#such a plethora of different ways the plot could go

[pianokantzart]

Still thinking about @elitadream's body swap concept like

[echantedtoon]

Single Dad Douma Au

Did a similar au idea with Kokushibo so I wanted to explore a what if scenario if Douma had ended up being a single Dad too. Art found on Pinterest.

(It's not stated anywhere to my knowledge that Douma is Apathetic in Kimetsu Guaken as well but considering how much different the characters are in KG compared to their Demon Slayer counterparts I'm going to write this without Douma being Apathetic and in his thirties because his KG age is stated as unknown.)

Douma is canonically a scam artists in Kimetsu guaken and thus uses his skills to accidentally get him into this situation in the first place. How? Well he's been married a few times and at first it was really like any other time he's scammed someone with his charm and looks. He was broke and in need of a place to stay with maybe some way to lay low for a while, so what better way to get away from some angry people than to assume a new identity?

His target was a single mother, not his usual target but he thought the sudden change was exactly what he needed to help throw some people off his trail after tricking a building company into buying a plot of land that didn't actually exist. It took almost nothing to seduce a single mom of two and for good measure he took her last name making it harder for his enemies to track him with a name change. Douma Shabana wasn't the worst name and it was rather different from the plethora of fake identities he's used. What he wasn't expecting was to suddenly become a parent.

Douma has literally no idea how to be a dad especially to these young kids. Gyutaro is sereverly mistreated by his mother while she favors Ume, thus he's prone to acting out and simultaneously very protective of his sister. Meanwhile Ume is very spoiled and like her brother has a tendency to acting out but in the form of tantrums. Not exactly what he was signing up for but he assumes it's only temporary until he eventually moved on again as he usually did. That was until their mother died unexpectedly from a terminal illness she had but was unaware of, suddenly leaving him a single Dad to two small rowdy children.

Douma for once is at a complete loss of what to do. Being a stepfather who knew he was going to leave eventually was one thing but suddenly being a single Dad with two small kids only two years apart was not in his daily bingo card. He's at a big loss of what to do. He's unaware of any family so it's not like he could just drop them off at Grandma's house and leave. Just dropping them off at a local foster home was an idea that usually popped into his mind, but the idea of just dumping the kids on someone else during a stressful moment just didn't sit right in his guts.

So starts the evolution of Douma transitioning into Dad Douma.

It wasn't an easy process at all. He just thought he'd just have to plaster a smile on and be charming as he usually did but it turns out kids didn't really buy that. Trying to calm Ume down from crying tantrums when he refused to give her desert before dinner and having to literally carrying her crying out of stores because she didn't get a dollie multiple times was exhausting and having to deal with Gyutaro acting out both in and out of school fighting and doing everything OPPOSITE he tells him not to do is enough to pull his hair out. But, they weren't exactly used to having an even half decent parent around so it was quite an adjustment for them as much as it was for him. Gyutaro was the first to come around after catching Douma crying out of stress and frustration with his situation. He was just on his way to get Ume a glass of water like she (ordered-) asked him to and he just accidentally happened to catch Douma up on the sofa tired and exhausted crying his eyes out from the frustration.

This surprised Gyutaro a lot because he didn't think grown ups cried but most of all he didn't think DOUMA could cry. He was always so happy smiling at everything even if he caught him taking money out of his wallet or if Ume threw her dinner on the floor during one of her tantrums. What really struck him was because seeing him cry like that reminded him of when he cried when their mom treated them badly or when Ume was truly upset over something she couldn't control. Perhaps it was the sad familiarity that got lil Gyutaro to stop acting out(as much-) and surprised Douma. He ended up being woken up by a tired Gyutaro, having fallen asleep on the sofa after his emotional break down the night before. Looking confused by the awkward shuffling the boy had done without looking him in the eye.

"..... I'm hungry. Can you make me some pancakes?"

Things go a little bit smoother after that. Still immensely awkward for a long time until they got used to one another, but Gyutaro stops acting out of purposely yelling at him/start picking fights with him for no reason outside of the occasional childhood tantrum or complaining which was normal for kids. And Gyutaro helps with getting Ume used to not being so spoiled and listen to Douma. She's more attached to Onichan and relies on his lead so she slowly starts toddling after Gyutaro's lead though it takes a long time to get to where the three of them actually aren't awkward anymore.

Douma isnt the best parent. Not the best person in general because he didn't stop his scamming ways even after becoming a parent(mostly just through illegal back alley gambling and MLMs now) but he tries hid best. He always makes sure there's food in the fridge, a clean house with electricity and running water, and at least forty dollars in the cabinets for emergency money when he isn't around.

Growing up Ume took to calling him dad first. The end result was Douma crying his eyes out and hugging a confused seven year old Ume who was just asking her dad if she could have some ice cream. Gyutaro takes longer to outwardly call him 'Dad'. He acknowledges Douma as his parent and if someone were to ask him he'd say that was his dad, but he doesn't actually call Douma Dad until he's a teenager and Douma surprises him by giving him a small wad of money(which he may or may not have gotten by cheating at a game of illegal blackjack-) to help him buy the motorcycle he'd been saving up for. Happily responding without thinking-

"Thanks, Dad!"

The response was both being shocked but then Gyutaro had to pry an ugly sobbing happily crying Douma from hugging him. But the Shabana siblings are not the only ones whom had fallen into Douma's care.

Douma had met Kotoha, a fellow single parent at the local middle school whom had a son the same age as Ume(Ume and Inosuke are both the same age in Kimetsu Guaken). She had left her abusive ex and his family years ago and was currently trying to provide a life for her son. Naturally Douma would be attracted to that kind of thing. As said he's a scam artist who had been married many times beforehand and this was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact at the time he thought it'd help with his cover by having a 'complete' family and it might do good for Ume and Gyutaro to have a mom again. Again I stress he's not the best person out there because his actions were mostly done out of selfishness.

However he doesn't treat Kotoha or Inosuke badly. He does the same thing he does for the Shabana siblings. Makes sure she has food on the table and a roof over her head just with a little bit more romance sprinkled in. A date here and there. Some flowers on occasion. A gift in the form of a necklace or shopping trip. Inosuke was a pretty wild child to deal with running through the house, jumping on his chest in order to wake him up in the mornings, randomly jumping on him cackling and proclaiming he could wrestle him and win. In all honesty he's a lot easier to manage than the Siblings sometimes even if he starts fights by annoying Gyutaro or playing keep away with Ume's things.

Unfortunately the small family unit wouldn't last. Kotoha too would pass away like his first wife, and again by events out of their control. Not sure how it happened. It was either an accident or she had also gotten sick, but unfortunately he does end up passing away leaving him with three children to raise. Douma actually cried when Kotoha died. We may not have loved her like someone was supposed to love their wife but he genuinely cared about her like a friend and had intended to keep her by his side and make her happy.

He sorta just adopted Inosuke into his already adopted family because he wasn't willing to just give the young boy traumatized boy back to his abusive sorry excuse of a father so despite their being more fights between the step siblings in and out of school, he just goes along with whatever crazy shenanigans Inosuke decides to do...Even if he always gets his name wrong after all these years.

"DOOGA!! I JUST PASSED TRY OUTS FOR THE SCHOOL'S WRESTLING TEAM!!"

"That's nice, Inosuke. Now eat your food before it gets cold."

He's a tired single Dad in his thirties with three crazy kids. Somehow this domestic (DILF-) side of him ends up attracting more romantic interest towards him but a lot of the time he's too naive or tired from dealing with his kooky life dealing with multiple meetings with the principal, helping Ume pick out prom dresses, and trying to constant keep up with Inosuke's shenanigans to notice it.

Michikatsu and Douma sometimes like to swap Dad stories whenever they see each other with both being single dads to multiple chaotic children. Akaza is both horrified by the fact Douma is a father and extremely amused by the fact this smug asshole is getting karma as he put it.

I dunno if I'll write a Yn x Single Dad Douma snippet like I did with Kokushibo but this was a fun concept to play around with.

[choerrysjubiles]

All Superimposed

Pairing: Sungchan x fem!reader

Warning: smut! reader is ovulating, table sex, cunnilingus, fingering, backshots, protected sex, multiple orgasms, cum eating, sungchan utilizing chairs

wc: 2.3k

a/n: beginning and ending feels rushed because i do not care about plot <3 the plot is i want sungchan's dick in me <3<3

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Days off with y/n were Sungchan's favorite. They could stay in and relax together, watching shows and spend their day cuddling. They could go out on an impromptu date, visiting a museum or diner before taking a plethora of candids of each other. Meet up with friends. He couldn't spend enough time with her.

Tired muscles relaxing in the sheets of his bed, Sungchan felt his phone vibrate, a text from one of their mutual friends. It was something about planning a surprise birthday party.

Calling out to y/n, he got up to dress and make their way out.

The couple met up with their friend at a cafe. Their small group catching up on their week affairs, chatting, laughing, ordering drinks and snacks before getting to business.

This was fine and normal, Sungchan sitting, arm entwined with y/n's as they listened to some party pitch. But Sungchan slowly became distracted as he felt y/n's hands move around.

From this morning to now, the moments he's relaxed with y/n she's had some hand on him. Which is fine, his love language was physical touch. But something about the way she rubbed his forearm and twisted the joints on his hand. He felt a suspicion but couldn't pin it down.

Even when they drove, his hand often landed on her thigh as he drove but she usually left it alone. Today she was just as touchy as their morning, as right now.

As they began discussing what decor to bring and what games to play, Sungchan felt her free hands travel up to his bicep. Giving light squeezes to his muscle. He gave her a look over before forcing his attention back to his friends.

Later on Sungchan noticed she'd stare a little longer at him than normal. He could swear he saw her pupils blow out, her eyes undressing him even from her peripheral.

After everyone left, they drove around window shopping for presents. Hand in hand, they walked around stores. Looking at anything they could gift. Sungchan usually intertwined their fingers together but this time she was feeling and almost investigating his hand. Her small fingers reaching over to brush his finger pads or rubbing the joints.

Sungchan wrote it off, thinking it's just because they haven't had many days together in a while.

Arriving home, Sungchan still wondered what was up with y/n. She wasn't usually like this when they went out, maybe on a solo date but never so publicly.

She was changing into comfortable house clothes as Sungchan stood in their kitchen investigating what was up with her. Pondering when the last time she was like this until it dawned on him.

Just last month she acted similar, maybe a little less bold but horny regardless. A week before her period y/n was very touchy and all over him. Kissing him, nightly asking for him to touch her and make her cum. Even throughout the day, she'd beg for some kind of touch from Sungchan.

Hearing her walk out, Sungchan followed her. She sat at their dining table, laptop looking something up. Sungchan sat beside her, watching her actions, her movements.

Leaning his head onto her shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"How are you feeling, mama's?"

Y/n bursted out laughing, "Mama's?"

He laughed before continuing, "I noticed you were acting a little different earlier today, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She replied, smiling.

Sungchan hummed in response. He's not buying it but whatever. He stays sat beside her, scrolling on his phone to pass time, occasionally looking over at y/n.

Hearing a soft huff, Sungchan turns his attention to his girlfriend. Brows slightly furrowed, as she ghosts over the keys on her laptop.

"Are you alright?"

Taking a deep breath she caves, "I think I'm ovulating."

Knew it.

Sungchan felt his smirk grow more, leaning over to rub her hip and waist.

"Would you like to have sex?" He had a boyish smile splayed across his face, feeling the confidence of knowing exactly what was wrong with her. Being right felt so good.

"Can we?"

He leaves a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Of course." He said before closing her laptop and giving her a proper kiss.

Turning, y/n held onto his shoulders as he scooped her up from her rear before sitting y/n onto their table. Spreading her legs to stand flushed against her. Leaning down, he trails wet kisses down to her neck and collarbones before removing her shirt.

"Sungchan."

"I'm right here, baby."

He unclasped her bra before licking and massaging her breasts. Feeling how warm and soft they were. He wondered if they felt this soft last time they had sex or if her ovulation changed them.

Teasingly sucking and pinching her nipples, Sungchan then traveled lower across y/n's stomach and stopped at her waistband. Looking up at her, he moved his right hand to feel how hot her core was. An almost pulsing warmth coming from her pants.

Slowly he popped the button of her pants open and slowly slid the zipper down. Teasing her as much as possible. Her whines grew louder as he slid the pants down her hips and pulled then off of her legs.

He grabbed onto a chair to get a good seat for his meal.

Seeing her panties, he could see a clear wet spot from her clit to her opening. Leaning in to get a deep breath of her scent, Sungchan began licking and teasing y/n.

"Chanie." She moaned, falling back onto the table.

When he grew impatient he grabbed at the top and ripped the lacey panties in half. Y/n gasped at the sudden cool air.

Sungchan dove into her core with a flat tongue before prodding at her clit with a stiff tongue. Her moans made his go crazy, trying to push his tongue as far into her opening as it could reach before dragging it up to her clit.

He continued his actions, feeling her hands grab at his scalp. A decent grip holding onto his hair as she tried holding Sungchan deeper her pelvis. Her moans grew louder and louder until Sungchan felt a flood of sweet cum drip onto his tongue.

Cries of overstimulation didn't stop Sungchan from slurping up the slick dripping from his beloved girlfriend.

When he detached he let her get a breather, deciding to take his shirt off to wipe his mouth.

Rubbing her thigh, "How are you?" He asked, adoration and lust clouding his voice.

"Can you finger me?"

"You want more?"

"Please."

With a wide smile, Sungchan scooted closer and stretched his right hand before inserting two fingers into her core. Warm and slippery from her orgasm, Sungchan easily slides in and out of her. His left arm laying along her thigh and hip to rub light circles onto her clit.

His fingers were long and filled her up. Moans and gasps filled the air as Sungchan sped up before slowing down, teasing and feeling as much of her walls as he could.

Her hips begin thrusting upwards making Sungchan put weight onto his left arm to hold y/n still.

"Can you, mmm, more?" She begged.

Sungchan looked up at her with a sparkle in his eye.

"Of course, baby."

He added another finger, making a scissor motion to stretch her out. Y/n, moaning even louder than before. Sungchan sees one hand move down to grasp onto his forearm and he speeds up, pumping stronger into her hole as he leans in to lap at her clit. Strings of cum falling onto his chin.

Her grip tightens as she feels that coil come undone, legs folding in as Sungchan finger bangs her into her orgasm. Her breathing is ragged and throaty. Her breasts sliding lightly as her breathing slowly calms.

Y/n is flushed from her ears to her neck, hair splayed across the table, legs lazily spread as more of her cum drips out of her. And still nothing made Sungchan harder than her asking him to fuck her.

"You can take more?"

"I can take a lot more." She whines.

"Can we switch up positions?" He asked as y/n nodded.

Y/n turned to face away from Sungchan as she stretched her knees far, pussy dripping onto the table as Sungchan got a full view of her ass.

Stepping back, Sungchan began removing his pants and boxers.

"You're gonna be the death of me." He said, before walking into their shared bedroom to grab some condoms.

He grabbed a rolls of them in case she wants to go multiple rounds. Walking back, he gets a good look at how wet she is.

Unwrapping and rolling the condom on, Sungchan aligns with her core and grabs her hips to slowly rock her onto his cock. It took some time, her two orgasms and the angle making her feel incredibly tight. He continued pushing in, feeling her clench so tightly he wondered if it could fully fit inside.

Y/n let out a drawn out moan, stopping a little after he was fully inside her.

"I need you to move so badly, Sungchan."

He stayed still a little longer, he may have been ungodly horny and his dick may explode at any second but he's not gonna hurt his angel.

He gripped onto her hips a little tighter as he drew out and thrusted back in, hands pushed her into his thrusts to add power to each blow.

Y/n clenched and spasmed around him, feeling incredibly fucked out. This is exactly what she needed, Sungchan's strong hands wrapping around her, his huge dick plowing deep into her.

Steadying his rhythm and seeing y/n is pleasure, Sungchan starts picking up his pace.

"Feel good, baby?"

Opening her mouth to speak, y/n could only let out a high moan.

"S-so good."

Before long she felt her that tightness again, moaning nonsense as her hand moved from holding her up to grabbing Sungchan's hand to rub her clit.

Sungchan was barely able to contain himself, she felt so tight right now he felt himself come undone as she grabbed at his hand. Roughly thrusting in and out as he rubbed harsh circles into her clit.

Feeling her squeeze even tighter around him made him come undone, moaning so loudly. Hips thrusting even faster in and out of her even through the pain of overstimulation.

Pulling out, Sungchan fell back into the chair. He pulled off the condom with heavy breaths before tying it and tossing it somewhere behind him.

Y/n moving to sit upright onto the table, facing Sungchan. Her breathing was just as ragged, a pool of cum dripping from her onto the table.

"Would you like more?" Sungchan asked, a fucked out smile plastered on his face.

As he said it, y/n felt a wave of neediness overtake her. Her core continuing to throb and she adjusted on the table.

"Can I?"

Shit. He really wasn't expecting a fourth round right now.

"Even if it's just your mouth. I'm still so fucking horny." She pleaded.

Scooting closer, Sungchan grabbed onto her thighs to spread them farther. Y/n laid down as Sungchan leaned in to begin eating. There was a plethora of cum on her pussy, his fingers playing with her as he looked up to see her ragged breaths.

"Don't tease me." She whined.

Sungchan licked her up with a flat tongue to collect as much of her cum as he could.

Y/n continued moaning and grasping onto him. He moved up to lick and play with her clit before moving down to slurp at her opening, still stretched out from his dick.

With enough alternating she came again. A flood of sweet-salty cum filling Sungchan's mouth as he drew away from her core. He felt himself harden again.

"My dick is so hard right now." He said pulling y/n into his lap.

With the hottest fucked out expression Sungchan's ever seen on y/n, she replied with "I can go again."

Leaning in to kiss her, she could taste a mix of his saliva and her cum. Sungchan wrapped his arms around her to pick her up and sit back down onto the chair. Moaning, she feels for where he left the roll of condoms. Grabbing and tearing at one she opens the foil before sliding it on Sungchan's length.

Sungchan grabbed her ass to hold her up before sinking her down onto his dick. Both moaning into their kiss as Sungchan's hips unintentionally thrust into her heat.

"Yes! Yes!" She moans.

They both desperately thrust and bounce on each other, chasing their highs. Sungchan's grip keeps tightening the closer he gets to his orgasm as y/n keeps moaning and holding onto his biceps.

The feeling of Sungchan dragging along her walls becomes too much as she moans and gives a final squeeze around Sungchan. He gives a few lasts thrusts in her before he collapses into the chair beneath them.

Both feeling fully fucked out, they lay together, calming their breathing.

"I think I gotta tap out." Y/n says.

Sungchan rubs her back, his warm hands leaving goosebumps across her skin.

"We should go shower."

"Not right now, I need a breather before I try getting up again."

Sungchan nods.

"You did real good, you know." He compliments.

"I did?" Y/n laughed.

"Five rounds? Back to back? That's impressive."

Y/n laughed as they stayed there for a minute. Tucked into the side of his neck, leaving light kisses along Sungchan's skin.

Catching their breaths, Sungchan was able to lift her up and onto her lap as he disposed of the condom.

Testing her strength, y/n stood, careful to not fall over. They both walking over to their bathroom as Sungchan started a bath for the two.

He carefully laid y/n into the warm water and began washing her hair.

[alexanderlightweight]

I miss writing. I miss malec

I plot in my head every night but it’s not the same.

I miss writing about how Magnus and Alec tease and find and appreciate and murder for each other and how much they love each other.

I miss Team Immortal and how Magnus and Cat and Ragnor and magical rituals and the spiral labyrinth politics and the finer elements of magical and warlock culture and

I miss diving into world building with magical botony and zoology and thread magic to pocket dimensions. How magic isn’t equal and there’s different levels and wild nature magic. The way that while the spiral labyrinth has changed and evolved, that it still holds to the very oldest of rituals. Everything carefully and continually read by each new Elder and the acolytes of the library learn by trade. Because knowledge isn’t kept in books alone. There are singing histories and spells kept alive by enchanted pieces and the memories of those devoted to learning. Carving and thread work and rituals in tapestry or furniture.

(Because elder isn’t a title based on just age but also elder knowledge. Warlocks who especially dedicate themselves to either singular or a plethora of fields and excel at creation and learning become elders. The very best researchers and scholars of the wealth of knowledge and magical prowess. Being an elder isn’t just a perk it’s a dedication and an oath to the protection and betterment of their people. Active oaths to keep them from stagnating in the decades of immortality and aging.

If you truly start slacking or losing your way, the magic prods you. Eventually you are forced to make a choice, forsake your roll as an Elder and retract and be released from your vows. Or uphold them. )

Metalworking and leather working and the labyrinth contains it all.

I love expanding on the shadowworld and the different ways magic is used by each race and how they all separately interact with the outskirts of the mundane world.

Of figuring out how a warrior society would work and the different styles of life that could have evolved.

And how much sheer adoration and platonic love is between the three of them. And the trust.

Because even when Ragnor is ignoring Magnus (a petty fight that turned into a research binge that turned into a few more years of silence than intended while Ragnor experimented in a pocket library) Magnus is still going to show up and make sure he’s fed and hydrated because the pettiness never outweighs the care.

(Cat has spells on all their vitals and vise versa. But she sent Magnus over with an excuse around year theee when she figured Ragnor had just lost track of time. Magnus doesn’t even remember that Ragnor was being petty and Ragnor doesn’t remember the argument at all).

I miss Alec figuring out what he enjoys and that he’s allowed to enjoy.

Honestly I got a little off track but I’ve been wanting to write malec and post for so long.

I miss the interactions and comments and looking forward to new Wednesday prompts. I miss writing Wednesdays so much and I’m looking forward to starting them up again when I’m healed :/

This took about an hour to write the first time but half got deleted and had to be rewritten when Nightshade started barking outside (it’s past the neighborhood noise curfew and I had to run to grab him so we stayed polite).

Nightshade likes to go outside and ‘guard’ the house for a bit every night before his door gets locked shut for bed, but since bed is subjective to my insomnia and not his sleep schedule he sometimes goes to ‘guard’ rather late. He huffily settled in his crate, perturbed I wouldn’t let him ‘protect’ the House.

Honestly I’m just happy I can write on my phone without a ton of pain anymore.

💜 lumine

The House made a rule (without me lol I was outvoted) that every time anyone buys anything they have to consider if it’s for public House use and if it is, how likely I am to injure myself with it. Or how likely is it to randomly break and hurt me.

It’s very sweet but I hate that it says something that they all agreed. It’s also hilarious because I’m the one who does all the yard work (I’ve had to delay fertilizing for a month and had to stop PT for 3.5 weeks while it healed enough for me to go) so I have axes, clippers, trimmers I use frequently.

[reasonsforhope]

"As countries around the world begin to either propose or enforce zero-deforestation regulations, companies are coming under growing pressure to prove that their products are free of deforestation. But this is often a far from straightforward process.

Take palm oil, for instance. Its journey from plantations, most likely in Indonesia or Malaysia, to store shelves in the form of shampoo, cookies or a plethora of other goods, is a long and convoluted one. In fact, the cooking oil or cosmetics we use might contain palm oil processed in several different mills, which in turn may have bought the raw palm fruit from several of the many thousands of plantations. For companies that use palm oil in their products, tracing and tracking its origins through these obscure supply chains is a tough task. Often it requires going all the way back to the plot level and checking for deforestation. However, these plots are scattered over vast areas across potentially millions of locations, with data being in various states of digitization and completeness...

Palmoil.io, a web-based monitoring platform that Bottrill launched, is attempting to help palm oil companies get around this hurdle. Its PlotCheck tool allows companies to upload plot boundaries and check for deforestation without any of the data being stored in their system. In the absence of an extensive global map of oil palm plots, the tool was developed to enable companies to prove compliance with regulations without having to publicly disclose detailed data on their plots. PlotCheck now spans 13 countries including Indonesia and Malaysia, and aims to include more in the coming months.

Palm oil production is a major driver of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, although deforestation rates linked to it have declined in recent years. While efforts to trace illegally sourced palm oil have ramped up in recent years, tracing it back to the source continues to be a challenge owing to the complex supply chains involved.

Recent regulatory proposals have, however, made it imperative for companies to find a way to prove that their products are free of deforestation. Last June, the European Union passed legislation that prohibits companies from sourcing products, including palm oil, from land deforested after 2020. A similar law putting the onus on businesses to prove that their commodities weren’t produced on deforested land is also under discussion in the U.K. In the U.S., the U.S. Forest Bill aims to work toward a similar goal, while states like New York are also discussing legislation to discourage products produced on deforested land from being circulated in the markets there...

PlotCheck, which is now in its beta testing phase, allows users to input the plot data in the form of a shape file. Companies can get this data from palm oil producers. The plot data is then checked and analyzed with the aid of publicly available deforestation data, such as RADD (Radar for Detecting Deforestation) alerts that are based on data from the Sentinel-1 satellite network and from NASA’s Landsat satellites. The tool also uses data available on annual tree cover loss and greenhouse gas emission from plantations.

Following the analysis, the tool displays an interactive online map that indicates where deforestation has occurred within the plot boundaries. It also shows details on historical deforestation in the plot as well as data on nearby mills. If deforestation is detected, users have the option of requesting the team to cross-check the data and determine if it was indeed caused by oil palm cultivation, and not logging for artisanal mining or growing other crops. “You could then follow up with your supplier and say there is a potential red flag,” Bottrill said.

As he waits to receive feedback from users, Bottrill said he’s trying to determine how to better integrate PlotCheck into the workflow of companies that might use the tool. “How can we take this information, verify it quickly and turn it into a due diligence statement?” he said. “The output is going to be a statement, which companies can submit to authorities to prove that their shipment is deforestation-free.” ...

Will PlotCheck work seamlessly? That’s something Bottrill said he’s cautiously optimistic about. He said he’s aware of the potential challenges with regard to data security and privacy. However, he said, given how zero-deforestation legislation like that in the EU are unprecedented in their scope, companies will need to sit up and take action to monitor deforestation linked to their products.

“My perspective is we should use the great information produced by universities, research institutes, watchdog groups and other entities. Plus, open-source code allows us to do things quickly and pretty inexpensively,” he said. “So I am positive that it can be done.”"

-via Mongabay, January 26, 2024

--

Note: I know it's not "stop having palm oil plantations." (A plan I'm in support of...monocrop plantations are always bad, and if palm oil production continues, it would be much better to produce it using sustainable agroforestry techniques.)

However, this is seriously a potentially huge step/tool. Since the EU's deforestation regulations passed, along with other whole-supply-chain regulations, people have been really worried about how the heck we're going to enforce them. This is the sort of tool we need/need the industry to have to have a chance of genuinely making those regulations actually work. Which, if it does work, it could be huge.

It's also a great model for how to build supply chain monitoring for other supply chain regulations, like the EU's recent ban on companies destroying unsold clothes.

[slutisnotabadword]

I decided that I’mma take a big step back from the 911 fandom, because if last episode has taught me anything is that you guys have forgot to enjoy the show you’re watching.

As soon as the episode is over, all I’m seeing is unnecessary Tommy hate, people giving up on Buddie and people criticizing people for giving up, people saying Karen is oc, and that Eddie was acting out of character, and blah blah blah, and like all of you are wrong LMAO.

I think the problem is that everyone is watching this show with the expectation of watching the entire’s show’s future in one episode. Y’all want everything now, and it’s just not gonna happen like that, and on top of that, y’all want everything to be what y’all expected. So, let me crush that shit for you.

NO, they’re not gonna bring up Tommy’s past. They actually don’t give a fuck about what that man did, and you know why? Because the producers of whoever on this show literally called up Lou and was like “Hey, we need someone to be Buck’s boyfriend, wanna do it?” And that mf was like “Yeah, sure why not.” That’s most likely what happened. You know why? Because Tommy is only gonna be here for a very short time, so who gives a flying fuck. And Tommy in episode 5 wasn’t even that damn bad. Eddie acted the same way in the other cursed episode years ago. The only difference I would say about them is that Eddie expects Buck to believe in curses because he known him longer, so now it’s more endearing and induces playful banter. And with Tommy, this relationship with Buck is more new and his irritation comes from a place of genuine annoyance, instead of more endearing like Eddie. That’s it! That does not mean that Tommy is the devil’s incarnate, calm down.

NO, Eddie isn’t going to bust out the rainbow flag and touch nipples with Buck in one episode. ESPECIALLY now. Look, I want Buddie to happen, more than the next person. But this is Eddie Diaz we’re talking about. Eddie has a lot of shit to work through, and I’ll be honest with you, we probably won’t see Buddie become official until around the end of season 8. It’s the hard truth, but take comfort in knowing that this is indeed Eddie’s season—hence, the plethora of photo shoots and spotlight this man had recently.

NO, the characters weren’t oc. Karen had the right to be upset that Hen was always missing out on their family’s big moments, and from the fact that Hen doesn’t really try her hardest to take off of work. In my opinion, I think that’s a great way to open up the topic of the 118 becoming everything for these characters—like Hen, Bobby, Buck, Eddie, Chim—that they would forget that they have family at home, because the 118 is also their family, as well. no i mean, is that so hard to consider? They work these 24 hour shifts, and even sometimes longer and go through these traumatic events all the time. Of course there’s going to be some intense loyalty and bonds that would seem to “overshadow” what they have at home. That is actually a very interesting plot direction the writers could explore.

I could go on and on about the wild takes in the 911 fandom, because there’s just so many that I didn’t realize before. But can we all please, genuinely, shut the fuck up. Like for two seconds and enjoy our show. Because let me tell you what’s happening, you guys are theorizing yourselves TO DEATH. You guys are creating these wild expectations and you are setting yourselves up for disappointment. It’s good to hope for the things you want and sometimes it’s fun to theorize, but TAKE A BREATH. Because we are starting to look like crazy people, and let me remind you that these people SEE THE SHIT YOU’RE SAYING. You don’t think Oliver, Kenny, whoever the fuck is watching you rant on and on about how Tommy is a bastard and complaining that Eddie’s not gay yet. Get y’all shit together because it’s starting to look embarrassing and WEIRD.

[burningdreambanana]

Loving your re-write project so much! You nailed Mustafa and Mehmet.

Idk if you take requests but if you do, I’d love to see your take on Mahidevran next. Almost every adaption has Mahi acting like her main issue with Hurrem is that Hurrem somehow magically stole Suleiman away when it reality Hurrem’s (literal) never before seen rise, Suleiman’s devotion/monogamy and willingness to break customs, and the plethora of sons were a genuine threat to her and Mustafa. Also would love to see more Mahidevran actively raising Mustafa to be the sehezade that was considered almost universally to be the perfect heir to the throne. I feel like besides a few scenes where she offers him great advice, that he promptly ignores, the show has more of Ibrahim molding Mustafa into this great man which I didn’t necessarily mind. However I honestly didn’t really begin to like Mahidevran as a character until she and Mustafa left and came back and it was clear she was done with Suleiman and wholeheartedly focused on Mustafa and I wish they had done it earlier.

Also, will you be including historical figures and events in the show to make it more historically accurate or is this re-write simply going through and fixing the issues you had with show? Completely fine either way. What you’ve done so far is amazing and I can’t wait to see what else you have in store

Thank you so much !

At this point the rewrite are mostly about fixing the issues I had with the show yeah, notably when it comes to their takes on certain characters.

As for Mahidevran, I hadn't really thought about it because I think she was overall a fairly well-written character despite me not being a fan of her but you make a good point that she's always portrayed as a scorned woman, when in reality, Suleiman and her would have ceased to be intimate years before Hurrem came into the picture. Also Suleiman had two sons that were older than Mustafa and died in 1520, so Mustafa was the only son for only a very brief period and for a while Mahidevran was probably not as proeminent as the mothers of Mahmud and Murad. So if I could rewrite the whole series I would definitely approach that differently. Like she was the mother of a prince but they were two others, then suddenly she finds herself as the mother of the sole prince, but soon after Hurrem gives birth to Mehmed, which she would watch with attention but really starts getting worried when it becomes clear that Hurrem is different and she sees how Suleiman singles her out. She would still be bitter because that has to hurt (why her and not me?) but mostly fearful about her power.

Also something I would definitely change is the weird amount of plot armor Mahidevran gets on certain occasion that makes absolutely no sense, the prime example is her poisoning a pregnant Hurrem at Suleiman's table and Valide and Ibrahim and even Suleiman to a certain extent shrugging it off, that's bad writing. I would still keep the poison plot but make Mahidevran smarter about it so people don't find out

I would keep though her placing in Mustafa's head the idea that he was born to be sultan which proves to be more of a disadvantage when it comes to his father and having very high expectations for him, but also she plays a part in him being so popular which if Mustafa had indeed decided to rebel against his father, would have been hugely beneficial

[delusinaldreamer19]

Sebaciel vs. Dadbastian, an analytical essay (not really)

Oh boy am I excited and terrified to start this discussion.

I’m just going to say right off the bat that I am absolutely biased towards one interpretation of Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship over the other, that being Dadbastian. However, my goal is not to criticize, but to analyze and point out the differences and, yes, correlations between the two versions of their relationship.

I’m going to start off by making a disgustingly blatant assumption about the reason why I believe both of these pairings exist in the form of a theory...Both the idea of Sebaciel and Dadbastian are coping mechanisms taken on by fans of the series to grapple with how dark the character’s canonical relationship truly is.

Now, I can’t speak for how much this really applies to Sebaciel shippers, as I am not one. But it certainly applies to me as someone who enjoys the idea of Dadbastian.

Let's start with the correlations that support this theory. Both of these concepts are versions of Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship that is more positive than it actually is. The plot of black Butler revolves around the fact that Ciel sold his soul to the demon he named Sebastian, and that upon their contract's completion Sebastian will kill Ciel and consume his soul as compensation. It’s a relationship that is predatory, manipulative, and just simply toxic for a plethora of reasons. While the manga is still ongoing so we have no definitive way of knowing exactly how their story will end, I don’t think it's controversial to say that it's very unlikely to have a happy ending.

Even so, black butler is a comfort series for many, including myself. But how is that possible?

By looking at the series as a whole and the characters through different lenses. A pro and con of black butler is that it’s very easy to interpret in many different ways, and the same applies to the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel.

I’d say there's 2 to 3 main ways that people have interpreted their relationship. In no particular order… - As it is in the series, where it’s strictly based on business and mutual benefit. They work together so that Ciel can get his revenge and Sebastian gets his soul. - Them being friends / frenemies - A ship, where they have romantic feelings for each other. (I’m not going to be discussing how people ship them for sexual reasons, as that's a topic for a different day.) - And Parental, where Sebastian serves as a father/mother (no I'm not specifying which) figure towards Ciel. I'm focusing on the latter two, obviously.

There’s one commonality between these two interpretations; Sebastian caring about Ciel (and vice-versa, but you'll see in a moment why that's not as relevant). There is loving nature to both, but romantic and parental love are not the same thing. So why, baseline, do both these versions exist?

My thought is that they both remove the main cause of distress in their canon relationship. Which is, you guessed it, Sebastian. More specifically his feelings/intentions towards Ciel. By creating scenarios where something changes his intentions of ultimately killing Ciel, it creates the illusion that there's a possibility that the series could have a happier outcome in the end, and a happy ending for Ciel.

Which brings in a new idea. Ciel, being the main character that we follow, despite having his own complex character, serves as the…how should I put this…automatic ‘self-insert’ for people. He goes through/has gone through trauma & struggles that people can relate to and see themselves in. That's why there is a strong desire to see him have a positive outcome through these two different relationships with Sebastian, because as a reader/viewer it will feel like we ourselves are experiencing that positive outcome.

See? Coping mechanism : )

Now here's where things get tricky…Discussing the differences between these two types of relationships. Ok, I could probably find a way to say this that's long and fancy, but I’m just going to be super straight forward. This is as an absolute read, I apologize :’) People ship Sebaciel because they want someone to love them, where they picture themselves as Ciel with Sebastian as the one loving him romantically. People like the idea of Dadbastian because they long for a parent's affection, where they picture themselves as Ciel being cared for by Sebastian.

Now, this is definitely just a theory, and absolutely not the only reasons why people come up with and enjoy each of these interpretations. But the Dadbastian one most definitely applies to me.

Here’s where my own opinion comes into play. Only one of these relationships is really ‘positive’ in nature. Both of these relationships when applied to the canon would be problematic in their own ways, but when looking at it outside of the context of the series and its plot, a parental relationship between Sebastian and Ciel, a thirteen year old boy and an adult figure, is more healthy than a romantic relationship between a thirteen year old boy and an adult figure. Please don’t make me explain why :’)

I’m really hoping this reaches the right audience. I’m not trying to start a war or offend anyone, just share my thoughts and an outlook that I haven’t really seen from the black butler fanbase before.

[dollopole]

Could have destiny, and therefore Arthur’s death, really be avoided in Merlin? Or were things supposed to flow like that either way?

The first thought that struck me, as soon as the last episode ended, was the usual “what if?” that keeps this fandom alive, alongside the plethora of theories (that I like looking into and discuss) questions, answers and headcanons.

But no matter how many times I think about it, I personally believe that the answer to the question in the title is simply:

No.

It couldn’t.

The directors, no matter how many choices they made, that we could either think are wrong or not, had also made a wonderful job of deceiving us, but not really, and ending the show with a tragedy and a good fucking plot.

What is the plot, you may ask?

“You don’t choose destiny, destiny chooses you”,

and I think it’s brilliant.

First thing first, destiny:

The directors said: “Fuck it.” They tried everything they could do so that Merlin, at the end of the day, had only one choice. It is really an hard point to make, especially because we like to think that if Merlin had done something differently, things could have actually took another road, and yes, it could have, but it didn’t happen, because we needed an enemy in the show, and it was made on purpose. I like to think that the directors knew it would piss people off. It did. Great job, you guys, I still think about it after fifteen years.

Second thing, who’s the bad guy? (Uther)

What I mean by this, is that I’m asking this question to the main characters who the directors wanted us to believe they were objectively good, right, like Merlin, or Gaius, and even Arthur. How about, no one of them had to be completely good? It hurts less if the characters I just cited acted differently, like we oftentimes say of Merlin, but it’s fiction, and we wouldn’t have Tumblr to discuss it on, if they were all perfect, so why not give them some very bad flows? *cough* All the better if they’re murderers *cough*. Now, if it were reality, I too would have said: “Go to hell”, but it’s BBC Merlin, so let me have some fun.

Morgana is bad, Merlin could be too, Arthur even, also Gwen, Lancelot too, and all the wicked team we’ve got. Oh, especially the toilet they had instead of a king, the one and only Uther Pendragon. I even said that Gaius is bad, and offended Hunith of all people, so let’s get to my point. Merlin could have done things differently? Yes. But Morgana, too. Hell, also Arthur. The point of the TV show is the very, very bad choice Uther made of being a tyrant, so. Merlin could have told Morgana he had magic? Yep, but sometimes I believe Morgana had to be evil, so even if she could have become like that in another way, she made her own choice. She knew Merlin was a good person, who didn’t dislike her because of the magic, and still threatened him throughout all season three, causing chaos and death because she craved power and she was in a privileged position where she could do all these things. We like to blame Merlin and Gaius for how she turned out, but what about Gwen? Poor woman didn’t do anything, as much as breathing too hard near her mistress, and Morgana wanted her dead because she hated the idea that a woman like Gwen, who even if amazing and with so many skills, was just a peasant, and could get on her throne. Morgana made the choice to hate Gwen. Morgana made the choice to try and kill Arthur to take her throne, even when Arthur had no idea of what was happening. Heavy on her throne, because who said it was? By age, status, whatever, Uther appointed Arthur as the heir, and there is no changing that. (so, bad Morgana. See? She had to be, like, it was the director’s job)

“Merlin poisoned her.” He did, and isn’t that magnificent? We can see how it destroys both of them in their own ways. Why did they have to be good characters? Imagine how boring the show would have been, and now I wouldn’t be making a post about it at ten in the evening. Morgana chose Morgause. There is no discussing that. As soon as she saw she could take Arthur’s throne, she started doing the evil smirk every two seconds, accuse Gwen of being a sorceress (shouldn’t she side with her own kind?), killing guards wherever she went, sneaking out with the clip, clap of her boots to make bad things, uh uh, in the woods, uh uh.

Third thing, Merlin tried, poor guy:

No, he is not perfect either, and I love it. He is a man who got appointed with this great job to do the right thing since he was a boy, and what did the lad do? Many wrong things, LMAO. And still, in his perspective, they were right. And we agree on most of them, don’t we? Everything because we’ve got his point of view. It was right for Merlin to try and kill a child, because of a prophecy; it was right to lie to Morgana, because she was upstanding, and he was just a peasant; it was right to free a dragon, and he was simply right on this one (yes, to me, there is no discussing this. I would have freed The Great Dragon too, and I cannot blame him for what he did after); it was right to poison Morgana; it was right for Merlin to follow Arthur everywhere and believe he was a good man despite everything, because the idiots loved one another more than they could hate the system they had been put in (spoiler alert, Arthur too has so many flows). Why listing all these things he thought were right? Because they were right to him, because we know his life, how much he had hurt, and how much death not only he saw, but also inflicted. And Morgana killed so many people too. She, multiple times, committed treason, and Merlin had enough information to know that she agreed to make Camelot sleep. Thinking only of saving Arthur and innocent people, he did what he thought was best (this is the same man who had already saved Morgana after he had already tried to kill her, because he tried with all his might not to be a killer, like he had said to the dragon long before), and poisoned her. Could there be an excuse for Mordred? I believe not, but Merlin believed there was, and that’s enough for him, for the audience, and that’s what makes him such a complicated and beautiful character. Merlin did help Morgana, even if he lied to her, and what if he didn’t? He could have got into so much more trouble, Gaius would have reproached him, Merlin believed neither Arthur or Camelot were ready to accept magic, or him, and Morgana, once finding out about the fact that he was Uther’s daughter, she would have probably still acted the same, because we later see that she didn’t want magic to not be outlawed anymore, but to simply, ehm, kill Arthur and everyone who got in her way.

Fourth thing, the other characters can be bad too:

Even if enchanted, Gwen did betray Arthur. (she is such a good character, and very kind, but I like when even the best ones do something bad). We know she is not guilty, but nobody knew, not even Merlin and Gaius, because they never found out she had been enchanted. And when she was evil, there are still consequences to the deaths she caused. Lancelot, even if a good man, and a good friend to Merlin, left before Gwen could decided if she wanted a relationship with him. Gwaine, who we love and adore, him too a complex character, didn’t think about it twice in kicking Merlin in the dungeons when Gwen, evil and enchanted, had accused him of treason. (yes, she is the queen, but Gwaine doesn’t seem the kind of character who would that, or maybe yes?) What about “you’re the only friend I have” and all that? Arthur still made prejudiced choices even when crowned king, and Merlin supported him, and we know why. Even bloody Sefa, manipulated by her father, decided to commit treason.

My point is, who wouldn’t have loved if things went differently, but at the same time, a TV show that is so perfect, with characters who cannot make a single bad thing, would have been still this enjoyable? Hell, that is the point of fiction, that is the point of writing, of directing. Even when we look at bad choices in a TV series, we try to understand why those things happened, why character A betrayed character B and the dominoes effect their relationship brought.

That’s what makes the TV show better. You can build things off bad things. You can make good fanfictions about what could have gone different. You can make theories debating whatever these choices were simply poorly made by the directors or made on purpose. You can discuss all day the relationships between the characters because they’re flowed, and sometimes even toxic.

That is the best part.

This is not to say that we cannot blame a character’s arc for something that happened, or try to redeem another character, instead, but it’s also good to be able to judge and point and write about it.

Even in this post I made points that I believe should be objective (siding with the oppressor, being an oppressor, not blaming a caged dragon for revenge, ecc.) and yet I still like the characters because I can blame them and talk about them exactly because they’re bad.

Moral of the story. A good story always has an antagonist. We shouldn’t delete that.

(and fuck you, Uther Pendragon)

See? Beautiful.

[ratchetsboyfriend]

Welcome back to transformers fanfic (I found your blog during your hiatus, and I love your older work). Since requests are open, could you possibly write some soft MTMTE Drift headcannons of him watching a movie with a human reader? I’ve been a bit down recently, so I would really appreciate it.

Drift is willing to watch all of your favorites, even if he doesn't quite see the same appeal in them that you do. Depending on what your comfort movies are, he's gonna react differently. 

He's not sure why a brutal horror movie would be comforting, especially if you spend half of it cringing and hiding behind your hands, but hey if it floats your boat. Comedies aren't a bad choice to watch with him, some jokes don't land as well without the context of having lived on Earth, but some things are universally funny so he enjoys them enough even if some of the humor is… questionable. If you watch some of the more heart wrenching romantic movies he gets fairly invested, but the cheesy one's he'll good-naturedly tease you for liking even if he did enjoy some of them himself. Intense, dramatic movies that feature journeys of self-discovery and have more open endings are a particular favorite of his if you happen to put them on.

To ensure the best possible viewing experience, he sets up a projector in his hab suite so you can enjoy a more private viewing. There are movie nights for the whole crew but they can get pretty rowdy and that's not the kind of evening you two are looking for. More than one movie night has ended in a brawl.

His berth is lined with a plethora of cushions and blankets that have been sourced from various planets you've visited. Drift has plenty of money and he's more than happy to splurge on creature comforts like these and it's nice to go shopping for them together. He's also spared no expense on getting your favorite treats for the night, regardless of how much effort it took to source them. The way you light up when he presents them to you is worth every penny.

Whether you start out the night sitting next to him in a heap of blankets or nestled in his lap surrounded by pillows, you will end up sprawled across his chest by the end of the night. He lays out plenty of your soft cushions and blankets atop himself so that you can maintain maximum comfort while cuddling against his much harder frame. It's hard not to fall asleep like that in the middle of the movie since he'll absent-mindedly start stroking your back.

He doesn't mind talking during movies and will happily discuss the plot as it's happening, but if you're too focused on the story to speak he's just as good with silent viewing. He's particularly fond of when you get excited and point out your favorite scenes, making sure to pay special attention to those parts of the movie.

If you want to make watching movies together a regular occurrence, he'd agree immediately and would be delighted to help you pick what to watch in the future. Rewatching movies you've seen before or finding something new to view are both fine with him, it's spending quality time together that's important.

[ryukiethebored]

I haven’t been this far gone over a show for such a long time. I’d say Death Note was the last, despite there being some extremely invested kicks along the way (my revisitings of Stranger Things, Lost, and Orange is the New Black had me for some time). I feel like the difference was cutting watchers off abruptly - since all those shows had completed seasons and season 2’s Squid Game ended on a cliffhanger of a sort, when I assumed the entire game and story would’ve gotten some sort of end. That and the way it focuses on such small, intricate details leaves plot theorizing and character analyzing such a fun activity to do in the meantime. That may be something to say about enjoying a show or any piece of media in a gradually-spaced or dare I say weekly episodic manner so that it’s kept with you longer, as much as I’ll still binge something if it all exists all at once anyway. It’s been a lot of fun thinking about what could happen, but also insanely surprising how rapidly and hyper-fixated I’ve gotten. It’s practically all I think or talk of right now (my partner is extremely supportive and patient for it, lol), I’m now rewatching episodes from both seasons over and over, and I feel I’m in inspired, creative spaces again. Which doesn’t happen to me often anymore, and - while this sounds dramatic for what it is - has worn deeply on my soul.

I will admit the dynamics of Gi-hun and In-ho has been the most fascinating by far, and what’s specifically gripped the very atoms of me. I can’t decide if I want to go fully down the shipping road or not (I have a few theories for the future of the show that if becomes canon, could put a problematic but not impossible [depending on your limits hahah] hitch in 457 as a romance), but knowing me and if the chemistry’s in front of my eyes, I’ll go there regardless. Even what starts as a joke or curiosity always leads to stone-serious delirium dedication ahaha…

For those of you who have followed me for Death Note, let me say these character dynamics are v much in the same vein. There’s In-ho, who to me could pass as a love child of both L and Light in certain ways - and more like Light in the end (we’ve got an enemy secretly in plain sight and intimately interacting with the vital character who’s trying to take him down situation, much like Death Note). Unfortunately, the only real interaction they have is in season 2, but it does make rewatching season 1 with another perspective entertaining once you’ve gone down this hole. I think this noticed similarity (clearly I’ve got character types) got me hooked on them a little faster than what’d be usual. Gi-hun, on the other hand, isn’t so much an L to In-ho’s Light, but has a personality more fitting of Matsuda with his trust in others, naivety, and messy optimism - which while I love the psychological warfare of morally bankrupt genuises - is refreshing in its own way. In season 2, Gi-hun mirrors what I imagine a version of Matsuda after his spirit’s been broken (by Light’s betrayal). Not wholly broken, though; his spirit, albeit traumatized, is still there. Also like Death Note, the overarching idea of Squid Game is “we’re trying to eliminate the filth of society and restore the world.” Similarities aside, the show is set apart and its people hold up as entirely unique characters. Both Gi-hun and In-ho would have clear differences from Matsuda and Light. In-ho is a grown-ass man from the very start of the story, for one, and has what I’d consider more genuine, tragic motivations beneath his behavior and choices beyond outright boredom and the black-and-white morality common of the naive youth (not that that stops me from enjoying Light as intensely, lol).

What I’m really trying to say in a plethora of words is that I love them, your honor, and my mind is in a pit of Squid Game and my mind has a million theories and ideas inside of it that I’m not entirely sure how to manifest. My roleplaying days have felt more or less over, but my fanfiction days may not be. Another telling sign I’ve lost it over something is the fact I’ve been spill-writing thoughts out like this, when under normal circumstances I struggle immensely and rarely ever do. I don’t believe I did it often even for Death Note, but then I did roleplay as an outlet, and contributed the occasional piece of content. I’d like to try to do the same with Squid Game. Meanwhile, I’m on-my-knees grateful for all the wonderful souls who’ve already given the fandom what they have.

[c-is-for-circinate]

What I mean when I say that Mike and Steve and Hopper are playing out different sides of the same story is that in season four, in the throes of maybe the best monologue in the series, Hopper says, "Ever since I was eighteen...Uncle Sam wants me to go fight some war in the jungle. Charlie's moving south like a plague 'cause of commie bastards like you. And you know, I'm happy enough to go, prove to my old man I'm not the piece of shit he thinks I am." A year earlier, fresh out of high school, Steve complains about the asshole dad who sneers at him about learning responsibility, and then finds himself out on a quest to find Soviet soldiers on American soil, trying to set loose the Upside-Down like a disease.

It's something about fathers and sons and respect and what you have to live up to. Something about the way Ted Wheeler never looks up at his children over the breakfast table. Something about trying to prove yourself with honor and violence, with protection. Steve home-running a demogorgon and playing bait for demodogs in a junkyard, Hopper playing bait in a prison laundry room, Hopper with a sword like the fulfillment of a promise. Joyce and Murray behind Hopper in the face of danger and the almost-hilarious plethora of shots of teens ducking behind Steve at the first sign of monsters. The way you can see Mike stop being a snotty, whiny teenager and Activate Paladin Mode every time someone he loves is in trouble.

It's the way Hopper and Mike both try to Lay Down The Law, we are Not Stupid, friends don't lie. They break their own rules, because who could ever live up to them? But god forbid El does. Steve's favorite word is 'no', for all he keeps getting overruled, all the times he keeps trying.

It's Joyce. It's Nancy. It's El, and El again -- a little bit Robin, and a little bit Will, a little bit all of the kids, but always, there's El.

It's about loving but not knowing how to do it right, because nobody ever taught you, because your dad was a piece of shit who will never be impressed, who will never be proud, because you used to be a boy and then the world said here, little boy, it's time to learn violence instead. It's about trying again and again to love the right way anyway, grasping for advice because of course Joyce and Will know how to love El better, letting Nancy go because of course Jonathan is best. (None of the Byers tell this story, because they're all too busy letting love carve chunks out of them instead.)

It's about being the guy, The Guy -- the one who isn't black or disabled or gay, the one who's not a genius, not a weirdo, not strange in the face of all these things that keep getting stranger. The Guy, who all the laws of narrative say is supposed to be at the center (though Joyce and Nancy and Dustin do more to actively drive the plot in any one season than these guys do in four, though the whole show revolves like a hurricane around El, El, always El). The Guy, knowing you're meant to get the girl in the end, recognizing or forgetting or learning that maybe this isn't that story, that maybe you've never been good enough for her. Never knowing what to do with yourself without her, because you're not special. You've never been special. You're normal. You're boring. You're an asshole. You're a curse.

And Mike is too young to hold a sword, and Steve knows how to say I love you, and Hopper is so much older and more tired and broken than either of them. But Steve walks barefoot through miles of Upside-Down, and Hopper runs barefoot through miles of Russian snow, and nobody says a goddamn word, because they're the same, they're the same, they're the same.

[theageofcaravel]

Rose-Coloured boy. - Jamie Tartt x F!reader

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

MASTERLIST

Chapter II: Lovely to Sit Between Comfort and Chaos

Plot: Jamie Tartt and Y/N have been best friends since primary school. The pair had fallen out once graduation hit, both of them going their separate ways; Jamie finally kicking off (pun intended) his football career, and Y/N finally walking through the doors of her cinematographer career. One day, they cross paths in the corridors of Nelson Road, Y/N getting the assignment to make a mini docuseries of one of the football clubs in England, hers being AFC Richmond.

Set during season 2 and onward.

warnings: swearing, mentions of food and alcohol, parental issues, very light angst, some fluff(?)

word count: 4,2k

an: another chapter out WOOHOOO!!!! !! thank you guys for all the love on the first chapter, it seriously means SO MUCH!!! The italicised parts are basically a background synopsis! I was also thinking of making a cast list so you know what I had in mind with the characters that I added in 'n stuff!! I have a master post that has a Pinterest board with visuals and pictures of like 4 additional characters (Bee, Libby and two new characters that are introduced within this chapter <3) but I think it would be rather fun to make mood board for each of the added cast members or something!! Let me know <3!! I also wrote this half-awake and have not proof-read it. ANYWAY, ENJOY ILY!!!!! <3

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

“Alright, just sit like that,” you told Sam and fixed the collar on his shirt, in which he responded with a smile and a thumbs up. “Okay, so, first question,” you looked at him and nodded promptly, “what exposed you to the world of football?” 

The rest of the day went like that, all of the boys getting a plethora of different questions and them all answering dutifully and happily. Jamie, of course, opted for last. “It's saving the best for last.” he told you with a hand patting his chest and a sly smirk plastered on his lips “God, you’re intolerable.” you told him and he laughed. 

That cocky bastard. That cocky bastard whom you’ve known since you were little, the one who just magically popped into your life when you needed it, the one who would let you sneak through his window late at night because your mum and dad had another argument, the one who was with you every step of the way after your parents inevitably divorced, the one who would help you with Libby whilst your mum was away at work, the one who left you as an afterthought once you guys graduated, the one who would read your texts and then turned the read receipts off, the one who had probably a million deleted voicemails from you while you were drunk or when … Yeah, that cocky bastard. Yet, seeing him again just made it seem like the last parts never happened. It was easy to forgive and forget, especially once you really gave up on your friendship, but you knew that there needed to be some reprimanding every now and again to get it through his head that if he thinks you can truly be friends again, he needs to get his act back in check. 

You heard about what happened when he left Richmond to go to Manchester United a year ago, and while it made you excited that he was finally back, he never reached out to you or mentioned to you that he was back. You heard from his mum, Georgie, who was practically like a second mother to you. It aggravated you just a tiny bit that Jamie wasn’t the one who told you anything, but at least his mum cared enough. You weren’t in London until recently, you transferred your credits in the middle of your second year and that's where you met Beatrice, or Bee. Your life changed after that, you met some of the coolest people you could ever meet. 

“‘Ello? Earth to Y/N?” Jamie asked, his brow raised. Apparently whilst you were packing up the room, you were hyper focused on a box and never moved for at least 3 minutes. “Y’lost in thought there, dollface?” he quipped, the nickname made you whip your head toward the other who had a grin on his face. 

“Oh, god. I haven’t heard you call me that since college.” shaking your head, you picked up the box and set it away to the side. “But I guess y’could say that or somethin’.”

“What’s it you were thinkin’ ‘bout, hm?” he inched toward you and you placed a hand on his shoulder. “Mostly jus’ silly things.”

“How do you mean?” 

“Forgiving and forgetting is a strange happening, Mister Tartt.” you paused with a shrug of your shoulders, “especially when we’re gettin’ close again ‘cause of a project I was assigned for uni. Or attempting to.”

“Attempting to?”

“Mhm, it's weird havin’ you back in my life, Jamie.” you turned your full body to him, “but thats no matter, right? Said I was an adult and can get past all that ignorin’ me business because now you can’t do that.” with a chuckle, Jamie shrugged. 

“How could you be so sure?” 

“‘Cause you promised and you’re not one to break a promise, now are you?” you squinted at him and pointed to your pinky basically reminding him of a few weeks ago. 

He nodded, “Suppose y’re right there, Y/N.” 

“‘Course I am, I always am.”

“Alright, don’t get all cocky on me now.” 

“You’re one to talk.” you said, sticking your tongue out. Jamie shook his head and began to walk out the door before turning toward you again. 

“Y’doin’ anythin’ for lunch?” he asked and you nodded in response. “Yeah, got plans with the friends. They came here on our day off to see what the hype was about ‘n all.”

“Oh, that’s fun. Sounds like a good time.” 

You nod, “yeah, would’ya wanna join? Unless if theres something you’re doing thats super important after lunch?” you tilted your head and he shook his head.

“Nah. s’a half day for us.” He replied, you replied with another nod of your head.

“So..” you began, looking at him expectedly, “you taggin’ along or not? M’sure Bee ‘n Mick would love some insight from someone that basically lives here. Me included.” flashing him a hopeful grin, he sighed. 

“Don’t see why not.”

“Wicked! Lets go.”

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

Hey! Jamie is gonna tag along. 

Hope thats okay?

Told him that it would be good to get insight from someone who lives here.

Get the whole tourist experience. 

Pressing send on the last text, you turned to Jamie and smiled. 

“You’re gonna love Bee, I promise.” 

“Why’re you reassurin’ me?” he asked, brows knitted together. 

“Dunno, thought you’d need it.” you shrugged and looked at your phone when you heard Bee’s special ringtone; the sound of, well, a bee.

“S’that her ringtone?” Jamie asked and chuckled. You nodded and looked at the texts she sent back. 

Oh, GOOD!

That’s brilliant actually, cos I can finally kick his ass

Joking, of course

But yeah that sounds perfect

Didn’t really know what you’d show us anyway, since you haven’t really been here… you know

JOKES again!!

You rolled your eyes and stopped in your tracks to respond to your bestest friend in the whole world. 

Riiiight. 

I could, you know, leave you lot stranded if I really wanted 

But fortunately for you, m a good friend. 

Hence why I asked Jamie to join.

Where are we meeting again?

You set your phone back into your pocket when Bee texted back with the designated location you had all agreed on earlier this morning in the groupchat. 

“Alrighty, so, Bee said that we should meet at The Crown and Anchor.” you said, basically making your statement come out as a question. 

“Hm, yeah, that’s a good place to meet up,” he nodded and walked into the locker room and you stayed back waiting for him to change out of his kit. 

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

“Right, let's go then, shall we?” Jamie asked, walking out of the room, his bum bag strapped over his torso. You nodded and slung your jacket over your shoulders. You both walked toward the doors, Jamie jogging ahead of you to open the door. 

“Ever the gentleman.” you said and scrunched your nose at him, he bowed his head in your direction. You waited for him before he stood beside you, “how far is the walk from here?”

“Uhhh, dunno. We won’t need to walk, though. I got me car keys.” Jamie opened his bag and pulled the latter out. “See?” 

You blinked, “right, forgot you drive here.” 

Following behind him, you watched as he walked up to a cherry red Plymouth Fury. Your jaw practically fell to the floor, “holy shit, this is yours?!” you practically squeaked. You looked up at Jamie who had a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“This thing has a name.” he said and unlocked the gorgeous car. You blinked and opened the door on the passenger side. 

When you were younger, probably year 11, give or take, you and Jamie were having your weekly late night at your house. You both opted to watch a horror movie, which was usually the thing you guys would choose. Even if it was one you both have already watched together. He thought it was funny when you’d get scared and cover your eyes haphazardly with your hands, still peeking through your fingers. This specific night, you guys chose one about a possessed car. 

“It better be Christine or somethin’, ‘cause if not I’m afraid you’re gonna have to rename it.” you smirked at him and turned to him, reminiscing in the memory of watching the movie about this exact model of car. 

“Psh, how could I not name her Christine?” he tsked and brushed his hand over the car’s dashboard. 

“How did you manage to get the wheel on the right side? Ain’t this brand of car American or somethin’? And how the fuck did you, letalone, manage to even GET one?” You asked, practically bug eyed. 

“Cost a hell of a lot of money, that’s for fuckin’ sure. They had to rewire it ‘n give it new parts ‘n such.” he said matter factly and you nodded, your mouth forming an ‘o’ shape. “Listen to how she purrs though.” he never got rid of the shit-eating grin on his face. He placed the keys in the ignition and set the car off. 

You chuckled and smiled wide, “holy fuck, this is incredible.” 

The brunet beside you nodded and pulled out of his parking spot, “she’s perfect, s’kinda hard to get her fixed sometimes though, s’pecially ‘cause Plymouth ain’t really a thing anymore.” 

“Yeah, I bet. Probably costs an arm and a leg, too. But you probably don’t have to worry about the money situation much, seein’ how you’re a professional footballer ‘n all.” watching the other cars pass by, you admired the feeling of being around Jamie again, the smile on your face never leaving your lips. 

“Y’said The Crown ‘n Anchor right?” 

“Mhm.”

“Right.” he nodded and tapped his hand along the steering wheel. 

You both sat in silence, listening to the hum of the 63 year old car and the low sound of music emitting from the stereo, it was comfortable. 

“I’m excited for you to meet Bee ‘n Mickey,” you started and looked over at him, “Bee might reprimand you though..” 

He looked over at you with an expression you couldn’t quite put your finger on; a mix of amusement and panic. 

“She means well, I promise, but remember how you left me all those years ago? Yeah, might’ve said some stuff with a drink or two in my system.” 

Shaking his head, “nah, s’good. I kinda figured, been preparing meself since we left the car park at the stadium.” 

You chuckled at his remark and folded your arms across your torso. Soon you guys were parked on the side of the street. You quickly got out of the car and scanned for your two friends. 

“Y/N!!” You heard Bee call, you turned your head toward the sound and beamed. 

“Hi, egghead.” You said and walked up to them, Jamie in tow, “this is Jamie.” 

“Holy shit, you’re Jamie Tartt.” Mickey chimed in, basically shadowing behind your best mate, the smile on his face only grew when Jamie nodded. 

“That I am, so you’re a fan?” Jamie asked in his coy tone, which was soon interrupted by Bee squinting at him and he stepped back slightly. She pointed her index finger at him, “you.” 

It was funny how Bee didn’t have to look up at Jamie, they were the same height. Bee was one of your tallest friends. You folded your arms across your torso waiting for whatever the girl was gonna say to your not-so-innocent looking ex-best friend. “Leave Y/N like you did again and no one on the face of this earth will ever hear from you again.” From the corner of your peripheral you could see Jamie practically gulp. Bee laughed, “I’m just fuckin’ with ya, mate. You did hurt her though, don’t do it again.” With a scared laugh Jamie looked at you with a ‘are you gonna do anything about this chick who just threatened my life?!’ look. You shrugged and shook your head. 

“Your fault, not mine.” You chuckled and bumped your hip against his. “But this is just how she is, but you’re not the one to see the worst of her ‘Bee Sting.’ No one really is, but she is really good at giving the occasional, ‘I will thump you upside the head’ look.” 

“Alright..” Jamie whispered and you shook your head. 

“She’s tellin’ the truth.” Bee nodded and began to walk ahead of you, Mickey in tow. 

“So, whos the good lookin’ bloke?” Jamie asked wiggling his eyebrows at you and you replied with an amused cackle and a shake of your head. 

“That’s Mickey, Bee’s boyfriend.” You looked at him expectedly and he just nodded. 

“Ah, makes sense. How long have they been datin’?” 

“Oh, fuck, since the end of college I think, they’ve been together for as long as I’ve known them.” 

“Cool.”

You nodded and walked into the small pub, the warm lighting making you feel all light inside. 

Jamie was instantly greeted by the older lady behind the bar, “‘Ello, Mae!” he replied to her. The older lady asked if it was just him, in which he replied with a shake of his head. “Nah, with some mates.” he gestured to the three of you standing beside him.

“Well, any mate of Jamie’s is a mate of ours.” the grey haired lady told the group and you guys thanked her before finding a place to sit.

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, Bee, Jamie and Mickey already had an inside joke when you had idiotically fallen for one of Bee’s stupid jokes. Jamie thought it was the funniest thing for the remainder of the time you were all together and for the life of him, would not stop bringing it up.

“Remember when you went to the loo and came back and Bee went –”

Before he could finish his sentence, the other two would giggle or you would playfully hit his shoulder, “Yes, Jamie, how could I forget something that happened to me earlier?”

You and Jamie both bid Bee and Mickey farewell, you all agreeing to hangout again together in the near future. It made your heart swell with how well Jamie fit in with your small group. 

Your trio had quickly became a quartet.

“Will you need a ride home?” Jamie asked you when you hopped into the passenger seat. 

“Nah, Frank will take me home and don’t think I could spend another 30 minutes with you.” You joked and he placed a hand over his heart in faux offence. 

“Wowww, you wound me.” 

You laughed with him when he started the car, the drive seemed only shorter this time. 

“I’ll see y’tomorrow right?” Jamie asked you and you nodded. 

“Mhm, but I won’t be here until the afternoon, gotta get anythin’ from my teachers that ain’t online and turn in anythin’ that I finished last week.”

“Alright, I’ll be here.” 

You waved Jamie goodbye before hopping in the back of Frank’s cab. 

“Evenin’, Y/N!” he greeted you with the widest smile, which you couldn’t help but mirror. 

Your entire ride home was pretty much spent talking about your afternoon and the stories that unfolded during. Frank, of course, listened and added in his own stories of the day but mentioned how he wished that his friends were still lively like your group.

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

The next day couldn’t have come any faster than it did, you had an idea to run by the team, and when you did, they had all excitedly agreed to partake in the events. 

“Alright, boys, how would you feel if I took you on a grand tour of my university? You could meet all of the teachers, maybe even have a little football camp of sorts? I could get the word out quickly and have the students bring along their siblings ‘n stuff?” you had asked and the boys, even the coaches had excitedly all gotten up and cheered at the top of their lungs. 

“Alright, alright!” you intercepted their excitement and shook your head, “while I love your enthusiasm, this won’t take place until next week because of the game that you lot have on Saturday.” much to your surprise, the excited noises never ceased which only caused you to jump up and down. 

“I’ll get the details out to you guys by tomorrow! I’ll talk to the dean and see any other ideas that she may have!” You clapped your hands together and soon left the locker room with the boys. They all chatted amongst each other happily, you listening closely to any of the conversations where your name was brought up.

Another day of filming more of their training, including what the coaches talk about on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the day had ended up turning hectic, more action than one single person could ever film had happened. You ended up having a shitty recording of everything that had occurred. The mics had ended up not working. You had to scramble around to get every perfect shot you could.. 

It was miserable. 

You had ended up talking to Professor Loughty, who, per usual, listened to your insight and agreed. However, you were going to be paired up with a student that was a transfer from New York University. And while having a buddy from a school like NYU, you had no idea what they were going to be like. 

Were they going to be full of themselves? Critical of your work? Not easy to work with?

“Hey.” an American voice spoke and you looked up at the taller boy in front of you. “I’m Caspar.” he smiled and reached his hand out to you. “Looks like I’m your new partner.” 

You smiled back, automatically being drawn to whatever kind energy this guy possessed. 

“Y/N.” you took his hand in yours and examined his features. He had long curly hair, just above his shoulders. He was sporting an older baggy sweater and a pair of corduroy trousers. His sneakers were old and worn down, but it suited him. “You already seem so cool?” you said, in a question, and he beamed. 

“Thank you.” 

You nodded and looked over at your professor, “does Frank know that he’s gonna have an extra person in his cab?” he responded with a nod. “He definitely should.”

With another nod, you slung your bag over your shoulder and basically grabbed Caspar by his arm, “alright, well, seeing that I’m headed back over to Richmond at,” a pause, looking down at your bare wrist, “well, now, I think it would be fit if I introduced you to the team!”

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

Whilst in the car, you had gone over what has happened so far and Caspar nodded attentively and added some insights on what he could do. It was already nice to have another set of hands to help, instead of having to beg one of the boys, mostly Jamie, to stay back and help you pack. 

When Frank had pulled back into Nelson Road you waved the old man goodbye, your mood already 100 times better than the day prior. “Let me give you a mini tour and introduce you to Rebecca.”

Caspar nodded and followed behind you like a taller shadow. You showed him all around, basically doing the tour that Rebecca had given you; including all of the side comments about how disgusting some of the rooms were. When you had made basically a full circle, you knocked on Rebecca’s door and pressed your palm onto the door to open it up. 

“Hi, Y/N!” Rebecca greeted and got up from her rolly chair. She wrapped her arms around you and looked over at the other presence in her room. “Oh, goodness, I’m so rude.” She pulled away and held out a hand for Caspar. “You must be Caspar? Your professor emailed me not too long ago talking about how you were going to join Y/N in the production process, which I think is brilliant.”

Caspar gently shook her hand and smiled at the way Rebecca was so welcoming, “well, I can’t imagine doing a job like this all by yourself, yet Y/N did it on her own for … how long?” he asked and turned to you. 

“Almost three weeks now?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t handle that on my own.” the three of you chuckled. 

“Have you met the boys yet?” Rebecca asked with her brows raised, she looked over at you. You shook your head and pointed to the door. “I was just about to introduce him to ‘em.”

“I see,” she nodded and pursed her lips, “between us three? They’re a lot to handle sometimes.”

“Amen to that, sister.” you said and waved Rebecca goodbye, “I’ll be back around for lunch?” you asked her and she replied with a thumbs up. You looked up at Caspar, “you’re joining, by the way, Cas. You’ll get to meet Keeley, she’s an angel sent from heaven.” 

He smiled at the nickname and nodded his head, “sounds good to me, Y/N/N.” 

You giggled at his reciprocation of nicknames and pulled him down the stairs and down the hallway to the locker room. “When I first came here, Rebecca told me that this room reeks of stinky men, and I have to agree, so just prepare your nose, yeah?” you said to him and he nodded with a salute of his hand. 

“Got it.” 

“Alright, you lot, you guys dressed?” You asked after you lightly tapped your knuckles on the door in an irregular pattern. The boys replied with preoccupied yeses and you waltzed in, “OI.” you said and their attention was soon yours. Much like how Rebecca had introduced you, you introduced Caspar and the boys had all greeted him. Except this time, no one had prior knowledge of who he was. 

“He’s going to help me around here for the remainder of the time that I’m filming for you stinky boys.” You scrunched your nose at the last part and got a few shakes of heads and a thumbs up from Coach Beard. 

“Well, welcome to the family, Cas.” Coach Lasso walked up to you both once the introduction was complete. The smile on Cas’ lips only seemed to grow. 

“He gave me a nickname on my first day, too. Ain’t that right, Theo?” 

“Exactamundo, Y/N/N.” Ted replied and you have him a high five. 

“We’re very glad that you’re here.” Beard added in from the side and Roy only grunted. 

With a crinkled brow at the thick-browed man, you bumped your elbow into Caspar’s side gently. “Don’t take it personally, just how he is.”

“Yeah, but the dusty old fart could learn a thing or two about human decency.” Jamie said walking up to you two while glaring at Roy. He stuck his tongue out at the older and then looked at you two. You both had goofy grins on your lips. 

“This is Jamie.” you pointed to the boy who was wearing his headband, a few loose strands peeking out slightly. “Jamie, Casper.” you then pointed to the curly-haired boy. They both greeted each other and then after that, the rest of the team did their introductions to him. At that moment you decided to step away from the limelight and stand in the corner, beaming with how welcoming this team was. 

“Hey.” Jamie said and sat down beside you. 

“Hiya.” You replied and smiled up at him. 

“Glad you have some help ‘round here, if I’m honest, yesterday was a shit show.”

You glared at him, “well damn, tell me how you really feel.” there was sarcasm laced within your words and Jamie shrugged when he realised that you were being playful and not taking any offence. 

“Yeah, can’t believe you went this long without having some help.”

“Excuse me, I’ve had help.” you pressed your lips together in a thin line and then smirked. “‘Specially from you, Tartt.” 

He blinked and shrugged, “guess you’re right.” 

“I am, because it did happen.”

Jamie shook his head and leaned down to retie his boots. “Right, well, are you gonna be filmin’ on the pitch today?”

You shook your head, “not today, I was thinkin’ about goin’ over all of the things so far and whatever else we need to get with Cas.”

Jamie nodded and then stood up when Coach Lasso told everyone to head outside. 

“See you later then?” he asked and you nodded, getting up yourself. 

“Mhm, later, skater.”

Within seconds the whole team excited the locker room, leaving you and Caspar on your own. 

“So? How does it feel?” you asked him and walked up to his side.

“How does what feel?” he asked, seemingly in a trance.

“Being welcomed into the ‘pack’ or whatever?” you internally cringed at your wording, but it caused a happy laugh to come from the male’s lips. 

“It’s definitely nice. I feel like I’ve known at least a few of the boys for years.”

“Oh yeah, they’ll do that to you.” You responded and patted his back. “Alright, there’s some things that I wanna go over and if you have any additional ideas that you think would fit in with our schedule ‘n stuff just let me know, yeah?” you asked him as you both walked out of the locker room and down the hallway into your makeshift office. 

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Perfect!”

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

TAGLIST:  @jamietarttdodo @tortilla-maria1 @taytaylala12 @salgachode @skewedcherries @spiderywoo (IT WOULDNT LET ME TAG YOU IM SO SORRY!!! I CAN KEEP ON TRYING)

[thelastbicorn]

I have thoughts regarding Persona 4 Revival:

1. The title is fine. I actually prefer it to the proposed “Persona 4 Rerun” because the word “Rerun” would imply that it is the exact same thing all over again, and that would be boring. I agree that P4 is not in desperate need of a remake (at least when compared to P3), but if there’s going to be a remake, then they need to do *something* besides overhaul the graphics.

2. Having said that, I suspect Atlus is going to play this pretty safe in terms of the story. The plot beats are probably going to be roughly 1:1 with the original. They aren’t going to change who the killer is (that would be wild, though). They aren’t going to add any playable characters. No one’s sexual/gender identity is going to different (sorry). At most, some side characters might get some more characterization (like maybe the copycat killer; that would be interesting).

3. I am also 95% sure that this will be a remake of Golden, not vanilla P4. I know everyone thinks Atlus is going to milk this game as much as possible through DLC (and there *will* be DLC of some kind) but I think it would be more trouble than it’s worth to tack on the Marie stuff like they did with Episode: Aigis in P3R.

Why? The Answer was essentially a separate game from the main campaign in P3 FES, whereas Marie is present from the beginning of P4G and is a minor but constant presence throughout the game up until Winter, whether you bother with her social link or not. I suppose they could lock the third semester behind DLC if they really wanted to, but that would be both awkward to implement and would pretty much piss off everybody, so why bother?

4. This game is still a *long* ways off. The teaser was brief because that was *all* they had to show. Honestly, I doubt they’ve even started recording voice overs yet. Yuri Lowenthal and the other old VAs probably didn’t have any idea that Revival was in the works, they were just responding to the plethora of questions from fans bugging them about it. I’m pretty sure they’re going to do what they did with P3R, having new actors for the main playable cast, and the old actors return in different roles. Anyway, I’m not expecting P4R until well into 2026, probably late summer or fall.

Okay. I’m done. I didn’t even really get around to what changes I’d actually like to see, but that can wait.

[cynic-says-stuff]

Hey, I've seen you reblogging various things about bsd and I was wondering if you recommend reading it? If so, I was wondering where I could read the manga (preferably online but if I can't do it there, then that's fine).

Hm. I’m not the best person for this because I watched the anime some time ago and haven’t picked it back up since, so I’m going to tag @sleepy-vix in case she can help you out.

That being said, I’ll still give you my input. This will be long.

I don’t read manga that often, and I haven’t read the BSD manga. So in my opinion, I think you should watch around 2-3 episodes of the anime before deciding on reading the manga, since an anime is normally made to promote the manga. Most people end up catching up with the anime before deciding to read the manga because they feel so connected to the story, but I don’t know how you feel about revisiting the same story twice (albeit in a different way). That’s the way I’d do it too, but since you’re most interested in reading the manga, you could look into my first suggestion of watching a few episodes and see what you want to do from there.

That’s how I would recommend doing it. Would I recommend it at all? Yes? I’m not that connected to the story now, but I loved it back then and I think it’s a story you can get obsessed over. It has a plethora of characters, all of which are fleshed-out and worth rooting for despite what side they are on, so you are guaranteed to find an absolute favourite. The world is immersive and the plot is very interesting.

Now for some of my more negative opinions. This probably shouldn’t mean much as someone who hasn’t read the manga, but from what I’ve seen… the story just keeps dragging on? Fake character death after fake character death, random plots that appear from seemingly nowhere (<- again, haven’t read the manga so I could be wrong about this). It is still worth keeping up with, though, because the characters are just so interesting, and I think that’s why the fan base has stuck to it regardless. I also mentioned this to you some time ago, but I’ve moved away from male centric stories because I’ve gotten so tired of having to imagine myself in male spaces. BSD is one of those medias. It has a handful of well-written female characters, but the sheer volume of male characters overshadows them. And, from what I remember, there’s maybe 2 or 3 interactions between two women in the entire series (this definitely could have changed since then). But all of this comes down to personal taste.

BSD is the dark academia anime. Not because of the plot, but because of the general mood and the character design. This makes it even more enticing. However, if you are looking for something that’s more dark academia adjacent, I’d recommend Moriarty the Patriot. Haven’t read the manga for this one either, but the anime is great and is also seen as a dark academia anime.

This one also has a lack of female characters, but as with BSD, it has a lot to offer. It’s a Sherlock retelling from Moriarty’s perspective, but it makes him an anti-hero instead of a villain. It’s almost a love story between Moriarty and Sherlock, except the bucketloads of flirting and chasing after each other aren’t enough to make it canon. Unbelievably queer without actually being queer (and the same could be said for BSD, but this one also contains a basically canon trans character). It contains great murder mysteries and an overarching plot that captivates you. I also don’t think anyone could get over the anime ending. It’s a story about a detective chasing after a villain, but he ends up befriending said villain but isn’t aware of it (the villain, Moriarty, is). Cat and mouse chase ensues.

I’m recommending it because it’s less of a commitment than BSD, and because you seem like you’re finally getting into anime so I thought I’d very politely push my interests onto you. There’s also many other recommendations I’d love to give but this is getting too long.

To sum this up: I am not a hardcore fan anymore, but yes I would recommend the anime, but I can’t say much about the manga because I haven’t read it (in most cases, the manga ends up being better than the anime).

Here is a website I use to read manga, hasn’t given me any viruses yet. Not the best, given that there are ads every second page, so be warned. It’s hard to find good sites for manga, so this is the best I could do. (Vix? Do you have any sites?). For anime, here is my absolute favourite site because it has almost any anime and doesn’t contain many ads. Here is a backup site, but you should definitely use an adblocker for it.

Okay okay, that’s it. I’m finally done.

[feedthepheasants]

Writing Interview Tag Game!! eeeeee!!!!

thank you thank you thank you for the tags @dr-demi-bee & @mothermoth92 !! ♥♥♥

When did you start writing?

I feel so silly saying I've always been a writer. As a kid, I loved telling stories and creating/performing as characters in a variety of facets. I remember in elementary school (foggy on what grade), I had a creative writing project where we had to write a short story based on a picture. My mom got a call home two weeks later when I hadn't turned it in - I just couldn't stop writing.

When I got into middle school and found ~the boundless wonders & horrors of unrestricted internet access~ I started writing even more - one shots, fanfics, short stories, play scripts, the beginnings of would-be novels. And I still have my first laptop, with all of that stuff still on it! I just can't remember my password. :')

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Absolutely!

As a reader, my top genres are fantasy/adventure, historical fiction and classics. That said, I enjoy romance/romantasy, sci-fi, mystery/thriller memoirs and contemporary novels more and more as I get older! But my first love has always been fantasy/adventure. One of my more unconventional tastes as a reader, however, are dissertations and research papers/articles on historical topics, and pre 13th-century plays/fables/short stories/poems!

My writing (especially in recent years) has primarily been in the fantasy/adventure genre. I've dabbled in others, mostly contemporary/romance stories and playwrighting, but I feel most comfortable in fantasy/adventure by a long run.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I think to be compared to any prolific writer would genuinely be an honor I would carry with me to my grave!

As a fantasy writer, I have taken many notes on GRRM's writing and world-building and applied it towards developing my own voice as a writer. Erin Morgenstern and Pierce Brown are two writers I would add to my 'aspire to be' list, though I have so many and it's so hard to choose!

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I write wherever and whenever I can.

Most of the time, that's my couch or my bed, but it's also been my work office, the car, my gate at the airport, the bathroom at a party, a creaky kitchen table at a pet/house-sitting gig..

However, my favorite place is definitely my couch with my autumn-scented candles, plethora of blankets, and my cushy headphones playing my 26 hour film score playlist. Add some fuzzy socks and Ghibli films on my TV and nobody will see me for a week. Bonus points if it's raining outside!

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Again, sounding silly here, but you know that one William Blake poem? "To see a world in a grain of sand / and heaven in a wildflower / hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour" ? That's how I feel about mustering a muse.

Literally anything can spark an idea for me, be it a plot, a character, or a moment in a story. It's very important to me to write what I know, and to write about the world and people around me, so I base a lot of my characters and their backgrounds/stories around the experiences of myself and the people in my life - the close and the distant, the old and the new. Even a breeze can send me into a flurry that won't rest until I write whatever I'm thinking down, which is why I keep a mini notebook and my notes app accessible at all times!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Most of the time, I find myself writing about characters who don't feel like they belong in one place. They're split between something; a decision, two people, two paths their lives could go down. In fact, the novel I've been working on and intend to submit for publishing in the near future is just that: the two primary characters are based off of myself, split in two. And boy has that been a rollercoaster ride!

Other general themes that have made their way into most of my writing are complex familial relationships, growing up (because we never really stop!), people coming and going in life, and the idea that you can never go back, no matter how much you try. Also, always the 'what could've been' of every choice. I think reflecting upon life-isms is one of my favorites, because it's something you see in literature through history and connects us with those who came before - again, realizing we're not alone.

What is your reason for writing?

Writing has always been an escape for me, and it was, for a very long time, the only thing I had that was ever mine.

Performative is a great word to describe my upbringing. Not going into too much detail, I often felt very 'on display' at family functions and other social gatherings when I felt uncomfortable or uneasy performing (I was an instrumentalist for 17 years, and was always forced 'asked' to entertain at functions). It had been a beloved hobby of mine, but I grew to resent it because of how often it was used against me.

So, when I got my first computer and began writing and posting stories, I didn't tell a single soul from my personal life. Especially not when I gained traction on the websites my writing was posted on, nor when I had earned a significant following. For years, the only people who knew were the internet friends I'd made through writing. Even now, there are only a handful of people in my outside life circles that know I write, and even fewer have ever actually read any of my creative writing. I think I still have a fear of losing something very dear to me. I like the anonymity - there's less pressure to exceed expectations, and there's fewer eyes to watch you fall.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Receiving comments in general is extremely motivating. I rarely share my work with people in my outside life circles, so I mostly rely on feedback/interactions with friends/readers online. Honestly, just knowing that people enjoy the work I produce means the world, whether it's through a like/kudos, reblog, or anything.

What really makes me crazy (in a good way!) is when people do character analysis or relation to my work. It's very rewarding (and quite frankly, very healing) to see when others identify with the experiences, thoughts or feelings that I write about. I tend to spiral and feel very isolated during difficult periods of life, and the reminder that I'm not the only one is very comforting.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want to be someone who, when I post a project, at least one person is excited to read what I've created. I've been in a lot of rooms where I've felt like what I feel or have to say doesn't mean anything, so I think the idea of reaching one person who does want to hear/read what I have to say would absolutely rock my world.

What I don't want is to be the kind of writer where readers can't engage critically with what I've created. I think both positive and critical feedback are essential to me as an artist. If I write something that just isn't great, needs work, has plot holes or doesn't make sense for how I've led a character's development thus far, constructive feedback is more than welcomed. As I get older, I get better and better at separating my art from myself, which makes taking criticism easier, and makes me more receptive to making the necessary changes.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

It's been a controversial topic in the past, but I love creating flawed people who make mistakes. That's just a part of life - everyone does things they wish they could take back, things they regret, words they wish they'd never said. I put a lot of that into my characters (with original works predominantly) because I think it makes them more relatable. Nothing irks me more than when a main character always makes the dutiful choice, the sacrifice, and does everything right.

I LOVE when a character fails! I LOVE when they make a mistake, and lose a battle. It means they learn something. I LOVE when a character trusts, and is so egregiously betrayed that I'm doubled over on the floor, heaving for breath and about to be physically sick because I cannot believe what just happened (looking at you, Red Rising). Because I have a lot of my own regrets, I try to find closure through writing. It doesn't always work, but it helps.

When you write, are you influenced by what others enjoy might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I try to write a little bit of both. I want to write things that are personal and meaningful to me, but I also want to write things that people can relate to.

In regards to my novel-in-progress, I've taken a story that I really want to tell, and have polled so many readers and read so many forums and threads about what readers want and don't want in the older-y/a fantasy/adventure range, and have been adapting characters and plotlines to meet those. (For example: I love the heightened stakes of war and political drama, I love heavy lore and world building, I love devasting romance, and I also love smut. Still haven't found a book that hits the mark with all of these!)

How do you feel about your own writing?

Yikes!

I don't by any means think I'm a bad writer. All artists get self-conscious and doubt their work at times - I tend to do that more often than not, especially when I post something for people to read and react to. I definitely think I have a lot of room to grow, but I also recognize that I have come very far.

I also recognize, that I have strengths when it comes to writing styles, and I 100% have weaknesses. Unfortunately, my current fic is written in first person present tense - why, god why, did I do this to myself? I hate it! I love the character, the story is very close and personal to me, but the longer it's gone on, the harder it has been to push through - though there has been progress recently! After this, however, I'll stick to third person or narrative '_ x reader', because it's what I feel most comfortable with.

The biggest thing is that I enjoy the stories that I want to tell, but I'm so indecisive about how I want to tell them. Sometimes, none of the words feel right, and other times, all of the words feel right and I can't make a decision because they all feel different even when they mean the same thing!

As always, no pressure tagging @crimson-and-lavender , @waterdeep-weavemoss and @honeybee-bard !