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xamag-draws · 22 days

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BBR thoughts 2024

Since I mentioned that I finally dusted off an old project of mine and was ruminating on how I'd remake it, I thought I'd elaborate a little, now that I've solidified some concepts. For funsies

This is gonna be a bit of a long and unfocused one, but I don't share my personal thoughts here often, especially the stuff about my projects I always marinate in. And for once it's something that people have existing context for, so hey why not

So for anyone who hasn't been following me for a gajillion years, The Black Brick Road of OZ was a webcomic that I posted around 2013-2015, back when I was in highschool going on college (which is kinda crazy to think about). It was sort of a darker twist on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, although I definitely leaned a lot more into dark humor more than anything in those first few chapters

I don't think it's available to read anywhere anymore, and I know people have been asking me about it. So here's the full proper archive of BBR, as full as it can be with deceased Flash

I totally used it as an excuse to shamelessly and self-indulgently experiment. It had interactive pages and GIFs and was wayyy too overproduced for what I could handle or what was necessary, but I did have great fun making it while it lasted

Unfortunately, that excess and the fact that I've changed too much as a person by the time I was in college is what ultimately killed it. The direction I wanted to go in was practically unrecognizable from the original idea started back in 2011, so there were many old hold-ups that I felt ruined it

At the time I kinda wished I could start/rewrite it all over, but considering that I pretty much had the entire script done at that point, it felt like a pointless sisyphean task. So I just put it on a shelf and didn't look back for about 8 years, because I didn't know what else to do

Now to be fair, the nature of my art has always been iterative and cyclical; when I feel like my creative juices have run dry I prefer to leave a project to marinate and move on to something else; cycle through other old things and bring in new skills and perspectives into the mix when I'm ready again. Not very productive, but it is what makes me happy to work on my OCs; I'm doomed to hit a wall with them eventually and I need some time to be able to find a new direction

So that said, I'm glad that BBR was left to marinate for that long. I don't think I was prepared, emotionally or intellectually, to tackle it again until now. The Wizard of Oz book (and the entire series of them, really) has always been near and dear to my heart, but there's a lot of context around it that I'm only unpacking now that I'm older

I think I always inherently feel negatively about the stuff I've made in the past, like its faults always jump out to me more than the positives, especially the more time passes. I've never liked that, and I do really appreciate the kind things people have to say about BBR to this day. The fact that it still can be recognized and remembered is very sweet

When I left it, I already found it "kinda cringe", and that feeling only deepened with years. When I took my first look back at it, asking the question "how would I rewrite it now?", at first I took a very cynical approach, as in "everything would have to be torn down"

But the more I sat on it, the more I found that I still see some merit and charm in the ideas I was putting out; I just didn't know how to execute them at the time (not to pretend that I know what I'm doing now, but I certainly know more at least). Turns out a lot of my old concepts could be changed substantially with just a few small tweaks. So I'd say that's a nicer way to think about my previous work

If you haven't seen yet, I posted a first draft of my new designs for some of the characters (the main group, the Goods and the Wickeds). Definitely subject to change, but more or less how I see them now

I'm just playing with these concepts; by no means would I attempt to remake BBR right this moment. Call it a pipe dream among my other ones. But just for fun, this is the direction I'd like to take:

Nowadays I'd probably make it a visual novel, with more emphasis on the visual part than the novel because I'm no English prose writer by any means. It'd still let me play a little with the interactivity while helping cut some corners on the drawing part (only some, I imagine I'd go hog wild anyway)

I've always intended for some events inspired by the sequel books to take place in BBR's past. Stuff like Jinjur's revolt or Ozma's rule preceeds the main events here. So I think it would be fun to follow the past of a few key characters alongside the main story. One chapter focusing on the present quest to see the Wizard, then one focusing on the past events (that are maybe reflective thematically); rinse and repeat

I'm also sticking a little closer to the original text in some regards. Not everything that I enjoy from the books would be translated here, it's still just a very loose fantasy on the material; but I'd like to be closer in spirit at least

I like mature, wise and powerful Glinda, I like kind and vulnerable Tin Man, I like the Wizard being a pathetic yet loveable liar, so I'm sprinkling in more of that for example

I'd like to keep some whimsy, but make it more grounded and a bit more serious to be coherent in tone. I think the original TWWOOZ book was a more realistic fantasy in some ways, even for the standards of the time; I like its simple but vivid tactile descriptions and details like bringing attention that Dorothy needed to eat and sleep

I find it funny that Baum specifically was averse to making his books scary or unpleasant, finding that unnecessary for telling a compelling kids story, but they still can get pretty dark and disturbing, at least for our modern sensibilities. Let's just say that I intend to use the Evoldo and Chopfyt storylines for my purposes. In that way, I feel like a "darker" Wizard of Oz retelling can still mostly be tonally in line with the original and balance it with enough heart and occasional humor

I slowly grew to appreciate the quaint old-timey quality of the original series, as well. The first book is both timeless and very much a product of the 1900s. Originally I tried to give it a little modern or at least anachronistic spin, but it was moreso because it's what I knew best, so these days I'd rather intentionally lean into the time period. Still not fully historically accurate by any means, but at least directly acknowledging the influence

The events of the story span across 40 years of these characters' lives, so I'm drawing inspiration from the entire so-called La Belle Epoque: the time period around 1880s-1920s. Basically I'm cooking, and my soup is old Victorian fashion morphing into Edwardian fashion and slowly inching towards flappers

Some new Dolly outfits

Lots of crazy things, political changes and innovations were happening at the turn of the century, which I think is noted and reflected by Baum in the books as well; the character of Tik-Tok might not blow any minds now, but he was one of the first robot characters in literature at that point; and don't even get me started on Jinjur, etc. Plenty of really interesting stuff one could lightly ponder in an Oz adaptation these days

Aesthetically, art nouveau has always been a big artistic influence for me, and it'd definitely be its time to shine here. John R. Neill's illustrations of the Oz books often keep me company as well. Nouveau architecture in particular fits that fairytale whimsy extremely well imo

I'd allow myself a little bit of art deco here and there, but ultimately its intimidating geometrical splendor is an antithetical to the flowery nature of nouveau and I associate it with a completely different era. Definitely fitting some characters like my Wicked Witch of the West, but shouldn't be overused

One of my main problems with the original BBR was that eventually I lost track of what it was even about; and the original ending felt too mean and unfulfilling to be worth it. Now I'd like to stick to the theme of home and family as my main theme, but in a different, more bittersweet way than in the book

An interesting connection I made is that a lot of my aforementioned older key characters (the Witches, Jinjur, the Nome King, etc) all came from the same reformatory as kids, that's how they know each other. In my recent research I learned that in those reformatories it was usually frowned upon to release the children back to the families, which were seen as the original corrupting influence regardless of the circumstance. The reformatory did everything in its power to cut that connection and make itself the only family those wayward kids were supposed to know and love. That's an unexpected tie into the theme of home that I'd like to explore as well

So yeah that's the current state of it. I have a bunch of outfit concepts I'm slowly cooking, although I'm now sure whether I'd post them... But I do miss these funny guys, and I'm glad some people still do as well :)

#my art #xam rambles #the black brick road of oz #long post #ohsees tag

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horrorisunknowntoyou · 1 year

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Watching From The Sidelines P.3

[SAGAU X SHAPESHIFTER READER]

Synopsis: The game begins! You travel all over Teyvat, as your followers try so hard to follow your tracks. But your having too much fun talking to the locals, helping those in need and drinking!

If they can catch you, you will become their God, if not well, then they'll have to continue playing the game!

A/n: mentioned of flirting with women and men. And slight y/n x zhongli.

Tag List:

@randomnatics @the-2nd-random-kid @smokey-cat @moosieman12345 @nexylaza @stellakito @creation-magician @longppanoodle @angelkazusstuff @apple-ai @guess-i-die @jcrml @byakuren100 @moraxsimp69 @iruiji @ll-nty77 @yuyuzi-ling

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All the maids and house keepers were let go, but were given a large bag of mora in compensation. They were allowed to take anything they want from the manor, you were going to sell it as you had no need of it.

which all is left is you and this empty house.

Tick...Tick....Tick.....

You tapped your foot against the floor, your legs crossed sitting on an loafy chair besides a window. You had a golden pocket watch in your hand checking every minute.

"They should be here in one...two... three..."

Bang

You closed the pocket watch swiftly, placing it inside your coat pocket. Patting your chest as you hold your hands together listening the door be swinged open.

It was obvious at this open your the creator, your golden eyes hidden behind your sunglasses. Monsters and enemies not bothered by your presence. It's clear what your identity is. Especially the death of the imposter. The golden eyes they had, have transferred to you much to your displeasure.

You took a sip from a glass of champagne you poured for yourself.

Your "entourage" soon appeared Infront of you, clearly disheveled and worried. They were on their knees grasping at straws, panting like the dogs they are.

Before they could even speak you rose your hand to silence them.

"How about we play a little game...you want me to be your God. Correct? So..." You stood up watching their eyes follow you, as you make way to window hitting the notch open. " If you win this game, I'll be your God. "

They looked at each other confused.

"My Grace, our creator what game are you suggesting?" Zhongli asked.

You hummed, " A game of cat and mouse. To play a game, there must be rules. Here are mine."

* 1. No unlawful killing of innocents, even if they help me don't hurt them. That includes yourselves as well

* 2. The form I am in now will be my main one, only to make it fair for you all. However I'll still use my abilities to my advantage. Including tools.

* 3. All of you are against me and me alone. However to make it fun I'll have sometimes a "spy" on your side. A random chosen person who will give me info.

"As I stated earlier if you catch me, I'll be your God and do whatever you want me to do."

The entourage looked at each other and nod in approval.

Venti looked at you in admiration, " We agree to our Creator's rules! It's obvious this is a test for us."

Zhongli agrees with it, "Our Creator is testing our faith after our failure to noticed the imposter. We don't deserve such mercy."

You kinda stood their like "huh?" As Ei nod to the other two. " We will play our Creator's game and prove our devote loyalties."

You smiled at them, " recruit whoever you wish, there no time limit. " You walked over to the mirror.

"THE GAME STARTS IN 1...2...3! GO!" You immediately jumped out of the window, throwing a confetti bomb at them to disorient them. Gold confetti flying everywhere with dust of glitter and smoke.

The acolytes cover their mouth, shielding their eyes as Venti clear the air.

" CAPTURE THE CREATOR NO MATTER WHAT!" zhongli yells out , pointing towards the window.

-----------------------------------------------------------

You were running, you didn't know where but you just ran. You can practically feel your heart hitting against your chest, the adrenaline pumping through your veins.

God, you never felt more alive then now, this doesn't compare to stressing over exams or phone calls to doctors or setting up your college funds. Hell, not even when you transported to this world as their God.

It was euphoric.

You were practically leaping around in joy.

How can those y/n's in those SAGAU fics be so foolish. You came from the same background as those fics, but why was the world wrapped around your finger?

The strongest people in all of genshin are chasing you! But not to mercilessly kill you, but instead a game you instigated.

A game...how funny is that?

No longer am binded to an execution but game.

How silly.

You smirked at the thought of it, you took off your sun glasses placing it away as you hear the acolytes near by. You hid behind a tree shape shifting into a bird on a branch. Watching them pass by you with determination In their eyes.

Expect one.

Aether.

He spotted you, but he didn't mention it to the others. As they ran into different directions all around Teryet he stayed behind.

You shape shifted back to m/n, "Hello Aether."

He blushed looking at you in shock, " you know my name?" You simply nodded.

"Your the traveller how could I not? So Aether do you wish to be my first spy? "

He nodded almost immediately, " please! I would be honored. "

You hummed, "good, remember not the tell the others. But I have heard alot from you, so you'll be of great use to me." You pull something from your pocket placing it on his hand.

" a gift. " You mumbles as you look at him who's completely awe struck.

" your so much kinder then the imposter! They never did anything like this to me!" He says as you raised an eyebrow in intrigued.

"Is that so?... Tell me more. "

------------------------------------------------------------

Aether set a blanket down for you to sit on as he explained about the imposter. Mostly just venting out his frustrations as you listen in intrigued.

Saying that, they were so cruel and give no rewards always complaining for things to be done. Always in humane and never helped. They were greedy and power hungry. He just kept going and going.

Honestly, thank the gods the imposter was dead because how Aether explains it, you would have killed them yourself.

How dare they use your face to be cruel to the undeserving, how dare they make the weak and poor feel vulnerable.

How dare they disgrace YOUR name.

It disgusted you.

You thank him for the info but he shook his head, " I don't deserve such words I just did as you told. " You just sighed..

" of course, of course. You must return to the others or they might get suspicious of your absence. I'll call you when needed. Also tell your sister and Paimon I said hello. "

He nodded excitedly.

You stood up and nodded at him in approval as disappeared in a dust of gold confetti.

Aether sat there blushing, holding the gift dearly to him , so excited to be the Creator's first spy and vessel.

He couldn't be any more happier.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Days past

Your acolytes were taking this game very seriously.

But you? Oh you were relaxing in a random tavern, drinking a glass. Flirting with some of the women and men in the bar.

If they saw you, they would definitely be jealous.

You laughed at their jokes, as they melt under the touch of your gloved hands.

Of course just when you had the person wrapped around your finger you Venti immediately showed up. You kissed on top of the strangers hand, " sorry to cut it short but I most go. " You immediately dodged his attack, sliding under him and bolted out the door.

" Your Grace come back!" You hear faintly behind you.

Venti was still on you before Xiao came out of nowhere with his weapon.

"your getting faster!" You said as you grabbed onto a railing above you. With your agility, you swing up onto the roof and leaped onto the other building roof.

You stick your tongue out at them teasing them as you fled away.

Xiao sighs, shaking his head as Venti whines , stomping his foot.

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You were helping a child down a tree, smiling at them happily playing with them. Gently setting them down, giving them a lollipop.

"Thank you mister!/miss!" The child's says smiling running off to their mother.

You waved bye, before being jumped by lumine and Paimon, immediately dropping to the floor dodging their attack. You immediately kick yourself up , brushing dirt off your coat.

Paimon flying towards you like a missile, but you immediately distracted her with candy.

She immediately took the bait and you shape shifted as a bird and flew away all giddy as lumine and Paimon argued over her taking the candy.

"How can I decline!" Paimon pouted

Lumine groans in defeat, " we were so close! "

It was cute to watch.

-----------------------------------------------------------

You chugged down another glass, laughing loudly in a party your invited to. It was dark and everyone was dancing. Attention on you as you smiled hiding behind a fan, after all you were a rich business man.

After all what's the harm I'm having fun?

You talked to other business partners and people you knew. Hell, you even met up with your assistant and she told you how things are going along. You told her you were busy with external affairs and will make her in charge and raise her salary and holidays off.

She agreed to it, thankful with the benefits she was given. " Thank you sir/ma'am, I can't thank you enough for the generosity you given me. "

" of course, I wouldn't be as successful without your help."

" I'm honored you think so." She smiles.

"go have fun, I have things to do, go enjoy yourself." You said smiling, gesturing her to talk to others.

" of course, thank you sir. " She says leaving, as you leaned against a table.

You pulled out your pocket watch, looking at the time as you step outside. Climbing on top of the roof, starring onto the night sky, looking at the moon.

You heard light footsteps behind you.

You turn around and smile seeing zhongli standing there.

You chuckled, as zhongli has his weapon in hand, he swung it at you, but you catch it. Tossing it aside, wrapping your arm around his waist pulling him close, the other hand on his hand.

"Y-Your Grace?!" He fumbled.

You can tell he's overwhelmed by this, as you hum to the tune played below. Spinning him around in the moonlight, bowing him down. He practically melts to your touch, collapsing on to his knees. You smirked as you gently set him down.

"i-i...uh..."

You blew him a kiss before teleporting away.

He just sat there dumbfounded and flustered.

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Besides being chased by the most powerful people in genshin. You like wandering around, you didn't need to sleep or eat a lot so it wasn't much of a issue. You liked to explore the world, seeing the shops and stores. Talking with the locals and hanging out with them, everyday was something new. You weren't stuck in some temple being worshipped. Bored out of your mind.

No, you were experiencing Teyvat as a whole. You saw it yourself with your own eyes instead of those of an acolyte.

You are witnessing it first hand the issues and solving them on your own.

Because if you were called as their God , you wouldn't have a chance to do something like this.

It was nice to do everything independently.

You got to do small thoughtless things.

Like giving money to the poor.

Giving sweets and toys to children.

Helping the elderly and unfortunate.

Giving flowers to women and men.

Doing small errands

Going on adventures.

Hanging out with locals.

Getting invited to parties.

The list goes on, and of course with your money, you can spend it luxuriously if needed. As your still running your businesses and going to meetings and such. Just because your traveling doesn't mean you stopped working.

But you know, eventually the acolytes will turn it up a notch and add more people into this game. The question is when. Because so far you had an idea what they are doing due to Aether's spy work.

So they are definitely planning something, but it depends on what.

Time will only tell.

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Bonus!

WFTS y/n's Playlist (slightly fem leaning)

UPSAHL - People I Don't Like

Gwen Stefani - Rich Girl

Yung Gravy - Betty

Abba - Money, Money, Money

Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills

Lady Gaga - Fashion

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop

Flo Rida - Right Round

Lady Gaga - Telephone

Bruno Mars - That's What I Like

WFTS y/n is such a chaotic person lmao.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact #genshin self aware au #genshin self aware #genshin sagau #genshin impact sagau x reader #sagau genshin #sagau cult au #genshin impact sagau #genshin impact x gender neutral reader #genshin imposter au #genshin impact self aware #genshin x you

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sexy-sapphic-sorcerer · 29 days

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1: Magic is a Metaphor < 2: Morgana is a Lesbian > 3: Merlin is Gay > 4: Arthur is Bi

Building off of the whole metaphor idea, Morgana's character arc is basically that she starts to question her identity because she's having all of these dreams and thoughts that she doesn't understand. Then Gaius, who is straight up a conversion therapist, literally gaslights her and is like, 'no no, you're just going crazy, you're overreacting, here, why don't you take all of these drugs to suppress those thoughts?'

Meanwhile, Uther is saying all of this stuff about how sorcerers are all evil and should be killed, and Morgana will try to argue with him and he will just be like, 'well, why do you care so much?' And she's all, 'oh, no reason. I'm just an ally. I'm just really passionate about social justice.' Like, girl, we've all been there.

And then once Morgana does come to terms with her identity and she realises how fucked up the way that she was treated is, she goes batshit and starts a revolution and assassinates her dad. And good for her! I honestly think that all repressed lesbians deserve a little bit of murder, it's only fair, especially if they look so hot doing it.

Also, Morgana doesn't have any male love interests. I mean, she will sometimes flirt with men to manipulate them into doing what she wants, but it's very clear that that is what she is doing, she never actually cares about them or follows through.

Besides, Katie McGrath has never played a heterosexual in her life. She's basically straight up said that she played Morgana as a lesbian. You know where she said that? Here:

Hear me out.

Are they technically half-sisters? Yes. But omg the sexual tension between these two is undeniable. You really do think that they're just going to kiss at any given moment. This has been straight up confirmed. This is a quote from the same conversation as earlier between the main producer and Katie McGrath, where they fully admit that there are definitely lesbian undertones there, and not only did both actresses play it that way, but it was written that way. So I rest my case.

Gwen knew about Morgana's prophetic visions from the start and she was never scared of it or tried to deny that it was magic. Instead, she was always by Morgana's bedside (or in her bed) so she could hold her face and stroke her hair and tell her she would be okay. Gayasses.

Although, as Iori Miyazawa can attest, yuri is often best found in the absence of it. Because once Morgana accepts her identity and her magic becomes an unavoidable part of of her life rather than thoughts she could repress, she begins to push Gwen away, often in the form of telling her not to undress her anymore.

Then this tension between them is emphasised when Morgana starts having nightmares of Gwen marrying Arthur and is really upset by it for some reason. I know that she justifies it by saying that she doesn't want Gwen to take her place as queen, but if you think about that for more than 5 seconds, it makes absolutely no sense. Arthur is still going to be king regardless of who he marries, so unless Morgana is planning to follow the legend a bit too closely and marry her brother, then Gwen is absolutely not taking her place.

And yet Morgana spends the entire rest of the show obsessing over Gwen, including: planting false evidence to break up Gwen and Arthur, using necroLancey as a puppet to seduce her, kidnapping Gwen only to tenderly caress her face and force her to have dinner with her, and then of course enchanting Gwen to kill Arthur so that Morgana can be queen, and Gwen will seemingly also still be queen. And they will be two queens, together, platonically. Hmmm

#now with an added morgwen slide since I didn't have it when I first made this (like 2 years ago now) because I had not yet been enlightened #morgana pendragon #morgwen #morgcest #merlin meta #bbc merlin #merlin #the magic of metaphor

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linkyu · 4 months

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tell me about your defense contract pleage

Oh boy!

To be fair, it's nothing grandiose, like, it wasn't about "a new missile blueprint" or whatever, but, just thinking about what it could have become? yeesh.

So, let's go.

For context, this is taking place in the early 2010s, where I was working as a dev and manager for a company that mostly did space stuff, but they had some defence and security contracts too.

One day we got a new contract though, which was... a weird one. It was state-auctioned, meaning that this was basically a homeland contract, but the main sponsor was Philip Morris. Yeah. The American cigarette company.

Why? Because the contract was essentially a crackdown on "illegal cigarette sales", but it was sold as a more general "war on drugs" contract.

For those unaware (because chances are, like me, you are a non-smoker), cigarette contraband is very much a thing. At the time, ~15% of cigarettes were sold illegally here (read: they were smuggled in and sold on the street).

And Phillip Morris wanted to stop that. After all, they're only a small company worth uhhh... oh JFC. Just a paltry 150 billion dollars. They need those extra dollars, you understand?

Anyway. So they sponsored a contract to the state, promising that "the technology used for this can be used to stop drug deals too". Also that "the state would benefit from the cigarettes part as well because smaller black market means more official sales means a higher tax revenue" (that has actually been proven true during the 2020 quarantine).

Anyway, here was the plan:

Phase 1 was to train a neural network and plug it in directly to the city's video-surveillance system, in order to detect illegal transactions as soon as they occur. Big brother who?

Phase 2 was to then track the people involved in said transaction throughout the city, based on their appearance and gait. You ever seen the Plainsight sheep counting video? Imagine something like this but with people. That data would then be relayed to police officers in the area.

So yeah, an automated CCTV-based tracking system. Because that's not setting a scary precedent.

So what do you do when you're in that position? Let me tell you. If you're thrust unknowingly, or against your will, into a project like this,

Note. The following is not a legal advice. In fact it's not even good advice. Do not attempt any of this unless you know you can't get caught, or that even if you are caught, the consequences are acceptable. Above all else, always have a backup plan if and when it backfires. Also don't do anything that can get you sued. Be reasonable.

Let me introduce you to the world of Corporate Sabotage! It's a funny form of striking, very effective in office environments.

Here's what I did:

First of all was the training data. We had extensive footage, but it needed to be marked manually for the training. Basically, just cropping the clips around the "transaction" and drawing some boxes on top of the "criminals". I was in charge of several batches of those. It helped that I was fast at it since I had video editing experience already. Well, let's just say that a good deal of those markings were... not very accurate.

Also, did you know that some video encodings are very slow to process by OpenCV, to the point of sometimes crashing? I'm sure the software is better at it nowadays though. So I did that to another portion of the data.

Unfortunately the training model itself was handled by a different company, so I couldn't do more about this.

Or could I?

I was the main person communicating with them, after all.

Enter: Miscommunication Master

In short (because this is already way too long), I became the most rigid person in the project. Like insisting on sharing the training data only on our own secure shared drive, which they didn't have access to yet. Or tracking down every single bug in the program and making weekly reports on those, which bogged down progress. Or asking for things to be done but without pointing at anyone in particular, so that no one actually did the thing. You know, classic manager incompetence. Except I couldn't be faulted, because after all, I was just "really serious about the security aspect of this project. And you don't want the state to learn that we've mishandled the data security of the project, do you, Jeff?"

A thousand little jabs like this, to slow down and delay the project.

At the end of it, after a full year on this project, we had.... a neural network full of false positives and a semi-working visualizer.

They said the project needed to be wrapped up in the next three months.

I said "damn, good luck with that! By the way my contract is up next month and I'm not renewing."

Last I heard, that city still doesn't have anything installed on their CCTV.

tl;dr: I used corporate sabotage to prevent automated surveillance to be implemented in a city--

hey hold on

wait

what

HEY ACTUALLY I DID SOME EXTRA RESEARCH TO SEE IF PHILLIP MORRIS TRIED THIS SHIT WITH ANOTHER COMPANY SINCE THEN AND WHAT THE FUCK

HUH??????

well what the fuck was all that even about then if they already own most of the black market???

#i'm sorry this got sidetracked in the end #i'm speechless #anyway yeah!#sometimes activism is sitting in an office and wasting everyone's time in a very polite manner #i learned that one from the CIA actually

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wintermoth · 6 months

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So I just saw The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and i gotta say, they did a damn good job.

But I'm not altogether happy with how much they changed the Games from how they played out in the book. I get needing to condense them for runtime and I get needing to change certain things like having cameras in the tunnels. The 10th Games were literally bursts of activity followed by hours upon hours of nothing because they couldn't see underground.

But it's the progression of events, the kill order & swapping of kills, and the omission of events which bothers me. Rest under the cut cos Long Post.

First of all: the Bloodbath. In the book, there is no Bloodbath. The kids literally grabbed supplies and hauled ASS to safety. You know. Like terrified children would. I personally think it was a mistake having the Bloodbath at all but I'm guessing some studio execs pulled rank on this one. >_>

Weaponizing the drones was something which...should've only worked once but whatever.

Coral getting properly fleshed out to be the main antagonist in the arena? Cool shit. They combined various aspects of other characters like Treech (7) and Teslee (3) into her. It gives us someone to root against and, narratively, I understand why they did it. She wasn't someone who'd trained her whole life like, say, Cato. She was just a kid who was doing what she thought she had to to get home. She was a bully, yeah, but not a villain.

Dill dying to the poison instead of her illness...um okay? This one I really don't get. IMO Lucy Gray seeing little Wovey die to the poison as she did in the books would've been much harder on her and the audience considering earlier events. Deadass, I think it was their way of dealing with the Reaper Problem - more on this in a minute Wovey's death was a cheap attempt at shock value and, surprise, no one was shocked. EVERYONE knew that container was bad news--audience, capitol, tributes--except perhaps Wovey herself. We'll blame the trauma.

And as for Lucy Gray herself, of her three book kills, one was removed entirely, and two were changed. The first being Dill instead of Wovey. The second being the way in which she killed Treerch. She was supposed to use a snake mutt as a weapon which she'd protected and hidden in her dress--which served as both a callback to her Reaping with the mayor's daughter.....and a premonition of what would eventually happen in the woods outside 12. And she was supposed to outwit/outmaneuver Reaper, which was removed entirely.

So, Reaper Ash. Big guy from District 11. The Thresh of these games. It's like they didn't know what to do with him. They dedicated his little screen time before the Games to making it clear he was 100% That Bitch and there were several lines (most from Lucky) indicating he was a strong contender. One of a handful of instances of Checkov's Gun, a rule of writing which states if you're going to call attention to a detail, it better fucking be important.

Allow me to summarize book events for those of you who don't know: The night before the Games, he apologizes to the surviving tributes for having to kill them and Jessup, who has rabies, spits in his eye. At the start of the Games, he was one of the few to run to get weapons at the start and was ready to fight, but everyone else was gone. So he heads out to hunt them down. Reaper was the only one proactively looking for a fight. Later, Reaper finds Dill down in the tunnels and carries her out into the open and lays her down in the sun because she's dying already and he's not going to kill her. He leaves her to her own devices and moves on. The next time we see him, he mercifully lets Lucy Gray flee from him. Afterwards, he strikes up an agreement with Lamina, the girl from 7, who's cleverly holed up high off the ground, and shows himself to pragmatic, fair, and good to his word.

Lamina warns him of oncoming tributes and he flees. When he eventually returns, he finds her and another murdered. Incensed, he begins assembling his morgue. During this, he uses part of a Capitol flag to make himself a cape, which makes him happy. The next day, he added Wovey to his morgue. When the Snakes are released into the arena, he is out of the line of fire, up in the stands, and survives.

By now, though, the rabies is really starting to affect him. He continues to obsessively add to and protect his morgue. On the last day, when Lucy Gray tries to add the third place tribute to it, he scares her off. But it's just them now and he doesn't even try to kill her. All he cares about is maintaining the morgue and keeping their bodies covered. He is eventually run ragged by Lucy Gray, who knows he's sick, and meets his end by drinking a poisoned puddle. He crawls to his morgue and dies. Lucy Gray wins.

In the movie, there's a Bloodbath and kids start killing each other, and he's right in there with them. We see him throw down ONLY to defend Dill. Then they just kinda....disappear. And they stay disappeared throughout everything which follows. None of his moments with the other tributes occur. When they emerge, Dill is significantly ahead of him--which tbh makes little sense since, as her protector, he reasonably should've gone out first to ensure it's safe--and dies by drinking poison. He is devastated and screams dramatically. He then begins to make his morgue and offend the capitol by disrespecting the flag before making a big dramatic speech to the cameras daring them to punish him. He apparently stays by his morgue for the rest of the day and when the snake mutts get dropped into the arena, he is keenly aware of the danger. He warns Wovey away, though she doesn't listen. He is almost immediately engulfed by the snakes. He holds still, sits up straight and tall, closes his eyes, then falls forward dead, followed swiftly by the remaining tributes except Lucy Gray.

So, that being said.

Book Reaper's story is a young man who expected to win and was prepared to do it, only for his degenerating mind to focus on protecting the dignity of the murdered children around him. His death was ignoble.

Movie Reaper's story is a young man who expected to win and was prepared to do it, but was also determined to protect his weak district partner with his life, and upon losing her, presents the Capitol both middle fingers. His death was ignoble.

I get why they cut the rabies plotline for the movie. It definitely saved time.....and it REALLY wouldn't look good if the filmmakers had both black guys die of rabies. Just saying. What bothers me about his movie story is just how unfulfilling it was. Going back to Checkov's Gun, he was supposed to be a Threat. And then he just. Wasn't. All for a over-dramatic and tbh unnecessary moment of glory.

so yeah that's my two cents.

anyway go see the movie.

#Hunger Games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #spoilers for tbosas #Lucy Gray Baird #Reaper Ash #Moon as something to say

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onlyonetifosi · 4 months

Text

Behind the camera -> chapter 9

<- previous series masterlist my main masterlist next->

author note1: angst and mean girls are back hahahah 😈😈

As the bell rang, signaling the end of another school day, Yn Leclerc gathered her belongings and made her way towards the school's exit. Her heart raced with anticipation, for today was a day like no other. The Princesse Grace Dance Academy awaited her, and the joy of dancing was the perfect escape from the troubles that awaited her outside the classroom.

Yn's golden curls bounced as she walked, and her ballet bag swung gracefully at her side. She couldn't wait to join her friends at the academy, especially her best friend, Marta. They had been through thick and thin together, supporting each other's dreams, and now they were on a journey to becoming professional ballerinas

However, the path to pursuing her passion was not without its challenges. A group of girls, once her ballet companions in her school’s ballet extracurricular activity, resented Yn for achieving what they hadn't – acceptance into the prestigious academy. The trio had never quite recovered from being left behind at the school's ballet classes, while Yn and Marta moved on to the illustrious academy.

The trio of tormentors approached, their disdain painted across their faces like poorly masked jealousy. Yn's heart raced, but she straightened her posture, determined not to let their negativity affect her.

"Regardez qui voilà, la petite danseuse étoile," Emelie sneered as they approached, their perfectly coordinated steps emphasizing the mockery in their voices. (Look who's here, the little prima ballerina)

Yn tightened her grip on her pointe shoes, her eyes narrowing at the trio. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't going to let their words break her.

"Hey, Yn, maybe you should teach us some of those fancy moves you've been learning at your 'prestigious' academy," Camille added, her tone dripping with sarcasm. (Maybe you could show us some of those fancy moves you've been learning at your 'prestigious' academy.)

The leader of the trio, Isabelle, sneered, "You might be at the academy, but you'll never truly belong."

Yn took a deep breath, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. "Merci pour votre opinion, Isabelle. (Thank you for your opinion, Isabelle)," she replied, maintaining a calm exterior despite the storm within.

Yn took a deep breath, steeling herself against the words that stung like arrows. "I don't have time for this. Leave me alone."

"Oh, la petite princesse est trop fière maintenant." (Oh, the little princess is too proud now.)

Isabelle smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh, don't worry, Yn. We just wanted to check in on our little prodigy. It must be tough being the only one from our old group to make it into the academy."

Yn's jaw clenched, but before she could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "Yn, there you are!" Joris approached with a bright smile, followed by Marta, Riccardo, Nico, Hugo, and of cours her brother Charles.

“Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?" (What's going on here?) Joris asked, shooting a stern look at the other girls.

"Nothing, we were just catching up with our old friend Yn," Isabelle said, feigning innocence.

Emelie, Camille, and Isabelle exchanged glances, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected support Yn had gathered.

Isabelle sneered, "Your sister thinks she's too good for us now that she's in this fancy academy. She's not as special as she thinks."

Marta, ever the fiery defender, retorted, "Elle est incroyable, Isabelle. And you're just jealous because you couldn't make the cut."

"She doesn't deserve it! It's not fair!" ("Elle ne le mérite pas ! Ce n'est pas juste !") Camille says looking agitated

"Tough luck, maybe you should've worked harder." Marta responds while crouching down to hug Yn. "Vous n'avez rien de mieux à faire?" (Don't you have anything better to do?) Marta, standing tall beside Yn, shot a defiant look at the bullies. "What's the matter, Isabelle? Afraid Yn will outshine you?"

Charles stepped forward, his protective older brother instincts kicking in. "C'est marrant, parce que ça ressemble plutôt à du harcèlement. (Funny, because it looks more like harassment)"

Yn felt a surge of gratitude as her friends gathered around her. "These girls are just bitter because they didn't make it into the academy. Don't let them get to you" Joris placed a reassuring hand on Yn's waist

"Allons-y, YN. Ils ne valent pas notre temps" (Let's go, YN They're not worth our time) Hugo said while all the group surrounded yn to do a grupal hug and accompany her home.

The group walked away, leaving the mean girls fuming in their wake. Yn couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. With friends like these, she knew she could overcome anything that came her way.

Yn felt a wave of gratitude for her friends and her brother. Once the mean girls were out of sight, Charles put a reassuring arm around Yn. "Are you okay, petite sœur?" (little sister)

Yn nodded, touched by the unwavering support around her. "Thanks to all of you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Come on, Yn. Let's go home," Charles said, wrapping an arm around her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, the Leclerc twins arrived home. Pascale, sensing something amiss, looked at them with concern. "Comment était votre journée, mes amours?" (How was your day, my loves?)

Yn smiled, "Ma journée était doux-amer, maman. Mais mes amis et Charles m'ont protégée." (My day was bittersweet, Mom. But my friends and Charles protected me.)

Charles, protective as always, chimed in, "Those girls were just jealous, Yn. Don't let them get to you."

Pascale, placing plates on the table, listened attentively. "Tell me, mon cherie, what happened?"

Yn, grateful for the unwavering support of her family and friends, began to recount the events of the day, while Charles interjected with comforting words.

"Elles étaient jalouses de toi, ma petite sœur," Charles reassured her. ("They were jealous of you, my little sister.")

Charles added, "Nous sommes toujours là pour elle, maman." (We're always here for her, Mom.)

Their maman beamed with pride, "Je suis si fière de vous deux. Vous êtes une équipe formidable." (I am so proud of both of you. You are a fantastic team.) Just after praising them she hurried Yn to start eating faster, "Dépêche-toi, ma ballerine, tu dois aller à l'académie de danse. L'académie t'attend (Hurry, my ballerina, you need to go to the dance academy. The academy is waiting for you)"

And in that moment, Yn knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she had her family and friends by her side, ready to face them together.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon passed quickly for Yn at the academy. The teachers were impressed with her progress, and they made sure to relay the good news to Pascale when she picked Yn up. Pascale couldn't help but beam with pride, knowing that her daughter was destined for greatness in the world of dance and Yn returned from the academy, tired but content

Meanwhile, Charles also arrived home after a rigorous training session at the karting track, guided by his father. Fatigue and satisfaction blended on his face.

As evening descended, the tired but satisfied twins returned home, with also their little brother Arthur, who was practicing with Charles. Pascale had prepared a feast for dinner – a family favorite, barbagiuan. The aroma filled the kitchen, welcoming the hungry trio.

The family gathered around the table, sharing stories of their day. Charles recounted the highlights of his karting training, and Yn shared the encouraging words from her dance teachers. Pascale and their papa, Hervé, listened with admiration.

"Les professeurs disent que tu as un avenir prometteur dans la danse, Yn. The teachers say you have a promising future in dance" Pascale proudly announced, raising her glass in a toast.

Arthur, always the enthusiastic one, jumped up and hugged Yn. "C'est incroyable, Yn! You're amazing!"

Charles grinned. "On est tous fiers de toi, Yn" (We're all proud of you, Yn)

Yn returned her brother's smile "Vous êtes les meilleurs frères du monde" (You're the best brothers in the world)

The night ended with laughter, shared accomplishments, and the comforting presence of family. As Yn drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the support of her loved ones. No matter what challenges lay ahead, she knew she could face them with the unwavering love and encouragement of her family by her side.

i hope you liked it and if you want to know more about yn and the leclercs and the adventures they are going to follow stay tuned (more drama coming soon and pierre is doing an apereance soon)

taglist: @love4lando @gcldtom @im-mi @topguncultleader @celesteblack08 @reblog-princess @sunf1ower16 @janeholt3 @athena-artemis-dorian-gray @minkyungseokie

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dresshistorynerd · 2 months

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Borderline begging you to not erase the gender non conformity of historical women by applying contemporary lenses of gender roles to them. Gender non conforming women existed then and still exist now. Wearing “men’s clothing” does not make me less of a woman and it’s incredibly insulting to see people in 2024 call women “they” and “he” because they wrote extensively about the misogyny they faced on a daily basis and chose to address and protect against by disguising their female form. Clothing does not a gender make—social roles do. Let’s respect historical women by referring to them correctly—not assuming what they would like to be called these days when we have long since dismissed European invert theory.

I'm assuming you are referring to that historical binder post and specifically this part:

Westner was also buried in men's clothing by their own request.

Firstly, I didn't call Ella Westner "he", not sure why you are implying that. I haven't read much about Westner, but I did try to look quickly if we have any record or second hand information of them talking or writing about their gender. I didn't find it, so I don't know what would be the correct way to refer to them. I referred to them with "them" since that is the pronoun in English language when you don't know someone's gender. By all means if you have any evidence to share how they liked to be referred, do share.

This is for all intents and purposes the same ask I got after my Julie d'Aubigny post so I'm going to link my response here (and the answer to the follow up ask) instead of rehashing the same points all over again. But I will rehash couple of main points since it seems they bear repeating. Firstly, I'm not talking about you, you are not Elle Westner and you have just as little access to her mind as I do. I don't have to assume your gender, you said you're a woman, and certainly I believe nothing you do makes you less of a woman. But I can't ask Elle Westner can I? For most historical people, I think it's fair to assume their gender to be the one assigned to them, but if there is evidence that might suggest otherwise, we should not assume. Of course we should neither assume it's not their assigned gender, it's entirely possible it is, but the possibility should not be discarded that their gender is different.

It's a little silly tbh to say I'm erasing gender non-comforming historical women, when literally in the same paragraph I mention how it was quite common for queer *women* to dress in masculine clothing. This is literally what I wrote:

Queer women and trans masc people, who dressed in masculine clothing, (which was pretty common) also sometimes bound their chests, but unsurprisingly that was not exactly celebrated like drag performances were, so there weren't binders made for queer people specifically.

(I admit I didn't mention the "mannish" feminists, who dressed masculinely, but they rarely bound their chests, and like many of them were queer also.)

What I will not do (even if you borderline beg) is to erase trans masc and non-binary people from history. Assuming all historical queer and gnc people were their assigned gender without extensive evidence to the contrary (for some people no amount of evidence is ever enough) effectively erases all trans and non-binary people from history, since the way gender was talked about, understood and allowed to express, was often so different from our current understanding and usually erased from historical evidence. That is in fact imposing our understanding of gender to historical people. Yes some women did cross-dress in order to escape misogyny, but that's certainly not the only reason people cross-dressed. Especially since many of them, those who couldn't or didn't try to pass, faced even more misogyny for cross-dressing, but they did it anyway because they had other reasons to cross-dress. The reason why cross-dressing can be evidence of queer gender identity (though of course as said, there are other possible reasons) especially in 19th century, is because in their culture the understanding of gender was heavily tied to gender expression. Even today, when gender and gender expression are seem much more as separate things, if you see a person who looks like a woman, but is dressed in men's clothing, you shouldn't immediately dismiss the possibility that they might not be a woman. Yes, they might be a woman who for one reason or another likes to dress in masculine clothing, or they might not be.

You say I shouldn't "apply contemporary lenses of gender roles" to historical queer people, but also that I should in this historical context dismiss sexual inversion theory, which was specifically a Victorian lens (shrouded in scientific essentialist terms) to look at queerness. Sexual inversion theory is not biologically true of course, like it was proposed, but really none of our sexuality and gender categories are. Because while there probably is some biological explanations for our feelings of attraction and towards our bodies (which we haven't really found yet), how we built gender and sexuality categories around those feelings is entirely cultural. So while sexual inversion theory is not relevant today, it is still relevant to understand the historical context, since it was an attempt to explain scientifically their cultural construction of gender and sexuality. And of course the flaw with all these cultural categories is that they can not contain and represent the whole breath of human feelings, and will always leave people out in their explanations, which is obviously true with sexual inversion theory (but also for example our identity based model). But the societal understanding of these things also shape how we understand and frame our own feelings.

So briefly, in 19th century queer identities were emerging (not seen as just behavior anymore) and first queer communities were formed. In the texts of Victorian queer writers the understanding of sexuality, expression and gender are all very fluid. Edward Carpenter (a Victorian gay communist) notably wrote about "the intermediate sex" and "transitional men and women" which he understood as a sort of third gender category. Basically his understanding of queerness was conceptually similar to sexual inversion theory, but he came from a non-medicalizing and queer liberation angle (though like his writings were not entirely free of internalized queerphobia but still very revolutionary for his time). He wrote about this third gender category as a sort of spectrum that goes from feminine men interested in men, and masculine women interested in women, to cross-dressing people and people living as opposite gender. Today we might see these ends of the spectrum as more or less gnc gay men and women and trans men and women, which to him were more or less extreme expressions of the same phenomena. This also aligns with broader Victorian understanding of gender and sexuality, as gnc queer people were generally seen as a separate gender category, often, especially in case of queer men and trans fems, called fairies. As said, certainly not all Victorian queer people would have agreed or felt represented by these ideas, but this does give us some understanding how at least some of the queer and gnc people might have understood their gender.

Maybe I will need to make a full post about how I think gender should be handled and studied in history, so I can just link it to when I inevitably get yet another one of these.

#i did end up writing more than i intended #and rehashing most of the same points as in the previous answer :')#queer history #history #victorian era #anon #answers

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candiid-caniine · 6 months

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Hey! Long time no see, i know i said id send you a fantasy i thought you'd like but now ive forgotten almost all of it, oop!

Life happened, and uh, i saw that you mentioned your libido being a bit low, which definitely is my case too (im recovering from depression, now that im okay id love to get my FULL libido back, or at least a good percentage of it) do you have any tips on that?

Also any recs of blogs writing in the same vibe as you? (same-ish kinks would be nice but im specifically looking for queer inclusive stuff!) it makes me 10x hornier than the regular video/photo porn!

Hope you're well, you pathetic little thing!

💫

hi friend!! ugh i feel you. sorry i haven't got any advice on regaining ur libido...we just let mine wax and wane as it will, though denial has been a big help in keeping it steady!

i've heard good things abt ginseng and some other herbs. obvs use at your own risk, mind that some herbal treatments can cross-interact with certain medications, remember that pre-packaged supplement pills are often unregulated and may contain toxins, and be aware that some herbal remedies work better on pw certain anatomy than others, and finally that many herbal remedies considered to increase libido are largely untested on trans folx!

finally, sorry it's taken so long to answer this ask...i'm autistic and have been cataloguing lol. i present to you a list of other blog recs under the cut, organized by general vibe! i've tried to primarily include blogs that do their own posts rather than those who primarily reblog :)

note that my headings may provide some context as to what to expect, but you read at your own risk and each blog will typically have its own trigger warnings addressed in the header/pinned. additionally, i've not tagged some of the ppl below because they prefer that "Men DNI" blogs not interact, and idk if "no cis men" qualifies ahah!

all blogs below are queer- and/or trans-inclusive, if not exclusive! there is no detrans/misgendering, at least I don't think - i don't tend to follow those blogs.

hard kinks (blood, knives, etc; includes primarily-cnc blogs):

@puppy-mommy , who also does general t4t kink content, but does state untagged hard kinks!

@visciousest is someone whose blog i scroll when i'm in a Certain Mood ahah,, i won't elaborate

@hell-hound-bites: just. fuck. would drool on his knife blade.

@snuff-fag: its username should give you fair warning as to how wild its content tends to get, so please browse responsibly.

@condor-bait is taking a break right now, and all my love is with him as he takes care of himself. he made me feel so valid and so fuckable as a young trans person learning to love myself in a new way, and i've always been too shy to tell him how much his content meant to me one-on-one (yes, despite its often-extreme themes!), and he deserves as much time as he needs to heal!

@unwillingfvckpuppy for mostly cnc and medical kinks! if you like his style, but not so much their harder content, he also has a more-tame main blog--i just mainly follow/scroll this one!

@vampvictim: top-tier cnc/intox stuff, plus some great knife/bloodplay :)

@cryptidtid is wonderful and holy shit i follow a lot of hard kink blogs lol. incredible

@cnc-pet: i have been following her for a long ass fucking time lol. they post a lot of really good cnc and stories, but you'll also find a lot of aftercare tips and advice on her blog! i really admire blogs who try to balance horny content with best practices

@dollobotomy

general kinky content:

@excessively-queer . just plain old good shit :) there's a good amt of edging and degradation.

@clouded-king was honestly one of my earlier introductions to the queer/t4t kink community on here and how fucking euphoric it can be :) he posts some hard kinks, but generally it's a balance of a lot of different kinks so read his pinned at your leisure!

@ / cottontailx : just good kinky nsft posts :)

@ / digitalpenetration: often specifically t4t which i love!!

@femmelovefemme can step on me :)

@bigothteddies: could not build this section w/o mentioning him :) they had a big influence on my fantasies for a long time!

@hazelj-xoxo: bigtime want her to cuck me. have followed her across multiple blog deletions lol

@transpidered is forever an icon!

@subspaceemo

@writefinch for great stories and text posts

edging and denial, specifically:

@6irlpet is 1 of my go-to hands-down-pants scroll sessions :)

@droolkink is my inspiration!

@flustersluts does exactly what the name implies lol. a good helping of other kink content too :)

@puppycvnt is a 10/10!

@barkwoofbarkwoofbark: we r denial friends imo!!

@strawbrrysub

@blyssful-abyss

@urhighnessbitch is a big fav <3

non-detrans genderplay:

@butchviolence does amazing butch supremacy stuff and i,,, fucking hell. even just seeing their username puts me in a Particular state of mind ahah. they also post hard kinks so be aware as you proceed!

@mtfdomme: i literally just reblogged from her today lol. tbh i want to be their little stupid pupthing. it's not all transfem supremacy undertones/overtones, but that's what i mainly follow her for, plus just general t4t goodness! also, their general personality? and the way she shuts down people who disrespect their boundaries? huge inspiration for me!

@cuntboydestroyer: take me to the animal shelter and neuter me. good lord.

@the-kind-of-dame is the main inspiration for my recent genderplay post lol

@terfbreaking-tgirl (be warned of dykebreaking if that's an issue for you)

@barbarian-lesbian is my other inspiration for the recent genderplay post

@superiorineveryway

weird asf (/complimentary; my favorite type of shit. robots, ND-focused posts, etc):

@specksizedgoddess has introduced me to things i didn't know, like...existed, and that's saying a lot as one of my special interests is kink! never knew how down bad i was to be a tiny buggirl, nor how much i wanted to be someone's stupid little robot... BIG tw tho: there is snuff and gore content here, so proceed with caution if you don't wanna see that!

@sapphling fucked me up real good with some bird!sub bondage posts awhile back lol

@nobelisha: found them through their ghost cnc post so that's why they're in this category ahah! they don't have a pinned so proceed w awareness :)

@devout-cleric: hierophilia/religion kink, and i'm something of an acolyte of hers :) if you've read this far down you may as well know i'm her Little Lamb anon lol

piss/omo:

@latenightomo

@pissheartmybeloved - their URL makes me crack up every time, plus good content!

@hold-it-a-little-longer - good scenarios/imagines!

@ohmyrashi - (i think) my original intro to omo!

monsterfucking/terato:

@septimus-moonlight was my first real introduction to trans-positive terato and i've never settled for half-fun cis-oriented terato ever since :) mind tags!

@eggedbellies as well!

@bredpun doesn't appear to be active lately but still good for a scroll!

@steamandcream

@of-mutts-and-men

#t4t nsft #asks #gen #denial #h/d #advice #💫 anon

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mikeysbabygirl · 2 years

Note

Old g Black dragons pleasuring you, is it possible pretty please ? 😍

Ps : I'm a huge fan of your writing, and dead girls tell no tales IS the best Haitani brothers x reader out there, mwah mwah

𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔

Synopsis: when your roommate, Wakasa learns you don't know how to pleasure yourself, him and his friends to the rescue!

Pairing : Fem!reader x Wakasa Imaushi, Shinichiro Sano, Takeomi Akashi, Keizo Arashi.

Warning : 18+ minors DNI. Smut, dirty talk, use of nicknames, pussy drunk! Black dragons, mention of virginity, consensual recording.

Note : thank you so much 😩 I hope you'll like it, I know it's been a while since I got this request in my inbox along with the Draken one, I just made my back to school and college is really tiring, but I'm trying 🖤

You were holding back your hissy fit with a slippery hand, the headphones on your ears weren't enough to cover the sounds of your roommate and his friends.

-" She told him to wait 'til she's back from the restroom, dude waited for hours and turns out she snuck out of the backdoor " seemed like that one's Takeomi's voice.

Their laughter made you grit your teeth, clench your pen tighter in your hand.

-" She had an emergency... " Shinichiro huffed, sinking deeper in the sofa where he was sitting next to Takeomi who recalled the Sano's last " date".

-" yeah, like the nineteen previous ones... "

Benkei. Couldn't they just move in their friend's room ? Why did they have to sit and watch the TV when they clearly saw you were studying on the living room's table ?

-" Should think 'bout paying a sex worker, instead 'f paying the weekly subscription for the porn mag' "

Last but not least, ladies and gentlemen Wakasa Imaushi, your roommate, god's test for your patience, and the main reason why you could ever fail your exams. It is okay to bring friends home, you yourself bring ones sometimes. What is not okay is him bringing his friends so many times that you knew those three like the back of your hand. You knew for fact what would follow will violate the poor guy's privacy.

-" You're full of shit, I don't have any porn magazine... "

-" Spare me. You forget to hide them everytime you're done jerking off. Everyday. "

Were you a psychic ? No, they just strangely hang out at yours and Wakasa's place very often.

The sound of you pushing back the chair brought their attention to you, you turned toward them and tilted your head.

-" Could you stop ? I'm tryna study. And by the way, his sexual life is none of your business. "

Your roommate's lips curled in a smirk upon gaining a reaction from you, Shinichiro's cheeks heated from being the center of the attention, and the two others looked at Wakasa.

-" Why ? Did what I said got to you ?"

Narrowing your eyes toward him, you glared at Wakasa but Takeomi answered before you had any chance to.

-" You takin' it too far dude..."

Takeomi was the wisest of the three, only fair that he stood up for you.

Well you thought that, but Wakasa scoffed, he knew Takeomi better, and knew his best way to get into a girl's pants was to playing it nice.

Unlike him, who believed fondly, and since day one that he could pull you by playing cat and mouse.

All of this, and still you were unaware of the fact that every man in that room could not keep their eyes for them everytime you walked in the room.

-" Yeah ? Was I too rude ?"

You could not ignore the mockery in his tone, Wakasa leaned on his elbows, void eyes on yours and the living room seemed to shrunk.

-" Did I offended you by implying you would give yourself some pleasure ? "

Your mouth fell agape and cheeks heated, though you refused to meet anyone's gaze you could see Shinichiro's eyes widened and Benkei holding a smile.

You could not believe he would say something like that, first you two never been beating around such topics and moreover, his damn friends were there... Your hands quickly reached for your books on the table.

-" I'm out of this conversation."

-" Ain't you adorable with that blush of yours ?"

Benkei. You shot him a death glare. What part of privacy they don't understand ?

-" I'm not blushing. "

-" Yeah you do. "

The snake, being none other than your roommate started serpentining toward you, your shoulders curled the slightest bit when he walked around your chair to stand behind you, putting his hands on top of it.

-" or maybe is it because... You've actually never done it ?"

Your silence, and the way you sunk deeper in your chair were enough of an answer for them, as almost all of their faces took a shocked expression, Wakasa leaned closer toward you, brushing his plump lips against your ear.

-" It's a personal choice, okay ? Now cut it out, that's embarrassing. "

Through your peripheral vision, you could see all of their eyes on you, concern showing through, and soon your attention was stolen by Wakasa's hot breath hitting your skin.

-" What a shame... " behind his voice was left a trail of goosebumps on your neck , faux sympathy so obvious it cut through his tone. You failed to notice Takeomi throwing his cigarette and making his way toward you from behind, because of Wakasa's voice echoing again.

-" Bet this cunt never came a single fucking time ".

-" is that true ?" Takeomi's voice startled you, you turned only to figure out they both were, the devils standing on your shoulders, a scene which could almost be comical. " Never creamed ? Don't ya know your roommate's the best at making girls feel good ? Didn't they told you 'bout how nice it is to cum ?"

His breath, heavy with smoke as intoxicating and addictive as his words, then switching to the lavender haze of Wakasa's eyes, a point where his gaze turned from unsustainable to intensely consuming, a point where you knew you'd let him intoxicate you.

-" Can I... "

Your breath hitched, because that damn Wakasa Imaushi brushed his lips against your cheek, closing his eyes and inhaling your perfume.

-" Can I see it ? Check your tight pussy real quick ?"

And when you opened your eyes, they fell on Shinichiro's ones, and the interest you read on them ignited a thousand wildfires in you. As much as you'd like to deny him, his words left footprints on your mind, one's you were dying to follow blindly. Your eyes turned to the one you trusted the most between them, your roommate, biting your lower lip and giving Wakasa the urge to bite it himself. You couldn't believe you were at a hairsbreadth of giving in, what volatile opium could possibly have you that intoxicated on their words to squeeze your thighs together at the simple thought ?

-" Yes. Yes you... You can". Words slipped out of your mouth, almost as if your body took control of its own desire, dropping all reason aside and fighting with swords of lust the rationalism.

Your approval fell as an order, almost instantly, you found yourself into his arms lifting you as if you weighted nothing, and Shinichiro cleared the couch just before your back got laid there gently.

They all gathered around Wakasa who found his way between your legs, sliding your pajama shorts and panties, uncovering every inch of your skin to their adoring eyes.

-" be my good girl and spread these legs for me, wontcha ?"

You threw your head back, following Wakasa's order and meeting eyes with Takeomi who was standing behind the couch. You began spreading your legs carefully, avoiding their gazes, and a grunt left Takeomi's lips all while his his calloused thumb came to caress your lips.

-" So obedient already... " He praised, sliding the tip of his finger inside your mouth.

-" Ya really should see, princess has the prettiest pussy I've seen " you could feel him grin against you, breath hitting your folds and making you squirm, you didn't noticed Benkei until his hand landed on your stomach.

-" Shhh, relax f'me. " He sat up next to you, hands starting to slide under your tank top. " Is this okay, pretty girl?"

You were none but a meer puppet on their strings, with so much demons around you luring you to their tempting sin, how could you even do anything but nod in approval?

Shinichiro gulped down while Benkei stripped you of your shirt, finding yourself thus all exposed to the boys. You had barely the time to feel self conscious, since Takeomi's thumb left your lips, only to be replaced by Wakasa's lollypop.

-" Keep it in for me, 'kay princess ? Got something sweeter down there".

He lowered himself again, this time licking a stripe upon your folds and letting your natural scent lure him closer to you.

-" Oh god !"

Your arousal coated his tongue and he tasted you on his buds, humming and taking a shaky breath out of you.

-" been hiding this sweet pussy from me ? How selfish... "

He ignored his own hard on, pushing his tongue deeper in you and causing you to fist the couch next to you. It was all too much, from Benkei's large hands groping your mounds, to Wakasa's ministrations beneath you.

-" So fucking soft " Arashi's lips grazed your ear, and you granted him with shivers upon your skin, Shinichiro who stood further away since the beginning started shyly making his way toward all of you.

-" and already so wet... " Your roommate's voice vibrations caressed you with the tenderest goosebumps. " Did thinking 'bout Shin jerking off got you so wet ? "

As heat rose to your cheeks, your gaze fell on Shinichiro who kneeled next to you on the ground, shy hand reaching for your thigh. His touch was as gentle as him, a meer butterfly on your skin along with his star-studded stare.

There wasn't any single inch of your skin their hands did not touched, and for those who they did not, their eyes set on fire. All of them drinking on your body and getting high on lust.

-" She's so pretty... " Shin's raw voice hit your skin right before his lips landed gently on your thigh, you arched your back, pushing deeper against Wakasa's tongue and Arashi's hand.

-" hm, better than I ever expected... " Right there, a wave of heat crashed against Wakasa's body, trading his usual jaded eyes against widening ones, noticing how your walls clenched around nothing. " Hm ? Turns you on to hear I touched my cock thinking 'bout your body baby ? What a dirty slut you are... "

-" Prettiest whore ever"

Amidst the blaze, it was hard to understand it was Arashi's statement, he mumbled, mouth around your nipples. Even your hands were a lot in the mix, mind too deep within the pleasure of tongues and hands to think about where you should rest them.

-" how pathetic, she's drooling everywhere" Takeomi pulled the lollipop out of your mouth, leaning closer to your mouth. Lost in pleasure, your glassy eyes rested on him. " How 'bout I keep this mouth busy, babydoll? Can I taste you?"

And you agreed, mindlessly giving the last remnants of you to the burning wind of them. Takeomi tasted like tobacco, something about his fleshy but soft lips was addictive, blowing hot and cold, sucking on your lips here and biting them then, like ocean waves pushing and pulling you.

-" this mouth feels so good " he breathed against your lips once he pulled away, and none of them, not even Wakasa who was under you could prey their eyes off of your face, teary eyes and whimpering lips. The latter inserted a finger inside you, pumping slowly, but then your hand flew to your mouth, covering the prequel of unborn sounds and he frowned.

Wakasa reached for your hand, and in a rather tight grip pinned it above your head.

-" hold back again, and I'mma fuck you, tied up. Got it ? "

Broken sobs were the only answer he got, fairly he seemed satisfied.

-" You scared the pretty, Waka " Benkei chuckled, hand discreetly pumping his length while the other was still squeezing your breasts. The cold amethyst rings of your roommate drifted slightly toward you.

-" 's that right ? Is my princess scared of daddy ?"

Contempt dripping from his tone, you ignored him and focused on the feeling of the second finger he added inside you. There was a knot forming in your lower belly, tightening every time he grazed your lips, thus making you unaware of the filthy things Takeomi was whispering in your ear.

-" can't stop thinking 'bout how these lips would feel 'round my cock, babydoll... "

Insidious indeed, the way their words slipped under your skin and poisoned your senses, how every one of their fantasies lured you into temptation. Wakasa's body betrayed him for the first time, making him buckle his hips against nothing at the feeling of your walls closing around his fingers tighter.

-" Damn, dude. She's clenchin' o'mme "

The green eyes of the one above you widened before he chuckled.

-" Oh yeah ? Wanna lemme fuck your throat baby ?"

-" Yes, jus'... Just do it " you closed your eyes and arched your back, feeling your high at the tip of your finger's reach. Hand grabbed the blonde locks of Wakasa who grunt at the tightness of your grip.

-" How 'bout... How 'bout I make you cum ?" The first time hearing Shinichiro's voice got you lifting your head abruptly, looking into his half-lidded dark eyes, then toward the visible stain in his tight pants. " Can I be the first to be inside you ?"

His dark hues laid a crimson sparkle over you, promises of passion snaking around your body until choking on your own desire. Next thing you knew, Wakasa reluctantly pulled out from you and was replaced by Shin, all while Takeomi's tip nudged against your lips, smearing the precum along. Curiously licking the arousal of the scarred man got their already hardened shafts throbbing from pleasure.

-" Uh, feels so good " Shin threw his head back, sinking inch by inch inside you. All thanks to your roommate and how good he prepped you, the pain was nearly unborn before the pleasure of being full replaced it all. " You so perfect, can't believe my fuckin' eyes ".

-" R-right ?" Takeomi stuttered, also sliding deeper in your mouth, you tried unconsciously relaxing your throat and taking as much of him as you could. " Babydoll's too damn good for only one cock "

The next seconds were a blurry chapter, stained by hands and mouths, stuffed with praises and sugar coated words. They gravitated toward you like planets around their sun, craving the heat. Or more like moths to a flame, running gladly to their fatal end.

A flame they however ignited themselves. And truth be told, they got you swimming in a bottle of emotion, with mind-blowing kisses and dulcet touches, you've never felt so loved, worshipped as a goddess and desired as the forbidden fruit.

-" yeah, just that way... " Takeomi praised, caressing your hair and wiping some tears from your eyes, with every thrust of Shinichiro's hips against you, your voice caressed his shaft deliciously and sent him higher.

-" 's way too tight, this pussy's a damn vice... Can't get enough " the Sano's eyes drank in every crumb of you, and sunk deeper within the lure. Never has he felt such a lust and he felt it devouring his guts, although the need of closing his eyes and focusing on his sensations was there, Shinichiro got mesmerized by you, just your sight like cigarette ashes dusting his mind, God was it hot.

Arashi didn't see it coming, until you gripped the pain in his guts. He nearly was sent to overdrive by your soft hand around his obviously bigger length, stroking it and taming his raging despair.

-" Shit- " he swore, thrusting in your hand that you tightened. " Can you feel what you doin' to me ?"

You could only nod, hollowing your cheeks to welcome more of Takeomi.

Like smoke of that blaze around, time flew by, then grandiose was the eruption. Takeomi was the first to let the thunder roar in his lower parts, pulling out just before painting your breasts white. Your meer sight milked him dry, swearing he'd never came that much.

Shin was soon to follow, flying you high with him and carrying you through the delicious loss of gravity. You clenched around him so hard while cumming that he thought he would easily come again.

-" Babe- Fuck relax, this too fucking good-"

Your cries were music to their ears, but Arashi, the strong and big Benkei was no more than a violon you played, making him hit the highest notes with your tender hands until he came with strangled moans, burying his head and bliss in your neck.

-" That was damn... Wow" he chuckled, thumb grazing your heating cheeks as you shyly closed your eyes.

In a hell of a room dripping with sin, an angel coated in desire and surrounded by devils. What they saw was art to the root, white ropes dressing your breasts, hair like sunshine sprayed around a beautiful wild gaze and swollen lips, you were spreading fetch, and were a holy evil seeping through each and every one of them.

-" Princess, eyes on me".

Turning your still unfocused gaze toward Wakasa, you've been swallowed in the epiphany, seeing the camcorder he was holding.

-" 's it okay if I keep this ? If I keep you in ?"

You loathed how the idea of him preciously keeping that record talked in such a tempting language to your heart. Biting your lower lip, you tilted your head to the side.

-" would you... Share it with other people ?"

Oh fuck, he had thought. A man as unmoved as a mountain found himself thrown and blown by a whisper from swollen rosey lips. The fragrance of your perfume, your teary eyes and dazzling beauty intoxicated him into the need of a kiss, leaning towards you, he captured your lips and grunt against your mouth at the blissful feeling.

-" look me in the fuckin' eyes, and dare saying I'd let anyone ever see how precious my princess looks " he gripped your chin, mindless of his friends watching and panting hard from their mind-blowing high. " Not after tasting you. Bitch you're addictive ".

A giggle erupted from your lips, sparkling your already pretty face to them and glowing under their eyes.

-" you can only keep it if you stop being so cheesey ".

Wakasa's gaze darkened, turning indigo under the living room's light. Takeomi who was just done unzipping his pants placed a kiss on your cheek, while Arashi found himself behind you.

- " He's not cheesey " tough hands which were not strangers to throwing fists and drawing blood gently cupped your hair, taking it into a ponytail before kissing your neck. " He's just pussy drunk ".

-" You've done so well for us" Shin was next to find your lips, letting his mouth linger a little longer on yours before pulling out, staring at you with star dust in his dark sky eyes.

You went for standing up, leaning on your elbows but a shocked gasp traversed the barrier of your lips when Wakasa's rough hand pushed you back on the couch, resting on your lower belly.

The purple haired man leaned closer toward you, jaded bored eyes building a whole new gut devouring feeling in your stomach. His gaze drifted toward your bare body, making his cock throb with pain before he focused back on your eyes.

-" Did I said I was done with ya ?"

Your eyes widened, painting an invisible smirk on his face.

-" What... ?"

-" Did I stutter ? " Getting closer to you, he buckled his hard on against your bare skin, grunting along with a gasp coming from you. " Ain't letting you go before I'm stretching this pretty pussy real good ".

He swallowed you whole with his deep hues, taking in the blush on your cheeks before he freed himself from his pants and underwear. And the minute those hit the ground, a new wildfire rose inside you.

The white leopard, in all its majesty standing raw in front of you. Pumping his cock twice before closing the distance between you two, his other hand flew to your forehead, pushing your hair away.

-" Daddy's gonna go down on ya until your fucking legs are sore. Have ya walk around the apartment with my cum dripping from your cunt".

I'M HIDING THAT WAS SO AWKWARD! I've never wrote a smut with more than one partner and I'm such A BITCH THAT I DIRECTLY JUMPED INTO WRITING A FIVESOME ? REALLY ?

Anyway... ANYWAY.

I hope it was fun to read, anon !

Next will be a Draken request ( finally ) then a Mikey request from one of my dearest moots, goodnight !

Network : @tokyo-ballroom @downtown-roponggi

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reunionatdawn · 3 months

Text

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 6: Ferdinand/Dorothea)

(Normal): Thanks but no thanks, Mr. Noble. I already have my heart set on someone else. (Ferdinand & Dorothea support level B reached): I suppose I can settle for you just this once, Ferdie.

The writers obviously put a lot of love into this ship, as it's one of the rare times that the main story dialogue changes depending on Support level between two characters. Plus, since he asks her out on a date outside of their Support chain, it shows that Ferdinand is canonically interested in Dorothea. And this is true in Hopes as well. He fears his mind will "wander to other things" while training with her.

Dorothea: Song and dance live on in our memories, but there's no real record of them. Even memories fade over time. Will anyone remember me when I'm gone?

Dorothea is a Libra, an air sign. Air signs are masculine, but not as much as the fire signs. Libras are extroverted, cozy, and friendly people. Libras, like the Scales that symbolize the sign, are often concerned with attaining balance, harmony, peace, and justice in the world. Dorothea had the motivation to join Edelgard's cause to dismantle the corrupt nobility. But she was also compassionate and hated the idea of fighting people she knew.

Ferdinand: I will do what I'm called to do, even if no mark of me remains in the history books.

Ferdinand bears the Crest of Cichol, which is associated with the Justice Arcana. Justice is a signifier of legal matters being resolved in a fair and balanced manner. It represents the power to distinguish between what is fair and what is unfair, in an impartial way. Ferdinand's dream was to lead the Empire to an age of enlightenment and hold his father accountable for his crimes. The downside to his ambitions was that his life revolved around being recognized for his achievements.

Ferdinand: That is true nobility! Acting in accordance with the people's needs and wishes. As war drags on, those living near the front lines inevitably get the worst of it. Still…Edelgard will not give in. She will push to complete her mission, no matter how many people die. Not everyone with noble blood has noble ideals.

His character arc was about exemplifying true nobility, defined as, "having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals." Not just being noble, defined as, "belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status." And I would argue that opposing Edelgard was vital to his character arc.

Dorothea: Oh, Ferdie. You opposed Edie for so long… I had real hopes for you, you know? Now you're following her. Is that your duty as a noble? Follow your master when they say to heel? Ferdinand: I will not try to explain my duty or hers. You would not understand. I wish you could.

Dorothea is one of the few non-lord characters that will actually react to another non-lord character's death. If you don't recruit Ferdinand, he will die at the Great Bridge of Myrddin so that his name goes down in history as "the legendary Ferdinand of Adrestia".

If Ferdinand does not complete his arc, Dorothea will be the one who is most disappointed. She will say she had high hopes for him, a reference to their B-Support where he made her treats, and she reconsidered him as husband material. His memory will not live on in the history books, but it does live on in her heart. It was hard not to think of this pairing as "canon" after I saw this dialogue.

Dorothea: Though we only knew each other briefly back at the academy, you were still my friend—but now our paths have diverged forever.

There's even a Hopes version of this dialogue available in Record Keeper. Similar to Edelgard and Byleth in Silver Snow, if Ferdinand and Dorothea's paths diverge, it is treated as a great tragedy of fate. It shows how much the writers favored this particular ship.

(Normal): Yes… I have met someone quite charming recently. I'm hoping we can spend more time together soon. (Dorothea has reached Support Rank A with a male): I am. There is someone whose company I have come to enjoy.

While Dorothea is bisexual, she did seem to have a preference for men. The dialogue in her B-Support with Edelgard only changes if Dorothea has attained A-Support with a male character.

Linhardt: You've probably overcome a lot of tough times, haven't you? I think that's incredible, really, but why not just let go of the suffering and run away from the memories that cause you pain? I suspect you'll find it a better way of living. I know I do. Dorothea: That's not living, Lin. It's running away. If I leave my hardships behind, then all of that means nothing.

She only got into the academy by buttering up some noble, which suggests that she may have had to perform sexual favors. She had a poor self-image, despite her physical beauty. And that is why I think she pursued men so adamantly, even when she was not truly attracted to them. She was running away from her past.

Dorothea: What's important isn't how someone looks, it's their true nature. I don't pretend to know your true nature. I don't even have a very good understanding of my own. But I suppose you see mine just fine, don't you? Just a silly girl with no thoughts in her head except for marrying a noble, yes? Good-bye, Felix.

Dorothea had to hone her masculine energy while living on the streets and performing in the opera. She despised the goddess (although she has a hidden talent for faith). Her paralogue with Ingrid showed how the two had contrasting views on marriage. Dorothea wanted to play the traditionally feminine role of housewife, with a noble husband fulfilling the traditional masculine role of provider and protector.

Dorothea: But if you and I were devoted to one another… maybe we could strive for the future you believe in. Maybe I'd finally understand your path and be able to think about more than just myself. Hubert: Seems it's my turn to not understand. Did you just propose marriage as a way to get to know me?

She was always looking for a wealthy husband to take care of her into her old age, and often came across as nothing but a shallow gold-digger. Because she was afraid of living in poverty, she would settle for a nobleman regardless of whether or not she knew him very well or was actually in love with him.

Sylvain: You know, even when I was a kid, I never had trouble with girls. …But thinking about it now, I wonder what they liked about me back then. They didn't know everything about me… It's just confusing. Dorothea: Oh, where did that come from? No one can know everything about you.

She was at first dismissive of the idea that people need to know each other fully to get married. But she did commiserate with Sylvain about how people wanted to marry her without even knowing anything about her. However, she flirtatiously makes plans to grow old with him immediately afterwards. Even though they still barely knew each other.

Dorothea: I never had much to begin with in life, and I worry that one day, I'll be that way again… That's why I keep searching for someone who will love me. Someone unaware of the songstress, who can love a girl that used to be scared and alone on the streets of the capital… I wonder if such a strange person can even exist.

But what she really wanted was to spend her life with someone who did know her true self. Several of her endings depict her giving up on her goal of finding a rich husband. She is able to find love with Petra and Manuela and those are happy endings for her. But I still think the happiest ending for her is to find her dream man. A rich provider and protector who would know and love her as the scared orphan girl.

Dorothea: Oh, really? You're something different? That's not how I remember things… It was the very day that I was discovered…

I think Ferdinand offered the best closure to her character arc. There was a palpable sexual tension between them in both games, with Dorothea pushing him away yet secretly desiring to be closer. I'd argue she has more far chemistry with him than any of her other potential partners. At the academy, Dorothea did not flirt or make advances on Ferdie, despite him being the exact type of wealthy noble she was after. But in the end, she was more open, honest, and emotionally vulnerable with him than she was with anyone else.

Dorothea: Maybe I can believe you. I've wanted to ever since the day you made me those treats… I thought then that maybe you weren't like the others, but… There's a lot I have to let go of, Ferdie.

The tagline for the game was, "Sweet memories twisted by time's cruel hand". By getting closure with Ferdinand, Dorothea could reclaim a sweet memory and let go of some pain from her past. Ferdie considered Edelgard his rival and prided himself on being better than her. But with Dorothea, he said he wouldn't mind a life of being a simple drone, circling a queen. So, they both find a new way to live with each other. This pairing is a more wholesome alternative for Ferdie than Ferdibert. But Ferdie still is kind of a sub.

Ferdinand & Dorothea Ferdinand reclaimed the position of Duke Aegir and initiated reforms within his domain. Through his political methods, which closely aligned with the needs of the common people, the Aegir Duchy swiftly underwent reconstruction. Behind this success story was the significant contribution of Dorothea, the former songstress who became the Duchess, who dedicated herself to serving the commoners. Ferdinand, recognized for his achievements, was entrusted with governance across all of Fódlan. Despite being busy with his duties, he prioritized spending time with his family. He and Dorothea raised their children together, and their home was always filled with the sound of cheerful singing.

This feels like the picture-perfect ending for both of them. Dorothea achieves her life plan of marrying a rich provider and protector, overcoming her prejudice towards nobles. Her children carry on her legacy, and her memory will live on in their hearts.

And thanks to her experiences as an orphan, Ferdinand's policies benefit the commonfolk. He actually renounced his nobility and lived as a wanderer for five years because he did not believe in Edelgard's ideals, and he wanted to make up for his father's wrongdoings in his own way. He was prepared to leave no mark on history, but he is recognized for his achievements in the end.

#fe3h #fe3h meta #ferdithea #ferdinand von aegir #dorothea arnault

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antimony-medusa · 9 months

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I read your post on boundaries and the MCYT community recently and have been thinking about as posts that contradict it cross my dash, and I’ve been reflecting on how a lot of what we call “boundaries” are more just like. Community rules? Like take “no sexualization,” for instance. If I’m talking to someone at my workplace, I am not comfortable with them making sexual remarks about me. If someone did, I would tell them so, and not engage in that conversation with them. That’s an actual boundary — something governing how people interact with ME that I am in charge of enforcing. I don’t say “no one is allowed to think anything sexual about me at work ever or tell their friends I’m hot” bc that’s just insane and none of my business, quite frankly. Streamers are well within their rights to say they aren’t comfortable seeing people sexualizing them in their chat or like very publicly on Twitter, but saying no one can sexualize them ever is actually just a community rule, not a personal boundary. Based on how I understand what a boundary is, it can’t be boundary breaking to do something that a creator definitely will not see, because the creator isn’t interacting with the content, and boundaries are about governing comfort in interactions. And saying “I don’t want there to be sexualization or sexual content about me in the main tags bc my main audience is children who browse those tags and they shouldn’t be exposed to that” is a reasonable enough rule to ask your community to follow, but it’s just straight up not a boundary? Like am I misunderstanding what a boundary is? I’m confused bc I’m seeing all this stuff about boundary breaking content and how it’s disgusting even if the creator will never see it and I just don’t get it?

Yeah, I think this is a situation where we're using words to mean something they don't technically mean (see also, "lore"), and then this leads to us also having community arguments about what is acceptable, and it's all totally unnecessary.

Cause the workplace comparison is a good one! If I was telling fellow coworkers how hot they were when they'd said they didn't want to hear that, or walking up to the barista and saying that I wanted them to weigh in on the porn I'd written about them, that would be workplace sexual harrasment and, depending on the severity of the situation, literally a crime I could be charged with. Absolutely inappropriate to do, and I can't express how extremely fair it is that streamers get to say no to that. I am FULLY in support of CCs setting those limits for their spaces and think it's healthy and we all need to respect that.

But "boundaries", as a term, is technically about controlling your own behaviour and people's access to you. You set a boundary and say to your parents "if you bring up grandkids at the christmas meal I will be leaving", or "if you mention [latest discourse] on my blog I will block you". It's about controlling your experiences via your own behaviour and the stuff that you actually see. CC equivalent is saying that any sexualization or shipping in their chats or replies will lead to a block or a ban. That's them controlling their own experience and that's A-ok. Asking a CC to weigh in on what sort of fan work they're comfortable being shown, that's also about them controlling their own experience and is totally fair.

Asking a CC to weigh in on what sort of fan work exists in general— that's not boundaries any more, that's something else entirely. The closest equivilent is companies trying to control what sort of materiel their image or trademarked material show up in, I think? Which is a thing you can do when you're licensing your image, but isn't actually a thing you can do with fan works. Celebrities get to say no they're not going to appear in a commercial advertising an oil company, because they have a moral disagreement with oil companies, but that's because the interaction there is a company offering to pay them money for their image and them declining the money. That's not how fan works operate. The celebrity isn't in a position to decline the money for their "image" being used, because no money is being offered, because the fan isn't making money. It's not a copyright/licensing situation, it's fan works. The celebrity shouldn't be part of the conversation at all, because they should never see that.

And like, there's issues of impersonation or endorsement where it's bad form to do something that looks like it comes from the celebrity, as though they approve of what is being depicted, which is why AI voice lines and deepfakes are being increasingly spoken out against. But man, someone writing Captain Puffy's and PearlescentMoon's cubitos kissing each other on Ao3 and keeping it on Ao3 is not a situation where celebrity endorsement or licensing or impersonation comes in at all. That's a conversation totally within the fandom, without the creators involved. And I really disagree with asking the creator to treat all of fandom like their community, which they should moderate and like, control their image and make kids-and-advertiser-friendly, because that's not how fandom works and also that is unfair to ask of them.

Can one or both of the creators say they don't want to see that? Totally fair. That's a boundary. Can they say that it shouldn't exist in their main tag that kids check? I'm on the side of tagging things to keep them away from minors and people who don't want to see it anyways, rock on. That's a community rule. Can they say that it should never exist ever, anywhere on the internet? That's just not how this works. A) that's not how fan works have ever worked, fan works are for transforming and celebrating existing canon, not for creator approval, and we should stop shoving all of them in creators' faces or asking them to weigh in, B) "boundaries" is entirely the wrong word for what's going on there, like you said. Cause is the mere existence of a thing in a seperate space infriging on the creator's experience and reasonable for them to control? That's what a boundary is, this isn't. C) This isn't even community rules that it makes sense for them to moderate! When you are talking about an entirely different space, cut off from the CCs, doing their own thing to the characters, with age barriers and trigger warnings built in, "boundaries" isn't the right term, but also this doesn't make sense as a space that we're inviting creators into to moderate. This is a seperate space, and stories or art in it aren't hurting people, even if the cc's wouldn't want to see that or even want them in their main community tabs. So yeah when it comes to us enforcing our own community rules, keeping creator boundaries and community rules in mind, the mere existence of a thing does not seem to me like the end of the world. A lot of people have come out and said that all our work needs to be sqeaky clean and able to be shown in the creator's chat, as though the creator is moderating the space and their personal boundaries are involved. And (listing things yet again, this is a post of lists), first of all there's a real focus on sexualization in that case and never on things like family dynamic or kidfic or gore or whump that could also make creators uncomfortable if it was shoved in their faces. (But somehow when anyone brings up those "boundaries" everyone comes to the conclusion that something entirely off on the internet somewhere and never shown to the creators is not going to harm them. Curious.) And second of all, I just disagree that that's a good way to run a fandom community. This is a space for fans, not for the creators, bringing up the "weird stuff" publically to creators is incredibly cruel to people who shouldn't have to see that, AND it's a bad atmosphere for creativity to always want the creators to approve things, fandom is for saying "fuck the man" and doing your own thing. Just tag it to keep it away from people who don't want to see it, and filter the tags for your own experience. Keep everything in its own space and you're good. There's tons of stuff in the fandom that isn't to my taste, ranging from characters that just don't do it for me to tropes that are active turn offs to people writing and undertagging things in ways that is concerning to me. We have got to learn to say "that's not for me" and "that's not for the cc" and put it away (block if you have to) and move on.

#discourse #fandom meta #long post #ask #anon

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stil-lindigo · 4 months

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hello lindi! i've been following you since you were starting out pulse, and it's been an honour to see you grow both as an artist and as a person⏤the way you approach sociopolitical issues with strength and optimism is simply incredible, and it teaches me a lot about my relationship with activism as well.

in that vein, i wanted to ask a question. on twitter, i've seen people asking others to completely cut down on posting personal art or about special interests and focus 100% on talking about palestine for the whole week. while i am doing it the best i can, i have some reservations and doubts about this approach of striking, especially since it's not a sentiment i'm seeing on any other social media platform or even on different twitter communities.

i just wanted to get your opinion on this⏤do you think it's effective or necessary? i fear i may be being too pessimistic about it, which is the last thing i want to do.

thank you always, i hope these asks aren't wearing on you.

hello anon :) It inspires a lot of awe in me that you're still here after four (five?) years - i'm extremely honoured and humbled to have earned your patronage for so long.

for the twitter/social media strike, I have the stance where I don't think the message for palestine is dampened by people still posting about their special interests, mainly for a few reasons.

While it would have been incredibly powerful to have a general posting blackout besides pro-palestine messages, it was never going to realistically happen. There are people who aren't online who won't learn about the strike until it's too late, people who maintain a main and an alt and only post fandom stuff on the alt (which is private or has 12 followers so who cares, they'll post their genshin husbands), people who just prioritise their escapism over anything else. I can't hold it against them too, because trying to impose a "you can ONLY post about palestine" decree (even for just a week) will breed resentment in droves, which i think would make the movement lose steam incredibly fast. For most people, social media is escapism. It's a privilege afforded to those who can turn off their phone, or close a tab and leave all the horrors behind. But at the end of the day, we all do it, and to some extent I think that balance is necessary so that you stay sane. Activism is a lifestyle, not a brief stint, where balance has to be maintained to make sure you can do as much as you can for as long as you can.

You kind of have to realise that nobody can reach through a screen and police someone's social media use or thoughts. I've been observing the general rules of the strike, but to be fair I'm in the boat where that's not very different to how I've been posting for the past few months anyway, so it's no big sacrifice on my part. There are people out there on social media right now who deserve shame for their "escapism". The type to proudly boast about muting words like "palestine", "israel", "genocide" - they're callous, and cruel, and lonely souls searching for a brief high in attention and outrage. But I am seeing people on my feed observe the strike, I am seeing more resources about Palestine, I am seeing dipshits get shamed. The strike's goal to push Palestine resources to the forefront of the feed, to get it trending, has (so far) been working.

So...this was longwinded but - tldr; we were always gonna have people who prioritised their fandom over a genocide so you can't really be too disappointed by it (well, you can, but I'm not since it's just a "*shrug* that's how most people are"-type situation) but there are people who are observing the strike halfway and people who are doing it all the way and they're lifting us all up, so the strike's call to action did work and is currently doing what it's supposed to.

#long post #i always write too much for these but. yeah. just wanted to explain it as well as i could #also. again. im not enlightened or more educated than the average joe #im in my 20s and very online and an artist. this is the perspective of someone who is...that.#thats all #you can disagree if you want i dont really care #just do it while supporting palestine #palestine #free palestine #free gaza #free west bank

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gillyweedgrl · 4 months

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You should be watching Pit Babe! - A Brief Review

Saddens me to think how many people are missing out on a great show because they think it’s not worth more than a trash watch, if that.

I mean, realistically, is it the most amazing cinematic work of all time? No, not unless pretty-boy power bottoms with daddy issues are your thing, which in my case they are, so let's talk about Pit Babe!

Note: I've tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum, they're mainly in the tags and links so follow them at your own risk, you've been warned.

Honestly, Pit Babe is a pretty damn good show, especially if you A) pretend the Omegaverse factor doesn’t exist and take the show for what it is and B) you don't mind not knowing what's going on half the time, just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Overall, Pit Babe has got a good production value, a slightly absurd yet entertaining plot, a great choice of cast with amazing chemistry and pretty decent acting skills amongst the mix of seasoned actors and newbies.

For a totally biased fair and balanced review: There are some details that are left vague instead of being explained in depth or at all (yet), but that’s to be expected when you adapt a novel into a movie or series. It would get boring for the audience if the pace was interrupted to explain all those little details that we’re likely to find out along the way anyways (shout out to those who've watched the latest episode; finally!).

There are also some scenes that feel like they’re not as necessary and some background/plot devices that made a little more sense in the novel but I personally don’t feel like they detract too much from my viewing experience.

Babe (played by Pavel) and Charlie (played by Pooh) as the main leads do a really good job at shouldering a large percentage of screen time. Charlie comes across as happy-go-lucky, a bit clumsy/goofy, entirely fearless and a little naive, which is mostly true, but there's clearly more to him than that. Right from the start Babe is clearly someone guarded, detirmined and skilled at what he does (racing cars and having sex) and he has a very tight cirlce of people he trusts. There's a winning combo right there, quite tsundere/sunshine from the outside but definitely more breath the surface that gets exploded as they go.

Way (played by Nut) is Babe's best friend and racing companion, they've been racing together at Team X-Hunter for years but there's clearly more than friendship on the mind for Way, though the feelings appear to be one sided.

Alan (played by Sailub) is the owner of Team X-Hunter and an all-round cool Uncle (which the whole team call's him (despite barely being in his mid 30's). He's kind but firm, he cares for his team like they’re his family and it does seem as though they’re his only family.

And the rest of the cast consists primarily of:

Team X-Hunter:

Dean (played by Lee); a junior racer with slight douche vibes

North and Sonic (played by Michael and TopTen); everyone’s babies, they’re junior racers and content creators

Jeff (played by Pon); the newest member of the team, he’s a part time mechanic and full time conspicuous

Pete (played by Ping); the money guy Alan brings on board to sponsor the team

Team Red Racing (the rival team):

Winner (played by Pop); the guy who never seems to win against Babe

Kim (played by Benz); the new racer they hired to beat Babe

Tony (played by S Vorarit); Red Racing's newest benefactor and *shock horror* Babe's former foster father (try saying that ten times fast)

Kenta (played by Garfield); Tony's right hand man

Then, there’s the 🌶🔥🤯

I, personally, enjoy a little spice/heat in my shows. It’s not necessary for every show, of course, but I do think that when it serves a purpose to the story and it’s done well then it can be quite enjoyable and this cast/production team is doing it really well.

As I said, the chemistry between the cast really is amazing (both on and off the screen, if you're interested in that kind of thing) and although the spicy scenes aren’t nearly as abundant as they are in the novel, there are some really good ones. I decided to bite the bullet and binge read the novel over the past couple of weeks, I blame @pharawee’s breakdown posts for those sleepless nights, and it was worth it for me but not necessary for watching the series.

Lastly (as if this post isn't long winded enough as it is) there are a handful of things in this series that we don't see too often in BL's and make it worth watching even more:

It's got race cars, murder attempts, mafia influence and supernatural powers (at least half the characters have one).

There's no evil ex-lover out to get revenge or get back together with one of the mains (thank the BL gods).

It's got a Soft Top/Dominant Bottom dynamic where the title character is both super masc and a pretty princess.

And we can't forget, it is technically an Omegaverse series (or rather, it's Omegaverse-lite) which none of us saw coming!

Anywho, to conclude; yes, you should be watching Pit Babe. No, you don't have to read the novel to understand what's going on because none of us understand what the hell is going on at any given time. Charlie and Babe are fucking around and finding out, the rest of us are just long for the ride, Alan and Jeff are having a whole ass rom-com-drama in the corner, the babies are making their content and having a blast and the others aren't quite on the map yet (or are they? *wink, wink*), but I sure hope they will be soon!

If you made it this far, thank you and are you okay? Do you need to have your brain checked?

#pit babe #pit babe the series #pit babe meta #watch pit babe #please #do it for my mental health #hell do it for your mental health #charlie x babe #babe x charlie #alan x jeff #pete x way #north x sonic #kenta x kim #winner x dean #this took way too long #but I kinda loved it #seriously. if you read all of that you're a legend #that was a lot. even for me

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steamberrystudio · 9 months

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27/08/2023

So now that Gilded Shadows is wrapping up, I am promoting When Stars Collide from "Spare time project" to "Part time project"

What is the difference? Well, when I work on something in my spare time, that means it is late at night or the weekend. Literally when I am not doing anything else and just feel like tinkering with it.

As a part time project, this means that I will be spending an hour or two each day during the work week to do things for this project. It will start making more steady progress even if I'm not focusing on it full time.

This is basically taking it from me spending 0 - 4 hours on it a week to 8-10 hours on it a week.

My goal is to have the draft complete before the end of the year (by 'draft', I mean 'rough draft'). But more on that below.

Summary

Finished all scenes for the new chapter three

Finished Yren chapter 6 scenes

Started catching Kav's route up to the others

Edited Asher's CG to account for the new conference room BG

Small adjustments to Wil's first CG

Ramble

This week my big focus for WSC has been on writing. As I mentioned, I really want to get the rough draft completed by the end of the year. Currently the draft is nearly 70% complete (for those following updates in multiple places, when you see different percentages....it's because I've written more since then. Rofl).

Now, the draft was nearly 70% in the past as well but I added another route since then, so I lost some progress due to the increase in target word count. I'm also calculating things more precisely now as I created a newer and fancier writing spreadsheet to track my progress and keep myself on track.

I went back and wrote in the new chapter 3, reorganising all the existing chapters and scenes to accommodate it.

I finished Yren chapter 6 (which catches him up to Noel and Raif).

And now I'm working on catching Kav, the new character, up to Yren, Noel, and Raif. (Remember, Daaz and Asher's routes are already fully drafted).

I have written about 15000 words since my last update here. I don't expect to write that much every week and my goal is actually a fair bit more modest than that. Gilded Shadows is not 100% complete yet. I still have multiple KS related things to finish and, of course, I will be making corrections and focusing on its beta testing once testers have had a bit more time with it.

WSC is still a part time project. This was just a particularly good week for it.

I have also worked on a few other things for WSC - mostly UI related and some art related things.

I received a new BG since my last update, and realised that...I have to revamp all the existing CGs. Or at least update them to change the background elements. I've only edited one so far but I don't think it'll be too much effort to fix the others.

And I continue to streamline and adjust the UI to make it look nicer and be more efficient.

So...

Kav. The new character. Kav'isari Tiaine, a Ka'mérian crew member who works in the space labs most of the time and specialises in identifying alien technology (what species it belongs to and what it does).

To explain where Kav came from, he actually popped into my head months ago. And every so often, I would contemplate whether or not I wanted to add him. I would say I first had the idea in January or February of this year. I would repeatedly think about it and dismiss it.

I then mentioned it to a friend sort of off-handedly back at the very beginning of June. A month and a half later, I mentioned him on a voice call on my server knowing full well that if I really talked about him and had a conversation about him, I would probably end up doing enough character brainstorming that he would become "real." And I talked about him anyway.

And that's exactly how he became an actual character. I think I had his sprite sketched out by the end of that day.

But he had existed as a concept long before that. The main reason I was willing to add him instead of ruthlessly telling myself no is just that I felt there was a gap in the cast for a gadfly style character who has a little mystery to him. And I just knew I could manage another route based on the length of Asher and Daaz's routes.

So...yeah. That is how Kav came into being. His introduction into the story has caused a few minor changes to standing lore or things in the prologue (just mentions of him, etc). But the changes to the currently public content of the game are pretty minor.

Kav won't actually appear in the game until Chapter 3. He gets mentioned a few times up to that point. There are some logistical considerations to his route but I have talked about those more on Patreon.

Speaking of Patreon, now that WSC is moved into "part time" status, I will be starting to slowly release some Patreon-exclusive lore posts for this game there. Like most games monetised through Patreon content, the lore posts will not be critical to having a full and complete game experience. Rather, it is going to be comprised of additional and extra lore content.

Some of the lore content released on Patreon will be in the game (such as character back stories) but Patrons will get to see it early and will get it presented in a different format.

Much of the content can be considered "extras" rather than necessary.

I will also be updating on the development progress weekly there (available to all patrons) rather than bi-weekly, and my updates there (going forward) will tend to be more detailed than the ones here.

Once episode releases start, Patrons will be able to access them before they the public releases. But backing on Patreon is not necessary to be able to play the game and get a full and complete game experience. It's just how this particular game will be monetised as I'm looking for more sustainable release styles so I can continue to make games.

That is all for this update. I will see you in a couple of weeks to talk about WSC again!

#when stars collide #updates #amare game #indie otome

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