#yikes this was hard

[emblazonet]

Some smol Morrowind TR landscape sketches (top is Andothren)

[kaijukebox]

Deify your loved ones 🫲☺️🫱✨💕

[astaroth1357]

Don't mind me, just my mind living happily in Lesson 32 for the next some odd weeks.

[hamletshoeratio]

"A strong queen is just what this country needs!"

The Irish who know the queen in question as the famine queen:

[mrs-nubenueve]

it’s so fun reading bkak fics from like. before we find out the extent of their history. (tbf there is not toooo many but i have noticed the following, like, twice). bc akaashi’s characterization tends to be very—like, no-nonsense. “mean”-ish. and that’s not to say these characteristics aren’t part of his character etc., but that characterization is just largely not nuanced by his own brand of weirdness. by all the little details we eventually come to learn about him. anyways. that early assumed characterization feeds into that of an exemplary serious-straight-a kid. and i always wonder, what did these authors think when they found out that akaashi choose to follow bokuto to fukurodani ?? that he sees bokuto, not as a chore, but as a star—something shining, out of this world, out of reach ??? (and the implications of all that !!!) like who saw that coming actually ??

[phoenixcatch7]

Bit of a shame I left hp before I entered svsss because one of my favourite tropes at the time was 'dumbledore calls in External Support from different fandom during ootp and they show up to grimmauld to help (and utterly upstage everyone in the process)'.

And needless to say Sqq, at any point, would have been perfect.

Like. He's a teacher too. A scholar. Secretly from the modern world so he'd have no trouble with its intricate and mysterious workings, incidentally making himself look very cool and competent in the process. He'd have So Many Opinions. He'd incite bloody war with umbridge. He'd project his feelings for sj onto Snape with a side of commiseration for his role and fate. He'd mostly pretend to know so much less about hp than he actually does (which, hilariously, he canonically name drops in svsss, AND his system is pretty heavily implied to have previously worked in, like wow). He'd be constantly comparing Harry with lbh. He'd have a running internal dialogue bemoaning the world building, the characters, Harry's fate, the general decision making process, maybe some death of the author. Geeking out about magic. Raiding the library whenever he's free.

He might bring his students as part of an exchange, he might bring a fellow peak lord if it was a serious mission (liushen anyone?) he could bring adult lbh. Maybe sqh? Or sqh could be the messenger with the system and/or mbj.

A self aware character who couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least try to change Harry's fate whether or not he actually likes the kid? He could canon that divergence before you could say horcrux. That kind, oblivious, smoking hot exotic teacher who had people ruining their lives for him in a world that was used to people that pretty and also hated him specifically?? The hogwarts students wouldn't stand a CHANCE.

Man the scenes are coming to me so strongly I almost want to write it just as a like. Satire piece or something. Just Sqq ripping everything to shreds, accidentally or not. Diatribes on the author biases. Unintentional themes. Iffy world building choices. Nothing new, but through the lens of svsss' Sqq it'd be something for sure XD.

[chotachica]

If you like dazai from bsd you like gojo from jjk and if you like gojo from jjk you like vash from trigun, its literally stated by god

[scooplery]

couple lynda inspired compbook spreads for your enjoyment

[hatkuu]

dw i AM slowly returning to my kylar roots...imagine kylar walking in on you wearing his hoodie...i think he would scream and faint and die. he would be so torn between wanting you to keep it forever bc you look so cute and wearing his clothes in public would affirm that you belong to him but also wanting it back so he can smell it and breathe in your scent (and not do nefarious things with it)

hngnnggg yeah im glad ur coming back to ur kylar roots... i missed you nica please come rave about kylar's cock with me again :'(

uuuggghhh especially if you make it out to be something innocent like you spending the night at his house (bestie kylar sleepover....) and it gets really cold!!!

gen! reader and m! kylar utc <3

Kylar hates the feeling of water against his skin. It never really sticks, or cleans anything. His skin is overly sensitive, flaring up against his will if he scrubs too hard or uses any scented soaps. He's given up on making himself attractive to others, and yet—

He's hiding in the bathroom while you're cuddled up in his bed.

He thought he'd be all over you, panting and drooling, lapping at your lips until they parted just enough that he could taste you. Maybe you'd face him, breathing in his exhales and sharing oxygen with one another until you fell asleep. Or... Maybe you'd face away from him, letting him guard you where you're most vulnerable, baring yourself in a way that you've never let anyone else see you. He'd be unable to resist you, then. He'd drool onto your hair, mindlessly grinding his cock against you until you wake. You'd help him out, as graceful and kind as you are—you'd turn to face him, burying your face in his neck and clinging so tight that his chest would burn. Not from legs wrapped so tightly around his waist. Only from the sheer love and affection you're spoiling him with—something he hasn't felt in so long.

The faucet before him groans, on the brink of filling up the sink. Kylar has the mind to turn it off before his whole body locks up.

"Ky-Ky? Are you okay...?"

He hears your sweetened tone from beyond the bathroom door, your knuckles gently rapping at the wood to gain his attention. So cute. Of course you'd check if he's okay! He stumbles to the door, fumbling with the lock as his wet hands slip against the door handle. You're probably so lonely without him! He's upset with himself for losing track of time and leaving you alone in bed when the two of you could've been snuggled up against one another. He finally unlatches the door, breathing heavy at the prospect of you being just behind the thin plywood.

The door slams open and Kylar's smile falls from his face.

You're now wearing a hoodie. He's kind of disappointed that he won't be able to touch as much of your skin. The hoodie you're wearing looks worn. It's fraying at the sleeves, stained various different colours at it's front, he's never actually seen you wear it before so it can't possibly be new—

His hoodie.

You're wearing his hoodie.

You fiddle with the sleeves as you speak, shyly looking at your feet while he gapes at you. "Sorry... It got cold while you were in the bathroom. I can take it off if you want?"

You look so cute. So very, very cute that Kylar can only stare at you, open-mouthed. He thinks about what it'd imply if you started wearing his clothes at school—no, even better if you just wore his clothes entirely—maybe he should offer you a pair of his sweatpants too, in case your legs get cold. He thinks about it, but then looks at the deliciously smooth skin of your thighs, and decides against it.

Kylar shakes his head quickly, commiting the image of you in his hoodie to memory. "N-No! It's fine, um, you can raid my whole wardrobe if you like... Haha..."

Kylar makes a note to start stealing more of your hoodies and long-sleeved shirts, just so he can see you in more of his.

You stare at him for another second, smiling at the cute expression on his face. Then your smile turns upside down into a confused pout. "Why's your face all wet?"

Kylar blushes choking on his own embarrassment, tugging you back to bed. "I brushed my teeth," He lies, tucking you in as he crawls in beside you, covering the two of you with a worn-out sheet. He purposefully hid the other thicker sheets underneath his bed so the two of you had no choice but to cuddle for warmth tonight. He smiles as you roll over, bidding him a quick goodnight before shuffling your rear painfully close to his crotch. You grab one of his arms, pulling it over you before yawning softly and closing your eyes.

"Goodnight, my love." He mumbles into your hair, voice addled with sleepiness.

He leans forward, burying his face in your hair and the soft hood of his hoodie. You smell good on your own, but you smell even better mixed with the scent of him. Like he's claimed you.

[nebulousmedic]

Apologies for the lack of art. I'm getting increasingly less interested drawing and just my hobbies in general.

[lavellaned]

Not to jump the gun or anything but from what I’ve seen today about veilguard I genuinely can’t complain about anything. No dissatisfaction or disappointment just pure fucking stellar vibes.

[giddlygoat]

i just finished rewatching gravity falls for the first time since i was dipper and mabel’s age, and somehow i only remembered AFTER it was all said and done that today is their birthday. poetic. i’m in emotional shambles.

i hope everything works out. i hope my twin brother and i stay close forever. this show gives me a lot of hope and determination and i hope i never lose that, or my childlike sense of wonder and whimsy. you know, the important stuff. i’ve also decided just now that i’m going to stop being self-conscious about getting sappy. i love this show with all of my heart and it’s been my dream for a long time now to someday create something that can inspire sincerity in others as much as gravity falls has inspired me to always strive for authenticity. that was a long run-on sentence but i hope it makes sense.

thank you alex hirsch for creating the perfect show!

[poisonprincess82]

Anatomy is hard, but making Marko’s jacket biblically accurate is even harder (;0-0)

[iamhereonlytobeanunstableshipper]

Ok so. I just saw a Reddit comment (idk why I get on reddit fandom cause it always ends up making me mad) saying that the Alastor and Husk scene was probably the first time Alastor was that violent towards Husk because of him talking back to Al in the first place.

Aka, Alastor isn't abusive to Husk, except for that one time. And ISTG that comment made me want to crawl into the darkest pit of hell (ha, get it?).

SO, let's explain why Alastor's treatment of Husk isn't a one time thing.

Husk and abuse: a character analysis.

First of all, let's explain Husk's personality and why he acts the way he does.

Husk's character is presented to us as a grumpy old alcoholic who only wants people to leave him the fuck alone. He doesn't care about the hotel, about any of its members, or about Alastor's plans. He doesn't want to collaborate, he doesn't want to be there, and he doesn't care enough to act as though he does.

But, reality is:

Husk cares. Way more than he wishes he did.

He doesn't show it often, but he cares. He shows it when he calls Sir Pentious, Charlie, Vaggie and Angel out at the beginning of Masquerade, and ofc, he shows it with Angel throughout this whole chapter.

(I find the heart motif on Husk's demon form to be very interesting, actually. I like to think that one of the things Husk hates the most about himself is that, as much as he wants to fake otherwise, as much as he sees it as a weakness, as much as it just complicates everything, he cares. And death taunts him with that, displaying for everyone to see the heart he so desperately wants to hide.)

Also, Husk is very good at reading people. He hates fakeness, he hates lies, he hates people being dense because they're trying to ignore a reality about themselves.

All of these things get on his nerves enough to show that he, in fact, cares.

And he sure as fuck loves (maybe a bit too much) winning an argument against someone who's pissing him off.

So, let's go to Alastor.

A while ago I saw an amazing post (that now i cant find aaaa if someone finds it pls let me know) that talked about how this isn't the expression of someone who's just been beaten at poker, but it's an expression of sadness and betrayal.

This post implied, therefore, that Husk and Alastor had built a previous relationship of trust before the betrayal, either platonic or romantic (which had been just manipulation from Alastor's side, just like he's now doing with Charlie)

If we take this into account, it makes more sense why Husk would care about Mimzy being trouble. Not only for the safety of the rest at the hotel, but also just a tiny little bit, for Alastor's own safety.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very sure that Husk hates Alastor, but there's this tiny, annoying part of him that can't help but care.

So, let's cut to the infamous scene.

Husk didn't confront Alastor because he had never been violent towards him before. Husk confronted Alastor because he cares, and because people being stupid gets on his nerves, and because he finds it hard to hold back when he knows he's right.

Also, it had been 7 years since he had seen Alastor. It's normal that he's gained more confidence to confront him.

AND, despite all of this, he was reluctant in the beggining.

In the first screenshot, Husk gets visibly angry at Alastor because of his dismissive attitude while his back is turned at him. But when Husk speaks again, you can see him visibly holding back, choosing his words carefully with that "I mean".

(Go rewatch the scene if you wanna, it's way more clear that way than via screenshots ksdldf)

Compare this to the much more accusatory way Husk was calling out Chaggie, Sir Pentious and Angel in back chapter 4. Husk is being careful with Alastor.

Despite all we know about Husk's personality that leads him to warn Alastor about Mimzy in the first place, Husk still holds all of that back.

Why? Cause he knows better than to say something that might anger him.

It's only when Alastor touches Husk and calls him his pet that Husk loses his temper.

As we know, Husk has VERY strong personal boundaries (probably some of them come from Alastor's touch itself)

Alastor trespassing his boundaries is what makes Husk stop thinking logically. He's pissed, and he hates Alastor, and he hates how he makes him feel so powerless, so insignificant, like less of a human.

And he bites back.

The comment I saw implied that Husk said the "big talk for someone who's also on a leash" because he thought it wouldn't have any major effect on Alastor, and he unknowingly touched a touchy subject.

But this is even slightly out of character for Husk. He didn't say it because he didn't think it would make Alastor mad, he said it because he knew it would make him mad.

Husk is fucking amazing at reading people. He knew it was a touchy subject. He wasn't thinking about consequences, he was thinking about pissing Alastor off, about regaining control.

(He's a gambler, cmon. Searching for control and power without minding the consequences is his thing.)

This is NOT a "what the fuck is he doing?" face. It's an "oh no, not again" face.

And immediately, he tries to take it back. The rush of making Alastor mad passes away the moment he pulls out the chain, and Husk knows what's coming.

Alastor has done that before. Judging by Husk's body language, there's NO way on earth he hasn't.

One VERY important thing to take into account is: victims have personalities.

Of course, victims tend to have unifying factors in their trauma responses due to similar experiences, but overall: a victim isn't an archetype, it's a person.

There are different types of abuse. Everyone reacts differently towards abuse.

Saying that Husk isn't being abused by Alastor just because he talks back is. Well. Kinda weird, isn't it?

(Maybe I'm exaggerating but doesn't it sound like victim blaming a bit??)

The important thing is that this is how Valentino and Alastor treat Angel and Husk:

Yes, they are different types of abuse. Yes, Angel and Husk's reactions to it are different.

But this doesn't make one kind less valid than the other. And just because Alastor isn't sexually abusive to Husk, that doesn't mean Husk's abuse is "less important" (this isn't a competition, ffs)

Husk's personality, Husk's hatred of stupidity, Husk's reactive nature, Husk's strong boundaries, don't automatically disappear when he's talking with his abuser. He's still Husk.

And yet, we can still see the signs of abuse, such as Husk holding back at the beginning because he knows what Alastor may do if he's mad, or him flinching away slightly when Alastor turns suddenly to look at him, or him trying to take back what he just said immediately because he's scared of the consequences.

And, let's be serious. Alastor is a serial killer. He enjoys watching people suffer. He enjoys knowing that people fear him.

And, since he's on a "leash", as Husk said, I'm very sure this hurts his ego a whole lot. So, it makes sense that he loves feeling that he has control over the souls he owns, that they fear him, to forget he's not completely free himself.

It's not so far fetched to assume that Alastor gets a quick and an ego boost out of seeing Husk like that, terrified and shivering on the ground. So I don't believe he hasn't done it before.

(And I mean, even if this only happened the one time we see it in the show, it would still be abusive?? It would be Alastor using his power to physically and psychologically torment Husk, which is abuse, even if it's only once ((which i highly doubt)))

In conclusion: Alastor is an abuser. There's no way around it. And Husk is a victim of abuse.

Sorry this got long SLKDS

Tbh I think everything I said here is pretty obvious?? Like to me that scene always read as a way of the show telling us Alastor's true colors once no one's watching, and the way he treats Husk. Like, it didn't even cross my mind that it might have been an isolated occurrence.

But the comment had around 50 upvotes so?? Idk I just wanted to rant about this lmao

[trashogram]

Oh man I rewatched some fizzmodeus scenes…

Yo why do they talk to each other like that??? All the time?!? I think I blocked the baby uwu stuff out of my brain bc this is genuinely hard to sit through.

[bird-inacage]

Love Sea Episode 4: Where Things Have Gone Astray

It pains me to say it, but I found Episode 4 sloppy in it's execution, direction and writing overall. (I'd like to preface that regardless of how much I like fortpeat, or have enjoyed the series for the most part, I personally think it's important to be able to critique a show when it's flaws present themselves, and not to blindly excuse those issues because we want so badly to like it).

The transition from island to Bangkok was a huge turning point in the story, and I'm disappointed to say it wasn't handled well. The episode felt very off-beat and clunky compared to the lovely moments we got last week. Most of the issues centre on inconsistencies in character trajectory that were set up by the end of Episode 3. So let's unpack what went wrong here.

Mut is brusquely given the cold shoulder

My biggest gripe is the treatment of Mut this episode and without good reason. Let's start by recognising that Mut has potentially left his entire way of life behind: his friends, his community, his livelihood - all on the possibility that Rak may come to love him. I don't think Mut's naively banking on this being forever, but the emphasis here is he's willing to give it all up. The lack of acknowledgement to this gesture was glaring. The boy is only 20 years old, may I stress. Rak knows the hardships that Mut has faced, which should make this sacrifice even more significant in my opinion. What little Mut has built from scratch, he's willing to leave behind. All for Rak.

Other than a few brief moments of Rak looking sheepish/guilty, he's very passive throughout. I was really hoping he'd display more initiative and maturity here as the older party (like he did at the end of Episode 3). Even more disappointingly, once they land in Bangkok, Rak has Mut trailing behind him and largely leaves him to his own devices. At points, Rak's attitude towards Mut feels borderline exploitative. Rak is the one who begged Mut to come with him, and now that he's there, he seems to be putting Mut on trial.

Mut's hospitality on the island was due to Rak being an outsider who was completely out of his comfort zone. Now they've essentially reversed the situation but somehow the default is still Mut making all the effort (and yes, I know he's getting paid, but the last 3 episodes have just attempted to establish that their relationship is beyond just monetary). We need to see some more active reciprocation from Rak that supports why he was so driven for Mut to stay with him.

We've also been shown that though Mut is incredibly patient, he's not a doormat. When Rak crosses a line, he does get angry. Mut ran away when his father offended his core values, so we know he's capable of putting his foot down. But Rak's treatment of him here roused no protest or questioning when it would be fully warranted. By the time they discuss the contract, it's a null confrontation as Mut has already conceded to Rak's demands by signing. I wish he stood up for himself more here.

Tongrak's change in demeanour

The Rak we see in Bangkok is how I would imagine his character to be at the beginning of the series. Slightly haughty and dismissive. But because our impression of Rak was intentionally reversed so early on - where we were shown his sensitivity and softness - to have him slip back into a standoffish persona gave me whiplash. Has Rak regressed to who he was prior to the island? Has his time with Mut not changed anything? We know it has, which is why this front feels performative. Why would Rak feel the need to play into this character when Mut's already seen who he is underneath? And what has triggered him to do so? His family haven't come into the picture yet. I don't think Rak really cares about Mook's judgement. So why?

I think it's a huge disservice to shrug this off with: 'oh it's because Rak has trauma', and that's why he's running hot and cold. Doing so only trivialises the magnitude of trauma as a 'convenient' excuse when the writing doesn't support itself well enough for a character's actions to feel convincingly well founded.

When I started Episode 4, I thought we'd missed a scene or were due a flashback that would signpost why Rak changed his mind. We're told it's because of his PA, but that doesn't hold up well because surely Rak would have factored that into the equation. There are plenty of ways they could have remedied this. They could have shown us that Rak was genuine in agreeing, but spirals over the enormity of such a decision afterwards, which leads him to back out. Or Rak agreed despite knowing full well he couldn't meet his promise, and only lied because he didn't want to hurt Mut's feelings. Or they could have included the phone call from his sister in this episode, which would indicate that Rak has bigger responsibilities outside of himself, which caused his decision to sway. But we didn't get anything to ground us to Rak's mindset this episode, so his mentality feels like a 180. It also makes his agreement to Mut feel flippant if all it took was for Mook to whine to change his mind.

I can accept Rak retreating emotionally out of pressure or worry, but it doesn't read that way. Instead, his actions and body language feel abruptly indifferent, oddly detached and cold. The contract just epitomises a clinical level of emotional distancing. Even when Mook voices her concerns, Rak looks exasperated. So this isn't presented to us as a reaction borne out of vulnerability. And because we don't see Rak mulling over any doubts about Mut or otherwise, his behaviour feels all the more sudden and incongruous.

Ultimately, Rak was the one who let Mut down. If Rak agreed to stay on the island because he truly cared about Mut, wouldn't he be feeling doubly guilty at present? Not only has he broken a promise, but Mut is making a huge compromise to pursue Rak. Yet, Rak's attitude seems to be: 'these are my terms, do you have a problem with that?' This challenging air feels out of place and counterintuitive to what they've set up so far. What has Mut done to deserve this? Why is Mut still the one accommodating and initiating, with seemingly no return?

When comedy is not your strong suit, do not lean into it

I have a real bone to pick with the 'humour' attempted in this episode. I know comedy is subjective, but these scenes are arguably the shows weakest moments. People underestimate just how hard it is to pull off comedy and to do it well. And the brand of humour they're going for comes across quite juvenile, slapstick or theatrical. Sadly it only magnifies Aya's acting as egregiously bad in this episode because Mook is leant on so heavily as comic relief.

Mook and Vi's presence as individuals and as a couple has also been very one-dimensional so far which doesn't help things. It's getting increasingly taxing to sit through their scenes when there's so little substance and depth there to root for. Trust me, I am trying to like them, but they're not making it easy.

At it's worst, filler offers us no further insight or advancement in either character or plot. Which inevitably makes you question why the run time is being wasted on excessively inconsequential material. That crime was being committed multiple times this episode.

This is not me writing off the series by any means. As I say in my introduction, I think it's extremely important as a viewer to retain the objectivity to recognise when there are speed bumps, dodgy choices or noticeable areas for improvement.

As I was writing this, I found myself going: 'I think I see what they were trying to go for here' and applying additional guess-work to fill in the gaps. But that's the issue. If the writing requires your viewer to do mental gymnastics to make it make sense, you've dropped the ball. I would heartily advocate for 'show, don't just tell'. But in this episode we neither get shown or told why our characters are acting like this, especially when it seems to contradict how we got here.

Let's hope next episode is only onwards and upwards.