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#but also to ask other peoples expert opinion:
acegoldenguard · 2 years
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theres a part of me that really wants to try watching transformers animated because ive heard good things about it and some of the character designs look cool, but im very much hindered by the fact that optimus kinda looks like he’d call me a slur
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*head in hands* i straight up do not know how kindergarten teachers accomplish anything
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pussywiki · 1 year
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What do you mean with system? About your last post.
Like a system of alters? Obviously I’m not going to diagnose Aoba dmmd but like……there’s literally multiple people in the body I feel like I’m not too far off with this one
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luveline · 1 month
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Hey my lovely, could i equest a blurb where reader seeks one of spencer's hugs and he's all soft and mushy about it!! I just think he'd give really warm hugs and want one so bad!
shy!reader + post!prison Spencer have a hug
Spencer understands why you might find him intimidating. He did go to prison for a few weeks, and even if the idea of his being a potential felon didn’t scare you, there’s nothing wrong with being nervous around the unknown. You’ve had a few more weeks to get to know the others on the team. He tries not to take it personally that you’re closer with some of them than you are him. 
Plus, you’re awfully shy. 
Spencer’s been trying to communicate that he’s an idiot. He was shy, once, and he tends to be shy about things now, too, even if he’s taken to hiding that. He hides a lot, these days. 
But things aren’t hopeless with you. You’re inarguably his best work friend now that Morgan’s not around, taking the desk next to his —through coincidence or insistence, he has no idea. 
“What flavour do you have today?” he asks. 
You show him your bag. The convenience store outside of work has the strangest sweets from all sorts of places. You’ve been bringing in a different bag each day, and you always share. “Today is apricot and peach ‘millions’,” you tell him, shaking the bright pink bag like a rattle. 
Inside, the millions bounce against each other like miniscule polystyrene balls but with a heavier weight. 
“Awesome!” he says, holding out his hand. “Please?” 
You rip the corner and tip a generous helping of candies into his palm, doing the same in your own hand. “Ready?” you ask. 
“Three, two, one.” 
You both tip your heads back at the same time. Apricot and peach are similar flavours, and Spencer can’t tell the difference when they’re both in play. He can also taste apple juice and the sharp citric acid flavour they put in every candy. 
He can’t tell if you like them. He quite enjoys it, will happily eat the leftovers if you’re not interested, but your attention isn’t on the candy when he looks up. You’re staring straight at him. 
“What?” he asks, perturbed. 
“Nothing, just. Had a rough morning. Thanks for trying the candy with me.” 
He frowns. “I’m sorry. Let me know if there’s something I can do to make you feel better. I can make you a cup of hot chocolate?” 
“Don’t worry about it.” 
Spencer’s sure that to an outsider, he and the team appear to travel to a hundred cities a month. In reality, cases aren’t as densely packed, especially with the government expanding their profiling teams, and the majority of Spencer’s day is spent answering emails and giving advice to agents, law enforcement, and his colleagues. He doesn’t see much of you (where you’re forced to work ViCAP calibration as newbies usually are, almost like a hazing) but he does take you that hot chocolate around lunch time. Just to make sure you have the option. 
It’s sometime past four PM when you appear again. 
“Hey,” he says, turning to you where you’re paused behind your desk chair, “you're finally done?” 
“Not yet. So many case files to transcribe, opinions to cross check, signatures and…” You wince. “It’s a lot. You already know.” 
“I don’t, actually. I only ever had to do ViCAP as punishment, and I was extremely well-behaved. For a while, anyway.” 
You hesitate with something heavy on the tip of your tongue. You’re like every profiler wherein your tells are self-identified and quelled, but you’re still so new, and Spencer’s an expert. You want to ask him for something, but you don’t think you’re allowed. If he presses the issue you’ll shut down, and if he offers you another cup of hot chocolate you’ll simply drink it without letting him in on the real secret. 
Spencer waits. 
“Spencer, you don’t have to say yes, just… You’re the nicest friend I have, and you always know what I need to hear. Um, I know you don’t like touching people and I wouldn’t ask you to if you don’t want to, but it’s been a really long time since someone hugged me, and…” Your voice gets quieter and quieter, until you’re whispering, and then fizzling out. 
“You want a hug?” he asks, surprised. 
“If that’s okay.” 
“I give really good hugs,” he warns, climbing from his chair immediately, arms opened, an unmissable invitation. “You’ll never get over it.” 
“Really?” 
He can’t believe you came to him specifically for a hug. He’s gonna lose his mind. Gentle, Spencer ushers you into his arms, head quick to duck down, his thumb on your shoulder. 
You could’ve asked anybody in the office for a hug. Penelope would have hugged your brains out. Emily, Unit Chief and secret sweetheart, would’ve taken you off of ViCAP and given you a loving pat on the back. But you didn’t ask Penelope or Emily, you asked him. 
“You don’t have to ask me first,” he says quietly. 
“You don’t like touching.” 
“That’s more to do with germs, and I’m not worried about yours,” he says. “Unless you’re about to tell me you have a headache.” 
“It’s like this pounding behind my eyes,” you say with a laugh. 
Spencer smiles, his mouth and nose to the side of your head. He gives you a good ten seconds of quiet, his palm warming your shoulder, before he murmurs, “Any better?” 
“You’re really warm,” you murmur back. 
Spencer resists the urge to squeeze you. “It's the oxytocin.”
“Or you’re just really, really warm.”
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comicaurora · 3 months
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Sorry to drop a hella irl-political question on your mostly webcomic blog, but have you/any of the OSP gang heard of/been participating in the week-long strike for palestine that's been (presumably) all over tumblr/the internet?
For some background info: Following the attack on Oct. 7th by the hamas militant group (a terrorist org. Or resistance group, depending who you ask), the state of israel (which is practically a mass colonial settlement on Palestinian land since '48) has taken the attack as an excuse to indiscriminately bomb the homes of thousands if not millions of homes while forcebly displacing almost all of the ~2.3 million people crammed in the gaza strip with no escape.
'Israel' has also tightened it's blockade on the strip of land such that a growing majority of people there are experiencing catastrophic starvation, disease from sewage-infested drinking water (as water aid is too scarce). Soon even deaths by preventable causes such as diabetes will occur since insulin pens for children have been blocked from entering by israel, who controls gaza's borders, water, power, food supplies, and shoreline. Civilians in Gaza are very frequently and indiscriminately killed often in places they were told were safe zones to evacuate to. It's agreed upon by both experts and laymen worldwide that what is happening (and has BEEN happening before Oct.7th) is nothing short of genocide.
In the occupied Palestinian west bank, where there is no hamas whatsoever to use as an excuse, Palestinians are still arrested without a fair trial for years, abused, prevented from using certain roads, shot, and often straight-up have their houses stolen by armed or military-backed israeli settlers (many of whom have no ancestral connection to the land at all) in a system often compared to or outright stated to be apartheid.
Very recently, a journalist in Gaza by the name of Bisan Owda called for a strike from January 21st to January 28th. The conditions of the strike can be paraphrased as:
Cease all unnecessary purchases or payments, avoid generating ad revenue when possible
Do not go to work or school if you can possibly avoid it
Pay for things only in cash if you must
Use social media exclusively to flood the internet with palestinian voices and resources about the ongoing genocide against the palestinian people
Attend protests if you can
Be visible.
It's the 26th now, but joining late would be far better than to not join at all and stay silent.
I figured I'd ask since since OSP has covered various topics about history and/or politics and we're kinda watching some awful history unfolding, the kind of history where neutrality doesn't really work and a side needs to be taken.
Opinions? (Sorry if I'm coming across as condescending! I just really want my favorite blogs to be aware and take a stance rather than being silent hhhghf)
Okay, here's my answer.
OSP has been supporting calls for a ceasefire for months, and we were fundraising in direct support of it via Doctors Without Borders all through November and December. Total, we raised over $30,000. If we include the UNICEF fundraiser we ran on the Spider-Man streams, the total is over $40,000.
During our charity livestreams, we have made our positions clear – we support a ceasefire, Israel is perpetuating settler-colonialist violence and has been for decades, Hamas is a terrorist organization that endangers Israelis and Palestinians alike, the innocent people of both Palestine and Israel deserve safety and peace. We concluded that the best thing we could do under the circumstances was empower those who are in a real position to actually help by providing funding for their work. We believe this is significantly more beneficial than adding Another Angry Internet Post to the pile of insular outrage on Internet Land. Fundraising for the organizations with boots on the ground feels like it does a lot more good than being loud online for the benefit of other online people.
This is not the first time I've heard reference to the strike, but it is the first time I've seen the parameters of the strike laid out, which to me indicates that it wasn't spread as widely or effectively as it could've been.
I understand and appreciate why you sent this ask, but your premise worries me. I know this may surprise and startle us denizens of the internet, but being extremely loud on the internet is not the only or the most effective form of activism, and people not being extremely loud on the internet with every account they have is not the same thing as silent complicity in war crimes, and people acting like those two things are the same thing has been unbelievably frustrating to watch.
If we act like everything is a binary moral choice between "scream your loudest, most angry opinions online every time you feel angry about them" and "not doing that is literally the same thing as participating in genocide", we are creating a very strong pressure to flood the internet with our angriest, most unformed thoughts, lest we be branded as complicit in war crimes. Social media sites live and die on engagement, hence why twitter has rapidly trended towards doomscrolling and encouraging inflammatory clickbait - angry shouty people are traffic and traffic is money. The cynical part of me is utterly unsurprised that social media encourages the idea that the only true form of activism is being loud on social media.
It sounds like you had the feeling that sending me this ask was weird and a boundary overstep, and you were correct. My platform is not world-changing or in any way politically powerful beyond our ability to create charity fundraisers for causes we believe in, and we are doing what we can to help in the tiny ways that we can from halfway across the world, from a position of absolutely zero political weight beyond emailing our representatives. You are just asking me to also shout about it online loudly enough that I measure up to an artificial loudness metric, because my existing shouting was not already loud or omnipresent enough.
You are not entitled to know every thought in my head or every action I take in my life. I am not online to perform outrage and live up to an arbitrary moral standard of Shouting Enough. I am especially not online on my fantasy webcomic blog to do those things. Please understand that what you see of me is what I choose to share, and I am under no obligation, moral or otherwise, to share more.
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ohkkotsuu · 9 months
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𝐈𝐁𝐓 — 𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆! choso kamo.
ৎ୭ PAIRING: choso kamo x gender neutral reader (they/them pronouns used, unspecified anatomy)
ৎ୭ ABOUT: your boyfriend never experienced many things from the normal human world, as a half-curse. he's fully convinced that he needs to be a better boyfriend. so, he'll do his best to be the best for you. he sets some rules to be a boyfriend, a good one.
ৎ୭ CW/TW: SFW. choso is just so sweet i wanna bite him, overprotective behavior (a bit), choso is a simp and he wants to marry you, this is really just him being head over heels for you, choso calls you some petnames, itadori and nobara are mentioned (not as a couple)! fluff. straight up fluff. i just wrote a lot of him being silly about you lololol maybe this will become a series?? with other characters maybe. also, please, if you enjoy it, tell me about it! i would love to interact more with reblogs and comments from you all.
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CHOSO never knew what to expect from the future, always being surprised by the violent turns in his life. lose two of his brothers, find a new brother — and certainly, he hadn't expected to have his heart so deeply won by you. nor win yours back. a sweetness of fate after so much sourness, which he hoped to make it last.
so choso became your partner (apparently, a modern term is boyfriend, so that works too). however, he has no idea how to be a good boyfriend. that makes choso resort to the best wingman he knows, an expert in people and relationships — his brother, yuuji itadori.
and it's from there that choso actively engages in what yuuji called “intensive boyfriend training”.
said training consists in watching hours of romantic movies, flipping through cliché books with good male leads, even retorting to reading shojo manga to know how to act romantic. yuuji even enlisted the help of a friend, nobara, so they only have quality content for training. no toxic male leads, no weird unconsensual stuff. only the best examples so he could become the best boyfriend. choso wants to know everything about how a guy should act to be a good boyfriend. after all, you're his world, and you deserve the best and the best only.
curses acquire information from the brain of the vessel they inhabit, but choso himself has no relationship experience. Centuries of his life were focused solely on protecting his siblings, and that is still one of his priorities — but, another priority is also you. he sets down some personal rules to himself, just so he can guide his heart through this whole “being a good boyfriend” thing.
his number one rule is never lie to you. never. doesn't matter the circumstances, choso will absolutely always be truthful and honest with you. relationships are based on trust, love and sharing. you are the person who showed him that there are ways to love someone beyond platonic — and, in return, you'll have his heart and he'll have yours. you are a partner for life in his eyes, and he would trust you with everything.
he's always truthful about things: where he's been, who he's been with, how he's feeling, he doesn't hide anything. choso even overshares every now and then. in his eyes, there is not even a single reason to lie to you. originally, he hesitated at the question of “how are you?” if he wasn't doing alright. choso wanted to be your white knight, the one who could protect you and his brothers without having to be weak. he slowly opened up as he realized it wasn't wrong to be weak. another valuable lesson you taught him.
if he is not feeling well, he will be sincere and say that he is not feeling well. choso will usually asks for what he wants — hold your hand, cuddle, kisses, anything really. he is also very honest when you ask for outfit opinions, for example — he admires how different colors suit you, how different types of fabrics of many different looks adorn your body. you usually need to call him more than once.
“choso.”
“hm? yes, baby?”
his heart skips a beat when he sees your smile. “you're staring. did you like this one?”
unfortunately, his opinion for visuals isn't exactly helpful, per say. he thinks everything look pretty in you, and he'll be very straightforward about it, because it's never about the attires you wear for him, no — you are insanely perfect. you're what makes this clothes pretty, not the opposite. you are what makes his world more worth living.
“I love everything you wear. you look amazing in everything.” the corners of his mouth lift up a bit as he give you the usual lovey-dovey stare.
you giggle a bit, unable to stop yourself from thinking that he's just so cute, staring at you like that. as if you were the moon and the stars. or even more than that.
“thanks, choso, but we've been here for half an hour. I need help to pick an outfit.”
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the second rule he sets for himself is to protect you and care for you. he's absolutely never taking you anywhere risky. he'll do anything to be sure you're safe — anything he can. choso is always off guard for you, you make him feel safer than ever. but he's not relaxing about other things.
he would never forgive himself if you were hurt because he's too relaxed. he doesn't always have to be perfect, he knows, but he will still give every last drop of his own blood for your safety and your smile.
he's always keeping an eye out for suspicious people or cursed energy. if any signs of danger appear, he is ready to catch you on his arms, bridal style, and just run away to get you somewhere safe — which has already created some situations that are as embarrassing as they are amusing. another option is him entering on this intimidating mode, if not the immediate fight response.
he also doesn't like curses, even weak ones, around you. he acquired the habit of killing them immediately, being careful not to splash the purple blood of the spirits on you. he also carries around a tissue, either to wipe his face if a drop or two has spilled or to wipe his hand — he would never hold your hand while his is dirty like that. this is his version of “boyfriend who kills bugs for you” (to be fair, he would kill bugs too, if they're bothering you). choso was surprised when he learned that this is something boyfriends do for their partners, watching it on a romance series where a guy kills a bug when his love interest was too scared to do the same.
he's protective, but he's trying to be careful not to scare you or be creepy. he pulls you by your waist, always so gentle, staring daggers at a guy at the mall, scaring him away.
“choso.” he turns his head to you, and his eyes soften immediately. “what are you doing?”
“that man was staring at you.” he says, a bit grumpy. you only giggle and lean in to give him a kiss on the cheek — something that makes his face pink and a soft smile creeps it's way into his expression.
“thank you. but you didn't had to scare him, I know that guy. he's an acquaintance of mine.”
“oh. should I get rid of him?” he asks.
“choso, no, that's not what I meant—”
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the third rule is something he made up seeing romantic movies: be a gentleman. he was doing that already, by taking care of you, showing his love, but according to yuuji and nobara, people love when their boyfriend is kind and does stuff for them. which made choso really confused.
“people get..impressed, when their loved ones show affection and minimum care or respect?” he can't really understand it, but if it's what will make him a better boyfriend, he'll become the most cliche of a gentleman.
(he's totally unaware that he is one already, and that no one was expecting him to do more).
so he looks for all kinds of opportunities to do something for you. place your orders in stores if you are too shy to do so, carry your shopping bags for you, put his coat over your shoulders when it's cold.
the “problem” is that it becomes something on a medium-large scale. you don't carry anything around choso, he carries everything for you. even small bags. the only thing with you should be a purse or backpack (if you wear any of those), and even with that he offers to carry it for you.
then there comes a day when you two are walking and choso stops. before you can ask him what's wrong, he picks you up on his arms. you cling to his shoulders with a surprised yelp. one of his arms is under your legs and the other supporting your back like a groom carrying his bride — as he hopes that one day, he will be that to you. and much more.
he just carries you for a few moments more without even complaining. he never complains. he loves carrying you, doing things for you, and you weight nothing to him.
“choso, what are you doing? what was that for?” he looks down at you.
“there was a mud puddle in the way, dear. if you crossed it, you would get your shoes dirty.” he explains nonchalantly, with you still on his arms. he seems ready to put you down, if you ask for it.
you both know he would have you bridal-style on his arms for a whole day if you let him.
hearing your giggle makes his heart flutter. although, one of his eyebrows raise softly.
“choso, we could have just skirted around the puddle.”
“oh.” he hadn't thought of that.
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the fourth and final rule is never forget. he should never forget anything about you or involving you. dating anniversary, your birthday, this man has it engraved on his memory. he understands that these are special days not only for human customs, but for him personally — after all, your dating anniversary is a celebration of one of the happiest days of his life. the day you and him became a couple.
he certainly thinks that day would only be surpassed by your future wedding anniversary. but these things can wait. the wedding can wait. he's happy just by being with you.
it memorizes all your preferences, from the simplest to the most complicated. he knows what kind of movies you like, which series you hate, which food you prefer for every situation. he has your favorite brands decorated so he can get those for you. choso memorized all your orders in coffee shops or diners so he can order for you, too. it also learns if you have allergies.
sometimes he can't really believe that humans have such organisms. resist some diseases, but if you eat a tomato being allergic, something like this kill a human? impressive.
if you are in a situation where another person is hanging out with you and they ask for something “wrong”, choso will politely correct them.
“no, actually, they're allergic to those.”
“my partner asked for this, actually.”
people may think he's being arrogant, by correcting everyone about what you want — but what surprises everyone, even you, is that he always get it right. he knows your gift preference: what items you like the most, or, if you like it, handmade gifts. he learns how to do those for you.
with a lot of help from the internet, yuuji and some moral support from nobara, choso sucefully made you a bracelet. he hands it to you carefully, a bit scared that you won't like it. it's one of those bracelets with letters on it, it reads:
“cho loves you”. you look at him, and he seems shy. this is the first time he actually made something instead of buying something.
“ran out of letters, so there was no way to have another S and O.” his tone is a bit apologetical, and his cheeks are pink. “I made it for you.”
before he can say anything else, you pull him for a gentle, sweet kiss. even such lovely action knocks the breath out of his lungs and makes his head spin. your smile when you lean back makes choso think he's in heaven.
“thank you, choso. I loved it, I loved it so much! help me put it on?” you ask with those cute puppy dog eyes.
and of course you could put the bracelet on for yourself, you both know it. but he accepts any excuse to touch you, and you want to see him do it. while he helps you with your new jewelry, it reminds you of the day he slipped a dating ring on your finger.
“done, baby.” he says softly, eyes laying on the bracelet and moving to your hand, where a ring that matches his adorn one of your fingers. his fingertips touches it softly and he smiles, whispering: “I'll marry you someday.”
“what was that, choso?”
“nothing.” he looks away, embarrassed. but in a way, you both know it: it's a promise.
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©OHKKOTSUU on tumblr.
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Sleepy
Pairings: Carlos Sainz x reader 
Words: 1686
Summary: Carlos finds an innovative way to ask a very important question. 
>Click here to check out my masterlist<
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Carlos thought about it a lot. He even got so desperate he asked Lando and Charles for advice, which was a clear cry for help, in his opinion.
The thing is – they wanted to help, they really did, but neither of them had a good enough idea. Or better yet, a good idea at all. They suggested the basic stuff at first – reserve a table at a restaurant where you had a special date and hide the ring in dessert or propose during a sunset on the beach with a picnic set up nearby. Basically, all the nonsense that you would see in a typical rom-com. After a few drinks, their ideas started to get more and more ridiculous – from chartering a plane to write “Will you marry me?” in the sky, to training Piñon to bring a ring to her. Around that time, Carlos stopped listening and taking his friends seriously.
He didn’t want those romantic, over-the-top proposals, where you had to plan details weeks in advance so everything would be perfect. Public places were definitely out of question, because Carlos was sure she would not be too happy about that, but also because he didn’t want to risk being humiliated surrounded by people if she says no. Generally speaking, they were romantic towards one another, but mostly in the privacy of their own home. PDA was kept to a minimum, especially during race weekends in the paddock when there was a lot of media around. Their love language was physical touch and quality time spent together, without needing to go to fancy restaurants and buy each other expensive gifts. They were always very private about their relationship and Carlos didn’t feel like making a big deal out of their proposal because he felt like neither of them would enjoy it. Nevertheless, he wanted to do something special for her.
Simple, but unique. Romantic, but without being over the top. An act of love showing his true feelings, but in a way that would not freak her out. Do you see now what kind of conundrum Carlos was faced with?
He was carrying the precious box in his pocket, or in a bag, or suitcase, or wherever, for an outrageously long amount of time. Inside the box was a ring specially made for her that Carlos helped design with the help of his mother and with suggestions and expert craftsmanship of a jeweller in Madrid. For months Carlos paid close attention to the jewellery she was wearing in an attempt to figure out her style and what she would like to wear every day. He actually showed some photos they snapped together to his mother, showing her the necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings his girlfriend loved to wear so he could get her input and help him choose.
And even though he made it clear from the beginning he wasn’t going to do that, Carlos had still planned everything to the smallest detail. He couldn’t help himself. Everything was organized a few days before and now it was go time. Carlos had set up all of it the night before, when he came late back to their apartment and she was already in bed. He put the bouquets of the flowers she liked on almost every flat surface of the living room and kitchen. He stocked the fridge with all the ingredients needed to make her absolute favourite breakfast in the morning and then tiptoed quietly to their bedroom. She stirred awake when Carlos settled next to her in bed and they fell asleep in each other’s arms after they exchanged a few soft kisses and tender words.
He woke up uncharacteristically early the next morning and finished executing the main part of his masterplan. He cooked quietly, unlike other mornings when they would put on some music while preparing breakfast together. Everything was plated and arranged nicely even before she woke up, so he went back to the bedroom to check up on her.
Carlos stared at her sleeping form half-covered by the thin blanket, her legs and arms spread wide. He always teased her about taking up most of the bed and almost kicking him out in their sleep a couple of times, but he secretly loved it because they always ended up snuggling together. Her hair was sprawled over the cushion and her hand was resting next to it. Carlos couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face as he watched the ring on her finger glinting in the weak sunlight peeking through the curtains. It was absolutely stunning and the perfect fit for her – Carlos managed to put it on her hand without disturbing her sleep in the slightest. Everything was ready and perfect.
Except he forgot one crucial thing. His girlfriend is the sleepiest (possibly even the grouchiest) creature in the world when she wakes up. Carlos often jokes about her sleeping like the dead and then acting like a zombie after waking up. This is why the ‘no talking in the morning’ rule was implemented with the utmost seriousness and a firm resolve, without any exceptions.
Carlos bet on her waking up and seeing the ring on her finger, and then completely freaking out about it. If that doesn’t wake her up, then what will? He returned to the bed and started peppering her with soft kisses all over her face. She stirred awake next to him and it was then that crossed his mind that maybe he underestimated the true power and extent of her sleepiness in the early hours of the day.
“Hermosa…”, Carlos whispered in her ear as he watched her face scrunch up in an adorable grimace. “Good morning.”
“Hmpf… Nope.”, she mumbled, eyes still closed.
Carlos chuckled, now moving to kiss along her jawline and moving to her neck. He took his time pecking her skin and tasting it, even nibbling a bit in a teasing way. She hummed in approval, but with her eyes not opening. She was clinging to the last remnants of sleep that were slowly evaporating from her body.
“Open your eyes.”, Carlos caressed her cheek, kissing the tip of her nose last.
“Coffee first.”, she countered in a croaky voice.
No matter the reprimand in her voice for waking her up, she pecked his lips and then his cheek lovingly before leisurely getting off the bed. Carlos sighed in frustration as he watched her exit their bedroom, the ring on her hand still unnoticed. How drowsy do you need to be not to notice a new piece of jewellery appearing on your hand overnight, he wondered with a smile.
Still, he hastily got off the bed because he didn’t want to miss the surprise on her face when she finally realizes. He caught up to her quickly, encircling her waist with his arms just as she came up to the kitchen doorway. She halted and gasped suddenly, whether from the sight or the way Carlos embraced her from behind, he wasn’t sure.
“Carlos!” she squealed in delight, laughing a little.
“Yes, mi amor?” he asked in a casual tone, like nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Did you buy the whole flower shop?” she turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise.
He grinned wide, not saying anything and only planting a soft kiss on her lips.
She looked at him with wide eyes, slightly panicking. “Is it our anniversary?”
Carlos frowned. “No. That’s in five months.”
“Right. Yes.”, she stifled a yawn and nodded.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you went above and beyond.”, she laughed a little. “Thank you, Carlos.”
A squeal of delight escaped her throat when she noticed the abundant breakfast spread on the table, with a steaming cup of coffee being the first thing she picked out. She playfully scolded Carlos for making so much food for just the two of them, although she suspected that they will finish everything soon – from the omelette, the fruit and especially the pancakes. She sat on the stool at the kitchen island and Carlos wondered if he will have to take her hand and shove it in her face so she could notice the ring.
He stood in front of her and she immediately rested her head on his chest, leaning with half her bodyweight on him. Carlos engulfed her in an embrace and noticed her eyes fluttering closed. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her.
Once again, she yawned, now stifling a giggle at her own sleepiness.
“I have something that will wake you up.”, Carlos offered, rubbing her back soothingly.
“Oh, yeah?” she smiled and her eyes opened. “What is it?”
Carlos shook his head, smiling broadly. No matter how nervous he was about all of this, as she pulled away to look at him and he gazed into her eyes, Carlos was more than sure that she was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. He was smiling wider than ever and she looked at him funny, furrowing her eyebrows.
“You have this weird look on your face.”, she chuckled. “What did you do?”
“Look at your hand.”, he whispered, his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage.
Of course, she raised the wrong hand first and Carlos almost burst into laughter when he considered how silly this whole thing was. She held up her other hand and before she even got a good look at the ring glinting on her finger, she gasped and then gaped at him.
Finally, she was awake and alert. Her eyes big and rounds like saucers and her hand was frozen in place as she stared from the ring to Carlos. She was in complete shock while Carlos only had a satisfied smirk on his face.
He whispered her name and then uttered the words she was dreaming of hearing. “Will you marry me?”
"Carlos! You're going to give me a heart attack this early in the morning!"
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project-sekai-facts · 5 months
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hi… is it alright if i can ask u ur opinion on whether you think that tsukasa was neglected (albeit unintentionally) or not… u dont need to answer this its fine really😭 i just find reading analysis or other ppls opinions especially abt tsukasas pysche interesting😓i see alot of diff opinions and im no tsukasa expert, tho i really enjoy the facts and analyses u post on here^^
ah, is this because people have been arguing about it on twitter again?
he was it's made pretty fucking clear in Dazzling. BUT it was NOT intentional. Saki was seriously ill and constantly in and out of hospital, so their parents obviously had to dedicate more time to her. he doesn't blame them for that, and he doesn't blame saki. he was well aware of the fact that their parents had to spend more time taking care of her, and wanted the best for her.
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(TL by Tsukasa's #3 Fan on YT)
as I said Dazzling makes it clear though that the way his parents dealt with the situation specifically in regards to him was not the best way that they could have handled it. he's seemingly home alone (no babysitter is shown or mentioned) when he was seven because his parents were often either at work or the hospital. it's also important to note though, that as much as he was lonely he knew saki had it worse, and just because of the person he is, he decided not to dwell on the negative feelings.
Tsukasa and Saki both have trauma and it can and does coexist. What’s with this fandom and making everything one or the other?
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accirax · 4 months
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Chessgram Theory: Who is Kotoko Breaking?
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While the object Kotoko is breaking in Deep Cover’s thumbnail is still certainly up for debate, many people (including myself) are of the belief that she’s snapped a white bishop from the game of chess. Given where Kotoko’s mental state is right now and what’s implied by the lyrics of Deep Cover, I think it’s likely that this MV’s theme will depict all of the prisoners as different chess pieces. Therefore, it’s worth asking: who is that? And, in a larger sense, which prisoners could be represented by which chess pieces?
Kotoko pretty clearly sees her situation as her and Es against the rest of the prison. So, I think that the characters would be divided as Kotoko and Es on one team, and everyone from 01-09 on the other. Kotoko is wearing black and appears to be breaking a white piece, so it’s pretty safe to assume that she and Es would be represented by the black pieces. It’s an interesting choice, given that, even to a non-Western audience, black can be considered a color of evil, and white a color of purity and truth. However, if the Es/Kotoko team is “mystery and anger” and the 01-09 team is “cold demeanors and death,” it fits well enough.
And that’s ignoring the most important part: in chess, the white team always moves first. This would fit with Kotoko’s vigilante worldview that everything she does is just a retaliation against others’ wrongdoing. The other characters attack first by sinning, and Kotoko is only picking them off before they can do any real damage to Team Warden.
Anyways, as for the pieces themselves, different websites seem to have slightly different opinions on what each piece can represent, with some obvious throughlines. I’ll be pulling quotes from these three articles, color coded according to which one is being used, which you can read more of if you wish. I’m also not a chess expert, so if I’m missing anything or got something wrong, I encourage you to add any of your own thoughts!
We’ll start with the Black Team, because there are fewer characters and I think it’s pretty obvious who’s who.
Kotoko Yuzuriha
Kotoko herself will probably be the black Queen. As anyone who’s played chess should know, your Queen is the most powerful piece in your arsenal because it can move on straights or diagonals for any distance.
The queen is our impulse to fight and possibly our id. It can argue based on beliefs. It can let loose and fight like a rook. It has no reason to hold back as a knight does and will often attack to the other side of the board just because it wants to.
This hyper-violent description of the Queen reminds me a lot of Kotoko. She attacks the other prisoners because, according to her beliefs, they’re criminals who deserve to be punished. Not to mention, the “id” is actually the same thing as the “es” in psychology. After we voted her innocent in the first trial, Kotoko became our teammate. She thinks that she’s the same as Es, so seeing herself as the “id” would fit perfectly with that self-assessment. Speaking of Es…
Es (and Jackalope?)
Es is most likely going to be the black King.
The king is not as powerful as the queen, but he is considered the most important piece that needs the most protection.
Even if Kotoko has more power than Es inside the prison, Es is still the one ultimately calling the shots. They’re the important piece who actually casts the votes that Kotoko can use to exact justice. The way that Es falls asleep between trials (or, at least, they did the first time) also reminds me of how the king can only move one space per turn, and often remains in the same square until closer to the end of the game.
The meaning of the Queen in the game of chess is she is plainly the closest support to the King and is often the second biggest (tallest) piece on the board, signifying her power and importance.
Es and Kotoko being the King and Queen together also opens them up to being assessed as a pair. They start the game next to each other, far across the board from the white pieces. If Es is the tallest, most notable piece in the prison, Kotoko isn’t far behind, acting as the King’s loyal fang.
I don’t know if any of the other pieces on the black team would have any sort of particular association. Maybe Jackalope could be the pawn that starts in front of the King (I think that’s the E pawn), so that he could hop out of the way on black’s first move to allow Kotoko to escape on a diagonal?
If I’m right about this theming, I also believe it’s possible that the black team would start only with the King and Queen. This would 1) make Kotoko and Es appear as rootable underdogs by having fewer pieces, 2) show how Kotoko is doing all of the work to defend justice, and 3) give Kotoko a lot of space to move around in from the start.
Now that we’re done with the black team, it’s time for the 01-09 White Team! Given that this side has many more main characters, there are several more possibilities to discuss here. I’ve settled on an answer for each of the prisoners, but there’s certainly room to be flexible with any of them.
Haruka Sakurai
Starting with Haruka… sorry, buddy, but I think you’re a Pawn.
Look, there are only eight pieces (not pawns) for each team on the board. If there are nine prisoners on the white team, at least one of them has to be a Pawn. And, especially through Kotoko’s account of the first Trial, Haruka wasn’t doing a whole lot. He didn’t get voted guilty, so she didn’t attack him, and he didn’t try to save any of the attacked prisoners, either. All he really did was get a new fit and align himself with Mu, someone who barely avoided being voted guilty in the first place.
There is a debate about whether the pawns are the peasants who live outside of the castle walls or are the soldiers protecting the royal court behind them.
Specifically, though, I think that Haruka would be the pawn that stands in front of Mu. Depending on which piece Mu is, it doesn’t have to work like this, but if you say that Pawn Haruka’s placement is basically a “if you want to attack her, you’ll have to get through me first,” that’s quite reminiscent of the threat he presented in his second audio drama.
Haruka also makes sense as a Pawn because he has a lot of potential. For anyone who doesn’t know, in chess, if a Pawn manages to make it to the other side of the board, they can transform into any other piece. Haruka’s quiet demeanor might let him slip under the radar, but if Kotoko takes her eye off of him for too long, he could wind up becoming a threat to the King (Es).
Haruka (VD2): “If you don’t forgive Mu-san, I’m going to kill you.”
In the audio drama, Es counters this plan by pointing out that, as a prisoner, Haruka cannot attack them. However, the sentiment is still there. Even if a Pawn doesn’t really stand a chance of attacking the King when Queen Kotoko is on the loose, there’s always the possibility that he could get too close and throw a wrench into Kotoko’s plans.
Yuno Kashiki
As for Yuno… well, we all know that she’s a Queen in general, but in chess, I don’t think that argument really holds up. Yuno really just isn’t… relevant? enough? to the conflicts of the prison as a whole (at least where Kotoko is involved) to be represented by such an important piece. But, if Yuno isn’t the Queen, what would she be…?
Personally, I think she would be a Rook.
The rook is brute force. It is a disregard to beliefs.
Simply put, Yuno is a Rook because she’s a pretty straightforward person. That’s not to say that she doesn’t lie, of course– her whole t1 attitude seems to have been a bit of an act, and that one section in the middle of Tear Drop makes it pretty obvious that Yuno conceals her true feelings on order to better please her customers sometimes– but that, in the end, Yuno always does what she wants. If she wants to barge forward or cut across the entire board sideways, she’ll do it. She often keeps to herself, just like how enemy pieces wouldn’t want to get directly in front of the Rook for fear of being curb stomped.
Back to her t1 attitude, though…
The rook is the castle, the walls, the protectorate of the city, and in being so, is the only piece not representative of a living thing.
While most sources attribute the Rook’s walls to protecting the other important pieces, Yuno’s walls protect herself. Yuno’s Castle keeps her true self locked behind cold and stony walls, giving her freedom from making any attachments.
Futa Kajiyama
Futa is a Knight because… he’s, uh, literally a knight.
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The knight pieces are the protective knights in the castle. The pieces are shaped like a horse because it is symbolic of what knights rode during battle.
It doesn’t always have to be that deep. (/j)
Actually, though, there are other reasons to call Futa the Knight– possibly some of the same reasons why the Milgram creative team decided to make one of his MVs themed after fantasy RPGs in the first place.
The knight represents the pure inner-warrior. If a knight starts out passive, it will always end up aggressive and vice versa. It can't move very far, but it never moves in a straight line, always preferring to be tactical and thoughtful.
Futa definitely seems to cycle between aggressive and passive. He passively lived his life as a regular guy until he unleashed his aggression and became a cyberbully. That aggression fueled him until he learned of his victim’s death, at which point he shut down and seemed to become more passive and introspective again. Arriving in Milgram triggered his aggressive tendencies, but getting voted guilty and losing an eye for it triggered his passive terror. At the time of his second audio drama, it seems like he’s returned to aggressively questioning Es again, and it remains to be seen whether he keeps that attitude into t3 or if something happens that once again makes him lose his footing (or die).
Mu Kusunoki
Much like Yuno, Mu also has an argument for being called the Queen– more so than Yuno, considering her strong Queen Bee coding in It’s Not My Fault and the titles of both of her audio dramas– but also falls short in the “being opposed to Kotoko” department. Although Haruka certainly looks to her for leadership, I can’t imagine Kotoko actually considering Mu a serious enough threat to put Mu on the same level as herself.
So again, like Yuno, I think Mu might be the other Rook. Mu also displayed a very “whatever I say goes” attitude in INMF, so she can share the same rhetoric behind Yuno being represented by that piece. The logic behind the castle aspect is slightly different, though.
Every country or medieval estate would have its royalty who were protected within the walled city or castle.
Mu is a rich, half-European girl whose dad sells real estate. Of course she would be represented by the Castle! Mu’s tactics involve consolidating her power in order to lead from a place above it all, exactly like how a castle looks over the rest of the village. Additionally, I can’t find the source of whoever pointed it out first, but I’ve seen it mentioned that the dress Mu wears in her birthday art is a reference to the one that Belle wears in Disney’s interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. It’s a fairytale with a princess (and perhaps someday, a queen), yes, but it’s specifically one where the heroine is trapped within a castle. Making Mu into a Rook would be a great way to keep up her royal theming, while leaving the Queen for a character a bit more powerful and relevant to Kotoko.
(Going back to Haruka for a moment, this would make him specifically the A or H pawn.)
Shidou Kirisaki
I really thought that Shidou might have more competition for the role of King, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that nobody fit the role quite as well as he did.
Shidou is the perfect balance of a piece who’s very problematic for Kotoko’s win condition, while also not being much of an active threat himself. There are very low odds that Shidou would ever actually try to harm Kotoko directly or get in her way to divert an attack. However, as long as he’s alive, Kotoko can’t win, because Shidou can keep attempting to heal all of the pieces Kotoko tries to eliminate. That’s not something that the King piece can actually do in a chess game, but hopefully you get my point.
Additionally, Triage let us know that Shidou is a family man. While the white Queen will obviously not be representative of Shidou’s deceased wife, and not every other prisoner would enjoy living under his reign (cough cough Amane), the optics of him being the “head of the family” are obviously there. It’s a pretty bad look if the white King starts the game by pleading with the black King to give him the death penalty, but… Well, at least Shidou changed his mind.
Mahiru Shiina
Not to answer the theory’s main question so early into the post, but… I think Mahiru is a white Bishop. Specifically, the one that Kotoko could be snapping in half in the thumbnail.
As far as I can remember, barring Undercover, Milgram’s MVs have only shown us things that have happened in the past. There are some things that could kind of hint at the future (like Shidou’s “So hey, prolong my life / I’m indispensable” in Triage) or depict prisoner’s fears of the future (like Futa potentially being afraid that Es could declare him guilty again at the end of Backdraft). But, I think that every instance of something like that happening could be explained as something that the character did or thought about in the past as well. That might be wrong, as I don’t want to take the time to write out how everything that appears like it could be in the future is actually in the past, but it sounds right to my memory.
My point being, while the snapped bishop could be indicative of Kotoko’s plans to crush someone in the future, if the chess pieces do represent characters, it makes far more sense if her smashing the white bishop is something that already happened in the past. Thus, it would probably be one of the three characters that Kotoko attacked in the past: Futa, Mahiru, or Mikoto.
Of the three options, I think Mahiru fits the role of bishop best.
The bishop is your belief structure. This is why a bishop that starts on white, will always be on white and vice versa for the black bishop.
While not a particularly religious person, Mahiru is someone who lives and dies based on her beliefs about the value of love. No matter what happens to her, she always keeps her same perspective, believing that love is the entirety of who she is and the only thing that’s worth living for. It’s how firmly she clung to those beliefs that sent her to Milgram, and her lack of awareness regarding her actions that got her voted guilty. AKA, Mahiru’s Bishop-like beliefs are exactly what sent her to be crushed in Kotoko’s palm.
To the extent that the blood in the thumbnail is the Bishop’s and not Kotoko’s, Mahiru was also the most grievously injured of the prisoners in between trials. I saw people joking that the thing Kotoko was crushing was “Mahiru’s bones,” and, like… maybe you’re not entirely wrong? 
I hope that you continue reading the post to hear my thoughts on the last three prisoners. But, if you are tapping out here… uhhhh, 0610 enjoyers, go crazy with this one.
Kazui Mukuhara
When I started theorizing for this post, I really thought that I was going to make Kazui the Queen to Shidou’s King. The two of them are pretty close, so the idea of Kazui being Shidou’s guardian makes total sense. And, most importantly, Kazui was the one to actually intercept and divert Kotoko’s attack on Futa. He’s been established as the most muscular prisoner in Milgram, on par with someone like Kotoko, which is perfect for him being the Queen!
Wellllll… I changed my mind and decided to make Kazui a Knight anyway.
There are a lot of good arguments for Kazui being a knight too, okay? After Cat, it’s pretty clear that Kazui was once a police officer. Thus, being a member of the castle guard would be a good match for his choice of career. They’re also probably the most traditionally “manly” piece, representative of an armed man on a horse, and Kazui tries very hard to be manly.
Knights can also hop over other pieces, much like how Kazui jumped into the fight between Kotoko and Futa. In fact…
Never underestimate [the Knight] for its limited range. It’s known as the "Queen Killer" for a reason!
Knights are often a good piece to use to attack Queens because of their unique L-shaped movement pattern. Unlike every other piece, they can attack the Queen from a position that can’t be immediately reversed upon them. Thus, Kazui’s ability to beat Kotoko could be an indicator of this “Queen Killer” quality, instead of the innate power of being a Queen himself. (This logic applies to Futa as well: he can attack Kotoko from the unique angle of appealing to Es’ morals and own sense of justice. Kotoko can’t do the same because, unlike Futa, she has yet to outwardly acknowledge that her murder could have been anything less than righteous.)
Also… the Knight is the only piece that doesn’t move in a straight line. Get it? The Knight doesn’t move straight? And that represents Kazui? Because Kazui is–
Amane Momose
Amane is the other Bishop because… religion.
The bishop stands close to the king and queen because it represents the church which many royal courts held near and dear to their hearts.
The Bishop represents the church, an important and very powerful entity throughout history and even today if you think about it.
Again, not everything has to be a reach. (/j)
So… yeah, Amane’s beliefs– specifically religious beliefs, this time– are also a huge part of her life. Even if she’s changed what the cult’s doctrine means to her, she still confesses that she carried out her murders for the sake of what her religion considers right and wrong.
This is also considered the third most powerful piece on the chessboard because back in the day religion could influence many people, even without the help of the royal family.
Not so much for Mahiru, but this sentiment also fits Amane pretty well! Between the threats of potential conversions and potential assassinations, Amane was definitely one of the prisoners to watch heading into t2. From what I’ve heard, the main reason why her vote was so down to the wire was mostly because people were afraid of the power that Amane held.
Interestingly, this would put another prisoner who was voted guilty in contention for the piece that Kotoko is crushing. However, I still think it’s more likely that that piece would be Mahiru, because Kotoko didn’t physically attack Amane. If it were Amane, it would more likely be that her beliefs were crushed as opposed to her bones, but… I don’t really think that really happened, either. Amane would almost certainly be a bishop, though, so there’s certainly a possibility that that broken piece could be her.
Mikoto/John Kayano
With only one prisoner left to go, you may have already come to the conclusion that Mikoto is the white Queen. And… yeah, I can’t really deny that at this point. Like I said, I wanted to make Kazui the Queen, but I couldn’t otherwise figure out what Mikoto would be.
Because, there’s one main thing that makes me think that Mikoto has to be the Queen… John’s lack of restraints.
She is allowed to move in any direction and in as many squares as she wants.
Due to the whole situation with John not technically being a prisoner, when John is the alter in charge, John cannot be restrained, even when voted guilty. That makes him very powerful; no matter what he does, we can’t use a guilty vote to try to stop him, much like many people hoped to do with Haruka when voting him guilty in t2. The Queen can visit any square, no matter whether it’s black or white, upright or reversed, Mikoto or John. Choosing any other piece that was constrained to a much more limited set of movement rules just felt off for him.
Next, while Kazui was able to defeat Kotoko and save Futa, the fight between John and Kotoko was a draw. That means that they are also evenly matched– perfect for both being the same kind of piece. Mikoto isn’t as close to Shidou as Kazui is (anymore, I think?), but they were at least smoking club buddies, so calling Mikoto the Queen to Shidou’s King isn’t the most ridiculous proposition.
Finally, making Mikoto the Queen, a very feminine piece, is super interesting in the context of people discussing how Mikoto is often associated with stereotypically feminine roles and the girl prisoners (oboetemasuka | candckirby | purgemarchlockdown). I don’t have a whole lot else to say on this matter considering these weren’t points of Mikoto’s characterization I originally noticed myself, but I encourage you to read these posts to get a taste of what I’m talking about. I’m sure there were other posts discussing it too, but… it’s so hard to find things on Tumblr ;-;
Conclusion
Finally, we’ve been through every prisoner! Here’s a summary of what I decided on (left or right side doesn’t matter):
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The funny thing about this theory is that it could be fully disproven wrong in, like, a week, if either 1) that wasn’t a chess piece at all, or 2) the chess pieces obviously represent something else. For instance, the chess board could fully relate to, you know, Kotoko’s actual murder and not what she got up to in between trials. We are supposed to get more actual evidence regarding that too, aren’t we…?
Still, if it turns out that the chess board does represent Milgram, I will get the full satisfaction of having called it ahead of time, even if my assignments aren’t 100% correct. No matter what, I had fun thinking about it, which is (in my opinion) the highlight of theorizing! If you have anything else to add, I encourage you to communicate your thoughts in comments, tags, or reblogs. If you don’t, then I simply thank you for reading this far!
Deep Cover… soon.
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sas-soulwriter · 7 months
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Research Tips for Writing Your Book
Are you diving into the exciting world of writing and researching for your book project? Here's what you need to know to make your research journey a success:
Define Your Purpose: Before diving into research, have a clear understanding of your book's purpose and goals. Know the themes you want to explore and the message you wish to convey. This will give your research a focused direction.
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Use Multiple Sources: Diversify your sources. Books, academic papers, interviews, and digital resources each offer unique perspectives and insights. This diversity enriches your understanding and adds depth to your writing.
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Fact-Check: Ensure the accuracy of your research. Verify any details that are crucial to your story or argument. Misinformation can erode your credibility and disrupt the reader's immersion.
Cite Sources Properly: Keep meticulous records of your sources and be diligent about citations. Use a recognized citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) to give credit to the authors and avoid plagiarism.
Interview Experts: Reach out to experts or people with firsthand knowledge relevant to your topic. Interviews can provide you with valuable insights, real-life experiences, and unique anecdotes to enhance your book.
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Take Breaks: Research can be mentally taxing. Don't forget to take breaks to recharge and maintain a fresh perspective. Stepping away from your work can also lead to new insights and ideas.
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Keep a Journal: Maintain a research journal where you can jot down notes, ideas, and thoughts as they occur. This journal can serve as a valuable resource when you're writing your book.
Join Writing Communities: Connect with other writers in person or online. They can offer guidance, share their experiences, and provide emotional support when you face challenges during the research and writing process.
Revise and Refine: Don't think of research as a one-time activity. Continuously revisit and refine your research as your book evolves. New ideas or directions may emerge, and you may need to adjust your research accordingly.
Respect Copyright Laws: Understand the copyright laws applicable to your research. Ensure you have the rights to use specific materials, especially if you plan to incorporate them into your book. Obtaining permissions or licensing may be necessary.
Balance Research and Writing: While research is crucial, there comes a point where you must transition from research to writing. Avoid getting stuck in a perpetual research phase. Once you have enough information to start, begin writing and integrate research as needed in your work.
Remember that your research phase is an integral part of the creative process. It's where the foundation of your book is built, and it can be a fascinating journey in itself.But keep in mind, as you're writing your first draft, you can never know everything, never research everything. A second opinion is always good, and for that, you can ask friends, family, or even me on this blog.
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akutasoda · 29 days
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hewwo can i ask for jouno, tetcho, tachihara and other if u want; with a s/o that is their ideal type, the person they needed
my missing piece
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synopsis - when they neet their perfect type
includes - tachihara, jouno, tecchou
warnings - gn!reader, fluff, wc - 714
a/n: hello! just a reminder that this is all my opinion!
taglist - @vi-chan07
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michizō tachihara ★↷
↪his ideal type would probably be somebody who is headstrong and quite independent. he's the undercover expert in the hunting dogs and is away for long periods of time so he'd prefer someone who is willing to wait that long for him to return.
↪but he also would love somebody who is able to take a joke and has a close to perfect work life balance. when he's with you he doesn't want either of you to think about work, he just wants to relax with you by his side and focus on silly disagreements such as what to have for dinner.
↪if he ever met somebody who was his ideal type, he'd freeze. his nerves would get the best of him and he be so hesitant to eventually ask you out even though you are everything he'd ever want in a person.
↪that being said, he isn't actually that picky when it comes to his perfect person. there is a lot he looks for in a person but if he loves someone he loves them. sure they'd still have a couple of qualities he's looking for but he knows he can't control who he ultimately falls for.
↪but finding his perfect person would bring him a huge sense of comfort. it would give him hope that you two would stay together through thick and thin.
saigiku jouno ★↷
↪he is extremely picky and particulate when it comes to deciding who he'd want to be with. it doesn't matter if you have every quality he's looking for, if he isn't in the right mindset he won't bat an eye. jouno doesn't exactly seek out a relationship and would easily pass along the opportunity to be with his ideal type if he wasn't ready.
↪however, some qualities he does look for is someone who openly speaks their mind with little regard for the consequences. he wants them to be open and honest with their feelings and not hide behind the ideas of others in order to please them or blend in.
↪he would also really like if his partner was morally grey like himself. he doesn't want someone who is so easily swayed to one side or another, no he wants someone who sits on the fence, who isn't afraid to use sketchy means but still keep to some basic moral grounds.
↪his blindness would never be an issue but you would have to prepare to help him occasionally. whether that be helping him within his or your accomodation or even just helping him de-stress by letting him listen to your heartbeat. just be prepared for him to get quite needy sometimes.
↪finding his perfect person would ultimately lead him to initially believe that he could finally get rid of the idea of relationships. however he would come to realise that he really couldn't live without you after a while, you understood him better than anyone else.
tecchou suehiro ★↷
↪he is one of the most least picky people when it comes to his ideal type. in fact, tecchou rarely thinks about having a relationship with someone but he would be another firm believer that you can't control who you fall in love with. you fall in love with who you fall in love with and you should try and make it work.
↪if he was asked who his ideal type was, he would say that he would like them to be adventurous and not afraid to take risks. he values confidence and wants someone who would willingly try new things - you probably would comr to curse your willingness to try new things when you were net with his food combinations.
↪self righteousness is another valuable quality in his opinion. he is a firm believer in justice and he needs someone who shares a strong belief in a similar field. similarly, someone who is quite driven would also be appealing to him. these qualities would give tecchou the confidence in his relationships.
↪when he finds his perfect person, he acts the same. the only difference is you and your constant presence in his life. now he seeks you out after the day is done, he basks in your company and wonders how he ever got by without you in his life.
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sbk-zgvlt · 5 months
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So at this point I consider you the most accessible person for thoughts on Sebek so here I am to humbly give some of mine and I’d like to ask for your opinion. I feel like in a world where Sebek didn’t have such a deeply ingrained respect and admiration towards Malleus, but still had the same personality he did in canon, he would find Malleus completely insufferable. Like Malleus really does not see the world around him in the same way that normal people do, and he has a tendency to have his head in the clouds a bit (To my understanding at least. I’m by no means an expert on Malleus’ character so I might be wrong). Thoughts?
Sebek is someone who values hard work and is very blunt, usually leading to misunderstandings. Malleus meanwhile doesn't really need to DO work, considering that his knowledge and strength has surpassed what NRC could ever teach him, but could also be a bit childish.
So honestly? YEAH HE'D FIND HIM INSUFFERABLE LAWL
There are times where Malleus mentions stuff like finding certain things useless or downplaying things that are usually perceived as amazing since it's just. Really nothing to him. He could probably do it with his eyes closed
Unfortunately, Malleus is very socially inept/lh
Sometimes he could come off as haughty or bragging, though not on purpose. It doesnt help that when speaking to others, even people like Sebek and Silver, his tone can be cold. Honestly he's just lonely he needs more people to talk to him/lh
Now, Sebek is conscious about how he's half-fae and half-human, along with the fact that he's a late bloomer when it comes to magic. Now enter Malleus, full fae and one of the top 5 most powerful wizards in the world. He's everything Sebek strives to be
Removing Sebek's deeply ingrained respect and admiration...I think he'd be jealous at first. Then times goes on and WOW. Malleus is a FUCKING LOSER i cant believe i was ever jealous of him
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cheapshrimpysheep · 11 months
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5 Love Languages
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SUMMARY: A person doesn't just have one love language, but these are the ones I think would be the most predominant in each of them. In Ortho's case, at least, this is platonic.
CHARACTERS: All NRC Students
TAGS: Fluf; List
COMMENTS: I already knew this concept, but recently I saw it again and this post crossed my mind. This is just my opinion of course, I'm no expert. I hope you enjoy ;)
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CONTEXT: According to Dr. Gary Chapman there are 5 Love Languages:
Acts of Service: For these people, actions speak louder than words. These are nice things you do for your partner that make them feel loved and appreciated.
Giving Gifts: For some people, receiving/giving a heartfelt gift is what makes them feel most loved. Gift-giving indicates love and affection. They treasure not only the gift itself but also the time and effort the gift-giver put into it.
Quality Time: This language is all about giving the other person your undivided attention. They feel loved if you are present and focused on them when you are together.
Words of Affirmation: This language uses words to affirm other people. It’s about expressing affection through spoken words, praise, or appreciation.
Physical Touch: To this person, nothing speaks more deeply than appropriate physical touch. They feel love through physical affection.
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Riddle Rosehearts - We even have confirmation of that with what happened to Trey in book 2, for example. He will take care of the people that are important to him.
Deuce Spade - I see him as a guy that would do anything for you. He himself says he's not very smart, so he believes the best he can do is being useful and helpful.
Ruggie Bucchi - He knows he's good at this. I think he's the type of person who would want to be taken care of and that's why he takes care of the people he cares about.
Ortho Shroud - We can see that with his brother Idia. He likes to help the people he likes, both in a good way like helping with something, or mean way like forcing a shut-it to go touch grass.
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Trey Clover -  One of the examples of this language is offering a home-made sweet. And I see him cook your favourite foods and sweets just to see your appreciative smile.
Azul Ashengrotto - I see him as the kind that spoils his loved one. He knows the value of money and hard work. And what better investment than your happiness?
Kalim Al-Asim - I mean, we kinda already saw this multiple times. He is the kind of giving his loved one everything they ask for, or even what they didn't ask for.
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Cater Diamond - He is the terminally online type, let's face it. His phone is part of his Body Renders. So getting offline time with you and for you, that's something special!
Jack Howl - He has already said that he is the “lone wolf” type. So wanting to spend time with someone instead of being alone shows that you are special.
Jamil Viper - He is a busy and stressed person. So making time for you in his rare moments of rest shows effort. And wanting to spend time with you rather than alone shows how much he likes you.
Vil Schoenheit - From book 6: spending so much time talking to Rook without paying attention to the rest. He shows love by taking the time to give you as much attention as you deserve.
Idia Shroud - We can see this with Ortho. He's an introvert shut-it that doesn't like people. So wanting to be with you despite all of it and even play together? You are the exception to his rules.
Malleus Draconia - We can see this. He likes to be with you, talk to you, know from you. He miss you. Any time he has available that he can spend with you, giving you attention, he will.
Silver - We know how hard it is for him not to fall asleep all of a sudden. Taking all that effort just to spend time with you and give you attention shows effort.
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Jade Leech - He is a man of words. It's true that he likes to use them to deceive and manipulate others. But he's the completely opposite of someone who would fake an "I love you".
Epel Felmier - I think his acts of service would be more connected to his pride. His words on the other hand, especially when they show appreciation for you, that's how he shows he really likes you.
Rook Hunt - Do I need to explain? We can see this ALL THE TIME! He already said that he never lies about this kind of thing. If he loves you, he'll scream to the world how wonderful you are.
Sebek Zigvolt - We see this with Malleus. His words of admiration are not for everyone. The more he likes someone the more he'll praise them and the louder he will say it.
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Ace Trappola - He prefer to use his words to tease you. He could also do acts of service, but I think being comfortable with physical affection is his ultimate act of love.
Leona Kingscholar - He's too lazy for anything else. It's not just anyone who pets his ears and lives to tell about it. Just like is not just anyone he wants to be so close to.
Floyd Leech - He's a man of acts, but not the service ones. We know he likes to squeeze people. Usually in a bad way. But for a loved one, squeezes would be loving hugs with some kisses.
Lilia Vanrouge - He can be good with words. But I think his ultimate show of affection would be hugs and more then that kisses. I think he's the type to do that, but only with special people.
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If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX
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nevertheless-moving · 15 days
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I wrote it. They ask.
"So you're essentially an expert on honor, right?"
Kaladin blinked at Shallan, unsure what to make of the question. The three of them had finished eating, and had moved to a smaller, shared table for drinks, secluded from the rest of the building by a hazy curtain. The conversation had been drifting lazily from the city's latest scandals to squire hijinks.
"What?" Kaladin finally said, slightly confused at the abrupt change of topic.
"Of course you are, you're the first person chosen by an honorspren in thousands of years!" Adolin said enthusiastically.
"I mean—"
"And you always figure out the right thing to do!" Shallan said.
"That's definitely not—"
Adolin nodded. "Never murder anyone in cold blood, even when they deserve it."
Kaladin sighed heavily. "Where are you two going with this?"
Shallan coughed into her freehand. "Well, you see, we've been having a little debate about...honor."
"And we were hoping you could settle it. Impartially," Adolin said, tone serious.
Kaladin squinted at him. There was something off about his expression. "Can't you ask Syl?"
Syl was meeting with some of the honorspren with newer bonds tonight; she had insisted that she could handle it on her own, and that he should take the night off, but he was sure she would be happy to switch places to come by and give her opinion on other people's business; that was practically a hobby for her. He wasn't sure sure where pattern was, come to think of it; he hadn't heard him buzz in a while.
"Actually we did!" Shallan said brightly.
"She was our first choice, no offense," Adolin said. "I don't think she entirely understood the dilemma."
"It's a bit too, well, human." Shallan took a large sip of her wine, emptying the glass, but didn't waive over a server for more.
Kaladin felt dread start to coil low in his stomach, the fragile relaxation of the evening starting to slip away. "...I'm going to regret hearing about this, aren't I?"
Adolin leaned towards him, turning wide, pleading eyes his direction. "Please, Kaladin?"
Shallan matched him. Stormfather. Not so long ago ago, lighteyes looking at him like that would have filled him with derision at most. What had happened to him.
"Fine." Kaladin leaned back in his seat, giving in. He was a little curious, even though he knew he wasn't going to be happy with whatever he was about to hear. "What is it?"
Shallan straightened, as if to give a presentation before the Queen. Storms, I have a really bad feeling about this.
"Well, as you know, I'm a lightweaver, and can change mine or someone else's appearance, such that they exactly resemble another. I can also create an illusion, so that it appears that an individual is present, when in fact, they are not."
"...Yes?" Was Shallan nervous? Adolin didn't kill another highprince, did he?
"Now, obviously, practicing lightweaving by pretending to be someone else, when done entirely in private, I mean just me, myself, and I, practicing my radiant abilities, can't possibly be dishonorable."
"I guess?"
Adolin leaned forward now, one hand gesturing sharply. "But what if I'm there? I mean, no ones suggesting that it would be acceptable for Shallan to assume a specific private individual's form in public."
"Unless it's to save lives," Shallan said.
Adolin nodded. "Unless of course it's to save lives."
"Or as part of my crown assigned radiant duties."
"Or that, can't forget to mention that."
"Or with said individual's consent."
"Naturally, consent makes all the difference."
"Quite a few shades of grey."
"Truly, once you think about it. Infinite nuance."
Kaladin pinched the bridge of his nose, scowling to keep from laughing. "Did you rehearse this?"
Shallan waved her hand in his face, forestalling any other objections. "In any case! Would we be disrespecting an individual, let's call this person 'Lin' for short, would we be behaving dishonorably towards Lin, were I to assume Lin's form, or have Adolin assume Lin's form, or have Lin appear while both of us are present, soley within the privacy of our chambers?"
Kaladin waited a few seconds for Adolin to chime in, but he just continued staring intently at Kaladin.
"...This is about Lyn?"
"No, not Lyn, Lin," Shallan corrected primly. He could just barely make out a difference. "Neutral born unto. Just, we don't want to say her — say their name specifically, but I thought saying 'the individual' would get unwieldy."
Ok, probably not about Lyn. Unless they're using a confusing fake name to make me think that. He started to feel a throbbing at the base of his skull.
"Is there some specific reason you want to look like... Lin?" He dropped his voice slightly, rubbing his temples. "Is it for a practical reason? Or do you want to make fun of her — them?"
"Definitely not to make fun of them!" Adolin said, voice dropping to match Kaladin's.
"Many people would consider it flattering," Shallan whispered. "For their form to be assumed in this specific context!"
"We're just not certain if Lin would think that, and we're worried that it would be worse to ask."
"So we decided to ask you instead, since again, you're —"
Kaladin waved a hand at her before they could jump into another bizarre routine. "Honorable, yes, whatever, fine. I get it."
Adolin put a hand on his arm, expression earnest. "Look. If you think we should just directly talk to Lin then we'll do it. We just...don't want to embarrass them, or hurt their feelings in someway. We genuinely aren't sure how they would react, and I mean. You don't have to ask someone's permission for thinking about them, but this is a step up from that, and it's not like there's many people who have had the option, so...hence the uncertainty, and asking for a neutral, completely unconnected, third party opinion."
"Alright, I...guess that makes sense? In an extremely weird way." Kaladin looked between the two of them. Shallan's expression was open and honest, but unfortunately that didn't mean much. Adolin was earnest, but there was something weird about his posture. Guilty? Excited? "But why do you want to see a lightweaving of Lin in private so much?"
Shallan pretended to take a sip out of her empty glass. "I assume you can guess, bridgeboy. Is it really necessary for us to say it aloud?" She had just a hint of red staining the tops of ears, but she colored easily. It could just be the alcohol.
"I really don't know," Kaladin said, baffled. "Is this a lighteyes thing? Like you want to, I don't know...model fashion on them?"
"Ooh." Adolin suddenly looked far too eager. "That's actually not what we were thinking."
"I didn't think it was a lighteyes thing," Shallan said. "But I suppose it could be. I don't have a significant enough sample size to presume." That was clearly a joke there that Kaladin didn't get.
Adolin cleared his throat. "Well." He made another sharp motion with his hands, letting Kaladin go. "As you know, Shallan and I are married."
"Yes, I was at your wedding," Kaladin said dryly.
"We are married," Adolin repeated, talking over him. "And that comes with certain... duties and privileges."
"Among which—" Shallan was definitely blushing now. "—and I suppose this could be considered an, ah, 'lighteyes thing,' is well. The need to create an heir."
They can't possibly be asking me this. Kaladin looked desperately to Adolin, but the man just gave him a sheepish, apologetic grin.
A small part of Kaladin curled up and died.
Blood Of My Fathers.
"No," Kaladin said. "Absolutely not. You are not asking me about something to do with your sex lives."
"You see," Adolin said. "I know you've said you don't have interest in, well, any of that. But for many the process of creating an heir is not just—"
"ARGH." Kaladin threw his arms up, crossing them over his head.
"— a responsibility but a pleasure which—"
"Almighty's Tenth name!"
"—can be performed creatively—"
Kaladin pressed his head to the table, burying himself in his arms to hide his too warm face and probably disgusted expression.
"Stop. Please. Stop." He knew he was whining in a way ill befitting a Windrunner of his Ideal, but the booth they were in was private, and Adolin and Shallan had seen him in far less dignified circumstances.
"Sorry," Adolin said, patting him on the shoulder. "Just wanted to make sure you understood."
"Well I don't!" Kaladin said, looking up but not lifting his chin from his arms. "And I don't storming want to! Why can't you just look like yourselves! I thought you liked how each other looked! I've literally caught you drooling!"
Adolin frowned. "I don't drool, bridgeboy."
Shallan's face was nearly as red as his face felt, but her expression was significantly more gleeful. "I…there may have been one sparring session I observed…that may have generated a small amount of moisture."
Adolin cocked an eyebrow, and smirked. "Moisture, huh?"
"I hate you two," Kaladin lied emphatically.
"Sorry, Sorry." Adolin patted him on the shoulder again. "So? What do you think?"
"I think Rlain is right and its a storming miracle humans have managed to accomplish anything when most of us are permanently stuck in mateform."
Adolin heaved a dramatic sigh. "About our question, Kal, come on. We know you don't like talking about this stuff but that's exactly why we needed your opinion! You're unbiased!"
"And honorable, yes you said. Have I mentioned before that the rewards for being honorable blow?"
They turned twin pleading expressions toward him and he caved immediately. Storms, he had gotten weak. "Battar and Shallash, fine," he snapped. "Fine, give me a minute, alright. Just stop talking. "
The two waited, Shallan only opening her mouth to make a joke twice, Adolin successfully nudgeing her quiet each time; Kaladin lifted himself up, elbows on the table and head in his hands as he looked down, forcing himself to actually give it serious consideration. Wait, I thought Veil was the one who was attracted to women. Oh. Right.
"Alright," he finally said. "I get that people can't always help what they...think about. That's fine. And I also know that trying not to think about something sometimes makes people think about it more, so."
Adolin and Shallan nodded. "You have no idea," Adolin said. "Seriously, I love Shallan, I've absolutely tried not looking at other women's — anyway. It's so much easier to just forgive eachother the occasional wayward glance or errant thought." They squeezed each others hands.
Kaladin sighed. "Right. Sorry if I came off as judgemental."
"No, no, you've made it very clear that you don't like talking about such things, it's completely reasonable to be unhappy. We are sorry for the times we...overshare in front of you."
"It's fine," Kaladin said curtly. "Really. I know you try. Anyway. I also understand that people sometimes, er, fantasize. That way. About things or people they don't actually want in real life. And. Uh. Sometimes people... act that out."
Kaladin stared determinedly at the table, face hot. There was a swirling pattern in the marble that he hadn't noticed before.
"You do?" Adolin said, sounding surprised.
Kaladin coughed. The swirling pattern kind of looked like a river, viewed from above. "There. Might have been an incident, early on in the army, when I heard a couple and, er, overreacted slightly. They took the time to explain things in... painful detail. It's fine. None of my business."
"That's. Very open minded of you," Shallan said, sounding slightly strangled. "Tell me, when the couple was explaining things — oof." Kaladin didn't look, but he was fairly sure Adolin just stepped on her foot, something he was infinitely grateful for. It had been an extremely mortifying lesson. The pair had said they weren't mad about being interrupted, but he was fairly sure they were lying, considering how much detail they went into in their explanation.
"Honestly, the whole...dressing weird, or calling eachother names or using ropes or whatever—"
Adolin made a choking noise. Kaladin kept looking at the little river pattern in the table. If he squinted there were mountains and farms too.
"—all that stuff isn't more or less...unappealing. To think about. Then just regular sex." Kaladin paused. "That is not permission to talk about that sort of thing with me. Please don't share anything about your sex life with me, ok?"
"Of course!"
"We know."
"So," Kaladin continued, rubbing his cheeks to try and get rid of the blush. "Wanting someone isn't breaking your vows. Neither is thinking about them. Probably talking about them is fine too."
He ran his finger along the small river in the polished stone. He could practically feel two sets of light eyes drilling a hole in him.
"My concern, of course, would be for Lin. If playing around with their image would affect the real person. My main concern is it will impact the way you two interact with them."
"If we thought it did then we'd stop immediately," Adolin swore without prompting. "The real person matters far more than our...baser feelings."
"Absolutely," Shallan agreed softly. "We truly don't want to hurt them. That's why we've been struggling with this."
"I believe you," Kaladin said, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Alright, so you've already been...thinking about them, while together, and it hasn't impacted your interactions with the real person."
"No!"
"Trying not to think of them that way was worse," Adolin said ruefully. "I am...fairly sure they have not noticed any feelings on my part, and even if they had they've ignored them very politely so...like I said, if messing with lightweaveing changes that, we'll stop right away, but I don't think it will. We know who they are."
Kaladin studied the marble some more. He was pretty sure he had flown over somewhere in Alethkar that looked a bit like that riverbend, but he couldn't remember where.
"You cannot do this anywhere someone could possibly see or overhear," Kaladin said, looking up to make brief, serious eye contact with each of them. "Not visiting another city. Not where guards or servants could overhear, even trusted ones. Not in the duelist preparation chamber — yes I know about that. Not while exploring the less used parts of the city — yes, I heard about that too. Not in your sitting room or against the door, where someone passing by could overhear. Just in your own bedchamber, door locked."
"That sounds reasonable," Shallan said, flushing but solemn.
"Very reasonable," Adolin agreed, nodding sharply.
Kaladin grimaced, looking back down at the table. "I think...while part of me says you should ask Lin directly...that also sounds somewhat humiliating for everyone involved. I mean, again, it's more similar to thinking about someone than anyone else, and even if they were, er, flattered... It's not like you would actually be able to sleep together anyway, with your marriage oaths, so it would be a moot point."
"...Right," Adolin said unconvincingly. Kaladin decided not to think about that.
"So... it's alright?" Shallan said hopefully. "With those conditions? Not dishonorable?"
Kaladin forced himself to look up again, and immediately regretted it. They both looked far too eager.
"Not dishonorable," he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back.
"Thank you!" Adolin said, with way too much passion.
"Thank me by never speaking to me of this again, and never asking me anything like this for the rest of our lives."
"Yes to the first one, no promises to the second," Shallan said gleefully. "Well. Now that we've discussed that matter, how about we get back to talking about—"
"Leave. For the love of all that is good, please leave," Kaladin begged, not opening his eyes. Shallan took advantage of this by kissing him lightly on the cheek. Adolin hugged him from the other side.
There was the sound of spheres tossed on the table and rapid movements, and then they were gone.
Kaladin opened his eyes, shaking his head. One of them had knocked over a glass in their haste to leave. They had, of course, left a small fortune to pay the bill.
He left the winehouse feeling...bemused mostly. Maybe he'd go find Rlain and they could gripe about humans and mateforms together. He would probably not make eye contact for Lyn for the next week, even though he was fairly sure they were talking about Isnah or Beryl. Best not to guess. He kicked off from the ground, the rush of wind immediately clearing away discomforting thoughts or lingering stress of the day.
He smiled, speeding up and feeling his heart race with the exhilaration that only the sky could bring, with no pressing meetings or appointments to get to. Syl had been right. It was good to take a night off every now and again.
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hunn1e-bunn1e · 10 months
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Sanzu Haruchiyou - "Another Parody of an Office Romance"
🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.
In which Bonten's number two gets high in an elevator with his coworker while he's still at work. Or; In which a very high Sanzu Haruchiyo finally asks the cute guy he's been into for a while out to dinner.
Reader is Bonten's IT guy, Reader is NOT an executive but is just as important as Kokonoi.
Warning -> Drug use
                                                                                                   
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🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨
"Aaah~"
Bonten's number two vocalizes as he drops an unidentified pill onto his awaiting toungue, swallowing it dry without any thought.
He had just gotten done dealing with another traitor and was currently in the elevator, making his way back up to his office. The elevator dings after about ten minutes, pausing on the sixthth floor, the doors opening to reveal Bonten's Technology Expert who's eyes stayed glued on the tablet in his hand as he walks into the elevator. Sanzu's eyes drift to the shorter man beside him as he blindly reaching across him towards the numbered floor buttons.
"Heeey [Name]~, Jus' lemme do it. 'm closer y'know."
The pinkette slurs as he gently grabs the shorter's wrist, pupils dilating as the drugs kick in. He mumbles a question about which floor while dazedly playing with the h/c-ette's fingers.
"Twelve. You're high again, aren't you?—"
[Name] asks curtly, removing his hand from Sanzu's grasp and pulls on the pinkette's ear right after. He looks up from his tablet and towards Sanzu before giving one last harsh tug to his ear and letting it go, getting a whine from his victim.
"—Weren't you told not to get high at work? Heh. What a rebel."
[] teases, playfully poking the pinkette's chest as Sanzu pushes in the button asked of him.
The taller turns his head to look back at shorter who's gaze migrated back to the tablet in his hands. The pinkette was slightly irritated at how short their interaction was; after all it's not everyday the two cross paths like this.
Sanzu had always liked [Name] alot more than the other people he worked more closely with. Maybe it was because they see each other all that often and whenever they did see each other [Name] and him got along really well, they had even helped him when he was really high. He couldn't really remember much from that on instance, though. It certainly helped that he was pretty cute in Sanzu's opinion. Definitely not Bonten's leftovers.
Recently, he had been trying to think of away to get to know h/c-ette better or, really, to take him out on a date. It was weird for the drug addict to take such a strong liking to someone in the first place but he couldn't help himself after a while.
"You still there, Sanzu?"
The saccharine voice of [Name] breaks him from his train of thoughts but also brings a dust of pink to his cheeks.
He tries to fix his gaze on the h/c-ette through his warping vision; the cold silver of the elevator's interior swirling together with colors of the man before him. He stares off into space, unable to formulate a coherent thought to put into words.
These are a lot stronger than he remembered them to be. What did he take again? Wait- where is he, anyway?
Sanzu abruptly slumps forward into [Name]'s back, his face buried into his shoulder as he wraps his arms around their waist. He pulls the shorter tightly against him; putting quite a bit of weight on him, almost like he's using him like some sort of crutch.
"[Name].— "
The pinkette whines in his captives ear; his hold on them tightening even further.
"—Where are we? Let's go back to the elevator... then let's go get sushi and gyoza together... 'm hungry."
[Name] lets out a confused smile and raises his hand carefully and slowly, before softly placing it atop the Bonten number two's head. He gently pets the taller's head, cooing softly at him as he runs his fingers through his pink lochs.
"We're already in the elevator, Sanzu. We can get you some food, I promise. I just need my things from my office, then we can go, okay?"
[Name] cood, gently scratching Sanzu's scalp with his blunt fingernails, causing the man behind him to snuggle even deeper into him if possible.
Ding.
The elevator opens to the twelfth floor, revealing a short hallway leading to a door with a name plate on the righthand side. [Surname] [Name].
The h/c-ette walks forward, Sanzu following as he's unwilling to let go. Opening his office door; [Name] goes straight to his desk to discard his tablet and gather his personal items.
"Now food?"
The pinkette asks quietly, his words coming out as more of a whiny hum than anything intelligible.
The shorter chuckles as he gently removes the taller's tight hold on him and takes his hand.
"Yes, Sanzu. Now we can get food."
                                                  
Fun fact! Gyoza is a Japanese dish consisting of wonton wrappers stuffed with finely minced pork, chopped mushrooms and shredded cabbage then fried in grease or oil in a pan.
🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨•♡•🖨
🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.
Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!
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noonblight · 1 year
Text
Nemona, Female Neurodivergence, and Good Representation
Spoilers for the plot of ScarVi ahead, but here’s my full analysis and breakdown of Nemona!
So, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Game Freak making an autistic female main character? You must be out of your mind. This is clearly projecting!’
I’d like to preface this gently by saying that this is obviously just my personal conclusion based on subtextual analysis, but also, I’d like to call attention to the fact that Japan isn’t like the west when it comes to neurodiverse representation, and there isn’t a lot of Japanese media that explicitly uses the word autism. It’s a little unrealistic to expect Game Freak to call it by name, especially considering they make games for children and topics such as neurodiversity are often viewed as a more ‘adult’ thing to discuss. You are free to disagree with me, but please be polite in the replies of this post, as I only wish to have a constructive conversation about a writing decision that has been made.
Anyway, on to the good stuff and I must apologise in advance for this post being long, but I wanted to be thorough!
I played through all of ScarVi and I’m actually very pleased with Nemona as a character. I feel like despite the game’s technical quality, there was a real effort made this time around to flesh out the named characters. Nemona is one of my favourite examples of this, because her arc isn’t solely about being autistic, but it’s clearly a large part of her character and affects her life in a lot of ways.
Nemona is a battle fanatic, and it’s very likely one of her special interests. It’s how she connects with other people such as the main character, and it’s something she devotes her entire being and effort to. She never says she does so in order to impress others, but rather because it’s something she heavily enjoys.
Right from the start, Nemona is a successful champion rank trainer and wants you to become a trainer who can rival her in skill, and feels like it would lead to a better friendship if you could do that. Nemona’s priorities always centre around battling, and doing as much of it as possible. She’s the one who asks Geeta for permission to bestow a Tera orb upon your player. She gives you tips about the battle courts at different gyms. She even raises a new team of Pokémon throughout the game just to have an excuse to battle you at your level and watch you improve.
Nemona even loves battling so much that she finds it a little strange when others aren’t as enthusiastic about battling as she is, below is a quote I found particularly interesting because it really does show that she can be socially oblivious at times when it comes to societal expectations about what is an appropriate place or time to have a Pokémon battle.
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Accompanying this, multiple times throughout the game she exhibits impulsive or oblivious behaviour and asks you to have another battle with her straight after another battle you’ve just had, usually due to being excited. Sometimes other characters will need to remind her that your Pokémon require healing first, or that there are other things that need doing. She doesn’t always understand how things should be handled in a conventional manner, despite being an expert on the topic of battling! (Or, she gets too excited and can’t help herself.)
In post-game, there’s even a scene where she doesn’t seem to understand that another student is reluctant to battle her and makes an excuse to leave early because she’s so far from being a casual trainer that it intimidates him. This is, in my opinion, actually quite a sad scene. She genuinely continues to think that he will challenge her to a battle at a different time, not realising that her ‘unusual’ enthusiasm and skill has scared him away, and that he has no intention of returning. A situation I’m sure a lot of neurodiverse children would connect with because it so accurately depicts what it’s like when others don’t share your interests to the degree that you hoped they would. This scene also hints at Nemona’s trouble with reading the emotions and intentions of others.
Nemona’s final post-game scene (which please, I BEG of you to go watch, it’s so good) confirms this outright, and also gives one of the most relatable lines in media about what it’s like to be neurodivergent in any way, especially as somebody who is younger:
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Something I like about Nemona is that despite being socially oblivious and pushy with her interests, she is still a very sympathetic and friendly character. Not only does she cheer you on throughout the game, but she doesn’t only do it for the sake of serving only her own interests! She’s genuinely caring about others around her too.
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(Nemona, congratulating the player when they beat her at the end of her storyline after she goes full-out. She is thrilled that you beat her! I love this moment.)
Throughout the last chapter in the game, there’s a lot of great moments with Nemona that show how caring she is. I think the best moments however, are where she tries to understand and support a scared Miraidon, and where she tries to help Arven.
Initially, she is misunderstanding and expects that the second Miraidon will be friendly and that it will be a family reunion, but once she realises this is not the case, she immediately switches to trying to support your Miraidon in any way she can. Despite not understanding why Miraidon is so afraid of returning to the Crater and facing the other Miraidon, she can be observed multiple times attempting to encourage it during the final battle, and can be seen in the final cutscene of the game with her arm around it as the group walks back to the academy.
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(Nemona, displaying an implied struggle with visually judging the emotions of others.)
Nemona is also the one who suggests after a very heavy story ending that everyone goes home, and that they take the scenic route back to town. She clearly doesn’t know what to say to Arven about what he’s just been through, but she attempts to make him feel a bit better regardless.
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I think this makes for particularly good representation, because not only is she less feminine than previous female rivals with her more sporty style and interests (something very common with autistic women) it also shows depth. I’ve seen autistic characters before that fall into the stereotype of coming across as emotionally detached or cold, or far too over-reactive. But I think Nemona strikes a lovely balance of caring, emotional, and socially lacking.
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Now, on to a smaller detail that I want to point out that I really like the inclusion of is that glove. I could talk about how Nemona displays memory issues at times or other smaller symptoms of autism, but I really want to talk about the glove. I made a post on this subject the moment Nemona’s design was revealed on the official website, but I like that the game content openly confirmed that Nemona has motor issues with her dominant hand.
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(Nemona, needing to support her arm when about to throw a Pokéball, or when she is about to terastalise her Pokémon. The burst of energy from the tera orb must make things a bit more difficult for her. A lovely small detail in her battles.)
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(Nemona, confirming that she has trouble with Pokéballs. Something her website entry also stated.)
Now I’ve saved this until last because this is, in my opinion, a smaller detail that they didn’t need to include to make Nemona read as neurodiverse, but I’m thrilled they did. Nemona is the only character who wears an arm brace, something I picked up on immediately in the trailers before the games released. No other trainers wear one for the terastalisation mechanic, unlike the Z-bands from Alola. And even though Pokémon battling is her bread and butter, she still struggles with certain aspects of it! Not only is this trouble with motor skills realistic, but it’s also a very accurate portrayal of motor dysfunction that a lot of neurodiverse people experience in their day to day lives.
To bring this all to a close, I think that even though it isn’t stated outright, I believe Nemona isn’t just representation of neurodiversity in women, but I think that she is also GREAT representation. She knows that she has problems, and tries her best regardless! She is kind, and caring, even though she has difficulties with reading the emotions of others and understanding social expectations. Her entire story may be about making friends with you through the medium of battling, but it’s also a story about how she’s struggled in the past to connect with others because of her love of that medium.
I truely do feel like she’s a lovely depiction to be in a children’s game, because she is a very positive depiction of something that a lot of kids go through, and in the end, she gets to be herself and she gets to be happy by being true to that self. She is never forced to change to make friends, and instead befriends you and the other characters simply by remaining as she is.
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