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shadowtraveled · 20 hours

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would love to know your thoughts on rinsha dunmeshi. or on rin and kabru :-)

OH!! i love rin honestly lightning damage and unaffiliated spellcasters will get me every time.

i would have loved to see more of her, but i do really enjoy kui's style of storytelling where she gives us the information about a character that will tell us exactly what she wants us to know. it reminds me of the way someone described suzanne collins' writing as surgically precise—she has more information about characters and the world, but she included what would get her story across most effectively. kui gives off a similar impression, and i think rin is a good example of that.

sorry readmore because that was getting long already.

rin's backstory is really interesting to me because it helps us to extrapolate so much more about the world and the other characters in it.

for what it's worth, i don't think it's terribly likely that her parents were practicing ancient magic. they were immigrants of a visibly different ethnicity, though, and they were magic users, which othered them doubly in the northern continent, and that otherness cost them their lives. this is sort of a running theme in dungeon meshi overall ofc, but i think a lot of discussion surrounding dungeon meshi discrimination focuses on the elves. which is fair, since they seem to be the most significant world power and they're weird race elitists as elves in fantasy frequently are, but the story does not want us to forget that discrimination is complex and so is otherness. tallmen may not be respected by long-lived races, but in communities where they do have power, they're still perfectly capable of leveraging it against others. they seem to have a particular bias against magic, but really anything people deem weird or creepy is enough to land you in trouble: laios faced constant rejection and, in some cases, severe harassment just for being autistic; kabru's eye color was enough to push his mother to the fringes of society and get her accused of witchcraft, suggesting that "weird or creepy" is regularly conflated with "magic" in tallman societies; and falin's affinity for magic led to her isolation and ostracism as her mother frantically tried to suppress it. rin's parents, meanwhile, were outright executed. the nature of these reactions to anything unfamiliar or non-standard are definitely meant to convey something about tallman societies in the world, but i think rin and kabru's situations specifically lend some explanation as to why falin is so forgiving of her parents. they didn't really know what to do with her, and some of the things they did to her were harmful, but she seems to see them as trying their best to protect her, perhaps because she knows the emergence of her magic could have put her in immediate physical danger but didn't.

with that being said, i'm surprised rin doesn't have more of an aversion to tallmen, but maybe kabru made enough of an impression on her that she developed some hope for them.

her dislike of elves, meanwhile, is entirely understandable—her interactions with them seem to be framed as emblematic of how they treat short-lived races in a way we don't really see with the others. milsiril objectifies short-lived races but does seem to... kind of care, otta fetishizes them but seems to... kind of care, mithrun's squad only get to be patronizing for a bit before it becomes apparent they bit off way more than they could chew, and mithrun isn't invested in these designations anymore. but the elves that found rin treated her like evidence, then like a toy, and then they got bored and ignored her, and then she was evidence again, and then she got adopted out to elves who kept her like they would a pet. miserable fucking experience, and a very thorough and efficient way of expressing just how little the elves are socialized to consider the humanity of the other races.

as for her relationship with kabru... i'm glad they had each other around. it's impossible to be surprised that she latched onto him in her circumstances, and i think it's sweet that she was the one he stuck with (despite the implication that milsiril was raising other children alongside him that he ostensibly would have spent more time with).

i also love how apparent their closeness is! rin gravitates to kabru, and if i'm remembering right, most of the time she speaks it's to him. that immediately established to me that she is uniquely comfortable with him, and interestingly it goes both ways! it's less apparent with kabru, because he's a lot more social than she is, but vitally, he lets the mask slip with her. she's the only character he goes out of his way to tease, and sometimes he takes it a little bit into "alright that was kind of mean" territory, which sucks of him but is kind of the point. kabru's interactions with rin are the earliest ones where we see him fuck up or be a little bit of an asshole, and that's almost certainly because she is a person he feels comfortable enough with to not try to game every conversation. kabru being a little bit of a bitch is the first time we see him not trying to be charismatic. and she gives it RIGHT BACK lmfao it really conveys the feeling that these two are kind of "safe people" for each other, even if they're bantering a little meanly. very charming, top-tier childhood friend dynamic, no notes.

editing to add:

^ YEAH THIS IS IT thank you @gerrykeay i think this really captures the spirit of her revulsion with regard to things like magic school (and its graduates), etc... she seems to think of magic school as this sort of lofty opportunity only people with a certain level of social standing are able to access (which seems to hold a level of truth) and reject it on the basis that something like that is fundamentally incompatible with who she is as a person, and that's probably the same reason she remains unaffiliated despite knowing practicing magic without organization ties is potentially dangerous for her. these systems rejected and failed her family and her, so she rejects them in kind.... god i'm so obsessed with the way practically every character has a main character backstory and motivations this really is like a ttrpg lol

#anon #ask #rinsha fana #kabru #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi spoilers #thank you this was fun to think about #severe problems

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horce-divorce · 2 months

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something something about the power imbalance inherent to being an unhoused person, how similar it is to the dependency that abusers intentionally foster in their relationships to keep victims from leaving. but if you're homeless and someone is putting you up, especially if it's for free/some kind of exchange other than rent, you're basically expected to put up with whatever indignity they can imagine for you and still just be grateful. And if you set a boundary or speak up for yourself in any kind of way, that's Taking Advantage of this poor kind person who's doing SO much for you already, how could you?

sorry its 2am and I'm trying to write a better draft about this for later too but its like. being homeless is a huge, huge vulnerability. ppl people will look to exploit that, intentionally or not. and doubly so if you're homeless because you're disabled.

also something the ableism involved... about how I know so many fellow disabled people who have struggled with homelessness, and we all have similar stories about people we trusted, friends or loved ones who seemed all too happy to help and take us in, and how we repeatedly impressed upon them the nature of our health and the situation, and they swore up and down that they understood and that we were on the same page about boundaries and expectations... only to have them blow up and kick us out at the absolute first sign of conflict or miscommunication, or because we didn't get jobs fast enough, or because we didn't contribute financially even after being told that wasn't expected, and so on.

and how, I know so many housed people who have never been through this, who all have very similar stories about how they tried to help a friend in need once, and they were SO lazy and horrible and took SO long to get their shit together that they clearly were just a freeloader taking advantage who should've never been trusted, just like all homeless people, and that's why we give them socks and canned beans instead of money.

I was never allowed to complain about ableist expectations or abled people ignoring my boundaries in my parents' home. Especially not after I became a disabled adult who still needed help with housing. And that's been true of most of the couch-hopping I've done since then, too.

Currently we have a fairly nice situation... we live with a trusted and pleasant friend. It's a whole house, not an apartment. Not even in the city. We have our own entire room. We don't have to pay rent or anything. It's temporary even aside from our discomfort, it's just been a nice place to land for the cold months.

However. Friends parents are not so chill. Their dad is the most disgusting man alive and has repeatedly gotten us sick bc he's always got something, bleeds all over and never cleans it up, never washes his hands, leaves his dentures on countertops and tables with food still stuck on them, coughs all over our stuff and never masks, is actively making the mouse infestation worse with all the food he leaves out, and puts our health at risk in SO many ways.

he used to work in Healthcare btw. His wife still does. They know we're here bc we're homeless; they know we're both disabled and immunocompromised; neither of them will wear a mask. Both of them are constantly coughing everywhere and not even covering their mouths. We've tried to politely bring this to their attention multiple times and nothing changes. They just ignore us.

We could literally die from this. We could get lifelong health complications even worse than what we have now. Bel lost his sense of taste today and now we're terrified that it's gonna be long covid or something else that sucks what little joy is left from our daily lives.

You lose everything, and then you're supposed to just say nothing and accept your lot, no matter how much danger you're in, because beggars can't be choosers. If you're disabled and poor you'd better just be fine with people abusing you and putting your health and safety at risk indefinitely, because you're lucky they're even helping you at all instead of JUST abusing you.

You dont get to have a home. You dont get to collect things, or keep sentimental things, or have a whole, adequate wardrobe. You get what you can carry with you and what won't get stolen or destroyed by others, or by the nature of moving so much. You dont get to have safety and stability and roots and community. You dont get the dignity of boundaries or your own space. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit. And be happy and say "thank you" if people are merely ignoring you instead of actively silencing you. And if the people "helping" you actually give you the thing that kills you, at least you didn't die of exposure, I guess? Or something?

Its just. Every single thing you do as both a homeless & disabled person reminds you how utterly worthless you are to the """normal""" people around you. Every day. It's so demoralizing.

#me #prsnl #disability stuff #homelessness

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eemamminy-art · 14 days

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not obligated to answer this but if you have anymore thoughts about alex sdv (or stardew valley at all) please share. i am obsessed with alex

Oh hell yeah anon you've activated my current hyperfixation 😁 I have a google doc where I'm dropping my headcanons and a bulleted timeline for a Alex/m!farmer longfic I've been writing in my head that's up to about 13 pages now ahaha so here's a few things!!

When he first moved to Pelican Town he was actually really quiet and reserved because he was still grieving heavily, so he never really got close to the other kids. He talks about how he played gridball with his mom so I think once he got the chance to play that in school (in another town no doubt) I think he came out of his shell then and made some friends, but all those friends lived far enough away that after graduating high school he's been pretty lonely and never could connect with the other people his own age in town.

He never goes into the saloon to my knowledge prior to the 10-heart event dinner scene, so I headcanon that it's because he doesn't drink alcohol and doesn't want the temptation to try it. I don't remember if it's said explicitly but I got the impression his dad's abuse stemmed from being drunk so I imagine Alex refuses to touch the stuff out of both principle and fear of becoming like his father one day.

I said it in another post but I headcanon him as gay and suffering comphet. He's built himself up as this cool popular guy, so he tries to emulate the sexist straight guys he's seen in movies but there's absolutely nothing behind it. He says something rude to a girl and then is like uhhh (shit what now) bye! 😅 I want to think that in getting to know the farmer he not only does away with that facade but also gets more comfortable in his sexuality!!

and on a sidenote to the above: I hc most of the town as gay or bi and I am toying with the idea of Abby being transfem! Sam/Seb is a given, and maaaybe they're in a poly relationship with Abby but I'm still undecided!! I like Maru/Penny as a concept but need to marinate on that a bit more, I see them always sitting together and it makes me happy but I need to think more on how they met and what their relationship would be like. I don't have anything solid yet in terms of other characters' gender or sexuality headcanons exactly, other than Caroline and Jodi being bi and desperately yearning to run away together 🥰

But back to Alex!! With how his storyline goes of trying to impress others with his jock persona, then trying to switch gears and be super booksmart, I headcanon that he gets close to the farmer via the farmer tutoring him so he can take a community college placement test. :3 My thought for why he's in the rut he's in is that he wanted to play college gridball but his grades in high school were so bad he has done nothing with himself since graduation and has just been stagnating and becoming more and more bitter (which only amps up his shitty attitude when the player first meets him). So trying to get educated is doubly good for him because he can work toward his sports dream (in a way) and try to impress the farmer. Though of course, the thing that brings them closer is Alex learning to be true to himself 😊

This is getting long, so last thing: he's actually a really well-rounded homemaker but does not even think about it really. George has been disabled for a long time, so all of the handy work around the house has to be handled by Alex, and he's so eager to help out his grands. :3 They put a roof over his head so of course he'll climb up onto it to fix the leaks when it rains! Evelyn is always cooking and baking and Alex is so soft for his granny he has been in the kitchen helping her for as long as he's lived with them, so he's actually got a real talent for cooking and baking too! One of the first things he learned after moving in with them was the proper way to set a table, and the best way to wash dishes efficiently. He's spent enough time at Haley's house having no chemistry with the poor girl, but found Emily's whole sewing setup really fascinating and she taught him to mend the holes in his letterman jacket when he asked so he knows how to hand sew! These are all skills that he has but doesn't recognize as skills, he just inherently has this desire to help the people in his life so he picks up this and that to make it easier!

Anyway! Thank you for letting me ramble 😄 Alex is really sweet and soft underneath the mask he wears, and he's been rotating in my head for the last few months hehe

I had bought sdv when it came out but barely touched it, and started it up again on a whim earlier this year and I'm so glad I did!! I really adore the game and it's bringing me a lot of joy currently 🥺

#sdv #stardew valley #sdv alex #alex mullner #headcanons #replies #anonymous

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homunculus-argument · 8 months

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Hey! Another Finn here but I want your English speaking audience to be able to understand as well.

For background information, I've been thinking a lot about nuances in pronoun usage in Finnish language ever since I had a brief discussion about genderless third person pronouns with an English speaking friend. I wanted to share what I have uncovered so far about the information that is instinctive to me.

For our English speaking folk, we have our official language (sometimes referred to as written or formal language) and a bunch of dialects and slang (collectively referred to as spoken language). They can vary vastly and pronoun usage is one of the most obvious indicators of roughly where a person is from. The spoken language examples I'm giving are from Southern Finland (not the capital area) as that's what I use. Also, because of the nature of Finnish language, the words can change their sound and written form when there's information added and sometimes pronouns are not needed as a separate word in a sentence at all.

In written language the singular pronouns are as such: minä (I), sinä/te (you), hän/he (he/she/they) and se/he (it)

Plural pronouns are: me (we), te (you), he (they) and ne (they when used as a plural for "it")

In spoken language it's a bit different: mä (I), sä (you, singular), se/hän (he/she/they/it), me (we), te (you, plural), ne/he (they)

You probably noticed something peculiar already and we're getting there.

When I started learning the written language in school, my teacher told me that hän refers to a human person while se refers to everything else. Also, if you want to sound formal and/or respectful when referring to someone you use plural forms when referring to them even if you're referring to a singular person, hence the use of te instead of sinä and he instead of hän or se. However, if the goal is to still sound as formal/respectful as possible you would not use ne instead of se, because ne implies a lack of personhood. It's always more polite to imply personhood even if you're not talking about people, but people will probably find it odd if you do imply personhood to things that aren't alive. So, with inanimate objects it's either se (singular) or ne (plural).

And there in lies the foundation for many nuances.

Some Finns are indeed taught that in written language hän can be used to refer to all living things while se can be used to refer to all non-living things, but that's not the case with me.

Hän implies personhood. Personhood implies consciousness and agency.

As a result, in spoken language hän is only used when you want to underline the agency of the person/living thing you're talking about. We also generally use se when talking about people because we can often hear from the context that this is someone with agency hence emphasis on agency is not needed, so it would be weird to do that. But when speaking about animals, if someone refers to an animal as hän and you don't also switch to hän it can leave the impression that you don't think this animal has any agency or anything else that comes with personhood, like emotions. Alternatively, it implies that you see animals as "lesser" and their emotions as "not important". Doubly so if the animal is a pet. It's polite to use hän when speaking about an animal, especially to the owner of said animal without prompting. It's rude to insist calling an animal se when someone has already referred to the animal as hän. But if you refer to a human as hän in casual conversation it has a whole another connotation.

As stated before, hän is used to underline agency in spoken language.

"Hän päätti nyt näin." He/she/they decided so this time. This implies that the speaker does not necessarily agree with the decision, made even more apparent by the speakers tone.

"Se on hänen päätös." It's his/hers/their decision. Less friendly and more frustrated sounding version of "se on sen päätös" which means exactly the same. The latter implies more familiarity or warmth between the decision maker and the speaker and doesn't really imply frustration in the same magnitude. The first one can imply frustration either towards the decision maker, the situation or the one who is spoken to. Both mean that the speaker is not responsible for the decision, but while the first one implies that the speaker can't change the decision makers mind it even if they disagree with the decision, the second version implies that the speaker doesn't really want to change their mind even if they could try. Either way, the ultimate decision making power isn't in the hands of the speaker in this case.

But there's a secret option that has become more popular over the years. It's using hän when referring to non living things to imply agency in a way that's humorous. Like in a conversation I often heard and had in my home:

A: "Mä kolautin itteni pöydän kulmaan." I hit myself onto/ran into the corner of the table

B: "Hyökkäskö se pöytä sua päin?" Did that table attack (towards) you?

A: "Joo. Hän hyökkäs aika kovaa." Yeah. He/she/they attacked quite hard.

The "joke" was started when person B implied that an inanimate object can attack (which is an action requiring decision making) and then person A continued the "joke" by confirming that this table has a personhood and indeed decided to attack. It's not meant to make anyone laugh, it's meant to lighten up the mood and save person A from further embarrassment by implying that the whole ordeal was the tables fault.

But if the person B had answered in another way instead, they could have tried to further embarrass person A.

B: "Miksi sä hyökkäsit sitä pöytää kohtaan? Hän oli ihan viattomasti paikallaan." Why did you attack that table? They were innocently staying still where they were supposed to be.

This doesn't only imply that person A was at fault, but also that the collision was a malicious act towards an innocent person, who was just doing what they were supposed to do. While it's more likely to get a laugh out of people in the vicinity, it's not polite to try to further embarrass someone if you don't know they can take it from you.

Also, when someone is representing or speaking for a group, they are referred towards as if the representative is the whole group. The representative can also more easily to make clear their stance with the group. If they constantly use he when referring to the group, it means that the representative is not part of this group they are speaking for. If they use me, they are speaking as a group member or as someone who agrees with them in the matter at hand. If they use any version of minä, they are making clear that this opinion/experience is their own or at least not something the whole group agrees with.

Also, corporations, even single person companies, are spoken about as if it's a plural collective. When I'm asking a small business owner where can I find more products or info about the company, I use te. If I would use any form of sinä it is taken as an interest in the person behind the company, unrelated to the company.

And when speaking or writing in a formal manner, keep in mind that being overly polite can easily be mistaken for sarcasm. Finns are generally very casual. When writing personal emails, text messages etc we use the spoken language. Written language is only spoken if you are reading a book aloud or you happen to be a politician doing your work.

I might have missed something but this has gotten too long already cx

All I can add to this is that this is literally a real language. All the completely nonsense-seeming bullshit about the finnish language you encounter on tumblr is legit things that are a thing in a real language spoken by like 5 people in one corner of the world, and not a whole and full "yes and" goncharov- style bit.

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bulleted-bg3 · 2 months

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You Kissed Me(Just To Kiss Me)

Shadowheart/NB!Tav

Summary: Set during the end of act one, my take on Shadowheart's invitation.

AN: Hi this was written mostly at 4am and is my first real attempt at writing in this format, let me know what you think! Also, please forgive any grammar/spelling mistakes.

Part 1/?

Shadowheart's cheeks burned as she turned on her heel and walked away from Tav. Their sweet, beaming smile as they told her they'd see her later that night had left her heart pounding like a nervous teen.

The party seemed to drag the rest of the night, and Shadowheart was saving herself for the wine she'd nabbed for Tav and herself later, so she had to deal with it sober as well.

The way Tav would catch her eye from across camp and offer her a soft smile, the kind that made their eyes crinkle in the corners, the kind that made her heart stutter in her chest, was her only saving grace.

When the party began to lull, most of the tieflings strewn out in various tents or bedrolls or wherever they happened to be when their drink got to them, Tav approached her. They had a well-worn blanket folded over their arm and a small pack thrown over their shoulder, a small loaf of bread, and a wedge of cheese they thought might pair well with the wine inside.

They seemed nervous as they explained it, but Shadowheart was quick to soothe their worries. However, it was with a teasing glint in her eyes as she asked if they were trying to one-up her on her own late-night excursion.

She's sure that their flushing cheeks and the way they can't make eye contact fills her with something akin to adoration, doubly so when Tav mumbles that they just wanted to make sure she was comfortable and had her effort matched.

She can feel herself soften as she leans up on her tip toes to press a quick kiss to their cheek, thanking them for being so sweet. They have matching red cheeks as Shadowheart grabs the wine from her tent and leads them out of camp.

Shadowheart's fingers brush along the blanket Tav brought while they finish slicing the bread and cheese between them; it's well worn but also well made. She asks Tav about it, and they instantly smile, a fond and almost faraway look in their eyes as they tell her about their mother making it for them before they left for Baldur's Gate a couple of years ago.

She pours their wine when the board is finished, Tav makes a toast to them, and Shadowheart has to fight the butterflies in her stomach at the statement but quickly covers it with a teasing remark that Tav meets with a soft and knowing smile.

Shadowheart hates how easy it is for them to read between the lines of her, how easy they let her deflect and brush past it like it's nothing, with no pushback or fight, just understanding and contentment with whatever she gives them.

They've nearly finished the bottle by the time she puts together that Tav is the first person she's met that makes her feel enough as she is. At least to her knowledge, Mother Superior was never satisfied with her performance and said so plainly often, Lady Shar demanded more from her in order to prove herself still; and of their current company, Lae'zel made it known she was not impressed in the slightest, Gale and Astarion had often griped they didn't get enough support in their fights(she prioritized Tav, she explained it away as them being their unofficial leader made them more important).

Tav rolled onto their side to face Shadowheart, suddenly pulling her from her thoughts. She watched as they looked at her, eyes bright and softening more than she thought they could. It made Shadowheart feel like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

"I'm glad that in all this chaos, I at least had the fortune of finding you."

Shadowheart's breath caught at their admission, and her eyes dropped to Tav's lips for a split second before returning to their gods forsakenly soft eyes. Her heart thunders in her ears as her brain takes turns screaming at her to kiss them already and begging them to just do it for her.

Tav's hand cupping her cheek halts her thoughts as they seemingly answer her prayers. As she turns her head and their noses brush, Shadowheart can't help the quiet gasp that tumbles out when Tav's thumb brushes along her bottom lip.

"Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

She couldn't speak; she knew her tongue would betray her, so she just nodded, and then Tav's lips were lightly pressing against hers. She will forever deny the sound that leaves her when Tav's hand slides from her cheek to loosely thread their fingers in her hair, but the way Tav's grip had tightened just enough from hearing it would be burned into her mind forever.

Despite the initial flash of heat, the kiss stays slow and sweet; the touches are slow and tender. Tav is touching her like something priceless, like every brush of their fingertips is being committed to their memory, taking everything they are given with a quiet hunger while only ever taking what they are first given. Shadowheart felt the most fragile and somehow the safest she ever had while in their hold, like she could break at any given moment, and they'd cradle all her pieces together until she could work out a way to glue herself back together.

They watch the stars pass by with Shadowheart's head resting on Tav's chest, one of their arms wrapped around her waist while the other points out different constellations. The low rumble of their voice against her ear, silhouetted by the strong beat of their heart, lulls her to sleep not long after.

#bg3 fanfiction #shadowheart #bg3 tav #shadowheart x tav #bg3 shadowheart #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate shadowheart

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a-libra-writes · 1 year

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Rocky Rickaby x gn or fem reader who is really REALLY physically affectionate headcannons? Like i'm talking giving him a nice smooch on the lips from time to time for no reason, hugging and or cuddling Rocky when they or he wants sum and giving him small pecks and kisses on his forehead, cheek, sometimes nose and ALWAYS giving him compliments and words of reassurance when they see that Rocky's feeling a bit down in the dumps. While savagely telling or killing the person off.

I'm totally normal abt him bro dw

Okay so I got MANY requests for a Part 2 on the first Rocky HCs, so Im using this as a jumping off point! Lots of affectionate GN Reader in here, and i have. So many thoughts. So lets goooo

Obviously ... Rocky loves all this attention. When he initially started crushing on you, any attention was good and wanted, but especially the smiles and approving words. The best part in those early months was the fussing. Since he's always in some kind of state, you'd call Rocky over to smooth coat or tidy some leaves out of his hair.

He'd actually keep still, too excited and surprised to think of moving while your hands pawed over him - even if it just lasted a few seconds. At some point you'd clean dirt (or was that blood?) off his face with one of your hankerchiefs, and you better believe he always "forgot" to return it. Maybe if he knew you'd be at the cafe, he wouldn't fix himself up, hoping you might be inclined to do it instead. Maybe.

Anytime you initiated some closer form of contact - first the fussing, then maybe touching his face, then perhaps hugging - he always freezes for just a second, then immediately accepts and melts into it. And after that, he's more than happy to initiate the same kind of affection.

It's almost like Rocky needs to "wait" for permission, to have someone else cross that line first. Like he isn't allowed to, or rather - the wait is better than potential rejection. This is doubly so if you're more of a posh cat, or perhaps someone whose more closed off. Impulsive and adoring as he is, the thought of frightening you away or you being repulsed by him is too painful a thought. Once you make it clear that he can "cross" a new line in the relationship, he practically leaps over it. As time goes on he won't have these worries nearly as much. They're mostly subconscious, too - an anxiety he can't figure or name, and he'd rather not dwell on it.

Honestly, if you aren't a physically affectionate person, it'll be tough. Rocky really thrives off it and sees it as an affirmation of your feelings, though he soaks up the praise and loving words, being physically close, held and accepted just hits different. And ... combining both the physical and verbal affection? Yeah, he's just. Doe-eyed and lovestruck. It's both sweet and a little sad how desperately happy it makes him.

Your loving words don't even have to be anything effusive or overly romantic - simple appreciation for when he helps you out (or tries to), daily "I love you"s, complimenting something about him, expressing happiness at spending time with him, it all goes straight to his heart and his head. If he goes too long without it, Rocky will prompt you for praise and attention. Before you two were a couple, Ivy teased him about it - "You're always looking for them to pat you on the head!" Yes, and what of it? If you're someone whose older or at least seemed more mature and collected, your approval only matters all the more, as is his desire to impress you.

This also means if you're ever upset or cross with him, he takes it to heart as well. Icing him out, trying to do the silent treatment, etc seriously messes with him. Rocky will completely blame himself and spiral and it won't be pretty, so it's best to resolve the fights maturely and with a level head. Yes, he tries to act like he isn't hurt or terrified you'll leave. It's an act, and a poor one at that.

Since he's so noodly, it's easy to wrap your arms around Rocky's torso for a big hug! He loves it, of course, he'll return the favor and lift you right up (or ... try to, anyway). He'll even (try to) spin you around! If you let him, Rocky will just stay clinging and lean on you, inquiring about your day and what you're up to. He likes to rest his chin on your shoulder or your head, his tail happily whapping at your leg while he chatters.

He'd really love it if you just let him curl up in your arms on a couch or something - seriously, when's the last time he's had that? It's almost a novel experience, and even better if you're a bigger and floofier cat! He'll have moments of disbelief that this is real, that you're allowing it and you want the clingy sleepy snuggles. Sometimes he falls asleep because you're so comfy and warm. Again, when is the last time he's had a warm, safe and cozy place to sleep? When ??

(Semi-related note, he can fall asleep in the weirdest positions and places. Years of being homeless will do that.)

Oh! And the kisses. Kisses are good, they are great. Even the little ones on the cheek or his brow. He's not totally shameless so any lingering or deeper kisses in private (and ofc if you're masc, that's just safer). I mean he could just kiss and hug you forever, he just gets drunk on all the affection and love. Definiately the sort of person to just make out and be totally content; he'll get pretty cheeky and bitey, too. If you have a tickle spot, look out. It will be found. Also, if he's already in a manic-happy mood, expect random lines of poetry between the kisses.

(Zib always notices when there's lovebites or lipstick left on him and comments on it. Rocky almost never notices but !! It makes him oddly happy, even as he immediately covers/cleans up.)

Also if you go on bootlegging jobs with him, there's probably a "no PDA until certain danger has passed" rule because of uh, certain past incidents. If you two start getting touchy-feely then Freckle coughs VERY loudly and tries not to die of embarrassment.

Even when you two are in a situation where there can't be any PDA - maybe you're masc presenting, maybe you're in front of friends who don't approve or you're in a "business" meeting with some sketchy sorts - He still wants to stand very close, shoulder-to-shoulder. Rocky isn't aware how much he'll touch your shoulder, pat your head, pat your back, and so on.

Alas, he can't play his violin for you while smooching and hugging. He still likes to hum melodies to work on later. Looking at you just makes them pop into his head. That means cuddling isn't this serene quiet thing, you two are chattering or he's humming something against your skin. Oh, and he's great at remembering your favorite songs, whether they're folksy, jazz, classical - he has the range!

Since you're around him so often, you'll notice when Rocky's happy-go-lucky mask begins to slip. He'd try even harder to keep it up around you, not wanting to "scare" you off, but no one can keep that momentum up forever. You'll have to reassure him, many times, that he doesn't have to pretend around you. If he's troubled, he should tell you. It's going to take time (and probably a life threatening injury) before you get the full extent of his loneliness and fears. He's been burying it for years, after all. Slowly, he'll bring up bits of his past and his parents, but you won't get much unless he's under the influence or wounded.

It's been said before but, yes, it's obvious to anyone with a pulse how much he adores you. Some people he knows don't even know you're name because he always refers to you as his angel from on high, his auspicious muse, his grandest sweetheart, his Helen of Troy, so on and so forth. It's just. endless. If you're a more high-class sort of person, and/or someone whose very level-headed or serious, they don't hide their surprise to learn you two are together. There might be blunt questions, like what do you see in him. He won't admit it, but those inquiries do hurt Rocky's feelings, albeit he laughs it off. He's quite happy if you stick up for him and express that you're very happy with him, thank you very much.

So, yes. You have this particular bootlegging music-playing poetry-reciting man around your finger. Treat him well and don't let him go off and do stupid things for your sake. If you asked anything of Rocky, he'd do it in a heartbeat, but that sort of intense devotion isn't always in his interest. Maybe that devotion gets a little obsessive, especially on his insecure days. A more steady and mature partner would help pump the breaks on that, while someone more on his wavelength would uh .... Well, it'd be absolutely chaotic, but at least it'd be fun?

#i tried not to repeat myself but oops LOOK #he is a LOVE BUG okay please give him attention 😭#rocky rickaby x reader #lackadaisy x reader

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sleepanonymous · 5 months

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Heya! I just got into Sleep Token and I'm enamored! Do you know of any links to posts or anything that talk about the characters and their personalities onstage? I'm having trouble differentiating between III and IV (I know II is the drummer) and I want to learn more about them!

Also, is it pronounced Two, Three, and Four, or Second, Third, and Fourth?

Hi and welcome! 😊 Glad to see a new fan of the band. For the sake of clarity, I'll answer your second question first. The Sleep Token lore technically dubs them all Vessel 1, Vessel 2, etc. so it's my understanding that fans started calling the other band members Two, Three, and Four, and used Roman numerals for their monikers.

TLDR: This Weblink has almost all of Sleep Token's lore, and This Video also has almost all of Sleep Token's lore. The easiest way to tell III and IV apart from each other is by their instruments and height. III plays bass and is taller than the rest of the band. IV plays guitar and is shorter than the rest of the band (except for II, he is the shortest of the four).

I'll be honest, I also had trouble differentiating between III and IV when I first got into the band. Up until very recently, they wore similar outfits, too, which made pictures difficult to tell them apart. You can always tell via the instrument they're holding (if it's visible). III is the bassist and IV is the guitarist. Another way to tell depends on which side of the stage they are standing on. 85% of the time III is stage right, in front of the choir (Vesselettes) and IV is stage left, in front of II's drum set. My favorite way to tell them apart (before it just became secondhand nature to know which was which) was if the musician had a bun under his mask or not. IV's hair is relatively concealed beneath his mask, but III has longer hair and puts it up into a bun to keep it all in place under his mask during rituals.

The neck of III's bass is kind of in the way of the back of IV's head in the second photo, but here are two examples of the bun shape that III has. This is also a good way to tell them apart if they're standing next to each other, or, in this case, kissing. III is extremely tall and will always be taller than any other band member unless he's crouching or leaning over. If the two aren't standing near each other, you can always use Vessel as a measuring stick.

The photo on the left probably isn't the best reference, but trust me, III is about 5 centimeters taller than Vessel, he's just leaning back. The photo on the right also probably isn't the best since Vessel and IV are both just dark shapes lol, but at least it's obvious that Vessel is taller than IV.

The band as a whole is anonymous so you might not find much in the way of personalities, even of their stage personas. If you're willing to read up on the Sleep lore itself, you can do that here (this is a link to boolintunes.com). Or, if you'd prefer to watch a friendly, lecture-style video, there is this one here on YouTube. Persona-wise the most concise I can give you is this:

Vessel is very emotional. That is evident by the lyrics he writes, but doubly so when he is in front of an audience. He will cry, he will laugh, he will do silly dances, and he will hype up his bandmates. It's evident that he loves what he does, but he is also extremely humble about it. All of the love his fans give him he makes sure to give back 110% (the fact that he manages to do it without speaking is impressive in itself).

II is a beast, like no joke. This man has got to have started playing drums before he could walk, I swear. He, like Vessel, obviously loves what he does, has a blast, and also gives zero fucks while doing it. He will sit at his drum set and kick out beats while drinking Red Bull and Diet Coke through his mask 🤣🤣 During moments in songs where there is little to no percussion he'll often stand up and react to the lyrics Vessel sings. He also comes to the front of the stage at the very end of rituals to hype up the crowd and hand out his used drumsticks and sometimes even a drum head.

III is the most animated of the guys. I will often refer to him as the "main character" of Sleep Token because he is always front and center. This has also earned him the fandom nickname of Bassy Boi. I've seen him do everything from windmill headbang, to run in place, to high kick, to jumping up and down for 30+ seconds straight. He also has a knack for yelling at fans. There is a compilation video on YouTube here for reference. Also! Something I forgot to mention earlier in telling III and IV apart: III almost always has on his iconic checkered socks in the most recent shows.

IV (at least the current IV) is probably the most reserved and collected on stage (fun fact, there were two other IVs in Sleep Token before our current IV, I wrote about that here), In earlier shows he played with the band, around 2021/2022, he used to be fairly shy. Sometimes IV would stand off to the very side of the stage and let Vessel and III have all the attention. Luckily he's seemed to get past his shyness and has become much more of a crowd pleaser. He'll often do things like serenade the crowd (a bit like II does, only a lot closer since there's no drum set in the way), get roped into Vessel's or III's chaotic stage antics, or, you know, tease pulling his mask off in front of an entire music festival crowd.

#asks #answered #sleep token #iii sleep token #iv sleep token #iii #iv #a little bit of vessel and ii also #sleepanon rant #photography #gif #oh whoops i wrote a book #my bad craftysquidz #i really hope this helps #and so sorry this took so long for me to respond to #also if anyone has anything to add to this #PLEASE DO IT🖤🖤🖤

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zoobus · 2 years

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@dtwoh2

This ended up being super long so I decided not to harass OP's replies

(this is about my opinion that Elliot the billionaire from Breaking Bad S1E5 "Grey Matter" was not a generous, kindly rich friend offering Walt a way out with no strings attached)

First, let me say this: I know most people don't notice or care about fashion but BrBa actually did put notable effort in their costume design and it's because characters like Skyler are consistently well-dressed that made this point so glaring

When she's hosting, when she goes to the office, hell even her house robes are sophisticated, put together fits - I'm not sure how she affords those sumptuous silk kimonos she's always wearing but it hammers home Skye as an appearance-minded person, a woman who knows how to dress. Even with the shit camera quality, you can tell her hot pink baby shower dress was made for her.

And yet.

Walt and Skye go to that party in complementing loud, harsh, ugly blues for what they learn is a beige party - the literal exact opposite of blue.

Now, it'd be one thing if they'd known and worn beige outfits that were shabby in comparison and Walt got in his feelings about it. Or if they'd truly "missed the memo" as Walt snarks and come in normal-wear that was out of dress code - yep could see Walt assuming it was intentional and throwing a fit.

But this poor couple attending a billionaire's party for some reason thought they should wear gaudy blue, with Skye's dress in particular highlighting exactly how cheap it is. It's almost as if they were under the impression they had to wear a color a domesticated adult would be unlikely to already own and rarely looks good on a budget, doubly so if you're 8 months pregnant. Skye would NEVER wear that shiny ass prom dress with the ruched center seam, scratchy 100% polyester raschel lace shawl, and sequined evening bag in public unless she thought it was her only choice. She never wears anything like this again, not even in the same season. The only rational explanation is someone lied to them. The more I explain this, the more I realize why most people missed it.

Now for the less special interest type reasons:

Walt asks (then later confirms) the invite said "no gifts." You might say oh, maybe Elliot was trying to spare Walt's pride but if so, why make a point of sharing it like he did? Why even invite your broke prideful friend to this kind of party, like you can't think of any other way to meet, chat, and ask if he'll work for you?

Additionally, how odd that Walt's was the only invite that didn't say this was a beige party.

Really can't downplay how hard it is to swallow they forgot to tell the Whites not to show up in clown uniforms.

Elliot's loudly showing off his gifts, with the last being an autographed Eric Clapton Stratocaster® which on the low end today is a $2000 electric guitar, but can go to the tens of thousands. Then he spots his friend's meager, teensy little thing, smaller than his hand and LITERALLY POINTS WALT OUT so everyone knows for damn sure who did this. Elliot unwraps it and does this full body sigh. Hands dropped. Your dad getting another tie for father's day type reaction. Young Good Ramen. No this is great man. You can get 10 for 1.99.

Sorry, no it WAS malicious. Listen to his voice. Feel how long he held that unpleasant silence before forcing a chuckle. Holding eye contact throughout while the crowd darts their eyes and smirks. This isn't Harry Potter - you can't emphasize how shitty something is then magically negate it like "and that's why I love it hahaha!" Elliot made it clear where he thinks Walt stands. Beneath him.

The whole party is like this, a humiliating horror show of socializing out of your social sphere. We don't even know what their relationship was like before. The implication is that Walt separated from this guy before for a reason and the reason was probably in line with what we saw today.

Elliot isn't stupid. He knows Walt. He knows Walt's character. He knows their financial disparities. He knows Walt is sick. Presumably he's well aware of Walt's pride. An intelligent and well-meaning friend doesn't accidentally combo-hit the exact weak points that caused you to drift apart in less than an hour before asking hey how would you like to literally owe me your life? How would you like the kind of debt that can't be repaid? :) You're a smart man.

If Elliot really cared about saving Walt, he wouldn't have gone about it the way he did. If, however, he wanted to antagonize and flex on Walt, make him as uncomfortable as possible, keep in his wife's good graces by offering him a job, and end the night with two possible outcomes - either he accepts and gets richer or he rejects and elliot can say "Welp honey, your former lover and ex-fiance Walter White said no for some weird reason. oh well, I tried! :)"

Idk, I guess it could be a projection but the way Elliot talked to Walt reminded me of old friends whom, in retrospect, didn't even try to hide their disdain for me. Like wow how did I miss that.

I think Gretchen had honest intentions. Her husband didn't. I don't know what his deal was exactly but I'd exhaust all other resources before accepting this dude who publicly embarrassed me as my savior, livelihood, and future employer.

#breaking bad #brba #sorry but I genuinely do not understand the popular(?) read of Elliot as a benevolent and well-meaning friend #And Walt as a selfish prideful ass projecting malicious intent upon him #I mean Walt is that but he wasn't projecting this time #niche effortposts

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maripr · 1 year

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Replaying pathologic 2 (it's actually going much smoother than my first playthrough, and I'm playing on imago! But that's another topic) and I'm really tickled at how the game, in the first few days, tries super hard and multiple times to convince Artemy and us, the actors playing him, that Daniil is an evil piece of shit only to say ZOINKS it's actually just miscommunication 20 seconds later.

And more than once, and there's an achievement for it, you can also try and remind him of the Hippocratic oath, and then you discover that he actually had a point! Sure, he's not nice about it, but those rabid mutts that he refused to cure? Are actually dogs, not kids as we assumed. Turns out not him nor we have actually any veterinarian skills. And what about Patches, the first kid who falls to the sand pest, what did he say to his friends that was so mean and nasty? "Don't give him random pills you found in the trash cuz that's dangerous"... Oh, wait, that checks. Sure, the shmowders somehow work, but how was he supposed to know it? Clara also warns us not to use them, despite them having no ill effects on NPCs (but maybe in that case she's speaking as the plague so she doesn't want us to cure it!).

And immediately after Patches, he goes and calls for an emergency situation and we can enceforth call him out for... Trying to come up with a vaccine?? And establishing a quarantine?? Even though that's the normal course of action???? (Man, after 2020, this is really doubly ironic). Because yeah, Artemy is emotional at that point and had a first bad impression of Daniil so he thinks he just wants to leave everyone to die for his studies. Doesn't help that Daniil made that bad first impression on him on purpose, because he's an imbecile, heard that everyone was spreading rumors that he's a going around shooting people and he EMBRACES that, for some fucking reason??? Totally normal guy. Even though he hasnt shot anyone and the only instance where he ever does he's left broken and bitter.

Anyway i love how deeply, utterly bad these two are at communicating. Their animosity in the changeling route in classic is also born out of miscommunication. If they actually understood each other, they would be unstoppable, but they're just two fucking idiots.

#burakhovsky #pathologic #pathologic 2 #daniil dankovsky #artemy burakh #and #clara saburova #too #bc the three of them are just so bad at relationships haha #if they spent less time saying you're stupid no you are #they would solve this plague problem in no time

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canisalbus · 10 months

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how do u crank out such beautiful high quality art so consistently, it's rly impressive!! also, wld u ever be down for someone getting a tattoo of ur work/commissioning a tattoo design?

Thank you! I don't usually crank out any art at this rate, I've just had a couple of anomalously productive months, it'll pass.

I'd love to design tattoos for people if it was custom work made specifically for them! But I'm not really comfortable with folks using my existing personal artwork as tattoos, at least at the time. I just don't feel at ease thinking of it being a permanent part of a stranger's body, I don't know how to explain it. A good chunk of it depicts my original characters as well so it would be doubly weird. I've been thinking of taking tattoo design commissions but I can't say for sure when that will happen.

#answered #anonymous #I know I'm in a minority when it comes to this #most artists seem very happy to have their work tattooed #and it makes sense I respect that but I just don't feel the same way right now #so please don't tattoo my art without my permission

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rontra · 2 days

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your failteacher yuri AU is so so good. what's so frustrating about persona is that it has plenty of good ideas and characters that get absolutely wasted or mishandled by the actual narrative… like these two teachers. you write them with so much more respect than the games ever did. keep it up!

so as a general rule i don't tend to respond to this Genre of comment or really even enjoy it--as far as my own personal feelings r concerned, "you do [x] better than [source]" (in whatever ways it's phrased) is Not a compliment--but in this instance i gotta say it. they fucked up so bad and it makes me so madJDBHJJNSDB

so... just this once... i'll salute you... im at least glad people like my work and r enjoying a whiff of my beloved women without atlus sabotage ✊

i've said before that p3 hermit and p5 temperance are my favorite links--p5 temperance especially i think is really tight and has an interesting foundation. the actual narrative glue holding that thing together is strong. like the THING is that i don't have to go out of my way to find interesting and compelling material here (and i certainly don't have to make it up from whole cloth or anything)

i would hate for people to have the impression that i'm spinning this all out of nothing or that i hold the source In Contempt or whatever. obviously my concept/inciting incident is zany (haha) and i've added or tweaked a lot of smaller things to better facilitate this specific AU, but this story wouldn't have nearly the legs it does without the genuinely good material they put in those links, and i wouldn't bother making it at all if i didn't seriously love those characters...

...which i guess is kinda what makes it doubly frustrating... that in both cases they've just kind of stapled on some gross stuff that adds nothing (aside from ick factor of course) and doesn't fit with the rest... when "the rest" is genuinely compelling. not only is it a bad move on its own but also it drags down the otherwise good material around itself which is always annoying, yknow... like if it was Just All Bad i would at least be FREE 😭

anyway it's whatever it's whatever . i want to draw a chapter where they talk about their Deep Baggage sooo bad. and i can be like Look. Normal Hermit. Welcome To My Twisted Mind. Or Whatever

#WE DREAM OF THE “NORMAL HERMIT” LORE CHAPTER WHERE I EXORCISE MY PERSONAL DEMONS #my only solace is p5 temperance has the platonic route as per the New Rules. so at least theres that....would recommend doing that one....#my personal demon on the other hand is that bc p3 hermit doesn't have a “dating resolution” anyway they didnt touch it in reload. GET ME OU #i guess—to look on the positive side—that makes it easy to excise huh. one's an inferior optional route and one's utterly inconsequential #like they just did that for NO reason. unrelated to EVERYTHING else in ANY part of the link. IT MAKES ME SO... [audio fades out]#i gotta keep this project going until Normal Hermit Explained at LEAST... so i can pass away peacefully #sorry . i promise one day i will stop bitching about persona. but nobody bitches about persona more than persona fans i guess HBRBHDJK

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nidianddeepspace · 16 days

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The Tale of the Hoodie Thief

❥ Xavier x OC ❥ An OC remembering loving moments with the Star Baby ❥ stealing your beloved's hoodie, wearing it because it smells like them, FLUFF FLUFFITY FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF ❥ College/University AU, the (my) MC and Xavier as University Students

Hoodies - an essential part of anyone's wardrobe and doubly so for the college student that chooses comfort over everything else. It's a simple garment - you just throw it on, decide if you want to wear the hood or not, and bask in the warm comfort of the fabric before going on with the rest of your day.

I am no stranger to hoodies. Back then, half my closet was filled with them, a range of colors and styles that were sure to impress any and all comfort-focused fashionistas. But there was one particular hoodie I loved more than the others - a pink cashmere hoodie my auntie gifted me last Christmas. I didn't wear it very often, but when I did, I felt like I was the walking epitome of luxury loungewear elegance. Now granted, I didn't know if that was an actual thing, but I didn't care either. I felt what I felt.

So when I realized that it was missing the afternoon I was suppose to hang out with you for a bit, I was exasperated and heartbroken. No matter how many times I rummaged through my closet, I just couldn't find it. I was so upset that my room, usually very neat with everything in it's place, resembled the aftermath of a fashion explosion. I want to curl up into a tiny ball and cry 'til I had no more tears. If I had plans to meet up with anyone else, I would have ghosted them due to my grief. But since it was you, I pressed on.

If there was anyone who could comfort me about my missing hoodie, Xavier, it was you.

As I walked to your dorm, trying to keep it together, it began to rain. But I wasn't about to let some water further ruin my day - I was prepared. As I opened up my umbrella, I started thinking about that night we got caught in a rainstorm on the way home from the arcade. Our good time was washed away by the relentless downpour which neither of us were ready for.

"This is BS! I'm so sorry, Xavier." We rushed through the streets as fast as we could, pelted my the largest droplets of rain I'd ever seen. "At this rate, the both of us are going to get sick."

"It's okay, your dorm isn't that far."

"Yeah, but we're already drenched as it is. This is my fault, I should have checked the weather before we left."

"Don't worry about it, it's fine." Even in the middle of a thunderstorm, you were still so calm and collected. "Try not to worry too much."

Soon, we were rushing into my dorm room, huddling up together to keep warm. You sprung into action, grabbing towels from my closet, helping me to dry off. The rain hadn't washed away the scent of your cologne, and I could smell that faint scent of the forest and the musk as you used one towel to dry off my hair and shoulders. If you wanted to, you could have heard my heart fluttering, so painfully aware of how close we were.

"Y-You don't have to do this," I stammered, looking away. I hoped you didn't see the crimson spreading across my face. "Besides, you need to get that hoodie off you. I wonder if any of the dryers on my floor are free."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"Too late for that." I'm always worried about you. I care about you so much, can't you see that? I didn't dare say those words aloud. "Anyway, aren't you afraid of getting sick. We have that big test next week."

"if I get sick, I just won't go to class. I can study on my own and if I ask you nicely, you're share your notes with me, right?"

"Well yes, but..."

"Then I've got it covered. So please, don't worry." He smiled as he finished dry my hair, tossing the towel side. "I don't like it when you worry."

"Ah...well, you can stay here until it stops raining. In the mean time, at take off your hoodie and grab one of mine from the closet."

You arched an eyebrow. "One of your hoodies? Would they even fit me?"

"Don't look at me like that, of course they will fit you. Most, if not all my hoodies are oversized. Just pick one and give it back to me later. I'll go see if I can wash and dry your hoodie, hopefully the machines are free."

I came to a complete stop just steps away from your door. It was all coming back to me - you'd left before I'd had a chance to see what hoodie you chose. You sent me a text letting know you were really tired so you had to go. I thought nothing of it at the time. I washed and dried your hoodie, I gave it back to you a few days later, and we went back to the arcade the following weekend.

Realization hit me like a freaking bus.

No...you couldn't have done that...right? No, you...wait...did...did you?

Xavier, did you actually grab my pink cashmere hoodie?!

There was only one way to find out.

(To Be Continued)

#love and deepspace #ladsedit #love and deepspace xavier #lads #xavier love and deepspace #xavier #lads photobooth #lads seiya #xavier x oc #lads xavier

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tacky-optic · 2 months

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so i went down the beginner's guide/stanley parable/william pugh pipeline and now i'm here, wholly considering twines. i've only read one before now and was doubly impressed, but now i feel myself on the precipice of a rabbit hole. on the other hand my ass is NOT ready to get into twines, goddamn. or maybe i am and i'm just being a little baby bitch baby.

anyways played the temple of no and my brain is melting. it's taunting me with the potential. THE POTENTIAL. i might try it out. maybe i'll test something, MAYYBE it'll be a lupin fic. we'll see.

#twine #lots to stew in #i'll be fine. surely.#i have so. just so many incomplete wips. maybe this is what i need #a little flava #gonna go throw myself in this twine pit now

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real-life-senshi · 1 year

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PGSM Reinako things I want to yell about, in no particular order (7/∞)

This is actually THE ONE THING that made me start this series of gif set, but it took me forever to put my thoughts into words. But it's finally here and I'm SO EXCITED to talk about it!

Fair warning - this is an essay.

Across the years I've seen many Reinako shippers used Rei following Minako around in Act 19/20 and Act 23 in the live action as proof that Rei has feelings for Minako. While I don't disagree, I do feel Rei being the one to seek Minako out was circumstantial and justifiable because Rei was literally the only Senshi then that knew Minako was Venus. Instead, there was something else both Rei and Minako consistently do to each other for the entirety of the series that I felt had more impact to the narrative of their story, but often get overlooked and not talked about enough, and that’s Minako's act of walking away and Rei's act of staying behind.

The significance of Minako walking away: Walking away or pulling a disappearing act is one of the most common thing we see Minako do, not only to Rei, but with everyone else. (E.g. Such as V walking out on Moon in Act 7, Minako disappearing on Saitou for Senshi business.) It's a recurring theme to help build the impression of elusiveness and secrecy that surrounds Minako's character. But more deeply, the act of walking away is also a device to represent the main issue Minako needed to overcome in her character arc - in prioritizing the past life mission, she was running away from what's most important, herself as Aino Minako. Her Senshi power literally woke after she accepted herself and chose to face the challenge Aino Minako faces, instead of only focusing on the challenges of Sailor Venus.

Now this in itself seems like it's really just a Minako thing, right? Where does Rei fit in?

The significance of Rei's act of staying: PGSM Minako is the the queen of the hot-and-cold behaviour, especially when she's with Rei. And her signature "cold" gesture is walking out on Rei. In fact, as you can see from this gif set, I've counted 14 times where Minako had walked out on Rei on screen in the series, and 4 other times she attempted to walk away but was stopped. Even for the normal person, you'd think when someone keeps pissing you off and runs out on you, your patience would be spent and just give up on them, right?

Now, PGSM Rei is written as the awkward, stubborn and easy to anger teenager. And don't forget, with Rei's backstory fleshed out as much as it did in PGSM, it's basically confirmed that Rei suffered badly from parental abandonment, so it's not much of a reach to interpret Rei's trust issue to be born from acts of someone she cares leaving her behind or showing rejection. And so it should reason that Rei would be doubly pissed off at Minako's seemingly flippant and callous behaviour, and couldn't wait to pass Minako off to Makoto and Ami to deal with once they know Minako is Venus, right?

But no, Rei stayed, every single time.

Despite all the crap Minako threw at Rei and repeatedly rejected Rei's support, Rei didn't react with her usual knee-jerk reactions. This, more than anything else, proves to me that Rei sees Minako as someone special - someone she could not and would not turn away from, even when Minako keeps pushing her away.

These actions forms a very beautiful, and dare I say, romantic narrative to their shared story. Here's why.

PGSM has established that all along Minako had made the conscious decision to not get deeply involved with her teammates for fear she'll end up hurting them when her illness inevitably takes her. In doing so, she boxed herself into a self-imposed isolation as her health worsens and things get tougher.

And yet in Act 11 and Act 17 when Minako met Usagi and then Rei, the narrative revealed to us that loneliness does unsurprisingly overwhelm Minako from time to time. This changed partially though when she accidentally revealed her identity to Rei. In doing so, she gave herself the choice and space to be outspoken with someone who is (at least partially) in-the-know besides Artemis. The fact Minako repeatedly approached Rei in Act 18 was evidence she actually craved the contact when she lets her guard down, to the point even Artemis had to call her out on it. And so, in moments of clarity, we see Minako try to backtrack by pushing Rei away, ie walking out on Rei. The cycle persists, where Minako's behaviour fluctuates depending on her state of mind, her backstory sadly but logically explains Minako's sometimes seemingly-random hot and cold attitude towards Rei.

In contrast to Minako's unreliable and mixed signals, Rei was the definition of stability and certainty in this relationship. Yes, Rei had indeed followed Minako around a few times, but more than that, Rei stayed and was consistently there, waiting to be available for Minako even when Minako didn't want Rei to be. Rei knows when to initiate contact (chase after Minako), but also knows to not push Minako too much too soon, choosing to stay put when Minako is actively pulling back. She lets Minako go most times when Minako walks away, as if patiently waiting to try again another day, hoping the next time will be enough to fully bring Minako's walls down. Rei knew she was in it for the long haul, not for momentary wins.

This back and forth dynamic is a persistent theme in their relationship. It can be perceived that Rei's tenacity and relentless efforts had managed to wore Minako's guard down slowly but surely throughout the series.

Act 20: Minako finally shared Rei was meant to be leader, hinting Rei needs to step in when she’s gone.

Act 36: Minako chose to disclosed the truth about her terminal illness to Rei.

It was only after Act 36, we see Rei being even more persistent and takes drastic measures in attempt to get through to Minako, because Rei realized they were out of time. But even then, their dynamic didn’t really change - Minako being the runner and Rei being the person left waiting, until…

The times their role reversed, the other AMAZING thing about all of this!

Minako walking away and Rei staying is THEIR thing. But has Rei ever walked out on Minako? The answer is yes. But only 2 times! And both times it had significant impact on Minako.

The first time was when Rei ran out to fight the Youma, and that led to Minako being overly worried and end up accidentally revealing her Senshi identity to Rei.

The second time was when Minako finally pushed Rei so much in front of the team, Rei pulled back and walked out in Act 44, reversing their usual roles. And you can tell from Minako's reaction she looked lost and conflicted as she watched Rei leave. Here was someone who had been a rock and pillar of care and support to her, now seemingly giving up on her because she finally shoved too hard. Between Makoto's near miss in Act 45 and the fact that Rei actually walked out on Minako in Act 44, Minako was shocked enough for her to finally listen and process what Rei's been telling her all this time. This ultimately lead to the resolution of Minako's character arc in Act 46.

In conclusion, their action forms a pattern to their story and deepens the meaning behind their choice to follow, stay or walk away from each other. When the pattern is disrupted it adds complexity of their story! Seriously, it feels like Rei's actions was catalyst of Minako's major character story development! Just as many of Minako's story influenced Rei's outlook on their mission and the past life (another post to come!), Rei's action had just as much influence on Minako's eventual character growth. If that doesn't prove these two are special to each other, I don't know what else to say!

Now - you'd think I'm done with my soapbox, right? NOPE. I've only finished talking about how these actions form patterns and the significance in their story. But the visual and filming appraoch of each of these scenes are also very telling. VERY.

Each time Minako walked away, it is intentional that Rei's reaction get highlighted on camera, even in group scenes. As well, we also get really telling reactions from Minako when Rei walks out on her. And that's regardless of which director led the filming.

Sato Takemitsu - Act 17, 18, 23

Takamaru Masataka - Act 20, 26

Maihara Kenzo - Act 40

Suzumura Nobuhiro - Act 43, 44, 47

It suggests either the script writer Kobayashi Yasuko intentionally scripted for Rei and Minako to have the spotlight for reacting to each other's action so all the directors received the same fucking memo about them. OR, even better, it wasn't part of the camera/filming direction, but all the directors have arrived to the same conclusion after reading the script and decided to put the spotlight on these two no matter which episodes they worked on, because the unresolved sexual tension was clear as day for them to see.

And especially Keiko did amazingly on her part portraying Rei’s attraction towards Minako. Regardless if it's a group scene or not, Rei/Mars always had the most expressive and meaningful look on her face when Minako/Venus walks out. Even in Act 22 when Mars was just in the background with Jupiter, you can tell Mars’s eyes and body following Venus’s direction while Jupiter just stands flatly.

Rei/Mars' reaction to Minako/Venus leaving also changes across the series. From frustration/irritation, to hopeful yearning, ending with worried yearning. A reflection of Rei's feelings for Minako, from seeing her an annoying brat of a Princess, to respecting Minako as a mentor, to caring for her as a friend (and maybe more).

And look at this shit!!!!!!!!

Act 20 and 26 were done by the same director. The two scenes are basically parallel to each other visually and artistically, which is also so layered when juxtaposed to the plot point:

Act 20: Minako tells Rei that Rei's meant to be leader, and Rei follows Minako wanting to learn more while expressing concern for her Princess's well being and safety.

Act 26: Mars grown enough to start taking on the leadership, and follows Venus in attempt to invite Venus to integrate with the team now Venus no longer need to play decoy, only for Venus to turn around and claims she's actually the leader and Mars is the substitute.

Lastly, the most beautiful yet absolute worst visual the PGSM directors gave us:

Even the imagery of Minako's passing just as Mars breaks down was of Minako walking away, leaving Rei behind. That shit can't be made up. If the imagery was coincidental, well, that's one hell of a coincidence.

These factors all lead to me concluding PGSM had very intentionally used the acts of walking away and staying behind as recurring theme in Reinako's relationship. The length they went to do this and the tragically beautiful story it gave us forms a much more compelling reason for audience to ship Reinako. In fact, this is the very primary reason why I fell in love shipping them in PGSM.

#reinako #pretty guardian sailor moon #pgsm #hino rei #aino minako #sailor venus #sailor mars #pgsm reinako things i want to yell about #reinako gif set #khmyh's gif set #khmyh's gif #hello I am back with my bullshit hahahaha

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