#i feel like esp for teaching kids that was a lot more encouraging than only drawing from life

[ink-the-artist]

Could i ask for advice? How do you personally start drawing something you never had before? I'm finally able to draw again and unfortunately, i have a hard time making my art lifelike and not rigid. I admire how alive your pices are, and the colors are always so beautiful. I Hope you have a wonderful day!

For me its been a really useful skill to develop to learn how to sort of "copy" what you see into a drawing, whether from life or from an image. you can even start out by using simpler cartoony art as a reference if drawing from life is intimidating, just to get in the swing of the process bc its the same process whether youre drawing from life or a cartoon or from your head. everything you draw is just an object, animals and people and landscapes are all objects. I start by simplifying the thing im drawing into shapes, you can break down even super complicated images into basic shapes. this is where the proportions should be figured out so you arent erasing and redrawing really detailed stuff down the line. from there im just adding more shape and detail as I go, going gradually from simple to complex kind of like you’re molding with clay.

I think bob ross videos are rly good examples of this sort of thing lol. his paintings look detailed and complex by the end but when you watch him actually paint he's just doing a bunch of really simple things, starting out very basic and continuously adding more detail (or the illusion of detail).

for not making things rigid this is something I struggle with too lol I think its a fairly common thing to struggle with. I naturally draw pretty messily which helps, drawing fast expressive lines at the beginning can help create a sense of motion in the drawing down the line

[spidersbane]

Hello! Can I get MCU, The Hobbit, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ship? 💚

Appearance: She/her. 179,5cm tall, rectangle body shape. Fair skin complexion with quite a few birthmarks. Dyed brown with honey-red highlights, shoulder-length, straight hair with bangs. The left eye is a mix of two colors – a smaller portion of (darker) greyish-blue and a larger portion of hazel; while the right eye is just a (lighter) greyish-blue. Heptagon face shape with two dimples on the left cheek and one on the right cheek (only visible while smiling). A gap between the upper front teeth.

Personality (good and bad traits): Ever since I was a kid, I was always quite mature for my age – I identify myself as an old soul. I come off as polite and well-mannered to strangers, yet I tend to keep it to myself by being reserved. But, that’s because I have social anxiety and I’m nervous and shy when meeting/talking to people. The only people I’m comfortable with being with my inner circle – closest friends and family. I am usually more “open” with my friends than with my family. With my friends I can be my “truest-self” – I smile more, I laugh more, I feel more accepted and understood. I am the mom and the fashionista of the group. Don’t get me wrong, I am fiercely protective of my family, especially of my mother and younger sister. But, lately, I’ve been feeling like the “black sheep” of the family, Cinderella who’s been taken advantage of. I express my affection for the people I care about in little, but practical, ways. I can be a little stiff when it comes to open, gushy displays of affection. Others turn to me for help and advice. I’m kind-hearted and generous, always ready to help a person in need. Always have been motherly towards children. Very awkward at keeping small talk (usually with people that I’m not that close with). Absolutely, hate speaking in front of a public, and if I do, because of my nervousness, I tend to mess up my words and/or I practice whatever I’m about to say in my head at first. I appreciate the simplicity and am often most comfortable when I’m not getting too much attention from the world. I am sensitive – both to criticism and to others’ feelings (I sponge up the feelings and moods of people and the environment around me). Have a hard time saying no or expressing my true thoughts, feelings. I get influenced by other people’s opinions/thoughts quite hard (I take everything to the heart), that is why I tend to keep a lot to myself (may come off as a little bit tense, secretive, mysterious). I avoid the harsh reality by daydreaming (almost every day) – imagining myself in situations far from my current circumstances. Sort of like a self-escape. I worry a lot and overthink almost everything. I am easily distracted and my attention span can be quite short. I have an internal struggle between my needs and wants. I can lack focus and be indecisive as a result – when I decide on one route, I am pulled in another direction at the same time (“But what if…”, “on the other hand...”). That is why I’m having a bit of a struggle with deciding what I want to do in the future (career-wise). I am easily overwhelmed by pressure and stress. There is a self-destructive side to me (self-critical, lack of self-confidence) that I’m working on by confronting my fears (coming out of my shell). Don’t like taking pictures, or other people taking pictures of me. I feel most content when I’ve straightened out all the details of everyday life. I have a routine, that I follow by mostly every day, and if something small changes in that routine, I start to have a small internal anxiety attack. Also, I like to do things my own way, like, when it comes to cleaning the house or organizing stuff, etc. I get triggered even if people don’t do the laundry the way I do. I guess you could describe me as a perfectionist, clean/control freak. In triggering situations I can be impulsive, spontaneous, quick to act. Quick flare-ups of anger/annoyance when being provoked on my patience. Even when I’m feeling low, I manage to find humor in life and have fun with whatever I do have. Although I tend to bottle things up, I am an emotional person and my emotions are genuine – I love and care deeply and passionately and wish no ill will upon anyone, yet it hards for me to imagine someone falling in love with me or just liking me.

Hobbies, likes: My hobbies are cleaning, writing (re-writing song lyrics, making small notes, writing stories), listening to any type of music, catching up on my favorite films and TV shows, hanging out with friends, going to the cinema, or the club, being out in nature, reading, traveling. I like history, cooking, fashion magazines (or fashion in general), road trips, spirituality, mythology, books, orange juice, previous decades, cottage-core, dark academia.

Overall: Hufflepuff. INFP-T. Bi-sexual. Pisces-Aries cusp sign. “Looks like could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll.” A feminist, support LGBTQ+ community. That’s it, thank you!

hey @pataim ! thanks so much for sending in your request, and thank you so much for your honesty about yourself. like it takes a lot to air yourself out like that, and I admire your strength for it. but also fINALLY a 'Man from U.N.C.L.E' ship! I love that movie and attempt Illya's accent all the time, so this will be fun :)

For the MCU/Marvel - I ship you with Steve Rogers/Captain America ! 

no one can tell me that Steve doesn’t have a set routine honestly, so let me just get that out there 

he seems intimidating at first, esp as a public figure and Avenger, but Steve is nothing but passionate about what he does. so it may clash w your lack of direction, but I could honestly see him envying that a lil bit, like it’s not that you don’t have direction, it’s the fact that you still have a choice in the matter. 

your love of history put you in a museum, here you bumped into Steve in a horrible disguise. he struck up the conversation first, and once you got past the whole “holy crap that’s Captain America”, you could actually engage with him in the material and boi was he smitten 

he would love to join you when your rewatched your fave things, bc not only is he catching up on more media he missed out on, he’s also getting to know your interests in a way that’s comfortable with you. it avoids all the small talk, but leaves room for discussion after the film/show ! 

since you tend to sponge up a lot of what other people believe, it’s totally Steve who actually tries to question what you think and what you feel about things. he’s someone who encourages you to have your own opinions and to stay true to those thoughts. so while with him, you can rely on him to learn about yourself, you also gain skills for independence

overall, Steve is super patient, and despite his chaotic job as Cap, he takes comfort in his routine, and would find comfort incorporating a partner’s routine into his life. and as you grow in a relationship with him, he’s patient about teaching you how to be your own person, and helping you learn more about yourself. and while it’s uncomfortable, you grow stronger throughout being with him :) 

For The Hobbit - I ship you with Bilbo Baggins !

Bilbo is the definition of introvert, and you're right there with him

not that introversion is ever a bad thing, bc it isn't. but Bilbo is quite content to sit in his little hobbit hole and vibe. like Gandalf had to come find him, ya know. dude disappeared from his own bday.

but anyways. it's not that Bilbo lacks purpose, it's just that he's more content with a quieter life. and it seems like his quiet life would balance you out well! like the Shire is so so chill, and there doesn't really seem to be a lot of pressure on the hobbits to pick a profession. like they just genuinely do what needs to get done.

similarly, Bilbo is the type who seems a little bothered by mushy displays of affection. exhibit a: disappearing from his own bday. like he's much more the type to refill your tea when y'all are reading by the fireplace, which he would totally do w you

it will probs take you a little while to warm up to each, given just how introverted you both are. but when he explains that he has set ways of doing things, then if they're compatible w your ways of doing things, then it doesn't take you long to open up to him

like it'll be a little jarring, but he takes comfort in his routines too. and it'll be an event trying to incorporate both of your ways of life together, but he's willing to do it

overall, yours is a very quaint partnership, built on deep respect for one another. neither of you are going to push the other to do things you aren't into. and y'all just live your best lives together tbh :)

For The Man From U.N.C.L.E - I ship you with Illya Kuryakin !

I love my big Russian spy so much, so this is fun for me

so Illya is the epitome of reserved and generally quiet, so it might take a while to really break down his walls and talk to him. and he's not quite sure what to do with you once you join the team

but, he's playing his game of chess alone, and when you sit down and ask to play with him, he opens up a little more after that

if you're one who get sent out on mission with the team, get ready, bc sometimes those missions require a lot of improvising. but you'd probably be at whatever 'base' was, helping run operations from a more secure place. but Illya and Napoleon improvise a lot, leading to a lot of headaches for you and Waverly

Illya has small bursts of anger, but similar to Gaby, most times, you can intervene and he doesn't get violent. or when he does, he tries to make sure it isn't in front of you. but bc you care so deeply for him, you're there for him in the aftermath. and that's how you show your love for him.

by patching him up if he gets cut, by talking him down when he's angry. and just generally trying to take care of him. and he totally does the same for you, especially if you get sent out into the field

and much to Illya's dismay, Solo doesn't refrain form making jokes about you. but if you can take them in stride, then Solo welcomes you into the team just as well :)

[muwur]

Since requests were open I was wondering if I could request father headcanons for iwai + ushi + atsumu 🥺 btw your writing is vv tasty n I can’t wait to see you write more !! Keep up the good work n stay safe !!

haikyuu daddee headcanons

✧ hc’s ✧ for iwaizumi, ushijima, and atsumu

❧ gn reader

✎ 1.4k words

a/n: omg u called my writing taSTY Dx i cri tySM 💞 that is a high compliment for me AHAHAHAH ILY and ty for the request! 

also my lovelies i m back i m sry i was gone so long feojfe i miss yall <3 here u go enjoi, this was fun to write lmk if yall want more characetrs AHAHA

current listen: accidentally in love by sHREK AAHAH jkjk i mean counting crows, they cant take that away from me by ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong, love the way you lie by eminem and rihanna

requests: open!

iwaizumi

✧ prePARED daddy

✧ picked up on this parenting thing p fast, also does a lot of research so he’s ready to face any situation

✧ teaches his kids how to behave n respect others

✧ also makes sure they know not to talk to strangers and teaches them some self defense

✧ be warned these kids are packing a surprise can of whOOP ASS,, dont fuck w them,, plus u wouldnt want buff daddee iwa on ur tail

✧ honestly his kids would be ANGELS ,,, n thats cuz he treats them all so w e l l

✧ mans is ATTENTIVE. he asks his kids about their days, their interests, and encourages discussion about their fEELINGS 🥺

✧ always offers them really valuable and light-hearted advice

✧ and gives them the love and transparency we all wanted but never had--

✧ however his kids are easily (n negatively) influenced esp when uncle oikawa comes to visit--

✧ but mostly bc iwa gets annoyed and slips out a lot of curse words and a “shittykawa” and then his kids started calling oikawa that and now it’s ingrained in them forever fjoefefgfvi (*distant phlattykawa crying noises*)

✧ gives them LOTS of head pats and ruffles as signs of affection

✧ PACKS THEIR SCHOOL LUNCHES and ensures they eat a balanced meal

✧ attends all their games/events,, will get a bit rowdy hype them up

✧ def lets his kids sleep with him when they’re having a bad night or woke up scared from a nightmare (and waits for them to fall asleep before going to sleep himself fojref)

✧ when they were babies he usually succeeded to get them to stop crying by pulling funny faces, showing them their favorite cartoons, or humming a lullaby

✧ when they get older,,, u bet iwa would be suPER protective esp when their kids start being iNtErEsTeD in other people

✧ you: “iwaizumi, they seem like a really nice kid, though”

✧ iwa: *sitting with you in the car, across the street from the ice cream parlor your child said they were at, and spying from the window* “you can’t trust everyone, of course they seem ‘nice,’ they just want our approval”

✧ definitely did not interrupt his child’s potential first kiss at their house’s doorstep by slamMINg the door open “sUDDENLY” cuz he “hEard TheIR vOicEs and THougHt TO lET them In”

✧ effectively traumatized both kids

✧ tho he felt bad after n u made him go apologize so he did (and he was forgiven, only if he agreed to never spy on them again--)

✧ doesn’t stop him from scrutinizing every person yalls kid introduces to you tho

✧ overall a super supportive dad, 11/10

ushijima

✧ ok dEF does not know much about parenting ,, at first

✧ stared at his child like ???nani when you both changed their first diaper

✧ also had plenty of staring contests with his babies ,,, called it bonding

✧ was curious and tasted baby food once,,, immediately regretted it

✧ once put a volleyball next to his child, who attempted to bite it, and took it as a sign that they liked it

✧ after sum time n practice, his mind becomes split between “how to volleyball” and “how to dad”

✧ catch him in the kitchen wearing an apron and whipping up his kids’ favorite smiley face pancakes 😤😤

✧ has an amazing ability to get his kids to stop crying, does really simple things like give them their favorite toy or place a gentle hand on their hand or attend to their needs (mans can tell if they want food or needa poop) and they calm down immediately

✧ carried them on his shoulders once and now they never stop asking him for shoulder rides (not that he minds anyway)

✧ if theres two kids he can probs carry one on each shoulder cuz cmon ,,, have u seen this man

✧ always goes to every performance/game/event his child takes part in

✧ man smiles so soft™ when he goes to the 1st grade play and sees his kid’s name in the program next to their role as “townsperson b” (next year, they upgraded to “singing carrot” in a play about the food pyramid)

✧ if his kid ends up enjoying volleyball, he will teach them e v e r y t h i n g they need to know

✧ but is overall super supportive of anything else his child pursues and doesn’t push anything onto them, would rather let them choose what they want to do

✧ had n o idea what to do when his kid asked him about the birds n the bees asfghkl

✧ couldnt sleep one night thinking about it and just randomly asks you while yall laying in bed in the dARk like “so our child asked me how babies are made and I told them they came from watermelon seeds” (you: 👁️👄👁️ “come again”)

✧ you: *at the grocery store with your child*

✧ child: *hands you watermelon* “I want a little brother!”

✧ you: “haha of course honey” 👁️👄👁️ what do i do (*later to ushijima* “duhfojhguf we needa get another baby i promised our child a younger brother fohurof” ; ushi: “wat” ; you: “itS YOUR FAULT”)

✧ yall eventually tell them not every watermelon can produce babies only really special ones that are really hard to get fhuoefkfotfi theyre not ready for the truth

✧ another great daddee, we stan

atsumu

✧ knew parenting was stressful esp with bABieS but was like eh it cant be that bad right

✧ think again

✧ g o o d b y e  s l e e p

✧ develops phat bags under his eyes, responds with a weak “aha im fine just that parenting life and the kids ykNOW” whenever his teammates ask if he’s oKAY

✧ tried to tempt his kids to eat their mush baby food by trying it himself, nearly gagged but was able to say “eughh yuMM”

✧ loves to lift them high up in the air, even throws them up a little and nearly drops them (yall almost died from feAR but babie was having so much fun,,, yall agreed to be just a bit more careful)

✧ rlly bad at getting them to stop crying, gets very stressed when he’s exhausted every option he can think of then calls you over for some help/advice (you: *immediately calms them down* ; ratsumu: “how--”)

✧ calls up osamu a lot to ask him how to make food ,, then simps whenever his twin brother comes over and the kids are in love with this man and his cooking (”dad why cant you make stuff as yummy as this”)

✧ very affectionate with his kids, gives them lots of hugs and kisses on the forehead

✧ plays with them a lot! whether it’s sports, just dance, animal crossing, or UNO, yOU NAME IT WE PLAY IT

✧ also has no mercy when playing competitive video or board games,, has made them cry more than once LOL

✧ so sometimes he toned it down n let them win,, until his kids actually got better and DEMOLISH him every time

✧ is cool with his kids cursing, just as long as they don’t do it in front of their teachers LMAO

✧ plays innocent when he gets a call from school saying his kid was using ‘inappropriate language’ and is like “whaaat? my child? im not even sure where they learned that, maybe check if the other kids in class are saying those things, too--”

✧ reminisces how much nicer his kids were to him when they were younger and all the time they spent together,,, bc now that they reached their tEeNS they want alone time

✧ wants to be B) cool dad so he tries kinda hard, esp in front of their friends but his kid’s just like dad pls dofjrgjigtgro

✧ also very supportive of whatever his kids want to pursue and dedicates time to help them in whatever ways he can (whether that be to help them practice, make sure he can provide transportation, get them supplies, etc)

✧ always playfully competing with you to see who’s the “better” parent (you win by default)

✧ PROTECTIVE dad and will easily intimidate ANYONE who crosses his kids

✧ takes sum adjustment and mental resilience but daddee atsumu perseveres  😤 absolutely loves his kids and would do anything for them  

[fuckingfinwions]

it's pretty fucking rich of curufin to call the servants perverts for doing what he/his family forced them to do! omg! also i love the detail that sometimes fingon is just like 'suffer bitch' and doesn't stop curufin from getting his own self in trouble. i wonder what celebrimbor thinks about all the tension between the three of them--he must be terrified, poor bby. also i love the detail that maedhros believes in thematic/ironic punishment. i imagine he does it a lot to curufin esp when hes str

*stressed abt ruling the noldor and whatnot. i wonder if he ever directly tells curufin that if he actually put any effort into it that he *might* be the best sex slave/concubine? just to have more 'competition' btwn him and fingon? (and maybe its just a ploy, hes much fonder of fingon just for actually just getting on with it and not being so annoying). also maglor and his elaborate shows. maglor sounds insufferable. is he rlly perfectionistic and dramatic with his directions/ideas/visions? ver

*very particular and demanding? i can also see some really dark domestic humor with like, maedhros being like 'tf are my sex slaves' and it turns out they're all tied up in rlly weird ways running through 'rehearsal' for the 50th time that night or sthg and maglor is like 'oh damn its morning? i hadnt noticed' and ends up having a very very weird party a few weeks later full of avant-garde noncon horror that his pretentious artsy friends who all applaud his 'vision'. also i had wondered, if maed

*maedhros ever feels like he needs to punish nolo or fingon but in a more 'ironic' way, does he do it by forcing them to punish or touch eac other? like if fingon winces or flinches at jsut the wrong moment or something 'oh if i'm so disgusting then i'm sure you'd prefer him to rim you' and nolo is ofc desperate to fix the situation with his son hurt as little as possible. cant imagine curufin wouldnt be very upset too if celebrimbor is brought into his own punishments. cant see that ending well

Celebrimbor is rather terrified by the whole situation, but luckily, all of the other Servants are interested in keeping him safe. Curufin of course wants to protect his son. Nolo doesn't want this to be happening to anyone, and Celebrimbor is the only one he's currently able to make things less terrible for. Fingon thinks that Curufin deserves everything he gets, but Celebrimbor is innocent; and also that Curufin is probably bad at caring for people in general and a bad father. Curufin's defiance, coming at the same time when Fingon learns just how much his own father sacrificed for him and his siblings, just cements that belief.

In practice, this works out to Fingon teaching Celebrimbor a lot about both how to navigate life as a servant and just general socialization. Celebrimbor is torn between trusting Fingon's advice, because Fingon is acting like an older sibling/uncle and Celebrimbor misses that type of connection; and doing his best to stay far far away from Fingon, because Fingon hates his dad and might use him as a proxy, and also look what just happened with Celebrimbor's uncles.

(Also, I think just before he comes of age, Celebrimbor is going to decide he wants his first kiss to be with someone who is NOT Maedhros or Maglor. He might find one of the normal servants' teenage kids, or he might kiss Nolo, as the least scary option. Maedhros is unlikely to notice, and wouldn't be too upset as long is it didn't go any farther - there'd be a punishment along the lines of wearing a stimulating plug and a cage for a day.)

I like the idea of Maedhros encouraging competition, but I think he'd go for it sightly differently. "You always thought you were so special. So smart, could've been a genius at anything you chose, the only reason you didn't make a marvelous invention was because all the easy breakthroughs had just been discovered. But now I see you're mostly an idiot. You perhaps have a little natural talent at forgework, but with different birth could have spent your whole life making nails and horse shoes and never thought of anything greater. You can imitate if someone has already shown you the steps, but you have no creativity of your own. Nor can you figure out how to apply your skills to a new area, instead guessing blindly and patternlessly. Poor Inke, can't even suck a cock without someone smarter telling him how to do so."

Maedhros purposely avoided directly mentioning Feanor. That tends to just make Curufin more defiant, reminded of his pride and that he ought to be a prince. Also, Maedhros is not sure Feanor would actually approve of his actions, and Feanor's potential anger on his return is a bit of a mood killer. Being immortal, Feanor never felt a need to discuss in detail what would happen if he died and Maedhros took the throne. Maedhros is confident he's following Feanor's example, but some instructions might have been nice.

Curufin is now going to try and be the best lover Maedhros has ever had, purely out of spite.

Yes, dark comedy where Maedhros wants Fingon to ride him, but he's too exhausted from practicing double pirouettes where he jumps and lands with his cock an inch away from a spiked post. Maglor says it symbolizes the short distance between despair and desire. Curufin then fucks him using a strap on that he's wearing backwards (symbolizing fear of intimacy) while Nolo does the splits and fingers himself (symbolizing the loss of community in modern society).

Maedhros just thinks that, as king, there ought to be someone with enough energy to get him off the way he likes. Maglor says he's an artist, you can't expect him to make a masterpiece without using all the instruments. Maedhros is privately thinking maybe he should have made Caranthir crown prince, then he'd only be down two at once as Caranthir pretended to be a sadist rather than a masochist, or maybe one of the Ambarussa.

I think Maedhros ends making Nolo officially allowed to refuse sexual orders from Maglor it's been going on for longer than five hours. Also, despite Maglor's protest of artistry, if it involves nudity or genitalia it counts as sex. Nolo isn't Maedhros's favorite, but he's pretty enough, and both Curufin and Fingon would totally take advantage of the out.

Maedhros makes Nolo and Fingon punish each other sometimes, by making them be the one to inflict pain. But he doesn't use sex with each other as a punishment. They''re just so hot, he wants to watch them touch each other multiple nights a week, and he's not the type to make up new rules as an excuse for punishments. And the point of a punishment is that it's something the person involved dislikes, true, but it's also supposed to be something that they can avoid, so that you actually change their behavior. Maedhros likes ordering Nolo to kiss Fingon, and kiss a line down his body, stopping to caress every inch of him as if he's the most beautiful thing in the world. No one believes that Maedhros would stop ordering it if Fingon didn't disobey, so it doesn't work well as a deterrent.

Re: Celebrimbor being brought into Curufin's punishments, I had an idea for "power play" which I didn't end up using. Maedhros is trying to get Curufin to behave, and Curufin is being stubborn, and also insulting Maedhros. So Maedhros beats Curufin with a crop, then ties him to Maedhros's bed.

Maedhros sets oil and a very large set of anal beads on the bed. Then he draws the bed curtains.

"I'm going to have my dinner here by the fire tonight. Celebrimbor is going to bring it to me, and wait on me throughout. When I've finished eating, I'll check on you. If you have all the beads inside you and your cock hard, I'll send Celebrimbor away for the evening while I play with you. If not, I pull back the curtains, and he gets to sit by and watch you. Do you understand?"

Curufin nodded. "Are you going to gag me?"

"Why would I do that? I don't mind if your son overhears you moaning."

[aclassiguy]

nobody’s gonna read this but i’m gonna rant a little as an ex-fundie kid with a perspective on unconscious bias re: thedas’ religions. (i’ll grant you i do not have encyclopedic knowledge of dragon age, so i’m commenting based off what 90% of people know - the games)

If we’re assuming that every interaction concerning the religions in Thedas is intentional, it’s genius. It represents real world religious dynamics so well. But that’s also assuming we’re going to be allowed to confront those religions; otherwise, it’s just a carbon copy with no purpose but to reflect reality. You’re duplicating problems, without offering avenues for solutions or even criticism.

I want to leave this uncut in case a piece of it actually caught someone’s eye for some reason, but I’d feel bad if I did that.

I’m actively agnostic. I have no problem with other people being religious. I react quite negatively to both active and passive attempts at conversion. I know a LOT about Christianity. I know some, though not as much, about other world religions.

We can pretend all we like that Thedas is a world completely separated from reality. “Lighten up, it’s just a game.” I can, however, point to direct parallels between game concepts and real world concepts that I find quite troubling (Blackwall’s plot, certain wartable missions, Descent DLC), I can expound on those at length as well. And of course it’s just a game, and you can stab people with no consequences and all that - that’s fine. Stabbing people in a game isn’t likely to make you think it’s OK to stab people IRL. But a game has the power to subtly reinforce existing biases which can cause real harm.

Christianity is a dominant world religion. In fundamentalist circles, one of the tenets is to spread it to as many people as possible, to save them from themselves. Even casual Christians adopt this attitude when they tell you how sad they are that you’re not Christian, because they think you’ll be happier as one and can’t fathom how you’d be happy without god. I can get REAL deep into Christian psychology, but I’ll spare you. The thing is, this is an insidious train of thought that has been beaten into the world by its victors. Monotheistic religions are treated more seriously than pantheons. The Bible is held as separate and more holy than “myths,” which are treated as little better than Harry Potter novels. Religions that encourage non-Western behaviors are treated as scary, deviant, and oppressive - to be obliterated before they dare to try converting precious Christians - DESPITE Christians actively trying to lure those believers away from their “scary” faith and into Christianity. They think their own religion is more normal, or their own culture is more normal. All of this leads to many, many Christians (as well as your average Westerner) holding really racist, xenophobic views they don’t perceive as racist or xenophobic.

SO LIKE - I’ll just make a bulletpoint list:

Andrastianism = Christianity (esp. Western brand)

Evanuris = Pantheistic religions

Qun = Eastern philosophies

The familiarity and diversity is fine. There’s pros and cons to each religion, just like real life. Thedas is fun because it takes aspects of discrimination like racism and sexuality and pretzels it to be same-but-different. No matter your background, you have the chance to get really involved in the ethical dilemmas provided, the visceral experience of being insulted and responding to insults with pride, and it’s fun to read something new and feel some kind of vindication if you had a suspicion before.

What irritates me currently about the religions is that every time I get a little taste of “Okay, finally, we’re acknowledging the damage a religion like this can do,” I get kicked right the fuck back. I spent so long hating the Chantry more and more because it started to become clear to me the intentional abuse being directed at literally anyone who wasn’t a non-mage human, and even then they abused their own followers to exert further control over mages for personal gain. (Seriously, FUCK the Chantry.) FINALLY, Exalted Plains acknowledged that the Chantry steamrolled over the elves in a brutal slaughter, where Sister Whatserface tried to blame the elves for being “too far from the Maker” but she was a good person for “showing them more mercy than they deserved.” Clear signals that Bioware intended it to be taken as it was - an unjust crusade. Then what do they throw in my face? Some documents intending to show that the elves were “also at fault.” Excuse me? I’m sorry, excuse me?!

Elves had already been the subject of extensive oppression at that point, and given the racist goddamn teachings of Sister Whatserface and ALL THE DIVINES, I can hardly blame the elves for being just a little testy with the humans sticking their noses into their lands trying to force them to convert to Andrastianism. “Equally to blame” my ass. This is a pebble against a boulder. And yet I’m supposed to treat it like some kind of shocking revelation. Ooo - should I turn these documents in to the Chantry to exploit the elves some more, or should I give them to the Dalish, who then react with shame? There’s no just option: have the Dalish explain why maybe elves would be just a little angry, and have my Inquisitor go “oh yeah, that makes sense. kbye”

Finishing up with the Dalish, we get told by some pride demon ass lying fucker that all the Dalish gods that these poor widdle uneducated primitive elves worship were essentially slavers. Hahah. WHAT. Sorry. WHAT. You’re going to make me play through a game with my character’s religion shat on or flat out ignored at literally every turn, and my vindication is to be told it’s all fake and my ancestors were idiots for ever believing? Canonically? Really? When do we get told that we checked the Fade and the Maker wasn’t there and don’t these humans look pretty dumb now?! Or is that too risque because Andrastianism is a little too close to Christianity?

Then there’s the reaction to the Qun. I have loved Qunari since Sten. I honestly think it’s a really cool concept and I would love to explore it more deeply. I also LOVE Sten. Sten seemed so calm and generally fairly accepting, although he had his own flaws. He also had hidden depths - push aside the fronting and you get his cookies and chocolate loving sweetness. (If people hate him, again, come see me after class so we can have a chat on why you stan Blackwall but not Sten?)

But it seems like the Qun is falling victim to the world needing a reliable villain. What was once a mysterious system of beliefs existing outside the concept of the Maker or Dalish gods is increasingly this Scary religion that oppresses women and mages in barbaric ways, and is treated as horrible for trying to spread their religion to other lands (allow me to remind you of Exalted Plains and why every person in the game seems to be Andrastian by default, or at least Andrastian-sympathetic). It’s essentially playing up the fears that makes people uncomfortable with Eastern religions, relying on xenophobia to make them hateable enough that you don’t accidentally end up with too many Qun sympathizers in the playerbase. Even though you can play as a Qunari in Inquisition (hell yeah), you aren’t allowed any kind of Qun background. It’s understandable in some ways, plot-wise, but baffling in others. How much cooler would it be to have access to Qun beliefs like the Dalish has access to the Evanuris?

And now they have the Qunari poised to be the result of doing horrible dragon-blood experiments on elves by MORE slavers, and their religion’s entire purpose is to limit their horrible dragony desires to murder people, but now they want to subjugate others to live under their rule of law to make a horrifying monotone culture. Aren’t these scary-looking Qunari even more scary? There’s a reason to hate them now, they’re canonically more violent, just like the dragons! (Do not get me started on how dragons are treated. Actually, do, I have a lot of thoughts on that too. lmao) REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Then you have the Tal-Vashoth, not only defectors who found fault with the philosophy who are then hunted relentlessly by the believers, but also twisting back on themselves to be crazy violent, therefore simultaneously a condemnation of the Qun and an affirmation of its necessity to keep Qunari from being violent. Where are the defectors from Andrastianism? Literally every ex-fundie Christian kid I know has had a sex and/or drug-fueled meltdown period after having their core beliefs and foundation obliterated. Why do we have all these pure innocent Chantry Virgins, but no defectors? The only atheist you get to meet is your own Inquisitor, and you have a HELL of a time through the whole game as a result of it. (Though I will say the payoff at the very end of the game is so very worth it.) Almost ALL of your companions nag you about why you don’t believe you’re Chosen. I have yet to play as a believer, but I haven’t seen any indications I would be criticized for it.

And so what of Andrastianism? Is it fakery? Lies? Canonically brought into existence to oppress people? The product of slavers?

NOT YET.

Any criticism brought against Andrastianism is neatly and shortly thereafter countered, not by an untrustworthy member of the Chantry but by some word-of-god canon itself. The Maker stands, silent, valid, unchallenged.

There’s nothing wrong with presenting these complex scenarios, but if you don’t have the time, resources, or courage to REALLY plumb these depths, give everyone fair criticism (and it is not fair to ding the predominant world religion with the same criticisms as you level against a dying minority religion), don’t bother. You make the real world problems worse.

[magicrested-a]

okay so far i’m thinking Wyatt comes to the Salvatore School in episode eight while the focus is on Hope & Alaric finding Landon. But, here we go! a plan of what he’s been doing. my sweet dumb son. Just a little note too that Wyatt is very hush hush about the fact that he fights demons. @melliwell​ and I have come up with a lil hc that explains why demons aren’t very common in legacies and it has a lot to do with Mystic Falls almost having a ‘barrier’ against demons (shay can explain it better like i suck at this stuff haha) so demons aren’t as common for them. They’re the ‘baddest bads almost’ while for wyatt, they’re bread and butter. 

However, Wyatt doesn’t keep it from them for that reason. He mostly just doesn’t talk much about demons simply because he doesn’t want to seem like a freak - or to scare people. Only Alaric knows the full history and details about Wyatt thanks to Piper. But in student teacher confidentiality, he keeps it private.

( also this is hecken long and im sorry i get way into shit so it’s under the read more! )

SEASON 1

EPISODE EIGHT - Maybe I Should Start From The End

After losing control of his powers in a very severe way ( detailed explanation here ) Wyatt is brought to the school by Piper and Leo who are shown around by Emma and Dorian (while Alaric is off with Hope on ‘business’). They are given a tour and eventually Dorian and Emma take Piper and Leo to Alaric's office to talk further about ‘details’. Wyatt is then left with MG who gives him a tour, shows him where all his classes are and where his room is. Wyatt is less than enthusiastic and while he’s not rude - he just doesn’t show much attention to it all and is a little sassy about the whole vampire deal. He doesn’t talk to anyone other than MG and a few people who are curious about him. But when Hope and Landon come back. Wyatt is immediately drawn to Hope - who wouldn’t be?

EPISODE NINE - What Was Hope Doing In Your Dreams?

Wyatt is introduced to Alaric and has a conversation with him about the school, why he’s there and how they can help. Wyatt doesn’t accept Alaric’s promise at first. He finds it all very insincere and is sarcastic towards him. He doesn’t mean to be so cold towards him, rude even, but the whole situation has left Wyatt very bitter - while he’s trying to hide how scared he is. Being separated from his family is extremely hard for him but Wyatt knows that he needs to be at that school.

Though, when he hears about the monsters targeting the school and eventually the night hag. Wyatt goes from bitter, to annoyed really quick. This school was supposed to be a safe, calm place. In some part of his mind, he was hoping he’d get the chance to just live as himself - to leave all the monsters and demons behind. Eventually, after asking around, he’s caught up on the history of the monsters and their obsession with the school. 

For the first few days that Wyatt had been at the school he’d only met MG and seen the rest around. But when Hope gets the team together and explains the plan he sneaks in, sits in and listens for a short while, until volunteering to help. It’s then that Wyatt meets Kaleb, Landon, Rafael, and properly - Hope. None of them trust him, they don’t know him and he followed them and eavesdropped on them but when he says he can and wants to help, they let him stay.

He doesn’t actually have as much as a nightmare that the rest do. Rather, he’s stuck in darkness - not like malivore (more like the underworld only less caves), but full of thick shadows that wrap around him. While the rest are dealing with their nightmares, he’s just stuck in that empty place trying to find a way out. 

EPISODE TEN - There's a World Where Your Dreams Came True

In this episode Wyatt mostly just focuses on his classes and has his first session with Emma. He’s very reluctant to open up, despite Emma knowing a lot about him already. Wyatt just has never felt comfortable being open and vulnerable. He’s had too much of a history where being that has hurt him, or others, even more. So its not as much of a productive session and more just Emma trying to make Wyatt feel comfortable with her. She teaches him some tricks to manage his anger and encourages him to try meditation. On the way out from his meeting with Emma he accidentally bumps into Josie while her and Lizzie were storming towards their fathers office. 

In the first two dream worlds, Wyatt doesn’t actually attend either schools. But in the third world he’s a vigilante who isn’t good or bad. He’s just angry (when is he not ha) and lost and scared. The world thinks he’s dead because he’s in hiding but he works to keep witches safe from Triad. 

EPISODE ELEVEN - We’re Gonna Need A Spotlight

In this episode Wyatt becomes more comfortable with Emma and begins to open more and more up to her. Only Emma, Alaric and Dorian know about who he is. While he doesn’t keep his past/his lineage much of a secret - the details of his life are things he tends to keep from people (like how powerful he really is, his twice blessed status and the demons/torture esp the demons considering Mystic Fall’s lack of them). He doesn’t want to seem like any more of an outcast, or that he’s reaching for sympathy. So when Emma becomes the only one he’s ever had the chance to talk to about everything. It really begins to help. Hope and Wyatt become closer and in her preppy (infected state) she encourages him to hang out with them more. 

He’s been a loner at the school since then, only really talking to MG and a few others. And really, he still doesn’t feel comfortable hanging around the gang. But when he’s infected by the slug his personality changes from guarded to arrogant and ‘charming’. He’s instantly talking to more people, showing off his powers and just telling everyone things he usually wouldn’t. And maybe, when it gets worse. Probably scaring them - getting too intense with his powers - thinking its just ‘harmless fun’ which, physically, it is but he is scaring people and getting too reckless with his powers. He becomes a bit too prideful, not so much that it becomes a problem for everyone, or that he’s going to hurt anyone or trying to but he’s definitely not himself. 

When the slug is expelled from him and killed he reverts back and becomes even more guarded, avoiding a lot of the students - especially Hope and the gang. He goes to Alaric and demands that he expel him. He’s terrified of what he could do if something like that happened again - he knows he’s dangerous and by staying there he could ruin everything, hurt too many people. But Alaric convinces him that everything will be okay. 

EPISODE TWELVE - There’s A Mummy On Main Street / EPISODE THIRTEEN - The Boy Who Still Has A Lot of Good To Do

While he’s closer with the gang, spending the odd days more and more with MG. Wyatt still feels like the odd one out. When Landon, MG & Raf go on their trip for spring break, MG convinces Wyatt to come with them just so he’d stop ‘moping around’ and being a loner. At first, he tries to get out of it, saying he has too much homework to do and catch up on. But eventually he ends up going with them and the boys actually get him to open up to them more. It’s a good little bonding moment and Wyatt finally relaxes around them - especially after his lapse with the slugs and lowered inhibitions. He becomes like he is when he’s home. Dorky, confident, ready to help anyone and make them smile and tells them more about himself. (tbh i forgot that these two eps happened at the same time and look there is a reason why wyatt doesn’t go home immediately for spring break i just havent thought of it yet - and that is a new panic! at the disco song title).

But eventually, when things go bad. Wyatt, vulnerable to vampires, is knocked out after trying to pull MG off Landon. He doesn’t wake up till the morning and barely remembers what happened. 

Without the use of his orbing, in the middle of nowhere - a large gash on the back of his head -  he wonders around the forest looking for the guys. But when he gets too light headed, struggling to see and breathe he passes out nearby a main road. He never should have left the school. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to. He was Wyatt Halliwell out with a few kids who didn’t know the severity of his life and the danger he was always in. In the end, he’s kidnapped by demons, lost to his parents, the school and the whole magical world. 

EPISODE FOURTEEN - Let’s Just Finish The Dance 

Waking up, all he sees is darkness. There’s a thick sludge on the back of his head, stuck to where the wound was. There’s no pain, no blood, he’s still dizzy but he’s okay. At least, he thinks he is. But leaving the school - no one even knowing where they were - Wyatt knew it wasn’t going to end well. He made a promise to his mother to stay at the school, to be smart because they weren’t there to keep him safe. But he screwed up and now he’s stuck in the underworld because of it. 

At first, he’s cocky. He’s always cocky - poking the bear as much as he can. They don’t scare him. Not completely. But when he starts to realise that these demons aren’t just winging it. He begins to lose more and more of his faux confidence. The demons start to torture him, cutting him with athames, using their powers, burning him. And when they remind him that he’s alone - it really starts to break him down. 

It’s all payback of course, for Wyatt not only being who he is - but for vanquishing one of the members in their clan. But shortly, being trapped for two days, Wyatt is saved by his family. Alaric helps to find him, feeling extremely responsible for it all but after everything, furious, Piper pushes him away. With that and the looming threat of Malivore Alaric focuses on his students. It’s only two days after it all that he hears about Wyatt being safe again and that he won’t be returning to his school (at least until Wyatt convinces his mother to let him go back in s2). To keep Wyatts secret he tells everyone that Wyatt had to go back home because his grandfather was ill. Only Landon, Raf & MG know more details, but even they are a lie. To explain what happened to Wyatt after he was knocked out, Alaric tells them that - essentially he’s home safe. But before that he was found by a family, after waking up trying to find help, and taken to a nearby hospital. 

EPISODE FIFTEEN - I’ll Tell You A Story & EPISODE SIXTEEN - There’s Always A Loophole 

After being found by his Mother and Aunts Wyatt spends the last episodes of s1 recovering from his torture / kidnapping. He finds out from his Mom that everyone is okay but doesn’t hear the full story or that Landon is a Phoenix or what happened after he was knocked out (Rafael being stuck between turns, MG killing Landon / being bit). A lot of his injuries couldn’t be healed, so his body takes a little longer to mend than usual. He’s exhausted and Piper isn’t ready to let him go back to Salvatore's. In fact, she pulls him out of the school all together and tells him that she doesn’t want him going back. But eventually after a lot of back and forth fighting Wyatt convinces her to let him return to the boarding school.

However, he doesn’t start back until the new year/semester in season 2. He misses everything that happens with Landon (and essentially Hope but ofc, like everyone else, he doesn’t remember her) and the attack on the school. 

SEASON 2 

EPISODE TWO - This Year Will Be Different

Returning with a better attitude than when he first started attending the Salvatore School Wyatt meets up with the gang and is completely filled in. He’s distraught for Landon, knowing how he would be if Chris was trapped in a situation like Raf is and offers Landon any help he needs with Raf. 

With Emma gone. Wyatt tries to rely more and more on the techniques she left him. He starts a journal, not really writing down what’s happened that day but more what’s bothering him. It becomes single words, drawings and even spells. Its just somewhere where he can empty his mind, really empty it, without anyone judging him or being scared of what’s really going on inside him. 

Hearing that Alaric is no longer the headmaster leaves Wyatt a little apprehensive about the situation. He talks about it to Dorian, who he’s grown quite comfortable with too - being reminded of one of his uncles in him. But eventually he understands. However, when the new headmaster is introduced, alarm bells immediately go off in his head. Throughout the whole assembly, he’s watching him, fighting the urge to say something. He doesn’t like his ‘we’re better than people’ conversation and it really rubs him the wrong way. No matter what, he doesn’t trust him - at all.

EPISODE THREE - You Remind Me Of Someone I Used To Know

In this episode Wyatt mostly just focuses on his studies and work on controlling his emotions / powers. He sneaks out late at night to the gym to train but also to use more of the powers that he keeps hidden from everyone else. But while he’s training, he uses it to relieve his anger and fear. Its the one thing he’s always found helps and doing it when others are around is always dangerous so he hasn’t had much of a chance to do so. 

However, while he’s doing just physical training, punching a boxing bag, his scars start to hurt. While he is mostly fully healed from when he was kidnapped he over does it and has to stop. (idk why this is relevant but shh i’m putting it in). 

When the morning comes and the announcement is made about the football match Wyatt wants to participate at first but ends up storming out muttering ‘that’s cheating’ when everyone is cheering for Landon. After ‘disappearing’ when things got tough for the school, Wyatt hasn’t got a good reputation with the other students and they all just think he’s jealous. But he’s just angry with how the Headmaster treats people. After all, he’s been taught a very different way to most witches. That and half his family are human, he, for all intents and purposes, is more or less human. Its wrong to him and it bugs him to no end. 

He ends up going to speak to Vardemus who, speaks first (’thinking’ wyatts going to him to ask to play with the stallions) and says its ‘not a good idea, with wyatts temperament’ to play. And all that does, is make him even more furious. So he’s back to the chalk board, punching that boxing bag while everyone is out watching the game. Eventually, after cooling off, he goes to watch the second half, which turns him from mad to genuinely concerned. 

EPISODE FOUR - Since When Do You Speak Japanese?

tbh i’m dumb and just see wy being pretty absent in this ep/can’t think of much he’d be doing. But he probs is just hanging out with MG a bit more and listens to MG when he tries to tell him about Lizzie’s new date. After the game from the past episode, he’s definitely more convinced that Vardemus is not who he says he is. He’s obsessed with it, determined to find out the truth and ends up threatening him in a very ‘non obvious way’ something like ‘if the people i care about are hurt, there’s nothing i wont do to protect them.’

[chickpeabinch]

just a dumb ramble about me worrying about life/career/future stuff its super long so ill spare yall and put it under a read more 

for most of my childhood i was like, im gonna b a doctor!!!! like i said it once when i was very little and my mom REALLY liked that so she definitely encouraged the idea and she still does now. she doesnt force me or anything but she like.. drops hints that she still wants me to become one. she’s like “oh you gonna buy me a house/car/other expensive miscellaneous things when you’re a DOCTOR??” and im like haha yeah..also for this christmas she went ahead and bought me.. a doctor barbie. a barbie. just bc she wanted to enforce the fact that YOU ARE A DOCTOR!!!!!!! like ugh) but to be completely honest i’ve def been having second thoughts especially after my first semester of college. im a bio major which means a LOOOT of math and science classes (two things im god awful at) i think i handled it kind of okay like i got for the most part bs and b minuses (the only reason i got a b- in chemistry is bc there was like a HUGE curve LOL) but still ive realized that science in general im just like.. not that interested in it. like of course science is VERY VERY cool and important but im just not SUPER interested in like.. doing it. esp as a career. its not even just that its hard as fuc (which it is) but most of the people i know who are in, say, like, chemistry are either good at it or are okay with it and are interested in it at least a little bit. ive tried caring but i just DONT like its not interesting to me in the slightest. but the thing is, i dont know if im just being lazy or whatever bc i do feel like i didnt work as hard this past semester as i couldve. but how can i excel in something i dont care about?? how can i study something i dont care about super hard?? so having that on my shoulders in ADDITION to my adhd getting worse has really taken it’s toll on me and it sucks. the money that comes with being a doctor is literally the only thing that really appealed to be about being one. i grew up pretty poor and it fucking sucked and it still sucks. i went through this stage where i was extremely money hungry and just wanted to do what would make me the most money, and not what would make me happy. i usually argued like oh, but money would make me happy that’s all that matters. which yeah money WOULD make me happy but after a couple of years of being stuck in something i wasnt passionate or happy doing like?? what would i even do???? i dont know i really dont know

lately ive been interested in switching from majoring in biology to early childhood education. i wanna be a kindergarten teacher (or maybe even a child psychologist) bc i really love kids (and ive been told im pretty good w them too) and i just feel like i would be happier in it. not only does it sound like an enjoyable job for me but it also doesnt take up all of your day like being a doctor does. like i would want a career that would let me still like.. have a life like i would still want time to do the stuff i love like drawing, baking, maybe even having my own garden. the only thing holding me back is that kindergarten teachers dont really get paid a lot. the pay isnt terrible, especially considering it’s more than what my parents currently make. i think i could make it as one, but im just scared that in the future, if i do make this huge decision now, i’ll end up regretting in and be stuck. another thing is what my mom will think. ive told my dad and hes chill w/ it and wants me to be in something that allows me to have the kind of life i want, and i dont think my mom would be mad at me or anything but i know she’ll be disappointed in me. and i told my sister and she was like “omg no i have friends who went into teaching and they HATE IT and they cant afford anything!!! be a doctor!!!!!” and that just made me really upset. i DO want to be living comfortably but the medical field isnt something im really interested in nor do i want to do for the rest of my life. but i dont know if i’d end up ALSO regretting becoming a teacher. aghh i have no idea im gonna give it one more semester of being a bio major and seeing if i like it any better i guess but i feel? most likely want to change my major to early childhood education w maybe a minor in psychology??? IDK

its just, when i think about becoming a kindergarten teacher INSTEAD of a doctor, and how that is 100% an option for me right now, the world feels so much lighter and i feel like i can actually breathe

[rqs902]

yang chaowen’s drawing with himself as the prickly center in a circle of flowers is so deep .-.

randomly gonna add my ep 3 thoughts here lol

adding on but chaowen’s primary criteria that his group mates should not be selfish is realllyyy interesting again “I don’t like selfish people” 

similarly, lin mo’s criteria that group mates should be able to get along, rather than all be talented sounds like something he has learned from personal experience /cough

istg if jin fan literally just gets 1 stage and its a cutesy stage YET AGAIN im srsly gonna flip a table....

LOL I love kou cong being the super energetic and leaderly one bringing them together and giving them energy and acting all old even though he’s 1999......

lol rip they used all the practice room footage time to showcase zlj’s group instead of hong weihao’s.... YAYYY FOR SHAOPENG’S RAPPPP YAYYY i was so scared there wasnt gonna be any in this song 

omggggg lin ran starting the song is so perfect, hes so sassy and cute but cool at the same time ooooof he is really good at facial expressions and this song suits him well 

Ooooo the fact that kou cong was willing to say he 認可 linjie as a leader says a lot I think, considering how much he had wanted to be a leader originally. 

wow im so surprised that zuo linjie’s group lost tho!!!!!!!! is this some sort of youku play to get linjie some pity points or make his fans dislike the kids on weihao’s team out of spite or something lol jk but actually I guess I respect that the show is not making it an straight-up easy run for the kid

its so meaningful that lin ran and kou cong are the ones huddled closest to linjie while he crying after their performance because the two of them have really been there and really understand his heartbreak and how devastating it feels to work so hard and still lose... oof but im most sad that huang enyu didnt really get much time to shine despite being hyped as a vocal and since hes not got popularity to fall back on, this could be real bad for him :( 

aw im glad they talked about lin mo’s strong leadership abilities during the babel practice and how much they respect and like him and are learning from him.... SO WHICH OF YOU COMPLAINED ABOUT LIN MO’S PART DISTRIBUTION THEN!??!!? hmmmMMmMMMMMM why do i have a sneaking suspicion it was su xunlun HAHAHAH 

OOF CHEN JUNHAO SINGING TO CHEN XINHAI AWWWW SO SUPPORTIVE LEADER such words of encouragement so touching ahhh i would’ve cried if i were xinhai ahhh and the way he asks for a harder dance so that the dancers can show off their skills more and the way he asks to give his parts to some of his members so they can have more time to shine... and then the way he immediately goes to li chenxu after the stage ends and tells the camera people to leave him alone because he knows how hurt his teammate is feeling :(

omg li xikan has really improved so so much. im so so proud and happy for him, he really has improved so much in his dancing (!!!!) and even singing and stage presence overall. on ipd he gave me such a little brother vibe and he was kinda clueless, one of the ones who needed teaching, and now hes the one leading others, having confidence that his group will succeed, and having the confidence to teach and encourage others. it’s craazyyy these last 2 years have really changed him. he seems so much more mature and self assured and capable, im so so happy he’s getting recognition and love still. THEIR STAGE WAS AMAZING. the older brothers really taught the two young kids (and ybz lol) well! and mannnnn zhan yu get that recognition for your high note!!!! yay for kou cong and akey cheering zhan yu on from backstage I love friendship c: and yay for zhan yu and xikan being in the same frame omg i wish they showed more of zhan yu’s silly side because I feel like he and xikan would get along REALLY well being silly together hahahha and lin mo calling xikan “我家侃侃” hahhahaha so cuute!! im happy to see tyger & xikan friendship 

oof see the wheels turning in shengen’s head when he realizes his team is going against xikan. id be calculating the odds of winning if i were him lol.... shengen’s the only one who realllyy knows how rough its gonna be for them. taking into consideration the skill levels of their members and his members and their levels of popularity and levels of difficulty  

i appreciate that xzx acknowledges that their group works hard, but since the other group is very skilled and theyre staying up all night practicing, they have no choice but to also stay up all night to practice. it’s a very realistic pov, like he knows he needs to work at least as hard as the others, if not more. rip li zaixi this is not gonna be a good look for you lol but yay for mu xingyuan getting more recognition! i think he deserves it because he didnt really get much on afo either....

cheng xiao speaking only truths when she said xu shengen held up this whole stage lol

wow thats so wild lzx brought his team down by 10 points and xikan brought his up by almost as much... but that makes sense xikan would get the most votes and shengen would for lzx’s group lol but its really so wild to see xikan being regarded as like this amazing performer and working so hard and bringing his group together because that really says so much about how much he’s grown and improved since ipd. 

the whole issue with gjm not letting akey and jin fan dance to the theme song too.... I feel like part of the problem is also because akey and jin fan didn’t ask for it. I wasn’t there so I wouldn’t know but maybe they could’ve spoken up but didn’t. but I think their personalities are both more passive like lin mo’s and zhan yu too. i feel like that might be a problem for why mr tyger is where it is still today. theyre not very good at advocating for themselves and speaking up confidently even though they have the skills. it’s disappointing for them that their talent cant speak for itself and I’m sad that they have to be more vocal in order to stand out, but it kind of seems like they’ll need to change this in order to get farther. it’s so sad and awkward to see them standing off to the side watching guo zheng, zuo ye and hu wenxuan... because lets be real they have just as much ability to dance the theme song just as well. maybe they were all shaken at the time, but even zuo ye as the leader could’ve said something like all of them can do this lets do it together. 

ayyy look at xue en getting recognition in the votes!!! the blue hair somehow works on him hahhaha but also junhao said xue en helped lead their dance practices ayyy that cto experience hahaha

awwwww xikan’s speech says a lot. he really had the lazy sleepy image during ipd but he mustve really felt the responsibility to change so much. and he felt the need to apologize for his shortcomings despite his team doing so well. im hoping xikan remains humble

welp all in all except for what happened to uuu im actually pretty happy with this first stage! at least they were able to fit everyone into 1 ep, since there’s less contestants. I feel like that’s always bothered me on other shows, bc whoever happened to get aired in the week prior always gets an advantage in voting bc people have already seen their stage for a whole week longer than those who dont get to perform until the week following. the song arrangements weren’t spectacular (except I really liked xikan’s group’s!!!) but at least they were better than afo.... lol......... and i think the smaller number of contestants really makes it easier to recognize everyone so im feeling relatively comfortable that I am familiar with most of the kids already and it’s only the first stage. I’m just reallllyyy hoping they don’t eliminate way too many people too fast at every round, because I really hope the kids im looking out for can get at least one more stage..... esp jin fan and akey omg if jin fan only gets 1 stage and its a dumb cutesy stage (YET AGAIN) im gonna be SO MAD. 

im not gonna even get into them evil editing zhan yu at the end... anyone who knows anything or cares about zhan yu at all will know that that isnt his voice so...... im just appalled that youku would be so low as to try to make him look bad like that. they barely give him any screen time already. im encouraged by comments I read that support zhan yu tho, it makes me feel hopeful that people acknowledge his talent! 

[tipsycad147]

In middle school (ages 11 through 13), I often carried around a lunch tin that was stocked with my ESP studies set-up. The study of ESP, or extra-sensory perception, was my jam for many years (ok, admittedly, I still slather my metaphysical toast with it) and if you met me around that age I would’ve likely asked to test your psychic abilities. I would’ve taken note of the results in my little notebook, letting you know whether or not your results were of note and the different style of “extra” you might have in your perceptions.

(As I’m writing this story I’m realising where the gap emerged with my regards to being able to do small talk. Here. In junior high when I started conversations with “Have you heard of Zener cards?”)

I’m older now and don’t carry around a lunch tin full of Zener cards, pendulums, vision-inducing oils and other metaphysical accoutrement. Now, I carry a deck of tarot cards with me everywhere.

It’s basically the same thing.

So in a reclamation of the power of being the weird kid (and now the weird adult) which I know that many of you reading this were and are, I want to share with you some of my favourite tarot party tricks for developing your psychic abilities. Now, when I talk about psychic abilities, I’m referring to the broad expanse of our ability to perceive our inner and outer worlds in a way that helps us to gather information that is useful to our lives. Essential stuff for self-discovery, working magick, and being a decent humxn.

I think this development of and increasing awareness of extra-sensory perception is essential for our ability to survive and thrive as a species. It’s hard to ignore the fact that we know far less than we think we know as a species when you begin to engage in the world of the extra-sensory. And we need some of that humility in the face of mystery instead of continuing to make fear-based choices thinly veiled as arrogant confidence (hello thinking we’re just going to ride out climate change without radical change on our part).

We need to perceive more. Feel more. Experience more.

And - this is key and why I think psychic development is important - have the tools to return to our centre when it feels overwhelming.

While I encourage everyone to make their own Zener cards out of markers and construction paper (please be friends with my 11 year old self), a tarot deck will serve you well, too. All of these activities can be done on your own-some, but I think they are particularly fun to do with friends and covenmates. If you’re new to the world of psychic development, I hope that these activities serve as little gateways to get you curious about the practice. If you’re an older-timer nerd at this stuff but haven’t used tarot yet for psychic development, I hope you’ll be excited to find some new techniques.

One more thing… there’s debate as to the best way to approach psychic development activities. Does one ground and centre, focusing on the breath, and removing distractions from their environment? Or should it be approached from a space of play, maybe with laughter and music happening at the same time? I’ve seen success with both and you should experiment (that’s basically the motto of any advice I give - Experiment! Thou shouldest do-eth you!). What’s fun about working with the tarot as opposed to another psychic development tool is that the tarot cards are rich with energy and symbolism giving our psychic reach a lot to hold onto and hopefully pull back into our consciousness. Remember that like with any new skill, it takes time and practice to show up. Your gifts will show up, too.

Find that Card

This is a super simple, no set-up required game. Either you or a friend chooses a card for you to find in the deck without looking at the cards. You can hold the deck in your hand, rifling through until it feels right. Or lay all the cards out in front of you until you feel like you’ve found the right one. If you don’t choose the right card, check out the cards surrounding it to see if its shown up there. I do this game during tarot classes I teach when I want to find and talk about a particular card.

Sorting the Suits

For this game you’ll only need the Minor Arcana. On a table before you indicate a spot for each of the four suits (you might want to write this down on scraps of paper so you don’t have to spend mental energy trying to remember where to place each card). Shuffle the cards and then sort them by suit into the corresponding piles. It’s typically recommended that you do this quickly and without thinking too much about what card you are putting where. At the end, find out how many cards you sorted correctly. Sorting 16 or more cards correctly shows that you are beginning to move out of randomness into something significant.

Predicting the Order

Using the Minor Arcana, pull out 5 cards of each of suit and set them aside. On a piece of paper list out order you think the cards will fall in (i.e. Wands, Cups, Cups, Swords, Wands, Pentacles, etc.). If you receive even more specific information (i.e. instead of just a Wands card, the Three of Wands specifically) make a note of that, too, but that’s not the primary focus. Then shuffle the cards a few times and place them all in a single pile. Go through the pile in order to see how well they match up to your predictions. A score of 7 or higher shows that you’re predicting more than getting lucky guesses.

Ordering the Arcana

This next exercise leans on your connection with tarot. You will only need the Major Arcana from your deck. Shuffle the cards and with the backside of the cards up, start by finding the Fool and placing it in front of you. Then proceed through the rest of the Major Arcana with three lines of seven cards each. A score of 7 or higher is a good sign that you’re flexing your psychic muscle.

The Psychic Court

This is less a practice and more of a helpful way to affirm or help you discover your psychic gifts. Now, these correspondences are not based on tradition or a hard and fast way of determining what sort of extra sensory person you are. It’s meant to be a bit of fun and help you to start thinking about yourself and your skills, including areas that you might consider developing more. These correspondences are based on my work with the Colman Smith tarot which was the first deck I ever owned and the one that I developed most of these exercises with. I encourage you to create your own correspondences with your favourite deck.

Begin by separating the court cards from the rest of the deck and shuffling them. You can simply ask for insight on what is the strongest area of your psychic skillset and pull a single card as an answer. Or you can do a three card spread asking the following:

What is my psychic strength? What is my weakest psychic muscle? What psychic ability should I work on developing more?

Once your cards have been pulled, check out the list below:

Student or Page of Swords : Clairaudience

Traveller or Knight of Swords : Psionic manipulation (i.e. affecting electrical currents such as your computer crashing when you’re experiencing intense emotions)

Architect or King of Swords : Clairvoyance

Visionary or Queen of Swords : Astral projection + lucid dreaming

Student or Page of Cups - Clairvoyance

Traveller or Knight of Cups - Scrying

Architect or King of Cups - Remote Viewing

Visionary or Queen of Cups - Claircognisance

Student or Page of Pentacles - Clairgustance

Traveler or Knight of Pentacles - Dowsing

Architect or King of Pentacles - Clairalience

Visionary or Queen of Pentacles - Plant and animal communication

Student or Page of Wands - Psychometry

Traveller or Knight of Wands - Channelling

Architect or King of Wands - Aura reading

Visionary or Queen of Wands - Energy Healing

Telepathic Telephone

Partner Exercise #1! Choose a card from the deck and, without showing your partner, sit across from them. Concentrate on sending the image of the card to your partner’s (the receiver) mind. The receiver should visualise receiving a message or having an image pop up on a phone screen or whatever feels most effective. When the receiver feels like they have received enough images to go on, have them draw what they felt they saw (this is especially helpful if the receiver doesn’t feel like they were able to see the whole card but only snippets). This is a great exercise for folks who practice magick together to strengthen their energetic bonds.

Empathic Draw

Partner Exercise #2! I think this is a fun practice to practice for tarot readers in general. Its success is far more subjective than the other exercises, but I still think it works our intuitive and empathic abilities. Have one person concentrate on a particular emotional state that is easy for them to connect to (i.e. the anxiousness they experienced this morning after a bad dream). Have them hold on to that feeling without speaking it aloud while their partner looks through the deck to find a card that they feel illustrates the emotional state. Once a card is chosen the querent and reader compare notes about how close the card feels connected to the emotional state that the querent was holding. The reader might pull out the Nine of Swords for a particularly successful read of a situation, for example, but they also might end up pulling out a card that’s more about the dream that the querent was experiencing anxiety from.

So there you have it - how to make friends, become more psychic and save the planet!

Or something like that.

Tell me about your psychic gifts (and shortcomings) in the comments below. And keep being the delightful weird kids. We going to need to get weird and kind and stubbornly connected to do better as we and all future generations deserve.

http://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog?offset=1563117120516

[combustiblegarbage]

yo, wrt your post on taking ethnic studies, I Really want to take Japanese as my foreign language and maybe middle eastern studies as a breadth class, but I am also a white girl at a predominantly nonwhite (particularly Asian and Indian) university (Berkeley to be exact, people here are very acutely aware of issues of race). do you have any commentary on how I can show that I'm taking the class as a gesture of respect and curiosity, rather than just being a weeb/"I took a trip to Abu Dhabi once"

go yall……….. just show up. that’s what it comes down to lmfao. i’m gonna go ahead and say i went to UC san diego cuz UC buddies!!!! and i know a lot of the Great Ethnic Studies Professors teach at cal so like believe me you can learn a lot from them. first off i’m gonna go ahead and encourage you to straight up take an actual course-listed ethnic studies class cuz it’s gonna be so much more useful than you think (ucsd has ETHN1/ETHN2/ETHN3 which are lower div but it’s there that they really strengthen ur background in theory if ur interested in pursuing it) ALSO ethnic studies has such a wide breadth - the first ethn class i took was ETHN187 which was Diversity in Scifi/Fantasy, which, as you may be able to tell, was right the FUCK up my alley, and the last 3 ethnic studies classes i took were on food justice, US militarism, and race & space as it relates to the native american reservation

secondly, i relate a lot to this question! there were a few moments going thru my ethnic studies educational career where i really had to reckon with my whiteness and what did it Mean that i was one of only 1 or 2 white students in the class, esp cuz ethnic studies classes place a lot of value on Lived Experience and affirming each other and community, so at times i was like - wait, do i belong here?

but like……..i think that’s a very important feeling to both Feel and come to terms with. white people are so conditioned to feeling Central that when we suddenly have to confront our institutional identity as “Oppressor” it can be really uncomfortable at first. but it’s important not to let that overwhelm you, cuz you start to understand like, Woah wait, this is where the concept of “white guilt” comes from. so generally, my two pieces of advice are this #1 confront your whiteness, and be real about it; i always drew on my experience as a white child when writing papers/reflections to point out how fuckt up and normalized things such as racism and colonization are. don’t make it about your feelings. don’t take up unnecessary space in classroom discussions. don’t talk over anyone, and for fuck’s sake, DO NOT be that Annoying White Kid who tries to whitesplain everything/gets apologetic over Structural Historical Systems Like Yes Bethany We Know Youre Sad About Slavery We’re Not Talking About That Currently!!!!!!!!!!

#2 one of my wonderful TAs once had an incredible point about how the white gaze turns everything into “spectacle” - treat what you’re learning with the same sense of solemnity and reality as you’d treat anything else. don’t lend it some ~Special Gravitas That u Cant Question~ because you’re a ~White~ who will never understand ~The Experience Of Color~. you’re there to learn, so learn. ask questions. don’t hype it into something it’s not.

those two tips are definitely more about ethnic studies generally than taking japanese/middle eastern studies, but like, bruh, go for it. i think you’d be surprised at how many white/non-asian kids take japanese. getting into it via anime is also extremely common. if you’re smart enough to be asking these questions you’re smart enough not to fetishize it into some anime bullshit

re: the middle eastern studies class, if ya interested ya interested. i know that there’s this white anxiety that we have to Explain our interest in a non-white culture, but like…….you wouldn’t feel the need to explain why you were taking a european history class, so maybe like, really examine the roots of this anxiety bc the truth is you might be projecting (and i relate to that! i had the same instinct and had to do that same introspection). nobody cares lmfao i can tell you that. the worst that will happen will be someone assuming you’re taking it for a diversity quota.

edit: also for the record……….. indian, assuming you mean from india, is in fact included under “asian” lmao

[ariesmon]

bts as swimmers

idk if i’ll make this a series but shinee and bts were the two i was thinking abt so here we r

Jin

stroke : butterfly and back (have u seen this boys back good lord ppl were begging him to join the team)

events : 100 fly and 100 back

has okay stamina but works best in short bursts of power (which is also why he leads any relays he’s in)

ultimate Team Mom we all knew this was coming

hosts and organizes pasta parties, team bonding and fundraisers u name it he’s hosting it

also in charge of any emergency care (icing shoulders, stretches, massaging cramps etc)

fiercely defensive of his team and refuses to let ANY drama start “what happens outside the pool stays outside the pool”

always goes to morning practice but hates it

tells his lane buddies bad jokes 24/7 and they have become immune to them

takes carb loading to the extreme

Yoongi

stroke : diver and breast

event : diving and 100 breast and medley relay

hes really lazy during practice but during meets he gives 110% and scares the shit out of the other swimmers and divers bc hes here executing perfect half pikes without breakin a SWEAT

takes 20 min bathroom breaks to escape practice and eat a snack

but also stays up all night watching olympic diving and taking notes on how to improve his form

is always tired and smells like chlorine and his hair is dead

jimin had to buy him that fancy shampoo that prevents blond hair from turning green bc otherwise he could not bother to buy it

wears exclusively the team sweats not rly bc he has school pride but they’re cozy

never shows up to morning practice

likes to bully the freshman to show affection (and he hates doing lane lines)

Hoseok

stroke : free and I.M. (sprint)

event : 200 IM, 100 free, 200 free

amazing stamina and one of the star swimmers

takes ALL of the freshman under his wing 

the Underwater God (can hold his breath for insane amounts of time like jimin and kook)

amazing form esp with dives like the refs are just in awe

somehow manages to be ruthless and an angel at the same time

always so happy at every practice even the god awful 5 am dryland ones

surprises the team + coach with cookies on the last day of practice

loves hard sets

basically the team’s good luck charm and guardian angel

Namjoon

stroke : back and free (have u seen how tall this boy is)

event : 200 free, 400 free, anything involving back, does well with distance and sprint but only with these two strokes

does well with back and free but once damn near killed a freshman bc he kicked them in the head while doing breast so now he is not allowed to choose breast of fly for choice when the pool is crowded

team dad 

wears his parka outside of swimming sometimes bc its on trend rn

actually incredibly hard worker and stays after practices to talk to the coach abt how to improve his form and cut time and takes everything to heart

in charge of the team’s finances and also the suits for the next year

teaches freshman how to set up for meets (the stop boards, lane lines, flag etc)

also teaches rly scared newbies how to dive off the blocks and not belly flop bc he knows how scary it is

the biggest team supporter he loves his team so much and constantly gives the little pick me ups esp after a bad race

seems to survive off protein bars?? how

also always injures himself with lane lines and once broke his nose with a kickboard

Jimin

stroke : breast and IM (part of the IM trio)

events : anything breast and 200 IM 

has decent stamina for IM but not enough for 400 but can swim a 500 breast if he needs too

hobi and him have the best underwaters im talkin can go the length of the pool without coming up for air

also has amazing form??? like his fly is just so beautiful 

BEAUTIFUL STARTS AND PULLOUTS U DONT UNDERSTAND

makes sure the team is well fed and everyone has a lil bit of a crush on him lbr

the only one that actually eats healthy at pasta parties

has adorable charms on his swim bag n is constantly getting compliments on them

his skin is never dry??? how??

helps with warmup stretches and set up lane lines

the team insists on buying speedos bc have u seen those thighs???

has a soft spot for the freshman and always is encouraging them esp before big races

Taehyung

stroke : breast (sprint)

events : 100, 200 breast

decent stamina but his starts are always strongest so he’s often in the strongest relays

the Team Meme

always stuck on lane duty bc he is a freshman at heart

whips ppls butts with towels

but actually takes practice seriously like he’s putting in effort bc he wants to improve his technique and form

loves swimming with fins on bc he can go REAL fast and also likes to feel like a mermaid

his bangs are always falling out of his cap please help him

recruits all of the newbies bc who can say no to that face

somehow manages to get coach to laugh at his shitty jokes

always knows when someone is going thru tough times and gives them hugs and a snack bc sometimes u just need reassurance and a clif bar

has fallen asleep in his parka more than once

Jungkook

stroke : distance IM (just like Minho smh)

event : jack of all trades im not joking this kid is crazy everyone loves him and is highkey jealous

stamina up there with hoseok and jimin like he swims 1000 and its nothin for him

coach’s pet 

he was scouted by so many other sports but he chose swimming bc his hyungs were in it and he had to show that he could beat them at their own game (that and he actually rly likes swimming)

“c’mon guys this set isn’t that hard!!” “SHUT THE FUCK UP KOOK”

takes meets very seriously and even has a pre-meet playlist he listens to every time

his swim bag is a mess theres so many caps in there and granola bars and just dont even try okay

the one thing he cant do : cap himself and jimin and tae literally never let this go

he seems like he would eat healthy bc he drinks a ton of protein shakes but nah he’s stuffing oreos in his face on the downlow before every practice

shows up to morning practice ready to go all bright eyed and bushy tailed and even the coach is looking at him like he’s just sprouted a tail

always on lane duty bc he is still the Baby of the team and he hates it

has those cool hand paddles he never used them he just thinks they look cool

a seems like a natural but puts in a lot of extra practice and wants to make his team proud

[anime-matchmaker-blog]

Hi! Could I request male matchups with HQ, fire emblem awakening and fates characters? I'm 5 ft 7 w/ brown shoulder length hair, blue eyes and pale skin w/ freckles. I love writing, reading, video games and animals (esp. cats). I'm super reserved before getting to know someone then I'll talk nonstop. Also quite clumsy, forgetful and super indecisive. I'm told I keep calm in stressful situations but really I'm just good at concealing emotions and I'm actually horribly worried on the inside. (1/3)

I often overthink situations which increases my worries but I’m told I give good advice thanks to this. I hate new situations and being unfamiliar with what I’m supposed to do but I’m okay as long as I’m with someone who knows what they’re doing. I also have a major fear of heights and a minor one of forgetting past experiences due to my poor memory so despite the fact I don’t really like being in photos I treasure them as a memory keepsake. (2/3)

I like people who will listen to me go off on tangents about things I love and are open to trying to engage in my interests like I would with theirs. I become really awkward, shy and a blushing mess when attention is directed at me (like public speaking) or when receiving compliments. I’m super picky with food and it’s one thing I hate a lot about myself. I’m also secretly quite a bit of a hopeless romantic. Thank you so much! Hope it’s okay that it was stretched out over a three asks. (3/3)

Sorry for the delay!! u_u Thanks for being patient and I hope you’ll like your matches!

Your matches are…:

Sawamura Daichi (Haikyuu!!): You really haven’t had the chance to talk to Daichi personally before but when the two of you are paired up for a project, it allows you to get to know him better. From afar, he’s one of those typical nice guys and his niceness definitely shows in the preliminary stages of the project. He does most of the talking, you do most of the writing and nodding, You don’t start opening up a bit more until the next meeting - that’s when Daichi takes the first step in learning more about you.

Since this is Daichi we’re talking about, he’ll introduce you to the volleyball team eventually. You’re 100% not on board with this but he manages to persuade you and insist meeting them will help with the project in some way. (You doubt it). He brings you along after school and pretty much leaves you in Kiyoko’s care to handle the kids but Kiyoko is great at being your shield and making you feel comfortable. Of course, once Noya realizes you’re there, the rest of the team does too. Daichi and Suga do their best to divert their attention but Noya sneaks looks at you whenever possible.

It takes time but you warm up to the team. You head to the gym with Daichi every day after school to say hi before heading off, sometimes remaining to wait for them to finish so you can talk with them some more. Although you share a similar interest with each of them, you’re most compatible with Daichi and you find yourself talking to him more and more during class. The project is finished quickly but he’s always close to you even when it isn’t required. The team loves you and he loves being with you so there’s no point in going separate ways now.

Whenever he doesn’t have practice, he always invite you over or vice versa. When you’re at his house, he loves cooking for you and finds your pickiness a challenge to overcome. Some days, the two of you sit together and read or write or do your own thing. Some days, when either of you mention a heated topic, you go off on a tangent and Daichi simply listens to you, enjoying the sound of your voice.

The day of the presentation for your project arrives. The moment you and Daichi go to the front of the class, you’re tongue-tied, unable to muster anything. You feel something wrapping around your hand - Daichi’s hand fits perfectly in yours. He squeezes it lightly, prompting you on. With him by your side, you can accomplish anything.

Stahl (FE: Awakening): Stahl is the average man who doesn’t stand out in any way so you don’t seem to notice him at the beginning. He talks to you like every other comrade and you notice a few things about him to differentiate him from the rest - he eats a lot, his armor is green, and he’s the last person anyone would want to pair up with when heading into the fray. Somehow, though, you end up gravitating toward him more often than you think you should.

He is similar to you in a way - clumsy, scatterbrained, and polite. The tone he uses with you isn’t different from when he’s talking with the others so when it changes, neither of you notice. His calm demeanor makes it easy for you to feel comfortable around him and you easily slip into a talkative mood when interacting with him. He enjoys listening to you talk and so long he’s able to share a laugh with you, he doesn’t mind what kind of topic you share with him.

Eating is something the two of you are usually doing - mostly because Stahl’s the biggest glutton in the world and because he finds your pickiness for food a fun challenge to overcome. He gently encourages you to eat the food you hate and takes note of what makes you a picky eater. He’ll gladly eat all the crumbs from your plate, so long you eat your share.

In your down time (and whenever you aren’t eating), you and Stahl engage in the arts. He has a surprising taste in books so the two of you are always exchanging recommendations. He loves reading anything you write and while he isn’t the smartest person around, he’s capable of giving good advice on how to advance through rough areas. It probably comes from his role as a cavalier.

Eventually, Stahl will be able to tell what you need or want simply by reading you. He knows you’re never as calm as you think you say you are and how to deflect attention away from you when you become overwhelmed. The distance between the two of you close gradually until there isn’t a moment when you aren’t at each other’s sides. It’s a strange sight when that happens because Stahl has sworn to protect you no matter what and he’ll do whatever it takes to uphold his vow.

Kaze(Fire Emblem: Fates): A polite and calm person through andthrough, it wouldn’t be too difficult for Kaze and you to get along, even withyour more reserved nature. With him being a ninja, it’s only natural for Kazeto be observant, not only of his surroundings but also of people too, and thisextends to you during the few times the two of you converse. He’ll notice ifyou’re fidgeting about uncomfortably or have no desire to say anything more andwill excuse himself accordingly to give you your space and not press onfurther, respecting your privacy. Kaze won’t hesitate to greet you whenever hecrosses paths with you, seeing it as the polite thing to do, and when neitherof you have important duties to tend to, he’ll try to talk with you more to getto know you. Improving relationships amongst comrades is also pretty importantafter all. Kaze can’t help but smile and enjoy himself each time the two of youexchange words, especially since it seems like you’re opening up to him andaren’t as reserved. He’ll certainly find you cute when you’re happily chatting withhim and such a thought might accidentally leave his lips but he won’t try totake it back or fix his statement, especially when he notices you turning intoa blushing mess and you start stuttering. Kaze will lightly tease you for surebut this just cements the fact that you’re adorable in his mind.

After becoming friends with you, Kaze will find himselfkeeping an eye on you whenever he can in the midst of battle. Battles arerather stressful situations after all, and even if you appear calm andcollected to other people, Kaze will know better. Even seasoned soldiers getstressed in battle sometimes, so if it looks like you’re getting overwhelmed,he’ll try to reach your side to help you out. His cool-headedness willcertainly be useful in such situations, along with his experience as a ninja. Ifit looks like you’re struggling, Kaze will certainly stick by your side to makesure you don’t get hurt too badly and then after the battle, offer to teach youwhatever tricks and tips he knows, along with asking you to train with him fromtime to time just so he’ll know for sure that you’ll be at least okay the nexttime there’s a battle to take part in. Spending so much time with you allowsKaze to see sides of you he never would’ve known about simply by conversingwith you. It’s rather adorable how clumsy you can get a times and Kaze can’thelp but sometimes find your forgetfulness to be amusing. He’ll remind you if youforget something important though, such as checking the weapons storage or thatit’s your turn on cooking duty and he’ll always ask you if you’re okay if hecatches you tripping or stumbling. Kaze is also quite a patient person when thesituation calls for it so he won’t mind your indecisiveness (much) and will useit to tease you from time to time.

Kaze will have no qualms with engaging in some of yourinterests, thinking it a nice break from training whenever there’s free time tobe had. There are plenty of animals in the forests and he’ll often ask you togo there for walks with him to enjoy the change of scenery and the sereneatmosphere. It’d make for a nice place to sit and read and write too, which he’llencourage you to do after discovering your love for creativity. If you want tochat instead, Kaze will happily comply with that too. As long as he is able tospend time with you, it doesn’t matter what the two of you are doing. Thetopics of your discussions can range from anything to nothing; Kaze simplyenjoys listening to you talk. Seeing your eyes sparkle when you talk aboutthings you love is always a welcoming sight and how relaxed you seem at thatmoment is something Kaze wants to see more often. He won’t hesitate to tell youso, perhaps while chuckling, and he’ll let you know how cute he finds you atthat moment. Your flustered appearance won’t help you at all since that justmakes you seem even more adorable in Kaze’s eyes. This will lead to moreteasing though he’ll stop when you ask him too, but do prepare yourself for himto bring it up again in the future and for him to compliment you when anappropriate situation arises. When Kaze finds out that you’re a hopelessromantic (if only a bit), he’ll certainly enjoy having that piece ofinformation and won’t hesitate to surprise you every now and then. Sometimes it’llbe flowers and others it’ll be food he’s prepared himself. Your pickiness withfood is well known to him so he’ll try his best to make something you’ll enjoy.

It becomes clear to Kaze that you’re important to him andno matter what, above all else, he wants to see you smile and hear you laugh.Your worries are something he wants to ease. Until battles are infrequent andeverything is peaceful, Kaze will do everything he can to be by your side.