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muthaz-rapapa · 4 months

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Otona Precure '23: The Sequel We ACTUALLY Deserve

Let's not mince words.

Otona Precure wasn't just fantastic, it puts every reboot or sequel of an established series to shame.

Because yea, it's primarily aimed at an older audience alright but the issues and the themes discussed in the story are relatable and relevant to everyone's interests, regardless of age.

That reality is much harsher than we think it is, more than we can comprehend. That the world will never be perfect like we want it to be.

But also that, because we're on this planet right now at this very moment, we can't just sit around and resign ourselves to not do anything as situations continue to worsen.

Pollution, climate change, toxic society, war.

The show did not shy away from addressing these topics but what's even more notable is it pointing out that people, humans, are the source of them all.

And I appreciate the honesty of that statement because yes, frankly, we are the problem.

People are selfish. We indulge too much in ourselves, our own egos, that we are blinded to the welfare of others. We are also lazy and discriminating and even those who say we'd like things to be better often give up too easily because searching for a solution is too hard and daunting.

Mankind is the shittiest species to walk upon this earth and no one's gonna argue on that.

But does that make everyone inherently bad though?

No, of course not.

We're flawed beings but we're also capable of learning. We're capable of understanding and compassion. There are many among us who do try our best to make this world a kinder and more beautiful place to live in.

But as the finale shows, it cannot only be these few people (like Precure) to do all the hauling and pushing. Everybody has to pitch in. Everybody has to contribute for a better world to be possible.

And that doesn't mean tackling a conflict that's a lot bigger than you can handle. That doesn't mean you have to go at it all alone.

It means that you have to change the way you are, change the way you do things to get the ball rolling. Only by changing yourself first that you can begin to change your surroundings, not the other way around.

It's only through the collective effort of everyone wanting to change for the better that we can protect what we love and create the future that we envision.

Precure is meant to inspire that will to act which is best exemplified in Nozomi. Cure Dream, the Precure of Hope.

Nozomi stands out among the many lead Cures we've had over the years in the quality of leadership she displays as the head of her own team.

She is not the brightest nor sharpest person in any group but damn, does that girl woman never give up.

Not even when she pushes herself to the brink that she falls unconscious from fatigue several times did she ever consider the thought of giving up.

And that's exactly what makes her such a strong and effective leader.

It's not because she's been put into that position so she's only functioning as one.

It's because she inspires everyone around her to become the leaders of their own lives which would then repeatedly bring about the butterfly effect in people beyond their own circle.

Additionally, we must applaud at how well the themes of adulthood and personal struggle have been explored. Look at the girls! Look at how much they've grown, how much they've progressed from the time they were still just middle schoolers dreaming of what they want to be in the future.

(GODDAMNIT, MILK BECAME THE PRIME MINISTER OF HER HOME COUNTRY, I'M STILL NOT OVER THAT AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!)

They've accomplished so much and you can't help but be incredibly proud of how far they've come on their individual journeys.

But now that they're adults, they also realize just how difficult it is to keep the optimism they had when they were kids. Things don't always go the way you want them to. Real life is stressful and exhausting and the accumulation of all those negative feelings of helplessness is enough to send anyone into depression.

As an adult, you're constantly asking yourself "is it really worth it?" because you don't want to betray the hopes you had as a child but sometimes, it's just too hard that all you want to do is give up.

...and that's okay if you need to for a while.

Take a break, go talk to someone you can trust if you feel you've really hit rock bottom.

Find a secure, safe space to cry it all out if you have to.

It's okay to not be okay all the time.

Because that's pretty much what adulthood is.

Being an adult is not about doing everything but knowing you can't do everything and telling yourself that's okay. Because you're already doing everything you can. Your best is good enough.

It's good enough for one person. Nobody's asking you to save the world or become a magical girl to fight off monsters or resolve a major crisis with a miracle answer.

You just need to do your part of the whole in the best way you can. That's all.

And I believe Bell knows that as well.

She knows that just because today's worst was averted, it doesn't mean we're out of the doom radar yet. Because she's right. Humans still can't be trusted as proven by that after-credits scene. There are still plenty of jerks out there who don't give a damn about how much harm they're adding to the world.

But she also knows that as long as there is someone like Precure to do their part, to yell at those jerks to pick up their trash, then maybe, maybe, not all hope is lost just yet.

And so she leaves with the words "I'll be waiting for you in the future", hoping that what the Cures have taught her to believe won't betray her when that time comes.

That said, for us longtime fans of the series, Otona Precure is also a love letter.

A project of appreciation to us for the past 20 years of love and support we've given this franchise.

And I'd say we got what we wanted because before the announcement of this spin-off, I didn't think Toei would ever care to redeem Yes! 5 Precure on how badly it performed during its two seasons run.

Yet here we are and even 100 times better than the original.

They cut out all the fillers which was the primary flaw of those two seasons and focused entirely on the characters. The girls and the expansion of their story arcs. The stuff we actually want to see.

Moreover, the writers did a very great job of showing how everyone has matured. For example, Rin and Karen outgrew their bickering and even the uncalled for vitriol that Kurumi always directed at Nozomi is nowhere to be found.

Seriously! I laughed so hard when Kurumi switched the target of her criticism from Nozomi to Coco. I don't think we've ever seen her this concerned and sympathetic towards Nozomi to the point that she didn't even hesitate to yell at her superior to "cut it with your responsibilities crap and go comfort your lonely girlfriend, you idiot king!"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is just incredibly supportive of each other and that's so heartwarming.

I also personally loved how they dealt with Komachi's episode, which introduced a sort of sub-theme of one's love for their hometown.

Komachi has always aspired to become a writer and it would've been fine to go down the route of getting her out of her slump.

But having Komachi put in effort for her community, learn about the history of her town, and becoming determined to defend it after her strengthened appreciation fit with the overarching theme and her personality so much better.

The inclusion of Splash Star into this story was awesome, too.

If I can be honest, I don't think Saki and Mai would've done as well as Otona Precure if they had 12 episodes only to themselves (including Michiru and Kaoru, btw). So by giving them a fair amount of screentime next to the Yes!5 girls, the show just felt more complete with their conclusions.

They're still chasing their respective dreams, had their relationship troubles (and Saki got engaged to her boyfriend/fiance who seems like a very good guy judging by how he's supportive of her going to Luxembourg, ugh so happy for her!) and career doubts but are still as close as ever which allowed them to pull through in the end.

Wonderful.

Finally, let's all agree that no anniversary season is complete unless proper spotlight is given to the dai-senpai Precure, FutariWa.

Maybe that's why 10th anniversary was such a dud?

They didn't get as much screentime as they did during the 15th anniversary (which included two episodes in Hugtto and sharing the main lead role with Hana/Cure Yell in the All Stars movie) but they still made a grand entrance in the penultimate ep of Otona Precure and kicked absolute ass in the finale and that's really all that matters.

So good job, Toei!

And ok, finally finally, NozoCoco officially got 💖MARRIED💖

Romance is not a vital aspect of Precure nor does it ever have to be because focusing on friendship and teamwork is still the most important aspect when it comes to this series...

But only a stupid numbskull would say Coco is unnecessary to Nozomi's happiness because he's the biggest reason she was able to become who she is today. The fact that she even tells him, right after she woke up from her coma, that she needs him to truly be happy is a proof of how irreplaceable he is to her.

She doesn't ask him to be with her because she needs a man. She wants him to marry her because he brings out the best in her. Because he is the one person who can understand her better than anyone else can and the one person whom she wants to share the rest of her life with.

Remember that Nozomi was inspired by Coco. She became Precure, became Cure Dream, because she met him. She aspired to become a teacher because of him. The butterfly effect for her began with him.

For them to overcome all these obstacles to their relationship and promise to be there for one another, through all the good and bad...it's the fulfillment of a dream they both deserve.

And the perfect ending to Yes! 5 Precure.

So congratulations to Yes!5 and Splash Star on an amazing sequel.

Congratulations to Precure for these precious 20 years you've given us.

Here's hoping to more successful years ahead.

See you in the new year!

#my last post of 2023 so going out with a bang #otona precure #yes! 5 precure #splash star precure

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raviollies · 6 months

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Hey! I love what you've done to characters and Lorelei is now living in my head rent free! Raha and Blythe are amazing and adorable!

It's very inspiring the way you keep yourself together even when everything falls apart! Keep it up!

If my question is annoying or if it bothers you, you may not answer on it.

Originally I followed you when I saw your Ireena and Blythe art. It amazed me how much both of them and Ireena in particular got fleshed out!

In my dnd game and tbh in many other games, players don't get invested in Ireena's journey, they don't fall for her and don't care for her sadly. That's why many DM's usually replace her with a player character, in order to raise the stakes. In half a year I will be running a new cos game, for the group of three and I am honestly considering to replace Ireena with the PC, but don't really want to (especially fearing how the game might go, if the player will turn into strahd-simp).

Could you please describe Ireena's character in your game? Perhaps her bonds and flaws? So other DM's and I can do a better job of her portrayal!

Thank you for the kind words! Here is an updated Lorelai WIP for your to pay rent

(and Blythe and Raha are very married yes)

So rather than referencing my game, as I am not the DM, I will provide my own suggestions as I was planning on running CoS as well. Spoilers for the campaign

I will also suggest against a Tatyana PC. Everyone is very much free to write and interpret the character however they want but to me it is very important that the Tatyana reincarnation does not want Strahd. In fact I would remove the interaction with Sergei too. Having her instantly forget herself as this new person in favour of Tatyana erases the entire point and kind of proves Strahd right in him refusing to see Ireena as her own person.

The way I would approach Ireena; she is her own person. She grew up with her family that wasn't Tatyana's. She lived a life that wasn't Tatyana's. She's met different people. It doesn't MATTER if she's a reincarnation of someone else, after all everyone in Barovia is a reincarnation of someone else. It's very important to establish that the main crux of the issue is that Strahd does NOT see her as Ireena, but Tatyana. He does not know Ireena. He only knows Tatyana. I would even have him call her that rather than "Ireena".

Ireena's story would be one of becoming independent and confident in her identity. To no longer be just Ismark's sister, Burgomaster's daughter, Tatyana's reaction, Evil's bride --- she is Ireena Kolyana. Nothing more, nothing less. I would start her off as unsure of herself, and being hesitant to take up space and over the course of the story become more confident in standing up for herself, with an eventual climax of expressing extremely clearly to Strahd that she is not Tatyana. She never was. He doesn't know her. That that person is gone, and she will never be back. He can chain her, do whatever but that will never make her Tatyana nor will it make her love him or know him. She is a woman who is constantly assigned identities by other's, but she want's to just be Ireena, she wants to do her hobbies, decide on where she wants to go, what books to read, what food to eat.

The relationship between Strahd and Tatyana is irrelevant. It could have been real, or a figment of his imagination, but the point is that...she is gone. If he had a soul of someone else, would it be fair for them to lay claim to him?

As for personality wise ; I would write her as sheepish at first, she is someone taking their first steps into adulthood in a way, outside the comfort of their home, their village. She should be curious and wonderstruck, curious and wishing to explore every nook and cranny. Because of that she would be unfortunately naïve to the problems that arise in bigger cities as Vallaki. A village and a town are very different - a big thing she's be stupefied by how impersonal everyone is. Rural villages often have people knowing everyone, it's commonplace to help your neighbor because you KNOW them. Vallaki is different...people go about their day and do not care, after all there is so many people. You physically can't know everyone.

She is down to earth and finds camaraderie with someone simpler than a noble, providing practical suggestions and being very handy with most tools and identifying local flora. On a flipside, I would say she struggles when dealing in very formal settings where it's less about honesty and more about saying a lie by omission to get what you want. When interacting with Vargas or Lady Wachter, she's visibly uncomfortable and stumbles over her words; they speak in such a way to purposely confuse her, like a lawyer would. Not only that but she most likely would refuse to do anything morally questionable, her heart is very pure!

So in all, a kind hearted, down to earth little lady who values honesty, hard work, and family but is naïve, stubborn and socially awkward. She will support and protect the party, even to her detriment but she will not stand with them to commit Crimes (so RIP if your party is murder hobos)

#i would add some sorta sexuality struggle to go with the whole identity too personally. Cause I'm one of Them.#the skittles squad if you will #but Ireena has room to be an incredibly compelling character; the module just does the women dirty #and people that make her so boring that people abandon her...skill issue.#ANYWAY WOW THIS GOT LONG #ask #anon

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hungry-dragon-hugs · 2 months

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for those who were wondering, here's the OC from the last post (and my pfp lol)

she's a D&D OC of mine, completely unrelated to any other work i may have. absolutely nothing about her is canon-compliant, but fuck WoTC i do what i want.

character lore and facts (and apparently an entire extreme cuddling short story, i got REALLY carried away lmao) under the cut :>

as stated in the image, she is a monk. despite this, her weapon of choice is an absolutely massive zweihänder. in D&D rules, monks should only be proficient in simple one-handed or versatile weapons. in this case, i made the executive decision that if she can swing a sword that big one-handed she should damn well be allowed to ^-^ (same goes for the presumably very heavy partial plate armor.)

as for the "half-dragon" bit- Kos's dad is a true red dragon, who one day became infatuated with her mum (a normal dragonborn) and disguised himself to flirt with and eventually court her- the affair resulting in her being banished from her clan. when her daughter was born, she named the child Kosjaverthi, meaning "little mountain." the name was meant to represent steadfastness and beauty, but eventually took on a sort of irony- Kos's true-dragon genes quickly became clear when she grew to be literally twice the height and relative bulk of everyone around her.

as one does when blessed with thick scales and enough strength to crush a skull in one hand, Kos set out on the path of the adventurer from a young age. when she was only early in her teens, she dedicated herself to a monastary, living up to both her name's intended meaning and the cultural pride of dragonborn through rigorous honing and mastery of her body and mind.

finding her skills to be satisfactory after multiple years, she set out in search of something to put them to the test. unfortunately, she kept running into the issue of simply being too intimidating- very few low-level targets would even fight her, and many potential contractors would immediately slam their doors on her rather than deal with the possibility of any complications with her during a job.

eventually, luck turned her way, and she found a friendly group of adventurers who welcomed her with open arms- and happened to be in the business of hunting monsters, much more worthy foes than the cowering bandits Kos was previously sent to deal with. she quickly proved her worth and became a valuable member of the team, often acting as a sort of "secret weapon" to turn situations around once they've gone bad. how could something as big as her be a "secret"? simply put, nobody ever expects 3 tons of dragon muscle to move with her level of trained finesse.

and now to address the giant half-dragon in the room: the whole "eating people" thing. the explanation isn't too complicated (i think), but i also didn't check with D&D rules at all for this one because idgaf. the basic idea is, one of the most fundamental parts of her monk training was somatic mastery- essentially the ability to use Ki to control all bodily functions with extreme precision and ease, not just the normally voluntary ones. this allows her to start, stop, carefully limit, or "lock" functions including circulation and, of course, digestion. she can even cause them to do things they weren't previously able to, such as circulating clean oxygen from her bloodstream through membranes in her intestine and into her stomach- or causing her blood to glow by partially activating the magical essence from her draconis fundamentum (fire-breathing organ) directly within her veins rather than expending it in one burst through her lungs.

the inciting incident for her man-eating tendencies was during a trek through a snowy mountain pass on an errand for her monastary- she was often chosen for transport of goods and messages between the establishment and nearby towns, due to her near-immunity to the freezing cold and lack of any risk of robbery. at some point during the journey, though, she came upon a half-elf girl slightly younger than her- lost, freezing, and barely conscious. immediately disregarding her intended deadline, Kos picked up the girl and used her body heat to warm her back to her senses. brief questioning revealed that the girl's name was Lynn, she had come from a town closer and slightly east of the one Kos was bound for, and she had been kidnapped by highwaymen after wandering off during a family outing a few days ago. she had managed to narrowly escape, but had gotten lost and caught outside during a snowstorm the night before.

Kos knew she couldn't leave Lynn to die, and immediately planned out a detour to the girl's town, but she had a problem. if she wanted to keep her warm, she couldn't carry Lynn in her arms the whole way, as the weather would quickly strip any remaining warmth from her. fire-breath was an even worse idea which could only result in Lynn being returned frozen or charred. but, after a few minutes of thinking, she had a solution. drawing on her monk training, Kos would be able to carry Lynn within her own stomach completely harmlessly, keeping the girl warm by the heat of Kos's core while leaving her own hands free.

unfortunately, this left her with the issue of convincing Lynn to willingly let a gigantic half-red-dragon swallow her whole and alive. luckily, though, the girl's desparation combined with Kos's care and gentleness up to that point made the task easier than it sounded. Lynn only had to think for a few moments after the question was sheepishly presented to agree, helped by the clear logic of the suggestion. and so, after repositioning the girl in her arms and whispering a few reassuring words, Kos bent down, carefully unhinged her jaw, and swallowed Lynn whole.

immediately, she was struck (and somewhat concerned) by how good it felt as the small half-elf squeezed through her esophagus and into her belly. Lynn's movements were like a warm massage for her throat, and the gentle weight of her form in Kos's gut was relaxing and somehow... comforting. she took a moment to inspect her swollen abdomen, marveling slightly at the feeling of having an entire living person completely within her. Lynn, for her part, seemed comfortable enough after a bit of fidgeting around, and quickly began to doze off in the squishy, warm space as Kos picked herself up and began trudging along her now-altered route once more.

after almost a day and a half of traveling, Kos finally arrived at Lynn's small town. being a detour from her usual route and one that she hadn't often visited before- especially not on her own- she received her share of strange and distrustful looks from the townsfolk. even so, she went to the address Lynn had told her, jostled her stomach a few times to wake the girl up, and knocked on the door. she was confronted by a tired-looking couple who immediately froze at the sight of her towering form on their doorstep, but couldn't suppress gasps when she told them that she had found their daughter. their elation was short-lived, however, as they soon asked where Lynn was.

never before in her life had Kos seen the mixture of emotions that passed over the pair's faces as they watched their daughter be regurgitated right in front of them, happy and unharmed (and only slightly slimy). but, after a long hug goodbye, Lynn guided her stunned parents back inside, and Kos was on her way. she turned up back at the monastary three days late and with a strange story to tell. years later, long after leaving to make her own way in the world, she never forgot that cozy feeling she got when she held Lynn in her stomach- and now, after making her party members thoroughly aware of some of her "quirks," it is not uncommon for her to show affection to those close to her by taking them in for the night, holding them deep within her core.

so yeah, there's my big dragonborn girlie :> i definitely put way more into that backstory than there probably needed to be, i hope you enjoyed it if you read it all the way through! god why can't i just get this level of detail and coherence out of my actual main projects why do all my creative energies funnel into making characters eat each other help

#long post #Draco's OCs #OC: Kos #extreme cuddling #so much extreme cuddling -v-#Draco's art #Draco's writing

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eerna · 11 months

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Honestly, I loooved both Spider Verse movies equally but I totally get where you're coming from! But my brother and I were discussing the movie and we are both 100% sure that the third movie will be focused on Miguel and how his perspective changes. First was focused on Miles' journey, second was Gwen and now it'll be about Miguel's theory of the "canon events" not being what it seems. Miles will prove him wrong despite all the challenges he may face trying to save his dad. That's just my two cents! In any case, glad to hear that you enjoyed the movie nonetheless! Have a good weekend!

Ayyy that's great, thanks! Oh I know they have a plan, but every time the studios decide to make a two-parter by simply splitting a story that was meant to be one whole into 2 movies, my heart cries. This movie didn't have any proper conclusion, it just stopped at the beginning of act 3. I'm about to say some big things for someone who saw the movie once, but IMO this could have been fixed by SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

leaning a bit harder into the fact that Miles lets his surroundings dictate how he feels about himself (I disagree that the second movie was about Gwen more than Miles, he got most of the runtime?). Maybe they could have made him join Miguel's team during the first act of the movie and actually do a good job mission! Maybe the mission would have been to redirect an anomaly from killing someone's loved one. He could have seen the canon as something good and worth saving at first, and everyone is telling him what a good job he's doing, and he's super hyped about belonging to a community for the first time in a year! Maybe there's a hint where someone lets it slip that Miguel doesn't want him there, but Miles is READY to prove him just how wrong he is. And THEN he messes up and saves someone who shouldn't be saved and suddenly the community that seemed so welcoming and encouraging is turning against him. So what will he do? Will he try to regain their approval, or will he reject their ideals and once again be alone? Maybe here we can sow that seed of "what could make Miles into an inconsiderate, selfish person?" that we will reap at the end of the movie and during the next one hopefully. And then the leap of faith moment could be him deciding that being himself is worth fighting for, and he runs away from the rest of the spider people and, filled with this newfound confidence, goes home to tell his parents what happened, and then the ending of the movie can play out the same (because it's once again thematically tied to Miles's surroundings dictating him). I feel like that IS what the movie was going for, but because it wasn't written very well, it came across as Miles being fickle and I didn't feel much emotion behind it (except when Gwen caught him Like That and he cut away the web, I YELLED at the IMPLICATIONS).

Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of the writing behind Gwen's issues, either. First off, her backstory being explained in a montage that has not-very-good level of repetition writing made me go "NOOOOOOO". Second off, Gwen's story was basically her being herself and waiting until her dad accepts her as such, which is a waste of a really cool character. She is the polar opposite to Miles in that she doesn't let anyone tell her how to feel about herself, but that doesn't mean she must be static in it - she could have an intrinsic journey! However, the writing still insists on outside issues being the main initiator, and I am pretty annoyed that it all boiled down to "Her dad saw her standing over Peter's body and assumed she killed him, regardless of the fact that Spider-Woman is a well established beloved hero who saves people, and he doesn't care about his daughter enough to stop and think why she might have done that". (The story as it is is fine too, but it's more about her dad learning to understand he loves his daughter, instead of any kind of thematically appropriate character development for Gwen herself. It's thematic in a sense that her advice to Miles is wrong and that parents DO accept their kids, which is okay but sort of a weak point when her dad LITERALLY POINTED A GUN AT HER AFTER SHE TOOK HER MASK OFF ALREADY.) Maybe it would have been better if we didn't see how Peter died because she too isn't really sure if she was in the right or not, so the emotional beat behind her story could have been a parallel to Miles' and Miguel's: Did she do what had to be done, or was there another way? Can she really tell her dad that she wouldn't have done it if she'd known it was Peter trying to kill all those children? And then in the end during her confrontation with her father she finally recalls the entire scene, and she concludes that the choice couldn't have been up to her because she really didn't know what she was doing when she killed him. Maybe following Miguel was not only out of fear of having nowhere to go, but also a coping mechanism, because someone else was calling the shots and she didn't have any responsibility over deciding what happens. But this time, she DOES have all the information, and she is capable of making her own decisions, and that's why she helps Miles. JUST IMAGINE the three of them being three sides of the same moral issue: one who believes in sacrificing what you love for the greater good, one who believes both are the same thing and have to be protected the same way, and one who is afraid of making any choice at all.

Anyway this is really really long and I apologize I just have a LOT to say about how this story could have been dealt with in a way that would have felt natural. How often do animated movies get TWO WHOLE HOURS of runtime???? I wish the writers spent a bit more time refining the story because it absolutely could have been as well done as the first one vjsanvjkadnk

#eernask #eernanon #spiderverse spoilers

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wyluvbot · 6 months

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ok so having just finished Sword Catcher…here are some of my random thoughts or things I want for book 2! *spoilers may be ahead* first and foremost. i loved this book so much!! the plot and characters were all really well done and i can’t wait for book 2!

now…

- the king. he’s presented as being mentally unstable??? like he’s just in his tower all day w the stars and his advisor, but is he actually? bc during some interactions w kel and later in the story he seems perfectly lucid. or at least less unstable w some possible anger issues? he has a lot of strength, he’s flinging people around and stuff so. idk. he’s a bit of a mystery to me. and also, was he even into the astronomy stuff and was he seeing true visions from the stars? or was it just BS being fed by fausten? (was fausten telling the truth or was he an imposter? and for what?) i also want more background of the king and andreyen, how did they even connect?

- i loved ji-an, merren, and andreyen’s dynamic so much and i want to know more!! how did andreyen save ji-an? what’s their history? i just really want to know more about those two and i want more merren content in general bc i really liked his character.

- i saw a theory saying andreyen could be the exiled son of the maharam and i really like that idea.

- jerrod. along w the theory of andreyen I saw someone saying that Kel’s friend Cas from the orphanage could be jerrod and that’s why Jerrod didn’t kill Kel when he had the chance and also why he wears a mask. I think there could be some merit to it, but idk…wouldn’t Kel recognize Jerrod if he was Cas? I know it’s been years and people change but idk. If they were truly best friends in their early years you’d think he’d know him. But I like the theory!

- more on Jerrod. I really liked him from what I read and I want to know more about him and Ji-an. It’s kinda hinted they know each other pretty well? Merren was even teasing Ji-an about knowing Jerrod’s preferred meeting places (tho I could be wrong) so it makes me think they have a past. I want to know if Jerrod ever went to the Ragpicker King to see about a job, if he’s part of the crew in book 2 I would really like to see the changed dynamic.

- I totally thought Mayesh would die. I don’t know why but I felt like something was gonna happen to him after he was interested in showing Lin the ropes…I can still see it happening tbh.

- Conor and Lin. I was thinking Kel/Lin was gonna happen and then she and Conor interacted and I was obsessed w them. The dynamic, the scenes, it was all great and I want to see more of them. The way people kept mentioning Story-Spinner tales of princes falling for girls like her (not Ashkar but still) and then she kept saying she wouldn’t marry him and stuff. It just all made me think that yes she will? Like he’s gonna do something and marry an Ashkar to show everyone they are human beings and worthy of respect? Idk how but I’d be interested in seeing that journey.

- Kel and Antonetta. Kel and Vienne? Kel and Merren? He had chemistry with everyone and I want to see his relationships develop. I want to know if Ana will betray him bc it’s been established that the charter families can’t be trusted and she’s obviously secretive. Vienne was really interesting and I don’t 100% think she’s dead because that was super sudden, and she had a character fanart which multiple others didn’t when they had bigger roles. (Poor Luisa 💔).

- Conor and Kel. Ok so what will Conor think about Kel’s connection to Andreyen? To Prosper Beck? Idk I want to know why whoever said that Conor will loathe Kel eventually bc Kel does/has something Conor wants. I really want to know about that. Maybe related to Lin?

- Merren reminded me a lot of Wylan Van Eck, so I do want to see more of merren being that mixture of innocent looking/dangerous.

- The whole “this is the start of the end of House Aurelian” thing was so good, I need to know what it means … what did they get themselves into

- the whole war with Sarthe, will there actually be a war? who’s gonna die 😭😭 and along those lines, how is Lin gonna pull off being adassa’s reincarnation? I think she totally will be in the end but as of right now she’s not…so…

- Is Lin being the Goddess returned going to bring her into the spotlight and in the palace’s attention now? Maybe more scenes of her and Conor being forced together? I’d be into that ngl

#sword catcher #cassandra clare #spoilers

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mythicalshipping · 2 years

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EB Ep 341 Thoughts

I’ve seen a lot of discussion surrounding this episode so I decided I wanted to listen to it early; I usually catch it on YouTube on Sundays.

I was glad to be able to read a variety of people’s opinions; everyone connects to content in a different way based on who they are and their life experience; different things will be more or less salient to different people, and I think that a multitude of perspectives makes for a richer fandom in general.

Below the cut is just my thoughts on the episode.

Disclaimer: As I don’t know Rhett and Link personally, my opinions are solely based on info they’ve put out into their content. As a fairly new fan, I’m also not as well-versed in their known lore as others might be lol.

I. First, I have put just a general summary of my overall thoughts. II. Next, I’ve included some screenshots from an episode they did for Jubilee called “Do Rhett and Link think the same?”, specifically, their responses to the statement, “There have been challenges that almost ended our friendship.”

III. Lastly, I’ve included some quoted portions with accompanying timestamps as best as I could mark them to go along with the previous two sections. I. Overall Thoughts Rhett - Rhett had been working on writing songs about his personal journey with deconstruction for years, and over time moved toward the idea of turning them into an album. - Rhett wanted to put out these songs as a serious personal project, to help those also going through deconstruction, music that he would have wanted to hear as he was going through his own process; as an Internet celebrity who is one half of a comedy duo, he was concerned that putting it out with the other half of said comedy duo would make people view the album as comedic, and the serious tone would be lost. - Rhett didn’t think that Link and he would have anything to hash out about this because: 1. He would have been encouraging Link to pursue something like this if their positions were switched. 2. He doesn’t want to be a musician; he wants Mythical to be his main focus and doing this as a side project would not interfere with that. 3. If there was the potential for this side project to interfere with his work at Mythical, he would have had a conversation with Link earlier on. TL;DR: Rhett is doing a solo project, but is not not going solo as a career move and doesn’t want to do so. Link: - Link’s initial reaction to Rhett doing a solo album was not a happy one because he was worried about what it would mean for them, professionally and personally, that it would mean a drastic change to their lives and relationship, due to his abandonment issues. - Link would have preferred to have talked about Rhett’s solo album with him earlier on, but acknowledges that Rhett had legitimate reasons for going about this the way he did, and that Link’s desire to talk about things earlier is more about his own insecurities. - Link and Rhett have had discussions about solo work before, notably with Rondstadt; that particular situation was messy and difficult to deal with but they learned a lot from it. TL;DR: Link was afraid that Rhett doing a solo project meant he wanted to break apart from their established duo, but that is not the case. Rhett & Link - Rhett pointed out that Link’s podcast with his Dad, that, while through Mythical, is still a solo project of sorts; Link agreed and also brought up his delving into DJing as being a similar side project. - They do acknowledge in this episode how much of their lives together are focused on their work; however: 1. They both indirectly acknowledge how important their work at Mythical is to them and how much they want to continue it. 2. They have and continue to expand their work at Mythical to other creative endeavors besides just GMM; EB hasn’t been around nearly as long as GMM, they’re having their very first convention this Summer, and they’re doing their second GME come Fall. Plus, they are constantly coming out with new merch, GMM ideas, etc. all the time. 3. In even episodes of GMM just recently, it’s clear that they are involved in each other’s lives outside of work; they text each other when on vacations with their wives, they attend little rooftop get togethers, they go to parties at each other’s houses, etc. 4. They have admitted that the reason they don’t really do guests on EB anymore is because they have cultivated it to be their own little corner to share in each other’s lives, even though they are doing it in front of the world. TL;DR They love each other, your honor.

II. Jubilee episode: Do Rhett and Link think the same? - There have been challenges that have almost ended our friendship.

As a child of divorce, Link has acknowledged that his current abandonment issues are largely tied to those experiences. But in this episode, I think he also demonstrates a wisdom gained from those experiences; caring deeply about another person in a relationship, while important and foundational, is not on it’s own enough to sustain a relationship. Work needs to be put into that relationship to maintain it, to help it thrive, to help it grow, and to make sure that breaking up doesn’t happen.

III. Quotes from EB 341

01:09:57 Rhett: Neither of us has had something where it's just like "I have to get this into the world." This is the first thing that came along. To me, it doesn't feel like a threat to what we have. If anything, it feels like - because it's not a replacement for anything we're doing. In some ways it feels like it's another facet to the Rhett side of Rhett and Link. 01:10:23 Link: "Yeah I think that there was - so it was the - was this a - threat to the business strategy of what we're doing. But then there's another part that's like, "If I bring this up, will Link perceive it as a threat to our creative partnership?" Or, more. Or our friendship. I don't know." 01:10:54 Rhett: Well, and again, while it wasn't calculated, if you're asking me like, "Well, we're gonna have to have a really long conversation about this that's going to -'' I mean, I didn't think this, but I may have been thinking this subconsciously. It's just like, okay. If we have a conversation about this at a really early stage, it may really just get bogged down. You know? Because now, in my mind, it went from being this thing that was gaining momentum...It's so difficult to get things to happen, to bring things into the world. We know that right? And when I subconsciously perceived that there might be a conversation or some point that becomes a point of impasse. I'm like "I don't wanna have that. I don't wanna do that. Like, let's let this actually begin to become something and then we can have a conversation about it versus having a conversation about it a year ago, you know." Not that we didn't talk about it, not that you didn't know about it, but it wasn't like "hey, let's sit down and really hash this thing out." 'Cause in some ways, the other part of my brain was thinking "there's nothing to hash out." Like, I'm doing this thing, if you were doing this thing, I'd be like "that's awesome. That's cool man. Do it." Now, if suddenly we can't do something we wanna do 'cause you're doing this, then we can have a conversation but if that's not the case, just keep going. You know, if it's making you a better, more fulfilled person than that makes you a better, more fulfilled comedy partner, business partner, and friend, if you're pursuing your passion, doing something that is bringing you joy in life...Anything that's healthy for me is healthy for us and vice versa; anything that's healthy for you is healthy for us.`` 01:12:49 Link: "Yeah, I mean when I hear that I'm like "is that true?" There has to be an exception to that rule, right? It's like, that just can't be it. Could that just be true across the board?...You know, my preference would have been to talk about it earlier, but, again, I think this is more about me than it is about you...Yeah, it's like, if I hear you're makin' an EP or doing this thing the first thing I'm gonna think is - The first thing I did think was not, "I'm so excited for you. I want to celebrate this." It's like, "what does this mean for us?" And it taps into some insecurity...I don't wanna overblow this whole abandonment issue thing, but, it's there, right?...That's part of my process...We had had conversations about this related to other stuff. So actually, this project didn't bring this to a head as much as like...my response to this project, this album of yours, was shaped by the experience we had on Rondstadt...The genesis of that project was messy....We had to work through it." 01:15:07 Rhett: When we were first approached about that, the ask was, "Would Rhett play Rondstadt?"...We both audition for roles that if we were - we'll never get, we'll never get one. But if we do it kind of for fun and maybe one would come and be like "oh Link's gonna be on this show or Link's gonna make a guest appearance and he's not going in as "Rhett & Link" he's going in as "Link" and vice versa, so that's been a conversation, but that was being brought into Mythical as a Mythical Project...but the ask was for Rhett to play Rondstadt, so, how do we make this a Rhett and Link thing? And that became the conversation as opposed to, "Oh it's gonna be a Mythical thing that Rhett is doing." 01:16:00 Link: And then the way that it became a conversation was just not smooth...We talked about it and we learned that we would have done things differently...I just feel like that gives context to this because I feel like, by moving through that, and growing through that, we were able to articulate our desires. Like, you were able to articulate some of your desires for...Do we have to do every single thing together? You know, we started having conversations about this. I think there's a whole other podcast in here, I'm just gonna allude to it...And then I'm bringing to the table...very early on, we made this choice that we weren't - everything we're gonna do we're gonna do together. So it's like, okay, now, are we revisiting that? And what does that mean? And how far does that go? Well it turns out...it's not that drastic. It's just that, because of my make up and what I'm bringing to the table, it's scarier for me. And me giving off that energy, I think when it comes around to this project, I mean, you're probably gonna have this sense that I'm gonna be more concerned about it than excited, first. But, we benefited from going through, you know, getting on the same page on the Rondstadt project, getting on the same page about just our approach to things at Mythical...I guess the point I'm making right now is that, we really had a series of good conversations that got us more on the same page, you know the mantra of saying "when in doubt, talk it out" is something that we really benefited from. So when, and ironically, a lot of you doing the songwriting stuff was happening in parallel to all this but when it came to a point of you were ready to talk about it, then I was in a much better place to receive it. And that was even without the benefit of the entire backstory that you just shared, of just like, the personal process of it...But, not seeing it as a threat to what we're doing, is something that I can say to the 98th degree, that I can. And that's saying a lot.`` 01:18:55 Rhett: This is not me saying that I wanna go and be a full-time musician...I'm not touring...I'm not saying I'll never play these songs for someone, for a crowd...The intention isn't like "now, I'm a musician and that's what I do." It's more like "hey has always been very much a hobby of mine and it'll be cool to have this ongoing thing"...It's something that I can responsibly fit into my schedule and not drop the ball on what we're doing here...This isn't like, I'm going to pursue a career as a musician"...I was already a musician and now I'm releasing some music that is just mine.

#rhink #rhink eb #rhink eb 341

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free-for-all-fics · 6 months

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Captain Louis Renault Prompt! Pls tag me if you’re inspired by any of this and I’d love to read it! In this one, you’re Louis’ illegitimate daughter. With all the women he’s slept with in exchange for exit visas, it’s likely or, at the very least, possible he has a bastard child he doesn’t know about. 👨🏻‍✈️💙

Unbeknownst to your mother, you pack a bag containing visas, tickets, cash, clothes, and other essentials. You hail a taxi to drive you to where you need to go, embarking on a solo journey of self-discovery. After you leave your home, your mother finds the handwritten letter you left for her. In it, you tell her that you love her very much and are very grateful to her. You know she’s only ever wanted to give you your best chance at life. You go on to explain that after being indecisive for so long and putting off important decisions that would change your life, what you really need more than anything else in the world is to figure out what you want to do with your life and who you want to be. You believe the first step in doing so may be to confront your past and find your father. Whether by train, or auto, or foot, or boat, you’re a young girl no older than fifteen when you arrive in Casablanca, which is considered neutral as it’s under the jurisdiction of Vichy, unoccupied France. However, You realize quickly that, despite its neutrality, it’s not the safest place. It’s far from what you were expecting. It’s filled with refugees fleeing from the war who are now targeted by people seeking to exploit them. There’s all sorts of characters here, including many activists, artists, spies, writers, etc.

Leaving for a better place isn't impossible, but involves a prohibitive cost that most refugees can't afford. Refugees are required to obtain hard-won immigration visas, as well as exit and transit visas, which are all issued by different governments. Getting those to line up can be nerve-wracking, since they all expire after a set period of days. That’s how many refugees have ended up stranded for months or sometimes years in Casablanca. They often impoverish themselves further by trying to win the money through illegal gambling or, if you're a young attractive woman, sleeping with the local dirty cop. Organized crime thrives and the gendarmes are openly corrupt, with even Rick Blaine, an American bar owner, having to pay bribes so the police will permit his establishment to remain open. You witness the gendarmes shoot people dead in broad daylight and routinely round up a large number of designated suspects simply for the pretense of efficiency. You’ve thrust yourself from a simple country life into an unfamiliar and hectic world. And all this is before Major Strasser and the Nazis show up and start breathing down everyone's necks.

You’re a well-practiced and talented liar, a trait your mother claims you inherited from your father, whom she seldom speaks about. She’s never even told you his name, no matter how much you’ve asked. You spend many days searching for him, but all you have to go off of is a faded and grainy photograph with no name written on the back, so you make no headway in your search at first. All you’ve inferred from the photograph is that he’s an officer of some sort, but you’ll know him when you see him. Maybe he’s already left Casablanca and is living it up in America somewhere. But if he’s still here, you need to try your best to grab his attention in the hopes he’ll make himself known. If he isn’t, maybe you can grab the attention of someone who knew him or, at the very least, has seen him. But how? Desperate times call for drastic measures.

Two German couriers carrying official documents were murdered on a train from Oran and found dead in the desert, the unoccupied desert. The murderer and possible accomplices are said to be headed for Casablanca, so all suspicious characters are being rounded up and searched for stolen documents. An officer blows his whistle several times. There is pandemonium as native guards begin to round up people. This is the customary roundup of refugees, liberals, and, of course, beautiful young girls for the local corrupt officials. A police car, full of officers, with its siren blaring, screams through the street and stops in the market. Some try to escape but are caught by the police and loaded into a police wagon. At a street corner two policemen stop a white civilian and question him.

“May we see your papers?”

“I don't think I have them on me.”

“In that case, you'll have to come along.”

“Wait. It's possible that I... Yes. Here they are.”

The civilian pats his pockets. He brings out his papers. The second policeman examines them.

“These papers expired three weeks ago. You'll have to come along.”

Suddenly the civilian breaks away and starts to run wildly down the street, pushing people out of the way as he tries to escape. A policeman shouts for the civilian to halt, but he keeps going. He collides into you, and the force of the impact makes you fall to the ground with a harsh thud. Your skin stings something awful from the gravel and concrete of the road. You'll probably end up with bruises or cuts on your hands and knees. But the civilian doesn't stop to help you or make sure you're okay, too frantic and desperate to get away. A shot rings out and the man falls to the ground, dead. His body is laying sprawled out in the street just a few steps away from you. It’s the first time you’ve ever seen a dead body so up close and you’re frozen in shock for a few moments as you stare into his lifeless eyes, blood pooling around him. The policeman frantically searches the body, but only finds Free French literature. The police van pulls up and the rear doors are opened as suspects are herded out of the van. At the entrance of the Palais de Justice, the arrested suspects are led in by the police.

You get up and follow behind the line of people streaming in to try to approach as a witness to the murder, but the police are corrupt and don’t care. People die and are killed in Casablanca everyday, so they’ve become desensitized to it. They’re making out the report now and haven’t quite decided if the man committed suicide or died trying to escape. Maybe they’ll say he was a spy and/or about to kill a prominent figure but the assassination attempt was foiled. Something to add some extra flair to the story and make it more interesting. You don’t even have a chance to ask about your father or show them his photo before you’re dismissed and escorted out of the Palais de Justice. You’re told not to waste their time and it’s clear to you that, as a young girl, you’re seen as nothing more than a child, a nuisance to be swatted away like a fly. You’re invisible to the officers here and none of the local adults have shown interest in helping you, so you think you have to go bigger.

You take it up several notches by trying to rob the market, a cluttered Arab street of bazaars, shops and stalls. All kinds and races of people mill about the merchandise which native dealers have on outdoor display. Both men and women are dressed in tropical clothes. The canopies over the stalls give them some protection from the scorching sun. On the surface the atmosphere is merely languid, but underneath lies the sinister workings of illicit trade. It’s not uncommon for black market dealings to take place here.

But then someone getting chased by gendarmes comes barreling through and knocks over most of the merchant stalls, causing a big commotion as they pull a gun and try to rob the merchants or hold people at gunpoint. After the man is either killed or apprehended, you turn yourself in and try to pin the destruction on you as an accomplice, but the police have a dossier full of intel that the man was a compulsive gambler trying to commit armed theft to pay off his massive debts and he acted alone. Oh, come on! What does a girl have to do to get to jail?

Realizing you’ll need to do what you can to survive after your money dwindles down to practically nothing, you follow the example of the notorious pickpocket you’ve seen slithering about. He’ll keep wealthy tourists distracted with chitchat, always sticking to the same script. It’s always something along the lines of, “Unfortunately, along with these unhappy refugees...the scum of Europe has gravitated to Casablanca. Some of them have been waiting years for a visa. I beg of you, Monsieur, watch yourself. Be on guard. This place is full of vultures. Vultures everywhere. Everywhere!” He’s always ironically warning them about thieves while he robs them blind using sleight of hand tricks as he puts his arms around them, and they’re none the wiser. They don’t wise up to his tricks until after he’s long gone, if ever.

You learn quickly that the heart is often the most vulnerable spot and use this knowledge to your advantage. You use your acting skills and spin classic sob stories about being an orphan after your parents succumbed to a sudden illness and died on the journey to Casablanca and were buried in unmarked graves, your father was Killed in Action and your mother abandoned you at a bus stop, you’re dying from a terminal illness, you’re homeless after running away from an abusive household, etc. You switch up the story all the time to prey on the sympathies of unsuspecting and wealthy tourists. Tourists, especially the ones who don’t speak much English or French, can’t resist as they look at your tear stained cheeks and big, pleading eyes. They take pity on you, often giving you big hugs to comfort you. Unbeknownst to them, you nab their wallets and jewelry with sleight of hand tricks while you pretend to weep into their shoulders. You then disappear into the bustling crowd, always stalls away and long gone by the time clouds of suspicion gather in their minds, leaving them to pat their breast and pants pockets as they realize too late there’s something missing. You’ve taken a few pages out of the pickpocket’s book and he can respect that. It takes a special set of skills when it comes to the art of pickpocketing and not everyone has what it takes. But you’ve mastered the art of misdirection and know how to be smooth, slick, and subtle. Instead of seeing you as competition, maybe you partner up and work together instead.

Until one day you’re so weak and hungry that, in your almost delirious desperation, you slip up and pickpocket the wrong target, not realizing who he is. As you run away, the man orders the gendarmes to pursue and apprehend you. Frightened, you run into the first building you see, Rick's Café Américain. Upon entering, your senses are assaulted and almost overwhelmed as you try to squeeze through the many, many, many customers. The lights are bright and there’s a heavy scent of smoke wafting through the air that nearly makes you cough. A middle-aged black man sits on a stool before a small salmon-colored piano on wheels, playing and singing while accompanied by a small orchestra. All about you there’s the hum of voices, chatter and laughter. The occupants of the room are varied. There are Europeans in their dinner jackets, the women beautifully begowned and bejeweled. There are Moroccans in silk robes. Turks wearing fezzes. Levantines. Naval officers. Members of the Foreign Legion, distinguished by their kepis.

Captain Louis Renault is sitting at a nearby table with Major Heinrich Strasser, Herr Heinz, and Rick Blaine. You’re so quick and slippery due to your small stature that before Abdul, the large and burly man standing guard at the door, can react, you sneak behind a group of people that Rick nodded to and run past. You try to hide and evade the gendarmes by blending in amongst the large crowd of gambling, drinking, and smoking customers. The men at the table are engrossed in conversation while they smoke and drink when, suddenly, they notice a strange shape, short and small in stature, dart out from the corner of their eyes before disappearing in the crowd again. Rick asks aloud how the hell you got in here because you’re very obviously underage. Children aren’t allowed in his place for good reason.

Louis gets up from his seat. As you look behind yourself and don’t watch where you’re running, you collide into him. He grabs your wrists to not only stop you from falling, but to hold you in place so you can’t run again. You stare into his brown eyes in shock, too dazed and zoned out to notice anything happening around you. The world around you disappears. The noise in the casino becomes muffled, as if you’re underwater. All you can focus on is him. You open and close your mouth like a fish out of water, wanting to say something, anything, but words fail you at the moment you need them most. Your thoughts have gone blank and your mouth has gone dry. It’s him. The man from the photograph your mother gave you. Your father. He’s here. Although it didn’t go exactly according to plan, you’re standing face to face and finally meeting in the flesh! The gendarmes approach but Captain Renault stops them with a hand gesture. He tells them to standby for now and that he’ll handle this.

“Where do you think you’re going, young lady? Hm?”

“It’s you! Wait, you’ve got the wrong idea, I-“

“You can explain it to me in my office. Let’s go.”

You protest as you’re manhandled by Captain Renault, the gendarmes following closely behind just in case you break free and try to run again. You’re not sure if they’d dare to shoot a child, but you don’t want to test your luck and find out. You’re escorted out of the saloon and forced into a car. Rick, who had been closely watching the whole thing out of the corner of his eye as he took a puff of his cigarette and poured himself a drink, stands up to apologize to everyone for the disturbance and assures them it’s all over now and they can sit back down and go back to enjoying themselves.

You’re brought to the Palais de Justice. You’ve been here so many times you’ve memorized the interior of the lobby by now, but you’ve never been inside Captain Renault’s office before. You take a few moments to look around, as if you’ll learn about your father and infer more about his character from the way he decorates his office. The gendarmes close the door behind you and your attempts at getting it to open are futile. Looks like you won’t be leaving just yet. Captain Renault tells you as much. That door won’t unlock again until he presses the buzzer on his desk, and he won’t be pressing it until he decides to let you out of this room. He invites you to sit down in one of the chairs in front of his desk while he takes a seat across from you and begins taking notes. You’re not sure what he’s scribbling down in his report, but it can’t be good.

“Pickpocketing a government official and evading arrest. The real crime here is how young they’re starting you guttersnipes now. You sit down there and tell me everything. What do you want, hm? Money? An exit visa? A photograph to commemorate this momentous occasion in what may be a promising start to a petty criminal career?”

“What does the L stand for?”

He pauses, the hand holding his pen hovering and not quite touching the paper. Judging by his facial expression and body language, he’s either unsure he heard you correctly or is still deciding on what to do in response to your very random question. You can’t quite tell which one it is. Will he ignore you and keep writing? Or will he stop and take a moment to humor you? He glances up from the report he’s in the middle of making out before setting it face down on his desk so you can’t read it. He puts down his pen. He blinks several times and looks at you with a furrowed brow, not understanding what you’re asking at first or what you’re referring to. “The what? The L, you said?”

You nod. “When we first came in, I noticed a sign on the door outside of your office that reads: L. Renault, Prefect of Police. That must be you, so what does the L in your name stand for? Laurent? Lucien? Léonard?”

“Louis. My first name is Louis.” He then pauses again and, taking a good look at you now, he remembers that you’re indeed a child who probably didn’t mean any harm and was just doing what you believed you needed to in order to survive. He sighs to himself, “God, you can’t be more than fifteen.” You’re not even worth the time and energy of writing a false report. He’ll set the half-written report about you onto the fire and you can both forget about this whole thing. He pulls some banknotes out of his wallet. It’s not much, but it’s the best he can do as a poor and corrupt official. “Go on, child. Take this and go away. Go home to your parents, if you have any.”

You want to, but it’d feel wrong to take money from your father like this. Which reminds you there’s a much more important matter at hand. You ignore the money and rummage through your bag before you pull out the old picture of him and slide it across his desk. He takes it and stares at it, astonished. He hasn’t seen this photo in many, many years. This was taken around the time of World War I, when he was a much younger man and long before he was appointed as Prefect of Police. Where on earth did you get this? You tell him your mother’s name and that you got it from her, without revealing she’s your mother. You’ll get to that little tidbit shortly. One thing at a time. You need to see if he remembers her first and go from there. He remembers her. He remembers her quite well, in fact. She was one of his favorites, maybe the closest he ever came to truly loving a woman. But why would she give this to you?

“She thought I might want to know what my father looked like.” You tell him your name and that you’re your mother’s daughter. Louis stammers and chokes on his words as he tries to force them out. He blinks a few times and shakes his head as his brain processes what you just said. Daughter? Whose daughter? His? He’s…your father? But- he hasn’t- he- No, this is impossible. Must be a mistake. He hits the buzzer on his desk and the door opens. He’s letting you go. You stare at him in equal parts confusion and disappointment. You knew it’d be a lot for him to take in, but this is incredibly awkward and isn’t going as you’d hoped it would.

“Maybe I… Maybe I shouldn’t have come. I mean I can tell this is a big shock for you. I know I’m shocked too and I’ve known about this since I was two. I mean don’t get me wrong, I mean shocked in a good way, as in I’ve only dreamt about this my whole life.” You then think back on the day’s events that brought you here. “Not that exact entrance, of course. I imagined something a little more graceful. I can see now that it was probably a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.” You grab your bag and take back the photo, but Louis gets up as well and follows you out as you leave. He looks lost, as if he’s still trying to catch up and wrap his head around all this new information that’s coming at him all at once. Sorry, did you just say you’ve known about this your whole life? But your mother didn’t feel he deserved the same consideration? How could she keep something like this from him!?

Seeing no other option, Louis stops you and tells you that you’ll be staying with him for the time being. At least until he can do some more digging on you and get to the bottom of this. He needs to find more evidence that’ll corroborate your story before he jumps to conclusions or makes any hasty decisions. It’s not a request. He’s not asking you. It’s very clearly an order from an officer, and you can’t say no or refuse. He makes up the spare guest room at his apartment, but It’s really not much more than a pull out couch and extra pillows, bedsheets and blankets he grabbed from a random closet. They may smell of smoke, but at least they’re clean. It’s the best he can do on such short notice. He has you watched over by some friendly neighbors next door until he can sort out his affairs and return home from work. Your unexpected arrival means he has much more to do tonight than he’d thought. He tells his neighbors to keep a close eye on you and make sure you stay out of trouble. You’re given food, water, whatever you’ll need.

Ever since your sudden appearance, his fellow gendarmes have been rushing around him with folders and stacks of papers in their arms or on the phone, constantly dialing in the hopes of connecting to someone who’ll have information. They’ve been working tirelessly. trying to find whatever they can on you. This is the most serious Louis or any of his officers have ever taken their jobs. They somehow locate the hospital where you were born and have a copy of your birth certificate sent over. It takes a few days but, when it finally arrives, he reads the words on your birth certificate and can see his name written on the line under “Father” clear as day. According to this, you’re his daughter too.

His aide, Lieutenant Casselle, is still a bit skeptical. “All I’m saying, sir, is that before we let this hypothetical daughter blow your law enforcement career completely out of the water, we might consider doing some more checking up on her.”

Louis pours himself a glass of brandy, not nearly as frantic or stressed as the men around him. He’s still in shock but, as Captain, he needs to keep a cool head in this situation. Or maybe it’s the brandy that’s helped calm his nerves over the past few days and made him numb to what’s been happening around him. “Checking up for what?”

“I don’t know. Criminal record, blood type, tattoos…”

“Casselle, we found her birth certificate with my name on it, she has my photograph and she has my eyes!” Louis considers himself a very perceptive person. The more he watched you, the more he saw bits of himself in you, in your personality and mannerisms. Even before your birth certificate was received for confirmation, his instincts were telling him, even unconsciously, that you were his daughter. The only trouble now is that he has no idea how to care for a child, much less his own. You’ve been staying with him for a while, but he’s still not quite sure what to do with you yet. It probably won’t be a good idea to stay in Casablanca, but where to go? Should he send you back home to your mother? It’d be cruel and petty of him to keep you from her in the same way she’s kept you from him all these years. But you came all this way just to find him and, now that he knows you exist, he doesn’t want to lose you.

“Exclusive! Captain Louis Renault in Love Child Shocker!”

“Actually she’s not strictly a love child. Her mother and I were married.” Casselle and the gendarmes choke on their drinks. “I mean, not technically. It was a Bedouin ceremony in Morocco. We planned to make it official as soon as we got back to France after the war was over, but for some reason her mother decided to… Well, anyway, she left.”

All the other officers have retired for the night. He sits alone in the dark behind his desk, the only light coming from a single desk lamp. Louis needs to call your mother in the privacy of his office. He needs to confront her about keeping this secret from him, but he also wants her advice on what to do. He wants to try to win her back and reconcile with her. You’ve told him that your mother never pursued any romantic relationships and doesn’t have a man in her life, but you believe that she’s happy. You can tell she gets lonely sometimes, but you think she’s pretty content with who she is. He’d like to have a chance of getting her back so that the three of you can be a family, but he knows that’s highly unlikely. Too much time has probably passed. So, at the very least, he’d like to come to an agreement regarding you. He hopes for either joint custody or visitation rights. He wants to be in your life, and you want him to be there too.

“Louis. Is she there? Is she all right?”

“Yeah, she’s here. She’s fine. My neighbors are feeding her ancient baklava as we speak. My dear, how could you not tell me I’d fathered a child? You let her show up at my doorstep fifteen years later, unannounced—“

“And what? Put a dent in your law enforcement career? As I recall, you didn’t take your job all that seriously. Or is it that she’s put a damper on your carefree lifestyle as a bachelor?”

“No, that’s not-“

“If you’re afraid of a scandal, procure her an exit visa and send her back on the next plane to Lisbon as you so easily have done for many beautiful women, I’m sure.” The sharpness in your mother’s tone as she speaks in terse sentences isn’t lost on him, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on the venom that laces her voice. She’s missing the point, and he’s frustrated and exhausted at the same time.

“This isn’t about any scandal, this is about finding out I had a daughter for half my life!” He raises his voice, nearly shouting over the line. He then takes the phone away from his ear for a moment as he closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose. He takes a few deep, calming breaths. He thinks he can hear your mother trying to hold in her tears as she sniffles and breathes shakily. Your sudden decision to leave home and journey solo to Casablanca has been just as hard on her as it has been on him. Your mother misses you a great deal and doesn’t know what to do without you, while he is just getting to know you and doesn’t know what to do with you. He picks up the phone again and takes a deep breath to steady himself. He says your mother’s name questioningly, unsure if she’s still there or if she already hung up.

“I didn’t want her to get hurt.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ask your superiors and your fellow officers. They’ve gotten you this far, haven’t they?” Your mother hangs up the phone, unwilling to elaborate any further.

#captain Louis Renault and daughter reader #Louis Renault and daughter reader #captain Renault and daughter reader #louis renault #captain renault #captain Louis Renault #casablanca #random fic ideas #fic ideas #fic prompt #pls tag me if you’re inspired by this #I’d love to read it

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inevitably-johnlocked · 1 year

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Five Fics Friday: Dec. 23/22

Happy Friday-before-Christmas everyone! Super snowy here today, so I hope if you’re stuck at home like me, you take some joy in these new fics on my MFL list this week!

PLUS please give my boosted author some love today if you love yourself some old Canadiana! :D

SIGNAL BOOSTING (Other Fandom)

Gilbert Blythe's Little Sister by Shannyh25 (G, 7,426 w., 2 Ch. || ANNE OF GREEN GABLES || Gilbert/Anne Freeform) – After the sudden death of Gilbert’s parents, he became his little sister’s legal guardian and also Sarah’s doctor. This is about how Gilbert handles taking care of his little sister who has anxiety and their journey on how they move on after their parents’ death. Anne is with them every step of the way and they eventually get married of course.

My New Life With Anne and Gilbert by Shannyh25 (G, 16,783+ w., 6/? Ch. || ANNE OF GREEN GABLES || Anne / Gilbert Freeform) – While studying medicine to become a Doctor in New York, Anne begs Gilbert to let her work at the local orphanage while Gilbert is going to school and working at the hospital. Gilbert agrees to let Anne work at the orphanage. While Anne is on her interview for the orphanage, she meets a little girl name Ruby. Ruby has Scarlet Fever just like Anne and Gilbert did. Anne begs Gilbert to agree to adopt Ruby and take Ruby on as his first patience and being solo. Gilbert agrees to adopt Ruby and have her be his first patience. Ruby has for sure Gilbert wrapped around her finger along with Anne. This is Anne, Gilbert, and Ruby story. Guests appearances is Arthur Pettibone, Felix King from Road To Avonlea.. Arthur is a Doctor and also Ruby's Doctor. Felix is studying medicine as well. Ruby has both of them wrapped around her finger.

RECENT MFLs

The Time Being by prettysailorsoldier (M, 11,008 w., 1 Ch. || University AU || John in Afghanistan, Victor Trevor, Time Skips, Poetry, Goodbyes, Christmas, Fluff, Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending) – When Sherlock sends John off from King's Cross the day before Christmas Eve, he can't bear the thought that it's really goodbye, no matter how much John insists a clean break is best, so he suggests a compromise: Meeting up in that same place 7 years later. What follows are snapshots of the next seven Christmases, chronicling the changes in each man's life, but just because they're growing separately, doesn't mean they're growing apart. Part 3 of 25 Days of Johnlock

Quite an Eyeful by BakerTumblings (M, 14,869 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4, Parentlock with Rosie, Established Relationship, Military Backstory, Brief Previous John/OFC, Domestic Life) – Life on Baker Street for Sherlock, John, & Rosie was very good. They had resolved many of the issues that had plagued them, settled in as parents, and thrived on a more predictable yet very enjoyable routine.Until something very unexpected from John's past surfaced to challenge them.They will, of course, work together and find a way to manage. Together. Part 1 of Eyes Wide Open

The last dandelion of summer by Hotaru_Tomoe (E, 69,500 w., 18 Ch. || Historical Fantasy AU || Faun Sherlock, Human John, Slow Burn, Interspecies Sex, Non-Con Drug Use, Implied Mystrade, Magic Realism, Animal Killing, Angst with Happy Ending) – John is a veteran, his kingdom has lost the war and his native village has been handed over to the neighboring Kingdom. After a long wandering, he arrives in a village at the foot of a forest, that everyone says is cursed and populated by monstrous creatures. John thinks that it is just a stupid superstition, and decides to settle right in the forest, unaware that the said creatures are real. Among them, there is Sherlock, who is immediately very interested in the human. Part 38 of The English job

#other fandom fic recs #five fics friday #anne of green gables #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs

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heartlessfujoshi · 6 months

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flufftober day 30 - promnis 'no stakes'

Title: No Stakes Chapter: 6 of 6 Fandom: FFXV Pairing: Promnis (Prompto Argentum x Ignis Scientia) Rating: Teen (Subtle Flirting - Fluff - Ep Ignis V2 - Minor Angst - First Kisses - Feelings Realization) WordCount: ~2,240 Prompt: Self-care/love

Read: Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5

---

The return to Insomnia had been a long journey, one that Ignis hoped that he would never have to repeat in his lifetime. It took Noctis ten years to return to them, ready to end the fight with Ardyn, which they had done together as a group, as they had all had issues with the first Caelum. That had been close to six months ago, and now they were in the process of getting Insomnia back to its former glory.

“Your Majesty - you have a meeting today with one of the senators from Lestallum.” Ignis reminded Noctis, who was sitting on his throne, looking a little bored. He wished he could feel the same, but with everything happening, he felt he had little time to himself.

“Right.” Noctis stretched, then sat up on his throne. “What time was that at?”

“In thirty minutes.”

He returned to his bad posture, and exhaled a long sigh. “Good. Can I be left alone until then, Ignis?”

“Very well.”

Ignis decided that sometimes it was best to let the King do what he was going to do, rather than try and corral him into doing something that should be done. Whatever it was, it could wait. Ignis looked at his watch, and saw that if he timed it right, he might be able to sneak in a quick visit with his better half. He tucked his tablet under his arm, and left the throne room, leaving Noctis to reflect in silence until he needed to meet with the senator.

The elevator came quickly, allowing him to get to his destination much faster than he anticipated. Checking his watch one more time, the elevator opened onto the floor where most meetings were being held by the newly established committees to help get Insomnia back into shape. A door opened as he stepped off the elevator, quite a few individuals making their way out as a meeting had just come to an end.

“Scientia.” He looked up and saw Cor was walking towards him. “What brings you up here at this time?”

He was about to answer the Marshal when he saw a familiar shade of blond hair come up behind him. “Iggy!” Prompto greeted him, coming over to him with a quickened step. Ignis smiled as his lover approached, looking as handsome as ever in his Crownsguard uniform. “What are you doing up here??”

“I thought I would come and say hello.” He looked at Cor, who nodded his head towards him and began to walk away, leaving him alone with Prompto. With Cor now gone, he leaned forward and gave his lover a proper kiss on the lips. “How was your meeting, darling?”

“It was okay.” Prompto sighed, shaking his head. “There’s so much that needs to be done, and I don’t know how we’re going to do it all.”

“Remember, there is no rush.” Ignis linked his arm with Prompto’s, walking him back to where Prompto’s office was. He’d been up here enough times as of late, as it seemed this was the only time he was able to spend with his lover. He was with the King until late in the evening most nights, and by the time he returned to his apartment with Prompto, his lover was asleep. He could never fault him for that - they both were living such different lives, especially now that Noctis was back with them. Most weekends were taken by the King, as there was no real time off when it came to running the country. It was both a blessing, and a curse.

They entered Prompto’s office, the room a controlled mess of papers and books. Prompto had dove head first into the rebuilding project, saying he wanted to make sure that Insomnia was safe for everyone. Ignis knew that there was still a part of Prompto that felt like an outsider, and no matter what he said to him, it hadn’t changed over the last ten years. It wasn’t a constant argument, but it did happen every few months or so, when Prompto would become really down for no apparent reason - he would stare at the barcode on his wrist, and sigh a lot. Ignis knew in those moments, his lover needed to be alone, but also made sure that the blond knew that he was there if he wanted to talk. Prompto never did, though.

“I know, but I’m pretty sure all the refugees would like to come back home.” Prompto sat down at his desk with a grunt. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this job, Iggy. This is too much responsibility.”

“You are doing great.” Ignis was also prepared for this conversation, as his lover tended to flip flop on his new position every other week. “The progress you’ve already made has been a vast improvement. Everyone here knows that you’re the reason why we have certain amenities again.”

Prompto began to blush, shaking his head to cover it up from him. “It’s really nothing, Iggy. I’m doing what I can so that our lives can go back to how they were.”

“Darling, we both know that that will never happen. No amount of fixing this city will bring back the tranquility we experienced before leaving on our road trip.” Ignis walked over to Prompto’s desk, and offered him his hand. Pulling him up, he put his arms around Prompto’s body, and gave him a long hug. “I wish that we could go back, but the only way we can go is forward.”

“Forward is bullshit.” Prompto dropped his head against Ignis’ shoulder. “I’m tired of forward.”

“We all are.”

Neither of them spoke, choosing to hold each other as they both thought about that word. Forward meant that there was no going back, no matter how hard they tried. Ignis wasn’t really interested in returning to that time, as he wouldn’t be where he was right now with Prompto if it was that way. They would still be strangers to one another - perhaps acquaintances on the surface, but really, they had been strangers. Ignis was happy where they were now - two persons who shared an unspeakable amount of love.

“Will you be home early tonight?” Prompto broke the silence as he slowly pulled away from Ignis.

“I’m not sure.” Ignis couldn’t promise anything. His day to day work with Noctis was ever changing.

“Will I ever be good enough for you, so that you would come home when I want you to?”

Ignis felt his stomach clench as Prompto asked him that question. “Prompto, you know that that isn’t what this is about.”

“It feels like it is.” Prompto sat back down at his desk, his eyes now going to the bracelet that continued to hide his true identity from the rest of the world. “It feels like since Noctis came back, that’s where you are. With him.”

He knew that this was a dangerous conversation to be having, especially since he had to return to the throne room in ten minutes’ time. Instead of freaking out on him, he came closer to where Prompto was sitting. “You know that my job as the King’s Strategist means that I am to be by his side.”

“I know.” It was said in a quiet voice, but Ignis could still hear him. “I’m sorry, Iggy. It’s just….it’s really hard for me. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, darling.” He reached for his hands, and brought them to his chest, holding them against him. “I know that things changed drastically upon Noctis’ return. I’m trying to find a way so that I can spend more time with you. I’m so sorry that these moments seem to be our only reprieve as of late.”

Prompto clung to his hands, holding them tight. “I know, Iggy. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m like this. But you and I - we spent a lot of time together when the world was dark. Ten years that I took for granted, because you were always there for me. And now - now you’re with the King, and I know - I know that’s where you would have been had Noctis still been here. I’m not an idiot. I….I miss you. I miss us. And I’m sorry that I feel like I’m not good enough, because that’s how I’ve felt my entire life.”

“Oh, Prompto” He pulled him back up, and flung his arms around him, hugging him against his chest. “My sweet Prompto.” Murmuring low into his ear, he felt Prompto tremble in his arms. “We must work on that self-esteem of yours. You are more than good enough, darling. You are my everything, and there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be than when I’m with you.” Ignis kept his arms around him. “I love you, and no one will ever change that.”

“P-Promise?”

“I can.” Ignis nodded, then sought Prompto’s lips with his own, giving him a kiss that he poured all of his feelings into. “You deserve to have a proper lover, and I’m sorry that my duty to the King is preventing that from being a reality. But I will try, Prompto. I will try to be there when you need me most, all right?”

“Iggy…”

The tears began to fall as he hugged Prompto tight. They were all on edge, and it was bound to happen. He knew that this wouldn’t be the only time either, and that was fine. He would always be there to comfort Prompto, and would profess his undying love to him day after day. It was what Prompto deserved. What they both deserved.

He shared a few more quick kisses with Prompo, then pulled himself away as he was due back down in the throne room. He approached Noctis, who was looking as bored as he had been before he’d left him alone. Ignis cleared his throat, bringing the King’s attention to him. “Your Majesty - are you ready to receive our next visitor?”

“Yes, Ignis. I believe that I am.”

Somehow the senator only wished to spend a few hours with the King, and there hadn’t been anything scheduled afterwards. Ignis was only a little bit surprised when Gladio entered the throne room, having just finished teaching a new group of recruits for the Kingsglaive. The way that Noctis perked up as soon as his Shield entered the room, Ignis began to wonder why those two were bothering to keep their feelings a secret from the rest of the world.

Gladio had stayed away from both him and Prompto during the time that Noctis had been in the Crystal, stating that it would be easier this way. Ignis had agreed, but made sure that Gladio returned to where he and Prompto had set up base to help those less fortunate in the world every few weeks, so it wasn’t total isolation for him. But with Noctis’ return - Gladio had perked right up, and had dived into work with a gusto that had surprised Ignis. Now he knew why.

“Your Majesty.” Gladio greeted them. “Would you like an escort home?”

“You know that I would.” Noctis jumped off the throne, and used his warp-strike ability to be by Gladio’s side in less than a second. “Ignis - go home to Prompto.”

“Is that an order, Your Majesty?” He asked, his eyebrow raised up in question.

“It is. And take tomorrow off. Both of you. I know my best friend misses you.” Noctis grabbed onto Gladio’s arm, who only had eyes for the King. “That’s a direct order from your King.”

Bowing his head, he brought his left arm across his chest and bowed to him. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

He waited for the two to leave, and then took his own leave. He headed to his shared apartment with Prompto, and once he walked inside, he saw Prompto was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Seeing him turn around with a shocked look on his face made his surprise worth it. “Iggy??”

“Yes, darling.” He walked across the room, and waited for Prompto to approach him. Soon, they were hugging each other with the same eagerness that they had earlier in the day. “I’m home.”

“You’re home!”

“And, it looks like we both have tomorrow off, courtesy of His Majesty.”

Prompto laughed, and wrapped his arms around Ignis’ neck. “Really? Noct is giving us the day off?”

“He said that he knows how much his best friend misses me.” He brought his forehead to Prompto’s, and took a deep breath. “I love you, Prompto. I never want you to think that you’re not good enough for me, or for any of this, okay? You deserve it all. My love. The responsibility. You are perfect for both jobs.”

“I wouldn’t call loving you a job, Iggy.” A giddy laugh left his lover’s mouth.

“Wait for another ten years, darling. You’ll see what a chore it will be.” He caught his lips with a searing kiss, and then returned his forehead to his.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

He looked into Prompto’s eyes, and could feel all the love in the world pouring out of them. A large smile came to his lips, as he knew that Prompto would be his until the end of time, and that made him the happiest man on Eos. He kissed him again, then pulled him into another tight hug. “As am I, darling. As am I.”

---

Cross-posted to AO3

#promnis #my writing #fanfic #flufftober 2k23

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mbti-notes · 2 years

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Anon wrote: INFJ. I think everyone hates me because there are a number of people out there that don't like me, therefore I think people close to them also hate me, and people close to those to the second round of people also hate me. I may or may not have given a reason to the first round of people (I wouldn't know, they just blocked me without any explanation 2 years ago, and people that get too close to them stop talking to me), and I live in a small town. How do I deal with this?

Because being a small town, everyone is related to everyone in some sort of degree. I try to be the best version of myself everyday and I am most certainly am better than I was today years ago. I am constantly taking responsibility for every single time I've been a dick or that I was incovenient - which means taking responsibility for every time I was not a good person, didn't know how to socialize, or was correctly judged by my actions. I was also in an abusive relationship for a year with someone who used to tell me that to know me personally meant not liking me.

Now I am afraid to socialize, meet new people. I know it's contradictory, but what if I haven't changed at all (despite taking action to change in therapy)? What if I am exactly what the group who blocked me think I am (I do not know what it is), or if I am someone not likable? I have feedbacks from a few people that I am nice to be around, but I am socially anxious too so I mostly socialize online. Maybe this is a Fe overindulgence about what other people think and Ni's struggle to be perfectly acceptable? How do I fix this? I know what kind of person I want to be and I've been making progress, but what if progress is not enough and people still judge me?

*********************

There are several issues to unpack:

1) Willingness to Change: You admit that some people may be justified in their negative opinion of you because you were not always being your best self in the past. Since then, you have sought out therapy, in hopes of bettering yourself. That's a good thing. You're trying, but that doesn't mean immediate success. Many people have an oversimplistic view of therapy, as though it's some kind of magical cure to all your psychological problems. If you're not 100% cured in x amount of time, then "it didn't work".

Therapy is about having an objective and knowledgeable person support you in your endeavors to better yourself. Self-improvement is necessarily a very gradual process because psychology is very complicated and it can take a long time to unravel and undo all the bad habits and patterns you've learned over a lifetime. Progress is incremental, which means that the changes you experience may not be perceptible to you at first, because they are small. But they are still significant and adding up to something larger down the road.

The point is to persist on the journey of change until the changes are perceptible to you. Sometimes, the changes are perceptible to others first because they have a more objective view of you.

2) Public Opinion: Opinions are like assholes - everyone has one and they usually stink. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but it doesn't mean their opinion is accurate. You should only trust someone's opinion when it is reasonably well-informed. Why would you trust the opinion of someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? If you decide to do that, then, yes, your Fe is out of control and taking everything to heart for no good reason.

I'm not gonna lie, once established, public opinion is difficult to change. Apologies and atonement are necessary for you to resolve negative situations and start moving forward. However, apologizing and atoning doesn't entitle you to forgiveness. It's unreasonable to expect people to just forget the past at your request. The harm you've done to people cannot magically be undone with a few words.

When people have already formed an opinion, they will need to observe A LOT of counter-evidence to change it. Actions speak louder than words. The best you can do is live your life well and hope that your actions speak for themselves. Show people the proof of your change and they will start to see it, in time. Those who refuse to see it may just be determined to hate and there's not much you can do about them, because it's their own problem.

3) Your True Intention: Who are you changing for, yourself or others? Undertaking self-improvement for your own well-being means that your focus is mainly on yourself and the intrinsic rewards of change, in which case, the opinions of others shouldn't really factor into your process, except as a way to get constructive feedback.

But if you're actually unconsciously undertaking change for others, to try to impress them and change their opinion of you, you are less likely to succeed in self-improvement. Why? Because your actions will not be genuine. You will be too tempted to put on a performance, be too self-sacrificial, or become perfectionistic just to get validation from others. Just remember that people who are already primed to dislike you are also primed to see your inauthenticity.

Ideally, you want to improve yourself for the right reasons. You want to conduct your relationships in a healthy and ethical manner because it benefits both you and others.

#infj #infj relationships #relationships #change #therapy #public opinion #intention #ask

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ecoamerica · 23 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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dans-den · 11 months

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The Machine Movie Review

Hey what's going on everyone?! Dan here and today I'll be reviewing The Machine Movie, The movie based on the incredible story...notice how it doesn't say true story.

Now I've been a fan of Bert Kreischer these last few years. I remember first seeing him on the travel channel on his trip show, then I saw his machine story on YouTube, watched most of his Netflix specials and his Cabin show, and even saw him in person during the Super Bowl here in AZ with Guy Fieri. I honestly had no idea he was making an actual film this summer until over a month ago when I was watching an analysis video about Bert and how he's starting to become out of touch and egotistical, I'll leave a link to that video from Ghost Gum you guys should check it out.

(Ghost Gum video on Bert)

Now I've been watching several videos on YouTube about Bert and a lot of the issues are coming from his let's just say "exaggerated" stories and the authenticity of them as well as him being in denial about having an alcohol problem and overall health issues. His status has made him delusional about being better or above everyone else which is another factor of him losing respect from his fans. I feel this movie perfectly reflects all of these traits as well as justifying his behaviors and trying to poke fun at the criticism he sees. I was going into this movie thinking it would be so bad it's funny and I was partially right. Half the movie is so bad its funny while the other half is...just bad, it's boring and made to make Bert look cool or like he's the center of the world. I'll break down why I feel this way and what this movie could potentially do to Bert's reputation/fanbase.

Now let's start with a positive first, Mark Hamill. I love Mark Hamill not just as Luke Skywalker or the Joker, I love his work and I feel he was truly carrying this movie. I was weirded out that they chose Mark to portray Bert's dad in this film. I've seen what Bert's dad looks like and Mark looks nothing like him (at least not currently) so I wonder if it's for a cool factor or Bert is a huge fan of Mark Hamill or both. Either way Mark as Bert's dad carried the movie to where it was enjoyable at times and genuinely funny. He was the best character in this movie, yes, better than Bert, better than the Russian Mafia characters, he was just the best one because he actually made me laugh the most. When he laughs you can hear that Joker laugh slip through and I loved it.

Now with that positive out of the way, let's get to the negatives. The plot barely makes any sense, Bert's past with the Mafia comes back to haunt him and he has to go to Russia and find an Heirloom he stole from a crime family or else his eldest daughter (I think it's suppose to be Georgia) will be killed. Without getting into major spoilers, this plotline is so inconsistent in terms of characters, flow, and accuracy. So the Machine story setting was from Berts time at Florida State when he was 22. So Bert was born in 1972 and i'm guessing this was before his 23rd birthday, so that means the setting of the story should take place in 1995. Now the movie did not establish what year it currently was, but I have to assume it was 2023 or sometime in the 2020's. He said it was 23 years ago meaning the story happened in either the late 90's or the year 2000 since young Bert (played by Jimmy Tatro) is making Austin Powers and Beavis and Butthead references. That basically goes against the actually setting of the story which I understand movies aren't 100% accurate but normally the time period correlates with one another so this is either Bert forgetting or trying to appeal to the younger crowd like people my age or younger. The plot is this wild goose chase meant to make Bert look cool or go through this hero's journey which honestly just falls flat.

The characters were alright I guess. Like I said Mark Hamill as Berts dad is my favorite character, The Russian Mafia characters while a bit stereotypical were also funny at times, Bert had some moments I'll admit but those were few and far in between. I just didn't like the portrayal of him and his family or family friends they all seemed like they hated each others guts. Felt bad for the therapist character in all honesty, sad part is there are people like that in this world that try to act like nothings wrong and try to force their loved ones to see thigs their way even though that is certainly not the case. The family really didn't go through any major developments to warrant that ending, especially the daughter she just suddenly had a change of heart without really being in the story which is ironic considering the plot was also about Bert needing to know it's not always about him. That should tell you the mindset of Bert in real life. Once again, this was all meant to make Bert look cool, like he's life of the party, like everything he's doing is fine and how he is bigger than life.

Now let's get to the important part, the comedy. Wow...it is near nonexistent. The type of comedy in here is literally lowbrow, meant to look "Progressive", having Russian stereotypes, some physical humor, and overall just meh. Don't get me wrong I still laugh at these types of comedy but it depends how it's done. Some people do it tastefully and genuinely funny like a actual Comedian then there are others who do it without any set up or punchline like a middle schooler...can you guess which way The Machine movie does it? That's right, the humor is stuff I would have said or done when I was like 14 and I'm not gonna say I dislike immature humor, there are times where I still get a good laugh out of it and I laughed a couple times in this movie but again those moments are far and few in between. The issue I have with it is Bert's style of comedy doesn't work well, great storyteller, but horrible at setting up jokes or delivering punchlines. I'm just glad he didn't do that fake Hyena laugh too much in this movie.

Overall, this movie was meant to just inflate Bert's ego, I was genuinely hoping this movie would be hilarious but honestly I'm starting to see why people are slowly losing interest in Bert I mean he is a 50 year old man with a wife and two kids who actively gets drunk as a "career" because he can't do actual standup. It is a real fall from grace because the reason everyone liked him was because he was just being himself. But now he's become a complete try hard for laughs and clout and I don't find him as funny as he use to be. Bert if you by some chance see this, you need to get some actual help. Stop drinking and spend more time with your family because you're on a slippery slope to alcoholism and a short life span.

Rating this movie I'm giving it:

4/10

I do not recommend this movie, maybe I'll watch it again when it comes out on redbox and get drunk or high, maybe then I'll find it funnier but as it stands it's a bit underwhelming for a comedy film.

That's all I have to say.

See ya!

#dans den #movie review #bert kreischer #the machine #TheMACHINEmovie #jimmy tatro #mark hamill #comedy #sony #russian mafia

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ultramagicalternate · 15 days

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ULTRAMagic Alternate Lore 16 - Overflow Realms

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Master Post

Something everyone takes for granted is the stability of the Cosmos… and anyone foolish enough to think the Cosmos was stable in the first place needs to pull their head out of the sand. Much like modern computing, reality itself is prone to bugs. These can be simple ones like falling into The Unlight, or drastic ones such as entire universes vanishing. With all of that being said, some have truly pushed the limits of the quantum realm and broke it wide open, be it through accident or sheer lunacy. What happens when someone has the genius idea to try and travel light-years on their own planet? Overflow realms.

What are Overflow realms?

The quantum realm is a mysterious place, only capable of being truly understood by those of 6 dimensions or higher. From what they have told us, an overflow realm occurs when someone abuses the rules and laws of reality. In this case, it is traveling the distance of a light-year and beyond on a planet (or a similar celestial body). This leads to reality creating places that are not supposed to exist. These realms are surreal, unorthodox, and do not follow the standards of what we would expect out of reality. In a way, they are a lot like The Unlight in that they are realms that were formed through pure accident.

How and why do Overflow realms form?

For context, there are rules for reality. There are too many to name, but some of the popular ones are as follows:

One cannot exceed the speed of light. It can be bypassed, however.

Nothing can be brought to absolute zero.

Matter cannot be destroyed. And even if it is destroyed, it still goes somewhere.

There can never truly be nothing. That nothing is something, even if it does not meet the conventional definition of something.

Even the most insane concepts and entities abide by these rules. And while these ones are set in stone, some are not. A good example is the idea that a lifeform will only travel so much on a celestial body. Reality expects you to abide by this because there is no practical reason for one to travel more than you need.

As stated before, overflow realms are the result of abusing the rules and structure of reality. Traveling for more than a light-year on a planet causes reality to mess up. The exact issue that occurs is unknowable to individuals below the 6th dimension, but the general idea is this: People are not supposed to travel for a light-year on a planet (or a similar celestial body). Using Earth as an example, a typical human will only travel about 75,000 miles on average in their lifetime (150,000 if being incredibly generous). Furthermore, the circumference of Earth is only 24,901 miles. All of this is versus the 6 trillion miles in a light-year. No one should ever be traveling a light-year on their own planet.

A journey of this magnitude is impossible through ordinary means. Any standard sentient lifeform would die and turn to dust LONG before they even reached such distances. By that logic, overflow realms should not exist… if only things were that simple. Magic and Science are prone to the accidents necessary for overflow realms to form. Usually it is someone being accelerated well beyond what is reasonable or someone trying to send someone to another realm. Whoever or whatever caused the first overflow realm to form is lost to history, if this was even the cause.

To establish the most understandable explanation for 5th dimensionals and lower, the idea is to think of overflow realms as a stack overflow. When more memory is used than what is allocated, computer programs tend to crash. A similar thing happens in real life, but reality does not crash like a computer does. The next part of this idea are video games that use procedural generation being pushed to their limits. Unless this state is accounted for, the game’s Random Number Generator will mess up and corrupt the world generation at some point due to its limitations. The RNG of reality goes haywire because you were not supposed to travel that far in one journey.

What are the requirements for overflow? How do you avoid them?

On a standard celestial body, traveling more than one light-year in one journey causes overflow. Avoiding this is easy: Do not get into situations that would send you into such a state. Proportionally traveling the distance over an appropriate amount of time will also avoid overflow (despite being practically impossible). It is also ideal to avoid Reality Errors as they can easily lead into overflow realms. Space travel is completely safe as the quantum forces that control reality are more free and less restricted out in the void. Of course, it is possible to wander into The Unlight and further wander into overflow realms, so it is best to be careful when exploring. Lastly, there is the Dark Void, but this realm is very hazardous to navigate.

Are there any benefits to finding overflow realms?

Despite the risks involved and the dangers present, discovering these can be quite beneficial. It can better one’s understanding of reality, lead to uncovering unique resources, or allow one to meet entities/people beneficial to them. Of course, there is always the possibility of threats emerging from these realms. Some universes have to actively deal with their overflow realms to maintain peace and stability. Should you go out of your way to seek these realms? No. At the same time, no one will fault you for being adventurous.

What can you expect in general?

Depending on where you end up and what universe it is connected to, your overflow realm can be incredibly similar or wildly different from what you expect. Typically it will be a distorted version of the point of origin. The following traits are usually consistent across all overflow realms:

Societies, as people out this far still have a sense of community. There may even be familiar architecture and infrastructure.

Floating terrain, irregular terrain, impossible terrain, endless “voids,” impossible spaces, and even landscapes miles below you. People from modern era Earth’s often compare these realms to levels found in older video games.

Impossible architecture that is well beyond what is physically possible.

Entities beyond comprehension that need to exist in unrestricted places such as overflow realms.

Flora and Fauna that look familiar, but are entirely different. At the same time, there can be radically foreign flora and fauna.

Gods, rogue gods, demigods, and/or primordials.

Regular people from the Cosmos proper or people from the overflow realms themselves.

The Night Realm and The Machine Requiem

Specific overflow realms are typically exclusive to a universe or a set of universes. It is unknown how many unique realms there are, but most converge on each other. The best example of this is The Night Realm and The Machine Requiem. Both of these can only be accessed from the following universes of the Prometheus Multiverse cluster:

Universe-23, Universe-15, Universe-0X, Universe-0Y, Universe-0Z, and Universe-17. Universe-16 and Universe-15-A have shown potential connections to these realms.

Traveling through the Unlight can get around this. Reality errors can also lead to these realms through sheer accident.

Starting with The Machine Requiem, this is a realm first discovered by Milosh Proch and Valentina Pari of Universe-0X. Located 3 light-years across Earth, it is a realm that feels like it is in its twilight years. Things feel like they are dying and fading away, yet everything is still intact. Colossal buildings of monolithic proportions are littered across the landscape.Titanic machines keep building these structures even though their masters are nowhere to be found. The opening of a particular laboratory in this realm is what led to repeated turmoil of Earth-0X.

A light-year deeper into The Machine Requiem is where the rogue god known as The Machine God is sealed away. The Hunger of Old and The Madman of Old were certain that the deep Machine Requiem was impossible to reach, but evidently Man finds a way. Milosh-0X’s expedition to this part of the realm is what triggered the machine revolt in his timeline. The presence of slumbering rogue gods is a danger that is kept hidden from the Cosmos, with the idea that these realms are not meant to be found. For The Madman of Old, it’s better to let one Man make a mistake rather than have the entire Cosmos find out about the rogue gods.

There are several other realms on the way to the next realm, but they have yet to be properly discovered. The Night Realm is of top importance, as it is home to a Primordial and another sealed away rogue god. This realm is 666 light-years out and somewhat resembles Earth. It is a mess of castles from every culture that transitions into a cybernetic nightmare, known as The Electric City. Despite this, a society does exist here. It is the size of a large city and lives under the rule of Duke Eligio Bertoldo Moretti, further under the guidance of The Hydra of Old.

The Hydra and The Sepulcher God

The Hydra of Old is an obscure, forbidden primordial that wandered into The Night Realm during the epoch of the Cosmos (the prime of the primordials). He is a three headed hydra, colossal in size, and with the body of a reptile. The right head represents anger, the left head represents happiness, and the center head represents balance. When unfocused, the two emotional heads speak for him. Furthermore, the hydra has control over the four elements (fire, water, air, and earth). Despite being an amicable being, he will not hesitate to smite any villain or tyrant that comes knocking on his door.

When it came time for the Primordials to begin reincarnating, the Hydra was off exploring. The news was unfortunate, but he accepted God’s will. He would have returned to the Cosmos proper had he not been approached by a rather unique primordial. The Madman of Old saw potential in the hydra and asked him to watch over the realm he was in, which came to be called The Night Realm. The Hydra was surprised and welcomed the honor. And then The Madman revealed why he wanted someone there…

The Madman had sealed a rogue god there, and a rather infamous one called “The Sepulcher God.” He was supposed to watch this god, but he did not want to (on top of having other things to do). Adding insult to injury, The Sepulcher God has an ally in the form of The Crimson God. These two are notorious for wreaking havoc on the Cosmos proper, so much so that entities such as Lucifer and Satan* are believed to be cover stories for them. The Crimson God has continuously evaded The Madman, constantly trying to free The Sepulchre God. This has resulted in The Hydra cursing The Madman to this day…

It should be noted that Lucifer and Satan have gotten into trouble, regardless of actions from the two rogue gods that are attributed to them. Many have yanked their chains by comparing them to the sepulcher god and the crimson god.

The Hydra’s Allies

The Hydra of Old is working day and night to keep The Sepulcher God in slumber, so it is understandable that he would bring in some help. These helpers maintain the societies of The Night Realm and keep things in order. Some of these individuals are:

Beauregard Amadeus Vonterr

Eligio Bertoldo Moretti

Barry Esko Boyle

Katsuko Yoshinaga

Sir Gideon Ansgar Arlotti

Beauregard:

Beauregard Vonterr is a colony lifeform that The Hydra found one day while roaming The Night Realm. This little, red blob was just wandering around when the mighty primordial sensed it had magic potential for an unknown reason. Regardless, the strange creature was trained and educated, becoming the Beauregard we know today. Currently he is an Alchemist that serves as a guide for The Night Realm (amongst many) and a constable for The Electric City. His primary job is to either guide new arrivals out of The Night Realm, help people get settled in the realm, or report disturbances to The Hydra.

In the past, Beauregard realized that he needed to make himself more presentable. Many were scared by his amorphous appearance. Over time, he developed a form that looked like a handsome, young man. As for his personality, he is polite, patient, and helpful when on duty. At home, he’s more relaxed and easy going. Naturally he will not hesitate to retaliate if aggression is directed at him. Recently, disruptive arrivals to The Night Realm have made him a little testy as they are what he calls “normies.”

Duke Eligio:

Universe-17 is a weirdly chaotic universe that nearly roused The Sepulcher God. An incident on Earth-17, in 1920s New York, saw multiple clashes between “Mafia” families, destabilizing the global economy. This led to an early World War II in the wake of The Great War. Earth -17 would then experience World War III, in place of what should have been Earth-17’s World War II. Seeing the impending catastrophe, The Hydra acted fast and removed a specific individual from that Earth. This created a power vacuum that destabilized every mob family on the eastern seaboard of the United States, allowing Earth-17 to recover and calm down.

The former Don needed to be set on the straight and narrow, as he was the driving force behind a lot of Earth-17’s issues in regards to the World Wars. He was not an “evil” man, just ideological and needed to be elucidated. In time, The Hydra got Eligio’s head on straight and even made him the duke of The Electric City. With guidance from The Hydra, he is a noble and fair leader who will not tolerate subversion and corruption.

Barry:

This Cybermage is the reincarnation of The Hunter of Old… unfortunately he had a botched reincarnation. Originally he was supposed to go to Universe-15, but ended up in The Night Realm. He was lost and confused, with no idea who he even was. Beauregard would find him and take him in as he had no idea where Barry was even from. The Hydra quickly realized who this was and began training him to attain ULTRAMagic. The ULTRAMagic Guild was on the horizon and The Hydra wanted a connection to them.

What is a Cybermage? These are mages who are skilled in Elektromancy (divination through electricity, very similar to pyromancy). Their skills can range from divination to the manipulation of electricity. Typically Cybermages stick to computer-based technology for their magic (anything with a circuit board is viable). Barry is lucky in that his aptitude is Elektromancy, falling under an aberrant ability. His preferred spells center around divination, using electricity to disrupt the quantum realm to give him visions of the future (at a 70% accuracy rate). Electric discharges are not his cup of tea given how dangerous they can be, but he will use them if backed into a corner.

Katsuko:

Katsuko is a red oni also hailing from universe-17. How she ended up in The Night Realm is a bit bizarre. The oni of Earth-17 have been at war with the Yakuza for some time after a band of Yakuza thugs desecrated a shrine sacred to the oni. The Yoshinaga family have been one of the most combative families in this conflict. What happened to Katsuko is that the ghost of a yakuza boss (that she had slain) tried to banish her. This ended up sending her to The Night Realm.

Waking up with no idea where she was, Katsuko found herself in a bizarre realm with a living bodysuit grafted onto her. This futuristic armor identified itself as “Umbra” and promised to help her out. She would soon find out that Umbra was crafted from the scales of The Hydra of Old and that the primordial wanted Katsuko to be one of his champions. Together they would seal away rogue gods, maintain order in The Night Realm, and keep the Cosmos safe.

Despite being overwhelmed by the insanity of The Night Realm, Katsuko has taken to her new role fairly well. She’s very outward and brave, but her current state of affairs has her anxious and confused. Behaviour-wise, Katsuko is sassy and a little indecent at times, but polite and cooperative when she needs to be. This most likely stems from bullying she received as a child for not having horns. Pointing this out makes self-conscious, prompting her to brandish her Kanabō. Umbra is currently helping her with this issue.

Sir Gideon:

Gideon Arlotti is a lost knight who wandered into The Night Realm. Hailing from the fallen kingdom of Feuerland in The Unlight, he is one of the last remaining members of the Arlotti family. He’s not very talkative, but he makes up for that by protecting the citizens of The Electric City. Gratiana is a name that comes up a lot, given that she is his younger sister. He is torn between helping The Hydra keep the rogue gods in check and searching for his lost sister…

Closing Remarks:

Overflow Realms, while not intended to exist, are a core part of The Cosmos. They give a better understanding of reality, in addition to things like The Unlight, Reality Errors, and The Dark Void. Without chaos, there is no order. Reality needs to mess up from time to time so it can be maintained. Plus there is the fact that overflow realms are perfect for sealing away threats to the Cosmos as a whole. Research into these realms continues to this day, with more being discovered as time goes on. Naturally The Madman of Old knows all there is to know about them, but it is probably for the best that he keeps that knowledge under wraps.

#chaotictempleknight #ultramagic alternate #fantasy #sciencefiction #sciencefictionfantasy #literature #fiction #writing #writers on tumblr #lore post #lore #character lore #alternate universe #alternate history #pseudoscience

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