#perpetually has ZERO people skills

[bentannin]

Super shit quality screenshots but I really appreciate the editors cutting to Ashton’s mini just silently tumbling over at 1:37:35 in the youtube vod because it was so unnecessary and perfectly illustrates their abysmal “6 charisma stat” cringefail energy and I love it

[asthedeathoflight]

Maybe opinions have shifted in the fandom but i do think its very interesting that a lot of fanfic ive read assumes that Louis and Armand are living off of Armand's money. Assuming the apartment is in Armand's name, etc, when Armand actually seems to be perpetually broke. He has zero employable skills. When Lestat meets him he's living in squalor and hes only living a reasonably comfortable life when Louis meets him because Lestat has been his (and the covens) absentee sugar daddy for a hundred years. Now its possible that theyre living off of Lestat's fortune after his death but I can't imagine Lestat would have left Louis as inheritor of his estate after returning to Paris. I actually think the show is pretty clear that its LOUIS's money they're living off of. In 2x4 he talks about it: he became an art dealer. He has the eye. As a vampire with infinite patience he can sit on art until it becomes incredibly valuable. And we see them do it in the show! They sell the Francis Bacon paintings! The show really lavishes a LOT of attention on the sale of the paintings, and it makes sense if that's one of Louis and Armand's main occupations. Its Louis' keen business sense that has brought them into wealth (although im not sure why Louis was living in that shitty apartment in 1976). Anyways. I don't know where I'm going with this i just think it's interesting that people assume that Armand's power extends into the financial when he is like. The brokest man alive. Lmao.

[dontbesoweirdkira]

Yandere Raiden x reader x Yandere Fujin? Or feed my delusional mind with just Yandere mk men x reader- with that harem “no she’s mine! Not yours!”

“Alright, men please listen up. Y/N can only choose one of us..which means you all will have to die.”

A/N: I love a delusional queen from infinity to infinityyyyyy. MHMM OFC!!! Anything for my delusional friends…I didn’t have Raiden in this one because I’m going to give you some good stuff in a separate post. I have Raiden and Fujin fighting for you in that. Plus a bonus;) this has been my favorite request so far.

Warnings: Johnny cage💀, Yandere/Toxic Themes, mentions of stalking, harassment, violence, a bit suggestive???

Requests: open 24/7

Masterlist

Let’s be real, the mk men are perpetually thirsty. Actually all the characters are to be honest. Did you hear the flirty dialogue?? Even the keeper is trying to get some of that action.

So really it’s no shocker that you, the new fighter, have all the attention from them.

Johnny is undoubtedly the first to strike. He may be an older man now but damn, you make him feel like he’s 20 again. He just cannot control making some kind of flirtatious comment when he sees you walk by.

“Woah, woah, woah, now sweetheart. I think you and I should have a nice long conversation. Get to know each other a little…or a lot…dealers choice.” ;)

Yeahh he doesn’t care that he has a kid and a mortgage. Cassie is grown now and Sonya doesn’t want him anymore…so free game, baby.

His eyes are hungry and he barely can hold himself back from pouncing on you—

Liu Kang and Kung Lao see this and apologize for his behavior towards you. They introduced themselves and of course did their absolute best to make you feel at home.

Don’t let this fool you though, those are some sinful monks. They are no better than Johnny and they want you real baaaad.

“So, Y/N. What is your skill set? Wait. Let me guess, you use beauty essence to trap your opponent in a daze before knocking them out?”

Liu Kang jabs Kung Lao in the stomach with his elbow, before speaking to you.

“I’m sorry for these two. You are very beautiful but please know we are just as excited to train with you as we would anyone else. Anytime you’d like to spar, please, don’t hesitate to find me.”

Ahh he’s so damn slick…he just wants a reason to pin you downnnn

“Hey! Liu Kang don’t you mean us? We all would like to train with you darling~. Some people like to fight over in the courtyard but if you’d like I have a very special place called, me casa.”

“I would also like to train with you…in the courtyard of course. I mean unless you prefer—“

“Thanks? Umm..I appreciate all of your….offers. I’m supposed to actually meet with Raiden, I’m just a little lost. Have you guys—-“

Before you could even finish your sentence all three of them bombarded you with offers and began fighting over each other, debating who actually knows how to find Lord Raiden the best.

“Uhh—“

That pretty much sets the tone for how everyone acts around you.

By a month or so into you being here, everyone knows about you. Especially the men. You’re all they talk about.

At first it was simply chatter about you being a new kombatant for earthrealm and of course mentions of your beauty.

But since learning more about and becoming closer with you, the little infatuations have turned into full blown obsessions.

No one can seem to get enough of you, even the grand masters have trouble focusing when you’re around. Hanzo and Kai Liang may disagree on many things but you are one of the few things they can get behind.

They are both trying to recruit you to their different clans so they can be fully entitled to you.

Scorpion wants extreme control over you, he wants to shape you into the perfect companion. He wants you to be just as poised as his wife once was. You already have her beauty so just let him perfect you.

Sub-Zero wants you to become his equal. What he failed to do with Frost, he will make up with you. How more beautiful you’d become if only your heart was frozen over.

Either one will stop at nothing to have you. A trophy they could boast over. For a second you ended a centuries-long feud, both agreeing on your excellence…only for it to start all over again for who is more worthy to own you.

This isn’t isolated to just them, all the men are fighting for your attention. Arguing about who you actually belong to, bragging about how much attention they got from you, and comparing it to each other. Don’t get me started on that. Mk men are so needy for your attention. Whenever they can’t get it, they resort to other ways.

Johnny is such a filthy pervert. You don’t wanna give him the time of day? Fine, he’ll take matters into his own hands.

He’s your very own paparazzi, you should be grateful that he’s taking this many pictures of you. You’re the first and only.

It doesn’t matter that he’s doing it without your consent or knowledge…. He’ll jump into the flesh pits if that meant getting the perfect shot of you…let him have this.

He refuses to share these with the other guys, it’s just for him. Over his dead body will Kano or someone else see you like this.

Shang Tsung has also caught wind of you and you’re a pretty sight indeed. He doesn’t want you to fight in the tournament. A gorgeous soul like you should be locked away in his throne room. He always tries to bribe you with fortune and power. He can offer you so much more than these rodents. If you need an extra push in his direction, a little trickery may help with that….he has no shame using an incantation on you.

Liu Kang and Kung Lao are no better. They manipulate that fact you see them as good friends as a way to be in the limelight.

They stalk you just as much as the rest, sometimes separately but often times together. It always ends up in a fight between the two tho because one person starts shit talking…

“Idk Kang. A woman like that would never be into you. Kitana barely even looks your way…what makes you think Y/N will? Besides, she called me cute.”

“Yeah, I think she’ll think it’s real ‘cute’ how I destroy you in the tournament..”

Perverted as Cage. Kung Lao is extremely touchy while sparring. He loves to “teach” you things. He never shines away from a moment to flex all of his years of training under the shaolin and that he’s a self proclaimed expert.

For some reason when he’s fixing your form, his hand always winds up a little too far up…hmm strange.

Liu Kang loves when you watch him workout or spar with others. When it’s finally your turn to be his opponent, he never holds back.

You cannot catch a break. Gifts and proposals are constantly sent to your door and no matter how much you try to decline, it just won’t stop coming. Sure being basically waited on, and desired by many is really nice. Every girls dream! But you have to admit just how it is scary having such dangerous men obsessed with you.

There hasn’t been a moment in the last few months where you’ve ever felt completely alone. The feeling that someone is always watching you has never left.

And, occasionally you would awkwardly overhear or walk in on a group of men fighting about you.

“With all due disrespect, I believe a babe like that would prefer a star like me. She’s all mine”

“Nonsense. Y/N belongs to the Shirai Ryu. Both her beauty and skill makes her a viable asset to the clan. You can fight me in hell over it, Cage.”

It doesn’t get any better when the tournament starts.

I think the men forgot they were fighting for their realms because it quickly turned into a fight for dominance.

A tournament that was once a noble cause, turned into a bloody showcase. Every man dedicating their wins to you, making sure to send a cheeky flex or wink your way.

Besides, what value did their realms hold if you weren’t there with them.

[underworld-park-offical]

KENNY: Aww shit.

TOLKIEN: What?

KENNY: I fucked up this water sort puzzle level.

TOLKIEN: I don’t…

TOLKIEN: I DON’T HAVE WATER SORT PUZZLE???

KENNY: Well.

KENNY: You do now.

TOLKIEN: Kenneth.

TOLKIEN: How much battery is left on my phone.

KENNY: Errrrrmmmmmm….

KENNY: …

TOLKIEN: Kenneth. Jason. McCormick.

TOLKIEN: If my battery is below 50% I am going to beat your ass.

KENNY: …

KENNY: …. 25%....

TOLKIEN: Right. That’s it. I’m beating your ass.

KENNY: WAITWAITWWAITWAIWTIATWW.

TOLKIEN: What.

KENNY: Please don’t beat my ass!

TOLKIEN: Give me one good reason to not to.

KENNY: UH- uhhhhhh….

KENNY: Craig!

TOLKIEN: What.

KENNY: He- He has a portable charger!

KENNY: 

CRAIG: Erm, Kenny, what the ACTUAL sigma, you fucking L rizz fanum tax.

CRAIG: Who the FUCK are you to spread these rumors about me?!

CRAIG: Literally canceling you on Tumblr rn.

CRAIG: Smh my head, this is SO not that that me espresso! 

TOLKIEN: Shut the fuck up, Craig…

CRAIG: Let me Mountain Dew it for ya. 

KENNY: Bro my ass is boutta to become grass in two minutes if you don’t give it to me!!!

CRAIG: Ok, and?

CRAIG: Skill issue.

KENNY: CRAIG, PLEASE!!!!

CRAIG: Erm, chat, do you see this loser?

KENNY: CRAAAAAAAAAIGGGGG!!!!

TOLKIEN: That’s it.

TOLKIEN: Kenny, c’mere.

KENNY: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

(WHACK BAM WHAM UUUUUWAAAAAHHHHHHHHH) 

CRAIG: Whhhh...

CRAIG: W--

CRAIG: Chat.

CRAIG: Chat what the flip.

CRAIG: What the actual sigma.

CRAIG: Th--

CRAIG: …

CRAIG: GUYS SHUT THE ACTUAL FREAK UP!!!!

CRAIG: THIS IS LIKE SO SUPER IMPORTANT THIS IS NOT SKIBIDI WHAT THE SIGMA.

CRAIG: IM GONNA ACTUALLY JEFF THE KILL MYSELF.

KENNY: OH WHERE WAS THIS ATTITUDE WHILE TOLKIEN JEFF THE KILLED ME???

TOLKIEN: Let’s be real, you brought that on yourself.

KENNY: No <3

TOLKIEN:

TOLKIEN: I’m surrounded by idiots.

STAN: WOULD IDIOTS BE TRYING TO ABDUCT YOU IN YOUR SLEEP????

TOLKIEN: Aaaand we woke up Shane Dawson.

TOLKIEN: Great.

TOLKIEN: Perfect.

TOLKIEN: Wonderful.

TOLKIEN: What next, the piss baby?

CRAIG: TOLKIEN THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT YOUR L RIZZ KAI CENAT ZERO GYATT!!

CRAIG: MY ARCH NEMESIS GREGORY_CUTIE_PIE_3RD.

CRAIG: HAS STOLEN MY ACCOUNT INFORMATION.

STAN: HE WORKS FOR THEM!!!

STAN:THE GOVERNMENT!!!! THE ALIENS!!! ALL OF THEM!!!

STAN: THE GAYS ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!!!

CRAIG: YEAH! THIS IS THE FAGS FAULT!

TOLKIEN: Oh my fucking goddd….

STAN: FAG? FEROCIOUS ANONYMOUS GOVERNMENT SPY!

STAN: IT’S CONFIRMED!!!

KYLE: Guys, it's Pride Month.

KYLE: Don’t do this right now.

CRAIG: EWWW!!!! FAGGOTRY!!!!

CARTMAN: Uhm? Excuse me? Your attitudes towards gay people is deeply offensive and completely unacceptable. How can you justify such bigotry and discrimination in this day and age? Everyone has the right to love and be loved without facing discrimination or hate from people like you. Your attitude perpetuates ignorance and division in our society. It's deeply disappointing to see such intolerance in this day and age. 

CARTMAN: I hope you realize the harm your beliefs cause and consider the importance of empathy and acceptance towards all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation.

TOLKIEN: Great, now you woke blue hair and pronouns.

CARTMAN: Wow, really? Is that the best you can do? Reduce my identity to my appearance and my pronouns? It's incredibly disrespectful and ignorant to dismiss who I am with such shallow labels. My hair and my pronouns are part of my identity, and they deserve respect. If you can't respect who I am, I am not interested in continuing this conversation with you.

CRAIG: This is literally why I hate fags. 

KYLE: Dude…

CRAIG: THE FAG IS POSTING UGLY ASS SELFIES ON MY BLOG!

CRAIG: TAINTING MY DAMN PAGE WITH HIS READING RAINBOW LITTLE WEE WEE!

CRAIG: BLUD LOOKS LIKE HE GOT A FUCKING GASTRIC BYPASS!

CRAIG: LIPOSUCTION HEADASS!!!

CRAIG: Guys I’m officially becoming demon-phobic.

CARTMAN: I'm genuinely taken aback by your racist remarks against demons. It's incredibly disrespectful and hurtful to demonkind, using them as a target for racism is not only absurd but also deeply insensitive. It's important to understand that such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes and can be hurtful to those who enjoy creative works involving demons. Please reconsider your words and think about the impact they can have on others.

CRAIG: Womp to the fucking womp.

CARTMAN: EXCUSE ME????

CRAIG: Don’t talk to me, I’m mewing rn.

KENNY: Lord have mercy.

KENNY: Please let my bitch of a sister fucking die.

KENNY: Dear god please. 

KENNY: If you love me, let me be an only child again.

TOLKIEN: Kenny what the fuck.

TOLKIEN: That’s your sister.

KENNY: And?

TOLKIEN: I doubt you’d actually let her die.

KENNY: Shit you right.

KENNY: She still owes me twenty dollars for that McDonalds I got her last week.

TOLKIEN: Okay, do you have anyone who can come get her outta there?

TOLKIEN: Not sure if it's a good idea to go out there with murderous, probably bloodthirsty demons running around.

KENNY: …

KENNY: …

KENNY: …

KENNY: …

KENNY: …

KENNY: …

KENNY: I know who to call.

SHITASS: snrrk nsnzznnzzzzzzzzzzz...,.

[  ♫ WE CAN GO GYATT FOR GYATT  ♫  ]

[  ♫ FUCK THAT, WE CAN GO RIZZ FOR RIZZ  ♫  ]

SHITASS: fhnfnhmmghfghg.

SHITASS: [yawn]

SHITASS: You’ve reached Captain Shitass, 

SHITASS: Unfortunately I cannot take your calls, but I’ll be available in the ‘morrow, no, before you ask, I don’t do balloons anymore.

SHITASS: Please leave a message after the be--

KENNY: Shut up, fecal failure, I’m not here to make you a birthday mascot. KENNY: We got some demon wranglin to do!

SHITASS: OH FUCKNUGGETS IS THE WAR COMIN???

KENNY: Don’t know, probably!

SHITASS: WHAT DO YOU MEAN PROBABLY????

SHITASS: ARE WE GOIN’ TO WAR OR NOT?

KENNY: Look babycakes, it's hard to guess if a big storm’s comin, but we ain’t takin’ no damn chances. KENNY: Besides, Karen still owes me McDonalds money.

SHITASS: Oh, this is over Donnie’s? Fuck yeah, I’m in. 

KENNY: Wait, really?

SHITASS: Uh, yeah!

SHITASS: I don’t fuck around when it comes to McDonalds.

SHITASS: Mcdonald’s is an important necessity to the American economic system. 

KENNY: Oh thank god. KENNY: After this, can we kill her? KENNY: Like actually?

SHITASS: Uh, yeah.

SHITASS: She’s a fucking cunt and I hate her.

KENNY: THANK GOD.

SHITASS: You wanna do it or should I?

KENNY: Oh I’d be fine with either, long as she dies. KENNY: Gets her outta my hair and me back to being an only child.  KENNY: Afterward, my life will be nothing but bliss. 

SHITASS: Aight bet.

SHITASS: By the way, where the fuck are you?

SHITASS: Usually you come over to my place with a loaded gun, pointing at me and forcing me to do a jester jig like a common peasant. 

KENNY: Haha. KENNY: Funny story.

SHITASS: Oh good robot lord, are you hiding in a bush to throw corn at me?

SHITASS: You’re not gonna tase my balls and yell “dance, peasant dance”?

SHITASS: You did that the LAST time you said you had somethin’ funny to tell me

SHITASS: Then you covered me in worms and rat shit as I mourned over my now broken balls.

KENNY: Nononono shawty it’s actually sososo funny.

SHITASS:Y’know, I can’t have children anymore, right?

SHITASS: So I feel like im inclined to not fucking believe you.

KENNY: Nononono It’s ACTUALLY funny.

SHITASS: I swear on robot jesus if you tase my ASSHOLE I will rip off YOUR balls!

KENNY: WOAHHH BUDDY! LET ME TELL MY STORY NO NEED TO MAKE IT GAY.

SHITASS: Kenneth aren’t we boyfriends?

KENNY: SHUT UPPPPP, Okay, so like.  KENNY: You know ouija boards, right? KENNY: And weed?

SHITASS: Of course I know what fucking weed is.

SHITASS: We rolled blunts with used tissues in the Walmart dumpster last week.

SHITASS: Mine tasted like blood and boogers.

KENNY: Oh yeahhhh! KENNY: Anyways. KENNY: We all got REALLY high one night, KENNY: And we decided to talk to a buncha ghosts, cuz that's what you do when you’re blitzed, ya know? KENNY: Then, Craig continued talkin’ to em after we all dipped cuz we didn’t wanna, y’know, DIE. KENNY: So now we’re all targets cuz his ass decided follower counts are more important than life.

SHITASS: Of course he did.

SHITASS: What a fucking idiot.

KENNY: RIGHT????

SHITASS: They know about the prophecy? Or like, about us? 

KENNY: Pssh, nah.

SHITASS: Thank god, let's keep it that way.

SHITASS: Anyone else with her?

KENNY: Craig’s sister I think.

SHITASS: Ew, there’s more than one??

KENNY: Un-fucking-fortunately.

KENNY: Kill ‘em, dung disaster, I love you.

SHITASS: Love you too, miserable cunt.

SHITASS: Welp,

SHITASS: We’re all gonna die.

(Edits made by @pissblanket)

[hrizantemy]

the questions I now have to live with since I've read acotar. Haven't read the book in a while and I don't plan to for the sake of my own sanity 😭 so sorry if this doesn't make sense

Did Feyre even earn the wings she uses? Why the fuck did rhysand allow her to even be able to have them ?? I would be so offended as a woman who had her wings taken if a human turned far was able to just summon a part of myself that I lost.

Why was there a inner circle again? They were all useless

Did Feyre even earn the title high lady or have any power?

What was mor's role again?

Why should I be scared of the tiny creature who can't access her powers but is trapped in a fae body. How exactly is she a threat?

Why do people say that bat boy deserves better? Last I checked Nesta had zero power over bar boy, wasn't harassing him and didn't trap him in a house or mock him to the point of a breakdown. Yes she was mean but that doesn't excuse the fact she was abused by higher authority and treated like an object.

Why didn't the high lords not team up and attack Rhysand? I would have declared war on him if I were the rest of the high lords. Plus the other half of his court who hates him wouldn't mind.

The same questions I’m asking myself everyday I think about this book. I’ll try and answer some of it though !!

1. The Illyrian culture, where wings hold significant symbolism and are a part of their identity, is deeply ingrained in their society. For Feyre, a human-turned-faerie, to possess wings without earning them through the traditional Illyrian rites or experiences is at least in my perspective appropriating their culture. It disregards the cultural significance and the struggles Illyrian women face with having their wings clipped. Feyre, as a human, comes from a different background and has not endured the same hardships as Illyrian women. Rhysand, as Feyre's partner and a powerful High Lord, holds significant influence over her abilities and development. Granting her wings without her earning them could perpetuate unequal power dynamics within their relationship. It suggests that Feyre's empowerment is dependent on Rhysand's decisions rather than her own agency and efforts. While the decision to give Feyre wings may have been made with good intentions, it’s viewed as problematic due to its implications regarding cultural appropriation, privilege, power dynamics, disregard for traditions.

2. In history, an "Inner Circle" typically refers to a close-knit group of individuals who hold significant influence and power within a particular organization, government, or social circle. The Inner Circle is often composed of trusted advisors, confidants, or allies of a leader or authority figure. Despite being portrayed as a close-knit group, there are instances in the series where members of the Inner Circle experience internal conflicts, disagreements, and tensions. This lack of unity can undermine their effectiveness as a cohesive team. The Inner Circle contributes less to the group's overall objectives or face fewer consequences for their actions compared to others. The Inner Circle's decision-making process is inconsistent or questionable at times, leading to outcomes are illogical or unsatisfying. In conclusion Sarah J. Maas doesn’t even know why they’re there because like Nesta and Elain they were meant to be flat characters.

3. In many fantasy narratives, characters earn titles or positions through specific trials, accomplishments, or displays of skill. Feyre’s ascension to High Lady lacks clear, earned qualifications or achievements traditionally associated with such a prestigious title. Throughout the series, Feyre makes decisions that are morally ambiguous or controversial. Feyre's journey to becoming High Lady is heavily influenced by her relationships with other characters, particularly Rhysand. She is overly reliant on Rhysand's support and guidance, raising questions about her ability to lead independently and make tough decisions without external assistance. Compared to other characters in positions of leadership, such as the High Lords or Ladies of other courts, Feyre's experience and training may appear limited. Although Feyre possesses certain magical abilities, such as the ability to manipulate and control different types of magic, her powers are relatively limited in scope compared to other characters who wield vast and diverse magical abilities.

4. She’s a bisexual leaning lesbian who sleeps with men but hates it and uses her brother/fuck buddy to prove to another man he can never have her while being jealous that her brother/fuck buddy has a mate that she things “doesn’t deserve him” that’s her role and we’re supposed to route for her I guess.

5. Because her eyes swirl silver and she drinks blood???

6. Because that bat boy dick makes people delusional I swear it has to be good.

7. Tarquin needs to send them back the blood rubies and gather allies and then destroy their court and let them be invaded and court destroyed. Sound familiar? Yeah.

I’m so sorry I got tired and lazy through like half of this !!! 😭😭😭😭

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Really hate how fragility has become a virtue. No one wants to toughen up and learn to healthily handle negative emotions or physical hardships. Instead the first sign of adversity is a sign to give up. Actually, it's even worse than that. Because the adversity is greeted like an old friend. Too many people these days want to be disadvantaged, or oppressed, or threatened. So much so that they'll pretend minor inconveniences are Life Threatening Trauma because trauma is now an all purpose shield. Oppression is an all purpose shield. Illness, mental or physical, is an all purpose shield. The people who throw the loudest tantrum are the ones who get coddled the most. That's why certain people scream racism when they get called out on being assholes. That's why certain people scream transphobia when they hear an opinion they don't like. It's because the culture we have now in the west is all about wildly exaggerating problems and being overtly performative about how we "solve" those problems. It's all a show. You're all performing your roles perfectly. And don't you dare think otherwise. You are a performer. Even if you know you're faking and you think you're directing your own show, you're still the performer. But do you wanna know who is directing?

Politicians and the billionaires you claim to hate along with the media who enables them.

Because this society benefits them the most. Yeah, sure, you guys can get a few people fired for expressing an opinion and you might get away with some shitty behavior before your friends and family get wise to you and stop wanting anything to do with you, but that's all you get. And the trade offs?

You have zero ability to be self-sufficient. And I'm not talking about living off the land like a pioneer here. I'm talking basic life skills like cooking and talking on the phone and having manners and holding down jobs and making a budget.

You're scared all the time. You think everyone around you is out to get you unless they loudly and constantly proclaim that they aren't. You think death and assault is around every corner and the only way you can ever feel safe is to give up your rights to the very same people who are lying to you to make you afraid.

You can't make friends with people who aren't exactly like you. You're stuck in a a constant negative reinforcement of every single bad habit you've developed. You've alienated everyone in your life who isn't as bitter and scared as you are.

You refuse to improve your life because if you get better or more healthy the broken people you surround yourself with will turn on you and cast you out.

And it's so ad, because it's actually so easy and satisfying to take control of your life and stop acting like a toddler who got his sucker taken away. Imagine if you didn't have to be scared in a room full of strangers because you knew you had the skills to make polite small talk. Imagine if you didn't have to get mad at every little thing because you have perspective and can realize when things are important and when they're not worth getting upset over. Imagine knowing you could survive unexpected hardships that might come your way because you've done it before. That's what growing up is. And that's what you lose when you insist on being perpetual adolescents. And then, suddenly, when the politicians come around and tell you you need to give up your rights so they can solve all your problems for you, you can say, "Why should I give up anything to you when I can just solve my problems on my own?"

You can take the power back from the people you say you hate, but still rely on to be a surrogate parent. You can live a happy life even if you have to work and struggle and face adversity. Hardship builds character, but only if you have any character to work with. Don't spend your whole life relying on people who don't give a fuck about you as a person to keep you safe and provide for you. Because I promise you, they have zero interest in doing either.

[kremlin]

you know, i don't do the super longform posts like i used to, i mean to say, i don't post them anymore, but i still do write looooong ass walls of text, they don't ever make it to my blog. idk. on re-read they all have a very distinctive, unmistakable smell of "bus stop crazy" to them, and even after fixing all the grammar mistakes & forgotten words & etc they graduate from nutcase scribblings to "manifesto"

all those posts go to pastebin, anonymously, and then on to reddit, which is a huge pain, i have to farm throwaway accounts for like a year, not posting at all, before i can post a pastebin link and not have it be spam filtered, just to gauge how accurate my self-assessment is. it doesn't work because nobody reads it, unlike this blog, where 5-6 people read it.

and even that isn't working due to a wild phenomenon. when you write about niche subjects unappetizing to a normal audience, it only really makes its way to the same freaks that you're already friends with. in my case, these are people i've spoken with at great length solely textually over the internet, for like, twenty fuckin years. it probably wouldn't surprise you to know that they can clock something i've written like eight sentences in. and this sucks, it defeats the purpose of trying to hide my Shame Posts from the world with anonymity, so let me tell you what i did.

i tried just, you know, making a conscious effort to write in the most unkremlin way possible, and the result was indifferentiable than something i wrote normally. like, didn't even fool them any longer than otherwise. sure. fine. i guess that isn't interesting. but i wasn't satisfied.

so i call in an owed favor to a buddy that has zero language skills, like, unless you are speaking to him and standing in front of him, every message, regardless of platform, will read like a business email, signature and all. total dingus. he's like 26 & perpetually on welfare, (like all elite programmers) but writes like he's your dad sending email with that fancy corporate-branded-outlooko client that auto-appends some long ass disclaimer to all your email. anyways, that's besides the point, i gave him something i wrote & asked him to rewrite it in his own voice. no dice. "this sounds like something kremlin wrote but he's doing some kind of joke i don't understand, or maybe he got hit in the head". fuck. so i write a WHOLE new thing, not even solely focused on some niche subject that auto-reduces the potential culprits to like 5 people, and i give his ass the broad strokes of what i wrote and asked him to flesh it out. only a marginal improvement. they still nailed me after just a bit more thinking.

so fuck it. i hit up "Gunther" which i don't have the right keys on my keyboard to type properly, there's two dots over the U. gunther is very clearly a german guy, which you can tell on account of him speaking German, and when you speak to him in english, he's all "wast ist das" and shit. so i try giving HIM the broad strokes and having him re-create it, which was an idea/concept he did not grasp fully or understand on account of us not really sharing a language exactly. guess what. it wasn't immediately recognized, at least, it took about an hour for them to deduce i was the author, and at this point i have given up, i have lost because these increasingly cartoon antics have become my signature, and i will never be able to escape the shame of my Weird Bad Writing. they even figured out it was gunther sort-of-ghostwriting it, since it didn't have the quirks of software translation & was sent using some fucking ISO/IEC charset that europeans prefer over utf-8, at least the ones i talk to, for completely unknown reasons. they try and explain it, and i can't figure out what they're talking about, not because i don't speak french & german but because i don't speak ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ

i will never -- and this is a solemn promise -- write in any other way than to bang out the whole thing in 1 hour, never organizing anything, never looking backwards even 2-3 words, never *ever* proofreading (i get someone else to do it for me with explicit instructions to only fix grammar & highlight completely incomprehensible gibberish that they couldn't decipher for my reluctant fixing). i will also never stop posting it.

[threeawfulfruits]

Btw yall I finally took the jump and watched Elemental last night because it had despite all odds been praised pretty consistently post-release by people whose opinions I respect - and everyone was RIGHT!!!

Despite the poor marketing and the absolutely uninspired, cliche, cringy trailer, this film was freaking PRECIOUS and IMPORTANT. In the first five minutes it made more strides talking about the immigrant experience and the connected cultural prejudice than entire documentaries. The importance of representation has never been more clear in a kid-friendly film - when no one solves the issues plaguing a community because no one FROM that community exists in a place of power high enough to make them known and make a difference, those issues become standard and suffering perpetuates. Bitterness and distance increases. They did great talking about privilege and culturally hostile infrastructure, and how socioeconomic differences affect how people see and experience and move through the world. How there doesn’t have to be malice for real, lasting harm to be done, just ignorance and oversight.

Language barriers. Cultural and religious differences. Different goals and structures of support within families. The small-town solidarity of ethnic communities within large cities. The role of nostalgia. Talent and creativity and how that is nurtured based on priorities and the privileges we are born with/without. Generational trauma. Tokenism and fetishization. The universality of prejudice from every direction. MICROAGGRESSIONS.

And the characters!!! We love an emotionally stunted woman who has zero CSR skills - Ember is a disaster in a really uncommon way. I love it. And Wade is the sweetest lil puddle of empathy I’ve ever seen!!! My emotionally constipated ass felt some of his lines like a literal stab through the chest, he’s so sincere and compassionate at every turn and it’s both alarming and disarming. Talk about a soft boi who is also WHOLESOME and OBSERVANT. Wow. (Also I’ve been obsessed with Mamoudou Athie since I first saw him in Unicorn Store a few years ago - Black Box, Oh Jerome No, Archive 81, he’s SO good - and so is his VOICE ACTING!!! Whoa my dude)

[shoot-of-corruption]

🗣 + Seto

☠ ― Send '🗣' + a character to hear the mun's opinion about that character.

OUF... Seto Kaiba has always been a difficult case for me. I realize that most of the YuGiOh cast went through terrible trauma at some point in their life, Seto Kaiba, too, had this doubtful pleasure enforced on him.

I think at some point he lead a nice good life, somewhere with parents that very much loved him and his little brother. But as this things happen they never seem to last and something has robbed from him the people he felt safe around. Firstly that certainly is still inside of him. I am very certain he remembers those times, being happy with a family of four members.

Growing up the older sibling and losing his parents though, wouldn't just cause him grief, it would also cause him to grow especially cunning and resourceful - he had to take care of his brother now of course! Not only was he increasingly cunning about giving Mokuba the best life, he also completely ignored what grief it would cause himself. Being adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba... cannot ever have been easy. It would definitely cause Mokuba to live better, it would also lessen the fear of being separated because some dumb couple simply didn't want to adopt two children - and brothers at that.

While that Damocles sword was swinging over his head, he had to perform things he had never even dealt with. Brain acrobatics, planning every second of his life through, being punished for transgressions and failure. It must have been extremely rough on a person who was no doubt extremely gifted, but had never lived under such strict regiment. I think all was well until Gozabura enforced that he couldn't see Mokuba, if his performance wasn't excellent.

I think that was the moment where Seto Kaiba decided one old geezer had to go. He had given him everything to work with, while thinking he was still in control, because he completely underestimated this child... merely even a teenager. And I can see how through all of this abuse and grooming and terrible cold behaviour towards him, being forced to go through this out of love that was perpetually beaten out of him would cause him to become the person he was in season zero and also that the death of his adoptive father was nothing but a triumph. They could live together now, Mokuba and him, but nothing was really feeling good anymore. He had been made into a shell of a person and the love for his brother just waasn't the same anymore and that in turn caused Mokuba to become colder as well.

While Kaiba went through his mind crush, Mokuba would definitely throw his antagonizing firmly aside to just hope for the survival of his brother and everything going awry after that, Seto Kaiba, who had finally woken up and found that things (especially brothers) hadn't been left where they should be, had [with the help of Yami]broken through the teachings of his father and his emotional and mental abuse.

I am always impressed by how far the lengths are that certain characters go... and while Kaiba seems to be just a complete ASSHOLE on the outside, definitely still following the teachings of Gozaburo when it comes to skill and the job of being a CEO, his goals are simply completely different. Not only does he kick the old man with pleasure, while he rotates in his grave, he just uses his potential to give people joy and earn money with that.

He has built himself a perfect living space already and now everything seems to be in order, but something or another is still ingrained in him. The simple and odd need to win at all costs. He has gone through so much and in his eyes DESERVES the position of being at the top, everybody had thrown rocks in his way, to hurt HIM personally and then along comes some little dwarf, stealing his victory. And that - my friends - he was simply unable to forget and it grew into a new obsession.

On a total he is simply a fascinating character. He has his flaws, but works around them. He is cunning, but refuses to see solutions that lie before his feet. He built a cold surface, but would sell his soul for his brother in an instant. He may be a little emotionally stunted, but I think he is just performing for himself after that mind crush experience. There are things he is very unwilling to budge on... and he does only for Mokuba (and sometimes Yuugi/Yami) because they really NEED to stay around him, so he can have access at all times. X'D

Seto Kaiba may behave like an old cold bastard, but even he needs his support system here ;D

[gothicprep]

there are a few people i keep on facebook for "research purposes" (which means, privately gawking at their posts) who are basically just truckers who subscribe to various aspects of annoying jesus stuff. intelligent design is something they post a lot about.

one of them served up this doozy:

i love it when people who have zero experience with physics try to post "gotchas" like this, because the inflationary multiverse hypothesis is a really, really contentious subject.

simplifying this stuff into digestible empirical terms is a skill that i'm pretty sure i don't have, but here's my best shot: this theory basically postulates that the big bang is still rolling on, in perpetuity, in other contexts where we can't observe this. don't confuse this for the garden variety universe expansion that we know is happening, this concerns the initial bang of the big bang – inflation, hence inflationary multiverse. while it's spiritually similar to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum, what with your poisoned radioactive cats and all, it's "the big bang bangs on" rather than indecisive electrons.

the meme is right in that we can't test this, but you're remiss to leave out that there are plenty of physicists who are (reasonably) not fans of a fundamental theory of everything that's impossible to test.

so, is this in the purview of metaphysics, or is this regular physics? your guess is probably as good as anyone's. there's more to spacetime than we can presently observe, no shit, but until any mechanism is developed to definitively see how this rubs up against reality, we're indefinitely dead in the water here.

i'm probably giving away my bias here in that i'm really skeptical of anything that's non-falsifiable and starts drifting away from the epistemological foundation of science, but to give the inflationary multiverse a fair shake, here's how the argument goes:

we know inflation is the origin of our universe, we know the universe has a quantum nature. ergo, heisenberg uncertainty and quantum fluctuations are applicable to inflation. ergo, multiverse.

while it isn't testable, it's not like it's coming out of nowhere. it's extrapolated from things we have observed and is at least partially grounded in our contemporary understanding of this stuff.

i'm really, really, really oversimplifying. but ideally i've established that this is a dumb analogy, and while the jury's still out on how i feel on this particular hypothesis, i assure you it's much more sophisticated than whatever stoner-informed assumption this is going off of.

[jackiesartden]

A Brief Rant about Elitism in Music

I HATE HATE HATE elitism in music and art. I saw a YouTube thread about this the other day that got me fired up, so I am blessing y'all with a rant.

I am a loosey goosey mofo when it comes to what I consider to be 'good' art, as I have spoken about in a previous post. But I think one of the most anti-art art things in the world is elitist attitudes about art. Whether you wanna talk about how it often has racist or classist undertones, or how it perpetuates a myth of meritocracy in success, or whatever- the point is that it squeezes an innumerable number of people out of contributing to the art community because of their perceived lack of talent or skill. Not to mention of course that you need to be at least "middle class" (whatever that means nowadays) to even afford the starting equipment for many things, which has literally nothing to do with 'talent' or 'skill' but probably has more impact than either 90% of the time.

I'm sure plenty of sociologists have discussed in a more eloquent and academic manner but it just pisses me off. Who the hell are these people who prop up these BS takes? Are we really so fucking soul-crushed that the 'competitive' mindset that capitalism indoctrinates us into necessitates perceiving art as a zero-sum game?

[maeve-is-annoying-about-books]

Light From Uncommon Stars, July

My poor fucking heart, I can't take it. This entire scene of the showcase was perfectly done.

Of course Katrina's first performance would hit snags, she's never performed live before. But the lights are on her, she can't run. Not from the emcee who flippantly misgendered her, not from people like Ellen who are praying for her to be bad. Not from herself and her fears. Yet also not from those people Shizuka told her to keep in mind when she plays. To make mistakes and recover to create something so beautiful out of something so "pedestrian" is one of the most human things of all. It encapsulates something that Tamiko knows before she even starts on her Paganini, that she can't connect and leave that lasting magic, no matter how technical the piece. I can easily imagine her trying her damndest to break her strings on stage like Paganini himself, but because they hold something else breaks instead.

To continue about Katrina's skill, it's clear Shizuka doesn't just see it, doesn't just cherish it, but now respects it. Honestly her reaction is much my own. Once again Maeve is oversharing, over-personal, but... I've devoted a not-insignificant amount of time to writing. Honing and hewing and then going on to try to help others. Then one day a woman came to me, asking for opinions about a little character blurb and... She's already so talented. So incredibly precise with her word choice and scene choice. With help on the technical parts I have zero doubt she would be a better author than I ever was. So how can I feel anything but sympathy for Shizuka? She's wowed, she's proud to have helped Katrina bloom but all at the cost of a question: "Can I even do that?" It makes the scenes afterwards of Shizuka having her violin repaired all the more prescient. Moving it's repair from handling a heavenly instrument to something mere mortals can handle.

And the scene talking about applause. Katrina's taken no ego from it. Instead what she came away with was a feeling of safety. That she was safe, and strong enough to keep everyone, Shizuka included, that way too. Katrina's heart is so large that she's inseparable from the people around her. She always has been, for better and for worse. Their opinions of her looks, her playing, the dress she wears, the food they share. I've come to see her as this kind of beacon of what Lan was talking about. That Earth is a very communicative planet, inexorably so. I no longer think that it is a fun bit of trivia that Katrina posts her videos online, it's indicative of the thing that's ruled her life. Her connections to others.

Just as Lan's connections are slipping and Auntie Floresta's are beginning to grow, too. Markus is fed up with his life, she hasn't noticed that she's left Edwin behind, she can't understand why replicator donuts aren't selling... Her captain's chair is still an island keeping her away from everything. Even the question of why they're building a stargate if they can't go back to the Empire. Probably because it's a mission she can accomplish, or maybe as an escape from the world when the Endplague arrives. Her actions are dictated by the trauma of it and it's wearing holes into the life she's earned.

The end of this shorter month is put on the tab of Tremon Philippe, as always. At first I hought it s rather polite for the frog demon to do. ut then I realized he wasn't paying the bill. He put it on his tab. It's not a courtesy to a colleague it's a perpetual reminder that her debt is looming over her head and it will come through one day. What a complete asshole, and a Euro-centric one at that. He keeps spooling on and on about how Europe is way better than California, going so far as to compliment one chef by saying he could work there. He's so tone-deaf to every other one of our characters, he only wants the expensive, best things at all times and doesn't care one whit about what any of them are actually saying. As expected of a demon.

The question is looming. How is Shizuka going to get out of this one?

[alldrinkingaside]

SHARED COURAGE: Gateway to Recovery

"Some people who survive a life-altering disorder or experience develop special sensitivities, insights, and skills to help others similarly afflicted." - William L. White

Striving to motivate others is fodder for my own recovery. Brick by brick, a life in recovery is built. Fast and slow, in uncertain measure, the days go by, and years of recovery are built. "It takes a village to raise a child" and I could not have been raised out of addiction (SUD/Substance Use Disorder) by my own bootstraps alone.

I encourage courage because courage will be necessary.

Shared Courage is the Gateway to Recovery.

Delete the Scientific Jargon and the Religious Jargon and pretty much the only thing left, for me, has been others. By myself alone, I am lost, or will and would become lost again.

I LIVE IN A PERPETUAL FEEDBACK LOOP OF RECOVERY. No alphabet soup of the letters on diplomas or sworn testimonials by people of faith are enough alone to keep me sober.

Connection is key.

Recovery is constructed from the debris of the persistent pummeling that is Addiction. I was nothing, left with nothing, when I first got sober. Recovery constructed itself from Ground Zero.

This post is a single wave of Recovery, a single inhalation and exhalation, one continuous brushstroke forever repeated. My celebration is solemn, quiet and life-affirming.

Recovery is life itself to me (to US).

GATEWAY to RECOVERY: Shared Courage.

BECOMING UNBROKEN: Waves of Recovery.

I Live in a Perpetual Feedback Loop of Recovery.

Do what you must, what you will, to get there, stay there and live there.

Recovery is Possible, Doable, Irreplaceable.

You + Me = WE (Shared Courage)

*****

Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal

(Find it on Amazon. Book it here): http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO

#alcoholism#addiction#recovery#books

Check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery

(Find it on Amazon, Book it here): https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT

Both Books are Available in Print and Kindle Editions.

[finrays]

You know, the more I think about it, the more things that bugged me about Forbidden West can be explained as “Well, the setting sells, but you gotta get rid of this woman-centric kumbaya nature-and-motherhood story” coming from On Corporate High.

Like, of all Aloy’s original allies, who’s the one single one that’s allowed to be at the finale? Erend. Big dude with a hammer. Much as I love him and want to hug him and think he’s basically an armored teddy bear? The dude is the most Standard Gamer Friendly of the bunch; a big loud white dude with a sicknasty weapon who likes to drink and fight and do other Manly Stuff. It’s really no wonder they downplayed his diplomatic skills and his ability to become thoughtful and introspective about things when you look at it in this light; those are “GIRLY” qualities and we don’t want them.

Ditto Aloy’s main quest lack of empathy and intelligence compared to her Zero Dawn self; don’t TELL me that the girl who calculated the number of days Lis was late to her meeting in years within three seconds of hearing them is like “your math about time is too confusing :C” to GAIA because I don’t believe it. She feels most in-character to me when you’re out on the fringes playing side quests that are completely optional, helping people. That’s the Aloy we know and love, complaining about the extra work she has to take on now, then holding a dying woman’s hand as she passes ten seconds later, just so she has some comfort as she goes. Our Lady of Perpetual Moral Obligation indeed.

The propping up of militarized elements of the setting. The reduced connection to Project Zero Dawn and the intellectual/brain-focused characters… Sylens is absent from most of the game and pretty much all of the experts and scientists we met last time are either touched upon and moved past or not addressed at all. We were given intense information about the military conflict in the Mojave that results from 2030s attempts to grapple with climate change-caused disasters... but almost nothing about the relevant Claw-Back period that followed, where humanity united behind its Big Thinkers and managed to pull the biosphere out of the fire; again, it’s all wrapped around easily missable collectables and datapoints, which seems odd for such a fundamental part of the setting..

And god help me, if I ever meet Ben McCaw in real life I’m going to personally kick his ass one time for each “egghead” he put into the script.

The reduction in importance and screen time for our returning female characters; Vanasha, Talanah and Petra are all “in there,” but for extremely short, missable portions of the story and optional quests. Lip service in the extreme. We have fewer returning male characters but for the most part, they get a more robust feature (and in Varl’s case they get shafted lol, another thing I’m gonna kick Ben McCaw’s ass for). This even goes as far as the dead characters for fuck’s sake. Similarly, we ostensibly have LGBT rep too but again, in missable dialogue or optional quests.

The increased importance of gameplay and technological elements over story elements in terms of the marketing of the game should have kinda been a tip-off I guess… but it was COVID and we needed something bright to get us through that shit.

And it kind of makes sense, if you think about it; in the lore (again, fuck you McCaw, I’m gonna kick your ass if I ever see you) based arms of the fandom I’ve been hanging out in, so much of what made the first game special to us was the touchy-feely elements; the focus on hope and family, the way Aloy is allowed to be gentle and compassionate along with unyielding and strong, the building of cultures and belief systems that went beyond just combat… the multiple tribes pulling together to defend their world…

The second game is given over to the highly militaristic Tenakth, who supposedly have three separate clans, all of which are only minimally distinguished from each other. The peaceful and expressive Utaru and the studious and poised Quen are touched upon only briefly and then the FIGHTY GUYS come in and dominate the rest of the game. There’s nothing really like the gathering of allies at Meridian from endgame of Zero Dawn; it’s all Tenakth, babey.

Basically? It’s a turn toward marketability toward the “majority gamer population of Angry Young Men,” which causes the rest of the game to kind of suffer in comparison. We’ve talked about the shoddy characterization in spades but it goes beyond just that. The script isn’t just simplified, it’s broken in ways that destroy immersion. If you skip scanning datapoints and/or talking to Tilda at the Base or at her mansion, that “I loved Elisabet more than you could possibly know” comes completely out of left field, just as one example. In fact, the Immortal Zeniths twist got blown completely for me because I was playing with subtitles, and Tilda is listed as Tilda onscreen just minutes after I listened to an audio recording of her taken in 2065. Awks extreme, Ben. That’s a paddlin’.

Listen, all I’m saying is, when adding Immortal Billionaires from Space isn’t enough to make your game risky, there’s a problem.

TLDR, money talks, money squashes individuality, we should have known better, but can hardly be blamed for expecting the same quality as the original in the sequel lol. That’s on Ben.

Have I mentioned I’m gonna kick his ass?

[felix-cant-ski]

Here have some Dead by Daylight headcanons

David runs hot when he sleeps, so he typically sleeps shirtless and tends to sprawl out every which way.

Due to the sheer number of Survivors in the realm, there’s actually more than one bonfire, but they’re all within relatively close proximity to each other. There are also tents at the campsite, because come on literally everyone having absolutely ZERO semblance of shelter or privacy and having to crowd around one small fire would just be weird, especially if the Entity Is Merciful Sometimes Maybe Kinda.

Dwight and Felix are both autistic. So is Claudette, but I’m pretty sure that one is just straight up canon.

Jonathan is the one who discovered and subsequently taught the others how to spectate matches.

Rather than being perpetual night, days pass in the realms, but not in a way that makes time even remotely possible to track. Given that humans need sunlight in order to stay healthy, letting the Survivors see the Sun every now and then is how the Entity ‘takes care of her toys’ so to speak, so that She can get more mileage out of them before they get Voided.

Weather and time of day vary on every map, to add more variables to trials and keep them unpredictable and interesting.

Without the control of reagents, the thickness of the Dark Mist varies.

James uses the clear reagent frequently, having had More Than Fucking Enough fog to last a lifetime.

David can speak French. As the son of aristocrats he was essentially forced to learn it both in-school and by his parents, and his academic prowess made it more-or-less easy for him. He no longer speaks it fluently, because he didn’t care to keep it up, but he’s still conversational.

Ji-Woon has a shallow obsession with Dwight, given his history of fixating on men with nice voices.

Dwight has cats, and he cares for and talks to them exactly like this guy.

David is afraid of cats. He doesn’t hate them, and there’s no rhyme or reason behind it, it’s just one of those phobias that people sometimes have just because. After escaping with Dwight and spending a lot of his time at the Fairfield house, their own cats help him overcome his phobia, and he becomes a bit of a cat lover.

Yes we ship Kingfield. And we will chapter-and-verse anyone who will listen on how much sense it makes, but that deserves an entire post of its own.

After Dwight and David escape together, at some point Dwight gets a rose tattoo on his right wrist to match David’s on his neck.

While Her power is seemingly strongest on Dyer Island, another point of concentration for the Entity’s power is the US north/mid-east. Laurie went missing in Illinois, Quentin was taken from Ohio, we headcanon that Dwight is from Iowa.

In addition to German, obviously, Felix is fluent in English and French and conversational in Korean (probably Dutch as well given how similar it is to German, but we’re not sure if he’d have ever actively learned it).

Dwight likes to cook. He’s actually fairly good at it; that plus his cooperative/leadership skills are what helped him become the manager at PizzaWhat! so quickly. It WOULD have been a steady job, only with his luck, the store closed down and he wasn’t transferred.

Felix is a haemophiliac. The Entity keeps this in check enough for it not to stop him from being too interesting in trials, but as such, he is always afflicted with the Haemorrhage status effect when injured, and his Deep Wound timer depletes twice as fast.

Dwight is the Entity’s favourite of the lot, the one who’s been there the longest out of the OG 4, and the only one who remembers several of the Survivors that got Voided. This is part of the reason that pretty much everyone agrees on him as the unspoken leader.

The base Perks used to be the personal Perks for the Voided Survivors.

[arcadia-city-stories-if]

Arcadia City (WIP)

Welcome to Arcadia City!

Touted as a modern day utopia, where everything is achievable and anything is possible, the largest free city state to ever exist has become a beacon of progress and technological advancement that has stepped to the forefront of global importance after an exponential boom in population in the last few decades.

Frequently referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World, will the city live up to its highly polished reputation? Or can a city that is 90% owned by shady corporations, taking advantage of the city's unique laws and loopholes, truly have anything other than the seediest of underbellies?

Plot

Play as a small town deputy sheriff who, after a surprise run-in with a supernatural creature, somewhat impulsively accepted a job with the not-at-all suspiciously vague 'Agency' that had mysteriously shown up in the forest immediately following your little moonlit encounter.

Eager to get away from the home town you've never left, and the bad memories trapping you there, you're now moving half way across the world to start afresh in the most infamous city in the world, to work for a governmental agency that most people don’t even believe exists.

Whether or not you're just jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire is yet to be seen.

Features:

Customise your name, gender, appearance, skill-set and personality.

Explore 5 romance options, 2 of them gender selectable, with both human and supernatural beings.

Tactfully avoid the mystery 6th partial romance route that would definitely, without a doubt, be a mistake to succumb to.

Choices matter. Find your way as your world becomes bigger, both literally and figuratively, than you ever could have imagined.

Get settled into your new job, explore the city, and maybe solve a mystery or two along the way.

| Contains graphic descriptions of violence, grief, physical and verbal abuse, mild body horror and sexual situations | Rated 18+ |

Demo (TBA) | RO Appearances | Ro Playlists |

RO’s under the cut!

Harrison Murphy, early 30's. (m)

-The New Partner-

Abnormally tall, he has dark eyes and sandy brown hair that's slightly too long to be considered professional.

Sporting a pleasant farmers tan, he'd probably be traditionally good looking if it wasn't for the constant 5 o'clock shadow, a nose that's clearly been broken more than once, and the perpetual scowl he wears which may, or may not, have something to do with the endless supply of nicotine gum he's currently getting through a day.

Even with his gruff nature the man is surprisingly well liked across the city, and always willing to go the extra mile for those he considers a friend.

Shae Amana, 30. (nb)

-The Government Handler-

Just shy of 5'9, with an accent so neutral you're convinced it can't be genuine. They have long (dyed) dark silver hair, light blue eyes and deep golden skin, with splashes of freckles across their cheeks, among other places.

They have horrendous eyesight but are too squeamish for contacts so they'll never be seen without their glasses in place. They're new to leadership and that anxiety shows at times.

They have some curious tattoos and there seems to be more to them but you haven't figured out what yet.

Callie Redwood, 25. (f)

-The Lycan Wildchild-

Exactly 5'5, with rich brown skin, bright grey green eyes, and a permanently fixed youthful grin, most people would be tempted to believe Callie to be harmless. Those people would be making a mistake.

Her mess of loose dark curls are irregularly cut, half tied back with some attempt to tame it with a variety of pins, making her easily recognisable even at a distance. If all else fails, the constant collection of bandages and minor injuries she accumulates will always set her apart from the crowd.

She has a childish eagerness at times, with zero filter on what she says and a hairtrigger on her temper, times are never boring around her.

Toni Dynbane, 28. (m/f/nb)

-The Nocturnal Neighbour-

5'11, when they're not slouching. Messy shoulder length dark hair and hazel eyes that are strikingly pretty, even with the accompanying red-eye that's constantly in place.

Between their weed habit and their sleeping patterns, it's clear they're going through something, though they don't seem eager to open up about whatever it is.

With an easygoing attitude and an ear always free if you need it, there are definitely worse people you could have been neighbours with.

Claude/Claudia Valentius, ?? (m/f)

-The Executive Vampyr-

With a long and prosperous lineage, expectations on the newest head of their House are ludicrously high. Tall, dark skinned with ethereal golden eyes, everything about them just screams fancy vampire.

Always dressed immaculately, they're doing their best to keep a cool demeanour while trying to change the Old World ways they feel like their family is stuck in.

With a life full of soulless business suits and untrustworthy family members who definitely don't have their best interests at heart, they've almost forgotten what it's like to have anyone who means more than that in their life.

??? (he/they)

-The Wrong Choice-

Would be a terrible idea on your part to pursue this one. Do not recommend.