#one of these days i'll build a character with ambition

[ex-textura]

god!Gale on my mind today and it got me thinking!

If he managed to succeed and really did become a deity, would Auric, Ciaran or Jinx (did I miss any of your lovely Galemancers? I hope I didn't? 👀) approve of it? What would their thoughts be on the matter and would the relationship survive in any kind of way, you think?

oh man! This is a difficult question xD

So, I'm of the mind that the gods can't really love mortals in any real meaningful way. While I don't think they're incapable of love necessarily, I think that much power and responsibility would change anybody and even the most well-meaning gods (Gale, for example) will lose their humanity (as it were) in time. So at the end of the day...though they might try I don't think it would really last long term for any of them.

Auric would absolutely not approve. A paladin though he may be, he's not religious. At all. No god ever came to help him or his when they needed them the most. He did that. That was his responsibility. His devotion to his people is where his power comes from (and if there is a god back there behind the scenes pulling the strings on his power he hasn't heard anything from them and that's just as bad). The gods only ever caused trouble, and he knows better than some how ambition can corrupt. He rallied hard to keep Gale away from that sort of power, and if he were to take it anyway Auric would make the hard decision to leave then and there. He's too old, too tired, too responsible for too much to be with someone who's goals don't align with his own no matter how much he loves them.

Ciaran would try. Ciaran, though older than Gale, is too new to this world and to himself and Gale is really all his has (he has his friends but by the end of the game there's a lot of splitting up). He wouldn't be able to get by on his own, or at least he doesn't think so, and so he would cling to Gale and try to make it work. But what Ciaran needs is someone to experience life with. To teach him to cook and to listen to his music and to lay in the sun with. He needs someone who can give him gentle, mortal love and Gale will definitely try because he's so full of love, but the separation there would be too much and eventually it would ruin Ciaran. He already turned down the power of a god once. He doesn't want power, after all. he wants peace.

Naught would stay with him. He wouldn't care. They're the antithesis to ambition though, and would have their own life with Dahlia and Astarion. He would take them back to his life, hunting criminals and sleeping in the dirt (they'd probably find real beds but the boy likes dirt), and would eventually join their relationship regardless of Gale's feelings on the matter. They'd grow distant and one day Naught would probably just stop thinking of the hot nerdy teacher who became a god. Who needs gods anyway? Nosy bastards.

Jinx would try too, if nothing else to say he did. I mean how many people can say they dated a god? What a story that would be! But eventually he'd grow bored of it. He loves the chaos of magic and the spontaneity of life. God!Gale would likely be busy and if not that at the very least too focused on his task. He'd move on bit by bit, before finally telling Gale he just wasn't feeling it anymore. And if a god smote him for breaking up with him? Just another story (if he survives it. If not..he'll at least hope they wrote a play about him or something)

[fateandloveentwined]

wuxia, xianxia, and cultivation differences meta

translations: wuxia 武俠, xianxia 仙俠, and cultivation 修真/修仙 (xīuzhēn/xīuxiān)

think i've seen posts on this eons ago, and i'm pretty sure there are tons of these online, but since this has been written up already let's just have another one.

wuxia 武俠

wuxia and xianxia sound similar, but basically for wuxia it is about the pugilistic world (江湖 jiānghú). It is relatively more down-to-earth, and people practice martial arts ("kungfu") in their current life -- they do not do it to become xians (仙) and gods (神) however.

Like Thousand Autumns and Faraway Wanderers/Word of Honor, it has more historical background and ties to the current court and kingdoms, because people are living in the moment and concern themselves with worldly issues.

Martial arts may seem unrealistic, but in view of chinese fantasy it would be considered "real". It consists of fighting moves and internal energy, which they call qi or nèigōng (內功), and at times you see people flying around, climbing hills and jumping across rooftops which is qīnggōng (輕功).

xianxia 仙俠

A level up would be xianxia, where characters in the story cultivate to become xians (and gods, like in the heaven official's blessing). They don't really care about earthly issues here now, because their ambitions lie beyond the current world, and cultivation, getting stronger, and an immortal life are majorly all their goals.

You may not always see them working towards that purpose, such as in mdzs they are considered a lower-xianxia society (低魔), meaning people don't go through all the steps of cultivation and only stay at the stage before the "golden core" stage.

In xianxia, characters still learn basic fighting moves aka. martial arts, but to direct the internal energy they use línglì (灵力), zhēnqì (真气), and fǎlì (法力), all xianxia terms you commonly see. "neigong" is practically nonexistent in this genre. That's why people building up their "neigong" instead of "lingli" are likely never going to be able to cultivate.

cultivation 修真/修仙

A subgenre in the xianxia category would be cultivation. Characters actively go through the stages of cultivation, and likely for the MC, because they are the main character, they successfully become a xian and exit the world at the end of the novel.

There are many stages of cultivation, usually defined at the beginning of the novel in the synopsis, and a typical example of the different levels would be this:

练气，筑基，金丹，元婴，化神，炼虚，合体，大乘，渡劫

And with a cursory search, an English translation would be something like this, albeit not with all the cultivation ranks identified.

Qi condensation (练气), Foundation establishment (筑基), Core Formation (金丹), Nascent Soul (元婴), and the names after that vary too greatly with translation and fandom so I'll jump straight to Immortal Ascension

extra info: getting into the philosophy of it all

It'd be interesting to note that the word "xiá" (俠) permeates all these genres. This is something akin to the concept of "hero", but not at all also, and I'd love to speak more on this but this post has already gone way longer than I hoped it would be, so perhaps another day.

Regardless, it is interesting to note that wuxia has a greater emphasis on "xia" than xianxia. (some joke that cultivation doesn't have the word "xia" in it, and much of that is because characters have foregone heroism and focused on gaining powers and working towards ascension instead). As a result, wuxia is more confucianism-oriented, though not without its taoism and buddhism influences.

xianxia, on the other hand, is mainly derived from "dào" (道), from taoism, which is another lengthy concept if I ever get to it.

And some may have heard of the "farming" genre, 种田 (zhòngtián). This has to do with golden fingers (mary sues) in imperialistic china, earning a wealth of money, and all that. It has nothing to do with cultivation, alike they sound in english.

that's it for now, hmu if you wish to ask/discuss!

(and apologies for the pinyin translations, hope it's understandable still! formally writing pinyin they are supposed to be two separate words not one.)

[erenaeoth]

Hiii! I'm here to read your ramble about TK8's story. Personally I've tried to keep my expectations as low as possible. But I still ended up disappointed. So what's your take? Gimme the good, the bad, and the missed opportunities.

Tekken 8 Story Thoughts

hello hello hello. Tekken 8 spoilers ahead, I'll put them under the cut.

First off, I have to say I'm having a really good time. I enjoyed playing through story mode, I enjoyed the character episodes. I'm loving customising characters, I'm looking forward to my fight stick arriving and learning some cool new combos and playing with mates.

Everything feels really nice, looks very cool (aside from some giant shoulders and oddly proportioned necks), and I adore little touches like Jin and Hwoarang getting to wear each other's clothes.

Story mode.

Well, what can I say.

It's as I feared, really. Honestly, all I can say is that there's a deep lack of appreciation for the skill of writing in the video game world. One day, perhaps Tekken will hire people who care about stories, about plot, about character development and character presentation. There is no conflict in the Tekken 8 story. I know this sounds weird given that 90% of it is Jin and Kazuya punching each other, but here's an example of what I mean:

Leo meets their father for the first time in nearly 15 years. It happens off screen.

Lars goes from wanting to kill Jin, to forgiving him. It happens off screen.

Kazuya goes from having life ambition 'kill Heihachi' to developing a philosophy that advocates the enslavement of the world to his will. It happens off screen.

Hwoarang travels back from the Middle East with one eye; Claudio decides to stop being conniving and instead genuinely help Xiao; Lee builds airships and perfects battlesuits; the UN decides to work with Yggdrasil despite Lars gunning down their troops in TK7. All of this happens off screen.

And still Kazuya and Jin do not manage to have a single conversation. The closest we get is in chapter one, where Kazuya accuses Jin of being just like him. Jin fears, rightly, later, that Kazuya is right, but he's essentially told that if he chooses to be nicer, then no they're not the same. There's no consequences for his actions as head of the Zaibatsu, no real conflict between Jin and any of the people he's hurt, not even Alisa, who sits down for a heart to heart with him and never brings up the way he forced her to hurt Lars and spoke of her as merely a tool and not a person. There is conflict in this story but no Conflict. No drama. No points of difficulty that require meaningful resolution.

And instead we have trite versions of a story that boil down Jin's conundrum to one of acceptance of a force that has destroyed his life, literally torn apart his friends, eaten people, and been a source of torture to him. He's told 'just accept it's a part of you!' as if this is about a surface level appearance, rather than a violence that has destroyed everything he loves, and that he can see the consequences of in Kazuya. I think Devil Jin was treated poorly and tritely in this story, and that if one wants a 'redemption' acceptance for this devil power, it has to come with interrogation and recognition of the way it has hurt Jin and those around him. It canonically hospitalised Hwoarang, and there's no awareness of this in the story.

That said, I really, truly loved this line from Jin to his mother's apparition.

It moved me emotionally in a way that no other video game cutscene has, and for all its misdoings, I'm so pleased this was included in Tekken 8. This is a deeply Jin line to me, written by someone who understands him. Jin's suicidal tendencies have been a recurring theme ever since Devil first awoke, and post-TK6 this is exacerbated further. There's no one on earth who hates Jin more than Jin, and him needing the desire to live as an important part of his strength against Kazuya, is really well done. I wish we could have seen more from Jin conencting with his uncles, Xiao, and Hwoarang to achieve this state of mind, but I commend the sentiment anyway.

When he asked his mother and she granted him the ability to help him, I thought for sure this was going to be about purification. In a way I suppose it was, but I was very tired and unimpressed by Angel Jin. From the overdesign to yet another emphasis on pure violence to defeat Kazuya, I was just completely uninterested. This uninterest was momentarily suspended when they lost their Devil powers, something I thought was brave and interesting of them to do. Somehow this changed absolutely nothing though, and Jin and Kaz don't even pause for a conversation really before they go on.

I do think it's in character for Kazuya to consider his Devil a tool to use for an end, but I think that's much more something he'd say than actually feel. He's had Devil's power with him since he was five years old, and he's relied on it time and again to save him, I think internally he'd be terrified of losing it. Devil is all that's stood between Kazuya and Heihachi for all his life. There's some trite remark about Devil Jin trying to 'protect Jin'. This is only true in so far as DJ awoke when Heihachi gunned Jin down. Devil Kazuya, however, has kept Kazuya alive all his life, and given him the strength to survive in a world where he's constantly been at Heihachi's mercy. Kazuya's desire to live is absolutely what fuelled him all his life, and his need for power comes out of that survival. His infatuation with power grows beyond this, and after Heihachi's death, we see how warped and out of control this grows, but I feel there are deep inconsistencies in the Tekken 8 story because no one ever sat down to really think about Kazuya's relationship with his Devil, and what that might mean for what they were spinning for Jin.

That said, someone was drinking the good stuff when they wrote this:

This is Kazuya's only good line in Tekken 8, in my humble opinion. It's the one moment where they let him have a tiny bit of actual characterisation. They hint at tying his motivations back into experiences linked to fear and lack of control. It's such a shame, because they acheived this much better in Tekken 7, where they drew clear parallels between the childhood trauma Kazuya faced and his final fight against Heihachi. And yet they leave his motivations again in obscurity in this game, leaving the majority of people, including Jin, none the wiser for why he is doing this other than to be evil for evil's sake.

Why does Jin never ask him about Jun? Or mention that he's been seeing his mother? Why does he not talk about purification linked to being a Kazama? Why has he got so much time for thinking about his own difficulties, but never seeks to ask about Kazuya's? One of the reasons I love Kazuya as a character is because he revels in his own villainhood, and will never volunteer a justification for his actions in the way Heihachi or Jin would. He would rather be seen as cruel than as weak. And it's weakness to him to admit or even evaluate within himself why it is that he needs to be all powerful. But that means that, narratively, he needs a foil to play across from him, and ask the questions that will otherwise never be raised. He needs someone like Jin, or Jun, or Lee, who knows him or has the interest in understanding him, to force him to speak about his past.

There's so much missing from this game, I don't really know where to start. I was discussing this with friends, and we feel like someone on the team had some vision, and was trying to do something interesting, but they were largely shot down at every turn by whoever watched Blood Rebellion and wanted that but 2 hours longer and no cute refridgerator scene.

I can't believe I played all of Tekken 8 and I still don't know if Jun is alive, or why Jin isn't being held accountable for his actions, or why Jin and Kazuya even have any beef. Tekken 7 left us with so many questions and Tekken 8 answers basically none of them. At least they managed to tie more of the cast into this game? But then why did everyone just forget about Zafina and Claudio when they collapsed? Don't they care? Where did Hwoarang go? He got on a bike in that fight then never had a battlefield fight or appeared in front of the Sanctum at Yakushima. Why don't Victor or Raven care about Lars defying them last game? Is Raven salty that Jin blew up a helicopter with him (maybe) and all his men in it? Does Jin hear Azazel return to life? Is he affected by it? That MF was talking in his head for months. If Kazuya could have defeated Azazel so easily, why did he just waltz off in TK6?

I do like the idea that the 'two evil stars colliding' as the end of Azazel being Jin and Kazuya destroying each others devils, forshadowed in TK6 and brought to conclusion here, but all the meaning and interest in this is destroyed by whatever they're trying to do with Reina. I cannot expressed how frustrated I am with her as a character. I suppose perhaps she's from the Devil-Human Integration period of research Heihachi undertook, though my understanding was that he never retrieved Devil cells that were needed for the research, or he would have injected himself with Devil. Perhaps Reina was part of a programme that continued on where Steve and the supersoldier programme were left off. I don't know. I just know that it takes a way a lot of impact that could have meant exploring a devil-free Tekken game in future.

One thing I do Not want to see, is Tekken 9 waltzing in with Kazuya suddenly being a good guy, teaming up with Jin and fighting Reina. Not without serious weight and reflection on his actions, or discussing the corrupting influence of Devil over him. And I've lost a lot of faith in Tekken really understanding their characters or story-writing enough to do this.

I didn't even get on to character episodes, but I think I've rambled enough for one day! Thank you for the asks.

[lilacsmothership]

kind of debating whether i even want to bother turning the queue back on. maybe i'll pare it down to just sharing art from mutuals and slow down the posting rate some more.

i sometimes feel like i've grown a particular kind of audience here whose interests don't quite align with what i really want to be doing. i'm not judging anyone for that, though - people have their tastes and it's not their responsibility to answer to mine just because some of my art happened to resonate with them, nor does that make them shallow or anti-artist. a lot of my follower growth definitely came from cute furry posting, with a few cute furries in particular that outshine everything else i've posted, and cute furries are a big part of what i'm all about!

but i'm not just a cute furry artist, these characters have stories i want to write and belong to these vast science-fantasy worlds i've been laboring for years to articulate. and although i originally started running the queue because i noticed that it seems like people are reminded to go check my blog and actually see my art when there's a consistent stream of posts throughout the day, instead of simply not noticing that i posted that day at all - i worry it just ends up burying the more idk "literary" aspects of my art further out of mind for most of my viewers, cementing the problem.

on top of that, as i've said on my new SFW twitter, building an audience for my worldbuilding continues to be a learning process. i took the past couple years as an opportunity to try a kinda coy approach, being indirect, minimally descriptive and more letting the art speak for itself. i think that can work, but given my observations of other artists, it often pays to be explicit, especially if you don't have lots to show. people Want words and names to latch onto, characterizations and data sketching out the contours of the story beyond the picture. the mysteries of your world need context.

and perhaps a bigger factor is how focused i've been on cute ocs and their mundane lives, without leaning much into the weirder sci-fantasy aspects distinguishing the world itself. so without compromising either aspect, i aim next to start giving the latter more showtime.

anyway, thanks for being here, all 1600+ of you. (wow!) whatever the reason you're here, it really does mean a lot that so many of you enjoy my work, in one way or another, even if that doesn't always align with my ambitions. and i hope that, whatever you came to me for originally, you'll also enjoy the dive deeper into my lore and characters.

[vivalavi-daa]

Fav 2022 K-Dramas/Movies

1. My Liberation Notes

About: Three siblings, exhausted by the monotony of day to day adulthood, seek to find fulfillment and freedom from their unremarkable lives

Honestly, no one did it like My Liberation Notes. The way they captured the mundane lives of adults, the longing for happiness, freedom, and the loneliness of it all. The way they depicted all that through raw lines, monologues, and even silence that gave even deeper meanings. To say I love this show is an understatement 🥺

2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo

About: Woo Young Woo, a woman on the spectrum that tackles challenges as a newbie at a top law firm

This show is popular for a reason. It has everything you could ask for in a kdrama: feel good vibes, heartwarming stories, heart-fluttering love, found family, and interesting characters (with brilliant acting). Although we couldn't expect Woo Young Woo to be representative for all people with autism (since autism is considered as a spectrum), but I love the way her portrayal in this show was educative while also really fun to watch 🤍

3. Twenty Five Twenty One

About: In a time where dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues her ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuilds his life.

Couldn't express how much it's comforting to watch the two main characters build connection in the pursuit of happiness. The fact that these two people share different perspectives in life (one was hopeful & optimistic, while the other one was realistic) was its charm. Not to mention the growing bond of the friendship between them and their friends. Together, they make every scene seemed refreshing and entertaining to watch. It was truly an uplifting youth show that brightened last year's atmosphere ✨

4. Alchemy of Souls

About: A powerful sorceress in a blind woman's body encounters a man from a prestigious family, who wants her help to change his destiny.

Love, love the world building of this one! Also, the gripping love stories that took "I'll love every version of you" seriously 🥺. It was captivating how observant every characters in this show were & the way they unfold the stories. Even the action scenes portrayed like an art. Therefore, even though it has many episodes with long duration, I wasn't bored at all.

5. Little Women

About: Three sisters become embroiled in a major incident and face off against the wealthiest family in the nation

The fact that two of my fave actresses (Nam jihyun & Kim goeun) casted in one kdrama was such a dream!! It's a women centric kdrama i could say, from the way the main characters, writer, & director are all women <3. I love that it has such morally grey characters and a story that's full of intriguing misteries. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

6. 20th Century Girl

About: A teen girl has her eyes set on a boy for her lovesick best friend. However, things become complicated when she falls in love and is forced to choose between love and friendship

A heartening youth stories that every fan of 2521 should watch! Again, the plot seemed cliche but it still managed to enthralled you with sweet & fun interactions between the main characters, their growing romance, and what comes for them in the future. It was a rollercoaster of emotion but I really enjoyed it to end <3

7. Business Proposal

About: Hari, a regular employee, shows up to a blind date in disguise of her rich friend to scare him away. Things go awry when he turns out to be her CEO and makes a proposal.

Normally, a kdrama with a cliche plot and some cringe lines wasn't my piece of cake. But Business Proposal is something else I guess. It managed to make even the cliche plot entertaining to watch, still. I didn't expect that I'd laugh this much while watching this show, but I did. Their actings were so fun to watch and it's such a light kdrama that i enjoyed to watch.

Addition: Fav K-Drama (Not Released in 2022) that I've Watched Last Year

Prison Playbook

About: a legendary Korean baseball player whose life change after he chases a man who harasses his sister and finds himself spending a year in prison.

This is such a gem for a slice of life genre! From the director of Hospital Playlist & Reply series, you could expect some heartwarming feels coming from every characters' background stories. Despite the serious & harsh life we could thought of from prison life, this kdrama have many comical scenes, a series of roommates bickering, & such a moving found family. I wish the director would make more of these 🥺🤍

K-Drama Recommendations: 8/?

[nxtsnw]

RANDOM HCS (pt.1)

a.n.: hi lovelies, this was about a post from a while ago, I've divided the remaining asks and now I'll answer all of them. In there will be different characters from different fandom, hope y'all like it <3

(𝕙𝕢) + ᴍɪʏᴀ ᴛᴡɪɴꜱ + ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ʜᴄꜱ

; I agree, you would inevitably be friends with both twins.

; if you are more introverted I think you would make friends with Osamu first and then with atsumo, otherwise I think you would be friends with atsumo first.

; a chaotic friendship. Always the three of you, anywhere and anyway.

; Their parents would trust you, so it's never too difficult to spend whole days with them

; whole days running in the fields during the hot summer days and cooking the most absurd things in winter.

; sleepover. always. a sort of tradition of yours, maybe even with other friends, but not always. They would often have if you were neighbors, otherwise only once a month. Osamu and you would organize every detail of those evenings in detail

; messing around with atsumu, but always (or almost) be protected by osamu &lt;3

; even if you lived far away, you would find a way to meet each other!! No matter how much time passes, even if you no longer have contact, I believe that your friendship will remain. The kind of friendship that despite the time would stay the same despite the time

; talk about dreams and ambitions during the night &lt;3

; bullying each other for fun (both with words and physically) &lt;3

; intimidating trio in your school,,,,

; MATCHING BRACELETS !! that they still keep

; Building pillow forts, jumping in puddles, and racing in the rain were among their favorite games. + volleyball too ofc

; you would go to all of their volleyball matches (either as a teammate, or in the front row to support them, &lt;;3)

; Even if you don't look like them, you would frequently be mistaken for their twin/sibling. just because you were ALWAYS together. dkjasaj

(𝕙𝕢) + ʏᴀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛꜱᴜᴋᴋɪ (separate) + ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ʜᴄꜱ

yams: one of the purest and most beautiful friendships that can exist!! + he would always be there for you but would find it difficult, at first, to talk about his problems + cook as his love language + I believe he's constantly craving physical contact BUT is too awkward and shy to ask + you two would watch anime or TV shows together until late at night + he would force you to watch Harry Potter at least three times (he is a Ravenclaw!). + captures candid photos of you + enjoys gossip but reserves judgment till she knows a person well + He always sends you his comments while reading fanfiction or books at 2 am + He also sends you videos on Snapchat and private stories on Instagram where he tells you about his entire day + He also loves playing with your hair (only if you feel comfortable) + He asks that you speak with the waiters to place your order... + he is skilled in applying makeup and likes helping you with it + dying together your hair at the most absurd times

tsukki: difficult friendship initially + it would take a lot of patience on your part, but then it would be worth it !! + very often you would be the one to text to him first, so the times he writes to you would make you somehow special- + would assume that you will always go home together after school, despite wearing headphones, he is keen to know that you are always with him + "maybe you are not too bad" would be his first semi-compliment + always together in group projects, he would be annoyed not to have you in a group… + he is a great listener, even if he doesn't seem like it; and he will remember all the things you tell him + he doesn't care if others ship you two because you are always together, on the contrary, he teases you if you deny yourself nervously DJSALJ + teases you like his method to show you affection btw + he's bold, he wouldn't mind telling you that a dress/color it looks bad. at the same time, he would have a hard time complimenting you

(𝕥𝕣) + ᴍɪᴛꜱᴜʏᴀ + ʙᴇᴅʀᴏᴏᴍ/ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ʜᴄꜱ

; I bet he loves lavender perfume!! (I love this headcanon from the bottom of my heart) And I believe he also uses lavender bags to perfume clothes AAFAFJKLADSJLAAA

; TAKASHI HAS VARIOUS POSTERS FOR THE ROOM, SUCH AS ONE OF A BAND, A PAINTING, A FAMOUS DRESS, OR A STYLIST... Furthermore, he has other boards with his sketches on them. He keeps all his precious sketchbooks in the library, along with some books with fairy tales for children that he reads to his little sisters from time to time <3

; The room is not very big but has a double bed, with blue/white pillowcases, often because his sisters sleep with him when their mother is away during the evening/night

; he dreams every day about what it would be like to have a home of his own. he imagines it as small and welcoming, with large windows showing a garden that he so longs for. In fact, he would also like to be able to take care of plants and flowers, for now, he has a few things but in the future, he would like many more !! Now he lives in an apartment and is content with seeing the sky change color during the day :)

; Items he uses for sewing take up about half of his closet. He yet maintains a high level of organization, and his clothes are always (or almost always) well-divided and placed.

; written motivational phrases, or funny quotes, on post-its as a method of encouragement. He also has a salt lamp and candles, given by hakkai, which help him concentrate

; brings them out. He uses modest hand-made items to adorn the rooms, trying to give them the greatest possible decoration. He would rather save money and make the simple things himself.

+ bonus!! a few hcs about how'd be to live with him

He always dreamed of moving in with his partner: a small house, with a small garden, and large windows. He prefers to clean, take care of plants, as well as create sketches in the living room. He loves spending meals with you, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. He doesn't mind spending time alone, but he likes doing it with you def more. IT HAS EXCELLENT TASTE IN DECORATIONS istg. He matches all colors very well. If he is late in the evening he prefers to stay in the kitchen or living room so as not to disturb you in the room. He gives you small flowers, and he leaves them around the house <3

the game is now closed

tagging: @mrssunasimpowo , @sonder-paradise, @frosttea, @elychee (here's if you wanna join the taglist!!)

[dragoncookies]

ENTP misconceptions

For awhile I honestly thought I was an ENTJ (at first even INTJ but I was goin through a ruff time when I discovered MBTI we'll just put it at that). I can get REALLY ambitious, and then ruthless/strategic with how I go about things in order to see it through. I even bullet journal, and make planners for months in advance just so I can keep track of all my ambitions. Some people would consider me Type A because of how eccentric I can be and how detailed I can get with how I spend my time.

What they don't know is that my poor use of Si causes me to do things like work on projects for four hours straight and watch the hours tick by until its 1 am and, oh no! I have somewhere to be the next morning. This happens multiple times.

I also am a professional at winging it. People would be shocked at how many of the things I do are last minute choices, or put together the night before/the moment of. I mean, I cannot count the number of times I've said (tw death) "guess I'll die" every day.

Cannot forget the fact that during quarantine I would RUTHLESSLY argue about my favorite book characters to strangers online. I wrote pages and absolute essays that would probably get high marks if I fixed them up a little. I was a menace out there.

It was only after actually researching about the cognitive functions did I realize that there was absolutely no way I could have Te. Like, at all. I learned that my constant fantasizing and well of ideas for everything in the world around me was, in fact, a high Ne user trait.

I don't get fomo from missing out at a social event, I get fomo from missing an opportunity to put my creative resources to work to entertain people.

I like to think that I stray more towards the "Jack Skellington' entp type. One might think he's an entj because of how he has this goal in mind and then goes through every little detail to see it through, but what about him getting tired of all the routines in the beginning of the movie and wanting something new (Ne)? And when he finds Christmas town, what does he do? He analyzes the heck out of it, trying to figure out how it works (clear Ti use). So, even though the stereotypes might lead one to believe Jack is an entj, in actuality, he types as an entp.

Heres some IRL examples of how I might not seem ENTP.

For preface, I am an identical twin. I type as an ENTP, meanwhile my twin types as an INFJ (it is a very interesting relationship). Our highschool offered speech and debate. Guess who started taking it first? Not me, the entp. I didn't really know much about it and thought it was just a nerd thing. Then my twin took it and had a ball (I was lowkey was super jealous). Even though my twin is the "humanitarian" feeling type, they made for a terrifying opponent and had no mercy. My twin is also often thought of as way crueler than I am most of the time, where I am described more like a sunflower and they more as a thorny rose. My twin can get so passionate they turn argumentative, and if something doesn't fit the little storyland they build their world around, they argue a lot. So, my parents always said that they should be a lawyer. My twin can get so inside their heard (high Ni) that they act narcissistic and uncaring.

It irks me how one can pay so little attention to the world around them, but you'd think I'd be the cruel narcissistic one, who people say should be a lawyer. Because I am an entp.

Personally? I like writing poetry and going to cafes. I like reading and if I see that either side of argument can be argued for within reason, I won't feel like arguing. So I don't argue as much. The whole reason I didnt take speech and debate at first was just because I thought I wouldn't enjoy arguing for things where both sides could be right (I now know I overlooked the beauty in the argument itself). The Ne/Ti/Fe/Si function stack applies to me completely, just not in the stereotypical way. Its pretty helpful. When I analyze things too much (Ti), I can recognize I am probably a little stressed. I also know that there are places in my life I should have SOME routine/structure just to be a more functional person.

So, when people say "MBTI isn't real/is pointless because people get different results all the time and how can 16 personality types fit everyone its so limiting"

Its not, really. You just have to let the idea cook inside your head and explore yourself and how you think for a little.

[vergilsama922]

A Surprising Duo appears!!!!

Well. Admittedly I wasn't too sure about announcing these two. However me and @pyropsychiccollector have been in the workshop the past two days and I'm ready to share with you a new duo. Well technically trio since the two mentioned have an older brother :P

Danganronpa did a collaboration with Oshiro project. Basically Azur lane except replace ship girls with building girls. In this case the two you see above are Hope's Peak Academy (White and Black) and Despair Peak Academy (Black and red). Ergo HPA before the tragedy and during it.

HOWEVER.

Me and @pyropsychiccollector decided to retool these characters into well....

Direct Kamakura Descendants.

So let me properly introduce these two. And yes @pyropsychiccollector made these perfect backstories. I promise the next release of characters I'll handle it since I feel he already does so much work when he doesn't have to XDDDD

Hikari Kamukura - Ultimate Accountant, Musician, Environmental Scientist, Astronomist, Oceanographist, Multilinguist and Martial Artist

One of the three children of the current Kamukura main family. The Kamukura’s have a long, distinguished history that goes back even beyond the last century. This is because with each generation of their lineage, each member of the main family is supposed to add to the family’s wealth, prosperity, and reputation of magnificence. … Yet this is not as simple as it seems. Because each child is expected to train and be adept in multiple fields of study and industry; if the children cannot meet expectations by the time they reach 15 years of age – mastery in AT LEAST five major areas – they are shuffled off to the branch families in the sticks, where they must live a paltry existence and die in obscurity.

Saiko, the oldest sibling, has mastered a total of ten major areas by the age of 15 because of his ruthless ambition. His younger sisters, however… Well. They found a workaround for the hardships they faced early on in life. … Because here’s the thing. Kamukura’s… do not fail. They… do not settle for mediocrity. They… DO NOT back out of something part way through. If they struggle in science, they are to find ways to cheat the system so that they uphold the Kamukura level of excellence. Same for math, history, language studies, electives… Once they start down a path, there is NO backing out. They have access to the best tutors. Are allowed to attend government meetings and briefings; they have access to the meetings between leaders of the world (the TRUE leaders, by the way; not the figureheads that most commoners know about).

Anything that will aid these children in becoming true Kamukura heirs and truly test their abilities. Hikari and Yuutsu found their workaround for early hurdles because they are twins. They can stand in for each other and no one will know the difference until it is far too late. If Hikari started down the path of archaeology, and Yuutsu “gets it” more than she does, boom. If Yuutsu started dabbling in new age music, and Hikari is better at the creation and development of music, boom. Easy fixes.

But what, exactly, is Hikari specializing in? For one, she’s the number cruncher. Not only does she understand math even just after a few glances, her management of money is legendary. She knows how to manipulate the stock market in her favor, knows how to maximize profit in companies. Give Hikari a loan, and she will make it grow tenfold, paying back everything, interest and all, in one payment. But that’s not all. While they both went into music, Hikari is the performer of the twins. Concerts, public performances in general, just give her a few weeks to practice an instrument, and she’ll successfully put on a stellar show. Because of this frequent showboating, she’s great with large crowds. Her specialties lie in the instruments, however, and not so much her singing voice.

In terms of the sciences, Hikari has delved into the studies of deep sea, space, and environmental sciences. Her public motto is: There’s no use furthering yourself if there’s no world under your feet… so let’s protect this little blue dot. This has, of course, earned her widespread support and adoration for her humane attitude… though, honestly, Hikari has made under-the-table deals that are not so altruistic or helpful to the environment… However, these deals have expanded the Kamukura coffers, so the family turns a blind eye to anything Hikari arranges off the books.

Hikari is also multilingual – at her young age, she’s comfortable with eight of the most common languages in the world – Japanese, English, Spanish, Chinese, French, etc. And she’s begun to look into more obscure languages, because another of her mottos is… “Communication is key.” The more people from around the world she can communicate with, the more deals she can make for the Kamukura family to prosper.

Finally, her fifth major area is that she is skilled in physical combat – mainly self-defense, but she has dabbled in karate, and other refined fighting styles that most common thugs won’t even want to touch. She took up this area for her own and Yuutsu’s protection, because the Kamukura family has made far too many enemies over the years… And it pays to be prepared for physical conflicts. … Not to mention, sometimes people need “motivation” to agree to something, and nothing quite motivates like a little physical punishment~ Mongrels may call it brutality. Hikari calls it efficiency. (人◕ω◕)

Yuutsu Kamukura - Ultimate Leader, Singer, Producer, Speaker, Programmer, Chemist, Nurse, Lawyer, and Engineer

One of the three children of the current Kamukura main family. The Kamukura’s have a long, distinguished history that goes back even beyond the last century. This is because with each generation of their lineage, each member of the main family is supposed to add to the family’s wealth, prosperity, and reputation of magnificence. … Yet this is not as simple as it seems. Because each child is expected to train and be adept in multiple fields of study and industry; if the children cannot meet expectations by the time they reach 15 years of age – mastery in AT LEAST five major areas – they are shuffled off to the branch families in the sticks, where they must live a paltry existence and die in obscurity.

Saiko, the oldest sibling, has mastered a total of ten major areas by the age of 15 because of his ruthless ambition. His younger sisters, however… Well. They found a workaround for the hardships they faced early on in life. … Because here’s the thing. Kamukura’s… do not fail. They… do not settle for mediocrity. They… DO NOT back out of something part way through. If they struggle in science, they are to find ways to cheat the system so that they uphold the Kamukura level of excellence. Same for math, history, language studies, electives… Once they start down a path, there is NO backing out. They have access to the best tutors. Are allowed to attend government meetings and briefings; they have access to the meetings between leaders of the world (the TRUE leaders, by the way; not the figureheads that most commoners know about).

Anything that will aid these children in becoming true Kamukura heirs and truly test their abilities. Hikari and Yuutsu found their workaround for early hurdles because they are twins. They can stand in for each other and no one will know the difference until it is far too late. If Hikari started down the path of archaeology, and Yuutsu “gets it” more than she does, boom. If Yuutsu started dabbling in new age music, and Hikari is better at the creation and development of music, boom. Easy fixes.

But what, exactly, is Yuutsu specializing in? For one, Yuutsu is the “leader” of the twins. She first started leading classroom discussions, sports teams, and then eventually Student Councils. … And then she outgrew that “lowly leadership” phase. She became the stand-in CEO for a few companies that incurred large debts to the Kamukura’s; she turned their companies around so that they wouldn’t go bankrupt and die out completely. Yuutsu is VERY good at motivating workers, managers, whoever… to do their very best, or she WILL replace them. She’s also the more confrontational one between the twins; rival companies beware, Yuutsu Kamukura does not lose. Period.

If Hikari is the performer, the crowd pleaser, then Yuutsu is the singer. She also deals in the recording of music – both online and hard copies – and dabbles in electronic music. But Yuutsu is also the one that goes on TV and does the talkshows and makes press conference statements. Yuutsu is so adept at working computers, she’s the technological one of the twins. In the sciences, she’s well-versed in chemistry and medical sciences. … More specifically, Yuutsu is familiar with various human conditions, how they die, how they extend life… She was assigned to oversee a few hospitals that had questionable reputations; and she turned them around by replacing the staff that knew what they were doing, or weren’t outright crooks posing as doctors… With the Kamukura family resources, she then proceeded to give them access to better equipment to treat patients, and overall made healthcare more affordable in these districts (albeit, this part was largely handled by Hikari… but shhh).

Yuutsu developed a fascination with law… mainly because she was part of the upper echelon, and thus she possessed the power to shape and bend the laws as she saw fit. Naturally, criminals should be brought to justice~… However! If the crooks are guilty of embezzling money from their companies, and are open to donating that money to a “worthy cause”, for example… Or if they’re murderers that are open to new employment (of COURSE not the Kamukura’s~… That’s just crazy~!)… Well. There’s nothing illegal about jailbreaks or falsified executions. Nope. Yuutsu knows the laws backwards and forwards, so Yuutsu knows best~… Right~?

Finally, Yuutsu is also well-versed in… trap-making. Her skill with technology is excellent enough that she can hack into security systems, know shortcuts around things that aren’t hack-able, tricks to open various doors (even ironclad safes)… But it’s because she knows how to get around stuff that she knows the best way to protect what’s valuable to her… and (to an extent) Hikari. Beware of stepping into Yuutsu’s property; if you weren’t invited, you’ll be sorryyy~… And if you were invited, well… Be careful anyways. Sometimes, Yuutsu likes to mess with you. Especially if you’re behind on debts to the Kamukura’s. (❋•‿•❋) These are the Hope- *coughs* The Kamukura Sisters. (❋•‿•❋)(❋•‿•❋)(❋•‿•❋)

Now yes. Some of you may have noticed there are overlapping talents. ;;;;;;;;;(❋•‿•❋) Yes....well given who their family is, of course, they are allowed to attend and are indeed stepping on the toes of uhhh....similar talent people. ;;;;;;;;;;;(人◕ω◕) They will be put into Class 78-B. Replacing Shuji and Takumi who will be put into the reserve course. (人◕ω◕) This doesn't affect canon of the hope universe since those two were placeholders, to begin with.

Ahem but anyways without further ado, welcome these very uhhh....interesting duo. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;(人◕ω◕) (God knows they'll need it)

[brightgnosis]

Sorry to add more to your plate but asks are good economy and i like flowers:

orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

abelia ⇢ do you have a particular piece of jewelry you always wear or can’t part with?

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

palm tree ⇢ do you have a fictional villain you shouldn’t like but love regardless?

papyrus ⇢ if you put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle, what’s the first song that comes up? what do you like about it / associate it with?

Are you kidding? I love asks. They're like a cool breeze on a slightly too hot kind of late spring day when you're not ready for summer to hit yet! (Asks from here)

orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

"Creature" by Half•Alive

abelia ⇢ do you have a particular piece of jewelry you always wear or can’t part with?

Currently my pentacle necklace. And when I've completed my conversion, I'll add either a Chai of a Magen David. I haven't decided which yet.

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

On the surface "You're so abusive" sounds like an absolutely horrible inside joke. But it's a bit of an inside joke between my Husband and I to say it whenever one of us does something that's definitively, absolutely, 100% beyond not abusive to the other; something so incredibly stupid, like not letting me have a sip of his morning Coffee.

We both have a history / past full of abusive relationships (in his case, just IPV- but in mine, both DV and IPV). It's our way of kind of just kind of ... Acknowledging we finally both found a solid, healthy, communicative one in each other -- while also kind of making fun of our past trauma itself (a sort of Gallows' Humor), and making fun of the people who hurt us, as well as the kind of things they'd abuse us over at times.

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch / read again?

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

The Haunting of Hill House.

Keeping the Moon.

The Haunting of Blythe Manor.

It's incredibly rare that it happens to me. But stories like these gutted me to the very core in a way I can't articulate very well (though have tried twice already, here and here) ... They aren't ones I can possibly rewatch or reread- especially not over and over and over in order to find all the little easter eggs like some people do; they cut open my soul once, and I have to just leave myself like that, rather than ever risk losing the magic of the emotions they made me feel at the time.

palm tree ⇢ do you have a fictional villain you shouldn’t like but love regardless?

Incredibly unpopular opinion, here: I thought the ending of Daenerys Targaryen was a good one that fit her character and its building tension and traits quite solidly, actually. The only real problem was that the showrunners rushed it because they were eager to get on to other projects, and didn't give her downfall the amount of time and focus that it truly deserved ... But I personally liked and thought it was poetic that she did go mad in the end (mad with power, mad with ambition, mad as "the mother of Dragons" and ideals of being the White Knight and The Savior, etc), and that it was John Snow, of all people, who killed her. People are just crybabies 🙄

papyrus ⇢ if you put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle, what’s the first song that comes up? what do you like about it / associate it with?

"The Optimist" by 10 Years

[sunlit-writings]

Rating: T | Word Count: 2.5k | Warnings: Child Neglect, Major Character Death

Summary: In which a young Icarus finds that ambition can make you lose everything, or help you find what you've been missing.

---

Hey! My first fic on Tumblr... I tried my best, but the idea of writing a non-canon backstory for today's prompt was just. Too juicy I think. I'll probably put in a second chapter mostly based on Raph discovering her gender and bonding with the other mechs

You know, fun things!

The sight of the sprawling City from above was one of the first things Icarus could remember from his childhood. The penthouse the two inhabited had a view that sprawled at least a square mile of the surface. But that wasn't why he remembered it so vividly. No, what had caused it to stick to the back of his brain was what happened when his father once joined him on that balcony, when he finally had the curiosity to start asking questions.

"Papa?" Icarus breaks a silence that had been settling between the two for a few minutes. "What's down there, on the ground?"

"Well, there's people, just like there are up here," the man replies simply. It causes the boy's young mind to race into gear once it's explained. People really live down there? There must be so many. He wondered what they all did, since all of the businesses that he knew of were within the upper levels. The questions go unanswered as he continues, however. "It's business owners like your old dad that make it turn. Some day, you'll be part of that too."

"I'll be like you, Papa?" Young eyes fill with wonder, as the man reaches down and gives him a pat on the head.

"You certainly will... But you've got a long way to go until then."

"Then how do I start?" Suddenly, the topic changes, much like it tends to concerning younger children.

"Start? It's a bit early yet but... Why don't you start by writing everything down that you think of. What you want to build, achieve, create, whatever it is. And then, you'll have it for the future. How does that sound?"

"I'll do it!" His enthusiasm was quick to take the child back to his room, where he started to draw anything that came to his head. And although that initial boom didn't last forever, Icarus took his father's words to heart. He continued to create, though most things in his mind weren't in the least bit feasible. But it would be a valuable tool for his future...

---

The boy is thirteen now, and for the first time getting to see the place that his father worked in. A laboratory, with loads of scientists around the room, each one seeming entirely focused on whatever they were assembling. There wasn't so much that seemed like science going on in here, but Icarus doesn't find it in himself to care. He's here, he's finally here.

Daedalus isn't speaking, however, doesn't even seem to be paying attention to the boy, and instead seems to be looking around, as if trying to find a face among the crowd of nameless, white-coated workers.

The father had never been the most involved in Icarus' life, often being busy with one project or another. But as he aged, he was more often left on his own, as if once he could take care of himself, the man had just made a quiet exit from his life. Surely, the young man tried not to mind it so much, as he could manage alone. But it didn't mean that he was happy, with very few people his own age up this high on the social ladder, and few people who didn't have the same level of work or more to do.

More often than not, Icarus was alone.

This was going to be a change though, now that he was going to be working in that same building, surely they would be able to talk more. Surely, with how often both of them would be there, they would have a chance to actually bond and interact. However, this thought quickly turns to dust as the man finds what he seemed to be looking for, which seems to be one out of the horde of workers. He tries quite hard not to react, as it's not as though this person had anything to do with the relationship Icarus had or did not have with his father. But he can't help but tune out as he's being introduced, as there isn't much interest he has in whoever this was.

Daedalus leaves in some time, snapping Icarus back into listening, since he should at least pay attention to whatever this person has to say. However, it doesn't feel important. The most he's really listening to would be those few times that machinery was shown, and he was taught how to use it. He would remember that much, but anything else seemed like a blur, especially with how unenthusiastic they seemed.

He couldn't help but sigh with relief once they left him so he could settle in to his new desk. Icarus could quickly notice how much work was already piled onto his desk, which he could already tell had come from his father. He couldn't tell when it would all be due from the folders, so he would need to start checking them all. So, that he did...

Hopefully, things would change in a while. If he had to work on this drudgery for so long, he would likely get something out of it if he did well. Maybe he would even get the praise that he so desired.

---

The days since he's begun working then turned into weeks, that turned into months. And things had certainly changed. He began to see more of his father, but it seemed to only be due to his progress with work. Icarus so often chased these moments, however. Because he could feel the praise in his very soul. Its the one thing that keeps him going, keeps him working. Because everything else wasn't shaping up how he expected them to.

It was all assembly work and a few equipment tests here and there. Either option seemed so much like grunt work, and he couldn't stand it. There wasn't anywhere to go from there either, as every other worker he saw on a daily basis would have the same sorts of tasks to complete.

Was there really nothing else to be done?

It's a night home after work that he begins to these thoughts begin to take his mind, as he enters his room, first thinking to get some sleep. And yet, something catches his eye that hasn't in quite a long time. A small, spiral-bound notebook with some old designs in them. How long had it been since he's looked in this tired old thing?

It was one of the few things that his father had ever advised him on. Write everything down that he thought of, huh? Sure, he had left it behind, but a part of him was curious about some of the things he'd written back in the day. Maybe it's a wish to walk down memory lane, but he can't help but open it up and begin to read.

Most of what laid in its pages, he couldn't even understand. Then again, they were the musings of a young boy who knew nothing about how engineering and building worked. But some of it seemed like it was going somewhere, at least to a point where Icarus could improve upon it. How lovely it could be, for the young man to actually have something to work on again. And then, it finally hits him.

There's much more for him to do. Even if it isn't his father's machines, he could still make something. Maybe they won't be sold, maybe he won't get a stitch of credit to his name. But what did that really matter? He'd at least get to create for once in his life. It would teach him whether or not he had what it took to make something of himself, just like his father said he would one day.

He takes a seat at the little desk that hadn't been changed out in a while, and begins to work on something he thought could change the world.

---

Against his better judgement, Icarus had slipped some of his designs to his father's desk, in order for him to look them over. And a few days had passed since he'd done that. Sure, it was okay for Daedalus to take his time. He seemed to be a busy man, often moving from his office to everywhere else in the office. But the young man could only hope that the news would come soon. Had he done something right? Was he a failure who should never create something again? The waiting was worse than anything the man could possibly say.

But then, the sign comes, the office secretary coming in to say that Daedalus wanted to have a word with him. And how neutral could that be? It could only make him worry about it more.

He continues on to his father's office, not making eye contact with any person he passed in the halls. There was some fear in him that they'd know something that he didn't.

He softly knocks on the door, and soon after the word "Enter," is spoken on its other side. Icarus makes as little sound as he can in opening it, before he takes a seat. His head stays down, even as he can hear Daedalus begin to speak. It isn't good, and it doesn't feel good.

"These things you've put on my desk, are these things you've been doing instead of working?" There's something that twinges in the young man at the question. They weren't just things, they were ideas... Ideas that he thought had merit. If he hated them, he could just say so without acting like this. But he holds his tongue about his distaste. That isn't important.

"No, I've been making them at home, you know I've been working as hard as I can-"

"Right, then what could these be for?"

"They're ideas... I wanted to show you a few concepts I had come up with, maybe you would see that I can design things too."

A silence hangs between the two, as Icarus waits for something else to be said. He's already disheartened. This obviously didn't go how he'd hoped, so now all he can wish is for this conversation to end. But it doesn't, the nightmare only continues.

"Did you really think some child's scribbles is something that I need right now? You don't even have the training for this, and you're trying to make things for me? Boy, all I want you to do is what you've been instructed. You're a technician, nothing more."

He can feel the coating of tears beginning to choke him, but he stands firm. He can't cry right now, he can't give Daedalus anything else to mock him over. He just needs to wait for the verbal lashing to end.

"Now, keep yourself busy with your work, and get out of my sight." Certainly, he could follow such an order, but once he left the office, and could finally find somewhere that he could break down on his own, without another person around to comment on it.

He wished that this rejection of his work would've been easier to take. But there was something about its flippancy, about how quickly he was written of. It made the cut so much deeper. Did he even really look at any of them? Were they nothing more than doodles to the businessman? Icarus' hurt quickly turns into anger, however. He had been chasing that man for such a long time, looking for every scrap of appreciation and approval that he could dig for, and this was how he was repaid for it? Maybe it was childish to hold onto it so deeply, but the boy couldn't find it in himself to care.

And finally, he has an epiphany, while staring into the eyes that had never felt like his own. If Daedalus wouldn't so much as glance at his work, he would just have to find someone that will.

If it acted against his father? So be it.

---

With his plan in motion, Icarus had worked in the shadows for quite a while, finding other sources of backing around the upper reaches of the city. Many wouldn't look either, not due to anything against him, but instead a fear of acting against his father. With how influential he was, it was understandable, if not a bit frustrating.

But finally, there was someone. An Olympian, even, who was willing to give the upstart a chance. Poseidon, one of the few people who could possibly stand up to his father. And he was going to get a chance.

But such a thing couldn't last forever, especially since Daedalus seemed to know everything. Icarus wasn't naive enough to think that this would go without some form of punishment, the question only became when.

It was in their home, one of the few times that the man had ever been home. "You have a lot of explaining to do, boy." His eyes pierce into him like daggers, that feel almost as painful as the use of that word.

"I'm sure you know everything that you'd want me to say by now," Icarus spits through grit teeth, feeling his adrenaline rise with his volume.

"Have you lost your mind? You go against me with an Olympian? What could you possibly be trying to prove, here?"

"That I'm not some stupid kid. That if you just took the time to look at what I had made and-"

"Are you still on about that? For Zeus' sake, I don't have time for that nonsense."

"Then why are you so scared of me working for him? Are you scared that I'm going to make something of myself without you?"

It's tense, as Daedalus makes an approach, and Icarus backs up. He doesn't know what the man wants to do, but despite his approach of biting back, he can't help but begin to feel some fear of what his father might do to him.

As this continues, so does Daedalus. "After giving you a place in my company, giving you everything I have, this is how you choose to repay me? By taking it all and spitting in my face?" The son finds his boy hitting the door to the balcony, and out of fear, he opens that door, giving himself a bit more room to stagger backwards.

"How dare you imply that I'm scared of you, a mere boy. You don't even know what I'm capable of. How quickly I can make sure no one ever takes you seriously in this industry. You'll be finished, do you hear me? Finished." The room that Icarus had created was becoming lesser and lesser. His legs were now against the railing of the balcony, frozen in place. The man is in his face now, and he can finally feel the fear and panic sinking in. He has nowhere to run.

"Don't you look at me like that, you dug this grave, and now you better lie in it. You're going to pay for this, and you're going to look at me, dammit."

"Please... Th-There's not-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" He feels hands on his shoulders that make him stumble. But there's nothing for him to catch himself on. He falls backwards, and off the balcony.

The last thing he saw, the last thing he'd likely ever see, was the look of horror and realization forming on his father's face.

[milllkaa]

Okay, then I'll spam my thoughts

I don't attribute orientation to the characters, but I feel like Charlie would have been gay, like, his whole life. Hector, on the other hand, is rather bi. He never thought about whether he liked someone or not, he just studied hard to get a good job. He's cool about it, and if he liked a boy (Charlie hehe) he'd react the same way if he were a girl.

Don't care who fell in love first, I like both options. If Charlie fell in love first - well, I understand him, ahahaha. Even though Hector looks deathly tired, he's still a very attractive and sweet guy. And while he can be impulsive at times (thanks, Lucinda, btw, how's your cancer? Wanna smoke? I'll give you one bestie), he tries to control himself so he's not like his mother. He's very attentive to Charlie. It may seem like he doesn't care or he's not listening, but it’s not. He remembers every little thing Lonnit says to him, and Charlie is very surprised by it. And I think… he would be very upset about these feelings at first. Because he treasures his and Hector's friendship and he's afraid of ruining it. At first he would try to ignore it and act the way he used to. And he was good at it, at first, but each time it got harder and harder to keep his mouth shut.

If Hector had fallen in love first… You know, when you've been hated by everyone around you all your life and then a sunshine like Charlie comes along that literally radiates love and warmth, whether you want to or not you'd start to feel something for him. Hector is not used to being cared for, he's not used to anyone being interested in his mood, his life. That he could be given a gift. Or to call just to tell him the next trivial news or funny situation that happened in the store. Charlie burst into his life so abruptly and brought him so many colors that at first he was confused. He didn't know how he felt, because I think it was the first time he had ever fallen in love (thanks again Lucinda). And while he's a great psychologist and profiler, it's one thing to analyze his childhood traumas, but it's another thing to understand what kind of pleasant emotion he feels for another person. It would take him some time to realize everything, after which it would get even more complicated. Charlie is his only friend. He will be even more afraid of spoiling their relationship than Charlie himself.

So much text, I always get carried away hahaha. As you have already realized, their situations are very similar. Both have found salvation in each other, and even though Charlie has friends, he still feels lonely. His friends have found a partner and are building a future together, while he is left all alone. And… I don't know, the option that they just fell in love is the most ideal? Sure, some sooner, some later. I like all versions, but I'm leaning towards the Hector way. AND NO, IT'S NOT BECAUSE HE'S MY FAVORITE. It's just… I love emotion and how much of it he's experienced because of Charlie…. He literally saved him, you know.

And I also love how they cherish each other. You can see it all in their actions. Charlie works very hard and has a lot of ideas and ambition, so he can be forgetful. And Hector, with his good memory, will always remind Charlie of his business, or silently do things for him. Put food in his bag, because Charlie is always late and forgets to take it. Shove an umbrella in his hands, because just telling him about the weather isn't enough, because he'll forget about it in a minute. He takes him out of work, because he's as much of a workaholic as Hector is.

Charlie can't cook. I mean he can, but the simplest and most basic dishes that don't take a lot of time. His mother always cooked well and took care of his nutrition, so he didn't have to think about the need for this skill in his life. After moving, he had to learn of course, but mostly he just eats out of the house. But one day Hector, being perhaps drunk or under the influence of the moment, will tell him about his childhood. About how his mother treated him, how she tied him up and didn't feed him for days. He was not allowed to eat sweets or anything else that would normally be considered " yummy" for children. And after that, Charlie began to learn. He bought a lot of books and even went to his mother to help him. He started cooking, baking cookies, cakes, and a little later he moved on to more complicated desserts. He was doing all this for Hector, and he was… Ah, he was so glad he had decided to meet Charlie that he decided to risk letting him into his life. He still didn't like sweets, but Charlie made them with love, and how could he refuse ?

[awkwardgtace]

So random ask,

Is there an aspect of an OC that you would like to explore but haven’t found the way to? (It can be any OC and it could be anything from a little quirk, a personality trait or literally anything you think about them and that you’d like to share)

ok i have been excited to answer this and I think honestly it's the more negative traits each of my OCs have.

Like I could do something where i feed into an obsession or ambition, but I don't know if i would enjoy writing it or have fun with others reading it. There's been a few times where I sort of wrote myself into a corner and had to back track because it was too far gone to make a reasonable resolution that felt good (to me)

More with Corus his anger and recklessness (impulsive actions that lead to closer calls or something that finally went too far) Kyrie's a bit obsessive need to protect (willing to take whoever it is away from what he perceives as danger, against their will) Melody's negativity (pushing others away and refusing to let anyone in) Mira's willingness to die for the good of others Vitus's determination to keep things stable Felix and his focus to keep the people he cares about safe (a character that in a different universe ignores that a tiny is very much human) Ash has an unexplored interest in preserving the beauty of nature I've gone pretty deep into before bailing out before Ian's anxiety leading to negative actions when he's big, trusting the wrong person when he's small

I could go into like every oc and their problems I want to explore at some point, but I don't really know how I would. I admit I do have a tendency to lean into darker tones for fiction in preference for consuming or creating. So something with them.

It's come closest when my own mood sours and I try to write. Part of when I take longer breaks too. I don't want to let my own shitty mood dictate something that doesn't fit my characters (my dm for pathfinder even catches me in those moods to keep me on track)

One day I might do a sort of horror challenge and write the bad things out. I have at least 1 oc who would build a really nice tube connection they have for mice and guinea pigs, but for a colony of tinies completely ignoring their wants to escape and get away

I have rambled for sure, but it's a lot of just exploring the unchecked bad traits of ocs.

Honestly there's been a lot of ideas i toyed with of showing the darker parts where it's framed as a good thing. Creature Mira au where she has to do something a lot more than killing monsters. Kaiju Ash au where their change made their own morals go corrupt. I did do it with Corus and Mira sort of, the bad end non canon stories of Assassin Mira gambling and Human Corus meeting Mira in a world that just sort of is a bit different.

Ok I'm actually gonna stop rambling but i'll happily go further on anything that i've said or any oc I didn't list that you wanna know about. I'm actually gonna think about making a list of like horror versions of stories where I do this now, maybe next october.

[swampstew]

Kid's Pirate King Ambition

*disclaimer that it relates to my fic*

Ahem -

So when I started my fic "Turn Back Time" my concept for the West Peninsula was a smaller scale version of modern America. Ruled by a government body that coded the laws that just so happen to squeeze and exploit the working class for everything they have, but also cushion themselves and other elite types. This inspires a revolutionary type mindset for the main characters, even before they met the pirates; and when I wrote them relating these things to the pirates, I wrote the pirates as having had vague familiarity with those types of issues but never elaborated beyond hahah set fire to things! Chaos! ANARCHY!

Providing excerpts below but also highly encouraging you to read my fic cause I think its fun and cute and hope you think so too. Shilling over.

Read below to be razzle dazzled by my prophetic mind of Eustass Kid's ambition to be King of the Pirates.

These happen during different scenes in different chapters so I'll only copy/paste the important lines. Further clarifying to warn; if you click the links you may be directed to a chapter that contains smut or other TW content so read the summary/header if there is one!

Chapter 7: context - a community relief event is happening the next day that the island "rebels" want to use as cover to get "revenge" on the corrupt island officials -

Tommy walked towards the pirates, “yeah and um, at around 8 we’re having a meeting. We’re planning to target the island official buildings and their personal estates during the purge. Nothing too crazy but we could use a strategist’s mind or two for deviancy.”

“Ohh I don’t know Tommy. They might call our plans too pussyfooted and try to convince us to burn it all to the ground,” Andrea smirked, squeezing Kid’s shoulder.

“Aye, destroying the established order is the only way to invoke real change,” his face twisted in a devilish smirk.

Chapter 9: context - hijacking the "rebels" plans to make the sting of their "revenge" more real to people who think they're untouchable.

Kid strode to the middle of the room and commanded attention. “OI!” he glared at everyone. “Your plan is fucking stupid. Instead of targeting the institutions that control you, take it to their personal homes and lives. Your dumb as shit bylaws state that anything is fair game during this purge and any damage or injury caused during it is automatically forgiven. So take the fight to those fuckers houses.” He dropped the paintball guns into a pile on the floor.

<later in the story>

Looking down at her baggy, padded pants and oversized sweater, she shrugged. “You ever been shot with a paintball pellet? Fucking hurts.”

Barking with laughter, “I’ve been shot with real bullets, ya wuss.”

Chapter 12: context - a party on the ship where Kid celebrates his bounty raise and his crew.

“What started out as humble beginnings from the South Blue rabidly turned into a ship full of rad monsters quickly rising through the ranks of the pirate world. As it stands, we are the most prominent pirates, the lead in the Worst Generation rankings, and it’s about fucking time we’ve been recognized as such. The government is so quick to condemn a mere crucifixion of rival pirates but willingly turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed by World Nobles, royal kingdoms, even the Seven Warlords of the Sea – keeping pirates on the fucking payroll!” Kid spat on the ground.

“No real pirates ally themselves with marines or the government. We will never submit to them or anyone else!” he roared, his crew cheering him on with only a few concerned glances from the island folks intermittently in the crowd.

Raising his glass, everyone on deck mirrored his actions. “We are the future of piracy and we will dismantle the order of the world so it’s no longer ruled by scum!”

The response was thunderous. Andrea was impressed with his charismatic speech, the way he commanded everyone’s attention and even had civilians praising and cheering his speech. The islanders were not all naïve, they understood the way the island officials used the laws they wrote and capitalism to keep themselves above the rest; the division of class by wage and power had fractured the community long ago. She had only ever dreamed someone like Kid lived on her island to lead the people to revolt. She’d be happy with Kid himself leading it but he didn’t seem like the type to settle down. Wishful thinking. The Captain turned his head back to glance at her, Andrea raised her glass and took a long sip, raising the tequila bottle teasingly.

------- ok now the King of the Pirates ambition hook------

Kid understands Andrea's desires to not live in a confined world. He understands her frustrations with the system of exploitation on her island but doesn't have the means to do anything about it. He relates to her and likes her so much more for it. She's exactly the type of person he wants on his crew, and the fact that they have a thing only makes it better in his opinion. So now we have a full ship of pirate anarchists trying to achieve Kid's dream.

To be King of the Pirates and change shit up. The world is ruled by scum so he's gonna wipe it out and put himself on top. Will he be worse? Who knows.

Kid grew up in rough ass streets and he knows how corrupt people can be and what corrupt power looks like. He ain't about to be anyone's bitch boy. Not anymore. That's why he's so brutal. He wants people to fear and respect him. He wants to be King of the Pirates because he wants people to know that a fucking prick runt from the South Blue made it this high in life. And with the power and wealth of finding the One Piece, he will be coming for the Navy, The World Government and the Celestial Dragons. Anyone getting in his way is dead meat. He's not doing it because it necessarily liberates everyone else - he's doing it because they tried to fuck with him and he is saying FUCK YOU right in their faces. By smashing their faces in with his fists.

I'm not entirely sure he really cares all that much about the history of the world beyond professional curiosity. He's not trying to be a hero liberator. He's just a monster they created who is getting revenge. Revenge being fueled by the World Government/Navy allowing a corrupt criminal gang take over and ruin his island/and also may have facilitated the murder of his parents, to kill his first love, to try and kill him. Fueled by anger at the hypocrisy of the World Nobles and of Justice by the Navy since they do much worse, he's just upfront about his actions instead of hiding behind the scenes. He's a tough nut to crack because he keeps everything close to the (huge breasteses) heart. Everyone he has ever loved or cared about is dead outside of his crew. He doesn't want to love or care for anyone else because he might even feel like his love gets these people killed. So his only drive now is to make it out on top - then when the dust settles, he'll enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Anyways that's all I had, unless more comes up and then I'll respond to this post. This was all fueled by my outlining some future chapters and it made me wonder how my main OC characters would react if they learned about their past in passing from an original crewmember that isn't the big 4. A big smooch for you if you made it this far.

[mt07131]

hiii 👀 for bestie maeve: retro, persona, bandmates, lyrics, seven <333

Hiii bestie 💕💕💕 Under the cut bc it got long

Infamous ask game

Retro: What was the first CD they ever bought with their own money? Do they still have it? Do they still like it?

So I touched on this in one of my snippets for her (shameless self plug 😌) but the first CD she was ever able to buy with her own money was Riot! by Paramore. She still has the original copy she bought at the solid age of 10, and yes she still likes it, loves it actually. It was her first rock album and to see one with a female lead singer is what planted the seed of her being able to do that.

Persona: How does their day-to-day personality compare to their on-stage persona?

The biggest difference between Maeve Divine and Maeve is that she's way more exaggerated on stage. She really leans into the performance aspect of everything when on stage, but all of those elements of her personality are still present when she's not screaming on stage. She's maybe a little toned down and there's a more vulnerable side that really only comes out around people she's close to (i.e. the band), but she really doesn't put on that much of an act on stage.

Bandmates: How do they feel about the members of the band? Would they still be interested in stardom if they weren’t with that group?

She loves the rest of the band, they’re her best friends. Meeting them was really the first time someone else (other than Seven) understood her. With August in particular, since they’re new, she was a little hesitant because of the fact that they weren’t there since the conception of RS, but their skills were impressive enough that she was willing to take that chance. Because of that, she wants to make sure that they feel welcome, that they’re not an outsider simply because they weren’t in that core founding group. And I think she would still be interested in stardom without this group, but having this group makes it infinitely better. She wants to be seen and be heard, and doing that with her closest friends is something she is extremely grateful for.

Lyrics: What are some songs you associate with your character? Any specific lyrics that really scream your character?

So I do have her character playlist (which I am gonna push again because I’m annoying about it) but here’s a few highlights:

Halestorm- Strange Girl Cast me out, abandon me / Write me off for dead / Ridiculed, made to feel like I'm your deepest dread / You say, "She's such a strange girl" / Such a strange girl / The world needs strange girls / Just like me

Tessa Violet- YES MOM 20-20 vision with ambition's how I'm made / I can't keep from winning when it's in my DNA / Push me down and I bounce right back / Trampoline and it's in my past / Rising like a phoenix making fire from the ash

Black Veil Brides- Heart Of Fire This heart of fire is burning proud / I am every dream you lost and never found / This heart of fire is stronger now / Build your walls but you can't keep me out / I'll burn 'em down

(Ask me one day about the playlist analysis docs I have for both the her + her/seven playlists)

Seven: Do you have headcanons about their friendship and/or romantic relationship (past or future)? What do you imagine some of their best memories are? What do you think some of Seven’s favorite things about your MC were/are?

I do headcanon that their friendship started because Maeve chimed in during a class with a very strict teacher and saved Seven’s ass from a question he didn’t know the answer to. He wanted to thank her afterwards, they started talking, and the rest was history.

At some point in high school, both of them had a crush on the other, but neither of them said anything because of not wanting to ruin their friendship if the other didn’t feel the same way. That goes to show just how connected they were that they had the same reasoning. It was also incredibly obvious to the rest of the band that they liked each other that way, they were not subtle

Honestly, some of their best memories are the most mundane. For example, Maeve is a very physical person with her affection, so even when they were just friends (and crushing) she was all over Seven when they hung out. Head in his lap, on his shoulder, sprawled all over him, she’s clingy. That’s how they wrote songs together, literally on top of each other.

I like to think that one of Seven’s favorite things about Maeve is just her dedication to this dream. She threw everything she had into it, he watched her toil for hours over things like hand-studding her lucky leather jacket (one that she still wears to this day, like to the BOTB auditions). She had a dream, and while the plan came eventually, she never stopped dreaming, which he admired.

[esta-elavaris]

Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

How do you begin a story—with the plot, or the characters?

Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an "architect" or a "gardener"? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the storu unfold as you go?)

Guilty pleasure -- none that leap to mind right now? I did love the whole modern girl trope and I wrote a lot of very self indulgent utter crap with that trope for LOTR (and it well never, ever see the light of day) before I decided to give it an proper go with CTW. Otherwise, I love the whole "mortal/immortal" trope - Katherine Arden does it amazingly well in the Winternight trilogy...and I may or may not delve into it a bit in the novel 👀

Revisions -- not as much as I should. Twice for most chapters, more if it's an especially significant chapter. Much more for original works, though, just because that's a bit more high-stakes. I'm usually just very wary of the fact that if I dither over fanfic chapters for too long and nit-pick too much, I'll end up getting discouraged and then I'll never post the bloody thing. I hate reading my own stuff until it's already posted and then it's too late if I decide I hate it.

Plot or characters -- usually a bit of both? It depends on the story - a lot of the time I'll go in with one or two scenes in mind, and then I see how I can get there (in CTW it was chapter 83, in LBL it was when the OC meets the, er, in-laws). With OC fanfic it's kind of easier because you have the intended partner right there and then you work out what sort of person would fit well with them - and what sort of person wouldn't be useless or annoying in the plot of the pre-existing thing.

With the novel, the idea came from a dream, so I got plot/setting/character all in one, and that one was a pain in the backside in the early stages because every other character came to me before the MC did. But she arrived fashionably late and I love her.

Gardener or architect - gardener for sure. I went into CTW only really having James' death scene on the Dutchman planned out, and I went into the original novel even more blind than that. As my ambition has grown (both in terms of the projects I take on, and where I want to go with writing in general) it's forced me to take more of an organised approach and really map out chapters just so I can make sure I'm doing it right (especially with the novel bc that's a lot of original world building, which requires a bit of a plan of action), but I go off-script a lot...and when I do, it ends up being better than what I had planned. It keeps writing fun, it lets me surprise myself!

I'm sorry for writing you a whole ass essay here, friend -- ty for the ask 💜

[captainkurosolaire]

Do you regret writing any of your past muses?

I regret leaving a lot of my past muses if anything. Perhaps, the character, I betrayed the most was the writer and person behind them the most. Ten year's ago even before this community. I was a whole different young man. One with ambition and passion. My creativity was boundless. I allowed my ambition's to die from a lot of my own harboring doubt, self care, health, artificial limits and barriers I placed on me, anxiety, and my closest people that were in my orbit of that time, unfortunately didn't understand my nerd levels, or creative interest and very much were attuned to pessimistic, that cut me like sharp blade's disguised as rain. As well, lot of being distracted and other's to sway me overtime and null me, like a black cloud it obscured my light. I've spent ever since trying to get that back and replicate it. But alas, I still am not yet there. That me, created character's and world's so elaborate and built a whole table-top game and RPG very akin to D&D for his closest of friends, made 50 classes unique, lore definition of world building, it created 10 spells unique, one ultimate. It made races, it brought a whole universe a life. There's character's and concepts that just really were great. Although it lacked proper writing and a lot of life lessons that was a much easier thing to hone then losing that imagination. (Thanks so much @thefreelanceangel for the heavenly ask!)

Overtime I've been working just to get back to that level and thrive to reach the amount of potential and depth I can still do. One-day maybe I'll even regain ambition. I think challenge's and everything like the one I've set is the only way I can regain it. Then I'll also gain back all that I ever discarded or lost and become someone much better and healthier as a result.

Mind over matter I think is the key to survive and really for me to truly live against all things that attempted to define me. I intend to uplift and spark life and reinvigorate it around me with my intense passion! But also to do it for myself in this process.

I especially do feel, I owe it. Because now I get that having a PROPER space and orbit that allows me to go on this journey with people who do get me and have supported me or followed me all this time, I've a best to offer them. Last year I showed that. I couldn't have done it with out all that energy and cheering, belief infinite motivation and inspiration in everything I saw.

I discovered and awakened myself a lot closer to my former. I attend to retrieve myself by the end of this year. I'll eliminate all my anxieties, and I will revitalize and do the most to ensure that I do my mightiest to prevent anyone to suffer that same ordeal. I will speak more and and be absolutely unbreakable, unfathomable, for it all. With what's entailed and in motion. The new friends I've gained and still could and empowering and loving the one's I have harshly in support, I'm on the right track. I'm seeing all the glimpses of the future for my challenge and theme's, ideas, collabs, I've just a ton in-store and I'm excited to bring it.