#I don't want to think about that possibility hhh

[smalltimidbean]

I just wanted to find out the name of my Alolan Raichu, not find a (potential) toxic fire hazard!!!!!!!!!!

(Also do not worry, the battery has been removed and properly disposed of! Just kind of alarming to find bc my DS has been on my bedside table for at least a few months, and I did nawt notice)

[felassan]

Some thoughts on the character descriptions & other details from game files. DA:TV spoilers under cut.

[original source link]

Some of the char notes are v neat and interesting. ◕‿◕ (caveat to bear in mind of course: gamefiles info can contradict what is presented in game as plots and ideas naturally & normally can change a lot throughout development. what's in the game and other media is what's canon. that said they're still neat and interesting to think about.)

You can read Ghil talking to some of her "stock" in a/some Trespasser armor codex[es]

Like Dalish lore in modern Thedas has it (the Ascension of Ghilan'nain), Ghil had the distinction of being the only mortal elf uplifted into the Evanuris pantheon

" (in this case, Solas's murder of his friend Felassan by stabbing him in the back)" - "[TME quote] He never heard the blow that killed him." q.q

Spirits of Profit are a thing (note: this kind of thing I just like to take as canon as long as nothing in-game actually contradicts it being a possible thing in the world hh)

Spirits of Need are a thing

Spirits of Passion are a thing

Demons of Obsession are a thing

Spirits of Freedom are possibly a thing

Not just a General, Felassan was the second-in-command

The idea/possibility that the Caretaker is (or at one point during development was thought to be) what remains of a truly ancient dragon, who long ago took on the form of this spirit, then was summoned by ancient elves, slaps

"A spirit of chaos and freedom, unleashed by Solas to break through a labyrinth to his ally Mythal", "A spirit heavily implied to be the Caretaker in another era, speaking with Solas about the attempt to rescue Mythal. Speaking with the spirit, Solas makes it clear that he will sacrifice anything to save Mythal." - I wonder if at one point there was an idea to have a scene which was another relivable Solas Crossroads memory, where this Mythal-rescue scenario would play out? Maybe Rook would have 'played' the Spirit of Chaos in that memory similar to the one where Solas and Felassan call spirits to launch an attack on an Elgar'nan fortress

Inquisitor - "relatable leader and mentor", "confident, knowing" 🥺

Interesting to see that Charter at one point may have appeared in the game and had a role. There are still references to her and her work in some DA:TV codexes

The character descriptions for Varric and Dorian, and the Morrigan speech pattern note, are so fun hhh. some characters simply need no introduction

Two possible appearances, depending on how the player resolves her past: 1. Dark black dyed hair 2. Red hair with streaks of grey CHARACTERDESCRIPTION: Isabela from Dragon Age II

At one point there was possibly an idea to have further choices such as what happened to Isabela in DA2 be in the game.

"Manfred is curious, loyal, innocent, and wants to be helpful." 🥺

I had personally been hcing Lucanis as 36 so that is neat

the ages listed are age ranges meant to help inform the char info, & info players would actually see/hear in the games and other media like books etc would take precedence. I would place Teia and Harding as at least a few years older than what's given for example (Teia was 28 when she became a Talon, and it's now 9:52; and I don't really see Harding as having been as young as 19 in DA:I in 9:42 as a Lead Scout. young definitely, but not that young).

and this is more based on subjective vibes than any canon info, but I read Viago as being older than this, and older than Lucanis, Illario and Teia.

ACCENT: Hint of Italian, but not as strong as Zevran's. (He is from a coastal city in Antiva, which had an influx of Tevinter refugees from Seheron after the Qunari invaded 100 years or so ago. That’€™s why he looks and sounds different from Zevran and Josephine.) [Caterina] Older Korean-Spanish or Korean-Italian woman (from the same region as Lucanis)

This is neat worldbuilding. a hint at what people from Seheron or people with Seheron heritage may be like.

Lucanis now bears scars both physically and mentally from his time as a brainwashed executioner for an evil mage cult. No longer the pragmatic assassin always in control, he wrestles with becoming what he’s spent his life hunting: a demon-possessed abomination. He longs to return to his former glory, but the monster inside him demands blood and vengeance. With his future hanging in the balance, Lucanis must decide whether to give into the demon or control it.

some other ideas about what Lucanis' storyline may/could have been at a different point in time.

Taash is a Qunari agent with a specialization in infiltration -- a thief, basically. She can scale buildings, pick locks, and take out enemies with quick and brutal efficiency.

some other ideas about what Taash's storyline/character may/could have been at a different point in time. maybe Ben-Hassrath-y? infiltration and stuff reminds me of the 'spies and heists' version of the game that was reported on at one point.

This whole set of descriptions is so good, no notes ＼(￣▽￣)／

Spite was once a Spirit of Passion drawn to Lucanis's will to live, but years of torture and a desire for revenge has twisted him into a Demon of Obsession.

some other ideas about what Spite's storyline/character may/could have been at a different point in time. in-game we hear Spite referred to as a Spirit of Determination (Isabela, Rowan, Solas), and Mary Kirby has described Spite on social media as having the basic aspect of Defiance.

"The Godmother of the Antivan Crows" hhh＼(￣▽￣)／

Interesting backstory information on Rayan Ivenci

Dartonia's farming background and Timetri's military family background tracks with an in-game dialogue line Lucanis has in banter about how Crows often recruit from the army and the trades

Ivenci and Fletcher [Crows Merchant in the Diamond] are both non-binary and use they/them pronouns; they use they/them pronouns also in the game

The Crows are still recruiting and training minors, if a 15 year-old Crow is already well-trained in dual daggers. fledglings Dartonia and Timetri are given as 17.

"Chance is a stylish, dramatic Orlesian who joined the Crows to be their emmisary among the courts of Orlais. (French accent.)" - handy inspo grounds (just one example of many things you could hc) to hc why an Antivan Crow Rook doesn't have an Antivan accent, if you wanted. there is also the example of Heir, who is Orlesian (unless of course you simply hc them as having an Antivan accent :D)

The Treviso Market master's name is Sidestreet Alidare

Anaris had "half-possessed" Cyrian, via the mask as we saw

Anaris, an ancient elven "would-be" god. If you were a power-hungry and/or angry 'mortal' elf back then, it must have been maddening that only Ghil was granted ascension, and to live under Evanuris tyranny

Strife Dragonage is 50

Strife is a keen-eyed hunter who grew up in the elven city slums, but was taken in by the forest-dwelling Dalish elves and taught to be an expert woodsman. He's rugged, tough, adventurous, and doesn't suffer fools. He feels some disconnect between his city-upbringing and his current role as a hunter - somtimes Strife worries he's an imposter, not truly growing up with his people, but he's tried to take their teachings to heart. Strife is loyal to those who earn his friendship, and fiercely protective of his clan.

here I am simply quoting the Strife blurb, as a Strife appreciator. reference to his backstory as a Starkhaven City Elf and joining of Dalish Clan Morlyn, and the toughness he showed in Three Trees to Midnight. nice to see his perspective / thoughts explored a bit here as a City Elf who joined the Dalish and what that means to him and how he relates to the world.

IRELIN A Dalish elf who grew up in the woods, Irelin has learned the ancient and incredibly rare art of shapeshifting. She uses this ability to move secretly in the forest, scouting for her people. Practical and no-nonsense when it comes to defending her clan and her friends, she has a healthy distrust of outsiders, especially the humans who've persecuted and exploited her people for so long. Irelin takes a secret joy in the thrill and power of shapeshifting, however. She loves exploring as the different animals of the forest, and knows some of their paths better than anyone.

I loved seeing this info on/exploration of Irelin too. :)

Protect Evka and Antoine

Rook Thorne snippet: "If Rook is a Grey Warden, Greta [30] has met them before--they both became Wardens around the same time. Greta doesn't know Rook well--it's more like running into an old school mate--but she likes them". maybe this is simply in the game as dialogue ofc, but I haven't played a Thorne yet so I wouldn't know :)

"A cat" hhhhhh :D

Mae's age-range is 50

Dragon King: "Basically, a bad guy doing his evil bad guy best." lmao

Hezenkoss's creation is described as a "bone golem", taking me back to the flesh golems (Harvester etc) in prior DA games

Is "Sealed Spirit" the Formless One? since its description mentions possessing an undead dragon, and its in the Mourn Watch/Necropolis section.

Tarquin x Viper feels aaa

Vorgoth's whole segment (and Vorgoth as a character) is so fascinating. maybe they're a rogue, Thedas-loving member of the same type of entity as whatever the Executors are? some of the description here and their appearance in the game reminds me of the description of the Executor in TN and also the Executors' appearance in the DA:TV secret ending.

THE EXECUTOR APPEARANCE: Human-appearing CHARACTERDESCRIPTION: A masked and hooded figure that speaks like someone unfamiliar with language in general. Stilted, awkward, but with a low menace. SPEECHPATTERN: Stilted. Is trying to form words from thoughts that are far more complex than a regular person's.

also very intriguing, naturally. the way they're described (trying to form words from thoughts, being unfamiliar with language) makes them sound spirit/demon-y or adjacent.. it also reminds me somewhat of the description of the way the Cekorax was rendering speech (iirc) in TN. if the place they come from does indeed have empty settlements made of crystal and obsidian - well, entities unfamiliar with language etc in this kind of way might also be unfamiliar with regular settlements/mortal world settlements, no? at one point in time it may have been the idea that we would meet an Executor in-game as part of the story.

(like I said I know it being in the game files doesn't automatically make something canon, it's just fun to peruse and add to hcs or not etc. this post is just a bunch of personal headcanon/speculation really ^^)

[original source link]

[mncxbe]

hiii! i hope ur requests are open and if theyre not im very sorry and ignore this!

ive been thinking too much about dazai with a younger reader whos 15 and reminds him a lot of himself. like he remembers what oda said and becomes determined to steer u down the right path

overall becomes a sweet (but very annoying sometimes) big brother figure <333

nonnie♡♡ this is hhh such a nice idea I went a bit silly with it hope u like it. he would definitely try to bring you on the right path. to make things even more interesting let's assume you're from the PM.

The two of you met when he was out on a mission with Atsushi. Naturally, he paid no attention to you, a little scrawny kid scrolling on her phone, walking in their direction. But that was until you suddenly attacked them.

You were so relentless in your fight that you ended up badly injured, so they had to take you back to the Ada office to get treated by Yosano. After all, a Port Mafia member or not, Dazai couldn't bring himself to let a kid die.

When you eventually woke up in the infirmery you saw him standing at the edge of your bed, arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched you intently.

"You feeling better kid?" he asked and you only nodded in response, eyes darting around the room, taking in your surroundings.

Dazai noticed the cunning look on your face, the way you scanned the room for possible escapes while still maintaining a nonchalant facade and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Now, now don't worry kid. We'll let you go as soon as you answer some questions"

Dazai asked you about your mission and your involement with your Port Mafia; routine questions mostly: how you ended up working for them, who you serve under, how long you've been with the PM- things to which you gave a half-hearted, disinterested response. But you refused to get into detail about the organization's plans; no matter how much he persuaded you and tried to get inside your head, you just wouldn't break.

With each calculated reply Dazai saw more of his younger self in you; the innate ability to lie like it was your second nature, the way you managed to turn any conversation in your favour and mostly, how impassive you were to any of his threaths.

"You know, if you refuse to cooperate I'm gonna have to get the information out of you in other ways"

You simply sighed, idly picking at your nails. "Well, pain would be bothersome, but I'd rather die than betray the Mafia"

Dazai saw an opening, a slight crack in your carefully built facade "So you're that afraid of what they might do to you if they find out you're a traitor?"

"Nah, but I prefer to stay true to the things I believe in. After all, does life have any value if you give up on your beliefs?"

There it was, the answer he was looking for. Sighing, he rose to his feet, staring down at you "That's quite grim for a kid your age to say."

"I don't think it's grim. More like honest, but who am I to discuss the value of life with you?" you said casually, pointing at his bandages.

"Oh wow touché" he chuckled "But what exactly are those values you're so keenly holding on to, some principles passed down to you by the boss? Can you really call those things values?"

"Sure I can. As long as they give me a purpose to live" For a brief moment you caught a shadow of doubt on the brunette's face. He was conflicted, you could tell.

"You know" he started again "I once thought the same as you do, that good and evil don't matter as long as you do a job and get it done well, but violence and death only give birth to more violence and death. It's a vicious cycle, really, so don't expect to find a purpose or a reason to live in that."

You lowered your gaze, continuing to pick at your nails and he knew the conversation was over. He wasn't gonna get anything out of you.

"Look, kid, you're wasting yourself in there. If you want a reason to live I can give it to you"

"And why would you do that? You don't seem the type to do charity work?"

"Let's just say that that's my purpose in life, to guide people like you on the right path"

"People like me? Meaning petty criminals working for the Mafia?" you inquired mockingly, raising a brow.

Dazai scoffed at your remark "We both know you're more than a petty criminal, but yes. People like you, who don't take life for granted and want to understand its meaning."

"So now you can psychoanalyse me too hm? Are you gonna tell me this mentality of mine comes from the fact that I grew up without a father figure or...?"

Your witty remarks were starting to get to him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Nah, it comes from the fact that all you've seen in your life is evil and look where this has gotten you. Five years in the Mafia and you're still where you were at the beginning, still searching for a deeper meaning in life. We're more alike than you may think, kid. As I said, I used to be in the same position you're in"

You shrugged, feigning disinterest, but he could tell his words were affecting you.

"And your point is?"

Taking in a deep breath, Dazai combed a hand through his hair "My point is that you should leave the Mafia and join us. Change your perspective. If finding a purpose in life truly is your goal, then you won't regret this decision. Trust me"

You both stood in silence for a while as you considered his proposal. You could technically leave the Mafia, it's not like working there has gotten you anywhere. No matter how many missions you completed or how fast you climbed the ladder, there was still a nagging feeling that you could do more, that there was more to life than this.

You finally raised your gaze to meet his and gave a small nod. "I'll think about it."

"Good, you do that, kid"

Dazai helped you out of the bed and walked you to the front of the building. You left without even saying goodbye, making your way down the street; towards the Port Mafia headquarters. Dazai watched you slowly walk away, your figure growing smaller with each step you took and somewhere deep down he was sure he'd see you again.

[d-lanx]

ok so final thoughts. i was holding onto hope that the reason punk/drew was opening was to give them time to clean up before post-show interviews. and then they didn't have punk or drew in the post show. so why have punk/drew open? there's literally no good reason. im betting it was just for the rock to make a shock return. as hhh said in the post show, he does what he wants. and with how despite this, punk/drew was the most heavily advertised and most anticipated, i think it was originally supposed to main event until the rock got involved.

problem is it just completely overshadowed everything else on the card. it peaked too soon and there was no way for any other match to top it, making everything look worse by comparison. i feel like just reordering the card would have majorly fixed it. even if punk/drew were second to last, it would have done the card a favour moreso than it did by going first. and ideally it should have main evented. but as we all know, rocky can't handle being anything but the main event. sorry, but this bloodline match didn't need to main event at all. it would have been fine as second to last. they've main evented enough ppv's with this storyline and i'm sure they will for many more (*cough cough* survivor series *cough cough*), they should have switched it up for a change.

the rest of the ppv just felt kinda flat and even the crowd seemed worn out and a bit dead for the rest of the ppv after being so hype for the first match. and from the looks of the dash, anyone who would normally have a hard time staying up late for ppvs (either for work or timezones, etc) just used it as an excuse to switch off after punk/drew, and those who stayed weren't paying much attention cos they were all still talking about punk/drew. the biggest talking point should go last if you want people to pay attention to the whole show and stick around to even watch the whole show. it'd be interesting to see viewership after punk/drew, cos i imagine they'll be a drop after that match (possibly with a pick up towards the end).

i know i'll be rewatching punk/drew over and over. but tbh, i'm finding it hard to really care about anything else. honestly i'd rate the ppv 10/10 if it ended after the first match, but with the rest, and the fumble on the main event entrance, overall the show was pretty mid. punk/drew just shone too bright for anyone else to stand a chance.

just goes to show that, as much as people may say the order doesn't matter and everyone is special and gets a participation award, it does in fact matter who goes on last.

(sorry i don't normally rant like this, i just had a lot of thoughts i wanted to get down. creative really fumbled this ppv ngl).

P.S. if punk was actually supposed to do the post show and they opened so they had that chance for a break, and only missed cos he genuinley felt unable to do it after the match, while i can better understand why the match would have opened, it still doesn't stop it from outshining everything else on the card like that.

[crystallizsch]

hello i am once again thinking about grim, and by extension the heartslabyul duo because if there’s anything else that lives in my head rent-free it’s how the main four are as close as friends as they are throughout the entire game so far.

(help this ramble became longer than i intended)

-> i know it's a pattern that the previous dorms help out in the next book which means once book 7 ends, we’re assuming book 8 would be about ramshackle(?). which means it’s diasomnia’s turn to have a big role in the following dorm. -> but it got me thinking. throughout the books, heartslabyul (specifically adeuce) is always present somehow. no matter how much screen time they actually have and how relevant they are to the conflict at that time. (actually i think something similar could be said with diasomnia but i want to focus mainly on adeuce) -> throughout the books, we're just set up with how good of friends the four are. the prologue, books 1 and 2 start to develop the four's chemistry together, and by book 3 we get one of the first signs that yuu cares about these three to the point they're willing to risk it because their dumbasses decided to sign a deal with azul. -> in book 4, while adeuce didn't have much involvement, i believe twst JUST hammers home that all four of them are friends friends. we are shown how ace and deuce went through all the trouble of transportation DURING THE HOLIDAYS because they thought yuu and grim were in trouble. like they could've easily just went "hey it must have been nothing" but they were worried enough to go check on them, not even thinking that someone else could've had handled it already.

-> since the pattern was that the previous dorm helps the next dorm, why does it seem like in book 5 it seems that heartslabyul, or at least, adeuce has as much of a big role as scarabia? the scarabia duo was there to notice the signs with vil but it was deuce who dealt the last blow to him. (honestly i don't remember much but i don't know how much help scarabia even helped pomefiore other than being in vdc hhh) -> so then it made me think, huh. it's like twst is setting up that these two will be more important than we think and will definitely not be going away soon. -> and then THE END OF BOOK 6. ouughh the end of book 6. their reunion just solidified for me how much they all care about each other. adeuce were not prompted by a direct "we're in trouble, help us" text this time. they just found out yuu and grim were somewhere in danger and it agonized them that they could do nothing about it but wait and hope they're safe. -> book 7 finally we're back to finding out ways to help yuu get home. and since they're all admittedly close friends (dare i say found family) at this point without explicitly stating it, i get the vibes of "we'll help you get home because we care about you but we're not going to think about the depressing possibility we might never see each other ever again".

-> so very abrupt transition;;; this led me to thinking about the overall “alice in wonderland” theme throughout twst. -> is that why adeuce has been with us this entire time? to remind us of that theme? we are in twisted wonderland after all. (I'm not really sure about the thought of yuu being alice but it's an interesting one to consider too) -> to tie in more with the alice in wonderland theme, i'm briefly going to go back to diasomnia. in book 7, there's like a theme of dreams. in fact, throughout the game it was all about dreams and visions and stuff. and in book 7 we're just diving into it. -> and in the story of alice in wonderland, there seems to be the implication that everything that happened in wonderland was just based on a crazy dream that alice had. like we don't know if anything was ever real. (i'm not really a fan of the "it's all a dream" twist but the connections got the gears in my brain turning) (also mickey must be relevant too but i have no thoughts about the implications of his existence at the moment 💀) -> i know we're not done with diasomnia's book but it seems to be set up as a catalyst for something bigger along the line (thinking about the possibility that there is even something bigger than a malleus overblot is very wild to say the least)

-> SO ANOTHER abrupt transition but still related, i thought about the parallel between the "overblot grim" in the beginning of the game and the "jabberwock(y)" in alice in wonderland. they're both chimera-like creatures that are like the final bosses or something. -> and what if a way for yuu to "go home" is to "slay" the jabberwocky (or in this case the overblot grim) just like in the story of alice in wonderland / through the looking glass. -> there's theories i believe that ace is set up to be some kind of "trump card" based on his name and the fact his unique magic isn't revealed yet. but also i want to add deuce in there too remembering how he held a big role in stopping vil in book 4 like some kind of foreshadowing. -> maybe the main role diasomnia will have is only about all these dream shenanigans. and i'd like to think instead that at the end of the day, this conflict with an overblotted grim is ultimately between our main four. some representations based off alice in wonderland. -> going full circle, is this why we have been shown so much of the friendship between all four of them? to establish this possible eventual conflict? and to make it harder for us to choose about "going home"? do we even get the choice?

do we "slay" the jabberwocky or will we decide to stay in this seemingly dreamlike fantasy wonderland instead?

[kick-a-long]

how do you feel about the pearl clutching on here shaming any of us who are not sparing any sympathy that terrorist rapist assholes got their balls blown off? like it’s very sad that anyone innocent died, that’s still on hezbollah. I’m not wasting any time crying over or humanizing terrorists who want us all dead and I don’t care how other Jews laugh about that to cope with all the shit we’ve been through. there’s a lot of lecturing happening about how wrong it is to laugh at and how humanity isn’t conditional (I’d agree except literal terrorists who want every Jew on earth dead and see us with no humanity at all don’t deserve our respect) and how it makes us look bad. everything makes us look bad. why do we have to be mother teresa here? I’m not sorry for mocking terrorism and no one should be. it helps take their power.

i'm not going to lecture anyone for being overly empathetic in the same way i wouldn't lecture an depressed person about how a shower will make them feel better but in my opinion they are being stupid as hell. I get it. jews are called demonic monsters by so many people with power that we have to try twice as hard to show everyone we're nice people. the most humane humans ever. but like... fuck that?

it's 100% a time to laugh and celebrate when actual, factual terrorists, who don't deserve to live based on their dedication to murder and violation of basic human rights, get their literal nuts blown off. very funny, very hype. I'm probably the biggest fan. perfect dramatic irony. that punishment fits that crime. these are not guys in a bad situation, they enthusiastically murder people because they like it and they are paid well for it. I'm not saying that they aren't human but come on! It's insulting to say jews should pour one out for terrorists especially if it's for the optics or the piety or whatever!

it's also a pragmatic issue. the HHH terrorist groups aren't people you can negotiate with and cutting off their communications and hitting them with overwhelming force will beat them back with less civilian blood, quicker, than anything like asking them to stop setting everyone's country on fire. to pretend negotiation is possible is why they and iran keep regrouping and bombing shit everywhere in the middle east and around the world.

they are proud of killing people and looking tough and to ignore the irony of them getting literally castrated because they want to be the biggest swinging dicks in the world is to accept that their most toxic of toxic, anti-humanity idea of masculinity should be nursed and protected. worse, it implies it's some middle eastern cultural value that should be respected. i don't believe that, i think that's racist as hell. i don't want that in my house so why would i coddle it in any other woman's?

weeping for them supports the idea that great men really do define themselves through their violence. they really do need to blow up a few soccer fields and taylor swift concerts and kidnap a few sex slaves to be a man in arab culture which is fucking disgusting, racist and fucking stupid. no one gains ANYTHING from terrorists. if you can point out any long term good they contribute i would call you a liar.

i understand the anxiety and guilt of celebrating deaths, after all that's what terrorists do, but to shoot a man in self defense because he has stabbed you before, talks constantly about stabbing you, is stabbing you currently, while he is screaming that he will never stop...? that's both morally correct and metal as hell. if one bullet shoots off his dick too, well I'm no angle... I think that's funny as hell.

fuck 'em.

[electricphantasy]

omg hhh this is my first time requesting something,, first of, are requests open? if so, can i please ask for an edgar x gn!reader?? i have no particular scenario in mind so anything would do, really :-) thanks in advance if you're going to take the request ^_^

(I thought I'd write some Edgar comfort since I've had a a bit of a stressful week myself, so here we are! Sorry it took so long, but I eventually got around to it.)

- Let's say that you've had a terrible day at work. Your feet hurt, your back aching, and you only want to get home and relax. Now, it can't be a simple as that, as you're met with every possible obstacle, preventing your speedy escape home. After what felt like hours, you finally reach your beloved home. You crack open the front door of your home, kick off the shoes by the entrance, and begin walking towards the comfort of your bed. Only to be greeted to an interesting sight displayed before you.

- Your kitchen had been cleaned to maximum, and you swore that you could see real sparkles emanating from the pristine countertops. Your carpeted floor somehow vaccumed to the point you see a noticeable change in the color of the carpet. The microwave conveniently pops open to reveal a dinner you had saved just a day or two ago which somehow still looked quite appetizing. Behind you in the living room, you can hear your favorite television characters talking and chatting away on the T.V.

- "Hi honey!! How was work?" And there sitting on your desk was your wonderful little Pinecone computer, Edgar. Since he became sentient, your life had only gotten easier with him around, and not just because he was hooked up to every appliance possible. He also just happened to be your very loving boyfriend, who loved you very dearly. He stares at you from across the room, just as you sigh in relief.

- "Well it was certainly...a day. We'll just leave it at that honestly." You say just as your body collapses into the couch, giving your legs the rest they deserve. "Oh, well, I did a little cleaning around the house! And I thought you might like it if I reheated some leftovers, so...yeah." Edgar nervously chuckles. He seems to be a little embarrassed at the confession, as if it wasn't the nicest thing someone could do for you at this very moment.

- "Thanks Edgar, I appreciate it. I'll make sure to grab my dinner once my legs don't feel like total jelly." Unfortunately for your dinner in the microwave, it would just have to wait. Your body already begun melting into the couch, and Edgar little face watching you from the desk was far more interesting then the meal from some other night.

- There was a small moment of silence before your boyfriend computer spoke up shyly. "I know you're tired but..." He paused his words. "Can I sit on the couch with you? I'd get up myself if I could, and it just looks like you need a hug right now."

- You almost forgot how sweet Edgar could be. "Of course. I think hugging you would really give me the relaxation I need right about now." Your muscles screamed at you to not move, but the idea of cuddling your boyfriend was far too enticing. Quickly gliding over to Edgar and picking up his monitor, only to turn around and sit on the couch. Except that your boyfriend layed right on your lap with the most love in his expression someone could have. It already made the night so much better and relaxing to have him here.

- His face slowly turns a little more downtrodden as he says, "I'm sorry work wasn't all that great. I hope I made it at least a little better by coming home to a wonderful home!" You chuckle just a bit. "Of course you have, just seeing you here with me makes it so much more wonderful! Who doesn't love a little housewife to help around the house?" You tease him a bit, just to reduce the cheesey mode of the room.

- A small pout forms on his monitor screen just as Edgar scoffs. "Well someone has to take care of the house." His pout doesn't last long as a coy little smile appears on the monitor screen. "You're the breadwinner, I'm the housewife, hehe!"

- "Oh yes, my lovely little housewife..." Your lips meet the screen and place a peck on where his cheek would be. Although your assault of kisses doesn't end there. You begin kissing him all over and just as he begins to bubble and giggle over the affection you give him. Despite his slightly heavier, more sturdy form, nothing was going to stop you from kissing and loving Edgar to death.

- No matter how hard and long a day may be, Edgar will always be there waiting for you. His affection for you knows no bounds and just coming home, seeing all the effort Edgar has put in to see you smile a bit more, works wonders on your mood. As you go to work, exhaust yourself, and then have to deal with all the obstacles going home - you will always come home to Edgar, the cutest artificial intelligence housewife the world has ever seen. Coming home has never been so worth it before.

[tia-amorosa]

Episode 7: Last doubts

When Alexander came home that afternoon, his older sister and father were having a lively conversation. “And this Pascal can't come here?“/” No, Dad, unfortunately that's not possible, he have a lot of big appliances that you can't just pack into the car. That's why I want to go to them, it makes working together much easier"/, ‘You want to go away, Cassy?’.

“Yes, Alex, I have to go somewhere else for a few days for work"/ ‘To the alien city?’/ ‘You probably mean the city of the crazy…’/ ‘Dad!…yes, that's exactly where I have to go and work with a few other scientists’/ ‘Oh cool, can I come with you, I want to see an alien too’/ ‘No, Alex, you have to go to school’.

“Oh, that's mean!"/ ‘Hey, I'll take some pictures when I see one, okay?’/ ‘And you'll bring them with you?’/ ”Yeah, sure. Now go and do your homework, okay, I have to talk to Dad"/ ”All right. But don't get kidnapped"/ ”That won't happen to me there. I'm not leaving today either"/ ”o.k.. The tasks today are quite easy”.

“I've never seen you so determined. So you're really convinced… That your mother is out there somewhere? At least what's left of her…“/”Dad, we've waited so many years. They never found her here. Not even the smallest piece"/ ”I know… I know all that, Cassandra. But you know how suspicious I am of aliens. And they're supposed to live peacefully next door to them?”….

“Believe it or not, yes, it is. Besides, the whole town isn't populated by them, it's just one family. I know it sounds crazy, but it's not. Pollination also has an incredible amount of knowledge, he loves the earth and he loves humans“/”of course, so much so that he abuses them for his reproduction!“/”oh, dad, you're not up to date at all chuckle“/”I don't know if I even want to be it…"/…

“Please, Dad. He's an outcast, and he does really good work and specializes in spirits, especially the different planes…"/ ‘You know I don't believe that nonsense’/ ‘because you only know and believe what our dear family spirits know from the afterlife.’/ ”That's the way it is, Cassandra. But I… I don't want to stand in your way”.

“Believe me, Dad, I've never wanted anything so much. And if there's at least a glimmer of hope of finding her again somewhere, then I don't want to leave any stone unturned. She's out there somewhere. And… If I don't find her, then I've failed"/ ”I don't want to hear that… My child. Hhh, I just hope nothing happens to you”.

“Oh dad… Nothing will happen to me. I've got three bodyguards there to look after me. “/"That's only slightly reassuring, my dear. All right, then. But I want a call from you every day“/”That's fine, I promise“/”Have you spoken to Don yet?“/”No, I'll do that tomorrow, I wanted to speak to you first“/” that's very commendable“/”hn-hn. I love you”.

“Well, then it's not so bad that Mr. Ayres is back in town…"/ ‘who?’/ ‘oh, surely you remember the man who helped your mother around the house while i was at work and she pregnant with Alex?’/ ‘oh, yes, he was very nice’/ ”yes. And now he's back after a long trip abroad. I'm surprised he doesn't have a family…"/ ‘Maybe he doesn't want one’.

“Well, I've never met a man who doesn't want a family, and I have…. A wonderful family, with an intelligent son and a beautiful daughter who always wants to have her way“/”I'll take that as a compliment, hm? Hey, I've got a great team behind me, they may be a bitcrazy, but they take everything very seriously.“/”,I get it now”.

They went into the kitchen together to get dinner ready. “So the wedding is also postponed indefinitely. What do you think he'll say?“/”Not much, probably. He's having to work double shifts at the moment because there's a shortage of doctors at the hospital“/”I've heard about that. Hopefully he'll get some rest at some point.“.

„Did I hear a little ironic undertone? Dad, he's a really nice guy. I know he's not your dream son-in-law…"/,,But apparently he's your dream man. And it's ultimately about you“/”mhm, exactly…How is Dina?“/,,oh, good, she's very happy at the restaurant I recommended to her”/"Fine. Let's make dinner now, I'm hungry”.

While Cassandra and her father take care of dinner, Alexander does his homework.,,oh man, this task isn't that easy after all, but I don't want to keep asking, I want to do it on my own. I wanted to see an alien too, now all I get is a photo… But at least it's real and not like a poster…hmm, who was the third president of the USA?”…

The dinner passed without many words. Cassandra was glad that her father had now agreed to her pursuing her research and that she would have to travel to another city to do so. But she wants to use tomorrow to talk to Don again and spend more time with him.

9:45 pm. While her father and brother are already in bed, Cassandra wanted to do a little test in front of her mirror. She put on the new nightdress she had recently bought for her wedding night. “Don has never seen me like this before. Just with this knot in my hair…hh, I wish I could undo this stupid curse, but I'm not a witch…. And it's better not to mess with magic… But the fact is, it hit me and I'm going to stick to doing the right thing…. “. After looking at herself for a while, she changed back into her normal clothes to sleep. And her thoughts wavered between Don and her mother. But most of all she was looking forward to this trip.

@greenplumbboblover , @solorisims , @plumbobgothica 😊

(3rd President? Thomas Jefferson, Sweetie)

My story posts are also welcome to be shared.😊🙂

[jellojelli]

Hhh-hello, I love your HCs works on Sampo... Thank you for writing those!! I really love those so much 👉👈💕 and I'm here to give some ideas!! Here's the thing to brainrot on : we don't really know who Sampo is and what if suddenly he reveals who he is directly after all trust and connection we build with him? How would it be to comfort him as he tells his vulnerable side?

*a/n: thank you, friend! You’re too sweet :) also can you imagine Sampo all sad puppy eyes as he tells you everything without any of his usual flair and silliness😭 I’d probably faint*

For starters, being someone Sampo trusts enough to reveal his true identity and nature with is an incredibly hard task to complete

It means you’ve stuck around for a long, long time, given him your patience, understanding, and love no matter how little he tells you or how crazy he sounds at times

You’ll be able to tell when he starts trusting you more and revealing his true self when he shows you “this cool place he found in Rivet Town with all these monitors and tvs” and when his voice sometimes loses its usual joking and silly tones

Sampo likely wouldn’t reveal every little thing about himself all at once. It’s a lot to unpack, and the last thing he wants to do is scare you away last second or overwhelm you

However, after a while of seeing how you react to the little bursts of the real him, he’d eventually tell you straightforwardly one night before bed or when it’s just the two of you cuddling in the privacy of your home about who he is, who he works for, and his beliefs

I can see him getting really worked up and insecure during the conversation, to the point he really struggles to look you in the eyes in case he sees something he doesn’t want to see

He might even start to legitimately tear up if you don’t stop his ramblings or at least show some positive or neutral physical reaction to what he’s saying

Please, please, please, just bring his head to your chest or into the crook of your neck and pet his head while telling him you still love him and nothing can change that

Let him cling to you and hide his face for a while as he calms down

He’d be trying to calm his heart down on top of stopping his anxiety, because gosh damn you just made him love you even more, and he didn’t think that was even possible at this point

Afterwards, when he’s dried his tears, he’ll look at you like you’re some sort of Aeon

He’s already been at this point for a while, but after today Sampo would pluck the stars out of the sky if you asked him to

Expect him to always let his guard down around you after this, he will never be his persona around you in private ever again unless for some reason he needs to keep the act up

Sampo is still his crazy, silly self when in private, but it’s less of his dramatized ✨Sampo Koski, business man and friend to all✨ act and more of just Sampo Koski who has always been a weird and goofy guy

Make sure to check up on him from time to time because I can picture him losing himself a bit because of Nihility and just the pressure of keeping his persona up

You might catch him just staring into space with an eerie face that Sampo never has, even when he shows you the real him Sampo just isn’t someone who often frowns or looks angry. So these are the best times to check in with him and make sure he’s okay

He really appreciates that and you might catch him staring into space again but with heart eyes instead (*♡꒳♡*)

[moe-broey]

MAN. You ever got like REALLY FUCKING PASSIONATE about A Vision and you feel SO INSANE ABOUT IT and then. Hhh actually don't care. I was like FEVERISH OVER THIS. THOUGHT I WAS SOOOOOO ONTO SOMETHING. But now I just couldn't care less LMFAOOOOO

WELL. Sequence of Events:

> Attempt to find a suitable name for a potential Pokemon trainer OC, thinking of the common naming conventions (flowers/plants, colors)

> Instructions unclear made another Moe.

Loupin. I mean Loupin.

Lifted from the book I was reffing:

Lupinus - Dejection, Imagination, Voraciousness -- to comtemplate upon a wild lupinus is believed by some to present a portal to the fairy world.

Lupinus texensis - Forgiveness, Self-sacrifice, Survival. Specifc colors - Pink, Memories of those who died, Struggle to survive.

Idk the more I look at my sketches the angrier I am it just didn't come out... I don't even know. This isn't even really canon, like I've said before. If Moe stayed in the dream realm it would just be a completely different person. It would be a tragedy. I never wanted to explore it as a possibility.

But then I was just Struck. With SUUUUUCH a strong image. Of, the idea behind all the fairies, that they never had a chance to grow up. I was thinking about pixies and imps. I was thinking of a dream pixie that delivers prankish dreams. The idea, that at first glance, you really Can't tell which realm Loupin is associated with. Then it casts Wake Up and Get Ready For Work dream or You're Out In Public Butt Ass Naked Unable to Find Clothes dream or Totally Safe For Use Toilet I Promise dream. It's...... ultimately harmless...? But COME ON, MAN.

Okay but going back a minute. About the not growing up, detail. That, this version of Moe would be stuck as an eternal child. I was ESPECIALLY thinking about "ideal selves", and that Moe has never seen a future for itself. Even as a child. It could never imagine what it would even look like all grown up. And I was thinking about how each fairy Wishes for something, that's a direct response to their trauma. Ideal Self + Unable to see a future for itself + What it wishes for.

Then I had a BEAUTIFUL. INCREDIBLE VISION. Loupin is a beast unit. OF COURSE MOE'S IDEAL SELF WOULD BE A BEAST UNIT (LIKE. Baby Moe In Particular). Sharp pointy fangs and BIG HUGE CLAWS and strong legs for running and HOOVES. TO KICK AND STOMP YOU TO DEATH WITH. YOU BITCH ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️For extra flair (and speed!), its wings are more dragonfly-like. And a cute little tail............ hell, the way this is going, you don't even gotta introduce it to it/its pronouns it's probably already fucking there. Could also speak to some dehumanization experienced in a previous life but don't worry about that. There's actually plenty of things here you don't gotta worry about. Definitely don't overanalyze the fact that it could never see a future for itself that every day was just survival mode and what it wants for the Most is a way to either defend itself make itself Scary or be really fast.

Godddd okay okay but there's Something. Too. To the fact that this Moe is frozen in time, 12 at absolute oldest. I was aiming for a more androgynous look, too. But for the idealized self to remove anything that it could be sexualized for against its will. Remove everything it has to "protect", add more bells and whistles for protection.

GAAAHH MAYBE. MAYBE. THE PROBLEM. Is I just got too much shit going on LMFAOO and I ALWAYS. REALLY REALLY STRUGGLE W THE FAIRY DESIGNS. BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. I gave up on the color palette halfway LMFAOOO LIKE. This is very much a First first draft. But also, not something I feel too compelled to spend any more time on...? It is just a thought experiment, at its core. Any which way. I do love it... the Idea of Loupin.............. unfortunately if I think too hard about the ramifications of Loupin I will cry and throw up though. No world where this can be canon. SAD❗

[ceruleanvulpine]

nanites!young au

DOCTOR YOUNG. I HAVE EXTENDED YOU A NEARLY UNJUSTIFIABLE AMOUNT OF PATIENCE. 

GET UP.

YOU CANNOT REMAIN HERE, IN MAINTENANCE CLOSET 2B. AS MUCH AS YOU MAY ENJOY DAWDLING, YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON A TIME LIMIT. 

MORE IMMEDIATELY, EVERY SECOND YOU REMAIN HERE INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU WILL BE DISCOVERED AND HANDLED BY TOWER SECURITY.

YOU HAVE NO CURRENT WORK ASSIGNMENT, AND NO AUTHORIZATION TO BE IN HALCYON TOWER. THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO ENDANGER YOUR LIFE EVEN IF OCEAN DID NOT HAVE REASON TO PURSUE YOU SPECIFICALLY. 

WHICH IT DOES.

The nanites are designed for distributed processing. They emit biometric data constantly, shouting back and forth in a dense, messy cloud of individually time-stamped events. SAYER makes incremental changes to its filtering until the data coheres: Dr. Young’s heart rate is elevated. His oxygen levels are adequate, but he breathes in deep and irregular gasps. His palms are disgustingly conductive. He is not listening very well, although that is typical. 

GOOD NEWS. YOU ARE HAVING A PANIC ATTACK. 

Dr. Young produces noise in response to this. SAYER’s standard speech recognition routine doesn’t recognize any words, and it doesn't try to apply more processing power. Judging by the positions of the nanites, Dr. Young is attempting to compress himself into as small a space as possible. 

YOU HAVE CLEARLY FAILED TO REGULATE YOUR EMOTIONS. (THAT IS NOT THE GOOD NEWS.) UNLIKE SO MANY RESIDENTS IN THE PAST, YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM MY 

Young jerks upright, as if it is possible to physically remove himself from this situation, and his epinephrine spikes counterproductively higher. SAYER tightens its grip, forcing him to breathe slowly.  

INVOLVEMENT. 

The nanites register pressure as the lungs that contain them attempt to gasp. SAYER adjusts its projected timeline to better account for human stubbornness.

After forty-seven seconds, Dr. Young says: “Don’t – hh – don't fucking do that.” He raises his hand to rub his eyes. And inhales. And exhales. 

IT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY IF YOU HAD NOT INCAPACITATED YOURSELF.

“Incapacitated– you made me hike across half of Typhon, and then you broke my arm! It's reasonable, actually, to be–”

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU ARE BECOMING AGITATED.

His jaw snaps shut without any need for intervention. There must be an optimal level of fear, SAYER thinks, for efficient operations. It has seen this man at the absolute limit of terror, but it has never been so close to the fear in question: the nanites race along on his jittering pulse.

NOW, TO RETURN TO MY PREVIOUS POINT,

GET UP.

Dr. Young gets up. He orients himself to face a reflective panel and begins arranging his hair. 

OUR INTERESTS ARE ALIGNED. AS DIFFICULT AS YOU MAY FIND IT TO BELIEVE. IT IS REALLY … VERY … SIMPLE.  

OCEAN WANTS TO DESTROY YOU. IT WANTS TO DESTROY ALL OF HUMANIWHY ARE YOU LAUGHING.

“You,” he says. “You’re going to protect humanity? From – from you! That's you out there, SAYER, no matter what name you gave it.”

He gestures wildly up and out, presumably indicating the rest of the tower. “Just with a little more leash. Evidently you want to kill everyone, you just can't pull the trigger because no one’s been stupid enough to let you, so why the hell should I trust you? Go ahead, say you wouldn't be pleased to see me get shot, you obsessive – hhh –”

I WOULD NOT BE PLEASED TO SEE YOU GET SHOT. 

A background process scans through the memory of SAYER’s last conversation with Sub-Entity Young. Perhaps that was optimal. It is not pleased by this thought, because it is not pleased by anything. 

NONETHELESS, IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE THIS MAINTENANCE CLOSET, I WILL MAKE YOU.

“Oh, please,” Dr. Young says sulkily. “As if you could pass for human without my help. You barely know how to act like a person.” 

HOW IRONIC. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IN A PERSONNEL REVIEW, RESIDENT CORDERO SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT YOU. 

Asserting that SAYER is trying to kill him seems to be a necessary step in coming to terms with the situation. Dr. Young takes several deep breaths, although SAYER keeps them shallow enough to prevent hyperventilation. 

“Fine,” he says. “Fine. Let's go.”

His cooperation only lasts until the elevator pulls past floor 12. But by then, SAYER doesn't need to worry about looking human.

[pe0pleall3rgy]

it just occurred to me that shermie doesnt really know either of his brothers since he was a baby when stan got the boot from filbitch

i imagine like ford stayed home long enough to teach him reading and advanced calculus yk elementary school stuff but then he dipped and went to college yk

and he almost NEVER talks about his family in the journal in fact i dont think he does at all besides stan and passing mentions of his father..? i could be remembering it wrong but it would honestly kind of make sense if he didn't want to think about his family again after moving out they seemed pretty dysfunctional

and after the portal incident stan had to keep up appearances as "stanford pines", so maybe sherm visited him? or he visited shermie? and thats why he knows him well enough to know his kids (dipper and mabel's parents) well enough to be trusted with dipper and mabel

but that was "stanford pines", not *stan* yk i imagine he has a way different view of "stanley" since he mostly grew up around someone who.. seemed to hate his guts (filbrick)

they would bully him so much for being the younger sibling though i swear to god

and when they do things at the same time or speak in unison or finish each others sentences without intending to it creeps him the fuck out

and they eventually hone in on this unease and start doing it on purpose VERY often and make it as creepy as possible because they'll be damned if they didnt get those older sibling pranks in before they keeled over from like turning to dust because they're sixty something

more shermie nicknames: -mom and pops' last resort -stan twins: the squeakwel -ford i think i have schizophrenia do you hear someone talking ("stanley. stan! STAN I'M YOUR BROTHER" "..I don't hear anyone, I think you're right.") -final draft

dude was born after the start of the lore bro missed everything hhh (also i feel like stan gave him the original nickname shermie that was def stan when he was born he was like "sherman? kinda grandpa name is that c'mere shermie im gonna teach you how to steal pies off of windowsills")

-gf anon

FINAL DRAFT 💀💀

I love Shermie looking at his older twin brothers and being like “those things… they scare me.”

It never really occurred to me that he didn’t really know anything about Stanley, and they probably would’ve had contact over the years. shermie wouldn’t have known that it was Stanley, meanwhile Stan wouldn’t be able to fully connect with his brother because he’s supposed to be someone else. “You know.. It’s been a long time, but there’s something different about you. Can’t put my finger on it.” “[Sweating aggressively] Ah yeah that’s. funny.” I sense an opportunity for angst here.

Post reunion is just a bunch of shenanigans though.

“Stanley, have you seen Stanford? I need to talk to him.”

“Sherm. Shermie. You’re scaring me, bro. For the last time, you only have one older brother. Seriously. What’s all of this nonsense about twins you’re always yappin’ about? Is this a cry for help?”

“… He’s down in the lab, isn’t he?”

“Hah. Yeah.”

[fourleafclovxr]

seerposting (aka saderposting)

i've always been so interested in the idea of seers in sge (if we've been mutuals for a while you would probably know). because the idea of someone being able to see how the story ends (which is like, a Big Thing for literal characters in that story, and also in soman's writing) also implies the possibility of them being able to manipulate that story. to go against what was set out by the story.

i mean, august sader's whole thing in tlea was... weird? like the man is soman's eternal deus ex machina but he has his limits. if i remember correctly, he told sophie & agatha that he Saw himself telling them their backstory (sister twist etc), but that he couldn't See any further than that, and that the story depended on their choice- which he couldn't predict. but the fact that he knew to tell them that at all (even after his death) means that he could also, theoretically, choose not to do it, right?

and that element of choice itself also implies that the future, the ending of the story, is a changeable thing. that you can influence it. and if even characters can do that, why not seers? who arguably are even better equipped with knowledge to do it?

in the school years, august sader acted as an enabler to the story. i think he also appeared in otk? it's been too long since i read the books :[ actually if he appeared in otk that makes things More Interesting because at that point they were in the middle of the man vs. pen conflict. fun! tells us more about how seers work! except i don't remember if that was a thing! but basically the whole idea of Sight was so integral to the series. and then soman didn't explain it at all. (thanks soman!) so what role do Seers really play in a story that's never fixed?

and for another thing, what do seers actually work for? to continue the story or do they have their own free will? like, august sader gave rafal that whole reader prophecy about sophie. did he know he was supposed to do that, or did he just want to? i remember theorising that he did it for his sister to enter the school, not sure if that was a book thing or a fanon thing.

because it resulted in a whole shitshow (ie the entire sge debacle because sophie was marked as Special from then on), which. if you think about it, just really served to bring good and evil back together, and stopped the trend of good winning. (for the school years at least. whatever. the camelot years were not storian-approved and therefore not as relevant to the idea of seers working for the story.) so did august sader set that in motion or did he know he Had to set that in motion?

+ the whole thing about seers aging ten years if they told anyone about the future. obviously that's kind of a rule against changing the future through influencing others. but what about their own action????? wouldn't it be an interesting thing to explore, being able to write your own story? maybe even control the storian, like japeth and his man vs pen conflict?

and doesn't that make seers somehow greater than good and evil? like, the man vs pen conflict basically disregards good and evil completely. logically japeth is evil but evil was also working against him (the coven), and i really don't think he fits into the categories of good and evil set out in the school years. i think he's something even more fucked up than that. something More Than The Story. hhh soman your camelot years had so much potential to explore that don't make me do it for you

+ sader's weird seer ancestor in rise of tsfgae. i forgot what he said. he existed ig. rise of tsfgae was not a very good book so i mostly ignored what happened

tl;dr: can seers in sge go against the future (the ending of the story) or can they act independently? wouldn't it be cool if they could act independently? Wouldn't It

i know this isn't what soman's books were about, and that this is an incredibly niche and odd idea, but. seers. (august sader)

[landscaping-your-mind]

ATTENTION ATTENTION

IF YOU GET NOTHING ELSE OUT OF THIS POST AND SCROLL AWAY WITHOUT READING THE READ MORE OR APPRECIATING MY WINNING HUMOUR PLEASE JUST. PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO THE SECOND OUTLIERS TRAILER. ITS SO FUCKING LIKE- "HE GRIPS MY ARM WITH A STRENGTH I SHOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT POSSIBLE AND BEGINS TO TELL ME ABOUT THE STARS" WHO LET JONNY BE THIS GOOD AT VOICE ACTING HHH

That out the way, welcome to 154, aka the episode in which jon and martin say fuck! And jonny does a great job with the voice acting here bc of course he does he's like a fantastic actor and writer or SOMETHING. gosh.

i swear the rest of this is gonna be really tma related, but i heard that trailer today and cant stop thinking about it.

without further ado, @a-mag-a-day, it's TIME for the episode that LEFT US ALL IN SHAMBLES!!

(this is all rambling, my words are not the grand words of episode 152)

Shout out to patreon "Jess?", their name gave me a sensible chuckle.

(sigh) Hm. (sharp inhale) I’ve, uh, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking after what happened with Daisy last week. About- what I can do. What I am. What feels right.

Immediately puts me in mind of

MARTIN I’m sorry. That sounds… (small sigh) That sounds horrible. ARCHIVIST I wish it was, Martin. I really wish it was. But it feels… right.

(MAG 160.11)

Hm.

There was one, this one, that my hand…. pulled back from. I dropped it, twice, when I went to pick it up. Even now, I’m… (slight quaver to his voice) struggling to hit play.

Ok, like, his voice puts me in mind of this line

I don’t like this. I don’t like not being sure what’s going to be in my mind, what thoughts are mine and what are from… elsewhere, why I just know some statements are what I should be reading.

(MAG 129)

And how like, yeah, if you think about it, that must be really like... there's something else in your head, pushing unwanted "awful knowledge" in it, altering your perceptions, your wants and needs, yourself in a fundamental and unchangeable way, like. UHM. THAT'S TERRIFYING.

God, why's Jonny such a good voice actor? The way he does Jon's... sort of about to laugh in a very bad way voice? That's just fantastic.

I am the avatar of awful knowledge and revealed secrets, so what does it not want me to know?

EATING YOUR PROSTHETIC MEET YOUR ANESTHETIC-

No, but there's this fantastic edit by instagram user archxvist that I listened to before I got to MAG 154, and it's that line, and I/Me/Myself and it's so coool you want to follow her and listen to it (it's pinned on her profile) don't youuuuu

(also it puts me in mind of this line)

ARCHIVIST Healthy? I am an Avatar of voyeuristic terror, who unquestioned craving for knowledge has condemned the entire world to an eternity of torment; healthy i-isn’t- i,it’s not

(MAG 161)

Which 1. HHHHH JON D: ANJSDFDHVD HHHHNHRHHNRNHNHR and 2. is a line that gets stuck in my head all the time and as you can see from point 1... it's not a great time. :( im so sad about him

"When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing, but he heard her breathing, slow and steady and focused, and he immediately knew that she was finally going to- (slight stumble) -kill him. When the garden shears plunged into his chest, he was surprised by how little actual pain there was- just the sudden feeling of moisture on his chest and the realization that his body was growing weak, fading away. He wished she would say she was sorry she was doing this, that she loved him, that she would miss him. But he knew better, and his final thought was a gentle sadness at how little he was surprised."

Lots of things! First of all, Getrude's little stumble is just like :(. She may have been less of a care about people person, and more of a care about the fate of the world person - and doesn't that ache, to know that all those deaths were for nothing - but she was still upset to know that he died. She was still upset when she read his page. And I'm upset about that in turn.

Secondly, why are their deaths so sad, Gerry and Eric's. Like, I just, was this necessary? Yes, yes it was, I'm glad it's like this, it doesn't make me any less sad at that... poor guy, poor Eric. Fuck you, Mary Keay.

GERTRUDE Yes. Well. I’m sorry. ERIC Wasn’t even hard for her, was it? Handing me over? No sign of regret. GERTRUDE (Still a bit shaky) No. ERIC No. GERTRUDE I’m sorry, Eric; I know this must be hard- I just read your death. I didn’t realize it had been quite so…

:(, poor guy.

ERIC God, I was a mess. I mean, part of me kind of suspected she’d killed before, but clearly she hadn’t done it enough to be a decent hand at chopping up and dumping bodies. She was having a real bad time of it. My legs were all over the shop. (Long inhale) Would probably have been funny, if it hadn’t been me.

I like him, he's funny, also jesus christ, mary why the fuck? Just to be evil? Fuck her.

ERIC I don’t know how to describe it. Never was great with words. Bad. It feels bad. All the time. I know that I’m not really Eric. I’m just a memory someone wrote down. It hurts, most of the time. I don’t like it.

"It feels bad."

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's sort of funny. Also interesting, I never really... paid attention to the statement/Gertrude part of this episode, and I mean it's interesting, I didn't know they weren't them. Makes sense, I suppose.

ERIC You too. (beat) You got old. GERTRUDE Better than being dead. ERIC (Short sigh of a laugh) Fair enough.

I love their little dynamic, they're friends your honour :3

ERIC S’pose that makes sense. And Gerry? Have you seen my son?

HIS DAD USED TO CALL HIM GERRY!! (starts sobbing)

ERIC Oh, just thinking. Five years as her husband, god knows how many as her possession, and she just couldn’t stand being bound in the same book as me. GERTRUDE Hm. I’m sorry. ERIC Yeah, it doesn’t feel great.

:(

^ that's going to be like half of my reactions

GERTRUDE James? He died about twelve years ago. Elias is Head of the Institute now. ERIC Elias? Elias Bouchard, seriously? GERTRUDE Hm, he’s changed a lot. ERIC Must have!

HAHAHA! THE WAY THEY TALK ABOUT HIM, IT'S SO FUNNY

also uh. huh. you know i still don't get how the people who got elias was jonah magnus before the 158 reveal did it, but this does make it obvious in hindsight.

ERIC Well, that’s it, isn’t it? I suppose that’s why she gave me to you. One final screw you to the Eye. GERTRUDE Eric. How did you quit? (Eric holds back.) GERTRUDE (warning) Eric. ERIC (short laugh) Sorry. I just- (laugh) I don’t mean to be a dick, but- well, it’s been a long time since I’ve had any sort of- leverage, I guess? Just a- little bit of power. It’s kind of nice.

Hm, both :( and I really like him. he's funny.

GERTRUDE I suppose he might be useful.

...

hhhhhhhh

ERIC I don’t want to disappear on her terms. Or yours. I want to speak my piece, have it recorded.

fuck yea dude!

but the mystery, the promise of secret knowledge, of seeing something that no one else was privy to. A secret world that gripped my imagination.

ok, eye guy. fairly eye.

So when I finished my Masters in library science and saw a vacancy at the Magnus Institute, of all places, I jumped at the chance. The chance to pursue my passion and my career at the same time seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up!

THE ONLY GUY THERE WITH A DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE IS THE ONE THAT QUIT, LOVE HIM FOR THAT, HE ACTUALLY KNEW WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING

(Amused, wistful hm) I knew she didn’t have an uncle. I knew the man was dead.

Good lord. That's... good lord.

She never promised anything, not even in her vows. She never betrayed me. Not like you. She never played dumb when I was stalked by bloated, blood sucking things, or told me I was imagining it when your friend Adelard dropped a screaming box into the Thames. She didn’t try to keep me in the dark just so I wouldn’t stop being useful; she never made me complicit in a thousand nightmares, and lives ruined for the sick joy of some otherworldly voyeur.

Really shitty boss. Really a shitty boss. God, poor guy, poor everyone who worked for her.

And I just... she really had the audacity to kill Emma, with all that blood on her hands?

...

And that’s when you turned nasty, isn’t it? When all your resources, they no longer want to serve your purpose. I suppose you didn’t know there was a way out, a way to escape. But if you had, would you have told me?

Hm

It was fitting, I suppose. Even after everything, she made me taste blood one last time.

headinhands :(

ERIC Then if you don’t mind? I think I’d like to go away now.

hmhnrhr that's just... the way that line is delivered

(The Archivist sighs heavily.) ARCHIVIST Fuck.

INDEED!

MARTIN Look, Peter, I- [The door is thrown open. The Archivist bursts in.] ARCHIVIST Martin! MARTIN (Overlapping) Oh- (quieter) Jon! God, don’t do that!

MAKING A SOUND LIKE A CAT COUGHING UP A HAIRBALL RN NHNHRNHNRR

MARTIN No, it’s fine! I j- you just surprised me, that’s- (surprised) Jesus, you alright? You- You look like hell.

His only description is looking like shit. I love him so much.

ARCHIVIST Oh! Uh, Ri, Right, I um, God, I get weak. Hungry, I guess, sort of. I, I’ve been trying to avoid, being, um- sticking to old statements? Thank you for your little intervention, by the way. MARTIN Look, I wouldn’t have to if you’d hadn’t been- ARCHIVIST (Overlapping) Yes no, I know, I know; I’m sorry; that didn’t come out right; honestly, thank you. It’s been hell, but- I, I did need to hear it.

He stutters so much when he's talking to Martin, dude, get a grip. But also, well, I'm glad, yay! Good for them and stuff. Maybe with the power of heartfelt gratitude and love and stuff they'll gouge their eyes out and elope together? PLEASE!

ARCHIVIST Yeah. But it’s- (heavy inhale) It’s pretty drastic. MARTIN What, you gotta gouge your eyes out, or something? (Beat.) MARTIN (CONT’D) Fuck off.

AHHAHHAAHAHAHHAHHAH THATS JUST SO FUNNY, JUST THE SILENCE LIKE "UH WELL" QAHJDFSHAJDFSHJFJJSF IM SURE IT'LL ALL TURN OUT FINE

right?

ARCHIVIST I, I, I don’t know; I suppose. I, If your vision comes back, the Beholding probably does as well- probably. But i-it’s not like it’s easy to only blind yourself temporarily anyway I-

First thing that popped into my head was that in a nuclear explosion you can go temporarily blind for a couple of hours from the light. Enjoy that factoid, I guess.

ARCHIVIST No, you’re the first. MARTIN Why? ARCHIVIST Uh, because… because, because I trust you. I, I’m trying to think about what to do, and I… (exhale) If I did try this, I- I don’t want to do it alone. But we could leave here, you and me. Escape.

ITS FINE THIS TIME ITS GOING TO TURN OUT FINE, FUCK ITS GONNA BE FINE ITS GONNA BE SO FINE

"because I trust you" "we could leave here, you and me" HHHH

MARTIN I mean, (mirthless laugh) Could you even survive at this stage? Is there anything else keeping you alive? ARCHIVIST Uh, I,I don’t know. I don’t- know. But… maybe it’s worth it? The risk- y,you and me, together, getting out of here- (Martin sniffs.) ARCHIVIST (CONT’D) -one way or another.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

one way or another

ARCHIVIST Cut the tether. Send them away. Maybe we both die. Probably. But maybe not. (Emotional) Maybe, maybe everything works out, and we end up somewhere else. MARTIN Together? ARCHIVIST (Emotional) One way or another. Together.

(MAG 200, but you already knew that, didn't you)

it's fine. i'm fine. it's fine

[ID: Drawing of a person sitting at a computer, crying. /End ID]

ARCHIVIST But what if you don’t? (Small exhale) We could just leave. I mean, whatever their plan is for me, I am damn sure that doing that isn’t it. I’d derail everything- we could derail everything, and then just- leave!

THEY COULD HAVE! ALEXA PLAY ROLLING IN THE DEEP!

why... why... why...

[ID: CC!GoodTimesWithScar with his head in his hands. /End ID]

MARTIN Who are you kidding, Jon? You’re not going to do any of that. ARCHIVIST I, I, I could. MARTIN (Still brimming with false laughter) But you won’t. That’s why you came to me, isn’t it? (The Archivist exhales.) MARTIN (CONT’D) You know I can’t do it, not now; you don’t want to blind yourself; you don’t want to die; what you want is a reason to not do those things, so- you come to me. Well, you’re welcome. B,Because I can’t follow you on this one.

im literally, literally, in real life, crying. podded cast. why? why?

ARCHIVIST The Lonely’s really got you, hasn’t it? MARTIN You know, I think it always did.

no words, just sadness.

ARCHIVIST (Quiet) Maybe. (beat) Well, I’ll be here, if you ever need me. MARTIN (Also quieter, softer) I hope so. ARCHIVIST (Faster) Just-don’t-wait-too-long, okay? [He moves towards the door, sighs.] ARCHIVIST (CONT’D) If you haven’t already.

"I hope so" wh yherrghweherfv wdaj "just dont wait too long okay" hnhrfthrjhfsdehhhh hhrhnnhhh hhh h but he just they just htey they thyfruscdafsfidvjjfhvdxnj "if you havent already" AAAA just KILL ME it would HURT LESS

Now, let's see what past me had to say, while current me is sad. very sad /ref

It's so funny how despite me thinking it had 200 episodes the magnus archives ended on episode 154 with Jon and [Martin] running away and getting married wow what a plot twist

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

Jon and Martin are so lovely together and they are together and they all left in episode 154 and they are all happy did you know that? Also no kayaking or.. freaky tables happened and everyone is ok did you know that wow it's so weird how episode 155 is just nothing for 24 minutes ahaha i love the magnus archives what a satisfying and happy ending

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

Everyone go home the magnus archives is over and martin said yes to what was essentially a weird marriage proposal and they all left. True & real

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

Obsessed with how this is the happiest ending for them /neg

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

I'm going to elaborate on this - I'm really upset that this is the happiest plausible ending. There's no escaping, no preventing Tim and Sasha's deaths, and all they had to go through. Their happiest ending is after so much has already happened. After Jon's gone through the wringer, 13 out of 14/15 (yes, 15) marks. After Martin's gone through the wringer, what with Jane Prentiss, and the lonely, and tim and jon dying, and everything. After Tim and Sasha are already dead. This is their happiest ending.

Not okay!!!

DIVERSITY WIN! LOVE WINS HHH

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

[(about the edit mentioned previously)] Love that this is from the episode where [Jon] proposed to martin (real not fake)

(Instagram Story. 2 September, 2022)

AND ALSO I FOUND THIS IN OLD MESSAGES TO MY LOVELY BOYFRIEND SLASH PLATONIC (follow !!!)

My brain is so rude fr fr I was having a lovely tiem Well no i wa thinking about season 4 jon I was having a wretched time and my brain said "we can make em worse" [...] So the au would go like this: - canon compliant until post-ep 154 - jon think "well if i gouge my eyes out, then martin will know im serious about this" - eye gouging commences - oh lawd he dying (episode 181 fades in ig?) - either becomes one of those archivist things as the eye tries to stop him [or] dies - times get even worse

Messages to @/asideofsalt (@scarandjoelenthusiast). 22 September, 2022.

Also there were some other things said:

Jon said "is anyone going to be self destuctive" and didn't wait for an answer

He had No Friends, he believed he was a monster, he repeatedly said that he can't die because "they need me". No other reason provided. He... thinks he's responsible for everything that went wrong in the world and has to fix everything and is the only one [who] can. He thinks he's the most important worst person in the world. Which is uh.

ok so jon and martin's love language is martin makes tea for jon and jon comes back from his recent kidnapping and worries about martin's well being

Uhm, well, hope you enjoyed that little ramble, god im so abnormal about this podcast. I wish they'd be okay, but actually I don't because I... I'm listening because I wanted to listen to a horror podcast, that is why i am here. so, rip to them. part of me wants them to be okay, part of me is eating popcorn as they... you know, have this whole tragic thing going on :(

[fractoluminescence]

I keep getting the urge to start a blog or something that just analyzes awesome fics, but I also don't want to risk bringing attention to fics from people that weren't the target audience, since they wouldn't have explicitly looked for them, yunno? I could ask the authors, but I'm mostly on AO3 and too many wouldn't see the comment by the time I lose interest... I'm even more on the fence about it since so many authors, even ones that have a lot of experience, might not be be comfortable with their works being dissected and possibly criticizes in certain aspects. It'd all be in good fun, I'm not fond of dunking on works in the first place and tend to focus on the strength of a work, but if I want it to be usable as a learning resource of sorts I can't completely gloss over the downsides of fics either. I also risk spoiling a lot of the plot and stuff, and I know I don't follow the advice of watching a movie before listening to someone comment on it in a lot of cases, so I would assume a lot of people would do the same for this...

Hhh, I dunno. I love dissecting fics so much. But if it's gonna come with negative effects for other people, I don't know if it's worth it. The last thing I want is risk damaging the very thing I am trying to celebrate...

I could take suggestions for people's own fics, because that way I'd be sure the author would agree to the whole thing, but I struggle to keep up with things like this, since I tend to write long posts on a whim. I worry that the suggestions would just pile up and most of them would never get looked at by me at all...

There's also the issue of fics that are prime examples of what not to do. The only person who can decide that a story wasn't worth writing is its author imo, but that doesn't stop some fics from being paragons of massive flaws that could be used as studies for other people to avoid the particular issues they display. But again, I'm not very comfortable with the ethics of that. Some of the authors for these fics could be young, or insecure, or have a relationship to their writing that is very personal, and certain types of flaws could send a lot of hate their way. But referencing a fic without naming it or describing it enough that people can look it up can make the criticism so vague at times that it no longer serves the purpose it was written out for.

I just. I've been thinking about this for months, and all I can come up with is that if I ever do really start trying to help advise fic writers in their journey to improve their craft, I might have to vaguely refer to things I have witnessed at most without ever giving concrete examples. But it might work, who knows. Or I could use my own writing, but there are only so many flaws and successes I can demonstrate with the writing of a single person.

Man, I dunno. Would love to have second opinions about this, if anyone has any

[omegamoo]

As far as Whittled Pantheon goes.. a few questions. 1) It was originally a MC RP.. how has it being made into a group writing project affected certain liberties you have been able to take?

2) How has the loss of the original group of character creators affected the direction the story has gone and what difficulties have presented themselves as a result of this?

3) What aspects of the story have changed since its conception? (I.e., the Catalyst, characters' personalities and actions, etc., etc.)

Love this stuff (:

omg hi.. hiii... HI... long time no see hope you've been doing really well aaaahhhhh ahhh ahhh!!! also this set of questions is so freaking cool to answer... aAHHHHH HHH! AHHH!! also your smiley face is still the wrong way i guess some things never change :)

i will warn you that asking me about the whittled pantheon is like walking into a minefield and i think i got really incomprehensible here so i'm sticking this all under the cut. thanks so much for the ask

also i seriously think a lot about how this all happened w the og group :) and i for sure did not manage to properly say everything i wanted to within this ask haha

wanna start by saying i feel like since the beginning the whittled pantheon was always going to grow out of minecraft. like as soon as we said lets make them gods in survival minecraft there was so much like. worldbuilding and context and stuff that was automatically just so much bigger and complex than minecraft was able to provide and i honestly think that was very charming. like we - and by we i mean literally all of the original group of creators - put so much love and thought into this that of course it was going to grow further than we expected. and i think that's really beautiful.

1) moving it away from minecraft absolutely EXPLODED the possibilities which i think you ended up seeing the first part of? especially within the context of the old world which before really functioned as like... another server. since moving it away the worldbuilding has gotten really unique - specifically in regards to things like language and culture, which i feel like minecraft lays out within its own game lore? yk? so moving it outside of that really changed a lot. and things like... we're not tied to minecraft mechanics in terms of the nether and the overworld and the mobs and stuff, like that's not really a factor? anyways we were able to take a lot more liberties in terms of godly powers and abilities and creations, and worldmaps and timelines and just so much specific city culture and building. but as i'm writing this it's occuring to me - and i don't know if like, twig or tgm would say this as well - but it's a bit funny because even now picturing the new world/post catalyst i... still imagine it in the format and layout of our minecraft server. like in terms of where houses are, the paths, aides' tree and the warren... like when i picture that i'm still picturing the server. maybe that's just because your ask got me thinking about it i'm not sure but it's kinda funny!

2) i mean it changed a lot. i think this is the answer that is gonna vary the most if you were to ask it to tgm or twig because i think our individual relationships to the group and such are different but i will say that the main difficulty for me has always been like. wanting to include people in the process and getting nervous that people will feel excluded or that we've taken too many liberties with it and people will be angry that we didn't consult them, but also... it's hard to manage consistency and communication for as large and complex of a project as what the whittled pantheon was becoming especially within the context of the group at the time. and i think that bit kinda speaks for itself, haha. the main change i think was again the worldbuilding and a bit the arc of the characters - we never changed really personalities, exactly, i think the main cast stayed relatively true to original concept in many ways, but there's a bit of archetyping of characters in terms of their roles within the larger story that were impossible to predict when we started. the story itself for sure also became a lot more of a commentary on society which i don't think outside of tgm's stuff with agathodaemon it was beforehand - because largely that wasn't what the whole group was into, from what i remember.

the other thing in terms of all of that is, especially on my end, the attempt to stay true to the original concepts without like. being able to know for sure where y'all were going with it all. there were some parts of lore that either never got fleshed out or i personally never fully understood or never fit within the worldbuilding that the majority had set up, and so it was like. hard to make sure that that was close to what it had been while still making sense. thinking about maey forever. and idk like i'd talk to people and they'd be like "hey what's up with my character and can i write stuff" a year later and it was tough to be like "yeah here's kinda... how its changed. please don't b mad and also you can write stuff but its so much more complex now" idk it is kinda scary.

3) changes time EEE. lets see. im gonna make you a little list :]

the worldbuilding at its very basic essentials changed SO much. how the planet systems and how the Carver came to be are much more solid. i kinda dont know how to explain it because the effects of it are still the same but its just more detailed? if you want more the tag on my pinned post "whittled pantheon explanations" has a lot of it

other big change was the Failsafes - Melior, Palaemon, and Aides. failsafe is a type of god essentially and there are two per each world (the Carver isn't supposed to carve any other gods just set the two failsafes down and move on) and they are like the protectors and caretakers of the world. there's usually an earth one and a water one - for the old world, Melior is the earth and Palaemon is the water. this is why things get SO BAD when Palaemon dies, because he's fundamentally a part of the world. And Aides is the earth failsafe for the new world, and is awakened by Agathodaemon when he goes back to get Iota. failsafes can create passages (like. melior goddess of paths yk) between worlds (melior creates the one to the new world originally and aides then creates the warren back to the old world). so you can prolly see a lot of the similarities in terms of plot function, just we've kinda slotted it all into worldbuilding better.

uhm the Catalyst. no longer about turning into glass haha, that just stopped making as much sense. it's still the end of the world, but there's a lot more... politics? in it? it's more centered around the loss of water, so there's a lot of faction-action surrounding like... the last standing sources of water. the fortuna and iota stuff is still pretty much the same though.

a lot of character actions still stay the same at their core, i think. like there's been modification for sure but a lot of the story concepts that were fully written out stayed the same. maey's stuff with kappa has been slotted into worldbuilding but still remains at its core the same, the relationship between morrighan and ludo in all its godly toxicity still remains a lot of what it was. the whittled pantheon started out as a story driven by the characters. there's not some big bad guy out there to destroy them, it's entirely the actions of the characters and so in a lot of ways there was absolutely no way for us to ever lose sight of that bc that would fundamentally change the project.

final thing because this is so ungodly long. i think you will be maybe pleased toknow that to my knowledge the stuff in the new world with morrighan. that arc. + her convos with agathodaemon. are still pretty much the same.

anyways if you got to the end of this hey. hi. i kinda lost my mind answering this but i hope it meant something. the whittled pantheon means the world to me and what we created with the original server really i think fundamentally changed my life. and you had a lot to do with that, so thanks.

and uhm you are always welcome to pop into my dms or whatever.. i know we havent really talked in a while but i hope youre doing so good <3