#i'm not articulate gosh

[aimer-arts]

@ everyone who has ever drawn my characters: ily ily ily ilysm

[speakeasier]

day six, but boi I LOVE CLAWING MYSELF OUT OF THE DIRT AND BEING LATE. let's see until day ten before i do individual lore reveals. for now, let us continue with random factoids!!

-in terms of heights that i give the gods. i will say that it's a bit skewed to a human's perspective. in the sense of, while i can give say, anyone a five feet two inches. this is how we would see it and perceive it as a mortal, but in truth they may be actually much bigger than they appear to us. laughs, like car mirror warnings.

-in a weird turn, once more using the five feet two inches example. while they may be actually bigger than that. the way they perceive themselves is similar to how we measure them. if that makes any sense. my mind is kind of not working at the moment, so i don't know how to really explain. but they could be the actual height of the eiffel tower, but if someone is taller, they feel the 'three inches difference'.

-language of the gods is different than human speech. we probably can't understand things they've said in the past or even now. but as any language be, it changes over time, even with the gods. this is seen in any sphere, but let's take the greeks for example.

-zeus and his kids' generation probably speak something akin to ancient greek in the modern day/as of right now as their common tongue. but in ten millenniums, it would probably sound like modern greek.

-to add onto this. first generation olympians spoke something to what second generation titans spoke, but it changed over time. and etc. it backtracks even to the primordials.

-a fun example i like to think of is with dite. the kids understand her and all, but the way she speaks, she sounds archaic. so it kind of gives away her age. (if she's not trying to keep it hidden, that is). but surprisingly, even if she talks naturally with the titans. even they think she sounds old, like she sounds primordial. this is due to her coming from uranus.

-though the gods' in any sphere, the common tongue is that of their own. they do understand human languages and speech. whether it's due to godly powers of just understanding, it depends on the god. but most are just so old that have such knowledge by watching from afar or being around humans for so long.

-like, herms can just casually speak and understands english like it's nothing due to visiting within the mortal world more or less often when he is able.

-the muses though have a proficiency in language, god or human. so skilled are they in such, that they've studied (and are still studying!!) and could still speak/remember/read anything from proto-indo-european to ancient polynesian and all variations of whatever you can hear/find to the ends of the world.

-they could even categorize it by human time periods, they're just that good. and they got their mother mnemosyne to thank for that, lolol.

[viktor-sinclaire]

hi it's me with a post you can ignore, I just have literally nowhere else to vent so i might as well do it here hahahaaaa

feeling so fucking useless all the time lately. Just absolutely useless.

Unsatisfied with everything I do related to art or any of my regular passions. It's like nothing I do is appealing to me anymore.

I have all these lofty ambitions, but at the same time i have no actually good ideas. My creativity is at an all time low, and it's pathetic.

Stuck fighting with myself about who I am and who I want to be, forcing myself to grin and be happy when I'm not. I'm NOT who I am anymore. I'm someone else, someone different.

I don't feel like what I thought "myself" was, for my childhood. I'm too different now to be that same person.

I have a future. I have a fiancé. I have a job, and I'm studying for my career. I have things going for me that I'm happy about. That isn't the issue.

But so much of what I used to be is gone now. My creativity, my free time and motivation, everything is gone or severely stunted. It's really fucking with me in terms of identity, because of how my brain links and associates things to each other.

Who am I? Am I who I was meant to be, or am I poor imitation of what i think I'm supposed to be? How do I get my passion back, my creativity, my inspiration?

I just want to feel comfortable and normal, for once in my life.

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Hugo Drama

Hugo Gernsback: hey everyone its me, hugo gernsback Gernsback: editor of Amazing Stories and namesake of the hugo awards Gernsback: perhaps you've heard of them? Clive Barker: oh buddy Barker: buddy Barker: we've heard all about them ha ha

Stephen King: they're named after you? i thought they were named after victor hugo Gernsback: ha ha a common mistake Gernsback: but that's fine Gernsback: i'm not mad at all that victor hugo keeps getting the credit Gernsback: i think its funny Gernsback: in fact i'm laughing

Gernsback: ah yes my precious hugo awards! Gernsback: the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy! Gernsback: a place for serious business Gernsback: certainly no room for shenanigans here Gernsback: no room for tomfoolery Gernsback: no room for clownish buffoonery

Gernsback: The Hugo -- an award whose very name rings with integrity & honor!   Gernsback: it is no mere nebula! no paltry clarke! Gernback: the stoker, the howard, the lambda - none can compare! Gernsback: the L Ron hubbard writers of the future award? pah! dust before the hugo!

Gernsback: only the choicest cuts of science fiction and fantasy would ever achieve the lofty hugo award Gernsback: an award forever untainted by shenanigans or hijinks! Gernsback: now to take a big sip of coffee and read this  file 770 report!

Gernsback: what the--?! Gernsback: my beautiful hugos!!! tainted by the foul stench of corruption!!! Clive Barker: yeah boy i bet victor hugo's just sick about it Gernsback: Barker: just sick about what they did to his award Gernsback: Barker: ha ha Poe: clive leave him alone

Gernsback: my hugo!!! you were supposed to be a thing of beauty... not this monstrosity! Dean Koontz: gosh he's so sad about his award Koontz: do you think it would cheer him up if i gave him my nickelodean kids choice award? Poe: i think that would be a very nice gesture dean

Chris M Barkley: [thrusting microphone] Mr gernsback! mr gernsback! a statement for the press? Jason Sanford: [thrusting microphone] how do you respond to the allegations about your award mr gernsback? Gernsback: confound these intrepid newshounds of the 4th estate!

Gernsback: [wiping brow] don't worry, we will be taking measures to fix this Barkley: what are you going to do mr gernsback? Sanford: the people demand an answer mr gernsback! Gernsback: we'll uh Gernsback: we'll nominate an essay called 'Dave McCarty Can Fuck Off Into the Sun'

Gernsback: what a debacle! i cannot believe my good name will now forever be associated with such shady practices! HP Lovecraft: hey when are you gonna pay me for my story you ran? Gernsback: new phone, who dis?

Gernsback: you know who this really hurts? Gernsback: worse than the nominees secretly disqualified for politics? Gernsback: worse than the entirety of Chinese science fiction secretly disqualified for being Chinese? Gernsback: worse than the winners whose awards are now tainted?

Gernsback: the person that this hurts most of all Gernsback: is clearly bitter karella Gernsback: for reasons i can't articulate Gernsback: everyone should immediately go and heap conciliatory praise on bitter karella Gernsback: truly the most wronged person of all

Bitter Karella: [bravely holding back tears] no no it's not about me Bitter Karella: [voice cracking] my only thought is for the hugo community who has been through... so much... Bitter Karella: [stoically gazing into distance] they're the REAL heroes

Gernsback: look how bitter karella keeps a brave face... for our sake! King: god bitter karella is so brave... and so modest! Poe: truly a great goblin Poe: possibly the greatest Koontz: why? what did they do? Poe: dean! show some respect!

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day Three

Literally saw the orange sweater and my heart sank. Here we go.

George's hair!! I hate him.

Also literally WHY does he have to lend them his own personal recording equipment? It really is ridiculous how bad the record company treated them considering they were the fucking BEATLES.

Magic Alex! Honestly though why is half of me like "Yes! Scamming king! Take their money and RUN!"

"My Imagination" is physical cringe level.

"The rhythms in the guitars anyway." It's a callback to their earliest days when they had to say that to hustle, but I think part of them really did believe that back then, and part of Paul still does. That the four of them are all they need.

And then in response to that callback to early days to convey current not-articulable feelings, John responds with one of his own. His mini rant about how stupid it is to use three mikes and never come together and sing as a GROUP. It's like he can't bear the thought.

Paul singing his guitar and drum ideas. Apparently my sexuality is women and unhinged men. There's nothing to be done about it. Poor George literally can't get a word between all Paul's "Downownownowneernernerner" and "chuchuchutah ba Ta. Ba." And if I was a good person I'd be annoyed. But no. It's too hot.

"Corny's alright on this one though because what he's doing's corny." Be fucking nice to him. He needs you to be like you were on 909 about every single thing he does because he cares so much what you think. Of course they don't talk about that kind of thing so Paul has no idea. But look at his face!

I also like "the same old shit," George. "Don't Let Me Down" is so fucking sexy idgaf what anyone says.

But here's the other thing is that John is SO down for all of these wrong suggestions Paul's making. If they're not literally saying the same thing at the same time, it's instantly "Yes. Exactly. Yeah."

So John says "alright girls" and sounds like he's just so above Paul and George squabbling and bickering and couldn't care less except for the fact that they're annoying him. Because that's his macho front, right? But then look at his face while they're fighting, eyes darting and full of love, sorrow, and what honestly looks like fear.

Ringo stays the hell out of all of it. Good for him.

Shortly after Paul says "I can't frickin do it on camera either" John starts strumming. And soon George joins, while Paul's pacing and gesturing. And at first I was confused like "they're not being very good listeners that's not very nice" but they're trying to cover up the dialogue for Paul's sake. Trying to take away the cameras if he can't do it with them. "Forget about candy camera." It's very loving, very protective, especially from George. John, we expect this kind of thing from, when it comes to Paul. But George is literally in a fight with him and protecting him at the same time and I find it to be so beautiful.

Gosh, there's so much in this little rant though. "I always feel as though I'm tryna put you down and stop you playing *voice cracks and goes higher* but I'm not." How he looks at John when he says "and I never get any support or anything" and the "and you know it's right." I usually find the 'Paul's the mom, John's the dad' analogy reductive, but boy is it perfect here.

But really, Paul, you've got to just let George do his thing. "I can only do me, you know." George is absolutely right in this argument. He's actually very emotionally mature for being the youngest.

Ugh it's hard to leave them on this note. But I'll pick back up tomorrow

[lemonhemlock]

I want to discuss why Criston having sex with Alicent is different.

Sex with Rhaenyra was about her sexual pleasure. It was about scratching that itch, which Criston is not for. He has a different view of sex. The act with Alicent has passion behind it. It's about two lost souls uniting and finding comfort in each other. So no he's not a hypocrite for not wanting to have sex with Rhaenyra. There's a deep emotional bond of devotion between the two.

He's allowed to feel used by Rhaenyra but be all Take Me to Church with Alicent and her WAP.

I won't touch on other points of why they aren't hypocrites for doing the devil's tango, as there are a variety of posts that articulate that but I have yet to see someone bring this up.(if they have good for them, great minds and all). Targaryen dick riders have a fucked up way of discussing SA and consent. That's all I'm saying that. (disclaimer this is not aimed at those who enjoy the Targs for being a fucked up dynasty and find them fascinating but those who think they are gods cause there's a difference.).

Welcome back, coffee queen! ☕Hope you're enjoying the new season 🫶

Love this take and your lexical choices crack me up!! I think that, at one point, Criston was a bit of a playboy, as he does explain with his own mouth that he's had dalliances in the past, but most of my thoughts on that I've put into this post here (so as to not repeat myself). Also this addition here. But, I agree that, fundamentally, Criston has had years to develop his feelings for Alicent, whereas, during his affair with Rhaenyra, he was a young man in awe of a pretty fairy tale princess. So it would make sense why his connection to Alicent would be deeper and more meaningful by now.

Also! People are allowed to "break up" and then get with someone else!

Haters forget that he can be legitimately upset at Rhaenyra not just because she unknowingly placed his life in danger, but also because she was so callous about it. She was proposing that they have occasional hook-ups, whereas he was ready to be very serious about her. So there was this disproportionate emotional involvement in their affair where Criston was risking a whole lot for someone who didn't really care for him, while Rhaenyra wanted casual sex and risked a slap on the wrist for it.

In any case, they quarreled and parted ways. Honestly, the reason doesn't even matter as much - who hasn't broken up with a bf/gf at some point over some dumbass reason, left and never looked back?* Are they supposed to hold a candle over that past relationship forever (regardless of how "legitimate" the grievances were)? The Dance of the Dragons didn't happen because of anything Criston did to Rhaenyra in revenge, she made a lot of bad political decisions herself to compound on the succession crisis engineered by her father. He is allowed to cross over to Alicent and "support" her side if he wants to; it's not the reason Rhaenyra got into trouble.

Not to mention that, after his mental breakdown and freaking suicide attempt, he's had years to contemplate the question of what being a knight and breaking one's vows means and what he boundaries he would be comfortable crossing. The Criston who's that's that me espresso with Alicent isn't the same Criston who slept with Rhaenyra and had a crisis of faith in the aftermath. He knows what he's getting into and he actively chooses to do so, isn't just put randomly in a situation from which he can't extricate himself.

*EDIT: Not that Criston's reason was dumbass, but even if it were, he's not beholden to being sexually available to Rhaenyra forever just because they fucked one time. (I feel like you have to include disclaimers for every gosh darned thing on this website). And the fact that Rhaenyra stans don't understand the concept of consent and how much it colours one's experience is just.... 🤦‍♀️

[newtype-difference]

Gosh it's been a while since I posted my gunpla projects but I'm finally making headway on them!! Expect more posts from me soon!

The main thing delaying me was the fact that I wanted to look into painting details on my kits, mostly to avoid having to use stickers but also to be able to paint the extra details that may be missing from some kits (looking at you HG Kampfer and Gundam Alex)

This was even further delayed because I was on holiday for a bit but now I'm back home and I have all the supplies I need!! Very proud to be able to show this to you all, I'm really happy with the results.

I got the Entry Grade Nu Gundam to test out detail painting, which ended up being a really nice introduction for it since it has some finer details that could do with colour correction but it also has larger areas to paint. I can definitely recommend using Entry Grade kits as practice for customising your gunpla as they are dirt cheap and super easy to assemble. You technically don't even need any tools for it but I would recommend using nippers and a hobby knife to clean up nubs. Here's how it looks out of the box without any modification:

I was honestly really surprised at how colour accurate this kit is for how cheap and simple it is. I was a little worried I wouldn't have any details to paint in! But thankfully there is some colour missing from the forearm verniers, the backpack and rear skirt thrusters and the head.

I used acrylic paints for most of the details, though I did get a set of metallic colour gundam markers, mainly for the sensor green, which I used for the eyes and head cameras on this kit too. It works really well!

As you can see here the details are quite subtle but they really add a lot, and I'm super happy with how they turned out! I was worried that it would look messy but thankfully I could clean up any mess with isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds. The last thing that I did was panel line the kit to finish it off, as well as applying those cool custom Amuro Ray decals on the shoulder and shield.

I was honestly super impressed with the Entry Grade Nu Gundam. The build is very simple and fun, the articulation is very good, better than most kits I've built in recent times, and the colour accuracy is also nothing to scoff at. There is some extremely innovative technology going into these kits, and they look simple yet elegant. The only drawbacks of this kit are the fact that it doesn't come with a beam saber effect part and that it doesn't have any funnels. Minor gripes for me but if you really want a full Nu Gundam experience then you might want to skip this kit. Other than that though, I highly recommend getting at least one of these, whether it's for practicing customisation or just having something neat to display!

[silverskye13]

Hi, I just came from reading the last chapter of RnS, and I am once again shaking by how strong it made me feel, which is also finally giving me the strength to ask this, finally.

How do you write compelling, logical emotions? Like, you are writing as you go, and yet I go back and everything reads with such a sound conclusion, like the characters are feeling what they're meant to be feeling, like their emotions are deeply complex and it's just, how? Are there any tips you can give?

Have you studied any writing theory, or have you got any advice on dissecting pieces of writing for improvement? Because I feel like there's oh so much I can get from "improving from writing more"

Thank you for the kind words. Gosh I'm glad the emotions all make sense. I feel like that's one of the harder things to juggle -- especially when posting chapter by chapter, where sometimes weeks go by between scenes. It gets easy to lose things.

Answers to questions [as best I can] under the cut, because I can see this getting long and rambly.

How do I write compelling, logical emotions?

Uhm! This is a bit hard for me to articulate, because writing emotions is very intuitive to me. I'm a very emotionally aware person -- generally speaking I can recognize how I'm feeling and why very quickly within myself. That, I think, helps being able to write them. But some tips that are hopefully helpful:

Study yourself Emotional intelligence aside, the best way to write feelings is to figure out what they feel like. It doesn't have to be in-depth. You don't have to psychoanalyze yourself. It is enough to be able to go "I'm nervous. My stomach feels tied in knots, my throat is dry." or "I'm happy. I feel like I could dance, there's energy I need to get rid of. I feel full to bursting." Any time you've read something and gone "Oh god, that's exactly what that feels like!" It's because someone sat down and studied it for a few minutes. Sit with the uncomfortable feelings, or bask in the good ones. Root yourself in the moment and really stew. It doesn't have to be for big life events. If a movie makes you feel excited, just take a second to describe how it feels. If a book makes you cry, give a thought to what the tears are like. The next time you sit down to write a feeling, you might not be able to remember exactly what it felt like, but you will probably remember the words you attached to it.

Emotions in real life aren't logical, but stories are If you've ever gotten really angry, or really sad, or just any Big emotion, you know they're often overwhelming and paralyzing in their own special little ways. It is so easy to get swept up in the feeling of a thing that your brain turns off, and your body does crazy irrational things, and then its hours later and you've calmed down and it feels like you'll never get that emotion back again, because it was just so... much. That is allowed to exist in a story, but writing incomprehensible feelings takes your reader out of it after awhile. We need something to stay rooted in, if only so we have a reason the character is feeling as they are. Story emotions have a beginning, middle and end that you can chart. We see what causes them, we feel them, they come down from the high, and then they get a resolution. All of that doesn't have to happen at the same time. The character can feel anger over something and it drives their progression for the rest of the book. But, if at the end of the story, we don't see a resolution, it gets harder to believe -- even if in real life, emotions aren't always nearly so neatly tied. [Depending on the type of story you're writing, sometimes you might choose to intentionally leave emotions unresolved by the end, but generally they're still addressed in a "X was still angry, and would always be, but life moves on" sort of way. As long as it was an intentional choice that thought was put into, and that's evident in the character, people will believe it on a writing/empathy level.]

Emotions keep your character relatable, so keep them reasonable Emotions are how your readers connect with your character. Its the little moments where you get into their head and empathize where your attachments grow. Being able to see not only that a character is feeling something, but also see why they feel that way, does a lot of heavy lifting for making you like a character. Even if their feelings are inherently irrational [ie. thinking your friend hates you because they don't want to hang out one day], if you know why the character would feel that way [main character has social anxiety, which has been a problem through the whole book] you can sympathize with them, and care about their struggles.

Think about body language There is so much more to emotion than just "his stomach tied itself in knots" and "his anger was a lightning strike." Emotions are movements and mannerisms. Even something as simple as pacing can convey a thousand different things: quick steps, talking with your hands, in fast circles, leaning forward, beaming [Excited, sharing ideas]. Slow, ponderous steps back and forth in a line down the hall, hands clasped behind your back, brow drawn, gaze low [Contemplative, troubled, turning an idea over and over]. Stomping, storming, glowering, fists clenched, stopping sometimes in front of the door you're pacing in front of, scowling and turning back to your solitude [angry, bracing yourself for an unpleasant confrontation, could be calming down or could be building yourself up to something]. Body language can sometimes convey more of an emotion to the reader than writing how the feeling feels can, especially in a limited POV where you're only inside one character's head.

Physical pacing to show emotion, through word choice Make. Your readers feel things. With punctuation. This is where reading poetry will really help your writing, tbh. Poetry is where punctuation gets really contemplative, really intentional, and you can use that to your advantage in prose too. My thoughts are running. You can tell they're running because I'm in a rush and the words are longer and this sentence is running just like I am. It's one step over and over and over, and ignoring periods for commas because commas feel a little more like a step and less like a hard rest -- and sometimes you do breaks because it feels like a tumble what does this make you feel? It's breathless your readers are waiting for you to stop so they can stop reading and it feels distressing like maybe it's panic or thinking too quick and -- There's something. Creeping. Up on you. A hesitant feeling, like a predator in the grass. There is something disjointed here. In the sentences. The hard stops make you pause. The longer sentences lull you into something. It feels off-balance. Unsafe. Are you scared? Hesitating? What is it, exactly, creeping? You can also get really crazy with it. A character isn't thinking clearly so y o u s ss t art b r e a k i n g up t he wo r d s. You have to be careful. It has to be legible still. But it can be bold, and it can mean something and it can be eye catching and it can be a thought without acknowledgement. Play in the space! Words are toys.

Emotions are your stakes, just as much as bodily harm is If your readers care about how your characters feel, you have a compelling tool to drive their care for the rest of the plot. It's not just bad enough that they could be physically hurt by a situation, putting them in emotional distress makes your readers distressed. This does, however, need balance. In the same way you wouldn't keep your foot on the gas in a car at all times from point A to point Z, lingering too long on one emotion when your readers are invested emotionally drains your readers. There needs to be periods of rest and happiness, to balance the periods of emotional turmoil, guilt, and apathy. If you've ever read a book and thought "Man this character is a crybaby, they never stop whining" or "this book is making me depressed. Everything keeps going wrong all the time!" the balance is skewed too far towards the sad/depressive emotions, and you are emotionally distancing yourself as a result. Something similar happens the other way, if you ever read something and feel like the characters are never in danger, or the plot isn't taking itself seriously. Everyone's tolerance for this is different, but generally speaking, adding small moments of comedy and levity to temper hardship can go a long way to keeping your characters emotionally relatable -- so many people cope with humor anyway.

Read and analyze what you like in other works For the same reason people trace a drawing when they're trying to figure out how the original artist drew it, for the same reason you first knit a pattern instead of knitting a sweater from scratch, pick up a book you love, that gets you emotionally invested in the characters, and really pick apart why you like it. Write down words or descriptions you thought hammered an idea home. Reread a scene once or twice and feel your heart squirm over it and ask yourself why? Just, sink your teeth in and analyze. It helps a lot.

And on the subject of analysis...

Have I studied any writing theory, or have I got any advice on dissecting pieces of writing for improvement?

Also kind of hard to answer! Specifically because I haven't studied much writing theory, outside of reading comprehension classes in high school that I'm 10 years removed from now. If I had to give advice, I think it would have to be from my experience which is: Read a lot and take notes.

You're correct, "practice writing" can only get you so far, in the sense that anything in a vacuum is hard to learn from. If I've only ever eaten a PB&J, it's gonna be real hard to learn how to make spaghetti. Chances are I don't even know tomatoes exist. So, read a lot, and read critically, and take notes.

When I say read critically: I mean read with your eyes open. Ask yourself "why?" as often as you can. A book makes you cry, why? Is it specific to the character? Is it because you want them to be happy or because they're going through something you've been through? A book makes you frustrated, why? Was an important plot point forgotten? Are the characters hard to understand? If so, why are they hard for you to understand? Does the author not explain their motives correctly, does it feel like you skipped a chapter? Or is it because their motives are understandable but you still think what they're doing is stupid? I recommend going back and reading your favorite book with that lens. "This is the best fight scene I've ever read!" Why? Was it important to the characters and therefore important to you? Did it wrap up a plot point well? Was it just fun watching the bad guy get beat up?

I learned how to do this first with descriptions. A few years ago I was reading Kings of the Wyld, and about halfway through the book I realized I thought Nicholas Eames was the best writer I'd ever read. That's objectively untrue, I'm sure there's some better, but it's how I felt and I wanted to know why. So I read the book again. I figured out it was because his descriptions were great. It wasn't just that I could see what was going on in my head, the descriptions told me things about the world.

"The wheat was as gold as the Summer Lord's beard." It's autumn, the wheat is ready to harvest and they have a god named the Summer Lord who is cloaked in gold. That's a lot of information packed into one sentence.

"He had learned long ago that harboring regrets was akin to stashing embers in your pockets: hopeless and bound to hurt." That says so much about the character. He has regrets, ones he's worried over so much he's learned how futile it is. And the image of someone holding onto embers because maybe they deserve that pain is poignant and relatable. We have all done something we regret.

I started writing down all the descriptions of his that I liked, picking them apart to see how they work. I like descriptors that inform you about the world, that are unique to the character, and that are rooted in the physical. I think that's successful writing, so I emulate it.

If you want to get better at writing, really study the stuff you like and ask yourself why you like it. If you can't do it in your head, if you can't just read a book and figure out what went well, write it down! It doesn't have to be a 10 page paper. Just writing "I loved X character and I think xyz reason is why" is enough to get you started. The more you practice figuring out what you like, the better you'll get at identifying and describing it. The more you know about those things, the better you can transfer it into your own work. Study can be really fun when you really dig your elbows into it.

I also think it's equally useful to do this to media you don't like. Pick a book you hate and do the same thing. Why don't you like it? Is it because you don't like the themes, or because the characters were too frustrating to relate to? Was it because the plot seemed forced? Were there plot points and ideas that seemed awesome that the author just ignored? Figure out what you don't like, what you think doesn't work, so you can figure out how to avoid it.

The thing about studying anything is: everything has rules. Learn the rules. Learn why the work [or why they don't]. That's studying.

Learning when its appropriate to follow or break them, that's writing.

This turned into a very, very long rant! Hopefully it helps :'D if not, my apologies.

[merakiui]

MERAAA AHH YOUR WINTER WOES !!! And I thought I was devout to Azul.. 🛐

Okay; Let me start thinking how I can articulate and express my feelings about this fic.

#1 The dialogue. You HAVE to understand, I was kicking my feet up, giggling so much. The way you incorporated Jade's down bad behavior into his thoughts which slightly differs from his dialogue- AH ┻⁠┻⁠︵⁠ヽ⁠(⁠`⁠Д⁠´⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠︵⁠┻⁠┻ I LOVE IT !!!!

#2 Deception. YOU REALLY CAPTURED JADE'S PERSONA HERE. His mildly hidden deception > < ) Oh the chokehold he has on me rn cause of ur fic!!! Bro was lying straight from his gaping serrated maw 🫶 And it was perfect! I was jumping up and down every time I saw the contrast in his thoughts and words, I can not STRESS the fact that I ended up laughing so heartily on that scene where he straight up lied to MC about the possible pregnancy; You're way of story telling and build up is so 👌✨ *chef's kiss*

#3 The interaction. Between Y/N and Jade is so 😩👉👈💗💓💘 Surprisingly, this is one of your most gentlest Jade in the Jade multiverse and it was certainly a treat. I feel like I was just fed a full course meal for free. Definitely an unforgettable experience (⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠) I mean, as IF Jade would ever let you forget about what happened. THE BANTER ?!?! The banter. Golden. MC's genuine concern vs Jade's hornybrained desperation (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Yummy !

#4 Jade. Of course. GOSH, I wanna sit here and yap to you all about how startling soft and sappy this made me. Which really shows how amazing your writing issss!!! Who else can spread Jade propaganda like this but you 😔 Azul Nation stay strong ! ୧⁠(⁠ ⁠˵⁠ ⁠°⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠°⁠ ⁠˵⁠ ⁠)⁠୨

Anws I'm scared of absolutely bombing ur inbox so I'll stop it here > < ) Like Jade, I also still have some self control. Take care of urself <333 Ty for the fic !

- I can't choose an emoji; A garden flower.

( ≧ᗜ≦) AAAAAA THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, GARDEN FLOWER!!!!! Please never be scared of bombing my inbox!!! You can yap as much as you want!! I'll always be grateful to read your words!!!!! <3

I'm so happy all of those aspects of the fic were enjoyable!! I wanted to try my hand at writing another version of Jade who is soft and sweet. Writing from his pov is so fun, especially when he's in his mating season and is so very desperate and down bad. >:D as someone who is also very dedicated to Azul Nation, I fear Jade is trying to creep his way into my heart...... more than Azul!!!! >_< truly, we must all remain strong for tako!!!!!!

I really can't thank you enough for your kind words!!! I loved writing this type of Jade, and I think his relationship with the reader is very cute. Reader who is genuinely concerned for him contrasted with Jade's own one-track horny brain. I had fun writing all of his moray behaviors!! The gaping maw and the need to hunt an absurd amount of food for you in order to provide for mate. orz aaaaa his rizz is questionable, but his heart is in the right place (mostly ;;;; he's still lying about a few things, but that won't matter once you're knocked up).

I think a Jade who is vulnerable like this is very wonderful. He plays submissive just to better manipulate you, but it's difficult to tell where the line between act and truth is. <3 what a menace...... orz

[misc-obeyme]

Hello Can I ask for a drabble of a female mc who is petite, muscular, and bad at dancing, getting dance lessons from simeon? he is supposed to be a better dancer than lucifer

petite like... luke petite... Thanks cc and have some water please lol

Hi there, anon!

Gosh, everybody keeps trying to get me to drink water. :(

I MEAN I'm gonna go do that right now, I swear! In the meantime, have this Simeon fluff! I hope it turned out okay!

“Oh! I’m so sorry, Simeon!”

You stepped back, flustered. You had tried to tell Simeon before you started that you had two left feet. Now he was experiencing your lack of dancing skills for himself. You could only hope that you hadn’t hurt him too much when you stepped on his foot.

Simeon surprised you with a soft chuckle. He took your hand and put his other hand on your waist, moving you back into the position you had stepped out of.

“It’s all right,” he said. “But you need to stop looking at your feet, MC.”

“Right, sorry,” you said.

“Let’s try again.”

Simeon led you through a few more steps, but it wasn’t long before your eyes dropped again. If you could just watch what your feet were doing, then maybe-

Simeon’s hand left your waist. He stepped closer to you, blocking off any space between you with his body. His fingers took your chin and tilted it up to look at him.

“Keep your eyes on me, MC,” he said.

You wanted to. But looking into those brilliant blue eyes was more distracting than trying to catch a glimpse of your steps. You felt your cheeks heat.

Simeon stepped back again and twirled you, perfectly guiding you through the move before pulling you in against his chest.

The music was soft and sweet - some slow piano piece that allowed you to follow the beat easily. You were in Simeon’s room at Purgatory Hall and the music was playing on an old gramophone, giving it a vintage quality.

You tried not to look down as Simeon continued to lead you through the dance, occasionally directing you or correcting your steps. His hand on your waist was light, but possessive in a way you couldn’t articulate.

Every time you cast your eyes to the floor, Simeon tilted your head up again. Amusement and fondness always sparkled in his eyes when they met yours.

“Relax a little,” Simeon said. “You’re too tense. This is supposed to be fun. Let yourself feel the music and trust me to guide you.”

You did trust him. You relaxed. He could tell when you finally did and you found yourself being swept about the room. He was grinning and his exuberance was infectious. You let your guard down, letting yourself stumble only to feel him catch you every time.

And then Simeon dipped you dramatically as you both laughed together. It was easy given your small stature and you found you had the strength to remain in that position for some time if necessary. Simeon pressed his forehead against yours, the laughter dying out slowly as the two of you looked into each other’s eyes.

You waited. You didn’t move. He was the one leading and you wanted to see what he would do.

Your heart soared when Simeon kissed you gently, your body still held half suspended in his arms. The music swelled, a sudden influx of violins echoing through the room. They mirrored the way your heart expanded while the tinkling piano notes matched your rapid heartbeat. But nothing could emulate how safe you felt in Simeon’s embrace.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[legendaryvermin]

God damn, item fusion in Tears of the Kingdom is such a brilliant response to critics of Breath of the Wild's weapon degradation. It keeps the play loop of the original game intact, constantly giving you reasons to go find new places and things to experiment with, but gives you an expanded toolkit to address the same kinds of encounters.

The thing that weapon deg haters couldn't always articulate about why the system rubbed them the wrong way is still there, I think; this is a game about lateral thinking and exploration, and those modes of play won't necessarily satisfy longtime fans. This game now has more in common with the criminally overlooked Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts than it does with the rest of Zelda canon. To me, that's neat. BK:NB broke ground so ahead of it's time that it's taken a decade and a half for other major studios to try it's premise again, and I'm hopeful that other developers can take something from these new tools Nintendo is trying out.

Because it's a phenomenally whacky idea. Like, whoever proposed that had to have the backing of _tons_ of dedicated people to make it possible, because the original game already had dozens of interactive objects. Someone saying "it would be neat if everything could be glued together" is a pipe dream at most studios, and they fuckin did it!

I hope we haven't seen the last of more traditional Zelda style games, but gosh, this new frontier sure is neat.

[andwhentheangelscome]

go off about the DE debrief pls

Okay okay okay okay SO - gosh, where to even begin.

Okay, so: You're standing above the Whirling-In-Rags (which - by the way - is an INCREDIBLE name for this particular location, as Harry is quite literally caught in the storm of his own hopes and failures and responsibilities and poverty BUT I DIGRESS ALREADY), and you're invited to take in a view of the square which will comprise a central location for the game's central drama, and here, at the end of your first day - for a new player, spent running around haphazardly, talking to people who hate you, who have strong opinions about you and about this world that you barely understand - both as the player AND diegetically as Harry - and right before you try to pack it in and give it another go tomorrow, Kim does something important: he invites you into the story in a way that frames not only what you have done in a way that is encouraging (something needed as a player after all the disorientation) but also deeply personal for this character.

This moment isn't just about the narrative gameplay utility of taking the player aside after they've finished Chapter One (so to speak) and making sure they understood the major components of the story that they're in. It's about giving the player a chance to see Kim Kitsuragi - a character who is deeply straight laced, and particular, and necessary for Harry's potential to heal and to move forward from this point where he's found himself - in a moment of genuine vulnerability, and also genuine power.

Kim pulls a cigarette. His minor vice, his personal challenge, one of the markers of his Cool. He takes you through the days events, making sure that as a new player, you aren't completely lost as to what your goals are here, and what's central to achieving them.

(I had forgotten about this until I've been watching it back - he also compliments the snakeskin shoes!!! The green does compliment the orange!!! And those SHOES - one of the many things that makes me headcanon Harry as a closeted-even-to-himself bisexual, like - Kim KNOWS that it's a bold fashion choice and admires it, okay I'm veering off what's just in the text itself now here)

And then he "zooms out," so to speak. We get a discussion of the RCM, an organization which is core to Kim's belief system, which I read as being a steadfast commitment to the ideals of self-governance, of propriety in the social order, of there being a right way to carry a weapon, and a right way to protect the things worth protecting.

He talks about having been a Moralist (a political ideology coded as being similar to specifically European Liberalism), when he was younger, and falters when trying to articulate why he moved on from their beliefs, except for throwing in a comment about how their motto is more about "what they want you to think about them" implying that, for all their talk, they fail to truly meet those values of "Love, Compassion, Self-Discipline", a statement which the situation in Martinaise genuinely supports.

And it's hard to understate how good the music is in this scene too. Breathy and expansive and yearning and defiant and sad.... It's everything that the story is set up to make you feel. It's big, and it's aching, and musically it's all about how it isn't time to give up yet, not now, not while there's still some way to stand on your two feet and do something about all the problems in the world.

And what's insane about that feeling and that idea is that it's actually the central thing that Harry and Kim deeply share. It's what makes them good cops. The story tells us - both directly through text, and through their actions (assuming that you're not playing Harry as a fucking fascist) - that they get up, every day, broken as they are, and try to Do Good in a world that is beautiful, and hostile, and complicated, and impossibly hard to see clearly through all of the ideologies, and the daily grind, and all the pointless pain, but you still have to try to do the right thing. Because it's worth it. Because that's what you owe it.

Harry has been beaten down by this challenge. He's tried to be good, and smart, and tough enough to take on the problems of the world, and of his community, and he has been brought here: to his last leg, to the Whirling-In-Rags, certain in his heart that he's been beat.

But Kim refuses to accept that answer, and so does Harry's soul (a stand-in for us, as the player), he refuses to accept that nothing can be done, just because the problems seem so large, and intractable.

And then Kim does the best thing that he could for Harry, and for us, who are facing the same exact questions in our own, much bigger, just as complicated world:

He stares the challenge down with courage. And despite what he believes through the clarity of his sight, he hopes for a better world:

It's this line, this Perception check, that I always come back to, when I think about what this game really wants me to take away from this whole story. There's more to it than just that, of course, this game is full of lessons about money, soldiers, workers, sex, power, honor, and beauty,

but this is the thing that I need the most, when I'm trying to find my own way forward. I need to be able to acknowledge that maybe I won't see the world become more kind, more loving, and more honest before I die. Maybe it'll still be just as hard and bleak in 20 or 50 or 100 years.

But still.

I still have to believe that the struggle won't break me down. That the work, the very belief that trying is worth it, will drive me forward,

that it will make me look young. when it should make me look tired.

And then just like that, it's over. It's time to go back inside, to let the moment fade, and to take that courage as far as it will take you.

There are so many good scenes and interactions in this incredible masterpiece of gameplay and storytelling, but the Day One debrief will stick with me forever, I think.

[speakeasier]

more lore coming your way!! part two electric boogaloooo.

-none of the gods in any sphere celebrate or really care for the idea of birthdays, as time has no real meaning to any of them. while the concept of celebrating when one is born is foreign and odd to them, quite a lot of them vividly remember and can recall the specific moment they were born or how they at least manage to came to be.

-with that being said, a lot of them are always down to celebrate a 'birthday' in the mortal realm for whatever reason. not everyone is a party-goer, obviously. but attending events with festivities is something most don't mind doing, no matter where it is or what it's for.

-i believe i've shared this more than once before. but zeus' main kids birth order consist of the following. a mix between all the elder girls of the muses, kharites, and themis' girls. athena, ares, 'aphrodite', hephaestus, artemis/apollo, hermes, 'eileithyia', 'enyo', dionysus, persephone, hebe.

-those in bold are claimed to be and are seen/accepted as children of zeus in an upfront glance for various reasons. but in truth, they do not really come from zeus in any way, and predate him as well.

-in the case of dite, despite the siblings having a feeling and have BEEN knowing for a very long time that she is far older than them and not really a spawn of zeus. it is an unspoken rule to casually point it out, especially in front of zeus or hera. despite knowing though, they do treat her and consider her a 'sibling'.

-dite actually doesn't mind if the kids or anyone bring up her age or her origins when it's just them. it's just that they tend not to mention it out of respect to her and to preserve the sanctity and that illusion of being one of zeus' precious daughters.

-hera (along with her siblings) know too, that dite didn't really come from zeus. but it is also an unspoken rule to really mention it for her as well. so she keeps the facade of being ignorant. 'accepting' the idea she is a daughter of zeus and dione.

-ares, heph, and hebe are the only real siblings that are from zeus and hera. those three can sense their kinship, but not with their 'sisters' of elei and enyo. though they are respectful in that they'll still say they are related even though they sense something with those two.

-in fact, none of zeus' kids really buy into the idea that elei and enyo are related to ares, heph, and hebe. ESPECIALLY the three sibs themselves. but they keep a silent mistrust on this even more because hera insists elei and enyo are her children. and zeus actually THINKS they're his with hera too. in contrast to dite in whom is more obvious she's not from zeus, and everyone is aware of that, including him.

-to put it simply. dite can hang and be respected and treated as a sib by zeus' kids. but elei and enyo have a vibe of, i don't really know you like that. y'all are like strangers.

-elei doesn't really try to hide her sketchiness as she's vague about things. enyo tries to hide it, but her nature makes her seem like a troll so it's hard to tell where she comes from.

[unicornpopcorn14]

No. 9 Ramposano for the hug prompts (could be platonic or romantic it doesn't matter to me I'm starved for content of them either way tysm if you'll take the request)

—from @tulipe-rose

Hug prompts

9- Hugging them from behind to see what (how) they're doing.

Got carried away once again and wrote 2 parts and almost 3k words dgdhdj +This is more angsty than I originally planned gosh xdhdeh. tw for suicide, panic attacks and PTSD!! Hope you like it, Saff!! :D

Qualms Unprompted

1. 👓 → 🦋

Papers fall, medical utensils clank and disarray in a heap on the floor. She’s stock still.

The rope tied in a loop before her, hanging from the middle of the agency’s office’s ceiling, greets her silently with its ominous presence– and suddenly she isn’t at the agency anymore, suddenly the room is tainted in harsh hues of red, and suddenly there is a body limply suspended mid-air, one she cared so so much about and shit- shit she has to save him, she can’t mess up this time, not again, nonono-

A tap on her shoulder jolts her, and Yosano rigids so hard she thinks her body’s sturdiness was the same as a rock’s for a second, about to whip her head around, to confirm that what she’s beholding is real, to tell the other person to help her save him-

“Hey.” That voice- she knows that voice, “It’s okay… You’re okay…”

Arms gently wrap around her midsection from behind, securing her arms from treading upwards in order to claw her eyes out. Yosano’s world swerves in colors, dark red, bright white, dark red, bright white- Flickering and glitching like a playing of an old, dusty tape. The arms stay. They ground her. Always have.

The following minutes don’t feel like mere minutes, as the flames in her chest take a while to ebb down. Slowly, her thoughts clear enough for her to make sense of her surroundings, the scene finally stuck on bright white rather than dark red. She doesn’t dare look up at the noose again, transfixed on the ground and inhaling deeply. Finally, she realizes who has embraced her, who she trusts so much that her mind hadn’t offered a second of doubt that that voice is here to help-

Ranpo…

Sweet smelling, anchoring, trusted Ranpo…

“I’m sorry.” He croaks in her shoulder, sounding appalled, angry.

She chokes, “What- What is that-”

“It’s Dazai’s doing. The new guy.” He explains, and Yosano’s eyes close– right, right, Dazai. That was his schtick. How could she forget? “Sorry, I should’ve figured something like that would happen. I’ll make Fukuzawa give him a scolding or two about this.” Ranpo lets go, prompting her to turn from the scene. She does, though her eyes don’t yet open, paranoid about seeing dark red again.

Something about what Ranpo said rubs her off the wrong way– well, aside from the fact that he’d apologized two times in a row, “No- No, don’t.” She tries to articulate her thoughts, finding hands guiding her to sit on the floor, granting her shaking knees mercy, “He didn’t know– don’t blame him too hard. It’s not his fault I’m broken-”

A pinch to the ear surprises her, causing her eyes to open without permission-

“Ow, hey!” She glares at the man before her, though her fight leaves her at how serious he looks. His eyes are open, glaring at her from his cross-legged sit on the floor.

He takes her hand aggressively (never roughly), opens her palm, then puts something metal on top of it. Her eyes flick to the butterfly clip, her second anchor, and she grasps it tightly as she looks back up.

“It’s not his fault you’re broken, you say? Well, newsflash, genius, we all came to this agency broken.” He points at her, she blinks, “Don’t give me that look-” He mumbles quickly, “the blame on who broke us never falls on any person here. So, what, you’re suggesting we shouldn’t ever consider each other’s problems?! That we just shut up and take it whenever anyone crosses a line?! Are you insane?!”

“I-… But-” She wanted to counter, argue that chastising someone for something they didn’t know about is unfair. Dazai’s evidently a bundle of problems– problems she didn’t want to think about too hard, and getting rough with him the first few weeks after joining isn’t ideal, “Isn’t including Fukuzawa-sensei a bit much…?” She mutters weakly.

“Pff, who do you take Fukuzawa for? He knows how to handle each one of us, from the most recently joined to the latest. It’ll be fiiiine.” He flicks his hand nonchalantly, Yosano isn’t impressed, “No, I’m serious. He’ll just give him some stern words, provide him a brief idea of your situation, and a bunch of ‘please never do this again’. That’s it.” Yosano still isn’t convinced, Ranpo clearly takes offense to that, “Come on! When am I ever wrong?!”

Yosano smiles weakly at the clip. At least she’s a little reassured now. “Hm. You’re right…” Her expression falls quickly, however, her shoulders sagging, “Hope he doesn’t hate me more than he already seems to do, though…”

“Eh? He doesn’t hate you…?” Ranpo cocks his head, like it’s obvious, “He’s scared of you. There is a difference.”

Yosano’s brows furrow, eying Ranpo quizzically, “What? Why would he-”

“His past seems to be thoroughly erased, that even I haven’t figured out, for now.” He adds quietly, “Though it doesn’t take a genius to realize he has some sort of trauma associated with doctors, you know?” He shrugs

“Oh…” Yosano whispers. She should have considered that when the guy avoided her and her infirmary like the plague. Though, she was probably too busy escaping him and all his suicide ideations. Gosh, they need to talk. “Thanks… for pointing that out.”

“Wow, you didn’t even realize?” He sighs dramatically “Must be hard to be this dumb-”

“Shut up.” She punches his arm lightly, which he exaggeratedly whines over like a toddler. Yosano smiles, dark red forgotten entirely.

Despite her certainty that it will forever be a part of her, moments like these remind her that there are always people that will help her overcome it. People who’ll guide her, who’ll accept her, who’ll never use her, and never let anyone else use her, at least without the involvement of carnage and bloodshed.

People who’ll let her broken soul heal, slowly, slowly, never rush it, and never dismiss it.

Sometimes she wonders how she’s been blessed with such people.

“Thank you, Ranpo-san…” She says again, though it feels foreign on her tongue, seeing as they resort to teasing most of the time, their dynamic never changing since they’d known each other as teenagers– and it doesn’t help that Ranpo is still mentally stuck at fourteen, either, “For real, this time…”

“Ah.” Ranpo flicks his hat in pride, “It is but my very easily performed duty, though I am moved by your appreciation all the sa-”

“And please never sincerely apologize again.” She adds belatedly, feigning shivers, “That was weird.”

Ranpo’s speech comes to halt, for him to flatly say, “I don’t like what you’re implying with this one bit.”

“As you should.” She smiles teasingly, clip in hand, lost to the world as Ranpo throws a tantrum at her ‘disrespect’ and she laughs to his face, and keeps on laughing…

2. 🦋 → 👓

“Uh oh…” Yosano stops by the room she passes, eyes wide as she takes in the scene inside. Her non urgent duties get put on hold, taking a reroute as she steps inside.

Ranpo’s back is facing the door, but the glasses he wears are visible. That wouldn’t have halted her if it weren’t for the fact that he’s also deathly silent, seated alone. That’s never a good sign.

She doesn’t approach quietly, intentionally loud as to not spook him. He definitely knows she’s there, however, had known the exact second she’s stop and enter, every move she herself doesn’t yet know she’ll make.

On a whim, she resorts to lighten the clearly somber mood by wrapping her arms around him– a gesture either of them made whenever the other were too far in their own heads that they forget everything else, including themselves.

“Wham! You’ve been caged in by Yosano!” She chirps, glancing at the thing Ranpo’s holding. It’s a crossword puzzle, one with at least a thousand letters, but the older can easily solve with his eyes closed (literally), there is not even a need for glasses.

It’s surprising, however, that there are no words yet to be circled.

Ranpo doesn’t perk up or stiffen, as per expected, “Oh my, I’m so scared…!” He reciprocates weakly, though doesn’t take his eyes off the paper, as if in a staring contest with it, whoever breaks the stare-off loses.

“Hm, seems to be a troubling case we’re working on, huh?” She sarcastically mutters, breaking the hug and sitting on a chair parallel to his. He’s yet to lose the stare-off.

“Haha, very funny…”

“Well, it’s either that or you’re genuinely struggling with a crossword puzzle on a Tuesday morning.” Her gaze softens, “Seriously, why are the glasses on?”

“Don’t want them off.”

“Alright.” She shrugs, but doesn’t get up to leave, “Anything I can help with to take em off, then?”

“I won’t.” He speaks monotonously, “Also, stop insulting me before I hide all the chainsaws.”

“Hey, that’s too far!” She points jokingly, “Is that what I get for trying to help?”

“You aren’t helping.”

“Well,” She leans back, arms crossed, “I have nothing to do at the moment-”

“I know.”

“And the kids are outside so there is no one to scare for fun-”

“I know.”

“So I’ll naturally stay here until you take em off.”

“I knew you would-”

“Point taken, genius,” She snaps, frowning, “Come on, do I just yank them by force?!”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Gahhh!” She leans back, frustrated, “Look, Ranpo-san, maybe you know everything, Mr. ‘I have the best ability in the world’, but the inferior sum of us need context, here. Talk to me.”

Ranpo pauses, then finally loses with the paper, to give her the flattest look in history, “The sarcasm doesn’t erase the fact that this is a wildly embarrassing statement. Don’t say it again.”

Yosano blinks, taken aback. She wasn’t really sarcastic with the idea itself, more with the tiresome recite of a concept that she wholly believes in.

Besides, this is the first time Ranpo openly acknowledges that he’s not an ability user, at least to her, so the few seconds of her shocked silence is warranted, “What, weren’t you the one adamant that it’s an ability?” She asks with little bite to it. Matter of fact, they’ve just escaped from Poe’s book a week ago, marking this conversation’s uphold a bit too soon, “We just went over that.”

“And you’re humoring me, huh?” His grip on the paper tightens, teeth starting to grit, “Because I’m just a ridiculous fool who needs to be humored.”

“Woah, woah.” She reaches forward, taking the paper in her hands herself. She weakly tugs on it to ensure it won’t rip, and when Ranpo doesn’t fight back, she removes that barrier between them, “Where is all this coming from? I was serious about the ‘talk to me’ bit, by the way.”

Ranpo runs fingers through his hair, appearing troubled. Yosano patiently waits for him to gather himself. He sighs, head hanging as he mutters, “Sometimes… taking them off reminds me of how monstrous the world can become…”

Yosano leans forward, eyes down-casting as she takes that in, “Monsters, huh? You mentioned that before.”

“And it’s stupid, isn’t it? It’s the one thing I can’t wrap my head around.” He strains, trying to take them off but his shaky hands never pull them past the nose bridge, “This thing doesn’t amplify my ability- I don’t even have an ability. So why does such a useless artifact make me feel infinitely better? It’s nonsensical…”

“Hm.” Yosano nods, taking a moment to gather her own wits. She feels prided in the fact that she’s got Ranpo of all people to talk about something bothering him, trying not to mess up her chances, “It’s understandable, though. You’ve lived with that belief for… what, twelve years? I mean, I’m no psychiatrist, but it’s natural you won’t stop feeling those things all of a sudden…”

“But there is no logical explanation behind it, either.” Yosano is about to argue that there is, though doesn’t get the chance to when Ranpo scoffs, “It shouldn’t make me feel better, but it does. I hate it, but I can’t convince myself that they aren’t good for me. So better to leave them on then, right?”

Yosano takes a moment, then shakes her head, “No. You’re going about it in the wrong way…” Ranpo’s gaze lifts to meet her eyes, “Maybe they really are good for you, no reason or explanation needed. But that doesn’t mean you should wear them all the time, either. You’ll lose your sense of self.”

“But I can’t… take them off. Not right now. Not when everyone– everything is…”

“Scary? Monstrous?” Yosano’s tone softens, “Perhaps we really are. And perhaps I’ll never truly understand. But look at it that way: Wouldn’t that mean that you’re the only one in this world strong enough to not become a monster like the rest of us? Do you realize how special you are?”

“Special…?” He looks at her unconvincingly, “Or fractured…?

“Both, if you will. But it’s the good kind of a fracture. The one so clean and unique doctors and scientists look into it and never figure out how it came to be.” She smiles a little at her analogy, finding it a bit silly but equally logical, “In other words, while your fractures don’t defy you, they’re equally a part of you that you have to embrace, Ranpo-san, and it all starts with accepting the fact that leaving the glasses on won’t help you the way you think they would…”

Ranpo listens intently, then pauses, glancing at the crossword puzzle for a second, the looking back at the ground. His fingers twitch in an ache to do as commanded, and Yosano smiles slightly,

“I have a feeling I’ve convinced you.” She opts to give the hands a verbal nudge, “Come on~ lemme see those pretty greens.”

Ranpo stares, then his face contorts in disgust, “Ew, you are so embarrassing right now– I think I wanna barf all the marshmallows I ate.”

Still not taking them off, then. One of her creepy smiles crack her face, “You’ll make me do it.”

Ranpo’s expression falls in horror, “No-”

Her fingers curl like the claws of a cat about to lunge, twitching up and down in warning, “I’ll do it!”

“No, wait-” He tries to escape but it’s futile-

“Tickle attack!”

“BAHAHAH- STOP-!” He tries to push her off, but it’s futile. No amount of genius can escape the dreaded tickle attack, especially when trapped in a chair, “Okay, okay fine! Geez!” He yanks the glasses off before he has the chance to dwell on it, handing them to her with a pout and a huff, “Here!”

“Thaaank you,” She sing-songs in satisfaction, then turns fake-doctor-mode on, “You’re suspended from wearing them for 24 hours, only I can wear them.” She orders, putting them on and making explosion noises, “Woah, I feel my mind growing in size, already!”

“Stop it,” Ranpo pushes her head away while snickering, making her snicker back, “You’re lucky I’m a good patient who listens to my doctor.”

“You literally aren’t. The Agency’s dentist gets a mini heart attack whenever you visit.”

“Well, she should lower her expectations, then! What do you mean I can’t eat three packs of gummy bears for breakfast?! This is abuse!”

“Oh yeah. Seriously, who does that?!” She wails along with him, both of them wide-eyed and comfortable, “I bet she even tells you not to end the day with four lollipops for good luck before going to sleep!”

“She does! Can you imagine?!” Ranpo giggles, “Wow, are the glasses really working?”

“Well, they’re certainly effective, seeing as they spent twelve years belonging to Ranpo-san, best detective in the world!” She lowers her pitch gesturing a headline before her, “Even the glasses should have picked some of your intellect, by now!”

Ranpo chuckles, subdued as he averts his eyes, “Would be stupid of them not to.”

“Yeah…” She deflates as well, taking them off, “Don’t call yourself that again, though, ‘kay? Foolish and ridiculous don’t suit you.” She opens Ranpo’s palm and places the old glasses on them, to which he stares at, and doesn’t do more than that, “Well, in most instances.”

It takes a while, but Ranpo finally mutters, “They don’t.” She relaxes, perhaps even sighs in relief, “You’re right.”

She watches him, face flickering with emotion, then giddy excitement and confidence taking over, an expression she’s so familiar with, the one she’s learned to appreciate immensely,

“You’re right. I am the best!” He jumps up, standing on the chair as he loudly laughs, “Who was that hater spouting nonsense about me a minute ago?! They don’t understand jack shit!”

Fukuzawa suddenly spawns at the door, “Language. There are children present.”

The two of them jump out of their skin, panickily looking at one another then in one breath exclaim, “Sorry, sensei!”

~

The next day, Yosano finds a crossword puzzle in her infirmary, and her eyes widen…

The words ‘Thank’, ‘you’, ‘upcoming’ and ‘genius’ are the only words highlighted, with a little note at the bottom reading: never as genius as I am, tho!

She smiles, already planning to get him back for that.

[howdoesagrapewrites]

GOLLY GOLLY GOSH, I JIST BINGED YOUR YANDERE GAYATRI X PAVITR X READER FICS AND OMG 🤭🤭

It’s so gooddd but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the reader just didn’t understand love- like totally. This is so entirely spurred on by my own problems and IFHY by Tyler (live laugh love Tyler the creator 🙏) but like just imagine them x a reader who just doesn’t understand love and believes love is just being aggressively possessive and obsessive over someone.

I can just imagine Gayatri, Pavitr and the Reader getting into a heated argument and the reader just flat out says they hate them both with this dead stare- and then they follow it up with telling them both that they love them but now Gayatri and Pavitr realize there’s nothing behind the readers eyes when they say ‘I love you’. It’s not love, it’s straight obsession. Idk I just feel like it’d be an interesting idea for a fic :D

Also your writing is so good! You should totally take up a Career in writing or write a book, I just love how you describe everything!

𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙

Cw: the usual yandere stuff, manipulation, psychological abuse, kinda yandere reader?

Notes: I hope I did this request justice, I rewrote it a lot 😭if you don't like it you can always request it again, I'm really nervous about this because I don't want to disappoint you😿

"I fucking hate you both" the words leave your lips like nothing, like the grocery list, like small talk, like those words didn't carry the weight of the world. Heavy like a rock, and as plain as one, simple combination of five words, from the infinite combinations possible with the 171,476 words recognized in the Oxford dictionary, and the roughly one million words used by english speakers, it took you only five words to unleash hell, to emotionally destroy two people in ways one person cannot calculate or articulate.

You'd been accepting and supporting (you were simply unbothered, however they see it like that) of their unorthodox way to carry the relationship, you had a few "quirks" of your own as well something that they both accepted and loved, so this came as a shock. In Pavitr's mind, you don't mean this, you're simply upset, but his thoughts race back and forth thinking what did the do to upset you, what he did. It couldn't be Gayatri, she's perfect, it has to be him, it's always him, he's the one that puts your lives in danger all the time, it's his fault Gayatri's father almost died, his fault your universe was almost wiped off of existence, and now he has made you upset. In his mind there's no much difference between dying and being forgotten, or worse, even loathed by you, well, maybe there's one. That he'd rather be dead.

But Gayatri is another story, she refuses to accept whatever you meant. Her mother left, you can't leave too, she cannot be alone in this world again, and as if out of self preservation, she's possessive over you, over Pavitr, over your relationship, she's authoritarian but so deeply fragile, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, trying to be calm and collected, however she miserably fails when the scalding hot sentiments make their way from her chest to her mouth. She will trap, fix, change or break anything that is necessary to ensure she's never left alone again, even if "anything" includes your mind.

They stand before you, dumbfounded, with expressions that in less than a second can vary between sadness, anger, disappointment, terror, paranoia, outrage, and probably more, probably that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And all you do is stare, you watch their contorting faces and with the dead silence, it's almost like you can hear the blood pumping through their veins, full of anxiety.

Before they can properly process your statement, you contradict it, to anyone it seems like you're toying with them, like a cat watching its prey agonize. At heart, the cat is innocent, the cat does not posses a moral compass that will tell him to either stop or further the pain of their lizard, the act of torture cannot be sadistic if the perpetrator doesn't find pleasure in it. The vile acts of a creature that lacks malice.

"I love you" and life seems to recover its rightful flow, or it should, they could ignore what you said and take you back just like that, but it doesn't work that way, not when you have two obsessive lovers.

"What do you mean?" Gayatri is distrustful

"That I love you."

Pavitr notices first, notices your blown pupils and lost gaze, no emotion behind those eyes he adores, had it always been that way? Has every "I love you" meant the infinity of the void?

And Gayatri, she always knew, she loved everything that was there to love about you, even if you didn't understand, if she needed to show you the depth of her love through aggression, violence and obsession, she will.

"I love you too" they said at unison.

[md-guel]

HE'S HERE!! HE'S HEEEREEEE!!! the long-awaited shfiguel is finally here and by here, I mean his pre-orders are going to open on Friday, June 21 at 4pm!! his release date is scheduled on December of this year and he'll be going out for 9,900jpy.

and he looks so good??? they fixed his yaoi neck and yaoi shoulders!! I'm a little sad we'll never get his white shirt unless we paint him, and I think his arms have a tendency to look kind of giant, depending on the angle. but his expressions!!! and his hair and his articulation oh my god

I'm gonna post more pictures under the cut but I got these all from his p-bandai page! requires a VPN to access

his jacket looks a bit stiff here but we'll call that a system limitation, I think

he looks soooo good in this pose!! I can't believe they'll add a flappy jacket version

I love the configuration choices of his arms so much I'm so excited

a deleted scene I wish we had!! and gosh, the color of his skin. I'm so grateful!

and then here's a machine-translation of the specs along with a really long picture to show us the ~possibilities~ (he even has a phone???)

From SHFiguarts, the long-awaited "Guell Jetark" is now available!

His active role in "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury" has been turned into a three-dimensional action figure! Two impressive head parts are included, so you can pose him in various ways!

Appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury

Main product contents

・Main body

・3 types of interchangeable wrist parts (left) and 5 types (right)

・One set of interchangeable head parts

・4 types of interchangeable facial parts

・Crossed arms part

・Student handbook

Main product materials PVC, ABS

Product size Height: Approx. 160mm

Target age 15 years old and up