#Real Ideal World

[scribz-ag24]

opposing views

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

Emotional scene from Muppets Star Trek.

[shepscapades]

Ranchers as Grant Wood’s American Gothic was supposed to be sillay and goofy but then I set the ranch on fire and one thing led to another and now it’s. sad DFBJDFGB I’m really happy with how this came out though, so!! Here’s my week 3 piece for the Hermitcraft Design Challenge thingie :]

[butchviking]

if you dont believe in homosexuality as a natural, innate, morally neutral sexual orientation that cannot be changed then you! are! a! fucking! homophobe!!!!!!!!

[dollypopup]

I can't stop thinking about Colin on his travels. Colin, alone, on a journey to 17 different cities, across several countries. Colin on his own.

Colin who writes letter after letter, to his family, to his friends, and barely gets a response back. How long before he understands that they didn't get lost in the mail? How long until he realizes that, just like when he was a boy, no one has the time for him? The space for him? How many letters unanswered before he lets it finally take root and fester in his mind?

He could have died on that tour.

Would they even notice? Would they see when the letters slow until they cease? Would they wonder why? His mum, surely (maybe, possibly, but she has enough on her hands, besides, and he's never been a concern, in need of her assistance, before), but anyone else? Anthony on his honeymoon, Eloise a stormcloud personified, Benedict taking on the familial responsibilities, Fran preparing for the marriage mart and in Bath, regardless. Daphne, his closest sister, a mum running her own estate.

Greg and Hyacinth who enjoy his stories, but are children.

Pen who ignores him. No explanation, no goodbye.

Colin who has no one in his corner. Colin who travels city to city, putting on personas. Will they like me? What about now? Colin who has hardly anything to read from the people he loves. Who do not think of him.

And yet he thinks of them. Brings them back gifts, writes his recollections for them until it hits him that, oh, they don't care. They don't care what he's doing, how he's doing. They didn't want to hear it before, when he was there with them, and they do not want to hear it now, either. Did they even open those envelopes? Did they see them come through the post, just as proof he's alive, and shrug off the contents? Did they look? Once, Colin sends an empty page. No one notices. Easier, then, to send just the outsides. People only ever care about the outsides. Pretty and prim in neat packages, uncaring of what lies beneath. Sea sick on the rocking boats, staring up at stars on the continent, Colin grows aware, but not bitter. Sad, but resigned.

He loves his family, he loves Pen, loves them to grace, loves them to it's okay. It was him, he determines. Too chatty, his letters too long, uninteresting, his passions dull or droll, or else, worse, he's displeased them in some way. Colin who takes refuge in stranger's arms and homes, who dreams and tries to sate his curiosity. Colin who pretends, because anyone, anyone but him would be received better, he's sure of it. Colin who must talk too much, surely, and with no one to listen. Colin who learns to hush.

Yes. Remarkable- as in, I have many remarks about it.

How many times did he go to excitedly write of what he did that week, and stopped himself, knowing it was a waste? How many times did he write and throw into the fire a letter asking Why don't you see me? Why don't you care?

If he didn't make it, how long would it take for anyone to notice? A month? Two? A year? Would they wave it off as his frivolity, denounce him as a flake and fume about the funds? Would they wonder where it was he had lost himself off at?

He cannot fall into that, so, he writes in his journal, instead. Of the ache of it, of how he longs for connection, for understanding, for someone to take him seriously. He keeps it with him, this log of his discontent, of his folly and felicity, of his pitfalls and pains.

If he didn't make it, would they realize all that's left of him is what he sent them, not even a body to bury? Did he look over the side of a bow of a boat and look at the churn of the ocean and think of how many bones it held? Did he tip his face to the sun? How many new scars did he earn? Who did he befriend?

Who did he become?

Somewhere along the line, Colin learned. He learned the real him wasn't wanted.

Somewhere along the line, somewhere between Patmos and Paris, Colin left Colin behind.

And, somewhere along the line, Colin laid face to face with loneliness in his bed, and it wrapped its arms around him.

[transmascutena]

the poor little meow meow-ifictation of saionji in this fandom has got to stop i can't take it any more

[nthflower]

One thing I think you guys get wrong is sky was not telling Viktor he was not going to miss their talks because it was meant nothing to him and he didn't even care about him.

It was because he was completely giving up his humanity and in the future he will have no emotions to miss sky even if he want to. He would be incapable of missing him not that he didn't even care about her????

Like am I misunderstanding or no because that was not a you don't care about me moment for me???

Sky understood what Viktor was giving up better than him to me. And let him go while reminding him what that means?

[burningcheese-merchant]

I think redemption Spice needs to beat yandare Spice to death, as a treat. Might actualy be cathartic for him.

That would be the fucking best, honestly 😭 Reformed Burning Spice, after all of that time and hard work atoning for whatever sins he could, trying to find a new way forward as a different man, finally earning back his place in society; facing off against his shadow, his doppelganger, this demon wearing his face like a mask and his skin like a coat, this monster that has hurt and killed so many that is now sneering at him and calling him soft and weak for allowing himself to feel and be a real person again

You don't even have to make this ship-related necessarily, just have the Burning Spice who climbed his way out of the abyss VS the Burning Spice who jumped in head first and let the former, with all of his newfound experiences and perspective on life and the solace he learned to find within himself and others, achieve victory. Let this be his greatest and final act of redemption: slaying the man he used to be. Let good triumph over evil, as it can, as it should, and as it must. Let Damned Spice (gonna call him that while it's VS Reformed Spice) be brought to heel - not by Golden Cheese this time, but by someone so much worse: himself. Let his pride and bloodlust be his downfall, for neither can stand against humility and proper discipline. Let the face of ultimate defeat be the one he sees in his reflection - except while his own eyes burn with hatred and his own mouth is twisted into an ugly snarl, Reformed Spice's face is calm, cool, every breath and movement measured, his eyes alight only with righteous determination.

When Damned Spice is beat, Reformed Spice offers him one more chance to stop and turn back. People were willing to take him in and push him to start over, it was only fair that he pay that sentiment forward and let his other self have the option, as well. But he says no. Of course he does. Once a destroyer, always a destroyer. If there was ever a chance to help him, it's been gone a long time, and he didn't go looking for it for one reason only: he doesn't care anymore. He regrets ever caring in the first place. Life is meaningless, all that is fun and fair is destruction. What a shame that this fool that shares his name and likeness lost sight of that ultimate truth. He welcomes his defeat, he welcomes his death. It'll be the last worthwhile thing his inferior counterpart ever does.

Damned Spice is smiling when that axe comes bearing down on his head. He's smiling as he feels it sink into his neck, carving through his flesh, rending it from bone and then slicing through the bone, too. His body slumps forward, his head hits the ground with a thud. Still wearing that hideous devil's grin. He died as he lived, as he always wanted to live and as he always wanted to die: an unrepentant monster.

Reformed Spice is... not happy, but not sad. He feels... peaceful. Finally, he can claim freedom from his past. His demons have at last been bested. Perhaps he cannot undo what he did. Perhaps there are sins he can never truly be forgiven for. Perhaps there will always be blood staining the tapestry of his life, no matter what he does to wash it out. But how the rest of it is woven is up to him, and he has earned the wisdom and strength of character needed to make better choices. Now he can continue forward, into an uncertain but nevertheless brighter future, leaving the darkness behind without looking back. Had the tables been turned, the other Burning Spice would've done the same, anyway.

🔥 Absolute fucking cinema 🔥

(To properly address Reformed Spice VS Yandere Spice: what man wouldn't want to beat the shit out of the guy that's been constantly harassing his wife? That disrespected her boundaries and her personhood in such a vile, inexcusable way? Death is too good for Yandere Spice, but it's all Reformed Spice feels like offering him. The Devil can take care of the rest.)

[ghostlygunk]

sometimes i remember that ib fan twitter user tht was diehard insisting abt how mary did nothing wrong in the story and how garry was apparently in the wrong

[littencloud9]

kunikidazai tangled AU. you agree

[thoughtsbysofi]

Why do we keep chasing the Idea of perfect love?

The love stories we tell ourselves

As hopeless romantics, we’ve all been there—daydreaming about “the one,” holding on to the magic of soulmates and chasing the fantasy of a love so perfect it feels predestined. But recently, a realization hit me:

We have no idea what love actually is.

We think we do. After all, we’ve read the books, watched the movies, and consumed enough romance content to fill entire libraries. We’ve built a collective idea of love, a shared mythos, but how much of that is real? If we’re honest, hasn’t the overconsumption of this idealized version of love distorted our understanding of it?

Take the constant projection and idealization, for example.

It’s almost automatic—whenever we meet someone even remotely attractive, our minds start weaving intricate fantasies. Suddenly, they’re not just a person; they’re the one. The chosen one. The once-in-a-lifetime love that will give our existence meaning.

In these mental scenarios, we often cast ourselves as the quirky, mysterious character—the one who will change their life forever. We picture ourselves as the free spirit, the deeply complex soul with a chaotic backstory. We’re the one they’ll never forget, the one they’ll think about with a wistful smile decades from now.

And why do we cling to this fantasy? Because we’ve been taught that she—the manic pixie dream girl, the enigmatic heroine—is lovable. Desirable. Worthy. She’s the kind of person people adore, not despite her flaws but because of them. She’s everything we’re not, and yet, in our minds, she becomes the version of ourselves we hope to be—the version we think someone could truly love.

But here’s the truth we rarely admit: in those fantasies, we’re never loved for who we really are. We’re loved for being someone else.

We imagine being adored not as the person writing this, but as the carefully curated romantic interest in someone else’s story. And for so long, that’s where we’ve placed our worth—in someone else’s gaze, someone else’s validation.

But is that fair? To us? To them?

It’s not fair to project these grand, cinematic expectations onto people who never asked for them. They’re not characters in our personal rom-com. They’re real, flawed individuals with their own stories, and they don’t owe us the fulfillment of our fantasies.

And yet, we find ourselves pulling away the moment someone doesn’t align with our imaginary script. We expect so much—everything, really—from one person. We want them to be the one, but when they don’t meet that impossible standard, we feel disappointed. And they? They’re left confused, wondering what they did wrong, when the truth is, it’s not about them at all.

It’s about us and our obsession with the idea of love.

Because here’s the kicker: love, in reality, is rarely like the movies. It’s not grand declarations or sweeping gestures. It’s not fireworks and soul-shattering kisses in the rain. Real love is…normal.

And that’s the part that terrifies us.

We crave the thrill, the drama, the intensity of love as a concept. But love in its truest form? It’s absurd in its simplicity. It’s imperfect, sometimes boring, and often inconvenient. And for those of us who’ve been raised on stories of epic romance, that normalcy feels like a letdown.

But maybe that’s the point.

Maybe real love isn’t about someone else completing us or making our lives extraordinary. Maybe it’s about learning to exist outside of someone else’s gaze. To be whole on our own, flaws and all, and to embrace the messy, unromantic, real connections we share with others.

Because in the end, isn’t that what love truly is? Not perfection, not fantasy—but presence. Showing up. Seeing and being seen. No projections, no expectations—just two imperfect people, trying their best.

And maybe that’s enough.

-xoxo

[musicalgifs]

i think people would be less resistant to the line change from 'let the world we dream about be the one we live in now' to 'to the world we dream about and the one we live in now' if they had also kept hermes' line from chant in previews: 'i know you can see how the world could be, but you've got to live in the world that is' because those two lines really go together imo

[fortycumber]

I bet miao miao's favorite author is actually mu sheng's real life version

I bet the game she's trapped in is actually based on HIS convoluted novel

I bet they'll meet outside the game

(this is me projecting a happy ending)

[abyssalzones]

I'm probably nonbinary but I have college so idrc about that rn

[changetheprophecy81]

Ok this is probably gonna be controversial

Even though I generally don't mind the fanon marauders (i couldn't hate them more but also idc, let ppl hv fun), i think it's a very interesting phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, i definitely don't conflate what ppl enjoy in fiction with real life, but imo it's rather interesting to see how our values and worldview influences the literature we produce and consume (otherwise it wouldn't be necessary to completely change the marauders' personalities in the first place)

Generally, i think it's just that ppl want to impose current day values and trends on the characters they grew up with and thus have a great degree of nostalgia for, seems lyk a perfect mix. And most ppl probably don't want deep, complex and heart breaking stuff in something they view as recreation. And that unconventional ships are fun in general. The entire thing is just silly fun

But also, i think the specific characterization of the marauders as one dimensional social justice warriors who are completely correct all the time(to the point where they're justified in every wrong thing they do in the name of defending rights or sm shit) comes from the fact that a lot of ppl like to think of themselves in this way as well. There's no place for growth, correction or nuance, there's just good vs evil and right vs wrong. In the sense that they're the knights in shining armour and the rest of the world is purely evil. And this is just my opinion, but i think being an sjw is more of a cool fad now than anything else (particularly in the West). The purpose of what ur fighting for comes second to feeling good about yourself and having a superiority complex that comes with believing that ur completely, totally right with everything u say and do. The truth is, despite the fact that it's good to feel this way, i think literally no one is lyk this, no matter how accepting and empathetic they believe themselves to be. A lot of it is constantly questioning if ur doing the right thing and constantly critically analysing ur views and positions by trying ur best to see things from every perspective (or at least thts the way I see it). Everyone always has something they need to change. My point is, i think ppl hv a hard time accepting that those fighting for noble causes can still be wrong about other things and can still believe in the backward thinking of their time without being revolutionaries(a simple glance at history would have made this obvious but nvm) It obvs doesn't make it acceptable to the slightest but it is what it is, the younger generation learns from their mistakes and so on. This, imo, is particularly common amongst the more chronically online folks, those who see themselves as the ultimate upholders of justice. U can have assholes who are trying their best to do what is right while still being shitty in their own ways. Snape can save the world and represent the power of redemption while still being a pathetic and miserable person. James and Sirius can be extremely cruel bullies while still being brave and noble by risking their lives and fighting for the cause when they were barely out of school (particularly Sirius, given what he was raised to believe in). Regulus can still be honourable and brave for ultimately sacrificing his life in hopes of bringing down voldemort while still retaining the fact tht he was obsessed with a cult leader calling for genocide (and incidentally, we hv no proof tht regulus stopped believing in all his other prejudices before his death).

None of these characters need to be confined to the 'a part of the LGBT community- or homophobic' binary to categorise them into good and evil, in the sense that the uwu marauders and Slytherin skittles (who were literal DEs in canon) are always the good ones and Snape gets the rear end of the stick. Plus being a part of the LGBT community doesn't automatically make ur character interesting,complex, or better, neither does it need to be their entire personality..imo this idea isn't as progressive as it's made out to be and isn't the representation ppl think it is.

These are thoughts haphazardly floating around in my brain and I cannot write a satisfactory and conscise conclusion to save my life, so, uhh, feel free to fill in lmao

[transmascutena]

the fact that he spends all his time grooming kids into believing they're mature enough to consent and then turns around to condescend to them about how young and stupid they are and how they actually don't understand anything makes my fucking blood boil. i need to kill him