#writing style upgrade

[the-most-humble-blog]

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<meta activation-mode="BLACKSITE_SCROLLTRAP_WRITEFLOW_DEPLOYED"> <script> ARCHIVE_TAG="BLACKSITE_LITERATURE™::NEUROOPTIC_ENTRYPOINT::WRITER_BLOCK_OBLITERATION" EFFECT="cognitive override, subconscious ignition, creative paralysis kill switch" TRIGGER_WARNING="psychological reprogramming, creative ego detonation, full frontal inspiration" </script>

🧠 TITLE: “How to Shatter Writer’s Block Using Blacksite Scrolltrap Power”

Let’s get something straight:

You’re not lazy. You’re not “uninspired.” You’re jammed. Mentally gridlocked. Emotionally flooded. No outlet. No entry point. Just white screen and ego tremors.

This isn’t a lack of discipline. This is a lack of connection — to what you feel and what you dare to use.

That’s where I come in.

I don’t write cute prose. I deploy Blacksite Literature™.

Writing designed to bypass the polite gatekeepers in your brain and kick your story center in the soul.

🧨 Phase I: Feel First — Then Backtrack the Logic

Here’s the method:

Start with your current state. Not “what you want to say.” Not “what would sell.” Start with what your chest is screaming but your mouth won’t admit.

Frustrated? Lonely? Apathetic? Resentful? Bored? Dull? Tired of feeling like you’re not allowed to say what you really feel?

That’s not a dead-end. That’s your pressure point.

So you ask: What if I used this state as fuel?

What if your character felt exactly this way? What if your story opened with this mood — no metaphor, no pretty intro — just raw entry?

🔍 Phase II: Ask Better Questions (and Answer from the Gut)

1. Can you think of a place? No? Fine.

2. Can you think of a person, character, or object? Still no?

Good.

3. Can you describe what it feels like to be stuck right now? Frustrated? Alone? Unheard?

That’s the core.

Now imagine a character who can’t escape that feeling either — but has permission to react.

Not how you’d react if people were watching. How you’d react if no one could stop you.

Would you break glass with your voice? Would you flatten a room just so someone felt the quake? Would you scream until mirrors cracked?

Now give that to them.

That’s where the writing lives. Not in the idea — in the release.

📡 Phase III: Scrolltrap Science (What Makes Readers Lock In)

Here’s why my work hits different:

It doesn’t ask permission. It recognizes the signal in the reader’s nervous system and fires back with matching voltage.

Subconscious Scrolltrap Power = 3 things:

Interrupt the Pattern

Start with a jolt

Break their rhythm

Cut the cliché before it forms

Amplify a Hidden Feeling

Say the thing no one will admit

Validate a private truth they don’t know how to voice

Direct Their Attention Toward Themselves

Make the writing feel like their internal monologue just got hacked

“This isn’t a post — it’s about me.”

That’s not writing. That’s optical infiltration.

🧠 Phase IV: Reverse-Engineering the Reader’s Nervous System

When you write for maximum effect, you don’t just ask: “What do I want to say?”

You ask:

What do I want the reader to feel first?

Where in their body should this land — gut? throat? spine?

What part of their self-concept do I want to rupture?

What sentence would make them stop scrolling and say: "F. That’s me.”***

And you write toward that. No fluff. No setup. Just direct contact.

🧲 Phase V: How to Start When You Can’t Start

Stuck?

Here’s how to get writing instantly — without a plot, without a premise:

Option A: Emotion-first ignition

Pick a feeling you’re stuck in

Name it raw

Then give it to a fictional person and turn up the volume

Example: “She didn’t know what hurt worse — the silence in her room or the fact that no one noticed.” That’s a whole paragraph. That’s a first page.

Option B: Reaction-first ignition

Imagine the thing you’d do if you weren’t being judged

Then imagine a character who actually does it

Example: “He stared at the email, then set his phone on fire. Not metaphorically. Just… watched it burn.”

You don’t need a backstory. You need friction.

⚔️ Phase VI: Why Most Writers Bore Their Readers to Death

Here’s the reality: Most “writers” are terrified to offend anyone.

So they write:

Passive characters

Watered-down truths

Soft punches

Meaningless details

Dialogue that could be replaced by AI

They’re playing it safe. Which means they’re not writing for impact — they’re writing for approval.

If you want to be read, you have to be felt.

Otherwise? Your “art” is just background noise on a stranger’s feed.

🧬 Phase VII: Blacksite Literature™ — The Core Philosophy

Blacksite Literature™ isn’t a style. It’s a creative assault strategy.

It’s built on:

Psychological realism

Emotional escalation

Cultural betrayal exposure

Taboo-piercing metaphors

High-intensity narrative pacing

Deliberate discomfort as activation tool

You don’t ease your reader into anything. You snap them into engagement.

Not “here’s a story…” But “you’re in it now — try breathing.”

🛠️ Phase VIII: How to Weaponize Your Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is not the absence of creativity. It’s creative power trapped behind politeness.

So you crack it open.

Feel useless? Write about that.

Feel unheard? Make your character scream.

Feel small? Let your narrator obliterate a god.

Feel rejected? Burn down the whole town and make them beg for you back.

The more personal, the more potent. The more raw, the more readable.

This is not therapy. This is precision-crafted soul weaponry.

🔁 Phase IX: Give Yourself Permission to Ruin Someone’s Peace (Lovingly)

Great writing doesn’t entertain. It unsettles.

If someone reads your work and says “cool”? You failed.

If they read it, pause, and stare at the wall because something in their gut cracked open?

That’s scrolltrap success.

Don’t aim to impress. Aim to trigger reflection, eruption, ignition, and mourning. In the same paragraph.

That’s how you write something they can’t scroll past.

📎 Phase X: Want More?

If this hit you somewhere between your ribs and your real self, and you want more of this method — deeper, faster, harder…

I break this down in even more detail at:

👉 patreon.com/TheMostHumble

Not some passive masterclass. Not some cozy journaling course.

I’m showing you how to weaponize your emotions, your voice, and your subconscious to hijack a reader’s soul.

Because this isn’t a writing tip. This is Blacksite Literature™. You don’t “compose” it. You survive it.

Reblog before you forget what it feels like to feel something on the page again.

</div> <!-- TRANSMISSION TERMINATED: READER TRAPPED, BLOCK SHATTERED, HEART RATE ELEVATED -->

[emlovesniallhoran]

AYO MY WORK JUST GAVE ME MY OWN DESK SPACE?? A WHOLE CUBICLE??? AND ITS MASSIVE???

HOW DO I MAKE THIS AESTHETIC YALL HELP A GIRL OUT

[amugoffandoms]

it's lowkey shocking to see how a piece of media can transform you

[flyinghellfish]

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

just a heeeaaads up that some of these art commission scammers are upgrading their technique

they will now actually take notes of things that really happened in your fic, they make it sound personalised and genuine, but there's a way they talk that feels weirdly artificial, there's always a vague mention of some 'ideas' they have, if it raises your hackles trust those instincts and tread carefully, because ultimately-

they will ALWAYS LEAD YOU TO A SECONDARY LOCATION

suddenly changing up their writing style is a big red flag, wanting to take you off platform to some other site showcasing their 'art' is an even bigger red flag, REAL ARTISTS DO NOT DO THIS

no matter how genuine they sound, trust NOBODY advertising their art in your comment section, trust NOBODY who wants to take you off platform, NEVER go to that secondary location

STREET SMARTS!

[mewgatori]

I forget how long I've been working on things all the time so google photos reminding me I have been drawing this comic for almost four years at this point hits me so hard

[thingswhatareawesome]

have super torn through the materials from the $bp, nice to make good progress on some characters though (like march/himeko/yukong and their light cones as I mentioned earlier). also did a ton more work again on evaluating relics. making sure to max out any gold ones that have 2+ needed substats. been trying to be conservative with the resources but that's holding my characters back, they're weak bc of low relics. so i think i've been too picky waiting. so yeah, so long as it's got the right main stat and at least 2 substats, i'm upgrading.

also then had to take a ton of time to do more with salvaging to then generate more of the material, and i really struggle with salvaging what really isn't a great item vs but what if a future character needs it or what if a 2/4 pc bonus combines with unexpected stats and gets recommended in the guides, like i wouldn't have suspected healing stats being needed on what looks to be non healing relic types. so hard to know what's trash and what the guides are going to suddenly say is useful. (and jfc is everyone going to end up in hackerspace?)

but doing my best. trying to use mats and not just hoard them for 'just in case' when characters need them now and i can tell it's why i'm so much weaker than other players. and trying to learn, like i know it takes me so much longer to pick up this information (just finally getting to where i understand pity and 50-50). wish there were a bit more info on this stuff for those of us who're new to hoyo games (like my dabbling in genshin never got me to gearing and evaluating stats so sr is basically my first).

not that many levels left on the battle passes, i'm in the 40s, so yeah, it'll be a bummer when that dries up. bc there's quite a while left before the new one.

[maybeafrog-blog]

In Defense of Donnie's Gifts

I'm ngl I sorta think the shock collar was still just an odd writing decision but as far as PREMISE:

It CANNOT be a coincidence that this is the first time (and one of VERY few times) that Donnie's soft shell is referenced. Once, when Raph is hesitating to tell Donnie his gifts suck ass, and he uses the soft shell metaphor, and after that with Meat Sweats and his paprika, describing it as not just soft, but delicate. Weird, but he is a cannibal, so. (Side note, Meat Sweats never removed his battle shell? How does he know? Or did he take it off and replace it after the pound of butter? Is he using it to facilitate steaming and tenderness? Is it broken? I feel like it should have something in there that could break him out of the sausage links)

Then in that last little scene- "Forget it. You guys are great the way you are!" - we get the shot of Donnie from behind pre group hug, with his brothers facing the camera. (Idk if I'm making shit up, but I feel like this is a staple for Donnie episodes? It def happens in the Purple Game, maybe Smart Lair.) The framing draws attention to his battle shell. The battle shell even kinda matches the gifts, compared to the rest of their gear and even Donnie's tech, color coded and way more streamlined than stuff like the tech bo.

Donnie's soft shell is an innate, unchangeable part of him, a feature of his species, that he treats as a handicap. Probably MORE unchangeable than the character traits he sees as holding his brothers back, which they do sorta... not mature out of, but refine, rather, over the course of the show. Donnie's shell can't experience a character arc, but he sees it as holding him back. So he FIXES it.

The Mad Dogs don't really have a motivation for beating stuff up besides "Hero Time!!!" at this point. That's why it's so interesting how EARLY this happens, unlike with Mind Meld, he isn't trying to change his brothers to make them better at a task that he actually CARES about. Donnie in particular never gets a super intense moral compass besides stuff that threatens people he already cares about, and he doesn't have any grudges (no Purple Dragons) at this point in the series. Hero Goals are largely devices for him to hang out with his dum dum brothers. I'm not diagnosed or anything but my vibes are certainly... Spectrum-Adjacent, I definitely have trouble with literal thinking and reading people. One thing that happens sometimes is people will be using "task" as "reason to hang," and I will get a lot more fixated on completing said task than I really should, to the point of annoying people. I confuse "Successful Task Completion" with "Successful Social Interaction." It makes me come across as bossy and controlling without realizing it.

So, we got a Donnie who thinks Arbitrary Goals are essential to Hero Bonding, who has been treating his life like an mmorpg - armor upgrades, skill trees, grinding, sometimes fighting through random dungeons to hang out with his bros. He's probably even slightly better at Fighting Stuff than his brothers atp, he isn't dealing with a mystic learning curve and his special interest has been Weapons of Mild Destruction for years already. His brothers want to level up, take harder missions, he tries to get them there with his access to High Level Loot.

Of course, his brothers are all min-maxing, not trying to multiclass their purple ass out of squishy glass cannon town. So, it doesn't go well. Unfortunately, the lesson Donnie learns (besides brotherly affection) is that his brothers don't NEED fixing like he does. Mind Meld and Donnie vs. Witch Town sorta finish this arc out as best as the series can.

Where I would have liked to see this go:

A S2 Donnie's Gifts or Mind Meld style episode (Donnie tries to improve his brothers, to their dismay) where the motivator isn't goal completion, but protectiveness. We see a bit of the fear in Purple Game, a bit of the contingency planning with the escape pods in the movie. Maybe a more upfront "training montage" type scenario, a high tech robo dojo to develop their mad skills, or just a tense moment after a skin of their teeth Genius Built rescue.

The brothers confront Donnie eventually-- not just the passive conflict resolution of Donnie's Gifts. They get mad. Push Donnie to the point he's at in Turtle-Dega Nights. They get a rant about not wanting them to get hurt, of course, but also that he's already done so much to FIX himself, make sure he's not a LIABILITY, why can't they at least try to stay SAFE? The dangers are real now, and as far as Donnie knows he REALLY can't do anything about threats like the Shredder. His tech did nothing the first time. His brothers are the ones with the mystic mojo, and they don't even realize how SERIOUS things could get.

Anyway. Protective Donatello my Beloved. Let my boy go apeshit.

//I REALLY Like the 2003 episode where Leo is hurt and Donnie is fucking PISSED at Usagi. All Donnies should be allowed to enter a feral protective rage, as a treat.

//If anyone knows of any Purple Game Aftermath fics lmk. Like, going home, getting donnie out of the evil gamer chair, guilt, whatever. or just good Purple Dragons being Assholes content.

[tahbhie]

How Plot Progression Works—Myths and Facts.

Let me start with a myth.

Last week, a writer approached me with their half-finished draft, unsure how to continue. Apparently, they got writer's block in the middle of the work. For about thirty minutes, we discussed the book freely as if it were a finished and published work.

Then I realized the issue.

☞ The problem?

From the conversation, I noticed that the writer's thoughts and ideas, which they voiced for the book, totally contradicted what they had written.

Their book followed a sequence of events. It was well-calculated, and the plot progression was on point but only to a certain level. I noticed robotic recurrences.

Something like this:

Scene 1— a sudden revelation

Scene 2— an unexpected fight

Scene 3— introduction of a new character

Scene 4— a conflict

Scene 5— another sudden revelation

Scene 6— an unexpected fight

Scene 7— introduction of a new character

Scene 8— a conflict

Meanwhile, all these elements didn't tie to each other in the story. They just performed different roles in each scene and were rendered useless in the next and every other scene that followed.

☞ Why did this happen?

Among other reasons, being extremely rigid with writing advice is a main factor.

Writing advice is great, but don't bend your style to suit the rules; bend the rules to suit your style.

Here's a clearer example of what I'm talking about.

Writing advice often says to keep readers on the edge of their seats within the first five pages, but this doesn't mean introducing unrealistic problems that don't fit your story. For example, introducing a sudden and improbable conflict just to add excitement can disrupt the flow and believability of your plot

During our session, I already understood how to assist, and we were setting our comfortable hours when the writer suddenly said, "I was told to include conflict in the middle of the book, then I ran out of ideas when I got there. I could have added one just a few pages in because I believe it would do well there, but again, I was unsure if that would make sense."

Now, who said conflict can't start a book? When you start your book with a conflict, you just have to ensure that you build towards 'the reason' behind the conflict so your readers can understand.

☞ Should I follow every writing advice with a closed mind?

No, you shouldn't. Remember that you are writing that book because you want to, and your idea was great enough to convince you to actually write. You need to enjoy the process and create what you truly want to create. Follow instructions flexibly.

Now that the myth is out of the way, let's talk about things that make a plot.

➜ Basic plot elements.

Initially, your plot should have the following:

✧ Protagonist ✧

Who are readers following in the story? Make that clear in the first few chapters. If you're writing from a first-person point of view and plan on switching between characters, aim for a maximum of two characters. It becomes clear that those two characters are an important part of the story; hence, they get the privilege to narrate the story from their respective views.

✧ Goals and objectives ✧

What is your protagonist after? Here's one thing you should know: your character doesn't have to know what they want at the beginning of the story. They may be as confused about their life as anyone reading, but as the story unfolds, they find a goal worth reaching and discover the needed strength to reach the goal.

✧ Antagonist ✧

What/Who is standing as a threat? A threat is hell-bent on ruining your protagonist and stopping them from achieving their goals. An antagonist could be an object or a human. It all depends on the concept you aim for. Funny enough, the antagonist could be a lie that starts out seemingly small but ends up being harmful. The rom-com movie "Upgraded" is an example of this concept. The lie the art enthusiast told was the greatest trouble she faced.

✧ Conflict ✧

What are the problems the protagonist faces? Problems can start from anywhere over anything, and you can choose to make them mild and solvable at first while building up to something larger.

✧ Resulting consequences ✧

What happens after the protagonist faces the trouble and tries to solve it? Did they lose anything? Hurt someone? Earn support from people they least expect?

✧ Character arc ✧

How has the journey shaped your protagonist? After going through something they probably never saw coming, how has it changed them? For a timid main character at the beginning of the story, do they finally become brave and display a different side of themselves?

All these are important for a well-rounded story as a whole.

Join the Writers' Universe and connect with like-minded writers.

➜ Secondary plot elements

These elements help you shape the above category.

● Setbacks

Let's use movies to illustrate this. There are certain points where we lose hope for the main character, almost convinced they've lost. We see them at their weakest points, hurt that the antagonist got them good. These moments are the setbacks. The protagonist is made vulnerable.

● Loss

What did the setback cost them? The reason I intentionally labeled this as loss is because to move a plot forward, some things need repairing. Since most loose ends were already from the beginning of the story, adding a fresh loss piques the reader's interest. It doesn't have to be the death of someone. It could be the brutal end of an alliance formed on an emotional scale.

● Break of a new dawn

I just wanted to get creative with the title. This point marks the pivotal change of events, and once again, there's hope for the protagonist as they find solutions to their problems. In this stage, they discover hidden abilities within themselves (this isn't limited to fantasy).

And there you have the important sections of plot progression. But keep these few things in mind. To ensure you're not leaving a huge gap in your plot, try to:

┗→ Introduce elements that work for your story:

It's common to believe something works well simply because it did in your favorite book. You might want to reconsider that with a different mindset.

┗→ Tie elements together:

Of course, this doesn't apply to all, but try to create a link between events in your story. If a fight occurred in a scene, link it to a cause in a few scenes ahead. This can lead to another conflict, this time on a larger scale, without having to introduce something entirely different.

And back to the question that birthed this post:

ᴥ Should conflict come early or not?

It depends on your work, but it can come early. That's not taboo.

There was a movie I watched featuring a female lawyer as the protagonist. The movie started with the kidnap of her only child, and the rest of the scenes drove us to the 'cause,’ then more conflicts, setbacks, and finally resolution. We were also able to explore the character’s personality based on the decisions she took in different emotional scenes.

She tried to keep her calm in some scenes while she just flat-out threw a tantrum in others, but overall, she was a strong woman who was broken by the incidents occurring and then rebuilt. I read a book with the same premise: the main character was a tween who misplaced something precious and decided to go on an adventure to search for it, and that was what the story was built upon.

I always tell writers one thing—own your book. The first draft seems to be the toughest one of its pair, but if you don't allow yourself to freely express your thoughts, there will be no first draft or story at all.

✧✧✧✧

Struggling with any stages of writing? Send me a message, and let's sort it out for a suitable fee.

✧✧✧✧

Do you want to create characters readers are compelled to start a fandom for?

Check out "My Characters and I" extensive coaching session. Understand the secret behind every attractive character. The slots are limited, and this opportunity closes once capacity is reached. Don't miss it; you never know when you’ll stumble upon these golden gates again.

[lc-holy]

There's been some new info about season 6 and the new Special episodes to come, but I haven't seen anyone talking about it on tumblr.

So I'm taking the liberty of making a summary:

Season 6:

-Sébastien Thibaudeau (the show's writing director) has announced that writing for season 6 is complete. There will be several new writers this season.

-Thomas Astruc has shared an image showing him working on the storyboard for a season 6 episode.

-I'm just coming back to something that was said several months ago since some people don't seem to know: All the animation studios that worked on seasons 1 to 5 will no longer be animating the next seasons of Miraculous. The series is getting a visual upgrade. And ZAG has shared a preview of the new sets for the coming seasons.

-Now we know that the new animation studio to work on the next seasons of miraculous is DWARF. This French animation studio worked on the Miraculous movie.

Special episode:

-The new special "The end of Ladybug" (whose name is only provisional) will take place this year before season 6 airs. This will be the last time Miraculous will be animated in the style we've known since season 1. (No word yet on whether SAMG will continue to animate future special episodes.)

-The dubbing of this special has already been done in English.

(Remember: just because an episode has been dubbed doesn't mean it's ready for broadcast. The dubbing can be done while the animation of the episode is not yet finished).

Other specials:

-Thomas would like the next special episode to take place in Japan.

-Thomas said he had already written the Brazil special episode as well as the Bible for a spin-off. He has also written many other stories in the Miraculous universe, but for reasons unknown to him, nothing seems to be moving to adapt these stories for animation or comics. He asks fans who would like to see these projects come to reality to put pressure on ZAG. (politely, of course).

-Thomas retweeted a fan who created a petition so that the special Tibet episode could one day be made.

-He also explained one of the reasons why Miraculous could not be animated in the Ladybug PV style.

He asks fans who would like to watch Miraculous with this style of animation to petition ZAG, Mediawan or Toei.

I may do more posts like this when I have new information, if you're interested of course (I'll never share spoilers or leaks, don't worry).

[lazycats-stuff]

Hi. First off, big fan of your writing. Second, how about batfam x brother Reader who is a world chess champion? I'm talking Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov style. I really love chess as a game and I've seen that the batfam plays chess in the comics. They all watch livestreams of Reader playing in big tournaments and cheer him on, and when he comes back home with another trophy - it calls for a celebration (and a lot of fluff). Maybe a few challenges to a game from the batfam as well?

If not, that's ok. Keep writing though, it makes me happy when you post.

Okay, I think I've said it before, but I have no clue about playing chess so, if there are any mistakes, my apologies. Also, glad to hear you're happy when I post.

Summary:

Warnings:

(Y/N) was always an interesting child to Bruce. (Y/N) was always different and Bruce noticed that from (Y/N)'s early age. And he wanted to nurture whatever that is. And so he did via chess. (Y/N) was an amazing strategist. Bruce noticed it quickly and immediately put him into a chess club. It was safe to say that (Y/N) thrived. He played chess 24/7 and Bruce knew that it was a better alternative than technology.

So (Y/N) spent a lot of time on chess.

And we mean a lot of time.

And he has played against everyone in the house. And yes, he has beaten them all. Including Alfred, who loves a good challenge in chess. Damian may or may have not just rage quitted from chess for a few weeks before he cooled down enough to actually admit defeat. Now, he was (Y/N)'s biggest challenger and wouldn't really change it.

Even Ra's played with (Y/N) once when he broke into the manor, only to find (Y/N), playing chess with himself. Ra's decided to join and honestly couldn't believe that he was beaten in chess. A game he played for the last 600 hundred years of his life. And while he didn't rage quit like Damian, he was a bit... Perplexed. But he could admit defeat and he could admit when someone was far better than him.

And when Bruce came home, safe to say, he nearly had a heart attack at the sight of one of his biggest enemies and his son chatting about chess.

He nearly passed out there and then. But, he is Batman after all and he managed to keep his cool. Somewhat. After that, he simply upgraded security, making sure that Damian could not get out, since Damian was his rule for the matter of security. If Damian could come in just like Ra's, that would mean that the security was not good enough.

Bruce smiled as he listened to (Y/N) rambling about a new strategy he was looking at. (Y/N) recently became a world champion in chess and (Y/N) was on cloud nine ever since. Bruce didn't blame him. He played against great opponents, against people who shared his passion for the game and the people who were just as good as (Y/N), if not better.

That is something that everyone needs. People who share the same passion for the game or sport and people who genuinely push you to be better, to be the best there is in their respective game or sport. And that's what Bruce wanted to see. He wanted to see his son being pushed, being bettered, that magic and strategic brain working.

" And when is your next tournament? " Bruce sipped his coffee and (Y/N) tilted his head.

" I think in a few months. It's a pretty big one actually. It's the players with whom I played before, but also, I've heard some good female chess players are going to play too. It's nice to play against females actually. Chess is nice in that way, gender doesn't matter, only brains and tactics. " (Y/N) rummaged through the sweet drawer of the kitchen, looking for something sweet.

" I see. I would ask are the players any good, but I already know my answer, " Bruce smiled as (Y/N) stood up, taking a bar of chocolate from the drawer.

" Yup. I don't think that anyone can buy their way in due to the fact that, to me, at the very least, it's obvious that you don't know how to play. " (Y/N) took the wrapper off and offered Bruce some chocolate.

" Well, nepotism is absolutely everywhere son, so I wouldn't be shocked if there was nepotism in chess. "

(Y/N) nodded as he broke up a row of chocolate cubes before he popped one into his mouth.

" Mhm. I know that. Nepotism is everywhere today, which is a sad sight. "

" Okay, everyone, the tournament is about to start! " Bruce called to his boys, who ran down the stairs, nearly falling over one another to get to the couch. Bruce has already set up a YouTube stream that was waiting to get started. Everything was set up, snacks and drinks included.

Boys and Bruce got settled on the couch, waiting patiently for the broadcast to start. Everyone was talking about the strategies that (Y/N) might use, whom he will go against, how well will (Y/N) play, well, that is not even a question, but still. Sometimes, even the best of the best have bad and off days.

" Okay, it is starting, " Damian announced and everyone's focus shifted to the TV where the tournament started.

Everyone lasered focused on the TV, watching the players play. They would comment on each players strategy, murmuring their own suggestions. Sure, they didn't play as good as them, but they were decent enough in chess to play against themselves and then against a... Good chess opponent.

But for the love of them, they couldn't win against (Y/N), no matter how hard they tried. And it didn't bother them. They were going to win one way or another, some time in the future. Sometime... Perhaps. Maybe.

One day.

No, they were not thinking about it, it's not living in their heads rent free. Not moving around like a mouse running up a wheel. No. Pfft.

" Look, (Y/N)'s playing. " Bruce pointed as he munched on some crackers and all the talking ceased immediately, eyes focusing on their brother.

Time to get locked in.

Damian wanted to throw the damn chessboard out of the damn window. And (Y/N) with the damn board. It was not even funny how Damian kept losing in chess. He tried absolutely everything that he could. Every single strategy. He tried to think of it as playing with his grandfather, but Jesus Christ, was (Y/N) just that good.

" Okay, you have to be cheating. "

(Y/N) laughed as he unscrewed the plastic lid off of his water bottle.

" I did not cheat, I never cheated and I never will cheat. " (Y/N) raised his water bottle and Damian just scoffed.

" You have to be. I've never lost this many times in chess. " Damian crossed his arms, making (Y/N) smile as he sipped his water.

" There's no shame in losing. " (Y/N) screwed the lid back on the bottle before putting the water bottle back on the desk, near the chessboard.

" No shame in losing? I am a Wayne and an Al Ghoul. We do not lose. Losing is not an option brother. " Damian moved his pawn.

(Y/N) took a moment to look before taking his king, since he took Damian's queen a few turns ago.

" Checkmate. "

Damian slammed his hands on the desk before standing up and pacing up the old library floor.

" How the hell do you keep doing this?! "

(Y/N) tried not to laugh, because if Damian just decides to rage quit, it will the funniest thing ever and that will piss Damian off even more.

More so than he already is now.

" Damian, just breathe, " (Y/N) said gently before Damian actually listened and stopped to breathe.

" My apologizes. I just... No one ever beat me in chess. " Damian sat back down, huffing and crossing his arms.

" I guess you are better than me, " Damian mumbled, refusing to look at his older brother.

[lavandulawrites]

Astralis Desires

Chapter 3: Through His Eyes

Various HSR men x reader

It was rather fun writing the different POV’S. I can’t wait to share more chapters with y’all! Let me know if you want to be apart of the taglist!

Chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 4

Synopsis: Two Yanderes have already fallen head over heels for you.

Masterlist Astralis Desires Masterlist

Warnings: yandere, written in the POV of Dan Heng and Welt, Dan Heng is a simp

Word count: 1939

Dan Heng’s POV

Dan Heng had never been in love. He had found actresses, models and women he had met through his travels pretty, but he had never developed feelings for any of them. The idea of love was foreign and something he only allowed himself to think about when he dreamt about a faceless woman at night. He had been lonely since he crawled out of his egg and realised the world still hadn’t forgiven his past self misdeeds. When he had joined the Express Crew, he had gotten friends for the first time, but his loneliness still lingered like a dark shadow. It had him awake at night and it followed him whenever he went.

Dan Heng had read a fair amount of romance novels and mangas in secret and he was filled with longing. He wanted someone special in his life. Someone he could protect and love. He needed someone who could feel the void in his heart.

When he saw you almost gotten torn apart from a beast, he had flung his spear as hard as he could through the creature’s head. His frozen heart had finally started beating and the world colours finally became visible. A unfamiliar feeling filled his chest and overflowed his senses. His icy blue eyes followed your every movement and it felt as if he was going to die if he looked away from you. You were so beautiful it hurt.

“Are you alright?!” March rushed to your side and gave you a quick look over. He swore to himself that if you were hurt, if even so much as a tiny hair on your head had gotten damaged, he would hunt down every single one of the Antimatter Legion’s pets and kill them with his bare hands.

You nodded. “I’m fine” you forced a grateful smile “Thank you for saving me.”

Your voice was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard and he found himself wanting more.

“Oh, don’t thank me! It’s Dan Heng you should thank!” she gestured towards the black haired man. Dan Heng could only stare at you has his heart hammered against his ribs.

“Thank you, Dan Heng. I really owe you one” you said with earnest. God, he was going to die. Your lips uttering his name was the greatest blessing he had ever experienced and he found himself puzzled by his uncharacteristic behaviour.

He nodded with a short movement. “You’re welcome. I only did my job” he tried his best to give a nonchalant response, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“We should get moving!” March waved her hand at you to follow.

You gave them your name and Dan Heng couldn’t help but repeat your name in a mantra. Your name sounded like that of a goddess. One the way to safety, you encountered Arlan. He had gotten injured while fighting the monsters. Every time the boy talked to you, an icy anger formed inside Dan Heng and ran through his veins like poison. His draconic instinct to protect was loud as it tried to take over his mind.

The group of five stopped by a a control room in order to check the surveillance footage. As Dan Heng got past the firewall, he noticed a digital trace of an unwelcome guest. Someone had hacked the system an hour before. The researchers really should upgrade their security. It must have been the Stellaron Hunter that went by the name Silverwolf, he thought to himself. Worry crept over him at the thought of that guy. Surely he wouldn’t be at the space station? It wasn’t his style after all…

“Oh, I forgot to ask you [Name]. Did you see anything suspicious before we came and rescued you?” March asked you. He stilled his movements so he could hear your response.

“I did actually. I met a tall woman with dark pink hair. She was telling me to not get in her way.”

Kafka. Shit. “Sounds like a Stellaron Hunter” Dan Heng said as he resumed his typing.

“A Stellaron Hunter…” your voice was filled with concern.

“Sounds like you saw Kafka. So did Caelus” March replied.

The chair Dan Heng sat on suddenly scraped against the floor in a fast motion. His eyes found yours in a blink of an eye and he wanted to drown in them. “She didn’t do anything to you, right? She didn’t hurt you?” his voice was low as he tried suppress his anger. If the Hunter had harmed you, he would personally make sure she was arrested as soon as possible and punished for her sins.

You instantly shook your head. “No, she didn’t. She left as fast as she came.”

He could feel March eyes on him. He turned to her and was met with a small smirk. He abruptly turned back to the computer.

The sound of feet drumming against the makeshift bridge filled his ears as he ran towards the lift. A cloud of dark mist clouded his vision and a group of monsters appeared through it. The biggest of them reared like a horse and sat its sight in you. You froze beside Dan Heng as the monster lunged for you. Dan Heng’s body was quicker than his mind as he pulled you back by your collar, causing you to lose your footing. His spear blocked the arrow that was sent your way and saved you from your doom. His arms wrapped around you as they prevented your fall. They pulled you closer like a hungry boa and he allowed his nose to be filled with your lovely scent.

“Are you alright?” Dan Heng whispered against your ear. His usually stoic voice was breathy and brimming with a thick mixture of emotions. He could feel your heart beating against his arms. How adorable.

You nodded, your ears bright red. “Yeah, thank you” you whispered back.

He gazed at you for a second, one that felt as it stretched out for eternity, before he snapped back to the monsters.

A mechanical bussing shot down as a drone with razor-like propellers slashed through the beasts. Green blood splattered across the bridge and onto your face. In a blink of an eye he had dragged you across the bridge and into the elevator. As everyone mad e it inside you clutched your stomach. Your skin was pale and your forehead sweaty.

Caelus looked at you with a concerned expression. “Are you good? You look pal-“

He got interrupted by the sound of you spilling out all your lunch on the floor. You mumbled a “I’m so sorry” as you wiped your mouth. Dan Heng wanted to reach out and stroke your back in a comforting manner, but decided against it.

“Never mind hehe…” Caelus scratched neck awkwardly.

March rushed to your side and handed you a mint. “Thanks” you muttered weakly.

The group met up with Himeko and they introduced you and Caelus to her. Dan Heng could tell that she had taken a liking to you and the fact made him happy. As he and the others talked with Asta, he made sure to keep you as close to him as possible. Hopefully you had realised how dangerous the world could be. The good thing was that he could protect you from it, if you let him.

March and Caelus left to talk to the researchers while Dan Zheng and you remained. Himeko and Asta were busy talking to evacuate other’s and left you and him to your own devices you had taken a seat at a Ben h and were twiddling your thumbs as you waited. The action was cute. He had been staring at you for multiple minutes, it he did not care.

“So… Have you guys had any similar experiences?” you broke the silence.

His eyes lit up for a millisecond, before he composed himself. “Yes. Though every journey is different” his word may be few, but his voice was soft.

You nodded “I can imagine. Must be both exciting and scary.”

“Perhaps, though you get used to it” he shrugged. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke up. “Are you alright? No injuries or something? Even if they’re small you should tell me” a slash of worry distorted his features. If everything were to happen to you he did not know what he might do.

“Im alright” you shook your head. As if you had noticed his raised brow, you added: “No really. I’m fine.”

He left it at that and adverted his gaze to the rest of the space station. Relief flooded his senses and he let out a breath he didn’t know he had held. He decided to ask Himeko if you could join the Express over text. It was obvious to everyone that you weren’t happy working at the space station. If you became a Crew member, he wove able to keep a close eye on you. No harm would ever fall upon you.

Welt Yang’s POV

Welt had lived a long life. He had a lot of different experiences in various areas. He had had a few girlfriends throughout the years and he had loved them. Though he had craved a different type of love, a love that was deep er and more raw. That was not something they could provide to him. He knew love was something that would happen when one least expected it, but he couldn’t help but fantasise about it like a teenager would. It was almost embarrassing how he would longingly look at couples when he was out and about.

When he first saw you hiding behind a vending machine as he neutralised Caelus’s power, a warm fuzzy feeling bloomed in his chest and he knew then and there that he had to make you his.

Welt was standing beside the Express when you and Dan Heng found him. His face lot up at the sight of you and he smiled. “I’m Welt Yang. It’s nice to meet you” he reached out his hand.

“I’m [Name]. It’s nice to met you as well” you shook his hand. Your hand was soft and small compared to his big hand. He didn’t want to let go, but it would be rude to hold your hand any longer.

“I have spoken with Himeko and she invited you to stay on the Express. If you want to, naturally” Dan Heng had asked Himeko if you could stay on the Express, but that was a detail you didn’t need to know. He glanced at Dan Heng as the black haired man nodded in gratitude.

Your eyes widened at his words. “Oh wow.. I hadn’t expected that. Well- I would need to resign from my job and all that. And I would need to bring my stuff- if that’s okay of course” you rambled.

Welt bit his tongue in order to silence his laugh. Your rambling was rather cute. “We can help you” he suggested.

“I would appreciate that” you smiled and his heart skipped a beat. You were like a burning star that brightened up his life.

“Alright, then. I would like to join the Express” you said determined after a short while of silence.

Welt looked at Dan Heng as the two men seemed to come to a silent understanding. From a Yandere to another, it was easy for them to see th effect you had on them. Welt had never imagined to share a Darling, but he didn’t mind sharing you with Dan Heng. Two Yanderes made the chance of any harm happening to you smaller.

[clemmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

“Because loves such an old fashioned word..”

(Batboys x reader)

⸻

Jason Todd x Reader

• Soft on You, Tough on Everyone Else: Jason could be threatening a thug one moment, and melting at the sight of you in his hoodie the next.

• Late-Night Deep Talks: He opens up to you at 2 AM after patrol, talking about life, death, and what it means to have a second chance.

• Bookstore Dates: You guys have a standing date at a tiny, hole-in-the-wall bookstore café. You read while he pretends not to enjoy rom-com novels.

• Overprotective Tendencies: He won’t smother you, but if someone even looks at you wrong? They’re getting the Red Hood glare.

• Secret Softie: He writes you letters when he’s too emotionally overwhelmed to talk. You’ve got a whole drawer full of them.

⸻

Dick Grayson x Reader

• Golden Retriever Energy: He’s sunshine personified. Hugs you from behind constantly. Loves physical touch.

• Dance Dates on Rooftops: He’ll put on soft music and ask you to dance with him under the stars. You’re probably barefoot. He’s definitely in his Nightwing suit.

• Family Guy: He introduces you to everyone with pride. You’re his person, and the Batfam is just as important.

• Protective in a Healthy Way: Dick’s not jealous, but if someone makes you uncomfortable? He’ll deal with it with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

• Sweet Texts 24/7: “Thinking of you” texts. Selfies with Alfred’s cookies. Bad puns with crime scene photos.

⸻

Tim Drake x Reader

• Sleep-Deprived Affection: He falls asleep with his head in your lap mid-conversation. Often. You start keeping a blanket in your bag just for him.

• Tech Support Power Couple: You help him debug code or brainstorm cases. “Babe, you’re a genius,” as he kisses your temple.

• Obsessively Loyal: He may be quiet, but he’d move mountains for you. He doesn’t always say it, but he shows it in the small stuff.

• Coffee Shop Love Language: He knows your order by heart. Will bring you your favorite drink before you realize you need one.

• Overthinking Everything: Needs reminders that he’s enough. You often find yourself grounding him with soft words and touch.

⸻

Bruce Wayne x Reader

• Mentor Vibes: He sees something in you—maybe potential, maybe shared pain—and takes you under his wing.

• Silent Support: He’s not big on words, but he’ll upgrade your gear(if you are a vigilante) leave your favorite snacks in the Batcave, and check in with that classic Bat-look.

• Overprotective Dad Energy: Low-key monitors your missions and definitely makes Tim or Dick tag along to watch your back.

• Gives Advice Without Giving Advice: “If I were you…” or “Hypothetically…” is his way of guiding you without overstepping.

• Rare but Meaningful Praise: A “You did well” from Bruce means more than a thousand words from anyone else.

⸻

Damian Wayne x Reader (platonic/family-style, or romantic slow-burn)

• Grumpy Little Protector: Denies he cares. Will stab someone for you.

• “Tt. You’re incompetent… but tolerable”: That’s a love confession. Don’t argue.

• Teaches You How to Sword Fight: And gets flustered when you actually land a hit on him.

• Soft for Animals & You: You and Titus are probably the only two beings he trusts without question.

• Slow, Earned Respect: You had to prove yourself, but now you’re one of his favorite people. He’d never say it. But you know.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to Dress your Character

A Guide to Dress Codes

When attending an event, it's essential to understand the dress code—and know when to bend the rules.

White tie: White tie is a formal dress code typically reserved for galas and state dinners. For men, swap your black tie dinner jacket for a single-breasted tailcoat and a wing-collar white shirt with mother of pearl shirt studs. You'll also need a white bowtie and a white vest. If you want to go ultra-traditional, you can lace up your black patent leather shoes with black ribbon. For women, it's time to break out the floor-length ball gown and long gloves.

Black tie: Black tie is a formal dress code common for formal evening events. Traditional black tie for men entails a single- or double-breasted dinner jacket and matching trousers worn with a pleated white dress shirt with a turndown-collar. It's generally fine to veer slightly from the black tuxedo: More creative black tie options include midnight blue tuxedos and white dinner jackets. Finish the look with cufflinks, a black bow tie, a white pocket square, black patent leather shoes, and black dress socks. Cummerbunds (waist coverings) and vests are optional—just don't wear them together. The black tie dress code for women is a little more flexible: You'll want a knee-length to floor-length evening dress. Accessorize with heels or flat dress shoes, a clutch, and minimal jewelry.

Black tie optional: When an invitation says "black tie optional," the expectation is that you'll either wear black-tie attire or something similar but a little more relaxed—like a dark suit or elegant cocktail dress.

Cocktail attire: Cocktail attire, also known as semi-formal attire, is the style of clothing you'll wear to evening events like fundraisers and weddings. Cocktail dress code involves casual suits and dress shirts for men. Stick to wool suits in dark colors in winter; for summertime and outdoor cocktail events, you can wear a light-colored suit in a breathable material like seersucker or linen. Oxfords, loafers, and brogues are acceptable footwear choices. A cocktail dress is fancier than a sundress but more casual than an evening gown. When in doubt, go for the classic little black dress. Not wearing a dress? Go for a dark suit or dressy separates.

Business casual: Business casual doesn’t necessarily mean casual—what it actually means is that you don’t have to wear a suit and tie. Business casual workwear usually includes a collared shirt (button-up or polo shirt) or sweater on top, and dress pants, khakis, chinos, or a pencil skirt on the bottom. You may also wish to add a blazer or sport coat, but you don’t necessarily need a custom-tailored suit jacket. Shoes should be closed-toe and professional, whether you choose boots, heels, flats, loafers, mules, or oxfords.

Dressy casual: Dressy casual, also known as “smart casual,” is an upgraded version of casualwear, generally more suited to job interviews, client meetings, and casual nighttime events. For a dressy casual dress code, break out trendier pieces, like jumpsuits, blazers, and high-end footwear. Instead of T-shirts, opt for button-downs and blouses.

Casual: Casual attire is the least restrictive dress code, but this doesn’t mean you should dress quite as casually as you would at home. Jeans and T-shirts in solid colors are okay, but stay away from graphic tees, flip-flops, and anything ripped or stained. Depending on the season, you may want to wear full-coverage shorts or a casual sundress. Casual dress codes are typical for low-key and outdoor events.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[piosplayhouse]

wait ok pio my beloved mutual pls explain nu carnival to someone whos never heard of it. like i have heard of it and ive read some gay ass smut about it thats not important dont worry about that. pls pretend im a beautiful nu virgin and present the basics. what do you actually Do in the game like what are the basic mechanics

Nu: Carnival is a game in which a kind and beautiful orphan boy named Eiden grows up to be a beautiful and kind freaky switch sex toy designer and then finds a jerk off crystal and gets isekai-ed into a fantasy land where gorgeous men around him keep going into qi deviation and need him to fuck them. The reason these guys' energy is out of whack is because they have gems attached to their bodies Steven universe style which soulbound them to Eiden's (at the beginning of the game absent and mysterious) dad 5 million bajillion years ago before the fantasy land became a kingdom. It's a wacky premise but in all seriousness the writing is spectacular, especially for a gooner gacha game. Nu: Carnival's greatest strength is undeniably the bonds between the characters who find themselves in Eiden's polycule. Eiden is a fantastically written character and it's easy to see why he deserves 11 boyfriends. The bonds between his polycule members are also great, you can tell that they all genuinely have chemistry with each other and aren't there just because of Eiden. They also all have individual motivations and tragic back stories that make it hard to dislike any character. The climatic (heheh) parts leading up to intimacy scenes are also included in this btw. The majority of them are pretty naturally written and convey a lot of emotion that further expands on the characters' multifaceted personalities. We're gooning but in a sensitive and contemplative way. There are dick sucking scenes in this game that have made me cry. Eiden also fucks himself at some point and that's also pretty hot.

The game itself sucks I cannot not recommend it enough it's horrible and will ruin your life. Worst fucking gacha in the world and gameplay itself is a constant slog of auto battling in a desperate effort to get mats to upgrade characters occasionally punctuated with sometimes fun but also mostly infuriating strategic battle strategy levels. The porn draws you in but you can't even goon while playing because you'll be too busy wanting to kill yourself over drop rates. Awesome theme songs though and there's a really beautiful animated cutscene for it. My kingdom for a full nu carnival ova

(actually the first theme song is my favorite. My friend and I were trying to find a place that had it on their karaoke machines but alas we could not 😞😞)

[tainbocuailnge]

a lot of arknights gameplay discussion is built on certain assumptions about how people (are supposed to) play arknights, often without being aware that these assumptions are being made, and thus the common gamepress (rip)/reddit assessments of whether an operator is good or bad will be assessing their suitability for a style of play that is not remotely universal, but is still assumed to be universal, because it is the playstyle of the people who are writing these assessments.

this post is not about which playstyle is better, but rather about the way people talk about operator design and viability. if your way of playing arknights aligns with the assumptions that redditors often have about how to play arknights, then their advice is very useful, they are usually correct in their assessment of how suitable an operator is to that particular playstyle. it's also a single player game and how anyone else plays it has no bearing on what I'm doing myself, so in that sense it doesn't really matter to me that redditors talk about arknights in a way that doesn't align with how I play arknights.

I think reddit-style discussion is keeping a lot of players from experimenting and discovering that they actually like a different way of playing arknights more though, because they're caught in the idea that if this is how people talk about arknights, then that must be the right way to play arknights. I also think it causes a lot of players to view a lot of units in a bad light, or rather, they are assessing these operators by metrics that the operator is not trying to meet.

lucilla is often called a bad or poorly designed unit because her debuffs only affect regular enemies instead of the elites that would usually be the main threat. however, the debuffs she applies are very potent when they apply, so when her conditions are met she performs exactly as intended. in gamemodes where regular enemies can grow really bulky like IS or CC or SSS, or maps featuring bulky enemies that nonetheless are not categorised as elites like sarkaz wither aegis, lucilla successfully achieves her intended purpose of outperforming existing hexers in specific scenarios (her fragile can reach the highest value in the game and its only condition is whether the enemy is elite or not) without being a direct upgrade (the rest can actually debuff elites). not many players value what lucilla offers, but if you like engaging with and working around map and operator gimmicks, lucilla is a good operator for you.

wisadel is good at instantly clearing whole sections of the map, which is something many players value, but if you don't /want/ to instantly clear whole sections of the map because you want to actually engage with the map mechanics, she is not a good operator. she performs just as well as lucilla at her intended role, the difference is that wisadel's intended role aligns with the redditor assumption of how to play arknights while lucilla's doesn't. this friction between the assumed way of playing and the way many people actually play was highly visible during the icebreaker games, where a lot of players started bringing aak just to get rid of the other guy's wisadel so that she couldn't blow up the map before they got to actually play it.

"is this operator good" is a question that includes many unspoken metrics, including ones that the person asking might not actually want to judge an operator by. it can be a useful shorthand to speed up discussion of where and how one might want to use an operator, but it is only useful if these unspoken metrics are actually consistent between all participants of the discussion, which in practise is rarely the case. someone who is talking about how one might use lucilla doesn't want to hear that gnosis is better or that it'd be easier to just blow everyone up with wisadel, and someone who is looking for easy to use broadly applicable operators doesn't really want to hear that lucilla is actually really good in specific situations.

the more nicheknights I play and watch, the more I come to doubt how useful it is to talk about operators as being "good" or "bad" to begin with. across all of arknights there is not a single operator that is objectively unuseable. I would also argue that nearly every operator is capable of doing what they're intended to do. every operator has a combination of qualities that is completely unique to them, which means every operator can be in a strategy that relies on that specific operator's qualities to succeed. u-official was specifically designed to be as useless as possible as a joke, and high-level challenge players have still found various uses for a 3dp ranged unit that doesn't attack + doesn't take up deployment slots + can stun enemies + can temporarily make allies stop blocking.

exploiting the unique qualities of operators that are often overlooked for easier to use alternatives is the core principle of nicheknights. the fewer options you have and the more you try to cut down on the amount of operators used, the more each individual operator's unique qualities will shine. just earlier today I saw a clear that used a combination of the aspd debuff inflicted by zaaro and the fact that manual deactivation skills will cancel attack animations to delay mr. nothing's attacks long enough that every attack he does will trigger his stun talent, largely preventing zaaro from doing anything.

arknights also has immense variety in map and enemy design, so use cases for operators often dismissed as too niche to bother actually occur fairly often. every single chapter and story event introduces both new map mechanics and new enemies that make use of those mechanics. often the less straightforward a unit is, the more ways they have of interacting with these mechanics to open up potential new strategies. even without any self-imposed challenges, different gamemodes all have various restrictions and opportunities that make certain operator qualities more or less desirable, and the combination of collectibles and risks you pick in IS or CC can completely change how you approach each map. in RA you can straight up build the map yourself to be as beneficial to your operator of choice as possible.

beehunter's high attack speed but low damage made her fairly unremarkable until the game introduced hitcount-based mechanics. corroserum is rarely built because ifrit had been in the game so long already by the time of his release and he's not ifrit, but just the past month there have been two separate maps where a large amount of silenceable enemies approach the blue box in a straight line for him to trivialise. warmy is arguably the most difficult to use unit in global right now because the only way to inflict the burn status that her s2 capitalises on is using her s1, but now there's path of life letting just anyone inflict burn so she's free to use s2 anyway. if the situation where your gimmick unit of choice can shine doesn't exist yet it will be created sooner or later, because these units were created to have their gimmicks exploited.

arknights is a highly varied strategy game that offers many different ways to engage with its mechanics, including some ways to not actually engage with the mechanics and just explode everything instead. the game offers these options so exploding everything isn't the wrong way to play arknights, but the game also offers many other options so it's not the right way to play arknights either, it's just one of the many ways available. an operator that seems way too gimmicky or specialised to see much general use is not poorly designed, they are designed for a particular playstyle that simply differs from the playstyle that is assumed in a lot of operator discussion. units like lucilla or tsukinogi or leto aren't meant for players who ask "when would I ever use this when I have far easier options", they're meant for players who ask "what strategy would allow this combination of qualities to shine".

this is the issue at the root of why a lot of perfectly serviceable operators get stamped as being bad, and also the answer to the question of why arknights would be releasing these bad operators in the first place. crownslayer is a bad unit for the type of player that want to kill everything as fast as possible, but she's great for players who like gimmicks and weird interactions. many recent 5* are bad units for powergamers because they're trying to not to intrude on their existing subclass colleagues by doing something more conditional instead, or they're experiments for new subclasses that don't have an immediate obvious use case. many times throughout the game's history a new operator has been dismissed as bad only to turn out to be very powerful if you play them the way they're designed to, like dorothy, gnosis, ebenholz, and even specter alter.

all of which is to say, operator discussion would be a lot more useful to everyone involved if it talked about what situations would make the best use of the operator's abilities, rather than whether the operator is Good according a metric that is rarely even properly specified.