#I'm strong but like. The Cursed��️ vibe is very present

[a-story-teller]

I was in a major car accident yesterday (got t-boned) and was very luckily a) alone in the car, as the passenger side got walloped and b) not injured. However I took care of everything and then went home and proceeded to sleep for 19 out of the following 24 hours.

[snakesartblog]

I spent a day or two digging through BKMN for analysis, and I’ve got some interesting stuff to share! 

CWs: referenced sexual assault, murder, pregnancy

I'm writing this so that anyone could read it and have some understanding of it, even if they haven't read BKMN. This isn’t a formal essay and there isn’t one specific point that I’m getting at, but I’d argue that the central theme of the story is desire vs coercion.

WEGG

Wegg is the protagonist of BKMN and the symbolism around his storyline isn’t particularly subtle. It’s about finding acceptance as a man, especially following loss of bodily autonomy in sexual assault (unfortunately tends to be viewed as feminine). Following debatably consensual sex with the Swans, Wegg is cursed to die every month, a pretty clear parallel to menstruation, and then he “gives birth” to Calum. The connections from the assault to these things, very dysphoria-inducing for many transmascs, and his need to find meaning and masculinity of his own, I think exemplify the central theme of the book.

His desire for  masculinity and acceptance are very present through the entire book. Even his mannerisms and speech seem very intentionally masculinized, especially in contrast with mild-mannered Neighbor. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t purposeful on his part! In a symbolic sense, he finds acceptance and recognition with Neighbor, another trans person, when he explains his need to die each month and Neighbor takes it in stride. Despite the loss of autonomy he experienced and how it continues to affect him, he finds a place for himself among other trans people. Moreover, he’s homeless - lacking acceptance and community - until he moves in with Neighbor, and when he says that he doesn’t typically eat enough, from then on we see Neighbor cook or buy him food constantly. The symbolism here is pretty strong I think! Wegg feels that he is only accepted or loved when performing a femininity that he hates (as victim/messiah for the Swans and also demonstrated in the flashbacks to his past) until he finds others like him. 

NEIGHBOR

Neighbor is a super interesting way to write a trans character and weave transness into their storyline, in my opinion. It’s established from the first few pages of the book that he kills people, but specifically people who he perceives as harmful to others. Despite filling a classic “violent cis man” niche, a serial killer, he’s aware of his situation and power differentials around him and directs his necessary killing towards at least a less harmful route. Even the very first person we see Neighbor kill, in the opening of the book, is heavily implied to be the target because he committed sexual assault against his partner. He also doesn’t kill out of a desire to do so, and the moment Wegg offers his own blood, giving Neighbor a way out from the murders, Neighbor jumps at the opportunity. Compare this with Rarold, who I’d argue is a foil to Neighbor. They’re both relative outsiders in the community, they both butt heads with Tillman in one way or another, and they both kill people - but Rarold kills only because he wants to, he has no need to do so like Neighbor, and he is exclusively seen targeting young women. Rarold represents the sexist violence typically found in the stories of real-life serial killers, and in doing so makes it clear that Neighbor is not that kind of person.

Neighbor’s position in the town is also interesting, especially in comparison to Wegg’s. Neighbor is a member of the Baths community, arguably due to the services he provides for its members, but he’s still an outsider; no one knows him that well, he has no friends until he meets Wegg, and Tillman gets a bad vibe from him. In the context of this narrative about transmasculinity, there’s a lot there - Neighbor passes as a man thanks to his deal with Trudy, and he pays dearly for it with the murders he enacts. He asks Tillman not to disclose his first name, a name he never uses, to anyone following their trip to the Trudy temple “for safety purposes,” a mirror to the way any stealth trans person might talk about a legal name they never changed. Neighbor is accepted as a man in this pillar of the community, traditionally masculine provider role that he’s built for himself, but he’s still an outsider, and knows that he would risk losing the support of those around him were he open about his transness. To maintain his personal safety he trades openness regarding his identity, close relationships with those around him, and his conception of his own morality (he says multiple times that he doesn’t consider himself a good person due to the murders he has to commit). Even so, despite his lack of close ties to the cisgender people in the community and his idea of himself as a bad person, he tries to direct his killing to reduce the harm he’s doing, he helps Tillman find Trudy, houses Wegg, and does chores for, like, half the town of Baths. Despite his position, he clearly cares about the people around him and wants to be a positive influence.

As a note, there’s a bit of Biblical symbolism connected to Neighbor, but it’s not consistent. I couldn’t find a properly reliable source for it, but the internet says that the name Adie was originally a diminutive of Adam. He built his own body, making him his own God, and was cast out from Eden (became an outsider in the community) in the process. His original body was also burned on a cross following his deal with Trudy!

THE GODS

I think the conflict of the story is most concisely exemplified in the conflict between Trudy and Calum. Trudy represents desire itself, as the book very explicitly tells us. She’s the snake in Eden of Neighbor’s symbolism, and her devotees follow her very willingly. Trudy’s religion is decidedly voluntary, she grants her followers’ desires and only takes what they’re willing to give. She requires Neighbor kill people because it’s within his capacity, but Tillman isn’t required to harm others at all - dealing with Trudy is morally neutral and never seems to be forced. Calum, on the other hand, was forced onto Wegg, and represents a loss of autonomy for the power of others. The followers of the two gods are juxtaposed, especially in the ways Wegg and Tillman are treated as new followers of Calum and Trudy respectively. The fight scene between the two gods in the climax of the book is symbolic of the central themes of desire and consent.

[star-boi0720]

infant and innocent

my poor sweet boy

Vylad lore Time!!

so

Vylad was the odd out-of-left-field child that was born 10 years after Garroth and Zane (who are twins in my version cause make that divide even bigger between them) because Adam/garte was believed dead for that ten-year age gap he had a whole odyssey-type quest to return home, tangent for another time.

one tiny thing i changed about the whole vylad not being gartes son thing Eve./zianna didn't cheat he was made using magic because of a whole prophecy that she was told of when she was younger (the whole reason she agreed to marry him) and when Adam "died" Eve made vylad for the prophecy of helping Irene/Abby defeat shad but literally no one knows that until way later. but there is discussion if vylad is actually Adams or not but Adam wants vylad to be his so they play that for looks. but there's always whispers people looking at vylad like he's an abomination but he does have Adam's blood but like in a ritual way not the normal way.

but vylad was born with the ability to see the dead so, "he was seeing things that were not there" so everyone thought he was crazy and some even wanted to burn him at the stake for the monster people thought he was and believedhe was a curse upon the land by his mother which most people did not like cause shes a 💫woman with her own thoughts💫. So long story short in Adam's in sickness(that he got on his journey) controlled state he locks vylad inside the castle Disney princess style and he always had a jury of nine member present with him which only got worse when garroth and zane got put in charge of the jury.(which i had have a whole 10 commandments vibe)

but vylad was a free spirit type of boy curious always escaping his guards wanting to see the world. but then a village finds vylad and burns him at the stake and garroth finds his body TRAMUA💁‍♀️ ensues garroth destroys the entire village then bamn, garroth gets taken over by the sin of pride because him and vylad had a fight right before and garroth refused to admit he was wrong which directly led to vylads death then Eve hides garroth in phoenix drop to protect him from their father who who has just gone crazy at that point.

but after vylad dies he emerges in the nether but from the moment he comes shad can tell vylad will be a problem cause vylad has an uncanny resemblance to kulzak so shad stuffs most his energy and his humanity into the void to be eaten and the husk of him to be him mindless slave but shad is 🌌stupid🌌 and didnt ake into account vylads power his mind is too strong for that to break him and he can still control himself from the void but its super painful but most everything else if very similar to canon like he's the reason abby even shows up and carry the beginning of the shows plot on his fucking back lol

Also side not when vylad and the twins as I will call him no one believed he was vylad at first cause of how different he seemed which vylad feel like and absolute freak like he's been told all his life

sorry if none of this makes sense its 2:30 in the morning and I'm very tired

[superspecial-awesome]

s0 queerosexual hcs. for pride month

basically my interpretation of the cast in this regard is that theyre a bunch of annoying queer teenagers who will never discover this about themselves because they live in 1990s japan and all think there's only gay and straight and that being the former is grounds to be beaten in the streets

Yugi: the only one who has his shit figured out. transmasc and bi and he plans on taking that to his grave. he has a strong preference for women though so that part never really comes up. "attracted to every woman ever and one guy i met at a gas station six years ago" disease. also bonus points anzu knows he's transmasc and helped him figure out binding and shit

Miho: huge lesbian but "oh no it's just that girls are objectively more attractive than guys everyone knows that, i just haven't met the right man yet, besides every girl wishes they could date women instead that's why bakura is so popular it's because he looks like a woman." I also like to imagine that in an ideal world, she'd fuck with genderfluidity

Bakura: aroace and agender transfem. he gives me he/it/any vibes. I think partly due to The Mega Autism he never really understood the deal with traditional masculinity so he feels disconnected from manhood as a whole and would be a lot more comfortable being able to exist as something entirely detached from gender. I also think the swarms of girls at all times made him view women as some sort of other species entirely and he's got a lot of deep-rooted misogyny going on about it, but tbh anzu and miho could fix him. and make him into the vague girlthing he always was

Anzu: Idk what label to slap onto her but I don't think physical appearance or gender plays any role in her being attracted to people at all. maybe like demiromantic asexual. but i dont think demi is the term im looking for. definitely ace though.

Honda: "WOW I LOVE BEING A MAN I LOVE WOMEN AND RULES AND ORDER I DON'T AT ALL FEEL LIKE I'M CURSED TO FIT MYSELF INTO A BOX THAT'S TOO SMALL FOR ME" and he believes that wholeheartedly and then wonders why he needs to constantly prove himself over things that don't matter to avoid his mental health crumbling to dust. I don't think he's trans though I just think he needs to chill out. also he's bi and poly and the single most useless hopeless romantic ever.

Jonouchi: bi but i think his refusal to accept that as a possibility has made him very aware of a lot of other things he has going on psychologically. like his homophobia has somehow made him a more self-aware and chill person. "honda put his hand on my shoulder for more than 0.5 seconds and my entire nervous system took a screenshot does this mean im g--wait no im just touched starved huh i wonder if that has ever impacted my poor decision making in the past." also him being used for the cartoon standard "guy wears girl clothes and likes it" joke is grounds for me to hc him as genderqueer. I could absolutely see him getting really into fem presentation.

Yami Yugi: gay gay homosexual gay

Kaiba: transfem in the super dysphoric way but will absolutely never find this out because any time she becomes remotely aware of something bothering her about herself she just looks in the mirror and says "no." i also wanna say arospec and aspec but idk she's fully either. i think if i wanted to give you an accurate idea of how attraction works for her i'd have to pull up the homestuck quadrants and i'm not joking.

Yami Bakura: agender is a way that's like "dude I'm a ghost in a ring who cares." If you called him a she he'd be like "what" and then after you got two words into explaining he'd go "nvm I underestimated the amount of shit I don't give about this." His sexuality is no time for dat goku

[ravenbloodshot]

Kim Young Dae (Actor)...Red + Green Flags

❤

He may curse like a sailor, hard for him to hold back his words

He's quite manipulative and may be the type to take advantage of others weakness for his own benefit

He could have a hard time holding himself accountable for his wrongdoings (or just bad at admitting his faults). Also, he could not like criticism of any kind

He may be the type to run from his problems (could lead to addcition) and unnecessarily feel bad for himself when he's the problem (like if you called him out for doing something wrong, he could start saying self depreciating things like "ik I'm a fuck up" which is sort of manipulation and how he truly feels mixed together. In the end he could get free from accountability if the person starts to pity him or feel bad for him)

I don't think he handles confrontation well at all. He's not good at arguing and he can't convey his point of view well whatsoever (like the type of guy to not speak coherently when he argues or mumble his words a lot). I definitely think he uses a sweeter/harmless image to get away with a lot of things (like giving puppy eyes 🥺, hoping the person pities him enough to forgive him)

He's too nostalgic and up in lala land (Pisces tings). He also idolizes/glamorizes other ppls lives too much (its like he thinks the things he sees on Instagram is all real and he ends up feeling bad for himself or catching FOMO when he sees ppl on Instagram supposedly living their best life). Basically he has grass is greener on the other side syndrome

In love: He has codependent tendencies and is too clingy, has abandonment issues and runs from the relationship when problems arise. He also could love others more than they love him and stay in such a relationship, maybe due to fear of being alone (not really the kind of guy to catch onto hints that his crush doesn't want him, you literally have to spell that out to him)

💚

He's good at getting rid of ppl that aren't serving him and that are just using him, his intuition is pretty strong so it could lead him away from bad ppl when he listens to it

He could be pretty good at reading ppl or their energy (could do well as a tarot reader), like he knows when the ppl around him are in a bad mood and can read others wants/wishes well.

He's not one to baby others, he's good at reassuring and advising but he won't coddle you. He's more of a "lick your wounds so you can get up and fight at life another day" type of guy so I do think to his friends and loved ones he can be very helpful to them when their down n out

Youngdae is quite sarcastic and a jokester, he could be a very entertaining guy to be around and knows how to uplift the energy in a room (he could be the type to show his true feelings through jokes, others may not be able to pick up on it though if they only take his jokes at face value)

He lives in the present and has no problem putting his phone away, going on long drives to release himself from social media and the internet (which I think is good for him since he doesn't have a healthy view of those that floss on social media and protray a fabulous life). He is really good at "being there" with those that he's with, he doesnt look through his phone while at a dinner with friends/lovers, instead he's fully present and there with them, engaging with them

I'm getting the vibe that he loves music but he sucks at making music (could be a bad dancer, bad singer, lack of rhythm). But he does laugh at himself and make jokes about his musical faults

In love: he's very loving and sweet to his partner, loves to flirt and entice them. He can be very affectionate and touchy, gentlemanly as well but he may lose his manners when he gets too excited. He loves to be asked out and confessed to, he's just a sweet and romantic guy when in love

Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine is a song that fits this readings energy

[criminal-sen]

Heeehhoo I got multi tagged for this so ty to prev, @fractoluminescence and also to op<3 (ps I don't have any characters who I'm super like 'it me!!!!' But I found. some guys idk)

Okay Tetsuo from Akira is a shit in the movie for sure, like he does not handle his newfound powers very responsibly (tho who can rly blame him imho). But Tetsuo in the manga is a whole different level of Shit, he's the same unhinged mess of hormonal teenage.. machismo bullshit.. mixed with 'whoops I have godlike powers I didn't ask for nor can I comprehend without my mind shattering, guess I'll proclaim myself GodKing/Drug Lord/Bike Gang Ruler/Harem Owner/whatever strikes my fancy bc im the biggest strongest toughest man around💪 and i do!!!! what i want!!!!!' and then he sits there on his throne just fuckin. FUMING and unhappy and man.. idk.. that's just such a relatable vibe to me. A teenaged me surely would've been just as wild and angsty about my newfound powers (and maybe even a present day me, who knows) tho I like to think I'd be uhhhh 😏💅 a bit better at it tbfhhhhh.. like I contemplate. thr world. and thr horrors. I'm basically a monk I would be fine:) *immediately explodes into giblets*

Ruth from Ancient Magus Bride is literally just a doggo, he wants to do a good job and protect the ppl he cares about and Bite anyone who threatens them. And um. Yah😒 v easy to see how thats relatable ig. I'm protective of the ppl who are important me, holy shit🤯 (this is sarcasm) But also like.. I'm kind of a directionless wet blanket of a person on my own??? I need a s/o or a friend to be like 'okay it's time for Outside, you wanna go outside???' so there's uh. There's also that:)

Kisame Hoshigaki is 100% 'idk I just work here' vibes, for the majority of his screen time he's the absolute least fanatical-acting Akatsuki member. It's this air of mystery around him.. like he's doing all these dangerous fights with the same emotional gravitas as a blue collar worker punching in for another shift at the ol paper mill or whatever. Does this mean he's just ridiculously strong and has no reason to be concerned? Or is he secretly the MOST fanatically devoted member, he just is rly good at hiding it??? I'm not gonna plot spoil lol. But I fuck very heavily with those vibes, more as an aspiration than a relatable thing tbfh (I have zero chill smh)

*slyly inserts my own art😏* Lastly Mayuri cuz ofc I'm gonna put him. I think that Mayuri's character is largely up for interpretation- how much of his personality is an act, wtf happened in his past, why is he so uhhhh (insert weird and off-putting trait) - and that's a big reason why I was drawn to him. Him being a villain (or at least villainous) only makes him better for all the negative shit I air out in my ff. Like believe me, I have Cursed this man lol

On a lighter note (and sorry for the repeating, I've said all this before in SO many other posts) the mad scientist part of him, specifically the 'constantly modifies his own body' part, has helped me work thru being - and coming out as - trans. Sometimes I wish I had a cooler coping mechanism bc 'yah this uhhhh weird anime guy helped me transition' isn't very fun to say outside of very limited circles dhdgdvdvdv but I appreciate him just as much as ever and Need to get back to writing my ffs about him😭

I used alllllllll my brain cells writing this (none left for tagging ppl, plus I always tag the same 3 ppl I stfg) so if u see this and u wanna do it, feel free<3

Moots! Show 4 characters who have a personality similar to yours

(Just to pass the time)

@jack-in-finit @srtruth @toxictaicho @r473n

[whumpster-fire]

Okay RWS/TTTE Tumblr, I have to share possibly the funniest "RWS is a fucking documentary" story ever, as relayed by Youtuber Hyce telling the story while three other guys at the Colorado Railroad Museum try to guess what happened next: (go watch it on YouTube for a good ab workout)

I think the synopsis on this incident being read is here?

This is an absurd week-long saga involving seven different engines getting stuck or derailed, sometimes repeatedly. In a nutshell, behind a keep reading so you can guess along with the video:

To set the stage: The Rio Grande Southern was a crappy podunk railroad in Southwestern Colorado. I'm getting the vibe that this was kind of the real-life equivalent of the Mid Sodor Railway. Relevant locations are Ridgway, the northern terminus, Durango, the southern terminus, Rico, a town kind of in the middle of the line, and Lizard Head Pass, the highest part of the line, which is between Ridgway and Rico. On either end the RGS meets a larger and more competent railroad, the Denver and Rio Grande Western.

Rio Grande Southern #20 gets stuck in the snow while traveling South from the north terminus of its line in Ridgeway. In the middle of the night, in the mountains. It sounds like in a snowstorm.

The next day, two other engines, RGS 22 and RGS 42, come up the mountain from the other direction with a snowplow to free it, along with a little railcar that was just trying to deliver the mail. They set off back towards the south and all of them almost immediately get stuck again.

After three days of the original train, the rescue train, and the railcar all being stuck in the snow, two more rescue trains are sent from either end of the line. On the northern end, the superintendent of the railroad and "every available man" set out with the only engine present, Denver and Rio Grande Western #455, who was leased from the neighboring railroad and probably really wants to go home. On the southern end, D&RGW #458 is "borrowed" to go help, which I think means this engine was not even leased, this is just an engine from a completely different railroad that has to come help because the RGS has gotten basically its entire fleet stuck and the one remaining engine, #41 is small and not very strong.

The superintendent's rescue train also gets stuck, and the borrowed engine's tender derails and rolls over. Neither of them get anywhere near the stuck train. There are now three stuck rescue trains and the original train gets stuck too.

D&RGW #271, who is also not actually part of the railway with the stuck train, comes up with a breakdown crane to put 458's tender back on the rails. This is successful, and 458 continues on towards Rico. 271 apparently decides not to deal with this whole cursed rescue mission, and decides to go home and take the crane with it. On the way home, 271... gets stuck in the snow.

271 gets unstuck by its crew and goes home. 458 meets up with #41, and they take the rotary snowplow up to free the original rescue train, consisting of #20 (which has now been stuck in the snow for SIX DAYS), #22, #42, and the railcar). They FINALLY free the stuck train, and head back towards Rico.

On the way back down, #458 and #41 derail AGAIN.

They finally make it back to Rico... meanwhile the superintendent and #455 are STILL FUCKING STUCK on the other side of the pass.

Poor #458, who is not even supposed to be here and might have some sort of damage from the tender derailment but I'm pretty sure is the biggest and strongest engine here, sets out with the rotary plow again to rescue its sibling, but the damaged tender derails TWO MORE TIMES.

458 gives up and tries to turn back (RWS translation: this poor engine's probably sobbing about wanting to go home by now)... but a couple miles outside of town is blocked by an avalanche!

458's crew (and presumably the rotary plow's) just fucking abandon their engine and walk the rest of the way.

Eventually, some time later RGS #20 and #42 go and free the superintendent. #458 has presumably gone home and refused to set wheel on the RGS ever again.

But the ultimate "RWS is a fucking documentary" moment: 84 years later, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad is a distant memory. The only survivors of this whole clusterfuck are RGS #41, RGS #42, the Railcar... and RGS #20, which has been right there next to the guys telling the story the entire time while they have been absolutely losing it and roasting the fuck out of this railway for the last 20 minutes. Everyone remembers this and starts joking about how they've probably given their steam engine PTSD flashbacks and apologizes to her.

[mephestopheles]

Okay, so this meta is a kind of catchall but it didn't solidify for me until episode four. Spoilers ahead.

So while I don't think Capitalism is the actual bad guy of this season, I do believe, autonomy and choice is at the forefront, not just the importance of Story, which is definitely present, I think Brennan is kind of interrogating not only the role of Story narratively speaking but also how things like fate and destiny are you used as shorthand for 'plot'. The fairies of the neverafter have decided that something is very wrong if the characters and 'people' of the neverafter don't follow their required paths.

Now look at each of the characters and how they're interacting with Story.

Gerard wants to get back to his story. He's the one most likely to follow the wishes of the fairies and do what they want because he just wants to get back to what he believes he's owed. Yes, it is terrible that he was turned into a frog as a little boy and then expected to understand how to rule a kingdom when he's full grown and the curse is lifted. Yes he's going to have a very black and white view on what the expectations of his life 'should be'. So, of all the people who are going to follow the rules of the fairies, he's the one that will have the hardest time going against his own nature and whatever pull Story has on him. He's comes across as a spoiled prince and a coward because he's an adult.

But his entire worldview was set when he was very young and then he spent who knows how many years living in a pond waiting for a princess to break the spell.

Rosamund is another character that is still very much tied to her Story. Again, another young character cursed and locked away from any kind of growth and developed the expectation that a prince would come to save her. She still very much believes that a prince will find her and save her even if she's becoming disillusioned by events of the narrative so far. Her talk with Cinderella is hopefully going to have lasting effects for her but narratively, the "main story" has strong vines.

Pinocchio, poor Pinocchio. I think it's an easy guess that stepmother is one of the fae. Not a witch, but kind of like an archfey. I wonder if she's also the evil fae who cursed Rosamund. Her having many roles in the stories holds to how Brennan seems to be plotting this. I absolutely didn't know that in one version of Pinocchio, he kills the cricket. Yes Pinocchio wants to be a real boy again, but I think he's much less inclined to follow the narrative if he can get away with things he might start pushing back. See the broken off nice as an example. Also his relationship with Pib is interesting. Despite the terrible story where he met Pib with a fox. Pinocchio has trickster qualities that might help Pib more than stepmother, although she does have Pinocchio's father under her thumb.

So I had an image stuck in my head of the entire crew and I think I got them all. I think I'm conveying this correctly, like this is where we start Neverafter off and these are the current positions after EP 4.

Tim is a fence sitter, I get stronger "do it for others" vibes from him than Gerard, but not as strong as Ylfa. Ylfa is not pulled as much by the story as she is by needing family, especially her grandmother. If she has to be in a story for that to be possible then she might go for it, but she's the first to put herself on the line to help others so she has a bit more of a selfless vibe to her.

Pib is very self driven, the vibe of a shit head cat, what pot can I stir to make this fun for me? That's our scrappy little kitty right now. The meta stuff might fade a bit but he's still so much out for himself he'll torpedo a story if something is cooler on the other end.

Pinocchio is on the line, waffling all over the place at the whim of his fae patron.

Overall it's going to be interesting how this resolves. I don't think they'll end up all over into the meta selfless side. In fact I can see Ylfa learning to take care of herself, and Pib is at the end of the day a trickster and he may learn something but not quite enough to apply it somewhere else.

The really cool thing about all of it is that several of these stories begin when they were exceptionally young. Rosamund was a baby when she was cursed and she had to grow up with the knowledge of the curse her entire life. Gerard was a young boy when he was cursed, same as Pinocchio. Ylfa is twelve and is a werewolf. Pib is a cat that defies placing any official age and once again trickster. Tim is kind of outside the narrative by being mother Goose, a storyteller in his own right.

[cricksmaidiene]

My Realistic Predictions for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (BOTW-Sequel) 🏰

Spoiler alert

I'm gonna list down what I think are realistic predictions, and not a wishlist of what we're gonna get on the new game in May 2023. This is based on

Some promo videos already shown to us by Nintendo

Building on strong fan theories by some awesome Youtube channels and blogs

Past history of Zelda games

Predictions ☑️

Time Travel ⏳

The odds of time travel being a part of this game are quite high.

We have seen two versions of link in the trailers, and one seems particularly different and a lot more like the hero of ancient past from 10k years ago.

The premise of the game from promos certainly veers towards fixing the present based on lessons from the past

Lack of sheikah tech in the promo videos

Incorporation of Zonai who are regarded as an ancient tribe, and not topical

Time travel is a main part of most Zelda games. Ocarina of time, A link to the past are directly based on time travel, and skyward sword and twilight princess had alternate dimensions.

Three Maps 🗺

We have seen sky-islands in the trailers, as well as both Link and Zelda underground. This might be expanding on BOTW's map by adding the "heavens" and "netherworld" so to speak, so there would be 3 layers to explore.

A lot of folks have commented how it would not be ideal that the "earth / hyrule" map from botw would be copy pasted into the new game. This will likely not be true as this could be hyrule from eons ago.

Dungeons over Shrines 🦇

BOTW had a lack of traditional Zelda dungeons and instead filled them with atomic shrines, albeit a large number of them. TOTK will likely have traditional dungeons and not shrines. These shrines may not be "themed" shrines like in previous zelda games.

Ganondorf over Calamity Ganon 🐗

Calamity ganon from BOTW indeed looks like a puppet and it looks like we will face the actual ganon / ganondorf that is the source of evil / malice in hyrule only in this game

Zonai 🎣

The Zonai, which were a mysterious ancient tribe in the Faron region will likely make an appearance in this game. We never saw any Zonai in BOTW but we saw multiple evidences of their footprint all over Hyrule.

Create a Cyclical Zelda Timeline 🕰

TOTK's Ouroboros theme looks like it will wrap the zelda timeline into an endless cycle. There have been some speculation that this game will be the one to break the cyclical timeline (likely created by Demise's curse in Skyward Sword) but I think it will end on a dark note.

Zelda Dies & The Appearance of Hylia 🌬

Hylia might make an appearance in this game and we may see some form of merge between Zelda and Hylia in order to save the world.

Likely not gonna happen ❌

Playable Zelda 🎮

Pretty sure Nintendo experimented with this in Age of Calamity, and while it's great to build lore - it also takes away from the enigmatic nature of zelda's character. So, no playable zelda - although some form of co-op might still happen.

Breaking the Timeline Cycle 🌀

TOTK would focus from a lore POV to close the zelda timeline and not break it apart. Nintendo have spent the last decade doing their best to provide closure for zelda lore, which went haywire with the release of OOT. They added Skyward sword as the very first game in the timeline, released the Hyrule Historia book with the forked timeline AND released BOTW at the very end. This means TOTK would would somehow cycle back to Skyward sword or the like.

Conclusion

I hope to be right about some of these and wrong about others.

Check out these youtube channels:

Triforce Trends

Hyrule Gamer

Zeltik

Nintendo Black Crisis

Mr A Game

And remember to vibe to:

[pinksilvace]

If you want, give us the full version of your thoughts about Sonic 06: the musical

Haha, this got long (2600 words!)

I'm a very cursed person to ask about this because there are three (3) musicals I am known to talk about and I have a very inconsistent music taste but here goes:

Opening Number. Themed around the festival of the sun, Soleanna, and Solaris during the chorus bits. It's got to have a number of overlapping parts, thanks to the game's three main storylines. It's loud and intense and expresses the goals of the main characters: Silver has to restore the future, Shadow has to protect the world's relative peace, and Sonic has to take down bad guys to save the common folk. Cool? Cool. Once everything's been established, Silver continues on with his part, describing what life is like in the future, and the chorus stays to the fringes of the stage. Silver is appealing directly to the audience. The music slows enough for Mephiles to come in, say his promising bit, and get Silver's agreement before swelling again for the end of the number.

Since they're on my mind, I'm going to establish a few things here. This musical should be focused on Iblis and Mephiles. Eggman will be mentioned, but not shown. Also, there is an actress for Blaze, but I really like the idea that she's a friend Silver made up, so she's typically only in scenes where Silver is alone or with Mephiles. Silver might make a few comments to her, but nobody else pays her any mind. A few things about the plot of '06 will be restructured to make it more concise, since musicals need to be pretty compressed.

Also, Mephiles needs a STRONG leitmotif. It’s with him whenever he shows up, as well as in other special circumstances as mentioned below. Additionally, his theme in the game is powerful for so many reasons, and one of them is the fact that it has no words. I think it's alright if he has pieces that are sung softly or not sung at all for the first part of the show.

Second Number. Sonic is doing his hero stuff. Just a general exploration of his character and daily routine with Tails. For this piece, he’s rescuing the princess of Soleanna from a mentioned “Eggman.” Elise does a brief little dance segment with Sonic and Tails before going offstage.

Throughout the musical, Elise can be seen as part of the chorus, but she will be primarily excluded from the plot. I love you, Elise, but for the sake of a musical, saving you repeatedly makes even less sense than it did in the game.

Third Number. As Sonic runs off the stage, Shadow runs in from the other side and stops in the center, right wherever Sonic just was. As he does so, the lighting changes. This is his spy mission to retrieve Rouge and the Scepter of Darkness. The chorus of this song is “cold” and has a hard drop*. This is Shadow’s song, they can go however cool for it as they want.

*check out Idea, libidO, Wonderland, or Back Door to see what I mean (I didn’t think I’d be linking kpop but it was all I could think of for examples). It’s all about the vibes; they SCREAM “spy mission.”

Fourth Number. Silver’s in the present! This song is short, but it’s all about appreciating the world around you. Blaze, the friend he communes with when he’s anxious, is gone.

Fifth Number. Comedic little number between Silver and Amy. Amy tries to explain basic concepts of society to Silver, Silver mostly fails to understand them, Amy deems his efforts good enough. There are no background dancers; it’s just the two of them, and it really emphasizes the fact that they’re both in their early teens.

It’s cute and clumsy. Again, it’s supposed to be a lighthearted and comedic view of their search together. The audience obviously knows that they’re searching for the same person, but the characters don’t.

Sixth Number. They find Sonic and Tails! Yay! It’s their confrontation. Driven by his determination, Silver’s personality directly contrasts from what it was in the previous number. Sonic fails because he’s focused more on Tails’ well-being than his own. The whole thing continually builds until Amy cuts in. Silver is left alone on the stage.

Seventh Number. Silver solo number about weighing the world against a single life. We see his doubt. The determination is gone; he’s clearly a kid again. This piece is one of the more somber ones in the show. At the end, Blaze walks up from where she’d been watching at the back of the stage and sings a short bit about their mission. During this, we can hear Mephiles’ leitmotif to emphasize that he’s gotten inside of Silver’s head.

Transition Scene. Sonic and Tails bump into Shadow and Rouge. Sonic messes with Shadow, and after a bit, they chase one another around the stage, including up onto ramps and higher set pieces, where Rouge and Tails have settled. Sonic knocks into Rouge and sends the Scepter of Darkness falling to the stage below. It releases Mephiles, who says a bit, maybe sings a small part, and makes the stage go dark.

Just for the sake of this show, I think I want to do away with the whole “Mephiles takes up Shadow’s shadow” thing. Hating him is enough to form their special connection <3. Besides, Mephiles deserves a cool costume (I’m talking Macavity from cats levels of wild) that slowly devolves over the course of the show.

Eighth Number. IT’S CRISIS CITY TIME, BABY!!! Sonic and Shadow start to prattle at one another, then Tails and Rouge reveal that they’re all in the future. With that, we enter into a Team Sonic/Team Dark rivalry duet while they all look around for a way out. This is going to be a long piece; it transitions directly into the flame core boss fight with Iblis, which is the half that’s heavier on choreography and lighter on words. At Iblis’ defeat, they realize that the monster tore open a portal, and without better options, they jump through it.

Imagine the banter between Sonic and Shadow in this song to be like the banter between Light and L in Stalemate from the Death Note musical. Not in context, but in the way their parts work together. Iblis should be a big jumble of chorus dancers dressed in red (think the costumes from this but all the same tone) that are linked together and lash out at the heroes.

Ninth Number. Mephiles redirected each member’s journey through time, though they all end up back in the present. When Shadow steps out of the portal, he’s alone with Mephiles himself. They have their little scene about humans going after Shadow, then a number wherein Mephiles remains calm but Shadow’s temper and tone rise. This is, of course, cut off with Omega shooting Mephiles, who ragdolls to the floor. Rouge’s voice comes over the speakers as if she’s talking through Shadow’s intercom to warn him that they’ve all been broken up. Shadow exits through the back of the stage. Omega exits through the audience.

I imagine Omega looking like a very stoic Man in Black sort of guy. He’s just some guy in a suit and sunglasses that speaks stiffly and has a gun.

Tenth Number. Sonic is all alone and has a solo about how he has no idea what’s going on. Silver appears elsewhere on the set such that their characters do not notice one another. Both of them sing individually about wanting to promote a better future, then have a short duet.

Eleventh Number. Silver has a very brief confrontation with Mephiles, who points out Sonic’s position on the stage.

Twelfth Number (Act I Closing). Silver confronts Sonic. Part-way through the number, Shadow hurries in to defend Sonic and drop the bomb that Mephiles has been toying with Silver the whole time (insert leitmotif with a note off). Triple S decide to team up. They all go into the portal to the past. This song is pretty long and an absolute BANGER.

At this point, Sonic doesn't need to rescue Elise two more times for padding. He can hang out with Shadow and Silver for Act II.

Thirteenth Number (Act II Opening). Solo Mephiles number. It's short, it's gentle, and it acts as his "I want" song the way that the opening number does for triple S. He briefly lets the audience into the agony he feels being separated from Iblis and his discontent with watching time being steered the wrong way. He also mentions that humans have mistreated him and how he loathes them. He remains onstage for the next number and watches the performance.

I didn’t make this part thirteen on purpose, but I think that that’s a nice touch.

Fourteenth Number. The Duke of Soleanna and his scientists are separating Solaris into pieces. Not only is the process described to us; this is where the audience is informed about what Iblis and Mephiles actually are. It ends with the blast of failure.

First act was all about triple S. I think it would be nice for these previous two pieces to focus a bit more on the villain. I wouldn't want it to be any sooner than the second act, since Mephiles is, by nature, in the background, but trying for the audience's sympathy would be neat. The fourteenth number should be performed such that we side against the scientists.

Fifteenth Number. Triple S rush onstage. Mephiles (the spectator) creeps away. They survey the damage. A bit wary of the stranger, Sonic offers to follow Iblis with Silver while Shadow goes after Mephiles. First, we follow Shadow, and there is a reprised motif from the ninth number.

Sixteenth Number. Sonic and Silver are chasing Iblis. There’s a short (maybe a minute, minute and a half) segment where they learn more about one another before the music slows. Silver catches Iblis, but before Sonic can try to jump at it, the Duke arrives with Elise, and we have a longer musical piece about her duty and his love for her. Even when this scene is over, the tune carries on until triple S meets up again to return to the present.

I don’t like the crying rule in the game. It’s hard to think about. If the Duke makes it clear that Elise cannot be incapacitated in some way, I think that that would make much more sense as a rule for releasing Iblis.

Seventeenth Number. A short song about all the different things that the characters have to accomplish. Silver wants to capture Iblis in the future, Shadow’s going to hunt down Mephiles, and Sonic’s going to check on the princess, now that he knows she might be one of Mephiles’ targets. They tear open a portal and all move to accomplish their tasks.

Think Notes or Preparations for the pacing. Maybe even Very Very Busy. Also, assume they’ve been collecting the chaos emeralds all this time. I’m too lazy to go back and find all the spots where they do.

Eighteenth Number. The scene where Silver seals Iblis. Let’s say he manages to seal it within one of the emeralds. When he does, Blaze disappears from the stage for good.

This one is supposed to be a little bittersweet. The song is powerful, but just like in the game, Silver should finish it sounding a little bit lost. He’s finally accomplished his lifelong goal, after all.

Nineteenth Number. Team Dark is on the hunt for Mephiles. The first part is just a search and probably has a motif from the third number. When they reach Mephiles in the desert, they have a little back-and-forth singing confrontation. Mephiles sounds the most agitated that he’s been in the entire show so far. There’s a short battle shown through dance, then Shadow has his biggest solo singing moment of the show before delivering the final piece.

This is a long number. The first part of this makes me think of Find Anatole and Why Have You Brought Me Here?. The second part also reminds me of something, but I don’t know what.

Twentieth Number. Sonic and Tails reach the castle of Soleanna and are denied entry. They devise another way in. The number ends in Elise’s room, where Sonic and Tails switch between entertaining Elise and being on guard. Mephiles comes up from the back of the stage and stabs Sonic through the back while he’s the entertainer. Sonic crumples to the floor. Elise screams and faints. Tails cries out. The whole scene stops so that Mephiles, looking at Iblis (which is probably just a lighting effect rising from Elise), can deliver a soliloquy. After that, the lighting goes wild, and the stage seems to shatter.

If you need a visual for the frozen moment in time, think of Hamilton’s final monologue.

Twenty-First Number. When the lights settle, the stage is arranged differently. All of the familiar cast is there: Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Silver, Rouge, Omega, Elise, and Amy. Shadow, Tails, and Amy examine Sonic, and they all find evidence that he’s alive. He isn’t bleeding out; this is a space without time. He’s also not getting any better. The group resolves to search for the emeralds again. The song starts out somber, picks up momentum, and ends somber again.

Twenty-Second Number. The group all comes back together around Sonic’s body. On the set above them, the light illuminates Mephiles, who is now Solaris. His costume is different than it was before. It’s brighter. He bursts into song with a gusto that we haven’t seen from him all show. As he’s delivering his villain moment, he’s puppeteering around the other characters on the stage below.

The intensity of this piece is supposed to show that Mephiles is whole again.

Twenty-Third Number. The longest piece of the show. The characters attempt to gather all of the emeralds together, but Mephiles keeps them each from reaching Sonic. Tails is the one to devise a plan; he gives his emerald to another character, who begins to discreetly collect them from the rest of the cast while Mephiles’ attention is elsewhere. Tails sets up a distraction that allows this character to reach Sonic. The chaos emeralds erupt with power, Sonic rises, yadda yadda, Solaris boss fight. The musical piece goes on all the way until Sonic and Elise are alone with Solaris’ flame and choose to blow it out.

I think Amy should be the one to collect the emeralds. That would be neat. I don’t have much of an idea what the fight would look like, but to be fair, I’ve been outlining for four hours by this point and my brain is starting to wear out.

Twenty-Fourth Number. A reflection of the opening number. Themed around the festival of the sun. Sonic and Shadow double down on their goals, maybe with an extra lesson they’ve learned. Silver has a solo moment to express what he’s looking forward to in the future. Most of the piece is bright and expressive, but it ends on a mellow tune.

I have a few ideas about the costuming and makeup that I’m NOT going to try tacking onto this post because it is long enough, but the sum of it is that I don’t want the characters to be Sonic characters human-ified. I want the costumes to be WEIRD. If anything, I want the costumes to only be evocative of the characters they represent. They should be able to stand on their own for the purposes of attracting the general audience.

I always like shows where the chorus dancers go through the aisles. I think that that would be a nice touch for the opening and ending numbers.

For how dramatic it is, Sonic ‘06 should always have just been a musical. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[t3tsubaby]

Animes the Haikyuu characters would watch

TYSM for over 100 notes on my first post!! I thought of this post while finishing the Kuroko No Basket Movie and I thought it would be an interesting take based on their personalities.

Hinata Shoyo: One Piece

It's already canon that Shoyo likes One Piece and I definitely agree. Despite it being so long, he loves the adventures Luffy goes through and the hardships and the way they all work together. (Can you tell I'm only 6 episodes into One Piece?).

Kageyama Tobio: Moriarty the Patriot

Okay this is just a personal take because I love both Kageyama and Moriarty the Patriot. We all know he has an analytical brain(reserved for volleyball only) however he would probably find it so interesting with the class structure and moral issues that are presented in the show. I feel like he wouldn't know who to side with but he would find it very interesting.

Yachi Hitoka: Fruits Basket

Aw wait this is actually so cute because Yachi and Tohru are literally such lovely characters and I think Yachi would love Tohru so much. She would love the romance aspect of it but also the different problems that are with the Sohma's.(Yes I'm only 11 episodes in I still love it though).

Sugawara Koushi: Attack on Titan

I'm a big AOT fan and Sugawara was my first choice for this anime. He would probably join a group chat to discuss moral and ethical problems in the story and discussing Zeke or Eren's plan. I feel like he would also make playlists for the different characters. He definitely owns the entire manga but wouldn't spoil it to anime-only's. He would be so nervous for the ending that's coming on April 9th(I am too Suga). He would also force Daichi to watch AOT I just know it.

Kuroo Tetsurou: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Ahh omg I love this romance anime so much because it's more grown up and mature, but also has classic shojo themes. Kuroo would enjoy the comedy aspect and the romance of the characters too. He definitely sees himself as Kabakura(And I see myself as Koyanagi 😎).

Kenma Kozume: Tokyo Ghoul

Okay tbh I'm not that far into Tokyo Ghoul but I'm further into the manga and the manga is so much better so I just know Kenma would own the entire manga collection and Kuroo would definitely go to his room and read them. He relates to Kaneki when it come to fitting into society(obv not to the extent of Kaneki but ykyk).

Kunimi Akira: Devilman Crybaby

Lowkey the anime was uh traumatizing. Once again, the moral discussion would be very intense with Kunimi. After watching the last episode he would probably just stare at the ceiling for a few hours in pain.

Matsukawa Issei: Jujutsu Kaisen

I love JJK so much and I have a strong feeling Matsukawa would as well. His favorite character would hands down be Gojo. He relates to him idc I hc Matsu as being a prankster and kinda childish(in a good way). He likes the action scenes and despite Gojo being his favorite character, he would definitely love Maki because she's so strong despite not being able to see curses. He definitely admires her and probably has a JJK poster in his room. I bet he does those hand signs Megumi does. I also hc he has a dog so he would call his dog "divine dog".

Akaashi Keiji: Horimiya

Literally this is such a good romance anime. He would love how they don't wait until the end for Hori and Miyamura to get together like most romance anime do. He also enjoys how different their personalities are and Miyamura's backstory of being an outsider but ending up making friends.

Konoha Akinori: Kuroko no Basket

Konoha gives me vibes of a guy who would watch sports anime. Kuroko no Basket is pretty dramatic and comedic which is why I think he would like it. His favorite character is probably Aomine(same Konoha). This anime would definitely make this man into a hardcore basketball fan and he probably would religiously watch March Madness every year.

Kita Shinsuke: Yuri on Ice

This one just spoke to me. Kita would really enjoy the music and the actual skating because it's very clean(I really can't think of another word lol) and just so beautiful to watch. I bet he would sit down every Wednesday with his grandmother and they both would be glued to the screen and mesmerized by the animation.

Semi Eita: Death Note

First off, I just know this man is a Mello stan(As he should be), and he really loves the OTS and just the entire soundtrack. He likes the back and forth between the characters, and he definitely tries to convince Tendou to watch so they can discuss Light's character. He would probably hate the ending and only like it up to like episode 24/25.

Hirugami Sachirou: Banana Fish

This is just a gut feeling because I love Hirugami's character so much and I love Banana Fish. Hiru would love the soundtrack and would probably have it playing all the time while doing his homework(I do this too hehe) and he would love the symbolism and the tiny details that are put in. His favorite character would be Ash(also same) because of his strength and intelligence.

These are mostly my favorite anime, lmk if you want more in my requests!!

[bananaofswifts]

By : Callie Ahlgrim and Courteney Larocca

Taylor Swift released her eighth studio album, "Folklore," on Friday.

Swift surprised fans by announcing its release just one day in advance — and less than one year after the release of her acclaimed seventh album "Lover."

"Most of the things I had planned this summer didn't end up happening, but there is something I had planned that DID happen," she wrote on social media. "And that thing is my 8th studio album, folklore. Surprise!"

She described "Folklore," stylized in all lowercase, as "an entire brand new album of songs I've poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into."

Much of the 16-song tracklist — 17 on the deluxe edition — was cowritten and produced by The National's Aaron Dessner. Smaller pieces were cowritten by Bon Iver, Jack Antonoff, and someone named William Bowery. Antonoff also produced five songs.

Insider's music team (reporter Callie Ahlgrim and celebrity and music editor Courteney Larocca) listened to the new album on our own, jotting down our initial thoughts track by track.

Almost immediately, we were forced to reckon with the fact that "Folklore" might be Swift's best album yet — potentially even better than "Red," which previously seemed like it couldn't be topped. We were stunned with the mature, poetic, stunningly understated collection of new songs.

Here is what we thought of each song on "Folklore" upon first listen. (Skip to the end to see the only songs worth listening to and the album's final score.)

"The 1" is the best album opener Swift has had in years.

Ahlgrim: "I'm doing good, I'm on some new s---" is a wild way to begin a new Taylor Swift album. This is going to be different.

This is easily the best intro song she's released in years. "The 1" far surpasses "I Forgot That You Existed" on "Lover," "...Ready for It?" on "Reputation," and "Welcome to New York" on "1989" in terms of sheer quality.

It's also an engaging scene-setter; I find myself gently rocking back and forth, eyes closed, smiling without realizing. It's only the first song and so far, I am totally grasping the woodsy aesthetic of this album. I'm already ready for more.

Larocca: I would argue that there hasn't been a strong album opener on one of Swift's albums since "State of Grace" on "Red" in 2012. "The 1" breaks that curse.

I was vibing from that very first piano note, but when Swift comes in and warmly delivers the first line of the album — "I'm doing good, I'm on some new s---" — it became evident this project wouldn't be anything like the rest of her discography.

As far as "The 1" goes as a standalone song, it's incredibly solid. Swift has a breezy attention to rhythm as she paints a tale of a the-one-who-got-away romance. I truly, truly love it. This might end up being an all-time favorite track.

"Cardigan" is beautifully influenced by Lana Del Rey.

Ahlgrim: I heard "Cardigan" first because I watched the music video before I listened to the album.

Right off the bat, I was struck by the Lana Del Rey melody in the chorus; I jotted down "folksy 'Blue Jeans.'"

Swift has actually cited Del Rey as an inspiration in the past, so this makes sense — and that particular shade of nostalgic, haunting glamour really works for Swift's voice, so I'm overall very impressed with this direction. I am more than amenable to a "Red" meets "Norman F---ing Rockwell!" album experience. On my second time around listening, sans music video, "Cardigan" already feels richer coming after "The 1."

This time, I'm struck by small lyrical details like "Sequined smile, black lipstick," a clear callback to her past eras, and "Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy," an effective way to evoke young love and innocence lost.

I also think the song's central refrain, "When you are young they assume you know nothing," is clean and sharp and — especially given Swift's public struggles with sexism and years-old contracts — extremely poignant.

Larocca: I had the thought that Swift listens to Lana Del Rey after hearing "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince" on last year's "Lover," but now I know for sure that Del Rey is an influence on Swift.

While "Cardigan" isn't what I thought this album would be like sonically, I'm overjoyed at how clearly singer-songwriter this album already is. I've been waiting years for Swift to make a lyrical marvel set to acoustic, warm, folksy instrumentals and it's here.

(And while I expected something different sonically, I am not mad at all by the backing instrumental choices here.)

"The Last Great American Dynasty" proves Swift is a natural storyteller.

Ahlgrim: Personally, I love Storyteller Taylor, so this is quite literally music to my ears.

There are so many delicious details here to unpack. The first verse, with its subtle sexist whisperings about Rebekah Harkness ("How did a middle-class divorcée do it?" and "It must have been her fault his heart gave out"), is a truly savvy way to set up for the song's eventual reveal.

Rebekah spent her time partying with friends, funding the ballet, playing card games with Salvador Dalí, somehow "ruining everything" — and her Holiday House was "free of women with madness" until Swift herself moved in.

That twist in the bridge is poetic genius. When the final chorus adjusts to the present day, underscoring the parallels between Rebekah and Swift, I'm forcefully reminded of an iconic bridge when Romeo finally proposed and changed everything — but Swift has evolved past daydreams of pure white dresses and fathers giving permission.

Larocca: I'm immediately taken back to 2012's "Starlight" when "The Last Great American Dynasty" starts. Thankfully, this song ends up being a lot better than "Starlight," which always felt more like a filler track on "Red" to me.

I love a lot here: the casual use of "b----," the acute attention to detail ("She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green"), and every version of this line: "There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen."

I had a marvelous time listening to this song.

"Exile," featuring Bon Iver, is one of Swift's most successful duets to date.

Ahlgrim: Swift and Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon, are two of the best songwriters alive today, so this song was destined to be breathtaking.

Swift has historically had difficulty allowing her voice and vision to coexist with a featured artist; her collaborations often leave me feeling like she should've just delivered the whole song herself.

But Swift and Vernon were able to weave their lyrics together so gracefully, I was left feeling grateful for his presence. His rich, rustic tone and those iconic hummed harmonies lends the regretful song an added coat of sincerity.

The production here is generally fine, but the layered instrumentals in the ending really bring the song together. I love a dramatic exit.

Larocca: When I see a "featuring Bon Iver" on a track, I instantly assume Vernon is going to come in with his high falsetto. So it was almost jarring that the song starts with Vernon sounding like a lumberjack dad who hasn't left the woods in a decade.

That didn't end up being a detriment, though. Swift sounds delicate on her verse, and their vocals contrast nicely later on the track.

This one also brings to mind her collab "The Last Time" with Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody. The line "I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending" is also reminiscent of "If This Was a Movie."

I'm obsessed with the clear influences Swift's previous discography had on these tracks, which have also so far felt completely unique to her catalog.

"My Tears Ricochet" is an extraordinary display of Swift's songwriting powers.

Ahlgrim: First of all, "My Tears Ricochet" is an incredible song title. Let's take a moment to appreciate that.

In fact, pretty much every line of this song is arresting.

Much of it feels both familiar and rare, like you know exactly what Swift is singing about, but hadn't thought to put it in those words before — which is, in my opinion, the mark of any good piece of writing but especially a breakup song. You can relate to the emotion, if not the particular details. You can hear the pain. It almost plays like a funeral march.

What a gift it is, what an exhilarating experience, to feel like you're listening to a poem being recited in real-time.

Larocca: Any true Swiftie knows that track five is reserved for the most vulnerable moment on the record, so I went into "My Tears Ricochet" ready to be sad.

I am endlessly impressed with how Swift managed to bake the word "ricochet" into this song so effectively. She also ditched her traditional song structure for this one, and instead built the track from peak to peak, utilizing clever lyrics along the way to tell an epic, devastating story, almost obviously calling back to the most beloved track five of "All Too Well."

I'm calling it now — this one is going to age like a fine wine. As all of Swift's best breakup ballads do.

"Mirrorball" is several strokes of genius.

Ahlgrim: This song gives me intense Clairo vibes, and I mean that as a very high compliment.

It's so fun and refreshing to hear Swift slip into different musical styles, and this shimmery take on alternative-bedroom-pop highlights her soft vocals and nuanced songwriting supremely well.

Also, my Leo sensibilities are fully under attack by this bridge: "I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try / I'm still on that trapeze / I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me." Oof! Just tag me next time.

Larocca: This one is so pretty! Swift's vocals sound better than ever as she spins on her highest heels across a glittery daydream.

"I'm a mirrorball / I'll show you every version of yourself tonight" might be the thesis statement of this entire album. So far, "Folklore" feels both diaristic and vague; detailed and completely anonymous.

Fans will be debating for years whether this album is about Swift's own life, or if it's simply really great storytelling pulled directly from her own mind. In the end, it doesn't really matter.

Because as all of Swift's best songs do, these songs will attach themselves to listeners in completely new ways, showing them elements and stories from their own lives.

"Seven" is pure whimsical magic.

Ahlgrim: This is playing make-believe in the garden when you're too young to feel self-conscious; it's poetic and nostalgic and full of awe in such an unpretentious way.

I wouldn't change one thing about this song. Swift's whispery high register sounds divine, and at this point in the tracklist, her rhythmic delivery in the chorus hits like a shot of espresso.

Right now, I'm wondering if it's possible for Swift to maintain this intrigue and momentum for another nine songs. There hasn't been a misstep to speak of, and I remain wholly beguiled. Can it last?

Larocca: The beginning of "Seven" sounds like Swift listened to Marina's "Orange Trees" on repeat before showing up to her songwriting session. Fortunately, "Orange Trees" is the only song I like on Marina's "Love + Fear" so I will gladly accept this inspiration.

Swift continues to impress with both her vocals and her sense of rhythm on "Seven." I also personally love space imagery so the line "Love you to the moon and to Saturn" is a standout line.

"August" will go down as one of the best songs in Swift's extensive repertoire.

Ahlgrim: I'm immediately catching hints of Phoebe Bridgers and girl in red in Swift's delivery. And I simply adore the idea that Swift has spent the last few months sitting at home, daydreaming about summertime humidity and listening to music by queer indie-pop girls. 

In an album full of songwriting expertise, this song has some of Swift's best lines yet: "August sipped away like a bottle of wine / 'Cause you were never mine" actually hurts me.

In my notes, there simply sits this valuable insight (yes, in all-caps): "WANTING WAS ENOUGH. FOR ME IT WAS ENOUGH TO LIVE FOR THE HOPE OF IT ALL." This song has my favorite bridge on the album so far.

In terms of production, "August" is exquisite. It's lush and layered without feeling overwhelming at any point. It builds to the perfect level then recedes, like a wave. 

Also worth mentioning: It can now be considered a historical fact that any time Swift mentions a car or driving in one of her songs, it's a perfect song.

Larocca: While listening to "August," I texted Callie and said, "I can't wait to finish the album so I can relisten to 'August.'" It's an instant favorite. 

This is also the first track on the album that seems directly inspired by our current state. Not because she's expressing fear or singing about being bored at home, but because she so easily slips into a reflection of a relationship that ended years ago with a newfound wave of wistful nostalgia. 

When quarantine started, it seemed like a million lifestyle articles came out explaining why everyone suddenly felt compelled to text their exes and why we're so invested in looking back instead of forward right now. 

"August" validates those feelings with zero judgment, letting its listener know that yes, it's totally normal for you to be overanalyzing that quasi-relationship you were in back in college that never made it past graduation. Am I projecting? Maybe, but that's debatably what Swift's music is best utilized for.

I'm also going to be thinking about this song's bridge and outro for the rest of my life.

The National's influence can be felt on the stunning "This Is Me Trying."

Ahlgrim: "This Is Me Trying" quickly strikes a more sinister tone than its predecessors — still nostalgic and wistful, but carrying an edge, like a threatening secret.

Ironically, this one was co-written and co-produced by Jack Antonoff, not Aaron Dessner, though I can really hear The National's influence here. I'm getting strong wafts of songs like "Pink Rabbits" and "Dark Side of the Gym."

Based on Swift's own words, we can speculate that "This Is Me Trying" is a fictional tale, built around the image of "a 17-year-old standing on a porch, learning to apologize." And, as previously stated, I'm a big fan of Storyteller Taylor, so I'm into it.

The song's darker tone mingles really well with Swift's imagery; when you're a teenager, and you make a mistake, it can feel like the end of the world.

Larocca: "This Is Me Trying" is precisely what I imagined this album sounding like when I found out Swift collaborated with the National's Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver.

But I'm glad she was strategic about her use of echo and also finally paid attention to the tracklisting from a sonic standpoint. This haunting soundscape is reminiscent of 2014's "This Love" and comes in right when you need it after the yearning daydream of "August."  

I'd also like it to be on the record that the line "I got wasted like all my potential" ruined me and this song is a win for that lyric alone.

"Illicit Affairs" is a glowing example of what sets Swift apart from her peers as a songwriter.

Ahlgrim: The expert songwriting on "Illicit Affairs" reminds me of the as-yet unseated queen in Swift's discography: "All Too Well."

Swift is a master of wielding specific details like weapons: "What started in beautiful rooms / Ends with meetings in parking lots," she sings. "Leave the perfume on the shelf / That you picked out just for him." These are the sorts of images that set Swift apart, and they're especially strong when she punctuates their delivery with a little growl in her voice.

This song has real power. I have chills.

That power is magnified in the third verse, similar to how "All Too Well" builds to a crescendo: "Don't call me 'kid,' don't call me 'baby' / Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me."

Certainly, "Illicit Affairs" is more restrained than Swift's iconic arena rock ballad, but goddamn that last verse hits hard.

Larocca: The way that she says "him" in the second verse shook me out of my skin in the very best way. And "Don't call me 'kid,' don't call me 'baby' / Look at this idiotic fool that you made me" will go down as one of her best breakup lines of all time.  

It's been a minute since Swift delivered a painstakingly beautiful breakup ballad, and the fact that this album is littered with them is, simply, a gift.  

"Illicit Affairs" has growing power and will likely become one of those tracks that fans form a strong emotional attachment to over time.

"Invisible String" is Taylor Swift at her most Taylor Swift.

Ahlgrim: "Invisible String" is a feast of Easter eggs and callbacks.

"Teal was the color of your shirt" reminds me of the line about Joe Alwyn's blue eyes on "Delicate," and her reference to a dive bar is similarly familiar. "Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs" recalls the push-and-pull on "Exile."

"Bad was the blood of the song in the cab" is undoubtedly a reference to Swift's 2015 single "Bad Blood," while "One single thread of gold / Tied me to you" feels like a nod to Swift's description of love's "golden" hue on the "Lover" album closer "Daylight."

This song is sprightly and sparkly and certainly nice to listen to, but its real strength lies in these details.

Swift is weaving many different stories on this album, many connected by a sort of "Invisible String," tying different pieces of her life and your life and other lives together. It ends up feeling like a growing plant with far-reaching roots, or a sentient treasure map.

Larocca: I'd be lying if I said there weren't multiple points throughout this album where I worried that Swift and her boyfriend Joe Alwyn had broken up. 

Thankfully, "Invisible String" is a rosy, wide-eyed ode to love. The plucky guitar paired with Swift's soft vocals is a sound I want to live in, which is fitting since this track feels like coming home. 

Every small detail, from the nod to Alwyn's time spent working at a frozen yogurt shop in his youth, to the color imagery that paints every inflection of Swift's adoration (especially the single thread of gold) come together to lay the holy ground Swift's relationship walks on. 

Also, the image of Swift mailing Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner gifts for their expectant first child brings about an unbridled sense of joy.

"Mad Woman" is yet another highlight.

Ahlgrim: Every time I think I've heard the peak of this album's songwriting potential, Swift manages to surprise me. 

Case in point: "Do you see my face in the neighbor's lawn? / Does she smile? / Or does she mouth, 'F--- you forever?'" Whoa.

And another, for good measure: "It's obvious that wanting me dead / Has really brought you two together." I texted Courteney, "Did she really just say that??"

This song is sublime on its own, but the way it ties back into the perception of female freedom and "madness" on "The Last Great American Dynasty" makes it even better. "Mad Woman" is definitely a personal favorite so far on this album, if not in Swift's entire catalog.

Larocca: "Mad Woman" will forever hold the honor of being the first song in which Swift says "f---" and for that, we should all be thankful. 

I was also so wrapped up in the storytelling of this album, that it took a minute for this to even register that this is likely about the Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta / Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West ordeals of Swift's past. These callouts used to be so obvious, that I greatly appreciate the subtlety and restraint here. 

It almost feels like these feuds were a lifetime ago, but this track does an excellent job at showcasing how anger and pain can leave an indelible mark on you. Swift went mad years ago, and that's just an accepted part of her narrative now. 

But for the first time, her rage sounds like freedom.

"Epiphany" doesn't stand out.

Ahlgrim: There are some really interesting vocal moments on "Epiphany," but so far, this is the only song I haven't felt captivated by. It's a bit snoozy, and a bit too long.

This song clearly references war, the loss of a loved one, and the coronavirus pandemic, which makes it lyrically intriguing at best — but distressing at worst. I don't mind letting the overall effect waft over me, but this won't be a song I revisit outside the context of the album.

Larocca: "Epiphany" is the only track on "Folklore" that didn't immediately grab me. It's essentially a war drama in song format, so some people might like it, but I truly couldn't care less about war movies or war songs! So it's not my favorite, but it makes for pretty background music. 

"Epiphany" does have another benefit though: Now, whenever some random dude erroneously claims Swift "only writes songs about her exes," fans have a clear song in her discography that they can point to and be like, "That's not true. This one's about war." 

That's not to say Swift needed that — anyone who has been paying attention understands she's quite possibly the best songwriter of her generation.  

This just happens to be further proof of that fact.

"Betty" is a charming callback to Swift's country roots.

Ahlgrim: "Betty" is like the best, sauciest song from Swift's 2006 debut country album that no one got to hear. It has sonic and lyrical similarities to hits like "Our Song" and "Tim McGraw," plus some name-dropping stuff like 2008's "Hey Stephen," plus a little harmonica thrown in for good measure! I love that for us.

"Betty" also appears to complete a three-song story, recalling details from "Cardigan" and "August" to close the loop on Betty and James, a couple in high school with some infidelity issues.

Looking back, it feels like "Cardigan" was told from Betty's perspective, while "August" was told from the perspective of a sort of "other woman" character. Now, we get James' side of the story. This is high art, folks! This is peak Storytelling Taylor!

"Betty" is also, like, very gay? I know it's easy to assume that James is a male character, but Swift herself was named after James Taylor, so she could be referring to herself. The song also references someone named Inez; James and Inez are the names of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's daughters.

Plus, in retrospect, the idea of whispering "Are you sure? Never have I ever before" during a summer fling seems pretty gay to me.

I'm not saying the story of Betty and James would be better if it was written about sapphic lovers, but I'm not not saying that.

Larocca: This one is gay, and if you try to tell me otherwise, I will simply ignore you. 

But Courteney, it's from the perspective of a guy named James. James and the other character, Inez, share the same names as Reynolds and Lively's kids (will leave it up to you to decide if that means their third daughter's name is Betty). James is their daughter. Get out of here with your antiquated ideas about which names connotate which genders. 

To me, the James named in this song is a woman and a lesbian and this song is for the gays. I will not be saying anything else or accepting any feedback on this opinion, thank you.

"Peace" is honest and raw.

Ahlgrim: This song's intro sounds like LCD Soundsystem had a baby with "The Archer." The gentle guitar riff is also lovely.

With Dessner's echoey production, Swift's voice sounds like a warm little fire in a cave — fitting, since she sings in the chorus, "I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm."

OK damn, I'm getting really emotional. This songwriting is beautiful and haunting. "Peace" perfectly captures the ambient dread of feeling your partner slip away, of wondering whether love can be enough. 

Larocca: If you're a "Call It What You Want" stan, you're going to love its mature older sister "Peace." 

I will hereby forever be thinking about the parallels between "But I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm" with "He built a fire just to keep me warm" and between "Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother" with "Trust him like a brother."

Also, "Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?" has the same emotional impact as when Swift changes the lyric in "The Archer" to "I see right through me" and that's meant as the highest form of compliment. 

Swift's vocals are so crisp, that guitar riff is so stunning, and these lyrics are so gut-wrenchingly vulnerable. A perfect song, through and through.

"Hoax" is unlike any other album closer in Swift's catalog.

Ahlgrim: I don't know if Swift is going through a traumatic breakup, but if she isn't, the woman is one convincing creative writer.

The National makes some of my favorite music to cry to, so when I heard Aaron Dessner had co-written and produced much of this album, I knew I was in for some glossy cheeks. Until now, I think I've felt too captivated by Swift's artistry to really let myself get there.

But finally, "Hoax" is making me cry.

This is heart-wrenching stuff for anyone, but for a fan and student of Swift's work, this is like reading a friend's diary entry.

"Don't want no other shade of blue, but you" must be a reference to "Delicate," in which Swift sings: "Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you / Oh damn, never seen that color blue." Later, she croons, "You know I left a part of me back in New York," perhaps regretting the move to London that she detailed throughout "Lover." 

"You knew it still hurts underneath my scars / From when they pulled me apart," recalling the public shaming she endured and demons she exorcised on "Reputation." "But what you did was just as dark." Like I said before: Whoa.

Personally, I love having a good cry set to moody music, so I appreciate Swift's soul-bearing. "Hoax" is one gut-punch of an album closer.

Larocca: Swift has a habit of ending her albums on an uplifting, hopeful note and I always eat it up. But if "Folklore" hadn't made it clear by now that it should be consumed differently than any of her previous works, "Hoax" brings that message home.  

Instead of reveling in all the ways that love has made her stronger, happier, or more whole, "Hoax" deconstructs everything Swift has learned about love and leaves a bleaker picture about how maybe even the best of relationships hurt. 

But at its most tragic, this love still isn't something Swift will ever let go of: "Don't want no other shade of blue but you / No other sadness in the world would do."  

Finishing a Taylor Swift album has never been so devastating.

Final Grade: 9.7/10

[etlunainmorte]

My friend @dreaming-gamer sent me an ask about the Devil May Cry crew's reaction to a haunted painting, and I uploaded it in my main blog, @thedyingmoon but, for some reason, it didn't show. The askbox was even empty, meaning it was answered successfully. But, still, no post.😰😰😰

So, I'm uploading it here, instead. ><

Tagging @ceruleanworld and @yepps , and a special thanks to @lilttlechicken for helping me with the Spanish translation.

***

Warning: This may contain disturbing scenes with themes of horror and mystery that might not be suitable for some readers. Please, proceed with caution. Thank you!

***

***

Morrison told them that the former owner of the painting went missing over a month ago.

Now, the incident was, or can be considered, purely coincidental had it not happened to the five people who pre - owned La Pintura De San Gregorio. Even the people who knew those unfortunate souls said that the painting seemed to change with each passing month. Like it was somehow alive. They were even convinced that these poor people would never be found again.

And so, the others forlornly watched Dante bring the very same painting inside the shop. This may, very well, be only a coincidence. Of a regular case involving missing persons. However, in this world they live in, anything could be possible.

It might be the work of Demons, and it was Devil May Cry's duty to get to the bottom of this mystery and find those poor innocent people once and for all.

At first glance, no one would be able to tell what's wrong with the wonderful work of art. The painting, itself, was a marvel to look at. Taking up most of the wall facing the main room of the shop, the painting depicted a calm and very soothing scenery of a lush garden in the dawn, or twilight. The many flowers in the garden that were, rather, realistically made, with bright and vibrant hues of red, blue, green, and yellow, were a complete contrast to how the sky was depicted. With soft pastel colors of pink, purple, and powder blue, and with clouds and birds dotted here and there, the sky could make anyone stare at it for hours on end with its dream - like atmosphere. A simple country house, softly lighted with candles, could also be seen in the painting, and within it, a family of six happily gathered together for a sumptuous feast. On a white, rustic gazebo covered almost entirely by rose vines, there was a beautiful black - haired woman in white looking at the distance, a letter, probably from a lover who was away, in her hand, pressed to her chest. And lastly, a man in black, who may or may not be San Gregorio, himself, could be seen staring at the beautiful woman from a distance, his cold and stoic facial expression the only damper in the, otherwise, gorgeously made painting.

However, should one take a good long look at it for an extended period of time, they would notice the trance - like vibe the painting was giving off. Like they were being seduced by its dream - like scenery. Like they were being pulled inside it.

The first few days and nights of them taking turns in watching over the painting was quite normal. In fact, none of them could feel anything weird or paranormal in it, whatsoever. 

It was on the third week of the month where things began to change.

The owner of the Devil hunting agency, a man in his forties named Dante Sparda, has just returned from his investigation of the missing persons when he noticed,... something odd in the painting. It could be easily missed but, if one has a sharp eye, they would immediately notice the change in it.

At first, Dante thought it was a trick of the light, or his tired eyes taking a toll on his equally tired body. But, when he took a closer look, his eyes suspiciously narrowed, he finally saw it:

The family of six inside the house,...

... became only four.

And what's even stranger about it was how the locations of these four seemed to change. For once, they were gathered around the table, and now, only two of them remained, with the other two standing next to a fireplace, seemingly having a hearty conversation.

But, where were the other two people?

Dante looked closer and inspected the art, and, at last, he found the other two. They were now sitting next to each other beneath the shade of an oak tree at the farthest corner of the scenery.

Naturally, he alerted the others regarding what he witnessed. And the moment they noticed the changes, they knew.

The painting really was demonic in nature.

Over the next few days, Dante and his friends observed the painting even closer, formulating theories as to how it became demonic. They also tried asking the friends and relatives of the missing persons but, they only got the same old answers from them: that the painting was alive, and that it was the main cause of the disappearance of those people. They even traced the painting back to its first owner, however, none of his friends or relatives were willing to speak about the incident. Some even refused to let Dante and his friends inside their home, resorting to threats and violence just to keep them out and prevent them from intruding on their privacy.

They did everything they could, until the last option left for them was to find the artist, himself. With no other information about the painting except for the name, San Gregorio, which was etched at the lower left corner at the back of the canvass, they searched and searched until one of Dante's friends, a woman named Nico, found out about something that seemed to shake her.

But, the night the friends were to meet her back in the shop to discuss what she found out, she never came. They waited and waited for hours. They even called her grandmother to check whether she's at home. And it was then that their fears and suspicions were finally realized.

Nico,... has vanished without a trace.

Or,... was she?

For, when the friends looked at the painting, they saw her there,... 

... standing next to the two gentlemen by the fire, listening in on their conversation.

The painting,... has taken Nico.

And those six people, not counting the man and the woman in the garden?

Upon closer inspection, those six people in the painting eerily resembled the six missing persons.

They were all,... taken by San Gregorio's Painting.

Desperate for answers and fearing for the worst, they thought of ways to get the people out from the painting. Half of the group retraced Nico's steps and went on with her studies about this man called Gregorio, hoping to find out some more clues that could solve this mystery, and half of them took down the painting from the wall and thought of various ways to investigate the artwork without destroying it in fear of killing the people inside. 

They tried almost everything they could think of, from scratching the surface of the canvass to wiping parts of the painting with a wet cloth. But, the more they disturbed the painting, the more it became somewhat aggressive.

The next disappearance proved it.

That one late evening, the young couple Nero and Kyrie were reading some documents about a Spanish artist who has a striking resemblance to the man in Nico's papers. Who they believed to be Gregorio, himself.

All of sudden, they noticed some movement coming from the painting, itself. And when the pair looked at it, in their utter horror, they found out that the man who was looking at the beautiful woman was nowhere to be found.

He has moved. But, where?

The next day, the pair has also gone missing.

And the painting? It now showed both Nero and Kyrie tending to the garden. It also showed Nico inside the house holding a butter knife and looking outside the window with a horrified expression in her face.

And the man who they suspected was Gregorio? He seemed to have moved closer to the woman in the gazebo, his hand reaching out.

But now, his facial expression turned from stoic,... to sadistic.

With no other options left, Dante and his older brother, a man named V, turned to violence as a last resort.

The next evening, the brothers took out their weapons and faced the painting. They must take out the Demon who lived in the cursed art and destroy it. Only then can they save their friends and those six other victims.

Dante made the first move. He raised his sword and swiftly brought it down to the painting. However, the mere second before the blade touched the canvass, Gregorio's eyes moved and landed on them. And when it happened, the blade bounced off the canvass and broke, throwing Dante across the room, and the once hard metal splitting into two pieces.

With determination in his eyes to bring everyone back, V raised his hands and summoned his two demonic familiars, a bird called Griffon, and a panther called Shadow. Together, they assaulted the cursed painting, their strong attacks landing a direct hit on it one after the other. V raised his cane and ran towards the painting, the tip of his metallic weapon pointed at the heart of the art, itself: the woman in the gazebo.

But, something deterred V and made him halt his attacks. The woman turned her eyes on him and gave him a pleading look.

Her looking at the distance, with that letter close to her heart, and Gregorio seemingly advancing towards her without her knowledge,...

Gregorio wanted to have her.

This woman,... needed help.

And the moment V realized this, a vision appeared right before him: the same woman weeping in the garden, that letter clutched tightly to her chest. Gregorio, all dressed in black and that sadistic expression present on his old and distorted face, coming towards her. The woman looking up at the man, her eyes widened with utter fear. And the man lunging towards her,...

V snapped back to reality. Right then and there, he knew what must be done.

They must free the woman in the painting. Free her from Gregorio's grasp and lustful intent. And only then can those innocent souls be freed from their still and dream - like prison.

With a single nod to his brother, who morphed to his demonic form and conjured a new and powerful sword, V pointed at the man in the painting, who was now taking hold of the poor woman's arm.

The brothers raised their weapons once more as Gregorio's fingers covered her smooth and graceful neck. They lunged forward with every intent of dealing one last killing blow to the source of all this evil, while Gregorio raised a knife and pointed it to the woman's chest.

V and Dante brought down their weapons on Gregorio as his knife went swiftly down her chest.

The fiend's bloodshot eyes widened, his teeth gritting in anger as he saw how his body collapse into pieces under Dante's blade and V's cane, the many colorful pigments flowing out of him like a fountain of blood. Their friends, Nico, Kyrie, and Nero's eyes all focused on them, fear and worry etched onto their faces.

The woman closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her face as she smiled at them with gratitude,...

She,... was finally free.

A flash of blinding light emanated from the cursed artwork, blocking the brothers' view. Then, after that, a state of calm, peace, and silence overtook their senses and tired bodies.

And the next moment V opened his eyes, he found himself together with his friends, who were gathered around the table for a sumptuous feast. He saw Nero and Kyrie laughing at whatever Nico was doing, and he saw Dante sitting across from him on the other side of the table, waving at him with a proud smile on his face.

V closed his eyes and sighed. That nightmare,... felt all too realistic. And he was glad that it was finally over.

With a content smile on his face, he stood up and went towards the window, where he saw the beautiful garden outside.

Oh, how peaceful this was. How nice everything was,...

V turned around upon hearing someone entering the house. He didn't know his friends were expecting some visitors,...

His heart seemed to stop beating as his eyes landed on the visitors: six people who looked awfully familiar to him.

Six people who,...

With gradually escalating heartbeat, V rushed outside the house and looked at the scenery all over him.

The simple country house. The lush garden with vibrant hues of red, blue, green, and yellow. The soft, pastel - colored sky of pink, purple, and powder blue.

That rustic gazebo covered almost entirely with rose vines.

V turned back to the house and saw his friends dining happily with their new guests, as if they have no worries. His eyes cautiously travelled to that spot on the right side where a man in black used to lurk, except that he was no longer there. Then, with trembling body and cold sweat breaking out of his forehead, his eyes wandered to that gazebo, where he saw the dark - haired woman. Her back was turned away from him, and she was humming a familiar tune, her voice soothing, and yet ominous at the same time.

He turned back to the house and saw his friends and those six people all looking at him from the window, their eye sockets white, and their facial expressions seemingly empty.

And when V turned to look at the woman in the gazebo once more, he finally figured everything out.

He finally realized what Gregorio was trying to do.

With a sweet smile on her face, that same letter clutched to her chest, she spoke to V,...

"Now, I have you back, my dearest."

***

[lunerojo]

Pluto 12th House

I have this exact placement and I will tell my personal experience with it.

(Content Warning : death, energy manipulation/vampires, trauma etc)

Energy Sensitive

When I’m in public, I can sense various vibes from the atmosphere around me and the people within. I try not get consumed by how another person is feeling, and what I do is, is tune out. I can tell what people are really thinking or feeling if I simply observe or think about that particular individual deeply. It's a way for me to know when they’re putting up a facade, have hidden motives, when I'm in danger etc. There's always a sense of paranoia. Other times I feel suspicious about everything around me. I'm always looking for, digging for more. I believe there's more than what we are presented with.

Imagination/inner world

My imagination is so powerful it’s like I have to put a lid on it because a few people have “seen” what I think about and it startles them so I try to tone it down. A few past friends know what I'm feeling or thinking inside and have hugged me out of nowhere, it surprises me everytime. I cherish these connections so much because sometimes words can't really describe what is roaring within me.

When I close my eyes , imagine, dream or be in solitude, my hidden self that I barely show to people comes out. It's a place where a complex world exists and I believe it is something no one or thing can touch (unless if there's synastry then I feel exposed, hate that feeling.)

Before I sleep night, I visualize myself floating in the center of a lake. As I descend into my subconscious the water submerges me to its deep, powerful depths until all I see is life-like images and when I wake up, I rise back up into consciousness. My dreams are very intense, horrifying, realistic and transforming. I often confront personal demons/strong emotions in this realm. I travel to dream places that I’ve been to before. There is definitely some weird sexual, taboo dreams that I will never open up about because then I feel like I violated myself 😖 . I'm lucky if I find anything worthy of my personal growth because it only happens every few months or even years.

Way of living

I wouldn't say that I live a dangerous life as other articles say, I'm not reckless like that. I have a stronger control with this side of me, knowing that if I lost it, I'd spiral into mental self destruction. I'd shut out the world for days and forget that I'm even here. Like I'm just a wandering ghost. I've only been there once and I promised myself to never get to the edge of my own life ever again. It's like a twilight zone that will drive you insane.

Death

The idea of death is always on my mind.

I forgot to mention that I have death perception which is hard to explain. It's like I know when a family member has died through visions/dreams. It's.. strange. I don't know in what manner or where, but it's happened twice now.

It can easily become very depressing but in the dark, there's always light. It drives me and pushes me. One life is all we have and death is the final ending though I do believe there's an afterlife or perhaps reincarnation. Some people keep death locked away, never to be opened but I think of it as a part of life. Life is always dancing with death in more ways than we can comprehend. The way the sun rises and sets. The way the moon waxes and wanes. I could go on and on. I've been through my own “death” a couple times in my life but I always emerge stronger. It hurts when it comes to the point where I have no choice but to die. At the same time, I live for that rebirth. It's a VERY sensitive moment for me and that's when I isolate. The moment between death and life is where I come alive, strangely.

Conclusion

I could say much more about this but I know others can describe it better than I can. If you have this, then you know what I'm saying. Bottom line is, any planet in the 12th isn't easy, especially pluto. I feel cursed and blessed.

(Also pluto never misses anything. He's always watching 👁)

[savetheblackpaladin]

Can I get an emergency ask of the paladins saving S/O from an abusive relationship and them falling for each other? Don't worry about doing this if you don't have time, I'm just looking for some paladin love to get through a tough spot. Thank you

Shit hon, I hope you’re doing ok! I’ll be sending good vibes and mental hugs your way, since I can’t do petty revenge over the net. I hope your situation works out with as little trauma as possible

Shiro

now he’s not a man to go after somone else’s S/O, but he’s still drawn to your side

he’s very content to be besties, or at least very close friends

even if his heart is telling him he wants more

but when he finds out your current relationship is abusive? He’s fucking pissed and filled with a self-righteous fury and it’s only the thought of you getting caught in the middle that stops him from stomping over to beat the ever living shit outta them

so he makes it a point to hang out with you as much as he can, being your human shield

if he witnesses any sort of abuse he quickly shuts that shit down. nuh-uh, not in front of him. no fucking way

and if your current s/o starts trying to hide it, Shiro will call them out the moment he finds out

ends up finally confessing to you not longer after becoming your impromptu knight in shining armor

he’s sobbing but it’s mostly because he knows you absolutely deserve better. And he may be biased but he honestly thinks you deserve the world and even if it’s not with him, he just wants you to be happy

and he’s ecstatic when you tell him you like him back because now? Now he can do something rather than just be a buffer

offers for you to stay with him if you need to. as a safe place.

if you don’t want that then he’s still gonna be like a guard dog, staying around as long as he can. just in case.

absolutely is present when you tell your ex it’s over. he’s not gonna argue for you, but he’s gonna be your threatening support. 

you know you’re safe as long as Shiro is around

afterwords he just takes you back to his place and rolls you up in a comfy blanket, holding you and murmuring words of encouragement about how strong you are, and how much you deserve to be happy

he rubs your back and his hands through your hair until you can fall asleep

your peaceful face fills him with sorrow and happiness; he’s so mad and upset that you’ve had to survive an abusive relationship, but he’s here now to show you how a proper relationship works. you call the shots here.

your ex is a fight-on-sight for Shiro. but only if you’re not around. he doesn’t ever want you to see him be violent. in case he triggers some form of PTSD for you.

the most supportive and sweet man

your sweet vengeful angel, really

Hunk

he knows you’re in an abusive relationship and he hates it, he hates it so much 

wants to burst in and punch your s/o and then pick you up over the shoulder and walk out like a bamf. 

like he puts on shades and there’s an explosion behind him

and then there’s confetti and a parade with victorious music

he’s daydreamed about this a lot

he can’t do anything you don’t want him to, so he settles for being your best friend. the number one supportive mom friend who’s always available for you

he’s so easy to talk to. and he never makes you feel guilty about anything.

he’s clearly very angry when you talk about the abuse, but he always thinks about you, what you need from him.

doesn’t mince words though. turns out Hunk curses when he’s angry.

“Yeah, that’s gaslighting and it’s abusive as fuck.”

“They did what? Ok, not cool. You don’t deserve that. I’m sorry they’re shitty and insecure and take everything out on you.”

“You want to know what I think? I think you need to fucking leave. That’s what I think. I’ve thought about it at length, Y/n.”

“You’re your own person, Y/n. They aren’t allowed to control everything you do.”

One day he realizes that he’s taking everything extremely personally because he loves you

“...I would never treat Y/n like that. They deserve homemade breakfast, flowers, teddy bears with chocolates, and gentle kisses. I would make them feel cherised, and loved and...Oh my quiznack...I love Y/n.”

he might be worried that his feelings might scare you off, but he’s always going on and on about honesty so he can’t be a hypocrite now

tells you his feelings after picking you up after a particularly hard fight. 

after you’ve calmed down and realize you’re in a safe place, of course

he didn’t mean to tell you, it just kind of burst out when he was hugging you that he loves you. no tact this man.

there’s a panic moment before you tell him you love him too and then he’s ecstatic because he’s gonna be your Disney Prince, of sorts...

like with the Balmera, Hunk has no time to waste. he needs you safe and sound, and he needs it now. everything gets put on hold.

he’s calling everyone else for support and before you know it you’ve got all of team Voltron supporting you as you prepare to break it off with your abusive s/o

you feel undefeatable with Hunk at your side (and it helps that everyone else is around too.) 

as you’re leaving Hunk decides to have a few words with your ex. In private. He doesn’t tell you what he said, but you never see them again and Hunk is pretty smug

isn’t above petty revenge. he in canon killed someone for tailgating, man

might have put sand in their gas tank. when you have an alibi of course. in case ‘McDouche’ tries to press charges. Hunk puts you first, even in his revenge

they got plants outside? well now they’re dead. salt bitch.

loudly talking shit about them when he sees them in public

probably routinely leaves flaming dog poop around

might have seriously contemplated giving them a serious punch to the face. but decided they weren’t worth potential jail time. or possibly making you feel uncomfortable.

Keith

ok, probably handles things the worst

no fucking joke the moment he finds out you’re in an abusive relationship he’s all action

straight up just bursts into your s/o’s home and proceeds to beat them up. now you know why Keith got expelled from the garrison.

unless they’re female, then he’ll at least restrain his fists and just yell at them. getting in her face and just going off

he tells them to never go near you again, they aren’t worthy. You deserve better than them and they should count their lucky stars that he cares about you enough to not put them in the hospital.

and of course you’re floored and kind of scared because Keith was terrifying

he realizes that he may have made things worse just a little too late

but he’s in for it now so he just, “Get your things y/n. You’re done with this asshat.”

he lets you collect things on your own. he’s content to watch over your ex. they don’t get to speak. they lost that right the moment they thought they could hurt you.

Keith apologizes to you vehemently the moment he’s got you in his car. 

“I’m so sorry Y/n. That was probably really wrong of me and I know that but I couldn’t just let you suffer for a moment longer with that-that thing. You’re too precious to me and I....I know this is inappropriate, b-but I think I love you? B-but I totally understand if you never want to see me again after this because I ju--”

You shut him up with a tight hug

he doesn’t even know that you daydreamed about him saving you for a while now. 

you didn’t let yourself entertain the idea that he felt the same way

Keith is a good nugget though

he doesn’t rush you. at all. he’s determined to let you have some time as a single person before rushing straight into another relationship

but his feelings for you never waiver and he’s content to let you call the shots. He’s just feels lucky to be able to be in your presence.

oh no, he’s got it bad

Lance

this boy, this boy falls fast and he falls hard but he respects that you’re in a relationship 

but he’s still flirty, not like over the line though. more like, he’s absolutely down if you ever become single

and he ends up becoming like, a best friend. the ride or die friend.

and somewhere between the late night text comfort sessions and wiping away your years, he fell in love

realizes that he has to tell you. you deserve to know.

wasn’t expecting you to like him back

“Wait--what? But, you’re with whatstheirface? I-I don’t understand?”

then you have to tell him more about your current relationship, and about how abusive it is

and oh, HELL NO. 

Lance is pissed, so pissed. because his momma and poppa raised him to respect his partners and you don’t deserve that--that monster!

he’s offended for both of you

“Ok listen, I’m gonna get you out of this. But we need some help.”

His plan? He’s gonna show up on a white horse, use it to kick your s/o in the face. pull you up onto the horse one handed. make the horse rear while the sun sets spectacularly behind you, and ride off into the night.

but he doesn’t have a horse.

so new plan. You and Lance sneak over to their place, get any stuff you might have. Switch the locks for giggles while Shiro and Keith stand guard.

Hunk finds their car and slashes 3 tires while Pidge makes sure no video feeds have proof it was him. 3 tires bc then the insurance won’t pay for it.

Lance then uses your phone to call your current s/o to let them know that under no uncertain terms where they ever to contact you again, the abusive bastard. then there’s some more ranting in spanish where Lance continues to call them out until he runs out of creative names

and don’t worry about your ex trying to get back at you. Lance spends every moment he can with you, he’s a Paladin for Voltron’s sake, he’s gonna protect you

also he has everyone on speed dial in case he needs help

brings you flowers weekly, takes you out on dates all the time

he’s determined to make you feel like his princess

because as far as Lance is concerned, every moment spent with you is a gift

Pidge

a simple girl. but doesn’t fall in love right away. she’s just a friend for a while, someone you can chill with every once in a while

until she happens to randomly notice your s/o being abusive then they think no one is around

“Hey Chucklefuck! What the hell was that?!”

She’s furious, she’s yelling at them and not letting them defend themselves. No turning this around on you, because she saw the whole thing.

then she turns to you and asks if you’re gonna be ok. because she is there for you. absolutely, 100%. 

from then on Pidge is your go-to. She’s always making you feel better and helping you realize that you don’t deserve any of the bad shit that’s happening to you

she’s tiny and angry but vehemently supportive

at some point you both realize you like each other more than friends, but what do you do?

Pidge takes off her glasses, “Well it’s simple really,” she puts them back on, “We kill them.”

What?

“Nah, I’m kidding. Well, half kidding.”

Her ideal plan? A snap of the two of you with the caption “I stole ur bae, bitch bye”

buuuut, that’s probably not good for closure. so she opts to be your support for confronting your s/o

she stands there angrily, glaring daggers as they try to defend themselves

she can only hold her tongue for so long and when they start shifting the blame to you she snaps

she’s up in their face, not caring about how tiny she is because “there is no way on God’s green Earth that I am letting your abusive ass hurt Y/n. You. Fucking. Monster!”

continues to defend you and yell at your now official ex, not letting them get a single word in edgewise because they don’t deserve to

she’s absolutely livid until you both leave, happy to have the whole ordeal done and over with.

then she kisses you on the cheek, offers you her arm, and is now determined to be a proper girlfriend

might routinely dox your ex and write letters to their employers about what a piece of shit they are. for giggles.

[juzuya-13]

Tagged! Again 😁

Thank you @thefandomsurfer for tagging me once more, you're lovely ♥

Rules : Pick 5 shows then answer the questions given. Don't cheat! Then tag some people.

1. Fairy Tail.

2. The Seven Deadly Sins.

3. Black Butler.

4. Tokyo Ghoul/ Tokyo Ghoul: re.

5. Death Note.

Who is your favorite character in 2? Helbram! I just really like him a lot, his friendship with Harlequin melts my heart, I also think he has an incredibly tragic story and needs a hug. He deserved better.

Who is your least favorite character in 1? I can't think of anybody I dislike to be honest, there are a few characters that aren't relevant to me, but I can't think of one in specific.

What is your favorite episode of 4? Episode 16 from Tokyo ghoul: re is my favorite! The moment Seidou and Akira share when Akira saves him, it's so heartfelt and also one of my favorite moments in the manga.

What is your favorite season of 5? Well, Death Note only has one season, so I'd say the first one? 😂

Who is your favorite couple in 3? Definitely Rachel and Vincent Phantomhive, something about them is just so pure and sweet.

Who is your favorite couple in 2? Elizabeth and Meliodas, their love story is so tragic yet so beautiful, the feels.

What is your favorite episode of 1? Season 3 episode 47. Zeref's death was the most heart wrenching moment of the whole series for me, I cried so much, but at the same time it was so beautiful. The soundtrack during that scene is one of my favorites. That moment between Zeref and Mavis will forever be one of my favorites in anime. The love Mavis felt for him was the key to his death, and he's finally set free from his curse, and able to rest in peace with Mavis, it's just too much for my poor little heart to handle. Love is the answer.

What is your favorite episode of 5? Episode 37, the very last episode, when Light finally gets caught and his life comes to an end, it's so climatic! The manga goes about Light's death a little differently, both are good, but to be honest I like it more in the anime, Light dies alone in the staircase and there's an apparition of L glaring over him as he dies, it's perfect!

What is your favorite season of 2? Hmm, I'm not really sure, I love it all! But the first season does have a very special place in my heart.

How long have you watched 1? I've watched Fairy Tail in the past and I'm currently rewatching it! 😁

How did you become interested in 3? Hmm, I love everything about the Victorian era in England, the fashion, the architecture, the gothic, vintage styles, I love it! Black Butler has a very unique vibe, also I thought Sebastian was the epitome of sexiness back when I started watching and reading it, well, I still think he's a fine gentleman aha.

Who is your favorite actor/character in 4? Hmm, that's hard! I will say Seidou Takizawa. I love his character so much, he's relatable and there's just so much character development going on for him throughout the series, he goes from a good, insecure and shy man with a strong sense of justice and ambition, to having no moral compass whatsoever, but Akira is the light at the end of the tunnel, even if only partially she does restore a little of his humanity, because he cares so deeply for her and her happiness. He goes as far as making sure he brings Amon safe and sound back to her side. He also clearly has a lot of respect for Amon and he knows that he's too far gone to be with Akira, thus giving her up to a deserving man he knows will make her happy.

Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? I love them all in different ways, all excellent series, it's impossible to decide between them 😊

Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? I've finished both series, or better saying, I've seen all the content available as of right now.

If you could be anyone from 4 who would you be? Ahh damn, it's complicated because everyone goes through so much, but I will say Saiko? I agree with @thefandomsurfer Saiko doesn't have an incredibly tragic past or present like the others, even though she does go through a lot with her friends.

Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? I don't think so aha. Completely different time frames and universes. It just doesn't match but I guess everything's possible until proven otherwise? Aha.

Overall, which show has the better story line, 3 or 5? Oh hell, I can't decide, they're both super intriguing and amazing!

Which has better theme music, 2 or 4? Definitely Tokyo Ghoul / Tokyo Ghoul: re. Hands down, the best!

Once again I don't know who to tag so please feel free to join! ♥

Tagged once more~

Lots of love to @mikotofubar for tagging me~

Rules: Pick 5 shows then answer the questions given. Dont cheat! Then tag some people.

1. Fruits Basket.

2. Soul Eater.

3. Noragami.

4. Tokyo Ghoul.

5. Durarara

 Who is your favorite character in 2? Crona! They’re adorable, tragic, and hella interesting! 

Who is your least favorite character in 1? Umm…I dont hate anybody much in this. I guess Ayame? I just dont completely resonate with his character like I do with most of the others.

What is your favorite episode of 4? Ahh…Since this isnt about the Manga I’d say…Episode 6 of Re:. Because while it was rushed a bit, I got to have Juuzou with Big Madam, Haise vs Seidou, and the Mutsurie hug scene. 

What is your favorite season of 5? Ketsu!! Otherwise known as the last one haha. I adored it a whole bunch. I thought everything was put together and intertwined nicely.

Who is your favorite couple in 3? Oh man this is really tough. All the main ones are so good. I’d say Yatori wins over though~Its so sweet but also has just enough angst in it to keep me on my toes. KazuBisha is a very close second though!

Who is your favorite couple in 2? A toss up between CroMa and SouMa-It just goes back and forth so often its hard for me to say. They are both so cute and have their own strong points-When I first watched\read it I prefered SouMa but the older I got and when I rewatched\reread it I couldnt help but like CroMa more and more.

What is your favorite episode of 1? This might change when the new season comes out-But as of Season 1 I’d say the ever Iconic Kyoru hug episode. Whats not to love about it? Equal parts sad as it is heartwarming. (I really, really love Hanas backstory episode as well-So this was hard to say.)

What is your favorite episode of 5? The epsiode when Masaomi fought against his gang and overcomes his cowardice-Then it ends with Mikado and Anri coming to help him with Celty. I just really loved that episode a lot.

What is your favorite season of 2? Uhh…I guess the first? Netflix just updated it and made them all one big season so I dont know anymore. But the one where Medusa goes to get Asura out of the bag-Crona and Maka fight-And Blackstar and Kid have Erika and Free to deal with. That ones my favorite and the one I was the most riveted by.

How long have you watched 1? Oh jeez. I was like…9 when I first saw the original Fruits Basket-So its been about nine years since I watched it last. 

How did you become interested in 3? Well I was just bored one day and clicked on the first anime I saw with a interesting sounding plot-Then the show really captivated me.

Who is your favorite actor in 4? I’ll do voice actors since this isnt a live action-And In the Japanese sub I’d say its Rie Kugimiya the voice of Juuzou! She does an excellent job. And in the english dub I’d say its the voice of Kaneki-Austin Tindle! His voice acting is on point in certain parts. 

Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? Oh this is rough. Ohh man. Uh-Well I think I prefer Fruits Basket just by a little. Soul eater is great-But the anime got off the road the Manga paved-And Noragami is really amazing even in anime form to me…However filler and parts they took off of it to make it more comedic make it lose points quickly. And Durarara is so, so good. Oh goodness do I love it. However there where parts I was just like-I really….Dont care about this character they are focusing so much time on. Fruits Basket is wonderful. The plot is about healing and love-And I just love it. Im eagerly awaiting the season 2.

Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3?  Noragami has more episodes as of right now-So I’d say Norgami lol.

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? Can I choose nobody because holly shit everybody is fucked up one way or another in this show Uh I’d say Saiko? Maybe? She seems like the one who has the least messed up backstory and present during the Tokyo Ghoul series to me. 

Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? Hmm…Maybe? I could see it work a bit depending on what ends up going on. It would certainly be interesting! I’d definitely read\watch it. 

Overall, which show has the better story line, 3 or 5? Well. Both are highly interesting-But if were only doing Anime I’d say Durarara. Maybe even If I were to take into consideration they’re Manga (Or novel for Durarara) counterparts I’d still choose Durarara. Because I love how every character is connected to another, who is connected to another and nearly all of it is relevant to the plot in some way.

Which has better theme music, 2 or 4? Tokyo Ghoul definitely. Unravel and Katharsis are some of my all time favorites-However Resonance and Black paper moon are also really good. 

@juzuya-13, @haveanicedaymyself, @kyanitedragon, @icameoutofthecupboards, @aya-mesto-01, @ilovejuuzou, @juuheizou, @ashistr-ash and anybody else who wants to do this!