#i mean I have known of his existence for 11 years but I never looked beyond fr character who is a good surface drow until now

[minty-bunni]

Liking Astarion is an incredibly slippery slope into simping for Drizzt Do'Urden

[ateez-himari]

250515 ; FROM THE THRONE

[NEW MESSAGES FROMM HIMARI]

[AM 9:01] Hanzo nii-chan texted me this saying we look the same ㅎㅎ I don't think so though, that poor baby looks so confused, not a thought behind those eyes

[AM 9:02] No...I was talking about the tiger, not me, the tiny thing doesn't even know it exists. Yes I'm still talking about the tiger-

[AM 9:03] My sister in-law congratulated me first this morning because she saw the post while my big brother was training

[AM 9:03] Hanzo nii-chan was trying to make up for the missed time by sending me videos and texts all at once ㅎㅎ He even told his teammates

[AM 9:04] The members woke me up with so many pastries, they were all really emotional. Hongjoong oppa actually cried, it must mean a lot to him too

[AM 9:04] His words were the most memorable, he said 'we made it, so you can rest now, please don't worry about the future anymore'

[AM 9:04] I guess I shouldn't share too many emotions today, our Tiny seem to be celebrating too ㅎㅎ I think I'm still having a hard time believing it

[AM 9:05] As producers we look up to the people at the top of the charts because we know how much it took to reach these heights, but now that I'm there...

[AM 9:05] I don't know, there's much more to achieve, no doubt about that, but it's kind of scary in a sense? Sorry I'm not making sense, I'm overwhelmed ㅎㅎ

[AM 9:06] It was never about recognition no, music has always been some sense of escape for me. Performing was encouraged by fear, and producing by passion

[AM 9:07] You guys have seen so much over the years, some of you even noticed the changes firsthand right? I hope I can make you and the members proud

[AM 9:08] That's a very complicated question...I'm not in the same mindset as when I wrote 'Shadow' or even 'AM 4:44' but you know, some days have been hard recently

[AM 9:08] There's nothing to blame, Tiny. Not everything is going to piece itself back together even after healing, and you have to live with that. It's what the tattoo around my ear means, nothing will ever be perfect, but even in this there is beauty

[AM 9:08] Look at it this way, parts of my past were very sad, they broke me, took something from me, but without those many songs would have never been created

[AM 9:10] ㅎㅎ T.O.P sunbaenim sent me the billboard post just now with question marks. The truth is I've known for around a month but didn't tell anyone-

[AM 9:10] Since Mingi oppa didn't reveal much about our new apartment, no one knows where it is, but I still covered myself fully to attend schedules just in case

[AM 9:10] How do you guys know...he must have told you. I'm so excited, working on Seventeen sunbaenim's new comeback was amazing! I can't wait for you to listen

[AM 9:11] I know the notifications are blowing up my phone, I figured that BND and Xikers would post about it since I'm their producer but still ㅜ.ㅜ I'm very shy

[AM 9:11] I'll work even harder to maintain my position then ㅎㅎ Anyway, sorry my precious Tiny but it's time to go practice now, we have a performance today! I'm excited, it's been a bit since we went up on stage. Since it's such a special day please cheer as loud as you can ��� Love you so much, kisses!

[AM 9:13] that's my girlfriend by the way, stay jealous 😒

Translated from Korean by Google

Taglist ; @prbywoo

[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 11

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC

A/N: Threshing is finally upon us! You finally get to meet Ophelia's dragon. Please let me know your thoughts on them. I would love to see it. I have left a photo of her dragon at the bottom, so if you do not want spoilers, do not go looking! The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

Threshing. The day we either walk out a rider or die trying to become one. Or come out without an dragon. And honestly I’m scared shitless. No amount of training can guarantee your survival, that’s all up to the dragons. As I look around the dining hall, I notice most of the first years are either eating small amounts of food or not at all. Some have even opted to skip the meal entirely. We’re all on edge today.

I force myself to eat another mouthful of food before pushing my plate away and making my way to threshing. I don’t get far before a hand grabs my arm and pulls me behind a pillar, my hands landing on the very solid chest of Garrick.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to pull you in so hard.” He says as he takes a step back, my hands falling to my sides.

For a moment we just look at each other, taking in the presence of each other. Besides me being dead for a few years, the last few weeks have been the longest we’ve ever gone without talking or being around each other. And judging by the slight shadows forming under his eyes as well as mine, it’s not doing either of us any good. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it at presentation day.

“Look, we don’t need to talk about that day. It can’t wait till after threshing.” He starts as he starts to nervously pace back and forth in front of me, his eye brows furrowed as he thinks about what he wants to say.

He stops in front of me, places his hands on my shoulders, his thumb tracing over the gauntlet patch that now adorns my uniform. A slight smile forming in his lips.

“But promise me you’ll do your best to come back out of there today.” His mouth opens as he goes to continue but he falls short as his eyes look down into mine.

He quickly pulls me into a hug tighter than the one he gave me on my first day here. I feel him instantly relax as I wrap my arms around him, and I’m sure he feels me do the same as I bury my head in his chest. He rest his head on top of mine, and I’m pretty sure I feel him press his lips to the top of my head.

“I don’t need to tell you good luck, you’re the best cadet in your year. Just make sure you come out alive, dragon or not. You’ve got this little one.” He whispers to me.

I don’t trust my voice right now with so many unspoken things between us. But I nod my head, which I know he feels by the way he tightens his grip on me for a brief second. Behind the pillar, tangled in our embrace, it almost feels like we’re in a world of our own. As if we’re far away from the reality of threshing that’s about to start. He releases his hold on me, and leans down and presses his lips to my forehead before departing. Garrick was never one to show emotion like that, so him leaving without another word doesn’t phase me. As he said we will talk after threshing. ———

The feeling I got in presentation day is back. Like something else is present in my mind. I look around for the glimpse of white but I find nothing. White dragons didn’t exist. I had to have seen something else that day. Another coloured dragon that had reflected off the sun weirdly. That had to be it. White dragons did not exist.

Are you sure?

The thought catches me off guard. Halting me in my tracks. I heard it in my head but it didn’t sound like my own. As if someone else was there. I look around the small clearing I’ve walked into but see nothing. I’m alone. Or so I thought.

Hot air cascades over me. The same hot air I felt on presentation day. Dragons breath. I turn slowly and come face to face with a large brown club tail dragon. It almost reminds me of Garrick’s dragon, but I know it’s not. Garrick has described his dragon to me before, and had even seen a projection of it in classes. Maybe Garrick and I would have matching brown dragons. But I know this dragon does not belong to me. It just doesn’t feel…. Right.

A loud thud echoes around the clearing, the ground shaking with it. The brown dragons eyes go wide before slowly stepping away. Almost as if it was… scared. In its eyes I catch a glimpse of white.

I slowly turn around, and behind me, perched on a large pile of rocks and boulders is one of the biggest dragon I’d ever seen. And the only white dragon I had ever seen. The white I’d seen on presentation day. But it’s not completely white. Its eyes, tips of its horns and dagger tail, and the webbing of its wings are all a bright crimson red. I’d seen red dragons before with white, or very light yellow bellies and under scales. But this dragon was the reverse of that. And honestly it was beautiful. I hear the brown club tail take off behind me, leaving me alone with the white dragon.

The dragon jumps off the rocks gracefully as it makes its way slowly over to me. Each step shaking the ground beneath me. When it’s close enough it leans its head down to me and looks me directly in the eyes. Up close I’m just reaching above its ankle.

Yes. You’re the one I’ve been looking for. Ophelia Riorson.

It’s the same voice I’d heard earlier. The same presence I had felt on presentation day. This was my dragon. The presence in my head changes to one of pride at my recognition of who this is. As if sensing the question I’m about to ask she speaks in my head.

You can call me Mealladh.

“Going to take me a bit to learn how to say that.”

She lets out a light chuckle at my remark. Good to know she can take a joke.

You will learn. We will hopefully have many years for you to get it right.

”I saw you. On presentation day. You were in the trees. Weren’t you?” I ask as I look her over.

Now that she is closer, I can see the underside of her is slightly darker than the rest. She’s grey underneath. Almost the perfect colour match to the clouds. She would be almost invisible from above.

She nods. I was there. I knew as soon as I saw you, that you would be my first rider. You are what I’ve been waiting for.

“Why me?” I ask her. She’s clearly not a young dragon. The way she holds her self, and the presence in my mind tells me she isn’t a new mature dragon. And if the leadership knew of a white dragon, we would have known about it. Why had she waited all this time? And why me?

Firstly I am not a white dragon. I am a red dragon. And the rest will come with time little one.

My eyes go wide at her nickname for me. The same nickname Garrick used for me.

She chuckles, hot air blowing over me. Now climb on, we have a show to put on. And I get the feeling we’re gonna cause a bit of commotion amongst your leadership when we land.

I climb up her leg with ease, and find my spot on her back easily and settle down. Clearly satisfied I’m in a good spot, she wastes no time on launching us into the air. In seconds we’re about the trees, soaring in the sky. In the distance I see the flight field. I didn’t realise how far I had walked. I must have been going faster than I thought. Mealladh puts me through a series of manoeuvres, seeing if I can keep my seat. But somehow I get it’s all for show, to please the leadership watching us down below.

A smile spreads across my face as we sore above the tree line, effortlessly gliding through the air. It almost feels like second nature to me. Like I was made for this. Made to be a dragon rider. But another part reminds me, Melgren had essentially trained me for this. I try to push the thought aside, but then it dawns on me. He will be in the flight field waiting. He will want to see if I survived threshing, and bonded a dragon he deemed worthy. Me bonding with Mealladh was definitely going to draw more attention to me from him.

As we start our decent I see we are one of the first ones back with only a few dragons down below. And I can feel all eyes on Mealladh and I. As we land nearly everyone takes a few steps forward as if they can’t believe what they’re seeing. I dismount from Mealladh with ease, and take a moment to look around the flight field. There’s only a handful of first years with dragons around me. None of them I recognise. I’m the first of my squad and wing to land.

Here goes nothing. I think as I start my walk down to the roll keeper and leadership, all looking at us with looks of disbelief.

You will be fine. Mealladh speaks in my head startling me. I’d almost forgotten she can hear my thoughts if I don’t shield her out. Not that I would want to.

About halfway to the roll keeper, a Brown Scorpiontail lands next to me, their rider dismounting in a rush, running around the front leg to look at me. Garrick. His eyes instantly meet mine and he smiles proudly at me. Relief evident in his eyes that I’ve made it back alive. Then his eyes shift to Mealladh behind me and his eyes go wide in disbelief. He looks up at Chradh who nods their head at Garrick, clearly having a conversation. Chradh must be why Garrick flew in so quickly. He must have sensed through the other dragons I had bonded.

I shift my focus forward as I near the roll keeper waiting for me. On her left is General Sorrengail. Violet’s mother. I had only met her a few times in my time at the college. She gives me a curt nod. On the roll keepers right. General Melgren. His eyes narrow at Mealladh and I.

“Interesting Dragon you have there Riorson. Different colouring for a Red Dragon.” Melgren states as I take my place. “Don’t think we’ve seen them before.”

I ignore his words and keep my focus on the roll keeper who is still staring at Mealladh behind me

“Ah, what is the name of your d-dragon? She stammers out nervously.

“Mealladh.” I state proudly before I turn to go back to my Dragon, not giving Melgren a chance to talk to me.

The entire way back I can feel his eyes on me. Watching my every move. I look up at Mealladh to see her glaring at Melgren behind me.

I don’t like him. A low growl echoes from her. I don’t have to turn to know she is talking about Melgren.

“Neither do I.” I swear I hear her chuckle at my response as I take my place beneath her as we wait for the other first years to come back.

Slowly the flight field fills with other first years and their bonded dragons. As I glance over the first years and their dragons, I see Garrick staring at Melgren who is still watching me like a hawk. Melgren is too focused on me to notice his gaze. If he did, Garrick would have a target on his back. Though something tells me he already does with the mark on his arm and how close he is to my brother.

It doesn’t take long for Melgren’s attention to deviate from me as Violet lands in the flight field with a dragon even bigger than mine. The unbonded black dragon at that. A flash of gold catches my eye and I spy the Golden Feathertail under the black dragons wing. The one others had talked about on presentation day. As Violet announces both the Black and Gold Dragon as hers, all hell breaks loose.

Part 12

@riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh Ophelia's Dragon - Mealladh

[simblorbo-bracket]

FINALS - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Losers Bracket

Saxen (@herecirmsims) VS. Nancy Landgraab (@fallstaticexit)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

The penultimate matchup of the entire tournament! The winner will break through the ceiling and re-emerge in the mainline finals! Who will go head to head against Geoffrey Landgraab for the title of Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow?

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

Saxen

Things Sax does extremely well: fainting and bleeding (separately), fainting and bleeding (combination), rotting in bed, crying or being completely stoic (no in between), causing more problems while trying to fix his previous problems, omitting certain truths (aka lying).

Now, I don't know if he really counts as an SWMM because he's not a classic villain... but in his pursuit of Doing The Right Thing he has made some awful choices. Good intentions, poor outcomes.

I present the evidence beneath the cut:

Some of his crimes:

In an attempt to save his sister, he left his post and facilitated the escape of a world-devouring entity which he was supposed to help contain.

After his sister died he made another attempt to save her, via necromancy, and instead doomed her to an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Until recently, none of her reincarnations were healthy enough to survive infancy.

He befriended the parents of this latest incarnation without filling them in on the backstory, or his motives. After they were killed by his enemy, he took the baby and kept her hidden for 11 years (did she have grandparents, uncles, aunts? Yes, probably. He claims they couldn't have cared for her like he did and technicallyyyy he's right, since her survival required magic, but...)

He broke the arm of one of his 'adopted' adult kids (he has an enchanted cottage which has been a refuge for a lot of people) when said adult tried to prevent him from killing someone else. Yes, technically he did only push Thom and didn't intend for Thom to hit the wall so hard, but...

Long story short but his home world didn't end, it was just knocked out of its timeline for a while. Unfortunately, due to his actions on the day the Grim escaped (attacking portal guards and forcing his way through the rift, just as an unrelated-to-him group stormed the castle), he was a) assumed dead and b) immediately arrested on his return for treason and attempted regicide.

He's a constant menace and cause of stress to his man, the kindest and sweetest soul to ever live. He doesn't mean to be, it's just that his attempts to keep Fen safe often seem to involve risking himself in increasingly creative and fatal ways.

Why should you vote for Sax? Well, I think his endless complex trauma and the fact that almost all his misfortunes happened because he was trying to fix things/help people makes him pretty damn tragic and definitely very damp. He could do with a win. Plus... look at him. 🥲

Nancy Landgraab

What makes Nancy a Sad, Wet Meow Meow? Our famously known townie turned OC is the Queen of Melancholy. She's closeted, she's religiously repressed, she's h*rny, she's rich, she carries the burden of her deceased elder brother, she's the bane of her mother's existence. When she's not internalizing her self loathing, she's gazing longingly into the distance thinking about a life free of her mother's judgement and status that she never wanted in favor of running free through a sunflower field kissing beautiful women. And when she manages to actually show up for her two sons, she's still so emotionally detached that this will very much come up in a therapy session later. Her husband is almost on his knees begging for her to smile but she's still pining after her first love while being married to said husband (who's a second runner up for SWMM tbh).

She's a cheater, she's a liar, she's about to get into some risky, sketchy business, she disappoints her children, she's morally grey, she's a top, she's catholic, she's a cougar, she likes to splurge on dr*gs and strippers, the list goes on. ahhh.

[besaya-glantaya]

In an attempt to exorcise these thoughts from my brain (this movie has taken up residence in my soul), here is an incomplete list of the things I notice and love in Red White and Royal Blue.

1. Henry staring in utter disbelief at the frosting-covered whiskey tumbler Alex plops distractedly into his hand whilst pawing ineffectually at the mess all over Henry's shoulder. Comedy gold.

2. Nora pretending she doesn't know either of them and hiding her face as they scuffle in front the cake.

3. How Alex has Henry literally in his pocket while talking turkey.

4. During Henry's "what does it mean" crisis talk over The Kiss, the entire scene is dressed in bi flag colours. Nora is in pink, Alex in blue, with a purple poster in the background.

5. The soft "whoa" of the white house staffer, who walks into Nora's office just in time to hear her ask Alex: "How many guys have you been with?" She hesitates, stunned, and then looks as if she'd like the ground to open up and swallow her now, thank you very much.

6. His Royal Hardness making flustered small talk with the UK Prime Minister and the US President, while the FSOTUS goes in for a cheeky squeeze. You ridiculous, giddy, fools.

7. Ellen's exasperated "my son thinks he's a fucking comedian" look in reply to Alex's "The night is young, Ma" and his shit eating grin, before diplomatically, and very sensibly, removing the British PM from the vicinity of these two horny idiots.

8. Alex's warm and teasing delivery of "Are they known for their homosexual tendencies?" after Henry says he's "as gay as a maypole." Boy is smitten.

9. When Henry invites Alex to the charity polo match, his initial awkward nerves transition to fond derision when Alex's tells him, crestfallen, that he doesn't know how to play polo. Bless.

10. Henry on a horse. Very much in agreement with Alex on this one.

11. The interleaved editing of the polo match and tack room shenanigans. It reminds me strongly of the interlaced 'what if' scene in Steven Sodenburg's Out of Sight, which is executed at a far slower pace but delivers that same feel of two people being inexorably drawn to each other, almost as if events are fated to happen.

12. The lighting in the Paris cafe scene. God damn those are two beautiful men.

13. Henry's gleefuly bashful admission of innuendo in the Paris cafe. He's just given Alex his full Royal name, but its Henry Fox that's in control here and he's revelling in bringing every moment of his inner fantasies to life.

14. The heartbreaking disconnect between their two perspectives in the Paris walk scene.

That's some bullshit

It's my life

Doesn't mean you have to accept it

Alex has spent his life pushing defiantly against societal expectations. Henry has spent his life weighed down by them, isolated in a way that Alex only barely grasps.

15. I wish, with all my heart, that the fairytale political landscape of this movie was real.

16. The entirety of the morning after scene in the hotel room during the DNC is perfection and Zahra is the MVP. Matthew Lopez said he had no idea he was going to get that mini panic attack from Sarah Shahi and kudos to Sarah for that perfomance. Inspired.

17. How quickly and assertively Alex say "No" to Zarah's "would it make any difference if I told you not to see him again?"

18. The way Zarah says "Everytime I see you, it takes another year off my life." This phrase plays on loop in my brain during shitty work meetings.

19. The coming out scene with Alex and his Mom. A joyous balm for those of us who never got to experience that with our own parents.

20. Forehead touches. Ugh.

21. My brother in Christ, sharpen your knives Oscar, what did that pepper do to deserve that?

22. The catatonic state of sadness that Henry exists in after swimming away from Alex. My heart hurts.

23. The pride flags in the crowd outside Buckingham Palace. Again, can we all have this universe, pretty please?

24. The way Henry takes Alex's hand with such ease in public after the election win. If only Paris Henry could see you now.

[Exorcism sequel here]

[drunknillawafer]

right down the line: zuko x firebender!reader (part 10)

You grew up close to the Royal Family due to your father's position as a General, but you ran away from home after the agni kai against your best friend, Zuko. Now, you've joined the Gaang and plan on doing your part in ending the 100-year war.

Part 9 Part 11

hello!!! omg yall i've been waiting for this era... oh we're really getting into it now! sorry for the sokka lovers... it was so hard to write this one but it must be done! hopefully u guys like it, as always plz give any feedback by liking, reblogging, commenting, it means so much! thanks if you've read this far hehe... also thinking of another fic... but probably won't start that one until I'm done w this one... i don't own these characters or the atla world & it's about 2200 words, enjoy!

⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

It’s been a few days since we all made it out of the desert. How we did it, I’m not sure. But I’m just grateful to finally be out.

The emptiness of the desert is different than the vastness of the North Pole. There’s no water around to soak and all our abilities become useless. The sun and seemingly endless surroundings beat us. No one could do a thing.

We were nothing without Appa. We are nothing without Appa.

With the revelation of the eclipse and rumors about our furry friend’s whereabouts, the five of us were on our way to Ba Sing Se. Hopefully, it would bring some comfort to Aang. The last shred of stability he was standing on was muzzled in the desert, and his pain since has been impossible to ignore. The one thing he brought from home is currently lost somewhere on Earth. How would any of us begin to understand?

\Katara can’t reach him. Sokka, Toph, and I don’t even want to try. For now, being en route to the infamous well-protected capital of the Earth Kingdom would be enough.

I’ve never been. Most of what the Fire Nation educated us on was about how we could manage to tear down the walls and go inside. It was a requirement to tell the story about the Dragon of the West, or Iroh, and his deemed ‘failure.’

Knowing what I know now of the old man’s heart and philosophy, it wasn’t a failure at all. It was a cry for mercy to the world so they could possibly forgive us for wreaking so much havoc. The tiny evidence that kindness still exists in our nation.

The train station itself is already a drastic change from the other Earth Kingdom villages I’ve visited. A well-built stone structure with a developed railway system and guards at every checkpoint. Ba Sing Se mostly kept to themselves, but I could tell from standing in these walls that it would be enormous and far more evolved in comparison.

After Toph saved us from the grouchy woman handing out tickets, we made our way to our designated cart.

For a single moment, it felt like the old times. We had something to do, somewhere to go, and a goal to achieve. Our banter started to return, but Aang’s hesitation for anything about hope could be felt by people halfway across the world. We were as normal as we could be, at least.

“Ah!” I hear Sokka yelp from behind me. All of us turn around to an Earth Kingdom guard. What now?

Menacingly, she grabs him by his collar and begins to point at his chest. “Tickets and passports, please.”

Katara and I share glances of concern, then we both get in defense mode. Protectively, I rest one hand on my sword. Silently, I beg for this to blow over. I don’t think anyone is in the mood to fight.

“Is there a problem?” The boy in blue asks the stranger.

“Yeah, I got a problem with you. You probably think you’re a big shot, huh?” The girl continues. “Let me guess, you’re traveling with the Avatar.” Have they met before? She didn’t look at Sokka like he was a stranger, but a well-known fool.

Sokka finally asks, “Do I know you?”

“You don’t remember me? Figures. Well, let me help you.” She grabs his collar again and plants a big, confident kiss on his cheek. This makes the blood rush to Sokka’s face, and he gleams.

“Suki!” He exasperates and hugs her. Katara lowers her defenses, but my hand is firmly planted on my sword. My body isn’t letting me relax and I don’t know why.

Awkwardly though, I try to make my presence known. “Um.” Is about all I can stumble out. The bubble in my throat is making it hard to sound anything but dazed and confused.

The boy in blue turns around to me as if he’s forgotten I was there at all. Don’t let it hurt; I tell myself. At least not yet. Be cool, calm, and collected. Everything the Fire Nation is known for, right?

Sokka pulls away from… Suki to face me. “Oh!” He realizes once his eyes land on mine. I’ve never seen this version of him before and it’s quickly my least favorite.

Suki stands in the same awkward place I am in, glancing between the both of us to connect any dots she’s missing.

Sokka turns his head back and forth, trying to come up with something to say. The words don’t seem to be settling in for him. “Suki! This is Y/N. We picked her up a while back. After Kyoshi Island.” Kyoshi Island had only briefly been mentioned among the five of us. Now I know why. I guess he does this everywhere Appa used to take him. The next words fall out of his mouth slowly, like a slap in the face I was desperately trying to avoid. “We’re friends.”

Sometimes when your heart breaks just the right amount, your body has no choice but to smile. The smile spreading across your face is the only thing keeping you together, like a band aid patching up a crack in a dam. It doesn’t do much for the dam, but it makes everyone else feel better.

Kindly, she greets me. “Hi! I’m Suki. I’m a Kyoshi Warrior, it’s so nice to meet you!” It doesn’t help that she doesn’t know. I can’t hate her, she’s too kind to hate. Too oblivious to see the pain I’m in.

How would she know about us if they haven’t seen each other since then?

Another logical reasoning that should make the upset, hurt, and worry go away. But it doesn’t. This is when I know the knot in my chest is not going to leave so easily.

I replay everything from the moment I jumped off of the crimson trees. When I spotted him, when he saw me. The handshake that confirmed the future, saving the village. The Northern Water Tribe. All of that came after her. I was just the second one to take his words as a promise.

Sokka can’t meet my eye right now. He can only let out a nervous laugh and rub the back of his neck.

On cue, “Avatar Aang. We need your help!” We turn our heads to the cry for assistance, successfully interrupting an impossible situation for the boy in blue.

☆

It wasn’t enough for the universe to make me realize that I’m in second place. It also had to force me to cross Serpent’s Pass with the one who got first place.

Logically, it’s better that we have her around. She’s a strong fighter, better than Sokka actually. It would help our odds. But part of me wished the grouchy lady had simply let us on the train.

The people of the Earth Kingdom, I have come to know, are set in their ways and I’m not getting out of this one.

I don’t know why it bothered me so much. It’s not like he’s wrong. We are friends. But I thought we were more. He sure acts like it everywhere else besides in front of her.

It’s difficult not to let it get to you. Let it consume you and dictate everything you’ve known about yourself to be true. Everything I had experienced with him was after. I would never make him feel the way she did, and I could feel it.

I haven’t spoken a single word to him since we left the train station, and he hasn’t noticed. He’s more concerned about Suki and her being here.

I’ve never known what it’s like for Sokka to not choose me.

For the night, we decided to sleep on a safe part of the Serpent’s Pass and attempt to walk in the daytime. Before the rocks disappear into the ocean, there’s a slab big enough for everyone and the refugees to camp. There’s also enough space to avoid them.

In this secluded area I’ve managed to find, where no one can see my true feelings, I find myself with nothing to do but think. Sitting on a rock I’m using as a bench, I look up at Yue as she’s planted in the sky, grazing us with her light.

I take a deep breath in and let the waves wash over me. The only sound is the water crashing into the rock. I try to not think about tomorrow, but right now. Here, I could wear the humiliation on my face with no one to hide it from.

When did I let Sokka have this much power over me? When did he manage to get under my skin?

It feels odd; to feel pain over something new. The last few years have been nothing but torture, but at least I’d gotten used to it.

This one. This is surprising and fragile all in one. If you had told me a few weeks ago that I’d be here, sitting and moping about Sokka, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am. With only myself to blame for letting my guard down.

I knew better, but I still did it. I let myself believe someone I cared about wouldn’t hurt me. Didn’t I learn my lesson last time?

It bites.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps against the pavement and I’m hoping I’m hallucinating them. No cactus juice, only me. But I’m not.

In front of me, Sokka finds my secluded safe space and I can’t find my smile band aid. There’s only a frown ready for him, but he’s not surprised. He’s come here to talk about something.

“So.” I begin. He sits down on the space available on the rock, next to me, shoulder-to-shoulder. I could feel his warmth flow through my body from this light touch. It’s still comforting to have him nearby.

“Yeah?” He questions. Sokka looks at me, and the moon is shining his face beautifully. It almost hypnotizes me, but then I remember.

“Suki.” Obviously.  

“Yeah.” This time I can hear the pain in his voice. It’s a tough conversation, but we owe it to each other.

“Was I just the second?”

“What? No. Why would you say that?”

“It’s how it looks. You said we were friends.” ‘Friends’ comes out of my mouth like its venom, a poison. A bad word.

“You wanted to be friends.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I don’t get you; you know.” Sokka stands, frustrated. “You’re confusing. You say you like me, but you don’t want to be my girlfriend.”

I shrug my shoulders. “It’s complicated.”

“Why?”

“Because it is!”

He zeroes in on his question. “No. Why, Y/N?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know.”

“Know what?”

“It’s complicated because of Zuko.”

Sokka almost knocks the wind out of me when his name hangs in the air. With all the might in my body, I am trying to hold the tears back. Why is he saying this?

“No, it’s not!”

“Then why couldn’t you say anything after the Northern Water Tribe? Why don’t you want to be with me?”

“I don’t know!” I sound like a child with nothing but empty replies.

“Yes, you do. And I’ve been here, waiting for you… But seeing Suki… it brought up a bunch of feelings.” Sokka sighs. “Aren’t I allowed to be confused?”

I’m trying. I’m trying more than anything to be more than where I come from. To be more than my roots and anger and pain and continuing the cycle. I don’t want to spew out venom, I want to be kind. But sometimes, I don’t do that well of a job.

“I’ll make it easier for you then.” I stand to look at him in the eye. “Don’t count me in as an option.”

“Y/N—”

But I’ve walked away before I could hear anything.

☆

Gently, Sokka pulls Suki away from him, separating their lips. He glances around to see if Y/N was near, she’s not. She didn’t see the kiss.  

It’s been an odd day for him.

He was already on edge with Suki joining them for Serpent’s Pass. He didn’t want anyone else he loved to be in danger. It was enough to worry about Katara, Y/N, Toph, Aang, and Appa all the time.

He knew it wasn’t realistic, but he couldn’t help it. Sokka had been this way his whole life. The need to keep everyone safe had been instilled in him since his mother died and his father left.

He could tell Y/N was upset with him from the moment he saw her face, and as much as it hurt him greatly to argue, it all had to come spilling out. For both of their sakes.

Sokka didn’t know until that moment that Zuko bothered him so much. The idea that Y/N was choosing between the both of them angered him. The universe is funny, though. It reunited him with Suki, and now he’s faced with the same problem.

But Y/N isn’t him, she won’t wait. She’s too grand. And he won’t make her. It’s over before it had a chance to begin.

He’s already hurt her.

Sokka’s sure she’d find some way to get him back, though. It was one of her best traits. The need to make everything fair. The fire inside of her never died out.

It wasn’t the kind of fire that terrorized villages and separated families, but the kind that keeps you warm in the coldest of places.

Now, he needed to deal with the girl in front of him, and he had no idea what to do.

-------------------------------------

tag list <3: @camilleverreault @staygoldsquatchling02 @yunloyal @lily-ann-b <3!

[blanketorghost]

Okay hi hello I have seen a sudden new influx in EAH fans (hiiiii welcome <3) and while I am very happy to see this little fandom still be more than three pieces of lint and a paperclip, I am here to give y'all a list of already DEBUNKED EAH myths that somehow always show up whenever this happens every 1/2 years:

"Apple White and Raven Queen are related."

They are not. In Chapter 2 Episode 11 "Blondie Branches Out" there's a throaway line explaining how the 'Prince Charming' role is distributed between multiple unrelated Charming families. There is also no mention in any of EAH media of Apple and Raven being related. The only related characters are:

Poppy and Holly O'Hair (Twins)

Giles & Milton Grimm (Siblings, Milton is the oldest)

Cerise Hood and Ramona Badwolf (Siblings, order not specified)

Daring, Dexter and Darling charming (Siblings, Daring is the oldest and Dexter and Darling are fraternal twins)

Briar Beauty and Rosabella Beauty (1st Cousins)

Gus and Helga Crumb (1st Cousins)

The Hood/Badwolf sisters, Sparrow Hood (Distant cousins)

In Apple White's 'Royally Ever After' diary, the retelling of the Snow White fairytale has Apple be Raven's personal assistant that later overthrows her rule, meaning familial relation and them sharing a royal bloodline is not a necessary part of the narrative.

"XYZ Background character is the descendant of ABC fairytale character."

Unless directly confirmed by a GURU media employee or mentioned in the show, none of the background characters have a direct counterpart.

Most of the most famous background characters are actually cameos/based off of animators (pictured below):

The fandom wiki is not a reliable source given the fact it has no edit protection and the moderators are no longer active.

Be carefulnot to confuse popular hedacanons or fan designs (more often than not fanart by red_red_heels, boots.caitlin and/or theprincessswan on instagram)

"XYZ's fairytale parent is dead."

Unless specifically stated, this is also not true. Certain stories have a loophole or workaround that prevent major character death. So far we have been given confirmation of:

Cinderella (Unknown loophole): shown to still be alive in 'Ashlynn Ella's Story'

The Swan Queen (Turned into a swan forever): It is not known wether or not Duchess' mom gave birth to her while she was still a human or if she was born from an egg. Raised by her grandmother. It is implied her curse is generational.

The Little Mermaid (Happy Ending): The first time this loophole is mentioned explicitly (Meeshell's diary). She was given a happy ending and lives under the sea, unlike the original HCA story. Story variation further explained in 'Fairy Tail Ending'.

The Big Bad Wolf (Unknown loophole): Self explanatory.

Baba Yaga (Possible Immortality?): Self explanatory.

The Candy Witch (Version recorded in the Storybook of Legends confirmed to be inaccurate): Explained in 'Kiss and Spell'.

"Descendants killed EAH."

Look, I am as much of a Descendants hater as the next guy, but the unfortunate truth is that EAH was never as successful as Mattel expected it to be. Their style was too 'childish and girly' for kids who were already into Monster High, and their themes were far too complex for younger kids to fully grasp. So their target audience was unfortunately not very interested. This is coming from someone who was around 11-12 when EAH came out. As an existing MH fan, I was turned off by it as at that time kids were entering their more 'edgy' phase and wasn't willing to give it a chance.

What dealt the killing blow was Mattel and Disney severing their contract over the Disney Princess doll line due to decreasing quality, and then after the release of descendants with Hasbro, one of Mattel's biggest competitors.

-

There's probably some other myths I missed, but these are the most common/widely believed ones. I'll maybe reblog/update later with more myths as I come across them.

[pet-genius]

"No one deserves to be praised for kindness if he does not have the strength to be bad" - La Rochefoucauld

And is that not just "Snape to a T," as @dementedlollipop had put it while I was contemplating making a meta?

I think I can relate to the concept of goodness vs. greatness in HP that I've been toying with for actual years. The distinction first comes up in Ollivander's shop, IIRC, where Ollivander remarks that Voldemort did things that were "terrible" but "great", which makes Harry uncomfortable. But of course it does, because Ollivander is literally calling his parents' murderer "great". And that word keeps coming up: "You could be great, you know," the Sorting Hat whispers to Harry.

What if Harry's praiseworthiness is not in ending up in Gryffindor, but in choosing his idea of goodness (which was naive, as he was only 11 and his only source of intel was Hagrid)?

Dobby has always known of Harry's greatness, but not of his goodness, because the too things are not the same. The main "lesson" of COS is that our choices make us who we are, but how many 11 year olds are offered the choice? How many children ended up in Slytherin because no one had warned them about that House, because they had no personal stake in where they would be? Harry is not only a Gryffindor but someone who might as well not have been, hence his goodness. Harry constantly grapples with the knowledge that he is actually not special and has no outstanding power, and Dumbledore constantly has to remind him - the power of love. The power of choice. Picture young Snape, torn between the two, with Lily representing an idea of goodness that is increasingly foreign to him as she aligns herself with people he has good reason to despise. On his other shoulder, greatness - as he conceives it - whispers. It might be telling him something like... "There is no good or bad. Only power and those too weak to seek it." Or even something like... "our choices make us who we are. Do you choose to stay weak or come under my wings and learn how to be strong?"

He has every power to be bad, because his tragic life made that path the easier one. At some point, it might have looked like the only option. Certainly Dumbledore would not have humored a young Snape who had never been corrupted to start with, by the way. What glory or greatness could the Order offer him?

Funnily enough, his biggest criticism of James is that he was "mediocre" and "arrogant," neither of which translates directly to a "violent bully" in my eyes. I don't want to make another post about James, but I do think it says a lot about what Snape valued - at least at the time when James had been alive, when Snape probably verbalized his criticisms.

"Ought implies can", Kant tells us, meaning (as I read it) that moral duty arises only when the possibility exists. But we don't deserve praise for merely doing as we ought. Snape deserves praise just as much as deserves condemnation, because his story has always been that of choice between viable options. The option to be good must have seemed less viable when he was a short-sighted and traumatized teenager, but he always had it. Greatness, and goodness, praiseworthiness... belong to the adult we met, the petty and vindictive and still-traumatized and still embittered man who - even after killing Dumbledore, when capitalizing on his strength to be bad could not be easier - still chose the struggle. It feels like a good point to end the meta, except that I read it and I feel ridiculously self-important and like I barely skimmed the surface. I guess the quote in the title just really encapsulates why Snape is so endlessly fascinating, on top of just being, ultimately - good.

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 11: Pause & Pose

Citron: << I don’t see anything wrong with this. >>

Staff: << Understood. Also, there is one more thing– >>

Staff: << As Citronia-sama’s activities become more widely known, the interest in foreign arts and culture increases. >>

Staff: << There have been discussions about proposing the invitation of foreign performances. >>

Citron: << That sounds brilliant. Let’s try discussing it with my father. >>

Staff: << I will create an outline as soon as possible, then. >>

Citron: << I will also keep an eye on promising theater companies and the like. >>

Staff: << I appreciate that. I will create an outline in time for the International Arts Festival, so please wait for a while. >>

Citron: << About that… Please put my attendance confirmation on hold due to scheduling reasons. >>

Staff: << Would you like to have someone else go in your stead? His Majesty said this is a good opportunity to promote Zahra overseas… >>

Citron: << No, if we are going to participate, I am the right person for it. I just have some work piled up. Give me some time. >>

Staff: << Understood. >>

Citron: …

-

[Keyboard keys clicking]

Tsuzuru: … *exhales*

Masumi: … It’s 12.

Tsuzuru: Are you some kinda time announcer? It’s okay. I’ll take a break soon.

[Phone vibrating]

Masumi: …

Tsuzuru: Answer properly if it’s someone you know.

Masumi: I know.

Masumi: … I’m gonna call them back, so leave the room.

Tsuzuru: Eh? You’re making me leave?

Masumi: Hurry.

Tsuzuru: Okay, okay. I got it.

-

Tsuzuru: (Could he have just been trying to get me to take a break?)

Tsuzuru: (Guess I’ll eat and then go for a walk…)

-

Clerk: Welcome. You may sit wherever you like.

Tsuzuru: …

Syu: Oh, if it ain't Minagi-sensei.

Tsuzuru: Eh—

Tsuzuru: (Otomiya-san in a café is kinda… Should I say surprising? Should I call it a mismatch? … I’d understand if we were in a bar.)

Syu: It’s not like I only go out to drink, y’know.

Tsuzuru: (He saw right through me…)

Syu: Are you alone? Hang out with me for a bit.

Tsuzuru: I am. Then, excuse me…

Tsuzuru: (He even acts like we’re in a bar.)

Syu: Man, that Yukio’s really done it now.

Tsuzuru: Eh?

Syu: The Fleur Award.

Syu: This is Yukio we’re talking about, so all he’s thinking is probably things like “Theater is the best” and “It’d be fun if everyone could aim for the Fleur Award ♪”

Syu: He hasn’t stopped to think about the people who got caught up in this and are all confused.

Tsuzuru: Haha…

Tsuzuru: (It’s really starting to feel that way…)

Syu: So, how’s it going? Do you have a winning strategy?

Tsuzuru: Ah, we’re thinking of doing sequels to our debut performances…

Syu: Heeeh. That sounds interesting.

Tsuzuru: It’s just, this is my first time writing a sequel. I’m worried about how to plan it and what people are expecting of me. My pen’s feelin’ heavy, so to speak.

Syu: Isn’t the way you always go about it fine? Isn’t that why you chose to make a sequel of your debut?

Tsuzuru: I mean, I guess that’s true.

Syu: Well, if you need some more help— 

Tsuzuru: ?

Syu: … Have you heard of Director Akazaki?

Tsuzuru: Eh, I have. Isn't he pretty famous?

Syu: As a director and a scriptwriter, he holds a scriptwriting camp once every few years to nurture new talents.

Syu: He's holding it again this year, so he asked me if I know any promising young scriptwriters.

Syu: I was thinking of recommending you, but it looks like you’re too busy for it.

Tsuzuru: A scriptwriting camp… Such a thing exists?

Syu: Scriptwriters that participated in the past have won theater awards overseas, and have been selected for major dramas. The record’s good.

Tsuzuru: I’ve never participated in something like that before. I’m really interested.

Tsuzuru: But, considering the results of 1Q will be announced in three months, I think now’s not the time to participate in something like that…

Tsuzuru: (It’s a tempting new challenge, but given the timing, I don’t think I can accept it.)

Tsuzuru: If there’s a next time, I’d definitely want to participate.

Syu: Got it. I’ll let you know when that time comes.

Syu: As I said before, it’s fine if you stay the way you are, Minagi-sensei.

Syu: If you’re going back to the start, you should ask your past self to teach you about your debut script.

Syu: What do you want to write? That’s the kind of thing that’d appear most clearly in your first work.

Syu: Writing what you want to write’s one of the better parts of working for a particular theater. This sequel is something no one other than you can put out.

Syu: If you get the chance to do what you want, you should take it. Before it gets to a point where you can’t do anything at all, that is.

Tsuzuru: — —

Tsuzuru: (That’s true. He can’t read Hakkaku-san’s sequels anymore.)

Tsuzuru: (And if the rules for the Fleur Award hadn’t changed, we might’ve never brought up the talk of sequels.)

Tsuzuru: (That’s how it was with the original RomiJuli. I just blindly clung to the opportunity given to me.)

Tsuzuru: (Thinking this might be my first and last chance, I was willing to do everything I could.)

Tsuzuru: (Then, now too—)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) the episode title is two words written in the same way (ポーズ) but denoted just slightly differently, i went with pause and pose by ear

[symwinter]

So… about that Miraculous rewrite, what do you have in mind?

Okay, thank you for asking, I appreciate it. I’ll try and make this as concise as possible, because there’s a lot and I tend to ramble, so I’ve made it in the form of a numbered list:

1. I don’t plan on redeeming Chloé. I feel like despite actually knowing why Chloé didn’t get redeemed, there’s a pretty decent lesson about how entitlement doesn’t mean you get what you want that they definitely also could’ve gone with of if they were a bit smarter with it.

2. No zodiac kwami. They’re the bane of my existence. Why are two of them time travel based in power?

3. Adrienette is the endgame couple.

4. As of right now I’m sitting at three seasons, each one being 16 episodes plus three specials but I might either add a season four or make season three longer. One of the specials is the alternate dimension one. I love the concept of it.

5. I also gave the show an actual timeline. Because the Christmas specials says it’s Adrien’s first Christmas without his mother, but then season one has the Valentine’s Day episode which means it’s February and then the school year in France starts in September so if we look at season one as somewhat chronological, it means the Christmas special is wrong and that drove me crazy so I just redid the whole timeline. Because it would be his second Christmas without his mom.

6. Nathalie doesn’t have an unrequited crush on Gabriel. I never quite got that.

7. Any rich kid that was a sentimonster isn’t one anymore. The peacock miraculous doesn’t create sentimonsters but rather charms enemies as its main skill.

8. Adrien has more of a backbone than he does is canon and Marinette’s crush on. Adrian is a bit more healthy.

9. Rather than using potions to unlock new skills, the kwamis can manifest them themselves. They just need to expend extra energy and there are just some situations where that’s more difficult. I just feel like the book and the potions and the rennlings from the Shanghai special make the kwamis feel less like something ancient powerful and more like a tool. And also because Frozer takes place in January/February and Syren takes place in March/April (both are season two episodes though).

10. Up until the collector, Natalie didn’t know that Gabriel was Hawkmoth and agrees to wear the butterfly miraculous in order to get Gabriel to let Adrien go back to school and not be able to pull them out for a stupid reason anymore otherwise she’ll just go to the cops and be like “my boss is the supervillain.” She does this again in Simon Says but with Adrien’s love life as a preemptive caution.

11. Adrien is in the finale battle. I don’t get why they didn’t include him in season 5.

12. Emilie Agreste is a famous actress so her disappearance (aka I haven’t quite settled on what I want to do with her) is a lot more well-known to the public.

13. I am planning on renaming both of Felix‘s parents. I just haven’t quite settled on names yet.

I think that’s all I got right now. I’ve mainly been focussing on the timeline and the episode list and any changes to episodes rather than the characters themselves which feels counterproductive, but it’s just the way that my brain works, especially since I find it really difficult to think out Marinette and Adrien as individuals. My brain kinda just weaves them together.



[kyndaris]

The Art of Survival

When I first started reading the Three-Body Problem, I had high expectations. The science fiction trilogy, known formerly as Remembrance of Earth's Past, had been described as a seminal and poignant piece on the human condition. One that was being adapted to Netflix, no less (though by the time I eventually got to it, the Netflix series was already out). And, on paper, it ticked many of my boxes when it came to something I would want to read. More importantly, I wanted to see how the many disparate threads planted in the blurb would all come together. What with the video game element, the existence of extraterrestrial life hidden among the stars, and the Cultural Revolution.

Though it took me a little by surprise at how abrupt it was, I enjoyed reading about Ye Wenjie's past as she grew up during a difficult period in China's history. As someone born to Chinese immigrants, I had heard stories about how my family navigated those times. From the limited food rations, the biting cold of northwest China...

But I'd never quite understood, on an intellectual level, the utter devastation of those years. It wasn't until I picked up Frank Dikotter's The Tragedy of Liberation and Mao's Great Famine that I was able to actually gain a proper appreciation of the China my parents lived through. After all, it all seemed so far away when my own life was filled with plenty. Sure, there were still concerns about kidnappings and racist attacks but I'd never had to worry about stripping the bark off trees just to feed my belly.

Poverty, on such a national scale, is still a far cry worse from the current cost-of-living crisis we face now. That said, the struggles many face now cannot be so easily dismissed. Wage stagnation and the inflation of the prices for common everyday items means many families have had to go without.

Armed with this foreknowledge of what people had to go through during Ye Wenjie's childhood, I was quite sympathetic to the character. Especially when her father was killed before her and the family was torn apart by the need to comply with the dictates of an authoritarian leader.

Was it any wonder she lost faith in humanity and sold us out to the Trisolarians? And as a student of history, and a self-described misanthrope, I will readily admit humans are the biggest obstacle to solving many of the world's problems. If we ever want the world to be a better place, it, honestly, might just be better to eradicate us all.

Humans suck. What more is there to say?

Just look at the current state of the world if you think I'm talking out of my arse.

The only times humans ever band together over a common cause is when disaster strikes. See 9/11 or the Los Angeles Fires.

Of course, there will still be those out for themselves. It's human nature, after all, to covet what others have and take it for ourselves.

And so it was with the Three-Body Problem.

While most of the first book saw humanity try to uncover the plot behind the Earth-Trisolaris Organisation (ETO), which was dedicated to helping Trisolarians invade Earth and destroy human civilisation, the next two books of the trilogy were an examination of how humanity might deal with the threat of its very destruction at the hands of aliens. Strong premises which should have been interesting to explore...and yet I was let down by much of the plot and the characters.

It should be noted the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy was originally written in Chinese. As such, the books I read were actually the English translations. But for all the novel concepts being explored, I couldn't help but feel like some of the work could have been edited down. Of note were the second and last book.

While I understand Liu Cixin wanted to paint the bleak nature of what humanity faced, there were many moments that could have been described in a sentence or two - or wholly cut out entirely. For example, almost all of Luo Ji's interaction with his imaginary 'perfect' woman. Or even Wang Miao's exploration of the Three Body video game. Did we really need to see him witness all the cycles of Trisolaris society being consumed before finally coming to the conclusion the world was tangling with three celestial bodies? I mean, the title of the book is The Three-Body Problem.

Then, of course, there's my entire issue with the third book as a passive bystander. Was there truly a need to see humanity descend into barbarism when the Trisolarians decided to herd them all to Australia? I goddamn live in Australia. And having Cheng Xin's entire perception of the country I live in be boiled down to Baz Luhrman's Australia film felt...well, the less said, the better.

Or spend so long on the evolution of society that it was acceptable for men to adopt incredibly feminine appearances during times of peace? Before changing once more to their militaristic 'masculine' counterparts following the possibility of a Dark Forest strike?

One of my current sticking points when it comes to identity politics is the concept that good times breed 'weak' men and how hard times create 'strong' men. With the idea of 'weak' men being long-haired fem-boys and 'strong' men being roided out dude bros all clamouring to be the alpha. When, in all actuality, a demonstration of strength means rising above traditional ideologies of what constitutes masculinity and learning to be empathetic.

Not to mention the chapters dedicated to Yun Tianming's fairytales, the adventures with 4D space...

The list goes on.

Plot aside, my other main issue were the characters. Both Wang Miao and Luo Ji had an obsession with the women in their lives bordering on unhealthy. Their entire character arcs and motivations were centred on the women they liked. Luo Ji, especially, came off as a patronising socially inept incel.

Of course, some of that could be attributed to Chinese culture or the imperfections of the translations but even when it came to Cheng Xin (the only female protagonist), her entire role was boiled down to what Yun Tianming (a man) bequeathed her with, using the money he had obtained. And she, smitten by the fact he had bought her the rights to a distant star, carried a torch for him until the very end of the book.

In my opinion, it would have been better if Cheng Xin was never gender-swapped to be a woman. In fact, I would have preferred a torrid gay love affair between a male Cheng Xin and Yun Tianming. And, instead, they should have gender swapped Thomas Wade (the psychopathic anti-hero who actually helped save humanity because they could make the hard decisions Cheng Xin could not).

If I'm being truly honest, the only character I liked in Death's End was 艾AA. Now, she was a woman who would have served as a better protagonist to hapless and indecisive Cheng Xin (who basically slept through most of the book, woke up, made a terrible decision that essentially doomed the human race before someone else came to fix her problem before repeating the cycle all over again). Much like Thomas Wade, 艾AA, was able to make hard decisions. Yet she was also affable and friendly, helping Cheng Xin along before the entire solar system was sucked into the second dimension.

I suppose my main issue is how the characters never felt like characters but simply vessels to drive the story forward. There is no real autonomy afforded to them. They are simply there to fill a hole as required by the plot Liu Cixin wished to write. Or perhaps to explore a concept he wanted to drive home.

Overall, Remembrance of Earth's Past provides an intriguing take of what it means to reach out across the universe and make contact with another intelligent civilisation even when it falters to the overarching plot and the characters. It is certainly something worth pondering over and if we, as humans, face a Dark Forest of our very own.

Of course, other films of first contact have pointed to possible positive relations to extraterrestrials.

I, for one, believe curiosity may stay the hand of any who may pay us a visit. But I also understand the underlying fear of what it might mean to stumble upon an aggressor in the dark depths of space. After all, why take the risk of being conquered and having one's home taken? It's not like that's happened in the history of humanity...right? *cough colonialisation cough*

So, perhaps it is easier to eliminate all possible threats to the continuation of our race than face extinction.

Food for thought, dear reader. Food for thought.

[riderofblackdragons]

Struggles and Sorrows and Skin

Day 11: Seeing Double | convenience store | loneliness | "leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist"

Surprise! I've actually managed to get this one out early in the day! And the reason for that is bc I wrote this pretty much at the same time as yesterday's, lol. So here's a return to Seal Be With Ye, ft pre-vampire Mikael and Elijah :) I'm apparently on a role with Mikael being a semi decent person.

If anyone has any specific AU they want more of, send me an ask or something and I'll see what I can do :)

Hope you enjoy!

It was a curious thing. Elijah remembered his birth, the way he'd yowled as he'd come into the world, and the way he'd screamed as his coat was taken off of him. A sea birth, he believed. It was never a good omen to have a woman give birth onboard, so his father had tossed Elijah's mother into the sea to give birth.

The memories fizzled out after that, in Elijah's mind, until they'd picked back up when he was around two years of age. Still on the boat, but no mother around to help him - and able to hear things, and see, and feel something other than the cold of the sharp wind around them. There was a woman around who he'd assumed was his mother, at the time, had assumed for years, but she'd always rebuffed Elijah aside from when she was feeding him.

She'd weaned him so much earlier than any of his siblings, he'd later learn. Because of course she would. Elijah wasn't her child. He was the child of her husband's thrall, the slut who'd taken to Mikael's bed, bearing him an heir in exchange for her coat back. After the birth, Elijah's mother had vanished, like she'd never existed in the first place, aside from the wailing baby she'd handed up to Mikael, complete with the baby's own coat.

Esther had never really understood the meaning of the coat, but Mikael had. He'd taught Elijah about it too, making sure he knew just how important it was that he kept his coat away from all others. Especially Mikael's wife, who proved herswelf to be willing to damage and destroy Elijah's belongings, as a sort of punishment to her husband's bastard child.

Mikael's favouritism towards a child not Esther's hurt her, and that, Elijah could understand. His father wasn't subtle about giving Elijah preferential treatment, after all, even if Elijah would rather he hadn't. If it would have kept his half-siblings from facing Mikael's wrath, Elijah would have given up everything, but he'd learned early on that it wasn't the way to go.

Even though Mikael had named Elijah after the child Esther had been carrying, that she'd miscarried at the time of Elijah's birth. He was confident that it was the other main reason she hated him. She'd never called out to Elijah by his name, only using words such as "boy" or "hey you". It hurt Elijah too, but he understood. He had to. If he didn't, then things would get worse.

Ultimately, the only true freedom Elijah had was in the ocean. In the trips Mikael would take him on, once a month, for a week over the full moon, to the ocean. Ostensibly, it was to avoid their neighbours, the wolves in the village, when they'd turn on the full moon. But Elijah knew it was also a gift to him - to allow him to slip into his sealskin, and swim and hunt and dive and play in ways that he was never allowed to under Esther's watchful eye.

It was Mikael's way of apologising to Elijah, that he didn't have his mother anymore. That he'd never know her, not her true name (for Mikael had always known the name she'd given him wasn't really hers), not what she looked like, not any secrets that her selkie parents had passed down to her. Elijah would get nothing, and Mikael was a man of few words. This had to be enough.

Tag List: @captain-effy @what-the-fuckis-happening

If anyone wants to be added lmk!

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

3rd January >> Mass Readings (Except GB & USA)

3rd January  or The Most Holy Name of Jesus  or Saint Munchin, Bishop.

3rd January 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I))

First Reading 1 John 2:29-3:6 Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ.

You know that God is righteous – then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him.

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ. Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law. Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 97(98):1,3-6

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!

Or: John 1:14,12

Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!

Or: Hebrews 1:1-2

Alleluia, alleluia! At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. Alleluia!

Gospel John 1:29-34 'Look: there is the Lamb of God'.

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------------------

The Most Holy Name of Jesus 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading Philippians 2:1-11 Be united in your love.

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 8:4-9

R/ How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him?

R/ How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

Yet you have made him little less than a god; with glory and honour you crowned him, gave him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet.

R/ How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

All of them, sheep and cattle, yes, even the savage beasts, birds of the air, and fish that make their way through the waters.

R/ How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord, for today a great light has shone down upon the earth. Alleluia!

Or: John 1:14,12

Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!

Or: Hebrews 1:1-2

Alleluia, alleluia! At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 2:21-24 His parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

------------------------------------

Saint Munchin, Bishop 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading Exodus 32:7-14 Moses pleads with the Lord his God to spare Israel.

The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. “Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried, “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.’ But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.’ So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

OR: --------

First reading Deuteronomy 10:8-9 The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to do him service

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand in the presence of the Lord, to do him service and in his name to pronounce blessing as they still do today. Levi therefore has no share or inheritance with his brothers: the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God told him.’

OR: --------

First reading 1 Samuel 16:1,6-13 David is anointed by Samuel

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed one stands there before him’, but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes.’ Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on.

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah's lips cleansed with a burning coal

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying. And they cried out to one another in this way,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. His glory fills the whole earth.’

The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said:

‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:

‘See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 61:1-3 He has sent me to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken;

to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison; to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord, a day of vengeance for our God,

to comfort all those who mourn and to give them for ashes a garland; for mourning robe the oil of gladness, for despondency, praise.

OR: --------

First reading Jeremiah 1:4-9 Go and say whatever I command you and do not fear

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.’

I said, ‘Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’

But the Lord replied, ‘Do not say, “I am a child.” Go now to those to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to protect you – it is the Lord who speaks!’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

‘There! I am putting my words into your mouth.’

OR: --------

First reading Ezekiel 3:17-21 Warn the wicked man, and you will live

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from me, warn them in my Name. If I say to a wicked man, “You are to die,” and you do not warn him; if you do not speak and warn him to renounce his evil ways and so live, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man and he does not renounce his wickedness and his evil ways, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life. When the upright man renounces his integrity to do evil and I set a trap for him, he too shall die; since you failed to warn him, he shall die for his sin and the integrity he practised will no longer be remembered; but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you warn the upright man not to sin and he abstains from sinning, he shall live, thanks to your warning, and you too will have saved your life.’

Or:

First Reading Ezekiel 34:11-16 I will look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.

The Lord God says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I shall bring them out of the countries where they are; I shall gather them together from foreign countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land. I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’ O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever.

R/ You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 23:9,10

Alleluia, alleluia! You have only one Father, and he is in heaven; you have only one Teacher, the Christ. Alleluia!

Or: Matthew 28:19,20

Alleluia, alleluia! Go, make disciples of all the nations. I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Alleluia!

Or: Mark 1:17

Alleluia, alleluia! Follow me, says the Lord, and I will make you into fishers of men. Alleluia!

Or: Luke 4:18

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives. Alleluia!

Or: John 10:14

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me. Alleluia!

Or: John 15:5

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty, says the Lord. Alleluia!

Or: 2 Corinthians 5:19

Alleluia, alleluia! God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 9:35-37 The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[asinglemagpie]

The Golden Raven: Here Be Spoilers 6 (Once More With Feeling)(Chapter 11-12)

It's bedtime, which means it's reread time!

Wholesome Trojans warm my heart in a way few things ever will. Though the "look, he's scared of Rhemann, in no world is a danger to anyone" line of thought is kind of hilarious.

"did Jeremy and Kevin combust when they saw each other out of uniform"? Something was bust 👀 (No one can tell me Kevin is straight, sorry 😂)

Jean may hate exy but he sure retreats to it when he's uncomfortable.

I hate Hannah Bailey. I hate that she drew attention to Jean hurting himself - because he wasn't uncomfortable, he was trying to bite his tongue and not topple into flashbacks. Baby has PTSD, you cretin. I mean sure she can't have known that, but we'll adjusted people don't hurt themselves to keep themselves in control. It's common sense that maybe drawing attention to it is shitty.

The fact that double-D went "no he did nothing wrong, it's cool" when they realise they'd crossed a previously unknown line is just... It's part of why I love them.

Even if they didn't drop it, but did try to get his help so they wouldn't cross that line again.

Derrick, you live in such beautiful hope 😂

Poor Sebastian, I love that he's trying. Confused but trying! (Plus most bi people, myself included, used the phrase "chicks and dicks" back then, even if it was a gross simplification... And y'know, gross in general. Look if there's one thing AFTG should teach you is that we said a lot of reaaaaaally shitty things in the '00s and it was just so fucking normal.)

Kind of tempted by a Bourne rewatch. I should do that tomorrow! The end song annoys tf out of me though. Never been a Moby fan.

Oh, to be the fruit cradled so lovingly in Jean's hands *dreamy sigh*

I was so tempted to do exactly what Jeremy did with the sticky notes, I still am occasionally. Mostly they'd annoy me after five minutes, but he avoids home as much as possible so it can't be so bad for him.

Home 😭

Okay serious talk time. Jeremy is on academic scholarship, like everyone else, one has to assume because it's how they hook players to go to them. No matter what happens with his family his education is secure, as is his spot on the team. He is never going to get access to his share of the family money. If he let himself recognise that and let it sink in then he could leave. Because he can apply for legal reissues/copies of his paperwork and apply for a new passport. Heck he could wait until he needs his passport for a game and then officially never go back. He's an adult, they cannot legally make him stay. The ONLY thing I can think of that's forcing him to stay is that his step-father has assured him that his family in the forces would make his and his friends' lives hell if he tried. That is the only reason that he would stay and go through this imho. Guilt can only blind him so much.

I mean, Jean in bike leathers would get me all hot and bothered too. Jean checking out my sister when I'm hot for him would have broken the basket. After her comment I'd have broken it over her head.

That Mathilda wasn't used as kindling is the second tragedy of the house fire.

Jeremy accepts suffering quietly just the same way as Jean does, and urgh, my poor heart hates it.

It's okay, Jeremy, you can marry Jean and become a Moreau. Surname problem solved!

The postcard 😭 Reacted to with the Andrew Minyard book of romantic utterances.

Trojan horse pancakes, with thankfully no unpleasant surprises inside.

Bryson absent because he's too busy taping his artwork to Laila's door because his mother didn't want to sully the fridge with such sub par imagery.

"except us and the Foxes" AND BRYSON! How have you forgotten this so soon?!

Jean might be French but I bet he only knows that fact because of Kevin "history nerd" Day.

Look, mascots and cheerleaders are fun, but sports can exist without either and the crowd does just fine. Jean just has a very European stance on the matter.

Last year under the thumb of tyrants! Then freedom on a pro team! (Like to charge, reblog to cast!)

I wonder is the reporter said his name right or it was more "jeen ee-ves morrow".

The press starting to put shit together... I should link that amazing post about what Neil's been doing in the shadows, but I'm tired and lazy and I know where to find it (under all the same tags as this one lol).

The second reporter is so lucky Jean doesn't get the reference because his reputation might have been lived up to when he made that jackass swallow his own teeth.

I fucking love Cat.

Someone mentioned that the need for so much caffeine could be because of his former long-term drug use. I keep meaning to do some research on it.

Eli. Another hook-up. Honestly we are so lucky that Jean has the Raven mentality towards sex or TGR would be about Jean becoming a serial killer.

How no one considered pottery class might be messy and dressed appropriately does and doesn't surprise me 😂

Jean really was made to be a baker or professional chef in another life.

I love that all the fandom I've encountered all agreed that Jean would be a natural and Jeremy would be just short of a disaster, and we were dang right.

Jean and Cody please me. He needs friends, they make him better.

Anonymous tip, my ass. BRYSON!

(I've angrily screamed about this so many times that his name automatically comes in all caps.)

"I want you to stay." My heart 😔

[simblorbo-bracket]

Round 1 - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Mainline

Saxen (@herecirmsims) VS. Nancy Landgraab (@fallstaticexit)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

Who's sadder? Who's wetter? Read on for more information, and vote with your heart!

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

Saxen

Things Sax does extremely well: fainting and bleeding (separately), fainting and bleeding (combination), rotting in bed, crying or being completely stoic (no in between), causing more problems while trying to fix his previous problems, omitting certain truths (aka lying).

Now, I don't know if he really counts as an SWMM because he's not a classic villain... but in his pursuit of Doing The Right Thing he has made some awful choices. Good intentions, poor outcomes.

I present the evidence beneath the cut:

Some of his crimes:

In an attempt to save his sister, he left his post and facilitated the escape of a world-devouring entity which he was supposed to help contain.

After his sister died he made another attempt to save her, via necromancy, and instead doomed her to an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Until recently, none of her reincarnations were healthy enough to survive infancy.

He befriended the parents of this latest incarnation without filling them in on the backstory, or his motives. After they were killed by his enemy, he took the baby and kept her hidden for 11 years (did she have grandparents, uncles, aunts? Yes, probably. He claims they couldn't have cared for her like he did and technicallyyyy he's right, since her survival required magic, but...)

He broke the arm of one of his 'adopted' adult kids (he has an enchanted cottage which has been a refuge for a lot of people) when said adult tried to prevent him from killing someone else. Yes, technically he did only push Thom and didn't intend for Thom to hit the wall so hard, but...

Long story short but his home world didn't end, it was just knocked out of its timeline for a while. Unfortunately, due to his actions on the day the Grim escaped (attacking portal guards and forcing his way through the rift, just as an unrelated-to-him group stormed the castle), he was a) assumed dead and b) immediately arrested on his return for treason and attempted regicide.

He's a constant menace and cause of stress to his man, the kindest and sweetest soul to ever live. He doesn't mean to be, it's just that his attempts to keep Fen safe often seem to involve risking himself in increasingly creative and fatal ways.

Why should you vote for Sax? Well, I think his endless complex trauma and the fact that almost all his misfortunes happened because he was trying to fix things/help people makes him pretty damn tragic and definitely very damp. He could do with a win. Plus... look at him. 🥲

Nancy Landgraab

What makes Nancy a Sad, Wet Meow Meow? Our famously known townie turned OC is the Queen of Melancholy. She's closeted, she's religiously repressed, she's h*rny, she's rich, she carries the burden of her deceased elder brother, she's the bane of her mother's existence. When she's not internalizing her self loathing, she's gazing longingly into the distance thinking about a life free of her mother's judgement and status that she never wanted in favor of running free through a sunflower field kissing beautiful women. And when she manages to actually show up for her two sons, she's still so emotionally detached that this will very much come up in a therapy session later. Her husband is almost on his knees begging for her to smile but she's still pining after her first love while being married to said husband (who's a second runner up for SWMM tbh).

She's a cheater, she's a liar, she's about to get into some risky, sketchy business, she disappoints her children, she's morally grey, she's a top, she's catholic, she's a cougar, she likes to splurge on dr*gs and strippers, the list goes on. ahhh.

[thereconstructinggirl]

The Reconstruction After the Deconstruction: The Tower Falls

I remember the day that my faith finally crumbled around me. It was June 19, 2020, and it started like a pretty normal day working at K-Kountry in Branson, Missouri. I remember going about my day in the kitchen, visiting my kids during free time, reminding other campers to keep their face coverings on because COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on society around us, and feeling all of the joy that came with my summers at Kanakuk Kamps.

I remember being pulled aside by the head women’s director and told that my mom had called to let me know my great-grandfather, my last living blood-related great-grandparent, had passed away.

No.

I knew he was old and sick but no. Pop was the strongest man alive he couldn’t die yet. Not while I’m trapped in a place states away from my family and leaving means I can’t come back.

I can’t imagine what I looked like trying to walk calmly to the front office to retrieve my phone and call my dad. I can’t imagine what the poor girl who asked me if I had permission to get my phone as I burst into tears was thinking while I used what little strength I had left to not jump the desk and get it myself. She was just doing her job, and I was simply experiencing grief like I hadn’t known in a long time.

A girl I knew pulled me into a hug and attempted what every evangelical Christian uses to comfort someone who just lost a loved one.

“He’s with our Lord. He’s not suffering anymore.”

And while that would usually bring me a lot of comfort, my Pop was an atheist. According to his beliefs, his existence ended the moment he took his last breath. His body would be lowered into the ground, and that was it. According to my belief, the kindest man I ever knew and who never let the horrors of war he experienced color his view of people who were different than him was in Hell.

Nobody knew what to do after that. Pop was stubborn. We didn’t call him an ironhead for nothing. I knew that there was no way that he would have some eleventh-hour spiritual awakening and suddenly accept Jesus as a savior or belief in God.

They let me take the evening off. I brought my dinner, my Bible, and the tarot deck I had snuck in my backpack down to the dock. Eventually, kids would file into the lower field because of course tonight was a party night. And as a hundred or so 7-11-year-old boys and girls from around the country (but mainly Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee) played a summer camp-friendly spy-themed scavenger hunt, I was asking God why. Why did my incredible great-grandfather who I knew was such a good person deserve to be in Hell forever for simply not believing?

I pulled The Tower.

If you know anything about tarot and about how to read and interpret the cards, you know that it’s one of the most feared cards by novice readers. In simple terms, it symbolizes chaos, sudden change, and destruction.

This card was the final straw in what I felt was my already dissolving faith. I had just figured out I was queer, I was discovering “witchtok” and finding comfort in divination through tarot cards, and there was no more ignoring that the world around me was burning. If there was a God, He was cruel and unforgiving. He let young black men be murdered by the very police officers who had sworn to protect them. He let a deadly virus bring the world to a screeching halt (and my study-abroad ventures be ripped from my hands). He let a man who meant the world to me go to Hell just for being an atheist.

I went from being an active member of the Religious Life Leadership Team at my college to literally never stepping foot into the office again for my last two years of school. A place where I had felt nothing but acceptance despite not being Methodist or being pre-ministry, suddenly brought me anxiety. The Wesley ministry group I was an active member of that welcomed queer people and questioners sent me into fight or flight mode.

Because I had experienced such a sudden change in attitude at the summer camp I had given 13 years of my life to, who’s to say that these people who have barely known me for two years wouldn’t treat me the same?

Not only did I start the grueling and mentally taxing process of deconstruction alone, but I searched for liberation in the ancient traditions of my long-dead ancestors. So I started calling myself pagan. It brought me comfort and confidence, but I was still angry and scared. I began calling myself a practitioner, because "witch" never felt quite right. I reclaimed my personal power that I was often led to believe was sinful.

When I moved across the country from my family and friends after graduating college, I found myself falling out of my practice. I found myself sobbing watching Midnight Mass on Netflix and sitting in the parking lots of a local Episcopal or Unitarian Universalist church near my apartment in Tucson. Never going in, but simply sitting and listening to the ringing bells. I found myself driving up to my favorite lookout on Mt. Lemmon to feel as close as I could to anything divine.

I didn't want to admit that I didn't know who I was or what I believed any more.

Now I sit here, almost done with my first year of graduate school, and a kind of regular at an Episcopal cathedral where I live now. I contemplate confirmation (since I was never confirmed as a child) and even contemplate going to seminary.

I still can't call myself a Christian. That term comes with baggage that I'm not ready to tote around again quite yet, but maybe I will get there again.

I still read tarot and still pray to and work with Brigid, but she's morphing into St. Brigid now.

I find myself praying again and opening up my Bible app to read the verse of the day.

I read my favorite book of the Bible regularly to remind myself that the theology that does not include justice for the disenfranchised is not the theology for me.

My hope is that this blog will document my thoughts as I begin to formally reconstruct the faith that shattered right before my eyes.

~ The Reconstructing Girl