#You didn't do anything wrong and I'm the one who made a wrong assumption since i'm used to making weird jokes with irl friends

[the-solar-system52]

TPOH UPDATE THEORY

TPOH UPDATED AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE I HAVE THEORIES!!

So! Negative talking with the Butterfly definitely did something to him. Maybe he recognised their voice? Or he looked at him directly in their eyes? Some people have proposed the idea that Anxiety blinded Negative, and if that's the case, then I wonder how long the effect will last.

The Butterfly gave him a flashback to his human life, and I'm guessing its one that includes the Butterfly.

Its hard to make out, but we see a human hand extending out, and text that says "WAIT! Don't lea-" (I'm guessing 'don't leave') and "What do you say? We got a deal?"

What's even more interesting, is that RGB didn't get this flashback when he came into contact with the Butterfly. Only Negative did.

This tells us two major things:

The Butterfly used to be a human and they knew Human RGB

2. Negative has access to memories of their life that RGB doesn't

Starting with the first one, I think I'm beginning to figure out just what happened between Butterfly and RGB.

It all starts with this infamous page. The Butterfly gave RGB a schism, which caused him to get a flashback. In this flashback, he is in a backstage acting room (judging that there's one of those fancy mirrors with the lights on them in the background) and he looks very tired and angry. He then tells whoever he is talking to that he hates them.

I assume that this is RGB talking to whoever the Butterfly used to be.

In the lastest update, the flashback gives off similar vibes. RGB and The Butterfly make a deal, but there is also text ("Don't leave") that implies one of them is backing out of the deal. I'm not exactly sure who is who in this situation though.

Either way, RGB did something that really pissed off the Butterfly enough for them to still be mad at them in The Land of Make Believe.

My assumption is this:

As we know, RGB was an actor. So I'm guessing The Butterfly was either an actor, director, or any professional job that would give them the opportunity to meet RGB.

Just like the Butterfly is trying to partner with Negative in this scene, Human Butterfly had a partnership with Human RGB long ago. I'm not sure what it was, but I'm guessing it was related to acting. (It also could've been romantic. Or both. RGB already has like three partners, I wouldn't put it past him.) But the Butterfly messed something up so badly that is caused RGB to get mad and call off the partnership, which is the scene we see on the "I hate you" page. The Butterfly begged RGB to stay ("Wait! Don't leave.") but he didn't.

This may have led to consequences that ruined the Butterfly's career. Either way, they were so hurt by this that they still resent RGB to this day. I have no clue how The Butterfly made it to The Land of Make Believe, since I don't think they were a hero, but it was probably something to do with how RGB treated them.

So when The Butterfly asked Negative for a partnership again, not knowing who Negative was, he got a flashback.

The colours that come out of Negative's vents are Red and Yellow, Anger and Anxiety. Both emotions fit perfectly with this situation.

(Or I could be totally wrong. Since I don't know who's who, it could be the BUTTERFLY saying 'I hate you' and RGB saying 'Don't leave.' But I think the first version fits better with the overarching theory I have. So I'll assume RGB is saying 'I hate you' unless proven otherwise.)

Please let me know if anyone has anything to add to this theory! I think I'm really getting close to figuring this stuff out but there's still some stuff I'm confused on.

Onto the second thing!

I've already talked about this a lot in this theory, but I'd like the expand on it a bit. That theory is slightly outdated since now we know The Butterfly doesn't know who Negative is, but I think I was on the right track.

When RGB and Negative split, Negative took some of RGB's memories with him. (That, or whatever memories RGB sold to Time were given to Negative. I haven't decided yet but either way Negative has some of RGB's lost memories.)

Since RGB and Negative used to be a whole person as a human, parts of their personality in the flashbacks are influenced by both RGB and Negative.

More than that, we have visual identifiers as to which personality is being portrayed in these flashbacks!

When Human RGB's eyes are covered and we see his mouth, it's RGB's memory. Since his TV self has a mouth and no eyes. This means RGB is the one having the flashback and the memory has him displaying more 'RGB-esque' personality traits. Like, in this scene, sleeping on the job and being woken up by a colleague is definitely something I imagine RGB doing, but no so much Negative.

When Human RGB's mouth is covered and we see his eyes, it's Negative's memory. Since his TV self has an eye and no mouth. In this scene, he is displaying more 'Negative-esque' personality traits. He is being confrontational and cold, and straight up telling someone he hates them. That doesn't sound like something our resident coward RGB would do.

And to add to this, blue roses show up as this flashback happens. This memory belongs to Negative, but RGB is viewing it because of his schism. And as I've said before, his schisms/gaps are definitely related to Negative.

So when they split, their human memories and personality traits were split up between them.

I really hope I am right, because I LOVE this facial feature detail! The fact we never see his full face at once gives the impression of him not being 'complete' bc he's not! He's literally being split into two people, so his face was split accordingly. Genuinely a genius visual metaphor on Mod's part. And it really makes me wonder if we will see his full face if RGB and Negative ever fuse back together again.

It's something to keep in mind for the next flashback!

As for the lastest memory, I'm not sure if it's Negative or RGB's, since we don't see their face. It's a possibility it is either a shared memory or RGB's memory that Negative is viewing, which would explain why it messes up Negative so much. And why we see some of RGB's colour return to him.

And what on earth is happening to Negative here? At first I thought he was going to faint and allow RGB to return, but now I'm not sure. Yes he is disoriented, but I think he'll be sticking around for just a bit longer. The blue roses haven't popped yet, and they tend to do that when he leaves. And I'm hoping he'll get a little more screentime since they still need to escape the house and everything, but I won't jinx it.

And what's with the yellow root in his leg? Those roses are mysterious as fuck, and I wanna find out what they'll do to him. I am still trying to figure out wether Negative completely controls them, or if they kinda have a mind of their own. They could make him stronger or make him weaker. They could charge that static electricity again. They could do something to his gaps. Who knows! But I'll be back next Sunday to figure it out.

[gatitties]

Hiii!! I'm so happy that you're taking requests again. I love your writing! May I request Strawhats, Heart Pirates and Kid Pirates x female!teen!reader (Platonic)? Reader gets captured by the Marines for, I don't know, four months? And they got tortured nearly daily. Everyone has to win her trust again, because the torture was brutal and they took too long to get her out. The reader was extremely affectionate and cheery before she got captured, so her avoiding their touches and staying quiet really overdrive their nerves worrying about her. (By the way, if you can add Vivi, Yamato and Carrot to the Strawhats that would be great! They're part of the crew in my eyes. But if that's too much trouble then that's okay!)

─Strawhats, Heart Pirates & Kid Pirates x teen!reader (Platonic)

─Summary: Being kidnapped is not a pretty experience, neither is torture, your entire personality will change completely, but maybe they can heal your emotional wounds.

─Warnings: slight mention of kidnapping and torture

─ Everyone is devastated by your disappearance at first, if it weren't for the fact that it was something that not even they expected, Luffy would have burst in immediately to avoid everything that awaited you.

─ While everyone's anxiety increased every day, your hope faded little by little.

─ You remained adamant about not talking gritting your teeth as you felt all kinds of pain even when you moved a single finger.

─ They were mentally punishing themselves for letting them kidnap you and it created a huge commotion, no matter how much has passed, everyone continues counting the days while investigating information about your whereabouts.

─ Once you meet them again, it breaks their soul to see you in such a deplorable state, you barely seemed alive.

─ Chopper took care of all your wounds, noticing how you flinched with every touch, he was worried when you swatted Carrot when she tried to gently caress your back to comfort you.

─ Vivi and Nami did everything possible to make your smile shine again, but you couldn't even look up to face them, they would be constantly watching in case something happened or you needed help.

─ Sanji insisted that your diet be strict since it seemed like you had been starved, although he didn't receive your praise or help like before, he would be patient with that.

─ Zoro seems quite angry, not with you, but with the people who have made you like this, you used to admire his training and fawn foolishly, although he never said anything, he liked to see you there in that happy mood.

─ Usopp, Franky, Brook and Robin will take cautious steps with you, they know that you are more sensitive than usual so they will not force interactions that were previously everyday like hugs or quality time, at least, you would return to that slowly in the hope of to see your eyes shine with enthusiasm again.

─ Luffy and Yamato will be the least cautious, they will scold you slightly if they see that you are quieter than usual or if you don' t join in their games as usual, of course, they are somewhat more insistent than the others and more direct, but if you are really uncomfortable or overwhelmed, they will give you your space.

─ They just hope that all that horrible experience will be erased from your mind, they will assure you that no one else will put you through that hell again while they are there.

─ Law really didn't expect the plan to end so badly, he was really worried when he received the information that you were now being held captive with marines.

─ He really thought that not even the lowest scum would torture a teen, but his assumptions were wrong.

─ Shachi and Penguin were the ones who found you after you miraculously managed to escape, they were doing the relevant search for another barracks when you staggered towards them.

─ They cried with happiness and anger when they saw that you were alive but full of marks and wounds, they took you to Polar Tang immediately to leave that island and receive treatment.

─ A whole commotion was generated when the others saw you passed out in the arms of those two, Law remained silent, still with anxiety in the pit of his stomach when he was healing you.

─ He knew it, you weren't even awake and your body was reacting negatively to his touch, even if his intentions were harmless, you cringed with every bandage on your skin and even kicked him when you suddenly woke up.

─ Law wasn't bothered because you didn't apologize for that, he just frowned and continued the work with a little help from Bepo to hold you back since you were still having a hard time getting used to the fact that he wouldn't hurt you, it was an involuntary stimulus.

─ They had to scold Ikkaku because she jumped at you to hug you, although she managed to catch you, you hissed like an abused cat, which broke the woman's heart when she saw that you did not reciprocate something so everyday for both of you.

─ Bepo was disappointed not to be able to have your morning hug like every day too.

─ Law strictly expressed everything they should do around you, he knew that right now you were as delicate as glass and that your personality would not change from one day to the next.

─ They took it easy while you adjusted back to your old ways, feeling a little better about your surroundings.

─ Everyone celebrated in silence (because loud noises would scare you) when you decided to join in on your own to play cards instead of watching emotionlessly or locking yourself in your room.

─ Kid tried with everything he had, but it was inevitable that they would take you in the middle of a battle, before his eyes, if he could, his anger would have set his hair on fire.

─ Killer had to make a tactical retreat if they didn't want more casualties for the moment, and everyone decided to flee while the worst days of your existence passed.

─ Of course, Kid's pirates are quite brutal, they didn't do a little search for you, they burned and destroyed all the marine bases where they couldn't find you, being a threat to the future for whoever really wants to kidnap you again, because they were clear that they would find you.

─ And they did it, although they didn't like the sight in the slightest, your bruised state gave them a direct blow to the heart, taking into account that you were the smallest of the crew, they had that obligation to guide you and keep you safe.

─ Wire took you back to the ship while the others enjoyed destroying everything around them.

─ The crew did not usually be very open in terms of physical contact, but you were, you always found an opening to hang on to one of the boys and do something stupid, however, you did not even dare to get closer than two meters.

─ They also noticed that your idle, squeaky voice couldn't be heard chattering about anything you found interesting, which bothered them a little, thinking that all the chaos they had caused to get to you hadn't been enough.

─ The first one who dared to confront you was Heat, this crew does not have much tact when communicating things, but although his words were harsh, he wanted to assure you that none of this would happen again.

─ Killer softened and reaffirmed those words, hoping that you would slowly return to the same person you were before, he himself is not a happy and dazzling man, probably no one on the crew, but that's why they had you, they needed your optimism and smile to contrast.

─ Kid will get fed up quickly if you continue playing hide and seek in your room and will drag you like a scolded puppy so that you can spend time with them again like before, although he will let you free if he really sees that you are having a bad time, Kid can be a bad guy, but he wouldn't make you cry being one of his comrades.

[abyssal-ilk]

Hi! I think you mentioned having a templar inquisitor before? Since you're asking about inquisitor dynamics with Vivienne, I'd love to know how your templar and Vivienne get on! But if I'm misremembering you having a templar feel free to ignore this haha

hi nonnie!! thank you for asking, and i do have a templar!! this is him made in dragon's dogma 2 because any version of him i make in dai would not be accurate lmao. more info under cut because it's kind of long!

this is gerard trevelyan! he's known vivienne a long time. they both started out in the ostwick circle and then transferred to montsimmard. vivienne went because montsimmard was highly preferred over being in ostwick due to its proximity to val royeaux, the knowledge in its libraries, and its highly competitive environment. gerard volunteered to go because he wanted distance from the free marches and because there is a little stowaway in his head telling him to stay with vivienne because she's 'special'. everyone say hi to the demon of conviction in gerard's head <3

while vivienne and gerard were in the same circles, they were cordial. friendly, even. gerard didn't socialize much with the other mages or even other templars, but he and vivienne were generally on good terms with one another. he respected her and she knew how to use that respect to her advantage. she also heavily leaned into their shared origin in the ostwick circle to connect with him, but gerard didn't really feel a connection to ostwick?? so he mostly just nodded his head and indulged her when she did that. it mostly just makes him pity her when she talks about missing ostwick

overall, gerard and vivienne's entire dynamic hinges on the idea of control. for their entire lives leading up to gerard becoming the inquisitor, they're both convinced that they have some sort of hold over the other. gerard because he is a high-ranking templar that has spent his entire life in a position of power over mages, and vivienne because she believes she can use that assumption against him.

this presumed control allows them to be in each other's presence civilly- even comfortably, as vivienne does view gerard as a friend. kind of. vaguely. she enjoys his company, at least. she trusts him, as much as she trusts any templar. until gerard becomes inquisitor, gains a massive holy following, and he starts claiming andraste herself is whispering in his ear and telling him magic is dangerous and mages cannot be trusted. everyone say hi to the demon of conviction again, who is being warped and fueled by gerard's growing fear of magic throughout the game <3.

so,, yeah. gerard's paranoia of magic and conviction's nature ruined their relationship. irreparably. she still sticks around the inquisiton but she and gerard's dynamic is fucked. she gets a lot closer with solas after that, though. a win for mage solidarity! ,,, but. not really.

gerard's paranoia feeds the demon's conviction that ALL mages are dangerous, which then just feeds into gerard's paranoia, and that keeps building on itself. gerard sends dorian away, refuses to listen to solas on anything, and his connection with vivienne ends up fractured because he can't trust her anymore. he ends up giving her the wrong heart for her personal quest because he didn't trust her and as a punishment for her perceived vanity when the world was ending. he relies extremely heavily on the templars and gets progressively harsher on the mages of the inquisiton as time goes on.

[euthanizeher]

0̲1̲.̲ ／ㅤ ✿ ⸺ sudden epiphany

after putting off reading through 4dbarbie's non-dualism posts i finally said that enough was enough. funnily enough, i read @4dkellysworld 4dbarbie adaption post on how to realise self. i'm not sure why i read the second post first instead of going in order, but i fully plan on reading through them all.

p.s, anything that is indented comes straight from 4dkelly's adaption post about realising self!

p.p.s, all dividers belong to @v6que.

There is no external life, there is no need to use any methods to recondition or train your mind. It is much faster, much easier and you are hundreds times happier just letting go of the mind. The process is one of letting go more and more until you find yourself having nothing, being nothing.

immediately i felt relieved upon reading this. being in the law of attraction & assumption, and shifting community meant that i had to "recondition" my mind if i wasn't manifesting my desires - to constantly think only positive affirmations. if i wanted to be blonde, i'd have to think "i am blonde, i love being blonde, i adore my blonde hair" constantly throughout the day. and it was tiring.

Stop thinking you are Vanessa, the thoughts of needing this or that drop away. By thinking you are it, you create a character who desires and then identify yourself with it. You can only have when you let go of thinking that you don't.

this seriously spoke to me as i can recall countless times i desperately tried any method i could, two cup, 5x55 challenge, pillow method, you name it! but it makes sense now. i was caught up with wanting and thus identified with a character who wanted, when in reality i always had.

i say "identified" and not "became" because, and correct me if i'm wrong, you cannot become anything - only identify with. the only thing you are is self.

I've said it before, you don't have to convince Vanessa that she's unreal. Just stop taking the thoughts you don't like for truth or reality. There is no convincing involved, it is all letting go... you're holding so tightly onto your ideas now, that's why you can't see their falsity. 19 You don't have to convince anyone of anything. What I teach here is to leave your mind alone, that is all. Don't go along with it. 2 Thoughts will keep on coming for a while, just now you know they have nothing to do with you.

i understand. simply observe the thoughts as clouds passing by, do not take them as truth and do not fight them. previously when i was still in the loa community i would combat them. a thought would enter, "you won't shift!" and i would fight him back, "yes i will! i already am in my desired reality! i am a master of shifting!" but this isn't right, as kelly said there's no need to convince anyone - especially your own mind.

First you start doubting "the facts", then you become indifferent to the facts, lastly there are no facts anymore and you can establish your own.

the beautiful process of shedding the ego! metamorphosis.

her post is rather long (and informative, go read!!) so i don't want this entry to be taken up of me nodding and going "yep so true!". instead as i read through it yesterday and allowed the info to soak into my brain i felt enlightened. i wondered why on earth didn't i read through this earlier? for the first time since late 2020, my mind became quiet on its own.

i observed the world differently, as if it were a dream - a lucid dream, because that's exactly what it is. it was mind-blowingly peaceful. a damn breath of fresh air to be told to simply let go, wholly, instead of repeating affirmations 69x, get into SATS every night, etc.

although, i will admit a part of her feels anxious at being told to "let go". many of us from the loa, subliminal, and shifting community, LOVE doing things and putting in an active effort because it's been instilled in our minds that hard work pays off. however, i shall only observe her fears and treat it with indifference.🦋

if you made it this far, thank you for reading! ⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡

[nomatterwhatnomatterwhere]

What a ( Not so) Strange World: Extra- Yuu's Interlude

Author's Note: Hello, yes, as always I am late, but hey, we are here somehow. Sorry it's not an actual chapter, more like a little extra - spoilers? sneak peek? - about the next chapter, but I didn't feel like leaving you with nothing so I hope you can enjoy this little extra too

Warning: slight angst, little mention of a panic attack

Masterlist

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dear, I understand you're worried, but you won't help anyone by refusing to take care of yourself."

That was the first thing Yuu heard when they woke up, somewhat confused and disoriented, their breathing quickened and a weight on their stomach.

"While on the other hand pretending nothing has happened helps a lot’ that was your voice, rather shrill and definitely disgruntled ‘ Crowley hasn't even come to check on our condition and Riddle isn't doing any better, Cay said he has nightmares but pretends everything is fine, he doesn't even talk to Trey about it and-"

‘The HeadMaster is … not very empathetic, but I'm sure if he felt it necessary to intervene, he would have.’

That was Professor Trein's voice. Why was Trein in Ramshackle?!

"Yeah sure, because letting his students deal with an Overblot was not a situation where his intervention was needed!"

You sounded increasingly angry and even a little disappointed, if Yuu could read between the lines correctly

"I was scared. I've never seen anything like that. I've never even read about it! I didn't know what to do!" you were starting to sob " Crowley was busy evacuating students who were running away without him intervening anyway, while we were faced with a Riddle who wasn't really Riddle trying to kill us!"

Yuu heard Trein sigh as you sniffled

‘’He's the HeadMaster! How did he not realise one of his students was about to explode!"

"Crowley didn't -"

"He hasn't checked on Riddle once since he came out of the Infirmary. Trey said he made sure his magic levels were within normal range. As if the problem was his magic levels and not his mood or mental state, or whatever it is that causes an Overblot!"

After a few minutes of silence, Yuu was about to make it known that they were awake, but stopped, when they heard Trein speak

"Now that you've vented’ Yuu had never heard Trein speak in a tone of voice that was different from the soporific tone he used in class, yet here we are ‘ Would you kindly explain to me why Lucius found you wandering around the school aimlessly at" brief pause "three in the morning, when tomorrow, today, you have class?"

"As if you didn't already know"

"I'd rather hear it directly from you than make assumptions and maybe draw wrong conclusions."

And you started telling about how you couldn't sleep since the Thing had happened, that's what you had called the Overblot for all the talk, that you closed your eyes and saw only those rose bushes trying to hit you and in your ears you could hear that Riddle's evil laughter in anger.

Yuu could share the feeling, but in their case the adrenalin of that moment had turned into tiredness as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

Wandering around the school gave you back a sense of control, calmed you down and distracted you from whatever was going on in your head.

How back at the dormitory you had heard Yuu mumbling something and worried.

If you, who knew magic, even destructive magic, had trouble coping, it must have been even harder for Yuu.

By the way, Yuu was already having trouble sleeping, even if they hadn't told you, but you weren't blind and you remembered perfectly the look on their faces when Ace had first invited himself into the dormitory.

It was obvious they had nightmares about their situation, you'd had them too when you'd first arrived there, but you'd had support, Yuu seemed left to their own devices and you didn't know how to help

"Does Divus know you're here, or should I expect a second interrogation?" you asked once the whole thing was over

"Lucius threatened to strip his fur. But you didn't hear that from me" replied Trein, making you chuckle.

Yuu heard your footsteps moving away, and released a sigh.

This conversation had raised more questions about you :you had answered some of the questions Yuu had asked at the Unbirthday Party organised after the Overblot.

When Trey had ‘revealed’ that Cater did not like sweets, the ginger had immediately turned his gaze in your direction

"Don't look at me Cay, I didn't say anything."

"Maybe you got bought off by his chocolate muffins" Cater had joked to which you had responded without missing a beat

"They're berry, if we're being clear, and he hasn't offered me one in years"

"Blame yourself for that" Trey had inserted himself into the exchange, throwing you a look that Yuu hadn't quite managed to read, but which you seemed to have understood

"I'm sorry, okay? But it's not really all my fault. I'll make it up to you."

You had confessed that you had known both of them for a long time (‘Isn't it like I tried to hide it, though?’) as you consciously watched a piece of your tart disappear into thin air.

You also knew Che'nya, which made sense if you were childhood friends with Trey, though that didn't explain why you didn't know Riddle

(‘They met Riddle before they met me’ you had explained as you watched the three of you interact with each other ‘ We never got a chance to meet, but Che'nya liked to say I would like Riddle. Now I understand why’ you had not argued further)

If it had been another situation Yuu would have thought Trein was just worrying that a student hadn't broken the rules, or something like that, but this wasn't another situation.

You had called Crewel by his name without any problem, as if you were used to it, you had even joked with Trein as if it were routine.

The mere fact that Trein was using a non-suffusive tone was a huge clue that you had known each other long enough.

The thing was, it didn't make sense to Yuu: your parents had to have some connection to the NRC, otherwise it didn't explain the relationship you seemed to share with the two professors.

Heh. You hadn't actually talked about your family.

You weren't talking about yourself in general, now that Yuu was paying attention.

They should have asked you, as soon as you felt a little better, it wasn't a case of burying yourself in questions you might not want to answer.

You had a bad habit of keeping your problems to yourself, from what Yuu could guess, and forcing yourself to talk about them would probably have the opposite effect.

The next morning had arrived without too many problems, if you excluded yet another bizarre dream and the fact that Grim was a rather rude night owl.

You had already gone out, leaving a note on the kitchen table in which you apologised for leaving without telling them, but you didn't want to wake them up.

You had things to do before going to class, so if you hadn't passed each other in the corridors, you would most likely have seen each other in the Cafeteria.

You hadn't specified what it was you were supposed to be doing, but if Yuu understood anything about you it was that if there was something you didn't understand or didn't know the meaning of then it was time to do some research.

From the conversation they'd overheard that night Yuu would have bet you'd been researching everything you could about Overblot

( Or how to remove Crowley from his role as Head Master, that too could have been a research topic)

Although, if they had to be honest with themself, Yuu believed you wanted to avoid Ace as much as possible, and considering how the two Heartlabyul students were now regular guests at Ramshackle, leaving before he and Deuce arrived at your dormitory was the only solution.

You and Ace didn't know each other. Or at least, Ace certainly didn't know you, yet the annoyance Yuu perceived coming from you whenever the redhead was nearby was only understandable after years of acquaintance.

Ace was cocky, touchy, tactless, and had a rather peculiar way of showing that he cared about someone, but he wasn't just flawed, he fought for injustice, took an interest in other people's motives, and was their friend.

Yet the look you gave him when Riddle had recovered from his Overblot was furious. If you had been in another situation Yuu would have sworn you would have sewn Ace's mouth shut yourself.

It was something you did a lot, Yuu wasn't sure if you realised it, but whenever Ace was in your vicinity you not only visibly stiffened, but also assumed a bewildered expression whenever the boy spoke.

If someone had asked them, Yuu would have said that your reactions stemmed from the fact that you were very similar to Ace in the way you acted, but you weren't aware of that, and you certainly weren't ready for that conversation.

And even more surely Yuu wouldn't have brought up the subject with you, they didn't want to risk the blatant favouritism you had towards them.

Omake:

Good morning,

Well, I hope it's a good morning, but considering how much Grim talks in his sleep, I wouldn't be surprised. I have things to do before class and didn't feel like waking you up - not least because having a moaning Grim around in the early morning is not what I aspire to. To make it up to you, I made breakfast! If Ace and Deuce come, offer them biscuits but remind them that they have a respectable dorm and I don't want any trouble with either Trey or Riddle about their diet, thank you.

Make sure you're not late for class with Professor Trein, he hates latecomers!

P.S. If we don't run into each other in the corridors, save me a seat at the table in the Cafeteria.

[nicohischierz]

betty: brandt clarke

tagging: @ivy-34, @francesfarhadi, @hzstry8, @cixrosie, @itsnotgray, @estapa94, @trevs-swiftie, @heartz4hischif you want to join the taglist let me know!!

when starting the school year, brandt assumed he would see you sitting with an empty spot beside you for him.

but he was wrong.

the spot you usually accompanied was empty and he assumed you were off sick today. and for the rest of the week, he just assumed you were sick seeing as he never saw you anywhere. but then again, how do you recognise someone who is actively avoiding you.

it wasn't until ethan cardwell mentioned that you were in his homeroom, that things made sense to brandt.

the young boy went home and began writing a letter to his best friend.

betty, I won't make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom, but I think it's 'cause of me

it was the end of summer break and one of the guys in your year held a party. one that you attended with brandt and some of your friends. the two of you were having a good time dancing around.

brandt didn't know what happened because one second he was having the time of his life and the next you were cussing him out with tears streaming down your face.

he couldn't remember who had their arm wrapped around your shoulder, but he remembered her coming over to him. her scent filled his nose and he immediately felt nauseous thinking of you

betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard when I passed your house it's like I couldn't breathe

it had been three months since you started avoiding brandt. he'd get weekly updates from his teammates who were still in contact with you.

one day, things got a bit too much. brandt had been worried about hockey, his draft year coming up and you.

he took out his skateboard, one he hadn’t used in a long time, and rode until his mind was clear.

well until he came across a house he hadn’t been to in a while.

his breath was caught in his throat as he watched you in your window. he noticed someone else come up behind you and kiss your cheek.

you heard the rumors from inez, you can't believe a word she says most times, but this time, it was true

the night of the party when you were on your way to the bathroom, one of your classmates stopped you. inez was one who knew everything so when she wanted to speak to you, you got worried.

“betty, i need to tell you that i saw brandt and audrey over the summer together. at first i thought it was a coincidence but then i saw your story in europe and when i looked up i caught brandt and audrey kissing!” she exclaimed.

tears began to fill your eyes and you brushed past inez towards brandt. you saw aurora lingering nearby and you saw red. you pushed brandt and cussed him out.

ryan grabbed your shoulder and pulled you away from brandt and drove you home that night. he stayed with you as you cried about your lost love.

The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you

brandt remembered the promise he made to you before you left for europe.

you were to come back with your mind made up on whether you were willing to try be a couple.

he never meant to end up in aurora’s bed.

he never wanted to hurt you.

But if I just showed up at your party, would you have me? would you want me? would you tell me to go straight to hell? or lead me to the garden? in the garden, would you trust me if I told you it was just a summer thing? i'm only 17, I don't know anything but I know I miss you

it was now your birthday.

the boys on his team had spoken about being invited and ethan handed brandy his invite too.

ethan explained that whilst the two of you weren’t talking, your family missed brandt and this was the only setting you felt comfortable seeing him.

so brandt took it with a stride.

he’d always bought your birthday present and he had it wrapped and hidden in his room until your birthday.

brandt knew he messed up with aurora and he was going to do everything in his power to get you back

The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you

but if I just showed up at your party would you have me? would you want me? would you tell me to go straight to hell? or lead me to the garden? in the garden, would you trust me if I told you it was just a summer thing?

brandt expected nothing less than your garden party for your birthday.

the sun dress you wore highlighting every part of you that he loved. it also happened to be the dress he picked out.

brandt waited until the party was in full swing before approaching you.

“hey, can we talk?” he asked softly.

you looked around and nodded, leading him up to your bedroom.

“this summer, i was walking home just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. she said "brandt, get in, let's drive" and suddenly those days turned into nights i slept next to her, but i dreamt of you all summer long,” he rambled.

“you wanted to be with me, so why did you end up in her bed?” you asked.

brandt shrugged. “when she was driving me home, she let me talk … about you. she said she’d help take my mind off of you and i thought it would ease my pain but it didn’t”.

you moved your hand close to his as you sat on your bed. he was quick to intertwine your fingers and place a hand on your cheek.

“the only thing I wanna do is make it up to you,” he whispered.

brandt didn’t have time to think as you placed your lips on his. the kiss was better than anything he had dreamed of.

[m00nj3w3l]

No one asked, but I thought it was funny so here's my friend's assumptions and comments about the DMMD men from yesterday's morning:

(Aoba)

Me:"Ok here we go. Ultimate Gayboy. Blue hair and pronouns. What are your thoughts."

Her:"Aside from being Ultimate Gayboy he looks like he speaks in a stupidly high pitched tone and all *clicks tongue and goes aaaaahhhhh*. Softboy who probably uses children's perfume."

Me:"NOOOOO SHWTYSFGSHGGG"

(Noiz)

Me:"Ok he's a fan favourite AND I think he'd be your type since he's malnutrioned, a loser, and obviously autistic."

Her:"........He looks like he came out of 2020's Dream era. Fucking Minecraft Youtubers type of shit. He acts like an asshole, probably bullies you, then goes home and watches My Little Pony."

Me:"FUCK LMAOOOO"

Her:"AM I WRONG?? LOOK AT HIM!!!"

Me:"NONO YOU'RE SO RIGHT ACTUALLY"

(Koujaku)

Me:"Ahhh my favourite repressed bisexual let's go."

Her:"Good Lord he's there for the fanservice. Straight up. Fucking edgy man with the dark backstory; LOOK AT THE FUCKING SCARS COME ONNNN, THE DARK FRINGEEEE; is cold and distant and all that."

Me:"LMAO you're like. Right abt the backstory but he's a softie. Like the softest of the bunch. He was my fist fav cus he's so down bad for Aoba and utterly pathetic HAHA"

Her:"Ok I like him a bit more now."

(Clear)

Her:"What the fuck is that why does he have a mask."

Me:"Do you want to see him without it?"

Her:"Yeah please he looks like Einstein with that thing on."

Me: *swipes* "Here"

Her:"....Put the mask back on please."

Me:"HUH???"

Her:"He scares me!!! His eyes look vampiric. That green little scarf is a crime against humanity. Is he wearing women's clothing why are the buttons on his shirt and the one on his coat on opposite sides."

Me"I didn't like him either at first then he became a fav so trust me."

Her:"You're not gonna change my opinion."

Me:"I bawled like a baby at the end of his route."

Her:"I'm so scared."

(Mink)

Her:"Ok this man has a daughter full stop cus there's NO WAY a dude that looks as threatening as this wears a colorful bracelet like that if not for his kid. Beats people up then goes home to his daughter and plays tea party with her drinking from those toy cups (there's no tea in them just water), and getting his nails painted by her, and if you tell him anything about that he'll cry."

Me:"God how I wish it was like that man."

(Sei)

Her:"....That's a dude?"

Me:"Yeah."

Her:"Ok he's a trans guy for sure. The black straps poking out from his shirt are from his binder. The gloves with the skull hands are offensive and I can tell this game's old even just from those, and I HATE the layered choker."

Me:"What??? I love his outfit!!!"

Her:"It's not bad, it's just that either there's a mess going on behind his neck, or he made that choker out of a belt and is now suffocating."

Me:"I find the fucking Fedora hat more offensive if I'm being honest"

Her:"Fair enough."

(Ren) (I refused to tell her about the dog thing.)

Her:"(About his human Rhyme form) What the fuck? Is he a Pokémon? What is that?"

Me:"Wait hold on lemme show you his other look (the one in Sei's body)"

Her: *long, exagerrated sigh* "....Smash."

Me: *hysterical laughing fit ensuses*

(Vitri)

Her:"(About Virus) What the hell is that hair please tell me it's tied up and not styled like that for real."

Me:"Huh..."

Her:"Anyway he's a snobby cunt who probably went to private school thanks to daddy's money and brags about it. Probably calls people slurs."

Me:"JAHYSFGSDFJHHHDHG. Ok here's his friend. No, they aren't twins. (Shows Trip)"

Her:"......Ok, he scares me, and that outfit is ugly as fuck. These two look like they go to a tailor to get their outfits done personally just to show how rich and posh they are."

(Mizuki)

Her:"He's cute, but he looks like he'd be a member of BTS in 2015-2016. Look at him and tell me you don't hear the 'FIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAYYYAREEEEEEE OOOOEEEEEOOOOO' playing."

Me:"LMAOOOO YEAH..."

Her:"Anyway. He acts all tough, talks a lot of shit but probably gets his ass handed to him on a daily basis then cries about it. A bit of a loser."

Me:"YEAH ACTUALLY HE'S THE FIRST ONE TO GET INVOLVED IN SHIT ACTUALLY SO"

Her:"SEE???"

[sunbearsophia]

"... forgot about this picture. I... I'm sorry, Ma. I love you, too."

---

YEAH SORRY I KNOW IT'S BEEN A HOT MINUTE SINCE I'VE POSTED HERE LEMME CATCH UP WITH SOME OF MY TWITTER ARTWORK-

But yeah, I drew this for Mother's Day, because I have so many thoughts about Eduardo's mom that I don't discuss nearly as much as I should, so here's some lil tidbits about her and her relationship with her son.

So, here's some hcs about Emilia I had written down and then some!

---

She was born and spent her formative years in Coatzacoalcos, and while her upbringing wasn't the best, she always had a huge spot in her heart for port towns and the ocean. She always wanted to take Eduardo to her hometown one day, but never got the chance to do so. (Eduardo probably thinks about going himself one day, since she always talked about it.)

She grew up kind of always feeling like she needed to compete, thanks to a less than warm and loving home life. Her father left when she was young and her mother always seemed to prefer her older siblings over her, and nothing she could do ever seemed to be good enough, which was why she moved to the States as soon as she could. (part of what drew her to alejandro in the first place was the assumption, the hope that she didn't need to compete for his affections, and it's why she avoided having any other kids aside from eduardo, and never let him believe he wasn't good enough or that he ever needed to prove himself to her, he would always be Numero Uno to her <3)

She was actually a really accomplished dancer, and while she never got to pursue her passions, mostly needing to work at any job that would have her ESPECIALLY once she got pregnant with eduardo and got hitched to alejandro, she never gave up that passion and passed on what she knew to eduardo. she was also absolutely a very outdoorsy kinda gal and enjoyed more physically active hobbies, but adored her son's art passions and supported him every step of the way, compared to the bastard who did not do that at all

Is generally a very nice and friendly person, but is a lot more reserved than she would like to admit, and tends to avoid help like the plague by the time she gets to london, not trusting that people have her and her son's best interests at heart (fortunately, her surrogate mother quickly dispelled those fears qwq)

speaking of which, she and grandmado aren't blood-related, so neither are grandmado and eduardo, but she took emilia and eduardo in when they needed a place to stay by chance (maybe emilia's new apartment had the wrong key, her car broke down while she was trying to drive her son to a hotel, and ultimately the older lady was more than happy to let them stay as long as they needed) and before any of them knew it, grandmado quickly became the grandmother eduardo never had but always needed, which made emilia beyond grateful and attached to the older woman, in turn seeing her as the mom her own mother wasn't really, and the two of them became the best things to ever happen to grandmado

emilia absolutely loved her son more than she ever loved anything in the entire universe. she carried so much guilt throughout her life for not leaving alejandro sooner and the way eduardo's life was prior to moving to london, but she always did everything she could to shield her son from him, and did everything in her power to give him a happy life, before and after leaving, and gave everything she had so that her baby boy could be happy. he was her little Numero Uno, and even if she always felt he deserved a better mother, she did everything she could to be the mother he deserved

same thing for eduardo, he adored his mamá, she was his whole world as a kid and did everything he could to make her proud. he always felt the safest and happiest when she was around, and was constantly making art for her and letting her know she was the greatest. (emilia had all of eduardo's either displayed or saved in a safe place, everything her baby made, she made sure he knew how proud of him she was for them)

as you can probably guess with all the past tense, however, she unfortunately never got to watch him grow up, and eduardo unfortunately at to face losing his beloved mother at only twelve years old, one of the most, if not the most, traumatic moments of his life. he was genuinely a sweet and happy kid prior to losing her, but after that... he was really depressed, angry and heartbroken, and it lead him a lot into the person he eventually became. his mom wasn't there to remind him of his self-worth, and his father basically made him feel like he had none, so he dedicated himself to being better than others to feel like there's worth to be had anymore.

he and grandmado made sure to save all of his mother's belongs after she passed, but eduardo wanted to keep a lot of it in storage as a teenager, the wound still fresh and all he wanted was to bury it and not be reminded she wasn't there anymore. as an adult, he's tried to train himself to be numb to what happened and not think about it, but her passing and, well, her in general, remains a touchy subject for him for YEARS, and when he finally does start looking through her old stuff as an adult... a lot of the tears he'd been fighting back for so many years finally end up spilling.

eventually, he does come to terms with such a huge loss at such a young age, and while it will always hurt that she's no longer there, it becomes easier for him to talk about with time and with those he trusts. eventually, he even ends up naming him and laurel's first kid after her grandmother, and finds himself able to talk to his children about their abuela without crying... much

---

Def more art to come, sorry for the infrequent uploads, everyone! <3

[dolche-tejada]

Since the show put this eternal debate about the validity of Joel's decision back on track, I wanted to talk about it and explain why Joel was right. Note that I'm not talking about Joel's reasons so don't tell me "yes, but Joel wasn't thinking about that so...", that's not the issue. The issue is his decision in itself.

Btw, I specify here that I talk about the show but considering its fidelity to the games, my arguments also work concerning them.

So... let's take a look at Ellie. Firstly, she was unconscious at the time. There's just no way to justify that. Marlene or the fans who defend the Fireflies can speculate all they want about what Ellie would have wanted, the truth is that we fucking don't know. We know for sure that she wanted to help produce a cure, but at the time, no one knew that this would require opening her head and killing her.

If Marlene was so sure of what she's claiming here, she would have woken up Ellie to give her the choice. But she didn't because she knows it's bullshit she's saying to convince both Joel and herself.

I'm sure I'll be objected that in TLOU 2, Ellie blamed Joel for preventing her from dying on the operating table and that given the fidelity of the series to the games, this will surely be the case in the next season. Yeah but that's irrelevant too, it's not the same Ellie. In a few years, especially during adolescence, we change a lot.

Then, since we're talking about Ellie's consent, I would like to remind you that regardless of whether she was conscious or not, she's a 14 year old girl. I have the impression that too many people tend to forget that, no one at that age can make the decision to sacrifice their life with full knowledge of what they're giving up and with the maturity to think about it properly. Especially when the 14 year old girl in question is victim of survivor's guilt after having seen several of her close ones die.

For those who have trouble visualizing what I'm saying, I'll make an analogy : If an adult slept with a 14 year old and the latter justified herself to you by saying that she was consenting and that it was her choice, would you find this relevant ? Of course not, because almost everyone knows that there are decisions that children/teenagers can't consent to !

Now that was just about Ellie, but what about the cure ? Because in spite of all the utilitarian debates about whether or not Ellie needs to be killed for the greater good, we're forgetting one essential point : What proves that the Fireflies could have made a cure ? Because whether it's in the games or in the show, there's no real evidence of that. Even the Fireflies don't know anything about it, Marlene and the others directly assume that they will be able to create a vaccine from Ellie's Cordyceps even though they barely had time to do some tests on her while she was unconscious.

Hey you know what ? Even Marlene implicitly admits that they don't know about it : "Our doctor… he thinks that the Cordyceps in Ellie has grown with her since birth (…) He thinks it could be a cure, Joel."

They literally had no plan or certainties, they didn't even take the time to conduct any in-depth study of Ellie, of her blood for example to find a way to produce a vaccine without killing her. They just chose the easiest solution out of impulsivity without worrying for a single minute about the opinion and safety of the concerned one.

Whether it was for the greater good or not, all of Marlene's justifications are based on biased assumptions and intellectual dishonesty. Joel hurt many people and was wrong about a lot of things but certainly not about stopping reckless morons from butchering his 14 year old daughter.

[frangipani-wanderlust]

Saw this in a Discord server I'm in and it's frankly horrible and deserves a reply. But I also don't feel like starting an argument and so I'm gonna reply to it here.

First paragraph we can dismiss out of hand. "Human rights" as a concept did not begin in the 1500s. This is clearly false. We have laws staking out rights and guarantees given to people going all the way back to the Mosaic Law and the Code of Hammurabi. While the United States certainly made some very clear claims regarding human rights in the Declaration and Constitution and various associated documents, we 100% did not invent the concept. It predates the entire country by several millennia.

On to paragraph the second.

the flip side of human rights is its dark corollary—that if being human is what grants you rights, then things that are nonhuman have no rights.

They've presented their argument in this paragraph upside down. They start with the conclusion and work backwards to this claim, their premise.

And it's wrong.

Specifically, it's wrong because the second part isn't a logical consequence of the first. Being human is what grants you human rights. That statement makes no claims that no other forms of rights exist or that no other kinds of creatures have any. This is a great example of people linking two claims that share a lot of concepts, but don't actually connect directly to each other. In fact, it is precisely because humans have rights that some people (me, for example) make the case that other creatures do have rights and should be treated accordingly. Because those creatures share qualities with humanity, and since we know humans have rights, we can make a reasonable claim that they do also. (I will not be going down this bunny trail further at the moment, though. Maybe later.)

Who is a human? The answer may at first appear simple, but in truth it is not, and its determination is not a rational one. [VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT ARE BEING, OR HAVE IN THE PAST BEEN, GIVEN UNJUST TREATMENT]

This error is a big one. It assumes that because group X wasn't or isn't viewed or treated as human beings with rights, they weren't human beings with rights in fact. Under that assumption, every single atrocity you can think of was perfectly moral. The people those actions were carried out against weren't being treated as human beings, therefore they weren't. Any case for opposing any harm being done to other humans evaporates right here.

I'm not convinced that's the case this author wanted to be making, but unfortunately, it's the case they actually made.

I'm gonna come back to this part, because this is where their argument truly eats itself.

To what extent is someone a human? What rights have they?

Anything that is a complete organism of the species homo sapiens is a human. They have the right to not be violently attacked (provided they themselves aren't violently attacking anyone else), to own their own things and not have them violently taken away, to make their own decisions provided those decisions don't include attacking anyone else or taking other people's things, and not to be coerced into labor to which they do not consent.

And the key thing to notice about those three things? They all require no effort on the part of anyone but the actor. I can sit on a rock all day long and never attack anybody. Zero effort on my part. It requires no effort from me not to steal things. I can be absolutely lazy and never force someone into slave labor.

All of this rights exist without resting on any coerced labor from anybody else. All of these rights are only violated if an outside actor puts time and effort into doing so.

So, to go back to the place where the argument eats itself? In the second paragraph, the author makes the claim that capitalism isn't made moral by resting on a framework of human rights. But when they list out groups of humans that have been mistreated, their claim is that those people didn't actually have any rights as humans anyway. So, by their own argument, there is no such thing as moral behavior because nobody actually has any rights that can be violated.

Thus, the author can make no moral claims about anything at all whatsoever, and their whole argument eats itself.

This has been your Things That I Wanted To Debunk Rant with Me. Thank you for your time and attention.

[daisys-reality]

(from the beginning I want to say that I'm using google translator because I don't know English, if something is wrong don't blame me jksjsjkaksk) Lately I've had a lot of ups and downs with my manifestations, sometimes I feel very motivated, and other times I feel like nothing is real. I've known the law of attraction for about 4 years, and the law of Assumption for about 2, but I've never been able to manifest anything with any of them. I really don't understand why this happens, since most of the time though I have a good mindset about my manifestations, but I never get to manifest even a small thing... I don't know...

why haven't you manifested anything yet? 🌊🎰🪞

hey anon🤍 you didn't request it but i did a tatot reading for you to see what is going on here. Also, some of this might feel like 'tough love', sorry for this.😅

It seems like you started your journey with optimism and innocence. The possibility of manifestation made you feel boundless, carefree and full of energy. You wanted to follow your heart and you wanted to have faith in the universe to provide… Because of those endless possibilities and doors that opened up to you, you were faced with a lot of choices as well. Decisions had to be made but you got so caught up in your dreams that you started to ignore reality (- mind you, with reality I mean your situation, not necessarily the 3D world). For example, instead of actively visualizing your desires, feeling them to be true and seeing it as a committed act to your desires, you ended up with ‘wishful thinking’ being so used to daydreaming… Where did you make the decision to commit? Did you actively tell yourself/your mind that this is not your usual daydreaming session but you manifesting your desires? 

Not knowing who you are and where you want to be can easily make you distracted by those endless choices that you can make. You’re almost blinded by it… like a poor person finding a cave of gold. Don’t look at those opportunities from a position of ‘lack’. “I’ve never been able to manifest anything with them” - are you sure about that? Or did you talk yourself into thinking this? Look at your life - it’s your creation -> to see, you must look first. Open your eyes and start being grateful for your creations - regardless of good or bad. Get used to the thought of being the one who creates. Increase your belief/faith and confidence in yourself, not in the universe. Once you see yourself as ‘full’ and abundant, your perspective on things will change and making decisions and committing to them will become easier. Neville Goddard always said that you should make your desires small and "insignificant". So, put yourself on top - as the person who has all the power - because this is your own self made illusional world. 

Also, do you think that you’re reliable? Do you feel like you can rely on yourself? If not, why? Think about it. It might be advisable to assess your current situation and to take proactive steps to break out of your current cycle (- i’m talking about habitual cycles, and not about karmic cycles or something like that) and to embrace new experiences. If you feel disconnected, it may also be time to reassess your priorities and align them with your values (- also, are you aware your own values?).  Remember that change is a necessary part of growth and success. Even if the current situation may feel daunting, taking small steps right now can lead to long term success. So, don’t lose your focus. 

I can see that you might feel like you’re experiencing a major setback in your journey or that you’re back to the beginning.But perhaps you’re meant to either start over or reframe your plan with the wisdom you’ve gained in the past time. All those years haven’t been in vain, I promise. There might be much more hidden in you that you are yet to discover. Think of it as a chance to renew yourself right now and chart a path that will help you rise from the ashes - like a phoenix. :) To overcome your problems you’re advised to act self reliant and strong. (-> See how I didn’t say ‘BE self reliant and strong’. I know you are. You already have those qualities, you just need to act on them!) Sure, in life you will sometimes be met with competition and obstacles but remember that your willpower and focus will ultimately lead you to your desired ‘success’. So, have faith in yourself, take the reins and be in control of your own destiny. 

On a side note, the number 7 seemed to be relevant in your reading. If you look this number up, you find : “This number is connected to growing self-awareness, intuition, wisdom, inner strength, spiritual revelations, and big shifts that can have a positive impact on your life. It’s a number that serves as a bridge or a connection between  our mortal realm and higher places.” Take this as a sign if you want.

[ooc-miqojak]

It's actually incredibly nice to interact with someone who is capable of having a challenging talk when there's a miscommunication, or crossed wires, or hurt feelings. And especially since recently...I've had to deal with some real beyond-belief human beings who went out of their way to privately message me with presumptuous statements and incredibly below-the-belt insults... instead of just trying to talk like adults, and understand what was actually going on in the situations they were making assumptions about.

Imagine you're enjoying your morning - watching birds, playing with your cats, shopping for a beginner's embroidery kit because you want to learn a new skill and be creative, and you're enjoying the first real sunshine in about 9 months...you're delighted that your seasonal depression might be lifting at last! And two complete strangers start making assumptions about you, and saying the world's most cruel, and unhinged shit in your DMs, and you have no idea who one of them even is! One of them tries to claim 'you just hate everything' because you confided in said person that they said something that was frustrating and hurtful to you - but enjoying your day, and everything about it except the condescending remark they made... means 'you hate everything,' apparently. Now imagine the refreshing delight of, a day later, someone else you barely know coming to you in your DMs... in good faith to clear the air about a misunderstanding! You're allowed to see where they were coming from, and you're allowed to explain your POV and why you did what you did, and there's a chance for understanding, growth, and kindness! There's no one I respect more than a person capable of having those kinds of difficult/challenging discussions, because they're the hard ones. It's a lot easier to point the finger, and assume one side of a discussion or argument is correct... that one is 'good/right,' and one is 'evil/wrong' - but that's not life. There's two sides to every story, and the only way for us to grow as people is to discuss what happened, and learn from it. I'm glad I got to see this person's POV, and I'm glad I got to apologize for assuming they were doing something hurtful at the time. I couldn't have known where they were coming from, if they didn't explain it to me, though! And similarly, they may have thought I was acting out of malice, if I'd never gotten to speak on how I viewed things on my end!

I love it when people are mature enough to sit through a challenging talk, and understand the other person - it takes courage, and it takes maturity. And my ND means that I appreciate people being very direct and honest - and so I am, as well. (I actually really struggle to lie about anything...ever. It's like a physical discomfort. And deeply, deeply upsetting if I'm the one lied to, or about.) Some people are intimidated by that, I guess, but you can't understand the other person, nor what went wrong... if you aren't direct and honest! PLUS...there's always the chance that you become BETTER friends after a hard talk, because it gives you insight and understanding of one another that you lacked before! Difficult talks don't have to be a bad thing just because they're challenging, or intimidating to go into.

[estherax]

It’s not much to go off but I’m wondering how you feel about this? twitter dot com /martinluiga/status/1664288105376149504?s=46&t=GBiqosepIlUwin1chhX-zg

Thank you for sending me this tweet! I would have never seen it otherwise.

I completely agree that drawing so much attention to Kurvitz's unprofessionalism takes away from the main point.

However, completely ignoring employees' claims also feels very unfair; since one of the points of contention is unfair dismissal their statements could be used as evidence for workplace misconduct. I even looked up estonian labor law; I believe prior warning is not required if the contract breach is particularly severe, which is what I bet ZA/UM will go for in court with the entire "trying to sell the IP was the last straw" nonsense.

To me, the most frustrating part is the lack of concrete evidence. All we have are press releases, which are very biased and contradictory. And now the PMG video I guess. It's extremely difficult to anticipate a certain outcome based on the information we have now.

The PMG documentary definitely could have been better. The heavy focus on employees' opinions gave us more insight, but it also led to the majority of the video being focused on Kurvitz's behavior. I wish it was made clear that the legal dispute was initially about the share acquisition; unfair dismissal is just a consequence of that and it should be addressed separately.

The interviewer denounced Kurvitz's behavior and made sure to express worker's concerns to him in the interview, but I didn't see the same energy for Kompus and DE's IP being literally stolen from Kurvitz. Sure, they talked about the money and Haavel's involvement, but I'm curious how Kompus would've answered a direct question about taking the IP away from the game's creators. I believe Kurvitz and Rostov are still both minority shareholders, so they might still be able to block the decision to sell Elysium, but it doesn't grant them the right to use the IP since it technically belongs to a subsidiary of ZA/UM UK.

Idk if I'm reading too much into this, but I'm unhappy with the conclusion of the documentary. The wording comes off as quite one-sided: "the potential conspiracy", "if anything illegal has happened" is not really on the same plane with "this email is outrageous, I don't like where it's coming from", "Robert has entirely dismissed any criticism". I'm guessing the intent was to showcase both sides, but the conclusion definitely draws attention to Kurvitz's workplace misconduct. In my opinion, the email is unpleasantly vague, but the interviewer also gives it the most uncharitable interpretation. Mind you, he is completely correct in criticizing Kurvitz's behavior, but the video treats the dismissal and the share acquisition as the same issue, so denouncing Kurvitz here might make it seem like he can be blamed for the entire conflict.

This situation is a prime example of "stuck between a rock and a hard place", but what I'm trying to say is: I believe Kurvitz is still in the right when it comes to the ownership of DE and it's unfair to only support him under the assumption he's a perfect human being, who's never done anything wrong in his life.

I really hope the morality question won't interfere with the legality question. These two cases are not even about the same thing, and while workplace misconduct is clearly wrong, in this circumstance it's used to divert attention and make it seem like Kurvitz deserves to lose the rights to the game, since his employment at ZA/UM is directly tied to his access to Elysium's IP. If you ask me, being rude and not doing your job is not really comparable to laundering millions of euros, fraudulent share acquisition and ousting of employees while taking advantage of their creation.

[catsdrinkmocha]

I had to find some way to deal with my Malleus brain rot and here it is "I'll always love you"

1) This was cross posted on ao3 2) Forgive me if this is terrible but its literally 4/bout to be 5 a.m. rn so I'm blaming it on my not getting any sleep --------------------------------------------------- "Tsunotaro? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Yuu asked as the dragon fae nuzzled deeper to the crook of their neck. Yuu could feel what they guess was a little smile bloom onto their neck from the nickname they insisted on using. It was hard to see his face as Yuu's back was on his chest so it was mainly just an assumption.

Malleus replied but, whatever he said was lost in a sea of his mumbling as he held onto Yuu's waist tighter with one hand and held Yuu's hand with his other. It's not like Yuu would mind more attention from their boyfriend but he was acting strange. 

When Malleus had entered Ramshackle dorm, like he always did when he knew Yuu was home, he had greeted them half heartily and he couldn't even muster a smile like he usually did with his lover. In fact Malleus had sat on a completely different couch instead of immediately sitting with Yuu like he normally did. Malleus took every chance he could to get the prefect's affection so why now was he being so wary of them?

Malleus pouted but it wasn't the annoyed cute pout he did... It was in an almost sad way. He didn't look particularly upset with Yuu so, maybe something had happened during class? 

It had taken a good amount of coaxing just to get him curled up around the prefect like he was now. Yuu couldn't help but be worried about their partner and how quiet they've been. Malleus was always a quiet guy sure but never this quiet. Especially around Yuu!

Since Yuu's back was on Malleus' chest they did the next best thing. Gently, so he wouldn't be startled by the sudden movement, Yuu lifted their hands that were interlock with the others and brought it to their lips.

They left feather like kisses on Malleus' hand as he looked up with curiosity at what they were doing. Now that they've gotten his attention they turned themselves around to look at him.

"Is something bothering you? Or someone? Because if someone's bothering you know I won't hesitate to-" Yuu started only to get cut off by a deep chuckle that sent the good kind of shivers down their spine every time they heard it.

Malleus had been amused at how quickly his lover was to declare their worries for him. Yuu wasn't a violent person unless truly aggravated. To know they'd fight for him, no matter how much he'd certainly discourage it, made him fell warm inside. He felt safe and reassured that his worries were all part of his head messing with him.

"My dear there is nothing to worry about. It's just some insignificant thoughts I had putting a damper in my mood."

"Well what were you thinking about that made you this upset? You could barely look at me when you'd walk in. I was starting to think I did something," Yuu chuckled a little finishing off their sentence.

"You'd never do anything wrong," Malleus quickly reassured them that it wasn't their doing, "It was simply me over thinking. I just... I just guess I was scared when I thought you didn't want to spend you lunch with me. I was worried you were growing tried of me, or scared. There are so many things said about me that I wouldn't blame you if you've become wary of me. I wouldn't blame you if you'd leave me out of fear... because to everyone I'm a dangerous monster. That's all I'll ever be to anyone..." 

Malleus never thought that he could lay all his insecurities out in the open so easily but with Yuu it was almost too easy how they made him spill his thoughts.

"You're no monster. You're my beautifully majestic Tsunotaro," They booped his noise catching him off guard, "Who has all these things people seem to fear about him, from his horns to his scales he likes to keep tucked away, " Their fingers lifted part of his sleeve up to reveal dazzling obsidian scales, "It's really all just small pieces that make up my beautiful fae. Things I simply adore about him!"

He just stared at them as he tried to compose his thoughts. They like his scales! And his horns! Yuu had even referred to Malleus as their beautiful fae. He couldn't be happier. He gave a small peck to their forehead before laying his forehead on theirs.

"And me? Scared of you? I've been through five overblots! You're like a kitten who's always curled up in my lap compared to that! You couldn't get rid of me if you tried prying me off of you," they laughed heartily.

"Splendid because I have no intentions of letting you go," Malleus stated proudly with a hand on his chest. As he finished his words Yuu tenderly cups his cheek in their hand, which he instinctively leaning into, allowing himself to close his eyes and relax in the company of his lover.

Yuu had murmured something that if he were not a fae would have been impossible to hear.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't want to hang out with you. I was in a hurry. But, remember this ok? No matter what I'll always love you!"

[kursed-curtain]

Haha Scam fic!

@captmickey gave the idea and she n @flurrin gave the motivation <3

Will post to AO3 soon,,,

-+-

The Merchant of Miracles scanned the caravan, making sure no one was watching, before he took off his turban. He grumbled as his ears popped up – his long, pointed ears.

They ached from the hours spent pinned under his turban. He massaged them carefully.

Jumping to his feet, he sifted through his piles of wares before pulling out a small blue bottle with a worn-out warning label. Something about the all-natural ingredients increasing stress and anxiety levels, blah blah, he didn't care. He just wanted his ears to numb a little so he could do business in peace.

Then his ears twitched, turning to the sound of something at the door.

"Hey, just came to check in on an old pal again! How's my favorite merchant?"

Ah, zards, it was Stan.

The Merchant panicked - he couldn't be seen like this, so he pretended to slip and fall into the pile of merchandise.

"Agh! Don't you know it's rude to come in uninvited?? You're going to sprain my sartorius at some point, you old coot!" The Merchant blurted, in an attempt to ward Stan away.

It did quite the opposite. Merchant could hear Stan's steps getting closer.

"The caravan door was unlocked, so that's your cue to install better security!" Stan dug through the ingredients to try unburying the Merchant's face.

The Merchant buried himself further on purpose. "Excuse me, Mister Fancycakes is the best security anyone could ask for!"

He covered his entire body in the vial pile while he crafted a distraction.

"And, well, while you're here, you could…" Merchant reached for the first item he could, then unfurled it in front of his face. "...view this rare hand-woven rug found only on the outskirts of the endless desert! Goes great in living and dining rooms!"

Two sounds - The tapping of a foot, and contemplative, slightly unimpressed silence.

"I'm not here to buy anything, although your offer is intriguing! Maybe later." Stan scratched his chin. "It's a little awkward trying to make conversation with a rug."

"Sure is."

"...Could you put the carpet down?"

"...Yes. Of course! Let me just…" The Merchant shimmied out of the mess of merchandise and hid on the other side of it, unsuccessfully trying to cover his ears while he made a plan to retrieve his turban again.

Stan noticed the turban hanging off the caravan's coat rack. "Say, I've never seen you without your turban on. Why's that?"

The Merchant snuck around, trying to blend into the corners. "Uh… I'm bald! Absolutely no hair on this noggin. It's very unflattering, so you do not wanna see it!"

Stan chuckled, "Well that's nothing to be ashamed of!" Stan took the turban and weaved his way towards the Merchant. "The only people who need to worry about that are customers wanting to buy hair growth tonic – buy one and we'll throw in a second one for just half the price!"

Stan turned to see a very obvious, not-at-all stealthy Merchant – pointy ears and all.

"...Though I don't think that's what you're worried about."

The Merchant just stood in the corner, awkwardly crouched, ears flat against the corner walls.

"Huh. So you're some kind of leprechaun?"

"Wh- oh, no no no! Do I even-" The Merchant stammered, "I'm an elf, a trickster fae, whatever term isn't offensive!"

"Ah, an elf! Would've never guessed. Your look doesn't exactly scream mystical, ethereal being, you know?"

The Merchant sneered, "Well you're not exactly the pinnacle of humanity either, are ya, bub?" He crossed his arms. "There are different kinds of elves."

"Aren't you folk supposed to have wings?"

"You're getting your fae jumbled, so save yourself from any wrong assumptions." The Merchant eyed his turban and snatched it from Stan's grasp, then screwed it on - leaving his ears out for comfort, and since hiding wasn't much use anymore.

"To answer your questions that I'm assuming you have, I hide them to prevent suspicion. People have biases against the unknown, especially in Daventry. No one buys from beings known for chicanery.

"Also…" The Merchant flicked his ear and it drooped. "They're a nuisance."

"Well, curbing suspicion is a good business practice, so I understand that," Stan hummed, "But I think there's a certain appeal to them! An extra sort of panache, to double the flair you already have." He shot Merchant with some poorly-timed finger guns.

Merchant's ears twitched again at the sound of Stan's voice. "Also every time someone like you yells, these puppies are on the move!"

"Great, that means you're paying attention to my spiels!" Stan grinned – so wide that it was practically mockery.

Stan plopped down next to the Merchant. "And on top of that, you can hear the bargains a mile away!" Stan cupped his ear in the Merchant's direction, giving a warm smile. "You can't just turn down a good deal."

The Merchant couldn't help but echo back a smirk, rolling his eyes. His ears wiggled that slight bit more. "Heh, I suppose there are some perks."

[kaesaaurelia]

sad wet snake

For @whumptober day 13, using the prompts “infection,“ "I don't feel so good,” and the lyric prompt, “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”

Continued from Day 1, wherein Crowley definitely did not move into the bookshop, took a nap on the couch afterwards, and when he woke up his lungs hurt and he passed out, Day 2, wherein Muriel carried him into Maggie’s record shop, because they hoped a human might understand better than they do what was wrong with him, and Day 10, wherein Crowley's illness was causing strange and terrible weather, and help from Heaven was not forthcoming.

Maggie had texted across the road for help, and Nina had arrived with a box, a steaming beverage in a paper cup, and a perplexed expression. "Is it raining blood?"

"It is raining blood," said Maggie.

"And I expect it's your fault," said Nina, looking at Crowley.

"Oh, be nice," said Maggie. "Also, don't make him talk."

"What happens when he talks?"

"He coughs, and then there's lightning," said Maggie. "What'd you bring?"

"Got some honey ginger lemon tea with, I am sorry to say, zero shots of espresso," she said, handing it off to Crowley, who made a face about it since he was banned from talking. "Christ, you look awful." Crowley glared.

"Don't make him talk," Maggie said.

"He's not, he's just glaring," said Nina. She set the box down on the counter and opened it up. "Anyway, got my first aid kit, so... we could take your temperature," she said, pulling out a long thin plastic thing. Rummaging around a bit more, she pulled out a box of some sort of medicine. "Or! We could just knock you out cold. Can't cough if you're asleep."

It was at this point Crowley felt he sort of had to speak. Just in case it would help, he took a long draught of the tea, which he did not particularly like. "I'm not ssick ssick, I haven't got a fever."

"How do you know?" Nina asked.

"Don't get ssick," said Crowley.

"Well, you're certainly sick now," said Nina, "so let's not make too many assumptions, yeah?" She pulled out a sort of plastic sleeve and fitted it over the pointy end of the plastic thing before waving it at Crowley. "Open your mouth."

"Why have you got a thermometer in your first aid kit at the coffee shop, anyway?"

Nina shrugged. "It was on the list. You never know."

Crowley wished he didn't feel too dizzy to get up and leave, because the last thing he wanted was a couple humans putting pointy things in his mouth, but, attempting to convey how unhappy he was with the entire procedure, he allowed the thermometer to be put under his mouth. It was apparently standard procedure to keep the thing in the least comfortable position possible under one's tongue for an eternity, and he wondered vaguely if Hell had thought of doing this with something more unpleasant, like fire ants, but he was halfway through drafting the memo in his head before he remembered he didn't work for them anymore. Maybe he was sick.

Eventually Nina released him from his torment and looked at the thermometer. She made a face. "Well. You ought to be dead, but you're not, so there's that."

"Is it really high?"

"It's really low," said Nina.

"I'm a ssnake," Crowley pointed out. He began to cough again, and the humans were obliged to wait until the thunder stopped before they could say anything else stupid.

"That really is irritating," said Nina. "All right, well, that was a wash. Let's knock him out cold," she told Maggie.

"Not on my counter! He should probably be somewhere more comfortable, anyway," said Maggie. "There's a flat on top of the bookshop; maybe Mr. Fell left the furniture there too?"

Aziraphale had indeed left the furniture, but Crowley hated the idea of sleeping this off in his bed. "Couch'ss fine," he said.

"Nonsense, you should be comfortable," said Maggie. "Do you think you can walk?"

Crowley wasn't entirely certain, but the countertop was uncomfortable and if he was going to be deeply uncomfortable somewhere it might as well be somewhere softer. He was very unsteady, but between the two of them, Nina and Maggie were able to help him to the door of the bookshop, where it looked like Muriel was still fruitlessly trying to contact Heaven.

But when the door opened, Crowley felt hot and cold prickling all over, and his head throbbed, and his eyes hurt like he'd been staring straight into the sun while the sun was only two feet away. "Ngh." He leaned back, careless of the fact that the blood rain was making everyone unpleasantly sticky. "Nope."

"What do you mean, nope?" Nina asked.

"It feelsss... holy? Like." His head swam. "Like Ireland?" he managed, though he was pretty sure that wasn't conveying anything.

"What's wrong?" Muriel asked, turning away from the holy light to look at them.

"He says it feels like Ireland," said Nina.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Muriel asked.

"I'm a sssnake," Crowley pointed out.

"He says it feels holy," Maggie clarified. "Maybe you could shut that thing off?" she asked, pointing towards the circle.

"I might as well, they're still not answering prayers," said Muriel, looking almost sullen. They waved a hand at the circle and the holy light extinguished itself. The shop didn't feel any better though, and Crowley shook his head as Nina and Maggie looked at him.

"Look, maybe it's you?" said Maggie. "Because, you know, you're a --"

"Nah," said Crowley. "Angels're fine. It'sss." Now he was very curious, and he lurched forward, to see if he could get a better idea of the pain. His head swam, his lungs burned, his eyes teared up. "Ow ow ow no."

Maggie tried to catch him, but she yelped as soon as she touched his back, and he fell backwards onto the pavement. "Sorry," she said shakily, "sorry, I don't know what... oh."

There had been a large puddle of blood rain underneath Crowley, but with a hiss it evaporated in a red cloud. Nina stepped forward and held a hand several inches away from his forehead. "That's a whole lot more than a fever."

"What is it?" Muriel asked, coming outside.

"He's like a space heater," said Nina.

Muriel looked confused, but they reached forward to feel Crowley's forehead. "Oh. That seems very bad, actually?" Their eyes went wide. "Actually! Actually we should get him away from here." They hurried out of the shop and closed the door, and instantly Crowley felt slightly less terrible. "You're not melting, are you?"

"No?" Crowley asked. "Don't... think sso?" He didn't know how he would know; his muscles all felt like jelly already.

"Come on, up you get," said Muriel, pulling him to his feet, and then, when he could not make his limbs behave adequately, slinging him over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Crowley was very unhappy about this development, not least because Muriel's current body was too short for this not to be a little bit harrowing. "I don't think he should be in the bookshop, actually, for a bit," they told Nina and Maggie. "But I think I know what's wrong. Maybe. I don't know."

Muriel knowing anything would be an exciting new development, Crowley thought, and then he felt, ugh, guilty about thinking that. But no one was paying attention to him now and he supposed it didn't matter what he thought because nothing could really cut through the misery he was in.