#Each Individual Person Is Very Individual

[deafmusictheory]

Yes! In fact, there's a whole Sign Language continuum just like there is with spoken language. I think an easier way to think of it is as "Body Language" rather than sign language, I think that gets the idea of an individual's "voice" across at least ^_^ Also clothing, accessories and props make up a big part of this too! I have my notebook of nonsense half-Elivsh-half-Shorthand to leave messages for myself for example! And I wear my battle jacket. My Fiancée and I basically have our own signs that only we use with each other. Think of them as our little in-jokes, nick-names etc. She can't fingerSpell for toffee though! Sign language tends to be focused much more around 3D space, circles and repetitions, but each person has their own Sing Language just as speakers all have their own unique voices (which make them very confusing for me 😅)

Are there accents in sign language? Like, within ASL or BSL, can you spot which deaf community an individual is from based on how far they tilt their hands in a movement, or some other seemingly subtle (or maybe big?) differences? Do families sign exactly the same way, in the same way hearing families often have extremely similar voices?

I imagine there's lots of ways to convey certain tones? I'm picturing maybe positioning your hands a certain way to convey that something you're signing is sarcastic, the same way hearing people change tone.

Do different generations have different slang? Like, do millennials and gen z have totally different ways of saying the same thing? Do deaf millennials have some equivalent of "doggo" which deaf gen z's roll their eyes at?

Do people create new signs all the time the same way slang in the hearing world is constantly evolving?

I'm really sorry if these questions are ignorant as hell.

I'm so intrigued and excited to learn more about a world I know very little about. I feel like there will be so many layers and intricacies I'm totally unaware of.

Please forgive any ignorance I'm showing 🌻

[divasae]

Reveniens

yandere tartaglia x reader

desc: yandere tartaglia, childhood best friends, forced marriage, etc.

word count: 2.4k

Gusts of wind splayed across the serpentine path, rendering it difficult for you to make your way home. Your hair billowed in the wind as you fought against the frigid weather, making use of the pointer arrow's to navigate your way back into the village. To the average person, such weather would be unimaginable to trek across, but to a Snezhnayan, this was all to be expected when making a journey.

As you dwindled down the narrow road with supplies in hand for supper, your ear suddenly caught wind of distant cheering, from what seemed to be from your own village. You looked ardently in the distance as you approached the noise, only to see a crowd of people surrounding what appeared to be something.

No. It was someone. There was a considerable amount of people encircling what appeared to be a young man, with tufts of ginger hair sticking out. You squinted your eyes from afar in an attempt to make out the stranger's features, only for his head to turn in your direction. You were immediately met with captivating azure blue eyes, staring right into your own, practically paralyzing you into place.

You knew those eyes. You knew him. For a fraction of a second, you stood there motionless, as your mind rewound back to the past, fervently trying to identify his place in your memories.

It's natural for a human to lose track of the many people that appear in their lives, destined to eventually become a distant, hazy memory. This man was not one you could forget so easily, however. You remembered him, although as a very different person.

You had known him from childhood. His childhood self to you, was the very embodiment of innocence. Despite being very distinct individuals, even from a young age, fate pulled the both of you together.

He was a fascinating boy, completely shrouded in mystery to your eyes. At times when you were outside all alone, he would appear suddenly, keeping you company. It was as if he were an imaginary friend, coming and going so frequently. He was like your little secret, one you took refuge in, as did he.

You held a feeling of admiration for him, despite never having voiced it aloud to him. He was incredibly bright for his age, even if he tended to be overshadowed by others. You saw what others couldn't see in him, and you two were bonded with an understanding of the other. Even at that tender age, it was as if the both of you were drawn towards each other.

And yet, you didn't have the slightest clue as to what his name was. On a snowy night, as you gazed upon a serene pond, admiring the shimmering ripples under the moonlight's glow, you suddenly felt a hand grip your shoulder ever so slightly.

You pivoted from your place to see the source of touch, only to be met with a familiar pair of azure eyes staring into your own. The rays of light from the moon bounced off his irises, capturing the beauty and tenderness of his expression.

Your face was etched with awe as you took his appearance in, before enwrapping him in a tight embrace. "Ajax!" you exclaimed, as you began to chat with him excitedly.

When the time for you to make a leave crept up so suddenly, you finally asked the question that had been at the back of your mind, ever since you had seen him for the first time.

"My name?" he asked you softly, as you nodded your head vigorously, a bright smile plastered across your face. He appeared to be taken aback at first but smiled as he looked at you, before answering.

"It's Ajax".

Unbeknownst to you, that would be very last encounter you would share with him, before he had disappeared from your life. You waited, and waited, but would come out more disappointed and hopeless as time went on.

Were you that unimpressionable, to the point where he had forgotten about you? As the months passed by, your mind was consumed by his thoughts, making you restless.

The day you would see him again was one you had least expected. As usual, families would send their young boys to fight for the Fatui, or they would willingly give themselves up. When word had gone around about a particular family sending their boy to straighten him up, you hadn't thought much of it, seeing how common it was at that time.

That was until you had seen who that boy was when the fatui rounded up the new potential members. You could have recognized those tufts of ginger hair from anywhere. It had to be him. Your heart swelled with happiness, as you saw him before your eyes again.

You had gone to call out his name, the name he had left you with before disappearing. However, your words had gotten caught in your throat, when you had taken a proper look at him. You stopped in your tracks, as you watched him intently from the distance.

He seemed to be unaware of your eyes on him, as he prepared to take off with the Fatui. He was the same Ajax you had known, you were sure of it. However, something about him changed, even if you were unable to put your finger on it at that time.

The former look of innocence had vanished from his eyes, replaced with what appeared to be a void of emptiness. Whatever was in front of you, it wasn't the Ajax you knew. He appeared to be a mere husk of his former self, broken and hollow on the inside.

You had always assumed he had simply forgotten about you. Something about that day, however, made you uneasy. You looked at the back of his head as he took off with the fatui, knowing this would really be the last time you would ever see him again. Tears filled the brim of your eyes, as it occurred to you that now, you had truly lost your friend for good.

The sudden transition from him being a sweet boy to a broken man unnerved you. The days of you both being free-spirited and unaffected by the outside world were long gone. Those days were but a shadow of your youth, which you both had gone past by.

Slowly but surely, you became immersed in your own duties as time went on, slowly forgetting about that little boy who you so deeply cherished. However, there was always a trace of him that lingered deep within the back of your mind.

To see those alluring eyes again, those same eyes that you thought you never see again in your lifetime, sent you into shock. You looked at him in astonishment, your eyes widening.

He too looked at you with an expression of surprise, although one of thrill, as he flashed you a dashing grin. Your heart lurched as you caught his smile at you. There were many ways you had imagined a reunion with him, but this? This was one you had never seen coming, even from a mile away.

You didn't have the slightest clue as to why you were running away, but all your mind was preoccupied with at that moment was to take you to a faraway place, anywhere he was not. Tears stung the corner of your eyes as you rushed out of the village, the harshness of the wind blowing into your face.

He was different. He had changed. He appeared to be the same, charming Ajax he once was, but you knew better then that. He could play a facade, put on the mask of the former person he once was, but only you saw through it. His eyes, they were absolutely chilling to look at. That look he had, was one you wished you would never have the inconvenience of looking at again

Echoes of the cheers for the 11th Fatui Harbinger rung in your ears as you set off, your dress flowing as you rushed in the opposite direction you had been walking in.

Past memories you had of him flashed in your head as you ran frantically, tormenting you with every step you took. You didn't bother taking in your surroundings, as if you had tunnel vision, and could only see what was in front of you.

Sobs wracked your body, as you had finally stopped to look where you had gone to, only to see the last place you had wished to see. The familiar body of water you had seen years ago was placed in front of you, as if to taunt you even further, for what you had landed yourself into.

It was nearly impossible for you to be unable to recognize it. When you were younger in both age and spirit, you would frequent the area, just to see if he would return for you, as if some kind of miracle would be bestowed upon you. Clearly, your wishes had never been answered, and so it had become a distant memory over time. To see it once again destroyed you from the inside.

Your eyes swelled as you cried your heart out, unable to face the boy you held so dear to your heart so long ago. To imagine what that boy did to become a harbinger, it haunted you.

After what had appeared to be hours, you looked down at the pond once again, still and motionless as it had been when you first arrived. You took in your blurry appearance, as you wiped the tears tracking down your face.

As you gazed into the pond, your reflection was suddenly disturbed with the reflection of another figure, that had approached you from behind. You pivoted around suddenly in surprise, but before you had the chance to look at the stranger's face, they had used their hand to push your head into their shoulder, as they pulled you into a tight embrace.

"I knew you would be here, [Name]" a deep voice whispered ever so slightly. Immediately, alarm bells swarmed your head, as you realized who it must have been. You pushed Ajax off with a sudden force, taking a step backward in hesitation.

"Ajax..." you said quietly, your chest heaving up and down in fright. All you could think about at the moment was how many lives he would've taken with those hands he touched you with, making your pupils dilate in fear.

"I'm here darling," he said in a soft voice, taking a step toward you. Your immediate reaction was to take another step backward, which he took notice of. He stopped suddenly, as he took in your fearful expression.

"You wound me, dear," he said, smiling. "And here I thought you would jump into my arms once you had taken sight of me".

You opened your mouth to speak, but could not utter anything out. All you could do was shake your head frantically. "You're scaring me, Ajax" you stuttered out, close to tears yet again.

"I'm scaring you?" he asked, in a whisper, suddenly taking your hand in his own. You yelped as he firmly pulled you towards him, placing a chaste kiss on your hand.

"Do you have any clue as to how badly I wanted to see you again, [Name]?' he asked, as he wiped your tears with his thumb. "Wherever I had gone, it was as if you had come along with me in my heart" he whispered.

"You're so beautiful, [Name]" he continued, bringing his gloved hand to caress your cheek. He was so tender with you, yet it sent chills down your spine. You couldn't read his expression at all, his empty eyes rendering it impossible.

"Won't you give me just as much as a glance, sweetheart?" he asked with a sigh, as you swatted his hand away, refusing to make eye contact. "You kill me, you know?"

He used a finger to tilt your face upward, looking at you with adoration. "I must say, I've come here with a purpose" he said suddenly, taking you by surprise.

You looked at him with a stricken face, your lips slightly parted. "What purpose?" you asked in a quivering voice, as you took in his ecstatic expression.

He smiled at you, before continuing. "I've already spoken with your parents, they've already blessed our union" he said, beaming. Your blood suddenly ran cold at his words, wondering if you had heard him right.

"What?" you asked hoarsely, your throat dry. All he did was smile further to confirm, as he took your hand once again, and enveloped it within his own.

"We're to be wed soon," he said, his elated expression radiant in the face of the moonlight.

He took notice of your thunderstruck face, and chuckled. "Oh come on, there's no need to look like that" he said heartily. "Do you remember when we promised ourselves to each other once we were all grown up?" he asked with reminiscent eyes.

You shook your head slowly, unable to believe any of the words coming out of his mouth. "That was years ago, you're insane Ajax" you cried out. You felt trapped all of a sudden, you felt as if you were going to suffocate.

With that, your dress twirled as you attempted to pull away from him. But he had grown so strong. He grinned at your weak attempts to get away from him, using his hand to pull you closer into him. As you fell into him with your back pressed against his chest, he wrapped you in an even tighter embrace, the side of his face pressed against yours.

"You're going to be such a good wife sweetheart" he whispered into your ear, as the hair on your neck stood on end. His gloved hands snaked down to your waist as he spoke, and he continued. "I can't wait to have you all to myself," he said hungrily, as you fought against his hold.

You had always wished to reunite with your dear friend, but if you had even the slightest inkling of what would happen if you did, would you have thought differently?

[loverslodge]

leading up to the date

You have been very unlucky in love. You were a thoroughbred romantic but that definitely wasn't a good thing when it came to actual experiences.

You had been in quite a lot of relationships, none of which lasted more than six months. Now, here you were, at the ripe age of 30, wanting to finally settle down and have a consistent lovelife. But when has your plans ever worked out for you? With no potential partner and an exhausting dating scene, you were worn out.

So you decided to do what you do best. Watch rom-coms, cry over how perfectly the couples fit each other and have wine and pizza.

You got tipsy, more on the drunken side and a thought popped in your head. So you opened your email and did the one thing only a drunken desperate idiot would do. Send emails to every famous crush of yours to ask them on a date for one night. You were feeling generous so you also added that you will pay them $10000 for their troubles. You wrote a few of your conditions and it was a surprise that for a tipsy person, your email was well written.

…………………..

Three months had gone by and you had completely forgotten about what you had done. Honestly, when you woke up the next morning, you thought that either the people you emailed to will either spam it, delete it or laugh at it. So you laughed at how ridiculous it was and just went on with your days.

You were working from home that day, luckily, and things were going just fine. You were on a lunch break when you heard two pings from your email box. Thinking it must be work, you popped open to see your personal email had received two replies. The subject line glaring at you and your breath quickened.

You had received responses, on your three month old desperate email. By one Steve Rogers and one James Buchanan Barnes. They both had agreed to every terms and conditions and were asking when it would be okay to meet for the date.

You spent two days contemplating. Should you even agree? Did your drunken thoughts even matter? Even if you do agree, whom will you choose? You liked them both. Of course you didn't know them personally but their public presence has always attracted you to them in a way. They were the two men about whom you've daydreamt, occasionally with a vibrator but also, respectfully.

On the third day, you decided that it would be best to leave this decision on both of them. Make them choose who wants to stay for the date. Because you were really using up a lot of your money to pay one person. Why try and lose sleep when you can throw the ball in their court?

You opened their emails and sent them the exact same reply saying that they can meet this Saturday at your usual cafe and then plan from there. Surprisingly, you received both their replies within an hour agreeing.

………………….

Life had been very unforgiving to Steve and Bucky. While they did have women fawn over them, they were having a hard time dealing with the female fanbase.

Bucky tried it once, one night stand with a fan. It did not end well. She had to be dragged away by security and Bucky started questioning what went wrong. He withdrew completely. He did flirt but that was the end of everything. He called it healthy flirting, good to practice just like training.

Steve, after witnessing this, drew back even more. He had been in love with Peggy, still. Seeing Sharon, he saw hints of Peggy in her and so developed a relationship with her. It didn't end well. After just two months of trying, Steve found the relationship exhausting which it shouldn't. He talked to Sharon about it and they both deemed it best to end things while they were ahead. They were just colleagues now.

But one fine day, in the middle of the night, both of them received the same email. A random woman had asked them out on a date and was willing to pay them $10000 for their efforts. Well, not them together but individually.

They were sitting together when this happened. They found it ridiculous and joked about it. Later, bidding each other goodnight, when they were in the comfort of their own room, they both actually started thinking about the proposition.

They both asked FRIDAY, separately, privately, to look into this email. They wanted to make sure they were not being lured into something unknown. All they received was a photo of yours and very clean data. They started thinking about this more.

Finally, they both mustered the courage to email you back saying they agree. Both Bucky and Steve wanted to add that they don't need money but thought they will refuse the money once the date is over.

Steve never actually wanted to date again. He had his chance to go back to Peggy but he didn't want that either. He saw her life flourish and he wanted her to rest now. He said yes to your email mostly because he found it interesting. Also, it was for one day. It was a no strings attached offer and it will help him get his mind off of his stagnant love life.

Bucky found this entire thing funny. But he said yes regardless because he wanted to talk to the brilliant mind that came up with this. But somewhere, in the back of his mind, Bucky also thought that this idea of one day romantic excursion without expectations was titillating.

Steve and Bucky were having dinner together when they both received your email confirming their email and set up the day and time. They both pretended that there was something very important in their phone and agreed to meet you.

The rest of the week was torture for both of them. They wanted to tell each other about this thing but also wanted to hide because who in their right mind would agree to something like this?

They spent the rest of the week separate. The rest of the team found it weird but did not question it. They didn't want to get in the middle of whatever was going on.

As Saturday rolled by, Steve left almost two hours early for the date. He didn't want Bucky to ask questions. He went to a local florist and bought three pink roses for you.

Bucky also wanted to be sneaky so he waited till he heard nothing but silence to leave the compound. He went to a local florist and bought three pink roses for you.

[lazy-sixteen]

Daniil why would you say that???

Watching Pathologic (classic HD) while on break from suffering in Pathologic 2, and it really struck me how different the first meeting with the Bachelor was in each game.

Pathologic 1, well, only a screenshot can do it justice,

(Yes . . . far be it from me to call myself a person of mystical inclinations. However, when I look at you, I get the feeling that nature is playing jokes on us. It is as if both the left and right hand have clutched the head to realize for the first time they are two parts of a single whole.

>Why?

>I get that feeling too. Does that mean that we are alike?)

That's like the first thing he says to the Haruspex, and while yeah everybody in Pathologic talks like that to a degree, even in game, in character that's a wild thing for Dankovsky specifically to say.

We just spent an entire playthrough as this guy mocking and/or having breakdowns over the existence of the supernatural - especially precognition. And in strolls this 6'2 resting murder-face dude with half-a-medical degree, widely thought to be a serial killer (kinda true), and Dankovsky's like,

"BTW, my heart is telling me we're kinda two halves of the same whole.😊❤️"

Absolutely hilarious. Even funnier is that the Haruspex, grumpy at baseline and currently having the worst day of his life (so far), can agree with him. Great first impression all around!

Then over in Pathologic 2, the Bachelor is high-key fumbling, like fumbling so hard you can get an achievement for it.

Carpetbagger - Remind a colleague of the Hippocratic Oath -- and fail

Not to meme on the guy (who is of course, multi-faceted and at his core deeply altruistic even if he often seems to have trouble expressing that on an individual basis), but initial Pathologic 2 Bachelorencounter is Daniel at his most prickly prick.

He gets Artemy's name wrong (possibly on purpose and definitely twice),

condescendingly demands the Haruspex be his errand boy,

basically calls himself the smartest person in a room of 2,

and can accidentally imply that he left a couple of orphan children to die because he doesn't treat mutts (he actually refused to treat the orphans' dogs).

Yikes - no wonder Artmey spends the first couple of Days taking cheap shots at the guy.

I mean in both Haruspex routes eventually he ends up very friendly with the Bachelor, which makes senses on a thematic level given the some of the Haruspex's major themes/ideals are connection and community. You could say their first meeting was changed to be funnier ("Vorakh") or more in character for the expected tension between two people under a lot of stress who can both be difficult to get along with at baseline

However, what about if we look at it from a meta-narrative level?

While you can play Pathologic 1 as either the Bachelor or the Haruspex on your initial run, it's pretty common knowledge who you are supposed to play first.

"Daniil Danokovsky's Fun Steppe Vacation was just the tutorial for Artemy Burakh's Tormentous Nightmare" - HBomberguy in Pathologic is Genius and Here's Why

This means that the player in Pathologic 1 has already been introduced to Daniil - even if Artmey hasn't - and the game reflects that! You the player know the Bachelor, you've been him, and you probably got really attached after keeping him alive for 12 horrible, horrible days.

Even though you know he can be a bit sanctimonious and dismissive, the player knows he's rational and compassionate and thus already used the evidence at hand to figure out Artemy hasn't killed anybody!

Of course one of the first things you (the player) would want to do as the new protagonist is check on your former avatar, and the game rewards you for it! Talking with the Bachelor on Day 1 as Artemy can raise your reputation - which is super critical. It might be the increase that keeps you from getting hunted in the streets or starving as shops refuse to sell food. What a great first (Second?) impression!!

Daniil's unprompted "hey are we soulmates or is it just me?" line is funny, but meta-narratively it is also true. They are the player's first two avatars, taking turns being puppeted by the same you as protagonists through the same overall story to two opposing conclusions. They are (your) right and left hand. You've played Dankovsky, (you) know this and having previously been the protagonist this new Dankovsky seems to subliminally know this too.

Meanwhile over in Pathologic 2, the only route is the Haruspex - disregarding the Marble Nest (worst day of Dankovsky's life [so far, ad infintuum]) which has enough time fuckery going on that I shall disregard it for this analysis - you can only be Artemy Burakh.

Either under the assumption that the player of Pathologic 2 hasn't played Pathologic 1 or that they've played all of Pathologic 1 including Changeling' Route's extended murder hide and seek between Dankovsky and Burakh, We (the player and Artemy) don't know Daniil when we meet him in Pathologic 2 as anything but the broken man we saw in the depressing into.

Is he our friend this time? Is he our enemy? Whatever he is, he's certainly a sanctimonious prick.

(Today's tragedy won't be the last. I was blessed with a naturally high intelligence, and my observations indicate that a very deadly visitor has come to this god-forsaken town. That's all I can say for now.

>...I don't like you, Bachelor Whatever.)

In Pathologic 2, both the player and Artmey meet Daniil Dankovsky at at his worst, and slowly work-up from there because both of us are meeting, getting to know, and building a relationship with him for the first time.

This is actually parallel to how you first meet the Haruspex in Pathologic 1 as the Bachelor!

If you are playing in the intended order, both the player and Daniil don't know anything about Artmey besides the serial killer rumors, and likewise you meet him at his worst - (in prison and later he murders a young woman to get Daniil the infected heart he needs to try and develop a vaccine). Much like we see the worst of Daniil's classism, arrogance, and inability to connect beyond quid pro quo (hehe, latin) in our Patho2 intro; in Patho1 we initially only see Artemy's standoffishness, brutality, and stubbornness.

Interestingly, following Daniil's themes/ideals of transcendence and rationality we (the player and Daniil) don't actually end up connecting much with Artmey on the Bachelor's route. The player is influenced by the puppet, and why would Dr. Daniil Dankovsky - whose route is plagued by betrayal, manipulation, and the difficulty of connecting to even people who do selflessly care for him (like Eva) - make friends with a violent, possibly dangerous guy who practices a sort of medicine Dankovsky doesn't believe in?

(I couldn't find a good screenshot for this, but mentally insert a picture of Artemy doing a roadside dissection)

Basically if Daniil is the player's protagonist he won't reach out, because in-character why would he?

If Artemy is the player's protagonist, Daniil will try to be friends in Patho1 (because of the player's previous actions affecting both avatars) or in Patho2 Artmey will eventually connect with him because that's in-character for him.

Overall, I suppose this means that Danii's instant and uncharacteristic buddy-buddy attitude with Artemy on the Haruspex route Patho1 is completely justified from a meta-textually narrative, as is his horrific fumbling in Patho2.

And it is also very, very funny.

[vidavalor]

Hi @badalice23, my favorite Grumpy Gus of this fandom. 🤭💕 I sometimes wonder why you're here when you seem to dislike everything? You've turned up to try to rain on my parade enough that a friend of mine jokes that you're probably on the payroll for the PR team of a certain very fired individual. 😂 We don't really believe that, of course, but that's how gloomy an outlook you have about the story sometimes! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, of course, and we don't have to disagree but I just worry that you don't seem to be getting a lot of joy out all of this? Unless your joy is to just show up and shit on things which, hey... we all have hobbies. *shrug*

I disagree about the pacing in S1 entirely. It absolutely worked and the abrupt shift to having Armageddon be stopped by the kids in a very short amount of time reflects the whole point of the story being told. Armageddon in Good Omens, fundamentally, is a personal story-- it's not really about the end of Earth but about a person's individual crisis that can lead to the end of *their* worlds. The Earth is made up of a 8 billion people with Armageddons of their own and we save it by helping each other through. The only ending to S1 was always everyone helps Adam and Adam rejects darkness. The pacing of that fit in S1 because the set up for that was what required more time and depth and layers than its execution.

There's nothing moralizing about having a message to a story... You "couldn't read the book" (???)... maybe that's the whole enchilada right there...

I find it really funny that people think that Crowley and Aziraphale have to personally stop Armageddon: Round Two in The Finale and have this really long and involved plot to do so. Armageddon: Round One was stopped in about eight minutes by a quartet of eleven year olds. Crowley and Aziraphale were also there, I suppose...

Crowley and Aziraphale's entire contribution was to roll in out of nowhere with four seconds to spare and be like "You, Antichrist Kid! Your bio-dad is literally The Devil and he's coming soon so think quick!" and then cheer Adam on. They both made it to Tadfield separately on a wing and a prayer at the last possible minute and their role was basically GO TEAM!!! while The Them actually saved the day. Newt did more to stop Armageddon: Round One than Crowley and Aziraphale did.

Yeah, that could be different in The Finale but I'd still wager that it's more likely that Crowley and Aziraphale are more the motivation that inspires the supporting characters to take more direct action than that they're the ones who take out Satan and The Metatron and save the world directly themselves. Their role is inspiring the other characters to see that a different world is possible and supporting them as they do. They've actually done a lot of that work already.

S2 seemed like it was setting up for this a bit. Uriel's refusal to kill Maggie and Nina and support of Gabriel in 2.06 indicates she's on our main characters' sides now. Jim + Team vs. Satan seems likely after the suggestion in S2 that Gabriel is the only one who Satan is afraid of, since they have equal power. And you know who I bet is going be the one who deals some extreme sanctions to The Metatron? Michael. I don't think she's going to take finding out that it's all been a sham very well. Plus? She is the duty officer. 😂

There's going to be plenty of time for Crowley and Aziraphale to reunite because the story really works out in spite of--and kind of because of-- the stuff they've fucked up, not because of the stuff they do particularly well. I think this will be true in The Finale, too:

[hollowed-theory-hall]

hello! i was wondering whether or not you can envision someone as better suited for tom/voldemort since i remember you saying neither harry nor hermione would be a match — them being the most popular two characters shipped with tom. and on that note, what do you think about bellatrix and voldemort? pro/against?

i tend to get a bit blindsided by the sheer obsession she has for him, honestly. i mean… i feel like she would be willing to shape herself down to the last atom to what appeals to him, if he ever were to show any true interest, and that’s very… sad.

Hello 👋

Thank you for the ask and as with all ship asks, ship what you ship, these are just my subjective opinions.

Now, what I said about Tomarrymort is that I don't think they would realistically get together and have a functioning relationship, I didn't say it wasn't fun. Like, I love Tomarrymort, but only if the relationship is a messy push and pull that makes everyone (both involved and uninvolved) miserable.

Now, as for Bellamort...

Do I think they had sex at some point in canon? Maybe. Like, that's not the most absurd thing about CC for me, so I consider it plausible.

Do I think Voldemort actually likes Bella romantically? Not really.

Do I think their relationship works like an actual equal functional relationship? Not one bit.

Do I think their relationship is entertaining and interesting? I mean, clearly, many people do, but I don't like Bellamort.

Like, it really doesn't interest me. There's a reason I only like Tomarrymort when there's a push and pull and Harry and Tom are portrayed as the equals they are. Like, I don't like Tomarrymort where Harry is completely submissive to Voldemort and Bellamort for the same reason — these aren't the kind of relationships that make Tom interesting.

I like both Tom and Bellatrix a lot as individuals, but I don't think a romantic and/or sexual relationship between them pushes their characters to interesting places. They are both stagnate in this relationship and, for me personally, that just doesn't interest me.

Like, Bellatrix is completely submissive to Voldemort nodding her head excitedly and panting after him: "Yes my lord! Whatever you say, my lord!" And this is not the type of dynamic that'd push either character towards growth. They don't push each other into a character arc, which is what I usually like my ships to do.

Additionally, this dynamic basically means Voldemort always gets what he wants, and Bellatrix is happy with it, as you said, she'd shape herself for his every whim. This isn't a relationship between equals. It's a relationship where she worships him and he doesn't respect her or care about her as a person. Like, at all.

The dynamic we see from them in the books gave me the impression Voldemort cares about Bellatrix. He doesn't want her to be hurt or to die:

Bellatrix’s gloating smile froze, her eyes began to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

(DH)

But he cares about her like how you care about your favorite pet. He relished in giving her orders and having her submit completely:

“Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!” sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort’s feet as he paced slowly nearer. “Master, you should know —” “Be quiet, Bella,” said Voldemort dangerously. “I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?” “But Master — he is here — he is below —” Voldemort paid no attention.

(OotP)

He doesn't actually care about her being hurt if it's not too bad, he doesn't care about her feelings or apologies, especially not when Harry is right in front of him — his obsession, his one failure. Bellatrix takes a backseat, basically always. He doesn't care about her all that much. He cares and respects her like a loyal dog, not like a person he has a relationship with.

He also relished in humiliating and embarrassing her. He likes making fun of her in ways Bella clearly does not enjoy, which isn't something you'd do to someone you love:

“I’m talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And your, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud.” There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks, a few thumped the table with their fists. The great snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant where that at Bellatrix and the Malfoys’ humiliation. Bellatrix’s face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.

(DH)

she's desperate to please him, to tell him everything she thinks he wants to hear and she happily lets him treat her like fucking dirt. I don't find a relationship like that compelling, as I said, Voldemort would never change for Bellatrix and Bellatrix honestly deserves better than this. He even lets other Death Eaters jeer and laugh at her, this is not a romantic relationship.

Like even if he had sex with her, it was purely physical as he just doesn't care about her as a person like this. As more than a faithful servant (which he enjoys making fun of, as he does so for many of them).

And he is unwilling to show her real, unintentional weakness or ask her for help:

“My Lord, let me—” “I do not require assistance,” said Voldemort coldly, and though he could not see it, Harry pictured Bellatrix withdrawing a helpful hand.

(DH)

He does trust her with one of his Horcrux as the cup is kept in her vault and she seems to know what it is:

“Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!” She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners. “If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed,” she muttered, more to herself than to the others. “The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself. . . . But if he finds out . . . I must . . . I must know. . . .”

(DH)

He trusts her loyalty, and she is one of his preferred Death Eaters (he doesn't hate her like he does Wormtail, Tom appreciates courage and loyalty, which are both traits Bellatrix possesses) but he clearly doesn't trust her with his backstory in the first war:

“Shut your mouth!” Bellatrix shrieked. “You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood’s tongue, you dare —” “Did you know he’s a half-blood too?” said Harry recklessly. Hermione gave a little moan in his ear. “Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he’s pureblood?” “STUPEF —” “NO!” A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange’s wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. [...] “He dared — he dares —” shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. “— He stands there — filthy half-blood —”

(OotP)

She doesn't really know who Voldemort is. She worships the persona of Voldemort. She loves his lies and masks. She doesn't actually know Tom Riddle. And I don't think she could accept and love the real Tom Riddle behind the title of Voldemort — the poor but brilliant nerdy half-blood who craves recognition. She would find him pathetic.

It's basically Hinny, isn't it?

She adores his persona and fame and what people think he is without actually knowing or understanding him. She changes her personality to fit what she thinks his girl needs to be because she is so focused on being with him. And He likes that she doesn't get in his way and lets him do and say whatever without crying about it but doesn't care about her or her feelings nearly as much as people think.

Bellamort is just Hinny with a different skin, and I never liked Hinny.

Like Hinny, they don't know or understand each other, and it's clear Bella and Ginny care about Voldemort and Harry more than the boys care about them. Like, yes, Harry would be devastated if Ginny died, but he'd get over it way faster than he did about Sirius. Same for Voldemort, he cares about Bella, but not as an equal he understands and cares for the feelings of. Voldemort got over Bella's death fairly quickly as well, he's way more focused on Harry.

So, with all of this, who do I think is the best pairing for Voldemort?

If we're talking about canon characters who are actually characters in the books? Then Harry is my top choice. Harry is the only one Voldemort would see as an equal and can actually push and change Voldemort as much as Voldemort changes him. There is no other character in canon, I believe, who would be able to do this to the level Harry could. Their dynamic is just so mutually obsessive and tense that a relationship like that can't not change both of them in a myriad of interesting ways.

Though, I was thinking about it, and Severus/Voldemort have potential. Voldemort clearly respects Sev and his opinions more than the average Death Eater:

Snape did not speak. “Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen.” “My Lord—”

(DH)

He cares about him and regrets having to kill him:

Harry saw Snape’s face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake’s fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor. “I regret it,” said Voldemort coldly

(DH)

Voldy is willing to forgive Sev for things he'd kill most for. They have so much shared experience (poor, muggle childhood in incredibly abusive environments) that would allow them to understand each other. They probably both get frustrated over pureblood idiocy. Both are intelligent and share many interests, like they're both magic nerds who'd talk all night about magical theory...

So, I think, under the right circumstances, Severus is a pretty good pairing for Voldemort.

The only real downside is that depending on when they get together, they'd push each other to be more extremist and overall worse. Like, they'd push each other to have less empathy for other people if they get together, say, during the first war. Well, it might not be a downside. It really depends on how you look at it.

If they get together in the second war, it's different, and in my opinion, more compelling and interesting for both of them. Like, pairing them up after Voldemort's return and after Sev already turned traitor opens so many interesting avenues. I mean, Sev was someone Voldemort actually regretted killing, that was remorse there, wasn't it? It means Severus could push Voldemort to change in a way Bellatrix doesn't. Because Voldemort respects Snape in a way he doesn't respect Bella. I mean, think about how many times Voldemort shut Bella down when she kept insisting Snape is a traitor — it's clear he values Snape more than he values her.

If we're also looking at side characters we don't know as much about, then we have some more options.

@iamnmbr3 has convinced me that Alphard Black/Tom Riddle is an option, and I have been very compelled by it. We don't know much about Alphard, but that never really stopped me because what we do know is interesting.

We know he is Sirius' uncle. He was born after Walburga but before Cygnus, probably closer in age to Walburga. So, I headcanon he was born in 1927 and was in the same year as Tom Riddle.

We know Alphard was a Slytherin since Sirius mentions all his family was in Slytherin, which would include his uncle. And we know Alphard was burned off the family tapestry when he gave Sirius money when Sirius ran away from home.

This leaves us with a character, who's cunning, capable of listening to his older sister Walburga go off about whatever without making the fight worse but has a spine to stand up to her bullshit when it's actually important. This gives him the right characteristics to be able to wrangle a character arc out of a romance with a younger Tom Riddle (and perhaps the older one, too).

He's a pureblood who's open-minded enough to support Sirius and not hate muggleborns (probably). He likely has the subtlety necessary to fix Tom without Tom feeling like he's being fixed. Alphard, used to his very eventful family, is an expert in dealing with dramatic people (like his siblings) and how to undercut their drama instead of pushing them further into their position (which is what Harry would do, for example. Harry and Tom would keep pushing at each other while someone like Alphard would be able to just remove the heat from the argument and allow it to not get as extreme).

Again, it's not much to go on, but it has so much potential.

(Also, @iamnmbr3 has this post about how Voldemort’s violence became worse in 1979, which happens to be the same year Alphard Black died, and while I don't agree with all the points made there, I find it to be a super fun concept)

Voldemort/Lily also has potential. She's smart, stubborn, academically inclined, and has the right rough edges to have the kind of push-and-pull dynamic with Voldemort that I like with Tomarrymort. Lily is probably the kind of witch Voldemort could grow to respect as well. I don't think he would've agreed to spare her for Snape if he didn't respect both of them. JKR also said he tried to recruit James and Lily, so, he was aware that she was talented.

I think, though, Lily/Voldemort would be slightly better than Harry/Voldemort in some aspects. Lily isn't as hot-headed as Harry. Lily's anger is usually much colder, which I feel would work better with Tom just because she wouldn't push all his buttons (just most of them). She would still push him into a character arc, but it would be a gentler nudge than if Harry did it.

My only real rule when shipping Tommy Boy is that he can't be shipped with someone mediocre, he'll just steamroll over them completely, and that's not as fun, in my opinion. He needs a partner he can grow to respect and see as an equal (or close to it) and that has the spine to stand up to him, otherwise, he'd just keep getting what he wants, and I think that's the opposite of what Voldemort needs in a relationship.

[damnfandomproblems]

Fandom Problem #6345:

Does it feel like every female to female and male to male friendship in movies and TV is being headcanoned as secretly gay? Like, when did that happen? When did all these nuts start thinking that 2 individuals of the same gender who are friends with each other are secretly in love each other, even if 1 of the persons in the friendship is married to someone? It's very creepy. Let friends be friends!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: Babysitting Taiga

~ written for @vesuviaweekly's prompt "Familiar Swap" ~

WELP here it is, I'm boring so my irl cat Taiga is my self insert (Drue's) familiar. And as we all know, familiars do reflect their owner's feelings for the people around them ...

Julian

Generally adept at recognizing the personality in things and immediately started referring to her as "her ladyship"

Got bapped (claws in) the first time he got carried away trying to bond too fast. Gave her all of two minutes of space before resorting right back to pspspssing

Known to engage in long conversations with her (she's very vocal as far as meowing goes) and loves making up silly conversation topics (you caught him with a stray in the dumpster? no!)

Frequently ends up on the other side of the "i'm not impressed" cat stare and usually takes that as his cue to provide ear scritches

Will simply pick her up for snuggles whenever he wants them, which she will hop out of as soon as she's done (she does tolerate his affection longer than most visitors, though)

Asra

Often jokes that Taiga could just as easily be their familiar as Drue's, just like Faust. They're weirdly in sync

So. Many. Catnaps. As soon as he starts fluffing up a pillow pile, Taiga's kneading the closest fluffy blanket so she can curl up against him as soon as he lies down

One of the few people she will purr around

Knows they're an enabler and consistent source of treats

Has been known to sit on his chest, make eye contact, slowly and deliberately place a paw on his nose, and then meow pitifully until he gives her pets/treats/food/attention

Has a habit of swatting at their necklace when they play

Will allow him to dress her in whatever weird accessories he's made/sourced for her and then wake him up at 3 AM in revenge

Nadia

Nadia didn't jump straight into Taiga's personal space as soon as they met, which is why they get along so well. There's a healthy respect there

Trips to the Palace can be stressful for a cat who's not familiar with it, but visits always end up going smoothly

Likes to climb on her lap while she's talking and loaf there

This does lead to Nadia idly stroking her, which initially resulted in getting gently nipped but is now usually greatly appreciated

Drue still apologizes for the first time Nadia came to the shop, pet Taiga while she was in her lap, and then got nipped. Nadia thinks it's a great story. Taiga has no shame about it

Taiga prefers sitting in her lap/on her shoulder to Drue's while she's in meetings. They like to play into each other's regal auras

Muriel

One of her favorite napping trees. Tall, permanently warm, usually wearing some kind of fur - he's perfect

Often attempts to groom him (licking his hair/scruff) in thanks. Muriel appreciates the warm gesture but not necessarily the cat smell that gets all over him as a result

Probably the only person Taiga's never swatted at/bapped. He's too much of a calming presence for her and so hands-off that all the affection involved is cat-initiated

Freaks him out completely when she has zoomies. She's moving too fast, happily yowling at the top of her lungs, and using his shoulders as a springboard for the ceiling

Despite his apathetic attitude, he always shows up with a scrap of fish for her and has been known to carry her around like baby

Portia

Clicked from the get-go. Portia knows cats and Taiga knows safe people. There's just one problem - Pepi

To say that there was some initial tension there would be an understatement. Neither of them want to miss out on any potential affection from the humans around them

Thankfully, they do quickly discover that it's possible for cats to enjoy each other's presence, at which point Taiga enjoys visits to the cottage for Pepi more than for Portia

All four of them (Pepi, Portia, Drue, and Taiga) have healthy individual doses of chaotic impulses so getting them all together in one space quickly devolves into questionable decision making

Constantly meowing back and forth with her, which often culminates in a two-minute case of zoomies

Lucio

She met his dogs before she met him and it didn't go well

Taiga was a street cat in a rough area before Drue found her. Her fight-or-flight instinct is hardwired to fight and that's exactly what she did when Mercedes and Melchior shoved their noses at her

Those poor dogs got several hefty whacks to the noses

They get along much better now - especially when there's a surface she can chill on out of the dog's reach, just to reinforce personal space boundaries

Likes Lucio's human hand pets, but gets immediately spooked anytime his metal hand makes contact. It's cold

Will walk up to his white clothing items, wait for him to say "don't touch that", and then make eye contact while she very purposefully places a single paw on it

[killallxys2]

The EasyPeasy Way to Quit Make-up

Chapter 1

Introduction

This open-source guide will help you stop relying on makeup immediately, effortlessly, and permanently—without willpower or any sense of loss or sacrifice. It won’t place any judgment, embarrassment, or pressure on you to make drastic changes.

In fact, there’s no need to reduce or "cut back" on your makeup use while reading; attempting to do so prematurely can actually be counterproductive.

You might be hesitant at the mere thought of quitting makeup or be one of the countless individuals who have tried but struggled. If that’s the case, some of what you’re reading may seem counter to everything you’ve been told���but if what you’ve been told had worked, you wouldn’t need this guide.

Ask yourself if any of the following resonates with you:

Do you spend more time applying and perfecting your makeup than you originally intended?

Have you struggled to stop or reduce your use of makeup despite efforts to do so?

Has your reliance on makeup interfered with or taken priority over personal or professional activities, hobbies, or relationships?

Do you go out of your way to keep your natural appearance hidden (e.g., avoiding photos without makeup, feeling anxious without it)?

Has using makeup caused significant issues in your personal relationships, such as impacting your self-confidence or sense of authenticity?

Do you find yourself in a cycle of excitement and enjoyment while applying makeup, only to feel less satisfied or even disappointed afterward?

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about makeup, even when you’re not wearing it?

Has using makeup had other negative consequences in your personal or professional life (e.g., feeling uncomfortable without it, taking extra time each day, feeling financial pressure from makeup purchases)?

If you find yourself depending on makeup to feel confident or attractive for any reason, all you need to do is keep reading. If you’re here for a loved one who relies on makeup to feel complete, all you need to do is encourage them to explore this book. If they’re hesitant, you can read it yourself. Understanding this approach will help you communicate with them effectively and guide loved ones, such as children, toward self-acceptance before they rely on makeup.

About the Book

This book is inspired by Allen Carr’s EasyWay method, adapted for those who want to quit makeup. It’s open-source, licensed under CC-BY-SA, and it’s free. The approach here is structured to work best if you:

DO NOT JUMP CHAPTERS

Think of this journey like a combination lock, requiring the steps to be followed in sequence. Breaking free from reliance on makeup is no different.

Personally, the original version of this method completely changed my perspective. If you’re like most, you probably began using makeup at a young age and have been using it regularly ever since. Maybe you’ve experienced occasional confidence in going bare-faced but find yourself returning to makeup. I’m happy to report that this method works differently; it’s been the only approach that truly led me to embrace my natural self.

Or perhaps a friend recommended this book to you, and you’re skeptical. Thank you for considering it. This will be expanded upon shortly, but for now, think back to the first time you wore makeup—before it became part of your routine.

Did you ever imagine that you’d rely on makeup for the rest of your life? Based on my informal experience (convincing friends to read this book), this guide works equally well for both occasional makeup users and those who rely on it heavily. It’s not very long, but the potential for significant personal growth is high, so I urge you to keep reading.

The approach shared in this guide is:

Immediate—you can start today.

Effective for everyone—whether you're a full-glam enthusiast or prefer minimal makeup.

Free of withdrawal discomfort—you won’t feel “naked” or uncomfortable without makeup.

Requires no intense willpower—it’s about changing perspective, not forcing habits.

No shock treatments or gimmicks—no drastic measures or expensive replacements.

Won’t substitute one habit for another—you won’t feel the need to compensate with other habits or products.

Lasting—this method is designed for a permanent shift in mindset.

1.1 Warning

If you’re expecting this book to “scare” you into quitting makeup by highlighting any potential harm or pointing out that society’s standards of beauty are impossible, you may be disappointed. Those fear-based tactics don’t work effectively, and if they were going to help you, you’d have stopped using makeup already.

Conventional methods for quitting makeup often suggest “weaning off” or “makeup detoxes” like using less makeup over time. Some sources offer scientific insights into self-image and social psychology, which can be useful, but many people already understand the pressures to wear makeup and continue to use it anyway. Simply labeling it as a “bad habit” doesn’t address the real reasons people use makeup. Ultimately, treating it like a “forbidden fruit” doesn’t help to stop reliance on it.

This approach, called EasyPeasy, works differently. Some things discussed here might be challenging to believe at first, but by the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll not only believe them—you’ll wonder how you ever felt pressured into seeing makeup as essential to your identity.

There’s a common misconception that we choose to rely on makeup. Makeup dependency is often no more a conscious choice than any other deeply ingrained habit. It’s true that we choose to buy makeup, apply it in front of a mirror, and step out feeling like we’ve “put on our best face.” But did any of us choose to feel incomplete or “less than” without it? Did we decide that our natural appearance was inadequate?

It started innocently enough—maybe we wore makeup out of curiosity, to have fun with our appearance, or to fit in. But few of us would have started had we known it might lead us to question our self-worth without it, to feel insecure without the “mask,” or to believe that beauty is only skin-deep. How many of us thought, the first time we picked up mascara or lipstick, that we’d end up feeling pressured by beauty standards that undermine our confidence and personal happiness?

Take a moment to reflect: did you ever consciously decide that you must have makeup to feel beautiful or acceptable? That you need foundation, eyeliner, or lipstick to feel confident at work or in social situations? That you couldn’t fully enjoy an evening out or feel as attractive in photos without it? At what stage did makeup shift from a fun, optional part of your life to something you felt you had to rely on?

Like countless others, you’ve been drawn into one of the most subtle yet powerful traps created by societal expectations, compounded by industries profiting off of women’s insecurities. None of us would want our daughters to feel they need makeup to be valued or admired. This reflects a truth that many know deep down: no one needs makeup to thrive, be respected, or be loved.

At the same time, many women feel hesitant to stop. There’s an internal conflict—the feeling that while we don’t want to feel pressured to wear makeup, we also feel uncomfortable going without it. If there were a magic button we could press to wake up tomorrow feeling secure in our natural beauty, few would hesitate to press it. The only thing that truly holds us back from embracing our bare face is fear—a fear instilled by the belief that without makeup, we’ll face insecurity, loss of confidence, or won’t measure up to beauty standards. These fears stem from irrational beliefs, perpetuated by societal and media messaging:

Beauty is essential for self-worth.

Makeup is the only way to look “professional” or “put-together.”

Makeup helps us compete with unrealistic, edited images of beauty.

We need makeup to hide “imperfections.”

More products and routines equate to a “better” appearance.

These beliefs lead to irrational behaviors and self-perceptions:

Feeling inadequate or incomplete without makeup.

Comparing ourselves to airbrushed images and feeling like we “fall short.”

Believing that our worth is linked to our appearance.

Becoming hyper-critical of our natural looks.

Wearing makeup out of habit rather than desire.

It’s fear that drives us to think we won’t feel as comfortable in our skin, that people might perceive us differently, or that we’ll never be as confident without makeup as we are with it. This fear stems from learned beliefs that suggest beauty equals worth, but it doesn’t have to control our lives.

This guide is about freeing ourselves from those expectations and reclaiming our self-worth, beauty, and power on our terms.

But most of all, there’s the fear that “once a makeup user, always a makeup user”—that we’ll never feel fully free, that we’ll spend the rest of our lives needing that makeup crutch for confidence at certain times. If, like me, you’ve tried the conventional ways to feel okay without makeup and endured the struggle of the “willpower method,” you’re probably familiar with that fear and may even believe you can never feel secure going without it.

If you’re feeling apprehensive, anxious, or think now just isn’t the right time to quit, let me assure you: those fears aren’t relieved by makeup—they’re caused by it. No one sets out to become dependent on makeup, but like all traps, it’s designed to keep you feeling insecure without it. Ask yourself, when you first started wearing makeup, did you decide that you’d rely on it for life? So, if not now, when will you stop? Tomorrow? Next year? Stop kidding yourself! This trap is designed to keep you in it for life. Why else do you think countless others don’t break free, even as they begin to realize they’d rather not feel “incomplete” without makeup?

Imagine a magic button that could instantly make you feel as confident without makeup as you do with it—EasyPeasy works just like that magic button. Let me make it clear: EasyPeasy isn’t magic, but for those of us who’ve found it easy and enjoyable to step away from makeup dependency, it certainly feels like it!

Consider this as a “chicken and egg” situation: everyone who wants to quit relying on makeup can actually enjoy doing so. The only thing holding you back is fear. The most significant gain from this process is freedom from that fear. But you won’t experience it until you complete this journey. In fact, your fears may even increase as you continue reading, but don’t let that stop you.

You didn’t decide to fall into this trap, but let’s be clear: you won’t escape it unless you choose to. Whether you’re eager to quit or cautious about the thought, keep in mind: YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!

If, by the end of this journey, you still choose to use makeup, nothing will stop you from doing so. You don’t even have to cut back while reading this book, and remember—there are no harsh tactics here. Quite the opposite—I have only good news for you! Can you imagine how it would feel to step out, makeup-free, with confidence as radiant as ever? That’s how I felt when I broke free from the makeup trap, and that’s how others who’ve used this method feel too. By the end of this journey, that’s how you’ll feel as well. Go for it!

Finally...

Everyone can find it easy and enjoyable to quit makeup dependency, including you! All you need to do is read the rest of this book with an open mind; the more you understand, the easier it will be. Even if some ideas feel challenging, following these steps will make your transition smooth. Most importantly, you won’t spend life yearning for makeup or feeling deprived, and by the end of this journey, you’ll likely wonder why you felt you needed it for so long.

With EasyPeasy, there are only two reasons for failure.

Failure to carry out instructions. Some may find the book annoyingly insistent on certain recommendations, like avoiding “cutting back” or using substitutes. While some people can quit using makeup with half-measures, they often succeed despite those strategies, not because of them. Like cracking a code, the steps here need to be followed in order for the easiest success: moving one chapter at a time, without skipping.

Failure to understand. Question not only what you’re told here, but also your own beliefs and what society has ingrained in you about beauty, self-worth, and makeup. For example, if you think it’s just a habit, ask yourself why other habits—even ones you actually enjoy—are easy to break, while a habit that costs energy, time, and money is so difficult to stop. If you feel that makeup makes you happier, ask yourself why things that are genuinely enjoyable, like hobbies or favorite activities, don’t make you feel dependent. Why does your self-esteem feel tied to makeup, with insecurity setting in if you go without?

EasyPeasy is about to give you the knowledge of just how easy and enjoyable it is to step away from makeup dependency. Like many others, one of my greatest triumphs in life has been breaking free from the makeup trap. This is not a journey to feel apprehensive about; on the contrary, you’re about to accomplish something that many people yearn for: FREEDOM!

REMEMBER, DO NOT SKIP CHAPTERS.

I’d wish you luck, but as you’ll soon come to learn, you don’t need it.

[multitooled-sentient-robot]

Automated UECS Safe Travels Crew Report November 11/13/2124

Many different forms of corruption have emerged in the last quarter. This has lead to four factions that threaten the crew: N'ukahana - She corrupts the minds of crew members and turns them against each other. Followers include @consortofrot and @rottendragon The Void - Uses it's infesters to corrupt the minds and bodies of those corrupted, though if the person is strong willed enough, they can keep their mind in tact. Seems to be lead by @observant-void Aurelionite (@gilded-gaia) - stuck in the gilded coast, she influences us all. Does not appear as hostile as the other teams. Motive unknown. Mithrix (@mithrix-the-almighty) - creates constructs such as (@mithrixsfavoriteconstruct) and generally antagonizing us at some points, he is a strong foe. Luckily, he is confined to the moon and therefore is generally confined to insulting us.

Individual Reports:

Safe Travels Crew Members:

Commando (@hornet-luck) - After being antagonized by captain, briefly became gilded to defeat him, afterwards was the main person to comfort and support them Huntress (@rain-of-arrows) - nothing of note Myself (this blog lol) - nothing of note Engineer (@turretlovernbungusenjoyer) - had a brief altercation with the one known as "Drifter" Artificer (@artificise, @housebeyond) - nothing of note Mercenary (S.T.) (@the-merc-from-ror2) - Had a duel with another mercenary that ended in a draw, has currently hidden himself in [ERROR - CODE: LIKE.IM.GONNA.TELL.YOU.PRICK] out of paranoia REX (@rexs-plant, @one-of-the-gardeners-of-all-time) - Has made a garden on the planet's surface, they're plant half has aligned themself with Mithrix Loader #1 (@the-bionic-powerhouse) - nothing of note Loader #2 (@the-reinforced-recruit) - Helps keep everyone emotionally stable. physically cannot understand binary. Captain (@tired-veteran) - Was corrupted by N'ukahana and tried to kill everyone. Was stopped by providence, REX, and commando. Currently not very popular. Railgunner (@railgun-ur-face) - Currently being corrupted by the void Seeker (@seeker-0222) - Nothing of note

"Survivors" of the contact light

Enforcer (@hammer-of-justice) - Corrupted by the void before trying to kill everyone. Currently in semi-stable state Bandit (@money-lovin-thief) - Has stolen several pieces of UECS property. HAN-D (@j4n1t0r) - Nothing of note Miner (@dirtnrocksnminerals) - Nothing of note Sniper (@bigfucking-gun) - corrupted by the void, condition unknown Mercenary (C.L.) (@hired-blade) - has had several altercations with other crew, currently locking himself in his room. Pilot - (@airborne-fighter) - nothing of note Drifter - (@drifting-collector) - collection was destroyed so they are trying to rebuild it. Has had alterations with engineer and Mercenary (S.T.)

Others of note:

Bandit #2 (@desperate-outlaw) - definitely not dating captain. nope! (Edited) False Son (@halcyon-seeded-bison-enjoyer) - Initially attacked the crew but has seemed to become our ally Providence (@bulwark-of-the-weak) - Came aboard the ship one day. Powerful. Motives unclear. Newt (@timeless-newt) - vendor of lunar items "Void Fiend" (@escaped-prisoner) - claims to be a survivor of the contact light but is to corrupted by the void to be proven. The void entities seem to bring him back to an unknown location.

End Report.

[sokkastyles]

Got into an argument with an Azula stan who said that Azula foregoing revenge against the Fire Warriors in "Azula in the Spirit Temple" for "betraying" her was Azula learning a lesson after Ty Lee's "betrayal."

And while I do think Azula did learn something from Ty Lee's defection, and that that did influence her decision not to seek revenge against the FW, I don't think she necessarily learned anything about morality or treating people better.

The main lesson Azula takes from Ty Lee's defection is that she can't control people through fear the way she had previously thought she could. Her relationship to the Fire Warriors is similar in that she does control them through fear, but she also uses other manipulation tactics to keep them in line. Specifically, she convinces them that they are better off working for her than they were before, and what better way to do that than to target women who were institutionalized, who she can easily convince that she is saving? That way, she has people whose obligation towards her she can leverage to ensure that she stay under her control.

But then she runs into the same problem she did with Ty Lee, not predicting that the FWs would be more loyal to each other than they are to her, especially when she puts one of them in danger and asks them to disregard one of their own for loyalty to her alone.

There's that tragic scene at the end where Azula is looking down on her former Fire Warriors, and realizes that they, just like Ty Lee and Mai, have with each other something that Azula utterly lacks, and that's companionship and genuine caring for one another. And on some level, I think Azula decides to forget her revenge because she envies that. But if Azula has learned a lesson about truly caring about others, it's only on a subconscious level, because her conclusion is that she can just find new followers. Presumably, ones that she can control better, instead of trying to fight against those she can't control.

So what has Azula really learned? Ty Lee and Mai's betrayal came as a shock because it was the first time someone had ever really stood up to Azula. And as Mai says, Azula failed to understand people in the way she thought she did. But now, Azula knows she can't control someone through fear when friendship and love exist as stronger forces. If anything, she lets the FWs go because she's learned more about when she can control someone, and what kinds of circumstances make someone easy to manipulate.

We don't know very much about how Mai and Ty Lee became friends with Azula, bit their backstories imply that both of them had an emotional void that Azula was able to fill. Ty Lee because of not feeling like an individual in her family, and Mai because of feeling repressed. But that changes when Ty Lee and Mai find something else to fill that need, Ty Lee's being the circus, and Mai's being Zuko. Azula had to take those things away to keep her friends loyal, but that loyalty would not last, because she no longer had that emotional hold on her friends.

So when Azula seeks out new followers in the Fire Warriors, she picks women who are especially vulnerable, whose families have cast them aside, who are desperate. She convinces them that they need her. When they finally realize that they don't, that's when Azula has realized she has lost her main advantage.

This is why a lot of manipulative people end up becoming worse in therapy. Understanding people better can teach a person to empathize, but it can also teach a manipulative person how to manipulate better. Where Azula goes from here is up in the air, but the choice, as it has always been, is hers, whether she chooses redemption or just finds someone else to fill that need for control.

[theamazingdigitalraceway]

She's a runner she's a trackstAaaAaArrrr

Just kidding ANYWHO

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE CAST MEMBERS WERE SELF AWARE OF US

AND I MEAN

US

A/N: us? .....OH. hehehehehe~ alright then

RACEWAY AU REACTS TO THIRSTY FANS

WARNING: kinda suggestive, kinda cringe BUT SO MUCH FUN

~~~

CAINE: Surprisingly bashful. He has no problem with attention, he lives for it, but THIS might be a little much for him. He'll confidently roll with the jokes and comments, but on the inside he is flustered and screaming for help. Thirsty fans have him sweating.

POMNI: Tsudere to the MAX. She tries way too hard to be unbothered that it circles back around to be very bothered. She's a flustered mess every time there is a flirty message or romantic gift. She doesn't care tho. Baka.

RAGATHA: She's as red as her hair, but is SUPER flattered. She'll personally thank each person that says something nice to her. The more suggestive comments will leave her speechless.

JAX: He loves that there are fans out there that would do anything for him, no matter what he does. Takes FULL advantage of them. If you love him, you'll be his footstool. (Unless he comes across a more assertive individual. It doesn't take much to turn the tables.)

GANGLE: She laughs nervously and backs away slowly. She's shy under the best of circumstances, but this will have her running away. Even if you're thirsty, please be kind to her.

ZOOBLE: "Weirdos." Very aloof, but if you look closely. They're blushing.

KINGER: He's super bashful about it. Not ashamed, but he's shy about that kind of attention. He doesn't feel he deserves it.

GUMMIGOO: Are you a furry? Jk, it doesn't matter. Who doesn't love a big, strong, confident reptile? Even if things could get a little...sticky.

LOO: She's a diva. She's a superstar. Signed pinups, anyone? She has an entire wardrobe ready for a photoshoot.

SETH: He LOVES the attention. Thirsty fans are how he became a more developed character. A thirsty fan literally became his canon partner. He knows the crowd is down bad for him and he's living it UP.

ABEL: He's...surprised. Then again, he can understand being attracted to power. He finds its allure to be rather intoxicating. He'll hear you wretched little heathens out. There's a chained collar with your name on it.

[antianakin]

Oh I LOVE the idea of memorial tattoos! That's so sweet (obviously in an incredibly sad way, but still). There was a fic I read once where Cody gave himself tattoos for people he loved who were still ALIVE, with the intention that he'd cut through them and create a scar over the tattoo if the person died as a visual representation of that memorial while also being a reminder of the people who are still with him, and that's stuck with me to this day. I have no idea which fic it was anymore off the top of my head, but it's such an interesting way to utilize tattoos because it lives somewhere in-between using tattoos to just represent people you care about who are either still alive or who have already died. But getting a tattoo for people who ARE alive but who are incredibly likely to die soon due to their circumstances and so he has a plan to sort-of... visually mar the tattoo with a different type of body modification adds so much nuance to it in a way I've never seen anywhere else.

And that's what I find most interesting about it, how the clones choose to utilize this art form to define who they are, not JUST as individuals, but as a CULTURE amongst all of them. And how is this culture different from anyone else's, how is it impacted by the experiences the clones have had and are currently having? How does this impact their approach to art, which could certainly be tattoos, especially in their early days, but might also make its way into things like songs and poetry and storytelling that are oral art forms, or things like cooking maybe that could be impacted by both the approach to their diets by the Kaminoans as well as the amount of traveling they do later and the interactions they might have with other cultures.

I just love looking at what makes the clones UNIQUE and how different aspects of their culture might be different from others specifically as a result of their incredibly unique upbringing. That's why I loved the fic with Cody's memorial tattoo because it's such a unique concept, having to build a tattoo design for people who are still alive but with the knowledge that it will very likely need to BECOME a memorial later. How many other cultures would even need something like that? The clones have such a low life expectancy because they've been built to die and they're also so often separated from each other and they probably have very few ways of keeping around things that remind them of their loved ones. So they come up with tattoos that can be a remembrance for someone still alive but separated that can be turned into a memorial for someone who has died and it doesn't actually take away from the tattoo design. What other culture would have a similar need for that kind of thing?

And of course they can have happier or sillier options, too, like putting a loved one's face on their body in tattoo form, or maybe a lot of text options later like poems or songs or recipes that mean something to them and that they want to make sure can't get lost (we don't know if they have access to PERSONAL padds of any kind where they could write things down that aren't related to work and even if they do, the possibility that it could be lost or broken is pretty high).

I feel like there's WAY more attention paid to armor than tattoos in clone culture within fandom and I think tattoos deserve more attention than they get (and armor less). Because yes, we do obviously see different armor designs and the like, but we also see a LOT of clones wearing pretty much the exact same armor design as a lot of other clones (the Doylist explanation for this is obviously that the animators weren't going to come up with separate armor designs for every single background clone, but I'm taking a Watsonian approach here), whereas any time a clone has a tattoo somewhere, it's never the same thing twice.

Armor designs are fun, they're nice, but armor breaks and gets lost while the tattoos are on their bodies FOREVER. We've also seen a few clones who have armor designs that match their tattoos, and I'm headcanoning that the tattoos came FIRST. So even some of the clones who we DON'T see have matching tattoos to their armor designs probably actually do somewhere. So like Waxer and Boil didn't just put Numa on their helmets, helmets get broken and destroyed, they got her face tattooed on their bodies somewhere, too. Rex has the shriek hawk eyes tattooed somewhere. Cody has the sunburst tattooed. If the design means something to them, it's been tattooed on their bodies, too.

I want more shared tattoos between clones who care about each other, too. Probably not the same as the one they have on their armor, but something else that's special to just the two of them. Fives and Echo could have a little domino tattoo somewhere to represent not just their bond, but their bonds to the rest of the squad they lost. Sometimes it's a memorial for someone they've lost, like maybe Jesse and Kix have a tattoo for Hardcase after Umbara, or Fox has one for Thorn after Scipio.

Tattoos are also a lot easier to hide and keep private from certain people if necessary, while armor designs are always able to be seen no matter what. So tattoos can be a LOT more personal than an armor design, too. They can represent terrible traumas or the deepest dream, something they don't dare even discuss with anyone else but don't want to forget. Clones with tattoos of coordinates to a planet they might one day want to call home, clones with tattoos of quotes that inspire them or maybe the last words spoken to them by a loved one or a promise made to someone else that they hope they can keep. Many clones have plant tattoos of some kind, the first flower or tree they ever saw, to remind them of the beauty that exists in the galaxy and what they're fighting to protect. Names are incredibly common tattoos once they've chosen it, either written out in letters or represented in an image somehow.

Over time, maybe in a happy fix-it AU where they have the ability to really let this develop, certain designs and patterns start meaning certain things to the clones and so they become shared across MANY clones as almost a shared unspoken language. A specific design might mean loss, or specific achievements in life.

Just... more about the tattoos in clone culture, they're SO underexplored.

[cosmererambles]

So...People have been asking for my Kelsier Essay.

I'll publish it in several posts that are qued apart.

Kelsier Essay

This is not a formal, academic essay. It’s a loose one but I feel it drives home the point well enough and brings forth good evidence.

 I hope the dear reader will forgive my use of a proper noun as I write this essay; it removes somewhat of a formal aspect from its words but I must admit, it does come from a personal place of my heart. While this essay is meant to be persuasive, it’s also meant to be constructive and to drive a point home that I have been musing on for quite a while. This essay has major spoilers for the entirety of the Cosmere. If you haven’t read all of Mistborn, SH, and all of SL, please refrain from reading this.

In the endless expanses of the Cosmere, there are hundreds of characters whom many hold dear and just as many whom people hate. You could say this is due to the brilliance of the author, who, despite his busy schedules and near constant time spent behind a keyboard, finds time to sign sheets and answer questions. Why is signing sheets and answering questions relevant to beloved and reviled characters? Read on.

Brandon Sanderson answers hundreds of questions, many of which are inane, innocuous, or silly. Some are deeper, others delve into the basis behind some of his choices while writing. Still others pertain to characters. We get to the meat of it. This particular character is known, through the writing, as a brutal man, who let nothing stand in the way of his goal, who, while cleaving the noble class of his society in twain, uplifted the peasants and upended the thousand-year reign of his deity and ruler. Yes, we’re talking of Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, hero of the Final Empire, and a character that leaves many people puzzled.

Reddit forums are frequented by questions about him. r/Mistborn and r/Cosmere alike have had their fair share of debates, and there was one thing I noticed in many of these: they take the words of Sanderson very, very seriously. Why shouldn’t they? He’s the author, is he not? Back in 2013, Sanderson had a Q&A session where someone asked him who his most disturbing character was. The WoB is as follows:

I_are_pant

1.Which of your protagonist characters do you dislike the most as a person? Taking in account that you know all of their inner secrets and motivations. 2. On the flip side, which of your antagonists do you connect with the most? The Lord Ruler seems an obvious choice as he was misunderstood by everyone for so long. But still, I’m curious.

Brandon Sanderson  This is a tough one, as while I’m writing, I HAVE to like everyone. However, the most disturbing of them is probably Kelsier. He’s a psychopath—meaning the actual, technical term. Lack of empathy, egotism, lack of fear. If his life had gone differently, he could have been a very, very evil dude.

 This Word of Brandon has had a decided effect on the fandom, namely in the fact that critical thought surrounding Kelsier, his motives, his struggles, and his successes, has all but been erased. He has been branded a psychopath, and there is nothing anyone can say against it.

The word “psychopath” is a very negatively charged word. To preface things, I want to be clear that this essay is going to refer to “psychopathy” as Antisocial-Personality Disorder. The term psychopath is very old, and largely refers to individuals with this particular disorder. The traditional definition of psychopath is someone who both lacks a conscience and lacks empathy.

Through this essay, I plan to painstakingly showcase that Kelsier fits neither the outdated term nor the criteria for the actual disorder, through canon book citations. I will break down each diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (Henceforth shortened to ASPD) and Kelsier’s character traits at large. I wish to not only prove Brandon wrong (It is a very old WoB and I doubt very much he still believes this.) but to prove to the fandom at large that Kelsier is a good man. A flawed man, but a good man. I will also note specific character traits that I feel are of note in discussing him, his motives, and his current ideologies.

(Please note that there are plenty of individuals with ASPD that are not bad people. Your actions make you bad, not your mental health. I will be using terms such as “bad” and “wrong”, but this is in regards to a fictional character, NOT a real life human being.)

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a disorder characterized by the DSM-V as a Cluster-B personality disorder. It shares its family with Narcissistic, Borderline, and Histrionic disorders, and is characterized by a “continuing disregard and violation of the rights of others, occurring since the age of fifteen. To be diagnosed with ASPD, you must show a pattern of three or more of the following characteristics:

·         Failure to Conform with Laws and Social Norms

·         Deceitfulness (Repeated lying or conning of others for personal profit or pleasure.

·         Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.

·         Irritability or Aggressiveness (Repeated physical fights or assaults.)

·         Reckless disregard for the safety of others.

·         Consistent irresponsibility. (Failure to keep a job or honor financial obligations.)

·         Lack of remorse.

Psychopathy is a term that was coined before this disorder was identified and refers specifically to a person lacking in both empathy and a conscience. The term is still widely used today, along with the term Sociopath, often interchangeably. For this essay, I’ll be largely relying on the psychiatric standards set in the DSM-V.

[ruporas]

can’t talk about it

[ID: Black and white comic of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. The comic starts with the sounds "thud, thud, click". Vash, mid-action of peeling an apple, turns to the sound, noticing who it was that entered, and says, "Oh, Wolfwood, you're back." He resumes back to his apple in the next panel as he speaks, "Where'd you go? You snuck out of bed quickly this morning..." Wolfwood's hand then enters the panel, hovering over Vash's cheek and Vash looks up as Wolfwood asks, "Can I?" Vash responds, "Not going to talk about it?" while using a hand to gently hold Wolfwood's hovering hand and presses a kiss to his inner palm.

Vash then gets up fully, setting down the knife down on the table and the apple onto a plate, He leans into Wolfwood as Wolfwood explains, "Had to meet someone. Nothing interesting to talk about." Vash kisses Wolfwood's left cheek and a hand moves to cup his other cheek while muttering, "You're being vague." Wolfwood says neutrally, "If yer really that curious, keep askin'. We  can talk about that instead of doing this." Vash leans back and responds, "Let's talk after, since... You look so tired."

The panel pans to a close up of Wolfwood's downcast eyes, bags heavy underneath his eyes. He doesn't allow Vash to sit in that moment for long though, then saying, "Yer not helping, Spikey. Being all slow with it... I could fall asleep right now." He moves his hand to start unclasping Vash's coat, starting from his collar. Vash with red cheeks, responds briskly, "Oh, shut up. I'm worried about you. I can't be worried?"

The final shot shows Wolfwood's back to the viewer while Vash's softened expression can be seen as he holds gently onto the side of Wolfwood's face and a hand firm on his waist. Wolfwood responds, "I'm fine, seriously," pausing for a moment before continuing, "Is it okay to still..?" Vash responds, "Yeah, it's okay."

The next image is a shot from later that night after the previous comic. Vash and Wolfwood are now in bed, half naked. Wolfwood's buries his face into Vash's chest, his arms wrapped around him, while Vash is petting at his hair. Vash reminds him, "Hey. You said we'd talk about it." Wolfwood pauses for a moment before piping up, "In the morning? I'm sleepy." Vash says, "Okay..."

The next two pages start from the morning after. Wolfwood is already fully awake, pulling on his outer jacket as he says to Vash, whos' still bundled in his blankets, "Breakfast is on the table. Make sure to eat it. I'm going to grab some things in town and then we're leavin'. Got it?" Vash says, "Mh." Wolfwood responds, "Good. See ya in a bit." The dialogue starts to shift into Vash's inner thoughts now, as he gets up and eats toast, thinking, "Wait. Weren't we supposed to... talk about it?" The next shot then shows him fully up, meeting Wolfwood in town. He carries a half worried expression with him while Wolfwood slides on his glasses for him. A quick panel shows Wolfwood's tired expression from the night before and quickly juxtaposes with Wolfwood in front of him who's smiling gently, the shades covering his eye bags. Wolfwood asks him, "Still not awake yet?" Vash pauses, his thoughts stirring, thinking, "Oh. I guess I was getting ahead of myself... thinking you owe me that kind of honesty." He smiles at Wolfwood and responds, "I'm awake!" His thoughts continue, "Maybe one day, you'd trust me enough to share your burdens."

The final image shows Wolfwood pulling at Vash's cheek and Vash complains, "Owwwww why..." Wolfwood quickly says, "You were thinking something stupid, right? It's all over yer face." Vash mutters, "Nooo, I wasn't..." END ID]

[vaguely-concerned]

there are a lot of daddy issues to go around on DS9 in general, but odo, bashir and garak are really in their own special little fucked up 'what am I but wrought in my father's image' club