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#maybe I should bash that character again
erasurecloud · 1 year
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Me: makes it clear I love Enji, tries to explain my interpretation of his character to friends, how he’s a huge comfort character for me, doesn’t bring him up very often bc they don’t like him and I don’t want to just talk about things they don’t like.
My friends, basically daily to me: lol Enji abusive & ugly
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deimcs · 8 months
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I have to admit, the media literacy abilities I see some people displaying all around social media when it comes to Baldur’s Gate 3 is so irrevocably in the negatives it’s almost jarring.
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I read ONE post about PB and now I'm listening to Time Adventure seriously considering watching this show for the sixth time.
Props to the atimers, man, one post and my brain goes "Oh yeah, I should watch that again" as if it didn't consume my entire life for all of last year
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gamebunny-advance · 1 year
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That's Cool
It's cool that more people are finding out about Magician's Quest due to that student/villager comparison post I made a while back.
I dunno what's caused it to start making the rounds, but if it's getting people interested in the series, then that's wonderful.
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sirompp · 7 months
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everyone in my house is already asleep… none of my friends are currently talking to me… there’s no new posts on my dash… i might take a nap… even though its 11pm… and ive only been awake half the day…
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sophswritingthings · 7 months
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explosive - hazel callahan 
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pairing: hazel callahan x forfem!cheerleader!reader
warning(s): no warnings, actually! it’s just really fluffy <3 swearing, tho!
tropes: fluff, friends to lovers, sort of canon compliant, first kiss
summary: hazel’s had a crush on you forever. and it really comes to a boiling point when you and the girls go to tp and egg jeff's house. and when she, y'know, set offs a bomb.
a/n: was hazel knowing how to make a bomb hot…….. or was that just me?
word count: 1,144 words / 6,176 characters
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hazel was watching you from afar; her eyes trailing up and down your figure. your cute, graphic tee to your lazy comfy sweatpants; which, she only knew your wore when you wanted to get messy. since, you only ever wore them during your art class. 
“hazel, your fucking staring her down,” pj glared at the girl beside her. “you're such a stalker.”
“I— i am not!” hazel hissed back, “I’m… gonna go work on that bomb now.”
meanwhile, you were sort of watching her too. the way her eyes creased together into somewhat of an angry look; but you didn’t think you'd ever seen hazel callahan truly angry. 
that was besides the point.
you thought she was adorable, to which, she was. 
and those thoughts were now dragging you toward jeff's car, where hazel was slipped under. her marked up convers were hanging out from the top of the car.
“hey, hazel.”
the car almost jerked up, and you heard a “fuck” from under the car. you couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, though you did wonder if she was okay. 
“you okay, hazel? I didn’t mean to spook you. probably should have thought about that before I came up on someone under a car, huh?” you chuckle in response.
“I-it’s fine,” she says from under the car, her voice choked up. she was nervous, and her face was best red—glad that it was hidden under the body of the car. 
“you sure?” you cock your head, bending down to be sat on your knees. “that sounded kinda painful.”
hazel hums a little, “mm-hm!” in a response. she slides out from under the car for a moment. she wanted to see your beautiful face, even if hers was currently covered in soot and ash.
and even if it was beat red.
than a loud, shrill beep sounded from under the car.
“um, hazel, is that something we should be concerned about——“
out of instinct, she grasps your hand tight. she pulls herself to her feet, as well as you, and begins to charge for their “getaway” car. she slides into the backseat, pulling you in beside her.
after a few seconds, you feel her hand still clasped around yours. It made your heart beat a million miles a minute, her rough, coarse hands rubbing against yours. In comparison, yours were small and soft. holding a hand like hazel's felt…
… nice.
a few moments later, you feel those same hands covering your ears, pulling your head close to the crook of her neck. instead of covering her own ears, she covered yours, as if you didn’t have the hands to do so.
she was so cute. so thoughtful…
you two were, as of now, in the car alone. despite the damn bomb going off; the girls still hadn’t hopped back in the car, hadn’t driven away.
that left you alone with a hot girl you had a crush on. 
and you were pretty sure she liked you, too.
“so,” you gently nudge your knee against hazel’s. “how the hell do you know how to make a bomb?” you scoff, glancing at her with a playful expression.
“Its… not that hard,” she laughs, looking bashful as ever. “not like I’m some child genius.”
“still impressive,” you nudge your knee against her's again, causing her to look up at you, “learn that in robotics, or somethin’?”
she shrugs, “um, the mechanics of the it, sure,” hazel clears her throat. “rest online…”
“it’s.. it’s. yeah, it’s cool.” you smile softly. you gaze at her, maybe for a moment too long, your eyes locked together. “hazel… I… um—“
your words are cut off. 
the rest of the girls slide into the car. 
two more slide into the back, isabel and brittany. they pressed the two girls closer together, your thigh pressed gently against hazel’s. it made you blush, sure, but—it felt good. It felt… right.
you and hazel glance at each other, laughing softly. it’s a knowing laugh. you know what you were going to say; and you hoped you'd get the chance to finish it later. It was hazel's car that they were driving in, after all. they'd have to drop isabel and brittany off, drop pj off, let josie drive herself home than—
—it would be just you two.
twenty minutes of driving later and it’s just the two of you. you’ve moved into the drivers and passengers seat, the only sound between you two for a moment is the sound of the heater in hazel’s car rumbling to keep you warm in the cold weather.
“.. I have a feeling you knew what I was gonna say.. don’t you?” you chuckle, your cheeks bright red as you gaze out the windshield in front of you.
“.. I-I could guess,” hazel murmurs, her fingers tapping against the leather steering wheel. “because I kind wanted to say it, too.”
you pause. you had a feeling that it was reciprocated, but god to hear it out loud…
“well, than..” you whisper, “good to know.”
hazel chuckles, “yeah.. that’s pretty good to know.”
you laugh right back, realizing how stupid your words actually sounded.
you grab your purse as the car comes to a stop outside your large house. you open the passengers door, stepping outside the car.
and, unsurprisingly, hazel has followed you.
“so,” your eyes trail up her body, landing on her beautiful blue eyes. “could I say it’s pretty evident that i’d really like to kiss you right now?”
“you.. could say that.” hazel murmured, resting a hand on your cheek. she began to lean down, considering your height difference. her lips where inches from yours. “can I—“
before she gets to finish her question, you gently press your lips against hers. they’re warm; and taste almost like a hint of vanilla lipgloss. 
It was good. It was all so good. It felt like your insides were exploding, from the idea. your stomach squirming, your hands twitching on the back of hazel’s neck—which, you were sure she could feel.
when you pulled back, you took in a little gasp of air.
“a date, than?” you prompt, smiling. “how does tomorrow sound?”
“tomorrow?” her eyes light up at the thought. she didn’t think you’d wanna go on a date with her that soon. “sounds perfect. I—I’ll come and pick you up?”
“amazing,” you nod your head, giving her a smile and a wave over your shoulder as you walk toward your house. 
she watched as you slipped inside, leaning against her car with her arms folded. the idea that such an amazing girl would like… her? the loser masc lesbian is who nobody talked to?
the idea was foreign to her.
yet here you were, kissing her and asking her on a date. 
it was all so… amazing, to her.
she couldn’t wait. not one second.
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signedmio · 4 months
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Hi 👋
I saw your requests were open again! If you're up for it, would you do a fluff oneshot for Husk x reader?
Iike maybe they're hosting a ball and the Hazbin crew has to get all dressed up and the reader dances with Husk.
Kinda got inspo from the ballroom scene from Beauty and the beast.
If not, it's totally cool and I look forward to what you put out next! 😊
the timing is funny considering i’m doing the musical for beauty and the beast rn haha anyway this is so cute, and husk is my boo, so ofc i’ll do this for you!!
this gives off the vibes of one of my hazbin hotel oc’s so bad, so i’m sorry if the reader is a little more, detailed(?) than most of my previous works😭
i had so many inspo pics for each characters fits, so i put links to pics on the side for some of them, hope that it’s not too jarring haha
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“I’m not too good at this…”
Husk x Reader
Warnings: Fem!Reader (i’m so sorry to my male or other identifying readers😭), Swearing, S1 Finale Spoilers, Chaggie (Charlie x Vaggie), Pentious x Cherri (idfk their ship name), platonic Rosie and Alastor
You checked your appearance in the mirror attached to your vanity one last time, you fluffed out your hair, which Charlie had been so generous to curl for you, and fixed up the edges of your lip gloss.
Ever since the hotel had been rebuilt, a lot more traction came along with it, and Charlie and Alastor insisted on hosting an ‘opening ball’ sort of thing for the reopening for the new hotel.
You dusted off your glittery, rose gold dress one last time (which for reference, looked like this), admiring the gems placed in your hair one last time, before hurrying out of your room, and down into the lobby, which was redecorated for this special occasion.
You see Charlie and immediately go to hug her, even though you got ready with her, as well as Vaggie, this is the first time you really got to soak in her appearance. Her hair was up in a French braid, it suited her oddly well, as for the dress? Her dress was very, well, her — it was princess-y, had some lace, but was a bright pink (which looked similar to this)
“Hey girl!” you said excitedly, as you pulled her to you, you could feel her smile softly in the crook of your neck, you pull back and grin at her, your hands rest on the sides of her arms briefly as she grins back at you, “You look awesome!” You said, she really did, she was very naturally pretty, there wasn’t an ounce of makeup on her face other than a few subtle coats of mascara, which you only noticed due to the lack of distance between you both. “Me? Pfff, stop. Look at you!” She says, giving a bashful giggle, more people begin to fill in, and music starts blaring, you both turn over to see Cherri over at the DJ booth — the guy Charlie had paid had gotten a bit too…high before the gig, so Cherri was a last minute decision.
“I should go, there’s a lot of, important people here I need to talk to, we need to catch up though!” Charlie said with a small chuckle, “Sure thing!” You reply before you begin walking around to find your next victim who’s going to listen to you talk their ear off until you get bored.
As you walk, you see a lot of folks that you wouldn’t expect to see, Rosie and Alastor are talking, Mimzy’s banging it out on the dance floor, and even Velvette decided to show up (the other two Vee’s weren’t invited for…clear reasons).
You see that Cherri took a break from DJing, as Alastor used some of his magic from his new and improved cane to have it do it on its own, after Adam snapped the last one in half.
Cherri’s chatting with Angel and Pentious, who which you never thought would come down for this after being redeemed, and excitedly you go up to them.
“Pen, Angel, Cherri!” You shout out as you approach them, “Hello, my friend, I haven’t ssseen you ssssince the battle! Quite the time, hehe!” Pentious said, giving you a side hug, which was a lot more awkward than you both would’ve liked.
“Heya, bitch!” Cherri said, nudging ya softly, as Angel gives you a small nod of acknowledgement.
“So, Pentious, how are things up in Heaven?” You asked curiously, a bit louder than you would’ve like, having to yell over the blaring music.
“Sssssplendid! I get back rubs every day!” He exclaimed. Odd. But that’s Sir Pentious for you.
Cherri and Pentious go off to have their own conversation, not wanting to third wheel, you more so turn your attention to Angel, who is looking quite bad ass. “Loving the look, Ange!”
He smirks, “You’re rocking your fit too, toots.” he says back, giving you a toothy grin. He had a baby pink blazer on, with a matching crop top underneath that pronounced his fluff, with matching pants and black heeled boots (like this.)
“You seen Husk anywhere?” He asked, glancing around the darkly-lit lobby for the grumpy cat. “Actually, now that I think about it, no, I don’t think I have. Why?” You said, beginning to go back into your memory to remember if you saw him last.
“Jus’ cuz, I know how you look at eachother, it’d be like a little romantic moment. Swaying on the dance floor, holding eachother, eh?” Angel said with a soft, playful grin, nudging your arm.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” You say, a soft grin playing on your lips, yes, you do know what he’s talking about, a little too well.
“Sureeee…” He says, a knowing smile on his face, his head turns slightly. “There ‘e is.” He points to the far end of the room.
Husk is there, his shooing Niffty off as Vaggie goes to take her, a bottle in his hands.
“Go get ‘em, tiger!” Angel says, pushing you over.
“Hey.” You smile, Husk looks at you, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Hey, whatcha up to?”
“Not much, just trying to make a point to talk to everyone.” You say, chuckling softly.
His smile remains, before looking away, and then back at you, a…discombobulated look on his face. “Ey, I’m not too great this, ain’t done this shit since I was alive.” He starts, chuckling softly, “But, er…” He holds out his paw to you, a loving, affection smile on his face that tugs at your heartstrings, “Will you, have a dance with me?”
You grin widely, before taking his paw, “Yeah.. I will.”
As you both approach the dance floor, the music begins to slow down, as people take their partners in their arms and hold them close, cherishing a romantic moment.
Husk pulls you in by the waist with one paw, the other hand holding your own, as you both begin to sway.
You look around, too flustered to look at Husk, you smile at the sight of all the lovely pairs.
Cherri’s with Pentious, as he’s tripping over her as she chuckles softly in his embrace, Rosie and Al are sharing a lovely moment as friends, talking amongst themselves, and Vaggie and Charlie are holding eachother close, closing the gap to share an intimate kiss.
Your eyes skim over Husk, it was the first real time you’d seen him in, actual clothes…
He wore black trousers, with a fitted white buttoned shirt, with a red tie and suspenders.
Hesitation was written all over Husks face, you’d never seen him in such a state, he sighed before speaking, “Look, I’ve never been into all this,” he said, gesturing to the scenery before you both. “But quite frankly, my heart beats for you, and I’d really like to work something out for us.” He stated, a soft and… nervous(?) smile tugged at the ends of his lips.
“I’d… really like that.”
Before you both know it, the ball ends, and Husk takes you up to your room, you’re both slightly tipsy, giggling at simply the presence of eachother, Husk stops at your door.
He looks at you before pecking your forehead, smiling proudly to both himself, and you, “Sweet dreams, doll, I’ll see you in the morning.”
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Muddled Waters 1
No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.
Part of the Sweet and Spicy AU
Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.
18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: your boss has a dangerous secret.
Character: Nick Fowler (mob au)
Please comment and reblog if it’s not too much. I always love getting to chat about these stories and hearing all your ideas! You all are wonderful and loved.
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You skewer candied cherries on a long toothpick and balance them over a martini glass. The deep blue drink with a layer of foam is perfectly aligned with the crystal brim. You stand straight as you top off the last of the drinks, a new batch for the waiting customers.
You put the small silver measuring cup aside and nearly cry out as the silhouette hovering in the corner of your vision moves. You touch your chest in surprise as you face Nick with a bashful smile. You didn’t even know he was around that day. Lately, he’s been absent more than not.
“Oh, hi,” you laugh at yourself, “I didn’t hear you...”
“I have a bad habit of that,” he grins, “some have compared me to a cat.”
You tilt your head, “some? You mean, me?”
He shrugs, “was that you?
“Maybe,” you turn and carefully move the stemmed glasses to a tray.
“New flavour?” He nears and stands close. You can smell his cedar cologne.
“Blueberry,” you explain, “bit sweet for my tastes but it fits the season.”
“Ah, sounds interesting,” he reaches and takes one of the glasses and you gasp.
“Nick!” You turn to him and he grins as he sips, the foam clinging to his top lip. He hums as he removes the toothpick from across the rim and nibbles off one of the cherries.
“Tasty,” he commends.
“Why-- Now I’ll to make another.”
“They can wait. It’s more than worth it,” he assures, still standing close as he slurps.
You work in the warmth of his looming proximity. He’s never had much of a personal bubble. Working behind a bar, you’ve grown used to being crowded. You measure and pour and muddle. You garnish and set the drink to replace the one your boss took.
“Right, ready,” you declare.
“Here, let me get those,” he slides the tray across the counter before you can react.
“No, you don’t have to--”
“I want to. Boss man’s gotta do some work around here,” he scoffs and lifts the tray. “You take a load off, sweetheart, I need those hands well-rested. No one else has that magic touch.”
You tisk and shake your head. He can be ridiculous. You won’t complain, he’s the least uptight boss you’ve had. The place isn’t too bad. Upscale with well-tipping patronage. It’s not your typical bar. Most of your work is done behind a wall as the customers drink in private rooms or in the common room where refined jazz wafts through the dim air. The whole place drips of exclusivity.
You clean up and wipe the counter before you wash your hands. Another order appears on the screen. Customers order on a sleek touchscreen, unbothered by servers amid their hushed conversations. You assume they are the types with private jets and luxurious yachts. Of course, they’re too special to drink like normal people.
You start up the next order. Spiced apple cider. A classic though it’s not often ordered. Two to put up. You mix the drinks in mason jars with thick handles. You finish them each with a cinnamon stick.
“Ready to go?” Nick has you squeaking again.
“God,” you throw your hands up and laugh, “how do you keep doing that?”
“Hey, not my fault. You’re in the zone. You know, you get all squinty,” he makes a face, “it’s like the whole world doesn’t exist. Makes me feel a bit small.”
“Mm, well, I guess you’re right. I should pay more attention to my surroundings,” you lift the mugs, “I got these, Nick.”
“It’s no problem, one of my buddies,” he wraps his hands around the jars, “been a while since I’ve seen him.”
“Oh, okay then,” you let him take the cups.
“Take it easy. You do too much.”
You smile tightly and lean on the counter. He goes and you turn around to tidy again. You can be precise. You like a clean station. You’ve worked with too many people who leave the bartop littered in lime peel and broken toothpicks. You can’t make a good drink if you’re working in filth.
But it isn’t just your work. You try not to let the personal seep in but you can’t help who you are. Things should be just so. Books should be lined up and sorted alphabetically and the dishes should be stacked neatly, and the carpet can’t be crooked.
You exhale and run your hands over your apron. Most people might envy your boss for his high company and exorbitant wealth, you just covet his coolness. He’s never bothered by much.
“Sweetheart,” he enters, this time with fair warning. You look up at his pet name. He always calls you that. “What’s that chocolate one you did last time?” He snaps his fingers, “you know, it was kinda creamy--”
“Brandy Alexander,” you answer, “yeah, uh, we’re out of dark creme de cacao. I put it on the inventory.”
“Inventory,” he nods and his blue eyes flick away guiltily, “yeah, I was supposed to do that.”
You cross your arms, “yeah, you were.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, I swear, I thought of it,” he crinkles his nose, “but it must’ve slipped my mind.”
“Mhmm,” you sniff, “well, you have been busy. I didn’t even know you were in town.”
He looks up and his cheek dimples. His gaze falls back on you, “lots of running around. Sorry, sweetheart, if it was up to me, I’d be right here, tasting all your delights.”
You nearly snort but instead just furrow your brow.
“What?” He asks.
“Nothing,” you shrug and turn away, the screen showing another order. “Sometimes... the way you say things...”
He chuckles and leans his elbow on the counter, “I do like to choke on my own foot.”
“You know, I said before, I could make time for inventory. I don’t mind making orders--”
“Don’t bother,” he cuts your offer short, “I know people. I can take care of it. I’ll make a few calls tonight.” He stays as he is, angled against the counter as he watches you. He rests his chin on his knuckles and you glance over as you squeeze a lime dry.
“What?” You ask as you measure out the juice.
“How’d you learn to do all this?” He asks.
“I took a few courses, worked a few dives,” you say, “did a gig on a cruise ship. You know, you figure it out.”
“And you enjoy it?” He says, “I mean, I can tell you do.”
“It keeps my hands moving and my head from racing,” you explain as you mix the drink in a shaker.
“Sounds amazing,” he stands straight, “sooner or later, I need to find something to keep me busy. Something that doesn’t make me crazy.”
You garnish and he swipes up the glass before you can stop him.
“Well, you might just have a calling as a waiter,” you say sarcastically as you wipe your hands on a towel.
“I don’t know about that,” he grins, “I’m not much for taking orders.”
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elisacaleisa · 2 months
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I wrote this in my discord server and then posted on twitter. Time to annoy here as well, HEEHOO!
Jax's Personality Swap AU!
DAMN PIPELINE: Kody > Huxley > Gavin > Damien > Lasko > Kody
NOTE: Since this is a personality swap, these characters are gonna be out of character, but Huxley will still remained as a supporting character, while Kody is still not (only personality change, not roles)! Typing this just to avoid confusion!
Damien > Lasko:
Tired Air Elemental:
- he is tired
- looks older than he actually is, its the wrinkles and white hair
- bro doesnt sleep
- not really mean, he just sounds really monotone and had the same expression
- "you all are idiots, why do i hang out with you"
- "you have 99/100. you can do it next time"
- he has trust issues and has hard time opening up
- he means well when you get to know him
- "i try to push you to your limits, because i believe you can surpass them... i'm sorry, i didnt mean to break your boundaries"
- still a dnd nerd but more of a dungeon master with ton of research for his homebrew campaign
——————
Gavin > Damien:
Daring Fire Elemental:
- more of a risk taker in a rebellious bad boy way? Outside of the academy
- night walks
- "are you lost, precious?"
- smiles all the time in a warm way
- "well, look at you, what a snack. are you cold? i can warm you up."
- very smart but doubts himself
- awkward with physical contact
- tries to be seen as overly attractive and an attention seeker to hide his emotional vulnerability
- he and his mom kinda argue so he left,,, whoops
- "arent you a doll, freelancer. heh... alright, we will hug. maybe even kiss?"
——————
Kody > Huxley:
Distant Earth Elemental:
- is not very friendly in the beginning
- trust issues! My favorite /j
- he can be a meanie :(
- "why do we keep bumping into each other?"
- freelancer does not give up
- "i can take care of myself, i am not that stupid" he sounded hurt...
- he misses his moms,,,
- he wants to fit in, but since people think he is stupid because he is an earth elemental, he decided to do the opposite and be alone by himself
- the only friend he had was Lasko but they fought they last time they saw each other
- "you actually like me, didnt you? what am i doing, why do i wanna hurt you so bad? im supposed to be your friend" - spinel from steven universe the movie
——————
Huxley > Gavin:
Oblivious Incubus:
- he is so lonely
- his only friend was Caelum, who is kinda a spoiled brat but nice only to Gav (slowly to FL)
- FL comes up
- "youre so pretty..."
- shit he said that out loud
- PANIC
- "ISAIDWELCOMEMYNAMEISGAVIN-"
- very friendly
- poor orientation skills. he has to walk with freelancer to get them to the academy
- loves physical touch
- gives fl a keychain for free!
- the keychain says big gulp. FL giggles
- "huh? Whats so funny?" ... "oh... Ohhh haha! Haha, i didnt even realize! Youre so smart"
——————
Lasko > Kody
Bashful Water Elemental:
- he is so innocent!
- he is trying to be helpful
- "a-are you okay?"
- freelancer says its okay
- "i struggle with my powers, i-im so sorry"
- kody is following them.... ok?
- kody, personal space pls
- he is trying to also help freelancer, since he knows the struggle of being useless
- kody is being very pushy...
- "well, in this book, it says that we should bridge if we want to maximize our potential in our elemental. w-what do you say?"
- kody is a creep again GOD DAMMIT!
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raelle-writing · 4 months
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In Defense of Jin
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I've been seeing a lot of talk about Jin's character and what he does and doesn't do and what he does and doesn't deserve, and it's irking me. I don't think people are treating him fairly, so I'm going to talk about each of the things I've seen to bash his character one by one.
This is based on what we know as of episode 7.
"Jin is only nice to Non to manipulate him."
A lot of people seem to think that Jin is only nice to Non as a means to an end. In order to get him to write the script, or to appear to be a good person, etc.
However, I think it's pretty clear through the way that Jin interacts with his friend group and with Non individually that he's being genuinely nice, because he's nice to/about Non when there's nothing in it for him to gain. For example:
When Jin credits Non for the success of their script being approved, even though Non isn't there and will never hear about it. He does this because he knows it's right, even though it alienates him from his larger friend group and makes them poke fun at him, just because he doesn't like the way they discredit Non.
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When Jin invites Non to the film pitching even though the others tried to leave him out. It would've been easy to pretend to Non that he didn't think about it or had forgotten, but instead he again chooses to include Non even though he knows his friends don't want that, and he does it because he knows Non worked hard on the script and deserved the recognition as well.
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When Jin shows up to check on Non after something bad happens, not once but twice. The first time interrupting a su*cide attempt and saving Non's life. Jin doesn't know that, but that's part of the reason why it matters.
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"Jin doesn't stand up for Non when his friends bully him."
This one honestly boggles my mind. People seem to think that Jin never stands up for Non when his friends are shitty when in reality Jin stands up Non again
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and again
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and again
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and again
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and again.
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Maybe Jin doesn't do enough, I've seen people say that. But the reality is that it is really really hard to be the only person in a given group that repeatedly calls something out as wrong when no one else wants to hear it. That's scary and demoralizing and makes you feel ostracized and alone. I've been in that situation myself, and it is so much easier to just give in and stop standing up for what is right instead of putting yourself in that uncomfortable position over and over. Particularly when no one that you're speaking to is receptive of it.
Jin isn't a bystander, he's a pretty active defender. Who is a bystander? Fluke.
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Fluke is the biggest bystander there is, he refuses to stand up to/for anything at any point in time. Fluke knows that Tee and Top were the ones who broke the camera and doesn't approve of it, but still doesn't stay anything or stand up for Non. He doesn't back Jin up in that moment, or several other moments when Jin looks to him for support.
Jin stands and he stands alone. But despite that he never wavers, he always calls them out and defends Non at every opportunity, whenever he's around. The only time he stops is when the people around him don't back him up - including Non himself.
"Jin should leave his friend group because of the bullying."
This mentality makes me think that people haven't ever had to cut off a support system before. These people are Jin's closest friends, the people he spends all of his time with. Jin isn't shown to have anyone else.
At the beginning of episode 5, Jin is shown to be surprised by the way the friend group reacts and interacts with Non, asking why they call him names. Which means that for Jin, this bullying stuff is brand new to him. It's not like he joined the group knowing they were bullies and was okay with it.
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It's been a few weeks since the start, maybe a month. Asking Jin to cut off all of his closest friends to choose Non isn't reasonable. That's not how people work. You don't give up your entire support system that easily, unless they betray you.
Jin is stuck between his closest friends and his new friend/crush. He chooses Non time and time again, and perhaps if things had gone further or gone differently Jin would've finally chosen to walk away. But it hasn't been that long, and Jin is stuck in a tough spot as the only person who stands up for Non. He's a teenager and is trying to have the best of both worlds. Was he being naive that Non and the others could ever coexist? Yes. But he's young and idealistic and I don't think that's a crime.
"Jin tells Non to stay in the friend group selfishly."
I'm not going to argue that Jin wanted Non to stay in the friend group. I'm not even going to argue that it's not somewhat selfish considering Jin has a crush on Non. But I also feel like people forget that Non walking away from the others means walking away from the movie script he wrote.
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Jin calls that out over and over, telling his friends it isn't fair to force Non out, and telling Non it wouldn't be fair to himself to give up on that. And I kind of agree with him. Maybe Non's mental health would've suffered less if he had just left the group and given up on the script, but Jin doesn't know how unstable Non can be. He doesn't know that Non is on medication and is being extorted for money. All Jin sees is a friend being treated unfairly after doing a lot of good work for them. So he pushes Non to stay and not give up on his script.
Does he make the right choice? I don't know. But I honestly don't think there was a right choice when you weight Non walking away from the group and losing his script against the opposite. It's an impossible situation.
"Jin released the video to destroy Non."
I wrote a meta previously that I wasn't sure that the video that got released was Jin's. I'm not going to argue that here. Because it's likely that it was Jin that recorded the video.
However I am very sure that Jin didn't release the video himself. The whole thing was shot too weirdly. If Jin had released the video, they would've just shown it so that we can all start to hate him. They didn't do that. Instead they showed him crying over his laptop before shorting it out.
We're also shown these two shots - the one on the left is Jin's screen, and the right is the person who uploaded the video of Non. Notice a difference?
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Yeah Jin didn't release that video. He was watching the video already posted and crying over it. Someone who uses dark mode (Tee is shown to) released that video.
Jin shouldn't have recorded the video. I'm not going to argue about that. It was stupid and it was petty and Jin was angry and upset.
But does that make him the same level as his friends? Especially considering Jin didn't release the video himself, and was reacting in anger... I don't think so. I don't think that makes him the same level as the people who systematically destroyed and exploited and terrorized Non.
Jin has things to feel guilty about, but not as much as the others.
In conclusion: is Jin a perfect angel? NO.
He's not. No character in this show is an angel. All of them make mistakes and hurt each other, and are toxic. But Jin isn't what people think that he is. Jin isn't a mastermind or a terrible person or the one who tore Non to pieces the most.
Jin is a kid. He's a 17 year old dealing with a lot of shitty friends and emotions and who deserves to have some grace extended to him, especially since (unlike most of the other characters in the show) he's TRYING to do what's right.
And you can see that in present, Jin's actions have changed him.
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Jin goes from a happy, bubbly, smiley, friendly person to someone who never smiles, who is sarcastic and has a strained relationship with his friends. What does that show? Guilt.
Jin's action have shaped him into the person he is now. He carries the weight of what he did, of the part he played in ruining Non's life. None of the other characters show that. They're all the same in the present as they were in the past. They haven't learned, haven't grown.
Jin is the best person in that group of friends. Why did he stay friends with them? Could be he feels like he has to because of his part in recording the video. Maybe he feels stuck. Maybe he feels like he deserves it. It's hard to say, I'm sure we'll find out in future episodes.
But as of right now? I don't think Jin deserves the hate he's getting as a character. Not for one mistake against the dozens of mistakes and toxic actions the other characters commit every episode.
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Hypocrisy in the TMNT Fandom
I may come back to this topic at a later date, but I feel like I need to address the hypocrisy in the TMNT fandom when it comes to how 12 Donnie is treated for his crush on April, compared to other characters such as Bayverse Mikey and Mutant Mayhem Leo, or I might explode. Do I condone everything that 12 Donnie does in the name of his crush on April? No. Do I sometimes find the cringiness of his actions unbearable (keeping in mind that he is my favourite character in 12)? Absolutely. But is there context behind his actions that often gets ignored? Yes. Do the fandom vilify or make fun of behaviour from him that they let slide in other characters? 100% yes.
People love to bash 12 Donnie for his actions, without even considering the reasons behind them (poor choices from the show writers aside). April is the first human his age that Donnie really sees and gets to interact with. He's a deeply insecure character, who feels out of place even amongst his family and, as people have pointed out before me, April represents a wider level of acceptance to Donnie. If a pretty human girl can love him, maybe there is hope for him gaining wider acceptance from humanity. I do think he has genuine feelings for her, but I also believe that part of his obsessiveness is a desire to be more human, or at least be accepted by humans, and he subconsciously views gaining the love of a human to be a part of this. 12 Donnie (like most Donatellos), is keenly aware that he will never get what he wants, or deserves.
He is a genius, and that will never be acknowledged by the world. He will never get everything a human genius would get. He doesn't get go to school, or go shopping for new resources, or make friends who share his interests. He risks his life saving the world over and over again, only to be seen as a villain for the way he looks.
That's part of why he sees 12 Casey as such a threat, Casey is human and doesn't need the same level of acceptance that Donatello does. He already has everything that Donnie wants (he can go to school, make other friends etc), but yet he still wants to be with April. The first human to show Donnie any acceptance. One of the only people to even tentatively seem interested in Donnie's science. If April chooses Casey over Donnie, then that truly does mean that Donnie, as a mutant, and a nerdy outcast mutant to boot, can never find love or acceptance, (again, this would be Donnie's perspective, and it is not April's duty to validate Donnie's self worth by getting in a relationship with him - that being said, the mixed signals she sent definitely didn't help matters).
Also, his stalking is creepy, but this is a kid who grew up with no social interaction besides his brothers, watching shows that provably had dubious ideas of romance. All of his ideas of romance are influenced by media, which isn't exactly a healthy way to gain an understanding of how to express those feelings. And when he knows the exact distance to her apartment, I always thought that he was just insanely good at estimating distances? He's shown to be able to make advanced calculations around distances and things in seconds on the show, so this never really seemed that bad to me, even if the show itself deemed it creepy?
Moreover, for the most part, he does genuinely follow April when he believes she is in danger, or when she is distancing herself from them (again, absolutely not a healthy thought process, but he misses her and wants her safe, and thinks is the best way to handle it). Is it still wrong? Yes. But should Donnie as a character be completely dragged for this for eternity? Not really. Also, can we please move past reducing Donnie's character to nothing more than his failures at flirting?
There is also the fact that April definitely did flirt back with him on numerous occasions. Whether or not this was done consciously, or to manipulate him, or whatever, is a rant for another day, but 12 Donnie definitely does have reasons to believe that April could want a relationship with him. She kisses him, on the mouth, right after he had told her that he was going to stop with his behaviour.
People also genuinely forgive 12 Leo flirting with his sister more than they do Donnie calling April his sweet chinchilla (and yes, Leo and Karai are still flirty even after the reveal that they are siblings, though it is thankfully toned down later on, and though I've seen people jumping through hoops trying to deny it). And Leo's flirting with Karai (even before the reveal), is equally as cringy as Donnie's. He's the poster boy for the 'I can fix them' mentality, even when the person he was trying to fix was actively trying to destroy everyone he cared about. 12 Leo also puts his brothers in danger due to his obsession with Karai, hurting them both physically and mentally, but a lot of people sweep this under the rug and only focus on times that 12 Donnie puts the others in danger due to his crush on April, or see this as a positive thing, showing how Leo never gives up on the people he cares about.
Moving on, 12 Donnie can be possessive of April (again, not great behaviour, and not something I particularly enjoy or condone), but 12 Mikey is the same way about Renet, and no one mentions it? Donnie hugs her (or says he could hug her, I can't quite remember the exact context), and Mikey gets all pissy about it? He's known Renet for barely any length of time, and they have no relationship at this point, but he gets annoyed at Donnie having a friendly interaction with her, as if it hasnt been well established that Donnie is only interested in April? Why is this more acceptable than when Donnie gets annoyed at Casey (a confirmed love rival), shows off about being close to April?
Additionally, why are Bayverse Mikey and Mayhem Leo hardly ever given the same treatment as 12 Donnie? I see countless crossovers where 12 Donnie is given endless shit for his bad flirting, especially as it's towards someone who the other counterparts see as a sister figure, with hardly any of them ignoring how unfair it is to criticise 12 Dee for seeing April differently to the others when their circumstances are different, or bringing up anyone else's behaviour.
Bayverse Mikey is just as bad! In fact, some of the things that he says are far worse than anything 12 Donnie has said, and it just gets brushed over? Even in crossover fics where 12 Dee gets slaughtered for his crush, no one brings up the downright crude things Bay Mikey says?
He constantly calls her a babe (I think 90s Mikey also makes similar comments), and even says 'she's so hot I can feel my shell tightening' which is hella gross tbh. Sure, 'sweet chinchilla' is weird, but it's far less demeaning than babe? And Mikey keeps this attitude up throughout both films? Why is this treated as being more acceptable than 12 Donnie's behaviour? This is even worse as Bay April is clearly an adult compared to the teenage turtles, and is clearly depicted as an older sister figure. At least in 12 there is only a year age gap, and neither April nor her father had anything to do with them when they were babies.
Hell, a few chaarcters (I think 03 Mikey and either 90s Raph or Mikey) make a joke about getting to 'keep her' when they bring an unconscious April back to the lair, and no one bats an eye?? It's played off as a joke, but even so, it's still freaky, and I've never seen anyone mention it before. They don't even get admonished for it!
Also, Mayhem Leo is absolutely just as much of a cringefail flirt as 12 Don, but everyone is acting like he comes across as so much better?! We've only had one movie with him so far, but his behaviour so far isn't all that different to 12 Don's?
They basically act the same way upon their first meeting. The rooftop scene when he first sees her is almost exactly the same as the scene in 12. And the comment about her beautiful, perfect mouth? If 12 Donnie said that he'd be slaughtered, but because it was Mayhem Leo, it's considered cute? When 12 Donnie gets super excited about getting April's number even though they already have it on the fridge it's embarrassing, but when Mayhem Leo tries to get Mayhem Donnie's phone to swipe her number it's endearing? Both ramble and get nervous around her, but people think this is sweet from Mayhem Leo but annoying from 12 Don.
Plus, Mayhem Leo has far more experience with humans than 12 Donnie. He has been going outside of the lair for a while, he has definitely seen other girls before. In 12, Donnie had never left the lair before the night he saw April, she's genuinely the first girl he's ever seen in person.
This point may also be a little unfair as we only have the Mayhem movie at the moment, compared to entire seasons of the 12 TV show, but it's also irritating me a bit how many people are acting like Mayhem Leo has far more of a chance with April than 12 Donnie did, purely because she agreed to go to prom with him, ignoring her line about how it was just as friends, and the many instances in 12 where April reciprocated Donnie's flirtation (again, April kissed him on the lips in the cartoon. It is canon that she did so).
Why are there so many double standards around the turtles having crushes? Either address all of their behaviour, or stop throwing 12 Donnie's flirting in our faces. It's exhausting seeing people openly bashing 12 Donnie, ignoring all of his great characteristics due to his crush, and then turning around and glorifying 12 Leo, Bay Mikey, or Mayhem Leo, or just ignoring their behaviour. It's grating to see almost every chat fic (even ones I thoroughly enjoy!!), have a seemingly obligatory bash 12 Donnie's crush and flirting chapter, yet hardly ever address the way any of the others behave.
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verysium · 5 months
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i assume that you listen to the weeknd sooo may i ask for a quick the weeknd song associations w bllk characters perhaps? if possible. i like the way you think of each character and im curios if we have a common perspective at some point
😭 if you mention abel in any ask to me, there is no way it's going to be quick and easy. this took me like a week to process and even longer to formulate my answer. it's difficult to assign just one song to each character because the discography is just so versatile, so there may be some overlap.
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THE TOWN
this song is basically kaiser if he left someone in his past prior to joining bastard münchen in his rise to fame. i envision a reader who was with him during the early years of his career (maybe as childhood friends), and he abandoned them when his big breakthrough finally came.
"you did many things / that i liked, that i liked" the covert narcissism here was the selling point. now i'm not saying kaiser is a pathological narcissist, but the way he thinks inherently revolves around himself. he only likes people because they have something he likes. you have to possess something he actually wants before he even bats an eyelash at you. and even when you do get into his good graces, it's conditional. in other words, kaiser's buddy-buddy system is entirely based on value. how much value are you going to provide him, and how long is that value going to last? hence why he's so obsessed with isagi because our little blueberry sprout protagonist has both the novelty and adaptability kaiser desires.
"you made me feel so good / before i left on the road" i know this sounds like some shit a frat boy would spew, but here me out. i think the reason why half the fandom absolutely bashes kaiser's character is because his actions come off as emotionally immature. making arrogant claims with nothing to back them up? having no personal boundaries? manhandling other people? projecting his own insecurities in the form of jealousy? that sounds a lot like some of the male specimens i've seen in today's society, particularly those who make podcasts for a living. kaiser is not a hot bad boy. he's just pure jerk in some cases, and a tragic backstory is not going to justify those actions. but to apply that to a romantic relationship? some of y'all are not ready to hear this, but kaiser is not going to make a good boyfriend. he would most definitely use you.
"you deserve your name / on a crown, on a throne" if there's one thing you should know about kaiser, it's that he will find a way to pay homage to his past, even if it wasn't a good time for him. so despite the way he absolutely ghosted you years ago, he will find a way to enshrine your existence within his. i have a running theory that kaiser's tattoos are actually for the girl he left back at home. he'd probably get your name inked on his knuckles or something.
"but i remember on the bathroom floor / 'fore i went on tour / like you said we couldn't do it again / cause you had a thing with some other man" i've read a lot of fics where kaiser has a possessive meltdown whenever reader finds someone else after their break-up, or even just the reddit theories that kaiser will flip out when ness finally leaves him. i'm going to add my own take on this. yes, kaiser will freak out but only after a long stage of denial. at first, he's going to be unfazed because there's no way you'd actually leave him. and even if you did find another man, you would inevitably come crawling back to him. in his mind, the fact that you two should be together is about as debatable as defying the laws as physics. which is to say, there is no debate.
"now that i heard you're single /...i'll give you something to live for" mr. steal your girl is back. kaiser may be rash and impulsive in his everyday life, but his patience is limitless when it comes to biding his time against his enemies. you're finally big enough to eat, yoichi...does that ring any bells? he will literally wait just so he can see your new relationship crash and burn. and when it finally does, he will swoop in during your time of emotional need and make you co-dependent on him. this man has the self-seeking opportunism of a whole vulture committee.
"and it feels so priceless to me / that you're always free" ok but this double entendre??? like priceless as in you're valuable to the point you're free from anyone's definition of value. but also priceless in the way you're worth nothing, and people can have you for free. this is literally kaiser in any relationship where the other party overcompensates for him. i'm going to use ness as an example. i think kaiser knows how much ness is willing to do for him, and he appreciates it (he better lol) since ness is one of the only people he can actually get along with. but at the same time, the fact that ness would literally do anything for kaiser is also the reason why kaiser takes him for granted. given the large supply of admiration and support, it's only logical that the demand for it should wane. the key to keeping kaiser's attention is scarcity. you can't be too distant from him, but you can't be too close either. if you're right in the optimal middle, then you're scarce, and all scarce things are rare and, subsequently, valuable.
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PRAY FOR ME
this song could work for so many characters, but i'm going to go with noel noa because i haven't talked about him much. he fits into this model for "the strongest" character (akin to gojo in jjk or "the little giant" in haikyuu!!) this mentor/role model archetype is incredibly significant in the protagonist's journey to the top. noa is isagi's primary motivation and presumably his greatest obstacle if he were ever to become the #1 player in the world. the tragic aspect to this archetype is that we often aren't given the full picture for these characters. their internal consciousness is eclipsed in some way because the story is written from the perspective of the protagonist. noa grew up in the slums of france, but the manga doesn't actually focus on any of the struggles he had to face. all of that is implied and sometimes even expected. his strength (or at least the image of his strength) becomes everything, and he can't afford to lose any of it. i think that's the saddest part about any character considered the strongest. they push themselves to the top but simultaneously back themselves into a corner.
"if i'm gon' die for you / if i'm gon' kill for you / then i'll spill this blood for you" i know noa's peers like to shit on him for being so serious all the time, but when you're raised in the kind of environment where everything has been against you from day one, the survival mentality is literally ingrained in you. a lot of his advice to isagi is centered around this idea of eliminating any wishful thinking. he can't count on anything that isn't certain. so if he's going to have to make a sacrifice, it has to be worth it. i think that's also why noa doesn't relate to any of the other world class players. he isn't driven by greed or fame or popularity. the egoist mindset doesn't arise from his own personal ambitions. it's simply how he's learned to live life from a young age.
"my heart don't skip a beat, even when hard times bumps the needle" noa is solid. like rock solid, 10 on a mohs hardness scale. but more than solid, he's incredibly sharp in his focus. he specifically tells isagi not to try and play god because he's seen so many other players try to do that and fail. they get caught up in what their goal could mean: victory, prestige, grandeur, control over others. but to noa, a goal is simply a goal. he doesn't care if this is a win or a loss for his team. he doesn't care if this will put him at rivalry with others. all he needs to do is figure out the most efficient way to get a black-and-white ball through the net. and he's so goddamn good at this. he's mastered it to the point he can focus on what he desires right now in this moment and block out everything else as unnecessary noise. hence, he doesn't get overwhelmed by external pressures. everything about him, even his ego, is intrinsic. and that's what makes him the best.
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i'm running out of room, so i'm just gonna list the next few below:
starboy: i've seen this song being assigned to either rin or kaiser, but now that i re-evaluate it, i think the self-deprecative and bitter tone fits sae best.
call out my name: reo listened to this the day nagi left him. i was there, so this is a reliable primary source. it is his breakup song.
heartless: i would assign this one to sae. the melody, the vibe, not so much the lyrics. the overall impression just fits him. i don't know how to explain it.
the hills: this song suits barou, and you cannot tell me otherwise. i'm gonna blast this every time he makes an entrance in the manga.
lost in the fire: this is oliver's pre-game anthem. he's not actually as cool as the song implies, but he likes to think he is.
don't break my heart: this is rin when he's acting butt-hurt. his first big heartbreak was from a 180-cm redhead who drinks salted kombucha every morning and has ugly shorn-off bangs.
die for you: honestly this song was made for the children of divorce who grew up with a messed up conception of love and avoidant attachment style, so obviously i'm going to assign this one to hiori.
too late: kaiser plays this from his stereo while he sips on a martini and contemplates self-destruction. he recognizes that he was in the wrong, but is he actually going to apologize? hell no.
moth to a flame: this is isagi being the homewrecker he is. he's not innocent enough to be completely pardoned. i would classify him as either chaotic good or lawful neutral.
gasoline: niko would suit this song cus he can be somewhat nihilistic if he wants to be. also because i headcanon him as someone with a disorderly sleep schedule.
the morning: uh....honestly idk. this one stumped me. it's giving that one barou backshot where he was training shirtless. but it also reminds me of that one kaiser panel with his 300,000,000 salary.
sidewalks: kunigami plays this song while working out. he is the og grinder. started from the bottom and clawed his way up to the top.
how do i make you love me? ness plays this while doodling in his "operation make kaiser fall in love with me" notebook.
less than zero: this is kira after isagi ousted him from popularity. not much else to say.
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rallamajoop · 3 months
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Did Ethan play the piano?
There are a bunch of little hints scattered through these games about Ethan's character. He seems to have a love for the retro ‒ at least, his drawer is full of jazz CDs and he drives a 1971 Dodge Challenger. As Rose notes, he's clearly a wine drinker. And he may have played he piano.
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I don't want to overstate the hints RE7&8 give us on that last part. Resident Evil is, after all, a universe where apparently being able to bang out a full sonata at a moment's notice is just a basic life skill for anyone who might want to infiltrate a suspicious facility (though just jamming a few bars of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star may also do in a pinch).
There's a piano in the Winters' home, but then, maybe Mia's the one who plays, or maybe the BSAA set them up in an already-furnished house ‒ who knows? You can't actually interact with it as Ethan, nor does Rose comment on it. But Rose does wonder out loud if her Dad played any instruments (after he jokes about whether baby Rose banging her spoon to the Miss D. record suggests she's going to grow up to be a musician) ‒ and that at least primes you to notice that piano, if you hadn't already.
There are also two different pianos you can interact with in the Baker property ‒ one in the guest room, which will slam shut if Ethan reaches for the keys, and a second in Lucas' room that merely prompts the message 'it's broken'.
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It's not until Dimitrescu's castle that Ethan himself finally gets to make like all those other Resi heros, and bash out a quick solo to open a mini door in the piano, in which you'll find a key that will open another door... look, you've heard this one before.
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There's an argument to be had whether any of the puzzle solutions in a video game like RE should be taken as truly diegetic. But if nothing else, this does at least suggest Ethan can read sheet music. Here's the asset for the sheet, by the way (and again with the bit you actually play highlighted). You can hear someone play the full song ("Sogno" ‒ which means 'Dream' in Italian ‒ by Francesco Paolo Tosti) here.
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There's even a version with lyrics, though I doubt they necessarily meant much to whoever picked this piece for the game: more likely it was chosen for being a song with a very simple treble clef (so the player doesn't have to do too much work to solve the 'puzzle') but a much more complicated bass (so it still sounds sophisticated when played). Regardless, you can hear it sung here.
There's also one other little clue that might suggest that someone in the Winters' household has some real musical leanings: one of the CDs you can find in that drawer is titled 'Jazz Standard Theory'. Which sounds a lot more like an instructional CD than easy listening (though they're certainly not winning any prizes for those other titles).
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Actually, while we're talking Ethan's CD collection, here's the asset for that Miss D & the Pallboys CD too! Surprisingly, it has a back as well, suggesting that at some point you might have been able to pick it up and examine it. The text is all pretty illegible, however.
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(I've talked before about the theory that 'Miss D' is actually Lady Dimitrescu, but if you want the short version ‒ given that she's not from the village and is 'descended from a fallen noble', this one's surprisingly plausible!)
Hilariously, a love for jazz might just be one thing Ethan has in common with the Bakers, given you can find some records lying around the rec room upstairs.
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Mind you, even RE2R managed to work a jazz festival flyer into this one puzzle solution...
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Does someone in the team at Capcom have a thing for Jazz? Evidence is starting to stack up...
But getting back to our original topic, does Ethan play the piano? You can make a case either way, as the game never tells us explicitly. But there's enough here to point that way that I'd like to think he does, anyhow.
Which only makes the implications of this so much more tragic.
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azure-arsonist · 3 months
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Speaking my truth again.(bc of a tiktok i saw) I don't think men should be allowed to have opinions on zutara and especially opinions on how women engage with katara as a character.
It's dumb enough to act like Draco or Kyle Ron are on the same level of depth as Zuko or that their arcs acomplish the same thing as Zukos, but to say that zutara fans call katara "a human incubator" and to say that we degrade her or bash her feminine traits is honestly completely idiotic. I've been into zutara for years well before the atla renaissance, and maybe I'm just good at curating my dash but I have never seen any of those takes from zutara fans.
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lavenderfluorite14 · 4 months
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A Taste of Plums | Astarion x Female!Tav
Chapter 2: Gift
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Summary: Tav gave Astarion a gift. Astarion tries to pay her back.
Chapter Rating: 18+, ❤️‍🔥 Blood drinking, Grinding, Frottage, Making Out, Hurt/Comfort, Angstarion, Astarion Character Study and everything that entails, PTSD, Descriptive Explorations of Emotional and Sexual Trauma Full tag list on AO3. Read on AO3. Chapter 1.
The morning dawned pink and rosy, the sun a bloody jewel in the sky. Tav would be waking up soon and Astarion was putting the finishing touches on his apology. He would be concerned, tender. He would be apologetic but not obsequious, and this would never happen again. Unless Tav wanted it to.
Would she want it to? She had certainly been willing, in the beginning at least. But how would she feel the morning after? Astarion wasn’t used to mornings after. And he had been…rougher with her than he had intended. Shame flooded through him when he remembered how he had lost himself in her like a wild beast. But she had felt so good. Astarion didn’t know if he had ever felt this good before.
He felt happy. That was the word, happy. He must have felt happy once, a lifetime ago. But dwelling on ghosts he could no longer remember and who hadn’t bothered to remember him never led anywhere.
He fully understood now why Cazador had deprived them of good blood. Seven full, strong vampire spawn could find a way to overpower a cruel master. But seven malnourished, pathetic slaves were too busy trying to survive the day to plot a coup. Astarion despised how Cazador could cloak his sadism in calculated logic. He could bash Cazador’s skull in.
Tav stumbled out of her tent, clearly still delirious. She had donned her leather jerkin as usual, but she had also conspicuously wound a strip of cloth around her throat and tucked it into her collar, wrapping her neck snugly in the fabric. Blearily, she scanned the camp until she saw him lounging by his tent. Astarion steeled himself.
“Good morning. How do you feel?” He said lowly, so the others wouldn’t hear.
“A bit woozy, but I’ll be ok,” she said sheepishly.
“It’ll pass,” he hoped.
“How do you feel?” Tav asked.
“I feel wonderful,” he preened. “And now you get to reap the benefits of a fully fed vampire.”
“This is true,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you fight today.”
“I’ll have to put on a show for you. Now that I can fight with all my weapons.” He shot her a fanged grin. Tav laughed, a sound he realized that he was beginning to like.
“Good thing I have a front row seat, then,” she said. Tav began shifting uneasily from foot to foot. “Astarion. I know you’ve been hesitant to talk about yourself so far but we really should discuss this, ah, turn of events.” Astarion nodded stiffly. “I suppose I owe you an explanation or two."
He described the difference between a vampire and a vampire spawn and how you can become one. Tav stiffened at the implication: had he been a true vampire, last night could have gone a lot differently.
“But I thought that sunlight killed vampires?” She asked.
“Oh, it does. I should be cinders in this light. I shouldn’t be able to do a lot of things, honestly.” He went through the list: standing in the sun, entering homes uninvited, crossing running water. “As for any other quirks, well,” he chuckled, “we can figure those out in time.” He was looking forward to it. Maybe the tadpole had bestowed other latent powers.
“Well, if I can help, just ask. We are in this together.” Tav gave him a bright, warm, reassuring smile.
“Oh, you are such a sweetheart,” he deflected. Of course she would say something like that.
“Tav, what’s that around your neck?” Shadowheart called towards them. Tav’s hand flitted towards her neck instinctively, her eyes darting to Astarion. He didn’t move. He wanted to see what she would do.
“I’m just a little cold today so I found a scarf,” she said. She was covering for him. She was really covering for him. Astarion’s stomach dropped. Usually Tav was better at this.
“Tchk. We heard your carousing last night,” Lae’Zel spoke.
“Is that blood?” Wyll pointed towards the scarf, where a small patch of crimson was blooming across the fabric. Astarion licked his fangs.  
“Darlings, I’m afraid I have something rather small I’ve neglected to tell you.”
“Astarion,” Tav turned towards him but he anchored his hand on the small of her back reassuringly. If he now had Tav's support then this was his best opportunity to tell them.
“It’s all right, my dear. They were going to find out eventually.” He squashed the doubt inside him into a hard little ball and cleared his throat. “I am a vampire,” Astarion announced. There was a brief moment where no one spoke.
“So be it. But if I wake with so much as a drop of blood at my throat, I will end you,” Lae’Zel growled. Duly noted.
“I trust him,” Tav interjected. “He won’t hurt us. He has had ample opportunity to do so and has instead become a strong ally.” The group paused again, sharing a glance among themselves. Gale broke the silence.
“Well, I’m disappointed that you didn’t tell me sooner. I’m a pretty open-minded man, actually. But just a word of warning, Astarion: I taste absolutely awful.” What a shame.
“Vamps don’t scare me. No sense judging someone for who they are.” Karlach piped up. “’Cept devils, obviously.” He knew he liked Karlach.
“So long as there are no innocents, I am fine.” Wyll said. “And so long as you keep your fangs to yourself.” Wyll would probably be too sweet, anyway.
“A vampire?” Shadowheart rolled her eyes. “I suppose I can live with that. We’re already monsters in the making, what’s one more. Now come here, Tav. We can’t have you leaving camp looking like that.” Shadowheart led Tav away, her healing magic already surrounding them in a soft blue glow.
But once Tav was out of earshot, the others closed ranks. “I meant it when I said no innocents, Astarion. And if you hurt Tav, you will have to answer to all of us.” Wyll said.
“Is the Blade of Frontiers already rushing to the damsel’s rescue?” Astarion scoffed. “I didn’t do anything to Tav that she didn’t sweetly ask for.”
“I don’t care what happens in your tent. But if you can’t control your bloodlust then I will control it for you,” Lae’Zel rasped, her words a heavy threat.
“Now that I no longer need to hide and we all have an understanding, we will have a perfect accord.” Astarion sniffed. “I am here in the spirit of teamwork and understanding-”
“You say all the right things Astarion, but I don’t think you mean the right things.” Gale accused. Astarion glared back, uncowed. “But either way, Tav trusts you and I will respect that decision. Just promise us there’s no more secrets.”
“I have already told you everything you need to know about me,” Astarion smiled thinly. Gale sighed disapprovingly. “Very well. I suppose I can live with that.” The group dispersed uneasily, leaving Astarion alone to finish donning his armor. Astarion released a shuddering sigh, relief flooding through him. That had gone much better than he had expected. But although they weren’t going to kill him, he had been right: his companions would never actually accept a vampire. And rightfully so, he thought bitterly.
~
Shadowheart had been able to close her wounds and heal her neck, but she hadn’t been able to cure Tav’s dizziness. Apparently she knew the perfect spell, but wasn’t strong enough to cast it yet. Of course.
Tav had been keeping up so far, but she wasn’t acting quite like herself. Before she had been quick with a joke and a laugh, but today she was lagging behind. She lacked her usual air of conviction when she spoke. Yet although his eye lingered on her worryingly, Astarion couldn’t bring himself to regret last night’s unexpected tryst.
She had been incredible. Delectable, even. He had known conceptually that such pleasure was possible, he’d imagined it often, but he had never physically experienced anything like that before. And now its source slept 20 feet away, snug in its own bedroll. Would she let him taste her again? Tav had been understanding and supportive of him so far, but one could never be sure.
The thought of never having Tav again made him feel cold. He could content himself with less, he had done so for centuries. He’d keep himself warm with the memory of her. And her support had theoretically opened up a veritable buffet of other dining options for him. Surely someone else would be just as delicious. He didn’t need Tav.
His eye lingered on her as they moved deeper into the Emerald Grove. Tav really was beautiful, in her own way. Cazador had demanded that they bring him only the beautiful and the strong to dine on. It was said that beauty and strength made the blood richer to the taste. Astarion could recall several times when Cazador had rejected his victims for whatever fickle reason he could concoct. He had still drained them of course, but Astarion had been punished hideously each time.
“Are your standards truly so low? You think this is beautiful, you think this is worthy of me ?”
He wouldn’t reject Tav, Astarion thought. Cazador would have been delighted if Astarion had brought her home. His gut squirmed.
The druids were awful, tedious creatures. These petty squabbles had nothing to do with him and Astarion didn’t see the point in sticking his neck out for Tieflings who would be dead in a week anyway. Especially now that he could choose whether he stuck his neck out or not. But Tav cared. So they were off to find this Halsin character. Astarion rolled his eyes.
Tav needed to rest earlier than usual today. While they were resting, Astarion wandered down to the small, sandy coastline bordering the grove and plopped down onto a rock, slouching gracefully. He just needed a quiet moment to himself. But something clinked when he sat down. Astarion craned his neck to investigate and caught a flash of gold hidden beneath the rock. Carefully, he slipped his hand underneath the rock, fishing for the trinket. He extracted it delicately, holding it up to the light. It was an amulet, carved in the Oakfather’s likeness. As Astarion turned it over, he realized that it had been imbued with a spell, Lesser Restoration, which would cure the wearer from disease, poison, paralysis, or blindness. Astarion swiftly pocketed the treasure, hoping that no one had seen him. Finders keepers.
~
He returned to find his companions laughing. Wyll was in the middle of regaling them with some heroic exploit of his while Tav spasmed with laughter, her body curling in on itself. Karlach, who Astarion noticed was wearing new leather armor, egged him on. No doubt the armor had been bought by Tav with the gold they had all scavenged, which seemed unfair. Why should Karlach get fine new leathers while he was dressed in rags? He had mended his doublet countless times over the years, but it was still falling apart at the seams. They probably couldn’t tell, he thought bitterly. Astarion had taken enormous pains to hide his threadbare appearance and would be mortified if anyone saw through his embroidered facade, but it still stung that no one did. “Get over here, Fangs!” Karlach called. “You’ve GOT to hear this. Wyll, tell it again.”
“So there I was, surrounded on all sides-“ It was surprisingly a pretty funny story. Wyll had lived a full, interesting life in such a short amount of time. His ragged scars only accentuated his dashing charm and handsome face. Somehow Wyll could make a stone eye twinkle with warmth and sincerity. Despite his own alleged beauty, Astarion knew he could never compete with that. And Tav looked at him with such open fondness and admiration. He ran his thumb over the amulet in his pocket, soothed by the sharp edges.
When Wyll finished his tale, obviously victorious, Astarion said “Yes, well. I’m glad our Blade could sharpen himself on such a useful whetstone.” His words were nice enough, but his tone was sour and ambiguous. Wyll gave him a slight nod, as if he didn’t know what to make of Astarion’s almost compliment.
“Alright everyone, let’s keep moving. We can keep swapping stories while we walk.” Wonderful. He could regale them with all the inventive ways Cazador had enjoyed hurting him over the years.
~
Tav retired early that night. They had defeated the false paladins, but only just. Astarion had been at the top of his game: his movements were more graceful, his thrusts stronger and more precise. But Tav had fought badly. She had crumpled underneath the swing of a Divine Smite, which had hit her straight in the chest. Astarion had yanked her back up to her feet as fast as he could, but Tav never fully recovered after that. It was Wyll who dealt the killing blow, sending those charlatans back to the hells.
Tav limped all the way back to camp. Karlach had offered her arm, which Tav had taken, but once they arrived at camp Tav quickly disappeared into her tent. Tav had given him so much today, too much. He could never truly repay her, but maybe he could give her a present of his own. One that would keep her in peak condition should they dally again. He could feed on beasts for a time, but if he had the option there was no contest about what he’d choose. She’d been willing last night. Perhaps with the right persuasion, and the right protective amulet, she would be again. Astarion pulled the Amulet of Silvanus out of his pack and slipped it back into his pocket.
He strode as casually as he could to Tav’s tent and gave the canvas a few soft taps by way of greeting. “Come in,” came Tav’s groggy, exhausted voice. Astarion slipped silently inside.
“Darling, today was positively marvelous,” he began. Tav was curled up in her bedroll, already falling asleep. Tav rolled over to face him and Astarion laid down beside her, close enough to tease but not close enough to touch. “I’m glad it was good for one of us,” Tav said, rubbing the premature sleep from her eyes. “Are you feeling better?”
“This is the best I have felt in a long time.” Astarion regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. They were too true. “You gave me a wonderful gift today. I think it’s only fair that I give you a gift of your own.” He produced the amulet with a quick flick of his wrist. “It’s imbued with a spell that will make you feel so much better,” he purred. “May I?” Tav nodded. “Then sit up for me, my Sweet,” Astarion ordered softly.
As Tav sat up, Astarion gently maneuvered them so that he was sitting behind her, pulling her against his lap. He brushed aside her hair carefully, baring her neck to him. Despite Shadowheart’s healing, he could still see the faint imprint his fangs had left on her skin. He suppressed a possessive shudder. He settled the amulet gently against her throat, trailing his fingers along her collar bones, then her shoulders, then her neck, where he clasped the chain into place. Tav touched the amulet tentatively, using it as a conduit for the Weave. A soft blue light surrounded them and Tav felt her body surge with energy again.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You are more than welcome,” he whispered against the nape of her neck.
“About you biting me,” Tav began.
“I hope this is a satisfactory apology,” Astarion countered. “What more could you possibly want.” His hands drifted down to her waist. “Unless?”
“You can bite me again, if you want,” she said, arching her neck. “If we talk about it first.” Astarion buried his face in her hair.
“I suppose that is a deeply reasonable compromise,” he murmured. “But I promise, no more bites in the night.  I will wait very patiently until you invite me to dine with you.” He allowed his hand to slide across her abdomen.
“Will you dine with me tonight?” She asked.
Astarion audibly sighed. “I don’t know, darling. You just got your strength back. You should really rest.”
“I feel so much better, really,” Tav said. She gently clasped his hand in hers, slowly entwining their fingers. “Please, Astarion.” His fangs ached.
“Oh alright,” he said, sliding her backwards so that she sat fully in his lap. Astarion pressed his mouth against her ear. “But only because you beg so prettily,” he said lowly. Tav whimpered softly, but remained still. Then he bit her, hard and deep.
Tav was even more delicious the second time. She was rich and full-bodied, like the wine he must have loved in life. Now that he was merely ravenous and no longer on the brink of starvation, Astarion took smooth, consistent pulls from her, running his tongue over her throat after each bite. Tav melted against him, clutching his hand tightly. He wanted this to feel good for her. He wanted to be able to do this again.
“Astarion,” Tav moaned. He sucked harder against her neck, trying to bruise. She gasped and writhed against him, seeking out friction. Astarion finally allowed himself an experimental thrust, dragging his hard length along her backside. Tav gasped, delighted. They found a crude rhythm, instinctively grinding themselves against each other. Soon the tent was filled with the heady musk of arousal, the metallic tang of blood, Tav’s breathy gasps, and Astarion’s low, guttural groans of pleasure.
All too soon Tav’s heart began to stutter. It was a small murmur that interrupted her previously steady heartbeat. The dark animal inside of him told him to ignore it, to keep drinking until he was completely full. Astarion pulled away, swiping his tongue one last time over her, licking up any stray droplets he had missed. Once he was finished, Tav turned in his lap to face him, winding her arms around his neck.
For a moment they were both still. Tav’s eyes shone with lust and adoration, her breath coming in soft pants. Astarion’s neglected cock pulsed beneath her and he fought the urge to thrust up against her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this warm, this desperate to be touched. He stared at her, trying to memorize every detail of her wanton expression. Tav pressed her lips against his hungrily and he opened his mouth to her with a soft moan. Tav’s tongue gently lapped at his own, sensuously licking up the remnants of her lifeblood. Astarion reluctantly broke the intoxicating kiss.
“I think it’s time you went to sleep, my dear,” Astarion said. Tav drew back, stung.
“Oh, um, alright.” She quickly slid off his lap and Astarion stood up, too quickly to be nonchalant. “Was that too-“
“Don’t worry, darling. You were perfect,” he said, brushing off non-existent dirt. “But you almost died today. And I need you in tip-top shape tomorrow.” Tav flushed with embarrassment, but nodded. “You are right,” she slowly agreed.
“I always am,” Astarion said. He moved to go, but turned back once he reached the exit to her tent. “Sweet dreams, pet. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He left before she could respond.
~
Of course there would be a condition. Tav wouldn’t let him drink her blood for free. It was him. He was the price. She would let him drink from her, perhaps nightly, so long as he slid into her bed each time. On some level this felt inevitable. He had always known that he would end up here, tangled in the most powerful party member’s sheets. The tadpole had changed many things but it hadn’t changed what he fundamentally was.
She wanted him. He wanted her. This was a good thing, he’d been actively aiming for this. So what was the harm? His old master had forced him to spread his legs for rotten scraps. His new one would have him on his back in exchange for a feast. This was a good thing!
But Astarion didn’t want a master. He wanted to be free. He wanted….he didn’t know what he wanted. If this was the price then he didn’t think he could pay it after all. Don’t be an idiot, his inner voice mocked. This is the way the world works. Blood for blood. Do you want to go back to Cazador? Then suck it up. This is our one in a million chance to be free and I will not see you fuck it up because, what? The pretty girl wants to kiss you and it makes you feel weird? Would you rather be tortured to within an inch of your pathetic life?
And yet another voice inside of him insisted that this was not fair. Tav had been kind to him. He had fallen on her in the middle of the night and she had fed him. She had defended him publicly to the rest of their company. She had stopped when he had wanted to stop.
Because she wants to fuck you, you imbecile.
He’d talk to her tomorrow and clearly iron out the details of this little arrangement. It was better, actually, if he left her wanting more for a while. He didn’t want her growing bored with him. So long as she didn’t eject him from the group, he could live with anything Tav threw at him. He had survived Cazador. He would survive Tav.
Author's Note:
Astarion is going to have a lot of complicated and contradictory feelings about Tav until more trust is built. This will take time, but I promise we will get there.
Chapter 3: Kiss
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fave-fight · 10 months
Text
ROUND 2, MATCH 11
NO MAGIC, POWERS, WEAPONS, OR ADDITIONAL HELP FROM OTHERS
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The Knight:
“They are a tiny little bug creature but they have also beaten up several gods and creatures many times their size and would probably do it again with their bare hands if no nail was available. They also kind of become a god in one of the endings maybe. Also I'm not 100% sure they can actually die? They just kind of revive and then beat up their ghost. They are also very very good at dodging. And schmoovement in general. I think they could do it. I think they could win. They don't know when to quit. I'm not sure they know how to quit. If nothing else they have an edge in the mental game because they have all the facial expressiveness of a chunk of marble. Unsettling little skrunkly. I think they deserve to have some fun. A lower-stakes fight for a change. I think the Knight could do it, and I think "it" applies to anything they set their mind to. They are the unstoppable force. They are the immovable wall. They are blasting you in the face with SOUL-powered void magic. They could do it. The Knight could win.”
“this little guy has killed a god”
Sakurai Haruka:
“Has canonically killed at least one person with his bare hands. He has pathetic cringe fail poor little meow meow energy”
“that boy is placed fourth in the canon strength chart, RIGHT BELOW the person who bashed someones head in with a baseball bat and managed to fend off the person in second place during a fight. he has enough strength to beat people with a giant rock. he has the power of autism”
“i think haruka should WIN because if he loses that would be really sad i dont want to see him beat up. but also hes canonically the fourth strongest character and he beat a dog to death with a really big and heavy rock and he strangled a girl only a year or two younger than him and he is a serial animal killer. all at the age of 17! i think he is very strong. yes”
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