#THESE CHARACTERS HAVE DIFFERENCES AND COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUND WHICH WILL AFFECT

[its-jun0]

Psychological analysis of Aira

And how the loss of her mother affected the development of her personality

I feel that this is something very overlooked in the community and in honor of the new chapter I would like to do a small analysis from my perspective on it.

Although it is something very little addressed in the story, it is extremely important in her development as a character.

This thread contains spoilers for the manga from the acro silky to the Space Globalist arc!

As we saw in the Acro Silky arc, Aira's mother died when she was very little and judging by her appearance she was no more than 5 or 6 years old at the time.

This simple fact makes the event even more relevant, childhood is a stage of utmost importance in human beings, since at this stage most cognitive skills are developed.

These skills help in the development of healthy and correct management of emotions during adolescence and Adulthood also influences how the child relates to people and their environment.

The importance of the presence of parents at this stage is indispensable, since the first bond that appears in the life of a human is with them and depending on the circumstances and how this bond develops, it will affect the poor way in the psychosocial growth of the infant.

The absence of one or both parents strongly affects the development of the infant, causing damage to the child's psyche that can last beyond adulthood and is even more serious when it is something irreversible such as the death of one of them.

With this begins a grieving process, which is very different from that of an adult given the poor emotional management capacity of a child, this directly affects the growth and development of the child's personality.

Her need for perfection

One of the main characteristics in Aira's personality is the need to be perfect, both in how she acts and how she looks physically.

At first it can be seen as the need to fit in that many teenagers have, but after the acro silky arc you can see the topic in more depth.

In chapter 17 we can see how in the flashback shared with Acro Silky, Aira as a child promises her father to be a great girl so that her mother can be proud when she “comes back”.

With this in mind by connecting their attitudes she can be given a little background, since she acts so “perfectly” because in a certain part she fills the void and the need to make her mother proud.

Because in her mind the fact that everyone loves and admires her makes her someone important, no matter if that means not being true to who she really is.

And this brings us to the point that she thought she was “the chosen one”, since this was a greater merit than just being loved and popular among the people around her.

Although she acted proud about it, this was the perfect situation for her to be able to fulfill the promise she had made, to become someone her mother can be truly proud of.

Although as the chapters go by she continues with this idea in mind, her perspective changes to a more serious one, demonstrating her great development during the plot.

Her actions in the acro silky arc and how this marked a before and after in her character

As I have said many times, despite being her debut arc, this one is very important since you can notice a change, even if it is slight, in how she was presented and how she developed after this.

One of Aira's characteristics is her great empathy towards people who have gone through difficult times; this may mainly be because her own situation helps her put herself in the shoes of others.

The main example of this was with Acro silky, since both shared the pain of a loss and in this case, both were very important figures as mother and daughter.

In other situations where this can be seen is when she finds out about Vamola's past, being moved to tears and another very important point is how she behaves with Chiquitita.

Her relationship with Chiquitita

Aira and Chiquitita's relationship is similar to that of an older sister and a younger brother, Chiquitita is in the same situation as her, he is small, his mother died and he is cared for only by his father, so she can feel more than identified In this case.

Aira is giving him the support and company that she surely lacked as a child given the circumstances in which she grew up.

It is not easy for a father to address all the needs of a child in the absence of, in this case, a maternal figure, since he has to dedicate himself to working and meeting the child's physical needs, even if this means leaving emotional needs aside.

This led us to another very important point in her personality, her great resilience.

The resilience and strength that she possesses

One of the characteristics of children who went through situations where they lost one or both of their parents is the development of “strength” as a defense mechanism.

This is both an advantage and a disadvantage, since although this will be a way to overcome Life's adversities but also open the door to over-demanding and closing ourselves off to the help of others.

Aira is a very strong and resilient person, both mentally and physically, this can be witnessed in fighting and in her ability to lead others, being able to make plans without getting carried away by her emotions like in the Space Globalist arc.

But as I said before, this is also a disadvantage since many times she over-demand herself and refuses to receive help from others and to do things on her own.

Characters like Jiji let her see this in a certain part, when she said that she could defeat the aliens on her own if they would just let her and Jiji told her that she couldn't do it alone.

Being used to and growing up with the idea that she has to be strong instilled by her father when she was little, makes Aira see this as the only thing she has known during her life, If she is not strong, she will not fulfill her promise.

With this in mind we can move on to the next point, her leadership and how she relates to others.

Her role as a leader and how she relates to others

How I addressed before Aira's strength and resilience helped her achieve a good role as a leader, despite being heavy-handed on many occasions, she cares deeply about her team members, constantly asking them to be careful, also trying to put her own needs aside to protect them.

You can see this in the Space Globalist arc, when she asks Momo to take care of herself, when she is happy to see that Mr. Shrimp is alive, when Mr. Shrimp wants to help her and she asks him to go see Jiji first.

This highlights the point of self-demand that she has and how she does not accept the help of others so easily despite being a team, since, again as I mentioned before, being strong and independent is what she has been from an early age.

This brings us to the last point, her relationship with others.

Aira was surrounded by superficial people for most of her life, who were only interested in the “perfect” facade that she had created, so this whole topic of genuine relationships, both friendship and love, is very new to her.

A great example of this is her infatuation with Okarun and the scene where he congratulates her for her great performance in battle, since it is something in which she genuinely makes an effort and she is not used to being given credit in that type of situation.

So when it comes to answering she wonders why. she wasn't being her “usual self,” even though at that moment she was being more genuine with herself.

Conclusion

Aira is an extremely interesting character, who has had one of the best developments in the play, although I failed to address many topics such as her ability to admit her mistakes.

I thought that they did not really come with the main idea of the analysis and I would like to address them more forward when she has more appearances.

I genuinely hope that Tatsu continues cooking with her and can become one of the best characters in the play.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post!!

I hope you found it interesting and do not hesitate to share your point of view with me. I will be very happy to read them!!!

[chaiichait]

There are obvious differences between the humans and the faerie, like their features. Faerie have slimmer more stick like bodies, more sharp ethereal features, animal body parts, and obviously their sharp tipped ears. While humans have softer features, round ears, with plumper curvier bodies and shorter heights. But these differences are showed futher by the way they speak.

Faerie are more inclined to play into figurative language and use more prose like, baroque sentences. This is probably due to their weakness of tongue, the fact that they cannot tell lies. Humans on the other hand speak more modernly, similar to us. Even humans that have lived on faerie in a long time still have some remnants of their former dialect. Take Jude for example, she is often direct and doesn't have as much filler words compared to faerie. Cardan speaks in a more languished fanciful manner, whose word choices often make Jude addled. It really plays up to their differences and I love how subtle it is that the characters speak differently to one another.

[writingwithcolor]

Not all Second-Language Speakers are Made Equal.

@waltzshouldbewriting asked:

Hello! I’m writing a story that features a character who’s first language is not English. He’s East African, specifically from Nairobi, Kenya, and is pretty fluent in English but it’s not his primary language, and he grew up speaking Swahili first. I’m struggling to figure out if it’s appropriate or in character to show him forgetting English words or grammar. From what I’ve researched, English is commonly spoken in Nairobi, but it wouldn’t be what was most spoken in his home. For context, this is an action/superhero type story, so he (and other characters) are often getting tired, stressed, and emotional. He also speaks more than two languages, so it makes sense to me that it would be easier to get confused, especially in a language that wasn’t his first. But I’m worried about ending up into stereotypes or tropes. For additional context: I’m monolingual, I’ve tried to learn a second language and it’s hard. A lot of how I’m approaching this comes from my own challenges correctly speaking my own, first and only language.

Diversity in Second-Language English

You seem to have an underlying assumption that second language acquisition happens the same for everyone. 

The way your character speaks English depends on so many unknown factors: 

Where does your story take place? You mention other characters; are they also Kenyan, or are they all from different countries?

Assuming the setting is not Kenya, is English the dominant language of your setting? 

How long has your character lived in Kenya vs. where he is now? 

What are his parents’ occupations? 

What level of schooling did he reach in Nairobi before emigrating? 

What type of school(s) did he go to, public or private? Private is more likely than you think. 

Did his schooling follow the national curriculum structure or a British one? Depends on school type and time period. 

Does he have familiarity with Kenyan English, or only the British English taught in school? 

Is this a contemporary setting with internet and social media?

I bring up this list not with the expectation that you should have had all of this in your ask, but to show you that second language acquisition of English, postcolonial global English acquisition in particular, is complex. 

My wording is also intentional: the way your character speaks English. To me, exploring how his background affects what his English specifically looks like is far more culturally interesting to me than deciding whether it makes him Good or Bad at the language. 

L2 Acquisition and Fluency

But let’s talk about fluency anyway: how expressive the individual is in this language, and adherence to fundamental structural rules of the language.

Fun fact: Japanese is my first language. The language I’m more fluent in today? English. Don’t assume that an ESL individual will be less fluent in English compared to their L1 counterparts on the basis that 1) it’s their second language, or 2) they don’t speak English at home. 

There’s even a word for this—circumstantial bilingualism, where a second language is acquired by necessity due to an individual’s environment. The mechanisms of learning and outcomes are completely different. 

You said you tried learning a second language and it was hard. You cannot compare circumstantial bilingualism to a monolingual speaker’s attempts to electively learn a second language. 

Motivations?

I understand that your motivation for giving this character difficulties with English is your own personal experience. However, there are completely different social factors at play.

The judgments made towards a native speaker forgetting words or using grammar differently are rooted in ableism and classism (that the speaker must be poor, uneducated, or unintelligent). That alone is a hefty subject to cover. And I trust you to be able to cover that!

But on top of that, for a second language speaker, it’s racism and xenophobia, which often lend themselves to their own ableist or classist assumptions (that those of the speaker’s race/ethnicity must be collectively unintelligent, that they are uneducated or low class due to the occupations where they could find work, or conversely that they are snobby and isolationist and can't be bothered to learn a new language). Intersections, intersections.

If you want to explore your experiences in your writing, give a monolingual English speaker in your cast a learning disability or some other difficulty learning language, whatever you most relate with. And sure, multilingual folks can occasionally forget words like anyone else does, or think of a word in one language and take a second to come up with it in the other language. But do not assume that multilinguals, immigrants, or multiethnic individuals inherently struggle with English or with multiple languages just because you do.

~ Rina

[greenfiend]

Are we ready to have an honest discussion about Will and El’s dynamic and possible ending yet?

Two characters sharing a similar narrative in this story. How will things end for these two?

It hasn’t occurred to me until recently just how little we discuss these two.

Over the course of the show, the development of Will and El’s co-existence has less to do with their relationship but more to do with Will’s character arc.

In the beginning (seasons 1 and 2), Will is so hidden that El takes over. Will “hides” in the upside down, and is again hidden when he is possessed. El takes the spotlight in his place.

Then in season 3, Will is physically present but in the background. He’s the side character. El is the leader. They barely interact.

In season 4, Will is starting to come out of his shell. He’s still a side character, but he’s closer to being on an even playing field with El. He’s not in the background as often, and is actually seen conversing with El, and he even confronts her on her lies to Mike. Which is also foreshadowing his lies to Mike later on in the season.

I’m going to be quite frank: El and Will are not actually very close in canon. The “wonder twins” idea is beautiful but very fanon. These two had so many opportunities to grow closer, especially since they were separated from the others in California… but they just don’t? They both seem lonely and disconnected in the other’s presence. But yet, they are connected another way: El is Will’s saviour/protector. She is like his security blanket. I mean this literally (textually), and a sub-textually. Obviously she helps him while he’s trapped in the upside down and when he’s possessed- making her a textual, and literal saviour.

But… what do I mean by a sub-textual saviour? Well, she protects him from having to take the spotlight. He is able to hide behind her in many ways.

For one, she takes the brunt of the bullies in Lenora. Will is able to go around unnoticed even as a GNC guy that he is. Back home at Hawkins, he is, unfortunately, very visible to bullies. Visibly different, visibly gay. But in Lenora? Bullies are too distracted by the girl who’s different instead.

Now when it comes to Will’s love life… El also is protecting him in a sense. He desires Mike, romantically, sexually, and intimately. Due to the rampant homophobia that surrounds him, these desires scare him. El is a safe barrier from these desires. Will is also able to safely express himself through her.

If El weren’t in the picture, Will may have been more bold in expressing this side of himself to Mike. He may just let his feelings slip out more. Perhaps he’d let his eyes linger a tad longer, or he’d be tempted to be a bit more tactile with the boy he’s overflowing with affection for.

El shields Will from having to confront many aspects of himself. That’s the problem. Because of her protection, he isn’t able to challenge himself and grow. This is why whenever El saves the day, it never lasts. She merely puts a “bandaid” on the wound. But this wound will grow and fester if the source of the problem is not addressed.

El’s Possible Origin

This is the first time in the entire show that El is mentioned. The context of this sounds like they’re implying that El also “came from” the upsidedown; precisely where Will was at the time.

Now, I’m aware this is a fairly unpopular opinion, but I do believe El was created from Will in a supernatural sense. I suppose in a similar way to how Eve was created from Adam, minus any romantic undertones.

Our very first sighting of El is of her emerging from the forest, barefoot, in a hospital gown, with very little hair on her head, and a limited knowledge of the English language. Not unlike an infant child. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way… I’m not implying that everyone with limited language skills are babies, there are many possible reasons for it. But within this show, it is implied that her lack of language skills are due to her experiences within the lab, and lack of experiences outside of it.

I do have to ask though, why do the other “lab kids” we have seen have no obvious language difficulties? Unless… El actually was an “infant” in a way…

This quote is interesting for multiple reasons. One I’m focusing on here is the mention of life starting that particular day. Of course I’m not referring to Mike’s life starting that day- I’m talking about the person we are shown in this particular shot- El.

Now, I know what everyone is thinking: how does El have memories that predate this day then?

Well, what I’m arguing is that many of her memories could be an altered version of Will’s memories. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that his memories could have been transferred to El.

This “fake” script of the episode Papa tells us that Will recognized Brenner. There’s a history there! Will likely could not quite pinpoint how he recognized him.

It’s important to note that Will only vaguely recalls aspects of his childhood. There’s gaps. Just like there’s gaps in El’s memory as well.

El’s Possible Ending

I’ve always been surprised just how little people dig into El’s possible ending in the show. I feel like people are somewhat aware of this possibility but choose not to give it any further thought. Truth is- El doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

I need to remind everyone of this last shot in ST4. Yes yes the couples, we have heard it a million times already… but look where El is standing. She’s on the other side. She’s in the upsidedown. Where she initially came from. Now, I’m not saying she’ll end up in the current unpleasant upsidedown- she will likely live on in a peaceful version of it. An entirely new environment one that exists…

[In Will’s mind.]

I do think this is an important foreshadowing quote- but not in the way most people think. They won’t work together as twins- they will work together as one person. What I’m saying is…

They will combine. Just like what this hug visually foreshadows… El and Will will become one again.

I can honestly make a whole separate post regarding references made in ST to other media involving two characters being one. There’s a lot…

[knavesflames]

Hello, I hope your day goes well as you're reading this!

If your request is still open, can I request touch deprived! Arlecchino and Touch deprived! Reader? Like reader is very clingy and affectionate to her closest friends because she's been deprived of physical affection since she was younger, and Arlecchino who's also touch deprived but unlike reader who has no problem with physical affection, she finds it hard to do it, but when she meets reader who's hugs are so comfortable she's grown addicted to it and craves her gentle touches more and more, thank you! Have a great day or night!

(I realise I’m apologising on every post for the late ones, but I’m almost caught up to a reasonable delay) hi anon!! I feel this hard, I am so affectionate because I was touch starved as a child. Though, I focused this writing piece more on Arlecchino. I love exploring her and her being in character and slightly OOC too. (She’s my comfort character, can you guys tell?) thank you for the ask!

Word count: 1k

Content: fluff, Arlecchino is touched starved, she loves you

Nsft utc!

Arlecchino and you have come from completely different backgrounds (that are unfortunately all too similar as well). You worked well together even so, your routines matching each other, the same sense of humour. By that, I mean, you joked, her lips barely turned up, and she hummed in response (which is equivalent to your wheezing on the sofa over.. a silly cat?). The point is, you worked. You both made sense together. Except one, tiny little detail.

You loved physical touch, and she despised it. Once you discovered how it felt, you were obsessed. You loved the way your body was enveloped by arms that seemed like they’d block out the whole world for you.

Arlecchino hated physical touch. She isn’t used to it, she grew up with her horrifying excuse for a Mother, and physical affection was used often as manipulation rather than anything else, she saw that much with what happened to her dear, dear friend (who haunts her dreams).

The first time Arlecchino held you was a year into your relationship. She awoke during the night to an empty bed, and when she made her way towards the living room, she saw you, in tears on the sofa. A bad dream, you had said, and nothing more. Arlecchino saw the way your body was almost aching for some sort of touch, and despite the discomfort, her arms wrapped around you. Awkward, clumsy, and a little bit forced, but she hugged you. She had not hugged someone since she was sixteen. Without a word, her thumb stroked against your arm, and she felt the way your body slumped against her body. She felt like a burning fire, you realised, most likely due to the flames running through her veins, but you welcomed it nonetheless.

She began to notice that holding you in her embrace was not as torturous as she assumed. Arlecchino held you until you fell asleep.

Her embraces were few and far between, reserved only for special moments or moments where she can see you need them. Her facial expression never changes, but over time, she becomes slightly more comfortable with every hug. She ended up craving your embraces, the way your hand gingerly caresses her cheek and your lips on her skin, the gentle squeeze on her arm when you go past her. She wanted so desperately to associate touch with you instead, someone she knows could never hurt a spider.

Eventually, she begins allowing it more and more, and even begins silently hinting when she wants one by sighing slightly louder, or grumbling a bit when things go wrong, only to feel a fuzzy warmth inside when you smile at her and give a gentle touch. Both you and Arlecchino wonder if she will one day make the first move.

Arlecchino does not know why she dislikes physical affection so much. She enjoys buying gifts she knows you will cherish and love instead, doing things at a distance. This was never supposed to be anything more than a fling, she didn’t want investment, she didn’t want any affection to be returned, but she fell for you, and hard. She dislikes how vulnerable she has become around you, but a part of her deep down inside of her likes it too. Arlecchino is scared you will leave, that you will ruin her one day, and she feels like it won’t happen if she doesn’t let on how hard she has fallen. (Everyone knows and says nothing.)

Perhaps she prefers affection the way she does, unrequited and with little investment, is because some part of her craves a love so great that it would tear her apart, and that frightens her. She does not know how to receive love, yet she still wants a love that will consume her entire being and burn hotter than the flames that course through her veins with every beat of her slowly-thawing heart. You are thawing her, she knows that much.

The weather chills the way her touch grows warmer, and winter comes quickly. The winter in Snezhnaya was cold and biting, and despite her accommodating her home for you (she clearly does not need it) by lighting the fireplace and leaving you blankets, the cold still finds its way into your bones, leaving you shivering. One night, when it is the coldest night of the year, you find yourself unable to sleep at all. You lay awake in the dark, thinking about your past the way you always do at night, shivering so hard you’re practically vibrating.

At some point, you hear her stirring, and you try to quiet yourself, to make sure she can continue sleeping. She noticed the second she opened her eyes, though. Doesn’t she always? She is glad you are pretending to sleep so you do not see the hesitation in her eyes before she snaps herself out of it and does what you both want her to. Wordlessly, she shuffles a few inches closer and her arm wraps around your midsection, dragging you closer until her body is wrapped around yours. Arlecchino, being the attentive person she is, notices your smile and sigh of relief and the way your shivering stops. She notices the way you nestle further in once you know she’s okay with it, and she notices when your breath falls into a deep rhythm.

It is her turn to stare at the wall, her heart beating faster than usual, the only giveaway of any of her feelings. Slowly, her arms snake around you until she’s holding you so tight you can’t move even if you wanted to. Her breath is visible when she exhales, when she lets her body finally relax in the company of another. Arlecchino buries her face into your hair, smelling your shampoo. The smell makes her drowsy, she tells herself (it is not the smell, it is that after so many years, her walls have crumbled completely), and she finds her eyes drooping until she, too, falls into the throes of sleep.

Arlecchino sleeps the best she ever has. Arlecchino has her first night of no nightmares since she became the poor, mad, cursed knave. Arlecchino does not feel so cursed when you are beside her.

[hamliet]

Derry Girls: A Masterclass in Detailed, Thematic Writing

Several years after the end, I finally watched Derry Girls, and it's become one of my favorite shows. Not only for the way it captures the absolutely unhinged aspects of Irish families (askmehowiknow) but for the sheer writing skill.

The vast majority of the episodes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, while also offering insightful commentary on the Troubles and on humanity's foibles as a whole. The characters are allowed to be human and act in unlikable, unsanitized ways, and to still be human and come back from that. (Almost like a metaphor for the Troubles or something.)

The story is also incredibly detailed; for example, when the girls are accused of killing a nun and Erin points out the nun was like, 98 years old and askes "might that shed some light on the situation?" there's an hourglass behind Sister Michael--emphasizing the idea that her time was up. Even more than that... the window is behind the hourglass, literally shining a light on it.

But that's a micro level. On a macro level, I also appreciated the way the story discusses the political backdrop that is part of its premise. Even as Erin, Michelle, James, Clare, and Orla grow up in a place that's been in a state of low-level warfare for decades, they live full lives. In fact, that's kinda the point.

Case in point: episode 4 of the first season, wherein Erin gets an exchange student from Chernobyl. The way the Northern Irish in general treat the Ukrainians is hilariously awful and patronizing, believing that they are giving them a respite from the troubles "over there" while Northern Ireland isn't in a much better state. But, as Sister Michael assures the Ukrainian students, the Irish troubles don't matter because "we're the goodies."

This line gets to the heart of what the episode is saying about political divisions and the way people view an "other." Everyone sees themselves as the "goodies." Because of that, they don't self-examine and wind up hurting the people they see themselves as wanting to help/save with their ignorance. It's a paradoxical egotistical (and frankly teenage) worldview that is also unwilling to look critically at oneself. The focus on their own perceptions over focusing on the actual humanity of the other results in ruining gifts that could come with cross-culture interaction, as seen in how Erin's misunderstandings and petty jealousy of Katya leads to her literally ruining a surprise gift Katya had prepared.

And the end of the episode also comments thematically on the story. One of the Ukrainian boys turns out not to be Ukrainian after all--he's actually Irish and from just down the road. He just didn't know how to say that. The ironic message is clear: despite differences in culture and views, they are actually all human beings, and assumptions make it hard for people to speak. If they could actually talk openly and without presumptions about who is "good" and who is "bad," they could prevent and solve a lot of problems.

This kind of background, symbolic commentary on the Troubles continues in just about every episode of the series. For example, even after the ceasefire, season 3 has an episode where it's discussed how negotiations are stalling, and the entirely of the rest of the episode takes place on a train that stalls between two separate places.

The Troubles are always something affecting their lives, but the only time the Troubles ever become the main story is in the finale episode. Which is also an episode that makes everyone cry. Michelle's brother is finally mentioned for the first time the entire series, yet it doesn't feel like a retcon so much as a recontextualization, and again mirrors how a lot of society (and Michelle's own family) have treated those who murdered others during the conflict.

Erin and James' relationship also works as a metaphor for the Troubles--an Irish Catholic girl and an English boy. Earlier in season 3, after they finally kiss, they're told they can't be together, that it's wrong, and that it'll create problems for everyone around them. Michelle doesn't want things to change. And Erin agrees that it's not good to pursue something.

But, in the final scenes, as Erin prepares to vote in the Good Friday Agreement and talks to James, she directly states she thinks things can't stay the same forever--thereby countering what she said to reject James earlier:

There's a part of me that wishes everything could just stay the same. That we could all just stay like this forever. There's a part of me that doesn't really want to grow up. I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I'm not sure I'm ready for the world. But things can't stay the same, and they shouldn't. No matter how scary it is, we have to move on, and we have to grow up, because things... well, they might just change for the better. So we have to be brave. And if our dreams get broken along the way... we have to make new ones from the pieces.

Symbolically, also, given that we know the outcome of the Good Friday Agreement, I think it's pretty clear Erin and James end up together even if we're not directly shown it.

That the last shot of the episode (besides the funny epilogue) is Grandda Joe, one of the eldest characters, helping his youngest toddler granddaughter Anna leap over a threshold as they leave the voting station, is also incredibly clear in its symbolism.

Erin: People died. Innocent people died, Grandda. They were someone's mother, father, daughter, son. Nothing can ever make that okay. And the people who took those lives, they're just gonna walk free? What if we do it, and it's all for nothing? What if we vote yes and it doesn't even work? Grandda Joe: And what if it does? What if no one else has to die? What if this all becomes a--a ghost story you'll tell your wee-un's some day? A ghost story they'll hardly believe?

I dunno, I think this is a sentiment we need more of in the world. A peaceful future means taking risks and accepting that punitive justice will not be perfectly doled out; however, if you allow more people to be hurt, is that not also injustice? It's a paradox that the story leaves us without a dogmatic answer to (for example, we never find out if Michelle's brother gets released), but it's also hopeful--because we know that the Good Friday Agreement largely worked.

(For further analysis of the final scene, I recommend PillarofGarbage's analysis on YouTube!)

[mywitchyblog]

The Coolest Thing About Reality Shifting: DR Memories

What Are DR Memories ? :

One of the coolest things about reality shifting is that you can get DR memories—these are memories from your desired reality (DR). What’s really cool about these memories is that they fill in the blanks, like adding extra content to the story. But what makes it even better is that these memories often answer questions that the original show or movie never explained. It’s almost like having secret insider knowledge that makes the story and characters make more sense and feel more real. These memories can add extra background information, character motivations, or small details that clear up plot holes. It makes the universe of that show or movie feel more complete and satisfying. That’s why I think DR memories are one of the most interesting parts of reality shifting—they add a lot of depth and detail that you wouldn't get otherwise.

Claircognizance and DR Memories :

In case you didn't know, a DR memory is a type of claircognizance. Claircognizance is a psychic ability where you get knowledge or insights without any logical explanation—it's like the information just pops into your head. It’s not like remembering something you already know or imagining something new; instead, it feels like this information just appears in your mind without any effort.

I can tell the difference between a DR memory and a daydream because with daydreams, I actually create them myself, almost like I’m walking through the daydream and deciding what happens next. Daydreams are like a creative process, where I have control over what happens. With DR memories, it's the opposite—the memory just comes to me, almost like downloading information from somewhere unknown. It’s passive, and I feel like I’m just receiving it instead of making it happen. DR memories usually come with a strong sense of certainty that they’re real, which is very different from daydreams, which feel more like imagination.

How I Recognize DR Memories :

That's how I can tell the difference between the two. I'm currently working on developing my psychic abilities, and from what I've learned, claircognizance is the best way to describe what happens when shifters get DR memories. Claircognizance is like getting information from a place you can't see, almost like an invisible source of knowledge.

One reason I value these memories so much is that they make things suddenly make sense, like putting together puzzle pieces that finally fit. They don’t feel random—they come with a clarity and sense of completeness that I can't ignore. I knew it was a DR memory because it came with a strong sense of certainty, a conviction that I wouldn't normally have if I was just imagining things. It’s that feeling of knowing that tells me it’s not something I made up, but something real and meaningful, which makes the experience even more special.

Example: Teen Wolf Filming Locations :

Here's an example that really stood out to me. It's related to Teen Wolf, specifically where they filmed the show. In the first two seasons, they filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, which gave it that small-town vibe and charm. The setting made it feel like a real close-knit community, with overcast skies, thick woods, and an older, worn-out small-town look. But from season three onward, they moved filming to California, which totally changed things.

The new location made the show look different since the Californian landscapes had more sun, wider streets, new architecture, and brighter natural scenery. This change impacted the show's overall tone and feel. The new brightness made everything look cleaner and less gritty, which affected the mood and atmosphere. What always bugged me was that the show never explained in the story why the high school changed so much between seasons two and three. It felt like a sudden, unexplained shift, and it always stood out to me as something inconsistent when I watched the series again.

The DR Memory That Explained It All :

Then I had this DR memory, and it all made sense. Basically, in my DR memory, there was a big renovation. The old high school from seasons one and two was in an older, run-down part of town with outdated facilities and a dull look. The town council realized that the school was no longer meeting the needs of the community, and it couldn't keep up with modern education standards. So, they decided to build a brand new high school—one that was bigger, more modern, and way more functional, with updated technology and better facilities, like advanced science labs, new computer rooms, and bigger athletic fields.

The construction project took about two to three years, and it involved a lot of community effort, planning, and even some fundraising by the local residents. The town was really proud to build something that would be a central part of the community and give students a much better learning environment. By the time summer break was over (like the one at the very beginning of season 3A), the new high school was ready, with modern classrooms, great sports facilities, an upgraded library with digital resources, and a cool, sleek design. It was a huge improvement compared to the old school. So, by the time season three starts, the high school is completely new and very different from the old one.

Better Than Devenford Prep :

What I found pretty funny in the DR memory was that some of the new facilities at our high school ended up being even better than the ones at Devenford Prep, which is supposed to be this elite school with the best resources. The upgrades were so impressive that even some of the prep school students came over to use our facilities, especially things like the athletic spaces and the new multimedia studio (which is, in a way, canon since I think there are scenes of Brett Talbot training at the BHHS lacrosse field). The swimming pool and gym were way nicer than anything Devenford had, which was surprising because private schools are usually thought to have better stuff than public ones.

Finally, I had an explanation for why the high school changed so much between seasons two and three, which the show never actually explained. It was really satisfying to fill in that missing piece because it made the story feel more realistic, like everything fit together and made sense, almost as if it had always been part of the original story.

@shiftingwithmars i think you have a teen wolf DR ? So maybe this lil storty time of mine will make some sense to you.

[urmumsgyatt]

a thing i always find interesting about james being a poc is that it does fundamentally change his character and the way he’s presented in ways i don’t think a lot of people acknowledge.

in canon we have white james, a pretentious and somewhat spoiled pureblood who means well but is unintentionally close minded when it comes to the issues that other ppl face around him. it makes sense because james is white and a pureblood. he comes from a place of privilege so his ignorance is to be expected.

but then you make him a poc in 1970s britain and suddenly everything about him changes, his entire character is rewired. he can no longer be classified as someone completely ignorant nor someone completely privileged because james now understands what it’s like to experience prejudice and hardship. his lived experiences as a marginalised person indisputably affect/influence the way james perceives and acts around other people.

these two, while both james, are fundamentally two different characters as a result of their backgrounds and personal experiences. james as a poc cannot be the same as white james which i think is an interesting aspect of his character that should be explored more in fanon works.

[calmcoldevening]

Can you pls do slashers x reader who is very girly❤❤

It's ok if you don't want to do it!❤

Hey, of course I'll write it. Well, I didn't know which slashers you want, so I chose these four. If you want another slashers, just let me know, kitten ♡

I'm sorry it turned out so little, I'm just not good at 'girly' things

Slashers x girly!reader

Characters: Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Bubba Sawyer, Thomas Hewitt

Michael Myers

• He doesn't care. Michael absolutely does not care what you look like or what you wear, his affection is much deeper than external indicators.

• Although he doesn't particularly like it when you wear dresses or skirts that are too revealing. Michael sees people staring at you in the streets with hungry eyes. Because of this, he becomes very possessive. He will keep an eye on you on the streets with special care so that nothing happens to you.

• He likes your hips in dresses. After a long day, he just likes to put his hands under the fabric of your dress and squeeze your hips, his head resting on your stomach. You are his place of comfort.

• You are the only person whose feelings are even a little important to him. He'll be able to listen to you, but don't expect an extremely vivid reaction. If you're crying and you need comfort, the most he'll do is pull you onto his lap and hold you close, grumbling through his mask into your hair.

• He absolutely loves your shampoos and floral perfume. Amidst all the vulgarity of the modern world, you were his personal delicate flower.

• In general, such dynamics would be very much to Michael's liking. He is such a strong and big man and you are his little thing. He would be quite attentive, protective and dominant. If possible (if I remembered) Michael would bring you some trinkets, maybe even flowers.

Jason Voorhees

• Jason would be absolutely happy to be your partner. He would be as gentle, caring and attentive as possible. Jason is basically quite lonely, he lacks love and attention, and you are all so gentle and beautiful, like a young spring flower, he will love you with all his heart and protect you.

• Gives you flowers, teddy bears, all sorts of nonsense for no particular reason. He especially likes to collect flowers for you in the forest in a neat bouquet and tie it with a generic ribbon. Yes, it may not be a bouquet from the store, but it is made with all the love.

• He can listen for hours as you tell him about your makeup or some cute girly stuff. He will be very attentive. And although Jason doesn't understand everything about it, he will try to remember what you like. He really cares about your interests and tastes.

• If you make new nails, he will have a very violent reaction. Jason knows how important attention is to you, so when you come home with a new manicure, he will almost faint from such beauty. A man will gently take your smooth hands and gently kiss your beautiful fingers in turn. You are his treasure.

• Jason absolutely accepts and supports you, regardless of how you like to behave or dress. It will support all your new hobbies and help you if necessary.

Bubba Sawyer

• Bubba will squeal with joy when he finds out about your interests. In principle, he just liked to see you, so fragile and sweet against his background, in dresses, and now he finds out that you are interested in many different things... He loves you with all his heart.

• Bubba was fond of makeup and all that even before he met you, so now he will shyly ask you to teach him how to make up as beautifully as you do. His ears are red, and his gaze is fixed on the floor, he is a little ashamed to ask for such a thing. After all, he's such a big, tough man, but he trusts you.

• Very protective, especially from his brothers. He won't let anyone touch you.

• If you love cooking, he will be even more crazy about you. He's a pretty big boy, so he likes to eat delicious food. Hugs you tightly every time you cook your next incredibly wonderful dish. You have to eat, he has to do the dishes, he doesn't want you to ruin your delicate hands.

• Loves carrying you in her arms. He basically likes your size difference, it makes him feel like your protector. Madly in love with you and your personality, he won't let anyone hurt you.

Thomas Hewitt

• Thomas has wanted to have a sweet little wife and start a family with her all his life, but he didn't think anyone would really love him. And then you showed up. So sweet, beautiful, small and innocent. He's crazy about you.

• On the one hand, he is a strong, courageous and caring man who will try to do whatever you want for you, he always tries to make you happy. But on the other hand, in your gentle embrace, he turns into a stupid little boy who only wants attention from his beautiful wife.

• Thomas is very protective of you. He would not allow any of the victims to lay a finger on his fragile sweet lover. If they dare to look at you lasciviously, Thomas will rip out their eyes without a twinge of conscience. You made him change for the better with your bright and pure soul, but he still remains a violent maniac, so he won't let anyone offend you.

• Now he treats female victims a little more carefully. He tries not to spoil their jewelry or things, in case you want to take some of it for yourself. In addition, he takes special care to take the victims' suitcases out of their cars and checks for any trinkets that you might like.

• Can't stand the looks of Hoyt and Monty on you. When you walk around the house in a skirt or dress, Thomas tries to be close to you and hug you around the waist, covering your hips with his big hand. You are only his treasure.

[tangents-within-tangents]

Thoughts on Echo as amputee/disability representation

First and foremost, I am not disabled or an amputee and I don’t claim to speak for those communities (and if I was I couldn't speak for everyone). What little I do know mostly comes from this youtube channel (@oakwyrm), this post, and other research I’ve done for my writing (and like one amputee I kinda knew in passing). By all means correct me and add to the conversation, I just have some thoughts I want to share because I haven’t really seen this discussed anywhere

Overview

So Echo is interesting. He is a triple amputee which is pretty rare in media. His disabilities come from extremely traumatic circumstances: injured in a near-death experience, imprisoned and dehumanized as an experiment with no autonomy over what happened to his body.

There are a few moments in the shows where Echo is treated… questionably. Like this bit where Rex uses him as an example of the Separatists' evils to convince the locals to fight back:

To be fair, yeah Echo’s treatment does prove that the Techno Union is not neutral like they claim. The modifications that everyone is gasping in horror at here obviously weren’t made with comfort and accessibility in mind, nor with Echo’s consent. But you still just want to be sure that “They took away his freedom, his humanity, they tried to turn him into a machine” is about using him as a living computer, not the fact that he is missing limbs. 

The Batch is also pretty insensitive toward him and his trauma imo, which is weird considering they've supposedly also faced discrimination for their mutations

Disabled people do have to deal with stuff like this in this day and age so I guess it can speak to those experiences. I think especially him being mistaken as a droid (and Hunter going along with it (bruh)) might resonate with some people. 

Aside from that stuff, Echo isn't really treated any differently as a character/person which is really good (as low of a bar as that is).

We get this moment in CW where Echo contemplates that yeah things are gonna be different now

While also (imo at least) showing that he is still the same person regardless, evidenced by the fact that he just echoed Rex :,) I also think it's significant that he joins the Bad Batch on his own terms and we're given a really emotional scene to specifically show that he's not just like 'lumped in with the other misfits' but that it is his choice to go where he feels his place is.

A lot of people, myself included, are disappointed that TBB didn't have more time to explore Echo's PTSD, but I think the one panic attack scene we did get is really good. Even thought it's minor it at least is an appropriate reaction from a guy who was medically tortured (which is more than I've come to expect from Star Wars shows lol)

And it's really sweet to see Omega showing Echo some empathy and consideration.

It would have been nice to see more of his adjustment period, and other side effects like chronic pain and maintenance, but there’s a lot of daily life stuff the show never had time for (i.e. we don’t know if he removed his prosthetics to sleep, but we also never saw him sleep anyway). His disabilities might take on a background role (much like the character himself sadly) but for the most part they aren’t invisible or erased, nor do they define his character and arc.

Physical Appearance

Okay this one is bit dicey, bc on the one hand, yes complaints that Echo’s paleness (most likely caused by burns from the explosion or chemical burns from the cryo-chamber) is whitewashing are totally valid. But I also think you can draw comparisons to real life conditions that affect pigmentation/complexion (like you know burns). So while I understand why a lot of fanart will depict him with his original skin tone and with hair, consider that there are real people who have to live with temporary or permanent changes to their appearance, and the idea of “fixing" him by making him look more like his old self can be problematic.

It's also interesting to note that Echo could act as a reversal of the 'disabled/disfigured = evil' trope. He's pale and bald and wears black and red, which is so often visually associated with villains, but we all know Echo is the bestest boy™

The Headpiece

Echo’s headpiece is interesting because within the show we don’t actually ever learn much about it (idk if there is more info in books or whatever bc i don’t have them so?). He didn’t have it in CW so we know it didn’t come from the Techno Union and therefore Echo probably had more choice with it. We don’t know its exact purpose but it’s most likely related to his scomping abilities. When he is hacking with his scomp in CW, before he has his headpiece, it’s clearly very mentally straining:

We don’t see him struggling like this in TBB once he does have it (though that could be bc he got more used to it over time). There doesn't seem to be much of an impact when he removes his headpiece in s3 ep14-15, except that he gets stuck in the ports every time he uses his scomp which is not something we’ve seen before: 

There might not be an exact real-world equivalent, but the headpiece is some kind of accessibility aid. It means that someone specifically designed a device to help him adapt to the changes the Techno Union made, as well as a helmet that integrates it. It’s removable and visually very present, much like a cochlear implant would be. (A lot of people actually headcanon it to act partially as a hearing aid, since it makes sense that Echo’s hearing would have been damaged in the explosion, but there isn't really any indication of this in canon.) The headpiece is never really acknowledged in the show, but I think that's a good thing. It's something he needs/wants and it just exists, completely normalized, and that's pretty cool 👍

Legs

Sigh... So from the very first episode of TBB I was really disappointed that the animation team or whoever completely visually erased Echo’s prosthetic legs (I think we all were, honestly, if fanart is anything to go by). It’s one thing when he’s in armor because he would probably want to protect his prosthetics, but we literally see him in his blacks and there is no indication whatsoever that he lost his legs even though it was not left up for debate at all in CW:

Like ??????!?

This is just really strange to me! Idk what went on behind the scenes with this decision but I don’t really see why it would be that much harder to animate or anything since it’s 3D and they've done it before. We do see some pretty sophisticated cybernetic technology in Star Wars canon that mimics real limbs:

But Luke’s fancy hand is technically 20ish years from now, so Anakin and Maul are more of a representation of what level we could expect here

So yeah, for no apparent reason, his leg amputation is effectively, visually and narratively nonexistent. Which is not great 👎

Arm!

The scomp on the other hand (uh lol!) is the complete opposite and I kinda love it!

At first I, like many others, thought it was a bit odd that they didn’t give Echo a prosthetic arm. Losing hands is basically a Star Wars tradition at this point, so robotic arms/hands are well established within the worldbuilding: 

We aren’t necessarily given a canon reason for why Echo doesn't get a cybernetic arm (again unless it's in some lore book I haven’t read, sorry). General fanon explanations I’ve seen are that he either couldn’t because the Techno Union wired the scomp too far into his nervous system, and/or the resources to give him one were deemed too expensive for a clone (what about his legs tho?), or that he chose not to, usually because he thought the scomping was useful. 

Regardless, I actually really love this choice (and it's the whole reason I made this post), because here's the thing: There’s a lot of problematic tropes out there that either erase/cure disabilities or compensate them with perks (like how pretty much any blind character is actually not blind by some sort of magic power). With amputees that is done with robotic arms. The character is still an amputee or course, and there is still value in that representation, if this story from Mark Hamill that makes me tear up is anything to go by:

but for the most part these characters function like anyone else, just with a limb that looks a little different. It’s no more than a video game skin, an able-bodied actor with a green screen glove. It “cures” the disability, or it actually makes the character even stronger than usual: 

It usually makes sense within the world of the story, but the reason it’s not so great in my opinion is that in the real world we just do not have technology anywhere close to that yet. Prosthetics can more or less replace any mobility from lost legs, but not for all the complexities of a hand (and even if they could the average person wouldn’t be able to afford it).

So

I think it's actually really super cool that Echo’s scomp bypasses the canonically-established amputee erasure and functions much like a stump would irl. He integrates it into his movements and everyday life and it’s (as far as I know) a lot closer to an everyday amputee’s experience. 

It doesn’t define his character, it doesn’t hold him back, he lives a full life, the other’s don’t treat him any differently, and he’s still a total karking badass 

The only additional thing is that he sometimes uses it as a weapon (which given his story, I think it’s cool to see him taking back autonomy in a way, and we only see that like twice)

And also the scomping, which could be seen as the 'added/compensating superpower' trope. But narratively it's no different than if he was plugging in with a hacking gadget of some kind (he didn't necessarily "need" to lose his arm for it) and it’s not like Echo is completely defined by this skill. Personally, I think it's well worth the positives of him actually having a visible and realistically impactful amputation. 

I see a lot of posts or comments out there that say stuff like “how come Echo doesn’t get a hand?” or fanworks that do give him one and I just think it’s a bit of a shame. If he did get a robotic hand, it just would have disappeared the same way his legs and Anakin’s arm did (aside from that one time he got yoinked by a magnet). When Echo did “get a hand” in the last two episodes there were comments like “yay he finally got a hand! but it doesn’t even work” but I was actually so relieved that it didn’t! Bc for one thing that wouldn’t make any sense, he grabbed it off a droid, it wasn’t designed to implement with his scomp, that would be really complicated. But more importantly because it again refused to erase/cure his disability! It functioned like a real-world cosmetic prosthetic (useless beyond appearance) which is exactly what he needed it for, so that he could blend in better with his disguise.

And he continually took it off throughout the episode and ditched it at the end. He only used it for the necessity of a stealth mission, he doesn’t feel the need to visually “fit in” in his daily life. 

And, last but very much not least, he made a dad joke and from my intel that is very accurate representation!

TLDR: Echo’s scomp is actually really cool from an amputee representation perspective, especially within Star Wars, and I think that deserves some appreciation 

[wszczebrzyszynie]

sorry for the train ride… I hope the destination is at least interesting. I would LOVE to hear more about Przemek… he’s one of my absolute faves and I would honestly love to hear anything about him… maybe what inspired you to make him? or how he feels about his sexuality? or maybe his ethnicity (which I remember you saying you didn’t really have an answer for, but maybe you could talk about possible ideas you’ve had for it or how it affects his personality/how people treat him)

Nothing to be sorry for. i love trains. But it is a long trip with nothing but my phone and one book. Well not anymore im in Gdańsk now

Any way this is fun Przemek is one of my favourites as well. I created him because i wanted Ryba to have more friends, so he was very much a side/background character that i learned to love very much very quickly. Im not even sure why. Design wise there were plenty of inspirations... mainly the unbread twins from omori (which i think is where Lena came from as well and it shows), Artur from parties are for losers and Norton IDV (hence the scar... in the first draft Przemek was also a miner so it was very much my Norton at home). He used to be the straight man to Rybas whole... being at that time. They used to be childhood friends but Przemek was the smarter and more of a loner of the two. Tried looking for some old art of him but couldnt find much

Sexuality wise hes mostly in denial. He doesnt like thinking of himself as queer and doesnt want to be considered a part of the community, which affects the way he treats others (initial embarrasement to be seen with Ryba or Mikita, who are either visibly queer or just simply stand out; he grows out of it as the story progresses) and later on shapes his relationship with Ryba (mostly his struggles with being vunreable and opening up mixed with a very crushing need to be normal; he tends to force himself to do things he doesnt really want but thinks will be either for the ultimate greater good or just to be able to lie to himself more, either harming himself or Ryba in the process. Communication is a skill they both are learning as they go but it is a hard one)

And exact ethnicity wise I Dont Know. Well i mean he is polish ethnically and culturally but he does have darker skin from back where the story was set in a fictional dystopian world and i never figured out how to make it work with the background he has in current more historically grounded DNS. Most probably will never know until it just dawns on me one day. In the original DNS story hes simply "from here" (as is the case with most of the characters) and it doesnt really shape his experience as much as his class and upbringing does; hes catholic, he speaks polish, his family are peasants and hes a working man. In modern au its a different case that i dont know how to resolve and he does have a different experience with it; i dont like being cruel to my characters, especially with things i dont have personal experiences with, but i do know my country pretty well, so i can imagine some of the hardships he has to go through. It definitely can be a stress factor; hes a shy, slightly anxious person (which he doesnt even realize that he is? Second nature), so "standing out" and possible conftontations that can come with looking different in a relatively middle sized nowhere town is something he had to learn how to ignore throughout his life. I will finish this by saying i think it would be funny if it turned out some of his ancestors are from the old yugoslavia but not to explain anything just because i think at some point he used to be half balkan (and also many other slavic identites) . No clue from where exactly and it wouldnt affect him at all. Normal thing in lower silesia but he is from the other side of the country. Sadly. Bit of a lacking response hope you can forgive me for that

[wherevenusholdssomeofficespace]

Linda Flynn-Fletcher

I think Linda Flynn-Fletcher is potentially one of the most misunderstood characters in the show.

It think comes from a natural enough place. Her role in the show is of course, to act as the potential threat to their summers of fun. While they boys never see her as a threat, narratively she's the big bad. If she sees it, its game over.

Here's the thing though. She's a not a bad mom. Her children LOVE her. Similarly to how Phineas and Ferb absolutely adore Candace and would do nearly anything she asked, Phineas, Ferb and Candace all love and respect their mother and don't disobey her. Now a bit of this is clearly Linda being a more permissive parent, but any rules that Linda has Phineas and Ferb never do anything to disobey their mother. While I wouldn't be surprised if there were one or two instances where Candace disobeyed her mother willfully, the closest I can think off off hand is Candace not doing a bunch of chores that she was supposed to do. Really, the fact that all her kids love her, shows how much all her kids feel loved in their household. And I think that's super important. Candace wrote a song about how much she feels loved by her mom, even if her mom is dismissive of Candace. But she still goes with Candace to see what the boys are up to even if she doesn't believe it. She sets boundaries on how often Candace can bust the boys sure. But she hasn't forbidden Candace from doing it altogether. Nor does she punish Candace for presumably lying?

At MOST Linda will say something like: "let's get you out of the sun" after a failed bust. The worst of it I think is probably the time Linda made her promise not to try or suffer the Pharaohs curse. Which, was just some guy in a Pharaoh costume telling Candace curse you. Linda goes out of her way to read books to try and deal with her daughter. She and Candace still clearly hold a lot of affection for each other and do spend a decent amount of mother daughter time together. Linda gives books to her daughter, tries to direct her to other activities, and finds her sleep busting cute, and sometimes goes out of her way to do activities her daughter wants to do with her. All things considered Linda is REALLY patient about Candace's busting. Could she be doing more to get to the bottom of why Candace is presumably acting out? Sure. But Doofensmirtz could also be doing a better job of listening to his daughter and not insulting her (or do we not remember why Vanessa wears earbuds around the house) but we all call him a really good dad.

A LOT of shows have kids hiding a secret from a parent for one reason of another. But while the crux of the show rests on Linda not knowing what her sons are doing, its not because its a secret. The boys aren't hiding it from her. The boys genuinely believe she knows. Lawrence genuinely believes she knows. Candace is the only one in the family who really grasps the situation.

Linda's ignorance, her disbelief of the wild shenanigans that her children get into is easily mistakable for normality. For representing the oppressive day to day. The same thematic antagonist as school. A mom who wants whats best for her kids, and thinks that whats best for them is them being normal, without realizing what's really best for them. After all why else we saw what would happen if she found out in Quantum Boogaloo. But the fact of the matter is aside from that one future (which also featured an effectively evil leader in Doofensmirtz, and therefore implies more factors at play than just Doofensmirtz and Linda's characters), we don't really know how it would play out in the long term. Future Linda even just kinda moves on after discovering the truth.

Linda is exactly like her kids. She just does the same things on a less physics breaking scale. The woman has like 37 different hobbies. She takes a cooking class, donated an art sculpture, is part of a jazz group. She has a background in astrophysics. She was a pop star. She won a meatloaf contest. She takes french lessons. The fact that Linda has several hobbies is part of the reason the formula works at all. Linda is constantly trying new things which gets her out of the house, while her sons are trying their own new things. Her absence is what prompts Candace to have to go looking for her. Also, What Do It Do when the moment Linda gets put in Candace's position she acts the exact same way.

Also it's why she and Lawrence are so compatible. They have a lot of weird hobbies they spend together. She likes Lawrence's history references. They watch car racing together. They went spelunking together. They go bowling regularly enough to have equipment. She has played the bagpipes while Lawrence danced (which sidenote: do you think she taught Candace how to play the bagpipes?).

Not to mention her extended family. Think about it. Her mom was a competitive roller derby skater who once bit a skate and shook it like a dog with a chew toy and pulls elaborate pranks with her identical twin. Really she's a lot like Candace with her aggressive passion. Her dad apparently won a balloon race, but tells the story in the most straightforward way possible, sometimes very oblivious, but is overall a lot like Phineas. Her sister is an adrenaline junky. And back to Quantum Boogaloo for a minute: Her granddaughter is just like Candace, Grown up Candace is a lot like Linda. Do you not see the implications!!?!?!? LIKE???? DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT LINDA WAS PROBABLY A LOT LIKE CANDACE AND PHINEAS WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER?!!?! YOU THINK IT SKIPPED A GENERATION OR SOMETHING???

Do you think Linda used to complain about Tiana??? Do you think Linda thought her family was weird and was embarrassed by them??? Do you think Linda ever called herself the only mature/normal member of her family?? LIKE CANDACE DOES????

Anyway, Linda is just like her family. Sure, she is RELATIVELY more normal, but that's relative, and probably simply because the universe bends itself around to keep her from knowing. Linda literally cannot find out about the real nature of her universe. Linda is just a grown up version of her children, seeking to make the most of each day, but within the bounds the universe has set upon her, both as an adult woman and mother, but also in the laws of physics expected of her. But she still makes the most of her life. You don't have to build a roller coaster to make the most of each day and all that.

I think if Linda is representing anything its that even parents can have rich fulfilling lives. Where they make the most out of each day. Having fun with your life doesn't stop with adulthood. Even if you have more responsibilities doesn't mean you can't have fun? Sure childhood is something you can't get back but growing up isn't inherently bad either?

[tossawary]

I'm enjoying this "Yue Qingyuan sent Shang Qinghua to go spy on Luo Binghe after Shen Qingqiu's death" AU, because I love it when background characters have their own goals and business, are fighting with each other, and are doing wild shit on purpose. Even if you're doing an AU (as per canon to our knowledge) where Shang Qinghua is not a double agent - and is just fleeing to the Demon Realm because he was found out as a traitor and/or decided that it was time to dip because the protagonist and Cang Qiong Mountain Sect are now in semi-open conflict - the question remains for exploration:

Why did Yue Qingyuan not go to Huan Hua Palace and try to kick Luo Binghe's ass to get Shen Qingqiu's body back?

It's suggested at several points that Tianlang-Jun at the height of his power was stronger than Luo Binghe, and Yue Qingyuan was part of the team that helped to seal Tianlang-Jun. Shen Yuan suggests that the original Luo Binghe had to bait Yue Qingyuan into a death trap of ten thousand arrows because Bing-ge (even with the Xin Mo Sword at this point) didn't want to face Yue Qingyuan head-on. (I think Bing-ge sent SQQ's legs to YQY or something.) Yue Qingyuan is willing to draw Xuan Su for SQQ and Liu Qingge is willing to help (although LQG might be mad that YQY let SQQ go to the Water Prison at all). YQY versus LBH is not a totally unbalanced fight.

It's possible that Yue Qingyuan didn't go fight because he kind of shut down due to grief. Shen Qingqiu has changed in recent years and died in a very sudden, very shocking, very confusing way. YQY also has a sect to look after and maybe he can't fully justify going out and escalating the conflict over a dead body (as opposed to a live hostage), and possibly get himself killed, when he's maybe hoping that Cang Qiong and Huan Hua can settle this without further death. The other peak lords all must have opinions on this and are probably pulling him in all sorts of directions. By Liu Qingge's account, Yue Qingyuan probably knows that Shen Qingqiu intentionally died for Luo Binghe and he knows that SQQ loved his disciple, so maybe he wants to respect SQQ's sacrifice and affection by not trying to kill Luo Binghe. When Luo Binghe invades Cang Qiong for SQQ's body (and Shen Yuan), Yue Qingyuan has to dangerously abort cultivation in the Ling Xi Caves to come face him, so it's possible that YQY had decided 5 years in that peaceful resolution was impossible and was gearing up to fight Luo Binghe, only to be a victim of bad timing (Liu Qingge's unexpected success in body retrieval).

It could be a combination of these reasonings! People do things for lots of different reasons and this is an emotionally charged situation which puts Yue Qingyuan in a complicated political position.

So, yeah, it could also be that Mu Qingfang came back from his kidnapping saying, "Luo Binghe was repairing Shen Qingqiu's body, trying to summon his soul, and was researching resurrection techniques when I was there," and Yue Qingyuan decided to just... sit back and see where that went. If Liu Qingge (who is probably NOT happy that YQY isn't throwing down already) succeeds in retrieving the body, fine, that's good enough, but if Luo Binghe succeeds in bringing Shen Qingqiu back...? Well, that's also good, isn't it? Yue Qingyuan can outsource the "go mad with grief and engage in crimes against the natural order" to someone else here.

I mean, I really don't think that Yue Qingyuan was actively PLANNING for Luo Binghe to resurrect Shen Qingqiu. That seems a little too wicked and scheming to be his main motivation here. But I do think he might have been... vaguely aware of this potential consequence of his inaction, this possible side effect of his paralyzing grief causing him to be hands-off about the situation and/or his cautious approach to peace negotiations, and I really don't think that he minds that Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang succeeded in bringing Shen Qingqiu back. (I do think he kind of wishes that the Shen Jiu who remembers him had come back instead, though.)

[baddywronglegs]

It's coming up Dragon Age time!

I streamed the first three games in the series blind and will be picking up that worldstate for this playthrough and, as I did for all of them, will be putting my player character's background up to polls. More info under the cut.

Also Tumblr just hit an error and posted this instead of saving changes when I edited the draft. Thanks Tumblr such good design webbed site

The difference is the first three, most of the people responding had already played themselves while I knew nothing - especially Origins because I knew nothing about Dragon Age at all when I started that. Now though, I probably know as much as anyone about what's in store (barring spoiler avoidance).

So for Origins, I polled gender, race, class and background - or would have had the poll not chosen mage, so there was only one background option - 2 just gender and class and Inquisition gender, race and class.

Race and class are up again, gender is more complex in The Veilguard but because of its complexity I don't know if it'll affect anything. But background is back in the form of factions!

I'm going to avoid having the same race/class/faction combination as any of the companions, so if the winning combination matches one of them I'm going to take the most popular second-choice to not duplicate anyone - for example, if I get a human Shadow Dragon mage, I don't want to step on Neve's toes, but if Elf is a close second for race I'll switch to that and keep the other two winning choices.

Before the polls begin, here's the world my Rook will be trying to save:

My Warden was a female Elven mage, who romanced Leliana, brokered peace between the Dalish and Werewolves, destroyed the Anvil of the Void and saved the mages in the circle tower; Alistair Performed a Ritual with Morrigan so both survived, Alistair went on to be king, after which the warden worked with and spared the Architect.

Hawke was a female mage too, romancing Isabella - Carver's a Templar, Feynriel's in Tevinter, companions all survived on as good terms as they could

Inquisition it's back to being an Elf, still female, but a rogue now. She recruited the mages, re-united Celene and Briala, left Stroud in the Fade, recruited the Wardens, drank from the Well of Sorrows, got Bull excommunicated, Cole despirited, Blackwall put through his joining; Cullen stayed off the lyrium, Dorian told his father where to shove it, Cassandra rebuilt the Seekers, and with hardened Divine Leliana as her witness she disbanded the Inquisition to redeem Solas.

And I romanced Harding. But she deserves better than someone whose response to plotting chaos with Iron Bull is "all right, get it out of your system" so I suspect they've drifted apart by now on account of Harding being someone to knock out an assassin with someone else's beer so she clearly has more in her system where that came from.

[heehoonies]

anytime

request: heejakehoon but Jake cannot wrap his head around the fact he’s bi until he’s confronted by his two best friends who happen to be bfs (they fuck to help him realize 🤭)

wc: 3.6k

soft dom!heehoon x sub!jake.

now playing: middle of somewhere by the neighbourhood

jake’s entire life, he’s been secure in everything he’s done. sure, a few mistakes came through here and there, leading to regret mixed with equal amounts of shame, a potentially dangerous cocktail for his mental health. but every single time, he’s been able to handle it, telling himself he’s not a bad person, and that those instances don’t define him as a person. that he’s good, inside and out, and jake is well aware of his character. a kind man who cares about others, often times more than himself. high energy and big smiles, clingy touches with his friends to show his affection because words somehow never feel like enough. coffee dates and shopping to spend time together, checking in with his members constantly to make sure everyone is okay, knowing he appreciates when they reciprocate in kind for him.

it’s in the quality time and clingy behavior that jake finds his… dilemma, per say.

jake is the type of person to speak his mind, usually seeking out the guidance of jungwon as his leader to word vomit his emotions and thoughts to. won is usually able to help him work through the issues, and jake shows his appreciation through a tight hug and treating the younger man to a nice dinner, or buying him something he notes jungwon has been eyeing up for a while, knowing he sometimes hesitates when it comes to pampering himself.

but today, jake finds himself tucking himself under his comforter on his day off, a day where he usually would find one of his members, anxious to do something that exhilarates him, or at the least gets him out of their stuffy dorm. instead, jake scrolls endlessly on his phone to try and block the swimming thoughts from curling their way around his heart and breaking his entire world view with one little squeeze.

jake doesn’t think it’s a bad realization, but it’s certainly… different than how he’s lived his life up until this point.

jake has always liked women, and only women, and that’s where his current confusion lies. he has started noticing his members in different ways than he’s ever realized before.

take heeseung, for example. jake is a very clingy man, and he clings to heeseung tenfold. perhaps because he’s the only real hyung he has, jay never really acting like a hyung but more of a same age friend, only pulling out the older brother card when he wants to be a little shit to jake. which is more often than he’d like…

but jake has found himself longing to simply hold heeseung more recently, a thought that makes shame burn in his belly knowing that heeseung is a taken man and is totally off limits. and that’s when it hits jake… why is heeseung being a taken man making him feel ashamed? he’s not doing anything to him, but the thoughts he’s having…

the more they swirl in jake’s tired little brain, the more frustrated and confused he feels with his current predicament.

so now he sits, eyes zoned out on the screen before him as a tv show plays lowly in the background, thankful that they’ve finally moved into their new dorm, where he has his own room. his own room that he can hide from his members, and the whole world, in, wallowing in his self pity and bewilderment on his lonesome.

jake smiles lightly at his leader’s insistence on taking care of him, even when they’re not working.

jungwon: sure you don’t want to come?

jungwon: if you need anything, jay hyung’s in the living room about to take a nap and heeseung hyung and sunghoon hyung are upstairs

jake: i’m good, thanks won

jake frowns at the thought, knowing how absolutely exhausted jay must be to refuse an outing with the members. hearing sunoo call out a faint ‘bye, hyung!’ to him (and maybe jay) before the pair shuts the door behind him makes his smile return for a moment, before jake’s neutral face takes over as he resumes doom-scrolling on his phone.

jake sighs as he presses his face deep into the pillows, willing his brain to finally just be quiet, at least for a little while. jake knows what all of this means, but knowing doesn’t make the process of acceptance any easier. straying from the norm of how he’s always lived is the part that is bothering him the most, and wondering what it means for him as well his professional life.

would his members think he’s weird?

no, there’s no way they would. not with heeseung and sunghoon around, all members already expressing their heartfelt blessings towards the pair that they all somehow predicted would end up together.

jake doesn’t notice the way his hands are slowly balling themselves into fists as they lay at his sides while thinking about how happy he knows his two best friends are. he doesn’t want them to break up, obviously not, as their happiness is paramount to his own. knowing his friends are happy makes it easier for jake to be happy. on the contrary, actually, the thought makes him… jealous.

jealous that they’ve both already figured everything out, already experienced this internal turmoil of your entire self perception being tilted on its head instantaneously. jealous that they’ve each found someone to spend their life with, jealous, most of all, that he doesn’t even know how it feels.

jake is jealous, a fact that he would never admit willingly out loud. and he’s wrestling with his own mind, trying to figure out why, above all else, that he is figuring this out about himself, and no one seems to notice. sure, he’s trapped himself in his room at every waking moment since he started to question it, but heeseung and sunghoon had each other to help work through their emotions, remembering vividly how the pair were glued at the hip for weeks before finally revealing to everyone that they’re a couple.

jake longs for someone to hold him the way he sees heeseung hold sunghoon, petting his hair and stroking his back as sunghoon plays on his phone, or watches tv, or argues with jay about something pointless, an argument jake usually jumps into himself. and its during these arguments, or moments of peace, where jake finds himself staring, almost longingly, at sunghoon’s gorgeous profile, the satisfying, delicate slope of his strong nose, the cut of his sharp jaw, the constellation of beauty marks that adorn his face.

the thought of staring at sunghoon’s face paints his own in a light blush, skin running impossibly hot at the thought of sunghoon catching his longing gaze.

the core of his problem is, jake doesn’t know if he feels this way because he’s slowly discovering he’s bisexual, or if it’s because he has a crush on the pair.

because of course jake can’t just pick one man in a relationship, he has to long for both.

how selfish.

jake finds himself flicking through his phone to the youtube app, fingers working mindlessly until he finds a video. a fancam of heeseung from their most recent comeback xo, in a black sleeveless top and thin wire frame silver glasses. the first move already has jake nearly salivating, heeseung jerking his head back slowly and showing off the prominent bulge of his adam’s apple. jake groans, feeling so gross, wondering if he’s really about to jerk it to his best friend’s fancam, but jake can’t look away. he has no idea how he got here, his fingers tapping on their own accord to take him here.

he tries to push the thought away, along with all the conflicting ideas rushing in in their absence. jake decides to simply watch, gripping the phone tightly with both hands. he marvels at heeseung’s peachy pink hair as it falls down his face gracefully with every move, hair that he’s allowed to wash out into a faded orange that suits his skin color beautifully.

jake catches a view of sunghoon in the background, dancing in time with heeseung, neck and collarbone exposed beautifully under his black long sleeve. the sight of his milky skin stirs something deep inside jake’s belly, his current reaction mirroring every single time he’s looked at sunghoon since jake started feeling so confused.

after the video finishes, jake clicks on the matching sunghoon video that appears in the recommended section below, entranced by sunghoon’s slender body, concealed by baggier clothes, hitting every move with confidence a bit of his own style thrown in the mix. seeing his best friend in his element, moving his body in such a skillful way, fills jake with simultaneous attraction and pride. jake’s proud of how far they’ve come together from all those years ago as trainees, proud that he’s been able to watch sunghoon grow, and most of all, proud that sunghoon is proud of him, too.

the video ends with a black screen, jake seeing his own reflection staring back at him. the sight of his blushing cheeks makes jake groan, rising suddenly, his feet unknowingly taking him upstairs after seeing that jay is, in fact, fast asleep on the couch. he enters the upstairs dorm room, searching for heeseung and sunghoon.

“sunghoon?” jake calls out, peering around corners looking for him.

“jake?” sunghoon yells from his bedroom, “we’re in here!”

jake trudges over, finding sunghoon digging through his closet as heeseung lies on the bed, scrolling on his phone. the pair both look at him with kind eyes, happy that their best friend is here.

“are you feeling any better?” heeseung locks his phone and slides it onto the side table to give all his attention to jake.

jake shakes his head, thoughts running a mile a minute as he stands here, not entirely sure what his plan was. “no, not really.” heeseung pats the bed lightly and jake sits there, eyes watching his older friend.

“want to finally talk about it?”

jake shrugs, not knowing where to begin, or if he even wants to reveal his insecurities and bare his soul to the pair. jake knows the internal turmoil thrumming through him will cause the two to look at him strangely,  “i– i don’t know, really, what’s going on with me…”

heeseung offers him a small, sad smile, “well, whatever you tell us might help us figure out what’s wrong.” sunghoon turns around now, done putting away his laundry, and walks towards them on the bed, leaning against the wall.

jake’s silent for a beat before he mumbles, “i’m having… new feelings.” heeseung and sunghoon stay quiet, urging him to continue through their silence. “my whole life, i’ve always liked g– something, but now all of a sudden, i think i like something else, too…” he speaks vaguely, hoping neither of them catch on to what he’s saying.

sunghoon feels something stir deep in his chest, having an inkling of what jake might be getting at, something he’s all too familiar with.

“and it’s really… making me wonder if i’ve been living my life as a lie this entire time.”

heeseung’s lips curve into a frown at jake’s words, feeling like he’s grasping at straws trying to figure out what jake is truly talking about, “you’re not living a lie, jake. you’re still you, no matter whether you’ve liked this… thing the whole time or not.” 

sunghoon rises from the wall, coming to approach the side of the bed. he grasps jake’s chin between his fingers gently, tilting his head up. “be honest when i ask you this, okay?” jake nods, watching sunghoon with puppy eyes that make sunghoon’s chest nearly curl in on itself.

“what would you say if i asked to kiss you, jake?”

the lightbulb flicks on in heeseung’s head, a small, knowing smile enveloping his lips as he glances up at his boyfriend. his hunch was right.

jake’s face goes pale, “w-what?”

“you heard me. what would you say?”

“i-i–” jake’s mouth opens and shuts a few times, words refusing to spill. sunghoon grips ever so slightly on jake’s chin, urging his attention to return to sunghoon’s trained gaze.

“yes.”

sunghoon smiles at that, gaze traveling to heeseung, the pair sharing a secret conversation with only their eyes. content, sunghoon turns back to jake, “can i kiss you, jakey?”

jake nods quickly, his resolve now broken, wondering if this moment will help him figure out… whatever the hell is going on with him.

sunghoon leans down, meeting jake’s pillowy lips in a gentle embrace, lips slotting together perfectly. jake is timid at first and sunghoon returns in tandem by pressing further against his lips, urging him to go harder, feel deeper. the hand gripping his chin travels to cup his cheek, rubbing his cheekbone gently to soothe his nerves.

jake’s mind is completely blank, the only thing running through it being sunghoon, sunghoon, sunghoon. his hand grips sunghoon’s waist, pulling him closer and onto the bed, their kiss breaking for a moment at sunghoon falling on the bed. jake chases his lips instantly, sunghoon kissing back chastely before pulling back.

“slow down there, jakey.” sunghoon smiles, pressing a small peck against his lips before watching the boy in front of him, his best friend, the one with the kind eyes and bright smile. “we’ve got all day and nobody’s going anywhere, don’t worry.”

jake’s gaze turns to heeseung, shame burning in his belly, “heeseung, i’m sorry, i–”

heeseung cuts the boy off by kissing him, jake’s lips already red and puffy from just a few kisses with sunghoon. heeseung smiles into the kiss, biting lightly on jake’s lower lip. sunghoon’s hand snakes to jake’s growing hard on, one that he was blissfully unaware of due to the two names running laps in his mind.

“don’t apologize,” heeseung shakes his head lightly as he pulls away just enough to where he can feel jake’s breath on his skin. jake already feels so far gone already just from a little bit of kissing. “do you want sunghoon and i to help you figure out if you really do like that other thing?”

jake nods with a small smile, thankful that his friends understand his stupid and vague answer, or at least seem to understand.

heeseung smiles, capturing jake’s lips in another kiss, this one a bit rougher than before, but still gentle enough to keep jake on this side of the planet. heeseung and sunghoon know that jake is too vulnerable right now to be anything but absolutely gentle with him. heeseung pokes at the seal of jake’s lips with his tongue and jake grants him entrance, moaning against heeseung’s mouth as his wet muscle explores jake’s hot mouth. heeseung wonders for a fleeting moment how his mouth would feel wrapped around his cock, curious if he’d be eager to gag and deepthroat, or if he’d have to be taught by the pair. but he pushes the thought aside, the full intent of right now being to help jake.

sunghoon squeezes jake’s now fully hard erection through his black sweatpants, sliding up and down slowly before dipping his hand beneath the waistband, the only barrier between his hand and jake’s cock being a pair of thin boxer briefs.

heeseung pulls away when jake’s mouth begins to twitch, eager to hear his sounds without the suppression of his own mouth, “s-sunghoon–” jake whimpers, the sound shooting straight down to both men’s cocks. heeseung swallows his own moan, eyes growing hungrier as he watches jake squirm in sunghoon’s grip. “please–” he whines, though he doesn’t know what he’s even whining for.

sunghoon chuckles, “please, what?” he asks, actually wanting to know what jake has to say. he gets no response, though, so he decides to tug the sweatpants off jake’s legs. heeseung helps remove his shirt, and jake feels awfully exposed in just his underwear, sitting with legs spread open for his two best friends. sunghoon can feel him shaking under his hold, “hey, you’re okay,” sunghoon reassures him, “we’re gonna make you feel good, okay? and if you don’t like something, just tell us to stop or tap one of us three times, okay?”

jake nods in understanding, his mind still racing with the thoughts of them, them, them, “can you… can you take your shirts off, too?”

sunghoon nearly cums on the spot, seeing jake already so pliant sitting in front of him, allowing his best friends to help him with his identity problem. the pair complies, and the sight of two pairs of toned abs makes jake nearly drool.

“you look like a puppy.”

well, jake guesses he did drool.

the sound that comes out of jake is nearly inaudible, but heeseung catches it, his ears attuned to quiet sounds from the way sunghoon likes to mumble sometimes. “oh, he liked that. you liked being called puppy, jakey?”

jake would usually try to fight such an accusation, denying vehemently due to how much embarrassment a name like that brings, but in this situation? it makes jake grow needier, his quiet whines slowly growing in volume.

sunghoon rises to his feet, tugging jake’s legs to hang off the side of his bed before sinking to his knees between them. heeseung shuffles so he’s sitting flush with jake, the man’s back pressed against heeseung’s stomach.

“w-wha–”

“lemme suck you off, jakey. please?” sunghoon peers up at him with wide eyes, his need to have a dick in his mouth peaking as he stares at the bulge before him.

jake nods lightly, and heeseung helps him lift his hips as sunghoon tugs his boxer briefs down to pool at his ankles. the sight of jake’s length makes sunghoon’s mouth water. a decent length and girth, nothing bigger than heeseung, but decent and mouthwatering nonetheless. paired with a blushing mushroom tip and a veiny shaft, sunghoon uses all his willpower to not shove it so far down that he gags instantly, trying to focus this experience on jake.

sunghoon starts with a few kitten licks at the tip, jake already bucking his hips up in the air with each sensation. heeseung busies his hands by holding one of jake’s, the other playing with his nipple gently. sunghoon takes the tip in his mouth now, sucking a bit harshly, before puffing his cheeks out and slowly working his way down the shaft. drool has already begun to drip from the corners of his mouth. “our hoonie has a bit of an oral fixation,” heeseung explains, pressing a kiss to a new spot on jake’s shoulders every few moments. he rests his head to watch his boyfriend showcase his skills below, now reaching the base of jake’s cock.

jake’s eyes roll into the back of his head. sunghoon’s mouth wraps him in warmth, the texture of his cheeks sliding all the way down before rushing forward, his tip pushing down into his throat is enough to make him groan loudly.

“love your pretty sounds, puppy,” heeseung smiles at him, pinching his nipple harshly before turning to play with the other one. jake’s hand grips heeseung’s harsher for a moment as sunghoon sucks especially harshly while sitting with his nose pressed to jake’s pelvis.

“shit, hoon–” he gasps, a mix of a whimper and a whine coming out when he licks directly in jake’s slit before deepthroating him again. sunghoon grasps jake’s balls, toying with them lightly. jake’s body begins to buzz, his orgasm quickly approaching.

“you gonna cum down hoonie’s throat, baby boy?”

jake nods quickly, turning to face heeseung and kiss him sloppily, too fucked out to be anything other than absolutely messy, a fact that makes heeseung ever hornier for the man before him.

“look at hoonie when you cum.” he commands in a tone jake has never heard before, the sound pushing him further to the edge. seeing sunghoon’s staring up at him with an innocent gaze in deep contrast to seeing jake’s own cock shoved deep in his throat, slight gagging and gurgling noises ruminating from the man between his knees, makes jake’s rubber band snap harshly. jake cums, his abs clenching for the force of it, sunghoon sucking down every bit of it that rushes out, swallowing around his dick. jake nearly pushes him away at the feeling, but heeseung holds him still until he’s fully spent. heeseung waits until jake has stopped shaking to loosen his grip on the man.

“did so good for us, puppy.” heeseung kisses him lightly. sunghoon swallows the rest down before popping off of his length, rising to his feet to press a sweet kiss to jake’s lips. jake tastes his own release on sunghoon’s tongue, the saltiness and sunghoon’s lack of resistance to swallowing the liquid almost making him start to grow hard again.

jake feels utterly spent, sure that he’s the most he’s ever cum in his entire life. sunghoon redresses him in his underwear, heeseung helping him up to the headboard after. jake lays against the pillows, watching the couple before him and their matching hard ons, guilt spreading across his collarbones and seeping into his flesh. “what about you guys?”

they shake their heads in unison, coming to lay on either side of jake. “don’t worry about us, jake.” sunghoon reassures him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, “that was for you, not us. you’re still figuring things out, and we thought that might help.”

jake nods in understanding, knowing the pair have him all figured out. a million thoughts begin to bang on his brain, begging to enter, to dance around his head and mock him with their contradictory, confusing words and questions. jake wills them away the best he can as he tries to stay in this moment here with them, to etch it into his mind forever, knowing it will soon be just a fleeting memory. “it… it did, thank you.”

“anytime, puppy.”

[undead-moth]

The last scene we get of Sydney this season is her having her panic attack. The scene isn't very long, but the Camera is extremely close to her face the whole time, and all we can see is her face and her hands. In that scene, we see her go from hyperventilating to beginning to breathe more slowly.

I noticed all this when I watched it the first time, and I also noticed that there's no music overlaying the scene. We can hear Syd's breathing, her crying, and the party happening in the background.

All of this stood out to me when I compared it to Carmy's panic attack scene. I compared them to begin with because so many other parallel scenes already exist between Syd and Carmy. Right away, I saw Syd's panic attack as another parallel. Just like in Carmy's scene, we see her alone. Just like in his, the camera is up very close, only showing us her face and hands. And most importantly, just like in Carmy's, she calms down. It wasn't strictly necessary to show us her calm down, and in fact, cutting away from her while she's still panicking would have been more emotionally intense for us. This more than anything else makes it feel like it's meant to be yet another parallel.

However, when comparing them, they're not properly mirroring each other in other ways.

In Carmy's panic attack scene, there's music overlay, initially skipping and then smoothing out, and we get flashes of his thoughts, which include clipped flashbacks from prior scenes. Because of this, when watching Carmy's panic attack, we know exactly what thoughts were causing him to panic, and what thought calmed him down. Thoughts of his family and Claire above all are causing him to panic, and thoughts of Sydney calm him down. The music stops skipping at the same moment he begins thinking about Syd.

But with Sydney, we don't get music, and we don't get flashes of her thoughts. Even if we can surmise what's causing her to panic, we don't get to see it, and we have no way of knowing what calms her down. We don't even have music offering insight, unless we include the music being played at the party - which, I listened to and looked at the lyrics for.

The song is "Laid" by James, and I think the music could be meant to imply Syd's thoughts on Carmy. It's a song about someone whose been told by his therapist that he needs to leave the woman he's seeing because she's behaving unhealthily and isn't good for him, and he knows it's true, but the song nonetheless ends with him asking, "When are you coming home?"

We know Syd is debating whether or not to leave The Bear, and we also know that the reason is because Carmy's behavior this season was unhealthy and affecting his relationship with her. I think the song could easily be alluding to Syd's desire to stay even though she thinks she shouldn't.

That could be all there is to this scene, and I certainly could be looking too deeply into it.

But season 4 could also return to this scene, and it could change. Since the music in this scene is background music, they could come back to it again in season 4 and overlay it with a different song that more indisputably is meant to offer insight into Syd's state of mind.

And given that we didn't get to see any visual representation of her thoughts, the second time around they could show us that.

Both the choice not to have music overlay and not to show us Syd's thoughts was intentional, and though the scene isn't long, it's a long time to spend zoomed in a character's face while she has a panic attack in silence. It felt conspicuous to me that there wasn't music or flashbacks indicating her thoughts.

And sure, I know we primarily see that happen with Carmy. He's the protagonist. His thoughts are shown to us more than anyone else's. But we do see other characters thoughts sometimes. For example, when they want to pass their fire safety exam, and they're waiting to see if the balloon fills, we get a snippet from all of the characters lined up to watch.

And given there are so many other very purposeful parallel scenes between Carmy and Syd, and this would appear to be another one, I feel like there has to be a reason this one so conspicuously deviated in style from its counterpart.

Basically, what I'm saying is, what I'm theorizing is, I think they purposefully didn't show us the whole story with Syd's flashback this season. I don't think the choice not to have music overlay and not to show us her thoughts was simply because they determined this was the most effective way to convey her panic attack to us. I don't think it was for the emotional effect silence or an extended up-close look at her distress would have on us, or at least, not just for that.

I think (I hope) season 4 will return to this scene, and when it does, it will more closely mirror Carmy's panic attack. I think (I hope) there will be music overlay, and we'll see flashes of Syd's thoughts. Just like in Carmy's, I think (I hope) we will get to see the transition from thoughts about what's panicking her, which we already know -

To thoughts about whatever calms her down.

I think that thought could either be of leaving The Bear, which would then solidify her decision to leave -

Or it could be of Carmy, which would then solidify her decision to stay.

I genuinely think that if this is the route they go, if I'm somehow incredulously spot-on, either one could work sufficiently with the narrative. I do think there's a strong chance Syd will leave The Bear -

However, the only way to truly make this scene mirror Carmy's scene, and to thereby make it consistent with all the parallels that have come before - and not incidentally or purposelessly either - it would have to be thoughts of Carmy calming her down.

I'm crossing my fingers.