#I do like the idea that depending on how the humans viewed cats

[consumeroflemoans]

Nekomata... Bakaneko... Pussy willows... Cactus cat... Yule cat... Cha kla... Cat sith... Kitty kitty kitty

I've been somewhat dreading tackling these (and also dog and fox myths) because there are so many different creatures that originate from the same inspiration.

Bakaneko and Nekomata

(I love the ZZZ ads I'm getting during research)

Bakaneko are magical creatures that have developed biomimicry as a way of survival. Their young appear like normal cats despite being magical creatures. Due to this, they are most vulnerable during their youth. Having humans caring for them as they would a normal cat allows bakaneko to survive past their earliest stage of life. This habit has allowed the bakaneko population to flourish due to the increasing popularity of cats as pets.

Once they reach maturity, the choice of what to do is inevitably left to the bakaneko. Some choose to remain as cats if they're satisfied with the pampered life while others choose to attempt life as humans. Either way the older they grow, the more magic they accumulate. If they stay with a human, misfortune befalls said human and they typically leave to find another human to parasitically attach to.

Nekomata are far rarer and result from a bakaneko surviving for a long time, centuries typically. They're wickedly intelligent and tend to either live in urban centers or in the middle of nowhere.

The majority of these beings end up living with a contempt for humans, but some are affectionate and even view the humans they've lived with as family.

Cactus Cat

I had not heard of this legend until I started researching it and I love it. A cat gets drunk on cactus juice and wanders around the desert at night screaming, only killing people who mess with its cacti. If this doesn't scream 'Murica I don't know what does. He's just a spiky drunk boy.

They're not really known to be sentient but I want them to be just so I can have some bakaneko be like, "Yeah, that's my weird American cousin. We've been trying to get him to go to his local AA meeting but apparently, they don't let cats in."

i like to think these guys are very much still in cowboy times and just wander around the empty stretches of desert in the southwest. They're just chilling out there they don't want to leave.

Yule Cat

Anything related to holidays like Christmas gets a little odd to me. How do you explain that there's a massive cat that picks and chooses which children to eat based on the clothes they wear?

The answer? It's a legend. Well, mostly is one.

The yule cat itself exists, roaming the Icelandic countryside. It's likely an old god forgotten by time. There are quite a few animalistic deities that have lost their sentience and most magical power to time while their bodies remain immortal. This cat likely exists in that state. It roams its territory, avoiding any noisy machinery, and picking off stray wanderers out of habit.

Some humans living within and near its territory are aware of it and use its existence to make children behave. The Yule Cat will never truly come to pick them off. Not unless they truly are foolish and attempt to confront their legend.

Cha kla

These thai ghosts are somewhat related to the bakaneko. They're known for being more reclusive but easier to domesticate than their demonic cousins. Thai sorcerers tend to tame them to use in battle, as seeing or touching them can ensure death.

Some foreign sorcerers come to attempt to tame them on occasion, but the lives of these ghostly cats remain largely unchanged. Not many mortals want to brush against death or venture deep into the jungle to attempt to.

Cat Sìth

This cat is another that is a relative of the bakaneko. Fae, demonic creatures, and spirits are all entities that are closely related to each other when it comes to magical nature. Cats spread across the world alongside their human companions and as a result, the cat-like beings followed. These beings then evolved to match the nature of those around them.

The cat sìth in particular is more of a benevolent being than its other cousins. As long as the humans appease it, it's satisfied, similar to many fae.

I'm debating having it prefer rural versus urban areas. Because on one hand, it tends to hang around farms to take milk from cows, but on the other hand it would be really, really funny if there were a bunch of convenience stores that just keep losing their milk stock and only their milk stock.

[wouldatulpahelpthem]

Would A Tulpa Help or Hinder:

Light Yagami from Death Note?

Death Note is an anime about a teenager, Light Yagami, who picks up a shinigami's (death god's) notebook that has the power to kill anyone whose name is written inside. He decides to secretly use it to rid the world of crime, and anyone who stands in his way. Trying to find and catch him is a mysterious genius known only as L who uses methods that are morally questionable at best. Ryuk, the shinigami who intentionally dropped the Death Note, follows Light around primarily out of curiosity.

I think it would really depend on the nature of the tulpa that Light creates, and what his intention was when creating the tulpa. Would Light create one to do all the boring homework and pretending to be a normal highschooler so Light could focus his attention on not getting caught and stopping anyone in his way, including L? Would he have created one before he got the Death Note, who objects to how the note is being used and how it's affecting Light? Or would one with a strong detachment from humanity view it all as a game to win?

I think it's an interesting thing to think about. Not quite enough to write fanfic about - and I already have ideas for a Death Note fanfic about the cat and mouse game between Light with his Death Note and a girl OC whose guardian angel gives her a Life Note, and how them killing and resurrecting some of the same people over and over affects each other and of course those poor people, like can you imagine? "This is the third time this week I've woken up in the morgue, this is getting ridiculous."

What do you all think?

[muffinsin]

hiii i have a request. could you do all the dimitrescu sisters reaction to having an innocent gf? like she is tiny, maybe 5’2, kinda clingy, can always brighten up the room with her presence, people pleaser (to the point that she allows people to walk all over her), naive and gullible (believes everything the sisters tell her), and just an overall adorable girl.

I adore people similar to this sm XD absolutely! Let’s get into it! :)

Masterlists

Bela

She thinks you’re absolutely adorable

Her little, sweet teddy bear

Her sunshine, as she opts for calling you

She thinks it’s absolutely adorable how innocent you are. She doesn’t want anybody ruining this

She absolutely uses you as a teddy bear

To just cuddle you at times, or perhaps pick you up and set you down on her lap

Would you like to know a secret? Bela loves how certain traits of yours make you more dependent on her

It’s a twisted wish, in a way, but having you so dependant makes her feel so good about herself. So needed

She sees people walking all over you because you’re a people pleaser and immediately puts a stop to it

No one dares walk all over you, knowing they will have to answer to Bela

When being asked for a favour, you are always assured you don’t need to do it should you not want to. It’s funny how Bela has this effect on people even if she isn’t there

Though, she does encourage you to be less of a people pleaser on your own too

She’s busy often, and sometimes isn’t there to tell someone to do things themselves rather than dump work on you, for example.

She doesn’t want people walking all over you and while she will always help you, she thinks you should learn not to allow people to walk all over you

Bela makes sure no one takes advantage of your naivety. She sees through it all

Often, she might come across as jealous and too possessive, or even controlling, because of this

This is merely because she sees the intentions of some, while you miss them. She will never let anybody mess with you, though

She often becomes annoyed at her sisters and scolds them for telling you false things

Such as the time you attempted to suck and bite the skin of her neck off while she slept because her sisters had told you it was needed

Something along the lines of shedding skin due to the cadou? Bela really couldn’t handle the idiotic ideas of her sisters

For days, she walked around with a bright pink blush and extra much makeup to cover the big hickies all over her bruised neck

Cassandra

Have you ever heard of the black cat x golden retriever relationship dynamic?

Yes well, this is it

She loves you so much. You’re her sunshine, all hers

She is very possessive of you

You’re her precious little human. Her little lamb

She finds you’re a people pleaser very fast. And it makes her feel all the more protective

Every time someone talks to you, she’s behind you

Staring, no. Glaring

Daring them to attempt to take advantage of your people pleasing nature

She’s around you nearly constantly to ensure your safety. Either literally, or with a view flies trailing after you

The moment someone steps out of line and takes advantage of you, she’s by your side, glaring them down and laughing manically

“Say that again. I dare you”

She likes to feel you in her arms. You’re so short, so perfect to cuddle. Though she will barely initiate cuddles

Cassandra’s the type to act a little uninterested, yet listen to every little word you say

She likes to tease sometimes

To tell you ridiculous stories you somehow believe

To see your eyes widen in wonder when she tells you of slaying large monsters and bringing you a pebble back, saying it was a part of their skin. Somehow, you believe it

You’re her absolute favourite

Daniela

You’re her sunshine! And she’s yours

Daniela’s so energetic, she just wants to tug you with her and laugh all the time

She loves that you’re tiny, and likes to rest you against her chest as she reads

You’re practically pocket sized to her!

Daniela often rests her arms on you, or full on snuggles against you

She’s very cuddly, and you just happen to be her personal teddy bear, day and night

She absolutely loves that you can make her smile every day

In return, she is so happy to have you smile at her when she tells a joke

Dani hates when people take advantage of your innocent nature

She absolutely tries to ask you to please less. To not let people walk all over you

She tries to make you understand some people are simply below you- you’re with her now after all

She’s very protective over you because of that and often goes on a rampage when she finds you stressing over things you’ve purely agreed to out of “politeness”

Whoever dared take advantage of you is to be made into an example for others to avoid such behavior

You’re even more naive than her, too! And that’s saying something

Often Daniela must remind you of the dangers of the village, how not everybody is as sweet and innocent as you

How even the maidens have ulterior moves most of the time

Daniela thinks it’s funny how innocent you are

When dirty jokes are made and you don’t understand, she could giggle for hours

When you eventually catch up, she adores your blush

[monstersinthecosmos]

Hi, completely agree with what you said here but it makes me very sad to think about it. As someone who imprinted on Armand at 12, Marius/Armand was my first ship in VC but I find it hard to ship them post Venice era, even though Blood Communion seems to suggest some positive developments in their relationship (Marius standing behind Armand during his argument with Benedict supporting Armand being his own person iirc?). Idk I want them to work their shit out but it’s still hard to imagine them putting their differences aside sans an apocalyptic scenario like in QotD.

And sometimes idk if Marius loves Armand enough to work on it. I know that the corner of tumblr that loves Marius (And I certainly understand the appeal of a complicated and polarizing character like him. Kudos to Anne for creating Marius!) likes to push the idea that the turning of Benji and Sybelle was mostly out of love (and to a varying extent depending on the person’s pov, due to Marius’ mental health issues) but how much was that love and how much was it ‘my pet needs to have pets so that he stays alive for ME’. Not saying these 2 motivations are mutually exclusive but I’m genuinely curious about your views.

I’m rambling but guess what I’m trying to say is, how much do you think Marius’ love for Armand is unselfish, whether in Venice, at the end of TVA or after Blood Communion?

Asdghjakl yeah I have really similar feelings about them as a ship! Like the Venice era is my favorite time period in the VC but modern/present-day Marius/Armand doesn’t really hit the same way for me because it’s just such a motherfuckin mess lol.

What I do want to say, though, is that we’re kind of dancing around a topic here that involves the inhumanity and inherent monstrosity of Marius, and while I tend to think “THEY’RE VAMPIRES” is a lazy approach to analysis, there’s a deeper version of it that’s relevant here.

What I mean is that Marius can love Armand truthfully, sincerely, unselfishly and STILL cause harm, and still love him imperfectly, and still cause problems. I think when we really wanna start dissecting Marius/Armand as a ship, and the Venice era as a whole, and whatever trauma it left on Armand vs Marius’s motivations/intentions/character morals, it’s important to remember that Marius was not human. 

I think a lot about like, when we say that Armand is a “pet”, or that Denis, Daniel, Benji, and Sybelle are Armand’s pets, there’s sort of a connotation or shorthand to TLDR that it’s their cute little human. But I think about like, for example!, my fucking cats! Like, when I think about ACTUAL pets IRL, um, I would fuckin die for my cats? They’re my lil babies? I love them so fully and with my entire fucking soul but they’re dumb little animals that live in my house and I take care of them and I don’t think they have a single thought in their fucking skulls. 

So when you think about like, a 1500 year old immortal night creature adopting a little human, he can love Armand with his ENTIRE being, and I believe he really really did, and it’s still “aww the cute lil human that I feed”. And Marius is unique amongst the vampires for how hard he tries to stay connected to the human world, and it’s still never enough, he’s still never quite there, so I have always believed he had the right intentions even if he fumbled it or did things that could cause harm. It’s not like, he’s a ~MONSTER~ in a scary way, but literally, he’s so removed from humanity that he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. 

(Don’t let me get into a side essay here but it reminds me so much of like, imperfect boomer parenting, like looking at different generations’ parenting styles and realizing how much harm they caused, but most people aren’t intending to harm their children and just don’t know any better. Every generation will likely experience a form of this as we learn and grow and try to be better, but I find this really interesting for Marius specifically because of the age of the author!)

He was fifteen hundred years old when he met Armand. I think in a lot of ways he acted with good intentions that wound up causing a lot of harm. But it does a disservice to the story and to him as a character to only look at the outcome, without considering the universe he’s operating in. 

And idk like, where is the line between selfish and selfless love? Like, Marius is clearly a fucking mess at the beginning of TVA and didn’t take the news of Armand’s suicide very well. Is it selfish to do something drastic because he’s worried that Armand is still suicidal? Where does one end and the other begin? Especially with immortals like, is your own death a gift? Is it an act of kindness to save someone’s life instead of allowing them to check out? Idk idk! Grief is fucking messy, it can be both, but I don’t think it’s fair to characterize it as purely for himself. He even immediately fucks off to Norway in shame afterwards. I think I prefer to think he just wanted Armand to be happy and safe. By the end of the book they're still struggling to communicate with each other about religion, and in some ways I think Marius doesn't think Armand truly wanted to die, vs seeing a religious fit for what it is. So I'm not sure he sees Armand's suicide attempt as sincere, either, and maybe doesn't feel the need to respect his wish for death.  

I think a lot about the conversation Marius has with Armand after he turns Benji & Sybelle and realizes how bad he fucked up. 

"You loved them selflessly," he whispered. "For all their strange faults, and wild evil, they were not compromised for you. You loved them perhaps more respectfully than I... than I ever loved you." He seemed so amazed. I could only nod. I wasn't so sure he was right. My need for them had never been tested, but I didn't want to tell him so.

Even at 500 years old, Marius still doesn’t entirely understand Armand as a complete person. He doesn’t completely understand Armand’s needs, or the person he wants to be, or what his human companions were to him. I think it even starts when Armand is still alive, how Marius treats him like a silly little pet, like, Armand’s piety is a cute little quirk that Marius humors without ever truly respecting. It doesn’t occur to him that Benji & Sybelle aren’t just pets. And I think Marius being stuck in his trauma means he’s just perpetually trying to believe in himself and control everything around him, while Armand stuck in trauma means he’s constantly trying on different roles and figuring out who he is. 

(But FUCK ME, christ, “I wasn't so sure he was right. My need for them had never been tested, but I didn't want to tell him so.” this really fucks me up so bad, we have to keep talking about this another time because like, these two can NOT communicate with each other! They are useless with the barrier between them maybe they need to drink from each other more often and iron this out.)

Someone can do their best, and mean well, and still cause harm. Humans do this, too. I’m sure we’ve all been there. And Marius is a great example of vampires being stuck in the trauma of their turning—it doesn’t matter how wise he tries to be, he always comes back to the same trauma, over and over. Even the way he treats Armand in Venice is a direct result of Marius trying to fix his own trauma. And like, would therapy even work on a vampire, or are their brains stuck forever where they were? How much of their “changing” is just learning behavior, and learning to mask?

Because I think Marius 100% could do that for Armand. He loves Armand. Armand is his child. He was the first fledgling Marius ever made of his own will, after 1500 years! But I think canon left us off in a place where neither of them are quite there yet. Marius is in decent shape at the end of the series, I think—it feels like he’s made some huge strides in accepting himself and his nature, so I think there’s some potential! Armand also has to learn how to use his fuckin words a little bit better, which he’s never been good at, but I think the way he goes off on Lestat after keeping that inside for 200 years is a really great sign! 

I go back and forth about “does therapy even work on vampires” all the time, like, do they have neuroplasticity, are they capable of change, have we uncovered something in the PL Trilogy that could be a key to them functioning better and learning to change. I don’t really have an answer because canon doesn’t, it’s just a fun thing to think about, but it’s the best way that I can reconcile Marius’s intentions vs his actions, and how he somehow continues to make the same mistakes and never learns! 

Basically, I think it’s not helpful to ask if Marius loves him enough. He does! But loving someone doesn’t mean we magically know how to behave, and the qualities in Marius that cause him to behave selfishly are so deeply tied to his trauma, his control issues, his use of ego as a defense mechanism. And even in real life we can have boundaries and hold people accountable when they hurt us, even if it’s because of mental illness. We can have empathy and still have boundaries, and we can be hurt and still know when something wasn't personal. That feels kinda IRL and serious to frame vampire meta but like, Marius can love people and still fuck up, because he can’t help it, and I don’t think it’s a fair reading of the text to insist he’s a diabolical abuser because it just doesn’t really match his characterization otherwise. 

I hope he gets better! 

[wickjump]

What's your opinion on Bitties

Like

Are they more pets??? People??? People you keep as pets???

Would it be morally okay for a bitty killer and normal sized Cross to date???

Idk I just want your opinion on this please please please please please please please

I love bitties. They are my favorite thing ever and I’m in the middle of drawing my sona with them actually. As for morality and how I view bitties, it’s different compared to a lot of peoples’ interpretations.

I personally like to view them as pets without sentience higher than that of a dog or cat, but that’s just me. I don’t feel personally comfortable with the idea of ‘owning’ another human being, so oftentimes I make them animalistic—physically, too. Long skeletal tails, while they can be bipedal they’re just as often quadrupeds and often sit like quadrupeds, have those rat-like feet you see everywhere, little paws and paw pads, and don’t have the ability to speak. And I would never date a bitty or anything, especially because of those animalistic traits. Zero way for them to consent because they don’t have that type of communication. Though most of the time I draw them standing/sitting like ‘normal’ people because quadrupeds are the one thing I can’t draw.

They’re a type of pet that resemble characters I like, in my opinion. Both in looks and temperament. Though I also toy with the idea of them being more ‘human-like’ because it can be fun, I get uncomfortable easily depending on how they’re treated or the worldbuilding surrounding them. I like personally comparing them to rats because they scurry around like rats and got tails and feet like rats and they’re terribly ratlike

Some people characterize them as children or child-like, which can get iffy very easily. It depends heavily on how they’re treated and what their ‘purpose’ is in-world. Them being childlike can be okay under certain circumstances but it can get sour quickly. Do you treat them like you’d treat any other ‘normal’ child? Do you make it accessible for them to function normally, so they don’t depend on your every whim, like how a normal-sized child is able to access the fridge when you’re away? Do you leave them home alone, or does someone watch over them? Are their emotional needs and physical needs met? Do they have agency and control over aspects in their lives? Would they be protected by law from mistreatment? These questions are important with discussing morality.

I personally wouldn’t view it as morally okay for a bitty a normal sized person/monster to date. Even if they’re characterized as just normal and mature people but smaller, I feel the power imbalance is wild. You purchase and own bitties, you’re often the sole caretaker for those bitties, those bitties are unable to function on their own, and that could turn toxic very easily. When you’re fully able to withhold basic needs with nobody to stop you, that can get fucked up pretty quickly. But again that’s my own thing, I’m sure there are people out there who’ve made it so they can date and it be morally okay, through the power of insane worldbuilding, but it’s just not my jam.

Ultimately though I don’t really care about the morals of having bitties too much because they’re little skeleton buddies and the people who make them mean no harm with them. Similarly to how characters in TV shows will have animal/magical companions that speak, are either adult-like mature or childish, and have sentience, but not any real agency over their lives, yet we don’t discuss the morality of those. It’s made with silly fun goofy intent and not any glorification of real-life dark topics.

As long as you don’t abuse the bitty or date-slash-screw the bitty I really don’t care too much (though there’s obviously exceptions that i will end up caring too much about).

I also like to think bitties are all artificially made and physically genderless too, ‘gender’ is assigned by species rather than physical traits (so genderless and ‘female’ bitties exist too), but that’s my own headcanon

[thegorgellauniverse]

--A TRASH BEAST ANALYSIS--

{-BY THE SNATCHER-}

°~INTROOO~°

Okk sooo remember when I did a post Chapter 94 and went on a little rant about how trash beast could operate? Well, In this post I'll take that idea and expand on it more. I'll also be adding more ideas...! (This post is mostly speculation and pondering but I hope you still enjoy my mess of ideas!!)

/×/——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——/×/

ALRIGHT, SO THERE ARE THREE MAIN IDEAS I WANT TO EXPAND ON HERE:

— Contaminated/Polluted areas and how that could affect the trash beast's forms and characteristics.

— The different types of negativity that supplement the creatures and how that can possibly modify their traits.

— The plausible reasons as to why trash monsters are so aggressive and violent towards humans.

LET'S GOOOOO!!

//×/——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——/×//

°~HOW CONTAMINATED AREAS AFFECT TRASH BEASTS~°

We all remember the first few chapters right? Rudo landed in the intensely polluted area, so unbreathable you had to put on a full-face gas mask just to not choke.

When we first see thrash beasts, THEY'RE FUCKING GINORMOUS. BIG, SCARY AND VIOLENT. The walking definition of a monster. They attacked on sight and don't give up on their targets easily.

At this point in the story, we simply assume that all trash beasts act this way. We haven't learned of the different levels of contamination so we just go along with it.

UNTIL... WE GET TO THE MOST RECENT CHAPTER.

All of a sudden, trash beasts are smaller, slimmer, faster and... Animals!?! The beasts are suddenly mimicking real-life species. In this case, their cheetahs (I think...)and act exactly like them.

But what makes this interesting is that we're not in the intensely polluted zone anymore! We're in the semi- contaminated zone, an area where you only need to put a normal face mask.

This insinuates the fact that a trash beast's physical power is altered depending on the level of contamination in it's area.

-So the power level should look something like this-

INTENSELY CONTAMINATED: These are the most powerful creatures we've seen so far. They're humongous creatures that hunt alone or in small packs possessing monster-like physique and power.

SEMI-CONTAMINATED: Animal-like creatures that hunt in extremely large packs possessing characteristics of real-life animals. (But It could be possible that there are monster-like trash beasts in the semi-area that are simply smaller)

NON-CONTAMINATED: Given the lack of pollution, this is the only area that has actual animals like cats, rats, horses, etc. Though it might be possible that there are miniature trash beasts(Though I doubt that fact...)

✨MINI TANGENT✨ I did research on this and apparently, cheetahs will only hunt in groups if they're in a coalition to attack larger or more dangerous prey. This suggests that trash beasts (or at least the semi-contaminated ones) View humans as dangerous. Because if they viewed them as simple prey, the cheetahs wouldn't bother creating a coalition since they only bother with that if the prey is big and dangerous. (Normally cheetahs are solitary hunters) So why do they view humans as dangerous? ✨ END OF TANGEANT✨

//×/——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——/×//

°~DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEGATIVITY (ANIMA) AND HOW THAT AFFECTS THE MONSTERS~°

In the early chapters of Gachiakuta, Enjin explains to Rudo how trash beasts are made:

" Here on the ground, trash accumulates quickly...And so do feelings and emotions...Anima. Sometimes, that gets converted into energy which causes a variety of unusual phenomena. One of these is the birth of trash beasts. They always attack humans on sight. Generally, they live in the garbage dump outside of town... but every so often they'll invade the cities."- Enjin

I'm not gonna put the whole thing since some of it doesn't connect to what I'm saying. Essentially, negative Anima fuels trash beasts and positive Anima fuels Vital instruments(Jinkis).

But could the percentage of the types of negative feelings in the converted Anima affect the trash beasts physically?

What I mean by this is for example: the percentage of negative emotions in a polluted area is 50% sadness, 40% anger and 10% fear. When they get converted to Anima, instead of the beasts resembling a ferocious monster. Do you guys think it could look more... sad? Its roars would sound more like cries, more sluggish movements, you guys see the vision?

The main emotion making up the Anima could be reflected in the monster's demeanour.

Now if my theory is right, why haven't we seen trash beasts with a more melancholic or scared demeanour? Well, it's simple: trash beasts reflect the population's feelings, right? The story has made clear that the people of the underground are angry: They're mad at what they have been reduced to because of the ones living above them. So obviously all that anger is concentrated on the MAX which affects the monster's power.

AND FINALLY...

//×/——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——/×//

°~THE PLAUSIBLE REASONS AS TO WHY TRASH BEASTS TARGET HUMANS~°

Ok so for this part of the essay, I'm really pulling stuff out of my ass😭😭. I wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong on all of these but it's fun to make! I'm theorizing there are two reasons why trash beasts are targeting humans: for energy or due to the projecting of the citizens of the city.

-HOW CAN HUMANS FEED TRASH MONSTERS, WELL I HAVE TWO IDEAS-

- FOR ENERGY: All humans possess some amount of negativity in them. Whether or not they are a good person, it wouldn't be surprising if they hunt them for energy purposes. After all, animals hunt for sustenance, right?

- PROJECTION: Remember when I explained that trash beasts could be reflecting the population's anger? We all know that the majority of that anger is towards the people on top. Whether it's internalized or forward, anger is anger. You can imagine that a lot would wanna cause pain to them...So what if those violent thoughts get turned into Anima which powers up the beasts? Given that Anima is something that was converted, some of the specifics of that anger might have sorta got lost in translation. So when a trash monster sees a human, they won't be able to differentiate between the underground and the people on top.

All the creature really knows is that the anger is towards humans, and so they attack.

//×/——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——//×//——/×//

°~OUTROOOO~°

AAAAAAHHHHHH THIS WAS SO FUCKING LOOOONNGGG. I hope you guys enjoyed my overthinking brain!

See you in the next one!

💕💕💕💕💕

[razzberrydazz]

I can go on for So Long about Sweeney Todd as a meaty juicy delicious piece of media to analyze. So I will.

How the humor contrasts the darkness and horror aspects. How the shrill factory whistle and the bake-house and mechanical chair contraption and the city on fire number all highlight how industrialization is used as a tool for violence and control.

The sexism and treatment of women in the show's plot demonstrate that the titular men in the storyline don't actually care or love the women they claim to care about, they love them the way they do a tool or object. Johanna and Lucy both having their own inner worlds and conflicts and having to cater to men who only give a shit about them because they're attractive. Pretty Women as a musical number as the defining way the men in the show view the women - only worth anything if they're pretty to look at. They don't like the women as people, they like the idea of a woman. The women are objectified through and through.

Mrs. Lovett both loving and fearing Sweeney and knowing she has to make herself useful to him otherwise he's likely to kill her. Her also showing fear and anxiety whenever he holds and brandishes his razors and so she tries to get the razors out of his hands or put something between herself and him in case he decides to attack her.

The interesting predicament Mrs. Lovett finds herself in - a widow running a business, in industrial London, during a time when most women had to rely on men for any kind of financial security. Her knowing this and trying to get Sweeney to marry her so that she has that extra safety net. Her trying to do and say what's best for herself, omitting the detail that Lucy is alive, throwing another woman under the bus for her own selfish aims and gains. Mrs. Lovett is both complicit and an active participant in the system of abuse and violence Sweeney partakes in.

Johanna is not just a damsel or set piece, even though that's how the men in the show treat her. Depending on the stage show characterization, Johanna may not actually give a shit about Antony, she could be using the marriage excuse purely as an out to escape the Judge.

When Antony comes to rescue her from Bedlam, in many iterations Johanna actually takes the gun from Antony and shoots Mr. Fogg herself. Johanna wants to be free, just as those caged birds want to be free. Green Finch and Linnet Bird is a monumentally important song in the plot and meta of the musical, characterizing Johanna's inner world and her self awareness at her predicament.

The varying details of the Beedle killing the bird Antony buys for Johanna, or the salesman of the birds telling that the birds sing all day because they were blinded and so do not know the time of day. Mrs. Lovett mentioning that a rival shop is using the neighborhood cats as meat substitutes. The continual callous mistreatment of animals and people alike, highlighting that people are animals as well, and that these people lack compassion. All are meat and bone and blood in the end, whether man or cat or bird or livestock. The comparison of people to animals, therefore akin to food.

The entire A Little Priest segment highlighting the visceral meaty darkness of what objectification, apathy, and a lack of compassion can lead to. If one mistreats animals, it's not a big jump to then mistreat humans as well. We'll not discriminate great from small, no we'll serve anyone, meaning anyone, and to anyone at all.

With Pirelli and Toby, Toby is either portrayed as a child or a mentally disabled man in various productions. The infantilization and mistreatment of Toby is yet another example of how systemic abuse fucks over those who aren't the ones already in power. The ableism of how Toby gets treated. Pirelli being a con-man who took advantage of Toby's naivety. Mrs. Lovett taking advantage of Toby just as Pirelli did. Toby, despite surviving the slaughterfest of the finale, being left forever changed and mentally scarred. Toby, the one to end Sweeney, his innocence murdered by what Sweeney and Lovett wrought.

Pirelli was once a young man sweeping up hair in Sweeney's shop, and ended up a con man perpetuating the system and fucking others over. The classism of it all, all the characters acting like crabs in a bucket dragging each other down in attempts to better themselves.

Lucy, cast aside by the Judge and Beedle, also left mentally impaired by her attempt at suicide via poison, left at the dredges of society and forced to beg and sell herself to survive. Lucy acts as an example of what happens when women are no longer pretty or of use within the system - they're viewed as objects, as trash, and cast away.

In stage productions with the greek chorus segments, Lucy/the beggar woman acts as one of the chorus, giving some ambiguity as to who she is until the end. She acts as comic relief, but the subject matter is exceedingly dark if you give it any thought. The cause of Sweeney's revenge spiral is there the whole time, lurking in the shadows and begging for scraps. He's too deep wallowing in what he lost and the blood he thinks he must spill to see he could have picked up the pieces of his life and had her back this whole time. Sweeney refused to let his emotional wounds heal, and kept reopening those mental scars to keep the fire of vengeance alive in his withered heart. He wants for the past, and cannot see the possibility of growing and healing in a future.

The dynamics of power and control at play, and the cycles of systemic abuse echoing in how people treat others close to them. Sweeney is NOT a hero, even if he may be sympathetic to the audience.

I personally think people who view Sweeney as a hero/anti-hero are missing the point. He is tragic, but not a hero by any means. He is the villain of his own story.

The Judge in his selfishness and abuse of power subjects Sweeney to the horrors of the systems that be, the systems of western imperialism and industrialization and classism and misogyny that enable him to send a man away in order to have his way with the man's wife and then cast her away. The systems of power that allow and enable the Judge to take that couple's child and raise as his own, then try to marry to keep for his own selfish desires.

Sweeney doesn't escape the system, he doesn't escape the cycle of abuse, he perpetuates it in his tunnel vision want for revenge. He doesn't challenge the status quo, he doesn't gain an ounce of compassion, he doesn't learn from his mistakes, he only doubles down and grinds his teeth in seething want for an eye for an eye type of vengeance. Vengeance for what? Defiling that which Sweeney sees as his. His wife, a once beautiful woman, made an object to ogle and then cast aside when no longer that picturesque ideal.

Sweeney doesn't care about Johanna as a person, he only sees her as a bargaining tool, another object to use against the judge that wronged him. He misses the idea of her, but doesn't give a flying fuck about her actual well-being. He didn't recognize Johanna when she was disguised as a sailor, just as he didn't recognize Lucy in her haggard beggar form until the very end when face to face with her corpse.

Even faced with the death of his wife, a death he directly caused by his tunnel vision violence and apathy, he viewed Lucy as an object to own, "My Lucy". He views Toby as a tool or object too, wanting to kill him off whenever he felt Toby was a nuisance or obstacle.

Sweeney viewed Antony as a tool to get to Johanna and therefore the judge. Even though Antony saved Sweeney's life and brought him back to London in the first place, he's just a means to an end. Sweeney took advantage of Antony's optimism for his own means. Give an inch, they take a mile.

Sweeney plays the game by the oppressor's rules, instead of circumventing them. Diplomacy wouldn't have worked as long as the cause of the conflict was in power, so he used violence just as vile as the rest of the system. Butchering whoever he can, adding another corpse to the pile of meat that the accessory to his crimes - Mrs. Lovett - ground up to feed to the masses. The poetic irony of the unsuspecting cannibalism as a perpetuation of their violence.

Without fail, every time I see a production of Sweeney Todd, the final sequence segment of Lucy wandering into the barber shop and pantomiming rocking her baby while crooning a lullaby - while that very baby now grown up is hiding in that very room - makes me tear up. Lucy is the ultimate victim of this storyline. She did nothing to deserve what happened, what all those people did to her. What Sweeney did to her. Her only 'crime' was being pretty, and a woman, in a world where pretty women are objects to be bartered or stolen.

There are no heroes of this story. This tragedy. Plenty of villains, plenty of dubious individuals, and plenty of victims. Revenge didn't solve their problems, it caused more problems and left a body count.

To seek revenge may lead to hell,

But everyone does it, if seldom as well

[biscuitbakerbecca]

Jared Kleinman for the character asks :)

Favorite Thing About Them

Jared is so bad at communicating he reminds me a lot of myself. I have ODD so it’s a little different, but the man is an asshole in the best way possible. He is petty and gives off angry cat energy in both fandom aspects and canon. Also I appreciate that he never acted against Evan even when he had the opportunity and reason to do so, he threatened it but he kept his mouth shut. Real friend right there <3 (I could tell everyone everything! Okay great! You go ahead! Do that! Tell everyone how you helped write emails pretending to be a kid who killed himself! Fuck you Evan!)

Least Favorite Thing About Them

He doesn’t have enough screen time/show time. People mischaracterize him because his entire character is shoved into as little time as possible. I know I just said that I love how he’s an asshole but he’s more than an asshole. He’s so clearly lonely and more than just an angry kid. At least in the book they made him “hot” in the end but the show and movie pretty much get rid of him come act two

Favorite Line

Kinky!

Just kidding

Asshole!

Okay okay for real this time

Yeah I hate to tell you this Evan, but you may have already perjured yourself.

Isn’t that only when you’re under oath? Like in a courtroom?

Well weren’t you under oath? In a way?

No.

Or from the movie (since I view them as different canons)

Connor took a letter from me. It was an assignment for my therapist.

Ew.

(I’d offer a different line but Jared doesn’t have that many)

BROTP

Jared and Zoe friendship!!! They hate each other they’re best friends they get drunk and cry together!!

Another excerpt of my own writing that explains this. Again my writing quality has gone up since this but oh well:

Connor rolled his eyes, "I'm saying that Evan will always be there, okay? You are so fucking stubborn, and I'm trying to be nice and make you feel better, just say thank you like a decent human being."

"You just made me feel shitty."

Connor threw his hands up, "Fuck! You're impossible!"

Zoe's voice screeched from below, "FUCK OFF! HE IS MY BEST FRIEND!"

— I don’t know what I want, but I need you. Chapter 12

OTP

Either kleinsen or kleinphy. They both have potential. All my kleinsen fics are really fluffy (soulmates, hurt/comfort, etc) and my kleinphy fics are like…rough and angsty (teen parenthood, child abuse, etc) I like both equally, but what I want to read depends on the content I’m looking for as shown by my own writing style

NOTP

Nothing icky like the parents being involved obviously, otherwise Jared/Zoe fics just don’t feel right. Jared is gay. Like he has to be. The book tried telling me he liked boobs and I know Val Emmich lied. Evan was simping at the end for a reason. Jared doesn’t even have to like Evan the man is still gay. Best part of the movie but dear god at what cost? (I did like the movie I swear)

Random Headcannon

Jared has two moms, or his mother is bisexual. I tried writing him with straight parents and every single time it feels kind of wrong

Also he has a cat. Her name is Mayonnaise. Mayo for short.

Unpopular Opinion

Idk if this is unpopular or not but I’m glad they cut Goin’ Viral. It only pushes the he’s an asshole idea and even though I love the song it wouldn’t have helped his characterization. I would have liked for them to properly record the song when they released the deluxe album but apparently Disappear Pt. 2: the duet version was more important.

Also Jared Goldsmith was my favorite Jared actor other than Will Roland. Nothing can beat the Will Roland vibes

Book Jared shouldn’t have ditched his glasses and got buff, they made him too powerful. Evan couldn’t help but fall for him. Let him stay as he is don’t make him conventionally attractive!

Song I Associate With Them

Jared is such a complicated guy. His feelings are deep. He’s cringy but free. I haven’t thought about this in a while hang on…

I imagine that Jared is a pop girlie and this gives the desperate for attention vibes that I usually associate with him

And as for his inherently cringey vibes that I usually give him…

I’m not sorry

Favorite Picture Of Them

Again, we have options…

[imthepunchlord]

I have to myself that each season should be focused on someone,like s1 be focused on Adrien and Marinette,s2 in Alya,Nino and Chloé(if they actually become permanet) or s1 be focused on Mari,s2 on Adrien,s3 on Mari...

Hm... it's not a bad idea that each season would bring in focus and priority to certain characters, it's something I do with Tales of Arcadia did. With Trollhunters starting off as Jim's story and the intro to the world, then 3Below is Toby's story and show off how far he's come as a character and herp, and Wizards being Claire's story and delving further into magic and lore.

Ultimately, it would come down to Miraculous' overarching story and what else is there to do with it.

By set up of the HM arc, that should be Adrien's story. It directly relates to him by having his father be the supervillain (though of course they don't do anything). Unless HM came later cause he saw the LB and Cat were active, that first arc should resolve around Adrien and have him be center stage. Especially as Marinette, outside of wants to be an aspiring fashion designer, has no personal connection to Gabriel. At most, HM is an annoyance to her day.

Marinette in turn should've had the next arc focus, which can relate to Guardianship, and by extension, get into expanding the lore and what else exists out there as Miraculous. And there can be clashes on how Miraculous should be handled and viewed, especially her views vs Fu and Su Han. And if you need an actual villain for her to face, something could've been done with Mayura. Work off that they visually counter each other (red vs blue, dark spots vs light spots).

Mayura was also the chance to break away from the Agreste plot. Fu mentions he made a mistake, alluding he trusted the wrong person, that could've been Mayura. Maybe she was his FIRST pupil and Marinette's his second try.

And yeah, Alya, Nino, and Chloe also could've had arcs to follow and be major leads too, if there is something to work with that could be expanded or progressed in some way. Otherwise, they can work as major supporting characters who can have B plots that are spread out through Adrien and Marinette's arcs. Like Chloe learning to be a decent human being. Alya being a hero for self glory and attention and learning to be a hero for real or that it's not always so easy. Nino... uh, learning courage? Idk, but the boy needs something.

Anyway, having seasons focus on one character isn't a bad idea, but it does depend on how it's handled. And if the ideas are there to progress and expanding the story.

[oliversrarebooks]

HI! I'm the prev chemical imbalance anon!

SO HERE'S WHAT I WAS THINKING WHILE READING.

These alien organisms (honestly I can only imagine them like octopuses chilling on the hosts's head), do they grow with their host? If not is there a certain age where they get their own host and it's like, this whole special coming of age event?

What I'm imagining is that the child alien shares the same host with one of their parents (or they alternate between them), but once they are old enough they go to Earth with their parents on a space ship to pick a host like a puppy

"Ok honey! Which one do you want? That male 6'2" tall, muscular specimen? Very well! *sniff*, they grow so fast"

Or maybe there are like shelters full of humans where you go and pick one? That means there must be at least one whole bussiness that occupies with human dealing.

Or maybe only rich aliens can afford the luxury of going to earth and picking out their host, and the rest have to go to the pound.

Also do the aliens live more than humans or not as much? If the first one's the case, then is it by a lot? Or can an alien have one host their whole life if they are lucky.

If not and an alien lives like idk 500 years, then do they see hosts as just tools, or do they love them dearly as pets. (ik in the fic it feels like the latter. But if it is pet like love is it more like... Uh... How do i describe it, the same love you feel for a hamster or goldfish, or a dog or cat?).

How "damaged" does a host have to get to not be a host anymore? Like, do aliens hold on to their hosts until their dying breath or ditch them the moment they find out their host has smth inconvenient like diabetes or lactose intolarence. Is there like... An euthanasia procedure for hosts? Hmmm... fucked up....

And my very last question. How long can aliens last without their host. Can they survive without them, or will they be in serious danger if they don't have a host. Or is a host just, a way to get around?

These are really good thoughts / questions!

Part of my difficulty with the worldbuilding in Passengers is that it probably doesn't logically make sense to have this whole powerful alien species dependent on an outside species for their lives. I can't decide whether or not I want it to be a thing where they randomly abduct humans, or a thing where they effectively take over the Earth and treat it as their convenient human farm.

I definitely have this idea about an alien picking a human from a showroom that I'd like to get out there... I'm thinking that it might have originally started with random abductions, but then they liked humanity so much they conquered the Earth, probably with psychic weapons we had no way of fighting.

Once conquered, they treat humanity like it's in a zoo. They don't fully disrupt every day life, but provide supplies to humans for free and crack down hard on any violence. They like viewing humanity in its "natural state" as entertainment but also squash anything that threatens their steady supply of people.

I think the aliens can survive without hosts, but their natural mobility involves flying and grasping things telekinetically and it's slow and draining compared to controlling a human to do it. The aliens without hosts mostly use mechanical tech. Not all aliens have hosts, as it's a bit of a privilege. They also just enjoy keeping humans as hosts in much the same way humans enjoy having pets.

I think they regard humans as something between a beloved pet and a car. Many aliens just love doting on their pets, dressing them up, giving them treats, and playing with them (psychically mostly). But their hosts are also utilitarian to them.

I see the aliens as much longer lived than humans, so they probably do need multiple hosts in a lifetime. I think it would be seriously socially frowned on to give up a host because of some minor medical issue, especially since the aliens have advanced medical care. But I suppose there would have to be euthanasia for hosts that are too old... not something I'm going to write about though.

I guess this concept isn't really too different from my vampires and thralls, but I enjoy it anyway!

[merakiui]

The horror movie vibes from your last Jade thought… shivers. Like, I know a lot of your work is unsettling, but this one really takes the cake in how much it bothered me (in a good way!). It’s totally in character for Floyd to forget and for Jade to play along, but my gosh, poor reader is gonna have trust issues for the rest of their life, haha.

I have to ask, though, what does Floyd do when he comes back and finds the apartment empty? Is he curious and ask Jade? Or does he shrug it off and assume that the reader knows that the Leeches are well taken care of and can pay for the lease?

I know you’ve talked about Floyd coming for reader’s rescue or at the very least going again Jade in the Sk! Jade series, but would he do the same for this recent thought?

I always love reading your yandere stuff and coming to the conclusion that as usual, Floyd is actually the most sane in thr group.

Aaaa I'm so happy to hear that it was unsettling to read! I think Jade works really well in eerie plots. I have so many concepts for him: snowed in at a cabin in the mountains with an attractive stranger (Jade), falling down a steep slope in the forest and breaking your arm or leg, so you have to rely on Jade to help you (but his intentions are not so nice), mafia bosses Jade (and Floyd) subtly harassing the poor maid at the maid café they like to visit in the daytime (imagine trying to draw a cute cat on his omurice and your hands are shaking because he's so scary. T_T), etc etc!! Many ideas for Mr. Jade. <3

Knowing Floyd, he probably wouldn't think anything's immediately wrong. Since the semester has ended and his study abroad has wrapped up, it makes sense that you might have moved out or left for the extended break. Floyd probably asks Jade if everything worked out with him and you, and Jade smiles serenely and tells him that the two of you got along swimmingly. Floyd's happy to hear that. It wouldn't be very fun if his brother couldn't enjoy his time at the apartment if he didn't get along with you. He probably shrugs it off and leaves it at that. No use dwelling on something that's no longer important. Floyd is too carefree sometimes. ;;;

I think it depends on how close you are with Floyd in this concept. On one hand, this is his brother, who he's known since birth, and you're just...you. He's only known you for a year, maybe two, or maybe even less. If Jade's happy with you, then Floyd doesn't want to ruin that. Besides, kidnappings don't really faze him. The family business is not exactly the sweetest or most legal thing in the world, so he's probably been exposed to lots of bad things and has just become desensitized. Knowing Jade, he's probably taking really good care of you, both with his own funds and their family's money (which is quite the large fortune). Floyd knows Jade will take good care of the things that are his, so it's not like you're living starved and naked (though knowing Jade, that could be a punishment. orz).

I also think Floyd's views of love and affection are more rooted in his upbringing. He doesn't love like humans do. He loves like an eel merman would because that's how he was raised. He knows more about the way of life in the ocean than he does humanity, so sometimes love is a little more aggressive under the sea. But that's just his normal! All merfolk are a little predatory; they're natural-born hunters, after all. And sometimes love is scarce in the sea. Some merfolk won't ever find love or reproduce, so it's important that they find someone they can cherish forever. Floyd won't take that away from Jade, but if he likes you as well he'll definitely want to share.

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

au idea I had just before a nap (or maybe it’s an old one I just remembered it’s hard to tell I’ve been obsessed with c!prime for so long. or both maybe it’s an idea that mutated into like an au of an au)

c!dream is a witch in a steampunk sort of world, and like all witches in this world he has a familiar. familiars are spirits bound to an object or being that has importance to the witch, it’s not really something they can control, but the witch gets powers based off of their familiar and the familiar gains the ability to communicate and transform into a demi-human form (so a cat familiar might be a cat most of the time, but she can become a human with minor cat traits, like ears and a tail- enough it’s still obvious at a glance she is not human, but allowing her to do anything a human may do).

now normally a witch either develops a familiar naturally (usually at around their early 20s, though it’s been observed as young as five or six or as late as their eighties) or they can be trained to develop quicker. but c!dream wasn’t born a witch, so normally he wouldn’t have been able to develop one. but as a consummate mad scientist in any universe, c!dream did intense and painful experimentation on himself to make himself a witch, since those who aren’t witches are looked down upon and he was sick of being ignored and exploited.

this nearly kills him, not that he cares- he’d rather be dead than powerless. but after gruelling months of a slow and painful transformation, leaving him permanently weakened, he finally manages to succeed, and he's so full of joy he immediately forms a familiar. this, of course, is c!tommy.

now, c!dream owns very little and lacks any close bonds, cutting them off to focus monomaniacally on his research. but he's deliberately prepared. he knows what sort of power he wants, and he’s done enough research to know what will grant him the charisma to be beloved. alone in his creaky apartment, with nothing else, he was bound to grow attached to the stuffed doll that was all he had for comfort. and so, it becomes the vessel for c!tommy.

from him, c!dream gains an aura of comfort and trust around him. people want to rely on him and listen. it’s not the charisma of a leader, but the one of a trusted parent or older sibling. and that’s what he wanted- he wants power, yes, but more than that he wants to be loved. more sinisterly, though, his spells revolve primarily around emotional manipulation, leaving him an excellent manipulator if used subtly, along with a limited form of immortality with the ability to make himself more youthful (though this also effects his mind, so he’s careful with it).

but by this point, he's so destroyed by the experiments mentally and physically he cares more about having a friend. but like. obviously it’s c!dream so he’s shitty about it. he's intensely possessive over c!tommy, controlling every aspect of his life and responding with abuse to any minor provocation, before love bombing the shit out of him. now, this isn’t illegal- familiars are considered extensions of their witches. c!tommy has nowhere to go, and his existence on this plane depends on c!dream. so he’s stuck, and he’s heavily manipulated into viewing this as normal and a sign of how important he is, but he’s still c!tommy, so he resents it heavily, and rebels in what little ways he can, even though he still genuinely sees c!dream as almost an infallible figure because he genuinely doesn’t know any better.

as c!dream ascends the ranks, c!tommy's existence becomes a gilded cage- and c!dream's curiosity remains, so he's very frequently experimented on. as long as c!dream lives, he'll always come back, anyway, so even if it hurts c!tommy justifies it to himself. besides, if c!dream figures out how to come back like he does, then he'll never have to go back to the hell of nonexistence. c!dream does genuinely see him like a friend and family member, and enjoys spending time with c!tommy, so he still develops into a loud and brash, stubborn and deliberately obnoxious kid, but he's absolutely brainwashed still.

but then he meets c!wilbur for the first time. now, c!tommy meets other witches and familiars a lot, because c!dream will take any opportunity to show him off. but none notice any signs of anything wrong- if anything, they see c!tommy as spoiled, treated better than if he was c!Dream’s own child (they still have Victorian ideas on child rearing so like, actually being affectionate towards your creation is like honestly better than most parents). but c!wilbur notices how jumpy c!tommy is, how much he apologises, the way the seams across his skin are slightly patchwork. and c!wilbur is pissed.

see, c!wilbur is the kid of c!philza, and c!Philza is one of the leaders of a rebellion seeking to overthrow the corrupt power structures where witches rule above all. as a familiar himself, c!Philza and his wife/witch c!Kristen grew painfully aware of how abusable the system was, and so they set about subverting it the rest of their life.

c!wilbur disguises himself as a witch, but he’s something outside of that- half witch, half familiar, somehting that shouldn’t be possible and only exists bc of a magic ritual his parents invented. so, knowing c!dream's curiousity, he reveals that and works with him on experiments to gain his trust, waiting for an opportunity to rescue c!tommy (since c!dream always has him around, even when doing unethical experiments). but he soon realises that c!tommy genuinely is unaware of how wrong his treatment is, and that this won’t be as easy as an escape- he'll have to convince c!tommy of his own worth first.

[frutigeraerosims]

played around in CAS today, made a redesign of Rin from the game Catherine.

(spoilers for that game, i'm gonna ramble about it)

the game catherine holds a special place in my heart, i really like it, though i haven't played it in years. i actually had a dream recently that they made a third installment (or second installment depending on how you view catherine: full body) and it was awesome. i wish my dream was real. i think i'm gonna replay the game soon, since i miss it, but playing it will probably stir up mixed feelings.

catherine: full body and i have a complicated relationship. when i played it i had a blast, but i also think it negates the unique themes and atmosphere of the original. likewise, i have conflicting feelings on rin. on one hand, i love him, and i eagerly did his route, but also, he's a poorly written character in my opinion.

anyway, redesign. why did i change rin's design? well, his original design is one of the worst things about him. he sticks out like a sore thumb in the game, he looks way too short and girly (yes i know that's the point but it's dumb), and i hate it. his concept art was better though still not perfect. not that my redesign is perfect, obviously, but it's an improvement according to my personal tastes.

for his redesign, i had one name in my mind, and that name is Song Liling. the character from the cronenberg film M. Butterfly. spoilers for that, btw. anyway, song liling, in my mind, is the perfect epitome of what they were going for with rin, in terms of that plotline. therefore, inspired by liling, i leaned into making rin look more elegant and mature, while retaining his youthfulness and colorfulness. i think this way, he looks less out of place. i also made an effort to keep rin's androgyny, but more... actual androgyny instead of what we got in the game.

i know the outfit is a far cry from rin's original aesthetic, but i honestly had no idea what to do with the kawaii look. it's nice, and i wanted to keep it, i just had no inspiration. i was hoping to do something decora-like, similar to his concept art, but it just didn't work, so i went with the more elegant look instead. well, i like it, at least.

i also wish rin's personality was just a touch different. he's great, but kinda moe for catherine, i think? i think he'd be better if his "cuteness" was turned down a bit in favor of him being more of vincent's friend, like actual friend, if that makes sense? atlus was going for friends to lovers, i think, but rin being so "helpless" and "adorable" kinda made him more of this stereotypical perfect love interest. if he was genuinely someone vincent became friends with through being neighbors and hanging out at the bar, rather than vincent liking rin because he's just so perfect, i think rin would be better, and the romance would be better. rin can definitely stay sweet and gentle, i think the alternative to Cat and Kat being a gentle person is perfect, but i wish rin was less childish and cutesy.

i don't know if any of that made sense, but it makes sense in my head.

lastly, "lore redesign". simply: rin is some kind of heavenly being, and i mean an actual heavenly being, not what they did in the game. he's a heavenly being whose mission was to stop catherine and the torture of the men. iirc that's the canon lore already, but i hate the space stuff, i'm sorry. the whole "catherine takes place on a space colony" thing was cute and fun when it was just an easter egg, but making catherine into a sci-fi game is horrible. just horrible to me. i can't stand it. so yeah, rin is an angel. it may be obvious and predictable but it just makes sense and makes the game flow better. catherine is a demon, katherine is a human, and rin is an angel. there. no aliens.

is that everything? yeah, that's my redesign of rin. i know the overlap of sims and catherine fans must be very small, so probably no one will like this, but i like it, and that's enough for me.

my game was crashing today and it was horrible. i think the cause was the venue change mod but i'm not sure. but regardless i didn't need the venue change mod anymore so taking it out was fine. hopefully my game is fine. i'm getting bored with sims 4 now though. my sim climbed the mountain so now it just feels blah. i have other goals of course but with that out of the way i'm just bored. i'm thinking i might boot up the sims 2 soon. i still don't really feel like going back to 3 yet, though i know i will in time. i go through phases with the sims, sometimes its 4, then 3, then 2. not necessarily in that order.

[parsleysagerosemarytimemachine]

Fun TTRPG campaign idea that I'm not going to use any time soon: (but that intrigues me enough to want to write it down anyway)

Setting is SF, a galaxy colonized by near-light-speed seeder ships from Earth X000 years ago; thousands of human-inhabited planets, mostly isolated by the vast gulf of space and time. Instantaneous teleportation has just been invented and some planet has decided to spread the technology around, and see who all is interested in becoming part of a more connected galactic polity. This is where the players come in - a group of diplomats and scientists, sociologists and politicians, sent out to visit new planets, discover what their situation is, and see if the locals are interested in signing on to this grand project. (The players' group has a special, expensive one-way teleportation drive on their spaceship; what they're offering is relatively cheap teleportation booth/portal technology that requires construction on both ends - these connects back to another planet that can help build/design/import more, until the new planet is as connected as it wants to be.)

The structure of the game, then, is:

Arrive at new planet.

Scope out the situation - who do we talk to, what's dangerous or a problem, do we want to bring these people in?, do these people want to be brought in?, etc etc

Adventure of the week! - this is the fun bit that determines the genre of the game; do you have to do some diplomacy? Is there a murder mystery that the players are wrapped up in? Are you just exploring an strange society and figuring out what's cool and new? How has a (probably human) society changed while it's been out of contact? Can everyone get along? How can we make sure everyone will get along in the future? Is this a combat scenario? (giant monsters or a planet at war or civil conflict) Can the players make things worse by introducing new and upsetting technology and ideas? Yes! Maybe it's better for everyone if they sneak away and pretend they didn't come in the first place. :)

Afterwards - I think it's mechanically important that there's some sort of game-playable 'break' between planets, because it offers an important choice and tension. If they players did connect the planet to the teleport network, they can have a downtime where they go back home and see friends and family, and enjoy all the comforts of whichever civilization they're working for -- and if they didn't, they have to relax and regroup using whatever resources might be available locally, which are probably perfectly fine, but it's not going to be like home. Is there a mechanical incentive for players to connect the network anyway, if they've only just got some minor misgivings? Yes! That's the point! :) You should probably revisit past planets occasionally, just to make sure it's not an easy one-and-done process, and show what new problems have come up. (Could they just point their expensive spaceship back home instead? Yeah, but they'll get pointedly talked-too because fuel is expensive, and they're supposed to be using it to build a bigger polity, not make sure the roommate is feeding the cats the right sort of treats.)

Anyway, that's the idea - there's a lot of ways you could play with it, from Star Trek utopianism to grim colonialist critique, depending on what sort of game systems you used and who your players are. My personal wish would be to find something fairly light in tone (possibly comic) by keeping the costs of non-intervention low, and problems mostly mitigatible by making the central powers benevolent, if not always competent; there's plenty of room for a critique where everyone can see a very bad outcome being avoided, so it doesn't have to come up 'in play' as it were. (Also helped by making sure the people I play with have similar views of civilizational intervention to begin with. :) But also it's just cool to imagine a game that gives a range of cool space societies to meet.

[lepurcinus]

More about ideas for society or "culture" in xenofiction.

Cultural differences between domestic, feral and wild.

Ok, it's very common and more so in stories involving the escaped pet who meets the wild ones that the classic comments of "Useless pet dependent on humans knows nothing about life" are made many times related to pet stereotypes (and also demonizing captivity or the relationship of owners and pets, mostly when they are cats) or that when it meets a wild animal then they explains the law of mother nature or the philosophy of the jungle or something like that. But I feel that there is still a lot of unexplored ground in this concept.

Let's say if I do a story about pet dogs, stray/feral dogs and maybe some wolves. You have that pet dogs probably don't for the most part have a very complex society or religion amongst themselves due to the greater habit of interacting with their owners and the occasional neighbor dog.

Maybe dogs from shelters, kennels, police dogs or similar may share among themselves their own philosophies or further expand their pantheon of gods, maybe each breed may have among themselves their idea of why they exist if they have snub noses, long hair, slimmer bodies, etc.

But then for the most part they share the basic concept of the story of the great dog god of the stars who made all the animals and brought man to the dog to protect him from loneliness and united them forever.

Then when we talk about stray and feral dogs, then that "belief" can be maintained but with slight deformations or differences (or have your nihilistic atheist dog who lost hope, I don't know). Let's say then that in this world abandoned dogs living on the streets then think that the promise of the star dog god was broken, maybe by himself or the dog as an individual has done something wrong, then that is why these still seek to approach people and seek to "redeem" their failure. But feral dogs, having lived in generations without that contact then now their belief is that that union was betrayed and broken, hence their greater refusal to seek human affection, but still in force that little joke of an opportunity to regain it.

So if there are then wolves in the formula, they may have their star god but it may not be exactly the same as the dogs. And their view of man be more like seeing their arrival, how take everything to their children and created a warped version of them that is against them. There would also be feral dogs more accustomed to "wild" life whose belief is more wolf-like than dog-like.

Other things, enter in the cultural difference already related to the behavioral change derived from domestication. Dogs do not have the familiar pack concept of the wolf completely and their gestures are not the same or communicate the same. If we then handle a story in which the animals have their own language, then dogs do not know the language of the wolf and these in turn have developed their own language with its variants.

With other animals it would work similarly, cats that have learned to tolerate each other more, domestic rabbits that have forgotten the concept of the communal warren or to live with fear and cunning. Etc.

Other things would also result in domestic animals having things borrowed from humans, such as a greater understanding of their gestures, sounds and constructions, some words of their own that are remnants of the sounds of human words.

Perhaps adding that there are "bilingual" domestic animals that, being in contact with other animals, it would be easier for them to understand their gestures and communicate with them.

God gave me the ability to generate spontaneous ideas but the curse of feeling I can't use them well, blame him for that btw.

[blimbo-buddy]

can you tell us more about madre antre's story/world?

-Cracking knuckles- here we go. Note, this is all still a work in progress, some stuff will change or be removed/added. I'm also open for suggestions and criticism on anything and everything Tw/Cw for: Mentions of abuse, attempted child murder, a lot of war and a lot of death

About the world:

This one is more lacking as I still need to work through some things, however some general base ideas are there

-The location isn't anything specific, not really said what country or state or city it takes place in either

-Though, I draw a lot of inspiration of locations/descriptions from Los Angeles or California as a whole

-A lot of the culture you see with the animals in general is all based off Mexican culture, dialect, language, traditions, etc. I'm planning on integrating more stuff based on other Latine cultures into the world

-Domestic animals almost worship Alebrijes, colorful and vibrant statues that the humans often create. They believe that once you die, you become one of these creatures

-Most animals (specifically domesticated ones) don't view humans as some scary death gods pre-explosion. Post-explosion, their opinions on humans begin to sour up a bit, humans are animals just like them, and animals are neither good or bad. Animals can do harm, yes, but not on the level of mass destruction that humans had caused

-Going along with the previous statement, some animals are dead set on hating humans because of this, blaming all of them for the explosion. Obviously, this is not true, and other animals know this, arguing against these bold claims of humanity being monsters

-Non-domesticated animals (such as foxes or deer) refer to Humans different, often citing them as "Snam/Snamuh", "Elpoep", or "Nosrep", while domesticated animals simply refer to them as Humans. Another common spelling/pronounciation of "Snam/Snamuh" is "Nam/Namuh". Same thing, just remove a letter

-Animal religion will usually depend on the community in question. Sometimes animals of different species will believe in the same thing while groups of one specific animal (such as a clowder of cats or a herd of deer) will believe in the same thing. It all just depends really

-Domestic animals view houses, buildings, cars, and machines as having a symbiotic relationship with animals, more specifically houses. I kind of talk about this in this post but it's not about the story in question

-The opinion of humans isn't set in stone based on whether you are domesticated or not, there are coyotes who love humans for the scraps of food that they leave behind for them and there are dogs who don't trust humans because of the abuse that they were put through. They understand that humans are not all the same just as the other animals are not all the same

-This world (or at least, this area) has been devastated by a recent ongoing war that ravaged the city. The once bustling and prospering place of opportunity for humans and animals alike had devolved into a place of constant fear

-Without getting into the nitty gritty of it all, there has been a lot of casualties that preceded the explosion. Lots of military corruption that led to some soldiers firing at their own citizens, gun fights being a common thing (Which is how Pipit's human died, shot in the head by a stray bullet)

-Post-explosion, a good amount of life is decimated, especially human life. The ones who aren't dead are in the process of dying slowly and painfully

-A large, nearby zoo had recently been destroyed, causing all of the animals who survived the destruction to be let loose into the wild. From what you can expect, this completely set everything upside down as new, invasive species were added into the ecosystem. Overgrazing, over hunting, territory takeovers all transpired.

-Although some zoo animals have formed alliances with some of the other non-zoo animals in agreement to keep the hunting/grazing to a minimum, not taking more than they needed

About Madre Antre:

-When she was a child, she resembled a lykoi (I don't condone the breeding of Lykois due to the problems that arise with their skin)

-Madre Antre can't remember her old name, it hurts her own brain to try, too many bad memories attached.

-Was like a child psychic sorta, she could predict the future that chronologically, extended even past her death in the far off future

-However as her visions grew more and more disturbing, the animals (more specifically the cats) of her small community began to fear this young child

-Rumors started that anything that she said would transpire would come true, good or bad. But only the bad was focused on

-The straw that broke the camel's back was her biggest vision yet: “A Fiery, destructive cloud of Hell, searing the skin of both earth and beast."

-The cats decided that she needed to be killed in order to prevent future tragedies, including the world-ending one

-Her sister helped her escape into the woods and the cats who were going to execute Antre claimed that they had killed Antre

-Her sister had to stay painfully silent, knowing that if she revealed that her sister was still alive, they'd continue to hunt her down. So, she stood by and watched her family scream tears of mourning and depression

-So anyways, back to Antre, she's not really having a good time out in the wild. She eventually finds a seemingly abandoned fallout shelter, however, she finds out the shelter had a large hole in the corner. She didn't think about going deeper in to figure out what it was but, eventually, she did.

-The dug out hole eventually led her into a behemoth of a cave system to take further shelter in. She eventually gets lost.

-She meets a large group of cave salamanders who keep her company. Weird, yes, but they're nice enough to her as long as she doesn't eat them

-Slowly, her fur begins to shrivel away and flutter onto the cave floor due to stress and a bunch of other things that are really hammering into her poor mental state

-Her previous vision (The world-ending one) plagues her thoughts and dreams, she can't rid her mind of it, all of those animals that she witnessed be turned into swirls of dark red dust as they were swept away by the inferno. So, she ventured out of the tunnels to search for supplies. Supplies that she used to paint.

-She felt that painting her visions that she had seen would take her mind off of things, which wasn't a lie! The cave walls were scattered and decorated in beautiful and vibrant paintings that depicted visions, new and old, good and bad.

-As a side note: Antre's brushes were made up of a few items such as grass or dry brush, but she also would scavenge some fallen clumps of her fur to use as a brush.

-But her biggest and most personal project was, you guessed it, the World-Ending Vision. This one took her a long time to complete as she found the biggest wall of the cave, scaling it's massive size to achieve the proportions that she desired. All with the help of her Salamander Cluster to help her out

-Eventually she runs into other animals who they themselves had gotten lost in the caves. She usually helps them find a way out of the caves

-However, some animals came to seek sanctuary from the caves just as she did. Some animals came from abusive households which is why they were there. Unwilling to turn away those who are in need, Antre agrees to let them stay

-One of these animals is a cat named Pipit, who's owner was tragically shot in the head when they were both escaping a bunch of gun fire that had erupted suddenly (Going back to the previous section about the world)

-The animals that she helped leave the caves go on to spread the word about her, referring to her as Madre Antre

-Things are going… decently for Madre Antre I suppose. She's not so lonely, but, she's still plagued by her visions and anxieties of the "Hell Cloud"

-Madre Antre is looked up to for her odd but charming character and her visions plus her wisdom during this period. So, things aren't going bad for her.

-One day, Madre Antre heard the scuffle and worried chatter of the animals within the caves. She followed the voices and told them all to stay within the caves while she checked outside

-Faint, distant sirens delicately filled the air due to the distance they were at, her rheumy eyes spotted an odd black blot fall from the sky like an angel falling from grace

-It plunged into the earth and Madre Antre felt her heart plunge with it. She gazed into it's eyes, into it's fiery, destructive soul. A Fiery, destructive cloud of Hell.