#best routine endings in the final imo..

[ladelbarrio]

Routine ending: Alice D'Amato 🇮🇹 + Jordan Chiles 🇺🇸 [Floor final, Paris Olympics 2024]

[lake-cosay]

i finally decided i think lake is autistic

some of you might be thinking "duh" but some of you might be thinking "thats bullshit" but just. hear me out.

lake is definitely developmentally delayed in some way. and i think autism fits the best. now, obviously autism isn't something that develops purely from environmental factors, you're either born with it or you're not, and you could make the case that a reflection's biology doesn't allow for the neurobiological differences that cause developmental delays. but i personally don't think it's that deep.

yes, most of my "evidence" is cirumstantial, you could definitely read a lot of lake's autistic-seeming behaviors as other things, and that's fine. but what im getting at is, i think that if lake were to see a mental health professional who really got to know them and who understood autism at more than just a stereotypical young white boy level, that they would be seen as autistic.

so. here's a list of things about lake that read as autistic to me (someone who's only relatively recently learned they're autistic):

excited to engage in basic stimuli that most people find weird or boring ("im gonna touch a tree or like smell something! what's something that smells good?")

taking their hair down and discarding the backpack asap (yes, this is also definitely related to separating themself from tulip, but im choosing so see it as also wanting to feel physically comfortable in their own skin)

bluntly honest. says exactly what they're thinking with little to no filter

very excited to experience new things (mostly basic stimuli like seeing new things, smelling things, touching things, etc) (which kinda reads more as adhd, as a need for routine and stability is pretty standard with autism, but i think that's just one of those autistic traits that just doesn't show up much in lake. they're sensory seeking!!!)

does not need to eat but chooses to anyways bc they enjoy it

likely can't read or write properly bc they never had a chance to learn (autism is a developmental disability, it's normal for us to develop slowly in some areas!!!)

had to learn by doing, by imitating. copying. mimicking.

little/poor social skills (yes, they are only 13 tbf, and yes, part of it is def cause they didn't get to Exist As A Person for most of those 13 years) (the way the talk to AD upon first meeting him hurts my soul. baby that's a deer. he can't understand you)

only person/people who seem to really understand them are tulip and jesse, who are also both definitely autistic

that one part in the lucky cat car where lake says "that's not the point, jesse!" then proceeds with "the point is," being purposefully clear with their friend who is also autistic, to make sure they're both on the same page.

if they want you to know how they're feeling or what they think they will just Tell You (low-masking). thinking about it they really just Say What They're Feeling so often. good for them

sometimes the way they explain things to jesse feels like info-dumping to me. if it's something they care about they will just Keep Talking and if not, they say it very bluntly

please please please feel free to add on, i am so tired but i just. they feel autistic to me. like i said, most of this can explained by other things, and i doubt they intended lake to be autistic coded, but that's what they ended up being imo

[lilacxquartz]

Ever since Don’t Make Me Feel Alive ended, I feel like this void has developed in my heart. I saw your ask detailing that Kenjaku might be good for being a caretaker and I made the connection that this is why I also liked this story so much. A slow realization of feelings of a morally wrong character who tries to keep the reader or love interest safe. Would it be a reach for me to request more content like this? I know Kenjaku is morally wrong but I really enjoy reading about the soft parts.

hi anon! i get you 100%, there is something very special about kenjaku (and villains in general) being written/portrayed in a nurturing role. i feel like it makes them somehow even more terrifying but it also gives them more depth than just being an evil character.

& no, it wouldn’t be a reach imo to request something more like this! i’ve been thinking about it (because i think about kenjaku a lot haha) and, i have a few scenarios in mind.

you know me, you know the drill, extensive yapping up ahead—

the first fic that i’m on and off considering writing, is like, the reader has the flu, so their cold, usually emotionally distant partner suddenly becomes so sickly sweet and nurturing. this throws us all off for a beat but kenjaku would be very good at it. probably has the best soup recipe stored up in that millennia old brain ever known to man. the dark fic writer in me tells me that the reader would try to make themselves feel sick to get more affection so it becomes a toxic relationship fic.

the second one is purely platonic, but let’s consider you work for or with them routinely and are friends, but you’re getting old. they’re in their third vessel of the century and therefore they’re still young and kicking but you don’t have such an option. i’d like to think that behind that villainous front, that they would either be neutral or caring for the people they don’t mind/tolerate, but they would do it in a completely tsundere or annoyed way.

like tutting when you can’t keep up with them. showing up with a walking stick one day and making you use it because your wobbly walking posture bothers them. replacing your mattress and pillows while you’re out on an errand because you don’t need back problems on top of what you already have. making you drink some sort of rancid concoction that they claim is good for your brittle bones. dumping a 5kg crate of tangerines at your doorstep as soon as winter begins.

finally, maybe, this one’s a bit dark. i’m considering this one for the upcoming yandere nightmares entry, but, taking very good care of a reader that they might consider as a vessel in the future. like it’s going to be their body too, so they show up in your life at some point and make it a whole show to keep you as physically and mentally healthy as possible.

but there’s a problem. they actually find that they like you as a person, so it hurts to do so, so they start to, like, reverse caretake. they try to give themselves excuses to not take you over because your body is becoming worn from all of those snacks they keep giving you or those late nights they forced you to stay up, or from damaging your knees or back after making you carry all of those boxes. but at the same time, they like you, so it’s a back and forth losing battle.

maybe one for a chapter of chasing humanity where the reader catches a cold and they have to reluctantly take care of her too, i feel like that could be a good relationship development chapter.

but yeah!! it is very encouraging also to see more people be into nurturing kenjaku by the way. if this is a desired theme, then i’m happy to write more about kenjaku in these types of situations however many times possible. <3

[shrimplymoray]

Twisted Wonderland Headcanons Heartslabyul + Che'nya

I finally have the time to do this post. I've wanted to do this one for a while but life and other stuff got in the way. So... Yeah! All character art used is by me, headcanons may have some basis on friends hcs I like, but overall its very much what I think. More under the cut.

Riddle Rosehearts

Mixed Asian and Latino (if in our world);

has eyebags and moles on his face but hides it with makeup as best as he can;

Red undertone skin, very rosy;

Everything about his appearance is kept pristine and proper. His hair is always combed, his nails are manicured, no body or facial hair, etc;

Probably has undiagnosed autism;

So sheltered from the real world, he has trouble keeping real conversations without overanalyzing everything being said or bringing up the Queen of Hearts rules;

Is not allowed to hold hands because his mom thought that would mean he was gonna skip studies to date. (He "accidentally" forgot about that on NRC);

Tries to keep in contact with Che'nya while on NRC but is afraid of messing things up, especially after his overblot;

Cares more for Deuce and Ace than he lets himself show. secretly defends them during housewarden meetings.

Gender Non Conforming, He/they/xe;

Biromantic Asexual.

Has had a tiny crush on Trey before.

Trey Clover

Blasian;

Strongman body type but less intense;

Softest body around, Heratslabyul Sleepover human pillow;

His hands are a bit rough from dealing with cooking and the occasional kitchen accident;

Always smells of pies. Even when he didn't make any. It's his natural scent;

Is farsighted;

He has 3 glasses with different frames, for different occasions, but only uses the same pair because black goes with anything;

Suffers the "M'lady" and "erm actually" jokes from Cater and Ace;

Still keeps in touch with Che'nya, they text sometimes and during summer break Trey sends baked goods for Che'nya to share with his grandpa;

Claims he is a normal dude but can make any recipe if he read how to make it once before;

Knows how to help during panic attacks and sensory crises due to his siblings needing him before;

Cis man, He/him;

Pansexual.

Has received more love letters than any other Heartslabyul dorm member.

Cater Diamond

Token white friend/j

anyway yeah, he is the whitest person from the Heartslabyul cast IMO

a bean of a boy

wakes up way earlier than the others to do skin care routines trending on Magicam

If something is trendy and isn't too expensive, he is buying and wearing it till the trend ends.

barely passing grades, but still passing.

has had an off with your head for almost failing sometimes, but Riddle had to just accept Cater is not the brightest academically.

if he could, he would pay double to get more piercings but Riddle would probably actually chop his head off for that.

Social butterfly, but heavy impostor syndrome.

has hidden eyebags with makeup before from spending hours doom-scrolling on his phone

Has a crush on Trey but is too afraid of rejection to make a move.

Bigender He/they

Bisexual

flirts with people by accident sometimes.

Ace Trappola

mixed asian and white

besides being mixed, he is the token white guy of the group.

basic af, will crumble if u give him spicy food.

way too comfortable with flirting with Deuce for everyone to think they r just friends.

his brother pierced his ears and they both got scolded (Ace was 12)

way richer than he think he is, can buy really nice stuff without batting an eye and doesn't realize it. Not on Kalim's level, though.

Every week Ace has his head offed by Riddle in some form of way. Sometimes will drag Grim with him on these.

is afraid of thunderstorms and will not admit it.

Cater's protected child, they both do chaos together.

Cis man, he/him.

Omnisexual with female preference

even tho his real preference seems to be Deuce.

Deuce Spade

Asian.

probably autistic, but no one notices cuz he hits the not-noticeable aspects of the spectrum.

Asks for tutoring from Trey, since he is low-key very high-key afraid of Riddle's scoldings

Half of the time on Track and Fiel club turns into hype sessions

If Ace wasn't his closest friend at NRC with Yuu and Grim, it would be Epel

His mom sent him his old jackets so he would feel at home in school. Ace uses them and fakes being a delinquent.

While Ace is protected by Cater, Deuce is protected by Trey. The duality of men.

Helps whoever he can during PE classes, he wants to be seen as reliable like Trey.

Trans man, he/him

Bisexual, no preference.

Doesn't get why people think he and Ace are a couple.

BONUS: Che'Nya

Blasian + Vitiligo

Has Discalculy

They were supposed to be a regular white cat beastman, but they dyed their fur for funsies

Loves arts and crafts, and their pants were embroidered by themself.

Their grandpa taught them arts and crafts.

No one knows why they are in RSA and not NRC, Trey says he thinks they got an invitation from NRC first and a RSA after they rejected NRC, but is not sure.

Uses their magic all the time, and find loopholes to say they can use their magic.

Doesn't hang with the popular kids at RSA, but has a little group of friends.

Texts Trey all the time they can, mostly to share Magicam memes.

They have a planner of dates they will try crashing unbirthday parties at NRC. Only started this after Riddle became a housewarden.

No teacher calls them by their name, it is either their nickname Che'nya or Pinka.

Genderfluid They/it/xe/nya

Omnisexual with a preference for masc leaning.

No one knows how they have not been expelled from how much they sneak around and poke and prod at what they shouldn't.

[etrosgate]

Liar Game. it's a psychological thriller manga, with each arc dedicated to a different Game that tests the participants abilities to outwit each other, in contests of trust and betrayal, with the stakes of a lifetime of debt on the line. highly recommended for anyone who loves mind games and clever deduction, and it's got a lack of violence that's very atypical for the death/debt game genre, so it's a great pick even for the squeamish.

but one of my biggest obstacles in recommending liar game is how most of the english fan translations routinely misgender fukunaga, one of the main characters who is a trans woman.

(for the record, her writing does start out pretty transphobic at the beginning (a classic trap+reveal twist, kinda cartoon villainy), but it soon rounds out and she ends up easily one of the best characters in the manga)

essentially. i have decided to at least attempt going through the entire manga and fixing her pronouns (and swapping out the r slurs that inevitably end up in every manga fan translation for some reason lol).

completed arcs are in separate zip files, for size considerations on your end And so i can post some before i finish all 201 chapters. (also i really don't care about redistribution or credit, spread them wherever you like lol)

please give the series a shot and tell me if you enjoy it! it'll do wonders for my motivation haha.

i'll probably move stuff to a different site at some point but. for now. you can download them here. [ACT 7 "MUSICAL CHAIRS" IS AVAILABLE NOW!!]

want to be notified when the next act is out? you can click the three dots at the top right of this post and follow it!

just a few additional warning for the series:

some of these are vague cause i haven't revisited them yet so it's just in my memory lol

the recurring antagonist yokoya explicitly admires hitler, and his rushed... idk if i'd go so far as to call it redemption? but it brings it back in a way i remembered being weird

in chapter 59 of the contraband game, yokoya squeezes some mice in with his hand and throws them do the ground, but it's not really graphic beyond squeals and it lasts like 2 panels

in chapter 18 of the downsizing game, you see the body of someone who has committed suicide, but it's no more graphic than an intact body with a blood splatter

in chapter 134+135 of musical chairs, you see the physical and emotional abuse of a child.

backstories discuss stuff like cults, suicide, and abuse

stuff that isn't content warnings but i want to inform you of anyway

its ending is infamously unsatisfying, from a really rushed/boring final game, to leaving off on a major cliffhanger. speaking for myself, just knowing that reputation helped me enjoy that section for what it is instead of being bitter about what it isn't.

THAT BEING SAID. the volume release of the ending is actually different enough to be notable (and imo improves it significantly), so for this project i intend on using it instead of the magazine release (and at some point going back through and replacing all the crusty magazine scans w/cleaner tankoban scans. but that's a long ways off)

please trust me when i say that kanzaki nao has gradual but significant character development (without losing any of her fundamental attributes). like don't worry, this isn't the case of a female protag who exists solely to get saved by a guy who is always the smartest cool guy. it's way more interesting than that. just give her time (act 4 is where she really starts to shine, imo).

if i've forgotten something major please tell me lmao

[sugurushimura]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm fairly certain Shimura is your favourite character, or at least one of. I was just curious as to what drew you to him specifically. He's definitely been sparking my interest lately so I figured it best to ask the experts (Shimura enthusiasts).

oh yeah, shimura is definitely my favorite character. the first time i started to think about the yotsuba group, i actually liked mido best and ranked shimura probably somewhere around the middle, and then i fell out of dn for a while. looking through htr sometime around... 2013 or 2014, probably, started me thinking about what it must like to be an unwilling participant in something like the meetings of death, and that's what initially drew me to shimura.

so a huge part of it is his status as the main dissenter of the yotsubas. in general, i tend to like the one least evil guy out of the group of evil guys, haha. i also like the fact that shimura, more than any of the other yotsubas imo, undergoes actual character change throughout the arc - not just a change in his position on kira, like namikawa, but an actual change in who he is, understated though it may be.

i mean, think about it. here we have this guy who is at his core a bit of an anxious mess, who struggles to advocate for himself and his ideas and seems to get walked all over pretty often, who is mainly seen by his colleagues as an alarmist and never really rises to challenge this view. to have him specifically be the only one of them to decide something has to be done about kira is, i think, pretty extraordinary.

even though shimura certainly isn't a main character, we see this change in mindset over the course of the manga as his fears are dismissed and their collective sins pile up and worsen: first they murder remotely, then a man dies in front them, then they kill one of their own, then his fellows dismiss this death as a necessary evil. we see him go to ooi privately with his concerns, then we see ooi brush him off privately and interrupt him publicly, and we even see him attempt to get kira to reveal his identity to the rest of them before he goes to mido. this is a meek guy who's stuck in an awful situation that demands something awful of him, and over the course of the arc, he struggles to cope with that in multiple ways, until finally he decides that something has to be done. by the time the arc ends, imo, who shimura is has it its core changed.

this character arc appeals to me on two levels. first, there's the moral aspect of it: here we have a guy who is routinely forced to be complicit in murder, and how the hell does anyone cope with that? the second level is the almost cassandra-ish aspect of it: he notices all these suspicious things and tries to caution the others about them, but no one listens to him. hell, shimura is suspicious of coil and misa both, and if he were only better at arguing, i really think the yotsuba group could have carried on for longer than they did. both of these struggles are really interesting to me.

shimura also has some of the most distinct relationships with the other yotsubas. he interacts with more of his colleagues outside the meeting room than anyone else does (takahashi outside the elevator, hatori while questioning matsuda, ooi after the meeting where hatori freaks out, mido and namikawa during the sneaky meeting), so we get a comparatively full look at how he interacts with his colleagues as individuals. and, interestingly, he seems to get along with a lot of them pretty well outside the meetings; he engages in small talk with takahashi, clearly has some rapport with hatori and ooi, and seems to gain some respect from namikawa.

i also think the fact that he was raised by an unassuming single mother is an important detail, because it implies that he was probably raised relatively poor. unlike the others, he seems to have climbed up the ladder on his own merits without any financial backing from his family - like, he is literally the only yotsuba who doesn't have a rich father (except for kida, but kida's parents are academics, which is still a far cry from being raised brought up poor). it's intriguing, imo, that the one guy who doesn't come from wealth is also the guy who is most openly appalled at murder and who seems most capable of developing genuine relationships.

and, of course, it's all wrapped up nicely in a nervous wreck of a middle aged man with a solid character design. beatles haircut, wide eyes, long chin, thin cheeks, large nose, defined lips... he's very distinct and his character design says a lot about him, which is a strong suit of the yotsubas in general. and i love nervous wreck middle aged men in suits, so on a superficial level, he's right up my alley.

all of this comes together to form a character who is, imo, very distinct despite being one of eight: he comes from a different background from his peers, relates differently to the people around him, and reacts differently to their shared situation. of course, all the yotsubas are distinct from each other, but shimura in particular is different largely because he just cares more than he should. this serves as a great defining trait for a guy stuck in a situation where no one else (and certainly no one in control) really seems to care that they're doing something morally reprehensible and putting themselves in danger in the process.

this is all fun but ultimately minor within the story of death note, which is fine. shimura serves his purpose in the story by showing consistent dissent during the meetings, both morally and practically, and by bringing namikawa and mido together to discuss kira. all that is in itself important to the yotsuba arc.

from a more creative angle, shimura makes a great character to explore the yotsuba group itself since he's a pseudo-outsider who is acutely aware of how horrifying their situation is. i love writing about him and thinking about how the events of canon motivate and change him, especially in regards to his position at yotsuba. i also think his character provides an excellent opportunity to explore the pervasive culture of corporate greed and apathy that allowed the yotsuba kira to flourish in the first place - because people like higuchi don't come from nowhere, and people like namikawa and ooi don't comply with him for no reason. the way i see it, the yotsuba kira situation is just an undisguised look at evils that already existed in the yotsuba group, as well as in the real world, and thus is a compelling setup to explore those evils. for these hypothetical stories, shimura is an ideal pov character.

anyway, this is why shimura is the true main character of the yotsuba arc, thanks for coming to my ted talk

[nosolaceofastraightanswer]

i hate sparrow ben so much literally fuck that guy. and it’s not that bullshit take where i’m mad he’s an asshole; it’s fine to have an asshole character. my problem is that he could’ve just been like any other guy. he didn’t have to be an alternate version of ben. the twist was just for fucking shock value and they didn’t follow through basically at all!!!!! imo you shouldn’t make an alternate version of a character if:

original character’s personality is BARELY shown because they’re used as a crutch for a different character- this goes double for fandom treatment

new character doesn’t really have any parallels to the old character (specific to them)

NOBODY FUCKING REACTS?? BESIDES LIKE TWO LINES THEY JUST GENUINELY DON’T CARE

and when they do, it’s THE SAME CRUTCHED CHARACTER!!!! we literally don’t learn anything new here (ABOUT BEN!!! idc abt klaus rn okay. ben deserves a fucking arc. it doesn’t count if everything he does is just a propellant for part of klaus’s character development)

original character already had what was probably the best closure they were going to get

like klaus was already basically scrapped to the side for s3 (UGH) and he barely interacts with anybody, and he only hangs with sparrow ben at the end. his arc was a mess!!!!! i’m not a klaus girlie (gn) but even i can stand here and say that he deserves better. he deserved to actually interact with more than one character

imagine s3 where sparrow ben is some random guy. he’s just a sparrow. ITS THE SAME FUCKING THING!!!!!!!

even if you just want shock value bullshit, “dad replaced us with other children” is kind of insane already okay.

they set up parallel universe shit and then were So Boring about it. no alt versions of the brellies. weird apocalypse that undermines the routine of the show. it’s not good!!

okay this kind of went off the rails but TLDR: sparrow ben was badly written and just used for shock value, and the season would be almost identical if instead of being an alternate version of their brother, he was just Some Guy (NOT A BAD THING). my problem is not with him as a character alone, it’s the fact that he’s supposed to be au!ben

and my final reason for hating sparrow ben?? it’s really petty okay. actually more of a fandom thing but PEOPLE PUT THEIR SPARROW BEN POSTS IN THE “ben hargreeves” TAG!!! i go in there looking for u!ben and it’s just him. FUCK!!!!!!! you couldn’t have thought of a different tag?? it would’ve been bad enough if they actually paralleled each other correctly, but (imo) that’s just SOME RANDOM GUY!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAA

this fandom is bad enough with cross-tagging which is like a whole other post.

sorry this was a little agressive. like, if you’re a s!ben enjoyer, it’s fine! live your life <333

anyways. byeeeee!!! ✌️

[wildemaven]

Hey hey!! So I had another thought about Sweet Creature that I had to share - That first time Poppy wakes up late, where Dieter ends up offering to help her by watching her class...in a way that's Poppy at her 'worst' since she's usually more organized and with a steady routine. It's on her 'worst' day that Dieter decides to step up and help her despite the rocky past they were still dealing with and as we find out later, it's also the day that he realizes he has feelings for her. The fact that Poppy saw Dieter at his absolute worst and now here's Dieter seeing Poppy at her version of the 'worst' - and it's at her worst that Dieter actually realizes how much she means to him, there's something so sweet about that. No one can blame Poppy for how she reacted when she found Dieter in Diem's bathroom that day, but for you to then have Dieter seeing Poppy on a bad day and having it be a huge turning point for Dieter in how he feels about her was really great storytelling imo. It wasn't a typical love-at-first-sight story, it wasn't like he saw her smile and laugh at Diem's house and went all heart eyes...no, it was when she was frazzled and anxious and worried that he saw something about her that made his heart beat faster. It goes back to the line you wrote for Dieter later on in the story about "seeing me at my worst, how about giving me a chance at my best?" except it's almost reversed in that situation - Dieter had seen Poppy at her best several times already, but it was at her 'worst' that he gave her a chance so to speak and I feel like that fits Dieter so perfectly for him to be doing the opposite there, to be giving a person a chance when they're at their worst vs. their best. Maybe it's because of the things he learned in rehab or maybe it's just down to the big heart he's always had, but I really love that whole detail there <3<3

p.s. I hope that all makes sense hahah, it was hard to figure out how to put into words what I was thinking!

K! I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this!! Like this is so perfect and so soothing on!!

I definitely see it as a full circle moment too. Poppy essentially seeing Dieter at his lowest point, catching in Diem’s bathroom which was the catalyst for him to finally get sober and move home to focus on himself.

Then here he is seeing her at what be her lowest moment after their blow up at Diem’s. She’s lost sleep, not dressed accordingly for her job, forgetting key things for her lessons— definitely frazzled and not her best. And that’s when he’s like “oh!”

I remember not wanting it to be a typical fall in love at first sight going into this series. I wanted it them to have worked on fixing their relationship first and then they start to see these little bits of each other they hadn’t before.

I loved what you said in the DMs too. How he comes from this glam world where everyone is so done up and always on— looks are a bigger factor to those people. So for him to be drawn to Poppy when shes at her lowest point, shows how much he’s changed and he sees her for who she is ultimately.

Gosh I love this whole analysis between the two of them. It’s so spot on!!

[antigonewinchester]

Reverse unpopular opinion meme: commuting

thanks for the ask!! :)

A commute is the best way to separate work from the rest of your life—since I literally have to move from my 'home' context to a 'work' context, that helps put myself in work-mode when I'm in the office and then forget about work when I'm back at home. Fun to see & talk with coworkers, nice to get out of house, and ppl are generally more productive in the office overall than working from home. Also, I read a ton more because of my commute! IMO reading is the best way to pass public transit commute time, plus commuting provides an in-built routine for it, so I know I'll have at least 30 - 40 mins for reading at the beginning and the end of the day. Finally, I like commuting 'together' and being a face in the crowd; seeing the mom taking her kid into work with her, or the high-school students trying to finish up their homework, or just fellow work commuters. Reminds me that everybody else is out there just trying to do their best, too.

(Reverse Unpopular Opinion ask game)

[bisluthq]

I’m surprised you think MBOBHFT is a Joe song. The whole delusional girl trying to convince herself her boyfriend only left her because he loves her is clearly Matty. The ending as well talking about how she felt more when they played pretend because he took her out of her box, plays into the recurring theme that she thinks Matty was faking it and it was all counterfeit he was just taking her on a ride, but she was still feeling it.

see, to me the whole song reads like a ltr. From “here we go again” to “but you should’ve seen him when he first got me” - it sounds frustrated and disappointed more than the sort of anger/devastation she expresses towards Matty. Also the stuff about puzzle pieces and we were best friends is very similar to positive thoughts she previously shared re Joe. And the idea of “oh we were just playing pretend the whole time” to me - and this is a personal interpretation - reads like a dissolution of a LTR. It’s actually a metaphor I myself used in a short story I once wrote where I spoke about how you know it’s over when you’re just playing pretend and playing house together and not actually being together anymore (the short story dressed the metaphor up a bit more). There’s just this feeling I’ve had where like… “this is just a game now isn’t it? It’s just a routine/bit we’re both doing - neither of us mean it but it’s kinda fun to play like this”. And she’s compared Joe to not being another Ken before in Hits Different whereas here imo she acknowledges that’s all he was in the end.

finally the portions referencing the beginning (“when he first met me”) and her past references to how he looked then and what he was busy with to me ties back to the army doll stuff.

but also I’m not in her head - that’s just how I got the song.

[invsiblestrings]

midnights plot ideas

in honor of dr. swift's latest drop, here are *13* plot ideas based off midnights - 3 a.m. edition. there are some common themes from this album (imo) like learning to love again after heartache, maturing in relationships, wondering "what if?", and manipulating people & situations for better or worse. message me if you'd like to try any of these plots & feel free to reblog.

lavender haze: muse a has always put relationships and domesticity on the backburner, feeling torn between wanting a life partner and wanting to retain their own sense of self. muse b has always loved freely and never felt that happiness and connection were mutually exclusive. when they end up together, muse a has to figure out how to not get caught up in societal labels, timelines, and expectations - while muse b never had any expectations to begin with.

maroon: muse a and muse b met when life seemed simpler - shitty apartments & cheap wine in overcrowded big city apartments. it felt inevitable & easy falling in love then. but when muse a leaves the city & muse b can't (won't?) follow, it's time to see if their connection can survive distance, timing, sobriety, growing up, real life.

you're on your own kid: coming of age in the same small town, it seemed like muse a would always be around, so muse b never thought twice about getting around to finally acting on the simmering hot & cold connection they'd harbored for years. but muse a is getting older now, finding their footing in the world, and no longer content with always coming in last. will muse b ever get it together, or will they get left behind like their hometown?

midnight rain: the golden retriever/black cat trope. muse and muse b were so different, but they always said opposites attract, right? that is, until muse a got it in their mind to propose & muse b said... no. (champagne problems?..) just like that, it was over. and now muse b gets to watch muse a move on - new spouse, new life, and they try to believe they made the right choice all those years ago, but do the "what ifs" keep muse a up at night, too?

question...?: muse a and muse b had one chaotic, silly, perfect night together. for muse a, it felt like they'd finally made it out of the friendzone, like it was really the start of something. but then muse a learned that muse b had a partner all along, and maybe that night didn't mean to muse b what it meant to muse a after all, though they've never actually talked about it.

bejeweled: muse and muse b have been together for awhile now. they've traded the honeymoon phase and butterflies for contentment and routine. but muse a is getting a little too comfortable, and muse b feels forgotten and unappreciated, unsure if they can ever get back to that initial spark. maybe muse a just needs to be reminded of what they have - that muse b has options and can still command attention.

sweet nothing: after years of heartache & insecurity & betrayal, what muse a and muse b have found feels like home & safety & peace. it's the kind of connection that defies definition and makes no sense to the rest of the world and becomes the one thing muse a and b would do anything to defend. it's sacred.

mastermind: muse a and muse b are the ultimate "meet cute" success story. everyone says so. except that it wasn't divine coincidence after all - muse a had their sights on muse b for a long time, planned it all out in painstaking detail, and didn't give up until they could call muse b theirs. and the best part? muse b knew all along - let it happen - because they wanted it just as much.

high infidelity: muse a didn't realize that none of it - the house, the marriage, the picket fence - wasn't what they wanted until it was too late. or was it? now muse a is dipping dangerously into cheating territory and muse b is growing increasingly resentful as the gulf between them grows and grows.

glitch: muse a and b met and quickly became best friends, understanding each other in a way they hadn't found with anyone else. and muse b even became a sounding board for muse a's disastrous dating life horror stories. it worked because muse b was so totally not muse a's type. except one day, it's like a switch flipped & muse b is all muse a can think about, all they want. but how do they explain that to muse b, who so clearly wants to be just friends & has had to listen to all of muse a's flaws and failures?

would've, could've, should've: would it all have been different if muse a and muse b never met? could all the heartache have been spared? and if they could go back, would they even choose to do anything differently? because for all the tears and ghosts of memories and hitting each other where it hurts, there was no other love quite like it.

[loveinhawkins]

Sorry I just like bombed your blog lol but there's something different about the way you write. There's so much love in it the way they all just love each other so much without having to say it explicitly. I'm just 💞

Also I have a question about Self Sacrificial Steve 👀. Is there any plans/ideas of Eddie kind of telling Steve how bad it was when he left? Like Steve keeps doing this he doesn't matter and it would've been just fine if he was gone routine. And meanwhile it really almost killed the group. Like Eddie straight up didn't halfway remember what happened after and screamed so much he almost lost his voice. Nancy kinda just locked down. Robin screamed and had to hold Eddie back. Like I know he kinda showed it in one of the newest chapters but like 👀. I dont think Steve is really grasping yknow?

oh please never say sorry for that, i love seeing people enjoying my stuff, thank you ❤️ (also a side note to anyone who has sent me a message ily & i often hoard it in my inbox like a little treasure ❤️)

& yes the next part (all going well should be posted at some point tonight) will address more of what they need to process (if that sounds vague… uh it is. hehehe). & yeah i’m nodding along at your thoughts on Steve. rambling some more about his psyche under the read more.

imo Steve rationalising that him dying would’ve been the best outcome in a dire situation is partly a coping mechanism but also like… his fear over losing anyone outweighs his own self-preservation. while i think he understands in theory what everyone went through after he died, i think the full impact only starts to hit him when he sees Eddie struggling to recount how quick it was when he asks “how long did it take?”; when Eddie cries without realising & after Eddie’s nightmare. even after all that, i think Steve would still conclude that a reverse situation with Eddie or Robin or Nancy or any of the kids would be unthinkable. yeah, he’s still terrified throughout everything (him sobbing, “Eddie, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to die,” is that fear finally breaking through just before the end, he’s been trying to hold it back the whole time), but the greater fear & the one Vecna exploits is that he cannot keep everyone out of harm’s way, even by sacrificing himself. 💔

[initiumseries]

Everyone who has issues and critiques with Wednesday always says Jenna Ortega was the best part. Sans the writing/dialogue choices, since you live already covered that, what was your full opinion on her performance in Wednesday? Do you think she deserves the current hype?

Well, tbh, I don't think she's a bad actress so much as she played Wednesday with 0 dimension. The whole point of the Addams family is they're macabre and morbid, but they're a loving family, and while Wednesday was always deadpan, in earlier iterations, as I've said before, she was still played with some emotional nuance.

I think there's something to be said for the way Christina Ricci used micro-expressions to add some emotional depth and dimension to Wednesday's character. All these reactions are still *within* the context of her character. Wednesday wouldn't have necessarily BIG reactions, but she's still human, she would react. So the micro-expressions nail that. The smugness as she lights everything on fire, the manic glee as she electrocutes her brother, the frustration as she says "you are fake!" The obvious fear in the first gif, as she struggles for control over herself (chef kiss). Sure, her baseline might be this:

But there's still enough emotional depth that you want to keep watching her, and see what trouble she'll get into next. The way Jenna played Wednesday was, in my opinion, largely just...sullen, flat footed and pouty.

This is about as much range as we get from her:

This stuff gave me whiplash lol. So it just ends up feeling like she delivers these verbose lines, and it's just line delivery. Even in the last Christina Ricci gif, there's a little flick of her eyebrow like, damn right you should be afraid. All I'm asking for.

I also think, with all the interpersonal stuff (mostly with the friends, I do NOT care about that pathetic triangle) she goes through, I would've liked to see more use of micro-expressions to indicate emotional struggle, than just, tights on her sullen face looking in the general direction of a character or her looking off screen, to indicate emotional weight. This also makes it difficult for me to root for Wednesday as a main character, in the way we're meant to. She's obnoxious and rude, entitled and has no real redemptive qualities. The characters around her routinely forgive her for her bad behaviour, despite her showing very little remorse, and because we get no emotional nuance, I don't particularly...like Wednesday, and we're meant to like her. Shows like this, imo, tend to rely too heavily on nostalgia and the appeal of the actors (I think, to have really enjoyed this execution of Wednesday, a big pre-requisite was liking Jenna Ortega in the first place), rather than actually letting the audience get to know the depth of this character through the situations she finds herself in and how she handles them emotionally.

I also would've just liked to have...sat in moments a bit longer, to see how Wednesday deals with the emotional fall out of her choices. We don't see her struggle, she just barrels through with her choices, consequences be damned, and we never slow down enough to actually *watch* her emote. I have issues with how the Addams family in general, and as a result, Wednesday, were portrayed in this iteration, and, while I notice that micro-expressions and small acting decisions are largely bereft of this generation of actors (ugh hate to be THAT guy but alas), I think the devil is in the details, especially when it comes to characters like this, and the ability to elevate and add nuance to them, and there was definitely room to do that. Even with the dogged pace the show kept us at with this bizarre plot, there was room for her to do more to show Wednesday's growth/conflict/small moments from ep 1 to the finale.

[saltymongoose]

Hii! I'm not sure if anyone's asked you this yet, but would you ever be open for writing commissions? -Mastermind Anon >:D

Hello Mastermind Anon lol, welcome to the blog. To answer your question, no, at least not in the near future. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm not in a position where commissions would be needed to help me out financially for starters, so I think one's money would be best spent elsewhere on artists who could use it more. Secondly, with the current state of my schedule here, I think I'd need to be uploading stuff with some regularity to consider taking on that responsibility. Granted, I am getting back into the flow of things since the busiest period of my schooling had ended for now (finals week/next class orientation is finally over yay), but that routine would need to be consistent for some time before I can reliably pace things out, you know?

Then there's also the fact that Ao3 has policies against allowing paid work on their site, which complicates things. That's not even mentioning the additional taxes I'd have to pay on supplemental income from writing commissions. It's just a lot of complication for something that isn't really worth it imo. I much prefer giving you all content for free anyway; the inspiration and feedback you all provide is payment enough for my time spent working on pieces lol. Thanks for the question though! :) <3

[alstroemeriadissonance]

hellooo i rly enojoyed seeing your thoughts on vyn's personal ssr (sickly one) and i was wondering if youve read chp 3 of his personal story? if so, what are your thoughts on it :00

Vyn's Personal Story Chapter 3? Otherwise known as Vyn's Friendzone Boogaloo?

Vyn getting hit with multiple instances of "he's just my friend!" "you're my close friend!" is really hilarious but really who was even surprised at this point? Vyn's chosen method to break through Rosa's reservations towards him was going through the "Lets be close friends" routine. And he did this several times himself, too.

He sure dug his grave lol. But, to be fair, all things considered that was probably the only way he could get closer to her. Otherwise Rosa would just automatically filter out his overtures as wishful thinking on her part because he just appears to be too good for her.

Way to go for being too perfect, Dr. Sexy.

More serious, spoilery stuff under the cut!

This chapter the best to date imo (barring romance-wise, most probably) because it touches on Vyn's hottest topic: his being a red flag.

Let's admit it: he does check all the tick boxes of potentially doing a 180 in terms of allegiances. But him being one of the main LIs in an otome game makes that as likely as, say, Luke having a 3-year shelf life.

Improbable, but not impossible.

The first few parts of Chapter 3 were bits of exemplary writing: they did a good job of inserting that little bit of doubt of 'what if Vyn is really the bad guy?'

Now, that effect may be diminished for Global players because we have the privilege of knowing what happens in Tears of Themis for the next months or so, given that we're behind CN by a year...

But put yourself in CN player's shoes back when Ch 3 was first released, not knowing about what happens in the Anniversary, or that there would be Vyn cards where he and Rosa are a couple, etc...seeing how Vyn slots in quite perfectly in the perpetrator's profile. It's enough to plant that small seed of doubt of "what if?" and simply entertaining that possibility of Vyn being the perp can throw someone into a loop (for Vyn stans) or completely turn them off (for non Vyn stans).

Not to mention how Vyn effortlessly used PUA techniques on Rosa last Chapter 2 to make a point, as an example.

In any case, fact is Vyn has the capacity to be a bad guy...if he wants to. The clause "if he wants to" is very important--will talk about that in a bit.

We already know how morally grey/neutral Vyn can be by the end of Near and Far, if it serves his goals (goal in this case being prompt, unobstructed justice...just in his own terms).

I wouldn't even touch on False Tears, that hot potato of a card, since a lot of Vyn stans like to wave off his capacity for manipulation, totally neglecting his dictaphone monologue by the end of that card.

Anyway...

IMO, Wesley Dunn was actually correct when he said that he and Vyn are the same. Objectively the same.

Yes, I know that's a hot take, but bear with me.

Barring specifics, both have the same background (we already know just how special Vyn's is, but that doesn't negate the fact that they were both moving in privileged, oppressive circles during their youth), same skills, same level of charisma.

But one thing spells out the difference in how they turned out. This is where I come back to Vyn having the capacity to be a bad guy if he wants to.

See, the difference between him and Wesley are the choices they made; how they used their life experiences and skills. Wesley, we finally learn, used his skills primarily to take revenge at those he deemed wronged him, and he eventually went off the deep end and started harming innocent people to get his jollies. He didn't need to, really, and he didn't do harm directly--he just taught others how--but cause harm he did, lashing out as a way to distract himself from the cold, hard fact that he pushed the only person he loved to suicide.

Now, Vyn. He used his talents to dig himself out of the gilded, fancy hellhole he came from, made himself a totally new persona (and possibly naming himself after his favorite thing, natch), carved a new life with a fulfilling career and devoted following. This is all aside from the fact that he is also devoting much of his effort towards NXX and finding a cure for it.

His choices are never mutually exclusive to the fact that he possesses the very same qualities that enabled Wesley's depravities; we just know that Vyn chose not to go that path. Now, what he did in the ending of Near and Far may be toeing the the line a little bit, BUT let's give our favorite fucked up little man the benefit of the doubt and believe that he believes he did it for the good of everyone involved.

Whew. I sure said some words.

That said...might as well say my hot take about Dr. Sexy: Vyn can be a red flag. Vyn can be sus. But imo that's not a bad thing, really. Because I trust that whatever Vyn does, he truly believes its for the good of everyone involved, somehow. No matter how his choices appear.

I have that much faith in his writers (Hoyo writers), at least.

uggghg sorry for blathering so much. My brain-to-keeb diarrhea is such when it comes to Dr. Sexy. Thanks so much for this ask!!!!!!

[funkymbtifiction]

 Hello there, Charity! First of all, I'd like to thank you for your sharing your insights on mbti and enneagram, they definitely have provided me with a new perspective upon them. I have been typed by someone as an ISTJ 9w8 sp/sx, and I'd like a second opinion regarding that, in order to either confirm it or look for something else that might suit me better. However, as a warning beforehand, my self awareness may not be the best. Regarding my cognitive stack, I am fairly convinced that I may have Te-Fi/Fi-Te in my stack, due to the fact that I am often focused on specific rules and limitations in order to avoid trouble and gain control over my situation and environment. I do not understand and often hold a disdain for those who do break rules, as that means getting into trouble and making my situation a lot more difficult ( not even mentioning thwarting my plans that I've made beforehand ), which I am not fond of. 

That does sound STJ, yes, and super-ego (abide by the rules).

I think that I lack Fe due to the fact that, although I can try placing myself in somebody else's shoes to attempt to see their situation from their perspective, I may not be able to know how to approach a sensible situation properly. I also have a really hard time talking about feelings or anything of the sorts. If I am particularly upset, I'd rather prefer to be left alone than comforted, so I can deal with those feelings myself.

Yeah, that is consistent with low Fi. I am not so sure that I am a Si dom. Even if I can get nostalgic about certain things at times, memories of the past can end up being haunting than being treated as lessons to learn from or to guide me/be used as a reference for the future. I don't hold family or other similar structures in a high regard, and I often despise viewpoints which I perceive as too conservative or limited, as I think that they're a bit outdated and need to evolve in order to adjust with our current times. Although I can enjoy a certain nostalgic moment, if there is too much of a routine regarding that, I will get bored soon enough.

This doesn't rule out ISTJ, IMO. ISTJs are the most logical of all 16 types and the least sentimental; Te is all about using what works and that means being modern, setting goals, and adapting to some extent to the outside world as it progresses and moves forward. Si does want to hold onto what lasts / matters, however, which brings in a sense of pragmatism (for example, "family" is often important to SJ types in general, because it's through family that you connect to your ancestral roots and ensure your future). SJs are not necessarily conservative / traditionalists (some are, some aren't; it depends on if the Si users CARES about those things as an individual or not; it's not automatic "oh, we've always done it this way, this is good enough for me"). But it could also mean you are ETJ.

As for my weak point, I think that I may have Fi/Fe as an inferior function. Even though I do have an internal moral code I hold myself up to, I can hardly understand the depth of interior feelings, and if I focus on them or introspect too much, I can spiral down into depression and ruminate on all of my emotionally negative experiences. Although I may enjoy the adrenaline and physical sensations that some negative emotions may provide, sometimes it's a bit too much.

Yes, that would be consistent with inferior Fi. And finally, for my enneagram, I have been thinking that I may be a 3w4 sp/sx. I do enjoy impressing people by acting a certain way, and obtain certain reactions from them to make sure that they grow fond of me. I do act a certain role depending on who I am with in order to obtain what I want or to adapt to them/the overall environment that surrounds them. I can appear drastically different depending the setting (for example, work me is much more different than me with my friends ). I am also heavily competitive, and I dislike it when I see someone doing better than me or being better than me in any way, and I do have a strong urge to imitate fictional characters/people which I admire in order to succeed and form my image the way I'd want it to be.

That does sound more 3 than 9. Would ESTJ 3 fit? I also don't see sp/sx. Sp/so is more likely. (You clearly care about competing against people and making people like you, so you have some awareness of the social realm/your reputation/how others see you.) This is a lot to read, so I'd like to thank you if you do take your time to take in all of this and provide your own opinion/insight regarding it. I also wish you a nice day, and be sure to take care of yourself, Charity~

Thanks, you too!