#i know it's not munday yet but

[lairmadness]

what abt zacian?

Sticking to information we already (mostly) know through the blog to avoid massive spoilers for this one! But if you'd like to know more about them personally from the other blog characters, there's several ask hints up already for when the hiatus ends.

Zacian's lair makes up most of the vast forest in the middle of the continent known simply as the Weald, which houses the Guild of Heroes. The legendary themself is given the title of "King", though this authority is more traditional than anything and only applies within its own borders; their iconic blade is normally enshrined in the Guild, with whom they are known to live and work closely to protect their land.

Little is known so far about the current Zacian, Procyon, except for the troubles left in their wake. Shortly before they were due to be crowned as King themself, both they and their weapon disappeared from the Guild overnight, causing the lair to rapidly destabilize and start turning back into a Dungeon. Their current whereabouts are unknown, though Caspar and Sprite are hot on their trail.

[oodlyenough]

ohh steven moffat lmao

(boom spoilers)

me last week: i hope we get to see ruby rise to the occasion and get her big moment, we're four eps in. the doctor stepping on a landmine could be it!

this ep: she fucking dies halfway through the episode fekhadlflkg

actually, i mostly liked it fine -- i thought the plot held together ok and was pretty interesting. after the last few eps i wanted something heavier and this delivered. the tension was pretty good. "they're fighting themselves to death bc capitalism" and "thoughts and prayers" are both on the nose, but i didn't mind. i don't know 15 and ruby well enough yet to feel particularly strongly about how they're written or their dynamic with each other, so none of that particularly bothered me. there were a few moments that felt very Clara Oswald to me, but not really in a way that made me think "that's not Ruby!"

the doctor was a very moffat doctor lol -- i liked seeing ncuti get some more dramatic dialogues and some anger etc we haven't seen much of from him yet. his impatience with ruby at the end felt off and was the kind of thing that used to make me bonkers in the moffat era, so disappointed but not shocked to see it crop up here. also "snow isn't snow until it falls" classic moffat line that means nothing but sounds pseudo deep. almost nostalgic

my other nitpick with pacing is that if you're gonna have an ep heavily rely on a countdown you should try to do it in real time. having monday (mundi? munday? idk) say "about 3 minutes" and then have a 3 minute conversation with another guy cracked me up lol. keep it vague if you're not gonna follow it!

but ruby dying was stupid as hell, imo, and is the one thing i have trouble overlooking. i feel like maybe we could've reworked some things... she gets shot later in the ep during the countdown and is injured/dying but then is healed, something like that. i'm not opposed to companion in peril, all things being equal, but when you kill and revive characters so often death stops meaning anything and it's episode 4 and i feel like i'm relitigating shit from 2013 again. real ones who've been following me for a decade know

but the trailer for the next ep made it look like i might finally be getting my ruby-focused ep so i am hyped!!

[108garys]

Manny Sherman dialogue transcribed

I really enjoyed transcribing the little hope puritan dialogue a bit ago despite it being one heck of an undertaking and I've always wanted to do a similar thing on a much smaller scale(this time) so as an afternoon task I pulled up a video of the four Sherman tapes and typed out his on screen dialogue, it'll be good for writing him and better understanding his vocabulary and maybe some time around I'll do something a little more substantial like Randolph Hodgson's journal but that aside I feel Sherman's dialogue flows really well and does a great job with characterisation, can you believe there's barely more than a thousand words from him all up? Regardless I've tried to follow the in game captions on the video which can be a little hard at times due to white text on a grey background with the occasional white detail obscuring stuff but I believe I got it at least 99% accurate and beyond that I added in places in brackets that he laughed but not the uncaptioned sounds of him getting his ass kicked because I thought one added something and the other wouldn't(and here's the video I used)

(interrogation - tape 1)

Manny Sherman. Born January one. Nineteen fifty-six.

Come on, you already know all this. What do you want?

What's this?… Huh… You've been doing your research, haven't you Special Agent Munday?

What are my favorite television programs?

Describe my first pet.

What were your friends like as a child?

What is this?!

You taking a survey or you trying to learn something?

Would it kill you to be direct?

You wanted to know what inspired me? As if I wasn't an original?

Well… maybe there was one man I found myself a little fascinated by.

Henry. Howard. Holmes.

Why? Because he was numero uno.

America's first. The guy invented the trade. He set the benchmark, you know?

Learn your history, Munday. Read a book.

You think because I stuck a blade in some people and get off on it I'm not smart?

I, heh… 'allegedly'… killed 13 people before you got smart enough to find me…

__

(interrogation - tape 2)

…had to build my own little castle, just like Holmes did.

Most people like me do their business where their target lives. That's just asking to get caught.

Holmes had the right idea. It was all about the honeytrap.

You bring me some smokes? Like I asked?

Lucky Reds? Yes! These are like gold in here. Damn that's good. So yeah, the honey pot.

Holmes built a hotel about a mile from the World's Fair and CALLED it the World's Fair Hotel and bought ad space in the papers alongside ads for the expo.

Rubes from far and wide assumed it was the official hotel!

Ma and Pa Kettle take a train in from Nebraska, takes three days, they roll up into that joint ready to rest, get to their room… and whoops- what do ya know… Holmes had a gas pipe hidden under the bed and poisons them.

Or maybe he pulls a trap door on them.

Maybe he separates them and makes one watch through a window while he slits the other's throat.

That's the advantage of a honey pot: no shortage of targets.

That's why I picked all those houses north of the airport.

That whole neighborhood was scheduled for demolition and yet…

All those lovely realtor ladies must not have gotten the memo.

Call up as a contractor, tell them I'm flipping, have them meet me out there… and look at that… we're the only two people for miles.

The first couple times I'd wait for a plane to fly over, just to hide their screams, but…

after a while I realized they could scream as loud as they wanted.

No one was gonna hear a thing.

That's what I remember most.

Those screams.

You can try to understand why I am the way I am. You can forensic science up all the data you want.

But you'll never know… You'll never know, Munday… You'll never really know how it feels when you watch the fire burn out of somebody.

__

(interrogation - tape 3)

(laughter)

A whole carton this time? You trying to get on my good side or something?

Think I'll save them.

What? No questions? What's going on with you, Munday?

You seem different.

(laughter) I see that that glimmer in your eye, you little devil.

I can keep secrets, man… we all have them.

That prosecutor is trying to get numbers out of me. Know that?

Of course you know that. Numbers. They got Holmes for 27… but we know he was closer to 200, right?

Can you imagine that? I wish I'd had the time to try and beat that.

Sure they know about those nice realtor ladies… they got families after all.

But the numbers the D.A. is asking me about… I think he knows there's some people out there- rejects… misfits… the kind of people that when you see them coming you look the other way.

Does anyone notice if they go missing?

My father always told me to leave my mark on the world.

I never knew what he meant by that- not until I watched that first girl bleed out.

I call it art. That's my signature on society.

It's not murder, it's an aesthetic response to what this has world made me.

Ask people to list killers, and they'll drop five, ten on you before they can't think of any more.

Ask them to name the detectives that caught those killers- no one is going to say a damn thing.

No one knows them. No one cares.

No one makes movies about them.

No one puts their faces on t-shirts.

No one gives a shit.

(quiet chuckle)

I've left my mark on the world…

…have you?

__

(interrogation - tape 4)

You want to know what it means to be a killer?

You ever been to the art museum downtown?

They got this painting by a guy… forgot his name. Famous painter.

He did portraits of slaughtered cows hanging on hooks.

You take a normal person to a slaughterhouse and they will puke their guts out.

You make it into a painting and suddenly it's art.

There's no difference between the two. Not really.

Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right.

You get it. I know you get it.

You got to do something that matters. Make people feel something they've never felt before.

Shatter the illusion that any of us are really in control.

Think of the most profound thing you've ever done… the most beautiful thing you've ever created… and I promise you… it's nothing compared to watching the life bleed out of someone.

To see the fear in their eyes, to feel them pawing at you for release, to hear them pleading- begging…

That moment when someone realizes they are at their end…

That's when you feel it. That's true art.

That's what you have to be- an artist… a sculptor… an architect.

I see the gleam in your eye, Agent Munday, You're not fooling me.

Oh, look at you now, huh?

Am I going to be your first?

Well come on then- I'm right here.

This room is soundproof- you don't even have to wait for a plane to fly overhead.

There… There you are… I see you now.

Not bad… not bad at all.

Bare hands can feel good, huh?

But the blade makes for such a prettier picture.

You've got potential. Agent Munday…

If you truly want to be an artist.

__

@kassiekole22 @delurkr @ctrvpani @aydeenchan

@tinynightmarewoman @kindheartedgummybears @mybrainrotforreal (Know idea as ever with this character on who'd be interested in this but it was a good exercise at any rate)

[picketmundays]

Munday Menu

I decided to make a universal post for Munday questions since I have so many cluttering up my blog ATM

General Munday Question - For those who don't want to send a gimmicky ask

Random Lore - If you want to know anything about the world that hasn't been covered yet in the blog

Character Asks (prompts mainly stolen from @ask-anxious-sylveon) - Send a character along with an Emoji (you're free to use other Picketverse Characters as well)

📸 - Desire Camera

⏪ - Glimpse into the Past

⏩ - Glimpse into the Future

✨ - Random Character Fact

🎁 - Character Info

🔍 - MISC Questions about them

♥️ - Crackship Meme

🖌️ - Paintbrush Meme

More to be added in the future

[casteliacityramen]

Munday Tuesday Lore Post: Humanity - Threat Assessment REBUTTAL

Scribe and Artificer J., I am writing to further inform you of our opinions on the subject of your most recent letter. Yes, your 'e-mails' did go through. Stop sending them. No, we will not accept the "good old-Unovan values of one on one combat" on the issue, no matter how many "fite me" messages you send. I am aware that this 'e-mail' is a lot more convenient than our courier system, but perhaps you are spending too much time on this "internet" that you so adore. This new messaging system of yours is enough to handle, as is. I feel that I must, at the very least, clarify our reasoning behind our verdict. For the most part, the council agrees with your assessment. Yes. Humanity is destined for greatness. Yes. Humanity shows limitless promise. Yes. We do take inspiration from their innovation (it'd be strange not to address this due to the way we talk to each other now). But humanity is an abnormality to the point of absurdity. They are our precursors, long before His Majesty Arceus gifted us with life, yet they still show signs of incremental growth. They repeat mistakes. They are prone to infighting. Their restrictive age keeps them from making wise decisions. For Arceus' sake, they only recently realized that it may be important to write things down. They are too unpredictable. Worst of all, they possess a power far greater than you give them credit for. Their abnormal power to persuade. Like you say, they have made complex societies, and have even gone as far as to borrow pokemons' powers for a mutually beneficial gain. What's mind-boggling is how oblivious they are to their power. No one is arguing with you that Humanity has cemented themselves as the top sapient life on the planet. Our scholars still debate on whether or not they should be classified as psychic-types due to this feat and the discussion is far from resolved. Perhaps this discussion would have been finished were it not for the fact that they are constantly changing, as you have mentioned in your assessment. Frankly, my dear friend, if I may be honest, humanity terrifies us. Imagine, if you will, the Order brought into chaos because we were convinced to make a decision without careful deliberation. Like you say, humanity barrels its way towards greatness. However, we cannot afford such rashness due to the gravity of our work. Which brings me to our next point. I understand your frustrations in our decision-making process. In comparison to mortal life, you are right in that we take too long to make a decision. This is an issue we hope to address in the future. However, these rules are written in blood. Yours included, if I'm not mistaken. We guide the entirety of existence in their path--there is no margin for error. You, of all people, should know this, given your current assignment. Your mind seems cluttered. Perhaps you need a reduction in your duties. As scribe, artificer, and now warden of some… particular probationary members, you seem to be spread thin. Do let me know if it's too much for you. Kindly, Head Scholar and Council Member Lok P. S. Are we still on for Dungeons and Dragonites? Steward Lia would like to join us. P. S. S. I know I've been pencil pushing for the past couple thousand years, but I bet I could kick your ass. Even with your blessing from Lady Victini.

[r-adio]

🖊 — any tattoos?

MUNDAY QUESTIONS.

ooooo one of my favorite topics actually, thank you so much for sending this one in. i have quite a few tattoos. on my one leg ( which ironically i didn't have it yet in the munday pic i posted ) i have a black cat holding a potion bottle, and the tarot card for the high priestess; then on my ankle of that same leg i have vampire fangs and bats. my other leg, i have a coffin ( with bats, love bats ), an ouija planchette with the triple moon symbol in it, and a stag with a moon between it's horns. i have a blackout tattoo on my left side which was a cover up for a tattoo i'd rather not share. on my arm i have an armlet with a moon on it. my hand i have a couple of sparkles & a moon. on my collarbone i have bats & sparkles lining the bone. i honestly feel like i am forgetting some here, but i love, love love tattoos. i know this isn't part of the prompt either but my next tattoo i'm planning on is a lion's skull as a symbol of an oc that i've had for over four or five years that i wanna get added to my leg. honestly, leg sleeves are the goal, which is why i've been building up so much on them !!

[balladetto]

colourful munday interview / no longer accepting / @gerudospiriit, @ordonianpumpkin, @sapientiiae, & anonymous

thank you all bunches for sending these in! ♡ had fun answering each one; all under the cut because i am not and will probably never be a concise person, ahaha

[ ruby ] give one random fun fact about yourself.

i can play two instruments! the piano and guitar, though i'd say i'm pretty rusty with both. given the practice, i think i could get back up to par again with the former? i formally learnt both in the sense that i know the rudiments of music theory and can still decently read notation, but that's about where the extent of my knowledge ends...hasn't stopped me from getting absolutely obsessed with the intricacies of instrumental osts when it comes to mechanics, aesthetics, leitmotifs, etc. asflkdsj

[ olive ] what gives you the most inspiration for your muse(s)?

it really depends on which muse i'm writing! in general, i like to revisit their canons (i.e. replaying their games or rewatching their movies) and examine all the details and overarching themes/motifs i can catch in them if i need a boost of the Muse Presence, but sometimes i'll take inspiration from completely unrelated media i've consumed that i feel could be applicable to my interpretations

e.g. i've been taking some tidbits from caine from jw4 for link recently, in that he's someone who knows his "role" in life, is really fucking good at playing it (however much he doesn't want to), and would give almost anything to escape it. even as he's totally settled into it! despite the myth he makes of himself in this one movie he shows up in, he's a ghost in his own world. he goes through the film reluctant to do the things he so easily does anyway, with his hand forced by the high table because he has someone he loves so deeply, yet at the end of it all: he's still afforded some measure of happiness because he was loved by someone so deeply in turn. these two are really not the same type of characters at all, but caine's Vibes are part of the Feel i want to communicate through link's story!

other times, i'll come across a fic (often not even for the same characters or media lskjdf) that gives me the worst brainrot and that'll flavour how i want to frame my writing and what i want readers to Notice for muses. but i otherwise tend to keep it contained to overanalysing canons! honourable mention @ my partner, for being the best sounding board and engaging with me on all my rambling ♡

[ navy ] what do your muse(s) mean to you?

they're my best friends, they're my pals, they're my homeboys (gender neutral), my rotten soldiers, my sweet cheeses, my good-time fellas—

they're my blorbos of all time! they mean so, so much to me!! especially the ones that have stuck around for nearly or exactly a decade like link, the zeldas, aidan, and gold; those were some rough (trans)formative years that they carried me through, and i had so much fun with them! i still am!! plus, the friends i make through writing these muses will always leave such an indelible impression on me no matter how many years pass (i am looking directly at people like issie and adri and kris as i say this sldfjdkf still leaves me gratefully gobsmacked that i found you again after so long!) ♡

[ mulberry ] what tips would you give someone with writer's block?

don't force it! try not to agonise over it. come back to it at some other point after you've gone and done something else that might be just as creative in nature (drawing, crafts, etc.). dip into your other hobbies if you have them! read. watch things, play games! consume as much as you've outputted! take care of yourself!!

above all, remind yourself that you're more than whatever writing you can give to anyone!

[ blonde ] what is your favourite type of music? favourite artist? favourite song?

hard to choose, because i don't have a genre i'm super dedicated to? ig if i had to pick based on what i generally listen to a majority of the time, my favourite type would be whatever category osts fall under askdjlf

i think it's also because of that that i tend to steer towards songs i can't understand without translations? if there are words i can pick out, i get a bit too distracted, and half the time my audio processing issues make it so that i only sort of make out most of the words, which distracts me on a different level sdkfjfl following that, my favourite artist(s) in terms of songs with lyrics would probably be yoasobi :) i listen to their pieces the most consistently!

ahhh...literally will never be able to choose a favourite song when i have so many! for the moment...i'll pick rito village, as played by kass and his sweetums!! it's just such a sweet rendition ♡ and i want more people to be reminded of it! lmao you thought me leaving my birdies for a hot second would get rid of the brainrot. absolutely not they've still got a Grip on me sldfksjdl

[ lime ] describe yourself as a character / mix of characters you've always related to the most.

minor npc in the protagonist of the series' life that's like. just a passing face, but has an entire life beyond saving the world that makes actually saving the world all the more meaningful by way of their story coming together with every other npc's to weave this feel of a world that's actually alive.

also! unnoticeable character, perhaps, but the protagonist of their own life :) slfkjfd sorry. zelda might've been a core part of my personality since childhood but mp100 changed my brain chemistry on a molecular level at ~sixteen. hard for me to leave its truisms and themes alone

[ azure ] is there a specific character or type of character you want to write but never have? why?

there are specific characters i've been hankering to write but just don't think my writing style will do them justice in terms of narrative voices OR don't feel very confident in my interpretation of those narrative voices in the first place, yeah! reigen arataka from mp100, kazuha kaedehara from genpact (who wouldn't be affiliated with the rpc at all now that i no longer play the game, which is another hurdle), and link from albw to name a few.

there's also the issue of my time and energy, and other writers' interest in interacting. maybe one day i'll bring one of these to the fold, but it won't be anytime soon sdlfkdjf

[ cherry ] what is one thing you love about yourself?

hmm. i'm very proud of my progress in terms of mental health recovery! dunno if that's something i'd say i love about myself though sflkdjf so maybe how in-depth i can go in terms of character analyses? at least for characters that i feel are really understated or don't often get to shine in fandom communities and such. i do love a majority of my muse interpretations (outside validation's alway nice ofc) — i wouldn't be able to write them otherwise!

[ cerulean ] what is your favorite (type of) character to write?

i know the person who sent this in wants me to say the truth so here it is slfkjdkl i really like writing characters who did not get the resolution or healing they should've gotten from their trauma in their canons. i like exploring what that does to them and what healing might look or not look like for them. i especially loveeee collecting dynamics for them because that's ultimately what heals everyone, isn't it? that outside support and care :) it's cathartic to write, and i hope it's meaningful to read for my writing partners when we really get into the nitty gritty of it!

[ apricot ] what do you think your life will be like in ten years?

happy? happy. i don't tend to mull on the specifics so much. though i'd like to think i'd still be writing, at least! there are some other really personal things i'm not super comfortable with sharing in a public space, but to the one who sent this in: i hope i'll still be with you. i hope we'll get to be together not just in our hearts. i hope we'll have physically built up lives of our own ♡ sorry for getting disgustingly sappy but i love my loveliest lady!! slfkjdl

[ fuchsia ] bonus round: angst or fluff? one-liners or paras? plotting or winging it? memes or starter calls? single muse or multimuse?

i like reading and writing both, with a slightly heavier inclination towards fluff! paras unless it's shenanigans. i vibe with both, but work better with prior plotting! either is good and i do not mind them! i do have a preference for running multimuses now just because it makes it less of a hassle when you've got multiple blorbos bouncing around in your head, though love interacting with both!

[lostusagis]

It's not munday, BUT! I wanted to show my appreciation for you anyways ♡ Reading things you post on both your blogs, like talking about headcanons or literally anything about the characters in general, are always fun and interesting. I'm always learning something about them through your posts and our interactions and I just come to love them more and more. I never thought I'd be so invested in Gintama, but here I am! And it's all because of you. Also you're incredibly funny like bro you have me smiling and laughing at the shenanigans that happen hahaha! Your blogs are always so fun to visit overall tbh and it's such a joy to see you on the dash. Everyone should follow you cuz your stuff is amazing and I love how you portray your muses. Such different personalities and yet you execute them so well and I think that's so cool. YOU'RE so cool! 😊 Man I could go on and on, but I'll stop it here. Although, TRUST that I'll be giving you more of these asks in the future ♡ I wish you a wonderful day, Dee! You deserve good things!

( aaaaa thank you i really appreciate this since i was feeling really annoying today and having stupid thoughts hahahhaha. I'm really happy my content managed to make you invested in gintama :)) that makes me suuuuuper happy. these characters mean a lot to me and have genuinely become a huge comfort. It's nice to know someone reads the stuff I post, since I often feel ignored and whatnot when I post things about the siblings sometimes and end up getting in my head regarding that. But aaaaah like, you always showed interest and it makes me enjoy being mutuals with you soooo much. Like if I ever lost all my followers and you were the only one left I'd be happy, because of how invested you are into what we write together. You have noooo idea how much I appreciate you, we haven't known each other long but you're probably one of the best people I've ever encountered in the RPC, you make me wanna log on everyday and I even have notifications on for your blog. Every time you send me something like this it gets me choked up kdfgdkfgfkg. Thanks a lot Carmen, you really are the best. I look forward to doing more stuff with you and dw I'll wait forever for any reply from you, the wait is always worth it. Hope you have a good day, you deserve it. ♡♡♡ )

[sadistpet]

it's munday and you know what that means . here is me rambling about raikov ( + volgin ) and a common perception of him because im annoying and talkative <3 cw for mentions of sa / abusive relationships

a Lot of people in the fandom view raikov as yet another victim to volgin, being forced into being his lover and only being cruel to his soldiers to appeal to volgin. which like. people can view it however they want, you do you. but i also think that interpretation is deeply boring and cliché and . kind of undermines raikov as a character and reduces him to some... damsel in distress ? i feel like it robs raikov of his agency as a character who's able to make his own decisions ; he can't have chosen this, he had to have been forced into it. and it's silly, because there's so much canon evidence inferring the complete opposite ?

i think this ties into the idea i mentioned that volgin's relationship to raikov was meant to indicate a more tender and "human" aspect to his character, but it just wasn't as blatant as it could've been. take the cutscenes for example ; we get two cutscenes that feature a focus on both eva and raikov's nude bodies. eva is covered in scars, which she mentions are from volgin. they're part of her, cut into her skin, permanent. she didn't want them, and she can't get rid of them if she tries, unless it's via surgery.

raikov, on the other hand, has absolutely flawless skin with no signs of scarring. the only indication he has a connection to volgin is his underwear with a lightning bolt. and that's something removable, something he could easily take off if he wanted. it's under his clothes, after all, where nobody can see -- and still he wears them. why would he if he didn't want to ? sure, you could come up with reasons why, but it seems pretty obvious that he's wearing them by choice. and them being a removable piece of clothing rather than permanent scarring further implies it's something he chooses, and something that volgin is, surprisingly, fine with.

getting into the way volgin acts in regards to raikov. like, oh my actual god, where do i begin. in terms of the infamous homo-picture, we can see volgin genuinely smiling. not sadistically, but like, actual, meeting-the-eyes smile. ignore raikov being the irl depiction of the 😩 emoji because he's getting his dick grabbed. the fact this is a candid picture too implies that this is just how he is around raikov ; genuine, lets his guard down.

not to mention the fact he beats the shit out of snake EXPLICITLY FOR HURTING RAIKOV. like. you cannot get more blatant than him saying "i will make him pay for hurting ivan" and then proceeding to absolutely pummel snake within an inch of his life. not for the legacy, not for the deception, or anything even remotely related to the main plot -- no, it's for hurting ivan. i guess you could say it's a possessive thing, but that's disproven with his battle dialogue if you wear the raikov mask. he says that he thought ivan had been killed. hence, why would it be something possessive ?

IN ADDITION TO THAT. even when he realises that snake isn't raikov, he never lays a hand on him. there's the initial crotch grab, and after that he shoves snake away, but he doesn't EVER hurt him again until snake's raikov mask is removed. only THEN does he beat him. the entire time that snake wears the raikov mask during that scene, volgin doesn't lay a finger on him, doesn't use his electricity powers on him, despite the fact he absolutely could and knows that it isn't raikov.

by putting on the raikov mask during volgin's battle, it gives us even more insight to this. volgin stops attacking you, freezes up, visibly trembles and slowly walks towards snake thinking he's raikov. even his lines -- "ivan. ivan? ivan! is it really you? i thought you'd been killed..." // "how dare you!" // "you will pay for what you did to ivan!" // "i will avenge ivan!" -- all imply that he truly cares about raikov. this is even more evident when coupled with the fact he attacks you even more violently at this point.

and that's not even mentioning the blatant contrast between how he reacts towards tatyana being manhandled by ocelot, who essentially threatens to kill her, and how he reacts after finding out snake must've hurt raikov. he truly does not give a shit about her ( "do as you like." ), he doesn't see any qualms with hurting her or killing her. but raikov ? he beats snake to a pulp for hurting him. he can't even bring himself to harm someone that looks like raikov, even when he knows it's not actually him.

raikov's existence as a joke character is a detriment when trying to find out more about his own introspection and views, but portable ops' recruitment dialogue for him gives us a very small, but very intriguing look into his personality. he is completely different from when we see him in mgs3. he's withdrawn and nearly silent, more awkward and visibly cowardly. far removed from the cocky, snarky, sadistic version we see in snake eater. the only times he speaks up are when revenge is mentioned, but more poignantly, when volgin is mentioned. when he's spoken to by campbell, he remains almost entirely silent besides six lines, two of which are explicitly about volgin :

"…bastard! how could you know!? wait, i get it… you’re an agent of the man they call snake. the yankee who killed the colonel at groznyj grad! and you came all this way to gloat over me…!" "you want me… to join the villain who killed the colonel? not a chance…"

it's clear from these lines alone that raikov is still, six years later, extremely broken up over volgin's death. or, well, "death", but ykno. his entire personality has shifted into one far more morose and dour, and he only speaks up and shows genuine emotion in his speech when it's about volgin. he refuses to join big boss' team because big boss killed volgin. he remembers big boss in the first place for that exact reason. volgin's death has evidently left its mark on raikov. he's not the same man. sure, you could say maybe he's upset because volgin dying meant he lost the person protecting him from retribution, and he lost all his privileges. but then, why doesn't he make any attempt to climb the ranks of big boss' group the same way ? "because it's big boss' group, and he hates big boss!" yes. because big boss killed his lover. he calls big boss a villain for what he did to volgin, so it's clear he doesn't view what happened as a positive. this goes double for the fact he seems to not care at all about being praised and promoted among the ranks of the soviet armed forces. he only cares about revenge.

when you look at it all, it's blatantly obvious that volgin cares about raikov in a way he exhibits with nobody else. and raikov is heavily implied to feel the same way. raikov isn't just another of volgin's lovers, he's someone that volgin genuinely cares about. reducing raikov's character to some kind of damsel coerced into this relationship is not only, in my opinion, deeply cliché and boring, but it goes against all the evidence presented in the games ?

there's some other interpretations i'm not personally a fan of, but do find intriguing and interesting ( such as raikov being EVA / a spy, ) but this one irks me immensely to the point where i feel like i have to refute it. volgin is irredeemably evil, yes. he can be irredeemably evil and also genuinely love raikov. and the small amount we've seen into raikov's mentality support that the feeling is, in fact, mutual. sure, there's claims to make about age disparity and power imbalances, but it's stated pretty clearly ingame - multiple times in fact - that volgin views raikov as an equal.

framing raikov as some kind of victim or acting on harmful urges etc not only goes against the canon, but it strips away the character's ability to make his own decisions. why must he be a victim ? is it not possible - and probable, given the evidence - that he is just as bad as volgin, if not worse, and that's why they're drawn to each other ? is it not possible he chose to be volgin's lover out of a genuine desire for something, be that love or intimacy in general ? villains can be villains and still love like everyone else. they can be evil and still love healthily and genuinely. these things aren't mutually exclusive and acting like they are is very cartoonish !

so yeah. tldr the games heavily imply if not outright state that volgin and raikov legitimately and truly care for and love each other beyond that of just a physical, sexual relationship, and the depiction of raikov as a victim of volgin is a huge disservice to his character and also goes against what we've seen in canon

[mybrainrotforreal]

Hector and Charlie keep their relationship in secret and yet, they make everyone feels single af

(i'm new on tumblr and finally find how to make the font itallic 🥺)

Y'know, I was fact checking about FBI agent dating each other and I found this

So yeah they definitely need to keep their relationship in secret since Hector outranks Charlie. They call each other last name, they don't discuss personal matters in the office and they try to keep their hands from each other but!

- The entire office realizes Charlie is wearing a jacket bigger than his size and Hector is now wearing his beige coat after Charlie lost his jacket from the fire. Even when the official jacket is already in stock, Charlie doesn't order it.

- Whenever one of them take a sick leaves, the other will ask for a leave or work from home

- It's literally summer and Charlie wears turtleneck and Hector is in a very good mood. (He doesn't glare at everyone).

- Hector literally eye fucks him whenever he looks at Charlie and sometimes it makes Charlie lowers his gaze, blush creeps on his cheek.

Betty, from the administration : *looking at them* *is ready to stab her eyes with a stapler*

- It was raining, Hector opens his umbrella for Charlie and as they walk in the rain to get home, Hector puts his arm around Charlie's shoulders and positions the umbrella towards the younger man so it covers him more. Making sure he won't be wet.

Richard, another field agent who walks behind them : *using his own jacket over his head, hoping a car would slip and hit him when he crossed the street*

- It was autumn, when Hector get back to their office, he got leaves and dried flower on his shoulder. Charlie couldn't help himself to stroke his shoulder with care to get rid of them.

Jason, who just get back from catching criminals last night and got flu from the cold wind: *silently hoping his snot would totally block his nostril and die*

- They have office night out and Charlie gets really really drunk, he latches onto Hector like an octopus, unintentionally risking their dirty little secret.

Hector : *acknowledging this, takes him in his arm and carry him gently, bridal style* I'll drive him home, it's dangerous if he go home alone in this state

Kate, the field agent who agrees to the night out because she just got dumped : yeah, sure *continues to drink, close to alcohol poisoning*

- Charlie : *dutifully hands over his hat to Hector, who needs to go for a meeting with their informant* Take care, Agent Munday. Text me when you get there.

Hector : *takes the hat and when their fingers touch, he lingers for a second* *nods then leaves*

Erin, the new rookie : *watching the interaction and asks Charlie * awww, you guys are so cute. How long have you been married? Are FBI agents prohibited to wear wedding ring?

Charlie : *chokes on his own spit* we- we are not married! *later that night, when they are having dinner* Hector, why are we not married?

Hector : *misses his steak when he cuts it* you want to marry me? 🥺🥺🥺

Months later, they plans to marry and Charlie went to the HR

Charlie : I'm sorry but I have to tell you that Hector and me have been dat--

Catherine, the HR officer who mourns her single life everyday since these two teamed up : WE KNOW!

[more-than-a-princess]

Happy Munday! Just a few quick things, plus some cosplay photos from a recent convention (under the cut, in order not to clutter the dash with OOC content).

I am still accepting starters for this starter call! I'll close the call on Saturday, November 18. Until then, I will not have a cap on starters beyond writing one per mun/blog. This will likely be my last starter call from now until the beginning of 2024, so if you'd like me to write you a starter that isn't attached to a meme, this is your chance! I will still share memes when I have the time in my schedule to start new threads, but for those of you who don't like memes and prefer starter calls, this is the best way to interact with me through the holiday season.

I'll be a little quiet around here from today until Friday: I've got two long days in the office and then I'm celebrating my wedding anniversary on Thursday after work (with a considerable amount of food and champagne), so my writing and chatting time will be limited this week.

That said, I've finally had some time to look at my cell phone photos of my costumes from my last anime convention. I'm still waiting on photos from my private photoshoots, but in the meantime, I'll share a costume I haven't posted here yet. I predict some of you may recognize her (hi Bubblez!).

Did you know that I've either played or watched my husband play both AI: The Somnium Files games (because watching me try to play through the somniums is a stressful experience for everyone involved)? Now you do!

Actually, I've had my Boss costume for about a year now and I haven't been in a happy place with it until last month. Admittedly, my dress is a bit oversized after I lost weight and I need to take it in in a few places before wearing it again. That's the only thing that has stopped me from doing a private photoshoot with Boss.

In any case, she was my favorite out of the games and one of the very few (maybe only?) character I cosplay as who is older than me. How is this woman in her forties? I thought I had amazing skincare and genetics but Boss is on another level.

The jacket and gloves are both leather, with the dress made of a cotton/poly spandex and the boots being custom pieces that I ended up repainting to be a closer match to my jacket. The Ai-balls are from Lemon Penguin, who loves Uchikoshi games and produces a few Uchikoshi-related items to vend at conventions (and they conveniently end up at the cons I attend!).

But let me say: I love this wig so much. It was a custom piece after I was hating my own styling attempts, and comes with her 'hair donut' ponytail holder, her slicked back tendrils, and a stubbed ponytail that keeps the weight of the tail and wig lighter on my head. When I get a professional shoot of this done, I definitely want more shots of this incredible wig from the back.

And finally, the AiTSF cosplayers I've met at conventions have all been so friendly and kind! I had to miss the photoshoot this time around but I participated at one at a previous convention: we were a small group but we were mighty. Even if we either weren't recognized or called by some other character name (I get Misato Katsuragi in this one quite a lot. Ironic, as I also have a Misato costume).

[ravusnightblossom]

ooc; Holy shit I don’t remember keeping up with blogs being this much of a struggle before. Is this what getting old feels like?

Um. Hi. I’m here. I know I can be the shittiest RP partner, sometimes. Yet, you’re still here, so I’m just gonna’ hope my other redeeming factors outweigh that.

Anyhow, I’ll gradually be working on drafts across all blogs this week. My mood has been utter shit, so if I’m not OOC chatty with basically anyone as of late, that’s why. (Just smear a layer of fictional world over that nonsense.)

Tomorrow is Munday and I’ll probably forget by then because ADHDwhat? So I fling this a day in advance. x

[maria-rayro]

high-school au, I guess? (part 1/?)

- Hector is a quiet straight-A student, looking rather morbid, but not allowing himself to be helped by anyone. To those teachers who ask him, he tells that he's fine, but to his classmates he just doesn't answer at all, just ignoring them. Wears clothes that hide marks from beatings, cigarette burns, and so on.

- Charlie is new, likes to talk a lot, and is a little awkward at the same time. The teacher says to him to sit next to Hector and Lonnit immediately tries to make friends with him, but Munday doesn't respond in any way. Kinda rude ngl

- Manny is the school bully. He decides to test the new guy, and starts off small: first he throws crumpled pieces of paper at the back of his head, he trips him up in the hallway. Basically, he just acts like a dumbass.

- Mark is the captain of the basketball team, who actually wants to do some creative stuff, but his father won't let him quit the sport. Dates Kate, who is into esotericism. Kate is sharp-tongued, and Mark often walks with her just to keep her from fighting with everyone.

- Jamie is Mark's best friend, helping him with his passion for photography. Not a bad student herself, but also sharp-tongued, and sometimes gets punished by her teachers for it. She is in love with Erin, a quiet girl with asthma, whom Jamie gradually begins to introduce to the adventurous teenage life: the two of them drink wine together for the first time, kiss and... well, you know 👀

- The curator (what, are you surprised?) is a literature teacher, a charismatic and quiet man, yet quite demanding. Almost always understands what's going on with his students, and of course suspects that Hector has problems, but he responded to all his attempts to help with a stubborn "I'm fine" and a bold look in his eyes.

[neverrcry]

🍝 — favorite food(s)? 🎮 — favorite video game(s)? 💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you.

🍝 — favorite food(s)?

pasta. literally any type of pasta. we're talkin white sauce, red sauce, pesto, pan sauces, literally anything. i also am a biiiig fan of chorizo tacos hehe

🎮 — favorite video game(s)?

unfortunately none! i'm not a gamer :/ i've tried and it's just not my vibe.

💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you.

one. i had a panic attack in front of food network celebrity justin warner (and not because i was meeting a celeb) two. i went backstage at a chinese broadway performance of into the woods! three. i have chugged a bottle of communion wine (it was not blessed yet). and this is pre alcoholism era for me LMAO i was like 19 years old. it was when i worked at a lutheran summer camp.

munday asks (answered very late oops), @solarisgod, accepting!

[getsusekaii]

🖱 — any cool devices/tool(s) of the trade? (i.e. type of mouse, monitor, keyboard, tablet, etc) 💍 — any piercings? 💎 — want any (more) piercings? 🖊 — any tattoos?

🖱 — any cool devices/tool(s) of the trade? (i.e. type of mouse, monitor, keyboard, tablet, etc)

hehehe my sukuna tiddie mouse pad. a very very good gift from @strawdxll that i get good use out of every day. its great! and my wrists don't hurt that much since i started using it. i love it so much jekwejkhwehwe

💍 — any piercings?

just my ears in the usual spot you get your ears pierced at.

💎 — want any (more) piercings?

oh hell yea. see below for my inspiration on what i wanna do next. (if ur a csm fan lmfao u know who this is)

but i also want a bar too.

🖊 — any tattoos?

not yet, but i have some ideas on what ones i do want in the future. an arrow on my spine (for Sagittarius, my zodiac sign) and a cluster of stars to match with my siblings who are getting the sun and moon. there's another tattoo i want, but im waiting to get that with my special someone.

munday

[enruiinas]

What is something you want people to know right away about yourself?

        Anxious Munday Meme! // accepting!

     Okay, since I've already talked about how I want to help my RP partners as much as I can, and how I understand that the brain is messy and a lot of us are... really freaking anxious, I'm going to do something that's really difficult for me. I'm going to be upfront about something that would be helpful for me.

     At the end of the day, most of my excessive anxiety comes from not knowing where I stand with people. I operate under the assumption that if you're following me, you've read and understood my rules & have that no pressure mindset I'm most comfortable with - but. There is a particular anxiety-soothing magic in being told outright "Hey, I read these things, and I want you to know I 100% get it." Or even "this is all really great, but one request for me personally - I'm not big on meme spam". It's okay if we're not 100% on everything! There's no bigger comfort to me than being explicitly told what kind of interaction you're looking for/would like to have out of our mutual status.

     This is why I feel so strongly about interest trackers. To me, a mun filling out my interest tracker is the most outright way you can say "Hey, I see you, I know these things, I still want to write with you, here are the things I'm okay with." You are giving me permission to be myself and letting me know that I am someone you want to talk to. That said, I no longer have an interest tracker, because I know they annoy a lot of people (I don't think that's personal, I just think people don't think to SEE interest trackers that way) and I set myself up for being discouraged every single time I post it. I don't say that to guilt people - I think it's more my fault, because I'm not great at outright saying, "This would really help my anxiety and let me be the best RP partner I can be". In my head it becomes "nobody filled it out because I am exhausting and not worth a couple of minutes" - and I know that's not true, but again. Brains. Rude.

     Knowing how I get in my head and hurt my own feelings, it's probably in my best interest not to bring it back/set myself up for that. What I will do instead is list some questions I generally have/would like to know about people that could help me be a slightly less anxious mun - in case anyone ever does feel like something is off and wants to give me that explicit permission to interact. You don't have to answer all of them. Hell, you don't have to answer any of them. But if you feel like we could have a better connection or I could be a better writing partner to you, I think these could help any anxiety issues I'M having to make it that way.

Do you want to write with me? (I know it seems silly and should be obvious, but yes, sometimes if we've had a shy start or haven't found our footing yet or just whatever, just being told someone wants to write with me, well - there's not a lot of issues that can't solve.)

Do you want to talk OOC (either about RP stuff, or real life stuff, or both.)?

Do you prefer one ongoing interaction, a "few" (like, up to 5?) or many? (5+ - BRING THEM ALL).

What kind of dynamic are you interested in exploring between our muses? What kind of threads (genre, canon or AU, etc) do you enjoy or not enjoy?

Is who I am as a roleplayer going to hurt or upset you? Things like: Being slow with replies (I don't put a timeline on them. Sometimes I reply to stuff instantly, sometimes it takes me 6 months to get an idea for something - this is why I like lots of interactions/options.) Replying out of order. The fact that I struggle with silly/lighthearted stuff and have to be in just the right rare mindset to do them because I don't have a funny bone in my body. Occasional hyperfixations on certain threads. A tendency to favor replies for my affiliates when my time is limited, because those are the ones I know best OOC and I know they understand me, so yeah. They're easier to reply to - they've given me that permission to be Saro. Sometimes posting memes, meme calls, or starter calls even if I'm already behind on things. Liking meme or starter calls even if I'm already behind on things. Enjoying receiving and sending meme spam. Some of these are not things I can or will change. I will never commit to being a fast replier, responding within a certain time frame, or replying in order. I can't. So it may turn out that one or some of these things are deal breakers for us and that's okay. I'd just rather be upfront about it both ways. Some of these things are not dealbreakers, and just useful for me to know. If you don't like meme spam, okay. I won't meme spam you. If you don't want me to like your inbox calls if I owe you stuff already, totally get that. I just need to know what I should or should not overthink with someone to truly get to know and be comfortable with them!