#but i'm very glad that this phenomenon still exists

[ceaselessims]

my favorite thing about doorkaey as a ship is that it continues the honored fandom tradition of shipping characters that likely never met

[thebreakfastgenie]

The social and cultural sacrifices were enough to have continued ruining my life five years later, but I'm glad to know I needed to materially sacrifice myself too, to be a really virtuous person. And I didn't even order delivery!

Suffering is not a virtue. I'm not Catholic. I'm sorry you're struggling so much. You're not the only one. It's hard! It's harder because we haven't been able to go through this together as a people.

I mentioned the social and cultural sacrifices because I think they're significant and should be taken seriously. Too often they're not, honestly. A lot of people suffered and are still struggling. That is a very real consequence of the pandemic and I wish we could talk about that without getting bogged down in arguments about whether lockdowns were a good idea because half this country still thinks the other half was just being dramatic. I'm speaking from an American perspective because I'm American and my post was about America and the effects of the pandemic on specifically American society. I do not mean to ignore that COVID is a global issue.

I wasn't calling anyone virtuous or not. When I talked about material sacrifices, I was thinking about WWII rationing. It was sold to the public as virtue by the propaganda, Do Your Part For The War Effort, but the reality was that there was simply not enough material to continue supplying civilians with what they were used to having available during peacetime and wage the war. If we could have avoided those sacrifices we would have. In 2020, the nature of the crisis as well as the sheer wealth of the United States, meant that material sacrifices were very limited, which made it possible for some people to have a fairly sheltered and privileged experience of the pandemic. It's a good thing, for Americans anyway, that we were able to get through COVID with minimal material sacrifices! I just think it contributed to the collective amnesia about the recent crisis we weathered.

Of course, in order to maintain the supply chain, a lot of people have to continue working under harrowing conditions. That's why they were called essential workers. A lot of Americans are fairly willfully oblivious to how much they benefitted from this labor. These are the people who post about how much they miss staying home and baking bread all day. I've been commenting on this because I think there is a connection between this phenomenon and voting patterns in 2024.

There's also nothing inherently wrong with ordering delivery. My issue is with the very recent expectation of cheap, frequent delivery. You can press a button on your phone and have a hot meal of your choice arrive at your door within an hour. That's a science fiction concept. It simply doesn't exist at low prices without an underpaid labor force and that labor force is wholly invisible to a lot of people. The role of the pandemic in this is that the pandemic helped normalize that expectation because we were dependent on delivery and curbside pickup, not just for restaurant meals but even for essentials. We were also encouraged to order delivery from restaurants as an alternative to eating out, partly because people were throwing a fit about it, partly to encourage some level of social interaction and joy under stressful conditions, and partly to help small businesses stay open. I'm not even morally judging people for spending too much money on delivery, your budgeting decisions are yours, as long as they're honest and clear-eyed about it. It's the entitlement that's the problem because cheap delivery doesn't exist without underpaid labor. And also because people are mad about prices being high and willing to vote for fascists about it.

[houseoflibra]

Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas – Bangai-hen The Land of Wind (Part 3)

Page 1

Asmita: - (So that's Sisyphus's brother, the hero, Leo Ilias…) - (What an incredible presence… but…) - (I'm finally face to face…) - (…with someone who has awakened to the Eighth Consciousness!!…)

Sisyphus: - Oh… - Is that really you, brother? - Hasgard and Regulus… - …were convinced you were dead.

Page 2

Ilias: - In which dimension… - …would that be, Sisyphus?

Page 3

Sisyphus: - Wha…

Ilias: - I see… the "death" of the physical body… - It merely fulfilled its destiny in that life. - That's all. - Death is never final by nature. - It is a change of state, an ascension in the dimension of the soul.

Asmita: - …

Sisyphus: - Hahah… You haven't changed. - This brings back memories… - You really are my brother.

Page 4

Sisyphus: - "A change of state"?… - If death is such a trivial thing to you, brother… - …why didn't you come back to Sanctuary?! - You should know! Sanctuary… the world is under threat by Hades! - And Regulus struggled to survive in the forest after you were gone!… - Are you saying you just stood back and watched all that happen?!

Ilias: - You've not changed either, Sisyphus.

Sisyphus: - !… - What does that mean?

Page 5

Sisyphus: - Woooh!

Asmita: - Sisyphus!! - …!! - (When did he…?)

Page 6

Ilias: - What do you think… - …selfish Asmita?

Asmita: - !… - You came here because you wanted to talk to me. - You understand, don't you?

Sisyphus: - …

Asmita: - … - Yes… - I have felt your faint presence in the wind… - …ever since I arrived at Sanctuary. - You must have felt it too, Sisyphus.

Page 7

Asmita: - But whenever I felt your presence, I was reminded of my own immaturity. - It was as if the higher dimension where you exist was just beyond a thin, impenetrable membrane. - But now here you are before me. - So show me… - …your true nature… - …your Eighth Consciousness…

Pages 8 + 9

Asmita: - Tenbu Hourin

Sisyphus: - This… I've heard rumours about it… - Virgo's greatest secret technique!!

Asmita: - This technique takes away the enemy's five senses according to my will. - In other words, it's a form that combines offense and defense.

Page 10

Asmita: - For someone like you, who has no physical body, robbing you of your senses… - …means stripping away and baring your very soul!! - Deprivation of the senses!!!

Page 11

Asmita: - Now let's see what remains in the end… - Show me everything, Ilias!!

Sisyphus: - Asmita, don't!! - Do not underestimate how terrifying my brother can be…!!

Asmita: - …!!

Ilias: - I see. That's certainly an interesting technique. - Then I shall also ask you who you are.

Pages 12 + 13

Ilias: - I'll strip away your senses…

Asmita: - What?!! - You broke through my Tenbu Hourin?!

Sisyphus: - Get out of his way, Asmita!! - My brother doesn't know restraint!!

Asmita: - Wooooh…!

Page 14

Ilias: - I'm glad, Asmita… - …that someone like you is growing up in Sanctuary. - You have individually sought your own senses… - …and constructed a tenacious sense of enlightenment and worldview within you. - That gave you enough strength to create the Tenbu Hourin… - …from your own domain of thoughts within my domain of thoughts.

Page 15

Ilias: - But you still lack maturity. - You should realize that one more time.

Sisyphus: - !!

Ilias: - Lightning Plasma…

Page 16

Asmita & Sisyphus: - Aaaaaughhh!!

Asmita: - (I'm overwhelmed! I can't sustain myself…) - (It feels like I'm going to be scattered to pieces within Ilias's domain…) - (I see now… This is a world where Ilias's intense thoughts can become reality.) - (In other words, it's a world where a phenomenon will not become real unless I believe in it.) - (I have to preserve my senses, and look deeper… and deeper…) - (…and deeper…)

Page 17

Asmita: - (…into myself…)

Ilias: - All those we call wise men and who were once born on earth… - …awakened to the Eighth Consciousness through meditation, prayer, and self-discovery. - That's right. Cosmo… - …and the Eighth Consciousness are not exclusive to Saints. - By nature, it is a mental state that everybody who lives on this planet should strive to attain. - Prayers, wishes and thoughts come into harmony with the universe and become the source of cosmo. - They transcend time and space to become a power for realization… a power for miracles.

Page 18

Ilias: - But in the future, the people of earth will forget this. - They will laugh at prayers, wishes, and harmony. - They will enter an era of lies and exploitation, destruction and division. - And "according to prophecy…" - "A gourd full of ashes will fall on the land of the sun."

Page 19

Sisyphus: - Asmita!!…

Asmita: - (No…) - (Whether you turn inward or outward, what you end up reaching is the root of the universe.) - (In that case, let's go to the very end…)

Pages 20 + 21

Sisyphus: - Asmita's cosmo is rising…

Ilias: - He's remaking this field of thoughts…

Asmita: - (It's incredible… It's as if I was freed from some kind of yoke.) - (As if I've known all along…) - (…the workings of the world… I understand who I am…) - (My thoughts transcend both time and space.) - (Yes, without hesitation, I can always be…)

Pages 22 + 23

Asmita: - (…myself.)

Sisyphus: - The House of Virgo… - No way… these are… - …Asmita's thoughts…

Ilias: - You've awakened… Asmita.

Page 24

Asmita: - Yes. - I am simply one part of the fundamental universe. - And so are you… and so is every life that is connected.

Ilias: - Yes, with this, even if you are in the underworld… - …or when you look out into eternal time, you will not lose yourself. - Sisyphus, you will soon awaken too. - I can see it. - Well… one day, far into the future, all the people of this Earth will awaken. - And when that time comes, people will no longer be deceived by Hades or any kind of evil.

Page 25

Asmita: - But, Ilias… - You and Arkhes have both said it. - You said that, in the future, people will enter into an era of material destruction and division.

Ilias: - Yes. - People will make mistakes over and over again. - Because their souls are as immature as babies. - In fact, humanity repeatedly experiences destruction, learning and awakening, over and over again. - That is what Athena loves about it and what we must protect… - …until this earth becomes a true Elysium.

Page 26

Asmita & Sisyphus: - Yes!

Sisyphus: - Brother… - You once told me to remain as I am. - If I do, I'll be reunited with you… - …right?

Ilias: - Yes. - I am in all things. - I am beside you and beside Regulus too.

Sisyphus: - (After that…)

Page 27

Sisyphus: - (…Asmita went to the Underworld…) - (…and the Holy War reached its climax.) - (We burned our lives and our souls cried out:) - (Awaken!) The End

[sysmedsaresexist]

I sent this ask to a different blog but I don't think they're going to post it... I'm so sad, I'm screaming into the void. I'm scared. I'm sending to you because you're where I learned so much of this

Did i say anything wrong? I put so much work into this ask, I grabbed a screenshot partway through, so this isn't EXACTLY the same ask, but it's very close, I had to rewrite some.

from one DID system to another, please, hear me out, I'm desperate to be heard

Literally NO endos claim to have DID

There's like two, and they still say it's caused by trauma but they were systems first and later trauma made their system unstable

If endos want to demedicalize CDDs, why would they claim to have it? It's a roundabout way to achieve the same goal, it's just extra steps

Endos are literally fighting to get away from CDD spaces, do you actually see endos in the DID tag? The cdd tag? NO

They're in the plural tag, a word they choose to separate from the more clinically associated "multiple" of MPD, they're in the syscourse tags because they're allowed to participate, syspunk is less than a month old and it should be a meme at this point because they already had anti endo as a tag

They are literally saying they are systems that are UNRELATED to CDDs, not that they want to demedicalize being a system System doesn't belong to DID, look at IFS, psychological anthropology, or multiple theory of self, jungian archetypes, or does that mean we should be angry about "computer system" because it dehumanizes us?

And stolen terms? We know who came up with system hopping, it has never been used in RAMCOA. Do any of you actually know where tulpa came from? Like the actual word? Do you know who Alexandra David Neel is? The white woman who invented an imaginary practice that didn't actually exist (What she wrote about is not the same as Buddhist emanation), and created the word tulpa based on another white guy's mistranslation to entertain more white people during the Vietnam War?

So they have new words, they're trying to create more new words, there's so much real, actual research by real doctors into this phenomenon of nonpathological multiplicity in ways that exist outside of clinical psychopathology

The only overlapping word is "system

Plurals tend to get really upset when you use words like alter for them, they don't want to be medicalized at all, they understand what DID is and say, "| don't fit that description", and they're allowed to say that

If I, a DID system, feel I'm healed and integrated and choose to drop the DID label, no one can stop me, and we can't stop people from not picking it up to start with

Why can't anyone have actual conversations about this stuff, I'm so anxious because it seems like people are purposefully trying to misunderstand and lying about how bad the problem is

"Existing" isn't enough to qualify as misinformation, and it seems the only incorrect and unverifiable facts are coming out of the anti endo community.

I'm just so scared and sad.

I just want to know it's going to be okay

First -- I'm glad we can post this for you. I highly recommend screenshotting asks you send to people! It's helped me a lot with my paranoia in the past (did I send that on anon? Did I send that at all??) and it's a good record of your words for later.

Second.

I agree with you, I really do. This is so frustrating, and the self-described anti-endos who have recently flooded system spaces on tumblr are completely unwilling to look at the facts. They're obstinate and stubborn as mules, and unfortunately, that is not going to change. Most of them, if not all of them, are either children or caught in a current cycle of abuse with no way out. Most if not all are currently fighting for survival. They are not in a place to accept others; they can barely accept themselves.

People are purposefully ignoring information. People are purposefully avoiding it.

And it is not, and never has been, your job to fix their issues.

These are people who have always been unwilling to listen. They are children who cannot, for their own reasons, listen at the moment. For whatever reason, they are not in a position to accept endogenic plurality exists, and the more they are pushed, the more they will spit up their vitriol on the puke towel that is syscourse (or, worse, "syspunk").

It is sad. It can be scary. But it's not on your shoulders to fix them.

At the end of the day, you have to ask: what is most beneficial for me in this moment? Next, what is most beneficial for my family in this moment? Then, what is most beneficial for my followers in this moment? Then, and only then, are you getting to "beneficial for the tag to see," if you get there at all. The ask you sent them is lovely, and needed, but they are not ready to see this sort of thing, I can guarantee it.

That's why I'm glad it's here: so others can see it.

The last point I'll make is... Please make sure that you are valuing the correct things in your life, anyone reading this. If syscourse is stressing you out, please make sure to take appropriate breaks and check your brain. Remember that this is largely an online issue; the real world is quickly progressing to be more plural accepting and more accepting in general, and there are far bigger issues than an idiot crosstagging misinformation in a niche online discourse. I'm not trying to say this isn't an issue, and it should absolutely be spoken out about, but make sure to take care of yourself while you do. Anti-endos and pro-endos who are idiots online are not the end all be all of system activism. In fact, they rarely fit that definition.

Please do not let these places completely wreck you emotionally. You deserve so much better than that.

Sending love to all our followers; good luck staying afloat out there. <3

[xoxoemynn]

8, 14, and 64!! (If any of these have been picked then pick the ones you want to be asked :) )

YAY thank you, friend!! I've answered a couple of these so I'll pick some fun ones for you. 💕

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up Ed blinks and rapidly scrolls up and down the page. That can’t be it. A studio doesn’t just fucking cancel someone that successful. Ed had reviewed all the film grosses, both domestic and international; the numbers were there. And Ed saw the way the man danced; Stede was a phenomenon on his feet. And HB Low just let him fucking get away? Were they absolutely insane?

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences? I rely a lot on music to get me in the right headspace. My go-to song, because I feel it gets into ALL the big Ed/Stede emotions for nearly every situation, is The Story. I will literally listen to every version I have on it on loop for however long it takes while thinking about whatever situation the characters are in and then go. I do sometimes draw from personal experience, but alas, I haven't had a Great Big Love like Ed and Stede, so when it calls for that, it's mostly just the power of imagination.

11. Link your three five favorite fics right now I haven't had as much time as I'd like to be reading, but a few that are lingering on my brain right now!

2 Fluff 2 Furrious by @monksofthescrew: the sequel to the PHENOMENAL Fluff. Summary: In which Ed and Stede and their (!) ten (!!) dogs take an unhinged and perhaps ill-advised roadtrip in a dog bus. It's cute. It's emotional. It's Ed and Stede stupidly in love with SO MANY CUTE DOGS. And it's an absolutely impeccable Ed voice. WIP, just one chapter for now, but I've read the next and it's SO GOOD.

Moment of Truth by @trans-top-stede and karawrites: It's the most gloriously frustrating time loop; set during 2x06, Ed and Stede can't come until they learn how to fucking TALK TO EACH OTHER!!!!! I'm a few chapters behind and I am very excited to catch up this weekend, but oh my god, the EMOTIONS and the SEX it's all so good.

The Incident at Direfold Manor by @helloimjennsco: GOOD SPOOKY HORROR. It's the kind of uncomfortable feeling, something lurking in the shadows watching you vibe and it's SO UNSETTLING I LOVE IT AND AM SO CURIOUS TO SEE WHERE IT GOES. Still a WIP, and this is one I'm REALLY glad to be reading as it posts because the twisty turnies are so tasty.

The Tolling Bells by @edsbacktattoo: Recently completed, absolutely gorgeous fic with a unique premise that feels all the more poignant after the cancellation. I just keep thinking about how there is NO POSSIBLE UNIVERSE THAT EXISTS, real or fictional, where Ed and Stede DON'T find each other and fall in love, and how lucky we are to get to witness that. Good shit.

I Spit on Your Grave by @epersonae: A complete one shot! I have accepted this fic as canon now. The conversation Ed and Stede have is one I was really craving in S2, and this version of it scratches that itch perfectly. And because it's epersonae, you know it's some really beautiful, emotional, evocative writing.

Get to know the fic writer ask game!

[donnerpartyofone]

Several years ago when I was consistently finding myself awake between 2 and 5am and wondering what I should do about this, I literally stumbled upon a book in the street that blended research into the cultural history of this sleep pattern with a treatise on the phenomenon of the Black Madonna. This drew me into a series of synchronistic experiences that had begun before the discovery of the book and continued to unfurl, and I would probably sound pretty insane if I described the whole thing in detail, which I will not do. But I think that the nature of existence is so unavoidably subjective that there is nothing inherently wrong with conscientiously developing and indulging your own belief system, so long as it isn't causing you to abuse others or "fly" off the top of a building or anything else that interferes with your ability to function. Besides which I'm such a deeply agnostic person that I don't think "belief system" totally applies to my process. I'm not really interested in religion as dogma, but I am interested in it as a record of how human beings grapple with chaos and mystery.

I try to be super aware of my attraction to synchronicity though, I think that it is not usually a good idea to project that the Universe or whatever is trying to communicate something specific to you personally. Mytholigizing is OK if the results are healthy and you're still assuming responsibility for your choices, we all to do a little narrativizing from time to time to give things meaning and to establish a sense of progress. This all came up for me yesterday because I know that the folks at church are starting to wonder if I'll convert, and of course I can never ever explain to them what I'm really doing there. Sometimes I imagine myself converting and just keeping my esoteric reasons to myself, but I just don't think I can promise anybody that I believe in the literal, historical reality of the New Testament. I also feel like the history of the Catholic Church is so vast and complicated that I could never gain a responsible understanding of what I was actually subscribing to. So I was walking around my neighborhood, thinking about all the reasons that wouldn't work for me, when once again I stumbled upon a book in the street. The book was a memoir chronicling an academic atheist's journey to embracing the Catholic Church. I thought, Oh goddammit I can't deal with this. I mean I COULD ignore it, but then I'll just be like WONDERING about it...so I took it home and snuck it out of my bag after I went off to bed. And to my great relief, it was the most annoying thing imaginable, I couldn't get through more than a couple of pages of it. It wasn't well-written despite the author's bragged-about credentials, and it also wasn't written for a general audience (or if it was meant to be, it failed instantly); it was really by and for smug religious people, if it had anything to offer the unconverted I couldn't detect it at all. It only seemed to underline that as per the horseshoe theory of ideology, staunch atheists have more in common with religious zealots than they do with the rest of us. The arrogant, condescending, self-righteous unbeliever is really not that different from the arrogant, condescending, self-righteous fanatic, and when you realize this it comes as absolutely no surprise at all that one could transform into the other. People who are absolutely convinced that they have a complete and perfect grasp of the whole of reality are just, like, not very good in my opinion. I'm so glad it turned out that I am not controlled by synchronicities and I can't wait to put that book back out on the street.

But then, just to fuck with me, today turned out to be the feast day of the Apostle Thomas, the doubting one who sticks his fingers in Jesus's VIDEODROME hole. The monseigneur gave a very impressive homily that seemed to be about me personally and everybody knew it. I'm the only person there who is under 50 and/or who did not grow up in this (or any) religious community, and so when he began to speak about the craving for empirical proof among "young people in their 20s, or their 30s, or their 40s..." I'm sure it was quite impossible not to think about my bizarre presence among them for the last year and a half. He talked about how Saint Thomas is one of his favorites because only doubt can produce the kinds of questions that, if pursued, can produced a faith that is totally personal and not just passively absorbed from one's society. Then a big point was made of praying for, among the usual suspects, "the seekers" who are searching for God in their own way, perhaps without fully realizing it. I'm glad I forgot my glasses since it meant that I had to keep my eyes closed to keep from straining and squinting, because sustained eye contact with the priest would have made me shrivel up like a mummy.

In the middle he quoted Saint Anselm saying (approx) "Belief seeks understanding," which is something I don't fully grock. It has something to do with taking a leap of faith, maybe, in assuming the truth of a principle so that you can penetrate deeply enough to fully comprehend its meaning. That sounds pretty hard to me, but I guess people do it all the time with all sorts of different things that seem--but may not be--objectively real.

After the service one of the parishioners came up behind me and made a point of saying how good the homily was, and then someone else ran up on me about volunteer opportunities. Actually I wouldn't mind volunteering. They do a regular thing where they make sandwiches for the poor, and the only reason I don't do it is that I'm clumsier than anyone could possibly imagine. Like I'm 100% sure I would make such a big mess that it would do more harm than good. But I could probably handle the thing where they give out clothing to migrants, that sounds really hard to fuck up and like a positive thing regardless of what organization it's attached to. I'd probably rather join the Cathode Ray Mission, but I'll take what I can get.

[cosmics-beings]

i feel like, in attempting to pin a single "ultimately guilty party" between starscream and megatron, people seem to miss that their story is one of the cycle of abuse. they both perpetrate violence that they were exposed to, as a result of or way to cope with their own trauma. this is a very real phenomenon. i still remember when i was about nine or ten and realized that my abuser's mother was also like that, and he was probably just repeating the way he was raised. its not an excuse for any parties involved. people can be both victims and perpetrators of abuse and neither role diminishes the other. their own abuse is still traumatizing, and the abuse they inflict on others is also still traumatizing. you cant pin one person in the cycle as "ultimately at fault" and absolve everyone else of guilt. people are more complicated than that.

also yeah i bet if nova and fem!skywarp were TC and masc!skywarp like in the og, people would be like nooo how can he treat his trine that way-- but people dont care about nova and fem!warp. they see starscream mistreating them and just shrug. fans have a problem with being unable to assign interiority to female characters unless guided there, so i suspect fans are just... not thinking about how that treatment would affect the girls. if it were a male character being mistreated they'd go "nooo he's gonna let that affect his self worth" or something but fans never really do this for female characters, they just take everything at face value. like oh she was kicked. huh. hey starscream is on screen again

I think ultimately, this is exactly what Earthspark is trying to do, I just don't really think the fandom caught that, which would be okay if there weren't a lot of harmful thoughts being perpetrated that skewed victims.

This is why, despite people being upset that Megatron has a redemption arc in Earthspark, I'm glad he does. Because he is also an abuse victim, he has to live with the trauma, and now he is breaking that cycle or can, in his own way. Because now he also has support and family. He doesn't have to fight, he doesn't have to exist in an abusive dynamic or relationship. He's free.

Likewise, Starscream is also breaking that cycle. But it only works if you acknowledge it. That's why I absolutely hated people attempting to argue away the fact that Starscream were abusive to Skywarp and Nova, because this is a cycle of abuse, that needs to be broken and you cannot sit there and try to act like it doesn't happen.

Because the wider part of the episode is that both Megatron and Starscream, who were victims of abuse and hurt each other, and other people, literally DECIDED to end it there. I think that Earthspark is trying to show us that, that abuse is far more complex, especially when you have two people who are victims of abuse and acting out because of it.

They both decided to stop, and to do better. And in order for that to work, you have to also acknowledge that it's a cycle and in a cycle, everyone is to blame when they start hurting others. This isn't excusing Megatron and it's certainly not excusing Starscream.

and :Re the misogyny regarding skywarp and nova--it just gets me really upset. Because it was a teaching moment and the fandom missed it. not only did they miss it they tried to explain away why that was okay, why him treating them the way he did (which is probably something starscream did for YEARS!) was okay. Like again, that is the cycle that is being perpetrated that you literally cannot ignore or attempt to excuse. And it was such a perfect teaching moment for the fans and they ignored it.

Most fandoms, no matter how progressive they claim to be aren't really going to care about female characters especially if they're used in a male character's narrative. Hashtag is usually just reduced to propping up Starscream, and Nova and Warp are just seen as extension of his narrative, which is literally what happens with female character.

The episode was spelled out plain as day that the way he treated them wasn't okay and he needed to be held accountable, but like you said, people just shrugged.

[carrie-tate]

OMG you're into good omens?!? I feel like there's a serious lack of tword content for this fandom :(

Do you think Crowley or Aziraphale would be a ler or a lee? or maybe they're both switches? Or maybe they just don't do twords...?

btw I really really like your drawings! You're one of the first people I followed

Yes, I'm VERY into good omens! Even though I'm still not in a position to watch anything, including Season 2 of Good Omens, I still consider myself part of the fandom!

(Like, I'm the kind of person who first read the book and then watched the first season. These things complement each other well in the narrative, by the way!)

And you asked a very interesting question! Where do I start with the thought that most likely neither angels nor demons initially know about such a phenomenon as 'tickle'. Like, I think they don't need the details of the physiology of mankind?

BUT, you and I know that Crowley and Aziraphale are not an ordinary demon and angel, they are gone native and know and understand more about the earthly facts of existence. It seems to me that at a certain moment, back in the time not far from Eden, these two had a dialogue between them:

*tickle happens between people in the background*

Aziraphale: (In my head, he was less aware of the details. Angelic chastity, don't go where they don't ask, etc.) What are they doing?

Crowley: (In my head he was more knowledgeable about the details. Actually for asking too many questions, he's a demon, you know) Oh, it's a tickle... *sees a slight, polite misunderstanding on the face of an angel of God* Er, how can I explain this... It's like another joke from Them, like when the shoulder blade itches, but you can't reach the place... *He sees even more misunderstanding* Okeey, just forget it.

And this topic will really be hushed up for the next two centuries for sure. They will most likely just... literally forget about it, lol

But sooner or later, Crowley will explain to Aziraphale for this phenomenon. And here the question pops up, can they do it? I think yes. Like, despite their supernatural origin, their bodies are quite human-like, so why not? As for what "roles" in tword each of them have... I'll stick with the fact that they're both switches because it's their style not to stick to one side of something, you know?

In general, something like this ^^

Thanks for the question! I'm glad that you like my drawings, and it's also really nice to know that I'm one of the first people you subscribed to, thanks again!

[gren-writes-stuff]

Not a request, just an expression of gratitude for your existence and creativity. I fell into Pokémon HARD after watching the franchise from afar for years, and my absolute favourite aspect has to be the exploration of the bond between the trainer and their Pokémon (what's the point if I can't make up 48393 scenarios of my best buddy and myself just hanging out?) And your writing scratches that itch beautifully.

Also hey, as a fellow Greninja enjoyer*, I applaud your taste.

(*read: I've been a lowkey Froakie stan since 2013 and now that I have my lil froggy buddy in XY and Ash-Gren in Sun/Moon, I'm being swarmed by ideas for a novelisation of my self insert's Pokémon journey through Kalos and Alola with her Pokémon pals. Character designs and personalities and fleshed out bond phenomenon and all. This goddamn blue frog has my creativity in an IRON GRIP.)

So, once again, great writing, great taste in favourite Pokémon, great niche you've found for yourself in the fandom. Thanks for posting!

Oh my! Is that so?

It's quite an honour! If I'm being honest, l did not expect to see this after waking up just now, it's a pleasant surprise.

I can absolutely relate to the ninja frog taking brainrot! Mine has been like that for two years actually, it never goes away! But l suppose Greninja has been a part of my creativity expanding a little more.

I'm glad to hear that my work was able to satisfy that itch of yours! I hope the rest of your day goes very well! ⭐ (Apologies if my wording is a little off, I'm still not fully awake)

-Mod Gren★

[tomsawyee]

The t/lou tv show is probably a pretty good tv show. I'm sure it's at least Decent and I'm genuinely glad people who like the games have enjoyed it so far.

But! I'm never going to be able to feel anything but deep dislike for the series and its lifelong undercurrent of self-hatred for its own source medium.

Tangent that goes somewhere, I promise: I have several close friends who are all very into horror films. I'm not. I watch with them from time to time, but I'm A Casual. They watch free student films on youtube, niche 50's works that you either pirate or get for a weird stream subscription, schlocky 80's slashers. Through them, I'm aware of this critical concept penned by people who would never make time for any of the above, called "elevated horror." I'll spare you their definition, because it's insultingly reductive of the genre. Elevated Horror is A24 films that are kind of spooky. Heartwarming! Prestige cinema that is still Great despite being from the Bad Genre for Bad Movies!

[x] for people who don't like [x] isn't a unique phenomenon in the mainstream. What was the wild popularity of GoT if not "ok but THIS genre fiction is Good, Actually, because it has (you can fill in the blanks I'm not talking about this series any more than I have to)."

I could go on way longer than one tumblr post about why I think the mushroom zombie game fails as a video game, but that isn't really my point, right now. T/LOU is the endstage of western AAA game development's desperation to be taken seriously. To elevate games, generally seen as low art at best and products at worst, to "real" artistic achievements worthy of critical discussion and enormous mainstream success.

(Aside plug: Jacob Geller's Bad Graphics, and his discussion of the gaming market's willingness to accept mediocrity in every other technical element as long as they Look Really Good)

If the t/lou show is good, it isn't good despite being a video game adaptation. It's good because t/lou always existed to chase the specific ways that cinema can be impactful and successful while being forced into a box labeled "video game." In a game where the player has about as much input as a train conductor on a one-way track, what is there to adapt? What is gained in the jump to television? Very little. What is lost in the jump from game? Even less.

So like. Congrats, Druckmann, you got your Big Prestige Drama. We probably could have skipped the "spend millions of dollars and crunch hours on digitally recreating reality two three times over" step altogether, tho.

[lang-rangler-enjoyer]

FOR THE VIV ANON IM SO SORRY I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED YOUR ASK😬

Here’s my answers:

•First Impression:

•I felt really bad for him during his fight :( he was just an average guy who got dragged into Pucci’s conflict without his consent. I was just really glad Araki never outright confirmed his death (even if his body did mysteriously disappear from the stairs during the Dragon's Dream fight).

•Impression Now:

• Baby boy. Baby. I love him so much. I love how weird and extreme all the other Stone Ocean characters are, and then Viv is just. aggressively plain-looking. He’s still super duper duper hot tho, like holy shit, but just LOOK AT THIS FUCKING LINEUP

POV you asked your straight brother to pick you up at the gay bar

Araki doesn't always make good writing choices, but having one of his villains just be Some Guy who has a regular 9-5 job and isn't a part of this conflict at all was great. Sad for Viviano that he got dragged into all this, but conceptually a very fun arc.

•Favourite Moment:

•I just find it so funny that one of the ONLY things we know about Viv is that he's into some degree of CBT. I love the vague implications of this, like what other situation Mr. Westwood? Is he referring to a normal, out-of-work CBT session....or does he just legit get off to prisoners attempting to crush his genitals to escape being detained??

•Idea for a Story:

•Post-Survivor, "holy shit I have a magical ghost now and other people do as well". Not only is he recovering from being supernaturally forced to kill his coworker and friend :( he also has to deal with now having a stand, which must be absolutely terrifying for any adult who's gone their whole life without knowledge of this phenomenon. Especially considering his first experience with other stand users was so awful. Like, once he realizes he wasn't just hallucinating the whole thing, where do you start? He doesn't even know they're called "stands", how do you find information on them? IDK maybe I just like the worldbuilding aspect of this, but I wanna see stand user culture, how do new adult stand users (which aren't unheard of, like Tonio and Aya) find out about how stand stuff works?

• Unpopular Opinion:

•Hmmmmm once again with the minor villains not a lot of people really have serious opinions on him. Just APPRECIATE HIM MORE HOLY SHIT. HE'S HOT. HE'S GOT A STRONGMAN BOD. REAL MEAT ON THOSE BONES. HE'S NOT DEHYDRATED-LOOKING LIKE SO MANY OTHER "MUSCULAR" JOJO CHARACTERS LIKE HE ACTUALLY HAS A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF FAT. HE'D BE SO GOOD TO CUDDLE WITH. HE CANONICALLY LIKES COCK AND BALL TORTURE. I MEAN COME ON WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT WHY DON'T MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM???

•Favourite Relationship:

•The brief period where he was just hanging out with Sonny Likir was nice. I wish Stone Ocean showed us more antagonists interacting! That’s like, one of the best parts of jojo, when you have a villain duo or squad like Cioccolatta and Secco, La Squadra, Oingo and Boingo, or Sale and Zucchero, seeing how these characters act with the people they love/respect/tolerate before we see them trying to kill the protagonists adds so much depth and sympathy and investment. Seeing Sonny and Viviano just have some regular coworker banter before the fight was really fun and makes me wish we could see more of that in Stone Ocean.

•Favourite Headcanon:

•He's bisexual and literally the most closeted man to ever exist. He's the type to laugh at the homophobic comments his friends and coworkers make, and even make some of those comments himself, it's a learned defensive habit. I'm not trying to make him super angsty or anything, he just gives me mega bi energy. I don’t think he grew up in a particularly abusive or neglectful household, just the kind of environment where people in his family/community would make gay jokes because they honestly didn’t think anyone around them was gay. And I can’t see a prison in the early 2010’s as being the most accepting place either, so he’s just learned to keep certain things to himself, and hope those feelings he has about men sometimes just go away on their own.

[fadebolt]

The tags here are hidden, cus Tumblr doesn't exactly work in the best of ways, but this, as well as many other comments from many other people, are some really interesting and good takes that I enjoyed reading.

Though one thing I feel like you're kind of forgetting are the Pearls that contain iterator chatlogs, where we get a clear display of how these supercomputers act when talking to each other. And I feel like those are the things that ignited this whole "angsty teenager FP" thing, thanks to his conversation with SRS where he's struggling to come to terms with his own existence, and his aggressive response to LttM pleading for him to stop a process that's literally destroying her.

The seeds were already there. And then Downpour's Spearmaster campaign shows up, and all hell breaks loose.

This post has oddly reminded me of Sorbet Cafe's somewhat recent video on Downpour, and it has sort of made me get a more clear understanding on why he's so displeased with the 'fanfic' type of characterisations that we see in Downpour, because the consequences of it are full on display within the fandom.

Granted, people dismissing Five Pebbles as a pure evil character is not a fully new phenomenon, and the memes have always been very prevalent. (But frankly I have no issues with the funny stuff. I also love all the Downfall memes and parodies, despite them completely disregarding the serious and nuanced approach towards the handling of the characters in the source material)

And so, I don't wanna turn this discussion into a "Downpour ruined the fandom!" rant, because there's a lot more to these topics than just that. People trying to come to oversimplified conclusions off of complex stories has always, and will always be a pretty big issue.

This is why I love people that do detailed analyses on stories, and this is why I think that's something a lot more of us should try and do. Folks that might have come to oversimplified conclusions can see those and think "huh, maybe there was a lot more to this character than I thought", and if they disagree, then that might open the room for some interesting discussions. (As long as both sides are open, that is. I can't stress just how important open-ness is in these discussions)

Either way, I'm glad this post was made, because Five Pebbles is a very well crafted character, and it makes me happy to see that there's still plenty of people out there who appreciate him, and don't just dismiss him as " just an angsty villainous arrogant asshole".

Just because some characters show some unpleasant traits, it doesn't mean that there isn't more that's going on with them. After all, not every non-pure-good character is an irredeemably evil uncaring jerk.

Bitches will be like "I want more morally gray characters!" then they cant handle Five Pebbles and either write him off as an irreemable monsterous villian or as a baby whos dumb and doesn't know anything and thus cant do anything wrong because he was a kid

[othcrside]

with love matsuda @ the ivy september 1st ( @snowkisses )

Marisol was a changed woman. Emerging from the ashes comprised of her past life, encountering death so intimately had shifted something once integral in her. She had attained a heightened sense of fear, a renewed survival instinct, and more situational awareness than she had ever summoned from herself. For years, decades even, she'd succumbed to the fate prescribed to her by a psychiatrist at the ripe age of sixteen — she was eternally cursed, bound by a force beyond her understanding, to remain in a state of uncertainty and thrill. While exciting in the beginning, the novelty began wearing whenever she felt that bullet pierce through her skin and the metal trickle throughout and taint her blood. Life was not precious then; mortality didn't exist to the young witch, always brushing against the hind leg's of death without feeling the tendrils of its fingers grip stubbornly onto the nape of her neck. Finally, when the phenomenon of death had presented itself unto her wholly, she had snapped out of whatever childish frame of mind she'd been stuck in ever since realizing the chains that bound her to her illness for life.

She remembered the interactions that had taken place shortly before the incident, and Love Matsuda's name rang silvery and tempting in her mind whenever her existence resurfaced in the forefront of Marisol's cognizance. She was endlessly grateful that she'd given the young witch the time of the day, even if she was monetarily compensated, and she was hoping that now, they could develop their relationship into something more organic. So, on one dewy morning, she dialed in Love's number and invited her to lunch at the restaurant that she waitressed at — the employee discount, courtesy of her phenomenal employer, was not to be disregarded or underutilized. Despite the nature of the meeting bearing a stark contrast to that of their initial one, Marisol still felt compelled to dress up. She adorned the nicest clothes in her wardrobe: a navy blue cardigan, a very stylish graphic tee-shirt, her favorite thrifted plaid skirt, and, of course, sheer tights that were paired with her newly purchased Converse (she was, at last, convinced to relinquish the older pair that she had possessed since her sophomore year of high school.) After she found their seating, someplace without a draft and nearby the windows, she excitedly thumbed through the menu that she had memorized by heart before her gaze caught on Love's form approaching. "Love!" she exclaimed, a smile bubbling delightfully on her pink-tinged lips. "I'm so glad you could make it. Come, sit! I haven't even ordered yet. Wanna start with some wine?"

[boopernatural]

I'm reading alabaster fic and I have to say

I've seen other fics where sarah was murdered and all, but this one... The whole concept of her going to the movie theater with her friends and then being killed when going to the bathroom...and the details of the night... It gives me the creeps, it gives me chills and all because it's such a realistic concept. As someone who has watched a lot of true crime content, the story of sarah is like it came out of a real life case because you made it all seem a little too scary and real????? When the chapter of the footage came and you described that sarah went to the bathroom and a man came a little shortly after without no one noticing, I actually imagined the camera footage so well in my head that gave me goosebumps, like the footage exists. I also imagined those true crime youtubers talking about sarah as one of the cases I've watched before and God, it's all seems so real. Anyways, that might be the strangest compliment you will get tonight, but congrats!

Well firstly, thank you for reading! I’m so glad that you’re able to picture everything and that it’s feeling realistic. That is a very flattering and genuinely wonderful compliment to get. Thank you!!

Secondly, I just have to say, regarding the creepiness of the footage… I’m SO happy that all came across. The visuals of the man in the Members Only jacket are actually something that I find downright terrifying myself.

There is some true crime content about The Eastburn family, a really heartbreaking case that thankfully after many years did get solved. But I remember learning about that case and the description of the suspect creeping through the night in a Members Only jacket really stuck with me, really creeped me out? That image and just knowing what that man had done…

Anyway, small tidbit but that visual is definitely inspired by some real life criminals.

It’s been such an experience writing this fic because I love true crime, it has so much power when used well, so much awareness and so much capacity to actually get movement on cases that have been cold for years. I’ve been consuming true crime content for probably a decade now, documentaries, podcasts etc. and it really has changed me fundamentally. I think the most important thing you can take away from these stories is compassion and empathy for the victims and their families, which should drive a passion for change. I won’t get into all my opinions on the legal system, but knowing the way it so often lets down victims and their loved ones… well, it’s no wonder justice has become a crowd-funded phenomenon.

I didn’t mean to ramble- ahh. At the end of the day this is just a story I wrote because I got an idea and wanted to explore, obviously we’re not making an impact here, but I still wanted to make sure these themes are present throughout. I feel like that’s important to this story.

Thank you for reading the fic and I’m really glad you’re enjoying it!

[musicalhell]

Paul McCartney’s what?

Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Buckle up, my children...

So in the late 1960s, a conspiracy theory began to circulate that Paul McCartney had died in an auto accident and the remaining Beatles (possibly with the help of MI5) hired a double to replace him. As with all conspiracy theories, the "proof" existed in secret clues that only the initiated could decipher: coded lyrics, backmasked tracks, and images in album covers (for example, the band crossing the street on Abbey Road supposedly symbolizes a funeral procession, with Paul as the deceased). Many of these were invented out of whole cloth for a satirical article written by a University of Michigan student, but if there's one thing The Onion has taught us its that a lot of people don't know satire when it's staring them in the face.

The Beatles, of course, adamantly and repeatedly refuted the rumors, but since conspiracy theories as a rule involve distrust of official sources it did no good. Radio deejays discussed the "evidence," songs were written referencing the phenomenon, sales of albums skyrocketed. A 1969 interview of McCartney by Life magazine and his subsequent solo career took the air out of the theory, and of course John Lennon's very real and public murder in 1980 made the whole thing a lot less fun (though references still pop up occasionally; McCartney himself alludes to the phenomenon in the Simpsons episode "Lisa the Vegetarian").

But why did anyone believe it in the first place? Several factors were at play here:

The Beatles had recently taken a year-long hiatus from music and had retired entirely from live performances;

McCartney, in addition to increasingly strained relations with his bandmates, had largely withdrawn from public life to spend time with girlfriend (and eventual wife) Linda Eastman and her daughter;

Widespread distrust of established social and cultural institutions; the Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests, etc. pretty much primed people for conspiratorial thinking;

The Beatles were writing some really weird shit at this time. This was the era of "I am the Walrus," "Revolution 9," and "Glass Onion." The lyrics range from deliberate allusions to the sociopolitical climate to nods to other Beatles' songs to absolute gibberish, and trying to figure it all out has led people down some weird alleyways;

The Beatles' target demographic was really, REALLY into psychedelic substances.

I don't do conspiracy theories in general but the British Royal Family is so colossally out there and has been for so long that I'd buy almost any explanation for the "Where is Kate?" thing. Started chemo and doesn't want to be photographed bald? Sure, it's possible. Locked up in the Tower of London? It's happened before. Died on the operating table and everyone's stalling until they can get her replacement from the same firm that did Paul McCartney's doppleganger back in the sixties? Yeah why not, sounds like something they'd do.

[the1975attheirverybest]

Commenting on that tweet as non American fan of Taylor I tell you I was baffled at all the attention she and Travis get. Now I'm used to it, but before DM started talking about them I had no clue who he was and what the Chiefs were. Like I do know the super bowl exists of course but to me the hype was (still is) incomprehensible. I've nothing against the man but to me he's literally Mr. Nobody. Glad she's happy but it truly is the American dream bc as an European I'm not getting the dream here (of course I'm generalising americans, I know not everyone will like football or whatever he plays)

Yeah, it’s a very specific, very American trope/ ideal. Like, I get that any fan of hers can see her going to the games and supporting him and looking cute in red clothes/ interacting with his family etc. and be endeared by it or find it cute. Cuz those things are objectively cute. And it’s my understanding that she didn’t get to do stuff like that with Joe (idk though I never followed the details). BUT that’s not the extent of it that I’m commenting on. I’m saying the level of obsession that Americans have with this specific relationship and how it epitomizes so much about our culture and what we value, what we think men and women should be, how we understand wealth and all that shit. It’s literally a fascinating phenomenon.

And I don’t care if this offends anyone I’m not saying anything hurtful if you disagree, scroll on.