#i feel insane for making this at all. and even moreso for posting it .so everyone has to be nicey

[ricecaqes]

this might be too insane for main but do you guys like my custom mal du pays shirt

[contraryclock]

stupid ass Don Quixote ramblings

hi this is my first tumblr post but i really wanted a good place to put this

spoilers for all of current limbus company, including Murder on the warp Express, the Don Quixote book (( kinda )), and a musical (( i'll get there ))

please humor this deranged rant about a character i havent read the source book of

so basically ive had a theory since Don was even teased that she's less so based on book Don Quixote and moreso based on the Man of La Mancha musical which is. an insane thing to suggest but hear me out here (( ive since changed how i word my stance to the much more mild "it will most likely delve into the themes of both works and reference both" because suggesting they would discount the book entirely is TRUE insanity ))

her quote (( from teaser tweets that i cannot find anymore? they seem like they were deleted which sucks )) was "To reach the unreachable star!" or something which is notably not a quote from the original book ((as far as im aware at least?)), and suggests. a lot i think!

One of the most notable differences between Man of La Mancha and the original Don Quixote is their tone and attitude towards Quixote. In the original text, he's shown to be a fool who is ignorant to the vastly more interesting world around him, and prefers to instead sink deeper into his delusions of reality equating to chivalric literature. This makes sense as Don Quixote was written as a parody and mockery of the genre

La Mancha is, notably, much more forgiving on Quixote's character, showing that while still a fool, and his insanity often detrimental to those around him, he is still a good person at heart and that he truly wishes to pursue this justice he posits

I usually say it as "Don Quixote is about how reality is beautiful, and La Mancha is about how sometimes one should strive to make reality a little more fantastical" although i dont know if that. is the most accurate comparison. both Don Quixote and La Mancha have a lot of themes and stuff going on

one of the things that made me scream was learning about "Miguel" being written on don's LCB combat spritesheet instead of her listed name

which if you've seen or read a summary of la mancha is a huge alarm bell

In La Mancha, the whole thing is shown as a Play within a Play

Miguel de Cerventes is sent to prison, awaiting trial by the inquisition, and is tasked with defending himself in a mock trial with the other prisoners so they dont take his belongings. His defense is Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha! With the prisoners acting out the various roles he assigns them, and him acting as the leading man, Don Quixote himself!

that was most of the things that made me think "Oh, maybe it'll be La Mancha!" and then this happened

and i sort of lost my god damned mind

because like what if this is miguel... what if shes simultaneously playing out her life as don quixote as a her delusion, and as her dream, but also as a statement...

idk but this isnt JUST about Man of La Mancha bc i think this has a few implications for how don's canto is going to go

In both don quixote and la mancha, they send someone to cure quixote of his delusions

The final thing they try is setting up an act where a "Knight of Mirrors" duels with Quixote, which ends up working.

The Knight forces Quixote to see how he is perceived by others, to see the truth that he is no knight.

ignoring the stuff with vampires and mirrors for a second, i feel like this could be more mirror world shenanigans, where either the knight IS a mirror world don quixote, or is someone who will show her mirror worlds. Whatever that will imply!!! i dont know its exciting!!!!!

Her being absurdly old and powerful, plus bloodfiends having a whole familial adjacent hierarchy makes me think theres a LOT of bloodfiends out there that would want her back

I dunno!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im insane!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! i just wanted to get my thoughts out before her canto actually happened so i can say that i did indeed have an opinion on this

-limbus assets taken form Lunartique's asset google drive go look at it -text written by me and not proofread

ok thanks bye dont follow me byeee byeeeeee

[ooooo-mcyt]

I do think Scar forgives more easily than Grian does (like in general, but this post will mostly talk about forgiveness toward each other and themselves)

There's never been a time where I felt like Scar really held onto something Grian did to him, especially not between seasons. This doesn't mean Scar's a doormat by any means, but I do think he's good at understanding and moving past things pretty quickly, especially when it's Grian.

Grian is the exact opposite. I honestly don't think he fully got over Scar's brief betrayal in Thirdlife until, like, Secretlife, and even more than he struggles to forgive Scar, Grian struggles to forgive himself for things. That's just who Grian is, he overthinks and holds on to things.

You could argue (and i've seen people who do take this stance) that Scar letting things go more easily is a weakness, that it just gets him hurt. But to me, I don't really see that. Scar isn't stupid, he knows how to stand up for himself, he doesn't forgive Grian out of naivety, or because he's been tragically tricked into doing so. Scar forgives Grian because he has a lot of strength of character.

On the other end, people take Grian's tendency to hold onto things as cruelty, which it isn't. Sometimes it does lead to him acting out in destructive ways, I can't deny that. But letting go of hurt is easier said than done, and I think it's very human for wounds to fester, especially in a world where you have to fight to survive. I also think people too often forget that Grian is as unforgiving of himself as he is of anyone else (probably moreso, honestly).

And it's a part of their dynamic that drives me insane, that Scar makes the choice to understand and move past things, to see the good, while Grian often gets caught up in the feeling that nobody can be forgiven, least of all himself.

[reputable-opportunist]

(Tags by @canadianno-gravityfalls in reference to this post)

Sharing these tags that I got a little more blatantly because it's a perfect excuse to further expand on my opinions of Fiddlestan ("fiddlestan" moreso the concept of fiddleford and stan interacting at all post portal, them kissing is kind of just a bonus).

This is kind of exactly how I see it. The portal wasn't THAT damaged by the single act of the portal opening and Ford falling through, it was just a few bugs that needed to be fixed (as was usual with like. Any test run with the portal, I'd imagine.) but because Stan knew so little about the portal as a whole he didn't actually know that. And when he comes into contact with Fiddleford he's pretty trusting that Ford's college friend + science partner is willing to work on the portal in an effort to fix it and save Ford.

Fiddleford meanwhile is well established to despise this portal and everything regarding it, so I can't imagine a timeline where he IS actually trying to fix the portal. He cares about Ford's well being in the way that he cares for anyones well being, although his opinion of the man is somewhat bitter. But he doesn't even know if Ford is alive. What he saw on the other side of the portal was enough to drive him mad, can you imagine being STUCK on the other side of that? He sees what Stan is doing as well intentioned, but ultimately foolish for various reasons. But Stan is clearly working through grief right now, and if he's lucky enough, will actually manage to fix the little damage that is present and actually turn it on (which risks. everything. for someone that may not be coming back).

Therefore Fiddleford is just gonna kindly keep an eye on it all! He's going to sort of send Stan down the wrong tracks, do extra damage to the portal without Stan realizing, and occasionally (with growing frequency) erasing Stan's mind in order to ensure he never connects enough dots to figure out the portal. He's doing this out of care for Stan, and in some senses, pity. Stan is clearly going through a lot right now. The last thing he needs is to cause the apocalypse over his probably dead brother and put even more on his plate.

So Stan is spending his time thinking he's fixing the portal with his brother's good buddy Fiddleford. And hey. He's kind of losing time. And he has these headaches a lot. And it feels like he keeps forgetting stuff. But this might just have to do with the fact he's stuck in his brother's insane horror shack. And maybe it just has something to do with Gravity Falls itself, and how strange it is. So he doesn't question it for a while. He has other things to focus on anyway. And it's not like he hasn't been in bad mental states before, he can trudge through this, too. But eventually he starts connecting the dots (My mind has been bringing in the journal, where Stan starts noticing his own accounts of his days aren't adding up with what Fiddleford is telling him. Along with other stuff).

By the time that Fiddleford has left the scene and Stan has the space and mental cognizance to start making progress on the portal again, the damage Fiddleford did on both Stan's mind and on the portal accumulates into Stan having to spend 30 years picking up all of the pieces. Is this how the portal worked, or is this my mind playing tricks on me? Is this meant to be here, or was this something Fiddleford left there to fuck it up?

[drivinmeinsane]

i need you to talk more about colts nipple piercings please

I hope some filth will suffice. Any mention of tits (especially with pierced nipples) is enough to pry me off the projects I'm working on and drag me out of my cave to post a drabble. I’m a simple person.

COLT SEAVERS {Playtime}

Colt Seavers x GN!Reader ※ { drabble } ※ { masterlist } ※ { ao3 }

※ Summary: Colt's chest gets some appreciation. ※ Rating: 18+ for explicit mature content. ※ Content/tags: Male Breast Worship, Consensual Use of Restraints, Nipple Play, Cumming in Pants, Bottom Colt, Edging, No Use of Y/N, No Pronouns Given for Reader ※ Word count: 1028 ※ Status: One-shot / Complete

Muffled sobs and the creak of a bed frame pollute the room’s silence. It’s not something that can be helped. Not when the creator of the noises is so fraught with the desire to be used.

There, put on display atop the mattress, is Colt. His mouth is stretched open wide, jaw straining to accommodate the gag tucked between his teeth. The stuntman’s hands are bound over his head and secured to the bars of the frame. He’s anything but relaxed. How can he be when he’s still wearing pants? His erection is straining at the material of them. Moisture is pooled at the place where his cock’s head bulges the distressed fabric of his jeans. If he were not also confined in his underwear, you’re sure you would be able to see his flushed skin and dribbling slit through the unraveling threads.

He’s been left leaking for a long time. You have reduced the blond man to bucking in place, squirming, in the attempt to find the friction you’ve not been granting enough of. Tears are leaking from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks until they are stopped by the strap holding the gag in place.

You like Colt spread out like this. Maybe moreso than when you have him on his knees. He is more desperate this way.

Tearing your eyes away from the pretty picture he makes all wet and eager for your attention, you focus your gaze elsewhere. You’re not here for his cock. It’s an afterthought. It’s his chest that you’re interested in. All bare and reddened from where you have already mouthed at the tender flesh long enough to drive the bound stuntman insane, it waits for you.

In gestures of proper care, you have let him have a rest that he did not want, but needed. You had offered him water, carefully angled the glass so that the liquid slid into his mouth with ease before gagging him again. Even his arms and hands had been rubbed to ensure his circulation is satisfactory. It’s time to resume your play.

“Are you ready?” you question only to get a frantic nod in response.

Pleased by his enthusiasm, you slowly get onto the bed. He’s nearly shaking with how badly he wants this. Catching his raised knees with your hands, you push ever so slightly. He lets his legs fall open, hoping you will finally give him what he has been not so silently begging for—a filled hole.

You’re not.

Instead, you shuffle forwards, feeling the mattress shift under your weight, until your own knees are nestled in the apex of his thighs. You lower your body, draping yourself over his. His cock twitches, eager, underneath your stomach. Colt tries to rut against you without permission. Your shirt gets rucked up in the attempt, smearing the precum that has beaded up through his pants against your bare skin. Punishment for the infraction comes quick.

The fingers of your left hand clamp down hard around his left nipple. Upon receiving the harsh contact, Colt moans around the gag and throws his head back. The motion bares his neck, highlighting the sweat gleaming tantalizingly over the curve of his Adam’s apple. It makes you want to lick the column of his throat. You resist.

Letting up on the pressure, you roll the nub between your fingers. It’s hot to the touch, nearly as firm as the bar adorning it. His piercings had seemed so impractical at the time, but they’ve quickly become a source of entertainment for the both of you.

Needing to chase your own release, you brace your knees against the bed and swing one leg over to straddle his thigh. It’s thick between your own. Setting a steady pace, you grind your pelvis down against the firm appendage. Having just had a reminder, Colt knows that he is not allowed to move with you, to race to completion at your side. He keeps himself still even as your mouth seals around the nipple that is not being caressed long past the edge of over stimulation by the dry brush of your thumb.

Your tongue traces over the ends of the barbell, flicking lightly at the metal rather than his skin directly. It drags a guttural, pleading moan from the man underneath you. You raise your head, sucking firmly on the stuntman’s nipple as you do so. It leaves your mouth with a wet pop, swollen and used.

“Not yet,” you tell him.

Spurred by his quiet whines, your pace becomes hurried. Your underwear is soaked through, chafing against you with every thrust of your hips. You’re hovering on the edge. This session is rapidly reaching a conclusion.

Colt shifts under you again as you stop teasing his nipple with your fingers and switch to cupping his other breast with your right hand. You adjust your position on top of his body to lick over the newly abandoned teat with slow passes of your tongue, wetting it. At the newly introduced sensation, the stuntman jerks, drawing his legs up just enough to give you a better angle to rut against. Your licking turns into sucking bites of the soft skin under his nipple.

Like thunder rolling over the plains, your orgasm hits you. You ride him as you ride it out, hips stuttering and pressing against the tensed muscles of his thigh. Your release leaves you panting wetly against his chest. Your lips are grazing his sternum as your hips slow and finally still.

As a reward, your hand leaves his tit. You drag your fingers down the blond man’s sweat-slick body. His abdomen tenses in anticipation when your touch graces it before reaching his belt and then finally one of the places where he’s been craving your touch. Not bothering to undo the button and fly of his jeans, you press the palm of your hand against his erection. You rub it against Colt, traveling along the swell of him. Your fingers find and circle the head of his cock through the layers. His precum clings to your digits, sticky. He cums, making a further mess of himself.

“Good boy, Colt.”

Do not repost, copy, or reproduce my work to other sites or in other media formats. Do not use it for anything to do with AI. Thank you.

[bunnakit]

last twilight ep 7 thoughts, feelings, etc

ALRIGHT i ran my errands, caught up on pit babe and playboyy to relax, and now i'm doing my speedwatch. i took some notes while watching the first time and they're a fucking MESS but hopefully they help me remember everything i want to comment on because without fail i always forget something.

you'll all be glad to know this week's meta bullshit from me is far, far less romantic and wistful than last weeks. you've all been spared by my adhd brain not being able to piece together a single poetic thought.

i kind of knew from this moment the trajectory the episode would take. Day is clearly nervous but not defensive - this isn't out of the realm of something Mhok would do for him but with recent context it probably feels fairly intimate. i think this was a really good indicator of what we're in for.

there's a collection of sunflowers in Day's room, tucked away in the corner, not unlike Mhok tucking away his feelings for Day's comfort. the poor things are shrouded in shadow, away from the light. the pain is unending and forever.

Day's flashback to the kiss has me curious. his eyes are closed so he's not even thinking back to seeing what he can of Mhok up close. as he reminisces about this kiss is he simply remembering the sensation of Mhok's lips on his own? how his hands curled into Mhok's jacket? and i'm sure we've all seen the post but - was he thinking of the way Mhok tasted like cigarettes? this isn't to romanticize his disability, i'm just genuinely wondering what exactly he's drawing on here in this moment, because it's clearly something significant to him.

Porjai just keeps getting prettier every episode and it's making me insane. i just think i should be allowed to take care of her.

"I'm jealous of Day's ability to make you smile."

this makes me think Mhok's smiles have been few and far between, and maybe Porjai has been looking to bring out that smile for a long time. does she ever worry that maybe someday Mhok could end up like Rung? does she worry about finding him too?

oh i so very badly want the context for this, i want to know everything. but also, it's really not that surprising. not when we've seen the things Mhok has done for Day. Mhok lives his life in extremes; anger, kindness, protectiveness, his work, etc. everything Mhok does he puts his whole self into it and it's nice to see his love is no different, because why would it be?

i'm once again in awe of what P'Aof has done with Mhok and Porjai, though. they live together so easily and naturally. there's nothing strange or awkward about it, just two people surviving life together. it's such a breath of fresh air.

Day just cannot catch a break when it comes to August. this has to hurt so fucking badly, the pity has to feel amplified by 1000. not only was August trying to force himself to like Day back because he's blind, but also because he was thinking of leaving. Day is a stronger man than me because i would be frothing at the mouth pissed.

but once again, Mhok doesn't let Day stew in his fish tank. he encourages him to go out and resolve his feelings, even if that means screaming at August and letting out all his hurt and frustration. he's seen what happens when Day lets his hurt fester and he won't let it happen again, not while he's around.

"He's a lot stronger than I thought. It's me who's so weak that I let him down."

as much as August pisses me off, i do think this is him realizing his pity was misplaced, and he failed Day in that way, so he gets some redemption points here. (still think he's a stinky bastard man tho)

the immediate distance Mhok puts between himself and the group never fails to hurt my heart. i get it, he's there for a job, but their relationship has progressed past that - now even moreso, and i cant help but wonder if this is his attempt at keeping a distance, curbing his expectations, reminding himself that while his role is to be by Day's side it's only in a professional capacity.

i love that Gee acknowledges him with a little head nod, occasionally looks in Mhok's direction as if to include him, she's just - ugh - i love all the women in this show so fucking much. i just wish someone would invite Mhok over sometime, encourage him to join the conversation (like they did back at the party.)

sometimes Mhok really is the embodiment of a shadow - both of Day and of his former self (for good or bad.)

(he looks so fucking sexy leaning like that with his shirt tucked into his pants tho, whew.)

Gee also becomes one of my favorite people for asking Day to take the photo of all of them. she just gets it, she includes him, she doesn't act like he can't do things, she even insists he can, she's just !!! the women of all time in this show i swear!!! I LOVE WOMEN!!!!

also the "you don't drink coffee, girl spill the tea" from Gee is just so good. she knows a diversion tactic when she sees one.

i want this expression framed, she's so cute, HELP.

i wish i had the time and energy today to make gifs for this week but ugh. the journey Mhok's face went on here to end up at quiet resignation. because he did figure. someone like Day? with someone like him? because we know Mhok's opinion of himself isn't great, largely influenced by his incarceration and reintegration into society, i'm sure, along with his guilt. but there had been that little bud of hope, a little sunflower seed that had bloomed just a little too far, reached for the sun a little too much. it must feel like a weed in his chest.

the way Day says 'here' so softly, with so much vulnerability made me feel like screaming. he doesn't know what his feelings are for Mhok yet (you can't tell me he doesn't feel anything) but he knows he doesn't want to lose Mhok and the sudden idea of it is terrifying. Mhok is the only person that really understands him, one of the only people he's comfortable around anymore, and he can't lose that. he doesn't want to go back to the dirty fish tank.

i also think this was an indicator to Mhok that maybe Day doesn't know how he feels, and maybe he can get away with flirting in tiny, subtle ways because from here on his secret flirting game is in full effect and it's so fucking cute. he's careful not to completely push past Day boundaries, but to test them in gentle ways.

THE SHOES MY BELOVEDS. we all know what i feel about these shoes after last week and i'm so glad to see all of my stupid babbling confirmed here. i love that Mhok constantly mends things instead of throwing them away. the sentimentality of items means something to Mhok and we love him for that.

we also got a proper 'sweet dreams' this episode, finally!! thank you subbers!

so many shots of feet this ep tho and lemme tell you as someone that HATES feet, this was rough.

oh you are so smitten. Day realizing Mhok is warm, warm in his own way, warm in such a gentle and understated way. UGH. you would've thought he knew after everything they've been through but sometimes people need a reminder and maybe something to drive them to pay closer attention. our boy is BESOTTED. kicking his feet and giggling. i think this is the happiest we've ever seen him.

so here's where i'm probably going to wax poetic the most. Mhok is finally opening up to Day in such an incredible way. he brings Day to his home with no fear of pity or judgement. he brings him into this sanctuary created by him, his sister, and Porjai and he cooks for him and cares for him and in letting him in Day sees even more how impossibly warm Mhok is.

what's even greater is there isn't a single moment where Day is jealous or questions Porjai being there. Mhok has told him she's expecting and he's never weird about it, just kind and understanding and it's all so normalized, it's fucking beautiful. Day even takes the time to encourage Porjai, to share about his mom, and about the strength it takes to be a single mom. P'Aof i adore you.

Mhok has planted jasmine simply because he knows Day likes it, and maybe now he likes it too. and he brings Last Twilight home to practice reading (i'd always wondered how he managed to read without stumbling over himself lmao) and he's done it so much that now Porjai wants to name their child Mee, wants to create this connection to Day forever.

and once prompted, once Day knows enough to ask, Mhok opens up about Rung, talks about her more. Day comments on the warmth of the house, something started by Rung and cultivated by Mhok. it would be so easy for the house to feel cold and clinical, especially knowing what happened here, but Mhok has kept it a home - warm, inviting, comforting - all the things Mhok has been to Day.

the noises took me by fuckin' surprise tho, i genuinely looked around my house like who the fuck is making all that noise and then i was like OH THOSE ARE-- OKAY--

and I know people are like haha P'Aof has a scent kink but like. idk. maybe it's just me but scents are something i'm drawn to. i remember the way someone smelled more than i remember their face. i recently took a shirt out of my closet and immediately started crying. it smelled like face powder and perfume. it smelled like my grandma. the leather jacket pushed to the side smells like cigarettes and horses, like my dad always did.

scent is such an ingrained memory, something that is so hard for our brains to let go of. every time i get a familiar smell it knocks me on my ass, and i'm so glad to see some of this represented in these shows.

this absolutely warmed my heart. whatever is going on with Night and Day is clearly more on Day's side than anything else. Night clearly loves his brother and i'm just fucking DYING to know what is going on that is causing Day to drive a wedge between them. sure, Night hasn't been perfect, but there's love there and that counts for so much.

and what exactly are you doing here??? this is a charity run for blindness - does he know someone that is blind other than Day? did meeting Day inspire him to participate? has he spent time talking to Mhok about Day and maybe the difficulties of his blindness? i am filled with questions but i love this character so much, he's just so kind.

Day's hesitation to cross the finish line was also something i found so interesting. it felt long, possibly too drawn out, but Day needed to think, needed time to understand that if he crosses that finish line, if he accepts Mhok's request to be his boyfriend, their lives will never go back to how they were. things between them will change forever, whether the relationship is a success or otherwise. it's an incredibly mature thing of Day to do, even if it felt a little lengthy for us, the audience.

i strongly believe that in addition to Mhok Porjai is going to be a big driving force in Night and Day's reconciliation. i would love to see Porjai gain Night's side of the story, Mhok gain Day's side of the story, and the two of them working together to see how they can reunite these brothers.

also if i had a nickle for every time P'Aof paired Mark with a pregnant woman in his shows i'd have two nickles, which isn't a lot but it's interesting it has happened twice.

while i, like everyone else, hope the mock proposal is a parallel we get to see later i want to focus more on this moment.

i forget who said it, it's long gone to the depths of my dash by now, but someone commented that disabilities do not stop for love, and fuck is that so true. i love Mhok's concern, his immediate reaction to soothe, and the way he seems to feel Day's fear as his own. and poor Day, he can't even enjoy this moment of bliss with Mhok because of course, of course something like this had to happen. it's so fucking real in the way Last Twilight has been this entire time.

the constant excellent representation of disabled living has been incredible to see, i've seen so much of myself in this show (even though my disability is so very different) and it's been like a warm blanket put over very single comment: you're too young to be disabled, you aren't THAT disabled, you're being dramatic, etc.

from the bottom of my heart, thank you P'Aof and team.

tag loves: @benkaaoi @callipigio @infinitelyprecious (as always tell me if you want to be added {for LT only or all meta} or removed!)

[always-just-down-the-street]

Misremembered Lanes Timeline (Pt. 1): During the Show

Alright, everyone, it is time for that Misremembered Lanes timeline I was talking about! Now, this is gonna be split up into two pieces since...I don't have the post-show/Box and Suitcase stuff yet, all of this was kinda just spitballed with the help of the creator of @inanimate-reboots, I recommend you really check them out, they're a sick AU and the owner's a good friend! Anyway, so, Part 1, all stuff that happens during Season 2 and 3 because like I mentioned, Season 1 is basically unchanged.

ALSO THIS POST IS GONNA BE LIKE SUPER LONG SO GET READY FOR THE LONG HAUL.

First, some ground rules, more or less setting how OJ and Taco will act in a more general sense without going episode-by-episode for two whole seasons.

General Changes to Characterization

OJ is a lot more antagonistic whenever he appears for reasons discussed in my last Misremembered Lanes post- he is struggling with feelings of lack of control that he cannot explain to himself, being more commanding in Everything's A-OJ and, while he's still a good person, he can tend to get a bit lost in his own head.

Taco, in exchange, is a lot more...I don't wanna say sympathetic- she's less evil because she wants to be and more because she feels like she has to be. Her intent to stop the show to save everyone forms way sooner than before Season 3, even if she only gives it up in a moment of weakness to Mic. Ever since she lost, she's just felt...off. Ever since she's lost in Season 1 she's felt off, and it's been chaining her to this show like a ball and chain.

So, in her mind, the only way to stop the feeling...is to stop the show. So she doesn't feel like this anymore, so nobody else has to feel like her, end up like her, whatever that means. Ironically, this means she feels aimless but realized her endgame way sooner than in canon. Truth or Flare is just when she gets desperate enough to physically intervene because they're so. close.

She's tried to leave the show but she can't, something inside of her that's been there since the finale won't let her. She has to be in the show, but this is the only role she can have after what she did. She doesn't even really know why she did it, she just felt so…wronged after losing, such anger she'd never really felt before, it should have been her, it should have been her-

…and then she blacked out. And she woke up the villain.

I'll get more into how the swap functions in their minds in a bit, but there is one thing I wanna tackle before I get into the II2 finale, and that is:

Season 3

I'd like to think OJ would actually love the idea of being in Season 3, as opposed to his canon counterpart- instead of focusing on the hotel and focusing on how everyone else is doing, he takes Invitational as a way to prove Season 1 wasn't a fluke, that he does earn his keep, that he is as good as he says he is.

But then...he does lose. And as Silver Spoon boasts about being the one to dethrone the king of Inanimate Insanity, something within OJ snaps. His original programming, come to roost. For a moment everyone sees a side of OJ that is frankly terrifying, even to Silver Spoon- especially since it mostly comes out through screaming in the silverware's face. He is furious in a way he's never been before, in a way that makes his earlier fight with Paintbrush look tame.

And then...he snaps back, looking at himself in shock before MePhone quickly gets him knocked out before things get any worse. The show must go on, after all...

OJ goes back to the hotel and pretends Season 3 never happened, sliding into denial...sort of because of his loss, but moreso the fallout of it. The person he became for a moment, the anger he felt inside of him. Best to just pretend it never happened!

The Reality of the Situation

The strain this creates rears its head again during OJ and Paper's fallout in The Reality of the Situation, which ends up being way worse due to Paper bringing up OJ's outburst and OJ's...well, crumbling ego. He ends up X'ed, like in canon, but people are a lot more split on it- it's terrifying, sure, but...not the worst person it could've happened to.

Taco, on the other hand, just tries not to think about the confliction she feels whenever she looks at it. Deep down, in a sense, she's won. She outlived him. But she never wanted it like this.

Through No Choice Of Your Own

Things are mostly the same for Taco, she talks with Mic, trying to parse her feelings on the deceased OJ and Pickle and her failed attempts at reconciliation...

...and then MePhone explains that he made them all for the show, and it ends up hitting her way harder than it did in canon. She basically regresses to her intense villain side from the end of S1/start of S2 and tries to kill him out of desperation because he's why she feels so broken, he's why they're all broken. She can't handle that she's been trying to stop the show when the show is what made her. She is the show. They're all the show. It's all in his voice. It's always been his voice.

Mic and MePad get her to Purgatory Mansion, but she's still a mess- but a mess away from MePhone, at least, even if she's deluded to the point of being paranoid that MePad's in on it. She doesn't try to hurt him. The others who are brought with her? They are shocked by seeing how much Taco's fallen. After everything they had heard from Baseball and Lightbulb and Microphone, she looks more broken and desperate than...evil. But she still made her choice, they said. Even if once again she did it in a fugue state. At least that means they don't try to push her buttons while she's clearly not in the right headspace, if on Mic and MePad's request.

And she spends her last moments lost in her own head, trying to make sense of everything. She can't.

She just can't.

Objects in Mirror

Taco and OJ appear next to each other in MeAfterlife. (Frankly, I just thought it was weird that Taco and OJ never got to interact and that besides a one-off line by Paper, she never interacts with anyone from Season 1). He doesn't know that she's been really not in the right space and at least somewhat trying to get better? So he just treats her like a villain and stuff, and Taco is just not having it- and without anyone to hold her back, she lays into OJ hard.

TACO: "Oh, and that precious game you won?! The- the one that made you a millionaire, gave you the love and adoration of everyone around you?! It's fake! It's ALL fake, WE'RE fake!"

OJ: "W- What-"

TACO: (She laughs, her face cracking slightly. She sounds on the brink of madness.) "MePhone made us, OJ! We were all so stupid, we couldn't see the truth dangling in front of our faces- this isn't a game show, it's the sad, sad story about how one bastard created a theatre of nightmares and made every actor to dance forever on the stage! And I'm just his favorite mistake, stuck playing the role of the villain!"

OJ: (He stands firm.) "I- Even if you're right, that doesn't change anything! I still heard about how you were interfering with the season, you tried to steal the million from me, you still chose to be a villain."

TACO: "Chose?! CHOSE?! How- You're really not getting it! Unbelievable! We- we- we we we we we can't escape, I've tried to escape, you think I wanted to be chained to a show where everybody hates you?! Maybe that's why he let you win, you couldn't see the truth if it in his shoddy bloody handwriting!"

OJ: "…Are…you crying-"

TACO: "I WANTED TO HELP THEM, OJ! I THOUGHT IF I JUST STOPPED THE SHOW THEY WOULDN'T…they wouldn't end up like…me. And. and…"

OJ: "…Taco?"

TACO: "…i would have just made it even worse…it's- it's pathetic, really. all these plans and schemes and…i never thought about what i'd do after."

The air- the non-existent air, really, no need to breathe in purgatory- is still, awkward. OJ doesn't really know what to do, he thinks Taco's finally lost it. He almost pities her, he can see that same doubt he's been grappling with for...what, months now? But she made her choice. And this is probably just some weird pity play she's conjuring up- not real, that's ridiculous! If this wasn't real then everything he'd done would've been for nothing, and he can't accept that.

He can't accept that.

Just don't think about why you woke up in a place that looks like MePhone and you don't have to accept anything!

But of course, just as MePhone4S and Knife found themselves at the tables, OJ soon finds himself stepping on something else. A piece of paper.

"FULL OF HOT AIR".

He keeps looking through them, unsure of why these papers are here. "MICROPHONE", "MARSHMALLOW", "BASEBALL- ALWAYS STRIKES OUT", "KNIFE- MEAN, JERK, CHANGE OF HEART?"…

Taco eventually wanders over and calls them as she sees them- these…are the blueprints for the II cast. OJ can't handle it, but then he mumbles something that gets the gears turning in both of their heads.

OJ: "...i can see what's wrong with me..."

They silently began to scour through the papers, seeing the faces of (almost) everyone they've ever known. Floor, Salt, Yin-Yang, Nickel, Apple, Taco almost breaks down when she sees Pickle's…and then they find theirs.

And they just. Can't understand it. Why is OJ's all negative? Why is Taco an "underdog"? She manipulated everyone to get to second, she played the role of an underdog but if MePhone made her to be the villain, why is she being called a genuine underdog?

…Why does it sound more like OJ was made to be more of a villain than she was?

And all of a sudden, she's ripped away. She closes her eyes, and she's suddenly with everyone again, next to Paper…

And then she hears something.

FAN: "Weird, I thought I just pressed OJ's button."

The gears turn.

They turn again.

A look of abject horror overtakes her.

TACO: "Press my button."

Fan doesn't think much about it, pressing it.

And OJ appears, still holding the two papers in his hands.

FAN: "Huh- I guess something's wrong with MeLife?"

MARSHMALLOW: "Great, another thing he was hiding from us…"

FAN: "I was wondering why he turned away when he had to recover OJ back in the season premiere! Thought he was just building up suspense for the big reveal of how he revives every…oh, that makes a lot more sense now."

PAINTBRUSH: "Why would it just be their buttons though? Everyone else's work fine."

TEST TUBE: "Well, you flip a 0 and a 1 somewhere and who knows what could go wrong!"

CABBY: "He is a known dyslexic…"

(The two of them just stare at each other as everyone else talks.)

(You flip a 0 and a 1.)

(You flip a 0 and a 1.)

(A 0.)

(and a 1.)

(A failure.)

(and a victory.)

(You flip a winner and a loser and everything goes wrong.)

Taking a step away from the two of them for a moment, because to be entirely honest...I wanna do something more with the red line game. Felt a little too...one-and-done, the only actual stakes ended up being because Marshmallow fucked up. Yes this a mild fix fic for II2 18, you are just under two thousand words into reading about the timeline of an II darkfic, neither of us have better things to do.

I had an idea that maybe they're more in groups. Like they can't convince everyone all at once, but eventually they all need to try and get out.

The main group, the plot-important group with like Knife and Suitcase and Marshmallow and stuff can go first, they're the biggest and they need to fulfill their lore obligations- I'm thriving, I'm not a monster, they can keep their sappy happy ending.

But then maybe more people start to go because…well, nobody knows what happened to Knife. Did he die? Did he make it out? Did anyone make it out?

It also helps that a bunch of people won, which means it is winnable, and that gives more people hope to do it and go for it.

…Until it's just Taco and OJ. They both have that same, awful feeling in their heads. They both know. They know the other know. They both dance around it, a waltz where even one misstep will destroy them both but eventually they need to break away to look out.

They both approach the buttons.

Taco presses her button. OJ feels it.

OJ presses his button. Taco feels it.

There's a long silence, neither of them know what to do. What to say.

What could you even say?

OJ: "…i'm sorry."

TACO: "…"

TACO: "let's just go."

They both make it out, of course. How could you worry about some ghostly images, some lies from your brain, when the truth is so much worse?

They're the last two out, since everyone was a tad more split in arriving it's not too alarming. MePhone won't leave for good until everyone is out, but he's keeping his distance from everyone else.

And boy is he surprised by Taco and OJ looking at him like they've just seen a ghost! (I mean they haven't even seen Knife yet.)

MePhone half-expects Taco to try to kill him again, but instead he's bombarded by a bunch of questions he can't answer. Why? What's wrong with them? What made them this way? Why did everything go wrong? Why won't the feeling go away? What went wrong so early? Was OJ really supposed to win or was it supposed to be Taco?

MEPHONE4: "…I…don't know? I'll admit, a lot of it was, uh, on the spot back in Season 1, and…okay, also Season 2. And Season 3-"

(OJ holds out the papers of him and Taco.)

OJ: "THEN WHAT ARE THESE?!"

(MePhone holds the papers in surprise.)

MEPHONE4: "Oh…wow! Heh, the things you forget, huh? …Uh, I know these maybe aren't the best things to cherish, but-"

TACO: "ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

MEPHONE4: "I don't know, okay?! I was young, I was stupid- sure, maybe I wanted you to win deep down or whatever cause I thought stupid was funny, but you two should know better than everyone that the finale was a mess! Partially because of you."

TACO: "I ONLY-" OJ: "If it wasn't HER, it was going to be ME!"

(MePhone just…shrugs.)

MEPHONE4: "Well, uh...it wasn't? I'm sorry if that's a bad answer, but at this point it's all I got."

(And he begins to walk away.)

TACO: "W- Where are you going?!"

MEPHONE4: "Eh, I don't know. You two were the last ones, and…frankly I've made enough of a mess here. Enjoy your lives."

MEPHONE4: "…Oh, and, uh…I can't respawn you anymore and there's a funeral happening right now. I'd say you two should go there now but honestly you look miserable as-is and I think it'd…just make things worse."

OJ: "Wh- Who died? Everyone got out…unless-"

MEPHONE4: "Knife's a ghost, but he's…fine?"

("As fine as a ghost can be, really.")

MEPHONE: "It's not for one of you guys…"

(They both pause for a moment- if it's not MePhone and it's not one of the contestants, then...)

TACO: "…no."

TACO: "No no no no no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO-"

(Taco immediately makes a run opposite MePhone- if he's going away, then following his footprints would lead her back to them and she can see MePad, he's not dead, he didn't die, she can still apologize, she can still…)

(She can still…)

(She realizes someone's holding her back.)

TACO: "OJ, GET OFF OF ME, YOU'RE- THIS IS ALL YOU DO! ALL YOU'VE DONE IS HOLD ME BACK! I COULD'VE HAD EVERYTHING, I COULD'VE BEEN A WINNER, THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY BUT YOU- YOU, YOU…"

(She lets out a scream of despair. As she collapses into OJ's arms, sobbing, she feels like she's about to break into a million pieces.)

(They both do.)

I imagine only OJ comes back. He offered Taco a place in the hotel, but they both know it’s an empty gesture. They’re too freaked out to even be near each other afterwards, afraid of what could happen, afraid of what they could become.

OJ pretends everything is fine, deep down his ego still won’t let him confess the truth. He fears everyone would hate him for taking Taco’s life, even if he didn’t mean it.

Taco wouldn’t mind if she knew- her self-destructive mind would never want someone else to take her place. It’s her burden, she tells herself, she chose this.

Even if it’s a lie…it’s the devil she knows.

Hey So Nova, How Does The Swap Work Anyway?

Great question! I wanted to do it earlier but I got sidetracked by my II fixfic/darkfic.

Let's set a baseline: Taco was supposed to win as the goofy underdog while OJ, the manipulative and egotistical guy (if one that puts on a role of leadership) snaps from being denied his victory because he hates losing- but due to Bow, OJ wins instead of Taco, so without realizing their code is forced to correct and fast.

Taco goes from a charismatic if silly… (leader? I don't think she'd quite be a caretaker like OJ is in canon, moreso a general friend-to-all maybe?) to a suddenly villainous puppetmaster who'd been playing the audience and contestants for fools.

OJ goes from an egotistical timebomb to a firm leader and caretaker, if one that tends to get lost in his own head sometimes without realizing.

In a sense, even their worst parts are taken from each other.

OJ's timebomb nature turns into Taco's self-destruction as she believes stopping the game is all she has left.

Taco's ditzy, clueless nature turns into OJ's blindness to his now-unchecked ego until the doubt sets in.

Another detail along this train of thought but focusing on a different part of the question of how is...

Well, the main thing with their last talk with MePhone is that that first season, even if he realizes it, was guided subconsciously. Maybe he did want Taco to win, maybe he had it be equal- remember, this AU was more or less founded on a hypothetical twist before MePhone's intent was ever discussed in-canon that in execution would have been more of a meta twist based on what the viewer knows.

There's a lot of things he can't answer for himself or for them, and there definitely aren't any answers that are gonna make them happy with him. MePad had a point- what he wanted and what the reality was are probably very different. And unfortunately, he's just as good at discerning which is which as the rest of them.

They might never know the definitive answer- they might not even ever learn Bow's the reason this all happened. At the end of the day, it's more of a question of if they can move on despite it.

(...or, you know, if they can't, which is fine by me- can't thrive if there's no suffering. It's why I went quiet after II2 18 dropped, how was I supposed to thrive in those conditions?)

Yeah I Don't Care, Now What?

Well, that's for Part 2! I imagine Mic wouldn't be willing to leave Taco alone, especially based on what OJ says after he returns about Taco being distraught about MePad's death and feeling the bridges are too far burnt down. Sure, the...revelation made things worse, but it was a shock to everyone. Mic just hopes they can start to recover that progress someday, even if she doesn't know the truth.

Like I said, they can keep their happy ending, Cobs is dead, everyone's gonna get to live their lives...just really the emotional states that'll end up in question.

Especially for the latest winner and her new friend. But that's a story for another day.

[cdroloisms]

some c!dream fics don't take into account his flaws and make him like a little bit out of characther bc while he was traumatized by the prison and it affected his way of thought in much aspects he was still able to bit your hand if you looked him bad and got more focused on his revenge and after his plan. He's a more morally grey characther and sometimes people who try too hard not fell into the c!inniter caricature ended up making him unable to literally even hold a sword when that isn't true either

"revenge" lol

to be fair, c!dream was deeply affected by the prison and absolutely got nerfed like hell fighting wise. the difference between his fight with clingy before and after the prison is insane--not to mention how scrapped lore had him so damn triggered by the sight of the cell replica that c!quackity and c!sam could get him down pretty much without a fight. las nevadas five has him running away from the fight at the first main sign of danger (and then successfully being followed by c!tommy without noticing) and the scene with c!sapnap and c!george with aimsey had him barely fighting back at all, cowering behind his shield against a wall, and running away and using arrows of harming to get himself distance. like, sure, he can definitely still fight, but he was absolutely played as losing a lot of his fighting ability (c!dream's fighting style is nothing like cc!dream's--it was absolutely a deliberate character choice to have him act like this)

all that being said, i get what u mean--ooc c!dream is everywhere in every flavor. i definitely like c!dream written with a little bit of bite, especially when he's on the back foot, as you said. c!dream's declarations of revenge (as is especially evident in LN5 and daedalus, boy what the fuck is torturing a country supposed to mean IT'S A COUNTRY) are also very evidently ... often defensive in nature? c!dream bites and shows his teeth as a back off back off dont fucking touch me don't try to fuck with me gesture because he's scared moreso than angry, tbh, and i think playing with aggression due to fear is something fun to do with c!dream in fic in general bc of the ways that aggression can be perceived and then responded to

a lot of what i like about post-prison c!dream is that ... despite an alleged focus on revenge (which took him months. and fucked him over, with scrapped lore, and was badly executed both times with quackity and put him in a lot of danger and involved a hell of a lot more trying to get through to sam than actual revenge in daedalus) and The Plan (which involved ... killing people? and then he repeatedly. does not kill people?) is that he does feel quite directionless. he's still in the prison, still caught in that limbo. he's doing research (i guess) and he's letting the prison (his home base) rot around him. he's staying there and barely leaving for weeks at a time. all while he's focused on the plan, guys, #trust, he's fine, he's still moving forward moving on ... just. Just.

[ingravinoveritas]

cloud-based-and-rainpilled replied to your post: 

Someone mentioned in a comment that Michael got ‘downgraded’ to boyfriend, so my tinfoil (again, could be wrong/insane) is that AL & GT referring to each other as wifey is to downplay the previous MS ‘wife’ jokes, since people keep commenting about a poly thing going on, moreso than the past. Also since MS is in London rn, he’s with DT more, so I think there’s a bit of insecurity going on. a lot of (doomed) poly couples have an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ rule, or think the swinging being gay 'doesn't count/isn't a threat,' which could be why the posts feel forced. (parasocial, creepy, bad person, etc., whatever, I calls it as I sees it and have seen it before 🤷‍♀️ )

lepqueen replied to your post: 

My biggest question on this was actually about the song choice, given that I am reasonably sure Sting said at some point Every Breath You Take is a stalker song.

@cloud-based-and-rainpilled I had a similar thought about the insecurity. I think Georgia and AL trying so hard to give the appearance of everything being "fine" and everyone getting along only makes it feel more like things in reality are not exactly what's being presented on social media. I personally did not see "boyfriend" as a downgrade (because from my perspective, "other wife" reads as more jokey/unserious, but boyfriend is...softer, somehow), but I can see why some folks could interpret it as a downgrade when it's actually a readjusting of whatever the dynamic is between all of them.

Going back to the insecurity, I had also wondered how things would play out while Michael was in London for such a long time during the run of Nye, and it makes all the sense in the world that things would change with Michael and David being able to see each other in person frequently. And you make a salient point about the gay swinging being seen as less threatening (which I think is why it's been easy for Georgia and AL to start up with that, and why we have never seen even one reference to David/Anna or Michael/Georgia and swinging). It could be that shipping Michael and David was also seen as less threatening and easier to play along with a few years ago, when it was all still new and Michael and David hadn't gotten as close as they have now. So yes, I do think something has changed, and though we may never be privy to what specifically, we can still see its aftereffects and reverberations in a variety of ways.

(I also wish the antis/people making vitriolic posts in the tags would understand your final point, which is that some of us have seen these things before and are speaking from a place of experience--unlike their assertions (and I have actually seen someone say this) that we have never had any close friendships or relationships like these, and therefore know nothing.)

To your comment, @lepqueen, I also found myself raising an eyebrow at the song choice. You are correct that Sting has described the song as being creepy, and I found one quote from him in particular attesting to this:

I'm not really sure how this fits into the context of AL's post, though, or what made her choose it. Is the David pillow watching her every move? Is she watching the pillow? I have no idea. But that was certainly a choice, so there you go...

[phightinghottakes]

I might have ranted about this before but I can't find my old anon tag nor my old posts so. 🐊 anon from now on for whatever else I need to rant abt on here.

this is all mostly me ranting about forced inclusivity and queer stuff (coming from a poly, pan person) so if you need to skip over this, you've been warned

Firstly, I absolutely despise Vinedeeri. It feels like it only exists because "uhh woman and woman haha they're the few woman characters in the game lets ship them because yuri" SHUT UP!! Ships used to have an interesting dynamic, they used to have substance and angst and fluff in every fandom I was in, all the ships I used to see were because they were so interesting and created so many different scenarios.

Instead, what I see most of in the phighting community and similar fandoms is "toxic yuri/yaoi!" "I love my yaoi" "gay ppl" and whatnot. Can people not ship things that aren't queer anymore? Can people not ship things for a dynamic instead of for sexuality?

It genuinely baffles me that Trafficdeeri is considered a rarepair. Don't they literally have interactions in canon?? Isn't Lightblox like an adopted daughter to Traffic?? And yet most of the fandom prefers "haha yuri woman x woman" over good content for a wholesome narrative on found family and adoption and whatnot.

Also I prefer Hyperzuka over Hypertana. I've had several people look at me weird for this one and I genuinely still feel a bit uncomfortable saying I ship the two because of that because it was the kind of reaction being a proshipper gives you, but as far as I'm aware they're fine to ship? Feel free to correct me on if there's anything I'm missing, but I just find the kind of "alcoholic mess x previous alcoholic mess" dynamic more compelling than "alcoholic mess with issues x alcoholic mess with issues" regardless of whether it's being interpreted as platonic or romantic.

Also also, I don't like Scythe being made POC. I find making a character black for inclusivity kind of silly, but even moreso insulting when it's, oh, you know, one of the only characters with a different skintone?? What, is being tan not "inclusive" enough? Did it not appeal to the fandom enough? Was having a character that was tan in a way that'd fit the canon not good enough? I dislike race swapping in general, but it's just. So much more irritating when it's taking away the only tan character the game had. ffs real inclusivity should live up to it's name, it should be inclusive not "appealing to the minority" it should be inclusive for everyone. The minority that needs it, the minority that's harassed, the minority that barely speaks up about it. Not just one group. Please. God. also she's a serial killer that's kind of an issue too liike. out of all the characters you had to pick 1: the serial killer and 2: the only playable character with a different skintone

I would also like to say I absolutely hate she/her subspace. I genuinely do not get why someone would look at an insane scientist that'd probably laugh at torturing people and go "Aww, she's so quirky" or whatever. It genuinely confuses me beyond belief how she/her subspace is such a widely accepted headcanon. What part of probably-capitalist mad scientist that invented hundreds of machines made for war and ruthless killing says "girlypop twink" to you??

And lastly, this game has boring characters when it tries to make them interesting, ironically enough. Some of the most interesting characters to me (outside of subspace) are Vine Staff and Shuriken just because of how many different angles you could take with the core of their character and how... Fundamentally simple they are. They're siblings, they have a clear theme, they're kind of angst-free characters outside of Vine's curse, and they have a strong bond. It's not a lot, but it's all that you need for a lot of interesting content. On the contrary, take Broker and Scythe- two relatively safe picks to hate on. They're part of a cult, Scythe is a serial killer, Broker has some sorts of phone imagery as far as I'm aware, and the cult has something something eyes something I genuinely can't remember. It's kind of more? It's meant to be more, at least. And yet I can't figure out anything interesting about this other than Broker's theme with phones that's kind of neat but the lore does nothing with that. And the eye stuff.. well, yeah, it has potential but it's just so, so underdeveloped. In trying to make the cult so much more it's ended up with so many concepts and so few that are actually solid, in comparison to characters that are simpler. Hell, look at Boombox! He's also a pretty simple character, but he's easy to enjoy too. And there's also the whole thing with him being able to tell something's up with Subspace. Maybe I just read into details a lot, but oh well.

In case you couldn't tell, I like healthy characters who's strength is small fun facts and details.

-Sincerely, 🐊 Anon.

.

[megumi-fm]

26th to 30th Apr; doa🚲 complete!!

hi. gah. okay. here's my wrap up for the month

📝 prepped for and completed the last set of internal tests for this degree [2/2] (which I got through after much cribbing and whining and quite literally projecting study topics onto my blorbos 👍 ) 📝 started GRE prep!

🎓 got some gradecard related paperwork done 🎓 spoke to my prof regarding my internship deliverables for uni—report format, certificate requirements, etc etc

📥 I voted! it was the first central elections since I turned to an adult and the whole experience was quite interesting

💻 completed a bunch of tasks for my internship

💻 made like a super extensive flowchart about all the work done at my internship which took me like a total of 20+ hours T-T 💻 finished preparing my Uni Internship presentation! 💻 submitted the presentation to the assistant guide, waiting on her response to make changes atm

🍶 7+ glasses of daily water intake 🎵 svt's new single is out and I've been going insane about it and thus this challenge comes to an end... I had started this off as an 18day daily habit tracker but then it kind of grew out into a challenge for the month. Special thanks to Yumi the loml <3 (@thelastneuron) for starting the Days of April challenge (Yumi idk when you'll see this but i miss you and I hope you've been kicking ass during your hiatus). also massive thanks to Zip (@zipstidbits) for leaving the kindest comments/tags on my post during the past week and to Tanishka (@booksbluegurl) who is literally the sweetest and has been sending in asks and keeping me company during this challenge <3

there's a lot more i wanna yap about in regards to how the month went but I'll leave that under the tags xD goodnight besties <3

month end brainrot

april started off with dips and more dips but by the end of the month it feels like I've caught up. productivity is a wave so as long as I keep riding at it i'll be okay.

also. progress is cumulative. even the seemingly inconsequential completion of daily tasks has lead to an overall improvement through the week. things add up

I spent a lot of time this month (and moreso this past week) feeling dejected that I've been leaving my tracker posts (and my digital planner entries) incomplete... but like. the whole point of trackers and planners (and this studyblr) is to get work done. work is the priority and the tracking is a means to an end. so if im getting work done that is already a win. yeah... i've had to keep reminding myself that

there is no one-tool-fix for tracking and journalling. what works for planning out one task will not work for the other. I need to strop trying to fit all my plans into one formulaic strategy box

on that note. it's time to return to handwritten journaling. digital journalling (notion + YPT + discord + tumblr) was fun while it lasted <3 but my brain needs novelty again so it's time i switch back. I think I finally have an idea for a system that could be sustainable for me... although I say that every time I switch to a new form of tracking. but hey. as long as it helps me get work done for whatever duration of time, it's good enough

using kpop and kdrama references to make notes and study really paid off. ngl I only did it cause I was super desperate but incorporating stuff I couldn't understand with a topic I really like paid off. It also gave me the motivation and momentum to study for much longer than I otherwise would have

last but not least. my water intake has been really good this month! I've also been eating healthy and I've been cooking more my phone usage has also been reduced by a lot. sure none of them have had a perfect streak but i started at zero and it feels like I've levelled up quite a bit. the exercise component has been a bit difficult to maintain given my workload :/ i need to figure out what to do about that...

yep. that's it for now. this month really tired me out, I think im gonna lay off daily challenges for a while. For now I guess I'll stick to my (bi?tri?)weekly tracker posts xD

[lorelune]

hey fellas and folks i have been meaning to write something up about this but haven't known where to start or where i'll end up. but i DO feel like it deserves addressing.

(having my joker moment joker moment)

i really love this niche. i found a home in it during a very difficult time in my life, and have found many friends and lasting irl connections from the writings shared and conversations had. this place is so incredibly, INCREDIBLY dear to me. despite going through many horrors (tm) while in this community, i continue to stay because there is a lot about it that i love.

however, in the last... i don't know, year or so? there has been such an abundance of discourse, gossip and drama both publicly and privately that has exhausted me to no end. these things have always existed, they always will, but in the past year they have felt so draining and despairing that it has made finding the same comfort and joy in this community is hard. a lot of times, impossible!

one of the things that genuinely makes me SO sad is the tags. i made most of my lasting friendships in this niche but seeing a writing in the tags that i enjoyed and dming the author and shouting together. i have found so many great writers in the tags, and i still crawl around them today looking for fic!! HOWEVER. i find it difficult, not just because of the abundance of vague smut-related comphet posts with a slew of character names underneath from unrelated fandoms (to each there own but it isn't a posting style i enjoy!) but moreso because of the INSANE number of posts by antis that get thrown into the tags. main tags, character tags, x reader tags. it is so deeply disheartening to be looking for fic to enjoy and get jump scared by a posts saying horrible things about those who enjoy dark content. respectfully if you're above the age of eighteen and looking for writing on tumblr dot gov, i HIIIIGHLYY recommend using your literacy to first read ANY article or study summary about human psychology and sexuality and why fantasy does not equal what someone actual desires! signed a sex-repulsed ace spec mf who writes and enjoys smut. hate to use myself as example, but i hate even more to see folks in the tags be puritanical and pro-censorship under the guise of progressive ideology.

i want to say that there are parties within this niche that are CONSISTENTLY at the center of drama and conflict. no matter what fandom, no matter the url changes and lurking, they are there and its the same mfs. this is a complete vague, as i'm sure the parties in involved in the targeted harassment and ensuing drama do not know who i am, nor know that i know. but i DO <3, and so do plenty of other writers in our niche who have politely blocked and left you alone. do us all a fucking favor and do the same, instead of instigating harassment and being hateful cunts.

in this vein, in my closer circle, i know that these events (especially in the last six months) have caused folks to become conspiratorial and assume bad faith. i understand this is a protective measure because folks have gone through the wringer. however it makes me so sad to see what is often folks who likely do not know any context or horrors of the community, be painted so poorly in casual conversations when most of the time, communication is made to create a connection, not to start a fight.

i find myself reflecting on WHY i have come to not feel comfortable in this community. why i don't enjoy writing the same way, why i don't feel the same security i once felt, why i get so damn nervous to post a silly thought or thirst on main, and i find myself coming back to these experiences and the subsequent fear that follows. perhaps i am a weak-hearted coward, but i find it hard to find joy when i feel surrounded by constant negativity and genuine cruelty. it is hard to want to share any of myself when i am so deeply aware that whether it is strangers or people i have become close to, what i enjoy and what i choose to express and share can be so easily twisted into something it is not.

i know it would be easier if i had a thicker skin, or felt secure enough that this didn't bother me, but part of the core problem is that this community has made me insecure. it's a loop. it is one that makes me genuinely sad, as this place once felt so much like home. i know it still can be, but it certainly won't be sitting here, starting at blank documents and text posts wondering to myself 'why can't i just put words on paper' while i have the cortisol levels of a prey animal.

i'm not sure if other folks have felt similarly, or find themselves in the same point. however if you do, or you find yourself resonating, here's to feeling seen 🥂

- papa salami (lore) 🌙

[sapphorror]

Now that you have read the ZimVoid arc, what are your toughts on Zib and Za2r (Zib❤Zim2[2im{twoim}])?

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!! alright, maybe I was definitely going to say this all anyway, but now I have a decent excuse to braindump it all at once instead of trying to write, I don't know, coherent analysis.

Yeah, I'm obsessed with this guy. I'm still only just starting to build a proper 3D model of him in my head, so don't take anything I rave about here too seriously, but my god is Zib something else. Also, really cute. No one told me he'd be cute and I wasn't at all equipped to deal with what I got. I was operating under the assumption he was going to be at least a LITTLE cool, but this is the most pathetic wet meow meow of a character I have ever seen, and that is no small statement.

(Also also, is it just me, or does the way Zib's drawn remind anyone else of rubber hose animation like, moreso than the comics artstyle generally does? I can't quite pin down what's making it feel that way, but I like it. Gives him Vibes™, y'know?)

Anyway. Fusions like Zib are always going to be fun, just for what they imply about their component characters and the game of trying to identify what characteristics come from where. And Zib is especially fun for this because Zim and Dib are such similar people to begin with. It honestly doesn't surprise me that the Zimfluence went initially unnoticed by our Dib, not just because he's more prone to cognitive bias than he likes to believe, but because there are so many overlapping traits between these two guys that Zib wasn't so much altered by the fusion as he was exacerbated. They blend seamlessly to the point it's really hard to pick out where one ends and the other begins, and in a different kind of story, Dib might actually be forced to reflect on what that implies about him and his motivations. As is, he's just going to keep fooling himself, though.

Probably the most obvious dichotomy between them, at least where it applies to Zib, is motive, and that definitely brings up some interesting questions. When he chooses to take over the Earth, is that the Zim side disguised by Dib-passing justifications, or does it say a whole lot more about Dib's actual loyalty to the Earth against his loyalty to opposing Zim than anyone would really like it to? How about the total lack of internal conflict when it comes to decimating the Armada and wrecking the Irken Empire? What does that say about Zim's ultimate loyalties?

Granted, I am at this point pretty certain Zib didn't just put on the PAK and call it a day, I think he took precautionary measures to ensure that the Dib half remained the 'dominant' personality, given that in 10 Minutes to Doom we see him completely subsumed by Zim's coding, so this isn't a perfect equal split. But it is still a split—Zib clearly did not have the foresight to account for everything, if he even wanted to—and the fact he prepared himself for this is itself interesting, because it means the decision was premeditated, not done on a whim during some momentary mental break. This might even be why he's half-Irken; instead of the PAK altering his biology, maybe Zib altered his biology so it could survive the long-term integration of the PAK. And isn't it just insane to imagine any version of Dib willingly body-horroring himself like that, stripping away his own humanity? When he accused our Dib of being just another ignorant human, could that maybe be a sign that he didn't want to have anything in common with those people anymore?

None of this is what really gets me about Zib, though. This is.

Admittedly, I'm sort of predisposed here, because I have this whole Thing about Dib's unfaltering belief he can somehow prove himself to humanity, despite all evidence to the contrary, being in essence identical to Zim's delusion that he's already adored by all... that's it's whole own post, tbh, but my point is Dib's ostracization wouldn't be solved by exposing Zim, and it's fun to see that explicitly confirmed.

But it's also more specific than that. Because what Zib was forced to realize here is that he destroyed the only person capable of actually caring about him. And that's why the Zimvoid is the Zimvoid, isn't it? Zib could've used those portals to escape anywhere or lure in anything, but instead he does this. Part of that's the obsessive need to succeed where he'd previously failed and decimate the Armada (+ repeatedly 'defeat' Zim because he's still too emotionally stunted to understand that's not actually what he needs), and I think all of that is important, but there's also something to be said about how deeply driven Dib is by the desire for external validation, and here he went and fused himself with the one person in the universe who might be even more love-hungry than he is. Zib's not afraid of being alone simply because he dislikes isolation—I mean, even within the Zimvoid, he still physically and ESPECIALLY emotionally isolates himself from the other Zims. Being the only person left in his reality means there's no one to admire his greatness, and given who he's a combination of, of course that's his worst nightmare. And ridiculous as it may be, he understands that Zim is the only person who's ever given him that kind of attention. So why not make a whole planet of them? Why not trick them into idolizing him? I mean, who else could even matter besides Zim?

Also? This one's sort of auxiliary to the last point, but there is something deeply, deeply sexy and thematically chewy in Dib wanting/needing Zim so badly that he quite literally became him, and that not being enough. I mean, what is the Zimvoid but a huge collector's display? And it's exactly this that makes him the architect of his own ultimate tragedy. I have a thing for characters who damn themselves not through any single choice, but by passing up a million little opportunities to save themselves, totally confident in their decisions right up til the moment it actually is too late. He could've used those portals to escape to another timeline. He could've designed the Zimvoid as anything other than a ticking timebomb of lies, conflict, and an ever inflating population of lunatics. He could've given up on his destructive plans and just enjoyed the huge fucked up harem he built for himself. He could've quit while he was ahead.

And the really funny thing is, even after the collapse of the Zimvoid, his total isolation is still a consequence of his own actions. I mean, the Zim from his own timeline literally cannot be taken away from him through any method short of murder. He's still right there. But by winning, by possessing his Zim to the point of consumption, Zib defeated the entire purpose of having Zim in the first place. They'll never be separated, and that's exactly the reason why he'll always be alone.

As for ZA2R... hm. I'm not sure if I have much to say about them just yet, but suffice to say I am Deeply Compelled. I'm always weak for that (false) god x worshipper dynamic. It's about someone as lonely and broken and closed off as Zib finding out the hard way that they're still capable of genuine love, no matter how bad they are at it, and there's something very special in every Zim's desire to be someone's favorite being so specifically exploited. I mean, the dynamic of highest subordinate is essentially identical to the one Zim likes to imagine he has with the Tallest, only actually real. Dishonest and exploitative, to be sure, but still real. And hey, important question, but what about #2's personal Dib and the fact Zib is always going to be implicitly competing against the person actually cosmically destined for his partner, because he fucked his own cosmic destiny up so badly? Or the inevitable spectacle of Dib's semi-latent yandere tendencies being brought to bear against himself?

Also! Shameless Homestuck chatter, but I take so much joy in pale ZADR dynamics (black diamond romance my beloved), and the fun thing about ZA2R is that their default pacifier/pacified dynamic swaps. In, uh, normal person terms, they've managed to contrive themselves a situation in which Zim is actually the comparatively sane/stable one, keyword comparatively, and being worked to death about it. There's nothing I love more than a justified role reversal, y'know?

THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR NOW but like I've been thinking about these guys nonstop for 24 hours already, I WILL be losing my mind about them again. I don't know when, I don't know how, but it's gonna happen.

[mxmoonjelly17]

PEARLJELLY RAMBLE!!!!

oops all insanity - sponsored by me :]

I believe that Frilled Jellyfish Cookie and White Pearl Cookie is unrequited feelings yuri. The one with the unrequited feelings being Frilled Jelly. It feels like out of all the gem mermaids, Frilled Jellyfish cares about White Pearl the most. If she had her memories, i’m sure she would have insisted on finding a way to talk to Black Pearl despite the dangers. Not only that, but her extra dialogue (for when you unlock her as a playable character and she’s able to wander around your kingdom/you’re able to view her stats, etc.) White Pearl Cookie often. (I think crimson only mentions her specifically like ONCE lmaoo) Ik using this as evidence for lore might be not the best but it must hold some weight considering devsis will drop information like Butter Roll Cookie being a student of the darkness school place thing in the form of an interaction with Espresso Cookie. Which they wouldn’t add for no reason. Anyways examples of Frilled Jellyfish Cookie mentioning White Pearl that are relevant here are; (important stuff is in italics, with notes sprinkled in)

“My job is to keep White Pearl Cookie beautiful as always.” (She thinks shes pretty 😭)

“I’ll never forget the day I met White Pearl Cookie!” (She says this like it was the best day of her life and yk what good for her honestly she needs a win)

“Almighty Sea is behind all fateful encounters!” 

“The Sea guided me to my lady. T’was Fate!” (this and the two previous lines of dialogue mentioned HAVE to be connected in some way im sorry yall)

“Doesn’t the rippling moonlight remind you of a shiny pearl?” (I feel like this could be connected to Seamoon in a way. With Frilled Jellyfish taking the role of Moonlight Cookie, someone White Pearl yearns for even though she’s ‘gone’ [gone as in dead but not really] and can’t reach her iff that makes sense)

“Dear jellyfish, do you got any stories for White Pearl Cookie?” (Goes out of her way to make White Pearl Cookie happy)

“White Pearl Cookie is who I serve!” (the way this line is delivered makes her sound so proud of this fact)

“White Pearl Cookie is the most lovely gem mermaid there is!” (GUYS COME ON???? THERES NO WAY SHE ISNTINLOVEAUFIGUSHGS IUOH)

Anyways, as shown, Frilled Jellyfish cookie talks about White Pearl a lot. Moreso than Sea Fairy Cookie references Moonlight Cookie which is saying something considering what she does in A Mermaid’s Tale LMAO. Another example of Frilled Jellyfish Cookie showing how much she cares about White Pearl is being on her deathbed and deciding to tell White Pearl how happy she made her (I liked the life of following the currents aimlessly, but only having met you down here made me truly happy.”) and comforts her as she nearly dies. Also there’s “Soon i’ll get back up as if nothing happened. To be with you.” like???? Cmon ya’ll. Then, post near-death, even after losing her memories, forgetting her name. There’s still a small part of her that somewhat remembers White Pearl, or at the very least recalls that there’s someone important she’s missing. 

So yeah, Frilled Jellyfish Cookie is in love with White Pearl Cookie. No cap.

As for White Pearl? I think she doesn’t have any feelings for Frilled Jellyfish Cookie beyond platonic at the moment. But if she were to hypothetically, get a redemption arc then maybe, just maybe. She’d begin to fall for the jelly. If Black Pearl and Frilled Jellyfish cookie reunited then it’d be an arc of Black Pearl learning to be vulnerable, accept love, and push past her probable trust issues and love again. Also get over yk, losing her pearl. With Frilled Jellyfish cookie, having accidentally stumbled upon her (still without her memories, though she may have recovered some because of the gem mermaids.), and slowly recovering her full memory while falling in love with the Lady of the Black Sea all over again. They both fall for eachother basically and it’s great and omfg i need to write a FIC.

As a bonus, here’s some headcanons.

WP and FJ would swim through the sea currents together for fun. Very relaxing.

FJ is older than WP by like a year I think. To me they both seem to be in a similar age range but FJ seems slightly more mature. Though not on the same level as Crimson Coral who’s probably in her 30-40’s(?) she seems old.

If my redemption arc idea happens it’d be FJ who’d find Black Pearls’ pearl somehow and then try to return it to her <3 it’s like a proposal.

I think WP would have taken FJ to the surface once or twice, though FJ was too hesitant to stay for too long. Even if she loves her lady.

The two will go out together and WP will listen to FJ tell her stories, the two have a secret designated spot for it that nobody knows about.

I have more but like. This post is long enough. 

This is my ramble!!! Sorry for this CRK Tumblr i couldn’t resist. Oh yeah their shipname is Pearljelly and I love them. 

[dogtoling]

What are some ways Inkling / Octolings lives and society in general be different compared to humans? It can be canon, implied, or made up, I don't mind. Thanks!

jeez, this is actually a really hard question because in Splatoon, what we're given in game is extremely similar if not identical to what we have in real life. Realistically, a lot of things would be different, but it makes it REEEEAAALLY easy to default to "it's literally the exact same in almost every aspect" because that's often what we see in the game and it's also the implication.

If you compare Splatoon to a lot of other games that are set in fictional worlds, Splatoon is EXTREMELY tame in trying to set itself apart from human society. Probably intentionally, but it's very rare that something pops up in the game that makes you go "huh, that's a splatoon thing that isn't JUST there for a gameplay mechanic". Most things really are left up for fan interpretation, which is cool, but that makes it hard in its own way to come up with headcanons because it can be easy to feel like you're going TOO out there with ideas when the world is mostly down to earth (unless it's not, and the tone dissonance is insane). Now I'm just rambling, but I'll get to the point and try to come up with something.

So, focusing on the surface because I think it's safe to assume that most Mollusc Era creatures are surface dwellers, the most obvious difference factor in society is that there's probably thousands of different sapient species that coexist. That means there's really no limit to how insane the Splatoon world and its cities and structures could be to accommodate different species. Of course the games focus on Inklings and Octolings and they are fairly similar to humans, so we have a very human-aligning society that we're looking at. But somewhere else where inkfish might not be the majority species, I would imagine things might look and be very different. (I really would like to see it....) But because you specifically said Inklings and Octolings, I'll focus on their stuff.

I'd like to open this post (on paragraph 4... sigh) with the note that we really don't have a lot of information on significant differences in inkling society compared to ours. If anyone remembers something that is either canon or heavily implied and it isn't mentioned in this post, feel free to drop it in replies. From what we see in the games, the Splatoon society doesn't significantly differ from ours much at all. So yeah, most of this is going to be speculation or headcanons that aren't really rooted in the actual game.

ACTUAL START OF THE POST HERE.....

First off, they obviously have better technology than we do - at least Octarian technology is much better and seems to have spread to the surface recently. Flying cars are probably just a normal thing for inkfish... although I'd assume that's moreso in the Octarian domes, where I'd like to think the flying saucers (or "UFO"s) are a replacement for cars, given there's not a whole lot of space and things tend to be built on different levels. It wouldn't make too much sense to have a car-centric society when cities are like a mile across and there's not really even much space for driveways.

A small tidbit on cars in Inkopolis: did you know there's no consistency on which side of the road Inklings drive on? Depending on the stage, markings might be present, but cars STILL drive in random directions all the time and drive on opposing sides of the road depending on what corner of Inkopolis you go to. This makes me believe that traffic rules are kind of a wildcard in Splatoon and... perhaps it's just normal for different roads to suddenly change lane orientation, or some roads might not have rules for that at all. Doesn't seem that safe to me, but what do I know...

On the topic of cars and transportation, Inklings seem to love different ways to get around. Inkopolis alone has a train, a monorail, and a subway - that's THREE different trains mostly for traversing the city. They also have airplanes, hot-air balloons, and notably... zeppelins. Zeppelins are something that humans HAVE had in the past (and while doing research on this for literally no reason the other day, i actually found out they're NOT completely extinct?) but that we no longer use or manufacture due to various reasons and events in history. Inklings, of course, did not have those events, so they discovered zeppelins and apparently they love them SO so much that we routinely see them over Arowana Mall, and not ONLY over Arowana Mall, but Octarians have a whole military weapon type that's just a zeppelin with a face.

STILL continuing on the topic of transport, Inklings love having 23749237423 different transportation devices but they don't really need them? We know Inklings can super jump freely even outside of turf wars, we know they jump from the lobby to Turf War stages (this WAS the case in Splatoon 1). Realistically Inklings could easily super jump to cover short distances across the city or even longer distances over several jumps. Super jumping like that would all but nullify the need for public transit or a 15 minute walk to work, at least for Inklings that have the ability to super jump and don't have much to carry.

We do know from Salmon Run that most Inklings hesitate to super jump without a strong signal that they can navigate to, presumably because such a thing provides real-time coordinates that you can accurately calculate a jump to without needing to continuously SEE your estimated landing point. This is why Spawn Points have strong signals, the Grizzco boat has a massive antenna on it, Squid Beakons exist at all - list goes on.

Of course, we don't know if there's any kind of regulations or laws about super jumping outside of turf war, because obviously if everyone just super jumped everywhere all the time there could be collisions, and without signals to navigate by a lot of people would also miss their jumps and potentially get injured, or land somewhere they really didn't want to land. Such as the ocean, or a highway, or on top of somebody. It seems likely that there WOULD be rules against super jumping randomly outside of sports based on all this... but we don't really know!

Actually talking about society now. Our society tends to be extremely day-focused because humans are mostly a day-active species. Inkling society... seems to be mostly the same considering the tidbits we have on the Great Turf War. But I don't think the society itself is day-focused at all. We know there's tons of different species and even within Cephalopods there's differences between which species are day-active and which ones are nocturnal, so I believe that the streets see an almost identical amount of activity regardless of time of day. The businesses and the people you see on the street probably change, but there's a lot of people who aren't up during the day at all and live their lives in the nighttime. So in the Splatoon world, there wouldn't be a concept of "it's too late to go to the store" or "damn it, i missed the last bus". And the night-activity IS partially confirmed by Splatfests - they do take place at night (even though for day-active species, it's not unheard of to stay up late or even all-night to attend important or fun events. We do that all the time!)

Let's talk about food for a second (this might go into the "lives" section). I know inklings are heavily implied to be omnivorous in the game. I find this lame, so I choose to believe they are still MAINLY carnivorous predators and mostly eat fish and crustaceans - most of their food includes some kind of fish, maybe fish eggs, and shrimp. In spite of being mainly carnivorous, though, Inklings do eat carbohydrates such as rice and ramen noodles, as we've seen in the game. They can probably absorb some nutrients from said foods, but surviving on just plant-based things would be out of the question.

Inklings DO love fruit, which might be strange if they're not really getting much nutritional gain out of it. They seem to have an affinity for sweet things... which is typical for fruit eaters. I like to believe that Inklings evolved to like fruit not only because they're usually colorful, but mainly for their very high liquid content. As touched upon in a previous post, Inklings would realistically need to have a LOT of liquid in order to consistently produce as much ink as they do, which means anything that can help with that would be VERY welcome. I don't think early Inklings would've gone after fruit as a snack, but rather something that's akin to a funny-tasting water balloon that you can drain the liquid out of and get rid of the rest. Though modern Inklings do seem to like the whole thing.

Did you know it was implied in Splatoon 1 that vegetables didn't exist until recently? This was in Kelp Dome stage dialogue as far as I remember. I'd like to think what it actually means is that vegetables didn't really exist in SQUID cuisine until very recently - being brought in most likely in the span of the past 100 years, probably. Inklings as carnivores do not NEED vegetables naturally as they're good as long as they can eat some fish or shrimp, mostly, but nowadays vegetables are something that's included in some foods anyway - again they have high liquid content, and have a crunch that might be fun for the beak. As for where the vegetables suddenly came from? I'd bet on cross-species cultural integration that might have exploded after the Great Turf War concluded. Some species, like a lot of crustaceans, eat vegetables and the like - so integration of herbivorous species into Inkopolis and other mainly squid societies likely brought vegetables into the public eye. (There's also some "veggies" that didn't make the cut into Inkling cuisine, such as.... literal grass.)

yes we're still talking about food. I think Inkling food culture is pretty different to ours, even looking past the different nutritional needs. While humans tend to follow the pattern of a few big meals per day, I don't think Inklings have a consistent pattern at all. Cephalopods are extremely fast-paced animals that hunt their prey and swiftly move on, and their radula (rasping tongue) makes it so that they can't really take big bites of anything in the first place (yes they do in the game but i'm ignoring it in favor of biology). A HUGE volume of the Inkling body and torso is taken up by the ink sac, which also leaves kind of limited space for other organs, including the stomach. What I'm getting at is that Inklings probably can't eat very much at once, so they might not have a food culture that heavily relies on big and complex meals. They're more into eating snacks and eating those more often; something like the Crust Bucket's shwaffles and other quick things that you can grab and move on (and Inklings LOVE the deep-fried stuff because of the crunch). Inklings' preference to get little bits of food any time of the day and often without that much time between makes street food stalls really popular, too.

Octarian food culture... going underground for a moment, I'd like to talk about it for a while, because it's probably very different! A lot of the Octarian food culture likely developed within the past 100 years, as that's when the majority of their society was driven underground. That would be kind of disastrous for any culture, I think.

Octarians are (albeit stereotypically) a to-the-point kind of people in a lot of ways. Especially in the domes where distribution and availability of things is and has been poor in the past, they're not exactly eating fancy down there. If there's one thing that defines Octarian cuisine, though, it's got to be wasabi. If a dish is described as "spicy" or "flavorful"... it's probably got its fair share of wasabi in it, with wasabi being a somewhat largely cultivated thing in the domes.

In general, though, a lot of Octarian food is made to be A. simple, and B. easy to store and preserve for a long time. Especially in the early days of the Octarian Underground, there was NEVER a guarantee that you could find fresh food, or food at ALL, so preserving something to eat was of utmost importance. As such and even to this day, most Octarian common foods are dried, salted or fermented meats - salted and dried fish, canned fillets or fish eggs - or soups, which is famously a food type where you can replace 90% of the "food" with hot, flavored water. A lot of foods have a very strong taste (or a lack thereof) that would make most Inklings turn up their nose... but Octarians tend to like what they're used to.

Octopus meat is also on the menu from the Really Bad Years, but DON'T WORRY, it's typically made out of tentacles - originating from families running without food sometimes having to resort to cutting off their tentacles to fry up and feed the kids. It's essentially just meat and it grows back over time... though with the biotechnology Octarians have these days, octopus meat is manufactured in MUCH easier ways in a lab environment. Long tentacles for Octolings are still in fashion in the modern day - cut tentacles used to mean that you're probably poor, so not having to resort to doing so just so you can Live And Survive and Not Starve is pretty cool and hip.

Octarians do tend to have a somewhat different attitude towards food in general, though. For most Octolings in the domes, food isn't something you can play with - it's not even a GUARANTEE. Most Octarian food is to the point, made to last, and made to be keep you alive and kicking and not much else, to be honest. To many people, it's not much else than nutrition - it's rarer to find passionate chefs in a society where ingredients have historically been really hard to come by and have been strictly rationed so that everyone can have at least SOMETHING. Some Octolings growing up in poor families will have that singular salted fish for breakfast, or go to the store on lunch break to eat a can of fish eggs with their bare hands and absolutely nothing else. Even on the surface, because that's kind of what they're used to.

(end food section.)

Back to the Inklings. Turf Wars shape a lot of squid culture, especially that of teenagers. Prior to being something that was really widely recognized and being commercialized by corporations, it really WAS mostly just a youth sport - Inklings tend to be territorial, and marking their own group's area with ink is quite literally in their blood. Turf Wars began as a materialization of this urge without it being SUPER violent... or at least to give the fighting a set of rules and some kind of borders, to keep it off the main street. Of course, upon becoming extremely mainstream, Turf Wars have proven to not only be profitable, but also very beneficial - the overall amount of crime and miscellaneous violence has DRASTICALLY plummeted as squids have an actual outlet to put their instincts into.

Speaking of Inkling youths: I think Inklings become independent at a pretty young age compared to humans. We have some in-universe information (mostly pictures) that confirm that Inklings DO go to school, and based on Splatoon's society as a whole, I'll assume that it would mirror the japanese school system to some extent. But unrelated from school, cephalopods in real life are independent literally from the second they leave their EGGS. Inklings don't have this luxury, as we see they're not even fully developed with hands until they're around 14 years old. In pre-society wild ages, Inklings would typically leave their parents' school (pack) in their teens, once they're able to freely shapeshift and use their own ink - and seek out a new school to either integrate into, or form a new one out of a bunch of other stray squid. I'd like to think that this instinct has carried over to modern day Inklings - a majority of squid leave their families around 15 years old, or roughly after getting out of school. They then set out to find their place in the world - and their own other stray squids to form a new found family with. In the age of cellphones, most people probably choose to keep in touch with their parents and family members, but even when it was expected that you'd probably never see your kid again once they set out, it likely wasn't something that melancholic rather than just being The Thing That Happens.

That's pretty much everything I can think of right now before my brain turns into powder... again, there's not much the game tells us. There's some things I didn't really go into, like the implications of the food chain being confirmed to exist among sapient species, that's... a whole other topic. But anyway, I hope this was satisfactory, and I'd like to hear people's thoughts in the replies about your headcanons on Inkling society and how it's different!

[mrgladstonegander]

How will the characters be portrayed in DT47 compared to DT87, and DT17?

to be honest i havent really watched enough of dt87 to say 😅im drawing more inspiration from dt17 + the comics

I do have some thought-out differences for some characters though! :)

I'd do more characters but I don't have everything set in stone completely yet .

these links have more up to date information : phantom and the sorceress / specter of the past , phantom blot/rorschach specter

doodled this a while ago but scrooge / graham are different in terms of ... business practices. DT17!Scrooge is whitewashed (in the traditional sense) from the comics (dt87!scrooge moreso from what i know). but i personally think that scrooge's penny pinching debt collecting personality in the comics can still be fun (+creates conflict) but ALSO . personally. I don't really think it's good to say you can be the Richest Person Ever while still having good ethics. ESPECIALLY when said billionaire collects and takes artifacts from other cultures

Graham (dt47 scrooge) remembers debts extremely well, and always puts himself in situations where people would become indebted to him (even family). he takes contracts and small print very seriously. he also has the same issue of hoarding all his treasures in his house or money bin, and separates them by how useful they are to him (like, say, if there was a magical Papyrus that can be used to make contracts that Bind things... cough cough)

honestly i think that dt17!scrooge's aversion to magic felt slightly contradictory at times? considering how much he collects/uses them

i dont remember if it was ever said in the show, but while Graham likes adventuring, I don't think he does it just for the sake of adventure. He wants treasure, but he also wants to give the kids (dt47 donald/della/hdl/webby etc) an experience and let them travel because he remembers being poor and how many things he wasn't able to do. but with this mindset he doesn't recognize that it's his fault when they start getting bad coping mechanisms or tiring themselves out trying to keep up/impress him

but i think the most major difference between dt17 and dt47 is this; Scrooge built the Spear of Selene, and did everything he could to try and bring Della back. DT17's narrative, even with Last Crash, does not put the blame on him; he didn't really do anything wrong. but for dt47 i REALLY want to emphasize how many people Phoebe (Della)'s disappearance affected - and the lengths that Graham went to hide it. I made a chart a while ago that shows how Phoebe's disappearance affects people and Gyro/Beakley's equivalents (the ones with the red star) have specific gag orders that Do NOT allow them to say anything about it. The cousins (INCLUDING PERCY) only know that she disapearred, Oliver/Gladstone trusts Percy/Donald's judgement that it's Graham's fault, and Frankie tries to understand things from both sides with no avail. Graham forcing Archie to keep quiet about it does not go well at all, especially with how guilty Archie feels about building the rocket

tldr; tries to make people owe him so that he always has leverage, uses magical artifacts to build his business, has bad coping mechanisms regarding his childhood (that lead to him being adventurous, untrusting, penny pinching etc), and he really sucks for how much he's burying what to phoebe. ALSO i forgot to mention but he doesn't really have a money bin in the traditional sense. I want to give him the world's most complete coin collection to make him seem slightly more insane in a different way.

. ok realizing that this is really long and you're asking how they're portrayed and not just the differences. heres some quicker comparisons

(please read the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde)/ (the poor thing has anxiety because of valerie (beakley's) teachings)

this post is still consistent with what i have planned for team science + archie