#I intentionally did not even consider what the plot would be because I don’t like setting hard expectations

[nerdyenby]

The Marvels is so good what the fuck (spoiler free)

Every character was likable and believable. The interactions were incredible. It was such a thoroughly fun watch but it’s so emotional and it feels so real and genuine. The rawness is unparalleled. The fight scenes are some of the most captivating and rewatchable I’ve ever seen. The villain was great (a perfect mix of being absurdly unhinged and actually reasonable). The music is so good. I had decently high (soft) expectations and they were blown out of the water, I highly recommend giving it a watch :))

[amphitriteswife]

Hiii there~ can I ask for a favor to write with healing plot for Indra from Snv plsss? I find him quite sarcasm, carefree but solitude. Reader will be the one to enter to his life and accompany with him and lift up his spirit. thank youuuuu

Ofcourse! I hope i did this right! Sorry if it’s not how you want it to be! Sorry if it’s short, feel free to ask more things/ scenarios if you like!

Into the light

⚡️Indra x fem! Reader ⚡️

I based this a lil off the mythology since i’m hindu myself! Sorry if it’s bad. It’s my first request😭

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Indra sometimes thinks about why he fell for you. It’s something he can’t quite bring into question. He is a sarcastic, arrogant, carefree but lonely god. Often left alone and only caring about fighting. His life had a normal routine. He always smoked, fought, sought trouble, then sleeps. It was something he did daily for centuries. Something he considered the norm. He didn’t hate it, nor disliked it. Feelings and emotions weren’t his thing, this caused him to be uninterested in most things in his life even more. Indra isn’t one to love, nor to have a crush on someone. One can say that his title as the god of the storms and thunder fits him well for his personality. A gloomy yet nonchalant god. It became a running joke between Rudra and Shiva to refer to him as a clouded man. Not that Indra minded anyway.

Yet, one faithfull day he watched over the earth from the heavens, the rain pouring over the land, the shadows of the clouds casting a rather gloomy and grey like atmosphere on the lands. It made him smirk to see how right most gods and deities were about him, the rain and thunder, the grey clouds and gloomy atmosphere really fit him as they say. It was almost laughable. One of his hand was brought to his mouth, between his middle and index finger was a cigarette, his mind was amused by himself and his thought, yet his eyes held the same uninterested look. The slight damp, yet still lit cigarette hanging on for it’s life while a small puff of smoke escaped his lips. The smell of tobacco filling his nostrils. Smoking was something that he did often, yet it was something that brought him a slight bit of joy.

Indra’s eyes were still dull, lazily watching over the humans who disliked the rain, complaining about the weather and their mood worsening what made him chuckle. Yet he his eyes soon caught the attention of one of the mortals who seemed happy in the rain. This confused him, a mortal? Happy? Because of rain and thunder he causes intentionally? It made him raise an eyebrow. It almost baffled the god. No logical reason came to his mind as to why one would like this gloomy, annoying and depressing atmosphere and weather. Yet, because it was so illogical it also intrigued him more. Are you doing this to catch his attention? Well, you certainly succeeded. He finds you interesting, but don’t let that fool you. Indra is only interested, not placing trust in you.

That faithful day where he suddenly showed interest in you changed everything in his life. Many other gods had things to say and found it suspicious that Indra often spent his time on earth, a place he almost never went to and caused bad weather on for his own fun. No one knew much about the god himself anyway, only his routine and basic knowledge. What was only that he smoked a lot. Indra himself on the other hand hadn’t noticed how much you changed his life. He felt more..alive. He couldn’t even described what he felt for you. Every time he saw you the thunder and rain stop, the shadows of the clouds moved away, the thick gloomy atmosphere casted upon himself and the land suddenly disappeared, and a ray of sunshine shined brightly. A sunshine that symbolized the new light in his life. You. His dear mortal lover who made him realize that the thunder and rain needed the sun. You meant so much to him, to a deep level even the sea bottom was more accessible to reach. Your bright and warm smile, the beaming radiation of happiness that you brought along with you no matter where you went, your humble yet patient personality that helped everyone and everything. You truly were the opposite of him.

Often he finds himself guilty, thinking about the times he didn’t trust you or accused you of using him. Yet you always put up with it. You could handle someone like him. That’s what he found so admirable about you, even trough his flaws, his nonchalant attitude, his sarcasm, his arrogance… you loved him for who he was. And that alone made him fall for you even harder. One can say anything that they like about him, but you, you were a different situation. Ue wouldn’t let anyone talk about you that way, even if it meant he had to fight his fellow gods.

it is said among the gods itself, love usually comes when it’s unexpected. The polar opposites of each other is what attracted one another.

Thank you for your request! @monohopeworld 🥹🩵

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

since zionists are coming to whine in my dms that I’m so mean for supporting Palestinians who “had it coming for being terrorists” (yeah, zionists are definitely not racist, huh?), let me make this very simple.

Let’s say your great-great grandparents built a home on some land. They built it by hand, and your family has lived there for generations, fixing it up as old things needed renovations or just stopped working or they just wanted to make it compatible with new things like electricity when that came out. You grew up there, your parents grew up there, and your grandparents grew up there, and now you have children of your own starting to grow up there too.

You loved that house, it’s the only home you’ve ever known and years of loving care had made it beautiful, it even has a garden that your great grandparents planted olive trees in, and of course by now it’s a flourishing orchard. Your family are the only ones who had ever lived in that house, but your family had become quite diverse throughout the decades as children grew up and married, some new family members looked and lived quite like you, and some looked and lived differently, and you thought little of it because, why would you?

Then one day a stranger comes by with a feed to your family’s home, claiming the government had settled a deal that since this stranger’s great-great-great-great grandparents first owned that land and were forced off of it by people who looked a bit like you. The stranger gives you an ultimatum to leave the land immediately because they consider it to rightfully belong to them, or die. Some of your family flees, you don’t blame them, but you stand your ground as best as you can, but the stranger has guns, and strong friends to supply them. They kill your mother, blind your father, kidnap many of your siblings and cousins and so you take your children and anyone who’s left and flee to the far side of the property, on the half still allowed to them by the government’s ruling. For a time it’s fine, but the stranger wasn’t satisfied, and finds you again in the new home you were building. See, the way the stranger sees it, their ancestors had originally owned ALL of that property, so they figured that was what they were owed. You plead with them to let you stay, or even just to not hurt your family. Your pleas are denied.

This time they killed your children. They killed your cousins. They killed most of your siblings. Your family and your home, all gone in front of your eyes.

Do you think you would still care whether or not the stranger was right about who owned that plot of land first, or would you perhaps care more about what they just did to everything you held dear?

Zionists like to say “well hamas should have never ever taken hostages” and feign ignorance as to why hamas is gaining support at an exponential rate.

It’s not that complicated. If your options are stand there and get shot or get a gun and shoot back, are you really going to pretend to be confused by most people going with the second option?

No. You aren’t. You want to spin the narrative that people calling for a free Palestine are terrorists who want to see the death of all jews and some nebulous “scary muslim takeover”, but I know you’re not that dumb. I know you've seen videos posted by the IDF’s own beating, kidnapping, and killing civilians. I know you’re not stupid enough to honestly believe those are all terrorists, even the children. I know most of you aren’t even under the delusion hamas is just like ISIS.

This is deliberate. Genocide is easiest when the aggressor plays victim to try to say it’s self defense, but here’s the thing—

It doesn’t matter how many times you claim otherwise, hind did not deserve to die. If she was the ONLY child the IDF killed intentionally, that would be unforgivable, but given there are tens of thousands of children that have lost life or limb at the hands of the IDF, it’s indefensible. It’s murder. A child trapped in a car with her family’s bodies after the IDF attacked being used to lure out aid workers and kill them all at once is just evidence you have lost your humanity. I hate that I even have to only talk about the children because you think every adult in Palestine is secretly an evil terrorist, it’s a lot harder to say that about a child with an age in the single digits, but many of you still try to anyway.

Racism is a hell of a thing, and some of you are a little too drawn in by the idea of killing all the brown people in a region so you can build beach resorts and theme parks.

If Palestinian land is so sacred and divinely promised to the Israelis to the point the Israeli government considers all rain fall to be explicitly property of israel, why are you taunting it with the blood of the innocent and desperate?

I don’t know, I think if anyone but a Zionist tried to justify bombing hospitals and dressing as aid workers to kill as many of an ethnic group as possible, people may be a bit reasonably against that, but for some reason it’s fine as long as the group committing the genocide has enough oppression points stocked up from previous incidents.

[bright-side20]

Elain/The Cauldron

I don’t know if it is a coincidence but I think it's worth highlighting, the Cauldron seems to have given Elain a power similar to what he was before being corrupted by Daglan,which what think it's a proof that she reminded it of its origins.

Nesta:

"The Fae say the Cauldron holds our fates. Maybe it became this Urd."

And what did it make Elain? A seer who can control fate, and she already did that during the war by saving Cassian and Nesta.

Azriel :

"All life came and comes from it," Azriel said with something like reverence. "The Mother poured it into this world, and from it, life blossomed."

Acowar :

Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something … It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken.

What had been taken? Death. What would he give to Elain? Life. Because that's what she reflects. I think the power it gave her is definitely related to the ability to give and create life, which fits the plot of bringing life back to the barren lands.

Acomaf:

The Cauldron was absence and presence. Darkness and whatever the darkness had come from. But not life. Not joy or light or hope.

We now know where the darkness came from; it's because the Dagglan used their power to turn it.

Acowar:

“Elain had always been gentle and sweet—and I had considered it a different kind of strength. A better strength. To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had always been so full of light.”

Elain represents the contrast of what the Cauldron had become, yet she also embodies its original purpose. This reminder of its origins led the Cauldron to gift her with powers akin to its original duties: controlling fate and creating life.

What I want from Elain's bond rejection is for it to lead to something unexpected. the Cauldron is wrong but what if it did it intentionally ? What if it knows that she's the key to returning it to its original purpose? Nullifying a Cauldron's bond isn't something anyone would easily achieve. Perhaps that could lead to discovering a way to fix the Cauldron.

[shanksxbuggy]

Pls pls pls rant more about ur theories and thoughts abt op and this recent chapter i need ur analysis sm thank you for ur posts ur one of shuggys greatest blogs!!!

Thank you for liking my humble little offerings!! Every day I toil in the shuggy mines ⛏

In this spread, if Oda really did intentionally put a mirror parallelism between opposite forces, then it might imply that Buggy and Shanks would clash in the future because of their differing ideologies.

I’ve also seen people worrying that the parallels might signify a battle to the death, where only one side can come out on top. Basically pairs with contradicting desires that conflict with each other.

So I’m thinking, what kind of conflicting ideology between Shanks and Buggy would put them on this level?

Out of all people in this race - his arch-nemesis Blackbeard, the authoritarian government who slaughters innocents - it’s Buggy who mirrors Shanks as his polar opposite.

What’s interesting to me is that Shanks seems to have his own plans for the One Piece.

Since Buggy is about materialistic greed and wants to find the treasure for his own gratification (not for any grander scheme involving the fate of the world), when I think about the opposing side, maybe Shanks wants to destroy the One Piece so no one can have it, which would put him in direct conflict with Buggy’s interests.

Imagine there’s a big pile of treasure and priceless artifacts, and Shanks says ‘well I’m going to destroy all of this so no one can have it’. That would be enough to piss Buggy off and start a fight.

When Shanks uses the word ‘get’, the word he uses has the implication of ‘take by force’ or ‘steal’, almost as if someone else has it.

If I consider the possibility that Shanks plans on destroying the One Piece, this wording could imply he’s going to ‘take away’ the One Piece from anyone trying to possess it.

Since Buggy’s goals are selfish, as his direct opposite, Shanks’ goals might be selfless. Shanks doesn’t want the One Piece for himself, and if anyone does want to claim it, they’ll have to defeat him to do it. So in that way, he’s safeguarding it.

Just from how different Shanks’ expression is from the other Emperors, it’s like he’s the only one who’s not having a fun pirate adventure hunting unknown treasure.

Compared to every other ‘opposite parallel’ in this spread, Shanks vs Buggy seems very different. They’re the only opposites who actually care about each other despite their differences. Compared to the other matchups, their conflict seems kind of petty and personal.

I don’t think Shanks and Buggy will truly have a fight to the death. I’m not sure Shanks would even be able to fight Buggy seriously.

If they ever were to face off against each other, it might end up being like the challenge between Dorry and Brogy, where it’s a match between two people who care for each other and in the end won’t be happy seeing the other person lose. Unlike everyone else who’ll probably have to kill each other to stop their opponent, Shanks and Buggy have the desire to save each other. So their outcome won’t be the same as everyone else.

Honestly, besides comic relief and leading characters like Mihawk and Crocodile to the One Piece, Buggy doesn’t look like he has much of a role in the final battle royale. He isn’t important to the main plot or Luffy’s development, he isn’t strong and doesn’t have useful information, he doesn’t represent some moral good or ideology, even as a villain he’s not so evil that he needs to be defeated. So what is his purpose, why did it have to be Buggy with this important role in the finale? It’s likely that Buggy, as a character, exists for Shanks’ endgame.

Whatever Shanks’ endgame is, Buggy will play an important part in it, because narratively their fates were written to be intertwined. They were set up as narrative foils from the start, and even more so now they continue to foil each other. Buggy was written for Shanks, though we don’t know for what future purpose it’ll be. Whether they’ll cause each other’s downfall or save each other’s lives, some kind of redemption arc for Buggy or character resolution for Shanks, they’ll both have an effect on each other’s fate.

It’s all just me speculating, of course, because I crave analysis.

When did this answer get so long! I started writing this out and it just went off on its own and kept going.

[leftoverbriocheloaf]

oooo, i lov all of your wip snippets!! you have such a vivid plot-concepts that are still very true to the characters!! mayhaps we could take a peek at wip #8?

Sorry I apparently can't convey my emotions without images but THANK YOU <3333

WIP #8 was actually a draft for ranpoe week that I speedran bc I found out about it on day 1 (T-T) It was inspired by the "crime scene" prompt! I wanted to write a no abilities au and tried to incorporate it :)

I also wanted to try writing smth from Ranpo's POV bc its been a while aslkdjalksdj

__________

Ranpo sighs as he drops a pile of police reports onto his desk, falling into his chair with a huff. It’s way too many pages for such a simple case—the file itself is thicker than his forearm!

Of course, he’s already solved the crime, so he knows that the report is intentionally obtuse. This criminal lines the police’s pockets—they’re just doing whatever they can to avoid investigating him. Which, apparently, includes framing an innocent man. It’s no use against Ranpo of course, but he can admit a lesser detective might have fallen for it.

And to stall for time, they're claiming that they can't move forward with the arrest because he “hasn’t looked at all of the evidence.” 

Idiots. They’re just making it obvious that the criminal is in league with the higher ups. Since they won’t be of any help, he either has to give up on the case or do it himself.

Normally, Ranpo would consider something like this beneath him. It’s easily something Dazai or even Atsushi could deal with, even if they’d be much slower about it than him.

But these idiots had the audacity to lie to his face! Did they think he was a moron? He's definitely not letting that slide.

The room is empty, aside from Kenji, who is staring at the fennel plant with such intensity that Ranpo almost feels bad taking his attention. Well, not really. He needs to actually get to the criminal to arrest him, after all.

“Kenji!” Ranpo calls, spinning his chair around. “We’re going on a case!”

***

“How do you know he’ll be there?” Kenji asks as they leave the agency, his straw hat bouncing slightly as he walks.

“He’s a coward—he won’t want to show his face until someone else is framed and arrested,” Ranpo scoffs, taking a frustrated sip from his ramune bottle. “Which means I have to do the work.”

“What did he do?” Kenji makes a left, and Ranpo follows suit. He’s tempted to ignore the question, because explaining obvious things makes him want to tug his own hair out, but something about Kenji makes him feel guilty if he doesn’t. Ranpo sighs—it’s the downside of taking him anywhere. The upside is the free food that he gets just by being with him, because somehow Kenji knows just about every single person in the city. Ranpo couldn’t imagine remembering that many people’s names. 

“Stole some money,” Ranpo says. “He keeps getting away with it because the police don’t want to arrest him.”

“Why not?”

“He’s paying them.”

Kenji frowns, “I thought police in the city are supposed to stop people like that.”

“They’re supposed to,” Ranpo nods, “But to them, money is more important than the truth.”

“Oh,” Kenji murmurs, downcast. Shit. Now Ranpo feels bad.

“But we stop things like that from happening,” he adds, somewhat abruptly. “Which is why we’re important.”

“Oh!” Kenji brightens, and the guilty feeling in the back of Ranpo’s mind disappears. The boy hums happily, a new skip in his step as he continues leading Ranpo through the city. 

They stop, and Ranpo cranes his neck upwards to take a look at the building. It’s definitely new, and its distinctly modern style is somewhat off-putting compared to the wood and steel made apartments nearby. It looks almost gaudy, which tells Ranpo they’re in the right place.

When he pushes the door open, he’s assaulted with the strong scent of cleaning supplies, as if someone had spent the last few days pouring bottle after bottle of bleach onto the floor and letting it sit. Gross.

The reception desk is empty, which he flags as unusual. Sure, Ranpo intentionally arrived close to lunchtime to avoid unwanted obstacles, but he didn’t expect the building to be empty. Even for a slow day, he would expect someone to be around.

Ranpo walks towards the desk, feigning boredom even as he finds the body he’d predicted would be on the floor behind it. Damn.

“They must’ve cleared out the place,” he mutters to himself, turning to Kenji before sighing as if he'd been wrong. (As if that could ever happen.) “There’s no one here. They must have left faster than I thought they would. I'm gonna take a look around, but you should get the police and tell them to come here.”

Kenji nods dutifully, saying a quick goodbye and leaving the building. Ranpo's glad he's not one to question orders. Sure, he isn’t one to coddle anybody, but Kenji's a bit too young to see something like this.

He kneels down to the body, already annoyed, but pauses when he feels a pulse. That's... unexpected. It’s steady, so the woman must have been knocked out recently, but she isn’t injured badly or bleeding. interesting.

Ranpo leans her a bit more comfortably (and visibly) against the desk, because it wouldn’t do for the police to get all the way here and not have a reason to investigate. Kenji's persuasive enough that they should come even without a real incentive, which is why Ranpo chose to bring him along in the first place, but it helps. Well, that and the free food.

He notices a chart of residents on the desk, each leading to a different office phone.

Tatano K., 4C

That’s his criminal, at least. But Ranpo doubts that he did this to his receptionist, which means someone else is probably in the building with them. He listens quietly for any footsteps or noises, but the hall is silent. Ugh, more work for him, then.

At least the building can’t be populated much– not if no one noticed what happened with the receptionist. That and it would be stupid to knock out every single person in a packed office, not to mention exhausting.

He stands in front of the elevator, tapping his foot impatiently as the doors open, creaking all the while. Seriously, they could afford all of this and not nice elevators? At least it doesn't take long to reach the fourth floor.

Ranpo finds the conference room 4C with little effort and promptly throws the door open. He isn’t letting Tatano notice he’s here and take the opportunity to escape– even if it means alerting whoever else is nearby that Ranpo is here.

Though he might be a bit too late for that.

Ranpo almost groans when he sees one man standing over the body of his target. The knife in his hand is still bloody, but even from where Ranpo is standing, he can tell the cut is clean. His phone is in his hands immediately.

“Please don’t call the police!” the man blurts, and the absurdity of the statement stops Ranpo in his tracks.

“...What?”

The man raises his hands, though one of them still holds the knife, so the action isn’t as harmless as Ranpo assumes he was going for. His hair is a deep brown, and his bangs fall in front of his eyes, blocking them from Ranpo’s sight entirely. Strange. A mask covers his mouth and nose, but his words aren't muffled in the slightest.

“I just mean– um–” the man stammers, “He was a really bad person?”

______

Tbh that felt more like a Ranpo character study than anything else lmfao I also just really wanted to write Kenji :) I love him so much he's such a ray of sunshine

Essentially in this au the Guild is still a thing but instead of an ability organization they're just plain old assassins? I wanted Poe to be more of a vigilante that eventually works with the ADA (side by side, not as a member) It's not as fleshed out as most of my aus, but I'm still having fun with it :))

Thank you for the ask!!! <333

[gunkbaby]

I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on the minotaur. I hadn’t given it much thought until I watched Kaos recently, and I thought what they did with it was really interesting.

Sorry this took me long to answer - muh mentals are bad - and i have a lot of thoughts on the Minotaur as a whole so idk what specifically to talk abt but I’ll try to give a tldr of everything i think abt him and i can answer anything more specific in future ❤️

There’s an awful lot of interpretation and discussion to be had here, so I’ll try to be as brief as I can be. This post will probably be a huge mess, so apologies in advance.

There’s an obvious allegory in the Minotaur for disability, mental illness, and general alienation from society that I can discuss but I’d rather digress for brevity. The idea of a creature that was born purely out of pettiness and spite - to spite a man it would have no blood relation to - and then to condemn that creature to a life of guaranteed misery is a very interesting concept, I find.

I feel as if the Minotaur is too often passed off as just a monster. I’ve seen ppl pass off any deeper or kinder interpretation of him because he’s supposed to serve only as a monster - a device in a hero’s story, but I simply cannot bring myself to see him like that. He is not just a monster, and I don’t think anyone can say that looking deeper into him is trite, because when you look at his story as a whole, it is deeply tragic. I find a lot of relatability in the Minotaur when you think of him as an actual character, not just a device. You have to imagine what it’s like to be born an abomination, for no other reason than to spite your step-father. Then to have that step-father build and condemn you to a prison that’s technically (in a lot of interpretation) completely open, but you’ll never find the exit, and then he uses you as a means of getting revenge on the Athenians - because they killed his actual son, your step-brother. To be dealt such a cruel hand, intentionally, to be deemed monstrous, to be revered by a city of people that will likely never encounter you, to live and grow up in total isolation - the only people you’ll ever see are also the only food you have access too, and none of them will see you as anything but a monster. And then, to be killed, and to have your death celebrated, your killer mostly unquestioned, and celebrated for his conquest.

In this context, when the Minotaur’s life is laid out in this way, it’s a deeply sad story. One can argue that the Minotaur isn’t an innocent being, because he does kill and eat people, but I do have an argument to that. Multiple sources will state that bc the Minotaur is born of an unnatural (ungodly) union, he therefore cannot consume like natural beings, so is condemned to a diet of human flesh. Whilst he could initially nurse from his mother, it is said that as he grew, so did his hunger for human flesh, and this fact alone is what blurs his ‘innocence’. There is also some interpretations that claim otherwise, that the Minotaur could eat normally, but that when placed in the labyrinth, only had access to human flesh every so often - either way, I find my argument remains the same. The Minotaur could not possibly have eaten anything else other than human flesh - it was not an active decision by him, he was either birthed to it or had no choice. That fact brings his monstrousness into question - he can be considered a monster in appearance only, and again, I find that goes back to the interpretation of the Minotaur as being similar to how disabled people have been treated, especially within Ancient Greece. Also. Obligatory Tokyo Ghoul mention but this is why I relate him to that story in my head - not just bc my hyperfixations must absolutely crossover lmao. I think that’s a really interesting idea to bring to Tokyo Ghoul. Like, okay, I’m totally plot bunnying here but the idea of the Minotaur or some other Greek monsters being crucial to ghoul culture(s), or even hailed as Adam/Eve type beings is so…! It’s a tangent but I think abt it a lot lol.

There is also some trivia that I think, makes the Minotaur even more tragic. The fact that he could’ve been a child at the time of his death, that the oldest he could’ve been was his mid(ish) 20s - though he was most likely the same age as Theseus himself - so late teens.

It’s also noted that multiple sources agree that Pasiphae had some degree of love for her son - despite the fact that she was forced to commit zoophilia and as a result birthed a man-eating bull due solely to her dumbass husband. She not only gave him a name (Asterion/Asterius) but that she actively nursed him, as is evidenced by this vase painting.

There’s very little about Pasiphae’s relationship to the Minotaur outside of this trivia, but I still think the fact that she named him gives his story such a tragic air to it? I think it’s interesting that this woman who was basically forced to commit zoophilia could not hate the result of it - I’m not qualified to talk on this, but I see a talking point within that about victims of sexual assault who go on to birth a child? Like I say, not qualified, if someone else wants to chime in and correct me then go ahead. Either way, it pulls on my heartstrings to think that loved him enough to name and nurse him. She’s under-discussed, I find.

It’s worth noting also, that the overarching stories of Theseus, The Minotaur, Daedalus & Icarus, maybe even Minos & Zeus, and obviously throw the Cretan Bull himself in there too - the whole shabang involved basically - are ripe for analysis relating to the relationship between father’s and their sons. The story from start to finish has a themes relating to that. I haven’t looked into it all that much myself, but I know both parts of Half Man // Half Bull touch on this concept. It’s a double album / theatrical experience that goes through the stories of Theseus & Daedulus specifically - music isn’t to my tastes but I found it interesting regardless.

As a side note, I think it’s funny how in an age where feminist retellings of Greek myth have become cliche, no one has looked at the Minotaur (and Pasiphae) all that closely - I know people have looked at Ariadne, but idk anything abt that bc I don’t like these ‘retellings’, but I’m not all that interested in her or Theseus outside of the Minotaur, honestly. Depending on the interpretation she’s against my boy Asterion so I narrow my eyes at her lol.

This response is a total mess and I apologise - again bad mentals and there’s so much to talk about - I recommend reading the short story The House Of Asterion by Jorge Luis Borges if you’re interested in maybe delving more into the Minotaur as a character. It’s told from his point of view, undeniably tragic, and i love it very dearly, so I recommend it.

The book The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break by Stephen Shirell is also an interesting read - I picked it up from Waterstones one day randomly and it kinda started the Minotaur hyperfixation. It’s definitely not as acclaimed as thoa but I found it really quite touching in a way I can’t explain - I’m planning a re-read presently. There isn’t rly a plot to the book - it’s about the Minotaur in the modern day, he works as a line cook and lives in a trailer park. It made me cry and i still don’t know why, but bc of that i always feel I have to mention it. It has a sequel but I haven’t read it, so I can’t speak on that.

There is other Minotaur-related media, but those two stand out specifically. I haven’t seen Kaos but that looks interesting, I’ll have to add it to my watchlist.

Again, apologies for this mess of a post, I hope it answered something lol - sorry, i am useless at present!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

So, Raven x Rollo is canon now? 👀 Honestly, i would love to read that and see their dynamic/interaction with each other. Especially if a certain Eel is going to be jealous >:'D

What's the ship name going to be? Ravelo? Roaven? Rolven?

I just love the fact that Rollo isn't even in the main story and already stole and keeps stealing the hearts of other fans! even with little content! This dude just exists and steals your heart 😭

[Referencing this post!]

WELL 😭 I don’t know????? I (the irl person) enjoy Rollo as a character, but I haven’t ever intentionally written Miss Raven (the OC) and Rollo’s interactions as romantic though I’m 100% willing to entertain the idea lol. Up to now, it’s been more like Raven is the girl next door that keeps knocking and demanding that Rollo come and build a snowman with her or something… An annoying cockroach he can’t kill off 💀 They have really strong enemies to lovers and sunshine gf/brooding bf potential, especially since Rollo considers her to be a servant of evil (as Crowley’s niece) and one of Malleus’s lackeys (when Miss Raven and Malleus only interact with each other professionally). A friend of mine calls this ship Ravollo, but I don’t think there has to be a specific name for it.

… I think it would be funny if Malleus is just there to make unwanted commentary about Raven and Rollo’s relationship. Even better if his commentary is all wrong (“Young Crowley, Flamme is passing you a rather heated gaze. Fufu, perhaps you’ve for yourself a bit of an admirer.” “… Malleus-senpai, he is giving you a ‘heated gaze’ because he cannot stand to be in the same room as you without his blood pressure spiking.”)

Anyway, I did happen to get a few Raven-Rollo interaction requests recently, so you have those to look forward to. No Jade in those, unfortunately!! But you can always look at this fan art, which basically summarizes how J word feels about Rollo x Raven (just replace m!Yuu in that fan art with Miss Raven in your imagination, lol).

It’s his unrelenting rage and two-faced attitude + taking everything TOO seriously, it makes Rollo so endearing in the same way you’d find a constantly angry cat that always scratches you cute… My dude, you’re still just a student, sit down and munch on a croissant or something instead of plotting on propping up a new magicless world order OTL I’m sure that’ll look great on your college application essay, but there’s such a thing as too much ambition/j

[mod-doodles]

I have a question about power dynamics. Is Carmy Sydney boss? I think this is why I definitely did not want a romantic relationship in season 1 and frankly preferred her and Marcus. You may disagree but I think she has romantic interest in him in their dinner scene. But then the writers seemed to flip the power dynamic. Carmy is literally asking her at the end of s1 how their restaurant should look. Further she obviously getting sweat equity so she has ownership of the bear( the alternative is exploitation in my opinion). I think the bear is established/registered as a partnership (not a Corporation) with four partners Nat, Carmy, Uncle Jimmy and Sydney. Jimmy is up to some sketchy tax thing because he giving a loan not an investment but they do call him a partner and fits with the character. Nat is called COO but I guess you can do that with a partnership too? Otherwise the constant use of ‘partner’ is poor writing and illogical. Marcus becomes Syd employee and you see Syd in my opinion rightly so pull back (plus she is focused on the business). Marcus and Syd already had dinner together but when he asks her in season 2 she shuts it down because it is inappropriate now. He would have to quit again to make it work. It seems however to me the evolution of Syd Carmy relationship sets up a possible romance where it was once inappropriate. What do you think is he her boss? What is the set up of the bear is it a general partnership? Is Syd personally liable for business debts and should she trust her partners (looking at sketchy Jimmy)?

Cicero’s mysterious wealth is mostly used as a plot device, currently its not something to place too much emphasis on outside of the confines of ‘The Beef/Bear’. In s01 its the motivating factor for Carmy taking on Sydney COGs, also its situational in forcing Carmy to meet up with the friends and family he’s been avoiding and more importantly helping Richie to have a moment of clarity and reassess his trajectory. It's more entertaining and comical that it comes from a gangster than the bank; as it heightens the stakes and helps tie upon loose end where necessary (the business certificates).

The ownership setup I think we’ll have to hold off until the next season to have it addressed, it was mentioned a couple times with red alerts so it might be a point of contention. I predict that everyone that was in the room during the business meeting has some stake; including Richie because he always appears in frame in some capacity whenever business affairs are discussed. 

The power dynamics with Syd and Carmy were intentionally blurred I think to adjust for the relationship. She’s currently the CDC and he’s the Executive Chef/Owner with Nat, and they defer to Carmy for final decisions so even though she’s treated as an equal she technically isn’t. My assumption is that they are considering the optics and adjusting accordingly. She’s not liable for any debts but the sweat equity she’s invested is invaluable and that shouldn’t be taken for granted, emotional investments can break you just as bad as financial - not you but people on reddit have this conversation when they try to devalue Syd. Stress can manifest itself through your health. 

Carmy asking her what the restaurant should look like had more to do with them collaborating and sweetening the deal because at that point the last thing Syd said to him was ‘so shove it up your ass’, he’s essentially begging her to come back.

I don’t necessarily disagree that she doesn’t have romantic interest in Marcus its more so they had romantic potential, obviously I’m biased so I saw the dinner more like work friends trauma bonding and then Sydney moping about Carmy. That being said if they turned up the romance for both during s02 I’d have supported but they made it one sided and awkward by having Syd curve Marcus at every attempt. I also don’t think her rejecting him had anything to do with the work hierarchy and everything to do with her seeing him as a friend.

[lonesomedreamer]

SNW Liveblog: “The Elysian Kingdom”

This episode? Messy af. Spock in a wig? Sexy af.

The scene with M’Benga and Rukiya is precious, as always—though the subtext of it (her desire to change endings and rewrite stories more to her liking) is a little on-the-nose, considering that the writers of SNW are basically rewriting a classic television show to suit their own whims.

If Rukiya is running out of time, in theory all M’Benga has to do is stop materializing her so frequently…assuming that, while her pattern is in the transporter, she’s not conscious/aware. If she IS, that’s an entirely different (and horrifying) can of worms.

The exchange about superstitions between Pike and Spock is nice.

“Drinks are on me.” This is why Pike’s crew seems so undisciplined, imo. We know that Kirk would, and did, drink with his crew. But he wasn’t casually offering to buy them drinks from the captain’s chair.

“You gonna say the thing?” “Hit it.” Thanks, I still hate it.

I miss TOS’s buttons and tactile controls so much. They’re just more visually appealing (and frankly, more practical) than touch screens.

“Perhaps you did, indeed, jinx it.” I love Spock, lmao. (Also, as someone who calls out sports announcers and coworkers for jinxing things regularly…Pike totally jinxed it.)

People falling out of their chairs during turbulence is a real Trek classic!

Great, M’Benga is what, hallucinating?

These kinds of zany episodes on TOS/TNG took place either on a strange planet—like in “Squire of Gothos” or “Shore Leave”—or on the holodeck. Setting this on the Enterprise instead was…well, a choice.

La’an’s princess costume is delightfully ridiculous and sparkly.

It’s kind of a bummer to see that Christina Chong has real acting chops (even if “Princess Thalia” is intentionally way over-the-top), but is denied the chance to do much acting thanks to how flatly her character is written.

Ethan is hot. No notes.

“Maybe I can get us out of here with the help of some powerful magic called science.”

I vastly prefer hammy/possessed Kirk to hammy/possessed Pike. Sorry ’bout it. (Maybe it’s just the actors, or maybe it’s because regular Kirk comes off as so much more sincere than Pike to me?)

Why is Hemmer, an alien with inherent telepathic abilities, immune to whatever’s happening on the Enterprise, whereas Spock, an alien (well, half-alien) with inherent telepathic abilities, succumbed to it? I can hand-wave most plot holes…this one’s just lazy writing, though.

Worth it? Worth it.

I would watch THIS show.

“Truthfully, I should have known it as well…since that’s what he does in the book.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“There’s no such place, my queen, he’s bluffing.”

All those lines were funny and delivered well!

Even though classic tricorders look pretty out-of-place on this redesigned Enterprise, I still love seeing them.

The resolution of the Rukiya subplot reminds me a lot of the end of The Motion Picture.

The moral quandry of it is enormous, way bigger than “storing your daughter’s biological pattern in the transporter to keep her alive,” which raises plenty of ethical questions of its own. M’Benga tells Rukiya that “it’s up to you”—but how can such a young child make such a huge decision: to exist in space as a disembodied consciousness for an infinite amount of time or to wait in stasis for a cure for her human body?! It’s uncomfortably reminiscent of the “willing” sacrifice made by the little boy in Episode 6…not really the comparison you want viewers to be drawing, given how that one ended. Children that age can’t give meaningful consent.

Besides, what does M’Benga know about this entity? How do either of them know that they can trust it? It’s been using the Enterprise as a dollhouse for hours out of boredom/loneliness! What might it do to Rukiya’s energy? And how will becoming said disembodied consciousness impact a nine- or ten-year-old human girl? There are actually a number of great science fiction (horror) stories about this, the premise being that human minds are ill-equipped for that kind of existence. For all M’Benga knows, he could find the cure next week. It was teased in Episode 6. All he needs to do is keep Rukiya safely the transporter—which really shouldn’t be a problem unless she is, in fact, conscious in there. But the writers obviously just wanted to wrap this problematic subplot up and move on.

A grown-up version of Rukiya appears to comfort M’Benga and tell him about her many “adventures,” because it turns out time exists differently for her now even though it’s been ~30 seconds of real time…? It cheapens the scene before and makes me feel belittled as a viewer. I’m okay with feeling uneasy about M’Benga’s choice! I’m not okay with being cajoled into thinking that it was the correct choice. When Kirk let Edith Keeler die, her ghost didn’t reappear to assure him that she understood why he had to! He—and by extension, the audience—just had to live with it.

“She’s safe.” He doesn’t and can’t know that for certain. He let an alien consciousness he neither studied/analyzed nor communicated directly with spirit his daughter away after two minutes of deliberation! Anything could be happening to her out there. Though, to be totally fair, she’s not going to die, so…there’s that?

So yes: this episode is messy. I rewatched it after seeing the ending and reading a lot of reviews/commentary and actually revised this liveblog. It’s not as bad as I initially thought! However, I’ve come to think that the Rukiya subplot itself was a poor choice, one full of troubling implications, dubious decision-making, and questionable ethics. I understand why the writers scrambled to get rid of it. And conveptually, this episode wasn’t even a bad send-off for Rukiya! The execution was just lacking. It could’ve been so much more.

But hey…at least we got La’an’s princess dress, Uhura’s evil queen ensemble, and Spock in that wig.

The Good: Gorgeous costumes—the actress playing Rukiya was a delight; I’ll miss her—Spock in general—some very funny lines/delivery—Christina Chong gets to act!

The Bad: The writing, pacing, set design, and some of the acting was all pretty clumsy—for an episode that turned so heavy, the campy fairy tale stuff was too light and took up too much time. Too much of Ortegas and Pike; not enough of La’an and Spock. (I think there’s too much Ortegas on the show, period. She just doesn’t work for me. No judgment towards other people who may feel differently.) Some truly WTF parenting choices made by M’Benga—huge unresolved questions/plot holes by the end.

But the beauty of SNW returning to Trek’s episodic roots is that it’s a standalone episode. Hoping for better (and more Spockstine!) in the next installment.

[wanderer-on-the-steppe]

Katarzyna Simcha notes? 💕

Thank you! :)

This is really just some notes so far, though at least the basics of the plot are more or less thought out.

It’s about a Jewish teenager (grown up as Rifka, but very much preferring Simcha now) trying to become a Cossack. Partly because he has a somewhat tumultuous temperament, so Cossack life (or what he imagines of it) appeals to him, partly because he’s rebelling against his family and community (who are haunted by a whole lot of trauma because of Cossacks, and he doesn’t have the empathy and life experience yet to understand it, it just feels stifling to him, and they don’t have the ability to react to a youth like him without making the estrangement worse), and then… there’s Katarzyna. Who once was called Beyle. And they had been so very close, before she left and converted for the sake of that insufferably smug Polish nobleman…

Will anyone believe me I did not intentionally make the character constellation look like Jurko, Helena, and Jan? :D Nevertheless, since I realized how much it looks like them, I’ve been thinking: Why not emphasise it even more and make Bohun (the historical person in that case, of course) Simcha’s personal role model whom he admires since he heard songs about him in the market place?

Also – because it’s one of my stories ;) – the attempt to disguise as some (non-Jewish) street urchin and join the Cossacks goes really wrong really quickly, he gets suspected of being a spy, and the only thing he comes up with to save himself is to insist that he could be a spy – but for them, and he demands to be taken to the hetman himself to make him an offer…

(As one can imagine, he’ll be taken to the polkovnyk at the most, but as he’s a master of bragging and romantic delusions – if not necessarily of spying… – he’ll stubbornly claim it was the hetman!)

“Don’t run away to the steppe... Don’t run away to the steppe... There were three places that Rifka didn’t belong: in the rebbe’s house, together with the other boys (though, upon considering the cramming, it wasn’t that much of a loss…), in the steppe – and in the church of the Christians, with Katarzyna, for taking their marriage vows.

The first one could be redressed by calling oneself Simcha and putting on trousers and a hat. The other two, however… these needed more skill. One had to steal a horse and also some sort of knife. And a name that made one’s own grandparents shiver with fear. Bohdan, for example. Bohdan was terrifying – Bohdan was great.”

Maybe that quote is a good example of why I don’t know if this ever gets written, and if so, if I'll dare post it. It’s Simcha, of course, who talks about his religion and his family like that – because he’s a rebellious teenager, and angry, and quick-tempered, everything he wants in life seems out of reach. But me writing it? Could end just about as disastrously as Simcha’s plan to convince Katarzyna to run away with him by appearing at her door as a dashing Cossack amidst a full-fledged raid... (But, just like Simcha, I also keep thinking that it might be a good plan, so the idea keeps living in my head, and that document on my computer.)

By the way: The most interesting bit of information I’ve learned since this idea first came up is that there seem to have been some Cossacks who were hired as guards by Jewish communities to protect them against the not so honourable among their comrades. And I can’t stop thinking: Simcha – if only you were someone to make good choices in life, this would have been the way to go. But alas, Simcha doesn’t make good choices (and he probably doesn't even know that this kind of arrangement exists somewhere), and if he did, the whole plot wouldn’t work. But… it’s really the way my young wannabe-Bohun should have joined the Cossacks.

[tawus]

Hey Tawus :) I hope you're doing okay and staying safe <3 I have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind

What are your thoughts on unsealed Gojo? A lot of people have pointed out that he is dressed exactly like Toji and even has the same dead look in his eyes in that one panel but nobody seems to think too much of it. Do you think it has any significance?

Do you ship anyone from JJK? Or not necessarily ship in a romantic way, just really like the dynamic between two characters?

Would you write fics about other JJK characters Toji? Maybe when season 2 drops?

Would you consider making a short post here on Tumblr about your Gojo headcanons? You know, just listing them with bullet points, collecting them in one place. I really like your interpretation of Gojo's character and it genuinely feels like you have him & his quirks figured out. (Tbh if you said you knew this man personally, I would fully believe you lol) So yeah, I think many of us would enjoy reading your headcanons

Hello my dear! Thank you for sending this, it’s been ages since you did 😔 I’m going through some shit these days hence the delay (and hence also no new written content from me for about 2 months now, yikes). But asks like these are a good pick-me-up, so thank you again 🥰

⚠️ JJK manga spoilers below the cut ⚠️

1. Tbh I’ve been annoyed by Gojo’s apparent “Tojification”. It seemed to me like Gege picked the easiest outfit to draw and went with it. Since the beginning I’ve viewed Toji as one of the underdog characters of JJK which are used more like props for the plot, rather than given sufficient spotlight and respect. Not to mention, those who read the manga will know how things ended with Toji, so excuse me if I feel extra protective of him. Which is why Gojo’s Tojification – especially when he still has a huge and serious reckoning to do with Megumi in regards to what he did to his father, deserved or undeserved – has been irking me. The tiny panel in ch 224 where annoyed Toji goes “What a copycat” indicates that Gege is doing this stuff intentionally, but I still don’t think it’s anything more than a gag. If it is, I’m curious to see what it is.

2. Now that you mentioned it, I actually don’t have any ships in JJK wow! But what Yuuji and Megumi have is special. Reminds me a bit of Luffy and Zoro: that same absolute unspoken trust and having each other’s back at all times. Plus, Zoro also has a harder, inaccessible personality, whereas Luffy is goofy and optimistic – for sure reminds of the two JJK boys.

3. Omg you a Toji fan too, HELL YEAH! I have 2 Toji fic ideas: one is a one-shot, another is a longfic. I really want to see Toji animated first, as you suggested, since I want to capture his mannerisms, his voice, his cadence, his emotions, everything about him as perfectly as possible! I can’t wait to see him on-screen 🤩

Other characters I’m captivated by are Yuuta (tho not a huge fan of his cursed technique being Copy...), Sukuna and Kashimo (oh btw, I'm 99.9% sure Kashimo is inspired by OPM's Garou...).

4. This is a super anticlimactic answer but could you please narrow it down for me, i.e. you would like Gojo headcanons regarding what sphere? I only ask because I work well with specification, if I know which direction I’m going I’ll produce my best work. And also thank you very much!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Insanely happy to hear my rendition of Gojo sounds right to you! No higher praise for fanfiction 😘

[nerd-aleart]

Even if I didn’t like a single RO I would still go feral for this game bc I just love Morgan Cooper so much ❤️❤️❤️

I played the updated demo last night and almost threw up in excitement !! I was a little confused at first because of how much had changed but I can see why/how with changing from the apartment to the house, and the office was a nice touch!

I felt bad for the dev though, that a bunch of backgrounds and CGs had to change, all that extra work🥲

Also it seems like they were going for a shift in tone as well? Obviously opening with the funeral was a big step, not that I didn’t feel the weight of Gideons death in the OG Demo but it puts things at a completely different pace.

(the hints of a plot line involving someone trying to buy up the whole town is NOT a plot bunny I was expecting but color me intrigued)

I’m gonna divide this up by scenes with ROs:

Damien: I feel like the vibe was the same, but he got more screen time, also it revealed a change in the Niece situation (making her a potential ally rather than enemy?)

Xander: mostly the same, office got new artwork, we learn that Xanders secretary is a muscle mommy, and we again got a new possible ally figure? (The police guy). Of note is the exclusion of the choice to look around the hallway, thoughts of that later.

(An aside: how many red head are IN this game? Adding Xanders chauffeur to the list makes at least five!!)

Eli: I wonder which came first, the change in personality of Delilah, or the change in motive for Eli’s introduction. As I said the addition of the office was super exciting, and it makes more sense that Eli wouldn’t expect Morgan to be there at the moment. And MC was spooked but reasonably so, had a level head enough to chat with Damian but I WOULD NOT let a stranger take files out of that office without at least checking them over myself???????? I am NOT that trusting !!

Azriel: lowkey I miss the spooky alleyway!!!!!

Honestly it didn’t have to change!!!! Also there was a part in the OG demo when Room shows up and MC decides to either move closer to Az or stay back and I lowkey loved the implications! Like is it because Rook is an unknown and Az is the “lesser evil” or is MC using Azriel as a humanoid shield? Okay jokes aside I think this was also intentionally a part of the tone shift.

(Side note: I think it’s actually kind of funny how extremely NOT into Asterion I am, but Azriel? 👀👀. Idk man, he’s kinda got in?)

Rook: he has such a small part and it’s shared with Azriel’s scene that it’s harder to pick apart

Lir: this is just me, but why did this whole scene feel so familiar? Like the whole bar and spiral staircase looked familiar. Besides the weird sense of Deja vu, it was one of the most natural transitions and his , idk , interest? In MC’s conversation I think opens things up for his involvement in the story later in a very natural way. So kudos there.

Cassidy: IS HE IRISH??????????????????That’s it, head empty, Cassidy Irish accent all that’s left.

Okay but really, it wasn’t until after his BROTHER?????? Shows up that I put that one together. Which by the way, sooooo much more interesting than his mother situation. No offense it’s just opening more doors/paths for why they might be in town that I wouldn’t have considered before. Like before it really did seem like a coincidence whereas now it seems too coincidental? But it could just be a lot of red hair(ing).

While we’re here I’m gonna address the PI license thing, like what was the purpose of making MC not licensed yet? Hypothetically this could play into some “undercover” work later but still don’t see why it would be necessary? Maybe it’s simply part of the reworking of the characters inner motivations.

Wren: okay despite everything else I’ve said so far, this is the least chill MC is in the whole thing. Was it smart to run away at that moment? Maybe , but still a little funny. Once again there was a complete shift in story, one that will probably be more beneficial and more fruitful than the OG demo’s trapeze through the woods.

Kai: I was truthfully a little disappointed with Kai’s scenes. I knew from the start, when I knew we weren’t gonna get the pizza delivery scene that I was already not as happy. (It’s just a really cute banter scene but I was a SUCKER for it)

But mostly I think it’s so jarring that he’d try to confront MC at the funeral? Like the in-game reasoning he gives is that he was afraid for MC but that’s still??? It coulda waited ONE day? But I digress

The thing that I was the most bummed to be missing was the story of Kai seeing MC at the grocery store and wondering what the hell had happened to the person he knew? I’m holding out hope that there’s something similar within the main game, because it was just a moment of what felt like vulnerability that really made me take a shining to Kai in the first place. In fact Kai was the first route I wanted to play because of that scene, so I’m just a little attached to it.

As with everything else I can only speculate it has something to do with the change in MC being more put together in present day, but I still think it would have helped to highlight the way in which they could barely function 7 months ago versus now.

In the end I feel like it comes down to MC being a lot less of a wreck than in the OG Demo. The grief is still there, and they haven’t left the house in a week, but they aren’t quite the drunken, skittish mess that they were. Still sad, still drinking themselves to sleep, but like in a moderate “still functioning member of society” way?

Anyways, I just wanted to document some of the changes, pieced together from my own memories and impressions. I have many (many) papers to be writing in hopes of getting a degree in the next few weeks and needed a way to blow off steam in between! Because of said papers (and bc Im using mobile) I am NOT checking this for grammar and coherence, so sorry if this is just a mess of stream of consciousness.

[[Disclaimer: in case it wasn’t clear, any questions about writing choices I may have are NOT meant as a critique of the author and are merely speculation about what these changes might mean for the story. Once again I’m just trying to take my mind off the stress of finals and I’m really looking forward to this game! Also I do follow the Patreon but I purposely ignore most of it because I want to go in as blind as possible with only my own knowledge of tropes and deduction to guide me through]]

[khalixvitae]

urngh... (i flop onto your doorstep like a dying fish) please.... do you want to brainstorm for that vil fic of yours with the gay people in your phone im so sane about vil...

Hi anon! Sure thing, I’m still trying to nail down a few major bits of the plot line but I’m willing to share what I have!

To begin with, I think I want to make the setting somewhere very innocuous. A book shop, a cafe, something completely mundane and away from NRC. The basic premise is that Vil is going to this off campus hole in the wall destination to read/annotate scripts for an upcoming role. The reader is an employee of whatever business he’s started to frequent! Kind of tropey, I know, but if it ain’t broke, yk? But I’m trying to get it. A little off the rails.

The idea is that the reader basically just. Ignores who he is. He’s a customer, after all. I’m leaning into the idea of them being a bookseller more than anything else- the idea that they could want to provide him with any additional literature related to whatever role he’s playing/essentially help him hone his craft feels important. This is another one of those situations where my own life events may seep through as well- the idea that maybe the bookseller doesn’t really know what they’re doing with their life. Maybe they’re trying to earn enough money for a graduate level degree program? Something along those lines, like they have aspirations but don’t know how to achieve them.

Vil intends on keeping their interactions minimal and very professional- he refuses anything that he could consider preferential treatment until he sees the reader offering other people similar services. Then he has a moment of oh, they’re just kind. The reader tends to go above and beyond for customers that need assistance, or even for those that they just think could benefit from more information. Then Vil is a little less hesitant. Still professional, but maybe he’ll accept their offer to keep the shop open a little longer when he’s in the middle of a reading, or he’ll agree to have a cup of tea since they’re already making some. Naturally they get to talking. And yea, that’s Kind of the broader premise! I’m trying to nail down the role he’s playing. The one idea I’ve got floating around is kind of a weird one, but I recently reread Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and I’m spitballing Vil participating in a retelling of the story. Not as Dr. Frankenstein, but as the monster. Hear me out: in the book, he’s described as being intentionally crafted with beautiful features- which is what makes him all the more haunting to look at. He basically triggers the uncanny valley effect. Something incredibly beautiful and human and yet distinctly wrong. And the original monster is really an emotional and intelligent creature that seeks to be loved - only after repeated abuses does it actually become “evil”. It’s a story where the protagonist (Dr. Frankenstein himself) is frankly far more sinister than its antagonist. He plays god, creating a creature solely because he wants to know if he can. Then once he does, he just abandons it because he’s horrified at his own creation. Neither the monster nor the doctor are without their faults, and it’s one of those things where the reader is meant to be conflicted on who to root for. Anyway, I think a retelling that’s more sympathetic towards the monster (I.e., that characterizes it was Shelley did in the source material) would catch Vil’s interest. Yeah he’d be an antagonist, but he’d be a heart wrenching figure meant to conflict the audience and their perceptions of both him and the character he’s playing. And it would be a challenge for Vil, something he doesn’t seem to get often. It’s fundamentally different from any other role he’s played that we know of, and to play a creature so beautiful that it drifts into the territory of abominable? WHEWWWWW. idk I think. He’d be intrigued when it’s pitched at him and he’d accept this get out of type casting free card before his reps could shoot down the offer. Anywho! I would love feedback or other ideas if you or anyone else have any to bounce around !!!

[17yearslatewithlattes]

Golly gee gosh, Supernatural is deep in moral waters it isn’t even a little equipped to navigate. I mean I knew that was coming, but I didn’t expect it to get *quite* this muddy *quite* this soon. So far we’ve got:

So killing monsters is ALWAYS good and killing people is ALWAYS bad. Okay that’s straightforward enough. So there’s got to be some fundamental divide between ‘human’ and ‘monster’? Well at first it seems like in this universe maybe monsters are just pure instinctual evil and humans are … at the least more complex than that. That’s somehow oddly vague and oddly black and white at the same time, but sure if that’s just how the world of the show works I can buy into it for plot reasons. Yeah the wedigo (episode 2!!) is a slight gray area because it used to be human so apparently you can cross over from human to monster at which killing you is morally uncomplicated? But apparently they get superpowers when they go proper dark side to save hunters the moral calculus so … that’s a helpful indicator I guess. Anyway most of the monsters in these early eps are ghosts (and that’s a whole other Thing), or demons which are generally conceived as just embodiments of evil, I’m sure next time there’s a monster proper it’ll be more clear cut than the wendi—I’m sorry did the shifter literally just say they’re the child of human parents with an extreme mutation? So like. a human? Who other humans abused because … idk they thought they were ugly or something? Look maybe maybe I’m missing something here but I’m just getting ‘abused human with superpowers which they choose to use for evil’. So you consider the ghosts and demons then layer the shifter over the wedigo take the median and you get … supernatural/incorporeal being OR human using superpowers for evil = monster?

Okay I have questions would a human harnessing all their abilities which simply don’t happen to extend beyond your average human powers also be a monster? NO says 1x12 Faith even if they are intentionally harnessing another supernatural being’s powers for evil repeatedly and regularly, killing them would make you just as bad as they are.

In most ways Max falls into the pattern, complicating it by being right on the edge. He has the superpowers! Doing pretty bad things! But is he fully monster yet? I think the episode argues that this wasn't clear so it was right for Sam to try and help him, but it turned out he was already too far gone. Still, he is an abused kid, and having Sam and Dean kill an abused kid would be a Lot. So he's just. Handily swept out of life without them making any choices.

So are all human superpowers evil? No no we’ve got good psychics that seems completely uncomplicated as long as they’re not doing evil with it. And Sam has telekinesis?!!! Oh but wait if I’ve got the future plot right the show decides it’s evil telekinesis and having it doesn’t make you evil but using it will with time. Will it turn you into a monster? I need more info on that but my impression is show says yes (and fans say no but we’re talking show logic right now). Using psychic powers is fine though!

Okay okay. *rubs exhausted eyes*. We’ll leave the possibility of non-evil superpowers aside from being psychic to the side for now. We're still left with: no level of evil on it’s own makes a human a monster (read: morally acceptable to murder) BUT human evil + superpowers is a monster (lose 0 sleep over murdering these!).

In conclusion: WHAT

[eldal0te]

I personally love the theory that Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are Aule and Yavanna, but only as a theory.

Now, personal headcanon is that Tom Bombadil is an Ainu of different category than Valar or Maiar, not directly affiliated with any of them. He says of himself:

"Eldest, that's what I am... Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn... he knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless – before the Dark Lord came from Outside."

which I like to interpret as him being sent to Arda slightly before others (perhaps as an experiment to see how it goes). The Valar and Maiar came just after, but since Tom Bombadil did not come with them, he does not get to share a name with them . Not ALL Ainur are Valar or Maiar, the ones that did not enter the world with them are not given any names. This does not, however, mean that the names for them could not exist. If an Ainu entered Ea separately from the rest and was not a Vala (see Tulkas), I fully believe, that they would be considered their own kind, and since I believe Tom Bombadil entered the world alone - Tom Bombadil is Tom Bombadil, that’s just what he is.

Now, the arguments why I think Tom Bombadil is NOT Iluvatar:

At the Council of Elrond, concerning the idea of sending the ring to Tom Bombadil:

"But in any case," said Glorfindel, "to send the Ring to him would only postpone the day of evil. He is far away. We could not now take it back to him, unguessed, unmarked by any spy. And even if we could, soon or late the Lord of the Rings would learn of its hiding place and would bend all his power towards it. Could that power be defied by Bombadil alone? I think not. I think that in the end, if all else is conquered, Bombadil will fall, Last as he was First; and then Night will come."

"I know little of Iarwain save the name," said Galdor; "but Glorfindel, I think, is right. Power to defy our Enemy is not in him, unless such power is in the earth itself.”

As you can see, elves do not think that Bombadil alone would win the fight with Sauron, and even if, possibly, they are not fully aware what he is, the elves must have much better idea than we do. So no, they clearly don’t think that he is Eru (they do not think that he is omnipotent).

"But within those bounds nothing seems to dismay him," said Erestor. "Would he not take the Ring and keep it there, for ever harmless?"

"No," said Gandalf, "not willingly. He might do so, if all the free folk of the world begged him, but he would not understand the need. And if he were given the Ring, he would soon forget it, or most likely throw it away. Such things have no hold on his mind. He would be a most unsafe guardian; and that alone is answer enough."

According to Gandalf, Tom Bombadil would not understand the meaning of ring, which clearly does not fit the description of Iluvatar, whom Tolkien considered to be omnipresent and omniscient. Moreover, Gandalf (who must have some idea about what Bombadil is, in order to predict his behavior) suggest that he may be forgetful and reckless, which again does not really fit the description of omniscient being.

Somehow, I also have a hard time imagining Tolkien, a very Christian guy, giving Iluvatar (who is personification of a god) a wife.

(Also Tolkien, for all his refusals to elaborate no the topic of Tom Bombadil, clearly states that he is NOT meant to be god. But that is an information coming from outside material, rather that LotR itself, so I get why some might disregard it)

Also, “A plot device Jirt would really appreciate you didn’t think to hard about” is a peak comedy, mostly because that is pretty much exactly what Tolkien stated multiple times:

“I don’t think Tom needs philosophizing about, and is not improved by it.”

“And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally).”

“Tom Bombadil is not an important person – to the narrative. I suppose he has some importance as a ‘comment’.” (Although Tolkien later states that he would not have left him in if he did not have some kind of function)

(All the quotes from “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”)

So I feel like Jirt would be laughing at us all for overthinking this, even though he made Tom Bombadil purposely in a way that makes the reader wonder about him, without any chance to come up with any sensible conclusion.

Tolkien did have some idea about what Bombadil is (even though it is possible that he very deliberately did not even expand on it himself), but it was probably incredibly far from anything we could ever come up with.

(I KNOW I’m contradicting myself a bit in all of this, but I was researching Bombadil while writing and managed to change my own view of this character at least twice in the process. Yes I’m overthinking him but it’s just one of those huge Tolkien mysteries that I just can’t stop thinking about. Sorry for the rant XD)