#but that choice just doesn’t make sense to me

[xanofmercia]

Not a huge fan of some of the later notes roasting this. Of course what you choose to do with your own body is valid, and people trying to shame you into a different choice, however well-intentioned, are not doing a good thing. You’re expressing concerns or stating your choice for yourself and you don’t deserve to be made fun of just for that.

That said, draconym is right that you can still be yourself, The Real You, on pills! I can’t speak for all meds, but I’ve never had a problem with the “regressing because meds ran out” with ADHD meds. I’ve ran out for reasons mentioned in the previous reblogs. With ADHD meds, I did actually worry a lot about losing myself or my chaos while on them, or not being able to be as creative, or becoming some kind of more boring version of myself. Luckily that didn’t happen! I’m literally me with the only difference being that I feel like I have more energy and I can actually just decide to do things sometimes instead of spending hours psyching myself up to do them. There’s not really any other difference. The ‘versions’ of me are the same. And the ones I take aren’t actually supposed to be taken every day; you’re supposed to avoid doing them too often so you don’t build up a tolerance. I only take them when I feel like I could use the boost. Running out sucks because I can’t get a focus/executive energy boost when I need it, but I don’t “regress” back into a previous version of myself. It’s not a huge comedown or massive drop between my normal state when I have them versus when I’ve run out.

Depression’s a bit different because withdrawal can give you brain-zaps which scared me when they first happened, and stopping too quickly can cause some bad side effects, which has happened to me a fair amount because pharmacies and medication in my country are terrible. If that’s a serious concern for you, depending on the medication it could actually make sense to decide you don’t want to have to deal with things like withdrawal symptoms if you forget and miss a few days, or having to always remember to get to the pharmacy on time. I did also get concerned about taking this one because I heard it could level out your moods a lot so you couldn’t feel as happy as you did before. But I didn’t really feel like it made a significant enough impact on that front for me to stop taking it.

I know people who dislike the idea of manufactured chemicals altering things in their brains. It doesn’t matter if that’s rational or logical or not; it is what it is. You don’t *have* to take meds. You don’t *have* to do anything you don’t want to.

But it’s always good to have more information about important decisions like this, regardless of your ideas or reasons. You’re welcome to talk to me, or you can check out some forum testimonials or do some research on specific disorders and their treatments and the effects people experience with each. This isn’t intended as pressure to change your mind or anything; you’re absolutely free to do whatever you want with the information. It’s just better the more information you have, no matter how much you already know. And if not going on meds is definitely the best decision for you, then that’s also valid! Either way, it won’t hurt to have more information about them.

90s movies: Psychopharmacology is as good as a lobotomy. If you take pills to treat your mental illness it will literally murder your imaginary friends and you will become a boring, lotus-eating conformist drone.

Me after taking my meds: drives the scenic route home to see if there are any geese on the pond and does a little dance in line at the grocery store and comes home to throw everything​ in my fridge into a stew pot because I can finally taste food again while singing songs at my birds in which I replace all the instances of "she" with "Cheese" and doing a Dolly Parton impression on the phone to my sister

[illuminatedquill]

I am loathe to wade into the shipping discourse because it’s not how Severance should be viewed - at least in its entirety - but also the writers, directors, and cast members definitely seem keen on the audience being forced into Mark’s dilemma: Helly or Gemma.

This conflict is woven into the show’s theme and is featured prominently in the intro, even. So it’s hard not to get involved and have thoughts. It’s a deeply uncomfortable topic to consider, which I totally get and, speaking personally, I despise love triangles in stories.

Severance gets a slight pass because they’re actually doing justice to the concept and making it interesting and complicated but I will admit that I’m still not a fan of Mark x Helly. I think they were better off as just friends, with the romance firmly staying between Mark and Gemma.

If you’re not interested in hearing any thoughts about this then feel free to keep scrolling. Otherwise, read on:

Mark x Helly only makes sense to me if it adds weight to the final choice of him staying with Gemma in the end. From my point of view, Helly’s most interesting relationship is with herself - namely, her outie Helena. In this season, that seems to have been sidelined in favor of her romance with Mark which is . . . a choice.

It’s possible that leads to the popular theory that Helly becomes pregnant by Mark, one that I’m personally not fond of, since it makes the relationships even more complicated (and I think the show has enough complicated interpersonal dynamics as it is) but I am giving grace to the Severance writers to handle such a plot line with their usual creativity and keen guidance.

Anyway, I don’t think anyone watching the show with working eyes can deny that Helly is deeply important to Mark and even Gemma, to an extent. If Gemma is the impetus for the show even existing, then Helly is the catalyst that spurs the show’s characters forward with her firebrand personality. She’s exactly what Mark needs right now, and the same could be said about Mark for her. He grounds Helly and gives her a safe space, whereas she gives him purpose and the will to move forward. Mark needs that.

Helly’s presence is what spurs Mark to start the search for Ms. Casey (even if that’s been somewhat derailed this season).

There’s a valid argument to be had that Mark x Gemma, having changed and lost so much because and for each other, would be doomed to a lifetime of misery for choosing to stay with each other. There’s so much tragedy between them, even before Lumon cruelly split them apart.

Helly could be a new start for Mark, free from that pain. Her and Mark’s relationship feels youthful in a stark contrast to Mark and Gemma’s lived-in marriage. That is purposeful; the creators of the show have said that one of the themes for this second season is adolescence. And we know that they go well together, having seen them in action on the severed floor.

But . . . it doesn’t feel true to the themes of Severance if they do go down that route, at least to me. Mark’s central character flaw is his conflict avoidance: his unwillingness to face the hard and painful experiences head-on in an honest and open manner.

Helly is important to him. He loves her. She is what he needs right now.

But it has to be Gemma. Not because he’s married to her or out of loyalty to what they had before. Because that Mark and Gemma are gone. Dead. Neither of them are going back to how things were between them.

It has to be Gemma because that’s the only way either of them are going to truly get out of Hell. Going with Helly would mean not having to face all that hardship and pain and suffering that healing would require. It would mean that Mark and Gemma suffered for nothing.

They have to face it; all the damage done from Lumon, from their own selves, and from each other. Face it together and learn to love and be happy and live together despite it all. And they have to undertake that journey together.

Severance never takes the easy route. It’s making the statement that you cannot sever away the trauma and pain of life without losing your humanity in the process.

Mark x Helly vs Mark x Gemma. It gives more weight to know that, despite having the chance for him to walk away, he still chooses Gemma. That he wants to be with her after everything: the good, the bad, the ugly. To stand by her side and go through it all with love and honesty and faith that they’ll make it through this.

It’s Gemma. Always has and always will be.

(I know there’s the question about what Gemma would want, especially after finding out that innie Mark loves Helly - and if they do go down the pregnancy route, hoo boy. But I think we forget that Gemma is intelligent - innie Mark was born out of a need to forget her. And she knows and understands from painful experience how innies work. If anything, Gemma might be more mad about the fact he chose to get severed rather than him falling in love with another woman, considering memories of him were all that was keeping her going while locked away in Lumon’s dungeon whereas Mark thought creating a version that never knew her was needed to keep functioning. But, all the same, I don’t think watching her fight tooth and nail for almost an hour leaves any doubt in my mind that she would still want to be with him. It wouldn’t be easy to reconcile with but, hey, life and love are messy. It’s the story of everyone. Trying to avoid it deprives you of the full richness of our brief lives and robs it of meaning is what Severance is saying. But if she and Mark survive getting free and clear of Lumon and are open and honest with each other, then they’ll be okay, I think. And, of course, the love is still there, in spite of it all. That’s enough to convince me. It won’t be the same, but it can be good again. I know it can be. After all, winter never lasts forever. Spring always comes again.)

These are my own thoughts, I cannot stress that enough. It’s what makes sense to me. Even though I don’t care for Mark x Helly, I do adore Helly’s character and wish her the best ending possible. But with Helena as her outie, I just don’t see that being a possibility. And, no, I don’t believe that Severance is going to attempt a redemption arc for Helena. Not that the writers couldn’t write a damn good one for her - they certainly could - it’s just that particular narrative would require a huge amount of character work that should take multiple years and seasons to develop properly. You can’t just flip a switch and she’s suddenly Helly, even if she does reintegrate. I just don’t think it’s a story that should be rushed, like how it was with the resolution to Helena co-opting Helly’s bodily autonomy to be intimate with Mark. Fringe did that storyline way better and the reason why is because they had the time and space to do so. Severance does not - not in this current era of streaming shows where everything is condensed to 10 episodes max. Doesn’t matter how good the writers are.

[entities-of-posts]

I think the web shouldnt exist. The feeling trapped parts go to the buried, the losing your mind because you feel like your being controlled parts go to the spiral. All its got going to distinguish it is the spider theme

Oooh I’m anonymous asker I have never been subjected to the power plays of someone who’s authority I was under. I have never felt like my life didn’t belong to me enough to understand it to be a unique and powerful kind of pain. I fail to see the difference between the fear of being manipulated and the fear of being insane. I fail to see how being granted no agency is conceptually different from claustrophobia.

Listen, fears have overlaps. But the fear of not getting to make your own choices is so specific and so prevalent, it makes no sense at all to try and cut it up and shove it in the edges of vaguely related fears. We can keep taking that route until we’re back at the primordial all encompassing End, but that’s not a useful method of analysis. The spiders are a symbol, remove them and the fear of being controlled is still just as strong and distinct in the human mind from the fear of madness and the fear of tight spaces.

While we’re on the subject of the Buried, I want to talk about how, while all Fears have metaphorical aspects, some are overwhelmingly physical. The Buried is mostly literal. That’s the solidity of its niche. The allegorical is a little bonus, but it doesn’t go that far, comparatively. It is a simple fear, certainly older than the Web. The Web is something that arises with the emergence of complex thinking minds, when the ancient fear of being stuck in a cave can no longer properly encompass all the subtle and wicked ways in which humans steal each other’s freedom. Let the dirt do its simple job of applying pressure, and leave the complex weaving to the spiders.

[marauderspolls]

She's just more interesting than them. Like, lily is so boring.

wait wait hold on a minute, are you serious…

the fact that people even try to compare Lily Evans and Bellatrix Lestrange like they're on the same level actually makes me want to throw something. Like, Bellatrix's a one-note lunatic with a murder kink and zero personality outside of “I love Voldemort” and “I want to kill things.” That’s it. That’s the whole character. She’s just evil for the sake of being evil, and yeah, sure, she’s scary or whatever, but she’s not interesting. She has no depth, no real motivation beyond blind fanaticism, and no development. She starts the series as an unhinged Death Eater, and she dies as an unhinged Death Eater. There is nothing in between.

Bellatrix is literally just a rabid dog for Voldemort. That’s it. That’s her whole function. Her family? She doesn’t care about them unless they align with her weird pure-blood ideals. Her own sister tries to distance herself from her because she’s so far gone. And don’t even get me started on the way she treats people—she’s all about power, control, and causing pain for the sake of it. She doesn’t even have a goal beyond “make Voldemort proud,” and like... for what? That man does not care about her! She dies grinning because she’s so far up his arse she doesn’t even realize how pathetic she is.

And THEN you have Lily, who is just so much more compelling in every single way. She doesn’t have power handed to her on a silver platter. She wasn’t born into some rich, pure-blood family with connections and influence. She worked for everything—her magic, her place in the wizarding world, her friendships. She got there because she was talented and determined, not because she had some bloodline nonsense backing her up. And the best part? She could’ve taken the easy way out. She could’ve married Snape’s ideology and been like, “Yeah, maybe blood status does matter,” but she didn’t. She chose to fight back. She chose to stand up for people who needed it, even when it was hard.

And don’t even get me started on love. Bellatrix thinks she loves Voldemort, but it’s not love—it’s obsession. She throws away everything for a man who doesn’t care about her. Lily? Lily chooses someone who actually grows, who actually loves her back. She has real relationships, real emotions, real stakes.

Lily is brave in a way Bellatrix will never be. Bellatrix dies cackling because she never once considered that she might lose. Lily knew she was going to lose, and she did the right thing anyway.

Meanwhile, Lily? Lily is a real person. She’s funny, she’s sharp, she stands up for what’s right without being some perfect, holier-than-thou character. She has actual relationships that matter, actual emotions that make sense, and she grows. She changes. She starts as this kid who’s just discovering the magical world, and by the time she dies, she’s someone who’s made her own choices, built a life for herself, and actively fought against people like Bellatrix - actively fought against a system that's designed to oppress people like her, whereas Bellatrix was in a convenient position of power from start to finish - like bffr when did she ever LOSE anything? There's zero CANON evidence that she was abused so that entire argument is moot.

So yeah, if you actually think Bellatrix is a more interesting character than Lily, I genuinely don’t know what to tell you. One of them is an actual person with complexity, growth, and depth. The other is just a glorified attack dog with a creepy Voldemort fixation. It’s not a competition.

[dailymothanon]

I don’t do this often but I wanted to repost this again just cuz I really cooked here I think (and I was feeling too down to draw anything today) and I wanted to elaborate on the design choices for his helm. While yes it’s a combo of his G1, Prime, and ROTF head; I also was inspired from owls; for a handful of reasons. He’s just generally like an owl (silent, observant, great hearing) and his helm was already pretty reminiscent of an owl anyways. His horn-like stuff being like, well, a great horned owl, but also the facial disk being like his mask/visor to me. Maybe this Soundwave could rotate his head around a significant amount like owls do (could add to his creature-ness. Maybe he makes owl noises too. Non verbal communication system in a way in case recordings wont work) 😌 also, Owls are also often associated with cats (even called the cats of the skies) due to their similar behaviors.

I also wanted a bit of a.. warrior look to him? Knight, gladiator?? Mostly cuz it’d look cool but also to pay homage to Prime Soundwave having been a gladiator, and Cybertron Soundwave being a warrior from his home planet. Along with Cybertron Soundwave there’s the . Symbol that he has on his. Collar area?? That was taken from his triology design. I haven’t yet decided if Soundwave should be from Planet X or from Kaon in the au

Someone did mention his vents(?) on his head does kinda look like false eyes which I think is cool! I also saw it but I wasn’t sure how obvious it was, I’ve also have been debating on whether I should put some actual practicality to it but I’ll probably just leave it as is.

But that’s generally just about it, I haven’t yet decided how his visor works past Yknow. Like how it does in Prime. Like it could be something past a screen, could be an aid for him that he needs rather than just have because it’s Soundwave. Example maybe it lowers the sensory inputs he receives from telepathy; or lowers visual or hearing inputs so he doesn’t lose focus on his telepathy so easily because of several other senses happening, get what I mean?

More Spacecraft au, waiter!,! Except I’m the chef and I do what I want.. and just because I could, I changed his head design, I wanted it to look more owl-like (aka the cats of the sky, so I think owls fit him nicely among other reasons) and when coloring, the red visor was always throwing me off when comparing to the rest of the design 🤨

it’s whatever tho cuz I think he’s real pretty ❤️ I also like that when Soundwave, even in the continuities where he’s real short (Bayverse in mind when writing this) he still would have one of the deepest voices in the whole cast 😌and I think that’s neat. Ofc Satellite Soundwave isn’t actually that short in general here, But he is short compared to others like Jetfire which. No surprise, Jetfire’s a huge guy 🙄 but he is opposite in the way Jetfire’s soft spoken instead

[gracie-eilish]

Can we have a lil spoiler of what the new series is about?? I'm exciteddd

here’s some sneak peeks!!! hopefully it doesn’t spoil it too much!! if you are able to figure out what the story could be about, pls don’t spoil it in the comments for everyone else!! this fic will be out soon!!

ch. 1 🌿

You pouted. “Dance with me.”

Billie let out a breathy chuckle, but before she could respond, you were reaching for her.

Her entire body tensed as your fingers wrapped around her wrist, gentle but firm, pulling her toward you. Billie barely had time to react before you were guiding her into a slow, easy spin.

It was effortless. It was gravity.

It was you.

“See?” you murmured, smiling up at her. “Not so bad.”

Billie swallowed hard, her heart slamming against her ribs. “Yeah,” she breathed, staring at you like you had hung the stars in the sky. “Not so bad at all.”

ch. 2🌹

You smiled, letting yourself lean back into her. Billie let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as you settled into her lap, resting your head against her stomach, looking up at her with that same dreamy wonder that had made her fall in love with you in the first place…

…Billie traced lazy patterns on your arm as the evening air cooled, her fingers trailing the soft curve of your shoulder, up to your jaw, over your cheek. You sighed, nuzzling into her touch, eyes fluttering closed…

…she just whispered, “You’re so beautiful.”

And when you hummed sleepily in response, Billie couldn’t help but smile.

The stars blinked to life above, casting silver light over the meadow. The wind played with your hair, and Billie ran her fingers through it, watching over you as you drifted off in her arms.

She didn’t move for a long time.

ch. 3🪟

The answer was immediate.

“Like I don’t belong here.”

Like you belonged in the woods. In the flower fields. In Billie’s arms…

... “Is there someone you’re thinking about?”

Your heart skipped.

You hesitated for only a second before nodding.

She smiled knowingly. “Then maybe you already know where you do belong.”

Your chest ached. You wanted to see Billie more than anything. To hear her laugh, to feel her hands steadying you as you twirled barefoot in the grass. You wanted to see the way her eyes softened when she looked at you, the way she got that dreamy smile when she thought you weren’t paying attention.

ch. 4 🐎

She sat down in the grass, right where you had been the night before. The earth was still warm beneath her, as if it hadn’t quite forgotten you yet. Billie let out a slow breath, running her fingers through the blades of grass. It felt wrong without you here. The flowers didn’t smell as sweet, the breeze didn’t hum the same melody. Even the river, which usually sang so softly, felt quiet.

She closed her eyes and let herself remember. The way you had fit against her, the way your lashes fluttered when you dozed off, the way your lips had parted ever so slightly, making her stomach twist with the urge to press a kiss there.

… Then, suddenly—

The sound of trumpets.

ch. 5 🎉

“Are you enjoying the celebration, my love?” your mother’s voice was gentle as she tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I am,” you assured her, offering a small smile. “Everything is so beautiful. The food, the music…

She beamed, giving your hand a squeeze. “Only the best…”

You tried to focus on the joy around you….

…And yet, something felt off.

There was an underlying tension in the air.

Your parents, though elated, kept glancing at each other, their expressions flickering between happiness and something… else.

ch. 6 💚

… at the top of the hill, looming over the town with an almost ominous presence. It had always been majestic, but now, under the strange green fog, it looked… sick. The towers were dark, the windows shrouded, and the whole place felt hollow, as though something had drained it of its life. She could feel it in her bones, an unshakable dread creeping through her, but she had no choice...

With a new sense of urgency, Billie mounted her horse and urged it forward, faster than she ever had before. She galloped through the empty streets of the town, the once-joyful cobblestones now cold and lifeless beneath the hooves of her horse. Her heart raced, but it wasn’t fear that pushed her onward—it was you.

ch. 7 🩷

Billie stood in the doorway, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her usually steady hands gripping the frame as if she needed it to hold herself together.

And then her eyes found you.

She stumbled forward, not trusting her legs to hold her. The moment she saw you lying there, so heartbreakingly still, her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, no, no—”

Billie moved without thinking, collapsing onto the floor beside you, her trembling hands reaching out to hold yours. You were warm. Thank god, you were still warm.

Her vision blurred as she let out a shaky breath, her fingers clutching at your hand like a lifeline.

ch. 8 💐

And for the second time that day, she lost her breath.

…bathed in soft candlelight, … gown a breathtaking shade of blush, so pale it was nearly white. Tiny wildflowers—ones you used to tuck into Billie’s hair when you lay together in the meadow—were stitched into the fabric, sparkling alongside delicate embroidery that trailed down the skirt like vines. …but it was the tiny flowers woven… that made Billie’s heart clench the most…

coming monday 3/3✨🌸🫧🌿

[nanamineedstherapy]

Ooga Booga Suguwu gets mated to Female Mowgli after Neanderthal BL Betrayal

Previous Chapter: Ooga Booga Toji gets Hunted (Tumblr/Ao3)

Summary: Prehistoric, period-accurate Neanderthal JJK daddies courting you with grunts, rocks, & zero verbal communication. Just prehistoric buffoonery. A/N: Okay. Listen, cave gremlins. Someone said, "I can’t see Toji as a househusband." And to that, I say: There are no gender roles in this fic. This is a Neanderthal AU. There are no caveman podcasts telling people what they can & cannot do. Nobody is saying "A man provides & a woman nurtures," because they are all too busy fighting mammoths & eating dirt. Neanderthals did not have fixed gender roles. Archaeological evidence suggests that both men & women hunted, gathered, & took care of children when needed. They did what made sense for survival—which means if your mate was out there biting buffaloes to death like an unhinged animal, you might stay back & make sure she doesn’t turn into a full-blown cannibal. Some sources that actually explain this: Harvard University & Cambridge Study on Neanderthal Diets & Roles Smithsonian on Neanderthal Social Structures Science.org on How Neanderthals Had No Strict Gender Roles Toji is not a “househusband.” Toji hunts when necessary. He just also cooks & cleans, because if he didn’t, his feral wife would eat a person. He is a retired hunter, not a stay-at-cave husband. The term "house-husband" was used for comedy, so you could imagine this absolute weapon of a man trying to keep his mate from killing people while also making sure the fire doesn’t go out. If you still don’t believe me, that’s fine. Just know that in this AU, I am god. And in this world, Toji cooks, Gojo steals instead of hunts, Suguru runs a cult, Sukuna is submissive when breeding, & Choso is Neanderthal Nick Cannon. If this still upsets you, then I encourage you to simply hallucinate a different reality. No hate, just bonk yourself gently & move on. :) Now for this chapter: Have you ever wondered what would happen if Suguru met you—a feral, unwashed, tree-dwelling Female Mowgli who has never heard of laws, hygiene, or personal space? And what if you chased him down like prey, kidnapped him, & forcefully domesticated yourself?Ya, me neither. I promise you, this fic is 90% brain rot, 10% caveman BL betrayal, & 100% historically inaccurate. If you ever wanted to see Suguru suffer like a Regency novel heroine but in Neanderthal times, welcome. As usual, => This is a different reader, but the same Suguru—unfortunately for him. => No suggestive bits in this one. => This is Suguru’s chapter, but Gojo, Sukuna, Toji & Nanami are also here. The other guys are getting their solo stories, with guest appearances in each other’s on a regular. So I recommend reading all of them, but I can’t force you to make good life choices.

Suguru is sulking.

Gojo has abandoned him.

Not forever. Not in a way that makes Suguru want to throw himself into the nearest tar pit.

But in a way that makes his chest ache with betrayal. Because Gojo—his best friend, his brother, his hunting partner—has a mate now.

A crazy mate. A mate that throws rocks at Suguru for existing near her mate and makes Gojo do stupid couple things instead of hunting mammoths with Suguru. (Suguru refuses to believe that it’s Gojo making her do those things, because that would be to much for history’s first BL.)

Suguru crosses his arms, scowling as he stomps through the dense forest.

Gojo used to care. Used to hunt with him.

Used to challenge him to pointless fights that ended in mutual near-death experiences.

Now?

Now he makes baby noises at his mate, carries her food and lets her steal his shiny rocks like some weakling.

It is disgusting.

Suguru is disgusted.

Disgusted and alone.

He grunts, dragging his spear along the ground, staring at the trees.

(Gojo stupid. Gojo weak. Gojo—)

Twig snap!!!

Suguru stills.

The hairs on the back of his neck rise.

He is being watched.

Slowly, cautiously, he turns his head—

And sees you.

High up in the trees.

Crouched like some horrible, unwashed baboon.

Eyes sharp.

Teeth sharp.

Naked.

Watching him.

Unblinking.

Grinning.

Suguru stares.

You stare back.

For a long, long moment.

And then—

You scratch your ass.

Suguru gags.

Suguru does not know what he has found.

It is not human.

It is not beast.

It is something worse.

A feral woman.

A woman who does not live in a tribe.

A woman who does not have a mate.

A woman who does not bathe.

A woman who lives in trees like some accursed monkey.

Suguru recoils, nostrils flaring. He has never smelled anything so foul. Not even the rotting mammoth corpse he found last summer.

(That mammoth was a more acceptable mate than this.)

And yet—

You grin at him.

Like you like him.

Like you want him.

Suguru takes a step back.

You tilt your head, squinting, then—

Drop from the tree.

Land on all fours.

Starts crawling towards him.

Suguru panics.

(Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no—)

He turns.

He runs.

You chase.

You are fast.

You move like an animal, zigzagging through the trees, sniffing the air, following his scent.

Suguru curses, dodging branches, jumping over rocks.

You laugh, a raspy, unhinged sound, like you haven’t used your voice in years.

(Mate!) you suddenly grunt.

Suguru screams.

You pounce.

---

When Suguru wakes up, he is not in his tribe.

He is in a tree.

Tied to a thick branch with vines.

Suspended over a shallow river.

He blinks, confused, groggy.

Then—

A smell hits him.

A horrible, vile smell.

The smell of death.

The smell of you.

Suguru stiffens.

Turns his head.

And sees you.

Squatting on another branch.

Watching him.

Grinning.

Suguru stares.

You scratch your ass again.

He gags again.

You tilt your head. (Mate not happy?)

Suguru's eye twitches. (I am not mate.)

You frown. (Then why you here?)

Suguru growls, (You kidnapped me, you foul, disgusting, forest woman!)

You blink. Considers this. Then shrug. (Sassy mate. Wide mate. I take.)

Suguru breathes deeply through his nose.

Exhales.

---

After a lot of bargaining (begging), you let him go back to his tribe.

But you insist on following him there.

After a while of trying to sho you away, he gives up.

He lets you tag along. (He wants to make Gojo jealous.)

But not before Suguru fixes you.

Not out of kindness.

Not out of duty.

Out of self-preservation.

Because you are horrible.

He drags you to the river.

You fight.

You bite him.

He bites back.

You hiss.

He dunks you underwater.

You scream.

He holds you down.

The forest echoes with your suffering.

But Suguru does not stop.

Not until the grime is gone.

Not until the sticks are out of your hair.

Not until you no longer smell like dead things.

When he finally releases you, you gasps, clawing at the riverbank reflection.

Suguru crosses his arms, smug. (See? Clean.)

You pant, soaked, furious. Turn to snarl at him—

And pause.

Eyes widening.

Mouth parting.

Suguru furrows his brows. (What—)

You grab his face.

Yank him close.

Narrows your eyes. (You.)

Suguru blinks. (Me...?)

You shove your face next to his.

Compares features.

Your hair—now washed—falls long around your shoulders.

Your face—now clean—looks...

Looks...

Suguru feels a horrible, creeping realization crawl up his spine.

You look like him.

The same, but female.

He bluescreens.

You grin. (Mate very pretty.)

Suguru malfunctions.

---

Now, Suguru has a problem.

Because the forest woman is obsessed with him.

You follow him everywhere.

You copy him.

You steal his food.

You try to groom his hair (he does not let you).

And worst of all—

Worst of all—

The tribe loves you.

After one (1) hunt, you become legendary.

You jump onto a buffalo’s back.

Bites its neck.

Kills it with your teeth.

Suguru watches in horror as the tribe worships you.

(Strongest huntress!)

(Wild goddess!)

(Suguru lucky! Suguru mate strong!)

Suguru despairs.

Because now—

Now you have a cult.

---

Suguru is being courted.

It is horrifying.

His mate—the feral, tree-dwelling, bone-gnawing goblin woman—has decided that you will woo him.

He does not want this.

And yet, it is happening.

The first attempt? A gift.

Suguru wakes up to a severed wolf head in his lap.

It is fresh.

It is bleeding.

It is staring at him.

He grunts, staring at the horrifying offering. (What this?)

You squat in front of him, grinning. (Gift! For mate!)

Suguru exhales. (Why.)

You puff out your chest. (Kill with hands. Strong. Good mate.)

Suguru drags a hand down his face. (Could give... normal gift.)

You blink. Tilts your head. (Like what?)

Suguru gestures vaguely. (Meat. Spear. Fur.)

You pause, considering. Then nod. (Okay.)

Suguru breathes a sigh of relief. Finally, you will—

The next day, you bring him a whole deer carcass.

You do not drag it.

You do not carry it.

You throw it over your shoulders like a sack of potatoes and drop it at his feet with a loud thud.

Suguru despairs.

Because the tribe is watching.

And they cheer.

Suguru dies inside.

---

The second attempt? Public displays of affection.

Suguru is a private man. A dignified man.

He does not like attention.

His mate?

You like to lick him in front of everyone.

One day, you grab his arm, drag your tongue from wrist to shoulder, and bite down.

Suguru screams.

You grin. (Mark mate. Now other women know.)

Suguru clutches his arm, scowling. (NO WOMEN WANT ME. YOU SCARE THEM ALL AWAY.)

You tilt your head, confused. (Why mate angry? Mate should commit happy.)

Suguru grits his teeth. (Mates do not bite in public.)

You squint. (Not? Then how they mark?)

Suguru pinches his nose, exhales. (They do this.)

Then he leans forward and kisses your forehead.

Just a small peck.

Civilized. Gentle.

Like a normal man showing affection.

You freeze.

Eyes wide.

Breath held.

Suguru smirks. (See? Better than bite.)

You malfunction.

You stare at him like he just reinvented fire.

Then—

You screech.

Pounce.

Pins him to the ground.

(Do again.)

Suguru realizes he has made a mistake.

---

The third attempt? Building a home.

Suguru is trying to civilize you.

You live in trees.

This is not acceptable.

So he decorates his cave and makes it comfortable for you.

Draws paintings on walls. Adds soft fur bed. A proper fire pit.

You hate it.

You refuse to go inside.

You climb onto the roof and sleep there instead.

Suguru drags you inside. (Cave good. Tree bad.)

You huff. Crosses arms. (No like cave.)

Suguru scowls. (Why.)

You grin. (Cave no fun. Tree fun. Can watch prey. Jump on prey.)

Suguru closes his eyes. (You do not need to jump on prey. Can hunt normally.)

You stare at him like he is speaking witchcraft.

(But… jump fun.)

Suguru facepalms.

His mate is incapable of being civilized.

---

And yet—

And yet—

Suguru wants you.

You are horrible.

You are disgusting.

You are wild and untamed.

But you want him like no one else ever has.

Like he is the best thing you have ever seen.

Like he is your greatest hunt.

Like he is worthy.

And something deep, deep in Suguru’s primal brain likes that.

So one night, when you are crouched by the fire, gnawing on bones, he does it first.

He licks your cheek.

You freeze.

Drop the bone.

Turn.

Slowly.

Staring.

Suguru smirks. (Mate now.)

Your eyes widen.

Then—

You tackle him.

Pin him.

Bite his neck.

And grin. (Mate now.)

Suguru grins back.

He has been caught.

And he does not want to escape.

---

Suguru has made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

A horrible, irreversible, life-changing mistake.

Because now?

Now his feral mate has decided it is mating time.

It starts with gifts.

Not normal gifts.

Not civilized gifts.

Not furs, beads, or food like any normal person in the tribe would give their mate.

No.

You bring him bones.

So many bones.

Some from animals.

Some from... he does not want to ask what.

You dump them all in the cave, proudly grunting. (Nest for mate.)

Suguru stares at the horrifying pile of skulls, ribs, and femurs that now decorates your and his home.

(We not live like this.)

You tilt your head. (Why not?)

(We civilized.)

You scratch your ass. (What mean 'civilized'?)

Suguru exhales deeply.

It is fine.

He will fix you.

Then came the dancing.

You think mating requires dancing.

You watched others do it (Gojo)—slow, swaying, seductive movements by the fire. (It was not seductive, because collective Nanami, Sukuna, Toji and Suguru and his own mate were throwing bones at him.)

You decide to try.

But you do not know how to dance like that.

So you squat.

Bend your knees.

And start violently shaking your ass.

Suguru chokes on his own spit.

You are not dancing.

You are glitching.

You look possessed.

He grabs your shoulders. (Stop.)

You stop. Blink up at him. (Good dance?)

Suguru rubs his temples. (No.)

(He will not tell you that you did not invent twirking, but the first aneurysm.)

You frown.

Consider.

Then drop onto all fours and start crawling in circles around him like a deranged crab.

Suguru panics.

(WHAT DOING?)

You grin. (Mating dance. Scare rival women away. My lion mother do it.)

Suguru despairs.

There are no rival women.

There is only him, suffering.

Then, you try to bite him again.

Suguru stops you.

Grabs your face. Stares into your soul.

(We do not bite for mating.)

You frown. (Then... how?)

Suguru squints.

Realizes.

Oh.

Oh no.

You do not know.

You—grown, feral, unhinged person—have no idea how actual mating works.

You are just winging it.

Suguru exhales. Deeply. (Come here.)

You crawl into his lap immediately.

He drags a hand down his face. (No. Sit normal.)

You sit like a frog.

Suguru ignores it.

(Okay. Listen.) He places a hand on your stomach. (Mating... make baby.)

You blink. (Yes. That why we mate.)

Suguru nods. (Right. But we do not do it by... throwing bones or crab-walking around the fire.)

You pout. (Then how?)

Suguru sighs. Leans in. Whispers.

Explains.

In detail.

Your eyes go wide.

Your mouth falls open.

You freeze completely.

Suguru smirks. (Understand now?)

You slowly nod.

Then—

You grab his face.

Eyes sharp.

Expression dead serious.

(You say... I must sit on you? And you hold me? And we move?)

Suguru stares. (Yes.)

You grin.

Lunge.

Tackle him.

Immediately try to climb him like a tree.

Suguru yells.

Suguru is dying.

He is being smothered.

You—his feral, unhinged, terrifying mate—are treating mating like a wrestling match.

You are too strong.

Too enthusiastic.

Too feral.

You lick his jaw. (This good?)

Suguru pants.

Shakes his head. (Slower.)

You grunt. (Why?)

Suguru grips your waist. (Because I said so.)

You grin.

(Suguru leader in cave. Suguru tell me what do.)

Suguru nods. (Yes.)

Your eyes sparkle.

(Suguru... alpha.)

Suguru stops breathing. You are treating this like monkey mating, but he doesn’t care; he’s neanderthal.

Your pupils dilate.

Suguru realizes he has made a second, irreversible mistake.

Because now?

You are obsessed.

---

The next day, the tribe knows.

They see Suguru leave the cave, covered in bites and claw marks.

They see you following behind him, grinning smugly when Nanami and Toji’s mates give you a thumbs up.

They see you cling to his back and lick his neck in front of everyone.

Suguru grunts.

Ignores it.

Walks to the river.

You follow, still attached to him like a damn leech.

You turn to the women. Grin. (Suguru alpha.)

The women gasp. (Mainly Gojo’s because she always thought Suguru was after her mate.)

The men nod in approval.

Nanami passes by. Smirks. (Alpha, huh?)

Suguru glares at him. Contemplates murder.

Gojo appears. Sees the chaos.

Sees Suguru’s state.

Sees you licking his jaw.

Gojo wheezes.

(Suguru. Bro. You got tamed?)

Suguru does not answer.

Suguru does not speak.

Suguru simply accepts his fate.

Because this is life now.

This is his new reality.

He is alpha.

You are his mate.

And you will never leave him alone again.

---

That evening, Suguru sits by the tribe fire.

Sulking.

Mourning his old life.

Mourning his sanity.

Gojo sits next to him, smug. (You understand now.)

Suguru grunts. (Yes.)

Gojo pats his shoulder. (She strong, though.)

Suguru exhales. (She feral, though.)

Across the fire, his mate is crouched like Mowgli, gnawing on a bone.

Your cult is cheering.

Suguru puts his face in his hands.

He used to be normal.

Now he is simply...

Husband.

Gojo’s suffering suddenly makes sense.

---

Suguru has ascended.

Something in him has snapped.

It happened slowly.

At first, he fought it.

Fought you.

Fought the fact that his mate was a lawless, uncivilized, bone-hoarding gremlin of the forest who did not know how mating worked and thought biting was a love language.

But then—

Then he saw the truth.

His tribe worshipped you.

They admired your strength.

They copied your ways.

They offered you food, furs, weapons, praying that you would bless their hunts.

And something inside Suguru cracked open like a mammoth skull under a club.

He understood now.

You were more than just a person.

You were a divine force of nature.

A living legend.

A feral, tree-dwelling deity who crawled in circles and hunted with your teeth.

And if his people wanted to worship you—

Then Suguru would lead them.

So he did what any genocidal c-word leader would do. (You can decide if it’s Cunty or Cultist.)

Called the first sermon.

The tribe gathers.

Suguru stands before them, arms crossed, towering over his people like a true prophet.

You sit behind him on a large rock, gnawing on a raw deer leg like a wolf.

He turns to his people.

Eyes serious.

Voice deep.

(We were blind.)

The tribe nods solemnly.

(We did not see. We did not know.)

The tribe grumbles in agreement.

But now—now they understand.

Now they see your power.

The Huntress.

The Wild One.

The Unwashed.

The Bringer of Bones.

You pause your gnawing. Blink. Tilt your head. (…Huh?)

Suguru ignores you.

(Our hunts are greater. Our strength has grown. Our enemies fear us. Because of you.)

The tribe cheers.

You scratch your ear with your foot like a dog.

Suguru nods sagely. (Yes. Witness your divinity.)

The people weep.

---

The tribe transforms overnight.

They copy you.

They crawl on all fours before hunting.

They eat raw meat.

They hoard bones.

Suguru preaches your teachings.

(Do not fear hunger. Hunt like the goddess—silent, deadly, with your hands.)

The people nod reverently.

(Do not waste food. The goddess eats all—bone, flesh, even eyeballs.)

The people wail in agreement.

(Do not bathe—)

Suguru pauses.

Then glances at you, who are currently biting your own toenails.

(…No. Bathe. The goddess was reborn through water. Follow this path.)

The people cheer.

You grumble. (Water stupid.)

Suguru ignores you.

You do not need to understand.

You only need to exist.

The people will worship.

And he?

He will lead.

---

But there are a few traitors.

Gojo, Toji, Sukuna, and Nanami do not believe.

Neither do their mates.

They watch in horror as their people lose their minds.

Toji glares at Suguru. (You serious?)

Suguru crosses his arms. (Yes.)

Gojo wheezes. (Bro. Bro. You started a cult around your Mowgli cave-wife.)

Suguru nods solemnly. (Yes, she divine.)

Sukuna bares his teeth. (She bit me last week.)

Suguru smirks. (She was testing you. You failed.)

Sukuna sputters. (FAILED? FAILED WHAT? I AM KING.)

Suguru shrugs. (Not her king.)

Sukuna almost explodes.

Nanami scoffs. (She’s are just a person.)

Suguru laughs.

Laughs darkly.

(She is more than a person. She is a force. A legend. A living god.)

Nanami pinches the bridge of his nose.

Gojo shakes his head. (You’ve lost it. You’re done, bro.)

Suguru simply grins.

(I have seen the light.)

Toji points at you, who are currently chasing a chicken with Suguru’s old loincloth.

(This? This is the light?)

Suguru nods.

(The brightest.)

The doubters sigh.

They know they cannot convince him.

He is gone.

Too deep.

Too devoted.

Too in love.

---

The final moment of devotion comes when Suguru declares—

(A great offering must be made. A true shrine must be built.)

The tribe agrees.

They gather bones.

They carve a giant statue of you.

They bring forth gifts of raw meat, spears, and animal pelts.

You tilt your head. Blink. (Why?)

Suguru kneels before you.

(Because you are our goddess.)

You scratch your chin.

(But I just... live here.)

Suguru nods reverently.

(Yes. Exactly.)

You squint. (This normal?)

Suguru smiles.

(Nothing about you is normal.)

You grin.

Then pounce on him.

Suguru laughs, accepting his fate.

The people cheer.

Gojo, Toji, Sukuna, and Nanami watch in horror.

The cult has won.

---

Suguru is furious.

Not normal furious.

Not mild annoyance.

Not Gojo-stole-my-food-again angry.

No.

Real anger. Primal anger.

Because Gojo has challenged him.

Because his mate is being ogled.

Because Gojo is the reason for both.

It happened during the Great Gathering—a time when all the strongest tribes meet, trade, and flex their best fighters like mating peacocks.

Suguru’s feral goddess is, unfortunately, a spectacle.

You are naked. Always.

Not because you want to be seen, but because you do not believe in clothes.

(You tried wearing fur once. Said it felt like a dead rat on your back. Bit it. Threw it in the fire. Refused to wear anything since.)

Suguru accepts this.

The tribe worships this.

Other men?

They stare.

And Suguru sees red.

---

Gojo, as always, is the problem.

Gojo grins. (Your mate famous, huh?)

Suguru grunts. (Of course. She divine.)

Gojo tilts his head. (Divine… and naked.)

Suguru growls.

Gojo snickers. (Just saying. Maybe mate should wear something.)

Suguru glares. (Why? Fear your power? Feel inferior? Her loin hair longer than yours?)

Gojo snorts. (No. I just think you’re mad because men look at her.)

Suguru’s eye twitches.

Gojo grins wider. (Oh. So that’s it.)

Suguru’s grip tightens on his spear. (You challenge me?)

Gojo laughs. (I breathe, and you take it as a challenge.)

Suguru throws his spear at him.

It is a battle of gods.

The two strongest men in the valley.

The two greatest hunters.

The two biggest dumbasses.

They charge.

Gojo swings his club—Suguru dodges.

Suguru throws a rock—Gojo catches it in his teeth and spits it back.

They clash, grunt, snarl, and headbutt like savage beasts.

Men cheer.

Women bet furs.

Children chant.

Their mates?

They watch.

You crouch on a rock, chewing on bark.

Gojo’s mate sits nearby, fixing his fur pelt.

She sighs. (They do this every time.)

You grunt. (Why?)

Gojo’s mate shrugs. (Suguru mad. Gojo dumb.)

You tilt your head. (Gojo mate smart. Why take dumb mate?)

Gojo’s mate smirks. (Because he strong and smart but not smarter than me.)

You grin, eyes sparkling. (Yes. Best.)

You both chuckle in agreement.

Gojo and Suguru?

Still fighting.

Gojo finally pins Suguru down.

Leans over. Smirks.

(Say it. Say I win.)

Suguru snarls. (Never.)

Gojo leans closer. Mocking.

(Just admit I’m—)

And then—

A rock flies out of nowhere.

Hits Gojo square in the head.

Everyone stops.

Silence.

Gojo blinks.

Looks up.

Sees you.

Crouched on a ledge.

Grinning.

Holding another rock.

You cock your arm back.

Gojo’s eyes widen. (WAIT—)

BONK!!!

Gojo goes down.

Flat.

Suguru grins. (My mate best.)

The crowd roars. (Toji grones; he lost chicken over this bet.)

---

Suguru sits by the fire.

He is sore.

He is bleeding.

But he is victorious.

You sit beside him, preening like a smug cat.

Gojo?

Gojo is lying face-down in the dirt, still twitching.

Toji, Nanami, and Sukuna stand over him.

Toji pokes him with a stick. (He dead?)

Nanami sighs. (No. He just stupid.)

Sukuna shrugs. (Should’ve fought better.)

Gojo’s mate comes over, making baby noises at him.

He makes a crying face and shoves his face in her breasts.

She coos to him, and Gojo smirks smugly at the men around him when she’s not looking.

Suguru exhales.

Gojo will live.

But his victory is secured.

You are his.

His tribe is strong.

His cult thrives.

And as the fire crackles, and you bite his shoulder in affection, Suguru knows one thing for certain.

He is the luckiest bastard alive.

---

A/N: Drop your answer in the comments, or I swear, I will make Choso explain his mating techniques in full detail next chapter. (Next up,, I'm thinking of doing Choso next; what do you guys think?)

All Works Masterlist

[arcane-ish]

So, my new fandom is real life politics or how Silco and Vander sort of changed my life

I actually wrote this back in the fall of 2024, before Arcane season 2 aired. I thought about posting it like … the week of Arcane premiering but it felt odd because the US election was around the time and in that context… it just felt wrong.

Anyway, you probably don’t know me, but it was like this: Back when Arcane originally aired for a while posted slightly crazy amounts about it. I’m the kind of person who loooooooves long philosophical and analytical exchanges and collecting information.

And then I dropped out cold turkey.

This is not unusual for me, I’m a fandom switcher. Except in this case the new topic I switched to, the two “fandoms” were somewhat oddly related.

I love the concept of Arcane and the themes and dualities it portrays. I love many facets of it, but a major poison of choice for me was Silco x Vander, followed by Timbomb aka Ekko x Jinx. And a big part is pondering the conflicts and different politics of their world view.

And just one major factor was imagining what the politics and lives of the young Vander and Silco looked like and why they fell out. I’m not a fic writer but I’ve tried to dabble (usually too scared to post stuff or too waffly to finish stuff). I thought a lot about what their younger lives might be like (inspired by some fanarts) and doing a litte bit of research into other political figures and how their political movements started out, just what the dynamics in a group like that might be, or just what kind of plots would make sense.

This kind of crossed into my genuine dissatisfaction with real life politics. And now, it’s not the big one that affects the most people, the US, with Trump and everything. I’m from a small European country, our elections already took place and the also sucked (and though it’s probably hybris a lot of the time it feels like we started it or at least were very early). I think a lot about the rise of the global right and how to oppose it, how it interlocks with and blocks so much having to do with climate change, how modern technology promotes radicalism in various shapes, how the right is straining for culture dominance again and is building its own ideology and whether or not the fracturedness of of public and cultured life influences this.

The main reason why I wanted to get involved is … I just really, really hate the guy who leads the way too successful far right in my home country. I hated all the ones before him too, but for various reasons this one feels even worse and not just because of the global influence of Putin. I just didn’t want him getting into power and me wanting to do something to help the opposition to him. I just felt that there was something bad in the air and I wanted to get involved even though the next election was quite a bit away at this time.

And yes a tiny bit was thinking of it of fic research of what discussions and relationships in small pub backroom political groups actually feel and work like. Like even if I washed out of the scene again, at least I would have fic idea, no?

I feel like I’m kind of lucky because my home country actually has some deep old political structures and it’s been kind of interesting trying to navigate through them.

To be honest: trying to get involved was a huge leap. If you try to look at it as a “fandom” it’s just so unfamiliar that it’s just all in real life, giving tons of real life people your phone number. Especially since I’m a person who has always tried to stay deeply pseudonym-based in fandom and never attend any fandom events, I always tried to keep real life and fandom life very separate and to now have a hobby, a “fandom” that doesn’t allow it, was very harrowing. But I decided I wanted to do, because I think the situation is serious and it’s worth it.

One thing that I found interesting how in some parts, the kind of low level politics I do actually does remind me a ton of fandom. To have those low level, normal people sitting around and trying to organize a party or a march or a discussion event and advertise it, form or revive a club, it reminds me so much of fandom and all the fandom weeks and zines and big bangs and art contests and fanfic gift exchanges that people are doing. Fandom I think has taught me a lot about people’s generosity and what people are willing to do just for passion and community. Fandom actually is a good example of something great and amazing that doesn’t run on straight self interest logic. And if it works in fandom, why shouldn’t that work in politics as well? I certainly know that I want more of that out there in real society.

I’ve always felt a little bit on the margins of fandom, because in the end I’m not a fanfic writer, I’m not an artist. But I’ve found my niche I feel in mostly writing long rambly metas and identifying the people who also do that and who like me get joy from gabbing on like that. And by cheerleading and encouraging the talented people in fandom and maybe trying to connect then, carry together and compile information. This is ultimately what I kind of hope to do in politics as well. I don’t want to get elected for anything. I don’t want to stand in front and give speeches. But I do want to identify the people who do that and who I like and believe are well meaning and encourage them and help them be more well known and maybe try to carry out some of the ideas that I think are important. And maybe on occasion find some people to have the real world version of the long fannish conversations with that I enjoy so much in fandom.

So yeah, because of Zaundads, and the fannish encounters and discussions I had because of them, I asked myself a lot of question, about myself, about sexuality, about organizing, about good and bad and what I believe in.

Generally, my plan was to just take a short break from my political stuff doings just long enough to watch season 2, shout about it like maybe till the end of the year and just like before dip out. I fully blame the @zaundadsbigbang for forcing me to stay in at least till that is done. XD

Right now I try to juggle both.

It’s funny. I was hoping to also do politics like I do fandom, where I dip out after a certain amount of time. Ideally, after “the job is done”, where I have encourages the local opposition parties to suck less so they can stand on their own.

But yeah, now with Trump in office, it sure looks like the job isn’t going to be “done” any time soon or just bewhere I think I can just let it slide and trust other people to handle it while I do nothing.

I dunno, I’ve been thinking on whether I should post at least some of my politic-y thoughts to tumblr. Or at least share some real life stories/historical stuff that I think kind of fits Arcane.

Like, one thing I have been thinking about a lot in regards to Arcane (and how it wasn’t a story concerned with politics and revolution in the end) how exactly how we tell those stories and how we can forge them and make them be appealing and believable. And I think Arcane is just a very good sample or jumping off point in that regard.

I dunno, I haven't decided yet.

[0viraptoraskblog]

What BTD/TPOF characters I think would be cat or dog people

I’ve had this in my notes for a while, so why not share it?

Keep in mind these are just my opinions, and I didn’t even think very hard about it. It’s just for fun. Feel free to let me know if you have different thoughts though :)

I’m just gonna go down the line:

Rire- He gives me major cat person vibes. I think he likes their elegance, and how they aren’t blindly obedient to humans like dogs (in his words). All of earths creatures are lesser beings, of course, but I think he’d have a little respect for cats. I can see him sitting and drinking tea/reading with a cat lounging on the back of his chair.

Sano- doesn’t really love either one, and would definitely pick centipedes if given the choice. I think he’d appreciate the fact that cats are independent, and they match his demeanor more, but he does have a soft spot for Shaun— who is more like a dog. This one could be 50/50.

Akira- It’s already confirmed that Akira is an animal person, so I think he’d like both. I feel like his extroverted personality would be more fitting for a dog though.

Strade- The one exception, because clearly, he’s a fox person. (If I had to pick: I know he’s kind of indifferent to animals, but I feel that dogs might be better. He just likes that they’re friendly, and he often sees neighbors walking their dogs, so he interacts with them much more than he ever has with cats.)

Ren- I think Ren would be a cat person actually. I think he’d like dogs, but the cuddly nature of cats would be nicer in his mind. I feel like he wouldn’t really consider getting one, he’s never thought of having a pet except you, but if/once he did, they would be inseparable. I think a cat would help him recover from his loneliness if he was on a good path.

Lawrence- Not great with animals, as we know, but I think cats are definitely the better choice. Dogs can be loud and jumpy, and those constant sudden moves might put him on edge if he’s around a dog too long. Especially the ones that go nuts every time someone walks by the door— not Law’s thing. I think he’d appreciate how cats are independent and calm by comparison (in most cases.)

Vincent- Dog person. I know he’s technically part canine himself, but even without that, it just feels right. I think he’s the type of person to just get along with dogs, probably more than he does with people. It’s a simpler connection, and yet it feels stronger (and more honest) than with people, who might not understand him.

Farz- He likes animals, so I know he’d be okay with both, but I actually think cats might be better. If we take his werewolf bf out of the mix, I think he’d like cats because they’re generally quieter- and not just in the sense of noise; he sees them as more ‘thoughtful’ if that makes sense. (I’m not really solid on this one, because I think he’d go well with any animal so long as they’re friendly. Birds especially)

Cain- I think he’d be a cat person. Similarly to Rire, he likes the idea of having cats. They’re more elegant than dogs. I think he sees them with a little respect, at least- wasn’t he around when people used to worship cats? I don’t know, I don’t have much to say on this one.

Damien- I haven’t analyzed his character very much, I’ll be honest, but I think he’d like dogs. Probably one of the “family” dog breeds, like a golden retriever or something. I feel like outside of his duties in game, he prioritizes relationships— including the companionship of his pet.

Ashe- I think cats match Ashe’s personality pretty well. They both tend to keep to themselves and like naps. I think they’d pretend to be indifferent about the cat at first, but then you turn around and they’re cuddled up together. They don’t know how, it just happened.

Derek- I honestly don’t know. I don’t think he’d be good around animals at all. For the sake of this post though, I’m gonna have to say dogs. He’d like a pet that he can train and that will listen to him. I think he’d only start to get attached once they form a bond, meaning the dog responds to him well. He’d probably pay for the training that teaches it to attack on command, just to have another form of intimidation or something. I think he’d start to care for it like a companion too, after a while, but he’d never admit it. (note on Derek- I think he’d have something like a German Shepard or a Doberman for what I described earlier, or instead he could have one of those tiny purebred dog breeds that only rich people can afford. Idk, I’m torn)

Celia- If I can’t say mouse, then cat person. I do think she’d enjoy having a pet with more obedience, but I think she’d chose the cleanliness of cats over dogs. Again, I think she’d like their independence because she wouldn’t have to ‘babysit’ it 24/7. It doesn’t need to be let outside every few hours. And hey, you can still train a cat if you try.

Mason- Dog person. I don’t see him ever having a pet, since he hunts *everything*, but maybe in another universe he has a hunting dog? Plus, I think his somewhat old fashioned off-the-grid lifestyle is more suited for a dog as well. He seems like the type to call them ‘man’s best friend’ and such.

Komodo- I headcanon that he’s a major reptile person, hence why he came up with their nicknames. I think he’d like both cats and dogs. He thinks dogs can be friendly and loyal, and cats can be affectionate and cuddly. Another 50/50? Snakes are probably his first choice.

Dragon- likes both, but probably a dog person. I think he grew up with a family dog, and so he still has a soft spot for them over cats.

Jack- definitely dogs. His whole character screams dog person to me (his mask does, too). I can see him owning his own police dog. Just because he’s bonded with it, he trained it himself! Oh, and it conveniently skips over his own bag when doing scent drills to find drugs.. huh, it must be all clear.

Machete- we know painfully little about machete, but I’ll say dog person. I like to imagine he still has his childhood dog, which helped him emotionally a lot after his sisters disappearance.

Tom- Very close call. I think he connects well with animals, and knows when to be gentle or when to give them space. I don’t think he’s ever had a reason to pick one over the other. If he had to choose, maybe cats?

Jaqueline- also likes both. Although, I think she’d like dogs more, mostly because they’re athletic. She can go out with them and get some exercise. I think having a dog would also help her feel safer after escaping the desert.

Chamomile- I think she likes many animals, especially since she was majoring in biology. I think deer are her favorite, as a nod to her original design, but between the two I’d say she prefers cats. It’s not a passionate difference, but it’s there. I think she’d like animals she can hold/cuddle.

Richard- none, he doesn’t deserve it/hj in seriousness though, I actually am gonna say cats. I have no idea why. It just feels right for some reason.

Wow that was long. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk :)

[aihoshiino]

ok i'm cooking now. hear me out.

choice-based romance visual novel with a long ass title i will work out another time that abbreviates down to 愛喰らい (Aigurai), meaning the act of or the creature that partakes in devouring love (or you know. Ai.) It's an AU where the KamiAi relationship & breakup still happened but rather than getting pregnant, Ai just had a pregnancy scare. Thus, by the time we join her at age 20, she's much more desperately alone and thus vulnerable to these sort of toxic dynamics.

Each route focuses on a different side of the entertainment industry - Fox Route is about the idol scene as experienced by the talents, the ease of media manipulation when you can sell a good story and the way talents are incentivized to compete with each other when they should be in solidarity. Snake Route is about taking the idea of 'talent management' to its logical extreme and exploring the mindset of fans who prefer idols as nonthreatening and infantalized. Hawk Route would be about the absurd levels of control and dehumanization within the entertainment industry and just how quickly a person can become a product to be sold. And then the final route - Wolf - would combine all these elements into a single, cohesive takedown of idol/oshi culture and parasocialism as a whole.

The intensity of content escalates from Fox to Snake to Hawk to Wolf, with Fox being the least bad of the four but still uh. Not exactly great.

The LI for Fox Route is a fellow idol who admires Ai and wants to ensure her success - she's not just a fellow idol, but his oshi. So he's sort of a Nino type, I guess. The main tension of his route is the gradual realization of just how conveniently Ai’s fellow idols and potential rivals start vanishing from public view, how often scandals and other shit happens at just the right time to keep her on top. He never hurts Ai, just the people who might stand in her way.

In the good end, Ai comes to accept that she’s safer when he’s by her side, even if she doesn’t fully understand what he’s done for her and sort of resigns herself to turning a blind eye to his misdeeds, since they're being done on her behalf and nobody's ever cared about her enough to get their hands dirty for her. In the bad end, she discovers the full scope of his actions and rejects him, only for her career and reputation to be destroyed in the process. He offers her the only safe place left at his side and at her wits' end, Ai takes it.

The LI for Snake Route is an employee at Strawberry Productions... some kind of talent health manager, ig? Who's brought in and tasked with looking after her when she has a strange health scare out of nowhere. Predictably, her health starts to deteriorate and put her in his care more and more often to the point that it starts negatively impacting her career, since she's no longer able to work consistently... there's probably like a scene where she's returning to work and has some sort of scary/embarrassing and very public health emergency (vomiting on set or something) and it causes a scandal.

In the good end, her career is basically finished and Ai thinks it's basically her own fault for being in such poor health. She feels abandoned by the world at large but finds comfort in the LI's arms. In the bad end, she discovers that he's the one who's been making her sick, but before she can act on it, an "accident" ends her career. She survives, but now she's fully dependent on him just like he wanted.

The LI for Hawk Route is some high-ranking executive in the entertainment industry - like a producer or an agency president... or idk, maybe even a guy with yakuza ties. He's really captivated by Ai and wants to help her career flourish with his connections, but he 'loves' Ai in the sense of loving a pretty decoration - she's something to be owned, cultivated and kept in line by any means necessary.

The good end has Ai surrender entirely to him, beguiled by the idea of someone who accepts her to the point of wanting to possess all of her in her entirety. In the bad end, she fights back and he basically crushes her career like a bug overnight and she disappears from the public eye, never to be seen again - because now she belongs exclusively to him.

Hikaru would be the final route, though I don't have as clear an image of how his would play out. I have the themes in mind pretty strongly, though - it would be a sort of culmination of all the prior routes combined into one character. Fox Route is about protection, but Hikaru makes sure she doesn't NEED protecting, because there's no one left to threaten her but him. Snake Route is about dependency and Hikaru doesn’t just make Ai depend on him, he makes her believe she was always his to begin with. Hawk Route is about control and Hikaru takes this a step further by manipulating Ai to such an extreme that she believes she's acting of her own will even when she's playing into his exact wishes. Other than that, I only have a few ideas. He'd show up in all routes via flashbacks and occasionally a cameo and in his own route - Wolf - he appears partway into the common route when Ai's already had a few interactions with the other LIs. He very much represents an oasis/safe space away from the other LIs, at least up until you realize he's the worst one of the bunch <3

Hoshino Ai was born to be the heroine of an otome game populated entirely by yandere guys who would put her in a dog cage

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

Really trying to have faith in the writers because so many elements of Season 3 have been incredible, but I just can’t get behind Lottie’s death. And it’s not even just because she’s one of my favorite characters—it feels pointless, like it was done purely for shock value rather than as a natural progression of her story. I get that they need to kill off some of our most beloved characters to create tension and show us that no one is truly safe, I appreciate that. But those deaths still need to feel earned.

We never really got to know adult Lottie. Last season, her arc mostly revolved around Nat, serving as a vehicle for her development rather than her own. And this season? All we got was her babysitting Callie, shoplifting, and then mysteriously dying—not as a culmination of her journey, but seemingly just to kickstart a new plot where the other characters have to solve her murder. No emotional depth, no exploration of her guilt and trauma, very few opportunities for the audience to feel empathy toward her this season. It’s frustrating because Lottie had so much potential, and instead of exploring it, the writers treated her as a stepping stone for other people’s stories.

Nat’s death felt very sudden and I’m still not sure I really agree with it, but at least she got a fulfilling arc. She starts to heal and forgive herself, and she redeems her survivor’s guilt by not letting Lisa die because of her the same way Javi did. Lottie didn’t get that. I really hope we at least get to see Lottie’s death scene (and her death dream/vision) in flashbacks later in the season, kind of like what we got with Travis. I need more.

[crazymecjc]

always the pawn in someone else’s game. ♟️

[crows-king]

I've been thinking a bit about how Galinda and Fiyero work as foils(?), and the contrast between their goals, personality, and their relationship to social influence individually change how they navigate their specific social situations.

And why it puzzles me when people judgmentally compare them and what they'd do in "What-If" scenarios as a gotcha to make one seem better/worst. Because in my mind they are similar but not comparable, because they fundamentally have very different personal stakes.

Primarily because of the difference in how they act in an Active (Galinda) vs Passive (Fiyero) approach to social engineering. And also, because one of them in writing is more developed as an individual than the other.

I'LL MOSTLY BE TALKING ABOUT: WICKED MOVIE - PART 1

Galinda is inherently Active. She has wants and desires that she's driven to achieve, and so actively plays the part of the good socialite because it will help her become more popular and to eventually become "Galinda the GoodSorceress". "It's not about aptitude, it's about the way you're viewed", and so on. It’s the one thing she knows she’s good at.

Of course, she also likes the attention and validation, but her charms doesn't come as naturally as she wants others, and probably herself, to believe. (I love that quote Ariana said somewhere about how "Galinda sees herself as a graceful swan, when she's actually a very stiff, but still beautiful swan", or something of that sort). She's insecure that she’ll lose people's favour and thus her most important asset, so she continually appeals to them. It's an act that she simultaneously enjoys doing for the most part, but also traps her from ever being truly close to anybody for fear of being known and not meeting expectations and losing that adoration. Until Elphaba that is.

Because of her drive to fulfill her dreams and to keep her best asset, and personal desperate need for validation, she has a much more obvious internal conflicts when she has to choose between Elphaba/the moral good vs keeping with the good graces of authority and/or the public. She's more prone to being influenced by others, and many of her choices become a calculated risk. She’s often times selfish and chooses her own desires, but it’s what makes her such an interesting and very human character. The struggle she balances when she’s forced to choose for better or worse.

In contrast

Fiyero is Passive. Dancing Through Life is literally him telling others that being lazy and not thinking is the best way to cope and enjoy life by ignoring problems. He is discontent with his life, but doesn't really acknowledge it until Elphaba reads him. Much like Galinda he is also playing a part, but it's not as tightly controlled as Galinda because he doesn't have an end goal for it.

Of course, while he probably doesn't want to lose his princely privileges. His passive "brainless" approach doesn't really put him in risky situations that would put him in conflict leading to losing things he cares about, because he really doesn't have a lot to lose. (Which is a byproduct of the fact he is primarily written as a love interest side character without much of an arc or motives outside his love triangle relationship to Elphaba and Galinda).

What confounds me is when people compare them and judge what their choices would be in if they were placed in pivotal moments, because we never really see them in situations with similar stakes.

For example, the Lion Cub scene. Most people interpret this scene as an act of braverism and heroics by Fiyero. And in some part it is, he's spurred on to save the cub, and he and Elphaba do. But it's telling that he only does this after everyone is asleep and there are virtually no risks. Any present social or physical conflicts that could arise? POOF! Gone. The worst that could probably be done to them is being punished, or even kicked out, if they’re discovered afterwards. Which Fiyero is not new to and doesn't really care about, and while maybe uncertain for Elphaba, is also unlikely because she's Morrible's irreplaceable pupil.

Some people use this scene as evidence that under his facade, Fiyero is secretly valiant like Elphaba thinks so. But I think in actuality tells the opposite. It reveals that Fiyero does care about the Animals, yes. But, the fact he only acts when prompted and there are no longer any present risks initially makes him seem less brave than Elphaba, and even Galinda. Because it contrasts with the Ozdust dance scene between the girls. Where Galinda had to make an active choice to do the risky and brave thing as an apology for hurting Elphaba, and offer to truly connect with her in front of everyone with the possibility of social out casting. She has an obvious internal conflict and risk assessment where she ends up picking the moral good over her personal comfort and social appeal. I'm genuinely curious on what kind of choices Elphaba, Galinda, and Fiyero might have done in that situation if they weren't given the perfect out by the magic poppies.

Would Galinda have helped in with the lion cub if she were awake? Probably, but who knows? Because in the narrative, Galinda isn't really put in a situation where she could choose good without being watched or without someone breathing down her neck. The prospect of being punished and kicked out from Shiz would also be most plausible and ruinous for Galinda. Morrible would definitely use it as an excuse to kick her out, or at the very least punish her, if she could, and it could throw away her only chance of achieving her dream of becoming a sorceress. She would have probably joined them in the end, though. If only to make sure they were safe. Compared to Fiyero, she has more conflicts of interests because she has personal aspirations and influence based on her reputation, and thus have more fears and consequences to consider in losing it.

Would Fiyero have joined Elphaba on the broom? Maybe, mostly likely. Because narratively, he’s never given a reason why he shouldn’t. He doesn’t see his worth and his skills intrinsically tied to public influence and opinion. He doesn’t have any wants or wishes he would have to abandon. He’ll have to leave his friends and family, but it’s not shown how close they really are to him outside Feldspar, his Horse friend, and he’s probably joining them anyway. He’s definitely more equipped to survive on the run compared to Glinda. Unlike Glinda, who is proven right in the end to being most useful when she can wield her powerful social influence For Good, Fiyero would probably be most useful as a sidekick to Elphaba. He was always written to be Elphaba’s follower, it’s no surprise. It’s also easier to take risks when you don’t have much to lose. But I think most people would agree that would make a less interesting story.

[jjkyaoi]

i feel like chloe and max having relationship problems makes a LOT of sense considering everything the two of them went through, and max sacrificing arcadia bay would 100% be a huge one of them. especially considering chloe lost her mother to that. it’s a decision max made to save her, but regardless. all of their troubles r incredibly realistic but you lost me at chloe dumping her for VICTORIA CHASE. like?????? it’s like they completely forgot every single aspect of what makes chloe chloe. yes they would be rocky but she would fight for her, just like how she fought for her hope and love of rachel still being out there. like. she is incredibly loyal and not once in the original games did she even fuck with victoria. i’m less mad about them breaking up and more mad abt the character assassination of chloe

[edwinisms]

see I can’t accept charles’ comic background and socioeconomic status as canon for the show because if I did that would mean the whole group would be a bunch of rich kids and that’s a horrifying concept

[kenyleft]

Let people do whatever they want, let people have rainbow walls with their doors painted like Minecraft doors but also give the same respect to people who like white and beige walls and basic doors because that’s their choice and neither the rainbow nor white walls effect your life in anyway and the only thing that matters is that someone is happy and they’re comfortable in their own space not your opinion on how it looks I think