#gotta look into more folklore though

[nilefreemans]

I Saw My Uncle Kissing Santa Claus

"You really gotta tell him man," Tommy hears Howie's voice coming into the kitchen from the hall. He's about to come in, but the answering voice makes Tommy stop.

"I know," Evan says, sounding odd. "I can't keep this a secret for much longer, it will just make things awkward for Tommy. He needs to be prepared for whats to come."

Tommy's brows furrow at that, and his palms feel sweaty all the sudden-

Things were going good between them, slow sure, but better then it was before. Stronger. This is their first Christmas together since their last one was spent apart and Tommy-

Is overthinking.

Tommy steps into the kitchen then and is met with two identical looks of surprise.

He's been caught.

"No time like the present, hey Buck," Howie grins as he claps Buck on the back before walking past Tommy. Howie then winks at Tommy, and any thoughts he had to worry melt away.

"You know you should really be the one to tell him-" Evan starts but Howie interupts him.

"You owe me big time, good luck, thank you!" Howie sing songs before he's stepping out of the kitchen, leaving a pouting Evan behind.

Tommy decides he just has to kiss that pout and Evan smiles against his lips before grabbing at Tommy's waist and bringing him in for a deeper kiss.

"You're-" A kiss. "Stalling."

"Okay," Evan admits. "I have something to tell you, and ah - I guess, I guess ask of you to." He starts, rambling. "And it-it's kinda cute?"

"Cute?" Tommy asks, raises a brow. "What-"

"Jee thinks you're Santa." Evan blurts out and Tommy's eyes widen.

Out of all the things he expected, that wasn't one of them.

"She. Thinks. I'm. Santa."

"Yup." Evan pops the 'p' at the end.

"Um, why?" Tommy asks, and he's leaning against the counter now, confused at the turn of events.

"She has a list," Evan says and he pulls it out of his pocket to present it to Tommy. The piece of paper has Jee-Yun all over it, from the stickers of every genre to the glittery writing. It makes Tommy smile when he looks at it.

"Why Tommy is Santa-" Evan starts and he clears his throat, being a little dramatic.

"One. He flies." Evan starts and Tommy nods his head.

"I do fly-"

"And so does Santa," Evan pokes at Tommy's chest. "Can I continue?" Tommy makes a motion to do so, and Evan lifts the list off again to read it off.

"Two. Tommy took us to see reindeer, and Santa has reindeer." That was true, Tommy knew a guy who worked for the zoo and was on a team that was rehibiliating some reindeer. Tommy had taken Jee and Evan there a few weeks ago.

"Three. He has a long red coat." That one was a stretch, but Tommy wouldn't argue against it. He had a long wool coat for when he camps out in the mountains, and it was indeed red, though it was a more muted shade then he thought Santa would wear. Jee had seen it last week when she had been over for the night with her brother to give Maddie and Howie a night off.

"Four - and this is where it gets cute," Evan says, completely fond of both his niece and his boyfriend. "He has a big smile and he laughs and makes people happy."

"That's sweet," Tommy says, blushing. He ducks his head and Evan steps closer into his bubble, wrapping his arms around Tommy.

"There's more, like how you always remember what kind of gifts people want and ah-" Evan pauses briefly something that happens sometimes whenever their breakup came into the conversation. "You were gone last Christmas, and I think she thought you were busy."

"Being Santa." Tommy huffs, shakes his head. "Better than what actually happened."

They've talked about it, how Tommy threw himself into work to cope with everything. It wasn't healthy, but he's working on it.

Evan nods his head and the hand on Tommy's waist squeezes.

"She still believes," Evan says. "And with the baby this year, I think she feels a little left out. So when they got into Christmas folklore at school, I think she latched onto the idea that you were Santa. It's why she's been so shy today."

"Okay," Tommy nods his head. He gets it. Believing in something when things were a little difficult could get you through hard times. His old man had told him the truth about Santa when he had been young, and Tommy didn't have that little bit of Christmas magic growing up.

"Do you want me to tell her I'm not?" Tommy asks, undure what they should do here. Evan shakes his head then and Tommy relaxes.

"Chimney and Maddie want to talk to her about it, they just didn't want you to think she was ignoring you-" Evan grins. "I think she's trying to be on the good list. I've never seen her room so clean."

Tommy huffs out a laugh at that. He had thought it was a little strange that Jee hadn't come running to them for a hug when they came, but he figured that she was just being quiet for her brother's sake.

"And what list are you on?" Tommy asks Evan, voice low as his eyes dart over Evan. The other man snorts out a laugh then before he pulls Tommy in for a kiss.

"I think I've been on the good list, Santa-" Evan whispers in Tommy's ear.

Tommy tries.

He really does, but he lasts about two seconds before he bursts into laughter. Evan joins him then, and it feels good, laughing with his boyfriend.

"Uncle Buck?" Tommy hears, and he sees the very person they were talking about coming into the kitchen. "Can we play cowboys and princesses and aliens?" She asks and Evan straightens away from Tommy and he gestures as if he's wearing a cowboy hat, tipping it to Jee and the girl giggles in return.

"I reckon the Princess Cowboys have a lot to do before Christmas Evan tomorrow." Evan says in an exxagerated southern accent.

Tommy is completely charmed by him.

"Are you too busy to play Uncle Tommy?" Jee asks and Tommy feels like his heart skips a beat.

That was the first time Jee has ever called him 'Uncle.'

"Yeah, that sounds fun. Can I be a Princess?" Tommy asks and follows Jee and Evan back into the living area.

He prefers Unlce to Santa, anyday.

[lilith0fthevalley]

Texas Chainsaw AU!Leon Drabble

Content Warning: This drabble contains themes of manipulation, psychological tension, and an undercurrent of unease. There are references to ominous folklore, implied family secrets, and a subtle but deliberate challenge meant to lure the protagonist into potential danger. Readers should be aware of themes involving isolated rural settings, social dynamics with an eerie undertone, and a charismatic but potentially menacing character.

In one of the few, crowded bars of Newt, Texas, Y/N takes a sip of her beer and narrows her eyes over the neck of the bottle as she lowers it. “Well, I’ll be damned... Who in the hell is that fine piece of ass right there?” She asks the two women next to her at the hightop. Claire giggles before speaking up first. “Why, Y/N! That is the newest addition to our lil' town of Newt, Texas… Says his name is Leon Kennedy.” Claire offers in a hushed whisper. She smirks and tosses her shot back, the immediate burn evident on her face as she winces. Jill speaks up next. “Ain’t no damn way he’s a Kennedy. Y’all know what folks say ‘bout that family. Disfigured, antisocial, inbred freaks.” Jill takes a sip of her whiskey and shakes her head “Violent hermits, too, if the stories’re true. People say they can’t tell a friend from a fuckin’ enemy.” Claire just rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on now, you know them’s just rumors. And besides—maybe he’s some real distant relative or somethin’… real distant.” 

Y/N's eyes rove over the newcomer and she gives a lazy, cocky smirk. “Well, Kennedy or not… sure as hell don’t look like he’s got that awkward, backwoods energy the rest of ‘em do.” She gestures subtly with the tip of her beer. “I mean, look at him—charm drippin’ right off him like honey. Ain’t even gotta try, and Ada and her little flock are eatin’ outta the palm of his hand.” She says derisively. Claire stretches and leans back, offering Y/N a coy smile. “I don’t know about you, but I think Little Miss Social Butterfly should go give him a proper Newt greetin'~” Jill snickers, crossing her arms. “Yeah, go on, butterfly. Flit on over there and make an impression.” Y/N, never one to turn down a challenge, sets her beer down and nods. “Fine. Guess I’ll go have me a sweet little chat with Mr. Kennedy.” She steps off her barstool and loops her thumbs in the belt loops of her skirt as she saunters up to the dirty, blonde haired stranger. He’s quite the looker. Hair tucked away under a whiskey colored, cowboy hat, warm, inviting cerulean eyes that observe and captivate simultaneously. He wears a light blue work shirt that has the first couple of buttons, undone–leaving little of his muscled chest up to one’s imagination. He’s clean-shaven and his smile is charming, even though it’s not directed at her at the moment. 

Y/N rocks up to the high top inhabited by Ada and her posse. She tips her hat in greeting. “Ada. Ladies. Heard y’all were givin’ our new friend here a proper Newt greetin’.” Ada offers Y/N a lazy smirk and crosses her arms. “What, that a crime now? Talkin’ to a man before you, Y/N?” She teases as she gives the other woman a once over. Eventually, she relaxes and gestures from Y/N to Leon.  “Leon Kennedy, meet Y/N L/N—Newt’s very own social butterfly. She’s friends with everyone, and everyone’s friends with her.” Leon chuckles and tips his hat in Y/N's direction. “Well it’s mighty fine to meet you, Miss L/N. Reckon I’ve heard your name floatin’ ‘round town since I got here. My aunt’s mentioned you once or twice—nothin’ but kind words, o’ course.” “Well, I would sure hope so.” Y/N says with a pearly grin. Ada raises her chin at Y/N and speaks. “We’re movin’ on to the next bar. Don’t reckon you’d mind keepin’ Mr. Kennedy company, would ya, Y/N?” She shakes her head. “Not one bit. More than happy to.” With that, Ada nods and turns on her heel leaving the bar with her group in tow. 

Y/N waves to the bartender and turns her attention back to Leon. “So Kennedy… Tell me, what brings ya all the way out here to Newt?” He braces his forearms against the high-top and glances at her from under his hat. “Same thing that brings most folks out here, I ‘spose. Needed a little peace n’ quiet. Change of scenery.” He says vaguely, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. Those big blue eyes seem to draw her in as he lowers his voice, as if sharing a secret. “And, well… I got kin here. Family I ain’t seen in a long, long time.” He smirks as he leans back resting on the back half of his forearms. Y/N's eyebrows quirk at that and she takes a sip of the beer that’s handed over her shoulder to her. “So, you are related to the Kennedys.” She pauses, then tips her head. “How’s that, exactly?” Leon clicks his tongue, smirking as he swirls his whiskey. “Ah, ah, ah. My turn for a question.” He leans in, blue eyes dancing with mischief. “If you’re willin’ to play the game, that is…” He hides his smirk behind a sip of his whiskey. Y/N just offers him an arrogant smirk “I ain’t never one to back down from a challenge.” Leon chuckles at that and nods. “Yeah, you seem like the type...” 

He balances his glass on the rim as he rolls it around on the table, his gaze flicks from the glass up to Y/N and he offers her a lopsided smile as he speaks, his southern drawl melting in her ears. “... Tell me, Darlin’... What exactly is your role in this town? Surely you ain’t just a worker millin’ about… No, no. There’s gotta be more to you almost like… You’re a queen b-” 

“Social Butterfly’s the term we like to use,” Y/N cuts in quickly. “Don’t much care for what comes along with bein’ called a Queen Bee, so I prefer Butterfly.”

Leon watches Y/N with a slow, knowing smirk, rolling his whiskey glass between his fingers. “... Alright. I’ll respect it.” He muses and allows silence to fall over the two of them before he speaks again. His voice is warm, playful even, but there’s an unmistakable weight behind his words.

“You know, Miss L/N,” he drawls, tilting his hat back just a touch. “Folks around here love to talk about my kin like we’re somethin’ out of a ghost story. And maybe we are.” His grin widens, all teeth, like a wolf playing with its food. “But I reckon most of ‘em are just too yellow-bellied to find out the truth for themselves.”

Y/N raises an eyebrow, the corners of her lips quirking. “That so?”

Leon nods, gaze steady. “Mhm. All those whispers about not steppin’ foot past our fence after sundown? Sounds an awful lot like superstition to me. But I get it. Not everybody’s got the spine to test their fears.”

Y/N scoffs, feigning disinterest as she takes a long pull from her beer. But he sees the flicker of pride in her eyes. She’s listening. Leon leans in, voice dropping to a smooth murmur. “Now, I ain’t the kind to believe in all that nonsense myself… but if you really wanna make a statement, if you really wanna prove to Newt that the Kennedys are just like everybody else…” He lets the sentence hang, waiting.

Y/N exhales a laugh, shaking her head. “What, You want me to waltz up to that old ranch and come back alive just to make a point?”

Leon grins, eyes gleaming beneath the low bar light. “Somethin’ like that.” He straightens, stretching his arms over his head, the movement making his work shirt pull against the lines of his chest. “Or maybe you’re not as brave as you let on.”

Y/N's smirk falters, just for a second, but it’s all Leon needs.

“I’m plenty brave,” she sneers, standing taller.

Leon shrugs. “Then prove it.”

The silence that follows is thick, the weight of the challenge pressing between them. Around them, the bar is still lively, music humming through the walls, but for Y/N, everything feels like it’s shifted.

Outside, the night has settled deep. The Kennedy ranch sits somewhere in that darkness, waiting.

And Leon?

Leon just watches her, his smile easy. 

Patient. 

Sharp. 

The smile of a man who already knows the outcome of this… little wager.

~~~

Texas Chainsaw Massacre AU Tag List:

Masterlist

[imaginative-joy]

After I saw Inside Out 2 (and cried profusely), I started doing sketches of Taylor Swift eras as if they were the emotions. I thought about each era and which emotion I thought it best represented, then just started sketching. It was a fun little personal project, and I challenged myself to really push my poses! I also wanted each era and emotion to match as best as possible (at least in my mind) and didn't want to just assign each era to its corresponding colored emotion (i.e. Debut is characterized as green, but I didn't think Debut matched with Disgust).

I had so much fun drawing these that I turned them into a sticker sheet!

Thoughts I had when picking out the emotions for each era under cut:

Debut/Embarrassment (not pictured because tumblr doesn’t allow that many images): Okay, I don’t think ANY era truly embodies Embarrassment, so I was going for more Shy with her. She’s the first one and she’s not sure how it’ll go! Also, I’m Inside Out 2, Embarrassment is really the only “new” emotion who is consistently connected with Riley’s core beliefs. He recognizes when Anxiety, Ennui, and Envy are making Riley do things out of character. I feel like that’s Debut: She’s a little quiet, but she truly understands the core of Taylor Swift.

Fearless/Joy: C’mon, this album radiates joy and happiness! She’s confident and having fun!

Speak Now/Fear: It’s gotta be nerve-wracking to speak up at a wedding, and also be “Haunted” by past relationships. But even though she may be scared, she still fights for herself! This was also Taylor’s first album where she wrote every single song, and I imagine that must’ve been a little scary!

Red/Nostalgia: I see this album as looking back on the past with some bittersweet feelings, especially with “All Too Well,” “Red,” “The Last Time,” and others.

1989/Envy: This is the “I Want!” album. Songs like “Welcome to New York,” “I Wish You Would,” and “Out of the Woods” are about wanting to have something or achieve a state of being.

Reputation/Disgust: Need I say more? She’s through with insincerity and is keeping away from toxic situations and people.

Lover/Anxiety: With songs like “Afterglow,” “The Archer,” and “Cornelia Street,” this album is riddled with the anxiety of starting a new relationship and imagining everything that can go wrong.

Folklore/Sadness: How could the love triangle of Betty, James, and Augusta be anything BUT sad? Broken hearts and betrayed trust make up the majority of this album.

Evermore/Ennui: I see Ennui not as boredom, but apathy with an underlying tone of wanting or needing SOMETHING for a sense of greater fulfillment. I hear that in songs like “Champagne Problems,” “Gold Rush,” “No Body, No Crime,” and “Evermore.”

Midnights/Riley: I chose this to represent everyone since it’s the closing album of the tour shows. Of course, you can find every emotion on every album, but Midnights is such a smorgasbord of emotions! The embarrassment of “Anti-Hero,” the ennui of “Lavender Haze,” the anger of “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” the sadness of “You’re Losing Me,” the anxiety of “… Question?,” the joy (and little disgust) of “Karma…” this album has it all.

TTPD/Anger: She calls this album “Female Rage: The Musical.” I think that says it all.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

-Along with kitsune, the tanuki is also a strange yokai famous for its ability to transform in Japanese folklore-

─ ★JJK Men falling for a Tankui

Pairing: Yuji, Nanami, Yuta

❥: Yuji Itadori:

Takes him a bit to find out what you actually are, a few people gotta clue him in on it.

Nearly dies when he see's your fluffy tail and ears for the first time. Just think's they're the cutest thing in the world.

Love's it when you curl into his lap, love's how you feel safe in his arms.

Think's your ears and tail are just the softest, he cant stop touching them.

"P-please! Please! Please let me see your ears again." Yuji clasped his hands in front of him, lips quivering lightly.

Shoulders dropping, you gave Yuji a crooked smile and with a puff of smoke a pair of fluffy ears appeared on your head, your large fluffy tail wrapped around your waist. "You're lucky you're so cute." You teased as Yuji bounced towards you.

Grinning he happily wrapped his arms around your waist as he nuzzled his cheek into yours. His hand then grasped your tail, a small whimper leaving your lips as you pressed your face into his chest.

"Ah! Yuji!"

Giving you a sheepish smile, his cheeks turned pink as he quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry...want me to stop?"

Biting your lip, you stood on your toes as your lips brushed his neck. "I want more."

❥: Nanami Kento.

Nanami knew what you were not human the moment he met you, what you were he did not know?

Saw you change into your true form, though he didn't say it outloud. Nanami thought you were absolutely adorable.

Will do anything to protect you and keep you safe.

Nanami often finds himself letting his fingers run through your hair, gliding his finger tips across your soft ears and tail.

"A-ah Nanami!" His name spilled past your lips as he continues to fuck you. One hand on your hip, as the other clutched your tail to control his thrusts.

Leaning down, he let his lips brush your neck. "You were being such a good girl today....until you just had to swipe that watch."

Pulling out, the man let the tip of his cock brush your entrance. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Whimpering, you did your best to push back on his cock though it was hard due to Nanami holding onto your tail. "He-he deserved it...he was bad mouthing you."

Biting back a snort, Nanami had a feeling that you were telling the truth. "I'll let it pass...this time." He whispered agains't your neck, giving the skin a sharp nip as he slammed back into your pussy.

❥: Yuta Okkotsu

Rika was the one that told him what you were, he did his best to say away from you. Not when you've been so kind to him but he just found himself unable to stay away.

He started to see you more and more once he found out that Rika liked you.

Think's your ear's and tail are adorable, thinks it is even more cute when you shift into your animal form.

Start's to fantasize about what yours and his children would look like.He hopes it would happen one day.

Is very protective of you, would kill who would ever harm you.

Easily embarrassed when you two have sex, your tail is just so soft, he likes it when you caress his bare skin with it.

Shifting on the couch, Yuta let his fingers run through your hair then up to caress your ears, a tiny whimper escaped your lips as you nuzzled your face into his chest. He could see the heat in your eyes as you shifted your body in his lap.

A small gasp escaped his lips as he felt tiny little fangs prick his neck. Pulling away, you gave him a teasing grin shifting your body causing Yuta to let out his own little whimper.

"You know what touching my ears does to me." You whispered against his neck rolling your hips into his feeling his hardness press into your thigh.

Letting out a shaky laugh, Yuta ran his fingers down your back only to grasp your ass tugging you close to him. "I can fix that."

[dailydemonspotlight]

Amon - Day 158

Race: Tyrant Alignment: Dark-Chaos Febuary 19th, 2025

We've talked about many Goetic demons in this series- hell, just two days ago we talked about Orobas- but something I rarely bring up with the Ars Goetia is that some of these demons have possible ties to figures from other Mythologies. Of course, this ties in to how cyclical mythological history is in general- much of history is written based on things past and present, and nothing is more in the past than, well, the very distant past- but some very interesting parallels can be driven between even the most unlikely figures. Case in point, today's Demon of the Day, Amon, who is said to have many ties to the Egyptian deity Amun.

For Amon himself, he is described as the seventh great Marquis, depicted as a stern and powerful figure, and given how high up in the ranks he is, it does make sense. Commanding 40 legions of spirits, he's described as having the body of a wolf with a serpent's tail, but can appear as well as a man with a wolf-esque body or even that of a man with the head of a raven and a canine's canines. His abilities are very similar to Orobas, ironically enough, though he grows stronger in the daytime- his abilities are that of being able to tell the summoner about the past and things to come, as well as being able to ensure that fights and feuds with friends will end. (Basically, he can probably mediate any fight. There's a discord group chat joke in here that I'm not gonna say because it'd suck) Past that, he's also one of the four attendants of Astaroth, so he has some pretty big ties in Hell itself. Workplace affiliation in the inferno must be doing a lot of lifting for this guy.

According to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, he can also shoot flames from his mouth, and he's also one of, if not the strongest of the Marquis. However, where things grow far more interesting with Amon actually comes from the Dictionnaire Infernal, which calls an explicit reference to something very specific: Amon's relation to the Egyptian god Amun. Given that Amun is its own demon in the series, I'll keep this description brief, but Amun was basically the blue skinned head god of the Hermopolitan religion's pantheon of deities, who later was conflated with and then fused with Ra. What makes this so interesting in reference to Amon is that, according to the Dictionnaire Infernal, the ancient Egyptians worshipped Amon, describing him as "Les Égyptiens voyaient dans Amon ou Amoun leur Dieu suprême ; ils le représentaient avec la peau bleue, sous une forme assez humaine;' lit: The Egyptians viewed Amon or Amun as their supreme God; they represented him with blue skin in human form."

This passage has inevitably led to some debate, but I think it really just comes down to the fact that Christianity leaves no room for other gods in most forms, and as such, it led a lot of Christian authors and scholars to write other culture's gods as demons, heroes, legends of folklore, kings, etc. See Dante's Inferno for a good example of this, and how so many of the demons in Hell are literally just the Egyptian and Greek pantheons. However, given that the Ars Goetia predates the Dictionnaire Infernal, and that it has no mention of Amun anywhere, it seems to me that this coincidence might have been conflated with an association by the author of the Dictionnaire Infernal.

Now, in terms of design in SMT, I gotta wonder what they were doing honestly. Don't get me wrong, I love the design in SJR, but it takes pretty much nothing from how Amon is described? All it really does is play into the snake aspects, but past that, the most wolflike fur on it is really just feathers of an Owl. AN OWL. AMON IS A RAVEN! NOT AN OWL! Are the two hind legs supposed to be the wolf part? What is going on with his hands?! Are those feathers or scales?! WHAT IS THIS? Okay, okay, yeah, it's not a good depiction of Amon, but it is a really good looking design despite all that. I get the feeling that they wanted to do something new with Amon, and I do like what they did, it just isn't really what Amon actually looked like. Though, granted, translating this guy into a Doi sprite...

...yeah, I can see why they did this now. also stupid bit under the cut

Okay, if you'll bear with me for a second, I've really wanted to do this bit for a while now, ever since I first saw this guy.

ITS RA AMON!!!!! LEAKED SECRET BOSS OF PIRATE YAKUZA IN HAWAII

[grandwitchbird]

A bunch of people who never read the novels are already crawling out of the woodwork to share their opinions(tm). But “I know the legend of the Witcher and the Witcher girl,” and I got you.

Consider this a highly specific explainer of some of what makes The Witcher novels interesting for those thinking of jumping into W3 or the novels now that 4 is in the works. My interests lie in what stories are doing and how, so this is analytical and not just a summary or reference guide. Wikis exist for that, and if you want to experience the characters you gotta go read the books. No real spoilers because I’m not focusing on plot here.

The Witcher novels are a very cool exercise in dual protagonists driving a convergent narrative operating on two distinct literary frequencies.

Geralt spends most of the books chasing Ciri in some capacity. He’s the man on the ground, getting stuck in personal problems and more ‘realistic’ situations and intrigues (sometimes your friends are also vampires; don’t be weird about it). His world overlaps with the mythic realm, but the sense is that he’s a regular person who keeps ending up in mythic situations. He approaches problems like the professional he is. He’s our guy. But he’s basically just a guy. When he tries to be a hero things tend to go really badly for him.

Ciri is a child of prophecy who befriends unicorns and gets roped into space elf dynastic disasters and visits camelot. She’s also trying desperately to get back to Geralt and Yennefer, her very normal parents. Her world overlaps with the mundane because she’s Geralt’s daughter by choice. She has to study swordplay with her Witcher family and practice magic discipline with Yennefer, but her problems are operating in the realm of myth and folklore. She’s perceived as the holy grail by men who want her power for themselves, a vessel to own and fill with a child. This is a misrecognition, and she remains beyond their grasp because Ciri is really the noble hero Geralt always wished he could be. When people forget that, things go very badly for them.

These two are also a split reference to Elric of Melnibone’s personas. Geralt is the White Wolf and Ciri is the dimension-hopping champion eternal. Their shared role is very consciously designed. Also just about everything is some kind of literary metaphor here.

The Narrative World

Let’s look at what the world-as-narrative is doing and how Witchers function in it.

The Continent exists on a fantasy world where realities have converged, and it greatly resembles Central Europe in its cultures, conflicts, and references. We’re talking Germany/France to the Russian border. This is an area that’s been repeatedly invaded from all sides for millennia. The convergence of spheres operating metaphorically as waves of invasion and overlapping cultures does quite a lot for the story in terms of conflict and setting up an interplanary reality. It also means that everyone is aliens.* Which is objectively the funniest way to do things in addition to providing a pretty fascinating moral bedrock. There’s no 1:1 fantasy race being mapped to real life groups here, though the series is strong in its references to concrete human evils in the real world. Everyone is people. Except monsters. Except when monsters are people too.

Witchers are people who are like monsters. Witcher is also a profession. They’re something that doesn’t fit into any neat category, and that’s the entire point of them. The ones who survive the trials that make them into witchers go on to live brutal lives killing monsters for coin or children to make new Witchers (the trials render them sterile; this is a real thematic beat. I’ll get to it). Witchers are the ‘other’ you’d expect to be scared of in a more conservative fantasy. But in this series, we see this world through the eyes of two Witchers, and we hear the exaggerated stories about their inhumanity, and we know they’re actually people with distinct experiences and perspectives and desires. We know how they feel, and that they’re not doing anything weirder than what everyone else in this world is doing to survive. So we know everyone else is people too. And that lends a very real layer of horror to the fact that by the time we meet our Witchers, most Witchers have already been massacred in a pogrom.

This isn’t as simple as ‘we’re the real monsters’ navel gazing. Over and over we see the different angles of everyone. One moment you’re looking at a strange and alien fae, the next a broken addict. The kindest man you meet is a vampire, and he’s done monstrous things he describes with philosophical eloquence. You’re asked to see the strange and uncanny and ‘other’ in everyone so you can also see the humanity. People are both, always. And the loss of one is the death of both. The novels enforce distinct narrative perspectives to this effect. Everything we know, we know through subjective and limited perspectives. This is a good series for folks fond of Bakhtin.

And if the fact that there are real monsters who aren’t sentient and are absolutely dangerous seems unfair. There’s also mad dogs and people who are beyond all reason and help too (the church is pretty fundamentally evil here and tends to instigate the pogroms. Wonder where a Polish author got that). The text doesn’t shy from the implications.

*except maybe gnomes. That might be a running joke. Nobody knows.

Btw if you’re here from my Dragon Age posts. Yes this is exactly what BioWare tried to immitate but ethically dropped the ball on by doing the exact thing the Witcher resists doing.

Witcher Family Planning

At the heart of this story is a family by choice and maybe destiny.

Geralt is a Witcher who survived an extra round of trials. A mutant among mutants. He’s an extraordinarily competent professional whose sense of justice and soft heart tend to cause him problems. He’s not nice. He’s kind of a boor. He’s very sulky. He loves deeply.

Yennefer is an outrageously overpowered sorceress who really regrets her inability to have children. She’s ambitious even by sorceress standards. Yennefer does things exactly the way she wants to, and that tends to cause her problems. She’s not nice. She’s imperious. She’s very petty. She’s ride or die for anyone she likes even a bit.

These two are the love of each others lives. This is a relationship, and I’m directly paraphrasing here, where two people who don’t know how to be soft try to be soft to each other. They’re bad at it. They keep trying.

Ciri is the lost Scion of every royal line on the continent. She’s also a Witcher. And a child of prophecy. And a dimension-hopping superhero. She’s also about 15 for most of the time we know her in the novels. She’s survived war, led a life of crime, been a gladiator. She’s clever and strong and rebellious and has an innate nobility that shames kings. She has Geralt’s compassionate heart, and she’s honed it to Yennefer’s cutting edge.

Gender & Power

I touched on this up at the top. Over and over again in these books, and in W3, we watch the patriarchal norms of the continent run smack into an interesting reality of the setting. Women tend to be the ones who are ‘first’ in power. There’s a lot of Mists of Avalon happening here. Sorceresses outdo their male peers. All these powerful men think they can have Ciri’s power for themselves by getting a child on her. They ignore that it’s the women in her line who have and wield the gift. They really ignore that her grandmother didn’t even need the gift to bring men like them to their knees. Patriarchy is a kind of willing blindness here. The desire to own and control makes the men of the series into fools who can’t see the obvious. That this isn’t their story.

Amongst Witchers, girl children are usually traded to the dryads for boys. This is left notably vague (another patriarchal blind spot? More likely than you think; there’s hints of female and nonhuman Witchers in the cat school) because by the time we meet our Witchers, the real secrets of their process have been lost. Ciri herself does actually take some of their potions and trials, which seem to potentially interrupt her puberty. Our Witchers are reluctant to subject her to what they went through, so she’s never put through the final trial. But this literally results in the reinforcement of Ciri’s gender by external forces. She is a woman, so that’s actually helpful under the circumstances. But. Fascinating stuff.

Sterility and Reproduction

Briefly. The novels constantly undermine the ‘replacement fear’ of dominant groups set on finding scapegoats for unsolvable problems. Witchers can’t reproduce, so they functionally adopt. Sorceresses may often be sterile too. Elves are particularly slow to reproduce. Women who aren’t mothers and men who live together and adopt and ‘others’ who are probably jealous and stealing our children… And just when you think this is a clumsy metaphor, the text smacks you with the fact that nobody reproduces as fast as regular old humans. This is explicitly about providing zero foundation for any of the bigoted anxieties around ‘nonhumans’, and the presence of sterile humans is here to complicate that very border. The text refuses to cede any quarter to attempts at justifying paranoia-fueled hatred and violence.

The Hero

Ciri is the unique point around which the novels’ tensions cohere. She loses her magical abilities in the books only to awaken to new and greater power. She’s human and nonhuman. A witcher who never completed the trials. Noble and criminal. She’s a woman who literally can’t be physically contained by this patriarchal setting. She’s entirely her own person in a world designed to break her. She’s a hero that eludes a hero’s limits over and over.

Nobody should be surprised that she’s The Witcher.

Novels in order:

Blood of Elves

The Time of Contempt

Baptism of Fire

The Tower of Swallows

The Lady of the Lake

Next Up:

I’ll do a write up with some grittier explanation for what happened between these novels and W3. The games are messy, so we’ll get into it now that you’ve got some themes and angles to roll around.

I may or may not touch on the short stories. Part of the wide misreading of the series is due to folks who’ve read a few of the stories and think that’s what it’s all about. This was also the problem with the show. Well. One of the problems.

[post-punk-revival]

How did you discover your kintypes?

Good question!

Short answer: I didn't, you can't, (math analogy)

Long answer:

I don't believe one can ever actually "discover" their kintypes, because that's one of those concepts that you can have puzzled out down to the most minute detail and still not be able to touch the pure truth. It's too subjective. It's like science. The most you can do is go with the closest theory you have, and that's what you tell people, and if there are no glitsches then it's as close to right as you can come, but the relationship I have with the certainty of my kintypes is asymptotic.

I know what you're asking though is how I landed on the ones I've named, but idk, it's kind of different between them, and they all have to come with the background understanding that they might just straight up change. I'm an osprey from dedicated and extensive research, comparing behavioral and anatomical data points, and deciding on the most exact conclusion that also makes me comfortable. I'm an alien because over several years I slowly and gradually had the creeping realization that I wouldn't have ever been anything else still knowing I'm alterhuman, but I'm a novakid specifically because I found them on a fan wiki for homebrew D&D races and was up until 6 am frantically having (literal) lights go off in my head and then less than a few hours after I first heard of Starbound, I was one. I know the robot bug and audiophage kintypes because I've had those feelings for so long with no good analogue in media or folklore that I decided to just say fuck it and make it myself so I can at least have an image, but I could always stumble upon something that proves me wrong! I'm a specific big fish beast because none of the other specific big fish beasts were adding up and this one does, but I'm open-minded to ones that might fit more.

Although Leviathan, and a lot of my other kintypes, are kind of nebulous by definition; AI, audiophage, my Cambrian mollusc thing and vaguely-objectkin thing I have going on, I've realized just can't be things I point at and go "Look it's me, Pandion haliaetus carolinensis" like my theriotypes. I spent a while trying to decide on WHAT kind of computer I was specifically, but there just isn't one. I will see myself equally as a 1950s vacuum tube IBM and a modern chat algorithm. Then on a different day I'll relate a lot to sentient spaceship AIs. Leviathan is something that, unlike the things I questioned before landing on it like mosasaur and kaiju and [insert every species of fish ever], is both physically and conceptually inconsistent depending on the depiction. I can point to both a traditional illustration of a giant apocalyptic fish that fights G-d and also a modern illustration of a wild-animalistic sea dragon with tentacles and say "me!" So at that point I can also point to shifts of both gills and fins and also many clawed talons and a reptilian tail and say "Leviathan!"

A lot of them are just like... kind of acceptances, and I can't pinpoint when or where it was that I was like "So I've been writing [something] from the POV of this species or roleplaying as or using it as an avatar and reblogging posts about them jokingly going 'haha me' and pointing them out as something I have attachment to for utterly no reason than my association with them and even just straight up referring to myself as 'basically one' sometimes, so eventually I gotta say I guess I am sort of a [raven/fish/centipede/cephalopod/drain fly therian] and just don't even really need to talk about it." It just feels like whatever. Not an epiphany. Just ascribing a label to something that was already there, regardless if it was always there or not.

But like... to bring it back around to the original thesis statement... there's nothing to discover, or unearth like a core. At least not for me, and at least not anything that actually can have that done to it. There's not really a mathematical equation that'll show me the one true self. The closest I can get is f(x) = 1/x and call it a day, and if you don't look too closely, after a while it will start to look like a straight line.

[tgrailwar-zero]

Read this post from the previous night first!

-

The night was dreamless, and like RIDER said- you were up at daybreak. There wasn't much time to say goodbye to the city, and things were already in motion. No formal announcements had been made yet, but PTOLEMY would be attacking the Crimson Citadel, DURYODHANA would begin his assault, and IZOU would be en-route to his assassination target…

To conserve magical energy, RIDER only summoned four horses.

The horses were organized rather simply. You and KUKULKAN shared a horse. NERO and CONSTANTINE shared a horse. GIUSEPPE and MUSASHI shared a horse. And AVENGER had one to himself, which he didn't seem to mind.

And then-- you were out on the road.

CONSTANTINE: "Aah…" KUKULKAN: "Hey, that's a rare relaxed face from you! I guess a Rider's gotta feel more comfy when actually riding, huh?" CONSTANTINE: "Hm? Well, partially. I suppose all of this reminded me of when I was a young man. I always did love horseback riding, and I traveled about plenty." GIUSEPPE: "Hm, I can relate. I didn't travel much on horseback, but on my adventures I did love to just see the world pass by…" NERO: "Both of you are bizarre… Horses and chariots are terrible on the you-know-what! I only used them when needed." SALIERI: "…The 'you-know-what'?" NERO: "The butt, Avenger! Don't act as if mine doesn't exist, as surely you've had a great many chances to look upon it." SALIERI: "Ugh." MUSASHI: "Well, sorry to your Royal Rear, but we've gotta get a move on. Hyah!" NERO: "Ghh… that settles it! Constantinus, move! I'm going to sit side-saddle! It'll be more comfortable!" CONSTANTINE: "Woah! Antecessor-- don't squirm while we're still moving! Please decide these things beforehand!"

-

…It seemed like you were traveling with a lively party.

That being said, while it wasn't the most subtle group, six Servants grouped together on the Solar Cell deterred most enemy programs. If you were attacked, it certainly wouldn't be from any small fry. That being said, it would definitely be harder to sneak around with a group this large. If you wanted to do more subtle operations, it may be better to bring less Servants.

Two days passed by quickly and easily. Late nights and early mornings made the trip simple and quick, though you were feeling a bit wiped at the end of it all. Your Servants seemed fine… but that seemed more because they were supernatural ghosts that didn't need any sort of food or rest. You, on the other hand… well, maybe at one point you could keep up with them, but that time was quite a while ago.

Still, from what you discovered from training with KUKULKAN, maybe regaining that power wouldn't be impossible.

It was late by the time you reached the 'Sunbeam Row'.

It was quieter and smaller than the other two major cities you've visited, though it was hard to get a grasp on the town at this hour.

KUKULKAN: "So… about finding the King of Heroes?"

NERO: "It's Gilgamesh. It shouldn't be that hard."

MUSASHI: "If you say so..."

CONSTANTINE: "…We'll have to search in the morning. Let's find somewhere for our Masters to rest first."

You remembered that CITT mentioned an inn and tavern. Biitum. It was easy enough to spot, as you entered.

There were a few patrons, but it was rather empty. Your… eccentric-looking group drew a few stares, but nothing hostile. Once you had settled in a bit, they went back to what they were doing.

You heard a woman's voice coming from the back.

WOMAN'S VOICE: "Ah- are those patrons? I'm sorry! I'm busy in the kitchen, could you please go handle them?"

YOUNG BOY'S VOICE: "Okaaaay~!"

A young man bounded out of one of the back rooms. There was a youthful innocence about him- the type of person that seemed to be trustworthy by default. If there was one thing that made him 'off-putting', it was the deep ruby red of his eyes, and the maturity in his gaze that didn't always align with the youthfulness of his face.

He seemed like a polite young man, nonetheless.

YOUNG MAN: "Good evening, thank you for coming to Biitum! It's your lucky day, because since everyone's left for the Flaming Bout, we have a ton of empty rooms! Please stay and buy lots, so me and my big sis have enough money to eat!"

WOMAN'S VOICE: "Gil!"

You heard a name shouted out, scolding the young man.

GIL: "Ahaha! I'm just joking!"

GIL: "But... oh man… We don't often have so many pretty ladies here, I'm feeling a bit flustered!"

…You realized that he wasn't paying any attention to you, nor any of the men in your group. The women, however, were quickly charmed.

MUSASHI: "Aww… What a little cutie! I just wanna ruffle his hair!"

KUKULKAN: "I never had a little brother before… ah, is this what it feels like to want to pamper someone?"

NERO: "Well, it's simply natural to be flustered in my presence! You're a wise young man, certainly!"

As they fawned over the young man, the others stood off to the side with varying expressions of skepticism on their faces.

SALIERI: "...Precocious little ragazzo, isn't he?"

CONSTANTINE: "Very much so. Still, room vacancies come in our favor. Perhaps the average prices will be lowered."

GIUSEPPE: "As tourists who don't know what the average price is… it's best to be careful about those sorts of assumptions."

[tieronecrush]

exile

joel miller x reader

rating: M

word count: 3.1k

summary:

i think i've seen this film before / and i didn't like the ending / i'm not your problem anymore / so who am i offending now? / you were my crown / now i'm in exile, seein' you out / i think I've seen this film before / so i'm leavin' out the side door

warnings: break up, discussion about closure or lack there of, talk about grief, death, self-doubt, self-deprecation, idk man it’s just sad

a/n: second fic for the folklore anthology!! hope you all enjoy, sorry for the sadness lol <3

It’s an early start — the crisp early spring air swirls around in gusts while the fresh blanket of dew squishes under his boots as he walks over to the stables. Lilac skies watercolor above, the last of the winter dawn painting yellowed strokes across the horizon as the sun rises, reflecting against the thirst-quenched earth.

Billows of his tepid breath puff in front of him, walking through the warmth of each exhale as he makes his way forward and across the paddock to the stalls. Rubber soles scuff onto rough concrete under the cover of the roof, neighs of horses and huffs of their breath vibrating their lips the only sound that fills his ears when he looks down the aisle to see you. Standing in the pen that holds Shimmer, Ellie’s beloved mare, you brush her chestnut coat as you prep to saddle each animal for the incoming patrol shift.

Joel meanders down the walkway over to the stable across from you that holds his own horse, Old Beardy, which he bonded with over lengthy patrol shifts. After the horse that Tommy had loaned them to reach Colorado, Callus, was killed by David and his men, Joel had chosen a similarly colored one in Old Beardy. It was another painful reminder he forced upon himself of what he had gone through — what Ellie had gone through — and what he did to get her through it. He never wanted to forget, not that he thought he ever could, and this was a small piece that added up to keep him weighed down by his choices and guilt every day.

It was that same guilt that burrows into his chest now as he looks at you while he saddles his horse. Nothing is spoken, not even a glance sent his way; completely ignored, the cold shoulder chilling him more than the early morning temperature. 

You had left him a few weeks ago now — completely blindsided him when you sat him down in his living room and broke another crack into his heart. At that point, he didn’t think it was possible to feel any more fragmented than he did for the last twenty years, but you quickly became another piece of his heart destroyed by his actions. It had to have been something he did, what it was he doesn’t have a clue. But with the way you cared for him, loved him for that fleeting time, he would have never chosen to give that up and he couldn’t see a reason why you would either.

He had to know.

It was keeping him up at night — that and his nightmares that seem to have never ceased. Around here, he doesn’t have his knockout combination of pills and alcohol to keep his ghosts at bay, so he’s faced with them every evening, creeping in along with the midnight.

You would help him, talk him through, remind him of the good in him, even though he never fully believed you.

He misses you.

He loves you.

Crossing the aisle again after slipping out of the stable of his horse, he takes a breath before leaning his arms onto the walled gate that separates the two of you. Breaking the fragile silence that floated in the air for the last few minutes, Joel speaks lowly despite you two being the only ones around.

“Morning.”

Silence.

“Need any help with the horses?”

More silence, the thud of the leather saddle being thrown over Shimmer’s back clapping in the stale air. 

He persists.

“Now I know you probably don’t wanna hear anything from me, peach, but I just gotta ask you — what happened? To us. I’ve been wracking my brain to try to figure it out, but—but I gotta admit, darlin’, I thought things were alright. That we were starting a peaceful life together.”

He lifts his arms off of the gate, standing up straight as he waves one arm out in a gesture toward his house — the house that you used to spend every single night in, the pieces of you strewn throughout. Flowers on the kitchen table, dog-eared books on the couch, clothes thrown onto the floor and into his hamper, your favorite lavender soap from the apothecary withering away in his shower marking the time you two were together. It sits untouched now, still as full as the last time you used it, another reminder of your absence.

“But then, just out of the blue, you were gone. You took just five whole minutes to neatly pack up the loose ends of us, talkin’ to me as you grabbed all your things from my house, wiping the presence of you completely. And when you left me standin’ in the hall, you left me with it, that guilt. And all I could do was just stand there with all this love that I needed to give to you, watching you walk away without any goddamn clue as to why you were leaving. It wasn’t fucking fair.”

Joel crosses the threshold of the stall, standing only a few feet away from you as his frustrations begin to fully air, slithering out of him with venom laced behind his tone. He doesn’t want to feel this angry, this upset. But this hurt in his chest hasn’t been felt for years and it’s killing him, squeezing everything in him out.

“And now,” he nearly growls out, “Now I hear around town you got some other man around for you. That you got over us so quickly, found someone new to spend your time with. Did I really mean that little? To be able to tidy up real quick and move on?”

A laugh barks out at that — he can see it on your face how ridiculous you think whatever he said, something he said in all that was. It only fuels the fire inside of him, boiling up to his ears and over to the point he must have steam coming out of him.

What the fuck was so funny?

Here he was, being honest about his feelings and you were laughing.

The steel toe of one of his boots knocks against the wooden walls as he kicks it gently, turned away as he starts to listen to you open the floodgates. Your hands pause their work, turning away from the toasted brown horse to face him fully. Hands on your hips and head tilted to one side, your stare burns the back of his neck as he stands away.

“Really, Joel? There’s nothing you can understand about why I might have left you?” Your eyebrows furrow with your own fury, deep creases that he has only seen from concern for him, his wellbeing, and Ellie’s. Anger is a new look on you, and it isn’t one he is feeling fond of causing for you. That storm of guilt rumbles inside of him; another reason to hate himself for making you feel something you rarely do, making you into something you’re not — bitter.

“Also, I don’t really think you’ve got a right to be upset with me and bringing up that stupid shit bein’ said around town. I left the bar with one guy, one time. The rumor mill snatched up that story from the few people that saw us leave. Didn’t even go home with him cause I couldn’t stop seeing you like a fucking ghost. I left and you are still consuming my brain. I still wonder every day if you’re okay; if you’re still even here.”

That whips his head over his shoulder, the fracturing of his heart felt even deeper, a cut to his bones from your words. He never knew that you knew — what he had tried years ago. Admittedly, the thought crossed his mind again once, and only once. It quickly dissipated when you stepped into his room, your tender smile eager to tell him about your day. He loved listening to you, being a sounding board and an observer. How could he ever give that up? How could he ever hurt you?

Apparently, he didn’t need to wonder anymore. He did that without even realizing it.

Mouth agape as you continue, crease between his brows shadowed as he takes a step closer to you, the pull of your red-hot rage driving him nearer to your molten center. It was the one way to feel your warmth again, even if it was more like burning at that point.

“I can’t believe that you would even give that gossip a second thought. Must be grasping at straws there. But I guess that proves my point, the reason that I left.”

You turn away to handle the animal again, shaking your head wildly and rolling your eyes at yourself. His own frustrations bubble again, another step closer as he walks around your shoulder to your field of vision. A head tilt of his own, a nonchalant shrug.

“And how do you figure that, darlin’? Please, enlighten me,” his words cut into the air, attempting to antagonize you in a subconscious effort to keep you talking, to keep you around.

“God, that’s so fucking rich coming from you, Joel. Wanting explanations, wanting me to open up so you can understand. That’s why I left. I tried so hard to get you to open up to me, to let me in, and to be even the smallest bit vulnerable. I wanted you to show me that you trusted me. When I met you before you left with Ellie, things felt different. And when you came back, you had been getting more and more closed off the longer we were spending time together. I don’t know what happened out there if something happened between you and Ellie, and I don’t need all the details, but I needed something. And I gave you so many chances — second, third, hundredth chances to give me something that could show me you trust me or could even grow to trust me, but that didn’t come. All I wanted was to help you, Joel. I care about you so much. I loved you. But it didn’t seem like you felt the same. Never told me you felt the same.”

A step away from him, arms around your chest to protect your heart — from him? From breaking again? He didn’t know you needed the words; he tried to show you through his actions, his touch, the care he took of you. Words never came easy to him, actions did.

“And now, you’re being this fucking alpha, masculine man stomping in here and talkin’ to me about how you hear I was with some guy. Actin’ like I’m just trying to make you jealous like he was some understudy or rebound. Well, nothing happened like I said, so you can wipe off the face that looks like you’re gonna go get your knuckles bloody for me.”

The crease in his brow resolves, the sour twist of his lips relaxing as he drops his head in shame. You were right, always right. He would knock the lights out of the guy if you said one more word — if you said that you had moved on for real.

“All of it, still being around you and being reminded of you all the time, it feels like I’m trying to balance again on breaking branches. And every time I see you around, in person or in my head like a shadow following me around, those eyes — your stupid brown eyes pleading with me, they just add insult to injury.”

“I wanted to help you, Joel, to just be there to help you mend, even a little bit. But you never gave me a chance.”

A sigh slips from his lips, barely audible. You turn away as he steps toward you, tender eyes and gentle touch resting on your shoulder. When you don’t recoil, one of his rough, work-worn hands grabs your chin between his thumb and index finger, turning your head to meet his eyes as he quietly speaks, lower than the whole conversation has been.

“I never knew that is what you were worried about, darlin’. I’m fine, there wasn’t anything that happened between Ellie and I ‘cept that ambush at the hospital that I told you about. I didn’t think I was actin’ any differently than before.”

A scoff, shaking your head out of his grasp and pushing your hands against his chest to separate. You slip away, crossing the stall to grab more gear to dress the horse in.

“You are unbelievable.”

Now he’s really getting annoyed.

“What? What is so unbelievable?” His voice booms, echoing a bit in the empty horse barn, biting back his tongue as you close your eyes tightly. He opens his mouth to apologize for raising his voice, but your raised hand stops him.

“It’s obvious you are not fine, Joel, and you can’t even admit it now after I’ve told you that all I wanted was for you to be open. You can stop running. Slow down. Live. You don’t have to keep punishing yourself in silence.”

He scoffs and shakes his head, looking away as he works his jaw back and forth before he turns to you again, “I couldn’t read your mind! All this time, I never learned to read your mind. I can’t read Ellie’s mind — I can’t figure it out with either of you. Two of the most important people, two of the handful of people that I am still around for, have distanced themselves from me and I can’t seem to pull myself together to figure it out. I feel like I’m drowning out here on my own and I’m not even being thrown a fucking life raft. You never gave me time to turn things around, you never gave me a warning sign of what was goin’ on.”

The tightness in your shoulders falls, curling you smaller into yourself, and there goes another crack in his heart. Broken like old pavement when the Earth shifts, takes destroying it all to rebuild it.

Tired. You look so tired, and he aches with the thought that he’s exhausted you, even away. What is he going to do if he is open with you? Isn’t he going to be more of a burden?

No, he wouldn’t let himself. He would be honest with you. But there is no expectation that he could be fixed, that you could shoulder any of this weight he’s carried for twenty years. It’s lighter to him now, endurance built to keep himself under it without getting crushed.

“Joel…I gave so many signs. I checked in with you every day, I asked you directly how you were doing. A lot of the time, after long days, you’d be so short with me. Either annoyed or just brushing me off and changing the subject. So when asking you didn’t work, I tried to open up more myself to try to get you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything. You would just listen and move on. Nothing inspired you to give me even a little sliver of yourself, of your heart. I closed myself off more and more cause it felt like I was prying with someone who couldn’t even care less about me. You didn’t even notice that we didn’t touch, we didn’t kiss, we were barely intimate with each other in those last few weeks — we completely drifted, Joel. I tried to give you so many signs before I couldn’t take it anymore. You didn’t even see the signs.”

Thoughts and memories rewind in his head like an old tape, picking up patterns in himself and in you that he has been too blind to see. All he wanted was to move on, sweep it under the rug and live whatever life he could with you, with Ellie.

“I’m sorry, peach. I am so sorry. I swear on my fucking grave that I had no idea this was all happening for you — I was too in my own head. My heart is hurtin’ so much without you around; knowing I did something to push you away. And hearing what you were holdin’ in ‘cause I was bein’ too closed, too selfish to see what was wrong? It is destroyin’ me. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really am.”

No response is given to him. He watches as you bend your arms, lifting them to press the backs against your eyes. They turn and run over your face, an ache in him to reach his own out to pull yours away, replace them with his own to hold your beautiful face again. When he speaks up again, he sounds like a child — soft, pleading for the punishment to end.

“Could you ever, I don’t know how to ask this really, but could you ever give me another chance? Would you?”

His eyes are glossing over, vision blurring slightly at the edges as you meet his gaze. A deep, exhausted sigh rolls from your chest, head shaking back and forth as your stare leaves him, running a million yards away somewhere.

“I—God, I don’t know, Joel. It felt like I was just there to give you comfort when you wanted it, when you thought you needed it, and that was it. That was my purpose to you. That you didn’t even want to try to open up, to build trust or anything between us. Things would really have to change for me to feel ready to try again.”

Another step brings him a foot away from you, the itch in his fingers too much to ignore anymore as he guides his hand up, caressing your cheek and brushing his thumb along the line of the high bone there.

“Sweetheart, honey, I’ll be better. If you give me another chance, I’m gonna do better by you. Gonna try more. I promise, peach. I’m not gonna fuck this up.”

Eyes flutter shut under his touch, the weight of your head falling into his gentle care a bit heavier.

When they open again, he can see resolve has been built. A defensive wall put back up after leaning in too much into the temptation of jumping back into the deep end.

“Can I have some time to think about it?”

Selfishly, he wishes you would just jump, dive into his waters with him so you can offer him a lifeline.

“Of course, peach. You come ‘round whenever you wanna talk. I’m gonna be there for you. Whenever.”

His lips press to your hairline, large hand stroking at the back of your head before he pulls away and exits the stall, crossing over to lead Old Beardy out of the stables to mount for patrol.

With his back to you, he doesn’t see the shaky breath you take, composure crumbling as you lean your head against the leather saddle, teardrops littering the surface.

taglist: @wannab-urs @atinylittlepain @bearsbeetsbeskar @serenaxpedro @casa-boiardi @rav3n-pascal22 @dinsdjrn @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @johnwatsn @amanitacowboy @leeeesahhh @isitmelookin4u @javiscigarette @mrsyixingunicorn10 @sugarspiceanthrax @orphanbird95 @space-cowboy-like-me @tuquoquebrute @rsquared31 @morning-star-joy @canseethebrushstrokes @atremises @sstarboy777 @undrthelights @butiknewyoudlinger @dayrdreaming @disassociation-daydreams @joelsversion @ginger-swag-rapunzel @mydailyhyperfixations @diamndx @mingiast @kdogreads @blxsphemy7 @marchai @littlevenicebitch69 @ghostofbrock @iwrotethissky @ladynightingale @jksprincess10 @swiftispunk @pr0ximamidnight @beskarandblasters @northernbluess

[laismoura-art]

I love the Guaraná plant!!! It's so weird and somewhat freaky!! It doesn't even look real! I want one so bad! 😂 You don't only have amazing myths, you also have an amazing fauna!

You have a really cool take on Delia's godhood, especially her rise towards it. It's a good callback to her OG status as a normal edenian to her new one as a goddess.

I wonder if the hordes of darkness she and the other sorceresses had to face were a result of Shinnok somehow. I mean, he is the Elder God of death, darkness and corruption after all.

This got me wondering about your god hierarchy because from what I get, in your AU there are only gods, not elder gods. So does Shinnok exist? Is he still a god and Cetrion's brother? IIRC, his amulet appears in MK1 but only because it was brought from another timeline and I wonder what Liu Kang did to Shinnok (was it said???) because you can't just erase death y'know?? 😭

Hi Rasta! Thanks for the ask!!💕

YEEEES! Guaraná is a true national GEM!💚

And we gotta love a hard-core backstory, like, "grown out of a dead child's eyes and watered with mourning tears??" Who gave this little plant the right to be this edgy??😂😂

If you're interested in a taste, Guaraná makes a delicious soda! (You can find it in France (I searched))

And if you're also interested in our folklore, I highly recommend the series "Invisible City" on Netflix! It, unfortunately, only had two seasons but it's great to get to know some of our myths!

My absolute favourite character is Inês, the Cuca! Her myth comes from this lullaby:

"Sleep little baby, that the Cuca is coming to get you. Father went to the fields and mom left for work. Bogeyman, get off the roof, let the little baby sleep soundly."🎶

She's also a powerful witch with an alligator's face! Though in the series, she has a regular face and a butterfly motif rather than an alligator's. But the most important is: She is a QUEEN!

She steals the show and will steal your heart! 👑

Alessandra Negrini rocked in this role!💕💕💕

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Ok, back to Delia!

I was so hoping the Brazilian folklore inspired origin would catch your eye and I'm so glad it did! 💚💛 I highly appreciate you reading through my walls of texts and finding amusement in them!

In general I'm glad you liked the result!!🥹❤️

And now, regarding the Gods/Elder Gods:

There are two types of gods: The ones who are born Gods, such as Argus and Cetrion. And the ones who ascended into Godhood, such as Delia and Asgaarth!

Godly-borns spawn into existence according to their realms necessities. Outworld lived in darkness, so the God of Light and Fire was born and Earthrealm needed to bear life, so the Goddess of Life, Light and Virtue was born!

Meanwhile Ascended Gods were once mortal beings who sacrificed themselves for their people and were gifted Godhood. Their godly blessings allow them to offer their people what they need the most to survive and prosper.

Delia's people needed a more constant light and protection from the hordes of darkness, so she was gifted the sun and through it, she helped her people.

In life, Asgaarth was the advisor of the First Edenian Queen, Mimh (who's soul nowadays rests in the oldest tree of the Living Forest), he ascended after dying protecting a group of wanderers. He became the God of Wind and Patron of Travellers and graced the wanderers, who had accepted him as one of their own and also pleaded the gods to take him, with powerful wings (and other bird features) that would allow them to travel far and safe!

It is an unspoken rule that Ascended Gods have a closer relationship with the mortals and get to handle their affairs more often. Godly-borns tend to keep a safe distance as they lack a certain empathy only mortals possess.

The only exception is Cetrion, who tried to be a more present Goddess and directly serve her Realms residents.

I've been pondering for a while on how much of the previous timeline and Kronika Cetrion remembers, and through her redesign I think I got my answers! She remembers everything! And she's doing her hardest to go against her mother's desings for her (like I said, it's her rebellious phase, lol)

Which is why she decided to stay closer to the Ascended Gods instead, to learns from them and ultimately grow closer to the mortals under her protection. Acting as such granted her the trust and devotion of the Shirai family and all the women who would become the Order of Cetrion!

Liu Kang is an Ascended God but he pretends to be a Godly-born, because he doesn't want risk anyone finding out about his past as Time Keeper. Cetrion knows, obviously, but she keeps secret. She also knows about Geras still being around and helping but both avoid each other cause they aren't yet ready to talk about their past with Kronika.

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Gods may be called "Elder Gods" but not because they rank above other Gods, but because they are literally older, lol! It's the same as calling an elder "sir/mr/mrs" it's just a formality (though when Cetrion calls Argus that, she means it in a derogatory way, lmao)

No God, Ascended or Godly-born, is above other. They are all equals!

Regarding on whether Shinnok is alive or not:

I'm not sure about canon, Liu said Shinnok’s Amulet "wasn't supposed to exist" and it could imply either that Shinnok specifically doesn't exist (and maybe there's a new God of Death) or that he hasn't turned evil yet!

Personally I like both ideas and could be open to either! But my main idea is that Shinnok himself doesn't exist as a deity but parts of his being are still present and manifesting in other ways, such as the hordes of darkness! (Because indeed, ou can't just erase death)

Plus, I have an old theory that the New Era also suffers with Canon Events 🎸 and as much as he tries, Liu can't just erase certain things and they end up manifesting in other ways (the Tarkatans, the Shirai Ryu vs the Lin Kuei, Hanzo and Takeda as Shirai Ryu, Tomas as a Lin Kuei, etc, etc) some things are just inevitable and they will happen one way or another, you know?

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Okay, that's what I have for now! Hope it answers your questions (and raise some more cause I love to talk about this AU) and more importantly, hope you enjoy the reading!💕

@mikka-minns @thedragonholder @orbitinytheworld @madamealtruist You girls would like some godly lore?👀

[evermorethecrow]

what is evermores favorite part of designing a chuuya, just in general. what part of the process, or of his appearance?

deffinetly gotta be giving him long hair n tits /hj

my general process is really odd the image kinda just appears in my head and i improve upon it later??? when it comes to like themed chuuyas (catboy chu, demon chuu) i get inspo from their surrounding folklore

oh also like video games , bloodborne inspires me a LOT

when i have a sorta idea ill use one of my bases and run wild

(used for when i have looser ideas as its a very simplified figures and one off aus)

vampire au chuuya + ability swap chuuya pictured L2R

au wip currently unreleased

charecter planner 2 i use it for more complex designs mostly when i have a good idea of what i want in mind though i havent used it in a WHile and it needs a redraw o(￣┰￣*)ゞ

used for demon chuuya and a few others i cant be bothered 2 search for rn

my typical process is making a sorta ideas refrences moodboard and working around that??

a few charecter planning projects i have ^^^

as for colour paletes i tend to either make them up or colour pick from irl images ( i also occasionally work with manga chuuyas colour scheme, like with 22 crychu and ability swap au chuuya, pictured below)

(hey look its the base again)

my Other method is just sketching a ton in an irl sketchbook thats what i did with the fem crychu i forgot to post

here she is ^^

but yeah thats pretty much all i can think to explain rn 〒▽〒

my apologies if its hard to follow ≡(▔﹏▔)≡

[cerberus253]

Hi there! One question

How do you think it would be like if the entities or creatures from folklores were to be real? Likely in jca

Like a alternative universe with the demon sorcerers being forced to live with the chans (which can be quite chaotic)

But with they meeting the folklore beings, such as from both american and brazilian folklore (the brazilian one i would recomend watching videos in english or with subtitles)

Such as they meeting saci, caipora, headless donkey, curupira, boitatata, dry body (translation from "corpo seco") cuca, capelobo, and the pink dolphin.

(Also, rest, drink water, and take your time and be sure to not over-work yourself, and i hope you have a good day, also, i love your posts♡)

Apparently in the JCA comics, Drago sometimes encounters other fantasy crits, like the Horned Serpent in Native American folklore. I'm not sure if there was any Brazilian ones, though.

Anyway, let's set the Plot: The Demon Sorcerers have been cursed into little dolls (aside from Drago, he is Jade Size because I feel like that would piss him off more) until they learned to stop being racist assholes and do something good for humanity. They are kept under Lock and Key in Section 13, only let out when the Chans and the S-13 people need help taking down powerful, malicious beasts of myth that the Demons took down long, long ago, earning their place as Sorcerers and god-like beings amongst mortals. Somehow, these monsters have come back, terrorizing all life on Earth. Although the Demons would rather watch humanity go down in flames, that means there would be nobody to break their curse, nobody to rule, and be at the mercy of said Beasts. Welp, gotta team up, I guess...

My guess it would go like this: Each country the Demon is well acquainted with, and their respective Monster that came loose, would join them so as to help with defeating it again. Uncle is a huge help due to his Chi Magic, but he still needs assistance from the Demons because the knowledge on the Monsters aren't well known to man (meaning whatever Monster is free isn't your everyday Bigfoot, Faerie, Hulijing, Encanto, Grootsland, Bunyip, etc, it's something that's reeeaaally old and obscure).

Maybe along the way the Demons Sorcerers can finally get a look at humanity in the present day and admire their advancements and think about how they can incorporate it all into their (wannabe) future Rule. Realistically, I don't think they'd have a "newfound respect" for humans, but if the show were to do this, I think they would go that route. Drago and Jade might have gotten to really know each other and realize they're not so different form each other. Heck, they may even become frenemies.

[asia2023animationgirl]

@jamalwhite12 I made part 4 of The Mystery Kids!

Chapter 4: The Secret of the Tiki Monsters

The next morning, the Mystery Kids gathered at the Luau Cabana Cafe, buzzing with anticipation. Valerie, their fearless leader, stood up and addressed the group.

"Okay, team, we've got some promising leads on these Tiki Monsters, but we need to dig deeper. I think it's time we paid a visit to the local elder, Kapono, who might have some insights into the cultural significance of these creatures."

Jason, ever the adventurer, perked up. "Sweet! I'm ready to uncover some ancient Hawaiian secrets. Spot's coming too, right?" He looked down at his loyal dog, who barked in agreement.

Kip, the resident science enthusiast, nodded thoughtfully. "That's a great idea, Valerie. If we can understand the Tiki Monsters from a cultural perspective, it might help us figure out why they're causing so much trouble."

Sydney chimed in, her fashion-forward mind already whirring. "And maybe we can find some cool Hawaiian-inspired outfits to wear for the occasion. Gotta look our best to impress the elder, you know?"

Lizzy, the newcomer from Tokyo, smiled warmly. "I'm sure Kapono will be happy to share his knowledge with us. The Tiki Monsters are an important part of Hawaiian folklore, and we should approach them with respect."

Kenya, Kip's younger sister, bounced excitedly. "I hope he tells us stories about the Tiki Monsters! I want to learn all about them."

Valerie nodded, pleased to see her team's enthusiasm. "Alright, then it's settled. Let's head out and see what Kapono has to say."

The group made their way through the vibrant streets of Honolulu, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city. Lizzy pointed out various landmarks and shared snippets of Hawaiian history, captivating the others with her cultural knowledge.

After a short hike, they arrived at a tranquil, secluded area where a weathered, elderly man sat cross-legged under the shade of a towering palm tree. This was Kapono, the local elder they had come to see.

"Welcome, young adventurers," Kapono greeted them in a warm, gravelly voice. "I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."

The kids settled around the elder, their eyes filled with curiosity. Valerie spoke up first. "Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Kapono. We've been hearing a lot of stories about the Tiki Monsters, and we'd love to learn more about them from you."

Kapono nodded, his weathered face creasing into a gentle smile. "Ah, yes, the Tiki Monsters. They are a vital part of our Hawaiian heritage, though their true nature is often misunderstood by outsiders."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. "You see, the Tiki Monsters, or 'Akua Tiki' as we call them, are not mere legends or folklore. They are the ancient spirits of our ancestors, tasked with protecting the land and its people."

Kip's eyes widened with fascination. "Protecting the land? But we've heard they've been causing trouble and stealing artifacts."

Kapono raised a weathered hand. "Ah, but that is where the misunderstanding lies. The Akua Tiki are not malicious creatures; they are simply trying to fulfill their sacred duty. However, in recent times, their actions have been perceived as disruptive by those who do not understand their ways."

Jason scratched his head, his brow furrowed. "So, what are they trying to protect? And why are they acting up now?"

The elder's gaze grew somber. "The Akua Tiki are guardians of the land, the ocean, and the ancient Hawaiian traditions. They have watched over these sacred places for generations. But now, with the rapid development and influx of tourists, their domain has been threatened. They are simply trying to reclaim what is rightfully theirs."

Lizzy nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I see. It's like they're trying to defend their home and culture from being overrun. No wonder they're causing such a stir."

Kapono smiled approvingly. "Exactly, young one. The Akua Tiki are not villains, but misunderstood protectors. They have been driven to desperate measures to safeguard what they hold dear."

Valerie's brow furrowed as she processed this new information. "So, what can we do to help them? We don't want to fight them, but we also can't let them keep causing chaos in the city."

The elder's eyes twinkled with wisdom. "Ah, that is where your true test lies, young leaders. You must find a way to bridge the gap between the Akua Tiki and the people of Honolulu. Only through understanding and cooperation can harmony be restored."

Kenya piped up, her eyes shining with excitement. "I know! We can throw a big party and invite the Tiki Monsters to come! That way, everyone can get to know each other and be friends!"

Kapono chuckled, his weathered face crinkling with delight. "A wonderful idea, little one. The Akua Tiki are drawn to celebrations and community. If you can create an event that honors their traditions and allows them to feel respected, they may be willing to cease their disruptive behavior."

Valerie's eyes lit up with determination. "Okay, team, you heard the elder. Let's put our heads together and come up with a plan to throw the best Tiki Monster festival Honolulu has ever seen!"

The kids erupted into excited chatter, their minds buzzing with ideas as they prepared to embark on their most important mission yet – to bridge the gap between the Tiki Monsters and the people of Hawaii.

[clever-and-unique-name]

[sends hugs] I've been thinking of you even though (or especially) you haven't been online as much 🥰🥰🥰

Also, as a more specific ask, what are your favorite things about Okami? Would you recommend it? (Also, cost and least favorite parts of it? I'm assuming it's a video game, and I always like to hear about your game reviews!)

Uhhh forgot the secret third thing.... ahhhhh... got any favorite things you're looking forward to or happy that you've done recently? <3

Anni <333 hi you are so cute thank you ilu!

okami is a rly rly rly pretty game, both graphically and sound-wise. it's 3d but really creatively mimics sumi-e style painting, the whole game is very lovingly steeped in japanese folklore, it's silly and fun and heartwarming and it has a good story. and!! you get to play as a wolf goddess whose entire Thing is restoring nature and who is also a silly little guy who is just Over doing deity things!!

idk what its cost is now, there's been multiple HD releases in the past couple years on different platforms, we played the original on PS2 yearsss ago so idk how it holds up on like the switch or something

least favorite part was the "voices" for characters, i can only describe it as "like animal crossing but Annoying." but i read that in HD releases there's an option to turn dialogue sounds off so!

and idk some of the silly joke humor might turn people away (bc it can get. Very Silly sometimes) but i always found it either harmless or fun

OH but there's an entire game mechanic around Finding and Feeding Wild Animals and there's a whole cute little cutscene and then they LOVE you afterwards and you can pick some of them up and carry them around and!!! it's so cute!!!!

-------

umm i am looking forward to this week being over, there's a lotta rly stressful things in the next couple days to do but then we don't have to worry abt them anymore so that'll be nice u_u; gotta renew our medical license thingies and do other big adulty stuff

time is a blur, we were super sick last week (and are still kinda sick but #Recovering), so am hoping we can find some time to do some art with the time we have off friday/saturday. bc we are now picking up overtime hours tomorrow. idk. work part wisdom or something :x

[intertexts]

HIIII ROS HI HI HI still truckin througj the last half hour of my shift i was absolutely DELIGHTED 2 SEE UR WILLIAM AND DAKOTA ART THEYRE SO FUCKING CUUUUTE. boys forever i love them

ABYWAY ANYWAY. now that youre in party hell i wanted 2 pick ur brain a little i wanna know ur thoughts . do u have anyyyy theories or thoughts 👀 about vyncents powers or williams dorito fever dream or just in general hehe . putting u in a jar under a magnifying glass and feeding u a drop of plankton water like youre a baby seahorse (<< guy whos seahorses had babies today. proud father momence)

oh my god. gets fucking put in a jar under a magnifying glass blhhhhrghghghghbhgh >_< also OMG........... CONGRATS ON THE SEAHORSE BABIES!!!! what do seahorse babies look like. are they like fully formed or some larval shit like newborn puppies???

anyway YEAH i DO have thoughts!!!! SO many thoughts, even!!

okkk ok ok. about vyncents powers....... first i thought he was some alien superman type situation. because of the whole deal. nowwwww i really do think he reverse isekai'd from like a classic high fantasy jrpg ass world.. i think he like touched the forbidden artifact or got hit by the fantasy truck and got shoved into this world & it sucks. i DONT know if hes human or like some type of creature. about his powers & his fucking multiclass thing???? i have NO CLUE DUDE!!!!! ngl its giving like system egg. ohhh sorry yeah sometimes i just become a whole different person who dresses different and acts different its not a big thing dw about it. or like..... i was considering some type of warlock deal possession situation also but apparently he JUST BECAME the party city warlock?? so i have NO clue.

WILLIAM DORITO FEVER DREAM.. (<- none of these words r in the bible) OK. my first thought IS my head shoots up like a cat hearing the treat bag rustle or like a 2016 emo at the g note at hearing the unravel op......... man i wonder why that specific song for this one specific questionably alive kid with fucked up death powers. this couldnt mean anything!! im sure there arent any impies (fucked up way of saying implications) (GOD the irreparable harm that quencies meme did 2 my vocabulary) anyway my first question about this motherfucker is IS HE DEAD OR NOT. IS HE ALIVE. IS HE IN SOME FUCKED UP LIMINAL STATE BETWEEN THE TWO. schrodingers wiwi. the forest part of the dream sequence stuck out 2 me re: the will-o'-the-wisp-- idk if it's like a textual folkloric thing or my personal associations or what, i dont wanna look it up rn, but i've always associated them with forests + the of course leading astray thing. slightly more meta but also like the uhhhh idiomatic meaning of the phrase as one of the stupid wishful goals u gotta follow even though itll fuck you up? that might b a bit of a reach though since he really is very like textually just. ghost shit. the "man on a paper throne" image DID make me sit up & take note as did the inability 2 turn tangible again but i dont know enough yet 2 make any conjectures!!!! ok ok i thinkkk thats it for noww <3333

[thestargazerlily]

rating each era at the eras tour cause i'm bored as fuck let's gooo

LOVER

song choice(s) ★★★★☆

outfits ★★★★☆

performance/dance ★★★★☆

visuals ★★★★☆

→ song-wise i'm missing some of the fan-favourites in the lover set, but it does work super well when performing. the outfits are almost perfect, i'd give 5 stars if every jacket looked more like the black and gold striped one. the opening performance is crazy good. i'm torn on visuals because the ones in the very beginning/during cruel summer aren't my favourite but the lover house makes sense and its super summery.

FEARLESS

song choice(s) ★★★★★

outfits ★★☆☆☆

performance/dance ★★★★☆

visuals ★★★★★

→ the song choices are perfect, they capture the era the best even though it's the three most popular. but they just work perfectly. some of the dresses are super cute, but i have to take points off for the noodle and the tiger stripes dresses because these are just not it for me. performances are super cute, i love when her whole band comes out. the gold sparkles and the guitar on the stage are also perfect.

RED

song choice(s) ★★☆☆☆

outfits ★★☆☆☆

performance/dance ★★★☆☆

visuals ★☆☆☆☆

→ i love red but it's one of the weakest sets in my opinion. first of all, where are the classic songs like red or state of grace? i like the 22 performance, wanegbt is fun to scream but i could've done without i knew you were trouble and instead have the title song on the set list. all ten well could be shorter, or at least let the outro go into the speak now intro. the 22 shirt is cool as a callback and a fun costume; the bodysuit and the coat are fine. now for visuals... why do we start with balloons instead of red autumn leaves?? it makes more sense for 22 but come on! the snow during all ten well is nice though, otherwise the set is just.... well, red.

SPEAK NOW

song choice(s) ★★☆☆☆

outfits ★★★★☆

performance/dance ★★★☆☆

visuals ★★☆☆☆

→ look. i like enchanted as much as the next person but where is long live? it should've been a permanent song, i'd even make long live the standard song and make enchanted the intro. the ball gowns are mostly perfect, i have some i personally don't like but if i were taylor, i'd want to go through as many princess dresses as possible. the dancers are cute. visuals... eh, i'm not a fan. the flowers look a bit cheap.

REPUTATION

song choice(s) ★★★★★

outfits ★★★☆☆

performance/dance ★★★★☆

visuals ★★★★★

→ the song choices are on point, i think the whole stadium freaks out everytime ...ready for it? starts playing. and hey! look, a new bodysuit has slithered out! the microphone is ironically still a red snake. i like the bodysuits, they match the vibes. the performances are cool, especially with all the old taylors in the boxes. these are some of the best visuals – i mean the snake and the heels and the beat? amazing!

FOLKMORE

song choice(s) ★★★★☆

outfits ★★★★☆

performance/dance ★★★★★

visuals ★★★★★

→ maybe i am a bit biased here but this is clearly my favourite set. they really worked with the potential and i love the folklore cabin and the evermore piano. song-wise i am mourning the one, tolerate it and tis the damn season, but i love the august/illicit affairs mashup. i feel like she included illicit affairs for me personally AND i wish other sets also worked with mashups. the folkmore dresses are amazing, especially the old ones. i'm not a fan of the bright colours, they don't fit the whimsical aesthetic i think, and also rip to the beautiful bronze evermore dress. the tolerate it performance was superior, but i also love the witch dance for willow and the fan interactions.

1989

song choice(s) ★★★★☆

outfits ★★★★☆

performance/dance ★★★★★

visuals ★★★★☆

→ i know a lot of people were disappointed about the song choices at first here, but i gotta say the whole stadium is up and dancing whenever 1989 starts. this only loses a point for bad blood because i do not like that and i think the fire/pyro show ruins the otherwise great visuals. i mean, the rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming colour??? i prefer the new outfit sets to the old ones, though i don't like some colour combos (warm and cool parts work best together here).

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

song choice(s) ★★★★☆

outfits ★★★★☆

performance/dance ★★★★☆

visuals ★★★★☆

→ i'm gonna say it, down bad has some of the best visuals on this tour and should be played fully! the other visuals are obviously a callback to the music video which i like, i think they've done a great job at matching it to the songs – but the icdiwabh visuals are the most stunnning. i saw the first second of those on a livestream and just knew. outfits are cute, i only really dislike the font on that dress. the performances for icdiwabh, down bad and tsmwel are my favourite i think.

SURPRISE SET

outfits ★★★★☆

performance ★★★★★

visuals ★★★★☆

→ the surprise song dresses keep getting better and better! i prefer the bright coloured ones and i think it's so cool to see how they've adjusted the dresses for taylor to fit more easily (like the sleeves). i could watch just taylor and her little instruments for three hours. she's so fun and the surprise element sure adds to that. i gotta give a shoutout to the piano decorations – so cute! and the transition with the waves into midnights stays so so cool. (notice how her dresses make her look more and more like a fish, i fear she's changing into one the more she jumps)

MIDNIGHTS

song choice(s) ★★★★☆

outfits ★★★☆☆

performance/dance ★★★★★

visuals ★★★★★

→ the perfect ending to the show. i'm only missing yoyok but looking at the pop synth dance performance we got going on, it just doesn't really fit and would take out the speed. i'm torn on the outfits. the t-shirt dresses are cute, but the more they add the more confused i get. also where's the og bodysuit? the cutout/sixpack one looks really weird. performance wise i'm just gonna cite lunch and say you need a seat i'll volunteer. the visuals are super cool, i love the monster-taylor destroying the city and the lavender haze clouds.

OVERALL

song choice(s) 3,4 ★

outfits 3,1 ★

performance/dance 3,8 ★

visuals 3,5 ★

→ red really drags this down but other sets are almost perfect for that so yeah. i feel like outfit and visual wise other people would rate them higher. but apart from the critics i truly love the show and how they've put it off. let's hope for at least a combined yeehaw-high-school set once debut tv comes out – taylor would just have to add a little cowboy head to her outfit!