#where the other sides aren't facing the viewer | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

staytinyville · 8 months

Text

OUTLAW (28)

ATEEZ poly!ot8 x Reader

Cowboy AU / Wild West

Series Masterlist

Warning: This chapter deals with arguments with parents about lifestyle. There is also a panic attack. Viewer discretion is advised.

A/N BETA READ (@mariana-mmtz). YALL. I missed the update. My bad! I thought I had updated Thursday.

You had officially fallen into Yeosang as he rode you back to the camp. He had stopped by the hotel to gather the others before they all rushed out to check on you. When they saw how tired you look, shaking each time a hiccup would rack through your body, they all chose it would be best to take a rest back at camp.

When the others saw you, they all sighed to themselves, knowing things probably hadn’t gone the best back at home. There were all one edge the moment you left them with the worry on your face. They weren’t expecting the best, but they also didn’t think you’d return them looking like you weren’t able to move.

“Doll. Hey, it's okay.” Mingi soothed, carrying you down from Yeosang’s horse. He held you tightly to his chest.

“No it's not. It's not okay.” You whispered out, trying your best to cling to Mingi’s body.

He took you to Jongho’s tent, where the man had the most comfortable bedroll due to his injury. While he was able to walk on it now with crutches, he still spent the majority of the day resting.

“What's wrong?” Hongjoong asked, with furrowed eyebrows. “What happened, Yeosang?” He turned to the boy who had brought you.

All the others turned to listen in as well, wanting to hear the entirety of the problem. They knew at that point that it must have been something big, judging from the cut on Yeosang’s lip. The boy hadn’t gotten the chance to wipe it clean, but it stopped bleeding at that point.

“I don't know.” Yeosang sighed. “I heard yelling when I was coming back and saw her run out. Her father was trying to pull her back in, but she yelled for me.”

Yeosang looked away from the boys, glancing towards your body curling up next to Jongho who made room for you. The younger boy was quick to place his arm under your head, one arm moving to rub at your own.

Mingi took up the spot behind you, he himself felt pathetic. He was reminded of the attack you had the night he saved you. He felt like he couldn’t help you much now, exactly how he felt back then. Not only that, but he knew you didn’t ask for anything else other than just his arms around you, so he wanted to at least give you something to feel other than the nerves moving through your body.

“I'm assuming her talk didn't go so well.” San spoke, sitting down next to Jongho.

“Come here.” Seonghwa told Yeosang, pulling on his arm. “Let me clean up your lip.”

Seonghwa pulled the boy outside the tent, allowing him to follow to the main tent, where they had most of the supplies. San turned back to you, rubbing at your legs to get your feeling back. It seemed to have helped, as the last of your hiccups took a while to come back. Though you had stopped crying and could move your limbs normally, you still felt sluggish.

“Darling.” San quietly called. “Have you calmed down?” You shook your head, moving from Jongho’s side in order to have room to allow all the bad energy to flow out.

“That's wonderful.” San smiled, causing one to softly form on your lips. “It's okay. We aren't gonna pry until you're ready.” He told you, still giving you a message.

Seonghwa and Yeosang had entered once more, the younger man having the blood cleaned from the mouth finally. Seonghwa had put some ointment on it to have it heal faster. When Yeosang saw you uncurled from your fetal position, he sighed out in relief. Looking over the boys, he frowned as he thought about what had just happened.

“There's something I need to tell you.” He spoke to Hongjoong. The blue haired man turned around, waiting for Yeosang to continue. “I asked for her hand in marriage.”

They all froze as Yeosang’s words caught in their ears.

“What?” Almost every one had said.

“I know we talked about this, but we didn't say anything about marrying her!?” Wooyoung cried out. “Are you going back on this whole thing? Do you want to keep her to yourself?” He pointed his finger at Yeosang.

“Wooyoung, will you be quiet!” Yeosang scolded. “Her parents thought she was a prostitute.” He sighed, looking down. “I'm positive that's what this entire thing was about. I was so angry that they would assume something like that of her. So I just told them I asked for her hand in marriage to keep them from thinking she's with multiple men.”

You sat up from your spot, feeling the two boys at your side get up behind you as well. You could feel Mingi’s arm around the front of your waist, rubbing his thumb into your side. You could see how all the boys seemed to have dark looks wash over their face at the mention of what your parents had done. San’s finger squeezed your leg in reassurance, his lips pulling up to show he was on your side.

There was a heaviness you knew was there due to how heavy the words Yeosang spoke were. All of you knew the struggle of coming to terms with how you felt about all of them. Heck, they hadn’t even spoken about it with you. They had no clue if you were going to be willing completely to everything.

They knew all that you had spoken to with some of them–knew what you had done. But that didn’t mean you felt the same about all of them. Even if you expressed you meant all of them, each feel you had for them might be different from the next.

Hongjoong sighed, though, shaking his head. “Yeosang, it's her family and we have to respect whatever it is she chooses.” You turned to the man, frowning. “Having this kind of relationship isn't easy, especially not for women.”

You played with your fingers as you listened to what he had to say.

“If she wants to please her family, then we have to accept that. We can't just come up with her choice.” He spoke.

Your head immediately whipped up, speaking before thinking. “I'll choose you guys.”

“Angel-” Yunho sighed.

“I don't want to be a wife to someone who wants to keep me in a house or tell me to be quiet.” You started. You sighed deeply as you looked between all of them.

“I grew up with people always telling me what I did and thought wasn't right. That I was meant to be a housewife who took care of children and kept her husband happy.” You pulled your legs to cross them, placing a hand on Mingi’s to keep it there.

He gave you comfort–they all did. And you wanted them to know that.

“It was what I was thinking was going to happen to me for the longest time. But then you guys came into town after a fight with criminals, and things just changed completely.” You began to smile, lip trembling as you thought about that first night you actually spoke them like friends.

“I knew I wasn't meant to be stuck in a house. I was meant for so much more than that. I want to explore so many things and see the world. That's what I really want. And it was all of you who made me realize that.” Each of them started smiling at your words, some of them blushing and looking flustered.

“My father was going to send me to Aurora to some kind of big group that would help me to become the perfect wife.” You finally told them. “I don't want to go.” You whispered, looking down.

You felt Mingi tighten his hold on your waist. San gave your leg a squeeze as well. Jongho moved to intertwine his fingers with yours. You gave them all a smile, turning to look at the boys in front of you.

Wooyoung had a large grin on his face as his cheeks looked red. Seonghwa and Yunho both gave you soft looks, while Yeosang crossed his arms, nodding his head towards you.

Hongjoong crouched down in front of you, moving to rub your cheek with his thumb. “You won't go, Princess.” He assured you. “We won't let you.”

“Thank you.” You whispered to him, a blush blooming on your cheeks. It made Hongjoong grin, giving your cheek another stroke.

“What happens now?” San asked from Hongjoong’s side.

“I guess Yeosang has to get hitched.” Wooyoung cackled, harshly patting the boy on the back.

You watched as Hongjoong stood up, his grin pulling over his teeth. He turned to face Yeosang, who raised a brow.

“Congratulations.” He laughed.

Series Masterlist

@thefrog3223 , @iarayara , @0rangemilk , @explorewithd , @detectivedoodle , @bangtanxberm , @a1i33a , @loveforred , @drunken-deitence , @0325tiny , @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest , @atinyreads , @atinytinaa , @lexiigom , @smilingtokki , @mismatchfluffysockss , @brain-empty-only-draken , @sousydive , @alex-tinyy , @h3arteyes4mingi , @onedumbho3 , @popcatx0 , @blue1amory , @mommahwa11177 , @sunnyhokyu , @cloudieclairr , @araknoid , @starjoongi1117 , @chel-awingcherry , @puppyminnnie ,

276 notes · View notes

ezwezz · 1 year

Text

lost in your eyes

h.yj x f!reader

genre: fluff!! summary: you and yunjin find yourselves lost in the countryside, so you make the obvious decision to start a livestream. words: 1.1k

yunjin x yn!! my cuties omg hi where are you guys?? they look like a couple lol

the viewers instantly surged in numbers and countless comments came pouring in. most were excited greetings and some were doting on the pair on screen, a few begging for couple poses to screenshot.

"hey everyone!"

"hi guys! thank you for joining us."

you and yunjin stood side-by-side, waving at the camera, which yunjin held as you nestled your chin on her shoulder.

"just to clarify, we aren't lost...we just can't seem to find our members anywhere."

the camera flipped around to reveal the open countryside. fields upon fields of...nothingness.

help where tf are they??? plz r they stranded idk whether to laugh or phone emergency services

"as you can see...there is no sign of civilisation. this may possibly be our 'rural survival' era." you announced, the camera flipping back to you and yunjin.

"but don't worry guys, we're safe, we just need to retrace our steps."

"i could've sworn they came this way..." you glanced around one more time as if your members were hiding somewhere in the barren landscape.

"i know... but i'm starting to think they may have gone down the other path."

"it all looks the same, this feels like the backrooms."

"i know right, we're too city girl for this." you nodded in agreement before hooking an arm beneath yunjin's and starting your trek back down the path.

the woman began replying to comments as you walked comfortably together.

"they're telling us to hold hands." she stated after a moment, a goofy smile on her face.

"guys…we're literally stuck in the middle of nowhere and that's how you're feeling?" you feigned offence but happily complied, gently taking yunjin's hand and intertwining your fingers, lifting it up to show the viewers, who were going wild in the comments.

you two were often affectionate with each other, seemingly having instant chemistry, which the fans quickly picked up on. it didn't take long for you and yunjin to become the most shipped pair in the group, but you didn't mind- you thought it was quite sweet actually, and you could definitely think of worse things to be circulating. not to mention the fact that you'd had a small crush on yunjin for a while now and clearly weren't subtle about it, judging by the copious amounts of dating rumours between you two, but you could usually play it off.

yunjin's opinions on the matter were kind of a mystery to you. she'd never explicitly addressed the shipping, but seemed to entertain the idea, often initiating affection or playfully flirting with you...for the fans, you dejectedly assumed.

you felt yunjin squeeze your hand and glanced up to see a soft smile adorning her features. you reciprocated the affection by squeezing back, the wordless action lighting a welcome warmth in your chest. the sun had begun to melt, plunging you into a golden hue that captured yunjin's eyes, causing them to gleam like sparkling pools of honey. the sight almost took your breath away and you gulped, wary of sinking too deep.

the way they look at each other, i can't absbjsbfh love love love pretty yunjin x yn is canon idc the way they're lost rn....IN EACH OTHER'S EYES

the last comment made you chuckle, and you saw yunjin's face light up on the screen when she read it as well.

"we probably look like an old couple right now. all we need is a dog." she stated with a laugh, causing you to smile shyly.

"or a cat."

"but cats don't like to go on country walks."

"neither do i. we're an old couple trying to be youthful and active while our grumpy cat chills at home, in the city." yunjin giggled loudly, squeezing your hand once again.

"yes that's perfect. let's make it happen." your eyes widened and you were met with her mischievous smirk.

damn you yunjin.

are the dating rumours even rumours at this point we're witnessing y/n's gay panic, live plz yunjin is such a flirt

"we should probably find our way back to civilisation first." you stated, hoping the inevitable blush in your cheeks wasn't too noticeable.

"that's true...maybe instead of going on live we should've called chaewon...?"

"wait why didn't we think of that first? your stupidness is rubbing off on me yunjin." you reached for the phone in your coat pocket, only to find many...many missed calls from your members. yunjin nervously chuckled beside you, also witnessing the horror.

"this is definitely because of your stupidness. why was your phone on 'do not disturb'?" she exclaimed.

"i was trying to experience nature properly!"

when the cottage-core liftestyle backfires because you're literally an idol

"okay everyone, you're about to witness y/n being torn to shreds by chaewon-unnie. prepare to be entertained."

you shot yunjin a dark glare before calling chaewon, the hollow ringing sending cold waves of fear through your body.

"y/n! where the hell are you?? why weren't you answering?! are you seriously on live right now!?"

"uh hi chae..." you glanced to yunjin for help but she simply shrugged angling the camera to show your panicked face instead. "we just got a bit sidetracked..."

"sidetracked??? you went missing and decided to do a livestream! i'm literally going to start developing grey hairs because of you two."

"i'm sorry chae, we're on our way back now...i think."

"you think?! please don't tell me you need a search team to go after you..."

"a search team?? wait... omg i think i see some cars."

yunjin swivelled her head in the same direction as you then gasped, physically jumping for joy.

"yunjin and y/n have navigated the perilous journey and return unscathed." she addressed the viewers as if she were a sports commentator.

you were literally walking for 5 minutes yay! power couple these two are perfect for each other poor chaewon LMAO

"oh thank god." chaewon sighed. "we're waiting by the car. remind me to get you guys those backpack leashes next time." and with that, she hung up.

you and yunjin took one look at each other before bursting into laughter.

"alright guys, sorry this was brief but hopefully you found it entertaining." you told the viewers.

"if you don't see us shitposting on twitter later, assume that foul play is involved by the hands of chaewon-unnie." yunjin added.

"mhm... okay, goodbye everyone! pray for us!" you and yunjin gave the camera a final enthusiastic wave before ending the live.

"that was fun." she stated before rejoining your hands. the action catching you off-guard since the live had ended, but you certainly weren't complaining.

"i reckon we should get lost together more often." you replied.

"in each other's eyes." yunjin wiggled her eyebrows, referring to the earlier comment causing you both to giggle.

"i have no objections."

"hm..." yunjin squeezed your hand, leaning slightly further into you. you squeezed back and relished in the closeness. "can we call our grumpy cat chaewon?" she mused after a moment.

"oh absolutely."

your eyes met once again, this time exchanging an unspoken feeling of adoration.

#yunjin x reader #yunjin #le sserafim x reader #le sserafim #kpop x reader #huh yunjin x reader #huh yunjin #fem reader #kpop #gxg #6th member #idol reader #fluff #kpop fluff #fanfic #fluffy

863 notes · View notes

idoodlestuffsometimes · 1 year

Text

DRAWING BACKGROUNDS: TIPS AND TRICKS

So many people are afraid of drawing backgrounds and I think it's a shame, so here's some tips and tricks, because I'm not perfect at it myself but I think the hardest part is really just knowing where to start.

First off: Perspective

Yeah, yeah, that's the scary word. But I promise you, once you're familiar with the basics, backgrounds are a LOT less intimidating. Don't get discouraged if WHEN you have trouble with it. Even professional artists struggle with it. I promise you, screwing it up is good and normal. That's how you learn after all!

Now I'm not going to go into detail on how to do it here, because honestly there are a thousand and one free resources online and in libraries that can explain it far better than I ever could in a singular broad-strokes tumblr post. But I AM at least telling you you should familiarize yourself with these basics:

Important Terms: Horizon Line: A horizontal line across your canvas, showing your viewer's eye level and providing a location for most of your vanishing points. Vanishing Point: Integral to drawing in perspective. The sides of a 3D object get smaller as they become farther away from the viewer in space. This point is where the parallel lines of a side eventually meet.

The Basic Types of Perspective: One Point Perspective: Good for drawing things that you're looking at straight on. Two Point Perspective: Good for drawing things at an angle. Three Point Perspective: Good for drawing things the viewer is looking up or down at, especially at an extreme angle.

[Click images for ALT descriptions]

And if you're comfortable with these and serious about improving your skills for use in storytelling, I also might suggest looking up:

4 Point Perspective: Great for extra wide or tall shots and for camera tilts if you're doing an animation or animatic. I think some other names for this in animation include "banana pan" and "warp pan."

5 Point Perspective: Fish-eye lens. Good for all your angsty anime boy slipping into madness needs!

Some perspective tips I wish someone had told me earlier:

Objects' relation to the horizon line is constant. A super helpful tip to remember when placing a character or object in space is that they will always (assuming they aren't changing in size or moving up or down) have the same relation to the horizon line no matter how far or close they are. If your horizon line is at shoulder height for your focus character in the foreground, any character of the same height in the background will still line up with the horizon line at the shoulders.

How to pick the distance between your vanishing points: 2 pt perspective uses 2 vanishing points, 3 pt uses 3, etc, etc, but how close should they be? Well, first of all, for anything that isn't one point perspective, one or more points will usually be off the canvas. Super annoying, I know, but the closer your vanishing points are, the more warped your drawing will become. Second, a helpful thing to know is that choosing the distance between your points is basically the illustration equivalent of picking your camera lens! Photography buffs will know that wider (shorter focal length) lenses show more space and make the distance between foreground and background more dramatic, while longer focal length/telephoto lenses are flatter, and more focused and intimate. The same is true of vanishing points that are closer (shorter focal length) or farther apart (longer focal length).

2 point/3 point/etc doesn't actually mean you're limited to that many points total on your page. this one confused me a lot when I was getting started, lol. A lot of examples will show you drawings of nice, neat cities or something, in which all the buildings are facing the same way in order to demonstrate perspective drawing. But in real life, buildings don't all face the same direction. They're at all sorts of different angles. So how do I do that??? Answer: Just because you're drawing in 2 point perspective or whatever doesn't mean you... have to actually keep your 2 points in the same spot. You can move them around, just keep them the same distance apart, so you're not screwing up your camera lens.

Other Tips:

Use reference! The instant you try to draw a house, you're going to forget every house you've ever seen. That's just how it goes. Buildings are complicated. Do yourself a favor and collect a few reference images first, buddy!

Consider details (like architectural style, amenities, and materials) Your building will look more like a building when you keep in mind that buildings have gutters and door knobs and light switches and paneling and stuff, and aren't just boxes with roofs on them. Again: reference! You will forget electrical sockets and baseboards exist immediately. Art brains are dumb.

Use details and texture to fill in negative space Giant stretches of blank space tend to be boring and distracting. Put a few suggestions of wood grain or something on that wall back there, bud, just don't overdo it.

Line weight Darker, thicker lines draw more attention, look heavier, and look closer to the viewer than lighter, thinner lines do. Take advantage of this to draw the viewer's attention to your focal points, de-emphasize less important details, and imply depth. It's up to you to decide how you want to use this and what your style is, especially once you start getting into combining or replacing it with shading, values, and color, but a helpful rule of thumb is to try reserving your thickest lines for focal foreground characters and use thinner lines on backgrounds, especially details in the far distance.

Perspective guides If you're drawing digitally, take full advantage of any perspective tools you have access to! A lot of art programs lately have begun adding perspective guide features that let you set up vanishing points and then literally guide your hand as you draw so you stay in perspective. Some of these include Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, and Adobe Fresco. (still sadly none in Photoshop as far as I'm aware, what the heck, Adobe!). Check through the settings of yours to see if it gives you any perspective guides or other similarly useful tools. They're 100% worth it! And for god's sake, if you've got any skew or perspective warp tools, draw your complicated shapes flat and then warp them instead of spending an hour on it! Don't make my mistakes!

#backgrounds #art tips #tutorial #art reference #drawing tips #perspective drawing #the owl house #hunter toh #doodle art #doodletext #rambling topic #yes i'm using my blorbo to demonstrate art tips what about it #this took longer than i meant it to lol. i got really into the examples #thank you for your patience guys #this turned out to be a GREAT exercise for me as an artist too actually. Trying to explain things is rlly good practice #I didn't even get into values and such. I can only ramble so much I'm afraid

846 notes · View notes

collapsedglasshouses · 8 months

Note

hello! 💕 i love your writing so much! i usually don’t make requests but i was wondering if you could do like a cute cozy night in with noah??? maybe wine drunk, handsy, cuddles, and some smut if you are comfy doing that? :) i can see him getting a lil handsy and affectionate but also saying sweet things. i just love the idea. thank you :)

Lips Like Wine [Noah Sebastian x Reader]

A/N: Such a cute request and exactly what I need right now. Thank you for requesting! ♡

PAIRING: Noah Sebastian x fem!Reader

SUMMARY: When Noah surprises Y/N with her favourite snacks and wine, she didn’t expect the night to evolve like it did.

WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol consumption, NSFW, oral sex (female receiving), swearing, ...

TAGLIST: @measuredingold (if you wanna become part of my taglist in general, pls let me know and i love @measuredingold , did I already say ily , @measuredingold ?)

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

The ring of your bell woke you up at around 11 PM.

To your surprise, you found yourself on your couch with your favorite blanket wrapped around you. You must have slept in after dinner because your favorite show was still quietly playing on your TV.

You mumbled tiredly while getting up and making your way to the door. After a quick look through your door viewer, a little smile grew on your face, and you opened the door excitedly.

"What are you doing here, sir?" You asked your friend, who had a shy smile on his face, before revealing your favorite snacks and a bottle of wine he held behind your back.

"Did I wake you?" He wanted to know and gave you an apologetic look when you nodded slightly.

"Don't be sorry, work was catastrophic today." You let him in before he laid down his goodies and quickly wrapped his arms around you. You let out a satisfied hum while rubbing his back. "I missed you, Noah." - "Believe me, I missed you more."

You first met Noah last summer while they toured with A Day To Remember. You had been hired as the tour co-manager, meaning you knew about everything and everyone. Likewise, you somehow ended up keeping a tradition after the show where you would meet after the official celebrations and eat a couple of snacks together while getting wine drunk.

Something, however, had changed over the last few months. You and your ex-boyfriend, whom you had been dating for over four years, broke up right after said tour, causing you and Noah to become even closer. You weren't mad about it, the fact of the breakup was that you two had definitely fallen out of love. You noticed when you stopped seeking closeness with your ex-boyfriend.

What worried you, though, was how easily you started to crave those touches from Noah. Every time you were together, you felt like you needed to be closer to him. Your favorite thing to do at the moment was watch silly little movies with him when you had rough days. Keeping this in mind, you were more than happy to see him standing there, surprising you with what you needed the most.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be on the other side of the country?" You asked him after getting two wine glasses and sitting down on your couch. Noah scratched his back lightly before he started to smile.

"We had a couple of days off, and I was in desperate need of one of our wine nights." He confessed, making you blush a little.

They were on tour at the moment, so you didn't expect to see him again until mid-October. There were a couple of moments of silence before you raised your voice again. "Do you wanna watch a Ghibli Studio Film?" - "I thought you'd never ask!"

It took you less than ten minutes before the two of you laid under your blanket, sipping on your wine glasses while eating sour gummy worms and watching Howl's Moving Castle.

In all honesty, the movie was entirely irrelevant to you. Your eyes were glued to Noah's lips while he told you about the concerts that had already happened.

"How have your days been?" He then asked you while putting your glasses back on the table. "Actually, pretty boring. Except today, I couldn't finish anything at work." - "If you wanna sleep, I can go. It's really no prob-… " - "I'II drag your ass back to my couch if you try to leave." You interrupt your friend and grab his thigh over the blanket, causing him to look down at it for a moment.

You immediately noticed it and tried to put your hand away, but he quickly held it in place. The temperature in the room instantly rose, and you felt this pleasant tingle in your stomach.

You tried to defuse the rising tension by taking his hand in yours and looking at the tattoos on his hand, as if you hadn't done that hundreds of times before. Noah chuckled when he noticed you beginning to analyze the drawings on his hands again.

Swiftly, he started drawing small circles on your hand. "Do you see something new?" His tone was teasing. He knew exactly what was going on, and it bugged you how he could handle everything so well, while you almost literally melted at everything he did.

Honestly, you had already given up on Noah feeling anything at all for you beyond friendship. You just accepted your little get-togethers and enjoyed his company, even if it cost you your sanity.

That's why it shocked you when Noah's hand gently brushed up your arm, giving you goosebumps. Your thoughts began to race as you froze. You were sure it was the wine speaking out of Noah's mouth when his hand landed under your chin. You felt yourself shiver slightly under his touch, and you started to crave it even more.

Without even noticing, you slightly leaned into his touch. Your thoughts were having a race. You knew you needed to pull away, but this single touch made you feel like pudding next to him.

You let him turn your head to face him. You looked him in the face. He had cut his hair shorter than usual. At first, you were a bit skeptical about it, but the longer you looked at him, the more you liked it. You wanted nothing more than to run your hands through it.

Then your eyes wandered. His eyes looked sleepy, while the dark brown of his irises nearly looked black. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his lips were slightly parted, while his gaze was fixated on your lips.

You thought you were dreaming when his thumbs lightly brushed over your lips.

"You think I didn't notice, am I right?" Noah almost whispered while his gaze was still fixated on your lips. You didn't know what to say. Even if you knew, you were sure your body would betray you.

You needed all your strength not to crumble into pieces right in front of him.

You knew you felt this weird attraction to him for way longer than you wanted to admit, but you didn't know how down bad you were for him. "This all has changed, am I right?" Noah then asked, and you swallowed hard while he stroked your cheek. You resisted the need to lean into his touch again. You couldn't let him win this easily.

"Please tell me to stop, Y/N." He then almost cried out while leaning closer to you. Your heart started to race even faster. You knew you should have pulled away, but everything in you needed him closer.

"Kiss me." You breathed out when your noses were almost touching. "You know I won't be able to stop." - "Than don't."

With that, it was over for the both of you.

His lips crashed into yours. You could taste the wine in his mouth while your hands landed on his chest and slowly made their way up to his neck. With a swift motion, he lifted you onto his lap. His hands instantly found their way under your shirt, while yours ran through his dark hair. Shortly after, your shirt found its way to your living room floor, leaving you in nothing but your underwear.

His hands roamed your body while he started kissing your neck. You felt like you were burning.

"We shouldn't do this." You almost moaned when his kisses reached your collarbone. He looked up at you through his eyelashes, almost making you crumble into small pieces. "Then tell me to stop."

Your eyes locked while he placed small, soft kisses on your chest. "Tell me, Y/N, tell me to stop." Noah whispered and leaned closer to your face again. His hands found your hips and grabbed them harshly. You breathed out a small breath while he slowly started to move your hips. You felt how hard he was and couldn't believe it. It felt like the perfect fever dream.

"Go on, tell me how you don't want me to fuck you." Noah almost groaned. "Tell me how you haven't thought about it every fucking time we met up in the last months." You swallowed hard.

You were an open book to him. It felt like he read every single page of yours. You couldn't be silent any longer. "Fuck, you know I can't. You moaned out when his hand found your waistband, and before you knew it, he flipped the both of you over.

With that, he kissed his way down your body and stopped at your waistband. "Let's get these off, love." He spoke in a low tone that made you shiver while his fingers tangled in the lace of your panties. You lifted your hips, and he quickly pulled them off, throwing them over the backrest of your couch. In a swift motion, he grabbed your hips again, pulling you closer to him and immediately connecting his mouth with your pussy.

You whimpered as his tongue licked up your slit, swirling around your clit. It doesn't take him long to introduce his fingers, plunging two inside of you and moving them at a pace that made you squirm.

"Look at you." Noah spoke against you, causing you to buck up your hips. "Fuck, I can't get enough of you." He almost moaned and let out a small laugh.

You looked down at him between your legs, and your eyes met. His pupils were blown wide and sparkling in amusement. You didn't respond to him; you just watched him as his mouth worked against you and his fingers massaged your sweet spot inside, drawing all sorts of whimpers and moans from your lungs.

The pleasure kept building and building, the tension becoming a hot blur inside of you, until Noah's mouth suddenly stopped completely.

A frustrated cry escaped your mouth while you looked at him. You were this close to complaining to him when he suddenly stood up and reached to bring you to your feet.

"This is only the beginning, Y/N"

And with that, you found your way to your bedroom...

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

#noah sebastian x reader #bad omens fanfiction #bad omens fanfic #bad omens fic #noah sebastian fic #noah sebastian fanfiction #noah sebastian fanfic #bad omens rpf #collapsedglasshouseswrites

225 notes · View notes

anxious-witch · 4 months

Text

Analysis of Jan and Nace photos number two, because I am insane and I kept rearranging the pictures to get a coherent story.

For the record, this isn't only subjective at this point, I am legit clowning, but I am having feels and idc.

Light and dark, or as @c28hunter pointed out, ying and yang. (Perhaps a theme? Since Kris and Bojan were water and fire, Nace and Jan are light and dark?)

I'd go with this being them before each other.

Doesn't necessarily have to be before they met, although that's certainly one way to look at it. But this is them before they truly connected.

Nace is in the harsh light, he feels too exposed, like all his imperfections are on display. He is all too aware of it, gripping his shirt tightly and crossing his arms over his chest. In that way, only his arms and tattoos are on display, his chest staying hidden.

When he is alone, in the light, he is tortured by his thoughts, and he tries to particularly hide his face with his hands in picture two. In picture three, he has clearly been gagged, his face twisted up from all the ways he tried to make himself fit into something he is not. Into something acceptable in the eyes of others.

Jan, on the other hand, is cloud in darkness. Dark background and the light that illuminates his features is softer, leaving more gray.

He stays in the shadows, and covers up his face with his hand and hair. We are not prvy to all of him. And yet, the first picture is giving a sense of resignation. He looks tired. He is looking at us, he knows he is being observed, even in part and he wants nothing to with it.

In the second picture, he looks more distrustful, his eyes away from the camera and covered by his hair. Almost as if he is giving someone off the frame a side eye. Maybe showing his own distrust, even to those that aren't looking to dig things up about him?

The two I put as next are these. On the left, we have Jan and Nace in the sane shot, but not quite a unit yet. But we already see a change here. They are both now clouded more in the shadow, Nace even more so than Jan, as if Jan is giving him the protection of his shadow here.

Nace looks intently into the camera, but he doesn't look tortured or afraid in the same way he did when he was alone, under the light. He still hides his body, this time with a coat, we don't even see his neck, only his face.

Jan on the other hand, lost that resignation we saw in the first part. He still looks mistrustful, but now he has something to lose. He keeps a close eye on us, while still he remains partially hidden.

On the picture on the right, we get a glimpse of the true intimacy between them. They stare at each others' eyes. There is a palpable softness, even as their noses are blurred with the soft gray. As many ppl pointed out, it almost looks like they are in the shower, partially covered by fog from the hot water, or behind a glass door.

The care they have for one another is the focus, not their reaction to the viewer. They don't know they are being seen.

In comparison to the left one above, this picture has harsher lines. They are being more exposed and Jan is stepping closer to Nace, once again, showing that underlying protectivness. But Nace isn't scared, he is showing off his face fully and giving us an intense stare. He isn't alone in the light anymore, and Jan makes him brave.

Another intimate moment of them laughing. Jan's face further softens and he looks almost silly. Nace's eyes are half closed in laughter. It's giving us a glimpse of how they are safe and happy when there is no one watching. There is more light, but compared to the photo on the left, the light isn't harsh.

Then we get to this. The first time I saw this picture, I immediately thought "this is on the verge of being sexual". But on the closer inspection, this picture conveys sm more than that.

It's a callback to Nace's individual photos, where he was gagged and twisted up. After he and Jan met, he got more comfortable speaking up, forgetting about the viewer. Even here, he isn't looking at us, but rather at Jan because we matter less now. What matters is Jan.

But Jan is still very aware that we are watching. He covers Nace's mouth, but if we look at his hand, it's almost gentle. It's a warning of someone who cares. It's as if he is saying "don't speak before you are ready".

And at last, we get to these. Inverted from the start, we get Jan's cover of darkness first. I am still unsure if Nace is present in the shot at the edge of the picture or not, but either way, I still think this picture can be ready as another way of Jan protecting Nace from our view.

He is taking the toll of our gaze on himself and staring back defiantly. "I have something to lose now, and I will not let you touch it any more than I allow." Gone is the resignation, and instead there is a fierce protector born out of it. The dark that used to resign him is now a way to keep someone he loves safe(in whichever way that love may manifest).

Then we have Nace. Nace who is once again in the light, but it's far from the harsh one he was in before. And Nace doesn’t hide from it and neither does he preform.

He has bits of himself he wants to show on display and he is comfortable with being seen. He feels safe.

To be loved is to be changed. And they both changed, finding balance within each other. I don't know if this was how the pictures were meant to be sorted, but I certainly had fun analyzing them this way.

If anyone has anything to add or maybe wants to switch something around, I'd love to know your thoughts! Sorry for emotional ramblings on a random Tuesday, lmao

#joker out #rio rambles #jance #jan peteh #nace jordan #tw body dysphoria #tw body insecurity #rio's analysis

62 notes · View notes

a-d-nox · 1 year

Text

web of wyrd: the bottom-most number, your primary karmic lesson and the root chakra

the number we are focusing on today is based on the SUM OF YOUR PUBLIC ENERGY NUMBER, HIGHEST SELF NUMBER, AND YOUR DESTINY NUMBER - ex: as you see above, my number is 21 (9 + 10 + 2 -> 21). recall that numbers must be summed a second time if they total 23 (i.e. 2 + 3 -> 5) and above.

but what does this number mean?

this number represents our root chakra as well as our main karmic lesson. the root chakra is the first chakra we must unblock in order to work on the next chakra(s). when the root chakra is blocked people experience fear, anxiety, uncertainty, difficulty sleeping, constipation, fluctuations in weight, weakened immune system, fatigue, feeling unsafe in your environment, negativity, and/or doubt in your existence on earth. these are the first tasks you must face to move forward in this lifetime, thus they tend to be karmic issues leftover from past lives.

so let's talk about some examples:

8 - strength

rider-waite's strength card depicts a woman in white adorn in a flower belt and crown. she stares down at the noble lion while closing it's hungry mouth. the woman and her lion can be paralleled to the mythical characters persephone and cerberus. the card alludes to a perviously discussed card with flowers and an infinity symbol overhead - the magician. the two's reappearance illustrates worldly (the flowers) and spiritual (the infinite symbol over her head) abundance. she appreciates this abundance presently, as she does not face any given side of the card but rather faces the lion and corrects its gluttonous mouth. the lion appears ever happy to obey her maternal touch as it appears as docile as a domesticated animal - almost dog like. she models for the viewer that internal peace and self-confidence has the power to promote external peace in the world presently around her.

blocked 8s often have a lack of self confidence and may experience social anxiety. they may not trust themselves or their own body. oftentimes these people experience a moment in time where their body does not do what they wish it would. this can be something heredity, like a gene mutation that causes blood clotting or something along the lines of lupus - the point is that they tend to not trust their own bodies. they are thus less likely to trust themselves around others - fearing they might look weak and incapable. they often shut themselves in, embrace the feelings of being weak, and feel uncomfortable with being vulnerable around others.

enlightened 8s believe that they can be better and that they can overcome anything that keeps them down. they trust that they can handle anything that the world throws at them. they believe they can overcome any internal or external issues that arise - they face their fears without hiding from the speculation of others. they continue to proceed through each of life's various levels no matter how hard they may become. they aren't afraid to be vulnerable and seek help when needed.

the karmic lesson of 8s tends to originate in a lifetime in which they were overly prideful of their life. they may have been reckless and thought themselves invulnerable to the world around them. and more importantly, they could have thought they were invulnerable to the people around them - they could have been a cold individual who didn't mind hurting those who trusted them entirely and now they are set in this lifetime to be the person who must be vulnerable with others.

17 - the star

click here for the card description of the star found in a prior wyrd web post.

blocked 17s feel disconnected from the divine and often lack faith in the world around them. they suffer from a lack of hope which often causes them weakened immune systems or other health (mental or physical) issues. their mindset tends to control their life for the worst. they often don't trust others enough to be in their personal, intimate environment. they feel uncertain when creating because their inspiration tends to waver. it is their pessimism towards the world around them that keeps them down.

enlightened 17s, though they may feel like they do not belong, do have hope that they will find their people and they will persevere. they raise the spirits of those around them and inspire them with their confidence. they let creativity overtake them whenever it arises, not letting slumps bog them down or discourage them. they are often dealt a poor hand when it comes to health, but they don't let that stop them from believing they will get better

17s karmic lesson often comes from being someone in a pastlife who believed in nothing and trusted no one. they may have harmed others or discouraged them from believing in change and thus are "meant" to feel the pain they dealt others in this lifetime. they could have also (or alternatively) have been someone who was overly boastful about their talents and gifts and thus are meant to experience frequent blocks in this lifetime.

21 - the world

the depiction of the world, in rider-waite smith's deck, depicts a nude woman floating in the heavens surrounded by a laurel wreath - a greek symbol of victory. many cards are alluded to in this single one. her legs are in the akimbo position of the hanged man - showing that at the end of a journey we are, yet again, found at a crossroads as to what comes next. in the corners are the icons of the fixed signs of astrology that can be found in the wheel of fortune card. and the double-ended candles of the magician - showing the gained spiritual wisdom she has accrued. she glances over her shoulder showing her acknowledgement of this pervious journey but her hips angle her body to carry her forward to the future.

blocked 21s fear the ending of things and the future - they often have control issues. they aren't often willing to accept that the ending has come and gone. they experience a great deal of negativity when they lack-closure in a situation or have delayed gratification. they are prone to slipping into depressive states as they are the least willing to let go of how things once were.

enlightened 21s affirm themselves and provide themselves with their own closure without fear of what could be or could have been. they are ready for adventure and eager to seek it out. they humbly accept the reward(s) their pervious experiences provided them with. they celebrate their own wins - validating their own experiences and existence without needing to receive such from others.

the karmic lesson of 21s tends to be from a pastlife in which they were miserly and got in their own way. they were obsessed with keeping what they had and being celebrated/praised by others. they are now forced in this lifetime to often succeed in one facet of life and get pushed into the next phase without assurance from the world around them. they have to award themselves. they have to justify what they are doing and provide closure solely to themselves without external validation from others.

that's all for today. the next number we will be looking at is number in the center of the matrix.

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my "suggest a post topic." button if you want to see a specific pac/pile next! if you'd like my input on how i read a specific card or what i like to ask my deck, feel free to use the ask button for that as well.

click here for the masterlist

click here for more web of wyrd related posts

want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

159 notes · View notes

missmyloko · 5 months

Text

What's In a Kimono? Part 10

On The Ninth Day of Fun I present... a new kimono! Another series makes it to the double digit mark at last! Let's take a dive into the kimono that's gracing the cover of my upcoming book ^^

Name: Kichō No Yume (几帳の夢) - Partition Dream Type: Houmongi (訪問着) Time Period: Heisei Period (1989 - 2019) Condition: Excellent Material: Silk Motifs: Partitions, Clouds, Fans, and Flowers Execution and Techniques: Yuzen and Stencils Value: $200 - 250 USD When I originally went to purchase this piece I thought that it was shibori (tie dye), but I was very surprised when it arrived and found that it's all hand dyed instead! The entire piece, including the background, is either hand painted yuzen or stencil dyed with extremely small, intricate stencils! This gives the whole piece a very dreamy effect that makes you want to stare and pick out the all of the details. It's almost hard to believe that the black background or the blue clouds aren't solid colors. The main motif here are Kichō (几帳), which are partitions used by the nobility during the Heian Period (794 - 1185), and cypress fans, also used by the nobility during the Heian Period. The partitions would be set up in rooms and block the viewer from gazing directly upon the face of the other noble. Just like the partitions, these large cypress fans were used by court women to hide their faces in large rooms and when meeting with potential suitors. The partitions and the fans were both decorated with pieces of silk that accentuated their length and drew the eye of the viewer to their lovely designs. You may have noticed on the right hand side near where the hem meets the collar that there's a random white square among all of the color. This isn't there by accident, but it being blank is! This is the area where the artist would dye their signature. That it somehow got skipped and sold as-is is gives it an air of mystery as it was clearly a work of art made by a famous artist, but who? I haven't found any other markings on this piece, so I guess we'll never know ^^

#kimono #houmongi #partitions #heian period #着物 #訪問着 #几帳 #平安時代

61 notes · View notes

cityzenshark · 25 days

Text

If S2 doesn't improve the story focus...

Decepticon fan speaking here. I love them, I want to see them getting the limelight, but Earthspark isn't their show. It's about the Terrans and their relationship with the Malto family. There are over a dozen other media where your favourite classics get their spotlight but this show might not be one of them. We have to accept that.

However, EarthSpark's big problem is its disregard of its own main characters to the point the audience care more about the side characters.

Long ramble ahead.

From Season 1, Earthspark has the tendency to disregard their own main characters for the sake of already existing ones. Thrash, Robby, Jawbreaker, and the parents are big victims here.

Thrash, despite being the other first Terran, gets little to no development. He only had one focus episode that shifted his positive view of Cybertronians yet it didn't affect his characteristic or the family dynamic whatsoever. He could've been involve in other episodes focusing on the triplets, specifically with Nightshade, like Twitch with Hashtag, but he doesn't. In the end, his canvas is just like his paint job -- empty white.

Robby could've get 4 episodes about him only for 3 of them to be shifted to Twitch & Wheeljack, Starscream, Mo. Never mind the Wheeljack episode and "Prime Time" but "What Dwells Within" is the worst of them all. Now it appears Season 2 is heavily focusing him after S1 dismisses him multiple times.

Starscream, I'm sorry what you've been through, but that episode should never be about you. Robby is sick, the Terrans got rocky with other due to the lost link which triggered Hashtag's trauma of getting possessed, and then they lost their LIFE SOURCE WATER. Earthspark wanted the audience to side with Starscream so bad they put him in the pity light instead of laying out hints of his past in previous episodes and allow the viewers to decide for themselves. The dude's a millennium old soldier, not another Terran.

EDIT: The same case goes for Grimlock. As bad as the dude has gone through in "Home", he's also a millennium-old soldier. He knows he's going through PTSD but Jawbreaker doesn't. JB is a newborn. Instead of celebrating JB when he finally got his alt mode, the moment made viewers hate him because it focuses on Grimlock's point of view.

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR JB FANS: DO NOT GO TO TRANSFORMEMES SUBREDDIT!! RECENTLY, A USER THERE CAUSED TERRAN HATERS TO POP UP AND WISHING J.B TO DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH BECAUSE HE ACTED LIKE AN OVEREXCITED KID]

The parents... Oh dear their potentials are wasted soooo much. Ignoring Dot's relationship with Megs, they've become mere placements to remind the audience that Robby & Mo aren't poor orphans.

Dot being a veteran is to make her relationship with Megs sound plausible, that's all. Meanwhile Alex's profession in Cybertronian history is only relevant in the pilot episode and he only told the most basic one in lore. They never fuss about the cybersleeves, they seem available all the time but not really, they're ignorant of their children's activities, completely fine with them becoming child soldiers. Dot could've been the one to beat Mandroid to pulp in Prime Time like the Mama Bear she's described to be but no - let the nine year old beat him with alien powers. Alex could've played a bigger role for the Terrans to know about Cybertronians in general; for Nightshade especially by being the one who enables their intelligence and tinkering skills - not just leading them to finding their alt mode.

The show should've made Mo the same age as Robby. You can't ignore that they act like twins more than Twitch & Thrash despite the 5 year age gap. For a nine year old, she has high emotional intelligence yet so inconsiderate and naive at the same time in certain episodes. Pick one personality, please.

Finally, why oh why didn't they fix her face and head size? It looks a lot worse now.

TLDR; don't be surprised by the sudden change in character of the Cons. Earthspark doesn't respect their own main characters except Twitch. So let us heed Season 2 with low expectations.

#transformers #earthspark #transformers earthspark #tfes #tf malto #tf terrans #macaddam #tf twitch #tf thrash #tf nightshade #tf hashtag #tf jawbreaker #robby malto #mo malto #dot malto #alex malto #starscream

44 notes · View notes

thefirstknife · 10 months

Note

Something finally clicked for me irt Destiny YouTubers and how so many of them generate fake outrage for views.

some background context:

Earlier today I saw Tweet by one of the writers/desginers of Obsidian Games J.Sawyer & One of the writers of Night in The Woods S. Benson (Both involved with highly successful & critically beloved Single player games)

They were mocking some sentiment about how BG3 being successful is some how a threat to them and how that idea that ones success at telling a good story somehow puts them in a corner

Aztecross had a video about Baulder's Gate and was airing that exact sentiment with that annoying rant face YTbrs do. Like this is a game that's its own thing and isn't a Live Service and a nice sp rpg

and too somehow turn that news into some controversy and how other games are "scared bc now they have to put in effort " blah blah blah

like?!? that just shows the worst. that somehow every video even on games that have no connection to the Live Service (*cough*Destiny*cough*) side of the industry somehow is made to stir up negative sentiment about them

Like dude just play a game ans have fun and idk talk about what you like about it. And if that's not enough to keep viewers interested you have no one to blame but yourself bc you cultivated a base thats addicted t being mad

Yep, I've seen that whole "controversy." I have no clue why people are comparing a singleplayer RPG that's been in development for 6 years to live service games. Or other games in general. Like, these are not the same thing. They can never be the same thing and they never will. No one is being threatened. They're different parts of the market. Most people play both; they take a break from a live service to play a newly released singleplayer and then when they're done with it, they go back to the live service while they wait for something else.

The only "threat" here is gamers expecting two completely different types of games to be the same. Like expecting that a live service game that has to develop things in the span of six months in advance to have the same type of content as a game that's been developing for 6 years and is one and done on release.

If they want Destiny (or any live service game) to come close to something like this, they will have to come to terms with "content droughts" aka periods of months and even years where no new content is being put out because the developers are working on a massive release that will come out in 6 years. Which means that they don't want a live service game.

And that's fine! There are games being released that aren't live service games. Go play them! I don't know why they expect Destiny to stop being a live service game suddenly after being one for 9 years. Like, you knew what you were getting into when you decided to make Destiny your only game. It's always been a live service.

All in all, as usual, these people have massive addiction problems and burnout and need to literally NOT base their entire income on a single video game. Bungie isn't making a video game for streamers to build their career on, they're making a game for normal people who have plenty of stuff to do, sometimes even too much. They want a game like Baldur's Gate but that will continuously update with perfect quality content until the heat death of the universe. The only "threat" to the gaming industry is influential gaming "personalities" convincing people that this is normal to expect and possible to achieve.

#destiny 2 #bungie #ask

122 notes · View notes

immaturityofthomasastruc · 1 year

Text

IOTA Reviews: Illusion

You know, It's really sad how this is a Lila episode, and she somehow isn't the most annoying character to come out of it.

Let's get into the fifth episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fifth season: Illusion

We start off with a news broadcast where several people are interviewed about the recent developments this season. There's an attempt made to show differing perspectives, but while half are recurring characters who are confident Ladybug and Cat Noir will beat Monarch (Xavier, Mr. Damocles, and Alec), the other half are antagonistic characters who either blame Ladybug for everything going wrong or are too stupid to care about the bigger picture (XY, Chloe, and Bob Roth).

This is one of the overarching problems with the show, its refusal to show any nuance in its arguments. We already know how easy it is for the writers to blame Marinette for things whenever there's a conflict, but whenever there's an argument where both sides make interesting points, the opposing side is almost always represented by an antagonist or jerk who frames their view in either a condescending or idiotic way so it's easy for the viewer to brush them off, and the same can be applied to their side of the argument as well. Hell, it's already happened twice this season with Lila and Chloe (Multiplication, Determination). It just comes across like the show is pretending to act like its conflict is deeper without actually showing any real nuance with it. I get that some arguments aren't morally gray, but if you're trying to discuss Ladybug's past failures, put more effort into showing how the people of Paris would see something like this without knowing the full context.

Also, this is a minor thing, but I actually like how when we see Alec on the talk show, he's wearing a wig like the one he had in “Wishmaker”, and has the same positive outlook on life he had at the end of that episode. For a show that usually plays loosey-goosey with its continuity, it's surprising to see the writers actually acknowledge the character growth of someone as insignificant as Alec.

Congratulations, Miraculous Ladybug. You managed to give a very minor side character a consistent arc. Now if only you could put the same amount of effort into writing your main cast.

We cut to Adrien's room where, shock of all shocks, he isn't exactly a fan of his image being used for a high-tech ring without his consent. He storms off to see his father, but it turns out that Gabriel is experimenting with the idea of not being such a terrible father for once. He's making breakfast, saying that Adrien can call him “Dad” now, and even admits that he's been very neglectful towards his son ever since Emilie “disappeared”. Yeah, he's cooking breakfast in his white suit and haircut that makes him look like a grandpa for some reason, but hey, at least the kitchen isn't on fire.

Of course, Gabriel still isn't really good at comforting his son, as seen with his response to Adrien's concerns about Alliance.

Adrien: Speaking of which, Dad, I'm not really comfortable with having my face on all these rings. That's actually why I didn't want to be a model anymore, to avoid that. Do you understand?

Gabriel: Of course, I understand, my son. But that's the point; it's just an image, it's not you! And since this image frees you from your obligations, we, the Agrestes, are able to spend more time together. But if you'd rather everything went back to the way it was before, just say the word.

Adrien: You're probably right.

Gabriel: You'll see, my son. Alliance will bring us closer.

“I know you're concerned about me using your image for something that I could have hired literally anyone else for, but if you would rather go back to being a model on a strict schedule, just say the word.”

Father of the year, ladies and gentlemen.

We get a decent interaction between Marinette and Alya where they discuss ways that Monarch could be giving Miraculous to his Akumas, unaware of what the Alliance rings do. Alya comes up with an interesting hypothesis that Monarch is using the Dog Miraculous to swipe them back, and honestly, that sounds like a much better plan than “develop a cutting-edge AI ring and hope whoever I akumatize had enough money to buy one”. I like this bit, as it shows the two thinking of ways to stop Monarch beyond beating whatever Akuma he sends out next. It honestly could have been a really interesting story arc to see Marinette, Cat Noir, and Alya learn more about how Monarch is using the new Miraculous he got instead of having us know what he's doing already.

After class ends, Nino talks to Adrien about an underground resistance he's forming with his friends, deciding to give each member a condiment-themed title.

Alya: What's up with the sauces?

Nino: What's up is Ladybug and Cat Noir don't have us to help them anymore.

Alya: (nervously) Um... uh... what do you mean, “us”?

Nino: Well, us, you Rena Rouge, me Carapace! (Alya kicks Nino's leg underneath the table) Ouch! What's the big deal? We can tell Marinette and Adrien we used to be superheroes. It's not like we have any Miraculous that Monarch could steal from us. The only ones who need to protect their secret identities are Ladybug and Cat Noir, not us. And anyway, I already told Adrien about Carapace.

Adrien: (chuckles nervously)

Marinette: Adrien knew?! Alya, did you know that he knew?!

Alya: What, no, I swear I didn't know at all! (kicks Nino's leg again)

Nino: Ow! Come on! He's my best bud, I can tell him stuff! You and Marinette tell each other stuff, don't you?

Alya and Marinette: No we don't!

Yeah, remember how shocking it was for Nino to reveal that he and Alya were Rena Rouge and Carapace to Adrien in “Rocketear”, and how we thought this reveal would play into something big like the Season 4 finale, possibly splintering the trust several characters had with each other? This is what it culminates in. Wasn't waiting over a year since that plotpoint was established totally worth it for that gag that once again ignores the secret identity rule?

Also, just because you don't have a Miraculous, it doesn't mean Monarch can't target you like he did last season (Optigami, Sentibubbler), you dumbass.

For the first time in God knows how long, Lila actually becomes relevant when she asks to sit with the four, only to be rebuffed by Marinette and Nino. Using some more condiments and food as props, Nino explains his plan.

Nino: We're gonna film an akumatization.

Alya: And how are you, Comrade Ketchup, gonna be in the know when and where this akumatization takes place?

Nino: Easy, Comrade Beurre Maître d'Hôtel. I'm gonna make it happen.

youtube

Yep, this is the plot of the episode, people. Nino's going to try and get someone akumatized. Now I know what you're all obviously thinking: Isn't this cruel?

Adrien: Isn't that cruel?

Alya: Totally! To make someone suffer just to discover Monarch's technique? Super cruel!

Nino: No, it's not! You forget Ladybug always fixes everything in the end with her magic ladybugs! The akumatized victims forget what happened to them.

Oh yeah, this is totally ethical, you guys. Who cares about the emotional trauma an Akuma victim would go through, much less any civilians endangered by their rampage?

To make things even better, guess who Nino wants to get akumatized?

Okay, putting aside what we, the audience, already know about Gabriel that Nino doesn't, why would he think pissing off one of the most influential fashion designers in the city of Paris is a good idea? He says he's targeting him because it's easy to do so during parent-teacher conferences, but why not target someone else who has been akumatized more often than him, like Xavier/Mr. Pigeon? I don't think the idea of a more morally gray plan to stop Monarch is a bad one, it's just that this plan is so stupid, and the writers only go over the ethical implications, and that said plan is so ludicrous, Nino is basically asking for a restraining order.

While Adrien and Marinette agree to Nino's plan, Alya only hesitantly goes along with it, but unbeknownst to any of them, Lila was overhearing their conversation, so she goes to tell Gabriel what they're doing. During the conferences, Marinette barges in and pretends to trip and drop some pizza onto Gabriel's clothes, and I'm going to assume that either the pizza was cold of Gabriel is really good at keeping a cool head because there's no way taking a hot pizza to the chest wouldn't hurt like hell. Adrien and Alya come in with more food, and we get the one funny joke of the episode with Alya half-assing her performance as the half-heartedly throws some cake onto Gabriel's suit. Pretty funny how Nino is conveniently the only one who isn't taking the risk by attacking Gabriel in front of his teacher by filming the whole thing, isn't it?

Gabriel has had enough and does a 180, planning to take Adrien out of school and somehow, Marinette blames herself for going along with the plan... even though she was the only one to not approve of it, while Adrien and Alya did, and even then, the latter two were very hesitant. It turns out this was all part of Gabriel's plan, as we see him transform into Monarch as soon as he gets to his lair and uses Trixx's power to create a Mirage of his civilian form, having a breakdown so dramatic, I'm surprised he didn't end it by saying, “YOU ARE TEARING ME APART, MARINETTE!”.

The illusion of Gabriel turns into the Collector again, and now he supposedly has the Horse Miraculous' Voyage as a power. Adrien and Marinette transform into Cat Noir and Ladybug respectively, and try to fend off the “Akuma”. Back in Monarch's lair, we learn that he somehow has the ability to unify with five different Miraculous at once, choosing to do so with the Bee, Mouse, Horse, and Rooster Miraculous. Why is he able to do this now?

youtube

Monarch uses Voyage and heads to the sewers, activating Venom before using Multiplication to create eight smaller clones of himself, finally using Sublimination to give the copies the power of invisibility. Strange, wouldn't wanting to be invisible count as a wish? While looking for “the Collector”, Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm, getting a bag of shredded cheese. The two chase after the illusion, only to fall through a Voyage portal into the sewers, where Cat Noir is almost immediately stunned by one of the clones. Hey, it took five whole episodes this season for him to be incapacitated by an Akuma to pointlessly raise the stakes this time! It's a new record! Ladybug throws the cheese to reveal the clones, who are then chased off by some nearby rats.

Monarch goes back to his normal form, and after a small pep talk, the illusion pretends to reject the Akuma entirely before falling into the water. The real Gabriel detransforms and then pretends to have gotten out. So Gabriel tricked the heroes with his foolproof plan... except for the fact that Ladybug and Cat Noir should have recognized the use of Venom, the hidden clones of the Collector when the video Nino got only said he had the Horse Miraculous' power, the akuma somehow purifying itself when Ladybug still needed to de-evilize it in “Rocketear” and “Penalteam”, the fact that Gabriel should be soaking wet from falling into the water, and the—okay, you all know where this is going.

youtube

Meanwhile, Nino sees the footage of the illusion and sees what he believes to be the way Monarch gave the Collector the Horse Miraculous' powers. Nino then apologizes to Gabriel for attacking him, Gabriel forgives him, and Nino invites him into the Resistance, with a bunch of new members. The final scene reveals that in addition to Nino, Alya, Marinette, Adrien, and Gabriel, the Resistance now has Max, Kim, Rose, Juleka, Ivan, Mylene, and to Marinette's horror, Lila. Also, there's a post-credits scene where Gabriel explains what he did to Tomoe when literally everyone watching was able to figure it out.

Okay, so let's summarize. The first mission for Nino's resistance involved assaulting a private civilian, was easily discovered before it could even be implemented, was just as easily foiled by an illusion, now Monarch and one of his allies have infiltrated the alliance as moles, and Nino isn't even aware that his plan was a colossal failure. This resistance isn't exactly going to be like the Rebel Alliance, is it?

Yeah, this episode sucked. It's easily the worst one so far in my opinion. There were a handful of decent moments and ideas here, but my God, the story was just terrible. Morally gray subject or not, it's hard to get behind the heroes when they try to intentionally piss someone off for a plan that the audience knows is going to fail, especially a plan as stupid as Nino's. This episode features Nino at his most obnoxious and unlike Alya, Marinette, and especially Adrien, he doesn't even feel bad for what he did to Gabriel when it ended up being (as far as we know) completely pointless. It feels like the writers wanted to gloss over the ethics of Nino's plan by making Gabriel the victim, because if it was anyone else, it would have made him look like a colossal prick. The fact that he learns nothing and thinks his moronic scheme was a success really doesn't help.

The other characters thankfully weren't as bad. It seemed like the writers were trying to show some self-awareness by having Alya, Marinette, and Adrien object to the plan in one way or another, but it never really went much other than them begrudgingly going along with it, much less calling him out for his actions. At the same time, they all got some decent moments, like Alya and Marinette's discussion about Monarch and Adrien struggling to convey his feelings about the Alliance rings to Gabriel.

It's also kind of weird that it took us about five episode into the season for Lila to finally be relevant again after she did absolutely nothing for the last three episodes of Season 4 and the first four episodes of this season. It was only three and a half years since “Ladybug”, the last major Lila episode premiered, right? But hey, at least the writers didn't overindulge in the dumb Lila lies like her other episodes, and was used more as an informant to kick off Gabriel's counter to Nino's plan.

Putting aside how terrible Nino's plan was, Gabriel's plan still had a lot of problems to it. Like I already mentioned, it's a little strange that Ladybug and Cat Noir never talk about the tiny clones they fought, or the fact that Cat Noir was stung by Venom. I can kind of suspend my disbelief by saying Ladybug was too focused on the battle to think, but why the hell didn't Cat Noir say anything? You would think after working alongside Queen Bee and Vesperia, he would recognize what being stung by Venom must look like. Yeah, Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't know Monarch can now use more powers for some reason, but it still really bothers me, because they should know the Collector can't multiply himself. It's also strange that he made his trick so hard to find when you would think it would be more obvious to see

But overall, this one was just a chore to get through. It feels like the writers saw how much some people didn't like Nino in “Rocketear”, and were like, “You call THAT character assassination?” And speaking of...

THE BIGGEST IDIOT OF THE EPISODE IS... NINO

Was there ever any doubt? The dude talked about his identity in a public place, nonchalantly blew him and his girlfriend's cover when he had no reason to for his Resistance, tried to get his best friend's dad akumatized while not caring about any potential damage, showed no remorse for what he did when his plan blew up in his face, tried to tell Ladybug and Cat Noir about what he learned while they were fighting the Collector, and all that was for a plan that didn't even work because the intel was discovered with ease, to say nothing about how he unintentionally let two enemies into his own Resistance. I've seen a lot of stupid decisions in this show, but never have I seen a single episode where a character makes screw-up after screw-up and doesn't even realize how much of a colossal moron he's being. With the past five episodes I covered and awarded Biggest Idiot Awards to (Ladybug, Alya, Xuppu, Mr. Damocles, and Luka), it was more them not seeing the bigger picture. Here, Nino is honestly trying to help Ladybug and Cat Noir, yet he failed at his job in every way.

155 notes · View notes

chaifootsteps · 6 months

Note

it's kinda sad fans will talk til they're blue in the face about how good it is for HB or HH to represent abuse and have messy queer relationships, but won't think critically about Stol*tz and just swallow what the show is telling them is the 'right' way to look at it.

I also think it's frustrating to see fandoms use having supposedly progressive values as a pretext to shut down critiques by generalizing all of it as 'just hating a bisexual Salvadoran female creator' (while ignoring threats, lies and doxxing done to the critical community), but then they'll completely refuse to do any class analysis in terms of the failings of how the show is written.

There's a really interesting conversation that could be had about the class structure in Hell and the way imps are obviously written as an underclass - they literally provide most of the food through farming and in nearly every other context we see them working, it's in menial or as literal servants (Stolas has a meeting about the divorce in a cafe literally called The Richest Cup with the side advertisement Where the Poor Pour For You! in Western Energy) - and how Blitzo fits into that.

As an imp he's supposed to settle for whatever he can get in life but he refuses to. He starts a business - something Striker says most imps don't do - and the idea is so ambitious he needs to get to the human realm to pull it off. And I think there's another conversation to be had in the way that critcizing Stolas for the Full Moon deal is immediately met with 'Blitzo could just wriggle out of it / Blitzo didn't have to start that kind of business / Blitzo should run IMP some other way' - putting it another way, viewers are more comfortable suggesting that Blitzo should settle for being a servant or working a minimum wage job & potentially bankrupt himself and his employees by closing IMP, than they are questioning why it is that the rich and powerful have unfettered access to the human realm through powerful artifacts when even lower class hellborns like Hellhounds can learn magic and use the Grimoire's spells proficiently.

They're more comfortable taking Blitzo saying he doesn't fuss about when he and Stolas hook up literally one time at face value and use it as 'proof' that Stolas never did anything wrong coercing him into a deal for sex because they claim Blitzo doesn't mind, instead of digging into the notion that Blitzo has internalized the message from a very young age that it's fine for him to be literally bought if he can get what he needs to live out of it, all because he was born a poor imp. In other words, viewers want any out that Stolas didn't do a bad thing and don't apply any nuance to the fact that Blitzo is doing what he needs to do to keep the lights on. Just because Blitz has learnt to cope with it by either disassociating or even trying to eroticize his own subjugation by being the 'dominant' one in his encounters with Stolas, it doesn't make it right. Being as blunt as possible, even if Blitzo looked happier later down the line in hanging out with Stolas the initial agreement was still made under coercion, and Blitzo keeping it going is not the evidence of a free choice.

I just think it's typical of the way people view power and wealth that they will endlessly nitpick someone trying to survive if they complain about their poor treatment and cherrypick examples to undermine why they aren't really a victim, instead of critiquing the wider system that allows Stolas all that power and wealth in the first place. And if we must do individual critiques - why is it OK to say Blitzo should just give up on the book and his business, but it's not OK to ask why Stolas couldn't just get him an asmodean crystal or not propose the full moon deal in the first place?

And on a more basic level, I think a lot of this is just human nature - fans want to like both Stolas and his creator so they'll do anything to say they're in the right. I'm sure if other characters or creators behaved the way Stolas & Viv did but they just weren't as popular or well-loved, no one would present so many bad arguments trying to defend them. It's just plain old cognitive dissonance because fans don't want to give up on a fandom/show/character they're attached to

This is a good analysis, Anon. Agreed.

#Anonymous #stolitz critical #viv stuff #helluva boss critical #actual blog post

49 notes · View notes

sarucane · 6 months

Text

Why did Ed throw away his leathers?

Who's up for a scene-by-scene analysis of Ed's character development in S2E6? Cause I feel the need to rant, so come along for the ride

In season 2 episode 5, Ed is complaining to Stede about having to wear something other than his leathers. Then in ep6, he's (without explanation) back in the leathers--and brooding over the kraken. By the beginning of ep7, he's actually tossing his leathers into the sea.

It's a pretty abrupt transition, and the shift in focus from Ed's relationship with Stede to Ed's relationship with himself is kind of jarring. So I'm gonna go rant about how Ed shifts in each scene of ep 6, building up to his attempt here to break completely with his past self.

At the beginning of the episode, Ed's sitting and brooding. Fang had to strongarm him into sitting with himself in the last ep, but now Ed's doing it voluntarily.

And what he's thinking about is his kraken-self. He flashes back looking at all the things he did, the things he completely failed to take real responsibility for at the beginning of ep5. He says he can feel a storm coming, but what the viewers just saw points to a storm inside himself.

In the first season, Ed told Stede that he wasn't a good person because he'd killed his dad and he'd planned to killed Stede. That he hadn't killed anyone since he killed his dad. But that "no kill" rule was always semantics and misdirection. A cognitive dissonance that allowed Ed to live with himself--without having to change his behavior. And to live in the violent pirate world.

But Ed couldn't keep from being the kraken by not killing someone with his own hands. And he's finally realizing that, finally dealing with the full weight of what he's done, and starting to reckon with what that means.

So he apologizes to Izzy. He does so after Izzy's initiated conversation and offered him a drink, and he does so in a way that Izzy can accept (like when the crew ran off after leaving the unicorn leg). And Ed doesn't give any context or justification to that apology, just takes responsibility. It's an important step, and shows how far he's come since the non-apology speech last episode.

Then Stede shows him a closet that's far less fun than the auxiliary wardrobe: a place where he's stuffed all Ed's loot from his kraken phase. Stede presents this as half-gift, half-convenience (hell, squint a bit and it can read as early step in Stede and Ed moving in together, like Ed having a drawer).

Stede clearly didn't expect Ed to be depressed about this "Guilt Room" (and notice that Ed and Stede aren't positioned face-to-face in most of the scenes in this episode, a staging choice that points to how they're not both close but not quite getting each other's headspaces). But Ed looks at the room and just sees a reminder of how terrible shitty a person he became.

So Stede suggests something constructive. These scenes are difficult, because Stede is trying, he's offering solid ideas to Ed. But Ed's depression doesn't lift while they're in that room. The loot isn't the poison, it's just a reminder of the poison that's already inside Ed.

Ed's better when they leave and there's other things he can focus on. Going on shore and giving slashing lessons to two random Waititi kids noticeably cheers him up--he even flirts with Stede a bit. But that leads him to straight lying and saying "we aren't pirates, we run an inn." It's his first attempt in the episode to just reject the poison completely, isolate the kraken from himself.

Ed's also clearly feeling better during the Calypso's birthday party. He embraces the community there, joining in on the drinking and "sacred traditions," and poking Stede to do the same. When he withdraws to the side of the ship, Stede pulls him back in to the group.

Then Ned Lowe attacks, and he does so because Ed's a better pirate than him. Because of Ed's guilt, because of how he got that room full of treasure.

Both the big party and Lowe's attack happen because of Ed's actions at the beginning of the season. The party is an attempt to turn poison into positivity. But then it's destroyed by pure poison, wiping out all the positivity and more.

Ed doesn't reckon with this until later. While Lowe's onscreen, he's not focusing on himself or his guilt at all. He deliberately refuses to be impressed by anything Lowe does, only taking Lowe seriously when he hurts Stede--and even then, only for a minute.

Ed refuses to kill Lowe because "I don't respect you enough to kill you. You're not worth the poison."

It's consistent with all Ed's actions in this episode. He's not going to take Lowe seriously. He's not willing to give Lowe that power. And it also reaches back to how he was thinking about violence at the beginning of the episode: acts rebound on the one who does them. One pirate killing another is a cycle, and Ed doesn't want to be a part of it anymore because it makes him someone who destroys everything around him. And that's not who Ed wants to be anymore.

Lowe spots Ed's insecurity immediately, demanding to know "what happened to you," questioning his identity and worth. Ed still doesn't seem able to bring himself to care--but the crew does, and so does Stede.

And that's when Ed finally engages with what's been happening. Because he sees Stede making a decision that's going to poison him--driven partly by insecurity around why Ed fell for him in the first place. And after all, Lowe is only there because of Ed. The poison originated with him.

Ed understands why Stede kills Lowe, he understands why the crew cheers it on. But it's one more effect of his kraken phase come back around.

Ed doesn't think about this immediately afterwards. He focuses on Stede, on supporting the guy he loves in a psychologically difficult moment. He responds to Stede's need and sets aside all his fears of the risk in this relationship, all his struggles with his self-identity, just for a while, to focus on what's right in front of him.

But when he wakes up, those problems are still there. And Ed tries to resolve them by cutting himself off from the poison. By throwing the leathers away, symbolically throwing away the kraken self that brought all this on them.

Ed does all this slowly and deliberately. But it's as much a panic move as the twine was, as much a doomed (though useful!) experiment as putting on a robe and singing in s1 was, and as extreme and ultimately useless as painting a beard on his face in to be the kraken was. You can't carve yourself up. And deep down Ed knows this.

Ed is so inward focused in this episode--that, or he's completely focused on what's happening around him--that he's not realizing how people are helping him. That Izzy, Stede, and the crew are opening doors for him to walk through, to reckon with and accept his past self. That (unlike Ned Lowe) his past bad actions and failures don't define him, any more than they do Izzy or Stede. He doesn't have to go to these extremes. He can just be Ed.

#it's very important everyone understand that those children are Taika's daughters #our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd spoilers #ofmd meta #ed teach #stede bonnet #blackbonnet #edward teach #blackbeard #gentlebeard

38 notes · View notes

dark-night-hero · 2 years

Note

What are your thoughts and opinions on kenma meeting his future s/o on a genshin stream where kenma excepted a co-op request and little does he know that reader is on the other side video taping her reaction with kenma

OMG HAHA So here's the thing with a twist.

Imagine Kozume Kenma meeting his significant other for the first time on a special genshin Impact co-op stream.

Imagine you, how just happened to got home with the help of your relatives manage to got home safe from a family gathering that day.

Imagine going home sober enough to remember you haven't done your commissions and daily routine on genshin Impact. So you sat there in front of your computer, looking at the clock which says 9:00 pm. You still have enough time to do your routines.

Imagine leaning back in your gaming chair, sober enough to do your commission and routine as long as you don't stand up because might as well black out on the spot. Anyways!

Imagine farming for Cyno and Heizou, having one of your daily routine was to farm for those guys and their freaking scarab beetles and onikabuto. It was like hell, going through the desert, mountains and forest, it requires a lot of patience and which you obviously lack nevertheless you still farm for those two annoying materials.

Imagine farming those two hellish material and never just stopping at your own world, not till you manage to farm at least 50-60 per day so it goes without saying that you do co-op.

"Kozu- kodzuken??" You were tired, sober enough to do your commission but tipsy enough not to recognize your favorite streamer. "Kodzuken??? Why does this sounds so familiar. I swear to god I've heard this somewhere." You frown but eventually shrug it off, wanting to finish farming so you could just go to sleep in peace.

Another player wants to join your game. Allow?

Puddin

Lv. 55

Imagine the look of amusement on Kenma's face as he read the following username on his screen, the first thing that came to notif him upon allowing world requests on his settings in order to play with one lucky fan which happened to be you.

Imagine him expecting to get boomerang with endless of questions and probably fan simping behavior upon seeing three dots as he opened the chat box on the co-op chat when he end up letting out a laugh once the message revealed itself.

Puddin: Hi

Puddin: Please.. Please tell me you've unlock all your way points in sumeru.

Puddin: Also that you haven't farm for scarab beetles and onibakuto.

Puddin: Oh honestly nevermind that, can I have some of your scarab beetles? Please? This is literally the 6th world I've join and they haven't unlocked the desert region yet.

Imagine the way his super chat as well as the normal chat explode in laughs and disbelief as well as a bit of disappointment but as they say Kodzuken chuckle, no, laugh in surprise. They have all forgotten about you who looks like they don't even know what they were doing and to whom world they are currently in.

Kodzuken: No I haven't farm yet.

Kodzuken: And yes, I have unlocked all way points in the game.

Kodzuken: And yes again, you can go ahead and catch some scarab beetles.

Puddin: *sends venti sticker

Puddin: oh my goodness finally!

Puddin: Thank you very much! I hope you sleep well todayyy YAY

Puddin: *sends another venti sticker

Imagine the way he let out another laugh chuckle upon seeing your reply in which he find cute for some reasons. It looks like to him, as well as his viewers that you have no absolute idea what was happening on his side right now in which he find absolutely hilarious.

Kodzuken: Do you need some help?

Puddin: Nah I can do this.

Imagine as his character watch you from afar in the desert. He could not help but to smile as he watch you going around looking for your materials in which doesn't seem to appear. Well, you aren't in the farming spot after all.

Kodzuken: Are you sure do don't need some help?

Imagine the silence after that, the way your character just stand in there. Eventually three dots starts to appear.

Puddin: Please.. Do show me the way hehe.

Imagine the way he once again let out a chuckle, his viewers taking a note of how many times have he showed that beautiful smile in this stream right now, the way his super chat explode when he does.

Imagine him helping you throughout the stream as the two of you wander your way on the desert, mostly because you seems to have forgotten where to farm as Kenma lead you the way to catch some beetles. It goes the same when you went to collect the onibakuto.

Imagine as time flies, both of you not realizing how long the two of you were in co-op until his alarm rings, it's time for him to end the stream, he does have an afternoon classes the day after.

Puddin: Awww really? Well I guess its a miracle I last this long.

Kodzuken: Hm? What makes you say that?

Puddin: I was just planning to farm on your world but we end up taking down a few weakly bosses too.

Kodzuken: You mean weekly?

Puddin: Nah it's weakly because they're weak

Puddin: *Sends Mona stickers

Puddin: Oh right. You have a nice name, it's cool.

Kodzuken: Thank you, it's not my real name though haha

Puddin: Really? What a shame..

Puddin: But you know what, it sounds familiar.

Imagine the way he put up his interest, running his stream a little longer knowing something fun was about to come.

Kodzuken: What sounds familiar?

Puddin: Your name. It sounds really familiar.

Kodzuken: Just familiar?

Kodzuken: *Send sucrose sticker

Puddin: You know what, forget it. I'll remember it when I'm sober enough.

Puddin: Well then I'm going to sleep, you too sleep well! Thank you for letting me farm on your world, may the character you're trying to pull go home to you :))

Imagine the moment of silence not only in Kenma's streaming room but also on his stream chat box before it explodes again as he started laughing for real. They were drunk this whole time? It's so fucking hilarious he couldn't help it.

"Ah it's been a while since I had a good laugh fufu." Kenma spoke with a soft sigh, ending his stream in the following minutes then afterwards going through his recent player interaction.

Imagine waking up the day after thinking anything was normal, having no lectures for today, the first thing you did was to open your gadget only to notice how many messages were went into you as well as the notification of Kodzuken stream yesterday in which you have missed.

Imagine deciding to shrug it off as you once again went to open Genshin Impact thinking of the commissions you have missed yesterday as well as your farming. The first thing you notice was a friend request.

Kodzuken

Lv. 60

Imagine thinking it was some sort of joke, your friends do know that you idolize the guy. Without much thought about it, you clicked the accept button. Soon enough you received a message.

Kodzuken: I'm guessing you're sober enough to recognize me? Puddin.

Puddin: Huh?

Kodzuken: You haven't watched the stream yet?

Imagine the look of confusion on your face, wanting to curse whoever this person is for making you confuse and rethink your life choices the day before.

Puddin: I have no idea what you're talking about.

Puddin: *Send Sucrose sticker

Kodzuken: Watch the stream then

Kodzuken: *Send Kaeya sticker

Puddin: Stream? What stream? Who's stream?

Kodzuken: Mine.

Puddin: Hah, very funny.

Kodzuken: I'm not kidding though?

Kodzuken: Why don't you check it? You got nothing to lose

Kodzuken: *Send Qiqi sticker

Imagine the horrified look on your face, not knowing if being flustered or passing out would be the best for you right now. After all Kodzuken looks like he has having fun with you all throughout the stream.

Kodzuken: You've been unresponsive for a while now, I'm guessing you've finally watch it?

Puddin: *Send Qiqi sticker

Puddin: *Send Amber sticker

Puddin: Holy **** I'm so ******* embarrassed

Puddin: *Send Amber sticker

Kodzuken: hahahaha rest assured I had fun.

Kodzuken: *Sends Kazuha sticker

Kodzuken: Also can I join your world?

Puddin: Do you need something?

Kodzuke: Nah, I just want to.

Imagine the way your hear skipped a beat and as if giving you no time to adjust, a request made its way in your screen.

Another player wants to join your game. Allow?

Kodzuken

Lv. 60

Accept || Decline

#genshin impact #kozume kenma x reader #kozume kenma #kozume x reader #ask #dark-night-hero #haikyuu!!#haikyu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu kenma #hq kenma #kenma hcs #kenma scenario #kenma kuzome #i got.. well.. carried away I suppose #little bit different from what was asked but i tried my best haha

205 notes · View notes

animehouse-moe · 1 year

Text

Skip and Loafer Episode 8: Hot and Complications

Well, another Skip and Loafer episode, another day of talking about a hell of a lot of stuff. A cute zoo trip plus a dramatic glimpse into the past that overlaps with a sleepover for the girls? There's certainly lots going on, and the episode takes advantage of that to fill it to the brim with information.

The thing freshest on my mind is probably the most surprising piece: Nao-chan and Mika. An unlikely duo for sure, but I love how it's approached. They both share similar experiences in regards to isolation and putting forth intense effort to fit in and be accepted, but were/are limited by themselves and because of that end up isolated and alone. It's a really really outstanding piece that the pair share, and I love how Nao-chan's able to look back on their experiences growing up, and despite how different they are to Mika's, sympathize with her and give her the words and confidence that she needs in those key moments. This clip of the pair of them summarizes it really well.

Anyways, back to Mika for some more. You really get a good idea of just how observant and knowledgeable she is as a character through episodes like this. She thinks about almost everything possible and finds the perfect way to act and respond, and she internalizes a great deal of what other people say. Case and point was her inner thoughts after hearing Murashige's story about middle school. The first thing to pop into her mind was why Murashige's experience was like that, and she uses that to belittle herself.

It's just such a great piece. She's having a sleepover with her friends, who invited her, and all she's able to feel is isolation and guilt in regards to her self. And it works in perfect opposition to the outspoken Mika. There's two facets to her personality, and they remain at odds with each other. She might think little of herself, but she's also the kind of girl that will stake out her friends trip to the zoo with a guy. Now sure, there might be a little in there because she's in love with Shima and wants to take over Mitsumi's role, but that doesn't get in the way of her supporting her friend, and I think that's a great example of just how disparate Mika's image of herself is to who she really is, and does wonders to continue using Mika as a vehicle for showing viewers how damaging and heavy the weight is of expectations that are placed on young girls in society.

If viewers thought Egashira was abrasive when we were first introduced to them, Ririka really is on another level. Her character does great at getting people to hate them right away, but there is more to it than that. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's "good" pieces that lurk, but there's certainly more than meets the eye.

The very first thing you pick up on is that Ririka and Shima have a set amount of space between them. No matter what, while they're walking Ririka is always comfortably ahead of Shima, and the episode tries really hard to make viewers cognizant of that space.

So, what's the point? Well, if the conversation didn't make it clear enough, Ririka and Shima aren't exactly getting on like a house on fire. There's a palpable distance and apathy between the pair that permeates their interactions. To put it into words, it's the gaps between their lives. Ririka has moved on and is back into show business, while Shima has given up that life. The pair are for all intents and purposes, completely apart from one another. But there's one little thing that makes it interesting, and that's when Ririka looks back at Shima.

Sure, a simple smile or softer face isn't really anything crazy, but compare it with the scenes of her looking straight ahead. She's deadpan.

So, she's only happy when looking at Shima, and only looking back at him for that matter. I think most can see where I'm going so I'll cut to the chase. She misses the old Shima, the one that stood side by side with her and held her hand. The Shima that she was friends with and spent time together with, the one that only warmed up to her.

It makes for a really great character. She uses that controversy over being around alcohol as a younger kid to hold Shima on a leash, and she does it for herself, simply because she doesn't want to lose him. At the end of the day, it makes her a very terrible and shallow person, but as a character it's a great approach and provides a very easy way to get conflicting thoughts in regards to them. All they want is to be beside Shima again, but what they're doing is pushing him further and further away.

Now, there's a whole lot of other stuff in regards to this episode, but I'm going to try and fly through it as quick as possible now.

The direction: I still really love how well they integrate that first person perspective into stuff with Mitsumi and Shima. It really just adds something to their moments that I can't quite put my finger on.

Something that I can put my finger on though is the layering of the scenes. It's really simple stuff to add another table in front of Mitsumi and Shima or to throw some CG characters in the distance for movement, but it adds so much to the viewer's understanding of the scale and scope of the world. Just a little piece that makes you think, "oh yeah, there's more to this than just Shima and Mitsumi".

What you can also get from this image is that the sense of space and distance in a lot of cuts in the series is still there. There's plenty of static scenes that characters move through quite well, and it's really nice in adding to that sense of breadth that makes you think about what lies outside of the viewer's perception.

Alright alright, the last piece I swear. I really loved how the episode showed off the girls having fun with their sleepover, and placed Shima's quiet and lonely night against it. It really does wonders to show how separated Shima is from a truly normal life, and how his friends (namely Mitsumi) and Tsubame West are his bridge towards having experiences like that. Just a really great and simple piece that's really cute while still managing to tell something of importance.

So yeah, Skip and Loafer continues to knock it out of the park with hit after hit. Incredible work all around to deliver something of this quality. Coming this far, I was really expecting to be betrayed by my own words from early on, but Skip and Loafer really is positioned to become an instant classic Slice of Life/RomCom.

#skip and loafer #skip to loafer #スキップとローファー #iwakura mitsumi #mitsumi iwakura #sousuke shima #shima sousuke #mika egashira #makoto kurume #yuzuki murashige #anime review #anime recommendation #romcom anime #anime and manga #anime

55 notes · View notes

dropthedemiurge · 10 months

Text

Be My Favorite Finale Timeline [EP.10-12] How Pisaeng and Kawi change until they become equal

I honestly have no idea why I spent so much time on this, but the discussion with @rocketturtle4 got me thinking and, well, I like to consume my media scientifically, so I made a graph of my interpretation of the final jump xD

Somehow, I believe there wasn't really any 'different' alternate timeline this time because the changes to Kawi and Pisaeng's lives were minimal, so it can be a slightly different AU but to simplify, I'll assume it's one timeline because it makes a lot of sense. What's fascinating to me is not following their where-being (or when-being) but the changes in the characters mindsets.

[please open it to study, i couldn't make it more vertical, unfortunately]

I was talking about possible reasons why Kawi suddenly seemed to switch into such wise and calm demeanor during their repeated date, and I've heard of behavior patterns of Child, Parent, Adult modes.

Disclaimer: we studied it in uni very briefly cuz i'm actually STEM major but that description of mindsets opened my eyes and explained a lot to me so i'm using it, you can interpret it's probably with your own life experience; also terminology is probably not official, i'm describing it with my words and not scientific articles

So let me tell you my thoughts!

Phase [1]

Kawi and Pisaeng aren't on the equal footing even if they started to date. Kawi is into his "child mode": he's anxious and even if he's brave at times without alcohol, he's getting more anxious about being with Pisaeng due to all pressuring flirting (and Max's comments). His fears and hesitation are valid but he is protesting and running away a lot, sometimes being unnecessarily harsh and self-centered.

Pisaeng in his "parent mode" has to coax him, reassure him and sometimes manipulate to get them where he wants them, adding more not-subtle hints and more pressure onto Kawi.

Phase [2]

The date doesn't go well because they are not communicating and the power/control imbalance is too strong. It's not enough to get them to break up, of course, but it's not perfect life.

But wait – then why had the series immediately jumped to such a sweet intimate scene without any communication? Did we miss something? Why Kawi seemed to be hesitantly ready to challenge himself now when he just flatly refused to go on a scary ride with Pisaeng? First night shouldn't work when two people are on very different levels of comfort and confidence, so many viewers were worried and put off by this, me included. [especially if you consider Kawi was so heavily ace-coded throughout the show, it felt really wrong to force him to go through this in his alleged state of mind]

[now I completely recontextualized these Kawi's brave little nods, anxious blinking and heavy breathing, thanks to time-travelling hooray]

But! In EP.12 we get an explanation – Kawi actually lived the day twice (vaguely conscious of that) and experienced something very unusual that flipped his mindset – Pisaeng in distress. Kawi saw very upset and sad, scared and not confident Pisaeng in "child mode" and... immediately switched to his "parent mode" instead. (as someone who experienced this, I can tell that this switch can happen really fast and work really effective and it's not unbelievable).

Kawi is now the one reassuring Pisaeng – as someone who lived longer, as someone who already time-traveled and learned a lesson or two from time wizard and his own countless mistakes. Knowing that he and Pisaeng lived many happy years and they both don't want to change anything, left only one thought: well, then let's just be brave for each other, hold hands and face the future together, no matter what it is. I'll be strong for you when you aren't, and vice versa.

Phase [3]

Finally communicating with Pisaeng and seeing his vulnerable side, being able to provide comfort for him and gaining much-needed control, Kawi is reaching his ultimate bravery and peace in "adult mode".

It is leading him to overcome his last fears (even if taking "high adrenaline rides for adults" doesn't make him feel great anyway like he predicted, it makes Pisaeng happy so he'll do it, and they met each other in the middle instead, therefore the metaphor is complete). Kawi lives many years very content and zen-like, speaking wisdom because he's satisfied with his not-grand-not-miserable life. He also knows a bit about his future and getting extremely sick (he probably prepared that "i know what you have done!" teasing long beforehand xD) and just patiently lives his happy life, enjoying every moment in the present.

Original!Pisaeng, however, is still in his "parent mode", but since Kawi is meeting him now with more strength and confidence, they are able to move forward from disaster dates and live for years in good relationship, making many sweet domestic memories.

But it's time for Pisaeng's self-journey!

Phase [4]

Years in the future, Pisaeng is seeing Kawi's potential for stardom and celebrity fame, and he is thinking their queer relationship is bad for Kawi's life, that he's holding him back. Being "parent" all this time, he still feels responsible for Kawi. He doesn't believe that Kawi actually experienced fame in another life and doesn't want it anymore. Pisaeng thinks he doesn't improve Kawi's life. Not being able to pinpoint his fears or get answers that would satisfy him out of nonchalant enlightened Kawi, Pisaeng is slipping more into "child mode".

And when Kawi gets extremely sick, Pisaeng is hit with distressing realization that Kawi legally has no family and he's powerless to help him or do anything. All the more reasons that Kawi shouldn't have been staying in relationship with Pisaeng. Maybe they should've broken up in the past (which he actually suggest when going back). Eventually, Pisaeng is unsure, scared and in need of advice, like a child.

Phase [5]

It's only when he's experienced travelling to the past [Phase [2]], he actually believes Kawi. And Kawi insists that he would never change anything even if he knew he could die. He claims Pisaeng is the right person for him, and there's no room for any but what if? – Kawi has experienced many versions of his life, and he knows what he's talking about. Parenting reassurance of Kawi finally gives Pisaeng the peace of mind and his confidence back. [also something something hand offering-hand rejection-hand reaching-hand holding leitmotiv throughout phase 2 and phase 5]

At the happier and more peaceful version of their date, Kawi and Pisaeng already are two equal "adults" stuck in a weird little dot of a time-loop — but it is the exact moment that would define their whole life together.

Now they have similar timey-wimey experiences, mutual understanding and the same level of love, communication and bravery to face the future. That's where they definitely end up during the Time-Travelling point of Pearmai's wedding, after Pisaeng returns to the future and meets Kawi as equal.

With their lovely found family, many happy memories, bright future, both Kawi and Pisaeng are being confident and content with their lives.

Time Wizard Uncle's job is done here, for sure.

#somebody please make a comparison post of Kawi from the beginning of the story and its end #cuz that character development IS MASSIVE :D #be my favorite #be my favorite the series #be my favorite meta #bmf #dropthemeta #be my favourite #phew that was a long post but uuuh i dreamed the scheme before sleep yesterday and i needed to make it happen #pisaeng x kawi #bmf pisaeng #bmf kawi #thai bl #thai drama

22 notes · View notes