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short-black-diamond · 10 months

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I'm sorry could I ask for a tonny x reader where they basically just.act like an old married couple because tonny's a literal peepaw..

PEE-

PEEPAW

OH MY GOD

not you already calling him peepaw bro.

Anyways-

Not me having to look up what old married couples do☠

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Tonny and you acting like an old married couple :]

Since the circus was running on a vehicle, you guys travelled a lot

like, a lot lot

so, you learned many new languages or the basics of them to communicate with the people

as you guys travelled pretty much around the globe, it was still fascinating to see what each new generation was able to create

from bicycles to motorbikes to real cars and also trams...

you bought some jewellr- ok no, Anthonn bought you some jewellry

Tonny purchased a camera

and let me tell you, he took more pictures of you than any other place

what can he say? You're the center of his universe

and that being said, Tonny likes to go with the flow, while you like to do it in the traditional way

you paint

and while he was busy photographing you, you were drawing him

(I think I spelled this wrong⤴)

it was also on those nice and warm summer places, where you guys were on a field, and just...enjoyed everything

away from the drawing, and forward to the culinaries!

with each country and new formed/founded city, you guys were always amazed by all the new food that you got to taste wherever you guys were

to the normal mortals, you guys looked like teenagers who were on a date

but well, since Tonny was a PEEPAW and you were a granny, you guys took your time enjoying things in blissfull slowlyness

whenever you guys would eat breakfast other than the circus, the 'adults' would scold you for coming late to school

you and Tonny had to stifle your laughter one too many times

with each new recipe which you and Tonny would try to replicate in the circus' kitchen, a new memory got made

you were actually surprised that you, nor Tonny or anybody else got Alzheimer's yet

it was truly amazing

you guys also like to go on walks????

why didn't I think of this sooner???

like, just hand in hand, relishing the moment of nature, or watching the real teens run around

poking at each other when you guys saw some fresh couples act shy around each other, reminding you of your earlier days

ah yes, wonderful memories

but you had pity with the children

you had all the time in the world while theirs ended by the drop of a needle

but, you did your best to give them as much advice as possible, even when you got weird looks from them

Tonny frowned sadly upon you consoling a heartbroken girl, a poor man, a child that lost its parents...

he also felt like it wasn't fair

I mean, you guys could live forever in fun and party and doing some acrobatic tricks-

no, he didn't want to think about it

(and i don't want to make this any more angsty)

back to the now, where you and Tonny look at some of the pictures you guys took!

and you were laughing again, something Anthonn cherished very much

"Remember when you fell from the well? Gosh, you were soaked with turf water!"

"...yea...", cue to him looking at you lovingly while you cracked up like a hyena-

and you guys give each other new types of flowers???

everywhere you guys go, and you see a flower shop, it turns into a competition of who can gist the other one a new species of flowers

it's still a draw, after all these decades/or centuries?

(what do old people do else besides that?)

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Alrighty, let's stop here! I really have no idea what old couples do, cuz all i see them do is go to cafés and walk around?, nothing more.

Anyways, I hope you liked it!

Read you guys in my next post!

#marionetta webtoon #marionetta x reader #marionetta x you #marionetta #tonny x reader #tonny x you #anthonn x reader #“tonny's a literal peepaw...”#seriously how could you

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kizzer55555 · 1 month

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DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter.

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge.

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game.

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely).

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

#DPxDC #dcxdp #Danny makes a card game to save the world.#Technically he worded the ritual so that they had to ‘beat’ him as those are the most powerful barriers and most reliable.#keys can just get lost or stolen (like the one to Pariah’s Coffin)#A riddle would be useless once someone figured out the answer. Like how no one takes the sphynx seriously anymore.#(Sorry Tuck. But it’s true).#And there is NO WAY Danny is just leaving a hole open for anyone to pass through. No thank you!#So…beating him. But it’s not like Danny wanted to fight so…he edited the ritual a TINY bit. Card games are good. Much less painful too.#Danny Tucker and Sam made the most complicated card game they could imagine.#It’s based on their strategies for fighting ghosts. Capturing them in thermoses. And MUCH based on a on field battle strategy.#It often requires spontaneous thinking on the spot. So Danny? In his ELEMNT. It doubles as practice for his actual ghost battles too.#They had SO much fun making this.#Sam added an entire series of plant cards that act as traps and healing ointments and duds that just take up the field.#Tucker added legitimate hyroglyphics combined with Latin as well as English and ghost speak.#Yes. You actually have to speak that language to play. With proper pronunciation. (Amity Parker’s think the three are talking gibberish.)#I headcanon Sam and Tucker are fluent in Ghost.#Constantine WILL figure this game out SO HELP HIM!#Some of the cards also have combinations related to constellations either in name or placement on the board.#By the way the board is based on a Hexagonal summoning circle with Rhunes along the edges #And the placement of the cards on the board and on what rhune MATTERS.#Also the cards move disintegrate and have certain abilities. Think of Harry Potter Wizard Chess.#But they are normal when Danny plays at school. This is just for ✨effect✨ Against invaders.#Danny faces multiple opponents. He also halts alien invasions.#While Danny COULD stop crime on earth he’s not sure how to fight a normal human and hold back so he sticks to ghosts.#The Justice league are going crazy trying to figure out who this entity is and after deep research are convinced this is some sort of #Ancient being who has protected earth for millenia. They have paintings on ruins and everything.#Danny is not aware they think this.#Raven starts praying to Danny as if he is a god and wrangles the other Teen Titans into doing so as well. Danny is still unaware of this.#Danny is not a King or an ancient. Just a very VERY strong ghost.

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reasonsforhope · 3 days

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Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said.

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings.

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

--

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes.

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thejadecount · 1 year

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I had a vision

#no seriously this is how they are #1987 tmnt #2003 tmnt #2012 tmnt #rise tmnt #rottmnt #the 1987 turtles are rays of sunshine who could do no harm (unless they wanted to)#the 2012 turtles are the tired parent/aunt/uncle figures of the group who try to keep eveveryone from killing each other #the 2003 turtles are going to kill the rise turtles #and the rise turtles are daring them to #this is it #this is the crossover #tmnt corssover #turtles forever 2 script writers take notes #THIS IS THE DYNAMIC #the rise turtles are just the batshit crazy children you know it #seriously tho leo and donnie are egging the 2003 turtles on purpose and you know it

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simcardiac-arrested · 7 months

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day 30 - videogame (undertale, fnaf, etc)

somebody get this man some chapstick

#(voice of a guy who’s desperately trying to not give in and watch the movie for the third time in a row) So how’s everyone doing #i haven’t drawn mike in like 5 months this is simply unacceptable. unsustainable #he could fix everything that’s wrong with the world #i have once again changed his design but it’s ok #but yeah as you can see i am very interested with the concept of mike adjusting to living in human society as a weird alive corpse thing #fuuuuckkk AUEJGHHHH i seriously do like movie mike so much i think he and game mike can live in peace and harmony #something so awful is happening to me and it’s past midnight i should NOT be allowed to think aboht my favorite characters #myart #cringetober 2023 #michael afton #mike schmidt #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #can anybody hear me. help. help. MICHAELLLL DONT LEAVE ME HERE UEHGH OUGH MICHAELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

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northlight14 · 9 months

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Phoenix: do you remember the day you got your lunch money stolen in kindergarten?

Edgeworth, who came into school wearing a bow tie every day, was always reading, went around quoting different law terms saying he was going to grow up to be “just like father”, and canonically cried when he couldn’t do origami: which time?

#how that convo should’ve went honestly #I adore lil miles with his lil bow tie and lil lawyer dreams #but seriously there’s no way that was the only time his lunch money got stolen😂#bro was probs like ‘well at least they didn’t take it by force this time🤷’#miles also canonically obayed the ‘snitches get stitches’ rule all those years which is why the other kids never got in trouble #when they took his money. I can’t be told otherwise about this it’s the only logical explanation #why do you think he had so much lunch money?! it was so he could toss the bullies some and keep the rest for himself #ace attorney #miles edgeworth #phoenix wright #wrightworth #narumitsu #ace attorney incorrect quotes

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builtintripping · 4 months

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never forget...

read again?

no you did not see me repost this, shh

hemlo!! thank ya'll so so much for enjoying this lil comic series!! i know it's been a year since the first part, but most importantly i finished it 💀✨️

every single tags ya'll leave on me posts and past questions i recieve about this au is super appreciated, they make me smile the widest you have no clue!! im just a lil mad at myself that i couldn't expand on this au more so yall could have had more crumbs. irl stuff happened + still getting the hang of drawing and socializing again after years of doing neither of those 😭

but still, im glad i could share this comfort comic i made for myself, and for you guys too. it's a pretty personal one despite the characters not being mine 😅 i hope that you can walk away from this story believing (entirely or not) that someone out there still thinks of you, whether they're from a late/absent loved one who still wants the best for you or a dear friend who will make room in their hearts for you. life will never not be hard, but if you keep them close to your heart, adulting will be bearable 🫂

thank you so much for reading 💕

#as for this au's future (from me) i actually also have a spongebob and jimmy version of how timmy reveals to them the forgor thing #but i honestly dunno if i can get back to them soon. i'm working on a go comic that i already started #plus burnout. i wanted to take a break 🥲 maybe someday i'll revisit the idea #but go hogwild on playing around this au yourself idc how much u wanna strangle them i am still gonna cry at that shit 😭#but seriously thank you everyone. i wish i could have done more but thank you thank you thank you. really #nicktoons unite #danny phantom #timmy turner #the fairly oddparents #fop #nickelodeon #comics #fanart #my art #artists on tumblr #fancomic #i forgor lor

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noyzinerd · 5 months

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Derek teaching unknown werewolf societal/cultural facts to Stiles is cute, and I love that for them, truly, but I want to see the reverse.

We're always hearing about when someone (usually Stiles) asks a naive question about werewolves and Derek going "No, you idiot! It doesn't work like that!" As if it's common knowledge that everyone should know, when in reality there's no possible way Stiles (or any average person, for that matter) could know that.

And I'm sure in Derek's world, stuff like silver not actually being effective against werewolves is a no-brainer or spotting a Kitsune is laughably easy, but not to the common bystander.

So, instead, I'd love to see the random, human customs and social norms Stiles would find himself needing to explain to Derek when they start living together. Stuff that the human family members of his pack never displayed because they had been raised surrounded by werewolves their entire lives.

From all the small things like how, when you get a canker sore or lose a filling, you always gotta stick your tongue in it. ("No, we don't want to do it. It hurts like hell, actually. It's just something we do. Don't ask me why. I honestly couldn't tell you. It's the same with picking scabs or pressing down on bruises.")

Or like how you're not supposed to eat the weird, little black nub at the bottom of the banana. ("I don't care if it's composed of the exact same stuff as the rest of the banana, that's so fucking gross 🤢")

Or like how you have to walk around ladders instead of under them ("Because otherwise you'll get bad luck, Derek!")

Or how, for a short time in history, a man wearing a singular earring on his left ear meant that he was gay for some reason. Or was it the right ear? ("Hey, listen, man, I didn't make these dumb rules!")

Or how you can't pick up a penny off the ground unless the face side is heads up ("Yes, it's another 'good luck, bad luck' thing. We actually have a lot of those, now that I think about it.")

Or how if someone far away sees you coming and holds the door open for you, you very specifically have to do a customary tiny wave or acknowledging nod before doing a small little half trot-half jog that isn't too slow or too fast all the way to the door. ("Because you don't want to take up their time, but also you don't want them to think they've inconvenienced you. Yeah, no, I get that they already have, but you don't want THEM to know that.")

All the way up to things like the weird history of Coke Zero, even though Diet Coke is essentially the same thing. ("Oh, now see, that's actually pretty interesting. And by interesting, I mean dumb and terrible. See, in the 80's, Coke only ever marketed Diet Coke as a 'woman's drink', so when they finally decided to expand their demographic, they had to spend millions of dollars to undo their own conditioning because their women's only Diet Coke campaign had been so successful, it took decades for men to stop associating drinking diet soda with being gay or effeminate.")

Just so Derek can finally know what it feels like to be on the other end of "common sense."

#sterek #teen wolf #derek hale #stiles stilinski #tyler hoechlin #dylan o'brien #mieczysław stiles stilinski #It hasn't escaped me that this meme has Dylan O'Brien's co-star who played Minho from the Maze Runner series #Gotta love how Derek's always spewing ancient undocumented closely guarded forbidden secrets and being like 'you seriously didn't know that #HOW? HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY KNOW THAT DEREK?! WHERE WOULD WE EVEN FIND THAT KNOWLEDGE #YOU SASSY FRUSTRATING MAN?!

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kairennart · 4 months

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And the true power here… is a little more complicated than that.

For the Black Sails 10th anniversary week: Favorite story arc.

#bsanniversary #i love drawing her sm shes literally so perfect #black sails #black sails fanart #max #black sails max #max black sails #max bs #bs max #HOW DO PPL TAG HER ahh #my art #fanart #i just wanted a basic pose bc i hadnt drawn her in digital like Seriously before so you just get my amazing fashion design #(<- copied but simplified another dress of hers)#also i wanted to give her another color cause she wears a lottttt of blue and earth tones and the occasional yellow/orange #but i think i havent seen her in pink? mayhaps? and idk if its a character thing or a historical thing #BUT ANYWAY as always giving my faves the outfits i wish i could wear...

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leroibobo · 5 months

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really do not think people understand the extent to which palestinian sites/landmarks (especially muslim ones) were destroyed, beginning in 1948 until now, even in cities. the oldest extant mosque in jaffa (al-bahr mosque) was built in 1675, even though islam came there in the 7th century

#not to mention that many mosques that /were/ restored but are in 'jewish areas' r heavily guarded & prayer is hardly if ever allowed #to anyone thinking ''you can say the same thing abt jewish sites in mena countries''. you can't have one repaired w/o the other #and ultimately the root of the problem is both the colonization of palestine + antisemitism. advocating for palestine + against #antisemitism are far from mutually exclusive #(and for the love of god please stop using mena jews as a political gotcha i swear to god #and it's not like a regime that forced everyone to integrate into the ''new jewish'' culture is any less genocidal)#as someone who comes from one of the jewish groups who was affected by that to arguably one of the highest degrees & who's also a staunch #antizionist even i know that. politics re: cultural site preservation are stupid but that doesn't make it any less stomach-wrenching #it really is just Luck. al-bahr mosque just so Happens to be in a ''mixed city'' so destroying it'd be a ''bad look''#the tomb of nahum just so Happens to be in an autonomous kurdish territory so restoring it isnt as big a deal #and then people have the gall to wonder how i could ever ever ever sympathize with those ''savage arabs''. seriously??#btw im muting notificaions on this post so if you have a problem with me just dm me or block me whatever idc

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sorrelpaws · 8 months

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GOTTA KEEP THOSE RECEIPTS, DAWG

#rick and morty #morty smith #rick sanchez #GUYYYYSSSS #SEASON 7 EPISODE 6 RICKFENDING YOUR MORT MIGHT BE ABOUT THE ROY EPISODE #GUYYYYYSYSSS #i wish i could properly convey to you the genuine meltdown i had when i put two and two together #i was out of it for like a solid 30 minutes i was #like old joke but this was seriously a category 5 autism event like im so serious #well anyway. im cool now(lying)#i made the colors kinda eyestrainy because i wanted it to have an arcade vibe. cause you know #also the floor has that one 80s pattern. just for the lolz #to rlly drive in the arcade thing #edit i also want to add that rick is very tentative about touching morty right now #i just want you to know how much rick wants to give him a little shoulder touch but actually his hands are shaking a little bit

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manchesterau · 4 months

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random dnp gifs 11/?

#dan and phil #daniel howell #phil lester #dpgdaily #phan #how do we get him to do this again but seriously #can i even call myself a lesbian if i dont say im obsessed with dan as carly rae jepsen #'i look like a strangely beautiful woman''i bet i could hold a males attention for at least 5 seconds' ohhh i bet you can dan i bet you can #also idk why this is so pink idc #random dnp #dnp #.gifs #my edit #mine #dangender of course #dangender

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marihem · 7 months

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All I know is I just want to spend the majority of my life with you

The actual very first doodle where I finally put my QPR Frans idea on canvas. Man I really love thinking about queer relationships

Please feel free to ask me anything about their relationship too

#seriously i've spent many nights thinking about them #i'm very insane about them #dw the insanity is under control tho (i might be lying)#remember how i saw someone said-#'qpr is to relationships how non-binary is to gender'#'queer' also means strange/outside of the established standards so we can go nuts with our own meaning #man this is so damn cool #i could go on and on about this topic #frans #frisk #sans #sansfrisk #qpr frans #sans x frisk #frisk x sans #i would gnaw on my fingers hard if i'm not too tired rn #if you read all these tags i appreciate you <33 #my art

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homoeroticgrappling · 2 months

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Danhausen tweeted this after his GCW match and I couldn't help but think about his tweet when he started looking for bookings

#reading ''danhausen is alive'' made me feel like I could cry honestly because his booking tweet made me want to sob #like HE WANTS TO FEEL ALIVE AGAIN. and now he's alive.#look what he can do when you let him actually wrestle and take him seriously! and he seems so happy compared to how frustrated he's been #tk when I get my hands on you. book danhausen better you absolute fucking moron #I'm so proud of this demon cause he works fucking hard and he deserves better but when it was clear nobody was gonna do better for him #he did it for himself #he seems as happy to be in the ring wrestling as we are to see him there and it just makes me feel big feelings #*through tears* love that danhausen #GCW #Danhausen

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milquetoad · 10 months

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of the many injustices put forth toward the show by fans i think the most overall damaging and telling of a complete lack of critical viewership is the idea that sam riegel builds his characters with nothing more than the bit in mind. like you are only telling on yourself if you think characters like scanlan shorthalt and veth brennato are one-dimensional and depthless

#if im being exTREMEly generous i can maybe understand this view of scanlan if you started c1 and then gave up 30 episodes later #he played the long game with him more than any other and a lot of his growth could be looked at as shallow if you DIDNT watch til the payoff #but any time this opinion is used as a blanket over all of his characters including tary and even FCG.. like be serious #i mean at this point im definitely biased bc he is my favorite player at the table. However. that wasnt always the case #and even when i was myself writing some character choices off i NEVER applied that to the characters themselves. how can you??#seen sooo many ppl criticize him for making veth an alcoholic or scanlan irreverent & hedonistic as tho it’s only possible #to play these traits as shallow jokes or at best played out satire…. and then the same person will turn around #and praise how percy was built to be pompous & superior and jester immature & self-centered and caleb steeped in self-effacing hubris #why are these characters and their players given a near universal acceptance of nuance and acknowledgement of growth & healing #but SAMS CHARACTERS ARE NOT!!!!#this turned into such a rant but it bothers me SO much. everyone at the cr table is so goddamned talented #and takes the game as seriously as it deserves #so many more points i could argue but this is already so goddamn long no one is reading this far. i love sam and all of his characters <333 #critical role #sam riegel #scanlan shorthalt #veth brennato #my posts

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iwritenarrativesandstuff · 1 year

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When discussing or analyzing Dazai, one thing I hope you will keep in mind when reading anything I write about him is that from my perspective, he is always, always both.

What do I mean by this? Well, I find there tends to be a general split among people who hold the opinion that "he's a manipulator and will always be manipulative" and "he's doing his best to be good and helpful and live up to Oda's last wishes for him", of which, neither is completely right - because he is both. But even among the people who hold to this dual-nature interpretation, I find that his individual actions and motivations still tend to be thought of in a dichotomous manner - is it manipulative, or genuine?

Again, I think it's always both.

Dazai has a very pragmatic view on a lot of things - he is always looking for the usefulness of things and people so that the situation turns out in his favour. He's incredibly adept at this, and his prediction and placement and careful reveals are all manipulation tactics to get his allies and enemies doing exactly what he needs them to. I don't think anyone can contest this since we see it over and over in the series.

But that's not all there is to it. He's not solely manipulative and he does, to some extent, sympathize with others - I think there are several instances of this in the series, but I want to stress that this has been apparent since Chapter 1!

For context, Dazai is recalling what Atsushi said to him a few minutes earlier, but it's very interesting that it should be this specific part of the conversation. He could've flashed back to the part where Atsushi said he had nowhere to go; no money, no food - he is about to trick him into joining, after all, and this is the key piece he uses to basically force Atsushi into the Agency. But instead it's Atsushi's self-deprecation that catches his attention, and it really does, because even during the conversation, he turns to look at him after he says this with an odd expression.

You could say that this makes Atsushi easier to manipulate, if that's your angle, but that can't be solely it, because in the later conversation with Hirotsu, we know Dazai was planning to bring Atsushi into the Agency and set him up as one half of the new Double Black the moment he met him. The panel shown there is the riverbank, set much earlier in the day than this scene. He was already planning to pair him with Akutagawa since he figured out he was the tiger, so what's with this reaction?

Well. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best.

He manipulated Atsushi into joining with the intention of utilizing him in his future plans. He also helped him and gave him a place to belong, and importantly, he likes this kid! It's both.

I think much of it might be that his brain just kinda works way too fast - he's such a natural at crafting these elaborate plots and seeing how things connect and gathering useful people like resources that it's practically automatic - though this is not a great means when you're trying to be a kinder person. There's an omake, I believe, that has him saying "I like using my head for justice", i.e. using these underhanded means to act for the better. Not great, but those are the kind of gifts he has. He's way more suited to exploitation, but is choosing to use these tactics to save people now, which is quite reminiscent of what he tells Kyouka. Kyouka's talents lie in killing people - when what you're good at isn't who you want to be, what do you do? Well, I expect you use what you have, even if it's not ideal.

Now, about the current situation with Sigma - I think he definitely likes him, and is intrigued by him and his situation. We did get a little thought bubble where the guy amusedly compares him to Atsushi, and you can't tell me he doesn't care about Atsushi (listen to the onsen drama cd, or read 55 Minutes if you somehow don't believe me). But also, it's undeniable that Sigma is in a very vulnerable position of being homeless and having had no one be genuinely kind to him before. His trust is very easy to earn, and with the latest chapter, Dazai has now saved his life multiple times. There is, as always, a practical purpose he needs him for. And I have to be somewhat amused because Dazai is quite literally telling Sigma everything he ever wanted and needed to hear. It's a brilliant means of quickly endearing himself to Sigma - but I don't think that's all it is.

Look. The most honest moments we get in this series from Dazai are, interestingly for an expert manipulator, when people are at their most vulnerable. In spite of every pointlessly cruel act he inflicted on Akutagawa, his first meeting with him was open and transparent; much like the orphanage director, it seems he thought this treatment would make him strong and adaptable (he's wrong but that's not the point of this). He cuts Kyouka off in irritation and says "don't give me that" when she implies that she would fail the entrance exam. He tells Atsushi it's normal to cry after losing a father figure and to feel however you feel, even if that person caused you nothing but incredible pain and cannot be forgiven. He refuses to entertain Sigma's assumptions that Dazai sees himself as a superior being to him.

Selective honesty can also be utilized to great effect; Mori does this, and undoubtedly it serves this purpose for Dazai too. But I want to stress that I do sincerely believe this is all still honesty from him. Manipulation, or genuine?

Both. It's both.

#or to summarize: Dazai is a gemini (derogatory)#<- said as a fellow gemini (also derogatory)#the few exceptions to the always both rule are basically any of his interactions with odasaku #and the bit in sb where he tells chuuya about what activating corruption will entail #most everything else appears to have a dual reason.#to be clear: there's lots of ways to interpret dazai - but this is the approach i personally use in my analyses #so i'd love it if you guys would read my dazai analyses keeping this standpoint in mind :)#i think instead of debating 'is dazai bad' which is seriously kind of irrelevant to me #i'd love to talk a bit more about how dazai is actually quite helpful but also equally presumptuous about what will help people #we could also talk about the fine line between protectiveness and possessiveness with him too.#or about how drawn he is to kind people who value life likely because he's hoping to find answers or a vicarious experience #anything except the 'is he good or bad' debate. i don't like it. :/#bsd #bsd meta #bsd analysis #bsd dazai #storyrambles #oof i never know how things like this are going to go over.

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