#that not being all of it makes their character SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING

[wtfforged]

my campaign hiatus has gone on for too long so to cope ive combined my interests at their maximum potency and had some dnd-strawhats thoughts

thoughts in depth under read more... :)!

this is SO self indulgent. their designs literally did not change. but i am a firm believer that dnd doesnt have to be european high fantasy. and also one piece literally IS fantasy. no changes are necessary to fit into dnd. ive already imagined plenty of campaign/oneshot ideas inspired by one piece. so this was basically just an exercise of trying to replicate their canon abilities in dnd 5e as much as possible without totally homebrewing everything. well. aside from luffy. you just cant take away or change his stretching.

LUFFY: (human monk. drunken master subclass. outlander)

the only plain human of the crew to balance out with the fact that he still has rubber powers. obviously a monk. but drunken master subclass specifically because i think the flavor(not the fact that its about being a drunkard) and abilities both fit him really well. this line in the subclass' flavortext especially fits him: "A drunken master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe."

ZORO: (tiefling fighter. samurai subclass. bounty hunter)

a fighter with the samurai subclass is so very incredibly obvious... but i actually had a lot of fun geeking out while comparing the abilities to what he can do in canon; Fighting Spirit, Rapid Strike, and Strength Before Death especially! tiefling is also pretty on the nose for his demon pirate hunter shtick and asura form, but i thought he'd be really human-passing for a tiefling and theorized about his tail getting cut off at some point or another before joining the strawhats. initially wasnt gonna give him a feat, but i gave sanji a feat so i thought itd be unfair to not give him one as well, so sentinel fits the bill pretty well i think!

NAMI: (tabaxi rogue. arcane trickster subclass. criminal)

cat burglar -> full grown literal humanoid cat. this one is INCREDIBLY self indulgent... i love... cats... theres nothing deeper to this and no other reasoning. i took cat burglar and ran with it. can you tell that i love izutsumi dungeon meshi? rogue for the aforementioned burglar-ing as well, and the arcane trickster subclass for when she picks up climatact! the mage hand will be very useful for her pickpocketing. in the future as she levels up with timeskip, i can totally see her multiclassing into wizard as well! weather wizard!

USOPP: (lightfoot halfling artificer. artillerist subclass. urchin)

I HAD SO MUCH FUN THINKING ABOUT HIS CHARACTER SHEET. halfling's Naturally Stealthy ability lets him hide behind his crewmates since theyre (almost) all bigger than him, so its perfect for hiding behind zoro or sanji all the time. Lucky is also perfect for him, and I think Brave fits pretty well too when he puts on the sogeking mask. artillerist artificer is also very fun! tinkering and making magic items for his crew, and i think Eldritch Canon or Arcane Firearm could both be easily reflavored as kabuto or any of his inventions. for emphasizing his sniper-ness, the spell sniper feat was also necessary. i think hes my favorite of all the concepts. big ears and long nose combo is so cute to me.

SANJI: (half-elf monk. drunken master subclass. guild artisan (cook!))

race was mostly based on vibes i wont lie. squints. and that vinsmoke balogna or whatever too ig. but mostly vibes. along with the idea that i think a dwarf zeff raising him would be really funny and cute. monk is also obvious, and same subclass as luffy for mostly the same reasons. though the flavor fits him much less, i think the abilities still fit him perfectly, and this blurb specifically; "Your martial arts technique mixes combat training with the precision of a dancer." i really wanted to give him a different subclass from luffy, but i dislike all the other monk subclasses a lot and i found none of them fit him as well anyways, so to try and give them SOME differences, i gave him the crusher feat.

CHOPPER: (awakened deer(shifter statblock) cleric. life subclass. hermit)

this ones definitely a mouthful im sorry. awakened deer for obvious reasons, but due to magic instead of devil fruit stuff. when i was struggling with his race, i looked a lot at shifter because of his forms, but it occurred to me that itd be super cool if he could shift between all of the different shifter options instead of being stuck with just one to replicate his rumble balls. something like heavy point/guard point=beasthide, horn point/arm point(?maybe?)=longtooth, walk point/jumping point=swiftstride, and brain point=wildhunt. hed definitely need some kind of nerf though to balance out that homebrew... and cleric for class. duh.

ROBIN: (high elf wizard. order of scribes subclass. criminal)

robin is definitely the one i struggled the most with just because of her class. elf came pretty easily- shes very elegant and i think shed look cute with super long ears- and i landed on high elf instead of wood elf for the int-based abilities. i was really on the fence between sorcerer and wizard for her because i knew shed be a full spellcaster, but i didnt feel that any of the subclasses really fit her. i ended up going with wizard for order of the scribes since it focuses on texts and knowing everything. but also because robin with a flying talking sentient book would be crazy cool. it could also be similar to how she spawns mouths and eyes places to talk to or watch people. my "fuck it, why not. this would be rad. its my house" mindset kicked in with her i will admit. also the One with the Word ability made me cackle out loud when i read it. thats the funniest ability ever. anyways, i cant really think of a way to replicate her powers, but maybe we could just reflavor a bunch of spells to be her limbs or clutch; hold person, maximillian's earthen grasp, or evard's black tentacles. thatd probably work okay, and theres a handful of spells to replicate her ability to spawn eyes or mouths. unrelated, but i imagine nico olvia to be a drow. why? her hair is white. i am a simple man!

[aeternallis]

Colin's jealousy just hits so well for me this season because unlike Simon and Anthony's jealousy (which mostly comes from male ego and physical lust), Colin's jealousy is born from something much deeper, beyond the surface-level, primitive instinct of seeing he has competition. That's not to say some of that isn't influencing Colin's actions, it most certainly is, but it's not the main force driving his emotions.

His jealousy doesn't come from out of nowhere, yknow?

His jealousy is born from shared history with one of the few genuine relationships in his life that he holds close to his heart, an unconscious, albeit cherished understanding that Penelope is a constant in his life. It's born from the slow, painful realization that he had lost her without even knowing it (further shaking his already flimsy resolve to try and fit into society's standards of being a typical rake), and whilst making a genuine effort to earn her good graces back, unwisely set himself up to lose her again.

Whereas Simon and Anthony's jealousy is superficial (and logically speaking, doesn't make much sense and only speaks to their self-entitlement due to their positions in society), Colin's jealousy is a humbling experience for him, which lends itself to his growth as a character and as a man. It's no wonder he'd described it as "a feeling that is like torture, but something he cannot, will not, does not want to give up."

Can y'all imagine Simon and Anthony having the same sentiment as that without it coming off as OOC? Simon was determined not to continue his family line and Anthony couldn't let go of his pride and obligations, pursuing Edwina until the latter had to set her foot down akjhdjsvbd If they had had any choice in the matter, both of them would have done their utmost to not have to feel anything towards their love interests pre-marriage. (Colin too made an attempt with that second brothel scene, but let's be real, it was half-assed at best)

Colin wants Penelope so much to the point he'd fully embraced even the torture of wanting her. And honestly? That's so damn refreshing to see, considering the typical romantic leads we usually see on television are trying to repress their emotions, not embrace it.

Colin yearns and wants, and he wants unashamedly. He's not jealous of Lord Debling; it's less about Lord Debling himself and the superb qualities he has that makes him an eligible gentleman specifically for Penelope and her circumstances, and more about being threatened by the concept of any other individual having the chance to establish that same emotional connection he has with Pen, and the possibility of that growing into something even more.

For all his kindness, Colin is actually quite possessive of that special connection he has with Penelope, and for a man who's already at odds and ends with his purpose in life and who he is in the grand scheme of the ton, understandably so.

It's why I knew in my gut during my first watch-through of s3 part 1 that although Colin had offered to help Pen find a husband by teaching her how to seduce men, he had never actually set out for it to be a successful endeavor. Lol If anything, it was just an excuse to be able to spend time with her. He had, albeit subconsciously, probably pictured the entire exercise to be something more along the lines of the incident with Lord Basilio, i.e. joking/gossiping w/ Pen about her prospective suitors and how unsuitable they are for her.

It's why Colin's excuses regarding Lord Debling about being a bad marriage prospect for Penelope sound so damn weak, his best reasoning being that he's "too particular."

For Colin, no man was ever going to be good enough for Penelope if it wasn't himself.

[sunset-snowfall]

"Beg for It"

Characters: Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Nanami Kento, Fushiguro Toji, Choso Kamo x gn Reader (Separate)

Warnings: Sub JJK men, edging, overstimulation, Toji being an asshole (not that bad)

Minors DNI!

Gojo Satoru

He always talks a big game about how he'll be the one fucking you senseless and making you scream It became pretty obvious that he was just a dumb whore for you to use But you didn't think he's be that pathetic! He always has a habit of cumming too quickly before you're able to, so you tried to think of a way to stop that from happening

One second, you had both been side by side on the couch, watching a show on the TV with very little interest on what was happening on the screen. The next, Gojo was gripping your hand, moving to the zip of his trousers like a man possessed. And being completely unable to resist those shining blue eyes, you had just sighed in defeat.

"Ngh, y/n, please!" You couldn't help but wonder exactly how you got yourself into the situation you were in, Gojo Satoru sitting on your lap, back against your chest, guiding his hand up and down on his pretty cock, the tip already leaking precum.

"You really think that's enough to convince me, hm?" You asked with a chuckle, the pace on his cock merciless as you forced him to jerk himself off, never letting off, even when he was whining about the pain in his wrist.

The only time you did stop was when his hips started to stutter and his mouth fell open, pulling his hand away swiftly as soon as he was about to cum. That had happened three times now and the poor thing was close to sobbing, all energy in his body completely gone as he rested against you, head turned slightly so you could see his pretty face flushed red, blue eyes glistening with tears, clinging to his eyelashes.

When you pulled him away for the fourth time, Gojo did actually start to cry pathetically, hips bucking up into nothing as he tried to bring his hand back to his aching cock, burning with the need for release. He turned to look at you the best he could, a pathetic sight, just for you.

"C'mon, Satoru... you know what I told you... if you want to cum that badly, you need to beg for it..." You cooed, moving your hand back to his cock, stroking it gently with a smile, kissing his neck, sucking and biting the pale skin gently.

The feeling of your skin against his flushed cock caused him to gasp and moan loudly, head dropping back against your shoulder. "Please, y/n, please! l've been such a good boy! Please let me cum! I need to!" His voice sounded so pretty as he cried for you, soft moans leaving his parted lips, eyes rolling back from the sheer pleasure of it all.

And as much as you would love to torture him more, you knew that it was quickly becoming too much for him, so you rubbed his thigh gently, whispering a soft "Such a good boy... Go ahead and cum for me..." And his grateful sobs were just so adorable as he was finally able to get the release he needed.

Geto Suguru

This man did not want to beg you for anything In his eyes, his power was far more superior to you and he owed you nothing, so he didn't have to ask to fuck you! But after you refusing for what felt like hours, he had no choice That doesn't mean he still did everything in his power to resist

"Like fuck l'm gonna beg for you! Get another slave!" Geto had been like this for some time, refusing to even look at you, eyebrows drawn into a frown, making his purple eyes seem even darker. If it wasn't for the tent forming in his trousers, you almost would have believed that he wasn't interested in you.

But of course you had noticed, and that was why you had shamelessly stripped in front of him, your whole body on show for him. However, Geto was stubborn and had simply turned away, but you could have sworn thatyou saw his cute dick twitch when he saw your perfect body.

"Come on, Suguru... I know you want this just as much as I do... I can see your boner, idiot." You shook your head with a laugh as you pointed, lips drawing up into a smile when you saw his hands immediately rush to cover it up, face red with humiliation. How fucking adorable.

Geto looked away with a red face, glaring off to the side. "Stupid whore, you really don't understand who you're talking to, do you?" He growled, eyes almost blazing with anger. In fact, if he wasn't hard right now, and if his face wasn't flushed with embarrassment like a schoolgirl, you may have been intimidated by his tone of voice.

Much to Geto's annoyance, you was extremely stubborn and wasn't going to let him go easily. "Come on, Suguru, you know it doesn't mean anything to me if you fuck me or not, l'll just find someone else... But you need me so badly, don't you? Just admit it.." You tugged down the zip of his trousers, palming his erection through the thin material of his boxers, already slightly damp from precum.

He grunted quietly as soon as you touched him, even if not directly, staring at you with his usual sharp gaze. "Don't fucking touch me!" He tried make his voice harsh and careless, but when you squeezed his pretty cock, he couldn't help the needy whine that left him, hips involuntarily jolting up. Both of you were surprised by the cute noise, and you couldn't help the grin on your face.

"Come on, Suguru... Can't lie now, can you?" You asked with a teasing grin, chuckling at his embarrassed blush. He was so beautiful like that. "You'll only need to ask, and then I'll be yours to use." Your tone was teasing as you looked back at him, surprised by the way he averted his gaze, biting his lip shyly. You never thought he'd actually do it!

But he was already looking at you with an usually soft gaze, lips drawn into a cute pout. "Only because I have to!" He reminded you quickly, and you just nodded with a laugh. "Okay, fine... y/n... Please... Please let me fuck you. I know I was bad, but I'll be good if that means I can be inside you! I need you, baby... need you so fuckin' bad..."

Nanami Kento

He'd be surprisingly willing to beg for what he wants He's a very respectful man, and if you tell him to do something, he'll do it immediately It does take him a while to be honest about what he really wants, though, but with your comfort, he becomes less shy But he only wants to do things that give you pleasure, such a gentleman

Kento was always doing things that would make you feel good, fucking you whenever you asked, setting the pace that you wanted, never depriving you of kisses and gentle touches, always making sure that you knew how much you were loved. He never asked for anything in return either, always insisting that your pleasure was more important.

And as wonderful as it was, always getting spoiled by him, you wasn't heartless and knew that there must be something else that the poor man wanted. Yes, your pleasure was important, but his was too! He mattered just as much as you did, but he always answered with the same thing.

"Y/n, I just want you to feel good, nothing else matters to me..." Whenever he spoke to anyone else, his tone was always bored and distracted, but when you was there, his expression and tone brightened significantly. If you thought about it, he was no different than a puppy waiting for his master to come home.

You took his hands with a smile. "I know you want me to feel good, Kento... but it makes me feel good when I'm doing the same for you, you know..." You pulled him closer into a gentle kiss, smiling lightly at how he reached up instinctively to cling onto you desperately. For someone with pretty closed body language, he always wanted to have a physical connection with you, always needing to touch you in some way.

When you pulled away, Kento's face was flushed and he was panting softly. Your heart softened as you looked down at him, cupping his cheek gently. "Fucking hell, Kento... You're so pretty..." And when you praised him, the blush on his face darkened slightly, cheeks burning in embarrassment.

You couldn't help but notice the way he was squirming in his seat as well, eyes closed tightly. A quick look downwards showed you exactly what he wanted to see. The poor thing was hard, just from kissing you! What a naughty little thing! But considering the fact that he resembled a puppy, you supposed it wasn't all that surprising. Clearly the poor thing couldn't help it! When he saw that you had noticed, he turned his head away in shame, trying to find a way to apologise, but as soon as he opened his mouth, you rushed to interrupt him.

"Uh-uh, baby boy... this is a perfect opportunity to make my Kento feel good, right? So don't be shy. Tell me exactly what you want..." When he saw that you really meant it, he nodded shyly, mouth opening a few times, but he never said anything. Guessing that it was hard for him, you almost stopped him, about to reassure him that it didn't matter, that he didn't have to, but he spoke before you could get the words out. "Y/n... could you... I- Fuck, I'm sorry... I just need your mouth so desperately... I need to feel your lips around my cock, please!"

Your eyes widened slightly in surprise at how honest be was, but you grinned and lowered yourself to you knees, gaze fixed on his flushed expression and the way his hands shook, uncertain of where to put them. He was truly adorable. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad teaching him how be a little more selfish once in a while.

Fushiguro Toji

This man wasn't as dominant as he looked, though of course he had his moments But a lot of the time, he wanted that reassurance of not needing to make decisions or having control over a situation Naturally, one thing that didn't change was his entitled attitude, always acting as if you owed him something It look you an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to get past that

"Come on, be a doll and stay still for me, will you?" You cooed as you looked down at the man underneath you. You was riding him, bur considering the fact that you had just came, you asked for just a second to compose yourself. It just so happened that he was also close at the time, and you couldn't help but grin at the look on his face when you stopped moving.

His eyes were dark with annoyance as he glared up at you, rolling his eyes as he completely ignored your words, reaching to the bedside table to grab a cigarette and lighter, a stunned grunt leaving him when you slapped them out of his hand. "What the fuck is your problem?" He growled as gripped your hips, lifting you up by the hips and slamming you back down on his cock, movement rough and forceful, making you moan loudly in a mix of pain and pleasure.

"Toji, fuck! Fuck, slow down!" You groaned, eyebrows drawn into a frown as he moved you up and down mercilessly, only laughing lowly at your struggle to take his size. He had always been like that, a selfish prick who only thought about his own pleasure, not caring about how you felt in the slightest, but fuck, you loved it.

But you'd been told by several people that it would be more satisfying to put the asshole back in his place, even if it was a struggle considering your current predicament. And yet, you'd reserved your strength for the moment that he was about to cum and his grip on your hips loosened slightly. You grabbed his wrists as tightly as you could forcing them up and above his head, holding them in place as you frantically reached for the rope you had hidden under the pillow, tying his arms together.

Toji didn't really have much to protest about, though, when you continued to move your hips, working yourself up and down on your cock, shaking your head in amusement at his confused expression. Of course, that look on his face didn't last long as he came with a grunt, gritting his teeth as his body finally relaxed on the bed. You slowed to a stop, grinning down at him, kissing him gently.

"So what's the point of the rope, darling?" He asked with his usual smug smirk, such a calm expression on his face. You'd never done anything like that before, and he just assumed it was an adorable act of defiance and you'd just pout and untie him a minute later. He clearly didn't expect you to take a deep breathe before lifting yourself up and dropping yourself back down on his cock. It didn't matter to you as much considering the fact that you had had longer to recover, but for Toji, who had had less than a minute since he had last cum, the overstimulation stung.

That was when he realised why you tied his hands down, so he couldn't stop you. In that position, he could do nothing to get away from you, completely helpless on the bed. "Come on, baby just give a sec, yeah?" He asked with a groan, the muscles in his arms tensing as he tried to break free, but you just shook your head with a grin. "You don't want me to take a break, so you don't get a fucking break, got it? Not unless you ask really nicely..."

He scoffed at first, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes, but when he really saw that you had no plans on stopping, he was forced to reconsider. The feeling was too much, and while it was one of the best feelings in the world, it felt like he was on the verge of tears, and he would rather die right then than cry in front of you. "Fuck's sake, y/n, slow down!" And when you simply refused, he groaned weakly in protest, voice finally dropping to a soft plea. "Come on, y/n, just be a dear and slow down, please? I promise I'll do whatever you want me to, just give me a minute to recover!"

Choso Kamo

Choso was always such an adorable little thing, sweet and obedient for you, always so drunk on whatever pleasure you give him But he quickly became a bit of a brat because of how much you spoiled him He stopped asking for what he wanted, just assuming that he was entitled to everything Yet since Choso was usually such a good boy, it wasn't a problem that couldn't be fixed easily.

It didn't matter how matter many times you had fucked Choso or had allowed him to fuck you, he was still so sensitive, whining and crying prettily within the first few minutes, making your heart soften whenever you looked at him. He was also incredibly loud, always moaning and whimpering, drooling over himself like a whore. You couldn't help but adore him, but that meant that you often spoiled him, giving him whatever he wanted.

In your defence, you didn't expect him to become such a brat, always expecting things from you now. And it wasn't as if you minded. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was still a good boy for you, and he still showed you a lot of respect, most of the time. It was only recently that his attitide started to change. Of course, it was nothing too major, just his reluctance to ask for what he wanted, thinking he could just take it.

He was curled up comfortably on your lap, head rested on your shoulder, but he had no interest at all in the book you were reading, groaning in frustration as he rolled off your lap soon after, causing you to shake your head fondly at the sight of him sitting cross-legged on the floor. You just assumed that he was going to get up and find another way to amuse himself and so you looked back down at your book, shaking your head fondly.

That is, until you felt his hands pushing your legs apart and the sight of him kneeling between them. Before you could even speak, he was pawing at your trousers, trying to get them down, basically drooling as he looked up at you, eyes sparkling when he saw you looking down at him.

He didn't, however, expect you to grab him by his pigtails, tugging his head back by his hair, making him cry out from the sudden pain, blinking up at you with pretty tears in his eyes, a pout of "What was that for?" As he looked up at you, bottom lip trembling. It was typical of him to pull the tears whenever he wanted anything since you always gave him what he wanted.

This time, however, you were prepared for the tears as you simply hardened your expression, refusing to give in. "What do you mean, what was that for? Don't be such a stupid brat!" You tugged his hair roughly, grinning at his cute little whimper, only tugging his hair harder as he tried to get away. What did he really think would happen?

"You can't just take what you want, Choso. Stupid little whore..." The words were spilling out of your mouth, and it surprised you that Choso really seemed to enjoy it, face getting redder and redder with each insult, gasping weakly when you dropped the handful of hair again. "You want it that much, beg for it! You can do that for me, can't you?"

He nodded immediately, shifting his position as he looked up at you, hands clasping together, almost in a prayer. "Please, master, please let me feel good! I promise I'll never be a brat again! I'll always be a good boy for you!" His voice was so soft and sweet as he blinked up at you, and he whined pathetically when you didn't immediately give into him. "You don't even have to look at me, just let me make you feel good too!" And really, how could you deny a little whore like him?

[14dayswithyou]

Meowdy Saint! ^^ lolol hello hello o/ hope you are doing good!!

So this masterpiece of a game has been invading my mind with ZERO chill lately which directly translated to me coming up with a TON of questions orz I really didn't realize how many I ended up compiling lol

If you don't feel like answering this many please feel absolutely free to ignore this ask or only answer the ones you like the most, the last thing I want is for you to feel overwhelmed! ^^

ALRIGHT LET'S-A GO

-do Rendacted's memories remain intact when he resets the day or do his wipe too with everyone else's? Also is there an in-universe answer for why he has these glitchy powers or is he just Built Different™?

-if angel made it VERY clear that they would be mad asf and prolly even start hating and leave Ren/[REDACTED] if he were to hurt their friends(or killing people bc this man needs to chill fr), would he listen to them? Bc I know that if he touches Violet, Elanor, Kiara or god forbid Moth I'm personally deleting his kneecaps 🥰

-since it seems to me that Ren/[REDACTED] is only kinda meh at cooking I was wondering if he actually made the not burnt pancakes in day 3 or if he had some store bought ones that he passed off as his own lol

-does he know how to give massages? :00

-during day 1, how did Ren come up with a book on the local flora?? It seems like such a random topic to pick when put on the spot without already having a genuine interest in it lmao

-if I understood correctly Maple should be Jae's dog right?? Did you have a specific breed or age in mind when creating her? I got curious because in my head she automatically popped up as a young australian shepherd to match with Jae's hyperactive dumbass energy lol❀⸜(˶´ ˘ `˶)⸝❀

-staying on the dog topic lol, in day 1 when angel gets up from the couch to get Ren the inflatable mattress(iirc) and he follows right behind them i immediately thought he acted like a puppy lmao. So would he mind being called 'puppy' as a pet name?

(I am not sure if this⬇️ questions falls under character deaths, if it does I really apologize and absolutely feel free to ignore it ^^)

-from an ask from last year it seems [REDACTED] would ultimately kill angel if there was ultimately not way to enter in their life?? Gotta say I was very taken aback by this, would this still be the case after a year of building more to his character? (Ok I went back to check the ask again but I can't for the life of me find it anymore maybe I dreamt it up idk😭😭 im really sorry if that is the case jdkslajdl)

-uuhh I know there is already a lot in this ask(im seriously sorry orz), but I was wondering if we will eventually get an SFW alphabet for Ren/[REDACTED] for the folks who don't care about the nasty 👉👈

-THIS IS THE LAST THING I PROMISE 👹 will there be a guide to get all the endings? I'm not sure if there is one already and in that case I missed it 100%

Also I find it ironic how the fandom is trying to find out every single aspect of Ren/[REDACTED]'s character the same way he must do with angel lmao

ALRIGHT THATS ALL IM SO SORRY FOR ASKING SO MUCH THE REN BRAINROT HOURS ARE SO REAL IM LOSING BRAINCELLS orz Remember to take care of yourself drink water and take breaks!! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

(Also sorry if some phrases don't make sense, english isn't my first language as I am 🤌 lolol)

✦゜ANSWERED: Under da cut because this got long >:3

-do Rendacted's memories remain intact when he resets the day or do his wipe too with everyone else's? Also is there an in-universe answer for why he has these glitchy powers or is he just Built Different™? Ren's memories remain intact!! I mean... He remembers each time you get a bad end and sometimes says something different... >:3 There is also an in-universe reason as to why he has his abilities — I won't spoil anything, but his real name (along with River's and one other character) have a reeeeally big tell. But what this tell is is for me to know and you to find out >:3

-if angel made it VERY clear that they would be mad asf and prolly even start hating and leave Ren/[REDACTED] if he were to hurt their friends(or killing people bc this man needs to chill fr), would he listen to them? Bc I know that if he touches Violet, Elanor, Kiara or god forbid Moth I'm personally deleting his kneecaps 🥰 Ren (and by extension [REDACTED]) knows not to harm anyone if he knows you won't like it — and even then — he won't actively show that murderous side of him in the first place. To Angel, Ren is just a timid, normal guy.

-since it seems to me that Ren/[REDACTED] is only kinda meh at cooking I was wondering if he actually made the not burnt pancakes in day 3 or if he had some store bought ones that he passed off as his own lol Ren is actually good at cooking, he's just a bit out of touch since he doesn't normally cook for himself! It's normally microwave meals or takeout for him... ^^; And yes, Ren did burn and burn the pancakes in Day 3 — he was distracted by something on his phone :3

Bonus cut Day 3 content: I took out the scene where Ren started to profusely apologise for burning the pancake because he often had to cook when he was younger. Given the dynamic of his family and the environment he grew up in, Ren didn't have much room to make mistakes ;n; I cut this scene out because I felt bad ksgskd So y'all get to have flustered, happy Ren instead!!

-does he know how to give massages? :00 If that was one of Angel's interests or desires, then sure!! ^^

-during day 1, how did Ren come up with a book on the local flora?? It seems like such a random topic to pick when put on the spot without already having a genuine interest in it lmao Someone else likes flora too, and it sure would be funny if Ren (eventually) starts to mimic certain traits and interests of the person you have the highest affinity/relationship points with in order to make himself look more appealing… >:3c

-if I understood correctly Maple should be Jae's dog right?? Did you have a specific breed or age in mind when creating her? I got curious because in my head she automatically popped up as a young australian shepherd to match with Jae's hyperactive dumbass energy lol❀⸜(˶´ ˘ `˶)⸝❀ It was mentioned in Jae's lore post (I'll link it here once I find it), but Maple is a Labrador! (Leon would be Jae's Australian Shepherd hehe) In my mind, Maple is only 2 or 3 years old, but that wouldn't really fit the official timeframe... ^^; Jae adopted Maple during high school so he wouldn't feel lonely at home, and it's been over 6+ years since then.... hgdshjg

-staying on the dog topic lol, in day 1 when angel gets up from the couch to get Ren the inflatable mattress(iirc) and he follows right behind them i immediately thought he acted like a puppy lmao. So would he mind being called 'puppy' as a pet name? Angel affectionately calls Ren a puppy during the scene in Day 1 where they meet up after work, so that nickname definitely could work!

-from an ask from last year it seems [REDACTED] would ultimately kill angel if there was ultimately not way to enter in their life?? Gotta say I was very taken aback by this, would this still be the case after a year of building more to his character? (Ok I went back to check the ask again but I can't for the life of me find it anymore maybe I dreamt it up idk😭😭 im really sorry if that is the case jdkslajdl) aaa I think you might be mistaking that ask for something else? ;v; [REDACTED] would NEVER harm Angel in any capacity, and they're a very patient person. Even if it took decades for Angel to fall in love with him, they'll wait.

-uuhh I know there is already a lot in this ask(im seriously sorry orz), but I was wondering if we will eventually get an SFW alphabet for Ren/[REDACTED] for the folks who don't care about the nasty 👉👈 You're fine!! And I'm open to doing that! I'll add it to my list hehe

-THIS IS THE LAST THING I PROMISE 👹 will there be a guide to get all the endings? I'm not sure if there is one already and in that case I missed it 100% I've shared a spreadsheet that lists all the available choices, the points you earn from each of them, and the endings you can get — however it's only available on Discord and I don't really want to share it outside of the server and potentially put it in the hands of minors. Sorry!!

Also I find it ironic how the fandom is trying to find out every single aspect of Ren/[REDACTED]'s character the same way he must do with angel lmao Hehe >:3 There's a loooot of lore that won't ever be mentioned in the game (since it doesn't seem fitting/I don't see a reason to), so I'm happy to provide it here!

[goldengleams]

another cinderella story | l. hughes

summary: after your masquerade dance, you invite luke back to your house to watch a movie that’s right on theme. will he be your prince charming?

word count: 1.8k

author’s note: oh it’s just me being active and posting again!! so excited to be on break for the summer and finally have some free time! this was inspired by an experience i had with a friend and it was so fun to write, so please show some love by reblogginh or liking! leave some requests or messages in my inbox for fun! 🤍

———————————————————————

You pulled your coat around your shoulders as the chilly winter air nipped at your exposed skin, making the climb out of the Uber and the walk to your house that much more dreadful. Your night at your sorority formal had been a blast. This year, there was a masquerade theme and you had gotten lucky enough that your formal was on a non-hockey weekend so that you could invite your close friend, Luke Hughes.

The two of you had had a fun night with your sorority sisters and a few of his teammates who had been invited. Before you left, the drinks had been flowing at your pregame, so you had felt extra loose on the dance floor with Luke as your date.

“Thank you, have a good night,” you said to the driver. Luke quickly climbed out of the car to join you and speedwalk inside.

“I think the cold just completely sobered me up,” you grumbled.

Luke laughed from behind you. “Yeah, you did go a little hard after we finished our bottle of champagne.” You let out a soft groan at the reminder that you and Luke had been handcuffed to each other earlier in the night to complete your champagne and shackles challenge.

“I only had a one dirty shirley but I knew that stupid bottle of champagne would fuck me up,” you said, laughing as you recalled your tipsy self earlier in the night.

“I thought you handled it well, you only tripped three times walking in,” Luke teased. It wasn’t your fault that your best friend had made everyone drink the champagne in a race.

“Well, you knew I wasn’t going to lose to Luca and Bella in the drinking game!”

You and Luke reached the front door of your sorority house and you scanned in. Unsurprisingly, the house was empty, the other girls still at the formal venue or planning to stay with their dates for the night.

You shrugged off your coat and Luke hung it up on the coat rack in the closet along with his own. He had been over to your sorority house many times to study and hang out with you, so he knew where just about everything was.

“I was gonna bring some popcorn and those chocolate covered pretzels upstairs,” You called from the kitchen. Luke came in a moment later, still looking handsome in his button down and dress pants. You wouldn’t admit to it, but your eyes did linger on the contour of his muscles that was evident through his shirt. “I still can’t believe you’ve never seen Another Cinderella Story!”

“Jack and Quinn weren’t exactly interested in Disney Channel at that age, so blame them next time you see them,” Luke laughed. “How does this relate again?”

You huffed out a breath. “It’s a cultural masterpiece because Selena Gomez’s character goes to a masquerade ball where she dances with the Joey Parker, who is the celebrity in the movie,” you explained while walking up the stairs. Luke followed behind you, intently listening to your words. It was hard to ignore his eyes as he focused on you. “And since we just went to the masquerade dance, it’s a must!”

“So she’s the one playing Cinderella?”

“Yeah and she’s a really good dancer but her evil stepmother, who is played by Jane Lynch, of course, won’t let her be with him. It’s cinematic, I swear Luke.”

Luke’s eyes followed your form as you walked up the stairs. Your dress clung to you in all the right spots and your heels you had worn had made your legs look even longer than usual. He tried not to watch as your hair flowed behind you, the new style making him want to stare at you all night.

“Alright, I’ll get this masterpiece of a film set up, so get the snacks ready!”

Luke took a seat on your futon and you quickly clicked on Disney Plus to turn on the movie. You had started to feel too overdressed in your outfit, so you grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a Michigan hockey t-shirt to change into.

“Nice shirt,” Luke said when you walked back into your room. His eyes had gone straight to your shirt and seeing your choice of attire made him smile.

“Don’t be flattered, it was the first one in my drawer,” you said, shrugging your shoulders. You quickly grabbed a hair tie to put your hair up in a bun in front of your mirror. You didn’t expect Luke to be watching you as you turned back to join him where he was sitting.

“You look nice,” he said softly. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“In my pajamas?”

“You always look pretty, Y/N.”

You wanted to question what he meant but he turned away and focused back on the television. Recently, you had started feeling like yours and Luke’s relationship was bordering on the “more than just friends” line. He had made it a point to see you as much as he could, which ended up being just about every day. Your friends in your house had started teasing you more and more about how oblivious you were to Luke’s flirting.

You settled in next to Luke and shivered a little, pulling the blanket he grabbed closer to you.

“Come here,” Luke said, opening his arms for you to slide closer to him. The snacks still separated you from the hockey player. You told yourself it was just for warmth, that your sorority house had been known to be drafty in the wintertime.

“You cold?” You teased.

“No, but I know you always are. Your hands are always freezing and you wear, like three layers of clothing everyday, Y/N,” Luke joked. You couldn’t believe Luke paid attention to you like that.

Was it normal to have butterflies for your best friend during a Disney Channel Original Movie?

About an hour into the movie, lots of yelling at Jane Lynch, and one dance break later, you felt your eyelids start to droop. You sat up a little straighter, trying to stay awake to finish the movie with Luke but your night was catching up to you. You could feel him looking at you as you tried to stifle a yawn.

“We can save the rest of the movie for another day if you want,” Luke offered as he paused the movie.

You quickly shook your head. “I can’t leave you in suspense about what happens to Mary Santiago and Joey Parker, Luke. That would be a crime to DCOMs and to you.”

Luke pressed play once again, enjoying how excited you were about the movie and not wanting to miss spending any time with you. “You can rest your head on my shoulder if you want to, Y/N.”

You gave in, resting your head on Luke’s shoulder and cuddling up next to him. You weren’t sure what territory this put you into, since this seemed to be more intimate than anything you’d ever done before. You smelled Luke’s cologne as you moved closer, feeling his arm wrap around you as he welcomed your presence closer to him.

You knew you were a goner right then and there, because three minutes later, you were pressed against his shoulder letting out soft, steady breaths with your arm wrapped around Luke’s stomach. Luke didn’t notice you were asleep until a few minutes later, assuming you had just been watching the movie. He smiled at the sight of you curled up next to him and took in your facial features. After being friends for over a year, he had discovered so many things about you that made him want to be around you even more.

Luke let the movie run on, only half paying attention to what was happening. He had been excited when you asked him to be your date for the night, knowing that there were other guys, including a few of his teammates, who found you very attractive. He would have gone anywhere you had asked him, quite honestly, but the dance was fun and your post-dance plans of showing him one of your comfort movies only made his heart swell more. Even though dancing wasn’t his thing, he knew it was yours, and it made him excited just to see you happy.

Once the film was ending, he reached for the other blanket that was resting on the arm of the couch, not realizing that the remote was right there. The small black box clattered to the ground hit the side of the couch just right so that the sound went up, jerking you awake.

You were so surprised by the sound that you almost didn’t realize you had been asleep on Luke’s shoulder.

“Shit, I’m sorry!”

Luke quickly bent over to get the remote off the ground which gave you a minute to take in the song playing.

“Oh my god, did I fall asleep?” As a true DCOM fan, you knew that Selena Gomez’s song played at the end as the credits were rolling.

“Uh yeah, but not for long. You only missed her and Joey at the end,” Luke said. He placed the remote in between the two of you, since you had moved away from him in your haste to wake up.

“Gosh, I’m sorry Luke. I didn’t mean to,” you said, feeling embarrassed. You had spent the night trying to impress Luke and now you had probably drooled on his nice shirt.

“No, no don’t be. I was trying to cover you up with another blanket and I dropped it by accident.”

You both sat in an awkward silence before Luke cleared his throat.

“You’re cute when you sleep.” You rolled your eyes at his comment.

“I should’ve known my date was a stalker,” you teased.

“Thank you for inviting me, by the way. I had a really great time,” Luke said sincerely. You felt a flush on your cheeks.

“Even though I got a little too tipsy and fell asleep on you?” You questioned semi-seriously.

“Especially because you got tipsy and fell asleep on me,” Luke chuckled. “I’m glad you feel comfortable with me, Y/N.”

“Of course I feel comfortable with you, Luke. We’re friends.”

Luke quickly looked at you with a smirk on his face before huffing out a laugh and shaking his head. He wanted to say something, you knew all of his tells.

“What’s so funny?” You questioned.

“Nothing, I just wish we wouldn’t keep doing this song and dance. We’re worse than Mary and Joey, Y/N.”

Luke took your hand into his. “What do you mean Luke?”

Luke brought his hand to your cheek, the space between the two of you on the couch eliminated as he moved closer. His eyes dipped to your lips, silently asking you a question that you both already knew the answer to.

You nodded, leaning into his touch and pressing your lips against his. Cliche as it sounds, you felt like one of the girls in a Disney movie, kissing your Prince Charming.

Luke pulled away first to smile at you. “Took us long enough, huh? C’mere my Cinderella.”

You giggled and kissed him again, already planning your first anniversary and rewatching of Another Cinderella Story in your head.

———————————————————————

[zukosdualdao]

just… the absolute trust between zutara in the finale is unreal. after zuko’s impromptu training attack session, yes, katara is surprised and even somewhat angry as she confronts him, but when she says “you could have hurt aang!” all it reminds me of is the fact that just a few episodes ago, she literally threatened to kill him if he ever gave her a reason to think he might so something to hurt aang. but here, now, even as she’s confronting him, she just… waits for him to explain, and she actually sees and agrees with his point once zuko tells the gaang about ozai’s plan.

there is also the absolutely, 100% synchronized way they fight during the simulated training session, something that calls back to their synchronization and teamwork in the southern raiders, and that inherently shows a lot of trust and understanding between them.

katara is the one who initially asks zuko what they should do after aang disappears. everyone else agrees, but it's katara who trusts him enough to position him, not just to herself but to everyone else, as someone they should listen to because of his history, skill, and experience, especially noteworthy because the reason she gives—“you are sort of the expert at tracking the avatar”—is what used to make him untrustworthy in their eyes. they’ve come such a long way.

then katara notices zuko freeze and sit in front of iroh’s tent, and when she asks if he’s okay, he just… completely trusts her with exactly what he’s feeling, and if he’s even a little worried that what he’s saying might cause her to act derisively, because what he’s referencing here is also what katara was angry and hurt about, he doesn’t show it. he just so completely trusts her with it, and her insistence that iroh will forgive him is born from her own trust of zuko, and she's able to tell him what he needs to hear because she was once in iroh's position and zuko proved his genuine remorse and care to her.

then, of course, we've got zuko not missing a beat as he asks katara to be the one to come with him to confront azula, and her ready acceptance. they make a good team, and they know it.

but when they get there and azula challenges zuko to an agni kai - though she initially has misgivings, katara ultimately trusts zuko when he says he can handle it and understands that he doesn't want her to get hurt if she doesn't have to. (an aspect of zuko's "i can't explain it, but she's slipping" line that i think gets underexamined, btw, is that that's not an inherently good thing for them. yes, maybe that means zuko will be able to take her, particularly because he knows azula and her fighting style well. but someone who is "slipping" is also, in this case, desperate, and more prone to being reckless with people's lives. zuko tries to mitigate that by fighting her alone, but it doesn't work because azula can't follow the terms she sets when she realizes she's losing.)

the lightning scene is a really interesting example of trust as it relates to zuko and katara, because to me, the emphasis there isn't quite so much on zuko and katara trusting each other. there's barely time for katara to think through what will happen to as azula aims for her or wonder what zuko will do, after all, and zuko is probably in too much pain and too out of it to think about katara coming to try to heal him. (though if they did have the time and mental faculties to think it through, i think they would both 120 percent trust the other to help them.)

instead, the emphasis is on the audience trusting the characters. from the moment zuko sees where azula's aiming, he doesn't hesitate, doesn't even think about, just. immediately jumps in front of the lightning before it can reach katara. i've said this before, but as soon as he understood what was happening, there was just no chance of that lightning ever getting to katara and that's the point. we've seen what zuko looks like when he's hesitating or conflicted, and the difference is stark. the show never wants you to question exactly what zuko will do, that he refuses to let katara get heart, that he'll save her.

and for her part, katara immediately runs to try and save zuko despite azula still being around and attacking, and tries again before realizing she needs to defeat azula in order to do so. but the entire scene of katara's defeating her, while obviously heroic and emblematic of katara's power and the culmination of her arc as a girl whose culture and identity was nearly stripped away from her to being a master waterbender, is also framed as katara defeating azula so she can get to zuko. she would have done it anyways, yes, but in this context, right now, she is fighting azula so she can get to zuko to heal him.

here, in the narrative culmination of their arcs together, it shows not just that they trust each other, but asks the audience to not doubt the development of the dynamic that’s been built, to trust that they will take care of each other. and they do.

[couldtransitionsaveher]

NAKAMOTO "SHIRO" TOSHIRO from DUNGEON MESHI

JUSTIFICATION:

"- Shown to have been uncomfortable with male gender roles since childhood, sensitive & feminine to the point that the girls she was friends with poked fun of her about it, and her governess literally terrorized her into giving up her interests in cute bugs so she could spend more time training to fight (she was not enthusiastic.) - The most repressed and shy person to ever live, constantly forcing down all her own desires and interests just to live up to family + societal expectations... - But the first time she expresses any real wants of her own as an adult is when she meets a girl with huge transfem vibes (Falin) and develops a huge unrequited crush she has no idea how to deal with non-awkwardly (which in turn has led an insane small number of fans to treat her like a creep for just having a crush on a girl despite being consistently respectful, considerate, and not at all pushy?? even her haters must subconsciously know she's trans, that's how they know to be transmisogynistic lmao) - Her single attempted friendship with a man was a whole mess because they couldn't relate to or understand each other at all (mostly for cultural reasons but lbr the fact that she has no genuine interest in traditionally masculine subjects and the man in question very much did had to have been part of it), but seems to have a substantially easier time communicating & getting along with women whether or not they're from the same cultural background (her best & seemingly only close childhood friend, Hien, was a girl, and she has no problem getting along with even more brash, blunt women from sharply different cultures like Namari) - Her entire character arc is about how she needs to learn to stop putting herself under insane, unhealthy pressure to live up to family & societal expectations, repressing and rejecting anything "weird" in the process, and should learn to express & advocate for her own feelings and wants instead. Give Her Estrogen it would be narratively sooo fitting & coherent I believe this in my heart - Vibes. There's just something so transfem about getting your first crush at 25 because it's the first time you met another girl who also thinks bugs/crustaceans/etc are cute and nice actually" - Anonymous

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[clairedaring]

why is ming such an interesting character - a thoughtful essay originally posted in the my stand-in mdl comments section

By MDL user Liltsu (reposting with permission from OP, just added some gifs to illustrate OP's points) - original comment link

Probably an incoming unpopular opinion ahead (read with caution lol, disclaimer that I am not attempting to justifying Ming's wrongdoings to Joe, more so trying to understand for myself and anyone else why I find his character so interesting):

Am I the only one who doesn’t hate Ming, and wouldn’t consider it to be a sad ending if Ming and Joe ended up together? At least as of now, especially from what I’ve seen currently and how I can imagine the direction the rest of the series might take. Let me expand.

For context, I went into this drama not expecting very much, and felt extremely sceptical of the trope of the ‘stand-in’ it uses, because one of my pet peeves in romance dramas is the ‘transfer’ phenomenon. If you haven’t heard that term before, it’s basically a psychological term about how a person (let’s call them A) will ‘imprint’ on someone else (person B). So to have a ‘transfer’ regarding someone else, for example, would mean that person A might have liked a person in the past (person C), and then meet someone new (person B) who resembles that person (C) in some way, and purely because of that, person A starts to also like or believe that they genuinely like person B. The problem with transfers is that they typically are rooted in a person’s (A) unwillingness to let go of the past person, and don’t truly love/hate (whatever emotion it is) the new person (B). This drama, reverses that trope.

This will link to why I find Ming’s bond with Joe to be more genuine than I’ve seen be believed on here (just based on a few comments tbf). My theory is that, ironically, it was Tong all along that was Joe’s metaphorical stand-in from the start. Why? We see a short flashback of Ming going to the cinemas and seeing the ad/clip of ‘Tong’s’ back, doing a martial arts scene, but we only see his back. That very shot/scene is what made Ming feel entranced by Tong and motivated him to seek Tong out with his sister for an autograph. He even mentions it himself to Tong. However, I believe that the ‘back’ that Ming saw, was Joe’s and not Tong’s. Ming « fell in love » with Joe’s acting/aura/presence on the screen first, but mistook him for Tong who is the ‘known’ actor of the film he saw. So all along, his feelings for Tong are somewhat illusory, and obsessive. Tong, who in my opinion gets off of happily at the notion of someone being infatuated with him, simply strings Ming along (and uses him), as we’ve seen.

In my opinion, Tong represents the side of Ming that was raised in a classist, materialistic family that rather obsesses about ‘spectacle’, in a way that harms Ming in the long-term. That kind of lifestyle or way of life makes him petty, distrustful, overtly and unreasonably jealous, and aggressive. Behaviours that manifest very evidently when Ming sees Joe with Sol, but particularly in correlation to scenes in which his affinity for Tong has been strengthened (Tong only sharpens the conditioning Ming has been raised through, that of being sceptical and always needing things to go his way, and fuels this, either by being in his direct company or feeding him seeds of doubt indirectly). Tong represents attachment and obsession but not love. Particularly the scene in which Ming renders Joe unconscious and keeps him captive is the most blatant example of Tong’s influence, which brings out all of the qualities of Ming that reflect the wealthy and entitled background he is born from and still lives off from.

Ming’s interest in Joe is different in my opinion, and the series carefully points to this in a nuanced way. If my theory is correct about Ming having been drawn to Joe first, rather than Tong, and the feelings that were initially meant for Joe came to be directed toward Tong (and became twisted due to that fact), we can assume that Ming’s feelings for Joe are more…instinctual. They awaken something in Ming. And to me this is perfectly shown in their first interactions: Ming hugs Joe from behind, believing he is Tong, but if my guess turns out to be true, he subconsciously went toward Joe and embraced him with the original feelings that he felt at the cinema (when he truly ‘first’ saw him), rather than the other way around, which the series makes us believe at first glance. Then, in their interactions after, Ming is consciously reluctant to open up to Joe (showcasing the walls he has up, even toward Tong), but is still intuitively interested in Joe, wants to be around him, and cares about what he is up to. In my opinion, he sets unfair and unequal conditions in their relationship at first because of the self-défense mechanism he has kept up (someone with his background would find it difficult to trust and be vulnerable with someone else easily). This is why the most crucial interactions between Joe and Ming, in my view, are the scenes at Joe’s home. We see that Joe had said that Ming had fulfilled HIS dream to come back to a lit home and with someone welcoming you back warmly. I believe this is something Ming has long craved as well for himself, and Joe expressing this, and being the way he is, makes Ming feel safe and allows him to become more open, more intimate, more honest, more ‘himself’.

I feel that Ming struggles to fully understand these sides of him, and has even more difficulty communicating it to others (especially Joe), but that his gentler moments show indeed the equal, and dare i say, even ‘healthy’ potential of this couple. We see this from the last scene of this episode. Instead of Ming indulging in luxuries for someone of his status, or succumbing to some kind of greed, he has pertained to what he has truly desired all along in his heart: a warm home, where he can lead an honest and loving life with the person who sees him past his social persona of the rich, pampered, entitled and obsessive kid. This is symbolised by the fact that he has continued to live in Joe’s home, waiting for him for the last two years, which reflects his commitment and earnestness which he had gradually developed for Joe, even before.

I think what people get (understandably) confused or feel betrayed by, is the scene in which Joe realises he has been a ‘stand-in’ for Tong by Ming, especially during sex (because this is somewhat what Ming consciously believes for himself too). For me, I saw it more so as, on one level, the revelation of what I just mentioned about Ming’s prior conscious intention (which evidently is form of betrayal to Joe), and on another level, it is a defining moment of transition, where Ming is still somewhat clinging on to Tong (because of the feelings he first felt for him at the cinema, which could really be Joe again), but also clinging still to what he knows and about his way of going about things (through manipulation and violence).

So a transition from that, into the growing feelings, appreciation, and warmth Ming did start to exhibit at Joe’s house (the symbol of vulnerable space). We see this through Ming buying the couple mugs with THEIR names (Ming and Joe), or the meaningful moments of genuine happiness that Ming feels in the simple, non judgemental moments between the two of them. This is something his sister comments about, that seeing Ming with Joe is surprisingly pleasant because it is the fist time in a very long time since she has seen Ming happy and so smiley (this is one of the biggest external piece of evidence to the idea that Ming’s « feelings » for Tong have a very different nature to his feelings for Joe). And we see this very clearly in the scene in which Joe bought a watch to Ming (and which I believe we see him promote now two years later on the poster he is). That scene is extremely significant because it shows the shift and differences of Ming alone with Joe compared to with Tong or how he is used to being. The watch is a gift from Joe, who believes it to be the « top » watch in terms of ‘quality’ and price, something we see Ming ALREADY HAS (and doesn’t have particular personal feelings toward). The top watch he has reflects his status, his wealthy background and the expectations on him by others and himself (to be considered societally the ‘best’, but in a rather vain way). However, Joe’s watch isn’t the top watch in a societal, classist sense, but it holds more value to Ming because it represents Joe’s sincerity and that matters more to him. The watch, which is typically a common symbol of time, also reflects, in my opinion, the difference in how Ming spends his time. By taking Joe’s watch and wearing it, his way of using time is also more personal and sincere, wanting to lead a life of authentic connection with someone on the same wavelength as you. In his act of taking of his old watch, which was the ‘top watch’, Ming leaves behind his old lifestyle, or at least takes on more step toward exiting it (the life of vanity and falsehoods). So all these signs of Ming’s genuine interest, endearment and feelings of care for Joe are sprinkled there from the beginning, and the series deliberately is setting a constraint between his potential for warmth and healthy sincerely with the baggage he still has from his past through Tong and his family (something he both feels and is to some extent very much controlled by).

The series has really made me invested, and that has really been invigorating for me (as I binged the episodes today) because I haven’t really felt that as much with a lot of BL series lately - not that there aren’t don’t get me wrong, just that it feels like fewer have my engagement than usual. And to me, the series’ strength at this point (excluding the very good acting etc) is the writing, so I am very hopeful that for the parts of Ming that would require a form of redemption, or improvement, that the series would allow him to have that arc by the time that Joe and him supposedly get back together (if they do). In the case where my interpretation is close to the series’ intention, then i believe that although it doesn’t make the previous scenes justified, that it would be very much possible for Joe and Ming’s relationship to take on a healthier, more mature turn, where their relationship would become more patient, communicative and understanding, just like the interactions they shared in their own shared home.

I’ll probably end my train of thought here, but would really like to hear if anyone disagrees or agrees with my opinions, would be happy to hear from anyone hihi. Thank you to those who read this whole e s s a y, i’m appreciative of that :).

[hanjisungslag]

attack on titan headcanons #11

synopsis: when aot characters get drunk🍺

characters involved: eren, mikasa, armin, jean, connie, sasha reiner, bertolt, annie, levi, erwin and hange

notes: exams are finally over and its SUMMAA so i switched up my theme, rip coquette hanjisungslag u will b missed x

☆ eren jaeger

loves a strong bow and a corona on a warm summers day x

is a lightweight

one beer and he is off his rocker

gets hyper in several different ways, happy, giggly, angry etc.

passed out by 22:00

☆ mikasa ackerman

she’s a cider girlie!!

loves a remodelling & kopparberg (strawberry & lime and mixed fruits specifically)

tries some people’s gins and vodkas and it ain’t for her

she’s a lightweight too

she’s so shocked how hard it hits her

she’s a lot more chatty and giggly

goes red in the cheeks > <

☆ armin arlert

he tries beer. doesn’t like san miguel. hates stella.

will take a corona on a sunny day though…

but he likes a cider!

he looovveesss any fruity drinks

he’s not a lightweight or heavyweight, good middle ground

gets sooo chatty

the type of drunk to info dump on you / talk about their special interests

☆ jean kirsten

drinks mostly everything. strongbow, cider, maybe be cheeky and have a rum!

also tequila tbh

he’s a bit of a lightweight tbh

but he refuses to admit it 😭

he’s a chill drunk, he’ll sit and chat and drink

but bro is RAVENOUS like he will eat a fuckin buffet and a half afterwards.

spends more money on food than actual drink

☆ sasha braus

AH SHE LOVES A PITCHER FROM SPOONS X

her, ymir and historia deffo get some refreshing, fruity pitchers between em all.

they’re literally just girls… 😖

she’s a lightweight duhhh!!

she’s 100% busting a move on the dance floor

there’s also a liability.

and she is that liability. she is constantly running off

☆ connie springer

 MY GUY IS A VODKA MAN I SAID IT

he gets sooo drunk

like i’m talking running away with sasha, doing karaoke, dancing, chatting to EVERYONEE

THE no 1. yapper when drunk

by the end of the night he was 10 new best friends, invited to three weddings and several after parties.

he’s deffo the one who ends up being sick but he’s so ready to drink afterwards😭(don’t let him)

☆ reiner braun

heavyweighhhhttt

he starts off with ‘man’ drinks like san miguel, stella etc.

HOWEVAA i know this man loves a voddy and coke and gin.

i just know when this man is pissed and wants another one he is getting his bloody pink gin

he’s rizzing people up sooo hard like reiner stawp 😜

he’s so sweet and pookie when drunk like he’s just chatting and hugging all his friends

☆ bertolt hoover

actually loves a san miguel

everyone’s so surprised by this?

he’s also a heavyweight

he’s tall ok, more of him to get drunk

when he’s drunk HES A TALKERR

it’s like it’s all been built up and now he’s exploding with words and conversations

deffo says way too much for his liking and regrets it deeply in the morning.

expect an apology message in the morning (even tho he has nothing to apologise for, bless)

☆ annie leonhart

heavy weight

this girl is on vodkas with lemonade hmk x

when she’s drunk she’s soo red

she’ll find someone to just sit and chill with

doesn’t want to embarrass herself or bring attention to herself.

she’s so funny when she’s drunk

pulls out ALL the stops when it comes to jokes

she’s always giggling at everyone doing some dumb shit

☆ levi ackerman

heavy weight!

he doesn’t drink much anyways

but if he is, its whiskey or tia maria in some coffee

he’s usually the one watching everyone, not getting too drunk

making sure no one is dead x

but he always ends up tipsy at the least

although he’s supposed to be baby sitting

he cant help but slightly smirking at anything anyone says.

☆ erwin smith

heavy weight once again

doesn’t like to get too drunk

he’s an old man now cmon

my man is drinking wine like merlot, pino, etc

he’s so elegant when drinking

but by the end of the night his hair is messed up baddd

he says loads of stuff and regrets it.

obviously it’s nothing too extreme but just him being silly

gets super sleepy though. wine drunk 🙁

☆ hange zoë

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS

literally adores shots

just goes crazy on them tbh

after an hour, they’re buying shots for EVERYOONNNEEE

definitely broke by the end of the night.

has to start giving themselves a limit every time they go out

ANYWAYS an absolute party animal

hitting up the clubs

hitting the DANCE FLOOR DUH!

[norraexploradora]

The Tragedy of the CX Troopers and the Missed Opportunity to Teach Us All an Important Lesson

A deeper look into how the CX-Troopers were handled in the Bad Batch and the narrative surrounding them that unfortunately got dropped in season 3

I want to start off by applauding the Bad Batch for the brave attempt to tackle dark topics throughout the series and presenting them in a way that is appropriate for families to watch and discuss with their children. Most of series is successful in being just dark enough to raise tension but to also keep things suitable for a child’s first glimpse into the harsh realities of life. However there still a few places that missed the mark.

The one I wish to cover today is the inconsistent narrative surrounding the CX-Troopers. I’m not here to say it was bad writing per se, but if a dark topic is discussed in a family oriented tv series, it is best to commit adequate time to truly flesh it out so the messaging is clear. Subjective is great in a mature series like Andor, but kids lack the life experience required to read between the lines.

And yes, exposition does make dialogue sound clunky at times, but there is a reason why most cartoons in the 80s had the kind of “The more you know” lesson after each episode. The Bad Batch was no different. Tech’s speech in the Crossing and his encouragement to Omega at the end of Retrieval are perfect examples of this.

In my opinion, there was an opportunity for an important lesson to be learned from the CX Troopers that was brought up but left unfinished. These shadow operatives could have been a way to show the viewer how anyone can be “brainwashed” either by force or by clever manipulation.

One operative in season 2 called himself a “Believer” which seems to evoke he was forcibly submerged into a cult-like indoctrination. It’s also why I prefer to use the phrase “coercive persuasion” or “forced persuasion” instead of brainwashing as they are a more accurate description of the process that has been historically implemented by governments, cults, and captors in order to make good people believe in or do horrible things.

Dr. Hemlock’s use of forced persuasion on select clones to turn them into CX-Troopers is a interesting look into the real world and well-documented cases of brainwashing within fascist regimes; especially in wartime settings. It is common and disturbing tactic implemented in moments of great despair and something that deserves more focus within the narrative if it is to be brought up as a major plot point.

Most of the brainwashing aspects in the Bad Batch were rapidly glossed over probably due to time and budget constraints, and not so much by the dark and disturbing imagery. One can easily get the “idea across” without showing it explicitly. (Like Crosshair having his hand chopped off. We didn’t see it but yeah, we get the gist).

I will say however, that despite the mystery surrounding brainwashing in the CX-Program, one of the more poignant moments was Captain Rex telling a caught CX Trooper that he was still their brother and that they would help him. It was a beautiful show of compassion and introduced new plot element; that the soldiers who undergo forced persuasion could possibly be reached or even saved.

It’s not a stretch to believe that the Bad Batch would take this route given the series had built up “we don’t leave our own behind” as one of the main themes. It would also be safe to say that saving fictional heroes from brainwashing gives us hope that real life survivors can recover from such trauma.

It was one of the many reasons fans were led to believe that the mysterious CX-2 operative could have been Tech or Cody. The focus on this particular shadow operative gave rise to speculation that he was different, that there was something coming to shed light or hope that a lost soldier could be found and rescued; something that would make sense of it were a character we already cared greatly about.

Alas, CX-2 was kept a mystery box that gave no insight to the tragic nature of his existence nor gave us a reason to mourn his death. That is why the battle between the Bad Batch and Hemlock’s Batch of secret operatives felt rushed and incomplete to some viewers. There wasn’t proper time for the story to breathe beyond “One Batch is good, the other Batch is bad.”

There were simply too many dropped narratives throughout the final season that reduced the whole CX Trooper plot to a video game-esque final boss battle. Don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing fight, beautifully animated, terrifying, and intense; but nevertheless, it felt hollow because the build-up went nowhere.

At that’s exactly where the narrative around the tragic nature of brainwashing got lost.

It’s important for you to know that I’m not saying the Bad Batch killing these operatives in the final fight was wrong. I’m also not saying that they should have tried to reach out to save these Shadow Operatives in the middle of of a life and death situation. It’s just unfortunate that we were never given a reason to feel anything other than relief that the CX-Troopers were killed.

And yes, this is a show about the Bad Batch and not brainwashed mystery troopers, but I stress, the writing set up these characters and introduced a very dark and disturbing concept to young viewers. With more time and effort spent on the narrative, it could have been an important lesson that applies to real life.

Coercive Persuasion is not a fantasy concept. It is very very real. Sleep deprivation, isolation, abuse, constant interrogation, drugging, shame, and humiliation, are all various means to break down a person’s will and forcibly persuade them into believing anything.

One can simply look to how many people get forced into false confessions by unethical police practices, or those who end up committing atrocities due to cult leader manipulation. A more common and less obvious example is social media outlets designed to spin conspiracy theories; coercing people into believing anything they want, like like the Earth is flat and microchips were put in Covid vaccines. By preying upon people’s anger and fear, these sites cultivate distrust and can lead one to extremist thinking.

This is real world, dark and scary stuff that needs to be handled with serious care and consideration of bringing it into an animated Star Wars series.

So given more time and budget, how could this lesson be shown through the story of the Bad Batch? How could these brainwashed operatives been presented in a way to that is scary but still gives younger audiences a way to sympathize with them?

Shedding more light on a terrifying process would remind us the CX-Troopers are victims and despite their terrifying nature, they still deserve our compassion and empathy. So giving the operatives more of a backstory is a good start.

For Example:

Showing the transformation of at least one of these operatives before the final battle would provide more emotional impact after their demise. Having kids clearly, and not subjectively, understand that under those cool costumes there used to be good men is such an important lesson. It reinforces the narrative that the real villains aren’t these soldiers but the regime that warped their minds and forced them into mindless monsters.

To be clear, this a a family series and I am in no way implying that a clear visual of lengthy torture would be acceptable. There are already hints through Crosshair’s PTSD and that is enough to get the idea across.

My suggestion would have been to place the sniper clone who eventually became CX-2 in the cell next to Crosshair while on Tantis. The viewer gradually sees these two men go back and forth to their cells after these conditioning sessions and the witness bond that forms between them. Crosshair is forced to see CX-2’s identity slip more and more away after each session until he is no longer the person he once was. The sadness and loss of seeing this man lose his identity not only leaves a mark on Crosshair, but by the viewer as well.

The scene of the shadow operative watching Crosshair on Tantiss and the one shadow operative calling him “brother” would have made more sense in retrospect. In addition, having an emotional and clear connection between Crosshair and the man who became CX-2, would have given their epic fight on top of the waterfall more emotional weight. CX-2’s line “You could have been one of us. You made the wrong choice” would be more resonant to the viewer. CX-2 would literally be a sniper shadow operative that Crosshair could have become verses a subjective mystery box.

To further this narrative and Crosshair’s character arc, making the above change to the story could have also opened the door to Crosshair eventually saving this lost brother. Omega’s determination to never give up on Crosshair could have resulted in Crosshair reaching out to CX-2 and eventually getting through to him before the final battle. It would have been so emotional and fulfilling.

And yet…as lovely as that would have been, I realize the above scenario would require at least one additional episode; which the animation team probably didn’t have the luxury or the budget to do. So I’ll offer another solution:

Adding a few minutes here and there during season 2 and the beginning of season 3 dedicated to Hemlock’s treatment to the CX-Troopers and other Clone prisoners would give the viewer a clearer picture into the nature of the CX Program. The result would be that the feeling of triumph wouldn’t be seeing the shadow operatives lying dead on the floor but knowing that the experimentation on the clones at Tantiss by Dr. Hemlock was finally over.

So in conclusion:

It’s a shame that the shadow operatives were left a mystery and simply became foils and metaphors. The fight at the end was nothing more than the Batch having to kill or be killed and it failed to showcase a serious topic with less black and white thinking.

With more time, the writers could have explored the tragedy of forced coercion. Discussing a difficult subject in a manner fit for young audiences could leave them with awareness when they are faced with a similar real world scenario.

The CX-Trooper plot could have also been a good way for a parent to discuss what coercive persuasion does to people; especially in today’s world where social media is rife with bad people luring in youth and manipulating their anger and fear into extremist thinking.

Think about it.

How does someone get so isolated that they fall prey to extremism and they end up committing acts of terrorism? How does one get indoctrinated into a cult and become so brainwashed that they take their own lives or the lives of others at the behest of a cult leader? How would an innocent person sign a confession of a crime they didn’t commit?

These are all good questions that people often ask after horrendous real life events and can regularly be seen on the daily news and social media. Having a fictional metaphor for scary real world issues that children could easily understand would be exactly the kind of thing Star Wars was created for. It was also created to give children and all of us hope.

So in the end, the lesson should have been that people who fall victim to brainwashing aren’t weak or gullible. They have been put through extreme duress and put through unethical means of isolation and manipulation.

And if there is hope for even one of the CX-Troopers to be saved, we as a society should have empathy and try to reach out to those in our own lives who have been a victim of coercive persuasion before writing them off.

Disclaimer:

One thing I’ve learned in life is that platforms like Twitter are not places for deep discussions and good faith arguments. You have a set number of letters to get your ideas across and interpreting the meaning or tone always leads to misunderstandings.

That is why I’m coming to to Tumblr to discuss my deep dives into season 3 of the Bad Batch. I am the type of person who doesn’t like angry, confrontational sparring over ideas.

My goal is to shed light on a different perspective; not to make anyone agree with me, but just to understand that we can all watch the same show and interpret things differently due to our own life experiences. By explaining my viewpoints, I’m showing you into my thought process. You are certainly free to disagree but I’m not trying to change your feelings on the matter, nor do I wish for anyone to forcibly change mine.

We can all exist in the same space and I encourage anyone who has a different view to write an analysis of their own instead of arguing in anyone’s comment section. Be kind and respectful and most of all, remember this is fiction and subjective interpretation. There are so many things to be really angry about in the world and Star Wars is the least of our worries.

Cheers and as always, May the Force be with you!

[meadowofdarts]

​​🇾​​🇴​​🇺​ ​🇦​​🇷​​🇪​ ​🇯​​🇺​​🇸​​🇹​ ​🇵​​🇪​​🇷​​🇫​​🇪​​🇨​​🇹​​ ♡

• ─ You're boyfriend whom you've dated for a long time now can't help but appreciate once again how grateful he is to have you as his partner. • ─ a/n: missed just making cute little oneshots before my first ever series (arrow, your first oneshots were angst as hell, you are so delusional-) • ─ characters: kaedehara kazuha, thoma, neuvillette, arataki itto, alhaitham, kaveh • ─ full of fluff today :D

• ─ KAEDEHARA KAZUHA

Sitting beside each other as the ray of sun that is about to set down sets down upon where you two are sitting, you both continue to silently cuddle against each other at the peak of one of Liyue's mountains.

You both would have to again travel together and depart back to the crux, but you both just wanted to be in each other's presence; with your head lying on Kazuha's chest, relaxing on his lap while he held you close, nuzzling his face to your head.

Your eyes were closed, enjoying the warmth of your lover, so much that you didn't notice his soft gaze upon your own face.

Even though you and him have been together for a long time, he secretly always has time to admire you and think about the times you were guys together.

He does this for no reason at all, just wanting to go back and be grateful for your guys' memories together.

Despite his hardships throughout his life as a wandering samurai, he could never forget the blessing of meeting you as he was playing his leaf silently.

Albeit your guys' first impression was a bit chaotic, remembering you were acting nervous and embarrassed for him caught you watching him play (and for his beautiful looks being so mesmerizing to you), you both immediately were drawn to each other.

You both slowly turned from strangers to acquaintances to friends to lovers. Kazuha couldn't be happier.

He's always happy when you are so interested in him reading and writing his own poems as you both laughed and smiled whilst sitting together in the railings of the crux.

And he's just as interested in your own interests, smiling as you talk happily about it and being incredibly passionate about it along with asking his own questions that shows his interest in it too.

Not to mention, your own personality always puts a smile to his face. Whether it be your chaotic and fun side or your quiet and reserved side of you, his heart would flutter at just how much you make him feel all the time.

All he ever wants is to just be with you, that's all he ever wants from you.

He blushes slightly but doesn't change his soft expression, looking back down at your relaxed expression. He gently presses a kiss on your forehead before muttering and cuddling you more.

"...I love you, [Name]."

...

• ─ THOMA

The sounds of clattering and sizzling echoed through the quiet hallways of the Kamisato Estate.

The noises coming inside the kitchen were two people cooking delicious meals together. Well, more like, one helping the other.

Thoma knows that it has been a while since you've cooked for yourself.

You both were working under the Kamisato Clan, and you both were staff that did household chores daily. Unlike Thoma who does both, you were leaned onto cleaning more than cooking.

And when you both go to your personal shared home together, the roles remain the same. But recently, you've been asking Thoma to help him teach you how to cook food now.

Currently, you were a bit confused about the equipment, and how to properly garnish and add the proper ingredients, so he's guiding you along the process, being considerate and patient with you.

He laughs as you even curse at the steps and everything that becomes frustrating to you.

And yet despite it being incredibly challenging, you still were helping him in the kitchen, even though that Thoma can simply take over and do it by himself. He stops and smiles as he watches you hard at work.

He knows you really just want to help him with the house chores as you didn't really want him to do all of the cooking and cleaning, and you figured that learning how to cook would help you contribute in a way so Thoma doesn't have to do it all the time but rather you both can do them together.

He loves how thoughtful and willing you were to help him with it. He once reassured you that he was perfectly okay, but you still wanted to help him. Your determination and kindness put a smile on his face all the time, his heart just melts when you support him.

Even though he loves his job, he sometimes struggles through it, it can be easy and hard at times, but he knows with you by his side, he's growing to love it even more.

He felt so lucky to have you.

His thoughts were cut off when you accidentally yelped, using the mixer fast made a bit of the mess on the counter, and even splashed to yours and his apron.

"Oops, sorry." You chuckled nervously.

He smiled, kissing your cheek. "Don't worry, [Name]. It happens. Here, let me help you."

...

• ─ NEUVILLETTE

After completing many duties and stacks of reports, Neuvillette finally had the time to spend peacefully with you in his office. Recently, you and he didn't see each other that much due to his sudden overload of work taking up most of his schedule.

He knows his responsibilities and doesn't want to leave them since he knows his role in the Court of Fontaine. But the Iudex would feel bad for leaving you lonely, it pained him, and just thought you would be sad that he hasn't been with you for a bit. He wouldn't want you to think that he was neglecting you.

But instead, you always reassured him that it was perfectly fine. You knew Neuvillette wouldn't do that, and understood what he had to do. You still showed your love and care for him.

But Neuvillette wouldn't want to think about work at the moment, all he is thinking about is you.

You were an angel, really. You emphasized and understood his responsibilities, and you didn't fight against it but rather offered instead your respect and patience with him.

Just as he thought about you, you entered his office. You two immediately shared a hug and a small kiss. Neuvillette wasn't used to this kind of affection but when you always showed him this, it always warms his heart completely.

After a bit of chatting and catching up, you got up and offered him this new tea you bought that you wanted to try out together. All he knows is that you managed to distract yourself into exploring different areas of Fontaine, he was glad to see you enjoy his nation and get new artifacts every day.

You were pouring the tea into his cup, but that short action made Neuvillette just think more deeply about you.

Not only you were an angel at heart, but you also looked like one. He never thought he would see someone just as beautiful as you, your features and all were simply perfect in his eyes, and he couldn't believe you were with him.

He sees you every day and yet can't help but stop again to take a look at you.

More importantly, he is in love with your smile just as much as he fully loves you. Just seeing you happy would make his day and he couldn't ask for anything else.

Noticing his stare, you smiled, confused. "Neuvi? Is something wrong?"

He snapped out of his thoughts before giving you a reassuring smile. "Not at all, darling. Everything is just perfect."

You both would just finally enjoy a time together, simply drinking tea and spending quality time.

...

• ─ ARATAKI ITTO

The whole Arataki gang went to Uyuu Restaurant for just a simple dinner, treated by Itto and Shinobu. They took upon the table on the second floor, filling it up with their voices and drunk brains.

As the other members were helping themselves, Itto was more busy feeding his greatest-best-loveliest lover.

Each time he was feeding you the ramen, onigiri, and dango they served, you would make such a cute expression and hum when eating it and that is something Itto truly loves to see. Literally, he would just squeal inside and his heart would thump continuously.

He knows you have a big appetite and a love for food. The best part of this whole dinner is that he gets to spoil you with food and it'll be worth all of his mora spent.

So he offered to feed you many times which you didn't mind at all, thinking it was a way to show his love to you, which is true but mostly to see your expression that was the cutest thing he had ever seen.

Despite his chaos and roughness, he still has a big heart of gold, especially to you because you are just everything to him.

Soon later, the Arataki gang was just playing honorable Genius Invokation TCG, laughter, shouts, and chatter echoed through the whole second floor since it was the Arataki gang.

As usual, Akira, Genta, and Mamoru would be by Itto's side to cheer him on while Shinobu was at your side.

Itto was literally getting destroyed by you every round since you often win more TCG rounds than him. You did not hesitate to laugh it in front of his face and become more smug than him since he declared victory before he even started the game.

And when he was so close to winning and you once again killed his character cards, he was about to show his frustration and rage through his whining and complaining, the Arataki gang knew he would do so.

But when you laugh and smiled at your victory, Itto would blush furiously before covering it up with his loud voice.

There was no way he could complain in front of you when you looked absolutely adorable at that moment, and the fact that you were happy at your accomplishment prevented him from whining again.

Although he was never really mad in the first place, he was glad to have lost since seeing you be happy is worth it.

Squealing inside with his thumping heart, he instead congratulated you. "Nice job, [Name]! But just know that I only went easy on you since you are my lover!"

You giggled, amused. "Yeah, right."

...

• ─ ALHAITHAM

You and your boyfriend were on the couch of his comforting and quiet home, he was doing his own paperwork while you were sleeping beside him, your head resting on his lap. He didn't mind at all, really.

You actually came to his home unannounced, claiming you were tired and exhausted after working hard in the Akademiya. But Alhaitham still had paperwork to cover so he couldn't amuse you for a bit and you decided to just sleep on his lap.

Honestly, it was a good thing Kaveh isn't home right now, otherwise he would think you would have to deal with his annoying banter if you fell asleep on him.

Alhaitham made sure to check up on you every once in a while. He didn't realize he let out a small smile at seeing your sleeping face.

Your sleeping face reminded him back in the days when you two were students in the Akademiya, he noticed you would fall asleep a lot during lectures.

He knows you would sometimes have a very bad sleeping schedule. That was when you two were students, and yet you still seem to have that as an adult.

He remembers that when you two became close, he would start scolding you for your sleeping schedule and that would result in you two bickering.

Although he doesn't really mean it, he does so because he genuinely cares about you. Despite being aloof, he loves you with all of his heart.

He looks down at you again, putting down his papers to slowly caress your head as you sleep peacefully. Feeling his touch, you even let out a smile through your sleep.

You look perfect.

Alhaitham really feels blessed to have you as his lover, he would want to be with you as always and share your guys' love for each other. You were always there for each other through the ups and downs.

No matter what, he will love you in his heart and he wants to make sure you are loved and cared for too, even if he doesn't show it that often.

Alhaitham gently placed a blanket over you before quietly resuming his paperwork and taking your hand in his free hand.

He will definitely take you out on a date once you wake up.

...

• ─ KAVEH

The House of Daena was still as quiet as ever with dozens of Akademiya students working on different reports, studying in the tables, and scanning through the several books of the library.

But you and Kaveh would come here often since it felt like a relaxing place for both of you.

Kaveh would have dozens of clients that he would need to meet up with as an architect. But surprisingly, he doesn't seem to have any at the moment. So here you two are, sharing Kaveh's designs with you that he did in his spare time.

You had recently asked Kaveh if he could share to you his designs and he was more than happy to do so. Kaveh felt flattered that you seem to take an interest in something he loves to do.

Unlike some of his worst clients who didn't really appreciate his own designs, you were the complete opposite: praising for his hard work and the design taste of his plans.

As you were looking down at his recent designs and appreciating them through your eyes, he turned to you to appreciate you instead.

Kaveh had plenty of struggles as an architect such as debt, crude buyers, etc. But just seeing your eyes sparkle would make all of his negative emotions go away as he would forget about it temporarily.

You would literally be there for him when he rants about the people he found annoying (*cough* alhaitham *cough*), times when he felt like his mind was going to blow, and times when he just wanted to boast about his successful achievements.

And no matter what it was, you would just laugh and smile with him, always seemingly interested in what he had to say.

He felt like he could open up to you anytime and he was grateful to have someone like that.

You were the perfect lover for him.

"Hey, Kaveh? Come on, show me more of your designs!" You smiled at him, eagerly.

He smirks. "Alright, alright, here. Let me show you."

Soon later, Kaveh wants to plan out whatever building you wish and he would want you as his client so he could make it come to life. All just for you.

He can't help that he loves you.

...

[tenebrous-academic]

The golden retriever x black cat dynamic is to die for! And despite tommy's stoic/sassy side you can see him going soft and indulging for buck and it makes me feel so warm inside. I can't describe him as good as you did, that's basically poetry.

But on the production level, he's a character that's easy to throw in a scene and being totally fitting with the 118 being work related or not. Everyone knows him and likes him, he was once part of the team and he could be part of the 118 family again. He could be present on emergency scenes, hell a "who cares" team up again would be iconic. You couldn't find a love interest like that even if you tried!

Anon stop you’re going to make me blush ☺️ If it’s anything close to poetry it’s only because these two inspire me to write about them like that.

I actually hadn’t assigned black cat energy to Tommy until right this second but omfg you’re so right. We all know Buck is the quintessential golden retriever boyfriend, but Tommy is such a black cat. He’s sassy, deadpan funny, stoic, but so sweet to his chosen people. Buck lets him bring out his sweeter side - that “Evan” was pulled out of him by sheer surprise when Buck asked him to be his date to the wedding. He was going into that coffee date with his guard up and his expectations low after the disaster of a first date. Ready to either be let down gently by someone who wasn’t ready to date a man or to be let down by someone who would maybe be okay with dating, but only if they kept things just between them for now (aka deeply in the closet). Instead, he’s met with boundless enthusiasm, a terrible coffee, and the strangest third date proposal he’s ever been given. His “Evan” slipped out so soft, sweet, and surprised. That right there was Buck surprising Tommy in the best way and in ways he hadn’t ever considered. We haven’t seen too much since then, but I just know in future episodes we’ll see more of that melting softness he has for Buck. We’ve had glimpses of it in the hospital and while he was leaving the bachelor party, but it’s only going to get that much better.

On a production level he’s so interesting both in canon and IRL! He has substantial history with everyone, which is why I bet Tim pulled him back in. In the latest episode Oliver said that he didn’t even know about who his love interest would be until 7x02 (only two episodes before it actually happened). But as someone with a history on the show, Lou was able to step in right away even with minimal time to prep. And Tommy/Lou has slid in seamlessly with the cast.

Tommy is not just coming in as the latest love interest, but a friend to Chimney and Hen, as a respected former coworker of Bobby’s, and as an established member of the LAFD. He has roots in this show!! And I think that’s going to make an incredible difference in his and Buck’s relationship. It’s like he’s been a part of Buck’s life on the peripheral since he joined the 118 as Tommy’s replacement and, now, he’s stepping up to be part of Buck’s life moving forward, only this time it’s at his side.

[genericpuff]

oh boy it's that time again

when rachel posts 'video progress' of her work and we proceed to dissect it like a frog in 9th grade science class

like ok first the caption of "is persephone the chicken and hades the egg" makes no fucking sense except to anyone who overthinks it and goes "wait is that a reference to the popularly-perpetuated version of the myth where persephone went down to the underworld willingly and hades didn't actually exist???" because if it is ima scream lmao

but MORE IMPORTANTLY-

Here's the transcript of what she's saying in the video:

"I think I've always wanted to write Hades' and Persephone's story because obviously I really like them. It's like very much a chicken and egg situation because I think in the beginning I thought that I was going to use a very abstract black and white style, and I realized it wasn't very enticing or fun for me, um... and I started drawing these very like vibrant characters and as I drew them I understood more about the story the more that I explored the art style, um and I guess an example of that is, y'know, Persephone is like a very bright color um, and the Underworld, is a very dark dark blue, and so when she says she really sticks out so it's just environmental uh processes like that that really helped inspire the direction of the story."

(despite her expanding on the "chicken and the egg" bit it still doesn't make sense imo lmao)

But what we're seeing isn't S1 LO, it's actually from S3 of LO:

But um... you notice anything interesting about the screenshot I just showed you?

That literally looks NOTHING like what we see in the final panel. At the VERY least I think this goes to show how overcooked it becomes in post-production, when they add the canvas layer and hypersaturate the shit out of the colors, but even the blending technique just isn't matching up?

A lot of what she's doing in this video also feels very... non-existent, like she's brushing her pen around but very little is happening so it feels more like her just putting down random brush strokes to try and make it seem put-together but really she's just kind of pushing colors around and/or doing nothing. Especially when, again, what she's painting here looks nothing like the final picture (so at best it's a lot of wasted work??)

And knowing what we know about the assistants drawing the characters separately so that Rachel can rearrange them in the final episode layout... I don't wanna call foul play here, but this feels like yet another attempt on Rachel's behalf to make her process seem more involved than it is by simply redrawing a scene for the performative aspect of it all. It's like the "sketches" in the books looking way too 'clean' for the final product and giving the impression that she just sketched over the final panels to make them look pretty enough for print.

I also wanna mention that for some reason she's drawing this on her iPad when she owns a Cintiq. It could be because she was drawing this while abroad in the US for her conventions last fall, but despite clearly being ahead of schedule, she still wound up drawing the final episode the night of-

Oh yeah and btw there are like a million clipping layers for what looks like just a simple drawing of Demeter. And this lines up with our previous theories about her using like 128549021809 layers for literally one character.

And aside from all that her commentary, as always, is very nothingburger, just a bunch of word salad. Like she's literally trying to explain LO's color theory as "well Persephone is bright pink and the Underworld is dark blue so she sticks out! That's all you need to know!"

IDK, I'm not coming to any sort of ironclad conclusion based off this one video, but it does feel like yet another desperate attempt to prove that she does work on LO and doesn't just leave it all to her assistants to do at the last minute. But like... she's kind of screwed in that argument either way, because even if she draws the majority of panels in LO, that just further proves the argument that she's stopped trying.

[restinslices]

Ive seen your Lin Kuei Brothers hc about movie reactions and they re hilarious. I watched Mean Girls the other day and thought about their reaction watching it. I bet Bi-han would stan Regina lol. What do you think?

This is short because tbh I don’t really see them liking it😭. I added a little Drabble cause this took so long.

Although the idea of him being a Regina George stan is conical, I don't really see him enjoying movies like Mean Girls 

I'm not sure what movies he'd like or if he's more of a book guy, but Mean Girls is campy fun about highschool drama. I just don't see him being interested 

I'm not sure any of them would really be interested in it honestly. Mean Girls isn't just a girls movie but these are men who are in their 30s-40s and just don't give me Mean Girl stan. Yk?

I just don't see him liking it at all. He's checked out the entire time and when he's told it's a classic, he doesn't understand why 

It's not the worst movie he's ever seen but it's not his favorite. He'll never go out of his way to see it again 

A party pooper fr 

I don't think he'll be like “this shit is ASS!” because you like the movie but I can see him being like “well it was certainly a movie”

I don't know😭. I wanna say he'd like it, but it doesn't seem like his vibe. I'm sorry 😔

“Did you like it?” You asked once the movie was over. The answer? No. Honestly, halfway through the movie he completely checked out and if you hadn't announced that it ended, he wouldn't have noticed. 

“It was a movie” he answered simply. He went to get up from the couch but you grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. A random spout of strength that contrasted how sad you looked. 

“You didn't like it?” 

“I'm in my 40s”

“So?”

“So, it isn't for me”. Your frown deepened and he couldn't understand why. It was just a movie. He could understand why you liked it. It had childhood memories attached to it. He didn't have any memories attached to it, so to him, it was just a movie. 

“You suck ass” you finally said and crossed your arms. “I'm watching it again”. 

“Have fun with that”. 

I don't think he hates the movie but once again, I just don't see any of them truly appreciating it 

Teenage drama to him just isn't exciting. He's older so when problems arise he starts giving logical answers 

“How does Cady not see that she's also becoming a mean girl?”

Because that's the point of the movie Kuai 

He'll watch it maybe a few times with you if it keeps you happy

In canon he has a wife so I'm sure he knows that sometimes you gotta endure for them

I think his favorite character, if he had to choose, would be maybe Karen because she's just tryna live life based on my memory 

He's glad he understands the references you make now 

So there's positives  

Not his cup of tea but he likes that you like it 

“This is a classic, you say?” Kuai Liang asked. He meant for his tone to come out friendly and curious, but in reality it came out unsure and a little judgmental. Unfortunately for him, you noticed. 

“Shut up! You didn't like it?!” he couldn't understand why you were so surprised. He liked some movies but the movies he liked were nothing like Mean Girls. 

“I didn't say that”

“I cannot believe you. We're gonna watch it again until you like it”. Kuai Liang was tempted to get up and go do literally anything else, but when you snuggled close to his arm, he figured there was no harm in trying again. As long as he was close to his favorite person. 

I can see him being the brother that understands the message the most 

For some reason people debate on who's actually a mean girl. Whether it's Regina, Cady, Janis, ect. 

Tomas can see that multiple characters are mean asf

Now once again, I don't see this being his cup of tea, but hate is too strong of a word 

Dislike is too strong of a word 

The movie is just eh to him. It's just a movie. He won't suffer if he watches it but he'll never choose to watch it on his own

I can see him lying about how much he enjoyed it so he ends up watching it a lot more than he wants to because you keep putting it on 

Even if this isn't his favorite movie, he definitely thinks the first is better than the sequel 

That shit was ass 

Mean Girls is entertaining. The sequel… no❤

He watches it with you because it lets you spend time together. 

Honestly you could put on a shitty booty ass movie like Teen Wolf (2023) and he'd watch it if it kept the two of you together 

“Sooooo… thoughts?” You leaned back in your seat and look over at him with hope and happiness in your eyes. He internally winced. How could he destroy that shimmer in your eyes?

“I loved it!” he lies. His heart swells in his chest when you clap your hands together and give him a toothy grin. By the Elder Gods… you were far too cute for him. Now he certainly couldn't tell you he didn't particularly care for the movie! You'd look so sad. 

“I'm so glad! We should get matching pink shirts! We can wear them on Wednesdays!”. Tomas kept his forced smile on his face. Internally, he wasn't sure what can of worms he opened. All he knew was that it was too late to close it back up. 

“Sounds great” he mumbled. “Maybe we can watch the sequel I've heard about”. Why did he keep talking?

You scoffed. “Sure. I guess we can suffer together”. 

Suffer? Oh boy… 

[malenjoyer]

hey, rc, do you mind just posting this?

hi! for those who didnt see my retweet, my name's ruin/ruina. malenjoyer (the real one here) and i have been friends since 2019 thereabouts.

to jayce and people who continue to support him: there is no conspiracy or alt account. there is no "this is actually someone else posting and lying." i can pin point to several drawings of his that have come out of conversations or jokes with me; i can give you timeline stuff. i can give you all the damn proof you need to know jayce is lying. there have been instances of sharing batman media, like the rogues podcast, that came because of me and being gushy about scarecrow.

but i gotta piece to say and me saying it on my blog won't really make it to your ears so.

my friend rc is an amazing person. he really is.

he tries so hard to be a good person and he is. he is kind hearted and listens to people. he gives his friends everything he can and receives just as much love. he's an amazing friend; hes funny and intelligent as all get out. he is fun to be around and has the most insightful advice you can ask of anyone. he's passionate about his interests. he throws himself wholly into the things he loves and it is so beautiful to see. he truly genuinely is one of the most real people you will ever meet. and i am truly, truly blessed to have his friendship in my life.

and it makes me mad, jayce, that you have seen him as someone to use. that you have the audacity to take my friend's identity and pretend to be him. you cannot begin to comprehend the amazing kind of person rc actually is. just because an online figure has a very private life does not mean you have right to pretend to be him.

it's devastating to watch him hurt and try to figure out how to navigate being stalked and used; it infuriates me. and i gotta know: for what purpose? for clout?

hey, jayce and co, quick question:

who drew this? what characters are they?

no points for guessing! this is an unpublished malenjoyer commission/wip for me! *my* oc and her dad. that he made for me months ago.

in case youre curious! ^ theres what she looked like before i asked for revisions. while we were on call! i have no shame in posting my discord user but for HIS privacy, i will block his out. but know, its not you jayce.

because try as you might to convince people you're my friend, there is so much more proof that you're not him. rc wouldn't do this kinda shit.

do you know what integrity is, jayce? you should look it up and get some.

rc has a private life and to use his private life as a way to gain your own following/friends/whatever is awful. its cruel. its traumatising. its awful. you're a piece of shit. you're an absolute piece of shit and rc might be too nice to say fuck you but im not.

fuck you. leave him alone.

ily 😭😭😭 MY RIDE OR DIEE

[bibellebibuck]

BELLE OMG HIII

7x09 THOUGHTS???

I have no thoughts. I am in shock. Actually no I do have thoughts.

- Tommy pisses me off SO SO BAD. His negative attitude brings down the mood in literally every scene I do not understand why he’s like this if we’re meant to be rooting for him as bucks love interest? (Spoiler: we’re not).

- Athena approaching Amir as a way to help Bobby feel better about himself is/was wrong and she could have gone to a whole number of other people instead. I love mother Athena but Bobby/Amir had every right to react the ways that they did. I also firmly do not believe that Amir started the house fire, it’s gotta be the cartel (the old guy from the car) or a plot twist other character.

- I’ve rambled enough on here already about my thoughts on the batshit Kim/Eddie situation so I won’t repeat myself too much but. Good lord. Kim matches that man’s freak and takes it ten steps further. I saw a theory that Kim is going to become a bit psycho obsessed with Eddie and not know how to let him go. I don’t really think this is likely (though who tf knows what to expect the minute) but I do like the idea. It sounds fun, crazy Kim is a wild ride and I wouldn’t mind more yaknow?

However, I was heart BROKEN when Chris came in, that poor boy does not deserve the feelings he’s about to feel. I sincerely hope this whole drama doesn’t badly damage his and Eddies relationship :(

Also as much hatred as I have for Marisols actress, her actual character is harmless and I do feel bad for her too- I will defend Eddie with my LIFE but his actions reaaallly are having some serious consequences on those around him. I hope he sorts himself out soon and can somehow make amends.

- HenRen and their kids… my HEART ACHES for them so bad. I can’t help but feel like this storyline is a little bit forced? Like the councilwoman so easily getting their adoption/foster case halted and the judge doesn’t see a conflict of interest there? All her “evidence” that she present against Hen can be debunked so easily. I do feel confident that HenRen will win their appeal and Mara will come home safe and sound. But I hope there are real consequences for the councilwoman acting like this over her druggy son who REFUSED GODDAMN TREATMENT AND GOT PEOPLE KILLED (or was that just almost?) ugh.

- in terms of buddie/bt. I want BT bones like.. last week. But I do think it’s coming, that stale ass interview, their lack of scenes, Tommys complete void of any character/kindness and Buck prioritising Eddie as he goes through his struggle, all point to BT bones either next episode, in between S7/8 or early S8 at the latest. I cannot wait.

Buddie needs more time to cook. I KNOW we’re desperate for it and have already been waiting a long long time, but it needs time. It would be too rushed and out of place and kinda risks being tone deaf if it were to happen right now/too soon. Eddie needs to get through this and be in a better place before their relationship can develop healthily.

That isn’t to say they can’t feed us more Eddie/Buck or BuckleyDiaz family scenes in the meantime though… really bring this simmer to a boil 🥰