping it as hobby, this cycle can be noticed. You like to learn many languages or can easily adopt to different accents/slangs in speaking same language. Your stamina could've evolved from being great to lowest or vice versa. Your voice and tone might change, you can experience dry throat or have a husky voice. Food can be your comfort zone, eating good food can easily lighten up your mood instantaneously. You can be emotionally attached to your things, during childhood you could be that kid who had a fancy pencil that you don't give to anyone because you love and value it too much.💸⚡

Moon in 3rd house- You could love your younger siblings or sometimes can't stand their presence, there is no inbetween. Your hearing capacity can reduce due to over usage of earphones, you could be someone who calms down by hearing music continuously. You could've been timid or scared to voice out your feelings or thoughts during young age but turn out to be more vocal about things you care about, striking them hard with your words boldly over time. You can just play music and go on a short trip or at least to the market or neighborhood places often to lighten up your mood quickly. You can find it hard to stay determined for a long time, the cycle of starting something enthusiastically, then feel bored, then rethinking whether it's right, then again feeling dedicated to start again can be seen. When compared with 2H in the same sense, 2H is more about feeling confused and 3H is more about feeling bored or distracted easily. You could write a daily life diary or a secret diary from childhood and maintain it. You just write out your emotions, whether it be just writing your life incidents in a diary or turning it into a poetry.🤠☺

Moon in 4th house- The main theme here is how much of a homebody you are, then suddenly wanting to run away from home, then missing home so much, wanting to come back, again pissed off about staying in home for longer periods, then wanting to leave can be observed. Also the number of times you could've changed your house can be more than other placements, it doesn't have to be residing in different cities everytime, it could be just going to different neighborhood but the changing of houses can be there. Either you love your mother so much or have emotional scars from her, no inbetween but in both cases, the person can have a lot of sympathy and protective of mom. Incase of good placement, you can inherit maternal property easily, incase of neutral or bad placement, maternal properties could be in dispute. These people yearn a lot for comfort zone, they secretly want people around them to pamper and help them be comfortable. Afflicted moon can cause breaks in primary education, strong moon placement can give change of schools.💞💫

Moon in 5th house- For some people, this can give major fluctuations in their mood, like they can go from being extremely bubbly to cussing at somebody in a microseconds. Can give interest in astrology. They could be curious to know what others will think about them and pay attention to it a lot. Incase of strong placement, you could've been the role model kid in your family, a star in whatever you did whether it be studies or extracurricular, this is that cousin we don't want to have lol. You can express your thoughts very clear and loud, you can be opinionated in various topics and tend to stick to it. Your intelligence is not limited to only the course you study, you expand your knowledge to different topics, especially can like politics or just a person who likes to stay up to date with everyday news and happenings. For some people, this can give a major love relationship earlier in life, if other placements support too then this is a potential placement that can attract a young, beautiful spouse and end up marrying the same person.😍🌟

Moon in 6th house- You could feel choked with 9-5 jobs, can feel like it sucks out your joy and damages your mental health. You could've been someone who lived a structured life and entered a fine corporate job but it makes you rethink whether you have to continue doing this, you could've resigned from a hectic routine job atleast once or desperately wanting to do so. Your mental state can directly affect your health (happens for everyone but more easily for this placement). You could overthink a lot about something someone said eons ago. You are a conflict avoider, you don't get into anyone's issues or like to be a mediator, you yourself tend to gravitate away from conflicts even if it's directed towards you. Your friends can complain about this how you are not standing up for them but the issue is you can find it hard to stand up for yourself. Overtime this could flip off and you can burst out with a co worker or someone who's been pissing you off, gaining a shocked reaction from everyone. You can change from avoiding conflicts to slamming into the center of it by mentality fluctuations you could gain over time.😌💣

Let's Learn and Grow Together!💋💅

With Love-Yashi ❤⚡

(Here's a GIF I liked sm lol 😭😂)

Moon in houses part 2 here! ✨

MASTERLIST💖

[thydungeongal]

So like D&D isn't great for producing a conventionally satisfying narrative because in modern Western storytelling stories of the action genre (where D&D is firmly planted in) don't generally feature the main characters having an unbroken streak of victories against their opposition (a feature of modern D&D) but feature defeats and setbacks. When D&D is the most highly opinionated about combat and rules as written death is the main consequence of losing in combat and what you want is characters being able to suffer meaningful losses while not always being at the risk of death, you have tension between the needs of the narrative and the game mechanics.

But more than that, when a group does patch the rules to be more conducive to that and fudges the rules and manages to somehow force the game into producing a conventionally satisfying narrative, given that a lot of that was done in spite of D&D it feels like it would be giving credit where none is due to attribute that story to the game and not the group's efforts in spite of the game.

None of that is to say that D&D played on its own terms can't produce good narratives. In fact, I think the best stories related to D&D are not the sort of stuff you see in actual plays, but the sort of perfect alignment of system, fiction, and chance that can only happen in a medium that utilizes those three things. "A player figured out how to utilize the rules of the game in a way that made perfect sense in the fiction and produced an unpredictable outcome that significantly altered the course of events" is a much cooler story in the context of D&D than "The GM funneled the party into an encounter with the bad guy and the bad guy had an epic speech prepared."

And this applies to pretty much any RPG, to be fair. Even the weirdest, most obtuse RPG can produce lots of really cool unique narratives if taken at its own word. What that sometimes means is reconsidering what kinds of stories you think are good, and instead of forcing a game to produce the exact types of narratives you want letting the game take the driver's seat.

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 13)

To be honest, Uzi didn't entirely understand why she'd had N leave that night.

Maybe she was just overwhelmed with it all, or maybe she was truly broken in some way; addicted to making herself suffer needlessly.

But as she lie in bed, night coming again rapidly, she realized she'd gotten exactly zero sleep, being unable to stop her thoughts from turning back to overheating yet again.

She knew the incident had been her fault, N had warned her about pushing it, her own body had warned her twice that she'd been pushing it, both telling her to stop and she simply didn't, too frustrated and too worried about the future to take even half a second and think.

She'd been lucky that the only person she hurt was herself. What if she'd lost control again? If she'd gone nuts and hurt N and her Dad or anyone else in the bunker until her body had been satiated. If it ever could be.

And yeah, it had hurt like hell. And had scared the shit out of her (and N, for that matter.) But in comparison to all the other things that could happen, it was a better outcome. Even if it was still pretty traumatic.

“Uzi, N's here!” She heard her dad shout loudly, but even then it was highly muffled through the thick steel of the door. She slowly got out of bed, head full of static and heavy to the point that it could have been made from steel as well.

Her hair was a mess, and she hadn't even bothered to put on her beanie or her hoodie, just the loose yellow T-shirt she slept in.

The door opened, Khan was chattering to N, who honestly didn't look much better than she did, his eyelights and visor a little dim, lines under his eyes that made him look incredibly exhausted and much older.

“You look like a wreck.” She said, even though she didn't look nor feel any better, both men turned to look at her, Khan looking worried, N just smiling tiredly.

“Didn't sleep very well…” N replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, he blinked and looked her up and down.

“Same…” She yawned, doing the same to him.

“You two look like you didn't sleep a wink!” Khan exclaimed, looking between them both, hurrying to the kitchen and pulling out two mugs, N watched him curiously, fighting the urge to pull Uzi into a hug and possibly drag them both back to bed.

“Here.” Khan handed them both a cool, iced mug with a thin darkened liquid in it, N swished the liquid around, causing the ripples to flash some deep golds.

“It's gasoline. Should perk you two up.” Khan explained, looking satisfied with himself.

“Isn't this usually hot dad?” She asked, clinking the ice around in the mug.

“Yes! But I thought with both of your coolant problems… something cold might be better!”

Uzi was mildly surprised he'd even paid that much attention. She'd never outright told him exactly what was going on but it wasn't like she was actively hiding it either. She shrugged, tipping it into her mouth.

It was bitter. Very bitter. And she felt her core stutter before picking up it's pace enough to make her a little nauseous, but the static in her head began to ebb away. She wasn't sure if she was a fan…

N on the other hand seemed to down his immediately, ice and all. And when he pulled it from his mouth he licked his lips, eyes hollow.

“Oh wow! That was really good Mr. Doorman.” He smiled, and Khan smiled back, it was actually kinda weird seeing Khan be as friendly as he was must have been some talk.

“Thank you. It's actually the way Uzi's mother preferred it…” He mentioned idly, looking a little sad for a moment before seemingly shaking it off.

Uzi looked down at her drink again, she… didn't actually remember that. She wasn't a baby with Nori had passed, but she was rather young, and it had been awhile.

She did, eventually, finish the mug, thinking about way she might be able to make it more palatable for herself. Maybe if it was sweeter?

“We should head out soon, Tera gets upset if we're late.” N smiled warmly, as a way to gently guide rather than demand she get her ass into gear and get ready. She couldn't help but smile back.

“I know, little gremlin has our schedule memorized at this point.” She laughed lightly, setting her mug in the sink and making her way to her bedroom, shutting the steel door securely behind her so she could get ready.

“Uhm… Mr. Doorman?” N began after he was sure she'd take a hot minute to get ready. Khan turned to him inquisitivlely, his brow on his eyelights raised.

“Yes N?”

“Is it… uh. Is it possible for me to move in to the bunker? I just… If Uzi ever needs to stay over again, it's probably better if it's not… there.” He was nervous, and also a little bit flustered. He didn’t want Khan to suspect his crush, but he also didn't want to lie.

Khan was silent for a moment, taking great care to study N for a moment, he felt his tail twitching, and his fingers fidget in that nervous habit he had.

“Is this something just for my daughter N?” He asked, suspicion in his voice that made N feel more nervous then it had any right to. He was just asking a question, It wasn't like he was asking Khan for his blessing or anything.

Where did that thought come from?

“I mean, it's for me too. And possibly V? It kinda feels really weird living there now with being here so much. It's… a little uncomfortable.” He admitted.

“Hmmm, there is plenty of space here, I'd have to get them ready though…” Khan trailed off in thought for a moment. Then looked into N eyelights like he was trying to find an answer.

“I don't see why you and… your sister? Can't move in here. And I would feel more comfortable if I knew my daughter wasn't sleeping in… well you know.” N noded, looking equally as uncomfortable, but is mood quickly lightened.

“She's not my sister, but that would be awesome!” He nearly vibrated a hole in the floor, this had gone better then he'd imagined!

“No proble-”

He was interrupted by Uzi's bedroom door snapping open, and Uzi herself coming out a moment later, typical hoodie and beanie although holding a bag in her left hand.

“Ready, let's go?” She asked, walking right past the both of them and leaning on the door. The two men exchanged looks before N waved him off, following his best freind out the door to visit the nursery.

Khan smiled warily to himself, N… wasn't very good at hiding anything was he? And despite his instinctual urge to be against it (his daughter with a murder drone!?) He couldn't exactly find the will to, not when N had been there in the way he'd always seemed to be. And his daughter seemed so happy…

The way to the nursery was silent, not out of any awkward tension but neither drone felt the need to, it was comfortable. Just enjoying existing in the same space, at least until N spoke up.

“You sure you're up for this? You seemed really tired.” His voice was soft, as always. And Uzi felt the butterflies again, surely a few words couldn't trigger them right? She wasn't that down bad for him…

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.” Was all she said, because any more and she'd be stammering like a little schoolgirl. Holy crap she was…

N looked down at her hand swinging loosely beside her, for a moment he imagined what it would be like to hold it. Casually, without trauma involved. Would she let him? Would she slap his hand away?

He didn't realize he was drawing closer until he grazed one of her fingers. He pulled away immediately, blush threatening to make him explode. He really hoped she hadn't noticed.

She very much had noticed. And it made her core leap for a moment, thinking he was going to hold her hand before he abruptly moved away. Causing her face to fall.

Had it been an accident? He did seem to be in thought when he was getting closer. Maybe he was just tired, and didn't realize. It did sting a little… knowing that he didn't want to hold her, like this, when things were normal.

They walked in to the nursery, both looking upset for different reasons but the same reason. Not that either of them knew that.

“I was wondering when you two would stop by. Tera was getting cranky.” Mrs. Rayn waved at them, holding said droneling. Who was currently screaming bloody murder while she tried and failed to calm her down.

“I got it!” Uzi exclaimed, taking the baby from her and holding her tightly, shushing her, setting down the bag in her hand on one of the waiting chairs.

“Hey, we're here. No need to get all angsty on us.” She said to Tera softly, and the wailing receded somewhat, but it wasn't like it made her instantly happy, at least until she saw N as well.

“Awww, it's alright kiddo, sorry we were late.” He hummed softy, he rested a hand on her, large enough to completely cover her if he wasn't careful, they looked at her together, faces sharing a single expression.

Rayn smiled, these two were utterly in love with Tera, but neither seemed to want to entertain the idea of adopting the little droneling. She could guess why, they were both young, and likely didn't want to rush into anything.

And yet watching them both doting on her, she noticed the lingering touches N would leave whenever he and Uzi made contact, a hand on her shoulder that didn't seem to want to leave, his entire face twisted up into a smile that reached his visor. It was like he was magnetized to her, struggling to pull away if she was close enough to him.

Uzi was… not as noticeable, but she would lean into him slightly whenever he was there, a smaller smile but etched on her features like it would stay there. Her voice locked into something far sweeter then normal that seemed to bleed into even when she was speaking to N, like they were both equally precious and special.

They were absolutely totally in love with each other, which anyone with even one eye and half a brain could figure out just by standing in a room with the two of them for any significant amount of time.

And Rayn began to hope that they'd change their mind. Because Tera deserved parents that loved her, and parents who loved each other. Which unfortunately wasn't as common as she'd wished, she'd seen so many come and go through her nursery doors, either to combine thier code or to print a body for already combined code. Many, too many, wanted a baby for the wrong reasons; to keep a failing relationship together, because they felt pressured, or sometimes, because they were forced to.

Rayn watched as Uzi pulled out a roll-toy from her bag, one that was handmade by the look of it, as it was purple with little yellow stars on it, it jingled slightly, but thankfully not loud enough it was annoying.

“I think she likes it Zi.” She heard N point out as Tera rolled with the toy, giggling louder as it jingled around in Uzi's arms. Her smile faded slowly, and then her face looked deliberative.

“Mrs Rayn?” Uzi asked, looking up from the pillbaby, N was still by her side, distracting the little one by making moving pictures on his visor, Rayn was actually kinda impressed, not many drones had that kind of control over what their visor displayed.

“Yes?”

“Why is Tera still here? It's been a few weeks. Shouldn't she have been adopted by now?” She asked, cocking her head to the side.

Ah. That.

“Ah… Tera seems to… have an issue.”

“What kind of issue?” It was N this time, now looking up at her as well, concern on both of their faces like worried parents.

“The nurses in the medical bay are unsure if it's a software or hardware issue but, she has an overheating problem…if it's a hardware issue then it should be a non-issue in her next body.”

“But if it's the soft she'll need oil the rest of her life…” Uzi finished for her, looking down at the pillbaby with worried eyes. Tera had calmed down and was now smiling at the two of them, oblivious to the conversation.

“Correct, it's not something many people want to deal with in a child. I haven't had many prospective parents come take a second look at her.” Rayn said sadly, it was a tragedy really, she was such a happy droneling, and rarely seemed upset (unless her two favorite almost-adults weren't around that is.) Even when she'd gotten too warm due to her issue, she rarely complained.

“W-what happens if you can't find someone to take care of her?” N asked, but before Rayn could answer, Uzi did for her.

“She’ll be raised by the nursery until she's old enough.” She said simply, rocking the droneling slowly, N heard Uzi's vents begin to take in more air, as if she was trying to cool herself off.

“Oh…” Was all that came out of N's mouth, and they both looked down at Tera, who was now babbling at them happily.

They exchanged a worried glance, almost having a silent conversation between them before looking back at the droneling, her eyes intently staring at N.

“Eeeee Ennnn…” Came wobbly and slow out of Tera’s tiny speakers, N felt his core stop beating as he realized;

“Are you trying to say my name…?”

“En mbuh… En!” She squeaked, rolling happily, still in Uzi's arms.

“Uzzzziiii” He squealed, shaking his best freind as he freaked out over Tera’s first word being his name, not paying any attention to the fact it was only a single letter.

“I hear her buddy.” Uzi's smile stretched a mile wide as Tera continued to squeak out his name “En! En! En!” N's tail wagging so fast she was a little concerned he'd loose control of it.

"You're going to make N blow a gasket little one." She booped Tera's visor, making the droneling giggle before looking at her instead.

“Zuh…” Was the next sound out of her mouth, and Uzi's attention was brought back down, that almost sounded like…

“Zi! Zi! Zi!” She squealed, Uzi felt her core break in half as Tera continued on, now alternating between saying her name and N's.

“Oh my robo-god…” She whispered, feeling herself getting choked up, she looked at N again, only to find him with a smile just as big as hers, almost without thinking, she wrapped her hand in his, needing some sort of comfort for the moment.

He didn't pull away, this time and placed one of his hands on her back, both drones melting as Tera continued, although neither quite knowing what to do next…

Next ->

[frosteee]

"Benevolent Lord Uncle Zeus" my arse - On Prometheus and Epimetheus and Pandora

I've been following the development of Hades 2's story and, like everyone, become absolutely infatuated by Prometheus (my GOD). It also got me thinking about his myth, and that of his brother Epimetheus and Pandora.

And, very VERY happily, it reunited me with a retelling of Pandora's Box that I haven't listened to since the early 2000s - a tape of several stories by Storyteller, of which Pandora's Box is one. It's wonderfully told, very immersive and emotional. I highly recommend a listen!

Anyway, in anticipation of Epimetheus's debut in the Hades series, I've been hyperfixating obsessing thinking about how his character might be interpreted.

[Mythology splurge ahead]

Epimetheus's name means "hindsight".

THE CREATION OF MANKIND

One version of the story goes that Zeus gave he and Prometheus the task of creating life on earth. Prometheus created mankind from clay, in the image of the gods, and Epimetheus created the animals. Epimetheus was also tasked with bestowing traits of the gods upon earth's creatures, to help them survive. So Epimetheus gave claws to one creature, scales another, and so on. But when he came to give a gift to mankind, he had no traits left to give them.

This was exactly as Zeus planned. Epimetheus did not have his brother's foresight, so he did not think to prepare for such an outcome. Zeus was satisfied with mankind's eternal dependence on the gods, weak despite being moulded in their divine image.

It was in this same spirit that he gave Prometheus the task of showing mortals how to properly sacrifice to the gods - in short, reserve the best parts for the gods and leave the offal for themselves - Prometheus defied him so that mankind would not suffer for the gods to stroke their egos.

After this incident, Zeus hid fire from humanity, so that they would be cold and hungry. And because Epimetheus had not given any traits from the gods, mankind was doomed to extinction. So Prometheus took it upon himself to steal fire back, as well as teach them on all kinds of subjects (mathematics, architecture, etc.) so they could advance and build civilisations.

And we all know how well Zeus took that.

TL;DR: Zeus sentenced Prometheus to daily, eternal torture because he did not let all humanity die like Zeus had condemned them to do, out of pure spite and ego.

Now back to Epimetheus. Many tellings of the myth of creation say it was his foolishness that caused everything to go wrong for mankind, as well as dooming his elder brother to his agonising fate.

But I don't personally see stupidity in his actions. Naivete, perhaps, in trusting Zeus to give him enough godly traits to bestow on all creatures, but then, what reason did he have at that point to think otherwise? He and Prometheus had sided with the gods in the war against the Titans. The Titan brothers did not live on Olympus, choosing to live on earth, but they visited and were on friendly terms. Should Epimetheus bear the blame for everything because he did not have the power to see the future? Again, Zeus chose Epimetheus specifically because he did not have that ability.

PANDORA

Then comes Pandora. Some time prior to her creation, before his final punishment, Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from the gods. He knew that Zeus was not yet done punishing humanity for his actions. After he was chained to the rock to be tortured for eternity, Epimetheus continued to live on earth among people.

Zeus ordered Haphaestus to create a woman from the earth, a "beautiful evil" whose descendents would punish humanity forever. After she was made, Athena and various other gods dressed her and gave her speech and other attributes before placing her on earth. She charmed any man she came upon. She took with her a jar containing "countless plagues" and evils. Her target was Epimetheus, and he accepted her and took her as his wife.

What could Epimetheus do? He knew what his brother had warned, but his brother was also the prime example of what happened to those who defied the gods. If Epimetheus rejected her, the gods could take the oppornity to make Prometheus's punishment even worse. And even if they chose to punish Epimetheus directly, the people his brother had made and loved would have no-one to champion them, and would likely be punished in his absence. He had stayed among men to help them like his brother had.

Epimetheus knew from hindsight - defiance meant suffering.

Unfortunately, compliance also meant suffering. Pandora had been made by the gods for the express purpose of punishing all mankind and ensuring their subservience. Despite Epimetheus's warnings, Pandora opens the box and releases the evil, while also allowing Hope to escape as well. Hesiod closes the tale with the moral "there is no way to escape the will of Zeus".

It's clear to me that Epimetheus was damned no matter what he did. The gods were set on punishing Prometheus's beloved people either way. It was more fitting to use his brother to do it, so they gave him Pandora, knowing he would refuse at his peril. Pandora opened the box because that is what she was made to do.

Hesiod may paint her as a wicked temptress, the woman who infected mankind to cause misery for generations, but she had just been born. She could only do what she was meant to do. She likely did not know what the box contained more than Epimetheus did, she was only compelled to open it. I'm sure Supergiant would agree that she was as much a pawn and victim of the gods machinations as her husband and brother-in-law.

That's another thing about this. Pre-Pandora, humans were composed entirely of men. There was no illness or hunger, everyone got along well, there was prosperity and wisdom, all thanks to Prometheus. It was a paradise because of Prometheus. Zeus made a woman specifically to destroy all of that, and ensure successive generations would be born into a corrupted world.

I somehow very much doubt Supergiant will integrate this part of the myth in their story, but regardless of the makeup of humanity at the time, it was paradise on earth, and the evils Pandora released upon them brought misery, pain and a death.

TORMENT

Epimetheus was set up to fail no matter what he did. His feelings on all that transpired can only be seen in some accounts, where he has another daughter named Metameleia, whose name means "regret of what has occurred".

The fact that he only had hindsight to work with only makes his tragedy worse. Looking back at what you could have done better is good if managed properly. But the human mind likes to ruminate on the past, and people are so often their own worst critics. Oftentimes hindsight distorts the past and we learn the wrong lessons, if any at all.

But how can one do better against the gods? No matter what Epimetheus learned, the gods were determined to get their way. His brother had paid a terrible price for tricking them to benefit humanity. Epimetheus tried to avoid disaster by appeasing them, but there is no way to escape the will of Zeus.

But despite being placed in an impossible position, made to lose no matter what, Epimetheus still feels regret. He believes it was his own choices, lacking the traits his brother had, that led to things turning out as they did. He blames himself for everything - his brother's fate, humanity's fate. Mankind was his brother's legacy, and it was their prosperity that made Prometheus's sacrifice meaningful, bearable. And under Epimetheus's watch, all of that was taken away.

In Epimetheus's mind, he took it away. His hindsight paints him as the ultimate fool, and he cannot forget it. If he had only done this...if he had only done that...

Wracked with guilt, Epimetheus is faced with the decay of humanity, Pandora's death. Whether he blames her at all or not, ultimately he blame himself most of all.

EPIMETHEUS IN HADES 2 (THE SPECULATION BEGINS)

So what next? Well, Heracles released Prometheus from his torture, allowing him to align with Chronos. Epimetheus would return to his brother's side carrying the weight of humanity's woes, a failure in every way. He failed his brother, he failed humanity.

Perhaps, in his younger years, Epimetheus was able to be carefree and forgetful because Prometheus was there to cover for him. Perhaps because his brother was wise, it was OK to be a fool once in a while, until it wasn't. But even if it had been forgetfulness and lack of preparation that made him neglect humanity, why was the price to pay so heavy?

Did humanity deserve to DIE because he forgot to check the number of gifts he had, did they deserve to DIE because his brother would not let them give their valuables to the gods, did they deserve to SUFFER AND DIE because Epimetheus, knowing how the gods punish defiance, accept the gift they gave him?

When Epimetheus does appear, I have little doubt he will be as handsome as his brother. They are, after all, twins, Epimetheus being the younger of the two. However, I imagine the psychological toll of everything he has endured, and continues to endure, would show upon him as well, as well as in his behaviour. Broken and desperate to make up for his past "failures".

Prometheus likely forsaw everything that was to happen. It seems he can see multiple versions of the future. But he himself states that while he does not know the "why" of his many premonitions.

He may bear resentment towards Epimetheus because of this, or perhaps, knowing his brother's good heart, and knowing the mercilessness of the gods, he would know why Epimetheus did what he did, without his little brother needing to say a word. Their relationship in present time may mirror Moros's feelings about the Fates: "Maybe they knew always that I would fail them, and loved me anyway".

This may only make Epimetheus feel worse rather than better. Perhaps he would want his brother to hate him as much as he hates himself. This could be a subplot between the two of them as the story progresses.

All he would want now is to atone, to help his brother in any way he can. All he has left is Hope, which Pandora released into the world to temper the evils. He has no belief in himself, only a desperate, obsessive desire to make up for his past passivity by fighting the gods head on, for his brother. Perhaps even by his brother's side. He has given himself entirely to his brother, and trusts his foresight. Perhaps he is the only one Prometheus entrusts his premonitions with, and whatever goals he has, Epimetheus knows.

Epimetheus created the animals, and gave them their special traits, so it would make sense for him to be dressed accordingly, and maybe have some animal friends to help him. Honestly, just thinking about that gives me all the fuzzy feelings.

I hope to see him soon, though I'll try not to get too caught up with my own imaginings. I'm sure whatever Supergiant do will be awesome, as always. Prometheus is already delivering.

Oh, and Zeus is a bastard.

[RAMBLE OVER, HAVE A GREAT DAY!]

[ve1vet-cake]

C h o i c e ?

Cw: Mention of murder and hints at family abuse!

Minors/ageless accs DNI

Characters belong to @14dayswithyou (and.. one belongs to me)

Summary: Someone decides to hold a certain someone accountable for their.... Sins

"Thank you so much for coming, Mr. [ ]"

The woman's lips stretched into a sinister smile as she watched the man sit down in front of her.

"Cut the act, bitch. Where is my wife." His tone showed that he wasn't asking, rather he was-

"Demanding. Hmhm~" The woman giggled, leaning back in her chair, strands of brown and platin blonde brushed past her shoulder and settled behind ehr back, her golden eyes seemingly catlike, trained on the man in front of her as if he were mere prey.

"I told you I'd get to it after our little... Chat" She hummed as she spread the cards, eyes leaving him for a second. "Or do you want me to kill her?" She looked up again through her lashes, bathing in the glares of the man.

Unbeknownst to him she'd never actively harm that woman. She didn't do anything that displeased her.

"Quit dragging this out then and get to the point." the man crossed his arms watching as the woman's nails trailed along the cards. "What do you want, why do you freak have my wife and why should I play this stupid game with you?" He tipped his head back, blue eyes glaring into his opponent.

"Well I just wanted a little talk and fun- say are you familiar with Tarot?" The expression on the brunette's face changed to one of utmost kindness and sweeetness.

"No."

She pouted.

"It can tell you your future, you know. You ask spirit or a god for something and they will tell you an outcome! It's highly fascinating."

"When will you bring me my wife?"

She pursed her lips.

"When I feel like it. Now, I have a question for you and you'll choose the answer by tapping a card."

The man nearly stood up, growling at the woman yet she didn't even bat an eye. With innocence laced eyes she smiled, pointing at the cards.

"Starting off easy; -"

~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few simple questions to get the man into the game, the woman smiled, seemingly satisfied.

"What nice foreplay! Now to the big questions...." A sadistic grin twisted her face and for a second the mam could've sworn he saw his soul burning in her eyes, succumbing to the flames of hell.

"What is your worse fear?"

Furrowing his brows he tapped a card, the slim fingers of the woman traced it before picking it up with a satisfied shriek.

"Three of swords! Separation! Afraid of losing your wife? My, only if you cared enough about your children to feel the same loss, hmm?"

The man's exes narrowed.

"How do you know of my children."

"Oh it was easy Taylor! But I digress" a high pitched laugh erupted from the woman's throat.

"I shouldn't be answering questions, you see. You are. Now then!"

As the woman excitedly went on about the exact separation Taylor was afraid of the man continuously attempted to interrupt her until one sentence fell.

"And this is why I won't be handing over your wife! It is far too funny to see you this pathetic! After all you aren't a real man- your son would qualify- not you th-"

With a loud thud the chair the man was sitting on hit the ground. He abruptly jumped from his chair, taking the woman by the collar of her blouse.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

All she could do was laugh, holding up the Tower, the last card he had touched and flipped unknowingly.

Her eyes widened, pupils turning a poisonous green.

"I believe you heard me just fine! And just so you know- Your little outburst won't stop me from taking everything you have and strip you from the shrivels of... Humanity you have." Her Head tilted sideways in an unnatural way.

"Or did you already forget what pain you caused Ichika? Hannah?.... Or my beloved darling?" The grin fell as her head snapped back in its original place. Her expression serious, she looked even more threatening.

"The tower predicts your downfall. Your end. I will no longer tolerate your pitiful existence."

The woman stood up, nails digging into the flesh of the man.

"I will stain my hands with your blood just so [Redacted] won't have to. You never deserved a wife like Ichika, or children like Hannah and him."

She pushed him off, adjusting her clothes, making her way to the door, leaving the man to stand there dumbfounded. He didn't know how to react, the rage, fear even the uneasiness her stares gave him made him freeze, overloaded with too much fury and fear.

"It was nice having this little chat" She smiled. "I have a few meetings to attend to.. further discuss your careers. Ta-taa~!"

And with that she slipped out of the room.

"Vel...."

Meanwhile someone couldn't quite comprehend what they had just witnessed via the security cams in that room.

[askinkiskarma]

ᴋɪɴᴋᴛᴏʙᴇʀ ᴅᴀʏ xxɪ - ᴛʜʀᴏᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴍ ꜱᴇx

pairing: recom!quaritch x human!reader

➽ a/n: the time has come, my first time writing for quaritch. i need this man in a way that's concerning to feminism, and so the reader is very me coded in this whole drabble. enjoy x

➽ words: >600 words

➽ warnings: it goes without saying, but all of these works (kinktober-related) are smut and therefore minors should NOT interact with them. other warnings include: fingering, tiny little degradation, tiny bit of praise, masturbation

➽ taglist (x) ➽ kinktober masterlist (x)

“Touch that pretty little pussy for me. I want to hear you, sweetheart.” 

You almost keen in your quarters at the sound of the rough, gravelly voice, the slight southern twinge of his accent so immediately recognisable, it made the growing wetness in your panties almost unbearable. He knew where you were, what you were waiting for. He knew how much you were waiting for it, desperate and panting almost every night as he snuck past the rest of the scientists in the RDA to show you in first-hand experience what it was like to be fucked until you passed out. 

Were you proud of it, little miss perfect-schooling, outstanding-outbringing, sheltered-life girl that you were? Is this what you expected when you won a highly prestigious job straight out of university, looking at all the ways you could be integrating human life onto a new, foreign planet? Well, no. But… the hours were long, and the days were lonely, and if your dad taught you anything when he left your mum for a 20-something year old model, is that men love sweet, sensitive, young girls and well, it seems you loved to be fucked by an almost 10 foot tall man with no manners, no decorum, but who knew exactly how to turn your legs to jello and your your mind to mush with his tongue, and his lips, and his fingers, and his c—.

“Come on, cupcake. I know you’re waiting for me. I know you’re wearing one of your nice little frilly thongs, like the little good girl you are. I know there’s a growing spot in them from how needy you are to be fucked over and over until you cry on my cock. Daddy’s gonna run a little late today, so you’ll have to get yourself nice and ready for me, yeah?” 

You barely touch the little button nestled comfortably in the crook of your neck, your other hand already following his order, parting the pink lingerie to the side and sliding two fingers in between your soaking folds. 

“Y-yes, sir.”

There’s a distinct smirk in his voice when he speaks, clealry satisfied with the outcome.

“Attagirl.” 

You moan in the radio, continuing your ministrations, trying to remember what he does and how he does it, because fuck, does he know how to work your body just like he knows how to work one of those guns he clearly loves so much.

“Fuck, doll, making me so fucking hard with those pretty noises. Such a good slut. C’mon, two fingers, in-and-out, in-and-out. Slowly… take your time, like daddy does.” 

You slow down the erratic movements that match your intense impatience, because the quicker you do it, the quicker you’ll cum, the quicker he’ll come, the quicker you get to see stars and feel yourself getting split open and filled to the brim. It was obscene, feral, almost certifiable, how desperately you needed him, the extent to which you’ll go to continue feeling the way he was making you feel every night. It was messy, and loud, your arousal dripping from your fingers into the mattress as you continued fucking yourself with your delicate fingers, never as good as how he did it, but good enough for the opening act of what you expect will be a long, long play. 

“S’wet for me, aren’t ya? So desperate to take my cock, huh?”

His words push you over the edge, the orgasm satisfying and intense, heightened by his cruel words and leathery, seductive voice and the promise of what's to come. 

“Don’t move a muscle, sweetheart. Daddy’s coming.”

taglist: @pandoraslxna @sulieykte @blue-slxt @eywaeveng @neteyamsikran @elenamoncada-ibarra @spicymayyo @itsjazzsworld @daddysmurfslefttoenail @eyrina-avatar @iameatingmyhair @hadesbabygurl@linydoll @the-mourning-moon@kasai-https @dvxsja (if your tag doesn't work pls check your settings x)

[seoulmatez]

hellooo. hope your days is going lovely and that this gives you some inspo! 💕 katsuki + childhood friends and there's only one bed

hello hello~ thanks for the suggestion! very cute scenario so i hope u like the outcome! :)) writing warmups if u wanna request!

getting caught up in a mission prefectures away from home means having to spend the night in a hotel—much to bakugo’s dismay. you don’t blame him, you prefer sleeping in your own bed too, but after such a taxing fight, all you really care about is getting to relax for the rest of the night—even if that rest and relaxation is in a hotel.

you’re barely able to hold your arm up to swipe the key card that will allow you into your room. a beep sounds in the hall and you use the same hand to turn the doorknob. upon inspection, it’s a nice accommodation.

there’s just one thing…

as soon as you see the singular mattress with its headboard against the wall, you know your companion is going to have something to say about it. his heavy footsteps trail behind you and the moment you can no longer make them out, his voice fills the brief silence. “what the hell?”

you roll your eyes and drop the bag of items you picked up on the way at your feet. there should be enough in there to get you through the night and tomorrow morning before you’re able to head back home.

in all honesty, you didn’t mean to book a single bed but it’s been a long, exhausting day and you jumped at the first option presented to you by the hotel staff. she must have assumed the two of you were together—partners in more than the hero sense.

“chill out, dynamight.” your use of his hero name earns you an unimpressed look that’s makes you grin. you stretch your arms above your head and let out a satisfied groan. “it’s no big deal.”

he clicks his tongue in annoyance. “i’m not sleeping in a bed with you.”

you’d be offended if you hadn’t been subject to his snide remarks for practically all your life.

“look, if you wanna go all the way back downstairs and argue with that poor woman about room availability, be my guest.” you have no intention of doing that, choosing instead to slip off the gloves of your costume. “but i am getting ready for bed.”

he seems to think it over for a moment before begrudgingly setting his gauntlets on the desk. whether he admits it or not, you’ve always been his voice of reason.

the two of you quietly take turns using the bathroom to freshen up. you’re already comfortable on your chosen side of the mattress when bakugo emerges from the bathroom, donned in the touristy pajama pants you picked out for him.

you have the matching shirt.

he makes his way over to the bed and there’s a jesting comment on the tip of your tongue about how dramatic he was earlier, insisting he wouldn’t sleep beside you. though, it never makes it past your lips because instead of joining you, the man grabs the pillow and plops them on the floor.

you frown. “seriously dude?”

he shoots you a look that all but says: i already told you.

“just get in the bed. i don’t wanna hear you complain about how sore you are in the morning.”

your words don’t have the convincing effect you hoped they would. you try a different approach.

“i’ll stay on my side,” you tell him and hold up three fingers, “scout’s honor.”

bakugo highly doubts that you’ll stick to your word—he’s seen how you sleep on the occasion that you two share a room with two separate beds. still, the thought of waking up even more stiff and uncomfortable than he already is almost makes him shiver. and it’ll only be for a few hours.

“fine,” he agrees, bending down to pick up the pillow and replace it on the bed. he peels back the blanket and situates himself beside you, making an effort to leave as much space as possible between you and him. he turns to you. “just be sure to stay over there.”

you snort at how serious his expression is. “aw, is katsuki afraid of catching my cooties?”

he lays down so his back is facing you. with that and the darkness of the room, there’s no way you can see the rose hue blooming on his cheeks.

“shut up and go to sleep.”

[a-d-nox]

Hi. May I ask you about something that is very common to a majority of people. I don't know if you have it but it is about MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING!!!

I spend the majority of time daily, and cannot be productive. Is it useful, is it a tool, a blessing but feels more like e curse which direct you way in massive self-deception and depression rather than directing you towards what you need to do, your goals ect.

I'd love to know your opinion about it.

💋

brain matters: maladaptive daydreaming

as previously mentioned, i was a forensic psych major before i was an english major and before graduating with my b.a. of literature. for 3 years i studied psychology. i do not have a psychology degree, so that does not make me qualified to diagnose anyone or anything... but i do know a bit about psychology and i continue to read research and articles regarding psychology.

so gladly i will give my opinion though i am not a professional.

what is maladaptive daydreaming?

maladaptive daydreaming is often found in those seeking an escape or who seek coping mechanism from trauma, abuse, anxiety, depression, adhd, etc. its a form of daydreaming that may involve long periods of structured fantasy that can interfere with work, school, and/or other life functions/tasks.

is it common?

it is not an officially recognized diagnosis but has comorbidity as i listed above. the few studies/articles i have read, state that it is not common in the general population - only about 2-6% of individuals experience it. depending on the scope of the study group it varies. out of the 7.9 billion individuals on earth only about 158 million experience maladaptive daydreaming. the study i found on pubmed (could only get the preview see below) states 2.2 million in america alone including those with a formal diagnosis that i listed above.

what are the symptoms?

highly vivid/immersive daydreams: these are abnormally long daydreams that are hard to escape / shake. making it hard for you to focus on any given task.

inability to complete daily tasks.

sleep disruption / insomnia: your mind is on but not at the same time throughout the day making it hard to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.

being triggering into daydreams by external forces such as tv shows, movies, books, etc.

repetitive motion/activity while daydreaming

potential benefits

creativity and problem-solving skills: it can foster creativity, as it allows the mind to explore ideas and scenarios freely. writers, artists, and inventors use their imagination in this way to develop new concepts (but it is safe to say that not all creatives experience maladaptive daydreaming nor is it a requirement for all creatives / skilled problem solvers).

emotional regulation: provides a form of escapism, helping individuals cope with stress or emotional difficulties by temporarily shifting their focus away from real-life challenges.

goal visualization: a strong way to visualize their future or rehearse real-life scenarios, which can improve their ability to achieve goals or prepare for social interactions (lots of therapist teach clients with anxiety "visualization" as a coping mechanism so they can mentally prepare for what could be experienced; they generally guide the visualization to the best possible outcome).

drawbacks

time loss and disconnection from family/friends: the time spent lost in a fantasy often takes away from real-life activities, relationships, and responsibilities. which can lead to procrastination or missed opportunities.

emotional detachment: becominh emotionally invested in their fantasy worlds, making real-life experiences seem dull or less satisfying by comparison. this could cause worsen feelings of loneliness or depression.

interference with mental health: can exacerbate or mask underlying mental health issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, etc., as people use it as a form of avoidance rather than addressing their challenges head-on.

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[max1461]

I think there are three large classes of socialist concern, which are not reducible to each other and which require different types of solutions. I would describe them as follows:

Distributional concerns — Markets tend towards inequality, and thus even in times of abundance fail to allocate resources to people who need them.

Concerns over autonomy — Private control of resources, especially when it is highly concentrated, comes at the cost of the autonomy of those who don't control the resources. As a significant special case of this, private control of the means of production deprives workers of autonomy over their own work, which constitutes most of their waking lives. Concentration of property in the hands of the few leaves most people with no choice but to sell their labor, turning them into workers deprived of autonomy in the above sense.

Humanistic concerns — Markets optimize for specific outcomes and, furthermore, the desirable properties of market economies are predicated on the existence of firms which optimize for profit. In both cases these optimization procedures are premature; they do not factor in the full human condition and thus come at the cost of many things which people find desirable.

In my view, a successful socialist program must at least attempt to address all three of these concerns. Often when debating other socialists, I feel that they err by focusing on some of these concerns to the exclusion of the others.

I have listed these concerns in order of how difficult I believe them to be to solve. Concern (1) can, in fact, be solved relatively easily even within a liberal economic system, by implementing massive redistributive taxes that equalize wealth. I want to stress that this proposal is still radical by the standards of any nation on earth today, but a solution is easy to imagine. And all these problems are interrelated; solving (1), for instance, would go a long way towards remedying (2).

Concern (2) can also, I think, be solved or at least greatly mitigated under a market framework, though not a classical liberal one. Replacing private firms wholesale with worker co-ops would go along way towards addressing (2), and in combination with the above solution for (1) provides I think the easiest to conceptualize vision of what a workable socialist (socialist enough) economy might look like.

Concern (3) is by far the hardest to address—it is in essence just the alignment problem as applied to economic systems. Suffice it to say, the problem remains open.

A common theme I see in debates between certain (usually more liberal-leaning) practically-minded socialists and certain (usually more radical) utopian-minded socialists is that the practical socialist will propose some solution that aims to address (1) and (2), and the more utopian-minded socialist will respond with vague and often not particularly coherent accusations of insufficient radicalism. The practical socialist will often then reply by dismissing the utopian's criticisms as nothing but hot air, as unserious radical posturing. But I think this represents an unfortunate misunderstanding. That utopian is often pointing at something real, even if it is articulated in a way that offends more pragmatic sensibilities. Concern (3) touches on every part of human life, I think it's fair to say, and though the habit of incoherently blaming everything that goes wrong on capitalism is not that useful, it doesn't point at nothing.

The alignment problem is not solved in the general case, but there are things we can change about a system to try and make it more aligned with specific, known goals. So the job of a good socialist (or really, anyone interested in any kind of political reform) should then be to listen to the ways in which people are dissatisfied with their lives, even when articulated poorly, and try to accrue an understanding of the most recurrent and significant ways in which the present system fails to satisfy people. Then you can look for specific tweaks that will more readily accommodate the things people in fact seem to want. But crucially, this task in empirical—you cannot come upon the most desirable tweaks rationally. It's also empirical in a way that is difficult to approach with any kind of scientific rigor. You have to listen to people, and try to understand them on their own terms. You have to try to understand where people are coming from even if they phrase things in a way that you very much dislike, a way that irritates you or makes you feel threatened.

As I've said before, "listen to marginalized voices" is oft-misused, but not actually incorrect as a description of the practical obligations of anyone who wants to consider themself a leftist.

[live-from-flaturn]

Here's How Kim Theerapanyakul Qualifies as a Greek Tragic Hero:

I accidentally came up with this thesis statement while chatting with @shou-jpeg (as per usual) and they encouraged me to expand on it... so here's the outcome of my academic fandom ramblings!

From page 17 of “The Poetics of Aristotle”, as translated by S.H. Butcher:

1. A perfect tragedy should, as we have seen, be arranged not on the simple but on the complex plan. It should, moreover, imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation. It follows plainly… that the change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity: for this moves neither pity nor fear; it merely shocks us.

Layman's Translation: The perfect tragedy is complicated. No matter what story is used, the main emotional payout should be pity and fear for the Hero. In order to achieve this, you cannot simply punish a good man for no reason. Shock will not induce catharsis [emotional release].

2. Nor, again, that of a bad man passing from adversity to prosperity: for nothing can be more alien to the spirit of Tragedy; it possesses no single tragic quality; it neither satisfies the moral sense nor calls forth pity or fear. 

Layman's Translation: A bad man cannot receive good fortune. That goes against the entire point of tragedy and will only frustrate the audience further. 

3. Nor, again, should the downfall of the utter villain be exhibited. A plot of this kind would, doubtless, satisfy the moral sense, but it would inspire neither pity nor fear; for pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves. Such an event, therefore, will be neither pitiful nor terrible.

Layman's Translation: The story cannot end with the downfall of an obvious villain. It satisfies the audience’s desire for justice but doesn’t leave them pitying the Hero or fearing the story’s eventual outcome. Once again, this ending would be void of catharsis/emotional release.

4. There remains, then, the character between these two extremes,—that of a man who is not eminently good and just,- yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous,—a personage like Oedipus, Thyestes, or other illustrious men of such families.

Layman's Translation: 

A good Tragic Hero must: 

Be royalty or nobility (he might also come from a well-known or wealthy family).

Be morally grey (if he is too Good or too Bad it will prevent the audience from projecting onto him and achieving catharsis). 

Cause his own downfall or “catastrophe” by making a mistake (an extension of his Hamartia, or “error” / ”inherent flaw”).

So how does Kim fulfill the requirements of a Tragic Hero?

He is from a well-known family and has an image to keep in check. Because of his role as Wik/an idol, Kim must present himself as a kind or at least pleasant person to the general public. Much like Oedipus or Electra, Kim has an outward persona whose specific responsibilities play a role in his fall to hubris. 

a. As Kimhan Theerapanyakul he is required to do his father’s bidding on some level. We know he’s at least somewhat beholden to Korn from the scene with Tankhun screaming, “I don’t know where they [Porsche and Chay] have gone!”

2. Does it get any more morally grey than a guy willing to kill a dozen men in cold blood (with his bare hands) to protect his pseudo-ex-boyfriend? Or date an underclassman fanboy only to commit minor felonies against him/his family? Or go against his father (rebellion against the family is a BIG no-no in Greek Tragedy!!!) and attempt to escape the fate of his bloodline? 

3. I doubt this part really needs explaining… But trying to protect Chay by lying to his face and destroying their relationship, only to turn around and beg for Chay’s forgiveness via blatant musical plagiarism, is probably Hamartia at its finest.

4. It's Kim! He is "a man who is not eminently good and just,- yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty". His greatest loss is brought about by his own poor decision making and furious need for freedom/independence. His determined self-flagellation only ever hurts the people around him while we as the audience scream for him to stop. He qualifies for the Tragic Sadboy Squad!

[elgringo300]

the video is super cool but also the description is super interesting:

Some additional context: Depending on where and when you lived, sword-violence was not intrinsically a lethal affair. Most of us are familiar with the notion of dueling to first blood in an organized fashion, but disputes could also be a bit less formal at times yet still constrained by rules of conduct. Like in a highschool scuffle where you don't go for the groin, you don't cut a fellow's hands in a spat. My keen interest is on the burghers of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century. I highly recommend anyone interested in their sword culture to check out The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany by by B. Ann Tlusty. For these city dwellers, an affront to honor was legally equivalent to bodily assault. If someone called you a rogue, they may as well have just punched you in the face. While the dueling was illegal, it was also seen as a manly obligation. Conducting a duel where everybody got to go home at the end with all their limbs intact was an ideal outcome. The insult was answered, both men demonstrated their bravery and willingness to risk their lives, and both get to go home and continue to contribute to their guilds and society at large. To that end, certain target zones and kinds of attack are more okay than others. Slapping eachother around with the flat means everyone is probably walking away from that fight and the crowd is satisfied. Try using a thrust, however, and suddenly you've committed attempted murder. Additionally, the fact that they're settling this dispute with swords is important. For these burghers, citizenship, manhood, and sword-carry are all intrinsically linked. A man settles his honor with a sword, not his fists, not a barstool, and certainly not a knife. Thus, having the capacity to non-lethally use a sword to defend one's honor in these performative displays of masculinity was critical.

[iremiari]

Daydreams || A Dead Boy Detectives Ficlet

A journalist interviews Charles and Edwin, asking how they would feel if Season 2 got cancelled. aka: the time i got too carried away making incorrect quotes (hence this fic being mostly dialogue), so have this really short ficlet of them!! Also yes, they technically broke the 4th wall during this entire thing.

Edwin and Charles are sitting on chairs, sitting in front of a white backdrop - much like those you see in interviews. Because they were in an interview, and by the looks of it, it was almost about to end.

One of the news reporters have given Charles and Edwin a question: How would they feel if they didn't get renewed for Season 2?

"Nonsense." Edwin reacts almost immediately. "It is imperative that we get renewed for Season 2. I must," he composes himself, "I must hear Charles tell me he loves me."

Charles, next to him, raises an eyebrow, and looks at Edwin with a smile, "Oh, and you're certain about that, yeah?"

"Well, no. But one could infer that-"

A little peck had landed on Edwin's lips.

Charles has just kissed Edwin, and the two boys look at each other. Charles is the first to speak.

"'Cause you're right. I do. I am in love with you."

Edwin just looks at him, stunned. Charles, charming as he is, gives him a topic to go off of.

"But keep going. I love hearing you talk about whatever's on your mind."

Edwin tries to speak, but he cannot seem to focus with what just happened and how casual Charles is treating this situation. All that comes out of his mouth is a series of mumbles and stutters, "I- there is-- I am… speechless."

"Aw," Charles smiles, "luckily, that isn't a problem."

He kisses him again, way more intense than the small peck he gave him earlier. They wrap their hands around each other's head, and continue. For Charles, it felt like a dream come true. He had been waiting to say that for a long time and--

"Right, Charles?" a voice says, interrupting whatever Charles was imagining.

"Huh, yeah, what?"

Turned out it was a dream. A daydream, anyway.

"Clearly, you got distracted again." Edwin gave a sigh - not one of disappointment, though. Maybe Charles was just imagining it, but it sounded like... a sigh of adoration.

"Anyway, I was telling these journalists just now that if our show does not get renewed for another season, then it would be highly devastating - for both us, the agency and the viewers at home."

"Oh," Charles collects himself, "Oh yeah, now you got me. I totally agree."

He looks at the camera. "I think a lot of people are... excited to see where our story leads, especially like- especially considering all the different narratives in store for us."

He ends with a chuckle, and turns to Edwin, smiling. "Also, sorry for zoning out there, mate. Won't happen again. Promise."

"We shall see about that." Edwin said to him with a coy smile, hiding his delight, before turning his attention to the journalists in front of them.

"Would that be all for you lovely people today? Charles and I do still have a lot of work to get done."

"Certainly, Mr. Payne and Mr. Rowland. Thank you for your time."

The news reporter looks through their notes as Charles and Edwin walk out of the set, looking very satisfied with the outcome of the interview.

[sdcrevolver]

Who is that Ringmaster Rabbit antagonist? Can you tell me a bit more about him? He looks super interesting to me

I can tell you a lot lmao ( Long post 💀 )

Ringmaster is of course the main antagonist of the story ( I guess it’s more of an AU but shhh ). He’s not actively malicious but his actions does lead to horrible outcomes because he doesn’t have a proper concept of morality or ethics lol

Funnily enough he’s actually not a whole character but he’s actually only one half of a character

Ringmaster and Melody are both one side of an old character, Ringmaster is the more silly and entertaining side of the character who’s more concerned about entertaining the “ audience “ and Melody is the more human side of the character who inherited his doubts and all his negative feelings about certain things. The character ( I just call them toons lol ) used a machine that separated him into two more surface level versions of himself.

Ringmaster doesn’t think highly of melody but does listen to her on occasion if he thinks that what she says will mean more fun for him or what he perceives as the audience watching him everywhere he goes.

Ringmaster doesn’t like acknowledging his original past self that he and melody were before so he tries to hide all evidence that he is only one piece of a character. At first he was satisfied with hiding the origin of his existence until he started to think what if there are other toons out there who can also have a piece of them that can be taken out, He started to call those like him “ Hollows “ for lacking any life in their eyes.

Ringmaster has this sort of magical aura about him, the fact that he and melody can’t age but ringmaster holds powers that lets him do almost whatever he wanted but he solely used for entertainment, until he met Ace.

Ringmaster had been searching for toons with “ Hollows “ inside them, unfinished and hidden versions of the toons on the surface that with just enough work and force can be manifested to reality. He happened to encounter Ace when the Loonatics were doing their usual business in Acmetropolis when he sensed a Hollow inside of Ace, he was excited.

He wanted Ace to make a deal with him so ringmaster can see the hollow but Ace wasn’t too keen on making a deal with a stranger who seems almost desperate for this deal ( also he didn’t know what ringmaster was talking about when he said Hollow lol ) , this didn’t deter Ringmaster from wanting to see the hollow.

Ringmaster snuck into the tower the Loonatics have base in at night and attempted to teleport only himself and ace to the secret small world that ringmaster created but he unknowingly took in the rest of the Loonatics as well but they ended up at a different location in the world than where he and ace ended up.

Ringmaster used a modern version of the machine his original self used way back then as technology progressed rapidly. He suggested a more violent form of separation but melody, concerned for Ace’s wellbeing suggested using the old method with better technology under the reason of “ keeping it family friendly for the audience “. Since Ringmaster is convinced there’s always an audience watching, he agreed but does think that the old method will maybe only take out one hollow instead of separating ace entirely into two ( he was right )

This is actually how Buzz manifested into existence, he doesn’t look like his original self in the concept material one to one. He’s taller, lost his buck teeth and way more aggressive than his original self or Ace. Ringmaster was fascinated with this result so he decided to keep close tabs on the two, even after buzz took ace and left the building the machine was in.

Ringmaster has tried to do the experiment again on several toons which mostly result in failed experiments that look nothing like the concept or the original finished version. Sometimes he releases these aggressive beasts which causes trouble among those who haven’t been experimented on. He decided to bring in more toons to populate the small world that’s in eternal winter which is how more toons other than the Loonatics got in. There’s no way out of the world however unless the others find out how to deal with Ringmaster

The original toon didn’t like bugs so Ringmaster gained that aspect of his and melody’s old self, the two aren’t really aware of why they dislike bugs but they do.

Ringmaster is a man of entertainment but he’s not morally good at all lol

Also also funnily enough because of the original character’s original species, Ringmaster and Melody can count as Hare’s