#so this is actually very unique to us all

[wonderhorror-sys]

okay let me try that again. i wss trying to say, i think a lot of systems (especially newer ones) get overwhelmed with writing everything down and knowing every minute detail, trying to keep track of fronts, and whos who, and give everyone names and icons and pretty bios, filling out groups, etc etc. and as much as its true that you can just, not do any of that (if you dont want to and/or it doesnt help, i suggest you dont), its also true that.. well.

i think people get so overwhelmed because they're expecting to have the kind of work that takes years or decades to happen in one week. look. don't try to be other systems. they aren't you, you don't have the same needs as them.

when it comes to keeping track of system stuff, front times, etc, the best way (imo) to do that is to think about what youre system needs. what are your needs? whatever they are, they certainly arent the same as mine or any other system you may meet. theyre unique to you. and it can take a very long time to understand what they are.

just, augh. idk how to explain myself. keeping track of your system is not a task. it is a process. even the most static systems will change a little bit over the course of time, everyone does (or if not everyone, pretty close). i see a lot of people talk about "finishing" their system logging and... maybe im just biased as a system who changes pretty frequently, but i dont think you really get to be finished with it unless you decide to stop. or do it a very particular way.

and i think thats part of why people get so overwhelmed with it, actually. so, look, you dont need to write everything down in a week, you dont need to know it all. take your time. this is a process, youre gonna have to get used to moving things around.

and, also, don't worry about what other systems are doing. even this very post, if it doesnt help, ignore it. this stuff, tracking and catalogueing your system, it's about you.

your needs are yours. your system is yours. what other people need from these things will not be what you need. you don't need to be them. just, work on it, slowly. try to understand yourself/selves at whatever pace is best, don't rush it because someone whos been out as plural for 12 years knows more about their system than you do about yours. take care!

[freezerbnuuy]

A Simblr guide to emotional control and dealing with criticism and drama

As someone who has actively practiced emotional control for over a decade in a very no-nonsense-no-excuses way to get rid of toxic behaviours, I think Simblr could benefit from a few tips; a sliver of emotional control could solve most issues that blow out of proportion on here. This is aimed at everyone across the breadth of identity and mental health experiences and neurodivergence etc, including the person reading this. I'm not putting this under a cut because I feel this is important and I'm tired of people and their inability to work on themselves or think clearly before speaking.

First off: half-hour rule. Do not touch your phone OR your keyboard for half an hour after you read drama or criticisms that make you very, very angry. Being under the influence of strong negative emotions will skew your train of thought and make you come out with shit that doesn't help anyone most of the time. Things are easier to deal with when your emotions are more settled. If it takes longer than half an hour to calm down, then take longer. You also have to learn to try and identify irrational thought processes as well as general rage responses, they are equally as unhelpful to you. Yes I know this is more difficult to do with certain mental conditions, but I cannot account for the unique mental state of every reader.

You also HAVE to face your own shitty behaviour head-on. You will be tempted to excuse your behaviour for multiple reasons - don't. Don't excuse your behaviour, and don't deflect either. Whether or not there are reasons for what you said or did, the reality is that you still did it. Do not accuse people of bigotry unless they are genuinely being bigoted towards you. Everyone with the capacity to KNOW better needs to learn to DO better. It doesn't help worrying about what kind of reception you get - the internet mob will do as it will, all you can control is your own response to criticism.

Remember that the point of an apology is not to make people like you again, it is to take accountability for poor behaviour. Apologies mean nothing if you are not going to follow them up with improved behaviour. Yes your apology may NEVER be good enough for some people, but again, worrying about reception won't help you. Apologies are accountability for behaviour, there is no expectation upon the other party when you apologise. You may not be forgiven for your mistakes. Keep apologies focused entirely on what you did wrong and the harm you caused, and how you plan to fix these issues going forward. Don't be tempted to blame your accusers for rightfully calling you out on what you did. Also, people may block you. People are allowed to curate their space.

Do not manipulate the feelings of other people. ANYONE can be a manipulator! Being a manipulator is not something limited solely to shitty exes and middle-aged fathers. Forcing people into a corner where all they can do is agree with your poor behaviour or they'll end up looking like the bad guy is manipulation. You can't force people to feel a certain way about your own poor choices, no matter how much you want to.

So we've discussed the accused, now let's move on the accusers, and let's learn when to ditch the torch-and-pitchforks mentality when we come across poor behaviour in the community.

You have to evaluate when anger and callouts are actually needed, such as with repeated proven horrible behaviours, dangerous behaviour, prejudice, harassment etc. And the opposite - when less severe issues arise where you can just block them or be like 'look, what you did isn't right'. If you are criticising poor behaviour, keep the focus on the poor behaviour - DO NOT use it as an excuse to be bigoted against their marginalised identity. And don’t try and cloak bigotry in progressive buzzwords, either. Don't get tempted to 'dunk on' people either, just keep it focused on what they have done wrong. To be honest, I completely understand WHY people have the torch-and-pitchforks mentality. Nobody wants to be accused of ignoring an issue, after all, or not being angry enough. It only makes sense that the expectation to speak up and do enough about a bad person or situation bleeds over into fandom in a way that actually ends up being unhelpful.

It’s also worth mentioning that like any other fandom, people tend to disproportionately jump down the throats of people of colour, especially Black or Arab simmers in my experience of being on Simblr. I've had people tell me 'not to make it about race' on here last time I mentioned this, but clearly it plays a part when it happens in every single fandom. You should not treat people with more vitriol than you would a more privileged person. No-one is immune from being criticised, but you need to not treat marginalised people with more shit than you'd give to someone more like yourself. Bigotry is still bigotry, even when it's covert, even when someone has done something wrong. And I should not have to say this, but do not call people slurs against their marginalised identities either, INCLUDING if you are overall less privileged than that person.

Do not be tempted to post anons' (or anyone else's) speculation about drama situations that cannot be proven. I remember back when a troll Simblr blog was being awful to everyone, and someone on here posted anons' speculations about who was behind the account with zero proof. Don't do that. Don't send death threats to people either, even if you think they really deserve it the reality is they don't solve anything, nor do they say anything about the behaviour of the other person really.

Sometimes there will be a point where no amount of civil discussion will get through to people. At that point, I recommend just blocking. Sometimes there's no point in cyclic discussions. You're always going to encounter people who cannot listen to reason or refuse to do anything about their behaviour and you may as well just block.

Emotional control is difficult to work on. It's not easy but you still need to work on it for the benefit of yourself and others. Sometimes, you gotta give yourself a necessary kick up the ass and practice self-evaluation, especially within our Sims fandom space where so many issues can be solved by taking a moment to figure stuff out before speaking.

[yuurei20]

Hello! I have a question. During Riddle's overblot, did he actually—actively try to kill his classmates? How exactly did that happen, and who did he target? Thank you!

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🌹

Due to the restrictions of visual novels as a medium exactly what is going on during Riddle's overblot scene is a little difficult to follow!

It is possible that Ace is the only person we see him target specifically in the game, when he orders magically-animated rose trees to tear him into pieces.

(Note: Riddle's command to the rose trees is slight wordplay: he orders the rose trees (薔薇の木) to tear him apart (バラバラにしてしまえ）with rose pronounced "bara" and "into pieces" pronounced "bara-bara")

Trey intercepts the attack and Ace reacts with, "I'm still alive?," while mob students who witness it say, "He was really gonna do it!," with "it" presumably being "kill Ace via rose tree."

We do not see any more mob students after this as Crowley evacuates them, which shifts into a battle.

Ace may be the only person whom we see Riddle targeting according to story dialogue, but we get more detail in the other adaptations of this scene (note: while the Heartslabyul manga and novel adaptations of Twisted Wonderland were produced by members of the same team behind the game they are not canon to the game or to each other, but they are very interesting as reference points for things like this where the visual novel format of the original story is maybe limiting).

Looking at the novel version of this scene Ace is again targeted early on and is again saved by Trey. We also have:

・The phantom swinging a rose tree "like a scythe," with the members of the group protected by Crowley ・Mob students having their feet trapped in ice ・Hurricane winds whipping rose petals through the air ・Riddle holding Cater in place for the phantom behind him to hit Cater with a tree (he is saved by Trey)

The ice and wind attacks were indiscriminate and the attack on Cater was Riddle holding Cater in place while the phantom was to deliver the killing blow, so maybe Ace was also the only person who was personally attacked by Riddle in the novel as well as the game, technically? 📝

In the manga Riddle again orders rose trees to attack Ace, just like the game and novel, but visually it looks more like he is throwing them at him 🌹 Ace does not say his "I'm still alive" line but the mob character still says "He was really going to do it," and Crowley again protects the group from the phantom's attack, much as he does in the novel.

A part of the fight that is maybe unique to the manga version of the battle is Riddle sending spears (maybe made out of ink) at the group, one of which stabs through one of Cater's doubles as it sacrifices itself to save Deuce.

But manga-Riddle's attacks are indiscriminate rather than targeting anyone specific, as post-overblot he has lost control both of his own mind and of his magic, which he uses at random. When Yuuken challenges Riddle with his kendo sword Riddle responds with one of his ink-spears, but not certain if that counts 💦

It is possible that the one point that remains consistent throughout all three interpretations of Riddle's overblot is that he did actively try to kill Ace, specifically! ❤️

[thydungeongal]

Why do men oppress women? Man and woman can mean anything so how does it even work?

"Man" and "Woman" are socially constructed classes, access to which is often determined by childhood sex assignment, but many of the cultural boundaries between men and women are in fact artificial, and transgender people (people who reject their assigned gender class, often out of a dissonance between their assigned gender class and their internal gender identity) demonstrate that while entry into these classes is largely based on sex assignment they are in fact not entirely closed categories both in a legal and social sense. "Man and woman can mean anything" is true from the point of view of internal gender identity, but internal identity is not a useful framework for looking at a society which does not enforce gender roles based on internalities but on perceptions.

Now, although they are social constructs, the social constructs of binary gender (and their borders) have institutional backing behind them, which means that they are very real social constructs. However, these social constructs are also porous (even though the borders are often heavily guarded) and as such most legal systems in the world make concessions to people being able to move between the two gender classes, and while trans people will often encounter transphobia, from a legal and social perspective transgender people literally become members of the gender classes they transition towards. Trans people are very often not just the gender they transition towards in the sense of having a unique gender identity, but in a concrete "they are actually members of the gender class they transitioned to" sense.

All of which is to say: it's true that from the point of view of internal gender identity man and woman are largely arbitrary categories and there is more overlap between the two than many people would like to admit, but the social force that enforces that division is real.

As for where gendered oppression comes from, at this point it's mostly institutional inertia. The social structures in place grant men (the social class) privileges over women and while it isn't the undeniable fate of all men to oppress women the current state of things does grant men privileges and benefits. So while many men may not take active part in the oppression of women, many men are not incentivized to work to dismantle those oppressive systems, as these systems benefit them.

A good analogue would be global capitalism: your individual citizen of the global North may not be actively taking part in the local corporate militias that oppress workers in the global South, but they still benefit from that unequal division of power and privilege and thus have very little vested interest in dismantling that system of oppression.

I'm not confident in saying where the origins of gendered oppression lie historically because that is not a topic I'm that knowledgeable in, but it's an observable social reality even in the current age.

Thank you for your question! :)

[jeonscatalyst]

I must say I am kinda happy we are getting to see these little Taekook interactions these days. From the Car Live to them at the airport. I am happy because for so long, I watched taekookers talk shit about Jikook. Talking about them being awkward, or judging every little interaction of theirs while in my opinion every interaction we’ve had of Taekook recently has only proven how different jikook are with each other. There was a stark difference in the Lives and a glaring difference in Jk’s energy while with Jimin at the airport and while with Tae.

I’m not by any means saying this means anything negative about Taekook as a duo or their friendship but just that, taekookers are getting to eat their own words over and over again because everything they try to project on jikook’s bond becomes true for their own ship. After jikook did their Live, they said Taekook would have way more chemistry if they did one but we all saw what a “mess” that car Live was with Jk clearly not being in the headspace for any of that. They also talked about Jikook at airports and said Jk was running away from Jimin because of Jk being a few steps ahead of Jimin sometimes even though they were mostly shoulder to shoulder and even when Jk was ahead he kept turning back to check on Jimin only for us to see Taekook at the airport today with Jk zooming into the airport not even looking back at Taehyung and Tae later asking if Jk had even arrived. Let’s not even talk about how tkkrs mocked Jikook for arriving in separate cars only for Taekook to arrive in separate cars today and all of a sudden it’s crickets from their end.

There was a time when I used to dread Taekook interactions because of the hate Jimin always got but I am glad when we do get to see them interact these days, it only further proves how different jikook are.

I am not even just saying this because I am a jikooker but since their discharge, I have seen Jk’s biggest smiles mostly when he is around Jimin or when Jimin is mentioned. The way his entire demeanour changes completely when he sees or hears about Jimin. Nothing compares tbh.

Sorry for my little rant.

Hi anon,

Yes, I completely understand what you’re saying and honestly, it gets to a point where you just learn to stop taking anything that group says seriously. Most of the time, they don’t even believe themselves.

There’s naturally going to be a difference in how Jikook interact compared to others, simply because Jikook are different around each other. They’ve always stood out, and whether people admit it or not, everyone has noticed it. The only difference is that some choose to interpret that dynamic negatively or twist it to fit whatever narrative they prefer. But at the core, it’s clear to everyone: Jikook share something unique.

Lately, I’ve actually been enjoying watching the cult contradict themselves. I can’t even imagine what they would have said if it were Jikook who did that car live or if it were Jungkook arriving at the airport with Jimin, then rushing inside without even a glance back. They would’ve had a full narrative ready about how Jungkook supposedly hates Jimin and wants nothing to do with him. But today? That same energy is nowhere to be found. (Not that overanalyzing idols/ people is ever really okay but at the very least, if you’re going to do it, be consistent across all pairs. That’s only fair.)

And this isn’t even about comparing bonds because, frankly, there’s nothing to compare. But as you said, it’s still interesting to observe how Jungkook behaves with different people. It’s not about point-scoring; it just genuinely helps in understanding the nature of his bond with Jimin better.

Anyways, I’m just glad Jungkook’s heading back to LA. I’m sure he’s in need of a fresh batch of Jimin hyung’s sleeping videos. Hopefully, he gets to film plenty and I hope they had an amazing time doing whatever it is they were doing in Korea.

[plushblushybunny]

Johnnys collaring

( DM if the collar product is yours and you want it removed! )

( NSFW under the cut! MDNI! )

( pre story info. he is GETTING his happy ending damnit! so feel free to ignore this part! purely self indulgent! JOHNNY SPLASH GETS HIS HAPPY ENDING! )

johnny loved to sing for you in private. others may not like his voice, but it had a certain uniqueness you loved. even if acompanied by a slight wince sometimes. but it rarely did ever happen. but.. well, after river told you about a " problem " with johnnys piping and plumbing? you immediately got to work and called a plumber for him. you had found out? he was entirely full of rust in his pipes! after a couple hours of you anxiously around your bathroom, terrified of what would happen to your shower boyfriend given he WAS the shower, would this hurt?? would he be okay?? after the plumber left and you put on the dateviators? it turned out.. all was well! once finished and the plumber packed up.. johnny was delighted to find he sounded alot better! more.. palatable! it wasint THE best best youd ever heard, but hearing your sweet boys voice? oh that was well worth the wait seeing him so happy. given american maestro literally blocked your IP address after his first go on the show. he didnt care much anyway for it. he was just happy with what he had now. johnny didnt feel the need to be a star anymore. he had something right here that was just as sweet! a sweet gorgeous human who loved him no matter what song he sang. off key or not! johnny valued loyalty more then anything. so.. johnny wanted to stay with you. even when he did have his chance to be someone important? he decided being yours was much more valuable then any gold record. ( thank you for listening to my version of events where johnny gets his happy ending and everyone else was wrong jerks and it wasint his fault! onto the story! ) johnny was actually very accepting of the collar! given he didnt know if he deserved it, he still happily accepted it.

johnny was practicing and singing in the shower as always, so he kept rocking as he always has! since his voice had been corrected, hed been singing more then before even! which was saying alot! he still couldnt get over being giddy with his new set of pipes ( get it? he literally got new pipes ) today he was happy to see you come in to see him! since your shower became your boyfriend, youd started taking MUCH longer showers. and being very careful about making sure he remained rust free and in top condition.

" gorgeous! there you are! ive been working on- oh, whats that you got there gorgeous? oh.. "

well that made johnny clam up! seeing the collar held sheepishly in your hand, " i reckon, that aint for duke is it? " hed ask nervously. you responded that no, it was infact not for duke. he was a nervous flustered wreck! but he made no objections as you explained that you wanted to try something different for your relationship. you asked if he hated it, and he actually said no! he didnt hate it! " no! of course not darlin! its gorgeous! i just dont know if i reckon i deserve that with ya, i trust ya! i know you wont hurt me.. well then, lets get it on then shall we? "

you were surprised he just.. trusted you so willingly, given.. johnny wasint USED to people wanting him, or wanting to stick around. so something like this? a guarantee youd stay around? that.. he was enough for you? well it just made him happy. words were good, great even! but this was something else, a feel of permanence about it.. the jewels? his name on the little metal plate? the lock on it? touching it made his heart skip a beat. of course you complimented him and told him how good he looked with it on and how it suited him really well! having him flushed and a little lighteaded with all your coddling and kissing and giving him all the sugar he could want. It made him feel really special!

Johnny loves just leaning his head on your shoulder and snuggle up with you. just being close! play with his collar a bit and give him a kiss and hes happy as a clam! He hated that you worked alot or had things you needed to take care of. So sometimes you take your laptop into the bathroom to work, but that hardly lasts sometimes when you start to pull on his collar a little and kiss him. start to give him little hickeys and getting him undressed a bit? hes melting in a couple dumb giggles with a blush and dopey smile. youll steam up the shower quick like that!

but now that were done with some of the cute? lets.. getting down and.. dirty? Clean? Uh.. wet?

he THINKS he only likes it slow and romantic at first. the idea of all the graphic kinky stuff? it just put him off at first. it was a bit scary! he just liked the simple things usually ( the things rebel talked about put him off evidently. ) but he trusted you when you said youd like to try some things if he wanted to. he trusted you! you wouldnt hurt him! so he agreed to try some things with you. given he still likes the plain and romantic stuff. so keep in mind, what you read next if about 35% to 45% of the time! otherwise he likes it slow and sweet with a nice bottle of bourbon, praise, and love through the night.

Lets just say.. rebel wasint WRONG about johnny, He can MOAN and whine. And he sounds so sweet when he does. its whiney and breathy unless youve REALLY got him loud. thats when he just lets it all go. lets just say hes making GOOD use of those fresh pipes of his. youll hear the sweetest whines and begging from him. and the way he begs? is downright FILTHY. dignity thrown out the window while he begs you to give him mercy. go harder. and to ruin him all at the same time in desperate pleading that you cant get enough of. at that point he doesint even think about what hes saying anymore! its cute to watch his pretty blue eyes roll back all shiny and tears welled up. and to you? that just makes you give him more. he wants his hips sore afterwards and bruises with your finger prints. if you stop or slow down? he will whine " no no no please dont stop please dont do this to me gorgeous i cant take it! " like he would die if you didnt continue. and hes louder when you speed back up. but it was adorable to hear his little panic and pleading otherwise.

Johnny is like.. 90% a bottom sub. RARELY just on top with your guidance because he loves you and wants to pleasure you instead of the other way around. just please love this man like he loves you! however you want him he will utterly give himself to you when you have him in the mood like that. pin him against the shower wall by his neck and make him beg while you pull on his collar and make him lightheaded while youre rough with him. He will be loud and be THE most gorgeous little fucked out man on earth when youd take him. yank on his collar and youll see him dripping pre all over the shower floor. make sure you tease him about it too. or lay back on the bed and pull on his collar while hes thrusting into you while you encourage him. watching his thighs shake as he holds onto you desperately with little sounds while trying to hold back from finishing too early! he wants to make you feel good and will do anything in his power to make it happen

Johnny is a little bit of a size queen. Or.. well king. Give this man any size and he will take it and THANK you for it. he has a pretty thin waist for a man! so the first time he sees that bulge and outline in his stomach? youd practically see hearts in his eyes. He needs to be taken care of and relax. PLEASE. Tell him how handsome and gorgeous and pretty he is while hes on his back. hands tied up while he cant do anything but take more while hed beg you for more and for you not to stop and how much he loves you ( all was previously consented to! this is semi fluffy and sweet! ) just let him relax as you take care of him. he deserves some pampering after everything hed gone through. have his chest and neck covered in bites and hickeys with his dazed fucked out expression on his face while you are pulling on his leash while you took him slowly and deeply as the tag jingles with every thrust. hes so pretty to look at like this while you tell and SHOW him exactly how you feel about how he looks right now. your boyfriend is the sweetest thing youll ever have and you want him to know and remember it.

[nowoyas]

elaboration:

ellipsus is FANTASTIC if you post on ao3. it has a built-in ao3 export tool that adds all needed html for you, and so far, the only bug I've discovered has been one extremely unique to my use case and the support team has been fantastic in reaching out to me and offering potential solutions while they figure it out. if you aren't using linked footnotes, you're not going to run into it, and if you are, the fix is as easy as throwing the copied text into another writing program and find+replacing two specific characters before posting. I was able to import fourteen years of nonstop writing with little issue.

I imported my stuff to ellipsus FROM notion, actually. I hate notion for drafting. it has some use for notes, but they REALLY want you to use their AI tools, and have begun marketing themselves as an AI tool first. (their site now describes notion as "the ai workspace that works for you".) I can't recommend it as an alternative to avoid AI data scraping.

as for scrivener, this is my main drafting tool. I love scrivener. I adore it. it doesn't have a built-in sync option the way that something like gdocs or ellipsus does, but it's reliable, AI-free, and that one purchase allows you to use it across platforms. I will swear by scrivener.

additionally:

I know several writers who use obsidian as both a notetaking/planning and drafting tool. I don't personally like it for drafting, but I also prefer to have a separation between taking notes on something I'm writing and the actual writing of it. obsidian has AI options available to you, but you have to actively seek them out. they're community plugins made and published by users, and in order for those plugins to have access to your work, you have to find them, download them, and then actively activate them, and they aren't pushed by the company itself. there is a cheap sync option available (like $5 a month iirc? there's also student pricing), but you can also sync for free using basically any cloud service tool, and the base of it is completely free to use. there's a learning curve present, but once you get used to it, it's fantastic, customizable, and reliable. like creating a wiki for your own writing. you just need to learn some very basic markdown (the kind used in discord) to make it work, and it's much more intuitive than discord.

for ppl looking for gdoc alternatives --

these are the ones i use (or have used in the past) that don't allow ai data scraping!

ellipsus (free to use, also allows folders in the same way that gdrive does)

notion (free to use, and although there is an AI function, notion has explicitly said that it does not scrape your data/allow 3rd party clients to use that data at all)

scrivener (59.99 one time payment, but its a super robust tool for writing and organization)

honorable mentions:

zenwriter (4.95/month sub or 29.95 one time payment; very bare bones writing tool to cut out all distractions; i couldn't find specific language that addresses ai usage of data so... i can't say one way or the other?)

if anyone else has recommendations on gdoc alternatives, pls rb/add below! :)

[crinj-central]

Adam & Eve, Elbaph & Nika: Created from a part of the other

It is not a coincidence that Oda has chosen the most famous biblical story as names for these two significant trees. This is why I believe that their names alone are a hint that the Sun Tree Eve must've been artificially created from Treasure Tree Adam's branch— who in turn was first created by the Forest God Elbaph himself.

The Adam Tree of Elbaph is the oldest one in the world and therefore the first one that's ever existed. Elbaph also used to be highly technologically advanced 3000 years ago, which is why I believe that it was Ancient Elbaphians who created Eve, and then went a step further by engineering the first Devil Fruit: Sun God Nika. In the bible, the forbidden fruit was created by the Tree of Knowledge. What if the 5000 year old Ohara tree had accumulated enough scientific knowledge and resources to make this feat possible in the first place? What if it was the Buccaneers who created this legend?

If Nika really was created from the essence of Eve, then this in turn means he was created from the essence of the Forest God Elbaph as well. I believe that the Elbaph Devil Fruit was created shortly afterwards from Adam's essence directly, following the biblical story of Eve sharing the forbidden fruit with Adam. This however enraged Mother Sea, which is why all Devil Fruit users are rejected from "paradise" and cursed with the inability to swim. The forbidden fruit also introduced the concept of suffering and death, both characteristics of war, which is what God Elbaph is currently referred to as by contemporary giants.

However, if Elbaph really is the Forest God, then he was actually the God of Creation and Life too— forests ARE the essence of life. Life and death, creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin that cannot exist without the other; that's why there's two different interpretations of Nika as well, because he also incorporated both. In fact, it was the sun god who "spread the flames of war" in the Harley. Furthermore, this could imply that Elbaph and Nika are so similar to each other that their legends got mixed up and misinterpreted.

The parallels between Luffy and Loki are undeniable, and yet they're not carbon copies of each other but their very own unique characters. I think it's foreshadowing for their fruits too; just because they're very similar doesn't mean they're the same. I believe that Elbaph can have a "white form" too which is going to be necessary in order to play Domi Reversi with Imu— however it's up to the user whether or not the awakened form will be white. It's a choice between good and evil, which again ties into the biblical theme.

Both Loki AND Luffy are considered evil by people who dont personally know them. Both of them have rumors about killing an important and beloved figure now; the world believes that Luffy killed Vegapunk after all. Neither of them are actually "evil", Loki is definitely a kind-hearted person too (especially because he STILL wants to save Elbaph despite everything he endured).

There's also the potential for a beautiful poetic irony: Loki wanted to die as a child, and he claims that he wants to destroy the world as an adult... and yet his devil fruit is the power of creation and life, the very opposite of that. Despite everything, Elbaph chose him.

[vyrid]

In honor of Harry Potter’s birthday, here are my top ten favorite Tomarry fan-fictions (in no particular order!!)

1. Horror of Our Love by Leontina

In a world where Neville Longbottom was declared the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter grew up in a happy, loving family, but all of that changed when he was twelve; the year he met Tom Riddle.

Notes: I love, love, love the writing in this fan-fiction. The summary is a little vague, but the actual storyline, the characters, the dynamics are insane. It hasn’t been updated in a while, for which I am heartbroken, but I’m recommending it anyway, because finished or not, it’s still one of the best things I’ve ever read. Tom is so accurate here, and Harry is still a good mix of canon and supporting Tom.

2. Iridescent by BloodyWar2411

No Magic. Tom Riddle: A mob boss. Draco Malfoy: A vengeful prick. Harry Potter: Stuck as a cleaning boy for Tom's office as a way to make up for something Draco claimed he did. Bottom Line: Damn all rich people to hell.

Notes: Again, very vague summary—as are most works on ff.net, but I’m here to tell you a better premise. As it says, it’s a crime lord/mob-boss AU where Harry pisses off Draco and gets forced to work at Riddle’s shop/undercover crime center. I read it a long time ago, but it was amazingly written and had good plot, too. The characters had depth to them and the Tom in this one is such a mix of I-hate-you-go-die and OH MY GOD.

3. To Kill You With A Kiss by Paimpoint

After Dumbledore's death, Harry searches for answers in the Pensieve. But something goes wrong. Trapped inside a memory, Harry finds himself back at Hogwarts in 1945 where he meets an 18 year old Tom Riddle teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Notes: The writing in this fan-fiction is just… wow. It sounds poetic, melancholy, so detached from everything even though the plot isn’t necessarily that tragic. It’s like poetry with how the tone is so different from everything I’ve read with similar summaries. I remember this being fairly popular a couple years back but we need to bring the hype back.

4. Rebuilt by Terrific_Lunacy

After society as we know it collapsed, humanity struggled for survival. Following a decade of chaos and anarchy, a new society begins to establish. Lords try to assemble the best followers around them and battle other groups for territory. Young Harry Potter tries to stay out of trouble, but when a new lord with unconventional ideas sees the potential in his unique talents, his quiet life soon gets turned upside down.

Armed only with his wits, Harry has to take on one catastrophe after the other, all the while trying to uncover his own past and teach a certain smug bastard the meaning of personal space.

Notes: This needs, needs, NEEEEEDS, more attention. Like, even more attention than it already has. The writing is cool, has some grammatical errors but nothing you can’t push past, and the plot MORE than makes up for it. It’s a very new and unique concept I haven’t read before and I remember being unable to physically put this thing down when I started reading. Also, Draco is adorable here.

5. Sleeping Somewhere Cold by Dark_Cyan_Star

Lucius has twin boys. Voldemort is asking for his servants’ firstborn child. Thinking it's an honor; Lucius gives Voldemort the healthy child, Draco, who happens to be the younger twin. Harry grows up the black sheep of the Malfoy family and befriends Mudbloods and the boy-who-lived, Neville. Eventually, he ends up being disowned from the Malfoy family. Things spiral out of control when Voldemort finds out Harry is the firstborn. He'll stop at nothing to get Harry on his side. After all, the ritual Voldemort wants to use will not work without Harry. For the Dark Lord wants to eat off the children's magic once they are of age.

Notes: Beautiful writing, amazing plot, and Harry is probably the best part of this fanfiction. He has amazing personality, actually has goals, and his whole life doesn’t revolve around Voldemort. It’s pretty popular, so I’m sure most of you guys have read it already.

6. Little Seer by HuskyWalker

Voldemort won the first war. Harry is happy to live as an unnoticed squib at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, visions and rebels don't allow that and Harry soon catch the attention of the dark lord.

Notes: I’m going to be very honest here, the grammar really isn’t the best, Harry is really OOC, and the plot is really hit or miss. But for some reason, I’ve read it 4 times repeatedly to the end because there’s just SOMETHING about it that keeps me still reading. I can’t pinpoint it but it’s probably my most reread fanfiction.

7. Curfew Violations by Ravenslith_Fledglingmoon

When Harry started his freshman year at Hogwarts High, he was the new kid in town. And as such, with no social life to speak of, he had no problem getting home after school right on the dot. Thus negating the need for any sort of actual imposed curfew; it simply wasn’t necessary. All was well for about a month before Harry blipped on -his- radar. Enter Tom Riddle—junior upperclassman, top athlete, and every teacher’s metaphorical academic wet dream, with superior height advantage and perfect hair to boot.

Harry had been minding his own, content to enjoy the inauspicious beginning of his high school career until they just so happened to cross paths, in the abandoned storage room on the 7th floor corridor (because Hogwarts was stupid big and Harry had been looking for a quiet corner in which to relax and otherwise de-stress, not held in another smoke filled boys bathroom).

Who knew Tom had a thing for short, messy haired, emerald eyed, deliciously fresh meat?

Notes: The summary basically tells it all, but I am here to solidify the greatness of this fic—it is equal parts hilarious, hot, chaotic, and plotty. I love Harry here, Tom’s hilarious and hot, Lily’s the cutest mom and the sex is amazing.

8. Diagnosis by (orphan account)

Harry Potter is screwed.

With a penchant for Firewhiskey and late-night parties, he had no idea that he would find a handsome man in his bed the next morning, when he wakes up; already late for his first day at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies as a Healer trainee. He also had no idea that his mom’s ex-boyfriend would have an axe to grind, the most eager girl would follow him around like she’d been hit with a Permanent Sticking Charm, or that the handsome man in his bed that morning was his boss, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Head of Spell Damage.

Like I said, Harry Potter is screwed.

Notes: The fanfiction is basically a Grey’s Anatomy rewrite, but it’s written AMAZINGLY. It’s kind of cliche, and really cringe at times, but I loved reading it, and I know you will, too. Harry here’s a badass, kind of a whore but you know that’s fine, Tom’s kind of dick but he’s nice to Harry and that’s all we care about.

9. A Dangerous Game by Cybrid

Tom Riddle opens the Chamber of Secrets in Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts. After a botched attempt to extract the Horcrux in Harry’s scar leaves their souls tied together, Tom is forced to kidnap him when he makes his escape. A story of Horcrux hunting, adventure and unwilling attraction.

Notes: If you haven’t read A Dangerous Game, what have you being DOINGGGG? The writing is 10/10, the plot is AMAZING, Harry is so in character, Tom is a dick but we like that, and it’s finished and it’s just the blueprint for Tomarry fanfictions anywhere.

10. Meant to Be by phoenixmaiden13

One Night of passion leads to drastic consequences that changes the war completely. Harry must go into hiding to protect himself and his most guarded secret. But will that secret bring Harry and Tom together? Only if it is Meant to Be.

Notes: This is probably one of the first tomarry fanfictions I’ve ever read, and it’s what got me into the ship. It’s M-Preg, and the grammars a little off but it gets better as the story progresses. And the PLOT. UGH. Tom is so fine, Harry’s so beautiful and their DAUGHTER!!!!!! She’s what really brings that fanfiction together. It’s like a balm to the soul after reading dark fics like No Glory, honestly. It’s sweet and homey.

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

The Amazons of myth were made up by misogynists. Their stories are misogynistic, the idea of their culture is misogynistic. And it's just as misogynistic as the modern issues with Wonder Woman.

"Women can be just as bad as men!" Is not in any way helpful or inventive.

Wonder Woman was not created in any way to improve the myth of the amazons, or sanitize it. It served as a jumping off point because people would recognize the names used from Greek mythology. That's it. Not a retelling.

Also don't know where you're getting the idea that her greatest accomplishment was having a kid? Unless you've just read the current run, and only that, no other writer has treated her like this.

Themyscira is supposed to be a feminist utopia. When people try to change that, they do nothing but strip Wonder Woman and the Amazons of any sort of character or unique stories.

Wonder Woman has had a misogyny problem for years, but making her a violent, man hater, (unless there's a reason) kill on sight person is not going to improve it. That's also a misogynistic trope and has existed for years.

If you want edgier, violent amazons, push that agenda onto the Bana-mighdall. It would make sense for them at least.

You don't seem like you've read much of Wonder Woman. Or understand why she was created in the first place

She was created, partly as war propaganda.

She also had the intention of helping empower young girls. Don't forget the fact OG writer guy looked at his very amazing badass partners who make him submit and was like ohhh shit.

I 15 asks ago, tried harder to understand the perspective, and even was kind of willing to change my own.

I never have the intention of fucking up a character or whatever.

I just liked the Amazonians in the myths.

But truthfully at this point, I care so fucking little.

This is literally tumblr, I at least 20 minutes ago, full on, saw a full frontal view of Batman getting railed by Superman. It was impeccable fanart.

My kind of want for a more myth accurate wonder woman doesn't fucking matter.

I'm not running DC if I was Nightwing and Starfire would be married, the Joker would be dead, and I'd give Damian a new pet.

I don't actually think wonder woman was created to sanitize anything that would be giving way too much credit to people.

My only point was that I hate what DC did with the Myths.

It's also a very common critique that wonder woman has been affected by misogynistic writing. Like Robin has traffic lights and DC has a male ego problem.

But again, I did not even want to end up in this fucking discussion, cause it was never that fucking serious.

I just was trying to write about Greek fire and cults.

Instead, I have actual distain for an entire superhero now and her fans.

Hell this is fandom, why are you acting like I'm about to write the newest fucking addition of Wonder Woman?

All I said was the Amazonian in myths are objectively cool because they're kind of horrible people. Wonder woman is a hero in a modern age so of course she's not as horrible as them. It would be interesting if she was written like an Amazonian of old. And I think we should dress Diana in a suit that is like the armor of old.

But this is my last thing about Wonder Woman.

Any ask about wonder woman will be deleted and I will not be responding I'm debating shutting off asks.

Between the absurd amount of Stephanie Brown hate stuff I am still getting, this wonder woman thing and also the weird hate asks I get for saying people should respect, fandom opinion, sometimes very much over this bullshit. And the ones that told me to kill myself in more words because I don't understand woman wonder I'm no longer interested in ever trying to.

Say what you will about the batfandom they are not half as fucking annoying.

Anytime I've ever shit on my fellow Tim fans I'm apologizing.



[deinoselachus]

smaugust day one—monstrous nightmare

edit: im not gonna change the painting but i forgot that nightmares have two sets of spines got damn it. i got all those refs for what lmao

"This behemoth of the stoker class is a native to the Isle of Berk, and an apex predator at that. Only trained by the most dedicated of vikings, these beasts are as much of a boon on the battlefield as they are a hazard; be wary of where it's kerosene fire lands, as it may just ignite an ally—or itself."

smaugust prompt list | class info (soon) | rambles below

okay so first of all this looks REALLY yellow and satured on my phone but fine on my laptop and tablet so if anyone wants to let me know how this looks for them so i can adjust going forwards thatd be swell! i dont know which device to believe haha

now for my dragon specie headcanon/rambles

monstrous nightmares, as said above, are a specie native to berk and the land around it, though they are hardy enough to survive most environments

despite their large size and ability to ignite themselves at the drop of a hat, they usually dwell in forested, mountainous areas, where they attract mates by scorching their territory and letting the smoke rise. the more smoke, the better their odds at a female coming to check out the show.

their striped hide means they blend in shockingly well to the trees, especially on warmer days. they are, however, not quiet dragons and cannot easily sneak up on prey, not that they would try to.

they are covered in a thin gel-like substance that can create a "flame jacket" very quickly and easily—a nightmare must spit some of its own fire onto it's body to ignite this jacket, or catch a flame from another dragon. they cannot ignite themselves without some sort of external fire.

all dragons are flame-resistant to some degree but nightmares more so than others, for obvious reasons. the flame jacket also serves to deter more flammable dragons for trying to enter close quarters. however this strategy is not effective for all as plenty of species, often other stoker class dragons, are willing to brave the heat. for these situations, nightmare's are equipped with one of the strongest bite forces in the dragon kingdom, and claws that could gut even a thick-hided dweller class. of course, that's assuming their fire breath didn't do the trick.

their eyes are slitted as they primarily hunt close to the ground, foregoing flight to run on their wings like bats. each wing has 7 digits, two of which are thumbs that they use to get a better grip as they walk. monstrous nightmares are pamprodactyls, able to move their hind toes to hook onto nearby trees or rocks.

despite possessing large, uniquely shaped wings, monstrous nightmares are poor fliers. their forward-facing eyes make them exceptional ground hunters to focus on prey, but limits their scope when in the air, where attackers can come from any direction. the best way to defeat a nightmare is by getting it airborne and disorientating it, then disengaging while it reorients and lands. be aware of the claws on it's wings as it flies—they are just as sharp as it's talons.

the spines on it's back are not actual spines; they're sails. though much softer than the spikes they look like at a distance, they are still not comfortable to sit on. why nightmare's developed false spines when all other aspects of them are real and deadly isn't yet known.

version without smoke

[lynxgriffin]

All the focus on Normal NPC/Stripped Bird (Bubbles) and Jockington. Goner Theories or how their speech begins to deteriorate.

Meanwhile I have a keen eye on Fading Rudinn.

This guy seems more casually self-aware than we think, the first time we see the lad in Chapter 2 (Still the green color we know) names our town after our Vessel's name (Or our name, The Player) and atleast... that's what he heard, implying there might've been an uninvited individual in the Castle Town.

In Chapter 4, the Rudinn losing their signature color (Telling us to don't mind it) Still naming the town after Vessel or us but with a plus, recognizing the town's state. If we have many recruits our love for the town is strong! If we don't have many recruits our love for the town is cracking... If we start in Chapter 4 with no completion on other chapters, he'll comment this place looking familiar... and our love for the town is plain.

What do you think?

Actually no- Tell me what do you think of the recent crazy-ass theories we've received currently, Jockington is a goner or hell Jockington and Catti are FRIEND in disguise.

Oh it's chaos! CHAOS!

Something's going on with that Rudinn guy for sure, but what exactly I'm not certain. It's interesting that he has meta knowledge of the player (considering the town's name, that's the only source we have for Castle Town being named after us) and of how recruits are affecting the town. It's a little hard to parse since there doesn't seem to be any clear reason why he should have this knowledge...he's just kinda Like That. (Or at least, it seems to be extra meta knowledge to us; we have already learned from other Darkners that they're generally aware of their history and relationships outside of the dark world.) Sooo yeah. Dunno so far, we'll see how it develops!

Although, I do find it very funny how for a long time people were like "Oh who cares about Catti and Jockington; they won't feature a lot, they don't even have unique talk sounds!" and now all of a sudden it's gone a complete 180 to "actually they're secretly FRIEND and a GONER and GASTER!!!" Like dude, I was saying Catti and Jockington were going to be relevant all the way back in chapter two!

That said...no, I don't think they're secretly Friend or a Goner. I'm kind of viewing it the same way I am with Noelle and her reoccurring angel motifs...I don't think Noelle is literally the angel from the prophecy, but it IS clear that the frequency of angel mentions around her is going to mean something important for her character in the future. In a similar vein, the pink/yellow colors showing up for Catti, her relations to Kris regarding demon summoning, her strong dislike of Susie, and overall the importance of cats/snakes in the darker aspects of the prophecy all point towards Friend's shenanigans being relevant to their characters.

[coraniaid]

"My predecessor [...] may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense. But he was eaten. You're in my world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time."

One of the things that makes Season One of Buffy unique compared to the following six seasons is that the whole thing was filmed months before the first episode made it to the screen. That's why Buffy's prophetic nightmare at the start of Welcome to the Hellmouth can feature clips from future episodes, including a shot taken directly from the finale. (You won't see anything like that on the show again.) It's why the opening credits cover scenes from all twelve episodes.

Arguably, this was the whole reason the show made it to the screen at all: the network needed a mid-season replacement, and here was a brand new show with a dozen episodes already filmed. But it also meant that the writers couldn't really learn from their mistakes as they went along.

There wasn't any audience whose reaction to the early episodes could be used to inform subsequent plot developments. There wasn't a clear pause in the filming schedule when everybody had the time to go away for a bit and reflect on how the season had gone so far, asking themselves what had worked well and what needed to be tweaked. Indeed, my understanding is that the episodes themselves weren't even filmed in strict chronological order, although I believe that Prophecy Girl was filmed last, sometime in January 1997. (The rest of the season was filmed in 1996, which is why there's a whiteboard in Witch promoting the '1996 cheerleading tryouts': in-universe the events of Witch cannot take place any earlier than February 1997 as Buffy was sixteen in The Harvest which took place at least a week earlier.)

All of that is to say that any sense that the show is somehow finding its feet and working out what it wants to be as the season develops has got to be illusory, right? That take just doesn't really fit with how the season actually got made.

And yet it does feel as though, over the last three episodes, something has changed about the show. I'm not sure there's necessarily been a huge uptick in quality, but the wider universe of the show is starting to feel a little closer to the one we'll see in Season 2. We had our first "Previously on..." moment two episodes ago, setting up the retcon around Angel's status as a vampire. We met Jenny Calendar last week and -- while Jenny never really becomes the integral part of the group I wish she'd had the chance to be -- @btvsfemslashenjoyer is completely correct to note she's the first sympathetic magic practitioner we've met, something that is a very important precedent for the future of the show.

And this week -- as well as a fairly inconsequential plot about an evil organ-stealing demon and the frankly deeply irritating talking dummy who fights him -- we're introduced to another favorite minor character of mine: Armin Shimerman's Principal Snyder. Possibly -- and I certainly don't want to oversell the idea -- but quite possibly the greatest recurring antagonist to ever appear on the show. Pompous, spiteful, never quite as aware of what's going on as he thinks he is, gleefully vindictive and endlessly quotable.

"I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh ... at."

"Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."

"This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion… You can't put up with that."

"There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking."

"Kids. I don't like them."

"I don't get it. What is it: avant-garde?"

And that's all just from this first episode!

I've seen it claimed for years -- though I've never seen a primary source -- that the original intention, at least after Principal Flutie's death, was to have a whole series of replacement principals who kept being killed off in mysterious ways. If that's true, I think that plan must have been abandoned pretty soon after recruiting Shimmerman for the role, because he is just so perfectly cast I don't think any replacement principal could hope to live up to this. (It's notable that, when we finally do meet a new high school principal on the show, Season 7's Robin Wood, the writers take him in a completely different direction.)

Just as the biggest point in favor of last week's I Robot ... You Jane is that it introduces Jenny Calendar, I think the best thing about The Puppet Show -- by quite a long way -- is that it introduces us to Principal Snyder, a wonderfully odious character I really can't imagine the show without.

[simcardiac-arrested]

ATTENTION: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TREE? IF YOU HAVE, YOU MIGHT HAVE FALLEN INTO SOME SORT OF RIP IN THE FABRIC OF TIME

alt version because i also liek it :)

[ganondoodle]

you know im unable to shut up when i have any opinion on zelda (though i try and have thus far succeeded at not commenting on any other concept from the darn book)- i find most totk ganondorf concept art worse than what we got to insulting even (of those i have seen) ..... this one though

much more the one in the background than the one up front, still at least he has the collar and the weapon we saw in the first trailer of things that never happen in the end (like so much else)

[offdxty]

Kane snorts out a lighthearted, amused noise - clearly not negatively affected by anything his partner is saying - as he shifts a bit where he is standing; It might look a little odd from the outside, but Kane's actually testing the feeling of that shirt he's chosen to wear - whether it feels good against him or scratching somewhere, and if he can actually see it covering him for the rest of the day.

He usually does not mind, doesn't go through the whole thought-process of which clothes he prefers... yet sometimes, just like that, he appears extra-sensitive; Today definitely seems to be one of those days, has him hesitate for a bit before he hums, having decided upon liking the shirt, keeping it on.

"---If I let my hair grow out..." A knit of brows, with Kane now looking for a pair of pants he wants to wear. Today is not a jeans-day, so he does not even pick one of those up... goes for some cargo-pants instead, black and more loose-fit, which he then slides over his legs, then up his thighs, hips... "...Those curls will make me look like an exploded cushion of sorts. Y'know, as if a dog had come in and mangled it, only leaving destruction and fluffy chaos behind. You don't wanna put a pink scrunchie into that." An exhale, a bit entertained, though Kane means it... he used to gel his hair back every day, like other-Kane did, to keep everything tamed.

He's okay with it now, those curls... but doesn't have to challenge them, really. This length is fine.

Those mentioned pants are pulled up higher, over his ass, with him wiggling a bit to make it all fit. Kane fumbles around then for a moment, a bit of a thoughtful expression appearing on his features... then he just pulls his shirt down, covering the waistband with it, before turning to finally making his way over where his very sleepy boyfriend is watching their little kettle do its work.

---It truly is a pretty kettle, and Kane finds himself looking at it for a moment as well before his gaze trails to Arthur instead, a hip leaning against the opposite counter, lazy, comfortable.

What has been said there, mere seconds ago, has an effect on him, yeah - maks him lick his bottom lip, then causes a grin to return to full lips, accompanied by a shake of a head.

"---First you're saying you'd lock me out and make me replace you with a cactus if I only dared to consider going out naked..." A blink, a lift of brows. "...And now you're talking about fucking up my hair, using handcuffs and all? ---Not that I'm complaining."

Definitely amused now, very much cheeky, arms fold in front of his own chest as Kane looks the other over - taking in the sight of long hair, glasses, tired features, somewhat-slouched stance.

"...I'd let you." A mumble then, a bit spicy. "Y'know. Fuck me outside? All naked and stuff. Could show me off like I'm a prized possesion of sorts..."

A wink before Kane turns then, nonchalant, as if he didn't just talk about something very naughty there; He reaches up and into a cupboard, from which he pulls out two mugs - one that Arthur usually uses as well as one Kane goes for, most of the days. Kane's is dark blue in color, decorated with hand-drawn stars and the moon, as well as a part of the Milky Way.

Both cups are handmade, special, unique. A few months old at this point, maybe even a year - Kane still remembers them sitting in that friendly woman's front yard, with her showing them how to use clay, how to make something pretty and useful out of what looks like dirt to most. Despite being unable to speak the same language, they'd bonded very well with her, just through the act of being creative - and her seven kids, on top of that. Ended up going home with those two mugs and a belly full of amazing, home-cooked food.

And leftovers. So, so many leftovers.

They'd lived off of those for an entire week.

Good times. Very. Kane sighs as he just gazes at his mug for a moment there, then he puts them both down, next to that adorable kettle that has seen better times, yet makes the best boiled water he's tasted so far. Yes, Kane can taste the difference, even if most don't believe him when he claims such. "---Remember when we made those?" A smile, with him looking back at Arthur, nodding toward said mugs. "That was fun, wasn't it? Should do that again, sometime..."

Arthur didn’t look over, instead focusing on the tea. He clicked the burner dial up a few notches, watching the kettle; it was a cute kettle. One that was blue and white, a bit older, with patterns of flowers and birds; it had been used when they'd picked it up, but Arthur had liked it.

It reminded him of Kane, not that he ever explained why.

His arms braced lightly against the counter behind him, eyes relaxed as he watched the stove. It wouldn’t take long, just because the kettle was so small - they didn’t need anything more than just water for the both of them. 

Arthur only looked over at the comment about the temperature, his eyes still a bit tired. He was always slow in the mornings - his thoughts moved slower, his body was slower, even his gaze drifted slower. Right now it was drifting over Kane as he hovered near the wardrobe. 

...It's a bit cool today, though.

“Is it,” Arthur answered, not really a question but rather acknowledging the statement. He trusted that Kane was correct - it was one of those little oddities about him. He was good with nature, good with the plants. Arthur would say that he was simply more ‘in line’ with the universe than other men were - everyone was born from the universe, and everyone would return to it. 

Kane just seemed to be one of the few who still had a strong connection. Possibly the strongest connection, actually. 

“If you walk out there bare-ass naked, then I’ll lock the door,” he continued, his voice low. It was impossible to tell if his threat was sincere or not - it might have been, just as much as it might not have been. He’d left Kane outside before, though only ever to tease. “And you can forget about cutting my hair, too. You can replace me with a cactus.” 

His head rested lightly against one of the cabinets behind him, eyes shifting closed again. He didn’t mind Kane doing what he wanted, when they were fairly alone - but the thought of someone else seeing him did bother him, for some reason. As if he were the first man to see Kane naked - he knew he wasn’t.

But he’d prefer being the last. 

His eyes opened again at the thought, half-lidded, just watching Kane get dressed. Arthur was still mostly dressed, in sweatpants - he’d get more on when he was more awake. Once the tea was made, and the morning was officially over, starting the day -he'd wait to get dressed until then. 

Arthur stretched his back, rolling his shoulders again with a low inhale. “You should grow your hair out more,” he suggested, loosely. He just wanted to see what it’d look like, in truth - though maybe that was just because he thought of Kane as being something close to a puppy. It seemed fitting for him to have the hair of a poodle. “We could tie it up in a little bow on top of your head, y’know. Little pink scrunchie.” 

It was a joke, mostly. If anyone could pull off a look like that, it’d probably be Kane. Arthur's eyes drifted shut again, sleepy, talking just to talk.

“It’s not fair to have a boyfriend who’s hotter than me, y’know. Hm. I should fuck up your hair. Leave you outside naked in the rain.” Maybe with handcuffs. Maybe right next to all of those plants he loved taking so much care of. 

It was a lovely thought. One that brought a toying smirk to his lips - he’d never do it, just because the thought of a mess was enough to make him pause. But, well - the thought was tempting.