#actually it’s been really cold here but for them in this specific instance it is hot

[asouwan]

• • • • • ❀ ✿ DAY 2 : modern AU ✦ ✧ • • • • •

#IVANTILLWEEK2023 #alnst #alien stage #alien stage fanart #ivantill #ivan alien stage #till alien stage #melona #this is from that one art where till is doing some hardcore gaming!! #it’s too hot… #heatwaves #been faking me out #actually it’s been really cold here but for them in this specific instance it is hot #omg i was going to give them a little kitty cat!! #imagine its rubbing against tills leg out of frame ^^

[autisticgirliesbracket]

What makes Steris Harms from Mistborn Era 2 the autistic girlie ever of all time? Here's what the people have to say:

Steris-related asks/reblogs: x This post will be updated after each round!

Image ID in alt text and under the readmore.

[Image ID. White slide with a greyscale illustration of Steris on the left, taken from the 'The Bands of Mourning' novel. On the right there are text boxes which read,

"She has lists for everything. Every possibility, every outcome, she has a list for it. Evacuating the city? She has 15 different ways it could be done. City under a tsunami threat? She's got procedures. Needs to take her husband's place in a senate meeting? Don't worry, she's got a list of every senator and good talking points to impress them specifically. She loves taxes, treats them like a puzzle. She doesn't understand how to talk to people. No one ever gave her the sex talk and she doesn't understand what's expected of her in that department. She threatened to throw up on the table of a war meeting to get people to stop yelling and listen to what she had to say. (She keeps medicine in her purse to do just that if she needs to) She DID use that medicine to get her and her fiance out of a party so he could go chase bad guys. Her 'tism captivates her fiance so much he is so fascinated with her. I love her and my god she's got the 'tism something massive"

"It's canonical!"

"She was intentionally written as autistic. I love her"

"She's canonically autistic as confirmed by the author. As far as some of the textual evidence, she loves, and I mean really loves, lists; she makes so many lists and plans in order to navigate her world, and it means a lot if she's willing to change those plans for someone. She's prepared for everything; for one example, while staying at a hotel/inn, she gave the innkeeper a pamphlet full of all the different disasters that could happen while she and her companions were there and what to do in each case (including 'framed for murder,' which was like a dozen pages in and actually happened); for another example, when getting ready for her first wedding attempt, she tried to determine which of her fiance's enemies would show up, and she got several backups of their equivalent of wedding rings in case anything bad went down. And when she was first arranging her engagement to him, she wrote a many-pages-long contract for it, which included a provision for how they should go about it if either of them took a lover (her father cheated on her mother, so from her experience this was just a logical thing to factor into the plans, but also she'd been rejected by a few suitors in the past so she didn't expect much affection from this one--fortunately, time proved her wrong in this instance. By the end of the series they're quite in love, and enjoy dates like 'working on their house finances' or 'doing amateur metallurgy'). She can easily come off stiff and cold to someone who doesn't understand her well; part of it is the pressure she has, as a noblewoman expected to be competent in high society, to mask a lot, and she generally treats the details of social interaction as something to memorize, eventually explaining to her fiance (once they've known each other a while, and they're thawing out) that she has to prepare her witty quips way ahead of time, lest it all come out wrong." End ID.]

#autistic girlies bracket #autistic girlie masterpost #Steris Harms #Mistborn Era 2

[straightupsickfics]

before and after

i am going through a phase of wanting to read and write nothing but ineffable wives currently, so here is a fic for that specific square on my good omens sickfic bingo card, though i'm positive this will not be the last i write for them ... 🥺

in this particular instance, i just wanted crowley to help aziraphale get dressed. and then undressed <3

****

“Hh’ngtx! Hh’idsh! O-hh! Oh! snf! ndo…Crowle-heh!-y!” 

“Mm, yes, Angel?” Crowley asks, taking her time with the necklace in her hand. Instead of putting it on, she’s pressing soft, ticklish little kisses all over Aziraphale’s neck and shoulders. She’s assuming they’re ticklish, anyway, what with the way Aziraphale’s breath keeps catching, turning into involuntary little gasps. The neck and the nose are hardly connected, but the brief, soft touches keep aggravating the angel’s already over-sensitive nose somehow. 

Those shuddering, coaxing breaths just make Crowley want to kiss her all the more, though. 

So she does, sweeping her hair away and gathering Aziraphale in close enough to kiss the sensitive spot just beneath her ear. 

“hH’ISHH’iew!” A real sneeze this time, and Crowley replies with yet another soft kiss, right at the nape of Aziraphale’s neck, making her shiver in response. 

“Y’don’t sound so good, Angel. You’re sure we need to go to this thing? I couldn’t tempt you into staying home, by any chance? You’re not even really dressed yet,” she points out. Aziraphale’s dress is still on the bed, waiting for her to slip into it, another thing Crowley enjoys helping with.

“We have to make an appearance at the very least,” Aziraphale sniffles. 

She’s been coming down with a cold for the better part of the week, and Crowley can tell it's finally catching up with her. She knows, too, that deep down Aziraphale agrees with her, that there’s nothing she’d like more than to settle into all those delicious cold symptoms and let Crowley fuss the way she’s so fond of. 

“Bunch of boring shopkeepers…” Crowley mutters. “You’re the only interesting one at these meetings. There,” she adds, finally clipping Aziraphale’s necklace into place. She lets Aziraphale’s curly blond hair slide through her fingers, falling gently back around her shoulders, then turns her around. She straightens the little love heart charm so it sits just in the center of Aziraphale’s chest, her hand lingering just a beat longer than necessary. 

“You’re biased on that front, I believe,” Aziraphale says, though she’s smiling in that fond way she reserves for Crowley specifically. “Thank you,” she adds, touching the little gold heart. It’d been an anniversary present years ago, and so far neither of them have gotten tired of the ritual of Crowley helping her on with it. 

“M’right, though. Here,” Crowley says when Aziraphale just sniffles a few more times in reply. She holds out one of the soft, checked handkerchiefs she knows her wife prefers, quietly delighting in the soft pink flush that appears over Aziraphale’s dainty, upturned nose when she pulls it away. 

“It really is just a cold,” Aziraphale says softly. “And I have to bring those brownies…” At this point Crowley’s not sure who she’s trying to convince, herself or Crowley. 

“They wouldn’t go to waste if we kept them here.” 

“It’s four dozen.”

“Of your brownies, Angel, those things are actually sinfully good.” 

Aziraphale smiles. “Yes, well, thank you again, my dear. Now, I just need to…oh no…hh’IdTSHH! Heh’eiishh’OO!” She only just manages to bring the handkerchief back to her face to muffle the sneezes into, and when she’s done she just looks tired.

“Angel…” Crowley murmurs, pulling her back in for a kiss, just one, to the bridge of her nose. 

Aziraphale sighs and lets her head rest against Crowley’s shoulder. Her own outfit is all black, a blazer and matching slacks, and only she can see the small damp spot left behind when Aziraphale lifts her head with another little sigh. 

“Help me with this so we can go?” Aziraphale asks, gesturing to the dress laying on the bed. 

Crowley smiles, knows that she enjoys this every bit as much as Crowley, even if she won’t say as much aloud. “‘Course, Angel, turn around?” 

The process begins again, stolen kisses and hitched breaths and soft touches, until they are just a little – fashionably – late to the shopkeeper’s meeting. 

*

As predicted, they don’t last very long at the meeting at all. 

Aziraphale did her best, of course, because she’s an angel, even when she’s sick, making polite small talk for a minute or two, asking after customers and kids and vacations while Crowley hovered in the back, smiling tightly and mostly speaking when spoken to. She doesn’t always even go to these things, but with Aziraphale feeling as poorly as she did, Crowley wouldn’t have missed it. 

She watched as updates and mini presentations were given – Aziraphale didn’t have any any of her own to give this month, thank…someone – and as her wife devolved into more and more frequent sniffles and fits of painful-sounding stifled sneezes, Crowley was all too happy to lead her from the room when she gave her a helpless little look and mouthed ready?

Now, they’re right back in their bedroom where they started, which is all Crowley really wanted for their evening, anyway. 

Aziraphale all but collapses onto the bed with a sigh, her nose running in earnest when she leans down to take her shoes off. 

“Angel,” Crowley says softly, quietly melting a little when she looks up at her, blue eyes streaming and her poor, pink nose threatening to join them any moment. Crowley watches as her nose twitches, right around the edges as she takes a careful breath. 

“Crowley, you don’t—” Aziraphale starts, then stops to sniffle and scrub at her nose with a knuckle. She holds it there for a minute, tentatively. 

“Ssssshh,” Crowley shushes. “I know I don’t have to,” she says. “I got to help you get ready, now I get to undo it.” She loves it, the entire ritual of it, though most of the time it’s easier for her to just do it than it is to put it into words. Besides, Aziraphale knows. 

“Oh, well, that’s…” Aziraphale’s cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink as she tries to find something to say. 

“Exactly. In the meantime, you hold onto this.” Crowley hands her a fresh handkerchief, and has no choice but to kiss her cheek when she smiles gratefully up at her from her perch on the bed. 

Crowley makes quick work of her shoes, then starts on the sheer tights beneath her dress. She offers Aziraphale a hand, helps her up and off the bed so she can roll them carefully down the length of her soft thighs and down her calves, until they’re discarded on the floor. Aziraphale kisses the top of Crowley’s head when she sits back down, murmuring a quiet thank you, which Crowley answers with kisses of her own, a trail of them, soft and teasing down her angel’s right thigh.

She’s interrupted by a sharp intake of breath, looking up to find Aziraphale waving her hand in warning, her chest rising and falling quickly as she works through a build up. 

“H-hheh...H'IHTshhiew! IH'Tshhiew! Snf! Oh, excuse mbe…” The sneezes sound stronger, wetter, and itchier than they had before they left, and Aziraphale looks more glassy eyed, too. She’s definitely feeling worse now, Crowley knows, though she can’t help the warm coil of affection and arousal makes its way through her. 

“You’re always excused, angel. You do sound properly ill, though.” 

“I feel properly ill,” Aziraphale admits, dabbing at her nose with the handkerchief.  

The dress is next, carefully unzipped and tugged down, down, down, though Crowley knows better than to let that drop on the floor. She sets it carefully down on the bed while Aziraphale shrugs out of her bra with a relieved sigh, and then there’s nothing but perfect, pale skin, rippling with cold-ridden shivers. Crowley wastes no time passing Aziraphale her favorite pair of soft flannel pajamas, though she stops long enough to drop one last kiss to the soft swell of her chest before she changes into them.  

“Thank you, my dear,” Aziraphale says again, wiggling herself beneath the soft comforter while Crowley changes out of her own outfit and into black silk pajamas. Her voice sounds full of congestion, and Crowley knows she’s feeling poorly enough that she’ll actually sleep tonight, rather than just read when Crowley dozes. “Can you do one more thing for me?” 

Crowley looks at her. “Think you know that answer by now,” she smiles. 

“Come here,” Aziraphale says. 

Crowley does as she’s told, tucking herself in beneath the blankets beside Aziraphale until they’re pressed in warm and close from head to toe. Aziraphale lets herself be scooped up by Crowley, slotting perfectly into her arms, Crowley’s nose nuzzling into the soft hair at the nape of her neck. 

“You’re too good to me,” Aziraphale says with a yawn. 

“Not posssssible,” Crowley sighs, nuzzling closer. She presses a kiss to the back of Aziraphale’s ear, breathing in the scent of her. All these years together, countless nights spent just like this, and she’s sure she’ll never get tired of the angel’s perfect, familiar scent. “Now, you need to sleep; we need to get you feeling back to rights, kicking people out of the bookshop, et cetera.” 

“I don’t kick them out, I just don’t let them buy things,” Aziraphale defends. 

“Tomato, tomato, sweetheart.” 

Aziraphale goes quiet at the endearment, turning in Crowley’s arms to kiss her, soft and sweet at first, then longer and deeper, until their silly little argument, even all her cold symptoms, are entirely forgotten.

#feeling gay in this chili's tonight #my fic #good//omens #good omens sickfic bingo #ineffable wives

[vashtijoy]

I feel like you were asked about this but I'll ask just in case.

Does Akechi actually says "The same tactic is used in romance"? When you watch a TV after Nov 20

Hello! The answer is that yes, he really does:

Akechi 拠り所をなくしたところで、一番、敵だと思ってたやつが助け舟を出す。 yoridokoro o nakushita tokoro de, ichiban, teki da to omotteta yatsu ga tasukebune o dasu Once they lost public support, someone they thought was their greatest enemy lent a hand...

Akechi これ、恋愛とかの駆け引きと同じでしょう? kore, ren'ai to ka no kakehiki to onaji deshou? That's the same strategy used in romance, wouldn't you agree? [lit. that's the same sort of strategy as you'd use in a love affair or the like, don't you think?]

Have you ever thought, though, that this sounds like a huge red flag? "I swept in at their weakest point like I would do with a girlfriend"? Like, seriously, Akechi, you're discussing your pick-up artist activities on TV here? Do you really hang out with the guys on Central Street? not that I don't think this is pretty much the approach he would take

There is, of course, something lost in translation here.

駆け引き kakehiki does mean "bargaining", or "strategy". But that's not what it means in context:

「駆け引き」とは、気になる相手を振り向かせるために、押したり引いたりするテクニックのことですが、女性は相手の気持ちを確かめたくて不安になる気持ちから、「駆け引き」をする場合があると言われています。 kakehiki is a technique where you act hot and cold to make someone you like pay attention to you. Women in particular may use it out of anxiety, to test the feelings of their partner.

kakehiki is not just "a strategy". It's specifically acting on-again off-again to keep someone on the hook. Now, this is what Akechi has been discussing in his interview—how he opposed the PTs and then later supported them. So while "the same kind of strategy" etc is not really a mistranslation, the original line is explicit that it's about this on-and-off hot-and-cold manipulative method.

I don't get the impression that kakehiki has the crazy-ex-girlfriend vibe that it would have in English-speaking culture, btw; it seems like a much more acceptable thing. Which makes Akechi's line far more innocuous.

Akechi also says ren'ai to ka—"romance and so on". So this is not just a technique used in romance.

"it required a lot of courage"

One more thing I think is worth highlighting from this interview:

Akechi: Honestly, it required a lot of courage to openly oppose them when their popularity was at its peak. Akechi: I mean, people often lashed out at me online and whatnot.

Akechi has two TV interviews between 11/20 and the engine room. Especially in the second, he's doing what he always does—he tells the truth, while dressing it up. He tells you what really happened, while making it sound like something else.

This is why so many of his lines end up having two or three meanings. For instance, in the "unwanted child" interview, he says "It did make me feel somewhat dizzy... Perhaps my mind was worked up due to the major task I had undertaken"—all of which, of course, is true. He's just omitting to mention what that task was.

So what about drawing the PTs in and betraying them required courage from Akechi? Please don't tell me he was scared of people being mean about him online, though he won't have enjoyed it at all and I'm sure it did give him a bad time.

Was it just that he had to kill two people in real life, face-to-face?—something that, deplorable as it was, would have called for untold levels of resolve. Was it the depth of personal deception and acting talent that the whole Sae's Palace arc demands of him? Or was it something deeper? Something that spoke to deeper things in him, like his need for connection, and friendship? Like his need to be part of a group?

The more I look at the events surrounding Sae's Palace and 11/20, the more I think Akechi struggles with them on a personal level, and that he's supposed to be portrayed that way.

finishing up

Here's the scene:

Notice, as they say, that his face never moves—the sprite never changes, his voice never wavers. This is almost routine; Akechi's TV manner is much more neutral and serious on the news than it is on daytime TV.

The thing is, Akechi isn't being interviewed as an expert here. This is a personal interview: "tell us how you caught the PTs, Akechi-san". It has much more in common with his daytime appearances. And honestly, it's not unprecedented for Akechi to show a little bit of emotion even on the news. You can see this on 7/18, when he's interviewed about Medjed. He doesn't get excited, but he does vary his sprites:

So this lack of affect on 11/23, while not eyecatching, is peculiar. Because what's the context of this—what else is going on? Akechi is a hero now. He's brought an end to the terror of the Phantom Thieves. People are screaming his name; he is everywhere. He has almost everything he ever wanted, right?—though the last thing, the big thing, is still just around the corner.

You'd think he could manage at least a smile, whether the leader of the PTs just committed suicide or not. You'd think he could at least sound enthusiastic. And you can tell, actually, that he's trying for that. That "it's the same strategy used in romance" is classic daytime TV Akechi. It's the sort of thing he says with a wink to knock down cooing presenters on rainbow couches.

But he doesn't even smile. He doesn't really even change his tone. He could be reading from an autocue; his mask is locked in place. And in his next and last interview, we'll get a glimpse of what's going on behind that mask—and exactly how not self-satisfied it is:

#asks #persona 5 #p5 meta #japanese language #goro akechi

[epiclamer]

Melting part 8 pretty please? 😳 Your writing is amazing!!!

Yaaaaay this series is back baby!!!!

@hstoria @ajiansaa @letthebodyfall @equestrianwritingsstuff @i-am-overly-complicated @deadwhisper @sufferfictionalcharacters @wolfeyedwitch @kurocantcommunicate @extrabitterbrain

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 9

Melting Pt. 8

Sidekick didn’t force Villain to talk at all on their way home, at first, Villain had to admit that they were a bit skeptical. Hero suddenly disappears and Sidekick is overly nice and invites them back to their house?

It seemed too good to be true.

It must’ve been.

Yet, Villain kept to the sidekick’s right hand side as they let themselves be led to the others apartment. Maybe it was hope, maybe the villain longed so desperately for kindness that they let it blind them to reality.

As dangerous and real the threat could’ve been, Villain hardly let the thought occupy their mind.

Sidekick’s hand squeezed their own as they walked, sidekick being the only one who was actually putting any effort into the gesture, even though Villain absolutely adored it. They couldn’t show it. They couldn’t show any weak emotions that would set their guard down again.

Villain hated the way their own heart practically set them up for heartbreak.

It was cruel, a cruel double ended knife that always ended with the villain hurting. Villain couldn’t win; but they could pretend.

They could pretend that right now, Sidekick was holding their hand and leading them home because they loved them, they felt a spark with them, they were so much as slightly attracted to them. Not because their superior was waiting to ridicule and handcuff them or because they were lustful and Villain was easy prey.

For just this instance, Villain could pretend everything was okay.

“We’re here.”

The villain looked up from the pavement at their feet, eyes falling on a quaint looking townhouse that held many bustling people about. Sidekick led them specifically to door 105 where they passed through a freshly mowed front lawn before making it to the entrance.

Sidekick pulled out their ring of keys as they fumbled with finding the correct one for their front door and Villain would never admit how cold their empty hand felt. When it finally clicked and they pushed the door open, Sidekick hesitated, turning to face Villain before they entered.

“You know, if you don’t want to do this we don’t have to. I mean, I’m not going to force you to come inside. I just thought you looked like you needed some cheering up, maybe I can help with that?” They we’re so hopeful it made Villains heart ache. They wanted to just jump into Sidekicks arms and start thanking them. Everything they did seemed to give Villains heart a new life, a new reason to beat, a fresh start.

Thankfully, Villain still had some little decorum left. Clearing their throat before they spoke to hide their previous breakdown. “What are you going to do to me?”

Sidekick chuckled at the formality. “This isn’t a kidnapping and torture session, Villain.”

Oh, right.

“I just wanted to get you back on your feet. A bath, some warm home cooked food, maybe a movie if you can stand me enough to stay and watch.” Sidekick took a step inside, leaving room for Villain to pass them if they pleased, and gave the criminal somewhat of a hopeful glance, but didn’t say any more as they waited patiently.

Villain thought about it. Well, not really. They had made up their mind when Sidekick had first mentioned it being their choice. Home was dirty and wrecked, here could be a fresh start. Of course, they couldn’t forget about the risks, but they could push them aside and step forwards.

So they did.

Not making eye contact with Sidekick as they passed them and into the small entryway, but considerate enough to slip their shoes and coat off and place them neatly at the front door. Sidekick doing the same, just slightly quicker as they began turning on lights.

Villain didn’t want to talk, so they didn’t speak as Sidekick led them around the house, sliding around on the hardwood floors with their socks which made Villain giggle. They would have to get Sidekick to teach them how to balance like that later.

“-and this is the kitchen! That’s about all! I know it’s small, but you can only afford so much on a sidekick wage.” That surprised Villain, they thought heroes were all paid fairly, seemingly not so.

“Do you have any questions?”

The villain looked up from the ground, fiddling with their fingers out of pure nervous energy. The house wasn’t some evil torture dungeon nor was Hero waiting for them at any turn. This could be a new chapter, Villain couldn’t screw it up.

So they settled on only asking one question. “Why are you doing this?”

Sidekick huffed, shaking their arms out at their side as they slipped their hands into their pockets. Whatever confident front they had put on earlier was gone now and Villain had never seen them look so vulnerable.

“Because Hero hurt me too. And no one was there for me. I intend to change that with you.”

#eyyyy #sorry this is so late— #last part was in March??? #damn #sorry folks #hero x villain #villain x hero #hero #villain #drabbles #fantasy #imagines #oneshots #scenarios #heroes #villains #heroes and villains #villains and heroes #heroes x villains #villains x heroes #hero x sidekick #sidekick x hero #sidekick

[ante--meridiem]

In light of things discussed in a certain recent post I've been reconsidering the fact that I may indeed have trouble fully getting that people can lie to me and have a tendency to find it really hard to shake the belief that someone who seems genuine probably on some level is even when that clashes with their behaviour. So I'm going to check how well my intuitions of how people work generally when it comes to lying/manipulation against other people's via the most reliable data collection process ever, tumblr polls.

Which requires a long preamble defining my terms because there's too much nuance to fit inside a poll option, so: for the poll I'm going to define two types of manipulation, Type A and Type B. Type A is the classic cold calculating and premeditated, fully conscious of what they're doing and what they're faking type. Type B is someone who doesn't consciously consider themselves manipulative but is subconsciously driven to do manipulative things because they know on some level it will get them things they want; either fully convinced of their own genuineness, or just don't really think about it. Generally impulsive and incentive driven. (Some people might not consider Type B manipulation; I do from the perspective of result counts more than intent and they are at least subconsciously seeking that result but also I'm not here to quibble about that kind of definition).

Also, general masking/feigning politeness/hiding or faking emotions for social acceptance does not count as manipulation here; I'm only talking about concerted psychological attacks on someone, probably to get something more specific than acceptance.

Edited extra nuance: since someone correctly pointed out the same person can be capable of either, my question is less to do with classifying individual people by what they're capable of, and more to do with what you think is more likely to be going on in any given instance of manipulation.

Ok, terms defined, here's the poll

#I feel like I used to have a tag for this stuff but I don't remember it #so I'll add that if/when I do #oops I meant this poll to be a week long but forgot to change it #would remake it except people already started voting

[sashimiyas]

bodyguard!samu also tells you youre pretty all the time, but not like 'you look pretty' he specifically tells you 'you're so pretty,' like there's an important distinction ya know?? OH sometimes if its really late and its just the two of u in your stunning en suite he's like 'you're the most..' or 'no one else compares..' I DONT KNOW REINA i just feel like cause reader is so sheltered she's not used to genuine, raw truths from a person who has nothing to gain from telling you them, only so much to lose

i want a bodyguard! osamu so bad

you do this thing that osamu’s noticed.

you do a lot of things actually that osamu’s noticed because that’s simply his job to. most of them he enjoys.

he likes that sleepy hum you make whenever he asks if you had fun. after an event where his ears still ring, the smooth run of the engine is a stark contrast to the lively rumble of a party. you tip your face away so you can press your cheek against the cool window and it’s that small little vibration in your throat that creates aftershocks on his skin.

he likes that you check in on him every so often when you get stuck on a long phone call. it makes him flutter despite his cold bodyguard façade and when you wrinkle your nose after you sneeze, he has to stop himself from pinching it.

everything about you he adores except for this one thing.

it started with, “you stupid idiot.”

he had to do a double take when he heard it, heart dropping just at the sound of someone speaking so poorly of you only for it burden him heavy when he finds out it’s you. you’re the culprit. you’re the one berating yourself over something as simple as running late to a meeting.

osamu reasoned that it was simply a one off. he’d noticed that you’re not quite fond of thursdays and maybe that particular thursday was notably bad.

but you do it again. right in front of him too!

he’s only half a step behind, right at your side, as the two of you walk the main road. it’s whimsy and picturesque with colorful patios and people. nothing like the countryside.

then you pass a confectionary shop with reflective windows and one simple glimpse of yourself has you frowning.

“ew,” you say, disgusted, “i look so gross.”

suddenly osamu hates all things sweet if it makes you feel paltry and bland. he takes one look at the gaudy designs and wishes for the place to burn because he knows their artificiality cannot compare to your natural flavor.

“ya ain’t.“ he’s mad. he can hear it in his voice. not only does it shock him, it shocks you as well. you stop in your step and eye him, perplexed.

“what?”

“ya ain’t gross.”

and it’s the fact that you have to take a moment to even process it, that you probably mindlessly say those hurtful kind of comments without a second thought. that your instinct is to see yourself in such a negative light when all he sees is—

perfect.

“ya ain’t gross.” he has to grit it out one more time before this anger of his consumes him.

“i was just saying it like a joke,” you try but it only takes two instances to have osamu fed up. he doesn’t know what’s happened in your life, if someone’s ever said something to you that’s made you feel any less or if you’ve never been able to live up to unrealistic expectations, but he’s your bodyguard now. and shit like this won’t happen on his watch.

“well ya don’t deserve shitty jokes like that.”

he sees you wilt immediately. your shoulders pinch like a book ready to close so he takes you by them. carefully pulling you to him, he inhales a breath to expel it out and soften his heart.

leveling his face with yours, “i’m here to protect ya.”

you don’t look at him, but he’s already forced his hand on you too far. there’s this pull at his fingers that wants to laden your skin with affection but they stay where they are.

“and i don’t care who i have to protect ya from. i ain’t gonna let anyone talk about ya like that. not even ya.” you still have nothing to say. it takes all him not to sigh. “ya know i think you’re beautiful?”

he watches your bottom lip protrude at his compliment. you hear it all the time, take it in grace when someone says so during social events. he wonders why you wont accept his.

“i do.” he tries one more time, “and i think my word holds weight because i’ve seen ya after a ten hour plane ride.”

you tilt your face up at him unwillingly but hope buds in osamu’s chest, enough for him to grin down at you. you can’t help but provide a small smile back.

“do you mean it?”

“what? that you’re beautiful?”

you nod.

“of course,” he admits and finally, his hands lose any modicum of self control. they come to cradle your neck, memorizing the weight in his palms. he brushes a fleck away from your cheek with his thumb as the other traces the line of your jaw. he dotes on you, memorizes the crevices on your face that’s been loved by the sun. “no one else compares.”

he matches your gaze and finds one more thing that he loves about you.

the way black devours color the same time your eyes land on his. the hunger inside him mimics it.

he kisses you.

osamu stands by it. he hates all things sweet unless it’s the taste of you on his lips.

#reina.receives #bodyguard! osamu #it’s like you know what my drafts look like! but this is so cute #osamu’s lovesick you’re so right #reina.writeshaikyuu!!

[voltstone]

LYCOS | tacet anima mea | (wenclair)

Wednesday is waning. In her dreams, or by touch, she has been locked to one moment. Her visions know no peace. There is Enid, beneath moonlight, skin a dying shade. Then there’s herself, between the trees, drenched in blood, with the knife at hand… Her true nature writhes. This is just what happens when someone like herself snaps. It’s happened before, will happen again. Because Enid and Ajax have been together through several moons. And he knows his way around her heats. And Enid seems…happy, until she isn’t, and Wednesday has to put her back together. Enid has been stuck in a heat for a while now. And she smells good. She smells really, really good, and Wednesday will kill for it.

or, wednesday still doesn’t know what to do about enid, and enid’s biology really doesn’t help matters. she is going insane. (there will be bodies.)

— — —

hi wenclair fandom. im a shit updater. my last account bonked itself to death i guess. so i'm trying to rebuild on this one. this be the fic i'm working on now.

anyway uh. yeah. um. don’t be scared of omegaverse. i write it not how it’s done typically, if that's…a comfort. anyway. there’s angst and hurt/comfort and aro!wednesday and alexithymia to explore. :D

and  m u r d e r.

Okay, I am actually going to be genuine here. This is an explicit story, and I don’t just mean like, oh it has some smut. It does, but that’s not really why. This is a darker fic, with a lot of the focus being on (and through) Wednesday’s perspective.

Because Wednesday is fucked in the head. Which, like, no shit. But it is beyond what the show has for us since I’ve removed a lot of the sanitization.

Which explains this tag in particular.

Yeah. Dead Dove solely because of Wednesday. Dark, angsty, and everything in between. But also just bizarre. It gets weird because Wednesday is a freak, and Enid becomes a consenting one. Sorry, but also not really. I find these kind of stories cathartic to write. Lol. 

(The rest of the tags from AO3 will be with the first scene down below. The first “chapter” of the fic is an A/N that also reiterates this, and kinda explains more as well.)

Also, this will be available on only AO3 because this story is very much designed to be read using a skin I made consistently throughout. (Essentially, it’s supposed to emulate Wednesday’s typewriter.) The catch is, I also utilize the default in some instances for specific reasons. 

ah well.

hope you enjoy!

:)

— — —

(read more for the first scene, and the AO3 tags.)

AO3

SCALDING | moon | Pt.1

“…you’re not doing this to, like, try and mate with her, are you?”

enid is in heat. ajax tends to her. not well. not good enough. wednesday can do better, and when the boyfriend slips one too many times, she does just that. 

— — —

She bleeds wine. You expected something lighter — rose, or ruby. Like the hue to her lips, or what has bloomed across her face, then her ears, to a moment’s obscure discretion. Yet, perhaps it’s the wolf which dwells beneath her moonlit skin, and the nectar of its hide merely dreams to serve the full moon its bounty. 

As wine — the godly, goat’s blood incarnate.

Her hand reaches for a shadow between the trees. She’s broken. She’s weeping. Nevermore’s breath is a cold, dismal fog. It sticks to her as dew. The moon, ever the melodic sun, steams what life escapes her. Scalding moonlight, waning before her very eyes.

With the shadow, there’s a glint. Stained by red. Like blurry agony.

She screams of day. 

Reaches for the shadow.

For you.

And you’re calloused. A face like the Devil. Eyes as lit oil.

And you’re painted by Enid’s godly incarnate. Leeched to your clothes, down your hands. As for your lips, smeared across.

You bleed too — the Addams’ velvet. Though with each step forward, you can’t tell where velvet ends, and wine flourishes.

“Will it hurt?”

You don’t answer. Your eyes, lit, crack to glass, and the glass within them force a cruel swallow.

“W-Will it hurt…?!”

Again, you don’t answer.

Across your blade…

Wine gleams melodic sun instead.

continue: AO3

#volt's library #lycos fic #wednesday netflix #wednesday 2022 #wednesday show #wednesday addams #enid sinclair #wenclair #fanficiton #ao3 #a/b/o #a/b/o dynamics #alexithymia #emotional blindness #dissociation #horror #aromantic #aro!wednesday #angst #hurt/comfort #also wednesday has an identity crisis but that's okay #and this is a chonky fic

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Worf

By Ames

It’s an honorable week here on A Star to Steer Her By because we’re shining our character spotlight on the show’s first Klingon main character, Worf, Son of Mogh! He’s also the first specifically main cast member to span two different series (sorry, O’Brien), so we’ve got glimpses from both The Next Generation and its films and also Deep Space Nine to cover. Worf might get the most time of any character to truly develop, growing from the guy who gets thrown across the room by the baddie of the week into the complex warrior who, for just a moment, wears the robes of the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Go Worf!

So put on your baldric, grab your bat’leth, and top off your mug of bloodwine as we give Worf all the honor he deserves (which every so often, isn’t very much, but other times is a lot!). Read on for the commendable battles below and listen to our death yells over on this week’s podcast (fight your way to 55:39). Today is a good day to die.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Bloodwine is red / Andorians are blue… While we gave Dr. Pulaski lots of props for whipping up an antidote so she could participate in Worf’s version of a tea party, it’s also just lovely that Worf honors her by performing the ceremony in the first place in “Up the Long Ladder.” Deep down under the head ridges and scowl, Worf is just a poetry-reading, tea-sipping teddy bear and we love it.

Klingon paper dolls Star Trek characters jump at any opportunity to play dress up, and we get a good instance of that in “The Emissary” when Worf and K’Ehleyr put on their warrior garb to trick a crew of Klingons in cryostasis into thinking they represent the Klingon Empire. As always, this episode gets some extra points for featuring K’Ehleyr, and it turns out Worf’s pretty good at improvisation too.

We have bonded and our families are stronger While we’re certainly going to give Worf some shit for how badly he parents his biological son, his connection with Jeremy Aster in “The Bonding” is actually quite beautiful for the both of them. Each an orphan, they are able to form a familial-type relationship together, and it’s really touching when Worf invites Jeremy to join him in the R'uustai that will bond them as brothers.

He has claimed the right of vengeance A trend emerged in our Best Worf Moments when they tended to fall into the “killing the fuck out of some jerk who deserves it” category, and the first to really deserve it is Duras in “Reunion.” Duras has been begging to get murdered since we first heard his contemptible name, but when he killed Worf’s mate in cold blood, Worf knew exactly what he had to do with his bat'leth.

You may now give birth Despite the fact that it resulted in adding a baby to the cast (blech), we have to give some credit to Worf for delivering the O’Brien baby in “Disaster” in a way that only he could. We’d need a whole additional blogpost for all the great Worf one-liners throughout the two series, as Michael Dorn’s delivery is always gold, but “Push, Keiko, push” has got to be pretty high up there.

Doesn’t gik’tal mean to the death? Worf sees so much potential in Sito Jaxa in “Lower Decks” and spends most of the episode arguing on her behalf for a promotion. So when we see Worf testing her with the made-up gik’tal martial arts to teach her to stick up for herself, we can’t help but see in her just what Worf sees. Ya know, until Picard totally gets her killed.

Assimilate this! Sure, it’s a soundbite-y line designed to be marketable in the trailer, but when Worf survives getting his EV suit punctured by tying it off with some Borg bits and then blows up the interplexing beacon in First Contact, it just feels right. Maybe it’s that Michael Dorn can get away with cheesy lines like “Assimilate this!” or maybe we just love watching Borg explode.

If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand While the movies are mostly showcases for Picard and Data, First Contact gives some great moments to the other castmembers. Worf’s standoff with Picard is nothing short of chilling. Borg are overrunning the ship and Picard orders Worf and his security team to what is almost certain to be their deaths. Lucky for us, Worf doesn’t actually mutiny, just threatens to a little bit.

And in this corner… While we spent most of The Next Generation watching Worf getting knocked around as shorthand for “the alien threat is strong,” by Deep Space Nine, we don’t really get that anymore and instead he actually gets to kick some ass! In “By Inferno's Light,” Worf is forced to battle Jem’Hadar after Jem’Hadar in the fighting ring, and he refuses to quit even when he has every right to.

Help me fight again, Worf You’ll see in a second that sometimes when Worf tries to help another Klingon die with honor, things can get complicated, but when Kor asks for help going out in the warrior fashion, Worf is totally a good guy about it. He gets the old legend a place on Martok’s ship in “Once More Unto the Breach” even though it’s not Martok’s favorite thing, but in the end, Sto’Vo’kor gains a new warrior.

Seven down, one to go We still have more “killing the fuck out of some jerk who deserves it” mentions to bring up! What list would be complete without the murder of at least one Weyoun on it? In this case, Worf straight up snaps the neck of Weyoun 7 in “Strange Bedfellows” when he has the opportunity and it is a thing of such beauty that it gains Damar’s respect.

What I have done was for the Empire Finally, our last jerk who needed to get killed the fuck out of is that bastard Gowron in “Tacking into the Wind.” Gowron was going around making terrible decisions, rewriting the history books, and trying to get Martok killed in various ways, and Worf finally has enough and kills him in honorable combat. He gets the cloak of the Chancellor for it but selflessly passes it to Martok, like an absolute boss.

—

Worst moments

I would rather die than pollute my body with Klingon filth While Geordi is putting racism aside to be able to coexist with his new BFF Bochra in “The Enemy,” Worf takes the opposite path. By refusing to let Crusher give his blood to Patahk, Worf condemns the injured Romulan to death just because of his race. And then the show takes some of the guilt off Worf by having Patahk refuse treatment anyway, leaving Worf’s hands clean, I guess.

This is not unlike a drumhead trial Worf is also quick to fall in line with Admiral Satie’s Red Scare of a trial against crewman Tarses in “The Drumhead.” He gets so infatuated with dispensing justice that he jumps past “innocent until proven guilty” and determines that Tarses is guilty of treason because he’d lied about his alien heritage, when the two things aren’t even related.

Would you further dishonor our family with your disobedience? It’s a running joke in the Star Trek community that Worf is a terrible father and… well, he is. To his defense, he did have Alexander sprung on him when K’Ehleyr died in “Reunion,” and he did try to pawn the little brat off on the Rozhenkos, but that was a terrible move too. So when we watch how clueless he is trying to parent in “New Ground,” we cringe hard at how Worf just doesn’t get it.

Donkey Kong: 1. Worf: 0. A lot of Worf’s decisions about how to deal with his paraplegia in “Ethics” are complicated and problematic, but the way he ended up in such a state is what we’re really here to roast him on. My dude got bitched by a big blue plastic barrel in the cargo bay, and that is downright dishonorable for a Klingon warrior. Battle, sure. Explosion, fine. Spat with Spot, of course. But not blue barrel!

How could your mother mate with a Romulan? Worf’s prejudice against Romulans comes out again in “Birthright” when he learns that Ba’el is half Romulan and he starts spouting racist accusations at her when he’s already seen what kind of a person she is, and even what kind of person her father is. Since his father’s death at Khitomer, it’s a long road for Worf to accept that all Romulans are not that same, and it’s unclear if he ever gets there.

Tell him he is a pretty cat and a good cat All your hosts here at A Star to Steer Her By are ride-or-die cat people, so when Worf refuses to tell Spot he’s a good cat and a pretty cat in “Phantasms” when Data asks him to look after the feline, we take it super personally. Frankly, Data should have looked elsewhere for someone to catsit because what’s supposed to be a humorous moment in the show just makes us angry at Worf. Hiss!

I believe the Ferengi bartender is plotting something By the time Worf joins Deep Space Nine, his racism against Romulans doesn’t come up, but his racism against the Ferengi sure does. Ever since “Hippocratic Oath,” Worf refuses to call Quark by name, instead calling him “The Ferengi bartender.” We joke sometimes on the podcast that the only race it’s okay to be racist against is the Ferengi, but you know what? It’s really not okay.

My life is in your hands Sure, we can argue that Kurn coming to Worf for the Klingon rite of Mauk-to’Vor in “Sons of Mogh” is messed up and puts Worf in a tough position, but Worf manages to pick an even worse outcome for his brother. Instead of killing him and sending Kurn to Sto’Vo’kor with his honor intact, Worf does the least honorable thing and has Bashir wipe Kurn’s memory. Without Kurn’s consent! Eeesh.

Everything you do reflects on me There were a bunch of times during DS9 that we really thought Jadzia could do better than having Worf as her mate, and “Let He Who Is Without Sin” is the chief offender. Worf starts the episode arguing about Jadzia consorting with other men even though she’s with him now, gets jealous of the Dax’s previous relationships, and generally poopoo’s Jadzia’s streak of individuality like a toxic boyfriend.

Have you accepted Kahless as your lord and savior? And that’s not even the worst thing Worf does in the abysmal episode “Let He Who Is Without Sin.” He spends the rest of their vacation on Risa palling around with the New Essentialists who’ve decided that people enjoying things is bad form, which is just Worf being petty. So when he goes out of his way to help them literally rain on everyone’s parade, it’s super damaging to his character.

I do not know you, nor do I wish to know you After Jadzia’s death, Worf utterly fails as grieving in a healthy, productive way and instead opts to take it out on Ezri during “Afterimage.” Just because she’s not Jadzia, Worf treats the poor Trill with disdain, ignoring the fact that she too is living through the trauma of being joined to the symbiont. None of this is her fault! Don’t yell at the innocent cupcake!

If it looks like a Dax and it quacks like a Dax… Worf and Jadzia had chemistry like whoa and we were here for it. Worf and Ezri… just don’t. So when they bump uglies in “Penumbra,” we just find it kinda gross and distasteful. My dude, that is not your wife anymore, and she’s in a very vulnerable state having had the Dax symbiont thrust upon her, so it strikes us as kind of problematic that they go to the bone zone (and I don’t mean Worf’s calisthenics program).

—

Qapla’! Now that we’ve got our honor back, take the R'uustai with us and subscribe so that you can see our next batch of character spotlights as we segue smoothly into our crewmates from Deep Space Nine! On the flip side, you can listen along to our dishonorable rewatch of Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, challenge us to a bat’leth fight on Facebook and Twitter, and join us for some good tea in a nice house.

#star trek #star trek podcast #podcast #worf #the next generation #first contact #deep space nine #up the long ladder #the emissary #the bonding #reunion #disaster #lower decks #by inferno's light #once more unto the breach #strange bedfellows #tacking into the wind #the enemy #the drumhead #new ground #ethics #birthright #phantasms #hippocratic oath #sons of mogh #let he who is without sin #afterimage #penumbra #klingon #michael dorn

[avissapiens]

Jockbull Summer Week 3 Set B (26/11/23-2/12/23)

Model is Oliver Forslin

1.

Lapsed in this one a little bit. Just didn’t really have the time or the appropriate day to do it. Weather has been so weird and cold and wet. Fuck this country, messing up my summer vibes. I am Island bwoi, i’m not here for this discount England weather.

2.

The form of cultivation this week which i suppose plays into the whole month’s theme was just gaining appreciation for it through the actual course i’m taking. I’ve never been a super sports focused guy, but some of the assignments are making me actually gain an appreciation for particular forms of athletic achievement besides bodybuilding. In this specific instance, Ice hockey. Which is a weird one to latch onto for someone from the tropics who has never played nor seen an ice rink in my life.

3.

Due to an unfortunate leg day incident which almost crushed me i stayed off cardio for most of the week. I did finally get one in at the very end. So i did about 800 calories worth. Don’t get me wrong, that’s more than 90% of people would do in a whole week. But i’ve kinda gotten hooked on the endorphin rush really quickly and want so much more.

4.

I’m prioritizing the drop sets on arms and chest. My legs are massive already so i can chill with them. It is a little hard to remember sometimes tbh. You just get in the gym flow and turn around and realize “Fuck i was supposed to do drop sets for those inclines.” But you can’t go back because some teenage stringbean has taken up the bench as his personal meme watching station.

5.

It’s been kinda weird for progress pics too. The week’s felt really rushed with end of month blues and whatnot. This is fine of course because i’m always looking at myself, but i want others to look too.

#JBS #Jockbull summer #jock #bull #alpha

[accio-victuuri]

cpn: zz says, keep warm ☕️

parallels made because of zz’s message alongside the xz studio photos released today, the weather is getting colder, pay attention to keep warm. i mean— are his hot af photos supposed to keep us warm? it sure did. lol. xzs knows what’s up!

( wdym this is not work of art from a museum? )

now onto the clownery, again, for turtles who like cpn only. if you hate it then don’t click and read. yes. it’s that easy.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

ZZ, and by extension XZS have always been caring towards his fans. His messages were never sweet to the point of giving way to boyfriend fantasy, but more of a friend who genuinely looks out for you. We’ve talked about how he really doesn’t need to share much and yet he still does. The effort they put in their vlogs as well as photos is much appreciated by fans too. The speculation here is of course bojunyixiao bias, but that doesn’t mean i’m ignoring the truth that these messages are also for his fans.

Anyway, in today’s photo set he did remind people to keep warm. You would think he will say this because it’s getting colder where he is but No. You’ve probably seen some photos of him even wearing shorts while in Chongqing. Also CQ have always been a much warmer city compared to others. If you compare the type of weather, Beijing is in the single digit and is experiencing more of the cold weather. So who are you specifically reminding? Someone in Beijing?

and then you have WYB posting a douyin today. and yes we noticed he’s been active lately but in his video he is all bundled up. He is actually looking cozy in that hoodie. As if to say, “yes i am keeping warm gege.” I really love it when the 24-hour rule is in effect and it’s not on the same platforms.

moving on to other instances,

..this year's spring is a bit cold, everyone pay attention to keep warm..

Around this time, WYB was MIA and shooting Born to Fly in Jiayuguan City ( Gansu ). He wasn’t allowed to leave and it was a locked in shooting because of the sensitivity of the movie’s topic and the involvement of military information. So they couldn’t really meet in person. Around this time in March, it’s so cold that it can get into negative numbers, so maybe another reminder to Yibo?

.. reminder: sooner or later the temperature difference is large, please pay attention to keep warm ..

Yes, the campaign is all about dressing up for the cooler weather but XZS already addressed that in the first part of the caption ( talking about autumn ). but they just have to add that but about keeping warm. The date is 9/7 = 1997 ( Yibo’s birth year ) also 01:25, if you add the minutes all up then it’s 85 ( 8/5, Yibo’s birthday ). Turtles are saying that around this time, Bobo was filming Nameless and it was very cold. Remember they were doing night shoots up until the early morning so it seems like XZ specifically wanted this reminder to be added in.

This was later confirmed when one of the actors ( wang chuanjun ) did an interview and said it was very cold during the shooting.

...The sunset is solid and pleasant, and you need to enjoy the scenery (..) cold protection..

Another reminder ( allegedly ) for his beloved, who was still working with the Nameless crew. from the interviews we’ve seen, it was a tough shoot and it’s sweet of GG to add this in.

Lastly — I’ve been seeing some talk that shooting of ZZ’s drama is temporarily stopped because of COVID related protocol. At least he is stuck at his hometown for this rather than some place else. I also advise against spreading “candy” about them meeting in between and implying they are breaking inter city health protocols. that’s a big deal for them and artists will get flack if there’s any news that they broke the rules when it comes to this. it’s not always about candy and be careful of people who seem like they are well meaning because of the “sweets” they are peddling but it’s really rotten inside.

It may seem irritating to some because i always give this reminder but i will never stop. Turtles are very prone to being taken advantage of and we should be smarter in what we consume. 🤍

-END.

#bjyx #yizhan #all of this is cpn #there is no science here folks im just clowning like i always do #i will make another post for zz’s douyin post cpn

[metroidprimepics]

Supper Metroid broth. (Actually, it’s Prime games, but...)

Thanks again to @ bearborg for various corrections and additions!

If you enjoy these posts, then you might enjoy this thread of what didn’t make it into the games.

I’m personally fond of this scrapped cutscene from Corruption, likely from the prologue sequence:

Sadly a lot of the links are broken or only half-working, including the video version of the above.

Prime

In Magma Pool in Chozo Ruins...

...there’s a fair bit of unnecessary detail underneath the opaque magma. Morph Ball for scale. Maybe the room was initially modeled empty, and then the lava was added later...?

Edit: The room was originally filled with water!

This actually tracks well with the water present in the adjacent Meditation Fountain and nearby Ruined Fountain. Either way, it does seem like it was switched to lava later in development, probably for gameplay reasons.

There are also non-interactable fish present in the water, labeled Chomper Fish. More on those later.

You don’t really need Thermal Visor on for most of the game, but I do recommend flicking it on every now and then, because it’s quite well-considered. For instance, the beetles hiding underground (this is from this halfpipe) show up as warm spots. (The icy beetles in Phendrana do not - I guess those ones are cold-blooded?)

In the room in the Phendrana lab where you encounter the first actual Metroid of the game, there are displays on the wall featuring diagrams of Hunter Metroids.

Specifically, it’s edited versions of the righthand piece of concept artwork. Cute foreshadowing, going with scans in the same lab which mention Hunter Metroids by name but don’t describe them.

In Chamber Access, which you pass through leaving after getting Gravity Suit, there’s a frozen pool in the floor, and...

Inside the pool are dead fish - the same model as the fish in the unused version of Magma Pool. It’s not like they’re invisible from above, but pretty hard to notice or appreciate.

Not something I found, but apparently there’s even one in the lab. Someone must have really liked this fish.

Echoes

Collapsed Tunnel in Temple Grounds.

The main tunnel is... collapsed... so you only ever go through the smaller tunnel to the side.

But the main tunnel is in fact fully modeled, since you can see it through the gaps in the rocks. It’s... there’s really nothing interesting in here, it’s just a tunnel...

I do have to wonder if at some point the blockage was going to be Power Bombable, so you could pass through easily in lategame. Power Bombing that corpse would probably bother people though...

Invisible detail inside Samus’ gun. Not invisible, just used in idle animations! Same goes for the equivalent in Prime 1. I don’t stand still very often, apparently.

Poke.

Corruption

I’ve taken this screenshot at native resolution, while standing on the ground. Can you spot what I’m about to talk about?

(For further effect, imagine the game is also being displayed through a component video cable, which is plugged into a CRT, which is several feet away from you.)

...

...

...If you guessed “those tiny light dots in the distance that look like dirt on the screen” ... you’re right! Computer, enhance.

That’s better. This is another one of Corruption’s fish “““birds”””, the Vaporwing. They’re basically unnoticeable when playing normally - it doesn’t help that they’re basically only found in this room, Arrival Station. I had read about them but had never been able to notice them when playing normally.

Vaporwings kind of look like Rinkas (the ring enemies in Tourian/CU chambers), but unused logbook data states they were designed as pets. I think they’re cute!

Some more fun Skytown tricks. This tram (to West Skytown) appears to extend far into the distance,

But it just extends really far out (stretching as well) and then the textures fade out to transparency. Looks great though!

Also all the pods in the distance are flat images.

There are a couple Reptilicus skeletons in the entranceway to Bryyo Ice, as well as in Bryyo Ice proper (in the appropriately named Imperial Crypt). They’re pretty detailed in a way that looks like the artist used an actual reference, likely some kind of dinosaur.

This prisoner has slightly more bones than the other one (or the dead emperors), so I’ll look at him.

Skull, replete with three eye sockets.

You know, because Reptilicus have three eyes. Something which I definitely noticed. The middle eyesocket is pretty small, so it might be a parietal eye? Unclear.

Otherwise resembles a relatively anthropomorphic dinosaur. (I’d love to be more specific, but like... I’m not qualified.) Those teeth would be great for catching things but too long and pointy for chewing. All chunks diet!

The whole “four arms” thing has somewhat more consideration put into it than you’d expect, with two sets of scapulas and a four-pronged collarbone. The lack of a sternum is consistent with dinosaur anatomy, as is the ribcage extending all the way down to the hipbones.

What I mistook for gonads last time was probably this bone, which can sort of... jut out in a way which looks funny. To mammals.

Detailed spinny plinth for the portal, because... because??? When would any normal person ever look at this. Why isn’t it just a flat texture. Give it up for whoever did this.

Two things about this screenshot:

1. While most enemies are represented by just a single orange dot in the radar in the upper left, Omega Ridley has a fully-animated Ridley-shaped array of dots. It really helps with figuring out what he’s doing during his flying phase.

2. There’s no lock on the doors in the Leviathan seeds. So if you could get up there... then you can just leave! Just walk out! If it sucks, hit da bricks!!!

Leaving and coming back seems to restore the boss’s health though.

This attack is just really silly-looking.

Hunters

I’ve somehow managed to bludgeon Desmume into sort of doing most of what I want, thanks to its layer-hiding features and this deeply crusty Lua script. (No insult to the author - I’m grateful for anything, really.) So, numerous issues aside, now I can get accurate fog, lighting, etc.

If you or anyone you know is versed in DS game hax, please get in touch, since I could use some help making Hunters display correctly in custom aspect ratios. 4:3 is usually fine though.

While obviously I’ve improved the resolution, Desmume also has the option to use “texture smoothing”, i.e. applying a filter to textures. The difference is more noticeable in textures that are up close, where you can really smell the pixels.

Smooth is possibly how the game was intended to look in 2004 (based on renders by the game’s environment artists), and it would match the other Prime games more. However it’s 2022 and I feel that the Quake 1 look is what’s won out aesthetically. It’s not a huge difference either way though.

There was a pretty decent 3rd person mode hack included with the cheat database I downloaded.

Full range of motion. The low-poly models in this game are really charming and surprisingly faithful to the series aesthetic. I’m really glad there weren’t any other DS line Metroid games that tried to do like, a weird chibi thing instead! 😂😂😂

...I’m reluctant to give too much kudos, though, since the lead character artist also made a version with... a very “breasty” breastplate.

Wow! I hate it!

THANKFULLY this model is not present in game data. These turnarounds (and a couple other renders) were uploaded to the artist’s now-defunct personal website.

In the regular first person mode Samus is just a gun, as usual.

A fun performance-saving trick: Hunters tries really hard to only render what the player can see, such as just the small sliver of the area you can see through doorways, openings, etc. (By no means a technique unique to this game.)

It does get weird when the camera is offset from the player though, which limits what I can do quite a bit.

On Alinos, there’s this extremely tempting “Hole”. It has a health restore in it! Surely nothing bad would happen if you went in it! (This is exactly how I approached it on first playthrough.)

The “Hole” contains a massive, labyrinthine pit of hot acid.

For scale, Samus. The hurt noise plays the entire time you navigate this room.

...I kinda just wanted to get a full view of it...

In another one of Hunters’ finer moments, you are forced to take a slow-moving platform across Arcterra’s long and winding Drip Moat, briefly turning the game into a very dull rail shooter.

However, after cheating my way out of the platform’s iron grip... yeah, the lip around the edge of the moat is totally standable.

The morph ball’s rolling animations don’t seem to work, but otherwise it's fine. So... that’s great.

Other M

For better or worse, it won’t happen again.

Mostly for technical reasons - apparently I’m not authorized to remove the HUD, even using Dolphin’s texture replacement features, so it’s not exactly fun as a photo simulator. (Having beaten it, I can say it’s not particularly fun as a regular video game either.)

Edit: It appears it is possible to remove the HUD via Dolphin’s graphics mod feature, proving once again that Dolphin is the most powerful emulator on earth. Still not happening again. Probably.

Anyway, since I never uploaded it -  here’s Samus encountering her real archnemesis, the gender binary.

#misc_

[ddarker-dreams]

yandere. feitan.😳 HWR. reader.😳CHROLLO. what a sexy dynamic. those are my two fav phantom troupe members, and to have a darling that’s on par w them is such an interesting twist. what do you think fietan is like in regards to sharing? do you think they actually could “punish” darling for things she does that they don’t like, i.e escaping, etc. what a cool concept!!! declawed took my BREATHE away!! ty!!🤍🤍

i couldn't humanly find a way to make a short answer to this, so i decided to split it into headcanons JGKEMR thank you so much for your interest in the story and it's dynamic, i cannot tell you how much joy it brings to me wrote for <3333

(for anyone curious, the story in question that this expands on is here! warnings for yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, and mild not sfw implications)

Chrollo

Chrollo is almost infuriating in a way, since he acts like nothing is wrong. He speaks to you as he used to, casual as ever, as if you weren’t a prisoner with him as your warden. This isn’t intended to be insulting, he genuinely thinks you’ll adjust to your new situation better this way. While he does find it regrettable, there’s no remorse on his part. He believes if you simply acted in accordance to his wishes, nothing dramatic would’ve been necessary. You forced his hand, is all. It’s a shame, truly, but that’s it all is. A shame. He intends to make the most out of it, regardless. 

The biggest punishment is being in Chrollo’s presence honestly. When you’re mentally worn out, sometimes it does almost feel tempting to play pretend for a brief respite. Act as if everything was normal, your relationship was loving and healthy like it used to be; except it isn’t. You curse yourself whenever you think you’re growing complacent. Hatred is a tiring emotion to maintain, you find. Draining in its very nature. He’s worse than the serpent in the garden, whispering sweet yet hollow promises of what could be if you only gave in. It could be like it used to be, he’ll say. You were happy then, he’ll remind you. And I can make you happy still, should you allow me, dearest. 

Yes, being with Chrollo is a punishment. Because if you’re not careful, you start to believe what he wants is what you want too.

Feitan

There’s a great deal about you that makes him curious. The unique properties of your blood, for instance — Corruption, he thinks he’s heard it called in the common tongue. Unlike Chrollo, who looks at things from a more antiquarian perspective, Feitan fancies himself a simple man. He wonders if it influences your sense of touch. Specifically, your pain and pleasure. Feitan finds it thrilling that he can’t let his guard down too much in your presence. At the same time, it’s amusing to taunt you by pretending to lower his guard. Rarely do you fall for such simple traps, but seeing the frustration you work so hard to hide on your otherwise indifferent features really gets him going. 

As for punishments, his preference errs toward psychological. He’ll take away one of your senses — sight, normally — leaving you in a more helpless state which he admires from afar. Over the course of hours, even days, he’ll attempt to whittle you down. He enjoys running his cold fingers over the expanse of your exposed skin, though he’s most drawn to the muscles on your back. Watching them flex and contract beneath your skin is fascinating. He lives for the power rush it gives him. He can never leave you blindfolded for long, though, it becomes more of a punishment for himself. Your eyes are his favorite feature. While you maintain respectable control over your body language and voice, your eyes aren’t as eager to obey. They betray your inner resentment and he basks in it as if it were ambrosia. 

#chrollo x reader #feitan x reader #yandere chrollo x reader #yandere feitan x reader #hell within reach #hell within reach yandere au #answered #not sfw #Anonymous

[veliseraptor]

Kimchay!

before I started reading @majestictortoise's writing about them I would've said "don't ship" purely because they gave me such secondhand embarrassment on my first watch but thanks to the aforementioned writing I am now on board. I'm pretty easy to talk into new ships a lot of the time, actually.

What made you ship it?

I think it was the realization that made me think about it where I was giving Porchay more credit, is maybe the way to put it? Because so much of my reaction to it was based on the feeling of cringe I got from seeing a teen boy pursuing his idol, but rethinking about their scenes and the way that Porchay is...actually more agentive than that, if that makes sense? Porchay sees a boy, likes a boy, and decides to pretty determinedly flirt with the boy, and he's actually remarkably self-assured about it, all things considered. It flips the scene where he plays his song for Kim, for instance, from feeling embarrassing to me to feeling more like 'oh yeah you are really putting feelings front and center and obvious which is kinda necessary considering how much Kim is living in a 'feelings, what are those' bubble.'

Between that and the fact that I am terminally weak to characters who think of themselves as cold and dedicated to a cause first and their personal life second if at all suddenly tripping and whoops! ending up in feelings, I guess I'm here now.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Probably the aforementioned part about the experience for Kim, who has been on a mission and is such a weirdo and so maladjusted in his own particular way (differently from his brothers), and here he has this sneaky, sneaky plan to get more information on the conspiracy he's trying to untangle about what his dad is up to, and Kinn's new bodyguard's baby brother is the perfect target, and oh whoops this plan isn't going the way he thought it would, oh no.

Also thinking though about if Kim was thinking at some point about how nice it would be if this was a thing that was actually as completely separated from the fucked up tangle of his family as it looks if you don't know he's related to them, while he knows it's not, but maybe kind of wishing he could pretend it was.

And ultimately not knowing how to deal with emotional confrontation in a relationship so he just, you know. Doesn't.

I also think the fact that I realized that Porchay is actually the more emotionally mature one of the two of them is a big selling point here.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I feel like a lot of my opinions are just cribbed from, again, @majestictortoise, and I still don't spend a lot of time in this specific corner of fandom, but I will say that while I think Porchay deserves to get to yell at Kim a little, I don't think he actually wants to and I think it would be more devastating to make Kim suffer through an honest emotional conversation anyway.

#conversating #anonymous #kimchay #kinnporsche #kim theerapanyakul #porchay kittisawat #i love kim i really do #he's such a feral weirdo #ship opinions meme

[hawkofkrypton]

Im sorry to get super serious but… I think I might have some kind of… thing in my mind.

During my internship there’s been more and more instances of me losing memory. Losing track of time, anything that I haven’t written on paper, doubting everything the second someone says “Is it?”. Even stuff I’ve dealt with my whole life, like every object slipping from my hands and me accidentally hitting something and hurting myself, all just got worse.

I’m also EXTREMELY prone to flinching and numping to ANY kind of sudden noise. A coworker said I almost act as if I was “protecting” myself everytime I jump from a noise, leading me to think I had hidden trauma in my brain or something.

I… almost never feel like there’s much of any time for anything I want to actually do.

I have to force myself to smile just to get less “You sound/ look cold/uncaring/uninterested” everytime I’m just trying to fucking concentrate on what’s being said because I KNOW how sometimes even a misunderstood word can change things. Yet I just DREAD eye contact and I have to force that on me too.

Whenever I talk openly about this it’s always “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “You’re being too dramatic.” “It’s just stress, it’s normal.” “You’re in a new environment, it’s okay.” Granted the latter two are as well intentioned as they are rare, but… it doesn’t feel okay. It doesn’t feel normal. It always, constantly feels like a long hall full of locked doors, and I DO have a walkie talkie with me to complain about the abundance of lockers… yet all I hear is that they’ve always been here and that there’s gonna be more, as if that’s relevant to my point.

I have super weirdly specific interests, nothing questionable just… very niche that I really DONT have many to discuss it with without sounding like a fixated fanatic

People are confusing. So… confusing. I dont laugh at the same things as them, I always try to be sensitive and look out for everyone Only to get weird looks, I have NO idea what it feels like to be proud of a country and/or incite your football team, just.. stuff I think goes a lil beyond my introverted self. When the chips are down, I’m probably just gonna burst in tears.

I WANT to talk with my mom about consulting a psychiatrist, but… for what? Me being “tired”? Adding her another thing to worry about, on too of her own problems and my mountain of health issues? I just.. dont feel like piling on.

I don’t know what any of this is concretely is. Autism, attention disorder, anxiety… Im definetly NOT looking into the internet for an accurate diagnosis, its just that, please… if you have any ideas on what I might have or tips on who to consult, I’m all ears. Again sorry if it got SO much more serious than usual, I just..

want to know how much control do I have.

#mental help #mental health #autism #anxiety #attention disorder #adhdh #short term memory #senses #trauma #psychiatrist #psychology #mood disorder #adhd #stress #internship #school #social anxiety #health problem #mental problems #introversion

[bluest-of-bells]

@proudfreakmetarusonniku I made this into a post instead of answering in replies because it was getting long. Hope it's okay ^^

I'm not sure I get what you mean, the disc finale went perfectly as far as c!Dream's plan was concerned, stuff only started going wrong in the prison.

c!Dream has this trick he pulls constantly of appearing to lose in order to lull the enemy to a false sense of security (see: the L'manburg independence war and his surrender on nov 16 for the most obvious examples). Whenever he does this, he makes sure to put up a token amount of resistance in order to not make anyone too suspicious. He's pretty good at making this token resistance convincing. The most reliable method for spotting what's token resistance and what's real is looking for logical inconsistencies and/or comparing other instances of Dream's skill and coming up short.

And we see Dream's protests against being killed in the disc finale coming up very short when compared to, say, his arguments against Tommy during the exile negotiation when Tommy tried to blackmail him with Spirit. The latter were substantial arguments, of the kind that would convince someone as logic driven as Dream. The former was a bunch of nonsense soup that barely had an actual argument in it.

I mean, if Dream really didn't want to be killed the first two times he could've just brought up the revive book earlier. At the very least he could've brought it up before Tommy started hitting him when he was on his last life.

But he didn't want to, because when you actually look at the practicalities there's not much difference between having one and three lives. Things only really change when you lose that last life. The first and second are more of a safety net than anything.

A safety net that Dream considered worth trading for two things: 1. really selling his loss (it may seem to be going overboard but it's in character for him to do so) 2. Force everyone else into a corner in terms of options.

Which ties in to the whole "he wasn't killed because of the suggestion of someone uninvolved". Dream set up the disc finale like a riddle for the people who defeated him. What do you do with someone who's so ~evil~ you can't let him loose, too valuable to kill and for whom you don't have that margin error of extra lives to risk picking wrong?

The only answer to that "riddle" is locking him up. Something Dream actually tried to make Tommy figure out with how he set up the disc finale. Sam bringing it up is actually already plan B lol. (And even if Sam didn't figure it out, the right call here wouldn't have been for Punz to outright say "lets lock him up" as that's far too suspicious. The right call would be for him to say something to guide other people to figure it out, like a hint.)

As for exile, frankly if Dream was trying to condition Tommy for "loyalty" there he went about it in the dumbest way possible. He already managed to get Tommy to see him as a friend and ally in the past (during Pogtopia) so he knows how to go about doing it again if he wanted to. Instead he went with this cruel, hot-and-cold method. Which does a hell of a lot to destabilize Tommy's sense of self worth, but doesn't directly help with loyalty to Dream. It indirectly does in the short term, because it wears Tommy down too much for him to fight back against Dream (on an emotional level too), but it starts wearing off as soon as Tommy leaves that constant destabilization and gets his feet under him a bit.

This is something which requires constant maintenance and so goes totally against Dream's style. Dream's planning style is notable for his goals always sharing 3 traits: they're achievable (i.e. he can get them by relying on a minimal amount of luck or other people's decisions), they're decisive (i.e. they always gain him a unique new advantage or something which can't be easily undone) and they're specific (i.e. they fit neatly into a binary of "happened" and "didn't happen". There's no "kinda happened".)

Conditioning Tommy for loyalty is something which fails the "specific" requirement spectaculary.

Just in general it's not how Dream does things. His style of manipulation is more like information warfare than classical manipulation. He doesn't try to change people's minds. Instead he constructs scenarios where just by being themselves people will give him the outcome he want.

If he does need to rely on someone else's decision, the way he goes about it isn't by convincing them to act the way he wants them to, but rather by blocking all their other options so that it's the only reasonable option left for them to take is the one he wants them to take. (It's exactly what we see in the disc finale, where the only reasonable choice left for them is to lock Dream up.)

And of course there's also how Dream was pretty unbothered by letting Tommy chill with Techno in the arctic and only tried to get him back once he started going into L'manburg again.

We know Dream didn't simply let Tommy's stay happen because he feared Techno, he had no problem trying to get Tommy back in front of him. We also know it's not because he needed time to get Skeppy's disc, he didn't actually have that disc during the encounter in front of the portal. So the only logical reason as to why he didn't try to pull off getting Tommy back earlier is because he deemed it an acceptable way for things to go.

Something that lines up with a goal of trying to sabotage Tommy's relationships (especially with Tubbo) but doesn't work at all with a goal of trying to condition Tommy into being loyal.

(There's also how the entire structure of his plan during that time converges on getting the disc from Tubbo during the green festival but that's a whole other tangent and this is getting long enough already).

You're right that there's definitely something more going on with Dream plan for the prison that we don't know about yet, but that's more in the realm of "why" and "what advantage does he get from being in there".

That he wanted to be there is clear, and had been clear from the start. In fact, it's how I've been able to call staged finale from the moment I viewed it, simply because the only way Dream actions made any sort of logical sense (while still being consistent with his previous characterization and tactics) is if he wanted to get locked up.

#dsmp #blue talks #discussion #proudfreakmetarusonniku