#anyway I might do that with other professions but also I might just forget about it

[evilpol]

So... Engineers amirite

[fairyhaos]

seventeen's "loser line" in a relationship

[ requested by @valenhui ]

based off of the "losers when in love"* bullet point in this headcanon! theyre literally SO fuckinfg cute oml i might write full fics for them if i have time ><

*consists of junhui, mingyu, chan.

junhui

pathetic and adorable kind of loser. pathetic really.... is genuinely the best way to describe it. he's so desperately, pathetically in love with you and literally acts like he's still hopelessly pining over you even though you've already started dating. laughs super hard at your jokes and stares at you with sparkles in his eyes and flirts with you at every given opportunity like he isn't already dating you and hasn't already won over your affections ages ago. but hey, he's dedicated, and you can't exactly complain at being showered with all of his attention.

also randomly informs you that he's in love with you at any time of day. you'll be watching a movie in the theatre and he'll tug your sleeve, leaning into your space almost shyly and being like "hey. hey. i just wanted to let you know... im kind of in love with you" before scrunching his shoulders up all shy and leaning quickly away from you again. hes always so adorable, ears turning pink even as he flirts with you into oblivion before tacking on a cute "im in love with you, by the way" at the end. every time he says it, you feel so overwhelmed because god, you're so in love with him too

mingyu

wet puppy kind of loser. i'm talking whining 24/7, pouting dramatically whenever you're not clinging to his side, and snuggling into you whenever possible. it's like dating a large, overgrown puppy that doesn't realise he's as big as he is, if that puppy suddenly found out how to talk and cook and do the laundry and looks up at you with big, shining eyes when you come home and goes "hello!! i made every single one of your favourite foods when you were gone bc i missed you so much. how was your day??" at least twice a week. (you're beginning to worry that mingyu might have some sort of separation anxiety.)

also he Does Not care if the other members tease him for being so in love with you, bc hey, yoon jeonghan's just jealous of your lurrrve anyway. but he will sulk if You tease him about it bc hey :(( you're the love of his life :((( don't be mean to him :((( gives you those big, wet, sad eyes every time you tease him until you finally laugh and give him a big kiss to placate him. tells you he loves you every single hour of the day. the members can tease him all they want, but all that matters to him is that you're aware that he Genuinely loves you to pieces.

chan

devastatingly infatuated kind of loser. he literally just. ADORES you so much in a kinda adorable, kinda incredible way because it surprises you again and again when he does something and you realise he loves you so much. and he does things, a lot, because this man is literally doing everything for you. hangs onto your every word like they hold the secrets to the universe, and remembers everything you tell him like it's his life's mission to become an expert on your likes and dislikes. has definitely zoned out whilst staring at you too many times to count.

i gotta stress how in love this man is tho, like. would 100% change his profession into loving you 24/7 if he could. no one wants to go out drinking when the two of you are together bc when chan gets drunk, he just repeats how in love with you he is over and over again like a broken record. (hoshi made the mistake of joining you two, once. he recounts the incident with a look of mild horror every single gathering the 14 of you have.) he doesn't say ily to your face a lot, but it's mostly bc he just forgets cuz he's been staring at you in an utterly lovesick way for far too long.

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[astromechs]

can I get washing their hair for rebelcaptain? 🥺

fun fact, i received these two asks within about an hour of one another, so great minds really do think alike. anyway, since the other two were heavier, went with something really, really stupid for this one 💕 from this list; still accepting! (and this is now also available on ao3, just like the other fills)

“He does this on purpose,” Jyn grumbles, because she’s too fucking furious for more than a grumble. Well, that and she can’t exactly manage anything else in her current position, head tipped with water-soaked hair obscuring most of her field of vision, palm pressed flat against the shower wall to keep her steady after having to remain like that for so long, but her point still stands.

Could anyone really blame her for being furious? She knows fucking intent when she sees it. There’s no way that a droid with a self-professed “specialty” of strategic analysis hadn’t mapped out what her route around base would likely be today, and there’s no way that he hadn’t been ready with a whole fucking vat of oil in his stupid fucking mechanical hands to drop it over her at just the right fucking moment.

It’d been completely uncalled for, too. So what if she’d cut the power to Kay’s favorite docking port last week and forced him to spend an entire night cycle trapped next to that astromech he hates so much? That had hardly been worth this much torture — and she’ll probably never be able to wear that shirt or vest ever again; they’d practically had to be sliced off of her.

No, there’s a difference between justified retaliation and crossing a line, and Kay had passed that line by a fucking parsec, so he’s the one who’s clearly in the wrong here. That’s her position, and she’s sticking to it.

It’s a position that any reasonable person with sense would agree to, so it’s one that Cassian, logically, will.

But when the hands that have been messaging her scalp still and his response comes, it isn’t an agreement. No, instead, it’s, “He doesn’t mean it,” said in the tone she absolutely hates the most: the one that’s mildly neutral, that comes with the mask he puts on when she knows he doesn’t want to engage with something.

Fuck. For a brief amount of time, she’d actually managed to forget that the person who’s been standing in the shower with her for the past standard hour at least, helping her wash her hair, is the one who’d be the least fucking objective possible on this issue.

If she could turn around, she’d raise an eyebrow and give Cassian her best are you fucking kidding me stare, but since she can’t, she resigns herself to heaving a long, frustrated sigh, one she makes sure can be heard over the running water.

He doesn’t respond for a while, opting instead to continue with his task of rubbing another round of shampoo into her hair. If he were doing this for any other reason, it might feel nice — part of her has been halfway to thinking it at least three times over the past standard hour before she’s stopped herself, because even with the difficulty of what he he’s had to work with, he’s never been too harsh with his touch — but he’s not here for those reasons, and so his silence is annoying. HIs silence leaves her no choice except to try for the sigh again, and really mean it this time.

Eventually, after that, he speaks up again, with a sigh that’s almost as heavy as hers. “I’ll tell him to call it off.”

Finally. Had that been so fucking hard?

To her credit, and she really tries for this, she does her best to leave out that sentiment when she tells him:  “That’s all I’m asking —”

“ — If you also call it off.”

Seriously? Her first instinct is to roll her eyes, which she does, and then her next is to open her mouth for a counterargument, which she also does, only nothing comes out of it. Because maybe, just maybe, she can concede that she’d crossed a line, too, and had provoked something that hadn’t really been worth provoking. It’s just been so quiet, and when things are too quiet, she turns twitchy and restless, and —

She can swallow her pride, even if it means doing so while gritting her teeth.

“Fine.” She guesses she should probably sound less like she’s gritting her teeth, though, so before she elaborates, she takes a beat. “I’ll leave his stupid docking port alone. Will that make him happy?”

Pressed against her, she can feel Cassian lift one shoulder in a shrug. “Happy enough.”

Because she knows him, Jyn can tell, just from his voice, that the beginnings of that stupid smug smirk he likes to flash at her sometimes are there, forming.

Only the shower wall will see, but she scrunches her face and glowers at it with everything she has.

“Fuck you,” she says, though, despite her efforts, she doesn’t manage to inject any real heat into it. “I heard that.”

“Heard what?”

She thinks: she should be annoyed; she should curl her free hand into a fist so that it’ll be ready to give him a nice, solid punch when her position allows. But the thought is gone almost as soon as it surfaces, because — suddenly, in spite of everything, a laugh bursts out of her. A genuine, full-bodied laugh that has her hand shaking against the wall while still trying to hold flat for support, her side stitching, and her breath wheezing.

Behind her, she can hear Cassian joining in earnest, his composure crumbling alongside his current attempt to massage her scalp. His laugh is softer than hers, still trying to find its footing after what has to be years of rust, but it’s undeniable.

Understandably undeniable, because this whole situation really is fucking absurd, isn’t it?

They don’t get many moments like this, but even so, they’ve had more of them together than Jyn can remember having for most of her life before they’d ever met — and it’s a good feeling when they happen. Warm, easy. Safe. The last of the tension she’d been carrying washes away with the water.

And after her laughter subsides and she’s blinked the tears from her eyes, she closes them, relaxing, for the moment, into what she can.

[cookiesandbiscuits]

I'm not sure if I can request side characters. If you write for side characters May I ask for the torture arts teacher Marbas March with a human!s/o hcs? (You can Ignore this if you don't write for him ^^)

Marbas March and his Human S/O Headcanons

Pairing: Marbas March x GN! Human!Reader

A/N: Sorry it took so long to finish this request. I'm not too familiar with his character since he only had his major spotlight moment in the Heartbreaker Arc (?)

But I really want to write this so... 😐

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. Happy reading!! ^^

Warning: probably a little OOC, I'm craving fluff today ^^

MASTERLIST

Marbas is the kindest, most wonderful boyfriend you could ever have.

Your relationship is never boring. Despite being described as "plain" by his colleagues, Marbas somehow always finds a way to make even the most mundane chores excitable when you do them together. He doesn't want you to think that he's plain and boring.

At the start of your relationship, the one who initiated dates was you as he was too anxious to do it. But as he got to know you better, the dates that he planned became more frequent.

He's the type of boyfriend who tries your hobbies/interests when you ask, and even though he doesn't share your sentiments, he is always updated on them (if you like certain evidols or anime/manga).

He is very proud of you when you finish a hobby project, and if your hobby is related to crafts and you gift your finished project to him, he is over the moon and will proudly display it on his office desk.

He's also very attentive to your needs. Do you need something? Are you craving your favorite food? He can get it for you on the way home. Oh, you want cuddles? Just for a while, though, he still has to grade his students' test papers.

Teaching is a busy and time-consuming profession, and if you also have a tight schedule because of your job, chances are your schedules don't match up most of the time.

If your schedules do match up, you better believe you'd be spending the whole day in each other's company.

He looks forward to it so much and it's the highlight of his week or month.

He likes talking to you about his day at work. It's hard not to see how his eyes glimmer with pride as he shares with you the accomplishments of his students in his classes. Of course, he also asks about your day. He's sure he's not the only one who has something to share!

He has a protective side to him (slightly bordering on possessive at times). This side of him became more prominent after revealing to him that you're a human.

He avoided you for a while after revealing yourself to him because he was afraid he might hurt you if he came any closer to you. But when you misinterpreted his avoidance as him being disgusted with you being a human, he quickly forgets all of his hesitations to resolve the misunderstanding.

After talking it out with you, he tried to subtly ask Balam-sensei about humans (except that he wasn't subtle at all but he doesn't need to know that).

He's curious as to what a human is doing in the Netherworld, but whatever reason it was, he was very grateful for it because he would have never met you if it wasn't for it.

You are his precious partner, and he knows you can take care of yourself but... he would be damned if he did not protect you from much more dangerous threats out there. If there's anyone out there foolish enough to try and harm you, he would make sure they will never think of it again after he's done with them.

After you came into his life, he vowed to himself that he would cherish you and care for you, and he would fulfill that promise whatever it takes.

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

Apparently, on twitter, there are some people still unaware of the massive teacher shortage in England and Wales. It does affect some subjects and some geographic areas more than others, so let’s talk about it and the impact on kids and the impact on wider society.

And you can see here, teacher recruitment in 2022 was down on every measure: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census

Teacher retention is also in a dire state- according to the DfE, nearly 20% of new teachers quit within just 2 years, whilst nearly half leave within 10 years. Meanwhile, NEU surveys show 44% of all teachers are considering leaving the profession in the next 5 years- see here: https://neu.org.uk/press-releases/state-education-profession

These surveys also show more and more schools having unfilled vacancies for teaching or support staff.

What does this actually mean in practice in the classroom?

In 2019, pre-pandemic, I was looking for a new science teaching job. I went to a few interviews, and found a job relatively easily, but all of the interviews I went to had a good field of applicants, and it didn’t seem like vacancies were going unfilled.

Last year, I worked in a school who had a vacancy for a science teacher. We advertised throughout the year, and it took 2 terms to find a suitable applicant. I left my job at that school, and got a new one on the first interview I went to (this is not because I’m amazing, I was the best of a bad bunch, as it were). My job, unfortunately, was not filled for September. Colleagues teaching maths and MFL (among others) also left at the same time and their jobs weren’t filled. Another vacancy was filled with an ECT who would be moving to the area but she couldn’t take up the post due to not being able to find anywhere to rent!

There will be areas of the country where teachers read this, and think actually, it doesn’t look so bad!

I know schools in my county and in the city where I used to work who now have no qualified physics teachers in the school. I know schools making timetable adjustments to ensure all students get time with a qualified science or maths teacher. I know of PE, English, History teachers teaching science or maths. I know of schools where I’d estimate 10% of the workforce is long term supply (who, btw, can just walk out one day and not come back). I know trainees being offered jobs in November of their training year for the following September.

Out of curiosity I keep an eye on teacher vacancies in my county- I’m seeing the same ones being advertised over and over since September. There’s currently over 20 vacancies being advertised for “as soon as possible” starts.

And certainly forget about finding maternity cover for a lot of subjects- teachers have no need to take temporary contracts at the moment!

So, what does this look like for the kids?

It means they get a string of supply teachers, who may change week on week. It means not being taught by subject specialists. It means if their teacher leaves part way through the year (and teachers do) there is almost no chance of that teacher being replaced, and no spare capacity to juggle. Schools try their best to “protect” exam classes, but it doesn’t always happen.

These kids get poorer quality lessons, often little marking/feedback, and run the risk of missing bits of the exam syllabus. Often, they don’t get to do practical work in relevant subjects, or the practical work they do will be more limited. HoDs are stressed sorting cover, and their own classes get neglected. Teachers go off sick with stress, and the class gets a few weeks of cover (or maybe more if things are really bad).

It also means that kids go without form tutors- that first point of pastoral contact- and they might end up feeling like there’s no-one they can go to if they have a problem at school. (I know some kids feel like this anyway, but not having a form tutor or regular teachers can make things feel worse).

In primary schools, it can look like classes being covered by unqualfied TAs. I don’t want to criticise TAs at all, they are amazing BUT they do not have the training a teacher has, and they are paid much less, so usually won’t do planning or marking in the same way- which I don’t think ends up being great for the kids.

Ultimately, teacher shortages are at their very worst in subjects like science and maths, although they are also bad in MFL, Geography and increasingly English. I am not one of those STEM > everything people, but we do need engineers, doctors, HCPs, biomedical scientists, chemists, environmental scientists, and so on. These are the people who build our infrastructure, take care of us when we are ill and develop new treatments, and ultimately make our lives better. If we don’t have good education in these areas, it is a major problem for the country.

Anyway, this is a very long post to say “things are crap in schools right now, and this is why teachers are striking”.

[nachosncheezies]

Something that I have observed, in life and in fandom spaces, is that vast cultural and linguistic differences are often unknown, and this has become especially apparent as social usage of the internet has grown worldwide. It's no one's fault. Nobody is "less than" or unintelligent or whatever else for not recognizing it. It's simply something that you can't really know, I think, without being directly exposed to it either by education or personal experience.

I've been lucky to have been something of a nomad, but that comes with its challenges which go way beyond the practical or homesickness. I can say that even within the English language there are VAST regional and cultural differences in modes of expression. Interestingly, the folks I've known who MOST seem to recognize it are linguists and especially professional translators - professions where a recognition of the importance of localized metaphor, unspoken nuance, idiomatic expressions, etc, are absolutely KEY to success. But I digress.

Based on my own experience, I believe that internationally common tongues sometimes fail us to a degree because of this. In some places, culture is more "individualized" - a sort of "what can I do" which often includes a sort of "me against the world" outlook. (I do not mean selfishness. Not at all. I mean it's a starting point, not a goal.) Presenting one's thoughts can best be accomplished by conveying strong, even absolute conviction in one's position, which - "me against the world" - can lead to generalized and sometimes forceful statements. At home, that would be a starting point for discussion and debate, and would be returned in kind. In other places, discussion takes more of an "improv comedy" style, wherein "yes, and..." is the mode of debate. In still others, the places and types of silence can convey just as much about someone's position and can be just as persuasive as words themselves. Sarcasm is especially regionalized, and conveyed differently from place to place. Body language is universally important in adding nuance or clarification to any statement in any place. Put these sorts of things in a blender, and you can easily find misunderstandings where some come off aggressive or as "talking down" to others, others unusually meek, still others appearing to agree when actually, they are not agreeing at all, etc.

I have also observed that in real life situations, differences in regional accents afford a certain amount of grace toward these differences, even when we're not actively conscious of any of the above. (This, I can say with absolute certainty, because I have also lived in a few places long enough to have taken on a floating accent, and when I'm visiting any of these places for more than a day or so, that grace if I stumble back into other modes of expression disappears with whichever accent I got off the plane with 😂)

Unfortunately, online, we don't have this constant audible reminder that a person is something of an "other" coming from some other place where modes of communication may be different. Even people who deal with language as their professional bread and butter can easily forget in online spaces. We tend to hear whatever we read in our local accent, and things such as metaphor and sarcasm may be misconstrued, "individualized conviction" modes may come across as shocking and rude, or the many and varied uses of silence may go completely unnoticed, etc.

Anyway. If you have read this whole novella, thank you. 💕 I have debated posting something like this for a looong time, because I wonder sometimes if conflict I see within fandoms (and educational groups, and professional groups, and and and) might arise, fundamentally, from these sorts of misunderstandings. I do not intend it as a callout to any person or group of people. Perhaps, hopefully, simply food for thought.

[velkyr]

DUSK QUESTIONS MOMENT. 1, 10, 40, 52!! 👀

ON IT BOSS!!!! o7 (tysmmmm for letting me ramble mwah. I wrote more than I expected as per usual 💖)

(original ask game post here)

I've read more'd this because oops it got so long sorry orz

Why did you pick the race you did for your Tav?

the short answer is always just going to be I love tieflings, I am weak for tieflings, this is a universal unchangeable fact amen 🙏 I think 3 of the... 6(? I might be forgetting some other oneshot-only characters idk) characters I've played at a table have been tiefs or homebrew variants of them! they're very gender to me, I felt that way before I even really knew jackshit about my own gender. absolutely batshit that I still thought I was cis when I started playing d&d lmfao. also horns tails fangs and claws need I say more. I shan't, I don't have to

but yeah specifically for Dusk, I wanted to base them off of my first d&d character in particular, who was a tiefling homebrew to represent an au ra from ffxiv in our homebrew campaign based around the game. so it was important to me they were also a tiefling draconic sorcerer to match!

a lot has changed about them while I've reworked them, but many of the fundamentals have remained the same. gender, motivations, reasoning and general force of personality have been altered towards things that I find more compelling or more fitting, 6 years down the line - but race and class, the idea of them being nobility who left their home(land) and has a bunch of hangups around it, that's all as it was back then.

10. If your Tav didn’t become an adventurer, what else would they be doing?

this is an interesting one, I've been stewing on it a fair bit recently while I've been thinking about what they'd do post-bg3 shenanigans. the thing with Dusk is I've infused them with So Much raw adhd (to the point of it far surpassing my own, oops. this seems to be how I bestow love on my favourite OCs at this point), they Need enough outlets in their day-to-day life or they'll end up in an understimulated mess pretty quickly.

adventuring is obviously a solid option for that need! but without that on the table, I think it needs to be something that caters strongly to their interests and whims. I can see them working well in a profession involving enchantment and/or working with jewels and precious metals. enchanting things would be a good way to siphon off some of that raw sorcerer magic - if they don't use it often enough, there's a build up of sorts. with it being lightning based, it's a bit like having an unstable motor that runs way too fast, and it makes them incredibly irritable.

as for the crafting part of the equation, well, they're already fascinated by shiny things, they're pretty detail oriented and good with their hands, and it's the kind of skilled manual work that requires Just Enough focus to be stimulating. the only thing they'd probably end up hating about either of these would be dealing with noble clientele lmao, but I have no doubt they'd find a way to exploit that anyway. while they may not be the most book smart in the world, they're people smart by necessity. (something something insight proficiency)

and really, as an alternative or perhaps on the side, I don't think they'd be opposed to sex work if it were an environment they felt comfortable in, with a well-vetted set of clientele that they have full autonomy over.

40. What is the biggest mistake your Tav ever made?

welcome to 'pick a struggle' with Dusk, they have their fair share,,,

there's a couple of things that stick out, but I'll stick with one that's pretty fundamental to them. they deeply regret having lashed out at and pushed away the people that tried to help them when they were younger, still stuck living in elturel.

while they can't entirely be blamed for it - they were conditioned to think and feel a certain way, and those patterns were ingrained across a lifetime, all the hallmarks of the abuse they faced - at the end of the day, the friends they'd made after they started sneaking out at night were only trying to help them see how awful their living situation was.

by the time Dusk fled home, they'd burned all the bridges they'd tentatively built over the years. their best friend at the time was the one who made a sort of last ditch attempt to convince them, and it came at the right place, the right time to push them into leaving. but it was outright said that none of them wanted to see them again, after all of the vitriol.

with the distance of years and the gift of hindsight, they regret it all the more. they haven't really forgiven themselves for it.

52. What is your Tav’s worst fear?

oh you already know this one I'm sure 🤠 but I'll elaborate it into something a bit broader that pokes at the Theming more.

they fear being forced back into a gilded cage - whether that's being dragged back home to their family or pushed into a new one. they fear the loss of the autonomy they've carved out for themselves. they fear a loss of identity, and the concept of having it stripped from them, reducing them back into some (feminine) trophy to be given away for material gain.

at its core, it's a loathing of the idea of heteronormativity, really. that's what I always parallel it to, and it's pretty on the nose in that regard.

granted, it's kind of a paradoxical fear for them. they're so thoroughly weary after spending so long living with their guard up, molding themselves into someone who can take on the world alone, that in secret, there's a part of them that just doesn't want to fight anymore. that part would be tempted to give up - to let themselves be reshackled, so to speak - if the circumstances were dire, so long as there were the promise of them being safe and cared for at the end.

as a secondary but very much related thing, they've also come to fear and resent being alone, and the idea of being left behind by people they care about.

[suuho]

TWOE was nice but the ending felt a little anticlimatic, like the mission was pointless for the leads. They would literally die for each other and then it finishes like that? Junmo only went undercover to gain Euijeong's family respect. But also it was too dangerous to begin with and the lead couple would never leave that unscattered. The positive aspect was how many feelings were involved. Loved how Junmo ended up caring for Haryeon and she was literally "You know what? Who needs this, who need this place? I'll help him because he cares about me". LOVED how much she ignored the revelation since it didn't change anything. Junmo wanted to see her out of that, regardless of marital status or profession. But in a slightly different note, I saw that you said in another ask that "the director also mentioned that half of the drama was basically written by ji changwook". How? I'm genuinely curious since that's kind of fascinating.

i have a few issues with the ending, mainly the pacing of the last episode(s) and how some of the plot was wrapped up in a less sophisticated manner than i would have preferred. but then again, the thing is that i feel like people seem to forget is that this show was called the worst of evil and mainly revolved around junmo’s descent into that aforementioned evil, from a character stereotype that is seen as supposedly good (devoted husband, countryside kid, police officer). in the end, the main conflict of the show was less so between junmo and gicheol, or junmo and the police force, but junmo and himself, and how he could accept the man he has become.

so, in a way, the ending did that. junmo’s change in character was most heavily signified by his involvement with gicheol, so no wonder that in the end it came down to just that. it was also very obvious from the beginning that gicheol would have to die; he is the most outward character and the main aggressor/trigger for junmo shedding his (arguably already skewed) moral compass. the jealousy, the resentment, the violence and the realization that junmo would not only die for a man like gicheol but also kill for him is a lot of the reason why we see him change so drastically in the show (and why his affection moves further away from euijeong and towards someone like haeryeon).

anyways. the thing is, junmo might have wanted the approval of euijeong’s family, but in the end i think it was sort of the point that the stakes they have created in this case became increasingly higher for the people involved, personally. the police does not care about that; multiple times dohyung and euijeong ask for the investigation to be stopped due to junmo’s safety, but they never do that. to the police, this is a valuable case that will reflect well upon their public standing, but for gicheol, euijeong, junmo and dohyung, it is a matter of life and death (literally). so, in a way i feel like they showed the difference in how this case is passively dealt with by the outside and how it changes the lives of everyone involved on the inside.

also yes, i agree! i love how they handled haeryeon’s character in the end, and her exit was very well deserved. bibi did a good job with the role, and she left pretty much just as she arrived. very nicely done, and i’m very satisfied with how things were wrapped up for her. in a lesser drama, a character like hers would have been killed off; both female characters survived the show which is very pleasing, or maybe i’m just too used to that not happening (looking at you, the devil judge).

on the topic of jcw directing the show—very intriguing to me as well, and i think it was a mix of in-depth conversation and actual, hands on direction. some pictures dropped of changwook literally directing the show, i will include them here. if you watch any of the interviews they have done for the show, it is very clear how involved jwc was in the creation of the show, and i don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. the way he talks about the characters and even just the purpose of their action scenes, for example, is very enlightening (he has clear ideas of who these people (gicheol, junmo, euijeong) are). you can tell he was very, very passionate about this project.

[bacchanal-if]

Hi Beloved author~~ how are you?

Just remembered a reaction in other lovely works in progress that i love about ros reaction to mc telling them they loved them thinking that they are sleeping?or something like that😅

Sorry, mind like a sieve mine you see lmao

Was wondering if you would like to do something like that~ no pressure whatsoever ofc(i wouldn't dare!) Or maybe mc taking ros face in their hands and saying that they "got their world in their hands" or smth (i do always enjoy cheesy humorous mcs lol)

Anyway feel free to discard this if it doesn't work for you~

Love everyone of your post and i eagerly await your game and lovely art!!!! Tysm for sharing~💗💗💗💗💗

Hello dear! I am good, and I hope you are too. This is such a cute ask (so much fluff lately!)

"I love you"

Fox: Tears pour from their eyes because they love the MC dearly and have been too afraid to say it. They would not hold back their feelings at that moment, poetically showering the MC in affection and ultimately bedding them (if the MC is ok with it).

Rabbit: Their heart is beating so hard in their chest that it just might shatter their ribcage! At the point where they will let the MC be there when they sleep must mean they have a deep affection for them, and it may just be the tipping point for them to realize they are fully in love with the MC as well.

Butterfly: They are slightly panicked, and pretend to be asleep while they turn over those words and think about where their own feelings lie.

The Uninvited Guest: They are taken aback and also pretend to be asleep. They are not capable of romantic love, but their affection for the MC soars. They will buy the MC a very special gift the next day.

Edith/Edward: They would bust out a grin and say something like "I know." When the MC is asleep they will whisper that they love them too.

Tamsin/Thomas: They would absolutely have told the MC they love them before this could ever happen, but for the sake of the ask they would start crying and professing their undying love for the MC while holding them tight.

"I have the world in my hands"

Fox: They take one of the MC's hands and press a kiss to their wrist, then pick up the MC bridal style and repeat their words with a kiss on the lips.

Rabbit: Their heart skips, cheeks redden, and they take the MC's face in their own hands, "As do I."

Butterfly: They smile and place their hand on the small of the MC's back, nudging them closer, "Do go on."

The Uninvited Guest: A devilish smile cuts their face, "Such a pretty thing when you say the right words."

Edith/Edward: They can't help the smug grin that spreads on their face, "Don't you forget."

Tamsin/Thomas: They bust out a huge smile and do the same with a lump in their throat.

[sequesteredbhaalspawn]

Always going to bother me that Larian is just straight up wrong about Bhaal's, his follower's, and his church's lore (just going to assume none of them actually read the old lore books because I want to be petty, lmao).

For those you might find the screenshot texted (from Faiths and Avatars By Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd) hard to read here it is written out. Dogma: Bhaalist believed (in their sick and twisted way) that every murder cimmitted strengthened holy Bhaal. As a result, they viewed murder as both a pastime and a duty. Bhaalists were required to deal death once in every tenday during the darkest period at the heart of the night. If imprisonment or other constraining circumstances made this impossible, they had ti murder twice for each death missed. In accordance with the Lord of Murder's teachings, Bhaalists strove to ensure that before they died, the murder victims knew who was killing them and that their death was in the name of Bhaal. Novices of Bhaal were charged as follows: "Make all folk fear Bhaal. Let your killings be especially elegant, or grisly, or seem easy so that those observing them are awed or terrified. Tell folk that gold proffered to the church can make the Lord of Murder overlook them for today. Day-to-Day Activities: While Bhaal also encouraged the pursuit of personal wealth and hobbies, in the main, Bhaalists spent their nights performing murders and their days preparing for murder (procuring or caring for weapons, journeying to the appropriate site, praying to Bhaal for success, sleeping under guard so as to be fully awake for the hours of darkness, eating, training, praying for spells, and the like). Many served as assassins, bounty hunters, and mercenaries or in organized brotherhoods of men and women in such professions.

He doesn't want "death in droves" he wants death that inspires fear and aw (and for one to do it once a tenday, aka a week). Also he wants you to bed paid and have hobbies, which is so funny. I think people forget that Bhaal is Lawful Evil, not Chaotic Evil.

Anyways, if you want to read more here's a link to a free pdf going over many of the gods of the forgotten realms.

I'm just feeling salty. This post is not suppose to be taken seriously in anyway. Just also wanted to share fun informational.

[writingwife-83]

Promt: getting into an argument and accidentally admit feelings for eachother.

Loooved your recent stories btw❤️❤️

Hi!! It’s been forever since you sent this so thanks for being patient. ☺️ I wrote a one shot for the 2022 sherlolly week about 9 months ago and it was one that really stuck in my brain. I’ve been thinking about doing more with it since then and it suddenly hit me that your prompt would work really well. Hope you don’t mind that I used it for this! Here’s ch 2 of the fic below and I’ll also link to AO3. And surprise… a third and final chapter will also be coming tomorrow! 🥳 be sure to let me know your AO3 name, so I can gift it to you. Happy reading! 😁

Please Don’t ch 2

Returning from town after settling some business, Sherlock opted to take the long winding road back to Musgrave Hall, which took him through the woods. He was never in much of a rush to return to his family’s estate anyway, and much preferred the intrigue of the natural world. There was where he discovered the unexpected and learned things he never would have if stuck behind a desk all day. Besides, best to stay active, having seen the physical results from his brother’s very different choice of profession and lifestyle.

Sherlock broke through the trees at one point in the path, the view opening up to the fields and cliffs that overlooked the seaside. This was always his favorite part of the walk. And after enjoying the impressive vista, Sherlock’s gaze shifted, as it always did, to settle on the fields and the little farmhouse which happened to be his personal favorite.

The Hooper farmhouse.

He didn’t always visit, but at the very least he liked to stop and take it all in, just for a little while. It had been a home away from home for him since he was a child. Sometimes even more of a home than his real one. Even the stillness of the home itself was pleasant to gaze at, perhaps with no other sigh of life than the puff of smoke coming from its chimney. But sometimes, if he waited a while… he might see her as well.

Once in a while when passing, he’d catch a glimpse of Molly Hooper, out in the fields or in the grounds around the house. She might be carrying firewood into the house or tending to the chickens and livestock or maintaining the home itself. No matter what it was, the occasional sight always made him smile, despite himself and his cold hearted nature.

But he always supposed that Molly was a part of those comforting childhood memories, so of course the sight of her was a pleasant one.

As Sherlock stood there in the breeze that came off the water that evening, he did indeed happen to see the door open. What he saw next though, was wholly unexpected.

A man stepped outside, too far off for Sherlock to recognize, placing his hat on his head as he beamed at Molly, who stood on the threshold bidding him farewell. Sherlock watched as the man visibly lingered and then finally tipped his hat and made his way to the road to take his leave. Then the door to the little home shut as Molly made her way back inside.

Sherlock couldn’t help but stand there in stunned silence for a few moments. This was… most perplexing. He felt… hurt? No of course not, merely concerned for her. Who was this man? Perhaps it was none of his affair but… this was his family’s land after all! Hadn’t he the right- nay, responsibility! The responsibility to ensure that Molly be wise in how she conducted herself!

Deciding he hadn’t a moment to lose, Sherlock impetuously marched down the hill towards the little house, having suddenly become a man on a mission. He knocked at her door upon arrival, then squared his shoulders.

Molly swung the door open without so much as a word of question.

“Did you forget someth- Oh, Mr Holmes, good evening.”

“Might I come in, Miss Hooper?”

She looked round in confusion for a moment before stepping aside to allow him entry.

“Is… is anything wrong, Sir?” Molly asked as they walked into the sitting room of the small home.

Sherlock merely sighed, stopping at the fireplace and leaning his hands against the mantle. “I’ve come by to advise you to take care, Miss Hooper,” he finally replied, turning round to face her, hands clasped behind his back.

“To take care?” She remained perplexed. “In what way, Sir?”

No point in beating around the bush.

“Who was that man who just left your home this evening?”

Realization flashed in her eyes. “You mean Thomas Harding? Yes, he was just here.”

Sherlock narrowed his eyes, thinking. “Thomas Harding… he is the blacksmith, is he not?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Mmm.”

Molly’s brow furrowed a bit. “But, Sir, why must I take care? What is the meaning of this?”

Sherlock gave a little huff. “Do you think it proper that this Mr Harding be calling on you here? Alone?”

Molly’s entire demeanor changed, though he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. She crossed her little arms tightly over her slightly flour coated dress and glared at him.

“Mr Harding is a respectable man, I’ll have you know! I offered him refreshment but he refused to even take a seat! Merely stood inside my doorstep and made polite conversation after giving me the bunch of flowers you see before you on the mantel.” Molly gave Sherlock a pointed little look up and down. “You’ve certainly never been so shy about making yourself at home here!”

“That is completely different,” Sherlock proclaimed, stalking about the room. “I am the landlord!”

“And I s’pose that means rules of propriety don’t apply to you, then?”

“It means I have the right to take an interest in the lives of my tenants! And a blacksmith? Pff! Really, Miss Hooper, surely you can do better than that.”

Molly’s jaw dropped, her eyes went wide and she dropped her arms in her shock.

“Mr Holmes, first you insult my reputation, and now you insult my choice of suitor! As I said, Mr Harding is a good man, and he is also an honest worker. What more can a simple woman hope for?!”

“He is dim witted and would make a dull husband,” Sherlock replied flatly.

Molly’s voice rose further. “He is kind hearted and would surely cherish me! And what business is it of yours who I wed?”

Sherlock could feel himself running short on ammunition, and his fingers tapped against his own hand in wild agitation as he walked.

“This land is an investment, after all. I paid its debts a year ago and that has turned out to be a profitable choice. I have no desire to see that come to nothing once again when you wed a man who hasn’t the backbone or smarts to succeed at working a plot of land!”

Her face fell in a way that nearly made his hardened exterior crumble completely.

“I… I know this land is your family’s investment. Of course it is,” she said more softly. “But I thought that attachment to… to my father was your motivation in paying our debts. Was that a lie?”

Perhaps that was a bad choice of argument.

“I- I never said that.”

“Well then what is this?” Molly demanded, her combative tone returning. “How and why do you expect me to tend to this land and this home forever on my own? And why should I give up on the dream of a good husband and family simply because I cannot have-“ She stopped, placing her hands heavily on her hips and turning away.

“Cannot have what?!” he pushed against his better judgment, drawing nearer.

“I cannot have more than this and it is cruel for you to pretend that I can!” Molly bit back, whirling to face him again, her eyes now glistening. “An honest blacksmith who’ll treat me kindly and that I might just grow to care for one day is all I can have!”

She paused for breath and Sherlock nearly rushed to her in that instant. For what, he couldn’t say, but he held his feet back, not fully expecting what came next.

“Because I cannot have the man I truly want!”

Sherlock clenched his jaw and fists at his side, feeling like every inch of his skin humming with a maddening energy. “You see?! This is precisely why I needed to advise you! You are a fool, Molly Hooper, if you think you cannot have any man you set your mind to!”

She was the one to move then, marching over toe to toe with him, though somehow feeling the need to be louder still. “And you are the greater fool for being blind to what has been right before your eyes for years! Because it is you that I want and can never have!”

“Ha! Yes you can!”

Oh.

Oh.

The room went completely still and silent, save for the soft crackling of the fireplace and the sound of both his and Molly’s unsteady breathing. Sherlock’s mind went over and over what they’d both just said, trying to make sense of it all. Had he always known how she felt? Had he always known how he felt? Perhaps deep down he had.

The difference was that now there was simply no escaping it.

[semper-legens]

104. Family Business, by Jonathan Sims

Owned: Yes Page count: 317 My summary: Diya has had a rough year. Her best friend died, and she switched jobs to work for the people who cleaned up the scene. It’s an odd profession, but she finds some solace in giving other people the service she received. But all is not well with the Slough family. They are carrying a grief they won’t speak about, a grief they might not completely understand. And a stranger keeps appearing at their jobs... My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

Jonathan Sims! This one’s been a long time coming, I actually got it as a Christmas present last year. But because I literally cannot stop bringing books back from work, I haven’t managed to get round to the books I actually own yet. It’s always the same story - “I’ll just read through the whole library pile, and then I’ll do some of my books!” - but the library pile never decreases. Anyway. I’m a huge fan of The Magnus Archives, and I really liked Thirteen Stories, Sims’ debut novel. So of course I’m going to read this one. And, spoiler alert, I liked it a lot! Sims has a talent for bringing the spooky into the mundane (granted, cleaning up after traumatic death is hardly mundane) and this is no disappointment on that front.

Our protagonist is Diya, a young woman who feels completely isolated by the death of her friend/roommate and tries to find solace in her new job with the Slough family. Which consists of the spooky neo-pagan esque Mary, boisterous and irreverent Xen, and their father, quiet Frank. All of these characters were a delight to read; Diya both manages to have the everywoman aspect of being the audience relatable character and having her own personality at the same time. Xen is fun, I loved every moment she was in the narrative, she’s exactly the kind of person who would be right at home in my friend group. Mary is intriguing, I always wanted to know what was going on with her. Frank is also a mystery, one that unfolds over the course of the novel. There are various auxiliary characters, but this quartet is our main gang, and they’re all both interesting and distinct. Poor Diya is fighting for her life through so much Spooky Shit that she didn’t sign up for and doesn’t quite understand, and yet she both holds her own and makes sensible choices, which is always nice to see in a horror protagonist.

And then there’s Bill, the Spooky Threat of this novel. One thing I really like about Sims’ writing is how his threats are both spooky things and social issues, and in this case, Bill both is a creepy serial killing monster and the issue of people being forgotten by society and falling off everyone’s radar. The idea that you can be targeted by a monster that literally makes the world forget about you before digesting you and your memories is absolutely horrifying, and the fact that the best way to beating it involves keeping souvenirs from the person’s home and life in a way to remember them, even a tiny bit, even though you didn’t even know them, is delicious. The thing with it, as well, is that I don’t think I consciously realised any of this while reading? It was the best kid of subtle and unsubtle, the metaphor being right there for people to see, but also you can just take it on the surface-level reading of being a Creepy Thing That Happens, and I find that really interesting.

This book is really good at setting up tension. Even when you know that Diya is going to hallucinate how the person they’re cleaning up died as she’s cleaning, the transition from Diya’s regular POV to her acting out the experiences of the dead person is chilling. There’s a sort of enhanced reality going on here, where you’re not really sure if everything that’s happening is in Diya’s head, or if it’s really happening, or if there’s something between the two that’s going on. It’s a mindfuck, as Bill gaslights Diya as well as the audience. It’s effective as hell and I love it!

Next up, a woman sets herself alight, and her spark burns across the world with deadly consequences.

[a-tale-of-legends]

Was thinking about my protag ocs and their jobs again.

Jin - currently still a pokemon champion, needs to retire but they haven't processed some shit yet. Though after SV,they officially retire. I dunno what they would do, though. I can see them being a ranger though. Still does pokemon contests on the side.

Amber- Already a pokemon professor. 1/3.

Kenji- Uuuuuuuh after all that shit with TLH, he just. Rests for a while. Focuses on his art. He's no longer champion even before the whole TLH stuff was a thing, so this is honestly a matter of recovering and healing for him.

Aiko- Gym leader! It's fun to think that she's been a gym leader for at least 5 years now ever since swsh( probably more cause I don't remember when I decided she would be a gym leader). Outside of that, I'm not 100% sure, but I just thought of her having her own martial arts classes? Combining what she learned with the Kimono Girls and Chuck.

Beryl- Pokemon Professor!! 2/3. Also works in pokemon rehabilitation, so kinda a ranger? They work closely with the rangers anyway. Turned the Johto safari zone into their center cause why the fuck did that old man give it to her in the first place. They're not complaining, now that they're putting it to something more useful that a safari zone, but still.

Danica- She also retired as Champion, most likely when Kiran went missing. After that, she focused on owning her own battle cafe, inspired by the ones in Galar.( but also some establishments in Sinnoh, Alola and Hoenn). She...kinda has to step away from her job no thanks to TLH shenanigans but I think she has good co-workers who can handle the place while she's gone. It does make her even more bothered with TLH though ( outside of everything else that they've done).

Kiran- Pokemon professor 3/4! ....at least, he's catching up to be one. Yeah was kiiiiinda taken around the cusp of the official start of his pokemon professor career. Meaning they were still considered a pokemon professor assistant/ in training. They were very close to finishing that though, but alas. He got yoinked and now he's 4 years late. He's making up for it, obviously, but after everything that they went through in Hisui, they are taking their time for once. But Kiran's always will be a pokemon professor in my heart <3. Though this does mean Sonia snatched the " youngest pokemon professor" title from him ( which actually isn't true, but I like to think it becomes a little joke between them).

Alexis- Sometimes I forget that being a professional pokemon trainer is a legit profession that you can do in the pokemon world. So yeah, I think Alexis does that after the events of Swsh. He used to work in the daycare, and he still loves that, but he realized battling was always his true calling ( Hugh seems to have picked up where he left off though, which is nice ). He's always the worrier still, always worried about his pokemon, but he's skilled and confident enough to be careful with his battling. Also maaaaaybe works at the battle subway with Elliot. ( also liked to attend musicals lol)

Elliot- Works at the battle subway but thanks to TLH shenanigans, it's kinda hard to clock into work sometimes. She's homeschooling considering quitting just so it doesn't become so much of a problem ( once things settle with TLH, she'll go back if they'd hire her again ). Outside of that, much like Alexis, she's a professional pokemon trainer!

Eva- Eva, oh Eva, she has and had a lot of jobs. She used to be an actress before she quit that, then she used to be the head of join avenue before passing it over to Wayne*( * this fact might change, I'm still not 100% sure), and then she decides to retire being a champion, all in which to focus on her love for engineering! She mostly works for herself, the other Chosens and anyone who needs her service that's willing to pay. I can see her being a model too on the side.

Wayne: I think it would be funny if Eva dropped her old jobs only for Wayne to kinda. Picked them back up. First is the obvious Join Avenue stuff. Being raised by Clay has its perks and one of them is running a business. Eva originally was the one in charge ( or rather, she was in charge and Wayne was...I dunno the co-owner? Yeah that makes sense), and then she left it off to him. Then there's becoming an actor. Turns out,like Eva, Wayne has that natural charisma that's good for the big screen. But Eva quit for a reason, so she really sat down Wayne down and let him know what he's gonna get into,and what he can do to make sure he doesn't get exploited, etc. It also helps to have two stars kinda give you the ropes of everything. I don't think Wayne is a big star or anything, but yeah.

Jude: Jude is difficult bc of her role as the so called leader of the Chosens ( or the modern era). I'm not even sure if she's still champion or not, since on one end, i wouldn't mind her losing her title ( she's not invisible after all and so far a lot of ocs seem to just retire than actually lose their title). On the other end, being champion kinda keeps them in the loop of things better, especially in terms of TLH. So right now that aspect of Jude's life is a big question mark. Outside of that, I can see Jude trying some things, but I'm not really sure to considered the jobs, or hobbies. For example, roller derby. Wouldn't be surpised if Korrina tried to get Jude into that ( who is already fond of roller skating). But as a profession? Eeeeeh not sure. Then there's fashion. Despite Jude's dislike of Kalos' fashion industry, they do still love fashion. Maybe Jude can do something in that, but again I'm not sure. And maybe Jude isn't sure either. Of course, Jude can easily fall back on being a professional pokemon trainer( which guess they already are lol). That, at the very least, she can be sure of.

Dante- Dante literally works as a freelance detective in Lumiouse City with Emma. And a professional pokemon trainer, much like his parents.

Amsonia- Lost her title as champion ( either to Hau or to someone else, but leaning towards Hau). Is now a professional surfer! Also works at the Battle Tree now and again.

Ray- Oh man, ever since I made him a faller from a ruined Alola, this idea of him essentially becoming a ultra guardian like in the anime. Being a Chosen that can't get amnesia from going through Ultra Space really helps. He works closely with Burnett and the Ultra Recon Squad. Outside of that he's straight up chilling. Ngl I have many ideas for Ray ( like maybe he's also a scientist that study's ultra space...which probably comes from with the territory of being an Ultra Gaurdian), but this is like. The main thing I can think for him.

Naomi- By SV she lost against Raihan, and is Going Through It. Not sure what she would do now. Maybe she gets into music? Maybe she becomes a ranger, and work with Hop? She doesn't know, she's still in her feelings.

Carol- Is essentially working on becoming a journalist( as of SV)! Kinda ironic given their experience with them, but they're really good at it, soooooo. Also studying law with no desire to be a lawyer, just wanna mess with system.

Luca and R.B are still teens, and while i do know what they would do in the future, this post is mostly about what my ocs doing by SV.

[leftoveraddiction]

my thoughts

My parents never graduated high school. Sure, they got their GED, but that’s not really the same. Since I was a little girl, I was determined to be what my parents weren’t. Maybe a little bit out of spite, but mostly out of wanting to do better for myself, and to set myself to have a better and more comfortable life than my parents had and gave me growing up. So, I decided to work as hard as I possibly could. I discovered that I had a love for public speaking, despite being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, so I joined my school’s Speech and Debate team. I discovered that I not only had a love for public speaking, that I was so incredibly passionate about it, and as a bonus, really good at it (I went to state for my Extemporaneous Event). I also realized that I needed to have good grades. This was a struggle, as I am not as good at public speaking as I am at math. It’s a good thing I don’t want to be a STEM teacher. I did it, though, and it taught me that I need to really, really work for what I want. I don’t want to end up like my parents. We struggled so much, and I can’t call myself successful if I just end up as another version of my parents. I have to be myself. Some might say this is an odd motivator, but it is one that has never failed me. However, I did obtain one thing that my parents undoubtedly passed on to me. Genetic mental illness is, without a doubt, a large obstacle. My determination is not fallible, so I went and got help and am trying as hard as possible to be truly, and completely, myself.

While going through grade school, I’ve obviously encountered many different types of teachers. Good ones, not-so good ones, and most importantly, inspiring ones. The idea that inspiration can only come from positive experiences and examples is untrue, at least in my opinion. In the fifth grade, I had an English teacher who very obviously did not enjoy her job, and funnily enough, children. She was harsh, and unforgiving, and quite frankly, had a horrible taste in classic literature and Disney movies (Moana is not the best Disney movie. Not even close). Anyway, her apathy and lackadaisical attitude towards her profession inspired me to basically not be her. In a more classically inspiring light, in my Freshman year, I met the one teacher who really made me want to go into teaching, and he was my Speech and Debate teacher/coach, Mx. Xxxxx To be honest, he’s… unconventional. Most other students my age call him odd, but I think he’s probably the least off-putting person I’ve ever met, and I think that is the bare minimum in a teacher. The most important thing, however, is how incredibly passionate he is about not only his profession, but about English as a whole. I witnessed that firsthand, and it gave me the idea to become a teacher myself. Even if I fail horribly at teaching English to people, I want to at least connect with them in a way that at least half-matches the way Mx. Xxxxx has been able to impact me and my life. If I’m able to do that, I will deem myself successful.

While my teachers have been a large part of my life and influenced my career choice, my biggest role model is my uncle Z. Z, by most standards, is not successful. He got discharged from the military before even going into active combat, he hasn’t had a real job since, he’s terribly messy and addicted to cigarettes, caffeine, and gaming, and he’s sorta brash and a bit mean. However, Z is unapologetic about everything. I hope everyone in their lives meets a person as unabashedly themselves as Z is. Despite his flaws, Z is so smart. Freakishly. He introduced me to a world of philosophy, and more importantly, taught me that being myself and following my passions is more sacred than anything else. He has made such a deep and meaningful impact on my life that I will never forget, for as long as I live. I am eternally grateful to him.

[kinetic-elaboration]

November 2: Love Is Blind 3

I feel like the theme of this season’s Love Is Blind is “men with no emotional maturity and the women who are probably too good for them.” Not that every man is like that, but the ones who are scream the loudest. Scream like... warning lights. (I’m only on Ep 5.)

Alexa and Brennan: Literally had to google his name because I already forgot it. And found some spoilers, somehow (??), whoops. Anyway, he always seems way more into this relationship than she does but that just may be the way she comes across on camera. They got engaged so early in the pod portion that I’ve already forgotten why they clicked with each other and now they seem like such an odd couple, but hey, nothing troubling about them so far, we’ll see what happens.

Raven and SK: How are their spoilers out already? Infuriating. Is this from episode 10? The will they won’t they is the secondary reason to watch this show (the first is the occasional gossip and drama). Anyway, I was super skeptical of them at first but I was/am warming up to them. The thing is that Raven comes across...not poorly, but unemotional and distant, and very controlled--she’s not a great reality contestant because she’s not just blathering drama all the time, and that is probably to her credit as a person. Respect for the way she talked about Bartisse in ep 5, straight up “I dodged a bullet there,” because she did. And no matter how lackluster her chemistry with SK sometimes seems, at least on camera, the line “I want to love you the Raven way” will always be romantic.

Matt and Colleen: Colleen was a hot mess in the pod section tbqh. Matt was, per Raven’s astute observation, forgettable. So far I feel like his forgetableness is wearing off on her. Like with Brennan and Alexa, I wonder if he is more into her than the other way around, but, also like with Brennan and Alexa, that might just be because he’s a Talker, relegating her to smiling and nodding. I like Colleen and I hope that no matter what she ignores Frat Boy of the Year, Cole.

Cole and Zanab: He has the Frat Energy of a Barnett or a Shayne but the My Hot Wife Isn’t Doing It For Me and That’s Your Problem Now Energy of a Shake. I don’t actually fault people for not being attracted to other people because hey, it happens and I also can’t really fault reality contestants for talking about stuff because if they didn’t, it would be boring, but telling people how completely un-attracted you are to your absolute hottie of a fiancee is wild to me. Like shut up, no one wants to hear you complain about how she’s “not your type” (especially when she is remarkably similar to his professed “type” except for...what could it be??). Kinda love how Alexa specified that she hadn’t even asked him anything, he’d just unloaded these thoughts on her all on his own. Zanab’s passive-aggressive qualities are hard to watch, as are their passive-aggressive arguments, and they appear painfully incompatible, but I will always be Team Zay over Team Cole because this dude NEEDS to shut up.

Bartise and Nancy: Cole doesn’t win the Needs to Shut Up Prize, though, only because Bartise is in this season. Exhibit Two on why 25 year old men actually maybe shouldn’t settle down and get married? I hate saying that because 25 is a full grown Adult but like... This guy’s not ready. Nancy could be having Tantric Sex with Cringe Sex Phone Operator what’s-his-face right now and instead she settles for this guy, can’t stop blathering about what a hottie Raven is. Best part of this “love triangle” is undoubtedly that he can’t even have a little flirty side piece with Raven because she sees through it and doesn’t think it’s cute--like I cannot explain how much joy I got out of him blah blah blahing on to her about how much they both love fitness and how hot she is, and she’s just like “uh huh, uh huh” and then to the camera, “I have never been so turned off in my life”--like it’s on par with Paolo from The Circle France writing a dissertation to Virginie and her answering “Ok”--and the worst part is that Nancy, despite her flaws, doesn’t deserve having to deal with this Man Child for however many weeks... Just don’t marry him, girl.

[smokedetected]

R6S Duolingo and language learning HCs

Stupid fluff/crack hcs for some of the r6s operators, inspired by a recent heated discussion in our research group about everyone’s Duolingo habits (lol).

Warnings/notes: none (unless you’re severely traumatized by the Duolingo owl, though if that’s the case, it’s probably already too late anyways) Slight romance and/or suggestiveness in some.

Sorted alphabetically under the cut—I wrote for everyone that popped into my mind at the time.

Ace: Will totally take the initial placement test for Norwegian, just for that cheap and easy XP-boost that will catapult him to the top of the leaderboard and allow him to flex his high score in front of the others. (Everyone knows what’s going on, but let’s let him have this.) Will be extra motivated should you decide to get the app as well and absolutely swoon over you should you decide to take up Norwegian (he still won’t take it well should you outcompete him on the leaderboard, though, so keep that in mind).

Bandit: Doesn’t really care for the app per se, but is more than happy to help expand your knowledge of German swear words and street slang should you decide to take it up, whether you want it or not. If you’re serious about learning the language, he will do his best to help you in earnest and make an effort to include you in the German banter between the GSG9 member (be careful, though, as he will absolutely take the opportunity to feed you wrong and/or offensive words every now and then so he can have a laugh when you cheerfully insult any of the other German operators, thinking you were merely throwing out some German slang). Will be more encouraged than ever to give you German pet names. He would also take the opportunity to introduce you to his favorite German bands and songs (just stay wary of the meaning of some of the lyrics you will inevitably pick up).

Blitz: This is his home turf—Elias doesn’t need to be convinced to download the app, he already has it (and every other language learning app out there) ready to go on his phone. He finds the questions and problems in Duolingo too easy to really challenge him, but he’ll use it to refresh his memory on grammar and vocabulary during breaks or look into the more exotic languages they offer just for fun. Gets very excited if you are interested in languages, too, and all the more so if the language you want to learn happens to be German! He will send you all kinds of materials and resources to help you study, from news articles to memes. When he sees you practicing using the app, he will come up to you and give you a kiss whenever you get an exercise right.

Doc: Gustave always encourages the people around him to try new things and stay flexible, physically and mentally, so he welcomes it when you introduce him to the app. Other operators might complain about the persistent reminders sent by the app, but Doc actually appreciates them—without them, he would quickly forget about the app again as he’s always caught up with work late into the night. Should you decide to learn French, he will gladly practice with you whenever you have a moment of time throughout the day, remaining patient and encouraging even as you torment him with the exhilarating questions about his name and profession that come with the early stages of learning a new language.

Dokkaebi: Will get super competitive and try to get as many of the other Rainbow members as possible into Duolingo as well. They don’t all have to learn the same language, but there will be an internal competition about who earns the most points every week. Will probably act casually about it, but then log into the app again at the last minute before the leaderboard closes, while her fellow operators are either already asleep or focused on something else and absolutely obliterate them and their scores. If you tell her that you want to learn Korean, she might be a bit surprised at first, but will quickly find it endearing when it becomes apparent that you’re serious about it. She loves it when you text her in Korean whenever you learned something new and will in turn send you Korean proverbs and other tidbits you might fight interesting.

Glaz: Not a huge fan of the app (maybe because he doesn’t think the interface is visually appealing?). Would maybe use it to gain a basic understanding of the language of a country he’s sent to on a mission + any themed lessons that catch his eye. If your native language isn’t English or Russian, he would use the app to check out the basics while he’s away from you, though he would much rather get the explanations directly from you. If you inform him that you’re trying to learn Russian, his heart will melt and he will shower you with sweet words of praise and encouragement to make you feel comfortable enough to speak to him in his native language. Will also buy you a premium subscription when you aren’t looking to make learning even more fun for you.

IQ: Monika is smart and a quick learner - you know it, I know it, it’s literally implied in her codename. Quickly uninstalls the app again because she finds the exercises too easy and doesn’t want to bother wasting time on having to unlock the few lessons she’d actually be interested in. If you or another operator were the ones getting her into the app, however, she’d keep it around just so she can keep doing the weekly challenges with you—she finds it cute when you get all competitive about it and it makes her happy that you want to participate in them with her. Her first reaction to you telling her that you want to learn German would be a blunt “Why?,” as she thinks you might get more use out of other languages. Tell her that you’re doing it for her and she becomes incredibly flustered (all the more so should you decide to call her by one or more German pet name(s)), yet happy at the same time.

Jäger: Marius quickly incorporated the app into his daily routine, usually getting his daily session in during breakfast or dinner. Will regularly remind his GSG9 colleagues to use the app by sharing his milestones to their group chat (*screenshot of perfect 2-week-streak* “Und bei euch so? 😏” (”what about you guys? 😏”) Will be very giddy should you decide to learn German—he’s very eager to practice with you and will constantly point out how certain things are called in German as well as give you additional info and expressions. He’ll probably get ahead of himself and it will be nearly impossible to remember everything he’s telling you, but he doesn’t expect you to and is glad to repeat it.

Kapkan: Hates it. Thinks the interface looks stupid, the sample conversations pointless, and was just about ready to ask Sledge to borrow his hammer to smash his phone and computer because he accidentally consented to receive all the reminders and push notifications and it’s driving him insane. If you’re using the app to learn a language and feel like its helping you, however, he is willing to put up with the eye sore that is the Duolingo owl and the noise pollution coming from the app, just for you (particularly if the language you are trying to learn is Russian—his adoration for your efforts outweighs any negative feelings he may have). If your native language is something different from Russian or English, he would make an effort to learn at least the basics in it when things start to get serious. While he’s a diligent student, he becomes surprisingly shy and easily flustered when attempting to speak to you in your native language, so stay patient and give him lots of encouragement.

Montagne: As his perceived lack of proficiency in foreign languages when compared to some of the other Rainbow operators is something that’s been bothering him on and off for some time, he was very happy and receptive when you introduced him to the app. He uses it to quietly practice by himself during moments of downtime as he goes about his day. I feel like he’d be the type of person to have a 500+ day streak that makes you go “damn! :0″ when you see it on their profile for the first time. Is over the moon when you reveal to him that you’ve been trying to learn some French for him and have nothing but praise for even your most awkward attempts at speaking to him in French. Naturally, he will want to repay the favor and take up your language in return, but it will take some verbal encouragement from you before he overcomes his shyness to actually talk to you in your native language.

Mute: would never resort to cheap exploits like raking in a massive number of points by acing the placement test in his native language (as others are rumored to have done), but would quickly figure out the little tricks, bonuses, and power-ups that allow him to continuously earn the highest score possible while learning. Finds the exercises too easy and doesn’t like how you have to unlock certain topics through progression, rather than being able to freely choose what you’re interested in learning right from the beginning. If your native language isn’t English, he will look for other better resources on it on his own. Even if English isn’t your first language, he doesn’t really see any concrete need for you to improve but will respect your desire to do so by providing you with recommendations for English books and movies, as well as the offer of discussing them with him once you’re done with them.

Smoke: While the gamification aspect does hold some appeal in his eyes, he doesn’t really feel the need to follow the path given by the app—he’s convinced that if you want to learn a new language, it should ideally come naturally to you by actively engaging with source materials in it (read: chemical safety data sheets, scientific papers, and online shitposts). Should his daughter discover her love for Duolingo-based language learning, however, you bet he would download and use the app, if only to keep her happy and connect with her (he would, however, be equally happy if you were to compete with her in the challenges in his stead—in fact, he would only adore you more for doing so). If your native language isn’t English, the first thing he would ask you to teach him are swearwords, if nothing else, so he can annoy his fellow operators even more effectively. If things get serious between the two of you, however, he will be more than eager to learn other things as well from you.

Tachanka: Would use the app to learn a few bits in your language as an icebreaker and to surprise you & show you how much he cares about you. Flirty and straightforward as he is, he would then quickly graduate to asking you for some one-on-one conversation training sessions, offering to teach you basic Russian (or flirting/swearwords, depending on how you roll). Should you decide to learn Russian, he will be all over you whenever you use your newly acquired, meager language skills on him — he will be incredibly happy and proud of you. In fact, he might get a little too excited and unintentionally embarrass you a little by boasting about your “skills” to his fellow Spetsnaz members, putting you on the spot when they subsequently demand a first-hand demonstration. He’s quick to pick up on the naughtiest, most suggestive expressions in your native language and will make good use of them behind closed doors with absolutely zero shame, causing your blood to flow to your face (as well as other places) whenever he does so.

Thatcher: Was most definitely pressured into getting the app by someone else on his team and only begrudgingly agreed to use it under the condition that that person would also set everything up for him. He will quickly get annoyed by it and delete it after Duo keeps counting typos he didn’t bother to correct as mistakes, subsequently providing you with ample opportunity to expand your vocabulary of British swearing. If English isn’t your native language, he would try to learn some phrases from your first language for you. He’s very serious about it and somehow selects rather lyrical source materials for this endeavor—on occasion he sounds like an old-timey gentleman plucked straight from a romance novel, causing a blush to appear on your cheeks every time he talks to you like that.

Thermite: Another one who would probably see Duolingo as a kind of dating app with extra steps. Would repeatedly come to you under the pretense of asking you how certain features of the app work, etc., just so he has an excuse to stay close to you. If you’re in an established relationship, he will ask you for a kiss for every exercise he gets right whenever he’s actually using it to practice. Will make an effort to remember the most random sample phrases to repeat them back to his fellow operators in their native language and think he’s hilarious for doing so. If you’re the type of person that gets discouraged whenever you accidentally miss a day, causing your streak to break (the type of person he is), he will briefly log into your account and do a quick and easy exercise just to keep your streak going when he sees you haven’t logged into the app after you’ve already gone to bed. Will also really work with the random, basic phrases he’s learned in your language so far to impress you or at least make you laugh.

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thank you for reading! <3  these were very fun to do! If you are missing a specific operator, I didn’t spontaneously have a scenario of them pop into my mind, but you are free to request them.

Next post (in a few days) will be less shitpost-y (I hope, lol)~!