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thesparklingwriter · 9 months

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millenia precede us

“Let’s play a game,” You say. “Whoever finds the other first wins a prize.”

tags: reincarnation au, fem!reader, reader is part adeptus, inspired by this ask from aine

word count: 3k (apologies for this monster of a fic)

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Zhongli dreams of you again. For the first time in centuries, he sees your face, your smile, your laugh. The dreams had first started when he was young—or young by archon standards. He’d drifted off to sleep one night, and woke up entirely occupied by the face of someone he’d never met before, by the smell of something he was sure he’d never smelt in his lifetime.

He’d found comfort in seeing you—in listening to you talk in a language he didn’t yet understand, wearing clothes he hadn’t seen before. You’d come for a few years, and then disappear, only to reappear later, wearing something different, speaking in a different language. Your smile never seemed to change.

The two of you could never truly communicate either—your shared dreamscape was simple, a park in the height of autumn, a small picnic blanket on the floor. There, you’d snack on whatever was laid out on the blanket and try your bests to communicate however you could. Most times, however, you’d cuddle up to each other and sit in silence, watching the way the landscape changed.

He’d always known that you’d come back. He hoped that you’d come back. But you’d been gone for so long that he began to fear that your reincarnation cycle had ended, that he’d never get to meet you in real life.

“Hello,” you smile. Zhongli can barely reply to you—hes so stunned that he can understand you, that he can recognise the clothes you’re wearing and the floral scent you always carried with you. Glaze lilies. That’s what it was. “First time here?” You ask kindly. Zhongli stares at you before clearing his throat.

“No.” he replies. You seem confused, but sit yourself down on the blanket and run your hands over the copper-coloured silk. “I’ve met you a few times.” He says, lowering himself to sit beside you.

“A few times?” You say quietly. “I recognise your voice, the way you smell, but not your face. Is that how this is supposed to be?”

Zhongli is ashamed to admit that he doesn’t know. As far as he knows, he was the first to experience anything like this, and slowly others began to too, until it became commonplace for people across Teyvat. Something he or the other archons did must have made this happen, but none of them had any clue what it could be.

“I’m not sure,” Zhongli replies, shifting himself so that he’s not so close to you, for fear of making you uncomfortable. You notice him shifting away and close the gap yourself, resting your head against his shoulder the way you did when you first met all those centuries ago. “Not much is known about the dreamscapes.” he says.

“How long have you been able to visit?” You ask, looking up at him.

Zhongli is torn between lying, or gracing you with the truth. “A number of years,” He says finally and you look at him with wide eyes.

“How much older than me are you?” You ask. Zhongli looks at you, again torn as to what he should say. The truth is always better, especially in situations like this, but the truth may also be too much to handle.

“I’m an adeptus,” he decides this is a better course of action. “I’m older than I appear.” You don’t seem as surprised by this as he expected—in fact, you don’t seem to have a problem with it at all.

“My mum’s an adeptus, this isn’t new to me.” You smile. “Anyway, what’s your name?”

“Zhongli,” He says. You say his name under your breath, resting the words on your tongue. Zhongli looks at you in wonder, at the way you take this all in your stride. You ask him questions and he responds, and you don't seem to miss a beat. He reckons he could tell you everything, the whole truth, and you probably wouldn't even flinch.

It’s strange to you, the way he already seems so comfortable. How long has he truly known you for? And how is that even possible? But even despite your thoughts, you know Teyvat is place a where the most random things can happen, and you know you won’t find the answer you seek without asking him. But you'd like to enjoy his presence, so you decide to pack it in for the time being. “You don’t have any questions for me?” You ask him, tilting your head slightly.

“Not necessarily, no.” He smiles. “I’ve learned to know you fairly well, though you might not remember our past encounters.”

“That’s sweet,” you reply, sitting up. You sigh as the beautiful landscape begins to fade and you sense yourself waking up. How unfair, you think to yourself. It feels like I've barely had five minutes with him. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll be looking out for you when I’m out. Bye, Zhongli.”

Zhongli stays seated once you leave, staring out into the middle distance. He sighs. He never got your name.

You sit up in bed, head pounding. It’s still pitch black outside, but your alarm continues to ring incessantly as you pull yourself out of bed and get ready for a day at the office. A new publishing company has begun shipping its books to Liyue and it’s your job to read through as many of them as you can and provide thorough and honest reviews. The only problem with this is that they aren’t really the kind of books you usually read. If anything, they’re the exact opposite of the Liyuean fiction you’re used to reviewing.

As you read, your mind drifts to Zhongli, the way he’d looked at you as if you were coming home to him, as if you were familiar. And it scares you—the fact that somewhere in the back of your mind, you know you know him, but can't place your finger on it. A stranger shouldn't feel familiar.

“Everything going okay?” Your coworker lets herself into your office, smiling brightly. “I heard you got lumped with the Inazuman erotica. How’s that going?”

You sigh, placing the book down. It’s not like you were truly going to get to the end of it anyway, with your mind so focused on the way Zhongli smiled at you with such fondness.

“Oh, it’s going, alright,” You sigh, leaning back in your seat. “I just never know what to expect next, if I’m honest. Did you know there’s a whole book that’s just about a dragon?”

“Dragon…erotica?” Your coworker asks, glancing dangerously at the pile of books on your desk.

“Sorry, half dragon, half-qilin. I should be more specific.” You run your hands through your hair. “I’ve been avoiding that one like the plague.”

“Isn’t your deadline in like three weeks?”

“Don’t remind me.” You say, standing up to shoo them out of your office. “It will be the last thing I read. A final hurrah of sorts. Now get out.”

Over the next few days, finishing work for the day is a much more exciting event than it usually is. You know that the minute you hit the hay, Zhongli is likely going to be there. He goes to bed early so it seems like he’s always waiting for you in his shared dreamscape.

“You know,” You say, resting your head on his shoulder. A lake suddenly appeared in the dreamscape and you’ve taken to watching the koi as they dance around each other in the glistening water. “Why don’t you just tell me where to find you? Make this easier on both of us.”

Zhongli chuckles. “I could do that, yes. But it would be rude of me to send you on a wild goose chase across Liyue. It would be easier if you just told me where to find you.”

“As if.” You scoff, getting up to dip your hands in the lake and feel the fish brush past you. You’d named them over the last few days: Ai for the fish with heart-shaped scales, Lian for the fish who was easily startled, and Gan for the fish that seemed to protect it. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“I’m sure you can identify the hypocrisy in your own statement.” Zhongli says.

“Let’s play a game,” You say. “Whoever finds the other first wins a prize.”

“And that prize is…?”

“A secret. What do you say, Zhongli? Up for it?”

Zhongli looks at you in awe and mild frustration. He always knew that you enjoyed problem-solving and a good challenge, which was clear by the way you used to try and find ways to communicate with him all those years ago, but he never expected this. Either way, he nods, listens dutifully to your rules (three clues each and no cheating by asking for each other by name) and agrees to your terms. That is, not that you gave him much of a choice in the matter.

And thus the game begins. The three clues you give him are mean—you work ‘normal’ hours, you like to read, and you spend a lot of time near the harbour. It doesn’t really narrow down much for him, but he humours you anyway, giving you his three clues in return. Arguably, his are even worse than yours—they’re riddles that seemed to have no connection to him whatsoever. As you try to accuse him of unfair play, you feel yourself stirring awake, and instead swear you’ll call him out on it on a later date.

Of course, you didn’t expect that you’d be seeing him so little over the coming weeks.

As your deadline pulls closer and you begin to pull more all-nighters to try and finish reviewing all the books that have been sent to you, you spend so little time sleeping that by the time you’re deep enough in sleep to reach the dreamscape, your alarm goes off and you’re dragged back into the real world.

“Mr Zhongli, are you alright?” After a week of watching Zhongli descend more and more into a worrying state, Hu Tao realises that she has to speak up. “You haven't been yourself lately. Do you have too much work?”

“I’m quite alright. I’m simply concerned for an acquaintance of mine.” Zhongli says, snapping out of his daze, and swiping imaginary dust off his blazer. “It’s not something to worry yourself about.”

Hutao dutifully ignores the last past of his sentence, seating herself on the other side of his desk. His office is always spotless, ready for a customer to come in at any time. That being said, he seems to get more menial questions from history buffs than paying patrons.

“Now, Mr Zhongli. I’m going to give this to you straight. You’re a loner. And I’m very curious as to where this friend has spawned from. So talk.”

Zhongli chuckles. It’s not the first time he’s been told that he essentially has no friends, for it was improbable that his adepti friends would be open to meeting in the harbour. “She is an old friend.” Zhongli says.

“‘She’?” Hutao gasps, jumping up from her seat. “Oh, this is great. You have a crush on her, don’t you? This is why you’ve been in such an odd mood recently.”

“I really do dislike you sometimes,” Zhongli says quietly, as Hutao begins her incessant teasing. “It is difficult to explain, so please do not ask that of me.”

“Fine, fine.” She returns to the seat. “Well, let’s go find her. Then you can stop being worried, and I can see her for myself.”

“That may prove difficult.” Zhongli says, rising from his desk. “But I suppose the task will be easier with your help.”

You sneeze lightly as you finish the review of your penultimate book. You’re running on two hours of sleep, three coffees, and the hope that when this is done, you can finally get to finding Zhongli again. No matter how much pay your boss offers you, you won’t accept a job like this again. No way.

You glance at the final book with a glare. Why someone decided to write erotica about the archon of a nation they didn’t even belong to was beyond you. Furthermore, you really didn't feel like trudging through thousands of misconceptions, concessions in knowledge of Liyue’s customs, and of course the blatant blasphemy. And you definitely aren’t going to do it in this office.

Taking the book and a newfound sense of dread, you walk out of the office, tell the receptionist that you’re going to find somewhere nice to read the book and find yourself strolling along Liyue Harbour in search of a nice bench. You haven’t had the time to walk around like this since you started your job a year ago, and it’s crazy how much things have changed. You look around some of the stalls before asking one of the stall owners whether they know any relaxing places to sit and read.

“A koi fish pond has just been installed. Apparently it’s a symbol of friendship between Inazuma and Liyue.” She says to you. “It’s just along there, you can’t miss it.”

You thank her gratefully, following her directions before arriving there. It looks exactly like the one in your shared dreamscape, shiny silver rocks around the border and clear teal water. Even the fish look the same, and you kneel down at the pond to look at them, one jumps out of the water, almost to greet you.

“Hello, Ai,” you say softly. “I have no food for you today.” The fish jumps back into the water, disappointed by the lack of food, and you rise to your feet, getting comfortable on the opposite bench to read the book. Sitting here like this makes you miss Zhongli. With your sleep schedule being so messed up the past few weeks, you never truly get to see him anymore. This is the closest you’ve felt to him in days. And maybe it’s your own fault for suggesting you play that silly game, maybe it’s your own fault for being afraid of what would happen if you finally met, but you’re tired of the torture. Next time you catch him in the dreamscape, you’re going to tell him how to find you.

The sun beats down on you as you read, and paired with the caffeine that’s slowly draining out of your system, you slowly feel your eyes start to close. It’s not the book’s fault—it’s certainly not bad as you expected, but when you’re this tired, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

“We should start at koi fish pond,” Hutao says excitedly, as she drags Zhongli along the harbour.

“Why?”

“It’s new. I’m sure it would have garnered her interest.” She says. “And I've never had a chance to look at it.”

“I should have known better than to allow you to recruit yourself to this task,” Zhongli says. “No matter, let us go and look at the pond.”

Zhongli remembers your love for the koi pond in the dreamscape, so whilst Hutao’s suggestion may have been selfish, it wasn’t the worst possible idea. He remembers the way you named the fish, fed them with care and watched them with unleashed curiosity and joy. Even if he didn’t find you there, he would be happy to just relish in the memories of you for a while.

“What’s all that commotion at the pond?” Hutao says. Zhongli snaps out of his daze, looking up at the Millelith crouching beside the bench, his spear flat against the floor. “Miss, are you alright?” The man asks, tentatively reaching out with the intention to shake her awake.

Hutao drags him closer to the scene, ignoring the way he seems to resist her.

“Miss, are you alright?” The Millelith repeats, and the woman he’s waking up sits up slowly. Zhongli can’t believe his eyes.

“Archons, I need to finish reading that book.” You mumble, thanking the man for waking you up with a slight smile, and almost instantly burying your face back into it.

Zhongli makes no effort to move towards you, overwhelmed by seeing you in real life for the first time. The version he sees of you in dreams doesn’t even do the real you justice—in real life, you’re so much brighter and striking. Your voice is something he could listen to for hours. You’re so perfect and he fears that if moves any closer, he’ll find that it’s all an illusion, a cruel trick his mind is playing on him.

“You are aware that it’s creepy to stare at people, yes?” Hutao says lightly. And Zhongli nods, slowly walking up to you, your name on his lips.

Your book falls to the floor as you look up at him. “Zhongli?” Your body moves before you mind can and you pull him into a hug. He’s real and he’s here and you can smell him and hold him and archons, he feels like home. You pull away to look at his face, to commit every single pore of his skin to memory. He’s real. “What are you doing here? How did you find me? What’s going on?”

Zhongli smiles. “You’re just as perfect as I remember.”

“Even when I’m falling asleep on a park bench?” You grin, running a hand over the back of his head.

“Especially when you’re asleep on a park bench.”

You roll your eyes, pulling him into a kiss. “You have terrible taste.”

“Perhaps,” He says, gently stroking your face with his cheek. “But in that instance, so do you.”

notes: hi this is a repost I just couldn’t bear watching it flop 😭😭 omg so i didn't mean to make this so long and i am absolutely confused as to how i got this many words. im so sure i blacked out somewhere in the middle and ended up with 3x the amount of words i usually aim for lmfaoo. anyway everyone thank aine cause if it wasn't for her you would not have this monster of a fic xoxo removing tags as I don’t wanna disturb y’all

(coloured @s couldn't be tagged)

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fushiglow · 8 months

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Who the hell is Gojō Satoru?

Some thoughts on his character in 236

Seeing everyone arguing about Gojō’s characterisation in 236 over the last week makes me realise just how good the chapter is, no matter how dissatisfied I am with Gojō's death.

When you're upset about something, it's hard to judge accurately whether something is 'bad' or whether you simply don't like it — and they are different things. Interestingly, 236 presented me with a conflict I've never experienced when following a story before. I'm really disappointed with the way Gege Akutami chose to end Gojō's story, but I think 236 will go down as one of the most beautiful chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen. In that sense, my feelings about the chapter after a week of sitting with it aren't too unrecognisable from my initial feelings — just with all of the big emotions that were colouring my judgment stripped away.

I think there *is* value in immediate reactions, and I think much of the initial outrage about the chapter was simply people grieving what was an intentionally shocking end to a beloved character. I hate that people tried to police social media reactions to the chapter, because I think everyone should be allowed to process their feelings in their own online space (as long as they don't bring harm to others, of course).

Aside from the outpouring of emotion, there have been countless arguments about 'who' Gojō was as a person in the end, and that doesn't sit right with me either. I think many artists would be disappointed to hear fans of their work insist that there is one 'proper' interpretation — because the value of sharing your art with the world is in how different people receive it based on their own experiences.

To me, that's Gojō Satoru as a character.

I know lots of people have already shared some variation of the post below (and everyone has moved on to 237 now anyway) but this was sitting in my drafts so I thought I may as well hit post before 237 is officially released!

In my analysis of Gojō's character after 235, I talked about how Gege Akutami keeps Gojō at a distance from both the readers and the characters around him, making it deliberately difficult to know who he is as a person. Despite that, everyone in-universe and out has something to say about Gojō's character, but we've never really known how Gojō views himself until this chapter.

For maybe the first time in Jujutsu Kaisen, we get to deep dive into Gojō's interior world and hear his innermost thoughts when he's at his lowest and most vulnerable. As a result, something fascinating happened across the fandom.

Even when Gojō literally tells Getō that the 'wretchedness of isolation' is something he shares with Sukuna, that he gave everything he had so that Sukuna might understand him and be understood in turn, and that he knows not everyone will get it, some people called Gojō 'out of character' in 236.

And isn't that just so damn meta?!

Akutami loves challenging readers' assumptions through his characters, so while the chapter is shocking, it isn't really surprising. I'd even go as far as suggesting that the journey of emotions the reader experiences while reading 236 is the exact same journey Gojō is going on in-story.

The thing is, I've seen tons of people arguing about whether Gojō was selfless or selfish, whether he fought for the love of his students or for the love of the fight, whether he took strong young sorcerers under his wing from a place of care or simply as a means to an ends — but I think the point is that it's always been all of those things at once.

Because he's human, and humans contain multitudes.

I think we were meant to have our view of Gojō shaken by 236 — the same way Gojō's view of himself is challenged in this chapter. However, just because we can find some truth in Nanami's criticism of Gojō, doesn't mean that his interpretation of Gojō's character is the correct one — especially when it's entirely possible that what happens in the airport isn't even real.

Getō listens with empathy as Gojō confesses his self-doubt and regrets, the solitude of his strength, and the dehumanisation he experienced as the 'Strongest'. He even expresses jealousy when Gojō admits he had fun fighting someone strong enough to understand him. Then, only two pages after Gojō says, 'You can cherish a flower and help it bloom, but you don't ask it to understand you', Nanami appears and calls him a pervert for his approach to sorcery.

It's actually really funny.

Importantly, Nanami isn't exactly wrong for saying the enjoyment Gojō gets from fighting is a little disturbing (and, to be clear, I *adore* this about him) — it's just not the whole picture of Gojō Satoru.

Akutami actually gives us some lovely imagery to visually represent the gulf between those who understand the solitude of strength and those who don't — Gojō and Getō sit on one side of the bench while Nanami and Haibara sit on the other, with each duo facing in opposite directions.

I don't think Akutami is implying that either side is wrong or right — it's just two different perspectives. Nevertheless, Gojō is pictured side by side with someone who understands him, and back to back with someone who doesn't understand him but who cares for him all the same.

Recognising this, he pivots to asking Nanami about something they can both relate to and receives an important lesson in return. What Nanami means and what Gojō takes from it is deliberately ambiguous, like everything that's discussed inside the airport:

Could Sukuna have won without the Ten Shadows?

Who does the 'flower' represent: Gojō, the people around him, or both?

Did Gojō reach Sukuna like he hoped?

Why exactly is Getō jealous?

Does Gojō feel satisfied?

Is Nanami's assessment of Gojō's character correct?

What is the relevance of north and south?

Which direction did Gojō choose?

Is it all in Gojō's imagination or is it real?

Whether we'll receive answers to those questions remains to be seen, but I highly suspect that most of them don't even have a definitive answer.

Once again, it's just a matter of perspective, and I think that's Gojō's character in a nutshell. Whichever side of the bench you're sitting on, whatever you see in Gojō says more about you than it does about him — and that's exactly why it's so fascinating to see the fandom erupt into arguments about who's interpreting the character correctly.

I can honestly say I think the chapter is really beautiful even though I hate what happened to Gojō, and that's an entirely new experience for me. For that alone, Akutami has my praise. Whatever happens in the rest of the story will determine whether 236 becomes my favourite chapter in the whole of Jujutsu Kaisen — isn't that bizarre?

By the way, I found a really thoughtful post about some of the word choices in 236. The poster shared some really interesting insights across a series of posts and they convey the tone of the chapter really well. Well worth checking out!

#i forgot to post this until now ooooops #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk 236 #呪術廻戦 #gojo satoru #jjk spoilers #jjk manga spoilers #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #jjk meta #jjk analysis #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen analysis #my writing #fushiglow

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cherryfennec · 2 months

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hot take: the bosses in super paper mario permanently damaged any chance of the game ever getting rpg mechanics, it would make the rpg mechanics feel cheap and the bosses feel boring, especially super dimentio

abandoning the flippage and making the game be fully 3d like sm64 would be a good move though

Super Paper Mario stands out in the Paper Mario games especially because of the fact that the bosses aren't turn based. The fact that they mixed RPG and platformer elements was interesting, in the end some of them hit while some miss.

The bossess definitely have quite a lot of charm from being in full motion and not locked to turns, you get to see personality through movement like O'Chunks being a little slow to react, Dimentio and Mr.L being hard to catch and Bleck taking advantage of the background. A few that especially benefit are: Fracktails entire battle, Mimi climbing the ceiling midfight (and also her and Dimentio being able to flip after you), Brobot L-type or even Super Dimentio like you mentioned.

Despite this I have to admit that some fights might feel underwhelming gameplay wise. Getting personality is awesome but if it's at the expense of difficulty or unfun mechanics then it might be better to not push it. Especially with the problem of BIG open spaces. Chapter 4-4 boss room is super open and super empty which feels a little anticlimactic while Mimis boss room is super small and has little wiggle room. Mimi was in fact harder than Mr.L just because of the fact i couldn't jump or evade her as easily.

This doesn't mean that everything should be crammed into a small area but it is a little cheesy seeing the AI struggle to attack you in the few ways it can. (again with Mr.L, he makes mighty leaps in this large room and with how slow he descends and predictable the landing spot is you can just. walk under.)

When it comes to making it 3D sm64 style it would be conceptually interesting but personally? I think it should remain paper style. A story like this would be difficult and very time consuming to execute in the mainline 3D Super Mario style, especially considering the time it released in. The main focus here was clearly the lore and dialogue which a lot of people agree is the best thing about it. It's cut like a story book, which ties with being Paper Mario, and the idea that these characters are already doomed by the narrative.

But that's an entirely different discussion so I won't delve deeper or else we'll be here much longer.

If I could personally offer any changes to SPM it would be:

The timer on the FLIP ability sucks, either extend or remove completely. I want to see all these beautiful assets and bosses in 3D which are already fully programed but the timer is actively discouraging me from doing so because of the damage penalty. "Mario is getting nauseous that's why he can't stay there long" is a cool in-universe explanation but it's not fun gameplay wise.

Personal design nitpick but some areas could use some retouches. What do you mean you associated the colour of the Pure Heart to the worlds palette only in 4 Chapters? What about the rest? Please keep going!!

Increase the difficulty a little (aka make the AI somewhat smarter). Personality and struggle is what makes a character memorable in games. (really big detour but for example take Malenia from Elden Ring, she has lore that is optional to learn and yet theres a big chance you'll remember her anyway because she's a super hard boss)

This ones more of a 'what if' but I've been trying to imagine for a while the possibility of: normally everything is 3D/with depth like the other Paper Mario games and when you FLIP it becomes 2D (basically reversing the effect). I know this ruins Fracktail and would require more work with sculpting the environments but I like the thought of the hub being 3D. If not that at least add more assets to the environment when you flip. A lot of the time every tree and rock is in 2D while 3D is just so empty. Also consider just for a moment how little people FLIP during bosses and areas, probably forgetting they even can, and missing out on these cool models. Either that or they're aware that when they do FLIP they won't see anything because the cameras obscured by a wall (looking at you chapter 4).

In conclusion I think this take has stable ground and in the end I agree to an extent! There are some rather specific cases that I feel would work better in a turn based system but overall a lot of them are good as they are!

Making the game like sm64 sounds fun but could be difficult to execute without loosing any of the beautiful charm the Paper Mario format/style provides to it's stories.

#spm #super paper mario #askbox

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animereviewsbykyranskye · 9 months

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My current top 15 Anime and why

Because why the fuck not. I'm doing top 15 so that I have some variety behind it. Otherwise I would just be gushing non stop XD

Apparently numbers go big now - AND THEY GO SMALLER IF YOU TRY TO TYPE IN THE SAME LINE AS THEM???

comparison:

15 -

DA HECK????

(Edit: I was going to colour all the numbers because I wanted a rainbow. WHY THE FUCK FOR THEY CHANGE TO SMALL WHEN YOU COLOUR THEM??????)

Guess the titles of the anime get a small heading. Anyways. Onto the actual list!

Technoroid OVERMIND

Ayo. Starting out with a really random one. So if anyone were to look at my Anilist then they might be a bit confused. I decided I'd keep movies out of here as well as anything I haven't specifically finished. Also takt op. Destiny needs a re evaluation.

Anyways. This premise is so sick and I feel like they managed it really well. The characters were all really fun and the music was fantastic which is honestly the most important thing about Idol shows. I really like idol shows but often struggle with the stupid drama in them that just leads to seasons upon seasons that didn't need to happen or wouldn't actually happen.

In this they're just androids. The fantasy twist works so well for the genre and I honestly don't know why it isn't done more often. This way they can bullshit the drama and it actually makes sense.

Honestly my favourite character was Kite. He was great and his voice always gave me shivers. Especially his piece in the closing. Damn.

I don't want to go into full reviews with this, rather just gushing about things I like and stuff. I really don't think this got the recognition it deserves - probably because of it's deviation from the norm - but it would be cool to get some sort of sequel.

(Edit: There's a manga releasing apparently. Imma check that out.)

UniteUp!

Continuing on with the trend of idol animes apparently. UniteUp! was so good. As I mentioned in my Reviews while I watch of the show, it felt so grounded and real that other idol shows just don't seem to capture. These were all real people with real problems dealing with real life.

I also like how we had such a large cast of characters but it never really felt overwhelming as they focused on group dynamics and specific individuals rather than trying to cram every single person into their own arcs.

Once again the music was fantastic and by god was this show pretty gay. Honestly I don't know what the sentiments of others are, but the Anela duo definitely weren't straight and neither were Akira and Daiki. That bath scene says it all.

Anyways. If you want a fun time with a really solid idol anime, please check it out. I saw earlier that we're getting a season two soon. I am so looking forward to it.

Trigun Stampede

Damn! I don't even know what to really say about this one. The visuals are absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about that. The score and the characters are excellent. And how dare they leave us on that cliff hanger.

I have absolutely no history with this story and still need to watch and read the originally but I am really looking forward to seeing how the story adapts between the three.

You can ask my partner. I've already said we're watching everything trigun related as soon as we are done with our current show.

I'm really looking forward to season two. And especially seeing how this all pans out. Apparently there will be tears according to the fandom. Concern.

Re-main

Damn this show came out of nowhere for me. I watched it quite awhile ago and have been meaning to rewatch it again.

The premise is definitely a sports anime but honestly so different. All because of one thing. The fact that he is an amnesiac is such a fascinating concept to work with - especially with how he was before (trying not to spoil - can't remember when this comes up in the anime)

And then the ending?? Damn. They seriously set up that cliff hanger and I really hope this show gets a sequel.

I really can't say too much about it without giving away some spoilers but damn does it change up the formula and do it so fucking well.

Given

Given is great. Such a pure but heartbreaking portrayal of love on one side with such conflicting but also nurturing views on the other. Having the different realtionships throughout this is really well done how they all bounce off of each other. Especially when they entertwine it with the music.

As it is said. That is how they communicate - through the music.

I'm busy catching up with the manga and really hope the anime continues with it.

Also the fucking is just fucking gorgeous. It has no write to hit you that hard.

Also - something else that shouldn't be allowed to hit you that hard. Damn Mafuyu has had a difficult past. We love how he learns to heal and grow with Uenoyama at his side.

Anyways, moving on.

Bakuten!!

Okay. Who said a sports anime could be this pretty.

I love the art style and the music throughout all of this. I love the portayal and the evolution of these character - seriously all their arcs are great. The interactions of the team is so tangible and real.

I watch a lot of sports anime and I often struggle with some of the drama used within the sports - it feels like the only thing that ever fuels the story is the matches. Whereas in Bakuten - the character seriously fuel the story. You can understand their motivations much more than just - I want to play this sport and be the best!

I also feel like they really captured everything really well in the movie. The whole concept of wanting to sore is great and really well executed.

I also love the interactions they have with the other team. It's not just a once off competition or practice match that they face each other. We actually get tangible characters for the whole team and see how much they two teams are similar to one another. It's a very healthy rivalry that isn't normally this expanded on in sports anime.

Sasaki and Miyano

Yesssssss. These two are just absolutely amazing. Their whole story arc and relationship is just tooth rottingly sweet. They bounce off of each other so well.

And I love the fact of how slow the actual story is. They meet at the start of Miyanos first year (from what I know - I still need to read the novels) and sasaki's second and they only end up confessing just before graduation happens. It really plays out well and is so healthy.

There is no problematic elements like in so many BL stories which is such a breath of fresh air. And the fact that sasaki is very specific about making sure to maintain boundaries to ensure that miyano is comfortable is also excellent.

On a slightly different note - I still need to see the Hirano and Kagiura movie. Been dying to watch it. I've been keeping up to date with both manga and both of these stories are amazing. I love the dichotomy of the two stories and how they are coming to their own realisations of their feelings in honestly very different ways.

I also recently watched the dub of the anime due to some videos on tiktok. Fucking hell it is absolutely hilarious. Kellen Goff as Sasaki has no reason for being that good. Seriously. Damn.

Link Click

On a completely different note. Damn this one makes you questions your own morals and reality as you know it.

I really don't want to get into this one much as I do believe watching it blind is the best way to go.

The art style is fantastic and that opening hits like a truck it is so good. The characters just click (pun not intended) and you just understand their motivations and don't know which side to side with most of the time. It brings about such high moral dilemmas that will seriously mess with your brain sometimes and there is one episode that will likely make you cry.

Anyways. Season 2 has just started airing and I am so ready for it.

Buddy Daddies

Why did a show about two queer platonic dudes who adopt a child while beings assassins hit so damn hard.

The show jumps between episodes with backstory and episodes with them just being good dads and it is balanced so well. This anime won't end up getting a sequel most likely with how it ended but damn I wouldn't say no to one.

Rei is my favourite character and I relate to him far too much. His interactions with the world are so fascinating and his whole arc with Miri is honestly some of the best media I've seen.

I absolutely loved watching this show weekly and it always brightened up my day when I realised a new episode would be up.

If you would like further thoughts on this one then check the Reviews while I watch on it for more chaos.

No Game No Life

So. This was the first ever anime that I ever watched. It was a random recomendation from a friend. Look at where we are today.

This show is honestly just so fun. The characters are silly and the whole plot is just absolute chaos. I really enjoy the games aspect and how it was all incorporated into the world.

I can't even really say much about it. It is just a guilty pleasure of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also. Please can it just get a second season already.

Assassination Classroom

So. Unlike everything else on the list - this one I only finished really recently. My partner and I were watching it together. And to put it out there straight away. I cried. That ending was far too emotional.

I really enjoyed the humour throughout the whole thing as well as the constant underlying dread of the whole situation.

They also really played out Koro-senseis backstory really well. The teasing to it was excellent. I must say though that one of the twists seriously came out of left field. Like damn.

I've just recently bought the boxset and am reading through the manga. Once again. It's absolutely amazing.

Also the openings of them all jumping are absolutely fucking hilarious and you can't tell me otherwise.

If you want to know what officially sold me on the show was just in the first episode. (Note we watched in dub)

Don't ask me why but I found this to be the most hilarious thing ever. The absurdity and the line delivery was magnificent. I annoy my partner by quoting it atleast once a day.

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

Speaking of comedies. This show has no right to be this good. The absudist dead pan comedy in the middle of whats meant to be a TV show is such a random premise but just works so well.

Due to the nature of the show, the characters are extremely relateable. I especially love Kumatani and Kikaku.

If your on the same side of anime tiktok that I am then you have definitely seen/heard snippets of the dub.

I think this was the first anime that I originally watched in sub and then tried it in dub and actually enjoyed it. (I often find that whatever I originally watched it in is the only one I can watch it in - it's very difficult for me to change it)

The voice acting on both sides just works perfectly for the show. And that final episode and how they did it was the best thing ever.

Please just give it a try.

Angel Beats

Okay. Time for a hard hitter. This comedy like assassintaion classroom is fucking excellent but will make you cry, like damn.

In complete and utter contrast to No game no life, this was the second anime I had ever watched. I had found a video that gave some suggestions and thought I would give this one a try. When I say it destoryed me, I mean it literally. I constantly think about the end of this and I absolutely love revisiting it.

The twist and turns along the way are fascinating and I love how each one alters the characters and the narrative. Each of the characters feel unique - even the lesser developed side characters - with fascinating and complex backstories.

The whole thing just makes you question your own place in life.

Moriarty the Patriot

Another one I just randomly tried because I saw a video on tiktok. The first episode immediately pulled me in. I thought it was just going to be some simple detective story (At the time I didn't know much about Sherlock Holmes and who Moriaty was so I didn't have any of that to guide me into this story.) But nope.

I keep saying this but in this one I really mean it. The characters are built so well. The dichotomy between William and Sherlock - as the fandom would probably agree - is just amazing. How they bounce off of each other - i don't even know how to really descirbe it.

Honestly just go watch it.

And if you enjoyed the anime - please go check out the manga too. If the anime was done well - then the manga is done to lamost perfection.

This show was what got me into reading and then eventually buying manga. I now have every single one that is out.

Yuri!!! on ICE

Did I make the title gay? Yes.

Okayyyyy. This is just going to be me going on about how much I love this show. Bare with me.

So I was in an anime watching slump just before I picked up this show. I had been seeing some videos popping up talking about it and decided to give it a try (this was in 2020)

I immediately fell in love with this show. Literally everything about it. I ended up rewatching it three times over the course of a week. It got to a point where I was so upset that there wasn't more content for it that I just cried for half a day. (Ask my partner - it was chaos)

This show is the reason I now read fanfiction - all because I found a way to technically have more content for it.

This show holds such an important place in my heart that I sincerely cannot express it properly.

If you've never watched it - go give it a try. It would mean a lot - and hopefully one day we might get a season two.

----

Thanks for reading, if you managed to get to this point. I find it interesting how my explanations managed to slowly get shorter throughout the list as I just started becoming more emotional than factual.

I hope you enjoyed it and maybe grabbed a recommendation or two. If you'd like to know more or hear me ramble on more about anything in particular then please let me know.

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bigratsdeservebigpats · 1 year

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Dorm Leaders + Jamil and Tweels (or just dorm leaders if its too much) (if that's too much as well then just Leona, Azul, Malleus and Idia)

S/O Yuu that's big and nearly as muscular as an Oni (or ogre)? They have the physique but not the horns or inhuman coloured skin but they do have pointy teeth (just similar to tweels since they're not really a Predator) and maybe biting headcanons 👁️👁️ decorate da Bois is nibbles

Not sure if I want something that's culturally specific especially since idk much about onis hence the difference

Idk a lot about Oni or Ogres, but I wrote it more about the bites than physique. cw: perhaps a little spicy if you squint at some

Riddle

First off, Riddle just straight up doesn't understand it. The entire concept is completely unfathomable. Why would you WANT to bite a person??? Are YOU a person??? Are you actually a man-eating giant???

He won't allow you to bite him in public, especially in front of any members of the dorm, ESPECIALLY not Ace. Literally how is he gonna stop you anyway.

Is honestly a little scared every single time cause of how sharp those teeth are, but he'll get used to it with repeated exposure and plenty of affirmations

Leona

He wouldn't mind. But no matter how big you are, it will just make you look like a lion cub to him whenever you attack him with nibbles. Very cute, won’t take you seriously when you do it.

He'll goad you about how weak your bite is. Do it harder. He'll bite back 'to show you how it's done' and you'll both leave that conversation with several marks in increasingly worrying locations.

Does not care who sees. Actually, he prefers it if they see. It's a mark of ownership to him, like a wedding ring except better, because no one can steal a love collar embedded into his very skin.

Azul

Will Not Care. The Tweels were both big biters at a young age, so he’s used to the feeling of sharp teeth enclosing over his arms or tentacles, but in more visible areas like the collarbone or neck, he does get flustered.

He probably won’t let you do it in public, because like Riddle, he has a reputation to keep. But it doesn’t matter anyway, because the Twins already know.

Azul is not the most pain-resistant, so please be gentle with him. Mammalian flesh is not as resilient as his other body, and he doesn’t want to clean out a bite wound.

Jade

Oh you know he’s into it. Moray eels and open mouths? That’s already something that grabs his attention. And all for him? You spoil this humble eel, truly. Don’t do it too much though, you little vixen.

In public he’ll scold you for such an action. I can’t see him as into receiving a lot of PDA, but maybe smaller things. You’ll definitely get punished for breaking that little rule.

He won’t say anything when a bite mark is showing, however. There’s been one right at the nape of his neck that peeks out the slightest bit in his dorm uniform, and no one can comment on it.

Floyd

He’s an avid shoulder biter, and is so happy to know you are also a flesh chomper. The only problem is just how much he likes it. This will become how he greets you, and how he expects to be greeted back.

He will do it in public, and then he will show off everything. Ace and Jamil are so tired of you guys because he’ll just strip and show off all the bites. Everywhere. It’s mortifying.

Only problem with both of your heights is that people can’t see the bites on his shoulders and all that, so he actually prefers them on the wrists and hands, and anywhere else that people can clearly see them.

Kalim

He’s confused, but he’s got the spirit! He finds it a little scary, since your teeth are very sharp and could probably take a chunk out of him, but be gentle and he’ll find that it tickles!

I don’t find him caring if it's in public or not because it is something given to him by his beloved! He’ll take every single little nip with lots of love and please don’t mind his giggles, he’s not laughing at you!

There’s not really any way to throw money at that type of behavior, and he has the common sense to not buy a chew toy or something, so instead, he’ll be sure to show off every bite in return for them! He’ll wear them all with love!

Jamil

Why. First time you do it he’ll probably be so bewildered like why would you bite him that's kinda unsanitary, and he’s mean about it too. He’ll tease you about it, but don’t you dare stop.

Good luck trying to bite him in public. He’s too busy running back and forth, doing his job and some. Unfortunately, he takes his job too seriously, he’ll hide the bites to the best of his abilities and no one will know but him.

He probably gives you a lot of food or fruits after you bite him, assuming you’re hungry or that you are just bored. If you really need something in your mouth, he’ll give you what you want.

Vil

Literally you cannot.

Don’t even try.

He loves you but he’ll beat your ass no regrets.

Idia

WOAH THERE. Like, he’s okay with the sharp teeth, he has them too, but the nibbles? From a gigantic, muscled normie? The Gap Moe is brutal, does he deserve this?

How can it be public if he doesn’t go out in public? So that one problem solved, it’s just that he doesn’t want Ortho to see and get any ideas or ask any questions.

Calls you his Big Chain Chomp over discord lmao, So you know he doesn’t mind it, but he wouldn’t call you that to your very beautiful face, even if it’s latched onto his own arm.

Malleus

You? Biting a prince? The notion is inconceivable. He tries to ask about what it could mean to everybody but you, and gets pretty much nothing. Silver is concerned, Sebek takes it as a threat on his life, and Lilia hasn’t laughed that hard in years.

He’s left to fend for himself, and he still can’t comprehend the reasoning, but it seems to grant you some sort of satisfaction. Is this the Child Of Man’s conception of wooing? Well, two can play at that game.

He’ll lean forward and bite the muscle of your shoulder and look for any signs that he’s doing it correctly, so perhaps another demonstration is in order?

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amuseoffyre · 6 months

Text

Time for round 2 of my look back on Stede's S1 clothes with the new layers added by S2.

This will probably entirely be focused on episode 4, because there's a heck of a lot of stuff going on here, what with the flashbacks and everything.

I've done previous posts about a lot of his outfits in Bridgetown that make him blend in with the backgrounds, but I also want to take a look at them in the context of who he was and the people around him.

First we have the carriage suit, when he's basically being sold off in marriage for a land-contract.

Compared to his father's austere black outfit, Stede's outfit is very, very dramatically different with the patterns. But specifically, it is the colour and pattern of the interior of the carriage. Like the carriage, he is a commodity, an object to be used and disposed with as Dad Bonnet sees fit.

Also I love that they put Stede and Mary in opposite colour palettes from the word go: she's in light clothes while his are mostly dark; he's sitting on a pale seat with a darker background while she's sitting on a dark seat with a pale one. A set up for contrast and contradiction.

Next we cut to the wedding flashback and Stede's still in the same cut and style of coat, but like Mary has an extra froth of lace on his cravat. It's a wedding. Gots to be special. (And again, the blue/white froth combo when he's near the sea)

The colour of the coat is fascinating. Reds, browns and grey with that splash of teal in there. It's not a colour we see Stede in much, but significantly, across both seasons red in a fabric becomes the symbol of love. Here it's subdued and dulled down by stronger colours, which makes sense when he's a man who wanted to marry for love. No place for all-out red here.

When we jump forward several years, the clothes are telling more of a story. Stede is in blue-toned (sea) clothing when we know he's already well on his way to planning his ship, while Mary is dressed in earthy tones (land) with flowers.

They're in contrasting colours again. There's no scene where they're together that they ever actually match their clothing. Even in the family painting from episode 1, Stede is in his blue tones while Mary and the children are in warm yellows and browns.

But - adorably - when Stede is playing with the kids, they're wearing shades of blues and greens like he was, a sign that he did have some connection with them, even as tenuous as it was.

And look at that scale motif on his waistcoat :D Someone had mermish aspirations.

On we go and to the wedding anniversary gifts and what I love about this outfit is that this is the very, very first time we see all Stede's outfit turn towards the warmer end of the spectrum.

He's had his ship built and he's about to tell his wife about it and this is the closest he's come to matching her right before he tells her this fab thing he's done for the whole family, including her. His waistcoat is nearly identical in colour to her dress.

The fact that he dons her colour and it's the same colour as his battle jacket? Interesting, no? Which also happens to be the colour of cowardice and fear. And yet ironically, also hope and warmth. It's a fine, fine line.

And then we have the nightshirt with the golden waves embroidered on it. Sir, your yearning is strong.

Oh and to get back on the yellow horse, our man ran away without telling one while wearing a yellow outfit. That really is his colour coded towards being afraid but Doing the Thing anyway.

And now, we're back to the present and Stede is once more in his bed nook in his yellow battle jacket, lamenting what a terrible pirate he is. Second time in 4 episodes. Well done, sir. Your emoting Jacket is working.

And I just had to take a moment to go and cackle into a cushion when I was capping the next moment, because Stede's next outfit is comprised of what I like to call the Slutty Red Breeches of Lurve.

Because he went into his closet with this man who showed a keenness for fingering fine fabrics and especially asked about silk. So what does our man Stede do? Grabs a pair of silk breeches in the canonically confirmed colour of love and holds them right in front of his crotch with a beaming, optimistic smile on his face :D

And the very very next frigging scene starts with Blackbeard's head level in the shot with Stede's red-clad crotch. I mean. I JUST. I'M THINKING THINGS.

But digressing. Yes. Stede does in fact have Pants of Lurve. And more significantly, he lets Ed get into his pants within an hour of meeting him 🤣

Also significantly Stede keeping his collar open is new. He's had it open before after being locked up or having his shirt shredded, but he's being a little saucy and wearing a gaping nearly translucent shirt with no waistcoat. Positively a harlot XD Combine that with the red "come touch my silk" breeches, he is flirting with his clothes, even if he doesn't realise it.

And last but not least, we have Stede's final outfit of the episode:

What I love the most about this is that it's clear he's absolutely comfy in those clothes. Right now, he looks so out of place in it, because we've only seen him presenting himself the way he thinks he has to present himself.

Yes, he likes his silks and frills and fripperies, but knowing that down the line, he gets leather trousers of his own, he's not limiting himself to what he thinks he should wear's meant to wear to fit in. He's a man who wears what he wants and likes, regardless of whether he "should" :)

Episode 1 - 3 / Episodes 5-6

#ofmd #ofmd meta #stede bonnet #ofmd costuming

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rainyprompts · 1 year

Text

✧✦⭒ HADES (2020) SENTENCE PROMPTS —

a collection of dialogue prompts taken directly from supergiant games’ hades (2020).

❛Return my darkness to me.❜

❛How droll of you to make attempts to tempt me with material things.❜

❛I’m not the god of anything, alright?❜

❛I have been longing for a fairer fight with you.❜

❛The sea and air are very still this eve. Though I suppose that is about to change.❜

❛Was I deceived, in thinking this of you, of us?❜

❛If you are so disinterested in my generosity, then you shall have my wrath.❜

❛I've yet to earn the right to look upon whatever this is.❜

❛What is it about fountains that makes everything feel a little fancier?❜

❛Whatever it is, it's weak. Enough to be mistaken for your blood.❜

❛Care to join me out there?❜

❛I know better than to disregard your might.❜

❛Offend me, and I'll drain the last traces of colour from those cheeks of yours.❜

❛Who am I to question Fate?❜

❛I got you something absolutely scandalous this time.❜

❛Show me something new.❜

❛Whose skull is that there on your shoulder? If it's not too personal.❜

❛What am I, composed entirely of gemstones?❜

❛Love and jealousy go hand in hand, don't they, dearest?❜

❛You may have more mercy in your heart to spare than I in mine.❜

❛Let's test the bond between us.❜

❛Such setbacks are inevitable and may be overcome with effort and with time.❜

❛What are the limits of your power?❜

❛I would call it a fatal flaw, except I am already dead.❜

❛So, let me tell you what I'm going to do: I am going to sleep on it! And then, get back to you!❜

❛You got me fair and square last time. Though I'm a little bitter anyway.❜

❛You know we can't be seen together like this.❜

❛If that is your desire, we shall call it done.❜

❛Let's go someplace a little quieter than this. Where we can concentrate.❜

❛Death has arrived.❜

❛War's such a wondrous thing. It solves so many different problems whilst perpetuating its own inevitability.❜

❛Do not spurn me again like that, do you hear me?❜

❛Thought I might stop by and check up on this corner of the Underworld.❜

❛Have a nice... whatever time it is.❜

❛...Follow your heart? That's odd advice, especially from you. Though, no offence intended.❜

❛Maybe I'll check again with you after another eon or two, see if you've learned anything more.❜

❛You fight so desperately.❜

❛A nice floral arrangement ought to lighten up the mood a little bit.❜

❛Had a feeling I would find you all alone out here.❜

❛You're being very nice to me, and that makes me suspicious, understand?❜

❛My loyalty's hard-won and quickly lost.❜

❛Death can be most unpleasant, as I'm sure you know.❜

❛Eternity awaits you once you finally break free.❜

❛I shall be waiting here. However long it takes.❜

❛The moral of the story is to not look back when you are told not to look back, you understand, don't you, my friend?❜

#rp prompt #sentence prompts #sentence starters #dialogue prompts #rp prompts #rainypromptsoriginal #myth rp #fantasy rp #hades rp prompts

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mintbees · 6 months

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I have a big first world problem, I have the idea you have the same issue. Where is all the colour? Why is it so hard to get something in anything other then black, white or gray? Give me this bright yellow, blue. Purple items!

oh yeah i relate sometimes when it comes to things i see in stores its all so boringgggg.

Not to break out the joker "society" rant, but its mostly because in modern society it's more preffered to not stand out. Wearing or buying the colors everyone else is makes you stand out less, be less "other" and requires less work than doing something percieved as different. This fear of standing out by breaking from societal norms happens in every society no matter the country or time perio, and it just so happens we're in a very boring and drab color period/location rn.

On the business side of things, most stores will carry "neutral" colors like the black/white spectrum and recently earth tones, because the average consumer will be drawn to something easy that blends with what they already have, rather than something they have to really think about fitting in with their life. From a business perspective its just not profitable to carry everything in every color so they sell things in the colors that are most likely to sell. That those colors are boring is secondary to the company. Especially big companies rely on the color trend of the moment, if you want something disconnected from the trend cycle (like purple, which is rarely in the color trends) you will have to look in smaller places. Not even per se super small indie shops or whatever, just like, anything that isnt H&M or like....ikea for your stuff.

That being said anyone who complains about like "oh color is dissapearing from the world" or specifically calls this an issue from the "western society" is talking out their ass. Especially that one dumb as fuck twitter thread i saw everyone reblog a few months ago

^ this fucking graph. this is stupid and indicates nothing, why did you all reblog this and genuinely believe color is dissapearing from the world

Anyways if you want things in a specific color most sites will let you sort things by color so u can use that to quickly get rid of the sea of grey and beige tones. And again, color trends fluctuate around every 6 months, just wait until purple and yellow are mega trendy and then stock up

TLDR: business answer is its easier to sell things that are boring, philosophical answer is we live in a joker society where neutral tones just dominate the current cultural landscape

#asks #i know u just asked this to be silly but as a graphic design student i have many thoughts on this

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the-chosen-fanfiction · 1 year

Text

Simon Peter | After The Rooster's Crow | Platonic

Dialogue prompt: "He knew this would happen. And you know Him."

Requested: Yes

After witnessing Simon Peter’s immense guilt upon finding him in blind panic on the outskirts of Jerusalem, you hear him out before hitting him with some truths.

Had someone approached you a week ago to say that Jesus would die on a cross and rise again on the third day, you’d have laughed them right in the face. But you know better, first blind by ignorance and now comprehending what Jesus had been talking about at last, filled with gratitude and awe to find Him appearing to many, including yourself. The days after Jesus’ resurrection feel like you’re floating on air. The Son of Man has fulfilled the prophecies and has proven to be the Christ through a means you had never even considered. God’s plan had been more brilliant than anyone could ever have imagined.

Although Thomas had doubted it at first, now that everyone was back together, things were better than they were. Of course, the empty spot of Judas lingers no matter who replaces him, but none of you think back on it much longer. None of that matters now that He is here again, with you and the other followers, alive in a body that shows the scars where He had been crucified.

Who can blame you for feeling so delighted? Everyone seems eager to spread the Good News to the ends of the Earth, but Jesus keeps you all at bay for a little while longer.

Things seem to make so much more sense now, as if the world appears to be more colourful. In the presence of Jesus, everything seems to be so much more beautiful, as if He causes everyone to see with another, new set of eyes.

It is more than noticeable when someone acts differently than the others, especially when it comes to the current joy lingering in the air. Simon Peter has withdrawn himself from a dinner party hosted by Matthew and is currently fiddling with a loose rope he found laying in the dirt, hoping to find some kind of grip where he has lost it throughout the last week. He has slipped away silently and as of now, no one has come to look for him yet, and he takes the moment of silence to reflect on everything that has been going on.

You notice his absence first – although you’re certain that Jesus must have noticed it, too – and lean towards Andrew who is busy munching on a mouthful of fish, his plate still laden with all kinds of foods. “Hey, Andrew,” you pipe up, “Have you seen your brother?”

The curly-haired fisherman pries something from between his teeth with the tip of his tongue and swallows away his bite of food whilst letting his gaze go through the crowd of people, who are all contently enjoying dinner. He shrugs before looking back at you. “No clue.” he quips, “Perhaps he had to relieve himself?”

You shake your head and press your lips together into a tight line. “He’s been gone for too long for it to be that.”

“Perhaps he needed some alone-time with Eden?” The humour in Andrew’s tone makes your lips curl upwards, but you nod towards his sister-in-law, who is currently helping herself to a second serving of soup.

After following your gaze, Andrew frowns. “Oh. Then… I’m not so sure. I can go take a look.”

You put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it gently. “No need, I’ll go. I’m already done eating, anyways, and it would be a waste for your chicken to turn cold.” Andrew lets his gaze go to his full plate and hums.

“Ah, thank you, (Y/n).”

“Of course.” you say, standing up to excuse yourself from the table, a few pairs of concerned eyes aimed at you, but you ignore them.

The streets of Capernaum are silent at this time of day, blazing torches setting the streets in some light as you head in a random direction whilst calling Simon’s name.

“Simon?” you query through the empty streets, making your way over the muddy roads, where several people have hidden themselves behind their curtains, candlelight streaming from the windows. Somewhere in the distance, a baby is crying its lungs out, their howling answered by the whining of a dog responding to the shrill noise.

You call for your friend a few times before heading back to his house and walking in the other direction, hoping to find him there instead.

After shouting a few more times, you are nearly inclined to return and hope that Simon has come back in the time you were away, but the sound of your own name immediately has you move forward again.

You find Simon Peter sitting on a barrel, looking out over the Sea of Galilee that glitters in the distance. “There you are,” you breathe in relief, but your smile falls as soon as you see vertical streaks on his face from where his tears had slid down his cheeks, and you swallow thickly. “Are you alright?”

Simon’s jaw tenses and he inhales sharply through his nose, tying and untying a knot in the rope that burns the skin off his hands. He shakes his head slowly, a bitter grimace spreading over his features. “I’ve failed Him.” he utters, “He is well in His right to never spend time with me again. When it came down to it, I disappointed Him and God the Father by saying that I had no idea what these people were talking about, and—”

“Wait, pause for one second,” you interrupt him before hopping onto another empty barrel, getting a bit comfortable, “I will need some context first. What could possibly have happened that has you down in the dumps this much? Jesus has just come back from the dead, what makes you think that He would never want to spend time with you ag—”

“Because I told them that I do not know Him, okay?!” Simon frustratedly exclaims. “After Jesus was arrested, I… I was angry, right?! I was livid! I tried to fight back, but He told me to put my sword away. He even healed the ear of these Romans that I cut off. Mind you, I did that to defend ourselves!”

Your throat runs dry at the mention of that night – you had not been present in the garden when it happened, but the news had spread like wildfire that Jesus had been arrested – and you lean a bit closer to your friend, still unsure what he is getting at.

When you don’t reply, Simon elaborates further. “A-And He just let them take Him away. What do you think I did? Fight back again? Follow Him? No, I ran! I was so afraid that everything would have been for nothing! I was so angry. I… I went to find Him later, tailed them from a safe distance.” He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, fighting against the tears. “Three times, (Y/n). I was asked three times if I belonged to Jesus. When people claimed they knew that I was with Him, I… I straight up denied it! I lied and said that I had never met Him in my life! Thrice! Just as Jesus said, and the rooster crowed, and He looked at me, straight into my soul. Oh, (Y/n), I feel so guilty! How could I?”

With a hitching breath, you put a hand on the shoulder of your friend, trying to comfort him in his distress. The fisherman hides his face in his hands, not daring to look at you. “Now, He is back. He is alive, and well, and perfect, and I know that He is God! I… How… I know I should be delighted to have Him here, that He is everything that has been foretold in the prophecies of Isaiah, and Micah, and Hosea, and-and-and that everything is unfolding right in front of us, that we are living through historical times when it comes to Scriptures, but… I feel so… Guilty! I can barely live with myself knowing that I had the audacity to even mutter that I didn’t know Him!”

You thickly swallow, slowly shaking your head. “Simon,” you calmly state, “Take a deep breath. "He knew this would happen. And you know Him. Have you learnt nothing from Him? Did you forget what He taught us about forgiveness?”

Simon whimpers. “But (Y/n)! Jesus was talking about us people forgiving one another. He Himself is God, that’s different!”

“How do you know?” you quip, “You and I both know Jesus, and we both know that He will forgive you for this. Have you talked to Him about it?”

Groaning in frustration, Simon throws back his head. “No!” he cries out, “How can I possibly even look at Him, (Y/n)?! You think it’s so easy, but it’s not!”

You huff. “If you are not going to talk to Jesus about it, that is up to yourself, but then you should also stop wallowing in your own misery.”

“I am not wallowing in my own misery!”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and return to the party, then.”

Simon lets out a humourless laugh and a pregnant silence befalls you two. Staring out over the water, you swallow thickly. “Perhaps it is just that easy, you know.” you mutter, “Just talk to Him about it. Maybe Jesus will even bring it up Himself. He will restore you, truly.”

He does not protest it this time around. Simon narrows his eyes, wondering what he should say.

“No excuses.” you add when he does not reply. “Talk to Him. Don’t be afraid to do so. Jesus has never turned away from you and will not do so now, either.”

Simon tosses the piece of rope onto the ground and sighs deeply, mulling over your words. “What if He rejects me?”

“He will not.”

“But what if–”

“He will not.” you repeat, firmer this time, and you give Simon such a strict glare that it shuts him right up.

You are the first to speak up again. “You know what we should do,” you pipe up, “We should go out on the water to see if we can catch anything. Just go fishing like the old days, it will give you some time to sort out your thoughts. The wind is nice and the water is calm enough.”

Simon’s first instinct is to challenge this proposal, but when he lets his eyes go to the water, something tugs at his heart. Perhaps it would indeed be nice to go out on the water again, just for the sake of figuring things out, to clear his head.

“Fine.” he says, and the two of you get off the barrels you had been sitting on before heading out for the shore, but footsteps behind you halt you in your tracks instead.

“You two, got room for a few more people?” John the Beloved inquires, approaching alongside a few other followers.

You look at Simon, who shrugs and then nods. “Sure thing,” he says, “Come on. Please bring your own nets.”

Nathanael catches up to you as the bunch of you head towards the vessel that is positioned on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. “What’s gotten into him?”

You quirk a smile and look at your friend from the corner of your eye, knowing that Nathanael’s curiosity has never changed over the years that you’ve known him for, and sigh deeply as you look at the back of Simon Peter’s head, who is walking in front of you.

“Something between him and Jesus,” you say, “Things will work out well, don’t you worry.”

Whilst you push the boat into the water with the assistance of Big James and Simon, it feels almost nostalgic to stand here again, staring into the starry night.

For a moment, you watch Simon as he gathers his nets into one of the corners of the boat, obviously sunken away in thought, and you can’t help but smile a bit.

Things will be alright between Jesus and him, you have no doubt about it.

The group heads out on the water, and with your eyes focused upon the horizon, you enjoy the salt in the air and the rush of the waves rippling against the sides of the wood.

Regardless if you catch anything, it feels like one of these nights preceding the dawn of a new, vastly different day – perhaps not for you personally, but for your good friend Simon Peter.

#the chosen #reader insert #the chosen x reader #x reader #chosen x reader #angel studios #the chosen simon peter #simon peter x reader #simon x reader

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noelle666 · 2 months

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Ship/Kiss Challenge - Aloth Corfiser/femWatcher (pale elf)

Original post with all options

15. ... passionately

Note - I am not fluent at any type of English dialects (which could be a solution for Iselmyr's speech), so she will speak, well, normally. But I'll try something anyway (try to use all the info I can get about Hylspeak too).

Note 2 - yes, all my female characters have a name "Noelle" and they all have the same temper but may have different appearance.

Note 3 - There might be some spoilers and some OOC.

"Oi, lad, yer thinkin' too loud, y cannot sleep. Stop it. Ye only do is thinkin' an' thinkin'. Where's the action?"

"When the proper moment comes. When I am ready!"

"Ye never be ready, lad, covered with all the books ye have. That lass is waiting for ye. Get yer arse up and go to her cabin. Now!"

"She is probably sleeping already".

"Ye know she's not, ye can see a light. And ye know she, for sure, is busy with somethin'. Prolly with some scrolls or notes. Ye two bookworms! I'm surprised one of ye was initiative enough (and, course, 'twas her. She's braver than ye!)"

"Stop. Right. Now!"

Aloth was lying on a bed within a belly of a ship which was swinging steadily on the waves. His mind was swallowed by thoughts about one person - about The Watcher, the young woman who, it seems, found a key to his heart. Her white hair, the colour so pure even the clearest snow can be envious, her grey eyes, her pale skin which sometimes looked like a pearl when sunlight gently touched her face... It was difficult not to look at this precious being when she was near. And even harder not to embrace her, to touch her and...

The elf shaked his head to get rid of innapropriate (as he thought) ideas but the other soul within him grabbed this thin thread and starded pushing him towards expressing feelings and making real actions. Otherwise Iselmyr would've taken control over his body and bring his "sorry arse" herself to the Watcher's cabin. After figuring out this confrontation might've ended up into a physical fight and waken up the whole crew, Aloth gathered all his will and made his decision.

The wizard quetly came closer to Noelle's cabin and looked in: the elf woman was sitting at her table covered with books, notes and scrolls. She was reading a thin book which cover was almost destroyed and making notes on a piece of paper. Aloth nocked at a wall.

"You cannot sleep? Feel sea sick?" - pale elf woman looked up from book and smiled to her night guest.

"Oh, no, no, I merely saw a light and thought, well..."- the wizard rubbed his neck nerviously and smiled in responce, - "I thought if you stayed up this late maybe you are busy with something which may need some help. So here I am".

"Oh, this? Nothing serious. I am trying to sort all what Eder and me saved from Caed Nua and find if there are any foliants which could be useful for our hunt for Eothas. But I've found nothing important so far, we already know everything what is written in these books. Only Eothas himself may provide the information we need. And other gods, although..."

"What's the matter?"

"I would prefer to limitate my interactions with them".

"Understandable. Especially knowing they are not gods at all..."

The Watcher stood up from chair and started streching her stiffed neck and back. She then sat on her bed and invited Aloth to sit nest to her with gesture.

"Can I speak freely with you?" - she asked.

"But of course!"

"I... don't know what to do. You know I was a priestess of Eothas. Well, at some point I still am. I believe in compassion, I believe there is always hope for everyone and everything. I believe every person has a light but some hide it or switch it off because they lost their way. As a faithful servant of him my goal would be to go with him and help. But knowing what he is supposed to do... I want to understand him. I want to stop his plan, yes, but I feel the first thing I must do is to understand. But the more questions I ask the closer it bring us to the conclusion of Eothas' work. Something tells me that there is more hidden in his thoughts, maybe there is a way to convince him, but the others... They want him to be destroyed. And I..."

Young woman looked lost: being the Watcher, being killed by the god she worshipped, even by an accident, being the one whose role is to stop this rogue god... Wasn't it enought for one small mortal, who merely wanted to have a peaceful life? Noelle chuckled.

"Forgive me, Aloth. Here I am, sitting on a ship, whining about my life. An interesting and bright life, some may say".

The elf took Noelle's hand; he wanted to say something but words couldnt form into his mind. The only thing he could do is to embrace her.

"Thank you. Your company brings peace to my soul".

Aloth looked into woman's grey eyes.

"I am alway happy to help you if you need it".

"Lad, what did y told ye?"

An annoying voice appeared again in the wizards head making the elf squint and sigh.

"... Iselmyr?" - Noelle was familiar with Aloth's behaviour when the old soul of Iselmyr, the most ferocious elven woman she ever met, manifested herself. They were familiar, and after the feelings betwween Aloth and Noelle appeared, the elven wizard warned his beloved that she may act as an intrusive neighbour. So far she was a silent observer and haven't interrupted their conversations. Tonight was something different.

"Sorry, me kind wif, needed to remind tis wee bookworm 'bout somethin'. Now off y go!" - said Iselmyr with Aloth's mouth.

"Forgive me! And her..."

"Don't apoligize. If I hadn't knew you both..." - Noelle chucked.

"Well, it seems I helped you to get rid of heavy thoughts. Ahem, "we" helped you. So... I guess it is time for me to come back and for you to sleep at least a little".

"Thank you, Aloth, for taking care about me", - Noelle softly kissed the wizard and ran her fingers through his long dark hair.

The elf stood up and made several steps towards the exit but stopped; he squinted again, not because his "neighbour" showed up again, but because he didn't want to leave. Noelle told him some time ago she won't demand of him anything, knowing how difficult it is for someone who spent the most part of his life alone and hid some details of his past and, more importantly, his Awakening... but no more. Aloth turned around, he noticed the Watchers' questioning gaze; the elf once again sat on Noelle's bed, he pulled her towards himself and kissed. Such action was unexpected, but the pale elf woman, surprisingly did not pushed her beloved. The wizard embraced the woman, he put all the passion, all the feelings into a kiss but still remained careful not to scare or not to squeeze her too tightly. After they lips separated, Noelle looked into Aloth's eyes.

"Iselmyr, is it you?"

The question was not nesessary and the Watcher already knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway.

"It. Is. I".

Noelle pulled Aloth closer, and then they both ended up lying on a bed trying to be more opened to each other.

#pillars of eternity #aloth corfiser #fanfiction #fanfic #poe watcher

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aeoki · 3 months

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Tri-Lights - Epilogue 1

Location: Backstage Characters: Sora, Natsume, Tsumugi & Madara

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< A few days later. Latter half of January – day of “Tri-Lights” mini-concert >

Tsumugi: Thank goodness everything was able to start without a hitch~ I was quite worried but I’m glad it’s turned into something the company had in mind ♪

Natsume: The person from the company was still as abstract as ever in their wording, thouGH. They gave off the impression that they would enjoy any sort of intense performanCE.

Tsumugi: Natsume-kun! You can’t say that about our sponsor! You never know who’s listening in!

Natsume: I’ve already checked our surroundings so it should be fiNE. You’re such a worrywaRT.

Our sponsor has thrown us left and right, after aLL. A tiny complaint shouldn’t be an issUE.

Sora: They don’t care about the details so Sora doesn’t think it’ll be much of an issue even if they did hear us.

HaHa~ Sora’s envious that they’re so mentally strong~♪

Tsumugi: I don’t think your comment is helping much, Sora-kun…

Anyway, there’s only a little bit of time left until “Tri-Lights” begins.

It’s a special mini-concert with corporate advertising where we’ll be showing a new side to ourselves…

Meaning, the results of our new challenge will be proven right here.

Shall we take the opportunity to gather round and form a circle?

Natsume: Form a circLE…?

Tsumugi: D–Don’t look so displeased. I can understand why you’d react like that since it’s different from what “Switch” usually does.

But doing it would feel more sporty, don’t you think?

Sora: It’s a new challenge! Sora agrees!

Come on, Master, let’s do it together!

It’s our “Wheel of Fortune” – our brilliant light (tri-lights) ☆

Natsume: HmM~ I have a feeling you’re using that word wherever you think it’s convenient for yoU.

…I don’t really like getting hyped up but weLL, I can’t hesitate now after doing all those sporty thinGS – I guess it’s not such a bad idEA.

AlrigHT. Then, come rouND.

Sora: HiHi~! Okay!

Tsumugi: Now that we’ve formed a circle, our height difference is quite obvious, isn’t it?

That also shows how distinct we are from each other – how interesting. Let’s make good use of our unique traits and make it an exciting performance.

Natsume: We knOW. You don’t necessarily have to tell us thAT.

AlrigHT, “Switch”, we’ve got thIS!

Sora & Tsumugi: Yeah~!

Tsumugi: …Ahaha, it doesn’t seem like a very “Switch” thing to do, so it feels a bit strange~

But it also feels like we’ve broken out of our shell through these “strange” activities.

Natsume: YeAH. We can go further and furthER.

Sora: So we should focus on what’s in front of us! Let’s make the concert a success!

“Switch” will challenge ourselves with this new concert and perform with flying colours!

Tsumugi: “Everyone! Thank you so much for coming to ‘Tri-Lights’ today!”

“I’m sure many of you are surprised with the sudden announcement, but we’ve approached this concert with something different from our usual ‘witch’ selves.”

Natsume: “We hope you can enjoy seeing a sporty ‘Switch’ right until the very eND – It’s the result of a collaboration and our new challenGE.”

Sora: “HaHa~! Let’s sing and dance right away then~!”

“This is our next song!”

“♪ ♪ ♪”

Madara: (...Hehe. I didn’t think they’d send me an invite to their concert.)

(They’re very righteous in that aspect. All I did was stir up trouble so it’s difficult for me to react if they end up thanking me instead.)

(But those things were worth it seeing Sora-san smile.)

(I hope I can do the same for Kohaku-san. I think I still ended up dragging someone into the GFK incident when they didn’t have to be involved at all.)

(Especially when I see Kohaku-san working as part of “Crazy:B”,who did whatever they pleased during “SS”...)

(I feel guilty about continuing “Double Face” which was created for shady reasons.)

(...I’m sure Kohaku-san would get angry and say something like, “Don’t decide all that on your own.” though.)

(I wonder if things would be different if I could do something for Kohaku-san – like how I helped Sora-san.)

…………

Sora: “Let’s hype things up more and more, everyone!”

“Enjoy the sense of unity you can only experience here! We “Switch” have changed our appearances like a witch would – Sora hopes you can carve that experience into your memory~☆”

“ ♪~♪~♪ ”

Madara: (Ohh, Sora-san looked right in my direction…?)

(...Yeah. You are the main stars right now, “Switch”. We should think about the difficult things afterwards.)

(...You’ve got this! “Switch”!)

(As a roommate and helper, I’ll be praying for “Tri-Lights” to be a success from the bottom of my heart!)

(Such bright and radiant people like yourselves will be the ones to light up this world that’s filled with love and hatred.)

(Nothing would make me happier than seeing NewDi succeed…)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂ Next Chapter →

#tri-lights

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thesparklingwriter · 10 months

Text

millenia precede us

“Let’s play a game,” You say. “Whoever finds the other first wins a prize.”

tags: reincarnation au, fem!reader, reader is part adeptus, inspired by this ask from aine

word count: 3k (apologies for this monster of a fic)

ao3 link | taglist | masterlist