So I was introducing a new group to d&d today (went fantastically thanks for asking) and one of the players who has no real backgorund in the hobby asked me if there was a pop-culture reference point for warlocks. It took me a second to think of something but then I had a god damn lightbulb go off:

Frodo Baggins Is a warlock, Think about it: 

I’m actually going to make it my default touchstone for explaining warlocks from now on because it works so well. 

I think what ONE gets so extremely right about Reigen as a failman character is, while he is undeniably a failman, he is self-aware and sufficiently capable of using that knowledge to steer himself (AND others) off of any truly bad path that can stem from the anger, or apathy, or self-pity from being a failman on the lower-rung of society.

Like yes. He's a 28-year-old nobody running a slapdash psychic con-man business. He has no romantic prospects and his only friend is the 14-year-old he's underpaying as a part-time employee. He can be stupid and selfish and clumsy with his words. But he fully, and with active intention, refuses to be a bad person.

He follows a sincere moral code. He only takes money he feels he's earned. He prioritizes the safety of children. He values hard work. He doesn't think the world owes him anything. He doesn't think he's more important than others. He doesn't wallow. He gives genuine life-advice to people even when some of it is lip-service.

And those things aren't necessarily obvious right out of the gate at the series' start, where we just see this sweaty grifter conning people and taking credit for his student's work. But you start to see it over and over from Reigen in all the moments that matter.

It comes out in spades during the Claw arc in Season 1. His priority is the children's safety. He's aghast at the kind of adults who would harm children. He's desperate to the point of screaming that the kids not resort to violence and bear that burden. He takes on the whole fight himself (as the adult) despite being powerless. And even when he's in possession of all of Mob's power and could make everyone bow to him with a snap of his fingers, he holds back entirely, and uses the moment to shout the Claw members down for being full-grown adults who never grew up and need to understand how to be a functional part of the world.

And even during his probably biggest fuck-up moment of the series in the Separation Arc, where he's driven Mob away and can't really bring himself to admit, yet, that this is his own fuck up. He spends his birthday alone and vomiting drunk(?) in an alleyway and, while this is happening, has the thought "I'm on a bad path. This is bad. Who am I?" which, by itself, is a thought had by a lot of people on a bad path. But Reigen is capable of action and follows through the next morning reinventing himself, with whatever random efforts that may be. He throws himself at a lot of things because he doesn't actually know what to do, but he's capable of action. He identified his problem and steered himself off that path. And it stands out to me so much. Like it's not just during his shining moments that he adheres to his beliefs. He does it even at his lows. He's consistent.

Arataka Reigen is aware he's a loser. He's aware of his failures. And he's still dedicated to being a good person in the ways that matter.

doing the dishes in full drag i love being in my 20s

ran down the apartment hallway at top speed in full drag to return my friend’s forgotten vape before she drove off, i love being in my 20s

when i say i love being in my 20s btw i mean this is SO much better than life in my teens. soon i’ll be in my 30s and i hope i’ll be doing all this and more, more creativity and less shame

and i hope my friends will keep better track of their vapes

something something the poetry of science etc

woah

yeah

“no one’s ever mad at me unless they tell me so” is the best assumption i’ve ever made

sorry for tagwatching but you still have to act like they aren’t mad at you imo! bc it’s the mad person’s duty to make it known if they want anything changed. it is never anyone’s duty to be a mind reader.

If I am mad at someone and am remaining Quiet about it, it is because I Do Not Want them to know that I’m mad.

Please respect my boundaries and assume that I am Not mad.

If you’re worried that I am mad, consider the possibility that I am mad for reasons I know are stupid and do not want to make it your problem.

Ohhh that last addition opens my eyes in a big way, thank you.

My real situation, which is still funny to me

So I bashed my head into the ceiling fan light fixture in my bedroom and destroyed it (my head is unscathed) and have since replaced it. However. I've decided to turn the mangled remains of that light fixture into a disco solar system, so I'm painting up some disco balls. Mayhem is a VERY big fan of disco balls.

A big reason why I think I became a marxist is bc I read A LOT of Calvin & Hobbes and Bill Watterson really went out of his way to lay the groundwork for teaching people critical analysis. Like take this panel for example:

EVERYTHING one knows about American/Western culture, especially in the late 80's/early 90's, would lead to the logical next line being some form of "Kids These Days Are Succumbing To The Evils Of Satan" or some likewise cheap Reaction™ But then Bill pulls the rug out

He criticizes the "satanic" bands not for some lack of christian morals but because theyre a byproduct of hyperconsumptionist culture. Bill takes no issue with the subject matter bc his issue is knowing its only being done to sell rebellion as a consumer product rather than to say anything truly provocative or inspired.

If looks could kill but it’s tsubomi

i hate people who know highways. “i’m heading south on I-65” okay man. i’m moving my rook to c2

Do you hate them or do they frustrate you? Cause hate is a strong word to use

i hate them also i’m done with my worksheet now. is the first session free

octagonal paper folks

hey bro. can you letme out bro.help me bro

Legendary

THE AI DUMPED HIM

they just keep creating new lows for incels lmao

the Ice War on Europa...

tv pitch: a completely average workplace sitcom except that it’s established at the end of the pilot that it takes place on the 90th floor of the world trade center in 2000. every episode the date is shown, just to build the sense of impending doom. the show is otherwise a completely generic the office ripoff. the intro sequence is a montage of airplanes taking off.

at the end of the second season, we reach 9/10/01. after six months of waiting, season 3 drops. now it’s 9/12/01. nothing has happened. the characters carry on as normal. fans of the series go insane. the show never explains what happened, and continues to pretend it’s a normal sitcom.

silly human designs

(or kind of Fantasy RPG designs? They’re not human really…)