#Fashion and History: A Dialogue

[voguesplum]

Christy Turlington | Met Gala 1992 “Fashion and History: A Dialogue”

[queerbting]

rewatching nuwho and i'm rlly.... why is human nature / family of blood just racist hit after racist hit after racist hit against martha . followed by a heavy dose of classist (+ misogynistic!!!!) behavior directed against her afterwards where the humans of 1913 england treat her like a weird alien from another world (the doctor in human form included!!!).

also, why do they have the doctor a) be actively bigoted and b) fall in love with a racist nurse who specifically speaks down to martha (someone who the doctor cares for). they create this "unassuming" white woman character and then have her be awful to martha but we're supposed to believe that she is kind and sympathetic worthy of being the human doctor's love interest, more than martha being treated as a human being. (and then that we should cry over her lost love/future in the end)

like why. genuinely why. what is the point .

also objectively what function does the nurse serve that martha jones could not have. she's even a medical student like !!!!!! going undercover as a nurse would not be that far off!! and plus, i'm not even a tenmartha shipper but it would fit more for the emotional arc of martha's character to get what she wanted all season in human nature / family of blood (the doctor falling in love with her!!! wish fulfillment !!!!!! ) only to realize the cruelty of what this would be like in reality if she were never to open the watch (despite her finally having what she "wants"), and finally understanding and having to give john smith up. it could've been a really tragic, but human moment (like a lot of other things in dw!).

then 10 and martha's relationship could actually be on some sort of equal footing. bc martha had a taste of what it would be liked to be loved by him (or someone similar to him, at least), and chose in the end to let it go. it would give her emotional closure, etc. and would show her choosing the /actual/ doctor (not human) and the friendship she has with him, rather than a lifetime with a human that she fell in love with who happens to look like him.

could've been a really cool moment of both character development and then bonding between the doctor and martha afterwards in their newfound partnership, so half of martha's character is no longer swallowed up by her pining for him.

but no. instead they go and hide in racistville and martha is a servant who experiences racism/misogyny/classism and microaggressions from white people + aliens over two episodes for nearly no reason .

[ineffableidiotsbigbang]

Writing advice/resources links

floorplan + 3d of aziraphale's bookshop, + list of aziraphale's books (2020)

On using epithets

Flowchart of when to use epithets

Filter words

Writing dialogue

Punctuating dialogue

Using "said"

Varying sentence length

Guide to naming conventions in different cultures

Resources for describing physical things in great detail

Guide to adding "cool things" to AO3 posts, eg. footnotes, custom dividers

Writing chronic pain

Dialogue tips

Timeline of what foods were available when

Historical fashion references

Improving plot

Communicating time passing

When to use an apostrophe

Who vs whom

Using a semicolon

Describing characters

Gestures and body language

Reverse dictionary

Personality traits

Body language

Commonly mispelled words

Ending sentences

Show, don't tell

Punctuation grammar (another)

Etymology dictionary (often including date of first recorded use)

See when words first appeared in books

origins of idioms

Stanford model of the Roman world

Purchasing power / conversions dating back as early as 1207

YouTube channel dedicated to historical clothing

Military history/weaponry combat [youtube channel]

Medieval armour and weaponry [youtube channel]

resources on the napoleonic wars

life in the regency era

wide variety of info on victorian england

ancient egypt

medieval studies

search engine for historical maps

Youtube channel on various history things

massive resource list for historical fiction

slang timeline

historical theasaurus

developing minor characters

multiple bible translations from different eras/languages

thesauruses & similar (thank you @actual-changeling!) one two three four + grammar checker

[nsk96]

Writing Help

General Tips

The purpose of writing

Important: only you can tell your stories

Every fanfiction genre has value

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED!

Maintaining Motivation

Reasons to Keep Writing

Stretch your hands and fingers

Analyze the stories that you like

Title creation

How to comment on your favorite fics

Moodboard sources

PIRATED FAN FICS!!!

Fanfiction is legitimate (featuring Neil Gaiman)

Angst and Horror: if you can't handle it

Publishing

Writing Smut: overcoming shame

Don't toss your work

Dialogue / Writing rules

Prologue

Paragraph breaks

Sentence length matters!

Dialogue punctuation

Scene Checklist

Body Language

Descriptions between dialogue

3 dots in a sentence (Ellipsis)

Using adverbs

Using adjectives

Coming Outs

Commonly misused words & phrases

Words to Avoid

Flirting!

World Building

World building through plot holes

Using context clues

Creating land

Government

Matriarchal society

Dystopia

Descriptions

Resources for Describing Physical things

Alcoholic drinks & cocktails

KISS SCENES

Clothing references

Sewing sources (includes history of fashion)

Hair texture

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Sword / Martial arts inspo

Character Development

Character sheet

Character sheets

Character development, agency, plot

Esk*mo is a slur

Naming characters

Naming characters in other cultures

Emotional intelligence

Human body limits

Making threats and the third option

Bartenders

Children

Kids

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Russian names

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Blind or Visually Impaired

Morally grey

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Liars

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Healthy Relationship

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Redemption arc vs forgiveness

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Prompt masterlist

Another prompt masterlist

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Best friends to lovers

Mob Boss

Prophecy of lost child

Super power of truth

Enemies to lovers

Enemies to lovers: Reasons to hate

Enemies to lovers: Getting together

Enemies to lovers Prompts!

Enemies to lovers: Fake dating

Past-life Enemies to lovers

Late-night wandering

Compliments

Touch-starved

Romance/physical intimacy prompts

Romance: little acts of love

Smut

Reputation

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More sources

Masterlist: body language, words, translator

Masterlist: prompts, LGBTQ+, NSFW Advice

Meme: fanfiction problems

Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Bechdel Test

Part 2 ->

[absolutebl]

Favorite first kiss?

Favorite First Kisses!

Doozie of a question. Here we go...

1 Until We Meet Again

I mean COME on. How could this not be the #1 best first kiss? It's so gentle and so good and so hot and just... EVERYTHING a first kiss should be in life. A++ romantic

2 Old Fashion Cupcake

THE LONG SHOT. The desperation. The finger bite. The oozing THIRST. A++ quality desire incarnate

3 Why R U? Korea

Korea, scooping in a top spot? It's just the body language, the striding in, dropping the backpack, the surprised MUTUAL response (no flinching), and all the yearning. A++ want

(Foreshadow: This may... or may not... be my top kiss of 2023.)

4 Bad Buddy

Seriously boys, BOYS! You had to make it so beautiful and so painfully heartbreaking at the same time? Thanks for that. A++ pain

(They may have a light kiss before this one, I can't remember. I keep meaning to do a BB rewatch but I have to gear up for it.)

5 Semantic Error

I mean, well, OBVIOUSLY. Just A++ they perfect, no notes

6 Second Chance

I am pretty sure this one got best kiss of 2021. All you KinnPorche stans are sleeping on this little gem = Tong delivering what amounts to BLs best drunk kiss ever. FIGHT ME. A++ confused needy babies

7 About Youth

Speaking of sweet af first kisses from first timers. This one drips in sweet innocence including a rainbow and some smiles. A++ first sweethearts

8 HIStory 2 Crossing the Line

Okay the actors kiss for a dream sequence before this but this is the characters' first kiss, so that kinda counts, right? It's just such a pretty kiss. A++ stay on target, stay on theme, utterly unique

9 My Dear Gangster Oppa

Ya know this show is just so much fun and so solid and this pair deserves more accolades then their previous series afforded them. A++ finally, well done you

10 I Feel You Linger in the Air

Okay it's just all the dialogue and execution around this kiss is great and then the kiss ALSO doesn't disappoint. Plus permission and snark and so much more. A+++ class & storytelling

Also, whaan (sweet) is a really good word to have seared into one's brain in Thailand. Useful when ordering drinks.

Okay they kinda kissed before but this is the one that counts:

I didn't know how else to put this category but I had to include it so I could include this kiss:

We Best Love

The crying bridge-top kiss. I mean COME ON. One of my favorite kisses of all time. I love it when the weep+smooch.

La Pluie

Honestly? All their kisses are good so I can't remember if this was their first but, it great. Frankly, off all their kisses it's not my absolute favorite, but they deserve a mention because... wow boys. Just... wow.

The Eclipse

Because of their dynamic I am pretty sure there was something before this one, but this one lives in my head.

Be Loved In House I Do

I'm not sure this counts as their first because I can't remember the sequence in BLIHID (he through line is a bit wonky in my brain) but it is a killer kiss.

There should be more Taiwan but...

The thing is, once a Taiwanese BL starts delivering great kisses they just keep it up. So unless the narrative puts particularly strong plot intent on the "firstness" of that first kiss, they just get all sexy domestic muddled in my head.

Honor the Crumbs - Sides & Shorts, Best First Kisses

Some More

"You can kiss me, heong."

2 Moons 2 - MingKit

It's just such a sweetly perfect first kiss of the very first time variety. Before About Youth, we had these two.

Cutie Pie - NueaSin

Kissing the kiss that won them their own series. No other audition needed. In the land of amazing kisses, and up against Zee, this ONE stood way out. Very good boys. Very good indeed.

kiss x kiss x kiss - perfect scandal (AKA the office ep)

Look, this is the kiss we should have gotten in Cherry Magic. It's great, both the hesitant "permission given" first part and everything that comes next. Track this down if you can, it's a lovely little short from Japan.

My Secret Love - TimMai

Very minor side dishes but they were all I cared about in this show. They gave me the kiss I wanted even if they didn't get the screen time the deserved.

You're My Sky - SanAi

We all know they stole this show, not that there was much to steal.

Kiss Me Again - PeteKao

Maybe not the best as a kiss, but it was 2016 and this was SO SIGNIFICANT to the fandom, to the plot of the show, to coming out, to EVERYTHING. This is THE TayNew kiss. I will never forget it. Never.

I don't have a good screen cap but MarkOuwen's kiss in the taxi in Love is Science? was also fantastic.

(source)

Kisses as of Dec 2023. Not responsible for great first kisses that come after this date.

Opinion and preferences based on these ideas of good kiss chemistry.

I want you thoughts, RT and add your favorites or leave a comment. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

MORE?

[zindagi-se-darte-ho]

Interesting Topics to Research On for Bored AF People (desi version)

The Bengal Sultanate

Dominance of taka in Silk Route Trade

Tibetan Buddhism

Chamba Rumal

Pashupati Seal

Zeb-un-nissa Begum

Rasa theory of Natyashastra

Gargi-Yajnavalkya Dialogue

Saraswati (River and Goddess)

Rudraveena

Atman-Brahman Relation and Mahavakyas

70's Bollywood fashion

Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma

Dhrupad

History of Chai/Cha

Mother Goddess Mohenjo Daro

Chanakya

Prakrit Language

Baro-Bhuiyan

Chicankari

Brajabuli

Tantra

Shipton–Tilman Nanda Devi expeditions

Banaras

Annamalaiyar Temple

Chola Dynasty

Pala Empire

Terracotta Temples of Bengal

[carionto]

Accurate Reenactments Based On Facts

Most cultures across the Galaxy do their utmost to preserve and remember their history, both the great achievements, and the terrible mistakes. Humans go a few dozen steps further.

They introduced us to a concept called "Historical reenactments" - accurate recreations of the situations and conditions of ancient events, usually battles, played out with prop equipment by real people. They also said they sometimes do these just for fun and don't care about being 100% accurate.

This particular reenactment was of a battle called Thermopylae. Using numerous historical records, they recreated the location, printed slightly lighter versions of the armor (well, helmets only for some) they wore, and dull weapons with embedded stun shockers that would create a kinetic "bump" upon contact to prevent actual injury by pushing the person back instead.

Once everyone was geared up the atmosphere changed, both visually as the holographic projectors did their thing, and from the Humans themselves - their demeanor became that of... wilderness. Ferocity. Deadly focus. It was quite fear inducing even from afar.

Then the defenders in red, the "Spartans", created a sort of spiky dome with their shields and spears. Then the attackers in blue, the "Persians" unleashed a terrifying volley of arrows, the sky hologram went darker, then a bright beam of light shone upon the defenders as they swept off arrows stuck to their shields in dramatic fashion before proceeding to charge towards their assaulting foes.

We noticed the "Spartans" were all much larger than the "Persians", and actually were equipped with subtle and very modern exoskeletons. Perplexed by this we asked if these Spartans had a very particular technological advantage for their time:

"Well, not as far as we can tell, but based on the materials we have, Spartans were, like, really buff and super strong compared to the average person of the time. Plus, according to the feats of strength they supposedly displayed, we suspect they became an extinct branch of Humanity at some point, so the exoskeletons are there to mimic what we think they were like. Anyway, look, this is the coolest part."

As they spoke, the artificial gravity was lowered slightly and there was a spike in the power output from the exoskeleton equipped Spartans. Now they were flinging the approaching Persians dozens of feet into the air, a single bare-chested man kicked three of them at once backwards at a whole group, knocking the wind out of them.

This sort of extreme violence continued for several minutes.

Suddenly, an incredibly large Persian man on a throne was carried to what was effectively the center stage. Him and a heavily bearded Spartan exchanged a dramatic dialogue, the Spartan threw his spear at the Persian, who dodged it with a single turn of his head, then proceeded to summon a massive horde of small Persians who quickly began to overrun the Spartans.

There were bodies and shields and spears and pieces of armor flying everywhere, but gradually all the red became engulfed by the blue, and only one remaining Spartan managed to wriggle his way out of the carnage and make a run for it back to their city in the distance.

Seemingly satisfied after plucking out the bearded Spartan from the pile, the giant Persian roared in triumph and this is when the reenactment ended and everyone gathered for a feast.

So this is how ancient Human Battles went, huh.

"Well, not all of them. Usually it's between more equal forces in large open fields, or prolonged sieges, which can be a bit boring to recreate.

You should come back next month, we'll be doing an old naval battle between the British Empire and Independent Pirates Lords. It ends with a really sweet whirlpool showdown. Man, what are the odds of that happening, eh?"

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Deleted/altered Monsterverse scenes in Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett

Kong: Skull Island

There's a longer opening sequence, with Marlowe discovering Gunpei's camp instead of them both crashing at around the same time.

Conrad stows away on the expedition instead of being hired as a tracker

Weaver and Conrad meet at a Philadelphia train station (no clue what the context was).

Kong swings around a helicopter while the gunner is still firing and the bullets hit another helicopter, which I think is the closest he's ever come to using a gun.

Packard's group watches Kong fight the Mire Squid instead of Chapman.

Very different take on the Iwi village, with smaller lost ships/planes incorporated into the architecture.

The big one: Conrad flashes back to an encounter with King Ghidorah in Vietnam. The three-headed monster's silhouette is basically just the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah version, but he has at least five prehensile tails he uses to snatch up soldiers.

Conrad and Weaver are tied to a tree during the napalm plot against Kong. Another character sets them free and they go wild on a few soldiers, with Weaver hitting one on the head with a rock. The Skull Devil emerges in a separate scene.

Kong uses a plane wing as a weapon in the final fight.

The Skull Devil has a grappling tail similar to that of Otachi in Pacific Rim.

The Iwi fight Conrad's group (I think) as the Gray Fox is lowered down a waterfall with a pulley system and something ambushes Kong in the background. This one was especially hard to make any sense of without dialogue.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Jonah spies on Emma and Madison as they drive to Mothra's temple.

The video montage in the Senate hearing is done via hologram. A mushroom cloud is displayed while Serizawa argues with a senator.

Mark bows to a wolf that approaches him in a nice bit of foreshadowing.

Mothra arrives in Boston alongside Godzilla instead of turning up later.

Godzilla vs. Kong

In an alternate opening, the Iwi retell the history between Godzilla and Kong's species using highly-elaborate puppets. There's a horned character loaded with weapons who briefly traps Godzilla in a cage and transforms into a Rodan-like figure. An ancient mecha?

Text mentions that "the Pensacola/Florida Godzilla attack scene was going to be much longer, involving a mall stampede.

A massive explosion takes place on Skull Island (I believe coming from the Vile Vortex there).

Jia is first shown signing with Kong just before the fleet engages Godzilla.

In true kaiju kid fashion, Jia messes with the controls of the ship to set Kong loose.

Nathan discovers his brother's crash site in the Hollow Earth and gets into a fight with several guards. This scene was definitely filmed.

Bernie was at one point a woman (drawn with ultra-short hair, although in general the human characters in these storyboards bear little resemblance to their screen counterparts).

Kong finds a skeleton of another member of his species sitting on the throne. He breaks off the skull, stares at it, and throws it aside.

Group troops engage Godzilla and Kong during their Hong Kong fight; neither even notices.

Mechagodzilla coils into a semi-sphere to deflect Godzilla's atomic breath.

Echoing his fight with Kong, Godzilla tries to outrun Mechagodzilla's Proton Scream through the streets of Hong Kong.

[yanderederee]

MurderMystery

「探偵 場地！」

April29th, 2004

a/n: I felt inspired to rewrite this in a fun drabble idea♡ I was sad the opportunity was only given a five page spread, so I took matters into tutor!reader’s hands:)

shoutout to @tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang for kindly helping me locating the bonus chapter link, so I may refresh myself on all the specifics regarding the deduction quiz (spoiler; the only clue pointed out is the ‘murder tool’/pill bottle.)

before! › here! › after!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✦

*i am not a medical professional; all drug/medications/ailments are either made up or should not be looked into as truth!

To say the least , you were ecstatic when Ryusei recruited you for this role.

Based on how Chifuyu and he had explained it to you, Baji was actually excited to try solving a detective case of his own.

They had even already dragged the ever so willing Mitarai into this plan as well.

You and Mitarai were friends. The both of you were very good in academics, and keeping patience with the overzealous boys in front of you.

The two of you huddled together that same day, whispering to eachother different plans and hints to lay around as clues.

“So, who is the killer?” You asked the genuine poindexter.

You could tell he was flustered by your closeness. You didn’t mind though, nerds were cute.

Mitarai looked over your compiled notes in critical fashion. Collaborating back and forth on the matter, you truly felt like the case would be a hit.

After about a half hour of planning, giggling, and whispering to one another, you could feel a heavy presence looked over your back. Automatically breaking out into a smile, you threw your hands across the desk to hide all evidence.

“What’re you doing?” Baji asked, flat. It was a simple question, yet the dark glint of jealousy glared obvious.

You could tell Baji was addressing how close you had been getting to Mitarai, but you thought jealous boys were cuter; better to play coy.

“Creating an awesome case,” you admitted, pulling all the papers that littered your desk into one big pile, to which you organized out of his view. “I’m actually really excited to come up with this!”

Mitarai made an attempt in hopping into the conversation. “Y/n is quite good at this! She had written a sequence of events in only a matter of seconds. Though, I admit her knowledge in…. ‘forensics’ is a little unnerving.” he murmured.

You shrugged with pride, putting the papers into a manila folder, and into your bag.

“I’ll have the materials for the operation by tomorrow. I’m gonna go consult with the victim of this case~”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✦

You bend down, checking for any sign of life. Your blood ran cold. “Detective, he…. He’s dead.” You announce to the room. Baji bends down, patting your arm so to dismiss you from the corpse. “This bottle looks suspicious…” he murmured seriously.

Chifuyu grinned wide at you and Mitarashi, giving a subtle thumbs up. You chose to remain in character, following the scripted dialogue you wrote and handed out yesterday (that everyone barely mesmerized in time).

Normally, Baji would love to solve this kind of thing on his own. But you knew better than anyone, that without direction, Baji would soon become irritable and fume with frustration. He just needed to notice the clues, without telling him he found a clue. Make it seem like he figured it out himself.

“Here is Sora Ijuuin’s file,” you handed Baji a small packet of paper, containing a profile shot of Chuu, some blurbs of false medical history, and reposts given by neighbors on the events leading up to the victim’s demise. “Please look over it carefully..”

“Thank you assistant.” He acknowledged shortly. Looking over the file, it took him a few minutes, but eventually he stood in haste.

Ijuuin Sora, date of birth: 03/07/1980, blood type: B, marital status: married.

- Statement given by Neighbor [1]: “That voice of his [Sora Ijuuin] sure does carry! Just three days ago, I could hear him fighting with someone clear down the street!”

- Statement given by Neighbor [3]: “Well , there has been a suspicious looking fellow visiting that house for the past month. He visits perhaps once a week. White hair, and dark skin. Suspicious!”

“Seems Chu had a few visitors before he bit it.” Baji said suspiciously. “Satou Ryusei, what business did you have with the victim three days ago?”

Baji thought he looked so cool, keeping his glare focused on the taller boy in the room.

Excellent. First step, make Baji suspect and snuff out all clues from innocent yet suspicious figures in the room.

Ryusei played it cool, a poker face striping him of all laughing matters. “Sora and I were colleagues. We had been collaborating on a project for about a month now. I came by to discuss these matters three days ago.”

“Sound reason. You say you were simply discussing, but neighbor complains state they heard loud arguing. You two must have had a disagreement.”

Baji’s cool demeanor slowly began showing more confidence as he made his case.

“We’re both particularly passionate fellows,” Ryusei suppressed a giggle. He may have thought your script was a little over the top. “We disagreed often. But our altercations were never very loud. We always came to sound conclusions.”

“And was that conclusion murder?” Baji asked accusatively.

“I would never!”

Baji hummed. Blaming Ryusei seemed too easy. And if he learned anything from his detective shows, never go with your first guess. So, eyeing the file again he read;

- Statement given by Neighbor [3]: “…his [Sora Ijuuin] wife and I only spoke on occasion. She told me they had been dating since high school. They had gotten together thanks to a mutual friend. […] Arguments with his wife have been consistent over the years, but for the last 6 months, they have been non-stop! They become progressively louder as days pass.”

- Statement given by Acquaintance [1]: “Sora? Yeah, he and some four eyes were friends back in high school. Though, he always seemed to have a thing for his girlfriend at the time. Guess they’re still friends, saw them hanging out recently. I heard four eyes became a doctor. Good for him.”

- Statement given by Neighbor [2]: “I’ve heard rumors about resident of that house becoming recently ill! A friend of his, I presume, has been visiting often to oversee his health. I hope he’s well?”

Based on this statement repost, Baji soon began concluding that it was perhaps Chu’s “wife” may be the murderer. However, reading further, he realized this to be impossible.

- […] After a particularly heated argument, {assumedly being the disagreement of Three Days ago}, eye witness repost conclude Wife had gone to stay with her mother three days ago.

Chifuyu caught your waiting gaze, and understood the subtle nod in his direction. Playing into the role, Chifuyu settled closer to the crime scene, eying the pill bottle.

“Cause of death, overdose? But with what? … Medication? Was Mr Sora ill?”

“My colleague often complained about suffering from unexplained migraines and severe nose bleeds. I recall him mentioning these symptoms began about three months ago.”

“He met quite frequently with his at home physician to determine a diagnosis.”

“Were the physician and victim on good terms?”

“Yes. In fact, neighbor reposts state they originally thought him an old familiar friend of the victim, with how often and friendly their visits.”

“Ah! Ijuuin and I have been friends for some years now, even before he requested I oversee his declining health.” Mitarai spoke up confidently.

A shock to everyone in the room, everyone stood silent. Baji’s judgemental gaze looked over the self proclaimed physician up and down, thinking of anyway to blame him.

Dense as he was, he nodded. “A nobel friend always sticks by his friend’s side. My condolences, doctor.” Baji turned, thinking to other matters at hand.

No!! Everyone internally yelled.

Mitarashi was practically trying to be blamed, at this point!! But Baji wasn’t taking the bait.

No matter, you sighed silently, planning your second hint.

“Looks like the only evidence useful to us is this pill bottle.” Baji interjected.

You handed Baji a plastic glove, insisting he wear it before touching any evidence. After doing so, he observed the bottle.

It was medicine, plain and simple. Without even so much as a label on the bottle, it was impossible to identify further than that.

“Detective,” Chifuyu whispered to Baji, just as you described he should do in the script. “I recognize the look of this pill. Its purpose is to increase blood flow, mostly aimed for anemic patients. It doesn’t match the name of the medicine typed on the pill bottle.”

Unfortunately, Baji had no idea what the fuck ‘an anemia’ even was.

“Doctor, if you could please elaborate, what diagnosis came of your time spent together?” You asked Mitarashi. He nodded in response.

“Ijuuin described having severe nosebleeds, following his migraines. I concluded he suffered textbook side effects of overexertion.”

A medication meant to increase blood flow for a patient with frequent nose bleeds? Baji finally started putting the clues together.

“Were you the one to prescribe this medicine, doctor?” Baji asked Mitarai.

Aha!!

Mitarashi purposely showed signs of nervousness. “Y-yes! That medicine is one that regulates migraines. I-it even says it on the bottle!”

Baji smirked, dropping the bottle into a plastic, held open by Chifuyu. “We’ll see what the forensic’s team has to say about that.”

Mitarai became anxious at the mention, but chose to keep quiet. Baji hadn’t earned a confession out of him yet.

Baji really had to think now. He had evidence, but no motive. What motive would a physician have to kill his own patient? One he seemed fond of, even.

The room grew quiet, and frustration was eating up Baji’s neck. How could he get the guy to confess?

And unfortunately for Mitarashi, when Detective Baji began to feel frustrated, he had a hard time putting a cap on his emotions. In fact, he physically couldn’t.

So of course, he resorted to intimidation.

“Speakin’ of forensics, back there, I noticed there’s a pill that’s been crushed up. Almost like it was stepped on. Saaay, doc, how bout I see the underside of those shoes, huh?” Baji grinned ear to ear, eyes creasing in one-sided victory.

Mitarai gasped, red faced and shaking. It was hard to tell if it was because he was in character, or genuinely scared of Baji’s terrifying aura.

“P-please sir! Spare me!” He yelled, backing up against the door quickly, showing the underside of only one of his shoes. “There’s nothing! See! Nothing!”

Baji shook his head, and in one quick motion, bent Mitarai’s standing knee. Unable to balance himself in time, the four-eyes fell to the floor with a scream. “Well what’da ya know? What’s this blue powder here? Think we’re gonna need to send this over too, Detective Matsuno.” He chuckled.

Surely this was enough to earn his confession.

“F-fine! I swapped the medication! I’ve been giving him medicine to make him sicker and sicker f-for the last five months… but-but! … I had to!” Mitarai crocked, crocodile tears falling down his face.

Damn, Mitarai sure knew how to act!! Who would have guessed…

“Well, spit it out.” Baji hurried.

Mitarai took a few deep breaths, increasing the reveals dramatic timing. “He made Hanako cry… I’ve… loved Hanako ever since I met her, you see!” Mitarashi looked away bashfully.

“Who’s Hanako? From the Toilet?”

“That’s the name of the victims’s wife. It’s on file.”

“…oh…”

“You’ve been friends with Mr Sora since high school?” You asked the clarifying question, which finally clicked in Baji’s mind.

“Yes! She always had eyes for the obnoxious types though… so, I waited… And just as I suspected, he began to mistreat her, all over petty misunderstandings and other stupid, meaningless things! They were fighting so often, Hanako finally reached out to me to ask for advise….

“I told her to give it time. I just needed a little time… make him sick, until he died of natural causes! Than she’d finally be free! So you see, it was out of love! And it worked!” Mitarai laughed, still hysterically crying. “He’s gone now, Hanako. She can be happy now, right detective?”

Baji’s face was cold at Mitarashi’s performance.

“That’s why?” He asked. “All over a girl? Seriously?” He clicked his tongue.

You frowned at his disgust.

“What a lame reason. Whatever, we got what we came here for. Matsuno, cuff this freak.”

And just as quickly, Baji’s victory became evident with such a wide grin. “Haha! I’m a genius! Bet ya didn’t think I’d notice that stepped on pill over there did ya?” He said in your face.

You laughed in unison, and rose your hand up to give him a big high five. “I’ll admit, I was wondering how long it would take you to notice, but I had faith in you, Detective!~”

The lot of you all cheered for Baji, making his ego soar all the more. But just as you thought to stop, that adorable toothy grin of his made you swoon all over again.

While he and Chu were laughing together, Ryusei took notice of your adoring stare, and melancholy smile. “You like him, don’t you?” He asked so very quietly. As much as you could act embarrassed and deny him, you knew it would be in vain. Ryusei knew. Your smile became more flatlined.

“I do… it’s one-sided, I know… but I’m happy where I am, for now.”

Ryusei watched as you tore your gaze away, distracting yourself with cleaning up the rest of the murder scene. Out of earshot, Ryusei chuckled. “One sided, huh… Can’t say I’m so sure of that.”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✦

Finally, after it was all said and done, the lot of you found yourselves shoved close into a booth at a local family diner. It was cheap and close by, but deserving enough for Detective Baji’s victory on his latest case.

“Still! That cheesy alibi was so over the top. Seriously, which one of you even came up with that crap?” Baji mulled over his drink, glaring at how closely sat you and Mitarai were sitting. You rolled your eyes. “Yeah yeah, just let it go already.”

“Mitarashi! Your acting was so good back there though, I almost thought you were really crying!” Chifuyu praised the four eyes beside him. “Thank you! I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off at first.”

Still dressed in the costumes stolenborrowed from the Drama Club, you all looked quite dashing and out of place in this family diner. But not a one of you seemed to care. Everyone was in high spirits.

Baji would occasionally bring up how ‘killing someone for a girl you like is so lame.’ And sure, he was right. It just made you all the more embarrassed that you were the one to come up with the dramatic idea. But that was the idea! Detective shows were dramas!

As everyone threw in their last praises and thoughts on the case, the natural urge to pee made itself known to you. Quickly excusing yourself, you shimmied yourself out from the booth. It hadn’t even been a few minutes before you were relieved and headed back for the table.

On your way to do so, some high school delinquent who clearly wasn’t paying attention to how much of the narrow walkway he was taking up, ended up smacking right dab into your shoulder. It wasn’t enough to make you fall backwards, but enough to lose your balance. What an asshole!

Yet, when you glared up for your rightfully owed apology, the high schooler kept walking. Baffled, you pursed your lips into a thin line. It probably wouldn’t do you any good to go after him. But that was way too rude!

Unbeknownst to you, the whole scene became a spectacle for your delinquent friend group. And they were Not having it. Most of all, Baji Keisuke. He practically hopped over the table to get out from the booth quicker— rather than waiting for whoever was on the outside to make way.

“Oi, asshole.” Baji seethed through his teeth. It was quiet, enough to not draw attention from everyone in the restaurant, at least. “Apologize, or we’re takin’ this outside.” He’d since grabbed the collar of the offending jerk.

The high schooler chuckled, not taking Baji all that seriously. “Yeah right, get lost pipsqueak.” He went to push Baji, who was a solid few inches shorter than him. Unfortunately, Baji took this personally.

Baji laughed at the audacity of this jerk, grabbing his arm hard, and twisting it behind his back. He wasn’t trying to cause a scene, but there he was, causing a scene.

You aught to stop him, but nothing you’d say would do you any good. “Stay here, this won’t take more than five minutes.” Baji had told you.

It didn’t take long for Baji to walk the punk outside of the family diner, around the front and into a less populated street.

Ryusei gave a shrug, and offered you a seat. “Leave him be, that’s just how he is.”

Chifuyu was tempted to follow his squad leader, but decided against it after seeing how anxious the whole situation was making you. “Maybe we should leave…” you mumbled. “No way, we just ordered while you were gone!” Ryusei patted your shoulder. Mitarashi was also a little unsettled, but tried not to show it.

“If anything, you should be glad Keisuke’s actually showing this much restraint. Normally. He’d have pummeled the poor guy in front of everyone and got us kicked out.” Ryusei sighed, as though that same scenario had just happened recently.

Just as Baji promised, he was back at the table in less than 5 minutes. “‘I miss anything?” He asked, a proud wide toothy smirk painting his features.

That proud look really suited him. Stop, why were you thinking about how cute he was at a time like this? Did you seriously find delinquency that attractive? Your heart felt like it’d beat out of your chest.

“Still think it’s one-sided?~” Ryusei whispered in your ear with a shit eating grin.

Your face went beat red.

“Hey, what’d I say about personal space asshole?” Baji cursed at his friend before pushing him hard.

“Sorry sorry~”

…♡

[visit-new-york]

Chrysler Building. A World of Art

Global Recognition: The Chrysler Building's fame extends well beyond New York City, earning it recognition and admiration on a global scale.

Architectural Dialogue: Architects and designers worldwide engage in a continuous dialogue with the Chrysler Building's design, drawing inspiration from its aesthetic richness.

Symbolic Birds: The majestic eagle gargoyles perched high on the Chrysler Building's crown, with wings outstretched, represent freedom and aspiration, a symbolic presence in the New York City skyline.

Futuristic Elements: The Art Deco design elements incorporated into the Chrysler Building were seen as futuristic during their time, reflecting the optimism and progress of the early 20th century.

Architectural Innovation: The Chrysler Building's setbacks and terraced crown represent a departure from traditional skyscraper design, embodying the spirit of innovation that defined the era.

Chrysler Building. Literary Legacy

Novel Inspirations: The Chrysler Building has often served as a backdrop in novels, becoming an integral part of the narratives and symbolizing the essence of New York City.

Film Fame: Its distinctive appearance has made the Chrysler Building a sought-after location for film and television productions, solidifying its role as an icon of popular culture.

Influential Design: The influence of the Chrysler Building's Art Deco style can be seen in the design of numerous buildings worldwide, showing its enduring impact on architecture.

Fashion Statements: Art Deco, epitomized by the Chrysler Building, has left an indelible mark on fashion, with its geometric patterns and sleek lines inspiring clothing and accessories.

Cultural Beacon: Beyond its architectural marvel, the Chrysler Building is a beacon of innovation, aspiration, and creativity that embodies the spirit of New York City's enduring cultural significance.

Chrysler Building. Preserving History

Ongoing Care: Diligent preservationists continue to protect the Chrysler Building's exquisite details and structural integrity, ensuring its heritage remains intact.

Art Deco Resurgence: The resurgence of interest in Art Deco design has brought renewed attention to the Chrysler Building's architectural significance, prompting preservation efforts.

Sustainability Commitment: Modernization initiatives have also included sustainability efforts, enhancing the building's energy efficiency and environmental impact.

Accessible Beauty: While primarily a commercial office building, the Chrysler Building's lobby remains accessible to the public, offering a glimpse into its Art Deco grandeur.

A Living Heritage: The Chrysler Building's legacy is not static but continues to evolve, adapting to changing needs while preserving the timeless essence of its design.

Chrysler Building. A Guiding Light

Beacon of Hope: The illuminated crown of the Chrysler Building stands as a symbol of hope and unity, often bathed in special colors to commemorate significant events or causes.

Cultural Connection: Its presence in the New York City skyline creates a cultural connection, a shared symbol that binds residents and visitors in a collective appreciation.

Historical Resilience: The Chrysler Building has weathered the tests of time, remaining steadfast through historical events and shifts in cultural preferences.

Artistic Expression: Countless artists have paid homage to the Chrysler Building in various forms of art, capturing its beauty and significance across generations.

Promise of Tomorrow: As the sun sets behind the Chrysler Building, its illuminated crown serves as a guiding light, reminding us that even in challenging times, a brighter future awaits on the horizon.

The Chrysler Building, with its enduring elegance and architectural marvel, continues to ignite the imagination and inspire. Its legacy transcends its steel and concrete structure, serving as a testament to human creativity, determination, and the indomitable spirit of New York City. In its gleaming spire and Art Deco opulence, we discover not just a building but a symbol of aspiration, a beacon of possibility, and a tribute to the heights that can be achieved through visionary ambition and unwavering dedication.

Previous page Chrysler Building Next page

[rottenprincessshura100]

Chapter 146: Recap and notes

Finally Shura gets some new material to work with.

And it could be...delicious?

We start off with Lightning telling all team groups to limit communication and that the focus will be on Team A and B.

We have Rin, Yukio, Shura and Osceola working together. They turn up at the edge of the gate leading to Satan's heart. (not unlike the black gates to Mordor).

We notice that Osceola has a "snack" in his pocket. And it consists of Hellbane mushrooms and other "spices."

Now, when you look up hellbane mushrooms it has an interesting history. It was a powerful drug that was commonly used by viking berserkers to get into the fighting spirit. That spirit being that of a ferocious barbaric animal, using rage to fuel them. If Osceola eats that, he could become even more badass. One of the symptoms of the hellbane mushrooms is apparent howling. Lightning alludes to this, and warns Osceola not to use his "war cry".

Aka, his secret mushroom snack. From Osceola's little smile, we get the idea that he's totally going to use it. Lightning knows he'll use it too.

Now back to the gate:

There doesn't seem to be any B'aal waiting for the exorcists, but they soon finds themselves under attack by another group of high-powered demons that are Kin of Ibis. Amon and Asmodeus. Amon, is a powerful god from Egypt and Asmodeus the demon of lust.

These characters are interesting too, Kato takes a moment to give them some dialogue and development. Amon reminds me of Egyptian fashion Ken Mephisto. It's the hair for me, the thin physique and the extra bling.

Then we get Asmodeus.

Lust is a pervert. He's too busy being "iPhone guy" watching porn on his device to help in the battle.

Amon berats him for being a pervert. We find out where's he's been for all of these years. He was strung up by Ibis for peeping in on her bath.

Lust's character design is interesting as well, he looks like an attractive business man or banker? Perhaps, a archetype of what the ideal mate would look like. (But the truth hurts in this case, because naturally, the guy is a total prick. He represents what he thinks you want, only in reality he's shallow and basic.)

In juxtaposition, meanwhile, we have Osceola, who is just an awesome warrior and all around sweet-hearted guy in an enormous and ferocious body. From all accounts he's a non-judgemental mentor to other exorcists of his crew, which is why he was so good raising Lightning.

He takes an immediate interest in Rin and his knowledge of food.

He also attempts to mentor Shura. Despite all of her ability, and accomplishments she still doubts herself. But Osceola, gives her confidence. Telling Shura that her sword isn't an old relic but a fine sword forged by years of enduring extreme cold. He was trying to impart some hidden wisdom to guide her.

The sword and Shura are the same. Both are forged by years of coldness, but those trials have only made them stronger.

Speaking of strong, Amon was clearly no match for Osceola, and it's true what they say, that the power of the arc knights rival that of the B'aal.

Shura is no slouch either, yet her sword only has seven more slashes in it until it runs out of power. Her first move created a wall of ice to protect the other exorcists, namely team B which is Rin and Yukio.

After Team B is through, Shura gets knocked down and winded. Rin wants to stay behind and help Shura, but of course, Yukio focuses on the mission. It's probably wise, she's doing what's needed to get the mission to succeed. They don't have time to waste. But Yukio bugs me, he can't admit his feelings to anyone, even in Amori when he helps save Shura...he still refers to her as a mission. He needs a good swift kick in the ass.

Once the boys are gone, Shura is left to fight a new opponent.

Lust.

Now, what is Lust really like? Is he going to try and seduce her?

Most likely.

And my god...those hands...that's got my mind wandering. Imagine what he could do with those. But will he be a good lover?

Nah.

The guy has a porn addiction, that'll teach him nothing about female pleasure. (He most likely bangs like a hammer that consistently misses the nail. )

And let's be honest, Shura's going to clean the floor with this dude. And it's a nice metaphor for Shura's final transition into a confident woman. A woman that's comfortable in her own skin and confident in herself. Shura hasn't been able to own her sexuality, or even explore it. Sex meant her death.

Her entire existence was for the sexual gratification of a demon, achieved through the sexual gratification of a guy. A guy that would get her pregnant. Then she would die before her youthful beauty faded. She was like a carton of expired milk, not a human being with feelings, wants, dreams and talents.

Shura not only will battle the demon, but the personification of her forced hypersexuality as the manga's token object of desire for horny teenaged boys. Kato gave her character some poetic justice here.

I think it's funny, too that Lust has a snake for a tail. Snakes are symbolic of temptation, but I'm sure Shura can't be tempted. That's why she's such a pain in the ass for Mephisto, the B'aal of Temptation.

Another aside, Hachiro her former overlord was a big demonic Hydra and she took him out. This guy and his little snake won't be much of a fight. Shura's a snake charmer, a snake killer.

So, the question I have. Will Asmodeus be tamed by Shura and become the new demon in her sword?

Wouldn't that be fun?

[petermorwood]

I'm curious about the eating pick, how would you compare using it to using a fork?

It's a lot more fiddly - stab not scoop - and having used both a pick and a two-tine fork it surprises me that the three-tine fork with less space for things to fall through (or maybe even something like a modern spork) wasn't an immediate next step, rather than taking more than a century to arrive and then, AFAIK, only for fruit.

Medieval food was mostly eaten with knife-spoon-fingers, and the pick (again AFAIK) was used more like a carving-fork, to hold large pieces in place so they could be cut to spoon- or finger-size, than to convey those pieces to the mouth.

The well-researched "Wolf Hall" series shows Tudor table etiquette, eating with a spoon and with right-hand fingers kept clean by using the napkin worn on left shoulder or forearm.

Earlier table manners were similar; there's plenty of reference to hand-washing, napkins and so on.

IMO “The Private Life of Henry VIII” (1933) is probably to blame for the pop-history notion of “historical” dining involving whole chickens pulled apart with both hands and bones thrown over shoulders or onto the floor.

This link is to the full scene on YouTube, where the dialogue proves that it’s being done partly for comedy, and partly to show how nervous Henry made his court.

People in the Middle Ages didn't cut their food with daggers; yes, they'd have worn baselards or rondels or ballock knives because those were part of everyday costume (including women, there's pictorial evidence for it), but they wouldn't have used them at the dinner-table any more than they'd have used a sword.

I wonder sometimes if those who claim daggers were table cutlery know how big a medieval / Renaissance dagger could be, or how out-of-place it would look at a dinner table.

There's plenty of evidence for picks and small eating-knives as personal possessions. Here’s a 14th-century painting and a modern reconstruction of the thing on the belt.

...and another painting, “The Peasant Dance” by Breughel, showing both a big fighting-knife (Messer) and - worn by the red-hosed dancer in the middle - an eating-knife and maybe pick.

The armed man is also showing off (look at his hat!) that he owns a pewter or maybe even silver spoon...

Eating-knife and pick, collectively called "by-tools", could also be slotted into the scabbard of something bigger, such as that Messer in the Breughel painting as recreated by Tod Cutler...

...or a dagger like these Swiss ones...

...whose scabbard ornamentation with human figures proves how they were worn...

- horizontally (usually across the small of the back) so their decoration was right-way-up for proper admiration.

By-tools could be part of even larger weapons, a sword or Kriegsmesser (war-knife) like this one, which belonged to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I:

Besides holding down or picking up food, a pick had other functions for which a knife with edges wouldn’t work as well such as an auger to drill holes in leather, or a fid or marlinspike for splicing rope or laces.

By the mid-1500s, people on the cutting edge (hah!) of fashion started to carry the ornate version of that little eating-knife-and-pick sheath; they had a “dining trousse”, personal table cutlery with its own separate case or scabbard, and a REALLY stylish trousse might even include the latest toy, a fork.

But that was often regarded as a pointless (hah!) affectation, because after all, everyone had fingers...

[ghouljams]

The Drabble? Blurb? Ficlet? Idk- was very sexy! I love accurate period pieces!! I saw you used ‘stays’ and that made my history nerd giggle like a giddy idiot. Thank you! So, you were using the terminology the anon used- I don’t want to come off rude or accusing! I promise: I love your work.

But uh- back then bodice ripper meant r*pist…

I think it would be appropriate for your story in everything but the dialogue between Lord Mactavish and Lady-… us. Unless reader get’s feisty with him- though I don’t think Lord Mactavish wouldn’t approve of the terminology because in his eyes she’s his. It’s his right as her husband.

My favorite terminology from back then is: He is Admiral of the Narrow seas. (Which was to say: He’s drunk enough to throw up in your lap)

-a very bored history nerd. (My nephew is sleeping on my chest therefore, I’m not allowed to move. So I’m scrolling. I’m very sorry)

I'm such a nerd for historic fashion, I must use the correct terminology or I will die. They're stays! (More specifically they're probably transitional stays, but that's unimportant)

Bodice rippers..... What can I say about them.... What can I say about Lord Mactavish(which just typing out makes my scream AAAAH(I'm normal I'm normal))

I'm very specific in my terminology for everything really.. Yeah I know Bodice ripper is another term for a rapist, in this context it's also a gothic romance genre. Definitely a lot of dubiously consenting sex in those novels, but I've talked before about how women really couldn't consent to sex in this period without labels being thrown at them.

Now LORD Mactavish (hehehehehe) oooooh this man... He can take whatever he wants from me. I think if his lady wife called him a bodice ripper he'd laugh and haul her off to show her just how much of a rake he is. He's only one for her. Rest assured my lovely ladies are never laying back and thinking of England, they're enjoying every moment, even the dubiously consenting ones. It's his right as her husband to make sure she's well taken care of, even when it makes his lovely wife sputter and swear at him because this is terribly inappropriate timing(but also don't stop...).

[putnamcapital]

Some love for the YR writers, and their OCs

As a small gesture of thanks to the incredible creativity and generosity of fanfic writers, during this time of holiday excess and the AO3 YR tag being just lit!, I thought i’d pull together some favorites to share. Hopefully if you’ve haven’t read these fics yet, they might entice you. I know we all know and love the endless iterations of Wille and Simon, and Sara, August, and Felice, but did you know there are some truly incredible original characters in the YR fanfic library? Here are just a few of the characters that have stayed with me. Made an effort not to spoil in the descriptions! I’ve tried to spread the love across lots of writers and have tagged you if i know you're on Tumblr. And i mostly read AUs. If you’ve got other OCs you just love, please add to this!

So, in no particular order … Part 1 of ?.

Chetna from Tis the Damn Season by littelbluefish, (M, 15/15) - “in a near-constant state of dancing readiness” (i love her for that alone), also witty meddler, dispatches unwanted men with savage accuracy, pitch perfect level of snark, loves Simon to pieces.

MJ and Mario from And that’s how you make history baby by waybeforeyourtime (T, 16/?) - it’s difficult for me to choose between the two, but i think maybe the author would agree they are inseparable. MJ and Mario run Benders, a bar where Simon ends up performing. They literally jump off at the page at you. MJ, appearing as Mary Jane, gets one of the best entrances i’ve seen in a while. (“Mary Jane sat in front of the door of Benders in a crudely made replica of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, except it was dildos that adorned it, not swords. She wore a pale pink strapless dress, white fishnet stockings, and black patent-leather Mary Jane platforms.”) His partner, Mario’s, first words to Simon: “"I don't have time for games. Violet, kill the light.”, but it was a match made in heaven. The dialogue between these two!!! Read this fic! Run! Don’t walk!

Melvin from Simon Eriksson: Just some guy from biology (G, 1/1) by fandom_commitment_Issues (@zee-has-commitment-issues) - good student, considerate partner and father. On this list because he does deadpan so well. He kept a straight face when W huffed “I’m getting married to an idiot”.

Alba from Taking me Back (M, 6/?) by wilmonlibrarian - for being one of those too smart for your own damn good teenagers who sees straight through her own father, Simon. (Alba isn’t buying it. “So, you’re saying nothing I experience in the next few years will matter to me in the future?”) and yeah karma really is playing a terrible joke on poor W & S in this.

Luis from All the Places we’ve been (M, 10/10) by This_time_its_just_me (@in-amor-veritas) - Simon’s roommate in New York, Simon who has his own life and successful career as a singer. Gives Simon essential advice on what to wear to meet his ex (yes, you know the ex). (“Oh please, none of your clothes fit you correctly, Simón”) He works at one of NYC’s biggest fashion magazines. Think Devil Wears Prada, friends. Just the absolute funniest and most loving wingman, takes absolutely none of Simon’s bullshit or his polyester. Has entirely the correct reaction when he finds W in his bathroom.

Lotta from Heart and Homeland (M, 33/ ) by @bluedalahorse and @heliza24 - An intrepid, loyal, and revolutionary woman with a heart of gold, who holds the key to a major plot twist in this masterful AU set in the early 1800s, where Wilhelm is at the center of a fight for Sweden’s future, and everyone writes each other a lot of beautiful letters. (“Lotta sighs and giggles like we are best friends and says we should tell one another romances or fairy tales and I want to tell her that princes are not the same in real life as they are in stories.”) Don't miss this fic!

[dalishious]

The infamous roof scene... My favourite Sera scene in the game.

#LowElfEsteem is a series on Sera’s romance with an elf, discussing both the well and poorly done aspects of her writing, while also examining her character on a deeper level.

Sera invites the Inquisitor up onto the roof to eat cookies together. She then opens up a bit about her backstory, though in a typical Sera fashion, tells a lot by just focusing on one specific thing.

Sera: I got caught stealing when I was little, yeah? You get alienage or worse for that, but the "Lady Emmald" took me in.

Sera: She was sick and couldn't have children. I had no parents. It worked out.

Sera: Anyway, she gets a year sicker, so I ask her about cookies. Because moms make cookies. I can pass that down or something.

Sera: Turns out, she couldn’t cook. She missed that talk with her mom. The ones she "made" she bought, and pretended.

Sera: Aww, right? Well no, she was a bitch.

Sera: She hid buying them by keeping me away from the baker. She did that by lying that he didn’t like me; didn’t like elves.

Sera: She let me hate so she could protect her pride. I hated him so much, and I hated...

Sera: Well, she died. And I hate pride. Pride Cookies.

Sera: But this is great, you’re great, so I thought, maybe me and you could make some.

Sera: I don’t know, "Us Cookies."

Sera: Because then I could like them again. Aww, it’s stupid…

Inquisitor: I don’t understand, this Lady Emmald was just trying to be good to you.

Sera: She hurt people.

Inquisitor: It was just cookies.

Sera: It was not just cookies!

Sera: Lie to herself, fair play, only hurts her. But she made me think there was something wrong with me!

Sera: And the baker? I made his life shit! Why not? It seemed like he deserved it. I mean, if you don’t give a child a cookie because of appearances, you’re a monster. Stupid, pride-whore noble.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, first: When Sera says, "I hated him so much, and I hated..." trailing off, she means she hated herself. That much is obvious by Sera's further explanation, "she made me think there was something wrong with me!"

Why would Sera pick this moment of all things to talk about? Well, remember that Sera would have been less than 10 years old when this happened; the most formative years of growing up, and this incident clearly stuck with her. It taught her she couldn't trust someone she thought was looking out for her, all because Emmald cared more about maintaining appearances than her adopted child's self-esteem. She taught Sera that she would be hated for being an elf, but neglected to teach her that it wasn't Sera's fault.

Was Emmald racist herself? I'm not sure, but she certainly did use racism as a means of control. And maybe that's almost just as bad.

After this talk, the Inquisitor has the opportunity to ask Sera a bit more about herself, this time, Sera being honest. She talks about her history with the Red Jennies a bit, how she got the chance to learn how to use a bow, etc. But I want to highlight this bit of dialogue in particular:

Inquisitor: I think that, after our rooftop chat, I get why you're not like other elves.

Sera: Well, don't. How about we dig into what you are? Or what you're supposed to be?

Sera: Do you know wall about elfiness? What it takes to keep our ears all perky?

Sera: Because you could be more than just that. To me, anyway.

The romance dialogue response is "Whatever I am to you, Sera, that's all I need." And that's cute, but I want to complain about Sera's response if you answer with, "We should all be examples of our peoples, and understand how others will judge us."

Sera: Right, well, good on you. Have fun.

Sera: Don't forget to whine about the past. All elves do that.

Sera: Heard that once. From an "example".

Fucking yet again, Kristjanson can't resist the urge to have Sera denounce systemic racism as something you "whine" about, without any chance at rebuttal. We get it, buddy. You don't know how to write internalized racism in a way that's not just offensive.

If it were up to me, I'd give the Inquisitor the opportunity to challenge Sera with this, to teach her that everything she's regurgitating from what she's heard the humans say is wrong, and that hating her own people accomplishes nothing except doing half the work of her oppressors for them.

[traumxrei-archive]

Can I please request

#3 - They just told him they liked him but they get shy and say “never mind, forget it” …and he wasn’t letting them dismiss it just like that

With Idia Shroud? (≧▽≦)

i like this prompt BSJKSHSOW

Thank you! Remember to take care of yourself

【 till we reach the happy end 】

prompt #3: They just told him they liked him but they get shy and say “never mind, forget it” (ft. idia shroud)

gender neutral! reader, spoilers for ghost marriage + suitor suit idia's vignette, 600 followers event (closed!)

author's note: uuu lyzaaaa i wrote this for you bb <33 honestly the most fun thing i've written in a while. i read his vignette n i scrapped the initial idea i had for this fic and,,,,well the rest is history. i hope you enjoy !!

Idia was having a terrible, horrible, no-good night. Emphasis on the horrible. He was literally just seconds away from being ghosted, and in quite the literal sense too. And he was about to get married against his will! If it was to one of his favorite characters, then maybe Idia would've said yes, but this was to a literal ghost who threatened 'eternal love' for him despite having just met him.

He shivered, feeling better now that he could actually move around. He really needed to get out of this getup. And quickly. Before someone made a comment about him being a tokusatsu villain or a cringy cosplayer...

"Ugh, this cravat is literally choking me, no cap," Idia muttered to himself as he slipped into NRC's darkened hallways. "Thank goodness the protag group were busy taking care of the rest..."

"Idia-senpai!" The call of his name made him flinch, though he instantly recognized it to be their voice.

"W-what's up, Prefect-shi...?" Idia hoped his voice didn't betray his nerves as he spoke. It was hard to think straight when he was literally right in front of his c-cru...cru— oh Idia really didn't want to think about the c-word right now.

"I saw you leaving and I wanted to ask if you were okay," The warm smile they gave him had his heart doing somersaults and Idia could almost forget about the bad things that happened that evening. Such was the life of 'Idia the Simp', who was simply happy that the object of his affections cared about him. How sad and loser-like, was he right?

"I'm fine. I mean, aside from my legs literally turning into jelly from standing for so long," Idia mumbled before raising his voice. "That ghost must've been grinding his stats real hard to be able to fight like that."

"I guess so," They mused, falling into step beside him. "I'm really glad that the others made it in time."

"Ace-shi really came in clutch in this one! He was like a hero from some kind of action manga. Actually, weren't they all pretty hero-like?"

Idia continued to ramble excitedly. "I mean, the protagonist's friends arrived fashionably late— and they were all dressed to impress like princes in a dating sim! Riddle-shi being cool and unapproachable, yet shows his awkward and kind side to the protagonist. Epel-shi as the fragile character that you can't help but want to protect, yet also has a cool and alluring side. And finally Rook-shi, the prince of a neighboring country who secretly protects the main character, and instantly gains best boy status when it's revealed—!"

Idia realized just how excited he was getting over nothing— the tips of his hair turning bright orange— and he sighed deeply, "Augh, really, a loser like me could never compare to shiny princes like them..."

"Don't say that," They had stopped walking. The cool night air tickled the back of Idia's neck as he stood rooted in spot. There was quite a serious expression on their face and Idia wondered if he chose the wrong dialogue option somewhere along the line...

"If it counts for anything I think you look really cool— no, a better word would be absolutely dashing," Their nervousness showed in the way they shifted every few seconds, swallowing before continuing.

"Aren't you really prince-like too? The mysterious heir to the throne that no one ever sees who secretly helps the kingdom by masquerading as an inventor. He continues to provide the kingdom with advance technology whilst under the cover of the unlikeable hermit, and the main character is the first one to learn of his secret."

"Wow, that," This time it was Idia's turn to swallow, his own hair tinting a light pink. "T-that almost makes me sound like a good character to romance... You should become a dating sim writer."

They laughed lightly at that, "Thanks, but...what I really wanted to say was... That is..." They took a deep breath before starting again, "Because of tonight and what happened, I thought that life is short. And that I can't possibly control everything, so I should make sure to say what I want to say properly before it's too late. Idia-senpai. I...like you."

Idia could not believe his ears. Was he dreaming? Was this heaven? Did he dream up being saved by Ace and the others but actually he became a ghost and crossed to the other side? He didn't even remember paying the ferry to cross the river Styx!

"Eh?" was all that managed to leave his mouth, his hair fully turning as flushed as his face felt. The gears in his head were turning, but that didn't mean he wasn't losing braincells trying to figure out what was happening. In the first place, the genre of this day changed way too many times! From slice-of-life to survival horror to fighting game, and finally....a romantic visual novel?? Give him a break already!

"Actually. Just forget I said that." They turned around to quickly walk away but Idia grabbed onto their sleeve before they got too far. Oh Sevens, he really chose the most insanely noob-like dialogue option there was on the "Ranking of Things to Say if Someone Confesses to You" (made by Idia Shroud).

"W-wait, this is...way too much information for my brain to handle, I think I need to download extra gigabytes of RAM for this," Idia said under his breath before finally raising his gaze.

The pale moonlight washed everything in blue, and he couldn't help but think that they looked so...pretty even half-obscured in light. Their stare was pinned at the ground and he really needed to say something before they ran away and it was impossible for him to rewind the scene and fiz his mistakes.

"You..." Idia cleared his throat, the pink of his hair fluttering with the passing wind. "Could I p-please hear that dialogue option...once again? I-I promise to give a better answer this time! Or did I already raise a death flag for myself and hurtle myself towards the bad ending? Ah, Idia, this is why you aren't suited to be a otome game protag, you should just stick t—"

The breath was stolen from his lungs as warm palms urgently cradled his face, "Senpai... I don't like hearing the person that I like talking badly about himself all the time. Especially right after I told him how cool he is."

The words came out in a wheeze as he spoke again, "Y-you said 'like' just now? What k-kind of like is that?"

"The 'romantic' type of like," They said, a finger ghosting over his cheek. "The 'I want to play your route till the happy ending' type of like."

"Oh. In a positive way," He hastily added, his hair growing brighter by the second. "Y-you're really good at these...romantic words."

"Of course I am," They gave him a mischievous grin. "I learned from the best games on the market. So what do you say to my proposal?"

Aaaanddd Idia was back to feeling faint again, "T-that was a figure of speech right? I don't think I can handle another proposal so soon—"

"Senpai," They chided softly as Idia tugged at the ends of his hair. "A simple yes or no would suffice."

"Uhm. If you can't already tell by this," Idia pointed to his hair— which was now bright pink and flaming dangerously high. "I'd like to stay with you too. Till the happy ending."

"Till the happy ending," They echoed, smiling as they finally released his face. Idia found himself missing the touch a little....just a little though.

He didn't get the chance to wallow before his hand was being clasped in theirs, "C'mon! Let's get you out of those fancy clothes and play some games in your room already!"

"W-wait a second, Prefect-shi?" Idia flushed harder, if that was even physically possible. "Y-you're skipping too many chapters of the dating stage, you know? There's an order to things!!"

"I meant video games, senpai," They laughed as they skipped in front of him, Idia's own steps frantic to stay close to them. "Get your head out of the gutter."

"R-right," Idia nodded, absolutely mortified for the second— or was it third time?— that night. "I knew that."

And Idia was the subject of their teasings long after the night was over. He had to live through the embarrassment of them recounting the whole story to an all-too-curious Ortho. (Maybe he should've programmed him with less curiosity, but alas he can't go back on his own genius.)

But well, he really couldn't complain. Not when they held his hand so tightly as they watched his favorite movies with him. And especially not when they fell asleep on his shoulder— a cliché that was one of his favorites to date. Idia was sure of it now. No matter what hardships or trials would follow in the future, he would play this route till the happy end.

thank you for reading this very based idia take (pls help i've gamer-talked for too long bc of idia) if you did, please like, subscribe, and check out my masterlist for other works !!

[ mini idia dictionary bc pog ]

tokusatsu villain - tokusatsu refers to a genre of live-action shows that heavily use special effects. think ultraman or kamen rider.

death flag - an action or dialogue that foreshadows an untimely death for a certain character. raising one means to basically accelerate the death of a character, since you're adding more death flags to their roster.

bad ending/happy ending - referring to otome games, where there are multiple endings to different routes that are achievable by changing dialogue/actions throughout the story.

lmk if there are any other terms i should add bc i lost count of the more confusing ones after re-reading this 3 times jskfjdskf