#Paradox of Morality the Game Paradox of the Week...

[paradox-of-morality]

paradox Paradox of Morality the Game Paradox of the Week * My Mom Slept with My Fiancé * POM is a Game of Psychological Dilemmas to push players Social & Moral Boundaries Revealing all the People you Secretly Hate & the few people you Actually Like. Find us on Amazon @ www.ParadoxofMorality.com of Morality the Game *Paradox of the Week* My Mom Slept Fiancé'...

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

So I'm putting together an In Defence of Cassie PowerPoint for a PowerPoint night with friends. Do you have any arguments for or against her? I trust your opinion and am curious.

Let's see.

"She's too powerful, too unique, too far-seeing, and not good enough for Jake! What a Mary Sue!"

Counterpoint: May I introduce you to the reigning champion fan favorite, Sad White Boy Tobias?

Only nothlit ever to regain the ability to morph

Only known human-andalite hybrid ever to exist

Regarded as savior by entire hork-bajir species

Entire existence is a time paradox the war hinges upon

Pulls the canonically "most beautiful girl in our grade", who turns down 6 or 7 other offers in favor of Bird Boy

Correctly predicted planetary ecology 65 million years in advance

Believed to be immune to 2-hour limit

In conclusion: y'all wouldn't be crying "Mary Sue" if Cassie was a sad white boy, and I can prove it.

"She's too weak and hand-wringing, and she never helps the war effort!"

Counterpoint: First of all, the fact that the same people say this in the same breath as "she's too powerful" is... telling. Secondly:

She saved the entire team's lives in #24, in #29, in #44, and in MM1, among others.

Specifically calling out #44 — that ending shows she is willing and able to be ruthless when her friends are in need. She doesn't like slaughtering human-controllers, but if the alternative is everyone she loves dying, then she'll fucking well do it.

Much like Jake (see: Sad White Boy), she's more willing to risk herself than her friends, hence the end of MM1

Her medical knowledge saves Marco from rabies, Ax from brain!appendicitis, and Tobias from bird flu.

Her survivalist knowledge saves everyone in #25 (the Arctic), MM2 (Cretaceous Era), #11 (rainforest), and #14 (desert).

In conclusion: Cassie's only idealistic-looking by the standards of this extremely morally gray team.

"She's so unfair to Jake!"

Counterpoint: Jake? The Jake who refused to speak with her for weeks? Jake who proposes marriage while they're still broken up? Jake who announces he'll never trust Cassie again because she [checks notes] saved his brother's life? That Jake?

Also:

She gives him tons of emotional support in #16, #21, #47, and other times he's feeling low.

They have a healthy argument where they air differences and come to an understanding in #9.

Did I mention he doesn't just dump her but ghosts her in the middle of the war's endgame?

They're teenagers. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it is built on open communication and mutual respect which is more than Rachel and Tobias can say

She's fighting a war, and PTSD for that matter. No, she doesn't have infinite emotional bandwidth.

In conclusion: Their relationship is fine, their breakup is mutual, and her behavior only looks bad if, once again, you're holding Cassie to a different standard than you are Jake.

"She shouldn't have trusted Aftran!"

Counterpoint: friendly reminder that the alternative was killing a 6-year-old for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that's what you think Cassie should've done, that tells us more about you than about her.

"She spends too much time moralizing!"

Counterpoint: this is a book series about war, not a friggin' video game. If you want moral pornography, go play Call of Duty. If you want sci fi realism, then you're going to have to accept that a majority of humans prefer not to kill their fellow humans if at all possible.

"She's a ripoff of [insert character here]!"

Counterpoint: literally every single one of these says more about the commenter than about the source work. "Every dystopia is set in the U.S." is the kind of thing only people who only read books by American authors would think. "All epic fantasy is Eurocentric" => tell me you only read books by white people without telling me. I'm glad you think Cassie is too similar to Willow Rosenberg, but there are at least 6 other stories in the known world, and I hear some of them even feature sweet/dorky/caring characters who are secretly ultra-powerful.

In conclusion: You don't have to like Cassie as a (fictional) person, but 85% of criticisms directed at her are bad-faith attacks on one of the 1990s' only fat Black female gnc ultra-powerful superheroes.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Voyager should have met an alternate universe version where the whole thing is that everyone is the most conflict-free and ideal versions of themselves. Janeway always magically finds the most objectively 'Correct' answer to any problem without any sort of uncomfortable moral quandry (Tuvix AND Tuvok & Neelix are both alive! How? She just did that thing you wanted her to!). She and Chakotay have no romance and she is still holding out hope for Mark. Seven of Nine has her hair down and is acting just fully Human but she WAS ex-Borg so she's still super valuable to the team. Kes is there (Janeway found a solution for that too). The replicators don't require rationing anymore because they managed to upgrade and mod their ship flawlessly. Harry got promoted. B'Elanna and Tom are in a conflict-less loving marriage. Tuvok never gets mind controlled because he's above it, honestly, and he goes to parties without complaint because it's logical to do so for team cohesion. Neelix's cooking is spectacular. They have a team chant. They cloned The Doctor so they now have a full medical staff. They do game night once a week. The ALT!VOY crew tries to help them but their help always just leads to damage to the ship. The Voyager crew begins to suspect that these people are secretly evil like the Equinox crew where they're hiding something but no. They're not. They even help them defeat the villains of the week in the end - it's set up as if there's going to be a moral quandry where they'll have to make a tough choice but Alt!Janeway and her team figure everything out no problem. Still can't find a way out of the delta quadrant but just like normal Janeway, she'll never give up hope! The damage to the ship is concluded to be the result of some paradox shenanigans or incompatibility between universes - not anyone's fault. Voyager crew is relieved when they're gone. The next few episodes have sporadic references to an apparently harrowing game night. People ended up in sickbay. Never again.

[vrisrezinightly]

i saw someone post abt this weeks ago and i lost it but im so glad i saw someone agree w my princess bubblegum = vriska / marceline = terezi opinion ive held forever . NO ONE UNDERSTANDSSS tbey just see cool mean girl in a tank top w a guitar and go VRISKA but marcelines personality is a dead ringer for terezi i mean. her cool girl facade alone + love of messing with finn for the fun of the game. marceline wouldve killed finn if finn had dave strider doubles time powers for the hell of it then cried a little afterwards. bubblegum would be making doomsday devices for the hell of it. shed totally love the paradoxical nature and complete moral ambiguity of creating a villian that kills her friends because he already existed and the timeline would be doomed if she didnt

[linuxgamenews]

OLD SKIES Unleashes: Your Next Adventure Awaits

OLD SKIES launches the time travel point and click adventure game on Steam Deck, Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the nonstop creativity of Wadjet Eye Games, we’re getting memorable release. Which you can find on Steam and GOG. From the devs who gave us Unavowed and the Blackwell mysteries, comes a brand-new, time travel point and click adventure that’s all about choice, consequence, and chaos: OLD SKIES launches and it’s everything we hoped for — and then some. Imagine being a time travel guide. That’s Fia Quinn’s job. She works for the ChronoZen Time Travel Agency, babysitting rich folks through history so they don’t accidentally erase the moon landing or cause World War 17. Most just want a peek at the past. Others? They’ve got unfinished business. And while Fia’s not supposed to care why they’re jumping, well… stuff happens. Time gets messy. OLD SKIES launches you through seven different missions, all set in New York but across 200 years. We’re talking the dangerous streets of the Gilded Age, shady Prohibition-era speakeasies, and even the World Trade Center… the day before 9/11. This isn’t just a sightseeing tour. It’s personal, emotional, and yeah — sometimes brutal. Expect brain-melting paradox puzzles, moral choices that hit hard, and death. Lots of it. Luckily, time resets. Just don’t get too cocky. This title isn’t just another point and click adventure — it’s a passion project that’s been cooking for six years from the brain of Dave Gilbert, the guy behind nearly every Wadjet Eye classic. He first messed with this time travel idea during a game jam (under a fake name, no less), and now we’re finally getting the full deal.

Old Skies launches

What’s new this time? For starters, the OLD SKIES launch is gorgeous. We’re talking crisp, hand-drawn HD visuals (1920x1080) by Ben Chandler. The soundtrack by Thomas Regin? Absolute vibes. And the voice acting? It's Wadjet Eye’s biggest cast ever, and they crushed it. If you’re a fan of Unavowed or the Blackwell series, keep your eyes peeled for Easter eggs scattered all over. But even if you’re jumping in fresh, this title is built to pull you in emotionally from the first scene. OLD SKIES launches at $19.99 USD / €19.99 / £16.74, plus a 10% discount during launch week on Steam and GOG. Want to dive even deeper into the vibes? Grab the original soundtrack for just $2.99. And yes, Linux and Steam Deck players, this one’s for us too — Wadjet Eye’s always treat us right. So if you’re into story-driven adventures, clever puzzles, and getting your heart stomped on by time travel logic, OLD SKIES is calling. Time to suit up, fix the past, and maybe — just maybe — make peace with it. Which you can find on Steam Deck, Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[tokiro07]

Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2025, Issue #19: Mismatch Week

One Piece: While Luffy attempts to nurse Loki back to health and only makes things worse, Loki compares Luffy's admiration of Shanks to his own admiration of a certain pirate he was too young to journey with as a child; Jinbe manages to put out the fires and remove one of the threats to the children, but in doing so gains Gunko's attention. / The fact that at any time, any two characters can be revealed to have a connection is one of my favorite things about One Piece, as it makes the world feel that much more real; the fact that Loki saw something admirable in Xebec also suggests that he's not a purely malevolent figure as has been hinted thus far, but it's One Piece, so that doesn't really come as a surprise

Roboco: On a camping trip, the group gets up to one of their classic food competitions, and Bondo endorses smoking; upon retiring to their cabins, the group finds that Second Year has been murdered??? / Good This certainly won't stick, this guy seems to get killed every time he shows up

Sakamoto: With killing now easily accessible and decriminalized, the moral barrier quickly erodes as the less scrupulous kill for petty reasons and the more righteous kill in retaliation, resulting in a cascade of murder and the deaths of over 300,000 Japanese citizens; Seba and the JCC team dissect the guns that have been distributed and formulate a way to stop the killing by force-locking them even before the bullets are fired. / While there's no way of knowing if human morality is truly so easily shattered in such a situation, it certainly feels logical and makes for a compelling scenario; that said, 300,000 shots were fired, but that doesn't mean every single one successfully killed its target, though elaborating on that would kind of take the impact away from the scene

EluSam: Regretfully, Tokiyuki takes Fubuki's head so as to reduce enemy morale, and soon after meets up with reinforcements; meanwhile, Takauji finds much more trouble facing his brother than he anticipated. / I feel like I should recognize Tokiyuki's allies, but alas, I do not; outside of the first scene, this chapter really didn't resonate with me, but that's probably just because I'm not invested in war stories

Witch Watch: Morihito is asked to play the role of a mascot that gets hit by a truck in a traffic safety skit, but one of Nico's spells accidentally brings the mascot to life. / A shockingly macabre chapter that came coincidentally as I was thinking back on my high school's drunk driving demonstration, where they staged a car crash, arrest and fatality; I found the experience distressing, but I guess Japanese elementary schoolers are made of tougher stuff, or at least aren't worried about a mascot's wellbeing

Blue Box: Chinatsu allows herself to bask in the rewards of her efforts and wins her team their third game of the Winter Cup, but sadly they lose in the fourth; now the pressure is on for Taiki to win Nationals, to make good on his promise to Chinatsu. / I'm not all too surprised that Chinatsu lost from a narrative perspective, as it raises the stakes for Taiki and gives the impression that he won't necessarily win just by virtue of being the protagonist, but it feels kind of like a letdown to me because I was just as invested in Chinatsu's success as Taiki's if not more so

Akane: Shomei's performance concludes, and Akane realizes that the reason he refuses to teach her God of Death is because their styles are incompatible - his based on rigid consistency, hers on fluid reactivity; Akane resolves to prove she can match his style at an upcoming competition that Shomei is set to judge, which in turn prompts Hikaru to join the fray. / Let's go, lesbians!!! I think Hikaru's my favorite character, so I'm excited to see her make a comeback; I also really enjoy Akane's logic in refuting Shomei's - insisting that she can only be fluid would paradoxically mean that she's being too rigid in her own scope, which ties back to what she said to Issho about refusing to limit herself

Kill Blue: Juzo loses the second challenge to Chisato instantly, prompting Noren to reveal why Juzo is trying to become StuCo President; Chisato gives Juzo one last chance in a serious cooking competition, with a budget of only 500 Yen; Juzo uses the money for train fare and returns with a wild boar that he hunted himself, giving him the edge in ingredient quality. / I did ask for a believable and satisfying turnaround, and this is exactly the kind of Gordian Knot solution that I love to see; it reminds of the bit in Hinomaru Zumo where Hinomaru has to get food with only 100 Yen and uses it to call in a delivery that he puts on his master's tab, so naturally I'm endeared to this solution

Nue: Gakuro's Hollow Weapon unlocks a new ability, Yokaku, a familiar that can isolate and devour specific targets, allowing it to overcome two back-to-back specific scenarios that Gakuro finds himself in - first, removing his own Command Energy from Ishu's webbing to escape it, and then removing poison that Raisei booby trapped Ishu with; having been abandoned by Raisei and rescued by Gakuro, Ishu decides to betray Raisei and reveal that he plans to resurrect the Hyo in three days, prompting Nue to declare that Gakuro and Ishu need to get married for some reason. / I'm glad that Ishu is joining the harem, but I'm a little worried for what this sudden proposal means for the rest of the team's romantic endeavors; I don't hate Gakuro's new ability, but I wish it were more cohesive with either his shadow manipulation OR with Kasuza's abilities since she's the one who awakened it

Kagurabachi: After Kunishige's death, Yura approached Samura and explained the plan to retrieve Magatsumi and use its True Realm to restore the land that had been destroyed by the Malediction; to prevent a second Malediction and protect Iori, Samura accepted an alliance with the Hishaku and had his and Iori's memories of each other sealed; back in the present, Iori has broken the seal and tells Chihiro she wants to see her father, prompting him and Hiruhiko to draw their Enchanted Blades and thus summon Samura to their location. / God damn, that's a hell of an entrance! Also my apologies for something I said last week, I misunderstood and thought Samura sold out Kunishige, but that was just him receiving the news over the phone, and he only joined the Hishaku AFTER they gave him reason to think their plan could work

Chojo: Hanazono makes curry for Chojo, and the feelings she put into making it trap him in an illusion of the ingredients at boot camp. / A bit unorthodox, but this method of showing her determination to make food that Chojo would enjoy was weirdly endearing for me

Astro Royale: Tendo reveals that the Astro Battle Royale was a ploy to gather strong human emotions like greed into one place, and uses the Daybreak Ore to absorb the energy of the audience and become a monster; however, it's also revealed that Shikaba lured Hibaru to join the tournament specifically to betray Tendo and stop his plan; all of the current Yotsurugi allies gather to face off against Tendo. / Perhaps I'm not reading very closely, but it kind of seems like that contradicts everything that Shikaba has said and done so far, like TRYING TO KILL TAIRA! It kind of feels like Wakui is just making an excuse for things to shift in Hibaru's favor and didn't plan it that far in advance, and if he did, I'm not nearly invested enough to understand the groundwork he laid for it

Kiyoshi: The First and strongest Demon Lord, Tonjinchi, descends upon the team that just barely survived fighting Bakku Yoraku, and proceeds to take them all out one by one with no difficulty, though they survive just long enough for Tsurugi to arrive and save the day. / I've said before that this arc feels like a Hail Mary and that Usui is trying to show off the appeal of his cast to get people invested, so hopefully this will play out similar to Undead Unluck where the first half gets us vaguely familiar with everyone and THEN they get fleshed out in the back half; otherwise, this big group clash of people whose names I don't know against a giant wall just doesn't really do much for me

Hima-Ten: Tenichi tries to invite Himari to the fireworks, but due to a work conflict she turns him down; Tenichi goes with Honoka, but his mind is consistently on Himari; Himari laments her choice, only for Tenichi to arrive with some footage of the fireworks and a mysterious prize he won at the festival to salvage the night. / This seems like a sudden development in Himari's favor and admittedly it's got me nervous, but at face value it's a cute moment

Ichi: Ichi manages to regroup with Desscaras and explains the situation to her; she formulates a plan for Ichi to draw the guards' attention, leaving her the opportunity to interrogate Bakugami. / That brief smile from Desscaras when Ichi said he'd made a friend was so sweet, and a great set up for how funny it was that that still wasn't good enough to convince her that Gokuraku was on the up-and-up; while this plan seems fairly straightforward, this is obviously going to lead into the Bad News phase, where Desscaras also becomes a wanted criminal until Bakugami reveals his true colors at the Advent Celebration

Shinobi: Yodaka is invited to have cake at Aoi's condo, which turns out to be in a secret safehouse employed entirely by ninjas that are guarding VIPs; Mimizuku explains to Yodaka that the higher ups want him off the mission for losing his edge, but that he advocated for him to stay because of his emotional connection to Aoi, and offers to train him to overcome his newfound weakness; intruders enter the condo, which Mimizuku sees as a good opportunity for training. / I'm glad that Mimizuku is in Yodaka's corner - Yodaka still has to prove himself to the higher-ups, but at least he has someone guiding him and doesn't have to struggle on his own

Syd Craft: Syd and Elio drop in on the landlady's daughter, lazy genius inventor Hakua, for a visit, but end up in a compromising situation when one of her robots gets a bit too handsy. / She's cute, but...how old is she? She was so small in that five-year flashback, but she's very much not now...

Embers: Despite Haitani's confidence in his research, the moment he gets to the field he learns that praxis is a lot tougher than theory, and he ends up getting in his team's way constantly; when Captain Bugai pulls him aside, he's sure he's about to get benched, but instead gets some sage advice - to focus on his using strengths, not strengthening his weakness. / I'm glad to see Bugai encouraging Haitani, and I really love moments where characters get to really show off their value; it reminds me a lot of Luffy's "I can beat you" speech, as it illustrates how Haitani fits in the team rather than making him a one-man army

Beethoven: Now officially a student at Reiro Academy, Yaso meets up with Kahoin, who introduces him to the head of the piano program, Ai Aigou; despite her friendly appearance and reputation, Ai immediately starts treating Yaso with disdain, as she's actually the granddaughter of his former master, Tsutomu Mikagehara; meanwhile, Lexi and Marsha make their way to Japan and conjecture on what Beethoven and the necromancer are trying to accomplish; while we don't know the necromancer's purpose, Beethoven has begun work on his 33rd sonata. / Ai being Mikagehara's granddaughter is an interesting development, partially because it's a pretty logical inclusion, but also because there's a lot of nuance to why she'd resent Yaso; not only did he more or less force Mikagehara to push himself while ill (so she blames him for his death), he also went against his teachings and played to dominate the piano (betraying him), and then quit the piano entirely (putting the last few years of his life to waste); if any one of those circumstances were different, her opinion of Yaso might be at least somewhat less harsh, but that particular combination of factors serves to paint Yaso as poorly as possible, and turns Ai into a living manifestation of the insecurity that plagued Yaso for the last two years - that he's not worthy of making music anymore

Ruri Dragon: Ruri learns that human and dragon society are at odds and currently in a truce, and Takemoto asks which society she'd prefer to live in; as she's not particularly bothered either way, she chooses to stay as a human simply so as not to make anyone feel responsible for her leaving, on the condition that Takemoto continues to ensure she doesn't hurt anyone; Ruri has a nice little heart to heart with her friends about how difficult she finds it to navigate human relationships and how they want to keep hanging out with her to help her learn better; soon after, a new ice-based ability manifests itself. / It's interesting to me that Ruri never considers the fact that she knows nothing about dragon society when making her decision - this implies that she's so disinterested in society as a whole that she's just accepted she'll be the odd one out no matter what, and only chooses to stay as a human for the sake of the small circle she knows she has any semblance of a connection with; I also wonder if her very existence is the basis of the non-aggression pact, like her birth was the impetus for the treaty and any violence against her could potentially break the agreement; this doesn't seem like the kind of series that would bring up a huge political incident like that, but it suddenly seems like a distinct possibility

Across Akane being a bad fit for learning Shomei's Rakugo style, Yodaka being better at solo missions than guard or team missions, and Haitani ruining his defensive skills by trying to switch to being an all-rounder, there's a lot of analysis on mismatching a character's skills and placement this week. What's more interesting, though, is how they all choose to address it - using it as an opportunity to learn a new skillset, proving the doubters wrong, and refocusing on core strengths. They're all different, and none of them are wrong

This Week's Top 3:

Sakamoto Days for how well it sells its dramatic hypothetical

Kagurabachi for its absolutely gorgeous two-page spread

Embers for Haitani's character moment

Aww, Nue's streak broke! It was really close, too, honestly! The emotional weight of Gakuro saving Ishu by absorbing the poison from her into himself was pretty good, but it was held back by how repetitive it felt for Gakuro to use his new power twice in one chapter rather than having it spread out, plus the weird turn that Gakuro has to marry Ishu now. I'm gonna let Kawae cook before I assume that the poly ending is dead in the water, but that's a hell of a hiccup along the way!

[thehopelessexception]

how can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22 (almost 24)

warning: im writing this while im on my period and eating ice cream.

i've been dissociating for what now? half a year maybe more. i dont recognize reality. i feel im floating in this sea we call society and i've been feeling the wilson of the story here. i assume everything that's happening around me is real, ofc. but that doesnt make it any less a convenient arrangement i build for myself to try to act like a real person and not freak out. i am feeling out of reality. like the part of the game where you let the sim on auto-mode. i am the sim on auto-mode. and i don't know how to stop this stage of oblivion.

to make a vague introduction, the thing with me is that im a living paradox of a full time contradiction. i am flamboyant but i hate being perceived. i like to speak up for myself but i hate people thinking about me because of it. i have my own process of how i understand things. i trust logic and i question everything. im quite skeptical over things when there's no empirical evidence. i seek for knowledge. critical thinking, data analysis and the whole stuff. i know myself. i sometimes look like i am too obnoxious, frivolous, morally corrupted (people have told me that), when i obsess over something —because i sometimes treat people like they are stupid (not my intention really)—; but probably the only thing im completely sure of is myself. i tend to be a confident person, to have an ego, to not let the guard down, to calculate every single move. and lately i am noticing myself being impulsive, insecure, nervous, weird, saying stupid shit, nonsenses, feeling small. and i don't know how to make it stop. the thing is i put my whole self-esteem backed up by my intelligence, however im not sure of anything anymore. i don't know if the reason behind not recognising myself lately is the fact i have somehow a new crush —or a new hyperfixation for that matter— or just the natural act of growing, also known as the quarter life crisis.

i have this thing where i hyperfix on random stuff, i've been like this my whole life. one of my friends even made a powerpoint of all the things i've been obsessed with over the years. and the issue here is that this things never last that much, or maybe they do? i actually never though about it. the most random ones i remember are probably me buying ice-cream cakes of this specific brand every week for two months. i also got obsessed with eating too many scrambled eggs all day every day for a very long time. then it was that turkish telenovela on an airing channel. then ofc succession, and it grew into watching every single movie kieran culkin was part of. the world cup. mbti —im intj by the way—. red white and royal blue (i watched it five times in a day), then nicholas galitzine —did yk he has a lineage that comes all the way from the romanovs?— and his entire filmography. and also politics, i got way into politics; election campaigns, follow up candidates, history, economy, the law, etc (my candidate lost tho) (we're succumbing to disgrace) (like literally we collectively, as a country, haven't had any kind of good news since then) (please help me). and etc etc. but the thing is, i also hyperfix on random people, or not so random i guess. it doesnt happen very often tho, im quite picky, but the procedure is this: i meet someone, they draw somehow my attention, i want to know everything about this person, i talk to this person a lot (medium to long term) (week to months), and then this person becomes my friend or i get bored and completely ignore them for the rest of my life and move on.

but this time is different, or im feeling it different. i find myself questioning everything i know and i was convinced of. i dont know if it has something to do with the fact that i met someone, probably the first person wise enough to make me question if i was ever correct about anything. maybe i am hyperfixating on this person, idealizing them. but it's truly amazing how much more data this person has about everything i know of. and right now i feel way too insecure, because even if this person told me they find me smart and they enjoy talking to me, i am always thinking that if i say something not completely fact-checked they'll think im stupid. it's absurd. it's a boohoo situation, i know. and it's a process im having about who am i, or what am i supposed to be. some months ago the whole context around my life changed or i think it changed? i dont know how to explain it, —i mean i know how but i would have to talk about other things not related to this (politics stuff, things happening in my country, etc). i'll probably will make a new post about it someday—. but the whole issue is, i dont know myself anymore. and everything is crumbling.

im afraid the person i build for myself it's a fraud. or doesnt exist anymore.

i remember myself at 18, and i was this marvellous whole person. independent, smart, focused, driven. that girl spent their whole days outside her house. did everything she wanted to. wasnt scared of anything. and i look at myself now and think how? the pandemic has a lot to do with it i guess, but when i first heard taylor saying that in nothing new i thought "that wont happen to me". guess what, i was wrong.

for my fellow girlies being 23 —in my experience— is exactly how they say it will be. the worst age of your life.

next month is my birthday and im pushing 24. and i have to say my life is a mess. but i dont know if i can call it a mess because it is truly a mess or because i am a complete drama queen. because people probably have worse problems than mine, and i am what you call a white girl, only poorer —and a third world country citizen—. the issue is, i am almost 24, almost 25. almost 27. ALMOST 30. and i did nothing with my life. absolutely nothing. my mom had me at 29 for god's sake.

and by nothing i mean everything i do is not enough to feel it worthy of a life well-lived. should i look for a job and work while studying just to say i am extremely occupied because i have somehow a life? just to feel something? even if that makes my stress situation and anxiety even worse? should i somehow save enough money so i can move from my parents house? even if for my whole generation it's close to impossible? is studying something i (kinda) like enough to not feel like shit about myself? i've never had a boyfriend, nor girlfriend. shoud i look for one? get myself one? even if i dont think any of that would make me happy? i dont think i know happiness as a state of mind, nor the concept of it.

i dont feel like i have many anecdotes to tell in my future. should i measure the life-worth by anecdotes? my friends feel the same way i do, but they have a more organized life. jobs, boyfriends, careers, plans for the future, one of my closest friends move to the other side of the world with her boyfriend (!) in the blink of an eye. but they aren't much happy nor they have many anecdotes either. and i dont have the money or the guts or the available friends to create any.

every day i understand fleabag a bit more.

my favourite anecdotes about my life are from when i was about 13 and 15 years, also known as the worst time of my life. i didnt appreciated it back then, probably none of us did. but when we were teens everything was possible and we didnt have a care on anything other than mundane stuff or rebellious stuff but nothing more than yelling at people, drinking and smoking weird shit (i never had weed tho). not a real responsibility. being careless, free, avoiding consequences that mattered. i think that girl hates me right now. and i am not sure if that's the feeling i should have or if it's just utterly pathetic.

[spewagepipe]

The Evolution of RPGs: Blackmoor

Dave Arneson was a miniatures wargamer who did not like having his authority challenged. He preferred to referee rather than compete, but he didn't like being held accountable to a system of rules, nor having to answer for the historical realism of his rulings. In 1971, he started a fantasy wargame campaign, Blackmoor, that could satisfy his needs. Blackmoor's only definite rules were his own caprices, and any inconsistencies could be excused as easily as "a wizard did it". He borrowed concepts and mechanics ad hoc from the likes of Braunstein, Chainmail and Outdoor Survival, and certain modes of play would sometimes stick around for a while, but Blackmoor was chiefly whatever Arneson wanted it to be on any given week.

Most often, Blackmoor was structured like an MMO in tabletop form: a persistent, open-world, sandbox game where players could drop in and out at any time. The most common mode of play consisted of typical wargame battles: the aristocratic "heroes" (and their NPC soldiers) defending Blackmoor Barony against the invading forces of the often-monstrous "baddies". But, like Braunstein, players were given all manner of roles on both sides of the conflict, including merchants, thieves, wizards, vampires, and more. Arneson would inject villainous schemes drawn from his favourite fantasy fiction, but there was no particular "story" to Blackmoor and the characters were little more than avatars for their players, motivated entirely by pragmatic efforts to enrich and empower themselves.

Expanding upon the morale advancement mechanics from his Napoleonic Simulation Campaign, Arneson tracked all manner of ratings and statistics that a character could improve in Blackmoor – including, for instance, martial prowess, or the ability to cast magical spells. We therefore have Blackmoor's experience level systems to thank for the emergence of things like level-grinding and Skinner-Box gameplay.

The far more positive aspect of Arneson's legacy is the invention of dungeon crawling. Conceived as little more than a fanciful diversion, Arneson introduced a set of subterranean labyrinths beneath the baron's castle filled with monsters and treasures from the mythical underworld, and sent his players down to chart it.

The small physical space and sparse contents of dungeon rooms constrained the array of meaningful actions that a player might perform at any given time. Arneson found, therefore, that he could better predict and prepare for what would happen, allowing him to design dungeon spaces with intention and purpose – while also making his arbitration more consistent during play. Players, meanwhile, were met with reliably mysterious and thrilling situations that simultaneously featured clearer goals, and clearer actions by which those goals could be achieved, than the wide-open sandbox above. Restricting the possibilities had paradoxically enhanced player agency, increasing their engagement and satisfaction.

Arneson's players so much preferred dungeon crawling that they completely lost interest in their other objectives. Eventually, the first Blackmoor campaign concluded when the "baddies" simply conquered the barony while the heroes were busy raiding the dungeon. In turned out that, with the dungeon, Arneson had accidentally created a compelling, focused, coherent mode of play – a well-designed game – and there was nothing in the rest of his meandering, unruly, fantasy world that could possibly compete.

Click here for the index of my Evolution of RPGs posts.

[invinciblerodent]

1, 5 and 23 for bg3 from the salty ask list

Thank you for asking! ❤️

Question list here!

1.What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Oh, I think this is the one that's gonna get me hate mail lol.

I'm putting this one under the cut right away, because I can feel that if I get hate for anything today, even if I can skate by with voicing that I'm not a fan of Fenris or Lucanis, it'll be this...

I'm a brave girl, I can say words about video games, watch me do it, here we go.

I do not get Bloodweave.

I really don't get it, and I don't want it explained to me.

From the start, from the first time I saw those two being paired together, I got this very distinct feeling that it's probably one of those ships that was born from someone looking at the lineup of characters, and thinking "I like this one conventionally attractive white guy, but what could be better? ..... I know, two! 😀" , and since then, the world has done very little to convince me otherwise.

Like it feels to me like the sheer popularity of this ship, when compared to others between characters of the same general caliber, is a very good way to exemplify how far the general fandom-wide lack of interest in female characters and characters of color goes. (respect to those exempt, of course)

Like, tongue fully lodged in my cheek, but two white men with the bare minimum level of investment in each other's survival casually standing near each other isn't entirely what I think about when I hear the words "romantic tension".

It's just... it's one of those things, you know? That you don't really mind (because I'm not an asshole, because I know how to use content filters and the block button, because I like to let people have their fun), but it still annoys you just that little bit more the more you see it?

Even if it doesn't appeal to me, I can look at quite a few Origin ships and see right there what they're about, yknow? I'm not really into any, but I get why someone would be intrigued by the dynamic of, say, Shadowheart and Lae'zel (enemies-to-begrudging-friends, a slow creeping in of warmth, the straddling scene, I get it), I'm like on the very edge of being into Karlach and Wyll (the natural affection and friendship they share, their permanently intertwined storylines, I can see it, they always love each other on some level, adding romance to it isn't that much of a jump), even Karlach and Astarion have something I can see (their pasts of suffering resulting in drastically different personalities, one struggling to relate in a way that goes beyond touch and the other being incapable of being touched, there's enough to play with there), but Gale and Astarion, I just...

Like I can't for the life of me look past having romanced the both of them, just how differently the two of them behaved in love, and just how different the player characters I felt those romances implied.

I don't want to go into novel-length character analyses of the delicate interweaving of hubris and ambition and violence and whathaveyou, the threads of abuse that connect all of the characters in a spider's web of pain, the reaching for power that can leave both their partners in positions of untenable vulnerability, but just on the very surface... let's be real. One of them is someone who would say "ooh, don't mind if I do, let's be naughty today" when he orders a pastry to go with his coffee and makes a vow of soul-crushing devotion like three weeks into knowing someone, and the other is a guy who needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into both love and having morals, and thinks that stealing money from children is one of the most fun things to do with your clothes on. What are we doing.

Like, realistically, I think if they were interested in each other in that way, their mutual hubris-coupled-with-and-born-from-PTSD-and-an-intense-inferiority-complex would just have them Lesbian Sheep Paradoxing each other until one of them dies from an entirely preventable cause.

................ so yeah, all in all, it's just not a dynamic that appeals to me, lol.

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

I don't think so? There are a few interpretations, characters and pairings alike that I have found reductive (or sometimes based in an understanding of the text that I wouldn't necessarily call functional, to be quite honest with you), but I feel like that's always the case with any piece of media that has more than three people talking about it. There will always be people who are just... kinda wrong.

Sure, my enthusiasm for a few have lessened over time, and I've become less likely to look for- and read them because of having seen one too many interpretations that I didn't enjoy (there is, ngl, exactly one Galemance other than my own that I want to engage with at this point), but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't still be able to enjoy it in the source material.

Lately I've been trying to divorce my fandom-experience from my media-experience, and while it's been a bit of a mixed bag with not an overwhelming amount of success, it has restored some enjoyment to my engaging with the games and franchises that I like.

(I kinda credit starting to watch Stargate with that, tbh. I'm like just shy of three seasons in, and it's been fun to just see something that's somewhat silly and self-contained, but stands on its own, and does so so far in the past that any fandom discussion that may have happened back when it first came out is so far buried under years and years of posts that I don't feel like I have to concern myself with it.)

23. Unpopular character you love?

Wyll my beloved

In all seriousness, I feel like this one just happens to be a fandom where whether someone can be considered "unpopular" is kind of difficult to define. There are just so many players, so many minor characters elevated by fans to the point of having greatly inflated importance (at least to the story they want to tell within it), and such a variety of perspectives, that I just...

I genuinely struggle to think of another besides Wyll who I love, but absolutely believe to be criminally underrated when compared to the size of his role.

Which, I mean... partially just, see above a reason why, but it's just very depressing to talk more about at this point, so I'll leave it at that for now.

[bopinion]

2023 / 50

Aperçu of the Week:

"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling."

(Edna Ferber, US-American writer and Pulitzer Prize winner)

Bad News of the Week:

It's happening now: international aid for Ukraine is faltering. Western governments are increasingly calling for a negotiated peace and would like to reinvest in national interests, as elections are soon to be held. After almost two years of reporting on the war, the Western media are showing a certain tiredness of the topic that could probably only be revived by Taylor Swift. Western populations are increasingly realizing that sanctions and military aid are good for morale but bad for the wallet. And then attention and compassion - to put it insensitively - have been strongly rivaled by the Gaza war.

Vladimir Putin has the resources on his side. The Russian ruler has a productive weapons industry, immense manpower that can be mobilized, no scruples, secure state revenues, no opposition or free media, strategic partners and above all: time. On the other hand, the USA is facing the end of its military aid due to Republican power games. Something Europe cannot compensate for. And Europe is facing a blockade of civilian aid funds (guess what? That's right: Viktor Orbán). Something the USA does not want to compensate for.

Both were foreseeable. At the latest when it became clear that the hopeful summer offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces could not actually achieve anything. In fact, it is about defending our values. Yes, the Western world ignored Libya. Abandoned Afghanistan. Looked the other way on Yemen for years until it began to hurt its own trade. But we can't just sit back and accept that a geostrategic war of aggression is being waged on the European continent. When a bully terrorizes kids in the playground, you hope that the others will stick together and stand up to him. Is that asking too much?

Good News of the Week:

The real Donald is back. I'm not talking about the beloved Disney character but about the Polish Prime Minister. The new and the old - since Donald Tusk already hold office from 2007 to 2014. After a long wait, since the Polish President - from PiS, what a surprise! - first tasked the supposed election winner PiS (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość / Law and Justice) with forming the government, even though it has no coalition partner, the will of the people was respected and the opposition took over. With Donald Tusk as Prime Minister.

It cannot have been a coincidence that his first official act was to attend the EU summit. Tusk is very familiar with its procedures. After all, he was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019 - the number one job on this continent. And for years he was accused of putting European interests above Polish ones. Which is a paradox in itself. After all, if any nation can draw on its history to realize that it can flourish in Europe, then it is Poland.

The history of our neighboring country to the east is very complex. With many tragically dark, but also hopefully bright chapters. One thing is clear: both countries benefit from good neighborly relations. That's why it was unpleasant for us to be used as a pawn in the election campaign. In one election campaign commercial, the PiS party leader Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński shouted into the phone that it was time to stop being dictated to by Berlin (there was also a version with Brussels). A cheap attempt by the populists to sell their right-wing nationalism as a defense of patriotic independence. Even a law (officially in order to protect elections) was passed to prevent the opposition from winning the election. And despite the lack of a parliamentary majority, the PiS was tasked with forming a government (which was doomed to failure in the foreseeable future).

It didn't help, as hundreds of thousands on the streets and ultimately the majority of the Polish electorate demanded: away from xenophobia, media surveillance and obstruction of justice. Towards democracy, freedom and Europe. Now everyone wins. The European Union is happy about a strong and self-confident, but open and cooperative Poland. And Poland is finally (back) where it belongs: in the middle of Europe.

Personal happy moment of the week:

Last Friday I was invited to a student party. Officially by my daughter's student council (political science at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University), which is an honor that otherwise only a few professors and hand-picked alumni are entitled to. So that I could have a drink, I naturally traveled by bike and public transport. And took the penultimate regional train - just to be sure. So I was sitting on the train with Moby on my headphones when I noticed at an intermediate station that quite a few passengers had somehow got off. Then a train attendant speaks to me: "It's always the same with the headphone wearers. You have to get out of here!".

I realize that the part of the train I'm sitting in is being unhooked and parked here. I rush out of the carriage and forward to the section of the train that continues to my station. But the door no longer opens and the train starts moving. Fuck! It flashes through my mind that I now have to wait for the last train. For an hour. In sub-zero temperatures at two in the morning. At a station in the middle of nowhere, where there is neither a kiosk nor a waiting room, just a draughty platform. But after a meter the train stops, the button to open the door lights up green and I can board. The train driver has obviously seen me in the rear-view mirror. And decided that he has a soft spot for headphone wearers. Thank you very much, you made me happy.

I couldn't care less...

...about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He has been blocking important decisions in the European Union for years because it won't let him do everything he wants - such as disempowering the judiciary, disregarding human rights or controlling the media. He does not fit the image of a European at all. Although hardly any other EU country is as dependent on European funds as his. He would like to keep it that way. And not share financial resources with others, especially not with Ukraine. He is using his veto for this, as many decisions at European level require unanimity according to the statute. But even he will not be able to prevent Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia from seeing their future in Europe. Even if he has to leave the room even more often for important votes: Destiny is destiny.

As I write this...

...the German military ends its mission in Mali. The Bundeswehr is a so-called "parliamentary army" that may only be deployed by resolution of the Bundestag and only for defense purposes. Since the Yugoslavian wars, it has also been deployed internationally to defend civilians and democracy, for example as part of United Nations blue helmet missions. Mali is a failed state in West Africa that has been continously in armed battles since its independence from the colonial power France in 1960. The UN mission was supposed to ensure a peace process.

A decade, many deaths and billions later, the foreign military forces are withdrawing. And leave the country in just as desolate a state as they found it. Memories of Afghanistan come to mind. Perhaps we should think about the method of "creating peace without weapons" ("Frieden schaffen ohne Waffen"). I am very sure that the establishment of a permanent school and healthcare system, for example, would have done more for the population than temporary military bases.

Post Scriptum

This year's world climate conference COP28 in Dubai is over. Doubts had already been raised in the run-up to the conference as to whether the event management by one of the most important producers of fossil fuels, of all people, could ensure a targeted phase-out of precisely these forms of energy. And these doubts proved to be justified. The final communiqué, which was ratified by all participating states, contains a soft formulation that calls for a long-term phase-out of oil and gas, but does not create any obligations. Which reminds me of my son promising for the umpteenth time to tidy up his room. Because he realizes it in theory. And then nothing happens in practice.

At the same time, more and more ambitious climate protection measures are being scaled back or at least called into question. Because the hope of some technological miracle in the future (keyword "carbon capture and storage") feels so much better than giving up the comfort we are used to. Humanity has the knowledge, skills and abilities to prevent the worst. But it simply shows far too little willingness to do what is necessary. Out of laziness and convenience. Like my son. I am so tired...

[paradox-of-morality]

Paradox of Morality the Game {Paradox of the Week} {Dating App Lovers...

[milloretblog]

Why HR Recruiting Agencies Are Crucial for Growing Businesses

As companies expand, one of the most significant challenges they face is hiring the right people to support their growth. Whether it’s a startup scaling operations or an established business branching into new markets, the human element remains central to success. In such cases, partnering with a professional HR recruiting agency or a human resources staffing company can be a game-changer. These specialized agencies offer a range of benefits that help businesses grow efficiently, strategically, and sustainably.

The Hiring Dilemma of Growing Companies

Growth presents a paradox: the more a company scales, the greater its need for skilled employees — yet it often has less time and fewer resources to manage the hiring process. Internal HR teams may become overwhelmed by the volume of applications or lack the expertise to fill niche roles quickly. This is where external support becomes invaluable.

An HR recruiting agency specializes in finding candidates tailored to specific business needs, whether for long-term leadership positions or short-term operational support. They possess the tools, databases, and industry insight to quickly identify top talent — a process that would otherwise take weeks or even months internally.

Expertise and Market Knowledge

HR agencies do more than match résumés to job descriptions. They bring a wealth of industry-specific knowledge, including salary trends, in-demand skill sets, and market expectations. This insight helps businesses craft more competitive offers and attract stronger candidates.

For example, if a tech company is expanding in Dallas, an HR recruiting agency can advise whether the local talent pool meets the company’s needs, what salaries are typical for certain roles, and how to position job listings for optimal reach.

Similarly, a human resources staffing company can help a growing firm develop its HR strategy. This might include creating onboarding processes, defining job responsibilities, or planning workforce expansion in a way that aligns with company goals.

Speed and Efficiency

Time is a critical factor when a business is growing. Every day that a key position remains unfilled is a day when productivity, revenue, and morale can be impacted. HR recruiting agencies significantly reduce time-to-hire. With a large network of pre-screened candidates and established vetting processes, agencies can often provide qualified candidates within days.

In addition, they take on the heavy lifting of recruitment: posting jobs, screening résumés, conducting initial interviews, and verifying references. This allows internal teams to focus on higher-value tasks, such as evaluating cultural fit and onboarding new hires.

Access to a Broader Talent Pool

One of the most significant advantages of working with a human resources staffing company is access to a wide network of active and passive candidates. Passive candidates — those not actively looking for a job but open to opportunities — are often highly qualified but hard to reach through traditional job postings.

HR agencies maintain ongoing relationships with professionals across various industries. This means they can tap into a larger and more diverse pool of candidates than most companies can reach on their own. This is especially useful when hiring for hard-to-fill roles or leadership positions.

Flexibility for Different Hiring Needs

Growth is rarely linear, and staffing needs can change quickly. A company might need to hire a dozen new customer service representatives in one quarter and then pause hiring the next. Alternatively, it might need interim HR support during a merger or system upgrade.

HR recruiting agencies offer flexible hiring models to meet these shifting needs. Whether it’s temporary, temp-to-perm, or direct hire, these agencies can adjust their services accordingly. This kind of agility is crucial for businesses in dynamic environments.

Compliance and Risk Reduction

Employment laws vary by state and are subject to frequent updates. For businesses operating in cities like Dallas, staying compliant with local regulations is non-negotiable. Mistakes in employment practices can lead to legal issues and financial penalties.

A reputable HR recruiting agency helps ensure compliance by staying up to date with labor laws and best practices. From proper classification of workers to managing background checks and I-9 documentation, agencies handle the details that can often trip up fast-moving businesses.

Strategic Partnership, Not Just a Service

In many cases, the relationship between a growing business and an HR staffing company evolves into a long-term partnership. Agencies become trusted advisors who understand the company’s culture, vision, and goals. They can provide ongoing support for workforce planning, employee retention, and leadership development.

When viewed not merely as a service provider but as a strategic ally, a recruiting agency can play a key role in shaping a company’s future. This kind of partnership ensures that as the business evolves, so too does its workforce — with the right people in the right roles at the right time.

Conclusion

Growth is exciting, but it comes with its own set of challenges — especially when it comes to hiring. Working with an experienced HR recruiting agency or human resources staffing company allows businesses to scale smarter and faster. By leveraging their expertise, resources, and networks, companies can focus less on the hiring process and more on innovation, operations, and strategy. In today’s competitive talent market, that kind of support isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.

[satanismeng]

The Strongest Rat or Human Cannibalism?

Imagine you live in the mansion of your dreams and are immensely pleased with it. At some point, you notice rats but pay no attention to it. Meanwhile, the number of rodents increases, and it becomes clear that they are ruining the ambiance and starting to annoy you. First, it's torn wallpaper, scratched parquet, then shredded belongings, and damaged interior attributes. In some places, there's even rat droppings everywhere.

We catch the strongest and most aggressive rats in an iron bucket and leave them for a couple of weeks. When we open the bucket, we find a single survivor, having eaten all the others out of hunger. From now on, we have a true rat predator, as all it feeds on now is its own kind.

In the world, we observe not just rat fights—we are participants in this bloody game ourselves. Unwittingly drawn in and defiled by deceitful media, we are considered the most fearsome beasts in their eyes because we are not them.

Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Pagans—all of them are fighting for the title of the strongest.

The meaning of the struggle has long been lost, and the truth forgotten. The main goal remains to prove who is the "strongest rat cannibal." Fortunately, there is a difference between rat fights and the real world. And it lies in using cunning, intelligence, and resourcefulness, as well as ruthlessness when necessary.

While many think: "There is no place for the weak in this world. Those who are ready to be with God will be at the top," there are also those who ask: "What is this summit if the path to it is strewn with the remains of kin? They all have one summit, but each is sure that their version is the one at the top?"

The absurdity of the situation is that none of these rats strive to climb up. They all frantically run around in circles of hatred and evil, repeatedly trying to prove their "rightness" to others. A true paradox.

In this hellish cauldron, there are no winners or losers. There are victims devouring each other over differing opinions, and those who decided to rise above this religious dance of absurdity. The former feed on fear and hatred for each other, desperately wanting to become "closer to God." And each of them forgets that their God did not bequeath this to them.

In the shadow of our own kind, we can see the true essence: it is not religion or moral norms that drive us, but pure and unadulterated desire for power and control. In this battle, everyone reveals their beastly nature, calling upon primal instincts. Truly, man is nothing but the greatest predator.

The fight will be long. Remember, the true predator is not the largest or the strongest, but the most cunning and devious.

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Hermes

Hey guys, still doing what I can to stay healthy (and entertained) in quarantine. Staying still, keeping calm, and trying not to exert myself too much because of the shortness of breath thing going on. My lungs just can't get enough air it seems… 😅 Anyway, I've gotten a lot of suggestions on this series and I'm excited to keep it going. Just going to be a tad slow until I'm feeling better. Thank you for the support, y'all!

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes

Lucifer

Oh no… it’s everyone’s worst nightmare… Another Mammon, but competent. Devil help us all…

Had he known who their father was, he'd have never assigned Mammon to watch over them. Hell, he would have made sure those two never even met. They became a new handful for him to manage from the day they first arrived…

When even more things started going missing around the House than normal, he knew he had made a grave mistake… They were clever, quick, and skilled. About the best WORST combination for a burglar to be…

Worse still, they were fast on their feet. He would pretty much have no way to nab them on foot and always had to resort to his wings or magic to have any hope of catching up to them… At least Mammon usually gets himself cornered!

But, paradoxically, he also came to notice that the mortal had an odd honesty streak to them... Like, they’d steal but they’d always admit to it, unlike Mammon who would try to deflect till he was blue in the face.

Were they proud of their work, maybe? Or just didn’t see the point in trying to get away with it...?

There would be several occasions where they’d take something, sell it with Mammon, and then steal the thing back later just to put it back where it belonged, seemingly never with Mammon’s permission to do so either… 

Is it better that they returned the stolen item or worse because their actions went from just robbery to a full-on scam? Either way, it gives him headaches trying to deal with it…

He pretty much gives up getting the mortal to stop after 6 months, they are legitimately that good, but makes them swear to always put back whatever they take at some point. It seems to work out and he lets more things slide, but please someone get them out of here soon… 

Mammon

Soulmatesoulmatesoulmatesoulmate, or maybe more accurately “Partner-in-Crime” but that means pretty much the same thing to him anyway. 🤷‍♀️

He’s never met a person better at thievery than they were. The day they met, they managed to pick his pockets without breaking a sweat (or a finger) and that was it. He was in love.

They could teleport! Actually teleport!! Suddenly, NOTHING was off limits to him any more! Lucifer’s rare records? Easy. Levi’s secret safe? Cakewalk. The Castle vault?? Child’s play!! It was like they could steal anything they put their mind to!!

He didn't even have to worry about them when they made getaways because they were fast too, the two actually have parkour races through the streets for the hell of it!

On top of all that, they were wicked creative. He’d come up with a money-making scheme then they’d offer him all sorts of little tricks to help get away with it...

HE’D have never realized that they could turn themselves into rats in order to frighten and sneak past Barbatos, but they thought of it the instant they heard of his fear of things. They're a mad genius!!

The only real downside was they seemed to like stealing for the sport of it instead of for the money… so they always steal back whatever they took.

That kind of defeats the purpose of all that work in the first place, right? Ah well, at least that's more money for him.

These two pretty much became a walking menace to Devildom society- Sorry, not sorry.

Leviathan

Not another Mammon!!! WHY?! What did he do to deserve this?!?

When he started noticing that EVEN MORE of his stuff was going missing than usual, he straight-up flipped! Like, had the mortal not been pretty tough in their own right they would have been Lotan-chow. End of discussion.

… And then they started using their powers for good? Kind of?

Like, first off they would always give back what they stole, which was a nice change from Mammon. Annoying, but at least he didn't have to go buy replacement games or anything…

And then they started stealing him limited edition merch or tickets and stuff because they… liked him?? He guessed???

Why else would they go to all the trouble of swiping one of the five ultra-rare Kitsune Ruri-chan figurines from its original collector? He would have had to pay Mammon half his tail for something like that but the MC just brought it to him one morning because they could!

Is… is this love? Has he grown to love that which he hates?! What is even happening anymore!?! Who is he?!? 😫

Eventually he has to reconcile his conflicted feelings by dubbing them the real life Peony Phantom Thief, Jane and even making them a cosplay. Yes, they have to wear it when they bring him things. No, it's not weird, shut up.

Satan

He wants to be irritated, no - furious, that they keep taking his stuff… But he’ll be damned if they aren’t making Lucifer’s life a living hell right now. 😏

He's honestly not even sure how they managed to swipe half of the priceless portraits in the Castle (a considerable feat since there's one for Every. Room.) but they pulled it off in under a week. Barbs didn't even notice the replicas…

If that's not mildly terrifying, he doesn't know what is. Who knows what things he could be missing at any given moment...?

At least the mortal had the good sense to return his things, unlike Mammon, which gets them off his shit list for the most part. 🤷‍♀️

It helps that they’re also impressively well-traveled. They claim to have been across every human continent and sailed every ocean. Though he was skeptical at first, just hearing their stories eventually convinced him.

What sort of person has sailed the Amazon River, hiked through Arctic tundra, seen every major capital city, and still had time to explore the sights of the French Riviera?

One that has magical teleportation powers apparently.

Frankly, he could listen to their stories of the human world all day and still ask for another. He's told them that they may as well just write a book of their own for him at some point, it'd be beneficial to their poor vocal chords.

Asmodeus

Ugh! Really? Another thief in the House?? Wasn’t one hard enough to deal with?!

Honestly, stolen beauty products aren't exactly something you can just sell or give back, so unfortunately a lot of Asmo's clothes/accessories get targeted and he is NOT happy about it...

Around the time his favorite scarf was stolen for the third time, he was about to gut the mortal himself, but they struck a deal with him. They could nab his clothes SO LONG as they returned them with an extra little "gift."

Jewelry, perfume, creams, nail polish, etc. Asmo kept a running list and pretty much treated his thieving friend like a less moral version of Akuzon. Whatever he asked for, no matter how rare or expensive, they always got their hands on so who was he to complain?

He once decided to test them by asking for the Hope Diamond - which they got for him - but he made them return it after a week after the curse on it made him ruin a particularly intricate manicure so…

Like Satan, he's also pretty impressed with all the places they've seen. He's pretty traveled in the human world himself so they exchange travel stories all the time!

He may bother them to him out traveling from time to time. There are so many gorgeous and romantic places to visit in the human world after all, it's not like anybody could stop them from just… popping in to have a look. Right? 😏

Beelzebub

They learned very quickly that his food is absolutely off limits and after that, they were good.

Seriously. Beel caught them once trying to swipe a piece of pizza from his dinner and he nearly ripped their arm off for it…

But on the flipside, he also knows that he can go to them if he REALLY needs a snack and is short on cash. 

It's pretty comical watching the fleet-foot mortal running from angry demon vendors with a basket of stolen apples for their buddy… But he appreciates their enthusiasm! 🙂

Beel actually likes to hear about their travels too, but mostly what they've eaten. They can keep him enraptured for hours by describing all the food they've come across in the human world…

Watch out for the drool, though.

Since they can teleport, they'll sometimes pop up with a human world treat for him and the man internally swears his undying love for them every time...

Outwardly, though, he just smiles. 'Cause he's a sweetie.

Belphegor

They… they opened the attic door on, like, the first day they met… They didn’t even make it look that hard, they had some kind of knack for breaking and entering…

Seriously, imagine the look on his face when they just walk into the attic to say hello… He had this whole, “Lure and Trick the Human” plan all thought out then they pulled out a magic lockpick or something and BOOM! Freedom!

He laughed, perhaps a little closer to the edge of sanity than he was intending, and he tried to attack them but they were so damn fast he couldn't land a single hit!

Damn was it embarrassing when the others came in…

MC: "LUCIFER! LUCIFER!! There's a monster in your attic!!!"

Lucifer: "That's not a monster that's my brother!!"

MC: *stops midway through kneeing Belphie in the stomach* …. Ooooooooh!

MC: Whoops. 

It was a… rocky start.

After they settled their differences quelled Belphie's bloodlust he found that they kind of grew on him rather quickly… Something about that mischievous energy and how much they gave his brothers (minus Beel) grief with it.

He absolutely helps them with their plans if it will annoy Lucifer in any way. Occasionally, they'll even take Belphie out on raids instead of Mammon.

Turns out he's surprisingly good at distractions because all he has to do is pretend to fall then take a nap. People around him will legitimately believe that he needs medical attention so the MC can sneak through crowds undetected...

Of course, Mammon gets PISSED when they do this, though. How dare his baby brother try to steal away his perfect partner!! Get your own damn mortal, Belphie!!! 🤬

[its-me-im-coraline]

Shy // Headcannons

words // around 900

warnings // none

author's note // this is a little short but I genuinely couldn't come up a lot. im sorry im just having some bad mental health days. also im sorry to the 2 people on the tag list lol for forgetting to tag them on the last fic, lol. if anyone wants to be tagged let me know, if you just want to chat about maneskin and little scenarios I'm thinking of maybe having a "sleepover" once a week where instead of posting longer fics I can simply reply to asks with mini scenarios? let me know if you like that idea cause i would loooove it

request // yes, here

summary // the band with a shy (or socially anxious) s/o

Damiano David

we all know this man is all over the place

in a good way of course

he is confident, outspoken and just out there in general

although a paradox he would be perfect with a shy person

he draws the attention to him when you need him to take it away from you

but he gives you all his attention when you need it

he would be really comforting to a shy s/o

“Do you want to get out of here? Is it too crowded? it is too crowded, omg. come on, lets go”

is always there to make interactions with people easier

“so, this is my partner, y/n. They are great.”

will introduce you to someone really proudly and would not leave even for a second unless he saw you had gotten comfortable around that person

will literally hold off going to the restroom if he sees you’re still shy around whoever you two speak to.

“Damiano, just go! It’s fine”

this is funny, don’t judge me

has no problem doing all the talking for you

“You want me to order for you? no problem. Yes, hi, could we please get-”

in general, damiano is literally there to do the s o c i a l i z i n g for you when you need him to

Victoria De Angelis

vic is also the type of person that would quickly cover up for your shyness

will not even ask if you want her to order for you, she already knows

“Have you decided what you want, babe? oh, great.”

casually waits for the waiter before ordering for both of you

i feel victoria is a little more “pushy” and let me explain this

she will not force you to socialize but she will push you to familiarize yourself with crowded places

will always be with you of course

“Come on baby, I know it is crowded, but I am here, ok?”

has a plan on how you guys will go about if she has to introduce you to someone

it’s not that she will not do the socializing for you if she has to but she will be there to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone regarding it.

not too much, and never alone, but just enough to make you more comfortable around new faces

like she will make phone calls for you, the ordering for you and all but under other circumstances she pushes you to work on the shyness a bit

Thomas Raggi

I feel like thomas is equally as shy so the game is played between the mood you guys have that day

when the one is having a “shy-er” day (lol) the other will do the phone calls and what not

“thomas, call over the waiter, we need to pay so we can leave”

“why don’t you? they are in your peripheral view”

“cause i did it last time thom! now call over the waiter!”

“y/n!”

“Is everything ok? Anything else I can get you two?”

“Y-yes. the check please”

embarrassing

generally tho you two tend to kind of ‘give strength’ to each other when you have to do something like that.

like holding hands and giving each other encouraging words before having to interact with someone

lol my friends and I do exactly that!

although I see Thomas being a little sneaky sometimes and just avoiding to do something until you are fed up and you have to

oooops

Ethan Torchio

now, although ethan is my personal favorite I would hate this so much (as a shy person myself)

he isn’t very shy exactly, just introverted

he also just has this vibe to him

daddy™ lol

that is just like yeah he can surely do the socializing for you but he is just not going to

Is he going to be an ass about it? no

Is he going to leave you alone to do it? no

but he will not make a phone call for you or order for you

unless he sees that it is stressing you out too much

“no, y/n, you can do it. I believe in you.”

he is going to be encouraging about it, not forceful and disrespectful

if he sees that you feel very pressured that day he’ll shut up and do it for you

like i can see him being next to you while you have to make a call, the phone on speaker and holding your hand for moral support

lol idk but I just don’t see him taking over

he wants to help you be calmer, but he also wants to help you working around the shyness

tag list: @bieberhoodforever @tabi-toast

[amaranths-in-hobbitland]

Week 5 is my favourite week of Last Life for a crap ton of reasons but I really really wanted to infodump about my absolute favourite moment from Scar’s perspective (well, actually, Scott’s perspective about Scar):

Scar: I went to all this work to have friends, and they all left! Scott: We’re here! See, me and Pearl are the only people who’re friendly with you without having to be contractually- Pearl: Legally obligated. Scott: We’re the only two people who were like, ‘Okay, we’ll be with Scar, sure!’ Scar: ...What can I do to get a soul from you two? What can I give you? Scott and Pearl: Nothing. Scar: Oh, there’s something; there’s always something.

Something about this exchange was weirdly chilling the first time I heard it. Maybe it’s the fact that the first question is asked with the thoughtful monotone I typically associate with Scar trying to be creepy (like in 3rd Life, bits of Hermitcraft Demise, etc.), but I think there’s more to it than that.

This entire scene is LL!Scar’s Ignored Epiphany, and marks the moment where I feel he crosses the boundary from morally-grey conman into a full tragic villain.

LL!Scar doesn’t have friends, and he wants friends. That’s what he was aiming for in episode 5- making friendships. The thing is, he treats friendships as a commodity. He writes up contracts outlining exactly what a friendship with him entails: not hurting him, helping him when he needs it and giving him supplies, and in return he promises to do the same. And yet, nobody who signs the contracts actually stays with Scar, or even remains that friendly with him. He asked for signed contracts, and that’s exactly what he got.

And then you take a look at Scott, Pearl and Cleo. People have written better things about them than me: they’re one of the best examples of honest, good-hearted friendship in Last Life. Technically, Scott trades his loyalty to Pearl in exchange for a life, but they obviously value each other as allies far more than lives and combat are concerned. And Scott’s claim that Scar is their friend is maybe a bit facetious, since they were the ones who originally stole the enchanting table from Magic Mountain, and Scott clearly doesn’t trust Scar as far as he can throw him. But at that moment, they’re offering friendship.

Scar conned and sweet-talked his way into owning everything, but he gave it all away for the promise of friendship that was just that- a promise on paper with no care for him as a person. And now he’s being offered friendship by two friends who have stuck together, stayed true to their word, and done their utmost to stay on good terms with everyone- and now, with a new ally and a strong game plan, don’t really need much else. Dishonesty and greed is met with dishonesty and greed; care is met with care.

But when Scott and Pearl reach out, he asks them for a life.

And this really marks the moment where Scar starts unravelling, you can hear it as he frantically tries to close the deal. He offers magic, 18 diamonds, he offers to rebuild their house, and each time they refuse. Then he punches Pearl off the side of the mountain and tells her and Scott, as blunt as can be, to leave him alone- but not before shouting out that they’re totally still friends.

And I just- I wish I could explain the vibes of LL!Scar, The Lonely Wizard, who has this paradoxical view of friendship as something that can be bought and sold but is still deep and meaningful but he doesn’t understand why it’s so valuable; who knows the friendships he’s forged through contracts are completely hollow and unsatisfying and does nothing to change his ways and instead chooses to look for extra lives and stolen magic to fill the void.

There’s always something he can take.

/rp