#Two Truths and a Lie; Ask Memes

[helreginn]

‘TTL’

Send ‘TTL’ and my muse will tell two real facts about themselves and one lie. Your muse will have to guess which is which!

"I am left handed."

"I don't like snakes."

"Two of my parents are also my children."

[oculusxcaro]

Two truth and a lie: I've eaten heart before, I can do a handstand, my talons will bleed if they're clipped too short.

Send me two truths and a lie about your muse, and I’ll guess which is which!

The scent of sizzling meat is strong in the air as Khare sets down a plate of steak before Senja. The outside of it has an excellent sear, both sides whacked down on a hot grill for just a few moments before being flipped so that the inside remained tender and rare to the point that it's still legally blue. Sen deserve ten dozen steaks for all the help she'd given the waitress back before she'd even arrived in Gotham but making sure she got the most delicious steak on the house was a good start. "Two truths and one lie... okay, give me a moment to think." Khare hummed as she sat back to watch Sen dig into her meal. A rich and vibrant red was revealed as the harpy sliced into her meal, the meat so tender she barely had to try cutting it with her knife and fork. It smelt amazing, Khare's thoughts drifting back to campfires in autumn and of the meals they'd once shared way before either of them ever stepped into Gotham. She was pretty sure Sen had eaten heart, come to think of it... her memories of their time in the woods together had grown muddled by fear and time, but the rich, savoury scent of meat helped jog that memory some of the first time she'd tried Elk felled by Sen's talons. It had been delicious, better than anything she'd had before or since and she smiled at the thought, plus Sen seeming to enjoy her own meal. "I'm pretty sure you have eaten heart before. You're not one to waste what you catch and... I think I remember you trying not to freak me out about it." Khare chuckled lightly beneath her breath. When Sen had learned a bit of what happened, she'd brought back pieces of meat rather than a whole damn carcass, regular pieces of meat that looked like they came straight from the butchers instead of something that had been walking and breathing not half an hour before. Khare had appreciated Sen's sensitivity on the matter but any squeamishness soon disappated when it became apparent just how hungry the two of them were, from long hours of trekking across harsh terrain and keeping their distance from other, less friendly creatures in the vicinity. That left two other questions though, and Khare pondered as another mouthful disappeared. Her eyes dropped to the knife and fork in Sen's hands, wielded deftly as any regular patron to the diner. She had talons alright, powerful ones that could shred through larger animals but had she ever tried cutting her own claws before? Had somebody else tried? Sen had been a bit... quiet as to her past for completely understandable reasons; Khare had been similarly tight-lipped albeit for different reasons, but it was hard when you were different as not everybody was able to accept you the way you were. "I'm... going with that you can't do handstands. Because I've never actually seen you do one, you know? You might have the muscles but have you got the balance?" Khare said playfully as she leaned forwards. Sen's was looking a lot less full now with most of the steak having disappeared, a single piece left leaving only a bloody plate as to the meal that had once been there.

[darnell-la]

Wolverine forcing you to squirt for the first time?? Pretty please?

note: if you’d like an older Wolverine, you can request again. we wrote this one too fast and made it the younger Wolverine. it’s still hot!

follow our Instagram @ darnell.la so we can start posting random videos, photos, edits, and memes of the people we write about!

———

“Can’t tell me you’ve never squirted before and expect me to move on with life,” Logan said after placing you on the bathroom counter he had dragged you to during a drinking game.

The party was loud and you could still hear people playing Truth or Shot. After one of the girls asked if a man had made you squirt, and you answered that you hadn’t even done such a thing, Logan knew he had to do something about it.

He had made an excuse, asking if you could come fill up his cup with him. Of course, you came with him. He was a good friend, but you didn’t know he’d throw his cup away and drag you to the nearest bathroom.

“L-Logan -- Calm down,” Y/n gasped as his teeth sunk into her neck. “Ah uh,” he crowled, needing to give her what she deserved. “Can smell you, baby -- Can’t just leave you like this,” the man’s hands ripped at her panties after he pulled her dress up.

The young girl let out a low and shaky moan as his finger pushed inside of her. His eyes glued right on her face, watching her fall apart on his fingers in an instant.

“C’mon, baby, give it to me,” he growled, as he turned and twisted his finger in and out of her. “Too much,” she said whined as her hands fell on his shoulder. “Fuck, there’s no way,”

Logan couldn’t believe it, It seemed like she was a virgin. There’s no way one finger would make her get like this.

“Don’t lie to me, baby — Just tell me another man’s made you cum,” Logan wanted to know, but he knew the answer already. His eyes still locked onto hers, as her eyes drifted away every few seconds. She felt high, but she hadn’t smoked or drank tonight.

“N-No one has, Logan,” y/n took a while to admit, but thankfully for him, she got it out. The young girl's mind was going crazy. Logan hadn't ever shown a lick of affection towards her, yet now he was worried about whether a man had touched her?

She was confused, but he wasn’t. The thought of another man making her squirt first was unacceptable to him. He couldn’t let that happen.

Logan let his ego get the best of him, but so what? He was going to make her squirt tonight, tomorrow, the day after, and then the days after that. He was going to be the first and then last.

“I know you can take another,” the man said as he pulled out, instantly pushing two in next. “Logan!” The girl moaned at the burning feeling of her walls stretching. She was wet, but she still had to get used to the new and unfamiliar feeling.

“Fuck, yes, baby,” Logan couldn’t get over her. She looked so damn pretty. He wished he had done this months ago. He’ll gain those days back. He’ll spend every day licking at her cunt until she drowns him.

“P-P-Please,” y/n stuttered hard, trying to close her legs, but the man used his free hand to push them back open. He gripped her tightly. She wasn't going to stop him. He needed this.

“Keep your fuckin’ legs open, or I’ll fuck this cunt dumb,” the man threatened, wanting nothing to get in the way of feeling her drench his fingers. She has already coated them with slightly white and clear liquid. She never knew a man would like how much she leaked.

“Logan,” the girl gripped his shoulders tighter with a sob, feeling the knot in her stomach getting harder to control. She was embarrassed, but he wanted all over her whether she wanted to give it to him or not.

“Be a good girl — Make a mess, and I’ll clean that shit right up,” the man told no lie as his two fingers curled. Within seconds, y/n’s mouth parted as her head leaned back. Her eyes crossed as she felt her legs go stiff and her toes curled.

“Augh,” she let out a choked cry as she released on the man’s fingers. “Oh, that’s it, baby — That’s it!” The man finger fucked her cunt a bit harder to get every last drop out of her.

“P-Please,” the girl pushed at his wrists, needing a break, but he wouldn't stop. She gave up after a while and decided to pull the man into a tight hug as she struggled to breathe.

Y/n was still leaking down his hand. She couldn’t stop. He had made the girl go on for almost an hour until she passed out on his chest. breathing lightly from the exhaustion.

Logan couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing he had the girl dumb and cute, all for him. She was his. She marked him, and later when he sweet talks her into taking him as hers, he'll mark her.

[doublelariatgirl]

Nosy Anons (Jirai Kei Edition)

Reblog this post to let your lovely anons ask you any of these questions!

1: When did you first learn about Jirai Kei? 2: What is you Jirai Kei Unpopular Opinion? 3: What type of music do you like? 4: Do you have any Jirai Kei-esque or general characters you relate to/like? 5: What other styles beside Jirai Kei are you interested in? 6: If you could make an ita bag for any character, who would it be and why? 7: Bright Pastels or Dark Pastels? 8: What is Jirai Kei to you? 9: What made you decide to identify as a lifestyle Jirai Kei? 10: Do you use any creative outlets (drawing, writing, etc) to express yourself? 11: Did you have an emo phase and what was it like? 12: Are you apart of the LGBTQ community (if you're comfortable sharing)? 13: What healthy coping mechanisms do you use? 14: Favorite anime? 15: Favorite game? 16: Are you in a relationship or crushing on anyone? 17: Are you okay with fashion only jirai kei? 18: What are your favorite childhood tv shows and games? 19: Who would be on your "hear me out" cake? 20: What is your funniest memory on the internet? 21: Favorite old internet meme? 22: When was the first time you were on the interenet? 23: Favorite fanfiction or fiction tropes? 24: What is your biggest Jirai Kei pet peeve? 25: Jirai Kei culture is... 26: Who is your biggest inspiration/someone you admire? 27: Favorite media platform? 28: If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, which song would you pick? 29: What is a random fact about yourself? 30: What are two truths and a lie about yourself?

[thomasstaples]

Another 2 truths and a lie

I have a contact on my phone who I've never met, know very little about, and talk to very infrequently. They sent me a text years ago, asking for a picture of their legs. They had meant to message a friend of theirs who had a picture of their sun burnt legs. I informed them I did not have a picture of their leg, but sent them a picture of mine and my friends' legs (Just our legs in a circle, no identifying information). Since then, on rare occasion, I get a leg pick, or they receive one, usually accompanied by some good news. This person was one of the first people to find out about my engagement (My now wife was one of the friends in the leg pick we originally sent), and that me and my wife were having a baby. I have never seen this person's face.

I don't like my most popular post on this site. When I first started this blog, I did a lot of quotes from C.S. Lewis' letters and lesser known works. The only one that ever gained any popularity was a quote about Tolkien, and I resent the fact that my most popular Lewis quote is only popular because of Tolkien.

I run a fairly popular meme page on facebook centered around what is basically a OC character from bible fanfiction that I came up with during a bible study. tagging @gracefulchristiangirl because last time I made a two truths and a lie she turned it into a tag game

[viixenvi]

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?

Summary: You find out Steve has been cheating with other girls on his guy's night out. But you also just found out you are pregnant...

Characters: Steve Rogers, Fem!Reader, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanoff

Warnings: Cheater Steve, hurt, angst, mention of abortion, mention of infertility

Badly written and mistakes were def made but I hope u like it!

I looked over the picture again. Steve kissing some random blonde girl in the bar. The phone was clutched in the palm of my hand. It was not the right time to find this out.

I glanced at your other hand, a pregnancy test that read 'POSITIVE' in big letters. Tonight was going to be the night I told him. The test was from the day before, Steve was on assignment so it didn't feel right to throw the news at him right after a long mission.

No one else knew either, of course, they'd be happy but it felt wrong to share it with my friends before my boyfriend knew.

The elevator dinged, letting it be known someone was there. I quickly put the test away in my pocket and wiped the stray tears from my face.

"Y/n? you are up?" Natasha asked as she walked into the living room area. The rest of the boys were following behind her, all drunk or slightly drunk of course.

"I was waiting for Steve to come home," I give a half-hearted smile to her. She nods and sits next to meme.

Steve stumbles to the couch across from me and falls back onto it. "So how was boy's night out?" my phone is set face down on my thigh. Everyone looks a bit tense as they realize I saw the photo they sent.

"Good, had fun doing stuff," Steve sighs. I nod along and pick my phone up, turning it on and pressing the photo.

"I bet you had so much fun kissing that blonde huh?" I turn the phone towards him. His eyes widen at the sight of the photo. He immediately sits up.

"I can explain!" his voice was filled with panic. Like I had just uncovered something he'd been keeping from me forever. Tears starting to sting my eyes. I tried to keep them back but the hormones mixed with finding all this out got the better of me.

"Explain what? That you cheated on me? That all the trust I put into you was a lie? That this relationship meant nothing to you?" I ask him, the tears falling down my face. I wipe them away but they just continue.

Steve shakes his head and gets up. I stand up and try to walk away but he puts his hands on my shoulders and stops me from walking any further. "Please baby, please let me explain," he begs. It almost makes me rethink it all, just for a split second.

"Explain then."

"I was drunk, I had no idea what I was doing." He takes his hands off my shoulders and rubs his head.

"Drunk? that's your excuse? Steve that photo was taken right after you guys arrived at the bar. You probably only had two drinks in you," I yell. Everyone around us is shocked. I'm never one to yell, even when provoked.

I was angry, sad, hurt. I was feeling everything and I couldn't keep it in anymore. "Listen, I'll never do it again. Honey, please." Steve looks into my teary eyes and my heart finally breaks.

He's not the Steve I loved. He's not the one I trusted and shared my secrets with. "You know, I really loved you. It may have been just another relationship to you, but I wanted to marry you." I wipe my tears again and this time they don't return.

"We can still do that baby! You and me," He says, holding my hands in his.

"Tell me one thing, if you tell the truth I'll forgive you." He nods and looks at me expectantly. "Did you love me? Like actual love," I ask. He hesitates before speaking up.

"Yes. Of course, I loved you." I can tell he's lying. I always knew when he was lying and this hurt me even worse. I knew what the answer was but hearing it from him just hurt me in ways I could never explain in any words.

I pull away from him and reach into my pocket. I pull the pregnancy test out and hold it up.

"I was going to tell you tonight, I found out yesterday." Steve beams when it registers that I'm holding a pregnancy test.

"We are going to have a baby?" He asks excitedly.

"No, you have nothing. The moment you decided to cheat on me you lost the right to me and this baby," I start. "I struggled with fertility, I told you this. I confided in you about how I was ready to start a family because I trusted and loved you completely. When the doctor told me I might never be able to have a baby I confided in you. I cried on your shoulder and you promised we would get through it. I was so stupid to actually believe I'd finally get what I wanted."

Steve's smile drops and he looks confused. "What do you mean? Are you going to have an abortion?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet. All I do know is that I want nothing to do with you ever. We are done, consider me dead from now on." I throw the pregnancy test at him and walk to our shared room.

I hear footsteps following behind me. "Y/n?" A voice says. I turn to see Natasha looking at me with a concerned face. I finally let the tears go that I was holding in. She rushes to me and holds me close to her chest as we sit on the bed.

"I loved him, Nat, I loved him," I sob out. Natasha pets my hair and rocks us back and forth.

"I know hun, I know."

[ai-the-broccoli]

I DIDN'T NOTICE YOU RB'D THE DEATH NOTE ASK MEME uhhh. 23 and 24 maybe?

ooooh thanks!!!

23. what was your favorite moment and why?

"oooh that's a very hard question" ...is what I might've said, if this wasn't the light yagami animanga series and light yagami makes me insane. uhhh. I do have several though, if that's allowed.

(update: when I said "several" I meant uh. a lot apparently. whoops)

favourite line / favourite moment in a "holy wow this is amazing thematically": the. y'know. "Tell me, Light, from the moment you were born, have you ever told the truth?" line in the anime rain scene. yeah. holy fuck that is amazing because I LOVE that sort of thing. as far as character traits go, there's like nothing I love more than characters that are liars who lie lyingly (multiple types of this apply). it's truly, truly the best.

favourite moments based on what I repeatedly rewatched immediately following my first watch of the anime: there are, uh. three (in no particular order)

light goes home from the entrance ceremony, incredibly stone-faced (like 😐) the entire way -> gets home, gets up the stairs, opens the door, shuts the door, sits down on his chair, suddenly starts shaking -> blows up "Dammit! He got me! Damn L! I have never been so humiliated in my life!" (even Ryuk comments internally that he's never seen him lose his composure so much) -> suddenly laughs and calms down talking about how it's a battle of wits now and he'll make L trust him and kill him, with his own hands if necessary. i rewatched this several times in a row which was definitely very normal of me.

look at him. grumpy but in like an extremely restrained way (his face is even hidden). until it breaks completely in the next page lol

the last episode. light trying so hard not to laugh/smirk in the warehouse, then he reveals himself as kira (a lot of laughing), and he loses and falls pathetically, shouting for kiyomi and mikami and misa after matsuda shoots him, and then runs in the beautiful sunset, passing his younger high school self by, and seeing a vision of L before he dies on the stairs. all this is great and i did an immediate rewatch of this episode after finishing it

the Relight scene where Light laughs on top of L's grave soil. it's conceptually fucked up in an amazing way that really really appeals to me. murder and grave desecration are really romantic/beautiful/erotic on principle.

as you can see I am very normal. as you can see I am a very normal Light Yagami fan. one of those two statements may be unironically true, but the two statements inherently cannot go together. anyway this particular selection of scenes totally doesn't actually say anything about me right but anyway I'm right those are totally the best please torture light some more everyone

favourite moments I didn't immediately repeatedly rewatch/reread like that but are still my absolute top favourites:

The entire first episode because DAMN did it hook me completely very, very fast. I did NOT know there was going to be Faustian contract + god complex&general big ego + everything else in one in this little and very infamous character known as "Light Yagami". my expectations were blown instantly and I got obsessed with DN right away

L and Light declaring war on each other over the live broadcast and L asking and taunting Light/Kira to kill him. amazing. it was really... gay. sorry I can't think of a better word lmfao

L's death scene oh my god. GOD I loved (and was really really amazed/impressed by by) Light rushing to him at once and basically lying on top of him for a second, so that he will die in his arms. GOD. it is SO. like yeah this is literally my favourite sort of thing holy shit it is amazing (it's to gloat to him and to declare victory before his death, and it's to pretend to the Task Force too, and yet it seemed like such an instinctual reaction really that I think his first instinct really IS to hold him in his arms before he dies. this is really good). and the dramatic performance afterwards. I love it

on a COMPLETELY different note. JESUS CHRIST I love Soichiro's death scene actually. because holy fuck the multi-layered irony. I really love it. actually I think I wrote about that scene long before I even really wrote anything else about DN. alright here:

idk if I still 100% agree with my initial impression but it should still overall hold and MAN. I definitely loved it (<- fan of irony) (<- extremely, extremely normal Light Yagami fan) (<- fan of Soichiro also, to a lesser extent)

favourite moment that gave me a lot of thoughts when I'm reading the manga: (even though I already first watched the anime and this stuff is also in the anime)

the moment where Rem is like "okay I will kill L" and Light, person who has been plotting this exact murder for ages, is like. Oh shit. he'll die...? which is. man. Light sure is Light

like look at his face here!

favourite manga-exclusive moments:

Light not considering killing Sayu. Light asking Soichiro to promise him to come back alive with Sayu. that scene afterwards where Soichiro is at home thinking he should die. (at least I think those weren't in the anime?)

the manga ending is also good

I like that the manga tells us he lost weight and has nightmares due to using the death note. (it possibly has happened to anime light too but we don't get to see it)

not a "favorite moment" exactly, but while the scene is beautiful I don't like Misa dying in the end despite how much I adore everything else in that episode, so I like that Misa doesn't canonically die like that in the manga

favourite anime-exclusive moments:

rain scene and footwashing scene yes obviously

everything about Light being "haunted" after L's death. aside from the aforementioned Light dying scene, I really like the anime

I love the anime ending too

also hmm this might be a less popular opinion, but personally I also love some of anime Light's characterization tidbits that differs from the manga (e.g. first episode). I would say it's because it's maybe very slightly more relatable for me but that probably sounds wack lmao so

favourite moments based on how comedic I find them: (not including ones I already included in other sections) DN is such an amazing comedy I'm not even kidding

the whole handcuffs thing oh my god. homophobic misa moment. I didn't think she'd actually call him gay, but there it was. also just fken. buddy. L??????? why and how and in what world was there an absolute need for this totally normal, totally appropriate, absolutely most safe and most ideal method of interrogating criminals. I was laughing because god. that's not even. yeah okay I'm happy with it but LMFAO YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS. and Light just easily went along with it

the... the... first date scene. I was like oh my god c'MON you two. I didn't think something like this would be so like this in the actual canon manga. first date where Misa is being thirdwheeled while Light and L sit together chained together and then they focus all energy on talking to each other and then they get into a fist fight (date activity) all over the room. combined with the later dunking on matsuda. this is LITERALLY how a fucking sitcom goes at this point.

the anime's footwashing also. not the scene itself necessarily but just the fact that it fucking exists between lawlight and is. Like THAT????? lmfao like what the hell

ALSO the. fken. Matsuda fake death scene lmfao it was so wack in retrospect

live Ryuk reactions + "hey Light can we play Mario Golf? can we play Mario Golf Light? come on let's play a match of Mario Golf"

man I can't even include all of it here because Light Yagami is so entertaining to me in 85%+ of all the scenes she appears in in one way or another like his existence itself is peak entertainment to me. it's entertaining when Light is humiliated and it's entertaining when he's succeeding. and like I mean, he's the protagonist of the whole manga / show, and I mean I can't list every moment in the series can I. lmao

favourite moments that don't have light yagami in it: I'm sorry everyone else but I am especially obsessed with light. as you can see. however I love many other characters too

Kiyomisa dinner kiyomisa fighting !!!

(technically this includes light but) matsuda shooting light

misa being unexpectedly smart (compared to her wider reputation) (the higuchi car scene! and others) is also nice

idk if it makes sense but. the scene where Rem and Misa mention the way a Shinigami can die, and Misa admits to thinking about killing Rem like it's. just very Neat. I like the vibes here and Misa is very beautiful (related to the dialogue about love and killing. yeah)

also!! I love the meronia moments

and then I recently got myself into soichello so actually yeah. the soichiro mello scenes too. very good

24. any headcanons you want to share?

uhhhhhhhhhhh hmmm. man what's a headcanon I haven't properly shared on tumblr before, and also isn't like a take that is shared and often discussed by tons of people around here already?

... fine okay let's do this finally.

neurodivergence + mental illnesses headcanons

[disclaimer: please read this post first. if you disagree, you can skip over this and skip to the next section!]

aside from OCD and autism, imo Light has NPD with some ASPD traits, and also bipolar. this is because the way his mental illnesses are is like. I feel represented lol. (not as in I have every one of those things I listed, but I probably have some/most of them, and the combinations are interesting). even though this is unfortunately Light Yagami. but I really like him for that too tbh because man. I don't get to see that stuff often. (like idk how to explain it. even though I'd never even remotely pull that kinda stuff because of differences in personalities, values, background, abilities, and manifestation and degree of symptoms, etc. however some of his mannerisms sometimes feel right on point e.g. I feel like the way he is like sometimes gives me depression + hypomanic/manic vibes, in a way where I can see myself in him if it makes sense lmao)

on that note Misa 100% very BPD I agree. I wanna say on top of autism, L also seems to have some ASPD traits imo. Near is autistic but I think that goes without saying lol. Mello has like... C-PTSD and/or NPD. and then this probably not a very unexpected take, but Matsuda has ADHD or audhd vibes. OH and! Soichiro also very much has OCD and autism, imo.

other headcanons:

not a hot take, but Mello and Near are both nonbinary and/or genderqueer (and/or otherwise trans, if not applicable) to me (could be transmasc or transfem, not necessarily transneutral; I could see either or any direction among those, although I would say I lean toward seeing Near as transfem and/or nonbinary, and Mello as transmasc and/or genderqueer).

Light is demi, and has had a covert superiority complex about not feeling attraction unlike his peers (like. you can view him deciding to use porn mag reading to prove himself as a normal teenage boy as indicative of his subconscious? mental association of his more "normal" peers as, like.... unfortunate horny perverts. in a way. if that makes sense) I know how it feels because I was kinda like this in grade 6-8

man I definitely have other ideas too but I'm drawing a blank at the moment partly because it's late and I still haven't eaten lunch lmao. I will continue to post my thoughts and headcanons in the future, so tune in by clicking on the subscribe butto- *gets shot*

ask game

[hide-in-imagination]

Alright, I'm gonna talk about Margarita and why many viewers prefer Marrey over the main couple because the first season of Margarita just ended and I need to cope somehow.

Fair warning, this will be long, full of spoilers, rants, memes, and some references to Soy Luna because I can't help myself.

Okay so, just to give some context for whoever hasn't watched this show and came upon this post by coincidence: Margarita is a show by Cris Morena (same as Casi Ángeles) and works as some sort of continuation/spin-off of Floricienta because it follows the life of one of Flor and Maximo's children: Margarita.

The thing is, Margarita doesn't know she's Margarita, daughter of Flor and Max, because when she and her brothers were babies, some military man took over Krikoragán (the country Flor and Max ruled, yeah, they were royalty) and so everyone had to run for their lives, basically. Margarita grew up as an orphan because Cris Morena loves orphans, is obsessed with orphans, she can't not have orphans in her shows.

Anyway-- The main couple of the show, which is obvious from day fucking one, are Margarita and Merlín, who happens to be the son of the military man who dethroned Flor and Max lolol

Now, I know this sounds like epic romance, like, the daughter and son of enemies falling in love, blah blah blah. It could have been that way-- If Merlín wasn't so fucking stupid.

Cause here's the thing: Merlín is not a bad person, okay? He actually feels a lot of guilt because of how his father took over the country and basically destroyed Florencia's and Maximo's lives (who btw are M.I.A), so what does he want to do? He wants to marry the exiled princess Margarita as a way to return the throne to them. Noble, right? Sure. The problem is that, as I said, the real Margarita doesn't know she's Margarita. Instead, there's been a fake Margarita walking around all these years (who was tricked btw, she doesn't know she's a fake, she truly believes she's the princess), who everyone calls Daisy.

If you're thinking "Oh, this is giving Ámbar is season 2 when Sharon told her she was Sol Benson so no one would find out it was actually Luna" you are absolutely right, it's pretty much like that. The only difference is that Sharon was already rich before this; in this case, Delfina, Margarita's aunt, needed to lie and say she had found the real Margarita so she could access the fortune.

Anyway, moving on. The thing is, the show starts and Merlín is immediately going after Daisy and flirting with her, because again, he wants to marry her so he can give her back Krikoragán's throne. But at the same time, he and Margarita kinda fall in love at first sight (cause remember, they're the main couple of this show), so he's also seeking Margarita all the time and flirting with her.

So, we're not up to a great start, because it's literally episode 1 and this guy is already playing around with two girls at the same time. And listen, this could've worked, okay? Like, I get it-- He loves Margarita but because of his honorable desire to return the throne to the exiled princess, he has to go after Daisy, even if he doesn't want to. This really could've been a conflict of Love vs Duty, and it would've been fine... but. this. BITCHHH sdjkfnsdkdf.

I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD, MERLÍN IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR!!! The number of times Daisy asked him if he had feelings for Margarita and he lied in her fucking face!! Even after Daisy finds out that he wants to marry her to return the throne to her, HE STILL INSISTS THAT THAT'S NOT THE REASON WHY HE WANTS TO DATE HER, HE STILL INSISTS THAT HE TRULY LOVES HER, EVEN THOUGH HE IS GIVEN 94823489 OPPORTUNITIES TO SAY THE TRUTH. And what reaaallly annoys me is that Margarita wants to tell Daisy the truth, because she's her friend. And keep in mind that at no point does Merlín stop flirting and seeking Margarita out, nonono. So, of course, our girl Margarita is like "If you say you like me so much and neither of us can stop feeling this way about each other, then we have to tell Daisy, because otherwise, we're just going to hurt her."

And you know what really annoys me? That Merlín agrees. He agrees, and he tells Margarita yeah you're right let's do that, they had an AGREEMENT-- But guess WHAT? Later that day, Margarita finds out that he didn't tell Daisy ANYTHING. In fact, I think he told her again that he loved her for real, u know, like a LIAR, and Margarita is like ??

"Bitch, didn't we agree we were going to tell the truth?" and Merlín is like "Nah, sorry, babe. I still love you tho." LIKE THE PATHOLOGICAL LIAR HE IS.

Listen, when I tell you Daisy sat them both down and literally ASKED THEM, 100% sincerely and with no ill intent, if they had feelings for each other because if so she would step aside, AND MERLÍN STILL LIED. FUCKING BITCH.

This could've been so different if Merlín actually tried to fall in love with Daisy. Like, if he told Margarita "I really like you, but because of duty, I have to be with Daisy" and stopped flirting with Margarita and actually focused on Daisy. Like, of course they would still yearn for each other secretly, but that would be the fun angsty part of it that would make all of us ship it. If we saw Merlín really try to follow duty but being unable to let go of his love, and eventually Daisy realizing this too, that her friends are in love with each other, and freeing Merlín from his responsibility toward her so they can be together. IT ALL WOULD'VE WORKED OUT FINE. Especially considering that Margarita is the real princess, so when that secret came out, Merlín wouldn't have to choose between duty and love because he could marry for love.

But no. They had to make him a detestable cheating liar. Because, do you think his history with lies ends there? NONONO, MY SWEET SUMMER CHILD, SIT DOWN, THERE'S MORE!

Eventually, Daisy doesn't believe his lies anymore (GOOD FOR YOU, GIRL) and is heartbroken but totally breaks up with him. And you, as a viewer, would think "Oh, okay, so he can be with Margarita now, there's nothing stopping them--" WRONG. Because then Petra shows up: Merlín's arranged betrothed. And Merlín makes eyes at her and seeks her out. And, okay, to be fair, he wanted to convince her to renounce her titles of nobility along with him, but did he need to make eyes for that? Debatable. Anyway, that's not even the main issue. The problem is that Petra somehow CONVINCES HIM to pretend to be ENGAGED FOR REAL, OUT OF LOVE, and show it to the world in a LIVESTREAM, so that they can later on renounce of their titles before the wedding and therefore making it a much bigger scandal internationally than if they just announced it on a regular Wednesday.

And since Merlín is a PATHOLOGICAL LIAR, he AGREES TO THIS!!! This stupid, unnecessary plan!!!

And, of course, for this plan of theirs to work, they have to keep it a secret that the engagement isn't real, so Margarita is none the wiser. Merlín, for once, actually wants to tell her the truth, which would be okay I guess, if it weren't because the main reason why he wants to tell her is because MARGARITA IS DATING SOMEONE ELSE.

Please, picture this for a second. Margarita has been led on and then disillusioned by this guy for like two months by now. Eventually, she decides that enough is enough and she needs to find a new love (GOOD FOR YOU, GIRL). She does find a new guy to fall in love with, who also falls in love with her, and they start a very cute relationship, and then, THEN, THIS FUCKING COACKROACH, BLOODSUCKING PARASITE, has to come SEEKING HER OUT AGAIN because he just can not fucking let her be happy, I swear to god!!

So Merlín goes after Margarita, desperate to tell her that the engagement to Petra isn't real, tells her to keep the secret, and also that he loves her, and that he knows she loves him too, so they have to be together, and she can just forget about her boyfriend because she obviously doesn't love him like she loves him either way.

And listen. Again. This could've worked under different circumstances. If Merlín was somehow forced to pretend to be engaged to Petra for some reason or another, or if he was dating Daisy for real, like I said in the previous scenario, but seeing Margarita with someone else finally made him realize that he couldn't choose duty over love and so he begged Margarita to be with him, it would've been fine. I mean, still shitty for the third-wheel guy, but as an audience, we would've supported it, because they're the main couple and he's the main guy and we want them together.

But NOOOOO because Merlín is literally only doing this out of selfishness!!! I mean, let's keep in mind that the whole world really believes he's really engaged to Petra, and they have to keep it that way for their plan to work. So, when Merlín seeks out Margarita now, telling her that they love each other so they have to be together, what is he really offering her? He literally can't offer her more than dating in secret from literally everyone, because otherwise, his plan with Petra would go to hell. And did he ever consider that Margarita might not be happy with that??? To be his dirty little secret?? Like- she's already dating this other guy, who wants nothing more than to make their relationship public because he really likes her, and Margarita is supposed to set that aside for... secret kisses behind closed doors with Merlín??

No wonder Margarita tells him no. MORE THAN ONCE. And she tells him it's too late now because she's with someone else.

BUT DOES THAT STOP MERLÍN? NO. BECAUSE HE'S NOT ONLY A MYTHOMANIAC BUT HE ALSO CAN'T RESPECT MARGARITA'S WISHES TO SAVE HIS LIFE!!

Remember when they agreed to tell Daisy the truth and he didn't? Yeah. And now Margarita wants to move on but he's like "Nah." And in future episodes, he quite literally puts her on a plane and takes her to Krikoragán with him AGAINST HER WILL !!! I---

And they wanted to make it look comical, I'm sure the idea was for it to be funny, but by this point, we're so upset with Merlín that he could cure cancer and I'd be pissed about it.

I just think it's frustrating because I know what they wanted to do, I know what the writers wanted this story to be, but I'm sorry, you wrote this guy so completely wrong that we can't even sympathize with his struggles anymore. I just don't care if he doesn't want to be prince or whatever-- cry me a fucking river somewhere else.

And here's what's really frustrating about all this.

Let me introduce you to Rey. Real name: Juan, but everyone calls him Rey. Also known as: the third guy in the love triangle. Also known for: EXCELLING AT EVERY SINGLE ASPECT IN WHICH MERLÍN FALLS SHORT.

1. Doesn't lie: Rey is very honest and direct about what he thinks and what he feels. When Margarita asked him at one point why he knew how to pick locks, Rey could've lied and make up some excuse, but instead, he honestly said that his dad is a thief, and so he taught him how to steal from a very young age, but Rey doesn't want that life. Which brings us to the next point:

2. Has a more compelling/interesting backstory: Rey starts off as one of the bad guys of the show. He's conceited, mean, and bullies the neurodivergent kid of the group to the point that he leaves the house they're all staying at (he comes back tho). At first, no one likes Rey, the audience doesn't like Rey, because we have no reasons to. BUT it all changes when we start to see different sides to him. We come to see his mean behavior as an act, an armor he puts on because in the family and socioeconomic context he grew up in (aka, thieves, thugs, the strong devour the weak, bully or be bullied) he had to be like that to survive. We see how incredibly sweet he is with his little siblings and how he works his ass off to give money to his mom now that his dad is in jail. In summary, Rey is the typical character who comes from a shitty situation and wants to escape it, be better. He sees the art he makes as a way of salvation, his ticket to a better life, and when we, the audience, see that, we can't help but support him. It's a tried and true character arc and dynamic: people always root for the underdog.

Compared to his struggles, Merlín's theme of 'I don't want to be the prince, I want to return the throne to this other girl' simply... falls short. Especially when you've got Rey's dad threatening Rey with separating him from his family if he doesn't help him in his bad deeds, and actually does separate him from his family later on in the show, much to Rey's hurt and frustration. Compared to that, Merlín's goals and obstacles seem simply superfluous.

3. He's direct with what the wants/doesn't go after two girls at the same time: Rey, being a bad guy at the start, had a thing going on with the bad girl of the show, Única (picture Ámbar for reference, except Ámbar is MUCH better, maybe I'll talk about that at some point.) Rey wanted an actual relationship with her, but Única was being hot and cold, so, Rey told her that he wasn't interested in being played with and took distance from her. Then he took an interest in Margarita, and when she asked him about him and Única, he was being 100% sincere by saying they had nothing going on anymore and he was 100% single and available, because it was the truth, not at any point did Rey continue to make eyes, flirt, or anything with Única after he took an interest in Margarita-- UNLIKE A CERTAIN SOMEONE.

And once he started liking Margarita, he was honest and direct and told her. He told her he felt some chemistry between them and he was more than interested in seeing it through, and Margarita doesn't really deny there's something there (because she likes him too), she just says it's not the right time (she's still hung up on Merlín)

Which brings us to...

4. Respects Margarita's wishes: Sure, Rey flirts a lot with Margarita at the beginning-- he gets all close, tries to go for a kiss-- and some people could say he was being pushy, but considering Margarita was about to kiss him two times prior to that, it wasn't like he didn't have reasons to believe she might want to. When push came to shove though, Rey asked her: "How long are we going to keep fighting this pull between us?" And Margarita was honest in her reply: "I like some other guy, but I do have feelings for you, I just don't think right now it's the right time. When I feel like it's the right time, I'll let you know." Rey accepted that and he didn't push-- He still spent time with her, but he didn't try to kiss her again or anything like that. He waited for her to make the first move.

And she did. Margarita was the one to initiate their first kiss, in a moment when Rey was being completely vulnerable and HONEST (he could've hid the fact that his dad was threatening him to do bad things but instead he opened up to Margarita about it (MERLÍN COULD NEVER)), and it was a great moment.

5. LITERALLY TOOK A KNIFE TO THE STOMACH FOR MERLÍN: That bad thing Rey's dad was forcing him to do? Well, he wanted him to help two thugs kidnap Merlín so they could ask for ransom, but Rey stopped the kidnapping, getting stabbed in the process of protecting Merlín. Following this, Merlín tells him that he now considers him his brother, because he saved his life.

HEAR ME OUT:

But how did Merlín repay Rey, his "brother", for saving his life?

BY STEALING HIS GIRLFRIEND.

6. Respects Margarita's new relationship instead of trying to sabotage it: Remember how I mentioned before that Merlín could not fucking let Margarita be happy with someone else? Well, this is what I was talking about. Merlín knows Margarita is with Rey and doesn't give a shit. He keeps going after Margarita, telling her they love each other so they have to be together, meanwhile, let me remind you, HE IS PUBLICLY ENGAGED TO SOMEONE ELSE. And sure, no one can 'steal' someone else's girlfriend, said person has a hand on it too, BUT considering Merlín literally put Margarita on a plane and took her to Krikoragán against her will... well, I'd say it was pretty close to stealing.

I mean, remember: Rey is direct, Rey is not up for games. Rey asked Margarita if she still had feelings for Merlín and she lied to his face and said no. Later, when he found Merlín and Margarita alone together for the Nth time, he was rightfully pissed. He told her, quote: "If you want to have two guys fighting over you, be my guest, but I don't want any part of it. I'm not interested in being in a relationship with a girl who isn't sure what she wants."

Keep in mind that Margarita told him several times to back off but Merlín did not, Rey also told him to back off and focus on his own girlfriend (RIGHTFULLY, BC WTF ARE YOU DOING FLIRTING WITH THIS OTHER GIRL WHEN YOU'RE ENGANGED?) but Merlín did not, and even after Margarita explicitly told him "It's too late, I'm with Rey now", Merlín still proceeded to take her to Krikoragán with him. He just doesn't give a shit what everybody else wants, apparently.

And, sure, let's be fair and mention that, by the time he took Margarita to Krikoragán, her and Rey were pretty much broken up-- BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE HE SABOTAGED THE RELATIONSHIP. RELENTLESLLY!!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 ICONIC BEHAVIOR. All second male leads should learn to be like him, tbh.

7. Has better words of endearment for Margarita: Rey calls her Bonita (like Simón calls Ámbar, yes, we stan) and also Marbonita, which is a mix of her name and bonita, which, in case you don't know, means 'cute/pretty'.

Now let's take a look at the reverse. When Margarita and Merlín start dating in the last few episodes of the season, does Rey try to get between them? No. And he's still in love with Margarita, the show makes sure to let us know that. But he doesn't try to sabotage it in any way despite this, in fact, he tells Merlín he's HAPPY FOR THEM ????? EVEN THOUGH HE'S CLEARLY BROKENHEARTED??

MERLÍN COULD NEVER.

Meanwhile, Merlín's love declaration to Margarita right before their first kiss was: "You are the queen of garbage and the queen of my heart <3"

Which brings us to:

Seriously, who wrote this? WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS ROMANTIC? WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?

8. He's simply better in every way: Seriously. Name any aspect and Rey is far superior to Merlín. The only things Merlín has that Rey doesn't are 1- Money 2- The ability to make Margarita queen by marriage. But Margarita is not some social climber interested in money, so these shouldn't be important factors.

I would say Rey even has more emotional responsibility than Merlín, because even after he broke things off with Margarita and was angry at her for sneaking around with Merlín behind his back, he apologized for it ??? He was literally like "Hey, I'm sorry for being cold and rude towards you lately, I don't want to treat you like that, I'm just still hurt about what happened."

I-

AND YOU STILL EXPECT US TO SHIP HER WITH THE OTHER GUY???? BE FOR REAL !!!

Even in the final fucking episodes of the season Merlín could not stop lying. His uncle was threatening him with killing his little brother if he didn't immediately return to Krikoragán and marry Petra, but did he tell Margarita about this? NoooOoOoo. Their last interaction was him being all romantic and assuring her that this was not a goodbye, even though it WAS A FUCKING GOODBYE AND MARGARITA POINTED OUT THAT IT FELT LIKE A GOODBYE, BECAUSE HE CAN'T. STOP. LYIINNGGGG. Literally, it costs zero dollars to tell the truth, Merlín. He wasn't even threatened to keep the whole thing a secret, it wasn't like his uncle told him "Oh, and tell anyone about this and I'll kill your brother", nonono, he had complete liberty to tell Margarita what was happening, but he. chose. not to.

Margarita found out later anyway and called him, right as Merlín's plane was taking off, and you know what his last words to her were? "Please wait for me. Wait for me for your whole life."

WAIT FOR ME FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE?? MY DUDE, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED TO SOMEONE ELSE. YOU WANT HER TO STAY SINGLE INDEFINITELY WHILE YOU SOMEHOW FIND A WAY TO EITHER 1-DIVORCE OR 2- GET PERMISSION TO HAVE A MISTRESS?

And I know this was supposed to be a very emotional moment. Merlín was crying and everything. The actor is good, don't take me wrong, we have nothing against him. But the characteeerrrr. I just can not sympathize with him anymore. He always has 49238 chances to be honest and communicate and make things less complicated, but he ALWAYS. CHOOSES. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE !!!

And I'm not saying his character should be perfect-- ALL characters are allowed to have flaws, in fact, they have to have them, otherwise they wouldn't be believable. But when the same character keeps making the same mistake over and over and over again, I'm sorry, but my patience only goes so far.

(Also, a lot of people like to point out that Merlín is 21 and playing around with two 17-year-old girls. Personally, I wouldn't criticize him for it because we don't know how old Rey is, and if later on we find out he's 21 too or something, everyone's going to have to swallow their words 😂)

Alright, so this was my rant about why the main couple of Margarita is so annoying and most people in social media are begging for #MarreyEndgame

Do I actually think Marrey has a chance to be endgame? To be honest, no. Looking at the narrative, I don't see how they could make it make sense after the ending of season 1. If the ending had been different, there could've been more hope, but with the way things are, it just makes more sense for Margarita to end up with Merlín. How could they make her end up with Rey without the viewers being genuinely confused? Because everything is set up to build Marlín. The only way to get Marrey would be to kill Merlín off (*cough* like in Floricienta season 1 *cough*). Or, I don't know, have Margarita lose her memories?? And while she has amnesia she falls so in love with Rey that once she gets her memories back she's unable to get back together with Merlín?? But I can't see the writers doing something so drastic.

Of course, they could just say fuck it and give the people Marrey even if it doesn't make any sense in the narrative. By this point, I'd be cool with that, but I don't think Cris Morena cares enough about what the audience wants to do that. She knows the story she wants to tell and she's not going to change it because some people are pissed about it. Because when you're in this industry, you learn that you can't please everyone-- Why would she try to do that now? For numbers? For money? Would it really make that much of a difference if she doesn't make Marrey endgame? Doubtful. Sure, some people will not watch season 2 if there's no Marrey, but even then, people have to be watching to find out if there is Marrey or not, so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, this was long, so if you read all of it, I'm both grateful and very sorry kdfjns.

RIP Marrey, you were bigger than the whole sky, you were more than just a short time 🥀

[shrinevandal]

Initial thoughts on Double and Neoplasm - Who is guilty? What's true and what's a lie?

Hello! This is a (fairly long, sorry) post analysing the MV for Double, as well as Neoplasm, and what it means for Mikoto, Orekoto, a potential 3rd alter, their relationship as a whole, and Mikoto's judgement.

Note: I am a system myself, I am usually not very open about this so please don't ask about the details. But I think it's important to state that I do struggle with a lot of the same stuff Mikoto* does, and so my perception of it comes from a level of understanding that singlets may not have.

Obviously this contains spoilers for both Double and Neoplasm, I would recommend you watch/listen to both beforehand. This is also just my initial interpretation, I have purposefully avoided any other posts about it to make my theory/interpretation as straightforward and from-the-source as possible.

Some terminology notes: I will be using John to refer to Orekoto, as Es has so thoughtfully dubbed him. Also, if I say MILGRAM in all caps I am referring to the project itself, and if I say Milgram in title case I am referring to the location/entity which Es works for. I also believe the 3koto theory, which will become relevant at various points here. Any translators or sources will be linked at the end.

Alright, let's get into it. Music video analysis:

Double - Visual Motifs

There are a lot of visual elements to Double, which I will break down into different sections.

Phone (& Tarot)

There are two major instances of Mikoto's phone being important in the song: Right at the beginning, when he's getting several texts and then an incoming call from "Chief" (almost certainly his boss), and in the middle of the song, when he gets a call from his mom. In the beginning, Mikoto* doesn't even look at the texts, and when he answers the call, he seems to barely be listening.

Translation of the texts are as follows (thank you rochisama on wordpress!):

- Regarding the first draft you submitted today, I think option B might be the best after all, so can you remake it by morning.

- Also, I forgot to mention, but you made a lot of mistakes with the one we spoke about earlier, so make sure it’s all fixed too. This one also needs to be ready by morning, so I’ll leave it to you to get everything ready.

- Oi, get back here now.

- Are you going to abandon your duties?

There are also two fun little details here with the phone: His lock screen is a picture of the Hanged Man, the same version that was on his shirt in MeMe:

Also, His battery is at 29%.

Two of prisoner nine.

Later in the song, when his mom calls him, he immediately picks up, greets her energetically despite the bags under his eyes, and informs her he's doing well and not to worry.

"Oh, hello? Mom? It’s been a while. Yeah… well, I mean, some days are hard, but… I’m doing alright, don’t worry. How’ve you been? I’ll go home next time I get some time off."

He also hangs up very quickly, as if he doesn't want to talk to her. He gives her placating words and then ends the conversation as soon as he can.

According to his S1 Interrogation questions, Mikoto's family consists of him, his mom, and his younger sister. His parents are divorced. He gets along well with both his mom and sister, but also states that he can't let his mom worry. This checks out with him hiding the truth from her, as letting her know just how badly he's doing would certainly cause concern. Keep all this in mind, it will become important later on.

Eyes

I don't have much of note to say about it right now, but eyes are a pretty heavy visual motif throughout the whole video.

One thing I will say about it, though, is the large eyes across the whole screen show up twice: Once as orange, symbolizing John, and then as a grey-blue, symbolizing Mikoto.

Colors

There are five important colors: Blue, Green, Red/Orange, and Pink.

I'm grouping red and orange because I believe they both symbolize John. Blue is obviously Mikoto.

As I've mentioned, I am a fan of the 3koto theory- The visuals in the MV for MeMe, and even the composition itself, allude to 3 different entities (Music theory nerd here, hehe - I wanna write my own take on the 3koto theory eventually and talk about the way the song itself changes, but that's for another time.) And now in Double, it seems like there is still that imagery, albeit much less strongly than before.

So green, like in MeMe, symbolizes Midori/Midokoto/whatever you wanna call him. Pink is a little bit of a weird one, so I'll get to that in the moment. Anyway, let's start with some John moments.

The red glow in the back shows that John is the one fronting in all three of these shots, with Mikoto being asleep behind him in the second one.

An example of blood splatters with an orange tint. This is part of the reason I think both orange and red symbolize Mikoto, since they're so interconnected here. Also, as mentioned in the eyes section, the eyes there are very orange whereas John is usually associated with red.

Speaking of eyes,

Huge 3koto implications in a few frames from this shot. John's body flashes green at one point, and the background and fire-halo are green when John's eyes are glowing orange. In the next image, the body's eyes are scribbled over in green. This scene in particular is very interesting to me, with both implications of Midori's existence and his connection to the eye motif. It also calls John "savior"

Here's another notable instance of 3koto near the beginning, right after John throws Mikoto's phone. Notice the color progression in the scene. Green background with blue text, down to red background and red text. John is clearly being portrayed as an outsider here, with Midori and Mikoto being a duo.

Going back to blood splatters, there are various points in the video where the "inverse" of the blood is either green or blue. This also checks out with both red and orange being John's colors; Blue is the opposite of orange, and green is the opposite of red. This also doubles (haha) as another example of John being the opposite of MikoMido

The train itself has a lot of green highlights. When John stares out the door into the other train cars, it flashes green a few times. It's not pictured here, but the door also flashes a staticky pink once, and so does Mikoto's body earlier in that same scene I showed where it's fully green.

Alright, more on pink now. I'm actually not entirely sure what it may symbolise, but my main guess is it's Mikoto's victims.

Aside from the instances mentioned above, these are the most prominent pink scenes in the video. Similar to how orange was juxtaposed against both blue and green, here it's against blue. In context, these scene also seems to me like a switch, a realization of what Mikoto has done. A brief instance where his memories coexist with him, and he's horrified at his actions.

Double - Overall Analysis

As pointed out in the colors section above, Midori seems to be very present still. He seems to be haunting the video in a way, lying just underneath the surface.

A really important aspect of DID that hasn't been directly addressed by MILGRAM is the fact that it's caused by childhood trauma, usually around the ages 9 to 10 or younger. For those who don't know, this is because young kids have not fully formed their identity and sense of self yet. Usually, kids will eventually consolidate all their various parts into one, which becomes their sense of self. But trauma literally changes how the brain works on several levels, and for some kids, that interrupts the process of those parts fusing together. (This is also why there's discourse behind the idea of an "original" personality - Which one is the "original" between a pair of identical twins, for example? One cell divided into two, so really neither of them are that first cell.)

My theory for Mikoto's childhood trauma and subsequent DID symptoms, is that Mikoto in his current form is the body's "first" alter, and that Midori was the original host. (I have several reasons for believing it's this and not the other way around, but it's not that important for this post. But do think about, "I'm already the fake one.")

We know that John specifically was created as a result of Mikoto's job stress, meaning he was obviously not around when Mikoto and Midori were kids. By the time the events of MILGRAM roll around, it seems like Midori is completely dormant, or at least very rarely fronts, as John seems to pretty clearly imply just his and Mikoto's existence in both Double and Neoplasm. But if John wasn't around when Mikoto was a kid, there has to have been at least one other alter throughout the course of Mikoto's life. You don't just suddenly develop DID at age 23 without having had it since you were traumatized (Unless the MILGRAM team is just clueless about DID, which is possible too but imo they've done a pretty decent job so far so I would rather believe in 3koto. I have faith in them, maybe that'll bite me in the ass eventually, who knows).

Mikoto's childhood trauma is not very clear, but I think it can be one of two main things, and they are likely connected: Either something to do with his parents' divorce, or the reason he is so against worrying his mom.

Mikoto clearly loves his mother a lot, but it seems like doesn't trust her on some level. He doesn't want her to worry, which is an understandable emotion, especially if she puts a lot of pressure on him to perform well, which I have a feeling is the case. (Full disclosure, I could be projecting my own experiences here, because I have had these same struggles with my own mom pressuring me to do well in school and such. But I think it's worth mentioning)

Mikoto clearly hates his job, but he doesn't get a new one. Referencing the Interrogation again, while he seems to enjoy the career path he's on (ie graphic design), the job he currently has is purely to make money, and not for his enjoyment. He also mentions in the Interrogation that he hopes someday he can start his own indie company. In the real world, it's actually very common for graphic designers to start with jobs in advertising, because it makes a lot of money. Then once they have enough to support themselves, they go on to projects they're more passionate about. So Mikoto's reasons for sticking with his advertising job could be either to make money or to satisfy his mom, or both. Again, I could very much be projecting here.

Now onto his dad and the divorce. I won't lie, I am not at all an expert in Japanese law, but I'm fairly familiar with US law because my mom is a lawyer here. So how it usually how it works in the US is that parents divide custody by either working out a schedule or by simply choosing which kid goes with which parent, unless one parent is abusive, in which case all kids go to the non-abusive parent. In Japan, however, apparently the mom is the default parent that kids go to, regardless of other situations, except in some extreme cases probably. Again, not an expert, but it seems that even if Mikoto's mom was abusive in some way, the court system would still give Mikoto and his sister over to her, especially if her form of abuse is purely psychological with no physical evidence. So this is one possibility, but even if both parents were good people and separated on friendly terms, divorce can be traumatizing for kids. It's unclear at what age Mikoto's parents divorced, but it seems to have been long enough ago that he doesn't even consider his dad part of his family. Meaning it's very possibly the main source of trauma that cause Mikoto's DID.

Neoplasm

Alright, finally it's time for the audio drama! This is a much shorter section, but there's a LOT here and I'm really excited about this one actually, because it seems like a step in the right direction for Mikoto and accepting John. He doesn't know it's DID, nor does Es try to tell him, but he acknowledges it as "sleepwalking", which is still super huge. If Kotoko and Es ever choose to inform him, it seems like they have a much better chance at getting across to him now than when MILGRAM started.

John being much more present and coherent is also big news, as he has a full on conversation with Es, and even receives a name from them. Although he expresses concern about this and "wishes he had stayed a monster", I honestly think this is amazing for both him and Mikoto. Along with the sleepwalking analogy, it's progress on their ability to accept themselves and each other.

John also sheds some light on his and/or Mikoto's murder, claiming that there were several indiscriminate victims, and that his memories are also fuzzy, citing that it's likely because he had only recently been born. To me, the most interesting part of this is the fact that John's memories are not intact. While he seems to think it's just due to not really being used to being alive, I think there's another explanation for it. Fuzzy memories are a very common symptom of DID, and most notably happens when one alter tries to access another alter's memories, often because they're being blocked. Maybe in a similar way to how Mikoto doesn't remember anything? 🤔

Another important thing here is that John claims that he is the one who killed people. But the most pressing question is, is he telling the truth?

We know that Milgram's criteria for what counts as murder and who counts as the perpetrator is very loose; For example, Yuno's abortions are enough to qualify her, and Fuuta doxxing Killcheroy is enough to qualify him. So it's not a stretch to think that maybe John really is the killer, and that Milgram just picked Mikoto as the person to be judged since he's the "main" alter. But this honestly doesn't sit right with me.

If there's one thing we know for certain about John and his dynamic with Mikoto, it's that he would do anything to ensure Mikoto's safety. Notice how he was incredibly nonchalant about the murder until Es pointed out that even with psychological evaluation taken into account, the death penalty is still very likely for Mikoto. As soon as they allude to Mikoto being in danger, John's attitude immediately switches, claiming over and over, very relentlessly, that he was the sole killer, and that Mikoto is innocent. His frantic behaviour is a very clear sign that this is survival mode; why would he tell Es the truth if it could put Mikoto in danger?

All of this really goes back to the major differences between them; Mikoto is honest and uses humor to cope, John avoids being open and lashes out at people. Mikoto straight up blocks all the bad memories, John is aware of them but has a hazy recollection of events.

So while it's a possibility that Mikoto is innocent and that John is the killer, I find it much, much more likely that Mikoto did it and then blocked his own memories, and that John is lying about the situation to protect Mikoto. It's what he's always done, after all.

Final thoughts - Forgiven vs Unforgiven

This may be an unpopular take, but I think as of right now, my first instinct is to vote Mikoto as Unforgiven. I'd like to point out that there's a difference between Innocent vs Guilty, which is how the terms are officially translated, but in Mikoto and John's case I think they are interconnected. There are cases in Milgram where I think they're completely separate ideas and cases where I think the difference is moot, and MikoJohn definitely fall into the latter one.

I also am very conflicted on the concept of Metavoting; for example, Amane being voted Unforgiven was an incredibly stupid decision on the majority's part and I'm not afraid to state that. (Tbf Her mental state is delicate enough that forgiving her would also not end well, but lesser of two evils imo. But all that's for another time.) However, with MikoJohn, again, it actually aligns very well with my actual judgement. John very clearly states that it's his belief that forgiving Mikoto will reduce Mikoto's stress, and allow John to fade away. Whether this is a good or bad thing, or neutral even, is pretty complex honestly, but I think for me personally, I would view it as a bad thing.

Again, I am not very open about my system-isms, but I relate a lot to Mikoto in his current state of being unable to accept John's existence. I was in that exact same position once, and for me, accepting the existence of my alters was very beneficial to all three of us, and we are much closer now and less stressed overall. If John continues to exist, that means Mikoto will have a chance to figure things out and accept John's existence. But if John fades, he may be still caught in that perpetual state of half-existence, with Mikoto being unable to accept him.

So with all these things together; the fact that Mikoto is the one we are judging and I am pretty sure he is the killer, the fact that John may fade if Mikoto is forgiven, and how that isn't a good thing in Mikoto's case, and the fact that - I am pretty damn sure I want to vote Mikoto as Unforgiven. This isn't the be-all, end-all, of course. We don't know if John's prediction is correct about disappearing, we don't know if voting Mikoto Unforgiven will actually have the opposite effect that I hope for and drive him to his breaking point, hell we still don't know who did it. My opinion may change because again, this is just my initial thoughts. I'd love to interact with other systems about this and see their thoughts and opinions. Thank you for reading if you made it this far!!!

Translations, Resources, Etc

Chief's texts, translated by rochisama on wordpress

Interrogation questions, referenced from the MILGRAM Wikia. I'm unsure of the translator, sorry.

A/V of Neoplasm, edited by ac on youtube, featuring translation by onigiriico

kayanomikotoba's Triokoto theory (fun fact, this post is one of the main reasons I got into MILGRAM!)

A quick overview on Japanese divorce law, specifically by the US foreign embassy but it's good enough for my purposes

[helreginn]

TTL!

Send ‘TTL’ and my muse will tell two real facts about themselves and one lie. Your muse will have to guess which is which!

"I don't know when my birthday is."

"I also had a twin."

"I was named after Odin."

[katyspersonal]

Gideon for the ask meme. =)

(Ask from this ( x ) meme)

Favorite thing about them:

I like that he kind of subverted the trope he seemed to be going for! I already answered the same thing in your ask regarding what exactly made him turn around and abandon everything ( x ), and honestly I DID need to answer that question to myself first of all so thank you for that one! x)

He feels like the trope of a guy who is very smart with books but not a smart person, or rather, "knowledge does not equal wisdom"! Like, you know this trope! And a very pleasing trope to latch onto, because we all knew at least one person like this! One who is very well-informed, a walking encyclopedia, but either doesn't make real sense of this information or misses the main point in all these facts and details! Well... nonetheless, he understood something not even we have: Marika's true wish!

He understood the lie of "consort of Marika", and why exactly she shattered the Elden Ring! He understood she wanted to end the vicious cycle that existed as long as she does, and sure she did not want another one to start by Elden Ring being repaired! Unfortunately, "a God can't die" (though she probably hoped Hewg and someone he helps would find the way?), so the best he can offer to approximate her wish is to gatekeep the Elden Ring endlessly!

Not only he understood what we, who seek Lordship, didn't. Being the head of the Roundtable Hold was THE massive chunk of his life, his main accomplishment. He gave all this time, research and even many deals with his own integrity for the purpose that the called Tarnished were promised. He lived hell knows how long and the lie of Two Fingers was all he ever knew. And yet, as soon as he glimpsed into truth, his instant reaction was "alright then, new plan". A typical trope of this character would've had a severe cognitive dissonance at least, a pathetic reaction of rejecting the truth at most. But he just... rolled with it. No denial, no despair. Instantly embraced the fact that everything he's been working on was a lie. How many people do you know that take having their whole world shutter THIS well and simply accept the new facts?

This is commendable. He might have made many mistakes in his life and appeared arrogant and became cold, but he passed THE one trial for whether he really values knowledge that mattered the most. He, in the end, lived up to what he aspired to be with no struggle beyond "shuddering in fear".

Least favorite thing about them:

Oh, I definitely agree that it got to be the way he disowns Nepheli, but it speaks more about him. Because this is the same trait that allows him to take Ensha's death as just an inconvenience that must not distract him any longer! Ironically, it is simply the other side of the trait of his that I JUST praised above!

He is quick to adapt and bounce back from the stress, true... But he is also quick to severe the bonds if his goals or situation calls for it. I do not believe he never cared for Nepheli! The way he talks about her, both words and his voice tone, betray respect and affection.

And yet he later says he "no longer has a use for her".

The man can't get mentally staggered by anything, which is his power, but a power that comes with a price. ....that usually other people will pay. He will instantly move on from a breakup, not shed a tear at the funeral of a loved one, bounce back from betrayal as though he never expected anything to begin with, and he definitely, DEFINITELY won't hesitate to cut the ties if the hold him back! Does this man have a heart? Can truly lasting, deep bonds be formed with him, if he doesn't let anyone's hand hold his heart strings?

Strange, how the same trait can be commendable strength of the character in one instance, but a rather repulsive callousness in another, don't you think?

Favorite line:

"Despite knowing next to bloody nothing, he's so far up his own arse he won't suspect a thing. His inevitable display of arrogance will certainly be a sight to behold."

I do love all of his nerding, but him being salty about Seluvis felt sooooo satisfying! xD I don't know why, this dialogue just always makes me smile! It is both the sense of "being against the same bitch" even if briefly AND knowing that he is not wrong though. >:3

brOTP:

Him and Dolores, I think!

I was talking about his callousness that doubles like strength of the character for a while, right? I feel like he was friends with Dolores and Seluvis before he developed to be like that, in younger years!

It is not quite like Gideon that we know now, to cut the ties with someone because they've harmed a person he cared about and not because "they are no longer of use"! More than that; whatever you say about Seluvis as a person, but I'd say he is quite useful acquaintance!

I am not sure whether this experience broke Gideon's heart and he never assed to glue it back, or he simply changed over years on his own. But nonetheless, he held her dear. "Both a critic and a friend of Gideon the All-Knowing". He appreciated a person who had the balls to disagree with him, and you KNOW she had actual arguments and good points to be respected as a critic by HIM! It is another glimpse into how he really IS the man who values the truth over "being right". She must have been the type to be clever even without much knowledge or read books, and he for sure is aware that being informed doesn't mean understanding this information. Their debates must have been very productive for both of them! I can see how he valued her honesty and insight, yet back in his better days, he grieved her, not her "lost use".

OTP:

I think maybe, again, Dolores? It feels like this ship would've never came to fruition in canon! I can picture either him having a crush but never expressing it, or her not feeling the same and them bouncing back to being friends very quickly! Still, the "love" from Gideon we know these days is a treacherous kind, ready to leave you behind as soon as the situation calls for it. But, he used to be different.

I also like to think he liked Wilhelm and Vargram both! True, Vyke was the Roundtable Hold Tarnished who approached Lordship the closest! But, he respected the approach of those two more. Wilhelm is a goddamn NERD as well, peering as far as primeval current and accepting the "Insight" that told him to fight his friend! Vargram took the task put on Tarnished so seriously that he fashioned himself after a Shadowbeast! And found Gloam Eyed Queen's sword?! I could picture his respect to the two who take it as seriously as he does growing into something stronger! Don't know which guy though. 🤔 In any case, these things are from the days long past, but he wishes Tarnished at least half-way as endearing as those two joined again.

nOTP:

I think Gideon x Seluvis just doesn't hold appeal for me.. I do not mind 'hatefucking' kind of pairs at all, okay? *voice of a guy who wrote that mini speculation about Hornsent and Leda lol* They're funny! But it is the "they fell apart because of Dolores" that seals the deal for me...

It is a Serious One, to be together with someone who obliterated the free will of a person you cherished for that free will to begin with! Gideon is a different person now, but I think he reserves the younger Gideon that lost her as inseparable part of his history, and buildup to who he became. And that includes grudge with Seluvis. These days, he would've "forgiven" someone like that as long as they're "of use" as he learned to not expect any human decency, but the pillars of the past may remain untouched.

Random headcanon:

As you can see, Gideon is unprecedented case of a Nox Tarnished, something we don't get to have in character creation presets nor anything seen in any other character!

From the way he speaks of Nepheli, he is not quite blind to someone's origins or heritage! As much as he ultimately values someone's own potential, these biases he can't fully uproot, and it includes him. Deep down, he feels proud to descend from folks that angered the Greater Will itself and dared to try and do no one else would! In an oddly poetic way, it played nicely into the end of his story, where he did favor what Marika wanted rather than what Two Fingers and whatever behind them wanted! Without intending to, he lived to the mindset of his ancestors...?

Still, he always knew he was "not like other kids" for his looks, and felt glad if someone was able to recognise his kind of eyes.

Unpopular opinion:

Most (all of them) things people guilt Gideon for actually apply to Seluvis! Seluvis is the arrogant one, Seluvis is the all-books-no-wits guy! Seluvis is a disgusting scheming bastard! Seluvis is the one "coping"! Gideon IS wise and knowledgeable, Gideon DOES have principles even if he lost the struggle to uphold him on his way! STOP LIVING IN A LIE WAKE UP

Song I associate with them:

For some reason this, makes me think of him... More particularly, his gradual descent into making more and more deals with his own consciousness.

This song made me imagine Gideon constantly having to convince himself that this is "the last atrocity he commanded", that the situation simply called for it now, but surely, when he (or someone he helped) becomes a Lord, all will be fixed and redeemed? He will be back on the track to his goal to fix the world and never let oppression happen again! This is just this time, he will have better options later, eventually, for sure...

Favorite picture of them:

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

(Genshin Impact) Shenhe, Yae, and Lumine with a tsundere reader

The S/O will be gender neutral, but sure thing! Thanks for the ask @unmotivatedpotato , hope you enjoy!

Poor Shenhe's brain has to go through a mental gauntlet trying to decipher what (Y/N) actually means.

They say one thing and act like they hate it, but they actually don't Was this commonplace in human society?

But then again, (Y/N) is pretty direct and far kinder to her in private. Even in public, they didn't seem to beat around the bush.

At the very least, it trains Shenhe how to properly read social cues and pay attention to body language, instead of solely going by words.

But she'd be lying if it wasn't horribly confusing.

(Shenhe) "(Y/N), may I ask you something?"

(Y/N) turned to her and nodded, a gentle expression on their face.

(Y/N) "What is it?"

(Shenhe) "Why do you only say what you mean around me?"

First, silence. Then (Y/N) starts turning red.

(Y/N) "W-What do you mean?"

(Shenhe) "I have noticed you tend to not say what you want around others. Yet when you're with me, you never lie."

(Y/N) "W-Well, I mean...It's cause...I don't want to be mean to...you..."

Shenhe innocently tilts her head.

(Shenhe) "Do you want to be mean to others?"

(Y/N) "NO! No it's not that, I just...Okay let me put it this way. I trust you with my feelings more than I do others. There."

They began pouting, which gave Shenhe all sorts of mixed signals.

(Shenhe) "Have I offended you?"

(Y/N) "No! No you could never!-"

(Y/N) sighed and spoke more softly.

(Y/N) "...I'm sorry. I mean it when I say I trust you, Shenhe. I've...never really been good at telling others what I'm feeling, if it wasn't obvious."

(Shenhe) "I did not mean to pry. I was simply curious."

(Y/N) chuckled, turning to her with a smile.

(Y/N) "Plus, I don't want to confuse you even more."

(Shenhe) "I admit I am but, thank you for trusting me enough with your feelings."

(Y/N) "Y-Yeah."

Shenhe noticed their face was turning more red, but they were smiling. They were also looking at the floor.

Maybe she should ask Cloud Retainer what's with them...

Y/N is in for a horrific time with their tsundere tendencies around Yae.

Their whole relationship can be summed up in a single meme when it comes to (Y/N) not saying what they mean:

Yae has an endless amount of fun teasing (Y/N), always playing a game of how red she can make them.

Until she hears what they mean, she will NOT relent.

(Yae) "What was that, little one? I'm afraid I cannot hear you over the mumbling."

(Y/N) "Gah...! I-I said I wouldn't mind eating dinner with you, tonight."

(Yae) "Was that so hard?"

Yae's day always brightens up whenever she's with (Y/N), something she openly admits to them.

Half because it is the truth, and the other half is of course, watching their reaction.

But when she's completely alone with them, she takes note of how their tsundere tendencies seem to die down. Which is no fun, but at the same time it's touching.

Yae seems to be the only one who knows the softer side of them.

And strangely enough, some her favorite times with them has been when they're completely honest.

She makes sure to tease lightly whenever this happens, since they're letting down their walls. She doesn't want them raised back up.

At least not when it's the two of them.

(Yae) "(Y/N), do come visit more often. It gets quite boring up at the shrine without lovely company."

(Y/N) "I'll be sure to do that, Yae."

(Yae) "..."

(Y/N) "...W-What? Was it something I said?"

(Yae) "It's the lack of words you said...Ahem! Nothing, just thinking to myself is all. Do take care, now."

(Y/N) "You too. Good night."

Yae watched them walk off, but they stopped to turn around and waved goodbye to her.

Now that tickled her heart.

(Yae) "And here I am, touched by the lack of a flustered reaction..."

One word and one picture.

Death.

Lumine and Paimon are absolutely relentless on the teasing, moreso than Yae because the two work together.

(Lumine) "Welp, you heard (Y/N). They don't wanna join us for dinner."

(Paimon) "Such a shame! Paimon's gonna have to eat all this dessert by herself!"

(Y/N) "Ugh, fine! Fine, fine, I'll come."

(Lumine) "Lovely! We'll be glad to have you!"

They two have experience with Eula, (Y/N) is an extremely easy egg to crack.

Lumine loves watching how flustered they get from her flirting, and has Paimon add insult to injury by noting how red they get.

But to make sure (Y/N) doesn't rip their hair out, they know when to ease up.

In her Teapot, Lumine has (Y/N) watch the skies above with her, regaling tales of her and her brother's journeys in the cosmos.

They're listening with such genuine interest, it's hard to tease them for it.

Paimon makes sure to conveniently vanish so the two can share a moment.

Seeing their smile makes Lumine smile as well.

(Lumine) "You're cute when you smile, you know that?"

(Y/N) "H-Hey now, don't tea-"

(Lumine) "No, I mean it. Really."

(Y/N) "You're not teasing...?"

(Lumine) "I'm not. Mostly, anyway."

They let out a small chuckle as they shyly look away.

(Y/N) "Then...t-thanks."

The smile comes back, though they're blushing madly.

Lumine liked this reaction. If she said this in public, she's 90% sure she'd get a projectile Paimon to the cranium.

...Part of her wanted to try it out in public now.

[dreamauri]

𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 — ⤷ ( 𝟮𝗞 ��𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 )

im honestly in disbelief. i know 2k isn't that much compared to other bloggers but it feels like a ton to me, a number i thought i wouldn't reach. 2 thousand beautiful whom i appreciate very very much. you all make everyday easier and brighter. i could write a whole 15 page essay about how thanful i am because 'thank you' isn't nearly enough 🤍 request as much as you want

shed. — ( 14th april : 29th april ) ← return to navigation

. . . ( LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS ) ⤷ get to know me ( ex: ask about my favorite, books, movies, series, weather, school, or just questions about me in general ).

. . . ( DUCKS AND CHICKS ) ⤷ send in games and we can have fun ( ex: common tumblr games, kmk / fmk, two truths and a lie, would you rather, etc. ).

. . . ( DREAM DAY AND NIGHT ) ⤷ send a diver + prompt, i'll write a small blurb and make a small Spotify playlist ( ex: painting for the first time with mv1 or knitting with ms47 ).

. . . ( DAHLIAS ARE PINK ) ⤷ send in things for me to rate ( ex: pick up lines, jokes, memes, art, writing, celebs, tiktoks, etc. )

. . . ( GAREN ANGELS ) ⤷ send me a song / playlist, mood board, or blog and i will make an oc!

. . . ( BOOKS ON A SWING ) ⤷ send me your favourite or your own work / blog for me to read!

[separatist-apologist]

So you miss people asking you to rank things? Could you rate/rank acotar characters (of your choice) as Star Wars fans on a scale from “makes it their entire identity/personality” to “hater and they like people to know it” 👀

I'm gonna do men again, just because its 9 people

9. Eris Vanserra- Way too pretty to know ANYTHING about Star Wars.

8. Jurien- Isn't that a movie for children? He's pretty sure it is, but he's also judging you about it.

7. Tamlin- He's seen it and it was fine. It's just...it's a movie?

6. Tarquin- Tried to do a marathon once, didn't even make it to the Duel of the Fates in A Phantom Menace.

5. Azriel- Did you say Lord of the Rings? Well, that's what he heard you say and actually, did you know when Viggo Mortensen hit that helmet in Two Towers he broke his toes-

4. Lucien- Excellent background noise. Pretty sure he's seen the whole trilogy via Disney+ and chill. If you ask him, he'll lie and say his favorite character is Princess Leia when in truth, he doesn't have strong enough feelings to have a favorite character

3. Kallias- The Empire Strikes Back Hoth scene, specifically where Luke is taken by the wampa really captured Kallias's imagination. It's the best film, he doesn't care WHAT you have to say about it and actually, he'll fight.

2. Cassian- Big into the prequels. King of the memes, really loves The Clone Wars. "C'mon Nesta, put on the costume for me. Just once. No I'm not gonna be Jabba obviously I'm Han-"

Rhys- IDC what anyone says, Rhys is king of the fucking nerds. B I G opinions about the sequel trilogy, swears the Binary Sunset (Force Theme) changed his whole life. "ITS LIKE POETRY IT RHYMES" okay Rhys calm down

[lulu2992]

Ask meme!

I was tagged by @the-silver-chronicles :) Thank you!

Two Truths, One Lie

Rules: Post a 24-hour poll containing two truths and one lie about your OC's background. Have your followers try to guess which is the lie.

[llatimeria]

"oc ask memes that are plot-focused somehow" i don't know of any like that but !!! i would love to hear the plot of your story and more about your ocs if you feel like sharing ^w^

AH HI i meant to answer this like 4 times now and kept getting distracted with. Things. so here's the gist:

a supervillain announces he's after a set of magical macguffins, but in truth he doesn't really care and just wants to keep an eye on his little brother, a new superhero around town (unaware his brother's a villain). his partner in crime/literal romantic partner is the one actually after the macguffins and is using his partner's influence to get them so he can Take Over The World!™️. the supervillain, his partner, and their henchmen have to get the macguffins, while the heroes scramble to stop them... until they realize they're all in over their heads and suddenly have to switch sides and work together when aforementioned partner shuns the supervillain and Takes Over The World!™️ himself. will good prevail!? or will evil be evilly evil forever!? find out next time on-

anyways here's the pepesilvia.jpg version:

a supervillain, The Mastermind, discovers the existence of a set of 7 magical macguffins* that, when combined, would give him the power to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!™️. However, they're scattered in different places all over Earth, so he sics a gaggle of his finest henchmen on a few of the distant macguffins while he and his partner in crime/boyfriend, Rayzre Blayde**, maneuver to capture the ones closer to home. However, the truth is that Rayzre is the one who really wants to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!™️, he's just clinging to Mastermind's power as a bridge to get there. Mastermind's real motive is just to be close to and protect his little brother, who just moved into town to become the superhero Lammergeier.

(Sidenote: Rayzre, Mastermind, and Lammergeier are all from the same Evil Top Secret Government Genetic Experiment Lab and are human-animal hybrids. These experiments also happened to give some [but not all] of the resulting hybrids superpowers. Mastermind and Lammergeier were smuggled out as little kids and raised as siblings, while Rayzre escaped on his own a decade or so later, it's a whole thing. it's a recurring bit that this lab just has the shittiest security and most of their experiments have just escaped or been freed as a result, lol)

a few weeks after their plan first commences, rayzre unexpectedly gets a visit from his teenage son, Gray. Rayzre genuinely didn't know Gray existed until he just shows up on his doorstep, but they have the same superpowers (shapeshifting into dragons), basically confirming their relationship immediately. From then on, Rayzre purports that his motive is to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!™️ for his kid. This is a lie that he himself believes - he really does want to provide for Gray but we all know he started this whole thing without Gray even being a factor in his mind. Gray immediately thinks he's the coolest dad EVER, but he is also a child and all of his other father figures have been shitty step-dads, so he doesn't exactly have the highest standards. He's just jazzed that his REAL DAD buys him BEER and shows him R-RATED MOVIES and it's AWESOME

MEANWHILE the henchmen are off doing their own thing for the most part. They know of the ultimate TAKE OVER THE WORLD!™️ plot, but don't realize how serious their bosses are about it, or just how dangerous the macguffins they're after really are. they're the ones doing most of the action-adventure heavy lifting, going globetrotting and dungeoncrawling and such. i'm being the least specific here because this group's arc is currently in the most nebulous state of development where like half of them are fleshed out characters and the other half are still two dimensional and don't have agency yet,

The exception to this are the two supervillains-turned-henchmen, Frostbite and Wildfire, which MM recruited personally into his inner circle due to their impressive rap sheet and because he knows the two of them are also from the same lab he was born in (see. it's a whole thing). guess what their powers are. guess. it's not at all obvious. this makes it sound like i have a clever subversion up my sleeve but i don't they're literally just ice and fire respectively

Rayzre was always vaguely shitty (in fact he's Mastermind's high school ex and the rest of MM's family kind of hates him), but he gets more clearly shitty the more powerful he gets. He's a deeply egotistical, arrogant person who thinks he's the protagonist of this story. MM gradually becomes disillusioned with him after befriending Frostbite and Wildfire, who actually treat him with respect, especially once they start pointing out to him what a douche Rayzre can be. (unsurprisingly, fb, wf, and mm end up in a poly situationship.)

MM finally decides that Rayzre's crossed a line when they go to heist a macguffin and Rayzre secretly brings a live firearm to the affair and points it at Lammergeier, who obviously shows up to stop them. When Rayzre puts his finger on the trigger, MM reflexively pushes him, and ends up making him accidentally shoot and ultimately kill a completely innocent bystander. this is traumatic for all involved. mastermind officially disavows him (and dumps him), but this just leads to Rayzre getting all of the macguffins for himself and finally being able to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!™️

Rayzre tries to get Gray to follow in his footsteps to become another manaical god-king while the entire rest of the cast turns on him - heroes and villains working hand-in-hand to take this motherfucker down. i won't spoil what actually happens here because i think it's cool lmao

(*the working name i have for the macguffins is Anima Crystals, but i'm not completely sold on that yet. a little too chaos emeraldy for my taste)

(**this is a dumb edgy name on purpose. He's had it kicking around as a pseudonym since his myspace days)