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hiswitchcraft · 1 year

Note

id love to see your collection/list! my tarot niche is cat themed decks but i love seeing what otber people are drawn to :)

My Collection of Divination Decks

You're so sweet! You got it! I wish this post hadn’t taken so long. When it was halfway done I decided to take the pictures myself instead and got overwhelmed so I've done it a bit at a time. Anyways you guys remember that I'm always happy to help you find beginner decks that work for you or decks that fit certain ideas or themes! Rather if that's more inclusivity, certain vibes, the deck being based on animals, plants, etc. Don't be afraid to reach out!

Without further delay, the decks...

The Classic Rider Waite

This was my first deck as I'm sure it was for a lot of people. I heard a lot of people talking about it and knew a lot of other decks were based on it so I got it. I'm glad it was my first deck because it helped familiarize me with all the Rider Waite based decks yet to come in my practice and it's just a sort of neutral starting point. I could also see the appeal in getting a more themed deck which is why I offer to help beginners find one that fits their needs. The good deck is the deck you'll pick up and use!

The Linestrider Tarot

This was my first deck that's well... not just the plain old Rider Waite. I was 14 or 15 when I got it so it probably wouldn't be my first pick now, aesthetic wise, but I have a huge soft spot for it. It's always felt like I was in tune with this deck and I love little details like that The Fool has no face and the two of cups are cats! Like isn't that just the cutest? Also it wasn't that expensive and came with a solid box and a thick guidebook, which is always a welcome bonus in my opinion.

The Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle

Ah, my first oracle deck, as you might have guessed. It was also made by the same artist that made the Linestrider tarot, which you may also have guessed. I'm pretty sure I got them at the same time because I adored this art style so much. I like the way this deck is laid out. There's detailed illustrations of plants, and y'all know I love a deck with plants, as well as the name of the plant and the main theme of the card written on it. I need to use this deck more! Let me know if you guys have tips for doing oracle readings or using oracle decks more.

The Star Spinner Tarot

I was interested in this deck for its inclusivity. it's also a hopeless romantic deck in my opinion. It has a fairytale sort of art style and you can choose between four different The Lovers cards, two of which are distinctly gay. Also the two of cups are pink mermaids, what else could you possibly want?

The Avatar Arcana

This deck is based on avatar the last airbender if you couldn't tell or aren't familiar with that series. It's a fandom deck. I was such a feen for it when I found it online. I waited patiently for it for ages. I feel like the selections for what characters go with what cards, especially on the major arcana, are a little on the nose and show that this is more of a novelty deck. But hey, it's a deck themed around a show, I knew what I signed up for, y'know? Anyways I'm very happy to have it!

The Illustrated Herbiary Oracle

This deck is going here because I wanted to show all the decks in my collection. It was a gift and even though I don't wanna be ungrateful, I'm hard to buy gifts for, and picky about my decks. I usually like decks based on plants (and have several in my wishlist) but this one just isn't my favorite if I'm being honest. I think it's the borders. Either way it's in my collection, which makes it worth note, and who knows! Maybe someone else will love it or just generally be inspired to get a plant based deck.

The Dream Interpretation Oracle

The cards are unfortunately bent on this deck so there was a slight glare on a few cards, but even if they’re hadn’t been I feel like the cards here or any picture just couldn’t do this deck’s vibes justice. I got it at witchfest (which I'm so excited for this year, that's a whole different happy ramble) and I feel like it really captures the strangeness of my dreams. There are whole cards for things like shoes, or shouting. Shuffling the cards is a weird time indeed.

The Antique Anatomy Tarot

I feel like this deck is quite popular and for good reason. It’s exactly what it sounds like. It has vintage vibes, it has skulls, it has flowers, these are some of my favorite things to draw so of course they are some of my favorite artistic themes in a deck. I have multiple decks on my wishlist that are just based on skeletons or plants. I love how this deck combines the two. I also like how on the elixirs, the labels on the bottles relate to the card's meaning. Additionally the jumbling of body parts in a lot of the coins suit, particularly the four of coins shown is also an aspect I like. It just looks neat to me.

The Fyodor Pavlov Tarot

This is by far my favorite deck so this section will be so so long and I'm not sorry! This is double special interest material. I'm t4t and deserve to gush about my representation damn it. So I’ve been trying to stick to 6 cards max with maybe the back of the card's pattern or box shown for these pictures, however this deck is my favorite and just too good to contain with such restrictions. I worked so hard to get this deck. I saw The Lovers card online and fell in love. The card's artwork is t4t and I'm SO t4t and so in love with just The Lovers card as an art piece in general. Anyways after I found just that card somewhere online I said a prayer that a full deck by the artist existed, and went on the hunt for it. I found it. I originally found the kickstarter, which had stopped, and after some digging found out the artist had moved the sales to Etsy. The artist was packaging small batches all on his own. I tried to get it twice off Etsy and both times it sold out immediately. The deck has now had an official release and is a lot easier to get. I preordered that newer version and waited months and months for my beloved and it was by FAR so worth it.

I love that this deck is Rider Waite based but inclusive to various experiences. This includes the minority representation, but also details like how the queen of cups is pregnant. Maybe I don't look at a lot of decks but I feel like I don't see that very often and I think details like that are cool. As you'd probably expect, the artist is queer and trans and I love that and supporting them and that kind of artwork. He's also a tattoo artist and I feel like that shows in his work. I love artwork with ink, but I'm biased, because my artwork is usually ink based. Also I already put too many cards in the picture so they're not there but shoutout to Strength and The Hermit in this deck for being women.

Basically I love this deck more than I can put into words!

The Tarot of Pagan Cats

The newest addition to my collection! This is a mini deck that makes me want about ten million more cat themed decks. When I decided to take the pictures myself for this post I added some other cards. Originally I was just gonna have The Tower though. I feel like it tells you everything you need to know. This deck is adorable and charming. The Fool makes me laugh as well as The Tower and Strength. The Lovers, as well as the two and ten of cups are just precious. The design for Death is perfect. Fuzzy, and somehow still comes across as stern. I want more cat decks!!!

(Also side note down here real quick for that one person, someone asked if I could go over how the decks personalities differ from each other but I found I was very bad at putting that into words especially in this post so that will have to be something I talk about elsewhere if I do!)

This post was about gushing and the vibes but if you guys want beginner deck recommendations, help finding a deck that fits your niche, or for me to show off my wishlist in a similar style, just ask!

Thanks for letting me gush and reading the whole post. I had such a fun time making it ❤️

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mephinomaly · 2 years

Text

[TL] At your service, Master!

Character(s): Chiaki, Tori

Summary: With Yuzuru away with work, Tori is struggling to look after himself. Luckily, Chiaki is eager to offer his services.

Season: Summer

Location: Studio

Chiaki: (Hm~. It’s time for work, but Himemiya hasn’t shown up yet. Has something troubling happened?)

(...This reminds me of how I used to wait around when I was a part of Rain-bows.)

(But that was because of a lack of communication… Maybe I should double check with the staff just to make sure.)

Tori: Excuse me~! Sorry for being late!

Chiaki: Oh, you’re finally here? I’ve been waiting for you! Himemiya is usually on time, I was worried something had come up.

Tori: Nn~... Something did. In the present tense, I mean.

To be honest, Yuzuru has been away working for a while. Until he comes home, I have to take care of everything myself.

I’ve only just moved into the dorms, and Yuzuru does basically everything for me so I don't know how to do it myself.

If I go home, the servants will take care of it. If everytime Yuzuru is gone I go home, I won’t grow at all.

I don’t know what to do! When I try to iron out the wrinkles in my clothes, the opposite happens and they get creased instead! Why is that?

Uuugh. There’s still 3 more days left. What now…

Chiaki: Fumu, I understand what you’re going through.

If that’s how it is, I’ll stand in for Fushimi…☆

Tori: You? Then, do you have any experience as a servant?

Chiaki: Fuhaha! I have none, of course!

But as a defender of justice, I can’t ignore a person in trouble!

Tori: Huh? Hnn, you said that with confidence, so I’d have high expectations for you~.

Chiaki: No need to worry! Don’t hold back, and leave it to me ☆

Tori: Where is this confidence coming from… Hnng, what should I dooo? I don’t know if I can depend on you, but I can’t do this all alone…

...Fine then. You start tomorrow, ‘kay?

Time: The next morning

Location: Tori and Yuzuru's room

Chiaki: Are you awake, Himemiya? I’m coming in ☆

What a refreshing morning! It’s gonna be a good day!

Tori: Snnrk, snnrk…

Mimimi, mimimi… I can’t eat another bite, Eichi-sama~...♪

Chiaki: Oh. Despite what time he promised he’d be up, he’s still sleeping.

This might be a little painful, but what else can I do… Taaakeee this—!

GooOOOD MORNINNNGGGG ☆

Tori: Hyaaaaah!?

Chiaki: Umu, that worked well! Morning Himemiya ☆

Tori: Uu, I was having a good dream. Lemme sleep some more~...

Chiaki: Don’t hide under the covers. Come out, Himemiya. Getting your body moving will help you wake up!

It’s “Unrivaled ☆ Meteorangers” time[1]! Keep up with me!

Time: 4 minutes and 30 seconds later

Chiaki: …~ ♪

You were able to keep up by copying me! As expected of Himemiya!

Tori: Haa, haa…You made me do the dance for the entire song…

Chiaki: But you’re wide awake now, right? I’m feeling great too ☆

Tori: How are you so lively so early in the morning?

Yeah, I don’t feel like going back to sleep now.

I guess I’ll be grateful. Thank you for waking me up, Morisawa-senpai.

Um, could you leave so I can get changed and wash my face? It’s hard to do that with you watching.

Chiaki: Sure thing! Then, I’ll get started on breakfast!

Location: Kitchen

Chiaki: (White rice, miso soup, some grilled fish…♪)

(Alrightie, this is going good so far! It’s because I happened to find some super-quick recipes for beginners ☆)

(Final part is the tamagoyaki[2]. Now I gotta pour the whisked eggs into the pan…[3])

(Once it’s solidified, I have to roll it up… I have to be careful so I don’t mess up the shape.)

(I think the trick is to not fry it for very long. I’ve got to be quick.)

Tori: …Oh, you’re making Japanese food. Is this the kind of food you like, Morisawa-senpai?

Chiaki: Hello, Himemiya. It’s not about what I like, it’s about what you like.

I’m sure Fushimi makes balanced meals for you, right?

Tori: Uu, yeah that’s true. I want to eat normal food when Yuzuru’s not around.

Chiaki: Fuffuffu. This isn’t all you’ve got, y’know? Open the microwave.

Tori: Microwave?

…Oh, fried potato ♪

Chiaki: It’s hard to say what group potatoes belong to, but these fine vegetables are from the Takamine grocery store.

So these vegetables are super good for you! Make sure you eat them!

Tori: Uwaa ♪. If Yuzuru could see this he’d be frowning, but it doesn’t bother me~.

Chiaki: I’m glad you’re happy. It was worth all this preparation…♪

Speaking of preparation, are you ready to go to school?

Tori: Yup. Because you woke me up, I wasn’t in a hurry.

Chiaki: I see, I see! Don’t forget this as well.

Tori: Nn, you made me a bento? But I was planning on eating in the cafeteria.

I wonder what other things you’ve put in here… Waah.

I know what this is. You’ve made them into cute shapes, right?[4]

Chiaki: Ah. When I was deciding on what sort of bento to make, an old memory came back to me.

When I was a kid, my parents would make this kind of bento for me. It made me really happy, so I thought I’d try to do the same for you.

I haven’t the same skill, and the kinshitamago[5] is burnt, but the fact that it’s misshapen gives it more charm ☆

Tori: ...

…I’m not a kid anymore.

But thank you for doing this for me, Morisawa-senpai.

Chiaki: Fuhaha! Don’t mention it! Eat lots and you’ll get big and strong.

Then, dig in. Since every good day starts with breakfast…☆

like, as in the ryuuseitai song...

japanese rolled omelettes

he’s using a tamagoyakinabi, which is a square pan used specifically to make these egg rolls

he says kyaraben, which is a bento with food decorated to look like cute characters

thin omelette sliced into thin strips

#ensemble stars #enstars #translation #chiaki morisawa #tori himemiya

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13-frinfransstudios · 1 year

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Writing Diary: Plot Outlines are Not Enough

One of the struggles I found in writing is that when creating characters, it's boring to create those who have the same traits and personality as you so you have to change them somehow. Though how can I do that personality justice when I don't have that?

In tv shows, I am always amazed by the complexities of each character and how they write them. I only know how to plan the plot. I thought that was enough to write a story but what made me have writer's block is that I don't know how my characters would respond to situations.

This is why character outlines are just as important. I know that you all knew that but as someone who's restarting their writing journey to completing an original novel, I figured that out just now. Plotting is not enough. I need to write about my characters, even the smallest details I need to map out.

Knowing about your characters and WRITING IT DOWN (which I forget to do all the time) is so important and helpful in writing. It made me realize that it can really take years to write a novel and it's just as difficult as other professions. Writing needs brain power, research, and patience.

Despite writing at 11 years old, I'm still new to writing original novels and actually finishing them. This journey is both hell and a breath of fresh air. If only I did not stop writing for 10 months, I would've already gotten over this problem and know what I already wanna do. But what's important is that I did not stop <33

For beginner writers out there, don't give up! fighting!!

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iwasjustgoingthere · 1 year

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Books Read 2022

1. Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros have to compete for humanity’s survival in intergalactic Eurovision. Lots of fun language and praise of glam

2. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

I stayed up late my last night in Washington to finish it. Historical fiction of a Jewish girl fleeing Vienna to work in a British manor, romance develops. I’m glad they gave the ending it deserved, even if the final chapter 40 years later was strange.

3. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A caseworker, Linus Baker, who’s job is to check orphanages for magical youth is sent to an extra special orphanage on an island. He learns to love it there. Warmed my heart and made me cry while I was home alone in late winter.

4. Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

A series of magic realism short stories. I loved these. The point of them seemed to be to experience the stories and not understand them fully. I normally want to understand everything so it was interesting how much I could enjoy a story I don’t understand.

5. What to say next by Julie Buxbaum

Guy with Asperger’s befriends popular girl going through grief/trauma. It was a good book, I thought.

6. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Literally SO good. First of all the story/world-building, incredible, and then the fact that they solved a love triangle with a throuple makes me unbelievably happy.

6. Heartstopper, books 1 - 4 by Alice Oseman

Not to be that person but I read these before the Netflix series became a thing. A happy coincidence! Yes they’re so cute

7. And then there were none, by Agatha Christie

I borrowed this book, along with Heartstopper, from a friend so I’d have something to read in the train.

8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

I started it and wasn’t interested, but when Alka told me it was good I finished the book, and boy am I glad I did. A psychotherapist tries to help a woman who killed her husband and hasn’t spoken since.

9. Sperling by Katharina Korbach

A German novel that my friend’s girlfriend lent me. A college student struggling with an eating disorder meets a lonely phD student who lives near her. A sad book but well-written.

10. Beautiful World Where are You by Sally Rooney

I’m not a fan of Sally Rooney so we’ll see if I finish this book. I’m at least mildly compelled by it, as long as I skip the email portions. (update: as of October, not finished)

11. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

I got it for free from a book box. It’s crazy that the book is slightly older than me, the main character would be approaching 60 years old. I’m getting into it though, maybe this will relaunch a book phase for me. At this point (mid-June) it’s clear I won’t be reading 50 books this year.

12. Ilium by Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons has male-author syndrome but unfortunately his world-building is superb. Really enjoyed this book overall

13. The Husbands by Chandler Baker

Yeah, this was good. While one aspect of the whole thing was clear, it was still a chilling story and made me think (the book is about what to do about husbands who don’t take on their fair share of the household and how far you can go for justice).

14. One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston

Fluffy, but we love a somewhat supernatural fluffy lesbian romance. Girls on Ney York’s subway trains.

15. Everyone in this Room will Someday be Dead by Emily Austin

A lesbian struggling with her mental health ends up with a job in a Catholic church and struggles to manage her life and find out who killed the person who had the job before her. This book is my comfort book right now, I have ordered a paper copy from World of Books and wish it was arriving before November.

16. Mauersegler by Jasmin Schreiber

Finally. I’ve been meaning to read it forever. A man is on the run from something he did that lead to his best friend’s death.

17. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Two boys find out they’re dying sometime that day and get together to live their last day to its fullest. It’s crazy how long and important a single day can be, I feel like it could be a little exaggerated in the book but it really doesn’t feel like it while reading.

18. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Courtesy of Dracula Daily, which I can recommend.

19. A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe

A young embalmer avoids dealing with his past regarding his best friend, their choir days, his mother, and the time he had to do emergency work after a landslide. He’s stupid but the book is good! His best friend was wonderful.

20. The Truth about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Yes, nice. A girl is traumatized by her best friend drowning randomly and tries to find some meaning in the incident through jellyfish.

21. The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin

A girl goes to a new school unlike her previous school with a small class of colorful characters and becomes a better person while they all speculate what happened to the class legend, Paulie Fink.

22. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

The prequel to “they both die at the end” and very nice. Makes me want to flip through the other book to catch all the references.

23. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

25-year-old April May finds one of many giant robot statues and becomes the face of the global movement to understand their possibly alien nature.

24. S by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams

A book that’s both a typed story and the interactions of two young people in the margins, trying to figure out the book, the author, and each other.

Ok there we have it! I don’t want to count the Sally Rooney book but if I count all the Heartstopper Books individually we’re at 27 books in 2022! Pretty good! That seems like a nice number of books for a book lover.

#book list #books 2022

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amjustagirl · 3 years

Text

Hogwarts AU (Haikyuu!!)

feat. Kuroo Tetsuro

As requested by @forgetou (hope you love it bb!)

Previously: Miya Atsumu. Miya Osamu. Kita Shinsuke

Masterlist link here

Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff

A/N: Any other characters you’d like to see? Send me an ask!

(happy to do any characters other than Kenma / Hinata / Tendo - I don’t trust myself to do them justice!)

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

‘So I hear you’re going to fill in for Hinata next match?’

Your head whips around. A growl builds up in your throat.

You’d recognise that sleaze ball voice anywhere - Kuroo Tetsuro, Slytherin prefect, top student in potions and more importantly, the scumbag keeper that formulated a strategy (alongside Oikawa, that brat - but that’s besides the point) to completely break down the Gryffindor chaser trio of Hinata, Lev and Yamamoto when Iwaizumi was out for an injury the last Quidditch match.

If you weren’t playing against them, you’d admit that the Slytherin strategy was perfect. Suna and Daishou caged Hinata in with non-stop bludger head shots, and the Miya twins flew literal circles around Lev - still a beginner, so you’ll cut him some slack, so much that the two idiots collided when Kuroo feinted forward and they thought they finally had a chance to score.

So now you have to step into Hinata’s position for the match next weekend.

You like Quidditch well enough, but you don’t have an overwhelming passion for it the way Hinata or Oikawa or Atsumu or heck, even Yaku does - monsters, the lot of them. You play it for fun, you enjoy being a reserve member, and you’d never expected that you’d have to play in an actual match with Iwaizumi, Lev, Hinata and Yamamoto all playing chaser already.

You’re scared - and you hate feeling this way, especially a Gryffindor like you, so you snarl and hiss and kick your feet when Yaku drags you away from Kuroo, the demon keeper scolding you not to ‘cause a scene in the Great Hall - seriously, what are you five?’, though Lev and Yamamoto cheers you on.

‘Come on, let’s make a bet on our match next weekend’, Kuroo calls after you, and you flail hard in Yaku’s arms enough that Yaku loses not just his balance, but his grip on you.

‘Sure’, you shout defiantly, not caring that the pair of you have attracted an audience. You can see the entire Slytherin team five steps away, matching Cheshire grins on all of their faces. Your blood boils and you’re ready to accept the terms of whatever stupid bet this rooster head proposes.

Kuroo’s grin widens. ‘I bet you can’t even get five goals past me.’

‘I bet you I can’, you retort, even as your heart sinks. Kuroo isn’t quite as good as Yaku, but he’s devious and brilliant at feints and you’re not even a starter on the Gryffindor team. But you’ve dug yourself into a hole, and you’re determined to commit to your position, damnit, so you keep your voice steady as you ask for his terms.

‘If I win, you’ll have to go on a date with me the next weekend’. He waggles his eyebrows at you suggestively, eyes crinkling at its corners in amusement as you mouth an outraged ‘what the hell?’ and Yaku starts shouting bloody murder himself.

You gather yourself and resist Yaku’s attempts at pulling you away. ‘And if I win, what do I get?’

Kuroo laughs airily. ‘I highly doubt that, but name your price, sweetheart’.

You think of the most embarrassing thing you could possibly inflict on this smug bastard, your eyes landing on the ridiculous mop of hair on his head and it’s your turn to grin, sharp and full of edges.

‘Fine. If I win, you’ll shave your head’.

‘Deal.’

Kuroo sticks his hand out to you and you take it. You feel like you’ve just made a deal with the devil himself.

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

Iwaizumi nags you to bits when Yaku tells him of the entire debacle, the Gryffindor keeper throwing himself dramatically across the locker room bench, complaining that he’s done being a damn babysitter to this lot of idiots without any sense of self preservation.

‘You’re gonna need a whole lot of training in that case’, Iwaizumi tells you grimly, and you sigh, because you know it’s not going to do any good.

And you’re right, because even though you’ve spent the entire week training and running drills in snow and sleet and rain, it’s not enough. You barely get three goals against Kuroo in the match, let alone five - and to be fair, one of them was when you literally threw Lev against him when the referee wasn’t looking, so you resign yourself to his mocking looks when the whistle blows, marking the end of the match where Oikawa outsmarts Kageyama to grab the snitch out of the air first. You feel a kinship with the captured snitch, the pathetic fluttering of its wings so much like your futile attempts to win the damn bet.

Kuroo smirks at you knowingly when you refuse to take his hand at the end of the game. ‘I guess I’ll be seeing you next weekend?’ he asks, eyes glinting as you huff and fold your arms across your chest.

‘Fine, I guess’, you answer with a distinct lack of grace. You don’t notice when his smirk turns into a genuine smile.

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

The Gryffindor boys crowd around you, groaning in disappointment when you tell them no they’re not allowed to follow you around Hogsmeade, even if you’re on a date with Kuroo Tetsuro - and no, Lev, a disguise is not going to work, your height and ridiculous hair makes you far too conspicuous for that!

‘I’ll beat him up if he does anything’, Iwaizumi threatens, and you roll your eyes at his overprotective streak.

‘I’ll be fine’, you reply, shrugging off Yaku’s attempts at giving you ridiculous magic artifacts intended to ward off wandering hands. Kuroo Tetsuro may be insufferable and smug and a general pain in the butt, but he’s not an absolute piece of shit - plus, you’re handy with your wands in duels so you’re certain you can handle anything he throws at you.

You don’t even bother putting on a lick of makeup when you prepare to meet him. He magicks an enchanted paper plane to land on your desk during potions to tell you that he’ll pick you up from Gryffindor tower at three o’clock sharp, and he’s leaning against the pillar with feline grace as you tumble out of the portrait hole, your teammates shooting him deadly glares as he sweeps you off with his palm warm against the small of your back.

‘Want to grab a drink first?’ he asks, with a surprising amount of concern when your nose turns pink in the cold.

You nod hesitantly, expecting him to drag you into the pink and white monstrosity that is Madam Puddifoots to complete your humiliation, but he doesn’t - holding the door open to the Three Broomsticks, ushering you into the corner booth, ordering a pint of butterbeer for you.

‘My team’s not here, don’t worry’, he says, laughing when you glance around the pub, eyes narrowed for any signs of that odious Oikawa or the bothersome Miya twins - or worse, snarky Suna and devious Daishou, but Kuroo isn’t lying, none of them are around to witness the indignity of your date with one Kuroo Tetsuro.

‘Do you drag unwilling girls into pubs often?’ you snark, tapping your fingers on the table irritably.

‘Nah, only you’, he answers easily, smirk widening with mirth when you wrinkle your nose at him. ‘Come on, lighten up a bit - we might as well get to know each other since we’re going to be spending the whole afternoon together.’

‘Fine’, you say sourly, brightening only when the bartender brings your drinks. ‘Why don’t you tell me about yourself’.

And so even though you’ve been classmates with Kuroo for years, you learn for the first time that he’s not intending to be a professional Quidditch player when he graduates next year, even though you admit he’s a talented keeper in his own right.

‘Really? You’re giving up Quidditch?’

‘Yeah - I have it all thought out I’m going to study potions further and figure out how to revolutionise the potions industry - d’you know the muggles have a pharmaceuticals industry that’s like our potions industry, only hugely profitable?’

It’s so typical of a Slytherin that you can’t help but snort.

But then he disarms you with funny stories of himself growing up. You learn that his parents separated when he was only five, and as a result, he stayed mostly with his grandparents growing up. You learn that he was lonely and shy and awkward - really? you? you choke on your butterbeer incredulously - at least until he moved next door to Kenma from Ravenclaw.

‘I introduced him to Quidditch, and he’s a natural at coming up with strategies’, he says proudly, proceeding to chatter fondly of quiet, unsociable Kenma, who you can tell is his little brother in all but name and blood.

You tell him about growing up with three older brothers - all Gryffindors, just like you. He listens to your stories about breaking your arm when you stole your eldest brother’s broom, chuckles at your recounting of the pranks you pull on your teammates to remind them that you may be a girl, but you can take of yourself just fine - because Iwaizumi and Yaku tend to take their protective side a tad too far sometimes.

It’s so pleasant that you forget that your date is the result of a bet, and you don’t even think twice about raising a napkin to gently wipe the froth from butterbeer off the corner of Kuroo’s mouth - it comes with the territory of being teammates with messy eaters like Hinata and Kageyama - until he freezes in shock.

‘I’m sorry!’ you blurt out, mortified. But instead of teasing you for your forwardness, Kuroo turns bright red and gapes at you. He must think you’re an idiot. ‘Um - d’you want to check out Honeydukes before they close?’ you ask, in a desperate attempt to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation.

That jolts Kuroo out of his daze. Thankfully, any awkwardness vanishes when he slides out of his seat to steal the bill from you. You complain because he refuses point blank to split the bill with you, and he even playfully keeps his hands above his head to avoid your attempts at pressing coins into his hands until you reach the candy store.

You watch in amusement as he loads his basket with chocolates and sweets for his team. He gets dark chocolate for Miya Osamu, and white chocolate for his twin Atsumu - at this point, I’m convinced they’re just determined to like the opposite of what the other prefers just to be contrary, he laughingly tells you. He gets creamy nougats for Oikawa - I should stop by the bread store to get him mlik bread, but his fangirls spoil him enough so I shan’t, he says. Ice mice for Suna to prank the twins with, tooth flossing stringmints for Daishou - he needs to clean his fangs, he jokes, and a whole bunch of chocolate frogs to be used as bribes for Kenma to go to bed on time.

It’s lovely and warm in the store. You have a good time tossing fizzing frisbees behind the storekeeper’s back at Kuroo, dodging as he tries to drop jellybeans down your shirt. At the checkout counter, you protest again when he slyly tells the cashier that he’ll pay for your purchases on top of his, and he doesn’t even let you carry your own chocolates as you’re walking back to the castle.

‘I’m perfectly capable of carrying a bag of chocolates by myself’, you huff, annoyed that yet another boy is treating you as though you’re made of glass.

‘I believe you’ Kuroo replies emphatically, pressing his hand to his chest with dramatic flair. ‘But I’m also a kind and considerate soul, because someone forgot to bring her gloves, and I’m going to need to save your hands if you actually want a shot at trying to get more goals past me next time’.

You scowl. ‘Fine’, but you relent grudgingly. You didn’t even know he noticed that your hands are numb and cold. You’ve just never enjoyed the cold, and to make matters worse, it’s snowing. A chilly wind picks up, and you sneeze thrice in quick succession.

‘Can’t wait to get back indoors, or can’t wait for the date to be over?’, he comments as you pick up your pace, trudging through the cold wet snow. You open your mouth to retort, but your jaw drops when he tugs you to a stop, tucking his cloak securely over your shoulders. His body heat and the faint scent of cinnamon and butterbeer still lingers in the fabric and you can’t help but wrap his cloak tighter around yourself.

‘There’, he says, satisfied. ‘Better?’

You nod, not trusting yourself to respond.

He walks you all the way back to Gryffindor tower and when you try to return his cloak, to your surprise, he refuses to take it back.

‘Keep it for our next date’, he tells you cheekily, laughing when your eyes widen and you choke on your breath.

‘I don’t recall hearing you ask for a second date’, you reply archly when your body finally stops its attempts at expelling your lungs from your chest.

‘Well, I am now’, he replies.

You look at him. Though the smirk he wears on his lips is unwavering, you can see a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. And though you’d never think you’d ever say it, but the afternoon was a pleasure, and Kuroo was a lovely date.

You - you like him, this adorable dork of a boy who’s both charming and confident yet awkward and uncertain at the same time. He’s caring and funny and ambitious and there are so many facets of him that you’ve only discovered today - and if you’re being honest with yourself, you’re curious enough to want to delve deeper into the enigma that is one Kuroo Tetsuro.

‘Fine’, you mumble, the tips of your ears turning pink. This time it’s definitely not from the cold.

‘Yeah?’ he asks, quietly, uncertainly.

‘Yeah’, you reply softly, casting your gaze down to the floor, suddenly shy. You don’t notice him take a step forward, startling as he gently tilts your chin up to face him. Your first instinct is to snap at him for coming so close, but he’s too quick for you to even react, leaning down and pressing his lips to your forehead, tenderly tucking loose strands of hair behind your ear.

‘Next week then’, he says, with a wide smile before sweeping off, leaving you standing in the middle of the corridor, mouth open in shock.

The portrait door swings open.

‘WHY ARE YOU IN GREEN AND SILVER?!’

‘HOLY SHIT, WAIT A MINUTE IS THAT KUROO’S CLOAK?’

‘Did he curse you? DO WE NEED TO DEFEND YOUR HONOUR?’

You bury your burning face in your hands. Your teammates are not going to take this well.

#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu imagines #hq imagines #haikyuu writing #hq writing #haikyuu!!#haikyuu fluff #haikyuu romance #haikyuu angst #hogwarts au #kuroo testuro #kuroo tetsuro x you #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo x reader #kuroo x you #nekoma

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thevindicativevordan · 3 years

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what books would you recommend to a beginner who wanted to get into the DCU but was a complete blank slate and had nowhere to start?

Harder question to answer than you might think. My recommendations would vary depending on whether you wanted to get caught up with the current DC continuity, do you want to go in chronological order, do you just want the greatest hits, etc. Additionaly with some of the characters there's also the question of "which one?" that needs to be asked. Are you interested in Barry or Wally as the Flash? Which of the Green Lanterns is your favorite? Part of why comics can be overwhelming for newcomers is that there is so MUCH to read. If I had to recommend three books to someone just looking to see if they like a character or not regardless of continuity, for each of the major Leaguers and three stories for the Justice League itself, here's what I would go with.

Superman

Superman: Man and Superman by Marv Wolfman - Picking an origin for Superman is tough because none of them are "wholly" canon right now. Even Secret Origin, of which the basics still seemed to have occurred, has parts that aren't canon such as the Legion. So I'm going with Man and Superman because it's the origin that's the closest we've gotten to an origin that copies Batman's iconic Year One story in terms of structure and plot beats. We start with Clark showing up in Metropolis and watch him become Superman, minimum of continuity fuss or snarl.

Superman: Up in the Sky by Tom King - Sucks that there is a real dearth of "Superman in his prime dealing with villains" but this is by far the easiest to read as it doesn't require any backstory while also being great. Superman goes off on a quest to rescue an abducted child, we see him thrown into a formidable procession of events that tax him to his physical, mental, and moral limits. By the end you'll have a good idea of what makes him tick.

Superman: For The Man Who Has Everything by Alan Moore - Still one of the GOAT Superman stories, and a story that peels back the layers of his psyche. Here we get a story that exposes the depths of Superman's loneliness, desire for companionship, and wrath. Also comes with one hell of a fight sequence between Superman and Mongul.

Batman

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller - Still the best origin he's had over 40 years later, even though it's as much a Jim Gordon story as it is a Batman one.

Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb - Loeb's other Batman works are better, but this is the book to read if you want to jump into "modern day" Batman with a minimum of fuss. Tells you all you need to know about Batman and the major characters in his world. Plus you can go from this to Morrison's Bat-Epic immediately after and get right to the good stuff.

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore - Most people interested in getting into Batman are probably going to want a Joker story, and this is the one that's defined Joker's relationship with Batman for the last several decades.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman: Year One by Greg Rucka - Straightforward origin story that hits all the beats you need to understand who and what Diana is. If you like that, you should definitely read the rest of Rucka's Rebirth run.

Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello - Azz's run is the only time I have really enjoyed or cared about the Greek gods being a heavy focus of a Wonder Woman run. You'll have to deal with various Azz idiosyncrasies, such as the Amazons being total shits, but if you want to see a WW run that goes heavy on the Greek mythology, this is the one I enjoyed the most.

Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour/The Witching War by James Tynion IV - While the Wonder Woman book proper was meandering at best post Rucka, JLD was a fantastic WW book that gave us my favorite take on Circe in these two separate stories that are linked together. Entire JLD run by Tynion (and Ram V) is worth checking out, but if you want a story you can hand to someone looking to see what Circe's deal is and why she's awesome, these two stories are what I would recommend.

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

GL: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns - Hal gets the ring, meets Sinestro, and we get the first hints of Blackest Night coming down the line. All the major details for Hal are here.

Sinestro Corps War by Geoff Johns - If you want to see Hal and his archnemesis clash in their best story, this is it. All of the Core Four GLs (Hal, Kyle, John, and Guy) get cool moments, you get to see the GLC pushed to the brink before that became a regular occurrence and lost all impact, and this is basically the opening act to the War of Light and established the Emotional Spectrum.

GL: Earth One by Gabriel Hardman - Fantastic "hard sci-fi" take on the GL concept, well worth checking out whether you're a fan of regular GL or not.

Flash (Barry Allen)

Flash: Year One by Joshua Williamson - Gives you the basics for Barry, his mom was murdered, his dad was imprisoned for it, he wants to prove his dad's innocence, he has powers, and he needs to learn to move forward. The Turtle gets a focus that he rarely gets otherwise as Barry's first proper supervillain.

Flashpoint by Geoff Johns - If you were to go off of Twitter or even Tumblr, most would tell you this is the worst Flash story ever written. Check out Amazon's best sellers however, and this is the one Flash story that's usually always there. It's Flash vs. Reverse Flash in an alternate timeline, love or hate the New 52, this is a story that has entertained many people. Off of social media many will cite it as their favorite Flash story (in part because the animated movie elevated it as it did for Under the Red Hood).

Flash: Rogues Reloaded by Joshua Williamson - An entertaining Barry vs. the Rogues story.

Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter: Identity by Steve Orlando - Gives you "a" origin for J'onn and an entertaining murder mystery tied to J'onn's origins.

Martian Manhunter: Son of Mars by John Ostrander - Martian Manhunter's best run.

Martian Manhunter by Rob Williams - Remember being mixed on this, but Williams did have some interesting ideas about revamping J'onn that may prove enjoyable for others.

Aquaman

Aquaman by Geoff Johns - This run tells you what his deal is in the modern era. Gives you the origin, his enmity with Black Manta, his struggles with being king, and his relationship with Mera.

Aquaman by Jeff Parker - Leans into the fun and joy of being Aquaman while also bringing back Aquaman's mom and making her a character you will care about.

Aquaman: Rebirth by Dan Abnett - Focuses on Atlantean politics and magic. Really great worldbuilding was done here that I hope continues to stick as part of the Aquamythos.

Justice League

Justice League: Origin by Geoff Johns - Yes I'm well aware that the Internet hates Johns' JL run, but in terms of the JL origin that delivers a story in line with a newcomer's expectations? That would be this. Much as I love the White Martians or Starro, casuals likely aren't going to view those as a big deal, they want to see the JL go up against one of the "cool" villains like Darkseid, and this story does that while also telling the story of how they get together.

JLA: Tower of Babel by Mark Waid - Classic story everyone has heard of that will still pack a surprise at the end. Not many people are aware that the League kicks Batman off the team rather than him quitting and flipping everyone off as he does so like what happened in the shitty adaption of this story JL: Doom.

JLA: Strength in Numbers by Grant Morrison - Maybe I just feel a disproportionate amount of affection for this volume of Morrison's run because it was the first volume of their run I ever read, but I still think it's one of the best parts of the run. We get Prometheus, alternate timelines (which also has the benefit of taking Batman off the board so that other members can take point), and a team up with Dream (Daniel) against Starro. In terms of "here's the type of shit the JL handles on a daily basis", this is the volume that best showcases that.

#superman #batman #wonder woman #aquaman #martian manhunter #green lantern #the flash #justice league #dc comics

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sitp-recs · 3 years

Text

Drarry for Beginners: Creature fics

Vampire

In The Red by @bixgirl1 (2018, E, 45k)

When Harry goes looking for a vampire at a Creature club, the second-to-last thing Harry expects is to find Malfoy working there. The last thing he expects is to fall in love with him.

There’s no better word to describe this fic than luscious. Get your body ready for a gorgeous, sexy and bittersweet love story. @bixgirl1 is hands down one of the most talented Drarry authors out there and what she did with the vampire trope here is just amazing. The plot combines complex characters, interesting lore and the most satisfying combo of fast sexual burn and slow emotional development. The chemistry between Draco and Harry is off the charts - complicated sexual tension, confident badass characters and fabulous dialogue balancing the dirtiest talk with the softest yearning. The scenes involving blood drinking are striking and made me salivate despite the fact that I’ve never really cared about this trope in general - that’s how captivating this fic is! And Harry’s arc is so amazing, I really like the final twist that puts him and Draco on a more equal footing. The exquisite narrative, clever plot and sexy times are the perfect way to get seduced into this trope. Come and bask in this juicy and decadent atmosphere!

Veela

Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats (2018, E, 104k)

Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria.

I chose this fic early on and kept questioning myself because there are so many great Veela fics out there; but seeing now how most of my other picks are more on the angst side, I’m really happy with my choice as I think it will be quite the refreshing ride. There’s no doubt among Drarry fans that this is one of the greatest, funniest, most endearing Veela stories out there. By the time it was published I wasn’t really into this trope anymore but it still manages to pull me back whenever I need a light-hearted, comforting love story to unwind. Draco’s voice is hysterical and such a joy to read - he’s panicked, chaotic devotion and Harry and I can’t help but find it so charming. The food courting is definitely the highlight here, creative and really fun to read despite Draco’s utter humiliation and Harry’s confused resistance. Then again this is a 100k fic and I love how the author took the time to not only develop their single arcs and relationship, but also to shine light on amazing side characters like Lavender, Teddy, Mipsy. All interactions are great and help creating such lovely “found family” vibes, with a nice twist away from the fuck-or-die scenario I usually see for this trope. Here all characters are given room to struggle with their post-war traumas and grow in the most thoughtful and cathartic way, and I really appreciate it!

Werewolf

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (2019, E, 99k)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost.

I know I’m not speaking only for myself when I say that this is THE werewolf fic. This glorious masterpiece is what finally pulled me back into Drarry last year, when I was 100% dedicated to another fandom. My jaw literally dropped as I watched in awe the brilliant and intriguing plot revealing itself - there’s a dark and mysterious investigation, breathtaking sexual tension and Harry’s devastating inner battle towards self-forgiveness, healing and acceptance. His loyalty towards Teddy is so touching it broke my heart a bit. It’s fascinating to notice how these boys ooze competence on the job while struggling under the surface. The possessive pining and scorching hot smut are a fantastic bonus and set the perfect mood for this fic, intense, hungry and captivating. Draco is a brilliant and interesting character; his arc and career choice are one of my fave takes since reading “The Boy Who Only Lived Twice” by lettered, which tells you just how genius this is. A deliciously mature and atmospheric healing story, with a gorgeous ending full of hope and understanding. I’d give anything to obliviate myself and experience it for the first time once again 💗

Bonus

There Is Always the Moon by @firethesound (2016, T, 159k)

Draco's life after the war is everything he wanted it to be: it's simple, and quiet, and predictable, and safe. But when a mysterious curse shatters the peace he'd worked so hard to build, there's only one person he can trust to help him. After all, Harry Potter has saved his life before. Now Draco has to believe that Potter will be able to do it one more time. (A remix of If the Sun Goes Black by pasdexcuses)

If fake dating doesn’t come with this glorious amount of world building and an intriguing mystery, what is even the point? I’m not big on creature fics but wow, @firethesound creates a gripping and lovely universe that worms its way inside your heart. This is A+++ storytelling with charming mundane moments, the slowest of burns and a carefully crafted, detailed plot. I love how the initial slice of life becomes a case fic mixed with sweet pining and domesticity. Their voices are fantastic and it’s a delight to follow sassy Harry and oblivious Draco pulling off a fake dating heist while investigating the mystery haunting Draco’s life. We see how their relationship matures over time, the slow realization of changing feelings, the doubts and heartbreak and wonder of being loved in return. Their married life is tender and soft, and my favorite bits are the small things: their birthday gifts to each other, the contingency plans and all the meta jokes such as Draco not speaking French for once lol. This story takes a bittersweet turn towards the end so brace yourself for some angsty times - I promise a worthy ride and a hopeful ending!

#drarry for beginners #Creature fics

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lyrebirdswrites · 3 years

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not me drawing and interpreting proper astrological birth charts for the jjk main trio now that the official fan book finally gave us their birthplace in addition to their birthday 👀

Explanation under the cut! (edited to be more beginner friendly)

Quick disclaimer ig: this is just my personal interpretation of these placements. If you read the way I describe something and you think to yourself “hang on, I have this placement and this doesn’t sound like me at all” that would be because a) I am an amateur astrologer and I do this for fun, I don’t know everything about every sign/planet, and b) no placement exists in isolation - it’s influenced by the house it’s in as well as any other planets aspecting it - so it’s possible that the placement manifests in a less conventional/standard way due you because of such factors.

EDIT: my first draft of this post was not super beginner friendly so here’s a quick astrology 101 to help people understand wtf I’m talking about. Skip to the next photo if you don’t need a primer.

Everyone has ten main planets in their birth chart, each of those planets will fall under a different sign depending on when and where you were born. The planet governs an area of your personality, the sign shows what that area of your personality is like. Some quick definitions of the relevant planets for this post:

Sun: the one everyone thinks of when asked ‘what’s your star sign’. Your basic personality, your core, your ego.

Moon: symbolises emotion, intuition, your private internal world, and how feelings are expressed.

Mercury: symbolises communication, intellectual reasoning, and how you learn.

Venus: symbolises romance, aesthetics, how you socialize, and pleasure-seeking behaviours like shopping or sightseeing.

Mars: the source of your passion/drive/motivation. Symbolises where and how you expend your energy.

Retrograde: not a planet, just something the planets do sometimes. At some points in the year the planets look like they’re moving ‘backwards’ through the sky, and this alters their influence on the birth chart.

I think that’s probably enough but shoot me an ask if you’re curious/confused! I’m always happy to talk astrology (clearly lol)

Megumi... I always suspected he had scorpio influence somewhere in his chart and turns out I was right!! Not only scorpio venus but scorpio mars too?? I’m obsessed with this. Scorpio is a water sign (read: big on emotions), the embodiment of the phrase ‘still waters run deep’, and though scorpio placements are not always loud about their affection they tend to bond in a pretty intense way with their chosen people. Those venus and mars placements together really do speak of ride or die devotion - no wonder he’s Like That when it comes to Yuuji people he cares about.

His jupiter and saturn are both in retrograde; I would not have predicted it because I don’t think about natal retrograde all that much, but it actually makes a lot of sense imo. Retrograde jupiter usually indicates someone who is internally very philosophical in the sense that the person will define their own firm moral/ethical code instead of following a familial or societal belief system, which is pretty much megumi ‘I save people according to my own conscience’ fushiguro in a nutshell. While retrograde saturn is basically like. On the outside you’re stoic but on the inside you’re a worrywart, and you take responsibility Super Seriously but you also don’t like people with authority pushing you around needlessly. Which is also megumi in a nutshell lol.

His leo moon was a surprise but I honestly think it works for him because this is definitely where Unhinged Feral Megumi comes from: when he decides to go all out he gets such a flair for the dramatic. capricorn sun and capricorn mercury are pretty intuitive tbh, he really gives off capricorn vibes - practical, reserved, loyal, ambitious and tenacious, possessing a dry wit, capable of putting in steady hard work to get to where he wants to be.

I was already aware of Nobara’s leo sun because we’ve had their birth dates for a while now (birthplace is the new info which lets me draw the whole chart). But her cancer moon is such a lovely placement under that hard outer shell of hers. Nobara seems like she does not have a nurturing bone in her body, but it’s wrong to stereotype cancers as exclusively homebody motherly types - they have deep loyalty for their chosen family/home and they’ll go to the ends of the earth for those people in their own way whatever that may be... she really is a softie deep down 🥰 she really does care 🥰 thinkin about the end of her ch 125 flashback in this context

Nobara’s virgo mercury is actually kind of funny to me because while it indicates a natural gift for intellect and a talent for sorting out the fine details, it also has the potential to make someone a harsh critic who can nitpick and be quite blunt in stating their opinions... this is very Nobara, she does Not spare the feelings of anyone she is talking to lol.

Libra venus!! She has libra venus that’s so perfect!!! this placement is sophisticated and charming and always classy, these people adore that classic chocolates-and-roses romance but they turn love of all kinds into an art form. Traditionally the placement is also associated with people who care about beauty and harmony, who will go out of their way to look good for their companions. Also her leo mars... I love that. It’s really amplifying her bold outspoken flashy self-loving take-charge nature. Queen energy right here.

She has a bunch of natal retrogrades but the one I want to talk about is retrograde uranus... this one is Very fitting and again almost funny in the context of her character. You know how she’s always convinced she’s the only sane person in the room when actually she’s the unhinged one 24/7 and not self aware about that in the slightest? Yeah. That’s big retrograde uranus vibes.

Oh Yuuji... I could talk about your pisces sun all day 🥺 I could get Very technical and meta about the pisces association with the twelfth house and the fact that it’s ruled by neptune and what that says about his character, but I don’t have the room or the time so I’ll save that for another post. For now I’ll just say that the fact that he cares so deeply for others regardless of how well he knows them, the way he feels his feelings so intensely and is very intuituve/sensitive to others needs, him being interested in the occult before he ever found Sukuna’s fist finger, it all just seems more pisces to me than any other sign. And him having pisces mercury + pisces uranus in addition to his sun is also very sweet... our boy really thinks with his heart at all hours of the day doesn’t he?

His libra moon is such a fitting placement, too, because this moon is all about relationships - not just romance but bonds of all kinds, friends and family and companions of any sort. Yuuji as a character is so motivated by the bonds he shares with others and his desire to not be alone, especially on his deathbed. Libra moons are charming and personable and find it very easy to connect with others, they are deeply concerned with justice and will be accepting of everyone except for people who are cruel (exhibit a: just look how he responded to mahito). I think it’s a very apt moon for him to have.

Tbh if I were picking and choosing I might have loaded him up with yet more pisces energy and given him my favourite placement in the whole world, venus in pisces. But he actually has an aquarius venus and I think that’s so interesting! The part of this placement that speaks to his character for me is the way that aquarius venus love is defined by radical acceptance - there is never any judgement (I won’t judge you, Junpei!), because this venus seeks not only to see and understand but to be seen and understood in turn. Some say aquarius venus is an emotionally detached placement. I think that’s a mischaracterisation, but it is true that aquarius placements can be low key scared of intimacy and vulnerability even when they crave it lmao. An aquarius venus will sort through turmoil in their heart by retreating to think it over in isolation, rather than by submitting to the mortifying ordeal of being known and reaching out. Manga readers if u know u know

All I can say about his capricorn mars is that it definitely embodies that determined protagonist vibe. Thoughts like ‘I want to get stronger, I want to be the best, I’ll put in the work to come out on top’ are very capricorn thoughts to have, and the drive and forward momentum associated with mars really push them to the front of his character. But also, again; an underdeveloped capricorn mars under stress will shut out possibilities for connection with loved ones by dedicating themselves to their job or cause. Yuuji learn healthy coping mechanisms challenge 2k21.

#I’m surprised all the placements mapped on to the characters so well!#especially since I’m sure akutami was not manipulating their birthday/birthplace to fit western astrology #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #fushiguro megumi #megumi fushiguro #kugisaki nobara #nobara kugisaki #itadori yuuji #yuuji itadori #itadori yuji #yuji itadori #jjk meta #this was fun I can’t wait to do more once the official fan book comes out #jjk astrology #originalcontent #long post

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txemrn · 3 years

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How do you approach writing intense sexual scenes? Do you write from experience or what you've seen? I want to try to write things, but I'm afraid what I write will come across as awkward and cringe-y. 🤦‍♀️

Hey, anon! Thank you so much for the ask!

Believe me when I say that you and I are in the same boat! I get fairly anxious when it comes to writing smut for the exact same reasons you have: you want it to flow; you want hearts in your eyes while your fanning yourself, waiting for round 2. I have several smut scenes to write in some upcoming fics, and I can feel the excitement... and dread because I need fireworks, not a forest fire.

You don't want a trainwreck, something that literally makes you feel violated, wanting to scrub your skin afterwards. But, when you develop the perfect scene for your characters, it is soooooo delicious and beautiful. 🥰

I'm NOT the expert, but here's what I do... 🍋🍋🍋

First things first: ask yourself, "Does this fic/chapter even need an intimate scene?" I have mapped out fics before, where I think, "Oh yeah, let's get it on in this chapter!" And when it comes time to write, my characters want to tell a different story. Or, I realize it distracts from the purpose of the chapter.

Something to also consider that I think is just as powerful as having sex is what I call my "foreplay writing": just like it sounds-- the characters sexually teasing one another verbally and physically in a way that will probably lead to intimacy; I usually have a character say 1 or 2 moment-defining lines; then I end the scene delicately, leaving it to the reader's imagination.

One of my favorite characters to do this for is Liam from TRR. Here's a little excerpt of what I'm talking about:

This is the first chapter of my series called "Pour Two Glasses". In this particular chapter, Liam has a limited time with his wife before he goes back delegating peace treaties. The whole chapter has been this delicious love (and sexual) tension between them, feeling their connection as husband and wife. And... THEY FINALLY CAN HAVE A MOMENT ALONE, and they are stumbling over each other like teenagers, making out. They finally make it to their room, and Liam can't take it anymore. He passionately pushes his wife against the wall. She suggests that they have a bedroom. And he responds with this:

“We have walls,” he gruffly whispers, snapping his teeth just above her pulse point. “Now, open your legs.”

Anyway, the point of the story, though wasn't the sex. It was their connection, and I felt like if I added a smutty scene (which, I originally wanted to do), it might distract from the impact of what was about to happen.

Sorry, I need a minute now.... 🤣🤣🤣

Moving on...

Second, RESEARCH!

-READ! READ! READ! There is so much smut right here on tumblr. Pick out your favorite series for fanfiction, then look for the lemons! You'll get a good taste (pun not intended) of how to create it, how to build it up and fluff it up. How to make it loving, how to make it intense. Even the most intense of BDSM scenes can be lovely.

-Also, consider smutty books and harlequin novels. Yes, I'm talking "50 Shades..." Go to that section in Wal-Mart and pick out a few. Read and take note! For example, I have a desire to write a BDSM piece after hearing a song. Because I want to do it justice, I just ordered a book with some hardcore BDSM online to do some research.

-Don't be afraid: search the net! I have actually google searched "writing smut for beginners" and there are SO MANY blog sites that will teach you a TON. There are even sites that will tell you words that are generally accepted by audiences and words that generally make people cringe.

-Turn to trustworthy and helpful writing friends for 2 reasons!

Not the ones that simply say, "Oooo, that's hot," (even though we LOVE them, too), but the ones that will make your smut well-rounded and stellar! For example, I was writing a blurb about oral sex last week, and I turned to one of my peeps. She was encouraging and told me I was on the right track, told me what she loves, and then offered thoughts and sensations that could make my writing blossom.

EXPERIENCE. We all have different perspectives when it comes to intimacy. Now, I know, you can't talk about it with just anyone. But surely there is SOMEONE you can chat sex with, maybe even a best friend that is clueless about fanfiction! The purpose of this is to expand your knowledge of what people enjoy. What you personal enjoy might not be what someone else enjoys and they can offer intel as to why.

-Finally, and this might sound crazy, create a word/phrase bank. You know when you're reading some smut, and you read something that just... takes your breath away? Jot. It. Down. I actually have a word/phrase bank, and I abuse it. The bank includes words related to body parts, smells, sensations, tastes... but it's tailored to what I'm willing to personally write. There are certain words I personally cannot write seriously, and so I vow not to. But anytime I can think of a clever and beautiful way to say something, I add it to the bank.

I hope this has inspired you in some way. I know you kept yourself anonymous; BUT if you ever need some help, I am always here to brainstorm ideas. You've got this--writing smut is just like jumping into the deep end of the pool; YOU CAN DO IT, and it's going to be so THRILLING when you do. Good luck to you! 💜💜💜

#you asked #smut

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thatdamncutegirl · 4 years

Text

WIFEY

Hi. So this is my first fiction story. A great part in this project was of @oh-for-fic-sake and @littlefreya . I asked Freya about what I should do as a beginner and @oh-for-fic-sake basically gave the structure to the story with me.

The credit for the banner goes to @oh-for-fic-sake

Warnings: a/b/o ; age gap; fluff; young omega female; older alpha male;

The future chapters will have many other kinks and warnings.

Pairing: Clark Kent x Original Fictional Character ( name will be revealed in the next chapter)

Also, I am a student and have my exams ongoing now. So the updates may not be frequent. But I will try to put in my best.

Please do not post my work anywhere without my permission and credit. Reblogs on Tumblr are welcome though.

Enjoy and Review.

After another long day of saving people who he knew endangered themselves on purpose to either catch a glimpse of him, or be in the news, he was tired. Women and men would shout HELP for just falling while walking. And Karens! Oh god! They were the worst. They would shout for him, why, because people asked them to wear masks. But there were some genuine cases as well. Multiple heart attacks, and some other emergencies as well. It was around 11 at night when a child shouted somewhere in South America. A psychopath was approaching him with a knife. He quickly knocked him out and delivered both the child and psychopath to the Police Station. The child hugged him and said, “Thank you uncle. But can you take me with you. I have nowhere to go” and started crying. Kal’s heart ached, he hated when any child cried. They deserved to be treated like kings and queens. He delivered the 4 year old to an orphanage and promised to meet him as frequently as he can. He went to the Headquarters and went to the main area to see all the other members waiting for him with a grin.

“Kal. Kal. Please help me. I have a fire that I cannot extinguish. Where. Down there. Please help me.”Aquaman mocked in a high pitched voice. Everyone laughed and even Bruce smiled. After talking a little about their day, the whole Justice league was having dinner. This was a thing that they all loved. Chatting and having dinner like a family. While they were having dessert, their AI system announced,

CALL FROM MRS. MARTHA KENT.

Alfred accepted the call and suddenly Martha’s screen was displayed on their’s.

“Good evening Martha” from the team

“Good evening ma” from Clark and Bruce

And Good Evening Ma’am from Alfred.

“Good Evening everyone. And it is a good thing to see you out of those uniforms or whatever you call them. But Bruce, why are you still in your suit. At the table, you are Bruce not Batman. And Diana, loosen up your hair, it will hurt your head. Barry, Arthur and Victor, did you like the Jackets I sent you.”

Right at that moment, the bat boys walked in,

“hey Grandma”

“Hi boys. I hope you are not giving your father a hard time. And did you eat yet?”

“Yes ma’am they have.” Alfred replied and ushered them to take a shower after training. Meanwhile Clark was waiting for his Ma to address him. Yet she didn’t.

“Ma, I am also here”

Everyone chuckled at that.

“Oh were you? I didn’t see. By the way, you have to come home on the weekend”

‘what happened Ma”

“Do remember my friend Carol and her daughter. Well she and I have been talking and we think you and her daughter should marry”

“What the” Everyone gasped.

“But she was born when I was 17”

“Yeah so you are 34 now. She is Legal by now. And before you say. I know that you are an Alpha, but she’s an omega as well. Maybe she is your omega. Second, there is a very important reason why Carol wants to marry her off so early. Third, you are single and it will keep that creepy girl Lousy away from you. Also, I have met her, she is a nice girl. I don’t know anything, you are coming home this weekend. That’s an order. And if anyone can else can manage, they are welcome to join in.”

“Okay Ma”

#henry cavill x female reader #henry x reader #henry x ofc #Henry Cavill #WIFEY #Alpha Clark #Clark x reader #Clark x Omega #Clark x Wife

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liquidstar · 3 years

Note

I'd love to hear some of your recommendations! And I'm good without any content warnings, but since you're posting this for all your followers to see probably best to add them

Alright sure! I’ll be general then and since you’re just starting out this will sort of be bringing up a lot of really popular ones, the really good ones where the general consensus is “you gotta see this!”, but I’ll also try to give ones from different genres so you have a variety of things to pick from, so this isn’t really a list of personal favorites but I’ll throw in a couple of those too lol, but generally think of this as a handy beginners guide with just a little personal bias.

I wrote a lot so I'm gonna put them under the cut here.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist is a franchise that’s considered a must-watch, it takes place in a world where alchemy is a borderline magical power, but is considered scientific in-universe and follows scientific laws, namely the law of equivalent exchange. Something can’t be made from nothing, to gain something of equal value must be lost. The story follows the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who at the ages of 10 and 11 committed alchemy’s one and only unforgivable sin, human transmutation, in an attempt to bring their mother back to life. As a result, one brother lost his arm and leg and the other lost his entire body, leaving his soul bound to a suit of armor. However the brothers are resolute to regain their original bodies, and the older brother, Edward, joins the State Alchemists, a branch of the military, to try to gain access to research materials to help them achieve their goal. But was that really such a good idea?

Fullmetal Alchemist can be a bit confusing to get into due to the fact that there are two series: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009). The latter is a reboot with a different story that follows the original manga. They both have the same beginning, but diverge paths and tell very different stories. My recommendation for how to watch this show is: Watch 2003 first, and Brotherhood second. Everyone has a different opinion about which is better, but everyone agrees that 2003 has better backstory but a contrived ending, and Brotherhood has a rushed beginning (Because it works off the assumption that you’ve seen 2003) with a great and fulfilling ending. If you can’t do both I say just watch Brotherhood because it will leave you more satisfied and you don’t have to watch 03 to get into it.

For both series the biggest trigger warnings are: Parental death, child death, pet death, war, genocide, dismemberment, religious themes, and miscarriage. For brotherhood specifically: on-screen suicide, and for 2003 specifically: rape (not on-screen) and pregnancy from it. The 2003 series is also a lot darker than Brotherhood which has a more optimistic tone, so that’s worth noting too.

Soul Eater

A show I think is incredibly fun, and a good one for an October watch if you wanna save it. It takes place in a world where certain people have the ability to transform into weapons, and they team up with other people who become their meisters. The characters often travel around, but the main setting is Death City, a fictional city in Nevada based off of Las Vegas but with a huge Halloweentown vibe, and a school right at the top of it called the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) where a bunch of kids that turn into weapons learn how to hunt down witches and kishins (Beings that consume human souls). The school, of course, is run by the grim reaper, Lord Death himself.

Our main characters for the series are a group of 7 students. Our protagonist Maka Albarn and her weapon partner Soul “Eater” Evans, a scythe. A loud mouth assassin named Black✰Star and his weapon partner Tsubaki, who has many weapon forms. And the son of the grim reaper, Death The Kid, and his two weapon partners Liz and Patty Thompson, who are twin pistols. There are also a bunch of really lively colorful background characters and antagonists, and the cast of the show being as insane as it is really makes it, on top of the great atmosphere and of course the plot, which just builds more and more as the series progresses. Also Crona is there and we all love Crona.

Trigger warnings for this show include: Child abuse (Mental and physical), manipulation, snakes and spiders (The motifs of two major villains), some very surreal moments that can verge on unreality. Also, in the dub and most subs: misgendering of a canonically trans character. Crona is a character who is non-binary, but the dub and subs use gendered pronouns for them due to general ignorance about neutral pronouns in 2008, though this isn’t the fault of the original series and falls on the translators hands.

Also it’s important to note: that the first 3 episodes are prologues and they take themselves less seriously, there’s more fanservice in them than there is in the rest of the series (Except for Blair she stays the fanservice character :pensive:)

Zombieland Saga

Idol anime is really prevalent as a genre, the most popular being Love Live, but my personal favorite is Zombieland Saga. It’s an idol anime, but it’s also a comedy about zombie girls who become idols. It sounds ridiculous but there’s an insane amount of heart in it regardless, it wasn’t a show I expected to get emotional at but I did! It also made me laugh a lot too. The series itself can serve as a bit of a subversion on what idols are, not just because they’re literally zombies, but because of who the characters are.

Sakura Minamoto is a character who starts off as a more typical idol, a peppy pure girl, as the series continues her struggle with depression gets highlighted. Saki Nikaido serves as her initial foil, a delinquent girl with a criminal record who subvers the idea of pure perfect idols. Ai Mizuno, a former idol who has since undergone severe trauma (The way she died). Junko Konno who has ideals that seem very different on what idols “should” be due to the time period she died. Lily Hoshikawa, an explicitly transgender idol. Yugiri nolastname, a former high ranking courtesan, subvering the pure image of an idol by being a sex worker. And Tae Yamada, a completely nonverbal idol who’s still treated with the same amount of importance as the rest of the team. The premise here really is just that these girls don’t fit the incredibly rigid mold of what idols should be and yet they still all deserve love and they gain a fanbase by being their earnest selves.

Trigger warnings for this series aren’t incredibly severe but since they’re zombies there’s still talks about death and they way they died (Including motorcycle/car accidents, plane crashes, getting struck by lightning, and a heart attack), there’s also comedic dismemberment, as in their arms just sort of pop on and off and stuff like that. The most notable thing is the deadnaming of Lily, the trans idol, by her father, but it doesn’t appear to be malicious in any way.

Note: this series is in the middle of it’s second season right now, if you want to wait until it’s over it should be 12 episodes long and just aired it’s 3rd, so about 9 more weeks.

Death Note

This is also absolutely another series that gets recommended to people right off the bat, and for good reason, this show is an intricate game of chess between a serial killer and a detective trying to catch him, and it’s incredibly easy to get super invested in the suspense of what happens next. The story begins when a shinigami, a god of death, drops his “Death Note” into the human world out of pure boredom. A Death Note is simply a notebook where if you write someone's name in it… They die! And who better to pick up such a powerful object than Light Yagami, a prodigy praised for his genius and academy accomplishments as well as his charm and popularity, and with a very strong but juvenile black-and-white sense of justice, likely due to being raised by a cop.

So naturally Light begins his power trip as soon as he finds the notebook, he intends to “fix” the world by cleansing it of all the bad people, but truly he intends to become the world’s new god. Or the “God of the new world” as he puts it. But there’s one thing standing in his way, a detective resolute on catching him with the codename L. The series entire crux is a game of cat and mouse between these two, as they try to outsmart each other and the murders continue, Light loses more and more of his humanity, L becomes more resolute on catching him. There are more twists and turns than a cheetah race, and it’s honestly pretty addictive to see what happens next.

Trigger warnings here obviously include a lot of death and murder, including suicide, but in some cases it’s a forced suicide at Light’s hands. Also abuse, as Light loses his humanity he isn’t above manipulating and discarding people who love him. And one instance of near-rape on screen fairly early on, but the purpitrator dies before it happens and the victim escapes.

K-On!

Slice-of-life is an incredibly popular genre, and K-On! is the quintessential example of it. It’s a series that not everyone will like, because not a lot truly happens, and it can be overly saccharine or “moe” for a lot of people, and that’s fine. But I personally think that despite not a lot happening, the story has genuine substance, more than you may gather at first glance. It’s true that not much in the way of big plot really happens, it’s mostly life events, that’s why it's a slice-of-life. But it’s not about nothing. The real theme of the show is the fleeting nature of youth. It’s about how important the friendships you form at that time are, how they’ll stick with you for a lifetime, and how everything comes to an end. It’s sweetness even becomes a little bittersweet because you knew their after school tea time would end come graduation, and as they realize this it breaks their hearts a little, but they continue on, because they’re still After School Tea Time!

The series itself is simply about 5 girls in a band, Yui Hirasawa on lead guitar, Mio Akiyama on the bass, Ritsu Tainaka on the Drums, Tsumugi Kotobuki on the Keyboard, and Azusa Nakano on Rhythm Guitar (Who shows up later). They’re in a club at school called the light music club where they waste a lot of their time just drinking tea and eating cake, but they’re having fun and that’s what counts! The series has a lot of really great direction and expressive animation despite the fact that a lot of it is just sitting around and talking, it’s incredibly visually interesting so you don’t get bored.

I honestly don’t think there are any big trigger warnings I can give for this series, maybe that Sawa-chan can be a little too forceful when she wants to dress up the girls in cute outfits sometimes but it’s usually not presented as too creepy especially after season 1 where they tone it down due to straying from the manga.

Mob Psycho 100

This series is an absolute love letter to the art of animation as a whole, the artstyle itself may not seem like much to look at but the animation is some of the most expressive, fluid, creative, and vibrant out there right now, it’s the type of series that you can tell was made with a real passion for its medium and it’s story. It’s protagonist is Shigeo Kageyama, nicknamed “Mob”, a term that literally means “Background character”. Mob is a middle school kid and an incredibly powerful psychic, like, insanely overpowered, but he’s currently working part time for a shady conman, Reigen Arataka. Though it may seem as if Reigen is just using Mob for his powers, their bond is actually a very sweet one and you can tell they care for each other, it’s a very important one at the heart of the series.

The core themes of the series itself are what really make it shine, it’s message is stated as clearly as possible in the opening songs, “your life is your own” and “if everyone is not special, maybe you can be what you want to be”. Put simply, you’re the protagonist of your own life, but the other important message of the series is that all the supposed background characters are just as important. The friends you make, the connections you have with other people and the way they impact you, they’re what make you strong. No one is born special, everyone is just a normal person, and everyone deserves kindness. It’s a series that I recommend incredibly strongly for just how powerfully it portrays this message.

Trigger warnings for this series include kidnapping, possession, a scene with a “man in a dress” joke, and a racist design for a background character. Also (spoilers) a scene where it seems like a child was murdered and a scene where it seems like Mob’s entire family was murdered.

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War!

Hey, speaking of amazing animation, Kaguya-Sama is a romantic comedy series centered around the premise of two incredibly arrogant people falling in love. Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane are the vice president and president of the student council at the prestigious Shuchi'in Academy, they eventually develop feelings for each other but they’re both simultaneously too proud and too insecure to admit it, so the real crux of the series is the 3D chess they play with each other to try and get the other to confess first. Along with the scatterbrained secretary, Chika Fujiawara, the treasurer in desperate need of Prozac Yu Ishigami, the cast is incredibly fun and they all fit into the comedy great. Every single little game of “do you like me?” that they play is written like the most intense thing in the world, the insane animation absolutely adds to it, making it seem almost like a psychological thriller, the comedy comes from the absurdity of just how much they hyperbolize it.

It’s not pure comedy though, due to a lot of the series being set up around mindgames, the characters are actually fairly psychologically complex with a lot of genuine development stemming from their childhood to explain why they are the way they are. The series may be about mindgames, but the actual narrative frames them as a juvenile way to go about relationships, a way to try to protect yourself from getting hurt because you’re afraid to trust. The entire core theme is that communication in relationships of any kind is the most important thing and you cant replace it with clever little tricks, so the main pair only ever make actual progress when they’re actually upfront with each other. Even if it’s scary to be that vulnerable with someone, especially if you’ve been hurt in the past like they have, the relationships you build off of mutual trust and openness will be worth the risk, and they can help heal you. And one of the things I love about the series is that this doesn’t just apply to the main pair, but it places equal emphasis on the importance of friendship. All the characters' relationships with each other are unique and interesting and they all develop the same way, with trust and openness, and they become better because of each other.

Despite being generally a comedy, a lot of the characters deal with some really heavy things too so trigger warning for: child abuse (not on-screen), child abandonment (again not on screen), anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation- initionally played off as a joke but it becomes very obvious the character in question is legitimately suicidal and in the manga he nearly attempts it but is stopped, this plotpoint will most likely be in the anime at some point as it’s also not complete.

Your Lie In April

Alright I gave you a funny show now I’m going to make you cry. In fact it’s hard for me to type this synopsis because I’m an absolute crybaby and thinking about this show gets me, but I think it’s absolutely worth checking out because it’s a very beautiful sadness. Your Lie In April is a series that follows the stress and trauma young musical prodigies face in their lives, as well as the people around them, and it’s a series about the beauty of music and art, and just how much it affects people. The music in the show is absolutely gorgeous, the way that they convey emotion through it is so beautiful and intricate that it just sticks with you. You feel the music, and you understand.

I’m actually going to give the trigger warnings right now instead of at the end because in order to explain the plot I’ll have to talk about them so tw for: Child abuse (phsyical and mental, on-screen), terminal illness, death, in depth depictions of PTSD, vomiting, panic attacks, the works.

The series follows Kousei Arima, a formal piano prodigy who hasn’t performed since the death of his mother two years ago. Kousei's mother was terminally ill, but she was also incredibly abusive. Kousei has incredibly complex feelings about his mother because of this. The trauma she instilled in him is severe, but because he was a child, he still is a child, and he loved his mom a lot, as any child would, and he didn’t want her to die and he blames himself for not being good enough. He wanted to make her happy, and the only way he knew how to do that was to play the piano. So he played and played and practiced until he was perfect, they called him the human metronome. But he would still get severely punished for being anything less than perfect. He had lost all the passion he once had, and after his mother died it was the final nail in the coffin, his trauma manifests now in a way that makes him unable to play. But all that changes one day in April when he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono, a girl full of life and passion for music, she’s someone who according to Kousei “Exists in springtime.” and she’s going to help him play again and refined that love for music whether he wants to or not! Teen drama happens of course, but there are much bigger roadblocks ahead.

Assassination Classroom

This series is thankfully generally more lighthearted… Most of the time at least. The premise is pretty simple, but incredibly ridiculous. An incredibly powerful octopus-like creature is the teacher of a classroom of middle school students tasked with the assignment of assassinating him in order to save the world. The series starts off very slice-of-life as it focuses on introducing the very large cast of characters inside of Class E, also known as the “end class”, but it quickly gains traction and gets a lot more intense as time goes on.

The octopus creature in question, Korosensei, is actually a very kind and genuinely good teacher to all his students. The real crux of the series is that it’s sort of a critique on the educational system, the students in the end class are there because they’ve been ostracized from the rest of the campus, far away in the mountains, to be made examples of. Why? Because they’re students that are considered worthless, instead of getting help they’re only pushed back further down in the system and left to struggle within it fruitlessly. They’re given up on, despite being children with so much potential, because they don’t fit a very rigid mold. That’s what Korosensei wants to help them with, and they’re able to grow as people together. As the series progresses you feel such a great sense of unity for the class, they’re like a family, they stick together and it’s very heartwarming. And watching them work as a team of assassins is so fun!

However the series can get heavy at times too, it doesn’t stray from heavier subject matter at all and i found myself incredibly shocked by it a few times, so trigger warning for: Child abuse (on-screen and off), both at the hands of a parent and a teacher and in one case a parent who is also the principal, misgendering of a character, sometimes as a “joke” but other times played dead serious at the hands of his mother, child death- specifically suicide, a successful one as well as 3 assassination attempts that doubled as suicide attempts by the main 3 characters (weird parallel they all got there huh)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Honestly this is a series that is good to go in blind for if you need to tws, it’s a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, but if you don’t want to know more than that you can stop reading here. If you want to know more, it’s a series that starts off very light-hearted and in tune with typical magical girl conventions at first, however by episode 3 it’s made painfully clear that these girls are being led to sign up into something they shouldn’t. It’s heavy, though not incredibly so, but it’s also a lot to explain in a summary. Madoka magica is… It’s Faust with magical girls.

I’ll explain as much as I can without giving too much away. The story begins when Madoka Kaname and her friend Sayaka Miki encounter a creature who calls itself Kyubey, who says it can grant a wish of theirs and in exchange they have to become magical girls and fight witches. Both the girls are hesitant, but Sayaka wants to wish for her childhood friend’s injuries to be cured so he can play violin again, while Madoka is content as she is and can’t think of a wish. Luckily they have a mentor, a magical girl named Mami Tomoe who helps introduce them to everything. However something is stopping Madoka from becoming a magical girl, a mysterious new student who is also one herself, Homura Akemi, is resolute on keeping Madoka from becoming a magical girl by all means possible, for reasons Madoka doesn’t understand. Things get even more complicated when a rival magical girl shows up, Kyoko Sakura, who becomes Sayaka’s new rival. As things get more heated between those two they discover a terrible secret about the nature of magical girls, and what they truly signed up for.

Spoilers ahead but trigger warning for: Child death, parental death (backstory only), decapitation (off-screen), needles, incredibly surreal imagery inside the witch’s labyrinths that may feel unreal, mind control, suicide, depression and despair expressed by young characters. Also don't bother with Magia Record

The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.

Alright something lighthearted now, there are a lot of comedy anime I enjoy, a lot of series that have made me laugh, but none has made me bust a gut like this series has, it’s absolutely hilarious. It follows the life of a boy named Saiki Kusuo who has psychic powers. His powers are incredibly overpowered, and he absolutely hates them, in his eyes they cause him nothing but trouble. There’s not much in the way of a plot to describe, because there isn’t any, the series is comprised of 5 minute segments surrounding Saiki and an incredibly vast and colorful cast of characters that are just all completely insane, many serve as parodies as types of anime tropes because the series as a whole is very self aware and doesn’t shy from breaking the fourth wall a lot, but the characters surrounding Saiki are what make his life… Disastrous.

Like I said there’s not really a plot to describe but like FMA people may get confused with this one, there are 3 seasons but one of them is titled “The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K: Reawakened” as is a continuation of the first two with just 6 episodes in it. Also for some reason only the second season isn’t dubbed so if you’re planning on watching it that way you’d have to either stop or switch to subs for season 2

The only major tw I can give here is an ongoing joke about a character being into his sister, he’s treated as disgusting for it of course because he’s a parody of that trope but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable, luckily he doesn’t show up much.

Little Witch Academia

Little Witch Academia is a series I personally just adore, it takes place in a world where witches are common and well-known among the people, but the era of witches is over and magic is dying out. However that doesn’t mean passion of magic doesn’t exist, the protagonist is a young girl named Atsuko Kagari, or Akko for short. She’s resolute on being just like her icon, a witch known as Shiny Chariot, as she attends the same magic school: Luna Nova! Unfortunately Akko isn’t exactly a magical prodigy, in fact she can’t even fly a broom, but that’s not gonna stop her, nothing will. Just like Chariot said, believing in yourself is your magic.

Once at school Akko gets into all types of crazy shenanigans with her with her two roommates, Lotte Yanson and Sucy Manbavaran, and occasionally her rival, Diana Cavendish. Akko still struggles a lot in school, in fact her inability with magic is pretty explicitly handled as a metaphor for a learning disability, and though this makes it harder for her she’s still resolute. Though the series is generally episodic, a concrete plot starts to form by the second core. Along with the help of her guidance counselor, Professor Ursula, Akko learns that she needs to unlock 7 “words” to bring magic back to the world, each time she learns a new one it comes with an important lesson to her and ultimately relates back to each of the core themes of the series

The series is pretty lighthearted so the biggest trigger warning I can give is one for bullying, two characters in particular tend to target Akko for not being a good witch and it can really sting to watch. Other than that none come to mind

#if you want stuff out of a more specific genre i can give a list of those too but this is like. general

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callioope · 4 years

Text

HEY GUYS! I watched the livestream of Rogue One with writers Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz. I took notes. Because that’s what I DO. I jotted down some of my takeaways. Please note I was watching RO, watching the stream, taking notes, and also doing a few other things so these MAY NOT BE PERFECT. Please feel free to correct me if you see something I misrepresented. That said I tried to be accurate.

YES they DO TALK ABOUT the romantic chemistry between Jyn & Cassian but that is literally at the end, but feel free to peruse the rest of the points because there’s some pretty interesting insights (some good and some bad O_O like Cassian’s original storyline, yuck)

ANYWAYS let’s go

Inglourious Bastards inspired the Lah’mu scene (Gary Whitta wrote this scene, although he admitted it changed a lot but a lot of the structure and ideas stayed in)

In the original version of the script, Lyra was a Jedi in hiding, but this was one of the first things that got killed

Mads thinks he plays a bad guy, but Gary thinks he played a good guy

They talked about how Galen originally wanted to use kyber crystals for energy, but it got weaponized (which is talked about Catalyst)

stormtrooper doll is a gareth edwards touch

idea was that there’d be good people on the Imperial side and bad people on the rebel side

Cassian’s first scene on the Rings of Kafrene was written by Tony Gilroy (who wasn’t present in the stream) later. In the earlier versions, the DS is something that Jyn goes and finds. It was much more like Zero Dark Thirty where she was putting together the clues, and it was a battle for Jyn to get the rebels to take it seriously, but that was too much of a slow burn. So the Tivik scene was to replace that and introduce the idea that Cassian can be dark. Everyone admired Diego’s beautiful bit of acting as he's just lost a little bit of his soul in the fight for justice, the morality is the first victim. It’s very subtle but it’s one of Gary’s fave pieces of acting in the movie

Chris said for awhile they had Ord Mandell, then shifted to the notion of something more like in Casablanca, so a bit of a flavor of that, a part of the Empire that has been taken over that is under violent oversight

Gary said in the original, Jyn went to Ord Mantell (mentioned in Empire?) to find an arms dealer to help her find Saw, then went to another planet where Saw was living on a moon called Yarid

Budget realities played a part in the decision making to scale this back; they wanted to put so much more but just couldn’t fit it in

Originally we were supposed to see the rebels evacuate Dantooine and move to Yavin 4, but it didn’t really accomplish anything in the story accept to nod to SW fans. It didn’t move the story forward and would have cost too much

It was Tony Gilroy writing with Jyn getting freed on Wobani. Some original ideas had toyed with possibilities that she was a deserter or Rey-like scavenger, but obviously you can’t do that once you learn what the the Empire does (chris)

Only time they didn’t use a title card was Mustafar bc they wanted fans to go OH SHIT IT'S MUSTAFAR, also worked bc Mustafar would have been one of those off-the-map planets

Gary was responsible for getting Mothma in the movie

How much did the Yavin 4 briefing get worked on? A lot. sort of inspired by a scene from Apocalypse Now.

“I think this movie really beautifully bridges the gap between the original and prequel” and one of the ways it does that is JIMMY SMITS

Lots of gushing over Yavin. “Gareth just shot the shit out of this movie.” so much praise for Gareth’s vision. “Gareth can compose a shot unlike anyone I know.”

The Yavin 4 set was fully contiguous; you could walk from the inside all the way outside in one continuous shot.

K-2SO is a great example of how one character can have many fathers. John Knoll originally came up with him and he was originally a rebel logistics droid envisioned to be a “black C-3PO” (whatever that was supposed to mean - Gary wasn’t sure). Gary proposed that he could be an Imperial droid that was captured by the rebellion and reprogrammed. K-2 was really limited with what he could do working for the Empire, but once he was liberated, he was going to speak his mind. Chris and Tony and Alan all gave him more life, everyone has a little piece of K-2′s parentage.

Only ever one casting choice for Saw, which was Forest Whitaker. Gary also knew Ben Mendelsohn would be cast as krennic, but no one else was cast at that point -- he knew it was down to 3 choices for Jyn, but wouldn’t say who

Chris brought Bodhi into the story (Gary said so but Chris wasn’t sure)

For Tarkin, they took shots from the ANH and unused takes. There was also a mold of Peter Cushing that had been sitting in a prop shop for decades (I didn’t get what movie it was, something where he needed a large prosthetic eye or something), and they scanned that.

Binoculars that Jyn and Cassian look through on Jedha were inspired from the scene in ANH (like when luke looks through them on Tatooine)

Chris was responsible for Jedha, Temple of the Whills, and Chirrut’s connection to the Force. And Bor Gullet, I think. They said Bor Gullet delights in traumatic memories (more delicious to him). There was a cut idea/scene: Bor Gullet made Jyn trade her traumatic memories for information she wanted.

They talked about the two dudes Jyn runs into that are also in ANH and how they survived the destruction of jedha only to get killed by a Jedi the next day - they must have needed to get a drink at a cantina after narrowly leaving Jedha. Puts their presence at the cantina in a new light.

Screenwriters would tell you this [Jyn saving the girl on Jedha] is a classic “save the cat moment” so that we like that character that otherwise we might not -- like jyn [RUDE, but I think they were joking] [also i took beginner screenwriting in college and YES the “save the cat moment” was like lesson 1 lol

They wanted this war to look like a proper war, and [Jedha] really looks like something you might see happen. Wanted people to feel like it wasn’t just about stormtroopers hassling the guy on the street corner but there were real lives at stake

Commentary on Jyn’s Awesome Fight Scene: this is the first moment Cassian really realizes that Jyn is no one to be messed with

They guessed that Tony came up with the K-2 gag after Jyn’s fight sequence

Lots of good commentary here about how action scenes need to serve a purpose, they can’t just be fighting: they gotta reveal character and story -- don’t write the specifics of the fight, but write what the action is supposed to mean, let choreographers make it look good

Chris said Gareth kind of requested a character like Chirrut, and Chris had been messing around with a Force priest and they became the same guy. Baze was originally a murderer and criminal, and Chirrut was his confessor figure, and they had a weird codependent relationship in which Malbus would commit crimes and Chirrut would forgive him for it. But in this they are both Guardians of Whills. Baze saving Chirrut reminds Gary of Indiana Jones shooting the guy with the sword. Good example of action sequence having a purpose: showing Chirrut & Baze’s dynamic

Coming up with names in SW -- no real formula, you just know it when you hear it

Lots of freedom to come up with new stuff as long as it doesn’t grossly violate canon. Two Tubes was Tony Gilroy or maybe someone just before him

Allegedly Bib Fortuna’s cousin is in scene at catacombs

Someone wanted a Tusken Raider to leave Tatooine to be one of the rebels, but that was vetoed bc they don’t leave Tatooine

“you don’t want every star wars movie to feel like a remix of your greatest hits” - gary [me: LMAOOOO not everyone got that memo!!!]

Guardians of the Whills: Chris said when he came on board, he wanted to go into some deep George Lucas stuff so he looked at the OG screenplay of SW which is pretty “cuckoo bananas” but it’s unfilmable because it’s so gigantic. but there were so many cool things in it. Originally the Force was known as “The Force of Others" by Lucas so he had Chirrut often referring to it as such

There had to be physical tapes because that’s what was mentioned in ANH. Similarly, Tarkin said it was the first time they destroyed a planet in ANH, so they had to do a smaller test that didn’t conflict with canon but we still get to see the DS do it’s thing

Gary said he got sick of everyone on the internet saying “If the empire’s so smart how come--” so he wanted to make it happen for a reason

Chris said - John Knoll, who apparently has some kind of engineering background, said a project the size of the DS, there’d be hundreds of flaws that would bring down the station. Gary responded - it makes sense that there would be a flaw, but it’s more interesting if the flaw would be there deliberately

They went back to the idea that SW was a fairytale and “only one key that the lock fits in in a fairy tale”

They talked a bit about the “nerdy stuff” and technical details, like how fast does a Star Destroyer go, how fast is travel through hyperspace,” but they were pretty insistent that Star Destroyers go at the speed of narrative. Hyperspace moves at the speed of plot. They don’t think about the gritty details. Story always wins. You try to hide those bits. If tech stuff comes into conflict with story, the story has to win. If you can make it work great, but story should win otherwise. [MY TAKE: I think it’s lazy and you might as well try to make it work if you can, BUT I agree that it shouldn’t necessarily hang up the process, per se.]

They talked about Jyn & Co witnessing the test on Jedha and how it’s important that Jyn & Co witnessed the terrifying destructive power of this weapon, so they know better than anyone how important it is to stop this thing

They said Saw always died in the weapon test. Originally it was on a different moon, but always planned for him to die like that.

Gary mentioned in ANH, there’s more than one empty chair in the DS conference room, but Gary wished there had been only one chair so it could have been Krennic’s specifically and he wasn’t in it.

The idea was that Mothma and other Generals were desperately trying to avoid a war and trying to find a political solution to this crisis, but Palpatine is stringing them along long enough for the DS to be ready. So the Rebels have been strung along and played for fools by Palpatine, but once we realize the Empire has built a genocide weapon, the Rebels finally wake up to the idea that the only solution now is war. Empire has forced our hand. the movie is about the idea that tyrannical regimes always fall bc they go too far and they do something so terrible that people are forced to stand up and fight back. If the empire had never built the DS, Gary thinks they could have won the war and ground the Rebellion down. but bc they got greedy they forced the entire galaxy to take the war seriously, so the DS was really the Empire’s undoing

The Rebellion was like the equivalent of the Second Continental Congress, with squabbling factions and not able to get anything done, and the Empire was able to win in the beginning bc they are authoritarian, unified top down

Gary came up with Eadu, but it was originally in the first act. The whole movie got restructured. Originally they went to Eadu very early and discovered they were building the giant dish for the DS. That was the first scene that Jyn had the clue that the Empire was building something terrible. Later it became less a place where the dish was built and more just where they were harvesting and refining the kyber crystals.

It was originally Saw’s X-Wings that attacked Eadu

“rain = mood” idk who said it but that line popped

originally there were local people called Eadui who told story how facility had poisoned rivers and valleys and farmland. Gary wanted to put a face on the crimes the Empire had committed

Mads doesn’t believe that what Galen did absolves him

In Gary’s version, Krennic came to inspect final version of the dish

Cassian was always meant to be compromised in both Gary and Chris’s versions. He was a double agent: for a long time, he was working for the Empire. Chris added: he had lost people who had been killed by Saw Gerrera, and all he wanted from the Empire was the go ahead to kill Saw rather than Galen. That transmogrified along the lines post-Chris and post-Gary into a rebel intelligence officer who had done terrible things. In the original idea, he changes heart after seeing the Death Star bc it wasn’t what he signed up for, and he had to win back Jyn’s heart bc that DS reveal happens after his double agent ness is revealed.

In the original, Jyn actually gets Galen back to the rebel base, but he’s beyond saving, but his whole speech he gives Jyn in his last moments happened in a medbay

They talked about the score instead of the awesome fight scene after Eadu so BOOO on that. I mean yes the score is brilliant but still I wanted insight into this scene.

I blanked out a little because I was mad they didn’t talk about the Eadu fight scene argh

They were talking about Krennic standing his ground against Vader. and then someone said it was probably something among the Imperial officers that “you haven’t really made it until you’ve been choked by Vader.” O_o sorry we could be talking about Jyn and Cassian DAMNIT

the debate scene on Yavin 4 was recontextualized. always this idea that the rebellion is not one monolithic entity, it’s a collection of worlds all of whom have own leaders and own opinions. rebellion historically messier because it’s democratic and harder to get things done.

briefly toyed with a Leia appearance (chris) at the big conference scene, but best for Jyn to give the most rousing speech here.

Who wrote the hanger speech? Spirit of it might be Chris’, but Chris thinks it’s Tony Gilroy. Big difference from version Gary wrote: Jyn convinced the rebels. But he thought it was cool now that Jyn goes rogue and it’s only when Mothma finds out she’s committed to that that she makes the decision to back her up. But in the original she convinced Mothma, and everyone got around the table and said here’s the plan. Chris thinks it was in one of his drafts that they went off on their own.

in Gary’s version Jyn was Rogue Leader.

Chris had grunts complaining all the flyboys create dramatic names for their squadrons but that got nixed

Gary had idea that K-2 had scraped off his markings but had to have them painted back on to go to Scarif and K-2 hated it

Mothma talking to Bail is one scene that survived word for word form Gary’s original script

They talked a little bit about the decision to have the characters die, but I was drafting a question and missed it

They talked about how they came up with Scarif and decided to make it tropical -- what sort of place hasn’t been seen before? sort of coming from production and gareth. but also building these places to fulfill the needs of the story -- like building a walkway that only one person can get across

a lot of extras in Scarif were real ex-military, and Gary said a couple of the X-Wing pilots were real-life RAF tornado pilots

didn’t have Blue Squadron in the ANH bc it interfered with the blue screen

Gareth said “give me a mon calamari that looks like churchill’ and that’s Raddus

Chris and Tony killed pretty much everybody. Sounds like Gary just killed K-2? Unclear bc I missed the main part of that when they were talkinga bout it.

They commented on how RO is one of the darkest tonally movies but also so colorful, beautiful blue sky

They wanted to pay tribute to Battle of Endor

they couldn’t remember who was responsible for ‘stardust’ but it wasn’t gary or chris

who’s idea was it to cut off the “I’ve got a bad idea about this”? gary had a different version of it, Jyn said “I've got a good feeling about this” (which ultimately got used in Solo)

Someone asked about the footage in trailer that wasn’t in the movie: Chris heard on good authority that the TIE fighter in front of Jyn was actually never intended to be used, was always a trailer-specific moment. he said he didn’t know how she would have gotten out of that one. k-2 died on the beach. chris wasn’t sure but as the scenes get cut together in production and post, the narrative necessities can change bc of logistical needs. but some shots were so cool they were perfect for trailers. Some talk on how trailers and movies are very different things in general.

Gary said originally there were two separate facilities on Scarif: vault and comm tower were separated by stretch of beach. so needed to liberate plans from vault and get across beach to tower. as they looked at what they had, there were too many moving parts and they wanted to simplify, so they put vault and tower in same complex.

did they ever consider letting Chirrut pull the lever using the force? NOPE.

“I am one with the Force and the Force is with me” was Chris. it goes on, it’s supposed to be like a psalm for Jedi, but eh wanted a sort of lord’s prayer type of thing.

HELL YES someone asked about the romance between Cassian and Jyn! Was there any romantic potential in any script? YES!!! they said!! yes!!! And Chris said he wouldn’t be surprised if a kiss was shot either!

BUT they went on to say they wanted to side-step the trope that every male and female hero have to be involved.

But clear GARY said yes early on, there was definitely romantic chemistry that got scaled back to a mutual respect, but they’ve obviously grown close. Gary doesn’t think there was anything romantic and they said people found that refreshing. ‘what they’ve been through is the meaningful part” and “‘the stuff that is happening around them is too important" and “it speaks to their character that they wouldn’t let that intrude”

someone said it was like they were walking into a sunset but it was a mushroom cloud and THEN someone QUIPPED that it was sorta like the sunset walking into them RUDE

There was more after that but that was pretty exhausting to keep up with!!!! so i’m wiped. anyone else get any fun takeaways that I missed?

#rogue one

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