#cannibalism as a metaphor for love taken LITERALLY!!

[raviollies]

Theta is an incredibly old Hag having been able to survive for a millennium, her true age unknown as she herself stopped counting. Thus amongst Hags, not only does she rank as a Grandmother but a very powerful one at that, her only misfortune having been the last of her coven, the group having cannibalized itself in a struggle for power.

Such old Hags exist but are a rarity, and in some isolated pockets of rural areas they are worshipped as deities of the natural cycle of decomposition and as the group for life. Though this practice is few and far between and generally discouraged in favour of the standard pantheon and generally labeled as a false or old god. Their domains consist of ancient forests older than civilizations, not unlike Silvanus, though where they differ is that the Fae have a propensity to grant wishes and desires, for a price of course, rather than keeping a distance for the sake of balance (Often times this involves body parts [ a la what Auntie Ethel does in BG3, where they would be granted sight or hearing through your body] or living beings).

Theta's reasoning for pursuing Blythe is nothing special - she was simply seeking out Elven women with a potential, ones that have not awakened or honed their magical skills as to be molded and influenced (She sees it as teaching a chick to fly).

Like other Hags, Theta believes in the obscenity of love; patron of obsession and possession. She encourages Elven mages to cannibalize their lovers - and is staunch in the belief that consuming another grants their power. Whether or not that belief is fact or fiction is dubious.

[magicians-abode]

(This is my first time writing NSFW, and a over 2k words, so I'm excited to see if you guys like this)

"Hungry Love. Let us Feast"

[Laios Touden x gn!reader]

Warnings: NSFW content below - long fic? - mentions of reader having AFAB genitalia - mentions of cannibalism (nothing gory don't worry)

Laios liked monsters. And he liked eating them. He had an... odd fascination with them, but who were you to judge, when you liked the idea of cannibalism as an analogy for love? Exactly, you were in no position to judge your partner.

You hadn't told him that, though. That you liked the idea of "consuming each other", or that you wanted him to bite each other as you were in bed, treating each other like a fine dish.

—Is everything okay, love?— Laios placed a gentle hand over (y/n)'s shoulder, stirring them away from their thoughts.

They nodded, smiling up at him softly.— Yeah, just thinking— he sat by their side, crossing his legs. He had taken off his armor, wearing the clothes from underneath. They couldn't help their eyes traveling down towards the v-neck of their shirt, the strings loose for comfort.

—Thinking of what?— he asked curiously.

—Just...— should they tell him? No...— about us— they kept their soft smile as they talked for a while about different topics, relating one with another, love, food, monsters. Ugh, monsters. Don't eat them, eat me (y/n) thought to themselves, unable to hide the expression of slight annoyance on their face as the topic was brought up.

He noticed this and mid-rant stopped— Are you alright? Are you tired? We've been walking a lot today, maybe you should rest— if there was something he liked more than talking about monsters in this world, that would be you. He cared about (y/n) more than anyone could imagine or describe.

—Ah, yes... well— they hesitated, looking at their hands, then at his face, and then back at their hands as they fidgeted with their fingers in an attempt to calm their nerves.

They wanted to say how much they wanted to be... consumed, devoured. But would it be weird? Maybe for Laios not too much?

—I've. .. wanted to tell you something for a long time— they mumble— I– It's nothing bad... I think— they waved their hands as they tried to not scare him with their seriousness. Laios looked at (y/n), silently waiting for them to speak.— Have you ever heard of cannibalism as a metaphor or analogy for... love? Or sex even?— they closed their eyes as they said that, bracing for something bad that never came.

Laios put a finger to his chin in thought— Well if I'm being honest, I think I heard of it once or twice, when I was younger and studying literature, but I never delved in much deeper than the fact that it's a thing— he answered with their usual tone.— Why do you ask?— Laios looked at them for an explanation, curiosity clearly sparked in his honey eyes.

(y/n) gulped, trying to ignore how their cheeks started to burn with an incoming blush. Were they really gonna talk about this? They had already told Laios and piqued his curiosity, and he probably would try to pick up the subject sooner than later if they decided to just leave it at this. So gathering courage, they spoke.— I would like for us to– uh– how do I put it?— (y/n) searched for the right words to voice their ideas— to treat each other like a meal when we have intimacy— they blurted, trying to finish the sentence as soon as possible.

—Treat each other... like a meal...— he echoed, raising an eyebrow— so you mean you want me to eat you?— he concluded.

—Ah– well, yes and no, I mean it not in the literal sense, but in a figurative one obviously— they explained— you see, I'd love it if you spoke to me more...no– I...— they sighed again. Gods above was this difficult.— I want you to describe or treat me like a meal. I want us to enjoy ourselves as if we were... "feasting on each other"—.

Soon enough their explanations worked their way into Laios's brain, and he understood exactly what (y/n) was asking for. He smiled, already coming up in his brain with a few ideas. He'd have to think more about the subject though, after all, he always wanted the best for you.

That night, when everyone had gone to sleep in the rooms of the abandoned house they had chosen to pass the night in, Laios approached (y/n) from behind as they were getting into bed.

—Sleepy?— he whispered in their ear, their strong arms hugging them by the waist. They froze at the sudden interaction and slowly relaxed.

—Not really, but we need the rest, don't we?— they smiled, trying to turn around to hug them back, but Laios didn't budge in their hold. —Uh, dear?— they mumbled, this time trying to look behind them.

That's when they felt his lips softly spread kisses on their shoulders, going to the back of their neck and ending their path under their ear. His breath was warm as he spoke— I'm hungry...— he mumbled against their skin. His voice didn't sound like it usually did. This time it sounded... dominant almost.

(y/n)'s breath hitched at this, suddenly feeling themselves grow hot in the cold of the night.

—Should I see if Senshi has any leftovers?— they asked despite their nerves.

—What for? I've got a whole meal right in my hands already...— he let his hands wander, one going down to grip and squeeze at their thigh. The other one traced its way over their neck and up to touch their lower lip.— It would be a waste if I didn't eat you, don't you think? ...so much to delight myself with—.

He let go of them and guided (y/n) to lie down on the bed. They obliged, excitement and pleasure already cursing through their veins as Laios crawled and watched from on top of them how they looked at him with a shy expression, their hair all messy over the soft pillow, a few strands on their face.— Oh how beautiful you are...— Laios whispers, licking his lips and moving the strands of hair away from their pretty face. His lips softly collided with (y/n)'s, who returned the kiss as they tangled their fingers at the back of his honey haired head.

Licking at their bottom lip, silently asking for permission, (y/n) parts their lips, allowing their tongues to dance lovingly. One of his hands stays by the side of their head to keep himself up, while the other moves the spread their legs a bit further, allowing him to come closer, his chest now pressing against theirs.

A string of saliva connects their lips when they break the kiss, and they're both left already panting, thinking about what's next. Laios stutters for a moment as his fingertips touch slightly under (y/n)'s shirt— May I?— he looks up at them through lidded, yet soft eyes.— I'm dying to discover what my meal is for tonight— he let's his hand further under their shirt once (y/n) gives them the okay to go ahead.

His big and somewhat calloused hands cup one of their breasts, massaging it for a moment, his index finger reaching for their nipple and flicking lightly at it. —Mhh... you're so perfectly soft, my love— he uttered, peppering kisses all over their collarbone.

(y/n) sighed, a hand coming up to their lips to contain the moan that wanted to escape from their lips, caused by all the attention they were suddenly receiving.

—Don't...— Laios said firmly, looking up at them from their collarbone.— I want to feast your flesh, and I want to listen to the way you feel when I'm devouring you. So don't— his hand traveled slowly down from their chest to the hem of their pants, feeling the goosebumps on their skin.

Laios felt his erection twitch in the captivity of his own pants, but he bit his lip, focusing once again on the task at hand. Eating.

He slid their pants off easily, underwear gone along with them, taking the opportunity to get rid of his own shirt as well. His breath already agitated, he gulped down the sudden urge to just dive in between their legs and taste them without a word. He continued to gently massage one of their breasts and kissing their neck. Lips starting to trail downwards, he pinched softly at one of their nipples, kissing his way down towards the other breast and sticking his tongue out to play with the nipple of the other.

When their legs twitched, threatening to close in the slightest around him, he moved his hand to hold their thighs open with a strong grip. It wasn't enough to hurt, no. But it was strong enough to let them know, without a word, that it was not happening under his watch.— Can't have a feast without the main course, can we?— he chuckled, trailing kisses down their body and finally positioning his face in between their legs. (y/n) looked away, but quickly looked right back down at him, embarrassment and excitement mixing in their stomach.

He slid a finger over the slick of the entrance, watching mesmerized at their juices as he heard a soft gasp of surprise come from their lips.

Kissing both of their thighs for a few moments first, he looked up to them and whispered— Thank you for the meal, my love— and closing his eyes, his tongue stuck out to lick in an upward motion, testing the waters. Once he heard another gasp, accompanied of a soft whimper, he pressed his face right into their cunt, tongue lapping at the juices as his nose pressed against the soft bundle of nerves slightly above.— Gods, I've been starving— he mumbled against their clit, his warm breath making them shiver.

Sticking his tongue inside of them, then swirling it around their clit, their flavor stuck to Laios's tongue and lips, smearing itself around part of his cheeks and nose as he hummed eagerly against their pussy.

It went on for a while, a long while. And he seemed thrilled at their reactions. What if he licked like this? What if he bit their thighs? What if he raised their legs and pressed his face as much as he could into the sweet liquor of their pussy? What if he held your hips in place with enough strength to make you unable to stop yourself from being completely devoured by him?

He shifted his gaze up towards their face— Gods you sound divine. You're so perfect— lidded eyes looked at them, as one of his hands moved towards the entrance his tongue was just exploring.— Can I?— always so polite, he asks for permission to keep exploring more.

— You shouldn't play with your food— (y/n) says in a breathless whisper. Looking back down at him— but... I'll allow it— Laios smiled softly at their words.

His finger teased the clit first, procuring they were even more wet than before as he slowly pressed kisses all the way back up their abdomen and across their chest until they reached their lips.

Gently teasing the entrance and then pushing his middle finger in, he was met with the warmth and the tightness of their insides as they moaned into his mouth.

—Relax sweetheart...— he whispered near (y/n)'s ear, moving to press a kiss on the space between their ear and their jawline— We're going to be here a while. I like taking my time to enjoy a good banquet— his finger pumped in and out of their pussy beautifully, their slick only providing them with lewd sounds everytime he dipped his finger back in or out. Laios bit down onto their neck, procuring to leave a hickey that everyone was most probably going to be able to see in the morning, and (y/n)'s hips stuttered upwards against his fingers.— You sound so delicious sweetheart— he praised, moving a second finger up to their entrance and penetrating them with both now, eliciting a rather loud moan to escape from them.—Take your time, I'm not stopping until I get to taste your sweet release— Laios mumbled against their jaw.

Gods was that night going to be a beautifully long one.

[abuse-ken]

Ito is not an evil murderer for no reason: a meta

I'm going to be breaking down the lyrics and PVs of three songs: Yellow Papa (x), Dear Suns (x), and Flower War. This is a chronological look at Ito's story. Feel free to look them over if you need a review :3 the song is linked in the first word, and the lyrics in the second. I left a second translation for Yellow Papa and Dear Suns because I like the second one better for readability. Flower War has lyrics in the captions of the PV

Before I start: As I understand things, this series of songs by Abuse is centered around a cult that primarily idolizes indulgence to any degree. Especially through Ito and Zoy, we see sex and cannibalism heavily intertwined. For this reason, I interpret cannibalism to be both literal and a metaphor for rape

Ito himself is the oldest of four siblings. He is fully man himself, but serves as a parallel to Ote in that his mind is that of a beast while his body isn't. His mom is a beastman, and his absent father is a man

Yellow Papa

*Please note that Ito is described as "only just learning how to read" during this song, making him around five

The general point of this song (which I assume most people don't know as this is a song that was initially supposed to be Dear Suns, but Abuse cut and put on Abuse Bundle instead) is to illustrate Ito's childhood. Both this and Dear Suns seem to serve similar purposes, both coming out after Flower War to further humanize Ito. This song follows a parentified Ito and his siblings as Ito begs for love from their parents. So fun and chill ty Abuse

We see a lot of talk of meat and being eaten, as is standard with Ito ofc:

Most notably, the line "'Love us, love us!', My mother's fangs gobbled me up, and I became raw meat". Obviously Ito was not literally eaten here, which leads us to the conclusion that Ito's mom is sexually abusive

This leads straight into "That sort of sensation was of falling from the top", tying back to the opening line of "I ate the raw meat that had fallen from the top", meaning one of two things. Either we are meant to take the first verse's lines as autocannibalism, a metaphor for how he is having to take care of his siblings with their father absent; or we are getting our first glimpse at why Ito might be a cannibal: need. If this isn't meant to be taken as an analogy and Ito is eating "raw meat" (presumably people), this paints a picture of him and his family being in a dog-eat-dog kind of world, having to cannibalize other vulnerable people around them in order to eat

We also see his mother ask if he is going to eat her, which he says he is. This is touched on more in Dear Suns, obviously. He cites his reason for eating her as because his father doesn't love her. With the final chorus showing Ito more desperate for his father's love than food, which he and his family are very clearly lacking, it gives us the general themes of Ito as a character:

Love, sex (and sexual abuse), and eating are all one and the same to him

Dear Suns

*Ito is older here, he seems to be at least a teenager based on the illustrations, but there is no lyrical acknowledgement of his age

As I'm sure most people know, this is more insight into Ito as a character rather than any particular event in his life, outside of the detailing of him eating mother and siblings

To begin with though, we get some elaboration on Ito's life before this song and how he came to be at the church. At about 1:43, the PV reads, "one thousand necks have been severed, so many bodies remain, sever the necks of one thousand [millionares?], blood stains remain even in the shower stalls, I'm in the middle of the street, I spend a year in the hospital, I don't know my name, I don't know where I live, 'you are a child, and this is your new family'." This implies that somewhere in between Yellow Papa and this song, while Ito was still young, he was eventually taken in off the street and to a hospital where he lived for a year, the church taking him in as him "new family" afterwards. This is over the line in the song that reads "you must protect your family, carve it into your DNA," which points to the church directing him into the role he takes on in Flower War to at least some extent

At 1:04, we also see a shot of text that reads, "for the first time in my life, I have a purpose" right as soon as the chorus starts detailing Ito killing and eating people, yet another implication that this is something he took on as more of a job than a crime of passion

There's also a shot of him wearing a collar with a chained lead at 1:26, which is obvious enough a sign of being controlled, especially when all the characters are dog-based. There is an inherent dehumanization to all of the characters in this plotline of Abuse's, but it applies to Ito too, not just the beastmen characters. Despite being fully aware of his actions, he is collared, compared to an animal, and dehumanized by the narrative itself

This song especially is full of evidence that Ito was brought up in the church for the sole purpose of protecting the people in their cult. With several lines about "having to protect his family" and especially "protect your family and their connection to you, it's carved into the spiral/(alternate translation above)", it really makes it seem like he's more of a child soldier for them than just the common interpretation of him being a yandere type. There's also the mention of "xochimiquiztli"* which ties in more with Flower War (obviously more explaination later), meaning not only in Flower War but this song too, he is canonically compared to an honored soldier going on what is basically a suicide mission for the sake of pride and protection of their religion

And of course, the song closes with Ito saying "this is wrong". He's aware that he is commiting horrible acts on some level, yet he keeps doing it because he loves his family

*Refers to a death on the battlefield in a flower war. From the Aztec Empire, roughly translates to "flowery death"

Flower War

*Still no age for Ito, and he is pictured as a fox, so it is hard to gauge

To begin with, I'll give a brief summary of what flower wars are. In the 1450s, the Aztecs were going through a famine, and determined that the gods were angry and needed human sacrifices. In order to obtain these, soldiers were sent out into small, pre-arranged battles to take prisoners. Any deaths (or xochimiquiztli as before mentioned) were considered honorable, and the dead would join the god of sun, fire, and war.

This is tied to Ito's character as a whole. He grew up in the church because of growing up on the streets without food, he is heavily tied to sun imagery in Dear Suns and Flower War (while Zoy is notably tied to fire), and Flower War tells the story of his noble flowery death. In my opinion, this is too much connection to brush off as just reading into things. Ito is almost canonically called a child soldier through this analogy alone

This song really only follows Ito's last kill and his own death, which is a mission he goes on in order to kill people who "made fun of father (Zoy)" and "tried to kill Ote". The whole way he goes on about loving his family and his victims (again, love=sex=hunger to Ito), degrading himself, and praising his family members. He also mentions several times (2:06, 3:26, 4:01) that he is not supposed to kill children, which seems to be his undoing. While reminding himself of this rule, which he seems to only follow because someone else set it for him, he is shot and killed

In the final shot of the song, we also see a carnation that is red and yellow, the red meaning love (or specifically love for your mother, bc he has mommy issues ig) and the yellow representing disappointment and contempt. Like Dear Suns, this final moment displays some level of regret for his actions, and a final callback to his mother, who has now been mentioned in all three of his songs

In conclusion: my blorbo did nothing wrong /j please stop pointing out that he is a cannibal every time I mention liking him

[thswrtchdthng]

Okay here are some Magshawe prompt questions for your pleasure

1. Could Jonah kill Jonathan? Could Jonathan kill Jonah? I feel like they both have reasons to.

2. Who'd be willing to do cannibalism on the other?

3. Who do you think "died" first, Jonah's official death or Jonathan?

4. How do you think they met up?

5. Did they ever kiss?

6. Are they ever capable of being soft or are they stuck forever in passionate mode?

7. What if Dr.Fanshawe got time travelled to modern times and met Elias, would he fall again?

OH MY GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH

always coming in clutch, love that of you

1. well I've always thought of Jonathan as being quite a lot more physically strong than Jonah, so he definitely could kill him. I imagine it would be in a fit of that mix of rage and passion and fear and general morbidness that characterized the later part of their relationship. probably an accident too, and he'd feel equal parts like a hero for erasing an evil like that from the world and like absolute shit bc, well, he just killed the only person who understood him. he just killed his Jonah.

and as per Jonah, I don't think he could do it himself (even poisoning him or shit like that, it's just not his thing. I reckon he'd feel kinda meh about getting his hands dirty back then and he knows there are better things he could do). what he could do, and what he did in my interpretation of their relationship, is drive him to suicide. like just manipulating him and generally fucking him up emotionally and psicologically that he just kills himself yk. also in my brain it was a very gorey death, I might write something about that. of course, Jonah feels terrible about it too, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do yk.

2. cannibalism as a metaphor for love is so them. both. idk what it'd take for Jonah to do something like that but he's definitely not above it. I think a big part of his feelings for Jonathan in their later years together is the desire to metaphorically swallow Jonathan whole, which might translate to something literal. I'm not sure why or how, but he definitely could do it.

and Jonathan- well of course he could. I get the vibe that that desire to metaphorically devour the other was mutual, and along with his general Feelings by that point (the love, the rage, the constant panic, the distrust, the morbid curiosity) who knows what he could have done.

3. Jonathan. definitely. Jonah was not letting Jonathan outlive him, and I always thought the whole bodyhopping ordeal came as a surprise to him. so yeah he would've taken good care of Jonathan before anything.

although now that I think of it, the other option is also fun. Jonathan catching wind of the stuff going on both at the Institute and ar Millbank and being like "wtf are you doing now" but not wanting to give in to curiosity (and the need to see Jonah of course). Jonathan finding out about Jonah's 'death'!!!!!! he wouldn't know how to feel lmao.

4. hmmm I always thought they might have met at some sort of conference (those did happen back then didn't they) or symposium about some really morbid, really understudied branch of medicine (yk those that would piss off the church). Jonah did that thing where he starts asking the weirdest fucking questions like one asks about the weather and Jonathan was immediately like "he's so clever and interesting and curious and unashamed I need to talk to him" and they just hit it off

my second idea for a meetup is back in their university days. Jonah didn't study medicine (I have my own headcanon on that) but I think the general social scene was pretty open. maybe Jonah was out for drinks with some friends and saw Jonathan sulking in a corner and thought "interesting specimen, need to investigate"

a third idea I had was one of Smirke's little gatherings, but I wanted to see if I could come up with something new lol

5. yep. and much, much more. I imagine Jonathan was very reluctant at first, but by the time they first kissed the tension was unbearable and Jonah was already, well, a whore, so they were fine in the end (no they weren't).

6. wonderful question. I believe it's a mix of both. like their deranged passion has a bit of helpless softness mixed in, and back when they could be soft (before their entire relationship went to shit) even that softness held a passion that made it impossible to think straight.

7. oh that's a good one. for starters, it would be so fucking funny. like "what are you doing here" "what are YOU doing ALIVE. and how did you get there"

at first Jonathan would be absolutely outraged and disgusted by everything Jonah's done, but then, of course, he'd get curious. in my brain Jonathan was one of the first Flesh avatars, back when they were discussing whether the Flesh was real or not, so I think he'd have fun with that. and he was always big on the modification of the body from what it's born as to what you want it to be (Dr. Fanshawe said trans rights) so when he found out Jonah'd been straight up switching them around he'd be equal parts enraged and thrilled. can you imagine his reaction at how much medicine has progressed in the last 2 centuries? bby would be fucking elated.

Jonathan reading about modern medicine and being all euphoric while Jonah just watches him with heart eyes the entire time.

and it might get Jonathan far more into the Fears, especially into the Flesh. maybe he ends up like a different version of the Boneturner or something (and then monsterfucker Jonah kicks in and well, the rest is history yk).

this was so much fun tysm!!

[raayllum]

I love how we are basically opposites on the whole theory thing :

You predict plot points by making jokes that end up coming true

meanwhile me and my overdramatic mind obssesses over dark scenarios that would never fit into 9 episodes and then I'm surprised when they don't happen XD

Listen as long as you're enjoying what you're doing, I say have all the fun you want in fanon and taking insp from canon! That's the best part sometimes! <3

Although I have some things that started out as jokes that ended up being canon (my absolute favourite of which being this joke I made about Ezran in 2x04 that was then an actual thing in the s2 novelization) the weirdest thing for me has been like... the ultra specific thing / things I thought would be more metaphorical that ended up being more literal

AKA a list in no particular order

Me assuming since Through the Moon came out that Callum would inevitably play into Aaravos's hands and that the struggle to not do so would be his main conflict in arc 2 (which looking back, the possession plot line seems so thematically obvious I am genuinely a little sheepish I didn't see it coming)

The game motif being my favourite motif and then s4 fucking Delivered it was beautiful

Viren's atonement arc because of his eye symbolism

That the rune cube placement could be trusted to foreshadow things, specifically the Ocean rune in finding the prison and in foreshadowing Callum's dark magic use

Me going "Hey wouldn't it be Fucked Up if whatever comes out of the cocoon is like a child version of Aaravos?" (hi Sir Sparklepuff my beloved)

For that matter: that Aaravos would ask one of the mage fam to kill Sir Sparklepuff for a deep magic spell, and that they'd refuse to do so

Callum's interplay with freedom being too tethered to Rayla that I banked on her eventually being taken hostage and Callum doing morally ambiguous shit to save her like 3+ years in advance

Seeing Callum's S4 design for the first time and noting that the circlets around his wrists invoke chain symbolism but thinking "Nah him and Rayla being in chains like tarot cards will just be metaphoric right". Haha, no!

Ezran as the embodiment of Justice / the series' Witness (hell yeah thank you 4x03 & TOX for making Justice his highest value)

Predicting Rayla's entire arc 2 arc thus far re: her paranoid and restless nature being what puts them on the path to finding Viren and her wanting a rematch, the coins, and her self worth issues, written March 2020 (months before TTM came out)

Callum and Viren as each other's primary foils (begun before this but started being highlighted further from Nov 2019 onwards with specifically thinking that S4, as opposed to s3, would crank it up to an 11)

Rayla and Callum's whole ass light-dark motif that I thought would be a fun consistency in the background rather than a whole ass arc defining Thing

Characterization wise but Ezran as an Enneagram Nine The Peacemaker personality wise (once again thank u 4x03)

Back in Aug 2021 I noticed that bloodbending had thematic similarities to dark magic (in terms of framing, notions of control & agency) but again, didn't think it'd amount to literal likewise puppeteering (Aaravos is/was even imprisoned like Hama too!)

Seeing parallels between dark magic and thematic/metaphorical cannibalism / positing Aaravos as a cannibal in a fic I wrote in 2019 but never ever thinking it'd be more than metaphorical bc kids show, am I right? (when I tell you I screamed)

Like 3 weeks post s3 I came up with Political Trio Theory in which Ezran and Rayla are at odds about something and Callum is caught in the middle, as he agrees more with Rayla but feels like he should side more with Ezran, which an Ezran / trio centric conflict along those lines seems to be what we're going to get personally with Runaan / the coins in future seasons

Which, not only is it mostly to keep my English major-y brain sharp and my enclosure enriched (parallels are my perpetual hamster wheel), but it's also like... obviously predicting from theme/motifs isn't perfect, but it does mean you have all the right pieces. Then it just comes from running through the options to assemble what the puzzle might look like, & also thinking through the constraints of structure and run time (ergo I wasn't surprised when Callum didn't figure out the mirror himself in early S4 cause I just didn't think the show would have time for that kind of slow build).

Like following S2 I never really thought Callum's journey with dark magic was precisely over, firstly because I saw him absolutely as someone who would do dark magic / things he morally is against again if put in the exact circumstances he was in S5 (hence the CHET predictions post up above), but also because as our primary mage character and with dark magic being the core ethical dilemma for mage characters in the show, it just didn't make sense to assume that it'd be entirely resolved with a neat little bow 2/6 (since at the time we thought it'd be 6 seasons) in. Like - what? So that's something from an analytical standpoint of characterization, theme, and structure, for example, and TDP gives us a decent amount of time to get used to all those things especially in the first three seasons and then we can kind of build our predictions neatly from there.

So what usually happens is that I'll have a passing thought / gut reaction, think "huh maybe it's something," and then actually think about it for like 2 days to 2 weeks and realize that it loops back in with a lot of other stray thoughts and that there's something Substantial there. It never stops being wild

Anyway this was definitely way too long a response so TLDR; I'm always pleasantly surprised / excited whenever I predict anything correctly and also adore when the show throws me a curve ball (hi Terry <3), and the fun of theorizing (and sometimes throwing spaghetti at the wall) for me comes down to the themes and parallels and fun (fanon if nothing else) possibilities I can find. I love writing meta, speculative or purely analytical, even if/when they're often time consuming. My instincts haven't steered me too 'wrong' with TDP thus far, and I don't think they ever will!

[moss-and-marimos]

you could literally start talking abt the grossest shit in my tags and I'd start clapping honestly pls do ramble

people who dont want to see talk of the intimacy and eroticism of horror and gore dont click read more vbjdhfdfvj

ougugghghhghghg goes wild its the intimacy and inherent eroticism of gore, sorry if this is a bit incoherent im tired but maybe I will dump more in your ask box another time bvjhdfd, for me its a sort of like fucked up thing between trusting the person to put you back together afterwards and wanting to be understood in a way nobody can without literally taking you apart, I guess kinda similar in a way to like wanting people to know about your trauma in a self destructive way, thats what a lot of it is to me that makes it interesting is the art of self destructive clearly unhealthy codependency dynamic between consumer and consumee, test subject and scientist, im not gonna put my own year old poem here bc it needs some revisions vbjdfd but to summarize it talks about being loved through the restraints binding you, and being seen as what you truly are, some mass of meat, and them taking you apart and loving you anyway. they will see you laid bare, more vulnerable than you have ever been, and they will make the choice that you deserve to stay, or in the case of cannibalism that they want you to be their nourishment. That in trusting you to take them apart, you are trusting them to sustain you. its really fucked and interesting to me. The idea that consumption or vivisection or similar are some warped sort of love, the same sort of way that people will abuse others and say theyre doing it because they love you, is very interesting to me. obviously its bad but its the only comparison I can draw here and its an interesting thing to explore in fiction. its a type of love that is obsessive and destructive and painful and violent and thats why its so interesting. And again referring to that poem I wrote last year "and you wish you could be a better test subject. and with the blood on their hands and a smile on your face you thank them. after all your life is in their hands." and "theyve been inside you more times than you can count, and something about that is so appealing. to be taken apart. to be examined. to be understood. oh how invasive. you long for it" and the fucked up eroticism of instead of having like idk bite marks or hickeys or whatever shit on you you're covered in scars from their invasiveness and tests, showing just how much you belong to them and just how well they know to put you back together. After cutting away everything vulnerable, after getting to just the bones (and maybe even cutting away those too), after seeing the abomination you are, they put you back together anyway, again and again. In both a metaphorical sense of like exploring trauma and trusting the other person with that and in a fictional but more literal sense, it is quite literally exploring the other person, and its incredibly intimate, and requires so so much trust.

[genderandanger]

So uhh spoiler for part 1 to 4 of baki

but like lemme get this str8.

Baki's mother is killed by his father, Yujiro calls killing an opponent devouring them, Pickle shows up, Pickle devour losing opponent LITERALLY, Pickle cries when opponent has to be eaten since he only eats who he respects >sees as a true equal, Yujiros demon back crying is an advanced move> when he has to kill a true equal => yujiro only devours the ppl he respects, Emi died happily since she realized this. Baki doesnt like or condone this method of 'love' but gets it.

Miyamoto Musashi shows up, Miyamoto Musashi kills a friend, Baki n the rest of the cast r like 'yeah this happens', only one guy is like no he kills ppl because he kills ppl there deep reasoning stop romanticizing murder, Baki sees this as an insult cus that would mean friend died for no reason, Musashi fights Pickle, Pickle gets physically uncomfortable, BAKI gets physically uncomfortable, realizing Musashi doesnt kill ppl out of love cus he's lonely, Baki tells Musashi to fuck off for being a fake *inherent romanticism in (metaphorical n non metaphorical) cannibalism* fan, Musashi is like 'yeah, I sure hope it does', Musashi is to be killed as a form of love, n we do NOT support forced kissing in this house but Musashi is taken out by a kiss, thus being loved to death literally

if this teach u anything, it should be that Baki speadrunning therapy in son of ogre was a horrible idea

[rodolfoparras]

Am I really stupid for not understanding the metaphor of cannibalism with love? LIKE, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT😭😭

I don’t think you’re stupid love! I think it’s the fact that it depicts such a taboo topic that makes it hard to grasp it!

For example we hear the phrase “I’d die for you “ being used a lot but it’s not often we think that the person will do such thing for us especially if they use the phrase in such casual context

Example:

A: You’re so pretty Omg I’d die for you

B: haha thank you!

If we were to take it literally, the expression would come off as rather drastic or scary even.

Same thing can be applied to cannibalism.

Cannibalism usually means the consumption of another human being but when used as a metaphor for love, if doesn’t literally mean that you see yourself killing dismembering and cooking the body parts of another person before you eat them.

It’s used to describe the insatiable feeling of wanting someone when they’re already in your bed and in your arms

You can only fully understand it if you’ve actually felt it but a simple way to explain it is when you have a headache, and you’ve taken painkillers, you’ve eaten, you’ve slept, you’ve done everything yet the ache remains.

It’s the same thing when it comes to the insatiable feeling of wanting someone. You’ve kissed them you’ve held their hand, you have them in your arms hell you’re inside of them yet the insatiable feeling remains so you wish you could consume them in some way or crawl inside of them til the feeling disappears

Now I could be wrong about it but this is how I interpret it

[princeof-flowers]

Cannibalism isn't a metaphor for love and obsession with Eingail it's very literally religious and they're legitimately still taken aback at the fact that most people consider it disrespectful and distasteful.

[desertbled]

✿ - for nines? (@mojavexpressd)

FRIENDSHIP.     childhood friends  /  work buddies or coworkers  /  family friends  /  friends with benefits  /  smoking buddies  /  adventure buddies  /  fake friends  /  recently friends  /  party buddies  /  friendship of need  /  dying friendship  /  circumstantial friendship  /  partners in crime  /  old friendship  /  [ your muse ] is the good influence  /  [ your muse ] is the bad influence  /  [ my muse ] is the good influence  /  [ my muse ] is the bad influence  /  opposites attract  /  ride or die  /  frenemies  /  roommates or flatmates  /  penpals  /  exes to friends  /  enemies to friends  /  other

ROMANCE.     childhood sweethearts  /  [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush  /  [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush  /  exes  /  exes to lovers  /  forbidden lovers  /  highschool sweethearts  /  secret relationship  /  opposites attract  /  long distance  /  unrequited [ from your muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from my muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from both sides ]  /  skinny love  /  friends to lovers  /  enemies to lovers  /  spurious relationship  /  power couple  /  newly entered  /  soulmates [ metaphorical ]  /  soulmates  [ literal ]  /  awkward  /  turning toxic  /  toxic love  /  cheating [ on your muse ]  /  cheating [ with your muse ]  /  other 

FAMILIAL.     siblings [ half ]  /  siblings [ step ]  /  [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure  /  [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse  /  [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours  /  [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse  /  guardian figure  /  legal guardian  /  adoptive child  /  foster child  /  [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing  /  [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing  /  other

ANTAGONISTIC.     dangerous to each other  /  dangerous to others  /  unpredictable  /  rivals  /  petty  /  developing into sexual or romantic tension  /  based off family matters  /  based of off circumstance  /  based of professional matters  /  based off misunderstanding or lies  /  conflict of ideology  /  betrayal  /  hero - villain dynamic  /  enemies  /  fight club  /  friends turned enemies  /  lovers turned enemies  /  exes turned enemies  /  other 

filled this out based on the fact that nines practices cannibalism & has evil karma. unfortunately, wolf is very rigid when it comes to his moral views, so he tends to favor good karma & frowns upon eating people. 😅 maaaaybe if there was no cannibalism involved i could see them perhaps growing into friendship / some sort of familial dynamic. otherwise, they’d probably just be begrudged coworkers, i think.

[release-the-mccracken]

yesss i love those songs, & is also a really good song and i think joe hawley and ross federman from tally hall also went on to do miracle musical / hawaii part ii which is incredible but also 42 minutes long total and some things are kinda difficult to interpret or piece together cuz a lot of it is unclear whether it's meant to be taken literally or metaphorically and some lyrics are in other languages and there's one other song by miracle musical called variations on a cloud that was released separately from hawaii part ii as a preorder bonus so it's debated whether it's meant to be included (especially since the song in question is about 911) but i love reading all the different fan interpretations of the story that the album tells and some of the lyrics and compositions are genuinely beautiful especially dream sweet in sea major (which u may have heard if u use tiktok it's the song that goes like "you look quite divine tonight / here among these vibrant lights / pure delights surround us as we sail / signed yours truly the whale". the song that goes "all for nothing at all" is also by miracle musical btw and i think that one became a tiktok thing as well)

also rob cantor from tally hall is the guy who made the cannibal shia labeouf song which is unrelated to the miracle musical thing i just find it funny

I totally get that, I love when songs have many different interpretations to it. Specifically when an artist never says what they actually thought it meant, leaving no real "right" answer to base it off of.

It's also interesting to hear he did the Shia song! I really love that whole production.

[mushroomjar]

👾 👀?!

Omg hiiiii

I chose Abbey by Mitski, taken from Diana's playlist

Now for the explanation, actually I only added this song to her playlist verrrry recently (maybe because I only actually started listening to Mitski recently lol). I promise it's not just because "lmao cannibal OC gets a song with lyrics about hunger that's funny". I mean, it is funny, and it is a little bit of that, but it's not just that okay!! Also themes of cannibalism paired with themes of hunger always make me go rabid so there's also that. I mean, Diana is a very hungry character (in the literal sense, sorry, I have a hard trouble grasping hunger as a metaphor), partially inspired by my own hunger (again, very literal no metaphors, I get very hungry very often even shortly after meals, it's a problem), so there's that

Obvious cannibalism jokes aside, I also really love the lyrics in this song that talk about a light that can only be seen when there is darkness inside, dreams that only appear in the dark, screaming about being set free, it's a bit harder to put into words but those are also very Diana-coded to me (it may be hard because Diana is a character that's constantly being developed and changing so not a lot is set in stone in terms of her personality and story), particularly the ones about the light that can only be seen when there is darkness inside her, I feel like that resonates with how she views herself (and tbh, how I view her) so well, she's a pretty twisted person yet it is only through that depravity of hers that she's able to truly shine and be happy, it's the only way she knows how to genuinely express kindness and love, and yet it's so damaging to those around her including herself, I just jshdhs I love her

Thanks for the ask!

Ask game

[sleepingdeath-light]

death how do you feel about cannibalism as a metaphor for love

no one will give me an in depth explanation and they just say 'yeah its cool ig' but i must know WHY

Ooo I actually really like this metaphor and have used it a couple of times in my personal (non fanfic) writing for uni prompts haha.

As I understand it there are two sides to this metaphor when it’s applied to love: devotion/oneness and possession/obsession. I’ll explain each briefly in separate paragraphs.

I had a lot of fun with this but it’s also a bit sloppy since I’m really tired right now so, yeah, I hope this makes sense anon! And, again, these are only my interpretations of that metaphor based on how I have used it in the past so, yeah… explanations under the cut because it got a bit more longwinded than I’d have liked haha

1 — Devotion/Oneness

Metaphorical cannibalism, through this lens, is romantic through its references to becoming so close to your significant other that you devour each other. In a more literal sense what it’s describing is the process through which people that spend a lot of time together end up mimicking and picking up on each other’s habits, traits and eccentricities (like how they hold a fork or how they pronounce ‘scone’). But in a metaphor this could be described as sucking on their teeth and swallowing their tongue (adopting their speech patterns) or making a stew of their fingers and tearing the flesh from their arms (mimicking their gestures).

Of course that’s very loose (and sloppily written tbh) and not the only way writers can use cannibalism as a metaphor for love.

2 — Possession/Obsession

When you become so deeply obsessed with someone that you can’t bare the thought of anyone else seeing them, touching them, or speaking to them. Where you become so twisted in your protectiveness that it becomes possessive and you want nothing more than to keep them to yourself — to hide them, devour them, until they’re yours and yours alone. By ‘cannibalising’ them in this metaphor you’re referencing this very unhealthy need to keep someone to yourself — swallowing bones and flesh and skin and organs until there’s nothing left to be taken from you. They’re a part of you now and, as such, can no longer be stolen or hurt or leave.

Of course this is incredibly toxic as a mindset irl but it’s technically a type of love (just not a healthy one) so I guess it applies.

[neo-shitty]

holy shit, i loved this so much. this is the perfect piece for sayaka murata readers (i.e., me). i just enjoyed how twisted this was from the get go. it took me too long to catch on that it was a mermaid au bc of gem's pov (maybe i'm just making excuses and i'm terribly slow lol). i really did believe her when she said it was just a fish!such a perfect mix of magical realism, domestic horror, and even a lovecraftian touch to pearl's character that i just couldn't put it down. i loved the world building; you nailed the feeling of isolation with a job that requires someone to have such long hours alone and the interpretation of gem's character as a ruthless fisherman. their dynamic together!!! i lost my mind at my darling gemini and then immediately backtracked bc why am i shipping a human with a fish... (. _ .) there's just something about this that was so haunting and alluring that i just. couldn't. stop. reading. i need more of this but it was also enough, it ended on such a perfect note that i wouldn't have had this any other way. does this fall under the category of cannibalism as a metaphor for love when it was taken literally???

[copied from my ao3 comment, saving this on tumblr for my reference]

Chapters: 14/14 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: GeminiTay/Pearl | PearlescentMoon, GeminiTay & Katy | FalseSymmetry Characters: GeminiTay (Video Blogging RPF), Pearl | PearlescentMoon, Katy | FalseSymmetry Additional Tags: Blood and Gore, Fisherman GeminiTay (Video Blogging RPF), Mermaid Pearl | Pearlescentmoon, Cannibalism, kind of, gem is perfectly willing to eat a fish with a human upper half, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, dead salmon mermaid do not eat, no beta we die like pearl dies in this fic when her throat is cut by a filleting knife, No Sex, Biting, Knife Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, Jealousy, Contains Both Temporary and Permanent Character Death, Murder, Shiny Duo-Centric, false is only there for a few chapters Summary:

a record of every time geminitay encountered the fish with the human face.

13: it always looked the same.

14: epilogue.

[nexusconjunx]

🌑 and 💣 >:)

Thank u dear x3333

🌑 - Is there reoccurring symbolism? Motifs?

OOOOOH I have a few of them and they are all super angsty and I love adding more terrible simbols x333

the Salmon: My main character is a chimera made from differet animals, one of them the Salmon. The struggle up a river to ensure the next generation, enduring pain for people you will never get to meet, ensuring a future... Although he himself does not know that. Does a Salmon know why it struggles upstream? He believes himself a koi, to be honest, and he wont be happy about his true purpose...

The Eyes: DUUUDE eyes are so gooood. Love them. Especially the ones that stare at you from a distance, you can barely make out a body, but you are Judged. I've got one highborn character who struggles a lot with his family, and he has always felt their burning eyes on him; they shame him and he tries but there is nothing he can do to win their favour. In the end, he tries to keep his young daughter (who looks part goat) from their judgemental gaze.

Cannibalism: I love me some good old consumption of the flesh. After watching the sandman i really want to include an imprisoned God entity, but of course I gotta make it a bit darker. An Immortal who you can eat and drink from to gain more power? Who will not die regardless of how much you cut from him? Right up my alley. This poor guys Teeth and Bones and Eyeballs are taken all across the realms and people gain unimagineable powers from them, while they feast on his flesh and blood to gain immortality. (this god thing bleeds magic, which is why it gets pretty wacky around earth)

I've also got a centaur who literally eats the poor, and Halling used to be a guardian for a wizard, so he has eaten human flesh before. idk idk idk i just really love cannibalism as the most demeaning act upon your victims body.

💣 - What/who triggers the climax of the plot?

What plot o(*￣▽￣*)ブ but no seriously so far its always been "Halling and Aard make up and live happily ever after" but... now I am leaning really hard into that salmon metaphor, and I want the two of them to free that captured god. Both of them know what it's like to be at the mercy of others, and they want to make things right. Somehow.

I do not know how to get to that point; i know Aards motivations for fighting the wizards (they treated him like shit) and Hallings (they want the charm that keeps him alive) and I know I want Halling to get worse before he gets better (personality wise; i want him to be selfish and uppity and a brat) but I dunno how to get to the ending yet.

Maybe Hallings Salmon journey is that he is the one who can save that godbeing and ensure safety for the rest of the world?

[touchmycoat]

23, 31, 40!

HI THANK YOU <3 <3 <3 

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

Mmmh I’ll go with Unethical Consumption / 痴!

My favorite thing to do in fic is to have plot elements interact with canon elements in inexplicit ways. As a reader I get a lot of insider communal joy when I see this in fics, so I try my best to do it myself~

So XXC gives SL his own eyes (without consent!) and then leaves, right? In this fic, through my favorite plot element of ~cannibalism~ they get to have that argument: XXC wants to cut off his arm to feed them both and SL gets to explicitly communicate the fact that he in no way wants XXC to sacrifice his own body for SL’s gain.

Navel-gazey but, I do hope this is establishes more than foreshadowing. Fan works are transformative works, right? Through thinking of plots like this, I get to see songxiao’s possibilities get fleshed out (through cannibalism haaaaah)! They have full lives beyond their short narrative tragedy; their character arcs exist beyond Yi City and its aftermath. Hopefully readers get the same feeling~

ALSO I got to write angry!XXC and fighting words are so much fucking fun to write :D :D :D 

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

oh god fandom has spoiled me completely rotten TTTTTTT YOU included!!!!! I feel like it’s because I have fandom that I can be self-critical y’know? People are so fucking nice, I get this safety net of readers who are here to enjoy themselves, who have such generosity of spirit that they’re seeing all these good things about my writing. I believe very hard in having faith in my readers, so every. single. compliment is taken to heart. I’m absolutely enamored with every analysis people do, every connection people make, every time someone tells me they laughed at my sTUFPID FUCKING SEX FICS JNDFKDJFNKD

but anyways, the nonexhaustive list: the person who just leaves a series of sweat emojis on all my porn, the person who comments one line that drags me on a fic-specific basis, the people who indulge my sex crack, the people who read my fics & comments within like the hour of publishing, people who take days but always circle back, people who tell me they’ve been saving my fics to read, people who tell me i sold them on a character they weren’t sure about before, people who like my porn lololol, people who like my cute stuff, people who copypaste all their favorite lines, people who flip out in the comments, people who wrote me essays, people who says it got personal for them, people who remember my fics, people who like my language, people who tell me they trust me as an author to write about less normative stuff, more emotionally stressful stuff....

aaaaah i’m getting weepy just thinking about it lolol <3 <3 <3 <3 literally anyone who’s even given my fic a passing try, god fucking bless.

40. What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

oh shit! pacing, probably? It’s the thing I edit the most—but huh, that might be because it’s the thing that requires the largest scale of editing lolol. characterization is something i gotta be constantly aware of? grammar?

!!! mixing metaphors. I love me some metaphors but it’s been a concerted effort on my part to be more consistent about them within the same fic lololol.

((Fanfic Ask Meme!))