#but i hope you enjoyed the analysis regardless

[lakesbian]

If Mono and Six landed on the infinity train how big do you thin their numbers would be and what arc do you think they’ll have?

unfortunately the basic premise of this question doesn't work because of the dissonance between how infinity train handles character arcs and how little nightmares handles character arcs.

the basic premise of infinity train's worldbuilding is that it's real life except for the addition of the train (and obligatory subtraction of branded items, hence the fictional gas station chain &c). every passenger is written as mundanely and intricately human. they're all Just Some Guy You Could Meet On The Street, which is to say they have intensely complex psyches, nuanced and storied personal problems, and unique personality traits. tulip eats raw onions because she tried one as a kid and was too stubborn to admit to her parents she didn't like it, holds strict worldviews based on narrow/immature ration about the world and struggles to accept changes that don't fit into her preconceived frameworks, and wears a kinda stupid looking tights/skirt combo because she's 13. jesse is still attached to a song about learning to be nice to people he learned in kindergarten, is a serial social masker because he's convinced people will only like him if he's being exactly what they want him to be, and gets character development from talking honestly about his relationship to swimming. and so on and so forth. grace is a cult leader but she's also just, like, some girl who blows raspberries when she's thinking or excited. the depth of the characterization is inextricable from infinity train's narratives, because each narrative is, by dint of the show's most basic premise (follow these people while they fuck around on a train that kidnaps you and only lets you off if you achieve what it deems to be Personal Growth), entirely fueled by rich characterization and character arcs.

little nightmares, by contrast, actually hinges pretty heavily on vague/fuzzy characterization. it's actively difficult to catch a peek of six, mono, or runaway kid's face. the children you play as have names that are less names in the sense we're familiar with and more markers of isolation-induced anonymity: low, alone, and mono. in runaway kid's case, he doesn't even have a name--he's defined entirely by the fact that he's trying to escape. (from what? the world. does he succeed? no.) we don't know what any of these children like or dislike. we don't know where they came from. they don't have favorite colors, or hobbies, or even dialogue outside of the occasional--almost always barely-audible--"hey"s six and mono exchange to get each others attention. all of these children are defined by one thing: the fact that they are young and small and the world wants to eat, change, or destroy them. what most distinguishes each child from one another is the unique way in which they are hurt: six survives, but at the cost of the part of her that knows how to play and hold onto her friends. mono grows into a man who directly perpetuates the cycle that harmed his childhood self. runaway kid is clever, but unlucky, and never makes it out. and this is all because little nightmares is a visceral, but very nonliteral representation of the nonsensical cruelty of childhood. on a narrative level, the huge scope, mystery, and unfairness of the world the kids live in--and how it hurts them--is all-consuming.

all of which is to say that there's no grounded, detailed characterization that could be used to put six or mono on the train. numbers are calculated based on how far a person is from solving the problem that landed them there, and the train doesn't pick people up for problems that can't be addressed by individual development. six and mono don't need individual development--their only problem is living in a society that views them as worthless and in need of breaking (or consumption or destruction and so on). fundamentally impossible quastion to answer due to the differences in how inftr and ln approach characterization. sadly. :(.

[erabundus]

anonymous &&. said... 💭 + chongyun's friendship

ren's  friendship  with  chongyun  is  actually  really  fascinating  from  a  character  development  standpoint  —  because  chronologically  (  unless  i'm  forgetting  something  )  they  are  the  first  mortal  he  has  actually  allowed  himself  to  get  close  to  who  isn't  entangled  in  his  dealings  in  sumeru.  he  befriended  him  entirely  of  his  own  volition,  even  if  i'm  sure  ren,  unreliable  narrator  extraordinaire,  would  probably  gripe  that  he  was  pulled  into  it  against  his  will  if  asked.  he  could  have  walked  away  at  any  time.  he  could  have  kept  things  strictly  impersonal  —  but  he  didn't,  and  that's  symptomatic  of  his  own character  growth  as  he  slowly  learns  how  to  let  other  people  in.

and  the  way  that  it's  developed  is  also  incredibly  INTERESTING  as  well  —  because  there  was  a  very  heavy  emphasis  on  a  transactional  element  at  first.  ren  sees  every  relationship  in  this  world  as  inherently  give  and  take,  even  if  the  things  being  exchanged  are  more  conceptual  in  nature.  (  company.  love.  loyalty.  )  that  was  true  during  his  scaramouche  era,  and  it's  a  line  of  thinking  he  still  clings  to,  even  now  —  he's  been  burned  enough  times  that  he  can't  see  anything  as  truly  unconditional  and  free  anymore.  (  i  could  delve  into  how  he  feels  compelled  to  "earn"  affection  from  his  loved  ones,  but  that's  another  post  entirely.  )  yet  his  initial  dynamic  with  chongyun  kind  of  takes  this  tendency  of  his  and  weaponizes  it  against  him  —  for  his  own  good.  because  there's  this  human  who  keeps  on  giving  him  things,  giving  him  food,  and  ren  feels  OBLIGATED  by  his  weird  moral-adjacent  code  to pay  him back in whatever way he can.

i  can't  find  the  specific  post,  but  there  comes  a  point  early  on  in  their  dynamic  where  chongyun  calls  him  a  friend  and  i  cannot  overstate  how  much  that  changes  the  entire  trajectory  of  their  relationship  —  not  only  because  it  completely  throws  ren  for  a  loop,  but  because  it  starts  to  change  how  he  goes  about  approaching  them.  again,  everything  from  ren's  perspective  is  transactional;  this  isn't  necessarily  a  cold  or  standoffish  take,  it's  just  how  he's  grown  to  view  the  world  as  a  defense  mechanism.  so  when  he  hears  chongyun  thinks  of  him  as  a  friend,  a  little  light  flicks  on  in  his  head  —  he  can  repay  him  with  his  COMPANIONSHIP.

congratulations  ren,  you've  allowed  yourself  to  make  a  friend.  now  if  only  you  could  not  be  so  weird  and  overcomplicated  about  it.

and  he  does  TRULY  consider  them  a  friend  in  return,  because  if  you  read  between  the  lines,  ren  does  go  above  and  beyond  for  chongyun  in  such  a  way  he  wouldn't  necessarily  need  to  if  he  was  merely  doling  out  his  presence  like  a  nondescript  form  of  currency.  i  think  a  really good  example  of  this  is  during  the  (  infamous  )  what  does  water  smell  like  debacle.  ren's  status  as  a  puppet  is  something  he  keeps  INCREDIBLY  close  to  his  chest  because  he's  painfully  aware  what  destruction  can  be  wrought  if  the  wrong  kind  of  person  happens  to  find  out  about  it.  yet  he  trusts  chongyun  enough  to  share  with  him  his  greatest  secret  —  something  that  has  deeply  TRAUMATIZED  him,  and  he  does  it  of  his  own  volition ...  for  the  sake  of  answering  a  silly  little  nonsense  question.

your  honor,  they  are  friends  and  it  is  a  very  important  dynamic  to  me ...

SEND 💭 AND A TOPIC FOR A HEADCANON .

[malewifesband]

EDIT: if this post has made you think about whether or not you are autistic, im really glad! i hope you get some better understanding of yourself and are able to find community and support

however before you go and tell a therapist and seek an official diagnosis please read this thread and consider the points made therein:

autism is highly stigmatized. be fully informed about what you gain and what you lose from having an official diagnosis before seeking one.

EDIT OVER ENJOY THE POST

people do correctly identify that laios is autistic fairly often but a lot of the reasoning begins and ends with his special interest and social difficulties, but honestly it goes far deeper into the build of his character than just those two things

his pain tolerance is wildly inconsistent, unable to tolerate a drop of hot oil (or any heat) but able to shrug off both his leg being bitten off and it being reattached

hes sensory seeking in the extreme. he rubs the bat bones against his face, pets and fluffs the shapeshifter tail.

his desire to eat monsters comes from three very autistic places. 1) the rules for why monsters are not okay to eat but animals are are arbitrary to him so he cannot follow them easily: he cannot understand the 'feelings' argument others make. 2) this too is a sensory seeking behavior. he wants to experience these new things, new flavors and new textures. 3) it completes his knowledge of the monster in question to also have data on its edibility. because he cannot draw that arbitrary line around all monsters, he wants to evaluate them case-by-case and see if real patterns emerge. butchering and eating the monsters improves his knowledge of them greatly and highlights their importance in their ecosystem, as well as making him a part of that same ecosystem

he cannot emote the way others expect him to. he compartmentalizes his feelings (to an unhealthy degree) because he needs a pragmatic solution. so as long as there is a problem to solve, that matters far more than evaluating his emotions and allowing himself to experience them. while this is also a coping mechanism for ptsd, it is a trait found in many autistic people regardless of trauma, as we have trouble sorting the feelings we have and often need time to think about what we feel, so it becomes easier to simply not do it and pretend we dont need to. laios emotions certainly affect him, with or without his processing them, but others do not see what they expect to see and thus dismiss that he is feeling what they would feel

he is incredibly gifted with pattern recognition, observation, and analysis within realms he understands. to understand subjects that dont come easily to him, he must filter them through his established schema (his special interest--this is why they are so special! they help us sort the world). when he isnt sure about the social cues and details hes observed in the shapeshifter arc, he filters it through the lens he understands best: monsters. he was making correct observations about his friends all along, but he could not be confident in that the way he was about their behavior when it came to his interest (chilchucks caution, senshis passions, and marcilles carelessness)

[hornychristianprincess]

NSFW A-Z: WONBIN

a/n: this is just my personal analysis based off my perception and observations of wonbin's personality. all of this is fiction/fantasy

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Immediately after sex, Wonbin wants to be close to you, no matter how sweaty or gross the two of you are. While recovering in bed with you, he’ll be filled with a sort of cocky smugness as he reflects on just how good the sex was. His confidence will be boosted, causing him to be more talkative than usual and say whatever’s been on his mind. Once you’ve both recuperated, he’ll more often than not want to go for another round.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On himself, Wonbin takes a lot of pride in his abs/torso. As a dancer and performer, he works hard to achieve and maintain his physique. I can imagine him having a lot of shirtless pics on his phone.

On his partner, Wonbin is a boob man all day, every day. Regardless of his partner’s size, there’s just something about the softness of them that is comforting to him. Even just feeling them through your shirt during a hug is enough to rile him up.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

I think Wonbin is a little finicky when it comes to any sort of mess so I’d say he prefers to come inside of his partner or in a condom. When he’s finished, there’s ease in being able to either throw the condom away or take a shower with you so you can wash up together.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

We all know Wonbin works really hard to maintain this mysterious, cold image, but with a partner who he feels comfortable with, Wonbin is the biggest softie. When he finds someone he loves – a feat on it’s own since he is such an introvert – they become his entire world. He would do anything to please them. He doesn’t want anyone knowing this because of how it would crack this persona he’s crafted for himself.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Wonbin has been handsome his whole life so I would guess he had no shortage of suitors. However, I don’t see him as the type to just go around slinging dick to everybody. It takes a lot for him to take interest in someone and even longer before he’s comfortable initiating sex. Still, I’d venture to say he has some experience under his belt.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Wonbin is a fan of any position where he can comfortably look into your eyes, so usually missionary or cowgirl is what he goes for. Being able to see your expressions as he pleases you is integral to Wonbin’s own pleasure. He likes to maintain intense, searing eye contact with whoever he’s fucking, and these two positions are what most easily allow for that.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

In the lead-up to sex, Wonbin uses jokes to mask how nervous or excited he is. He hopes that by being playful he’ll come off as cool. Once the sex actually begins though, he is deadly serious and intense. He becomes too focused on either giving or receiving pleasure to find anything funny. It’s similar to how he is when he performs on stage; Wonbin on stage and Wonbin off stage are two different people. Off stage, he can be personable and charming, but once he gets into performance mode, he takes what he’s doing so seriously that he can’t consider anything else.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Wonbin only bothers to groom himself when he has a partner, otherwise he can’t be bothered. In the beginnings of a relationship, he appreciates it when his partner puts in the effort to shave. But once you’ve been together for a while and built that camaraderie, he couldn’t care less.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

I think Wonbin enjoys receiving intimacy but not giving intimacy if that makes sense. Like he is fully comfortable with saying romantic things to you and watching as it makes you get worked up and emotional. But the moment when you do the same and he starts to get overwhelmed with emotion, he’ll be quick to hide his face in your neck or bite your shoulder to hold back his whines. As I’ve already alluded to, he shies away from anything that would put a crack in his mysterious persona. In other words, emotional vulnerability is difficult for him but he’s more than happy to hold space for and even provoke your own expressions of emotional intimacy.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Wonbin masturbates rarely and mostly as a means to either let off stress or cure boredom. I see him masturbating the most in the shower after a long day of work, allowing his worries to release down the drain. In many ways, I see him as someone who only appreciates masturbation for its basic utility rather than for the pleasure it brings. To him, sex is a pleasure best enjoyed with a partner.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

overstimulation (giving and receiving): Wonbin is turned on by the idea of fucking until you both literally can’t anymore. To do that requires draining each other’s bodies for all of the energy they have. This man likes to go for rounds. And he won’t want to stop until you both can’t move.

marking (giving and receiving): seeing marks on each other’s skin after sex is a pride point for Wonbin. It’s evidence of just how good the sex was. when receiving, Wonbin likes scratches on his back or even a bloody lip after a passionate kiss. When giving, Wonbin likes seeing the fleeting mark of his handprint on your ass after he smacks it, and more longlasting, hickies on every part of your body.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Wonbin doesn’t have any location preference. He is honestly down to fuck you any time, any place. Still, he’s aware that his partner would likely feel most comfortable to let loose in the privacy of a bedroom, so he’s fine with that.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Before sex even comes to mind for him, he is turned on by a person who is a little hard to get. Because he is so used to the attention of potential suitors. It’s easier to get his attention by not trying to pursue him at all, at least initially. Additionally, he is attracted to unique people with lots of confidence in themselves and their interests. 

What motivates him sexually is feeling a strong level of trust with his partner. What also motivates him is his desire to please. I think Wonbin sometimes has thoughts of not being enough for a person. He sees sex as being the thing that could make someone stay if they feel like he’s lacking in other places. When he fucks, he makes the pleasure of his partner his biggest priority. He is turned on by their reactions and praise. In many ways, he sees praise of his sexual abilities as an affirmation of his personhood. Sex is one of his ways of expressing his love. Whenever he feels a strong surge of love for you romantically, it will immediately translate to him wanting to fuck you.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He’s turned off by someone who makes him feel even slightly judged for who he is as a person. I mentioned earlier that he likes people who play hard to get, but once you get past those initial meetings that define the beginning of the relationship, he has little tolerance for indifference. He wants his partner to be just as into him as he is into them.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Wonbin loves both giving and receiving head. As mentioned in my last answer, Wonbin is a huge giver. What turns him on about giving head is seeing his partner’s satisfied expressions and knowing that he possesses the power to make them feel euphoric in this way. And being the man he is, he loves to receive head. He finds you sexiest when you’re salivating over his dick, begging to have it in your mouth even after you’ve already made him come so many times this way before.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

By and large, I think his pace is dependent on whatever his partner asks of him at that moment or whatever he thinks is gonna feel the best for you. Usually he’ll start out slow just to get a feel for the rhythm of things, but he’ll have his moments where the sex starts to feel so good that he’ll get overwhelmed and start rutting into you roughly.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies aren’t Wonbin’s favorite way to fuck, but he’s also not at all opposed to them. It’s not something that happens often, especially because he likes to carve out substantial time with you so that he’s not having to rush intimacy. Still, in moments where you only have a few moments to yourselves, he’d rather have you for a short time than not at all.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

There is nothing inherently satisfying about taking risks for Wonbin. Rather, he can become so turned on by his partner that his desire outweighs any fear. If you and Wonbin are in public and he finds himself enthralled by you in some way, he has no problem with pulling you aside and having his way with you, or even playing with you under the table during a public dinner. The risk of getting caught is irrelevant if not meaningless to him. Were he ever to get caught, he would be quick to shut down any teasing or outside conversation. He prefers to keep the private life of himself and his partner out of the conversations of others.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – rounds rounds rounds rounds. In each round, Wonbin’s first priority is to make you come, and with that in mind, he is able to hold back on his own orgasm for however long he needs to. After each round, he does need some time to recuperate, but once he’s good, he’ll be ready and needy for more. On a perfect day with Wonbin you’ll fuck, watch a movie, get bored and fuck again, get some food, fuck, and just keep going in that pattern until you collapse in bed tiredly by the end of the day. Once he’s done though, he’s done. 

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Wonbin is open to both using toys and having toys used on him. While he’s fucking you, I could see him reaching over to a bedside drawer, grabbing a vibrator and using it to stimulate your clit while he gives you long, deep thrusts. Conversely, if you were to incorporate a vibrator or cock ring while giving him head, he might just cry like a baby. All in all, anything that can be used to enhance both of your pleasures’ is a win for him. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Wonbin is only a tease outside of the bedroom. Inside it, he gets right to the point and doesn’t have the patience to delay anything by teasing you. His focus is on making the both of you feel good. To him, pleasure is a feeling best enjoyed when instantaneous rather than to be delayed by pointless lollygagging.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Wonbin only allows groans and grunts to come out when he feels like they sound dignified and gruff. The moment a whine threatens to come out, he’s quick to bite your shoulder to hold it back. If a means of hiding his whines isn’t immediately accessible, he’ll just look and sound really pained as he fights to hold back what he’s feeling. He always wants to appear composed and in control of his reactions.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

“I love you,” he’d say, a breezy tiredness to his voice as he fucked you for what felt like the tenth time that night. “So, so much.”

These were the sort of inclinations Wonbin would get every time he was inside you. The soft, sentimental part of him is something you only got to see, something you managed to bring out of him so easily with the pleasure of your sex. The closer he got to coming, the rougher and more restless he come feel himself being. He pinned your wrists against the bed, eyes never leaving yours as his thrusts increased in impact.

“You’re mine forever, Y/N. No one can fuck you as good as I do. You belong to me,” he’d growl, each thrust punctuated by a kiss from his signature star shaped necklace, hanging from his neck and dragging up your face. You were close, and he could tell, the feeling of you clenching around him plus the telltale shutting of your eyes giving it away. Longing to be close to you in these moments, his face collapses onto yours as he initiates a languid, messy kiss.

“Come for me. Wet me,” he’d pull away to command. “Wanna feel you drip down my cock, pretty girl.” Those were the last words you were able to register before you were launched into the most powerful orgasm of your life, Wonbin following after you with a poorly suppressed whine only shortly after.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

I don’t have any strong inclinations either way. I just know that whatever he lacks in the sack he more than makes up for in other areas. Whatever his size is, it gives him no reason to not feel confident in his sexual abilities.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

I’d say his sex drive is pretty average. Sex with him is pretty physically demanding so it often happens that you fuck 1-3 times a week with a day or two between each time. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Once he’s gotten all the rounds out of his system, his energy is completely depleted. He’ll sleep like a baby.

[messiahzzz]

Hello! I love your meta-analysis of BG3 and share many of the same opinions concerning our boy, Gale. I have an interesting question for you concerning the orbs "volatility" in relation to intimacy (both physical and non-physical). I used to believe it was cannon that Gale couldn't engage in physical intimacy because the Orb may detonate, but when I played as Gale I was able to sleep with Astarion. This is in contrast to when I played as Karlach and couldn't touch anyone.

So, all of this is to ask whether Gale's dialogue at the tiefling party was him protecting himself emotionally or if he truly thought that any excitement would trigger the Orb (ironic given they are fighting for their lives daily)? Additionally is this why the Weave scene only features an imagined kiss rather than a physical one?

thank you so much for the questions!! i’m very glad you enjoy reading my posts 💕

gale: with my condition being as volatile as it is, i fear any undue, er, excitement, may tip it over the edge. so to speak.

i do believe that gale was being honest in regards to avoiding physical/emotional excitement concerning the orb. his first and foremost priority is to make sure to avoid as many potential triggers as possible, being fully aware of the catastrophe that will occur if he doesn’t keep an eye on his condition at all times. fighting is inevitable given the situation the group found themselves in. on top of that, every single day for the past year alone has quite literally been a life or death situation for him, wondering how much longer he can hold on until the orb inevitably takes over. i also think that he has experienced his fair share of horrors and tough fights in his past, considering his status as an archmage, as well as him being mystra’s chosen. even with his now diminished powers & the tadpole in his head he still remains in his element. magic is his life, it comes as easy to him as breathing.

gale: i'm what one might call a wizard prodigy, who from an early age could not only control the weave, but compose it, much like a musician or a poet.

more importantly, the devnotes also proof that the orb is indeed the reason for his deflection during the tiefling party:

gale: i see. then perhaps we see each other in the same light after all. a resplendent one, flush with warmth and anticipation, but one which i must shy away from, for now. node context: still flustered, but pleased to learn you like him romantically. then getting to the point - he can't do anything until the orb is dealt with.

if tav directly tells him to cease the perceived flirting, he will reveal that he considered their relationship to be a "budding romance" at this stage.

player: if this is an attempt at flirting, you should stop. i'm not interested. gale: right. understood. you shall hear no more on the subject from me. gale: consider this budding romance thoroughly nipped. though i hope our friendship need not come to such an abrupt end.

yet at the same time, he is also completely flustered if tav is the one who initiates the flirting:

player: do you like having your belly rubbed? gale: the pleasures i experienced in mystra's embrace go far beyond the pleasures of having one's tummy tickled. i remember once, she took the smallest piece of the weave and made it into- gale: wait. are you saying... nodecontext: taking the question seriously, missing the flirtatious side of it. nodecontext: realizing that the player was flirting, getting flustered

regardless of which flirt option tav chooses to pick, the outcome remains the same:

gale: you know what, i think i've clearly had far too much wine. and you've had nowhere near enough. i think this is a conversation best held back on - for now. nodecontext: flustered, hesitating to explicitly say what he thinks you were offering, then backtracking altogether

while battle naturally is always accompanied by the unpredictable, (as well as the dread of facing a yet unknown enemy) i don’t think he experiences quite the same amount of trepidation as where matters of the heart are concerned. or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it’s an altogether different kind.

the budding relationship with tav is once again unfamiliar territory for him after all those years he went without mortal intimacy, years that have been spent with mystra instead. it’s understandable that he exercises caution at all times, knowing what’s at stake if he lets go for but merely a moment. i also believe gale to be a character who generally goes “all out” once he chooses to be intimate with someone. we know that he doesn’t do casual trysts, friends-with-benefits arrangements, or anything of the sort. instead he wants to build a deep connection first. gale is a romantic through and through, he only feels comfortable being intimate once it has been explicitly established that the emotions he feels for tav are indeed wholly reciprocated. gale puts his whole heart into everything he does, he would’ve felt that it was a disservice to tav if he was only able to give them (according to him) even less than the remaining fragments of a broken man he has to offer — once he decides to give himself, he gives himself fully.

another added factor, however, is that the tiefling party simply wasn’t the right time for him yet, even if he already felt some attraction to them. part of him perhaps would’ve liked to go a bit further, be more direct about his growing fondness for them. spending a night together, just enjoying each other's company, talking until the sun rises, perhaps even sharing their first kiss if he felt that the timing was right — but i don’t think he would’ve considered this to be the appropriate stage in their relationship to sleep with tav either way. orb or no.

gale also tells us this much during the Last Night Alive scene, as well as during the conversation after you just met tara. in an ideal situation he would’ve taken his time, courted tav properly, said it all better.

gale: if things were different, if we were home, i'd have taken the time to do things properly. to say it all better. but time is short.

gale: i always imagined what it would be like when you finally got to meet her. this wasn't quite what i had pictured. gale: i thought we'd be in waterdeep. you, curled up before a crackling hearth while i prepared us a ridiculously extravagant meal, served with a batch of my homemade hundur sauce.

time is short.

i always headcanoned gale to be on the demi spectrum. that he needs to build a close bond before sexual intimacy is something that even remotely occurs to him. tav is an anomaly in this regard — he knows he deeply cares for them, emotions that developed even in the short, few months they've known each other, and that he doesn’t have the luxury of time to let their relationship unfold in all the many ways he dreamed of. all he knows is that he loves tav, wholly and truly. and that, by the gods, he has to make the most out of the few extra heartbeats he’s been given. even if his death is inevitable, he will at least be able to show them the depths of his affection. leave them with shared memories of pure tenderness, a knowledge of a love so profound that it might perhaps even prevail way beyond his passing.

player: what about all we shared together? are you just going to give up? gale: this isn't giving up it's securing victory, at a price i am willing to pay. and everything we shared can live on - with you.

i wouldn’t necessarily say that gale was trying to “protect himself emotionally” during the tiefling party, but rather acted accordingly to the horrifying circumstances the tadpole gang (and especially he himself) find themselves in. i don’t think gale ever really considers a romanced!tav as someone he needs to be guarded around. evident in the way he immediately throws all doors open without any sign of hesitation once he has their assurance that their love is indeed mutual. gale pours his heart out to them regardless, not knowing whether his feelings are truly returned. he is not a character who shies away from being vulnerable by any means. he is an open book, that tav is free to peruse in as they see fit. a slither of trust is all he needs.

during the weave scene the connection abruptly fades once tav either imagines passionately kissing him or holding his hand during a romantic walk. a scene that again shows that he is genuinely stunned by what he’s being shown. after all, it doesn't happen often that gale of waterdeep is at a loss for words.

gale: i... i didn't think... narrator: *you perceive quick-fire gusts of embarrassment, trepidation, and finally... elation.* gale: sorry, i wasn't expecting... but it is a pleasant image to be sure! gale: most pleasant, in fact. most welcome. nodecontext: warm, with real affection

i do believe the weave scene in particular to be a turning point for him. sort of an epiphany. the first moment in which he realizes that he actually might like the idea of eventually being with tav as perhaps more than a friend. that he is filled with fondness whenever they’re near and that he is excited to see where their joined travels lead them next.

player: when i said we could be more than friends, you answered 'perhaps'. what does that really mean? gale: if i recall correctly, the waterdhavian dictionary of the common tongue of faerun defines it as an adverb that conveys the meaning of 'it may be that', or 'possibly'. gale: you see, i'm not a big believer in fate, but i do believe in serendipity. gale: life is a tempest of events that sometimes we brace against and sometimes embrace. gale: you're one such event that, one day soon perhaps, i'd like to embrace.

given my personal hc of gale being demisexual, i genuinely don’t believe that he entertained the thought before that. he was way too preoccupied with other more pressing concerns. his overall condition, the tadpole, mourning the loss of his powers, still dealing with a lingering sense of loneliness and melancholy. a yearning for better times, as well as disillusionment of being cast out and left behind, even if he has already worked through his romantic feelings for mystra and their unilaterally ended relationship by then.

gale: i'm hardly pining. it's been a year or more since mystra cast me aside.

tav’s advances genuinely catch him off guard, which is, according to my interpretation, also the reason why their shared connection abruptly faded. a general loss of focus. gale immediately bidding tav goodnight to reflect on the situation and sort through his thoughts again shows that this wasn’t how he expected this moment of teaching to unfold. it seems rather uncharacteristic of him to initiate a kiss in this specific scenario. tav was testing the waters, whether it happened intentionally or not, and gale found himself pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

i also believe that we generally shouldn’t use origin playthroughs as a cross-reference for the actual canon. larian approached each story with more or less detail and there are already so many inconsistencies present that have been pointed out by other players. instead we should see origin pts as an oc kind of scenario — larian handing us the reigns of each origin character, a way for us to have fun and figure out all the atrocities we could possibly come up with. sort of like playing with our own set of barbies. (“go nuts, show nuts” as tunglr staff put it back in the day) for example, playing as w*ll doesn’t lock you out of raiding the grove and spending a steamy night with m*nth*ra right after either. which is something that contradicts everything he stands for/something he wouldn't naturally do. even if you try to play an origin character as close to their canon portrayal as possible, you will still encounter several contradictions and discrepancies during the duration of your game. larian sadly also has a chronic pattern of overlooking gale in terms of content, fixes, and overall responsiveness. so it’s easy to conclude that his origin story simply hasn’t been fleshed out to the same extent & treated with the same amount of care and consideration that certain other characters received. (which is awfully ironic considering he’s been proven to be the most popular origin character, but i digress)

basically, this has been my very long-winded way of saying: the reason why gale refuses to be intimate with tav pre-orb stabilization is indeed because he is afraid of the orb accidentally detonating during a moment of carelessness and/or indulgence, as well as because of gale’s own preferences when sex & romance are concerned.

[marciaillust]

How long does it take for you to finish drawing?

I'm an artist (beginner) and i unconsciously set unrealistic goals for myself and need a reminder of how long it takes to complete a drawing, Thanks.

Hi! In the context you presented it in, that is a really interesting question, so I'll try to approach it thoroughly. I hope I won't make you roll your eyes too much.

Where to start, where to start... I guess the first thing I should say is that there is a difference between time I spend preforming the action of <drawing>, and the time I spent <working> on a particular piece. The first would be counted in hours, the second one - days. I'm a big believer in slowing things down, and giving things time - going through options, gathering research and references, taking breaks every 1h of sitting and drawing - and seeing things through until I achieve the goal I set at the beginning of the process.

The goals are usually different each time: "quick design", "character exploration", "analysis of an artist's linework and experimenting with the knowledge gained", "creating an aesthetically pleasing image", and so on and so forth. Of course I don't write these down like it's a school assignment, but knowing in the back of my head what I'm actually doing helps me manage my expectations. I also enjoy being conscious of why I create - when I was younger regardless of what I was doing I had the thought "AND IT MUST LOOK GOOD AND PRESENTABLE! BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL LOOK!" ...and I think that obsession is the cancer of creative process.

Since the goals for each picture are different, the time I'll spent on achieving each one will be different as well, because the "satisfactory results" lay in different places. For example, the Marcile sketchpage was created in one afternoon, and took approximately 3 hours. The goal was to play around with a brush that has no opacity forcing my lines to be more decisive. I did that and so it is "finished". There's nothing else I want from it.

On the other hand, the cover of Asterism took about 10 days to create, the goal of which was to make "an aesthetically pleasing cover picture taking colour inspiration from the works of (specific list of artists)". I took my time designing it so that it looks aesthetically pleasing, made sure the anatomy is "correct" (a nebulous statement when it comes to stylised humans), took my time masking, and picking colours, and shading. I wanted it to "look good" to my own eyes so if something was not working I would go back, change it, alter it, move it around... that's the wonderful thing about personal art, you can take as long as you like making something satisfactory.

The funny thing is, with what the Asterism cover actually is (a cellshaded image), it could have been done probably in 4 days by the me 4 years ago. But that person was willing to sit 8-10 hours a day to draw with no breaks, she had little social life, and treated herself as a little circus seal performing tricks so that people clap around her, and the clapping was soooo nice because it meant that people remembered her and she mattered. And it worked for her! For long 10 years! Until her arm gave out, and the reality of never being able to draw again became more tangible than ever, and it's been following her like a fog ever since for the past 4 years. The me today works about 4 hours a day and every hour I take about a 30 minute break. I also don't post half the stuff I draw. There is also another aspect that dictates the speed of creating and that is familiarity with the subject matter. The less you know something, the fast you'll draw it! But as you get to know the intricacies of the process, and see all the building blocks, it will start taking *longer* because you will start accounting for every block. But then you'll eventually get familiar with the blocks and so the time spent on a picture will go down again! The cool yet overwhelming thing about art is that, there are always hundreds of building blocks. Form, composition, ambient occlusion, saturation, hue, light balance, line form...... and those are just the *some* of the generalised *categories*. And each category will have it's own subsection of building blocks! And then those blocks will interact with each other to create completely new area of expertise! This is crazy! Marcille sketch page took me only 3 hours to create because I am already quite familiar with linework - I have drawn 3-4 comicbooks worth of linework. This also means I am familiar with believable anatomy, more or less, which got utilised in the Asterism cover - the main bulk of linework got created during a 3h livestream. So.... what's the answer.... "It's all relative" is so unsatisfactory and probably not what you looked for. But you can draw something in 3 days and kill your body over it. Or you can become an expert in a field and dish the same picture out effortlessly in 8 hours. You can also split that 8h block over multiple days bringing you back up to 3 days. You could even add a whole day of visual research which might make your picture only marginally better. And even if we calculate it in terms of raw working time, pen-to-paper, like a self-inflicted capitalist tumor, that time can fluctuate still due to personal visual library and knowledge base. If I asked Tom Fox how long it takes for him to create his sketch pages his answer would probably be downward of 30 minutes. Yet I need whole 3 hours to create something *less* anatomically correct than him. And so here we are at the end of this perhaps unnecessary essay. And all we learned is this: it depends. Dry, not nuanced tl;dr, my personal timings: single sketch - 30mins; single linework pic 1-2h; Cellshaded illust - 16h; Rendered illust: 20-25h.

[cripplingoptimism]

Distractions [3/3]

Gonna wrap this up in 3 parts. Previous here.

Yo, WHAT was happening on Twitter this week?? Every time I opened the app there was a new analysis of the Goddamn couch scene. I didn't think Trigun could hurt me any more and yet here I am in a new spiral over an internet stranger's hot take.

Anywaaaaay, I've had this brainworm way before whatever angst got a hold of Twitter. I've always interpreted Vash and Wolfwood’s relationship as 'right people, wrong time'. But honestly, I love every interpretation of them - platonic, soulmates, lovers, etc. So, through these comics I wanted to show moments during their journey that conveyed the gradual evolution of their relationship (as I head cannon it lmao). Canonically, Vash never gets to tell Wolfwood how he feels and my poor little heart has been in denial about that ever since. So this is my *slight* rewriting of the series of events leading up to Wolfwood's solo journey.

At this point in the manga (ch. 50) I wanted to show that, despite the 7 month time skip, it's like no time has passed between them. They're still comfortable and casual with each other, still seeking the comfort of distractions - Neither of them wanting to shatter the illusion of normalcy in this moment. And I feel Vash would be the first to ask for more when reality comes knocking (through Wolfwood's fist lol).

He knows, even in a best-case scenario, his time with Wolfwood is limited. And while Vash is just as shackled by duty and guilt as Wolfwood, he carries an optimism about him that Wolfwood lacks. He needs Woolfwood to know how he feels so he can live without regret, regardless of the outcome. As such, he takes the leap. Wolfwood, unfortunately, cannot bring himself to share in that optimism. He’s too absorbed in worry about the orphanage, the children and especially Livio. His heart is screaming at him, but he knows he can’t afford to be distracted by his “selfish” desires. So, he rejects Vash by being realistic and hopes he can see that he wants this too, but just can't bear the impending heartbreak due to their circumstances. Vash does see this. He swallows his disappointment and heartbreak, earnestly grateful for the relationship he still has with Wolfwood.

I know my characterization feels like it conflicts with the moment on the couch; Vash can't even look at Wolfwood for that entire scene despite Wolfwood being the one to try and connect with him ("You look better...when you smile."). However, I never saw that moment as Vash rejecting Wolfwood. Not in the traditional sense at least (maybe an inadvertent rejection). Vash wanted more between them (to share his tomorrows), but not like this - not as a deathbed confession. He's heartbroken and grieving and (somewhat selfishly) can't see that Wolfwood just wants to enjoy his last moments with the one person on this planet he can call an equal and a friend.

Speaking of the dreaded couch scene, I don't think I can add anything new to the discourse, but I will say the tragedy for me really lies in all the emotions Wolfwood goes through:

Being at peace with his death ("This is the way you want it?" "Yeah."). It's what he believed he deserved, with all the blood on his hands, and the mutation of his body, he assumed he could never return to his previous life with everyone at the orphanage.

Grieving for his future (confetti). Wolfwood never believed he could be forgiven. The children celebrating his return showed their acceptance of him, welcoming him back regardless of his sins. He was worthy of forgiveness. His guilt prevented him from even entertaining the thought of forgiving himself. There must have been regret in those tears.

Seeking comfort from the one person he grew to truly trust and Vash not being strong enough to give it. I already mentioned this above, but Vash not even being able to look at Wolfwood throughout the entire couch scene tears me up.

From the narrative's perspective, Wolfwood needed to die. And even knowing that, it still absolutely destroyed me (and still does). Not just because he died, but because right before his death, he was given a glimmer of hope - that had he survived the fight with Livio, he would have had a chance at happiness.

Last side note here: I've seen discourse online explaining the entire scene is a metaphor for a wedding and I just wanna say, you'll be hearing from my therapist.

[patrocles]

the thing about the hotd fandom (at least on twt) is i’ve never in my life seen a group of people so committed to being absolutely miserable and hateful for absolutely no reason. it’s almost a little beyond needless discourse, but that the response to any sort of analysis or observation can be met with active discouragement and hatred for doing just that.

i was literally getting called the R slur and told to kill myself at the mere suggestion that baela and rhaena’s storyline (and the dragonstone dynamics as a whole) could have had way more depth than it got? and people got so mad at me for writing a thread on the dynamic between rhaenyra and jace, for suggesting that anything could be less that perfect between them..

and it’s just so mad to me bc regardless of any drama and discourse on asoiafblr, analysis and nit-picking think pieces are our strong suit and its actively encouraged to talk about the thing, expand upon the thing, pore over every detail of the thing.

so to have the series that has kept so much traction because of this type of fan-engagement be met with vitriol when those fans do that and not accept everything surface value and accept being spoonfed Rhaenyra is Good, the blacks are the Goods, you cant like anything else and if you do, you need to die, is INSANE to me. bc it rly reads like yall just dont want a good show. you truly enjoy being angry and pissy about everything.

like you’re always at risk of having someone jump in your shit and throw a temper tantrum in your mentions bc you said something positive about your fave… like it’s so fucking bleak.

anyways, today they’re mad bc someone said they hoped ramin would make a theme for helaena and i guess thats against the law or something

[bunnies-and-blues]

─꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱─ slam dunk : a date with sannoh's ace

⸝⸝ tl;dr : sawakita eiji, and you ! general date headcanons for japan's #1 high school player <33

⸝⸝ note : thank uu @slamdunkhcs for requesting this ! and im sorry for taking this long to get to it T-T ; but i hope you enjoy regardless ! (also, tysm for ur character analysis on him, it helped me SO MUCH)

i'll preface this by saying that i know absolutely nothing about this man ; however, from what i've read about him, he seems genuinely fun and easy to be around, so i can summarize dates with him as : carefree

so i'm thinking arcade dates, afternoon walks, amusement parks !! and if you're available, an evening out at the pier or the fair, or food trips at the local food hub !! neon signs and laughing under the stars, all that jazz !

i don't think he'd generally plan dates, if that makes sense ? like, if he sees a place he'd like to go to or an activity he'd want to do with you, he'd let you know on a whim !! this doesn't mean that he doesn't put effort into dates (please i can see him paying for everything that you want ..), but i just personally think that he prefers dates wherein both of you can laugh freely and be yourselves .

he'd demolish you on arcade dates . no additional info needed. (he'd make it up to you though, don't worry !! he'll get you whatever arcade prize you want .. even if that means being broke in the end LMAO)

on the topic of carefree dates, may i present : HOUSE DATES ! movie marathons, with the scariest horror films and the lights turned all the way down; cooking dates, with flour everywhere and grins on both of your faces; just hanging out in general, idle chatter while you're cuddling; hell, sleepovers, if you can manage !

dates with him generally feel like a breath of fresh air, and in a way he treats it as such. i can see him giving you a call after a particularly hard training session, and you swear you hear the smile in his voice, the excitement building in his tone as he asks you out. his teammates tease him so much about it, but he doesn't care; he just wants you.

bottom line ? dawg he loves you so much. that's it, that's the post.

[berglietz]

Seasons Greasons: A Meta Analysis based on Caspar's Culinary Palate + Return Gift For Shez's Whistle

AKA: no one should ever 'jokingly' challenge me to write a meta to my irl face. take these 1k words now

THE BACKSTORY:

May 6th, Baltimore Inner Harbor. It was a lovely day—by which I mean the sky was grey and gloomy and decided to start spitting a fine mist down from the clouds as soon as Lucius and I stepped out of the light rail and started our trek toward our destination. Our destination being a birthday celebration for Erica, which obviously made the day lovely regardless of the weather. At this point we had already gotten past the 'hello's and reciprocal 'oh god you really are shorter than i remember's, and had settled into our table at the cafe. Inevitably, the conversation quickly turned to Fire Emblem. We are who we are.

Playthroughs of Warriors: Three Hopes entered the scene, and then discussions of the Merc Whistle mechanic. "I haven't given mine away yet." I said. "Don't they give you a return gift that you can wear as an accessory to use their special ability?"

I pulled out my phone. I learned that Caspar's return gift to Shez was called Seasoning Set. Across the table, past the strangely shaped flasks of hot water and growing number of drained shirley temple glasses, N "Njamin" Von TOAmod smiled at me and said "I expect a meta post about Caspar's seasoning set on the dash by [due date]*" *I do not remember the exact phrasing, nor the initial due date. I am going to say it was 'next month', that way I don't get any of my extremely real roleplayer points docked for tardiness.

And thus, I was committed to the bit. Straight up married to it. Welcome to the wedding. The reception is catered, obviously, and we'll be serving—

Well. I'm getting to that.

THE SEASONING SET

(This is a crunchy screenshot that I cropped myself from my own Switch. Forgive me)

The details of note to me are:

Clarifying that you have matched your bestie/S-support equivalent's sentimental gift with something you "don't need" is so rude LMFAO. I'm glad he is keeping up the same behavior from his story about a girl trying to ask him out to the Goddess Tower in Three Houses where he seems to totally misread a situation and make an ass of himself by dismissing the person/not matching their energy. Really beautiful stuff.

Multiple spices, you say? Looks like I have to come up with more than one. It's not just salt in there.

CASPAR'S COOKING SKILLS

They are bad. He has a big red downward-facing arrow next to his face in the list of candidates for cooking together in Three Houses. If you choose to let him cook anyway, he tells you his pitfalls himself:

"All right! Leave it to me! I'll fry it, grill it, and try not to burn it!" / "Sorry for making you do all the work, Professor. I mess up the ingredients every time!"

With this info, I am taking the text saying "he forgets to use spices" very literally. The impression I get is he gets so overwhelmed by multi-step cooking processes that he loses track of ingredients. He does like some spices in his food and drink, though, so I will presume that the spices in his seasoning set are ones that he would enjoy putting in his food if he ever remembered to toss them in.

THE FAVORED FLAVORS

The easiest spice choice comes directly from his favorite type of tea.

Ginger Tea: "The sharp spiciness of ginger laces the body of this tea, unforgettable and brightening."

Bam. Right there. We can put ginger on the list. For the rest, I'll take a look at the dining hall dishes he likes that fall under the Spicy category.

Sauteed Jerky: "Jerky aged in the monastery and sautéed for a delightfully salty flavor. A perfect snack to go with your favorite drink."

The description doesn't give me any seasoning beyond salt, but according to the resources on serenesforest this dish is counted as a spicy one! When I think of spicy jerky (and look up a few recipes to confirm my memories) I think of a peppery sort of sensation on the tongue—black pepper and cayenne (or other hot peppers).

Sauteed Pheasant and Eggs: "Thin slices of bird meat and shredded cabbage, mixed with scrambled eggs and sautéed with spices. Invention of a certain noble."

This one gave me no hints as to what types of spices. RIP. I relied much more heavily on googling for this one, and settled on interpreting this dish as a take on anda bhurji, maybe?? (literally 'scrambled egg'. it's an Indian scrambled egg dish). Online recipes for this one gave me spices such as turmeric, coriander, red chili, and ginger.

THE SEASONING LIST

Just to have it all in one place, here's all the hypothetical seasonings I've thrown out all put together:

Salt

Black Pepper

Ginger (mentioned x2!!)

Cayenne/Red Chili (or whatever Fodlan equivalent capsacin-haver there might be)

Turmeric

Coriander

Go forth, Shez. Make a delicious spicy scrambled egg dish. Perhaps you can share it with friends for brunch. That'd be a beautiful way to bring things full circle, don't you think?

BONUS: MY BOY HATES FISH

I just think it's so fucking funny that he hates every seafood dish. Look at this list of foods he hates.

Grilled Herring, Fish and Bean Soup, Small Fish Skewers, Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew, Onion Gratin Soup, Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté, Fruit and Herring Tart, Cheesy Verona Stew, Fish Sandwich, Super-Spicy Fish Dango, Pickled Seafood and Vegetables, Two-Fish Sauté, Gautier Cheese Gratin, Cabbage and Herring Stew, Bourgeois Pike, Fried Crayfish

Only three out of this list don't have something referencing fish/seafood right in the name, and two out of those three do have fish in the ingredients if you go looking:

Onion Gratin Soup: "Onions stewed with white trout and baked with a layer of cheese on top. Will warm you up from the inside out." Cheesy Verona Stew: "A rich dish consisting of verona and sautéed Teutates loach. These ingredients are boiled and served with two kinds of melted cheese."

Maybe there is something he dislikes about gratin, though, since he dislikes Gautier Cheese Gratin as well. A texture problem, perhaps? Either way, it doesn't feel as prominent a dislike as his thing with fish—the guy also hates the Fishing Float gift. Caspar is a certified fish hater. This makes his participation in the fishing tournament even funnier to me: he will straight up make an exception for his seeming disdain for fishing if it's turned into a competition he can try to win. Definitely no way he was eating his catch though. Maybe he fed it to his cat friend from his supports with Ashe, lmfao

Anyhow, I'll leave off with this silly indulgent little meta here. Thanks for playing along! ilu toa ❤

[dawnbreakersgaze]

Dr Greyson headcanons pt 3

🩺 Romantic & NSFW 🧸 MDNI 🔞

Once again, nobody asked but at this point all of this is just for me anyways and I graciously tag it so yall can block it 😂 Regardless, I have a lot of fun with these so I'll keep making them~ As said before, a lot of these are based on the limited info we get of Grey in game, while the rest is pulled right from my brain based on my own history with personality and character analysis. You don't have to agree with any of it. 💜 ps- it's a long one folks. Per usual I like to yap about this man A LOT so yeahhh

☤ Warnings: obv MDNI for 18+ content. Reader is femme coded afab (will do a m/m one if there is a want) Breath play, teasing, size kink if you squint real hard, oral (f receiving), mild cardiophilia, public sex-ish (his office).

Part 1 sfw part 2 sfw

This man doesn't really flaunt his money the way most people in his salary bracket do, he just doesn't care to, but what he does flaunt is you. Expect the most unabashed pampering of your life with Greyson. Work has been hard? Spa day. Life has you down? He booked you and your BFF a week vacation getaway for some you time. Feeling lonely? He'll try to take some time off and you can demand anything of him. He might not always be able to give you his undivided attention (work be like that) but he will always make sure you know you're loved.

On the mornings he gets to stay home and wake up with you, he's a cuddle hog. Good luck getting out of his clutches. He works out so you can't escape the iron grip. Truly though, it's so, so soft. The epitome of a switch, he'll take big or little spoon. If he's wrapped around you, with your head resting on his bicep and your legs intertwined at the knees and ankles, expect his hand to be firmly placed over your heart. If he's the one safely tucked away against you, then please, please run your fingers through his hair and leave little kisses on his shoulders. Or put your ear to his back and listen to the deep rhythm of his heartbeat and breathing, and hear his soft chuckle reverberate through him when he tells you how much your hands on his sides tickle.

The playful banter in this relationship is a communication staple. Accidentally said "you too!" When your waiter told you to enjoy your food? He's absolutely going to remind you of that the next day. But he can take it (and expects to! Please tease him back it's his ACTUAL love language) just as well as he dishes it. That one time he misheard your friend's introduction and called them by the wrong name for an entire day? Yeah, definitely never let him live that down.

There is always music during mundane activities, and he WILL dance poorly to it, and he WILL ask you to dance with him. Don't break his heart, no one is watching while you fold laundry in your living room, just laugh at his two left feet with him and have a really terrible dance party together.

So. Many. Outdoor. Dates. I hope you like nature because this man wants to show you ALL OF IT. Picnics at all the Linkon parks, walking all the nature trails with him and Archie, camping at all their 'special spots', hell, he'll be happy to teach you to fish too if you've never been. You thought looking at the stars with Xav on a rooftop in the city was nice, just wait until you see them from the top of the hidden hillside at Grey's favorite camping spot. Brightest you've ever seen them before in your life.

Despite how much he disliked cooking while he was single, he likes doing it a lot more with a partner. If you are someone who enjoys cooking and doesn't mind Greyson turning the mixing spoons and spatulas into drumsticks, a microphone, butt slappers, and anything else he can think of at the time, then he will be a lovely (and enthusiastic) helper. Ask him to cut the veggies and meat especially so you can hear his speel about how good he is with a knife. He's been waiting to tell you that one for AGES and he might explode otherwise. (If you ALSO hate cooking however, you're both fucked lol. RIPperoni to you both when his mom hears y'all live on takeout no matter how healthy it is.)

His love language is quality time, with affirmations being a close second. When I tell you that this man just wants to share all of life's experiences with you, be it at home or abroad, he doesn't care so long as he's in your company. He'll take baking at home with you over an expensive vacation, but as long as you're there, he'll go where you lead him without hesitation. His chatty nature also means he's both giving a lot of affirmations, as well as seeking them. Within the affirmations of always reminding you how wonderful you are and how much he loves you, Grey is also The King of pep talks and talking you through your worries and woes. Lay your head on his chest and tell him everything that fills your heart and head with heaviness and let him untangle and unravel the threads with you. And at the end of it all, tell him he treats you well, won't you please? He could use the same soft treatment as well. He bears his burdens with a quick laugh and an easy smile, but they're still heavy. Remind him that he's doing a good job and that you love him for who he is- every single part of him. Especially the ones he hides away.

Just, so much laughter. Everything about a relationship with Greyson is about not taking yourself or life too seriously and letting yourself enjoy the time you have together. He knows he's busy, he knows he spends too much time away from you at work. So he works extra hard on his time off to make up for it, to fill the time you do have together with incredible memories and cherished moments that he hopes fill you with warmth and happiness that can keep you company until he can get back. And when he's not around, he's sending you silly videos and memes and jokes and other things that remind him of you to keep your spirits up when he's got a 5 second reprieve from his busy schedule. He'll send all sorts of goofy selfies, many of himself but also lots of the Akso staff you know and all their shenanigans (HIPPA whompst lol) and share aaaalllllllllll the Akso Tea Time drama with you as it unfolds. Even if he's gone a lot, he keeps you as connected to his daily life as he possibly can.

I said earlier that teasing was his love language, but it goes hand in hand with the affirmations really. The teasing is more frequent than say, Rafayel, but it's also less harmful, and by that I mean there is less BITE. Grey will nEVeR target an insecurity or sore spot knowingly to get a rise, and if he does so on accident, you will get the most sincere apology of your life (followed by a very mature conversation about said insecurity if you wanna talk about it because he wants you to know how much he loves you regardless of whatever it is.) The teasing should be fun and lighthearted. If it isn't done with a smile and a laugh, especially laughing at yourself, then it isn't the kind he's keen to participate in.

Will not hesitate to hoist you into his arms or haul you over his shoulder (assuming you're smaller than him, of course) if you're being bratty or downright silly. Sometimes even in public, depending on the situation (mind you, this is all in good fun, 100% playful). The reason he keeps so fit is so he can wrangle you when you get too big for your britches.

But make no mistake. This man folds easier than a camping chair made out of wet receipt paper if you turn the tables on him. Grey acts all confident and cocksure when he thinks he's got the upper hand, but all it takes is your hand on his upper thigh under the table out on a date, or a bold statement of intent (tell him how nice his ass looks in those new pants and how much you wanna see him out of them, I dare you, I double dog dare you), maybe even take a page put of his book and take a confident step into his personal space, grab him by the collar and pull him to your level, and watch him crumple. It's so much worse if you maintain eye contact through it all too. Stare into those bright blue eyes and enjoy the show of him falling apart in your arms. When it comes to flirting, he can dish it, but man, can he NOT take it. 0/10 resilience.

Now that your Greyson has melted faster than ice cream on a hot summer's day, you have roughly one (1) minute to do whatever you want before he snaps out of it. He is putty. Jello. Boneless. But DO NOT GET COMPLACENT. If you happen to activate The Horny™ in that time frame and falter or let go of the reins, the only thing that's getting folded now is you.

God is this man a Tease with a capital T. We've already established that in your regular lives, but during sex? He wants to hear you say exactly (in explicit detail even) how badly you want him, what his touch does to you, and how crazy you're going to go if he doesn't stop ghosting his fingers over your achingly sensitive clit and just touch you already! But you can't get too mad at him, not when his lips are on your jaw and that sweet laugh of his resonates through the both of you and he finally, finally gives you what you want and curls one and then another of those long dexterous fingers inside your welcoming walls while his thumb apologizes with haste for the previous slight to your poor neglected bud. "Ah- no need to get upset my love, you know all you had to do was ask politely." That's a lie of course. No matter how softly he says it, his impish little smile says it all.

He will do everything in his power to keep connected to your heartbeat. Call it a kink if you want, maybe it is, but it's more of a connection point to him. Sometimes it's him grabbing your wrists and pinning them above your head with his thumb pressed firm to the pulse point on the radial artery. Or his hand tightly gripping the crook of your thigh for the deep thrum of your femoral artery while he has you caged against him on his desk. Other times, he's got you in a mating press, mouth to your ear telling you how good you are to him, for him, while his hand is securely squeezing your calf for your tibial artery. But Kay, you say. What about the most obvious one? The easiest one? The throat. The carotid artery. It'll take a little convincing (not much, just tell him you trust him with your whole heart) and those skilled surgeon's hands will be put to very, very good use. Grey to too conscious of you, of his most precious person, to ever leave marks on your beautiful neck or risk hurting you. As a physician with extensive knowledge of the complex cardiovascular AND pulmonary systems, he knows exactly how much pressure is required to feel the beautiful rhythmic beats of your heart. If you ask it of him, the first time he wraps his hand around your throat, feels that immediate surge in your pulse, and you let out an airy little gasp, it's all over for him. "... well shit-" he'll groan in that cute little drawl of his.

Thanks to that little discovery, breath play is also absolutely on the menu if you're into it. As stated above, he knows all the signs to look for and is very VERY cautious with you. You'll have to encourage it, but once he gets to see how much you enjoy it, and how beautiful you look all dazed out on his cock with your throat fitting into his hand so perfectly, he'll get it. Grey probably didn't even realize he had a bit of a fixation until then either, but he loves to see how his larger palm and longer fingers - that are what make him such an adept surgeon - so nicely encompass your neck. At some point, he'll buy you a very nice piece of jewelry, something subtle to remind you of his hands, but elegant enough none would be the wiser when you wore it out. He especially loves it when you keep in on at the end of the night, the only things covering you are that little golden hand, and his.

A man that talks this much and laughs this hard without passing out has legendary head skills, and I will die on this hill. Jaw and tongue muscle endurance for days and that's damn near canonical. Tell him to put that tongue to good use instead of yapping at you, and he will happily show you why you should be careful what you wish for (after he's picked himself up off the floor, that is). He'll have you on your back with your knees over his shoulders, hands lifting your hips up into the air to meet him, and tongue so deep you'll be seeing stars soon. Just take care when you look up, because those smiling blue eyes will be fixed right on yours. He's going to savor every part of this from your taste and feel, to your sounds and expression. This is a feast, and like any proper country boy, he will say grace by worshiping at the source. He really likes it when you get both hands in his hair and lock your ankles behind his head when you're close. Not that he would dare move away (oh yes he would, he's done it before just to see you beg and whine a little), but your desperation has him smiling all the way through your orgasm. That cheeky fuck. But sometimes, he gets lost in it too. Too many overnight shifts, too many doubles, he hasn't been able to properly appreciate you in too many days. So he makes a little quip about you taking a ride (something something save a horse, of course) and the next thing you know you're smothering your dear beloved doctor in pussy - but it's okay, he practically begged for this. Greyson doesn't have a particularly large nose but the shape is oh so exquisite for face sitting, and he knows just how to rub it along your folds, diligently pressing your clit while his tongue takes great care to love and lavish every part of you it can reach. His hands aren't idol either, grabbing for the fat of your thighs, your ass, your wrists and hands, whatever can anchor him to you. If you can think straight enough to remember, thread your hands in his hair and give a little tug. Enjoy the low groan you'll pull from him, eyes slowly opening, half-lidded as that bright blue looks up at you all hazy and dazed. Now who's smiling hmm?

Vocal. As. Fuck. In multiple ways. Obviously, the teasing banter. Lots of "oh no you dont, dont hide from me" And "Hmm I didn't hear that, what did you want me to do?" Or "I don't know, should I?" All said with that signature smile and quippish tone that drives you mad and wild all at once. But once you're both tired of the little games and he's buried in your warmth trying to keep his thoughts straight, it's all praise punctuated by the delicous slap of skin to skin. "Gods you're perfect" or "Look at how well you take me Love, like I was made for you" and "Shit- keep rolling your hips like that and-". Of course, all of this is peppered with some choice expletives, though he's really not much for swearing outside of, well, you. When he gets close, you'll know it by how tight his grip on you gets and how soft his voice is. "Are you here, with me?" Nothing is sweeter than getting to hear that low drawl snag in the back of his throat when he asks you if you're close to cumming with him. Lungs too wrung out from the pace he's keeping to sound steady, each syllable is emphasized by a huff or grunt. We can't forget about the other noises - the sharp hiss he makes when your lips wrap around his length, or the shuttering moan he tries to quiet in the crook of your neck when you're slowly sinking down onto him on his office chair. Grey has a litany of wonderful noises you can pull from him. This man is rarely quiet, after all.

And at the end of it all, when you're both too tired and too boneless to get up for a warm wet rag and a glass of water, Greyson still will. There is no unending amount of stamina here. He's not a god, a demi-human, or something so strangely other. He's just A Guy. His love for you, however, is all the same. Make sure to laugh a little, when you see him wobble when he stands. Tell him he needs to do more squats so he can hold up to his own paces better. Be prepared for the pillow that gets throw at you when you do, of course. His kiss is tender when he gets back, murmurs of adoration and gratitude against your lips as he helps clean you. He is just a man, sure, but he is yours - completely.

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 5: Hubert/Ferdinand)

Hubert: I've already dedicated my life to Lady Edelgard. To throw my lot in with you is inconceivable. But if I had two lives to give… I might devote one of them to you. Not as master and servant, but as equal partners.

Hubert's earliest memory was being told that he was a servant and he must guard his "master" with his life. As a member of House Vestra, he was also responsible for carrying out House Hresvelg's dirty work from the shadows. He left his carefree innocent childhood days behind long before coming to the monastery.

Hubert said he killed his father for his disloyalty to the emperor, but I suspect his resentment ran much deeper than that. Deep down, he truly did desire to devote his life to someone as an equal, not as a servant. Even if he wasn't consciously aware of it, I think he despised his father for robbing him of that dream.

Dorothea: Oh, Hubie, I finally get you. You're just another servant suffering from unrequited love for their mistress. Hubert: You completely misunderstand. Unrequited love? Do I really look like the kind of drooling simpleton to have that kind of motivation?

The fact that Hubert was so obsequious to his master was not natural for him. He is an Aries, which is a very masculine fire sign. They actually have a naturally powerful and dominant personality, and they are also known for not being very emotional.

Edelgard is the "obvious" person Hubert would be in love with. Dorothea assumes this as well as Ferdinand in Hopes. But he denied that he was motivated by unrequited love. And you know what? I actually believed him. The way he described Edelgard was idolization, not love. Hubert wanted to crush the nobility he hated, and he admired Edelgard for sharing that goal. He was definitely bonded to her since she was the only person he could trust. But there was a distinct lack of emotional intimacy between the two.

Edelgard: Well, that's utter nonsense! You can't possibly keep something so fascinating from me! Who is it? Hubert: It is you, Lady Edelgard. Did you ever really doubt?

In their A-Support, Hubert was reluctant to open up and share his feelings with Edelgard, much to her frustration. She even tried to use her power as emperor to get him to confess his secrets, but he wouldn't budge. The dialogue actually changes slightly depending on whether he has already reached A-Support with another girl.

But curiously, even if he has, he will still say that the person he loves is Edelgard. You could always take his declaration at face value. However, I believe that it should not be. The implication was that crafty unreadable servant didn't think the details of his love life were any of her business. He knew she didn't want to drop the subject, so he just lied. He'd rather deal with the awkwardness of her believing that he is a simp than letting her know who he is dating.

Ferdinand: Please do not compliment me again though. I find it quite unsettling. It is like hearing a snake sing an aria. At least put it in a letter next time. Hubert: In the very unlikely event that there is a next time, I promise to put it in writing.

Even if Hubert doesn't have A-Support with another girl, I still think he was lying to Edelgard in his A-Support. I got the sense that Ferdinand was the one Hubert "canonically" had secret romantic feelings for, regardless of their Support level. The way he describes Ferdinand is so similar to how he described Edelgard in his B-Support with Dorothea. While Hubert hated the nobility, he genuinely admired true nobility and all of the qualities associated with it.

Hubert: Is it a gift? Perhaps for someone you fancy? Ferdinand: A gift, yes. For you. Hubert: Hm. Who is the unlucky— Did you say for me?! This coffee is a gift for me? Have I heard you correctly?

In Hubert's other A-Supports, the woman is always the one to come onto him, which he does admittedly enjoy. But Hubert actually took the initiative with Ferdinand. If Byleth marries him, he won't even have a ring because he's "never done well with gifts or flattery." But he will compliment Ferdinand and buy him expensive tea?

If this A+ Support is unlocked first, Ferdinand will be drinking Hubert's coffee in his A-Support with Edelgard. It implies that his relationship with Hubert helped him reconcile with his subordinate position to Edelgard.

I loved how the unapologetically evil Hubert developed a crush on the compassionate and conventionally attractive Ferdinand. And I loved how some genuine flattery from Edelgard's #1 fan fed into the flamboyant Ferdie's ego and turned him into a blushing schoolgirl. Hubert is a man who is described as ghoulish inside and out, yet I daresay, there was mutual attraction.

Hubert: I have an entire laundry list of loathing, but if I had to pick one, it would be reminiscing.

The tagline for FE3H was, "Sweet memories twisted by time's cruel hand". Hubert did not have any particular emotional response to fighting any of his former Black Eagle classmates, with one exception. He became nostalgic when Ferdinand confronted him in Enbarr.

While I think he will settle for an attractive woman who makes the first move, Ferdinand was the one he always fancied. This definitely feels like the "canon" ship for Hubert. Of course, no pairings are truly canon, because of player input. By "canon" I mean the writers favored this pairing the most, similar to Eliwood/Ninian in Blazing Sword.

Ferdinand: I cannot afford to die now, or my page in the history books will end in a most horrid fashion. "Plagued by the guilt of striking down his father, Ferdinand welcomed the cold embrace of death on the battlefield." Or some such hogwash. Yes, I killed my father-and I would be a liar if I said it did not wound me nearly beyond reckoning. But I will not hate myself for it. It was the correct choice. I did the right thing.

Ferdinand and Hubert had a prominent relationship in Hopes as well. More prominent than any of Hubert's relationships with his potential wives. I can't exactly say Hubert is a good influence on Ferdinand's (or anyone's) morality. With Hubert goading him, Ferdinand beheads his father, while in his paralogue "Retribution" he tried to save him. And an Empire-aligned Ferdie never does let go of his obsession with his historical legacy.

But Ferdinand had a positive impact on Hubert's character development across both games. He criticized Hubert for not thinking for himself and never expressing an opinion of his own. Hubert is the one who wrote the letter to Claude/Seteth to carry on their goal to defeat those who slither in the dark. We can probably assume he did this on his own. In Hopes, Hubert also used his own money to hire Jeralt's Mercenaries to save Ferdinand's life, without consulting Edelgard.

Hubert & Ferdinand Hubert and Ferdinand became the left and right hands of Emperor Edelgard, competing constantly with each other to see who could be the more helpful. They were opposites—the Minister of the Imperial Household, melancholy and merciless, and the prime minister, bright and compassionate. Still, they brought out the best in each other. As the Empire became orderly and prosperous, the two came to be known as the nation's "Two Jewels," and were remembered fondly for generations to come. Some say their fame made even Emperor Edelgard jealous.

According to Teaspoon Translations, the Japanese ending for Hubert/Edelgard states that, "Even in their retirement, spent just by themselves, there were likely no romantic exchanges until the end." For Hubert/Ferdinand, it states: "Stories say that even the Emperor was envious of their inseparable relationship [lit: relationship in which they are truly open with one another], but the truth remains unclear."

Hubert's intimate relationship with his partner was apparently meant to directly contrast his emotionally closed-off relationship with his master. And Hubert probably displays the most positive development in his ending with Ferdinand. Instead of being feared for his unsavory reputation, he is actually remembered fondly by the public. I suspect all that kinky sex they were having behind Edelgard's back made all the difference.

[itsmaferart]

Spy X Family X Chairs Vol 1 - 2 - 3

I don't know if many know it, but if something caught my attention from the covers of each volume of the manga, it represents a character sitting on a chair. I think that for many readers it is evident that Endo loves keys, codes and references. And since I am the type of person who loves to do analysis and theories, my mind could not help wanting to investigate more on the subject.I clarify that these theories, analyzes and solutions are made from my point of view, and I am not clear how canon they are regarding Endo. With that said, I hope you enjoy it.

I want to be brief with this historical review, but: The years after the Second World War, architects, like all sectors, received a harsh impact, so it became common to look for other work alternatives in the industrial area. Many focused on industrial chair design Why is it curious? Because in SxF the biggest main theme is the consequences the war has had on society, and on the lives of its charismatic characters. Although it is a subtle detail, but very important. Each chair represents a character and aspects of his personality. But the design of these chairs also emerged as an alternative to the war, and each one has a very interesting concept. I invite your own curiosity to investigate a little more on the subject!!!

Vol 1 · Twilight - LC2

Cushion/Cube Chair (1928) Designed by Le Corbusier with the collaboration of Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand

A personal fact is that I am a great follower of Le Corbusier. One of the most transcendental architects. And the reason why I opened this post. The instant I recognized this chair, my mind began to want to further investigate the background behind these covers.

For Le Corbusier, regardless of the time, the attitude or the person, a suitable piece of furniture must be used. The objective of this design and its morphology is to keep the user "always active" at work. The furniture must have a practical and functional response. Being able to be placed anywhere, occupying the smallest space. Said object must be provided with ornamentation, and on the other hand it must generate interest and have mastery of aesthetics. Generating an intellectual order through proportion, generating interest in the cultured man. A design understood as a system, since we can find it in one, two and three bodies, without modifying its aesthetic, technological and functional essence.

Reminds you of someone?

Oh yes it is! To the best spy in the Westalis! Clearly the practical, efficient, adaptable design that meets the needs of the average man and the cultured man. Like any good workaholic, he stays active all the time, alert to any threat. Someone elegant, but simple. Adding those small but obvious details of the life of a spy: newspaper, bullets, binoculars, etc. Everything in this chair represents very well the structure with which Twilight thinks when working, highlighting his more serious side. Matching the expression in this panel

Obviously, LC2 is the perfect chair to define Twilight as the efficient spy that he is.

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Vol 2 ·Anya Forger - Marshmallow sofa

The designers of this wonder are Irving Harper and George Nelson

The circular cushions allude to candies or marshmallows, as their name indicates. They say that they are so comfortable that you could take a short nap on them. A very striking and dynamic creation because of the way it seems that the "candies" are floating around. It stated that "Although this sofa was not built specifically for children, it was my impression that children intuitively understand my intentions of inducing movement through the sofa." It is not only seen as a piece of furniture, but also of art.

This sofa is WAKU-WAKU!

It may be that the childish and colorful design becomes something obvious and the relationship that he has with Anya. This sofa can be conceived in a childish way. The dynamic colors and constant movement match Anya's active, playful but curious and witty personality.

I don't know if this is "over analyzing" but the fact that these cushions of sensation that are levitating I associate it with Anya's powers. That magical, ethereal touch reminds me of the way her telepathy works.

Eccentric, colorful, ingenious, and with colors as sweet and tender as our little Anya. The 007 experiment found its ideal sofa!

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Vol 3 · Thorn Princess - La Chaise

A sculpture made chair, Charles and Ray Eames

Behind this particular design, there is a background element: Based on a sculpture called Floating Figure, it represented a woman. "Designed to support the figure as if it were the very air that caresses Gaston Lachaise's sculpture". Its organic and light shape has the objective of enveloping the female figure, in any position in which it is recharged. For art critics: Gaston Lachaise's Floating Figure, "has no sense of weight or mass, but only the qualities of serenity, strength, and exalted femininity." La chaise played an important role in the fight for modern sculpture to be recognized as a major art form, as opposed to war memorials and portraits.

A perfect altar for our beautiful Yor

It is interesting how this chair has a direct connection with a female sculpture, but also with war. It was sought that the art was more relevant and not only the symbols of war.

These two elements play in an interesting way with respect to Yor. First, it is the character that clearly represents feminine beauty, as a figure of contemplation. But also, it represents an act against the war, which could be associated with Yor and her fight to protect "the peaceful life" of those she love.

Yor is an elite soldier, a legend among assassins, and a symbol of love for Yuri and Anya. Because they are under her protection, giving a beautiful smile and comforting them in the face of danger.

The subtle and organic shape of the chair perfectly matches all the moves Thron Princess makes during her battles.

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It is evident that Endo dedicated himself to finding the perfect chair for each character.

I hope you liked this analysis. Maybe later I'll do an analysis of the other covers. Thank you for reading!! :D

Here you can see the second part

[takemebacktowheniwassane]

I would kill to have you overanalyze everything about Falsettos. Hope that didn't sound too threatening, I was joking, I'm just really into your analysis of the chess game :3

omg! I would love to analyze anything for you, man! 💗 I've pretty much picked everything out of a lot of the songs─ lil surprised I don't have my own corkboard with red twine commemorating my insanity on this musical lol

Looking through the album, the first option that came to mind might've been The Thrill of First Love but I think I'll take a break from toxic gays for just one moment and give you a strangely written analysis on Marvin at the Psychiatrist: A Three-Part Mini Opera, because of the different character pov's (i.e., Mendel, Jason, somewhat Whizzer, and of course, Marvin─ and I know Whizzer only announces each section of the song but hear me out, the theories are crazy and I'm obsessed with them and this song definitely factors into them aswell).

Basically, we'll start off with a quick look over Jason's lines, as he is the first character to speak/sing in the song. Right off the bat, we have him showing a HUGE disdain for love because of his father pretty much ruining his home life with the illusion of it. Well, maybe disdain is strong, but you get what I mean─ he's very reluctant to accept romance as an option for himself at all at this point because the wound is still very fresh from Marvin blowing up their family life, but yeah, also, he's a little preteen boy so it also makes sense for him to object to liking anyone just because of immaturity.

As we progress, Jason does a joint-therapy session with Marvin and they talk about outings and father/son bonding time gone badly wrong. He lets us in on his hyper-observance with his reaction to Marvin saying the pitcher they saw at a baseball game was handsome, and makes sure the audience is well aware he has some pretty conflicting emotions about his dad and his dad's sexuality. Especially given My Father's a Homo comes directly after this song, and in turn, also directly after this moment, so we know his feelings over Marvin and Whizzer (being that he enjoys Whizzer's company, seeing as Whizzer is the only adult who actually treats him like a kid and not like a victim or a baby or an average adult, like- but still) and their messy relationship.

It really makes me wonder on how it is when he's meant to go over to their apartment, since it's canonical that they live together and that Jason sees him regularly. And if they act terribly in front of him still. I assume Whizzer wouldn't allow that, another trait that gives Jason reason to side with him, because he seems like he really just doesn't want to completely, for lack of better words, fuck up Jason's whole childhood experience by being a part of it.

Now! Mendel isn't a complicated perspective, per say, just very eccentric. Especially assuming he asks MANY intrusive questions to a man who just openly came out as gay about his ex-wife and her sexual habits and such. This is where we tell him to go to horny jail.

(That's not the whole analysation, I swear─)

Mendel to me seems like he probably takes the initiative to not relay any of his clients actual info to other family members, but this song pretty much just proves he's incapable of brain-thought when he's horny. Which, yeah, that's hilarious that the only straight man is just thirsting over a woman to this gay guy. William Finn, you've done it again.

Anyhow, Mendel is pretty vital in this song. We get to see his psychiatry techniques, and with that, understand exactly what kind of situation Marvin's been, in taking therapy from him this whole time. The first part of the song is probably the best way of analyzing, since he's actually intelligible and giving Marvin advice. Well, that advice consists of telling him to ignore Whizzer's flaws and love him regardless, you can actually sorta see that at work in some aspects of the musical, even if he's constantly condescending to Whizzer throughout act one.

But generally, Marvin tends to take the exact opposite path that Mendel gives him, and basically just uses him as a venting device. Then again, Mendel is not to great at giving advice, as a neurotic little man who has like four mental breakdowns in the course of act one and two.

Next, Whizzer, of course. Short but sweet, or.. angsty? I've heard a few people theorize that Whizzer narrates the story ("Marvin at the psychiatrist, a three part mini opera, part one." "Part two." "Part three." "Psychiatrist, returning, returning! Five sessions later..." "A day in Falsettoland─ Doctor Mendel at work.") because after he dies, it sort of becomes his story of finding a true family and lover and son and being actually happy and knowing he lived well before he died really, tragically young, at least.

I'd like to take it a different direction, because I hate angst, and only sometimes tolerate it.

I've realized that Whizzer only actually narrates Mendel's shenanigans, which makes me think, especially with how he still does in act two, he gets to HEAR about the sessions. Whether it be from Marvin, or Jason, or Trina. Or even Mendel himself (this one's more act two based). It may introduce a new side because Whizzer doesn't go to therapy (shocker), but the people he's around all see this one guy so maybe he hears about the sessions and can relay them because he knows this one person's aspect of the story each time.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense for him to hear anything from Mendel in act one assuming they weren't close (at least not in the revival), and he doesn't marry Trina until Marvin and Whizzer are broken up, basically. But it would make more sense for him to get it from his boyfriend who absolutely loves to complain about any minor inconvenience in his life. I just think this could be an interesting perspective, because I've only ever seen that first theory and although somewhat fitting, I need less angst and more cool little headcanons in this fanbase please and thank you.

Finally, we go to Marvin. The star of the show, our princess with several disorders (we all know who our real queens are *stares directly at Trina and Whizzer*).

Throughout the entirety of this song, we see him barely entertaining Mendel with information. He's very vague, which probably stems from a life of secrecy and sneaking around. Although I presume he told Mendel about the affair while it was happening, or a few months in? Or Mendel just knew? Just by the general air of it, and how it seemed well-known by that point even though him and Trina only just divorced.

Marvin definitely keeps to himself, and waits for Mendel to butt in with something. Not so he can take his advice, but moreso so that he can kinda just. Have it, on hand? Or maybe so he can prove to himself that therapy is a hoax, because that certainly sounds like a Marvin thing to do.

Even while going through events with his son, he only states that eventually their interactions just go back to being stale and that they SHOULD be closer, without ever trying to actually make an effort (he assumes making an effort is taking Jason on outings even though they both prefer to stay inside, on their own. This definitely comes from his parents not doing anything with him as a kid, it's internalized so he pushes going out in public and doing what would be father/son outings onto Jason. It's something he never got to have, so he thinks that means he's fathering Jason better than average).

Not much to be said about that middle factor, besides the point of Marvin not knowing Trina was withholding love from him, which is interesting. Her character and lines definitely prevail that she was fed up with Marvin, but it could have just come out as indifference during their marriage. In I'm Breaking Down, she does make a point to state that she only wants a man to love her, so that could've been an overwhelming point in their marriage that Marvin remembers more vividly then her drifting away.

He did seem genuinely surprised when Mendel brought it up, so there is something there for sure.

But now, my dear silly, it's time for me to say adieu, because it's semi-late and I gotta update a fic draft :) but thank you sm for asking! made my day, it was so sweet. my inbox is always open for any suggestions, I'm really glad you like these little rants lol.

I'll try to post more soon 🫶

Goodnight!

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Season 1 Wrap-Up

*This is a wrap-up post for my Twiyor analysis series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

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As some of you may know, I'm fairly new to the SxF fandom, having only started watching the anime in October of last year. But it didn't take long for me to become hyperfixated enough to binge the manga, start my own blog, and develop ideas for analysis posts.

I've always enjoyed meta writing for my favorite fandoms, and SxF is definitely one of those! While I like many things about the story and characters, the Forgers overall, especially Twiyor, are my favorite thing about it, so I wanted to focus my first analysis posts on them. During my early months in the fandom, I found lots of good analyses and was impressed by the amount of talented fan writers out there. But rather than write random stand-alone posts, I wanted to express all my thoughts in chronological order. I eventually came up with the idea for this post series in December of last year, and after spending a solid month of writing during most of my free time, I finally felt I had enough to begin posting on a weekly basis.

Now that I've come to the end of the season 1 posts, I want to express my sincerest thanks to everyone who read them, especially those who left nice comments and reblogs. Even for those of you who only left likes, I appreciate it! I pay attention to the notes on my blog and it always makes my day to see the same people interacting with each new post every week. It's especially gratifying when I see a new person come along and leave a like on each post in order, one after another! In the many fandoms I've been in over the years, I always write for myself and my own enjoyment first, regardless of whether other people will enjoy my writing too. But it's nice to know that other people can also appreciate how I interpret things.

So here's what's going to happen with the post series going forward…

Since I want to continue keeping the posts as manga spoiler-free as possible, I won't start releasing the next batch of posts until season 2 airs (it's scheduled to air in October). I'll most likely release part 19 and onward towards the middle or end of season 2's run. I already have a good idea of what manga chapters will be adapted and will get them queued up beforehand.

On that note, I did end up having to tag a few of the season 1 posts for manga spoilers. I tried to avoid it as much as possible; I only discussed manga spoilers if I felt not doing so would be a disservice to my analysis. However, once season 2 airs, all but part 18 should be safe for anime-only fans! (I'll go back to those posts and remove the spoiler tags)

At some point during or slightly before season 2's airing, I plan to reblog all of my Twiyor analysis posts in order. If I can get the timing right, I hope to reblog part 18 (the last season 1 post) right before my start date for the first season 2 post. I'll probably do the reblogs just a few days apart before doing weekly releases again when I get to the new posts (for the reblogs, I'll be using the hashtag "#reblog for season 2 hype")

I don't have any other big analysis posts planned until then, with one exception…I do plan to write a post about Anya. I originally wanted to include her in the chronological series, but since her character arc is simpler and more straight-forward compared to Twilight's and Yor's, I didn't have nearly as much to say about her and figured it'd be best to talk about her in a separate post. Not sure when I'll release that post but should be sometime before season 2 as well.

Guess that's all for now! Thank you again to everyone who read this post series and I look forward to more compelling discussions in season 2!

[sunboki]

CHARMED.

Billionaire! Hwang Hyunjin x Detective! F. Reader

criteria | detective au, suggestive *not proofread

word count | 0.9k

authors note | another random piece in its testing phase created while i was in the passenger seat *sigh*

synopsis | Feigning your identity as the director of a successful company wasn’t all too difficult, but when it came down to actually busting billionaire, forbes magazine cover Hwang Hyunjin’s scheme, things can become a little .. messy. Especially when he invites you to a rooftop dinner.

The urge to bury your head in your hands is blaring, and you’re certain a bald spot will appear any day now after all the tugging you’d done in the past few days.

No leads, nothing.

In fact, if you hadn’t put so much into this case, if you hadn’t previously learned of the Dusa Enterprise’s affiliations you would’ve shut down the investigation altogether. But you didn’t because you knew of the tactful expertise Hyunjin’s used to go about his ways. In a sense that the man would stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wanted regardless of the circumstances.

So what you hadn’t anticipated after this madness was to have your coworker Mei come running up to you in a flurry, whisper-screaming that someone wanted to talk to you from the office’s telephone.

Hello, this is Representative Hwang Hyunjin of Dusa Enterprises’ Advisor. Your presence has been requested at…

You’re jumping in your chair at this point, nearly swatting Mei in the face from your flailing arms as you listen to the details of the call before the Advisor abruptly hangs up.

Taking a few seconds to turn and look at each other, you both erupt into cackling laughter, beyond pleased that your shared effort was not in vain.

“You’ll never guess who just got a one-way ticket to exposing Dusa Enterprise.”

“I’m delighted to see you’re enjoying the ambience. It wasn’t easy booking a reservation for this place.”

You knew that was a lie. This wasn’t just your average person, it was Hwang Hyunjin. Who at a single beck or call could have a reservation, heck, reserve all the tables here.

“I’m afraid of heights.” You sound, making your hand appear shaky as you reach for your glass once more, hoping to eradicate the sight of him observing you. Initially you’d been too blinded by relief to realize who you were indeed going to be dining with, feeling a little bit more, horrified instead. Your last dance would be looking into his eyes, and despite the confidence you’d summed up till this moment, no liquid courage could help you meet that gaze.

“Then don’t look down, look at me.”

You clear your throat, blinking hurriedly to aid in maintaining whatever composure you had left.

“I would prefer not to.”

“Why is that?”

He’s walking a tightrope, using his front teeth to nip at the skin the moment you finish speaking. There is a never time to waste if you are Hwang Hyunjin. The man is a tiger in his ways of reverence.

How would you answer, how could you answer without spilling your guts? Too much analysis, too much.

The sound of glass clinking beckons you from his fingertips and for a split second you do— catch a glimpse of his predatory glower hidden behind an innocent smile that stretches plump cherry lips. You’re enchanted.

“Because,” You balance your chin on your fist, summoning a tilt of your head that draws him closer, or perhaps it’s a figment of your imagination.

“If I do, I might do something I’ll regret. And as you know, I don’t have relationships with my business partners.”

A bubbling laugh creeps from his throat, painting the air an intoxicating crimson when he tips his head back. It’s hard to tell if it’s a sarcastic outburst or not. Lots of things the serpent Hyunjin leaves you to speculate.

“What if I told you I wanted to see what you’d regret. Not as business partners, but normal people.”

Debating on either making a smart comment or maintaining your sophisticated disposition, you weigh the options whilst silently thanking the tinted glass for concealing the nervous slip of your foot in and out of your heel.

“Oh Mr. Hwang, you’re far from a normal person.”

His innocent smile bares its face once more.

“I’m charmed, but there’s no need to be so nervous. I guess you didn’t think I’d notice how frantic your leg has been bouncing since we’ve been talking. Surely you’re not uncomfortable?”

Your breath hitches and you practically fixate on the darkening of his chestnut orbs, manipulative. Reaching into the very crevice of your soul. He’s onto you. Almost like he knows.

It terrifies you.

“Not at all. I hope you understand though that this is a big opportunity for my company and I can’t help but stress these matters.”

Your cover up is flat but contains enough potential to keep you afloat, for now.

The blond hummed a response, shrugging his jet-black coat till the fabric bunched up enough to see what time was displayed on a Rolex that’s price you didn’t have the capacity to assume.

“Ah, it seems an appointment of mine will interrupt us. Dearest apologies.” You nod fervently, admiring the sweep of his suit when he stands. A click of his heel on the marble flooring echoes when he begins walking past you until he stalls, stooping down to where his expensive fragrance tickled your nose.

“We’ll have to meet again sweet thing, your acting is impressive. Keep it up and you might fool me one day.”

And he walks out, him, his Advisor and Bodyguards at his disposal.

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