#and he doesn't want that to be true either bc he does love her. But he's simply a fascist and he has to do what is 'right' for vault tec

[kingdomoftyto]

...BIG FEELS AND BIG PLOT DEVELOPMENTS AT THE END OF THAT BOOK, HUH

[ismaeldrawsthings]

I am the friend that's too woke bc my concept of gender dynamics and expressions make it difficult for me to understand What The Fuck are People On when they come to this god forsaken website and say "Madeline Miller imposed straight relationship dynamics onto Patrochilles' relationship" or "Madeline Miller made Patroclus feminine".

Is healing an inherently feminine trait for you? Is him not being fond of violence in the book inherently feminine to you? I don't understand.

It may not go with the context of The Iliad, but it goes perfectly with the context of TSOA. Of course Patroclus, the boy who accidentally took a life when he was still a child, wouldn't like violence. It goes hand in hand within the context of the novel. As well as him being a healer, having learned with Chiron. All of this make sense in the context of TSOA.

Now... And hear me out on this, you're allowed to disagree: I don't believe this is really mischaracterization.

I personally don't believe such thing as "mischaracterizing" a mythological character exist. Since mythological characters are moldable depending on: The culture in which they are written, who wrote them, the historical context, among others. They are multifacetic and their characterizations depend on the aforementioned factors. For example, in The Iliad, Helen fucking hated Paris and wanted to go back to Sparta with her husband. Meanwhile, in The Odyssey, Helen immitates the voice of the wives of the men inside the wooden horse in order to torture them, wanting to sabotage their victory in order to stay in Troy. These are two completely different and opposite characterizations of her character. Helen is one of the biggest examples of how characterization works in mythology. Some people believe she loved Paris and went to Troy willingly with him, others believe she hated him and he took her forcefully and raped her. All of these interpretations are true bc myths are ambiguous and adapt to the people's beliefs and practices.

And they adapt to their time, for which I say that Patroclus' character in TSOA was not a mischaracterization of him as a whole. Patroclus represents kindness, and the traits of a kind man were different in ancient Greece than they are today. It doesn't matter. What matter is that his kindness is a key part of his character, so Miller's writing isn't wrong. It isn't a misunderstanding of his character. She based this "anti-violence" version of him on Shakespeare's interpretation of his character, but Shakespeare was not wrong either. Shakespeare wrote what a kind man was in his time, and Miller wrote what a kind man is in her time based on the representation of kindness from previous time. And both of them are true. Both of them can be true, as well as all the prior.

People say Miller's characterization is wrong and could've not existed within the context of The Iliad or the Trojan war as a whole, for which I say: this is symbolic. The Trojan war is symbolic, is mythological, it does not exist. Is a lesson on moral ambiguity within the context of war and how a man's life is not worth more than other's (and a bunch of other things). It's relevant, it transcends time. It can be adapted and reinterpreted to give that same lesson in different historical contexts.

Why do we keep learning about The Iliad? Why does it matter? Why should it matter, if people are so insisten on the fact that it happened in ancient times to ancient people within ancient contexts? Because it is still relevant. War is still relevant. We cannot just say "oh, those old Greeks!" And rub our hands off because it doesn't apply to us. A modern reinterpretation of these old myths and characters are important for you to still understand the lessons these myths were meant to give in your modern context. And is not wrong to do so. Is not a "mischaracterization" or "misinterpretation". Is just another interpretation.

But that's just what I believe lmfao you're free to disagree with me

Summarizing: I don't believe you can really mischaracterize a mythological character as long as your characterization of said mythological character doesn't interfere with the purpose of their existence in the myth they are from. Patroclus is Achilles humanity and compassion, he stands out for his empathy, diplomacy and kindness. Madeline Miller does a great job of representing this, regardless of whether her representation of these traits differ from what they were like in an ancient context.

[jerreeeeeee]

i don't think taako's voice is really all that high most of the time. it's higher than justin's normal voice a little, but idk, the defining quality of it isn't its pitch to me, there's something else that i don't really have the words for. but anyway i do notice that his voice gets lower and less exaggerated when he's being serious. which is interesting bc it sort of implies that the usual "taako voice" is something he puts on.

i don't really think of taako as a habitual performer. his charisma modifier is a -1, he's not this ultra smooth charming actor, and although he does tend to hide behind humor and is slow to build connections, he's also very frank with what he's about and what he wants. he goes on an entire tirade about wanting to talk about his feelings (he's multidimensional!), he never acts embarrassed or hesitant about big moments of vulnerability and caring for others (arms outstretched, "i'm not going fucking anywhere," admitting a deep fear to kravitz on their first date, spilling his tragic backstory to angus, not to mention several serious moments with lup) (and not all of these can be chalked up to "forgotten connections," either. he does have a foundation of growth with magnus and merle, even forgotten, and his conversations with lup are of course all with memories intact, but he does not have that with kravitz and angus). he's just slow to reveal all of his hidden depths, because of (understandable) trust issues. but all in all he's not nearly as closed off as i think fandom tends to portray him (which is not to say he's open, either), nor is he someone who wears a lot of masks and obscures himself. i don't think he hides his "true self."

sizzle it up was successful because of his intelligence, not his charisma. he's a natural teacher who's knowledgeable and passionate, and that was what made the show great, not his personality or performance (though i don't think those were bad. just not the primary appeal of the show. the only fan we see is ren, and she loved sizzle it up because it inspired her and taught her to cook, not because she thought taako was awesome or whatever). bc that's the thing, he's not a performer, but he is extremely adaptable. so when he's set up with a stagecoach and a show lined up, sure, he'll have a TV persona, he'll learn to be charming, he'll learn to be showy, when he's on stage. when he gets famous, he learns to like being famous, but i don't think it was really a dream of his before then. or at least not in the way people think of it. i don't think he ever wanted to be a celebrity as much as a celebrity chef or celebrity wizard. he doesn't care if people think he's pretty. he doesn't want people to adore him (before the voidfish, anyway. afterwards is a different story. there's a void where love used to be that he's desperate to fill, and adoration almost feels like it works). really what he wants is for people to appreciate his skill and intelligence and depth (and he's also very afraid of actually displaying those things. he's multidimensional).

but most of the time, when he's not literally performing for an audience, i just don't think he's putting on a show, desperate for people to like him and think he's charming. he'll do what he needs to do, say what he needs to say, be who he needs to be in any given circumstance, with strangers and antagonists, but he also drops the act when it's not necessary. or at least his performance is subtler. he performs stupidity, he performs nonchalance, he makes efforts to be funny (because he is always funny, but that's something you have to work for and always be thinking about, even when the humor is dry), he carefully does just enough to be useful, but not enough to raise expectations. he's very aware of how other people view him, but he's also perfectly okay with people thinking negatively about him—as long as they're the negative traits he wants people to see. but, he only does all those things in the beginning of the show; after a little while with magnus and merle, after a little while with the bob, he drops the act. so i guess that's the difference to me. he's adaptable out of necessity, it doesn't bleed into his entire life. i don't even really think i'd qualify it as a performance. it's more of an invisibility. he's not performing charisma to get people to like him, he's trying to lay low. but then when he actually wants people to like him, he's himself, fairly unapologetically. with the people who matter, lup, magnus and merle, kravitz, the other bob members, the other ipre crew, he's pretty comfortable with himself.

one last interesting point is that while he doesn’t seem to hesitate when it comes to actions, he does shy away from verbal displays of affection, trust, vulnerability. and the best two scenes to show that play out almost exactly the same: lup’s best day ever dinner, and dropping his disguise self with kravitz. in each, taako does something meaningful for both npcs, who then verbalize their affection for him, which taako immediately deflects with a joke.

taako drops his disguise spell for kravitz, totally honest with him, (although… i don’t tend to think the beauty sacrifice was as meaningful to taako as fandom tends to portray, i think most of his vanity is an exaggeration he intentionally cultivates, but still, it’s a vulnerable moment, he clearly cares what kravitz thinks), and kravitz tells him he loves him. to which taako replies with a joke. he does not return the words.

taako doesn’t hesitate to construct the best day ever for lup, never even questions why she’d ask. he puts it all together, cooks for her, shows her he knows her, he loves her—and then when she bears her heart to him, tells him he is her heart, all he says is, “i know,” and pulls out a bottle of vodka. of course lup knows he loves her, the whole day was an elaborate demonstration of it, but he doesn’t say anything. to be fair, it’s not exactly a typical interaction between them, taako is textually scared shitless, lup did just tell him she’s going to turn herself into an undead abomination, so he’s not exactly at his best here. but anyway.

i don’t really have anything to add to this observation, it’s just very consistent and interesting to me. taako is fairly comfortable with grand gestures, but sidesteps around words. which ties in perfectly with his identity as a chef, to me. cooking is an action, work, intention, cooking for people is an act of love, an act of connection, an act of caring, and taako’s character doesn’t fit the bill for that—except, he kinda really does.

[seekanddestroy13]

sometimes i find myself getting weirdly defensive over dirk and jake's relationship and i need to take a step back. people can think anything they want. that being said, when people say that either dirk or jake don't care about each other it's just so blatantly wrong it's infuriating.

everything gets so messed up precisely because they care about each other so much and believe in the other past the point of logic.

jake believes in dirk more than anybody else in the game, even after they break up. Ex: brain ghost dirk still calls him his boyfriend, bc jake knows (believes) that dirk still loves him. he wants dirk to love him. dirk is his hero.

the problem arises because jake thinks dirk knows everything. we know he believes in dirk wholeheartedly to solve any problem (which might in some part enable his ability to do so. but that's another post.) in regards to their relationship it means he expects dirk to know the inner workings of his mind like he can seemingly predict his actions. but dirk can't read his mind. dirk takes the things jake says at face value (maybe because he wants them to be true,) and jake is a liar. he is a conflict avoidant person who wants dirk to anticipate his needs mentally like he does everything else and dirk falls short.

in my reading, jake is not as emotionally inept as he feigns to be. he can read other's emotional states and he has low self-esteem so he thinks if he can do it they must be able to. but dirk is not an emotionally intelligent person.

(i claim that jake is emotionally astute purely off of my recollection of the scene where jane is about to confess to him and he makes it about his and dirk's relationship. i think he knows that she intends to confess and he doesn't want her to, because he doesn't like her. so he nips it in the bud by asking her about dirk because he KNOWS she wouldn't do that to dirk.)

dirk's feelings are much more blatant. he contrives plans to impress jake because he thinks that's what he wants. he thinks jake needs the adventure and action he preaches, but he doesn't. At least, not constantly. he can sense jake pulling away, and doesn't know what to do, mistakenly believing he's not doing enough. so he does more which is the opposite of what jake wants.

and yet, even as the relationship breaks down, jake still believes that dirk will figure it out so he doesn't have to say it.

it's their inability to communicate their needs (probably in part because of their complete social isolation growing up) that leads to a break down in their relationship, not a lack of love.

[lostinlovingrevery]

Logan headcanons u say...

I think Logan is such a big animal lover and animals love him.

Also im psyched about my spider girl reader fic with Logan so ive been doing research in his relationship with spidey and omg its so cute they're such a good pair.

This is relevant bc theres actually a story with them where they team up and Logan is there to stop hunters from killing these animals while spidey is solving a series of murders and Logan is super protective of the animal that everyone thinks is killing ppl

ugh i love this man sm

HI ROSE!!!

NO I TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!!

Also Im excited as well!!! They sound like an adorable pairing- I actually saw smth once where one of the spidey people said that he is hell of a kisser LMAO. You come up with the best stuff so I know you're going to do great with this fic!!!!

Logan with Animals

a natural instinct comes to logan to protect the innocent i think

and that DEFINITELY includes animals!!!

I believe he has a natural connection to them due to his mutation!!!

dogs, cats, deer, rabbit, mammals are probably the ones he likes the most BUT he'd definitely protect a fish too!!!

Good luck to any asshole that tries to be mean to an animal in front of him. he WILL kick their asses

he isn't OBVIOUS about his care for them. He'll still have that "We dont need a cat" attitude, but of course be besties with said cat lol

ocassionally you'll catch his soft spot. clicking his tongue at the feral alley cat so he could pet them. talking to a little squirrel thats sitting nearby. maybe whistle back to that little songbird

animals are relaxed with him too. They know the good vibes.

he talks to them like people sometimes! hes talking to a dog and hes like "Cmon bub, you absolutely know better than that." (snatched his sandwich off his plate)

fun fact about me- i am SUCH an animal lover. and so is my family. My mom used to work at a local petstore, and she'd bring home pretty much the loners!

rabbits, frogs, cats, birds, chinchillas

i had mice, bunnies, and hermit crabs growing up!

of course we have cats and dogs too

if thats you (i actually have an ask buried about a reader who brings pets home all the time to logan!) logan would be SO exsperated but then is like "okay but i guess they're cute"

he's not afraid of them either

will yoink a snake (Gently)

will get extremely close to an alligator

doesnt get offended when attacked by random chance. he just heals and was like "well now you feel stupid don't you."

but he doesn't get angry because he knows what its like to be scared and alone

anyhoo like I said he would be so protective of animals!!!!

obviously wolverines are predators but i think he has a soft spot for prey animals!!!

imagine him with a little bunny !!!!!!!!!

Bottle feeding newborn kittens you found in the alleyway, you brought mom in too- but you got kitten milk to help keep the babies healthy!!!!

he is on it every 2 hours. weighs them and everything. so gentle and careful and he reassures momma cat that he'll return her baby promptly

and yes, he has NO patience for any type of abusers or any kind of cruelty towards animals!!! he will hunt them down

imagine a mission involving a lab that was using animal testing, he'd get SO ANGRY. of course you all set them free, get them to the proper places to fix them up and find them good homes/habitats but lord he'd still be so livid. will beat the shit out of those responsible!!!!

man he just does have a soft spot for the cute fuzzy babies. hes on the floor on his belly with those newborn babies from earlier, they're opened their eyes and ears and starting to walk again and they're climbing over his arms and hands

based on a true story with me : one of them gets extremely attached to logan and SCREAMS everytime they see him because they want his attention!

of course you guys kept that one

your pets are allowed on the couch and bed of course. why wouldn't they be?

they only get the best food too btw. none of this cheap dollar store crap

animals just make him happier. they accept him more easily than people do!!!

[makowo]

Hi welcome to my pjeg romance/kinda sexuality headcanons. explanations and further insights for each are under the cut 👇 not too many complex thoughts but do know that i have an aromanticism bias

Grace and Wolfgang: I don't think there's much to say here. Both have taken a look around and decided they do just like the opposite gender (each other). Grace definitely did more exploration of this than Wolfgang when she was younger, but both are pretty set in their ways. If we factor multishipping into this though then Grace has smth goin on with Eloise that's not so nice for either of them, but I don't think it's enough to warrant a change in labels. Transfem Wolfgang is also possible but I don't feel strongly enough about it to think it warrants a change in labels here.

Ingrid: Less stubborn about her preferences, she just has other things to worry about and lacks the time to explore her options more thoroughly. I don't think she's particularly attracted to anyone because she views herself as more of a mother/authority figure than in a position to have romantic partners. I don't ship her with anyone either, so she stays straight.

Jett: A beautiful bear that deserves the world. I could see him previously flirting with some other drivers before/after races, but has put his love life as a much lower priority due to his accident. Keeps an upbeat mood, but is more scared of actually fooling around with other people like that bcs the topic of his appearance is inevitable. Dawnteago or Jettmon will win out in the end though 🙏 in my mind. Might like Mark but Mark does not like him back.

Jean: Literally has a line about being "YMCA at sea." He's a ship captain that has lots of alone time around strong men and surely has needs. Man-liker through and through.

Ulysses: Okay here's how the lesbian part of this category factors in. He's a transfem lesbian in the making she just needs the time to think on it (which she doesn't get the time for).

Kai: Now he HAS explored a lot of his options just by nature of being on the internet. Says he's bi for clout when he's like 15 and then it comes true. Definitely still feels a little weird about liking men because of the lingering identity crisis.

Eloise: She was the hardest placement on this entire list. I don't think I have a strong enough grasp of her to feel confident about anything else though! Her being bi borders more on her not caring, but it feels like too much to put her in the uncaring category bcs she Does care. Idk idk. She's a situation.

Diana: Pansexual ^_^ She's very open to her possibilities and accepting of whoever, since her whole job is basically about prettying up anyone she meets.

Desmond: I think he also has an open mind but doesn't have his mind on who he's attracted to, really. He kind of gets along with most people, so he makes his judgements when people approach him, rather than considering if he should approach other people. If he enters a relationship though, he's gonna have to do some major restructuring of his routine, for obvious reasons.

Damon: The man of the hour, but also the most simple. I will be clear that I'm partially projecting and think that he's an aromantic bisexual because I am also that, BUT. I think he also just really struggles to feel romantic/sexual attraction in general. He doesn't like having to get close to other people, so he's very difficult to want and has a hard time wanting. Feeling romantic attraction takes a very long time for him under normal circumstances*, but when it hits, it hits hard. *Desmond is the exception. Damon likes him the moment he meets him and it spirals into a serious crush in a matter of days. Takes him so long to actually realize that he's feeling romantic love though.

Eva: Girl who has been neglected and unloved and self-isolates sooooooo god damn much. Doesn't feel any romantic attraction to other people and thinks of it as a waste of time. Pretty mean about the topic of romance until she's had friends for a while and feels more confident about herself. Gets into an aro4aro relationship with Cassidy, I know this in my heart.

Cassidy: Never has her mind on romance, and gets pretty awkward about it when she sees it or it's brought up in conversation. She does not know why for a while and plays it off. Maybe someone confesses to her and she's like "... Yeah, sure! Let's give it a try!" and then immediately feels bad bcs she doesn't feel aaaaanyyyyything for them besides like, being friends. Takes about a month to end that whole issue, and she loathes talking about it. Later on she latches onto Eva though, and they eventually agree on a low stakes friend-relationship thing, where they can just be friends but they're allowed to hold hands and casually kiss each other whenever they want. That's my Cass thoughts I hope u liked and enjoyed 👍

Mark: Okay. Can't say I have much to say for him. Might be gay, might be aro, kind of flip-flopping on it. Mark is my least favorite so as much as I do still like him, my thoughts on him are minimal.

Tozu: "Are you gay?" "The only way I get my thrills is through the chills that run down your spines when I walk into the room. Thank you for asking ^_^!"

Mara: No character yet. Next year 🙏 We'll see.

Wenona: I think she's gotten so many questions about this that it's wrapped around to complete apathy towards the idea of labels. Gets with Ulysses after she decides she's trans, but ultimately Wenona settles on the answer that she is "neutral to everyone, and more focused on business than her personal life."

[anxious-witch]

Some thoughts on Edwin through the lenses of flaws and sexuality, specifically connected to his meetings with the Cat King and what metaphors I think are cleverly used through the offers he makes to Edwin.

(Under the cut bc this will be long and I don't wanna spam the tag)

Part 1, because I realized halfway through it will be too long for one post.

Let's start with him being trapped in Port Townsend. As much as I love Edwin, we see that at the beginning of the season, he shows disregard towards people and things that he either doesn't already care about or aren't in the sphere of his interest(as seen through Crystal and briefly Niko, when he was literally ready to write her off as hysterical at first), and under that falls the cat he gets the information from.

I don't believe he has any malicious intent, but he disregard the fact that the cat is a being worthy of respect. He could have befrended the cat and get the information that way, but he didn't think it was worth his time. He even says all the cats look the same to him. To Edwin, who pays attention to the smallest details? That speaks volumes on how much he simply doesn't care about cats. Which is why the Cat King makes him count all of them. Remember all of them, for all their differences.

But I digress. Let's go back to the Cat King's offers to set Edwin free and look at them through the lenses of storytelling. First thing we need to remember is what Cat King says before that. "My kingdom is all about wants and pleasures". But is it? We see on several ocassions that Cat King acts upon an act already commited against something or someone, as someone who delivers consequences of those actions. Trapping Edwin for trapping his cat, kissing Monty without permission for him kissing Edwin without permission, exploiting Esther's immortality loophole through Crystal after Esther's exploited his immortality loophole. And eye for eye. Now, back to the offers.

Cat King offers Edwin to sleep with him or to count all the cats in Port Towsend. Or as I like to see it-accept your desire of being attracted to men, or face your flaw. Neither of which is easy for Edwin, although by the end, he bith accepts his desire and overcomes his flaw(at least in part, since no one is perfect).

We see it again when they meet during episode 4. Yes, the Cat King flirts with him and shapeshifts into Monty at Charles, playing up Edwin's desires once again. Enticing him to it. But when Edwin refuses his desires, Cat King turns to his flaw again and makes him admit it through the truth spell. "I am ashamed, it is selfish" says Edwin after.

And the Cat King could have used his shame to manipulate him, but that wasn’t the point of his character. He wants Edwin to face himself. Because you can't improve withour facing yourself.

Now, when they meet in the forest, I think their dynamics shift drastically. Specifically bc of what happens in-between their meetings. Ala, Edwin begins to actually grapple with and accept both his desires AND flaws. He realizes he is in love with Charles and the whole thing with Monty, although ends awkwarly, is a big step in the direction of accepting that he does like men romantically. And we also see him open up to Niko more, to start accepting Crystal as a person, not a rival for Charles' affection.

So with that in mind, I think he has a lot more power now, that the last time he saw the Cat King. He is blindsided for a bit with the reveal of Monty lying to him. But what I think is also really interesting, is that Monty is the one uncovering both desire and flaws in Edwin here.

When he says Charles is the one Edwin has feelings for, that it's obvious, in Edwin's eyes, he is practically throwing his desire in his face. And what does Edwin resorts back to? His copying mechanism. His flaw. "Even if it were true, you are a bloody crow!" Because Edwin isn't ready to admit to wanting Charles. Not yet.

Which is why I think the Cat King only batters with his desire afterwards! "Second kiss is always better". And while Edwin rejects him, it is noticeable different. Edwin isn't scared, he is angry. And he doesn't deny his desire like the fiest two times. "Hear me, I am not your toy to yank around. I owe you nothing". Which is why Cat King gets angry foe the first time! He can feel how close he is, and yet Edwin rejects him yet again.

Then, Edwin shows off the bracelet and says "this is all that you are." As others have pointed out, the bracelet is obviously a metaphor for Edwin's sexuality that he keeps trying to hide. Yet, here he shows it off, throws it in the Cat King's face. "I desire you, but I do not love you. This is all that you are, an attraction, a fancy". And what does Cat King do or say? Nothing. Because he is powerless in the face of Edwin's acceptance.

I'll leave their last meeting for Part 2, because this got wayyy too long already

[baphometsss]

thinking about it, the way solas thinks about/remembers mythal hits really close to home for me

when someone dies, especially if they die prematurely, there's a tendency for those who survive them to kind of... look at them through rose tinted glasses. i had this experience with my brother, who died when he was 22 and very unexpectedly at that. because he died before i really had a chance to spend much time with him (i was 11), i missed out on all sorts of things. both my family and myself have a tendency to ignore all his flaws and the bad things he did because we miss him and wish he was still around to be flawed and do bad things. because then at least he would actually be here.

i think this is what solas is doing with mythal, although it's complicated from their trauma bond and the somewhat abstract way the first elves experienced emotions. it's true what (davrin?) says -- when someone dies before you have a chance to tell them all the things you want to tell them, it stings. mythal and solas had a complicated relationship, and solas really wanted to believe that she would join the rebellion one day. she never did, because of her own pride and refusal to give up godhood, and bc she believed too well in her own ability to control the evanuris from within. to join the rebellion would be like admitting defeat, something she could not do because, as morrigan says, she can't tolerate being wrong. by his own admission, she betrayed him by joining the evanuris. then she died before they had a chance to really iron out their issues, and because solas rebelled against her (in his mind, failing her), it messed with him badly.

so he doesn't allow himself to be angry, because if he really loses it with her (the way he did with the rebel mages in his personal dai quest), what the hell is he supposed to do with that anger? there is no one to direct it at, except the world and himself. he himself is the easiest target, because he already carries so much guilt and shame over the things he's done. but he does direct it outward too. that is at least in part what he's doing when he wants to tear down the veil--not just for mythal, not just to 'repair' his past mistakes, but because he is simply angry and frustrated, too, which blocks his wisdom. and yet, he doesn't feel he has a right to that anger, even though he really does when you think of all the things mythal put him through. he cannot be angry until he has corrected his mistakes he made in failing her.

it's not surprising that he puts her on a pedestal. you do that when you're grieving and hate yourself that much. that's why his perspective is so warped, and why he's an unreliable narrator when it comes to mythal. like i loved my brother, but my recollection of him will always be coloured by his death.

mythal was not the great mother goddess of legend and she was likely not really the person solas portrays her as either. the fragment in morrigan is closest to who the legends portray her as, but it isn't the only part of her either. she was very flawed, and petty, and all the things solas described the evanuris as being. she was a monster in her own way too. but when you're surrounded by far worse monsters, you come out looking okay. that's essentially all mythal had going for her: she wasn't as much of a monster as she could've been.

it speaks volumes about solas's 'grim and fatalistic' outlook when you consider that. the more you learn about solas's past, the more you realise how important the inquisition was to him, how helpless he would've been to have bonded with these mortals who were so free in their goodwill and determination to build a better future--something that was severely lacking in elvhenan.

[herefortheships]

You want another movie 3 speculation?

Ok, so I firmly believe that Lydia's dream at the end points to her subconscious worry that Betelgeuse might move on from her (and MacArthur Park is a song about moving on as best as you can after losing True Love) and target Astrid. With a compounding, and imo deeply fascinating, worry that her daughter (whom the movie/Delia seems to have cast as being very similar to Lydia, though personally I don't see it cause she seems too normal) might be happy with that. And I think that the bed-sharing might've been her brain - or B himself - pointing out the solution to that worry: Just give tf in and marry him already.

As an aside, a lot of Youtube synopses of that movie have AI-generated thumbnails of Betelgeuse threateningly/creepily hovering over Astrid, even though they barely interacted. Apparently lots if people's minds went there, at least for the sake of clickbait. Ffs, a guy tries to marry a teenager ONE time...

Anyway I think it would be hilarious if in movie 3 Lydia gets into trouble and Astrid calls on Betelgeuse for help, telling him she'll pay whatever he wants if only he saves her last remaing parent/family member, and he just goes: "Can you put in a good word with your Mom for me? Like, really talk me up. I didn't make the greatest first impression, and there were misunderstandings, and I don't think I'll have a shot if she thinks you'd disapprove" " I do disapprove!" "Well, just focus on the positives! Awesome powers, saved your life, has a massive di-... actually, forget about that last one. I mean, it's true, but wouldn't be helpful if you mentioned it."

So then they save Lydia, who'd be deeply, deeply worried bc her daughter seems to think B is a pretty cool guy actually, a woman could do worse for a husband. He's fun, he's helpful, he saved them, there's worse-looking dead people. So naturally, she'd find Betelgeuse and be like "If I marry you, will you leave her alone?" ...j/k, she'd try to exorcise him. We need spunky!Lydia back. She may be kind, but there are limits.

Mid-exorcism, Astrid clears up the misunderstanding about what sort of deal she's under, that he saved Lydia because he loves Lydia and without asking for anything bad in return, and points out that her deal didn't make her lie about B's good points. Lydia stops the exorcism via last-minute Green Card marriage. Betelgeuse does a whole triumphant, manic spiel about looking forward to moving in and starting married life. But first he's got to fetch some of his stuff (hc that he has just... so many clothes in an infinite magical wardrope somewhere). He draws a door with chalk, knocks, steps through. Walks slowly through the long, uneven hallway. Turns around to look back. Astrid whispers "If you took a step in there right now..." (Code 699) and Lydia goes "Yeah I know. [then, much louder] C'mon, let's ready the guest bedroom." *

We see Betelgeuse break out into a happy smile for a sec before the door slams shut.

*I don't think it would be believable if a movie ended with them being in passionate sappy Gomez-and-Morticia love. But there's no way that Betelgeuse³ will end without Lydia agreeing to keep him around. On a trial basis. With the understanding that she has the means to get rid of him if he misbehaves too much (he'll misbehave just the right amount).

It's an interesting headcanon that Lydia might have a subconscious fear about Betelgeuse making a move on Astrid. I've seen a few people mention it as well. It wouldn't be too far off to get to that conclusion, either, because of Lydia's past experience. Betelgeuse also had that flyer up in the attic just lying around. We as the audience know he likely put it out there for Lydia to find, because we saw him staring at her photo and talking to Bob earlier about how he's in a distant relationship with Lydia. We saw him trying to make contact and feeling triumphant because she might have finally noticed him that last time.

But Lydia doesn't have access to that info.; only we as the audience are privy to who Betelgeuse is actually after and how dead set he is on it, too. Only Lydia is the object of Betelgeuse's desires, even after thirty years. It wouldn't be a stretch to conclude that Lydia might fear Betelgeuse would go after her daughter, because at first she didn’t know what Betelgeuse was truly after; for all she knew, he’s still just looking for a way to get out and do evil mischief on the world of the living or whatever she thinks will happen if he’s out.

I personally don't think this is a fear she took with her at the end of the film, though. I think she has it clear now how Betelgeuse feels about her, and that he wouldn’t do something to her daughter. She might have thought it was a pretense before, or him being totally crazy, but after that dance mid-air, there's no way she doesn't know how he feels.

I think Babyjuice coming out of Astrid was just Betelgeuse turning Lydia's dream into a nightmare; a prank letting her know he hasn't left and he isn't planning on leaving her (he even thought it was strange himself lol). But yes, Lydia keeping a lingering fear about Betelgeuse going for Astrid is a solid headcanon as well, though it’s not my interpretation.

I know there are edits of Astrid wearing wedding clothes and Betelgeuse being creepy with her, but many of those were created before the movie was out, by people who thought the movie would be about Betelgeuse going after Astrid.

About Astrid putting up a good word for Betelgeuse with Lydia, that would be part of my dream-come-true story for Beetlejuice 3. I just want to see them explore Betelgeuse and Astrid's relationship as stepfather and stepdaughter. I think they'd get along great. As I've said before, Astrid hasn't really met Betelgeuse yet; she only knows two things about him: according to her mom, he's bad news. And yet, he helped save her life, and all it was going to cost was her mom marrying him and not being able to say his name (though he's totally chill with her calling him her "dad", which I totally love and will always bring it up 😂💜).

I wish the movie will end with Lydia and Betelgeuse being finally married, or at least together in love, but I'll accept them not getting married as well, as long as they’re on the way there as friends who may fall in love, and Lydia doesn't end up banishing him yet again or squirming out of another marriage deal. That'd be repetitive at that point. As for Betelgeuse being banished forever or destroyed, that will totally never happen; Tim, Michael, and especially the WB wouldn't allow that to happen. Not only do Tim and Michael love Betelgeuse, he's also a money-maker and widely beloved character for the WB, so it'd be dumb for them to end the movie with Betelgeuse being sent away forever or perma-killed.

To end my ramblings, I totally love the idea of Astrid and Betelgeuse working together in the next one and Astrid helping her mom see the good in him/putting a good word in for him. That'd be fun to watch.

I do have a feeling lately that if the do make the third part (which is looking more likely every day), they will be taking it in the direction of establishing Lydia, Betelgeuse, and Astrid as a family. I'm getting that vibe because I've seen an official promo TikTok about Astrid's family being strange, which kinda hints at Lydia and Betelgeuse being Astrid's family/her parents. Not to mention, the DVD cover photo has those three front and center, instead of having something like Betelgeuse big in the middle and the Deetz women all together below or something like that; a choice was made to have Lydia, Betelgeuse, and Astrid together front and center. Those little details have me like 👀, I'm getting a vibe that we're being led to see them as a family. But don't take my words for fact, it's just what I'm observing.

Thank you for sending me your speculations! I love and appreciate exchanging ideas with everyone. 💚✨

[saxlochapologist]

I am dying to discuss saxloch, please don’t judge if you feel these questions are too basic!

What do you think about Saxon’s sexuality?

what do you think about Saxon’s feelings towards Lochlan? Was he ever ( sexually) attracted?

What is your prediction about post canon - best case/ worst case scenario?

Okay I do not think these are basic questions especially for these insanely repressed boys haha I think there is so much to say here!

1. Ok so I really believe that Saxon has a textbook repressed sexuality. I don't think the fact that Saxon has loads of hookups and sex under his belt with women means that he isn't one of the MOST repressed and unsatisfied characters in the history of characters lol. Saxon is at his core deeply afraid of intimacy and fulfillment because I think somewhere inside of himself he KNOWS that true sexual gratification isn't something he will ever grant himself bc it doesn't look like the traditional "hookup with beautiful women until you find The One and marry her and have 2.5 kids and a picket fence." So he is stuck in limbo where he's having tons of meaningless, tasteless sex and feeling absolutely nothing about it! He dehumanizes the women he fucks because he can't stand the idea that he could ever trust anyone enough to be vulnerable with them, he HAS to remain in the position of power and control. He's a terrible misogynist, of course, but there's also this deep seated fear that someone might dig too deep inside of him and find out what he really is (completely empty? A sexual deviant? a repressed brother fucker? sorry lol)

2. This brings me to your next question, what are Saxon's feelings about Lochlan? Well it's Saxon Ratliff so they are COMPLICATED lol. We see time and time again that what Saxon really loves about Lochlan is that he allows Sax to kind of create him in his own image. What I mean is, Saxon wants to see Lochy's dedication to him in almost everything he does. He's desperate for Lochlan to attend Duke (like he did), work for their dad (like he does), and stay in North Carolina (like him). He wants Lochy to consume all the same things as him. His protein shakes, his diets, the same nameless faceless women he hooks up with, hell he even wants them to consume the same porn (which makes me feel insane). Saxon loves this idea of seeing Lochlan as an extension of himself in so many ways. I swear sometimes Saxon and Lochlan even subtly mirror each other's facial expressions and body language. Buuuut I think the thing that really really makes Saxon go crazy isn't their similarities, it's all the little ways that Lochlan shines through. His tenderness, the open fondness his Lochy wears so plainly on his face (an expression Saxon almost never allows himself to show outright), his goofy magic tricks, his sweet desperation for approval from the people he loves. Saxon loves that Lochlan, the one he can't perfectly mold into the shape of himself. But he's also terrified of Lochlan paving his own way, becoming his own person, leaving him. So Saxon squeezes him harder and harder and pulls him closer and closer and prays they keep the same shape. Whew. It's crazy in here guys, tune in

3. Post canon my beloved! So what ARE the best and worst case scenarios? Honestly I truly think Lochlan is going to be insanely withdrawn after everything - his near death experience, his hookup with Sax, his family's legal and financial devastation. I don't think he's going to bounce right back from that even in the best possible situation. Buuuut I do NOT think even Lochlan's most intense feelings will compare to what happens to Sax post canon. Saxon now has to cope with being out of a job, losing the respect of his community, losing his own respect for his father, instantly becoming the Man of the Family since even in the best case scenario Tim is going to prison for a while, aaaand the fact that he came in his brother's fist and made out with him. I think there are a couple outcomes here for Sax. He either locks the fuck in, shuts off his own emotions, finds another job in finance, steps up to the plate for his mom and little siblings, and basically grinds it out to be strong for them. I think this is a real possibility. Saxon is a piece of shit in a lot of ways but I DO think he deeply cares for his family. In a lot of ways Saxon does treat Lochlan like a son already - influences him, guides him, teaches him how to be a real man. and tere's a chance he leans into this dynamic even harder with him once Tim is away.

BUT there is also a darker outcome for Sax. He might finally explode. He might finally run. He might finally break away from Lochlan. I think regardless, Saxon is going to be completely disgusted with himself. Idk whether he believes what happened between him and Lochlan was his fault or Lochy's, but considering the fact that he's the oldest sibling and Lochlan was newly 18, I think he blames himself. He should have been there for Lochy. He should have implemented boundaries and limits and said NO, just like he used to have to do when Lochy was begging him to steal him extra candy as a kid. I think this makes Saxon kind of afraid of himself, question the things he's truly capable of. Is he a monster? Is he a predator? Did he ruin Lochy? There's this delicious tension because I truly think he sees himself as Lochlan's keeper and what do you do when you desecrate the boy you're supposed to be guiding through life? So there is a timeline where Saxon entirely pulls away from Lochlan for his own good, so he can never hurt him again. And then Saxon AND Lochlan will be left with brother shaped holes inside themselves and will probably end up doing some pretty deranged things to fill them. Ughjhh so many possibilities for these boys post canon!

Sorry this got so long anon I just love yapping about these boys!

[tekilluas]

yotha faifa and mom thoughts (this is a bit long)

i'm late to the convo but i feel like i've seen a lot of strong emotions abt them that i'm not sure i agree with. (disclaimer: i know they made changes from the novel that clearly didn't need to be made)

for one, their mother separated them at a young age, taking faifa away from what was already familiar to condition him in a new environment with a new family, becoming attached to his mom as a result (when he wasn't before). she does all this only to upend his life once more, where he has to recondition himself in an environment that had already become unfamiliar. so faifa's "survival instincts" kick in where he has to adapt to others in order to feel like he's seen and belongs. so repression becomes second nature, as he doesn't want to come across as selfish or unlikeable by expressing how he actually feels (bc to him, his true feelings abt his mom and yotha would hurt someone's feelings)

faifa's dilemma is complicated because there's a thin line between being friendly and people pleasing, but wine is the one who teaches him how to separate the two. yotha, who could've done more of an intervention for faifa considering he was aware of this dilemma, was also still affected by their separation as kids. when he asks faifa in ep 9 abt whether their mom's decision hurt him, faifa lies his way out of the convo.

this core problem of avoiding the problem isn't faifa's fault, nor is it particularly yotha's. faifa tends to subconsciously protect his mother's feelings even when he feels hurt by her. it's dealing with the grating paradox of wanting your inner feelings to be "figured out" by someone, but not wanting to express them bc you're afraid of how you'll be seen once you do. more so if you're used to being the person people turn to.

regarding yothagun, faifa's sacrifices are still his own decisions, but it's all a product of his conditioning. i feel once you've made it a habit, it's easy to turn yourself into a martyr for others when you think you're doing something good for them. especially if others take your habit for granted, which is what his mother does. yotha's problem is that he also takes it for granted, even while he tries to warn faifa abt it at the same time. and it's this martyr habit that makes it look like he doesn't know love, that makes yotha worried he'd hurt wine--which, kinda did happen, but it wasn't as crazy as yotha described; faifa didn't "hurt" wine so much as make him afraid he'd lost him.

so yotha is kiinda right and wrong abt faifa's understanding of himself and his feelings. yotha saying faifa doesn't know how to love isn't him saying that he knew from the start either. like, it's true that faifa doesn't know love at first, just not in the same way yotha "doesn't know," and by the time yotha says this faifa is already confronting himself.

while yotha isn't ready to face what loving someone looks like on a fundamental level, faifa "doesn't know what love is" because he doesn't know how to direct certain feelings/actions towards someone rather than people as a whole. yotha learns to be selfless and faifa learns to be a bit more selfish. those are two different problems, and the script kinda made it seem like they were on the same level. i think this is where they missed the mark on the delivery, bc it's unnecessary to have yotha say this more than once while faifa is being a green flag.

it's clear that at the start, yotha is lost. but while faifa is just as lost, two things happen simultaneously: he doesn't express that he's lost, and people don't notice. this is something yotha learns, i guess--that he has to kinda fight back against faifa's own words if he wants to know his true feelings and help just as much as faifa has to understand it's okay for him to express himself. both things can happen together.

(but apparently faifa is too nice and too satisfied with his relationship to say any of this in detail to yotha or their mom lmao. love him tho <3)

[profounddefendorcrusade-blog]

Starlo apologist speaks again

this picture right here.. i hate it sm.

TIME TO DEBUNK EVERYTHIN', YEEHAW!

#1 Starlo's name is uncool on purpose might literally mean 'Starloser' It fits his character arc. In other words, he's not the cool, badass sheriff he pretends to be (he's not 'North Star'), but a kind, friendly farmer inside

#2 He definitely DOES care about Clover. Why else would he keep saying he's proud of them, praise them, believe in them, get worried about their safety, send them a warning letter, immediately run to check what's going on with them, get angry at Clover for not staying HOME (yeah he really did consider the Wild East their home) tell Martlet to bring Clover to safety, and jump at Ceroba to try and protect them? don't question the love of star daddy

#3 Undyne actually IS a badass. Starlo isn't. He's a softie who cares about pretending to be cool bc he's insecure, even when in a situation where he could die. He wants to be a hero. He wants to be SOMEBODY, not a NOBODY. Maybe he also cared about his own status more than his town, friends and family (which could be the reason he brought a bb gun). Or he just wanted to buy time so the others could hide. Now that I think about it, it's the latter. Why else would Dina say this in genocide after you kill Ceroba: "He was more of a hero than you'll ever be." That's the whole point of his geno fight that, and a lil bit of angst when roba finds him dying IT'S CALLED CHARACTERIZATION

#4 He kidnaps Clover bc they're a human. The only human who's ever set foot on the sands of the Wild East. He's obsessed with human culture. His whole life ARE westerns. Why? Whether it's the sense of justice cowboys represent, the exciting lives they live, or both, Starlo feels like he matters thanks to this nerdy interest, like he can contribute to his community

#5 i see Martlet as a big sis not a mom bc of how young she is, despite that one joke in bits & bites, but to each their own Star jails Martlet bc of the potential of the Wild East getting shut down. She did threaten to report them to Asgore and well... according to him, better safe than sorry. He even admitted he doesn't feel right doing it

#6 It WAS wrong of him to blame and attack Clover like that, all for his own status and ego (and to get his friends back) It's called a flawed character making a fucking mistake. Or did you expect someone perfect, with no room to grow and develop throughout the piece of media? Also, Clover is not an infant, they're a child. If it was meant to be a joke, it ain't funny bucko

#7 he either actually forgot about the fact he himself kidnapped Clover bc he wasn't in the right mindset (understandable), or purposefully ignored the information to avoid responsibility for his actions & shift the blame onto Clover (he IS flawed and thats more than ok)

#8 in neutral, he doesn't apologize bc Ceroba doesn't come and snap him out of his fantasy & mindset

#9 he did his best with the apology. you can't blame starlo. He's not very good with expressing himself and emotions in general (that he has been avoiding for so long via escapism; he also uses escapism to help Ceroba instead of talking openly with her)

#10 he doesn't know how the ceroba & clover interaction played out bc he was unconscious. Maybe he thought Clover had managed to talk her outta fighting. He says in true pacifist "Yall had a fight?? and the deputy won??" In other words he didnt know they had even fought. To add fuel to the fire, his bff just died and star, being the forgiving sweetheart he is, had wanted to give her a chance at redemption, but never got the chance to. He never got the chance to say goodbye, either.

#11 just bc starlo's an adult doesn't mean he can't have these flaws/behaviors. Every individual is unique. Starlo is deff deeply insecure and most likely autistic, too. Please think about that in the future, thank you

my current feelings can best be described by good old Axis

[bentosandbox]

quick TL for Swummer Module bc it was great (and a bit of Chummer's module)

Happy 5 year anniversary of the chenswire (chapter 5) banner

[Pinned] Regular Chat Group (4)

16:26 Guma: I'm hungry, what's for dinner? Swire: Let's have something nice. Grand Lungmen Resturant, 8PM! You need to try that new puhn choi on their menu. It's their usual recipe, but they use ingredients sourced from that new MCT trade route. They have stuff from Rim Billiton to Sargon. Super fresh. The set also comes with a bottle wine from Sami! Swire: Bison and I worked our asses off to establish this supply chain so you guys better try it! @ Rat Rat: You're counting me in?

17:09 Guma: So hungry. can we go now? Swire: There's no seats available rn, just snack on something first!

18:32 Guma: hungry...

19:20 Guma: so hungryyyyyyy...

19:58 Rat: Something urgent came up, you guys go on without me

20:08 Swire: Huh? Swire: Wb hoshiguma?

20:23 Swire: It's been so long since we had a meal together so we better get one today! Lmk what you want to eat asap after work!

20:41 Swire: so what are we having tonight?

21:19 Swire: what are we having tonightttt??????? Swire: LIN YUXIA I SAW YOUR READ NOTIF!! answer! Rat: I just finished work. Didn't you just release your Director Swire Lungmen Food Guide with the nonstop noisy af TV ads. why are you asking me to decide Guma: Done with my emergency mission. I'm fine w anything as long as there's meat. So hungry I could eat an entire burdenbeast head Rat: What about the snack street? 'the shopping district is right next door, a convergence of unique goods from all over Terra. Only in Lungmen can you shop the whole land!' Writing's not bad Swire: Duh its my work so ofc the copywriting has to be good too Guma: nah sounds like there won't be a lot of meat Swire: Remember the volcanic mud cleanser I got for you @ Rat and the surfboard @ Guma you can buy them there too Swire: Bison and i adjusted the prices until they're just slightly pricier than what you'd pay in siesta. Does that work? Guma: Don't feel like eating surfboard Rat: Then international trade park? The guide's no.2 Swire: Sure we're drawing some investors over there atm so there's plenty of foreign food there they're p good Guma: I want meat also ill take more than 30min to get there from here ill die from hunger Swire: Pity. It's pretty popular with the youths yk, recommended date spot Rat: Agh! Rat: Final option. The cai zhe min stall behind the LGD office. That or you guys can starve Guma: no objections Swire: no objections

21:30 Swire: wait LYX why do you have my guide i thought you didn't like that sort of noise Rat: Just happened to pick it up, problem?

21:33 Rat: Why is the czm stall not in your guide? Swire: I wanted to but the boss wouldn't let me sth about its too bougie for him hes just a regular noodle stall Swire: True tho. Certified Lungmen™️ moment

21:38 Guma: I already ordered come ASAP

23:35 Guma: Why hasn't chen read any of our messages? Swire: Bc she has to connect to an intercity net first. Who knows she might just be on the top of a haystack in some valley waving her terminal around for signal right now

--new messages-- PGL: ...... PGL: you mean a pile of rubble PGL: I'm back in lungmen, i want to eat czm too

thoughts/notes:

As I mentioned in the other ask Swire set nicknames for the other 3 Hoshi: 🐻🐻 Chen: Puk Gaai Lung Lin: Stinky Rat (wanted to use CLS (cau lau syu) but i kept misreading it as cho shan land so lmaoo

Hoshi 'i don't feel like having surfboard for dinner' guma

Lin really likes her cart noodles huh (nodding)

Hoshi and Lin both finished their urgent work at the same time 🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨🤨

this is so good for character study idk like the way lin is like indirectly 'me too?' and never commits but doesn't exactly ghost 24/7 either also her being like -_-💢this or you starve idc HOSHIGUMA.....hungryguma so cute she dgaf Swire. 'the youths love coming here for dates' spoken like a real 25+yo AND CHEN... when youre that one guy in the gc whos overseas or in a diff timezone .......i doubt the timeline doesn't add up so nicely but i had a funny mental image of the 3 eating their noodles and then suddenly chen in her victorian outfit shows up behind them all covered in blood and dust from ch14

Right uh Chummer module:

shes in dossoles, some boy is asking her for help because his dad pulled his mom into some smuggling trade (and he used to be part of it too) chen is like dw i'll punish him and his gang if they deserve it and the boy asked if prison will reform his dad (chen: ...why do you ask) saying his dad used to be Normal but then became money hungry after they came to dossoles and promised him he would take them on a cruise to spot rainbows or something?? chen is like theres water everywhere here shouldnt you have seen enough rainbows. hes like it doesnt count it has to be on a ship and all... she thinks its valid as she remembers how much she wanted wei's approval back then and asks if he still thinks the same and hes like yeah but i cant do it alone... chen is silent for a moment and then helps the boy out, leaving a note before they split ways 'then you'll have to figure out a way to make him hear you out, to tell him you want him to be a better person. at least, he needs to understand your point of view' then it switches to 3rd person narrative lol it rained that day, and chen(女侠 ..!!) subdues a criminal gang, rescuing a woman. the surprising part is that the leader wanted to fight to the end before a child suddenly appeared before him. at some point the rain stops and a rainbow appears, making the gangleader hesitant and eventually drops his weapon after (his son) says something to him. witnesses remark on how chen did not seem happy by this outcome, only pensively staring towards the east

honestly my first reaction was 'omg chen nuxia interrobang' and then 'wuh..??' bc it was so vague compared to what was essentially chatfic or w/e the term is lmao not much on the brain atm except:

hen module: looks toward lungmen swire module: im back

the kinoooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[daisyjonesgf]

muse makes playlists when she needs inspiration (billy hates this because it's "basically plagiarizing" or some shit)

billy, i fear, makes pinterest boards with no names, so nothing gets leaked, he just uses 🌀🌀 or <<💘💫 >>or <<🔆>> or <<☢️>> you get the gist) with very specific coded meanings

eddie journals, like, using clippings, then jotting random shit down, doodling, etc. because he's messy like that,

eddie definitely had muse write down in bold letters : TOP SECRET!!! on the front ("your handwriting's better, sunshine") , just because it'd be her handwriting and billy would get curious and he'd have the opportunity to slam it shut on his hand and say "it says top secret for a reason, dunne"

billy asks muse what's written inside and she shrugs and says "i dunno" because she really doesn't

he doesn't believe her, gets all pissy, yells, says shit he doesn't mean, and eddie gets an unexpected bonus : muse comes to him

🔹🔹🔹🔹

muse literally has a playlist for everything, every mood, a playlist for when her and billy are happy, when they're fighting, when they're off, when she's with eddie, when she's in the car, at the beach, shopping, and loves to sit down and soak it all in, listen to other artists when she wants to write to think about what she should be channeling

billy just shuffles his liked songs 😭

billy has a secret wedding board confirmed, listen he would never admit it or let anyone see it but he does, wedding, family, date ideas, aesthetic pictures people have taken of her or them, they're his emotional support pinterest boards fr and muse once finds pinterest on his phone and is like, "what are you doing on pinterest?" but he grabs his phone and won't let her see lmao. (muse also has a wedding board that she looks at and cries as well as a motherhood board.)

eddie has a scrapbooking journal that's lowkey giving stalker because he cuts out magazine and newspaper clippings of her (cutting out billy's face ofc) and prints things out, it's like his manifesting her journal (he also has a dream board hidden in his closet) and yeah he has muse write on the front of the binder containing the journal and cuttouts, so she writes 'top secret' + a little sunshine

and I think muse has really distinctive handwriting and it's not like super good either, like a cursive mix to her letters that can be difficult to read, so billy can easily tell it's her handwriting

eddie is so excited when billy notices and he gets to close it on him and grab it away bc eddie is chaos causing demon fr

"I don't know billy, he just asked me to write it, said my handwriting was better."

"That's ridiculous, yours is basically illegible."

"It's not!"

"You're fucking sneaking around with right now, aren't you? That's what this is about, you wanna complain about me seeing other girls when we're together but you're still fucking him even if we're supposedly having a great time!"

"That's not true! Why would I hide something from you?"

"I don't know, maybe because you're so desperate to be wanted that here you are, gotta fuck the whole band, what, is Warren next?"

"Fuck you!"

And she goes crying to Eddie about how Billy is being without realizing these were seeds Eddie had been planting all along.

[astro-nomaly]

I am very glad to be included in the list of people insane abt your aus. Anyways, tell me something about your graveyard shift au. It seems vast and I’ve been a little nervous to go figure out what the deal is, but everything you’ve been saying makes me very curious. How did Lloyd meet(?) ghosts. Does Red ever get mad at QuietOne over shapeshifting? How are the three of them friends AND enemies (delicious, but. how)? What’s Harumi’s whole… deal?

Also— would you like me to make some sort of sign off so you know it’s the flirty anon even when I’m not being particularly flirtatious?

Oh wow yeah so TGS is VERY complicated but I will answer to the absolute best of my ability. Yap session incoming:

How did Lloyd meet(?) ghosts? < so, this is pretty early. Lloyd is something called the Conduit (original I know) which means he's a liminal person with unfettered access to the Veil's energy - basically, he's the death avatar. he doesn't know this, though, because Misako's been keeping it secret by having him wear a vengestone/deepstone ring (i haven't decided which kind of stone to use yet) that suppresses this stuff. he also lives in a very not-liminal area. however, after getting moved to Jamanakai, he's surrounded by liminal energy. Harumi, who rlly wants him using his powers, gets him to take a job at the local graveyard. a few weeks in, he's shot while going home late at night. when he wakes up, he discovers he can suddenly see ghosts. He meets the Ninja ghosts bc he decides to go back to the graveyard to 'confront' his trauma after being shot, only to find five different ghosts Very Excited to bother him haha

Does Red ever get mad at Quiet One over shapeshifting? < hmm idrk? I haven't thought ab this one too much haha. she definitely hates Harumi post-reveal, and hates Quiet One on principle, but I don't think she has much beef with the actual shapeshifting so much as the steps taken to get there (aka murder and cannibalism sorry Harumi babe). Honestly, she's more pissed off about being lied to and manipulated than anything post-reveal, and pre-reveal she just doesn't want the fucking world to end. Also, Q is annoying. that's. that's the whole thing of their relationship pre-reveal, Q play-flirts with Red and Red finds her annoying lmao

How are the three of them friends AND enemies (delicious, but. how)? < fantastic question! so, this au was completely upended from being just Lloyd and Harumi centric with a side of Akita to full on Lloyd, Akita, and Harumi because of the anime SpyxFamily I'm not even joking. So, basically: in 'civilian' form, they all attend the same school. Lloyd meets both of them his first day, and gets super attached immediately bc they're actually Nice to him (he doesn't have friends what a loser /j). He doesn't know either's true identity. Akita gets attached to Lloyd as well bc she's been isolated for a while, and for a hot minute she and Harumi are Friend-In-Laws. Harumi is purposefully manipulating Lloyd, but eventually her love for both of them becomes real. Once ghosts start Doing Shit around town, Lloyd starts Vigilante-ing to protect Harumia and Akita, following a school-wide possession. The Quiet One is trying to kidnap him for his powers, and is the one summoning said ghosts. Red is trying to kill them both - Harumi, bc she's actively trying to end the world, and Lloyd simply bc he has the potential to (an 'eliminate the threat' situation) - to protect Harumi and Lloyd. So: Harumi knows Conduit is Lloyd, doesn't know Red is Akita. Akita doesn't know either identity. Lloyd also doesn't know either identity. It's like Miraculous but with murder and body horror

What’s Harumi’s whole… deal? < hoooo boy. so... hm. okay. Gonna do this rlly fast and simplistically so if you want some deeper info send me more asks. So: at 6, she contracts Veil Sickness (Veil-based disease that affects liminal ppl) and dies. Her parents find the Preeminent's cult and give up their own lives to resurrect her - this has not been replicated. This is the story she is told when she wakes up in a pool of blood. In reality, her and her parents were targeted as part of the cult's experiments with resurrection. She is told she is evil bc to bring her back, her parents' souls have been broken beyond repair, and cannot move on to the afterlife. They're trapped in eternal agony, tied to their decaying bodies. fun. Eventually, it comes to light that Harumi has developed the ability to shapeshift into anything she kills and eats the corpse of. She is manipulated into using her unique powerset to aid the Preeminent's escape from the Veil. She's manipulating Lloyd bc the Conduit is the only one who can power the Realm Crystal, which is the only thing that can bring the Preeminent through. She thinks the Preeminent will fix her parents if she does this. Obviously she won't, but. y'know. In the AU proper, Harumi is: Harumi the best friend, Quiet One, Jade the stray cat, Brad the eventual boyfriend (oof), and mysterious shooter. She's very very fun to me personally I love her so much and istg she gets a redemption arc. the entire fic is her redemption arc even if it doesn't look it I SWEAR

I love your asks sm anon and I would love a little sign off. Ty for having such beautiful deep asks for me <3

[an-au-blog]

I wondered if I should post this for the longest time but...

The whole plot of One Piece but they're all in an asylum (with zosan and a bit frobin bc i love them)

(Disclaimer: consider all the CW that could come with a mental institution (e.g. self harm, mental illnesses, death, violence etc.))

Listen, listen I have it all planned out!

They call the wing they're in "East Blue" because it's the most east part of the facility and it's painted in blue. They keep the patients in small groups at first so that they don't act out or feel threatened. They call this group "the straw hats" after they let one of the patients propose it (the patients all agreed on it).

Luffy is taken in because he can't discern the difference between reality and fiction and thinks there's a pirate treasure he needs to find. It started after his second adopted brother's death - his brain refuses to believe it, so it creates an alternative reality in which his death was heroic and grand.

Both Nami and Sanji are taken in for self-harm and suicidal tendencies (they both failed to commit suicide, main difference was Nami did it during a depressive episode, while Sanji had tried multiple times but stopped himself every time until he almost succeed but was found by his boss- Zeff).

Zoro is highly delusional, has violent tendencies and has paranoia - he thinks anyone who looks strong is challenging him to a fight.

Brook has cotard delusion (also known as corpse syndrome), where he thinks that his body is dead/dying or doesn't exist.

Usopp is a pathological liar with severe depression. He admitted himself with the encouragement of his girlfriend, who had tried helping him after his mother's death.

Franky is a volunteer, who the patients absolutely love. He helps with renovations as well, since his day job is in construction.

Robin and Chopper are doctors. Robin started working at the institution because she used to struggle with suicidal thoughts and self worth and wishes to help those like her. Chopper is a man with dwarfism and has a nice short beard, so some of the patients with a rich imagination think he's a raccoon dog or baby rairdeer.

Jinbe is the owner of the establishment. Everyone loves him and he does his best to provide his patients with what they need. His favorite food is fish and he often orders or takes it from home to eat in his lunch break, so the other employees call him a fish man or First Son of the Sea. he thinks it's funny.

In group sessions, they all share their experiences and progress. It starts off with just Luffy telling stories of him fighting bad guys and monsters in the sea. His stories slowly started including the rest of the east wing. First it was Koby who was an intern nurse and then it was Zoro - he's selectively mute but nodded in agreement on a couple of the stories that he told.

Then he started including Nami, to which she objected at first but slowly stopped, it was nice to feel included. Usopp joined in with his own overexaggerated stories. Then it was Sanji, Luffy called him the cook of his crew, which was oddly fitting but still ironic. Yes, he was a cook before coming in but he also had a severe eating disorder. He didn't tell anyone about it. Until one day he told Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Nami. Luffy made it into a grand heroic story about him surviving starvation on a big rock. Sanji liked it more than having an eating disorder so he accepted it - even added his own spark to it, saying it was Zeff who helped him. (He knew it wasn't true, but he wanted to pretend that he knew Zeff long enough for him to have become the healthy father figure he was deprived of as a child.)

While on the subject of Sanji - he refused to eat. Most times he wouldn't even sit at the table. In the beginning it was so bad that the nurses had to hold him down and force feed him. Slowly he started obeying. It was mainly because they called in either Zeff or Reiju (though he got scared that she would tell the rest of the family where he was, she didn't). The doctors figured he needed a support system but he didn't trust anyone in a white coat and they couldn't ask other patients. Luffy had a thing for freedom and anyone choosing whether or not they did anything... do he was no help. Although on a couple of occasions they would see Zoro taking Sanji's plate and sitting in the corner with him. He would take two bites and feed Sanji one. He refused at first but Zoro told him that "If you don't eat, I won't either." which was one of the few times anyone had heard him talk. Though they had heard him laugh once with Luffy and he responded a few times when Usopp kept asking him questions.

Eventually, Robin came back from her honeymoon with Franky and started bonding with the patients. She became a part of Luffy's "crew" as well. Not long after Franky was welcomed as well.

When Brook came in, he was so skinny that he looked like a skeleton, so when he told Luffy he was, he believed him immediately. Brook is the only one who is allowed to use the musical instruments since he's the only one who can play. Musical therapy turns out to be quite effective, if not for anything else, for calming the patients.

There were a few "incidents" in the courtyard - first with Arlong a few other guards that got moved to another wing, then with some of the other patients. Luffy seemed aggressive on visitation day as well, not recognizing his parent after he went through top surgery, he just called him Crocodile and made up a story about Nami's visitor - her girlfriend Vivi. He would talk about how if she looked pretty like a princess, she must be one and how she was fighting for her country and he would help her.

One of the bigger fights was when he fought Enel - a patient who thought he was a god and had tried starting a cult.

Every once in a while, he'd start a fight and Zoro (and sometimes Sanji) joined in to help their friend. It happened a couple more times until one of the upper-ranked doctors (Dr Kuma) decided to separate them for a while to see if their attitude changed. It was only a few months but it seemed like they got worse. Luffy and Zoro would get all silent and non-responsive for hours sometimes days. Sanji would lose all the progress he made with his eating disorder and would try to find sharp objects to self-harm again. Nami and Usopp's emotional state would worsen as well, having full-blown panic attacks, Usopp developed paranoia and an eating disorder (but he started handling it little before getting released back with the rest of the east wing).