#probably my favourite thing about enlightenment

[companion-showdown]

Which villain would you most like to see as a companion?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

[lumiambrose]

Blue lock option matchup for @thecurrator

Matchup with Sae Itoshi

i’ve never matched anyone with sae before

no pressure, shit.

frankly i’m not one to judge comparability… BUT i see a lot of potential as you both have many similarities/habits that i think would compliment each other)

first and foremost, sae isn’t here for small talk and neither are you. you think small talk is a waste of time and sae frankly doesn’t care enough to engage in it, you two definitely bonded over that. 

quality time is the go to for you. despite sae’s busy schedule, he’ll always find time to spend with you. you might not be doing anything grand, but he’ll always make sure he doesn’t overpack his schedule so you two can go out or spend an evening together.

very common to find the two of you on the sofa together reading books or watching movies together. being in another's presence gives you both comfort that you can't find anywhere else. although if sae does have a busier day, just chill with him while he practises. you simply being there encourages him to give it his all.

(he’d totally make you lie under him while he does push ups so he can kiss you every time he sinks down.)

a relationship with sae is definitely complicated. it doesn’t really matter whether you’re introverted or extroverted with him, as long as he can connect with you. sae is pretty reserved and distant so he needs someone who can encourage him to open up. in general, it’s a staple for your partner to bring out the best in you in relationships.

but with sae you’re on extra hard mode… :’)

he wouldn’t date somebody without thoroughly knowing them, so the phase where you two were just friends was critical to his opinion of you.

his initial impression of you was neutral, leaning more towards good. he found you lukewarm at the beginning, like he would with everyone, but appreciated the fact you weren’t an eyesore or earsore. he respects people that can thrive on their own.

very awkward between the two of you for a while, neither really knew how to interact with the other. luckily you had plenty ~~annoying~~ lovely extroverts to save the day. if you befriended oliver or shidou, you can bet they’d drag you along to their outings, whether you like it or not. and of course, there’s no way they can’t bring japan's treasure along too.

you both would typically take a step back to just watch everyone's antics and that’s how the two of you spent the majority of your time together. it stayed like that until you let a thought slip past your tongue, thinking about the correlation of their off field antics and their play style, it wasn’t until then that you two had your first conversation.

sae, knowing the answers you sought, enlightened you and that was how it all started. on that day you two spent the outing following your extroverted friends around commenting on how their behaviour influences their play style, or similarities, even habits they may possess.

sae hasn’t talked that much in a very long time…

slow burn to the max. i wouldn’t be surprised if you were closed off, well surprise surprise, he is too. the adventure of getting to know each other and opening up to each other was complex. neither of you were really willing to open up at the beginning and it showed, but that didn’t stop you guys. 

instead of holding conversations about each other, you two got to know each other through conversations about others or scenarios surrounding you. delving into people in your day to day life or even simply strangers. you two could understand each other's thought process and think on the same wavelength without even getting to know each other.

you probably didn’t know basic shit for the longest time, like his favourite animal or colour, but despite that you knew him better than anyone out there.

once you open up to each other, yapper x listener all the way. “I love to talk to certain people and about things I find interesting, like my fixations or a fun hypothetical situation.” Sae would sit there listening to your thoughts all the way. it almost relaxes him when he hears your voice yapping about the most out of pocket shit.

keeps him on his toes you know, never knowing what you’re gonna say next.

if the topic actually interests him too (or he’s feeling chatty), he’ll entertain them. either he’ll give his own inputs or question the plausibility of whatever scenario you may have concocted in your head. he enjoys dissecting your thought process, seeing how logical you can keep whatever creative situation you may have cooked up.

i personally think you’d enjoy this. despite you saying you enjoy psychoanalysing people, being on the receiving end can also be extremely fun. cause it’s him i can see you enjoying the challenge and even giving him the same treatment when you two don’t particularly agree on something.

(you two could join fucking debate clubs after that :p)

frankly i doubt sae has social media himself. in general, he rarely uses his phone. he’ll only use his phone for two reasons, his work and you. he was definitely forced into creating social media for pr by his manager, but he personally prefers a much more quiet life. he values every aspect of privacy he can get.

he also avoids the paparazzi like the plague, has learnt all the ways to sneak past them and eventually teaches you once the relationship gets hard launched.

his phone is primarily filled with photos of you, beaches, meals he has cooked for you, gifts (for you) and date photos. he has literally zero games on his phone and the bare minimum contacts. to nobody's surprise, he rarely uses his phone.

though if you message him he somehow always replies in an instant… :p

personally i think your love languages match up almost perfectly. i think sae is very heavy on acts of service and quality time. i’ve hinted towards these earlier where you guys just spend most of your time in each others company, or sae cooking for you. i don’t think he’s very vulnerable with his words, so he prefers to show his love with actions.

on the other hand, he definitely appreciates acts of service himself. he’s a busy man with a busy schedule so he really appreciates whenever you help him out.

make him breakfast before work or pack him a lunch and he’ll melt. he will be in a good mood for the rest of the day and it will scare his teammates and manager.

he’s never really received many gifts before and the idea has never really crossed his mind. i absolutely cannot see him being into luxurious, expensive gifts. if he wants something like that he can simply buy it himself. handmade or personal gifts on the other hand, he has grown quite a liking to since getting together with you.

he was so unsure how to act when you first got him something. he’d give a confused thanks and probably just stare at it for an unreasonably long amount of time. he’d put it up somewhere where he could easily spot it all day and stare at it 24/7. after he got used to it, he definitely tries to be more affectionate. 

will hug you if you let him.

secretly has all your gifts stored somewhere for him to reminisce on if he gets lonely <3

[saysthenightingale]

nightingale discovers warhammer (2/???)

some people seemed to find it amusing so i'm back with my Zero Braincell rambling. apologies in advance

re: jaghatai khan. that is a choice of name. i wonder what he's into, could it be horses??

jaghatai being literally just genghis khan is quite amusing to me for another reason. this is because, considering the geographical location of my ancestry, it's somewhat probable that i'm related to genghis khan.

re: stupid names. corvus corax?!?! that's it. that's the comment.

there are things i could say about certain people in warhammer that would set feminism back to the Stone Age. so i will not say them unless prompted

ANY TYRANID FANS HERE?? PLEASE TALK TO ME ABOUT TYRANIDS. THEY ARE SILLY AND GOOFY AND SO COOL the part where the hive fleet came up from UNDER the galaxy is pog, although funny because it gives the vibe that the humans just fucking forgot that reality is three-dimensional (my favourite starcraft faction is the zerg if that helps)

i have been enlightened about the character of roboute guilliman and also the ultramarines. no, the ultramarines are not garen from league of legends, although it actually seems like they like to pretend that they're garen from league of legends.

does excel exist in warhammer? i feel like guilliman would really like the microsoft suite

over the moon to have had an intensely detailed and probably unnecessary conversation about konrad and sanguinius' teeth and dental physiology with @/vespire and @/darthcatboy . if anyone wants to talk speculative biology or just, like, actual biology with me please hit me up. light up my dms or my asks. please

my other interest is house of the dragon and i love shoving my hyperfixations together, so for some reason I just think it would be funny if some primarchs/astartes met aegon targaryen of “I HAVE NO WISH TO BE KING!! IM NOT SUITED” fame or rhaenyra “when im queen i will create a new order” targaryen.

targaryens also happen to act like they're above the rest of humanity and are seen as demigods! although not by virtue of genetic tampering, just, uh, their flying reptile nukes.

thanks to chemos-factories for egging me into warhammer ocs. you'll be seeing aeldari twins on here in a second

[theageoftheunderstatement]

mrsimonharper: "Cunning!" laughed birthday boy Alex Turner as he casually mocked yet another question put to him while I attempted to interview him and @matthelders one grey day in Southampton way back in early 2007. They'd just put the finishing touches to their 2nd album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, and having heard an advance copy, I was probing them for details into this latest chapter of their very unique phenomenon. They'd exploded into public consciousness at the tail end of 2005 when their debut single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor shot to No.1, but as a group remained incredibly detached from their success, and especially the rigmaroles involved with promoting their music, and so interviews with them could be tough. I consider Alex Turner one of the greatest lyricists this country has ever produced - certainly from the last 15 years - but despite his way with words, in conversation he's notoriously brief, reliant on the banter of his band mates, and never short on sarcasm. This would be the first of three interviews I'd conduct with the group - next was in London in '09, then again in '10 in Frankfurt, where after that night's gig we engaged in a long drunken chat where I remember enlightening him on the virtues of Gram Parsons. Anyway, his retort was at my suggestion that his lyrics tend to cunningly deflect the notion that they're about him personally. Does it get boring talking about his lyrics, I asked? "It can be sometimes," he said. "Not boring, just quite challenging sometimes." Because he doesn't always know what they mean? "No, because like I think I probably did but it's almost like that much happens and stuff and you sort of do other songs and then you're like, 'Wait a minute...' and then it just sounds like you're lying." How personal can he get in his lyrics, I wondered. Would he write about things he wouldn't normally tell other people? "Yeah, definitely," he said, "probably cos you can get away with it." And he does, very well! Happy birthday Alex!

[evelhak]

Hey! So we talked about Kuroko and Haizaki, and now I’m curious in your vision of other Kuroko interactions.

Not shipwise, since I know you only do kagakuro, but in terms of dynamics, what are your fav characters to write Kuroko with?

Lets say, top 3 GoM and top 3 non-Gom?

Oh my friend how you're letting me go nuts again.

May I suggest you get a cup of your favourite drink and maybe some snacks?

Also how do you expect me to choose...? Hmm okay, to make things slightly easier for myself I'll exclude Kagami of course since I've been talking about them a lot already and I also believe I've talked about Momoi at length at least twice in relation to Kuroko so I'll define GOM in the strictest sense for this, but I also won't count either of them as non-GOM haha. I hope that makes sense.

Okay, not surprisingly, I'm going to start with Aomine. I love writing him with Kuroko particularly because when he's at his worst they are absolute poison to each other and they don't really even know it for lot of the time or at least understand why, and that makes for peak relationships drama. (It's complex and I love it.) They have a particular way of feeding each other's weaknesses. When Aomine is stressed out, average Kuroko's communication style and philosophy actually makes him worse in the long run. Also Aomine at his worst makes Kuroko worse. This is because Kuroko's weaknesses at his most stressed resemble some of average Aomine's weaknesses (anxious, lonely and pessimistic) while average Kuroko's optimism and understanding actually give Aomine more room to spiral down because what he's subconsciously looking for is pushback and someone he can trust to practically force him to get it together and average Kuroko is always going to be too accepting for that. However. Here's the cool part. Aomine at his best has some of the strengths of average Kuroko (loyal, secure, taking care of others) which is why when he's getting better he's drawn to Kuroko's typical idealism and particularly when Kuroko is getting worse, Aomine actually steps up, and can empathise with Kuroko at his weakest because while it's a rock bottom for Kuroko it's all actually pretty mundane to Aomine and he can stay quite level-headed about it. Meanwhile Kuroko at his best can direct the same qualities productively as Aomine at his worst does destructively (confidence, independence, stubbornness), and that's why at his best Kuroko appears like he has got the answers Aomine has been looking for after all, because Aomine is actually looking for trust but he needs hard proof for it unlike Kuroko who at his average is just able to trust that things will turn out alright for no particular reason. This is in a nutshell why I love writing the larger scale of their dynamic. It just makes for such interesting plot twists.

Also it's so God damn funny sometimes. Like, I was writing a scene where Kuroko is pretty significantly sick and Aomine is pretty significantly enlightened and although it was a rather serious scene in my story, I just happened to come across a song from some musical that illustrates the inherent comedy of their practically reversed dynamic a 100%.

For contrast here's bit from Kuroko's POV when he had to take care of drunk Aomine:

I just find them hilarious to write and they bring me so much joy.

Then, I suppose the next one will have to be Kise. I just love how they poke at each other's insecurities and how incompatible their communication styles are. You're probably seeing a theme here? I just love it when characters' personalities collide in a way that causes a lot of friction and ultimately provides opportunities for growth, so long as both are eventually willing to go out of their comfort zone. Of course it's only so satisfying because there's so much they can help each other learn, which is true here as well. Kise and Kuroko can both be particularly annoying to each other, because Kise has this habit of putting the burden of interpretation of how serious he is on the other person and that really doesn't work with Kuroko so he's often particularly dismissive of Kise. And while Kise seems like he's bothered by it I think he actually finds it reassuring because it means that with Kuroko he can be as goofy, flirty, needy and attention-seeking as he pleases with zero consequences because Kuroko just deflects it. Obviously Kise actually doesn't want the kind of attention from his friends that he gets from elsewhere, so at his core he doesn't actually feel rejected by Kuroko, he feels quite secure. Meanwhile, I think Kuroko secretly likes the attention he's getting from Kise, because everyone needs some attention. Kise is getting too much so he finds Kuroko relaxing and Kuroko is getting too little so he finds Kise refreshing. And annoying. Because Kuroko actually craves direct and genuine interaction the most, and that's why Kise's way of avoiding it can get really tiresome for him, meanwhile Kise becomes instantly self-conscious and evasive when Kuroko attempts to get some unambiguously genuine expression of feelings out of him (unless they're on the basketball court of course where it's suddenly okay to let things go to your feels). So, as I want to develop their communication I end up writing stuff where Kuroko is quite fed up with their shallow interactions and attempts to get more under Kise's skin, which of course is way too much emotional work for Kise. But it slowly gets better, of course.

A lot of their interactions for me are also based on how Kuroko needs more of Kise's easy breezy "do things for the heck of it and don't think about the deeper meaning" attitude while Kise obviously needs the exact opposite and Kuroko is a great person to make him think about what things he's just doing because it's easy and provides instant gratification, and which things he would actually find meaningful in the long run. Kise has opportunities to make Kuroko less serious and Kuroko has opportunities to make Kise more so. I think Kuroko very much dislikes any shallow or vain feelings that he has and rejects them, but Kise can help him be more comfortable with that part of humanity, while Kise is scared of his deeper feelings, and Kuroko can help him with that instead. So both can find that the feelings they dislike in themselves or make them anxious still have their place and it's better to get acquainted with them.

It takes quite some time for them to get to a point they can understand this because it's obviously not fun trying to consciously work on your insecurities, but when they get there it's really satisfying.

Now I kind of feel like showing this development. So, here are three scene's from Kuroko's POV. Although two of them are with Kagami, but they are talking about Kise.

First one is a conversation on the phone.

About ten chapters later with Kise:

And then about 20 chapters later:

I just wanted to show you because writing this kind of development makes me so excited. (The sport they're talking about is quidditch/quadball.)

The third place is a really tough one because I enjoy writing Kuroko's interactions with every GOM and I think the reason I'm going to have to pick Midorima is actually not because I inherently prefer him, it's because his interactions with Kuroko naturally happen more because he lives closer than Akashi and Murasakibara. But this is how it is because the more I write interactions with characters the more I begin to like them. Kuroko and Midorima are a blast because of their completely opposing conceptualisations of the world. The funny thing is that they might not actually be as opposing as they seem, it's just that they are looking at the same thing from different angles and describing it in language that leads them to believe they disagree more than they do. Yes they also have completely different strategies to getting where they want but maybe it's not as stark as they sometimes seem to believe. This is where the most friction in their relationship comes from and I have done my absolute best to be fair about it, because I am so much more likely to see things in Kuroko's way and I despise horoscopes. So I think another reason I like to write these two so much is that it challenges my objectivity in a particular way.

Anyway, basically Midorima describes fate as something that is above humans while Kuroko basically says you can make your own fate, if you really simplify it.

But. I have these song lyrics in my mind...

"You can plan a pretty picnic, you can pick the perfect time, but you can't expect the weather to be fine".

That thought is still true for both of them. They would both agree to that from their different perspectives. So their views are not actually complete opposites. Just their reactions and how they deal with it, are.

As funny as it sounds, Midorima is actually uncomfortable with the 'supernatural' or abstract unseen realm of things, and that's why he's looking at sources outside of himself to control his thoughts about that which is uncertain. Meanwhile Kuroko can just casually be like "hey what if a meteorite hit the bench" and "cool let's go look for ghosts I've never actually seen one" because he doesn't fear the uncertainty. He is the uncertainty. For Midorima that is his pressure point. Kuroko gets strength from the thought that anything can happen because he feels familiar with and in control of the uncertain, so he believes he can work it to his advantage. For Midorima the idea that anything can happen is daunting because it feels like it pulls the rug from under him and his hard work. He just genuinely doesn't understand that realm of things, much like Kuroko just genuinely doesn't understand cold hard facts and numbers. And that's why they have trouble understanding each other, because they are always approaching things so differently even when they desire the same conclusion.

Anyway. I wanted to do something with Midorima that I felt canon didn't really do. I wanted his way of thinking to get Kuroko off guard and even question his view of reality a little. I wanted Midorima to be able to foresee something about Kuroko because of his strange relationship with fate and I wanted Kuroko to dismiss it because he thinks his way of thinking is above Midorima's. And ultimately Kuroko would be wrong. I thought this would bring more depth to their relationship.

I'm going to show you one key scene in that plot to illustrate some of the tensions in their interactions. This is Kuroko's POV and they are at Suutoku's cultural festival where Midorima is doing fortune-telling from tea leafs.

Alright, that's it for the GOM. I wonder if there's a limit with post length...

Then the others.

Well, there's Ogiwara. And he was not so discussed in depth in canon that I have definitely developed some of his personality on my own. He was obviously contrasted with Kagami and Aomine a lot and explicitly said to have some similarities but the way I see him, he is also similar to Momoi and Kiyoshi in a particular and pretty defining aspect, and that is that he can control the emotional atmosphere of the room. So, while Aomine and Kagami have a lot of physical presence, Ogiwara and these other two characters have a lot of social presence. But the way I see it Ogiwara is also the least manipulative of these examples, pretty chill in the way that he has less of an objective, like it's rarer for him to try to manipulate things to a particular end although he generally could if he wanted to. And I think that's because he mostly just wants everyone to be happy and to have a good time, which aligns well with Kuroko's instincts, so it's no wonder if their friendship was a pretty uncomplicated one before shit hit the fan.

There's actually very little conflict between them in canon that has anything to do with them as individuals. However that's also what makes the relationship kind of stagnant and less interesting because when there's no outside force, then there's nothing about them as people that makes them push each other enough to create the level of conflict and opportunity for growth as there is with some other characters. In some ways that's refreshing, but only as a breath of fresh air. Basically in a story it just makes for nice filler. There isn't enough meat to write for an extended period of time.

That's why, if I wanted to keep Ogiwara in the story in any meaningful way, I had to make something up, and I do enjoy what I came up with. A lot. One key aspect is miscommunication that is due to the fact that although Ogiwara is socially very smooth he doesn't quite understand that Kuroko is actually significantly less so, probably because Kuroko still has emotional intelligence and the ability to match a more a dominant personality (I mean this in a broad sense, not like dominating or something) in a way that makes interaction feel smooth, because the other person is the leading force whether they mean to be or not because Kuroko can pretty much just make it so. (Like in Kagami's case it's more like Kuroko is redirecting a lot of Kagami's emotions so he's not actually dominating it's more like he's Kuroko's 'material' unlike Ogiwara who actually means to lead the interaction.) So, Ogiwara has a habit of implying things, hinting at things, speaking with gestures and believing that Kuroko understands what he's saying, but actually the implications go completely over Kuroko's head. For example, their whole promise: Kuroko didn't understand that more than anything, for Ogiwara it was about staying in touch. Of course facing each other in a game was important and exciting in and of itself, but Kuroko took that way more literally than Ogiwara meant it, and became so single-minded about this one thing he thought his friend wanted from him, that he actually kind of forgot about talking, which led Ogiwara to misinterpreted it as Kuroko not missing their everyday interaction as much as he does. Because Ogiwara thought the implication of their promise was totally clear, while to Kuroko it wasn't. It takes kind of a lot to start seeing why things that are totally clear to one aren't so for another, so they repeat this miscommunication several times and it stretches out into the future so much that it turns out Kuroko's view of their childhood is in some significant ways different from Ogiwara's view of the same events.

Writing more of them together I also found that Ogiwara sees Kuroko in a quite different way from most people and can sometimes say stuff that other people probably wouldn't say:

I'm not saying he's right or wrong, and out of context it may seem like he's undermining the fact that Kuroko didn't have much options, but it's more complicated than that, just too much to explain here. I just put this here because it's interesting contrast to write someone with a little bit different perspective to some things, because his key points with Kuroko have been so different from that of the other characters in the canon timeline which Ogiwara was mostly absent for.

A character whose interactions with Kuroko I actually write way less than I would like is Furihata. Because they have similar temperaments in ways pretty much no other characters do, and I feel they would make the kind of friends who are perfect for peer support and venting to, if either of them could just be a little more proactive about it, but that's the difficulty with a similar temperament, isn't it? It's not just my fault, it's not just that the story is already so bloated from these other relationships, it's that both of them are also going to respect each other's space too much and are generally the type to just sort of let things in relationships develop in their own time. Obviously they both have a lot of drive to make things happen when they need to, but when they don't need to, they are both the type to be more likely to just sit back and watch things develop. So circumstances would need to force them closer to get closer. So far such circumstances happen here and there but not that much. Most often it's Furihata needing emotional support and Kuroko being there, because he has already gone through the same thing. This happens several times in my writing. It takes a while for things to turn the other way around because Furihata is more likely to seek comfort from someone, and Kuroko is more reserved in that way, but once Furihata grows aware of their similarities and differences he also makes more effort to make sure Kuroko knows he can be relied upon too, which fits quite well with Furihata's growth into a captain which is part of my headcanon too.

This is probably his sharpest moment so far, after Seirin's darkest moment in my story. (Kagami's POV)

Then there's Yagi who practically counts as an OC because I've invented like 90% of his personality but I love him so I'm going to talk about him. Yagi is sort of like if Aomine and Furihata fused in some ways. His insecurities come from lack of experience and skills but he reacts to them in a similar way as Aomine to his overwhelming skills, feeling like he's alone and no one can possibly help him. He's more even-tempered and timid, but his negativity comes through in a passive-agressive way and he basically needs someone to kick his butt at all times and he punishes people emotionally if they don't. You can imagine this creates some very intense conflict with Kuroko whose gentle approach to helping Yagi integrate into the team just... doesn't work AT ALL because he's an even harder person for Kuroko to be tough on than Aomine. Kuroko can kick butt when it's Kagami or another openly aggressive person as long as they are not being vulnerable. But Yagi is like... Nope. Nothing is getting through because he wants someone to boss him around but you're supposed to figure that out on your own and Kuroko wants someone who will tell him what they need from him. Match made in heaven right. Well, still it's not hopeless once Kuroko does figure out which string to pull (with the help of Aomine haha). But yeah, it's a minefield. (Not to mention Yagi also starts out as homophobic.) But they do develop when Kuroko realises that he needs something new to help him stay out of sight and Yagi is exactly that because he's radiating negative, passive energy as much as Kagami is radiating positive, active energy so when Kuroko uses both of them he has a double cover as the neutral point between these two energies. But what makes this difficult for Kuroko to figure out is that while Kuroko is technically using Kagami to hide himself he's not using Kagami in a sense that he would need to control him. Kagami is doing what Kagami wants, and Kuroko is using that which Kagami would be doing anyway. But Yagi isn't going to do anything unless someone makes him. It is when Kuroko realizes that Yagi is actually begging to be used, that the game changes. Despite of appearing otherwise Yagi has basically zero ego. He just wants to be useful but he wants other people to tell him how. (Akashi should have used someone like Yagi not Mayu lol.) This was difficult for Kuroko to get, because despite of being as team-oriented as he is, being a shadow was still always a sacrifice for him. Had he been able to he would have wanted to be more "normal". And he still does have enough ego to want to create something for himself and be in control even if it's in a less traditional more subtle way, and he mistakenly believed Yagi would want the same. But Yagi doesn't have that kind of desire. Kuroko is willing to sacrifice himself. Yagi enjoys it. Yagi is a "soldier". Well, in this case, Kuroko is the trickster and Yagi is the rabbit= the star of the magic show who isn't actually doing anything but who things are being done to.

Or...? (Kuroko's POV)

I just love to play with metaphors.

I don't have the best action writing skills to get the most exciting games out of this idea (and a lot of it is probably so out there that it wouldn't even work) but I am actually very proud of how it plays in the interpersonal and metaphorical realm of the story.

Okay. That's it for now. Looks like I didn't run out of space. I hope I managed to keep you interested.

[thethirdromana]

In honour of Doctor Who's 60th birthday, here are 60* things that I like about less popular** Doctor Who stories.

(*in multiple posts because I'm falling foul of the character limit)

(**IMDB rating of less than 7/10)

1. Susan is great in The Sensorites. She's at her absolute best in stories like this where she gets to be genuinely a bit alien and a bit weird.

2. "So," said someone at the BBC, "we're going to produce an allegory for different political systems, using insects. Choreographed by a mime artist. On a budget of about £2.50." The Web Planet might not entirely have succeeded, but my god, you have to love that they tried.

3. They introduced Jamie, the best companion, in The Highlanders! How is does this have less than a 7/10 rating, what is wrong with you people. It's Jamie.

4. I applaud the utter bonkersness of The Underwater Menace, and Patrick Troughton really gives it socks.

5. The Wheel in Space is proper 60s sci-fi: Servo-Robots, x-ray lasers, radio beams! I can practically smell Penguin mass-market paperbacks thinking about it. And with the introduction of Zoe, it completes my all-time favourite TARDIS team.

6. The Dominators contains the Quarks, who are adorable. They weren't supposed to be, but it doesn't matter.

7. Zoe is still relatively new to the TARDIS, but she has heaps to do in The Krotons. Nice having a female companion who's written as smart and capable.

8. We have entered the 70s, so with Colony in Space, we get Social Issues. Especially an Evil Mining Corporation, which are always fun.

9. More Social Issues in The Mutants, but this time they're paired with big sci-fi ideas. Ancient tablets! Strange life cycles! Love how much is going on here.

10. The Time Monster is like the Eurovision of Doctor Who. Deeply silly, but what would Doctor Who be without silliness? I'm sorry about Jo's coccyx too.

11. I love that they returned to Peladon in The Monster of Peladon, especially with the 50-year time jump. I'd like to see that kind of follow-up more often.

12. Is it not cool to love K9 any more? Well, I like my Doctor Who with a dose of silliness, and The Invisible Enemy delivered that. Every time traveller needs a robot dog.

13. The design of the Seers in Underworld is excellent, I love a brass dome.

14. Doctor Who doesn't have enough giant squidmonsters looming on the horizons. I'm glad the The Power of Kroll does something to address the deficit.

15. The Creature from the Pit gave us the line "a teaspoon and an open mind", and I appreciate it for that at least.

16. Romana wears one of her best of many splendid outfits in The Horns of Nimon.

17. I liked all the arch dialogue between the Doctor, Enlightenment and Persuasion in Four to Doomsday.

18. Heathrow airport is an underrated setting. I also appreciate how Time-Flight prominently features Concorde, making it far more 80s than they could ever have planned.

19. I don't intend this to be damning with faint praise (even though it probably sounds like it) but my favourite thing about Arc of Infinity is that we get a little jaunt through 80s Amsterdam. I do love a tram.

20. Babyfaced Martin Clunes doing his spoiled princeling thing in Snakedance is enjoyably disconcerting.

21. Terminus is tense and scary and bleak. Another one that I'd expected to be more highly rated.

22. Warriors of the Deep gives us a very solid base under siege. Silurians + Cold War is a winning combination.

23. Landing in a modern village doing a historical re-enactment in The Awakening is a witty touch.

24. I can’t say I enjoyed the idea of the Doctor’s violent moods in The Twin Dilemma, but I have to commend it as a punchy way to introduce the new regeneration.

25. The Mark of the Rani should surely get some love just for introducing the Rani: camp, delightful, iconic.

26. Herbert turning out to be HG Wells in Timelash is a lovely twist and handled well.

27. The Trial of a Time Lord is so grand and ambitious. If the show hadn't been struggling in general at this point, it would be among the all-time greats.

28. With its colour-coded gangs and faux-urban slang, Paradise Towers is gloriously of its time in a way that currently feels quite naff, but that I suspect will be fascinating to revisit in about 30 years.  

29. Delta and the Bannermen is action-packed and has one of the best titles in 80s Who.

30. Possibly the most terrifying moment in all of Doctor Who is Kane's face melting in Dragonfire. This series is nothing if it doesn't send children running for safety behind the sofa.

31. Got to love it when Who gets aggressively anti-Thatcher, and they never did it more than in The Happiness Patrol.

[mydarllinglover]

Stars Collided || Six

Previous

Anakin and Lovisa layed in the grass, watching the clouds, neither one had spoke, in a while, just enjoying each other’s company, but that’s when a thought had entered the Princess’s mind.

"When this threat is over, and I go back to the palace, will I see you again?" She asked him.

"Why? Trying to get rid of me, already?" He turned his head to look at her, the corner of his mouth raising.

"Perhaps." She played along, as her own lips turned upwards.

"Oh! You wound me princess!" He pretended to stab his heart, as he rolled away from her, dramatically.

"Hey!" She laughed, rolling after him, but as she got close enough, he had pulled her on top of him. "You're an idiot." She slapped his chest.

"And you look wonderful, from this angle." His hands moved to hold her back, and her waist.

"Only this angle?" She asked, teasingly, as she moved to sit on top of him more comfortably.

"M'lady, you look phenomenal, no matter the angle, the time of day, or the setting, but particularly right here, may be one of my favourite times to see you."

"I grow more and more confused, everytime you open your mouth, wondering how on earth you became a Jedi, when you could be writing poetry."

"Well, princess, I have many talents." He smirked.

"Oh, really? Well, enlighten me." She pushed. Lovisa had the deepest urge to know every single thing about this man, as her hands rested beside his head, keeping her up and looking at his perfect face.

"I can fix things, and I build stuff, very talented with my hands." He squeezed her waist, as he said this, and she could swear his eyes even lit up, as she blushed. "And I'm a damn good Jedi, it's disappointing you've never seen me in combat, then I know you would never be able to resist me."

"You're awfully full of yourself." She chuckled.

"No, your highness, just confident."

"Ani, stop with the titles." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lovisa, but I'm rather nervous, having the kings daughter on top of me, right now, y'know, if anyone was to discover us, right now, I'd probably be hung."

Lovisa looked around the vast land of space, not a person was in sight.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing that nobody is around, then."

"Oh, my, you are truly scandalous, what would people say?" He gasped.

Lovisa laughed at his dramatic tendencies, before kissing him, softly, she needed another fix, too many hours had passed since last night, and he was just too intoxicating to resist, it was almost insufferable.

Anakin's eyes fluttered shut instantly, as he followed her movements, taking everything in, memorising it.

"See, you couldn't even last a day, I knew you found me attractive." His eyes were still closed, as his head fell back down, in the grass.

"You're lucky, that's all you've got going for you." She lied.

Anakin then rolled over, so that he was now on top of her.

"Admit it, you find me irresistible, and charming, you think I'm extremely funny."

"Oh yes, the funniest thing you do, is when you don't even mean to, when you think you're being taken seriously, that is hilarious." She rolled him over again, so she was back on top.

"That's it." He pulled her against him, and they ended up rolling down the hill, laughing loudly, until eventually they came to a stop, and miraculously, Lovisa was still on top.

She kissed him again, and she didn't pull away anytime soon, and neither had he.

His hand moved from her back, to intertwine in her hair, keeping her head close to his.

As the days in their solitude went on, Lovisa and Anakin often spent their days together, whether it be layed in the grass, his head in her lap, as she read aloud to him, or he'd watch as she painted the beautiful sight of the lake district, which he was elated to discover that she was a phenomenal artist.

But Lovisa kicked herself, when she realised that Anakin had been right, because watching him practise with his sword, had her thoughts whirring so much, that she couldn't even make sense of what they were.

She found that she couldn't even keep her eyes off him for a second, she even forgot to blink, until her eyes were tearing up, and stinging.

And he hadn't even noticed, not at all, he was too deeply rooted into his movements.

She was starting to wish she had been a Jedi, just to watch him at this all day, everyday.

When he had finally put it down, he didn't have a second to even move, before she pounced on him, kissing him hard and desperately, and of course he was quick enough to catch her, and meeting her needs.

They had also spent their time, sneaking around the castle, from her sister, and the staff, making out in dark hallways, refusing to get caught, but not being able to resist the temptation.

A small inkling in Anakin's mind made him think that's what was fuelling the fire in their intimacy, the thrill of them getting caught was what made it even more exciting, for Lovisa, but he pushed it away, instead telling himself, that she really did like him, and her title and his job was just an obstacle in their happiness.

Twelve days had passed, when the two walked into the dining room, for dinner, Padme and Senator Rush Clovis were sat at the table, their handmaidens were where they were normally supposed to be, stood at the wall, waiting to be needed.

"Hello, Lovisa" Rush smiled at her. "And you must be the Jedi, looking after our beloved Princesses."

"I am, sir, senator, my name is Anakin, Anakin Skywalker." He introduced himself.

"What is he doing here?" Lovisa asked Padme, staring at the man.

Anakin subtly guided the girl to the table, and he sat down beside her, but made sure to keep his distance, like they normally did, around people.

"Rush was kind enough, to come see me." Padme told her, a warning in her eyes. "We just missed each other,

terribly."

"Its barely been a week." Lovisa pointed out, bluntly.

"Lovey, its nearly been two weeks."

"No, it hasn't." She shook her head.

"Yes, it has." She laughed, unsurely.

"Well, why did he come, why not Mother and Father?"

"Can you not be so quizzical, and just be happy for me?" She almost begged her little sister.

"You know, Lovey, I actually have a friend, that asks about you, often, He's also an senator, I would love to set the both of you up, with your parents permission, of course." Rush spoke to her, a smile on his lips.

Lovisa could feel the jealousy rolling off of Anakin, wow, he must be really serious about me, she thought.

She picked up her glass of strawberry milk, and sipped it, slowly, until eventually, she was just sucking air through her straw, making that god awful noise.

"It's all gone." Padme told her.

Reluctantly, she set it down.

"Rush, that will not be necessary, I have no interest in associating myself with anyone who has the power to fix issues that they act ignorant to, I have no desire to date, either." She told him, bluntly.

His face dropped.

Anakin wanted to impale himself on his own sword, when he had mistakenly made eye contact with Lovisa's sister, who had instantly darted to look at him.

She knows His head screamed at him. No, she doesn't, calm down, It also said.

"May I ask again, why are you here?" Lovisa asked "Senator Rush Clovis?" She made a point to call him by his full name, a reminder to him, to use hers, only people she cared for, got to shorten her name. Not even Anakin had called her that, yet, and she had his tongue in her mouth, more times than she’s ever even spoken to Rush.

"Well, Princess, I actually had something I wanted to ask your sister." He nervously looked around, as he scratched the back of his head. "If we could have some privacy" He looked to Anakin.

"The Jedi stays." Lovisa decided. "He is here for our protection, you know, someone is out there, after the both of us"

"Yes, well, I doubt anyone is going to attack you in here" He teased. "It is only I, and I can assure you, that you are safe with me."

"I haven't ruled you out, yet."

Padme continued to glower at her sister.

"So, whatever you have to say in front of me, you can say in front of my Jedi."

"My Jedi" Anakin's inner voice screamed.

"Very well." He cleared his throat. "Padme, my love" Rush then pushed out of his chair, as he stood in front of the oldest Amidala sister, taking her hands in his, then he dropped to one knee.

Lovisa's eyes bulged out of her head, as she watched what he was doing, he was taking her sister away from her.

"Will you make me the happiest man on the planet, and marry me?" Rush asked, opening a small box, containing a ring.

Lovisa hated that it was beautiful.

"Say no, say no, say no, say no, say no, say no!" She chanted, mentally.

"Oh, Rush!" Padme gushed. "Of course I'll marry you." She kissed him.

"Ahem!" Lovisa coughed, loudly, forcing them to pull apart. "Not only have you ruined my appetite. But you also leave me with a question."

"Which is?" Padme asked, annoyed that her younger sister was ruining her big moment.

"How are you supposed to get married, if you're to become queen, and you're a Senator? I'm pretty sure that's not allowed" She knew full well it wasn't allowed. “Are you planning on quitting your position?” She turned to the man.

"Funnily enough, we've discussed this." Padme replied. “With Mother and Father.”

"You have?" She furrowed her brows.

"Yes, and I decided that ..." She grabbed Rushes hand, as she took in a deep breaths. "I'm giving up my heritage to the throne, instead, I've also been offered a seat, as a Senator, so that I can still be involved in Naboo, Father offered me it."

"What?" Lovisa gasped. "But, Padme! You're next in line! If you're not to be queen, then who will?! It won't be in our family anymore, what will happen to the Kingdom, You're throwing your whole future away for what?! Some guy?! Being in love?! Why the hell would you even think about throwing your life away for a man?!”

"Lovey, The crown will still be in our family, because you will reign." Padme reminded her, "I'm passing over the job of being the heir, to you."

"No!" Lovisa stood up. "How could you do this, without even consulting me! I'm not fit to be queen! That is not my role. You were born for it, conditioned for it, I can't take your place."

"Well, you have to." Padme shrugged. “Father agreed, he’s already decided.”

"How long has this been planned?!”

“A while.” She answered, casually.

“What?!” She threw her hands up in the air. “You all knew, and no one told me?! Why would no one tell me?! This is unfair!”

“Because Mother knew this was how you would react, Father was planning to do it, but, I didn’t exactly know I was being proposed to, honestly Lovey, you are ruining my big moment, you’re being rather selfish.” Padme folded her arms across her chest.

They both had forgotten they were not alone, until now.

“I can't be queen, I've made too many mistakes in my life."

"Lovisa, You're 19." Padme rolled her eyes.

"I don't need judgement from you." She scowled, standing from the table. "Ani, Ahsoka."

"Yes, your highness." They both said, at the same time, following after her, each earning a glare from the girl, as they side eyed each other.

Next

[totallynotokguys]

Lego Monkie Kid Rewatch: Season 3

Episode 7, Cooking with Chang'e

Chang'e! When first watching this show, Chang'e's story was one of the only chinese mythologies I knew, and I loved her story. So you know I was hyped to see how LMK chose to interpret her.

Over the Moon is still my favourite media adaption of her.

Like Tang, Pigsy also gets the JTTW funhouse mirror treatment. Zhu Baijie is super lazy? Lets make Pigsy the hardest working demon in the show! Zhu Baijie constantly at odds with Wukong because the monkey is either ruining his fun ("no! you totally killed that demon I thought was a hot girl!") or making him do extra work (tripitaka: "monkey's taking too long. i'm worried." sends baijie to check on him)? Pigsy can still have beef with Wukong, but this time its out of protectiveness toward MK. Zhu Baijie never gaining enlightenment because he couldn't master his base desires? Pigsy has to literally stay away from pingpong tables as if he's allergic because he has no self control and needs others to intervene to stop him once he starts. Zhu Baijie got kicked out of the heavenly realm because he hit on Chang'e? Pigsy will be the 1# fan of Chang'e cooking show.

Wukong's rocket sound effects and playing with his food. This is everything to me.

Why isn't Sandy saying anything about MK taking apart his camper to turn it into a rocket? The guy is always so concerned and sad when his rides get smashed.

Ah. That's why.

Funny how the gang just casually forgets about Sandy the same way the fandom does.

"Can he just do that? Get new powers whenever he wants?"

Tang being the 25% of the fandom that rightfully questioned MK's powers.

Me and the other 75% who just accepted it because it was cool.

Ah how I pity my naive past self.

"I still believe in you. Maybe you just need a stronger motivator."

And then Wukong steps up to reveal he coulda been doing in this whole time, literally blowing everyone away.

But not because he's lazy like some people think. Rather, because he's a good mentor. He encouraged MK to try first, using positive words to try and stoke MK's confidence. And when MK fails, he assures his pupil he still believes in him and they just need to find some better motivation. The only reason he's stepping forward now is because they don't have time to let MK work his way through the problem like in season 1 (example: s1ep7 The Impossible Delivery. Wukong tells MK what his issue is and how he can work through it, then lets him stew over it on his own time).

"I've never even made a rocket ship before! Can you believe that!"

Look at how happy this guy is! Just look! He's finally having a new experience, doing something he's never done before, in who knows how many generations. Can you just imagine the amount of happy sauce pouring into his brain right now!

Side note: Wukong designed this. Just think about that for a moment.

That cute winky face with a bow tie, the bajillion levers and buttons to fiddle with, the firework esc shape. This ship comes straight out of the Monkey King's imagination. This is his style, his signature. And its cute and goofy.

"OMG! That might be the cutest thing I ever saw!"

Friendly reminder that Wukong is indestructible and can appreciate great designs without pesky mortal terror or annoying survival instincts getting in the way.

"The old ring triggered the alarm system trick."

Favourite quote of the episode. Thank you Sean Schemmel for this awesome line delivery.

"Come on bud, gold vision."

So is this the 'stronger motivator' you were talking about?

Wukong just letting MK squash him through a grate because he's a good mentor trying to build up MK's confidence by letting him take the lead in the adventures.

I promise MK won't feel less like a hero if you just turn into a bunny or something for a moment. Pigsy would probably appreciate not being suffocated by your stony weight.

MK literally using his past failure for his present success! Love it!

Turned the camper mini instead of into a rocket ship? Okay, not what he was going for. But hey, doesn't mean its not useful in a different circumstance! What a positive message!

Look at this positive ball of moonshine!

Love this girl so much. She found a way to enjoy her life on the moon doing something she loves. Chang'e is just thriving in this modern age where distance doesn't seclude you from finding mutuals and being social. Her being a tv star and probably influencer just makes so much sense.

"Why I never! Oh you better believe we'll be having WORDS when we get home, young man!"

Anyone else get flashbacks?

It's good to see Pigsy find reconciliation with Chang'e considering Zhu Baijie past mistake.

[lithium-poet]

𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓲𝓶 & 𝓌𝒽𝓎

𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 - 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐲

They say I'm too young to love you They say I'm too dumb to see They judge me like a picture book By the colors, like they forgot to read

Well, my boyfriend's in a band He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed I've got feathers in my hair I get down to Beat poetry And my jazz collection's rare I can play most anything I'm a Brooklyn baby I'm a Brooklyn baby

D's a total jazz nerd and we sometimes play jazz together in band. Almost every lyric of this song fits so well!!

He has a collection of rare jazz vinyls just sitting in the music room and i'm the only one so far who is allowed to put them on whenever i want. I feel so special...!

On top of that, i'm a songwriter and the way i write is that i never actually sit down and type my lyrics up in a google doc, but i go outside and write free verses here and there, like poetry. We talk about this a lot <3

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲 - 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐲

This song is one of my favourites, if not my absolute top lana del rey song, both sonically and lyrically. I have loved this song for a very long time, but upon befriending him, this song has been rebirthed into a new layer of meaning.

I just think the feeling is captured so well in the lyricism of this song - what's the worst that could happen to a girl who's already hurt? i just wanna dance with you.

He once told me that he is so glad that I, out of all people, is one of the people that talk to him the most, and that he always manages to leave our conversation feeling a little happier, or a little more enlightened, or a little mroe reflective. That is probably the greatest thing I have achieved to date.

So what if this ill-fated unrequited romance that is being documented in this blog is an ostentation of contempt concerning the romantic dogma that our society has laid out for us? What if our relationship is tightroping on the periphery of blatant favouritism and acceptable professionalism?

If this makes the both of us manage to forage some sense of peace and stillness in this ever-changing dumpster fire chaos of a world, then I don't care.

I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.

I just wanna dance with you.

𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐭 - 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐳

Just a classic tc community theme song ♡

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 - 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

We talk a lot about the meaning of life and how to make peace with the lack thereof, so that's part of the reason that this song reminds me of us.

However, these lines specifically relate to something else:

Drowning out the morning birds With the same three songs over and over I wish I wrote it, but I didn't, so I learn the words Hum along 'til the feeling's gone forever

I have recently come to the point in both my personal life and my education in which raw intelligence isn't enough to compete with concrete efforts anymore. The gifted kid burnout, as some may say. I've been talking to him about it.

He told me he thinks that i'm the smartest human to have ever existed (well, jokingly), and i eventually have to get over the unreasonable jealousy of others' creativity to reach my true potential.

"Hum along 'til the feeling's gone forever" also reminds me of an idiom he says a lot during band rehearsals: "we sing the blues because we have the blues". Relating back to the previous point about the insignificance of human existence, he thinks that jazz is a form of heroism - to make peace with this insignificance. I agree with him.

𝐦𝐞 & 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐠 - 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬

i played this song on the piano for him and he was really impressed with both my singing and my piano abilities, as it's not my main instrument.

It was also that same lunch period that I realised I've been getting special treatement from him. I was eating my lunch at the piano while browsing ultimate guitar tabs, and another student walked in. They were shocked that he just lets me eat my lunch there, as it's strictly prohibited for everyone else as far as I'm concerned. He laughed it off and just made some lame excuse about band. That was one of my favourite memories with him.

I didn't wanna be this guy I cried at your show with the teenagers Tell you friend I'll be alright In the morning it won't matter

This chorus reminds me of this other time he sang and played on the piano for me when it was just us in the music room and i almost cried. It was a very stressful time of my life and it was just such a beautiful moment. Just me, him, music, alone in a room, and spring was breaking loose outside the window.

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 - 𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭

He had wanted to lend me a book on finding stillness in the constant motion of this universe, but it was left in his old house in another city. How ironic, I said.

I want auroras and sad prose I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet 'Cause I haven't moved in years And I want you right here

After he talked to me about it, I decided to go on a walk in the woods that weekend without music. Just me, my thoughts, and the delicate chorus of snow melting on the ground, crows whining from afar, and the rustle of early spring breeze, still young with the sharpness of adolescence, grazing against the skin on my exposed neck.

On Monday I went back to school and told him about my experience. He said he was happier about I felt genuine peace in those 30 minutes in the woods than our concert band winning the regionals competition which we had been preparing for months (this is not the band I usually refer to when I say we play in a band together, by the way). I didn't know what to say, but I felt positively elated in every single part of my body.

𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 - 𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭

He gives me a lot of advice. Well, I do seek them from him quite often, since I am feeling a bit lost in life right now. As Sylvia Plath puts it, he is "some older, wiser being [I] cry to".

He had told me that I don't need to figure out what to do with the rest of my time in this pathetic little game known as existence, which is somehow simultaneously the most significant and most insignificant thing, but that's talk for another day. Even though society makes it seem like the decisions you make as a teenager - your course selections, your extracurriculars, which college you go to - dictates the course of the rest of your entire life, it's actually not that deep. I'm not "running out of time". I've got my whole life ahead of me, I'm bearly midway through being a teenager.

Dear reader, you don't have to answer Just 'cause they asked you

𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐲 - 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥

He had reharmonised this song for a friend of his who absolutely hates it. I love it however. He sent me the audio file of him playing the version that he re-imagined on the piano with some drums in the background and I listen to it whenever I'm feeling anxious. It's really comforting. It reminds me of all the things we had talked about and how everything is really not that deep. It makes me re-ground myself in my current physical location. It's a gentle love letter to the present, a souvenir of the memories we have already created together, as well as a soft solace whispered into my ear when I get caught up in the unknown future.

𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒,

𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒶

[1watermelontea]

sure, i got tagged to a questions list. i'll just answer the lot of them.

> do you make your bed?

it was made in a factory for all i know.

> favourite number?

this question.

> what is your job?

commercial and residential hygiene technician, full time. freelance writer on the side with a third job lined up. i also write fanfiction. i also fuck your mum on the reg.

> if you could go back to school, would you?

in what way, dear question asker. and my old school, or a different one? either way, it's an unequivocal "eh. depends."

> can you parallel park?

give me a car and i'll show you. no, i'm not answering that first. just give me the car. don't even worry about it.

> do you think aliens are real?

mate, definitionally i am one.

> can you drive a manual car?

just give me the car dude don't even worry about it. nothing could possibly go wrong. DON'T look over there. it was like that when i saw it. i've never crashed anything, that's such a weird assumption

> guilty pleasure?

great song. love chappell roan

> favourite colour?

this question.

> tattoos?

sure

> favourite type of music?

the kind i listen to. and even kinds i don't

> do you like puzzles?

yea man just give me that rubiks cube. yea don't even worry about it, nothing could possibly go wrong.

> any phobias?

phasmo, amen, great game.

> favourite childhood sport?

ew.

> do you talk to yourself?

i am right now. however, in ordinary circumstances, probably.

> tea or coffee?

sure

> first thing you wanted to be growing up?

cool.

> movie(s) you adore?

i'm sure i do

i hope this was enlightening

[my-deer-friend]

5, 10, 13, 18 for historical figure asks 😉

5. What is the most ridiculous statement on them you have ever read?

Hands down this one.

Their colleague, Alexander Hamilton also thought highly of [Laurens]--though this judgement may have been clouded by the fact that he seems to have had a crush on Laurens for he certainly sent him love letters, which Laurens, who had a wife back in England, ignored.

Eric Stockdale, Middle Temple lawyers and the American Revolution (2007)

Oh, Eric. 😐

10. What is your favourite quote by / about them?

I really love the way his friend Alexander Garden gushes about him in his Anecdotes of the Revolutionary War in America:

His general character is so well known, and has been so ably depicted by others, that I have little to say that can increase its celebrity. His extensive information, and classical knowledge, obtained the respect of the learned. His polite and easy behaviour, insured distinction in every polished society. The warmth of his heart, gained the affection of his friends, his sincerity their confidence and esteem. His patriotic integrity commanded the veneration of his countrymen--his intrepidity their unlimited applause.

A real Enlightenment Man, that.

13. If you had the chance to meet them, what is the first thing you would ask them?

Answered here, but bonus bonus question: favourite myth or figure from antiquity.

18. What is a trait you share with your favourite historical figure?

Stubborn, probably - the "I've already made up my mind, so don't try to tell me different" kind.

[2sleepy4dis]

╰┈➤ ❝ The Chain as Social Link ❞

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° yesss, let's go with the puuuun lmao. The big reason why I wanted to make this crossover ahah;;; I swear this was a difficult one. "Once you know a Link, you've known them all '' and that couldn't be truer while I was giving them the arcana— anyways, I managed to play and fit it!

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° I'll put the symbolism, game-wise and story-wise!

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Linked Universe x Persona Crossover

»»-----------►

┊・❥ Time - The Hermit

Symbolizes wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches.

Gameplay-wise they deal with mental-ailments and are hermit figures...

Story-wise, I was debating whether to put Hermit or Hierophant but in the end I chose the former!

Both plays the "wise mentor" however the Hierophant leans more on a religious figure which I suppose Time tries to stay out of for reasons.

So, Hermit Arcana! Time spent his life "hidden" voluntarily and involuntarily.

Was hidden in the forest, was hidden in a sacred realm, his adventure became a story in the adult timeline and forgotten in the child timeline— that's probably a few of it!

┊・❥ Twilight - The Moon

There's a lot to unpack but in short it represent being attuned subconsciously to the world and gaining the ability to sense things

Kinda like psych which works with Twilight becoming a wolf

Was thinking if to give this or not since story-wise of persona this arcana tends to project their fears or faults on others, which mainly the protagonist.

Gameplay-wise this arcana excels in physical abilities with average magic which fits Twilight!

But I could see some way this would work with all the shadow and other world stuff going on.

I feel like because of his experience with shadows he is more sensitive to the Reader who is in contact with them too.

And due to his supportive side he tends to look out more to the reader. Like, uh, platonically explained? He is a protective big bro!

┊・❥ Warrior - The Chariot

Symbol of victory, conquest, self-assertion, self-confidence, control, war and command.

It's fitting just on-point for Warrior.

Gameplay-wise they excels in physical attacks and figures of warriors.

They also have special physical skills! Which Idk how to implement since all Link have it. I think Warrior gives special effects like how in-game of HW the weapons have elemental skills.

Edit: I remembered that skill which instant-kill the enemy. With Warrior who's game is more hack&slash.

Story-wise figures also tend to hide their doubts and weaknesses. This is Warrior we talkin' about. He hides them with smug, flirts and jokes. That mistake of power getting through his head was a scar on his back. Ouch.

Please give him a pat on the shoulder to reassure him ó_ò)

I'd also like to imagine Warrior being the one to teach the Reader about fighting instead of just being Time ^^) he trained with the knights so he does have the experience in teaching and sparring!

┊・❥ Wild - The Hanged Man

OH BOI HERE WE GO— MY FAVOURITE—

Symbolize self-sacrifice for the sake of enlightenment and paradoxes that hangs between sky and earth and also renewal.

Gameplay-wise they excels in survivability!

I guess he could provide Reader about the necessity? Like Iwai who can provide weapons to the Protag—

Story-wise, this the card of the martyr.

Wild life is surrounded by sacrifices. For the champions who sacrificed themselves, Zelda, the King, Hyrule itself.

Wild was in a situation which he had little control over. Not only the calamity, but also the burden he has. The eyes on him.

Yet once the eyes and expectations were gone, he still held on to his task and ended what's left.

Also what I like about this is the hanged man have a leg crossed to the other forming a "4" which makes me think of Wild and the four champions 🫠

Anyways, characters with this cards are in dilemma about their loss. Unable to move on, they can't choose without making sacrificing part of their identity.

So the relationship that the Reader build with them is to face the problem head-on.

Doesn't mean in the end, it's gone. The characters problem with consequences that remain but won't burden them (*cough*tearsofthekingdom*cough*)

┊・❥ Sky - The Justice

Symbolizes the strict allegory of justice, objectivity, rationality and analysis.

The card represent up-coming trials which are fitting for Sky's journey.

Gameplay-wise they excels in light-ability which fits on Sky since he is more close on the divine ones: Zelda as the reincarnation of Hylia, he is the first reincarnation of the hero, if we go to joke he lives literally above the clouds, a very lightened place lol

I have no idea what kind if ability Sky can give to the Reader and I can hear y'all yelling that Sky have more affinity at sword-wielding probably more than Warrior but listen—! ...Maybe I'll give him the bonus: detecting enemy stats, better communication and increasing critical hits 😊

Uuh, story-wise… for those who played persona, knows the tendency what this arcana has and I don't want to spoil others.

Sky. He is just there standing in the background and is mostly viewed as the soft-sky boi but when you push that anger too far?

Funny fact, this characters tend to be stoic individuals but when pushed too far they tend to take drastic measures.

He did have to deal with bullies, unfairness in competitions, his bird being treated unjustly— he gone for blood during his battle with Demise—

Anyways, I'm curious how to implement this in the story 👀

┊・❥ Legend - The Star

The arcana also symbolizes hope, fitting for Legend who brought the timeline in its Golden Era.

Gameplay-wise they excel in elemental attacks and represent multi-talented figures.

So I was thinking about skills gained by Hifum* Tog* since Legend have more experience (and worked in team in TriforceHeroes) to leave battle strategy with him instead of Four and Warrior.

Story-wise they are also multi-talented individuals which can resonate with Legend's journey. He ain't called "vet" for nothing!

Although they also deal with internal and external struggles.

┊・❥ Hyrule - The Magician

It symbolizes power, potential, and the unification of the physical and spiritual worlds.

Uhm, basically stern will and unfailing determination, also a resourceful individual which fits Hyrule so well... if you played his game (I saw a gameplay and that's...that requires a loooot of determination to finish;;;)

Gameplay-wise they excel in magic!

In simple words, he can teach Reader magic.

Also story-wise, they also tends to be the protagonist first friend.

Warrior deals with physical combat teaching so if Reader wants to learn magic Hyrule would be the one and be glad to help! And it's a good form of bonding since you both are gonna be together for.. knows how long.

┊・❥ Four - The Temperance

Symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony, and the merging of opposites.

Gameplay-wise its figure is well-rounded and figures associated with balance

Story-wise, Four is probably the most balanced in the group, through and through.

Perhaps it's just me but he hasn't got a lot going on with him… on the outside!

He is good at hiding it and has to remind himself about self-control to not use the four sword.

┊・❥ Wind - The Sun

Symbolizes happiness, joy, energy, optimism, and accomplishment

It literally represented by a child riding a horse (in Wind's case a boat)

Story-wise, these characters find themselves in severe terrible situations but they still manage to keep optimistic despite the tragedy of their past.

No one has been this arcana in team-party in persona so game-play wise idk how they are besides being associated with light, sun and fire.

This is kinda like every Link ngl.

Unlike in Declined Hyrule which focuses more on hopefulness, the New World does focuses more on optimism to find something else beyond in the Great Sea.

Perhaps Wind didn't have a tragic story like Wild or a big one like Time. And the light-hearted style of the game (with dark story) but it does have it's message of letting go of the past and moving on to a better tomorrow.

»»———-　　———-«

That's it! That's all! For now!

A/N: Thanks for reading all the way here! I'm thinking to separate the list in parts because it's too long but at the same time I don't wanna to not... flood the tags about my crossover junk QwQ) What do you guys think?

Next time I'll give info how the Reader summons their, uh, persona UwU)

[nkogneatho]

Greetings witch pasi...I'm glad to participate in another one of your majestic and oh so magical event 💗✨

One thing i love about myself is how optimistic i am and always encouraging others

My favourite dessert is probably... mishti doi and gulab jamun

Favourite colour red ♥️

Jujutsu kaisen...

— fantasy ask game

you've been sent to ꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ zaher ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱

oh you poor human. looks like you've captured the eye of the king of the underworld. he has never seen a human as naive and kind as you. he wants to feed off your innocence. so much, that it enlightens something sinister in him. the king plans on entertaining his guest. all i eould day is do not make him angry.

[vroombeams]

"nOt WoRtH dOiNg CoMmEnTaRy On" with love, shut up. i would love any kind of commentary on sweet talk because my brain leaked out of my ears when i read it today and i will never be the same again 💖

"with love, shut up" is just the Emy Albonoooo Catchphrase huh. love it

anyway hi 😭

so to talk about sweet talk i guess we gotta roll it back a bit to the loscar kink exploration anthology in general? i actually got the inspo for the series thru a kinkmeme prompt that i subsequently lost and for whatever reason could never find again so that's the lore there! but yeah, i'd started on like three or four different pieces meant for that series all at once (music to breathe to being the first), and i really had no intention of adding any other?? characters?? to the mix???? this was also SO not the first piece i was intending to post in the series

and then the alex heckling from the cuck chair tumblr post circulated and i was simply helpless in the face of inspiration and also hysteria? many such cases

i feel like probably i went through every stage of grief w this one, like i hammered out the draft SO fast and then the editing process nearly killed me. threesomes are fun to write! except that there are three people to keep track of. and that is one more than i typically have to deal with. so that's, you know. much. that last day of editing was like... i was prepared to scrap it entirely because i was just so frustrated with trying to bend the words the way i wanted them, but eventually just said ok we're doing one more editing pass and then we're posting it and we're walking away from it. and we did that

obv as i said in the notes for it, alex was absolutely meant to STAY in the damn chair but just refused to? the whole thing spun entirely out of control if i'm being honest like i had zero say in what was happening next at any given time, pretty much. i had the start (alex in the cuck chair what will he do!) the vague middle (logan is experiencing deeply horny mortification!) and the vaguest end (oscar's a puddle of goo!) but otherwise they all just kind of did what they wanted

anyway. wrote the threesome. intended to wash my hands of the whole thing because three people, as mentioned, more than two. but there is a sequel in the works because i have no sense of self-preservation and there will be more cucking! more goo-puddle oscar! all the hits!

MAN IDK IS THIS COMMENTARY. IS THIS ANYTHING. should i have talked about how my favourite bit was oscar drooling everywhere because that was my favourite bit. probably. actually i guess i could have talked about how there were points when i was writing where i started unconsciously making the faces that i imagined everyone having. in the fic. luckily no one was there to see that

i guess the last thing i can say about it is like... i had no idea that it was going to get the reaction that it did? like f1 as a fandom is always so kind and generous with comment quantity + quality but i just really was not expecting the absolute landslide of kind words that were DUMPED in the comments on ao3 for this one 😭 just very honoured and flattered and humbled to see that people enjoyed this doof-ass horny meme fic!!! (and i will one day get around to replying to the comments but every time i look at them i start getting all worked up and lose any grasp on coherency)

I HOPE THIS IS... ENLIGHTENING... or something ,

THANKS!!

director's cut ask game

[frozen-fountain]

For the book recs asks: 1, 5, 18, 23, 54, 71

A book that is close to your heart

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer. I read it about three years ago now and find myself thinking of it when I'm feeling at a crossroads and weighing up consequential decisions.

5. Something in fiction that reads like poetry

Not to be a stuck record but just... anything by Angela Carter. Not only for the beauty of her language and the images it creates in your mind but because, as florid and maximalist as her writing can be, it's all constructed to support layers of symbolism and deep wells of meaningful connotation. It's economical purple prose.

18. Your least favorite book ever

The most recent contender is probably Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw, which on the surface contains a lot of things I should love but completely failed in execution. Everyone knows that I love me some ornate, orchidaceous prose, so you know it's serious when even I am inwardly curling up into a ball of secondhand embarrassment at the excess on the page. Lady, you cannot drop "chiaroscuro" into your narration more than once without a damned good reason, and there's also some really cringy lampshading of cliched illogical things horror protagonists do that read less like an attempt to deconstruct these things in a meaningful way, and more like "So that just happened" humour to cover up the laziness of running the characters through these motions. Worst of all, there's no real subtext to add substance to the scares. There's some stuff in there about mental illness, about toxic and stagnant friendships, about marriage customs in feudal Japan versus contemporary America and what they do to women, but it failed to add up to anything enlightening or compelling. I loved the location, but that's about it.

A popular choice for this question, I think, but I'd throw in Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life, too. Not because of the subject matter, or because of the ending, but because it's using these terrible experiences to cover itself in the trappings of a literary great while being, at least in my estimation, incredibly pulpy and borderline exploitative in its execution. I also did not at all see the beautiful, poetic prose that some people did and actually found the language really flat throughout, and found myself especially frustrated at the author's habit of over-explaining the characters' motivations and psychology instead of demonstrating them through action and dialogue - it read like a therapist's notes in many places, which doesn't work for fiction that's so centered on inner experience. But I do also see how and why this book could deeply move and become important to someone, and it frustrates me a bit that a lot of criticism of it seems to focus on anachronisms and lack of realism instead of asking why these devices were employed. But it's very Not For Me and places high on this list because my inability to DNF anything meant it took a long time to slog through.

I feel bad for saying so much more about books I hated than the ones I loved, but in the case of the latter I really am hoping anyone who reads these answers will check them out for themselves. I feel like my "Stay away!" needs a bit more qualification.

23. A book that is currently on your TBR

When I'm finished with Earthsea, I want to reread To the Lighthouse. It's been calling me and I was only twenty the first time I went through it, so I'm interested to see how it hits with all these experiences under my belt and after such dramatic changes in perspective as I've accumulated. For spoopy month I have Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, Sisters by Daisy Johnson, and The Vegetarian by Han Kang lined up, and I'm really excited for all of those.

54. A book with the best opening line

It's pretty hard to beat "It was the day my grandmother exploded" (The Crow Road by Iain Banks).

71. Your favourite LGBTQ+ fiction

To just about everyone I would rec The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter, which is gorgeously written gender fuckery; The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling, which is really effective sci-fi horror with a complicated sapphic slow burn at its centre; and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, because what more could I say? With a much bigger pinch of salt I would add Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt to that list, because not everybody wants to be in the head of a violent and possessive rapist for several hundred pages, but it's a descent into the abyss that will stay with me for as long as I live.

[the-multiversal-wanderer]

Crackpot Theories: The Scribe of Technology

More accurately the weird things I noticed after completing the story mode for Inscryption as I have a theory that PO-3 wasn’t the original Scribe of Technology.

(as a crackpot theory I will say evidence is sparse but that is why these theories are called crackpot theories)

Also spoiler warning for the second and third act of Inscryption as well as parts of Kaycee’s mod read ahead at your own discretion.

So if you have played through act two you know that each of the Scrybes has their own Subordinates(?) (don’t really know what to call them it seems to change depending on the scrybe) and they are as such:

Leshy, Scrybe of Beasts: The Prospector, The Angler, and The Trapper

Grimora, Scrybe of the Dead: Kaycee Hobbes, Sawyer Patel, and Royal Dominguez

Magnificus, Scrybe of Magicks: Goobert, Pike Mage and Lonely Wizard

P03, Scrybe of Technology: The Inspector, The Melter and The Dredger

Now there are some exceptions such as The wood carver, The trader and whatever plasma jimmy counts as, but a major arises as when we get to chapter 3 we don’t fight the three subordinates but rather we fight the four Uberbots which I will go over in a bit. Now you may say but we only have acts 1 and to draw from for the fights and you would be right but you have to remember two things:

In both acts the fights leading up to the Scrybe fight the subordinates must be defeated first

P03 is doing something different to the other Scrybes during his cycle

So with that in mind we look to the Uberbots things off P03 supposed creation and oh boy do things get strange as everyone of them seemingly mimics the Scrybe that they reference The Photographer to Leshy, The Archivist to Grimora and The Unfinished Boss to Magnificus, each also adds in bits of P03s personality.

Now you may noticed I missed one, the one that represents P03, G0lly and G0lly themselves is an anomaly as:

they are the only Uberbot with a unique personality

they are the only Uberbot refenced to as their own sentient entity by P03.  “Probably my least favourite boss coming up. Something about her... innocence. It makes me queasy.” - P03 prior to the G0lly fight

they are the only Uberbot to break the 4th wall of the game taking you friends list

They are the only Uberbot to not get the narrated intro 

what's weirder is Goobert who mind you has been in the pipes since the start of act 3 says after G0lly’s defeat "I heard through the pipes that you defeated G0lly. Such a strange character. Her curiosity is so pure... it's a shame that P03 buries her deep." - Goobert.

...buried you say like a repressed side, while it seems like a stretch it seems weirdly right as like all of the other Uberbots G0lly is in a .zip file only decompressed for their fight. Now you maybe saying all of the Uberbots are created for specifically P03′s plan but here is the thing, P03 has a large ego so it begs the question why would P03 make the mimic for himself something that actively disgusts him. Here is my personal theory.

G0lly while called P03 by Gamefuna due to the OLD_DATA developed a consciousness and split into two sperate beings those being P03 the more scientific and calculating one, and G0lly the more pure curious one. P03 ends up supplanting G0lly as the dominant being before the events of the logs in Kaycee’s mod and after that G0lly only reawakens after being unzipped from the .zip file she was trapped in.

well that is just one option the way I see it there are a few options:

a. G0lly existed prior to the OLD_DATA enlightenment and each of the uberbots represents the different parts of a machine (this option is my least favorite of all the options)

b.  G0lly existed prior to the OLD_DATA enlightenment but said enlightenment shattered her mind leading to the creation of P03 and the other Uberbots and left G0lly airheaded and how she acts today

c. G0lly and P03 existed prior to the OLD_DATA enlightenment but G0lly was supposed to be the dominant side but due to the enlightenment P03 gained the knowledge to supplant her

d. P03 was always the Scribe but G0lly is originally apart of P03s personality sectioned off thanks to the introduction of the OLD_DATA

Personally options B and D are my favorite but I’m not going to discount the others as they are fun to think about.

Now I guess I should say that this isn’t the first time this theory has been go over as reddit has pointed out this idea a few times if anyone wants I will add my favorite in addition to this post. Actually fun fact my curiosity about this was peaked when I was thinking about the inconsistencies of G0lly and couldn’t find any info that was given by the game, Reddit or Tumblr. Anyways that this crackpot theory done and enough writing for now so I'm gonna tune out for now see ya.