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#you might just not be prepared to see the full art actually
frrrozi · 1 year
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I am completely unnormal about Cielle
I'm insane actually
We are in this together fr 😭
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inklessletter · 10 months
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Congratulations, first of all, for reaching the milestone 💐💐💐 you deserve every single follower, and then some. Your art is always so pretty and I love how you bring us along during your process.
Secondly, would you like to make art based on this fic of mine? I'm thinking right at the beginning, when Eddie falls to his knees on stage and he and Steve have their "moment".
Thank you for hosting this fanart party ❤️
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Steve tilts his head, and Eddie prepares for a kiss. He gets no lips, only tongue; Steve licks his mouth, from one corner to the other.
🎸🎸🎸
@2btheanswertothequestion
This one was SO MUCH FUN TO DO. I had trouble finding good references for the ambiance, but I love the result. Please, go read the fic, it's so good.
I know that I don't know many of the users that sent me requests a few weeks ago, but I've got a tiny story to tell about this one (I'm getting to know you little by little and I'm falling for every single one of you, you talented fuckers). They are the reason I am in Tumblr. It happens that I created an account many months ago, and didn't know how to use this, I just clicked "follow" to the tags and the blogs ST/Steddie related that posted fics and arts, and on my way to work, in the bus, I read the first chapter of a fanfic that made lose my stop (literally, I got late to the office that day).
Sad thing is the next time I opened the app, the fic was gone. I just remembered a few things and god knows that the search bar in this site works... well, works. Sometimes. I couldn't find it. I made it my personal goal to actually find this fic again, and this user, whose name I didn't catch because, again, I didn't know how to use Tumblr. This user pulled a full Cinderella on me, reading with intent every fic until the shoe fit. And I found it by mere coincidence, because they posted the third part, and I was like "WAIT IS THIS IT?". And it was it.
In the meanwhile, I actually completed my account, like you know, trying not to make it look like a bot (that I learned that it was a bad thing that could get me blocked), I put a profile picture, I made it decent, I learned how to use Tumblr (a bit). So, you see. This user, my beloved @2btheanswertothequestion is the one to blame that I actually stuck in this place. If you're wondering which one was the fic that got me so hooked up it was November Paramedic. (Here the AO3 link). Go read it, you're gonna love it.
(I'm kinda mad that they didn't asked me to draw the actual picture of the calendar, though. I have some ideas, I might draw it the future, because when I say that I hold this fic very close to my heart, I mean it.)
I really, really hope you like it, I worked hard on it and I did this with every bit of love stored in my heart ❤️❤️❤️
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ginnysgraffiti · 9 days
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(long) imagine.
i'll work on other characters :)
how would timmy's characters declare to you?
&. LEE
it wouldn't take much or little.
in reality, it is unpredictable.
he would be able to perceive this strong connection between you from the first moment, of course, but he would be so tormented by the thought of spilling all his paranoia on you that he would prefer to live with it.
however, you certainly can't say that he doesn't commit, because he would give you sooooo many signals.
the way he looks at you, like the most delicate creature capable of willingly climbing into his dented pickup truck, the way he would smell your hair, prepare your meals if you were to stop at his sister's place.
i mean, he would give you so many signals that your hypothetical doubt would be extremely out of sight.
he would seek constant attention, sometimes in a very desperate and childish way, and then add his usual flirting and perhaps stealing kisses on your cheek or nibbling your fingers.
he would always search for a way to kiss you, but then, due to extreme contradiction and lack of morals, as soon as you get too close he will do everything he can to turn away and hide his embarrassment, lowering his head and rubbing his messy curls against your lips instead of actually support your boldness.
he would probably declare himself on a desolated hill away from the noisy traffic or rush hours of the city, or perhaps in some gas station or even in some mcdonald's while you both enjoy your burgers at 10pm.
however, even though it may seem like a frank and decisive action, he would immediately need cuddles and small kisses to confirm that he is not just an extreme burden to you but the guy you desire to date.
he would immediately call his sister, in tears, to tell her the news.
&. PAUL ATREIDES
paul would do anything to catch your attention.
anything.
to him, you are absolutely not just any fremen.
he would offer to train you, train you in the art of the sword even if he knows well you are absolutely better than him.
he'd help you put on your stillsuit, but he'd quickly walk away if you gave him a strange look, as fremen wear suits are commonplace at all times.
he would call the largest sandworms to show you his dexterity and now habit in the act. he would invite you to ride it with him, hoping that you would hold his waist and not try to challenge him in the best ride.
he's obsessed with the way you ride worms.
of course, he would see you in his every vision. happy, perhaps provocative or exciting visions that he just wants to see come true.
his stiff, masculine and proud composure would slowly collapse in your presence, that's for sure.
paul would even feel so scared of coming out in a way that might go against your fremen tradition that you'd find him with stilgar every day, talking like two best friends dedicated to gossip, while he would have asked him for professional advice that he would never have revealed to you.
he would finally declare under a warm and cosy night under a sky full of bright stars while your bodies lay and melt between fluffy sand dunes.
&. HAL
there's no need to specify or even explain it: hal would make you live in luxury.
but i mean, luxury.
even if you had never broached the topic openly or even just shared the idea, you knew he wanted you as a queen.
the queen. his queen.
he would always find a way to carve out time for you, whether for horseback riding in the damp woods around the castle or for little night chatting after dinner.
he wasn't a man of many words, you knew it well and you took note of it since the beginning.
however, his tone was always sincere with you, as he even indulged in light rivers of alcohol when you were in his company, he always trusted you.
he loves how you treat him.
not like the king, not like any of the high ranks he was labelled with.
just like the man he was, the most gorgeous man you had ever seen.
this turned him on like hell, because you craved him as a person, you wanted him as a man, and you treated him like your closest friend.
hal, in fact, would never declare himself with sappy words. he's a man of action, that's for sure.
however, we're talking about you, and that means he would slip out the topic during a delicious dinner, followed by a quick and double-meaning suggestion to join him in his room once full.
finally, hal would make such an elaborate speech that your eyes would get watery.
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kangnina · 6 days
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MDNI - Rich!Jungwon 4
Jungwon Masterlist
“Should I be worried?” you say, brushing your hair as you look at Jungwon’s reflection in your vanity mirror. He climbs off the bed and walks up behind you, kissing the top of your head.
“No, having a guard assigned to you is just a standard precautionary measure. Please don’t be afraid, Jagiya,” Jungwon says, rubbing your shoulders.
“Is it because of your dad?” you whisper.
“What? No. I mean… yeah, he’s a pain in my ass but he’s not stupid enough to even think about actually hurting you.” You turn on your stool to face him.
“Jungwon, I know how he feels about me. I’ve seen the news articles. I knew marrying you could cause problems–” He kneels in front of you, tightly holding your hands.
“You are not causing problems! Don’t ever say that to me again. It’s just an adjustment period for everyone. My mom and I are taking care of this situation with Yang International. So please focus on your classes, okay?” He kisses your hands, smiling. You nod your head. He slips his fingers up your bare thigh. Your silk robe falling open to expose your panties. He smirks, dimples on full display. He lifts your leg over his bare shoulder. 
“Oh no you don’t, mister. I need sleep. I have two tests in the morning,” you say, pressing your hand to his face to stop him before he dips his head between your legs. He chuckles. 
“Just a taste, kitten. A little lick. Please…” he begs. You shake your head. He drops your leg and sighs defeatedly before standing up. “Okay. You’re right. Sleep is important…” He suddenly grabs you, pulling you up and over his shoulder.
“JUNGWON! NO!” You smack his ass with your hand. He smacks your ass in return before throwing you on the bed. You try to crawl away but he grabs your leg, pulling you back. Jungwon climbs on top of you as you giggle. He attacks your face with kisses, grinding his erection against your pussy. 
“You can give it to me or I can take it from you. What’s it gonna be?” he says huskily. You push him over, straddling him momentarily before he rolls you over. Too far, too fast and over the edge of the bed. “Oh fuck!” you shout as you both land onto the floor. Banging heads. “Shit baby. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” he reaches for your head and you smack his hand away. 
“This is what happens when you get greedy!” you groan, rubbing your head.
—----------------- 
“Tell her about the upcoming exhibit,” Jungwon says excitedly as he takes a bite of his eggs. You look at him nervously with big eyes. He nods encouragingly. His mom looks at you expectantly as she takes a sip of her coffee. With all the buzz of the media, the chaos between him and his dad over YI, Jungwon is trying his best to make you feel comfortable in his world. Which meant inviting his mom over for brunch one Saturday. He had a huge smile on his face when he told her that he prepared the meal all by himself. It made you happy, seeing him so happy that he accomplished a simple domestic task. 
“Uh, yes. It’s in three weeks. My whole class actually. It’s not just me. But I’ll have to decide which piece I feel truly represents my journey as an artist.” You smile shyly and Jungwon squeezes your hand. 
“That sounds lovely. May I attend?” she asks, smiling. You see the uncanny resemblance. Not just the dimples. Everything from her soft eyes to her nose and her genuine smile. Thank god he also inherited her endearing personality. 
“Of course, I’ll send you the final details as soon as I know them.”
“You know, the Met Gala is also in a few weeks. We attend it every year. But I know it’s not really one of Jungwon's favorite events to attend. Would you like to accompany me instead?” she asks. Your jaw hits the floor and Jungwon laughs. He tips your chin up to close your mouth.
“I’m pretty sure that’s a ‘yes’, mom.” You nod your head so hard, it just might roll off your neck.
“Wonderful. Finally, someone else in the family who appreciates art as much as I do,” she says with a wink.
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@nyfwyeonjun @maymarrylhs @nyxtwixx @ilabjungwon @enha-ism @belowbun @emi-en @mydearestwonnie @woniesprincess04 @snoopypupp @moonlightndaydreams @daydreams-after-dark @wildflowermooon
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flappingdragon · 2 months
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can u do how the om brothers would react to a mc that is like. (for lack of better words) EXTREMELY dumb ..... like karen smith level slow💀
Lmao I LOVE this idea. The best part is that I can definitely relate to this lol.
Content Rating: SFW
Content Warning: None, GN!MC
Characters: ✨The Seven Brothers✨
Additional Info: MC is very slow to understand, the brothers are patient, shorter HC’s this time (sorry), we love dumbfounded MC, the brothers love MC
Lucifer
He finds it quite surprising, actually
That the fact that there is such a human who is so oblivious to so many things
He first noticed when you walked into his office and he was on a phone call, but you didn’t see he was and you just continued to talk
He had to tell you to hush
He also told you to be more aware of other people’s situations
But he loves that about you
He even finds it endearing
Mammon
You’re in the same boat as him
You both take so long to understand a joke and you often find yourself looking at each other with confused expressions
It will take you both at least a day or two to understand what something meant or recognize what was happening at a given moment
Sometimes if one of you find something out before the other, one of you will rush to tell the other
It’s a cycle you two repeat endlessly and it’s hilarious
He’s just happy he finally found someone who can relate to him
Leviathan
If you’re slow to figure something out, whether it be a “why does this character to this and that” or a “what do you mean by that”, prepare to have a very long rundown conversation
Levi LOVES to explain everything to you in very large detail
He also loves the fact that you will volunteer to understand everything about a show he gets absorbed in
That means pulling an all nighter to go through every single manga volume or watch every episode of an anime
And if you ever need to know anything, he’s got your back
He fawns over you and the fact that he gets to talk to such a human like you and express his love for things to you without hearing you complain
He’s head over heals for you
Satan
Usually, if you ever find yourself struggling to understand something in a book or something you’re studying, he’ll explain it to you in the most simple way possible
Or if you need a more detailed and longer explanation, he’s happy to give you one
He’s an excellent source if you ever need help with your R.A.D school work
He’s also a walking dictionary
So if you don’t know what a word means, just ask him
He gets an ego boost every time you go to him and not one of his brothers
He loves the trust you put in him
Asmodeus
He usually gets stumped on how to explain things you don’t understand that isn’t of the sexual, joking manner
But he’ll try extra hard just for you
Like if you don’t understand how makeup works, he’ll more so demonstrate than tell you
It’s easier for him
And if you’re more of a visual and hands-on learner, then you’re in luck!
Because he won’t give up until you’ve mastered whatever art you ask for help in, even if it’s a skill he isn’t an expert in
He just loves how he can be in your company for hours and not get tired of you
Beelzebub
It doesn’t matter if you’re well conversed in food culture or not, he will explain everything about a certain food item to you down to the very soil the ingredients were planted in
He would talk for hours just describing the taste of food or furniture
Make sure to get him a snack to munch on while you get him to talk about food or he might just start nibbling on your arm instead
He loves the way he can talk to you about his favourite snacks and meals without making you bored or tired of his nonsense rambling
Belphegor
Ask him where the best napping spots are and he’ll make a five page full analysis on where he thinks the best spots are
He’ll explain why if you ever ask
He will even invite you to his favourite; the attic
Then he’ll continue to explain there
He’ll also act as if it’s the best thing that’s ever happened in his life
I mean, he gets to talk to someone who actually wants to know about his favourite napping places?
Count him IN
He loves the way you will earnestly listen to him and he also loves the fact that you will fall asleep with him when he asks
A/N: I hope I answered your ask correctly! I hope everything made sense bc I didn’t go back and proofread anything. Thanks for reading! Thanks for requesting, anon! 💜
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tspud-whiteboard · 1 year
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[Full Previews, Final Files and Extras can be found on GoogleDrive!] !!! THE DEADLINE HAS ARRIVED !!! (End of June it was) I am currently working on putting together the final files, but as this might take a while, YOU CAN STILL KEEP SENDING ME YOUR FELLAS! Once I’ve prepared the actual, finished, fullsize versions, this pinned post will unpin itself and I’ll put a different one here, with the final previews, the download links and some information what the future may hold... maybe I’ll do a Season Two if the interest is there. But we’ll have to see about that. For now, [SUBMIT MORE] like the wind while you still can! Hello, hello! Welcome to The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe Whiteboard Collaboration (a just-for-fun fan project)! I’m assuming that you found your way here because you’re well aware what The Stanley Parable is, and that you are curious to know what a Whiteboard Collaboration might be about!
Let me cut straight to the case then. It all started in 2023 - the 27th of April, to be precise - which just so happened to be the One Year Anniversary for the release of The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe on Steam and consoles, along with the historically very important and internationally renowned - or at the very least grudgingly accepted - 4/27: STANLEY DAY!
To celebrate the occasion, and only one day too late on the 28th, an idea came forth to put together a Whiteboard, containing all those Stanleys by all the fan artists out there (all credited, of course!), a worthy tribute to the Man of the Hour! And as you can see... we’ve already got quite a few collected!
But why stop there? Since plenty of people also came up with their own Narrator designs, and there’s a good few Timekeeper-Settings-432s and Curators, and plenty of other characters (defining the term loosely here), we might as well give them all their own little space to look absolutely dashing next to each other! Imagine, all those different designs, united in one glorious collection!
My point being... I’d love to see yours in there as well.
So... how can you join in?
The gist can be found up there in the first image, but let me also put it into text form down here, with some extra information:
[Submit] your Stanley, Narrator, 432 or Curator mugshot (or all of them at the same time!). You have [some other canon TSP favorite]? Go ahead, submit ‘em, too! We’ll find a spot. The format of the picture needs to be 300px (width) x 400px (height) to fit with the others. I can resize and cut them into shape if needed, but it’ll be easier on all of us if I don’t have to do that. All pictures will have a small white frame added by me afterwards, to give them that authentic printout flair.
Should the [Submit] button not work for you (I triple-checked and it works for me, but then who knows what this thing does while I’m not looking), sending your artworks through PM or tell me where you posted them is fine as well!
AUs and all art styles are fine! Please only submit one picture per character (if you have more than one design, maybe pick your favorite, or elegantly squeeze them into one picture. If you absolutely cannot decide, sending two pictures per character is okay, but I’d like to cap it there to give everyone equal amounts of space.
Must be Safe For Work!
This is also very important: Tell me how to credit you! Your name will go under your artwork, I do have to put something there. I’ll likely default to your username if I have nothing else to go by, but it’s best if you directly tell me, right there in your submission.
I will publish your submission(s) on here as soon as I’ve added it to the queue, so you’ll know it went through okay, and so you can show it around to others if you wish! (I can’t do that with PMs, of course.)
THE DEADLINE: Please try to submit your artworks before the End of June! Yes, 2023. This month. In this year. There’s a chance I’ll change this if a sudden influx of new entries rolls in, but as of now it looks like it’s a good time to start wrapping this up. I want my life back and all. ...But prove me wrong, why don’tcha? Why not tell your favorite TSP artists that they NEED TO BE ON THIS THING? NEED TO! WE CRAVE THEM, PRECIOUS. ...Sorry, got carried away there.
I give updates regularily. Previews of the latest Whiteboard statuses, questions that need answering, sometimes I might just add some nonsense rambles, all inclusive, for free.
The FINAL files, whenever they’re ready, will be 8000x4000px in size each and are mostly a much bigger version of the previews, with maybe a few small changes for the aesthetics.That’s quite massive. Humongous. It’s really impressive to browse all those artworks next to each other at that size. Here’s the [Google Drive] link, for all to download from and share around. So far, you can always find the latest Previews and a bunch of random Extras there, along with the first fullsize Stanley board as a test. Please do make suggestions if there’s better options, or if you can’t drive the Google.
I also post on Twitter and the Crows Crows Crows Discord server (fanart channel). If either of those are more comfortable options for you, or if you know someone on there who might also be interested in joining this collaboration, maybe poke me so I can give you directions. Or you might be able to find it yourself, I’m not actively hiding them away. Not even passively.
I think that’s all for now! If you have questions, suggestions, reservations, my Asks should be open. Looking forward to hopefully a lot more additions to the Whiteboards, there’s quite a few of you guys I’d loooove to see on there!
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tobiasdrake · 3 days
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who do you think is the best teacher in Dragonball?
That's a tough question. But I'm leaning towards Mr. Popo.
Our journey through teachers begins, of course, with the Muten-Roshi. Goku's only with Roshi for about eight months so we don't get to see a lot of his teaching, even though other Kame-senryu students are with him for longer. In that time, he's able to instill a very important philosophy in Goku that will guide him through his life.
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It's the Muten-Roshi who imparts Dragon Ball's central theme of never being satisfied with yourself and always striving for self-improvement. He went to great lengths to instill that in his pupils - lengths so great that even Roshi questions whether they were truly necessary.
And he does have other good things to teach. Most notably, he's the one who teaches Goku the value of mental discipline and rest.
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This well-balanced approach to self-improvement is something Goku carries with him. Part of what makes him so exceptional as a martial artist is that he understands that training and technique honing is only part of the process.
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One of the things that makes Goku a great martial artist is that he understands your body needs time to recover and grow after exertion. That is the turtle master way.
But for all his benefits as a mentor, what the Muten-Roshi sucks at is fucking teaching martial arts. In terms of philosophy, he has much to impart. But when they ask him, the Muten-Roshi, the Old Heavenly Master of Martial Arts, to teach them martial arts?
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He just gives them bodybuilding instruction. Roshi tells them that this is all the Kame-senryu is: Extensive strength training to become so physically tough that you can knock out a foe with one punch. He is, however, full of shit.
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Despite claiming that martial arts is just being really strong, his fight against Goku in the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai sees him pull out all kinds of esoteric techniques and skills to level the playing field against Goku's insurmountable might and analytical brilliance. The Muten-Roshi knows a ton of practical martial arts technique. He's just not sharing.
I'm half-convinced he held all this stuff back on purpose just so he'd have a few aces up his sleeve in the tournament proper. Which even Roshi isn't sure was actually necessary.
His next teacher is Karin, the God of Martial Arts. Karin has some useful wisdom to impart with regard to anticipation.
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And he introduces one of the most important items in the Dragon Ball series.
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Thank you Viz for the redundant translation of "Holy Hermit Bean Bean". I don't get enough migraines from the dub constantly calling them Senzu Beans. This is the Chai Tea of Dragon Ball.
Goku is with Karin for about three days, and it goes pretty well. Karin presents Goku with a challenging test to overcome, which he must do by getting lighter on his footwork and learning to anticipate Karin's moves.
But for the most part....
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It's still just strength training. Tenshinhan's out there learning secret Tsuru-senryu techniques to levitate in the air and nobody's willing to do more for Goku but bulk up his muscles. Speaking of which.
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This guy tried to murder his own students because they wouldn't do an assassination for him. Fuck this guy. He sucks. Get out of here!
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When you get to the moon, tell Toninjinka that his mochi needs wo-- Oh, wait, the moon's gone. Uh. Have fun in space.
Goku's next teacher would be God. Or at least he would be if God ever bothered to teach him. Which he didn't. Goku has never studied under God.
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He made Goku stay at his Temple for three years to prepare for his rematch with Piccolo. But he gave up on that after deciding Goku didn't have what it takes to do what he felt must be done: Kill Piccolo and let God die with him. Goku's soft heart wouldn't allow him to do it.
So he dumped Goku on Popo and went, "You deal with this, I'm busy," and then went off to pursue the Mafuba/Evil Containment Wave instead. Goku's training was a scrapped project for him.
Nonetheless, Goku grew substantially during his time in Heaven. (Look at him! He's so much taller-- No, I jest.) Popo is the first teacher to offer Goku something that isn't strength training.
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It's almost like he's never had a master teach him spirit or skills before. It's almost like.
Mr. Popo doesn't offer Goku more strength training. Instead, for the first time, Goku has someone who wants to teach him technique.
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This is some of the most game-changing instruction Goku ever receives in his career. Over the next three years, Popo sharpens Goku not just physically but spiritually.
He technically doesn't learn to sense ki here; He gained a rough comprehension of it from drinking rat poison earlier that day. But as Popo demonstrates here, there's a world of difference between "Oh cool I can sense your ki" and "I feel Yamcha's ki 700 km in that direction. He's sitting in his home eating breakfast Wheaties and scratching his butt. Puar's preparing to make eggs aaaaaand now he's a frying pan."
This is where Goku makes the transition from martial artist to Heavenly Martial Artist, and the difference is stark. When he shows up to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, he's on a whole different playing field.
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He no longer experiences reality the same way as everyone else. He's ascended to a higher plane of understanding. All because of Popo, since God abandoned this project and ran off to do his own thing instead. Goku is literally the "Dr. Gero's computer kept working and completed Cell anyways" of martial arts.
Great work, Popo. Gold star.
Kaio is next on Goku's list of mentors. He's working on a bit of a time crunch; Goku only has six months to spend with him. Kaio's training emphasizes two things. One is, of course, more strength training though this time there's an interesting twist to it.
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Planet Vegeta's gravity is at least as strong as the gravity on Kaio's world. This is where Goku's introduced to the concept of gravity training for the first time - Something that, ironically, Vegeta would cling to more heavily than Goku. Goku's been doing weight training since Roshi, but the idea of increased gravity as a substitute for (or in addition to) weight is introduced by Kaio.
Goku himself would incorporate this gravity training into his later efforts to more fully master the Kaio-ken on his way to Namek. Speaking of which, that's the other thing Kaio imparts on him. From him, Goku learns the Genki-Dama and the Kaio-ken.
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Kaio pretty much became Goku's forever teacher after this point, but we rarely see him do more than supervise. Which makes sense, since Goku officially became a Master himself as of the Namek arc. Though all of Goku's teachers will always be looking out for him, his art becomes truly his own from this point onward.
That brings us to Piccolo.
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Piccolo comes from the "My Daddy beat me and I turned out fine" school of shaping young minds. It's to be expected; He was literally Evil Incarnate just eight years ago.
While Piccolo's journey of redemption is heartwarming to see and he does succeed in honing Gohan into a weapon, his skills as a mentor leave something to be desired. He fails to consider Gohan's psychological needs. He builds Gohan's strength and teaches him technique, but fails to grasp that this four-year-old child does not have a warrior instinct to get out there and throw hands with planet-killers.
He throws Gohan into the deep end and Gohan sinks like a stone. Failing to develop his bond with Gohan and offer the kid the encouragement he needs to get out there and do this is a fatal error in his training.
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Piccolo pays for this mistake with his life.
Finally, that leaves Goku himself.
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As a Master in his own right, Goku has so much to impart onto Gohan. At least, whatever Piccolo hasn't already. As a teacher, Goku is encouraging of Gohan and offers him clear and unmistakable guidance.
He talks things over with Gohan, explaining ahead of time what their goal is and how they're going to achieve it.
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Like Popo, Goku's pretty great as a teacher. There's just. One. Small. Problem: He fails to consider Gohan's psychological needs. Yeah, that's right, Goku walks face-first into the same error that Piccolo died for, which is why Piccolo freaks out on him for it.
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It helps that Piccolo not only has personal experience making this exact same mistake, but also the wisdom of God now.
Like. It's important to note that it's not that Goku misunderstands Gohan. He knows, intellectually, what kind of person Gohan is. He knows Gohan's passions lie elsewhere.
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Nonetheless, Goku sees too much of himself in Gohan, overlooking the reality that Gohan was so gung-ho about training with Goku because he thought he was helping his dad. Despite clearly conveying the mechanisms and goals of their training, Goku never even thought to broach this topic with him because he just. Assumed.
Even though he knew Gohan longed for academia, he assumed Gohan also had the spirit of a martial artist in him. That Gohan was still driven by the same fire that he is, compelled to push his limits and test himself against mighty foes. He makes that fatal mistake that so many parents make, of projecting himself onto his child.
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Goku pays for this mistake with his life.
Android 16 is able to salvage Goku's mistakes and make this work, much as Goku once salvaged Piccolo's. And to his credit, Goku learns and is able to offer Gohan the emotional support and direct coaching he needs to finish the job.
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I particularly love "Show me the power that we made together" because it puts the emphasis on his and Gohan's bond, rather than Gohan's fighting. It demonstrates the expansion of his understanding of Gohan's motives.
Nonetheless, this was a pretty significant error too make as a teacher so I can't give Goku full marks.
With that in mind... I gotta give it to Popo. Popo took God's castoff dumpster-project, poured himself into it, and gave Goku some of the greatest instruction of his entire career. A+
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maxwellatoms · 1 year
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I would love your full thoughts on the AI debate. I think it can become a very useful tool for artists but that’s my non artists opinion
A few months back, I was telling my partner how the AI-generated art at this moment in time reminds me of the works of the Surrealists. The Surrealists were big on drawing from dreams and the subconscious, and came up with a bunch of games and exercises designed to stimulate creativity by divorcing your conscious mind from the artistic process. I said that so far humanity hadn't created a conscious AI, but I wondered aloud if we hadn't created a subconscious AI. I guess that's why some of these programs have names like "Deep Dream" and "Dall-E".
My partner said, "You're so high right now." And I was. But I still think that we created something, and it's dreaming. And it's very much listening to what we're whispering in its ear.
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The problem some people have with AI-generated art is that it steals art from actual living and dead human artists in order to create its works. It's considered poor taste among humans to steal someone's artwork and present it as your own. But we are allowed to collage and to nip around the edges of copyrights until we can find something we're actually allowed to do. So it seems like a grey area.
The real problem though, is that it absolutely will steal your jorb. And my jorb. I can definitely see a not-too-distant future where anyone will be able to sit down and spend a couple of days crafting their own full-length motion picture with AI assistance, and have it look as good as or better than anything we've got today. Not everyone is a storyteller, but I think it'll really open up the field for almost anyone to try. The next Stephen Spielberg could be just some sixteen year old kid on the internet, and I think that scares a lot of employed artists. Because even employed artists are just sort of barely employed.
In the end, it just sort of seems like one of those things (there are so many!) that you just can't do anything about. Studios are always looking to pinch pennies, and there's no way the biggies aren't funding research into this stuff. The really dark times will be when the studios have the tech and the public hasn't gotten its hands on it yet. Things are gonna get weird.
Artists are going to have to deal with AI the same way so many other industries will. More and more, I think it's the changes coming for society at large that people dread. We humans certainly don't seem to be very good at preparing for the inevitable.
In the short term, let it inspire you if you want. The way you might let a dream inspire you. Definitely don't claim it as your own work. Maybe every once in a while type in, "Thanks for all of the inspiration, AI. You're really cool." And then hope it remembers your kind words on Judgment Day.
🤷
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imperiallife · 6 months
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Tastes of the Empire: The Feast of Prosperity, Culinary Sham
Food by Alaric Faro
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I suppose it was only a matter of time before I was asked to pay a visit to the so-called ‘Feast of Prosperity’ in order to assess and offer my opinions on the meals to be found there, though frankly I believe my doing so is a greater act of charity than anything that the pair of hutts responsible for the so-called charitable event have managed to achieve.
For those readers who have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, this ‘Feast’ describes itself as a ‘lavish banquet’ aimed at securing funds and food for the galaxy’s less fortunate, but to anyone with even a lick of common sense it reeks of being nothing more than another front for Cartel activities and shady business. Why anybody would wish to humor these hutts by believing their claims of charity is anyone’s guess, but I attempted to engage with the event with an open mind and focus my thoughts specifically on the offered food itself.
Unfortunately, upon attending the event in person, I found myself immediately accosted by the hutts themselves, which, while somewhat bold of them to be present in person, did not exactly fill me with confidence to discover how desperate they were for assistance in virtually every aspect of their Feast. (I would like to point out that I did, naturally, attend under a false name, and they had no reason to believe that I knew my way around a gourmet kitchen). And herein lies the problem. The hosts, Gaboorga the Abundant and Duuba the Magnanimous, are taking on quite literally every set of hands that come their way, for better or worse, and believe me when I say it is more often for the worse. Whatever the reason; criminals hoping to rub shoulders with the Cartel, agents attempting to infiltrate operations, maybe even misguided souls actually drawn in by the spectacle of charity, beings of all manner appear to be flocking to the hutts’ bidding, and are placed in various roles at complete random.
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The most disrespectful big game hunt I've ever witnessed.
Fetching ingredients (don’t get me started on the way crowds are flocking to remote locations and absolutely ravaging the landscapes for the sake of a fistful of credits, if that), negotiating for chefs (whom I have observed more often standing by the hutts’ sides than working in the kitchens), pushing for the event to be hosted in other locations, operating serving droids, and… truly, the deepest offense of all, working the kitchens.
I almost wish I hadn’t set foot in those kitchens.
You must imagine my shock to see the state of the place. Ingredients stored and scattered with no regard for hygiene. I could have wept to see the vormfruit being prepared on the same bench as bone marrow. Raw meat hung above the cooking station. Stove temperatures fluctuating so wildly that a bucket of ice crystals was kept on hand just to manage the overheated pots… a bucket sitting beside the flash freezer, not inside it, so that the melting crystals might just pool across the floor and create both a health and a safety hazard in one fell swoop. Not to mention the fact that reliance on a flash freezer at all is downright criminal. Then, of course, there was the vegetable selection… The same. Cursed. Vegetable selection. Utilized for absolutely every meal. I would say I mean no offense but in truth, I mean it in full when I state that labeling it a ‘medley’ does not turn a poorly cut blend of common garden vegetables into fine cuisine. More than once, I witnessed a frustrated volunteer fling food out into the dining crowd. I can’t even count the number of times I saw volunteers bring their pets into the kitchen. And it seemed to be the standard, in the name of ‘efficiency’, to quite literally hurl ingredients onto the grill from across the room. The absolute disregard for the craftsmanship of meal preparation, for the art of cooking, brought me near to tears.
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How many health code violations can exist within a single room?
Perhaps some of this may have been avoided by having the kitchens run by a true, Imperially trained chef, rather than a cooking droid, and an outdated model at that. No algorithm in the galaxy can adequately substitute a human tongue, and the cooking methods I observed were proof of that. Rather than actually preparing meals with forethought, taking the necessary time to ensure ingredients were present in appropriate quantity, were spiced or marinated as needed beforehand, had the correct cuts prepared… oh, how the list goes on… well. In lieu of any actual technique, ingredients were simply lumped together, had their consistency or chemical composition analyzed by said robotic chef, and then any shortcomings were compensated for by the addition of supposedly ‘balancing’ ingredients, regardless of whether they formed any actual component of the meal. Larvae brains, a delicacy and a showpiece when treated with care, were used as little more than a thickening agent. Soz juice… soz juice! A dressing, at best, was heaped into boiling pots regardless of the contents. Nexu tongue should only ever be slow cooked, and when treated with care stands on its own without seasoning… not the triple-doses of black hole pepper that seemed to be standard practice for Emperor only knows what reason.
Frankly, by the time Gaboorga’s gala dinner rolled around, I couldn’t stomach another minute of the grimy, haphazard, utterly unprofessional event that’s left Nar Shadda’s Promenade smelling like a trash compactor. I cannot truly advise you loyal readers on what the meals on offer are actually like; I can merely speculate, and frankly, you couldn’t pay me enough to do more than that.
Imperial Life’s top food critic, Alaric Faro is a name both respected and feared by culinary establishments throughout the Seat of the Empire. Astute and enigmatic, his tongue is as refined as it is sharp, honed to appreciate the most exquisite of dining experiences and to thoroughly dismantle anything that falls short. Originally a columnist for a variety of holozines but now writing exclusively for Imperial Life, he considers it his life’s mission to ‘educate the palate of all Imperial citizens’.
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soultek · 5 months
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In Another Life - Bogard x Female!Reader (One Piece Live Action)
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A/N: This actually started as much more based on the lyrics of this song than it ended up - I guess this wasn't exactly my intent! It was initially meant to be so much more angsty. But that's how you roll when you just let the characters point you in a direction when you're writing. Every point on my plan got covered - that's all that matters! 😁✌
ALSO this is the first work I've EVER had properly edited for me, so, thank you very much Josh! I appreciate you taking the time to read this! [You don't know what you've got yourself in for agreeing to do more... haha! 😈]
The format editing on Tumblr broke me. So you get what you get below and I'm very sorry but I just could NOT anymore... You'll see it because it is very SPECIFICALLY one sentence that Tumblr seems to find issue with - so now that's just a random paragraph by itself in the middle of a conversation.
Disclaimer: Only the reader character is mine. He's kinda pieced together using elements of his anime counterpart because hell yeah I went back and watched those episodes for further characterisation. Nothing I've used is spoilers. The origami thing is original - but that's only because I've seen a ton of [fan] art of him with birds and I was like "Is this a thing? I need to include it somehow!" Turns out the birds are just a Marine HQ thing - but I liked the idea so I've kept it!
The 'backstory' is also originally because we don't know a whole lot about him yet in either media... sooooo...
Warnings: innuendo, sexual connotations, mention of injury, smoking, mild swearing, mild plot-relevant OOC.
Premise: HQ 3 is back in town. And for you, that ship brings a lot more with it than just injured marines. You're prepared for the usual push and pull this 'situationship' brings. You might not be so prepared for the other news he has for you...
Word Count: 7906
Song Inspo: Another Life - Tenille Arts
Full Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29SKzlmL31pHFk54BwnO7k
--- Cause I don't wanna kiss anybody else's lips I don't wanna feel anybody else's touch I just wanna be the old you and me We'd be married, have a house and kids by this time In another life
In another life I would get to kiss you goodnight Hold your hand, play with your hair, feel your arms around me Giving me the best hug Yeah, we'd be so in love
In another life
I wouldn't have to kiss anybody else's lips I wouldn't have to feel anybody else's touch We could just be the old you and me We'd be married, have a house and kids by this time And you'd be here tonight In another life
---
Nothing new. That was how you would describe the day. Sitting in your office working through the papers of every Marine coming in and out of your ward; you weren’t sure you knew what busy was anymore. It seemed to be the same all the time - with very little variation in the amount of work you had to do day-to-day - sometimes you just had to work on them faster. With more and more to do for the Marines on the front lines, and with seemingly every other person declaring themselves to be a 'Pirate' these days, at least things were never dull - that you could count on. Today, another ship arrived, apparently with a lot of injured Marines on board, given how many new papers you had stacked up on your desk. You sat back in your chair and blew out a breath. You were glad at least none of these new patients appeared to be in any serious condition. The most interesting thing to you was the newly docked ship's designation: HQ 3. You regarded the papers again, and began to rifle through them slowly. He hasn’t said anything, you thought. Figures. There could be a reason for that, of course… he could be in here. You dared not go through them too quickly to find out. These days he had no reason to tell you, either.
Marking another case as not urgent, you became aware of a sudden clamouring outside your office. Back and forth yelling that sounded more like panic. So much for hiding away... Pushing yourself up from your desk, you opened the door and leaned against the frame, poking your head out into the corridor. Several nurses and doctors were running between rooms, each and every one worked for you now. Which meant that when you called out to them, they stood to attention. "What's going on out here!?" "Nothing we can't handle." "Oh, I have no doubt - is everything okay?" "Some of the new inpatients have a flair for the dramatic is all M'am!" You chuckled, folding your arms, and touched your head to the doorframe too. "Sounds right. Maybe we should give them something to be dramatic about!" You cracked a grin. "If sedative is necessary, get that going - but nothing appears serious. I don't want anyone else on the ward panicking or getting distressed though. Try to get them to keep it down." You winked. "Else I’ll be forced to tell them to, and I'm pretty sure they won't want that."
The small group who had paused to listen to you nodded along, before almost shying away from you, and retreating into the rooms they had come from. You were about to ask why – unless they were scared you were about to force something more upon them yourself – before your question was answered for you. "Oh, I don't know about that." You couldn't have stopped the smile spreading across your face if you'd tried. Not at the sound of that voice. You turned your head to him slowly. HQ 3 meant Garp, and the Vice Admiral brought with him his right-hand man, who was now staring back at you with something of a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth.
Bogard was leaning against the wall right outside your door, letting it support his full weight, right arm held across his body, left hand raised to his chin. If you'd have bet on that stance, you might have won. He had a nasty habit of just appearing like this, but you would never be one to complain about that.   You let your eyes linger on him as you drew them up and down his body. You could pretend it was for your deduction, but you both knew better. "What are you doing here? You don’t look injured to me.” His dark eyes swept the ward, which now hosted a group of Marines from the ship he sailed on. “Where he goes, I follow.” He started. “And, if I leave the ship here, I get to see you. So, it’s not all bad. Guess we’ll be staying while we stock back up, do repairs,” he paused briefly. “The usual.” You bit back the words you really wanted to say. "Doesn't sound so bad. Guess you'll be wanting the recent discharge list?" "You read my mind." "I know you!" You let that statement linger before adding, "all business. Let me get you that list."
You withdrew back into your office, gathering the papers of cleared Marines now waiting to be assigned back onto any ships that were currently docked who were in need of recruits. Much to your surprise you found your hands were shaking. You took a deep breath to steady your nerves; maybe you were more excited about this encounter than you anticipated. To say your relationship with the man standing outside your door was complicated would be an understatement. Something along the lines of a long distance, long term situationship might sum it up best - but they were just a few words that meant nothing to the history of it.
You had been a cadet when you'd first met him. He was a few years older than you. Back when Bogard was just finding himself in the Marine's. It was obvious to you then how fast he was going to climb the ranks. You'd been friends since day one - well, almost. Once you'd graduated your cadet training and had chosen to be stationed as part of the medical division, you began to realise just how injury prone and stubborn he was. At least that was the way he always presented himself to you. The number of times early on you'd found yourself patching up his gashes and wounds with him insisting they were just scratches were innumerable. You found yourself very quickly worried about him in ways that went beyond mere friendship. And the next time he'd done it had been your final straw. You couldn't recall your confession exactly, but you did remember that it came out in the middle of a heated ramble. You had been in tears – you were mad at him for getting hurt, and you were crying because you didn’t want to lose him. Fixing him up that time quickly led to a first kiss, and soon after a relationship. But it didn’t last.
Although he would never tell the story that way, the truth was at that point Bogard had been just dumb enough to make sure he always got an injury, so he had an excuse to stop by and see you, but smart enough to make sure he was never in any real danger. He had mellowed out a lot since then - he was so much more serious and careful now - especially with the responsibilities he had. Man, the more you thought about it, the more you realised just how much time had passed... You carried just as many responsibilities yourself now, but could you say that you didn't still worry about him? No - but he was always so far away that you couldn't allow yourself to dwell on it too much. The 'see you when I see you' was fine if he was going to turn up at your door looking as pristine as he did today. Bogard knew what he was doing - he wouldn't be Garp's second in command if he didn't. You trusted that you had no reason to worry about him. Not even on the Grand Line. If he did ever come back injured - you didn't want to think too much about it - you knew you'd go above and beyond. If anyone had ever been curious about what you were, then that scenario would probably hold all the answers. Though while that wasn't happening, it was fine as a mystery.
He hadn't moved an inch when you returned with the stack. "Here you are, unless I should be giving these to the Vice Admiral?" Bogard took the papers in a way that suggested which was wisest; to him. You held your hands up to indicate that was well noted. "Just let me know who stays and who goes so I can update my records." He flipped through them quickly. "Of course. I suppose it will depend on how many we want that aren't cadets." "Cadets? I mean there might be some fresh faces there, but they will come with a little experience." "Might need that where we're going." This time it was his right hand held to his chin as he moved to answering your question quickly. "Yes, cadets. We're training them." "You're training cadets?" You could see it, actually. He'd be good at that - tough but fair. His captain too. "Lucky cadets." Bogard placed the papers in his pocket. His expression seemed to suggest that might not be the phrase he'd use. He looked up and passed you, studying the corridor and listening to the activity you'd just set in motion, before turning his attention fully back to you. "The whole ward, huh?" "It'll be the whole medical centre soon." "So I hear. Never in doubt when it comes to you." You looked away bashfully - voice quiet. "Thank you." "Still, you could be out on a ship as the main doctor. A HQ ship even. You're plenty good enough." You made a noise, but didn't want to look like you were laughing at his suggestion. "Despite being a Marine, I still prefer dry land. I'm comfortable here. I enjoy my work! I’m even about to be promoted. Where do you go once you're a ship doctor for a HQ vessel?" "It would be worth it for all the places you would see,” he continued. “The prestige." You knew where this was headed, and turned it back on him as quickly as you could. "And you, what about when they call you to World Government bureaucracy and pen-pushing, and you spend more time in a building than you do on the open ocean?" You asked. Bogard made a face like he was considering it, but you knew he wasn't. “Right now, I would probably decline such a position.” he huffed. “I think I have much to learn before I go there." “Uh huh." You knew that, how could you not? Just like he knew you didn't want to be out at sea. No matter how many times he would try to persuade you out there every time he saw you.
That was the point you had known it wouldn't work out. You wanted him safe with you, whereas he wanted you to go travelling the world with him. Neither would comprise. And so, every time you met, you would dance around this question again. Asking without saying 'why aren't we together, really?' in a different way every time. The reality was you'd both chosen your preferred lifestyles and your work over each other. But you weren’t about to admit that out loud, and Bogard wasn't either. So, here you stayed.
To make sure this didn't get too heavy immediately, you cleared your throat and changed the subject. "I heard you were in the East Blue?" He gave a short nod, but instead of offering any more information, he hit back with a rumour of his own. You couldn't say you was surprised that he would keep his official work a secret - such the man he was these days. You knew you'd get it out of him eventually. Though it might take something a little less... professional... "I heard you were with some captain." Try as he might to hide it, Bogard let his emotion seep into his voice. It was obvious who and what he was referring to, and he wasn't happy about it. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from teasing him about being jealous - that wouldn't end well. And what with where you were right now, you had to be very careful what you let slip, just in case of any prying eyes and ears. And you also knew that Bogard knew he had no right to be jealous - regardless of the truth. Still, this was one thing you wouldn’t tease him about. Reassurance was the only way forward. "Rumours fly.” You dismissed. “That was never a thing." Which was true, after all, you still only had eyes for the man in front of you. Despite the fact that there had never been a conversation about it between you. You could date someone else. You just weren’t sure if Bogard believed you, especially as you didn't know how long he had been holding onto that knowledge for. You knew how much he valued the truth though, so lying would have been unwise at best. “I’d never do that.” you continued. To you, you thought. But you left that part off. You were met with the same steady look he'd been regarding you with throughout this whole conversation so far. You sighed, glancing behind you back down the ward - all seemed calm right now. They knew how to reach you if they needed your help. Turning back to him, you offered a gentle smile. "Care to take a walk with me?" He pushed himself away from the wall with a smile. Turning across, he offered you his arm - ever the gentleman. You smiled back sweetly, wrapping yourself around him, and allowing yourself a moment to admit in your mind just how much you'd missed him.
For a while there was silence, but it was comfortable and more relaxed. You both knew you wouldn’t be able to stray very far. It'd be more like a walk around the block, but it was still away from unwanted attention. He watched you closely. You carried yourself and your rank well. You coped with the pressure of it all. You could handle yourself. You just wouldn't answer the call to open ocean. It seemed strange to him, but he admired how sure of yourself, and your convictions you were. He would not change your mind, no matter how much he wanted to. Still, there was something about the rumour that was bothering him. It wasn't that Bogard thought you were lying - of course you wouldn't. You knew how much he disapproved of it. It was the subject of the rumour that hurt Bogard most. Of all the people that rumours could fly about with you, not him, but someone else? Someone who must have seen you far less than Bogard did… at least he would hope so. People were aware you had been something once. Was it so hard to believe that you might be making it work again? Bogard put in the work even when he was so far away. There were more than enough reasons to conclude that he was still with you. In many ways, he wanted to be asked. Even if he went against his principles and denied it. Though, given you weren't technically a couple, it wasn’t technically lying. He hated how much it caused him to wonder if you had ever been with anyone else ever since you broke up. If Bogard couldn't even get a rumour going, but someone else could? It bothered him that he could get wrapped up in such a way. You weren’t his. But the exclusivity was an unwritten rule. It was expected that you would always be able to return to each other like this. That didn't mean if either of you fell in love with someone else… Surely you had both expected the other to have moved on by now. You both should have moved on by now! It hadn’t been months after all; it hadn’t even been a few years. It was closer to decades, and here you both were. Bogard just didn't want to hear it being discussed. He wasn't sure what heartbreak would feel like; but he didn't want to know either way. And he hated even more that, after all this time, if he lost you for good, he knew his heart would break.
The silence from him wasn't something that you thought was particularly unusual - Bogard was notoriously a man of very few words.  Though you often wondered what ran through that head of his; but someone had to keep Garp in check, so you knew his mind was sharp at least. They seemed like complete opposites - which, you thought, made them perfect for each other. Walking with him this close around the medical centre was enough for you right now. It was nice getting used to his presence again. Even if you knew you'd have to let him go soon. And too soon at that. Glancing over to him, you recognised Bogard’s look was a little further away than you had expected. Realising that you wanted those gorgeous brown eyes back on you, you broke the silence. If he was in his head about this stupid rumour - which you wouldn't be surprised if the Marine Captain had started and stoked himself - then you knew what he needed to hear. And if he felt the truth was so important, he was about to get some. "I have to say, I'm not entirely sure why you're so worried about that rumour. It's me who should be thinking about things like that. Why, I bet you have a girl in every port!" It was clearly a joke, but his look was a little too sharp - Bogard clearly took offence to the idea he was worried. Even if he was. Luckily, his expression quickly softened. "Guy on every ship." He quipped back. You gasped, ready to take full offence to that. "That's way worse than the rumour! Stop it! What do you take me for!? At least mine could happen!" You weren’t stupid - he was a good-looking man. Loyal, dedicated; an old-fashioned romantic. Work-driven sure, but you'd seen other women fall for him. All it would take was for him to find one who he could fall for too, who would share in his dream and actually want to travel the world on a ship with him as a Marine. It scared you a little how easy it was for you to imagine that he could be in a very happy relationship right now. Bogard raised an eyebrow. Surely you didn't believe that, he thought. And if you did, how wrong you were. Surely the ridiculousness of his own statement only highlighted the ludicrousness of your own? How untrue it was? For you though, it was clear you had a point. Besides, what did he have to be worried about? Who would you date anyway? It wasn't like you were about to pick up a guy at a bar or something. "Nearly all the men I see around here are either sick or injured." You protested. He shrugged, and when he doubled down, you were glad you could hear the jokey tone to his voice. "All the more time to get to know them then." "Please." You scoffed, pushing his arm a little. "Besides, you're the only one writing to me, and making me origami, so..." He stopped so abruptly, but you were ready for that. Halting to measure his reaction. He looked across to you curiously. You never wrote him back; he didn't expect you to. Bogard smiled - for once a little wider than usual. Possibly more of a smirk. "Like those, do you?" He teased. You allowed yourself to blush under the weight of his look. The bolstered confidence in him at your words, and then your admittance. "Maybe a little too much."
Despite the jokes you made, it was barely covering up what you really meant - bringing to light exactly what you were both most worried about. And the ego-boosting rush of hearing that it wasn't true. The real truth was no matter how nonchalantly either of you said goodbye - see you later - neither of you wanted to see the other with someone else. Neither of you would like it very much. The difference was you were quite prepared for the possibility of that eventuality. Bogard was not.
Once you had made the full circle and wandered back to your office, you resumed much the same positions as you had before. Although closer and more comfortable this time. Once the ice had thawed a little, you were now acting more as friends. (As if that was all you were.) Where you could get him to smile a little, and if you were very, very, very lucky, you might even get a huffed laugh out of him. Although he did have one last piece of official business to pass by you. He pulled some rolled-up papers out of his Marine coat. "You asked about the East Blue before." He started. "I did." You straightened your relaxed posture a little. Assuming you wouldn't have to do any work to get a candid answer this time. "We were there chasing around a new upstart young group of Pirates." He continued. "Another group?!" You very nearly rolled your eyes; you’d lost count of the crews popping up all over the place over the years. HQ 3 seemed a little overkill, though. "You guys? Really?!" Bogard shook his head. "Understandable reaction. But this crew has potential." He held the roll out to you. "May I request you put these up around the wards?" You looked from the roll to him and back and took it gently. "These upstarts already have bounties?" You asked. "Their captain does." He replied. You continued to stare at him questioningly, but when all he did was stare back, you knew the answer was on the paper itself. You unravelled them and almost let out a laugh.
'Monkey D. Luffy' - the name explained everything. You looked back at Bogard with an amused expression and raised eyebrow. Bogard merely shook his head, expression in understanding of your reaction. 'Let's not go there!' "Sure. I'll put these ones up! That's quite the bounty for the East Blue though! Who'd he piss off!?" You walked back into your office to put it with your unfinished pile of admission checks. This time Bogard followed you, standing in the doorway. "Nezumi.” He replied. “Oh, that weirdo? With the rat face?” You circled your head with your finger. “Rat would certainly be one way to put it.” You couldn’t help your perhaps overly loud reaction. “Oooh! Ooooh. Ooh! Would you like me to tell him that next time I see him?” Bogard placed his hands either side of your door frame, leaning in a little.  ‘Oh yeah you would badmouth me like that!,’ he thought - instant reaction - mouth opening before he changed his mind. Returning to a more relaxed lean, and crossing his arms. “I wouldn’t waste my breath.” You whistled. “Damn! You got a mouth on you.” Sharp as the blade he carried - when he wanted to be. But perhaps also a sign of how close you were, that he would speak as freely as this. Instead of responding, he opted to watch you with his eyes narrowed. You chuckled. “No, I know you. I know that you don’t waste your words.” Pausing for thought, you placed the papers down slowly. Raising your eyes to the window, you mused. “I guess I feel honoured that you share so many of them with me.” “Writing letters is completely different.” He replied. You looked across to him; voice sweet, and smile gentle. “That’s not what I meant.” Bogard bit his lips together, unsure of a comeback. Instead he wound the conversation back, nodding to the poster you just placed down. “Highest bounty on the East Blue now, actually. Doubt he'll stay there though." He said. "Ah. Grand Line bound!" You replied inquisitively. For a while the whimsy of it all had you smiling, until your smile dropped in realisation. If HQ 3 had been chasing them around the East Blue? You looked back to him slowly. Was Bogard going to follow them around the Grand Line? How long would that take? How long would it be until you saw him again? Even he knew he didn't have the answer to that. As he'd stated - where Garp went, he did. No questions asked. Still, Bogard couldn't leave it like that. He felt compelled to reassure you. "Of course, we might not follow them. We had investigations going on before they arrived on the scene." You remembered. "What now then? You really think you'll be back to 'Baroque Works'?" "We were heading that way anyway. I don't see why that would change now." He shrugged. "Doubtless you'll find out when I write to you!" You chuckled, running your fingertips over the picture in the wanted poster. A new kid on the block in a straw hat? Generations had seen this before.
Silence fell for a moment, which allowed him time to look around your office. Then he really couldn't help but smile. Lined up along the window frame, and just about every spare space on your shelves were collections of intricate origami. Bogard had sent you every single one of them. His preference was birds of different shapes, sizes, and colours. But they were all there. Every letter he had sent you came with one, and he'd sent you a letter every time he felt he had something worth saying. Writing back wasn't the point of it. He could guarantee that no one else knew where these came from. Whether you made them or they just appeared. But they weren't there for anyone else to know about - they were there for you. And every time Bogard saw them he wondered how the hell he could ever let himself get worried about any feelings you might have for anyone else. He looked back to you - having finished studying the picture of Luffy, you were now watching him - and Bogard knew he'd been caught with a rare smile on his face. He let it bleed into his words. "You kept them all." It wasn't a question, and his heart swelled. You giggled, pulling a box draw out from the top of your desk. "Honey, you have no idea!" From within it spilled forth letters upon letters, all wrapped up in Marine paper and blue ribbon. You had kept every single one of them too.
It was a little later in the day, as you were finishing up another round of administering medication, when you returned to your office and found that another Marine had made himself comfortable there. And not the one you would have expected. "V-Vice Admiral!" You stood to attention as he rose from your chair, "Sir! How can I help you?" "At ease, please!" His smile was warm, "In fact it's me that I think can help you!" He held out the stack of papers you'd given Bogard earlier. "I trust my second in command’s judgement on these." You took them gratefully. "Of course. I'll make sure everyone is prepped and ready to cast off when you're ready to set sail, Sir." "Better make it sooner rather than later, Lieutenant.” Garp placed his hands in his pockets, expression serious. "I don't want to be hanging around for too long. We have much to get started on." "Oh- I see." You knew you was failing at hiding your look of disappointment. Letting go was never easy, but if you had to do it sooner than you expected? You'd only just got Bogard back - you weren’t ready to let him go again just yet. Garp could see it on your face. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Bogard interact with you before. They'd stopped off here plenty of times. He'd just never pried into the private life of his second in command before. But something was clearly going on this time. If he hadn't thought so before. He indicated to the origami on your shelves. "I always wondered where these went. Clearly, Y/N, they all come to you!" Your eyes widened. You didn't even know anyone else knew Bogard made them. "Y-yes, when he writes he always sends..." You gestured to the shelves, wondering if you'd said too much. Did Garp know that he... wrote to you? "Would have thought writing was his preferred method of communication. I know he’s a man that’s concise at best.” he continued. “Though he never seems to have that problem around you. Which is something in itself." You knew you was blushing by now, and you couldn't quite meet the Vice Admiral’s eyes. What he was saying was by no means untrue. "He's not always been like that." You were lying and you knew it. But you had to say something. You had no idea what Garp did or didn't know, or what Bogard would even want his superior to know! "Mhm." You weren’t sure that response was convincing enough. "Can't help but wonder exactly what's going on between you two." he enquired. Dammit! You were definitely turning redder now. "He-" You paused. Then took a deep breath, locking eyes with Garp this time. "We were once a couple, yes. But, we went our separate ways due to our own work preferences." You gave a shrug, realising how sad you suddenly felt as you smiled. "He wouldn't stay. I wouldn't go." "...Shame." Garp nodded. "From what I’ve heard, you have enormous potential. Definitely something we could use out there." You bowed deeply. "Those are kind words, Sir. Thank you. But it was never what I wanted. The front line isn't for me, and I would be outright useless in a fight. I'm no field medic." "We could change that." He interjected. You laughed. "I hear you're training cadets?" You weren’t sure you wanted to go back to that, weren’t sure how you would act being trained by them, honestly. "With all due respect Sir, many have tried and at this point I think I'm fine being a competent medic, and a pathetic fighter. I barely scraped through weapons training, and I decided that I would never want to handle one again! At least not by choice." "Competent would not be the word I'd use." He took a few steps forward, causing you to stiffen your posture. "Brilliant, maybe." He tilted his head. "Funny you should say that and be going off with a swordsman." You gaped for a minute. "We-Well I--" You tried to compose yourself. "That was always Bogard's thing." Your laugh was nervous. "Though I admit I can't help but be fascinated. I notice that people are intimidated by him without him even having to draw. So, once he does?" It was hot. It made you feel a little something something, and you'd never really seen him in action in a real fight.
Though of course you were not about to mention this to Garp.
"Well, there's always room on my ship. If you want this to be something more.” He paused for a brief second. “Intimate again." Garp's stare was intense. "I do hope you'll consider it, Y/N." You swallowed hard. Intimate? As if you weren't still--- "A HQ ship would be an incredible honour, Sir. I…” you paused. “Surely will consider it." "Glad to hear it." he replied enthusiastically. Garp swept past you, but stopped at the door. "I have no doubt you'll have the Marine's prepped and ready for our departure. I do suggest if you want to spend any more time with my second, you get as much of it in as possible." Even if you couldn't see him, you could hear the amusement and smirk in his voice. "Should I send him back up to your office, Y/N?" You opened your mouth, but found you couldn't answer before he walked away laughing.
Next thing you knew you was back in the arms of your situationship - under the sheets.
***
Despite what Bogard and Garp had said, it was nice for them to stick around for a little while. It reminded you that you shouldn’t get your hopes up that it would be permanent. But it gave you a taste you couldn’t help but crave. He really was all yours here. And you could pretend you were somewhere in the past, thinking about this as your far-off future. One where neither of you had ever put anything above the other. Breaks were rare when you had work to do, but right now, you also couldn’t afford to spend any free time anywhere else.
Bogard was sitting on the steps to the medical wing when you found him. Hunched over what could only have been a lighter, given the small smoke trail.
You sighed gently, folding your arms and shaking your head. Taking the steps slowly towards him - it wasn’t like you were about to sneak up on the swordsman, he knew your footfall well enough by now - it still didn’t cause him to extinguish his smoke. You stopped on the step above the one he was sitting on. Two heavy steps down, to let him know you were less than impressed, hands moving to your pockets as you bent slightly over him - feeling all at once like a doctor scolding your patient. (Well, it wasn’t like you hadn’t already had the opportunity to check his full physical health at this point.) “You know those aren’t good for your health, right?” You started. As if to mock you, he took a long deliberate drag. “Trust me, if you were on my ship, you would need these to relax too.” He replied. You narrowed your eyes. “Oh no, Mister. No using your captain as an excuse!” “He’s a damn good one.” He protested. Another drag, before he removed it from his lips, but he didn’t put it out. You leaned yourself a little closer to him, lowering your voice – positively saccharine. “Don’t worry, you can order me around!” Bogard raised a hand to his mouth slowly, and coughed. You waited with a smirk on your face for him to take the bait. “Don’t tempt me.” Bogard gave his voice the appropriate stern edge. You had the cheekiest little grin on your face, and hummed like you were a little too happy with yourself for that one. He gave you enough time to bask in it, before looking back to his smoke. “You’re going to ask me to stop, right?” You folded your arms, sighing. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record. You know my spiel by now.” Bogard gave a single nod of agreement. “You’ve never quite got me to quit yet. I think by now you’d know it wasn’t going to happen.” His eyeline had remained level until that moment, but he looked up at you now. “How’s work?” He asked. “Nothing changes…” You shrugged. “But I do have five minutes.” You took the next step down and sank to sit with him. Bogard’s smile was gentle, no matter how obvious it was that you would choose to spend your precious free time with him when he was around, it didn’t make it any less significant of an act.  “Smoke?” He held it out to you. “Ha!” You liked that he smiled at your sarcasm though, his eyes back on whatever he was watching before. “What are you-?” Bogard nodded forward, then pointed, you followed his fingertip down to the beach. Upon it were Garp, and two marines whom he looked like he was giving a stern talking to. “Oh! Your cadets?” “Mhm.” “And you’re up here because?” He scoffed. “Please, you think they’re ready to take me on yet?” You almost rolled your eyes as he took another drag, making sure to blow the smoke away from you. “I can take on both of them using only my less dominant hand. It’d be hardly worth their time either. What does it teach them? Something they aren’t ready for?” You couldn’t help the smirk that toyed with your lips. “Do you have one of those?” “One of what?” He enquired. “A less dominant hand?” You teased. You couldn’t look at him, because you knew you’d crack - but you knew the kind of stare he was giving you, before he jogged your shoulder. “Stop.” You couldn’t help the quick burst of laughter you let escape.
You continued to watch the two young men train with Garp for a while. And eventually you let yourself unwind enough to lean up against his shoulder. It was funny how much more you felt his body sink into relaxation below yours after that. And he put his smoke out too. He was content to sit with you like this. Yes. This was exactly what you dreamed of. Even if you couldn’t say you missed Bogard often (you were far too busy working here to do much of anything!), at least you didn’t let yourself and your thoughts linger on that feeling for too long. This physical contact was exactly what you needed. His letters could cover almost everything else, letting you know he was okay and that you didn’t have to worry. It was exactly what made this work without it having to be a relationship. But they couldn’t hold you. They couldn’t replace his touch. Your eyes lowered to his hands. It was weird for you to think just what they were capable of. He could be so gentle, but his swordsmanship? Just how many lives had Bogard taken with the exact same hands that held you the way he did? You sank your teeth into your lip as you frowned. You could think these things all you liked. Right now you just wanted to hold them - that’s what you knew for sure.
Bogard regarded your body language. Even when you weren’t looking at him, he knew what you desired. It didn’t matter how damn long you had been away from each other. At this point, it was simply muscle memory. You could both say whatever you wanted. Sometimes he wondered if being “single” really was the easiest option for you. It sure sounded like it. But he knew how it complicated things. How it twisted your feelings. Maybe you couldn’t make it work together. But you couldn’t make it work without each other either. Bogard knew you were thinking about how this could be your life. How could you not be? He was thinking it too – and by now he knew you better than you knew yourself.
He moved his hand from his knee, extending it towards yours - palm up - still watching your reaction. You hesitated; too shy to look at him now. Bogard knew, of course he knew. At this point he might as well have been a mind reader. Your movements were slow and deliberate. You took his hand gingerly; lacing your fingers together. Before moving your other to fit his hand between yours. He watched you do this with a smile, before pulling your hands gently back into his lap. You made a small noise before burying your face in his shoulder; surely blushing now. He focused back on the beach, running his thumb over the back of your hand. Yes - this was worth coming back for. Even if accepting the way you otherwise lived meant he sacrificed this to miss you the rest of the time. And if neither of you would move to give that up, you always would.
*** Seeing him off came all too quick. His return seemed but a fleeting moment - a heartbeat, and you were having to let him go again. The thing that stopped you from letting this be anything more than it was. But you were kidding yourself. You were in a relationship. The code; the unwritten rule, the exclusivity of it. There'd never been anyone else. Neither of you were calling it that, though. Neither of you referred to each other as ‘Partners', or ever enquired if it would be like that again. Everything but in name. Yet you would continue to tell yourself this was for the best - and that you wouldn't hurt for a little while as he sailed off into the distance.
Everyone around you on the dock was moving fast, getting final-final preparations done before they set sail. For the two of you, time was virtually standing still. Your hands were in his, and right now all you wanted was for them to stay there as long as possible. As tradition stated, you both had one more try in you - one more line of persuasion before the same conclusion would be reached, and you went your separate ways once again. Bogard leaned into you. That small near smile on his lips that reflected so much more brilliantly in his eyes. And in that moment the light was hitting them just right; illuminating that brown colour in a million beautiful shades. His voice was soft and sweet - as if this time he was really pulling out all the stops. "You should come with us.” he said. “We could always use a doctor." You chuckled, shaking your head. But you were grinning. You couldn't help but smile brilliantly at the way he was making you feel. Of course he was still trying to get you to go with him, despite already knowing your answer. You had to admire that spirit – every single time. "My place is here." You said firmly. You bit your tongue between your teeth cheekily for a moment, before teasing back with. "You could always stay." It was Bogard's turn to chuckle. "You know I can't do that." Your head tilted. 'Exactly'.
But he kept leaning, and you weren’t about to stop him. Now might have been the time to be professional. But it was also the exact time to be unprofessional. You pushed yourself up to meet him in a goodbye kiss. Both of you probably expected it to be short and sweet, but then again neither of you were pulling away - content to stay in it. You couldn't take it anymore, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He reciprocated, hands on your waist pulling you into his arms. At some point someone whistled. You felt him laugh, but he didn't pull back – Bogard just kept kissing you. Not even with the thought in his head that he was doing this in public. A little harder, edge a little more possessive of you. There was something in this kiss meant to completely destroy the idea that there was, or ever would be, anyone else, ever. Even when you were merely joking about it, even when he was too. You surrendered to it, and to him, completely.
Back on the ship, Helmeppo has spotted what was happening on the docks below. And if he was surprised by the kiss in the first place, the fact that it was going on - the stoic second in command swordsman that Bogard was? The guy who wore a perpetual frown most of the time! This wasn't happening - in fact it was beyond being seen to be believed! It was a ‘pinch me I must be dreaming’ moment. He smacked Coby - who was only oblivious because he was working - perhaps a little too hard. But he didn't care, and threw his other hand just to check that he wasn't the only one seeing this! The smaller cadet also couldn't help but stop and stare, almost gaping.
Garp watched the scene with a shake of his head, and a laugh. Sometimes it was good to be right!
Eventually you both had to pull back, if for nothing but a need to breathe. But you kept close. Your fingers gripped his Marine coat tight as you held him close to you. His head dipped to yours. Bogard kept his arms wrapped around you. You closed your eyes and tried your best to hold back your tears. "Stay safe." You whispered, emotion flooding your voice. "I don’t want to see you back here anything less than immaculate.” “Stay safe too." His voice was equally emotional, strained against the proper tone he was trying to emulate. "Don’t take any shit.” You pulled slightly back from him, laughing. “You come back to me.” "You know where we're going. I can't make any promises. But…" He relinquished your warmth none too fast, reassuring you. "I always do."
You stood for a moment like that, unsure where to go from here. You couldn't help it, pulling him back for one more kiss goodbye - and much shorter, to your own dismay. Before drawing your hands to the centre of his chest, fussing with his Marine coat for a second, and making certain to pull it straight, ensuring that the emblem presented itself dead centre. If you were going to tell him to be immaculate when he returned, you damn well weren’t sending him away if he was anything less! "You tell those other girls..." You laughed, unable to finish the joke. "Tell them what?" "They c- can't have—y-!” You kept laughing through it. “I can't even finish that thought." You grinned, putting it another way instead. "You're mine." He shook his head at you. "Always was." Before bowing low, "Until next time, Y/N." Bogard left you with a smile, and with that, began walking a few feet to the ship’s gangplank. You called after him, "I'm already looking forward to that letter!" He nearly laughed.
Upon boarding, Helmeppo and Coby still hadn't got over the scene. Staring at him almost in awe - definitely with a million questions for the man helping to train them. It took just one look, a single stare to swear both of them to eternal silence. Maybe they would get their answers one day. Maybe he would want to talk about it. Right now, Bogard wasn't sure. He did know he considered it private, no matter how passionate and public his goodbye was to you.
You stood back, listened to him shouting commands to get the ship running with a smile on your face. Just like that he was in his element again. He was working now. He was the second in command to a Vice Admiral. 'That's my man.' For a moment, you wondered if you should have asked. You’d still never had a concrete conversation around being officially together again. You supposed it was as unsaid as the exclusivity. The illusion that you would both still be single; until the time you met again. But what was more official than 'Always was.'?
Whatever you were, you were content.
As the ship pushed away from the dock, Bogard appeared at the starboard side railing, offering a hand up gesture as a wave goodbye. You waved back enthusiastically. Glad to see him one last time before he sailed into the sunset. And here you would be the next time he was able to visit you. Because you would wait for him. And maybe one day, you’d give in to him. Or he would settle down with you.
Whoever’s will won out in the end, right now you knew one thing for sure. You didn't care if it meant you were together.
---
Two swordsmen down one to go! 🖤💚💛
Other OPLA Fics: 'Late to the Party - Roronoa Zoro x Reader
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theresattrpgforthat · 8 months
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I saw your recent recommendations for psychic vigilantes games, but do you have recommendations for anything with a more inception or psychonauts feel (aka exploring/influencing dreamspaces or representations of a person's mind)?
THEME: Exploring Dreamscapes
Hello friend! When I first saw this ask, I thought I might have one or two games off the top of my head, but there’s actually many more game options than I thought already stored away in my folders! Without further ado…
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Praedormitium, by Joie Martin.
Named for the transition of wakefulness to sleep, Praedormitium is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by the experience of lucid dreaming. Players portray Hypnopomps, characters with the innate ability to manipulate the Realms of Dream as they travel through it on strange and wonderful adventures.
Praedormitium uses a deck of tarot cards as the basis of its resolution system, cooperative play, and the unlimited power of players' imaginations to build a cohesive narrative experience. Anything is possible in dreams, and the game can be as wild or whimsical, as dark or surreal as the players choose to make it.
This game has some really intriguing lore that creates some backstory as to why your characters are Hypnopomps, and what that means in the game. It’s not extensive though, so there are plenty of gaps and spaces for your play group to fill in. Your main role is to keep the balance of dreams: nightmares and phantasma all have a role to play. The game uses tarot cards, and incorporates tarot card suits into the lore, so if you like games that tie the mechanics to the setting, you might be interested in Praedormitium.
Lucid Sea of Dreams, by The Games Gardener.
A roleplaying game about Lucid Dreamers and their adventures, tribulations, and mysteries in the Waking World and the Sea of Dreams. Inspired by dreams,  nightmares, and Jewish folklore  (and much much more). Has been described as 'inside-out meets pan's labyrinth’.
Lucid Sea of Dreams makes lucidity something that your character can lose. Your character has Lucidity points, which kind of doubles as Hit Points - lose all of your Lucidity points, and you wake up. In the waking world, losing Lucidity points could lead to becoming unconscious, or even death. This means that there’s much higher stakes in this kind of game - in fact, it’s tagged as horror, so be prepared to enter dangerous scenarios and meet difficult foes. The dice resolution system uses d10 dice pools, which I personally find very satisfying! This game was Kickstarted back in 2022, so I’m not sure if it’s in its final stage, or if there’s more to come.
Nyx, by Doctor Glasgow.
When the Day of the Comet came, much of what was sank into the world below. Into the murky ebon twilight of a most ancient realm, Nyx. Since the very first sparks of light danced behind the eyelids of our ancestors, this realm began to swirl with Dreams. And yet, in sleep, there too, are Nightmares…
Nyx is a role-playing game, set in a darkened realm of sleep and dreams. It is an interpretive game, wherein the strange setting is only just barely glimpsed, like a dream half-remembered when one wakes from slumber. It is up to the players and the Dream Master (DM), to interpret the vague setting details as they see fit, and form a vision of Nyx wholly their own.
Nyx combines dice and cards in an average play session, with plenty of set-up questions to encourage a collaborative world-building and a point-buy system that fuels character creation. Your character is pretty customizable, allowing you to increase specific stats, improve character skills, or focus on special abilities and spells. There’s also different character forms, which I really like - as dream-entities, race or species don’t really make sense. It’s totally possible that your character has been different things over different iterations. The art in this book is lovely and does a really good job of conveying the magical and surreal theme. The full game is only $5, but if you want to see what you’re getting into first, you can always get the Free Beta version at the bottom of the shop page.
18XX Dreams, by Deep Light Games.
THE DREAM REALM WELCOMES YOU: This land has always been here, visited by some, forgotten by many. Something changed. An increasing number of people have been waking with fantastical ideas and feelings. Now, dreams are becoming more solid: books, paintings, scores… 
The barrier is thinner. Some are trapped here, some search for what they can’t reach elsewhere, some just roam, exploring and helping others. What meaning is hidden in your dreams?
18XX Dreams is only 4 pages long, which is pretty standard for 24XX games. This game relies on a handful of polyhedral dice, a small inventory, and special abilities that align with your character archetype - a minimalist set-up that focuses on creativity to overcome obstacles, with elements of OSR play. There’s a page of d12 roll tables for the GM to roll on when they want to introduce something new to the dream, and the game even comes with rules on how to create a DreamCrawl, a simple map that helps the players navigate different parts of a dream-scape.
Dreampunk, by Xavid.
At night, you dream. Your dreams are not idle imaginings, but visits to a persistent world of wonders and dangers both personal and alien. Will you find power there? Will you find freedom? Or will you slowly slip into Entanglement, and be trapped there forever? Play to find out!
Your character is a Dreamer, someone from a waking world who is drawn to the Dream when they sleep. As a Dreamer, you have powerful abilities to shape the world around you. To do so, you must play a card and incorporate into your action an element of your choice from the card.
To play Dreampunk, you’ll need to either buy the Dreampunk Deck of Cards, or a deck of cards with similarly surreal art. Dixit cards, for example, would be an excellent tool for this game. The game uses a series of Moves, but rather than rolling dice, like you would in PbtA games, you play cards from your hand. The game designer cites Belonging outside Belonging and Jenna Moran’s work as inspiration, so I’d expect this game to be well suited for players who are willing to work in the grey areas of interpretation, and who are looking to embrace themes and motifs rather than damage and gear lists in their style of play.
Onira’s Slumber, by FantasticJean.
Welcome to Oniria - a place where Dreams and Nightmares come to life and make the city their own. In this game you play as a member of the Quixotic Society and are tasked with investigating and containing the Reveries when they start becoming too messy. 
This is a game that is compatible with TROIKA, which, while originally is meant to be a kind of multi-verse science fantasy, easy translates to a surreal dream-scape. You don’t need Troika to play though - the rules are included to make this a standalone game. Onira is meant to be a place that can be explored, and the game comes with a number of place descriptions, special events that might affect the characters, and an introductory adventure for a first-time group.
If you want more dream-related supplements for Troika, I’d recommend Oneironauts and Oneironauts 2, by Thriftomancer.
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lookismaddict · 1 year
Text
Lookism Chapter 427 Memes/Thoughts I Have:
(SPOILERS !!! I don’t own any of the Lookism panels and the translations. Only the memes that I made.)
BRUH, I GOT CHILLS WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER WTH. SHIRO ONI SUPREMACYYYY 🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐
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OK GO OFF, MAD DOG KING 🔥
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Ryuhei… the Japanese version of GOO? Hold up.
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War Freak Blondie + Manwhore Blondie = CRAZY BLONDIE SUPREMACY 👬🏼💛
Look at them and their weapons. What badasses.
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SIRRRRRR. LISTEN SHAWTY, BABY GIRL GUN, IDK IF YOU WANNA GO OR IF YOU WANNA “go”. 👁🫦👁 IM ALREADY DOWN BAD FOR YOU, LIKE I CANT-
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(Bro got me sobbing and shiii. If he wasn’t in Lookism, he would’ve looked like a male lead for a romance manhwa or something. I’m not even gonna FRONT WITH YOU RN GUN, LIKE PLS- 😳 he looks like a daddy, I’m ASDFGHJKLAAJAHAHSHS)
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Also, what type of KINKY ASS SHIT IS THIS??? LIKE, HUH? Ok PTJ, you might be onto something and I’m here to listen… 👀
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DEADASS, ME WHILE I SAW THOSE SCENES. WTH. ALSO I STG, PTJ KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WHILE DRAWING THESE PANELS. IT’S OBVIOUSLY A SLUT-ON-SLUT FIGHT.
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This scene was cold, ngl. 🧊
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IT’S HIS ICONIC FACE AGAIN.
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Bye Ryuhei, it was nice knowing you… 😭👋🏽
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(THERE IT IS AGAIN. THAT TERRIFYING DEMON FACE. AHAHAHAHA)
GUN LOOKS SO GOOFY HERE, BAHAHAHAHAHA. I'M DYING-
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BYE RYUHEI, YOU’RE DONE. YOU’RE DONE NOW.
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Omg Eugene, you did not-
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DAAAAANG. GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE NOW? WHEN DID EUGENE BECOME A PROPHET? SHEESH !!! EUGENE SACRIFICED RYUHEI LIKE HE WAS ABRAHAM, LIKE DAMN.
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Ugh, I can’t lie. James Lee is also looking pretty fine. (I mean, he always serves bro. You don’t even question it.)
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Ok, but let me talk about this panel right here. I really love the contrast how PTJ drew this scene, with this dark and light theme. It looks like a work of art imo. A battle for the heavens. This panel is giving you a closer look at how there’s going to be a serious fight and shit is actually about to go down. Gun and James here look like inhumane beings who are about to go all out, and we’re finally going to see the full strength of what Gun is actually capable of. James Lee will be a potential fighter against Gun and we’ll be able to see that in the next chapter. Who will peril in the end?
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OK SIR. YOU ARE MAKING ME LOSE IT IN THIS CHAPTER!!! (IM LITERALLY BITING ON MY FIST BECAUSE OF THIS PANEL, HELP-)
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In Gun’s head: “THAT’S MY SON RIGHT THERE.”
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(Gun showing off Daniel like a proud parent who’s seeing their son off on their first day of school. Also, I completely forgot. James Lee is basically the only one who knows about Daniel and his other body while the rest don’t even know about it. That’s why he was also surprised about seeing OG Daniel’s progress. Correct me if I'm wrong because I forgot a lot of things from the previous chapters. )
But the end of this chapter though...
WE GET TO FINALLY SEE GUN PARK 👹 VS. JAMES LEE 😇
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God, James Lee is so pretty here. Pretty angel boy.
Gun looks hella evil here LMAO, Devil Man.
PTJ giving us heat after heat, nonstop excitement. Gun just pulled up and now IT'S JAMES LEE'S TURN??? Nah, it's a wrap. Prepare yourselves for a throw down next chapter because shit's about to go down. 😈
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ripplestitchskein · 2 months
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Brace yourselves Stolitz fans, I think it’s gonna get bumpy. We kind of already knew that but I think it might go longer than we hoped?
So last night I shared my Stolitz pic with my DnD group, I’m doing art for their characters and we have an art space in our game discord and a few of them watch Hazbin and HB. An IRL friend who is also an HB fan asked about the OC in the pic and I shared it was based on the rumor that Stolas is getting a new boyfriend, they could be a parrot potentially voiced by Harvey Guillen but that this was not confirmed or anything. He said “HMMMM that jives with what her assistant told us.”
I’m like “What! Tell me. “
I guess while waiting in line for her to sign for the person in front of them at Mega they were chatting with an assistant and said they loved Look My Way and were interested in where the Stolas and Blitzø story was going. The assistant said they had seen the rest of Season 2 and “You may not love the way it goes if you like the coupling”.
I spiraled immediately, like full on upset. Bitch I cried. I’ve spent hours analyzing this cartoon and that broke me a bit. I’m not necessarily concerned with my ships being “endgame”, I’ve shipped lots of couples that rarely interact just for interesting dynamics. Or couples where one half is literally dead in canon, where they are mortal enemies and not in an enemies to lovers way etc. It just seemed so final and is contradictory to everything the show has setup so far and what I’ve been enjoying about the show and it really fucked me up if I’m honest. I also have a really bad brain though and I know this. I’m not equipped to rationally think about it.
I hesitated to even share what was said because I dislike bumming anyone out but as a speculation and spoiler goblin I’d also like people to share with me so I can prepare myself?
Ive had some time to sit and process and cope a bit “is that information really that different than what we have already?” And the short answer is no, not really. It’s also like their job to tease fans. It was also one sentence I didn’t even actually hear with my own ears lol. My brain just did what it does and took it to the worst place. I took it as “they are killing it completely” and are about to destroy the only reason I enjoy this show so much. Which maaaaay have been an over reaction but I can’t like, help that.
I just honestly cannot fathom how they could so sharply pivot at this point and have it make sense? I can’t fathom why they even would. I don’t even know what role Stolas could possibly have in that scenario. I think that was what upset me the most, Stolas is my favorite and his entire character within the world of the show is completely dependent on his ties to Blitzø to be part of the narrative because he has no ties to IMP outside of it. The idea of him being shelved, even temporarily, is upsetting to me. The show so far is not setup to view characters lives outside of Blitzø and IMP so I can’t see them having Stolas go off and do his own thing without removing him from the narrative completely.
I’m just sad about it and I think I’m putting too much thought into it. Maybe they just meant what we’ve thought all along and that we wouldn’t be happy because of the boyfriend character, and as I’ve said before the split up absolutely has to happen for them to reconcile and come back together. It is actually a good thing story wise for that to happen but the phrasing (though second hand) just depressed the fuck out of me so I wanted to vent a bit and maybe get some outside perspective from people who’s brains work better than mine. It’s possible this is a situation where i know a thing “Stolas is getting a new boyfriend” because I am terminally online and gobble up every like react and ambiguous emoji and assign meaning to it, and the assistant was just talking about that same information assuming my friend didn’t know that (he didn’t) but because I already knew it I’m assigning new meaning to it as if it’s additional different information. That’s a distinct possibility.
Even if it’s the worst case scenario, I’m not a hate watcher, if I don’t like the direction something is going I bitch a bit in mourning and then remove myself completely. So I’ll see how it plays out and see if it makes sense narratively. Maybe I’ll love the direction, who knows. If it what’s we originally speculated based on the narrative setup so far, the boyfriend character is a catalyst to help Blitzø reconcile his feelings and to let Stolas do his own healing and character development but it all that leads to the completion of the story they’ve been telling up to this point that’s perfect. If it leads to less Stolas and a completely different direction than what we’ve spent 1.5 seasons on so far, I don’t know how I would feel about that. I want it clear though I wouldn’t be mad at the creators, it’s their story they can do what they want, and I’m sure others will enjoy whatever they offer up but I personally would just quietly move on to something else.
I’m interested in how others view the response. Just a tease about the boyfriend, and thinking we’ll be unhappy because of that but ultimately it’s going how its been setup? Or should I break out my violin and start up “Nearer, my God, to thee”. I just really need some better brains to give me some perspective,
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mondaymelon · 1 year
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white day 2023! ♡
(xiao, ayato, itto x gn!reader)
(a/n) a little something short for white day that i had to get out before 12 - :) seeing official xiao art has rejuvenated my soul
headcanon style!✩ enjoy ♡
˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚
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xiao ♡
he hasn't forgotten the gift you gave him a month ago.
it was just a small pouch of handmade chocolates, yet he was moved by the honesty of the present. he hadn't understood valentine's day, and he still doesn't, but from what he's heard from hu tao and zhongli, a month after february 14th comes white day, where he'll give you a gift himself.
at least, that was what the two of them suggested.
and he intended to follow that advice. remembering the warm, unusual but pleasant feeling that had arose through his body when you had handed him the sweets, smiling softly... he wanted to give you that feeling too. he wanted to make you as happy as you had made him, in that moment.
and xiao isn't a great cook, not by any means, but he tries his best to learn. with the help of several friends and the wangshu inn boss, verr goldet, he manages to make... a presentable gift. when he gives it a small taste test, it seems to be edible, at least, and still somewhat retains its intended heart shape. it's a little oddly colored, wobbly in some parts, but he's satisfied with it.
and so the day finally comes. he's prepared a speech, or more like a couple sentences, to say to you, if you're willing to hear it.
"love. i have something for you."
"oh, xiao! and you really don't have to-"
"you gave me a gift, so i have to return the favor." his face his flushed red from where he's hiding it with his gloved hand desperately, his other hand holding out the small wrapped pouch that he had spent hours on trying to tie on the perfect beaded ribbon. "h-here. take it."
you gingerly held the bag, as if it might disappear, then stared up at the red-faced man with eyes full of wonder. "this... this is for me?"
"d-don't get any wrong ideas. it was only because adepti... adepti honor the holidays of you mortals."
you laugh, a delightful sound that only causes the male to redden deeper.
"right."
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ayato ♡
there's a fact that's not known to many - and it's that commissioner kamisato ayato actually is quite fond of sweets.
it's something you learn with time as you gradually note how every time you visit the kamisato estate, ayato always has some form of chocolate, mochi, even candy, the kind that inazuman kids eat, in a little round dish on his desk.
so when feburary rolls around, you decide to gift ayato something. you're not exactly sure what, but it's going to be sweet. and what better fitting than some valentine's day chocolate? it takes a bit of work, though to be fair, you do know your way about the kitchen slightly better than the average person. not much of an advantage, but an advantage nonetheless.
and when the 14th comes and you present your finished treats to the azul-haired man himself, his reaction surprises you. with sparkling eyes, he gently takes the pouch from you, before glancing at you, then back at the gift.
"for me? really?"
"yep! hopefully you'll like it." you grin sheepishly. "this was my first time making this sort of thing, so if it doesn't taste great, just tell me. i can always try and make another batch, if that's what you want."
"don't worry, i'll like it."
and since then, for the past month, he's been thinking about that moment. he wants to pay you back, but not just that. he wants to let you know that he did appreciate it. all of it.
hence, he's come up with a solution - to gift you chocolates himself.
he's lucky that white day is quite the popular holiday in inazuma, otherwise he wouldn't have the excuse to pull it off. he contacts you beforehand, and you respond your agreement to meet up, completely oblivious.
"this. this is for you, sweet." he smiles softly while he says the name, placing the small gift in your outstretched palms. he takes note of every expression that flits across your face - confusion, then surprise, finishing off with a happy yet flustered gaze. he knew you too well, well enough to read your face like a book.
"me?" even as you ask it, you take the pouch and hold it tightly in your hands, eyes wide with the suddenness of it all.
"who else? of course i meant you, the most beautiful and kind person in the whole of teyvat."
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itto ♡
itto... is an interesting case.
you're fond of him, that much is true. and you're good friends with him also - the two of you are close. yet why does he always... try to impress you?
at first its almost unnoticeable. he reports to you about his wins and mutters his losses at the end of each day, where you're nodding along, already half asleep.
but after you give him some homemade chocolates for valentine's, that behavior had spiked. whenever you saw him, which was often, he would only recount to you about how he had beaten this one child and how he won this and that and how kuki had made him return whatever he had taken as his victory spoils... it wasn't annoying, per say, but you did wish to know why he was doing all of this.
itto just wants to impress you, is all.
he's been wanting to pay you back after you gifted him those chocolates on valentine's, but he just hasn't found the right thing! - until now. itto isn't a man who really follow schedules, a calendar, or reason, but he does somehow know that white day is coming up, a holiday that was sort of like reverse valentine's. and that meant he could finally pay that debt.
"hey hey! you free this afternoon?" itto inquires of you in the morning, while you just stare at him, groggy-eyed and still off floating somewhere in sleep mode.
"huh? yeah... i'm free." you yawn, an action that makes itto inexplicably happy.
"then let's meet at the back of shimura's after he closes up, okay? you got that? don't forget!" with that, he runs off, sending you a little wave on the way out, a silly grin stretching across his face.
when the sun finally reaches its peak in the sky, itto is restless. it's a feeling he doesn't experience often, partly because how his life works and partly because of his behavior. he's usually carefree in just about anything, so really, this is a first.
and you do show up. just the thought itself brings a smile onto the white-haired man's face as he coughs into his hand before bringing out the bouquet of wildflowers that he picked for you off the shores and islands of inazuma, along with more than a several brightly colored sweet treats.
"this is a thank you!" itto grinned, shoving the things into your arms, crimson eyes sparkling.
"i-i can't accept this much-!"
"no wayyyy! psh, c'mon. do it for me?" the oni makes a pouty face, staring at you with his pitiful expression.
"fine. ...thank you." in the sunlit area, you're surprised yet flushed expression is as sweet as the candy he's just given you.
"haha, happy white day!"
masterlist ✩
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ryuichirou · 1 year
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Hi! Love your art but if I can ask, can we hear some of your KaliJami NSFW hcs? I’m a sucker for Bottom Jamil :) thanks
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Anonymous asked:
KaliJami NSFW headcanons. Hit me with it all: favorite positions, first time it happens, kinks, public vs private sex, etc.
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What I noticed about you guys… you really seem to enjoy KaliJami, huh. People with good taste, I see!
Alright, I’ve talked about these two a bunch of times already, so with nothing else to add, here are the headcanons. I hope you enjoy them :)
Jamil does whatever Kalim wants and doesn’t think twice about it (he tries not to…). He’s lucky Kalim isn’t as psychotic and sadistic as some other guys are, but he is still pretty spontaneous and kinky, and sometimes he really surprises Jamil with his ideas, especially when it comes to poses.
I probably mentioned this one in a different headcanon list already, but still: despite being the top out of the two, Kalim is also the loud one. He lives his life breaking stereotypes and yelling Jamil’s name… with Jamil wanting to shove his fist into his mouth most of the time sigh
Jamil prefers to keep anything even remotely sexual as private as possible, and on paper Kalim agrees that it’s better to have sex in the bedroom, where no one can walk in on them. It’s also very difficult for Jamil to relax while knowing that other students aren’t asleep yet and walk around the dorm, so it’s better to wait until everyone’s asleep. But in practice, Kalim gets clingy and needy during the day pretty often, and a lot of times Jamil can’t really reason with him. So they end up having sex at random places from time to time, be it at the school’s kitchen, at the Ramshackle dorm or anywhere else.
They roll around the bed changing sexual positions a lot. Despite Kalim being the king of weird poses, a lot of times they start with the cowgirl, but then Kalim gets impatient and pulls Jamil down, rolls onto him and continues to move in the missionary position. Kalim likes it, because he loves kissing Jamil and seeing his face, but at the same time at some point he figured that Jamil gets hornier when they are doing it in the doggy position. Kalim is surprisingly attentive to Jamil’s reactions in general, and he keeps them in mind.
Kalim’s ideal fun time with Jamil consists of a long prelude making out session, long sexual intercourse and long post-coitus cuddling. He is romantic, passionate and full of love, he really enjoys it when the world ceases to exist for him and Jamil for like 3 to 4 hours, and the only thing they have is each other’s bodies to touch and love.
Which might sound romantic, but is actually a huge pain in the ass, because Jamil would prefer to have this entire process take ~1 hour, and then it’s shower and sleep time. Sometimes he insists on that and even ends up convincing Kalim that he is going to regret not sleeping an entire night, but a lot of times he just gives in and allows Kalim to continue kissing him “for a little longer”. Can’t help but spoil his capricious boyfriend when he looks at him with his big stupid loving eyes.
Kalim loves dressing Jamil up. The moment he realised that all those expensive silky scarves he had in his treasure room would look great on Jamil, he became obsessed with the idea. Jamil considers this to be one of Kalim’s many whims, but doesn’t completely hate it, even though he was very uncomfortable with it initially. Still, this doesn’t happen too often, even though Kalim talks about it a lot when they are alone.
Kalim is surprisingly intense at times. His stamina is wild, Jamil gets tired way before him. One time he managed to literally fuck Jamil until he passed out and felt very guilty about it. Turned on, but guilty.
All the preparations and cleaning up is entirely on Jamil, he just doesn’t let Kalim help him even if he says that he wants to. Jamil just knows that Kalim isn’t reliable when it comes to these things, and even if he helps him this one time, he’ll just forget about it and expect Jamil to do everything the next time.
Kalim, on the other hand, subconsciously or not, tries to catch Jamil unprepared from time to time. Jamil fully believes that he does it on purpose, just so see Jamil trying to clean up their mess with a small napkin with his legs shaking afterwards…
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nordleuchten · 5 months
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24 Days of La Fayette - Day 4
This portrait is again one of my favourite pieces of La Fayette (I must be careful to save at least one more favourite of mine for the 24th …) although it employs a stylistic device that I do not necessarily like when it comes to La Fayette. But more on that later.
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Portraits in Revolution, Works by Thomas Sully, Marquis de La Fayette, 1825-1826 (12/04/2023).
This is a portrait of La Fayette by American artist Thomas Sully. He first painted an oil study as a preparation for the full length portrait seen above. As you can see, the study does not look particularly like the painting from Scheffer (Day 2). That is because La Fayette actually sat for Sully – sort of. La Fayette was received on September 8, 1824, just two days after his 67th birthday, in the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It apparently was quite the evening. The city officials later approached La Fayette and asked for his consent to commission a painting of him by Thomas Sully. La Fayette agreed, but his busy schedule demanded that Sully followed him to Washington where the study was painted. The actual painting was finished in 1826 in Philadelphia – La Fayette left America in 1825, never to return and so he never saw this painting with his own eyes.
A short compositional overview of the work:
In the study, Lafayette stands on the north apron of Independence Square before a pillar of an arch, designed by architect William Strickland after the triumphal arch of Septimus Severus in the Roman Forum. The prop was covered with allegorical figures and statues which Sully recorded in a pen and wash sketch, but which he eliminated from the study and final portrait, calling attention instead to his subject. Through the arch, the viewer sees Lafayette’s admirers crowding the windows and roof of Independence Hall. Flags billow from poles along the balustrade while mounted and standing members of one of his escort troops, the Washington Grays, are in the mid ground. Wearing a black suit with white shirt and collar and a black cape lined in red satin held loosely in place by red and gold tassels, Lafayette gazes into the distance, not at the viewer. Sully has given the Marquis a neo-classical oval face and his toupee of close-cropped hair a reddish cast. His proper left arm beneath the cape is akimbo adding mass and strength to his body and his gloved hand holds his right glove that he removed to hold a top hat and cane. The Marquis’ face is unlined, belying the effects of time and gravity.
Lafayette College, Lafayette College Art Galleries, Thomas Sully, Lafayette, study for 1824-1826 (12/04/2023).
As you can see, there is a lot of symbolism and Sully clearly had a very clear picture in mind that he want to paint of La Fayette. The portrait is extremely flattering – La Fayette does not look like a 67 year old that had been in prison for many years, that had seen war and revolution, that had been in exile, lost his wife and a child. He looks fresher, younger and more energetic. Perhaps the artistic liberty taken here is best explained like this:
Sully portrays Lafayette not as he appeared on that September day, but as he might appear in Elysium with his fellow warriors.
Lafayette College, Lafayette College Art Galleries, Thomas Sully, Lafayette, study for 1824-1826 (12/04/2023).
I normally have objection to putting people on pedestals. La Fayette was not young anymore, he was ageing, and I think he earned himself the right to look old. He lived through a great many monumental changes and events; he survived what many others had not survived – there is no shame in being or looking old! But I also have to say that I do mind so much with Sully’s portrait as I normally do.
There is one other thing that always makes me smile when looking at this painting – I can name three paintings from the top of my head where La Fayette wears the same or a very similar outfit.
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