#so that's a pretty big barrier in getting people interested...

[parachutingkitten]

You ever look back in horror at all of the ninjago OCs you've abandoned over the years...

[darabeatha]

/ I've noticed that at this point I'm not even writing on any blog anymore, I just come and yell about some blorbo and leave. Rinse and repeat my lieges

[swiftlymurmurs]

I've seen a lot of people voice disappointment over this Game Changer season finale and while I personally wasn't really bothered by a lot of the criticisms (I thought the Ratfish was an interesting added game mechanic and I never really care who wins or loses so his judgements not aligning with mine made no difference to me) I do think it's very interesting and I've spent some time thinking about why it doesn't work for so many. Some thoughts: Why is this Eric guy even here?

Tim & Eric were a popular tv comedy duo in the late aughts alt comedy scene. Sam and many of the writers at Dropout are sketch comedy nerds who, in 2007, were freshly at the start of their comedy careers, and probably see them and the larger [Adult Swim] environment they were a part of as a huge influence.

Why has it maybe aged poorly?

As far as I know, their popularity came in the early stages of about a decade of quite cynical, surreal comedy that also spawned the "lolrandom" era. While huge and fresh at the time, I think my generation (gen Z, the main viewerbase of Dropout) has grown pretty tired of this style and favours sketch comedy that's more clever, witty, and emotionally open or wholesome. At least, that's a movement Dropout has very much steered into with their roster of comedians and it's what the viewers expect.

The parasocial thing

It's no secret that Dropout actively promotes itself as a tight group of friendly comedians who you are invited to get to know, expect, and love when they show up. They don't abuse parasociality in the way you see, for example, younger audience oriented youtubers shoveling merch do it, but they absolutely make use of it. Most of the moments from this episode I've seen people gush over or post positively about are those where the cast recognize each other's styles, reference their relationships, and just generally make it known how well they know one another. When a total stranger enters the picture in an episode where the cast already have a barrier to their regular banter AND is given so much power over the game, they may look like an outsider or even an enemy to the happy little family people have gotten so attached to. Especially because his role is explicitly that of an antagonist, and the cast are never given a chance to see him and maybe out their love and respect for him as a comedian. In the minds of viewers, he just stays some guy who made mean jokes about their blorbo and then left.

Conclusion

I'm always glad to see this show making big swings, and while most of them have landed, some of them are bound to miss. It's a show that prides itself on trying things the viewers may not yet know they wanted and the second it stops trying, I think it'll be all the worse for it. It's a shame to end the season on such a note, but it's been hit after hit so far, and before we know it we'll be right back into it. I love this show, I love this cast, and I'm excited to see what's next!

[mypimpademia]

— You Look Good Baby

Bakugo x Black! Fem! Reader

Synopsis: Your boyfriend is your biggest hype man, and takes more pride in you than he does himself.

TW: Swearing

⇶ When you’re dating the Katsuki Bakugo, rest assured that he will make it his personal mission that you have just as much confidence as him, if not more

⇶ There will simply be no room for insecurities in your relationship when he has enough confidence for the both of you

⇶ Contrary to what most people think, Katsuki holds you in a much higher regard than himself

⇶ If there is anything he worships besides himself, it’s the ground you walk on

⇶ He hardly even calls you by your name, only ever “beautiful,” “gorgeous,” “angel,” “dollface,” and the occasional “sexy.”

⇶ Does nothing but compliment you, even doing so silently, with the way he ogles you making your heart stop in the best way possible

“K, c’mere and look at this dress real quick,” you call out to your husband as you twist to and fro in front of your mirror.

While your boyfriend isn’t the best in his personal clothing choices, or at least he wasn’t before you got together, he’s shockingly the best person to ask for clothing advice.

“Should I return this and just wear my other dress to the party? I don’t like the way it fits me,” you asked him as you spun around to face him.

If you didn’t know any better, you would say the look he gave you was one of disgust.

“The fuck are you talkin’ about? You look incredible,” he snarls.

Spinning you by your waist in the mirror with one hand, he uses his other to make your gaze meet your reflection.

“What’s not to like when you’re so damn perfect, huh?” Katsuki asks, while pressing kisses on your jaw and down to your collarbone.

Between kisses, he tells you everything he loves about how the dress looks on you while his fingers dance in the curls at the base of your neck. How the color makes your skin glow, how it fits your body so well, how you make the dress look good and not the other way around.

You can only whine in response, letting his words combat all the negative thoughts you had before.

“You look good baby, don’t worry your pretty little head,” he assures you, placing one final kiss on your lips.

“Thank you ‘Suki,” you huff in a bated breath.

“Don’t say thank you, say I know.”

⇶ If you didn’t already have a big head before dating Katsuki, you will after.

⇶ If he weren’t your boyfriend, his behavior wouldn’t be something you’d expect from him in a romantic relationship

⇶ Somehow manages to use his massive ego to build yours

⇶ He’ll always take a compliment from you, hell, he takes compliments from anyone, but coming from anyone else he only ever answers with some form of “I know.”

⇶ But when it comes from you, he always flips it back on you

⇶ You call him pretty, but he’ll always remind you that you’re prettier

⇶ You tell him he smells good and he’ll tell you that he’s ready to eat you up

⇶ You like his new shirt, but whatever you have on is better. You could be naked and it’d still be better.

⇶ When you’re dating someone as great as Katsuki Bakugo, it’s hard not to get a big head when you’re somehow always better than the “best person to ever exist,” (his words)

⇶ Shows you off in public, almost parading you around in front of paparazzi and at large events

⇶ And even on the rare instances that you’re not dangling off his arm, the only time he interacts with interviewers is when he gets the chance to talk about you

Katsuki had barely even walked halfway on the red carpet before getting annoyed.

The endless noise of press hounding him with questions, the bright flashes of cameras, and hands that have been god knows where reaching over the barrier, attempting to touch him.

He’s never been one to care much about his public appearances, and eventually stopped caring to answering questions as they almost never interested him.

But there was always a certain topic he couldn’t help but indulge in.

“Dynamight! Y/n hasn’t been with you at your last few events, fans are dying to know— have the two of you split?” An interviewer asked.

The crowd erupted into chatter and gossip at the question. From shocked gasps to fan girls hoping they’re getting their chance, Katsuki could do nothing more than roll his eyes.

As much as he hated to entertain such a nonsensical question, how could he pass up the opportunity to talk about you? And even worse, how could he let them think you were anything less than together?

“Split?” He chuckled. “Far from it. The wife’s at home watchin’, she just wasn’t feelin’ it tonight.”

⇶ Regardless of how long you’ve actually been together, you’ve always been and always will be Katsuki’s wife

⇶ He does plan to actually marry you one day, of course, but ever since you first got together you were as good as married

⇶ He’s instilled it so heavily that even the public forgets the two of you aren’t actually married

⇶ You can’t even count the amount of times you’ve seen “Pro Hero Dynamight’s Wife” in headlines to refer to you

⇶ And of course there’s the occasional, ‘Y/n Bakugo’ that will be written into articles as your attribution

⇶ While they often get changed by the publishers for credibility and accuracy purposes, Katsuki can’t help but relish in the thought of the day that you take his last name

“‘Y/n Bakugo Steals Spotlight From Hero Husband Dynamight in Custom Versace Dress at the Annual Hero Gala,’” you read out to Katsuki, who sits next to you on the couch.

“S’not really stealin’ spotlight if it was always on you,” he chimes, looking over to read the headline himself.

“Easy for you to say when you know everyone is there for you,” you said, playfully pouting your glossy lips.

“Yeah right, meanwhile it’s your name plastered on the headline,” he retorted, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth.

“Well technically it’s not my name,” you corrected.

Katsuki pulled back from you, as if you’d just slapped him or done something in the highest offense.

“Huh? The fuck do you mean it’s not your name?” He scoffed.

“Well I’m not a Bakugo, Katsuki,” you raised an eyebrow, confused by his defensiveness.

Katsuki kissed his teeth, and sighed in blatant defeat before perking up again.

“Guess we’re gonna have to fix that, huh?” He grinned.

Effortlessly scooping you into his arms, he held you in a tight embrace, making you squeal as a he peppered kisses all over your face and neck.

“I’m just gonna have to put a fuckin’ boulder on your finger, buy you the dress of your dreams, then make sure I get you the wedding of the century, yeah? Can’t have you walkin’ around sayin’ that’s not your name,” he punctuated his words with a suffocating kiss to your mouth, making dramatic and board line gross kissing noises for effect.

“Katsuki Bakugo, you have 5 seconds to put me down ‘fore I put my hands on you!” You laughed, breathlessly pulling away from the kiss.

“Or what, Y/n Bakugo?” Placing a rough kiss to your cheek. “That sounds good doesn’t it? Y/n Bakugo. Wonder how our kids’ names would s—”

“Katsuki!”

⇶ If Katsuki could get paid to take pride in you, he wouldn’t even need to do hero work anymore

—

Taglist: @megurulvr @zairene @planetlunaa @rynfiles @szaplsdropthealbum @dreampurpledreams @goldenglow149 @gender-queery @roaringlion @cosmiles @tatiquichi @snowsammi @lillizxzz @strawhatkia @nikorubakugou @ruubric @justadekusimp @lokalblackie @strwbskitkat @blkluci @sansfangirl24

Send in an ask or DM me to be added to all taglists, or fill out my form to be added to select ones.

—

Thank you for reading, follow for more! Comments and reblogs are heavily appreciated!

[marlynnofmany]

Catching Things in Zero-G

“Reach over the border,” Captain Sunlight directed the Frillian twins. “Make sure they’re touching the floor when they cross into gravity.”

I watched from well out of the way as Blip and Blop nodded, holding muscular arms out for the oncoming guests. No one here was new to gravity fluctuations, but that didn’t mean they were fun.

The first person to cross from the damaged ship to ours was a bright red Heatseeker whose name I’d forgotten. He stumbled a bit on landing, grateful for the assistance. Blip and Blop released his hands when he was stable, looking like parents helping their lizardy toddler off a swing set.

Hard on his heels was Bopburt, the big gray Strongarm whose name I did remember (along with his extreme and hilarious dislike for pizza, from when I’d talked him into trying it that one time). I’d worked briefly on that ship before getting a more long-term position on this one. Nobody had changed since then. Bopburt was still a bigger octopus alien than the Strongarms on our ship. He was surprisingly talented at navigating in zero-g, though.

“No need,” he said, waving a tentacle at the waiting hands. He launched off the wall and landed with a splat just on this side of the seam between airlocks. “Thanks, though. They’ll want help with the cargo. Ah, here we go.”

He tentacle-walked over to stand near me as several other crewmates appeared at the hatch with an expensive-looking shipping crate. I couldn’t tell how heavy the thing was about to be, but it was a cube about the size of the bedside table in my quarters, and it shimmered with pearlescence. Even the label on the top was embossed in gold, matching the seam around the edges. Four different crewmates worked together to guide it oh-so-gently toward our ship.

“What’s in it?” I asked Bopburt. “Do you know?”

He made a rude noise. “Clients wouldn’t say. Rich jerks.”

Captain Sunlight watched with concern. “Is it heavy? Should we get a hoversled?”

“No, just don’t drop it.”

“Right.”

There were far too many people involved already, so we just watched as the whole procession made their way awkwardly through the airlock. Captain Kamm showed up during all this, along with the rest of their crew waiting to cross over. She and Captain Sunlight started a conversation over everyone else’s heads.

It was getting crowded. I moved back toward the hallway, where a few of my own crewmates had gathered to greet the guests. It’d been a while since we’d seen our sister ship, and while a damaged gravity generator wasn’t the best of circumstances, it was still nice to visit.

A furry shape trotted past my ankle. I scooped up the cat before she could get in the way. “Hang on there, Telly. You don’t want to get stepped on. I know it all smells new and interesting.”

Telly ignored me, watching the proceedings with great interest. Her mismatched eyes were wide, and she didn’t react when I ruffled her two-toned fur. This was more focus than new arrivals usually got. She hadn’t run out the airlock yet, but there’s always a first. I kept a close eye on her.

“What kind of animal is that?” Bopburt asked, looking up at the tense shape in my arms.

“A cat,” I said. “Humans keep them for companionship and…”

Telly was chattering — that distinct “I see prey” noise.

I turned toward the hall, but too late. She launched off with a kick to my ribs and flashed toward the gravity barrier.

“Telly, no!” I exclaimed, like that had stopped any cat ever.

Some crewmates looked up at me while others jumped aside with startled noises. Blip nearly caught her, which was pretty impressive honestly, but Telly jumped right past and into the other ship. She immediately careened toward the far wall, meowing and clawing at the air.

“Sorry, I’ll get her!” I dodged through the crowd. “I don’t know what she’s going after.” I ignored the conversation behind me and dove into the zero-g. It was just as disorienting as it always was, but I was heading in the right direction.

I caught up to Telly in midair where she’d bounced off the wall and been unable to catch anything with her claws. Those claws immediately tore into my sleeves, leaving more than one scratch that would probably need to get patched up, but I was busy offering comforting noises as I focused on holding her close with my arms while getting my feet into position to hit the wall.

I landed gently, making sure to take it slow before pushing back off, and in that half-breath pause, I saw something skitter past. “Ah!”

“What is it?” called Captain Sunlight.

“Something moved!” said, trying to look for it while shuffling the cat to get an arm free, and also searching for a handhold before I drifted away from the wall. I found a little hook that had probably held decorations once, and that was good enough. I clutched it tight. Telly tried to scramble onto my shoulder. I did my best to hold her in place. The creature had disappeared.

But Telly was chattering again, looking at the ceiling.

Somebody shouted about wire-eating pests. More people were coming back over the gravity barrier, a jumble of motion and urgent conversation about which tools had the best shot at catching something so fast.

“That’s why the gravity’s out! I knew it wouldn’t fail suddenly!”

“Do gravity wands work in zero-g?”

“Better to use a stun gun. Just nobody shoot anyone else.”

“What about that net in the cargo hold? We could—”

I tuned it all out when I spotted the thing Telly was chattering at. It was a flat little silvery beastie with lots of tiny legs and segmented plates on its back, every bit the kind of thing I could see wreaking havoc in the guts of a spaceship. It clung to the ceiling with stillness that could break into astonishing speed in an eyeblink.

The wall below it had pipes sticking out, curving into the living space in the type of ship design that was a little unsightly but immensely useful right now.

With one hand firmly holding Telly against my shoulder and the other on the hook, I turned in the zero-g until I could stick a foot through the loop of pipes. Then I used both hands to grab Telly, holding her out in front of me as I did a sit-up toward the ceiling. “Get it, girl!”

Telly didn’t disappoint. The thing saw her coming and tried to dash away, but she twisted in my grasp to launch off my wrist in a way that was incredibly painful but worth it. She snatched it off the ceiling and brought it to her mouth with a crunch of exoskeleton that I could hear from there.

Then she dropped it, shaking her head in comical disgust as the crowd cheered. Somebody caught it easily. I caught Telly before she could fully realize she was drifting again. After that, it was just a matter of making my way back to gravity without use of my arms. I ended up crowd-surfing, which wasn’t my plan at all, but everyone was appreciative and eager to help.

When I got my feet back under me, the first thing I did was find Eggskin the medic. “Was that safe for her to bite? She doesn’t usually react like that.” Telly wasn’t trying to jump free, busy licking a paw with vigor.

“Yes, I remember it from her original bio scans,” Eggskin told me. “Definitely on the safe list. These are a known pest with a strong flavor. They’re actually a sought-after delicacy in some circles.”

Eggskin was also the cook, which had seemed strange when I first joined the crew, but it made perfect sense these days.

“Oh good,” I said. “All right, kitty, great job. I’ll get you some treats to take the taste out of your mouth, okay?”

Captain Kamm appeared at my elbow, standing on the tips of her tentacles to get a good look at Telly. “Does your little predator like fish?”

“She does!” I said.

“Then we will be happy to reward her with some.” She waved a tentacle at a maroon-and-teal Frillian who was carrying a mesh bag of various things. “It’s the least we can do after she caught the source of our woes. Thank all the stars that it’s a small one, not old enough to spawn more.”

“Hey captain!” someone yelled. “There’s a gap in the seam of that expensive crate! And the bio-scanner shows traces of droppings!”

“More excellent news,” Captain Kamm said with an angry smile.

Captain Sunlight asked, “That crate has a scanner block, doesn’t it? No way to scan for hitchhikers.”

“Oh yes it does,” Captain Kamm confirmed. “How kind of that pest to leave its droppings by the hole where we can detect and record them.”

“They signed a waiver, right?”

“Oh yes.”

When I realized that the rich jerks had set themselves up for paying to repair the gravity generator that their negligence had damaged, I broke into a grin as well. “Such great news!”

Telly moved again, making me tighten my grip instinctively, but it was just to get at the tray of fish chunks that the Frillian was holding out. I took the tray and held it for Telly to eat from. She made some adorable happy noises.

“So you were about to say,” Bopburt said, “That humans keep these creatures for companionship and, and I think I’ve figured out the other thing.”

“Yup,” I agreed. “Valuable predator services.”

“You’re bleeding a bit there.”

“Ah, it’s not the first time. Worth it.”

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

[3liza]

saw someone talking about "scary dog privilege" on here today and cant find the post again but i guess it refers to when women are bothered less in public when accompanied by a large dog, and bypassing the quibble i have with calling that a privilege, i can absolutely 100% confirm it is true.

i was approached by a 30s-40s single white man wearing the Dipshit Uniform (guy in a baseball cap who looks like he drives an f-150 and has voting opinions i would not agree with) on the street the other day and all he had to talk about was Churchgrim. that he was VERY large, looked like a good boy, obedient, what breed is he, etc. this is the only interaction i get from men in public anymore unless i do not have the dog with me, at which point it goes back to the usual bullshit. however it has to be an actual scary-looking dog and you have to visibly have control of it. this is not why i got a large dog, it's just a side benefit. it probably has a lot to do with the masculine cultural coding of any large dog breed that isnt a poodle or a sight hound more than it does the actual violence potential of the dog, but those two things are related. notably, not a SINGLE man has tried to mansplain dog care or handling to me for five years. not one. i cant explain this because its not like being visible capable at a task or skill will stop them in any other circumstance, including when you are holding a literal firearm.

i remember reading some stupid op-ed from some idiot woman who got a dog "for protection" on her jogs and was baffled when men were not intimidated by her golden fucking retriever (although they should have been; goldens bite a lot, statistically, probably explicitly because people do not take them seriously)

the fact that men's body language and tone of voice has changed so drastically from before when i had a 90lbs black shepherd mix standing next to me is pretty damning tbh. all people both intentionally and unintentionally modulate their communication styles around that type of dog to display respect, interest, or fear, experienced dog people can be identified instantly by their comfort and confidence with the dog, and people with dog phobia are the opposite. the dog instinctively puts himself between me and approaching strangers, probably not out of a defensive instinct in grim's case but because strangers are interesting and he wants to be closer to the object of interest, but the physical barrier this creates is a great benefit to me.

specifically, men talk to me much much much more like they are speaking to another man when the dog is there. part of that is men are often genuinely interested in knowing information about a large dog of grim's type and are not using the dog as an excuse to flirt with or harass me. grim has a phenotype that is familiar to certain experiences within the united states as a "porch dog" or "yard dog" or "farm dog" that everyone who has lived in rural areas has usually known or owned a few notable examples of, and thats a general class of dog that tends to be good at listening and responding to humans and has a lot of opportunities to display intelligence or good judgment, so people with rural experience tend to associate him with good memories. he's also "handsome" in the dog sense because he got to keep his balls until he was 3, on the advice of his vet, and as a result he developed nice-looking musculature and a big thick neck which you dont get on city dogs much. he gets a lot of positive attention from older ladies as well, who you'd think would be afraid of being knocked over, but who are always just besotted with him for reasons i havent quite figured out yet. maybe they like seeing a youngish woman with a dog like this, i know that i feel good and happy when i see younger women and girls in situations where they seem safe or protected to me. i think to myself, "i don't have to worry about her" and i feel relief. observing young women and girls often triggers anxiety for women who are even just a few years older than they are, out of pure empathy. its one reason it's so important to be kind to younger people than you are.

anyway it's damning to the men because of course men don't think rationally that the dog would understand and be offended or angry if they sexually harassed or disrespected me. but they are still on their best behavior because the dog is an implicit threat that i can defend myself. and perhaps not only did they have nothing real to discuss with me before now because they assumed we had nothing in common and that i was an idiot or not human, but they are watching themselves carefully to only express normal human civility. i dont get that from random men without the dog. mostly (not entirely but mostly) i get either casual disrespect/disregard, or outright sexual harassment. when i was younger and less experienced with men and had fewer cycles of these interactions, i was completely unaware of how disrespectful these approaches or comments were, which is the interpretation i can see less-experienced women making now, even if they're my age. and when i was 20, my 30 year old friends seemed pathologically misandrist and defensive to me. it was purely the difference in our actual mileage. that sucks man. wish we could just be normal around people and not have to expect the worst constantly.

anyway, good dog

[astropookie]

transparent? placements pt2

hellouuu🥰

as requested, part 2 🌝 hope you like it!!🫶🏼❤️

Picture from Pinterest.

*Birth chart placements

Mars 8H

These ones don’t support the superficial, they can’t take it. They’re perseverant. They’re passionate. Don’t underestimate them, they have A LOT of power and inner strength. They don’t like it. When you’re acting, when you judge or you’re not speaking your mind, they just don’t like it. They hate it. They’re just them, you can’t ignore them, they can’t be ignored. They’re something else. Their self is full of confidence. My friend that have this placement DONT FUCK with people that says something and does another. HE CANT -stand them-. What he admires is honesty and free spirit non-judgmental people, bc this makes them be open to new experiences that could make them become or figure out their potential, passions and desires; what determines them and live without a fucking “what other people think/care” mindset. Also, this is what mars 8H struggles somehow the most. -That’s why?-They admire when they see someone that has become in tune with their potential. So yes, they’re transparent in a way they can’t stand with the ones they’re not.

Scorpio + Earth placements

All the fucking time I’ve met someone with these placements, they always makes it clear when they like a person or don’t. Water (pisces -not too much but yes- and cancer) + earth placement will hesitate and act like they do care about the person to not hurt their feelings, bc of empathy and whatever. HA. Earth placements + scorpio is completely opposite. They’re honest and direct, based on the perspective I have by being friends with them or their daughter🙄. They’ll tell you “I don’t like her”, “she hides something”, “a little weird, I see”. They be having INTUITION, but a intuition that frightens if it doesn’t benefits you and that reliefs if you’re by their side. They can see you. They can tell, what you hide. If you’re good or bad by their terms and morals, if you’re lying or if you want to. It could be that they get carried away by the relationship they have with their loved ones, the love and care they have for them that blinds them to not believe or to not listen to their intuition. But when the emotional is not persistent -when they don’t have a close relationship with you-, the rational side (earth) balance the emotional side (scorpio) to use their intuition to add arguments in their conclusion that’s made with evidence. Still, they always end up knowing. They’re transparent by making it clear if they like you or not, if you hide something or not and I can keep going.

(Example of a chart: scorpio moon, taurus ascendant with taurus degree, capricorn venus with scorpio degree, capricorn chiron, taurus lilith and etc.) (b chart: scorpio sun, moon and venus, neptune, Capricorn rising, virgo mars and etc.)

Lilith trine Moon

Such an interesting aspect. They can reveal what they truly feel without feeling shame, without a barrier. They feel comfortable talking about taboos, that not only mean sex, taboos for me also can mean to show your emotions, embracing them, let yourself feel. Like a river if you’ll like a metaphor. And in the right moment they show them -I’d they believe-. You can clearly see lilith trine moon has A LOT of introspection bc of pure desire of analyzing others🤪. They need it. They could be pretty obvious when they love someone, when they want to protect them. There’s full passion and determination that motivates them. They accept that not everything is logical and they let themselves be. Yet, they have to overcome their superficial feelings to enter that aspect and shi 😚

Sagittarius EVERYTHING

pass this part if you don’t want to read too much

I have to recall and specify -not everyone will agree- placements: Mercury and Venus. In my experience those are the ones that are TRANSPARENT -planets that are in big 6 and I’m only referring to signs and not houses (9H) and also not degrees (9° and 21°) but they count ALOT. I haven’t checked if I have known someone with sag rising but I have with sag moon and it scares me HAKDBSJD. clarifying☝️ they get bored easily and they can do something out of nowhere that you didn’t expect and that’s not kind of appropriate or can be uncomfortable. THIS WAS MY EXPERIENCE WITH 1 PERSON so don’t base yourself on it pls ty.

Obviously. wtf. these series weren’t going anywhere without the mention of Sagittarius. They think it, they say it. They don’t need to think about it, they don’t do it, THEY SPILL IT. Without a filter, without care until a moment later they be thinking if they were too rude, depending on the moon and etc. BUT WTF HAHA. For the weird and complexed ones, they can seem weird. The truth is that they’re jealous of the free spirit, soul and mind they have in front of them. They say it, you wanting it or not, they feel the need to. They’re the kid/sibling that haunts you bc they know too much and they can say something random that have to do with the secret you’ve told them. I’m not saying they can’t keep secrets, but they can speak without thinking. Even tho that, they speak their mind with help of their knowledge. They fucking know something and they say it. They are a little bit of a headache, they presume and talk and you want to cut their tongue. sometimes 🥰

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

❀ Based on my personal experience and what I’ve analyzed in my surroundings.

❀ English is not my first language.

❀ I’m not a profesional astrologer.

Thank youu. baibaiii🫣🫶🏼💋

Do not copy. Please give me credits.

[thirrith]

A guide to Dream of the Red Chamber for English speakers

I've been posting about a book called Dream of the Red Chamber for a while. I'm kinda obsessed with it but the tags here on tumblr are pretty much barren. I want to get more people to be interested in it, so here's something more informative with minimal screaming.

Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) is a 18th century Chinese novel by Cao Xueqin. It isn't very well-known outside of the Sinophone aka the Chinese-speaking world, whereas where I come from it's considered a masterpiece and classic and is so well-known and holds so much cultural significance even the people who haven't necessarily read the book make references to it - like, basically everybody knows about the book. It certainly deserves to be known and loved by more people - that's why I'm making a post about it. This post is NOT going to be an attempt to cover everything, though, because there is just so, so much to the book; instead, I am creating a guide to make it easier for people to get started if they are interested.

What is Dream of the Red Chamber about? Why do people love it?

The best way to sum it up is calling it a family saga mixed with a bit of fantasy. It tells the story of the rise and fall of a big and powerful family, focusing on the story of the young girls, the maid servants, and the wives that all live together and run the household. The only male main character Jia Baoyu is a young heir of the family, who grew up among these women and girls. He loves and understands them, loves being surrounded by them, and deeply identifies with them. My dad, who is also a fan of the book, loves saying that Baoyu 'has the heart of a maiden'.

The book is funny and full of drama, and at the same time it's also poetic, tragic and profound, and the tragedy of the characters is written in such a kind way, as if the author wants you to love them and remember how wonderful and alive they are despite the fact that a gloomy fate will claim them all.

The book is also so queer in a way that no other Ming/Qing dynasty Chinese novels can compare. Obviously there are no modern queer labels because it was written in imperial China, but there are characters who are interested in both men and women, characters who are interested in no one, and affairs between boys and between girls; many main characters have the kind of relationships with their gender that make my Chinese transgender heart sing with empathy.

If you want to hear from English speakers who fell in love with the book and learn more about the context and literary/cultural value of the book, I recommend starting with 'Why is China’s greatest novel virtually unknown in the west?' by Michael Wood on The Guardian and 'Why you should read China’s vast, 18th century novel, Dream of the Red Chamber' by Josh Stenberg on The Conversation.

Dream of the Red Chamber is a long novel with many different versions and possibly hundreds of adaptations. How should I begin?

There are two translations that I know have received good reviews:

A Dream of Red Mansions translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. My partner is reading this version. It's a very faithful translation with footnotes to make up for the language and cultural barriers. (Note: the Yangs finished their translation in prison in China during the Cultural Revolution.)

The Story of the Stone translated by David Hawkes and John Minford. It's a translation that takes more artistic liberties than the Yangs version. For example it differs in the way it translates character names and its writing style. Hawkes wanted to recreate the experience of reading the novel in Chinese for English speaking readers, but it may also be harder for you to talk to those who read the book in Chinese about certain characters and details.

There is also a public domain translation by H. Bencraft Joly, which was first published in the 19th century, and you can find it on Project Gutenberg.

The 1987 36-episode TV adaptation Dream of the Red Chamber is well-loved and considered by many Chinese people to be the best adaptation of the book. Every later adaptation would be compared with the 1987 one and found lacking. I personally love this adaptation a lot, and I think out of all the adaptations I've seen (including TV series, films and Chinese opera) it has the best interpretations of the book and the characters. It also has the best songs, which were adapted from the poems in the book. You can stream the series with English subtitles on the Internet Archive.

If you want something shorter that covers the main romance plot line and includes a few iconic scenes from the book, I recommend the 1977 film adaptation The Dream of the Red Chamber casting legendary actress Brigitte Lin as Jia Baoyu (she also portrayed an iconic classic wuxia character as a trans woman in another film franchise, but I digress). You can find the film with English subtitles on Youtube.

This is not all, but it's a good start. If you ever decide to give it a go, it doesn't matter if you watch one of the adaptations first or read the book first. Don't stress, take your time, and enjoy the ride!

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🌕 ARTEMIS: Goddess of the Hunt and Wilderness, Archery, Moon, Maidenhood and Childbirth 🏹

author's note: I had a sudden idea about writing some headcanons Camp Halfblood demigods being claimed and what it's like for each respective god and cabin, followed by a small blurb afterwards. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! The order is not in order of the cabin numbers. [PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST]

You’ve become one of Artemis’ ‘children’ as you joined the hunters of Artemis and became part of the sisterhood. 

For the most part, it’s a pretty nomadic way of living. You’re constantly on the move, hunting animals and monsters with your fellow sisters and companions. It's pretty comfy and the tents they set up are great (they also have full blown washrooms somehow, so no need to forgo running water) so it feels like glamping. But every now and again, Artemis takes you guys to stop by Camp Half-blood. 

Say what you will, there's something being stationary and sleeping in an actual building, in actual beds. 

You see the curious eyes watching you and your group, but they keep their distance given boys are off-limits and girls either look at you with awe or disdain. 

Y'know how the Apollo cabin often has archery matches with the Huntresses? Although they don't particularly become any closer, there is some sort of connection between your cabins. Probably because Artemis and Apollo are twins, and Apollo's children don't seem particularly attracted to your group, so there's something there. 

You take part and help out with the annual recruitment at the Camp. Teaching other potential maidens about what it's like being a Huntresses. You're told that they always have one interested individual that joins them by the time they leave camp.

Braids are often a common hairstyle among the hunt, aside from ponytails. Being on the move doesn’t allow much time to dwell on hair aside from basic hair care, so keeping it in a braid is often more of convenience. There’s usually a mass hair-washing station and it becomes a group bonding experience. All the hunters help braid your hair and teach you other styles along the way, and it’s not uncommon to see a hair braiding train. This often also leads into storytelling time and devolving much like a sleepover, bringing a certain sense of nostalgia.

You know you’ve become part of the hunters when Artemis asks you to help braid her hair. Your hands will shake and you will stutter, but as she encourages your hands to weave her hair, you feel honoured and the barrier between her and you is less daunting. 

Other than Dionysus, people feel envious and are curious what it’s like being around a god so often. Artemis accompanies you on your hunts more often than not, and usually is not around when she has to attend a council with the other Olympians or tend to her nightly duties. It’s a see-saw of perception being around Artemis; on one hand, you’re aware of who she is but on the other hand, when you’re hunting together or when she joins you with the other hunters, you forget she’s a deity.  

If you joined in when Zoe is a lieutenant, she is strict but fair. She is the ultimate big sister of the sisterhood. She may seem a bit cold to you but as she helps guide your shooting stance and gives you tips, tells you to zip up your parka or checks your supplies, you know she cares for you like a sister. In fact, you notice she seems more at ease as she looks after you and your sister…it makes you think if she had biological sisters. 

When Thalia is now the lieutenant, it takes some time to get used to. There’s a bit of friction and gap, since Zoe was in that position for over 2000 years. However, Thalia is confident and has the qualities of a leader, so her stumbles become sprints. She is different from Zoe in how they bond with the sisterhood, but if Zoe was the cool, proud sister, then Thalia is the fun, laughable sister that wouldn’t hesitate to give you a noogie.  

You looked upon the silver lady, her entourage of people behind her. The moon was full behind her head, bestowing a glow on her and you were just in awe to be in her shadow. 

A tall and graceful girl stepped forward and she regarded you with a pointed look. “If you wish to join our lady and our hunt, you must pledge yourself from romantic love and swear loyalty to Lady Artemis and our sisterhood.”

You nodded as she nodded back. “Recite this oath: I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.”

You recited this pledge and the girl with moonlike qualities smiled. “I, Artemis, accept this pledge. Welcome sister to the Hunt. As long as you remain as one of my Hunters, and are not slain in battle, you will not die under my watch.”

The other hunters cheered for you as you nodded. The other girl stepped forward with a warmer smile and held out her hand to you. 

“My name is Zoe Nightshade, lieutenant of Lady Artemis. Welcome to our sisterhood.”

[hurts2think]

Uma x Fem!reader with some fluff and physical affection?

🌊Uma x Reader Dating Headcanons🌊

Reader pronouns: She/her

Pairing: Principal Uma x Princess Reader

Plot: Dating Headcanons that leads to a proposal!

Extra: I just did this as headcanons since I really didn't have much to go off of, but I hope you enjoy! Even if this is a little half assed🫶

- You two actually met as teenagers after the barrier on the isle was taken down.

- She didn't really like you at first because she was still getting used to being in Auradon and wasn't a fan of all the royals

- Since the isle came down after you two were both already just graduated school, you never got to go to AP with her but you were close friends with Ben and Mal so you'd often run into her at events

- You always tried becoming friends with her because you really did admire her. Her determination, her capabilities, and being able to lead so wonderfully. And of course, she was probably one of the most gorgeous people you've ever met

- She finally got over her petty feelings towards you just because you were royalty and started to tolerate you.

- After that you two almost immediately bonded. You admitted your lack of interest in ever becoming queen one day and she very surprisingly invited you to join her pirate crew

- Naturally you accepted and ran off together with her crew. It wasn't long before you two admitted your undeniable feelings for each other.

- Harry would threaten you very often about making sure you didn't ever hurt Uma

- You all lived life at sea and going on wild adventures for a long while before you visited Auradon again and Uma was asked to take charge while Ben and Mal were gone

- Uma told you to not stay with her and go back to sea since she knew you never liked life on Auradon. You refused and insisted on staying with her.

- You always supported any of her decisions, especially considering they were always made with helping others in mind

- After temporarily moving back to Auradon and living with her, you finally started to get alone time with her.

- She's very physically affectionate and protective of you

- She's not big on pet names but she calls you "princess" if you're being an idiot

- (Let's say this is the timeline where the Queen of Hearts didn't do the coup)

- You started working at the school, teaching whatever class you wanted. Of course Uma would give you any job at the school you asked for

- She is not afraid to tell you when you're being stupid

- Lots of playful bickering. Pretty much 24/7 playful bickering

- She'll mock you for being a princess but it's all in good fun.

- She loves changing her hairstyle like all the time

- She's a huge hugger. You didn't expect her to be crazy about hugs since she almost hit you the first time you tried hugging her. But after you got together it was hugs all the time

- Speaking of hug, she gives the strongest hugs in the world. You swear she might break your back one day

- She's very very strong, typical for any pirate. She likes to just pick you up and spin you around. Usually bridal style

- Sometimes she does just like picking you up and moving you aside if you're in the way instead of just asking you to move

- Cuddling everyday! She loves cuddling

- While you guys cuddle you watch movies and she never shuts up. Always yelling about how stupid the people in the movie are

- If you guys do have a sexual relationship, the aftercare is insane. She really does treat you like a princess, in bed and with aftercare

- Her facial expressions say everything. If she's disgusted, you can tell. If she's angry, you can tell. If she's happy, you can tell. Her face tells it all

- She's very laid back and casual about pretty much everything but if she's particularly in the mood she gets very flirty

- One time she whispered something not-so-family-friendly in your ear at a royal dinner just to see you try to hide your expression

- She loves getting you all worked up, especially in public. Seeing you all flustered and trying to hide it is her favorite thing in the world

- Then she'll tease you for getting all worked up as if it wasn't her fault

- You guys do argue occasionally. She always wins

- Uma always drags her hands all over you when you guys are alone

- She's not very good at planning the events for school so she usually let's you do all of that with the school dances

- Pretty much the entire school loves her as a principal. She's very fun and not so uptight. Only a couple kids who are still stuck in the old Auradon ways don't like her

- You've tried to very subtly bring up the idea of marriage to her on multiple occasions but she just didn't seem to catch on

- You didn't want to just propose to her because what if she didn't want marriage?

- Buuuut, one day you saw the most gorgeous ring that she would love and you had to get it. So, maybe you were proposing.

- You two have a lot of scheduled dates, usually where you're just alone and one night there was supposed to be a meteor shower so you guys decided to have a night time picnic

- Uma usually does all the cooking since she used to work at a diner and she was best at it so she prepared all the food for you guys

- You decided it would be very romantic to propose at the picnic

- You were extremely nervous but while watching the meteor shower you decided to propose

- Her entire face lit up and she pulls out a ring from her pocket too

- You both laughed and giggled about you both trying to propose at the same time

- She picks you up and spins you around, kissing you, absolutely overjoyed

- While you're engaged she never stops mentioning it to people, always flexing about how amazing her girlfriend-soon-to-be-wife is

- She really loves you more than anything in the world, even with all her snarky remarks, she lets you know you're the most amazing woman she's ever met

[anneapocalypse]

On the actual significance of the "Grand Game"

In the three Dragon Age games thus far we have seen Orlesians from three perspectives. In Origins we get the Fereldan view, Orlesians Are Evil, this from a nation occupied and oppressed by the empire and not yet over it. In DA2 we get the Marcher view, or you could call it specifically the Tethras view, Orlesians Are Stupid, a view no doubt cultivated by the fact that the only Orlesians you meet in Kirkwall are rich expats wealthy enough to have a second home in the Free Marches but not important enough to actually need to be in Orlais. And in Inquisition we get I think the closest thing to the Orlesian view of Orlais, which is: we're very powerful and you should want to have us on your side; please ignore all the chaos and civil war and how expendable we consider the lower classes.

Throughout all of this I think it is worth noting that the only people who think Orlesians are so subtle and clever are Orlesians, and mostly it's just the nobles and their hangers-on who think that about themselves. We're introduced to the concept of the Grand Game through Leliana, who romanticizes the whole thing due to her life as a bard. Varric by contrast has very little in the way of romantic notions about Orlesian nobles and mostly portrays them as comical buffoons, from Emile de Launcet to Duke Prosper de Montfort; not one of Varric's Orlesian characters is ever meant to be taken seriously by the audience. In Inquisition, a lot of hay is made about the Game and the need for favor and so forth but it pretty much all boils down to "Nobles have money and troops. We need those. Make them like you."

To me, the interesting thing about the Game is not that it's actually deeply complex or intricate, but how central it is to Orlesian identity. Of course there are intricacies to court politics, but most of it comes down to knowing whose interests and connections lie where, and how those interests may be successfully manipulated. That's not "Orlesian politics," that's just politics, and it's not meaningfully different from politics elsewhere. What sets the Orlesian aristocracy apart from Ferelden, when you look past the cultural trappings and the aesthetics, is mainly that Orlais has much stronger barriers to upward mobility in place (freeholds, or land owned by commoners, are practically unheard of in Orlais, whereas the freehold is the backbone of Fereldan culture).

But where I think the cultural significance of the Game truly matters to Orlesians is in the way it's meant to set them apart as the Good Empire. The empire that is cultured, sophisticated, civilized--you know, not like that other, bad empire up north, the one with the blood magic and the legal slavery. Please pay no attention to the blood-soaked floors of the servants' quarters (or the illegal slave trade that flourished in occupied Ferelden and behind closed doors of remote estates). We negotiate power with subtle words and gestures, and definitely don't sustain it with the blood of the powerless just like the magisters do, but without the magic. It's the magic part that makes blood magic bad, not the murder part. (This is a big part of why I love The Masked Empire, so much, as it really has so much to say about the nature of power and empire and who truly suffers for the games the nobles play, but it's also why what we see in the servants' quarters in "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" is so important.)

And this all ties into Orlais as the seat of the southern Chantry as well, sitting in opposition to Tevinter politically, culturally, religiously, all of which are inexorably intertwined.

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 29 Thoughts: Lost in Translation

We're at the penultimate episode of the season, folks. It's a surprisingly standard episode given what we had for the last one. It's also a very TMA flavoured one at that. This episode, despite being written by Alex, might have taken the top spot for one that feels the most like an Archives ep. Which isn't a bad thing. Or even a good thing. However it is an enjoyable thing and I thought this episode was really well put together on the whole. Also, fun fact for the non-readers; this episode was originally called "Locked In".

Spoilers for episode 29 below the cut.

Sam's not dead. What a shock. Genuinely, I've no real clue why people thought him dying there was a possibility. It would've been probably the least satisfying death possible for a central character. I am so on board with Sam’s death at some point though. Maybe at the end of act 1 or the midpoint of act 2 in season 3. If only to shut up the small contingent of the fanbase upset over their own invented issues about him being the sole main character whom all other characters exist to support. The gang is off to Hilltop to find all that juicy Magnus lore.

I don't think there is much to get into for Lena and Gwen's exchange here but I do think it's set up for her role in the finale. So I'll cover that later.

I really liked this incident. It felt very classically Magnus to me and was just a really solid self-contained story. It's also a really good one for using the format it's in the the benefit of the narrative being told. The structure of it as a diary and how that's used to show something traumatic happening before it's ever spoken of was very well done. The characters being an older couple also is something I think is really clever too. Not just because it helps explain the diary format. I think in a literal sense this episode doesn't need much of my insights. It was all pretty clear exactly what happened. Old couple redid their proposal holiday to tragic results leading to the survivor taking their own life via magic key. Tale as old as time that one is. There are a few language details to talk about though. The husband was called Stanley Locke. Stanley is a brand of locks. I can only assume that was intentional. The other reason them being old is important to the events is I think a younger couple would've just not gone into the locked museum. Because that's what the place is. Zamčené muzeum isn't a *lock *museum, it's a *locked *museum. Google translate would've solved this whole episode then and there. The major thing to actually talk about here is the incident's placement as the penultimate incident. It's not likely to be a randomly placed one and given it's about opening all sorts of barriers I think it's pretty obviously foreshadowing for our finale. Hilltop has more than one thing needing to be opened. The Institute's secrets, and the gap in reality. It also mirrors [Error]'s introduction as the first thing they do is open a padlock.

Teddy's near-confession is the most interesting thing in this whole episode for my money. Mostly because it's such fertile ground for speculation. There are a lot of ways it could go but there are some facts that I think point us in a direction. He still works at Royal Mint Court/was interviewed for a job there. He's still up all night. He's got a big secret he needs to tell Alice that's important to her current circumstances enough to be urgent. Meaning he therefore has new information he didn't have before he left. Which means where he is now is in a place that could provide said information. The OIAR has more going on behind the scenes than we ever see yet is seemingly staffed by a tiny amount of people. Which points to Teddy maybe still just being at the OIAR. Either just moving up in the organisation and the party was a ruse, or he was headhunted after he left and his work fell through. It could also be a company like Starkwall too, if there is any real difference between the two. Some offshoot of the Institute is also a possibility given the link between Newton and the Royal Mint. Or, he's been scooped up by Klaus.

The final scene here doesn't have an awful lot to comment on. It's somewhat curious that [Error] is able to get around so unseen but we do know she can teleport. I'm assuming she's on the train to get Celia's secrets about the Institute. Plenty of time for that too as London to Oxford is about an hour on the train. Not really anywhere for them to hide either so they're probably pretty fucked.

Now the long wait until next week begins.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What sort of penultimate episode post would be complete without some finale predictions? I think there are a fair few pieces in play here and so there are quite a lot of things to speculate on.

I think there are some fairly obvious things that are likely to happen. Celia is going to get [Error]ed and exposition dump about her whole deal. It's got to come out some time and I think in general the show has been foreshadowing this pretty hard with Gwen and Sam both getting [Error]ed. The other major possibility here is that Alice gets got and she's got some secret twisty trauma. If *Connor is her dead name then she *is on CHDB (the Institute's list of children they tested, see the master sheet below) but I would generally hate that. I mean, they might pull it off but I really don't want Alice to have that backstory. She is the character we know the least about so far though and there have been more than a few hints about the fate of her parents. So it's a strong possibility too IMO. Albeit it does mean that Alice would need to catch up with them somehow. Maybe Teddy can give her a lift and we'll hear what was on his mind. Or it's both as this will be a double-length episode so there is room for that.

Speaking of [Error] it seems likely that Celia is going to reveal at least what she knows about Archivists. With [Error] being this season's antagonist it's likely that she's going to get defeated in the finale and as such we'll lose the best opportunity to learn more about her. Revealing that information after she's dealt with is less impactful. They might end up [Error]ing themselves and given a statement, or villain monologuing. It's curious that they're so obviously capable of speech and have said so little though. So I am expecting something to change there.

Hilltop could go a lot of ways. It could be a gaping maw in realities that sucks our cast off to someplace new. It could be nothing but some clues to the Institute's purpose. I don't have much in the way of anything I'd like it to be either. I generally think it'll be the least interesting bit of the finale. The biggest thing it could answer it won't, that being JMJ, and so I'm content to just let that one play out and not think about it too much. In either case Hilltop is likely to play some role in defeating [Error] and if I had to hazard a guess I think it's likely we'll see some of the great cosmology at play here. Both in terms of TMP itself but I think we'll get some hints at how things have changed from TMA/how TMA's things have changed.

I think we're also going to see a good bit of Gwen going being Lena's back too. Assuming we're not going to jump forward in time at all then Gwen is currently alone in the office and is clearly planning things. I don't think we'll necessarily see anything major happen but I do think it's a pretty likely hook for season 2. Either something to do with Klaus or the other strange emails. It's that or Colin is going to break in and cause some havoc. Gwen is the character I most see going along with him on this too. I think that might be a surprising take to some of you but Gwen is unique in that she doesn't actually give a shit about him, and also wants to ruin Lena's career. Colin wrecking the place while she's not there would certainly do some damage to her job stability.

I'm not too sure we'll see much of the other voiced cast. I can't really see a reason for Lena, Teddy, Ink5oul, or anyone else to get involved in the finale. Although Lena could certainly be a big part of the epilogue assuming any of the Gwen stuff goes down like I expect.

Anyway, lots to look forward to.

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Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 4254 is unremarkable. At this point I really don't know what it'd take to tip my theory on its head.

CAT# Theory: CAT2 is another funny one for the Person/Place/Object idea. The museum was arguably supernatural but the key was obviously supernatural. So if anything this should be CAT3 or potentially a CAT23 but it's just CAT2. If it is P/P/O I'm going to need a really strong explanation for why it sucks so bad.

R# Theory: Yeah, B sounds good to me. Strong physical evidence of a thing happening but nothing that definitively proves the supernatural. Going into the finale this whole theory seems to be holding pretty well. At least for non-Ss. An S could be a lot of things though so we'll see.

Header talk: Drowning (Subterranean) -/- Key (Metaphor) is somewhat interesting in that Key (Metaphor) can be read as the key itself being entirely metaphorical. I think that's fairly obviously wrong but it's interesting. The meaning is more that the key has the ability to open things in a metaphorical sense. It works on more than just doors, after all. So the key itself is real but it works on a looser interpretation of "opening" than just locks and doors. Beyond just that interpretation there is also the metatextual element that the incident itself is metaphorical for what's to come. Assuming it wasn't randomly placed, that is.

[tokiwarcube]

Hello, I love your writing and hope you're doing well <3

Could you write hc's about Toki before dethklok got famous? Like in his flashback in Doomstar Requiem? Preferably with a reader that's very supportive of him and always goes to his concerts in shitty venues to cheer him on.

Aww, thank you so much! This week has been incredible — very tiring, but incredible all the same. And it’s been nice to come back to the hotel (or in this case, hang out in the airport) and work on fun requests like these! Below the cut! <3

Fresh out of Norway, Dethklok was nothing short of a dream come true for Toki. He doesn’t believe in God, but this is the closest thing he’s ever felt to divine intervention. That doesn’t even graze the gratefulness he feels for you — he can’t even begin to string together how much you and your unwavering presence mean to him.

He lives for the crowd, whether it be a shitty dive bar or… well, a less shitty dive bar. But frankly, this is his first time ever doing this — he’s gone from complete isolation to performing in front of others basically overnight, and he’d be lying if it wasn’t a little nerve-wracking. Especially when the crowd isn’t feeling it quite yet — there always seems to be a few people at the barrier who are clearly just there for the next band, and it can feel pretty damn crushing. But then he looks over at you, grinning and cheering for him under the neon lights, and suddenly he feels like he could do anything.

(He hates the idea of you tabling for this very reason — because yes you’re pretty, and funny, and you’d probably sell a damn-good amount of merch just by being you… but if he can’t see you in the crowd, he’s not quite the same on stage. And it definitely bleeds through into his performance, and his behavior after the show. He needs his number one fan!)

You’ve gotta keep him from throwing his pick at you every night. You have him — the fans can have a pick or two.

He always links hands with you after shows — hell, he’ll bring you into fan photos if you feel comfortable with it. You might not be on stage, but you're just as much of a band member as he is at this rate.

He begged you to come with them on their first tour — they were only opening for some other band, but still, they’re touring! And despite your better judgement, against the advice of your family and coworkers, love won out… and off you went. And the van was cramped, sure, and the food wasn’t exactly great; and yet, it was the most magical thing you had ever experienced.

(The memories still glimmer sweetly in your mind over a decade later, and even today, he still has all of the photos he took saved.)

It’s fun taking him to weird little American places — doesn’t matter what state you go to, there’s always something new and novel. His eyes light up just about every time you take him somewhere new, and honestly, it never gets old. He always has a myriad of questions, too. Doesn’t matter if its a national landmark or a fast food truck — he will have questions.

He’s particularly interested in zoos and animal sanctuaries, though. The first time he saw one of the big cats, he damn near vibrated out of his skin. You’ve gotta hold his hand pretty tightly so he doesn’t get too close to the leopards and jaguars when they start to chirp and meow in his direction.

He gets a very far-off look in his eyes listening to their stories sometimes, particularly as sanctuaries and rescues, but still, he always asks the keeper if you can just stay a few more minutes to watch them. Hand in yours, sat cross-legged on the ground, with nothing but fondness in his eyes.

(In modern times, you have to keep him from buying a big cat. He doesn’t forget the stories he was told, but he does think he’s different, and it’s a Herculean struggle to remind him otherwise.)

He experiments with fashion quite a bit, with… varying success. Truly, love knows no bounds. However, he does find that he does really like having facial hair after seeing how you smile against his lips when his hair tickles you just a bit.

He genuinely lives for your touch, to the point where he can’t really sleep without you at night anymore! But in the beginning, he was very nervous about initiating on his own. He would eat up anything you threw his way — even brushing by him in the cramped as fuck van is electric, to him.

He always asks you to tell him stories at night — anything will do (he loves to hear you speak), but he likes happy stories about you the most.

He loves holding your hand at night, gazing at you under the fluorescent street lights — they’ve become an odd little piece of your shared life, funnily enough. The dying streetlamp outside of your apartment, the highway lights as the boys drive the van around the country… it’s a simple thing, but their shine has lit up more than just the night for Toki.

[drdemonprince]

This is prompted by your most recent substack about fame, because my point is extremely tangential, I'm putting it here.

It's interesting to have seen the internet go through many stages. From the newsgroups/BBS era, to internet forums, to blogs, to social media, and how the respective environments shaped things.

In the early days, it's very much a group thing, some people became Big Name posters, pseudonymous, but still a group thing. The blog era was more personal, but still something made by someone who's just a person, even if not literally pseudonymous. Also, still text based, a lot of it even often. Social media changed that, with it's focus on follower counts on one hand and to snippets of text (twitter) or images (insta), and even though it's social media-ness is debatable, video (insta, youtube). The semi-anonymous nature however, was completely lost by now.

The doing it because you enjoyed it, or whatever, also recedes into the background because this is where monetization really takes off. The deleterious effects of the interaction between monetization and follower counts (notability) need no introduction, but painting with broad strokes, make something appeal as broad as possible deepens the flattening effect a medium like video already has, the visual aspects often being more important than the messages. It also has a much higher barrier to entry. Spinning up your own blog is cheap, text takes only a tiny amount data. Video is not. It's expensive to make (especially if you want slick videos), expensive to serve, so it's predisposed to big, single platforms that can leverage economies of scale.

The natural result is that you have a few people with big audiences, instead of many people with small audiences. If audiences is even the right word for that. If I'm talking about say, some TV show on my blog, and someone responds, it's a fairly equal conversation. More between peers, of sorts, just two people talking about something they share. As opposed to a Youtuber who makes a video about it with 100,000s of viewers. Because there are so many fewer voices, you lose the breadth of conversation too, narrowing to a small range of popular topics, and the distinction between You, and You as Your Brand gets eroded.

It's kinda notable in the autism sphere. Blogs where people talk about their experiences, how they dealt or didn't deal with things, have fallen off. Twitter came and went, and now there's Youtube and insta, where everything gets simplified down to a few slides or a 10 minute video about only the most basic aspects. Which is just... sad. I wouldn't have known that autistic burnout is a Thing many people struggle with if not for a blog post a friend came across and shared one day.

There was a comment from someone, a while ago, about how they used to have ASMR videos on, until they were able to get out into nature, and their desire for those videos completely disappeared. We're all very deprived. Of social contact, foremost. The pandemic poured gasoline on an already smoldering fire I feel. Latching onto someone 'famous' in a surrogate of social contact & context, like that person with their ASMR videos, feels like an understandable (though not good) outcome of that, which brings with it very regrettable excesses.

I think this is all pretty much a correct analysis, thank you! Though I would qualify that we have shifted away from the period of the Youtube mega content creator a social media ecosystem of intimate-seeming connections with smaller influencers, these days. Think of your Twitch streamers with a dedicated base of like 50-200 viewers per stream (and a Discord and a Patreon that supports them), the fitness Instagrams that sell meal plans online, the tarot witches and activist influencers offering one on one sessions, etc. Those communities can be more niche, but they still offer the illusion of a connection -- and if anything, that illusion is more strong because the creator is a "micro" famous person, and can take time to interact closely with fans here and there. We might already be heading out of that period of social media, though, especially with the disintegration of Twitter and the slow death of Meta's apps, too. I don't know what comes next but I hope we are due for a reappraisal of all of this, and the norms surrounding it.

[defectivegembrain]

It's actually fascinating to watch Abed's learning process through documentary making. Like in Introduction to Film, obviously Six Candles is very clunky and simple, but it gets the point across. It couldn't not, Abed very rigidly pushes to get that specific story, even if he has to cobble it together from clip art and manufactured conflict. The message is all that matters, because it's the first time he's had the tools to communicate it. It's not even really a documentary, since he can't get more than a little clip of his dad, and nothing of his mom.

And then he's making movies of actors playing his friends. They are shocked by how well he knows them, but I think the process of making the movies is actually his way of studying their behaviour. He is fixated on knowing them as well as he can, because he cares so deeply about them. But they don't get that.

Then Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking, his first real documentary. He assumes the format will be easy, but he learns to have a more balanced view of it. There are points where being a filmmaker clashes with being a friend, and he treats the narrative as more important than people's feelings. But overall, he's obviously not the villain here, and isn't the main target of anyone's anger. Pierce by virtue of having a big ego and no idea how to mess with Abed, accidentally gave him a very useful opportunity.

Documentary Filmmaking: Redux is really interesting, because what Abed is doing is transparently unkind to begin with. He is so caught up in the story that he is willing to watch his friends descend into chaos for it, even ignoring Troy being clearly upset with him. But he ultimately learns that he can't be completely detached, and he chooses to be kind and help the Dean out.

Advanced Documentary Filmmaking has him trying very seriously to investigate something from all angles, and he seems to have more of a grip on recording the truth without being clumsy or insensitive about it. You could argue that there's a moral dilemma in knowing Jeff's true intentions, but I'm pretty sure Abed always saw through Chang's bullshit.

Then Wedding Videography is kind of the polar opposite of Six Candles, in that he's just filming whatever happens, in a situation that holds little personal significance to him. The only thing he insists on is no Jimming the camera. It feels like he is basically using the camera as a barrier for a social situation he doesn't really want to be part of. And not to sound like a stuck record, but he wouldn't be like that if Troy was there. He's gone from using documentaries as a tool to understand and communicate with people, to using it to detach himself. Which I'm not saying is bad in itself. It's a reasonable coping mechanism, it's just sad that he needs it. It's sad that none of his other friends has developed a consistent way to be quite as grounding and make him feel like a participant, not just an observer.

[liminalpebble]

Stray: Part 6

Masterlist link

Stray: Part 6

Loki waited patiently in the sepia and golden glow of the cozy little café, then jumped to his feet as he saw you walk in. He stood up, waving and smiling eagerly, welcoming you to a little table for two where candles had been lit and the steaming food had just arrived.

He kissed your hand and pulled your chair out in a bafflingly archaic display of chivalry.

“Th...thank you, Mr...I actually don't think I got your name.”

“Ah! Of course. I'm Henry. Thank you so much for joining me. I hope you don't mind, but I know you don't have much time so I ordered for us in advance.”

“Wow! This looks incredible!” you exclaimed. Your eyes lit up like a child on Christmas as you saw the most scrumptious-looking grilled cheese and tomato soup. “You must have read my mind. I love a grilled cheese and tomato soup on a dreary day.”

Henry gave a wry grin, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, “Good intuition, I suppose.”

An effervescent giggled escaped your lips. You couldn't believe the absurdity of this situation; sitting here in your uniform, a threadbare sweater over you shoulders, opposite a modern prince charming eating in a cafe far beyond anything you could afford.

“Please,” he said, delighted by your delight, “Dig in.”

You hummed in pleasure as you took a crispy bite of the golden sandwich dipped in the silky soup. You had no idea such a simple meal could be a gourmet cuisine with the right preparation.

Loki's heart fluttered as he looked up to see your doe eyes go wide. “This...this is the best soup I've ever had in my life! Thank you Mr....Thank you, Henry.”

'Henry' nodded his his lovely blond head as he replied, “My pleasure.”

“So,” you began uncertainly, “You seem to have a few accurate impressions of me. May I know a bit more about you?”

“I would venture to say that I don't know nearly enough about you, darling.”

you could feel the blood warming in your cheeks. “I really don't know that there's much to say. Frankly, I'm pretty confused by your attention. You're handsome and suave and...well, I'm sure you know all that. Men like you usually know very well where they stand in those matters. I'd like to know about you beyond that.”

There are no men like me. He thought; a faint hint of his dormant arrogance rearing up. However, he did feel the slightest prick of a wound, not because you mistook him for a simple human, but because you said it with so much suspicion. Although Loki was dying for you to trust him, he couldn't blame you really. He was literally deceiving you right now. You were certainly intelligent enough to be weary of the intentions of attractive men. It was actually admirable. Not everyone could keep their wits about them when the silver-tongued god of charm engaged them.

“I don't think you give yourself enough credit, but I can also see that you don't enjoy talking about yourself.”

“Correct,” you confirmed with a laugh, deflecting. “So...with a lovely accent like that, I'm guessing you aren't from around here?”

“Uh...no,” he said dabbing his face with a napkin. “In my youth I spent a good deal of time in Norway with my family. The people there were very hospitable. Eventually, we migrated to England. Our Scandinavian friends took us with them, in a sense, but that was all a very long time ago and I've traveled around since then. What about you? I'm sure you have an interesting story of your own.”

Hmm. You thought, Undeterred, are you?

Unable to meet his penetrating gaze, you stared into your soup. “Not particularly. I'm from a big city in the Midwest. Came to the coast to get my degrees and I've been here ever since, hoping I could get a career as an academic but clearly...”, you gestured down to your uniform, “that hasn't exactly worked out.”

When you met his eyes again he seemed so sad. “It really is terrible, isn't it? That women face so many barriers. But I do hope things are changing...especially for you.”

You smiled with a tired sort of hope. “Me too. I just keep trying...trying to stay brave and stay kind.”

“Yes...I can see that.” he said with a warm expression. “Don't you miss it? Your hometown. Your friends, family?” After a beat and a quizzical raise of his eyebrows... “Boyfriend?”

You took a sip of your water to delay answering. “No...heh. No boyfriend, and I...don't really have any close friends. The other girls, my coworkers, they invite me out and they're very sweet. Sometimes I go, but I just don't...I don't know...fit in. My family doesn't speak to me. See, I wasn't supposed to go off and get diplomas. I was supposed to get married and make babies, according to them. That wasn't what I wanted, so...”

“Ah,” he said knowingly, “It's never easy when families make us feel like a disappointment for simply following our own compass. Mine does the same.”

Your eyebrows peaked in surprise, “You? A disappointment? Those must be some very odd standards your family has if they consider you a disappointment. I can't wrap my head around that.”

“Nor can I in your situation, dear lady.” He tilted his head thoughtfully, a sadness behind his pretty eyes. “I suppose we're both strays then?”

You nodded pensively. Your itching curiosity finally got the better of you as you asked, “Henry, this will probably sound like a pretty selfish questions, but...What is it about me that you could possibly notice that impressed you enough to do this for me? I just can't understand.”

He took a deep breath and swirled his wine, searching for a way to say something deeply true but wrapped in a lie of omission. Then he said sincerely, “I noticed, on several occasions, that you were kind, and clever, and unique, and funny. Even working in a soulless place that wants to crush that out of you. It takes a quiet kind of strength to remain yourself, and that's a much more challenging feat of strength than the more obvious sorts. Persisting like that is hard. It's one of the hardest things in the universe.”

“Thank you. That's extremely flattering of you to say, and so poetically too, but it can't be that unusual.”

“Believe me, darling. I've been everywhere. I'm older than you'd think. I assure you that it is very very rare.” He leaned closer, those bright eyes never leaving you. “You are very very rare. The only one of your kind,” he said, almost whispering as he gently took your hand.

“Oh! Your poor hands are freezing,” you said cradling his in both of yours and rubbing gently.

Loki chuckled hard with amusement. “Oh sorry darling. It's nothing, I promise. I just tend to run cool. I assure you, it doesn't bother me. I actually quite like crisp weather.”

You kept your palms pressed against his beautiful hand, feeling utterly unable to let go now that you'd had the chance to touch him. To your surprise and delight, his lovely fingers curled around yours.

You were speechless under his spell, only able to think, Say something say something say something goddamn it say something!

“Ah well, you're in the right place then. Chilly and rainy seems to be what this city specializes in. I hate it though,” you added shivering into your ratty sweater. “I get cold so easily.”

You cringed a little, feeling like you'd settled on the dullest kind of small talk. You stared down at your now-empty plates but you could feel his perceptive gaze boring into you. Suddenly, the clock chimed one and you jumped up.

“Oh! I'm so sorry to run off but I really need to clock back in now. Thank you so much, Henry. This was so lovely. Um...can I leave some cash for my part?”

He shook his head in abject confusion. “No! No no. My treat, darling, remember?” he said softly as he rose, helping your into your coat. He was so close. You could smell his fresh cologne again, the press of his large hands as he draped your coat gently over your shoulders. “But, in return, might I be so bold as to ask for your phone number?”

He brought out a little note pad of luxurious green paper and a pen, and you gladly scribbled your name and number on it, hands almost shaking too much to make it legible.

He purred out the syllables of your name with satisfaction, then said, “I'll call you soon?”

You gasped out a breathy, “Yes! Yes please. Thank you for everything.”

He nodded to you as you backed out through the door waving your hand (and bumping into a table). You hustled back to punch the clock, a couple minutes late but still on cloud 9.

----

Loki was feeling equally blissful, sitting for a long moment after you'd left, enjoying the scent of your perfume lingering behind you; violets and lavender. His hand still felt warm from your touch. He had only had one glass of wine, but he was already feeling tipsy from this lovely little time with you. Lost in his thoughts, he hatched another plan to make you smile, and jumped up to complete it before he would have to go back to your shared home and his feline form.

------

As you slid your punch card into the clock the next morning you felt a strange mix of emotions; still high off of your incredible little date and Henry's company, but hesitant to put too much into it. You felt the strain of uncertainty and a very familiar reluctance towards trust. It felt like that long moment of tension when the cart has finished climbing the first hill of a rollercoaster and has yet to plunge. Waiting for either a thrilling or terrifying drop was eating at your usually strong patience.

You weren't sure if he would call that evening. You assumed he wouldn't that night since it had only been a few hours and...what was the etiquette anyway? To wait a few days? You had no idea. Dating was far outside your area of expertise. But you did take comfort in how extra affectionate your little black feline companion was being.

Loki was anxious for you to come home that evening, noticing you were a bit later than usual. You swung in the door all blushing cheeks and smiling, raindrops clinging to your hair and making it glitter, those adorable apples of your cheeks rising in glee. He began to purr you stroked his fur, thrilled to see you again though it had only been a few hours.

“Sorry I'm late, Loki,” you soothed as he meowed pitifully. “I didn't mean to make you nervous. I had to stop at the library.” Looking over to where you had set two thick volumes on the counter, he noted the titles. A History of Norway and Introductory Norwegian.

He grinned irrepressibly (as much as a cat can grin) at the sweet curiosity of his mortal. She wanted so much to learn and to see the world, and of course, also to know a bit more about her dashing stranger. Don't worry, little mortal, he thought, I'll show you such exquisite places over all the nine realms. Loki was actually rather proud of himself that he hadn't technically lied, and learning about Scandinavia would, in fact, teach her a good deal about him and where he had spent so much time on this planet before.

His heart sank, though, as he sat in her lap. His tail twitched anxiously as her eyes kept wondering towards her silent phone and her initial glee turned to frustration. Loki was dying to call her, to alleviate her worries that 'Henry' wasn't interested. She stroked and scritched his shiny coat as she confided in him with a sigh.

“He was so so sweet, Loki. I want to believe him. He seemed sincere, but a man like that? Going for a girl like me? I'm sure he's already forgotten about me and moved on to one of the other hundred names in his little black book.”

“Meow!”

“Yeah, I guess your right. It's not fair for me to judge a book by its cover. He certainly must not be judging me by mine.”

“Merorow!” How can you say that? You're so beautiful...and the more I know about you the more and more beautiful you become.

You smirked and said, “You know, you always holler like that when I'm putting myself down. Thanks for putting a stop to it. Maybe someday I'll get out of the habit.”

-------

Your mind drifted to all of these moments of the day before while you tried your best to pay attention behind your counter, or taking inventory, but you found yourself scattered and day dreaming. You were doing just that when Janet called your name, and you snapped back to the present.

“Janet! Sorry about that.”

Janet chuckled, knowing what lovestruck looked like when she saw it. “Jesus, I was calling your name like four times!”

“Sorry!” you chuckled out, embarrassed. “What's the matter, kid?”

“Well, there's a gift box delivered at reception for you.” She smirked and elbowed you conspiratorially, “seems like you got an admirer.”

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, but you couldn't deny the swell of anticipation you felt as your feet carried you swiftly to the desk.

Waiting for you was a package wrapped in elaborate green and gold paper and tied with a golden bow. A small note with your name written in elegant calligraphy graced the top. You read it with a smile so wide your cheeks began to ache.

Darling,

Thank you for a lovely little meal together. My apologies for not calling. I've been unfortunately terribly occupied with a project and haven't found a private moment. Please know that I think about your lovely voice, and eyes, and demeanor constantly, though. And please accept this small token of my affection. I hate to think of you shivering, and I'd love to help you keep warm.

Sincerely,

Henry

Digging through the tissue paper, you discovered a lusciously soft violet-hued sweater. It was new and perfectly tailored to your size. All you could do for a time was stare at it, mouth agape for a long moment.

Finally Janet made her way up to you, too curious to stay behind for long. She tapped your arm lightly and goaded, “Well! Try it on, princess! I'm swooning for you.”

You giggled. You couldn't help it. You shrugged your ratty gray cardigan off and slid your arms into the softest cashmere you had ever felt. It was perfect, everything about it was perfect; the color exactly suited to your skin tone and preference, the shape tastefully flattering your every curve. You were overwhelmed by a storm of every good feeling; gratitude, affection, glee, excitement. Janet thought to herself that she'd never seen you so glad before, and she was happy for you, deciding that if anyone deserved to be doted on by a dashing prince it really was you.

“Wow. Honey, if he has a brother, promise you'll let me know?” the younger lady asked, and you both giggled.

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