#hhhhh i'm not super happy with this one

[somin-yin]

I got the best ending ever with Ratan ❤️

This ending was PERFECTION ❤️ I loved it so much that I won't finish the book to keep replaying this epilogue forever ❤️ (I don't care about the 100 diamonds, this ending is more valuable than that 😂) and I'm also definitely adding this epilogue to my serotonin boosters aka the ones who make me happy along with my S.O. and Heartstopper ❤️ (also CG at the end).

The fact that their souls are connected by a thread screams soulmates and it reminds me of the red string of fate legend ❤️

The fact that they'll grow old together is just so romantic!! ❤️ and HHHHH I love it when they hug you with their coats, it's just one of the best feelings ❤️ (and works wonders against cold weather) 😂

He feels like heaven because he's heaven ❤️ this man is perfect ❤️

Not Amala wanting to turn my man into an alcoholic, Amala please, behold your bad influence, my man is pure 😂

When I read the word "wife", I started to hyperventilate and jump hhhhh, DID YOU HEAR? MY AMALA IS HIS WIFE NOW!! ❤️Amala, you're so lucky to have married this perfect man HHHHHHHHH ❤️

He's a true poet ❤️ and seeing him enjoying the small things of life fills me with joy ❤️

"You and Ratan got married, and you have your whole life ahead of you" HHHHHHHHH I'M SCREAMING!! I do see them in 60 years with a full family tree, I do ❤️ the thought of them having a beautiful future together makes me so happy ❤️

"A beautiful dream that had become my new reality", "And I intended to show him all the joys of a simple life" hhhhh I'm sighing so much, this is just so lovely ❤️

I'm in bliss for this epilogue, it was everything I've ever wanted with Ratan and more ❤️ getting married to this perfect man? travelling the world together? growing old together? Amala is living the best life!

It even made me cry of happiness ;-; I'm so, so happy for them ❤️ and I have so many ideas about how their beautiful future can unfold! Since Ratan would be a lovely dad, I have a headcanon that he and Amala had twins after travelling the world, a girl and a boy and the four of them had a happy life ❤️

I seriously can't get over it, it was just the best, and the text + the music made it super special too, so I definitely recommend my fellow Ratan stannies to experience it in the game too ❤️

Thank you RC for giving us this satisfying ending with this man, he deserves the universe and he got to have the best ending ever!! Now I'm going to go listen to my Ratan playlist while I daydream about their blissful future together ❤️😂

[elvenbeard]

Long rambly post about Phantom Liberty incoming cause HHHHH

Gonna put it under a read more just in case, also cause it got long, and bc I know people will still wanna avoid spoilers!

So.

Mr. Hands, amirite??

Holy shit, he is so cool XD Different than what I imagined, but so much better. Pure visuals-wise he's giving the biggest Sheogorath vibes, and a little bit of an older Dragon Age Dorian. I'm so here for it. Also the fucking phonecall he was on with his kid I assume when you first enter his office omfg XD The dad-est dad to ever dad, then a political schemer and so fashionable XD Also, he deserves his nickname 100%, his cyberhands are so cool. Also, the first fixer that offered Vince a drink and Vince actually didn't have to decline cause it was tea (and I bet it was really good, high-end shit, and that's how you get Vince xD). Also his gigs are all so good like... so varied, and always with difficult choices or just super interesting and entertaining storylines. "Waiting for Dodger" has gotta be my favourite one so far, and I'm excited for what's to come still!

Sure as hell this is gonna be a profitable business relationship (and I'm also super duper intrigued about his political interests and what he's planning/ where he's seeing Dogtown's future like... he doesn't like Hansen in power, he's affiliated with the VDBs AND Netwatch, and I'm just so.... I'm smelling political change, and I'm a bit sad that V didn't get some more inquisitive dialogue options about it all (but maybe that would've been too much at that point... ooor maybe with a few more gigs done the picture will get clearer).

Then also a bit more lore and hhhhh... I don't think I'll incorporate this bit into Vince's canon as is, but again, with everything Corpo-background-lore stuff in PL so far, I love the overall super dark and grim picture being painted like, gimme the angst!! Imagine being so dependent on your job/ so brainwashed/ under your bosses' control they can manipulate you into killing a guy just a few years older than you at that point with the promise "that's the last one... for a while, at least. Here's your raise". This also again lines up really well though with what I actually do have in Vince's background during his time at Arasaka, looking at the vibes and pressure and everything in general (even though the first guy he killed was someone else 👀 but similarly, it also gave him a raise, his supervisors' trust, and so so so many mental health problems).

BUT THEN FINALLY PARTY TIME!!

Maaan... the whole setup of sneaking into the Black Sapphire was so amazing to begin with. The diving portion gave me the worst claustrophobia and flashbacks to all the cave diving accident videos I've ever watched xD The portion with the sniper nest was also so cool but I failed epically at it repeatedly xD Did pull it off like a pro on my third attempt though xD I wish you could do it without having to kill anyone and I figure maybe it is possible. Definitely gonna play around some more on my second playthrough that is surely to come!

Then V's disguise I actually dig so hard XD Purple and black and gold super fancy suit, hell yes! And a nicely tailored one, too. Although Reed's outfit was also 👀👀👀 The main game was really missing a "infiltrate this party" like quest, and damn, did PL deliver with this one.

Then of course I had to have a look around and all the special guests made me so fucking happy xD I was crying at Hideshi Hino and Johnny pointing him out, he was one I would not have expected to meet XD Then also all the newsanchors!! Month ago I was like "ah, it makes sense that Gillean Jordan and Ziggy Q and whatnot have character models, but still so sad that they don't actually have a physical appearance in game". Phantom Liberty is the gift that gives on giving in that regard with fulfilling my little silly wishes like that XD And of course they're all horrible and awful, and I love it XD Goooood-Morning-Night-City Stanley raging about disowning his daughter cause she's into exotic implants, Holt conspiring with Arasaka, again, of course... And Lizzy Wizzy not really happy to see Vince cause I didn't help her get rid of Liam xDD

Also fucking damn... Songbird. First of all, her chrome is insane o.o I'm so torn about what to think of the whole situation like... I can definitely see what Reed says, that she's playing both sides, using Kurt to get her (and V's) cure, the other way around playing him by not actually wanting the president dead... But idk. I feel like something doesn't quite add up just yet. And that is: why even bring V in the equation? If this all is *really* just about curing herself and freeing herself from Myers' clutches, as Kurt says later on, why bring in a random merc with a ticking timebomb in his head and not the best track record when it comes to breaking into high security locations to steal things? (sorry Vince). Idk. I'm not buying it just yet, neither is Vince. He doesn't trust Songbird still, neither the president, both are still a means to his ends - although he also doesn't wish anything bad on So Mi as such, like, she is fighting just as hard for her cure as he is for his, so he can definitely relate to her struggles and whatnot. Being degraded to a tool for people to use as they see fit.

Reed gained a little trust and sympathy with coming clean about how the FIA got rid of him, that Songbird had to pull the trigger on him, metaphorically speaking and like... Vince is not sure if Reed wants revenge on Songbird or actually help her, or if maybe he wants revenge on the president and the whole "I'm just serving my country" thing is not just a very good act. He wouldn't be surprised at least if in the end this all does turn into a personal vendetta. Also, on a meta level I really loved Reed being like, despite everything they did to him, he still feels loyal to the FIA and wants to work for them, in a "I know my place" vibe - similarly how a Corpo!V can be like "I know where I come from" towards Hanako at Embers, that the FIA, in the end, is not too different from a Corp that still has Reed captured how Arasaka has Vince captured and he also couldn't guarantee to not go back to them if they offered him a deal good enough. So, on that basis, I feel like they can really understand each other.

Then these two omfg. Cackling at some details in their profiles still XD The whole roulette scene stressed me out so much, but it was also so fun and unique, really something new! Although internally dying when Aurore got all touchy feely all of a sudden and just picturing Vince utterly losing it internally and just wanting out of there, and then surpressing a sigh of relief when she's like "it's not like I wanna hop into bed with him" to her brother after being scolded xD Like hhhhhh playing this game with a gay OC is so fucking uncomfortable sometimes xD If I had one wish for a future Cyberpunk game it would be more male characters shamelessly flirting with the MC like this oooor at least giving everyone, regardless of gender etc etc the option to turn sth like that down to begin with, like... "oh, sorry, think you misunderstood, I wasn't actually flirting with you".

Would've preferred to flirt with him though:

aksdfhljkasjfhöasdjfhadsflas He's so. SO.

A little more than how I imagined him than most of the others I met so far, but he is also pretty out there. He sure as hell is a lot more layered than what you would think at first glance and I really really love that. I played Vince a little snappy and straightforward during this convo with him, cause I wanted to see how he would react, if he'd keep his calm or if he'd be aggressive or whatnot and in hindsight I wish I'd been a bit more friendly XD Also something for my second plathrough when I really make my canon choices, this first run is for testing the waters and getting to know everyone. THEN I can think properly about "how would my character even react here, truly" xD

Overall this was such a fucking good mission like, holy fuck. So much to see, so much to do, so many people to speak to, I feel like I've forgotten half of the intel I learned already - another reason why I'm looking forward to a second run xD

I still cannot even remotely guess how the DLC is gonna end too like, I feel like after every main mission everything I knew is off the table and there's a whole new array of options I hadn't even considered before. I do hope we get a lot lot lot more stuff on Kurt, cause he is being pinned as... not quite the bad guy in all of this, but not someone you should wanna side with. But I just know there is a lot more to all of this. I could kinda see that it does end up being something like "Songbird has to stay with the FIA and as Myers' pet, Kurt gets defeated, but we get our cure" versus "Songbird gets freed with Kurt's help but all hell breaks loose in the NUSA and Reed won't be happy about it". I feel like, whatever happens though, there's gonna be a war in a few years time at the latest, be it another corporate war, something with the NUSA and Myers schemings (that I'm 0% surprised about btw, do not trust her one bit still and that won't change anymore XD) but yeah.

YEAH. Next up: identity theft! I'm really fucking scared of that cause I remember one of the first trailers where V is getting that mask-like thing put on their face - I'm guessing exactly what Alex has, and I'm guessing it's cyberware... That would be such a big NOPE for Vince, holy shit XD I prefer my flesh-face, thank you! If this is not something that's reversible I pass.

We shall see... but yes. Damn. What a fucking good story so far, even with my long breaks inbetween playing, I'm still hooked anew every time I get to continue!

And again: if I'm way off with any of this (which is likely) or even if I'm guessing some stuff correctly that will transpire later on (which would also be awesome, cause then they're doing their foreshadowing right), please don't tell me or give me hints about it XD I would love to know how your Vs felt about the party cause damn... fanciest party Vince was ever at and will probably ever go to, but he wishes he could've stayed and just actually forgot about everything and partied properly XD Been too long since he did that at that point!

[edie-n-al]

EDIE AND AL how are you DOING IM HAPPY TO SEE U <33

Okay I'm a sucker for like super small miniscule details that don't matter at all so what is the cutest thing about the other that you enjoy??? give me ALL the goofy facts owo

"Aww, well isn't this a warm welcome!!"

"Hmhm, why thank you! We're doing just fine, thank you for asking..."

"And let's see.. my favorite thing about her.. so many things to choose from-"

"Hmmm, I think one of my favorite things about Al is how much of a sucker for affection he is~"

"I- Edyth-"

"Sometimes, when I'm making breakfast, or something like that, he'll just come up behind me, n' just bear-hug me!~ It's adorable!!~"

"Listen, the world is cold and hard, you're soft and warm-"

"Hmhm, I know, hun, I know-"

[The Jamfoot is flustered heehoo]

"Hhhhh-"

"Hmm.. I have alot of things I love about Edyth, truly, but I'll give you one of the cutest!"

"She likes to sing to herself when working! Doesn't matter if she's writing down a recipe, cleaning up, or scrapbooking, more often than not, I can hear her singing along to her favorite records~"

"Ohhh, I don't do it that often-"

"Frankly, I think you should do it more- You have the voice of an angel~"

"Pfft- Oh, you~"

[marshmallowprotection]

NAW WAIT I'LL START ASKING HIM QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT DRAGON IS BEST FOR HIM AND I'LL CONVINCE HIM TO MAKE ONE SO WE CAN MATCH AND SJDHHASHAHDHHSSJANDHAJDJAJDJJA

Istg I see myself making the biggest mf list on the whole planet FILLED with questions so I can see what dragon is best suited for him, I'M- I GOTTA KNOW AKDHAJDN

If he ever decided to watch the movies and series with me, I'll keep looking at him to see his reactions I CAN'T HELP IT AAAAA-

Holy shit imagine he makes one big enough that we can ride-

LIKE AJDHAHDH, I feel like it's probably impossible for it to fly but CAN YOU IMAGINE-

Bro we just casually walk with ON THE ROBOT, TO GRAB A DAMN BAG OF HONEY BUDDHA CHIPS FROM THE KITCHEN

I CAN SEE SAERAN LOCKING HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM, WONDERING IF WHAT HE SAW WAS EVEN REAL THEN YOU HAVE VANDERWOOD WHO JUST G L A R E S

I won't lie, I'm super obsessed with this series for years now, it still makes my heart fire up so damn much 😭✋✋

Can't wait for his reaction to the flying scenes since they bring me such happiness and make me feel free and just hhhhh!!!!!

Wait until he knows that I own more than 100 dragons in a game-

See, that's what Saeyoung loves about you. You're passionate and honest about the things that make you happy. You want to share information that makes you feel good about yourself, and he can't help but feel more infatuated with you when he sees that. He counts himself Lucky in knowing that you've been able to experience life in a way that he couldn't. You know what it feels like to have a good time.

You share so genuinely that he can feel it himself. It doesn't matter how silly you think you're enjoyment of something is, he wants to hear everything you could possibly share. 

In this case, he's going to be jumping up and down hearing about what you think is best for him in this situation. You think there's a dragon that's perfect for him? Oh, he needs to hear about this. He needs to understand what made you think that in the first place. He needs to know if there's anything he can do to spice it up and make it feel more like himself. Better yet, why don't you tell him about the dragon that you love the most? You know he's going to take that information and use it against you in some way, but at least you know it's going to be something made from love. 

[avocadoguru]

I am so excited for the new chapterrrr and in the mood for some wolfrry doodles hehehehehe 😗

Hhhhh I'm so excited but also will be busy the next days still so I don't know when I'll get to read it aaaaaa

Hugs and kissies <3 (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

Ps. I've seen the poll results (600 votes in a day is absolutely impressive btw) and I am so pleased to see that everyone agrees with a filthy good time 😗😏

(@gurugirl here) aww! we are always in the mood for your wolfrry doodles!

and whenever you can get to it we'll be excited to hear your thoughts on this next one - it's extra long so you'll want to have time to take it all in. no rush!

and we are super excited about the results too. Lots of votes and they keep coming in. i just checked and right now we have 770 votes! and of course, we have a consistent lead in the right direction so we're also happy about that.

Xoxo

[twicecussed-crosshair]

I'm...(Info Dump; Crosshair Stuff)

Part one of possibly a series, LMAO...

Let's just say, I have a lot to say about Crosshair from The Bad Batch. (Purely positive stuff, no worries and no spoilers.) I seriously just want to infodump and obsessively express how happy I really am that he's back. My initial reaction to his return on screen was certainly pointed out by my twin, lmao. They said I was going through with every ✨happy vibes✨ motion. I started bouncing, hand wringing, and the STUTTERS. When I say my heart was racing-I stutter HEAVILY when I'm flustered and/or excited to see someone I really admire or care about and being strictly a ficto/ACE/ARO (IRL), I really don't pursue physical or IRL partners outside of long distance or just at friendship level. I'm a smol guy with very flighty emotional stability and fragile, easily hurt feelings.

Personally, I relate to Crosshair deeply. It's difficult to explain. It's not technically "kinning" as much as I feel it's twin flame materials...something hhhhh? I'm still trying to pinpoint and understand. Being neurodivergent, I tend to mirror a lot of the personality of the characters I HEAVILY pick up on the actions of as well as just vibe with personally. The thing is, I'm also super attracted to and attached to him, as well.

Though, a lot of the traits, at least half, are ones I typically have and do quite regularly. I chew on things regularly to assist me with stress and to NOT eat my fingernails to complete disrepair. I have high anxiety and awful panic episodes. I have a small pack of plastic toothpicks for that. I cross my arms a lot regularly and normally always glance/glair at people; it's harmless, I just don't express much through facial expressions.

I noticed, a lot of my curiosity began with seeing that he was the sharpshooter and lone wolf personality. Two things I'm always drawn to. I feel like I can chalk it up to a couple of things.

When my mom was in the military (before I was even conceived.) was enlisted (not active) and after the firing range/test, she was 2nd to everyone in her precision and highest female in her courses. She surprised everyone with her skill. She still wears it proudly, and for good measure.

I just seem to vibe with the lone wolf sniper trope. Before Bad Batch, my favorite character was Boone from Fallout: New Vegas. Are we seeing a pattern here? (Those who know Fallout: NV, know.) My personality type is introverted, as well. I'm a pretty solitary guy. My twin is really the only person who I have around 24/7 because too much of a social life can be taxing.

[just-a-carrot]

our wonderland is one of my favorite obsessions right now, i'd be so interested in more info about worldbuilding!! i've been thinking about iggy's town + where everyone in the cast is located. like is brookside in lanbrooke or... things like that!

i'm also super excited for the final arc (and final arc orlam) + whatever projects you plan to do next!! take care carrot! 🧡

SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER THIS I've been super all over the place and also traveling djcddjfj

HHHHH I AM SO GLAD?? Though please do not obsess too much I would like you to be healthy ;-; <3

I'm happy to answer any questions about the worldbuilding!! Oh Brookside is the name of the apartment complex that Iggy lives in! It's indeed located in Lanbrooke!! I,,, realize now that is maybe not so obvious GUHJH EJDHR

Omg thank u tho I am glad?? I will keep working hard!! Hopefully the last arc will live up to everything that came before it. I will try my best LOL And thank you, you too!! 🥰

[seelestia]

zhongli's just here like "why are my troubles neverending when will i be able to enjoy my retirement life" /j on a more serious note- i'm pretty sure these shenaningans are making his retirement life even more enjoyable. two rambunctious granddaughter-like existences and a loving wife, what more would one want <3

RIGHT. like. it's either sunny and super hot or rainy and still hot. WHY??? fun fact, i have never gone strawberry picking. definitely something i wanna do one day, it sounds so fun!!

meirin's type: people who uses polearms well /j I MEAN polearms are cool. and usually the animation movesets are so.... enchanting? sldkfjlsdf like even thoma's attack animation looks so fluid and good!

yeh fingers crossed🤞🏻 if tatertots or angy child refuses to come home imma cry and ask zhongli to beat them up for me-

I MEAN TRUE yes hubby is ofc way in a higher league for all those aspects.... it's just.... al haitham.... he's so sussy, y know? like. are you an ally? are you an enemy? are you actually a good person? are you a bastard?? there's so much mystery surrounding him and it feels like he's so morally grey and... that's. kinda. attractive? lsjdlfkjskldfjls

alternate title: cutest doggo of all walks with her husband and fellow kins around inazuma city [very cute] [super adorable] [couple goals] oh also this just dawned to me- ayalia strawberry picking with ayato sounds like a very adorable date :D

omg imagine ayato cradling a puppy behind closed doors and playing with them, tickling their belly and chuckling when the little pup sucks on his finger ;w; did you know that puppies smell like milk and they're just so soft and smol and so comforting to hold and has the cutest yawns lsdkjflsjdfkljskldf

LMAO WAIT REALLY hahahah oh poor ayato imma need to go thru his voicelines again, i don't remember that line lol leave it to lia to remember ayato's most obscure voicelines :P /lh

who can blame me right, i found a morsel of good food so obv i gotta gobble the whole meal off obv :D YES. YES GIMME ALL THEM ZHONGLI FANARTS

mond be like "well our crisis was resolved a looooong time ago so what we gon' do? we gon' PARTYYYYYY" and skdjflsdf yeah that event was so bittersweet ;w; razor sweet precious baby... and diluc & kaeya my god JUST HUG IT OUT AND SHAKE YOUR HANDS ON IT LIKE GOOD SIBLINGS WOULD-

ALSO HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BDAY!!!!

I HOPE YOU SAW MY PRESENT ILY MWAH MWAH <3

RIN JIE !! apologies for the late reply, life has been super busy lately but i'm happy that i finally got to respond 😭 and i'd also like to say how i want to tear up after reading this ask, hhhhh. tysm for everything, rin jie <3

he really does deserve his retirement, so maybe i'll tone it down. (/j) but speaking of retirement, i was suddenly reminded of the second lantern rite where you could find zhongli at diff places and talk to him. hoyo was telling us that the man wants a vacation. no need for travel expenses when you can just walk or use the teleport waypoints (/lh)

no, no, instead: hot people happen to use polearms and meirin recognizes it (/j) and yesss, trueeee, polearms are so swift and elegant <3 i also like how their normal attacks have their own sense of style sprinkled into them like thoma's !! vv cool and boyish and just him in general fjeskfke also, zhongli's charged attack is mesmerizing, hehe.

former geo archon vs energetic ginger harbinger who got tricked once vs vengeful puppet with mommy issues. who will win this battle? rex lapis, obv. xiao even brought a lightstick with him (/j)

THE SUSSINESS. i do admit that the mysterious aura around him is attractive like an enigma to be unraveled... thus, this reason of yours is understandable fjrjskkew. i can't wait for the conclusion of the sumeru arc so i can know where alhaitham stands 🤔

i've bestowed the title, "cutest doggo of all" and i've never been more content <3 (/g) and picking strawberries with ayato 😭 i'd tug on his sleeve softly when i see a strawberry i want to pick and he'd hum, "have you set your eyes on that one, dear? go on." i shall now vanish into dust. and i didn't know <//3 puppies !! my kins !! they smell like milk... must resist the urge to cuddle, hhhh. and ayato would be so amused if a puppy just jumps into his arms fjkfkkeks his chuckles <3

this is why mondstadt is one of my fav nations LOLLL venti and his people are chilling 🍵 but trueee, that event got me all emotional about kaeya and diluc like. we even got a voice reveal for kaeya's father and crepus !! and the "yes, that's my boy! i will always be proud of you" when diluc looked at the wine :( i remember how he used to be a cheery child, something that aligns with his pyro vision up until crepus' death and what ensued with kaeya <//3 i want to say "why can't you two just talk it out and shake hands??" to them so bad, but i think both of them are avoiding it <//3 tho, i have a feeling that kaeya wants to address it again and in a better way this time... but diluc doesn't seem ready. or perhaps, he is and kaeya just can't figure it out. that one has always been so hard to read, where has the old diluc gone to? hah... he is not coming back, is he? i'm sorry but the urge to do an analysis on these two, aaaaaa.

AND TY, RIN JIE <3 as you can probably tell, i loved the present you gave me and again, tysm for it !! eeeeee, ilysm, i want you to know how proud i am to have you as my online cousin and a moot 🫶 and now, i give you this zhongli fanart because you deserve one, hehe. MWAH! <3

[trenchcoatsbi]

happy ONE WHOLE YEAR ????? that's absolutely crazy hooooly shit ???? /vpos hoping to many more . you guys are so awesome :]

anyway, since i saw the other anons do their updates (and also, since i haven't really been on here in a while), i figured i'd do one as well !!

march was a pretty busy month, considering. it was my birthday aaand we got a shit ton to do related to school and exams and whatnot, so my time during it was pretty crammed

(i don't mean to brag, and i genuinely hope it won't be seen as such 😭😭 just stating Why it's been like that . Sorry 🙏)

during the month tho i Did manage to do some things i enjoy or that just. make me happy yk !! i went to go see some movies here and there and iirc, the highlight of that month was "the holdovers" - genuinely such a good movie and i'm glad i got to see it in theaters :] i also went to a gig with my friend and we had such a blast, it was sooooo so good i still want to go backkkk ......

i think that's pretty much it for march ?? tbf, my memory sucks in general, so i can't remember anything distinct for the life of me

when it comes to Non-Time-Frame Related Events, i also still continued to play pjsk (as i do since. Brainrot) and i finally managed to fc "the disappearance of hatsune miku" on expert... after maybe 1 year of struggling with it 😭😭😭😭 BUT I DID IT!!!!!!! i wish i had a screen recording of it, though, because it would've been cool to show off

another thing is i played phighting! like i never played it before. i had to essentially grind for the bivekit skin (which i think is time-limited considering it's a collaboration with regretevator...) and I GOT IT. I MANAGED TO GET 58K BUX IN TIME AND GOT IT!!!!!! i doubt i'll be using medkit anytime soon, though, because i feel like i'd suck as a support player, but yk. practice makes perfect as they say (???) and also i'm so abnormal about bive I Love Her . my friends said she's kind of like me so now i'm just . ?×>×?÷?×?+?!?×(+?!?!+?× /vpos

on a more serious-ish note, though. to finally end my update properly is i think i noticed a slight up in my mental health. which hasn't really happened in a while, and it makes me really happy to know or to prove to myself that like. i am Able to get better. i am Able to Feel Better /pos

sorry for the many rambles, but i hope you've all been doing well and have been taking care of yourselves in these times 🫂

take care everyone <3 /p

- 📼

yeah!!! it's crazy it's been a year aint it! happy late birthday! 'm really glad to hear you had a good march!

also yooo! congrats on the fc too man! I've never been into pjsk but augh my bestie was into it a while back and augh i know how hard that is. It's super cool that you managed to do that!! I've heard about phighting! (and regretavor) but I've never gotten into it besides looking at cool fanart that pops up on my for you page. Congrats on getting that skin! sounds fucking awesome man, glad you got it!

i'm really glad you've been feeling better too man. mental health stuff can be uhhh rough so I'm glad things are going up.

im respondng to this late cuz i took the rest of trechcoatday off to do homework and play genshin (hhhhh unfortunately if you give me a game with a lot of quests and objectives and things to complete i will 100% go bonkers abt it) but yeah! happy day! hope everyone had a good day

[decembermoonskz]

(ㅠ.ㅠ) HOLDING YOU!! I miss you lots too like my inner indoor loving butt has been fighting for her life since last week but *Donnie voice* IM ALMOST BACK BABEEEY 🎉🎉🎉

Oh same! I haven’t been super up to date in general but I’m glad you’re having fun so far! 🥳 and oms if you posted it 👁️👁️ I shall read! I love reading album reviews esp. for this one in case I missed anything. Personally, it’s not my favorite due to my own music preference but def keeping DLC, FNF, Hall of Fame and Collision in my playlist

Also screaaams ty!! 😭 I was very sure the Hyunlix pull would still be strong (and tbh Chan’s magnet increases now that I’m passively collecting him) but I’ll see if it’s true for future releases 😂 who did you pull for yours?

— chia 🐏✨

HHHHHHH valid tho but i'm glad to see you back!! <3333

oh and ofc ofc!! lemme link it for you (here you go!) and you're valid ik my mom wasn't a fan of a few of the songs i personally enjoyed it for the most part it caters to my tastes a lot haha BUT YES COLLISON SUPREMACY as mentioned hehehehehe

and yeeee i'll be posting pics of mine later today (hopefully bc i'm busy today hhhhh) but i pulled double felix out of my limited and got hyunjin's postcard hehehe + chan poster means i got hyunchan which makes me so happy (a blessed album fr)

[sea-and-storm]

FFXIV Write 2022 Prompt #8: Tepid (Arukh)

"Elder Unegen," Baidu announced as they had reached the mouth of the Cloister. "Arukh Kharlu answers your summons, if you would kindly receive him."

The winding natural pathways that Arukh had been led through by the Shuurga's khan had been almost claustrophobic at times, but they now opened up wide before his eyes. The cavernous cove boasted a high, craggy ceiling dotted with salt-crusted stalagtites. At their tips gathered heavy droplets of briny moisture borne of the humid sea breeze that blew in from the cove's cliffside opening along its back wall. It gave birth to a ceaseless symphony of dripping as they fell to the seawater lapping at the stone below where it pooled in the Cloister's center.

He assumed the sound might have been meditative to the udgan whose summons he was now answering, but it did little else but grate on Arukh's nerves. Then again, it just as easily could have been the place in which he now stood. Even more likely, it was simply the sight of the elderly woman sitting by the water's edge alighting a long-simmering grudge within him.

Elder Stormcaller Unegen of the Whispering Winds looked up from the seat of stone that she was perched upon at water’s edge at Baidu’s words, though her gray, clouded gaze never quite focused steadily upon them. She looked different from the figure of Arukh’s memory, once proud form withered and worn with the ravages of age and possessed of an undeniable air of frailty at odds with the image of stern strength that he had long associated with her. Though her braided hair had always been gray of color, the hue had shifted now to the stark white of sun-bleached bone and seemed every bit as brittle. 

Using the gnarled driftwood staff resting beside her as a cane, the udgan slowly and unsteadily rose to her feet to greet both her khan and her guest. Behind her, another woman seemingly closer in age to Arukh’s own forty-odd summers quickly stepped forward at her obvious wavering, gently reaching out to take her arm for support.

"Please, Elder," she implored quietly, her brow drawn and voice heavy with obvious concern. "Do take care. You shouldn't push yourself.."

"You worry overmuch, Yesui," the elderly Xaela chided in nary more than an exasperated whisper, but made no move to push her or pull away from her assistance. “I am but old, not ill.. And it would be unforgivably rude of me to ask an honored guest to join me yet not even show such respect as to rise for their arrival.”

With her own sigh, the dark-haired woman at the Elder’s side seemed not wont to argue a point that would clearly fall only upon deaf ears. Only once she was certain that Unegen was steady on her feet did Yesui release her gentle hold upon her and step back, remaining close but allowing the woman her independence with a deferential nod.

If her talk of respect and honor was meant to please Arukh, it had fallen woefully short of its mark. He felt now the telltale flicking of his tail behind him, betraying his steadily mounting irritation. It wasn’t that Unegen’s choice of words itself had offended him, but that she uttered them with the same tepid deference in her tone that all of the Shuurga had entreated him with since his return. It was bad enough coming from Baidu Khan and those old friends and acquaintances whom he had spotted as he made his way through the same. Coming from Unegen, it was nigh unbearable for even the normally cool-headed warrior. 

But as Yesui stepped back and Unegen refocused her attention upon him, he found himself put squarely on the backfoot as the Elder’s thin lips pulled into a smile to regard him.

“Welcome home, Young Arukh,” she greeted, paused, then let out a breathy chuckle with a shake of her head. “Ah, but forgive me. I do suppose you are not young yourself any longer, but a man grown. Still.. you are ever a child of the Shuurga, and the gods smile at your return to Their bosom.”

His lips parted to answer, but no words bubbled up from between them. Instead, his brow and jaw both set in a look of conflicted confusion at having been taken so thoroughly off guard. 

This was not the manner of reception that he had at all envisioned within his mind’s eye. Not from the woman who had come to their home spirit away his sister when he was still but a child himself. Not the woman who had answered his protestations then with condescending placations about how this was a great honor. As if he should be grateful to her for shattering their family into innumerable, irreparable pieces.

His tongue passed over his lips as he bit back a far less gracious, unbecoming answer. Instead, he straightened, his posture rigid with tension as he fouggt to control the sharpness of his words.

“I must speak with you alone,” he answered, pointedly side-stepping her warmth. 

“Elder..” Yesui began from behind her, once more the concern rising to her voice but with greater urgency. 

Arukh wondered if she had picked up on his barely contained temper simmering under his skin. As if he would lay the first hand of harm upon this frail woman, regardless of his own misgivings towards her.. But it was clear that despite Unegen’s words of warmth and welcome, the others yet viewed him as Kharlu now. So he bitterly supposed it was only natural that they worry what capriciousness and cruelties of which he was capable with the Elder at his mercy. 

This time, however, Unegen stopped the other udgan's protests short by raising a wrinkled, gnarled hand.

“Very well,” she answered him with a nod, then glanced back to the other woman behind her. “Yesui, escort Baidu Khan to the storeroom and inform him of which herbs and reagents we’ve need of restocking and how much we should be grateful to receive from the gatherers. We've much work to do ere the next migration and it would be prudent to start now."

With no shortage of reluctance, the other woman left the Elder’s side and started towards them. Her bright blue eyes met Arukh's own as she approached the Khan beside him, fixing him with an appraising stare. He raised no protest to the manner in which she scrutinized him for signs of ill intent. 

“I will not keep the Elder overlong,” he offered by way of reassurance. “I’ve simply a message to relay. Nothing more.”

Whether or not she was satisfied by what she found in his eyes and his words, Yesui’s gaze finally broke from his in silence as she looked instead to Baidu. Without acknowledgement, she guestured for the khan to follow as she departed the Cloister and left them to their talk.

Once they were out of sight and the reverberating echo of their footsteps had faded into silence once more, Unegen lowered herself back into the seat she had just risen from with a groan. It was clear the movement gave her no shortage of grief. Little wonder it was that she scarcely left this cove these days if even something so simple gave her such obvious discomfort.

“Pray pay no heed to Yesui’s protectiveness,” she sighed once she was settled again. “I’ve but recently informed her that I intend for her to succeed me as Elder.. and I suspect that she is intent on delaying the passage of that mantle as long as she can manage it.” She let out a soft huff. “A more skilled healer than Yesui of the Calm Waters I have not met, but.. her confidence could withstand a measure of tempering yet if she is to lead one day.”

“With all due respect, Elder–” Arukh interjected suddenly, having little intent to entertain such conversation of a way of life that clearly no longer welcomed him. “I would relay my message to you and be on my way, if it is all the same to you. Yours is not the only message I come bearing.”

Unegen’s pale brows rose as she regarded the stiff-lipped warrior, but she showed no sign of offense at his impatience. She only offered an understanding, silent nod.

"Very well."

“It was Ghoa that bade me seek you out,” Arukh began, but paused when he saw the faint hint of concern begin to arise upon the elderly Xaela’s face. His head shook softly. “Though our paths did cross once again upon Steppe soil, rest assured that she is hale, whole, and well looked after. The Kharlu do not know of her interlude here and keeping it as such is the reason for my request of privacy for our talk."

He couldn’t help but let his words trail then, if only for a moment, to watch how they were received. At first, the chief emotion that took over Unegen’s countenance was that of surprise, followed quickly by concern. But with Arukh’s reassurance, that too faded away – into a look of peaceful knowing.

“I see..” she murmured, a small smile pulling at her lips as she cast her cloudy eyes back out to the sea beyond the Cloister. “The sea has been unseasonably restless of late, I had noticed, but I had yet to surmise its meaning. Now it becomes clearer.”

Once more Arukh felt the irritation rising up the spine as she spoke of signs and their meanings. Unegen of the Whispering Winds had always been revered and respected amongst the rest of the Shuurga for the keen ear she kept to the gods’ will. However, Arukh had only ever viewed it with bitter, if not sacriligious skepticism. 

“She wishes for me to relay to you that ‘she understands now’,” he continued, having to work to keep his tone measured but unable to keep the tension from sneaking its way in entirely. “She no longer blames you for the decision that you made not to intercede on her behalf when she was Chosen, and.. she feels that she owes you an apology for her doubting of you.”

Clearly, from how he was simply unable to keep from spitting those last words out as if they were bitter upon his tongue, Arukh did not share his sister’s sentiment. 

“So, then.. I take it that you revealed yourself to her? Who you were to her, in truth?” Unegen spoke up suddenly, but surprisingly.. there was no judgment there in her voice. Only curiosity. Once again, she had caught him off-guard.

“..Yes,” he answered, but not without the tone of a person suspicious that they were about to step into an awaiting trap. “She knows now that we are blood.” A pause, then he continued with perhaps a touch more venom underlying his words than even he had meant. “And she knows now of the rest of her true family.”

He had been expecting the words to meet Unegen’s disapproval.. He had been hoping for it, in truth. Though he did not wish to inflict any physical harm upon the woman in front of him, there was still a part of himself deep down that wished to cut her in the same way as she had cut them so many years ago. By stealing back the sister that had been taken from him.

So when the Elder’s expression turned to relief rather than rancor, Arukh was not rightly sure how to feel about it. Disappointed? Angry? He settled instead upon bewilderment, and she smiled knowingly when she saw how plainly it marked his scarred features. 

“You are surprised that it brings me peace to hear this?” she asked with a soft cant of her head. "But I suppose your surprise should neither surprise me. It is clear that while Ghoa has extended her forgiveness, your heart still harbors much resentment when you look upon me.”

There it was, the open acknowledgement of his anger and discomfort. And now that Unegen herself had opened that door, Arukh made no move to slam it back shut again. Rather, he gladly stepped right through its threshold.

“I considered not relaying the message at all,” he admitted in a huff, eyes narrowing upon her. “Ghoa owes you no apology. By my figuring, you are the one who ought be apologizing. To her. To our parents. To the other families from whom you’ve stolen loved ones.”

There was a long pause after the heavy accusations fell from his lips while Unegen’s gaze drifted off, her mind clearly turning with thought on how to answer him. Was she going to once again patronize him with her talk of the gods’ will as she had when he was a child? Chide him for his own sacreligious selfishness? Make excuses to justify what she had done?

“You speak a truth that has weighed heavily upon my heart now for years,” she sighed. Once again, the Elder Stormcaller had defied his expectations in the most unexpected of ways with the admission. “But lest you think I say so simply to pander to you without sincerity, I ask that you permit me to tell a tale from our clan’s long history.”

[sleepinglionhearts]

whether I like it or not, I am unfortunately always at least peripherally aware of Asmodeus

[staticblooms]

i.... think i’m going to move some muses to their own blogs & removing a bunch of muses here

[the-iceni-bitch]

I know I've said stuff before about this but I'm literally sitting on my couch thinking about puppy being super sweet and calling ninja daddy in a non sexual way just cuz he's in that space and being super embarrassed about it later hhhhh

(also i love you and all the effort you put into your writing shows and thank you ♥️♥️)

I love this thought so much!!!

Maybe it’s one of those lazy weekends where the two of you just want to snuggle up under some blankets and watch television, or catch up on your reading. You of course had amazing sex last night, so you’re both a little worn out, and Ransom just pulled you back against his chest on the couch after you eat a big breakfast and nuzzling into your hair.

It’s so many soft, lingering touches while you laze around. Ransom can’t keep his hands off you, not that he ever can anyway, and every time you look up at him he’s smiling warmly and pressing a kiss to your forehead. And whenever you squeeze his hand he lets out a happy little sigh.

He’s so happy he just settles right into that sweet head space easily. Every time you ask him how he’s doing he just hums and snuggles closer to you. When your this close to him he wonders how he ever got by without you, you’re the best thing in his life.

That’s probably why when you ask him if he wants something to snack on while you’re up he just murmurs “yes, thank you Daddy”, his eyes at half mast while he gives you a lazy grin that you can’t help but return. Even though your normal instinct would be to tease him a little or pounce on him you don’t do that now, he just looks so damn happy and content, so you settle for feeding him popcorn once you two are snuggled up again, giggling when he holds onto your wrist and kisses your fingertips each time you try to take your hand away.

You can give him shit about it tomorrow. He always gets so cute and huffy when he realizes just how soft he is for you.

[laurelier]

Harry's home remodel list: yellow checkered tiles for the kitchen, ivy plants for the bathroom...

Bc I am, as the saying goes, in a Joni hole.

And because I’m also big on titles? Like, in my own creative sensibility, which sounds just so unbearably pretentious, but whatever this is my space to be that way— I love titles. It’s like, you’ve made this thing, right, and then you’re condensing all that work you’ve done into a little phrase you could just, like. Hold in your hand. A symbol, the core of what you’ve made, or some meaningful comment on it. What an artist chooses to name a piece of art becomes the focal point upon which every theme and word and image in that work is brought to bear— I just, I love titles. And Harry’s House is such a good one— inviting us in to explore the concepts of home, housing, dwelling, what happens at home and what’s a house and— if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, what’s a body, too, what’s a self; but as others (including the Original Artist Herself, ~*love the title~~*) have noted, it’s also referential to Joni Mitchell, which hhhhh that gets me going too, references and intertexuality— of which, so far, it appears H has happily given us a not-insignificant dose, the Matrix lens being such a rich way to see the AIW video. In any case. The title. The title and the Joni track it refers to. Some thoughts on that are under the cut today, so happy H is back so I can be insufferable and long-winded again.

Some VISIONARY artwork by always wonderful personified joy @thestylinsons, imagining Harry’s House in the style of The Hissing of Summer Lawns, this is STILL SO GOOD BABE

As Harry's house was?

Although it's the only complete song of the album we have so far, I don’t quiiiiite think a really close lyrical comparison of As It Was to Harry’s House/Centerpiece is super fruitful atm. But. One idea I did have while I was making my struggle meal microwave baked potato a little while back was— so often we discuss the interplay and difference between Harry the person vs. Harry Styles™ the icon, and since those two entities have the same name, same title, if you will, we can’t really tell exactly how much of either one is being addressed when he says “Harry” in the second verse of AIW— which still makes my stomach flip every time I hear it—; “Harry” remains hazy, undefined. And, like, I think that’s really just an interesting ambiguous moment, mainly, but. “Harry” is also a character in the Joni song that shares a name with the album, and with H being such a huge Joni fan, I’m going to operate under the assumption that that reference is purposeful— which means that today I get to take my silly little magnifying glass and put Joni’s Harry right under it, bop, and add him to the list of possible Harrys in the Harry-soup of that haunting moment when he says his own name.

Harry’s House/Centerpiece itself is a nice lil bit of social commentary. The vibrant images in the first few lines show us pretty quick that we’re dealing with Joni scoffing at capitalistic excess and hollowness— one of the most common themes in her work. The song is placed near the end of one of her more experimental albums— !!! the implications!!— and it begins by following a “he” character, “Harry”, who is heading to a hotel where he’s about to do a bunch of business meetings and the like. It then follows the collapse of his marriage under the stifling requirements of gender roles— I'm not going to include the full lyrics here, but a few things I’m turning over in my brain are:

One: Adam Driver wall punch in marriage story meme

First, the fact that H chose a song about a type of gradual (heterosexual) marital discord and decline that is directly attributable to the suffocating nature of prescribed Western gender roles to associate with an album ostensibly about home and homemaking, self and selfmaking— and which, from what we can see, is likely going to be a somewhat intimate and vulnerable project. Like, holy shit. Specifically, to me, the lyrics—

A helicopter lands on the Pan Am roof Like a dragonfly on a tomb And business men in button downs Press into conference rooms

Battalions of paper-minded males Talking commodities and sales While at home their paper wives And their paper kids Paper the walls to keep their gut reactions hid

—feel particularly weighty, because— there's a way to hear AIW that's convincingly about family dynamics, wives and children, your daddy lives by himself, he just wants to know that you're well, a) of all (those lines kill me, bye) but b), man if all that about corporate grayness and battalions and dragonflies on tombs doesn’t call back to the first few frames of the mv. Harry's walking amongst a bunch of professional-looking people in muted colors, who are chatting and talking and drinking coffee—

—and he soon exits that space by beginning to walk backwards as he sings holding me back, gravity's holding me back— reversing things, doing them differently, going through a door and out of that that buttoned-up, barren environment, being pulled further into himself (?).

God I am so shitty at capturing frames on youtube my lazy ass should really just learn how to goddam gif

Then there's the "paper-minded males", what a phrase— the total flatness of them, minds only on paper, minds only existing on paper, nothing real to them, and if the paper is money, then that adds a whole other dimension, Have a Cigar anyone; if their minds are papered over, then they’re hiding from themselves. They’re not even men, either, they’re males, Males, like, all their individuality has been stripped from them and all that’s left is what is required to be a Male, their successful adherence to the requirements of Maleness is the only thing about them that matters, it’s so soulless. And their paper wives and children, playing the roles that are laid out on paper, a Male, his Wife, his Child, all of them fulfilling the rules set out in advance of the marriage contract but that can't work in reality; everyone cooperating, from childhood on, in the suppression of everything that makes them more than paper. Joni’s poetry is something the fuck else here. And as such, it’s such an exciting referential choice for H to have made— I can’t wait to put it next to the rest of the songs on his album and see what comes up.

Two: the “Centerpiece” medley

Harry’s House/Centerpiece is two songs in one, with Joni sampling a 1958 jazz standard song by Harry (lmao) Edison and Jon Hendricks, “Centerpiece”, right after the lines where Harry starts to daydream in the middle of a meeting about his wife’s body when she was young and attractive. The lyrics to that part, which is very different from the rest of the song and on which I think Joni sounds particularly beautiful, are:

The more I'm with you, pretty baby The more I feel my love increase I'm building all my dreams around you Our happiness will never cease 'Cause nothing's any good without you Baby, you're my centerpiece

We'll find a house and garden somewhere Along a country road a piece A little cottage on the outskirts Where we can really find release 'Cause nothing's any good without you Baby, you're my centerpiece

In Harry’s House/Centerpiece, the placement of this is brilliant because it calls up the naive ideas the couple, or at least the husband, had at the outset of their marriage about how the wife would be his “centerpiece”, and makes the lovey sentiment of the original song sound really sinister: Joni’s Harry is trying and has always tried to turn his wife into a decorative centerpiece to build his life around, not allowing her to be a changing, dynamic person or life partner. A beloved, treasured possession is still a flat and lifeless object. I wonder if, in any way, H is going to engage this idea of expectation and dream, of building your life upon an idea that in reality isn’t anything like what you were told it was, about the certain kind cruelty of trying to make other people fit into your dreams for them— whether someone’s doing that to you, you’re doing it to somebody else, or you’re the one doing it to yourself.

Centerpiece’s mention of a house works in both H and Joni, too— in the middle of Harry’s House (song), it sounds almost like a trap, a house and garden where the wife can stay and remain the same as she ever was for the husband to enjoy; in the context of H’s album, I wonder if the concept of a “house” will fall in step with the genuinely romantic tone of the original jazz standard, or whether he’ll take something more along the lines of Joni’s embattled, complicated notions of home and relationships, and further comment on and explore that. The dark lyrics and bright 80s beat of AIW might suggest the latter, but I guess I just gotta wait two months and see.

Three: Don’t leave Harry a vm he’ll put you in a random song

I also love that there’s an inclusion of talking voices in both songs, in AIW at the beginning and Harry’s House/Centerpiece right after the Centerpiece interlude; both are angry, but Harry’s is a little girl scolding him for not following the routine of saying good night to her (which, in the context of the song, I take as a deviation that like. Could be happening because the narrator isn’t doing so well, or is facing a lot of inner turmoil, maybe) and in Joni’s is the wife chastising the husband because her life is limited and she’s frustrated. Both are disempowered characters, in a way; a child is inherently dependent on others, and in addition to the wife being trapped and objectified in Harry’s House/Centerpiece, The Hissing of Summer Lawns (album’s title track) references a woman who’s locked in a house by a domineering husband also— which, when I consider the way we think about H and women, and how we often read H mentioning women or using women in visuals as referencing gender, well. There’s quite a bit there— maybe a more feminine, or even more childlike or girlish, self being held captive and compromised by a societally required masculine role, and the discomfort and inner turbulence that that engenders (badumtss)? Relationships readable as inner conflict, again (!!!!).

Four: I’ll tell you where you can shove that paper

Similarly, the last lines of Harry’s House/Centerpiece being “To tell him like she did today / Just what he could do with Harry's house / And Harry's take home pay” and the implication that Joni’s Harry is a financially successful senior exec or whatever, at whatever corporate BS he’s devoted his working life to, lead pretty well into Harry’s, like, atmospheric success as an artist— what’s projected onto you and expected of you at that level of visibility, the hollowing greedy Manly Man character that’s shoved onto successful men and against which Harry often directly pushes. To me, this combo feels almost like a self-admonishment: if the wife in Joni’s song is comparable in some way to an inner, more fluid and/or feminine side that the world has led H to keep cooped up doing menial tasks and homemaking, creating ~Harry’s House~, whatever that is— and that he is, as a person perceived as a Man, expected to silence, control— then I wonder if the heaviness and anger that Harry’s House/Centerpiece ends on might extend to H’s album. At the end of the song, the wife tells Harry to fuck off, and the implication is that she’s leaving him, but when I first heard the song what I really registered was the reminder that— she was always the one guiding Harry, telling him what the possibilities for their house, their home, their shared life, could be— and she’s sick of his shallow papered-over ways of seeing her and the world, she’s angry, when she leaves she's going to leave him directionless— and, well. Put next to H's upcoming album and what we know about it, that looks a bit. Difficult and transformative, to me. At the risk of sounding too much like my therapist, we often don’t nurture our inner selves near enough, what we really want, really need, and often that results in a lot of self-resentment and anger, difficulty, and disconnection from ourselves.

I just think this Harry’s House/Centerpiece reference can be seen as such a cool meditation on selfhood: like, the possible combination of self-reproach and self-liberation (here thinking of the Christine and the Queens mv for Doesn't Matter, thank you endlessly again @thestylinsons for showing me this gem). When I think of all the bitter sadness of the ending of Harry’s House/Centerpiece and compare it with the joy at the end of H’s mv and how he hugs the blue character, who I think is pretty convincingly a representation of H’s inner child or inner sentiments; and when I imagine that that blue self could be analogous in some ways to the wife, who releases herself at the end of Harry’s House/Centerpiece, abandons the construction of a restrictive husband’s house and possibly moves to create her own— I really like the direction that leads, the suggestion that Harry’s House (H album) might be an ambivalent space, both something H has designed for himself and, at times, a cage of sorts— a place where there's comfort, predictability, and homeliness, as well as the pain of brutal self-honesty and a need for constant change and growth.

Five: You know it’s not the same as it was!!!!

Because— both songs end up reflecting heavily on the idea of change: it’s not the same as it was, the decay of the couple’s marriage. They're reflective songs, both with characters reminiscing about the past and comparing it to the future: Harry’s House/Centerpiece is mostly told in present tense, then goes back in time for a moment, then ends when the wife starts to look ahead to a new life, or at least starts to take vocal issue with her current one. And in AIW, I take the middle verse, at least, to be, like, a hodgepodge of memories? It's internal but relational, H speaking to a “you” and to, I think, himself also; Harry’s House/Centerpiece is detached, observational, third person mostly, but both are so personal, and both treat themes of shifting selfhood and how that shifts relationships over time, how that shifts everything, how that’s difficult. Importantly, Harry’s House/Centerpiece does this through the wife character— and with the song having been released in 1975, by an artist who has always discussed and sung openly about women and their particular experiences under a patriarchal system— there’s a lot of energy of, like. Resisting regressive and limiting social norms in and around this song and much of Joni’s music, especially as regards gender roles— which is obviously a theme H has treated many, many times in the past, in really exciting ways.

There’s certainly more I could say about Harry’s House/Centerpiece, and we'll see if there's more when the album comes out, but I’m just. Oooooo I’m so excited for what Harry might do with this Joni source material, or at least for the cool interactions that we’ll be able to pull from the two when we’re finally let into the whole of Harry’s House. <3

[taeyamayang]

I’m so sorry about dumpling! No one should ever go through that. If you need to vent about it, I’m here. Also, arias tail isn’t necessarily broken, just a tiny (like pen tip) is showing from her fur and it never bothers her. I forgot to mention, I call her Mimi bc she likes to go “miiiiiii” when she wants attention and it’s super cute….. till it gets super annoying rip. We actually got her at petsmart when we were shopping for a cone for Thor (he kept picking at his eye stitches). My sis said she’ll take her instead of a bday gift and she’ll take care of her. Which was a lie lmao. Aria doesn’t even really like her tbh 😭. With aria I can only get majestic or cursed photos. No in between.

Context for the second photo, I was petting the neighbors cat and aria was not having it. For the other two- she just looks like that™️ sometimes

And by that I mean stares into your soul

I’m not sure if I shared this one yet but she wears a bow bc she is a gift ✨😌✨

I deadass ran out of room to talk about Loki and Thor-

And I don’t even favorite Loki I just ramble about all my fur babes

yeah, it was too soon for me to say goodbye to dumpling. she was my favorite cat and i was her favorite too tho overall she's a good cat to everyone in the house. it's okay!! honestly, sharing stories and photos of our cats is therapeutic for me lmao

WAIT SHE GOES "MIIII" ??? WTF THAT IS SO CUTE!! i can imagine puss in boots iconic puppy eyes and Aria goes miiiiii NOOOOOO THAT IS SO CUTEEE I'M LITERALLY SMILING RIGHT NOW if you have a video of her saying it I will VERY MUCH appreciate it. i will keep it as my serotonin booster. okay, but remember ching? the calico cat we have at home? she doesn't meow too but instead she goes "KIK" like when she needs food she looks at you and goes "KIK" maybe i should attach a video of her next time i sent you an ask (since it's late here and she's sleeping lmao)

the first picture makes me want to scratch her chin HHHHH AND THE SECOND PIC IS HILARIOUS SHE LITERALLY HAS THE YOU BETRAYED ME FACE LMAOOO is she clingy towards you? it's funny how she was originally adopted by your sister but she ended up as your cat. i think it's true that cats choose their owner and not the other way around. the third pic tho,, at least you get to carry Aria without her constantly pushing you?? bc momo does that ALL THE TIME. MOMO IS THE LEAST CLINGY CAT I KNOW unless it's time to sleep because she refuses to sleep without me so she's sleepy she follows me around AND THE BOW.. SHE IS THE GIFT OMFG AIEFJAEJFNAE I LOVE IT SO MUCH DUDE YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY THESE PICS ARE HEAVEN PLEASE I WANT TO SEE MORE!! YOU CAN INCLUDE YOUR OTHER CATS TOO OMFG AHHHHH THANK YOU THANK YOU

as a token, here are photos of momo

the first one is when when i get sick of staying inside the house so sometimes take a chair and read outside. momo comes with me and she guards me like a dog 🤣 sometimes i walk her outside with a leash on ofc but she sits or lie down every 5 to 10 steps 🤦🏻‍♀️ the second one is from a video of her eating her favorite treat. i find it funny and adorable when she licks the food lmao and finally the third one is her usual judging face SHE HAS A RESTING BITCH FACE

also, momo walks around the house with a leash lol but we don't tie her up only unless she she goes out bc i don't want her to run off and get ran over by a vehicle like dumpling