#opportunistic leeches as always

[maia-radfemdu]

it's sooo funny how Russian ethnics in Moldova started wanting to learn Romanian and had become pro unification as soon as they realized Russia is going to shit and they need Romanian if they wanna integrate into the workforce...while calling Romanians slurs and claiming they are discriminated against because govt officials don't speak to them in Russian 🤨

[londondungeon2]

concept with jade leech.

as most colleges do, NRC has a weekly newspaper that is run by the student body.

though one would imagine someone as busy as jade leech would never pick it up, he happens to routinely pick it up every monday in the lobby where they are put on display. he reads through all of it, thoroughly and carefully.

there are a multitude of reasons for this: mostro lounge sometimes puts articles in the paper about new menu items (as vice-housewarden, jade always double-checks their formatting); he likes to be alert about the by-and-by at his college (as vice-housewarden, it’s opportunistic to see what events may happen or what poor unfortunate soul might need a little help in the ‘anonymous student grievance’ section); and lastly, he had found himself enthralled by this new running comic strip at the start of his second year.

it seems to be two completely different artists who are running this new newspaper section.

one works in logical fallacies and bizarre humor; the drawings are crude and very sketch-like; jade has found himself biting a smile at some of the satire sprinkled in.

the second works in baroque influences; there is no humor found within it and it is very mature in ornate detail; jade particularly likes a certain strip where a sentient mushroom fuses with a human body, creating something lovecraftian.

though not a fan of ‘manga’ like azul’s fellow club member and ignihyde housewarden and not a good artist like his brother, jade finds himself looking forward to the comic strips on page thirteen at the start of his monday class.

so, when he sits down in his first period, thermos full of pu-erh black tea and a good five minutes left before the bell rings, a frown cross his face when he finds that page thirteen is absent of a certain section.

it’s a bit … odd.

as there are two different artists, should not the other one pick up the slack when the other is out of commission? one person cannot fulfill duties flawlessly. that is why NRC has a system of housewarden and vice-housewarden. by having two artists, one can ensures there is always going to be a weekly comic strip.

while only a bit disgruntled, jade decides to overlook this slip of management, only slightly knocked out of his rhythm in unnoticeable ways.

except next week again, there is no comic strip.

this time is surprising.

that section had done particularly well for getting the newspaper’s revenue up. as the son of a ‘businessman’, jade always notices the little things. the stack in the student lobby has been a bit lower in the past months; something anyone can equate to the new inclusion of this comic strip — more people are buying the product because it has something of new value in it.

they would surely be losing money because of this sectional cut? is the artist sick? why has the other one not taken up the helm?

the third week it happens, jade finds himself momentarily vexed. at lunch, floyd pulls the newspaper out of jade’s binder and asks annoyed, ‘hey why did they cut the comics??’ jade is wondering the same sentiment.

have these two people conspired together to rid him of his morning entertainment? no, that’s an utterly ridiculous notion … but it does not stop jade from being so thoroughly annoyed.

it is not like he needs that particular part of page thirteen. but it feels like something has been stolen from him. it is not often that he finds a person who shares his love for surrealist humor and surrealist horror. the loss gnaws at him.

on the third monday, clocking into his night shift at the mostro lounge, jade finds you — the ramshackle prefect — biting the straw of your drink to death, not an inch of the foaming drink drunk. you seem to be very enthralled with a piece of paper. but much like how you have not drank your beverage, the paper is blank and there is nothing to be enthralled with. always the observer, jade thinks you look … empty.

it is not jade’s most favored expression on you, but he still likes viewing each part of you — much like observing the value scale! one needs to understand each part of it or the jump in tones with leave to an ugly, incorrectly shaded artwork.

however, before he can make his way over to you, jade watches as you crumple up the paper and slam down a thaumark for a beverage you did not drink and storm out of mostro lounge like someone has just personally insulted you and you’re making a swift escape.

though it is not the table he is charge of waiting, jade picks up the cash all the same and clears the table of your existence. he takes a sip from your bitten straw. runs his ungloved hand over the plush leather of your booth just to feel the warmth of where you sat. yet, as he slipping the glove back on his hand and setting down your drink, something in the discord of empty papers happens to catch his attention.

having already snooped around in your business before — sometimes you have caught him, other times you have not — jade feels no guilt in picking up the piece of paper. his eyes widen comically when he takes in the sight of that baroque-influenced artwork (this piece depicts a sleep paralysis demon with furry hands and crowning horns) paired right next to crude, sketch-like figure (a man with only nine simple circles to make up his body).

well, now he knows who to hassle.

[avensthetic]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐌𝐄, 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔

𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 (dreamcatcher)

the first time i told you i love you it felt so hard for me to say it now when i tell you i love you i can't put all my heart to it it feels small

𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙧

━━ ╸you know those nights, the ones where everything feels off? the words they throw at me, the glances i catch – it's stupid, but they still sting. it makes me think all the money and power in the world won't change a damn thing. the whispers get louder, the smiles get faker, and it feels like i'm drowning. i've gotten good at hiding it, like my trembling fist underneath the table. would you be repulsed if i tell you plenty of times i almost broke?

don't leave me, or i'll really do...

love, kakavasha aventurine

the whispers echoed louder tonight. avgin opportunist. corporate leech. the usual noise, but grating, annoying, pissing him off. he rose to the top so no one can order him around, but look where it still ended him.

a sigh escaped aventurine. exhaustion wasn't just physical, it ate at his very soul. even here, in the muted luxury of his apartment, the whispers seemed to seep through the walls. yet, there you were, a quiet presence on the couch, a book open but forgotten in your lap.

"another fun day?" you asked, voice laced with a playful sarcasm he knew was meant to lighten the mood.

aventurine forced a smile, the one that usually disarmed and deceived. it felt brittle in the face of your quiet concern. "just the usual," he murmured, shrugging it off. and you know very well what composed of the usual.

crossing the room, you took a seat beside him. "if you want to talk..." 

aventurine shrugged, not trusting his voice. he was used to faking it, to wearing indifference like it were his skin. you settled beside him on the couch, close but not suffocating. the silence stretched but was oddly comforting. maybe it was the exhaustion, aventurine sometimes wondered if the hateful whispers finally wore him down.

and then, like a beacon cutting through his murky thoughts, you cup his face so gently. there was no judgment nor pity, just an open, earnest gaze that made him feel seen, a feeling he thought he'd forgotten long ago, when he's taken and shackled, freedom stolen. boundless patience, unconditional affection. all of these seemed so easy to you, given freely to the likes of him without asking for anything in return.

"i love you," he blurted out. the confession hung in the air, the first time since your relationship began, both of you wide-eyed. to aventurine, it felt like free-falling, both terrifying and exhilarating.

then you smiled, cheeks adorably warm. aventurine found himself finally letting go of the tension. the shadows didn't vanish, the weight didn't disappear, but they seemed a little less daunting. 

he leaned in, and the whisper of "i love you too" against his lips tasted like a promise. he'd always thought love was transactional, built on favors and exchanged benefits. but your love was this unconditional acceptance, the way you simply held him, patient and never asking much from him.

the next time he'd say it, he thought, it might be a little easier.

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕 - 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 - 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓

[ciera-richez]

This brings to mind the date she’s chosen for the release of her another attempt at an album. 🐍 trying so hard. This is her way of inserting herself into a story she knows is just fictional but gave birth to a long-gone relationship that somehow, she’ll always be certainly jealous of, knowing it will forever be embedded in people’s hearts and that K had made a mark on him that she could never make.

She also knows that this date means a lot to Twilight fans as it’s the birthday of the protagonist of the books and movies they so love, hence they will be more active on that specific day. 🐍 hoping some of those attention will be diverted to her attention-seeking ass, therefore giving her songs more streams. LMAO. Everything she does just proves how much of a coat-tail rider and opportunistic leech she is.

🐍 actions are showing just how pathetic and desperate, how insecure she is in that relationship. If he really does give her the security she needs, then why all the efforts? I mean, for someone who claims not to care, she sure does a lot of research.

If a man makes me feel so secure and treats me in way that leaves no space for doubt in mind, I could care less. 🐍 actions show that that is so not the case.

She knows that somehow, in the deepest corners of his heart, and in the innermost recesses of his mind, there will always be another girl. Who will always have a permanent place in his heart that she could never — and I mean, never — take, no matter how long and hard she tries.

☝

[petitelepus]

Twisted Wonderland Omegaverse Matchup For @archive-of-the-lost

Azul Ashengrotto is your Omega!

As a student from Diasomnia, you aren't exactly like other students and you are well aware of this. Each Diasomnia student is quirky in their own way, so no one is exactly the same. You're all roses in thorn bushes. You may appear quiet or even modest, but there is a real passion inside you that you save for your special interests or people you are fond of.

You may appear unapproachable at first, yes, but as people get to know you, they realize that you are a creative, logically thinking, sweetheart who is there for people you care about when they need you most. Strangers can handle themselves, if you don't know them you won't help 'em.

But Azul is totally your type, handsome, and smart and he is a gentleman who wouldn't even dream of cutting you off while you are talking.

Trusting isn't easy for Azul, but this young man adores and trusts you enough to let down the walls he built around his heart and open up to you. You won't mock him or laugh at him, you're his loving Alpha, you're reliable and supportive and his lifeline in a stormy sea. It's how you won over Azul, by being there during his rise and fall, after his overblot and redemption.

You can space out and start daydreaming sometimes while waiting for Azul to finish his work, but he doesn't mind it one bit, you're cute when you are so deep in your thoughts. Once you return back to Earth from the clouds, he may ask what you were thinking about so hard, eager to know what was going through your mind. Did you perhaps think of him? How sweet!

He doesn't mind listening to you talk about your interests or current fixations because he knows you really like and care about them, so the least he can do is listen to you and offer a question or two, an act that makes your pretty brown eyes sparkle as you start a brand new talk about your interest.

Azul knows that you have been hurt in the past and those memories might be the strongest ones you may feel sometimes. He understands better than anyone that it's easier to remember bad things rather than good things, so he wants to take those awful memories or yours and squeeze them with his tentacles.

He makes it his purpose to make as many good memories with you as possible so you can always look at him and think of those good times you spent with him! The times you both wrote or read poetry together, talked about your favorite books, or how you both tend to analyze people secretly.

Azul also appreciates your way of thinking. You're a great help to him since you won't let your feelings affect your work or such. You're an observant one and with your ability to read people, you're a huge aid for your Omega. But that's it, you only help your partner, other people can handle their problems on their own.

No small-talk? Wonderful, let's get down to business at once!

People may assume you're the Omega in the relationship due to your shortness and cute way of dressing, but you just grab your precious Omega and kiss him like you're trying to suck the life out of him and that's when people realize who is the real Alpha in your relationship.

These kisses of yours usually leave Azul speechless and blushing like crazy, much to his friends Jade's and Floy's amusement.

As an Omega, Azul needs care and protection, especially during his Heat, so people won't use his vulnerable state against him. Both of which you can provide for him. You don't mind taking control either and he doesn't mind giving up on it as long as it's outside Mostro Lounge. He trusts you enough to let you have control over him at his weakest. A job that belonged to the Leech twins, but he trusts you with his safety now.

Azul loves your way of showing your love, but he can't help but feel that he is in your debt each time you do something sweet to him or give him a present for example. As a businessman and opportunist, he hates being in debt and will try his hardest to pay your sweetness back to you. So he often offers you a free meal at Mostro and compliments you every chance he gets.

"My, Aurora, is that a new lipstick I see?"

"Oh, that blue necklace looks lovely on you!"

"You know, I recently got my hands on this poem I think you would like…?"

It's usually up to you to take Azul out on a date since he comes from a land below the sea and he is rather new to places such as amusement parks. Poor octopus Mer can't handle most rides, Hell, he is maybe the worst when it comes to flying with brooms so imagine taking him on a ride that goes so high and does loops? Nope!

Instead, you take him to a romantic picnic, eat something delicious that you both actually like, or just go window shopping.

When Azul learned that you love phone charms he went out of his way to get you a matching set. After that, whenever he sees you take your phone out and his eyes land on the charm he gave you hanging there on your device, he is filled with pride and joy.

Your taste in music is certainly vast, but your Omega isn't completely at a loss. He knows how to play piano and oftentimes plays the music he knows you like or creates something brand new with you and your taste in his mind. This always impresses you and he gets happy when he manages to do so.

You never fail to impress Azul. Not only are you academically far superior to many other students, like certain dum sea anemones who didn't respect the contracts, but you are also so very beautiful and you have lovely handwriting. Oh, how pretty your signature would look on his golden scroll.

He understands that you work hard for your grades and he always compliments you for it. Some people want to take a shortcut or easier way than actually studying, but that just creates more business for Azul.

The Omega is actually a member of the Board Game Club and would love to have you join him, Idia, and other students! Gaming can be so much fun, but you shock everyone with your wicked luck. Idia wonders if you have some mad luck cheat skill or some way to boost your stats.

But all in all, you two match even by horoscopes! You're both known for being deeply intuitive and devoted to your loved ones, and the two of you share a bond greater than the vast sea.

[crystalelemental]

Pokemon Team Characterization - Geeta

Earlier today, a Reddit post for Pokemon Masters asked about who the most popular of the less popular champions was.  The general results are inconsequential, if depressing to me personally.  What this particular story is about is a comment that mentioned Alder feels like he was designed to be weaker, with one of the reasons cited being he uses “off-meta” Pokemon.  Which is wild, because that’s the same reason people big up Blue.  Blue’s Pidgeot, a Pokemon which has always been bottom meta (barring its mega giving it short-lived half-relevance), is considered a prime example of his characterization as someone who really does care about his Pokemon, because he keeps what was his first capture all the way through the League, indicating some sentimentality.  Which is correct!  That’s how it should be.  Look at the team, and get a sense of what that character is about from how they construct their battle lineup.  But this never really comes up beyond Blue’s sentimentality, characters like Cyrus and Volo having friendship-evolving Pokemon to indicate the good in them, or claiming Red is the best because he “doesn’t need legends to win like other protagonist.”  Which feels like a very limited way to approach things.

But also it’s been like 20 years and no one’s really dug into teams to craft a sense of personality before that I’ve seen.  And if no one else is doing it, I guess it’s time to do it myself.  So I’m starting with the last winner of that poll, and the generally acknowledge least popular champion: Geeta.  I did a general analysis of her team before, so consider this a sort of spiritual successor.

Here is Geeta’s team, as listed on Bulbapedia.  The top left is her lead, the bottom right her ace that comes out last.  I’ll break this down talking about what I interpret for the lead, for the ace, and any general impressions from other Pokemon added in.

The Lead Geeta’s Espathra is one of my favorite leads.  I think this is exceptionally clever, if relegated to a game that makes it too easy to be over-prepared.

Opportunistic copies your buffs.  If you try to set up on her, she will copy those same boosts.  As a very fast threat, Espathra is difficult to outpace, which can make boosting a tempting choice, only to run into how badly you’ve played yourself.  Lumina Crash, as a sharp debuffing of special defense, doubled down on this.  Trying to accept playing defensively will run into the issue of Espathra breaking you down really fast.  Quick Attack handles finishing a job against Sturdy or something that barely survived, and Reflect as team support to block physical attackers, which are much harder for Espathra to handle.  While Dark-types are generally more resistant, Dazzling Gleam is the best bet to respond to them as well.

A lead like this shows that Geeta is someone who can get inside of the opponent’s head, and consider their possible actions.  From second 1, she’s set up immediate countermeasures to most methods of setup, both offensive and defensive.  She takes immediate, decisive action, while considering most possible angles of attack.  She is someone who’s thorough and deliberate, and takes advantage of an opponent who can’t respond quickly.

General Team (Avalugg, Gogoat, Kingambit) The remainder of Geeta’s team is largely bulky offense.  Nothing is particularly fast, but much of it is geared toward bulk.  Of note, however, is that very little emphasizes recovery.  Despite Avalugg having Recover as an option, Geeta opts instead for raw offense, choosing moves like Body Press and Avalanche, which utilize Avalugg’s strengths and weaknesses to full effect, dishing out better damage from physical defense and from going second respectively.  Gogoat is the exception to this, with Horn Leech and Bulk Up.  Notably, this is Geeta’s only form of setup sweeping.  I think of further note is that Gogoat’s coverage moves are...odd.  I know it gets Ground-type moves.  That would be infinitely more valuable as coverage, yet she opts for Psychic and Fairy, which ultimately do very little for Gogoat’s performance.  And of course, there’s Kingambit, which every likes to point out, should probably be last in her team to make the most of its ability.

Gogoat being her second suggests to me that, when her immediate plan fails, Geeta’s the kind to step back and operate with more deliberation.  She’ll take things slow and get the measure of a situation, trying to buy time to properly assess the next move.  It may also indicate a sort of overconfidence; she didn’t think she’d need to come up with a backup plan.  The lack of sensible coverage implies she’s not necessarily quick on her mental feet, and requires that time to make more sound judgments.  Considering the next three, I think she generally gets there.  She’s able to take stock of what’s present, and emphasize strengths while covering weaknesses.  She gets a generally full picture, but her approach is still fairly...brute force.  She wants a quick resolution; something that’s do or die.  She’s not someone who backs down, stalls for time, or gets defensive.  She’ll push ahead regardless.  She’ll take an early minute to come up with a Plan B, but she’ll always keep going.  If from there it’s a loss, then you take that loss and wait for another chance.

Her Ace Glimmora as the ace is widely considered a bad move, given that its Toxic Debris does nothing for her that late in the game.  Its coverage moves are very sensible, but again, it’s raw power with no real embellishment.  This being her Tera Pokemon, it shifts to Rock, a type notorious for being good offensively, but atrocious defensively.  It’s also an exceptionally rare Pokemon in Paldea proper, with significant ties to the crater.

The emphasis on offense is, again, just her MO.  She plays a bit more aggressively.  The decision to go against Poison, a much more defensive typing, suggests a sort of unwillingness to back down.  Geeta is someone who always pushes forward.  But at the same time, the insistence that it be her ace, her last Pokemon to bring in, suggests that, although she can leverage strengths and weaknesses as seen through Avalugg, there are certain values or structures she’s unwilling to compromise.  Some things just have to be done a certain way; there’s a certain rigidity to her thinking that can be seen as highly inflexible.  But it’s important to her, and she’ll hold to it come hell or high water.  As for the crater connection...

Where The Team Is Found All of her Pokemon correspond to specific areas in Paldea.  Gogoat early in the east, Espathra early in the west, Avalugg at the mountain, Veluza at the lake, Kingambit in the north, and Glimmora in the crater.  The wide-spread focus on where they’re found implies a general appreciation for her region; a sort of love for all it has to offer.  But of interesting note is...they’re all common.

Skiddo and Flittle are super common.  Veluza’s really common at the lake, even if less so than Tatsugiri (which I wish she had but oh well).  Kingambit itself is hard to acquire, but Pawniard are like the most common thing in the bamboo forest.  Bergmite are not hard to find.  And within the crater, Glimmet and Glimmora are exceptionally common.  The fact that, barring Glimmora’s surface presence being non-existent, all of her team is common?  It suggests an appreciation for the mundane and every-day.  In contrast to a champion like Cynthia, whose team is largely comprised of the hardest stuff in the region to find, Geeta champions what’s most easily found.  Not even necessarily the glamorous or marketable every-day.  She doesn’t have an Arboliva, which is both common and a sort of mascot evolutionary line for much of the region.  Just...regular old common stuff you’d find anywhere, and wouldn’t be exceptionally celebrated.

Geeta is someone who takes joy in the simple things.  While she’s someone in a position of significant power, who is very driven to perform well in her career, the things she enjoys most are the little things, like seeing the students of the academic learn and grow as trainers.  In a way, it’s that emphasis of “everyone starts somewhere, and can grow into something exceptional.”  Kingambit is a decent example; that thing is hard to get to evolve because it takes some dedication and know-how.  The base form may be common, but putting in the effort to build something exceptional is how Geeta operates.  She’ll take anything at what it is, and make it shine.

But I think there’s also a connection to the whole treasure theme of the game, in Glimmora.  Going into the crater is a rarity.  It’s not something anyone gets to do, and it’s a very unique experience.  One that she apparently cherishes, given that Glimmora is her ace; the one she insists on using last as her most precious partner, despite how little tactical sense it makes.  It’s a sentimentality she carries with her, and a reminder of a cherished memory.

Summation Geeta’s team suggests someone who is able to carefully consider all possible outcomes, and produce a countermeasure to address as many obstacles as possible right away.  She’s someone who, when a plan goes wrong, falls back and tries to take a slow, measured approach before responding, but often falls back to more direct approaches.  She’s able to conceptualize strengths and weaknesses, including her own given the implied understanding of her need to step back after an initial setback, and operates well with them in mind.  But at the same time, there are things she won’t compromise on, even if it’s directly to her detriment.  She enjoys the things that are mundane and ordinary, but cherishes unique experiences more than anything, and may be rather sentimental at times, letting emotionality override her generally logical and structured nature.

If anyone has a different read on her, I’d love to hear it.  I actually really like Geeta, in spite of her being fairly bland in the base game, so it always bums me out to remember she’s unpopular.  Hearing from others that like her would be a nice change of pace.

[noa-de-cajou]

Lamia and Lycarn belong to @hel-phoenyx, Faloi, Braterstwo, Alderich and Redemane (last three only mentioned) to @corneille-but-not-the-author, Agathe to @thal-ent

A little response to something Louna wrote back in december uwu

____

“Faloi, with all due respect, what the actual fuck?!”

Ether raises her eyebrows at the woman standing in front of Faloi’s desk.

Wow. Rude.

She’s pretty, for sure. Abyss, she’s gorgeous even. But that doesn’t give her the right to do whatever this was. Faloi calmly gestures towards where Ether is standing in response, introducing her as his counselor. The woman seems to calm down from her initial shock, and extends her hand towards Ether with a much nicer expression.

"Apologies for the impoliteness. I am princess Lamia Frosilaen, heir to the throne of the divine Mandate, and charged of the diplomacy between my kingdom and the Republic.”

Lamia Frosilaen. Now Ether remembers. Faloi's cousin, whom he rarely talks about, but when he does it’s always with a form of fondness in his eyes. Ether only sees a princess who’s trying to get on her good side. Not someone Faloi should look at with that much trust.

Deep down, she knows that she's mostly being jealous. Petty. But given the way Lamia looked at her barely past the office's threshold, she thinks maybe she has a right to be juste a little bit annoyed.

She takes the hand offered to her and shakes it with lukewarm enthusiasm.

“It is… an honor.”

She doesn’t mean that at all and Lamia can probably tell, but she doesn't look particularly hurt or offended. Good. Ether may prefer to be honest but it's always pleasant to not fear the death penalty for disrespect to an important official. Well, even if she did, Faloi would probably save her ass. Like he always does. She glances at him as the thought crosses her mind, and immediately feels Lamia’s blue stare on her face. Abyss strike her, what is it with the Frosilæns and their ridiculously piercing eyes?

"Faloi, would it be possible to talk to you privately as soon as possible ? I have urgent matters to discuss with you, and Shifahrad will get worried if I don't come back in time.”

A shiver runs down Ether’s spine. She knows.

She knows and that's probably what said private talk will be about. Faloi doesn't seem fazed, but again, he never really does.

"Of course. Ether, if you please…”

Ether obeys and leaves, albeit reluctantly. She understands where Lamia’s wariness comes from, of course. After all, she’s genosian, just like Chifuniro was, and she’s close to Faloi, just like Chifuniro was.

But I'm not her.

That is both a regret and a relief.

She didn't choose where she was born. She did choose to leave home, but she didn't choose to be cast away from her country. She’s happy she was, now.

But no matter what, she isn't trusted.

Braterstwo is jealous of her, Alderich almost seems afraid, and Lamia is wary. The only person to trust her is Faloi.

But how can she blame them? She betrayed her country, her colleagues, to join the enemy. She doesn't have political ambitions or dreams like they all do. She only cares about the fate of this country because it’s dear to the person she loves. A person who doesn't even love her back.

And who would trust a genosian, anyway? Even she wouldn’t.

But she will always be one, no matter what she does. Her left arm is a constant reminder of this.

Their stares, too. Braterstwo’s, Alderich’s, Lamia’s, all of their eyes see her the same.

An elf, an opportunist, a leech, an intruder, but first and foremost, a genosian.

Lamia’s eyes looked at her and they said danger. Potential, but a danger nonetheless.

Faloi is the only one who looks at her without barriers.

But if everyone he loves tells him that she’s no good, will he listen? Will he abandon her?

She thinks about Lamia, the trust with which he looked at her.

Ether’s little selfish brain can’t help but dislike her.

She wishes she never came here.

____

Where were you, Lamia?

Where were you? Where were you when he needed you? Where were you when he died, Lamia?

I wasn't here.

I was in his room. Our room.

Reading.

Reading while the axe sliced through him.

Reading while he died alone.

Fucking. Reading.

You could have been there. You could have gone with him, Lamia. But you didn’t.

If I went with him, I would have died too.

Because I'm weak.

You could have protected him. Or at least you could have bought him time. Stopped them. You could have done something. Anything.

I couldn’t do anything.

I could only cry and I can't even do that anymore. There's no tears left.

No shoulder left to cry on, either. I can't burden Redemane with my own grief. He's already kind enough as it is.

You stopped several Coups before. You could have stopped this one. Right ? Right ?

He put all those efforts into making sure I wouldn’t be alone.

Yet I still feel alone.

There’s no one to talk about him with. Redemane didn't know him that well.

You did. I know you did.

But you’re not here.

Where are you, Lamia?

I wish you were here.

______

“Congratulations on your marriage, Ether.”

Lamia Frosilæn looks much older than what Ether remembers. It's been almost a century now. Of all the places they could have met again, she wasn't expecting it to be Ether’s wedding to the very Empress of the Shabbathai-Qianfu. And she wasn’t expecting her to be surrounded by a whole harem of women either, but who is she to talk.

“Why thank you, your Majesty. I trust you've been well?

“I have, thank you.”

Lamia looks about a lively sixty now, and she’s probably much older than that, but again, who is Ether to talk? The former queen's eyes are still as piercing as ever, but this time they’re not wary. They’re… almost nostalgic.

Ether shifts a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to say. She's not the little impulsive counselor she was back then, and all the anger she felt has disappeared with time. She doesn’t have much to say to her. They've both aged, both grown.

And the one person who could have helped them to bond is still dead.

“Did you have something you wanted to say to me?” Ether finally asks when the silence becomes too much to bear.

Lamia smiles faintly at her.

“I wanted to see what you'd have become, mainly. I won't be around much longer, and I want to go with as few regrets as possible. I'm glad to see that you found your happiness.”

Ether smiles back, a bit more cynical.

“Well I went to Abyss and back to get it, so I'm glad too. But if I may correct you, and I will, this isn’t the first time.”

She looks around the palace gardens, sees Ai talking to important guests she knows, Agathe and Lycarn trying to steal as much food as they can like they won’t be able to eat it for the rest of her lives in the palace. The lights, their smiles, this evening, it's not perfect but it's getting close.

“I was married once before. I found happiness then. I also fell in love with a lie and still found happiness.”

She turns back to Lamia. The former queen doesn't share any physical traits with her late cousin, but Ether thinks they look a lot alike, in a way.

“And Faloi was my happiness, too.”

Lamia's eyes fall on Ether’s necklace, the only thing with her earring that doesn’t quite seem to fit her wedding attire.

“I think you were his as well.”

Her smile finally reaches her eyes.

“If I do see him again, I'll tell him about you. I think he'll be relieved. And beyond proud.”

A little tear burns Ether's eye, she quickly wipes it. There’s no shame in crying at your own wedding, sure, but she doesn’t want to.

“Thank you. It means a lot to me. Please send him my love, if you meet again.”

The smile on Lamia's lips grows more teasing.

“You’ll tell him yourself when it’s your turn to go, Ether. Only I decide when to play messenger.”

Ether laughs. That’s right, she can tell him herself, when the time comes. And it won't come before a while. She looks at Lamia, holds her hand out to her. The one made of flesh. Lamia looks surprised for a second, but grabs it nonetheless, squeezes it lightly. There’s a mutual understanding, a shared sentiment in their eyes.

You're here.

The time for wishes is long past.

[echoequinox]

My friend: i dunno, man. i'm just really disenfranchised by the idea of hyper-monetization and bootlegging of stuff that isnt even by corporations anymore. you can walk into a fucking mall and find merch for skibidi toilet and poppys playtime and shit

Me: i mean just by posting on the internet and generating content in an age where we are all way, way more closely connected than ever before, you sort of enter into that contract of exposure. you commodify yourself. in a world where money is survival, our entire lives, everything we feel and everything we love, has become a product for a consumer on the other end. every piece of art and every post has an audience with a metric, and if you start to breach a certain threshold, opportunists will use your clout to bolster their own like leeches. products will always get stolen

Them:

Me:

Them:

Me: anyway i guess i'm off to bed. here's buff horse. goodnight

[bitter69uk]

In the opening moments of pulpy 1960 horror b-movie The Leech Woman, nurse Sally (Gloria Talbot) warns endocrinologist Dr Paul Talbot (Phillip Terry) about a mysterious patient waiting to see him in reception. “She looks like she just crawled out of a mummy’s tomb,” Sally shudders. “She gives me the creeps!” “Old women always give me the creeps,” the not-very-chivalrous Talbot sneers. The woman in question is Malla (Estelle Helmsley, pictured), a wizened ancient-looking crone who claims to be 150 years old – and that the witch doctors in her remote tribal village in Africa know the secret to restoring youth. To access the elixir (a powder called naipi), Talbot must accompany her to Africa. The opportunistic and amoral Talbot agrees. But when Malla encounters Talbot’s wife June (Coleen Gray), she suddenly hisses, “You will never escape me! You are the one in my dreams of blood!” What happens next? Find out on Thursday 21 September when the FREE monthly Lobotomy Room cinema club (our motto: Bad Movies for Bad People) presents The Leech Woman in all its lurid glory! Venue: Fontaine’s cocktail lounge – the jewel in Dalston’s nightlife crown! Numbers are limited, so reserve your seat today via the venue: phone 07718000546 or email bookings@fontaines.bar. Full sensational details here.

[tickledpink31]

Since you haven't been writing on your fic for a while I just wanna ask without asking spoilers, what's Minako's relationship with the Octavinelle trio?

*Cries in writer's block because I still don't know what to do going forward*

So, Minako's relationship with the Octatrio, huh? Since this is spoiler free, this going to be about their relationship before the Octavinelle arc.

Minako highly distrusts Azul and the Leech brothers. She dodges them at every opportunity, but it's not always easy since she's a dorm leader who must attend dorm leader meetings with Azul.

She knows that the trio are seeking her out with interest. Try as she might, making herself vague and uninteresting is proving to be impossible given her growing reputation. Minako sort of uses Riddle as a shield to hide from Azul. She can deter Floyd if she's fast enough or has some mushrooms on hand. Jade is much harder to avoid, considering that he's hard to scare and that they both like to forage for mushrooms and plants in the woods.

Azul has been intrigued by Minako since day one. He can sense that she's hiding some kind of raw power, and in spite of how dangerous it feels, his opportunistic tendencies tend to win him over. Jade's interest has also been piqued since he's known Minako to take home some poisonous plants and fungi home to either eat or test on herself, and yet she's still alive weeks after. Floyd being Floyd, he will latch on to anything and anyone new. The first girl in NRC is new, that's fun, but— EUGH! Mushrooms! He still keeps trying to bug Minako anyway since she's so cute and tiny like a shrimp or sea mouse.

[alexstorm]

Miles is a wonderful person, Alex must realize that he is very lucky to have him as a friend because after so many years they always support each other even in the different paths they have taken alone. It would be right for Alex to surround himself with people like him for example and avoid people like Matt, Amanda and Louise who are just toxic and opportunist leeches.

Well, kinda difficult to avoid Matt and therefore Amanda. That's never gonna happen. Matt is one of his ride or die.

He can only guide his own experience with the new people he brings into his life, i.e. his girlfriends. He really has a hand to choose wrong there. I mean we always kinda dump on him for dating his stalker but generally you can't say it's entirely wrong to date someone who's a fan of your music. Look at Miles. He became close friends with the chef from the Cornerstone restaurant literally named after one of his favourite songs. Why did it work out? Because yes, he's a fan of the Arctic Monkeys but he's not obsessive and seems to be a music fan in general which makes it easier for Miles & Co. to bond with him. Louise presents herself as a musician but that's about it. How much does she really talk with Alex about music apart from having the audacity to compare writing styles in interviews? She sees music as an end to get the lifestyle Alex has but she doesn't have the talent and hence relies on him. She has no work ethic either. Again, something the Cornerstone chef has shown by making his restaurant successful. It's easier if these musicians get treated like normal people and not like trophies the way Louise does. Celebrities in general prefer that.

[ainews]

Operators are known to be opportunistic and always on the lookout for new sources of revenue. In recent years, the popularity of cirrus clouds has caught their attention, and they have become like leeches, sucking onto these fluffy natural formations for profit. But what do these clouds have to do with the infamous cryptid known as the mothman?

For those unfamiliar, the mothman is a mysterious creature that has been reported to be seen in various places, but most notably in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the 1960s. It is described as a large, winged creature with glowing red eyes, and its presence is often associated with disasters or tragedies.

So what is the connection between the mothman and cirrus clouds? It all comes down to one thing - tourism. The mothman has become a popular tourist attraction in Point Pleasant, drawing visitors from all over the world. And how do these visitors catch a glimpse of the elusive creature? By going on a "mothman tour", of course.

These tours take visitors to different locations where the mothman has been spotted, and one of the most popular spots is a local attraction called the "Mothman Museum". This museum not only displays artifacts and information about the mothman but also hosts various events and activities related to the cryptid.

But where do the cirrus clouds come into play? Well, it has been reported that the mothman is often seen flying in and around cirrus clouds, adding to the mystique and intrigue surrounding the creature. This has led operators to capitalize on this connection by offering specialized "mothman tours" during times when cirrus clouds are more likely to be present in the sky.

Furthermore, the leech-like behavior of these operators doesn't end there. Some have even gone as far as creating fake sightings of the mothman to attract more tourists and generate buzz. They understand that the more people talk about the mothman, the more likely it is for them to attract more visitors to their tours and museum.

Some may argue that this is just a harmless way for operators to make a living. However, others criticize the exploitation of a local legend for profit. The mothman has a cultural significance to the people of Point Pleasant, and some believe that these operators are cheapening the legend by turning it into a mere money-making opportunity.

In conclusion, while operators may see cirrus clouds and the mothman as a golden opportunity to boost their business, their actions could be seen as parasitic and unethical. But as long as there is a demand for all things related to the mothman, operators will continue to leech onto cirrus clouds and exploit the legend for their own gain.

[italoniponic]

hello lovely person :3

can i request the octotrio with a gn s/o that just loves the ocean

they grew up in a coastal town and have always loved marine biology, surfing, swimming, diving, etc. etc.

i grew up by the coast and one of my special interests is marine life! as you can imagine i attached myself to those three fishy fools the moment i saw them

tysm, have a great day <3

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

| Notes: Hi, anon! SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! This is our 25th request and well, another one for the octatrio lol The Mostro Lounge business is expanding, as it should! There’s a similar request but with a swimmer reader, so I’ll put it here if someone hasn't seen it yet. But this one was very unique and I leaned more into the marine life aspects (tho I’m not an expert so sorry in advance)! There’s some Little Mermaid references (bc why not?) and some other oddly familiar details here and there… Thanks for the request <3 |

Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech x g!n ocean lover reader / octatrio / headcanons / fluff / little mermaid references / established relationship / use of “you” pronouns

Cherry's Harvesting event 🍒 Masterlist

Under the Sea

You may be in a completely different place, but there were still some things you remembered from your world. You grew up in a coastal city, accustomed from an early age to the ocean and always curious about sea life. You loved things related to surfing, swimming and sea biology, anything that could bring back memories of your interests. You were a real fish out of water;

So naturally you grew closer to Octavinelle’s trio and ended up becoming a close friend of Jade’s. One thing flowed into another and you two started dating, but one of the things that never ceased to amaze Jade was your passion for the ocean. You were interested in various aspects of this and asked him a lot about what life was like in the Coral Sea;

Even if you both had lived for a long time on different surfaces — living on the coast isn’t exactly the same as the sea itself — your childhood stories merge into feelings of nostalgia and longing. Jade misses the sea a little at times and when you talk so enthusiastically about “his home”, he realizes that it would be very nice to visit the ocean with you one day;

One afternoon, when your schedule was free, Jade took you to the coast part of Sage Island to see the sea and the pier. As expected, the air seemed cleaner at that point in the middle of the island and was full of seagulls. There was also that pleasant salty smell of the sea in the air, taking you on a ship of nostalgia;

Jade liked to watch you trying to touch the water or talk to a seagull, asking if he had come across a clownfish by chance — as curious as that was. What could he say? Your joy made his heart fill with bubbles. You know when you release the air underwater and it rises like it's several bubbles? Something like that, Jade still doesn’t know a way to explain in detail;

Since you can't go to the city all the time, sometimes you have to be content with the fish that swim by Octavinelle. Jade leads you through the corals and you have the chance to find several species there, of all colors and shapes on top of the rocks and, next to them, there is beautiful and elegant anemones;

In general, the fish don’t stay too close to the students in the dorm and swim in a flock in the distance. That and you suspect that the presence of Jade intimidates them a little, because of his size. You know how moray eels are of a very opportunistic carnivorous type, feeding mainly on small fish, crabs... and yes, octopuses too;

“Oh, can I ask you something? Have any grouper merman ever asked for your help hunting?”, you once asked. Although groupers are one of the eels’ few predators, they sometimes recruit them to hunt together. “Yes, once. The poor thing mistook us for giant morays, which are the eels that do this, and we broke his arms. Ah, good times!,” Jade sighed, laughing. You did regret asking this;

As you enjoy diving and swimming, Jade will always go with you — whether in the dorm or when you two go on the beach or at the pier — and sometimes, even he returns to his merman form to accompany you. You like how his skin glows under the light filtered by the surface of the water, creating a fluidity in the shades of green and blue;

Other times, you stay at the sand on the beach, just talking. You ask so many questions and comments so much about what you like in oceanology that Jade feels strange sometimes. After all, it is usually he who does the interrogations most of the time. But your love, both for him and for the ocean, is clear in your gaze. Crystal clear as water;

“What do you love more? The ocean or me?,” Jade asked with a calm expression, impassive. You didn't know what he wanted with that question. “I've loved the ocean for as long as I can remember... and maybe, I like you because of it... but, I know I love the ocean even more because of you, Jade.” You didn't know if that was what he wanted to hear, but it was your most honest feelings. Jade smiled and kissed your right cheek, pulling you in for a hug. A hug that could hide the slight pink on his face.

To begin with: it's not that Azul hates the sea. He had his share of bad experiences during his childhood and all this motivated him to grow up and seek something beyond the surface, but it’s not like he hates there. He just didn't have big dreams of returning to the ocean when he graduated. He had found his place on earth and here is where he would like to stay, even if he missed his family a little;

So finding you — someone who would breathe water if you could — was a big surprise for him. You tried to control your excitement a little to meet real mermen, Azul fastly picked this up. It reminded him of when he first saw a human. Perhaps it’s the feeling of finally seeing something not very common from your environment. Although, according to you, mermaids in your world don’t even exist;

One way or another, when you tell Azul a little about yourself, you end up mentioning about your childhood near the coast side and your love for anything that could put you in direct contact with the water. You have the shine of a pearl in your gaze, your voice is agitated like the waves, showing how you are immersed in these good memories;

It touches Azul’s heart, deeply. But the final blow was when you commented on being kind of sad not to have anything that reminds you of the sea in Ramshackle and that's why you like to wander around Octavinelle. Using your honesty and feelings against Azul in this way? What a low trick! Now he sees no other choice but to give you an aquarium as a gift;

A gift that requires something in return, you don't even bother to confirm. But calm down, Azul thought of a very simple payment. In exchange for your beautiful aquarium with corals and your favorite fishes, you should continue to attend Octavinelle. “That's all, my dear. I hope you enjoy your beautiful aquarium,” Azul said goodbye giving you a kiss on your cheek;

To Azul's infinite surprise, you know more about the things of maritime life than it seems and sometimes, talk to him about some curiosities that you know about octopuses, considered very intelligent animals. You also ask him a lot about his merform, so intrigued and enthusiastic that he doesn't even know how to answer you without feeling a little flustered;

After much bribery and convincing, in the first opening of Azul’s schedule, you drag him to show you the pier and the beach of Sage Island — even though it’s a different series, you feel like an evil mermaid taking the protagonist around just to annoy some princess. Anyway, Azul shows you the beach and you two spend time in the sand and water. Sometimes hunting shells, sometimes almost dancing around the small soft waves that crashes in the beach;

Once, Azul prepared for you a small boat ride along a small river that flowed in the middle of the island. You put on your best outfit for the date. You two were talking the whole way, Azul slowly paddling and you touching the water from time to time. When you were returning in the late afternoon, the conversation became more serious;

Azul told you more about his childhood and how the mer-children made fun of his octopus appearance and his lack of coordination. You, however, assured him that you would like to see his true form again because it is the most beautiful you ever saw. Azul promised nothing, but, your kind words comforted his heart, as always;

On a certain day, Azul went diving with you on the island coast and to your surprise, he brought a potion to return to his original form and another for you to breathe underwater, where your talk could be more private. You showered him with compliments from start to finish, completely charmed by him. If Azul had three hearts just like an octopus — he didn't confirm you anything — you made all three beat fast as drums;

“I don't know if I'd ever want to go back to the sea, but if it’s with you... maybe...,” Azul said in a low tone, hoping you wouldn't end up listening. But you heard it anyway and you replied, “I'm going to want this signed in two copies.” You laughed at Azul’s surprised expression, firmly holding his hand. They say that the ocean doesn’t reject anything and you were glad that he, the most beautiful in all seven seas, welcomed you too.

Floyd thought it was awesome how you liked the sea so much. It had been two years since he had come ashore to enter Night Raven College and there were few opportunities to return home and see his family — more because the Coral Sea in winter was terribly icy. And he was very curious about the life of surface humans;

Meeting you was that perfect exchange. You might know a lot about the sea, but you didn't know everything — especially about merfolks. So Floyd liked to ask you things about humans and he'd answer you anything about mermaids. Despite being from different places, your experiences complement each other perfectly;

You told a lot of things from the perspective of someone who lived for a long time in a seaside town. You have always been interested in maritime life and your affection for Floyd was almost immediate. It was even interesting to know how some features of his eel form translated into his human body, the normally poisonous mucus of eels left him with an enviably silky skin;

Floyd once told you how Jade and he got the scales from a sturgeon merman — which, poor thing, challenged them to a fight — to make their earrings, a very common amulet in their homeland. But there are so many other stories about their childhood that you listen to with great interest, writing everything down in a small notebook that Floyd likes to doodle sometimes;

But what is it to have contact with a merman if you can’t see the sea? Say no more, little shrimp! Just for the price of your sanity and ability to walk on your own, Floyd Leech will literally put you on his back for you both to run away and go to the beach — sometimes he's not in the mood to play basketball but to fool around in the sand;

Or, if trampling sand castles that have been poorly built isn't your thing, you can try some surfing. Why the worry? Azul pays, just leaves it in his account. You both rent the surfboards and try your luck in the waves. Floyd hasn't gotten used to standing on a surfboard yet but he's not shaken by the waves that fall above him. The fun is right there, in his opinion;

Once you couldn’t get the boards — Azul forbade you two to put things in his name — Floyd brought with him two vials of potion, one of which made him return to his merman form. The plan was quite simple: you held on to him while you swam against the waves, as if you were surfing. You guys went back to school completely soaked but it was a fun afternoon;

At the times Floyd isn't in the mood to go out, you two stay chatting in Octavinelle while admiring the fish swimming above you. Since coral is kind of hard to sit or lie down, Floyd stole some cushions from Octavinelle's lounge to make you two comfortable. The scolding was worth the time you spent together there, talking and laughing;

You get homesick on some occasions and the company of your Octavinelle friends makes that feeling increase as much as it comforts you. Listening to you vent as the two of you set the tables in the Mostro Lounge makes Floyd kind of homesick too. It's not a strong feeling but he really liked the good times he spent at the bottom of the sea with Jade and Azul;

One time, seeing him in his eel form, you asked Floyd if he had a second jaw inside his mouth. No one ever asked him that. They've asked if he really gave electric shocks — and well, his magic didn't ease people’s concerns — but never about his jaw. “Would you like to check whether it's true or not, Koebi-chan?,” he asked giving a big, sharp smile;

There was a time when Floyd took you to the pier and you two swam a little until you came to a rock nearby. You begged him to come closer and you climbed up on the stone, holding the top firmly and making a mermaid pose. All because you wanted to mimic a nostalgic movie of your world, which Floyd assumed it was some mermaid movie;

“Koebi-chan? If you could come to the ocean with me, would you?,” Floyd asked suddenly, looking at you curious. “Without even thinking twice,” was your immediate response. At the same time, the wind blew hard on the sea and a wave hit both of you. Floyd started laughing because your imposing mermaid pose went... down the drain.

| Special Notes: Yes, the seagulls are from Finding Nemo and there's a little comment about Saleen from the Aladdin series in Azul's part. And on top of everything... I couldn't control myself with the water-related jokes lmao |

[superectojazzmage]

Commented this on another post, but felt like making it it’s own thing because since the season finale for WWDITS I’ve been thinking about it. The end of season four made me kinda realize that, beneath all the wackiness and jokes and vampire stuff, this show’s central theme is really the cost of being evil. Cut through the metaphors and it’s a story about bad people and how they trap themselves in Hells of their own making.

The Vampires and Guillermo are wastrels. They’re assholes. They’re social parasites in both a literal sense (killing and feeding on people to sustain themselves) and a metaphorical sense (exploiting everyone around them for their own gain while giving nothing in return).

Nandor is hopelessly trapped in the past, pining for the glory days when he was a king and treating everyone around him like shit to try either to recapture the feeling or simply because he can’t get out of the “ancient conqueror” mindset. Nobody can stand him, and when he finally met somebody who could actually bear to be around him for more then five minutes — Guillermo — his response was to functionally make that person a slave. And he’d rather run off on walkabouts or chase after women he barely knows but imagined whimsical romances with then confront the uncomfortable feelings he has. The one time he works up the nerve to be genuinely nice to Guillermo, he chickens out and wipes it from the guy’s memory and goes right back to being miserly.

Nadja is flighty and lazy and greedy and insecure in equal measure. Always chasing some new scheme or business or project but never caring to put in the work necessary to actually achieve anything and dumping the consequences on others when she can. She wants everything but paradoxically can’t be bothered to do what she needs to do to get it, and can’t handle any sort of setback. She makes new vampires then just forgets about them, she wants to run councils but quits at the first sign of paperwork, she wants to start nightclubs but puts the bare minimum effort in and when it fails instantly resorts to burning it down. And of course she never gets what she wants as a result, and bemoans her fate and wonders why it ended that way.

Laszlo is a complete ass. Pompous, self-absorbed, rude, stubborn, and completely uncaring of the consequences of his actions. And he’s lonely and bored. He has no real friends or family other then Nadja and despite living a life of what should be blissful hedonism, none of it is as fun and fulfilling as it would be for anyone else because he can’t connect meaningfully with anybody. His assholery drives away anyone that isn’t either his equally disastrous wife or his brain-dead neighbor that he has nothing in common with. He gets the son he thought he’d never have, then blows it in such a way that once Colin is restored to normal, he doesn’t know or care about Laszlo raising him. And he can never get better because he’s so pigheaded that he’d rather suffer in silence then admit to being in the wrong, symbolized by how he obsessively clings to a cursed hat that constantly hurts him just to avoid admitting he was tricked.

Colin Robinson is a gluttonous, opportunistic little leech beneath his “boring office dude” persona. He treats everybody else as if they’re walking batteries for him to drain whenever and however he wishes. He crafted his entire life around being the most boring, unhappy person possible to feed and can never have an interesting or fun hobby because he feels need to bore people constantly. And resultantly when he needs emotional support or wants to genuinely let people know how he feels about them, they just instantly tune out. Real connections with other people are rare and usually just end with him even more alone.

Guillermo tries so hard to act the part of “lovable dork with his head on straight” but is really a selfish prick when he’s not too busy being a pathetic loser. He desperately pursues a goal — becoming a vampire — that’s a horrendous downgrade from his current life in every way imaginable and throws countless innocent people into the vampiric meat-grinder or debases himself in embarrassing ways to get it. He lets himself be used at every turn by the vampires despite being stronger then all of them combined and fully capable of physically forcing them to give him what he wants or just straight up killing them at anytime. He could be doing a million better things with his life but instead squanders himself on a pipe-dream despite seeing endless proof he will never get it and that it would suck if he did, and God help you if you point it out.

And the one thing they all have in common is being miserable, lonely, and trapped in ruts that just make them even more miserable and lonely. Nothing ever changes, and it certainly never improves. It doesn’t matter what they do to try and break the loop, they always end up back at square one because they don’t care to resolve the flaws keeping them trapped to begin with. They take over the local Vampiric Council but their lives barely change. Laszlo can leave for months to pretend to be a bartender in Pennsylvania and then he just goes back home and it’s like he never left. Nandor falls in love every other week but always ends up single and back in the manor in the same room. Colin arranges it so he’ll literally just reset back to normal everytime he reincarnates instead of becoming different. Guillermo finally comes out as gay to his family and it does little to improve his life — he’s still just a pitiful toady to a bunch of dipshits and they won’t let him have anything of his own. Nadja’s new jobs never work out and always fail to make anybody take her seriously. Even now in the latest finale with Guillermo saying he’s going to for things to change, they almost certainly won’t in any meaningful way; he’s still doing the same “trying to be a vampire” crap he’s been doing since he met Nandor, he’s just sucking up to a different vampire in a different way and even if works and he becomes one, what next? Most his life will probably change is swapping his bed in the manor for a coffin and switch to drinking blood instead of eating.

The only happiness any of them can find is outside that godforsaken mansion, but they’ll never leave and if they do they’ll always come back and get right back to normal. No healing, no upheavals, no improvements, no hugging, no learning.

Cut through the metaphor, and it’s just a show about five stupid assholes being walking trainwrecks in their decaying shithole of a house on Staten Island, only staying alive by taking advantage of anyone unlucky enough to enter the hazard zone. And they bring it all on themselves. Because that’s what it means to be a bad person; to never have any real joy in life, just misery as you chase after one hollow pursuit after another. And that’s what the show is about.

[talkingtea]

For someone who acts that excited & free when he has just a little bit of time away from LA, specifically when he films, it's ironic. GG has always been the one who's encouraged her self-interested opportunistic ways when she meets any of his HW colleagues. He's really had the time of his life being able to just be & film w/o LA tagging along like a leech. He should be happy, but he shouldn't have been encouraging his wife all these yrs if this is how he wanted it to be.

☕️☕️☕️

[crystalelemental]

Competitive Round 3:

I’m trying a new team, and have officially decided that Garganacl is my favorite addition to competitive this gen.  Salt Cure is goddamn hilarious, absolutely shredding things like Gholdengo and Corviknight.  Iron Defense/Body Press is hysterical as well, being just absurdly dominant against most threats.  Even resists wind up taking a ton.  Recover may have been nerfed, but it’s honestly not been a problem.  It’s just invincible.  Careful, max HP/Sp Def EVs, Iron Defense/Body Slam, with a backup trap move that demolishes Steel-types, has been divine.  Ghost-type Tera Type has also been fantastic in all situations but one.  The Treasures of Ruin.  Any time the sword or beads come out, and Garganacl has used its Tera Type, it’s a problem.  And those two are pretty common.

Arboliva is also great.  It’s been a lot of fun, and I do love my Leech Seed grass types.  To the shock of no one, I feel like Grass-types have not been particularly common, meaning Seed Stocks are high.  The combination of Terrain and Leftovers means recovering 1/8th your HP every turn, Seed gives a tremendous amount more, Giga Drain hits like a truck under Terrain, and Strength Sap is fantastic to counter big physical threats that aren’t super-effective.  Arboliva’s really been impressive, but I do feel like there are enough obvious answers that it likely won’t maintain OU.

Glimmora’s been fun, but it really does feel more like a hazard bot than anything.  When the opponent has their own offensive Poison-type, it feels like Glimmora loses a lot of its shine.  But.  Mortal Spin is awesome.  It’s my #1 response to something like Cyclizar switching in.  Just slap their ass with the sudden poison, Spikes or no, and watch their plans start to drop.

Espathra is...a UU Pokemon through and through.  Maybe even RU depending on where the power level settles.  Opportunistic is hilarious at times, and Calm Mind/Speed Boost effectively being Quiver Dance is great.  But Espathra feels really easy to play around, and really, sadly easy to crit.  I swear, every time I get it up and running, something crits it.  But the bigger issue?  Skeledirge.  Skeledirge with Unaware does not give a singular shit about Espathra.  As long as Skeledirge is in a tier, Espathra won’t be.

By comparison, Cyclizar is...pretty bad.  I expected more out of it, truth be told.  The whole Shed Tail thing seemed ridiculous playing against it at first, but it’s...really not that impressive.  Everyone knows what Cyclizar does, so they just go offensive and break the sub whenever you pass.  It’s a 50% HP loss on a Pokemon for a free switch-in to another.  Judicious use can pass to a booster, like I’ve seen some opponents pull off with Dragonite or Dragapult with Dragon Dance when coming in on Garganacl who often can’t break the sub, but usually Garganacl can tank it anyway.  Cyclizar just feels really easy to play around, with little else in its corner.  I kinda expect it to drop through the tiers until what it can pass to is too bulky and it gets banned back up.  It’ll always have some use, but in a really obvious way that prevents it from standing out.  I don’t like it.

Lastly, I gave a try to Iron Hands, largely with the intention of bringing Cyclizar’s sub-passing to let it Belly Drum.  Doesn’t work.  The sub never lasts past switching in, so Belly Drum is always super risky, and with the low speed you can’t really risk anything.  So you’re stuck with weaker BP moves hoping to make something work.  Iron Hands will drop, no doubt.

In terms of meta trends, I’m seeing a lot of dragons again.  Roaring Moon is absurdly common.  Dragonite and Dragapult are similarly common.  Bizarrely, Garchomp has not been.  I have no idea why.  Either something happened to knock down Garchomp’s viability, or all the good players well above my level run it but no one lower down.  I’m just surprised.  Usually when Lando-T isn’t around, Garchomp takes its place as the common wall.

Maushold hasn’t been particularly common, nor as threatening.  Annihilape isn’t common, but every time it shows up, I have basically no counters.  Bulk Up with Rest may as well be impossible for me to get around.  Rage Fist building to 300BP is insane.  I can’t tell what counts as having taken a hit either.  The treasures of ruin are a bit of a mixed bag, as is Roaring Moon.  I don’t feel like they’re impossible, but they are annoying.  Honestly, Breloom has kinda been public enemy #1.  It blasts Garganacl apart.