#and then im too focused on looking excited and i don't get to actually feel happy

[helloidkwhatimdoing-0]

Woke up today so excited it was christmas eve and then was cruelly reminded by the world that I actually dislike christmas

[riki-riks-chick]

heyy im lwk dying for like a bsf jungwon thing rn… like maybe the border between bsfs and smth more is blurred.. u feel me

What Are We? ┃Y.JW

jungwon x reader

yn has all sorts of feelings for jungwon, but can't differentiate between platonic and romantic.

fluff! yn does jungwon's makeup, one kiss, no confession, questioning their relationship.

wdct: 1.1k

I'm usually not very good at vague relationships, but I think this is like the line between being bffs and being bf and gf. either way thnx for the request 💚

═════════════

Third Person POV~

For as long as you can remember, you've been friends with Jungwon. He's always been an important person in your life. So much so that you can't remember life without him or even imagine life without him.

He feels the same, you guys are attached at the hip and nothing could ever sever your connection.

Everyday is spent the same way. You guys meet up at school, and you have almost all your classes together. You always sit beside each other too, so people are convinced you two are secretly dating.

Every accusation is met with a simple "I'd never date him.." or a blatant "We're just friends." but sometimes you even question your closeness to the boy.

"Jungwon, are you coming over after school?" You ask, leaning against your locker as he goes through his. He closes it after grabbing his needed book. "I don't know.. My mom says she'll ground me if I don't study."

"We can study at my house." You pout and he smiles, pinching your cheek. "We both know that we don't get anything done when we study together. You'll just have to miss me today.."

The rest of the day, you're bored.. It's like being with Jungwon so much makes you blind to how little friends you actually have. He's always been everything for you...

Surprisingly, he comes to your house anyway after studying for a couple hours at home, and you immediately get so excited.

"Hey, remember how you still owe me for the homework I let you copy." You remind as he sighs. "What do you want?.. Wanna use me as a makeup dummy again?" He asks as you nod, getting off your bed and pulling him to sit on the stool at your vanity.

"I wanna try a makeup look for school tomorrow.. If it looks bad on you I won't do it.. If it looks good I'll wear it to school." You explain as he nodded. "Okay, just get it over with."

You start on his makeup, quickly realizing that your hands aren't as steady when you aren't sitting down. He notices and simply pats his lap. "Come on.." You're hesitant at first, but then you straddle his lap, focusing on doing his makeup.

Jungwon is forced to stare at you, your eyes, lips.. The way your hair frames your face is perfect too.. He loves being around you..

"You're making me nervous.. Stop staring." You blush, playfully slapping his chest as he laughs. "Sorry.. I was just admiring you.."

Your heart beats slightly faster at his words, cheeks flushing a deeper pink as you tried to ignore him. He can feel you shifting every second or so to keep yourself from sliding off his lap, so he puts his hands on your hips, trying to keep himself from reacting. You tense at the action.

"What are you doing?.." You ask as he chuckles nervously. "Oh, uh.. You were moving a lot and I figured it's because you were sliding off.. I just wanted to keep you still.." You simply nod, trying to ignore the slight fluttering feeling in your abdomen.

You're close to finishing Jungwon's makeup, starting on the lips, you sharpen your lip liner, cupping his jaw as you tug him closer, his face only a few inches from yours.

He decides to close his eyes to make it less awkward, but it only gets your imagination running. You're thinking of things you shouldn't be thinking of, things that you don't usually think about your best friend, but you can't help it. Sometimes it gets confusing, your relationship with Jungwon.

You didn't realize you had zoned out until Jungwon squeezed your hips. "You okay?.." He asks as you nod. "Sorry.. I was thinking about a different lip liner.."

"Did you wanna grab it?" He questions as you shake your head. "No this one is fine.." You cup his jaw again, leaning closer as you begin to line his lips. You can feel his chest rise and fall.. You can feel his hands grow slightly tighter on your hips.. You can feel his heart beat, and it's louder than your own.

You're wondering if he's thinking the same way you're thinking.. Feeling the way you're feeling.. But then again, you don't know how you feel.. Jungwon is your best friend.. You've never seen him as more than that, but you also can't live without him.. You miss him when he's away, and you can't go a day without at least calling or texting him when you don't get to see him.

The two of you can cuddle and hold hands shamelessly, give each other friendly kisses on the cheek and sometimes on the lips depending on the situation, and you know that he's your soulmate.

But then there's this anxiety that keeps your feelings in a complex.. Does Jungwon think of you the same way you think of him?.. You can't even sort out your thoughts towards Jungwon, but you hope he at least cherishes you the same way do cherish him.

You finish lining his lips, filling it in with one of your lip glosses as you smile. "All done.." You show him his reflection in the mirror and he smiles. "You should definitely do your makeup like this tomorrow.."

You nod in agreement, grabbing your makeup wipes as you begin to wipe the makeup off of his face. You start with the base, then you take off the makeup around his eyes, being sure to be gentle. Finally you clean off his lips.

"I can still taste the lip gloss.." He chuckles as you smile. "I don't remember it having a flavor." You mumble as he shrugs, pressing a short kiss to your lips. "Doesn't it taste like strawberries?.."

You're too stunned to even think about the taste so you just nod. That's not the first time you've kissed Jungwon, but why did it erupt such emotion in you this time?.. Why did it make you mad to imagine him being this close with and kissing a different girl?

You finish cleaning off his makeup. Letting him wash his face and use your moisturizer before the two of you layed down on your bed, simply staring at the ceiling.

"Won?.." You call as he hums, turning to glance at you. "What are we?..." He goes quiet after your question, but then he grabs your hand, squeezing it gently. "We're us.. And we'll continue to be us for the rest of our lives together.."

═════════════

[ktaerssoi]

same team, different goal (pt 2)

(pt.1)

summary: a few days later, you find yourself in another aggravating experience with none other than Caitlin Clark. is it that aggravating though?

caitlin clark x reader

(350)

days after your run into Caitlin at the gym, you're forced to be near her once again for some team get-together. something along the lines of kate wanting to hang out and Jada just wanting to have a party is the main cause for the awkward moment of you and caitlin having to not only team together at mario party but sit with your legs touching one another.

"caitlin row the fucking boat," you say to her, though your eyes are focused solely on the screen. "l/n, calm down, it's just mario party, it's not that serious." caitlin responded calmly, something you, (or most of the team) ever get to see in a competitive setting.

"oh my god are you okay?" you hear kate yell from a chair a few feet away, genuine worry in her voice. caitlin looks confused as she responds, "Yeah..? why wouldn't I be? seriously this game is stupid anyway."

you're confused, I mean you had never seen caitlin so calm about not doing good at something. it's like she's perfect or something, she balances everything and still manages to be kind to people. she's too good to be true.

"I really don't care if you think it's stupid, we're winning." you roll your eyes, shoving your shoulder into hers to focus back on the task at hand. what you hadn't realized were her eyes that lingered a little longer than they had to before locking in and continuing her part.

-

when the screen finally projected yours and caitlin's names at the end, you hugged her without really thinking about it. you were excited, even if you had to work with her you were still going to win.

when you had pulled away from the hug, caitlin's cheeks looked a little pinkish, but you assumed it was just from the game and some joke that someone told.

you were smiling because you won, yes, but it also felt good to know that caitlin was proud of what you guys had done together too, even if it really was just a stupid video game to her.

CHAT..i feel so lazy and this is actual cheeks but whatver.. anyway i love caitlin, i think there might even be a third part of this because i feel like i have an idea for what needs to come next i just had to get this down as a based yk?? you don't know, because i dont even know okay im going to stop typing, - kate

LOWERCASE INTENDED.

[delulujuls]

fuck, marry, kill | lh44, gr63

hi! im sorry for not being on time but hey, no surprise to having the best ideas when its already too late. anyway please enjoy!

summary: the mercedes trio is getting ready for halloween party, lewis is being a total babygirl as always, georgie boy being unbothered king as always too

warnings: none, they are pure goofballs

pairing: lewis hamilton x fem!mercdriver x george russell

George scrunched his nose, feeling the first stamp of paint on his cheek.

"I already don't like this."

Y/N rolled her eyes, putting more paint onto the sponge.

"I've just started, so please cooperate and let me work."

He squeezed his eyelids as he felt his face gradually being covered in white color. The atmosphere at the Mercedes headquarters that afternoon was very exciting, all due to preparations for the evening Halloween party.

"Is it at least vegan?" George asked again, nervously adjusting himself in his place.

Lewis sitting next to them couldn't help but laugh, tearing his gaze away from his phone.

"Give me one reason why makeup paint wouldn't be vegan" he asked.

"I have no idea, that's why I'd rather make sure."

Y/N shook her head and returned to covering his face with paint.

"And you, Lewis, do you have any ideas yet?"

She asked, glancing at the man who had been searching for inspiration for his costume for the past few minutes.

"I'd advise against anything with white paint and it's not just because it could be seen as racist."

George chimed in, trying to scratch his nose for which he immediately received a tap on the hand.

"Men in Black? The Weeknd?" the man shook his head while scrolling through Pinterest. "Everything is too simple and obvious."

"We could have some matching costumes," Russell suggested, feeling relieved as the girl put down the paint and reached for powder. "I'd feel better knowing that you guys are going through this as well."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Y/N nodded, looking at her friends. "The only question is, what kind?"

Lewis exhaled and focused on his phone again. The trio remained silent for a moment until the man showed them a photo with an potential inspiration.

"I think I have a favorite."

Y/N furrowed her brows, looking at the photo he showed. It took her a moment to decipher what the trio of girls in the picture was dressed up as.

"Fuck, Marry, Kill! Oh God, that is brilliant!"

"Let me be 'Kill' because I might as well kill myself if I have to wash this off" George said, adjusting the headband holding his hair.

"I'm fine with that" the girl assured, taking a brush, black eyeshadow and starting to paint skull elements on his face. "And what about you, Lewis?"

"I can let you have the first choice."

The man replied, resting on his hand and watching as George's makeup slowly began to take shape.

"Everyone thinks 'Fuck' when they look at you, so I guess we know the answer."

The girl said, giving him a meaningful look.

Lewis looked a little flustered, trying to cover his reaction with laughter. The three of them had been friends for almost four years, but Lewis was very easy to embarrass, even in jokes.

"You'd look good as the groom though, but I'm sure that everyone would probably point out that Y/N is being objectified for letting her being "Fuck", what about woman rights and all the other shitty nonsense," George added "PR people would have a busy evening."

"Geez Georgie boy, just say that I'm not attractive and no one would want to fuck me," Y/N interjected with feigned seriousness, struggling to hold back her laughter.

"Don't provoke me into this conversation, especially not now when I'm not at my best," he replied, trying to remain still as she painted his eyes.

Lewis returned to browsing his phone, this time with a clear idea of what he was looking for. When he found a specific photo, he hesitated for a moment about presenting his idea.

"Do you have red lipstick, Y/N?" He asked uncertainly, glancing at his friend. She nodded, not breaking her concentration. However, when he didn't expand on the topic, she looked at him.

"But what do you need red lipstick for, exactly?"

Lewis wordlessly showed her his phone with a picture where a guy was covered in red lipstick kisses. Y/N raised her eyebrows in shock, while George nodded approvingly.

"The idea is great and I truly love you, but don't count me as the one to give you those kisses,"Russell replied.

Lewis looked at Y/N, unsure if this suggestion wasn't too much and could potentially offend her in any way. However, she didn't react negatively at all; instead, she nodded and smiled enthusiastically.

"People on Twitter are gonna shit themselves."

When George's makeup was ready, the rest of the preparations went smoothly. Even getting the wedding accessories for Y/N wasn't as problematic as keeping Russell in one place with his mouth shut for more than five minutes during his make up. When the girl was ready, she took the red lipstick, which was the highlight of the program and found Lewis, who was already dressed in his dark red suit pants, perfectly matching his shirt. The man smiled at the sight of his friend, who had done a great job finding her costume at the last minute.

"How do you feel about the party?" the girl asked, opening a small mirror and painting her lips.

"I'm okay, and you?" the man replied, nervously adjusting the cuffs of his shirt.

"Me too, I must admit I like these kinds of parties."

Y/N closed the mirror and glanced at her friend, signaling him to sit down. He followed her command, getting nervous almost as if it were his first interaction with a girl ever.

"Do you have any specific idea about how to arrange these kisses, or can I improvise?"

"I trust you completely."

The girl nodded and without thinking too much just leaned toward him. Just then George entered the room, also dressed and ready to go.

"Thank goodness I found you in time," he said, closing the door behind him. "Now no one can accuse you of deliberate kisses."

"You're definitely taking this too seriously," Y/N laughed and leaned toward Lewis, pressing her lips to his cheek. The man smiled involuntarily and looked at her, slightly taken aback when she moved away and examined her work.

"One down, about twenty-nine to go," George commented, sitting in a nearby chair. "Don't fall in love with each other during this time."

Lewis sat still, even trying not to breathe too loudly. Y/N left kisses on his cheek, neck and chest like stamps. When she finished, she nodded approvingly.

"It turned out better than I thought."

"We all look awesome, but now get rid of the evidence and let's go because I'm starving."

The girl wiped her lips clean and the three of them headed to the company's party. Y/N secured seats, Lewis went for drinks and George immediately greeted the snacks. Toto holding a champagne glass took a big sip when he noticed Lewis's rather original outfit.

"I guess you're not the author of those kisses."

The man stated more than he asked, when he approached George.

"Come on, boss, I used my best lipstick for this. Huda Beauty," George said with utmost seriousness and holding three plates of snacks he returned to his friends, ready for the next adventures of the Halloween night.

[ninyard]

kevin and jeremy for the headcanon game if you’re still doing it pls :)))

i did kevin already so here's my #2 babygirl jeremy,, i hate to call him a golden retriever but... if the shoe fits

realistic headcanon: he has adhd but can't be medicated because USC take drug testing seriously and his meds are banned by the NCAA and the ERC. he can take them when they're not in competition, but once the season starts, he has to come off them again. oh, he is Symptomatic. he has location tracker tag things on his keys, find my iphone is ALWAYS on, he's had more bank cards than years in his life, is a frequent victim of the ADHD tax on subscriptions he forgets to cancel. he always writes important things he has to remember on his hands and then washes his hands forgetting they're there. he forgets to pee if he's too focused on something. he has 100 abandoned hobbies (the yo-yo is his newest one). he talks too loud when hes excited. he has sensory issues. hes really smart but hates academics. talks to himself sometimes. (getting him mic'ed up during a game is a dream and a treat because of the things he says while talking to himself)

may not be realistic it is hilarious: he loves drugs on the off-season. he absolutely loves going clubbing and MDMA is his favourite. he'd also take half or a quarter of a pill just chilling with Laila and Cat and have a mini party just the three of them. he believes he is his best self when he is high on uppers. not a fan of coke because he doesn't feel like it does anything for him though, he doesn't smoke, but will take edibles. LOVES to paint/draw/make art when he's high. he's not quote unquote addicted, and is really good at pacing himself/saying no/knowing when to stop, but when he doesn't have to do drug tests for Exy? he's living his best life

heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends: listen. at this point we understand my opinions on jeremy's past but. the reason why he doesn't swear is because his family/brother(s) used to swear at him so much as a kid that he just genuinely hates it. he hates the way it sounds coming out of his mouth. he doesn't like it, he doesn't think it's attractive, he just thinks swearing is unnecessary and actively chooses not to swear. (that doesn't mean he doesn't, but it's so rare that he does - if you ever, ever, ever hear jeremy knox swearing, then he is PISSED. he is livid. he is im-going-to-kill-a-man levels of angry. if you hear him swearing? run.)

unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own: i feel like i haven't had enough time to live with jeremy knox to come up with incredibly niche canon disregarding hcs yet. probably kisses women when hes drunk. maybe he ties his shoes weird. needs glasses but refuses to get his eyes tested. doesn't have a gag reflex. actually hates the way he looks in red. i don't know!!!! ask me again once he's been living in my brain a little longer

[stormyoceans]

We are really that good? I'm scared off by the large number of couples. Is each of the couples sufficiently disclosed in the script? You're so excited about this show. I'm skeptical, but maybe I should try?

I MEAN. MUST A SHOW BE GOOD. IS IT NOT ENOUGH FOR IT TO SPARK JOY AND GIVE YOU A BRAINROT SO DEEP THEY HAVE TO GET YOU INVOLUNTARY COMMITTED BECAUSE OF IT

but all jokes aside, let's talk about it. when it comes to reviewing shows, i always try to be as honest and objective as i can, so im not just gonna lie to you and pretend we are is a masterpiece. it's very much not. if you enjoy plot driven stories then this series is very much not for you because the plot is basically non-existent, or rather.. all the different dynamics between the characters ARE the plot. to me the show is a slice of life in the connotation that's given to it in anime and manga: a narrative that takes place in a recognisable everyday setting, often in a school, and that focuses on interpersonal relationships. this isn't to say slice of life shows with a character driven story can't be masterpieces, they absolutely can, but we are is not..very refined, there are some things that do not make much sense to me and the way the story is told can be a bit frustrating at times, not to mention that for a director who likes to show a million angles of the same moment you'd think the editing would be top notch but it's just. it's not, okay, it looks like my hair after i chop it off over the bathroom sink at 2 am when i cannot sleep, that shit's ROUGH

all this being said, im still enjoying this show TREMENDOUSLY. and believe me, no one is more surprised about this than i am. tbh i can't quite explain to you why it works for me when other (maybe even better) shows don't, it just feels very genuine, the humor isn't over the top, the characters are all extremely likeable, and i love that they're giving the platonic relationships the same weight and importance as the romantic ones. and i mean..im mostly insane about phumpeem because apparently that's THEE Dynamic™ for me, but since there are four different pairings i feel like there's something for everyone

although when it comes to development, since you asked, i do want to point out that pondphuwin and winnysatang's pairings are clearly the main ones (before anyone comes at me, i do remember the cast saying this), but aouboom still get a fair amount of screentime and they're the heart of the show tbh. the only pair that's suffering in this regard is marcpoon, but honestly it makes sense considering they had to reshoot stuff

so, um. yeah ;;;;;; this is way too long and it's probably a mess but i wanted to give you an honest and complete overview so you know what you're getting yourself into if you do decide to give it a chance. i actually started to like the show more and more after episode 3, so maybe if you have a free evening you could just try it out and see if you can get into it!!!!!!

tl;dr: it's not a masterpiece and it has its shortcomings but it's highly enjoyable and although not all couples have the same amount of screentime and development i think everyone could find something to like in the show

[shiki-aki]

Do you know how much Akira being Shiki's caretaker and guardian means so much for me in ED1?

Because being caretaker is so frustating (believe me I was the main caretaker for my late grandma in her last months and it isn't easy), I have to be patient to ny grandma who had dementia and regressed to be childish and likes to throw temper tantrum, my mental health went to the sewer, i barely manage to take care myself, my life is falling apart, im sleep deprived, i feel alone, there is many times i want to run away but i have obligation and i loved her so much to abandon her. She was like a second parent to me

My situation with Akira isn't the same, Akira doesn't have to deal Shiki throwing tantrum but he had to deal assassinations going after them in an POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD WITH NO HEALTHCARE AND STABLE PLACE AND LITTLE TO NO FOOD??? THAT SPEAK SO MUCH DEDICATION, AKIRA DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF SHIKI AFTER WHAT HE HAD DONE?! HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SHIKI'S SHIT ANYMORE AND LEFT HIM TO DIE BUT NO. THIS MAN JUST STAY WITH HIM

ALSO SANITATION

Sorry, for the capslock, I got excited for a moment...

Ig this speak so much i liked the ED1 too

I definitely wasn't expecting to wake up to this, but thank you so much for this ask, I really loved reading about your experience and how ED1 resonates with you <3.

(Putting a 'read more' because my response is quite lengthy and treads into meta territory)

I don't have any experience with being a caretaker but gosh that sounds so stressful T_T. I really hope you're doing better now, and that hopefully your grandma was still able to live her life peacefully until the end. To be honest, when I think about ED1, I don't really consider the more sad/distressing aspects of it, like Akira having to be on the run with Shiki for 2 years and doing everything for him, so this was a bit of an eye opener for me. I did write an ED1 fic where it kind of detailed their life while on the run, but it wasn't that depressive, and instead focused on Akira's bittersweet feelings toward Shiki TwT.

But same, I really love how dedicated Akira is to taking care of Shiki in ED1. I think that, no matter what, Akira is the determined type of person who won't give up. He already experienced what it was like to lose Keisuke, so he doesn't want to lose Shiki, either. And I know I haven't finished my meta yet but I'll just spill a bit of my thoughts for why Akira follows Shiki in ED1:

Shiki was the one to bring back Akira's will to live when Akira was at the lowest point in his life. If Shiki hadn't found him in that alleyway, Akira would've let himself get killed by any random Igra fighter. Shiki's route is different from Motomi's/Rin's in that Akira actually sees Keisuke die in front of him, while in the other two, Keisuke just runs off, so Akira clings onto the vain hope that Keisuke is still alive. Yeah it's fucked up how Shiki went about bringing back Akira's will to live, but let's be real, that's exactly the type of character he is lol, and what I love about it is how it makes sense for him to kidnap Akira and rape him, based on Shiki's obsession with Akira's determined and defiant nature.

So now, when Shiki is at the lowest point in his life and has lost the will to live, it's Akira's turn to do the same for Shiki and force him to continue living. Which is why he sticks by Shiki's side for 2 years even when life seems absolutely miserable. (GOD I FUCKING LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH I JUST SFDGHFDHGHSDFHSDFHSDH they really get each other tbh).

But even though life seems miserable, Akira doesn't view it that way (and this is also why Shiki's ED1 is my favorite and why I personally think it's the one that most beautifully completes Akira's character arc). Like look at this:

It's so starkly different from Akira's POV at the beginning of the game. When Akira was in the CFC, he didn't care about anything and he certainly didn't wax poetic about the scenery (not that the scenery in CFC is pretty but like, you get what I mean lol). We can tell Akira is different in ED1, that his very philosophy is different, because he's looking at life from a new perspective now, taking the time to appreciate the nature around him and just... the simple fact of being alive. Whereas at the start of the game, Akira didn't see a meaning to his own life and was living just because. In Shiki's ED1, Akira does see a meaning to life, and it's why he takes care of Shiki and protects him. Because he finally understands how valuable life is, and how you should cherish it.

But I'm gonna go back to the tunnel scene real quick to touch upon what exactly Shiki said that changed Akira's perspective and made Akira want to follow him:

Akira, his whole life, was looking for a purpose/meaning to his existence, and now he's finally "found" it, but not in the way he expected. After learning about his own past/backstory and how he was experimented on in the past, Akira starts thinking that the only reason for his existence is to be a test subject/experiment, and that his blood dictates his existence. He starts having an identity crisis basically, especially since he already saw how his blood hurts/kills people (Rein users, Takeru, Keisuke), and that the whole reason for why Emma and Gwen wanted to capture him was for his blood so he could be further experimented on.

So Akira starts falling into this hole, thinking that his worth in life is only determined by his blood. And then he turns to Shiki and asks if Shiki wants to kill him, because he expects Shiki to view him as only the "null-Nicole carrier" and not Akira as a person. He knows that Shiki hated Nano for having a virus in his blood, and Akira also has a virus in his blood, even if the effect is different. So he fully expects Shiki to kill him at this moment.

And then Shiki tells him: "You're mine. That's all there is to it."

Shiki says exactly the right words Akira needed to hear at this time. He's not going to kill Akira, because he doesn't view him for his blood, but for who he is as a person. Now let me make it clear that Shiki isn't the most emotionally intelligent person out there lol but I think, even during this moment, he saw how conflicted Akira was feeling about his own existence, especially with regards to the blood thing.

So Shiki... comforts him in his own special way by saying that he won't kill Akira because Akira is his possession, but also remember that Shiki made Akira his possession in the first place because he was interested in Akira as a person. When he kidnapped Akira, it was because he was fascinated by Akira's resistance and defiance and determination. This is as close to Shiki saying he likes Akira for who he is as you're gonna get, and what I love about this dialogue is how it keeps Shiki entirely in-character. He's not gonna coddle Akira or sugarcoat his words, and he's also going to hide his true feelings by saying that Akira is just his possession, but his true feelings are there in how he refuses to kill Akira. Because again, he views Akira as his own person, and not just as someone carrying a dangerous virus in his blood.

I'M GONNA STOP HERE BEFORE I RAMBLE TOO MUCH BUT. Let me just add this one last scene from the game to end it off on this point lol.

Shiki had told him who he was: that he remained Akira, no more, no less, despite the tainted blood in his veins. That was why Akira had chosen to stay, to be as near as he could to the core of who Shiki was.

At the end of the day, this is what I love about Shikiaki. This is why I ship them so hard. Because they truly understand each other, they see each other for the "core of who they are" and are drawn to each other's character traits. Shiki dedicated his whole life to killing Nano because of the "dirty virus" in Nano's blood, but him refusing to kill Akira even after learning about how Akira has the same blood origin speaks VOLUMES about how fond he actually is of Akira, and how he views Akira as his own person.

And I feel like, at the end of it all, Akira just wanted someone to understand him and see him for who he is. He had a difficult time communicating with others his whole life because people didn't like his terse and reserved nature (even his own best friend didn't like that side of him). But Shiki doesn't care about Akira's emotionally stunted nature; he cares about how Akira is determined, stubborn, prideful, and how he doesn't take shit from anyone lol. And Shiki likes every side of Akira. His route is the only one where Akira didn't have to drastically change his personality just to make the romance work, but Akira's pre-existing character traits were strengthened over the course of Shiki's route.

*TAKES DEEP BREATH* OKAY YEAH SORRY I RAMBLED A LOT THERE and that's not even all my thoughts tbh, that's just like. A third of it LMAO. I'm saving the rest for my meta.

But okay going back to your ask, yeah the sanitation aspect is one that I don't want to think too heavily on lmao. I think it just speaks to how much Akira cares for Shiki though, that he would help "clean" Shiki up, and how again, Akira is doing all of this because he recognizes how precious life is, so he won't abandon Shiki, because Shiki didn't abandon him back in Toshima.

NO DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR BEING EXCITED ABOUT ED1 I LOVE THIS ENDING SO MUCH I LOOOOVE TALKING ABOUT IT. I ALWAYS END UP WRITING A WHOLE ASS ESSAY WHENEVER PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT IT. I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE ED1 AS WELL, I feel like many Shikiaki shippers hated ED1 back then because it was so sad, but I feel like in recent times people understand and appreciate ED1 for what it is? And that makes me happy ig lol, like don't get me wrong I adore all of Shiki's EDs but ED1 is just. IT HITS DIFFERENT. And I hope that in my meta I'll be able to explain why ED1 is just the perfect ending for Shiki and Akira's story despite how sad and angsty it is sfhsdhfhdghfdghgffdg.

Thank you so much for the ask and I'm sorry I wrote a long ass response in reply omg I was just really excited reading your thoughts!!!

[enstarrievalkyrie]

Hihi!! If you're taking requests right now, I was wondering if i could req Valkyrie with a gender neutral reader that's like Mafuyu Asahina from project sekai? Thank you!! ૮₍˃̵֊ ˂̵ ₎ა ( Feel free to ignore or delete if you're uncomfortable with this )

( I love your works sm hshshshs )

Note: I'm having a big exam next week🥲 but I'm also going to a holiday soon so I'm pretty excited😊 Hope you enjoy❤️. I don't play project sekai so if this is not accurate,im sorry😅😅

You didn't exactly choose to be an idol, it just came about ever since your parents brought you to yumenosakin. You didn't really had a choice not like there is any either ways, but that led you to Valkyrie and the meeting of Shu and Mika. The day you arrive to school, not many people tried to talk to you so you solely focused on your studies and idol/ producer work.

Soon, you caught the eye of the infamous leader of Valkyrie. It was pretty awkward when you guys first met but after seeing your skills he recruited you in Valkyrie. Since you weren't in any of the units you decided to accept his request and that's when you met Mika.

Mika upon seeing his new unitmate became more protective of his oshi san he just didn't want his oshi san to suffer anymore ever since Nito. With that, he would take some time to open up to you and once he did, he too became quite protective of you. He just sees Valkyrie as his family and would do anything to keep his family safe.

The more they spent time with you the more they realized how unopinioniated and apathic you can be. You just kinda accept anything that's given to you.

" Y/N chan what do yer think about dis lacing? Do yer think oshi san's gonna approve of this?"Mika said with a hint of worry

"It looks good so maybe," you replied with a monotone voice.

"Negh.... Y/N chan are you ok? Did you suddenly got turn into a robot? Nugh! 😰It's ok don' panic I'll help yer!!"Suddenly his lace work didn't matter. You just smiled at him hoping to calm him down.

Due to your lack of opinions, Shu tends to find himself trying to control you and mika like how he did in the past. After realizing his actions, he would remind himself not to be soo harsh on the both of you. He's still trying to recover from his old mindset so don't blame him too much❤️❤️.

Shu will surely take notice of your lack emotions after spending more time with you. He kinda scolds you for it but in reality he actually cares about you and want to help you get better. "Seriously!! Are you a robot?! Why can't you see the wonders of art?".

You would start seeing the beauty of art probably because of the many years you've spent with your fellow beloved unitmates. This would be after your graduated yumenosaki and work in Es along with Mika.

Since Shu is abroad you guys don't get to see him often but y'all would usually do a group call with Shu talking about his life in Paris and Mika being all excited.

"It's nothing special here except for the multiple museum dedicated to art, however I still can't help but feel...apologetic for leaving the both of your there in Japan."

"Ner, yer don't have to worry about dat oshi san!!😄 Y/N and i are doing fine!!"Mika grinned happily. He waited soo long to have a video call with both you and Shu.😌

" That's right Shu, without any of you I would still be living a life full of darkness. I still yet to thank the both of you for shining your light unto my life." You said smiling. You knew, you knew how hard they tried to make you feel better, to make you feel like human.

Seeing their efforts made you feel happy, an emotion you were first confused about but soon start to get used to it😊. You wish to stay like this a little longer, feeling their happiness seep into you, feeling no need to hide yourself anymore.

[khrysalis-best-world]

arc 4: a poorly written retrospective

(cw for spoilers for the entirety of arc 4)

welp, just finished wallaru and completed the pax arcana quest. while its still fresh in my mind, i thought i'd leave my notes here.

dasein's final speech to the schismists + arcanum did make me cry. i don't think wiz has made me cry since the end of khrysalis, so this was a very welcome cathartic moment

i think arc 4 was w101's first step into testing the maturation of the storyline, to see how they could execute it in such a way where it stayed true to the plot of the game while exploring more real-life conflicts (colonialism, capitalism/greed, oppression of indigenous people, etc) and while some people may have conflicting views, I feel it was done very well for a kids mmorpg.

the schismist storyline was weak overall, and id say that was my least favorite part about arc 4 in general. there are a lot of loose ends (i.e. why they even want to bring back the first world, why it was so good to schismists, etc) that still are not tied up, but i feel for the entirety of the arc, i just ignored it and focused on the message of each world for the sake of enjoyment.

wallaru was a little too quick for my enjoyment. where novus took a solid week if not a little more, wallaru was... very short. didnt feel like a finale world.

this was definitely an arc to conclude some prior mysteries and start anew completely for arc 5. i feel it still leaves enough loose ends and questions for us to ponder, but also allows a completely new story to emerge from a clean slate.

im a dasein kinnie now. nothing turning into something, the wizard helping him find who he truly is and what he truly wants is important to me. that also leaves room for the wizard to follow something similar, considering we are not 100% out of hot water with the rest of the spiral just yet. what is our end game? what will make us snap? where does the selfless wizard end and the human desire begin? we know we are powerful, almost too powerful. knowing there are so many people who still do not trust us, or resent us, how will that manifest our goals in arc 5?

while arc 4 overall is not my favorite out of them all (still arc 2), ive learned to appreciate it as someone who has grown with the game. i'd say my current ranking is arc 2 -> arc 1 -> arc 4 -> arc 3.

on the more personal side: this was emotional for me overall. ive been playing for 13 years and never in my time of being a player did i think id finally be caught up with the game. its bittersweet, in a way; this game was always a constant id return to and chip away at when life got boring. locking in for 2 months really helped pass the time and deal with some hard stuff in my life, as well as help me actually enjoy a game again.

ive never been more excited for what the future of wiz has in store. this conclusion was a good, fresh start. it can go anywhere at this point, and im looking forward to everything that comes next.

now, i shall theorize on here until we get crumbs for winter update + sit patiently for arc 5 hints :) if you read this far, thank you!

[2myl0ver]

☾ an art gallery could never be as unique as you. // hwang hyunjin

genre : fluff / wc : 411 / tw : cursing (once) / masterlist / song : mrld

you found yourself sitting on a chair facing hyunjin in his room. you sat there watching hyunjin paint your figure on a canvas, finishing up with the highlights and the shadows of the picture.

"it's done!" hyunjin says with excitement, grabbing the canvas and showing it to you. his art was amazing, a natural talent he has that he was able to explore during his hiatus. you open your mouth to say something before closing it again, instead, simply smiling at hyunjin with genuine love in your eyes, to which he smiles back at you. "you ready to go to the art museum?" he asks, "i completely forgot we were going!" you giggle, being too focused on hyunjin and his art to remember why you went to his place to begin with.

once you and hyunjin arrived at the art museum, you let out a sigh which is followed by you saying "i'm glad theres still art galleries with actual art. none of that modern art bullshit." (a/n : pls don't attack me if you like modern art, you do you) he laughs, holding you closer to him. "these are all beautiful. i wish i had the ability to make something like this, i think it's really cool what people can do with their imagination, turn it into something other people can see too. i always feel like i'm looking through a different pair of eyes whenever i see art. it forces you to see it in a way that the creator does. don't you?" you ask, looking up at him.

"i do. i see art everyday, when i see you." he says and you giggle, "that's so cheesy!" you smile at him. "you know.. how about we post that drawing of you? on my instagram." he suggested, to which you agree to, not seeing any harm in it.

20 minutes later, you both exit the museum and eat streetfood, he checks his phone while eating his food and see's that the post of the painting of you has gotten over a 100k likes within 20 minutes. he quickly shows you, "look! look! it has 100k likes already! im so proud. that's the most likes i've ever gotten on hyunpic." you laugh, finding it cute on how excited he gets when talking about something he's interested in. "really? so the painting of me has more likes than anything else you've ever posted?" he hums in response. "wow." you say, proudly "guess im the most beautiful in your art gallery"

"you are." he smiles at you.

© 2myl0ver Copyright 2023. Do not copy, repost, or translate without my permission. ♡ ︎and ↻ are very much appreciated !

[rosekasa]

I feel really sad that my art doesn't turn out good, nor does it get appreciated by fandoms. How did you deal with that in the beginning?

aww hi anon 💖im sending u big hugs. im sorry and ily

honestly i did not deal with this Well at the beginning. i started posting art for fandoms when i was 13 and it was not a great time to be both obsessing over reception from fandoms when i was also growing as an artist. it's very isolating to feel like no one really cares about what you create. or, what felt worse, being in groups of fandom friends where i would see other people whose works mattered but felt like mine didn't. and as a teenager that sucked even more! the first time i started really feeling good about my art and sharing it with fandoms was when i was 15, when i started drawing for miraculous.

i remember what shocked me about drawing for the ml fandom was that, for the first time in two years, i wasn't caring about being 'known' in a fandom. i realised how much it had stressed me out in previous fandoms so drawing for ml kind of felt like a rebellion against my own anxiety. i purposely separated my ao3 and my tumblr for months because i just didn't want people to see me as an actual Individual in the fandom (because i was scared i would start caring too much about the same stuff i cared about before). the fact that i felt like nobody cared about me other than my friends made me feel like i could create whatever i wanted. i would write fics with tropes specifically because they made me excited, would draw completely aimless stuff that had no purpose but making me happy, i would not care if something looked bad because "hey no one knows me in this fandom so what's the big deal??" but then like. it was THEN that i noticed i started getting more traction. when i started focusing on enjoying my work. when i wanted to become my own favourite artist.

basically, i guess what i'm trying to say is that it's really hard to deal with feelings of insecurity around your art. and although it seems very counterintuitive (and i still don't always manage to follow the principle) when you can say for sure that you yourself are your favourite creator, somehow other people can see that, and you'll become their favourite creator too. it sounds so silly but i've always had a tumultuous relationship with creating and social media but, in my seven years of having my art account, it has always helped me

[hxllo-nana]

Thanks for answering my last Ask!

Now to finish the more Asks I had planned (hence the 1/?.).

It is interesting, looking at the stickers again. Phantom is the only one w/o a spot of red, which I think kind of fits them, considering Phantom's kind of well, weird (and dead) status in DR.

Also really interesting Dust Sans and Frisk and Dust Sans and Phantom parallel each other a lot in terms of backgrounds and poses. While Dust Sans and Papyrus don't really as much. Though, that is kind of fitting in a way. Paps and Phantom kind of parallel each other too. Don't know if any of this was intentional, but I still thought it was cool. (Talking about the Dead Ringer stickers again).

It is cool u are still working on the Hazbin Hotel Undertale AU btw! But I understand u have been busy. I am excited for more of that, and ofc, the next episode of Dead Ringer, whenever that ends up being!

(Not mentioning Bonnytale here, because while I am excited for that, I know it is not going to be for awhile. For the reasons u gave. And/or etc. Understandably so).

Also, just wanted to ask, I know it is not super likely, considering how Dead Ringer is, there probably isn't a ton of time to really show them (which, totally understandable), and u do what u want w/ DR ofc; I am curious to see whatever u do, whatever that may be. Even though I have a feeling my heart might get emotionally destroyed in coming episodes. I love darker, horror-y, etc. stuff, but I can also be quite the softie sometimes. It is a funny mix!

Anyways, just wanted to ask if we may see Muffet and/or Grillby (I think Dust Sans left Undyne at Grillby's?? I am not sure, can't completely remember) some/etc. in Dead Ringer? Totally get if we don't though and like, I don't need to show up at all, I am happy with the characters being focused on and stuff already, and there is also always other series's (that I have seen stuff involving the character(s) with those series in some form). I am just curious.

Last thing, just wanted to ask if u have checked out TS!Underswap!? It is a super a great fangame u can find on like Gamejolt. That is a take of Underswap, but more so keeps the OG personalities of swapped characters. But the new roles/role swaps creates really cool twists w/ the characters and the Underground itself (the Underground is very different because of these role swaps, and because they decided to swap the seasons of the areas too, which causes the areas to be quite different too). They also want to expand and/or try to expand on characters and stuff too.

Anyways, it is really cool, with a lot of mysteries actually, actually quite horror-y and stuff too like OG UT (and DR) could be too, routes, choices, fun gameplay, and some really great takes on characters

(like Sans/Crossbones, Chara, and Muffet are so great. Paps, Asgore, Burgerpants, and the bits we see or know about Alphys and Asriel sound fun and/or look cool too. Flowey is very, different, for various reasons, 1. being they are not Asriel, because he is alive, but Flowey is great too. And the Temmie(s) who have swapped places with Flowey are great and sometimes quite terrifying too. Just great takes on characters all around!) and good, fun OC's too.

So yeah, just wanted to know (I know u have been busy though) if u have checked out TS!US! If u haven't, u totally should if u ever get the chance. I get if u don't want to and/or can't though!

Alright, I am done with asking Ass once again (for now). See ya, and I hope u are doing fine! 2/2.

For the stickers

1. Papyrus and Phantom are both in the same picture, being that the scarf is red. Sans does not have red for-

2. Sans and Papyrus are facing one path while Dust is facing the other, both are facing back of Dust. Sans has the same pose as Dust because even tho they are facing different paths t-

3. Grillby and Muffet may get a special appearance, maybe not

I’ve heard of TSUnderswap, i wasn’t ever a fan of the swap one so im not sure if i’ll like this one too. It’s a nice concept tho and there’s some cool things about it, i’ll try to check it out more if i can

i’m doing alr, thanks!

[bingobongobonko]

Hi Bingo! I just wanted to say that I've been lurking and looking at your art for your lancer campaign for a while now and I think it's so cool! You've kinda inspired me to check out the system for myself too! I hope it's not too much trouble/making you retread anything you've talked about before, but I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on the system and how it's worked out for your campaign! I really love mecha stuff, but I think the genre can be pretty rife with militarism that I'm not super into. I get the sense though that you've been able to find a good way to slot these really cool characters into the setting and focus on their interactions while also getting the fun of that sweet sweet mech combat. My inquiry is very low stakes haha, so nw if you don't have time to gather all your thoughts (I know that if I was tasked to talk about my own campaigns my head would burst into flames just trying to sift through what I'd want to say :P) Anyway, just a little friendly wave to you to say your art is very inspirational, and keep up the great work!

OH WOW this is . whuhh. WOW! sorry im like. wtff. i mean i ramble about my characters a lot but i didn't think anyone else actually gave a fuck which is completely ok, i just WHUHH..!!! holy shit. excitement aside, i get where you're coming from. honestly i was never into the mecha genre, but lancer rpg really made me realize how cool it is! like im not a really technical guy, and i feel like lancer is VERY strategy-heavy in combat; unless you know what you're doing and what everything does, you can easily get overwhelmed with all the features and all the things to consider in the math. for me its a lot because i struggle with spatial understanding and any sort of mathematics. that's my only real gripe on the system, but that might also just be every other system as well. it's more of a personal issue than that of the system, my friends all picked it up super quick. as for the genre, yeah, i find militaristic shit a drag and mecha has the same feel to me. its got a layer of professionalism and seriousness i don't enjoy, nor wish to play along with, so i get what you mean yeah. thankfully my friend who dms the campaign is just. Holy fuck; she just has a huuuge extra care for character stories and weaving them into the narrative she explores. so really, its her i've to thank for making mecha stuff FUN for me. lancer can certainly run hand-in-hand with militaristic-focused rp, i was in a oneshot with that sole focus and while it was interesting, without that interesting narrative stuff you kind of lose steam, but ive grown so fond of dog days cuz of how my friend lets our characters develop AND helps them do that. that and the way she sets up the story, just. FUUUUCK. the military is an afterthought in what is a fight against time and para-causality sinking its teeth into what little sanity we have. we fight against something that is a victim and a perpetrator. we're the worst people to be tasked to be saving an entire planet too, but here we are. as cheesy as it is, it's all about who you play with. thats the feel i get about most systems. honestly why im so ehhh about playing with strangers, when i'd rather play with people i like. all systems strike me as more of a tool; its the way you use em yk? the experience you get from them are more reflective of who you're telling a story with (or fighting alongside, there's no right way to play. i just really like narrative storytelling). so really, ive to thank my friends, especially @spaginithethird who introduced me to lancer in the first place as a dm!!!!!!!!!! TO A LOT OF SYSTEMS ACTUALLY shes rlly knowledgeable abt this stuff and very very very sweet too o7 so yeah really, its a really fun system BUT to me, i wouldnt be playing lancer if i didn't have a narrative to go by and follow with people i like. i am always sayin this but its my favorite thing when it comes to ttrpgs

[noyasaur]

OKAY OKAY OKAY I've been asking myself all day what am I missing with shifting, like, it's so easy, I believe in it and I affirm and I am persistent so what is it that it's not clicking?!?!?

I think I just found out. During these days I've seen a lot of "signs" (it's not the approval word but whatevs) that I am too much logical.

And I think that also might be the problem with shifting, the thing is, HOW AM I BEING TOO LOGICAL I MEAN I-

😓😓😓😓😓😓😧😧😧😧😧😧😧😫😫😫😫😫😫😫

Im trying to figure it out, I've been seeing so many angel number, specially today, and a lot of 555 (that means change) and 444 and 333 and 222 AND WHATEVER HELP SOMEONNHEMKAKAKIHGCG-

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

HIHI!! OKAYY AAA i'll try and add my two cents in and give you some personal advice! (along with a message based on my intuition and my interpretation of the angel numbers you told me!!)

🪐 BEING TOO LOGICAL (REALITY SHIFTING)

first of all, yes. being too logical can be something that can be holding you back from shifting or that one missing piece of the puzzle (if you believe in shifting blockages/limiting beliefs). it's normal for us to get logical sometimes, especially when it comes to shifting. it's a completely normal thing to experience since the way we live our lives is based in 'logic' and shifting goes against what we've been taught our entire lives!

to try and avoid being too logical, you could always try and just have fun with shifting! try and remember to relax and have fun. focus your mind away from the logics behind reality shifting and how it works, to your destination and everything you will be doing there.

get excited! think of all the possibilities and things you will be experiencing in your desired reality! make your shifting journey/process/method fun and enjoyable for you. that way, you'll find you're actually enjoying the process and your journey so your mind will turn away from focusing on the logics of it all.

you could also try and let yourself detach from all the 'methods' and 'proper' steps of doing things. let yourself loose, relax, and trust that you will shift. yes, affirming and persisting is good! but remember to also try and relax and not to stress so much. if you truly know you've shifted or you now you're a master shifter, would you be constantly affirming? would you be constantly worrying whether or not you will shift or not?

additionally, you could also play into your logic. if you feel sceptical about shifting or how exactly it works, research. find the answers your looking for. make shifting make sense to you, and find out how it works for you! if you find that you can't turn your mind away from being too logical, then find answers. use your logics to your advantage.

for example, (might not be your case but using this specific situation as an example) whenever you are doing your shifting method and you might be affirming to yourself, "i am in my desired reality," but your brain gets too logical and starts thinking, "no i'm not. i'm still in this reality," you can use the knowledge YOU obtained and fight back against your brain.

also, just a friendly reminder, maybe try to come to peace and terms with the fact that reality shifting isn't something that is always based in 'logic' (which is subjective) and 'science.' i always like to believe that reality shifting is both something that is scientific, but also spiritual and metaphysical all in one. it can be both. so yes, you can accept your logical side of things, but don't lean toward one side more than the other.

i'm not sure if this was the sort of advice you're looking for but i hope this helped!

🪐 ANGEL NUMBERS/INTUITIVE MESSAGE!

regarding the angel numbers you've said you've been repeatedly seeing, in my opinion, i think it does indicate you are on the right track and positive things are to be expected! like you said, 555 does indicate change and that positive changes will come which bring you closer to your goal. this is a sign to try and release what no longer serves you. any fear, doubts, worries, negative thoughts. in conjunction with 222, it's a sign to let go of these things and realise that they serve you any power and that they will only keep you stuck in a spiral of negativity and stagnancy. keep a balance in your life (could be referring to your 'logical' and 'illogical' sides of mind, or your shifting journey and personal cr life, for example. whatever resonates with you). be patient, persistent and let go of the old and embrace any new opportunities, thoughts, or ideals.

you've already found one piece of the missing puzzle and you are 100% on the right track! (333) so keep continuing onward in your journey will focus and again, follow your intuition and your decisions. (333) you have all the capabilities and abilities to shift so remember this!

YOU GOT THISSSS 😩i believe in you and you're on the right track so KEEP GOINGGGG!! good luck and you got this! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

- saturn ♡

[glngrbred]

On inherent stories and worldbuilding

OK so the title is pretentios but you looked at it right? cool

I legitimately would realy apreciate it if you read or loosely read this, this project is very important to me and I've worked alot on it. Thank you for reading at all, go drink some water, love u <3

anyways, Im making a cardgame right now, like MTG but hopefully monotized in a more ethical way. like, as a 1 time purchase or subscription.

So, In my game there is a very heavy emphasis on ecology, and it is basically explicitly environmentalist propoganda, that's not the point tho, what we are trying to do initially is trick people into thinking about environmental issues with cool worldbuilding. And on that worldbuilding, as lead desiner/writer person, I think I can actually share some pretty good tips.

Some quick background, not super important. In our wold there a 4 color identities, wich is both for gameplay (mtg inspired) and lore (also mtg inspired) Red, white(yellow), Green, black(purple), for each of wich is a place on an alighnment chart and teirs within the factions represented by these colors. again, like MTG

On that topic, of the factions and identities these card colors and gameplay elements represent, I have some tips for Dms and other worldbuilders.

My main thing, Is inherrent stories (built in stories).

As an example,

The Orks in my world are reptilian hominids obsessed with fire. As a starting point my desire was to do a new type of Ork, where we maintain the motif of chaos alighned "Monsters" who's actions serve the bad guys, like in WoW or LotR. from there I knew that my red faction was fire themed, but building up this concept was kinda hard for me. I didn't really know hoe to start with meeting this desire while subverting the typical Ork tropes.

So I decided to take the aproach of working from first my desire to have a fire ascociation. I Already had a theme of the main humanoids in my world being ascociated or related to specific animal groups, Goblins have similarity to anteaters, elves bees, and Dorvs beetles and grubs. So I knew the first step in my Orls was going to be Making them some sort of animal.

And i had a good think on that, you know I landed on reptiles. wich seem obvious in hindsight, but at the time I was very excited about this, since it meant there was already a clear connection to be made with fire. since most reptiles cannot regulate heat on their own, a connection to the sun and fire is very easy to make. Especially for a hominid species. Already we have a peice of a narrative, Orks love Fire because they need it to survive cold days. Wonderful, now how do we get that ascociation to chaos and subvert the typical barbaric Orks trope?

My first thought was inspired by Warhammer greenskins, wich isn't super subvertive, just giving orks big techy robots doesn't do much to change the ascociation with brutish methods and uncivilized nature. I knew I wanted to make the Orks more equal intelectually with my other factions, instead of having them be the mindless other bent on chaos. So the step after "Ork like fire" turned out to be their philosophy

What I ended up going for was in my opinion pretty original,

Orks, Due to their reliance on Fire, developed a culture and Philosophy built on the nurturing of "Warmth." Warmth takes many fors for the Orks, they find it in Art, Music, magic, and love. Family and play and Food, and even war. Where the Orkish philosophy deteriorates as a method of governance it the often single minded focus on what makes an individual feel good, and forgetting that other people, even those that don't seek warmth, have needs and desires too. By creating this intrinsic societal issue, where governance ends up focusing on how to make one's tribe as warm as possible, we can create narratives about how desperate poorer comunites are for warmth, how creative they get, and how even bad, and evil deeds can be seen as a positive as long as they bring warmth to your tribe.

We can have wars and espionage and gatherings and beutiful ronmances all built around this pervasive desire for individual pleasure. And we can have stories form when an Ork realizes that the Goblins they've hurt also want good things, and how the Orks realize that their selfish behavior makes the world less warm for everyone. We can have stories about nurturing empathy in a selfish society, and stories about becoming closer to one another, of seperating one's self from those who use them and hurt them.

Also, with this narrative, Orks turn into warbands of bards, preists, and mages, keen on nurturing warmth and helping their ingroup. WHOA we just subverted the barbarian ork trope didnt we? HORRAY ALL OF OUR GOALS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED BY ONE DESCISION SPIRALLING!

Of course perscribing concepts and personality to individual characters based off of their race is a horrible thing to do. but for a group it's very usefull to narrow down concrete adjectives and emotions that are associated with your societies and cultures.

My Advice to you, is try to find your Ork bards, but don;t start there. Think about how society would form around the 4 legged Praying mantis men your story is about, and how different a society could be based off of the physiological environment your characters exist in.

My second peice fo advice, Is that If you want to make a specific type of civilization, As an example, hive cities (like warhammer), try to think about what typre of culture would develope that city? who would live in the underwater Utopia, who would work in the sugar mines, and why do the sugar mines exist? I know It can be increadably difficult to find an angle to take your worldbuilding, so start with 1 small descision, an easy one, like "Do I want my orks to be colorful?" Answer that, then build from there.

final note, Yes, this is an extremely long post, and thank you for reading it,

also ...

👌

I, ME, HAS gotten you HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA *evil gnome voice* You hAVe but THIRTY MINUTES to get someone else before you ARE IT for the rest of your life MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[anadrenalineslut]

i am starting to gather my thought about barbie (2023) and I have A LOT of thoughts about Barbieland in particular. spoilers below

first of all, before the movie came out greta gave an interview where she said that the film has a reverse genesis where woman was created first and man came after.

after seeing the film, I'd say Barbieland was created from the male perspective quite literally. There is a scene with the mattel ceo where he kind of boasts about how barbie cured sexism, basically. this is the lie upon which Barbieland is created but here is the thing... because Barbieland is controlled by an all-male perspective from the "real world" by men who have over 40 decades of sexist brainwashing in their heads, they cannot actually conceptualize a world where men and women are truly equal.

that is why Barbieland is set up the way that it is because men in the real world are the ones who are controlling the narrative from start to finish and they cannot imagine a world where both genders exist in harmony. they come into feminism thinking that men have to be disadvantaged in some way because that's what it means to be a "good" ally to women. however, this line of thinking literally breeds resentment in men and I am not fucking surprised someone like Ryan Gosling resonated so deeply with Ken's character arc because I'm sure he felt quite seen by the film as well.

Barbieland is set up from Ken's perspective from the beginning because Barbieland is controlled by Mattel and the board of that company is male, like the board of most companies in america are male. and Barbieland represents what MEN* think feminism is and has done for women, not what women think for themselves.

that much is obvious because even the way the characters are set up in the beginning are very shallow representations. All the Barbies have jobs but they are *defined* by their jobs because to men, once you're a woman scientist, that's all you are to them. They don't have thoughts, feelings, ideas, and opinions beyond "everything is great all the time!" because to men, Barbie is the solution.

OKAY, im getting excited now, when Barbie talks to Ken at the end of the film and she says "stop putting your value in your job, your car, your girlfriend" she is critiquing the very existence of Barbieland itself in that moment. because that is what Barbieland's value is. Barbieland is perfect because to men, all that matters is having the dream job, the dream house, the dream partner and the dream looks. they think that's all there is to being human!!!!!!!!!!

and so when Barbie is played with by a woman who has decades of experience under patriachy, she can finally wake up in her "utopia" and realize that hey, wait a minute! this is not what I think will bring me happiness. I don't care about having these materialistic things nor do I care about being an "alpha female" so why am I pretending like all this shallow shit is making me happy????

and that is why Barbieland changes to Kendom to begin with because the narrative was ALWAYS controlled by the Kens of the world and the movie basically starts there, with the assumption thst girlboss feminism and pink capitalism cured sexism and explores if that actually is "utopia" if it actually is a "dream life."

im going to end it here because i dont want to get too off topic but Barbieland is such a fantastic critique of patriarchy, it's actually insane. I love that Greta tackles it from the male gaze and works within the logic of men in this society to show why their beliefs of gender are severely lacking at the end of the day because they're focused on the wrong issue!!! its not about who has the power to get the job, get the house, get the girl, its about connecting with other people. its about experiencing every single emotion under the sun with everyone around you and talking about your feelings and just living with other humans in harmony.

it's so good, i could cry actually. greta deserves every single fucking award for this film and the writing holy shit.