#i'm just naming these based on what i think they convey

[toomanyideasandfandoms]

I knew you'd like the idea >:3

Just imagine the characters having an intervention meeting without the creator and they bring THAT up and the notebook along with it and the entire room just goes to silence and no one know how to bring the fact that close to half of the deaths later on were of their own creator's hands.

You're right though, I def think that Sumeru would actually make the problem worse and potentially cause a relapse in which case another nation takes over and Sumeru is seen as worse or inferior for causing more pain to the creator (like the little hypocrites they are smh)

Imagine there's some pages on the old notebook of just describing how they felt and the reader can see the slow descent to madness as each death happens and it's like forbidden knowledge for them to the point that it actually like becomes risk of being lethal, so they kinda stop looking into it and just try their best to heal their creator and just leave the skeleton in the closet, per say.

I forgot to put my little thing on the last post but here it is again! I have way more ideas for sagau that i will probably never get to write so i'm happy to share them!

🍌anon

🍌 anon I want you to know that I am eating everything up cause MY GOD THE WAVELENGTHS WE'RE HAVING AAAAA

And ohhhhh ohhhhhh forbidden knowledge, your brain rn omg. CHRIST ALMIGHTLY

Some of the notes would actually be forbidden knowledge, especially if we're talking the early ones and if the creator was isekaied before Sumeru's archon quests. Omg- NO ONE CAN READ THE FIRST COUPLE OF EDITIONS, besides for Traveler-

Wait....this just made me realize something. I FORGOT TO EVER THINK ABOUT THE TRAVELER, WHAT ROLE WOULD THEY EVEN HAVE??? OH GOD HOW COULD I OVERLOOK THIS WAIT

Putting a pin in that for later (slamming my head against the wall over this)

But yeah Traveler is probably the one that creator would be closest too, because they have to be the first ones (besides Nahida or Neuvillette) to know the truth. So when the notebooks are found they're the only ones allowed to read it. So they would be at the meeting and conveying what is necessary but also keep the important parts our for the sake of the creator's privacy and to keep the forbidden knowledge from infesting again.

What probably keeps them at an advantage is the language creator uses can only be read by Traveler since Teyvat's language is usually translated for us in game in our own languages.

And also yes Sumeru would be worst, glad we agree. BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF THE AKADEMIYA, Azar fucking sucks and would never understand. BUT- if we're talking with Alhaitham being the acting leader then there's a higher chance for them. Especially with the other Sumeru characters being there, and Nahida!! Nahida would be a godsend since she obviously would have the most knowledge, both known and unknown, and also would be able to peer review others ideas based on when she's read the memories of the creator (poor baby got traumatized tho-)

PLUS! Kuni (Wanderer name I use, making sure that's known) being our body guard, ain't no way creator is dying even if it is their wish. Combine that with Cyno also on guard duty and you got a chance of healing way better then whenever Azar (fuck that guy seriously) was in charge.

[fountainpenguin]

Went down a very specific research pipeline last night, and now you get to share it with me:

Does Dev have hypoglycemia?

Low levels of blood sugar that - when they drop - can lead to irritability, confusion, headaches, exhaustion, shaking, rapid heartbeat, blurry vision, passing out, seizures, or even death. Blood sugar can drop about 2 to 4 hours after eating; snacks and additional small meals are very needed; sugary foods like hard or gummy candies can give a quick boost, as can juice or soda. I'm continuing my research after this post, so please forgive/inform me if I've mixed up details between different types of hypoglycemia- or just got something totally wrong.

FOP: A New Wish is set in modern times (i.e. not the far future). He's allowed to have drones in the classroom with him- They're acknowledged as his assistants and the teachers know about them.

Potentially, they may function under similar rules to service dogs- another sentient creature that would be allowed in class (ignoring that Dev is sometimes away from them, or that they went into the halls on their own in "28 Puddings Later").

We know Dev is self-reliant enough to get by without his au pairs. They help him, but they're not something he needs 24/7.

Insert joke about the au pairs needing off-duty time like service dogs and sometimes they just go play. Union rules...

We know they have the capability to "alert on Dev" like service dogs... or at least, this one looked at Dev and beeped when scanning a paper, and even projected an exclamation point to catch his eye:

The visual-verbal cue combo is definitely an intentional feature (And it's not like it greeted him by name- it just beeped and he knew what it was conveying).

We know that at the end of "Lost and Founder's Day," this au pair - despite being a machine - recognized Dev was sad (or at least low energy) and patted him on the head.

Au Pair: I would hug you, but I do not have human arms or warmth.

Earlier in this episode, we see the au pairs respond to people based on data they were being fed through sensors people were wearing on their wrists. Dev might have one here, though we know he was upset to find out his dad was using them to zap people and he's sad about his dad not loving him, so it's likely he's not wearing it.

This implies the au pairs don't have enough data about most people, but they DO have internal data about Dev. If not internal, they can read him well. We do know they're good at reading cues- They get embarrassed during the festival when they find out problems have been corrected before they got there and we didn't see the Dimmlets shock anyone to prompt the au pairs to acknowledge the situation changed. What does it say about the au pairs if they're implied to be Dale's creation and they see sad Dev and think "I should hug him."

The Off Puddin' brand of pudding is so desirable that the whole class became addicted; they had withdrawals when Hazel changed her "unlimited pudding" wish to be "pudding after we take our class picture" wish- Just like everyone else, Dev was one of the affected individuals and ate all the pudding he could get his hands on.

If the pudding is that delicious, it's interesting Dev kept some (even if this is a new batch from a different pudding day) and snacked on it in Fairy World... and didn't give into impulses to eat it some random day beforehand:

I guess we can't prove it's the same brand, but it's presumably the same model from "28 Puddings Later." I think it's the only item we know he brought to Fairy World beyond clothes and one au pair that he stands on. He doesn't even use his tablet in this episode (which he's normally glued to outside of school).

We can confirm Peri didn't poof this up for him (or at least, it's very unlikely since that would've been weeks ago). Dev eats this pudding after Irep ditches him to hang out with his dad- Extremely doubtful Dev got Irep's attention for his snack. Or Dale's, for that matter (if his dad brought some).

Canonically, the principal gives Dev lots of pudding because his dad made a "generous donation" to the school. It's possible he does this often since we know Dev hoards pudding every pudding day...

... which is interesting, because in "Stanky Danky," the news describes Dale as "billionaire non-philanthropist." Investing in his child's future for the sake of good education doesn't seem to be his M.O.... although he does send Dev to a private school, so maybe.

We know Dale hates losing money, and we know he's not the best dad to Dev... but we also know Dev has an official allergy card that names him in 3rd person-

- which could imply he got this card when he was young. That's not guaranteed, but I looked at some IRL cards and some use first-person, so it's food for thought.

Possibly, his dad even took him to the doctor for official diagnosis. Lactose intolerance can be hereditary, so if Dale has it, he may have identified it immediately after Dev's first reaction. For all Dale’s faults, Dev IS still alive and not starving to death - and still lives with his dad - so it's not improbable Dale's aware of his son's food needs. On a darker note... given Dale's abusive childhood, I feel like lack of food is something he has trauma around. Also, if Dale is lactose intolerant, I'd be curious to know how Dev found out he was, as I'd assume Dale wouldn't keep dairy in the house if he can't eat it. The two logical options here are "Dale took him for an allergy test" or "Dev ate dairy outside the house and got sick, so he told his dad / the au pairs." Maybe he found out in preschool?

Dev's au pair bringing him a snack! Their boy needs to eat!

Anyway, this was all leading up to these screenshots of Dev having no fun on the walk to Signal Hill that I found funny:

No energy... need sugar... Exercise did a number on him... Hazel takes a breather by crouching for a second, but Dev just slams his face in the grass and I think that's great.

Despite Dev not liking to walk, he and Hazel stopped their treasure hunt before the final clue and walked back to the Dimmadome place for food, so that's neat to think about (especially in the context of him snacking before he left the house... How long were they out? Did he even finish his snack?)

Dev's au pair was preemptively wearing a chef's hat when he and Hazel came back to the house, so I wonder if that's his routine lunch time on weekends. The au pairs are good caretakers who know their boy's schedule and needs...

Immediately after this scene, Dale asks what Dev and Hazel are up to "this fine afternoon," so it's probably after 1 pm. Noon at the earliest, but surely not an early lunch at 11 AM. Interesting consideration for the timing of Dev's snack... It makes sense if he was out with Hazel for 2 to 4 hours before he had to go home and eat, even though they were on the final riddle.

Come to think of it, one of the things we know about Dev's house is that there's a cereal bar and Peri brings him cereal... and the woozy Peri hallucinating about bringing Dev "his favorite cereal" (during the finale) seems to get to him one way or another.

Consider... Cosmo and Wanda poofed up hard candy when Peri came over because Dev needed sugar I DID wonder what they were up to considering sugar gets Fairies inebriated...

tl;dr - I like to think the reason on paper that Dev gets his au pairs in school is for medical reasons. They track his blood sugar and keep him from, y'know... going into a seizure or passing out. I can't imagine Dale would like that happening to his son at home either (if for no other reason than because it would be a huge distraction he has to deal with).

If this is something Dev's been dealing with since he was little, that plays into the au pairs accompanying him through his early years... We know he's both lactose intolerant and extremely picky, not liking any of the cupcakes Peri poofed up despite this many attempts:

- which I cannot imagine Dale had the patience to deal with long if he was Dev's primary caretaker in his earliest years.

I was gonna make a joke about Dale hiring someone to watch Dev - and let's be real; he probably did - but also... do you think this cocky guy would spend money when "It's a baby; how hard can it be? I also eat daily- This is just efficient use of my time!"

POV: Tired single dad who's not yet finalized his au pair design walks into grocery store with baby, buys cupcakes, leaves. Confuses every parent in the parking lot when he has a fussy Dev sitting on the back of the car and he's spoonfeeding him icing. They did not go home. Next stop will be the park, where Dale falls asleep on a bench while Dev eats bugs. Some parent sees Dev eating a chocolate bar and strikes up a conversation with Dale about what a big moment it was when they treated their child to chocolate and Dale's just like "I've been feeding him that his entire life." Dale pouring a soda in his toddler's sippy cup: Don't judge me.

At a certain point, when you're a billionaire single dad running multiple businesses and you're good at robotics, there comes a time when "It would make things easier if my young child (who's a very picky eater and can't have dairy) had a drone to follow him around, alert him when his blood sugar is about to drop, or assist if he passes out" makes a lot of sense. Especially if you have major trust issues from abuse and prefer relying on your own inventions.

It was a very relieving day for Dale when he finally had a reliable au pair to leave his son with, I'm sure. Didn't accidentally kill his son!! #Not as big a jerk as you could've been!

During my original liveblog for "Battle of the Dimmsonian," I was confused about Dev going from "I need to talk to Hazel" to trying to spook her and her friends by summoning ghosts. I'm definitely not excusing his bitter attitude in general as a hypoglycemia thing, but this is an episode that would make this headcanon funny:

Peri, internally: Listen here, you little brat- I've read your file. Now eat your freakin' cupcake. Icing is good for you. Dev: These are terrible >:( I'll go without. Peri: WHY? Dev later that day: If I tell Peri I need sugar, he'll be SUCH a pain about it. I opt to suffer...

Anyway, I think it's interesting and I'm going the "au pairs help Dev with a lot of things, but one of them is hypoglycemia" direction in my City Lights AU :)

If anyone's curious, I'm doing growth hormone deficiency that also lands him with a weak immune system- another thing the au pairs help him with. My full character profile for Dev will go into extra details about his life... Fun times.

Dale, planting his whiny and sick child on the floor by his desk and handing him a tablet, juice, and a bunch of hard candy: Big Boss has a work meeting. Don't go outside or you'll die. At this point, you're sunk costs and if I lose you, I'm gonna make it everyone's problem.

Bonus Theory:

Are Doug and Dale also lactose intolerant, and did Dale kill his dad's cows?

In Season 5 - "Mooooving Day" - Doug runs a business called Dimmadome Farms, which produces extreme amounts of milk from genetically modified cows. He uses this to keep the population of Dimmadome Acres totally happy and obedient.

Doug seems convinced the milk makes people happy and that it's a good thing, but he doesn't personally drink it. It's kind of funny to think he went the route of milk because his family is full of lactose intolerant individuals who won't accidentally drink it.

Genetics - Lactose intolerance is inherited in the autosomal recessive pattern- This means either both of Dev's parents are lactose intolerant, or they personally aren't but carry the gene.

Additionally, Dev will only pass lactose intolerance to his kids if his partner also has the gene- either intolerant or a carrier.

There's a chance Dev developed it without genetics, but it looks like there's a lot more variety there than I can cover in a single post. From what I've read, it's "uncommon in babies and young children." He's 9 when "Peace of Pizza" takes place, which might strengthen the argument that it's genetic in his family.

One of the businesses Dale lists as under his possession in "Lost and Founder's Day" is Dimm-'N-Out Burgers. Presumably this is a parallel of In-'N-Out Burger, which use beef patties. Notably, this is a business made up for A New Wish- It's never been portrayed as under Doug's ownership.

If Dimmadome Farms already existed in Dale's youth, it makes sense Dale would use the cows from there- You have to do something with the ones who aren't producing milk, so why not make money?

Technically, Dimmadome Acres was wiped out by magic, but it's possible Dimmadome Farms itself was outside premises of the suburban neighborhood, so maybe there were other cows.

We know by A New Wish, Dale has established himself as a tech mogul, but he probably wasn't one straight after being rescued from 7 years of abuse, which is heavily implied to have started when he was 9 (give or take). Consider:

Doug: I'm making drinks from a labor force of enslaved individuals I've trapped underground :) His son, who recently escaped a life of being forced to make drinks for 7 years underground: This is incredibly insensitive, actually.

Hey, there's something SUPER sus about Dale's underground lemonade stand abuse starting at age 9 when his dad's milk factory is also underground in a big trapdoor and relies on trapped people for labor... Do you think Vicky found the cows when she was a kid and lured Dale down there, but he was lactose intolerant and couldn't drink mind control milk, so she moved him somewhere else... I'm connecting the dots...

It's worrisome that Doug's instinctual response to Timmy saying he didn't want to drink milk was "What a baby," and then he jumps and corrects himself to "Aw, shucks"... What conspiracy am I uncovering... Doug, let me in- I just wanna talk about the home your son grew up in.

I mean, the alt theory is that Doug built his underground dairy farm and trapped people to work in it BECAUSE Dale told him where he'd been for the last 7 years and he went "Oh, that's brilliant!" and that's also terrible??

Anyway, Doug's thing is that he's constantly jumping from one business to the next, never staying consistent (beyond the beloved Dimmadome stadium).

Knowing how he's always go-go-go, it's very probable he'd get his son involved in business young. Maybe Dale started with a burger joint until the robotics work paid off! A spiteful direction for Dimmadome Farms indeed...

Me, having a sudden realization and looking up from my notes theorizing both Dev and Dale have OCD and ADHD, then glancing at my second monitor where I have references from "Moooving Day" of Doug's meticulously arranged town of pink houses and people wearing matching outfits:

... Ah.

[oneofthetorturedpoets]

One and Only

Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

Slight angst to fluff

based on the song One and Only by Adele

--------------

You're laughing with Barbara, your head thrown back, your hand on her arm. Barbara has a smile on her face, proud of what she just said to make you laugh.

Melissa is staring at you from across the room, her eyes peering over her wine glass. She looks you up and down, observing your every move. You're amazing with her friends, you laugh with Barb, you debate with Jacob, you worry with Janine, you garden with Gregory, you party with Ava. You're perfect with Melissa, treating her like she carries the world on her back. You look at her like she just gave you air to breathe. You have never betrayed her, never done wrong by her. Melissa knows how you feel about her. She knows if she were to run up and kiss you in the way she dreams about, you would pull her closer. She knows you would treat her the way her Nonna wanted so bad for her. You would give her the security for her to completely open up and never make her feel judged. The stars have aligned and given Melissa her dream girl. The person she has been searching for, since she was a little girl. The one thing out of place is Melissa. Her mind holds her back from the one thing she craves. Every time she goes to lean in to finally capture your lips with hers, her mind races and her insecurities win. She can't do it. The what if's cloud her thinking and they terrify her. Why is something so promising, so simple, this hard?

"Melissa?" you tap her out of her thoughts, she looks up at you from her seat.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" you laugh.

"I was about to ask you that, you've been in the corner this whole night. Are you okay? Do you want to ditch? I'll distract Ava?" She shakes her head.

"No, just thinking too much." You grab her hand, pulling her up as she sets down her glass. She adjusts her red dress, shuffling it down slightly.

"Dance with me? We can clear your thoughts on the dance floor, mi amor." The pet name causing her cheeks to turn bright red, luckily her makeup covers most of her blush. You lead the way, as a slow song comes on. You set your hands on her waist as hers wrap loosely around your neck. "What on your mind, Mel?" She sighs deeply, laying her forehead on your collarbone.

"Complicated things, Hon."

"Maybe it's not as complicated as you're making it to be." you reply, making her feel as if you've read her mind.

"It's really not, I'm just having a mental battle with myself. Been havin' the same one for years now." you rock her slowly back and forth.

"I'm sure there's a solution to it."

"There is, I'm just not sure if I should solve this one."

"If it will add to your happiness, you should always take that chance."

She pulls away from your chest, looking up at you with unsureness and worry. "I just- I can't." Melissa runs out, her dress flowing behind her. You chase her outside, the wind blowing your hair in your face.

"Melissa!" You call out, only to fall on deaf ears. She bolts to her car, quickly opening the door. You gently grab her arm before she can get in her car. "Melissa if I upset you-"

She shakes her head "It's not you, Y/n... I just can't lose you"

Your brows tie together in confusion "You'll never lose me, Mel. I don't know why you would think that."

Tears form in her eyes "Y/n..." She whispers as you bring your thumb up to catch one of her tears, wiping her cheek. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

You keep your hand on her cheek "Why does what have to be so hard, my love?"

More tears fall from her eyes. "I'm in love with you. I always have been. God, please don't hate me, Y/n"

You smile softly at her, cupping her face. "Love doesn't always have to be hard, Melissa. You know I fell for you years ago." You lean in, brushing your lips against hers before she presses into you, passionately kissing you with everything she can. Trying to convey her feelings into one kiss. A tear rolls down your cheek as you shut your eyes, taking in the moment. The love you have for the woman, filling your heart, making your body warm.

"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to let my doubts go, you're the only one that I want" You shake your head.

"Don't be sorry, Mel." She pulls you in for another short-lived kiss.

She takes a deep breath of relief, letting the weight fall off her shoulders "I don't know why I was scared, I've been here before, I've imagined it all."

Finally, your souls unite, solidifying a love that not even the strongest of force could break, Melissa will make sure of that.

[vidavalor]

Hello!

This is random but I remembered your posts regarding The Situation with NG’s involvement in Good Omens when one of my followers on Twitter tweeted a screen cap of an old conversation on bluesky where Neil sorta confirms Amazon had pulled back his influence on production from S1 so there’s a lot of truth in what you said

Hope you’re doing great! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hi there! 💕 Hope you're doing great yourself. I usually offer snacks but this is a large sherry or Talisker topic so *gets the glasses*...

That's interesting info-- thank you for sharing it. Like I was saying in that original post, I don't know any of that for sure but that was definitely the impression I was getting. One of the several reasons I was getting that impression was due to other, equally unprofessional posts like the one you're talking about here that speak to already-existing conflict with Amazon long before this particular Situation became publicly known.

I'm not sure why he'd be trying to fight the studio publicly like that if there's not something happening behind the scenes. It's just unprofessional. I was shocked when I saw posts like that because it's not like he was being a whistleblower to egregious behavior or something-- he was bitching about his boss and the budgets to fans on Tumblr. It feels like he was trying to use the fanbase as a shield to keep himself from being fired, as a way of saying "you can't get rid of me-- I will tell my fans you are the issue and they will believe me and not you and I have a million of them-- just look at my little Tumblr thing. You'll lose money if you don't back me."

You know what kind of guy does shit like that? The same kind that tells young women that no one is going to believe them because he's a famous, award-winning writer and they're nobody.

If you don't mind, I'm going to use your ask here for a moment to add a bit to what I was saying about Good Omens being a through-and-through Pratchett novel because I think it's important to remember that this story has another author here. I've had some people ask me to expound on that a bit. So, for anyone interested, this is what I mean when I say that Good Omens is a Pratchett novel:

As most of you probably know, most of the posts I write about Good Omens have to do with the use of language in the story. The diction in Good Omens is extremely specific. Its quirky word choice, its "gayer than a monkey on nitrous oxide"- type of wordplay? It's funny on the surface level and it's a whole other level of funny when you dig a bit deeper. The cleverness there is familiar to Pratchett readers, as it's part of the distinctive style of his other novels. As a writer who is a bit obsessed with etymology myself, I spotted his love for it right away in his writing. It's in every. single. one. of his books that I have read and I have read quite a few.

The exact same thing is in Good Omens. It's a really specific way of writing where word-related jokes are the vehicle for the humor and etymology-based diction choices are chosen with great precision and inform the piece on every level. Pratchett's signature style of writing came from the fact that he used etymology as a tool to help him convey the messages in his writing. The thematic connections he was making were supported by the complex histories of the key words around which he was forming his stories.

For example, there's a meta one of you asked me to write about the halo in S2 and, when you look at the etymology of the word, as we're going to do in that meta, you'll see that halo comes from discus and discus is the root of discussion, the root of the word desk, and the ancient sport that is like ring toss. It was also the name of a threshing floor for oxen, which ties both to dancing and to the threshold of a door, like the bookshop entry. By the time we get through looking at this one, key word of halo, we're going to have taken this whole trip-- through other discs-- the magic ring trick, record albums, Velvet Underground cds, etc., through what it means to dance to the ox ribs to what it means to have (or not have) a desk to what it means to talk through your frozen peas to what's up with the invitations into the bookshop. Good Omens is not random. Everything is very specifically chosen to work together to serve an overall story that is structured around using the etymology of words to underpin its meaning.

This is just one example and it's the same thing in the novel and S1. Much of the S2 stuff connects back to S1 & the novel. It's a story that loves words and it's a story that is threaded together, thematically, through being told by using very specific words and their histories. Good Omens is written like a Pratchett novel and feels like a Pratchett novel because it centers word history in exactly the same way as Pratchett does in his other novels.

You know where that halo thru-line that connects everything came from?

Discworld. It comes from Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

The same, core themes in his books are being explored, just in a slightly different way, in Good Omens and, often, using the same words in the exploration.

Because that's the thing-- all of these posts I'm writing about wordplay in Good Omens? I could, if I wanted to, also be writing them about any one of Pratchett's other novels, and a lot-- and I mean a lot-- of the specific words being used in a big way in Good Omens actually overlap with Pratchett's other books.

One of you has been waiting patiently for me to write about Mrs. Sandwich and the seamstress-themed language happening in the show and, to do that? We're going to not only talk about her and what she stands for in Good Omens but we're going to talk about the etymology jokes Pratchett was making with The Seamstress Guild in Discworld. Mrs. Sandwich might have been new in S2 but seamstress language is not-- it's baked into Crowley & Aziraphale's speak back in the novel and, as you'll see, there are instances of it in S1 and the novel that only become more apparent once you know to look for them after S2.

When NG said that, back in the day, he and Pratchett decided that Aziraphale should have a halo that was like a ring toss-- no.

Pratchett decided that.

The idea comes from the wordplay that is literally *in the title* of his own book series. Aziraphale's halo is related to why Pratchett's series is the Discworld. It's the same ideas. NG has fuck all to do with it.

Think about how I was just saying that all this love of etymology that is in Good Omens is also throughout Pratchett's books and is the driver of his word choice in all of them.

Now? Ask yourself who came up with Crowley and Aziraphale's secret language. Whose idea was it that it be so punny and etymology-based?

Probably the guy who wrote all of those etymology-based, other books.

Who invented the rules for that language?

Probably the guy who wrote all of those etymology-based other books.

If Pratchett wrote basically nothing but intentionally, lovingly, word-nerdy books... and if Good Omens is, soup-to-nuts, a love letter to etymology to a point that its main characters have a secret language built around it, then Terry Pratchett is who really wrote Good Omens. He's the true author of the book.

There are even interviews that show they had much different takes on how the process for the book happened. Pratchett, in one of the ones I read, said he wrote more than 2/3rds of the books straight up on his own and that he'd have phone calls with NG before NG wrote his bits of it and something politely vague to the effective of 'editing over' when writing the next chapter. In the same paragraph where he said he wrote more than 2/3rds of the book, he also said with all that discussion happening "who can say" who really wrote what-- yeah, exactly. It sounded a bit like NG needed the phone call to be told what to write on his end and then Pratchett edited it/rewrote bits of it before he wrote the next bit.

It comes off sounding like this book was like a partnered school project where Pratchett was the diligent one who did all the work himself so it would get done and be actually good and then assigned a bit of it to NG to do that he then had to go and fix so they'd get a decent grade. I wasn't there so I don't know but that's a bit like what the Pratchett interviews about it sound like to me and I'm much more inclined to believe Pratchett's view on their process than I am NG's take.

All I know is that Good Omens was successful when it was first published and any even moderately successful book makes publishing houses jump up and say "MORE NOW" and if you were those publishing houses? And you had a popular project with two writers? And one of the writers became tragically ill? You know what you'd do?

You'd eventually ask the other writer to finish the series.

It is known that a trilogy was planned from the start, which makes sense because most books are planned that way. You actually have to rough outline the entire story arc and then divide it amongst the books first. The story already existed in full when Pratchett began to get sick. Never-- in over two decades-- did anyone ever go to NG and ask him to both honor Pratchett and make them some cash by writing the rest of the trilogy?

Not even with how popular this book is?

That seems pretty suspicious to me.

Like a 'they know NG didn't really write it' kind of suspicious.

When both the publishing houses and the tv studios seem to be doing handstands to minimize his involvement with it, I'm thinking it's not too wild to infer there that it's because he never really wrote much, if any of it, in the first place.

More to the point? They know he's incapable of emulating it.

Because he's no Terry Pratchett.

[tubbytarchia]

Your thing about the sunglasses made me think of this

OK FIRSTLY I've never seen that art of yours before but its PERFECT and I KNEW someone had to have drawn something like this related to ranchers before. I'm glad we were on the same wavelength. This makes me chuckle so much Edit: I haven't seen this before because it was just drawn, oops

Secondly WAIT OH MY GOD YOU ARE THE HYBBART??? GET OUT NO WAY I'M SO STUPID

THAT'S YOU??? I NEVER REALIZED, GOD, I've seen this account of yours in my notes and I never connected the dots based on your near identical blog name that you're literally hybbart. I was literally about to DM your art blog like "hey is it cool if I answer this ask that used your art and just leave credit back to you?" and then I realized THAT'S YOU!! THAT'S YOU!!!! I'm sorry for my strong reaction, I'm a little bit of what they call a fangirl... Your rancher art is so precious and I can't believe you've been interacting with my posts?? What!! Like, half the time when I read rancher fics, my vision defaults to your designs and idk what to do about it but also I'm not complaining!! Your art is so cute and good and inspiring, I especially love your ability to draw full scenes with great color use to convey mood and wondrous background detail...

Sorry I turned this into a hybbart love and appreciation post, please forgive me. Um haha

[thatgingerswritings]

Care for me

Newt X Reader

→ He/him pronouns

→ Movie based

Synopsis: reader is a medjack and Newt comes regularly in the hut for one reason or another. Reader is oblivious and Minho tries to open his eyes.

Warnings: blood, alcohol

A/N: english is not my first language, I may not know the whole gladers' slang, please let me know if I made any mistake

Most of the gladers were grouped around the box, and your friend Clint was urging you to join them. "Come on Y/n! Or the box will arrive before us!" You rolled your eyes, "I know, I'm coming." You finished cleaning up the blood (or at least what was possible to clean) of the last injured you had to take care of, and joined the other medjack outside the hut. Jeff was already waiting for you both, his hands in his pockets, talking with Newt.

"We were waiting for you!" your fellow medjack said. "What took you so long?" Newt asked. "You should try cleaning blood with only water and soap," you answered, "why aren't you already at the box?" The two medjacks were already distancing you, they seemed pretty excited for the box. You needed new medical supplies, you wished that the people sending the box would give you an actual doctor one day, but you knew it wasn't gonna happen. "No reason," he said, "the alarm didn't ring yet, they're all a bit early." You chuckle, "who can blame them? It's not like we get much entertainment here." You and Newt laugh lightly and immediately stop when the alarm rings. It feels like it's wrecking your ears, but you're kind of used to it by now. The gears on the side of the box start and their metallic sounds almost cover the alarm until it goes off. When the box finally opens, you jump in to go and check the greenie. Gally follows to start conveying the supplies sent in the box to the Glade.

The new boy was curled up against a few boxes that formed a corner, all shaky and visibly younger than every other glader. "Hey greenie, I'm Y/n. I'll check if you're injured, just in case. Does it hurt anywhere?" The boy looks up to you, and you notice that he's crying, but he shakes his head. You help him getting on his feet and still check for any possible injuries. "Looks like you're not hurt anywhere," you said, smiling to the boy, "do you remember your name? Or how old you are?" He shakes his head again. "N-No..." You can tell he is trying not to cry even if tears are still running down his cheeks. "C'mon lil' guy, let's get you up there," you said.

The greenie was still crying after a few hours. You could only understand, but even you had to admit that you were getting tired of hearing his sobs in the distance. You never really understood why all the greenies were thrown in jail as soon as they got out of the box, but you weren't the chief and couldn't say anything. It was Alby's job. You sighed. "Is something wrong?" a familiar voice asked from behind.

You jumped slightly and faced Newt. "No, but if you're here I guess I can return the question." The blonde chuckled and looked down on his hand. "Yeah, I uh, I accidentally cut my finger. It didn't fell off, but it's still bleeding." You walk towards him and takes his hand in yours, taking off the cloth that was preventing the wound to bleed out. "Oh, well, it's not that bad but you still need some care," you put the cloth back in place and gestured towards a bench in the room, "sit down." Newt obeyed and you opened the box you received, taking a bottle of alcohol and a clean cloth. You sat in front of your friend and uncovered his wound, putting the bloody cloth away.

His wound wasn't that deep and there was no ripped skin, the cut was oddly clean. A machete hit would cause much more damage, but it was more serious than a scratch. "How did it happen?" you ask while pouring some alcohol on the cloth. "Uh, dumb mistake, I held my machete the wrong way." You put the cloth on his wound and he immediately sucks air between his teeth. That doesn't sound like something Newt would do, and you can't help but thinking he's lying. However, you just continue to clean his wound and don't say anything. He's been visiting the medjack's hut a lot these past few months, for all kind of reasons: small injuries, questions (dumb ones most of the time), just to talk when he had nothing to do, sometimes he even hid from Alby for some reason. Maybe he was getting sick of Newt getting hurt a lot and wanted to lecture him, which was why the blonde was hiding.

"You should be more careful," you said with a little smile as you finished tying a bandage around his finger. "Y-Yeah, I will." You look at him raising an eyebrow. It wasn't the first time you told him to be careful and he promised every time, you weren't a fool and at this point you were starting to think ha was doing it purpose. But that was weird, why would he get hurt on purpose? "And done," you said, "all clean." "Thanks," Newt said, and you looked inti each other's eyes before he got up and walked to the exit, "I'll see you at the bonfire." "Yeah." You smile at each other and he exited the hut, greeting Minho when he got out. You joined the runner outside and you noticed that the greenie had stopped crying, or at least you couldn't hear him anymore.

"You do realise he's not dumb enough to get hurt like that, right?" Minho said, standing beside the hut's door. "I know," you said, your arms crossed on your chest, "he's acting weird." Minho stopped beside you and began stretching. "I don't think it's weird," he said and you turned your head, "I think he's doing it on purpose." You frowned. "Why would he get hurt on purpose? That's messed up." Minho stopped stretching and placed his hands on his harness. "Messed up? Nah, I wouldn't say that. But that's dumb for sure." You stayed silent, watching Newt guiding the greenie around the Glade with no expression on your face. "You really don't know why he does that?" You turn to Minho who looks at you with raised eyebrows. "No..?" you say, "but if you know, please tell me." He rolled his eyes and walked away with a sigh. "Minho! I'm not kidding! Tell me!" But he ignored you and continued to walk. You were about to go after him but you heard someone yelling 'medjack' and you had to go do your job.

꧁꧂

"So, are you decided to tell me?" you said, sitting down beside Minho. It was almost night and the bonfire was about to start, everyone was gathering in the center of the Glade. The keeper had to think a few seconds to know what you were talking about. "No, ask him yourself," he answers with a smirk. "But I have no proof that he's hurting himself on purpose!" The keeper looked at you, almost shocked. "Yes you do! He's not a shuckin' idiot!" he said, whispering loudly to yell at you but in a way no one could hear, "holding his machete upside down? Really?" You sighed, "just tell me then!" Minho grunted and massaged his temples.

"How can you be so oblivious Y/n? Just think! Why would he find any dumb excuse to go to the medjack's hut?" He looked at your dumbfounded expression for a moment, "I bet you didn't realise you're the only one taking care of him when he gets hurt." You slowly shook your head, "it's because... I'm his best friend, right?" The runner let out a loud exasperated sigh, "okay, you're kidding me, right?" You blinked. The possibility that your crush on Newt being reciprocal never occurred to you, mainly because there was not really any time for romance in the Glade, especially for the second in command. "I'm just saying," Minho continued, "you should just ask him yourself. I'm not some kind of cupid."

"Where is he?" you asked, getting up. You were determined to find him and had built some courage inside you, though you didn't know where it cale from. Minho shrugged, and you decided to look for Newt by yourself. You walked around the bonfire, asking a few gladers if they saw him, but he was nowhere to be found. But at least you were able to talk to the greenie, who was named Chuck. He remembered his name after some hours, which was pretty quick compared to most gladers. Night had fallen by now, and you still haven't found Newt, but since the bonfire would start at any moment now you thought you would see him in a few minutes. You took a glass of the drink concocted by Gally and took a sip, talking with a few gladers and waiting for the fire to be lit up, still asking if anyone had seen the second in command.

You were sitting alone, a bit far from the bonfire and your mind a bit foggy from the alcohol. "I heard you were looking for me earlier?" You turned your head so fast you could have sworn your neck cracked a bit. "Oh hey, yeah I... I was, indeed." Newt sat beside you in the grass. "So... Why?" Suddenly, having him beside you like that made all the courage you had built up vanish. "Uh, h-how's your finger?" The blonde looked down at his bandage, "good, good, it's... healing," he took a sip of his drink, avoiding your gaze. You frowned, taking a sip too and looking around. You saw Minho in the distance who was giving you insistent looks and pointing Newt. "Hum... I was wondering..." you began as you slowly turned your head to the boy, directly meeting his eyes, "how did you cut your finger, really?" The blonde looked away and took another sip of his drink, "I told you, I held my knife upside down." You raised an eyebrow, "oh really? You told me it was your machete earlier."

Newt stayed silent. "I'm just worried Newt, y-you seem to injure yourself a lot, and... I mean, for example, the cut on your finger is too clean, it doesn't look like an accident..." you weren't sure of where you were going with this, it seemed weird and you kind of hoped he would think the alcohol made you talk nonsense. But how could you ask something like that, like Minho said you should. "Are you okay...?" You finally asked. Newt finished his glass in one time before talking. "I'm okay, I just... I wanted to see you more often, and uh... I've just been less careful, these really were just accidents but I thought that I couldn't just take your time for no reason, you're a medjack. So I don't mind getting hurt. Besides..." You raised your eyebrows at him. Minho was wrong, he wasn't hurting himself on purpose, which was a big relief. And he just admitted that he wanted to see you more often. Newt cleared his throat. "Besides," he continued, "I... I like it when you take care of me..."

You were thankful that it was night and the fire wasn't bright enough to show your pink cheeks. "I know it's- Uh, dumb to do that but... I didn't know what else to do, I mean..." he paused to sigh, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry." He looked at you and you could feel your face heating up more and more. "Why did you want to s-see me more often?" Newt chuckled, "heh, I thought you would have understood." You shook your head, "I-I don't want to jump into conclusions..."

"I like you, Y/n. I like you a lot," he said, giggling nervously. You grinned sheepishly and started playing with your glass in your hands, "I like you too, Newt," you said softly, hesitantly looking at him. A wide smile appeared on his face and you moved closer to him. Your shoulder against his, you looked at each others with little smiles. "Can I kiss you?" He asked, his gaze going from your eyes to your lips repeatedly. You nodded and he approached you slowly, tilting his head to the side. His soft lips finally kissed yours, and it felt like it lit up a fire inside you. You kissed him back, your hand grabbing his sleeve and his hand on the back of your neck. When he pulled away, you felt the urge to kiss him again fiercely, but you held it back. You abandon his sleeve to put your hand on his, and smiled at him again. "But seriously, be more careful at your job, I hate seeing you hurt," you say. "Okay, I promise," he answers, "but you'll still take care of me, right..?" You giggle, "of course I will."

[cosmicjoke]

I swear, if I see one more ho on this site trying to frame Levi's childhood as somehow positive or otherwise not completely horrific, I'm gonna' kill a bitch. I'm not going to name names, because I don't want to start drama, but Jesus, I can't take it anymore.

The latest and greatest stupidity I've come across is the claim that Levi's monologue to the 104th during the Uprising arc was somehow meant to be read as Levi expressing how "well-adjusted" he is because he'd been conditioned to respond to urgent situations without hesitation due to the hardship of his childhood. This is such classic abuse-apologist shit, I don't even know what to say. It's essentially claiming that Levi is only able to be so effective and level-headed and reliable because he's been through traumatic events, and that his worth in those situations is a result of the abuse he suffered as a child. Again, this is also the classic take of people who love to deny Levi any credit in being the way he is, and instead, for obvious, ulterior reasons, want to give that credit to Kenny, or some other abusive piece of shit from Levi's past. News alert for folks who think this. Trauma doesn't make you stronger, it doesn't make you a better person, it doesn't help you or strengthen your character. If someone is able to overcome hardship or adversity, it's not because they've been through hardship or adversity, it's because they're just built, from jump, to overcome it. It's like a boxer who's never been knocked down before, and suddenly he's in a fight where he's knocked down hard. It's not the knock down that's going to get him through the rest of the fight and help him to win, it's his strength of character and will to win. It comes down, once again, to nature.

So many people who went through what Levi did would have ended up as complete basket cases, either totally unhinged and immoral, or so traumatized that they would be rendered paralyzed and controlled by that trauma. It's not the experiences that Levi went through that make him level-headed or reliable, it's simply his strength of character. It's in spite of his trauma that he's able to be as effective and reliable as he is, not because of it.

But this isn't to say that Levi isn't traumatized, like so many of these people also love to claim. Another gem from this post I saw was that we're not meant to see Levi as traumatized because he doesn't cry, and Isayama, supposedly, only conveys trauma in his characters through tears. I mean, that's hilarious, really. I guess when Kenny finds Levi in that room with the rotting corpse of his mother, we're meant to believe he's not been traumatized by it because he isn't crying. Never mind that Levi's lack of expression and essential muteness are both heavy indicators of severe trauma. This post would posit that one can't be as level-headed and reliable as Levi is and also be traumatized. That's also ridiculous. Again, this comes down to individuality and uniqueness of personality. Levi can be traumatized, but also still be as steadfast and unwavering as he is, because each person is going to respond differently to traumatic events based on their individual, inborn personality traits. And trauma also manifests in a number of different behaviors.

I've always said that Levi's stoicism in the face of all the horrors he's seen and been through isn't indicative of the deep and raw emotion we know Levi actually carries underneath, which tells us that Levi's lack of expression is, indeed, a trauma response. A coping mechanism. Levi isn't an emotionless character. His flat expression doesn't accurately depict or indicate what he's actually feeling. If it did, then Levi would be someone who felt nothing at the sight of death, or wasn't troubled or unsettled by the deaths of his friends and comrades. He would be someone who isn't moved at all by the suffering of others, but simply indifferent and uncaring.

But we know that isn't true. We know how important it is to Levi that people survive and how hard he works to protect their lives. We know how compassionate and kind Levi actually is, how greatly empathetic he is. So why, then, is it such a stretch in these people's minds, to suggest that Levi's flat expression is an obvious case of him actively suppressing his emotion in order to continue operating? This doesn't even seem like a question to me, or up to interpretation. It seems like an evident, objective fact about his character. Levi suppresses his emotion in order to keep functioning. We see this multiple times throughout the story. A good example of Levi actively suppressing his emotional response is when Kenny kills Nifa, and for a split second, we see the devastation in Levi's expression, before he visibly pushes it down and goes into action against Kenny's squad. Levi is clearly emotional here, and deeply, deeply upset. Seeing Nifa killed and then having to leave her behind is clearly having an intense and disruptive impact on Levi. But he represses the feelings in that moment. Again, that's an obvious coping mechanism in dealing with extreme, traumatizing circumstances. It isn't indicative of Levi being untouched or unimpacted by those things, it's indicative of Levi needing to disassociate from just how much those things are impacting him in order to carry on. You know, a trauma response. Repression of emotion isn't healthy, and isn't how someone who's perfectly "well-adjusted" would respond to these sorts of situations. It isn't normal. Crying is normal. Crying is a baseline, regular response to horrific things, in fact a proven, cathartic way to process trauma and work through it. The fact that Levi shuts all emotional reaction down when faced with those same, horrific things indicates someone who's been through way too much bad shit, and in order to remain functional, has to disassociate from what he's feeling. It isn't Levi processing his trauma and coming out the other side unaffected. It's Levi ignoring his trauma because he doesn't feel like he can afford to process it, either for himself or others.

This idea that Levi wasn't adversely impacted by what he went through as a child, but rather positively impacted, is not only laughable, but downright harmful in the sorts of ideas it perpetuates.

This particular post I saw was claiming that Levi was saying his ability to react quickly to fucked up situations was a good thing, as if he was expressing gratitude for being raised the way he was because it allowed him to "adapt" to extreme circumstances. What a load of horse shit. Levi wasn't talking about himself being "abnormal" as if it were a positive thing. He plainly frames it as a negative. He says "Maybe I'm abnormal because I've seen way too many abnormal things", before going on to express how he's willing to take on the role of a "lunatic that kills people" as long as it spares anyone else from having to go through the same. He's plainly expressing here how he knows the things he's gone through have fucked him up and caused him to have abnormal, some might even call deviant behavior, and his expressed desire to spare others from having to go through the same and end up like him is a clear as crystal indicator that he doesn't view his childhood in any kind of positive light, or as something necessary or good. He wants to keep people from ending up like him. That isn't Levi bragging about how "well-adjusted" he is.

Yes, Levi is a remarkably together person, and considering all the truly horrific things he's been through, it's really extraordinary that he's as level-headed, and even more so, as kind and compassionate as he is. That he isn't more fucked up. But that comes down to Levi himself, not the way he was raised. To imply or claim that Levi views the way he was raised positively shows an absurd lack of reading comprehension at best, and is disingenuous at worst. Levi is only as together as he is because he's a strong person. Because he has the strength of character and the fortitude of character not to let his trauma destroy or control him. But that doesn't mean he isn't traumatized. It just means he's a better person than most, someone who, regardless of his trauma, cares deeply about others, and as a result, forces himself to hold it together for their sake, regardless of the consequences to his own well being. His trauma clearly impacts him, but he's just a strong enough person that he doesn't let it define him.

[flightyalrighty]

(sorry if you've gotten this before or if this is not the right kind of question for the blog)

Do you have any advice on HOW to make a comic series? From what I've seen your work is fantastic, well made and written! (Cool concepts, story, and character dynamics etc)

How did you start? How DO you start?? How do you comic lol

I'm glad you enjoy my work! I'll do my best to answer this question!

I could give the ol' "Just jump in! Get started!" But I don't think that's the answer you're looking for, here. Even if it's technically the correct one.

"How do you make a comic series" Is one of those questions where the answer is kinda difficult to summarize in a single ask, because there's a whole lot that goes into it, y'know? I'll give you a brief run-down of my process.

I figure an idea for a story. In the case of Infested, the whole story was written before I even got started on the script. This is an outlier in my usual process and I don't normally do this and definitely don't recommend it.

Figure the plot like how you would figure a regular story's plot; The beats you wanna hit, the way the characters develop, the beginning, the middle, the end. What's the point of the story? What, exactly, are you trying to convey here? Who's the target audience? All that stuff ought to be figured out before even picking up a [MEDIUM OF ARTIST'S CHOICE].

Script the story. If you've seen a movie script, these things look a bit like that. You wanna not skip this step because this is where you determine the visual language of each page. Comic script writing is a whole thing and a half but I do have some random tips regarding it. -> When writing the beginning of a new scene, write down the time of day, the weather, and any important details about your setting (this is most important if you're working in a team). -> Using storyboard/film language when trying to figure out a scene is very helpful. You're not gonna remember exactly how that scene looked in your head when you finally get around to penciling it. Trust me. Write it down. Or thumbnail it! Thumbnails are also very helpful! -> Remember that you have very limited space for dialogue. Write with that in mind.

Figure the paneling on a page. I work at 11x17 and do my panel layouts based on those dimensions. I tend to make more important panels, or panels with PUNCH or SHOCK bigger than the others. Each panel is an individual illustration, but together they make a whole piece. You gotta treat it like that, y'know? Find the focal point on a page, find the most important element of it, and make that your focal point. Don't be afraid to get a lil wacky with panel shapes, either. They don't HAVE to be squares and rectangles. Check out what other cartoonists do! Get inspired! Paneling is an art-form within itself!

Page from "Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name" By Tess Stone

5. Penciling time! Get the perspective figured out, then draw the background, then draw the characters. Do it in that order. Trust me. With a background already set up, characters can be drawn more like they exist within that space, instead of floating in front of it. Also? Be aware that comic artists need to be ready to draw ANYTHING. You may have a great idea that you GOTTA put out into the world, but you have no idea how to draw, say, a car. Or debris. Or jungle foliage. There's no shame in using references, tutorials, or even doing a bit of tracing if something's outside your wheelhouse. Here's a bazillion tutorials from two guys who REALLY know their stuff.

6. Speech Balloons! Yes, really. In fact, you may want to do this and penciling at the same time. I certainly do. It's better to figure this out immediately so it doesn't hurt you later when it comes to getting your balloons to share a space with your art. Here's some great advice on the whole subject from a master of the craft

7. Inks! Line weight variation is key. Closer to the "camera" means thicker lines. If a part of a character is in shadow, that part is gonna get thicker lines, too. Personally, I make my background line art thinner than character line art. It helps the characters pop out!

8. Flats! Or flat colors if you wanna get specific about terminology. It's exactly what it sounds like -- Coloring the characters and backgrounds with the bare bones basic colors. I highly recommend keeping the character flats and bg flats on separate layers if you're working digitally.

9. Rendering! There's no hard and fast rule as to how a cartoonist ought to render their comic -- If they want to do that at all, even. Go with what you believe looks good AND is something you can do quickly. The "quickly" part is important. Heed my warning. Don't be like me.

And then I'd schedule the comic to be uploaded on whatever day suits me -- Thursday (usually) in Infested's case.

Of course, I kinda suck at relaying my process, so the final thing I can do for you is direct you to an extremely helpful book that really breaks it down in a way that may click with you as it did with me.

I hope this was in any way helpful to you!

[hauntedwitch04]

Late work

Cassian x reader

Words: about 0.7k words

Warnings: smut, angry reader at the beginning

Author’s note: Hi loves! I finally managed to write some more after the crazy week I had. Hope it something readable, and I hope you like it, your witch Becky

Requests are open I Ask

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KINKTOBER ...........-..........KINKTOBER TAGLIST 2023

DAY 10 : Thight riding

Cassian has been promising you for hours to come to bed, but there is not even a shadow of him.

Increasingly angry I direct you to his study, not far from your bedroom, to check what state your mate was in.

Take a deep breath and with a shove pull down the heavy study door, revealing a sleepy and tired general bent over the bureaucratic papers he must fill out as a report for Rhysand.

As soon as he hears the sound of the door opening he looks up and smiles at seeing you, then frowns, not immediately understanding why you were so angry. His face whitens the second he realizes his mistake, looking at the clock and seeing what time it actually is.

"Honey, just a few more minutes and I swear I'm coming to bed." He says, returning to his cards.

You still then angrily advance quickly to his desk and pound your fists on it, not conceiving of the idea that came into your husband's mind.

"I no longer believe your sailor promises, either come to bed now, or not this time sleep on the couch." You answer, almost shouting, mind you look at him conveying all the dissent I felt at this moment.

He, seeing you so serious is startled for a second and then, smiling and moving slightly away from the table and signaling for you to sit on his lap.

"Tell you what, wait here with me, so we both get what we want: I'll finish this damn form and you can already fall asleep on your favorite pillow." He proposes, hopeful. You pause for a second to think, and then without giving him a proper answer you slide elegantly onto one of his legs, leaning back against his warm bed.

He says nothing and surrounds your shoulders with one arm and continues to work with the other.

The problem now is that you can't sleep.

Your face is in contact with his warm, bare chest, since he is not wearing a shirt. Your hands roam down his back, and you still feel the marks you left on him the other night as he took you against the wall, to make up for the umpteenth time he was late to bed.

You feel a shiver run down your entire spine, and immediately feel your panties get wet from pleasure.

You slowly begin to move your pelvis so that the center of your pleasure makes contact with her thigh, at first imperceptibly, then gradually increasing.

Your mate notices what you are doing and smiles as he grabs your hips and tries to stop you, receiving as an answer a resounding groan of dissent.

"Hold on baby, as soon as we're in bed I'm going to entertain you for real, now stop deconcentrating me that the sooner you let me finish my work, the sooner I can take you over there and make you scream my name." He comments, but you look at him seriously, starting to crawl your pussy down his leg again, kissing his chest and the base of his neck, leaving visible signs of your passage.

"You made me wait, now I get my reward for waiting." You comment, between kisses, and he cannot contradict you.

He thus lets go of your hips, and you begin to move freely in search of the pleasure that is coming closer and closer. Slowly your moans become more and more frequent and turn more and more into uncontainable cries of pleasure, until, with the help of Cassian who also begins to move his thigh, you finally reach orgasm.

You recover your breath for a moment and look into his eyes. It has been several minutes now that he has given up completing what he was doing when you came through the door, watching you chase the pleasure you so longed for.

"I hope you are ready, because that was nowhere near enough to appease my wrath." You comment, as you reach for his pants with your hands.

"At your orders my lady." He replies, leading you to your room.

TAGLIST

@forsiriussake @horneybeach1 @ash04w3 @123345566 @kidsaproblem @lust4lucille @lisamanban123 @alina02 @shodowbane09

[project-sekai-facts]

Your recent update made me wonder about something. I don’t know how much you know about this but wanted to try asking anyway. Hopefully this makes sense? Why would the English translation choose to censor things? I assume translations are being done in America where queer things are slowly becoming more accepted but is that a factor? Are the translators themselves changing certain things due to their own biases? I don’t know who they are and don’t want to assume anything about them, but I can’t help wondering if that’s part of the reason? Or is it because of something like, for example, sometimes movies or TV shows have certain content removed based on where it’s being aired, so is it something like that? Is the game being released in regions where queer content is banned or removed? Now that I wrote it, I feel like this is the most likely answer but what do you think? I basically just rambled in your ask my bad. Also, do you know if the Korean and/or Taiwan servers have censorship too?

oh there's more than just the Asahi thing and i have mentioned it in passing before but i'll cover it properly here. "the miles i fell in love with is so cool" -> "it was so cool! i guess that's miles for you" is definitely the biggest example though.

First off, a minor thing. it doesn't really happen anymore but in the earlier translations they quite often use words other than partner, like "pals" and "buds", in the VBS story. Probably one of the best examples of this would be An and Kohane's 3rd kizuna title, which the JP name was often fan-translated as "Making each other better" or "Raising each other up", and is called "Two supportive pals" on EN. Which does have the same meaning but the "pals" seems so unneccesary when they could've used partners. The original text is Takameau futari, the first part means "to raise" or "to lift" and futari means "two people" or "a pair/couple". So it technically is a good enough translation but using pals when partners would be more accurate to canon just seems.. off.

I’m assuming their avoidance of the word partner is because it could easily be misinterpreted as romantic, but they seem to have moved on from that at this point.

There's also THE POWER OF UNITY where they switch out "love" (daisuki) for "cares about a lot" when KAITO is comparing the relationship between Arata and Souma to Akito and Toya. Daisuki literally means "likes a lot" so often you'll see people translate it as love, though likes a lot is still valid. "Cares about" is not a direct translation but definitely can still convey the same meaning, so again instance of valid localisation it just seems like an odd choice when using love would've conveyed the exact same meaning and been more true to the original.

Then you've got another instance of them not translating daisuki correctly in Dear Me, As I Was Back Then (sorry this one is a wiki screenshot my phone died). This is worse. Like I guess if you really want then it does have a close enough meaning to the original. Like I guess daisuki meaning "like a lot" or "love" could be localised as "you're the best" if you really wanted it too. But even then, the line before this is "I'm gonna show just how much I admire her!". Minori's shout of "I LOVE YOUUU" from the original would be way more fitting here. "You're the best" feels too casual and buddy-buddy - even if Minori didn't know Haruka at this point, Haruka still had a big impact on her life and imo "I love you" would be the best to use here.

There’s also this one from Walk on and on that removes one key thing. In the original, Toya says something more along the lines of “I was able to make this track because I want to continue to be a partner who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you from now on and always”. This is a bit more similar to the Asahi incident in that they’ve restructured the sentence to make it two, adding in the thing about performing which isn’t even there originally, and replacing “korekara saki mo zutto” with “keep singing with you”. And “keep singing with you” still works, but it’s much more toned down, let’s say. You know what really is odd about this translation though? If the quote I put seems familiar, it’s because it’s also the name of Toya’s event card. Kinda odd they omitted that from the story then, huh? The thing is the translation of the card is very accurate so removing it from the story starts to seem intentional, especially when everything around it is accurately translated like with the Asahi incident. Also doing this removes the fact that the card name references the story so what the hell are you doing EN? It's the same sentence, if you can translate it correctly on the card you can translate it correctly in the story.

There's definitely more than this, this is just what came to mind first and I don't want to make this post too long.

These were certainly... choices. Especially with the ones that avoid translating daisuki as love because they do translate as that on other occasions, most frequently with An and Kohane. I'm assuming the reason they omitted it with the guys is because it's far harder to pass off guys saying that they love each other as platonic because societal expectations or whatever, but I'm actually surprised by the change to Dear Me because normally they're pretty good with Minori and Haruka usually. Like they've translated daisuki correctly for them before and leave in everything else that indicates Minori has a crush on Haruka, so why not this line?

I'm tempted to say that they just change the things that they think are too hard to safely pass off as platonic, but then again they left all of the unsubtle ship teasing in Buddy Funny Spend Time, which has a lot of focus on Minori and Haruka's relationship (and they even added in Haruka saying that Minori makes her heart tickle in her card story), so I'm genuinely not sure why they left that in but then changed one instance of Minori saying she loves Haruka which doesn't even have to be interpreted romantically. Like what is the limit here? An can say she's going on a date (with Kohane) and the WEG regulars can ask who she's been seeing, but Asahi can say he fell in love with Tsukasa's character and it gets removed. Both of them have romantic connotation. The only thing I can think of is that An's comes from a whole card story and event, but Asahi's is one line that's easy to remove. Same with Toya saying he wants to stay with Akito forever.

In other words, it's a mess and I don't think any of what I just wrote is coherent either.

Interpret all of this however you will at the end of the day it’s all just ship tease which is up to interpretation anyway. Except the Asahi thing. That one is a censor.

Oh and the KR and TW servers don’t do this.

[subwaytostardew]

▽ Subway to Stardew - Adoptable Joltik ⚡️

This would play after Emmet's 8 heart event and getting Joltik up to 8 hearts as well.

I released a separate mod specifically for adopting Joltik, so you only need to get them up to 8 hearts to adopt them! You can do it right now!

Adoptable Joltik Mod Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/21002

And of course... Commentary under the read-more.

Joltik's adoption event sat in the drafts for quite a while. It took me whole a day to implement and I didn't let myself sleep until I finished everything. (It's 1 PM now...)

The event ended up wildly different because of how extra custom pets are implemented. You would think that they would be added in the same way as you get your cat/dog that you select during character creation. No. You have to buy a license. Only Marnie is authorized to sell them.

Here's the original script for Joltik's adoption event:

[Joltik Adoption Event]

Emmet: @! Joltik likes you verrrrry much. They want to stay with you. I'm letting you adopt them. Yup. I filled out all the paperwork. The Joltiks are legally documented now. 

I never gave ours a name... Galvantula wouldn't let me. She is verrrry picky about it. But that's okay. Joltik is yours. You should name them. She came along for approval. So. What name should I put on the adoption form?

[Name input box like Marnie's adoption thing...]

[Galvantula pauses for a moment to think and then offhandedly agrees.]

Emmet: Galvantula didn't shock me for that. That name is okay. Yup. I will file that with the Ferngill Republic. Don't worry about it. Make sure you take verrrry good care of our little Joltik!

[Joltik jumps and heart emotes]

◇──◆──◇──◆

The whole naming portion was a source of much more frustration than it should have been. In events, the name input box is brought up by the "catQuestion" command (which applies to dogs chosen at the start, too...

If you refuse, then Marnie also shows up no matter what you do. Farmhouse positions are also tricky and made even harder to find reference for after 1.6 added the farmhouse being moveable. Joltik kept spawning where Emmet was supposed to be so I had to use a move command just to get them to spawn one tile to the side. Galvantula was fine. I didn't get to updating her vanilla portraits yet so she's staying quiet.

The catQuestion command also only adds the pet you pick during character creation. There's no fields to target the usage. You have to buy a license. It's the only way to get another pet. I didn't want Joltik to replace a cat either since in-story you would have to earn the trust of both Emmet and Galvantula... There's no way you can do that by the first 25 days of spring. It's immersion breaking and you lose a cat.

I did find the license aspect funny though. It was oddly fitting for the mod's lore of Pokemon being pretty much banned from the region. Emmet is a threat to Stardew Valley's ecosystem. Not the best guy for the task of combating anti-Pokemon xenophobia.

Pet sizes are apparently hardcoded so I had to make a new spritesheet for Joltik as if they even need a 32 x 32 pixel area per frame. I did end up making new sprites for them while I was at it. I tried to base it off of the cat's behaviors so I have less animation fields to edit (I was tired). The cat loafs a lot. Trying to convey that in a tiny spider posed quite the challenge.

After everything was done, I figured that the whole adoption portion of the mod could easilly be taken apart to be its own mod as a demo of sorts for the expansion. So I went and made a content pack to post.

Bringing up your starter pet's friendship level takes quite some time, so it would be awkward if I let the event play with no preconditions. Because of that, I ended up including Joltik as an NPC and locking their adoption behind their heart level.

We actually only had two lines per day of the week (not including season) for daily dialogue. That shot up to six lines per day of the week for a full 0-2-4-6-8-10 in spring because I was determined to publish a mod. (I've been modding for nearly a year nonstop and I don't have anything playable... humiliating...)

Anyways! I hope you're all having fun with 1.6! It certainly brought new challenges and opportunities to the modding scene!

▷ Station Steward Thylak

[mx-julien]

each ninja was a different kind of teacher (except Lloyd who basically went on a year long press tour) and it also explains why Rebooted and after they seem a bit more responsible than in season 1 and the pilot

Cole has my favorite teacher characterization because he's objectively an interesting person with cool hobbies but when he is responsible for a group of children he just becomes Dad Who Is Helping Out At The Summer Camp. we never see his classroom, but given his proficiency in the arts we can assume he's the English teacher

since he went to art schools, he's probably not used to kids who aren't actually interested in what's being taught. the louder kids seem to dislike him (ref: running gag of "Mr Cole is the worst"), but that doesn't mean he's necessarily a bad teacher- just not one to humor pranks

also his and Kai's teacher outfits belong in the 1970s. I like the touch of making their ties the same color as their gis

little bit of meta: most of the people who worked on this show went to school in the 80s/90s so to them "older/boring" teacher outfits would look like this. also, as someone who was in the intended age range and saw it at the time of release, this sort of clothing conveyed that the ninja were doing a stuffy adult job- juxtaposed with their colorful gis

Kai appears to be the history teacher? his teaching style is likely structured and straightforward. given his nontraditional childhood, his frustration with the kids likely comes from both his jealousy that they aren't aware of how valuable schooling is and that Nya was much easier to work with when she was their age. at the end of the day he's an older brother who's now in charge of a bunch of kids

he's using an old-fashioned projector with film, which I assume (1) shows how low-budget they are, (2) emphasizes that Kai is out of his element (pun not intended), and (3) juxtaposes them with New Ninjago City

Zane is the one who doesn't know what a vape pen looks like but will listen to you infodump for an hour after class, then drive/walk you home because you missed the bus. he probably doesn't get any of the classroom humor or notice if the kids make fun of him. I can't imagine him ever getting angry at the kids, and he probably is very good at keeping them to a routine and a schedule

in rebooted episode 1 he seems to be teaching science? and the use of catapults is actually quite endearing- he's probably explaining tension and going to get his kids to make little models, which shows that he both is a pretty good teacher and hasn't realized that giving elementary/middle/primary schoolers their own catapults will only lead to chaos

he and Jay have personality-based outfits, with the snowflakes being an obvious allusion to Zane's element and the zig zags on Jay's emulating lightning

the little bowtie on Zane reminds me of Bill Nye the Science Guy (program with a a host of the same name who taught kids about science in a fun and accessibly way- very nostalgic for kids who went to american public school)

Jay is the exhausted teacher who's more interested in his hobbies than class material, and if you get him talking about that hobby, he won't stop until the bell. as a jokester, I think he'd get along well with the kids and definitely encourage them to annoy the other ninja

we don't see his classroom, but given Jay's skills he's probably the math teacher. he'd have a difficult time explaining things in different ways- very gifted people who learn well on their own often find it hard to teach things to others, though he would make sure he doesn't leave anyone behind

Nya definitely teaches math classes, but she probably handles tutoring as well since she's well-balanced in most subjects. it would also give her an intelligence network- kids come to her room after class/during lunch to complain and gossip. she uses it in the noble pursuit to antagonize the others

i'm used this video and the ninjago wikia because I'm on mobile and finding other sources would've taken too long

extra group photo I found! love the detail that Zane blinked (Dr Julien probably took the photo)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

iirc I think you said you don’t like Trey and Malleus’s hair but somehow excuse Rollo’s hair 😨 so where does everyone else stand if you were judging them based only on physical appearance?

Disclaimers: I'm not including any Yuus (like, from the manga), mob students, reused assets (ie ghosts and pixies), or characters that we've only gotten the silhouettes for (that means no Mrs. Rosehearts, no Farena/Falena, no Zigvolt parents, etc.). I am only giving my thoughts on the looks of named characters with fully realized designs. If there is a significant variation of their hairstyle I like, I'll make note of it. Additionally, I will be commenting on general style rather than on individual outfits. This also involves official in-game artwork only; it is NOT inclusive of merch artwork or fan art since those can vary widely.

These are my opinions, please don't take them too seriously. I think all the designs work as is to convey the background and personality of each character, but everyone will have different tastes and preferences in terms of visual design; these are just mine! (And remember, just because I may like how a character looks doesn’t mean I like the character overall!!)

***PLEASE NOTE: This post contains spoilers for the main story and events that have yet to be released in EN!!***

Pretty

Jade - I'll admit that it took me a while to get used to his haircut (I typically don't go for the super short bangs), but it grew on me! I really like his face in particular; it can be very calm and pleasant but also mischievous and sinister. When he's angry or upset, it's much more subtle and hard to read in his face. That's something I can really appreciate. It all works very well with his neat, tidy, and unassuming appearance.

Jamil, Najma - THE VIPER FAMILY HAS SUCH GOOD GENES, just look at their luscious hair and mysterious, dark eyes... They dress so well too, I love all the hair accessories and flowy fabrics the Viper siblings have.

Meleanor - Malleus's mom has got it goin' on 🙃 She really kills the warrior princess look! Very imposing, yet elegant. I can totally understand why Lilia used to crush on her.

Fellow - Not usually a fan of gingers (and nor do I simp for fox man), but there's just something so charming about Fellow's face. I think it's the eyes and his self-assured, fun-loving smile. His outfit's snazzy and he makes it work so well! I especially like the cravat, spats, and the cape hanging off one shoulder.

Cool

Leona - OKAY FINE I'LL ADMIT HE'S HANDSOME, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW????? 😭 As much as I want to wrestle Leona, I have to admit that he has a very striking face (especially when he smirks) and powerful presence. He knows how to command a room (and he’s just about the threshold of muscle I’m willing to accept). I'm not really into hair past shoulder length or how he usually dresses, but what I think is the coolest about him are his eyes. It feels like they'll follow you everywhere. Ponytail Leona is the best Leona, in my opinion.

Ortho - I was debating between putting Ortho in "Cool" or "Cute", but ultimately went with "Cool" because he by far has the most unique look of the entire cast. I love learning about his different Gears and their functions, each one different than the last. I don't find the pale skin and blue hair as off-putting on Ortho as I do on Idia, and I think that's because Ortho's more child-like.

Crowley - His aesthetic is nice! I find the bird mask really goofy and his hair a literal rat's nest (DON'T @ ME, IT LOOKS LIKE LIMP SEAWEED), but his suit and cape are so dapper! All the keys and mirrors would look gaudy on any other character, but they fit so well for Crowley. The extra shiny details give him an air of mystery, like threads of light peeking through the dark.

Trein- Trein's robes and cravat make him look so classy and regal! The colors also remind me of Edgeworth from Ace Attorney-- He looks very stern at first glance, but when he gives his little smiles you can tell how much he really cares.

Sam - He's way overdressed for running an on-campus school general store but hey, it works for him. There's lots of little details I enjoy in his design, from the stitching on his top hat to the locs he sports.

Cute

Lucius, Grim - LIL' KITTY CATS 🥺 I especially think Grim is adorable whenever he gets a new themed bow or a whole ass outfit like in the Halloween events!

Chenya - His haircut is so uneven but I commend his style. Chenya's look isn't too busy; his jewelry and decorative patches are spread out so they don't crowd for your attention. Gotta love those callbacks to Alice in Wonderland! This might sound weird, but there's power in his plain white shirt half-buttoned and loosely tucked into his pants; it gives the right amount of casualness to feel "accidentally stylish". There's also just something really whimsical about how cat-like his facial expressions and gestures are. It's quite endearing!

Ruggie - His hair looks perfect for ruffling! The fact that he often dresses in hand-me-downs and Leona's oversized clothing makes him appear "small" and even cuter. Pair that with Ruggie's crooked little smile, and it's perfect. I like that his build is lankier than those of the other Savanaclaw students; it makes him appear less intimidating on an initial evaluation.

Cheka - Have you SEEN Cheka?????? How does your heart not melt at the sight of him 😭 I adore his little :3 face and how he shines when he's innocently asking Ojitan to hang out with him...

Floyd - I feel like I kind of have to put Floyd in "Cute" since he's Jade's twin. Floyd just places lower because I find his eye shape less cute and his personal style doesn't really align with my tastes.

Kalim - This type of hair isn't usually my jam, but Kalim dresses it up well with a headband/scarf (?) and jewerly. When he moves, I imagine that the jewelry is jingling its own song. Kalim always seems to be smiling, so just looking at him puts me in a good mood too. His fashion choices tend to be extravagant and not very viable for everyday wear, but it's fine as long as Jamil stops him from making impulsive decisions.

Rook - I actually don't like his bob (I prefer it in an awkward little ponytail), but his face--especially the mouth--is beautiful. I BEG OF YOU, LOOK AT HIS CEREMONIAL ROBES GROOVY. Rook can be so expressive, it's like he's a one-man play. Alas... He looks naked without a hat :(( but I appreciate the mystery of covering up his limbs for the most part so we can’t see how truly muscular he is.

Lilia - Peepaw really stands out from the rest of Diasomnia; he doesn't come off as scary right away, he just relished in how adorable he is and is confident in that. Lilia's shorter stature and more experimental style certainly plays into that uniqueness too. It's fun to see what he comes up with! I especially love that he wears more traditionally feminine things like tulle skirts and gathered fabrics, and even dyes his hair and paints his nails in various colors. The cut itself is a bit of a clusterfuck when I first saw it, but I've really grown fond of it over time. It's such a bright expression of who Lilia is. I can't say if I prefer his long ponytail or the shorter trim; both are good!

Sebek - Like Jade, Sebek is also very well-put together. I like him with both his hair up and down; each has its unique appeal! With his hair up, Sebek appears much fiercer. With his hair down, he reminds me more of a puppy drenched from the rain. I feel like even though his face can be menacing, his smile overpowers how scary he can be. It feels so pure, clashing with his usual attitude... (His pathetic/sad expressions are also cute, but don't let him know I said that.)

Marja - Sweet granny... She looks so kind and cozy, I just wanna give her a hug.

Rollo - I’m a bowl cut apologist, what of it 😭 I like how he's so straight-laced and proper in his dress. It goes together with his face very well. Moreover, the dark eye bags and pinched, stern mouth only add to his charm. Rollo can go from neutral to devious smirk to a flash of anger--it's so interesting to observe how his face contorts.

Gidel - He looks like a mix of Ruggie and Cheka, so by default Gidel goes in "Cute". His oversized sleeves, patchwork pants, and mismatched socks give him such character!

Dylla - ANOTHER ATTRACTIVE MOM!!! Her clothing is more on the tomboyish side, but she still wears them well. Dylla's face in particular is really stunning; I get a mature big sis vibe from her.

Mid

Ace, Deuce- The most generic hair styles of the entire cast. I don’t have much else to remark on. What I will say is that I prefer Deuce’s hair slicked back (which happens in a lot of gan arts) more than his standard hair.

Azul - I don't know how else to say this, but I think Azul is handsome but in heavily regulated manner... to the point where it doesn't feel natural?? Like yes, he obviously cares about his appearance, it just feels "too" controlled of a narrative to me. The same goes for his smiles. Like Eliza says, he does it too much, so it feels fake.

Crewel - His hair and mostly monochromatic color scheme with splashes of crimson is cool, but I'm not into his clothing. It's very jarring to see his hair and vest color blocked, and I don't find his big flashy fur coat appealing.

Neige - He's wearing such an ugly sweater, but the innocence of his face evens things out. I find Neige cute in that generically sweet way, and for that I cannot place him higher than "Mid".

Epel- Same "generically sweet" cuteness as Neige. I do like his colors though.

Silver - Also has very generic hair. Silver just looks like Some Guy to me (although I will say his lopsided smile is cute). I’m slightly put off by the super muscular arms in his PE uniform too.

Eliza - I think Eliza could be a lot more appealing if they hadn't presented her to us in such a different style. Like the generic ghost NPCs, she's drawn more like a western cartoon rather than like an anime so she feels "off" from the rest of the named cast. Because there isn't unity between her and the characters she is shown with, Eliza sticks out like a sore thumb. I gotta hand it to her though, she still slays in that tattered wedding dress.

Fairy Queen - Love how the buns in her hair resemble roses, and how her entire body looks like it's golden and glowing from within. I wish her dress was more detailed though, more fitting for a queen.

Don't Like, but Could be Worse

Riddle - ROACH ANTENNAE........ . .. ... . . .... . ...... . .. . . . .. .... . .. Oh, and he looks so funky when he gets all red in the face.

Vil - For as much as we're told he's beautiful, I don't find Vil's brand of beauty to be digestible. He comes off too strongly, if that makes sense??? 20 cm heels, face beat to the gods with makeup, carrying himself at all times like there's a camera pointed at him and he has to pose 24/7 (look at most of his groovies)... It's hard for me to get behind that, it feels too overwhelming.

Eric Venue - My guy has the same sort of severe-ish facial structure as his son. Also not a fan of facial hair.

Seven Dwarves - I find most of the dwarves way too cartoonish, and not in a cute way. I think the only design I genuinely find okayish is Timmy (the timid dwarf).

Ambrose - He's an older gentleman in his wizard Halloween costume. I find his design sort of... generic??? But I'm knocking him down a little because I also find his overall appearance to be goofy and unflattering.

Idia - I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MAGICAL ARCHIVES OR ELIZA SAY, MAN LOOKS LIKE A WALKING CORPSE AND THAT AIN'T CUTE 😭

Shroud parents - Cool helmets, but I wish we actually got to see their faces.

Baul - I find Sebek's hair color more pleasing to the eye. Baul has a lot of other elements that Sebek doesn't (due to Baul being full fae and Sebek being half), and I find that they overcomplicate his design. It's hard for me to focus on his face because there's just so much to take in, from the scaley beard and more voluminous hair to the fangs and pointed ears.

Dawn Knight - This is the "bro, can I copy your homework" / "sure, but be sure to change it a little so the teacher doesn't notice" meme. I wish the Dawn Knight wasn't just long-haired, recolored Silver (with the exact same voice actor too). I would place the Dawn Knight in "Mid", but that armor is not doing him any favors. It's way too excessive with all the wings.

Kifaji - The big brows and the really long goatee make me go "???"

Actively Dislike

Trey - His hair reminds me of a freshly mowed lawn. Trey's design is otherwise inoffensive to me, but that hair color and cut are bringing him down so much. The only memorable thing about how he presents are those rare moments when he whips out his one brow raised smirks, and even then I think he looks slightly silly and it's hard to take him seriously.

Cater - Again, it's the hair for me. I like it better when it's all down (like in his Club Wear card). In his usual hairdo, there's a middle segment that's weirdly pulled back from the rest of his face in a... scruffy ponytail??? That really bothers me. I don't vibe with his usual style of dress or how he presents himself either, it's a bit too... lax?? (I know I said the same thing about Floyd, but he looks similar to Jade and therefore gets a pass).

BURN WITH FIRE

Jack - He commits the sin of having a confusingly styled mullet and has a muscular physique which don't bode well for my tastes. I guess he does have those "looks intimidating, but is actually a softie at heart" vibes going for him, but I just cannot look past the haircut I'M SORRY.

Malleus - I'm not into super pale emo/goth guys, and Malleus somehow presents as even more of that than Idia. He dresses in mostly black (and while there is a lore reason for this, that doesn't make me like the color any more or less), has a sort of mopey face (I guess it's supposed to be elegant, but I don't perceive it as that), and dear god that haircut and the ashy grey lips… It doesn’t help that the expressions he makes (particularly on his birthday cards) give really strong “are u lost bby ghorl” energy and that weirds me out 💀 So many things about him just don't work for me.

Vargas - Too muscular. Also not a fan of facial hair or athletic wear. Vargas doesn't seem to have a very keen fashion sense either, judging by the outfits he put together for his camp events.

Heinrich - His face is very grotesque and twists into making some of the most comedically evil and smug expressions I've ever witnessed in all of TWST.

[nolita-fairytale]

burn your life down: the director's cut, or rather, fun facts about this story now that it's over

luca's last name in my fic is davies, and formally davies-bernardi. bernardi in italian means 'strong as a bear' which, was truly a perfect coincidence that i originally thought it sounded good hyphenated with davies. it felt like the perfect little nugget to drop in here.

this one kind of took on a life of its own. I thought maybe a headcanon or a few chapters, then 46.5k words later... before writing a fic, i always like to map out where i'm going, because it helps me zero in on what story i want to tell. as someone (and who hasn't, truly) who has plenty of abandoned fics, i like to get clear on what story it is i want to tell before beginning to write so that i know it's a fic worth writing for me. no, i don't think finishing a fic should be a marker of success, but where i'm at right now, it feels like the best way for me to see if i have a story to tell or not.

speaking of stories to tell, the reason i wanted to have our main character divorced was because i wanted to try something different. i wondered how i could differentiate this mc (while keeping the reader neutral so you could picture yourselves in it if you wanted to) from others that i have written / will write in the future. the divorce and growing apart is actually kind of inspired by my previous upstairs neighbor who i met a year after his divorce. i wanted to imagine what the inner world of someone who had experienced a divorce that wasn't messy, but its relationship had just run its course and i the end, left two people who weren't sure who they were and how to talk to each other anymore would be like.

music and playlisting really helps me envision and feel into the world that I’m building. I ask myself questions like: what does their love sound like? what does this relationship shound like? how do i want the world i'm building feel, and how do i convey that in sound? and then of course, what songs could underscore certain moments of this chapter? listening to the playlist i create as i go really helps me get into character aka enter the world of the story when i'm sitting down the write.

so many of my fics and interactions are based on my own real life experiences, which is why they often feel so human and so real. i weave in little details like conversations i've had, a person i reminded of. i often write dialogue after i've imagined the scene in my head down to the cadence of how characters speak to one another to make sure it feels grounded.

speaking of, we've got to talk about the food in this fic, something that you all complimented me on at the very beginning! it was important for me to have the food feel deeply personal to reader, and be an expression of her identity through the years. yes, i wrote it with an mc with asian heritage in mind. however, i wanted to make space, again, for you to picture yourself in this fic, which is why mc's ex and family were written with japanese heritage.

a lot of the dishes were inspired by dishes i've had that were similar to what i think her culinary pov would be, and a lot of it is the way that i cook as well. i am not a chef by any means, but i am AM a home cook who occasionally does pop ups who very recently discovered my own culinary pov. food for me is something that not only helps me express myself, but has helped me connect to parts of my own identity. in so many ways, as someone who describes themselves as a cultural melting pot, food helps me feel closer to myself; it helps me find and define, and express who i am.

the culture of food and the role it plays in allowing us to connect was really important for me to weave into this story as well.

for the mikkelson twins, i pictured timothee and pauline chalamet as jesper and mathilde.

for the kimuras: rina sawayama would play astrid, darren barnet would play joe, and gia kim would play lina.

let's talk about luca's character development: so many things were so will poulter-coded/borrowed for will poulter, which felt right to do considering he wove his own life into the luca's tattoos. examples? the nike book, the kendrick lamar on the playlist, how much internal work the man has done on himself.

in the end, I initially had mc have a way bigger freak out than she did -- that it would be her final: holy shit am i ready to be loved moment, but as i wrote it, it ended up being luca who brought up the main conflict. it just ended up going in a different direction and didn't feel right to go with my original plan, because she felt so in their relationship already that i pivoted.

i watched a lot of travel and lifestyle copenhagen vlogs because i'm obsessed with youtube.

after season 2 of the bear, i wanted to explore what positive relationships with mothers could look like in these characters. that's why mothers (and single mothers) are the superheroes of this fic.

i knew i wanted this fic to be about these things: second love, loss, trusting the beginning that comes after the end, inspiration, following your heart, and mothers. these are the guiding principles that i used when writing, knowing that these were the pillars i wanted this story to be about.

looking forward: i am working on two oneshots that will live in this world, one about marcus visiting again -- an eat, pray, love for him of sorts -- that's about mothers and loss and life. the other one is a fun, sexy little smutshot that will hardlaunch their (she and luca's) restaurant so keep an eye out for those. truthfully, i've only just started workshopping the marcus one and am prioritizing finishing my carmy fic first.

opening myself up for q&a! feel free to ask any questions about this fic or my writing process in the comments.

[amorganva]

Putting down my unhinged theories

I voiced all of these during my playthrough but I wanna put them down anyways Lies of P is a game of lies and I often feel like the game itself is trying to lie to us so...... Compiling Theories

Carlo and Romeo didn't die of Petrification disease I honestly believe that something else killed both of them. The Petrification disease is just too much of a convenience and would've been used as a cover up. Why else would the stalker be like "Gemini, get rid of them." "I'm so sorry....I was too late" if it was only Carlo contracting the disease. The pose the body is in to me clearly conveys DEAD. And even if he caught the disease, Mr. Geppetto, the amazing Geppetto of the Workshop Union who sends his son to the MONAD CHARITY HOUSE - Valentinus Monad: Leader of the Alchemists - surely, SURELY he would've gotten a cure for his son/be able to afford it. Hell, Geppetto knew of his daughter, Sophia, and of Simon Manus. He had the connections. Giangio cures Antonia after all and she only dies because her organs were too damaged already so the disease was the thing keeping her alive. If caught early on, Carlo would have lived and given Romeo part of his cure seeing as it's implied that Geppetto didn't very much like Romeo - worded as "a grudge." What this grudge is about - getting his son killed or something else....we don't know yet but hopefully will find out.

2. There's 2 Geminis "Gemini, get rid of them." ...How? He's a cricket guide. Or is he? I honestly think there's a cricket Gemini and a Stalker or puppet Gemini. Or it's one and the same and he's now "atoning" so to speak by helping PCarlo in his cricket form. It feels like Sophia knew Gemini from somewhere because she's like "I see they got Gemini too." And since Sophia knew Carlo as a child from their time at Monad... "Gemini get rid of them" may have been misinterpreted....and subsequently covered up since she was a famous, legendary stalker. Also his name spelled Gemini, to avoid copyright they couldn't go with Jiminy but...they could have also used any other name since most names are based on the original story or versions thereof and the cricket is only ever the cricket. Sticking with Jiminy but spelling it like the astrological twins sign is too much of a coinkydink for me. Gemini was there in the car, the car that Geppetto based his secret workshop in. Mhh..

3. If Camille acted on instinct saving a baby - something beyond her programming - then PuppetRomeo and P are 100% acting on muscle memory from their lives mixed with puppet strength/speed. Which means that Romeo and Carlo were actually pretty good stalkers-in-training. I talked about this in my Romeo appreciation post but I can totally see live Romeo doing fancy moves like that, like he's dancing, and Carlo just wanting to get things done quick and clean. This lends to my theory that something other than a disease must've gotten to at least Carlo because he'd be more skilled than that. (He took down all major puppets and a demigod thing by himself with the occasional Sophia rewind....no way in hell that's just programming, since P is awakening) Then again we don't know how old exactly he was when he died. But Geppetto made him a young adult puppet and the nameless puppet is clearly not a child (assuming it's Carlo's OG body yes?) so it's safe to think he could've handled himself in combat somewhat by that point. Something more powerful did him in and the game is lying to you and I stand by that until the series is finished and I'm either right or have to concede that it just do be like that and his origin story is just kind of "yeah he died. Nothing more than that. Let's get the plot going." But that feels very Un-Neowiz because this world and its characters are full of easter eggs and research and care that I don't think the devs would just handwave something as big as this.

4. Not so much a theory as a comment but imagine seeing the guy you had fun talks with, helped out, nerded out with, listened to music with all of a sudden just kills you and every one of your friends. The evil ending is so devastating and I feel the badest for our girl Eugenie she's so sweet. Eugenie and her country and origin will hopefully get more elaboration, maybe Carlo will sail beyond the seas of Krat. Also that literally no one at the hotel seems to realize P is a puppet. Maybe Antonia since she knew Geppetto. But since you are required to lie and P is a special puppet who can lie....easy mistake to make. Venigni would've realized Law 0 much sooner - that Geppetto can create exceptions. Which also makes the Romeo fight even sadder - because P is exempt every other puppet must attack him...he can't help himself. My bro better be revived with some ergo, we need more of him and I think the devs know by now how popular of a character he is...I think...I hope...(alongside the lords of drip - the BRBH) 5. There's not really a timeskip in the lore. Sophia was trapped for a few years...maybe? She knew Carlo and Romeo since they were children at Monad and she's maaaaybe in her late 20s? early 30s? That means that the time between Carlo's and Romeo's deaths can't have been more than a year or two from when the game started. The King of Puppets was created to cover up the true origin of the Frenzy - that's Romeo and he awakened way before Carlo - his model only looks shabby because he literally exploded into flames, not because it's decades old (if you look at the model textures they might look old and grainy but that's literally everything in this game - look at Ps sock textures).

They were created after Arlecchino - Covenant. Carlo's body proved unstable, volatile - making Geppetto spend more time on a new and improved version of a puppet which is why P looks so human and polished aside from the Legion Arm. I still commend Geppetto for giving his son freckles. He did this for us. Aside from that you'd probably recreate your child the way you knew them and the last G probably heard from his son was the Graduation which would be like 17/18. So he was probably just a little older - like early 20s.

6. Carlo's journey is that of a Heart, a Brain, and Courage. Tying in with the Wizard of Oz, if Dorothy doesn't end up as our player character, I feel like Carlo received his Heart in the first game from Geppetto and Sophia. The second game will focus on recovering more of his memories and personality - the brain. The last game, because it 100% is a trilogy, will focus on the courage to do what's needed to save....Krat? The world? His friends? Who knows - from whatever org Paracelsus belongs to. And then...we go home :)

This is probably why the game has stuck with me well after having played it multiple times. I love it when it gives you material to theorize with but also isn't so open ended that it's not satisfying, that the story is just whatever you want or gives you nothing to work with. Maybe I should do some Link Click crossover doodles mhh.

[semi-firstgradesorceror]

Oyasumi Nakigoe, Sayonara Utahime

(CreepHyp, 2013)

In which I present to you a song that has not at all been stated/hinted on by Gege in his work with regards to Utahime nor Gojo (nor anyone really), but surprisingly perfectly encapsulates gojohime of JJK.

I saw tweets about this, and I thought I'd give the song a listen. (It's a banger, btw.) And woah...the lyrics are just...woah.

This is an attempt to explain the canon gojohime relationship dynamics through this song (with HC based on canon since Gege could only tell so much, and this is merely a miniscule dot of the whole story of JJK...still, it's fun to do).

NOTE: This post is in no way trying to impose itself as canon because I am not Gege. I repeat: I am not Gege. The song is just...well, interesting.

ALSO:

For the purpose of discussion, I will be retaining some Romanji instead of using the literal English translation.

Uta = Song

Utahime (Uta + Hime) = Singing Princess / Diva

GoUta (For Japanese) = 5 + Song

***

First Verse

Good-bye, Utahime

This is the last song, right?

I really love your song

Again tonight, Utahime, you're so beautiful

I really love you

I will be deliberately skipping this verse for this discussion/analysis (might include this in the next post).

The lyrics start strong though, immediately conveying the speaker's feelings towards "Utahime".

One interesting detail to note is the amount of times the name "Utahime" and the word "uta" is mentioned in this uta.

Another interesting detail to note in JJK canon is the amount of times Gojo has mentioned Utahime's name EVEN as he was talking to Utahime herself or talking about Utahime. It is also canon that Utahime is the only person Gojo calls by her first name without honorifics besides his classmates and his students. (Panda is unfortunately following suit.)

Second Verse

Good-bye, Utahime

Are you going to give an encore?

Since it's up to you, probably not

According to Gege, Gojo honestly thinks that their banter is just that..."banter". (Meanwhile, Utahime absolutely hates Gojo. The reason being? ...) Despite this, it has been shown how Gojo tiptoes around his interactions with Utahime. He even calls her "scary", whether it be a joke or not or both. (Note: In JJK 0, Gojo notes how "women sure are scary/scary" in reference to Rika. Just a random, completely unrelated fun tidbit.)

If that's the case, Utahime, how about some alcohol?

Even though I'm a lightweight

It is canon that Gojo accompanies Shoko (+ Ijichi and Nanami?) to drink regularly (although Gojo orders other sweet drinks instead). It is also well-established that Shoko and Utahime are good friends.

It is also canon that Utahime loves beer and is a bad drunk while Gojo doesn't and is a lightweight. At the same time, Gojo prefers sweets while Utahime dislikes it. Gojo's sweet tooth extends to his drinks as seen by him adding sugar cubes to his coffee during his call with Utahime. It is also implied that Utahime prefers other bitter drinks such as tea, which she serves Gojo during the Goodwill Event. It is interesting to note that Gojo accepts this drink.

The song begins with the first verse, giving a gist of the canon relationship dynamics Gojo and Utahime have, especially during Season 1 of the Goodwill Event.

Chorus

Singing, singing

But you were crying, weren't you?

Crying, crying

[Gojo, I wasn't...!]

I didn't even realize it

Gege initially wanted Utahime to belt out and do some karaoke as part of her CT. (Although, this might still happen in the future.) If it's also not obvious enough...I mean, her name literally translates to song.

What I do want to focus on is aside from the established fact that Utahime was/is a scaredy cat and a scream queen, Gojo sincerely thought that Utahime would be crying in this scene. This is either because: 1) Utahime is weak and the weak cry easily, or 2) Utahime is also...a cry baby.

Judging by what we know of both Gojo and Utahime, the idea that we can lean on is that Utahime does cry easily, irregardless of her being weak.

WHICH is interesting...considering of how much emphasis Gege has put on Utahime's expressions during the Shibuya Incident where Utahime looked like she's just about to cry any minute but never does. Even with the recent arc, Utahime looks quite...sad. Whenever the students are brought up in the equation, Utahime always has the same sad look on her face. But she was never shown to cry actual tears.

This verse opens up to Season 2 and its iconic "You cryin'?" scene. Utahime even attempts to insist that she wasn't crying (such a cutie sore loser lol). We will see the changes in Utahime in the last chorus.

Third Verse

Just for now, Utahime, can we start over?

I've also grown up a lot and thus have gotten pretty sentimental

Over 12 years worth of memories...both have grown a lot. Gojo himself has been quite sentimental as established by his own Blue Spring arc where his own youth was lost from him. Whereas the year prior to the current arc, he had to kill his one and only best friend.

I BELIEVE just as much as Gojo wishes to be given back his own youth, he is a realist and protecting the current youth is his priority. He wants to start anew, to look forward to the future (re: Give it Back, Special MV).

With regards to Utahime...

Utahime is someone who has never left and never changed with regards to her relationship with Gojo. She is a constant in his life as he is hers. But this dynamic also means that there exists a constant barrier and distance between them. Gojo is, in canon, a constant source of stress in her life.

But does that mean Gojo doesn't try just a little bit at least?

I would say so...as Gojo's infinity is almost always ON except in certain situations (Gege did encourage us to play detective).

Whether or not Gojo's infinity was actually off here is still a ???, which is fair! since the other contenders (Yaga, Nanami, and Itakugi) were in actual PHYSICAL contact with him. Utahime is the only one at a considerable distance. Again, that distance.

His infinity being OFF here could mean a proof of wordless trust and sense of safety.

His infinity being ON here could mean a sense of hesitation and wariness despite the trust he places on her for helping him out with the mole.

Either way, it's a distance that Utahime doesn't dare overstep, but instead retorts with the usual reaction that has been automatic for her and for both of them.

It's also a distance that Gojo doesn't dare take another step forward to because she doesn't. He has first-hand experience of trusting someone too much and then getting betrayed, after-all. Although he tries...only to an extent, though.

HOWEVER STILL, in order to actually take a step forward, it's necessary to start fresh and start over, which is hard when it's automatic and has been a habit of over a decade. Not only that, as per the MechaMiwa panel, is it actually worth it?

[Why can't they just get along?]

[They must get it from you, Utahime.]

[You're the only one I have a problem with!]

You always do whatever you want

It has been quite established in both the anime and manga that nothing (not her scarred face, her "gutlessness", her being weak and a semi-first grade sorcerer despite years, her CT that takes time, her being in close proximity with Gakuganji who directly answers to the higher-ups, not Mei Mei, not even Gojo, etc.), absolutely nothing stops Utahime from doing what she believes she should do. Utahime always does whatever she wants. We see it when Utahime goes to check-up on Miwa (despite knowing she doesn't have to) and when Utahime rushes to protect Miwa (despite knowing she shouldn't).

(((Funnily enough, I did not plan for this discussion to follow the flow of the manga/anime, but it does. So here we are...)))

Chorus

Utagoe, utagoe

But you were crying, weren't you?

Nakigoe, nakigoe

I didn't even realize it

[A look back to the chorus]

I believe that it has been established quite enough in the manga/anime that Gojo's quite a self-aware person. He's in tune with his feelings, thoughts, capabilities, etc. He is also quite aware about others' but still acts accordingly because he's Gojo.

Despite this, as stated in the Second Verse discussion and canon, he's not aware of what Utahime actually feels about him (perhaps because Utahime herself is in the forbidden zone?). Gojo doesn't realize that Utahime, in fact, hates him even though every time he strikes a conversation with her, he always seems to check up on her emotions.

[Are you mad?]

[I'm not mad, actually.]

[Are you crying?]

[I'm not crying!]

It's some sort of confusion, isn't it? Befitting emotion from someone who sees himself as "the honoured one" and who thinks differently from the rest, yet is still human.

If it isn't clear enough, this song is definitely from Gojo Satoru's POV.

Bridge

(a literal bridge to both POV)

The last 4 beats, your mouth moves

The last 4 beats, you sing

The least 4 beats, your feelings move

Sa-yo-na-ra

At this point, the bridge seems to capture the panel beforehand. Words, gestures, dance, music — all leading up to the four beats of Goodbye.

The number 4 is also quite relevant. In Japanese, it's an omen for death after-all. However, what comes after 4 is just as relevant (*ehem* 5 *ehem*). (4 is also relevant for Akina Nakamori. That's for another post, maybe.)

Final Chorus => JJK 223 + Utahime's CT

Singing, singing

But you were crying all along, weren't you?

Nothing, nothing

I didn't even realize it

Uta's CT is related to music and includes chants...thus, singing, singing.

Note that as of JJK234 and Gojo's unsealing, Utahime has not explicitly spoken a single word in the panels...thus, nothing, nothing.

[But you were crying all along, weren't you?]

[...I didn't even realize it.]

It'll be quite interesting to see a circle back to the first scene of young Gojo and Utahime at the near end of the manga.

Based on the song used to interpret canon (skipping the first verse), doesn't this actually convey Gojo's thoughts and feelings towards Utahime? A person he cannot convince, a teacher who loves drinking, a senpai who sings and cries, an accomplice who does whatever she wants, a sorceror who executes her CT through words and feelings, and a woman who he expects to bid farewell...

Yet he's the one bidding Sayonara, Utahime despite not knowing how she actually feels on 12/24.

***

***

***

Enter Utahime's CT: Solo Forbidden Zone, Akina Nakamori and Kinku...I might create a separate post for this, but I will end it with these lyrics from Kinku that ties well with Oyasumi Nakigoe, Sayonara Utahime:

You plan on making me say goodbye

But that’s advice I just can’t take

...

This confusion is love, isn’t it?

Soon I’ll be in the forbidden zone

***

***

***

Utahime is good-natured and yet stubborn. She tries her best despite all the odds stacked against her. She also loves and is loved by her students. That's quite easy enough to see in canon, right?

At the same time, Utahime hates Gojo...just as much as she is his Accomplice (re: JJK Chapter 63 title). For someone who seems so stringent with rules and doing things the "proper" way (confusion with Mei Mei's promotion proposal and CT which requires to commit to ALL steps), Utahime plays along with Gojo's baseball game (for the students, yes, but mainly for her, let's be honest here...she's the one into it the most), Utahime partners with Gojo to find the mole BEHIND the other superiors' back (for the students' safety), and Utahime aids Gojo in his most important fight despite the death of the higher-ups (for the youth and for the future of JJK).

She says one thing but does another. Love is confusion, isn't it? [Not saying anything romantic here. I'll leave it up to you all.]

[If a sorcerer asks another sorceror for help, it basically means, "Please, risk your life with me."]

Can't wait for Ch. 235 and the rest to come!

(have had this on my drafts for a while)