#i just felt like it was the easiest example to give

[bleue-flora]

For absolutely no reason whatsoever, I feel like we should talk about Limbo. Because it’s a interesting topic with lots of space for theories and perhaps this will help us come back to some common ground of discussion, and be an open enough topic to allow everyone, whether someone who just joined the fandom or has been here for years, to hopefully feel safe and welcome enough to join in and share their thoughts and opinions. Go ahead and use the tag #dsmp limbo so I can see your thoughts, there is no right or wrong answer here.

To start off the discussion, we know the time dilation based on what Wilbur has said is about 30/1 - meaning every 1 second is 30 seconds in limbo, every 2 minutes is 1 hour in limbo, every 48 minutes is 1 day in limbo, every 1 day is a about 1 month in limbo and so on just to give you perspective. We also know based on both what happens in the finale and by what Dream says in the finale, that Limbo changes based on how you die and the circumstances around your death.

Now here are my thoughts at the moment on the matter. While a lot of times I see Limbo in fanfics more personalized to the person killed, one theory I came up with to explain Limbo is that it is actually is more connected to the situation around the death and killer/death.

For example, Schlatt died of a stroke and his limbo then becomes a gym, themeing off the fact of becoming healthy and fit something he wasn’t in life. That lead to his nation being taken over and him not being physically capable to stop it as well as him dying to a stroke, which we are encouraged to believe is caused by his alcoholism.

But I feel like perhaps Schlatt’s is the easiest to connect, Wilbur’s on the other hand is a little weirder. But I think the train station is actually connected to Philza having just arrived, so the relation to travel. Trains are often kept on a schedule to be on time and Philza’s appearance is just in time to kill Wilbur, but too late to stop him from pushing the button.

Mexican Dream’s limbo then reflects more of Dream than of Mexican Dream. With an empty, unfinished nation not unlike how empty and isolated Dream likely felt, as well as angry about nations for being the cause.

This theory becomes a little stronger when looking at Tommy’s 1st Limbo being an existence of basically nothing. And I think this reflects how Dream kinda has nothing at this point. Also relating to how Tommy killed the cat (and am I miss remembering that he also burned his clock?) the only thing(s) Dream had left. It could alternatively relate to an empty stomach adding an element from his death being from the potato.

Rambo’s limbo then connects to Sam for a few reasons, one I think Sam felt very alone in his efforts to keep Dream locked up. Like only he could do it and no one was helping him. It is also similar in the fact that Sam felt so cornered and trapped like killing Ranboo was the only thing he could do, similar to how one would feel stuck on a tiny island surrounded by water that burns. It’s also interesting since for Ranboo, the island is also inescapable like the prison and he is only able to leave when Mexican Dream comes (like Dream only escaping prison when Techno comes), oh and Sam lives on an island too.

Then finally Tommy’s 2nd Limbo I think pretty clearly relates to Tommy asking before he died about why and how Dream saw things, and Dream’s comment of “everything was fine before you came!” so Limbo shows Tommy Dream’s pov at the beginning. Reflecting how Dream feels, his - “I just don’t want to ever be alone.”

Anyways, hopefully that made some sense, those are just some thoughts I have at the moment. Now I wanna hear yours. :) How do you think limbo works? What do you think Punz’s and Dream’s Limbos were? What were Vik’s, Lazar’s and Connor’s Limbos? What do you think would have been Tubbo’s, Techno’s or other character’s Limbos? How was Quackity able to visit Limbo in Las Nevadas?…

[phas3d]

Hello love<33 i saw ur requests were open if it hasn't been done before can i request a Potter! Reader x Slytherin boys like the reader is Harry's twin sister?

Absolutely inlove with your writing btw🫶🫶

Potter!Reader || Slytherin Boys

type :: fluff

tw/cw :: abuse mention (tom, mattheo)

contains :: draco, tom, mattheo, theodore, lorenzo

notes :: i love this idea so much, i didn't think it would be this fun to write for - also i know neville technically killed voldemort BUT, just go along with me when i say harry killed voldemort

DRACO MALFOY

Getting a crush on someone was already hard enough for Draco to do

To be able to look past someone's flaws and finally see the beauty inside of someone

But all of that was quickly ruined once he found out you weren't just Harry Potter's sibling but his TWIN?

He genuinely gets so upset and angry not only at you but himself

He's not sure how to handle this information

But at the end, he decides that he can't stand the idea of dating Harry Potter's twin and possibly growing to be Harry Potter's brother-in-law

So he tries to avoid you at all times

But he can't, his body just won't allow him

And also, you're really good at finding him

In the end, he learns to accept it but Harry and Draco still bicker and fight

Even when you guys are 20+ years old, they still fight like siblings - which is actually perfect since they're brothers in law now

TOM RIDDLE

After Harry defeated his father, aka Voldemort, and brought "peace" to the world - he's hated his guts

Because although Voldemort was a mass murder, genocide supporter, blood racist, classist, backstabbing, asshole... That was still Tom's dad

But even then, Voldemort wasn't a great father. He was actually the worst father to ever live. For all of Tom's childhood, he was brain washed and tortured to believe his father was amazing, and sadly it worked on him

So finding out that his s/o, which was already an EXTREMELY rare sight since he can't tolerate anyone, was Harry Potter's twin....

Oh, he goes fucking insane and runs away to the forbidden forrest to "process" all of his emotions (he kills almost every animal in there out of pure strength)

Falling for the person who's related to your father's killer is not easy to handle

So,,, honestly I think Tom would break up with you and never give you a shot again

But, he still owns you - he just can't be with you duhhh

If you ever try to move on or get a new boyfriend, he simply make them "disappear"

It makes you isolate yourself from the dating world - but thank god Tom is there to offer to be fwb!

(this was his plan all along. he will never stop loving you but he doesn't have the guts to fully commit to a relationship anyways but he still wants you - so fwb is the easiest solution for him to avoid the guilt of actually dating you whilst still getting to own you in some way)

MATTHEO RIDDLE

He's the exact opposite of Tom, he actually really respects and likes Harry

After Harry killed Voldemort, he felt so free. It was like Harry got rid of the shackle that was keeping him down for so long

Unlike Tom, Mattheo always knew that what their father was doing was wrong and cruel - but he was forced to go along with the family's plans because he'd be punished if he didn't

Not only that, Mattheo and Harry both play Quidditch and are good rivals - he loves the competition

So he actually gets along fine with Harry

When he finds out you two are actually TWINS he's so shocked like omg

He wonders what would have happened if you ate Harry while in the womb or smth

And he also wonders why you and Harry aren't exactly identical (you are identical... mattheo just doesn't understand why harry has glasses and you don't....)

Doesn't mind bringing Harry on a couple of dates - But when Harry does come... it's basically like you're third wheeling

Your cute dates are ruined because these two dumbass men decide to do stupid stuff

Like for example, a cute date of mini golfing got ruined because Harry and Mattheo decided to see who could chuck their golf ball the farthest

They ended up breaking multiple windows...

Or when Mattheo took you out to go ice skating but it got ruined because fucking Harry surprised Mattheo with hockey gear

The two ended up playing hockey,,,, just a 1v1,,,, and crashed into so many bystanders that they just shut down the rink

They are now brothers for life... you must deal with this

THEODORE NOTT

When he finds out you're twins, he takes such a big sigh of relief

"Oh my gosh, that why you guys always hang out... I thought you might have been dating."

Instantly, you want to vomit in your mouth

Theo has little to no history with Harry, besides bullying Harry during their first few years at Hogwarts

But Theo was never a good bully... especially when he was younger

Because he was still learning English and had the THICKEST Italian accent that you barely understood him

One time in their 2nd year, Theo came up to Harry and insulted his nerdy glasses

But Harry simply tilted his head, "Sorry, no espanol."

From that day, it's a strong inside joke between all the Slytherin boys and Theo can never escape it

Harry's unintentional roast made Theo study English 10x times harder than he ever did before

So he's kinda grateful to him in a way but he does wanna get back at him

He's super chill around Harry and the two get along fine and dandy but nothing too special

They both respect each other a lot actually and don't cross any boundaries with each other

Since they're kinda similar actually: quidditch players, pull tons of bitches, decently smart, and "foreign" in some way

Basically: coolest in laws ever

LORENZO BERKSHIRE

Oh my fucking god these two suck each other dicks

The amount of glazing they do for each other is CRAZYYY

When Enzo finds out you're twins with Harry - he's so happy because Harry and Enzo are actually really cool with each other

They both play quidditch together sometimes, play the same games, and they love the same shows

You basically lose your boyfriend... to your brother

Everywhere you two go,,, Harry is invited against your will

Going to watch a movie? Harry and Enzo are gonna share a blanket and leave you in the cold

Going to an arcade? Harry and Enzo will play every single game against each other and even take selfies of their wins

Fuck, even going shopping, the two banter and chat while you try on clothes

One time they got bored of waiting for you to try stuff on so they LEFT YOU and went to go get MATCHING T-SHIRTS???!?!??!?!?!???

Of course,,, you and Enzo do get alone time - some times

But you honestly love seeing how strong Enzo and Harry's bond is because it makes you happy that you picked the perfect boyfriend for your family

It's even better when Harry get his yearly girlfriend (that he will eventually leave heart broken)

So now you can go on double dates!!!

And hopefully the girl that Harry is with is cool, so that way you can also share a strong bond just like Enzo and Harry

But you can't get too attached.... your brother is a man-whore after all... 😞

[ox-imagines]

Tokyo Debunker as Romance Tropes

Feel free to ask me to write a longer imagine/oneshot for any of these!

Pt. 6 | Mortkranken

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 7

Yuri - Academic Rivals

No one makes your blood boil like Isami Yuri does. He’s your only peer who can match and outdo you, your only peer as dedicated to his work as you are to yours, and he always looks gorgeous doing it. He absolutely infuriates you. He knows he infuriates you, and he enjoys it. That cold, insidious glint in his eyes and his victorious, slightly manic smirk every time he gets under your skin just makes it worse; you hate feeling like you’re losing control of your temper in front of him, giving him more ammo, but you can’t help it when he stares you down like that. The tension between the two of you every time you interact is almost palpable. Then, the end of the semester rolls around and come to find out the two of you have no classes together. Your life and studies can return to normal and you can exist in peace. Except… it’s actually boring. There’s no one to catch any flaws in your work and call you out on it, no one to challenge you to do your best, you’re simply at the top of your classes with no one to threaten that position. It makes it seem a whole lot less worthwhile. You find yourself subconsciously seeking him out, searching for the scheming glitter of his sea-colored eyes, the gleam of his aqua hair, in the hallways and the dining hall and the parking lot. Without him, there’s no motivation to be at the top of your game, without him there’s no point. You don’t end up seeing him around, but one day, he finds you instead. You feel someone grab you from behind, dragging you around a corner, and you turn to find Yuri with his hair a bit tousled and his eyes crazed, but in a different way than usual. Like he’s the bothered one now rather than how you’re used to him enjoying your suffering. He’s agitated in a way you’ve never seen him, backing you against the wall, and while you still felt the usual tension between the two of you, this time it felt different somehow. As if the tension was actually a good thing.

“Everyone here is pitiful. Everyone but you. I can’t even begin to say how much I hate admitting this, but I need you.”

Jiro - Lab Partners

You don’t know Jiro well when you’re partnered in lab. It happens simply by coincidence. Neither of you knew anyone in the class, and you each took a seat at opposite sides of an empty table. No one else sat there, therefore, the two of you got partnered. Jiro isn’t exactly the easiest person to get to know either, letting you know quite bluntly that he feels your questions are too personal (even if it’s just small talk about his interests or hobbies). He’s also a bit off-putting: he’s very tall, and very quiet, and just a bit awkward. Despite that, despite knowing nothing about what he enjoys or is like outside of class, you only grow more curious, and each lab assignment has you feeling a bit closer to him. Then again, you have to be quite physically close to him to dissect a pig fetus together, for example. His arm pressed against yours is surprisingly a bit warmer than you’d expected, and over the scent of formaldehyde you can make out tones of a crisp, subtle cologne on him. He really looks quite nice up close like this, the slope of his nose giving him a pretty profile and his usually tired eyes focused intently on his incisions; his eyelashes were enviously long and dark, too. You swear you feel him staring at you the same way sometimes when you aren’t looking, but you suppose you can’t be sure. One afternoon, the two of you meet in the lab outside of class hours to collect time-sensitive data on some bacteria cultures you were working with. You realize it’s the first time the two of you have been truly alone together, let alone with the only light in the room coming through the windows as the sun begins to sink and from the opened sample fridge throwing an incandescent glow. As he retrieves your samples, the obnoxious fridge lighting seems to cast a pallor over his generally wearied expression, but as he pulls back and closes the door the sun hits the side of his face, dappled through the leaves outside but making him seem to glow, lighting up his crimson eye that it touched and making it gleam as if it were on fire. From the sunlight in your eye and the way he was looking at you, you could guess he was experiencing a similar phenomenon to yours.

“The sun’s in my eye. I’m gonna collect the data and then we should get out of here before it’s dark out. I haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

[krispycreamcake]

Kanato Sakamaki bf headcanons𖤐𖤐

🧸- This is so random and probably not the best way to start things off, but he frequently dresses your hair

🧸- It literally doesn't matter if you're male or female or even a woolly mamoth, you're never seeing the inside of a salon/barber again

🧸- While it's generally fun for him to do his s/o hair, he also uses it to his advantage to essentially groom you to his likings and preferences (no not that kind of groom get out)

🧸- If you have a stuffed animal or a collection of the sort, they will be invited to his tea parties and he'll even teach you how to sew little outfits for them

🧸- Honestly as childish as Kanato is, I think the reason he acts like this is because he feels emotions very intensely

🧸- I have a similar issue and people will often undermine it as just having a "dramatic" or "childish" personality, when in reality the poor guy just feels things 10x more than your average Joe

🧸- And because of this, I think one of the main issues that'll present themselves in your relationship is that you might unknowingly hurt his feelings

🧸- Let me elaborate. Basically calling him "cute" for making a mistake, or let's say even just brushing off his tantrums by saying "that's just how he acts and I'll need to get used to it" is essentially babying him

🧸- The uh easiest way to fix this would be by letting him know you're there for him and ready to work at whatever the issue is, together

🧸- Ok I lied, it's not going to be easy when it comes to Kanato or any diaboy honestly, but I promise you it'll be worth it

🧸- Treat him like his own person while still retaining your compassion and sympathy for him and you'll be rewarded immensely in your relationship

🧸- In my opinion, Kanato seems like his love language is gift giving and quality time

🧸- Now I'm not saying you have to spend a pound and a crown to get him the fanciest Dubai chocolate or crumbl cookie box, I'm talking on a sentimental value level

🧸- So for example, he mentioned how he needed a new hat for teddy but couldn't find one that was right for him, what you would do in that scenario is go on YouTube, look up a tutorial on how to make shit with felt, fail like once or twice and THEN give him the gift of his lifetime

🧸- Now let's say you aren't the artsy type, pay attention to his wants and likes and even if it's a tiny cute little keychain from the dollar store, once he likes it, he'll cherish it forever

🧸- Ok I realized that I'm talking a loooot about the whole gift giving thing, so I'll just write a bit on quality time to even things out

🧸- Graveyard picnic dates, watching the stars on top the roof, 90s horror film night, you reading to him something from the Grimm Brothers, tea parties in the dungeon

🧸- When thinking Kanato, think "wow this is kinda fucked up but it strangely doesn't feel that way when I'm with this person"

🧸- I'm so dumb, I talked about his love language and didn't mention what he'd do for YOU💀

🧸- Well for starters, he's the type of guy to not say I love you a lot but instead write you songs and serenade you

🧸- Clothes galore with this guy. He's always making or buying some kind of outfit for you

🧸- If he knows you like a certain collection of an item (ie. Books, tea sets, stuffed animals, dolls) he'll get them for you, trust

🧸- He LOVES going bone hunting with you, literally loves it so much

🧸- Date night is a regular Friday night occurrence so do NOT miss it

🧸- Oh right, his favourite time of the year is Halloween and he LOOOOVES making you do creepy couple costumes, baking fall/halloween themed cookies with you, carving pumpkins. It's especially his favourite time of the year to take long strolls through the cemetery

🧸- He loves tracing the veins on your wrist with his nails

🧸- Speaking of nails, I imagine he has medium length nails and keeps them rounded but just a tad bit sharp and he likes to pierce your flesh with them if he's in the mood

🧸- Do you know that whole "would you still love me if I was a worm?" Thing? Yeah, that's him but replace worm with decomposing corpse that has lost all its beauty

🧸- His favourite spots to bite you are your lips and your hips

[grisastro]

Astro Observations 4 (+ placements I find Attractive at the bottom)

- [ ] Mars-Venus Conjunction (or at least in the same sign) indicates popularity? In my observations, they are a YouTubers, Influencers, content Creators, Insta Models.

- [ ] Sun-Uranus people I’ve met, most of them are LGBTQ, also me (is it a coincidence??)

- [ ] Also Aquarius Risings I know, most of them are LGBTQ

- [ ] Have you ever attracted enemies or people who hated you for no reasons? Do you have any planets in your 12th house??

- [ ] Your chart ruler should never be overlooked. Its position and aspects tell a lot about you. I found one website that really accurate 👉🏻 https://teaandrosemary.com/

- [ ] Is it only me? Who find Aries Rising Men have a ton of sex appeal.. it’s like there’s a fire in their eyes, a warrior eyes, very sexy, very firery. I know one friend who is Aries Rising and also Mars Square Rising together. I wanna F him😂

- [ ] Are Gemini stellium a gossiper?

- [ ] You tend to be attracted to people who share the same Moon sign or at least find them interesting and wanna know more about them.

- [ ] From my observations, People with Venus Conjunct Mars are always in a relationship. They don’t stay single for too long. When they break up with someone, not too long and they will be in the next relationship. Maybe because it’s not so difficult for them to attract love interest since they are really attractive and easy to be around.

- [ ] Is it true for Venus in 12th house native that you just know what it feels like to be heart broken even if your heart never been broken before? Or you just know what it feels like to fall deeply in love or beloved by someone even if it’s never happened before? They said that Venus in 12th house has learned every lessons about love (1-11 houses) from the past lives.

- [ ] I have interacted with 2 persons in my life who has interceptions in their charts, and it felt like there’s an imbalance in their personality, lack of something I can’t pinpoint, I dunno, something missing in their personalities. ( both of them are unaware and not into astrology tho, and I believe that if they were , they would fill the hole by working on something)

- [ ] I think that the Sun sign that easiest to spot is Aquarius Sun. They are everything but generic.

- [ ] In my opinion, I think the most egotistical placement if undeveloped is sun in the 1st house.

- [ ] Also, sun in the 1st house natives, most likely to have the same sign as their rising. People with This placement give off the Main Character energy. Strong character, and people see you as a leader, and of course you have a great leadership skill.

- [ ] There’s always some people in your workplace or school who seen as different and unique. Check if they have Uranus in the 1st house. And if it’s happen to make a Major aspect to the their Sun, their uniqueness is even amplified and more apparent. It may not be so obvious but people will have an idea that they are not like others.

- [ ] Also look at the house that the Sun and Uranus sit in may give you more insight. For example: if they have Uranus in the 1st house and Sun in the 10th house ( which squaring each other), their work could be unique and offbeat. Very outstanding!

- [ ] Not only Scorpio IC that have a tough and traumatic childhood, but Also Aries. ( need to see the whole chart though)

- [ ] Gemini Risings look young and got bright eyes like a child.

Lastly, what BIG 3 combination you find most attractive and/or what placement in a birthchart you find irresistible and why? Share with me 😊

Placements I find charismatic

- [ ] Venus in Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo, Aries

- [ ] Mars in Aries, Leo, Scorpio, Gemini

- [ ] Moon in Aquarius, Scorpio, Libra, Aries

- [ ] Sun in Taurus, Aquarius, Pisces, Libra

- [ ] Mercury in Libra, Virgo, Pisces

- [ ] Fixed Risings (Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus), Sag and Cappy!

- [ ] Venus-Uranus, Venus-Pluto, Mars-Pluto, Sun-Uranus, Moon-Pluto, Moon-Uranus

- [ ] Venus/Sun/Mars/Moon in 8th house

- [ ] Mars/Uranus in 1st house

- [ ] Uranus in 5th house

- [ ] 11th house Stellium, 8th house Stellium, 5th house Stellium

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

What do you think are Raul Tejadas favorite and least favorite kinks? I think he'd enjoy doing it in his costume 😂

Raul Tejada (New Vegas) NSFW Headcanons

Much like with Cooper Howard, I think that it's been a very, very long time since Raul's been with anyone physically. He's spent a large part of his long life pretty deep in depression and survival mode in a way that I don't think would really lend itself to slinging a ton of dick around the desert, you know? Possible that he may have had a partner or partners when he and his sister were ekeing out a living among the incredibly irradiated remains of Mexico City, but the fact that the place was so overrun with raiders and fiends that Raul felt he had to turn to vigilantism doesn't really seem to lend itself to much romance, either. I think he's rusty and not exactly actively searching for a partner, but love often finds us at the most unexpected times.

Would take a pretty grand gesture of desire, in my opinion, to really convince him that you want that sort of relationship with him. I mean candles, whatever semblance of lingerie you can scrounge up, throwing yourself in his lap and basically begging for him, the whole nine yards. Lay it on thick, tell him how much you want him, how much you care about him, and I think he'll be receptive to getting physical...but he'll be incredulous for a good, long minute first. He's just incredibly beat down after so many hardships throughout the years and his self-confidence is shot full of holes.

I'm not convinced he's a "full-on penetrative sex the first time you two hook up" guy. I think he would like a few encounters to get to know your body and what you enjoy before the two of you get to that point. I think he would let you touch him early on, but over the clothes. Mostly, the early encounters would be about him getting to know your desires and reacquainting himself with his own.

This poor, tired, achy old man would be fairly lazy during sex. Don't get me wrong, he's embarrassed about it, and he's got more than enough strength and energy to make sure you're satisfied, but he's a big fan of laying back and watching you ride him, having sex laying on your sides, letting you bounce on him in reverse cowgirl and control the pace...pretty much any position that takes the stress off of his back and joints is a favorite of his. However, he isn't above pinning you down, or even picking you up to fuck you if you misbehave enough.

Canonically has a sweet tooth, like most old men (fun fact: as people age, their taste buds weaken, and, as a result, many older people have an affinity for sweet and spicy food, as those two flavor profiles remain fairly easy to detect as the ability to taste more complex flavors degrades). I bet he'd like to lick something sweet off of your naked body an awful lot. Granted, things like honey or whipped cream are difficult or impossible to get your hands on in the Wasteland, depending on where you are, so it might not be the easiest thing to pull off. But hey, you never know when you might come across a little bit of chocolate that you can melt, or something similar. Hell, the way the man loves himself a Sunset Sarsaparilla, maybe you could just dribble some of that on yourself and let him go to town.

Due to his insecurities, he loves an enthusiastic partner. He loves to be flirted with, romanced right back, treated like you see him as desirable. Little romantic gestures turn him on a lot. PDA makes him nervous (you never know how people are going to react to the presence of a ghoul, let alone a ghoul claiming to have a human partner), but when you two are alone, he likes to give and receive lots of kisses, affectionate embraces, ass pinches, whatever.

I'm not sure I can see him having sex in the costume (mostly because of the way he internally associates it with the death of his sister), but I can certainly see him still liking to play with certain "vaquero"-type activities. Rope play, for example. I don't think he'd be unopposed to tying your hands up if you misbehave.

Ass man ass man ass man ass man. Dude is checking out what you've got back there every chance he gets. One of his favorite ways to communicate that he's in the mood is to saddle up behind you and slide his erection up and down the cleft of your ass; it makes him even harder.

Because of the things he's seen and experienced, he's not willing to be rough with you. Passionate, sure. He'll fuck you hard, physically, but he isn't interested in violent or rough foreplay/sex. No primal play/dubcon/CNC play with him. BDSM in general isn't really his thing.

He also refuses to have sex with you when you're intoxicated in any way. The idea that there could possibly be any blurred lines when it comes to your consent makes him very uncomfortable.

[heal-the-ashes]

i'm thinking about pl and—like always—i get emotional after anything regarding this series. these stories. the ebb and flow of cherished laughs and pained expressions, the give and take of funny dialogues and heartbreaking reveals. when the end credits songs just wash over the entire experience with additional thoughts (usually angst-y in my case). when you've realized the story you just witnessed and the story that you felt apart of will stay with you for times that seem ephemerally immemorial...

[Slight Miracle Mask and Unwound Future Spoilers near the end]

these games don't show happiness and sadness. they don't show the positives and negatives of how a scene should flow. they don't just have dialogue and action and tone and intonations. 

they have perseverance amidst tragedy, the rose within the thorn, the sun within the bleak clouds. they show that everyone in this series is human. they somehow made me feel—and not in some type of pity way—for those npcs who were stuck on what i thought was the easiest puzzle in the world. there was no humiliation, no real sense of judgement. there was respect and patience and... and there was disappointment, only in one's self. there was no invalidity of emotions. yes, there were invalid actions, but i don't have a single memory of anyone saying another character was stupid for feeling a certain way. there was passive acceptance all around and across the series, there was no stuck-up sounding laughter; no one (to my memory) ever called another stupid for messing up.

and hershel layton is one of the most human characters i have ever seen. 

i saw a fanart that consisted of hershel in different stages of life. it made me emotional, because: 

in each stage of his life that was depicted there… it wasn't growing up. it wasn't milestones of age, it wasn't certain accomplishments in his character. it showed each time he has lost someone. and god does it break my heart to see and realize that he. is still. here. the amount of pain PL characters have gone through just breaks my heart.

and i am so glad and so honestly inspired to know that. and i feel so awful for thinking my problems are bad when i look at the greatest person to ever exist in media ever, who was shaped by traumas far beyond my own. and that is not an understatement: i genuinely believe professor hershel layton is my favorite character in any media. because he and his games tell you that there is more to life than pain. and it is a lesson that i am so glad that i can finally see someone else tell.

miracle mask and unwound future are two of my favorite games because they're the games that tell the audience that he is human. it reveals how he despises—he loathes, he hates—… not emotions. no, not sadness, not regret, not remorse, not disappointment, not pain. no, none of that. 

he hates certain parts of himself. he hates how he dealt with grief. he hates it when he's shown with "proof" that he's gone and done the very thing he swore not to ever do. he doesn't even hate anyone else even though he has so much right to. he should've cussed out bronev off screen. he should've yelled at bill hawks. he shouldn't of saved clive but god what did he do. he saved clive. he saved randall. 

oh, how love is a weapon. this is it. this is one of the greatest examples of how love is a weapon in storytelling. it's not even platonic love between the characters, its the love the audience has for the characters. stories like these twist this and they do it well. but, anyway—

when i was younger, i thought hershel layton was foolish. i thought he was stupid. i used to think: "what is he doing? someone hurts him, why doesn't he want to hurt them back? what's wrong with him that he doesn't want revenge?"

i couldn't of been more... wrong about how he sees the world.

no, he's the one of the greatest persons i've ever seen in media. i've learned so much from him and the PL series as a whole. i've learned something from each and every character. [what i learned from bronev and bill hawks is just to not be them.] 

layton is the kindest person i've seen. there is no earned malice anywhere near him. he doesn't purposefully aggravate others. he isn't mean, he's not one you'd call angry. he's patient and understanding, and he was made from pain. 

if every person was at least a little bit like him, i think the world would be a better place. a place where no one has to be made from pain.

[forestshadow-wolf]

Catch me and I'll follow — Soapghost wingfic

@rainerestored I can't think of any ways to pin this on you, but I'm still blaming you for it anyways 🥰

To say that cross-species relationships were shunned would not quite be correct. Was it a rarity to find? Yes.

But that's mostly due to differing courtship rituals. For example a pair of kestrels courtship behavior will obviously be different from some type of waterfowl courtship.

Obviously with dedication and a bit of hard work these differences can be bridged.

The beginning of Soap and Ghost's relationship was rocky to say the least. A hawk and an eagle? Not the largest species gap that's been heard of, but they've got their differences.

Ghost had to give credit where credit was due, and say soap's learning curve was steeper than his own. After all a straight freefall until just before sudden death just might be a bit harder than a game of follow the leader. Putting everything that wasn't physical aside, it was all about learning timing and coordination, and trusting your partner. There's also the added bonus of improving and learning new flight skills/ability

Old advice from generations back would have said to just scrap both courting rituals or to choose one (the easiest). But both soap and ghost have agreed that that only breed a hostile relationship that's destined to fail.

Meaningful courtship is important for maintaining a healthy relationship, especially if they aren't mono-spec. See, on ghost's end it was a show of trust and competence among other things. On soap's end it was it was a sign of willingness, and it builds a kind of understanding between partners. And for all multi-spec relationships it also shows a general dedication, and want for the relationship.

The put in the work and the hours. Did as much research as they could. Communicated their wants and needs, and what they could or could not do.

They started small. Soap took the initiative to start introducing himself to Ghost's traditions. The first time they did it was a 15 foot drop over water side by side, just to prove that they both could, and to see their limits. The next drop was higher, several wingspans higher, side by side.

The traditional method (the most dangerous) of the death spiral was for both partners to to fly way up high, all the way to their altitude limit, then they'd intertwine their legs, and free fall. Obviously physics caused the spinning due to differing weight. It was a massive show of strength, self-control, natural instinct, and trust, to accomplish a successful death spiral.

Now, in modern times, there is technology that makes such courtships much less dangerous. That's not to say the traditional method is no longer used. But interlocking flight boots did make cross-species courtship easier for some parties. The learning curve was still steep, but it was one step made just a bit easier.

After the were both comfortable with the companioned free fall they donned the interlocking boots and began to test out short spurts of joined free fall from high altitudes. At first they released after only a few short secinds of spinning, but slowly the time before they released grew longer and longer and the distance from the ground grew shorter.

Eventually after years of working at it, and practice, and repetition, it became almosts second nature to soap. To follow a only wingflap behind ghost as they rose higher and higher into the sky, then to lock themselves together, and let the wind scream past their ears as they spiraled towards the ground, so that they could release only a few wingspans away from sudden death.

Soap isn't the only one learning though, sure his job was harder, but that doesn't negate Ghost's efforts. He's never learned had to follow so close behind anyone before. He's never had to learn to swoop and dive in tandem with someone else, like he has to with soap. He's never had to follow and lead in this push-pull type of courting.

At first he felt clumsy, too large, not agile enough. It seemed like he bumped, and knocked into everything as he struggled to keep up with soap. He tangled and fought with brambles and branches. And when the broke free into open air he overshot, and soap struggled to keep close behind.

The first time they tried to fly together ghost shot into the air, and soap was panting by the time he'd caught up. Then soap dived down into the thicket of trees. Ghost had tried to follow right behind him, but he'd never had to fly in such close quarters before. He'd nearly flown face first into a bundle of branches, had to duck low to avoid it and had promptly gotten stuck in an overgrown thorn bush, and soap was dusting him in the wind.

It took lots of trial an error to learn how to tuck his wings close to get through the gaps soap practically soared through. It had taken him ages to figure out how to perfectly fit soap into his slipstream to give him more lift. It had taken weeks of watching and following soap to learn how to circle and swoop and to lead as flawlessly as soap

Now, after years and years of learning, and flying, and learning some more, their courtship rituals looked like a perfectly laid out dance.

The way their flight paths twined together as they rose straight up into the air, as high as the could go. The way the locked "talons" and plummet towards the ground in terrifying spirals until they were mere meters from death. Where upon they'll catch themselves with open wings, a feather's width away from eachother. The way they perfectly mirror each other as they snake through trees, and vines, and along cliff faces.

Their monthly courting flights have become somewhat of an, unintentional, spectacle. A private, ordered to 'find' their drill Sergent's pine cone, had stumbled across them on one of their flights. News spread fast over the next few months. Not so silent whispers through the halls of base, that kicked up whenever they walked by.

"Have you seen the lieutenant fly with the Sergent?"

"Never seen a hawk do a death spiral before, you should see it next time"

"I didn't know an eagle could fly like that"

"The stunts they pull are crazy"

It's not that they minded the whispers per-say, no, they knew how to deal with distraction and what not. It's just that when a crowd had shown uo to their next courting flight...

Ghost had never courted anyone before soap. Soap had courted before just... just not compatibly. So to suddenly go from whaterver they had before, to a live action show infront of an audience, was a little uncomfortable at first.

Now they usually put in for some time off to do their flight together. Usually somewhere an hour or two flight off base. That's not to say that they do put on the occasional show for everyone on base. Just that they prefer it to be a more private matter.

I kinda want to write more on this but I also want to experiment with other species and situations

[mdhwrites]

Just putting forth this ask: why is it that compared with Amphibia's All In and The Hardest Thing, that TOH's finale and "final fight" (if we can even call it out that) just felt so underwhelming? Even especially Luz's "death" which felt so much of a fakeout and copying from Amphibia's. Granted, I wonder if a part of that is some of us already watching Amphibia at that point tho.

The fight feeling more underwhelming is easy actually. See, 90% of what people remember of Luz fighting Belos isn't her fighting Belos. It's just dancing around fighting moss. That is... Lame. To put it mildly. Meanwhile, you have three magical girls flying into space to fight the moon and his army of robots. That is awesome.

However.

What I really want to talk about is why their deaths actually play into the feeling of these two fights and the finales as a whole. It lets me talk about shock deaths versus heroic sacrificed because TL:DR: Anne heroically sacrifices herself for Amphibia as a final culmination of the growth she has had as a character. Meanwhile, Luz is given a shock death to sell how dangerous Belos is (which I will get into a bit) while also essentially being fridged for the sake of the Collector's arc. One of those is hype as hell and satisfying. The other is a complete stumble before we finally get the actual confrontation.

However, I'm going to go away from The Owl House and Amphibia first to talk about the tropes of Heroic Sacrifices and Shock Deaths with one of the easiest franchises to do it with: Dragonball Z.

Let's start with Heroic Sacrifice. A heroic sacrifice is when a character CHOOSES to give up their life so as to attempt to put things right, save lives, etc. like that. This choice element is actually really important. Without it, it's just a tragic death. The villain got the upper hand at a bad moment and killed them. That rarely actually happens in media but it is an option. A heroic sacrifice is just that: A sacrifice.

This is your classic moments of Piccolo sacrificing himself for Gohan against Nappa or Vegeta using all the energy he has in an attempt to defeat Buu. In both cases, these are major defining moments in their arcs. Arguably, the climaxes of them. The pinnacle of them changing to be a good person. We also see two classic examples here, one of which I think is commonly much stronger.

Piccolo's death is a split second decision where he decides to take the hit instead of allowing it to reach Gohan. This has a lot of good points for a character, such as showing their inherently good nature, but it does lack one key component: It doesn't feel like the choice weighs as much. Not wanting to see someone else get hurt is pretty basic and can be warped just as much by the bad guys so as to make it a weakness. It says a lot about Zuko when he takes a lightning bolt for Katara... But I wouldn't call it a sacrifice. It's a split second choice to make sure one person stays alive over themselves. This makes the impact revolve a LOT more around thematics over just the weight of the moment. As an example: If Superman dives in front of someone to take a Kryptonite blast, that's an "Oh shit," moment as the fight suddenly takes a turn for the worst. However, it is so ingrained in his nature that it hardly means anything for him to put himself in danger like this. It only hits hard for characters like Piccolo because of the journey they've been on.

Vegeta's hits harder for that reason because it still carries all the same advantages of the split second choice with one MAJOR boon: It's optional. Yes, technically these others are too but protecting an ally is just a part of being on a team. Being in combat. We don't blink at it most of the time unless it leads to a death, in which case it is a tragedy. Vegeta had a different option though. Just... Play along. Or leave. Or do ANYTHING else.

Instead, from his lowest point, he finally sees what he's going to lose from all of this, what he has done, and makes the choice to try and make up for it. Not even to seek forgiveness but just to have a single moment of redemption in his whole life in an attempt to save his family and those he cares about.

This also brings up another point about Heroic sacrifices: They don't need to be successful or permanent. The point is about what it says about the character. Vegeta doesn't manage jack shit in his last moments from an entirely practical purpose. From a character perspective though, this choice will last eternally. It will always be a part of him and his growth. That is powerful, even if it fails.

But what happens when there is no choice and it says nothing about the character? Well, that's when we get into the realm of a shock death, like Yamcha's legendary failure. A shock death is mostly meant to just raise the stakes. To make the audience know that 'shit just got real'. It always happens as a character getting instantly KO'd so as to really sell the "OH SHIT" factor of the moment.

Which is also why everyone always laughs at Yamcha. His death means nothing and as far as trying to up the ante? Good job, you killed the weakest of us in a show of strength. Good job. It is a HARD sell to a lot of audience members at this point because the character is just there to die. Their death doesn't say anything or mean anything for them so why as an audience should we care? It was just a cheap death that accomplished nothing and everyone moves on from.

So am I fair to call Luz's death this? After all, Camila cries over it. Eda goes into a more feral version of her Owl Beast form than she ever has before because of it. The Collector learns what death is due to it!

And in like three minutes, none of that will matter besides the Collector thing. No Eda having to try and bring herself back from the curse, despite claiming it can still eternally take her, a plot point never resolved. Camila has no reason to actually know. Her crying is just to add another octave to the overture "BE SAD NOW!" And the Collector?

He only was in danger because the writers said he was. Even if you believe Belos is immune to his magic (which was shown to be untrue as he flew up to Belos' face), he is still an incredible being of unrivaled power. He can move celestial bodies with a whim for god's sake. Why should he EVER be in danger? Shouldn't he be able to teleport or just shift out of the way faster than Luz can fly up to him?

And what does it say about Luz? You know, the girl who has been trying to abandon the Isles for TWO WHOLE SPECIALS before this and who has no connection with the Collector? They want this to be a heroic sacrifice in the way of Piccolo but it doesn't have the weight. It has no build up and Luz was NEVER going to have a real connection to the Collector. It's even explicitly used as a teaching moment for the Collector. To give him extra motivation to become a good guy... Like you do when you fridge a character. It's also something Luz would have explicitly done from episode 1 so it also has the Superman problem of saying nothing.

And the WORST part for Luz is... It wasn't something she thought was going to kill her. She thought the two would get out of the way. Maybe that was just a line in relief but a heroic sacrifice is an all in play. You don't expect to come back from a SACRIFICE. But Luz appears to have.

As such, it just feels like a way to up the stakes, especially when all it leads to is a power up for Luz. A cheap bit of escalation before the victory lap that is Titan Luz. That's just not that compelling and it feels manipulative, like a lot of shock deaths are.

And how does Amphibia get out of all of this? With one line:

"These stones aren't Amphibia's greatest treasure."

In that moment, we are reminded not only of all that Anne is fighting for but all of the growth she has had in order to lead to this moment. To go from the selfish girl she once was to the unifier of the stones. To someone who can actually care about an entire planet. How in episode 1, she wouldn't have done this but now? Now it's not even a moment of hesitation for her.

And it does have the Vegeta element of being optional. She could have gone home. She could have had Marcy or Sasha make the sacrifice instead. She doesn't though because she will not shrug off the responsibility of all this. This isn't even to do with the prophecy. She was the one to steal the music box. She was complicit, even if more fault lies with Marcy, in leading to the Core being potentially able to ravage worlds again. And then she is told that the prophecy is a plea for help. You don't have to yes to a plea like you do destiny. If not for Anne's experiences, she would have said no.

Instead, she says yes and she wins for it. Her resurrection is even based in this. She expects no resurrection and was ENTIRELY ready to bear the weight of her choice. She won't even accept the Guardian's offer of power because that's not why she did this. It's not what her arc is about. Instead, she gets her resurrection for the same reason she died: Because she has grown and in that growth, become so much more than she ever could have even imagined, so what would happen if given more time to grow? Would she surpass all of ours expectations? Even a god's?

ALL of that helps an audience care. Helps give a true climax to everything. Brings it all together. Even if you want to argue, and I actually probably would, that the Calamity trio fighting is technically worse from an animation standpoint than even Eda, King and Luz against the moss, narrative weight matters more. That sense of climax matters more. It is going to elevate the rest of the fight, and the episode, simply by making sure that ANY audience member is going to have a greater amount of investment in it.

And a heroic sacrifice is a great way to add to that. A shock death is not.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[coeluvr]

You're so wonderfully devious. Your IF is so well written. I've played through it once several months ago, lost track of it, then found it again 🤗 but seriously, the complex emotions you pull out of me is what makes me keep coming back.

There's no time to not grieve for the MC. And your time jumps make it so no matter how much time has passed for MC, we don't get that relief. It makes me wonder if the MC feels that way all the time for the last 9 years if the grief we experience is just as intense. So I absolutely adore how you give MCs the ability to name a journal Alistair and to have a tattoo to keep them with you.

I don't know what to do with Rosea. I think the only way to hurt Luceris is by hurting the ones they love, Lancelot and Helios. But then this cycle of revenge continues and warps, and it's this massive spiders web because when you hurt Lancelot and Helios, then you hurt Farah, Vincent, and Hunter. It makes even more people want to put a stop to MC's machinations.

I know we're going to see it in writing, but the generational guilt on these kids [cause fuck they are basically still kids] heads is crushing.

The adults trying to alleviate guilt by saying "Mc is protected as consort" and has the "freedom to do what they want" is a poor consolation prize. They can't get rid of how they were complicit in MCs trauma.

Somehow, you have me litterally insane, tinfoil hat and all, do you play a kind MC so everyone can see how unhinged Luceris idea was? Because I'd love to play this game as quiet and kind MC, one who's forgive and try to move on, but when MCs twin died, I became just as crazy as Luceris. Now I have to be okay with the fact that I'm playing the long game of revenge and whatever that looks like.

Anyway, thank you for your work. It's amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next.

My toxic trait is I like being called evil or devious or anything insane. 🥰 Thank you for your kind words! 💗

Honestly, the time jumps do serve that purpose. Mainly because I think MC gets a little better each time jump but then something happens and it brings back what they felt that night in Vesphire.

For example, the time jump to meeting Fadiya is kind of supposed to be like "well at least someone wants to be friends with our baby" and that feeling is kind of hopeful, at least to me. With the 1st short story, I wanted to cement that feeling since it's like "world against MC but this little kid is here!!" and again it's hopeful. Chapter 2 is softer too with Fadiya, there isn't much angst until the very end where it's like "ah right, shit still sucks." and a part of the healing that the player might have felt just dies lol.

Chapter 3 is kind of different but technically MC is doing "better" or well coping better so there has been some progress on their part albeit it can be unhealthy.

I've gotten the "Oh this is kinda rushed" comment a few times but I don't think I could've taken these first few chapters more slowly since it is supposed to be kind of like a blur to MC. In my head, chapter 3 is when things are more slow for them but now they're leaving on a trip so...

I think revenge (that isn't like "get power throw him into jail") will always come with the loss of people. The only reason Luceris didn't lose people is because he didn't really have anyone to lose except for Lancelot and we all know how that's going. (Ikram doesn't count, if she refused he could just get another military general and been like okay. Don't be friends with your boss people. /j)

A Luceris that had Farah wouldn't have done that ever because she would have left him so yeah! It's normal to be stuck between what to do when you have people you care about who actually have somewhat of a normal moral compass.

Easiest way is to simply not have anyone (unless they're 100% in love with you and would throw away all their morals just for you ofc) and well maybe I can help with that! 🤭

The adults are insane and the kids are burdened with the problems that their parents are to blame for. I love the whole "burdened by the sins of your parents" trope. ✨️

God this got a bit too long lmao 😭 it was fun discussing some of the points. 🤝

[lovebvni]

Hii, I was researching channeling people from my DR but some peoples experience sound fun and emotional while others are saying that it’s dangerous and you shouldn’t do it. I understand you need to have protection before you do it but I’m nervous now and I need help starting so can you please help me 😭🙏🏾

hey anon!! ofc i can help you out <3

for the past few days i have been channeling every night so my father, loki, and a few other guides could help me get into the void — and it’s been going pretty well!

one thing i do have to say though, is channeling takes a lot of belief and determination for people just starting. i’ll be real, i still have my doubts, and i even told lilith this and she literally smacked me (not hard, dw) and asked me if i felt it 💀💀 i love her <3

anyways! enough with my stories! let’s get in how to do it <3

vv long blog below vv

How to Channel Safely

okay! there are many different ways to channel, but the one i use and the one i will be teaching is through clairaudience. it literally means clear hearing. some examples include when you hear a ringing in your ear (if u don’t have a hearing problem) or randomly hearing your name called out when nobody around you said it!

now to do this on command, it takes practice — a lot of it, but you will get the hang of it! coming from someone who literally learned it in less than a week, you’ve got this.

PROTECTION

the most important part of any spell or form of channeling, manifesting, or making something happen is protecting your own energy. you don’t want to allow negative energies to enter your spirit or your place of residence, because they can mess things up.

for protection, you can preform a protection spell, set up crystals, sprinkle salt near doors or walls, or even just simple affirmations; the easiest one and the one i do every day.

the thing is, i wouldn’t recommend just affirming for beginners unless you are confident in your craft. it is hard to do if you set an intention in a half assed way. you need to be strong, clear and powerful with it.

the best method for beginners or even people who have done it before, in my opinion, would be with crystals such as clear or smoky quartz, tigers eye or amethyst.

when using crystals, i suggest playing a song with positive and protective energy, like an upbeat song, and sending your positive vibrations from the song into the crystal/s. make sure you have at least 2, so one can be behind you and one in front of you or one for each hand.

2. CALLING ON A SPIRIT

calling on a spirit or the universe is easy, it’s just a matter of calling the one you want or the version of them you would like to talk to.

so, i know 3 versions of loki personally. my pops —the literal norse deity, my s/o loki from my spiderverse dr, and my mentor/friend loki in my mcu dr. now it can get confusing, but they all have similar souls/spirits. two just have incarnate forms.

so, let’s say i want to call on my friend loki. i close my eyes and say or speak in my mind, “i am channeling loki {replace his name with whoever you would like to channel} from my mcu dr. when he is here, he will touch my arm, grab my hand, or say hello.”

just something like that, it doesn’t have to be exact. around this affirmation, i say something like “my guides are protecting me from any negative spirits, tricksters, or anyone who wants to harm me in any way while i am channeling. nothing i do not want to channel will affect my spirit, soul, house or family.” or something similar. i’m usually more casual with it lmfao

while affirming, i always notice and take note of where the little voice in my head is coming from. is it at the front of your head? near one of your temples? towards the back? any way, take note of it, because it will come in handy when confirming they are with you.

3. CONFIRMATION THEY ARE WITH YOU

to confirm a spirit is with you, simply ask for a sign.

it’s as easy as that! ask them to touch you, give you a certain smell, remind you of a specific scenario, so on and so forth! this is where the other clair’s can come an and are helpful :)

now, when they speak or communicate with you, i want you to recognize where their voice is speaking in comparison to yours. for me, i usually hear lokis {father} voice on the far upper left of my head, while lilith is more towards the back.

when channeling, sometimes you will see or hear things — and this is because you’re more connected to the spirit world. when channeling lilith, i see a slightly red energy, when channeling loki, i see a green energy, when channeling my friends s/o (when i did) i used to see red feathers/wings. and this was all with my eyes wide open. i didn’t see them in the 3d, rather in the 4d. it’s really fun btw! just make sure to take note of them.

another thing i suggest is asking them facts. their hair colour, their eye colour, when you met, their birthday, whatever. that’s just for confirmation.

4. CHAT AWAY

you’re talking to someone important to you! have a conversation when you get to them! don’t let me guide you!!

5. ENDING A CHANNELING SESSION

the way i end channeling sessions is literally by saying “i am cutting off my channeling line. i can not be accessed unless it is important or necessary.” or something like that.

sometimes i literally forget and the spirits will leave lmao. it’s that simple.

EXTRA — TIPS!!

when channeling, be open and ready. you can be told things you don’t want to hear, and that’s okay! just keep going with it.

remember — the person you’re channeling is a soul too! don’t try to control them or hurt them emotionally. they have feelings.

you can feel things while channeling! be careful with this. spirits can make unwanted advances. although i have never had it happen to me, be prepared.

you can accidentally channel!! i’ve done this before with my s/o. everything felt different and i felt his presence. neither of us said a word, but rather just stayed with each other <3

try channeling with pinterest!! set the intention to channel someone and you can get their messages through pinterest. make sure not to go with your algorithm though, because you could be tricking yourself!! <3

DONT MAKE THIS A SUBSITUTE FOR YOUR DR/WR!!! can you talk to the people? yeah! but you’re not with them. don’t let channeling hold you back from shifting, okay?

i love u all!! i hope this helps someone along with u anon!! there are so many more ways to channel, and my friend actually taught me <3 i really really hope u can channel and have fun with it

[panlight]

Breaking Dawn has always read like a fanfiction to me. I'm aware this has probably to do with the fact, that Forever Dawn was written before New Moon and Eclipse, and SMeyer just rewrote some pieces of it.

But this made me think - most fans probably have an idea of how they would have liked the story of Bella and Edward to end and those endings might all be a little, or even very different. What would your perfect ending for the Saga look like? You can place it after any point of the story - just after the first book, in the middle of New Moon, around the end of Eclipse, wherever you want.

It really does have a lot of fanfic-y tropes. The big wedding. The over-the-top tropical honeymoon. This is an 18-year-old middle class girl getting married here. Sure the Cullens are rich but she's not an actual princess or something, this always felt hugely over the top to me in a fanfic-y way. And then the baby, of course. It does tick a lot of boxes of the sort of fanfic that imagines what happens after the book/movie/show where the main couple get married and have a kid.

For me, vampirism without consequences is just completely uninteresting. Bella getting to have her cake and eat it too not only undermines all the themes in the earlier books and makes Edward's brooding about being a vampire seem like unnecessary whining, it's also just boring.

So my ideal ending is an actual follow up to Eclipse. Bella and Edward follow through on their compromise plan: wedding, sex, and vampirism in that order. There's no baby; Bella is turned on Isle Esme and spends a few months there on a secluded island with no people (the groundskeepers are given time off FFS Edward can clean the house) eating wildlife and adjusting to vampirism.

But she actually has to like, adjust. It IS has hard as people told her it was. She can still do well at it, but with struggle. I mean, Carlisle never killed anyone either but he did it by banishing himself to the woods and starving to the point that he unthinkingly attacked some deer. I believe it was hard and he struggled and so his triumph feels earned. Bella can still control herself better than average but I wanna see her struggle with it, versus like, one tense afternoon with Charlie and then totally being fine around humans and going to see lawyers in a sexy outfit, no problem. That felt anticlimactic.

Also there should be some fallout with Jake, and she should probably have to cut ties with Charlie and Renee. She MADE this choice to become a vampire knowing she was giving these things up, so for Breaking Dawn to be like "Nevermind! Haha!" about it was deeply unsatisfying. It killed the conflict and tension for Jacob and Charlie to still be part of her life and accepting of the weirdness of it.

For me, the whole point was Bella was sacrificing a lot to be with Edward. That is where the romance and angst lies. Getting to be beautiful and immortal and rich and powerful AND with the person you love AND keep your father and best friend AND get a perfect baby who never cries and sleeps through the night AND conquer the bloodlust in like 2 seconds was just . . . boring. All the stuff I had been interested in seeing how it would resolve was resolved in just the easiest, least interesting way possible. A perfect example: the wedding. We're told that Renee is going to freak out about this early marriage and even THAT relatively unimportant conflict is just instantly resolved with "actually, Renee's totally on board!!!!" Snore!

So yeah. Bella is turned on the honeymoon. It's hard. She cuts off ties with Charlie; maybe she fakes her death, maybe she just disappears. Jacob refuses to talk to her, but Sam is like "whatever she made her choice we're not going to start a war over this." And in this way Bella is actually cut off from her human life and has to start over with the new family and new life she chose. We probably have to resolve the Volturi situation somehow; maybe a trip to Volterra to prove she's been turned and some conflict with the Volturi comes into play.

But ultimately I just want an epilogue where she comes back to Forks with Edward to check in on Charlie and Jacob from a distance. She watches Charlie with Sue (or someone else) playing with step-grandbabies, she sees Jacob, who has stopped phasing and is aging and married with kids of his own, and it's hard. It's sad to see them going on without her. And Edward looks at her like he's about to apologize for the 239470242th time for robbing her of a human life and she's like, "No, the life I have with you is worth it," because THAT's the vibe! That's where the romance is! Her being happy in BD means nothing because it was all so easy for her! Her being happy despite the downsides of vampirism is where the romance lies!

[scrapyardboyfriends]

I'm not even sure why they brought Aaron back tbh

They said they wanted a villian, but that lasted all of 5 seconds, don't know if they planned beyond that.

I like him, but if you've got no plans for him, he may as well still be in France/Italy (wasn't marco italian?)

It does feel like they wanted to bring Aaron back and then get Ryan, it really all felt like it should be leading to that but they couldn't actually get Ryan back in the end.

With regards to bringing Aaron back. Without Robert or without something to pull Aaron back from his angry state, that story really did fall flat and then they just decided enough was enough and fixed it with the Chas having cancer story, which felt super lazy.

And then without having Robert back to follow up, it really feels like they didn't have any other plan for Aaron, which is why they're doing this now I guess.

Once again, if they actually cared about their characters, cared about Aaron as a fictional person, there are things to do with him without having Robert there, even if it would be easier. They still haven't bothered to really flesh out Aaron's life in the village again from what I've seen.

If I were in charge, I would actually give him friends again. I'd let him and Vic be legitimate friends again. I might have him and Billy finally properly bury the hatchet and be friends since Danny and Jai are friends in real life anyway. That way you could give Aaron screen time outside of Chas and Vinny. Let him support Billy through this Evan story for example.

I mean if we're talking supporting character, Aaron being involved in Matty's prison story would also make sense considering he's also dealt with being a queer man in prison, albeit a bit differently. Plus that's his best mate's little brother.

Then once his friends situation is sorted out, I would have him buy into the garage and return to actually using it for plot purposes. Get Aaron back in the overalls, let him interact with other villagers that way. Let him work on his relationship with Cain etc.

And then I would deal with the kids scenario. That's the one easy happy story you could do for Aaron. Now, they're not going to be able to realistically do the surrogacy story now that they gave him the faulty gene thing. So the easiest story to do would still be Seb. There's no reason they can't bring Seb back to the village, let him stay with Vic until Aaron reconnects with him and then let Aaron become his legal guardian after permission from off screen Robert in prison and Rebecca who doesn't even have to die. All they have to do is have her break up with Ross off screen and have her get overwhelmed on her own and need help. Seb can still have a relationship with her off screen. And Seb allows them to deal with the Robert of it all without having to have Robert there and always keeps that tie.

And then once he's got friends, a more on screen job and a kid, then you can try a romantic relationship, but I'd make it a friends to lovers slow burn thing so it's really as far away from the Robert of it all as possible. You know...not a Robert clone. Haha.

It's just...it's not that hard to make him a functional character if they actually cared at all. It's just that they...don't, which is sad.

[nanoa1foryou]

Translation - Yle interview, Käärijä, 30.9.2023

Translations for this interview by Yle

Käärijä opens up about his rough Erovision year - feeling like a circus monkey and the bolero has almost been thrown to the fireplace

The eurovision star shares how his thoughts haven't been able to keep up with all of this runaround.

Käärijä has thrown the green bolero off his shoulders for a moment. In a music studio in Helsinki Jere Pöyhönen from Vantaa is now sitting, wondering what the Eurovision year has brought with it.

It is a good moment for a mid-season account.

After the Eurovision madness Käärijä performed 51 shows in Finland, which is a staggering amount. An equal amount is lined up for the fall, when on top of the homeland shows there is a European tour ahead.

Käärijä has tried to take a holiday in between, but it hasn't fully worked.

Even now he has come in straight from a tv-show set. At the same time he should be working on new music.

The artist knows, that you have to strike while the iron is hot.

Worried people ask Käärijä constantly how he's doing. He doesn't know that himself either.

– At the moment it feels like I would need more time off. I'm honest and not denying that. The shows keep going and I'm slightly scared. Touring has never scared before, but now maybe the fact, that how will I make it through it all.

The Eurovision result frustrates him even still

Käärijä watched the Eurovision Final video just a few days ago.

He still cannot understand, what happened in the arena in liverpool, when the whole hall was chanting Cha Cha Cha.

The Final performance was one of the easiest and most relaxed for Käärijä, because months of work was coming to an end. He also remembers the moment, when he almost ran into a wire that got stuck.

Käärijä placed closely second and took the loss with a heavy heart. It bothers him still.

– Of course it's frustrating at times. But people comfort me a lot and try to find reasons, why it was better I didn't win. At the end of the day life wins and it's not more serious than that.

The artist celebrates, that he got the most votes from the audience. It has bred him a lot of shows.

He will not be going to Eurovision for a second time. The runaround starting from UMK was so hectic, that the human mind can't keep up with it.

–Kind of like if you opened up a christmas present and you get your favourite toy and even still the childish enjoyment is minor. Every day so much happens, that I didn't have time to process it and it was already the next day. Just remember that we went and fast,

Käärijä's golden cage

The phenomenon that started from Käärijä has been exceptional.

Though the fame flatters the artist, he has felt it in his skin.

In his opinion some people don't know how to behave, when for example they take pictures of him with no respect to his privacy.

– Even though I like giving autographs and taking pictures, too much is too much.

At times Käärijä has felt like a circus monkey.

– I get this feeling, like you're a monkey in a travelling circus. You don't get to have feelings and opinions or others decide how things are and I have no say in this.

At the darkest moments the thought has crept into Käärijä's mind, that he should just quit.

– yes there are those moments, that now the bolero is going into the fireplace and the song gets deleted, if that were possible. but at no point has there been anger towards my own product. Maybe at times towards the artist Käärijä comes this feeling, like could you just go hide for a moment and lay down, so that I'd get some peace too, Käärijä laughs.

Despite it all Käärijä's inner animal always comes to life when at a show Cha Cha Cha comes on.

Käärijä says, that the Eurovision year has changed him as a person.

– I can appreciate things very differently. When the success and fame came, I've realized, that happiness is somewhere else in the end.

–I'd like to build a small cabin on some beach somewhere and go there after tour to calm down.

What next, Käärijä?

A few weeks ago Käärijä released his first song since Eurovision.

It's crazy It's party is notably related to Cha Cha Cha and it features Estonian artist Tommy Cash.

Cha Cha Cha has by now amassed over a 100 million streams on Spotify. That is a goal no other Finnish language song has ever reached.

Käärijä admits, that there was a lot of preassure to making new music after the huge hit.

– I'd be lying if I said there wasn't. But I was surprised by how relaxed my mind was when I finally started making new music. Perhaps the biggest preassure was left behind on the Eurovision stage.

Many Finns have hoped that the international attention would bring Käärijä a longer career internationally.

Some have however already deemed him a one hit wonder, when the new song hasn't gotten a lot of plays outside of Finland. Although even it has already over a million plays on Spotify.

– I myself have been a police about other artists like no no no, you shouldn't have done it like that. But with music you have to start from that you're happy with it yourself and if fans are coming in then that's a plus.

Though Käärijä is going on an European tour, he still considers Finland to be his most important market zone. If success comes from elsewhere then that's just a welcome addition.

Despite it all Käärijä is now a part of the eurovision canon and a real Eurovision legend.

He doesn't yet know how to fit the Eurovision legend's cape on his shoulders, because he sees himself as still too young. Käärijä knows though, that him and Cha Cha Cha will be living a life of their own from this point forwards.

But would Käärijä go to perform in Malmö, Sweden next spring on the Eurovision stage after the stinging loss last spring? After all, Eurovision usually gathers performances from the successes of previous years.

– Maybe earlier I had fears that I would become a Eurovision artist. But the world has changed and now we have Blind Channel and other successful artists from other countries. If the invite comes, then I'll gladly go along and experience it a little differently.

[hyperfixiation-station]

Lighter Pt.4

Pairing: Ghost x Reader

Summary: Confronting Ghost about his sad coma rant

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You sit up in your bed, sighing softly. You so did not want to do this right now. You had just finished a physical therapy session and were exhausted, but this conversation needs to be had. You had thought about waiting until you got home, but Ghost had been walking around like a kicked puppy the whole time you had been in the hospital. You sigh again, steeling your nerves. 

“I heard you.” You murmur from your bed. Ghost looks up from the chair next to you, head tilted in confusion. 

“When you were saying sorry, while I was in the…coma.” You clarify, voice soft. His face doesn’t…pale, exactly, but you know him well enough that you can tell he is ashamed and scared. He says nothing, just stares at you with slightly-wider-than-usual eyes. You take a deep breath and decide to tackle the easiest issue first. 

“Ghost, darling, I-you have nothing to be sorry for.” You say, leaning towards him despite your body’s protests, “I chose to push you out of the way, number one. You didn’t shoot me, ergo, not your fault.”  

“But if I had-”

“Ah-ah.” You interrupt, “I wanted to go on this mission as much as you did. Hell, I volunteered when I knew it meant I’d get to work with you. So we both made that mistake, number two. And number three, you saved me. You can’t feel guilty that I got shot but not feel good that you kept me from dying.” You can tell he doesn’t agree with you, but he doesn’t protest either, so you leave it at that. 

“Now onto the more pressing issue, which is that you don’t feel worthy of my love.” At this statement Ghost really does pale. You reach for him, interlocking your pale, thin fingers with his gloved ones. 

“Simon, darling, how long have you felt like that?” You ask, voice breaking slightly, “Was it something I did? Did I do or say something to make you think that I don’t value our relationship? That all I think is that you are a ‘fuckign bastard’? That I wouldn’t move Heaven and Earth if it meant being able to love you?” You sound over the top, but to be fair you are doped up on pain meds and your only goal is to drive home the fact that you love him. 

Ghost stares at you, lips parted under his mask. 

“I-you haven’t. I just-” He pauses, frowning. If this conversation wasn’t so serious you would have laughed at his awkwardness around emotion. But it was serious, and you needed him to face it.  

“Si,” You whisper, “How could you possibly think I don’t love you?” “I know you do!” He says finally, voice cracking, “I just don’t understand why.” 

“Why?” You echo. He nods miserably, the skin that you can see under his mask flushed with shame. “That's…oh darling.” You say, cupping his cheek, “Do you really think that you not saying ‘I love you’ bothers me? If it did, I would have left this relationship a long time ago, but it doesn’t. You show affection for me in so many other ways, and those are the reasons I love you.”

He opens his mouth but you cut him off. “You notice when I get overstimulated sometimes even before I recognize it, you remind me to eat when I forget, you never get mad when I forget important dates, or forget to respond to texts, you bring me home little trinkets when you come back from trips or missions, which, by the way, is a love language. And that is just a few examples. I could go on and on about how wonderful of a person you are under that soldier boy exterior.” You blurt it out, not giving him a chance to refute. He looks down at his lap when you finish, but not before you see tears in his eyes. 

“Thank you.” He says hoarsely. You sit back, settling against the 87 pillows he had scrounged up for you. You know he is going to need a lot more reassurance, and you are going to need to drop as many hints as possible, but this conversation is a start. You yawn, the physical and emotional therapy you just went through making it difficult to stay awake. 

His hand is still interlocked with yours and you tug on it gently. He stands up, moving as close to you as he can get. He looks at you questioningly, and you pretend not to notice how red his eyes are. You tug his wrist again, pulling him down. He looks surprised for a moment, and then rolls his eyes. “Alright alright.” He grumbles, climbing into the bed with you. Very, very carefully, so as not to hurt your leg, he settles himself behind you, positioning you so that you lay against his chest, sandwiched between his legs. His arms wrap around you and his chin rests on your head, sending little shivers through your body. You smile at the feeling and sink into him, falling into a peaceful sleep. 

[mrskreideprinz]

| Best Friends |

Pairing: Zhezhi x Gn!Reader

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, Pre-release Zhezhi, Fluff, Implied Friends to Lovers, Reader is implied to have long hair, Zhezhi is very shy, Gender Neutral Reader, 850 ish words.

Summary:  Zhezhi offers to paint you at her favorite hiding place.

A/n: This is my first time writing for Zhezhi and wuwa as a whole so please be nice to me. Just wanted to write something cute for Zhezhi since she captured my attention when i first saw her drip marketing.

Tags: @auphelia @savvydabbydoo

It was about noon when your dear friend Zhezhi invited you over to her favorite spot for lunch. She’d promised to feed you something warm in exchange for you being the model for her next painting. Of course, you would never say no to her. So, you smiled and nodded, grabbing her hand in yours as you asked her what was so special about this particular spot of hers, which she made sure to tell you all about on the way to. 

The cool and gentle breeze spun through your hair, causing strands of your hair to glimmer in the sunlight. Your eyes caught Zhezhe’s in the midst of her focus. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes seemed to sparkle with something familiar. You couldn’t help but smile and giggle as she hid her blushing face behind her easel. She always did look incredibly cute in a moment of pure focus. 

“Are you always this focused, Zhezhi?” You teased. 

“N-No. I mean, yes, but I wouldn’t say I’m that focused.” She stammered. 

Zhezhi had tried to remain calm and collected as she painted some of her favorite parts of you. For example, your lips, which always seemed to appear so perfectly kissable no matter how much she tried denying it. Too many times she’d wondered how they’d feel pressed gently against hers. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to steady her hand that shook. She couldn’t afford to think of such things at a time like that. She needed to concentrate. 

Focus, Zhezhi. Focus.  

If it weren’t for the reassurance of how she was nearly done with her painting, she probably would’ve never gained back that focus. The final part was supposed to be the easiest one! Adding the smaller details and highlights should’ve been no stress at all, but with your bright eyes gazing back at her how could she possibly remain calm? 

Eventually she mustered enough courage to finish the rest of her painting. Zhezhi studied her art for a few more moments before showing it to you. Admittedly she didn’t want to show you in the first place but you were very persuasive. 

“Come on, Zhezhi, let me see.” You pleaded, getting up from your stool to lean over her shoulder to take a good look at what she’d created.

“Oh.” You remarked. 

Immediately Zhezhi felt something fall into the pit of her stomach. She’d worried this would be your reaction. 

“I-I know. It’s.. not the best.” Zhezhi was completely ashamed of herself.

You shook your head frantically. “No, not at all! It’s rather beautiful actually.” You paused to gaze at the art a little longer. “You’re very skilled, Zhezhi.” You spoke softly, still not able to pry your eyes from the painting of you. 

It was at that moment that Zhezhi felt something warm bloom across her face. She’d hoped she’d not become so flustered all over again, but she just couldn’t help it when your face was filled with adoration at the sight of her artwork. You hadn’t just liked the painting, you loved it. Truthfully, you couldn’t even pick only one aspect of the painting that you loved the most, because you adored everything about it. 

You let out a quiet sigh and smiled. No one had ever drawn, much less painted you so beautifully before. Was this how your friend truly saw you? Did the vibrant colors reflect your  bright personality? You hoped in due time that the secrets of that painting would reveal itself to you. 

“You can have it if you’d like.” Zhezhi spoke with a smile.

Immediately you tried to deny her request, explaining that you wouldn’t have anything in return to give to her, but she insisted.

“I want you to have it.” Her eyes were full of familiarity once again. 

You nodded. “If you say so.” You hummed to yourself as you were deep in thought. “In fact..” You held the canvas and tilted it back to get a better look at it. “..It would be perfect to hang in my living room. Don’t you agree?” 

Zhezhi nodded, that same bashful look caressing her cheeks. “Let me help you bring it home.” She offered. 

You smiled in response and helped Zhezhi gather her things so as to make the trip back to Jinzhou.

 As the two of you made your way back you couldn’t help but feel a little lighter than before, like you were stepping on a stairway of clouds. You weren’t so sure you knew the feeling you were experiencing, regardless of how nostalgic it felt, but it wouldn’t hurt to indulge in it a tad bit longer. So, grabbing Zhezhi’s hand again you gave her a big smile before rushing the both of you towards that city where you both met. If all days felt as airy and light as that day, then you were sure you had not a single thing to worry about. As long as you had Zhezhi’s hand in yours all would be alright.