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#i guess it depends on the building since not a lot of buildings i know have escalators
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If you're going up three floors, would you rather use an elevator, escalator, stairs, or something else?
i jump on an awesome resilient hog and trampoline into the third floor window
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cosmerelists · 2 months
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Ranking Various Cosmere Fantasy Swears
If there's one thing Brandon Sanderson likes, it's avoiding any real swear words in favor of Fantasy Swears. I am genuinely a huge fan of this technique. So here how I'd rank some of the ones I can remember! (And thanks to 17th Shard [here and here] and to Reddit for compiling some lists!).
#14: Colors (Warbreaker)
This one feels a little bit...lazy, I guess? Like yes, Warbreaker's magic is color-dependent, so colors are a big part of the world-building, so I guess it makes sense that people use it as a swear. But it feels like if, in fantasy USA, people swore by "eagles" all the time: "Eagles! I dropped my hamburger!"
#13: Moons (Tress of the Emerald Sea)
I mean same problem as with "colors"! Yes, the moons are a big aspect of the worldbuilding, but it just feels like a semi-boring swear. Although maybe that's just the swear that Tress tends to use.
#12: Shadows/Shades (Shadows for Silence/Sunlit Man)
Okay, maybe this one is a bit boring, but anything Threndy-related gets extra credit from me. So therefore I think this is one of the least boring of the "basically boring descriptors of world building elements" swears.
#11: By the Lord Ruler (Mistborn)
I mean...eh. This one is world specific, but it's basically like swearing by god only in this case the god is the Lord Ruler, right? It makes sense 'n' all but isn't as interesting as some of the later ones.
#10: By the Survivor's Scars (Mistborn)
This one is better because it's more specific--Kelsier's scars are rich with meaning, and swearing by them does feel like it carries cultural weight.
#9: By Harmony's Armbands (Mistborn)
Putting them all in a line like this...I just like how they get ever more specific. Now we're swearing by Harmony's feruchemical armlets? Okay!
#8: God Beyond (Shadows for Silence)
I mean, Threnody is, like, haunted by a god's corpse, so I think any of their god-related swears are more interesting as a result.
#7: Nights / Nights afire (Emperor's Soul)
I like this one because I just don't know what it refers to and it seems kinda creepy. What are nights on fire for??
#6: Rust and Ruin (Mistborn)
Frankly, the alliteration gets this one extra points. And "Rust and Ruin!" just feels like a good thing to shout when you've stubbed your toe.
#5: Storms/storming/Stormfather (Stormlight Archive)
I know this one SHOULD lose points for being exactly the sort of boring descriptive swear I maligned above...but I enjoy this one simply because it's such a clear linguistic stand-in for "fuck" and that leads to such amusing translations as "Kaladin Fuckblessed" or the "Fuckfather" and that just never stops being funny to me.
#4: Herald body parts (Stormlight Archive)
I didn't notice until looking at various compiled lists of Cosmere Fantasy Swears, but Rosharans really like to swear by specific Herald body parts, huh? From here: Kelek's breadth, Kelek's tongue, Ash's eyes, Ishar's soul, Nalan's hand, Pali's mind, Talat's hand...I'm a fan of this. It's interesting and feels culturally relevant.
#3: Glories Within (Stormlight Archive)
This one is just Szeth so far, but people speculate it's probably a Shin curse. That makes it interesting to me since we don't know a whole lot about the Shin. What inner glory are they using to swear?
#2: Starving (Stormlight Archive)
This one is pretty similar to "Storming," I suppose, in being a pretty clear linguistic stand-in for "fucking." But I just like that the food-obsessed Lift has her own personal swear relating to starvation.
#1: Lowly/Highly (Yumi and the Nightmare Painter)
I'm a big fan of the lowly/highly thing from Yumi & the Nightmare Painter, where words can be linguistically marked as meant in either a high way (complimentary) or a low way (insultingly). It's fun worldbuilding and leads to some comic beats in the novel. Plus, this post tickled me greatly: https://www.tumblr.com/cabinetcreature/722030379790401536?source=share. It's so true!
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britcision · 3 months
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GUESS WHAT FRIENDS I HAVE BEEN DOING MATH AGAIN no one is going to be happy about it 🥳
1) by the time Delgal reached the surface (6 years pre series), Senshi had been living in the dungeon for 44 years.
He coulda visited on the way up, and probably passed the veggie-golems
2) Thistle kept his dungeon at level 1 (per the canaries’ dungeon guide) for almost 1000 years
Mithrun’s entire span as a dungeon lord was over in 5
Now, Thistle’s did also progress pretty fast from level 2 to 5… but it still took 6 years
This is actually a super similar timeline, especially because we know Mithrun’s dungeon never hit 5… and we don’t actually know what level it got to, since it all depends on when he became a monsterfucker
(His lover’s snake half is referenced here around level 2 - see the gold scrapers
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We know that’s the lover because they are always drawn with the unique shirt and hair and the lover is never depicted with legs, which is wild
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However, it’s still possible this is a chimera rather than a lamia or naga, which is a level 4 problem… which is when the Canaries usually come dungeon busting anyway)
Of course, the Winged Lion was boxed for the entire span of the dungeon’s rapid development and the Goat wasn’t, which might account for a difference in speed… if Thistle’s dungeon grew much slower
Mithrun, with a fully active demon, didn’t hit the same goal in damn near the same timeframe, so we can infer:
- approximately a 5-6 year turnover on dungeons coming from level 2 to level 4-5 (sooooo that’s a lotta dungeon lords, especially if a change of lord usually forces a reset - Marcille and Laios sure didn’t tho)
- the demon is all one entity, so the cumulative effect from other dungeons around the world may have been used to strengthen the Island’s dungeon
- sinking the continent around your dungeon is a damn good way to keep it contained
- Mithrun was a mid-tier dungeon lord at best, “I wish I never took this job” is a weak ass desire especially when compared to Thistle and Marcille’s desires to Defeat Death and probably why he got spit out - his desire to fuck the demon up seems to be a lot more powerful than a moment of weakness in front of a mirror
(The demon even said it didn’t want to finish Thistle right away and save some for later; it ate the last scrap by accident because it was too dang good so we do know it can choose to leave someone behind… for A Reason:)
- the demon fucking angler-fished Mithrun’s ass by spitting him out, leaving behind only the desire to come back and find the demon again, and letting that build for 40 years. He didn’t reach Thistle levels of maturation but oh boy that’s an intentionally cultivated snack - so how many more of the dungeon lords in the group meeting had the same path
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1for5 · 16 days
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yes im changing
paige bueckers x reader
(paige x uconn psychology student!reader)
synopsis: with y/n being in a new environment, still facing rejection, how can she bounce back?
masterlist
chap 4
y/n pov:
okay scratch that. i would have to do all athletes. okay new research:
a comparative research on the academic resilience of students and students part of the basketball team in the university of connecticut.
much better. i can have more focus on the people in my research. and plus, the basketball teams are the most known in uconn, which could make them have different perspectives. but first.. i would have to ask their coach first. i may ask aubrey if she can bring me to their coach, his name is coach geno..?
after their training (and an hour of peyton giggling), i went up to aubrey and told her about my research.
“yeah! i could definitely ask coach geno, he’s in the other room though to get his stuff, but he’ll come back soon” aubrey replied with enthusiasm. “thats great! thanks aubrey. i would also have to ask the men’s basketball coach, but ill check tomorrow since its already late” i mentioned. aubrey and i got to talk a little bit more, aubrey asking me why i was even in their training the first place.
i said that peyton’s crush is in the team, which made aubrey laugh. when we both looked behind to peyton, we see her talking to azzi. smooth ass..
coach geno finally got out of the other room, and aubrey introduced me to him.
“oh coach! this is y/n, and she has a small favor to ask” aubrey says. “hello coach geno! i am a freshman taking psychology, and i wanted to ask if i could have your team to be part of my research” i smiled.
“what’s it about?”
“their resistancy in regards to their school work sir”
“will it hinder their skills?”
“no sir”
“how long will this take?”
“maximum of a month i believe, but it still depends”
“as long as the team says yes and it wont be a distraction, then im all for it. goodluck y/n, and welcome to uconn!” coach geno replied with a small smile. “thank you sir! it means a lot” i smiled back.
i went back to peyton, who was talking to azzi, and introduced me to her. azzi then introduced me to the other players— to nika, kk, paige, and caroline. i guess i still needed a formal greeting even with the event that happened yesterday.
i then proceeded to ask the whole team about my research idea, and they were all willing to help me. just needed to contact the men’s basketball team now.
after small talks, we all headed back to our dorms. i feel better with the team already, they’re all quite playful, just have to ignore that one blonde, paige. we haven’t talked a word to each other, and i won’t mind if we don’t talk at all.
when we arrived to the dorms area, we all bid our goodbyes to some of the members and the others headed to the same dorm building as me. turns out that everyone that has the same dorm as me lives on the same floor as me.. this will be fun. my “floormates” are nika, ashlynn, ice, kk, and paige. azzi along with caroline and the others were at another dorm building.
we all bid our goodnights, and aubrey and i went inside our dorm. we both were too tired, and got unready and head to our beds quick.
“goodnight y/n!”
“goodnight aubs”
the next week
the last days were great. men’s basketball team is on board with my research, and my introduction and rrl is surprisingly done.
today, i will start to interview the women’s basketball team, and i am thinking of doing observations with them as well— like having group study sessions and know their behavior and thoughts.
its now 2pm, two hours before the team’s training, which gives me enough time to interview some people. i text aubrey saying that im near their court, and was asking who i can interview first.
aubrey: paige is free
goddamn it.
oh well, let’s just get this over with. i open the court’s entrance, the team seeing me and greeting me.
“so, who can go first?” i ask the team, i really didn’t want paige, she will just give me negative energy for the rest of the day. she is always so.. negative towards me.
“i dont think we can.. coach wants us to do 25 laps as penalty! but since paige wasn’t there when the team was goofing around.. she’s free” azzi explained. “what did you guys even do that made coach geno be in fumes?” i asked.
“teased coach about paige dating on of his children.. they’re our age though” aubrey steps in. “oh id send you guys to 25 laps as well” i joked. “whatever!” azzi says.
i told paige to come with me the the bleachers, still being nonchalant.
“so where do we begin..” i hummed. i could feel that paige felt awkward
“name?” i started.
“paige bueckers”
“year?”
“im a junior”
she’s 2 years older than me.
“current gpa?”
“3.9”
not bad.
“workloard in school?”
“atleast 5 worksheets and 2 tests per week”
“can you finish them on time?”
“depends”
“what’s your hardest subject?”
“chemistry”
“favorite subject?”
“anatomy”
“okay that’s all for now. we still have more interviews in the future, and a possible group study session with the others. thank you!” i tell paige.
“thanks” paige coldly replies.
after an interview with aubrey, azzi, and the others, i wrapped it up, just in time for them to do their own preps before training. i was looking for a water dispenser as i was thirsty. i passed by the locker room and heard a voice.
“what is she even doing here? can’t she do her studies somewhere else? we don’t need her bro” the voice stated, which i think was pertaining to me.
“paige, just be kind. its a freshman’s research, you know how tough some professors are with the freshmans, they would have to give their best” another voice replied back.
“whatever, let’s just get to practice” paige scoffs. i rolled by eyes and realized that it was my signal to go, i didn’t want them to see me. i quickly got my water and got out of the court, thanking coach geno and the other members who were just sitting on the bleachers.
as i walk, i start to feel discouraged. i just want to do what’s best for me, and a person who doesn’t know me just talks bad about what im doing. i guess i just have to suck it up, i have no time for negativity anyways. just focus on being able to transfer to stanford.
uconn, your star is not-so shining to me.
- zo’s notes: hello, i hope everyone is enjoying reading my fic :)
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stardew-shitposterino · 10 months
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Stardew Valley Bachelors and how they’d react if you told them you’ve never dated anyone before
Headcanons about our baby girls :3 “Never dated” also refers to no romantic experience whatsoever. The Farmer is gender neutral, for Harvey’s it could be read as afab but I leave that up to your imagination
Content warning: mild nsfw
Sam:
-he doesn’t care because same LMFAO
-admittedly, he feels more comfortable with that piece of knowledge as he doesn’t feel as pressured to do everything right
-“wow, Farmer, really?! I wouldn’t have guessed, but me neither! B-but don’t worry, we will handle this together. This will be so much fun!”
-he’s excited to explore this new chapter of your life together…with lots of kissies
-can’t believe he is the first person to call you his’ and feels extremely flattered by it. He won’t shut up about it when he’s with Abi and Seb
-the smexy time with him will be a blast though. He’s maybe not the most skilled lover, but his enthusiasm makes up for all of it. He helps you relax and take it light. Be prepared for lots of praise and absent-minded filth coming from his mouth
Sebastian:
-homeboy really doesn’t give a shit tbh, he doesn’t even give you a big reaction
-we both know he hasn’t dated before either, but it’s nothing of his concern either
-“…ok, that’s cool…(?)” *proceeds playing games on his console”
-though you don’t have any reference points, he’s still trying to be the best boyfriend he can be for you because you deserve it (he won’t say that though)
-what can I say, he’s pretty indifferent 🤷🏼‍♀️
-about intimate business though…he has no clue what to do and wished at least you knew, but you both make it work. The first time is a bit too gentle, but that will change once you get the hang of it. It’s nerve-wrecking to him but he’s also excited to learn all these new things with you and make you feel good
Harvey:
-Harvey wouldn’t mind either way, he knows you’re an adult and that you can choose to live your life however you want to with whoever
-buuuut, unlike with the others, it makes him even more anxious that he is your first partner and wants to make everything right.
-“I’m not the most exciting guy, but I’ll try my best to make this relationship perfect for you, because you deserve nothing but the best.”
-His last relationship was years ago, so this feels new to him as well. He takes things slow with you, especially since he’s very shy and needs to ease into things as well. Everything being new to you makes him feel young again
-feels guilty for going further with you too as he doesn’t want to mess things up. He knows how painful and uncomfortable it can be and wants you to remember it fondly, peppering you with lots of kisses, soft touches, hand holding and prep work
-overall, he’s the best first boyfriend you could ever wish for. He’s caring, polite and cute :3
Elliott:
-ma man, ma boy, he has waited for this moment
-Elliott is a notorious romantic, of course he will take this opportunity to make your time with him the most special experience of your entire life
-“It will be a pleasure to show you the world through rose-coloured glasses, my love. *kisses your hand all so gently*. So you won’t ever forget that you are the light of my life, that you are loved.”
-not that he wouldn’t wanna do that if you had dated anyone before, but he goes along with things differently depending on your experience
-if you’re new to this, he will take it slow. The last he wants is to push you to do things you’re not comfortable with
-he’s a very romantic man, but that also encapsulates that he’s a very sexual man ( not in a creepy perv way of course, just very passionate about the whole gist of being intimate). But he waits with that for a LOOOONG time before he plans a romantic bedroom date with a hot bath, rose petals and body oils if he knows it’s your first relationship
-a lot of rom-com-esque adventures await you with this fine gentleman, and the build up to the big night will be worth the patience ;)
Shane:
-Quite frankly? He’s flustered the house lol
-I’m talking big rosy blush across his face and big eyes
-like, you chose HIM to be your first? Really?!
-he always thought highly of you, but now he has to reconsider how smart you could possibly be when you want him to be your first relationship
-“Uh, wow…a-and you’re sure you want to make this experience with me ?! Of all people?!”
-He has had many meaningless hookups in the past, but relationships….oof they weren’t that deep, and he never cared about any of them like he cares about you.
-He tries his best. He’s not an anxious mess like Harv, but he still watches how he behaves around you because he doesn’t want to break your spirit regarding relationships…he doesn’t want you to feel the way he has felt about love and trust
-though he had some hookups, it’s been A WHILE K, so he has major anxiety around your first time together. As much as he’d love to devour you, his anxiety makes him avoid it for the longest time. He wants nothing but the best for you, and he still doesn’t think highly of himself, not to mention his chub. But at some point, he is able to let his guard down as he knows you wouldn’t judge him for something like that ever.
Alex:
-ALEX, my precious…well yeah he is stoked ngl LOL
-he is a whole jock jerk but that’s all a facade, so this piece of information makes him a little less anxious but the more excited to give it his all to make this a one-of-a-kind experience to you
-“wait, REALLY?! That’s aweso- I mean, that’s interesting. I can consider myself a lucky guy to be your first boyfriend. You won’t ever regret it, I promise 😉” *dies on the inside and wants nothing but to scream in excitement*
-BUT it also boosts his ego through the roof. He can’t believe he is the guy that made you want to go the next step, especially as no one else made you want to have a relationship before him
-He’s nothing but a good old-fashioned lover boy. Man grew up with his grandparents, one of them being Evelyn (my precious granny), so he has some manners and knows how to treat a lady (if you’re not a lady, he will treat you like one regardless because that’s all he knows lol)
-I’m sorry but…man’s horny, and though he wants to take things slow for your sake, he will take the first opportunity to take you to bed with him let’s b real. He will be gentle with you and tries his best to make it “first time friendly”, but it is very hard for him as he has dreamed about this since the first time you’ve met.
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she-posts-nerdy-stuff · 10 months
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Ok y’all it’s time for a grishaverse world-building rant (mainly linked to soc/ck) and there’s a good chance this is gonna turn into a long and rambling post but bare with me.
*CONSISTENT GRISHAVERSE SPOILERS AHEAD*
In the Netflix show, why did they replace Alby’s lion toy with a toy train? I wanna talk about the absence of the lion, but also of all things why did they choose a train?
The train really stuck out to me when watching season 2 and at first I wasn’t my sure why, and just struck it up to the fact that I was expecting a plush lion. I think it’s absolutely notable that they exchanged the lion for a different toy, because the TV show didn’t give us as much opportunity for the foreshadowing surrounding Alby Rollins’ existence as we had in the book, since Van Eck is the key to a lot of the passages that foreshadow Rollins having a child. The fact that Kaz was able to present the lion was what served as “proof” for his attack on Alby, and is one of the best scenes showcasing Kaz’s incredible intellect. Since Kaz had never seen Alby, in fact had no concrete evidence of his existence whatsoever, he based the entire presence of the toy lion on Pekka’s pride in his gang, the Dime Lions. But since the show doesn’t have the opportunity to explain the gang culture of Ketterdam in as much detail as the books, which is obviously understandable and it’s the kind of thing I would expect to be lost in the transition from source to adaptation, they can’t make the assumption that the audience will associate the lion with the Dime Lions, particularly since they haven’t explored the gang tattoos (as a side note the meanings behind the tattoos are just *chefs kiss* but anyway-) So unless they were making specific effort to try and include more references to the lions earlier on, it makes sense to change the toy. It also leaves open the option for later in the show (fingers crossed, I’m praying for good news right now) to bring the lion in for different schemes and to create more anticipation and build up for the absolutely iconic Inej move of replacing the lion with a crow in the last chapter of Crooked Kingdom. So I understand the choice to change the type of toy that Kaz takes from Alby, especially since we already know that it’s Alby being used as the threat in this scene and in the books we didn’t, but of all the options why would they choose a toy train? My best guess is that it’s a nod to the Conductor and the train across the fold in season one, but it kind of annoys me because, other than the train that was added for the show and the tank in ck that is explained as amongst the first of its kind, THERE ARE NO MECHANICAL VEHICLES IN THIS UNIVERSE YET. None!!
We have to remember that the development of a constructed world is based on its needs and it’s understanding of it’s resources, not on mimicking the development of our own world; so although some people are probably thinking ‘well they recently developed flying vehicles, it makes sense for trains to exist before that’ I would genuinely argue that in this world it makes no sense whatsoever. We know from explanations in soc and ck (in Retvenko’s chapter mostly, but also in Joost’s and a few other references) that there has been no need to develop engines for boats because the winds can be calmed or summoned by Squallers; they fill the sails or fend off storms to keep the ships moving, there is no need for development thus far because grisha possess the natural resources to maintain the power they need. But in Ravka the presence of the shadow fold meant it became necessary to develop other options, so progress came about and Nikolai developed the Hummingbird. But it’s very important to note that (to my understanding at least, if you happen to know I’m wrong please feel free to correct me) the Hummingbird is still entirely dependent on Squaller power to maintain its flight, because development is always based on the previous model. Similarly, the tanks being the first motorised vehicles we’re introduced to makes perfect sense in the world we’ve come to know and understand, especially since we’re learning from the perspective of mostly Kerch-born or Kerch-living characters. Jesper tells us that there are very few carriages on the streets of Ketterdam, that horses are a luxury because the space to keep them is a luxury, not because they open up further modes of transportation - this is also emphasised by the knowledge that one of the greatest signs of prosperity in Ketterdam is a house with its own dock. This is because canals are the main way of moving, and since the boats and their squallers are a time-proven method of travel there’s no current need to develop engine mechanisms for boats, and cars aren’t needed because no-one would use them to travel. I’d also like to add that I realise not everyone has access to Squaller power, but the rich of Ketterdam do and they live in an incredibly classist society. In the Barrel, most of the boats are moved by rowing and/or punting, as is made clear at the end of soc when the crew row to meet Van Eck and he is brought by Squallers, and the theme is continued throughout ck.
The most likely place for cars to crop up first, based on what we’ve seen of the different countries, is probably Ravka; the country is a hub of innovation and the fabrikators there are the most free to practice their craft. However, Ravka is also a country that has been at war since it was founded, there is no room for any type of development that does not further their chances of survival against Fjerda, Shu Han, or their own civil war. Other places we might have expected to see motorisation pop up faster could be the farming provinces of Kerch and Novyi Zem, since they could be utilised for tractors and ploughs. But most innovation in Kerch is centralised around Ketterdam, where the engines are currently unecessary, and although I don’t know enough about Novyi Zem to argue either way the auction in Crooked Kingdom may imply that their government’s budget is lower those of Kerch, Fjerda, and Shu Han. (But again, we don’t have bundles of information about the Zemeni government so I’m not super confident there). We do, however, know that Jesper was the only one other than Matthias who already knew what a tank was when they got to Fjerda, and so it’s fair to predict that there’s been at least some development in that area in Novyi Zem, or at least enough interest for news of them to reach the gunsmith Jesper worked with. But let’s assume that the invention did come from Fjerda itself, at least for the time being. This makes perfect sense!! It was mostly likely developed, unbeknownst to Matthias, by the parem-drugged fabrikators being held at the Ice Court. Now that they have access to this power, Fjerda achieves all of the same tickboxes to be the initial place of engine development as Ravka does. Of course, Fjerda is also at war or under threat of it, but I think it’s important to remember that the Fjerdan government doesn’t really see war with Ravka as a threat at all. They see it more as an opportunity to prove themselves, to properly cement their position in the world economy and as a global power, which we know Kerch - or at least the general population of the country, if not the government - does not currently see it as. So it makes sense that their developmental focus would not be on ease of travel for the majority of its people by developing cars or flight machines, but on engines that can be used for dominance: tanks.
I’m hoping I’ve kind of got my point across here even if in a slightly convoluted way, but I want to add Inej’s quote from the scene with the tank to really cement the idea that this was development on a scale they had never experienced before: “They were moving - and not a horse in sight!” Someone who has seen a train at any point in her life, or who has any understanding that trains exist and work, is not going to be absolutely blown away by the concept of moving without the aid of horses. So why pick a train??? I don’t know, I’m clearly thinking far too much into it but I just… I dunno, it bothered me, there were so many other things to choose. I didn’t really mind the train in season one because it was set up like a one-of-a-kind contraption, but the idea of there being toy replicas of steam trains implies a very different level of development in a world clearly implied to be pre- its industrial revolutions.
Anyway, thanks for reading my mad ramblings! I have SO MANY thoughts about world building and structure in the Grishaverse, and world building as a browser topic as well, so if you want to hear anything more please let me know!
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riririnnnn · 11 days
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ngl as much as i like isagi it gets boring when he's winning too much 🤷‍♀️ i still hope he wins tho lol but he needs to lose sometimes idk wtv i love kaiser
Hm, I agree with you, but at the same time, I don't too—Isagi isn't winning 'too much', he is, simply, reaping what he sowed.
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So, let's start from the start:
Isagi's initial ranking was 299 which is HELLA low, but, you know, that ranking was, somewhat, pretty.. false.
In short, there were 5 strata and EVERY team in each stratum was named from V to Z and EVERYONE, initially, held a ranking from 241 to 300, so we have no way to truly calculate Isagi's true ranking out of 300.
One more reason why I don't trust that ranking is because Ego is one hell of a cunning man—I bet there were more than just 'skills' as a criteria to rank them because I can never in my whole life accept that Niko ranked above Kunigami.
And in the first selection he LOST to Barou—he did NOT win right away. He did NOT score ALL the goals in their subsequent winning matches too—Bachira, Chigiri, Gagamaru, Kunigami, even Kuon shined in their own times. Isagi did NOT have the spotlight onto him all at once.
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Skipping towards Second Selection, we remember him getting praised by Anri that, "Ooh, that kid is improving so fast," and it was, by no means, a protagonist point because, my brother in Christ, one of his abilities is literally adapting!
And after we get his new ranking of 15, and as said by Ego, it's a true ranking rather than a false one like earlier.
Then the story proceeds and he challenges Rin, and guess what?
HE LOSES TWICE AGAINST RIN!!
And then.
HE LOST AGAINST THE WORLD FIVE TOO!
HE IS THE LITERAL PROTAGONIST AND HE HAS BEEN SHOWN LOSING SO MANY TIMES ALREADY!!!!!!!
If he really had an actual plot armour, then he would've won against Rin the second time and would've gotten VERY close to winning against the World Five too.
You getting me?
And then he doesn't even have a ranking in the Top 6!?! His ahh wasn't even the runner-up of it—Bachira was!
And trust me when I say it, if it would've been any animanga other than Blue Lock, then that protagonist would've been the CF during the U-20 because WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT MATCH WAS SINCE BLUE LOCK'S LIFE LITERALLY WAS DEPENDENT ON IT!!!!!
I'm so sorry. I promise I'm not angry or yelling at you. Please don't be mad at me, I'm just being passionate.
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Now comes the current arc: NEL
I've already made a post about why Kaiser chose Isagi to be his rival (it may differ once we get Kaiser's backstory revealed), so keeping it aside, I want to say that Isagi is THE pacifist because if Kaiser did all that to ME, then I would've swung so fast like who tf you calling a clown, huh? You wanna catch these hands? Guess what, I'll give you these legs too.
Well, now focusing on FC Barcha match, remember that Isagi didn't score. He PASSED. How can people even forget that? Yukimiya nearly threw hands because of that only!
And then came Manshine City—bro, he literally got blocked by Kaiser and then he PASSED again and then he FAINTED!?!?!?!?!
All this time he was SLOWLY building up momentum and that's what we low-key saw in Ubers match and are seeing in PXG match.
He EARNED everything.
He wasn't winning everytime.
He has lost many times too.
We just have too many characters who are given proper amount of character developments which sometimes reduces Isagi to being just a protagonist—God! Us Fandom is so spoiled, aren't we? We are so well fed that we have become bratty, LMFAO.
And yes, I love Kaiser a lot too.
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But in the end, the Roman Empire fell too, right?
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tyrantisterror · 22 days
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While we’re on the subject of Dungeons & monsters, what are your top ten favorite D&D monsters & why?
I'm going to limit this to monsters that are either original creations of D&D or so divorced from their mythological roots that they might as well be original creations, or else this would just be me listing dragons. This is also in no particular order.
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I'm gonna start with the Otyugh, because I think it's a result of D&D creating a very interesting ecosystem to justify its mechanics. You have all these artificial dungeons filled with different man-eating monsters, right? Well, what about the waste products they create? Carrion, yes, but also, you know... poop.
Well, you get Otyughs, a species that, depending on the setting, was either artificially engineered to take care of the waste products of a dungeon, or naturally evolved to clear out the waste of enormous megafauna predators like dragons. Is it mostly just an excuse to introduce yet another weird monster with a unique attack mechanic (say hello to sepsis and other infections, players)? Yeah, but it's a good excuse, it gets the imagination flowing.
I've actually played a lot more Pathfinder than D&D proper, and Pathfinder went out of its way to give Otyughs love by exploring all the aspects of their ecology that were only lightly outlined or implied in D&D, including the fact that they're technically intelligent enough to be capable of speech and reason - and thus, not necessarily a monster you have to deal with using violence alone. It really endeared me to them, to the point where Otyugh characters became something of a trademark of mine when running Pathfinder/D&D campaigns - and to the point where I ended up making up an expy of them for my own fantasy setting.
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Bulettes are one of the coolest looking D&D monsters for my money, especially given that their modern designs take two inspiration from two very different animals - sharks and tortoises - and manage to combine them so beautifully to create something at once very cool and yet perfectly plausible as a "real" creature.
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I love Rust Monsters for the same reason I love Otyughs - it's a monster that was made to showcase a game mechanic (namely, destroying players' weapons and armor, making sure they know how valuable those things are) and ends up creating a weird but plausible and interesting aspect of the ecology and world-building as a result. Also like Otyughs, they're very cute in a groady monster way.
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Not every monster needs to have a big mind-blowing concept for me to be happy, though. Sometimes a creepy guy with a squid for a head who eats brains is enough. Mind Flayers are iconic and often imitated despite/because of being such a simple and easy to grasp concept.
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Speaking of iconic monsters, Beholders feel like such an obvious cool concept that is shocking to me that they're more or less an original D&D creation - and it kind of sucks that they are, because a giant monster head with one main eye and several smaller eyes on stalks feels like it should be as ubiquitous in fiction as dragons and unicorns, and yet it can't be without paying Wizards of the Coast a shit-ton of royalties.
I will say that the lore D&D gave Beholders is pretty good, though - namely that each Beholder thinks it is the apex of their kind, and hates all other beholders for their perceived imperfections. Because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you see. It's great, no notes, but beholders should belong to the people, not copyright holders.
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I'm pretty sure Mimics originate from D&D, though I guess they just couldn't keep the idea of "a treasure chest that fucking eats you" from the people, since they appear in a lot of non-licensed stuff. As they should - man-eating treasure chests are another monster concept that should belong to the people.
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I was talking about Froghemoths the other day on here but I want to reiterate that I love them despite/because of the fact that there really is no greater concept at play here than "what if there was a big fucking frog freak," and not once in the long history of this game has anyone decided there needed to be more at play than that. A big fucking frog freak is enough for all of us.
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I just think this one looks neat.
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D&D kobolds are in the category of "so far removed from its mythic roots that it's basically a new monster," and in that case the new monster is "scrabbly little dragon people with extreme anxiety," and I love that. Kobolds are my favorite humanoid species in D&D, and I'm glad 5th edition finally gave them a stat block that's actually playable, as opposed to previous edition's attempts, which made the prospect of being a kobold character the equivalent of having a public humiliation kink.
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Finally, and also in the category of "technically named after a mythic monster it no longer resembles in almost any way," we have the Tarrasque, which went from a turtle/lion hybrid dragon in myth to a nigh-indestructible monster that's explicitly compared to natural disasters for its immense size, vast destructive power, and near inability to be harmed thanks to its armored hide and insane healing abilities. Or, in short, D&D lawyer friendly equivalent of Godzilla. How can I not love D&D Godzilla?
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ihatebrainstorm · 7 months
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I've been thinking quite a while now about Brainstorm's potential origin story and am just using this post as a way to compound/spitball my thoughts/theories/headcanons? I don't know what to call it but apologies, it's realll long:
"Genitus of Operation: Solar Storm", what if Operation: Solar Storm was a military campaign that literally utilized solar storms? Solar storms come in various types, including but not limited to Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), Solar Flares, and Solar Particle Effects (SPE).
Generally the dangers of solar storms are that they can blast radiation, protons, plasma, etc. (depends on the type of solar storm) which could potentially in turn affect satellites/spacecraft, radio communication, GPS, electronics, etc. and funnily enough, transformers (the electrical kind, not Cybertronian kind).
Unless Cybertronian comms also use radio waves that utilize the Ionosphere, or their tech also utilizes electricity, the main danger from solar storms to Cybertronians would likely be the actual outward blast itself. Radiation probably being the bigger danger? Since its been shown radiation does affect Cybertronians (ex: Kup and Nickel's radiation meter probably having some purpose).
A sort of idea I had is that Operation: Solar Storm involved the Autobots utilizing a nearby star's solar storm to take out a large amount of Decepticons via a concentrated radiation blast?
The operation of this kind likely needed a lot of scientists to work on a mass weapon or device to pull it off.
Brainstorm's altmode is a fighter jet, so it's likely he wasn't built with the intention in mind to do science. Instead, my guess is that his purpose could've been either to protect the scientists/device, or (bc he's so disposable as an MTO) get dangerously closer to the sun in place of the scientists? Such as to collect data or to plant stuff there for whatever theoretical device.
Perhaps if this military operation theoretically had a lot more science involved than others such as Simanzian Dawn or Corcapsia Incursion, at some point Brainstorm picked up/was more involved in the science aspect? Especially if it involved building a massive weapon as suggested. During which, he might've had superiors noting him on his intellectual prowess; resulting in him being transferred from combat to research/engineering instead.
A military operation that largely involved building a massive solar weapon could also potentially explain how despite being deployed as an MTO, he never killed anyone? As he'd have less of a chance of seeing active combat.
Also we see him in MTMTE lie about being forged? I always wondered if after he was theoretically transferred, his superiors gave him a new identity/told him to pretend to be forged?? Perhaps they either wanted to not encourage other MTOs to try and transfer, or some good ol' past functionist beliefs were at play I dunno.
Or his origin story could be as dumbed down as: was actually born in the science division or something I dunno, I'm not an IDW writer lmaoo
Sorry its so long, I've sat on these ideas/theories for such a long ass time and needed to spitball them out kdsks- (but also I have the infodumping sickness, hence that semi-irrelevant chunk about solar storms whoops)
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knightyoomyoui · 6 months
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Tzuyu x M/F Reader - "A Depressing Resemblance"
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I'm back for the nth time lmao. Yeah, college life is SO stressful and tiring. I couldn't get to build up interest on writing on my free time because anytime I would just rather use my day off by taking a long rest from all the hectic school tasks to accomplish. Anyways, I know I said from the previous Chaeyoung fic that it would be the last one-shot for Set 5 lineup? I changed my mind. THIS is the last one. I had to make it... uhh organized, I guess? Like, you know... I don't want to just end it off right away to Chaeyoung for Set 5 unlike what I've been doing from the previous line-ups where Tzuyu who is the last member based on their age order (yeah, i'm depending my line-up pattern from their age order) should originally be the last one to close the line-up. So yeah, the Set 5 INDEED ENDS HERE. For Set 6, I'm scrapping off the Tzuyu fic of my idea and I 'm going to move Cry For Me PART 3 after Momo's (which means PART 3 and 4 will be next at each other) so that would make me start the line-up with Nayeon's in usual. Basically, there's gonna be only one Tzuyu solo fic for Set 6 and that will be the "Red Thread Of Fate" which was suggested by ShaShaSha029. Again, I deeply apologize that I'm uploading very slow now for this book. Being a college/engineering student is very difficult, guys. I can't promise anymore that I'm going to do better on releasing works, but I can assure yall that I will not stop and I will finish this book in the future. Enjoy reading guys!
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Walking back and locking yourself alone inside your office on campus was a typical habit of yours to do every day. You couldn't help it either, as long as you found all of the professors who taught the subjects, especially the major ones, to be lame.
Brilliance might be a curse for you to possess, but you wouldn't deny at least that it does save you at a point where you need to escape from something you wouldn't be in.
Your hand stopped from rotating the doorknob, just as your heart ached as you had that thought again.
The thought belongs to one of the biggest what-ifs you will ever carry for the rest of your life.
What would you be right now if that brilliance of yours had assisted you to make on time and save someone rather than yourself?
Exhaling deeply to regain your composure, you unlocked the door and stepped in immediately.
You dropped your bag on the couch and went near the bulletin board of your club's room.
It was clean; there were not many cases you had to check to place yourself in enjoyment and impress everybody with your remarkable deductive skills.
But there was always a thing that would distract you amongst the rest—nothing to seem care about anything once you got a glimpse of it.
It happens everytime, whether you do it intentionally or not.
No matter what, it still remains the same.
It's hard to look.
You stared at the display of a photo of your club featuring you, who seemed completely united, even facing the other direction instead of the camera with your grumpy face.
To your side was a girl. She was your co-member... Well, technically, your only partner and member of your "club" since you were known to be a terror, cold individual around the campus, all of the students except her had the interest to join alongside your student-detective role. But most importantly... she was the one you adored a lot. She was the only exception, and truly did prove you right from the day you met her.
Her smile was very bright; it could've been like her future if it weren't for that to happen. She could've still been here with you, ready to solve mysterious cases and chasing culprits with you.
You flinched as the reality of it tugged at your heart painfully again.
That was the last photo you've taken with her, and that was on the same day you'd lost her afterwards.
To quit hurting yourself too much, you went on to be preoccupied with other things to get busy with. In your desk were some papers to finish, including the main case you're currently investigating which seems like the truth is about to set free sooner now that you've captured the mastermind's greatest ally.
As you were reviewing all the photos and other informations regarding the case, your door was received with knocks.
"Come in." You yelled from the inside.
The door opens, revealing someone that put you again in pleading for mercy.
Mercy that she would stop bothering you anymore.
"What is it this time, Sally?" You asked her without much of energy in your voice.
"Any updates within my application? It's been like days now since I applied." She said as she plants down her bag on your couch as if she owned the place with you.
"Wh- huh?" You clenched your face in confusion. "Did you really listened to what I've said for the past days or you're just doing it all intentionally to mess around with me?"
"What did I do? I was just asking."
"Sally..." You paused as you slammed your papers on the table to try holding your temper down as you were about to get mad again. "For how many times, I already told you that your application is rejected. What's in there that's so hard for you to understand?!"
"Ohhhh..." Sally reacted, gasping her mouth in fascination. It was then her expression transformed back into a serious one. "Wait, you sure?"
You slumped your back on the chair in defeat. Rubbing your hands on your face in frustration, you squinted your eyes and furrowed your eyebrows as you stare at her fiercely.
"Just... what do you want? What you need for me to make you stop?" You said wearily. "I have no time to play with your games, Sally."
"Nothing more. I just want to be on your detective club. That's it." Sally shrugged as she looked around the room. Her smile became forced for a while at something before she returns her focus at you.
"Well guess what, Sally. Hate to break it to you but whatever you do, even if you wont stop annoying me with your application, I won't give it to you." You make things clear to her. "You are not qualified to be in this club. Now please, I'm begging you. Get out."
Sally stared at you for a moment before she pouted and picked up her bag. "Guess you need some more convincing. I'll you show then."
"Wait, hey!-"
She closed the door and left the room, rudely interrupting your complaint that was about to come. You groaned in irritation as you ran out of ways to get rid of that woman.
It's kind of ironic that you both don't even know why she is so desperate to join your team and why she introduced herself when it was during the time that you were still grieving.
The scenarios have made you feel like this isn't even a coincidence anymore. Something strange must be behind all of this.
Later at night, you were reporting all of the insights you'd constructed to your senior police inspector, who is assigned to your campus' main security and protection team, when you received a call from an anonymous number.
"Hello hello, have I interrupted you with your silly job, YN?" The voice of a violent cruel person has got your attention to be in complete alert.
You quickly stood up from your seat and made a distance to excuse yourself.
"Yishin? What's with the sudden call?"
"Just wanna show you something~" he turned the call into a video one, and what showed into your screen had you tremble in fear.
"No. W-what are you doing there? W-why are you spying on h-"
"Karma is a bitch, YN. Look's like this girl's been so interested in joining your rotten club that already lost its charm ever since your precious charming girlfriend gone forever that she couldn't stop coming in your office."
He said as the video continues to record Sally who seemed like she was writing something on her notes while sitting down on one of the steps in front of the building.
"You took out my informant, and I'll give it you. You probably did that in return for what I've done to you, but here's what I had understand very clear about you. You're stupid and dumb, YN. This fight between us is far from over. It's like a cycle, on and on and on, and payback's going to be on repeat not until one of us gives up and simply drop dead.
So... what do you say, should we play a game by losing your next partner in justice?"
"YOU SON OF A BITCH, LEAVE HER ALONE ON THIS!" You clenched your fist tighter on your phone as your screamed, shocking everyone on the police station.
"Oh yeah, you're going to succumb to her desperation right, hmm?" He laughed maniacally as he watches her start to fix up her bag. "Oh come on, don't tell me you won't! You've always been so soft whenever it comes to her."
"I'm going to go there, so I can finally end this once in for all, you fucker." You blatantly warned him. "It's time that you finally came out of your hiding, but I expected better from you to face me rather than putting innocent life here at stake."
"Well, that's what you've been so wrong about me, YN." He teased you. "I never play fair." He ended the call, leaving you in a panic state as you hurriedly returned to the desk.
"INSPECTOR, WE HAVE TO MOVE FAST AND GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL. SOME STUDENT THERE IS ON DANGER BECAUSE OF STRYKER. PLEASE, CALL SOME BACK UPS NOW."
"On it."
You went into your car and drove fast into the campus where you searched for the building that you've last seen Sally at.
Fortunately, you got there pretty much on time for you to locate Sally, but in your surprise, what you've seen had you in suspicion.
Sally was stomping Yishin also known as Stryker on the stomach as his hands were tied in the back using a duct tape. His face were beaten up badly, but his craziness won't allow him to stop laughing at his pain and defeat.
"I knew it, I knew there's something interesting about you! But this wasn't what I have in mind-"
Stryker was shut up by Sally who punched him back and forth in the face. "Then now you know, because you deserve this. I hold vengeance, I'm going to hit you with it and have you feel my wrath of punishment."
Sally plastered another duct tape into his mouth before she turned around and see you standing, watching her in disbelief.
"What's going on..." You breathily said. "How could you do this by yourself?"
"Hey YN! Look what I have here. How's my performance? Am I qualified now?"
You stepped forward at her and eyed her sharply. "Tell me, who the hell are you?"
"Didn't I gave you my biodata-"
"Quit spinning my words and don't give me any bullshit. Answer me properly, WHY DO YOU KEEP ON PESTERING ME?!"
"Can you please stop yelling? Why are you even so mad about me, I haven't even done anything wrong to you?!" She returned. You turned around face her away as you took some time to breathe out.
"I just wanted to be part of your club, join you on exploring cases, I even helped you finish one, what's your problem?! There's something that's holding you back, why couldn't you just share it to me!"
"IT'S YOU! THE PROBLEM IS YOU!" Your voice cracked as you snapped at Sally and glanced back angrily at her, making her flinch. "I don't even know you and I don't like you being around me, especially when you're... wearing the same face as my friend who passed away months ago!" "On top of that, you also started to act the same way how she applied for my club too!" you revealed to her.
You pulled out your phone and opened it, revealing your wallpaper with a picture of your girl, captured by you when you decided to sneakily take one because she looked so cute thinking deeply while solving cases with you.
You gave it to Sally who hold the phone as she looked at your wallpaper. You began to cry as all the emotions took over you when you felt you had to reminisce the memories she left for you.
"Her name's Chou Tzuyu. She was just like the same age as yours, I don't even know how it's possible that you look exactly like her." you got choked in your words as you traced Sally's figure in bitter amazement. To describe Sally's appearance, she sports a curvy black long hair, a thicker jawline, and more well-built compared to Tzuyu who has straight blonde long hair, round face structure with less visible jawline, and slimmer figure. The rest were literal similarities of them together, speaking of being skillful, beautiful, adorable, tall, smart and lively but can be very intimidating when gets serious and many more.
"She died 7 months ago, because of that bastard." You glared at Stryker who is now unconscious. "I didn't want her to get involved too much about his case knowing how dangerous it is. He killed a lot of students whether a part of his scheme or not.
But she insisted. She wanted to stay and help me, because she didn't want me either to be in danger and get stressed out with this along with the academics. I just... let her because I didn't wanna make her sad but..."
You sobbed between your words as the flashbacks ran into your mind, starting from the time your feelings bloomed for the first time because of Tzuyu's undeniable charm.
"I just wanted to protect her because I love her. I grew in love for my partner. I couldn't help it, she's the exact opposite as me, she's beautiful and very lovely. I never had the courage to tell her because I was scared that she wouldn't like me back."
Going back, she invested herself more on the case, to the point that Stryker and his allies started to target her as she collected too much infos from them.
Then one night, I came into her dorm because I wanted to ask her out to eat with me outside to loosen ourselves a bit with the case,
But I found her instead, her door was slightly opened..."
You recalled as you entered her room and what greeted you was too devastating and sickening of you to endure.
You had to witness the cold dead body of Tzuyu laying down on her bed with her own pool of blood. She had a knife stabbed in her stomach, with a note saying that "she has seen too much.
As the police arrived, you had to help them bring Tzuyu to the ambulance as you joined them there to have her get treated. Unfortunately, your prayers didn't worked as she was pronounced dead on arrival from lost of much blood and organ damage.
You collapsed at the hallway in torment as you witness Tzuyu lost her life forever. You realized that you won't be able to hear her soft voice that keeps you awake everyday, her laughs and smile that brightens up your mood, and her presence that got you moving with enthusiasm.
Tzuyu showed the colors in your personality, and now that she's gone, it's like your entire self had gotten back to dull and dark, even worse than before.
Before ofcourse, she was the love of your life, the girl of your admiration, and the only one who makes you feel alive.
It took you time to heal, even halting your investigations against Stryker organization for 3 months before you returned as all the memories with her you revisited had you encouraged that you will bring her the justice she deserves once you figured out that Stryker is still on the roll on unleashing havoc around the campus.
Your words were cut off when you saw that Sally started to cry too, sniffing as she wiped her tears while she stares at Tzuyu's picture. "What's with the tears?"
"I'm sorry... it m-must've been... very tough for you." She said in her shaky voice. "I know because I went the same as yours. It hurts to lost a loved one. Even now I still couldn't wrapped it up in my head that my only sister is gone."
You sprung up your head as you looked at her in astonishment. Sally was staring at you, with her dreadful eyes.
"What did you just said?"
"Tzuyu is my twin sister. My plans of joining your club were true; I wanted you to believe me, but I hope this time it will get you to consider mine," she said as she began to clear her throat to speak out her explanation. You were trying to process it in your head as the thought of Sally being another replica and a depressing resemblance to Tzuyu turns out it wasn't just like that for the entire time as the revelations led to tie up everything to make sense that the reason was that they were indeed connected and related to each other in blood and flesh.
"I was studying at the other university. One day, she went on my room, giving me a favor. She told me about you and this case of hers that she's been solving with you."
"Oh god."
"She asked me to get to know you someday and in case of what happens, I'll be the one who'll replace her." she said as you shivered. "Do you know why she wanted it to happen, YN?
She wanted me to continue taking care of you. She doesn't want you to be alone. She wanted me to keep on protecting you, YN."
You sobbed heavily on the ground as you fell on your knees and covered your face with your palm. Sally kneeled beside you and hugged you tightly while caressing your back.
"I was worried for her, but I knew I couldn't stop her. And so, I accepted her offer because I always want to do what's best for Tzuyu. As long as my sister is happy. And when the tragedy happened, I had no choice but to transfer here, search for you and come here with my face that resembles a lot like Tzuyu, like the girl you admire. I didn't intend to spook you or hurt you further, I shouldn't have played with you more but I already had the culprit in my hands at that given time too.
You think you're the only one in hellbent taking him down, you're not. I wanted to give my sister justice too, and that's why I want to help you. I'm deeply sorry again, YN."
You wiped your tears away as you looked at Sally closely. "Day and night, I still can't forgive myself for what happened. Tzuyu won't be dead because of me. I failed to save her."
"Stop it, YN, Tzuyu didn't want it either to happen, but now it did and it's unstoppable. It hurts but we have to move on and go forward. Do you think Tzuyu would like seeing you drowning in grief and guilt blaming yourself for something that you haven't caused at all?"
She went to comfort you, wrapping you in her arms for a gentle embrace. "For Tzuyu. We will have each other's backs from now on,. Please, move on. It's harder to stay."
You nodded as you sniffed and eased your heavy breathing. "I-I understand now. I'm sorry if I was being too harsh. I just... couldn't stand doing the same mistake again."
"Don't worry, YN. It's been a rough time for you to contain it all. Let it out on me."
You and Sally stayed for a while, holding each other in solace to finally free yourselves together from the burden of grieving Tzuyu's passing.
"So... am I qualified now?" Sally turned to look at you as she joked.
You chuckled as you nodded your head. "Yes."
"Well, finally I did it." Sally released a long sigh. "Thank you and it's nice to meet you properly this time, YN."
"Me too, Sally."
The police finally came, they arrested Stryker and the inspector congratulated the two of you while he tried to convince himself that it wasn't really Tzuyu that he is seeing, but rather her twin sibling.
You and Sally are sitting at the back of the police car, resting as you observed the police team going around the place as part of the investigation.
"Oh, I forgot." Sally reached out to her pocket, revealing your phone. She handed it to you as she opened it, showing your wallpaper of Tzuyu again.
"Thanks."
Sally watched you look at Tzuyu admirably. She smiled at how mellow your eyes went as you traced Tzuyu's features. You truly did loved her sister a lot. She would probably liked it if she witnessed Tzuyu being with you earlier.
"YN.
"What is it?
Sally roams around the pitch black orbs of your eyes, a simple curve formed within her lips. "Tzuyu loves you too. A lot. The way she mentions your name to me and shares her stories being with you, it's pleasantly different."
"Yeah, now I know."You looked at her as your eyes became watery and nodded with a tightlipped smile. "I just wish I had the chance to tell her mine."
"If your fate did, I bet you two will be fun." Sally guessed as she smirked at you.
You lowered your head and smiled sheepishly as you muttered. "Like you wouldn't imagine." "I look forward to get to know you more, YN." Sally stated as she daggered her sight equal to your level then proceeded to playfully bump your shoulder. "So am I, Sally." You patted her head in which she giggled, exactly like Tzuyu would react at your sweet gesture. It did kinda made you miss her again, but it'll take some time for you to completely heal.
You meant what you said. With Sally to accompany you through everything, no instances that she'll leave you staying in the dark anymore, it's confirmed that you'll learn to maintain yourself to be calm and create a closer relationship beside her.
In return, you'll be there for her while she continues what Tzuyu has always desired to do for you.
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whateversawesome · 1 year
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I really hope this doesn't come off as hate, I just wanted someone else's input - I feel like the eden kids have become more of the main characters than the forgers have. I know we just finished an important arc with them but it feels as though every other chapter is centered around them. We haven't had a chapter with the forgers together since Anya got rescued and that wasn't even a whole chapter. it feels as though the manga's shifted from its core (a spy dad, assassin mom, esper child and a dog that can see the future). I guess this could just be because of the update schedule though making everything feel slow paced and some plotlines random at times. Again, I hope this doesn't come off as hate. I still love and enjoy the story, and was curious to hear the opinion of another.
Hi! Thank you for reaching out. Your question doesn't come as hate at all and it'll be my pleasure to answer it :)
Your feelings and frustration are totally valid. A lot of us got into Spy x family because of the Forgers (and some of us Twiyor specifically) and miss seeing them. So, let me tell you how I see things both as a writer and as a reader.
As a writer: I'm not worried about where sxf is going because I've written plenty of stories and I can see the seams (meaning the construction of the story). However, I know not everyone is a writer, so this illustration may be useful for everyone:
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The beginning of sxf had a great exposition of the characters and the story. This is the part where the readers fall in love and get attached to the characters.
I know it's been going for 79 chapters, but in my opinion, we're barely leaving #2 (conflict) and entering #3 (rising action). Endo set the conflict and not quite started the action yet. So we're just entering the middle of the story.
In my experience (both as a reader and writer), when the middle of the story begins is not the most exciting part and, depending on the story and author, the middle can feel long.
In Spanish, the middle a story is called "nudo", which means "knot". This is where the story gets tangled and very complicated. In fact, the more complicated, the better, because it means that it'll be hard to resolve and the stakes will be high during the climax.
The purpose of the middle of a story is to point towards the climax. This is where the author has to build the tension to get there, where the conflict gets thicker and thicker.
Now, has Endo been doing this?
YES.
Evidence of this are the whole bus kidnapping arc: where he told us how the SSS and government behave towards its citizens (even when they're children). THIS will be key in the story. And the latest 78 doggie competition chapter: where Handler and Twilight literally talk about the main plot of the story.
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This reminds us the main plot is still about Donovan Desmond and Project Apple. This doesn't seem random to me. And the fact that we've gotten so much Eden makes me think that Eden is key in the main plot too.
As a writer, his job is to point out to the main plot and head to the climax. If he's been doing that with Eden chapters, that means that's where we're going.
The way I see it, Twilight, Yor, and Anya (Spy, Assassin and Esper) are the main characters, but not the only characters. Because of its cuteness and wholesomeness, it's easy to think of Spy x Family is a simple story about a Spy who adopts a little girl and falls in love with an assassin.
It is not.
This is a monster of a story.
Think of it as a big tree. Stories like this have many branches (secondary characters and side stories) that are connected to the main plot and serve to lead the plot towards the climax. Examples: Lord of the Rings, Fruits Basket, Attack on Titan.
My point is that in these Monster Stories, the plot may not always focus on the main characters, but in the end, everything, every little branch and side story came together to let the main characters rule the story and get to that explosive climax.
And I believe that's what Endo is doing here.
Is it the most exciting thing in the world right now? No.
Sometimes development can feel like a total drag; especially if chapters come out every two weeks and we're all eager for more.
As a writer, I recommend patience. We'll get there, it's just going to take some time.
Now...
As a reader (and a fan): *Big sigh* Yes, I miss the Forgers (and Twiyor) so much and every time there's a new chapter I feel sad we didn't get any interaction.
Yes, I want to see the romance, the pinning, the angst, the first kiss. ALL of it!! At least give me the Forgers shenanigans...
But there is no point in getting upset about it.
Yes, we're kind of in a dry spot in the story, but personally I'm still enjoying it. I'm so grateful for all the good friends I've made thanks to Spy x family. On top of it, I've been having tons of fun writing fics analyzing, and discussing things with other fans.
There's so much talent in our fandom and during this dry season, it's the fans with their gorgeous fanarts and awesome stories what is keeping the fandom engaged and happy. There's no need to feel bored while we wait for the Forgers to come back (and Twiyor to kiss!), let's wait together. Let's have fun together!
One last thing worth mentioning...
I've said it before. It's okay to take a break. There is absolutely no hate in this advice: If the story is becoming too frustrating, if it's detrimental for mental health, if it's becoming more of a bother than a source of happiness, it's okay to take some time off. It's okay to get into other things, other stories and other fandoms. And it's okay to come back after a while to check up on any progress and it's okay to move on too.
Thank you so much for the ask. I wrote a long answer because, as you can see, I'm a big fan of stories and writing.
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nayialovecat · 8 months
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The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 6. Machine
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Day 6. Machine Crossover: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (and later series) "Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now. Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now." I cannot wait for the scene when they take Sammy's mask off :3 I'd watch an episode like that. Btw. in case anyone is wondering, Shaggy checks whether bacon soups are 20 or 50 years after expired, because it depends on whether he decides to heat them before eating or not :D
Am I a fan of Scooby-Doo? Well... yes and no. As a little kid, I loved the show, I even had VHS tapes of the episodes... But then my lil brother got hooked on it and watched it so obsessively that I hated the whole show (especially since his favourite was that damn Scrapy-Doo, so he was tormenting me episodes with him, and Scooby-Doom, the other son of the b*ch, which I hate). However, I still enjoyed the full-length movies, and to this day I still enjoy watching some of them (for example: "Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf" or "Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy?..." by the way, the former was made in the year of my birth, so he's older than me, yay!) But then came the era of weird Scooby-Doo series that delighted me again and stole my heart, like "Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!", "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" or crazy one  "Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!" (I love self-ironical, self-parodying shows). So... yeah, I guess I'm a Scooby Doo fan now. What's more, I will now say something that will probably make some people hate me: I like the "scandalous" show "Velma". Uuuu! Everyone will stop following me now, what a drama.
I have to admit that I had fun - although it was probably one of the most difficult Ink Demonths so far (counting the future ones I've already drawn). Scooby-Doo is damn hard to draw, because he has very caricatured features while having quite a dog's build, and when broken down into simple shapes, he's... just plain ugly to draw. Shaggy was a bit of a challenge, but it was a real pleasure to draw Velma. By the way, these two are my favourite characters - and I ship them in their youth (in their mature life, I prefer Shaggy with that cool alien from one of the movies). I used, of course, the background from BATIM - and choosing the right one and then framing it the best took me a lot of time and frustration too. I originally wanted a setting from the first chapter, but nothing looked right with the characters on it. I finally made it to the second chapter - and I think it turned out really nice. However, I am extremely proud of how cans turned out, the expiration date of which is checked by Shaggy.
If anyone doesn't understand why this entry is for "machine" theme, let me remind you that the Gang drove a cool, colourful van called... that's right! The Mystery Machine! If you didn't know that, you can't consider yourself a Scooby-Doo fan :D
Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (c) Hanna-Barbera Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat
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formulapai · 3 months
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DAY SEVENTEEN: FLOWER SHOP AU
CLÉMENT NOVALAK
TAG LIST:
@i-wish-this-was-me
@giada-chan
@havaneselover08
@fangirl125reader
@rheathesimp
@strangemaximoff
@scopeiguess
PAI’S WORDS: as usual when it comes to flower stuff, it’s written based on my work and how my shop is ! 🧡 so sorry for the delay, for those not following me on X, I’ve had some rough patches lately and am only now getting better and motivated again 🫶
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The day has been particularly exhausting, stubborn customers and complicated arrangements taking all your time and energy, especially since your colleague and dear friend couldn’t come to work today. Your hands cold and raw, your feet aching as much as your back, you’re almost done with the day and with your commands when the bell’s melody resonates inside the shop, indicating the presence of a new customer. Hiding a sigh and putting your best smile on, you lift your head and greet the newcomer, coming face to face with a charming man dressed in a suit.
“- Hi, how can I help you ?
- Hello, I came looking for.. well flowers ?
- Well, you’ve come to the right place, no doubt about it.”
The man in front of you chuckles and sends a sheepish smile your way, his dimples appearing at the same time as a warm feeling in your guts. You tie the bouquet you were making before walking to him, guiding the customer towards all the cut flowers you have and watching as he takes it all in, eyes stopping on some of them.
“- So, what’s the occasion ? A date, maybe ?
- Oh no, none of that. It’s for a friend.
- Sorry for assuming, it’s just that usually, when customers come in dressed as sharp as this, their intentions are pretty clear.
- Trust me, that’s what everyone tells me as well. I mean, being overdressed is not a crime, is it ?
- It surely isn’t. About that friend of yours, do you know their favorite color ? Or a color they often wear, the main color in their home, whatever.
- Um, not really know. Purple, maybe ? She does wear that quite often.
- Alright. And for the budget ? I can work around pretty much anything, but the bouquet will obviously vary in size.
- Oh, well, I don’t really know about that. I don’t buy flowers that often so I’m pretty.. clueless about prices.
- It’s fine ! We can choose flowers and foliages together and I’ll tell you the price as we go ?
- Yes, perfect, thanks !”
His dimples appears once again as he sends you a grateful smile, letting you guide him through the flowers.
“- As for now, the only purple flowers we have are clematis, aster and iris. Oh, some hydrangeas too, and gerberas. We can mix them with white and pink flowers for a softer, more feminine look, or use orange and yellow to create bright contrast, that depends on what you’re looking for. It’s for a friend, right ? Is there any special occasion ? A celebration, a birthday ?
- Actually, it’s not really a friend. I mean, she’s not a friend of mine, not really I guess. See, we have an.. emission, a podcast, with two of my friends, and she’s invited today. So I know her and, well, appreciate her, but it’s.. like a work context ?”
You giggle softly at the obvious fluster taking over him, watch as he stumbles on his words and frown as he wonders about the situation. Your gaze falls towards the racks of flowers as you listen to him explain what he knows about the woman, Lissie as you’ve learned, and her job and known passions. She seems lively and passionate about what she’s doing, as much as the man in front of you is at least, so you carefully pluck a yellow Calla Lily, putting it next to the clematis in your hand.
“- So, what we can do is have some strong flowers, like the yellow calla lily here, and build around them with simpler, smaller purple flowers like the clematis here. Calla Lilies stand straight and create a lot of volume when well-paired, and clematis create some movement with how they fall. See ? They naturally are more frail and “floaty” and will add color without it being too blunt. I can pair them with some hydrangeas for volume, no more than two or three to not throw the balance off, and some iris. Maybe add some mimosa stems in between to add more yellow.
- That.. seems perfect, really.”
A proud grin falls on your lips as you pluck the flowers you’ll need, creating the bouquet as you go. Foliages are not counted in the price as your shop offers them, something not that uncommon but that still surprises customers not used to it. You decide to go for eucalyptus, giving the bouquet more volume but also more fluidity and lightness, creating a less strict, more simple looking composition. As you go, you never forget to calculate and enunciate the price, making sure to check in with the man in front of you who seems purely in awe as he observes your hands work carefully around the flowers, delicate fingers adorned with little cuts and callouses. You place the last flower where it’s supposed to go, checking on different angles to make sure it’s evenly distributed before showing it off.
“- Ans that’s how it looks, is it what you had in mind ? If not, I can replace some flowers and such, don’t hesitate to tell me.
- No, no it’s really pretty, thank you ! I didn’t even have something as gorgeous as this in mind, to be fair. You have a way with flowers, trust me.”
He compliments you excitedly as you laugh, taking a ribbon out of your apron to tie the creation before making your way to the checkout, followed closely by the young man you find quite interesting. Your hands quickly work as you cut the stems at the same level and wrap the bouquet in yellow colored paper, placing a simple light purple around it and making a bow. All the while, you explain how his friend should take care of the flowers, insisting on the “cutting them every two days” part and a sweet smile grows on your face as you note how meticulous he seems, nodding in a determined way and asking questions about some parts. You staple your shop’s cars on the wrapping paper before handing it to you, your hands brushing his as he oh so carefully takes it and profusely thanks you, making his way towards the exit.
“- Oh, I’m sorry ! But you’ve said you have a podcast, right ? May I know the name ? I don’t know much about cars and, sports in general, but I’d like to learn more.
- Yeah, sure ! It’s called Screaming Meals, and well, my name’s Clement. It was nice meeting you, Y/N.”
You stare at his back as he walks out with a frown and a gaping mouth, only realizing much later, as you’re making dinner, that your name is written on your apron. The podcast accompany your dinner and you shyly subscribe to the channel, grinning as Lissie compliments the bouquet and laughing as Clement brags about it, not missing the soft look in his eyes.
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kodaiki · 2 years
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꒰ 3:30 P.M. ꒱ ❛ miya atsumu x single mom!reader ༉‧₊˚✧
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“thank you so much, you don’t even understand how grateful i am-” you rush out your gratitude as you approach the smiling pair of boys, one much older than the other, sitting at a storefront table in front of a rather known restaurant.
“y/n, ‘ya don’t have to thank me-“
“-my boss made me work overtime ‘cause one of my coworkers called out sick and there was no one to do his paperwork,” you continue your rambles as you finally reach them, hurriedly reaching for your son who’s making grabby hands at you to pick him up.
you’re still talking when he’s in your arms, patting his hair down and looking at him apologetically.
“y/n,” the voice repeats, sterner this time, making your words fall in your throat. you look over at the faux blond with rounded eyes. “take a breath before y’pass out.” a hearty chuckle sounds from the man as you let out a long sigh, mostly out of relief that you were able to depend on someone so much to pick up your kid from daycare.
“right,” you nod a few times, letting the jitters of nerves leave your body as you slightly hunch over, relaxing in place yet still gripping your son. “atsumu, tha-“
“uh!” he quickly cuts off, looking pointedly at you. “no thanking me. really, i’d pick up the little man anytime.”
a watery smile reaches your lips as you look back over at your son who seems to be lost at why you seem so frazzled. he simply seems content. it’s an even bigger blessing that he’s content in atsumu’s presence, too, since he’s a rather fussy baby around selective people.
it was at a grocery store when the world renowned athlete crossed paths with you; the fruits aisle, how romantic, you think back with an amused eye roll. well, better worded, it was when he crossed paths with you son.
your son was, to put it lightly, a wanderer. of course, you had your eye on him anywhere he liked to walk around whether it be home, the playground or the supermarket; that day, though, you were simply too far to stop him from tugging on the taller man’s pants and asking him to grab him some strawberries, saying stawbewies, peas.
you recall hastily pushing your grocery cart toward the exchange, one that the man didn’t seem to have an issue with by the way he grinned down at your kid, offering him a batch that was on the stand in front of him.
when you profusely apologized, he simply waved it off with a laugh.
“nah, that’s alright. little man just wanted strawberries s’all,” he’d smiled charmingly, finally making you realize how handsome of a man he was. at your nervous laughter and playful nudge at your son who’d been staring up at your with cute, doe -eyes, holding up the strawberries for you to take and place in the cart, atsumu watches the exchange fondly.
“i’m miya. miya atsumu,” he says, giving an introduction just as you’re about to bid him goodbye (and a thanks for not kidnapping your son, most likely), making you pause in place.
“miya atsumu as in…” you trail off, bringing a hand to your chin in thought. you know you’ve heard the name around before and judging by his build, you’re guessing he’s an athlete of some kind.
“the black jackals,” he finishes for you, eyebrows slightly raising in slight surprise.
you snap your fingers energetically. “ah, yes! that’s why your name sounded familiar.” you offer a light smile. “i’m y/n.”
that was your meet cute; a by chance crossing of paths all due to your son and his wandering legs. you don’t exactly recall how you and the man became friends, most likely by the other times you’d seen each other afterward at the supermarket, exchanging greetings and maybe a few words.
soon enough, you were hanging out, seeing him on evenings you didn’t work and weekends he didn’t have practice or games to play. and, just like where the three of you were standing now, you spent an awful lot of time at the setter's brother's restaurant, where atsumu claimed he’d have the best lunch specials in addition to great deals from the family discount.
“did you guys eat something yet?” you ask worriedly. “if not, it’s on me.”
atsumu puckers his lips at the offer, looking pleased (although you’re still feeling bad about having him pick your son up from daycare) and shares a knowing look with your son. “food sounds good, huh bud?” to which your toddler lets out a sound of agreement and claps his hands.
atsumu doesn’t remember the exact moment he fell for you and your cute little family, but all he knows is that he’s not letting you out of his grasp anytime soon. were you just friends? hm, gray area, if atsumu thinks so himself, but that's better chances than being mere acquaintances.
what he does remember is how sick to his stomach he felt after your first exchange, berating himself for thinking you, a probably married woman, was so pretty.
but then came a time where he spotted no ring. and it wasn’t in a ‘i don’t wear a ring on this occasion’ sort of ordeal, you never wore a ring. obviously he never asked about it, he still had some manners, but thankfully he didn’t need to.
you opened up about your son’s absentee father after inviting atsumu to your place for the first time. it was obvious he’d witness that no man was living at your place, nor was there any sign of one in your life so coming clean about it was what you were most comfortable with.
not that you had to fear atsumu’s judgment, at that point , you felt rather safe being vulnerable around him. if you felt comfortable enough to have a man around your son, then you’d allow yourself to open up to that man.
maybe that was the moment everything changed; atsumu allowed himself to have those deeply buried feelings for you since now it known and open that you’re a single mother.
but with allowing atsumu to have feelings, much less romantic feelings, for a person, others caught on.
osamu was the first to notice, having seen you and the setter walk into his restaurant and share a meal, sometimes with your son if he wasn’t being babysat by one of your family members.
at first it was a mere tease that atsumu was going after a mom, making milf jokes here and there but when he couldn’t respond without a deep blush on his cheeks, osamu knew his brother was in deep. after all, he did witness the two of you together, the way you exchanged conversation and atsumu’s dopey smiles your way every waking moment; he’d fallen hard.
not to mention he’d talk about your kid whenever he could; getting excited when the toddler was interested in volleyball and asked the man to play with him (osamu can’t fight the grin off his face when he heard atsumu gush about the interaction, ‘cus seeing his brother like that? happy in a place that isn’t a hardwood floored gymnasium?)
his teammates caught on soon after osamu did, when atsumu brought the both of you to his practice one day – “little man wanted to see where i worked!” he’d announced, making his teammates exchange blank, yet at the same time, knowing glances. that was probably his favorite practice, atsumu thinks, chasing your son as he waddle-ran across the gym, shrieking out laughter as he held a mikasa volleyball in his little arms.
and then, in the split second glance he made your way – you chose to sit on a nearby chair, only interested in watching than getting in the way of the professionals work schedule (not that your son had the same moral compass you did, since he was, well, two and a half) – you make eye contact and seeing the smile on your face? his chest blooms with warmth.
it’s when you’re cleaning up your son and getting ready to leave and atsumu’s in his final huddle before he’s able to go when it’s confirmed.
“so y/n, huh?” bokuto brought it up first, lighthearted as he always is. “she makes you smile a lot.”
with some nods from the other teammates, atsumu chuckles. “yeah, she does.” there’s a beat that passes that has the other team look at him rather warily since, well, it’s not exactly normal for atsumu to be smiling this much. “i love ‘em both, though,” he reiterates, glancing at your son who’s busy swatting your affectionate hands away and giggling at your pouts.
so, now you’re well accustomed to his life as he is yours; except for daycare apparently, since you’re still fussy over the fact that you didn’t pick your son up.
as the three of you walk into the familiar restaurant, your son already waving his arms to get the owner’s attention, you can’t help but frown.
“y/n.” atsumu notices first as he pulls out one of the seat for you to sit at a vacant table. “it’s really alright, i dunno why you’re so stirred up about it.”
it wasn’t that you had an issue with atsumu picking your son up from day care, not at all! you trust him around your son as much as you do your own family, so you sincerely hope he’s not thinking that in his head.
it’s just, he’s never really been alone with your son and you don’t want to scare him off! sure, he’s watched your son while you left a room for a minute or two or while you went to find something in the grocery store, but never to the extent of picking him up from daycare, driving him home and caring for him for an hour or two.
you were seeing atsumu, yes? no? well, you certainly believe the threshold of friends was crossed long ago; whether it was the impromptu “dates” at osamu’s restaurant, the deep, doe eyes lovesick gaze the setter would give you, or the way he’d casually show skinship, either by brushing a piece of hair out of your face before gently caressing your cheek with the pad of his thumb or slyly holding hands/locking arms with you, those were all telltale signs that this … relationship was not solely platonic.
but you had a son. that was baggage to add onto a relationship and though atsumu loves your son and claims to enjoy every waking moment he has with him, you can’t help but fear if that’s all it is. just a fleeting thing.
because seriously, miya atsumu is a busy man. just imagine how much busier he'd be in an official relationship with you?
thus, whatever you have has no label. neither of you had a conversation about it, either because both of you felt that there was no need or in avoidance of an awkward subject in case the other didn't feel the same.
"i hate using up your time," you murmur out glumly, digging into your purse for a bib for your son who's shifting uncomfortably in the wooden kiddie seat beside you.
"you're not using up my time," atsumu counters with a deep frown. "i enjoy spending time with him, y'know?" at your averted gaze, he settles a warm hand over yours, hoping to get you out of your head.
when you're about to answer, a voice above you sounds. "can i getcha started with drinks?"
"samu, it's a bit rude to not even greet your own brother," atsumu says in a faux clipped tone, lightly scolding his twin who's standing before you, notepad in hand. "but yes, water's fine."
osamu snorts at his brother's words, lifting the hat on his head and using the fold of it to scratch at his forehead before settling it back on his head. "y/n, nice to see you," he greets instead, warm smile gracing his lips, even bringing a hand up to lightly ruffles your son's hair. "hey kiddo."
"hey osamu," you smile back, distracting you from the warmth of atsumu's hand that's still atop yours. "busy day?"
"busy enough, can't complain," osamu simply answers with a slight shrug. your attention drifts from the owner when your son starts to babble broken coherent words, making you grin over at him.
osamu looks over at the table, more specifically where you and atsumu's hands meet in the middle. when he raises a playful eyebrow at his twin, lightly smirking at him, atsumu says nothing. he used to get shy about that, every brush of your fingers being noticed by his teasing twin. atsumu's long past that, though, only relishing in any physical contact with you.
"i'll get your usual then?" osamu asks, already beginning to scribble down the order on the notepad.
"yes please," you answer. "and don't let your brother pay. it's on me today."
osamu simply crosses his arms, glancing over at his brother who shakes his head profusely. "y'know i can't let that happen," he drawls out, giving you a deadpan expression.
"'was worth a shot," you murmur out. it's okay, you'll take the bill and run around the restaurant to the register yourself if need be. osamu leaves your table be, off to head to the back, most likely to make your meals himself.
osamu makes your meals himself, enjoying cooking and preparing for those he cares about, even going as far as cutely decorating your sons meal with animal shapes and faces.
it’s over dinner that atsumu recalls the few hours he spent with your son. with how detailed he spoke, you’d think they spent the whole day together. still, you can’t help but listen with the widest grin on your face, watching t just how excited the man in front of you was.
when atsumu pays the bill – to your dismay, but there’s no arguing with the actual owner or the restaurant – he stubbornly - to walk you home. your son has become drowsy from the meal anyway so it would’ve been a bit of a hassle to get him. home without his stroller.
luckily for you, atsumu offered to carry him on the way.
“do you have an early practice tomorrow?” you ask curiously, glancing over at your son who’s a few minutes from passing out on atsumu’s shoulder. his chubby hand grasps at the material from his t-shirt, having no intention to let go anytime soon.
careful not to wake your son, he shakes his hand and swipes his tongue along his lower lip. “nope, tomorrow’s our rest day.”
you nod in understanding, briefly glancing over at him. “do you wanna come over? for just a few minutes?” your tone grows a little desperate and by the stare you have on your son atsumu can guess why.
“he’s gonna start crying as soon as I let him go, yeah?” there’s an amusing lilt to his voice but he’s being serious, too.
you nod again solemnly. “he hates it when you leave.”
“i hate it, too,” he mumbles earnestly, choosing not to read your reaction in case it’s something he doesn’t want to see.
atsumu’s grown a heavy attachment to your son, even in just the few months you’ve known him. he’d been there for your son’s second birthday and seeing the two of you in front of that cake (his brother’s a baker, too, would you believe that?), he knew he’d wanna be around for the rest to come.
your heart thrums against your chest at his words while your stomach does a somersault. when the pro setter says things like that, in that tone, god, the warmth you can’t help but feel. it’s like a buzz of electricity traveling down all your nerves and straight into your heart.
“of course i’ll come in.”
you enter your home quietly, as to not wake your son who’s progressed to drooling on atsumu’s shoulder, something he claims and promises not to mind, smiling when you whisper apologies on his behalf.
“you can set him down in his crib,” you gently instruct, pointing in the direction of his room – as if atsumu didn’t have your entire floor plan memorized by now. “i’ll be there in a second.”
“it’s you and me again, kid,” atsumu whispers as he walks to your child’s room. upon entering, he smiles fondly at the decorations and toys scattered around the floor, stuffed dinos, toy cars and atsumu’s favorite: a personalized msby merch plush laying in the crib.
prying your son from his arms proved to be a little difficult, needing atsumu to shush your son when he began to stir and grasp at the man more firmly. “hey, i’m not goin’ anywhere.”
your son, mostly asleep, settles on holding atsumu’s finger as he’s set down in his bed, laying flat on his back. atsumu doesn’t mind, leaning an arm against the top of the crib’s gate, providing support for his leaned over position.
you enter the room a few seconds later with a warm bottle in hand, expecting a fussy baby, but to your surprise, seeing the opposite.
your expression softens at the sight of atsumu hunched over the wooden crib, gently swaying your son’s fist a latched on his pointer finger.
it’s safe to say, you’ve also grown an attachment to the setter before you. he materializes in your mind any given moment of the day, whether it be while you’re at work, at home or playing with your son. your son is your number one priority of course, but miya atsumu has completely and utterly consumed your mind.
maybe the big reason you walk around talking about what you two were exactly was because of fear. you always were afraid of receiving an answer that would take the man out of your son’s life – given that it’s not the first man to walk out on your son, the thought is terrifying!
but it’s also fear of being walked away from as well. not only your son, but you, too. let’s say he feels the same, there’s still the possibility that it doesn’t work out and you’re left again and you have to pick up your pieces yourself, just as you did the last.
you don’t think atsumu could purposefully break your heart like your ex had but there’s still so much at stake.
for once you just want to see your situation as it is: a single mom who met a man who accepted her and her son with big, open arms. why couldn’t you look past you innermost gaslit thoughts?
you take another look at the man in front of you, someone who still isn’t aware of your presence behind him.
falling in love again is scary. after being so vulnerable with a person only to be brought down to your lowest, it’s hard being vulnerable again.
but miya atsumu is different.
he isn’t like your ex. he defies all the thoughts you’ve been so fearful of this whole time. you’re not even officially dating – hell, you’ve never even kissed the man – and he treats you and your son better than his father ever had.
“atsumu?”
the hardest part of falling in love is the jump that comes with it.
“i’ve almost got out,” the man whispers, referring to the finger he’s slowly getting free from your son’s weakening grip. after a few seconds, he’s released, and he stands up straight, turning to face you.
the jump is scary, a big leap into unknown territory.
“thank you for everything,” you say, taking a step toward him.
“i mean, all I did was put him down in his crib, so no worries,” atsumu smiles bashfully , scratching the back of his neck.
“that’s not what i meant.” but if jumping meant doing it with atsumu, for atsumu, you think it’s well worth it. “i mean everything.”
he blinks at you, taking a second to register your words and then he nods again. “of course. i care ‘bout ‘ya. both of ‘ya.”
you smile at that. “we care about you, too. my son, he loves you,” you gush, suddenly feeling heat rise up your neck. “and i,” you whisper, quickly looking down from his wide stare. “i love you, too.”
there’s silence for a moment, yet you don’t spiral like you originally thought you would’ve. you think it’s because deep down, you’ve always known:
“‘ya do?” atsumu asks, brows dipping considerably as a pout reaches his face. when you nod, he quickly closes the gap between you two and holds your face in his larger hands. “god, i love you both so much.”
and when you kiss for the first time, you realize, as atsumu’s hands tremble against your jawline, he also had the same spiraling thoughts in his head about the situation, too.
it’s a breath of fresh air when your lips detach and his forehead leans against yourself and his breath dana your lips. “i don’t think you know how long i’ve been waiting to hear that.”
you chuckle at that, cheeks flushed and warm. “i’m sorry it took me a while to say-“
“don’t apologize,” he murmurs. “i’m just happy i got to hear it at all.”
atsumu doesn’t stay at your place for a few minutes like you’d asked. he stayed for a few more hours, waiting for the moment your son woke up to let him know it’s an official promise him that he’ll be in his life as long as you let him.
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ninjapaste · 2 days
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dude your art is so GOOD!!! Do you take any classes or have any tips to share? that resource post you reblogged the other day was helpful but i've felt so stuck in my art. I don't know if you have anything u learned that just made something click for u or anything like that?
Tysm anon!!!👍
In terms of your questions, I apologise i advance for the long answer im about to give and possibly things you already know haha:
I guess in terms of what classes i take, Ive gone from GCSE to A level Art and design (Fine art), and both courses have helped me to learn the importance of observation studies.
However, its moreso all the art i practice in my own time that has played the biggest part in my art improvement journey. I adopted art as a big hobby around 2018, and really ever since then I tend to draw/create for myself every day, however big or small it may be.
I guess my first tip would be to indulge in a 'sketchbook' or space to work in freely, it could be any form but the importance is that its personal and can be picked up whenever. I find that having a sketchbook to draw in has really helped with productivity and creating new ideas. I think you can go into a sketchbook space with any mindset and it can work wonders, like for example if you wanted to focus purely on challenging yourself, you can do that! If you just, want to doodle without thinking, go ahead! After all, its a sketchbook for you and nobody else, so go wild!
My next tip would definitely be, when you are feeling stuck in art, to take inspiration from a wide range of different things be it in real life or on the internet, a building or a really cool tree, since I find it defintiely fuels the creation of new ideas/concepts that can provide a path out of that creative rut. I guess to an extent there may always be periods where you have that 'I have no idea what to draw!' Feeling, and thats okay! Sometimes its refreshing that helps the most. But I often see that the solution to being in a rut is usually REFERENCING, wether it be trying to accurately draw the anatomy of an arm or if I just saw a cool design/pose/style on Pinterest and i drew a bunch of wacky characters from it. In fact, I find that places like Pinterest or Resplash are such good resources to hone imagination and generally most art skills by looking at and drawinf from all the cool images (and get some of that inspo!). And if im not using Pinterest, im usually using an art book as reference! (The itsv and splatoon art book helped me so so much lol)
On the topic of REFERENCING, its mega important! Depending on imagination/memory feels pretty good at times but its always beneficial to have image references in your process when you find its good to have them. I woudl always recommend having a reference when drawing poses/expressions/anatomy because the more you use them, the more you learn about how an object like a face muscle, a torso or even light behaves and looks and the easier it is to draw/depict them.
The next tip is uh YOUTUBE, or any account/person who's art inspires you in particular. I found that certain channels like Ethan Becker, Marc Brunet, Marco Bucci and more have helped me the most to gain confidence in drawing and learning how to practice it better. Of course, theres a lot to learn from a plethora of other channels too, even ones that dont specifically promote themselves as teachers! Also, if theres a certain style/art approach or an artist that appeals to you, study it in any way you like! Analyse an artist's work or ask/find out about their personal process (or even watch a speedpaint/art stream)! Sometimes it can be a big inspiration booster and skill boost to do just that (plus the 'artist' could be any piece of media/thing too!! Like a game or something).
Ok ok last paragraph haha, on the topic of your last question. Thinking back, its hard for me to define any specific moment or thing that gave me a 'click' moment. Its more like a process of growth that starts with learning and understanding a new thing, then familiarizing myself with using it successfully/'correctly' by studying and practicing, so that eventually its like muscle memory or easier to use in my work.
Hope this helps!!! If theres anything else you want to ask, dont be afraid to dm or send another ask!!
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oneeyedoctogod · 7 months
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I promised I'd share the notes I had on what happened after the end of my fic We'll Build A Dynasty (one the heavens can't shake) and since today is my birthday I thought it'd make a fun treat (for you and for me :P)
Under a read more because this is LONG. And I guess it has spoilers for the fic itself too, if that matters haha.
So here we go! These are the main "questions" I left unanswered on purpose.
Does Wei Wuxian ever let his practice of the ghost path become known again?
Yep. Honestly the way I see it, the only reason the sects had a problem with it in the first place was because Wei Wuxian was the son of a servant. They never had any problem reaping the benefits of his inventions (all of which were a result of his new cultivation) so since Wei Wuxian now has the legitimacy he lacked in his first life, they might grumble about it if they’re particularly uptight but he’ll never become the reviled Yiling Patriarch.
In any case I don’t see Wei Wuxian disregarding an entire path (and the very very useful things that come with it) just because he can use his sword again. He’ll just balance both because he is that good. The ghostly path will also seem a lot less powerful since Wei Wuxian doesn’t have a good reason to raise an entire army of the dead, and the Yin Tiger Tally never was created. So that's one less difficulty to face.
(there will always be rumors of course, but he’ll never confirm them one way or another and the Wen aren’t stupid enough to let such a secret out, both because it'll draw the ire of their new sect leader and because aside from a few stubborn Elders, they're not that confident they can win a war without Wen Ruohan around)
He might even take on thoroughly vetted disciples since it’ll attract less… questionable people (I'm not actually that sure on that point, it depends on the day.)
Do Jiang Yanli and Lan Xichen get married?
Yes they do. Sorry Jin Ling. </3 (although who knows, maybe the universe is nice enough to give them a son that for some reason will end up being a little prickly for a Lan and a love for dogs!)
I'm actually not overly fond of the Jin Zixuan/Jiang Yanli pairing and I liked the idea of Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian actually being related through their respective marriage. I hesitated with Nie Huaisang/Jiang Yanli at first but the Jiang Yanli/Lan Xichen really grew on me as I wrote the fic haha. They’re very very cute. Lan Xichen strikes me as an even bigger simp than Jin Zixuan ended up being in canon. He WILL talk to you about his wonderful wife if you let him.
What about Nie Huaisang and Wen Qing?
I'm not actually sure about those two. Maybe they get engaged and never marry, maybe they marry but only as friends, maybe they marry and fall in love (in that order, I don’t see Wen Qing falling in love at first sight), maybe they hate each other on sight and stay far, far away from each other, maybe they like each other just fine but don't marry anyway because Nie Huaisang is a romantic and wants to love his spouse romantically or because they know they’ll drive each other crazy within days, maybe they stay engaged because neither of them is interested in marriage and this helps them get their family off their back, maybe they marry and then Nie Huaisang gets a second wife they both fall in love with and they have a really healthy and happy polycule.
As you see, there are plenty of interesting possibilities. :P
Do Wangxian still adopt A-Yuan?
Yes. I’m not cruel enough to delete both Jin Ling and A-Yuan from existence. I’m not clear on what happens to A-Yuan’s birth parents (do they still die, do they give him up or is he adopted to be raised as a heir but they still participate in raising him? I am planning an extra with him in it so I'll have to decide soon but so far I HAVE NO IDEA haha), but yes, Wangxian get their son back, don’t worry.
What happens with Su She, Jin Zixun and Jin Guangshan?
Su She still eventually defects but since he doesn’t have Jin Guangyao sponsoring him, he never manages to become someone important enough to matter in the long run. He’s extremely bitter about it, like he’s bitter about everything else.
After his thorough public humiliation, Jin Zixun fancies himself the “rival” of Wei Wuxian once again. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t care except Wen Qing is very serious about any potential threats, even minor ones so she keeps him updated. They have fun about it. He might try something anyway but Jin Guangshan isn’t dumb enough to defend him so he just digs up his own grave and he eventually offends someone enough that he dies like a loser, like in canon.
As for Jin Guangshan… He’s a very serious threat, always was, but he lacks the political power he had in canon and this time Wei Wuxian has a much better support network who isn’t as easily manipulated into betraying him so things are much better on that front. Wei Wuxian never drops his guard obviously but he’s not vengeful enough to try and start his own conspiracy to get rid of him.
(Wen Qing, on the other hand, has absolutely no qualms about whispering some ideas in a few people’s ears. And because he is still a terrible person and quite a lot of his crimes haven't been erased by the time travel, Jin Guangshan dies quietly and painfully and though no one dares point fingers, Madam Jin looks just a little bit too smug while wearing the traditional white for it to be a coincidence and the family doctor mysteriously decides to retire right after the funeral).
What about Xue Yang, Jin Guangyao, etc.?
Honestly? Don’t know, don’t care. There’s no war so Meng Yao has no opportunity to get close to either Lan Xichen or Nie Mingjue. Maybe he still manages to join a sect as an outer disciple. If they meet, Nie Huaisang hates him on sight, though he can’t tell why. Because this is a kinder univser, both Meng Yao and Xue Yang probably get the opportunity to be better than they are in canon. Do they take that chance? Up to you. I haven’t thought about anyone else’s fate sorry but you can bet they probably have a much better life this time around (or, if they already had a happy life, then they get to be happy again).
And Jiang Cheng? Does he actually grow as a person? What about his mother?
Honestly, I like to think he does. I’m not a big fan of him but I think he’s still young enough here that he might choose differently, especially after being forced to face so many hard truths. At the very least, he never becomes the man willing to participate in a genocide or the serial killer he is in canon. He and Wei Wuxian will never be close again though — like in canon, Wei Wuxian is ready to let go of that relationship. But Jiang Cheng still has his sister and his father and both of them have had a pretty big hm… Wake-up call? I suppose?
Not in a bad way or anything like that but Wei Wuxian’s defection shook them both and since neither of them die anytime soon, they’re here to push Jiang Cheng to be better. It takes time and effort but who knows, maybe he does manage it (he tries at the very least, because if there’s one thing he craves, it’s his father’s approval).
AS FOR MADAM YU... She still blames Wei Wuxian for every little thing, she thinks it's his fault that her son's self-confidence visibly decreased after the lectures (L O L), she hates with a passion the fact that Jiang Fengmian accepted to let Lan Xichen court Jiang Yanli and didn't give yet another chance to Jin Zixuan... She started as a bitter woman and a bitter woman she'll stay.
How exactly did Wei Wuxian go back in time? Why does only Lan Wangji get to remember?
Because I wanted to. I don’t have a better explanation sorry. Maybe a mischievous god (me, the author) decided Wei Wuxian deserved to get a different second chance, that other people deserved to stay alive and so they did.
As for why only Lan Wangji got to remember, the romantic explanation is that they’re soulmates. The boring explanation is that I’m really bad at writing teenage Lan Wangji so I speedran his character development.
Why do some characters find themselves trusting Wei Wuxian when they just met him?
When it comes to Wen Qing and Wen Ning, it’s because they were dead and I like the idea that the dead have no concept of time so time travel doesn’t have an effect on them. Since in the new timeline Wen Qing and Wen Ning aren’t dead yet, they only have fragments of their memories (the dead of the Burial Mounds on the other hand, never forgot their Patriarch. It’s why it took so little time for Wei Wuxian to tame them this time. I expend on that a little more in the Wei Wuxian POV but since I have no idea if I’ll ever finish it, never mind publish it… You get the short explanation here haha). It's also why Wen Chao knew it was the dead of the Burial Mounds and why he was so scared. And Nie Huaisang… Maybe he just has really, really good instincts. Or maybe the “mischievous god” isn’t actually a god at all but him scheming behind the scenes like in canon. Who knows? Certainly not me. ;)
Oh dear, this got really long haha. I hope you enjoyed these explanations. If there are other things you'd like to know, hit me up with an ask, I'd love to talk some more about this universe hahaha.
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