#i love the thematic similarities

[foolishlyzephyrus]

I love how similar the themes are in I Saw The TV Glow and We’re All Going To The World’s Fair, about how it deals with the real and the unreal.

We’re All Going To The World’s Fair focuses more on the real—what we’re being shown through Casey’s channel and what JLB perceives—as being unreal. It’s a story, it’s invented, it’s art, JLB is lying.

Where as I Saw The TV Glow focuses on the unreal as real, where The Pink Opaque is truly reality, and the “real world” (the Midnight Realm) in which Maddy and Owen are stuck is actually just a prison for their true selves.

[beaulesbian]

Shanks vs. Kid, episode 1112 ||| Roger vs. Oden, episode 965

Divine Departure!

insp by @wyvernslovecake 's tags!

[kanjichris]

"why don't you want him to know how much you love him?" "that's a little personal. he knows." "uh-huh."

[imminent-danger-came]

So, this parallel, right.

That parallel and the 4x11 shadowpeach fight as a whole:

Macaque: "No that's YOU! You're the one always running off! Looking for more power, more sources of immortality—you're the one who wouldn't quit while were were ahead! Not the great sage, he's got to drag EVERYONE else into his mess!" Sun Wukong: "You're not in this mess, you're still free! Everything I did was for us!" Macaque: "You did it for yourself! You've become like this, obsessive demon! I told you going against the Jade Emperor was a bad idea, but no, Wukong doesn't listen to anyone! He just does whatever he wants! You put yourself here, not me."

(4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

A large part of Wukong's motivation to keep getting more power was the freedom of it—the more power you have the easier it is to do whatever you want. It's easier to ignore everyone else and focus solely on yourself. It's also easier to ensure yourself and your loved one's are protected and have the ability to do what they want.

So, a punishment where the great Monkey King is imprisoned and trapped for hundreds of years? It's effective and tragic and fitting. Wukong wanted to have the freedom to protect the people he cared about, and in trying to reach for the power to do that, he completely had his freedom removed. He went from the mountain, to then the circlet, and then all of a sudden he had morals and was bound to those.

And then I think about his end of s3 choice to go face the Lady Bone Demon alone. Once again Wukong was trying to protect his loved ones (not to mention the whole reason he went after the Samadhi fire to begin with was to have the power, the freedom to stop LBD (which in itself is another case of SWK believing he needed to be stronger for such freedom)), but he also wanted to make sure MK and himself both had agency. He didn't want MK to have to fight LBD, and he didn't want LBD to end the world.

This is exactly the sentiment he tells Macaque in the 4x11 flashback:

Sun Wukong: "It's so we don't have to worry about anything or anyone ever again! Just living a lazy life, sitting in the sun, eatin' fruit, and doing whatever we want!"

But where does it all lead him?

To possession, imprisonment. Once again Wukong no longer had the freedom to do what he wanted (which is to protect the people he cares about). Once again in his attempts to help his loved one's, he only hurt them.

This can be applied to his relationship with Macaque, to MK in s2, hell, even Wukong trying to get the map in the first place left him powerless, which then led to him and the gang being imprisoned in 3x02. It's a familiar pattern, one we see with antagonist and protagonist alike.

MK in s2 trained to become more powerful, which in the end only strengthened LBD and forced him and his friends on the run. Mei in 3x12 protects MK by letting herself get captured and placed into LBD's crystal. Mei in 4x05 goes to protect MK, breaking her sword and leaving her vulnerable to being captured by Kui Mulang ("How am I supposed to protect everyone without my sword?"). DBK reached for more power and then became possessed by LBD, hurting his wife and son. Azure reached for the Jade Emperor's power and bound himself to that role, jeopardizing Peng and Yellowtusk in the process.

It's a cycle of reaching for power, endangering others, and then being imprisoned.

So anyways, here's why MK is going to lose control (his agency) next season and hurt his friends with his own- *get's shot*

[fucksutawneyphil]

whenever i’m like “maybe i think tara is stronger than she actually is” i remember how she went toe to toe with slade when they sparred and his reaction was to silently freak the fuck out

[qiu-yan]

in MDZS the novel, the innkeeper in Yunping mentions that people are too scared to go petition Yunmeng Jiang for help because someone once walked in on Sect Leader Jiang whipping a guy in the main hall, supposedly because the guy was a demonic cultivator.

[watcheraurora]

I’m such a dingus I just barely realized that the Ranchers are the Red-and-Blue ship/pairing trope

[brofightiscancelled]

So if choro hate real…. What’s the current actual ranking of the brothers.

my overall brother ranking is here.... i thought about this a little more deeply and i think if you break down the definition of "i like this character" between "i like rotating this character in my head" and "i get joy from seeing this character in fanart/amv/official illustrations/merch", the rankings are different

rotation ranking: oso > totty >>>> choro >> kara = jyushi = ichi

joy from seeing them ranking: jyushi >>>>>> ichi > oso = kara = totty >>>>>>>> choro

[judasrpc]

LYRIC STARTERS BASED ON MY CURRENT "ON REPEAT" SONGS

aka, subtly exposing my music taste by slamming a bunch of songs onto one post, even if these probably exist as separate ones somewhere. the sections will be separated by the song titles & artists. this only includes my top 10, because we would be here forever if i included any more.

add context & change gendered language to your needs !! if multi, please specify which muse(s) !!

INVISIBLE - DURAN DURAN

" Living without choice is a life without a voice. "

" Has the memory gone? Are you feeling numb? "

" Will you say my name? "

" Hindsight is falling on my face. "

" When you don't hear a word I say […] "

" But a voiceless crowd isn't backing down. "

"Can you say my name? "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

FLIGHT OF THE CROWS - JHARIAH

" I cannot help but think I've overstayed my welcome. "

" The company's quite nice on crimson nights like these. "

" Well, I think that I've gotta go, and I don't know why. "

" I need you to promise that you won't cry. "

" Let those old memories go. "

" Please understand that I will find a brand new life. "

" So just let me out of your mind. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

BLOOD UPON THE SNOW - HOZIER & BEAR MCCREARY

" Nature offers a violence. "

" The world that hardens as the harsher winter holds. "

" The ground walked here is a wonder. "

" And all things nature's given; she takes all things back from the living. "

" I've walked the earth, and there are so few here that know. "

" It's not my arms that will fail me. "

" This world takes more strength than it gave me. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

RISK, RISK, RISK - JHARIAH

" We would've never worked out together. "

" Wager all you've got, and run me all that shit. "

" I can't take another day! I need some change. "

" There's things you just can't see with such precautious eyes. "

" I don't think I need to tell you; you'll see me when I do. "

" Better bite your tongue! "

"I don't second-guess a vision. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

EAT YOUR YOUNG - HOZIER

" Let me wrap my teeth around the world. "

" I want to feel the edges start to burn. "

" If there's something to be gained, there's money to be made. "

" Throw enough rope until the legs have swung. "

" You can't buy this fineness. "

" If there's something still to take, there is ground to break. "

" Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CARELESS WHISPER - GEORGE MICHAEL

" I feel so unsure. "

" Something in your eyes calls to mind a silver screen, and all its sad goodbyes. "

" Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool. "

" To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind. "

" But there's no comfort in the truth, pain is all you'll find. "

" I wish that we could lose this crowd. "

" We could have been so good together. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

APOCALYPTICISM - MOON WALKER

" We fight fire with silence and pray somebody hears. "

" No one said the world can't change in just a couple nights. "

" We want a revolution, but only with condition. "

" He came baring the heart of a liar; wearing the face of an honest man. "

" Start feeding the dogs of war. "

" We're in your head and hiding in plain sight. "

" But I don't see any difference, they both look the same to me. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

DIGITAL SILENCE - PETER MCPOLAND

" I won't ask a question; I'll state the truth. "

" This is the way that it is. "

" Something you love turns to something you miss. "

" This is the way that I know. "

" I feel it inside me like a pulse; it's starting to slow and the meter dips. "

" This is the sound of the truth. "

" There is nothing you can do. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

KINGSLAYER - BRING ME THE HORIZON & BABYMETAL

" Are you looking for the other side? "

" I need to know where your loyalties lie. Tell me, are you gonna bark, or bite? "

" Wipe the system and back the fuck up. "

" You are modified. "

" You're a puppet! When they cut your strings off, don't come crawling back. "

" You're on your own. "

" I'll fight for you until I die. "

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I'M AFRAID I'LL GO TO HEAVEN - MOON WALKER

" I don't wanna live forever, 'cause I don't want what's coming next. "

" Don't think we stand taller together, 'cause half of us ain't got no spine. "

" My biggest fear ain't no red Devil, it's being near you people all the time. "

" I'll be fine as long as you go somewhere else. "

" They tell you truth is what you make it. "

" It's like we don't even gotta try no more. "

" I'm sure your god would love to keep it white, but I think that me and mine will be alright. "

[emergingghost]

just spent forever trying to find julien baker talking about mary oliver's "you do not have to be good" and how that influenced relative fiction but it was actually john steinbeck's line "now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." this was haunting me i was about to make a public plea but i can rest easy now (this article)

[pixelsjoy]

Me playing Tears of the Kingdom: As much as I miss the champions, it makes sense they're not mentioned much. It's been a hundred years since they died. Even if they survived the Calamity, most of them would probably be dead at this point. The only exception being Mipha, who would have been the only one that would still be alive if she survived the calamity due to her age. The reason they're still remembered so much in Breath of the Wild is because the Divine Beasts, one of the last remaining connections to them, are still active and looming in Hyrule. Impa also said that their spirits feel uneasy knowing their task of defeating the Calamity wasn't done. They were at peace when the Calamity was defeated and passed on. They're not brought up from that point on because them and their era are over and can be laid to rest.

Also me playing Tears of the Kingdom: - holding back tears - Damn I miss the champions

[il3x]

"Mannequin's trial demands that a candidate changes themselves, and that it be hard."

here [throws a S9!Toga lore snippet at you and runs]

[emblazons]

STRANGER THINGS x PRISONERS (2013)

“It was taking that idea of a missing child and combining it with the more childlike sensibilities that we have. You know, can we put a monster in there that eats people? Because we are nerds and children-at-heart, we thought it was the best thing ever." - The Duffer Brothers, on how Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners inspired Stranger Things (x)

stranger things inspirations series: 1 / ?

[kohakhearts]

tangentially ive been a primarily polyam shipper for a long time and thats very consistent across every fandom ive been in since ons (gureshinmahi were the blueprint and since to this day im still probably gureshinmahi fan no.1 by wc on ao3 alone i think im allowed to clog the nonexistent tag by saying that </3) but something i love about taking a dynamic between 3 characters is that if you divide it up into its requisite pairings you get very different dynamics - and not just between the characters in the romantic relationship. like how the platonic dynamics shift is ALSO so interesting to me. another fave is when A is in unrequited love with B who is mutually in love with C and it doesn't turn into a "B and C actually loved A too and they all lived happily throuple after." but even if it's not all angsty, "my lover's best friend" is a very different dynamic than "my two lovers" or even "my lover's lover" do you know what i mean???? anyway this all a long way of saying im still an "x has two hands" truther deep down but i love exploring all the different flavours of dynamics

[the-one-that-weeps]

REAL I CANT DRAW WITHOUT SMTH IN THE BACKGROUND!! It's mostly music for me though bc sometimes i hyperfocus bc of a detail or a specific pose or a specific scene/context i have in mind for a drawing or whatever, and ESPECIALLY if I write dialogues. I gotta focus on that and end up dissociating through half the story if I have an audiobook on 😭😭 With music it's not as bad if I dont hear 3 songs in a row bc I hyperfocused on smth

YESSSSS you get it. Me when I'm so invested in the song I start loosing myself in the scenario

I'm glad we're having a conversation about this because I just found some papers/loose sketchbook pages and I can remember specifically what I was listening to while I was doodling.

I have 5 pages straight that are a chaotic mix between 1) Latin declension tables and translations (I had the video on 2x ["I'm top of the class if i can't review it at 2x I'm a failure and i should perish by the blade of Babel"] and the frustration shows) 2) Mizuki Akiyama

It's like those "Medic from Team Fortress 2 urges you to get out of bed and keep living" videos but worse. Poor little pink thing shaking me by the shoulders while repeating "THE PLURAL ABLATIVE OF 3RD DECLENSION IS -IBUS. STOP FORGETTING. STOP FORGETTING" as if they're not going through the 5 stages of grief too

[elfcollector]

how can you not want to see the person you love?

rating: teen

relationships: platonic farah & the detective, mentioned ava/the detective

warnings: talk of neglect and death

summary: "It sucks, that Ava's so repressed and stupid and cruel. But just because she's dumb doesn't mean you're alone. And it sucks that your mom wasn't around." Farah's hands curl over hers and squeeze, careful, gentle. "You've still got a family. I swear, you've still got a family."

"Are you — okay?"

Nat's voice is comforting and kind, for all that she isn't even pretending to think that Erin might be; she watches the Detective — or Agent, now, a change in title that will take some adjustment for both of them — unwrap the bandages around her hands and grit her teeth at the bruised and busted knuckles beneath them. Erin has spent most of the period since taking down the auction in the training room, every spare moment spent throwing punches. Were Ava and Erin speaking in more than short, clipped statements, and only when they've got no choice, Nat imagines that Ava would probably approve of the other's dedication. As it is, Ava is too miserable and Erin is too angry for Ava's approval — or for that approval to matter.

"I'm fine," Erin says, rolling her shoulders back and sitting back on one of the room's benches to rest. Nat can't blame Erin for her anger — but she worries, even so.

"You've barely rested, Erin. I just worry you may be pushing yourself too hard."

"I said I'm fine." The words are hard, nearly spat, and Natalie winces; Erin does, too, head ducking, hands pressing to her face. "Ugh. I'm sorry. I sound like Ava — I'm okay. I just..."

Natalie moves closer but doesn't sit beside her. "I understand. And I won't push you to rest if you're not ready to. But please at least think on it, all right?"

Erin nods, wondering at the quiet, stinging space in her chest that wishes Nat would push harder. Natalie is certainly her best friend within Unite Bravo, but sometimes her dedication to smoothing things over, avoiding conflict at the expense of everything else, stings. It would be nice, for someone to fight — really fight — for her heart, even if that meant fighting her. No one's ever been brave enough.

Or maybe Erin is just too stubborn by half.

She smiles, sharp and unkind, into her hands. I really am just like Ava.

But she doesn't say that. "I will. I promise, Nat. Thank you for worrying."

Nat nods to herself, only seeming half-convinced, but takes her leave. Not before casting a worried, loving gaze back at Erin, now nursing her busted knuckles. Erin wishes she could say she appreciated the quiet.

She sits forward with a groan, hands rising to curl around the back of her neck. They press against her vertebrae as she tries to ignore the feel of the scars from Murphy against her throat — or the memory of Ava's lips on that very spot. The thought, however brief, has her groaning once more, irritation flooding her chest — directed more at herself than at Ava. It's pathetic, the way that even this angry and heartbroken and betrayed, her body still alights at the memory.

I shouldn't have kissed her, Erin thinks, not for the first time. That was stupid of me. And maybe it was. But it was cruel of Ava, too — and worse to be cruel than stupid.

She sits up, looking over the empty room. Despite the way she chose to send Nat away, she's tired of empty rooms.

As if on cue, there's a figure walking through the door; Farah's golden eyes widen at the sight of the detective, and then a wide smile splits her lips. She's across the room in an instant, leaning on the bench and grinning down at Erin; the smile is so wide that Erin can't help but return it.

"Did Nat send you after me? You don't strike me as somebody who spends a lot of time working out," Erin asks, but there's no unkindness to her voice, just a little teasing.

Farah's head tilts. "Nah, haven't seen Nat. I was actually looking for Ava, and this is usually her turf." Erin flinches at the name, and Farah smiles sympathetically.

"She's not here. I've effectively run her off."

Farah's sympathetic smile fades into an even more sympathetic grimace. "Serves her right, if you ask me."

Erin barks out a laugh. "Thanks."

There's a few long moments of silence; Erin fills it by re-wrapping her busted knuckles, and Farah rocks back on her heels, hands in her pockets, seeming to consider something. Weighing her options. Erin lets her do so, at least until she asks, "So, is the Ava thing making it weirder with your mum?"

Erin freezes, eyes widening. Her head whips up to face the agent, lips twisting into a frown until she realizes looking at her face that this isn't one of Farah's well-meaning jokes that occasionally crosses a line; it's a sincere, worried question. She still sputters for an answer at the incredibly blunt inquiry.

"Uh —" it's almost a choke. "Elaborate."

"I just mean — well, y'know, Nat and Ava aren't my moms or anything — blech." Farah pretends to gag. "We're all equals, but they are way older than me, and they kinda act a little parental sometimes. And if somebody I was in love with —" Erin doesn't bother flinching at the words, "— broke my heart like an asshole, then I'd have Nat and Ava to go to. But you and your mom don't really — talk. About anything, let alone this sorta thing. So I was wondering if that felt like shit."

Erin does flinch this time, teeth grinding. "I'm fine," she bites out, like she'd done to Nat several minutes earlier. Unlike Nat, though, Farah doesn't make to leave; her lips press together, thinning slightly, then she shakes her heard.

"You're obviously not. And, look, if you don't wanna talk to me about it that's your prerogative. But you're part of this family, so you don't get to sulk alone."

"I'm not sulking —" but even the offense is sputtered, choked past a sharp mixture of shock and pain at the word family. Farah just gives her a look, a thick brow arching, and Erin ducks back down. Her hands rise, hands once again resting against the back of her neck. Her teeth press together. She's mostly just angry because Farah is right, and she knows it.

But she doesn't say that. She lets the silence stretch for a while, before she says, voice soft, less angry than she'd expected, "Family's a tough concept for me, Farah."

From the corner of her eye, past the crooked arms hanging close to her head, Erin sees Farah stiffen a little. "Whattaya mean?"

"Take a guess."

"No." The word is surprisingly strong, but not at all cruel. "Explain it to me."

Erin's surprised that she's not more pissed off by the words. She respects Farah, likes her a great deal, but it's so frustrating, too — that Farah never takes no for an answer, never knows when to quit. But hadn't Erin just been hoping for that?

She's surprised she's not angry.

And Erin's surprised, when after a long, silent moment, she does explain it. "My dad died when I so little. I barely remember him, but I remember how bad everything got after." It's quiet. "Rebecca had always been busy, but after he died, it was like — she just disappeared. And when she was around, my whole childhood, it always felt like she — didn't know how to be near me." She remembers their conversation after the meeting with the Chamber and Rebecca's confession that she'd stayed away because she hadn't known how to parent her. Like that was supposed to be a comfort. "Dad's dead and — Mom throws herself into work so she doesn't have to see me. And I was the rich, strict kid without parents, so I didn't have any friends to fall back on, just whatever nanny Rebecca hired. It was just — I always felt wrong. Wrong for Mom. Wrong for everybody else."

Farah doesn't speak. Not until Erin laughs and says, harsh and exhausted, "Wrong for Ava."

Farah stiffens again; in an instant, the agent is on kneeling before Erin where she sits, hands resting on her knees. The sudden movement is enough to have Erin's head lifting, eyes widening, hands loosening from around her neck and then falling to rest on the bench beside her.

"You're not wrong for anybody," Farah insists.

"So, yeah — I wish Rebecca was somebody I could go to about Ava. Mostly, I just wish I had a mum at all. But instead I'm ——" She bites down on the words. This is already so much fucking vulnerability, so much more honesty than she can ever bear, but Farah's eyes are wide and kind and open. It's easy to make confessions. It's easy, and that feels so wrong. (Again, the miserable thought: I'm so much like Ava.)

"You're what?" the vampire presses softly.

She doesn't want to be like Ava, pushing everyone who loves her away. "I'm still alone, and after all this it still feels like — the problem is me."

Farah's eyes widen, her hands moving to take Erin's; they hold tight, tugging those hands into Erin's lap. The detective inhales raggedly. Farah says, "It sucks, that Ava's so repressed and stupid and cruel. But just because she's dumb doesn't mean you're alone. And it sucks that your mom wasn't around." Her hands curl over hers and squeeze, careful, gentle. "You've still got a family. I swear, you've still got a family."

The words break something. Something small, something bleeding. Erin hasn't cried about the pain — not once — has been too stubborn and angry to allow it. No tears at the auction, bound and fearful for Bobby and herself. No tears staring at the faces of strangers stolen away because of her. No tears at the nightmares of Murphy that she can't escape. No tears when Ava kissed and then fled from her. But this — this simple, desperate promise that she has a family — has her inhaling raggedly, eyes stinging and vision blurring. Her hands pull from Farah's to wipe at her eyes as the tears start to fall, and Farah's hands setting on her legs, as if unwilling to allow Erin even the suggestion of aloneness.

It isn't fair, Erin thinks at last, teeth gritting. What a stupid, petulant thought, but it's true, and it's a thought she's been stubbornly repressing for days. Weeks. Years, maybe. It isn't fair. It isn't fair that she didn't get to have a father. It isn't fair that Rebecca chose not to be a mother. And it isn't fair that Ava says she loves her and then throws her away.

It isn't fair that she should have to feel like the problem is her, and it isn't fair that both Rebecca and Ava told her outright that they don't know how to be close to her.

It isn't fair that she should have fallen in love with another person who seems intent on teaching her the miserable lesson that she'll always be alone.

She feels Farah's hands squeeze, just a little, against her knees. Erin's breath catches. That's right. That's right. She's not alone. The words beat against her broken heart, not quite sticking.

Her hands drop from her eyes, the tears slowing to a stop. Farah looks at her without expectation, just warm eyes and a tender, sloping smile. Erin says, "You never know when to leave well enough alone, huh?"

"Nope!" the young woman replies cheerfully. "Not when it comes to my family." She squeezes her knees again. "I'm sorry. I really am, that your mum wasn't there and that Ava can't be, either. But don't forget about the rest of your family. Me, an' Nat and Morgan...we're here for you. We're sticking around."

Erin has a poor track record with keeping families. But it's hard to doubt Farah's eyes and her open smile. And Nat and Morgan are still around, checking on her, despite how cold she's been to them.

"And," Farah continues, "there's nothing about you that's wrong or not enough." She's kind enough not to respond to the way that Erin's heart aches and stutters. "I'm not saying I don't get feeling that way. But if people abandon you, that's on them, not you."

"Even your commander?" Erin asks, the words a little choked.

"Even her." Farah's smile softens further. "She's my family. I love Ava. But you're also my family, and I love you, too."

And Erin's heart breaks in a small, simple way at that small, simple promise. She refuses to cry again, inhaling sharply to keep the tears at bay, and then nods weakly and manages a faint smile. Farah seems to appreciate the attempt.

"Ugh," Erin finally mutters as Farah moves from kneeling in front of her to sitting beside her. "Sorry, I — that was more vulnerability than I've allowed myself since college."

"That's the vibe I got, yeah."

Erin inhales, hard, again. The air helps. So does Farah. She feels less cornered. This is too old a hurt for one conversation to heal it, especially after the wound being driven dug deeper by yet another person who can only say "I love you" when Erin is dying — and another person who abandons her afterwards even so. But it helps. It stems the bleeding. Farah stems the bleeding. Family stems the bleeding.

Erin's smile widens and goes a little heartbroken a little at the thought.

"I'm gonna train a little bit longer then call it," Erin starts, pushing herself to stand. She inhales slow then exhales slower. "You wanna stick around and help?"

Farah grins, popping up herself. "Sure! I'm no Morgan, but I am still a vampire, so prepare to get your shit rocked."

Erin just laughs, posture adjusting. "Thanks." And she doesn't just mean for the warning.