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bethanythebogwitch · 9 months

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There are some animals that, if they didn't exist and somebody made them up, we would say they had an overactive imagination. The bobbit worm is one of those creatures, the closest we have to a real-life Mongolian death worm. So for this Wet Beast Wednesday, I'll tell you about just how weird it is.

(image: a rare full-body shot of a bobbit worm)

Before we start, I want to go on a brief tangent. What exactly is a worm? Well it turns out that like fish, worms aren't real. At least they aren't from a taxonomist's perspective. In common parlance, we refer to any long, skinny, and (usually) legless invertebrate as a worm. In taxonomy, that is far too broad of a category, especially as lots of animal lineages would have started out as something a lot like a worm and you can't stop being what your evolutionary ancestors were. Instead, taxonomists classify worms into multiple distinct phyla that independently converged onto the worm body plan, including the platyhelminths, nematodes, nemerteans, and annelids. The bobbit worm (Eunice aphroditos) is an annelid, which are known for their multiple body segments. More specifically, it is a polychaete or bristle worm, which are known for having a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia on each body segment, which have chitinous bristles called chaetae growing from them. There is some debate that the bobbit worm may actually be a species complex, which is when multiple related species are mistakenly classified as a single species.

(image: a bobbit worm found in an aquarium)

Bobbit worms are the largest of the polychaetes, with the largest known specimen being 299 cm (9.81 ft) long. They are also rather skinny, usually reaching no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. Bobbit worms have a wide range of coloration, ranging from brown to black and often with a rainbow of other colors going down their bodies. You might not notice this, however, because they spend most of their time burrowing under the sand in their Indo-Pacific coral reef habitats. This provides protection from predators and is important to their hunting strategy. Bobbit worms will stick their heads out of the sand and wait while their 5 antennae use chemosensitive and light-sensing cells to detect when fish pass by. When a fish comes too close, the worm strikes. They use a set of retractable jaws that are razor sharp and come together like scissors to bite the fish. This bit is strong enough to cut small fish in half. It is rumored that this is the source of their name, from the Lorena Bobbit case. I will not elaborate further, google it if you don't know. Those fish that are not killed immediately will find themselves bleeding out and paralyzed from venom injected through the jaws as they are dragged into the worm's burrow to be eaten. There are some reports that the wom's chaetae are also venomous and that handling them barehanded can cause permenent numbness, but this does not appear to be the scientific consensus. The worms will also feed on seaweed and other algae, making them omnivorous.

(gif: a bobbit worm catching a fish)

The borrows made by bobbit worms are dug out of the sediment and coated with mucus. The worm uses its chaetae to move in and out of the burrow. The mucus if filled with nutrients that bacteria, particularly sulfate-reducing bacteria, absolutely love. This allows iron sulfides to accumulate in the mucus. When exposed to oxygen in the water, usually at the opening of the burrow, the sulfides will become iron hydroxides. These help reinforce the burrow's opening. Bobbit worms rarely leave their burrows and will retreat at the first sign of danger, making it very hard to spot them in the wild. Several fossilized burrows have been found, one dating to 20 million years ago. Another burrow of a similar animal, possibly an ancient relative of the bobbits, was found dating to 400 millions years ago.

(image: a bobbit worm head with jaws extended)

Bobbit worms reproduce externally. At night, a female will emerge from her burrow and release pheromones that attract males. She will then release her eggs into the water. The males will follow by releasing sperm, allowing for fertilizations. The majority of larvae will die before reaching adulthood. There are rumors that females withh bite off the male's genitals to feed to her young, but this is not true. Bobbit worms can also reproduce asexually by splitting. When handles, a bobbit worm can split itself into multiple sections, each of which can grow into another identical worm. This is a common adaptation in polychaetes as it allows them to survive if a part of them is eaten.

(image: a bobbit worm just sitting there, menacingly)

Bobbit worms have become a nuisance species in aquariums. They are usually introduced as tiny larvae clinging to rocks brought in for decoration or shelter. Once in an aquarium, the worms can grow rapidly and will eat any fish in the tank. Removing them can be very difficult due to their size, regenerative abilities, and reclusive nature. One famous case that introduced a lot of the internet to the worms was that of the Newquay aquarium in England. Aquarium staff were confused when a lot of the fish were vanishing from one tank and the coral was damaged. They tried laying traps, but the intruder ate the fishhooks they used and could bite through 20 lb fishing line. Finally, they lured it out with food, finding a 4 foot long bobbit worm that they named Barry. Barry became a hit online and was moved to his own tank. There apparently were plans to put him on exhibit, but I can't find confirmation that this ever happened. Given that this happened in 2009 and the bobbit worm lifespan is 3-5 years, I am sorry to tell you that Barry has passed away. RIP, king.

(image: Barry after being removed from the tank. His drab color is thought to be the result of poor nutrition)

Because of how reclusive they are, bobbit worms are an understudied species. Attempts to raise them in laboratories have mostly failed, so there is a lot we don't know about their reproduction, development, and behavior. We also don't know if they need any conservation efforts.

How many times in this series am I going to be able to use cards from this series? (image: the bobbit worm card from Weird n' Wild Creatures)

#wet beast wednesday #marine biology #biology #zoology #bobbit worm #animal facts #worm #annelids #polychaete #images #barry the bobbit worm #late again #forgot to prep a post

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queenofmalkier · 6 months

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Egwene and Being "Ignored" in the Tower

SOOOOO.

I actually have a lot of thoughts about this and I think this is a very good instance of Egwene being an unreliable narrator in terms of what she thinks is happening and what is actually going on. (I was reminded of wanting to go on a tangent about this by a recent post.)

For starters, Aes Sedai are all very, very good at manipulation. We're not supposed to know in the beginning just how invested in Scheming they are, even though the text and to some extent the show tells us over and over. We're supposed to believe it's an exaggeration, playing on our own knowledge that woman are generally painted in a bad light when they have power. It's wickedly clever.

They're all a lot older than Egwene and have seen a lot of things. From the moment she put on that novice dress it was easy to peg her as someone who not only wanted to be one of them, but also had an instinctive need to be noticed. That shaped how they were going to train her.

Now wanting to be seen? That isn't a bad thing! Everyone likes to receive praise! But this is the tower. Part of their training is to break down the girls who enter and rebuild them into the image of an Aes Sedai and Egwene's obvious pride and need for praise are easy targets for them to start doing just that.

You can't tell me they don't have plans for her and you can't tell me any part of her novice training is unintentional.

For starters, as a fairly new novice she's cleaning the Amyrlin's study. I think this is a subtle way to remind her of her goals and aspirations, to see what she could be if she applies herself. This also allows Siuan to keep an eye on her - even when she's away from the Tower, Siuan naturally has other means of doing this through Leane or her personal staff.

Which Leane is doing. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but did she really need to carry that cup around just to toss it in Egwene's bucket? We see cups left all over the place throughout the episode, yet Leane makes a point to take hers to Egwene.

That she ignores Egwene while she tosses it is classic Aes Sedai behavior. Think back to the books - Moiraine conditions the boys after they've been away from her for too long by getting them to do chores until they don't question it.

By ignoring Egwene, Leane is able to both check on her and also help work on breaking her down a little. It's not malicious - it's just how they operate. Had she remained by the time she was Accepted she would have craved their approval and notice, and would be very loyal to the tower. That's just how conditioning works.

Madeleine Madden does a great job of showing all of this on her face and with her body language. She's a kicked puppy, arms crossed, curled in on herself. This isn't what she wanted at all. Why don't they notice her? Didn't Moiraine say she was special? She needs to work harder. Do better.

We next see her in Alanna's room, basically being treated as if she's invisible. On the one hand, it's shocking to a fairly sheltered country girl (Which Alanna very much knows - she tells us later she wants to get Egwene to be less uptight later in the weird meeting they have after the kitchen scene), but again, it hurts her feelings and sets her off-balance. Alanna does give her some notice, but Egwene is so uncomfortable she books it.

The first clue for the audience that she's missing out on the subtle ways she very much is being watched is after she passes the novices watching the warders. There's two blue sisters just casually talking in the hallway. As a viewer you might think that's normal, but why are they there? There's plenty of places to post up and they just happen to be in Egwene's path? Both of them take notice of her immediately, and presumably begin discussing her once she passes.

To Nynaeve she defends the Tower policy, even if she doesn't believe it, she's trying to believe it. And naturally all the spies in that kitchen happily report that back. (Liandrin later actually gives away the game, though Egwene is too upset and angry to realize Liandrin is saying outright she's being watched.)

Another way they're trying to break down Egwene is by using Nynaeve as a really big convenient stick. I dislike the term break because I feel like it comes off as negative, but I don't mean it that way.

To be an Aes Sedai she needs to be able to control her emotions, to hide what she's thinking. Right now she's too obvious and that's a weakness. (Although I think they want to break down her pride so another reason - she needs to accept that she's a baby compared to them and has a lot to learn. She doesn't have anything to be proud of just yet in their eyes.)

So, yeah. I don't think Egwene is nearly as invisible as she thinks she is to the women in the tower, she's just too young and not really away of the games going on around her yet. And I like that she doesn't notice, because she shouldn't. Not at this point in her life.

#wheel of time #wheel of time tv series #egwene al'vere

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aquilathefighter · 1 year

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Fluffbruary 14: Teach & Fruit

Check out all of my @fluffbruary ficlets on AO3 here!

Fandom: The Sandman (2022)

Relationship: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

“—and so, we see the arrival of Yersinia pestis—the Black Plague—crop up in England around 1348.”

Hob is smacking a projector screen with a meter stick when Dream appears in the back of the lecture hall. There’s a map on screen, marking the coming and going of the disease throughout Europe. It’s not the most romantic subject matter for Valentine’s Day, but Dream doesn’t care. He could listen to his lover talk about anything with rapt attention. The way Hob tells stories, especially those that he experienced, is intoxicating for Dream. He feeds off the energy Hob brings to his students, the fire and passion with which he teaches. Even talking about the grotesque, Hob glows with excitement.

Hob turns from his assault on the map to look out at his students. His eyes track over them, noticing who is online shopping and who is engaged with the subject matter. When he spots Dream, he breaks out into a grin.

“What’s so funny, Dr. G?” a student in the front row asks. Dream reaches for her subconscious. Sarah Williams. Her daydreams during this class are filled with images of his lover kissing her, touching her, telling her soft and sweet things that only Dream should have the luxury of hearing. He bites back a possessive growl when he notices Hob’s eyes are still locked on him as he opens his mouth.

“Looks like we have a very special guest that I just noticed!” With a flourish, he points Dream out. “My husband must’ve snuck in to embarrass me on Valentine’s.” The students all turn around to stare at him. Dream fights the urge to vanish himself as the students’ minds start to wander, making the connection between their professor and him, and what they must do in their private time.

“Now, now, I know he’s pretty,” he winks and Dream flushes, “but we do have to learn about the plague for the next 20 minutes. So, if I could get your focus back up here—”

Hob continues his lecture, diving into the intricacies of medieval ports and shipping, wandering through a tangent about what people in the Middle Ages thought about hygiene. It’s music to Dream’s ears as he relaxes into his seat and watches his husband at work. Somehow, the students are much more engaged, asking questions which Hob answers excitedly, jumping about the classroom and whacking the screen more than once.

“Alright, so make sure you read the next section I’ve assigned on the course website! We’ll be going into more of the consequences of the Black Death next time and I want to hear your takes on it. Have a great rest of your day. Go eat some chocolates!” Hob chuckles as Dream descends the stairs toward Hob, gift in hand. “I believe I’m about to have my fair share of them. Bye!”

“Hello, Hob.”

“Hi, love. Warn a guy before you disrupt his class next time, eh?” He wraps his arms around Dream’s waist, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“I enjoy hearing you tell a story. It is… romantic for me.” He shifts the box out of the way of Hob’s body, dropping his arm down to his side.

“Of course! The plague’s the most romantic thing in the world.” Hob rolls his eyes. “You insane creature.”

Dream presses their foreheads together for a moment, then looks Hob in the eye.

“I believe a gift is to be given on this day?”

Hob releases Dream from his grasp and looks at him eagerly. Dream smiles, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. He hands the box over to Hob, who tears through the bow.

“Chocolate-covered strawberries! Dream, you didn’t have to get me these!”

“It is of no consequence.” Dream says, his eyes sparkling at Hob’s delight.

Hob immediately picks the fruit up, lips wrapping around it as he takes a bite. It brings images of what else Dream has planned for their night to his mind, which he is all the more eager to get to as Hob moans in delight.

“Oh, Dream, it’s delicious! Thank you, dove.” He plants a chocolatey kiss on Dream’s lips.

“I obtained them from the dreams of a French chocolatier.” He moves to whisper in Hob’s ear, his cool breath making Hob shiver. “I have more gifts for you. If you will accompany me to our home.” He steps back and examines his husband. Hob’s pupils are blown, and he has begun to pant.

“Yes,” Hob blurts. “Let’s go. Now.” He sets the box of strawberries down and stuffs his course materials and laptop in his bag, then throws the satchel over his shoulder and grabs Dream’s hand. Hob power-walks toward the door, dragging Dream behind him. There are a few spots that Dream can transport them away without being seen, but the middle of a lecture hall that has student stragglers around certainly isn’t one of them.

If Dream shuts down a few dreams students have about them that night, Hob doesn’t need to know.

#fluffbruary #aquila writes #dreamling #dream x hob #hob x dream #professor hob gadling #professor!hob #how to seduce your man with strawberries by dream of the endless #happy valentines day yall!

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thrawns-backrest · 6 months

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I decided to bring a pretty crazy thing here, hehe.

There is a popular series of books in Russia that is not very well known abroad. The idea is that in this world there are cyborgs that look like ordinary people, but are sold as machines. There are combat cyborgs, nanny cyborgs, etc. In general, these are truly machines, but some cyborgs (combats and spies) can acquire human feelings and personality from a time - they are called “thwarted” and are immediately destroyed when discovered. It is totally legally. But there are people who, contrary to the general trend, are kind to such creatures and help them hide, accept them as friends and family members, or even fight for their rights.

So, I've been thinking for a long time about an AU in which Ronan is not human. He is one of those machines that has gained mind, which was noticed by his owner. In a panic (because thwarted cyborgs are often aggressive, as a rule, there are reasons for this, but people don’t care about it), he used cruelty, but did not call a special team to destroy the “thwarted” cyborgs, because he thought that his “machine” is no longer viable because of him, so to speak. So he just threw it out of sight. However, Krennic, who was probably just relaxing while hanging around the city, came across a cyborg who was still alive. He understood what was happening, but for some reason decided not to report it to the appropriate place or simply leave it. He found a specialist who could fix the cyborg, and then helped him pretend to be a human and join the Empire as his assistant (after all, this guy will definitely be forever grateful to him and will do anything for him, right?). I have two options for what could happen next:

1) In Ronan's Ascendancy recruitment scene, Thrawn would have caught him not hating Palpatine, but by recognizing who he really was. Krennic would make sure Ronan didn't give himself away even to the most powerful scanners and so on, but hey, Thrawn can't be fooled!

2) The scene from Treason would have gone the same way as in the canon, but later (I did not think through this moment in detail) a situation would have been created where Ronan again ended up on the Chimera or in another imperial facility. It would create a situation where, in order to protect everyone, he would have to give himself away and use his potential as a machine to repel an attack that could not be stopped in any other way. Ronan would be sure that now he would either be destroyed or simply kicked out in disgrace, but, as we know, Thrawn is not one of those who judge by origin. He would have allowed him to stay… which earned him eternal devotion, in fact, but Ronan still continued to bark at him, so as not to give away a change in his attitude simply out of stubbornness :D

okay first of all, sorry for how late this is lol, secondly THIS GIVES ME SUCH STRONG DETROIT BECOME HUMAN VIBES HOLY SHIT. I don't know if you've heard of dbh but it has a similar premise and I was obsessed with it for a while. the reason I'm bringing this up is because in dbh androids had little circular led lights on the side of their head which would glow blue for stable, yellow for strained and red for instability. and when they became deviant (gained consciousness) the lights would correspond to their emotions and mood. anyway this whole tangent is to say that if Ronan was an android his led would be red all the time and it would be hilarious

now back on track

I REALLY love this idea, the image of Ronan standing quietly while Krennic pokes around inside some open panel to do some maintenance instantly popped into my mind. And it's in character for Krennic to take advantage of this opportunity to cultivate a loyal subordinate (plus he'll have his very own life size doll to play dress up with lol). Maybe they even had this long period where Ronan was still a bit beat up and missing some parts so he couldn't walk around in public. And in that interim he only knew the person who cared for and helped fix him, namely Krennic.

both of these scenarios work really well! in fact one way Thrawn could catch him is thanks to his infrared vision, a machine could possibly simulate human body heat but with the amount of attention Thrawn pays to it, he would have figured out something was off eventually. This scenario could also work alongside canon, I think. Thrawn could use this as additional blackmail to Ronan's beliefs (imagine if that's what made Vader even more dangerous to him, he would instantly recognize he's not looking at a human because of the Force). Another candidate for figuring it out would be Dayja because our boy is so clever - he'd probably postpone bringing it up because the most valuable information is the one only you know and by the time he decides to do something with it, Ronan would already have been spirited away to the Ascendancy.

And oooh the second one is interesting! One thing that instantly comes to mind (totally not because I've considered it a thousand times for dbh fics haha) is that machines can probably sustain a lot more damage than humans so they could step into the line of fire to protect one. Even just getting injured would give him away which makes the scene on the Firedrake all the more interesting because Ronan came within an inch of getting shot which in this case would have given him away in front of everyone.

"but Ronan still continued to bark at him, so as not to give away a change in his attitude simply out of stubbornness" LOL Ronan's cat like attitude strikes again! He acts like he hates his master but really he's actually very loyal. It's even funnier because Krennic is that one 'owner' that the cat sucks up to and no one even knows why. Only the cat.

#thank you for the ask!!#now all my dbh feels are coming back again #it doesn't help that my dbh blorbo was just as prickly as Ronan #Gavin Reed my beloved I miss him so much

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noxthesleepymoodyoverthinker · 1 year

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The Collector & The Great Titan: The Owl House (Theory: Possibly Past Allies?)

OK, I completely get that The Collector, despite the extremely brief appearance, is absolutely terrifying.

Not because of anything he does so far, but because of what he can do (and has no qualms about doing).

Never mind that he makes monster Philip, AKA Belos, go splat without a smidge of effort.

Or that he MOVES the moon to end the eclipse!

But, I seriously hope he doesn't become something to be put down or trapped again in Season 3. Because he seriously feels just like a mini-child-god who has no concept of how terrifying he is and the difference between playthings and people. It does not feel malicious in the slightest. And I was honestly horrified for him at how giddily happy he was to get out of that mirror and have a playmate/friend.

Sure, I might also be grasping at straws here, but he also never actually destroyed Belos, just basically flicked him away with zero effort, despite the betrayal. And the moment King reminded The Collector of their promise, he did actually, immediately, hold up his end of the bargain and stop the draining spell.

On another tangent, is there perhaps a chance that -- like Belos made everyone believe over decades that wild magic was what the Titan was against -- The Titan and The Collector might have actually been friends, or at least allies, in the far past? But then, after they disappeared, some people, like the Titan Trackers, came to believe that The Collector hunted Titans?

I admit, that, after the episode "Echoes to the Past", after theories abounded that what the Titan could be fighting here in the mural was something The Collector made or did -- or The Collector himself -- I was sure too that The Titan and The Collector were natural enemies.

Not to mention, The Collector's appearance in Eda's dream in "Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door".

Who'd ever think he was anything but a Big Bad after this episode? As in, the person who likely trapped The Owl Beast into a curse, or created the curse in the first place.

And after "Edge of the World", with the Titan Trappers saying their entire purpose was hunting and killing Titans, apparently in the footsteps of "The Great Huntsman" (who we all figure was The Collector), it definitely feels like The Collector could be nothing but a villain -- and possibly the reason that The Great Titan even died?

And I was aaaaaaalllllllll aboard this theory -- until The Collector was freed by King from the mirror and I saw the way he behaved. He was terrifying, sure -- but in the way you'd be terrified of a toddler if he got hold of a very sharp knife and ran like the wind with it (except here, you're not really worried for The Collector's personal safety. That "knife" of his is definitely more dangerous to others. And he knows how to use it).

But, when I was checking out screenshots and images from "Echoes to the Past", I noticed this:

This is the entrance to where King was born. Look at the stars -- or sun, even -- around the symbol King wears as a necklace. And the moons, while full instead of crescents, could also be related to The Collector (as stars and crescent moons seem to be his motif). Besides, look at the motif on one half of The Collector's robe in Eda's dream...

(I don't know about you, but that seems to be the sun on one side, a motif that looks a lot like that multi-pointed sun or star on the dome of the entrance to King's birth-cave/lair.)

Now, why would this motif be on King's birth-lair if The Collector and The Great Titan were enemies? And for that matter, Lilith proved that this island was nowhere on the map, and she's a historian and explorer who's scoured most of The Boiling Isles both out of interest and to complete whatever Belos told her to do while she was working for them.

However, Eda just accidentally stumbled upon this place when she needed shelter. And it doesn't appear that anyone else has ever found this place since -- or before -- either. And the second time they go there, it's only because of King that they find the island at all.

Now, King finding the place is logical -- his blood probably allowed him entrance. And the others could follow because they were with him. But Eda? She was alone. She should have no way to find this island. What possible connection could she have had to King before she'd even met him?

Well, how about her Owl Beast curse? And what's connected to her Owl Beast form that's established from her dreams? The Collector! And allowing someone or something with a connection to The Collector to enter your child's cave if you were sworn enemies seems sus, don't you think? But what if they weren't enemies, but friends? Makes a lot more sense then, doesn't it?

(Now, as with any theory, this could totally be off. But I do think it's a possibility. 😄 What do you think?)

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kenthenugget · 11 months

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I Don't Get Tangents (Art Rant)

During my formative years as an artist back 2017 up to early 2020, I can remember watching a ton of art related content ranging from DeviantArt cringe video's to tutorials on how to draw manga to general art community topics like tracing and so on. But up until mid 2021, I had never heard of tangents. And even now, I still dont fully get it.

If you don't know, a tangent is pretty much when lines intersect in a visually non pleasing way. There's a great blog that goes into this which I'll link here:https://schweizercomics.tumblr.com/post/11966164633/the-schweizer-guide-to-spotting-tangents

Let me be clear by saying that I do know what tangents are and what they mean. I'm not an idiot. And its not like I don't understand why they're bad but at the same time I don't get it, if you know what I mean. I've seen examples of tangents where it does a good job at illustrating why its bad but there are some where I just cant see it. Going to the post I linked, I had a difficult time discerning what the tangents were for examples 2 through 5 until someone pointed them out. Even then, I still didn't find anything wrong with them despite the tangents. And if I'm being honest (and I mean no shade at the creator of the post), it does feel nitpicky. Because you wouldn't know it was a tangent unless someone pointed it out.

I guess in general, tangents are not to big of a deal, which is probably why I never heard of them until recently. It is something that can be easily avoidable, especially if you're not that skilled of an artist. But for someone like me who is a perfectionist, tangents act as some sort of curse. Especially when it comes to digital art.

I honestly feel its a lot harder for tangents to form in traditional works than it is for digital ones. When you're creating a complex illustration on paper, the backgrounds, characters, and other objects are on the same surface. As opposed to digital where you can separate those things via layers, and this is where tangents often tend to form for me. Since everything is separated, I'll tend to work on those elements separately when inking. And its not until then where I turn on the character or background layer, I see tangents forming. And only when its inked do I notice these and not when I'm sketching them. Maybe that has to do with the pencil brush not being as thick and bold? Im not sure. This has happened to me constantly, ever since I began separating my backgrounds from the layers my characters are on. Tangents just form and there's nothing I can really do about it, unless I revert to drawing everything on the same layer. And its a problem when it comes to comic pages as well. Particularly with speech bubbles and sound effects, which is a whole other can of worms entirely.

Now this doesn't mean I hate everything I've drawn in the past year or two, but noticing these tangents really bothers me. That these images are immediately deemed bad because of one or two tangents caused by separation of elements on layers. And like I said, all of this feels very nitpicky, as in you wouldn't notice it unless you were actively looking for it. It honestly feels like tangents are a fuel for perfectionism, an unhealthy amount of it at that. Its partially why I try not to let it bother me and do my best to avoid it.

No one is perfect, and that's okay. I don't think something as small and hyper specific as a tangent should bring an illustration down. Hell, I'm pretty sure art created by your favorite artists have one or two tangents in them that down make them bad because of it. Im not really sure how to end this but I don't try to be perfect as an artist because no art is perfect. And if it was, is it really art anymore?

#artists on tumblr #art rant

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todayisafridaynight · 2 years

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Majima already moping around the top of the Millennium Tower, and Nishida saying he's been "catty" since learning Kiryu is leaving make it seem like he'd be extra miserable if Kiryu hadn't swung by to see him. I could go off on a massive tangent about everything with their little private goodbye scene. Nishida even later tells Kiryu that fighting him in the coliseum is the happiest he's ever seen his boss (since the time he gave him acupuncture. RGG what is their relationship). Honestly, Nishida constantly telling Kiryu things that would Majima irate was one of my many beloved parts of the game.

But if Kiryu were to be in something like that instead? I don't know what Majima would do. He's so high strung when it comes to keeping promises that he almost got himself killed even in 2, and was willing to die in 5 if it meant Kiryu could be happy with Haruka safe. As soon as this man cares deeply for someone, all bets are off. I can just see the stone cold look on his face combined with the deep voice drop. He already threatened to ruin anyone that tries anything. Possibly, he could feel lost as all hell but immediately want the head of those responsible. There's so many things to think about here...

I noticed Mine seemed to be trying to keep it together and kept his Kiryu disdain from surfacing to the front. There's a lot of little body language and vocal bits I caught on to with him- especially in the meeting scene- that I could dissect for an hour. It would make sense that he just kind of crumbles around the moment you said. He almost goes full force on things it seemed he previously wouldn't have done if still in a stable mindset. If any of that makes sense.

Also I have a terrible Hamazaki gaydar image if it's cool to share

absolutely on majima wanting to find out who's responsible should a case come about where kiryu's even hurt, let alone hes kicked the bucket; although majima likes to present himself as aloof and marching to the beat of his own drum, he's undeniably shackled to people he truly cares about when push comes to shove. it's additionally undeniable and plain as day kiryu is a major highlight of majima's life for one reason or another. it is like i said last post: there's a lot of possibilities in a scenario like that and how he could react depending on a fair amount of things.

on to mine though, that's one of my absolute favorite things about him: while mine keeps conversations brief and professional, his facial expressions and body language are more than enough to translate what he's actually feeling. it makes it an absolute joy to go back and rewatch his cutscenes to pick out little things like his eyebrows furrowing a bit/relaxing or his hands tightening around each other while he says little to nothing out of the ordinary. and the note about mine crumbling DOES make sense and it's something i think of a lot.

again, for brevity's sake i won't dive too deep, but once you understand how mine works and thinks, his degradation starts to become painfully obvious.

#long post #snap chats #a couple asks back i did an 'arcana' analysis of majima and i feel like that ask says a lot of what i want to say about him #like he is very much about living the way he wants but he can be serious when he needs to be #im gonna make a joke post in a hot second that explains a thought i have LMAO but its a cool thing about his character #aaand ive made more than enough posts about mine and his body language and how much i love it #i can and will go on and on about it whenever but i dont want to sound like too much of a broken record #tl;dr i love the subtle things about him

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alpdruck · 1 year

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Like many of you, I saw the images of neonazis threatening a queer event in Columbus recently. I noticed they were using bindrunes on their shirts, and one man had one on his face. This is something relevant to my interests because I’m transmasc, disabled, and also a Germanic pagan and runeworker. I could write an essay about how I feel about Nazis appropriating runes, but that’s not the point.

The first images I saw, it was difficult to see the exact runes they were using. But recently I got a clearer photo. The runes on the T-shirts are berkano, laguz (twice), and tiwaz.

So, breakdown of how rune magic works. Each of the runes has a meaning, sometimes multiple, usually context-dependent and influenced by nearby runes. You place the runes against each other, they theoretically do magic as a result, and no I don’t care whether you believe that works or not. When you use multiple runes together like that, it’s a bindrune. I like to think of each individual rune as a word and the bindrune as the sentence. You write them on paper, you thus announce your intent, that’s basically how it works. The way I do it, the biggest rune or the rune the others branch out from is the most important and the focus of everything. It’s not complicated nor do you need Germanic/Scandinavian ancestry to do it. Anyone can use runes. All you need is to know the meanings and you get better with time.

I learned to make bindrunes after a friend, who has been a runeworker for around twenty years, sent me a drawing of one for protection. She explained to me what each part did and how to draw it, and it worked. That was enough information for me to begin constructing my own, and occasionally I make extra money doing commissions. I’ve been doing this about three years now.

Coming back from that tangent to the Nazis and their bindrune T-shirts. The construction of these bindrunes felt off to me. There’s more than one way to draw a bindrune meaning the same thing, sure, but I was immediately struck with the suspicion that whoever drew these wasn’t actually a practitioner, was a dabbler at most. It was not well constructed, but I had a bad feeling about the intent behind them, because if it was meant to be purely symbolic, it would probably just be a sowilo, an othala, or a tiwaz.

I sent the photo to my runeworker friend. I asked what she thought they were doing. Her immediate response was they were being aggressive, which I also figured from the use of red, the prominent tiwaz. But she agreed that it was an odd choice of runes, that whoever did it was “an amateur graphic designer” and not a runeworker.

We figured that Nazis probably use a corrupted set of rune meanings, but googling “Nazi speficic understanding of runes” isn’t exactly helpful. The Anti-Defamation League website was somewhat helpful with this, as several runes are listed in their section on neonazi symbols.

Berkano is a rune that I usually see in its contexts where it’s associated with femininity. But it has other associations, like new life and rebirth. That’s the context that made the most sense on a shirt worn by a man in the alt-right movement.

Laguz basically means water, sometimes metaphorically, to refer to things that flow. They use it twice, perhaps for emphasis.

Tiwaz is associated with the god Tyr. It often symbolizes victory in battle. I use a bindrune with tiwaz and algiz on my personal defense knife. Nazis are big on this rune becuse, well, they tend to be focused on very specific aspects of Germanic paganism and history.

So what the full bindrune would symbolize is the rebirth of their movement, it growing and violently eradicating their enemies. It is a threat, but it is also intended to be a spell. I am both personally offended at bindrunes being used this way, and relieved that their side has shitty occultists who by all appearances used Google to pick out the runes they wanted and then randomly threw them together. But it makes sense that they do. I work with runes due to a genuine interest in the occult, folklore, and Germanic paganism, whereas for Nazis their interests in those things are only secondary to their interest in white supremacy.

So rune friend and I have been having fun discussing a counter to this, something that could be drawn on a slip of paper or worn around the neck for people likely to encounter groups like this. We came up with a few different designs.

The runes listed here are mannaz (human), ehwaz (camraderie/teamwork), laguz (flow), wunjo (victory/happiness), algiz (protection), jera (passage of time/harvests) and dagaz (beginnings). It’s basically a rune that helps people stand up to fascists.

If anyone wants to use this, you have your pick of designs. And as a reminder: Nazi punks fuck off. https://youtu.be/kTs_Q4hEqmA

youtube

#nazi pagans fuck off #punch a nazi #protect trans kids #Youtube

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incorrect-lightlark-facts · 11 months

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actually wait this is so niche that you totally dont have to do it i wont be upset, but. one of my favorite desperately underutilized plots/tropes is the good old "it's my high school reunion and i hated high school because high school hated me, we're not dating but you're hot, will you come with me and imply to my former classmates that we're dating so i can get catharsis out of this event? haha i swear im not actually in love with you, i just want to win the reunion, haha." and. now the mental image of grim who hated high school getting oro to go to his reunion is absolutely Stuck in my head

MORE DISORGANIZED RAMBLING TIME THANK YOU

Not to immediately start with a tangent, but since this is implied to be a modern-ish setting, I like to do a little 🤏 worldbuilding for that sweet sweet context. Oro is an archivist for a collection of very old, suspected-of-being-haunted texts and records. Grim is a semi-successful novelist and part-time barista (one fanfiction cliché, as a treat) living mostly on an inheritance from his father. They're both in that stage of young adulthood where you're kind of just trying to work out what you give enough of a shit about to spend the rest of your life doing it. They're the kind of friends that started studying for university classes together and then stayed close because neither of them did a great job of making other friends—in Oro's case because he was pushing himself to his breaking point with his classes, and in Grim's case because he had a lot of turbulent relationships that crashed and burned.

ANYWAY. I think Oro is easy to convince since he has pretty much nothing to lose over this, plus Grim bribed him with free pastries. He is also just the tiniest bit curious because I guarantee he has not attended a single one of his own reunions. He doesn't fully believe that just being "hot" will do much for himself or Grim, so he is Very Surprised when about a dozen people immediately want to ask him very specific questions about who he is and what he does.

Oro is getting a lot of attention just as Grim planned, but everyone is still kind of ignoring Grim. A few people at least try to stop by and tell him he looks well (he interprets this as pity), but an Oro who is actually trying to be charismatic commands the room in a way that Grim just doesn't. Grim skulks off to drink offbrand diet root beer in the corner and think his broody thoughts. It pretty much feels like nothing has changed since he was in school, and he's frustrated with himself for thinking this was a good plan and frustrated with Oro for overshadowing him at his own reunion. Grim universally has Not Great self-esteem and thinks everyone is out to get him all the time, and he also feels jealous in a way he can't explain. Couldn't poooossibly be that he wants to be the one nagging Oro for attention.

Oro notices that his fake boyfriend is wallowing and finally has an excuse to leave a conversation where he is desperately trying to change the subject away from his weird job. Grim doesn't want to talk about what's bothering him, and Oro suggests they take it outside. They stand out in the high school parking lot and yall the silence is So uncomfortable. The sun is going down, so it's cool and starting to get dark outside, and Grim has this overwhelming urge to huddle against Oro and it's maddening. He never wants to be close to Oro like this (yes he does, all the time), and he sure as hell never gets jealous like this (yes he does, all the time). Meanwhile, Oro is just standing with his hands in his pockets and avoiding eye contact, pretending he isn't mentally flipping through all the ways he must have fucked up this whole operation.

To his credit, Grim cracks and tries So Hard to make a grandiose declaration of affection. It comes out as something to the tune of "I wanted to prove a point but all I'm proving is that you're the only person who cares about me." Good job, Grim. Points for vulnerability at least. Oro calls him on his bullshit a little by telling him that almost half the people who were pestering Grim's hot new alleged boyfriend actually just wanted to know if Grim was doing okay but felt like it would piss him off to ask directly. He tactfully opts not to mention how many have also offered to get coffee if Oro ever finds himself single again.

I love Idiots Who Can't Communicate as an early-relationship dynamic, so Grim stares at him like he's dumb for several long seconds and then very smoothly holds his hand. Something something "I didn't say you caring about me was a bad thing." "Uh-huh."

#i really want to do more with this now help #like a proper fic maybe idk #once again i hope this is coherent #asks #long post

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thefallennightmare · 2 years

Text

Guilt-Twenty Four

Pairings: Andy Barber x Reader

Warnings: fluff, mostly angst, swearing, and some implied smut here and there.

Summary: When a murder hits the small-town reader lives in and personally attacks the family she works for, she would never image the toll that it would take on her as well. But not for the reason people would think. The last thing Reader thought she would find herself in during the murder trial was falling in love with her boss, Andy Barber and him returning those feelings.

Authors Note: Tags are open!

Tags: @emimaki @liecastillo @patzammit @evansgal @posiemax @iamemy4 @falling-solar-system @tothemoonandbackx3000 @beckygirl95 @artis1979 @mommad @jennamarieee623 @mansaaay @bellaireland1981 @torntaltos @greeneyedblondie44 @yosoysere @lowkeysebby @dissapointmentofthefam @mansaaay @moonie-brbs @winterberryfox @kookie-sun0097 @bellahadidrealgf @speedy-object-dream @keepcalmandbeajunkie

The soft music from the restaurant helped ease my shaking hands as I looked around from Devon. The bottom of my red dress blew in the wind and I cursed when chills bumped over my skin wishing that I shouldn’t have chosen such an exposing dress.

The bottom ended right in the middle of my thighs, the straps were skimpy, slowly falling off my shoulder, and the exposed back definitely caught a few extra stares tonight. The color, however, was intentional for one reason and one reason only.

Red was his favorite color.

My hair blew in tangent with the breeze and when I looked over my shoulder, the butterflies had a spark of life when the new man walked into the restaurant. His eyes immediately met mine and with the way his breath caught in his throat, I knew that I had succeeded in my choice of outfit.

Andy continued to stare at me with Laurie attached to his arm and when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder, my attention was now on Devon. He smiled brightly down at me and my body rose with goosebumps when his breath was hot on my ear.

“You look amazing,” he mused.

“Thank you,” I smiled at him.

He led me towards a table on the outdoor patio with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Devon was the definition of a perfect gentleman, pulling out my chair and even offering his jacket when he noticed a small shiver take over my body.

The shiver wasn’t for the cold, however. It was from the man that had been sat at a table a few away from us, facing me.

Andy brought the beer bottle to his lips and simply nodded his head along to whatever Laurie was saying.

I had no idea that they would be here tonight but couldn’t help but think that because he knew I would be here, Andy thought it would be a great way to take Laurie out; to keep an eye on me. I should be upset with him, disgusted that he couldn’t let me live my own life, but the way my core twitched with heat when I saw him suck in his bottom lip when I pushed my chest out, I knew I had him.

He was going to be eating out of the palm of my hand.

“So what brings you to Mexico?”

I looked toward Devon, ready to give him most of my attention. “Uh, vacation, I guess. The family I work for invited me out with them.”

Devon’s brows knitted together. “I haven’t seen you with anyone.”

“I’m kind of doing my own thing,” I informed him, hoping he wouldn’t want me to go into more detail.

Thankfully he hadn’t and we continued to enjoy our dinner and drinks making small talk as the night went on. Guilt panged at my heart when I began to realize the more I tried to give Devon my full attention, I found myself stealing glances at Andy. We were only a few tables away from each other so I knew that he was eavesdropping on our conversations whenever he could.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hm?” I hummed towards Devon.

He ran a hand over the back of his neck, trying to gather the courage to ask the question that was on the edge of his tongue.

“It might be the alcohol talking but I can’t stop staring at your lips, wondering what they taste like.”

I felt my blood rush to my ears with his words and out of the corner of my gaze, I could see Andy shift in his seat.

“You’re beautiful and I can’t stop thinking about kissing you,” Devon admitted.

My lips parted, unsure of how to respond. A part of me would love to take him up on his offer, ready to see if whatever I was feeling towards him was legit feelings or if it was only the want to make Andy jealous.

Devon’s lips were plump, just like Andy’s, and I marveled at the way they pulled up in a smile when I leaned up towards him slightly.

Regardless of my decision, it would be my own and not influenced by Andy, who continued to watch with an unreadable expression.

My hand gently cupped his bare skinned cheek, nothing like Andy’s full one from his beard, and let go of whatever self-doubt I had left.

“What are you waiting for?” I urged.

In a flash, Devon’s lips were entangled with my own in a semi hungry kiss and while I could feel the passion coming from him, there was absolutely nothing on my end.

No sparks, no butterflies, and no flash heat in the mound between my legs.

I placed my hands on his chest, slowly pushing him away which caused him to look at me with concern.

“Did I overstep?” Devon wondered.

The guilt I felt continued to grow when I realized how sweet he had been towards me the entire time we had been together even if I couldn’t stop thinking of the other man at the table.

“No,” I let out a shaky breath. “You’re an amazing person but I can’t string you along.”

I sat back into my chair, swallowing back the sobs when I saw a hurt look in Devon's eyes.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the guy that hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you all day?”

I blinked. “What?”

Devon nodded behind me but I didn’t look, I knew who he was talking about.

“I saw the way he was watching us when we were talking on the beach and now, after we kissed, the look of pain that came on his face,” Devon informed.

I still refused to look towards Andy, not wanting to let him know that he had won, so instead I linked my hand in Devon’s.

“I’m sorry. It’s complicated and you don’t deserve to get linked in this mess,” I apologized.

He left a soft kiss on the back of my hand. “I know I don’t have a chance when it comes to two people in love.”

My lips mimicked a fish as my heart jumped into my throat. With my reaction, Devon couldn’t help the smirk that graced his face.

“I take it as you didn’t know,” he took a swig of his beer.

I shook my head. “He doesn’t love me.”

“Right because the girl he’s been with all day is his girlfriend?”

My bottom lip was tangled between my teeth. “Wife.”

Devon sucked in a breath. “Damn, that is complicated.”

He took the check from the waiter and immediately handed it back to him, stuffed with cash. I wanted to protest but he simply waved me off.

“Can I give you some advice?” He questioned.

All I did was nod.

“The way he looks at you pales in comparison to the way he looks at his wife. When he looks at her, there’s nothing behind his eyes. But you? There’s a fire behind his eyes and I can actually see the way his heart slams in his chest. To me, that’s a look of love.”

For the first time, I looked towards Andy who was no longer at his table, him and Laurie were long gone.

“If it means anything, he left by himself while his wife walked towards the beach,” Devon said when he heard the soft sigh that escaped me.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, truly feeling guilty for having him feel strung along all night.

He stood to his feet and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t let him get away this time, Y/N.”

Suddenly all alone, I stared out into the ocean and let the sobs attack my body. This trip was a mistake and I mentally smacked myself for tagging along. I was doing so well in trying to get over Andy and now with what Devon had said, I was back to square one.

“I should have stayed home,” I groaned while making my way back to my room.

#guilt andy barber #andy barber #chris evans #chris evans characters #cevans #andy barber smut #andy barber x you #andy barber imagine #andy barber x reader #andy barber x yn #andy barber and yn #andy barber and reader

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griffintail · 3 years

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I had this idea, I dunno if it’s dumb or not, but I figured if anyone knew it would be you! Y’know, cause you seem like you know way more than me about all these mcyt guys and gals? Anyways, I saw that a lot of people headcanon that Shlatt was Tubbo’s dad, and seeing all those dad!Shlatt AUs gave me an idea:

What if after Shlatt’s dead, after things have settled, after Tubbo becomes president and spends most of his time cleaning up the messes and mistakes Shlatt left behind- he discovers he wasn’t Shlatt’s only child. He finds handwritten letters in Shlatt’s files from a distant village, all of them fairly recent, asking him for child support money, or asking him to take “his mistake” with him. But the last letter Tubbo finds is a typed one informing Shlatt that the woman who sent all the previous letters has died, and that he has 1 month to come collect his child, or they’ll become a ward of the state; it’s been roughly 2 and a half weeks since that letter arrived. How would Tubbo react to all of this, and more importantly, would he take on the responsibility of becoming his new sibling’s guardian?

I don’t know how I became the person to come to for this lol. I hope you enjoy!

The Girl with the Horns

Pairings: Brother! Tubbo x Child! F! Reader

Warnings: Mentions of emotional abuse, Implied Buillying, Swearing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tubbo looked up the old White House building, taking a deep breath before going in. Inside, he immediately scrunched up his nose at the familiar smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke.

“Damn it, dad.” He muttered under his breath before starting to clean up the building.

He said he’d clean the building out himself as his father was the one who trashed it and now was that day. A lot of his presidency was cleaning up Schlatt’s mistakes before he even ran the rest of his new country. He sighed as he put another empty bottle in a trash bag. Schlatt had really lost it running things.

Slowly but surely, Tubbo was able to get the White House to a much cleaner state. He was now in the main office and was searching the drawers for his father's inevitable “secret” booze stashes when he found some handwritten letters tucked in the very back of the drawer. Frowning, Tubbo took them out and saw them all addressed to Schlatt.

Sitting down, Tubbo read the letter on top and his eyes went wide, back going straight as he reread the words before him.

I want money for this child you helped bring into this world!

A child?

The rest of the letter was talking about asking for child support and Tubbo was floored. Quickly, he read the next letter and it was much of the same, demanding Schlatt to take responsibility.

“Holy shit…” Tubbo muttered. “I got…I got a sibling?”

He made his way through the rest of the letters, his heart clenching when the woman writing the letters called his poor sibling a mistake or made stabs at Schlatt.

Then the last letter was a lot more formal. It was stamped with an official seal and dated. Schlatt had opened it as told by the broken seal but had obviously also put the letter back without a care after reading. Tubbo’s breath hitched as he read the letter though.

Dear Mr. Jschlatt:

We are sorry to inform you Miss Trentha has passed in an accident.

Behind, she has left a five-year-old (Y/N), of which in our records has your name on her birth papers. We will give you a month’s time to make a decision; after, we will have no choice but to send (Y/N) to become a ward of the state.

Tubbo quickly looked at the date of when the letter was sent.

“Two and a half weeks!” Tubbo exclaimed as he jumped up. “Shit! What should I do?”

He looked around the office he had spent time cleaning trying to process everything at once, words failing him. In a few short moments, he had found out he wasn’t an only child, that Schlatt hadn’t even looked back at this girl or her horrible mother, and that the sibling he just found out about was going to become a ward of the state! Schlatt had at least been kind enough to Tubbo to let Philza raise him but this child going into the adoption system…

“I-I got to run L’Manberg. There’s so much to do.” Tubbo ran a hand through his hair as he panicked.

But then Tommy’s words echoed in his head.

You can’t become the next Schlatt.

Schlatt was obviously going to let this child fend for themselves, Tubbo couldn’t be his father. He had to at least meet them. With a new will, he gathered around his friends, and with reassurances that they had L’Manberg covered, Tubbo set off on a horse to the village. It was a good three-day journey, so he’d only have roughly a week left to make his decision of what he was going to do.

Coming to the village, Tubbo took a deep breath as he stared at it. What was she going to be like? She probably didn’t have the best raising based on the letters that the mother sent. Tying up the horse outside the main hall, Tubbo went in, going through the various processes to prove that he was indeed Jschlatt’s child and proving that his father was dead.

After, they took Tubbo to a home where a bunch of children were outside playing but there was one that stood out among them and it wasn’t because she was sitting alone. It was because she had tiny horns on top of her head that were just starting to come in. Tubbo put a hand on his horns that were just starting to curl without thinking.

“That’s (Y/N).” The man that led him here nodded to the little girl.

“She’s five, right?” Tubbo asked.

“Yes. She’s not very talkative, but you can introduce yourself to her.”

Tubbo had few guesses why she didn’t want to talk. He went over, a few of the other kids were pointing at him. (Y/N) was using a stick to push images in the dirt, looking up when a shadow got in the way of the sun. Tubbo smiled when he saw her surprise when she looked up at him, he sitting next to her, wearing his casual wear rather than his suit.

“Hi. I’m Tubbo.” He introduced himself to her.

(Y/N) was silent as she stared obviously at his horns. “You have horns…”

“Yeah, I do. I’m a ram just like you.”

“Really?” She met his eyes now.

“Mhm. I, uh, I actually knew your dad because he was my dad.”

She shifted as she looked back at the ground. “Daddy was a bad man.”

Tubbo winced, putting a hand on his neck. “Why do you say that?”

“Mommy use to say that.”

“Ah. Well…dad wasn’t the greatest, I agree. It wasn’t nice for him to leave you alone.”

The little girl was silent and Tubbo tried to think of a subject change.

“Do you like drawing?”

She nodded. “Mommy wouldn’t let me use paper but I like drawing in the dirt.”

“Oh…do you…have any friends?”

She put a hand on one of her little horns and he immediately understood.

“I get it.” He smiled gently, putting a hand on his horn. “I didn’t have a lot of friends until I met my best friend Tommy. I’m sure you will find some friends.”

His heart melted as she gave him her first small smile. “I hope so.”

He sat with her just talking away, the time passing so fast without either of them knowing as they talked. He felt like he learned so much but so little about her; yet, he loved every moment sitting with her. She had to go back with the other children of the orphanage but within a few hours, Tubbo made up his mind. He couldn’t leave this little girl with everyone else; he’d take her back to L’Manberg.

So, in the morning, Tubbo put on his suit to be professional and he did the paperwork before waiting for them to bring (Y/N). (Y/N) came in timidly and Tubbo smiled gently as he crouched in front of her.

“Hey, so, I don’t want to leave without you, would you like to come with me? I can introduce you to a few of my good friends.”

“…They’re all nice like you, right?”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, a few of them are pretty nice.”

She looked around but nodded. “Ok.”

He grinned as he stood up. “Then I’m going to take you back to my home.”

They got the few things that she owned and Tubbo put them on the horse. After, Tubbo changed into more appropriate riding clothes before getting on with (Y/N).

“Alright, here we go.” He muttered before getting the horse to go.

Off they went to L’Manberg, Tubbo making sure they had shelter each night. It was a bit stressful for Tubbo on these few days. He had gotten used to not eating every day but he had to remember now to make sure (Y/N) ate. He also had to remember this was boring as hell for her so he tried his best to make little games as they galloped along. There was a point he went off on a bee tangent for half an hour after spotting one and pouted to himself when he saw (Y/N) had fallen asleep against him but he kept an arm wrapped around her so she didn’t fall off.

As he got back to L’Manberg, he huffed as he saw Tommy and Fundy arguing as Quackity was laughing, Ranboo standing to the side awkwardly. Yeah, that’s how he expected his cabinet to act with him gone. He tied up his horse, grabbing (Y/N)’s things before taking her hand as he walked over to them. As the pair went over, (Y/N) hide behind him shyly.

“Guys!” Tubbo called.

“Tubbo! Tell this furry bitch—” Tommy started.

“Oh, fuck off Tommy!” Fundy shouted back.

They started having another go.

“GUYS!” Tubbo shouted, making (Y/N) jump with the rest of the group. “I have someone for you to meet, so can you shut it?”

Tommy spotted the little girl peeking out from behind Tubbo, noticing the horns first.

“Holy shit, she has horns like yours.” Tommy went around Tubbo.

“Yeah, this is (Y/N), she’s my little sister.”

“A sister?!” Tommy looked at Tubbo surprised.

Tubbo nodded. “I adopted her.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s a long story but I’m back and I’m got to bring her to my house,” Tubbo told them before walking off, feeling the little girl squeeze his hand tighter, probably getting overwhelmed.

They got to Tubbo’s house and he looked around.

“Er…You can have my room. I’ll need to make you a room.” He smiled at her.

“Ok…thank you.”

He patted her head between her horns. “I couldn’t leave you behind sis. Let’s get you settled in and I can make us some steak. Sound good?”

She nodded.

Tubbo knew it would be stressful learning to take care of another human while he had to run a nation but he had his friends to help him. He hoped he could do all this right.

#mcyt x reader #mcyt imagine #mcyt fanfiction #tubbo x reader #dreamsmp #dreamsmp x reader

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feelingofcontent · 2 years

Text

DNP Rewatch: Trying To See Things Without My Glasses

Date video was published: 09/28/2019 (X)

DNP Main Channel Rewatch: 400

Sometimes I forget this video exists as a somewhat-joint (Dan in voice form) video. It really was the last thing until late 2020 though. Phil asked people to tweet him images a few days before this, so a pretty quick turn-around time on posting.

0:00 - love the inclusion of the sync clap, likely only because of the song break-out that ends up happening. also: the rise of brown-haired Phil!

0:11 - feel like Phil laughs at himself more when Dan is also in the room

0:28 - Phil being inspired by Jenna is perfect

0:41 - the “I find you riveting” is great. Phil is SO giggly in this video 🥺

1:02 - a complete tangent here...and ending with a decisive “tit” from Phil 😂

1:13 - more Phil laughing; I’m obsessed

1:23 - Dan telling him exactly what to do and then immediately saying “no one asked for that” is great

1:36 - I feel like Phil drops his glasses more than the average person

1:52 - king of comedy Phil with the self-call-out editing there

2:10 - I wonder how far away he actually is

2:19 - Phil is so confident and Dan is giving away way too much with his face, apparently

2:35 - the Monty Mole comparison is a little too accurate, haha

2:45 - leaving in the argument about this...Dan is so insistent! and Phil immediately caves

2:55 - I WISH we could see Dan’s reaction to that one

3:21 - at least Phil can identify himself!

3:43 - I am Phil, constantly cleaning my glasses on my shirt

3:48 - dying. 😂 Phil is SO confident about that one and it is hilarious. and Dan’s hyena laughter

3:57 - and then Dan trying to justify it somehow

4:27 - Dan already gave a hint with the “traitor” there

4:45 - too much of a hint there

4:59 - Phil air-quotes!

5:06 - yeah that is too many changes in vision too quickly

5:21 - 😂😂😂 somehow neither of them noticed

5:51 - how Phil somehow got this one accurately...this picture is just disturbing

6:17 - Phil lip bite 👀

6:23 - well he’s got the memes down

6:28 - I love him trying to guess this one! and Dan trying to lead him into saying something insulting. and the “dodgy mustache” comment. Dan had just been in France with his family, which is where that photo was from (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

7:14 - Phil is clinging too much to what Dan says rather than looking at the picture

7:48 - Phil really does sometimes see dicks in everything 😳

8:01 - Dan did take the dick cactus photo, back in 2017

8:11 - Dan putting this one right after the cactus photo and telling Phil to get his mind out of the gutter is hilarious

8:22 - *penis Dan, penis penis penis*

8:37 - don’t know about that description...

9:05 - again Phil not even trying to look at the photo lol

9:33 - hilarious. poor Phil

9:42 - and great choice by Dan because he knew EXACTLY what Phil was going to guess

10:17 - Phil just staring and smiling before the next photo comes up 🥺

10:24 - extremely specific guess there

10:43 - “fallopian vibes” “ovarian energy” what even

10:54 - they must have cut out a landscape image, because there hadn’t been one earlier

11:26 - the “well I don’t want to now!” 😂

12:09 - how he managed to jump from croissant to naked mole rat, I have no idea

12:32 - oh, now Phil’s making a mole comparison himself

12:46 - he does recognize himself...but this picture is extremely disturbing

13:30 - starting and ending on tangents is somehow completely normal for a dnp video

13:33 - hilarious that Phil took Dan saying “bye” as the end of the video

13:45 - the return of Phil live-shows! this was exciting as there had been no live content in 2019 to this point

Why do I forget about this video?! It’s so cute! They’re so giggly! I love it.

Another gap over over a month between videos. Right after the last one is when they got Norman and the start of Dan’s aqua-scaping hobby (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). 😊 They also went to visit some friends up North, before Dan’s France trip (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). And while Dan was in France, Phil traveled a bit too (1, 2, 3, 4).

(also, sidenote: I can’t believe this is my 400th of these posts 😲)

#dan and phil #dnp #dnpRewatch #amazingphil #phil lester #amazingphil videos #Trying To See Things Without My Glasses

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gimme-tea-bitch · 3 years

Text

Yang and the sacrifices that make her

God, this fucking episode highlighting the most painful shit about one Yang Xiao Long.

Yang is a character who is defined by sacrifice. We see it time and time again. Yang throws herself into harms way for others every time. Even when she’s little, and her mom’s disappear, her father is destroyed and barely there. Yang, a child at the time, steps up and becomes the mother figure to Ruby. She puts aside her chance at a childhood to take care of her sister. And it all flows from there.

Yang is shown super early on to be a jokey character, someone who doesn’t take themselves seriously. She makes jokes and she plays the role that everyone expects her to. People see Yang and they assume she’s airheaded, and that she’s all humor and no substance, and Yang plays on that. She validates their assumptions by playing the role early on. But we see that’s not true, the rest of her team realizes it’s not true. Because when things go south, Yang gets up and stands as a pillar of support for those around her. When Blake is falling apart at beacon, we see Yang notice, we see her support Blake in the way she needs, because what Yang really is, is incredibly emotionally intelligent. And we see it again with how she cares for her friends and team, how she reacts to Blake being scared of her buring the vytal festival. How she supports Ruby even after being maimed at beacon. How she supports Weiss when she finds her with Raven. Every step, she immediately supports those around her.

Speaking of beacon. The thing about Yang’s support is that it’s rooted in sacrifice. She sacrifices her child, she sacrifices her arm, she doesn’t give herself time to process her own pain and grief because she always puts others first. and this last episode she sacrifices herself for Ruby.

And all of this is incredible, but, it highlights something we see Yang herself indirectly admit. That she doesn’t value herself. Back at beacon, we see Yang identify her team for the incredible people they are. We see her go on a tangent about how her teammates have aspirations and how they are capable enough to achieve them. Blake’s bravery, Ruby’s leadership and ability to spread hope, Weiss’s intelligence and care for the people who matter to her.

But when it comes back to her. She’s just says that she doesn’t have anything like that, that she’s just looking around for adventure. AS IF Yang didn’t throw away her chances for that the moment she decided to be the mother she wished she had, for Ruby. AS IF she didn’t give up her chance at that right from the start. Her admission is a non answer, it’s a generic cop out. Because to herself, unlike her team who are all incredible in their own ways, she’s just Yang, and that’s never been enough, has it?

I think this is the crux of her character, the beauty and the problem of Yang. Is that she gives every bit of herself to those who need it, because she doesn’t view herself as nearly as important. And I think so far, almost everyone has been blind to that. Ruby has, because Yang was always there, strong, and funny, and kind, and supportive. Yang was always there, like a mountain. Like the sun. Post beacon was the first time Ruby lost Yang and it of course wavered that image, but then Yang bounced back, and she resumed that role, and it seemed like everything was fine. Weiss, she sees Yang partially, she sees someone who is caring and kind, and supportive, and she doesn’t know the deeply painful thing that lead her to be that way, she just thinks that’s Yang, and you can’t fault her, because Yang doesn’t show more. Blake on the other hand, Blake is a little different.

Blake, like everyone else, fell for Yang’s trick, but unlike everyone else, she saw past it. She saw something more in Yang, and that’s why she picked her in the forest. Because in their brief interaction, she saw the love and care that make Yang who she is, under the mask. And then burning the candle, and the dance, and Yang listening to her at the vytal festival when everything went to shit. Every time, it just confirmed who Yang was, to Blake. And the fall of beacon happened, and she sees how far that care goes, she sees Yang willing to die for her. And she runs.

Yang relives her worst fear, that everyone leaves. All she has after beacon is that misery, and we finally see the cracks in Yang more clearly. Because it shatters her so hard. And look, Tai tries, but ultimately he’s not that helpful, because Tai never overcame his grief, and neither does Yang. Yang once again, puts herself on the backburner, and steps up for her sister, for her friends, for the world at large. Because she’s Yang. Because no matter how painful, she turns that pain into strength, one way or another.

When Blake comes back, it’s painful. Because it chips away at Yang’s pretense of being okay again. It cracks open the same wounds that she never really healed. The ones she slapped a bandage on and said “good enough.”

We see how it breaks her open, and we see how her and Blake patch things up, and for once she gets closure, for once she gets peace about something. But, the core problem is still there. Because of all the other emotional pain, Blake also misses that vital point. Yang does not value herself, not like she values others. And I can’t blame Blake for missing that.

I think that this situation forces them to see Yang as, well, just as human as the rest of them. Because she is, she’s someone who’s been deeply hurt so much, since she was so little, and it’s destroyed her self worth, and how does the rest of the team look at her now and think she’s invincible? How can they justify that any more after watching Yang throw herself away so readily, again.

I think, and hope, that this situation points the rest of the team to the problem at the center of Yang Xiao Long. I hope that when push comes to shove, that they choose to go after Yang. Because Yang matters. Because she’s not some invincible pillar. She’s not unbreakable, She’s a fire, warm and bright, but every fire needs to be tended. I really hope they go after her. Because someone needs to grab Yang and tell her, show her. “You’re Yang Xiao Long, you’re worth more than your sacrifice, you’re worth everything, because you’re you.” I really think that Yang needs to see that, to hear that. And I hope she gets that, from her team, and from Blake, who I think would get it across the most.

Anyway, i think i had a point when I started, and it’s probably lost, somewhere in this rambling. But this episode has ruined me. So, idk.

#Rwby spoilers #rwby #yang xiao long

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lizbotw · 4 years

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hi!! can I ask for some shouto headcanons with a s/o who has frequent nightmares? ty! ily

Todoroki With a S/O That Has Frequent Nightmares

hi! wow, i really loved this request and enjoyed writing it! once again, it's a bit on the longer side and more scenario-like than just plain headcanons, so i hope you like it! tysm, ilyt!!! ♡

Todoroki Shouto

Everyone knows school is just plain hard and going to the top hero school in the nation meant things were… less than easy for you and your classmates.

All-nighters were common, especially now that everyone was living in the dorms together and were up to antics at all hours of the night, even despite the scolding of Iida (Aizawa admitted he couldn't care less what the class did as long as they kept it down and didn't cause too much trouble—just don’t interrupt his sleep and everything is all good).

It’s not like it was unusual for someone to complain offhandedly about being tired one day, or for your classmates to be spotted with eye bags, so no one ever thought to point out the sleepy look you seem to sport regularly from being kept up all night.

Everyone was basically kept up later than intended one way or another, whether it be finishing an assignment last minute or staying up to finish a movie, so they sympathized with your plight, assuming that it was similar to their own—but what they didn’t know was that the reason you were up was much different than any of their reasons.

While they slept peacefully only a few floors away from you, or sometimes even a few doors down the hallway, you were plagued by dark images, the type that twisted around in your mind, growing in ferocity and coiling around your heart with sticky, inky blackness so tightly that you felt as though you couldn’t breathe—any attempts against them that you took seemed futile and you always woke up gasping for air, a cold sweat breaking out across your forehead as your chest heaved, heavy with emotion.

You'd gotten used to hiding it, having been dealing with them for quite a while now, and while you eventually learned to brush them off due to their frequency, in the dead of the night, whenever they struck you, you felt as powerless and hopeless as the very first time they arrived.

It was only in the light of day that you were able to be reasonable with yourself and in which the fears lost most of their power (they were never completely gone though, the thoughts lingering in the back of your mind and causing you to mull over them whenever there was a dull moment in class and your attention started to drift).

Perhaps it's because you had these nightmares that you made the most of the energy you had during the day, fighting in your own way in the light to prove that you were still powerful, even if you were stripped of that power every night.

You'd adapted to running on only a few hours of sleep and tried to take short naps throughout the day to make up for lost time (although it was still hard after particularly difficult nights where you got almost zero relief from the terrifying images), so by the time life in U.A. came about, you were able to tough it out and focus on your training.

Speaking of training, you were vicious in class battles, taking many by surprise and were able to render several of your weaker classmates immobile in capture exercises and swept them off of their feet relatively quickly in one on one fights, including a certain “IcyHot” boy (although the way in which you swept him off his feet was much different—it was hard to beat him in normal fights anyway, but when it came to matters of the heart he was forced to surrender).

Your pure power may have caught his attention at first, but it wasn’t until Shouto spoke to you more and your personality came out that he was truly faced with the fact that he was falling for you hard.

A series of mishaps and a fair share of intervention from the rest of Class 1-A later and you two were miraculously dating and even could finally rest easy—they definitely had their work cut out when it came to getting you two together, but they ultimately bit the bullet because they could not stand the mutual pining and hopeless romanticism that continuously went on between you two.

It may take a while for Shouto to realize that spending the night at each other's dorms is a romantic™ thing couples do and that he should offer that up. That would be a great alternative actually versus the current are arrangement of that whenever you come over to study during the afternoons with him (which quickly turns into night because wow, time sure flies when you're being tortured by textbooks), and once it gets late enough, he comments about what time it is and how both of you should start getting ready for bed—effectively forcing you to leave his dorm. Don't blame him—the thought just never crossed his mind.

It was actually Mina, wanting to pry in on all U.A. relationships and resident sucker for romance, that probably brought the idea to his attention.

Something about asking how you two spent time together turned interrogation when she realized he could be clueless about certain things and made it her personal mission to school him on all things romance.

And then came the question, “So, have you guys had a couple’s sleepover yet?”

“A what?”

“Mina, please stop, just leave the poor guy alone,” came Jirou’s chiding from somewhere in the background. Mina had dragged her along with her for unknown reasons, but Jirou had made it very clear that she did not want to be there, slowly distancing herself from the conversation and discreetly trying to slip away.

While Mina took up arguing with Jirou about the “necessity” of these questions and Jirou facepalming and asking Mina why she didn’t just bring Hagakure (second in command on all things romance) with her, Shouto took the chance to mull over Mina’s words.

“And what does this... ‘couple’s sleepover’ entail exactly?” he interrupted their bickering after a few moments of contemplation and being unable to come up with an answer himself.

Mina absolutely lit up at that and turned to him once again, scuffle with Jirou long forgotten. “I am so glad you asked! Well, first of all-”

“She just means spending the night at each other’s dorms,” Jirou interrupted before Mina could go off on another tangent. Shouto turned to look at Jirou now and found her boredly examining her nails before then switching to nervously clinking the ends of her earphones jacks together when she noticed he was watching her.

“Then why-”

Jirou interrupted him this time. “Why did she call it a ‘couple’s sleepover?’ I don’t know, why don’t you ask Mina herself?”

It only took her a fraction of a second to realize her mistake when Mina opened her mouth to unleash the lengthy explanation she had prepared and Jirou immediately cut her off again before the damage could be done.

“Actually, never mind, don’t ask her. I don’t think I have to explain the sleepover part. Just spend the night doing fun things, like playing games or watching a movie or something, I don’t know. Typical sleepover things. And the couple’s part is because… well, you’re dating aren’t you? Bam, a couple.” She did unenthusiastic jazz hands at that. “Hmm… and I guess that means the sleepover activities will be more romantic than a typical sleepover too.” She scrunched her nose at the idea, not even wanting to imagine what that sort of description would entail.

Mina was getting antsy next to her, desperate to jump into the conversation with her own input and Jirou finally seemed to notice it. “Looks like Mina wants to go-” (“What? No, I don’t-”) “So see you later, Todoroki.” She grabbed Mina’s arm with one hand and gave Shouto a small wave goodbye with her free hand—one that he returned—as she pulled Mina away. “Oh, and don’t worry too much about it,” she said over her shoulder, “It’s literally just spending some time together and you do that already, right? The only difference is that this time it’ll be overnight, so just act natural. It’s not some big fancy event despite what Mina’s name for it might suggest.” And with that the two were gone, disappearing down the hallway in a fit of distant, mumbled bickering about how Mina is no longer allowed to give unsolicited love advice and how Jirou needs to learn the ways of love to truly understand, leaving Shouto all alone with his thoughts, trying to decipher what the fuck just happened.

Truthfully, he was always sad to see you go after a day of hanging out, wishing he could spend more time with you. For some reason he thought that as soon as night came, you deserved to head back to your own dorm for a proper night’s rest. He was just being concerned for your well being, isn’t that what proper boyfriends did? He considered the idea once of what if you spent the night together?, and despite that literally addressing all of his issues from before, he still brushed off the idea because it was preposterous. Shouto, where are your thinking skills???

After a while of back and forth with himself over the wisdom Mina and Jirou had bestowed upon him, he made the decision that next time things would be different.

Another late night study session had you packing up your things once you noticed the blinking alarm clock on Shouto's desk had stuck 11 P.M., the process routine at this point and you no longer waiting for your boyfriend to end the study session himself.

You rose and starting gathering the papers sprawled across his floor into a neat stack in your arms, absentmindedly talking about the things you had to do tomorrow as you went—it was like you were just inputting some closing remarks before calling it a night and Shouto fell easily into the conversation as he slipped stray pens and highlighters back into his pencil case.

You two usually cleaned up amongst the quiet hum of your words—discussing how you felt about the upcoming test, subjects either of you needed more help on next time, and what you were looking forward to eating for breakfast in the morning—but this night had Shouto's eyes straying away from the mess at his feet to you. Your back was to him most of the time, but even when you were facing him as you gathered up your books, your attention was focused on said objects, rather than him.

You guys didn't look at each other much as you cleaned, he realized—it was an obvious observation, but he still had the thought as he watched you, taking note of how this was just the perfect chance to admire you.

When you turned to him at one point though, gaze piercing, he quickly averted his eyes, shifting them to a highlighter that lay in front of him in your general direction, reaching to pick up. He ran his thumb over the smooth, bright yellow cylinder of it as you walked over to him, crouched down, hands planted on his shoulders, and leaned in to brush your lips against his. His eyes fluttered close and he leaned into the kiss, pushing back against you. He moved to deepen it, about to grip onto the fabric of your shirt for leverage, the highlighter rolling out of his grip, but the kiss was over in a matter of seconds and he opened his eyes, finding your smiling face right in front of him. You gave him a brief kiss on his cheek, as though to sign it off, and he had to admit that the heat of your face against his felt nice.

“Night, babe,” you said as you got up and turned to walk over to your bag that lay by the door.

“Night…” Right, that was just one of your normal goodnight kisses. That was also part of the routine but… something about the idea that that was the last kiss of the night didn’t sit right with him.

Shouto studied you once more, tongue in cheek, as he watched you stuff the papers and books you had gathered up back into your bag. The contemplative look never left his eye—it seemed as though you hadn’t noticed his staring from earlier so he was a bit more bold and confident about doing it now—and he almost lost himself to a trance of watching your methodical movements of picking something up from the pile of books you had lain at your feet and slipping them into the bag one by one.

When you slung the bag over your shoulder and moved towards the door, turning back to give him a final wave goodbye, he stiffened, remembering his plan.

“Wait-” He scrambled to his feet as you watched him in confusion, hand already on the doorknob. “Um… do you want to stay the night?” He flinched internally at the unsureness in his voice and straightened up, crossing his arms to create some semblance of nonchalance. “I mean, only if you want to. We don’t have to keep studying. I have a… movie? If you want to watch that together?”

Shouto’s eyes carefully tracked your movements, trying to gauge your reaction.

You tilted your head in bewilderment at the sudden offer, but then you grinned brightly and dropped your bag back at your feet, it landing on the ground with a thud from all of the heavy books inside. “Okay,” you beamed and Shouto was sure he was about to faint.

He followed Jirou’s advice to a T, or at least he tried to. He meant to ask if you wanted to play Monopoly but Kaminari had stolen it from the dorm’s game closet and refused to hand it over because his plans for the night included kicking Sero’s, Kirishima’s, and Bakugou’s asses at the game (Mina was there to be the unbiased banker because the boys were so sure that one of them kept stealing money out of the bank whenever no one was looking and Jirou was just there to bask in the chaos that was sure to ensure—when Mina and Jirou caught sight of Shouto, they both gave him a knowing look).

The loss of the Monopoly board meant you two instead played with the dingy Uno card deck Shouto found buried in his school supply drawer (he was pretty sure it was Midoriya’s and in his mind sent him a silent thank you—as for if he was going to give the desk back or continue “borrowing” it… well, that depended on how much you enjoyed playing with him).

You won three times in a row, but also Shouto seemed to keep getting distracted by something (spoiler alert: it was your smile) and you realized he wasn’t even playing his best cards most of the time so you easily crushed him. You clapped your hands in celebration at every victory and Shouto noticeably increased his speed while shuffling the deck whenever you did that (oh yeah, he was definitely keeping these, sorry, Deku).

You two eventually got around to watching the movie he had brought up before on his laptop, you slotted comfortably under his arm while it hung around your shoulder, and even had a late night snack run per your request (snack run = sneaking into the kitchen and stealing the plate of hot pockets Kaminari was making to supplement his game night—better yet, you made Shouto do the stealing with him timing his crime perfectly and waiting for Kaminari’s back to be turned.)

(You supervised the whole thing by peeking around a hidden corner, barely containing your laughter, and then jumped in to distract Kaminari right when he was about to turn around before quickly taking your leave once Shouto was out of sight. Kaminari’s screams once he realized what had happened could be heard down the hallway as you two rushed back to the elevator, stolen goods secured and you laughing freely.)

(You’re pretty sure you heard Shouto mumble, “How’s that for Monopoly, you electric bitch,” and while you’re honestly not sure what he’s talking about, you support his energy nonetheless.)

Soon it was time to actually sleep and you two were curled up under his blanket, limbs tangled together. You had taken brief naps together before so this wasn’t exactly anything new (even though it was, judging by what a big deal everyone had made of it, including you two), but you found yourself appreciating once again how Shouto was the perfect person to sleep against—he regulated his body temperature exactly how you liked it and you found yourself nodding off to sleep easily in between the quiet whispers about nonsensical late night topics between you two.

The brief concern about your nightmares had completely slipped your mind at this point—you found that short naps meant that they didn’t have much time to strike and since said naps were what you were used to with him, you forgot that this was a full night ordeal. When he had first proposed the idea of a sleepover, you had thought it would be good to have someone else there to comfort you, but then felt guilty about being selfish and wondered if your reaction to the nightmares would scare him off—although you eventually pushed those thoughts to the side because no way would you turn down spending some quality time with your boyfriend, and the night of fun had led to never returning to mull over that internal conflict.

You two fell asleep at some point without even realizing it, peaceful in each other's arms—that is, until a few hours later when disaster struck because of course something just had to ruin your perfect night.

Shouto blearily blinked his eyes open, confused at the sound that reached his ears and brain slow to comprehend what exactly was going on. It took him a moment to suck in a breath to clear his mind and decipher the situation, shifting in place—that is, until his arm brushed against yours and he stilled, mind suddenly clear as it recalled the events of the last hour he had been awake. You were spending the night with him.

Carefully, he sat up, head pounding a little. He brought up a hand to rest on top of his head, fingers curling around his hair and massaging away the beginnings of a headache. And then he heard it again—the sound that had woken him up. A quiet whimper maybe?

He was back to being confused, except now his eyes were darting around the room suspiciously, ready to go on the defensive, especially because you were next to him. U.A. had a proper security system, didn't it? He shouldn't be worried. Although, then again, his mind kept returning to those thoughts of uncertainty and how villains had been able to endanger his classmates time and time again recently.

The shuffling of blankets and a sharp intake of breath had him refocused within a second and he looked down at you. Eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he could make out your face against the backdrop of his pillow, your features twisted into a troubled expression, teeth pulling on your bottom lip. Your hands gripped the blanket in a tight fist, your arms shaking a little.

You continued squirming under the blanket until you eventually kicked most of it off of you, almost as if there was someone there that you meant to hit. Your mouth curled into a silent scream, ragged breaths coming out in huffs as your chest rapidly rose and fell. He could tell you were mumbling now, voice low enough that he couldn't exactly make out what was being said—the syllables coming out in quick bursts and half formed as your focus seemed to jump from topic to topic, each of them bringing you increasing distress.

Shouto had been watching you in horrid fascination, unable to take his eyes off of you as much as his mind screamed at his body to just fucking move, but when a sliver of moonlight coming in from his window—peeking out from behind a gap in the drapes he hadn’t pulled together close enough—caught the glint of tears brimming your eyes, he was quick to react, gripping your upper arm and, as gently as he could while still being firm, shook you. "(Y/N)!" he hissed, not wanting to startle you, "Wake up, please. What's wrong?"

It took a few tries—him wanting to snap you back to consciousness right away, but also afraid of hurting you or making things worse—but before a minute had passed you were coming back to reality, forcing your eyes open as you realized the images plaguing you hadn't been real. You sat up quickly, almost bumping your head against Shouto's (not that you even noticed he was there), your breaths coming hard and fast.

You completely forgot where you were for a moment, just focusing on calming down, and it wasn't until Shouto managed a quiet, "(Y/N)?," concern clearly lacing his voice, that you whipped your head around to face him.

And then your eyes slowly traveled around the rest of the room, recalling where you were. If he hadn't been there, the unfamiliar environment probably would have made you feel alarmed when you came to and make you start wondering if you were stuck in another nightmare again.

You heard Shouto clear his throat as he looked at you curiously, and your eyes snapped back to him. Just the sight of him had your eyes watering and before you knew it, you had flung yourself into his chest, fingers finding purchase in the loose fabric of his shirt.

He easily managed to steady you two from the momentum of you crashing into him and wrapped his strong arms around you, squeezing you to him as you sobbed into his chest.

It would take a little while for him to calm you down and although he was incredibly concerned, he made sure to be the rock you needed and let you take all the time in the world to stabilize yourself.

You would probably be a little embarrassed to tell him about your dream, especially now that you were more lucid, and may even start apologizing for your behavior earlier until he cuts you off because you had every right to react as you did.

After a bit of coaxing, along with you realizing you felt comfortable around him and that you shouldn't worry about him judging you for something as trivial as this, you opened up and told Shouto about your frequent nightmares. He would play with your hands as you talked to let you know it was okay and a silent kiss—soft lips against yours—would confirm that he loved you no matter what.

Shouto wouldn’t mind staying up late into the early hours of the morning with you if you wanted to talk about what you had experienced and may even suggest that you two sneak down to the dorm kitchen and get something to eat and drink (now that was fun—teasing him by pretending to be on a spy mission and forcing him to glance around all of the corners with you, as though you were suspicious about someone catching you? absolutely gold).

Just laying together and talking because you didn’t want to go to sleep would be fine with him, even if you insisted that he should get some rest. He didn’t want you to feel bad about the situation or think that you were a burden, so he did his best to take your mind off of it.

If you wanted to stay up longer, you might watch another movie or even play a few more rounds of Uno (Kaminari, the bastard, still had Monopoly locked in his room for some reason and hadn’t returned it to the game closet—now not to say that Shouto considered leaving an anonymous tip to Iida about the blonde breaking the unwritten rules of the dorm by not returning the game as soon as he was done with it but… yeah, he definitely considered it).

Expect sleepovers to become a lot more common between you two from then on, especially after you admitted that having Shouto there made things a lot more bearable. Whether it be in your dorm or his, both of you were always open to falling asleep in each other's arms whenever the other person asked.

At your next late night hang out session, you two even played Monopoly!

(Shouto had frozen Kaminari’s feet to the ground when he saw him running towards the game closet to snag the game again, and then calmly walked off with his prize after plucking it from the shelf while Kamianri wailed in distress and tried to unstick his feet and pull them free. Shouto couldn’t help but crack a small grin to himself in victory as he walked away.)

Per your request, you two invited some of the other students to play Monopoly because it was always fun with more people (for some reason, Shouto expressly stated that Kaminari was not to be invited and while you were confused, you just shrugged and agreed, even when you heard him say something about forcing the blonde go through “Monopoly withdrawal” as a punishment—you decided not to question him on that point), and a few of those who didn’t want to play just came to watch as well.

(Midoriya was one of those who came to play and while he was glancing around the room, his eyes landed on Shouto’s desk and he squinted in confusion, scrutinizing the little deck he saw tucked in the corner.)

(“Hey, Todoroki, are those my Uno car-”)

(“Nope. Oh look, you just landed on Boardwalk and Uraraka has a hotel there. You only have $200, right?”)

(“Wha- oh, fu-”)

Shouto had to deal with his fair share of nightmares as a child and if you ever want to talk about what the latest disturbing image that had haunted you was, he’ll always be available. In turn, he feels ready to open up about his own fears to you, all while soothing away yours. Talking with him feels natural, just like anything else involving him, and not keeping everything bottled up has definitely helped you more, causing your performance both in class and out in the battlefield to improve.

Your chest definitely feels a lot lighter these days and your dark circles seem to be fading. You probably owe those to your wonderful boyfriend turned portable heater (what? he’s perfect for when you want to take naps and now that he knows about your nightmares during the night, you no longer have to explain to him why you like to sleep so frequently during the day).

Shouto is nothing short of supportive and if there’s anything you ever need to ease the nightmares and lull you off to sleep—whether it be him buying you a diffuser you saw online, getting you a custom sleeping mask, or just you needing him to whisper sweet nothings into your ear and pepper kisses along your temple to help you fall back asleep after being jolted awake again—he’s always there to provide it.

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axebenefits · 3 years

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Why Kokomi Teruhashi Deserves Better

let me start off with stating that teruhashi is not pursuing this life of perfection for herself. and you may think “but she seems to enjoy it so much” or “but no ones forcing her to be perfect”. however, there’s a lot more to her goals than just self satisfaction.

teruhashi is a beautiful woman who, seemingly from an early age, was fawned after and sexualized by everyone. even her own brother. though we’ve seen nothing of her family outside of her sibling, we can assume it’s not as perfect as she’d lead everyone to believe.

even if teruhashi’s parents didn’t add to any of the pressure or stress she’s under, they most certainly seemed to have enabled makoto. or at least been negligent in their parenting. how could anyone get to such a state of obsession? especially over a sibling, nonetheless. even saiki points out in the episode makoto is introduced (season 1, episode 9) that the teruhashi parents should not have let makoto get this far in his possessiveness. which leads me to believe that they either are very distant or they’re very careless.

then kokomi attends pk academy. here she has a variety of people her own age. and what happens? they worship her blindly. her gorgeous looks garner her constant empty praise because of this facade she displays. there’s even a fan club dedicated to her, one that has been said to have ADULTS in it. how creepy is that? and she just has to live with it.

but you have to think, would teruhashi even be able to live a life in which she’s not treated as a goddess? she’s exceptionally beautiful, very intelligent, and quite talented. there would never be a world in which she wouldn’t get the attention that people force onto her.

and, as sad as it is, i think she’d prefer attention that she’s asking for instead of something unwanted and unexpected.

this may lead you to deduce that she enjoys the praise and affection. that as long as her ego is being inflated, she’s happy. however, let’s think back to the valentine’s day episode in season 1 (episode 8). it’s rumored that teruhashi has brought chocolate for a special someone, and all the boys flock to her in order to earn her chocolates.

remember how annoyed she was, how frustrated she got when they were tripping over themselves to do whatever she asked of them. and why do they do this? do they care for her? unfortunately, no. she’s an accessory to them, a beautiful gem they can wear out and show off. these people hold no genuine love for her.

she was agitated, despising the crowd that followed her relentlessly. however, this is teruhashi we’re talking about. she gets followed by a crowd of strangers constantly. she gets swarmed by people at café’s. she is so used to such treatment, why was that time so different? it must’ve been a one time thing, right?

wrong! she never enjoys the attention she gets from people. she doesn’t put up this persona of the “perfect pretty girl” for herself. she doesn’t particularly like it, but she feels as though it is necessary. she constantly puts herself through uncomfortable and even downright upsetting situations to continue to show people that she is perfect.

what’s worse is that she’s so accustomed to people treating her more like a reality tv show star than a person. in the last episode of season 2, episode 24, we witness the newspaper club once more trying to tarnish her image. how do they try and get dirt on her? THEY FOLLOW HER AROUND.

and the saddest part is she notices IMMEDIATELY, and is able to take extremely detailed notes on what the perpetrators are like. she outright states this isn’t her first time being stalked. of course we know this, but can we register how upsetting that is? this young girl who doesn’t even have a genuinely caring and healthy family gets stalked constantly.

let’s not forget kokomi has clearly never had friends before she befriended chiyo and the rest. nobody treated her like her own person. they’ve all put her on this incredible pedastol, too far from the top to ever even think about befriending her. so she had no one to confide in, no one to make her feel safe.

but that all started changing when she became friends with saiki’s group. do you know why? because they showed her genuine respect and kindness. not empty validation and unwanted worship. the genuinely do care for HER, not like how the other pk students tend to only care for how she the image she portrays herself as.

no one ever cared to get to know her, until saiki and his friends. saiki’s group brings out the best in people. i could go on an entire tangent on why saiki’s friend group is so wonderful, but we can save that for another time. what i’m saying is that they treated her as equal. of course they do occasionally shower her in praise, but they have no ulterior motive. they don’t want to get with her, they just want to make her happy.

we see how she changes alongside this friend group. for instance, when saiko is introduced in episode 23 of season 1, she even states herself that the “old her” would’ve dropped everything for saiko. but now, she cares too much for her friends to ever let ANYONE insult them like that. and that feeling is reciprocated.

you can argue that every situation ends in kokomi’s favor, and therefore gets everything she wants. and i agree to an extent. she is most definitely adored by the gods. however, positive outcomes do not erase uncomfortable and even traumatic experiences. you can put a bandaid on a wound, but only time and care will truly heal it.

alongside that, i understand some people still view teruhashi as conceited and selfish. in episode 11 of season 2, after kusuke insults teruhashi, she cries in order to form a mob to sworm around him. and yes, this was wrong of her and i will not be making excuses. however, someone as worshipped as her is bound to have an inflated ego, is bound to develop such defense mechanisms. though it was wrong of her, there was reason behind why she acted in such a way.

she still has her flaws, she still gets easily annoyed with people. but let me remind you that, after garnering so much unwanted attention, anyone would get easily agitated by people trying to force themselves into their personal bubble.

building off on that, teruhashi is also extremely defensive of her perfect pretty girl facade. why? because it’s all she had for so long. she may have never had good connections or genuine love, but she had her image. and that kept her at ease.

but you can only fool your mind so much. there will always be a little light shining through the rose colored glasses, giving you a glimpse of what’s actually happening. and sometimes, the reality of it all gets to her.

but now, she has saiki’s group. and as much as i wish things would be different for her, for people to let her live her own life and treat her with actual respect instead of a rare doll to admire, i’m glad she has her friends. i mean, one of the reasons she even likes saiki so much is because he isn’t like the rest. he wasn’t falling to his knees to praise her. he wasn’t following her around like a lost puppy. he did none of that! and she felt comfort in his stoic exterior.

the fact that she likes saiki of all people simply proves that she genuinely doesn’t care for the validation people thrust upon her. all she wants is to feel safe and content, and saiki provides that for her.

but she still deserves better. she deserves to be able to set aside her reputation and be her own person. to say no to uncomfortable situations. she deserves so much more than what she gets. and while her friends are wonderful, i do wish the general population treated her with that same respect.

teruhashi is a strong-willed woman who sadly fell victim to internalized misogyny, to strive to be the perfect woman. and, in her eyes, the perfect woman aligns directly with society’s view of what a good woman is like. pretty, submissive, passive, nice; that’s not who she is though. we see that she has quite a bit of an attitude and is very easily annoyed. she’s also extremely clever and, while deceitful, does have a lot of passion.

and nothings wrong with that! it’s okay to be bitter sometimes. teruhashi still treats others with respect and she does yearn to be better, even if not presented consciously. she works hard to be who she is, and i admire that. but she deserves to be work hard to be who SHE wants to be, not what others expect of her.

in conclusion, while teruhashi is not a perfect person, she’s an extremely well-written character. the development she’s made has been astronomical, and i’m so proud of how far she’s come.

thank you for reading! ♥

#saiki k #the disastrous life of saiki k.#teruhashi kokomi #saiki no psi nan #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #saiki

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