#Isa babble

[uncultureddoubloon]

I just binged all of the Wayne Family Adventures webtoon and have been struck with an intense need to be reading comic books from the library again

[corporalmaledict]

It's almost 4am and I just finished rereading Monstrous Regiment. I am crying very happy tears and felt seen. Gender is a goddamn mess. I don't want to have to deal with it, and the gender fuckery that goes on in MR is like a 2nd home for me, and has been since I first picked up the book back in probably junior high.

I just want to be me, and being seen as a female feels like a hindrance. Just give me some coffee and let me do my job, gender be damned

[multimask]

I think one of my favorite parts about watching Campaign 3 is when characters from the previous campaigns appear or get mentioned and the cast dunk on their own past characters

[uncultureddoubloon]

Toblerone is a common Christmas stocking filler, so I'm pretty sure it's more people who celebrate Christmas + like Toblerone/use it as a stocking stuffer getting pissy that it's getting the halal seal of approval for the Islamic/non-Christian market than it is people who keep halal also celebrating Christmas

Tell them the air is halal too

[bigbluewreckingball]

I've been getting Midst ads on spotify again, I should actually go listen to it at some point

[milffrin]

you'll imagine the party taking care of a sadness infestation on a beach and taking advantage of the fact the area is fully evacuated to have a relaxing beach day. bonus casual nudity: odile strips down and gets some sun

[corporalmaledict]

I'm might be getting names mixed up, but Paul & the bird (combined with Being A Soldier) feels like an extra double whammy to me (double checked, right names)

One of my high school history teachers had us watch a majority of All Quiet on the Western Front (1979). The main character followed is a soldier called Paul who gets distracted by drawing birds during training and (fatally) in the trenches. Monstrous Regiment's Paul, bird connection above, is MIA in the novel and to find him is why Polly takes up the mantle of soldier.

I read MR before I had to watch All Quiet, but this post just punched be with those two stories. The bird drawing at the end of All Quiet isn't lifelike like MR Paul's and it's not burned, but it's ruined/destroyed nonetheless, and what the birds represent in their stories is ruined/destroyed/lost, as well.

This paragraph killed me, and this is full of spoilers. I could write tomes of literature about this paragraph. This is from 'Monstrous Regiment' by Sir Terry Pratchett. Polly is a soldier pretending to be a man. Their god declares things sinful as abominations. The abominations were reasonable, then tolerable, and then wholly insane and even life-threatening. The country's citizens do what they can and guiltily ignore what they can't. Polly's mother was highly religious and found solace in their fading god.

Polly's brother is only described as having learning difficulties, but his hyperfixation is birds. He can name them, recognize their sounds, and mimic them. If he is not told what to do, he will stand outside and observe for hours. Polly, who was responsible for Paul, saved and worked to buy a paint set for him. Paul excitedly paints a bird that could fly off the page. Polly's mother is enraged by this, as painting living things is an abomination, and throws the paint and picture into the fire. Even though almost every room has a drawn picture of the Duchess, whom everyone prays to to talk to their god!

Her mother burned the picture. Her mother who Polly speaks about in only certain terms follows like a ghost in the story. She is another deity that has let Polly down. Something else she can't believe in.

I AM FERAL!

She lost everything she ever believed in that moment. Her mother, her country's god and the Duchess.

We all have that moment in childhood where we realize our parents aren't perfect, they aren't invincable. Polly's mom first did this by burning the picture then sealed it when she got sick and died. Which parelles how the country's god has died and all that is left is echoes. Echoes like that we see of Polly's relationship with her mother. Like how the Duches echoes the voice of another character when possessing her.

This story oh god this story. I will end it here, but there is still so much to say.

[lightchoice]

@ninthnocturne - from here.

he's unsure of how to handle the fluttering of nervousness in his chest ; perhaps this is what those two kids who hang around lea call anxiety. ( he doesn't like it, not one bit. ) but when MYDE smiles and extends a hand to him in truce and peace offering alike, an olive branch of sorts, his own expression quietly softens and shoulders slouch.

"... Isadore. Everyone calls me Isa." taking myde's extended hand, the words are uncomfortable on his tongue, but not because he doesn't like his original name ; it's akin to going back home after years of being gone to a room that hasn't changed, but you did. "... Do you want to get some lunch? There's a good cafe nearby here, if I recall Lea's advice correctly."

[uncultureddoubloon]

I've finally gotten around to picking up the Murderbot Diaries and I absolutely love them. Somehow, in all that I've seen about Murderbot I was imagining it as like a GLaDOS or HAL 9000 type machine that was part of a ship/vehicle & "lived in the walls" bc it was literally part of the ship, like the transport bot it talks to in Artificial Condition. Definitely not imagining it as a cyborg, which is what it is

[corporalmaledict]

I managed to get my hands on Monstrous Regiment again before pride month ended (wasn't sure with library hold queues) and I'm damn near crying over this wonderful stupid book

"Switching between boy and girl had been just so easy" Yeah that is a thought process to get examined Later, Polly

Also Maladict. I know my blog pfp is fanart of Mal, but I had forgotten just how damn much I love that coffee drinking vampire

The slow reveals of everyone are great, and Mal's is amusing bc Jackrum interrupts it at least once

[multimask]

Two way street for characters all the way

My current absolute favorite character that I'm playing has a backstory that was built upon D&D's Background stuff. I had the barebones Flaws/Personality Traits/Bonds sentences from character creation that I handed my DM, and we ran from there.

I had a few things that could become character/player hooks and let the DM choose & work those into whatever story they wanted to tell. They come back to me & say "hey, I like this Flaw you've got down, want to expand on that? Here's some ideas that work within what I'm planning."

I didn't write the 5 pg backstory or however long it is now and make it homework for the DM. I gave a few sentences, and the DM & I have worked together through both play and out-of-session conversations to expand upon the character's story within the world, and it's been all the better for it. I don't think I could have come up with the story that the character now has on my own

There have been awesome scenes where all of the players are learning information about my character through NPCs that sometimes even I didn't know (partially or at all) until that moment.

For the most part, the "homework" of our campaign has been remembering what was established during sessions or those conversations btwn Player & DM about what we wanted to bring to the table! Very rarely has the homework been remembering what the hell a Player's solo created 5-page long backstory said, mainly remembering what the collaborative notes about the character recorded during play

A lot of people replying to my post about not needing to write a detailed background for your RPG characters are genuinely missing the point with their replies of "well, it really is a matter of taste." In modern TTRPG culture, especially on the D&D side of things, the idea of characters needing deep and expansive backstories to grant them legitimacy and to give the GM material to hook the players with is normalized, and the point of the post isn't that expansive character backstories are necessarily bad, but the idea that characters need them to be legitimate is false. As a player, bringing a blank slate character to the table and discovering who they are through play is perfectly fine.

Also, while I do think it's good of the GM to prep material that players will want to engage with, it should be a two-way street: players should show up to the game with a willingness to engage with the GM's prep. Not everything the GM preps needs to be tailored specifically for the player characters (and to be truthful: the idea that there is stuff going on in the fiction that may not interest the player characters at all but that is still going on in the background can make the narrative feel more organic and make players more engaged with the fiction.

And also this does apply to GMs as well: the player who doesn't want to write an extended lore document for you to read is fine, but conversely you don't have to write a long lore document to clue your players into the world. It is perfectly fine to have your players and their characters discover your setting through play. It's fine.

If you enjoy worldbuilding that's fine, if you enjoy writing character backstories, that also is fine, but also not giving your fellow players homework should also be uncontroversially fine and you shouldn't be required to do homework to grant legitimacy to your elfgames.

[multimask]

Watching the end of c3e79, it's really funny seeing just how fucking different the three different mazes were handled. Travis' was loud and wild, Laura's was still wild but barely subdued chaos, and Taliesin's is just so calm, quiet, and chill

[blueflyingturtleontheway]

This whole episode is actually his fault

[leavesandbounds]

YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!

I TRY TO!!!!!!!!!

[uncultureddoubloon]

I missed the memo when I was reading the books growing up!

Do you know this Jewish character?

[ijustwannabecool]

Vogue Beauty Secrets

Max Verstappen x Wife!Reader

Summary... Vogue asks Y/N to film her skincare and makeup routine.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this little blurb. Let me know what you guys wanna see next. Request are open.

⋆｡˚☁︎˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

The video opens with the click of a camera turning on, followed by a small laugh.

“Hi, Vogue,” Y/N greets warmly, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. Her skin is fresh, makeup-free, her voice still a bit husky from sleep. “I’m Y/N Verstappen and I’ve been asked to share my daily beauty routine… which honestly feels like a joke considering I’ve been up since 5 a.m. because my daughter thinks that’s an acceptable wake-up time.”

She shrugs playfully, leaning on the white marble bathroom counter. Behind her, viewers get a glimpse of their Amsterdam apartment, clean lines, cozy lighting, a plant in every corner.

“So let’s get into it,” she smiles. “I already cleansed off-camera because, well, my toddler smeared porridge on my face earlier and that wasn’t very Vogue.”

She lifts a bottle toward the camera. “This is what I used, super gentle, because hormones after breastfeeding are no joke. I used this religiously when Isa was still newborn and I felt like a walking zombie with acne.”

Just then, there’s a tiny knock on the bathroom door. Y/N pauses.

“Mama?” A small voice calls.

She bites back a smile. “Come in, schatje.”

Isa waddles into the room in her little bunny-print pajamas, hair a curly mess, one sock missing, holding her plush lion by the tail. Her eyes are wide with sleepy curiosity as she pads in and immediately reaches her arms up.

Y/N lifts her easily, balancing the toddler on one hip.

“This is Isa,” she chuckles. “My shadow. She doesn’t believe in personal space. Or sleep-ins.”

Isa rests her head against Y/N’s shoulder and waves lazily at the camera, mumbling, “Hi Vogue.”

“I’m gonna keep going while she hangs out,” Y/N explains. “Mom life doesn’t pause for skincare, right?”

She manages to tone with one hand, dotting serum on her cheeks while Isa fiddles with the collar of her robe.

And then, “Lieverd?” Max’s voice comes from somewhere off-camera. “Have you seen her other sock? She left it in the pantry again, I think.”

Y/N rolls her eyes fondly. “Check under the cereal boxes.”

There’s a pause.

“Got it.”

Max enters a moment later, barefoot in sweatpants and one of Y/N’s oversized hoodies, holding the missing sock like it’s a trophy.

“Victory,” he smirks, and steps into view to slide it onto Isa’s tiny foot as she babbles softly.

“Oh, and if I didn’t mention it... I’m married to that guy,” Y/N gestures at him, “who sometimes borrows my hoodies and always makes me tea while I do this.”

As if on cue, Max returns moments later with a steaming mug and a kiss to her temple. He doesn’t say anything else, just gives her a little smile and nods toward the camera like you’ve got this before disappearing again.

Y/N smiles after him.

“Okay, so next, I use this moisturizer. I keep it in the fridge because Max likes our house at ‘race car garage’ levels of cold and my skin can’t cope.”

She taps product on her face gently, still bouncing Isa in her arms.

“Lip balm,” she adds, reaching across the counter. “I don’t go anywhere without it. This one smells like mango. Isa always tries to eat it.”

“Mine,” Isa declares sleepily, snatching it from Y/N’s hand.

Y/N laughs. “Told you.”

There’s another interruption, this time the sound of a crash followed by Max’s startled “Alles goed?!” from the other room.

Y/N blinks at the camera, totally unbothered. “That’s our cat knocking over Max’s trophies again. She has a personal vendetta against the Monaco one.”

She finishes her makeup: light concealer, brow gel, tinted lip balm, all with Isa still perched on her hip.

“Oh, and when I do go to races, I do a bit more. Blush, mascara, maybe eyeliner if Isa hasn’t decided my makeup brush is her new toy.”

From the mirror, you can see Max re-entering, now carrying their cat under one arm and waving a toy toothbrush in the other.

“Does this belong to the tiny dictator?”

Isa perks up. “MINE!”

Max hands it over solemnly. “I thought so.”

He leans against the counter again, watching as Y/N wraps up her routine.

“You look beautiful,” he murmurs under his breath.

Y/N smiles at the compliment but turns it into a tease. “Even without the mascara?”

Max grins. “Always.”

The camera catches Isa reaching over to swipe her fingers in the blush compact and smear it across Y/N’s cheek. Y/N gasps in mock horror while Max bursts into a quiet laugh.

“Raw and unfiltered,” Y/N tells the camera, dabbing at her cheek. “Exactly what Vogue asked for, right?”

She sets Isa down gently, and the little girl waddles over to Max, nestling herself into his arms like a koala.

“I don’t get a lot of ‘me’ time,” Y/N admits, tucking her hair behind her ears. “But I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. It’s messy. Loud. Exhausting. But also, really, really full of love.”

Max leans into the frame for a moment, his voice soft. “That’s because you’re the heart of it.”

Y/N blushes, swats him away gently, and turns back to the camera.

“Thank you for watching this chaos. And Vogue? If you ever want a dad edition of this, Max has a killer 7-step beard care routine he refuses to admit to.”

Max, now offscreen, calls out, “That’s classified information.”

Y/N grins. “Bye, Vogue.”

She reaches to turn off the camera just as Isa squeals from the other room: “DAAAADDY! Cat stole my toast!”

Fade to black.

------

The end...