#hes so dense its hilarious

[caffeiiine]

atsulucy liker!! i’m shaking rapidly you by the shoulders they mean so much to me

AAAAH SHAKES YOU BACK SO HARD

they are my absolute everything

atsushi is dense as hell even when lucy drops the most OVIOUS hinyts

watched them is like watching one of those highschool romance movies that are so bad you love them

[liquidstar]

and now for something stupid

[surreal-duck]

two types of down horrendous

[kenposting]

New Guy

Summary: Short & sweet; Ken is the new guy at your work - somewhere he keeps calling the ‘real world’. You don’t get that, but what’s new, he never really makes any sense. 

WC: 2.2k

AN: (Insert crying emoji) thank you for all the kind comments on the last Ken brainrot story I wrote omg!!! I just like him... did nawt expect all that. A small part of this was very loosely inspired after reading a blurb by @ideas-live-forever where Ken doesn’t like a latte. Its very cute and you can read it here!

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀⋆˚✿˖°⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

You wished you had words to describe him, really. I mean, how many times could you redirect the conversation away from the two of you? Your friends, roomates, classmates, even your family – they all picked up on your recent busy schedule. You were seeing someone, and that someone came off as incredibly alluring and mysterious to them after your hesitance in explaining. 

Ken was not alluring, let alone mysterious. Bless his heart, he was a bit dense actually. You didn’t want to tell people about him - not out of embarrassment, but out of protection for him. This world was a lot different from the one he claimed to be from… another piece of him you didn’t quite understand. You chalked it up to at best a joke or some weird pick up line (him saying he was from “out of this world”) and at worst an actual delusion, but you didn’t mind it. You found it kind of charming. 

You still remember when you first heard about him. There was a new guy at work and your coworkers were laughing about some of the answers he gave on his job interview. You felt a little bad, knowing his answers should’ve been kept confidential, but you couldn’t help but laugh when you overheard them. 

“No, yeah he literally said his last job was ‘beach’. Not lifeguard, not pool attendant, not national park ranger, not even the beach, just beach.” 

You laughed a little to yourself, finishing wiping down one of the tables. You had a morning shift today, like most days, but you wouldn't be open for a little while. You had time to listen. 

“I don’t know, man. At least he can wash a mean dish.” 

They weren’t laughing with him, but rather at him. It did make you a bit sad. He sounded hilarious, honestly. It was probably just a bit that he took too seriously. After all, a job interview isn’t always the best place to joke around like that. 

A metallic ding rang through the restaurant as the door swung open. You looked up to be met with quite the character. He was tall, probably around 6’3” or 6’4”, and tan. Must've been all that time at beach. His stature was broad and his shoulders barely fit through the doorframe. He was dressed in the same uniform you were, except his yellow diner ringer tee was tucked in to a pair of light blue cuffed jeans, paired with white tennis sneakers and white crew socks. He was blonde, clearly by choice, not birth, and he stood with a clean dishtowel draped over his left shoulder. He looked like he just stepped out of an 80’s back-to-school Target ad. 

“Morning, Ken.” 

“Morning! Thank you for the opportunity to work here! So cool…” 

You smiled to yourself, grabbing menus to set out on each table. He looked just as odd as he everyone made him out to be. 

Prep duty was your given task for this morning. Since you typically worked an opening shift before school, you only had to wait tables until 2pm. Doors didn’t open until 9am, so that left you three hours to cut vegetables and fruit while you supervised the new guy. 

“Hey, my office please.” 

Your boss beckoned you, explaining what Ken’s tasks were so you could keep an eye on him. 

“He’ll probably keep to himself, honestly. He seems nervous, but he’s glad to work here. I don’t really… get him.” 

“What do you mean, sir?” 

You boss sighed and shook his head, searching for a way to explain everything. 

“When I asked him about previous employment he just said he worked at ‘beach’ and that he was 'very good at it'. His references were all listed under the name name… his name. Ken. I kept asking if he was, like, a lifeguard or something and why everyone he’s worked for was also named Ken. He just kept repeating, ‘no, sir, just beach,’ and ‘I’m not sure I understand, sir, is your name not Ken too?’ like that made any sense.” 

Air quotes punctuated the absurdity of the whole thing. 

You bit the inside of your lip, stifling a laugh. This guy was wither a genius or actually insane. 

“Anyways…” he trailed off. “He didn’t have much more to say about work, but he said he was in town to study – of course, without any documentation. I guess you don’t need a diploma to wash dishes.” 

Ken did keep to himself mostly, but you could tell he took his job incredibly seriously. His brows furrowed while washing the plates from last night’s dinner rush. He wanted to be good at this, you could tell. You wondered if he took beach the same way, like his life depended on it. 

The day went by quickly. All the girls – and Ken – got off at the same time, switching aprons as the evening crew trickled in. 

“Wanna come to the bar with us tonight? It’s half-price on Tuesdays!” 

You smiled at the offer, but respectfully declined. 

“I’ve got homework, but maybe next time!” 

They sighed, saying you were no fun, waving to you as they all left together. You stayed behind to count and divide the tips. So did Ken, for some reason. 

“You can go home whenever you’re ready, Ken. Good job today.” 

You pretended not to notice his ears perk at your compliment. He was blushing, like… actually blushing. 

“Oh, thank you.” 

He sounded surprised, like he hadn’t ever been told he did well before. 

“What are you doing now?” 

You looked up at him. He was actually quite handsome up close. You both had your backs turned to each other most of the day so you didn’t get a chance to notice. 

His eagerness to learn was also attractive. He wasn’t handsy or gross or trying to hit on you like some of the previous employees you’ve worked with. He was kind and appeared genuine. 

“I’m counting the tip jar from this morning so I can divide the tips between all the morning waitresses. Each of them get their own tips on the bills or in cash, but the ones in the jar are kind of random, so we split all of those. We count morning separately so whatever the evening crew makes can be divided amongst themselves, in case they were busier or slower than us. Its fair that way. You get some too.” 

He looked like you just told him his childhood home caught fire. He was just bewildered at the concept. 

“I get some? But I already got paid for today, they said I’d get it on my 'check' in two weeks.” 

He did not know what a check was. You smiled to yourself, still deciding on wether he was being smart with you or if he was just inexperienced in the world. 

“Yeah, see? 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 in 20s, then 110, 120, 130, 140 in 10s. I already counted the fives – 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185 there – and ones, so 186, 7, 8 ,9, 90, 91, 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6, 7, so that’s 197, divided by the staff is $32.83 each.” 

He did not get it at all. He nodded hesitantly, hoping to convince you he understood you just fine. You were explaining it like he should know this, afterall, and he felt kind of insecure that he didn’t get it. You didn’t mean to hurt his feelings and he knew that, but he was just more sensitive than most. 

“So I take it you didn’t make any tips at ‘beach’?” 

He shook his head, answering with complete seriousness. 

“No. We didn’t have money at all, actually.” 

He was always like that. It had been a couple of months now since he started with you. Every day he said something weirder than the day before. Just like today, when he asked if you were doing anything after work. You said homework, as per usual, and watched him panic, replying with, “Oh yeah... me too actually…”

“Yeah? You’re in school?” 

He nodded, another serious look on his face. He had forgotten about homework for a while now. They didn’t have homework in Barbieland. 

The thought alone of this man in a classroom was enough to have you laughing. Sure, he was smart and charming and handsome and good at his job and personable and kind and… lots of other things you didn’t want to admit, but he didn’t strike you as someone that would thrive in an academic environment. 

You took him out for drinks that afternoon. It was a small cafe that also served daydrinks, like mimosas or sangrias. It was a comfortable and safe environment, which was welcome, as today’s assignment was complicated even for you. Who knows why you took organic chemistry as your major. You hated chemistry. Everyone hated chemistry. 

You felt him watching you attentively, like he was checking if you might’ve needed anything. 

“What’s your homework on?” 

He was gentle in his approach. He liked you. 

You looked at him. He truly wanted to know, it wasn’t just small talk. 

You explained it as best at you could, truly, but he looked like he was about to cry, like it physically hurt his brain. Changing the subject, you asked what he was studying. 

“I’m majoring in Patriarchy and minoring in Horses and Beach.” 

You didn’t ask more. He was dead serious, too. He really was highlighitng and placing index notes on a book about horses. Stacked in his (pale yellow) backpack (with tiny embroidered flowers) were heavy textbooks, though, so he must've been studying something. Maybe this was part of the joke. After looking over his course catalogue to help him figure out assignment priority based on credit weights, you saw he was majoring in Gender Studies and minoring in Equine Science and Marine Biology. So yes, patriarchy, horses, and beach. 

The waitress stopped by your table and he panicked again, ordering the same thing as you. A little while later, two Espresso Martinis arrived. You sipped the drink casually, focused on your assignment. 

He didn’t mind it when you weren’t focused on him. He enjoyed your company, even in the quiet. He never felt like you were laughing at him. It was more like you found him funny, but in a nice way. He liked that about you. He liked all of you, actually. 

“Oh, wow!”

He had a sort of outburst that startled you from whatever it was you were reading. You couldn’t remember actually, the look on his face made you forget what you had just read. 

“Oh my gosh, that is terrible!!” 

He spoke in an elevated whisper, careful to not offend the workers. 

“Why does it hurt, is something wrong with it??” 

You covered your mouth to keep from laughing at him. He looked truly horrified. 

“Have you never had anything with alcohol in it before? I thought you were, like, what, 24? 25? Aren’t you in college?” 

“I don’t even have an age – wow, I’m so sorry, that is so bad.” 

He was so weird. So so weird. But you really liked that about him actually. He was sweet about everything and very kind and thoughtful, too. 

He clearly hated his drink but finished it anyway, probably out of courtesy. His face crumpled a bit every time he had to wash a dish that had a lot of food leftover. It was like he felt great sorrow for the chef – that their work wasn’t good enough for the customer, and they tried really hard, so that made him sad. 

Oddly enough, he put a $20 in the tip jar on the way out, shrugging when you asked him about it. He said sure, he didn’t like it, but that wasn’t anyone’s fault. He was grateful they ‘took good care of him’. He was just repeating what he’d heard other diner guests say when they tipped. He was so cute. 

You walked him home. He insisted on the other way around, but he was tipsy and didn’t really know what to do about it, hiccupping and catching his balance. He wasn’t frightened or anything, reassuring you he’d ‘seen this in the movies before’. You assumed he was referring to knowing what it’s like to be inebriated. Still, all this after only one drink, and a stereotypically girly one at that. 

“Thank you for walking me home and helping me with homework and letting me hang out with you today!” 

You smiled, nodding your head. 

“Sure, Ken. Do you work tomorrow?” 

He nodded excitedly, standing in a salute-like pose. 

“Sure do! I’m gonna wash the hell out of some dishes.” 

Cursing, although incredibly light for him, was something he told you he was learning to do since he was now ‘in the real world’. You didn't understand that, like most things about him, but you were excited to see him tomorrow nonetheless. 

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀⋆˚✿˖°⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

For more Kenpostings I’ve written, click here.

For part two, click here!

[solar-wing]

⚣ Therapist BatBro 👓

⚣👓 A/N → Therpist BatBro makes his debut. The second pic is honestly what I feel a therapy session in the Wayne family would look like. This is from another request I got from my previous account.

⚣👓 Summary → Your family isn't pleased with your new hobby or group of friends. But, somehow you've made it a business. Gotta respect the hustle at least.

⚣👓 Words → 2.3k

REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! 👓

⚣ ENJOY 👓

The way I see it, you're either a vigilante with the fam and all the villains just seem to like you for some reason and ask where you are during a battle OR you're not a vigilante and you volunteer at Arkham (which would be absolutely insane but it's Arkham so it breaks even) and everyone there is cool with you. Even the Joker (which won't fly well with Jason at all).

We're going to go with the second option for this one.

So, since Bruce was adamant about you not joining the family business as a vigilante since you were the youngest and he had an unyielding urge to protect you and your childhood innocence, you needed to find something to do in your free time.

What better than to volunteer at a crazy house for psychopathic murdering villains?

Of course, considering Arkham was filled mainly with criminals your father had put there along with your siblings, it probably wouldn’t be wise to do that since they’d obviously wouldn’t approve.

SO, you did it anyway and just didn't tell them.

BatBro contemplating...

Duke was the first to find out. Batman had supplies Arkham needed but since he was at work and Duke always took the day shift as everyone liked to joke, who better to drop it off than him? Imagine his surprise when he finds his baby bro in there serving ice cream to Mr. Freeze.

"Here ya go Fries, my man. I sprinkled some ice shavings on there to make it a little tangier for you..." You said handing him the cone.

"Ha ha ha, aren't you hilarious." Victor Fries replied with a genuine smile. As far as The Signal persona knew, he was only capable of smirking or mean-mugging the shit of people, with the exception of an occasional shivering face while mocking someone for how cold they were.

'Oh, they're not gonna believe this...' Duke thought, racing home right after. The way he left the institution, the guards almost thought there was a breakout or a fight going on. Nope, but there might be when he told everyone.

Of course, no one believed him at first, just staring at the dude as if he just said the craziest thing in the world like Bruce being an emotionally available parent.

When you came home that night acting cagey and weirder than normal, they figured something was going on and maybe you were at Arkham but for something completely different than what Duke thought it could be. Because, there would be no way Bruce Wayne’s, aka Batman, own son would ever even consider fraternizing with criminals, let alone his enemies. Right?

So, like any other sane, normal family who responded to distressing situations with maturity and rationality... they spied on you.

Damian, Tim, & Cass followed you the next day. Tim was understandably distraught but also curious how you could have managed to form a friendship with Gotham's criminally insane.

Like...THEY WERE INSANE. But, when he really thought about it, considering the family you came from...yeah, okay. He can see the correlation now.

Damian, however, refused to believe his little brother could be so stupid and dense. How could you form relations with the enemy like that? It was stupidity. Plain idiocy at its finest. It was betrayal!

On the other hand, it was a smart move looking from an assassin's point of view. You know the whole keep your friends close and enemies closer deal, but that was his thing. Not yours! So you'd be getting extra noogies and brotherly beatdowns when you got home. In the name of camaraderie and righting your careless decisions.

Cass thought it was fucking hilarious.

Upon their arrival and finding you trading riddle jokes with Riddler, their jaws all collectively dropped to the floor.

"Okay, okay okay..." You breathed, calming down from your wheezing laughter. "Riddle me this...I'm neither a man nor a woman but don't hurt my wittle feelings cause I'm still a person. I'll kick you and scream at you, even both during a tantrum. My ego's bigger than my head but shorter than my height, who am I?"

Riddler took a moment to think about it before the metaphorical lightbulb appeared above his head, "Boy Wonder!" He pointed.

"Which one?" You immediately responded.

"The fourth one!"

"Yes!"

Tim and Cass both had to think about it before they realized the clues in the riddle. They're eyes went wide when they realized who you were talking about, and turned to see Damian who looked ready to tear your head off with his teeth.

"He's in for it when he gets home..." He growled through his grinding teeth.

Damian pissed (Left) | Tim & Cass (Right)

Everyone was mildly concerned when they came home that night and asked them how everything went only for Damian's immediate response to be that he was going to get his revenge sketchbook.

Why Damian has a revenge sketchbook, no one knows. But, everyone was just the right amount unsettled by it.

That night at dinner there was a bit of a tense air as Damian had to be placed between both Bruce and Jason to keep him from lunging at you with his salad fork. Usually, you were used to Damian’s somewhat murderous tantrums, but this was on another level.

He almost looked like he would grow horns out of his head at any moment, which would actually be somewhat fitting. Considering he was the grandson of the Demon and all.

You also noticed how Tim and Cass kept weirdly staring at you. Neither of them said something, which was odd(well except maybe for Cass), but you just ignored it and ate your dinner.

That night, you put some of your old booby traps from when you first moved into the manor back into place. You needed some sort of reassurance and protection to help you sleep. At many points throughout the night, you shot out of bed and grabbed one of the many random weapons you had hidden around you when you thought you heard someone trying to sneak into your room.

Damian definitely tried but had learned his lesson after the last time he got caught in one of your traps. You took a lot of inspiration from movies like Home Alone and The Parent Trap.

The next day, Dick and Steph went to check out the mental institution insane asylum.

Steph also thought it was funny like Cass but in a more ironic type of way. She’d rooted for you to get your own vigilante identity and join the family business. So this was like the ultimate petty revenge and she was here for it.

But Dick just couldn't imagine you in a place like this. His sweet adorable baby brother, in this horrid mess? He was calling it, either blackmail or manipulation. A rude awakening was awaiting him around the corner.

They looked to see you in the middle of practicing a handshake with Bane.

"No Bane, fist bump, then the arm wiggle..." You said, showing him the move for the 4th time.

"Oh sorry buddy," He replied.

"No problem man, let's try again."

They watched you go through the whole routine, Steph taking a video on her phone while Dick looked in surprise and jealousy. How come you and him didn't have a handshake like that? Every little brother should want to have a cool handshake with their cool big brother! Was he not good enough?!

Steph laughing in petty (Left) | Dick breaking down (Right)

When Dick stormed into the manor later muttering about showing you a real handshake, Bruce only raised an eyebrow when Steph walked in looking thoroughly entertained like she just watched the funniest show of her life. It certainly felt like it.

That afternoon, Dick gave you the cold shoulder all day. He even canceled your weekly brother movie night, which shocked everyone, especially your dad. What could have been so bad that would cause Bruce’s first protege to treat his kid brother like this? The same kid who he’d absolutely lose it if they went to anyone other than him for advice or would pout if he didn’t get the first hug from him when in a room full of people.

Of course, he still cracked when you gave him the hurt puppy dog eyes (a trick you learned from Jason that he used to use on Bruce all the time when he was younger). Dick caved and you guys ended up watching a movie, though you were mildly concerned whenever your oldest brother paused the movie and took the time to highlight the friendship and connection between two characters, especially if they were siblings.

Something like a special code, an inside joke, or even maybe a HANDSHAKE. What does it say about a big brother if his little brother doesn’t want to have a cool special handshake with him?!

Subtle.

You just nodded along, making a mental note to avoid any family-oriented films for your next movie night.

But, after this incident, you’d fully managed to get Bruce’s attention. He knew that Dick out of all his children was usually the least likely to get irate over something that wasn’t serious. So the fact that he did, despite how unserious it may have seemed, but it was settled.

Something was going on and your dad, no…Batman was going to get to the bottom of it.

Jason decided to come along with your father, fully prepared to drag you out of the building by force if he had to. He even went as far as calling your boyfriend Conner Kent, aka Superboy, who he and Bruce had a love/hate relationship with because they couldn't really threaten the boy like they wanted to if he hurt you.

Well, Jason couldn’t at least.

Bruce had more than enough kryptonite in multiple storages across his warehouse and had no problem showing it to the half-Kryptonian as a warning.

Conner was more than a little peeved, try fucking pissed when he heard you'd been hanging out with supervillains. And he as well was ready to sling you over his shoulder if he had to. But, probably not in front of your dad who kept throwing pointed glares his way as they moved through the building.

When Batman showed up demanding to see where the volunteer by your name was, they quickly rushed to show him to your location. He couldn't fathom this. The mere thought that his youngest child, his sweet, innocent (on a good day) good-natured son, would be hanging around all his enemies, laughing with them like they were good ol pals?

He'd sooner believe Joker was going to therapy.

The shock of his lifetime was also waiting for him around the corner.

They came around to see you through a window sitting in an office room in business casual attire, holding a clipboard and writing down notes while Joker was laying on a couch with his cuffed hands resting on his chest, venting out his emotions.

"And sometimes, I do feel like I go a bit far. But, I can't take all the blame. I mean, everyone paints me as the villain, but Batsy plays into our little game just as much as I do. Why does he get painted as the hero and me as a crazy clown? Well, you know, besides the clown face, HAHAHA!" He vented, ending with his usual eerie cackle.

"Uh-huh, and how does that make you feel?" You asked while scribbling a few notes on your legal pad and adjusting the fake glasses on your face before turning around at the sound of the door opening.

You felt your heart drop in your stomach when you saw your father, brother, and boyfriend all staring at you with very unhappy looks.

"BATSY! Oh, do come in! We were just talking about you. I think it's about time you and I got some relationship counseling." Joker exclaimed.

Not one word was said while Conner grabbed you by your wrists, (gently of course because he's caring like that) and dragged you out of the room, Jason not too far behind, ready to tear you a new one. Batman held his shoulder, while Joker just watched in amusement, "Guess my hour's up."

You, Bruce, and Jason arguing (Left) | Joker enjoying the show (Right)

You were immediately brought home after getting an earful from Jason to which you offered him his own free session.

He agreed.

Bruce demands to know why you would even consider going there, socializing with those people.

"Well, seeing as how I can't join the family business, I figured I could do some good in some way. And villains or not, they've got good in them! Just you know, when they're not trying to murder people." You answered.

You were interrupted by your other siblings appearing before you felt an arm forcibly turn you around which Conner raised an annoyed eyebrow at, but he kept his mouth shut.

"What does Bane have that I don't? Am I not good enough as an older brother to have a handshake with?"

You sighed, "Is that why you were so upset the other day?! Ugh, would you like to create a special handshake with me, Dick?"

" Yes! Super secret too! You can't have any handshakes with anybody else!" He hugged you while you patted his back.

Brothers could be so needy sometimes.

You could see your boyfriend eyeing you both with the strangest look. In your defense, he had plenty of warning of how weird your family was.

Before things could calm down too much though, everyone heard a shrill voice screaming your name from the top of the staircase.

"Y/N!"

"Fuck..." You muttered under your breath, before turning to see Tim and Cass giving you nervous looks.

“You were there with Riddler, weren’t you?”

They could barely look you in the eye as you turned to see Damian standing on the banister, holding one of your slippers in his hand.

"Who's short now?!" 

Alfred went to get the first aid kit.

Damian with your slipper...

BONUS:

☀️ | Bat Family | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[enden-k]

I think Kaveh deserves to be admired more in Sumeru in a way that becomes more and more noticable. As a treat. Starry eyed students and collegues, former classmates, debate rivals, groupmates, etc. Everyone who has met him loved him, hates him, admires him or all of the above for his passion and kindness and stubbornness and beauty. People sabotage each other when they notice someone else is trying to make a move on Kaveh cause they want him for themselves. In the desert AND the rainforest, Kaveh is much desired by people far and wide.

Only too bad for them because Al-Haitham stole his heart when they were students and has held it even when they were seperate and before they even were a couple and tho their relationship now is private its also like an open secret for those who see them frequently and Al-Haitham is so fucking smug about it. He's amused by Kaveh's little admirers amongst the student body, knowing they stand no chance. He's a little annoyed but also amused by the staff and Kaveh's collegues, because he knows Kaveh is already in the palm of his hands (sometimes literally, squeezes Kaveh's butt).

He finds it hilarious tho that Kaveh is slowely starting to realise that people are utterly infatuated with him, maybe after the competition when he decides to let himself heal from his farhers death and gains just enough self love to notice peoples advances on him.

Also there is a "secret" off-the-books gossip publication that existed even before the downfall of the Akasha system with relationship speculations and the amount of thirsting over Kaveh in both an academic, romantic and physical sense is both increadible and hilarious and Al-Haitham definately has access to it.

idk i feel like we have really different ideas and headcanons and interpretations of kaveh and haitham. its cool if thats how you like to think of them tho, not saying that your characterization is wrong bc mine is different

i think its good the way it is. kaveh is a well respected senior and got a big name in everything related to architecture. the way i like to imagine is, that kaveh was this kind of popular student that was admired and loved by many bc of this radiance. he enters a room, he smiles at someone, and you feel how its gets 10x brighter. he is incredibly kind and considerate and passionate and always ready to help, a trait most admire and some may use. hes beautiful and his sense of aesthetics and his works are equally beautiful. he jsut seems so perfect and elegant and bc of people imagining how his life must be, he starts to pretend to be this person they think he is. he doesnt want people to see the cracks. haitham though, he sees them. sees right through him

i think kaveh is not dense or "cutely unaware that everyone wants him" or what tf ever. hes a genius on the same level as haitham after all. i think he is well aware what kind of effect he has on other people. its just that he doubts if ppl are genuine bc they admire a kaveh they fabricated. its just that hes bad at turning people down. you can see him get crowded by some kshahrewar students swooning over him and his works and while he is laughing and smiling and thanking them, you can see the discomfort in his shoulders when it gets too much. its that deep down he doesnt understand their admiration for him as a person bc the person they admire is a person they fabricated based on his achievements and their ideas. he sees his own imperfection and faults and failures and shame, knows that they have a false idea of him since he masquerades to save face. he thinks he is undeserving of the attention or affections. he doesnt let it show, he pretends and pretends and pretends

i like to think, since he is so passionate and pours his everything into his works, that as soon as the attention on his work shifts to him as a person, his smile gets wobbly. he cares about the arts and not much about the titles. he is troubled, always. he feels acknowledged but also shackled. acknowledged for his works and talents, shackled by the idea, the public image of the talented, renowned architect ppl have of him. i like to think this goes for many things

im starting to ramble so back to the topic, i think kaveh is well aware of the admiration ppl have for him, both for his arts and his person. some other ppl he cant read tho so thats where he gets all like "no way!" when haitham bluntly tells him they had ulterior motives based on their body language or phrasing

for haitham, i completely disagree with your idea. again, not saying youre wrong or whatever, everyone is free to imagine or interpret how they want ig

im a sucker for pining and yearning. if we talk about pre dating, young akademiya students kavetham, i like to think haitham always keeps an eye on kaveh. he might feel a little irritated by the amount of fellow students flocking around kaveh like moths to a flame but the moment he sees the slight discomfort and strain in kavehs smile after a while, its gone. he soon learns that kaveh is too kind, too considerate so in order to help him out a little - and also bc it rlly is starting to annoy him as well, all that noise - he gives kaveh an out to escape. as soon as they start to hang out so often, ppl think twice about pestering kaveh bc haitham doesnt hesitate to tell ppl to calm down and shut up when theyre annoying. simply bc he doesnt care what ppl think of him, unlike kaveh

haithams main belief is that not everyone can be saved, thus people should prioritize themselves first - like this theres much less problems or trouble for others. its why he focuses on himself and cares for himself sm but seeing how kaveh does the exact opposite (the reason for their arguments and falling out), i like to think he cares for kaveh too bc who else does if kaveh doesnt

a troubled kaveh is a troubled haitham

he fell first and he is content with being in kavehs presence. he is fine with never making the first move bc he rather wants to keep their relationship as it is instead of bringing change that could very much end in them distancing. if anything, if kaveh ever felt the same as he does, hed rather wait for kaveh to do it, be silent and give him the chance. he regularly has the trouble of ppl approaching him like this, haitham has no interest in being one of those

ofc hes not aware that kaveh develops feelings for him after time but never approached him bc haitham is as indifferent and cool as ever. thinking that its unrequited and not wanting to make a fool of himself

later, in the present time when theyre in their 30s and together, i still dont think haitham would be smug about dating kaveh, the architect desired and admired by many. or annoyed or amused by ppl still trying their luck. bc haitham wouldnt even bother looking. he is confident and sure in his feelings for kaveh, in kavehs feelings for him; in their love. theres no reason for him to care or to bother with other ppl. tho i do like to think he might get pissed if ppl are really bold with kaveh. but if anything, i imagine kaveh is more of the jealous possessive type simply bc despite everything, theres still some fear in him that he might lose haitham and be all alone again. not bc he doubts haithams feelings but bc sometimes the fear, his anxieties, the thought hes still unworthy pops up

sorry for the word vomit, i just wanted to type out how i think of them and my thoughts jumped

[liriostigre]

Hiiii ty for such a great uquiz!! Would it be possible to see the description of all the books you could get matched to? I’m curious what the vibes are for the rest!!

hi 🌷 here you go:

White Teeth by Zadie Smith: Excessive, maximalist and very ambitious multigenerational and multicultural epic novel that starts with the unlikely friendship between Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. It explores themes of race, identity and the intersections of culture, heritage, and modernity. Clever and hilarious dialogue, very creative when it comes to language and style, unique and bold when it comes to narrative. Perhaps a flawed novel due to its ambition, but excellent nonetheless.

Despair by Vladimir Nabokov: Excellent writing; very ambitious and stylish. It is somewhat a twisted novel but you will find a lot of humor despite. The narrator speaks directly to the reader as he writes what he regards as his perfect crime. This novel is one of Nabokov's earliest works in which one can easily identify themes and literary devices that the author explored later in his most known works.

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño: Brilliant and stunning novel about poets and poetry! Very dense and challenging; it requires patience from the reader. This novel is so infinitely dear to me that i can't even explain its brilliance, but i have to give you at least an idea of the plot so: The story is arranged in three parts and told from multiple points of view. It starts in Mexico City, in the 70s, and continues across decades and continents. It follows the adventures and misadventures of Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima—poets, drug dealers, wanderes, criminals. Now, about the themes, the writing, the style, the narration? Just absolutely perfect even at its most tedious, difficult and anticlimactic parts.

The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington: Unconventional, absurd, imaginative and exuberantly surreal apocalyptic fairytale quest. It follows 92 year old Marian who is sent off to a peculiar old-age home. If you aren't familiar with Leanora Carrington's art you should look at some of her paintings because this wonderful novel feels just like her surrealist paintings!

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls: This novella tells the story of a love affair between a depressed suburban housewife and an amphibian creature who escaped a scientific research center. It might sound like a quirky fiction story but it actually deals with the most mundane and banal aspects of life and human relationships. Brilliantly written; neat and precise prose, wonderful storytelling. The author knew what she was doing and not a single word she wrote was wasted.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton: Delicately written little adventure about tiny people who live in the secret places of houses. I am enamored (obsessed!!) with miniatures—dollhouses, dioramas, fairies—so imagine how dear this book is to me.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: The murders of two girls bring reporter Camille Preaker back to her hometown. As she works to uncover the truth about those crimes, Camille finds herself forced to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past. Very entertaining read. It has best seller written all over it (which might not be the biggest compliment lol but i mean for this genre so it is a compliment).

Rage by Sergio Bizzio: Claustrophobic, anxiety inducing, fast-paced psychological thriller that made me think of Bong Joon-ho's Parasite the whole 4 hours it took me to read it. I read it in it's original language, Spanish, and i particularly loved the dialogue; its idiosyncrasies and authenticity (tqm Argentina!)

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Rob, an obsessive music fan, reminisces his top five worst break ups to understand his most recent heartbreak. He is a very arrogant and cynical guy who defines his entire life through records, and because he is constantly interacting with music that almost exclusively deals with love—and a very idealistic version of it—he finds himself unsatisfied with the way his life has turned out.

[ghuleh-recs]

Violence & Gentleness by @anamelessfool

You made me forget myself…I thought I was someone else, someone good… LATE OCTOBER 1979 Primo has his work cut out for him as the bodyguard of the beautiful and fearsome Mater Emerita Jocasta. As mystery after mystery unfolds, it becomes harder to remain a honest man in this den of thieves called the Ministry.

(Thank you in advance for humoring me whilst I scream at the top of my lungs into the abyss about this wonderful fanfic under the cut.)

@anamelessfool is creating something really special here. Her writing style is cinematic and engaging as she weaves a mystery set in the late 70s featuring a VERY dreamy Primo before he becomes Papa. He is bodyguard and lover to the incredibly cool Papessa OC, Mater Emerita Jocasta. Fool’s world building and lore are so creative without being intimidating or dense. This story is set in her wonderful Void AU but can easily be read as a standalone.

Papa-enjoyers will lose their fucking minds over Primo and all of his kid brothers. We’ve got sullen troublemaker teen Terzo (who just needs a hug tbh). We’ve got capable prodigy eager-to-prove-himself Secondo. WE HAVE THE CUTEST TODDLER COPIA THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN. Truly. You are not prepared for how much you’ll love him. And finally we’ve got a hilarious deadbeat hippie dad Nihil who definitely experimented with too many psychedelic drugs in the sixties.

I know many of us read fan fiction for horny reasons—whether it be ghoul-on-ghoul or papa-on-you—but I triple dog dare you to broaden your horizons for just a moment and check this one out.

A quick excerpt from one of my favorite scenes before you go:

Nihil stretched his face out into a wide, rubbery mask of enthusiasm. “Primo! Ah! Far out! Congratulations….” The stark white Infernal Eye shone in its socket. “He looks just like Jocasta! My grandson…”

“No, that's not— I'm not going to even…” Primo paused and threw his father a polite smile. He added that moment to the pile of evidence that suggested that either the Papa Emeritus Ritual or the Sixties scrambled the man's brain.

“Edelweiss Ghoul and I found him in the location the Conclave uncovered. His father was—” The image of the splattered wall shot through his mind. The dummy-like hands and splayed feet. Primo swallowed. “We think his father was killed.”

“Terrible! That's terrible, man!” Nihil’s face morphed again.

“He's yours now, right? So still my grandson.”

“We're only taking care of him until I find his family,” said Primo.

“We? Did you say “we?”” Terzo padded forward to stand a foot away from Copia on Primo’s knee. His expression was inscrutable.

“Yes, ‘we’,” Primo insisted. Copia started to kick in his lap and he brought the child down to the floor. “All of us. Need to take care of him. He doesn't have anyone else. Copia, this is Terzo.”

Copia flashed Terzo his furious little face. Terzo blanched, then stared right back. “What did I do to you, eh? Ragazzone?”

“Does he not speak?” From his seat at the window Secondo had a curious small smile hovering on his lips. He held his hands out to the child. Copia glanced back at Primo.

“Not really. Go on, Copia, that's Secondo.”

Secondo somehow brought the child into his lap and opened the book again. Right away Copia settled in and stared at the pages, his eyes wide with curiosity. Primo felt a shift in himself that he hadn’t experienced in a few days: he started to feel relaxed. As he watched his younger brother tend to the child with thoughtful muttering and an imperceptible smile he fell back a little on the couch. It was going to be okay.

You can read the rest here.

𖤐 you know the drill--bookmark, read, and leave kudos/comments!

[molinaesque]

Something I find funny is how some people hyper focus too much on the new Scrooge and how attractive he is... As if attractive people can't be bad and horrid, and how it's 100x easier to dunk on someone when they're ugly and grotesque (this change already adds a different spin/conversation to the massive pile of other adaptations that are essentially the same). Like if you watch the movie, it doesn't change the fact that Scrooge is STILL an outright asshole of a human being (like the dude threatens to call the cops on some old ladies and performers on top of everything else). You'd have to be absolutely dense or purposely obtuse to just gloss over all that (the movie from what I've been told goes even further in making Scrooge meaner in some aspects as well). I see people just throw around the word "woobify" when the movie doesn't pull any punches in making Scrooge an absolute piece of work (insulting poor children at the start of the movie) and also making him face and realise that a lot of his misery that's been done as result of his actions in the past, are STILL his own actions. Him being a silver fox doesn't change ANY of this. They never make a reference to his appearance other than Past noting how attractive his younger self was and her saying "what happened to you?" as a commentary on how ugly and horrid he's become AS A PERSON, which I find to be a great moment. This being just ONE adaptation that decided to take this approach amongst a countless myriad of more "accurate" adaptations (which is funny because its still practically the same beats, Scrooge is just designed attractively) isn't going to somehow erase all that and frankly isn't the end of the world.

Also I find it hilarious when people say they're woobifying scrooge... when isn't the whole point of his redemption story THAT?? That ultimately his character is woobified in the end in lieu of becoming a good guy?? But no... People just assume they're going to absolve him or somehow misplace him being the villain in the first place JUST BECAUSE HE'S ATTRACTIVE LMAO. Like WOAH how could we possibly forget that the main character of a super famous story that has a surname used as a reference point for being a miserable human being? WOAH, he's handsome?? OH NEVER MIND, MY BAD. I CANT FUNCTION ANYMORE OH NOOOOOO!! HELP ME! I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP FROM HOW HANDSOME HE IS OH NOOOO!! Might as well just say "I want bad man to be ugly and stinky looking so I can keep track of how I should feel about said character throughout the narrative because I'm so focused on tying morality with physical attractiveness".

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Brothers of the Broken Horn”

Hooooooondoooooooooooooo! :D

When we open we see that Phoenix Cell has temporarily taken to port at Garel.

Which is looking as lovely as ever.

We pan down with a pleasant musical cue to see that Rex has set Ezra up with some blaster training, enlisting Chopper as a moving target.

Ezra’s already clearly frustrated and grows moreso when Kanan shows up and tells him he’s missing a Jedi training session.  His discouraged, “What if I don’t want to be either [a soldier or a Jedi]?” surprises Rex but alarms Kanan, who knows how desperately Ezra wants to be a Jedi in normal circumstances.

Neither man can figure out the reason why Ezra’s upset though (really guys? y’all be dense), and they’re interrupted by Sabine calling them in for a briefing.

The mission is honestly a little bit incidental to the plot, only really there to establish the MacGuffin that people will be wrestling over trying to possess this episode.  Ezra doesn’t get to participate as now Hera is on him also, to scrub the Phantom.

So many “teenager whines about chores to parents” vibes in this scene, especially when Hera chides Chopper for laughing about it and makes him help too lol.

Ezra is understandably feeling overwhelmed by the myriad pressures that are colliding over him right now, complaining to Chopper about it.  Kanan and Rex are pulling him in opposite directions and fighting with each other over it every step of the way, and this has made him discouraged, unsure of his path forward, and missing the simplicity of his life before the Ghost, as rough as it was.

So of course he jumps at the opportunity to distract himself from everything when Chopper picks up a distress signal from Vizago’s ship.

Borrowing Mom’s van to make a wellness check on your old criminal fencing friends lol.

Yes, this is super irresponsible and dangerous but also Ezra really needed this little day trip to clear his head and remind himself how much he’s changed from the kind of person who would’ve jumped at Hondo’s offer.

So this episode is mostly character building/character renewal for Ezra and also a Friendship Fetch Quest that nets us Hondo Ohnaka.  After Rex, he’s one of the most important allies we gain this season.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.  Back to Ezra doing things that absolutely got him grounded after this episode. XD

(Lol at Ezra’s defensive little, “I know how to fly.” towards Chopper, immediately belied by him scraping the Phantom on its hooks.)

Garel be pretty, what can I say?

Hilarious that the ship got stuck in Garel airspace, I have to assume Hondo and Vizago met with their, ah, “disagreement” literally almost as soon as they took off lolol.

Fyrnock cue coming back here, I guess we’re using it as shorthand for uncertain perilous situations now.

The similarities to the previous episode in the creepy seemingly abandoned nature of the ship I’m going to assume were deliberate in order to catch us off guard when it was all subverted and Hondo was introduced, instead of some horrible danger.

And yeah, Hondo is a bit “defanged” from his Clone Wars incarnation but I think it kinda fits, you know, the all-consuming overwhelming evil of the Empire is such that mundane run-of-the-mill pirates and criminal overlords are simply just not as frightening or dangerous anymore.  The Empire ruins everything, even the lives of outliers who used to just fly under the radar.

Ezra keeps darting glances at Hondo’s arm around his shoulder like he’s not entirely comfortable with it being there, lol.

I mentioned that Ezra’s mechanical skills sort of fall by the wayside as he grows into his role as Jedi so it’s nice that he gets to use them here.

“This was such a bad idea, Hera’s going to kill me when if I get back.”

Ah man, Ezra continues to have just such a look of regretting all of the decisions that led him to this point, poor bby.

He slips pretty naturally back into his street orphan trickster/swindler/pickpocket persona though, smoothly bargaining with Hondo to distract from his swiping the sentry droid control.

Frynock cue transmuted to strings instead of brass as we descend.

Nice to see a moon that looks like an actual moon.  This is a pretty unique location and I’m glad we get to visit it again later in the season.

Ezra planning ahead for trouble because he remembers how this kind of thing can easily go down, kind of a subtle hint at how familiar he is with the workings of the criminal underground.

And it’s a good thing he did because it’s Azmorigan that we’re meeting.  Love Ezra’s immediate look of, “Ah hell.” and hiding his face.

“I don’t deal with washed-up old relics!” “Come now, let’s leave your wife out of this.” PFFFKJHGKH HONDO PLZ.

This brief comedic exchange actually kind of gives some insight into Hondo’s changed circumstances.  The current criminal overlords consider him outdated, washed up, from a bygone era, an old fool desperately clinging to relevance.  It fits because Hondo is a bit of a classic romantic at heart, fond of what we would call “swashbuckling adventure”.  It’s the reason he loves the Jedi and thinks back on them wistfully and nostalgically, they represent the kind of dramatic tales and bold feats of a golden era full of opportunity for reward and glory.  But there’s no more room for that kind of frivolous excitement under the iron oppressive hand of the Empire, you adapt or you die out, and Hondo refuses to do either.

...Right, now that I’ve given myself feels over a comedic side character let’s move on.

The light woodwind ditties in the soundtrack belie the actual tension of this scene, especially when Ezra has his helmet pulled off.  (The cadet helmet he had Sabine paint for him, which he keeps retreating into when he feels unsafe in this episode, the biased shipper in me would like to point out.)

You can practically hear the string of curses inside his head as he tries to hide his face here.

No dice, Azmorigan recognizes him, cue Big Damn Heroes moment from the orange tin can murderhobo himself and a decent little action setpiece.  What I’m most impressed with/interested in in this sequence is Ezra himself, how he moves with such skill and finesse.

Also catch me crying remembering when he was tiny enough to hop over his own bound hands like a jumprope.  I don’t think that trick would work as well post growth spurt.

An impulsive and genuinely selfless move from Hondo as he pushes Ezra out of the way of the cargo ladder Azmorigan sent rolling at him.  And this is before he knows Ezra’s a Jedi so Hondo really basically just took one look at this kid and decided he’d die for him.  Which, you know, valid.

This droid is a menace lol.

Ezra takes a risk by using his Force abilities.  Fortunately Azmorigan is too busy fleeing for his life from Chopper to see, and Hondo loves Jedi.  (See again: classic romanticist at heart.)

“You must have many responsibilities.”  “Yeah.  Too many at the moment.”

This kid. :((((  He’s under such pressure.

Ezra’s little “Wait a minute.” side look here lol.

And he continues not to enjoy Hondo’s affection ha ha.

It’s cute but also my brain is wandering to the fridge on this one because:

A) Ezra is now comfortable with all the casual touches and gestures of physical affection from the Ghost crew, which mirrors how he’s found a new home with them and no longer belongs in Hondo’s world.

And B) given the events of last episode it’s not surprising Ezra is a bit touchy about weird strangers violating his personal boundaries.

“Maybe I would make a pretty good pirate.  Inquisitors don’t hunt them do they?”  Honey you are Force Sensitive and already on their radar, hanging out with Hondo would only hide you for so long.

(Yet another thing that’s apparently been on his mind and adding to his anxieties.  In light of that his initial refusal to help Vizago makes more sense, the kid has so much on his plate already and just does not want to deal with anything else.)

Lol Ezra talking to Vizago like Vizago’s a problem child he’s babysitting.

Right, this whole scene right here is why I don’t do stories with casts of morally gray protagonists, the constant backstabbing and side-switching are exhausting.

Look, even Ezra’s exhausted.  Poor kid needs a nap he looks so tired.

Fortunately for Ezra, Chopper has his back, having put the Phantom on autopilot beforehand.  So he winds up not losing the Phantom (this time) and actually accomplishing the mission without really trying.

I do wanna see that missing scene where the Phantom returns to the Ghost and Hera’s all ready to let Ezra have it and then this weird Weequay pops out lolol.

They look so proud, like, “Awww that’s our little gremlin child.”

Aaaaand this little heartwarming look from Hondo is getting to me a bit this time around.

He’s so fond of Ezra ajkhaksfjfh.

Hera’s taking the whole “running off with the Phantom instead of doing his chores” thing remarkably well all things considered.  I guess it helps that he lucked into finding some generators.

There is no reason for this shot to be this pretty this is just a hanger.

*sobbing forever about how Hondo functions as narrative foil for how Ezra could have turned out if not for his Found Family and how that’s acknowledged in-text*

SEE PREVIOUS OBSERVATION ABOUT HOW EZRA IS USED TO AND COMFORTABLE WITH CASUAL AFFECTIONATE TOUCHING FROM HIS FAMILY.

I caught a lot of unexpected feels rewatching this episode, I’ve always liked it for being a fun Ezra-focused episode but I’m seeing just how it fits neatly into his character journey.  Things got hairy last episode, the stressors and pressure points (Rex and Kanan’s bickering) continue to increase and he got understandably overwhelmed.

The growing pains in his self-identity, questioning whether or not he even wants to be a Jedi at this point, just to get granted a glimpse of what his life might have looked like if he had continued on that self-serving path and realizing how much he’s changed... aaaaaaah I love it!

Another successful Friendship Fetch Quest accomplished.

[unexpectedbrickattack]

What is your HC height for the characters? Personally I see peppino as 4'11, he's teeny tiny while being hilariously buff

Hes even smaller than MY peppino! I dont have too many heights set in stone bc im prone to flipflopping 😔

Peppino is 5’1 (154cm) but i am Not immune to Tall Fat Men so like if i draw him as 6’ (182cm) dont @ me.

Pepperman is HUGE at roughly 7’4 (218cm) bc I like the idea of him just being a massive freak of nature. Why is he so big. Why does his face take up most of his body?? I want him to be tall but still capable of walking into establishments (with some patience)

Gustavo is like. I feel like i Want to make him 2’ (60cm) bc i make all of my gnome creatures incredibly small. But im only using them as a base so i feel like 3’3/3’5 (99/104cm) feels a bit better.

Brick is literally a bear to me. Like a grizzly bear with a rat face and hamnds…do what you want with this information.

Noise and noisette are both exactly 4’ (121cm). Theyre both little imps to me :) smaller than Peppino but bigger than Gustavo.

Vigilante is roughly the same height as Gustavo at 3’1 (93cm). Hes got alot of stretch n pull to his shape though so its not very consistent. If he makes himself tall he looks incredibly thin, and if he makes himself shorter he starts to look like a pancake. And this isnt a height thing but hes VERY heavy and VERY dense so trying to pick him up would damage ur back pretty badly 😭

I dont have a height for fake peppi bc i havent drawn him enough 😭 and i dont care about pizzahead enough to give him a height lmao

[zeravmeta]

(throwing my 10 gallon hat in the ring) fgo is and will always be hurt by its status as a mobile game especially when the main draw of reading in it is made less accessible to many people (things like locking events and special interludes behind rpwalls or just flat out not using the feature they invented specifically to give people event access) but i feel like people get frustrated specifically because of the discrepancy in story quality throughout, and that ultimately comes from the fact that fgo has no single main writer.

fgo has its absolute highs and its eye-rolling lows and that fully comes from the fact that different people are writing different parts of the story (again born from its mobile game status) and that will ultimately leave the story feeling tonally dissonant. yes there are some overarching themes present within the story but people will always feel dissatisfied when reading fgo because the story quality and writing style jumps wildly between parts of the story. the same applies to its comedic side events as well, some of them can be ball bustingly hilarious and others can be a test of faith.

at the same time though I think it is unfair to say that there is no good that comes from fgo even with its messed up model: the variety of different writers makes it a total playground for them to play with wildly different stories and thematics that would never come from a series as dense as fate. nasu has writing chops but i dont think he could have made something like e pluberius unum or shinjuku without adding 2.5x the wordcount. there is no joke in carnival phantasm thats as good as real deal nobunaga or valentines exponential chocolate technology. while it certainly varies there are absolutely standout characters among the variety that are just as well written in fgo as they would be in a different, longer fate work. fgo is The game that introduced the concept of actually having a story and plot in mobile games. even with all the horribleness of Bill and Teds Epic Hentai Gambling Adventure people do still come back specifically for the story aspect of fgo more than any other aspect of it. its really better to think of fgo as a series of vignettes with an overarching theme because thats really what it is at the end of the day, a series of stories in a whole bunch of different settings with a main cast that has rotating characters. and again, fgo will always have inherent problems: the gacha model, marketing itself as a single story when its really not, the waifutization and pandering, continuing to bring certain subpar writers into the room, the actual gameplay aspect of fgo still having major issues, and so on. however i feel like people should already understand these things at this point, and people just consistently set themselves up for failure with rampant fandomization and not understanding the disconnect with fgo as a whole. maybe im just a little neurotic goblin but if youre going to play any type of mobile game, you should do your research first

fgo really is an exercise in taking the good with the bad and if the bad outweighs the good for you, then just read a different fate work or quit the series altogether, because fgo really is just a culmination of the various themes of other fate works, and even if you can certainly say it doesn't do some of it well it does keep people hooked. fgo is already 6-7 years into its lifespan so i think that everything that needs to be said about fgos problems have really already been fully said and discussed. unlike the accessibility of other vns in english fgo is easily accessible and thus all of its problems are a lot more transparent and more easily discussed (and at times even exaggerated i will say), so its not really a surprise when you think about it that many people get a bad impression of the rest of the fate series when only reading fgo and seeing its problems, since the other material is either unofficially translated or locked behind youtube playthroughs and beasts lair forum downloads. if you enjoy worldwide popular mobile game fate/grand order i promise you that you will enjoy other fate works and nasuverse just as much, likely more, and its worth it to seek them out. and if you just dont like fgo after the fact... i promise you that you'll still probably like the other vns of the series. fgo can only be really appreciated when you know the thematics its expanding on, and all of those come from the rest of the series. and look like. i can certainly understand the argument of fgo being bad as a story if fans are telling you to read a different story to then read fgo, like thats certainly an argument ill listen to. many fate works can stand on their own as stories and if fgo as a standalone story doesnt work for you and you dont want to read its extensive backlog of content just to understand fgo thats genuinely understandable. however, that in itself kind of fundamentally misunderstands the narrative that fgo is trying to make as a culmination of all the lore and thematics that its been building on for about two decades now, since again, fgo is ultimately a culmination of everything that came before it

[coredrill]

as foretold, bang brave bang bravern was crazy good this week

it's just. gosh. for as much as i talk abt bravern being unhinged the fact of the matter is that it is actually SO restrained. ESPECIALLY for something in a medium that is already a little self-indulgent and referential. like for all of bravern himself's clear love for mecha there have been so few explicit references to other shows? and then this ep had so fucking many - ttgl (which - fucking hilarious to use it against a character KONISHI is voicing and then have that DD be fucking useless except for wanting to see some cool fights LSKDJFH) and flcl and symmetrical docking and rider kick and jeeg and gundam and the fuckin uhhhhhhhh exkaiser i think but i dont remember for sure its the same one that showed up in the earlier fight w superbia too. like w the other mecha on the roof framing. and probably about thirty more that i'm for sure missing or not recognizing or forgetting ON TOP OF all the obari posing and punching which have been sneaking into the visuals before this - but it was all for the purpose of having us watch this hype battle and get all excited to make the ending hit THAT much harder. and holding off the first gattai until episode NINE???? the thing we're all expecting to happen at any fucking moment, because there was no way that the souls of isami and bravern could've combined and actually resonated for a true gattai until that point????? like it's ALL in service of the story rather than wow cool robot even tho it IS a pretty damn cool robot. this show makes me feel like i did my homework and i'm acing the test AND I HAVENT EVEN WATCHED THAT MUCH MECHA TBH. LMFAO. all the "who is this show even FOR (eyeroll emoji)" comments back in like ep2 get funnier every week bc bravern knows its audience like the back of its hand and it gets clearer and clearer every week that its execution is fucking razor sharp. this show is SO SUCKING GOOD and I LOVE IT. that was supposed to say fucking good but sucking works too

the fucking NOISE superbia makes when bravern is like "don't u want to fight me when i'm EVEN STRONGER" took me the FUCK out

[gets beer sponsorship] [makes Consumption Of Food And Drink a tether point to Humanity] [out-cooks the cooking show] i'm gonna buy more kona beer (<- fucking hates beer)

fish jumpscare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i honestly don't think i've seen any anime with a fucking ED DROP before. lmfao

lewis smith. you want so badly to be the protagonist. to be the rival. to be the one who dies to motivate the hero. to be the MECHA ITSELF. and yet you are the love interest!!! you are GOING to be saved whether you want it or not!!! you ARE rain mikamura. you ARE the heroine. Let Isami Save You. you've got a family of people who fuck with time in different and fun ways to save each other and its his turn now whether you like it or not!!!!!!!!

he rly did put that mask back on right before he died…………..subtext, cowards, so on and so forth

thanks bravern for inventing gay ppl. was surprised to get a literal love confession AND an almost-kiss here but tbh at this point i think isami could use a good old-fashioned hug more than anything else. like one of those that cracks his spine. poor baby rice cracker is goin thru it LMAO. also i keep calling isami baby rice cracker and i cannot stop myself anymore………..baby rice cracker…………

me after saying every week that this show has done something to my brain "guys i think this show has done something to my brain"

wow this post is allover the place moreso than usual. like i said earlier this ep was so fucking DENSE and GOOD that i'm gonna need some time to process All That. gosh. [bravern voice] BRAAAAAAVEEEERN!!!!!!!!!!!

[iamgrape]

»»————-　Panda Niki Shiina 　————-««

Character: panda! (Context: like his panda card) Niki Shiina

Content: HC.

Gift: @sh1rakin

...

Pandas are very rare you always thought as you stare at your certain panda lover who's cooking for his self proclaimed fox husband (Rinne) some buns.

You look at your Google search about panda mating and about them being too lazy to even bother to do it.

Hence of them being rare, because they don't breed from being too comfortable to rather do stuff they like.

"... I Guess not this year." You mumble as you sigh in the nth time.

"What is not this year, sweetie?" Niki looks up from his cooking as he heard your sigh and words. Rinne looks up to you as he take some buns as Niki is busy looking at you.

"... nothing." You look at him, giving him an hard stare before you rolled your eyes with a pout.

"Ehh... I think it's not just nothing. Sorry if I don't understand what you wanna say, honey." Niki apologize with a scratch on his hair. He tried to think what are you trying to imply but you only pout as you reach out to get another bun. Rinne sneakingly stood up and went behind you to look at your phone screen before going back to his chair as he pretend to get water.

">:T it's nothing...!" You stood up and left. But you give a peak at the door way when he don't follow. Before you glare at him and that hateful rinne who's laughing his ass off from the drama in front of his buns.

"...d-did I do something wrong... Ahh... By just thinking of them hating me makes me so hungry..." He mumble as he held two buns in two hands and start eating his hunger yet he doesn't feel satisfied at all.

"I'm still hungry... I hope they won't be mad at me..." He start to cook more food as rinne sneakers and laugh each time Niki think his 'hunger' would be satisfied with 'food'

" it's really hilarious how your being compare to a regular panda." Rinne says with a very insulting smile. He does sees your phone Google search earlier.

"Well, I see the very much similarities in this heated season. :P poor little bee. Doesn't know it doesn't apply to panda people lol." Rinne shrugged his shoulders as he Express his deep sorry for you, Niki can mate all year round through this is just the peak of the season.

But does he have mindset in such thing? Not really, unless his slapped across the face or better yet get yelled at how you would like him to fuck you or else its just loving you Romantically and food in his mind.

"..." Niki suddenly stop mixing stuff in pot when hunger takes the best of him. He felt his going to try to 'eat' you if you ever try to come near him, which odd as it always all people who approaches him but why is it you specifically in this hunger?

"oi, Amagi#1 your lil bro is outside." You who went out of the kitchen heard the doorbell and saw hiiro who is looking for his brother. You hatefully went back to the kitchen to get the stupid older brother of his from this stupid dense chef's kitchen.

"sugar plum..." Once again Niki have use his list of food endearment for you but this time his voice sound so huskily...? you look at him as Rinne stood up and tap your shoulder.

"good luck, little bee." He sneakers as he left with his brother and locking the door behind him. He won't come back till few days time as his a good friend who would let his friend have his good time.

"Niki what's wrong--" you notice something off about Niki but as you approach him, you were quickly pulled toward him. "I-im... Hungry...." He kisses your nape, he felt warm yet it's not do bad as his skin made contact against yours, he felt chill and cannot help but grumble... Wanting to feel more yet not understanding what he want at the moment.

"I want you...." He held your bosom as you jump and circle your legs against his waist liking how his quite affectionate at the moment, yet looking at the blushing face of Niki that breathing heavily with his nails pinching your tight.

"Hmmm~" You moan as he rub his hardness against your private. His eyes slight and suddenly went for a deep sloppy heated kiss.

As you two make out in the kitchen, he suddenly stop and quickly run to the stove to turn it off. "Oh no I burn it." He sigh as he can smell how It burn just now. You pout as the moment was destroyed. But sigh when you remember this is Niki. You were about to go fix your own problem when Niki who just clean the stove and turn off all the equipment-- went and carried you in his arms.

"Sorry about that~ but we can continue in the bedroom if you want my muffin~" he smiles at you as he open his eyes, you can see that even so he stop himself earlier his still lost in the feeling of heat and lust.

He just don't want to burn the house down with you in it.

"ah?" You where surprised but soon found yourself in the bed room with Niki loaming over you.

"Shall we continue?"

[wrishwrosh]

Top five favorite books and or fics ?

ooooo thank you evil question im gonna do books AND fics bc i love to proselytize :))) both in no particular order because picking just five is hard enough

books:

- moby dick by herman melville. truly one of the funniest wildest most fascinating books ive ever read. feels like playing tag with herman melville. i often think about how much more delightful it would be if i was operating with an 1851 set of pop culture references bc i could tell like 2/3 of the jokes were going over my head (if anyone has context for the running joke about tall kentuckians pls hit me up).

- ghost wall by sarah moss. hauntingggggg. haunting as hell. i think about it often

- postcards by annie proulx. im a proulx completionist and i do think this is her most delightful book prosewise (close range is a close second i would not describe it as delightful but its def masterful. two for one. everybody go read proulx.)

- wolf hall by hilary mantel. rip hilary the goat no one else should ever have bothered writing historical fiction. i love this whole trilogy (you already know the end! he gets beheaded! and it works so well!) but the first one is the weirdest and the most ambitious and my favorite.

- the age of homespun by laurel thatcher ulrich. yeah its a dense tome about early new england material culture. yeah it quantifiably changed the trajectory of my life. its LAUREL

fics:

raajenboagen by oplopanax (hockey rpf) the definitive omegaverse and the definitive historical au and the definitive romance. highly recommend if you like deeply thoughtful religious and cultural worldbuilding with your omegaverse or if you, like me, were obsessed with prairie blizzards as a child

soldier’s heart by alex51324 (downton abbey) i literally wrote a whole explainer one time on how much i love this fic. just finished my yearly reread, it still fucks

stretch out your hand, my captain by thegooddoctor (the terror) killer writing about gender and historical queerness and repression and also prose so good i genuinely think about it all the time

jeeves and the club for inverts by triedunture (jeeves & wooster) i am realizing that all these are historicals. oops well i like what i like. anyway anyone who can do wodehouse pastiche this good is a national treasure

down by the brazos by ionthesparrow (hockey rpf) you guys know that thing where the setting is a character. this does that for gulf coast texas, a place i have never been, in a way that makes me literally able to smell the water

[gunilslaugh]

Jiseok and Seungmin need more writing works I see! Would it be possible to get a short story where there's a little love triangle between you and the two boys? Or like, they both have a crush on you and keep flirting/hinting (basically competing for your attention) to you that they do, but you're oblivious. Thanks!!

Oh Seungmin and Kwak Jiseok

Summary: Seungmin and Jiseok both have crushes on you and they each go about it in their own way, yet you are dense as a rock to both of their romantic feelings.

WC:~1.9k

Warning:grammar

photo not mine credits to owner.

Seungmin liked you and Jiseok liked you too, yet you were completely oblivious to both of their romantic feelings towards you. The other member found this situation completely hilarious. They watched it as if it were a kdrama. 

Seungmin was more of a subtle flirt. Showing his interest in you through more chivalrous acts. You’re cold? Immediately gives you his jacket. There’s a door in front of you? He’s opening it with a kind smile. Your shoes are hurting your feet? He’s ready to give you a piggyback ride or his own shoes if that’s what you preferred.

Jiseok was a more straightforward flirt. Always giving you compliments. Doesn’t matter if you were dressed like a homeless person, but would still tell you you’re beautiful. He’d be more affectionate with you too. You’re sitting next to him? His arm will find its way around your shoulders. Your hands brush while walking side by side? He won’t hesitate to grab it, interlace your fingers with his. 

However you didn’t give a second thought to any of their flirty actions. You simply thought that’s just how your dynamic with them was. Still, you weren’t just oblivious to their crushes on you. You were also oblivious to the clear jealousy that was on their faces whenever one of them was attempting to court you. The fact that you are totally unobservant to how whenever one was hanging out with you the other was always lingering by waiting for his chance to steal your attention. 

“How long are they gonna keep this up?” Jungsu questions his member from where they stand watching you, Seungmin and Jiseok having a conversation together. It was more that neither Jiseok or Seungmin wanted to leave you alone with the other, but you would’ve never guessed that anyway.

“I think it’ll only stop once one or both of them finally confess. I never seen someone be as dense as y/n,” Gunil states.

“Dude I know. How are they so oblivious and those two are so obvious?” Jooyeon says.

“It’s another one of the world's mysteries,” Hyeongjun shrugs.

“Won’t it make things weird once a confession happens? One of them is gonna end up hurt. Maybe things are better this way.” Jooyeon voices his concern. 

“They’d probably be upset for a while, but I’m sure everything will end up ok. I mean look they both like her, but they also are still friends and have a good relationship. I think at the end of the day they just want y/n to be happy and to be a part of their life in whatever way that is,” Gunil offers reassurance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey y/n we should go hiking sometime,” Jiseok suggested to you. They had a free day and as usual they had invited you over to their dorm to hangout. 

“Yes, hiking sounds fun. Doesn’t it?” Seungmin interjects the conversation. Resulting in Jiseok massively side-eyeing him. To which Seingmin mockingly shrugs.

“It does and the weather has been nice too. It would be nice for all of us to go,” you said. Being completely incognizant to Jiseok asking you out on a date, then Seungmin crashing that said date.

That’s how not only you, Jiseok and Seungmin, but also Jungsu, Gunil, Hyeongjun and Jooyeon found yourselves at a hiking trail all together one bright afternoon.

“Maybe you guys should just confess,” Jooyeon tells the group as they wait for you to come out from the restroom. “Before it was funny, but now we have to go hiking because of it,” Jooyeon whined. 

“Hey y/n thought it would be a fun group activity, so we will be having fun today,” Jiseok spoke with a smile, but his eyes were threatening.

“Exactly, so keep the complaining to yourselves,” Seungmin added. 

“Have you guys thought about actually confessing though? Or are you just gonna keep this competition of competing for someone who has absolutely no clue either of you like them going?” Gunil quizzes the two boys, seemingly getting tired of the ongoing situation. Jiseok and Seungmin exchange looks. Realizing neither of them really did think about how they would actually confess to you. Gunil sighs seeing the interaction between them. “Look you two just need to be honest with them ok?” Gunil advises. Seungmin and Jiseok look at each other once more before nodding. 

“We’ll do it today,” Seungmin declares

“Today isn’t that a bit sudden?” Jungsu asks, shocked upon hearing what Seungmin just declared.

“Gunil’s right. This has been for a long time, so we might as well,” Jiseok stated.

“We’ll waid back behind the three of you then,” Hyeongjun informed, the other quickly agreeing with him.

You came back from the restroom and rejoined the group.

“You guys ready?” You question them.

“All set,” Seungmin states as he begins leading down the trail. Jiseok quickly followed his suit. Maybe you did just live in a constant state of oblivion because you even failed to notice how the other four members were staying back about six feet behind where you walked beside Seungmin and Jiseok. Nor is it anymore surprising that you also failed to notice how the two boys were also constantly exchanging looks. Having a wordless conversation about when would be the best time for them to confess their feelings for you. They decided that the time was so when you guys approached a small stream surrounded by a variety of bushes and flowers.

“Y/n,” the two of them said simultaneously as they stopped walking, each turning to face you.

“Yeah,” you said, taking a moment to look at both of them.

“We have something to tell you,” Jiseok notifies you.

“What is it?” you ask.

“I like you,” Seungmin confessed.

“And I like you too,” Jiseok revealed right after.

“You both like me?” you are puzzled. Pointing one pointer finger at them then both towards yourself.

“Yes, have you not noticed us flirting with you this entire time?” Jiseok questions you.

“I just thought that’s how you guys were with me,” you apprised.

“Well what do you say?” Seungmin probes. “Or if you need time you can think about it. We won’t make you choose on the spot,” he adds slightly frantic, not wanting it to seem like they were pushing you.

“What if I don’t like either of you?” you hesitantly asked.

“They’re your feelings y/n,” Jiseoks laughs lightly. “If you don’t like us then you don’t like us, no worries. We’ll happily remain friends,” he continued on.

“Does that mean you like someone else or just not us?” Seungmin says, knowing that your question was your form of rejection to them.

“I’m sorry I like someone else,” you disclose.

“Can we ask who?” Jiseok says with a playful look. You turned back looking where the rest of the members stood in the distance.

“I like Gunil,” you profess.

“Me!” Gunil shouts from the distance as they were clearly eavesdropping on your three’s conversation. 

“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Seungmin encourages.

“Yes, go go. He already knows now,” Jiseok adds, turning you by your shoulders and pushing you towards Gunil.

“Well I never thought that Gunil was gonna steal our girl,” Seungmin laughed in disbelief.

“Me either man,” Jiseok lightly shook his head, also in disbelief. “Whatever makes her happy though,” he added. 

“Yes, as long as they’re happy,” Seungmin said in agreement.

Seungmin Ending:

“Well what do you say?” Seungmin probes. “Or if you need time you can think about it. We won’t make you choose on the spot,” he adds slightly frantic, not wanting it to seem like they were pushing you.

“I think I need some time to think about sorry,” you told them.

“That’s totally ok, no worries. Take all the time you need,” Seungmin courteously told you.

You ended up taking three weeks to sort out all of your feelings. Realizing just how complicated they could truly be. Having the changed perspective of Seungmin and Jiseoks’ acts being romantic clearly made a difference. It made you realize that Seungmin had made his way into your heart without you even realizing it. Maybe you didn’t return (steal)his sweater simply because you liked it more than the ones you owned. You liked it more because it was his sweater and it made you feel like you were in his embrace whenever you wore it.

You called Seungmin and set up a good time for meeting up. The two of you decided on meeting at one of your guys favorite cafes. 

Arriving at the cafe you’re greeted with the sight of Seungmin patiently waiting outside for you.

“Hey,” you greeted him.

“Hi,” he greets you back. He opens the door for you letting you walk inside first. After getting your drinks the both of you sit at a secluded table near a corner.

“Seungmin,” you speak up.

“Yes?” he responds.

“I called you to meet up because I wanted to tell you that you’re the one that I like,” you admitted. Seungmin busted out into a smile before getting out of his seat and walking over to your side of the table, bending down to hug you.

“Thank you,” he says sincerely. “I was hoping that this is why you wanted to meet up,” he revealed, pulling away. “I like you too,” he said flirtatiously. 

“Wow I never would have guessed,” you retorted sarcastically. 

Leaving you guys to enjoy the rest of your cafe date together.

Jiseok Ending:

“Well what do you say?” Seungmin probes. “Or if you need time you can think about it. We won’t make you choose on the spot,” he adds slightly frantic, not wanting it to seem like they were pushing you.

“I think I need some time to think about sorry,” you told them.

“No worries, take all the time that you need,” Jiseok reassured you.

It’s been about a month since both Jiseok and Seugmin had revealed that they both like you. It was a lot for you to process. Looking back at your time spent with them had an all new context. They weren’t being platonic, they were being romantic. It changed everything. Now you know how they feel, but what about your feelings? Succeeding thinking about your times with the two boys. You’ve come to the conclusion that Jiseok is the one that makes your heart race. That anytime he grabbed your hand in his as you walked beside one another it made your heart skip a beat and not just cause his action surprised you.

Upon knowing how you truly felt you contacted Jiseok and set a date to meet up with him. 

You arrived at the meetup place,an arcade, where you would spend too much money on claw machines. You stand out by the entrance as you wait for Jiseok to arrive. In a few short minutes you see him walking towards you.

“Hello,” he greets you. You happily greet him back, heading inside the arcade. After spending what would be about $15 dollars on a claw machine you won a little penguin stuffed animal.

“Jiseok,” you called.

“Yeah,” he replies. 

“Here,” you hold out the penguin to him.

“Don’t you want it?” he asks you a bit confused.

“It’s a present of my love,” you tell him. His eyes widen in realization after he processes your words.

“You mean?” he needs to double check before it gets too excited.

“I like you Jiseok,” you proclaim.

“Yes!” He shouts as he quite literally throws himself at you, wrapping his arms around you in a crushing hug.