#to improve. does that make sense? i think that solving the problem by just wishing for everyone to live longer

[tanadrin]

You're not wrong about anything wrt cost of flying, but man is it bracing to wake up to a reminder that I can never ethically see most of my loved ones in-person again.

hmm. i think this is also the wrong way to think about it. flying is not a sin. being in some indirect way responsible for a certain amount of carbon emissions does not Taint Your Soul. and absolutist frameworks for this kind of thing are not helpful to anybody, least of all the people who actually might already be contributing to fixing problems like this through positive behaviors, like voting or political organizing.

the problem with carbon emissions is that they're a difficult to solve collective action problem, where a lot of the incentives point in a harmful direction, not that they are Fundamentally Immoral, and i think that's an important distinction to make, because i think a handful of semi-scrupulous individuals flagellating themselves and depriving themselves of things that would make them happy in the long run has no real effect on big problems like this. you not seeing your family is not going to fix global warming! and there are not enough people who are willing or able to act on guilt alone to refrain from flying that it's going to meaningfully dent emissions from the air transport sector.

what we need are policies that shape collective decisionmaking. this is why a fat carbon tax (especially when coupled with a rebate for lower-income people) can be a useful policy: it might make it harder to fly to visit family, but it won't make it categorically impossible, and it will reduce air travel in general, or encourage finding lower-carbon alternatives that allow people to travel just as much, like high-speed trains or, i don't know, some kind of fancy jet fuel that emits less CO2.

honestly, if you vote consistently for pro-environmental policies and parties, if you donate a bit of spare cash from time to time to the same, and/or if you are minimally politically active in other ways, and you're not, like, the CEO of BP in your professional life, you are fine. go, free from sin. if everyone did that, the problem of carbon emissions could be solved in a few years. now, you might go, "but not everyone is doing that!" well, not everyone is sitting at home miserable because they missed seeing grandma on her deathbed; that won't solve global warming either. in fact, it will do even less to solve global warming, because it is (and i say this with compassion) an anxious, guilt-ridden, useless gesture meant to salve your own spirit, not actually a contribution to solving the problem.

in general, i am really opposed to letting a vast and nebulous sense of guilt on big, systemic problems shape your personal behaviors. none of the behaviors that these feelings of guilt ban ever contribute to significant or systemic improvements in the problem--guilt is not building nuclear plants or preventing oil from being drilled. and in my experience, the kind of people who feel this guilt are prone to anxiety, maybe as kids were made overly responsible for the emotional state of people around them, and thus feel an outsized sense of responsibility in other areas of their life, and they mistakenly think that 1) this is a healthy way to go through life, 2) if they don't go through life this way they're a Bad Person, and 3) most people (or most people they think of as Good People) feel this way.

i wish to free people from this burden. there are no individual solutions to big collective action problems! and if reading about global warming, or racism, or poverty, or any other big social problem fills you with an enormous sense of guilt and has you wracking your brain for ways you can help by cutting/reducing/abstaining from things in your life, congratulations, you are one of many people in this world who can be at least 300% more selfish and still be a certified Good Person. so, uh, chill.

[witchthewriter]

𝓢𝓱𝓲𝓹 𝓯𝓸𝓻 @pinezki.

𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐫! Now, I don't know if you're the type of person who doesn't like Boromir's character - but I am not. I love him. I think he's such a charming man, with big dad energy. He would be the perfect husband for you. I think you have a lot of ambition, and he would completely encourage everything you want to do.

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

Half-Elf!

Half-elves, particularly those who choose the elven path, become guardians of elven knowledge, lore, and artifacts. They are instrumental in preserving elven culture and history, passing it down to future generations.

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Enhances senses

Immunity to certain diseases

Extended life span

Wisdom and Knowledge: Half-elves inherit the wisdom and knowledge of both elves and humans. They possess a deep understanding of history, languages, and lore, making them highly knowledgeable individuals.

Healing Abilities: Half-elves, particularly those trained in the healing arts, possess healing abilities.

Resistance to Corruption: Half-elves, due to their elven blood, exhibit a certain resilience against the corrupting influences of evil. They can resist the allure and control of dark forces more effectively than regular humans.

Leadership and Influence: Half-elves often possess leadership qualities and the ability to inspire others. They command respect and can rally people to their cause, making them influential figures in the events of Middle-earth.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Boromir is such a protective partner. He has an ingrained protective instinct towards you, valuing your safety and well-being. He strives to be a source of strength and support for you.

Takes initiative in decision-making and problem-solving. Even though I think you like making decisions, I think it would feel like a load off your shoulders if someone came in and took the responsibility from you

Boromir is one to learn from his mistakes - not run or hide from them. He wants to do better, be better. Don;t worry about an arrogant partner; Boromir acknowledges when he's in the wrong. And likes being open to feedback and self-improvement. He encourages growth and learning within the partnership.

Loves telling you stories of his childhood; especially the embarrassing ones - he doesn't mind being laughed at. Especially by you. He would do anything to see you smile.

Boromir, beneath his warrior exterior, possesses a sensitive and romantic side. To your surprise, he loves lighting candles for a dinner just the two of you (usually you eat dinner with everyone else). But a lot of the time, that can become too much.

Likes to dote on you a lot. This includes physical touch, but also gift giving. Your most cherished gift, is the bracelet he had made for you.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

An Early Sunrise by Randy Edelman

Wolves by Bruno Coulais

Hurricane by Possessed by Paul James

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Different Cultures

'You'll Always Fit In With Me.'

"You wear the pants in this relationship" (You) x "oh I wish, I cannot control you at all" (Boromir)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Star-crossed lovers

Unbreakable Bond

Sacrifice and Devotion

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

He would never really admit it, but Boromir loves that he doesn't know what you're going to do next. Although you do have similarities like understanding responsibility, you love doing things that no one does.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Legolas! He understands you on a different level than other elves. Not that you encounter a lot of undesirable comments; it's just that being around Legolas makes you feel more like yourself. I also think you would be great friends, like absolute besties, with Éowyn. Both of you are powerhouses in your own right, but together, no one can tell you what to do. Seriously.

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

I think you're a mix between Arwen and Éowyn. Soft, gentle, feminine, yet passionate, open-minded and ready to stand up for what you believe in. You make your own path, you do not follow others nor what others expect of you.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

(yes it's a wild animal who decided that YOU were the person it was going to protect forever).

She was hesitant with you, and by the gods, you were even more so. But as she slowly made her way towards you, head bowed. To show that she was no threat, she lay on flat against her stomach and showed you her most senisitve parts. Her paws were nearly as big as your own hands, and when she stood against you, she reached your shoulders.

Boromir was absolutely gobsmacked. No other word for it. He'd never seen a wolf become domestic, a big shaggy beast of a thing. But nothing would stop the wolf from protecting you.

And when Boromir said, "Excuse me but that's my job," your girl snarled!

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠! Even though he was in love with your sister, (and had children with her), you always loved him. And when the rumours of Rhaenyra's children's paternal line were building, she came to you and asked if you would marry him. To skew the story that Alicent and the Greens told.

But I actually do ship you with Harwin because he has a soft heart. He doesn't punch unless the person deserves it. He's patient, caring and open-minded.

He suits you so so so well.

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

A younger sister (or a twin sister if you'd like to go down that road?).

As a Targaryen, you have the signature white hair and purple/lilac eyes. Thought of as close to gods, you never let such talk get to your head. You could die just like anyone else.

But what really made you different, was your ability to dragonride. (Oh and that you were a royal???).

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

To understand your dragon. To know what they're thinking and they know what you're thinking. Sometimes you think you might be able to warg since you have dreams of flying high above the city, over the green fields and past the dark ocean. All to be back by morning.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Harwin is taller than you, even if you're wearing heels or boots! It was a shock to actually look up to talk to someone for once. But even if he wasn't taller, there's no reason why you should ever be embarrassed or insecure about your height!!!

Harwin has flown three times, and only once did he not throw up.

It was a shock to everyone when you and Harwin married - at first it was a ruse, a fake relationship to keep your sister and nephews safe. But you began to fall for Harwin. Become protective over him. It wasn't long before he felt the same way. Both of you felt as if you were betraying Rhaenyra. But soon enough ... she had found Daemon.

Sadly enough, you are not able to be around your sister as often as you'd like - the rumour mill would still be turning.

But as a gesture of good faith, Rhaenyra and Harwin made you something to say you are their savour in this: a beautiful necklace.

Harwin loves telling you how much he loves you. He wants you to remember that he's now married to you. You are his life. You are his future.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Violino by Piero Piccioni (the most romantic song I have ever heard)

True Love's Kiss by James Newton Howard

Scotland by BBC Orchestra

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Like Calls To Like

Aggressively Supportive & Protective (Harwin) x Would Kill For Him (You)

Malewife x Girlboss

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Marriage To Protect Those They Love (End Up Falling In Love Anyway)

Love Conquers All

Intertwined Destinies

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Harwin loves your passion and open-mind. Those that cannot change are always left behind. Therefore, you have the ability to adapt, to foresee how changing certain things can expand the world in a better way.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Of course your best friend is Rhaenyra, you grew up together, you're two peas in a pod. Two sides of the same coin. Only a few minutes older than you, meant your destinies became widely different.

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

A mix between Harwin, Rhaenyra and Aemond. It's very difficult to find soft hearted characters. You're also very much like Helaena as well. But, you aren't traditional and you don't take anyones crap. You want the best for those you love, and you're so caring and ambitious.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

More than a pet.

A mount.

Your bonded dragon.

The beautiful, and graceful Silverwing.

Her first rider was the Good Queen Alysanne, who had spoke up for women and women's rights. She was a woman who could stand on her own two feet. She changed a lot about Westeros.

𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲! If he hadn't of died, I think he would've broken up with Cho and delved deep into the Order of the Phoenix. Although his death signified that Voldemort was truly back, I think Cedric would have sustained serious injurious but came out alive. He now has a large scare from one side of his face to the other, and it those are everywhere over his body.

I think you two would be great together because this would make him more noble, knowledgable and alert. (But also he'd have great PTSD).

𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔

Pureblood Witch, also known as a Blood Traitor by Draco Malfoy (only ever said that to you once and only once.) Whenever you're around Draco and hear him say it, suddenly he has a little hex on him where his legs are like jelly.

𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓/𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Legilimency and Occlumency: you have the capacity to read and control minds to some extent. Legilimency would allow you to delve into the thoughts and emotions of others, while Occlumency would grant you the ability to shield you mind from intrusion.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Cedric thinks you're an actual goddess at times.

It goes without saying in your relationship that loyalty is the basis of your connection. Knowing he has your back and you have his, makes your lives so much easier. Even if you disagree, you only do so when you're alone. He's one of those men that say, "Hey, don't talk to my wife like that!"

You like to keep your gifts a secret; people wouldn't want to be around you if they knew about your Legilimency, although you don't try to look into anyone's thoughts or emotions.

However, you sometimes cannot help it with Cedric. He's very good at putting on a show, as to not worry you, but using your gift you find out he's absolutely drowning in depression and anxiety.

You're both very close to Harry Potter, both for friendship, shared trauma and his aid when Cedric starts to drown in his mind.

Cedric's Love Languages are Physical Touch and Words of Affirmation. He loves being complimented. And you both love showering each other in hugs, kissing and the like.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

May It Be by Enya

The Crown of Jaehaerys by Ramin Djawadi

Aeternum by John Lunn

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

"Do you love me or do you love chaos?" (You) x "Yes", He Says While Stroking Your Hair (Cedric)

Acquaintances to Standing Up For Him to Friends to Lovers

It's Always Been You  

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Mutual Growth and Empowerment

Timeless Love

Healing and Redemption

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Cedric loves how passionate yet caring you are. You have such fierceness but know when enough is enough. Mature yet not meek. He also loves your chaos,, it comes out from time to time and he's started to egg you on just to see that chaotic nature. You both feel comfortable with that because you know he will always look after you - and never leave you behind.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Ginny Weasley and Katie Bell! You're surrounded by badass girls, you are surrounded by girls who take no shit. Because that's exactly who you are. You are the company you keep. And you feel so comfortable with both of them. Even thoughj both you and Katie were older than Ginny, you took a liking to Ginny because of how much she stood up for others.

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

You instantly remind me of Lily Potter, or rather Lily Evans. Who, in her youth, was bright but also stood up for what she believed in and never let anyone tell her what to do. She was a badass. But her motto would be: Do No Harm, Take No Shit.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

You couldn't help it, nor your parents. These two wouldn't split. They made a stand. No one goes without the other.

You were completely fine with two kitties, now the other wouldn't be lonely! And maybe they could snuggle in your room at Hogwarts. On your bed, waiting for you in between classes and when it was bedtime.

They actually became a sort of therapy animal for the other girls in your room as well, because they weren't took fussed with going about the castle.

[thetallowman]

Some analysis and predictions for the trio, now that I'm through the first bit

Lucy: what I would call the group's moral compass. (Not in the sense that the others are lacking morals, but in that she's the only one pointing somewhere.) She wants to do things right, not just morally but practically as well - the kind of person who likes to have a plan, who is invested in the process just as much as the results. She started out focused on the mystery, on solving the case, but the encounter with John shook her, and now she's worried about the local Others as well. Her mother actually seems like a decent parent (in a Wildbow story: shocking), and her friendship with Verona is firmly established. There's definitely s some sort of trauma packed away in there that we haven't seen yet, but I'd say she's the most stable of the three - at least insofar as the whole magical girl detectives thing isn't a direct improvement to her life. Probably the most likely to actually solve the case.

My assumption is that each of the three will pick up either an implement, a familiar, or a demesne first. (Practically, due to diverging interests, and narratively/metaphysically, for reasons of balance and cohesion - the trio of witches, each with a different defining feature, etc.) My prediction is that Lucy will get her implement first - something straightforward, physical, capable of directly influencing the world around her, shift it from what it is towards how it should be. My initial guess was a sword, but the ring somewhat fills that role - so a tool of some kind? Something versatile, like a multitool? (I'm thinking back to the awakening ritual, and the emphasis she placed on adaptability and self-sufficiency. She's suited to something that can cover multiple bases.)

Avery: the odd one out. Less interested in the magic than in the friends that come with it. (A package deal.) She's got issues with self-esteem, with being overlooked; she's happy to follow there others' lead, but she wants to be recognized for her contributions. Wants to not be left behind again. Her parents seem nice - they're failing her in some important ways, but not out of malice. (They've got what I would call too many kids.) There's a line earlier, where Avery's thinking about a sandwich, which feels like it sums up her role amongst her siblings: "She couldn't help but feel like any one ingredient could be changed out for something similar and it would make the sandwich ten times as good."

My guess is that Avery will be first to find a familiar. Might be some level of wishful thinking - could go a long way to resolving the self-esteem problem. (It worked for Blake, at least: isolation and alienation are no match for the power of a cute animal companion.) Could be something from the Forest Trail she was given - remains to be seen.

Verona: very relatable. If a magical creature had approached me, as a callow youth, and offered the chance to trade a life of magical adventures for the "normality" of college, taxes, and a 9-to-5 - I'd be taking that deal, guaranteed, common sense be damned. (Heck, I'd probably do the same tomorrow, given the chance.) She's in it for the escapism, essentially. There's a murder to solve, and her best friend's along for the ride, but magic itself is the main selling point. Under normal circumstances, whatever she does she can't win - the things she cares about aren't "important," she doesn't care about the "important" things, and even when she puts in the effort it isn't seen as good enough. Her dad sucks - I won't belabor the point - but it's true amongst her classmates as well, with sports and the app and so on. She's happier investigating the "eat your own fingers" ritual than doing yardwork, which makes perfect sense.

Verona's going to get a demesne. No idea what that will look like, but of the three, it fits the most. Having a place other than her house - somewhere that she controls, gets to make the rules for - should go a long way. (In some ways, I'm reminded of Blake - though her definition of freedom seems less about what she can do, and more about what she doesn't have to do.)

[loveandlegacy]

For the give me a character ask: Swain, Viktor, Singed, & Mel!

hi hi friend! i love these. some of my answers might be circular bc these characters are all connected in my head but here goes.

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

swain

How I feel about this character - maybe this goes without saying for all the characters you gave me but i love him. before ambessa was officially a champion, swain was my favorite champion from noxus. i think he might still be, he just shares with ambessa now. he has it all. he's horrible. he's Doing Badly. he's channeling his doing badly into totally untenable and unsustainable measures of authoritarianism. he embodies both the fox and the wolf that ambessa is always talking about but this doesn't in any way improve his circumstances, it just encircles him in a state of brutality and paranoia. he made a literal faustian bargain and it's probably breaking his mind. he rebirthed the empire of noxus in the blood of patricide. he remains the pawn/lover/rival/whatever to an evil sorceress but she absolutely will outlive him. he literally has the range.

All the people I ship romantically with this character - no one really? this is going to be a running theme lmao very few of these people have real romantic attachments in my mind but....

My non-romantic OTP for this character - my non-romantic probably-bad-for-everyone-involved ships are:

viktor because it makes sense. physical mutilation? check. zealous commitment to a morally-questionable-at-best vision? check. a body that may or may not be his own? connoisseurs of physical pain and (if you go with arcane's lore) the nature of disability? check. based on the physical mutilation, do i believe that they're both super weird about extreme S&M? yeah. IT MAKES SENSE.

leblanc because nothing says 'enemies to enemies who fuck' like constantly trying to kill each other

i know people also ship him with vladimir and i think that's funny and fun, even if it's not really my thing. just the two most extra-ass guys being really fucking weird about each other. excellent.

for like nonsexual, nonromantic pairings i love:

mel, because i think she would respect him and because i think he would see her as smart and cunning and would probably actually try to peel her away from the rest of the family line because she has political acumen that could be useful to noxus where war may not solve all the problems he wants solved.

ambessa! because i think they don't like each other lmao. 100% swain thinks she's a good general, but reckless, and overly focused on her family at the cost of the empire. i think it's. noncontroversial? to say that swain is probably the reason kino died, so. yeah. things are Tough between them, and ambessa kind of has to toe the line around him because he's the grand general, but man does she hate it.

My unpopular opinion about this character - tbh i'm not even really sure what the popular opinions are about him lmao. i do know some players kind of regard him as a badass edgelord and i do like that he's an edgelord but i think more people need to embrace that in literally any other context it would be clear that this guy would get burned at the stake for being a heretic or something, like he is not doing good.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon - i remember someone saying that before the lore overhaul, swain was disabled? i wish they had kept that when they redid him. he's one of the fewer champions who's actually past middle-age without being a straight up immortal entity, and as far as i know no other league champions have any disabilities (not even viktor!!) - EDIT: i was wrong about this! i incorrectly assumed that most of the league characters from zaun with cybernetic bodies/limbs were not supposed to be read as disabled, including viktor, but i've learned that viktor's cybernetics (along with other zaun champions) are regarded more as prosthetics and that viktor among others is still subsequently still disabled even in machine herald form! that's very cool, and im grateful to the people who have spent time making this clear. i also think it would have been neat to keep swain's disability in his redesign. keeping the disability would have been interesting both from a lore standpoint (noxus reviled him when he got maimed; it would have been cool to see him become the grand general in spite of this, not because he erased it with raum) and from a game design standpoint.

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viktor

How I feel about this character - he was my first favorite upon watching the show!! i think when you read through some of his lore, the writing is pretty bad/kind of dumb in a way that makes him feel incomplete, but i do resonate deeply with wanting to saw off body parts and become some kind of organo-machine cult creature. i like that for him, science, progress, faith, survival, and ambition are all bound up into one sludgy mess and that fact makes him a worse person in a lot of ways, despite his ideals.

All the people I ship romantically with this character - so i'm playing very fast and loose with the idea of 'romance' here but:

mel & jayce together specifically. like meljayvik or bust. this can be a happy, sweet dynamic or a deeply unhealthy one, i'll take it all. i just like the way the 3 of them operate together and in relation to one another, romance or no.

mel only! again, i'm like...it doesn't really have to be romance in the happy way, it can just be weirdly intense, kind of bad-for-each-other. in my head, viktor is (mostly) gay so that really adds an extra Something to all this.

My non-romantic OTP for this character - my non-romantic probably-bad-for-everyone-involved ships are:

swain. see above. i love it. the blood-soaked sadomasochism of my dreams.

SINGED. is this controversial? i feel like it is. because there's no way this is good or okay. i guess i should clarify that i'm not like "aww no it's bad but sweet" i'm like no it's just bad. singed is bad. viktor was his student/mentor/whatever. at best it's gross with a history of gross, at worst it's straight up years of abuse. it's not even a sex thing. i don't think singed is super interested in sex??? despite purportedly having a daughter. it's just like. psychological abuse, medical torment, misery, gaslighting, but also yk viktor goes back to him because viktor believes singed is the only one who can save him. they are not in love. i'm not even sure they really like each other. i think viktor is actually pretty scared of singed and even more scared of being LIKE singed. but that just makes their whole relationship a horrible gravity well because i think viktor's entire disposition as a person was partly shaped by singed and also because viktor has the same kind of quasi-devotion to investigation, understanding, and creation as singed, even if his moral compass points him in a different direction. more than scientific study, i think singed's true mentorship was teaching viktor to embrace what he 'really is' — a mutation, because mutations survive, and viktor, for better or worse, is a desperate survivor. it's dark. it's bad. i hope they kill each other. i hope we all die.

sevika!! like i said, i mostly think of viktor as gay, but i also think sevika is gay and 2 gays make something gayer, in my opinion. idk, i just think she doesn't waste time, she's very committed, and she's rough and sorta mean in a way that viktor respects? it makes sense in my head.

and finally jayce specifically not in a sexual way? lol please read for more opinions but i do actually love that they are incredibly close, that they bring out the best in each other, and that they will eventually also see the worst in each other. i think one of the reasons i dislike jayvik (besides all of them) is because it actually flattens out what i think is really complicated and upsetting about jayce & viktor's relationship? they're less tragic star-crossed lovers and more cain and abel to me; you love him so much but you hate him but he's your brother. and you save his life and he saves your life and you believe you can make the world a better place and who do you rage at when you kill him in a field? that's the energy i'm talking about.

My unpopular opinion about this character - idk that i have any unpopular opinions? i guess just the general observation that the audience tends to be very ableist in how they talk about viktor? i feel like that's not unpopular, that's just true lmao. my most UNPOPULAR opinion is that i don't like jayvik. never have never will. i do not want to see it.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon - mm idk! ANOTHER EDIT: i had a more complete answer to this about viktor after surviving the bombing but a few other posts have clarified that it was pretty ableist! embarrassing on my behalf. i know at least one person reblogged this post so you can see the older answer still, and i sincerely apologize for that. i'm removing it here just so i don't leave up harmful language and i'd like to apologize for being ignorant! i will say instead that i hope in s2 viktor has to confront the ways in which he has become very similar to singed and that he finds ways through that or ways to deal with that!

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

singed

How I feel about this character - he's the worst guy alive and i simply wouldn't want him any other way.

All the people I ship romantically with this character - absolutely no one. i don't think romance has ever been on singed's mind, even if he notionally had a child with someone once. i don't think he's only a hater, i just think he is having his own set of emotional experiences and 'romance' is not one of them.

My non-romantic OTP for this character - this is like. a whole ass mess i apologize. i want to qualify these with the statement that i'm not even sure sex is part of the equation here, but:

viktor. see above. again, i don't think there's anything slightly romantic about this. i don't even think singed has particularly prurient interest in viktor or something. to viktor, singed is kind of scary. to singed, viktor is An Object. maybe a charming one! because he's curious and bright, but charming the way a particularly smart lab rat is charming — still not really a person. like i wouldn't say singed goes out of his way to be cruel to viktor, or even that he's cold all the time. he thinks viktor is interesting and worth his attention, but thinking someone is interesting isn't the same thing as treating them well, and singed doesn't put a high priority on the latter. whether he knows or cares if he's fucking viktor up is up for debate, but i think if viktor ever had a why did you do it moment with singed the way mel had with ambessa, singed's answer would be much less clear and satisfying than ambessa's. singed does things because the outcome seems interesting or worthwhile, no hard feelings. like you know when silco asks singed if deckard will live if he takes the shimmer and singed says "long enough"? that's kind of his whole thing with viktor lmao. you'll live long enough, i'll make sure of that. it's miserable. you get it.

ambessa kind of lmao. i don't really think they fuck (i don't think she would have ANY interest in him) but as a meeting of Terrible Equals? sure.

also idk i have this vision of him building sevika's shimmer-arm and like surgically attaching it to her while the whole burned half of his body still hasn't healed and he's like. shooting himself up with shimmer and oozing through his bandages through the whole process. not sure where to go with that one but there it is. i don't think sevika trusts him 💀

My unpopular opinion about this character - i feel like having him as a favorite character is an unpopular opinion 😭

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon - so maybe this is the real unpopular opinion, but i actually really dislike the idea that singed is doing everything he's doing in an attempt to resurrect his daugther, who might be orianna. it's a personal preference, but i think his character is weirder, sadder, and more creepy if he just has a moral compass that quite literally prioritizes progress over love and legacy — if he is trying to resurrect orianna (or rebuild her or whatever), then that really undermines that position. he is choosing love over legacy, and possibly over progress, even if he's using "progress" to justify his chemical necromancy. idk! it's just not as interesting to me. it's rare that you see figures in fiction who do shit like what singed does with absolutely no concern for personal gain or legacy, and that is one of my favorite things about him right now. and i think that arcane managed to amplify that about him without defaulting to a really cartoonish 'mad scientist' vibe. it would be a shame to lose all that! like i'll live, and i'm sure however it turns out will be compelling, i'd just personally be a little bummed.

i WILL say however that what i would absolutely accept is that he sacrificed his daughter iphigenia-style in the pursuit of some greater knowledge and he has no interest in resurrecting her at all. in fact, if they want to stick with the lore of orianna being powered by hextech, it could be the case that someone else finds and revives her body (i do believe singed is in the habit of keeping dead bodies just. around) with a hextech crystal (or a hexcore 👀), but that singed himself had no intention of bringing her back from the dead and that his mournfulness is more over the fact that he did love her and he was sad to kill her for whatever his bigger project is, but as they say: the mutation must survive

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

mel

How I feel about this character - i love her!! i started out fairly disinterested in her because i was so mad at jayce for my first few watch-throughs that i was like. baffled by the fact that she fell in love with him, but i have grown as a person. she's one of my favorite characters, she's heartbroken, she's smart, she's wonderful, and most importantly??? she's alive

All the people I ship romantically with this character - FINALLY I HAVE AN ANSWER

jayce!!! i have come around to loving his character also, and i think their relationship is really sweet. i do think he knows she's out of his league and is happy to be hers. i also like that she has one good thing in a world of cynics and warmongers, and that they find idealism and safety in one another.

jayce & viktor in a meljayvik way. i've said it already but i really love their triad dynamic.

or just viktor. i think mel and viktor are intellectual equals with different strategies about life, different approaches to their own ambition, different insecurities, and different dispositions towards cruelty and selfishness on their worst days. whether their thing is sexual or not, it's always interesting to me because i think they mirror each other in so many ways, and they have known each other for a long time, and they're both outsiders to piltover, and their Thing can be good or gruesome depending on how you want to spin it. it also doesn't have to be romantic at all? i think these things all play just as well if they're like...super fucked up friends, or just codependent co-conspirators. lots to think about.

My non-romantic OTP for this character - here we go:

sevika! this could be a sexual thing or a nonsexual thing, i think there's a kind of almost-enemies tension there that makes them compelling regardless of whether or not they fuck. also i think sevika could go toe to toe with mel in a verbal sparring match and they'd both have a good time in a mean way. i think, unlike most people, mel wouldn't be particularly intimidated by sevika? she's from noxus, she has seen quite a lot — sevika is gruff and mean, but not particularly scary as far as mel's concerned. and i actually think the fact that mel doesn't cringe away from the really brutal parts of life would make sevika respect her in a certain sense. idk! i just think there's a lot of interesting potential there and they Compel me. honorable mention here also goes to mel/sevika/viktor as a thing because i think it would be fucked up and sad and weird and i like that.

ambessa lmao. not in an incest way, just like. "man your mom really fucks you up like no one else" kind of way. mel has to work so hard to find her sense of self, to believe what she believes, and even with all that she still has literal nightmares about her mother. woof dude. it's bleak. i could think and talk about all the horrible things ambessa probably did to her daughter in the name of "teaching her better" for days.

caitlyn!! i actually think if cait and mel had met in alllllmost any other circumstance, they would be friends? solidarity in the "man i hate my mom" club, solidarity in being daughters raised in the upper echelons of society and not wanting to fill their respective social roles, solidarity in wanting to pick apart, understand, and scrutinize the world around them. there's also the opportunity for a kind of weird mentor-mentee codependent tension there too if you want it; like mel HAS seen a lot of the world, and cait hasn't. mel has way more finesse and political savvy, cait tends to just come at everything headlong without thinking the whole plan through first. mel's just enough older than cait that she could feasibly take caitlyn 'under her wing' to mold her like the figurative queen she talked about with her mother when she was young. like with most things, i think their relationship could be very sweet, or incredibly dark, depending on how you want to spin it. but i love the idea of them together, i think there's a lot of opportunity for interesting stuff to happen.

My unpopular opinion about this character - ok i sincerely think it is insane when people say mel slept with jayce to manipulate him or that she's only interested in manipulating him. even when i wasn't wild about their relationship, my issue was that she DID fall in love with him and wasn't manipulating him enough lmao like. i'm a meljay enthusiast now, but even before i was, i thought there was no way it could possibly have been clearer that she had feelings for him that continued to grow over the course of the story. it's literally IN THEIR COSTUME DESIGN. get a grip everyone.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon - i mean i would say i "wish" she lives but i am arrogant in my assessment that there's no question that she's alive in s2. even before all the storyboard proof, like. all you have to do is think about story structure. she's alive. so with that said, i hope she ends up in the undercity!! i want to see what she's like when she's in a totally unfamiliar environment where she has no built-in influence. i actually think she'll handle it very well, but i want to see how she does it. i also hope we get to see her have more 1:1 interactions with viktor!

[magmacavern]

Hero and Partner Week, Day 7: Free Day!

Last up for the free day today is a little drawing of my own team! After I made all this art of Neo and Skitty (now named Penelope) for this week, I decided that I should actually try to come up with unique designs for them. Now all of my previous illustrations of them are officially outdated. Oops.

I'd gotten attached to the depictions of them in my previous Hero and Partner Week drawings, so I didn't want to change them too much, but I still wanted them to be recognizable as original chararcters and not just general depictions of an eevee and a skitty. I'm pleased with Neo's redesign, but I would like to make Penelope a little more unique in the future. If you're interested, you can read more about them and their alternate universe under the cut!

This will be my last submission for Hero and Partner Week. I had a blast drawing and writing for this event over the past month, and I really enjoyed seeing what everyone else created as well. Thanks so much for hosting this amazing event! I'm already looking forward to participating again next year and seeing how much I've improved as an artist by then!

(Also, apologies if this posts twice. It disappeared from my queue sometime after I scheduled it, and I'm not sure if it's still going to post. I decided to just rewrite it in advance, and if the other version turns up, I'll delete it.)

@heropartnerweek

Neo

Neo is an odd-colored Eevee who woke up in the Tiny Woods one morning unable to remember who she was or how she got there. She occasionally dreams of a strange Pokemon atop a frozen mountain, and after learning about the legend of Nintales, she comes to the conclusion that she must be the human in the story who angered the deity and abandoned her partner Pokemon, Gardevoir. She feels obligated to help save the world because she's (allegedly) the one who brought about its destruction long ago, but secretly she feels she's not capable of it and is hoping for a way out. Neo can most easily be described as cowardly. She lacks courage and prefers to run and hide rather than fight and stand up for herself. She doesn't wish to hurt others and cares deeply for many Pokemon she knows, but when push comes to shove, her strong sense of self preservation takes control and she always puts herself first, even at the detriment of other Pokemon. She also lacks confidence, and this causes others to be distrusting of her and lack belief in her abilities. Neo tends to make promises she can't keep because she either doesn't think it through all the way or just wants to help and please others, which makes her seem more unreliable to those she lets down. Her hastiness also hurts her ability to think for herself. Neo can problem solve well when she is forced to slow down and reason out the situation, but when she rushes herself, she doesn't consider all the possibilities and can come to the wrong conclusion. Neo came to trust Penelope quickly because Penelope was there for her when she didn't have anyone else to turn to, but she also sometimes regrets forming a team with her and wonders if it was the right choice because of her struggle to show bravery and do the right thing like Penelope does.

Penelope

Penelope is a young Skitty who was raised in Littlegrove, a town on the sea northwest of Pokemon Square. Her parents, a Meganium and a Delcatty, tend to a pecha berry orchard and a small garden of other berry and herb plants, and her mother is a skilled weaver who makes scarves and other textiles using the plants grown in town. Penelope and her younger sibling Orion were often tasked with travelling to Pokemon Square to sell Delcatty's scarves to the Kecleon brothers and the many rescue teams that visit town, but since a mystery dungeon formed within the Tiny Woods, Penelope has been making the trip alone. When she learns that she and her partner must be the ones to save the world, she immediately rises to the task because the lives of her family are on the line and she's determined to save them, even at the cost of her own life. Penelope is courageous and quick-thinking with a strong sense of integrity. She's highly motivated by her commitment to and love for her family, especially her younger sibling Orion, and she'll never make a promise that she thinks she can't keep. Her strict moral code often makes it difficult for her to be understanding of those who act selfishly, and it also makes her prone to overworking herself or throwing herself into danger if she thinks it will help someone she loves. She is highly confident in her beliefs and her decision-making abilities, which allows her to act quickly on instinct. However, this also makes her stubborn and unlikely to follow in other Pokemon's footsteps or take their advice without good reason, and because she's still young, her beliefs and decisions aren't always backed up by experience or knowledge, leading her to make some poor choices. Her personality is often at odds with Neo's cowardice and self-interest, so they have a rocky start to their relationship.

One early spring day, Penelope was travelling through Tiny Woods with a new stock of her mother's pecha scarves when she came across an odd-looking eevee named Neo who said she had lost her memory. While she was distracted by the stranger, Gengar of Team Meanies snuck up on Penelope and attacked her. Because of her Normalize ability, Penelope was unable to fight back and Gengar stole most of the scarves she was carrying. Neo fled in the commotion, and Penelope chased after her, assuming she was working with Gengar to steal the scarves.

Penelope found Neo at the entrance to the Tiny Woods's mystery dungeon, which appeared as a deep chasm in the forest floor. She confronted her while Neo couldn't escape, but Neo claimed she didn't know anything about Gengar or his plans to attack Penelope. As they were arguing, they were approached by a Butterfree who needed help because her child, Caterpie, was lost in the dungeon. Penelope agreed to help and forced Neo to come with her because she didn't yet believe that Neo and Gengar weren't working together.

After finding Caterpie and reuniting him with his mother, Penelope took Neo to Pokemon Square where they decided to stay the night at Kangaskhan's inn because Neo didn't have anywhere else to go and Penelope didn't know how to fix the problem of the stolen scarves. While in Pokemon Square, she asked Neo to form a real rescue team with her in order to help earn back the lost money.

[three-milkz]

I was afraid for Claw Noir and rightly so. The design of it is so horrible and it makes me angry. First, I think everything is fine, especially the black eyes and lips because I love them, but that hair is so horrible… Having expectations that Adrien's designs in ML will be good is like asking for Chloe to be good…

Now, taking out the horrible hair, I'm afraid of the type of story they will tell, especially knowing how little role Adrien has, because when we had a plot that revolves around him, Marinette must solve it because she is the protagonist and Adrien just the damsel in distress.

Getting my hopes up is a tall order, but I'll voice my opinions to the story at CN.

That Adrien is bad just because he did not surpass about Emilie's death would NOT make sense, because he has the two miraculous of making a wish at his disposal. We don't know what kind of relationship he has with SB, but if it's some kind of lovers, then he wouldn't have any problem making the wish, plus they're evil, killing someone in exchange for Emilie's life shouldn't be very difficult.

I think when Emilie dies, Gabriel starts off just like in canon, just as abusive and maybe even worse, and Adrien has a rebellious attitude that makes everything worse. Over time, Gabriel manages to redeem himself and tries to improve things with his son, but the damage was already done. If in this universe Adrien is also a sentimonster, it would be a good idea to add to what I just said, I think the fact that he father is abusive and then discovers that he are not even human, would play a big role in his decision to be one a villain.

Bu is miraculous and you should NEVER have hope.

Most likely Adrien is evil because Marinette is and he does everything she does because he has no free will with his life :/

[fabaceous]

"it's not like shauna never shows signs of loving jackie even before she eats her ear. " "shauna is fucked up and selfish but she's not a monster and she does love jackie!!" Could you do an analysis on the signs showing Shauna loves Jackie? Would absolutely love your thoughts on them. There are more posts analyzing how Jackie loves Shauna but not much about Shauna loving Jackie. I think a lot of the audience thinks Shauna resents Jackie until she dies, then it's all guilt and just guilt.

it would be my absolute pleasure and honor!! you're right - theres a lot of time spent unpacking how jackie loves shauna, how shauna resents jackie, and of course how shauna shows her love for jackie after her death, but not so many on how shauna shows she cares about jackie before her death. to be fair, it's kind of slim pickings because i think that for the sake of the plot/characters, the show had to explicitly establish the resentment shauna has for jackie and the ways shauna goes behind her back, while they could sort of get away with leaving the love and friendship implied and not showing every single detail and example of their friendship on-screen. (do you get what i mean? like, they introduced shauna and jackie as very close friends and because we as humans know what friendships entail, we do the rest of the work and fill in the blanks for them. it makes sense narratively, although of course i wish we could've gotten a whole season's worth of their actual friendship!)

so here's a sort of grab bag of things that are occurring to me, in a very loose order of least-to-most-convincing (in my opinion at least).

shauna begging jackie to eat while jackie is depressed/losing interest in food/losing her will to live/etc. i mean, sure, this could be shauna just being a team player and making sure everyone's well-fed. and if you really wanna be cynical, her busting out the nickname ("jax") and saying "for me🥺" could just be very clever manipulation to get jackie to cave. but... im choosing to believe that shauna really just didn't want her best friend to starve to death. sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer!

going along with the whole seance idea. shauna clearly isnt super sold on it and i think it's a little awkward because she just gave jackie this big pep talk and she knows a seance could go wrong but feels obligated to stand by jackie now, but regardless, she also clearly recognizes that jackie needs a win. so she backs jackie up, not necessarily because shauna wants to do a seance, but because she knows it will make jackie happy. and although this kind of situation (i.e. shauna doing something she doesn't "want" to do because she knows jackie wants to do it) can definitely lead to resentment and im sure it did lead to resentment at various points throughout their friendship, it seems to me from this scene that in this instance, group politics aside, shauna genuinely did care about making jackie happy and - maybe even more importantly - making jackie feel useful. ive said this before but ill say it again - shauna can be more astute than people give her credit for. she seems to understand that if jackie can feel useful, she will feel better about herself and treat everyone else better, and if jackie can be useful, everyone will treat her better, and if she can do both, it'll all be mutually beneficial. so here and in the next one on my list, shauna tries to make that happen bc she knows itll improve jackie's situation.

trying to teach her survival skills. it's another great example of shauna reading the room and looking out for jackie by way of trying to help her fit in. granted, this one isnt as successful as the "i just need my best friend right now" scene (will get to that in a minute) because jackie is not cut out for butchering things and is also extremely not interested in it, but i still think it was smart of shauna to be able to pinpoint why jackie is getting flack, and the fact that shauna tried to solve that problem shows that she cares about jackie and doesn't want jackie to be ostracized. of course, obligatory disclaimer that if you have a really uncharitable read on shauna you could say again that it was purely self serving because if the team is getting along then everyone has a better chance of survival blablabla...but. personally i think this was simply her being a good friend.

the "i just need my best friend right now" scene. ive already written about this one so ill refer you 👉here👈 for the post i made a while ago but will summarize again real quick - its one of shauna's most emotionally intelligent moments imo. she recognizes that jackie is feeling vulnerable and upset, and instead of tackling it head-on by trying to directly comfort jackie (which could have just made jackie feel worse) she does the opposite, and opens herself up and lets jackie comfort her so that jackie can a) feel useful and b) feel close to her best friend again.

shauna's little pep talk after she tries to teach jackie how to butcher - which i just rewatched literally right now so that i could be ~well informed~ while making this post lol. and shauna kinda flops at her pep talk but i think honestly that's kinda the whole point, and shauna knows it, and jackie knows it. because then shauna segues into reminding jackie of how she's useful (i.e. she's a morale booster, not a butcher) and she even says "we need you" (lol does anyone else still hold their breath every time waiting for shauna to then say "...i need you" or is it just me and jackie?). and i think this scene contains what might actually be the most genuine and direct display of verbal affection that we ever see shauna give jackie: "you taught me how to be like this, you know." i think it's maybe shauna's equivalent of "you're the best friend i've ever had. you know that, right?" which is to say it's the closest she'll get to outright saying she loves jackie. and then dont get me STARTED on the necklace. the fricking necklace the talisman of love and good fortune and protection that jackie imbued with symbolic significance when she gave it to shauna on the airplane. i feel like theres also something to be said about how shauna puts it on for jackie, but idk what exactly. i mean its just a very tender and sweet moment of shauna physically taking care of jackie, and i get the impression that physical caretaking really resonates with jackie (because it also seems to be the way that she cares for/comforts people, so shauna is kind of "speaking her language" there). and then shauna echoes jackie's own words back to her - "i mean, you're basically the best" - and you know what guys? i think jackie LOVES a good callback. exhibit A she gets all "teehee" when shauna says that, and exhibit B (sorry) of course there's her dying dream where shauna says "you're the best friend i've ever had." the way to jackie's heart is through callbacks!

anyway thats all ive got for now, im sure there are things that i've missed but hey it's a start! as always if anyone's got anything to add please do, id love to hear it!

[spinaroos-47]

Batdr is fine. When you take only the game itself into account but yeah its pretty much impossible to remove it from all the context of what went down with the studio. Buuuut Im not well versed on that and i want to talk about some stuff about the game in itself.

Batim used to be a spin some years ago, from before i even created this blog. So i kinda wanted to check it out, just out of curiosity

Gotta admit, i had a better time watching it than i thought id have. Though i literally just finished watching a playthrough a few hours ago so my opinions might change in the future, probably will be my only post of this game here

Out of the gate i have to say, i didn't really like the talking animations. Like, the gestures dont feel like gestures you do when you're talking with someone. Theyre too floaty and simmetrical. A good example of the floaty thing is in the intro where Audrey is tapping her fingers on the desk. Doesnt look super right.

The style took me a while to get used to. I was more fond of the style in the first game but it grew on me. They really expanded on the style, made it more detailed and really worked with the sepia and black in a way to give everything a lot of depth while still keeping it cartoony. Dont know how to feel about the addition of new colors.

The story was pretty interesting! I do like how they messed with the concept of the loop without outright conflicting with the canon Batim estabilished. It makes sense, its very interesting! I liked the flow of the story, but i did get a little ehhhh when it began showing that Audrey was trusting Wilson to do the right thing. Because like, the man fucking drowned you and trapped you in an inky hellscape. Even when you dont know his plans, why would you trust him? Yes, he's a familiar face but still doesnt make sense.

Joey making Audrey is something i really liked for some reason, its very interesting. Maybe because of the toh brainrot fjdndnf. Though it does contradict his line at the end of Batim where he says that Henry got a loving family and he only got a crooked empire. There was a lot of small things from the first game that they seemed to forget or just contradict, which is odd because there also was a lot that was consistent.

One thing that didn't sit well with me was how more at the end it seemed to go in a direction of showing how Joey changed for the better, but never really adressed all the workplace abuse and overall shittyness he brought onto his employees. Though what else could we expect from the kindlybeast?

For a while i was thinking they would pull the "oh the loop is better than the world Wilson has made" and while Wilson's whole dictatorship thing was very bad, i don't think the loop was good either. So i like that it was framed more as something that really couldnt be changed without being paused and put into stasis like Wilson did. Neither is good but one keeps the balance of that world, and Audrey is doing her best to make it more bearable.

Also Audrey basically managed to get Joey's wish from the first game, to bring the cartoon characters to life in a good way. But the credit scene with Gent taking the ink machine intrigues me. Because wouldn't she need it? She found another way to do that?

It suffered the same thing as Batim where some stuff was just brought up and not expanded as it kinda led you to believe. Actually it felt even more here, Batim felt more tightly packed in the story department. The father thing with Wilson felt kinda out of nowhere/underdeveloped. Like, if you dont pay much attention to it, it doesnt hurt much but it sure is weird.

Im not a really well versed guy on gameplay stuff, and i watched a playthrough instead of playing the game myself, but the problems in the first game seemed to be improved in this one. Definitely didn't get all solved some of them, but improved for sure, especially the combate.

When Audrey got the flow hability i realized they were sticking close to a formula like dishonored, with that and the way they did all the collectibles (the batteries, slugs, etc), which i think it might have been a good choice since dishonored is considered a pretty good game.

So, yeah, a fine game, though the enjoyment is tainted by the irl stuff that revolves around the game and the studio

[thebrilliot]

Rubik's cube solving agent: Road Map

K, haven't done stuff in a little bit; I wasn't sure what to do first. BUT I did do a lot of studying group theory, and I do really appreciate when someone else has already established a vocabulary for a system of thinking. It does apply very well to Rubik's cubes.

So I'm thinking that there is enough that I want to change that I will be better off refactoring right now. The code base isn't even large at this point but I do know some of things that I want to accomplish with this project, and I want to make quick progress on this. I have other projects I want to get to too! Making progress on this problem I first started on 12 years ago will feel sooooo good. Gotta keep moving forward. More iteration = more speed even if that requires rewriting code more often.

That means I'm going to make a new branch for v0.2! Once I have v0.2 where I want it, I'll make the repo public. I think I will be comfortable with that. I have been reading about words and normal form and generating sets and Cayley diagrams and things. If you watch Matthew Macauley's Visual Group Theory lectures on YouTube, he talks about a "Big Book" that contains the shortest solution for every Rubik's cube and I'm borrowing that idea for what I previously called a "Store". Here is the rough road map for the project now:

v0.1 (there is a cube and you can turn it)

completed lol

v0.2 (flexible and (mostly) optimized book generation)

better and alternative notation, position vs. ID relative cube representation, enable flexible book creation via CLI, maximize book size using embedded DB, cube and word normal and compressed serialization

v0.3 (usable for anyone)

Python interface using pyo3, TUI improvement, colored facelet representation, strategic-game-cube dataset compatibility, word reduction and substitution

v0.4 (suitable for training Rubik's cube agents)

books as training datasets, 4 trainable tasks - (valid cube identification, masked cubelet prediction, depth prediction, cube solving RL)

v0.5 (nice-to-haves, idk)

algorithm exploration in TUI?, conjugacy classes (at least I'll give it a try), 3D viewer???, I do think it would be cool to watch the cube as the agent tries to solve the cube

I swear this will all make more sense when you can see the repo! I wish I had stuff to show , you know? Unfortunately, that's not how studying works, and my notes and thoughts are a mess. Hey, let me know if you would want to watch me work! The fun of this for me is that there is literally no point to it, lol. I'm making this for me. It will bother me if I don't finish yet another project and leaving the problem itself unsolved is already bothering me. If you want to join me in the fun, I will gladly show you my mad ravings and rant about how this entire project is just to enable a single experiment see if, when you're training a model to navigate a space that can be represented by permutations, the permutations will show up in the embeddings.

I don't stream much but I have a Twitch account! What do you think?

[rushikshah]

How Much Does Google Ads Cost in 2023?

You may have stumbled upon this post because you’re wrestling with this question daily. Imagine it’s a typical Tuesday morning. You’ve just settled into your office chair, coffee in hand, ready to conquer the day’s tasks. As a business owner, you have plenty on your plate. The recurring budget meetings, the constant juggling of projects, the perpetual quest for growth…and then, you log into your Google Ads account, and the realization of Google Ads Cost hits you like a bitter taste in your morning coffee.

Let’s dimensionalize the problem:

1. The anxiety kicks in as you’re greeted with a higher-than-expected advertising ill.

2. You’re staring blankly at the screen, trying to make sense of where your hard-earned money is going.

3. You grapple with the increasing complexity of the Google Ads platform.

4. Frustration mounts as you think about how this escalating cost affects your bottom line.

5. You ponder over why, despite your diligent efforts, you don’t see a proportional increase in ROI.

6. You question if you are really reaching your ideal customer or just throwing money into a black hole.

7. You feel the constant pressure of remaining competitive in your industry.

8. You’re exhausted from balancing the demands of growing your business while managing ad costs.

9. You wish you had a clear understanding of the cost structure to budget effectively.

10. The knowledge gap leaves you feeling outmatched, outsmarted, and on the edge of giving up.

“It’s NOT what you think…”

The truth is, these symptoms aren’t a result of negligence or a lack of effort. And no, it’s not about the size of your business either. Most people think the reason they’re experiencing these challenges is because they’re not investing enough money, not being savvy enough, or the market competition is just too stiff.

But the real root cause?

Your understanding of the cost of Google Ads in 2023 and the factors that determine these costs.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: The most common solutions tried by business owners often fail because they overlook the crucial aspect of understanding the Google Ads pricing structure, cost-per-click (CPC) determination, and how budgeting works on the platform. They fail to dive into the depths of industry-specific costs and other unexpected Google Ads costs, which can drastically affect ad spend.

Now, What Needs To Be Done To Solve The Issue?

Introducing the superior way to tackle this problem: In-depth understanding and effective management of your Google Ads spend. This isn’t about spending more or less, but rather about spending smart. Businesses that understand this have achieved better results with lesser ad spend. Take Helen’s Café, a small business that reduced its Google Ads cost by 20% in six months by comprehending the pricing structure, or TechMovers, a medium-sized tech company that saw a 25% improvement in ROI by understanding the CPC determination and effectively managing the ad budget.

The Benefits Of Implementing This New Solution:

1. Mastering the understanding of Google Ads costs in 2023 equips you with control over your ad spend.

2. Learning how the cost differs by industry helps you anticipate the competitive landscape better.

3. Understanding what factors determine Google Ads pricing allows you to strategize more effectively.

4. Delving into how Google Ads determines your CPC can help you aim for a better return on investment.

5. Knowing how Google Ads budgeting works gives you the confidence to manage your ad spending wisely.

6. Uncovering the average CPC for Google Ads enables you to set realistic expectations for campaign results.

7. Discovering how much other small businesses spend on Google Ads provides insight for benchmarking.

8. Being aware of other Google Ads costs prevents unpleasant surprises, keeping your budget intact.

Expanding on Google Ads Pricing Across Different Industries

The cost of Google Ads does indeed vary substantially across different industries. This variability is attributed to several factors, each playing a pivotal role in determining the cost per click (CPC) for any particular industry. 

1. Legal and Insurance Industries

The legal and insurance sectors are excellent examples to illustrate this point. These industries usually exhibit high CPC rates. But have you ever wondered why? The primary reason lies in the high Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) associated with these sectors.

CLTV represents the total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout its relationship with the business. Given the high potential revenue from securing a new client in these fields, businesses in the legal and insurance sectors are generally willing to pay more per click. The higher bidding drives up the average CPC.

Moreover, these sectors are often characterized by fierce competition, with numerous businesses vying for a spot on the coveted first page of Google’s search results. This heightened competition leads to an increase in the average CPC as businesses continually outbid each other.

2. Arts and Entertainment Industries

Contrastingly, the arts and entertainment industries typically witness lower CPC rates. These sectors have a different set of dynamics at play. For starters, these industries usually have a lower CLTV. Unlike a high-value insurance policy or a legal retainer that might be worth thousands of dollars, a single purchase in the arts or entertainment sector — say, a ticket to a concert or a piece of artwork — generally generates less revenue.

Furthermore, competition within these sectors, while still present, is often less aggressive. This lower intensity of competition can result in a lower CPC as businesses aren’t consistently trying to outbid each other to secure a top ad spot.

Google Ads pricing isn’t just a reflection of the platform’s structure but also mirrors the broader economic dynamics and competitive landscape of each industry. The cost isn’t arbitrary but is influenced by factors such as CLTV, competition, and the overall profitability of the sector.

Delving Deeper into the Factors Determining Google Ads Pricing

Understanding Google Ads pricing requires a close look at the main factors that influence how much you’ll pay for your ads. Let’s delve deeper into each one.

1. Bidding Strategy

Your chosen bidding strategy can significantly influence your Google Ads costs. When setting up a campaign, you’re asked to select a bid strategy based on your marketing objectives. Google offers various bid strategies including:

2. Cost-per-click (CPC):

Here, you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This strategy is excellent for driving website traffic.

3. Cost-per-acquisition (CPA):

With CPA, you pay when someone takes a specific action on your site after clicking the ad, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. It’s particularly useful if your aim is conversions.

4. Cost-per-view (CPV):

CPV is mainly for video ads where you pay each time a user views your video.

Depending on your business goals and budget, each strategy can affect your overall ad expenditure.

5. Keyword Competition

In the realm of Google Ads, not all keywords are created equal. Keywords that have a high search volume or are in high demand often cost more. This is because there are more businesses competing to rank for these popular keywords.

Think of it as an auction, where the highest bidder gets the prize – in this case, the coveted ad space. Keywords related to industries with high customer lifetime values, such as legal or insurance services, tend to be highly competitive and thus more expensive.

6. Quality Score

The Quality Score is Google’s rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and ads. It’s determined by factors like:

a. Ad relevance: How closely your ad matches the intent behind a user’s search.

b. Landing page quality: Google checks whether your landing page is relevant to your ad and offers a good user experience.

c. Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of users who click on your ad after seeing it.

A higher Quality Score is advantageous as it can lead to lower costs per click, better ad placements, and higher ad rankings. This is because Google rewards you for providing relevant ads by making it cheaper for your ads to enter the auction and possibly rank in a higher position.

Understanding these factors can help you to optimize your Google Ads campaigns and get more value for your ad spend. By selecting the right bidding strategy, targeting less competitive keywords, and improving your Quality Score, you can run effective campaigns that align with your budget and business goals.

Understanding the Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Mechanism in Google Ads

How do Google Ads determine your CPC? Think of it as an auction. Your maximum bid and Quality Score collectively decide your Ad Rank. Subsequently, the Ad Rank determines your ad placement and your actual CPC. So, the higher the Ad Rank, the lower your CPC while maintaining your ad position.

Decoding how Google Ads calculates your cost-per-click (CPC) involves understanding the Ad Auction, a complex process that decides not only the cost of your click but also where your ad will be placed. Here’s a deeper look into the mechanism.

1. The Google Ad Auction: Bids and Quality Scores

First, it’s important to know that each time a Google search is initiated that corresponds to an advertiser’s keyword, an ad auction takes place. The two critical factors in this auction are:

a. Maximum Bid: This is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a click on your ad. You set this bid when creating your ad group or keyword.

b. Quality Score: As mentioned earlier, Google assigns a Quality Score to each of your keywords, which is a measure of the quality and relevance of your ad to the user’s search query. It includes factors like your ad’s CTR, the relevance of your keyword to the ad group, and the quality of your landing page.

2. Ad Rank and Its Role

Your Ad Rank is calculated using your maximum bid multiplied by your Quality Score. The ads are then ranked based on their Ad Rank, with the highest-ranked ad placed at the top.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Your actual CPC isn’t necessarily your maximum bid. Instead, it’s influenced by the Ad Rank of the ad below yours. Your CPC is calculated as the minimum amount you can pay to maintain your ad position, meaning you often end up paying less than your maximum bid.

3. Higher Ad Rank, Lower CPC

In essence, a higher Quality Score can significantly lower your CPC. A high-Quality Score means that your ad is deemed highly relevant to the user’s query, providing a good user experience. As a result, Google rewards you by reducing your CPC and potentially improving your ad position.

Conversely, a low-Quality Score could end up costing you more. If Google determines that your ad isn’t very relevant to users, you might have to bid higher to get your ad displayed, leading to a higher CPC.

Understanding this mechanism can help you optimize your ad campaigns, improve your Quality Score, and potentially lower your CPC. By focusing on relevance and quality, you can ensure your ads are not only cost-effective but also effective in achieving your marketing objectives.

Demystifying Budgeting in Google Ads

Budget management is a vital aspect of any Search Engine Marketing (SEM), including Google Ads campaigns. Effectively managing your budget ensures optimal utilization of resources, enabling you to achieve your advertising goals successfully.

1. Setting Your Budget

In Google Ads, you have the flexibility to set your own budget according to your needs and the scale of your campaign. You set budgets on the campaign level, meaning each campaign has its own unique budget. This offers you a granular level of control over your spending.

Whether your budget is $10 or $10,000, there is no minimum spend requirement on Google Ads. Plus, the budget can be edited anytime, offering you the flexibility to increase or decrease your spending as per the campaign’s performance or your marketing goals.

2. Effective Budget Management

Effective budget management goes beyond merely setting a budget. It’s about how well you can make your budget work for your business. Google provides a couple of tools and features that can aid in managing your budget more effectively:

1. Smart Bidding: This is a set of automated bid strategies that use machine learning to optimize for conversions or conversion value. It factors in a wide range of signals like device, location, time of day, etc., and adjusts your bids in real-time to get the most out of your budget.

2. Budget Pacing: Google’s budget pacing feature helps you spread out your ad spend evenly over the course of the day or the entire campaign period. This ensures that you don’t exhaust your budget too early and miss potential ad placements later in the day when they could be most effective.

Budgeting in Google Ads isn’t just about how much money you’re willing to spend, but also how you manage and allocate that budget to get the maximum return on your investment. By understanding how to set and manage your budget, you can create more effective advertising campaigns that drive results while staying within your financial boundaries.

Average CPC in Google Ads

In 2023, the average CPC in Google Ads greatly depends on the industry, competition, and geographical location. However, a general benchmark to consider is that the average CPC across all industries is approximately $2-$3.

Assessing Google Ads Expenditure for Small Businesses

Google Ads can be a powerful marketing tool for small businesses, offering them a platform to reach potential customers who are actively searching for their products or services. However, how much should a small business ideally spend on Google Ads? The answer isn’t straightforward and can significantly vary based on several factors.

Diversity in Google Ads Spending

When it comes to Google Ads, there’s no one-size-fits-all budget for small businesses. Spending can range widely based on the business’s size, industry, objectives, competition, and location.

A small, local business operating in a niche market with little competition might spend just a few hundred dollars per month on Google Ads. This budget could be enough to target their local area and reach their customers.

In contrast, a small online retailer operating in a competitive industry and catering to a broader market might spend several thousand dollars per month. This increased budget allows them to compete with other businesses for visibility, reach more potential customers, and drive more website traffic and sales.

Determining the Right Budget

Deciding on a budget for Google Ads involves considering several factors:

1. Business Goals: Your objectives play a significant role in determining your ad spend. If you aim to generate brand awareness or drive website traffic, you might need a different budget compared to if your goal is to increase sales or leads.

2. Industry and Competition: If your industry is highly competitive, you may need to spend more on Google Ads to outbid your competitors and gain visibility.

3. Keywords and CPC: The keywords you target and their cost per click (CPC) will also influence your budget. More competitive keywords usually have a higher CPC.

4. Return on Investment (ROI): Lastly, consider your ROI. If your Google Ads campaigns are profitable, it might make sense to increase your ad spend to generate even more revenue.

Conclusion:

The cost of Google Ads in 2023 is a multifaceted topic that depends on numerous variables. It’s not as simple as a fixed price tag but a dynamic figure influenced by factors such as your industry, bidding strategy, keyword competition, Quality Score, and budget.

The beauty of Google Ads lies in its flexibility and control, allowing businesses of all sizes to leverage this powerful platform according to their specific needs and budgets. From a small local business spending just a few hundred dollars per month, to a larger online retailer spending several thousand dollars, the versatility of Google Ads is clear.

Remember, investing in Google Ads is not an expense but an investment in your business’s growth. By aligning your Google Ads strategies with your business goals, and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you can ensure that your investment pays off, driving valuable traffic, leads, and sales to your business.

If you have any questions or need help understanding Google Ads costs in 2023, our team is here to assist. We specialize in helping businesses of all sizes optimize their Google Ads strategies to achieve the best possible results within their budget. Get in touch with us today, and let’s make your Google Ads investment work for you.

[readymades2002]

hm okay so marcille’s wish seems to have Two facets to it. there is the thing she says she wants, which is to create opportunities for people that a difference in lifespans can block off, and what her fear drove her towards, which is never having to watch everyone die before her again. we’ve seen what that difference in lifespan means before, how everyone else resents elves for looking at everyone as children with short memories who don’t know what’s best for them, it’s very much an established thing! and the way it’s talked about in this chapter DOES worry me a little bit, like, narratively speaking.

lifespan is...like. it’s different than other axes? the idea of living a thousand years is NIGHTMARISH to me and i think that...that is a heavy weight to give others to carry without their input. i do think that it is, dare i say, Not Good to do that.

but the way it is refuted, and the way lifespan differences are shown to be kind of a social class...thing, it does make me feel a little weird because on the ONE hand literally its very scary yes but on the OTHER is this a metaphor for something and is this refutation a metaphorical response to that something. you know. marcille wanting to eliminate inequalities between lifespans as something that Just Isn’t Good For Everyone or something to that effect. idk the translation including the phrase “racial disparities” DID put me on edge here too, i know in Fantasy World they use Race to mean something more like species which is not uncommon by any means but i still think its a very poor choice of word and keeping the history of fantasy “races” and their...Inspirations in mind makes it worse. i might be reading too much into it but 1) thats what i do and 2) seeing that one GODDAMN kabru shapeshifter joke really REALLY Got Me ugh

for now i am gonna look at it more optimistically though and say that marcille’s motivations simply looking at them as they are are very interesting. i don’t doubt that she wants others to have more opportunities denied to them by their lifespans (though i think the solution of “simply make lifespans longer” instead of “do something about elves holding power” is a short-sighted one. VERY in-character though, that’s not a complaint about that. just thinking as i go) but she is motivated by her own fear. marcille is kind of a selfish person! she is self-centered and a little thoughtless and she’s been through a lot that drives her to soothe the fear created by it. she may be convincing herself of her good intentions, of her care for her friends, but ultimately, she does not want to be alone. i mean who doesn’t but its the kind of thing she is willing to go to questionably ethical lengths to achieve with only her own desires in mind. i think that the birds outside her wizard tower (have you seen the birds. for the record the birds in dunmeshi are simply divine. excellent birds. wonderful birds) point to her motivations well. losing a bird (especially one as long lived as a cockatoo!) affected her deeply. she’s disturbed by the lion conjuring a puppet of her father, but she keeps him around anyway. the temptation is great and the fear of loss powerful! there is marcille who is very put together and knows what to do better than anyone else and who believes in her own accomplishments and abilities enough to stake the world on it, and there is also marcille who is thoughtless and petty and insecure and terrified of being alone and it makes for a very dangerous combination! she’s such a fascinating character!!! i think this is an excellent arc for her

[idjitlili]

Lurking in the dark.

Not my gif.

Summary:  Jareth uses a disguise to lurk around you before the Labyrinth like he did with Sarah, as an owl. Until you accidentally wish away your dog.

Warnings:mentions of tight pants. Mentions of feeling lonely.First smut...you’ve been warned, well just oral, and a handjob.

Word count:4325

A/n: low-key based in my home country, ah yes England.

Y/d/n=your dogs name, or change it to cat or fake pet.

Though you weren't 16, like Sarah, being an adult, Jareth felt pulled to you. No, he was not a pervert, times were different.  Maybe it was your love of your dog, maybe it's how lonesome you felt, that dog unknowingly brought hope into your life. Yes you did love your family, but sometimes you just got lonely.

Maybe it was your love of films, you could watch your favourite film a million times, yet feel so invested into watching it again. Maybe it was your stack of books, some you already had ,which were your favourite,but had gotten pocket editions or ones with different covers.

How Jareth had found you, well that was a different question, not him dressing down , changing his hair to place the labyrinth in difference book stores , illegally. Yes, that was how he had found you,when he had done that. Soon he had figured out, you regularly went to the book store, after following you home in his owl form.

This particular day had been most stressful, though the rain was calming, being drenched to the point your underwear were soaked, not like that. Frozen, you just wanted to get to Waterstones before they shut, practically running. Not only wanting to get there but also get home quick too.

Rushing into the store , the door closing behind you, the warm air embracing your freezing body, you just hoped you wouldn't get in trouble for being soaked in here. It wasn't like you were going to wipe your clothes on all the books , ruining them.

Then, of course more problems occurred; you could not for the life of you find a book you desired.  Sighing , you pushed your dripping hair from your face, you could only imagine how bad you looked in that moment.

Yet, you had continued your search, with no luck until a man had cleared his throat from next to you.

His hair clearly blond from his roots, the rest a light red colour almost ginger but not. His eyes bright blue, yet it seemed like he had heterochromia, aswell as larger pupil in his left eye. His cheekbones highly defined, his body skinny, overall the man was very handsome.

Turning to face the man, highly embarrassed by your state. "If you don't mind-" this is when you thought you was going to be asked to leave, your stomach dropped. "-hearing my suggestion." Okay, that still found like he was going to ask you to leave, but his voice wasn't aggressive.  "...okay?" You weren't sure what to say, only letting out a quiet word.

The man had reached up to the shelf above you , pulling down a small red book, so he wasn't kicking you out.  His pale hand gently holding the book in front of you, 'The labyrinth.' You had taken the book from him, to look for a summary , yet there wasn't one, nor a publisher or an author name.

"You take that home,on me, if you don't like bring it back."  

"W-wait, you d-" You didn't know this man, you felt guilty getting it for nothing, but he had interrupted you. "You've had a long day,clearly,  now go get home,y/n"  The man simply placed his hands on his hips waiting, his words followed out like water, turning to go do whatever he was doing.

"W-wait." He had spun around , his eyes looked at you in slight annoyance, hurrying you up. "What's your name?"

"Ziggy." You had looked at you watch at the same time, before looking back at the man- but he was gone. Thus, you left.  Hold on , how did he know your name?

Not spotting the owl, that stood on the lamp post watching you...

You had begun reading the book , as soon as you had gotten out of your soaking clothes , into warm ones. You wondered how Jareth could like a girl with no sense, no you didn't , you thought why she wearing her baby brother hat.

Yet, your dog would not allow you to sit in peace, shoving their toy under the cupboard making you get up and get it otherwise they wouldn't stop crying, or eating all their food and scratching for more. Then, they had knocked your drink everywhere with their toy.

Groaning in annoyance , for the hundredth time. "You know if the Goblin king was real, y/d/n, I'd wish for him to take you for a time out." Of course you handed read that far you didn't know what would really happen to him..

"You know what, I'll just say it, just in case. I wish the goblins would take you away, right now."   A crack of thunder had made you jump out of your skin turning towards it , before turning back hearing scratching on the floor, to see nothing, by this time it's pitch black, only light from a small lamp is seen , your dog is gone.

Suddenly the door crashes open, an owl flies in , before turning into a man. Not that you could see him much. "Uhm, I mean thanks for taking my dog for a time out , but uh thats dognapping, so.." He had only laughed loudly.

From what you you could see his hair was a huge blond mullet, there was glitter everywhere, and those pants...

"What's said is said."

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" That wasn't legal, he had broken into your home and stole your dog.

"I have brought you a gift, it's a crystal, nothing more. but if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams. but this is not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of the dog.....do you want it? then forget the dog." You had scoffed at him, you could go ebay and get a crystal ball, who was this wannabe Gandalf?

"Sorry, no, I would like my dog." The king, looked disappointed with your answer, did he believe that would really work?

"don't defy me." His voice stern , as he threw a snake at you , but completely missed, coughing out a small laugh, as the man pretended it never happened.

"Y-you're no match for me."

"Stop with all the talk, how can I get y/d/n back?" With that , he had gestured you to come to the window, a huge maze could be seen, well labyrinth, instead of the dark sky. Turning back to Jareth, you realised you were no longer in your room, but outside the labyrinth.

"So, how does this work?"  You could clearly see the man now, known as Jareth , the Goblin king, his eyes seemed very familiar, left pupil bigger than the right.  He had pointed to a 13 hours clock, that had appeared.

"You have 13 hours in which to solve the labyrinth , and reach my castle, before your dog becomes one of us forever, such a pity." And boom he was a gone, not much to work from.

Now finding away into the labyrinth, indeed that seemed easy, of course it wasn't, no entrances , you thought of the only thing you could do... Climb the wall.  By the time you had gotten over , there stood Jareth in the tight pants.

"You know, there was a door. This shall be your only warning." Poof he was gone again, if you continued climbing walls maybe you'd have to compliment his pants. Next time put a bloody door.

Though you had no idea what in gods earth you was doing, you just decided to head straight forward as you could, thus to get to the castle quicker. Not going one away and ending going through the side door out of the labyrinth.

As you could expect, Jareth was not very happy that you were travelling through his labyrinth, like it was your house. In fact, he was angered, so much , that he wanted to pick you up, as if you were a rag doll and dump you to the start. Then again, you’d just go twice as fast through.

So, there sat Jareth on his throne, with your dog upon his lap, his little whip thing in hand. Suit up Jareth, your not Indiana Jones. Staring into the crystal ball, unable to think.

The fact you had gotten passed the sausage dogs without a second thought pushed Jareth over the edge... He had attempted to jump scare you, but of course it had went south. Jareth rarely had anyone not beat the Labyrinth, and honestly you’d think he would’ve improved it.

Jareth hadn’t spoken in your presence, to inform you that he was there, instead he had placed a hand onto your shoulder. What he was not expecting was you to turn around at sonic speed, punching him square in the face.

Stumbling back, him his boots, holding his now bloody nose, he had let out a yelp in surprise. He did not expect that, not at all.

You had reached some sort of lake, with a path down to a small house, when you had punched Jareth anyways.

After you had seen that it was Jareth that you had punched, who else would it be, guilty travelled up your body suffocating you. Almost instantly you had rushed to Jareth, ripping part of the end of your t-shirt, bringing the fabric to his nose. Pulling his bloody hand from his nose, with a harsh grip, since he lead stiff.

Your face was sweating, not only were you scared that he might kill you, but also you had felt bad for him, after the numerous times he had checked up on you. You wondered if he ever spoke to anyone other than the Goblins, you wondered if he could even leave this place without being wished.

Gripping his sharp jaw to move his face, allowing you to make get a better look at the bleeding, keeping the fabric to his nose, soaking all the blood up. You didn’t even know Faes bled.

“J-Jareth, I’m so sorry! You made me jump, I swear I didn’t do it on purp-“ Jareth liked the contact, the anger he felt before had slipped away, your soft fingers upon his skin, your favourite t-shirt now ruined as you had sacrificed it for his nose. Oh, and he knew that was your favourite shirt.

Your pleading e/c eyes staring into his mismatched ones, made both of your hearts beat fast than moments before. It almost made him forget why you were here; but when he did remember his eyes returned harsh. You only felt bad because you were frightened, he knew you’d leave him soon as you had beaten his labyrinth.

Oh how wrong he was.

Pulling away rudely, using his magic to pull a clock out of no where, using his gloved had to skip it forward three hours, smirking. Fake smirking, the quicker this ends the better, he could not bare to fall in love with a silly human girl again, just to be rejected.

Your eyes widened in confusion, your torn end of your t-shirt still in your hand, bloodied. “W-what?” 6 hours left.

Poof Jareth was gone yet again, oh and how he had some plans for you. Stood in brief shock of what had just occurred, trying to forget the tingles that had erupted down your hand, throughout your whole body, like electric shocks. Shaking it off, like you were about to warm up for pe , just like high school. Ew.

You had continued down the path, to the small house, and within minutes you had reached it. Didn’t seem like there was away around, only way was through.

Thankfully, it was unlocked, allowing you straight in. Only for it to slam close behind you, you didn’t think of anything of it, all you could think about in this moment was how your stomach was growling loudly.

The rag now placed into your back pocket, as you searched the tiny kitchen for anything, coming across an overly large strawberry, you didn’t even think before you had devoured it.

In that moment you heard it the door clicked, you had rushed to it testing it, locked, of course. Your feet now suddenly soaking wet , gulping you had looked down the floor covered in soapy water, rising dangerously. Surely he would not kill you?

All the windows now sealed shut, no upstairs , only the chimney , thankfully wide as. You did the only thing you could, your stomach turning, feeling light headed, the water reaching your knees.

You got in it, but the walls were too slippery so you held your breath just as the water got above your shoulders. Swimming up the chimney with the water, not full breast stroke of course, no room for that. The water pressure building at such a speed you ended up flying out the end of the chimney, no idea how that was even possible.

Then everything went black, soon entering a dream world...well no it wasn’t a dream. Now dressed in gown, at a ball, a masquerade, the room almost packed with guests with goblin like masks., all wearing big expensive gowns, or suite like attire. Loud laughter dimmed out by the loud gently music.. what.

Turning every which way, you felt like you were looking for something, just you could not recall what. A skinny man, with a bo dazzled suite, a long blond mullet with stripes of blue to match his suite, a diamond at his next instead of a tie or bow, frilly shirt. He held a similar goblin mask, only when you caught his eye he had pulled it away.

Only you and him without masks, his eyebrows with no ends, h-his strangely familiar eyes , his thin lips, you felt a strong pull towards him.

“There's such a sad love

Deep in your eyes a kind of pale jewel

Open and closed

Within your eyes

I'll place the sky.”

All you could do is stare at him, as the song began, mouth gapped at him, your dress that before felt heavy no felt like nothing, as he began walking towards you, through the people.

“Within your eyes

There's such a fooled heart

Beatin' so fast”

Trying to get passed the strange people, to get him, he simply danced with other people that already had partners, I mean, like pressed up against the partners.

“In search of new dreams

A love that will last

Within your heart

I'll place the moon

Within your heart

As the pain sweeps through.” He didn’t even try to get to you as you chased after him, these strange people suffocating you, getting in your way on purpose.

“Makes no sense for you

Every thrill is gone.” Then he was gone, your eyes searched the room, not seeing him hidden behind a fan behind you, continued your search. As he smirked behind you, oh how he couldn’t stop feeling the way he did about you, he thought it was funny how now you chased him instead of the other way around.

“Wasn't too much fun at all

But I'll be there for you-ou-ou

As the world falls down.” He had continued making his way through the people, in direct view , as you searched still.

“Falling

As the world falls down

Falling

Falling in love.” Squeezing through the people, feeling panicked, you had no idea what was happening, nor why you felt like this for a strange man, shoving pushed the people that circled you.

“I'll paint you mornings of gold

I'll spin you Valentine evenings though we're strangers 'til now.” You had found him, as a fan moved, he stood sandwiched by two woman.

“We're choosing the path

Between the stars

I'll leave my love

Between the stars” Only then did he come towards you,his face should no emotion, you wondered how you had gotten here. Now with a mans hand out waist and the other in his hand as you danced.

“As the pain sweeps through

Makes no sense for you

Every thrill is gone

Wasn't too much fun at all.” You couldn’t remember knowing how to dance, but you and Jareth done turns in sync with all the other dancers, staring deeply into his mismatched pupils.

“But I'll be there for you-ou-ou

As the world falls down

Falling” Jareth-how did you now know his name, now singing along, wow self loving much , who plays their own music. He had every right. Only then, did you feel yourself leaning to his lips.

“As the world falls down

Falling

Falling

As the world falls down.”

Jareth had noticed, leaning towards you as well, you felt your lips connect to his soft ones, as your eyes closed. That’s all it took for your remove your hands from his shoulder and hand bringing them up into his blond hair. Pulling his face towards yours, not allowing yourself to disconnect from him, you both had stopped dance at this point.

His arms now around your waist pulling you both closer together again, one of your hand now cupping his cheek, as you both kissed. Pulling away for a second to breathe, before pressing your lips against his again harshly this time, biting his lip hard, he had almost jumped, letting out a yelp, only then were you able insert your tongue into his mouth.

You both had long forgotten the people that surrounded you both. Jareths grip now tightened, your tongue fighting against his. Only until he had pulled your hair, pulling you from him lips, your eyes slammed shut, your hands now against his clothed chest, as he pressed kisses down your bare neck. A small moan had escaped your mouth, your hand travelling down to his pants. “Can I?” Jareth had looked into your eyes, his other pupil now almost reaching the same size as his other, nodding.

You hand cupping, his manhood, his pulse heightened under your touch, Jareth had groaned loudly, his bulging member against your palm, as Jareths hips had pushed against your hand for friction. Jareth now sucking harshly at your neck, rubbing your hand against him.

You had forgotten about the room full off people;but Jareth had definitely not, he did not want to take you in front of them, at this moment he didn’t care, he had not had pleasure in a very long time. Leaving your neck, Jareth had joined your lips again, biting your already swollen bottom lips, returning to sloppy small kisses, you had wished that Jareth had picked a less poofy dress.

Your hands leaving Jareths body, he had let out a small sigh, he had thought you had remembered, especially when you began to lift the bottom the dress. Only then did you notice the people, wide eye, but they were still dancing, even if they were looking, Jareth touch was intoxicating.

Your calf’s now on show, almost touching Jareth again, how starred down at you confused, as you looked up at him with a small grin, lifting your leg up and over hip. Instantly he had gripped the soft skin under your thigh, your dress now bunched up to your waist, as you wrapped your arms around Jareths neck.

Pressing your clothes core against, his bulging, your core soaking through, jumping up, so that both of your legs were now wrapped tightly against Jareth. Your lips on his, his hands travelling up your legs slowly, all the way to your waist again, wet kisses as your hips began to rock against Jareths stone member. Your stomach turning into knots against him.

Your clit pulsating against him, undoubtedly he could feel it too, your speed quickly increase, pushed Jareth over the edge with a loud groan, you were pressed against the stone floor. Still, you grinned harshly against him, his hands now either side of your head, his only your upper back against the floor.

Looking into his hungry eyes, pleading for him to do something, stopping your hip movements . “J-Jareth, a-are you sure we should do this here? W-with these people?” Jareth had only smirked at you lowering himself to your ear level. “Love, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed about, plus they can only see when I want them too, understand?” Whispering into your ear, that must be why they didn’t even look your way.

“Now, I must ask, do you want this? Definitely?” His face not inches from yours, his eyes searched yours. “Yes, please.” With that Jareth had unwrapped your legs from him, tearing the bottom of the dress, he was a very skinny man, it was a shame ‘twas a lovely dress. Only your underwear covered you bottom half now, your heels now discarded.

Snapping your legs closed in embarrassment, Jareth had lifted your leg by your calf pressed gently pecks all the way up, till he got your thigh, his eyes meeting yours as you sat up on your elbows, you had nodded at him, anyone would’ve been nervous, especially a virgin.

His lips now reattached to your soft skin on your thigh, gently he had pulled your legs apart , your heat had already been dripping from just kissing, but now it was a river. A snap of his fingers and your underwear were gone.

Jareths face now dangerously close, your whole lower parts on show to him, he had grinned up at you, his hot breath on your most sensitive area, sent chills through your core... literally. Jareth had groaned just feeling your thighs shake in his hands, his erection now painfully restricted.

With that he had slid his tongue up your folds one, letting out a gasp, you hadn’t been touched like this ever. He had brought a single figure to plunge into you, swirling it around you for only a second, his other hand now holding your stomach down, from your squirming underneath him. Removing the finger, his eyes locked onto your as he slipped it into his mouth, sucking on it, before pulling his finger out of his mouth with a pop.

His face satisfied with you, whimpering , he had barely touched you, yet you were pooling already, orgasm almost there, “please...” Parting your folds, he had slowly removed eye contact, his tongue now licking you like an icecream cone, your nerves on overdrive, he had plunged his tongue into you, his hand back on your thighs, squeezing as he swirled around in you. Your legs clenching on his head, grinding into his face.

“Jareth!” Considering you were quite shy, with men anyways, the moan of his name, caused Jareth to tighten his grip, tongue from your opening, he rolled your clit gently between his teeth, you hand cried out, your legs thrown over his shoulders, you could feel your orgasm coming. Pulling tightly at his long hair for more, a loud growl had erupted from his mouth, travelling through you, your stomach tightening.

So close to satisfaction, “J-Jareth..” His tongue had attached back onto your clit, bringing his fingers close to you, one of your legs still on his shoulder, the other leg, he had placed against the stone floor, spreading your legs widely, so that he could insert his finger into you. Your back now curved from the floor, adding two more fingers into your wet opening.

Sweat upon your face, like drops of rain water, allowing you a moment to adjust, Jareth had began to his fingers into you, his mouth detached, faster, and faster by the second. Spreading his fingers in you, you couldn’t hang on any longer. Your legs now shaking like hurricane, Jareth knew you was close, your head thrown back, as you finally met your orgasm.

Removing his fingers, as the please hit you like wrecking ball, throughout our lower half, you had let out a loud moan of pleasure. Your hips finally buckled , riding your orgasm in Jareths face. Panting heavily, Jareth had looking up , wiping the remaining of your juices on his palm.

“J-Jareth?” He now laid next to you, how was he still fully clothed? He had hummed in response. “C-can we just start with that for now,” You were worried, that he’d get angry, but instead he had just looked at you with a gently smile. “Of course, love.” Then you noticed, his painfully erected member, bringing your hand to his bulge rubbing him again, groaning in surprise.

“I-I’ve never done anything like this.” Jareth only nodded, as you stroked him through his pants, he wasn’t going to take your virginity not like this. He was a good man- fae sorry, he took all those children from people that didn’t want them. Shouldn’t be thinking about this right now.

Slipping you hand into Jareths pants, you stroked him harshly, rubbing the his tip gently with your thumb when you reached it, before repeating the cycle. Jareths lips upon yours , you could still taste yourself on him. Quickening your pace, soon enough his he had bitten down roughly onto your lip, as he came.

Yet again, you were both laying on the floor, laying your shoulders on his arm, that wrapped around you laying in his chest.

“Can I have my dog back? I mean- if you let me go back, you could come too, o-only if you want to anyways?” You had stuttered out your words , causing Jareth to laugh at you, he had a feeling you still remembered.

“Of course.”

[lovee-infected]

I love your characters analyses and I agree a lot with them!My favorite is Kalim and while he's an angel, the way most people go "Dumb innocent baby who is naive to the way of the the world uwu" kinda irks me haha. Yes, he's an airhead most of the time but he's much more perceptive than he looks (he knew about Jamil nature all along) and can use his head and put in hard work when he thinks it matters, aka helping and making other people happy (his dorm uniform and scary outfit story) (part 1)

PREACH ANON, PREACH!!! The truth has been spoken 👏👏👏 That was amazing and you almost said anything that I meant to say! Characters and even real people who have the same personality as Kalim are often mischaracterized/misunderstood, mostly because people don't know that kindness isn't equal to stupidity. Almost anything that was needed to be said is already here so I'd just go through some of the details to complete it:

(1) Kindness ≠ Stupidity

Honestly...this isn't just about twst, it's about real life. These days many who are just sweet, generous and caring toward others even as they know that they're being abused because of their kindness, are called naïve and stupid. Look, many times they do realize that not everyone around them are worthy of their kindness, but they'd continue to treat them nicely, because it's in they're nature to be kind nonetheless, and this purity and genuine kindness is the worthiest thing one can ever ask for.

After chapter 4, Kalim did understand that Jamil had never been the person he was thought he was, he didn't even consider Kalim his friend. Jamil is still rejecting him but Kalim doesn't care, he even thanked Jamil after the fairy gala event for dancing with him, because it reminded him of the times when they played as children. Someone like Kalim would never forget anyone's kindness towards him, no matter what happens or how things change through the time. If you think about it, we all need someone like Kalim in our life.

Accept it, no matter who we are or how different our taste in people might be, we'd still appreciate an ally like Kalim. Someone who'd care for you and your problems no matter what it is, even as he can't help he'd try his best to at least make you feel better. He accepts criticism and won't fight you even if you call him useless and dumb (Just like when Jamil blamed him in the end of chapter 4), yet he'd still try to befriend you and do his best to support you through obstacles. This will to help people whom he cares for regardless of what they think of him or how much it may trouble him is an absolute treasure, just how many people can be like Kalim?

(2) Kalim shouldn't be compared to Jamil all the time!

A really common way of mischaracterizing Kalim is by comparing him to Jamil all the time: "Jamil is quiet, Kalim is talkative" "Jamil is cold, Kalim is warm and friendly" "Jamil is talented, Kalim is not" "Jamil is thoughtful and wise, Kalim is careless and stupid"...

I agree that Kalim and Jamil are different in some ways, but it isn't okay if we're going to compare him to Kalim whenever we're talking about him! Do we mention Jade or Floyd whenever we're talking about Azul? Do we compare Vil to Rook everytime we're talking about him? See, Kalim and Jamil are two separate characters. No matter how different or close they are, it isn't okay to consider them as nothing more than opposites! Both Kalim and Jamil have independent personalities amd we we don't have to mention Jamil whenever we want to talk about Kalim! His existence isn't bound to Jamil's and he's got a lot we can talk about other than his relationship/differences with Jamil.

(3) His generosity tells us a lot

You may wonder, why is he so generous anyway? Giving up on golden peacocks and diamond stones for friends and even strangers without caring about the financial loss isn't such an easy thing to do. Well let's imagine being on Kalim's shoes for a second:

You come from an unbelievably rich family, and ever since you can remember everyone around you has been treating you like a prince because of your father's status and money. Everyone around you is supposed to respect and treat you like a royaland you can buy anything you can ever wish for, you've got no financial boundaries. But on the other hand, you know that almost everything you've got around you is because of money: fame, wealth and many of your friends.

And if you one day lose all the money you'd once got, what is going to happen to you? What should you rely on? Who will ever even care if you're alive or not if the money that held all of your power and clout is gone? Also, even as he's rich, there are still things that he couldn't ever buy with money. He did say that sometimes he just feels so alone several times, then quickly changed the topic into something interesting and bright. Maybe he does want people to know that he as well sometimes goes through the pain and loneliness, but doesn't want it to seem to dramatic therefore he'd just quickly mention it to let it off his chest, then starts to talk about something else.

That's much and less of the reason behind Kalim's personality, he wants to use his money and attitude to gain what he can't buy with money: Friends. That's right, many of his friends might already be around him just for money, right? But it doesn't matter, he's got enough of money to keep them all satisfied. And if satisfying them is all it takes to keep his friends around him, he's all fine with it. He doesn't mind hoe expensive it might be, as long as he'll get to have nice friends he cares for around him he's alright.

THis generosity with money has found his way to his personality and attitude as well. His nature gravitates him into trying his best to help people out with all he's got. Kalim on his own is one that can get to have hid problems solved easily, there's always someone there to do it for him so he never needs to worry about anything. Perhaps he wants others around him to feel the same? If he had someone to take care of him whenever he needed to, then everyone else as well deserve to be helped out through difficulties just like Kalim was.

(4) We should all try and see through him!

Lets take a look at Kalim's background: Growing up with legit LOTS of siblings, he surely didn't get the attention and family love he deserved to have. Have you ever considered why Jamil was always so important to him while he could've been this close to any of his brothers? Well, that might be because none of his family members wasn't ever even close to being that close to him. Jamil isn't his brother, but Kalim does consider him his brother and best friend, which is somehow showing that even his own family haven't done as much as Jamil has done for him. He could've been poisoned or assassinated at any second, how does it feel growing up in an environment where you know many people already want you dead? Also, have you considered just how insecure and skeptical he coul've became because of having such a fearful past? At this point, someone wit his background might not even dare talk to any of other students let alone making friends with them! Almost any of us could've had trust issues if we'd grown up in the same environment as him!

Come to think of it, you'll see that Kalim is also pretty similar to the well-known hero Naruto! Naruto used to be looked down on because of his lack of ability yet he never gave up, he had a stunning will to turn his enemies into friends, he was considering and never gave up on Sasuke no matter how many times he hurt and turned his back on Naruto, and he never gave up on his goal no matter how many times he lost.

Kalim as well still has a lot to learn to improve and become a stronger magician, and he has strated to work his best and try to improve! It might not happen as fast as we may expect, but someday, maybe he as well would be strong enough for Jamil to be considered his rival and friend.

Another interesting fact to point out is their sense of humor, both Narto and Kalim can be careless at the time and sometimes mess up, and they also have a thing for sometimes laughing at their friends' mistakes (Not in an offensive way) all though they're the one to mess up most of the time. Like the times Kalim laughed at how bad Ace and Deuce's performance was, then decided to teach them how to dance with the help of Jamil.

Just would've been improved much faster if his goal was to be a great magician, but the main difference between Kalim and Naruto are thirs goals. Becoming a great ninja was Naruto's biggest goal, while Kalim's greatest goal is to be a good and supportive friend for everyone around him. Keep something in mind about Scarabia: It's true that Jamil, the vice dorm leader is in charge of most of the tasks and managements; but Kalim's presence is just as necessary for the students! Students need someone understand them, listen to their messenge and care to solve their problems like a friend! With Kalim's sympathy and Jamil's management, Scarabia students would have the chance to improve their best for the sake of their dorm and their very own future. (Though there needs to be some changes, Kalim should be a little more serious in general and Jamil needs to be more considering, but if Kalim and Jamil learn to work as a team Scarabia would stand higher than many of other dorms!)

For real, this is a school of villains and Kalim is much of a great exception to be in this school. He's legit the nicest character in the game and even MC had plenty of great memories with him back in the Chapter 4. This precious boy doesn't deserve to be called stupid or naïve while all he's been doing so far was to bring everyone including us the players a wonderful time and sweet memories...we need to understand him much better💔

[aphrostarot]

Message from Spirit Pick a Pile

Let's get back to the basics and see what your Spirit Guides have to tell you at this moment.

Remember that this is a general reading and some things may not apply to you. Do not try and force it to fit. If you would like a personal reading I am currently offering free readings. Dm me if you are interested!

Pile One (Rose Quartz):

What guide is coming forward?

Three of Pentacles:

This guide is very generous when it comes to helping others and is a great listener. However, they do not back down from an argument and have excellent problem-solving skills. This may only apply to some, but the energy I get from this guide feels like it may be a loved one who has passed for some. Capricorn is also represented by this card, so, you or your guide may be a Capricorn or have strong Capricorn influence.

A message they would like you to know currently.

Death:

People who don't know tarot get pretty freaked out when they see this card. It is a card that symbolizes letting go of the past and transforming into a new, improved version of yourself, making it one of my favorite cards in tarot. The death cycle is a very good thing. While you may not think that now, once you pass through your death cycle, you will look back and be grateful that you were able to do so. In case you haven't gone through a death cycle yet, your spirit guide wants you to know that you will do so soon.

Something they have been trying to tell you that you’ve been missing.

King of Pentacles:

The person represented by this card has achieved so much in their lifetime and created so much wealth that they are now able to provide for the people they love. Based on the energy I am receiving for this pile, I would say that you are the type of person who isn't aware of their success or even their ability to create success. Your guide has, for some time now, been trying to tell you that you have the ability to become the King of Pentacles but you have been too caught up in negativity to realize this.

How you can be more open to receiving their messages in the future.

Page of Pentacles:

This card represents someone who is eager to accumulate success but does not yet have the financial resources to do so. This card tells you to start saving money slowly and work with your finances carefully. To become the King of Pentacles, your guide says that you must stop spending the money you receive as soon as you receive it.

The Lovers:

Firstly, I want to let you know that the same card came out for piles two and three on this question, so if you felt called to them, you can check them out.

Your guide wants you to start loving yourself the way you deserve it. As much as you think you don't deserve success or abundance, your guide is here to tell you that is completely false. You do deserve it. It's also unclear to you that you are capable of accumulating wealth and success. If you want to become this King of Pentacles, you need to understand this.

What they are helping you with on your path.

Seven of Pentacles:

There is no doubt that your guide is here to help you achieve success and abundance, with all of the pentacles coming out recently. More specifically, this card represents planning. Their purpose is to help you determine how to succeed and how to reach the King of Pentacles.

Judgment:

They are here to help you decide what you want and how you are going to get it. They are that little voice whispering in your ear telling you which direction to take and what choice to make. Now is the time for you to start listening to them.

Pile Two (Amazonite):

What guide is coming forward?

Five of Pentacles:

This guide was the person who lived in poverty when they were alive. During their time in the earthly realm, they were very dissatisfied with life because money and luck were never on their side. It seems that some of you have not known this person in this lifetime, but have known them in a previous life.

The Star:

Now that they are one of your guides, they are beginning to understand what it means to be hopeful. You have helped them to discover their hope again. Their energy towards you is very warm and loving. They are very thankful to you.

A message they would like you to know currently.

The Emperor:

My impression is that you are someone who usually rides the backburner in life. You don't like to be the center of attention or have authority. I am receiving strong Leo North Node energy from this pile. In this lifetime your guide wants you to know that you are meant for greatness, and for greatness to be achieved, you must have the center stage, you must take up space. Be a strong leader by embracing the Emperor's energy.

Something they have been trying to tell you that you’ve been missing.

The Chariot:

The Chariot is all about movement and with it coming out it is a sign that your guide has been trying to tell you that you are on a path towards greatness and you are not realizing this.

Page of Cups:

As this is the card of sensitivity, your guide wants you to get in touch with your sensitive side. You could benefit from becoming more empathic. You will benefit from this practice on your journey to greatness.

How you can be more open to receiving their messages in the future.

The Lovers:

Firstly, I want to let you know that the same card came out for piles one and three on this question, so if you felt called to them, you can check them out.

Your guide says you need to begin loving yourself. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will be able to connect with your greatness. You are not aware of your abilities, and as a result, you have been on a long path to greatness when it could have been shorter if you had realized this sooner.

What they are helping you with on your path.

Four of Wands:

Your guide is here to help you find stability on your path. You may be in a place where you are lacking stability in your life and this may be very hard for you. This guide is here to help you find stability again.

Queen of Cups:

This Queen is very empathetic. Your guide is here to help you become more of an empathetic person. I am not saying that you are not empathetic, just that you need to develop your empathy skills and this guide has the abilities to do that. All you need to do is listen to them.

Pile Three (Amethyst):

What guide is coming forward?

Nine of Pentacles:

There is a woman-like quality to this energy. I sense they are in their 40s or 50s, and I think you knew them in this lifetime before they passed on. Their independence and confidence make them very appealing. While alive, they took very good care of themselves and loved being outside.

A message they would like you to know currently.

The Hierophant:

This guide specifically urges you to live a more traditional life because this is the card of tradition. You might have been trying really hard to be your own person and not the person society, your friends, family, etc. wants you to be. As a result, you have become someone you are not meant to be. Your guide wants you to slow down and stop trying to be the opposite of what everyone expects of you, and just be yourself.

Something they have been trying to tell you that you’ve been missing.

The Fool:

As a result of trying so hard to be someone you are not, you have lost your energy and motivation for life. The guide has been trying to show you where you can get that energy again, but you have been so caught up in your funk that you haven't noticed it.

Temperance:

The guide is telling you that it is time for you to rest and recoup so that once you do this, you can get back on track to becoming the person you are meant to be. Take a step back from the idea that you need to change yourself.

How you can be more open to receiving their messages in the future.

The Lovers:

Firstly, I want to let you know that the same card came out for piles one and two on this question, so if you felt called to them, you can check them out.

It is your guide's wish that you begin to love yourself. In trying to be someone you are not, they say, you aren't loving yourself and that is hindering your progress. By letting go of the idea of needing to change, you will begin to love yourself. You will progress much more quickly if you love yourself.

What they are helping you with on your path.

Three of Wands:

As this is the card of teamwork, your guide will help you improve your group skills. They are here to show you that it is okay to ask for help from others but also that you do not have to go about life alone.

King of Wands:

This King has worked very hard to accomplish their dreams and they have done just that. The purpose of this guide is to help you reach your goals and to show you that you have the potential to be the King of Wands.

Pile Four (Fuchsite):

What guide is coming forward?

Ace of Wands:

This person is very individualistic and they like to think that their opinion is better than everyone else's, which makes sense with them coming forward in this reading.

Seven of Cups:

They are the type of person who is lost in their own head and loses themselves in their idealized version of reality. For the majority of you, I do not think that you have ever known this person but there are a few of you that I feel may have known this person before they passed.

A message they would like you to know currently.

Nine of Swords:

Perhaps you've been feeling particularly anxious lately. Insecurities that you thought you had overcome may have resurfaced. There is no linear path to healing, and your guide wants you to know you can get through this. You will have ups and downs, but you will get through it.

Something they have been trying to tell you that you’ve been missing.

The Well:

This card does not appear in all tarot decks, it only appears in this deck. Having this card appear as something your guide wants you to know would mean that they have been trying to show you that they are there to help you through your troubles, but you haven't realized it. You may also be ignoring your guide at the moment because you feel alone and they want you to know that they are with you whether you want them to be or not.

How you can be more open to receiving their messages in the future.

Ten of Cups:

You may not think that a happy ending will come your way or that you deserve one, but your guide wants you to be open to the idea that you deserve a happy ending and that you will get one. The sooner you begin to understand this, the closer you will be to getting the happy ending you desire. Additionally, you will allow it to come in more quickly.

What they are helping you with on your path.

Ace of Cups:

In this particular guide, you will learn to manifest new beginnings in your life particularly in love. As we have established, you believe that you are not worthy of love or that you will never find love. You can change your mindset by following this guide. You will find the love you were meant to have through them.

Though tips are not required, they are very much appreciated. Thank you!

Venmo: @ aphrostarot

Paypal: paypal/aphrostarot

[everlastingfable]

We also clearly saw that Jim really couldn’t handle the pressure people were giving him. Like everyone kept saying we need the trollhunter and stuff. Throughout the movie nobody was working together to support each other to win the fight. Their relationship felt so fake and empty that it bothered me so much D: No one is really actively trying to solve the problem just watching it happen hoping Jim will do something. I get that this is Trollhunters where Jim is the mc but oh man like why don’t you work together? I just wanted to see Douxie fighting one of the Arcane Order with his guitar looking staff. I wish they could’ve fought the Arcane Order TOGETHER instead of everyone just defeated in one shot and ended up with multiple sacrifices.

yeah! It honestly bugged me that the movie was Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans because the trollhunters story finished. And really, the Morgana arc was more like a set up to wizards too. rott is such a direct plot line for wizards and for jim to be the mc and not douxie just doesn't work with the story and ughhhhh. It should’ve been Tales of Arcadia: Rise of the Titans, because at least that title makes sense that they’re combining the characters from all shows. It makes it feel more like a conclusion to the entire franchise rather than just an addition for trollhunters which already got so many episodes gee netflix why does wizard only get 10

I was so hoping to see them act like friends and seeing them react beyond their cliques, like man was I expecting to see douxie and krel fix the amulet :/ douxie didn't even help the slightest even though he helped make the first one, he's their best bet at fixing it beyond just resurrecting merlin. And no throw backs to past episodes like man what I would give for aja to give a cheeky throwback comment about the "teen hangout"

The movie really lacked having any of the characters' personalities tbh we didn't get punk rock master wizard douxie, no jim who loves cooking and wanted a vespa, no toby the rock enthusiast, aja the fighter, krel the tech genius who also gets knocked out every battle... just none of that. I keep thinking about this post and how it's something so small, but would have greatly improved the characters, and could've made them more than support for jim

And there really wasn't a team battle.... that bit at the final battle was lame they kinda just took their turn to attack bellroc and get thrown off, they could've easily overwhelmed them. Which btw the impenetrable shield thing? lame, way too op

[cheri-translates]

[CN] 520 Texts - Kiro, Lucien, Victor

Trivia: 520 stands for 20 May, a day celebrated by the Chinese as another Valentine’s Day. This is because 我爱你 (“wo ai ni” - “I love you”) sounds like the numbers 5, 2, and 0 (“wu er ling”) when said aloud!

520 Moments: Gavin l Kiro l Lucien l Victor l Shaw

More texts: Gavin l Shaw

⭐️ KIRO ⭐️

[ You’re a Treasure ]

You’re the best teammate when going on adventures, and the biggest treasure I’ve found.

-

[ Version One ]

Kiro: Miss Chips, do you know about “treasure hunters”?

MC: I heard they’re a group of travellers who search for treasures?

Kiro: That’s right, Their mission in life is to search for the mysterious and tempting “treasure”.

Kiro: So is Miss Chips ready?

Kiro: The adventure with Kiro in search of treasure is about to begin!

MC: Huh? Don’t treasure hunters prefer working solo?

Kiro: There are times when they work together too!

Kiro: Also, I have a feeling that MC is my best partner.

Kiro: The treasure map, clues, and everything else have been prepared!

MC: Seems like this adventure plan is related to today...

Kiro: Miss Chips is so sharp! Since you’ve already found out, I’ll tell you a secret...

Kiro: Actually, what I want to convey is hidden in the treasure chest.

Kiro: If you want to know what it is, set out with me!

-

[ Version Two ]

Kiro: Miss Chips, do you know about “treasure hunters”?

MC: I don’t, but they sound really cool!

Kiro: Mmhmm, it’s enough to know that they’re really cool.

Kiro: So are you ready?

Kiro: The adventure with Kiro in search of treasure is about to begin!

MC: Right now? That’s too sudden!

Kiro: It might seem that way to MC, but I spent a really long time preparing for this day.

Kiro: Right now, the treasure map and clues are already in my hands.

Kiro: We just have to set out together, solve riddles, and explore!

MC: What if we don’t find the treasure?

Kiro: We’ll look around first. I believe Miss Chips can definitely do it!

Kiro: Also... your Kiro will always be by your side.

Kiro: When we’re together, we always have very good luck.

-

[ Version Three ]

Kiro: Miss Chips, do you know about “treasure hunters”?

MC: I do! This must be one of Kiro’s specially designed activities, right?

Kiro: Bingo!

Kiro: As expected of MC, the one who knows me best.

Kiro: You’re probably ready for the adventure with Kiro in search of treasure~

MC: H-hang on, where are we searching for the treasure?

Kiro: That isn’t something you have to worry about. I’ve already done my research.

Kiro: I’ve got a treasure map and clues.

Kiro: All MC has to do is set out with me to solve riddles, and explore!

MC: I seem to detect a pleasant surprise?

Kiro: As expected, you sensed it so soon!

Kiro: But that’s fine. I’m very confident in the contents of this surprise.

Kiro: I believe Miss Chips will reveal a gigantic smile after knowing the meaning of this treasure.

🦋 LUCIEN 🦋

[ Festival Habits ]

I seem to have gotten used to spending this day with you every year. I’m very happy that you’re in all of my beautiful memories.

-

[ Version One ]

Lucien: There’s a ticket to the aquarium on my office desk. Did you leave it there?

MC: That’s right. I finally decided on where to go today!

Lucien: I’ll have to congratulate the aquarium for being the winning selection then.

Lucien: What made you choose it as the final decision?

MC: There are many interesting creatures there! Belugas, jellyfishes, devil fishes... so many species!

Lucien: Mm, there are various special and beautiful creatures in the aquarium, and they draw one to study them.

Lucien: Based on your texts, I’m already able to imagine your look of anticipation.

MC: But there will probably be many people in the aquarium today...

Lucien: Mm. After all, today’s a very special day.

Lucien: So I’m afraid we’d have to set out earlier if we want to observe the sea creatures up close.

Lucien: I’ll pick you up after half an hour. How does that sound?

Lucien: The weather is pretty good today, and we might be able to see a beautiful sunset along the way.

-

[ Version Two ]

Lucien: There’s a ticket to the aquarium on my office desk. Did you leave it there?

MC: How did you guess so quickly?

Lucien: Because I recall you mentioning wanting to go to the aquarium a few days ago.

Lucien: Is there a special reason?

MC: I think the atmosphere of the aquarium suits you. Both give off a mysterious feeling, yet somehow draw others close to them.

Lucien: You used to say that frequently in the past.

Lucien: On the other hand, I think what suits you would be an unfettered place filled with imagination.

MC: I can hardly wait to visit the aquarium just by talking to you about it! 

Lucien: I feel the same way.

Lucien: Since it’s still early, why don’t we pick a restaurant first?

Lucien: On such a special day, we definitely need to wrap it up with an exquisite and unforgettable feast. What do you think?

-

[ Version Three ]

Lucien: There’s a ticket to the aquarium on my office desk. Did you leave it there?

MC: Yup. If I had left later, I could have given it to you personally.

Lucien: But there’s a sense of surprise this way.

Lucien: Could you tell me why you chose the aquarium?

MC: I feel that it has a really romantic atmosphere~

Lucien: I see.

Lucien: Watching the schools of fish and luminescent sea creatures does conjure a romantic feeling.

Lucien: Especially when with the person one likes.

MC: Also, I heard there’s a lucky draw event. If we’re lucky, we could get limited festival merchandise~

Lucien: Based on my memory, your luck has always been pretty good. I trust that it’d be the same today.

Lucien: I’ve also prepared a special gift for you.

Lucien: So no matter what, may today be a day of extraordinary surprises.

🌹 VICTOR 🌹

[ Travelling Plan ]

The destination of the trip isn’t important. As long as the person I’m travelling with is a certain dummy, it’s enough.

-

[ Version One ]

Victor: A reminder before you head out - this time, don’t bring along a pile of impractical things.

MC: I’ve brought along impractical things in the past?

Victor: I should ask when you haven’t.

Victor: We’re just viewing the scenery in the countryside, so bringing yourself will suffice.

MC: I heard that the billowing wheat fields in the countryside during summer are especially beautiful. So I brought my camera to take photographs.

Victor: Not bad. Looks like your newly bought camera is finally useful.

Victor: It’d no longer be used to simply take pictures of Pudding every day.

MC: Come to think of it, has it been a long time since you admired the countryside scenery?

Victor: Mm, it’s been a while.

Victor: The last time was at a holiday village with a certain someone.

Victor: During this festival, there won’t be many people in the countryside.

Victor: Looks like we’ll be able to relieve the idle and carefree time in the countryside that a certain someone has been anticipating.

-

[ Version Two ]

Victor: A reminder before you head out - this time, don’t bring a pile of impractical things.

MC: Aren’t we going on a self drive tour? There shouldn’t be a problem bringing more things~

Victor: There isn’t a problem.

Victor: But it can reduce unnecessary burdens.

MC: I’ve prepared some bentos and we can have a picnic in the countryside!

Victor: No wonder you’ve been occupying the kitchen recently.

Victor: That’s good. I can see if your culinary skills have improved as much as you claimed.

MC: We can finally free ourselves from our busy city life. Don’t you feel happy?

Victor: I do.

Victor: But that isn’t the reason.

Victor: Hasn’t a certain person been saying that we’ve been too busy and don’t have alone time?

Victor: Now, we can use this festival to make up for it.

-

[ Version Three ]

Victor: A reminder before you head out - this time, don’t bring a pile of impractical things.

MC: It’s too late. I’ve already packed my luggage!

Victor: ...you’re pretty fast.

Victor: What did you bring?

MC: I heard there’s a fruit garden in town, so I brought a basket to store fruits~

Victor: ...did you forget that a watermelon and a box of strawberries were put into the fridge yesterday?

Victor: If you can’t finish them, don’t count on me to help you.

MC: Actually, the reason why I picked the countryside was because there’d be fewer people there during the festival~

Victor: Mm, that’s a thorough consideration.

Victor: During the festival, there will be much fewer people as compared to the city.

Victor: The surroundings are exquisite, and the atmosphere isn’t bad.

Victor: Looks like a certain person’s wish to have a leisurely vacation can be fulfilled.