#(and also because people tend to be horrible when it comes to talking about music)

[rawliverandgoronspice]

anyway I think I have Impa's theme basically ready to be shared ;;

[cinnbar-bun]

Watching Reality TV With You (Various One Piece Characters x Reader)

Characters: Zoro, Sanji, Trafalgar Law, Luffy, Perona + Mihawk, Nami, Kizaru/Borsalino, Eustass Kidd

A/n: Sorry I’m a huge fan of Real Housewives so take these silly headcanons!!!

Note: GN reader, the relationships with the character(s) and reader can be seen as platonic/romantic depending on what you prefer :) Mihawk + Perona’s relationship to each other is also not stated just for your personal preference. These are all just very silly things, don’t take this too seriously since it’s crack!

Zoro

“The hell? Why are you watching this crap? It’s not even real!”

He just sighs and grumbles about how this is dumb the whoooooole time.

Tends to sharpen his swords or try and nap while it’s on.

Until lowkey he starts peeking a bit like ‘did she just say that?’

Suddenly has opinions on it and tries to deny he’s interested but his eyes are GLUED once they start arguing and the suspenseful music is playing.

“Well, if I was her, I think I’d just kick them. Or maybe cut their car in half.”

Sanji

Opposite of Zoro. The man is probably a bigger fan than you and most likely is reading the gossip online.

It’s your weekly night hangout where he brings snacks and cozy blankets for you two to sit and enjoy while watching.

Gasps audibly and loudly.

He’s both the best and worst to talk about this with because he respects all women and he forgives them for everything, so they all get passes from him.

“Yes she may have talked badly about [name] and stole [name]’s house and maybe crashed a car. But we all do that. We need to show forgiveness. She’s having a tough time- her dress came in the wrong color.”

Law

Like Zoro, he’s very disturbed by the very prospect of reality tv.

But he’ll try. Let it be known he’s trying.

He doesn’t get interested in it but he does try to follow along so he can discuss it with you.

Not gonna lie though he’s the guy who’s focusing on their plastic surgery or illnesses.

Will literally pause the show just to examine what they may/may not have done and if the surgeon botched it up.

Imma just manifest this, he’s prolly a Terry Dubrow stan.

“Who’s your favorite Housewife so far?” “Terry.” “But… Terry isn’t-“ “It’s Terry.”

Unironically would drop a horrible quote from whichever show you’ve been watching and he’d say it so seriously that everyone’s jaw will drop and it takes him a sec for him to realize what he said.

Luffy

Imma keep this short for you- he ain’t looking.

He ain’t caring.

No thoughts.

He only cares when there’s a party and food is being served.

“Woooooah! Look at all that food!!!”

Doesn’t even recognize who is who and will just mindlessly wait for food to come on screen.

Perona + Mihawk

I’m putting this as a two for one they’re my everything <3

You and Perona are the ones who watch it lots. Perona does complain about how much they argue but she loooooves looking at the houses and clothes of the women. Makes comments about wanting to fly first class or visit the beautiful places they go to.

Mihawk is reading.

Perona is biased as hell and only defends the people that are wearing cute clothes. Otherwise? Shit list.

“Ugh! What is that dress?! It’s so hideous!” “Is that all you’re focusing on?” “I agree with (Y/n), Perona, she just had gotten into some relationship troubles with [name], so I think [name] is wrong.”

You and Perona are gasping and shocked that Mihawk 1) talked and 2) had an opinion on this???

Turns out the man had been listening the whole time (he’s quite the multitasker).

If Perona is the most biased viewer, Mihawk tries to remain objective and impartial. He's always listing out the nuances of a conversation.

“I think [name] is just jealous.” “Well, if we remember in season 4, episode 14-“

He’s a smart ass sometimes, but it’s okay, he’s our smart ass.

Perona is always enthusiastic about marathoning the shows again and watching it. She tends to do dress up requirements for watching it.

Nami

I’d hesitate to call Nami a “fan” of reality shows.

She’s aware of them, yes. Does she particularly care for it? Nah, not really.

They’re more background noise and eye candy for her.

She just likes putting them on and glancing every once in a while to gaze at the beautiful houses and trips.

“Oh that’s so expensive… imagine what you could do with all that!”

Sometimes has a fun game for herself to estimate the cost of an outfit, accessory, or house. It’s scary how accurate and detailed she can get with it.

Tends to mostly focus on fashion and get new ideas to steal- I mean, incorporate.

Doesn’t have strong opinions on the cast, but she isn’t too crazy about the louder members.

Kizaru/Borsalino

He’s heard of it, he thinks.

And, well, since you’re so into them, he’ll give it a watch.

“Oh my, these ladies are incredibly wealthy and beautiful.”

He’s not even ogling them he’s just amazed at the way they dress, behave, and/or decorate their spaces. It’s almost like being starstruck???

The guy who will pause the tv at certain scenes to point at random decorations or outfits and be like “darling, would you like that?”

He does get sad when they start to fight.

“Aw… I was just liking the party… why are they arguing now?”

His favorite cast member is your favorite one <3 he’s just a cheerleader like that, dear.

He could listen to you talk about it for hours if you wanted, and he’d be amazed by your knowledge.

“You know, if you’d like for me to have you be on a show like this, I could probably pull some strings!”

Kidd

1000000x worse than Zoro

I cannot recommend putting it on in front of him.

“The hell is this shit?! Turn it off!”

You refuse and now he’s stuck watching grown women argue over dumb things (in his mind).

Complains the ENTIIIIRRRRE time. Nonstop commenting and complaining.

Okay but he’s hooked after a bit, the drama is just too good.

But now he’s WORSE cuz he’s got OPINIONS and THEYRE ALL SHITTY!

This man is an instigator. I swear to god he’s just saying shit just to rile you up and be contrarian.

He's stanning the biggest menaces on the show.

You two will probably get into (very silly) arguments about some of the situations and people.

And unlike say, Sanji, who tries to defend a person, Eustass will just say you’re wrong and then add something unhinged to it.

“Naw you just don’t get it. If I was her, personally, I think I’d just burn their mansion down and then slash their tires.”

[richea]

Arise review

After buying the game at launch, I finally, finally finished my playthrough of Tales of Arise. Normally I would just write a few thoughts on Twitter and leave it at that, but I found I had a lot of things I wanted to touch upon with this game. With the prior two entries in the series, I kind of just rushed to finish them and then let them collect dust in my brain afterwards. However, back then I had other Tales games I wanted to try for the first time, so part of it was I was itching to get to ones I knew I would enjoy more. I got all caught up with the series before Arise was even announced, so there's no excuse this time!

With Arise, I took my time (well, maybe too much time), and let myself really process the game before I let myself finish it, in order to give myself a more solid basis for how I will feel about this game going forward. To that end, I wanted to really write down my feelings on the game in depth, touching upon all the various aspects of it and how everything made me feel.

Quick warning: if you don't accept criticism of Arise well, this isn't the review for you. I am approaching the game from the perspective of somebody who has played every other entry in the series and ruminated on all of them for years on end. I will be critical of the game in this piece. I'm not trying to tell people how to feel on the game, this is all purely my own thoughts and feelings, from the perspective of a long time Tales fan who deeply cares about the direction the series is going, and more importantly, its rich history.

I am also not looking for people to change my mind on the game, so please do not try to tell me my feelings are "wrong" or that I'm not appreciating certain things properly. I'm not looking for discourse.

That said, if you are someone who is interested in my perspective, then by all means enjoy the essay that is to come.

―――

In this post I want to dive into all the different aspects of the game and talk about each in depth, namely the story, characters and gameplay. I think it's more interesting to judge a game by balancing all these traits rather than just pinpointing one specific thing and basing my entire view of the game on that one thing (for instance, I tend to value interesting characters first and foremost when I indulge in media).

That said, for a quick TL;DR of my feelings on various things, when compared to other entries in the series:

Story: 2/10 Characters: 1/10 Character designs: 3/10 Other UI designs (such as monsters/menus/etc): 0/10 Battle gameplay: 4/10 Other gameplay: 4/10 Music: Undecided, which in its own right may not be a good indicator of how I feel about it Graphics: As a video game it's a 10, for Tales specifically it's a 9/10 for the graphics themselves and a 1/10 for the lack of anime portraits and the portraits we got just look awful (how does Ufotable only get worse with its Tales designs?)

Visual presentation

I want to start by acknowledging the graphics, as it's something that has zero relevance to how I feel on video games. Arise is a very pretty game! There is no denying this. I found myself stopping and just moving the camera around to admire all the pretty landscapes and views in the game. The character models are also very nice.

That said, like all modern Tales games, the battles are a bit overly stimulating on my eyes, because there's so much going on and lots of flashing lights. The actual effects were very pretty though.

The skits are absolutely horrible to watch. Even setting aside how I feel about the lack of skit portraits, the thin white text on top of the off-white backdrop was a horrible design choice. I think this is probably my least favorite aspect of the game. I get headaches very quickly from playing video games even just normally, and watching a ton of skits with intense eye strain did not help! There's also way too much movement with the skit... boxes? as well. Were they thinking about accessibility at all when coming up with them?

On the same topic, the subtitles for general cutscenes were also awful. The outline around the text needed to be much thicker. I could probably read 30% of the dialogue in the game. Thankfully I know a decent amount of Japanese, but still, I was interested in reading the actual translation of the text and I was having a really hard time. I feel bad for people who wanted to play with Japanese voices and don't know as much as me.

The menu UI was also very disappointing. It felt really barebones and had next to no personality to it. The big portraits drawn by Iwamoto were a nice touch (though if you're going to make such massive paintings, at least make the art itself more interesting to look at?), but it wasn't enough. They just felt like something to fill in the empty space which there was a lot of; the menu layout really did not utilize the space on the screen well, and it's double annoying when you consider how microscopic the font in the game is and how they could've used that space to make things more readable. Everything was hard to read, and again the lack of portraits was just utterly disappointing. Every time I opened the menu I just felt sad at how lifeless it felt.

Gameplay

My feelings on the gameplay are mixed. I'll start with the elephant in the room: the gald system in this game is not good. Only getting gald from chests and sub events is just a massively poor game design. Fishing helps but it's more time consuming than doing battles would be and there's really no other incentive to even doing it (at least battles would work towards EXP and getting battle proficiency things!).

The owl system was fun and was definitely a highlight of the game for me. It took me back to looking for attachments in Xillia, which is something I really enjoyed in that game as well and made the long traversing in the game more bearable. I just went from point A to point B in both Zestiria and Berseria, so this was the first game since Xillia 2 that I actually touched every corner of the map.

The battles are also a mixed bag for me. I will be completely transparent and state here that I mostly only played Shionne and Rinwell, so my feelings on the melee gameplay is very limited. My committed team was Shionne, Rinwell, Dohalim and Kisara. Between them you could hit every element weakness, on top of Kisara's high defense (and the fact that I just liked her more than Law and Alphen). From the perspective of a caster main, the battle gameplay was fine. Like other entries, you could do fun manipulation strategies to speed casting time. By the end game I was just spam casting Rinwell's highest tier spells instantly which was fun.

The healing is definitely... not great. There were a few times where I would run out of Orange Gels and then have to do a story progressing map action and it would eat the rest of my already gone CG bar. It was really infuriating. I only used First Aid the entire game, never anything else, because why would I use a better healing arte when it would just drain my gauge faster? It was a mess.

The monsters I did not enjoy. It felt really hard to stun them so it never felt satisfying fighting anything. Their movements felt WAY too grand. If every single boss is huge and epic and has moves that hit the whole map, the whole game starts to lose its impact. I also feel like they did way too much damage in a single hit, which made the healing issue even worse, and it felt more like I was trying to perfectly dodge every attack than it did managing my health in a natural way.

The skill system was just fine, no real commentary to make there. I wish there were more titles in the game however, and that they would display on the status screen (even Graces did this despite them both having the titles and skill systems merged).

Some quick other things

The campsite system was fine

I liked that the sub event indicators were really obvious, as someone who's really bad about doing sub events especially on my first playthrough (the actual sub events themselves are a different issue)

Like with fishing, I never really understood the point of the ranch

Did this game even have minigames?

I actually really liked the weapon skins system, that was super fun

Story

This is where I will start to nitpick things because I play Tales games for the story and characters first and foremost. And, having played every other game in full, my feelings on the story and writing in this game are... not very high.

To start, I do at the very least think Arise had some interesting starting concepts going on. Namely, a protagonist trying to figure out his amnesia and a girl who zaps everything she touches are pretty cool concepts! However, even from the first promotion trailer I was concerned about Shionne's story hinging too much on Alphen. The "he can't feel anything, she hurts everything she touches" plotpoints felt really, really convenient to me from the first trailer, and was a setup for having all the impact on the game being reliant on Alphen being a decent character (as well as, well, almost forcing him to be Shionne's hero, rather than him gaining that honor through actual hard work and emotion), but I was more than willing to give the game the chance to prove me wrong on that aspect.

I have too many feelings on the character writing so I will be giving them their own section below.

Anyway, sadly, I think those are the only two interesting and unique things in Arise's narrative. Everything else the game has done has been done in a prior Tales game but better. Let me go down the list (non-comprehensive as I can't remember every single theme from every single game, but I will name games that at least have these as the major theme that I can recall):

Two worlds vying for power (I could name games that don't have two worlds faster than I could name ones that do), and one world is trying to suck power out of the other one (Symphonia, Hearts)

The plotpoint about "when humans lose all their power they turn to dust" is literally exactly what happens in Hearts, while the "making people feel strong bad emotion to provoke them into our gains" is what Zestiria and Berseria's entire lore was about as well as Rebirth

Racism, oppression, slavery and colonialism (Phantasia, Destiny, Symphonia, Rebirth, Legendia, Tempest, Hearts (R removed this but there's literally an NPC who flaunts about enslaving the "lesser beings"), Berseria)

First half of the game is fighting a series of specific enemies, second half is focused on lore, especially figuring out stuff with the second planet (Destiny, Eternia, Symphonia, Vesperia, Hearts)

Do I think Tales rehashing tropes is a bad thing? No, not at all. It's something they have been doing for a long, long time. But what made it work in other games is that each game had at least something completely unique to it to balance that feeling of repetitiveness out. For instance, Hearts shows up a lot on this bullet list, but it is the only Tales game to have lore based around entering people's hearts, and the whole story is based around a fairy tale. Even the fact that it has a robot as a playable character was a first for Tales. Legendia rehashed a lot of plotpoints from Rebirth, but it had its own unique spin on things and the worldbuilding in it is completely unique with the focus on marine themes and the story structure being unique from any other game. Symphonia even keeps the same worldbuilding from Phantasia but the feels of the games are completely unique from one another due to how different the themes the stories tackle are. The issue with Arise is that I cannot think of anything unique in the game, aside from Shionne's thorns, that wasn't done in another game. And even then, all of the writing regarding her thorns is a big rehash of heroine tropes and situations in the series' past. I will go over that when I discuss her though.

Another glaring issue with the game is the skits. Normally, Tales skits have roughly 4 purposes. In order of prevalence: fun skits to show off the character's personality that the story can't showcase, the characters discussing story events to showcase the full depth of their feelings on the events as they happen, skits going over worldbuilding to explain in better detail if you didn't catch it from the story scenes (or just giving more information!), and navigational skits. Skits were always meant to be lively and engaging, even if things felt dull in the story, skits existed as a pick-me-up, and as a way to show how the characters were having fun. Skits are one of the most famous parts of Tales storytelling, specifically for this reason.

What's wrong with Arise's skits? In a franchise where the fun:dull skit ratio was 6:4 give or take, Arise changed those numbers to 2:8. Most skits were dedicated to rehashing events. Even in those rehashes, the characters were near constantly bringing up plotpoints that happened 30+ hours ago in the story. Over and over! Alphen was still talking about the first 5 hours of the game when you're on Lenegis!

Watching the skits, it genuinely felt like I was having constant deja-vu. I think I actually was worried I was going crazy at some point, because of the sheer extent of times they would have the same conversations over and over and over again. It got to a point where I would joke about Alphen and Law being on the screen together and I would say "countdown to them bringing up Zephyr" and every single time I would say that, the convo would turn to him. This was 55 hours into the game!

It's not bad for characters to reflect on the past events, but when that makes up the vast majority of their conversations, and one singular event makes up the entire personality of the character, the game feels dull very, very quickly. Skits transformed from a thing that I would usually open to find fun shenanigans between the characters and silly banter into me sighing about having to hear about Zephyr's death for the 200th time in the past 5 hours. It was very exhausting. Can we talk about something else now? My rant about this could be endless, but I genuinely want somebody to do a study on just how many times Alphen and Law bring up Zephyr throughout the game, and how many lines in the skits were dedicated to things that weren't just recapping events.

(Even then, there were cooking skits! However, I can only hear so many conversations about preparing food before I start getting bored. I know that eating and food is a BIG cultural point in Japan, but did every single "fun" skit need to be about eating? No.)

Speaking of, let me go over my feelings on the actual story and its events.

While the game did have a slow start, it wasn't that bad. The game eases you into what's going on, with the slavery and meeting Shionne. Nothing really of note to mention here. Rinwell and Law's character introductions were nothing special, but that was fine, it was still early in the game. My first major issue with the game is Zephyr's death. As it may be obvious from my above rant, the game places way too much importance on him as a character. A game mourning a character is nothing new. For instance, fractured Milla's death was a big turning point in Xillia 2. However, the entire game, as well as two entire characters, did not revolve around her death. Arise's issue is that Zephyr is barely a character, and yet the game constantly reminds you of how great and wonderful he was. We barely saw the guy, and no number of skits dedicated to Alphen and Law talking about him changes the fact that he is no more memorable than any other random NPC in the game. His death is unceremonious and was one of the most predictable deaths in the series to date.

(As an unrelated note, I am someone who loves a lot of NPCs in Tales. I love a lot of characters who have very little screentime. Two of my favorite Tales characters are Stella and Marian, who actually have a lot of similarities with Zephyr in narrative importance! The difference, however, is that you are not constantly having it drilled in that they are the epitome of nuance and the stories are not dictated by either character's morals, of which we never got to even see. Arise has Alphen claim Zephyr has the best moral views in the world and his entire life is dictated by those morals he was taught, and he pushes them on everyone else. Including the player.)

Zephyr's death aside, the other non-party characters are barely characters. I don't even remember any of their names. Especially the lords. To sum up my feelings on this instead of subjecting you to a long tangent on the lords, let me just drop these posts I made while playing:

One of Arise's lowest points however is how it handles its themes of racism and colonialism. I have a distinct memory of Alphen telling Rinwell to shut up when she brings up Renan oppression to him, Law tells Rinwell she's not allowed to want revenge due to her oppression, and there's this not-so-great scene on Lenegis where the party reflects on how... one of the lords was "only human" for wanting to enslave the Dahnans and how they can "see" his point of view? NOT GOOD! One of the comments I made while playing the game was "Alphen would stop Cless on his quest of revenge and he would also tell Velvet she's over-exaggerating is kind of my feelings on him at this point" and I still stand by it.

In general, the story is just very predictable. At no point in the game was I surprised by what was going on. Well, no matter, there's other predictable things in Tales games! ...But the difference is that other games, I at least was compelled by the characters and their reactions to those predictable events. Or, their personalities alone would carry me through plotpoints I otherwise found boring. Arise never endeared me to its cast, yet it expected me to find shock value and importance in its very predictable storytelling. I remember when the party takes on the lord who kills Rinwell's family, they said "we'll spare her life" (which is its own long rant but I digress) and I went "oh well someone DEFINITELY won't kill her one second later" and then Vholran showed up as I was saying it! Then, Alphen JUST so happens to get his feeling back in his body after Shionne walks right into Vholran's arms! This was truly the point in the game where I completely gave up on enjoying it and I started to only push myself to beat it just so I could get it over with.

The story sadly saw no improvements after that point either to remedy my soured feelings. The only two things I enjoyed after that point were the little bit with Dohalim's past and him making the speech on Lenegis, and Rinwell touching Shionne's hand in the final scene in the game.

I could go on forever about the story, but I will leave it at that.

As for the sub events, you couldn't really call them "events" when they were just one or two lines about defeating monsters. I did every sub event in the game up until before the final dungeon. I was very unimpressed by them.

Characters

This is absolutely my least favorite part about the game. As I stressed at the beginning, what I go through media for is for the characters. Good characters can salvage just about anything for me. When I watch story scenes, I'm always thinking about how it makes the characters feel. I went into Arise thinking "even if the story doesn't cater to me, at least I can fall back on enjoying the characters and their banter".

As you can already tell, I was utterly disappointed with the cast in Arise.

Alphen

He is easily the contender for my least favorite Tales protagonist, hands down. The issue with Alphen is he never has any original ideas at any point in the game. He always attributes any of his morals to Zephyr. He would go on tangents, explaining how other characters should feel about things, but when asked he got all of his ideas from Zephyr. It seriously felt as if he never thought for himself.

Making this worse is the fact that he would explain how everyone should feel. He would tell Rinwell to stop being mad about her oppression, he would tell Law to listen to his feelings on Zephyr and change his view on him based on his view of who Zephyr was, he would tell Kisara how to feel regarding her place as a woman.

Worst of all, however, was how he would talk to Shionne. Any time she would have an issue, he would make it about himself. In her most important scene in the game, where she's talking about how her thorns make her want to die, he made it about himself. She said what she wanted for herself and he said "whether you like it or not, I'm taking matters into my own hands". Yes, Tales has done this before, with the heroine wishing to die and the hero telling her he won't allow that, but it's infuriating in this case when he never lets her think or act or move or do anything without his input. There's countless scenes in the game where she would be upset and want time alone and he would force her to talk to him about her feelings. Shionne was not permitted to ever exist without Alphen forcing her to talk to him about it and expecting her to go along with what he wanted, and his feelings about her situation. Again, past Tales game have had this, but when it's so constant and so prevalent, and is the only thing the character has to them, it becomes exhausting and annoying.

Also, his only "unique, fun" trait was that he likes armor, but this dialogue only ever showed up... when you made armor?

I was really disappointed with Alphen. Which is really not good when he is the protagonist, and Shionne's entire character also hinges on him. Especially given the grand finale to the game was their wedding, when I saw no romantic tension between them, because all he ever did was explain how she should feel. He was such a mess. I have more I could rant about with him but I need to leave it at that.

Shionne

Shionne is a big bundle of wasted potential to me. That said, she is probably one of the only characters in this game who felt like a character.

Like I said above, her thorns are an interesting concept. However, the handling of it really was standard Tales heroine tied to a cursed fate. The damsel scene, the way she wants to die but the protag talks her out of it, etc. That said, I did think her trauma with never being touched in her life was interesting, and it did make me emotional at points, even if the execution was poor.

I just really, really wish she could've been a character separate from Alphen. Her writing truly was doomed from the start with him being the only person who could touch her. Again, it felt like she bonded with Alphen because he's the only person who can touch her, rather than them actually making a proper bond as people.

Rinwell

Rinwell is... fine? I honestly don't have a lot to say here. I think it was nice that she got importance as the spiritual person in the party, and her banter with Dohalim was nice. I really disliked her relationship with Law however, and again, I hated that Law and Alphen tried to talk her out of her revenge. She was in the position as a "spiteful" person who "needed to grow out of it" but... her family was massacred? Why is Law allowed to be furious about his dad dying, but she's not allowed to be mad about her family being killed? The hypocrisy in regards to Rinwell seriously infuriated me and I felt really bad for her.

Law

Hoo boy. I really do not like Law either, for many of the reasons I don't like Alphen. He does with Rinwell what Alphen does to Shionne. What is with Arise men and mansplaining everything to the girls and refusing to let them have any agency or thoughts without their input?

He was also supposed to be the "mood maker," except his only mood making scenes were Hootle pecking him in the face or him saying something dumb and Rinwell calling him an idiot. It really wasn't that funny and felt like borderline bullying.

Law falls under a Tales archtype I normally really really like (Tytree, Spada, Hisui, etc), so I was expecting to like him quite a bit, but sadly I just... do not. See my Zephyr rants above as well.

Kisara

Kisara is probably the most unfortunate character in the cast. In theory, I really like Kisara. I'm a big fan of knight ladies, and I always enjoy the older woman character in the party (even if only in her 20s). In practice however she just... completely misses the mark. All of her scenes are dedicated to one of three things: working (or not working) under Dohalim, her brother, or how she can be a proper woman. Yikes! It's not good when a female character's entire character revolves around what she can do for men! There's many skits where she asks "what can I even do if everyone cooks for themselves" and her conclusion is... to follow her brother's dream? Kisara, can't you find your OWN dream? And no, bringing up how she can help Dohalim also doesn't count here.

I don't hate Kisara for being who she is, but I really just want to have a stern talking to with whoever wrote her. A female character should not revolve around men and being in the kitchen. Seriously. This game came out in 2021, you should've known better.

Dohalim

While I didn't like his introduction scenes much, he grew on me a lot throughout the game, and he definitely felt the most like a Tales character to me. There was a lot of humanity and nuance to him, and he had the honor of actually having his backstory shown on screen. He had a lot of facets to him: the part of him that was a Renan leader, the part of him that supports the party, his own goals, his own motivations, interesting relationships with other characters, as well as (and maybe most importantly) fun things about his personality via his breaks from seriousness as well as his fondness for music and artifacts.

Overall he felt very fleshed out, and I really wish he had been put in another game. I came out of Arise quite content with the character that was Dohalim, which I cannot say for anyone else.

Closing thoughts

Overall, this is probably the most disappointed I have been with a Tales title. Of course, I don't think every game is perfect, and there are games that I will admit just don't click with me personally that others adore, and likewise there are games that I think fall flat in some regards but resonate with me for the characters.

For instance, I think Tempest is a perfectly fine and even charming game, despite it being more on the barebones side of things. I do not hold Tales games to unrealistic expectations when it's not necessary, and I always think of a lot of things when I base how I feel about the game: crunch time, what the creators had in mind when making it, what heart was put into the story, what fun I am able to find even in the game's flaws. Things to that effect.

Where Arise differs for me is that many of the decisions I dislike about the game were intentional. The lackluster, yet overbearing monsters were intentional, the lack of skit and status portraits were intentional, the story not being that compelling, but taking itself way too seriously and acting as if it's the pinnacle of Tales writing, is also what the producer of the game flaunts when he discusses it. All of these things negative attribute to the quality of the game. Arise scratches away the charm that Tales games have, yet it is flaunted as being something groundbreaking when the story never attempts a single new trope.

It's not one deviation from series staples, it's a whole cluster of them. Why was there any reason to remove post battle dialogue, when that is something everyone absolutely LOVED about the series? Why are skits, which are part of what brought Tales to fame, boiled down to recaps of story scenes and not fun moments, which is what everyone is excited for when they go to open a skit? Why are the cute and iconic monsters completely gone, when every single game used the same designs? Why does the producer for the series actively hate the things that the fans love about Tales?

Arise is essentially a long laundry list of bizarre decisions made by the producer with awful execution, and then sadly the writing does the game absolutely zero favors. I came out of playing it feeling hollow. I've been revisiting some older games after playing it, and I've been getting legitimately emotional at how the characters in these other games actually talk to each other like people, and don't just bounce recaps of events back and forth to each other. Other games know how to have fun, and they have compelling characters, which is really what has always been the thing bringing people back to this franchise.

Would I like Arise more if it wasn't labeled a Tales game? Honestly, no, given I only ever played it because it's under the Tales branding. And I shouldn't have to even ask myself that, given I play Tales to enjoy Tales, and its tropes, and all the fun little things these games provide that no other series can give me.

If and when the next Tales game comes out, I will still probably play it. But so long as it is under our current producer, I will go in incredibly cautious, given he seems adamant about hating all of the things I love most about Tales. At the very least, I hope the next game is more innovative with its writing and characters, and brings back some of the charm that even Zestiria and Berseria had.

[caramel-covered-apples]

hp next gen hcs - the potter siblings

okay my brainrot is actually killing me so here’re some headcanons featuring the potter siblings

james sirius potter

while his namesakes are perhaps the biggest troublemakers hogwarts has come across, james is actually a model student who does well in all of his classes and makes sure to follow the rules

becomes a gryffindor prefect

freddie and roxanne are also in his year and they’re some of his best friends, along with teddy in hufflepuff

quidditch chaser

plays quidditch all the time at home with ginny and sometimes harry

while he is popular at hogwarts both for his personality and his family, he has a lot of muggle-born/muggle friends outside of school who he just hangs out with

oldest sibling activities; constantly watching albus and lily when their parents aren’t home and does the dishes/laundry when his parents are stressed

james makes fun of albus a lot, but he knows which jokes will make albus laugh or which ones will hit a soft spot and he’s very careful about that

when someone makes a joke about albus that’s more of an insult than a joke/something that albus doesn’t like, james makes it clear that nobody gets to do that, not even james

does well in all of his subjects, however, the hands-on topics (charms, d.a.d.a, etc.) are his best, including potions

gets along with literally everybody

social chameleon, matches everyone’s humor and vibes

sees teddy as a cool older brother figure, and hangs out with him a lot - teddy once got him beer without james’s parents knowing, and since then teddy has been solidified as james’s best friend

adhd

bisexual asf; harry and ginny were surprised that he’d date anyone but men (lmao)

masks a lot of his emotions with humor, and he struggles with his emotional intelligence even though he knows he has a whole family, the whole of hogwarts, and like 10 other muggle friends that are there for him

always keeps up on the gossip that the prophet spews out about their family and constantly brings it up at dinner; he finds it hilarious

this man loves rock and pop music

always with lily luna, learnt how to braid her hair and make it look nice and help her with her self-image because the wizarding world isn’t any nicer to girls than ours

tries to understand albus as best he can

inherited parseltongue from harry

albus severus potter

also a pretty good student, does get in trouble occasionally (“mr. potter, please exit the broom closet and do it somewhere else-”) but overall isn’t horrible

talks in slang and abbreviates everything, especially in texts, while scorpius talks very formally which makes their dynamic so funny

wears a hoodie under his robes

he’s best at the classes harry was horrible at (history of magic, divination, potions, astronomy) and albus secretly enjoys this, because it separates him from his father

in his second year, he couldn’t stand people making fun of his name so his family are the only ones able to call him albus

when he’s at school, studying is his coping mechanism, and he tends to hyperfixate on it

has autism

has the most wild, out-of-pocket, crazy ideas

hates quidditch and brooms in general; they scare him because how can you be safe on a stick that’s no thicker than your forearm?

appreciates the small things

tries to suppress his tics (mostly vocal) because people made fun of him for it

inspired from a tumblr post which I can’t find now, but albus is very skilled at mind magics (legilimency, occlumency) and that’s why he likes scorpius so much, because his thoughts are genuine and kind

really big on architecture

coffee mechanics fiend. not even coffee, coffee mechanics. he grinds his own coffee and will use a particle accelerator to get a slightly better cup.

loves muggle bookstores because of their take on fantasy; wizarding fantasy books aren’t very common because the wizarding world is already fantastical, there’s really nothing to imagine

nintendo kid

would really enjoy games like slime rancher, stardew valley, etc.

because middle name severus is literal dogshit, he ends up claiming hagrid’s name, because wtf harry literally loved hagrid and now he’s gone? his new name ends up being albus rubeus potter. the marauders in the afterlife rejoice.

he likes being called arthur instead of albus, but really nobody knows about this other than scorpius.

gay.

has a hard time with metaphors and such (“he wears his heart on his sleeve”, “jealousy is a green-eyed beast”, “x gets under my skin”) and he takes them too literally, which is another reason why he likes scorpius, because he’s direct and doesn’t bother with things like these

nobody can tell if he’s being serious or sarcastic

loves the nyt games, especially wordle, connections, and the crossword.

lily luna potter

the one the teachers should look out for; biggest troublemaker out of the three siblings, completely caught the teachers off-guard when she arrived; she is chaos incarnate

people call her lou or lils, she is rarely called lily or luna.

has her dad’s stubbornness, her mom’s attitude and chaotic energy, and her uncle’s mischievousness

quidditch is perhaps her favorite sport and will always beg to accompany ginny during her championships and the such; seeker

besties with ginny; idk why all the hcs say she’s besties wit harry

inherits parseltongue from harry (i don’t care if that came from voldy’s soul or not, this might be so funny) and shit talks people in parseltongue; nobody knows what she’s saying except james, who also inherited the trait

hates the mornings; her record for sleeping in is 3:07 PM

loves indie music

definitely has a rock/crystal collection

also an astrology/astronomy kinda girl, somewhat in honor of her middle name, luna (which is “moon” in spanish)

does yoga to calm herself down after a particularly hard day

very good at hands-on classes, including potions, d.a.d.a, transfiguration, and care of magical creatures

james and lily is an ultimate duo and everyone fears them

doesn't really mind that she's harry potter's daughter - none of that pressure to "live up to the expectations" gets to her all that much, because both of her namesakes aren't that spoken about

does anything to prove that she isn't a baby that the prophet gets to dress up; she once dyed her hair bright blue and ginny was all for it

super close with roxanne because younger sisters club!!!

she blows through all the boys and victoire highly disapproves of this

once she's older, she's most definitely a reckless party girl who drinks way too much and spends a lot of her mornings hungover

loud chewers annoy the shit out of her

sneaks snacks onto class and takes photos in the bathroom

would be the type of person to love jerky

[griefabyss69]

Skipping into your asks to suggest "thirsty daydreaming" as a prompt 😌🖤

Will someone PLEASE get Eddie a drink of water?

[Drabble request series on ao3]

---

1.8K words - Steddie - Rated: E

Contains: Eddie fantasizing about Steve, weed mention, post-vecna recovery, masturbation, the most evilest thing of all (doing the dishes)

Eddie's always had an active imagination, one that sometimes lays a dreamlike haze over his daily life, makes things more interesting – and bearable – as he does mundane shit like drive to the grocery store or do his dishes.

Scrubbing away at the dried food instead of letting it soak because he's impatient and knows if he walks away and he'll forget about it all for a week.

So he scrubs and tries to let his brain soothe over the way he wants to climb out of his skin at how utterly boring this is, how much he just doesn't want to be doing it, a stinging poison in his chest as he washes and rinses.

The music in the background is good enough to be playing but not enough for him to sing along to it, and for once he feels like keeping his mouth shut anyway.

He tries thinking about this like some kind of mission, a task he needs to complete for a party of adventurers, or even something he needs to do to get the antidote to the very poison it's injecting him with.

It doesn't really work, nothing catching in his mind, slipping further away the harder he tries to conjure up some fairy tale shit, and even the thought of a handsome knight begging him to save The Kingdom with his awesome dish washing skills isn't really doing anything for him.

He sighs, rinses another plate and sets it in the rack, glancing around the kitchen. It's new, just like the rest of the little house, and he's glad to be here, grateful in the way he's had to be because he survived a horrible death, but.

The mundane shit is even more like pulling teeth than it ever had been before, and he wishes he could still function when he's high. His weird injuries have left him prone to couch lock more than ever, and while that's great for when he can spend his day focusing on pain management and eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting, it sucks for when he has to do stuff.

Usually Steve's around to kind of… not necessarily do things for him, or even help much, but he comes to hang out. And at first he had been helping, because you can take the boy out of scouts but can't take the scouts out of the boy, or whatever it is Robin had said that had made Steve's ears turn a pretty red.

But usually Steve's here and they talk and make fun of each other and have stupid arguments and it's fun, and at this point in the afternoon Eddie would be daring him to eat the weirdest combination he could find in his fridge.

He sighs, sets another plate in the drying rack.

This isn't forever, and he'll get stronger and shit. Then he can get high enough to inoculate himself against the agony of Dishes Poison and he won't have to admit to himself that he misses Steve, even though it's only been like two fucking days since they hung out.

It's just that Steve is easy to be around, doesn't really drain him the way that hanging out with other people does these days. Maybe it's bat-bite rabies or maybe he just has that kind of personality, but he knows when Eddie needs a challenge and knows when he needs to get flung straight off the Earth into the stratosphere so he can finally catch a wink of rest.

And like, Eddie's always been a visual guy.

An auditory guy too. Tactile, gustatory, and whatever the nose one is – smell o'rama kind of guy also. But Steve is one of those people that's so gorgeous he makes you feel like you're sinking into a hot bubble bath on a cold day, and his hands tend to leave hot little brands where his fingers linger on people's skin as he helps them settle down into a chair when their stupid legs give out over nothing.

Well, probably not everyone's. Eddie's smart enough to know why Steve's hot touch sticks to him, as innocent and helpful as it is.

A pretty guy with pretty hands, warm and big on his waist as he braces Eddie while he's trying to do one of the complicated stretches that the physio people gave him… God.

Eddie bites his lip, staring down into the sink.

Yeah, his mind can hook onto that.

He thinks about Steve hanging out, offering to help with other things, like perhaps the boredom that itches along his nerves while he does the stupid fucking dishes. Instead of trying to make him laugh in one breath and insulting him – making him laugh harder – in the next, it'd be his hands.

Eddie imagines asking him – or no, Steve would offer, able to read him so easily sometimes - and Steve would come up behind him, rest his chin on his shoulder. He'd move his hair out of the way so his breath would be warm on his neck, over the shell of his ear, and he'd start talking about his day or something that isn't too hard to follow.

And Eddie would tilt his head, give him more of his neck to work with as he expertly and efficiently works through the dishes, not fumbling them even when Steve's fingers tease at the hemline to his shirt.

Steve would say something like "Let's see how quickly you can do those" or "If you get them done in fifteen minutes I'll blow you", turning it into the kind of game that Eddie finds utterly useless when he's by himself. But if Steve said he'd blow him, he'd have the dishes sparkling and stacked in five.

He pauses, hand clutched around a soapy mug, a shiver running through him as he imagines Steve's fingers pushing up under his shirt, ghosting carefully over his brand new scars to play with his nipples, light and teasing while he tests him out.

"Fuck," he mutters to the empty kitchen, rinsing the mug off.

His dick is getting hard under his sweats, no underwear today because laundry's still hard for him sometimes and he forgets to do it when he doesn't have a set schedule anyway, so he's like, conserving his clean clothes. The tent he's starting to make looks stupid, but it's not like Steve's actually here to notice it, and if he was here, he'd either be swallowing mustard and peanut butter at the same time or he'd be easing Eddie's sweats down his legs anyway.

He lets himself zone out, hands working without him as he goes to a whole other place, a version of this universe where Steve's eager to get his hand inside Eddie's pants.

To get his fingers on his dick, grip him lightly as he teases his foreskin, playing with the part under his head that always makes him jerk in his own hand. Steve would find out where he's sensitive and use that relentlessly, he'd make him continue with the dishes as he plays with him, laughed at any little sounds he was able to pull out of him.

There's just silverware left, because Eddie's not fucking cleaning the pots and pans like this. He starts to rush through them, his dick quickly taking over all of his attention as he drops the same spoon like five times. He just has to finish this and then he can go collapse into his bed and pretend that his pruney fingers are Steve's after a couple hours in his pool.

God, Steve's pool.

He'd make Eddie stand shirtless in front of him while he rubbed sunscreen all over his back, apparently essential for his scars, if not just to keep him from getting the same nasty sunburn he tends to get every summer.

Steve's fingers would dig in firmly to make sure it's all rubbed in well, and even if it hurt his scars it would still get Eddie going, make him hard in his trunks before he can even attempt to keep things soft. Steve would know what he's doing as he makes Eddie pull his hair up off of his neck so he can rub more sunscreen in, thumbs rubbing tight circles into the sore muscles there, sliding forward to tease just behind his ears.

He'd laugh at the sound Eddie would make, bring his hands down to grab his ass – a fork slips out of his hand as his hips jerk forward, accidentally pushing his dick against the counter.

Fuck. Keep going.

Steve's hands on his ass, grabbing hard, his hot breath beside his ear telling him how he wishes he was naked so he could really dig his fingers in, maybe get his tongue in there.

Eddie moans, the sound embarrassing even though he's home alone, and he has to stop what he's doing to just breathe through the hot pleasure building in his gut. He knows Steve has a reputation for going down, but he doesn't think he'd go down on Eddie, even if a miracle happened and he wanted to jerk him off.

The reality check doesn't do much to help him, a dizzy pounding in his head taking over as he gets so turned on that he just. He has to stop.

He pulls the plug out of the sink and rinses his hands off before heading to his room, not bothering to dry them, just shuts his door and trips his way out of his sweats, landing on his bed in a way he knows he's lucky didn't hurt him.

"Fuck, please," he groans, his wet fingers feeling sublime against his dick.

Steve's tongue, pressed against the rim of his ass like in that one skin mag that changed his fucking world, his big hands spreading him open wide so he could get in there - Fuck!

He gets his forearm over his eyes, keeping the hand on his dick in place as he starts to thrust up into it, the image in his mind changing as he imagines fucking Steve on one of his fancy pool chairs. He'd feel so good under him, hair and skin and so tight and wet -

Eddie chokes on a moan as he cums, his hand working to slap down into his pelvis as he thrusts up to meet it, hard and tight and fast as he wrings the pleasure out of himself, the last wisps of his fantasy floating out of his reach as his mind blanks out.

"Oh my fucking God," he mumbles, bringing his arm down from his face.

He's gonna see Steve tonight, and he's gonna have to act so normal, pretend he didn't just cum in under a minute thinking about fucking him, but honestly his only regret is that he got too horny to finish the dishes, and still has to deal with them.

Later, though. Right now he just thinks about Steve's mouth, how it'd feel pressing a kiss against his. A harmless little thing to ease his descent as he catches his breath.

[takiisieju-squadra]

Hello, I’d like to request a La Squadra matchup, if you’d want to write one. I hope this wasn’t too much of a word vomit! :)

-I may seem awkward at first to people, but I just have horrible social anxiety (and possible autism) and public spaces can be overwhelming. Once I am hanging out with people I know, I tend to actually become a pretty loud and more social person, and will take a parental/leadership(? Don’t know the adjective) role in my friend group.

- I’m 18 and a massive nerd (biology major 😶), so I usually end up talking about horror movies or science/math stuff. When socializing with my friends, I enjoy talking about our different interests regardless of whether or not I partake in their interest. If I’m close enough to a person, I’ll probably flirt with them in an obvious joking manner, as long as they’re comfortable. My other jokes, which I share with everyone, are usually random or about morbid subjects like death. Deep conversations are another important aspect of my relationships. I just really enjoy spending time with my friends and partners. Whenever I can, I will try to help the people around me, whether it be with a task or by listening to their problems.

- I have an amazing cat, she is a diluted calico that I found in a sewer drain, and she is the most adorable attention hog. She meows until I hold her like a baby in my arms, but I don’t mind.

- A red flag of mine is that I have trouble reaching out about my emotions, so I end up bottling things up and have a panic attack or a (rare) anger outburst. However this is something I’m working on.

- some of my hobbies include watching horror movies, sewing, embroidery, art, skating, reading, and learning about new things

- I truly love gothic rock, death metal, and classical music. I actually have a really cool patch jacket too, and I also partake in gothic fashion and makeup.

-I can’t stand people who trash-talk others for being poor or something else that is out of a persons control. It just shows a complete lack of empathy and kindness to me.

- oh yeah I don’t know if physical appearance is relevant, but I’m like 5’6, pale and chubby, and have short dark brown curly hair.

Anyways have a good day and stay hydrated ✨💛

Hi! Sorry for the wait.

This was a very difficult one, and I hope you are pleased with your result. I match you with…

Pesci!

Oh, this poor baby boy… He knows all too well about what it’s like to deal with anxiety, so at first you may bond because of that. You could think he’d grow distant once you “show your true colours”, but it's far from that! He’s genuinely happy when you come out of your shell, and your ability to lead is obviously a good thing for him. Now, he may not know all the things you are talking about, but he is very interested. He may not understand some stuff, so please pay attention to his state, he might get overwhelmed or otherwise uncomfortable and be too afraid to actually say something. Also, please don’t laugh at him when your flirty remarks fluster him (even if you are already dating, he is always a mess in such matters).

Pesci is truly, honestly perfect boyfriend material. Whatever your hobby is, he’s trying to pick it up too (please comfort him during horror movies, he’s easy to scare despite his occupation). Whatever you wear, he adores and compliments it. Whatever music you listen to, he also tries to get into. Your cat is now his favorite animal in the world, even if she doesn’t like him. He will probably even ask for a photo of her to keep close (not you, though, it may be dangerous considering his line of work).

Despite his relative cowardice and shyness, he’ll protect you from anything, with almost terrifying ferocity. And when you return the favor by even simply telling off somebody laughing at his appearance, he is literally ready to cry.

He wouldn’t hide his profession from you, because he doesn’t like keeping secrets in a relationship. Prosciutto is obviously the first of his teammates that you meet, but eventually others find out and want to look at the person Pesci “managed to pull off”. You become surprisingly close with Melone, somehow…

Thank you for the ask. Hope you are pleased with the result!

taglist: @go-capt-puppen

(if you have something against Pesci, please don't bother to react, it is rather discouraging to receive "criticism" based on personal preferences considering I spend a lot of time writing these, for free).

[purple-plum-petals]

OK I SAW THAT U HAD MATCHUPS OPEN I CAME RUNNING

ALSO NO RUSH, TAKE CARE OF URSELF BTW

so if its okay, i'd like a twst matchup plz!

personality;. I’m a 6w5 ENTP- except i dont really fit into the usual ENTP stereotype. it kind of actually relates to a lot of deeper psychology functions in each personality type. and i usually follow carl jung’s belief that each aspect of a personality is still in a person(even though it isnt common in them) and it can eventually be developed over time soooo yeah

in general, i can be pretty bright and chaotic but I can be super chill when i’m not in the mood for it. i kinda like being a menace and pranking people. sometimes, when I’m feeling extremely hyper, I like to make violent and/or flirty jokes. and i also laugh at my own jokes(but its kinda funny) and i also like to seem overly confident in myself. usually, im straightforward and blunt with people. however, with strangers, i’m more quiet and i won’t really talk to you unless you approach me first and then, i kinda of start smiling and being really friendly.

otherwise, i can actually be really responsible and smart. it’s just that i act dumb at first especially since it’s amusing to see how people would react to it

- Hobbiesss; i really, really like to research online about specific topics or listen to educational podcasts/documentaries/etc. or sometimes, im usually playing video games, or im simply talking to friends or sometimes, i like to chill and read

- dislikes; iii hate insects like i will cry at the sight of one. i dont like ppl who sugarcoat things and/or don’t actually mean what they say. I literally hate feeling bored like its the worst feeling in the world. i also tend to feel a little intimidated with overly tall people that are like over 6ft especially since i am 4”9

- likes; I rlly like horror moviesss/video games and music. i like video games in general too though and i rlly like learning. i also like mysterious and thriller stufffff. i also rlly like rings, i love them so much. anddd my birdss, i love my pets so muchhh- i also really like philosophy. i love math a lot mostly because i’m really good at it and especially because i love problem-solving and coming up with ideas

Thank you for sending in a match-up; I think that either Idia Shroud or Ace Trappola would be good matches for you!

Idia may be quite tall but, given how bad his posture is, his height shouldn't affect you too horribly considering he's always slouching. You two surprisingly work well together despite your differing energy levels and desire to cause mischief. You both enjoy playing video games and have vast amounts of knowledge on various topics, so Idia would enjoy spending time with you (when you're not too full of energy, that is). Idia would also find your sense of humor to be funny as he seems like the type of person who also laughs at his own jokes, so you two kind of hype each other up when the situation calls for it. He's also a very straightforward person who doesn't sugarcoat things, so most people agree that you two make a great match (even if they may not always appreciate your blunt nature). Idia would enjoy watching horror movies with you, probably laughing and pointing out different inaccuracies throughout the film. He's also a big fan of animals, especially cats, so he'd probably love to be able to pet and play with yours!

Ace would most definitely be your partner in crime. The two of you constantly get into trouble together whenever and wherever you can given that you both have fun when it comes to playing pranks on others. Ace would find your bluntness to be respectable, but also funny in certain situations since you don't sugarcoat your words (even in situations that may need a gentler delivery). He would also find it interesting that you play dumb around others, especially since he knows you’re a very intelligent and somewhat responsible person; the duality of your personality keeps him on his toes, for better or for worse. Ace, too, also hates feeling bored, so you two would probably always be doing something together whether it be visiting an amusement park or just window shopping together on Sage's Island. He also appreciates that you love horror movies since it's one of his favorite genres as well, so you two can go to the movie theatre and watch them together when you're not busy with class!

[tohisprettyc00l]

Hello! I’m Kei and I’m here for two romantic matchups!

I have messy brown hair in a pixie cut, pale skin, eyebags, blue and hazel heterochromia (not sure if I spelt that right lol), a thin body, boney fingers, some acne on my cheeks and blackheads on my nose, a big-ish nose that I tend to be insecure about, quite a few moles that I also am insecure about, thin pink lips with a Cupids bow, and round circle glasses.

I tend to be very sarcastic and snarky, but I’m also very nice to people that I like, I usually have a soft spot for people I have a crush on but I’ll usually avoid them bcs I’m too scared to interact with them and I don’t want to embarrass myself lmao. I get embarrassed easily, especially if someone’s flirting with me or doing something cringey near me. Whenever I’m around people I don’t like I usually just give them a nasty side eye or a glare. I don’t really have friends, but that’s because I’m homeschooled and I live out in the country so any town I’m around is usually 45 minutes away. I’m very selfless and I always put other people’s well-being before my own and I’m not good at saying no. I usually follow the rules and never get into any trouble because I prefer to stay under the raidar. I’m alone most of the time when I’m not learning, and I’m pretty isolated as well. I’m very empathetic towards plants and animals as well as the environment, so I like to pick up any trash or anything that could possibly harm the environment. As I’ve said before: I’m very sarcastic, but I’m also quite oblivious so I can’t detect sarcasm that easily. I’m pretty bad at social cues, and I’m oblivious when it comes to people who have a crush on me or try to flirt with me, but like I said, I get very flustered when I realize someone’s flirting. I’m very shy and nervous around new people, and I usually stay close to the person I know the most when I meet them.

I LOVE history, but mostly the creepy and darker side of history. I’m super into paranormal investigating and I’d love to investigate with friends and such. I like exploring abandoned buildings but I always prefer to have someone with me. I like doing creepy challenges with friends, I also like exploring the wilderness and nature. I LOVE swimming and I have a deep connection with the ocean and water. I can be pretty weird when I’m not being sarcastic.

Gender: Gender-fluid but I prefer he/him and they/them pronouns

Sexuality: Bisexual

Likes: Conspiracy theories, cryptids, mysteries, exploring, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, scary stories, legends, creepy history, paranormal stuff, Star Wars, marvel, anime, video games, music, dr.pepper, candy (specifically chocolate and cotton candy), witchcraft, Ninjago, Tmnt, nature, cats, foxes, rabbits, the morning dew, science, and other nerdy stuff.

I have social anxiety, autism, depression, and some PTSD

I have a pretty traumatic childhood, but I don’t remember much of it because my brain made me forget, so kudos to my brain ig

I’d be in the oracle, bard, and abomination track at hexide.

My palisman would be a cardinal (took a quiz)

And if you don’t mind, could you focus on what the characters would think of me? Please and thank you! ^^

I match you with: Edric Blight!

-He is also pretty damn sarcastic and snarky at times. He loves it when people he likes (romantically or platonicly) are also like that. He likes being able to bounce off each other.

-He is also super nervous around his crush so when y'all talk to each other before dating it's a mess (affectionate)

-You follow the rules and don't get into trouble? Lame. Nah, just joking despite his delinquent personality he actually gets along pretty well with people who follow the rules. Just look at Amity.

-He likes animals a lot! He needs his partner to be caring towards animals tbh.

-He's horrible at taking care of plants tho- He would probably ask how to take care of plants, he wants to learn.

-All the blight kids love creepy stuff. So obviously that includes him.

-He would love to hear about creepy stuff and stories. If you tell him you explore abandoned buildings. First of all your cool as fuck for doing that, second of all please take him with that sounds so interesting.

-If he's interested in any shows or games you're into he can talk to you about it for hours.

-Also I don't know why but I feel like he would sweet food and drinks. So with your taste, he is so ready to get snacks for both of you.

-Y'all have a pretty similar personality. Hunter is more sarcastic and snarky with specific people (*Cough* Amity *Cough*) tho.

-He also has a soft spot for people he has a crush on. But despite that, he doesn't really think you have a crush on him unless you tell him explicitly.

-Yeah he gets putting others' well-being above your own. But (despite him doing the exact same thing) he is like 'No stop it, please value yourself more.'

-He used to (I still kinda does) follow the rules but he does it to get noticed lmao.

-He thinks animals and plants are neat. So (even if it's just how to take care of them) he'd be very interested to learn more.

-As mentioned before he's also pretty oblivious. It's pretty painful for the rest of the hexsquad, and really everyone, to watch.

-He is really interested in the human realm. He experienced the creepier part of the demon realm (or the closest thing to creepiness there.) So he would exchange creepy facts with you from your respective realms.

-He would probably watch/read all the stuff you like. He trusts your judgment on whether a piece of media is good or not.

I hope you like this! Also, I'm sorry this took so long! And I'm so sorry I didn't really focus on what they thought idk I tried.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Georgiana Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Favorite thing about them: That she's not victim-blamed for her near-elopement with Wickham. If she didn't exist and the book had only Lydia to represent girls who are seduced by the Wickhams of the world, then it might be easier to accuse Austen of victim-blaming. But no one blames Georgiana. She was only fifteen, Wickham was a childhood friend/almost foster brother whom she trusted, and he took advantage of her trust to make her think he loved her. She's a sweet, lovely girl, she's not portrayed as flirtatious or brash like Lydia – on the contrary, she's extremely, painfully shy – and yet she was manipulated and seduced, and the blame is placed firmly on the people who did it, Wickham and Mrs. Younge. Of course it helps that she ultimately chose her family over her "romance" and confessed the elopement plan to her brother; whereas Lydia refuses to leave Wickham when Darcy offers her the chance and shows no remorse for nearly disgracing her family.

Least favorite thing about them: The fandom's views on her. I'm glad I haven't seen too much of it myself, but what @anghraine has described in some of her posts is horrible. From the fans who do victim-blame her and treat her as a "gotcha" for Darcy (i.e. "so much for his sense of superiority over the Bennets – his sister almost ruined herself just like Lydia"), to the ones who turn her sweet bond with Darcy into some toxic cliché (i.e. "she's only shy because he's an overbearing brother and she's afraid of him" – then why does she become more talkative in his presence?), to the ones who think she "needs" to learn how to be feisty and outgoing like Elizabeth, and/or who think the 2005 film improved her by making her bubbly instead of shy and awkward... They're all bad. Just like all fandom commentary about gentle and shy girls tends to be bad.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I tend to be shy.

*I'm affectionate.

*I enjoy music and art.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't have a brother.

*I'm not an orphan.

*I've never come close to eloping with anyone.

Favorite line: N/A, since she has no dialogue in the book.

brOTP: Darcy and later Elizabeth.

OTP: None yet.

nOTP: Darcy or Wickham.

Random headcanon: Besides adoring Elizabeth when they're sisters-in-law, she'll also come to love Jane as an extended family member, especially because Jane's temperament is closer to her own.

Unpopular opinion: Besides disagreeing with all the views on her I mentioned under "Least favorite thing about them"... I don't picture her as a blonde. I have nothing against illustrations or adaptations that portray her that way: you'll see below that several of my favorite pictures of her show her as a blonde. But not all ingenues need to be blonde, after all. I usually picture her with the same hair color as Darcy, which like most fans, I imagine as dark brown or black.

Song I associate with them: None.

Favorite picture of them:

The only decent color illustration I've found of her, by H.M. Brock:

This illustration by Hugh Thomson:

Emma Jacobs in the 1980 miniseries:

Emilia Fox in the 1995 miniseries:

Tamzin Merchant in the 2005 film (although that facial expression is probably one that Austen's withdrawn, serious Georgiana would never wear):

[heta-micronomics]

I've meant to fill this out for a bit, but recent life events have kept me off Tumblr for a while. But, as always, I love talking about my horribly lovely boy-creature. Here y'all go!

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?

I've wondered this for years, actually, and I believe it's the product of several factors. I honestly think of it less as "pick up" and more as "latch onto." I got into Hetalia when I was twelve and living in extremely bad conditions. There was a point when I didn't really think I'd get out. But little me saw Sealand and saw myself in him, I suppose. He was kind of everything I wanted to be--determined, free, and a wildcard. I needed somewhere to put everything I couldn't handle, and so he became my outlet. Now I mainly write adult Sealand because he's grown with me. I'm not a system, but I am high enough on the dissociative scale that I can tell there was some mental illness effects on my identification with him. There was at one point a bit of breakdown between "him" and "me," and it stuck.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?

I don't like writing (or even reading, really) kid Sealand. By that I mean the fanon era Sea where he was almost purely written as naive, annoying, etc. It's likely because my brain has conflated him so much with my younger self, but I just can't do it. I can't write him as a young child without thinking of my younger self, which....doesn't vibe at all. Also SeaLat. Nothing against it; it's just a squick of mine since Latvia tends to be a sore subject for me.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?

Aside from the obvious adult Sealand, I love writing dark and gritty content. I grew up on it, and so it's stuck with me. I enjoy exploring psychology and the depths of depravity humans can harbor. One of my favorite genres is psychological horror, so I tend to incorporate a lot of those elements. I tend to think of gore and whump as my expertise.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?

I don't even know. I almost always have several lore threads/timelines I work on concurrently, so ideas and pieces just kind of fall into place over time. A lot of them arise from music, though others come from quotes, people watching, or myself. I can't pull from one singular source because humans are by default an amalgamation of experiences. The same goes for characters!

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?

It depends on where I am. Sometimes I'll just jot down bits and pieces in my notes app as they come to me. Other times I'll actually sit down and have something playing, be it music, a true crime podcast, or video essay.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

Again, it depends on whom I'm communicating with. When I was younger, my replies were much more off the bat. I don't RP much right now because I put a lot more thought and effort into my replies. I just don't have the time nor energy to do that right now, unfortunately.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?

It's one of my favorite parts of fandom! Sadly, most of my Sealand ships are unpopular, so I can't engage much with other Hetalians. Right now I'm shifting between KugSea (my main), one-sided MolSea, and HongSea. I'm also a big fan of life partner SeySea, though not really in a romantic sense. They're fun to play with!

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?

On here, it's generally Blue. My Discord name is Apalone_sealand, so in servers people usually to call me some variation of that. One TMNT server I mod has taken to just calling me "Sealand" because they associate me with him.

ᴀɢᴇ?

Nineteen, though my health problems make me feel middle-aged. Last week I ran on knee braces, Motrin, and spite.

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?

Whatever you want it to be. I don't like sharing my birthday online--that's a good way to get hacked.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?

Blue, space age orange, baby pink, mint green, sage green, charcoal, neon yellow, magenta, steel grey, dusty lavender.... I can't pick just one!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?

It changes regularly. Right now it's "It Ends" by Eddie Haley.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

I don't watch many movies. I think it was the FNAF movie when it came out?

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

I really don't watch many shows, either. It was either Trigun Stampede or Land of the Lustrous a few weeks ago when my partner and I had a watch party.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?

I'm listening to Sabaton right now. "Fields of Verdun" just finished!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?

Anything spicy or sweet. Or a combination of the two. Also salty things. I love a good habanero mango salsa.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?

The American South isn't known for its Fall, but that period between August and November down here is glorious.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

The amazing @iced-coffeebean, who has listened to my frantic rants at length. They know more about me than I'd like to admit. Plus, they're as dedicated to Molossia as I am to Sealand, so we've had some great conversations <3

Tagged by: @bates--boy ! Thank you so much for the tag, and sorry it took a bit :3

Tagging: @iced-coffeebean , @astrophilic-soul , and @addrianastarflower

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

tagged by @garethsedwards, thank you!

Are you named after anyone? technically my middle name was chosen in honour of my great-grandmother who'd passed away a year or so before I was born, but otherwise no

When was the last time you cried? hey, for once i think it's been a while! ... probably straight up made myself cry when i went down a writing rabbit hole trying to catch up on TWTaS finally

Do you have kids? no

Do you use sarcasm a lot? yes but i'm trying to do it less, I think it can make me hard to talk to for others

What sports do you play/have played? when i was still in school i did some ballet (i was Bad at it) and modern dance and I did horse riding, specifically Western style. I was also on a swim team for a while, but nothing competitive.

What’s the first thing you notice about other people? i tend to notice people's hair a lot? also jewellery, and shoes for some reason

What’s your eye color? blue

Scary movies or happy endings? depends on the mood! i tend not to go for horror just because it doesn't usually interest me much, but I looove a scary spooky thriller type deal and will probably go for that over a happy-go-lucky movie most days.

Any special talent? i also do some decent-ish calligraphy, cherry! also I do think I'm decent to good at fibre crafts, though horribly slow. I'm a fairly good storyteller (as in, i'm bad at coming up with a thing but when given a thing i tell it well).

Where were you born? Northern Germany

What are your hobbies? picking apart any kind of narrative and seeing how the moving parts fit together - books, movies, poetry, writing stories -, fibre crafts, playing music (though I'm not great at it), bullet journalling when i can be arsed to do it, hiking once in a blue moon

Do you have any pets? We used to have cats when I lived at home, but I'm not currently able to

How tall are you? 166cm / 5'5

Favourite subject in school? loved history, loved languages, I somehow thought I hated German class even though I was good at it and it's literally everything I love doing - honestly I really liked most classes except maybe math class, geography and definitely PE. PE was a nightmare.

Dream job? so many things seem fun but i can't see myself doing them every day. Ideally, I'd like to end up as second-in-command somewhere - I don't like having to call all the shots but I want to be the person who puts out the fires and gets shit done. you know, a Josh type

anyone wants to play, consider yourselves tagged!

[queenofcoquette]

what’s the best advice u have for someone who’s trying to better their mental health ?

hi tysm for the ask!

when it comes to mental health it's pretty murky and since i'm not a professional im probably not the best at giving advice BUT i'll give my best and give tips that've helped me.

i suppose the first step is thinking what exactly do you want to better? this might sound really dumb but think- do you have issues with anxiety? obsessive behavior? emotional regulation? etc. if it's everything then thats ok too!

vent journalling. this has been big for me. when i get really anxious and horribly sad i just vent and write down all my negative thoughts. during june i was like crying everyday so i have a ton of entries from then. it's up to you if you want to throw the notes out later, i've done that too. either way just have an outlet to write down everything.

get to the bottom of it. i know sometimes you might just have a horrible feeling about everything- but try to dig deeper. if it's anxiety related write a list of the things that are making you feel anxious. if it's being generally sad then write about the things that make you feel sad. if you don't know what it is then you can write that down too!

when you know what's making you upset create an "action plan" for how you can feel better. earlier this summer i was in a major slump that was mostly stress related because i wasn't getting done what i wanted to, so i made a list and little by little did what i needed to do.

healthy habits. keeping your body healthy also helps a lot. for the past month i've been walking for about 30 minutes while listening to music. for some reason i feel so good after my walks and since i've been doing them i've felt good overall. although healthy habits can necessarily fix the problem, they can always make you feel better.

coping. this connects to the previous point, but have healthy coping mechanisms. like when i'm very angry i get work done, when i'm really sad i usually relax, and when i'm stressed i get more work done. basically have something to turn to that's healthy in order to cope.

support. i know me personally i find it really hard to vent to people or talk about how i feel, but it's still important to do. in my life i have an online friend and we both talk about how we're feeling- even when it's awful, and it feels good! if you want to vent to someone or just talk about how you feel make sure that you trust them really well, and ask them before hand if you can vent about something serious.

be mindful of your thought patterns. i know personally i tend to have such negative self talk that sends me into a spiral- so now that i'm aware that i do that and how it makes me feel, i'm able to stop myself while doing it. basically just think about what thoughts you tend to have, and when you start thinking them get yourself to stop.

counselling. the final step is counselling such as therapy. i know not everyone can get therapy, and i know i can't right now, but if you can then having a therapist can do wonders. i know people in my own life who've been absolutely transformed, and i think in the future i'll probably go to one.

wishing you the best of luck! u can do it- even now if you're feeling awful know that you are in control of some things, and you can change your situation for the better in some aspects. things are constantly changing, and i hope that you get the support you need. :)

[velvetcrowbar444]

@motherofvinegar tagged me to talk about 5 things i’m obsessed with at the moment :)))

1. playing my guitar

i’m pretty on and off with my love of playing, mostly just because my nails get too long :( but i’ve been picking it up more so recently as i realise it’s something that gives me a lot of happiness. there’s maybe three songs i actually know how to play from memory lol but i tend to just play what i’m interested in at the time. i’ve been playing lots of elliott smith and morrissey at the moment and death by a thousand cuts by taylor is super fun, also the acoustic version of lavender haze is soooo enjoyable and satisfying:)))

2. collecting more religious paraphernalia

over the past few years or so i’ve become more increasingly interested in catholicism and my love for jesus just grows every day. i’ve found that i tend to turn to religion without even trying and i know that i am so blessed and god truly does have a plan for me :’) i would love a collection of rosaries, i think they are so beautiful and i’ve been practicing praying them for a while now. i just acquired a lovely white and gold bible from my grandmother and it’s gorgeously illustrated. i would like to study it more, but i think that’s a plan for the future

3. fall out boy

god my fob obsession with never die. just seeing them playing together again and being so happy doing it makes me so so happy and i am unbelievably excited to see them in october. it really will be a dream come true :)) i’m praying for them to play xo, but i’m not sure if i could deal with hearing that song ( i would pass away instantly). i will never get tired of their music and it will always be my favourite thing in the world. i love them all so dearly and they mean so so much to me :’)

4. sharp objects

again, my love this show/book will never wane. i’m rewatching it at the moment… when really i should be writing my essay about it. oops. camille really is me fr. i can’t even put into words my thoughts and feelings about it because my love is so intense. just everything from gillian flynn’s word choice, the way she creates her narratives and the relationship between camille, amma and adora is just !!!!!!!! amma just fascinates me and i can’t help but just love her!!! evil bitches keep winning

5. learning forgiveness, acceptance and being able to move on

forgiveness is such a powerful and complicated thing, and of course there will be things that you cannot forgive. for me, it’s been going back on forgiveness that i have extended to people… when i really shouldn’t have. but i know better know!! and i’m growing as a person and i couldn’t be happier about it. learning that i’m not a bad person, my mental illnesses don’t make me a bad person. i have experienced horrible horrible things, and i deserve forgiveness, love and acceptance!!! something that had been so hard for me is being able to move away from things that do not serve me because of a fear of being abandoned. but i’m getting there and i’m trying, and that’s what matters.

@sxphiamustdie @sigmabateman no pressure!!! do it if you like :))

[villain-sympathizer]

5 for adelynn / 10 for sunny / aaaand 15 for danni!

oh man you picked a tough one for sunny cause ive never actually thought about dialogue for her before LMAO so this should be fun

also, i'll add in your last ask with this too since im insanely late with it:

----

5. What’s one hill your OC will die on (anything from a guiding moral position to a strong opinion about combining mint and chocolate)?

Adelynn is a firm, FIRM believer in the idea that Pro-Heroes should not be in advertising or campaigns. Their image shouldn't be associated with brands and products in the same way celebrities are, it just feels so scummy and cash-grabbing.

However, charity events are different, so long as the heroes don't gain any of the raised money for themselves. Because dude, if the Pro-Heroes (or the students in the future) did like, charity gaming streams? That would be hilarious. I'd kill to see Present Mic try and cook without a recipe as a charity stream.

When her Pro-Hero sister, Danni, eventually retires early (either her contract expires or she gets injured i havent decided yet lmao) she'll essentially be doing so many charity streams of random shit and gaming, with her music passion thrown in, and Addie will absolutely be making her own appearances in there as well.

10. Share a sentence of dialogue from your OC that you think represents them well.

Like I said, I've never thought about what Sunny has said before, literally I've only even thought about her actions LMAO. She's sadly the least fleshed out of the sisters.

Although, if she did, it would probably be something along the theme of saying she feels horrible for how her father treats her sisters simply because of their quirks and the fact that they're his step-daughters, and that if she could reshape his thoughts herself, she would.

15. How does your OC take up space? What do they do with their hands when they talk, or how do they sit in chairs?

Danni is an ADHD icon, bro, she is always moving in someway and rarely ever sits still. If she's still for too long that's how people know somethings wrong LMAO.

When she talks or rambles she's always moving some part of her body, be it vague gestures of her hands or pacing in place. When she's singing or performing she's always moving her body in someway if she's not playing an instrument.

It's very common to see her playing with shadows if she's super bored in private. Imagine walking into the waiting room at like, the dentist and seeing the Number 3 Pro-Hero in America making and entire miniature replica of the civil war with shadows on the carpet.

When she sits it's always in a "I'm-absolutely-not-straight" way, sitting sideways on chairs w/o arms, legs tossed over the couch arm, feet on the coffee table, etc. If she HAS to be still or professional, say in a Hero briefing or meeting, one of her legs will always be bouncing or she'll fidget with her fingers.

---

Topic: Love

For Adelynn, love comes from deep companionship, trust, and understanding. Familiar and platonic love typically hits her harder than romantic love, as romance is just a branch of friendship in her eyes. When she says she loves a romantic partner, in this instance - Tomura, her love stems from the mutual understanding and shared interests of each other before it reaches the romantic attraction, though it's definitely a part of it too.

Danni loves very easily, and it's difficult for her to really hate anyone. Dislike, absolutely, but rarely hate. She's able to make friends easily, and tends to become very attached to those that stay - likely due to her constant loneliness growing up as a sheltered kid. She says "Love you" to all her family and friends no matter what, because she does. Deeply. When it comes to romantic love, she tends to get insecure in regards to the other person's attraction to her. After a rough, verbally abusive and manipulative "relationship" with another Pro-Hero, her confidence in romance has severely plummeted. She's been called too masculine, too brash, too annoying, too muscled to be considered sexy or attractive. After starting a relationship with Nighteye, she's been very hesitant to do anything sexual because of it.

Sunny, being a senior in high school, isn't really focused on love, obviously. Sure, she's had plenty of crushes and a few partners here and there in her high school years, but she's more focused on becoming a suitable Pro-Hero like she wants to be - or rather, like her parents want her to be. Besides, once she's a Pro it's unlikely she'll have time for a relationship or starting a family. Although, after meeting a few UA boys during a heroics course trip, she's starting to subtly plan on making things work. If Danni and Addie could do it, surely she could too, right?

[badpanini]

made a supe oc, say hello to vortex!!!

really happy with how i’ve been fleshing out their character + relationships with my friends’ ocs!! if you have your own ocs for the boys universe i’d love to see em =)

(for those curious, extended info about them below)

——————————————————————————

Supe Alias: Vortex

Real Identity: Haven Flores

*latino + white, but doesn’t speak spanish; 20, they/she; not very romantic, but active with all genders (unlabeled?)

Abilities: typical increased strength, fighting skill, etc; increased dexterity/reflexes; ability to create portals- if portal closes on physical matter, it will slice. self-trained, fairly juvenile with their physical abilities, but very sneaky and skilled with portal abilities.

Ability Limitations: cannot open portals around physical matter, has to be open space. physical matter must pass through independently from outward force (including gravity). additionally, portals can only be created within a certain vicinity of the creator. portal stability and size are impacted by factors like focus, emotional + physical state, etc.

*supplemental doses of compound v will increase the vicinity of portal creation and size, but too much will make the portals more unstable and more likely to close unwillingly.

Vices: often uses powers to steal and screw around. started out as something to keep themselves afloat while living poor, but has become a habit that is sometimes impulsive and unnecessary. is not evil, but definitely morally grey and has an inflated sense of self. does not kill excessively or mercilessly, but is used to the corruption within the supe community and doesn’t question it in others. seeks to save their own hide above others, unless they are good friends. a large part of their identity is that she know LOTS of secrets, and is a well known blackmailer, or one to come to for blackmail on other people. simultaneously puts a target on their back while also protecting them. is reverent to almost none, but trusts her friends. respect from them is hard earned.

Virtues: at her core, she does wish things were different. they are content with the less than decent things they participate in now because, if they can get away with it, why not? plus, in her mind, it’s different when you have to do it to get by. although, the things the other supes do make her sick. it can be mentally taxing to keep up with all that horrible information. not to mention, it can be difficult to feel safe if people both love and hate your notoriety for having dirt on everyone. they assist the boys on occasion because she believes she would be safer if the higher threats are eliminated. (and maybe, under that jaded exterior, she holds onto the hope that supes have the capability to be what everyone believes them to be.)

Relationships: their established friendship / history with frenchie and subsequently kimiko lead them to the boys’ cause in the first place. finds hughie dorky, but likes to talk music with him. she respects mm, but doesn’t quite consider him a friend, more of an acquaintance. does not respect butcher at all. annie is not the kind of person they would usually get along with, but the two of them aren’t on hostile terms, more just are ok with each other’s existence with no big opinion. actively hates anyone who employs them and anyone who is the subject of their blackmail (which is a lot of people)- mostly other supes or corporate groups, including vought. does not choose sides with any of them because she sees the corruption everywhere and blackmails anyone no questions asked for the protection and money exclusively.

Additional Details: when not engaging in anything that will require a fight or the ability to be significantly stealthy, they tend to wear bulkier or layered outfits (more spaces to put things that they totally paid for). wears gold jewelry / metal accessories pretty exclusively. the golden hair clip she uses to put up her hair is sometimes substituted for a regular old hair tie in casual situations.

[liliallowed]

Every time I wonder the same thing, I remember this one time when I was 8 where I thought people were ignoring me on purpose because I'd say something and they wouldn't notice

...and then someone tried to explain to me in the worst way possible. Literally "I can't hear the kids bouncing basketballs and screaming but I can hear you because I'm focused on you" and I'm like "...is your hearing ok???? How can you not hear that noise? It's loud"

...my dad then proceeded to explain that "yeah, ADHD does that lol" and I was like "oh. Oki :>"

...to this day, I am confused as to how she didn't hear LITERAL CHILDREN SCREAMING AND THROWING THINGS IN THE GYM. It echos and it's loud and just-

I'm confused about that to this day

...anyway, here's my random input that's about 5% logical, probably-

I say it is ADHD because I'm only diagnosed with ADHD. If it's something else, then I have no idea I'm just going with what I've been diagnosed with for years lol

Also, congratulations on the diagnosis. Music tends to make brain work is what I've learned

thank you for sharing!

yeah I often felt extremely horrible when I was in preschool and kindergarten. the voices of people talking over each other stuck with me even when was home.

and music IS how I focus. it drowns out everything else around me so I won't get distracted. my parents think I'm just using it as an excuse to listen to music. how can you sing a song and solve math problems? idunno. I just do!

my dad tried to take away my head phone so I had to smuggle it to school everyday in secret as I studied:3 I bought a new one for myself this year that's wireless.

that music hyper focus states also makes time kinda move... slower? it's really bizarre and fun because I sometimes have these flashes of images that I see with sounds I hear and often use it as fuel for animating and story boarding as I'm multitasking on my homework.

it's a bit exhausting but most of it comes to time management.

:)