#i should clarify its still bad. but at the same time so bad its good. while still being bad. and yet good!

[lavenderjewels]

jjk 267 leaks + spoilers in the tags. ill be completely honest i understand the jjk criticism I’ve seen for this chapter but i also don’t care

[mike-wheel]

I wanted to talk about the way mike handles accountability when talking to El in the "From Mike" Fight scene V.S. The "Its hawkins its not the same without you" to will.

Obviously the two scenes are very different tones with different stakes. El and Mikes being a fight without the pressure of knowing she will be arrested soon, whereas mike and wills is a heart to heart where they "dont know whats going to happen next." But both scenes have a common motivation; Mike needs to say how he feels.

In El and Mikes fight, Mike actually starts the conversation very open. He addresses the issue, he tries to relate, and asks her questions to understand better.

"Are we going to talk about yesterday?"

" I guess I just dont really understand?"

"what dont I understand?"

Even when El says "you think I'm a monster too," Mike still remains open trying to explain and apologizes.

"i was surprised maybe I was a little upset in the moment but Im sorry I didnt know what to do...I care for you so much."

It is only when El starts accusing him of not loving her and actually showing him proof (the letters), does he lack accountability. He starts blaming others:

"Who said that I didnt?"

"You cant let these mouth breathers ruin you. Ruin us."

"Theyre nobodies"

And the "I" statements that helped him take accountability and create an open discussion, start turning into "you" statements, turning the accountability onto El:

"Eleven youre being ridiculous"

"You know what I think of you."

"You cant let these mouthbreathers ruin us"

"Youre a superhero"

V.S

Mike addressing and taking accountability for how he treated Will during the fight and clarifying he did miss him.

He starts the conversation to address the last few days. He constantly speaks about HIS feelings and not about Wills actions or what Will said during the fight, saying:

"I was worrying too much about El"

"I feel like I lost you or something."

"I think we should work together."

"I think we should be a team."

With the only "You" statements being:

"You didnt deserve anything"

A clarification that Will did not deserve and mistreatment

And:

"You know?"

"Does that make sense?"

Checkpoints to make sure he's explaining well and that Will understands.

Again, very different situations but it says something about Mike deflecting when it's something he can't tell the truth about. Because even though Mike can say dumb stuff in the heat of a fight, its also been shown he initiates apologies and tries to mend and understand afterwards. He spends a good amount of time comforting in this show; it's something we know he isnt bad at. Its only when he feels he must deny, does he fall short.

This is even present in his fight with Will in rink o mania

Mikes face when Will talks about him calling twice:

Seemingly confused and frustrated, especially bc later in the show we learn mike is CONSTANTLY complaining about the byers phone line being busy, the device he contacts will and will only on.

Mikes face once Will mentions El having a book of letters:

He raises his eyebrows, seemingly surprised Will brought el into this, And he immediately gets defensive, saying that Els his girlfriend and him and Will are "friends'" just friends and maybe Will should've reached out more.

His defense kicks in just like it kicked in when El confronts him about not being able to say I love you, because how can he explain that? How can he explain to Will that he has to treat El and Will differently otherwise it could be seen as romantic? But when he can tell the truth, that he does feel some kind of way for Will and he doesnt feel that kind of way for El, he deflects and puts accountability on them instead.

This is probably lowk obvious like yah no duh hes gonna take accountability when hes telling the truth and not going to when hes lying. But i thought the certain dialogue chosen and words said were really interesting and a way to understand what is going on in Mikes head.

[luminique]

Lighter praising (or showing affection) and telling reader that he’s veryy proud of reader who has daddy issues (aka me) </3 (make it a bitt angsty bcs yes)

with that voice of his…. oh i’m not sure if he knows his power. also i am SO SORRY if i messed this one up because i’m bad at writing T_T also this reads weird if i dont clarify that its an established relationship between lighter x reader

not everyone has a good relationship with their family. especially after the fall of the Old Capital, many had lost their family and caused a rift between their still alive relatives. your day to day life hadn’t changed much but it was difficult for your family to get accustomed to the new life.

with that came many challenges; your parents working more to sustain themselves, their expectations for you as their child to pursue higher aspirations. the outer ring wasn’t where they wanted you to stay for the rest of your life, new eridu is a much better option for your future. days go by, stress piling up, nightly arguments at the dining table about how you should spend less time with the sons of calydon.

you never really brought it up to the other members. you knew they’d comfort you, considering they all had troubles in their past, but it’s not like you want to bring down the mood all of a sudden. on one particular night though, you had noticed lighter sneaking away from the rest of the group. you thought you could follow him but he was a lot more alert than that.

“wanna get some air for a bit? the girls are still talking so its all good.” lighter handed you a lollipop as he began to unwrap one for himself. there was an empty area far enough from everyone that had a perfect view of the night sky. no clouds in sight, just the twinkling stars and the bright full moon. lighter sat down first, sweeping away any dust before patting the space next to him. as you sat down, you began to ponder about your life. you hung out less and less with the sons of calydon since your parents, more specifically your father, wanted you to work harder. even if you had brought home some extra tips from cheesetopia, or helped out around blazewood, it seemed as though your efforts weren’t being appreciated and instead all he had to say were insults.

in the corner of his eye, lighter noticed you staring off into the far distance. he scooched over a little closer to you, maybe he’d be able to see what you were seeing. “something caught your eye?” his deep voice cut through your train of thought, making you blink at him in confusion. “oh uh… just thinking.” you mumbled, finally unwrapping your lollipop and popping it into your mouth.

“something happened recently, right? you leave earlier than usual lately.” you forget how perceptive lighter was, always noticing before others. “not recent but…” you ran your hand through your hair, feeling frustrated at how you couldn’t even enjoy such a quiet and beautiful night. after a moment of silence, you finally spoke up.

“it’s just, my dad. you know how it is out here in the outer ring. they want me to move out to new eridu but i can’t just leave. i have you and- and the girls…. they just want so much from me…” your voice trembled as you let your emotions flow out of you. your bottled up feelings finally overflowing as tears began to well up in your eyes. in between the soft cries, you felt lighter’s hand on your shoulder, rubbing you to help you let it all out.

“don’t let that old man tell you what to do. you’re doing a lot already. everyone in blazewood can tell you the same,” he spoke quietly but noticed how you seemed to still be trapped in your own thoughts. he placed both hands on your shoulders and turned you towards him. “hey, hey. listen to me. you’re wonderful and we all appreciate what you do around here. your dad knows nothing about you. we know you, i know you, and i’m proud of all that you’ve done.” lighter’s voice turned more serious, yet still carried a hint of softness to it.

he removed his sunglasses, exhaling as he looked down at you. “home is where the heart is. right now, where is your heart? hmm?” he asked quietly, moving his hands down to cup yours. “here. blazewood. i want to stay with all of you.” your sniffling was shattering his heart, trying to cheer you up but also afraid of saying the wrong things. he brought up one of his hands to the side of your face, gently wiping away your tears.

“then stay with us. i’ll talk to him, alright? just between us, i won’t tell the rest.” his voice was warm, similar to that of a fire on a cold night. he pulled you closer into his arms, hushing you while reassuring you. lines of “it’s alright” and “i’m here” came out of him naturally as you gripped onto his jacket. a moment of vulnerability, a moment of sadness, a moment away from keeping up appearances. you didn’t have to pretend, you couldn’t pretend anymore and lighter could see that. soft pats, gentle kisses on the top of your head, he just wanted to make you feel safe and loved after having your feelings constantly dismissed.

[abyss-seer]

If Saturn Return in Dhanishta nakshatra was a person.

- astrology observation, Got7, Jackson Wang

Let me clarify by telling you this is a sidereal observation. And the things written may or may not resonate

Jackson Wang

So I just checked his birth chart (Vedic) and he has Saturn in 6 degrees in Kumbha Rashi in Dhanishta Nakshatra.

Now let me say it to all the western astrology referers out there, yes 6 degrees Pisces saturn aspects are clearly visible in him. Given how he has mastered the perfection (6 degrees or Virgo trait) in expressing his true self (Pisces trait) after a lot of struggles/cycles (Saturn in Pisces)

But let's focus on the Saturn, Mars and Mercury conjunction in Kumbha Rashi.

The western chart was taken from @idolsastrology here

And vedic chart here

Anyways lets focus on some things I like about his chart. 6 degrees 52" saturn which is Third pada or the Libra Navamsa of Dhanishta nakshatra which in itself speaks of Dhanishta nakshatra's qualities of bringing out the subtle beauty in the experiences it recieves(given the venus influence).

Again symbolism of Dhanishta nakshatra is drum, and lets not forget the ancient significance of the Drum here. Since ancient times the drum is used to unite people together, or send them to a space of trance to connect to the higher spiritual realms especially during sacred ceremonies and rituals . So its one of the most meditative qualities of this nakshatra. That it can help us connect with different spiritual realms or our deeper self through its actions alone. Making up the Martian quality of Dhanishta nakshatra. In its unevolved form this drum is usually seen as a chatterbox and with superficial concerns (further exemplifying the hollowness of a drum). Pretty much like the phrase "Empty drums make the most noise"

Now I know many people would say how Saturn in Dhanishtha would then mean that Jackson should have been bad in music as its a malefic. No. That's not the case. Many people forget that Saturn on it own is a planet of practice. For example I am a Saturn in Ardra nakshatra Gemini, yes I can be, at certain times really bad in my communicative abilities especially letting people in and see my vulnerabilities, but this is the very thing I have practiced and mastered my entire life despite being bad at it. Because no matter what, it is my karma, hence I am the type of person who takes a lot of time to recover emotionally and is still learning to communicate about things vulnerable to me. So Iam good at helping people connect to their internal emotions, cause I have practiced it a lot with myself.

This is kinda the same thing, Jackson might have had earlier leanings towards fencing or archery or sports (I'm not that sure, but he was a sporty dude) but he has spent his entire life doing and practicing music.

Saturn in this Nakshatra further talks about the refinery in his artistry and things he wants to produce. And let me tell you, given how Dhanishta nakshatra comes after Shravana Nakshatra, the lesson of listening( a Shravana quality )is over, the person of Dhanishta asterism is now on a mission to connect the inner self to the higher spiritual purpose. If you are like me, and have ever tuned into Jackson's interviews. This is one thing for sure, this man cares about what music he puts out there. Even if he was disinterested in doing so once, now he is someone who decides to put out not just any music but refined meaningful music out to the public, people and his fans. Which is a sign of an evolved Saturn(refinement) Dhanishtha, we don't usually get to see among celebrities these days.

Ten minutes into the video, the man talks the need to put refined, authentic typa music for the people out. I am not even surprised how my other favourite artist, Kim Namjoon, another famous Saturn in Dhanishtha, known for putting out music that conveys a message above all superficial things is friends with him. Both of them show us the refinery in music (Dhanishta's theme of connecting us with our higher self in its greatest propensity.

But then why not Namjoon, why don't I think of him as a fit representation for Sade Sati as Dhanishta Nakshatra. Well to be honest, yes Namjoon is a great artist in his own right. His lyrics, musical composition and the beats he produces are all beautiful masterpieces with great meaning to them. But its the embodiment of the Martian energy that Namjoon lacks. His Mars is in the nakshatra of Rahu,Ardra in Gemini that further exemplifies the energy of rapping(Martian aspect in singing) to express those inner emotions and connecting with people through the emotional depth attained through deep introspection. Go and give a listen to his albums. Its a theme of Ardra (Being able to express those vulnerabilities unabashedly after deep introspection). Here A relationship between Rahu - Mangal - Saturn does gives Dhanishta like results according to the the Book of Nakshatras as per Prash Trivedi.

So my reasons for naming Jackson as the one (in my opinion). The Mars and Saturn Conjunction (along with mercury, we will talk about it). Dhanishta is Ruled by Mars and Aquarius (Saturn according to Vedic astrology, i know its Uranus in western). And Jackson's qualities just get exemplified here. His Mars being in Shatabhisha. Again the combination of Rahu as we saw in Namjoon's case but much more exemplified. Given how Shatabhisha is the final stage of Rahu, we can see how this nakshatra is so much about concealing the hidden while showcasing only those things that you want to see. Remember many people who work in media are usually Shatabhisha Nakshatra and these nakshatras don't just know the truth, but instead of showing you the opposite of truth, this nakshatra shows you what you want to see, not what you need to see. Cause this nakshatra knows what to show to attract people's attention, and divert them from the real deal.

Sounds familiar? Yeah that's how you guys are often conned into consuming stupid opinionated stories instead of news by most so called journalists or media these days. Shatabhisha Nakshatra forms a large part of these media outlet personalities. (Okay I didn't refer to any Claire Nakti video for this, its a general thing written in astrological books, but if she has a video like that, do comment, I will see it if I am free, her videos are too long for me 😅🫠)

Anyways now let's see what is Jackson most famous for

Ok not this clip, but if you know the context you know. Anyways people who have been watching Got7 for a long time, know how much problems Got7 had with JYP to produce their own music. Given how Jackson's this clip (not fight, but something about conflicts with his boss) is so popular (in some cases more popular than his music). Here Mercury mars Conjunction plays a important role in his anger or conflict expression almost turning him into a meme. This was the same case with his new Cheetah, Jokeresque make-up/get-up that got Jackson a lot of traction. Mercury is a funny planet again situated in Dhanishtha nakshatra with Saturn which is why sometimes his anger expression oftentimes comes off as funny unknowingly or unintentionally (saturn is like that, so it kinda hurts sometimes you know, if he really wanted people to take his reasons for being angry seriously, which is a theme we see from trainee days, afterall our anger is a way to stand up against injustice which is represented by Saturn, so you see it hurts, especially around the themes of Dhanishta as he often faced discrimination not just in his speech but his musical expression). His mars in the same conjunction in Kumbha Rashi but a different nakshatra Shatabhisha is just a cherry on cake for popularizing these memes a little more than he would have liked.

In Namjoon's case we saw the influence of mars in Ardra, which mostly talks about an introspective feature within an individual. In Jackson's case, the fame he gains through the pursuits of his artistic refinement (saturn) of the his anger or rebellious expression (mars) is what reminds me of Dhanishta in its prime. Dhanishta as I would like to coin is the pioneer of rhythm, music, and performance. Mars Nakshatra is in its final stage, making him an epitome and pioneer of entertainer which according to me, Jackson kind of is (atleast in Korean and Chinese industries given his honesty), given his honest expression of his artistry. And trust me the expression "honest expression of artistry" is how I would describe Dhanishta.

Speaking of Pioneer, here's another Mars, Rahu and Saturn Conjunction giving the same kind of Dhanishta results.

He's Jay Park (he is kinda, he was a member/first leaderof a famous kpop boy band called 2pm) not a pioneer in the most positive form but another person with a rebellious personality. Though in his case his rebellious streak caused him to be shrouded in controversies and get discriminated against.(He was blacklisted in South Korea for the remarks he made as a kid/teen and sadly still is due to not being able to channel his rebelliousness properly). Later he went on to become one of the pioneers(lets not forget he was one already, leader of 2pm, his work has a profound impact on K-industry) in the music industry as the founder of AOMG (a safe haven for many artists as opposed to big labels).

As we can see the impact of Mars(anger) and Rahu (different thinking) and Saturn (blacklisted/cancelled/controversial) can kind of make a person an ongoing name among controversies. So here we see, ladies and gentlemen that Dhanishta nakshatra qualities may give fame but not necessarily the good one.

Back to Jackson.

This dude hits a dark time in his 30s, (Saturn returns or Sade Sati as we call it) comes back, after working on an honest expression of his artistry and communication or expression of his artistry (very Dhanishta of his mercury and saturn, and then even more "Dhanishta" of his Mars Saturn Conjunction)

[Note that "Dhanishta" is talking about the quality of the Mars Saturn Conjunction, giving results similar to Dhanishtha nakshatra]

And then just like that Mars in Shatabhisha, (its actions ever so mysterious, often feels like this man was putting on a show of his agression, and rebelling against the conflicting views of his society. His anger when he first brought out the song Cheetah and started performing in that make-up in concerts was so Rahuvian, like we all thought Jackson's gone mad or something, there were news articles about him going mad) we never knew how much angry he really was, or conflicted or rebellious cause the whole damn time it was nothing but a show. A huge drama orchestrated only for PR. Yes his PR was all over our faces, and yes it expressed something. Iam not saying anything was fake. I am just telling how Rahu in its final stage (Shatabhisha) with planet Mars manifests itself here. The expression of anger was there, but not real anger as many perceived, but the entertainer sure knew how to make the masses feel all that.

So how was all of that for a change. Just got a random inspiration, so got my brains on it. Do you like it? Please let me know in your comments or reblogs below. Also if I made any mistakes do correct me. Thank you for reading till here. (And sharing if you decide to do so)

This March 2025 can be a bit difficult. So do check out my other article about Astrological predictions this march 2025 here.

Till then, May God Bless You All, Take care. 🫂 Wishing you and your loved near and dear ones, all my best wishes. 💗

-Abyss Seer

Have a happy day. Bubye ❣️

[r4spberry-vinaigrette]

i fear i will get eaten alive for this but i find it so odd that some people act like flipside dave just... isn't reality dave. because flipside dave did, 100%, do all of the things reality dave did and see very minimal issue in doing it until after several layers of the flipside where he realized henry wasn't just killing kids and he didn't, in fact, "have good intentions." this is emphatically said after steven has his flashback, which is right about when dave is like "alright so Maybe I Was Wrong". and under the assumption reality dave isn't flipside dave in any sense... i dunno man. it feels reductive.

yeah, reality dave did do bad things, whether he was entirely aware of the wrongness of those things or not (depends on what you're talking about -- it's kind of a grey area for a lot of things), but that's the point of him redeeming himself. that's the point of jack freeing davetrap's soul by burning the restaurant down. that's the point of jack saying "i hope you can find peace with what you've done" to dave before he leaves with blackjack. that's the point of dave getting better. he did bad things and he acted poorly to jack sometimes and with how his soul is split (on top of jack uh... ditching him for 35 years in some bid to force him to move on) his reality self is much clingier and more aggressive when pushed to its limits -- jack and dave both emphatically say that dave's reality self cannot move on from henry / jack and that's why he keeps coming back. they're still two halves of the same entity. to treat them like they aren't two halves of a whole, just under different circumstances, is ... kind of ignoring a big part of dave's arc, imo?

fundamentally if flipside dave hadn't done anything that reality dave did, what is the point of him taking accountability? what's the point of his entire talk with dee? what's the point of him having to deconstruct what he did and what henry did to him if he isn't somewhat accountable for all he did, y'know? obviously he isn't entirely consciously reality dave, but they're two parts of the same entity pushed to different extremes in different contexts. davetrap was isolated and abandoned and he is incapable of moving on properly, much as jack tries to get him to before turning to burning the restaurant down, and he's going to inevitably have a WAY harder time acknowledging that henry did anything bad because that pedestal is all he's hinging on. if henry is bad, dave coming back over and over was all for nothing, so of course he's in such vehement denial and clinging so hard to this idea.

of course he can act hostile or aggressive or creepy to jack in certain endings, his one role model was the man who watched him with cameras to study him, cut him open and took out his organs, constantly gaslit him and manipulated him into thinking he wanted everything that henry did and then ditched him. of COURSE reality dave is therefore clingy and scared of abandoment -- flipside dave expresses this same fear, getting borderline guilt-trippy when jack first says he'll leave until jack clarifies he plans to come back. it's to a far less severe degree, yeah, but it's still clearly a part of both daves. to act like reality dave should be condemned and flipside dave was just manipulated is to act like theyre not effectively the same entities in different contexts.

i dunno. you can have your headcanons and i don't want to sound mean to anyone who considers them entirely different people because that's ultimately not my territory to tread on and it hurts nobody. if you enjoy it, have fun with it! i've just always found it reductive and like it ignores kind of the point of dave needing to take accountability and be redeemed and it tends to lead to reality dave being dismissed as "all bad" and flipside dave just being traumatized and "the good one." not sayin everyone with the headcanon does it and ultimately this is just my interpretation off canon so im not the end all be all. it's just something on my mind

[witch--tips]

💎 WITCH TIP 💎

This is a post about the common “clear quartz can replace any crystal”

(this is more of a beginner post to clarify that tip from my perspective as a witch of many years. beginners can hear a lot of tips over and over again without much explanation for the little things that might make them finally work better. there is no RIGHT way to do witchcraft, so don’t take this as a rule everyone must follow, but this is my opinion and preferred way of doing things, and i think itll help out a lot of witches! <3)

Sure, clear quartz might be able to replace any crystal, BUT that doesn’t always mean you should just treat it the exact same way you would, say, a rose quartz, without any difference at all. No, at least imo, you should sort of program it beforehand. Clear quartz is uniquely open to taking in a lot of energies of all sorts, and so in order to prepare it to replace like a rose quartz (gonna continue with that for the example), you should GIVE it that sort of energy to take in before using it like one!

You can do that pretty easily, it doesn’t have to be some big long process. The simplest way is like energy work and visualization, such as holding it clasped in your hand, feeling the loving energy like a rose quartz would have, feel it pour down your arm, into your fist, then pour it into the quartz and let it take it all in. Or if youre bad with that sort of work, you can hold it and say an incantation (doesn’t need to rhyme or anything! it can be super simple and straightforward), like just TELL it that it’s full of love and has that sort of power. Speaking to it is especially effective if you let your breath from saying those words wash over the crystal imo.

Once it’s programmed, go ahead and treat it just like you would a rose quartz or any other lovey crystal, until you feel that the energy you put into it has faded out or you wanna cleanse it and give it another purpose. Feel free to program it as many times as you want with any sort of energy/intent you want. Just keep in mind that, if you want to program a single piece of quartz with multiple intents at once (like maybe love + peace + creativity), it might not be as strong as if you just gave it one or two at a time. That’s why I’d cleanse before giving it a different kind of energy, so it just has one or two to focus on.

Without that sort of programming beforehand, I feel the clear quartz is just an amplifier. If you stick it in a money spell without programming it, it’ll probably be surrounded by things like coins, cinnamon, bay leaves, pyrite, green aventurine, etc, right? If you didn’t tell the quartz at all to bring you money, it’s still around a bunch of money energies anyway, and since it takes in energies so easily, it might take them in by proximity and therefore enhance them. That’s a perfectly fine way to use clear quartz, but it may not be exactly how you want it to work in some spells, especially not in smaller spells where you’re using it on its own or just with one or two other ingredients. Just something to keep in mind.

I know that a lot of beginner witches hear that clear quartz, white candles, rosemary, etc etc can be used as replacements for everything, and that’s cool if you wanna use them like that, but I highly suggest doing something quick like this before you do. I don’t work as often with herbs, so I’m not really familiar with rosemary in spells, but for candles, another good way to program those is to etch a sigil or words onto it really quick :) though i feel like white candles don’t need as much programming as quartz might, since the flame is often the main focus. But I still program them anyway lol, it’s a big boost that takes like two seconds!

Hope this helps! Really, do whatever feels right to you, everyone experiences and interprets magic a little bit differently, so for us witches who manipulate it, it’s important to listen to your own findings and feelings. This is what I’ve picked up in my practice, and I hope it gives you beginners some good ideas and direction in your practice! Feel free to ask me any questions you might have in my ask box or the replies or anything. Welcome to witchcraft!

[nfoxysun]

What's your rising sign

isn't this question sus since i wrote it into my bio?

libra rising, btw, i can't believe you found this profile, we should talk, no more hiding, I'm serious about it and you really should reply to me, i didn't like the thing that you ghosted me after that.

y'all, do you want some proof about how I know who this person is and how they're related to me?

I'm sick and tired, fr

this person is really tired, guarded but still standing and trying to build something meaningful with me. did you remember that one soul tie post that i wrote before, yes, this is the person and as soon i saw this question i recognized the pattern and his energy, I'm not a fool. so, i was saying, he knows he's been taking a lot from me, there's an imbalance and that's why they felt a desire to give something to me, in this case this question, a breadcrumb, as always.

as you can see by a lot of cards, i have a soul tie with this person, i don't get the lovers, 2 of cups and the 2 of cups with everyone, and this person has a pattern in my readings other than those cards: the devil card.

I'm actually surprised that there are so many positive cards in here, love, did you grow up? did you mature? or are you still stuck? i didn't appreciate you invading my personal space here too, I'm actually hurt by this, it's not yours, it's for ppl who actually believe me and treat me well, not for someone like you, that doesn't even want to talk to me fr

so, i was saying, this person actually sees me as someone worth it (i hate talking about me in my readings, let's skip this part but he sees me as the empress) and he wants to become better BUT he's still defending himself, trying to recover from something they did to me. he betrayed me but at the same time they hit the rock bottom too. they realized how bad they hurt me.

feelings are still here, renewing themselves, tied to sweet memories, and wanting to actually take the leap for a new beginning BUT he's too in his mind, he wants control over his feelings, he rationalizes everything bc he's afraid of that, of my intuition and feelings.

he's confused but yet obsessed by the spiritual bond we share. he knows i see through his mask, the feelings are mature but still he can't accept them fully and yet, he obsesses over it, he's stuck in fears "what if i show i care? what if they abandon me" and that's how he justifies his bad action. he's a really good person, but with me he's an asshole.

however, he's starting to think to actually balance the scale and tell me the truth about this situation, why? he's afraid i might really leave him alone and part ways with him. he feels the desire to act but he's battling with himself, his thoughts, that's inner conflict at its peak, maybe about how he should reach out if he decides to do it sweet and caring but emotionally manipulative or more boldly, fiercely, difensive but still attacking me? we'll find out.

and yes, it's him, love, i know it's you. i knew from the beginning what was happening, who you were and everything else, do you really know I'm naive and that i didn't look up to anything? btw, i just want to talk to you heart to heart, no more lies. you hurt me like no one else when you do it, there's no bad way to talk to me if it's truth, even angry truth is good to me, but just tell me the truth😞💗

9 of wands and 10 of pentacles clarified by livers, 10 of cups and 6 of pentacles

king of pentacles and empress clarified by sun, 10 of swords and 7 of wands

ace of cups and fool clarified by 6 and queen of cups and king of swords

7 and 2 of cups clarified by king of cups, devil and high priestess

back of the deck: justice, 9 of pentacles, ace and 5 of wands, knight of cups and wands

[markymarkhoffman]

What are you and Peta doing right now

actually we just got back from an appointment ☺️ and he s mad at me

@dr-footloose knows this lesbian doctor lady and so i took my man in (he was really fighting it but i told him he could get prescription drugs.. i didnt think they would give him anything strong that he would want but there was still that possibility )

So i went in with him because i said i only could schedule it if we went in together (he hasnt been to the doctor since the 90s so he didn t really realize thats not a thing)

Anyway we see the doctor and he doesnt wanna talk so i explain the situation to the doctor (both of us are getting older and hormones are all over the place)

And she asks us some questions about mood (when i set it up on the phone i mentioned that it was a big concern for peter but the situation needed to be handled delicately because.. of his mood )

Thats when peter realized this wasnt about the drugs this was about getting help

He starts yelling and i point at my man and nod to the lady . This is exactly what im worried about .

So she s very calm and she asks my man his habits , every single thing he does in a day and how he feels

He says he hates everything and besides spite he has very little else that keeps him motivated

She asks him what it was like growing up, knowing you were different?

This is where he started to trust her.. she recognized he was special .

He gave some reluctant answers

Then she asked about his teenage years , if he had difficulty with puberty

Then when he was an adult and he was in college

He actually talked about why he got a divorce and the major events that led to that and how bad his ex wife was for his health because they were both angry people

He talked about how much he hated men ❤️ (kind of sort of ignoring me 😉)

He said this Jigsaw case was awful and my department was so slow and how its so frustrating 🤣

Then the doctor lady had to clarify if we were actually in a relationship or not , he admitted we do it

She asked him how it s changed his mood He got real flustered , probably because i was grinning at him

He said it s a good place to put his stress and get his anger out

She said is he okay with that ? (She meant am i okay with him doing that)

I said Yes of course ! thats what i m here for!

And she gave me kinda a weird look

Then she asked peter if he thought I was experiencing the same mood intensity as he was

He said i ve always been this way

She asked him again, 'do you notice anything wrong with your partner's mood'

He said yes hes too nice to me I laugh and he shoots me glare

He explains that he never asked me to be nice and that i should lay off him

The doctor lady was nt buying it.. she asked him if he could see the two of us together for a long time. Like even when the jigsaw case is over

He looked very uncomfortable . He didn t answer it. So she looked at me.

I said i'm open to whatever peter is wanting . She looked frustrated but clearly (and peter knew this) she could see right through my man

He groaned and asked if he needed prescriptions

She asked him why

He said '... for my mood?'

She said maybe . But she wanted him to make an effort on his own first

. He immediately said no, and she said fine, have some mood stabilizers.

We walk out of there and then in my car , hes reading the paper she gave us on menopause and the prescription and he scoffs because apparently the pills are weak or something . He cant abuse them so hes mad about it (im not supportive of his drug use and i do not want anyone reading this to think it is okay or cool to do. My man has problems , ok? But im finally getting him help )

So the rest of the car ride back to his place is tense

He doesn t invite me in to screw

So im back at my apartment

Thank u for asking ! ❤️

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s5 episode 15 "travelers" thoughts

long day. i want scully and mulder time.

ooh, looks like this episode will be about mr. mulder! mr. william mulder, i should specify; i am not just referring to OUR mulder with that title.

will we also see baby CSM?! will the puzzle pieces fit together, or drift further apart?!

i think mr. mulder is kinda cute. like a clean matty healy.

(WORDS I LIVED TO REGRET TYPING!!!!!)

now, what mischief has he gotten up to today? killing people? i’m not really shocked. 

so, it looks like we will not actually get any scully and mulder time, but i’m open to change after the CSM episode. it was really interesting. let’s see what is in store.

‼️HATER ALERT‼️i should not have been open to change. this episode pissed me tf off. what do you mean we are changing mr. mulder’s face and making roy cohn put spiders in your belly? HELLO? can you even hear me? did i really just watch this? 

we begin in 1990 in wisconsin. strange place to be. a sheriff is here, coming to get someone who is locked in a house.

“i don’t much enjoy evicting old folks”, says the sheriff. wow. almost a conscience there.

but the guy he is with promises this old person shall change his mind. and from the spooky music that is playing, i am inclined to also think something is about to go down.

edward skur is being evicted, and he is not opening up his door. but something in the house smells very bad. uh oh. this is never a good way to start an episode.

this house is very messy and dark, and mr. skur seems to be watching from a distance. it’s covered in bugs. icky.

the other guy sees something horrible and throws up!! let me guess: a body? 

UGH! i wasn’t technically WRONG, but it’s a MUMMY in the bathtub!!! it looks really old!!!! like, ancient kind of old!! 

which raises the question: do mummies smell bad? i kind of assumed after a few centuries it just went sort of… neutral

i need to research this later.

anyway, skur tried to grab the sheriff, but he fired his gun. he hit mr. skur, and as he dies on the ground, foaming at the mouth (??), he calls for MULDER????

huh??

idk if either of the mulders can help you with your smuggled mummy... i just really do not know 💔 i fear we may need to call the authorities to get that mummy back to its sarcophagus or perhaps bog home

(i assume it will be some kind of alien, but you have to admit it looks like the result of a tomb robbery)

intro time!!! yeah yeah yeah make some noise!!

and they shortened the intro again...! must be for a good reason?

(NO. NO GOOD REASON)

so it’s still 1990 here. and mulder is going somewhere…. to an apartment. looking for arthur dales.

he introduces himself as a profiler with the behavioral sciences unit (aww! baby mulder! he looks pretty much the same as current mulder, but with longer hair)

oooo, this dales man used to work for the bureau… he opened up a case on edward skur in 1952!!!

arthur claims he doesn’t know what went down

mulder brushes some hair out of his face (aww, the slightly different hair style, they really want us to notice it)

“do you know what an x file is?!” “it’s uh… yeah, it’s an unsolved case” <- ohohoho, do i, the viewer, ever know what an x file is!

arthur clarifies: “no, it’s a case that’s been designated unsolved” <- hmm okay. so they basically didn’t want to bother solving it because it might be incriminating. pretty important distinction if he's telling the truth.

apparently, skur disappeared many years ago after killing a bunch of strangers and removing their organs. most of the report on the matter is censored. but now he was found and shot last week, and a man in his bathroom found with all his soft tissue removed. yuck.

so NOT a stolen mummy nor an alien. for the sake of historic preservation, i am glad skur was not a guy who kept mummies in his bathtub. we need those for research purposes.

ohhh!!! arthur tries to shut him out, but mulder asks how tf skur knew his name!!! an excellent question. 

“you ever heard of HUAC, agent mulder, the house un-american activities committee?” <- not sure if i knew before this that HUAC was pronounced “hew-ack”, which is a really terrible way of pronouncing a word, but i guess it makes sense for the time.

arthur says mulder wouldn’t know about HUAC… girl, that man is a walking encyclopedia. don’t doubt him.

“they found practically nothing. you think they would have found nothing… unless nothing… was what they wanted to find?” <- very cryptic. i like the idea that the red scare was a coverup for alien stuff. makes more sense than what actually went down. but on the other hand, it kind of undermines the senseless destruction that came with mccarthyism by giving it an in-universe purpose.

so i changed my mind. maybe i don't like it.

mulder again plays with his hair (lmao) and says that he’s sorry, but doesn’t see the connection. aww, he’s a little baby! he cannot even see a connection! and then arthur slams the door on him. rude af.

mulder is watching news footage from the mccarthy era to research this case. roy cohn is mentioned, and every time i remember that roy cohn was a real person, i have to take a deep breath. 

apparently the term “fellow travelers” referred to those sympathetic to the communist cause back then? i genuinely had no idea. damn, my modern history knowledge is lacking! listen, they don't teach you much past WWII in US history 101 and 102

god. roy cohn mentioned, again. he is said to be the man who “brought the rosenbergs to justice”. this makes my skin crawl.

(little did i know what this episode had in store for me...)

mulder has a little card that identifies edward skur as a member of the communist party. now, i understand that was a controversial group to be a part of, but i fail to see how this leads to stealing organs. we’re missing some context.

look at mulder with messy hair and glasses!!! he rewinds the tape and recognizes someone in the background of the hearing!!!

good lord…. he’s attractive.

(perhaps the highlight of this episode was mulder in glasses. it gets me every time)

anyway, it’s his dad he recognizes. which is obviously very shocking.

AWW, he brings mr. dales some coffee the next morning :,) he shall not be deterred!

mr. dales tells him to go ask his father, and mulder says “my father and i don’t really speak” <- damn… are we going to get the story behind that?? i mean, we know a decent part of it. maybe that is enough.

BAHAHA dales slams the door again and i was thinking “buddy, he will subpoena you” and then mulder says just that lmaooo

and this works on him; he opens the door back up and says that edward skur worked for the state department just like mr. mulder. our mulder must have known that, but said nothing! 

OHHH he asks if his father was involved, and dales just lets out a big sigh. (shocked mulder voice) how??

and how did he remove the organs but not the skin??

is mulder smoking right now?? i guess hearing your father was involved with a bunch of murders is stressful enough to make a guy open up a pack.

(i literally could not figure it out. it just looked vaguely smoky. i didn't see a cigarette being brought up into his mouth. does anyone know? because if mulder smokes or smoked at some point, i'm going to need to add that to my internal list of facts about his character and then analyze what that says about him. please tell me, and thank you)

dales says he can tell you how the organs were removed, but not why. what do you know?!?!

in regards to the communist allegations- that is what "they" all said "they" were!! this clears up very little

way back in the olden days, dales is arresting mr. skur!! they plant a communist card on him… or else they really did find it as soon as they arrested him, which i find hard to believe. his wife and kids watch this happen :( poor kids

dales is at the bar getting a drink after busting reds all day. someone calls the bar looking for him!! it’s his partner!!! skur was found dead! 

this is stressful for dales…. he drinks his bourbon.

he has to go tell mrs. skur that her husband died, and it was his fault for arresting him. drinking and driving is not advisable, but this is not stopping dales. he’s waiting outside the skur’s house trying to find the words when he sees edward skur run by!! this ought to be impossible!! due to the dying!!

chase scene!!! WHAT THE FUCK DOES SKUR HAVE LIZARDS IN HIS MOUTH??? he pins dales down and SOMETHING emerges???

the neighbor hears them scuffling and skur runs away!!!

HUH??? MOUTH LIZARDS?

okay.

dales clocked in the next day after almost getting eaten. his partner has something to tell him. now he has pictures of the dead skur taken BEFORE dales was attacked last night!

dales clarifies he didn’t have *that* much to drink. and his partner says to leave him out of the report, but he already turned it in!

the justice department is calling him!! they need to chat! oooo dales is in trouble...

(these scenes are very bright and foggy to indicate they take place in the past and it’s a little distracting lmao)

HE’S GOING TO SEE ROY COHN?? HE’S A CHARACTER IN THIS SHOW???

woah… he sits next to dales. scarily. and asks if he knows who he is. “then you know how important my work is” yeah. they must expel the communist vermin. sure, sure. 

“everything is political, agent dales” <- very ominous. 

dales seems to be the only one that can identify the man who attacked him as skur, because his wife and the neighbors sure deny it.

does roy cohn know about the aliens???

he’s just staring at dales. he knows he has to edit skur out of his report, but he’s not sure why. “you’re not supposed to understand; you’re supposed to follow orders” <- damn. very very creepy guy.

(tbh, i don’t really know what real young-ish roy cohn looked like, so i cannot comment on if this guy is the spitting image of him or not. but he is very unsettling)

so, dales changes his report, saying the suspect is unknown. and all the information on skur is blacked out, just as we saw in present mulder’s hand!

but skur was already out doing murders, so dales cannot leave this mystery behind. they go in the murder house where they find a german song playing, and a picture of the house's owner- a doctor- shaking the president’s hand. hmm. who is this german doctor guy?

it smells like hospital in there, his partner reports. not a great smell.

and they find the german guy’s body… it’s really grotesque!!!

the cops arrive at the scene, telling the agents to put up their hands. they have no idea who tf these agents are. then who called them there?!?!

ohhh, dales finds a coaster from the bar that says “come alone”….. secret code....

he’s in this little secluded booth thing at the bar (what? i thought it was a confessional at first? did bars back then have a random little private booth section? what was the purpose of this?)

anyway, this new guy says he was trying to SAVE the dead german doctor, but he was too late, and skur killed him. and dales will be next. 

meanwhile, his partner is at home bringing in the groceries, and i can imagine what will happen next….

OHHH HE HAS A CUTE ORANGE KITTY. highlight of the episode.

back in the booth at the bar, mystery guy says that skur and “the others” are patriots who work at the state department. skur, gissing, and oberman. and now the other two are dead by their own hand!! they couldn’t live with what they’d become!!

they (cohn and the government?) had to put out a story to cover up what they did to skur…. what did they do?!

WAIT, THIS GUY IS MR. MULDER? he looks different than the other mulder actor!! did he get a new actor?? did they just change?? am i crazy? is that the same guy? is he lying?

(i was second-guessing myself so much that i went back to rewatch the part of apocrypha that had him in it and i KNEW. i KNEW that was a totally different guy. one that looked like a clean matty healy and who i had grown attached to. this dude is just someone else entirely! is it some sort of plot trick? a recasting? what is afoot?!?!?)

((if this WAS done for plot reasons, you can tell me. because it would make me feel far less annoyed. even if the reason is a later surprise like "gasp! turns out bill and william mulder were DIFFERENT PEOPLE". you don't have to specify anything. you can just say they did it for a reason. but i have a feeling this is not the case)

“mulder” (i am suspicious) claims that he cannot keep this secret any longer, and he risked his family to come here and tell dales. 

meanwhile, his partner sits down to watch mccarthy do his thing on the TV, but the cat knocks his beer down

mr. bill mulder says that mr. cohn and mccarthy are involved in this…. skur wants revenge for what they did to him. and skur thinks that dales and his partner are involved!!

dales gets up and asks for the phone, and he’s calling his partner, whose number was “klondike 5 0133”, making me realize i know nothing about how old phone numbers work. but his phone has been unplugged!!!

 and skur is going lizard or bug mode or something on the partner!!

WHAT THE HELL?? I REALLY REALLY REALLY DISLIKE HOW THOSE LEGS CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH AUGHHHH

the next day, the coroner is trying to examine the body. and who rolls in but roy cohn! he says that they can’t take the body to the morgue. 

OH SHIT: “what are you talking about, i’m no communist” “you are if i say you are” daaaaamn. that is crazy. backed right into a corner there. 

roy cohn, how did you turn that guy into a spider on the inside…

“when your partner dies, a piece of you dies with him” <- okay so mulder and scully, take notes. you can’t die on each other, okay? thank you.

dales needs to avenge his partner’s death!! so dales must find out what happened to the other two men who mr. bill mulder said are now dead, but also had that “thing” done to them.

OH this secretary put the info on one of those guys in an x file!! “why don’t you file them under ‘u’ for unsolved?” “that’s what i did until i ran out of room” <- LMAO queen… THE x file creator!!! everyone say thank you to her

(i feel this is a definite retcon of the x file lore, but whatever. what do i care? they already changed this dude's whole face)

gissing was found dead with his doctor, but the don’t know how the doctor just… collapsed.

gissing had some recent surgery… his body is still in the morgue. dales says CUT HIM OPEN NOW even though the coroner says the family will yell at him he does, in fact, do the cutting open

waugh… something in the esophagus… EAUGH I CANNOT LOOK. IT’S A SPIDER??? SPIDER SEWN INTO HIS STOMACH?? 

i do not like that.

dales runs back to mrs. skur to try and explain her husband was discredited to cover up roy cohn putting spiders in his belly, i guess.

“it’s called xenotransplantation” <- that doesn’t sound gooooood. at all. THE GRAFTING OF ANOTHER SPECIES INTO THE HUMAN BODY??? augh. and i was going to have dessert after this. 

so it’s a nazi thing, and the german doctor must have been continuing his experiments in the US! yes, operation paper clip, we have spoken of this before on this TV program

dales wants to expose the truth, and he needs skur’s help to do so. he leaves mrs. skur the coaster with a mysterious message….

when who pulls up but mr. cohn!! telling dales to get in the car. and mr. bill mulder is there, too.

mrs. skur is sneaking out the back door, lifting up the hatch to a fallout shelter, going to find her husband. he’s in incredible pain, and he starts to go spider mode and eat his wife!!!!

roy cohn takes dales to the FBI. damn. and the lore dumping begins from mr. hoover. there are more soviets than capitalists now, btw, and this is very bad. 

dales points out that those random men who were experimented upon were not communists, which makes hoover counter that they must do even what their enemies would be afraid of. like put spiders in your belly.

dales has one chance to save himself. he is to go meet with skur and then the other men will come get him. so that is why mr. bill mulder was sent to talk to dales! not out of the kindness of his heart. “i follow my orders”, he says, and that famously is *not* a good reason to do terrible things. 

dales is alone in the bar, waiting for skur, pouring a drink. and skur arrives, saying his wife is dead. 

“they’re not coming, you know. they wanted me to kill you, or you wouldn’t be here” oh shoot… is he telling the truth…? is dales being set up?

now skur is going after dales, with mr. bill mulder having to be restrained from going in the bar to save him!!!

dales manages to handcuff skur before the spider can emerge, but he runs away and hides!!

cut to a baffled present day mulder. “i can’t believe my father threw in with these men (very deep sigh) he let them dictate his conscience” <- well, that seems to be a reoccurring theme with bill mulder

“you keep digging through the x files and they’ll bury you too” <- that is promising! /s

but how was skur able to get away and live in obscurity? was he kept in a lab? maybe someone let him go?

MR. MULDER GAVE HIM THE CAR KEYS AND LET HIM GO!!!

in the hope that the truth will someday be exposed??

the end.

huh. what am i even supposed to think here? 

well, all i can think about is how different bill mulder looked.

i can’t even fully articulate WHY this episode made me so mad beyond its sheer absurdity and the fact that i am obsessive about details and a recasting always gets under my skin. except that i am also darkly fascinated by the comic book villain level hijinks that the real roy cohn got up to, and using him as a prop in the alien show could have been kinda interesting, but i feel that making him the spider guy was NOT the move. who did this benefit? anybody? was there not another case for mulder and scully to tackle? who on the writing team said “you know what this needs? mouth spider”

and putting aside the whole new body mr. bill mulder somehow obtained- perhaps there is a good reason for that, and i am being judgemental without knowing the full story, but still, you cannot fool me- he let the spider guy go?? knowing that he would be slurping insides for the rest of his life? and is this supposed to be heartwarming? because my heart isn't warmed.

i mean, if skur managed to go most of his life without slurping, until the very end, that is... good, i guess? but then he slurped once more and an innocent guy died. so. uh.

earlier i spoke about the different categories of x files episodes, specifically the bad ones. i have copied those notes from before below:

"category a is: this is blatantly offensive. who approved this? (gender bender, excelsis dei)

category b is: this writing is so out of character i feel disgraced (3, the parts in oubliette where scully is just mean af to mulder and tells him to stop trying cpr??? and rift-era episodes)

category c is: just kinda boring af, monster isn't even camp it's just weird, also tends to be overly dark in theme to the point where no one is having fun (calusari, the walk)"

i'd place this in category c. if you were going to use some of the most notorious figures in 20th century history as plot points, DO something with them beyond "he puts spiders in their tummies to fight communism". i am not compelled by this. i do not think anyone would be. and if i am supposed to think "oh, poor mr. bill mulder, he was so morally conflicted" i guess i just don't... really care that much. at least not in this particular instance. choosing between his kids was intense and fascinating, plot-wise. choosing to free the lizard guy helped no one but lizard guy, who went on to do more murdering.

and there wasn't even scully!

[thelonewolf48]

Hello, Blank the series community!

How are we processing the ending of season 1? Are you angry? Do you understand Khun Neung's actions? Do we want to hit her? Yes, you say? 🤣🤣🤣

I wanted to wait a bit (also got busy at work lol) to avoid any spoilers for anyone who don't watch Episode 6 and last one for a while... I don't know how I'm gonna cope with it tbh... I'm following 23.5 and other web series but tbh... never on the level of Blank... I have to admit that GAP did it first but Blank did it better... which, no shade to GAP because FreenBecky, my beloved, chemistry was so good too!

And to clarify, GAP the series also had its own set of problems, most of them regarding money and locations, but what they did, opened the door for more GLs. Some, with good and bad executions, but that's up to each person and their preferences to decide!

BUT ENOUGH OF GAP (the perfect GL, to me!) Let's talk about BLANK!

As a start... I didn't like that they began from when Aneung knocked on Neung's door... it ate like 4 more minutes with them, plus they didn't keep the same tension.

On Episode 5, the tension was felt thanks to the zoom on their faces that lasted quite a good amount of seconds and Faye's minuscule lean.

This time it was cut and then bam! KISS! (NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING!)

I'm not gonna go on full detail because I believe we all watched the episode, there are a few technical things I want to point out but I won't because nah! There was some foreshadowing to the doom that was to come... and no, I don't say this as a person who has read the book 🤭

I will go straight to that last part...

I had to go back to read that last part in the book because I wanted to keep this as accurate as I can.

So, throughout the episode, we see Aneung's family praising how good of a Role Model Neung is for Aneung. This is the first red flag. Then we see Neung still having doubts about their age gap which I find normal in this setting, because it can happen. This is the second red flag.

The final nail to the coffin, and the one I think everyone should consider whenever questioning WHY Neung broke this as cruel as she did, is that she thought she used Aneung as a way to distract her own pain.

In the book, and the reason why I re-read it, Neung sounds more detached, more out of the moment, and at some point even more aggressive about it. In the series, Neung, although also feeling out of the moment, the scene takes a more soft and romantic approach. They show us Neung's walls falling and accepting that she does indeed love Aneung.

Also, the "brake up" is harsher. Feels like a slap.

Now, we have to consider that in the book, right after their love making Aneung goes to school, everything seems fine, heavy, but good enough. Things happen, that I won't reveal because it could be spoilers, but one of those things is that Fah calls Neung about the funeral and everything. Fah is the one telling Neung that she trusts Neung, she's a role model, and she knows she will take care of Aneung.

Here, there is something I wanted to point out. To hear Fah say it, right after what happened it's what triggers Neung to break Aneung's heart. As logical as Neung is, that is the conclusion she gets after everything.

Aneung is young, thus can fall in love again with someone around her age. This is the conclusion Neung forms in her head. Plus, she sees something else that triggers a reaction. Something we will see in season 2 😆 so, no spoilers but maybe some of you can imagine what.

Neung is very logical, very cutthroat, and as stubborn as their grandmother. We have to remember that, as the eldest, she was trained to be the next heir. So, her life was very, very different. If you see any royal family, the image they project is one of perfection. So, it's no wonder that Neung learnt how to mask her feelings. If something hurts, hurt it back a thousand times worse. Or better yet, just ignore it.

Neung, just like Sam after she became the heir, prefers avoid her feelings because she knows caring equals pain. So, why bother?

There's a whole process Neung does before she goes to Aneung, in the book.

But I have to admit that the series spin was chef kiss! I'm sure that Neung, after waking up, was blaming herself for letting things escalate so quickly.

I will defend Neung with my whole heart because the traumas she carries makes her scared. And like a feral animal, the only way she knows how to defend herself is attacking. She pushes and pushes until she proves to herself that she is right. Everyone leaves.

I could continue rambling and going and just word spit things, but I have to sleep 🤣🤣🤣

Don't share spoilers if you read the book! Unless people want them, I will keep my posts spoiler free! Either way, if anyone wants to discuss the book, you can send me a message too!

Once again, I say this Blank the series set the bar waaaaaaay too high! I can't deny it!

Anyway, guys, do you agree? Disagree? Let's have a respectful debate!

[alemonyoyo]

No Country for Young Humans - Chapter 8

Got this chapter out a lot sooner than planned. This chapter does NOT pass the Bechdel test I am SORRY. But on that note, from what you should expect of this story; a lot of MC and Star. This is definitely an idealised narrative that is moreso focused on the relationship between these two characters rather than the ongoing story of the Underground as a whole. Of course, elements of the Underground and the happenings outside of The Wild East will become prevalent, but MC and Star are the main focus, hence why there is so much focus placed upon MC and Star. I just wanted to clarify this!

Missed the previous chapters? Check out the Masterlist!

Words: 3397

Tags: GN Reader, No use of YN, Flirting, Teasing, Does not pass the Bechdel test

Summary: Finally you've returned from Waterfall, and your feelings are starting to swell. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of celebration, a more quiet figure plagues you with a question.

Chapter 8 - The Childhood Friend: BGM: Undertale Yellow OST: 069 - Getting The Thoughts Out

You hadn’t expected to be near tackled at your own arrival back home, but it was a welcome surprise.

“Ah, jeez guys!” You laughed out, the Feisty Four being quick to embrace you. It was nice to know you had been missed, even if you were gone for only a day.

“Good to see you’re alright, rookie.” Moray spoke out, being the first to detach from the group hug. Ace followed suit, readopting his stoic demeanour as he added,

“Not that we didn’t have any *faith* in you.” After some of your missions with him, you were surprised that he did. Ed eventually let go of you, picking up Mooch by the back of her collar as she tried fiddling around in your pockets.

“We were just worried is all.” Ed replied before giving Mooch a dirty look as he placed her down gently.

Home hadn’t changed since you’d left of course, still as vibrant and hot and dry as always. Despite the lustre and elegance that you had been met with at Waterfall, being home and safe felt all the more radiant. You felt a hand get gently placed on your shoulder, Star approaching from behind. 

“No need to worry. They had the best Sheriff in town to keep them safe!” He beamed out. For all it was worth, he wasn’t lying. If it weren’t for his quick thinking, and knowledge of Waterfall, then you would probably have been captured, or killed-

“Yes of course.” You heard the calmer voice call out from behind the crowd of the Feisty Four. “Glad to see that you are both still in one piece.” Ceroba joined the small group with a calm expression. She looked the same as always, perfectly dressed and groomed. You watched as she turned to give North Star a quaint smile, yet she only nodded at you.

“I think this calls for a round of drinks, right boss?” Ed asked, tipping his eyebrow at Star who nodded in agreement.

“Sound’s good to me, Ed. Let’s celebrate another victory.”

“And the rookie will be paying for all of us!” Mooch spoke out as she held out your pouch of gold which she had keenly swindled from your pockets. That bastard! The cunning thing squirmed out of grasp before you could grab her.

“Hey! Give that back!” You chased after her as she ran into the bar, the others following close behind.

-

The saloon's chatter was a wall of sound hugging around every part of you, oppressive and overwhelming. Yet, its thick presence left no room for intrusion, left no room for your awkward sighs and light breaths to be heard as you remained slumped on the edge of an ongoing conversation. Chatter this wild allowed for some sort of anonymity that you were otherwise lacking.

The Feisty Five, plus Ceroba and yourself, had been chatting about the excursion for quite some time now, with North Star painting quite the elaborate and dramatic picture of your adventure;

“But then, the *leader* of the Royal Guard came runnin’ at us! She had this look in ‘er eye, I knew it was bad business then. But thankfully-” The flourish he added always had you delighting in much of his charm. Sewn within each word was this giddy tone in his voice, the bravado of the tapestry he weaved was magnetising to watch. Yet, having been there yourself to experience the real thing, his tale was a large stretch of the truth.

You had wanted to help recount, but instead found yourself sitting silent by the edges, simply watching as North Star worked at the theatrics, miming actions, putting on voices. You were too enthralled by the mere sight of him to even interject with your own remarks. This feeling- it was dense and tight and pulled at you every which way, yet you indulged in it all the same. You liked him, more than the average friend. But if you found your tongue caught every time you were with him, with *everyone*, how could you ever make your feelings known?

Not even a couple hours ago talking had felt so easy, the words slipping off your tongue like the rapids that rushed beside you as you spoke. You had pinned him down, punched him, laughed with him, yet now it was all too much? Others were watching, yes, but shouldn’t the company mask the need to indulge in your own fluster?

Ceroba was making a comment on the events of North Star’s retelling as you elbowed him lightly in the side, just enough to get his attention;

“I’m gonna get some air for a bit.” You whisper, before shifting off your seat to leave out of the Saloon’s back door. Hopefully he’d follow, and you could be alone again to be playful with him without the fear of being seen. Or even worse, understood.

You felt the Saloon door swing shut behind you, the air out here was, although still just as hot, far less stuffy than the hive that throbbed within the Saloon’s walls. Out the back there was a small, rickety patio made of wooden planks with a couple of stairs that led down to the sandy ground beneath. A faucet jutted out of the wall though it wasn’t functional and probably never had been. You went to sit on the stairs, feeling the wooden boards wheeze beneath the weight; weathered and old. Down the far side of the back of the bar, there were a couple barrels of what you assumed to be rum strewn about.

The outside air was fresher, less anonymous, yes, but it gave you the space to clear your head. The space to not let your emotions take you over. 

Taking a deep breath in, you felt the warm air shift in your lungs. Exhaling, you dragged out all of the tension in your shoulders, your back. It could have just been aches from your prior adventure, or it could be something more-

A calm breeze washed by, sending a couple of tumbleweeds floating with it. Stumbling over one another in a chance to make haste to who knows where. Objects without purpose travelling onward. They were like you at one point in time. Making a journey to a place you would never see again. It was useless, really, when you thought about it. Even if you *wanted* to leave, you couldn’t. So maybe it was good that you liked Star, liked him this much to change the entire trajectory of your life to stay *here*. Your new home.

This was the best choice for you, right?

Suddenly, you heard the Saloon door squeak on its hinges as it was forced agape.

“Need some company?” You heard the mellow voice speak out.

“Sure, Ceroba.” You responded, too lost in your thoughts to turn your head to her. 

She gladly took the reply, shifting down next to you on the wooden planks. The wind that rolled by shifted through her locks of hair. They looked like tendrils as they brushed through the wind. Even sitting she was elegance personified.

“I was hoping to hear *your* side of the story. I know Star’s dramatic tendencies all too well.” You heard the smirk in her voice, and turned to see it for yourself. A strange sight it was, but a welcome one. You had seldom seen Ceroba even frown, such levels of expression were rather abnormal for you to be privy to. You sighed out, thinking of where to start, “Long day?”

“Yes-” You nodded, leaning your chin on your hand as you started.

“We don’t have to talk about it then-” You felt her shift, but it was smooth, and lacked the jagged edges of awkwardness. Despite your *state*, she was still effortlessly comfortable in your presence.

A silence settled between you, one that was far more comfortable than that which you had shared with some of the others. All you needed was the sound of the wind and the muffled chatter to keep you company. Though, there was a part of you, the same nagging voice that felt oh-so oppressive earlier in the bar, that wanted to ask her about him. North Star had said they were best friends, since childhood no less. Had he spoken about you? Or were you nothing but a passing remark in their conversations?

“North Star took me to this hidden place when we were running from the Royal Guard. At least, I *think* it was the Royal Guard.”

“Oh so the bit about you and Star getting chased by Undyne was all made up?” You weren’t sure who that was, a Royal Guard evidently.

“I like to think of it as a bit of flourish rather than an outright lie.” You let out a small chuckle, an exhale that showed the playfulness of your tone while your face could still remain stagnant. “It was this small area, with a bench and an Echoflower. We had to tread on these weird flowers to get there. It was like nothing I had ever seen!” 

“Oh, did you check under the bench?” The mentioning of this secret spot seemed to catch her attention, she had turned to you, looking at you more directly.

“Uh, no?” 

“Oh.” She retreated a bit in her tone, “Maybe next time?” You saw her flash a smile. A rare smile. One’s that feel like secrets shared between first loves, only you were barely even friends. 

“Maybe. Why should I be checking under there?”

“Oh, it’s just an inside joke- When I used to take Star there as a kid, sometimes there’d just be- oh, well I won’t spoil the surprise.” And just like that, the moment went sour. Those moments with Star had felt like they were *yours*. Yours to ponder over and to turn around in your head obsessively like you had done mere moments ago. But that wasn’t *your* place, this was North Star and Ceroba’s place, wasn’t it?

“Ah, yes, he told me you took him there.” You could feel your tone fall flat, losing its initial flighty underbelly, skinned of its lighthearted tone. “You’ve known each other for a long time, huh?” You asked, not really directing the question towards her. Rather it just reaffirmed the brewing feeling that tripped in your stomach. It wasn’t as painful as jealousy, no. This was the solemn poison of doubt.

“Yes. Pretty much since I was born. I guess as friends, I never really outgrew him.” Hm, that wording struck you as strange. The feeling in your stomach only got hungrier for info;

“As friends?” You asked, knowing the road this would lead down. You didn’t want to dislike her. You didn’t- Ceroba had kindly come out to check on you after you randomly departed from the group. How could you dislike someone like that? Yet, envy was a powerful thing that battled for control over your logic, appealing rather to the jury of the heart.

“Well, there was a point in time where-'' She stopped herself, almost as if she had been paused by some outside force. And then, just like that, they had pressed play, and she had snapped out of whatever stupor that overcame her. “You don’t really want to hear this, do you?” She asked, eyebrows downturned.

“Why do you say that?” Perhaps even with the coolness of the outside air, your emotions hadn’t simmered down, and your face had failed your intentions, ringing out doubt and envy on all of its features.

“You like him, don’t you?” Oh.

“I- what?” She met your reply with a knowing smile.

“You do!” She beamed with glee, pointing a light but accusatory finger your way. 

You stammered an excuse, waving your hands to fan off her presumptions. But it was too late, this spark had been fanned into a wildfire, and there was no way that the stream of words that left your lips could ever put it out. As your attempts slowly faltered, you felt a dewy warmth emanate beneath your clothing, sticking to your skin as your face fell hot.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I won’t tell.” She placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, but the act was dampened by the fact that she still wore a smirk on her face. “I just wanted to confirm some suspicions. Glad to know I was right.” Her face shifted into a smile, and you calmed your panic.

“How could you tell?” You asked. She had read you so easily! Were you that open of a book that this near-stranger could tell your feelings. And who else knew?

“Ah, I always have fun watching the gang do their missions. I was quite keen to watch you when you first joined. I see the way you look at him.” She leant back on her hands, staring out to the vast horizon of the Dunes, “I thought at the very least, it was in admiration. But I started to suspect that it was something more after I heard all the names Star calls you.” She giggled, and you looked down at your lap where your hands sat clasped in dismay. “ “Darlin’” seemed to have you gasping for air a couple of times. It is quite amusing to watch.” You had assumed this whole time that the passionate inner feelings you harboured were nothing more than swells of the mind, yet instead they chose to manifest visually, giving you away.

“Well, I guess you’ve got me all figured out then?” You responded, sighing heavily as you tried to let go of the embarrassment. 

“I wouldn’t say that. I just know that you like him, is all. I don’t know *why* you like him, though I have my suspicions. And other than that, I hardly know anything else about you. North Star has talked to me more about you than I have talked *with* you.” I suppose that was true. You had heard more about Ceroba than seen. You had heard more about her whole life than seen it; Her husband, some chatter here and there about a daughter. Where were they now?

“What kind of things is he saying about me?” You ask hesitantly. She giggled and you shot her an angered look.

“Ah, sorry, sorry. This just reminds me of when I was a kid, a little.” She chuckled.

“Why’s that?”

“Ah you know, asking your crush’s friends about what they think of you, gossip and all that. Talking behind others’ backs. It’s all a bit childish but it's something I enjoy for its nostalgia all the same.”

“You calling me childish?”

“Aren’t we all?” The response was befitting of everything you had encountered in the Wild East so far; this large game of pretend that strung out over weeks, the playful yet meaningless back and forths of the Feisty Five’s banter, your conversation right now with Ceroba. It was all quite childish. But maybe that’s what you needed right now.

“Anyway, to answer your question, he’s only said good things, so don’t get hung up on that.” That was a relief, after everything you had sacrificed to stay here in the Wild East, the last thing you needed was the driving force behind that decision to turn sour on you. “He sees a lot of potential in you. You seem quite eager to do well for him, and you’re brave enough to try all the crazy things that he asks of you. He admires that” This made you smile. Of course it did-

“Good to hear that my dedication is paying off.” In response to this, she shifted in her place, turning a little towards you.

“So, why do you like him?” She asked before slinking back in slight embarrassment, “Now I’m being childish.” You decide to feed into the gossip, the two of you giggling at how silly the whole conversation was.

“Hm, well, he is quite the character. There is a lot to go over really.” You held your chin in contemplation; “He is rather attractive, that’s for sure.”

“Shallow.” She mumbled out before chuckling.

“Okay, okay! There are more reasons than that!” You slap her playfully on the arm, “He’s really patient with everyone's abilities. I feel like he doesn’t expect too much of everyone. Even if I suck at something, I never feel shitty about it when I’m around him.”

“There was a time where he was pretty bad at all of this.” Ceroba responded, gesturing with her pawed hands, “When he was younger, and first got attached to human culture, he’d go out into his yard every day and practice lasso-ing his dad while he worked.” Now it truly felt like gossip. Now you truly felt like friends.

“Oh god- That sounds painful. But in the most endearing way possible-” Star sounded like quite the hoot, even as a kid. Maybe even before he got ensnared with all the Wild West stuff.

“What was North Star like as a kid?” You asked her, hoping that the mentioning of the past would be a welcome topic. Ceroba seemed to be one to indulge in nostalgia.

“Ah, very different from how he is now. He was just as well meaning, but not as bold or brash.” You listened intently, and Ceroba couldn’t help but laugh at your heightened interest, “Not sure how much I can tell you without Star trying to kill me. He tries his best to look cool for you.” The remark had your mind buzzing with glee. He tried to look cool for you- What a dork. What a loveable dork! “I can tell you that he was a lot quieter, more contemplative and a bit bored with life. I guess that’s why he latched onto human culture so much. It’s hard to live a satisfying life down here. Guess he needed some excitement.” Her gaze turned to look pointedly at you. There was no smirk on her face, just pure contemplation. “Maybe that’s one reason why he’s latched onto *you* so much.”

You hoped not, as it rang rather shallow in comparison to the depths of your own feelings for him. Seeing your slightly pained expression, Ceroba quickly added, “Not the only reason, of course. I have heard many reasons.” You tried to smile appreciatively at the response.

“Do you think I have a chance?” You mumbled, feeling your heart’s pace quicken, its vibration’s thrumming.

“A chance with him?” Her expression was like nothing you’ve ever seen. Trying to decipher its parts, it seemed like a mixture of reassurance and something more painful. Something you couldn’t read into any further, your shovel of inference hitting a rock. “Well, I’m almost certain you do.” She added, turning away, her expression unchanging.

“You think so?” Your tone is careful yet still injected with the characteristic flightiness of joy. This was everything you had wanted to hear, afterall!

“Y-yeah.” She sighed out, her gaze astray, “He really appreciates having you around. I don’t think he’ll ever willingly let you leave.” She chuckled, but it was faint and flat and her eyebrows downturned only helped the playful tone run off into the thick summer air.

“I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, if I can help it.” You reassure her. You couldn’t leave Star, nor the Feisty Five. And now you had another person you couldn’t leave. Even if the moment had soured, Ceroba seemingly plagued by something, you still considered her a friend. Still gossiped with her as if you were still a child. As if you were still innocent. That was worth staying for, on top of everything.

“Yeah.” Was all she said, her shoulders sinking with her words. Another silence settled as you fumbled with your own hands. “Just- Just make sure not to get too attached.” She mumbled out before standing up, and heading back inside without a word. 

And just like that, you were left alone once more. Only now, not even the air could carry with it the anonymity afforded to you prior. 

Now, everyone could see you.

***

“Whatcha doin’ out here all by yerself, deputy?”

“Just got a bit heated in there. That’s all.”

“Ah well, hope you don’t mind my company. I’ve missed havin’ you in there with me.”

“I have hardly been out here long!”

“Ah well, guess I’m just gettin’ too attached to you is all.”

“Haha… Yeah. Me too.”

[animealways]

beter future

exdeatheater!reader x draco (post war)/ contains past torture, survivors guilt and generational trauma (draco wants to thank you for everything but realises there is only one way to truly pay you back)

'Draco?' You furrowed your eyebrows when you saw the malfoy heir on your door step. 'H-hello...' He said rather ackwardly, like he wasn't sure what to say to you after... everything you suppose. 'Um this, its for you.' He handed you a wooden box. You took the box still confused as to why he is here. As you opened it you found jewelry ring, necklaces, bracelets, ect. You looked back up to the pal blond even more confused then before.

'I know this doesn't come close to repaying everything you did for me but... I-i figured i should atleast give you something, anything in return.'

He seemed rather desperate, almost like he was scared you were going to reject the gift. You looked at the gift and back to draco. You gentely put the box next to you on the ground. 'Look draco i know you feel like shit after... everything we did.' You look down at the inside of your left forearm making both of you cringed at the last part. Remembering all the trails, mission and tasked the 2 of you had to do as death eaters even if the 2 of you had completely different motives making both you and draco hold the left arm. 'And at times it feels like we shouldn't be here... That we should have died instead...' You took a deep breath hoping he will take the message. 'But were here and should try our best to never let this happen again.'

'What do you mean?' 'Well voldemort couldn't have done half the damage he did if he didn't have so many followers.'

'oh'

He looked down rather ashamed making you frown and sigh. 'You know what your probleem is?' He shook his head avoiding any eye contact. 'You act the way you do for the malfoy name, not for yourself.' Draco furrowed his eyebrows, looking rather confused.

'What is that suppose to mean?' 'When was the last time you did something that somehow didn't involve your family?'

...

'I-i don't remember...' He mutter quitely but you could here it clear as day. 'Look i have seen how your family is and i can't blame you for never questioning them but we can't let another war like this happen ever again. I don't know about you but i want to be married some day with childeren and i certainly don't want them to go thru the same hell we did.' He finally looked you in the eyes.

'I do too.' You looked back down at you left arm and stretch it out infront of draco. 'Can you promise me that on the darkmark?' His eyes widen surprised by your question.

'Can you promise me that you will do beter then your father and well... the damn mark isn't gonna go away anytime soon so it will be a good reminder.' You clarified. He looked down at your hand and back to you. 'I promise you that.' He grabbed your arm as you grabbed his in return. You smiled at him. 'You know draco, you aren't that bad once you stop worring about your family.' You let go of him, grabbed the box, waved him goodbye as you went back inside.

Maybe we can be friends

You randomly thought to yourself as you went back to your room.

[transgender-daemon-faerie]

Majority of the people in the fandom excuse what rhysand, feyre, and cassian do because they have trauma. People excuse rhysand sexually abusing feyre under the utm cause its what he "had" to do. Forcing someone to wear revealing clothing is sa. Forcing someone to dance suggestively on you is sa. Forcibly kissing someone, while they are trying to push you off, is sa. Guess, what he didn't have to do those things. Feyre destroying a whole court to get back at, leaving tens of thousands as refugees and contributing to the summer court being attacked, is excused. Cassian destroying a whole village to get back at the men who hurt his mother and also leaving refugees is excused. Twinies for real.

People still want to know what happens and see nesta. A lot of them also have others characters they like.

Nesta holds it against elain that she didn't do the same her even though nesta was there for elain. It's more a nuanced situation.

Nesta was nasty to cassian because cassian has ALWAYS been nasty to Nesta from the get go. Cassian doesn't respect her boundaries, thoughts, feelings, or opinions. He continues to say that's bullshit whenever Nesta says something he doesn't like. He continued to follow her home when she told him multiple times to leave her alone. He brought her father, who she witnessed murdered, just because she wasn't eating. Says he doesn't understand how her sisters love her just because she wants to be left alone. He yells at her in public because she doesn't want to do the whole mate thing even though she was one human and still hates the fae which is valid given the fact the fae oppresses the humans. Cassian doesn't accept that she doesn't want him when he continues to not leave her alone. He is supposed to be her mate but for some reason, he doesn't act like one. Allowing people around him to degrade and threaten nesta is not mate behavior.

People don't just hate rhysand for how he treats nesta. Its what he did to feyre utm, how he treats mor, how he doesn't do anything for those that are suffering in hewn city or illyria, and how he is written (badly. Not everything he does needs to be excused or justified). In regards to nesta, people hate rhysand for how he treats Nesta because he continues to disregard Feyre's feelings. Of wanting to have a relationship with her sister and telling him to stay out of it. Rhysand contributes to nesta not wanting to be around feyre which makes feyre sad but he, nor the ic, realize that and just blame nesta in reality, they play a big part.

That was not an intervention. Degrading someone, threatening them, judging their coping mechanisms is not an intervention. Forcing someone to leave in a place where they can't leave is abuse. We learned that with tamlin. Controlling how someone spends their days is abuse. Nesta wasn't struggling with addiction with her not having withdrawals.

Wooooooaahhh. I touched a nerve. My bad.

I’m going to try to address all the things you said. Before I start, I have autism so I’m a little bad with tone. So I want to clarify that, on my end at least, this is a friendly discussion and not an attack in the least.

I’m not saying that Nesta should be hated for what she did. I’m saying that the other characters shouldn’t be expected to forgive and forget.

I already made a post about morally grey characters and how the fandom doesn’t seem to understand what that means. Nesta is a morally grey character. She does good and bad things. She’s a little fucked up. But we still love her. I feel the same way about Rhys, Cassian, Feyre, Mor, and the others. Cassian murdered people, that’s bad. Mor used Cassian. That’s bad. Rhys did several fucked up things to Feyre. That was bad. Feyre collapsed an entire society (spring court) that was bad. But all of these characters also do good things. They’re morally grey.

I agree that the situation between Nesta and Elain is nuanced

If you really hate Rhys that much, I genuinely cannot understand how you enjoy reading this series. He’s a pretty major character.

That was 100% an intervention. Sometimes people say not nice things at interventions. It’s an emotionally charged situation. People get put in Rehab after an intervention, and they cannot leave until they get better. Nesta had to go to Magic Rehab ™️. Alcoholism is an addiction. Nesta was 100% an alcoholic. She had a mental and emotional dependence on a substance to the point that she could not function properly without it. We see that in that her mental health episodes immediately get worse upon arrival in the house of wind.

[bopinion]

2025 / 22

Aperçu of the week

"The True North strong and free!"

(Excerpt from the Canadian national anthem "O Canada!")

Bad News of the Week

Poland is doing well. Society and individual citizens have become more prosperous over the past two decades, infrastructure has been renovated, foreign policy influence is growing, the nation has become self-confident, the economy stronger - Poland is on the map. So Poland should be sailing in calm European political waters.

Karol Nawrocki is doing badly. No one knew him, he had no political experience or media support, but he did have contacts in the red-light district and among right-wing extremist soccer fans. The historian and civil servant should therefore have lost by a landslide when he ran as an independent candidate for the right-wing PiS (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość / Law and Justice) party in the election for the Polish presidency.

But the former was not enough to prevent the latter. Nawrocki was elected - with virtually no political program, but with a political stance. He was director of the Museum of the Second World War and head of the Institute of National Remembrance. In other words, a credible representative of isolationism and nationalism. And against Germany and Europe. It is frightening that this is enough to get elected.

Poland's contribution to the European Union (EU-27) budget in 2023 amounted to around 5.7 billion euros. At the same time, Poland received around 14.1 billion euros from the EU budget. The state's financing is based on this annual imbalance. The EU affords this because it is committed to expanding the internal market and strengthening its external weight. This is done within the framework of a common set of democratic values. In this respect, Poland is a European misinvestment. But how could this happen?

Just a year and a half ago, the Poles elected Donald Tusk, a liberal pro-European, as prime minister. However, he was hardly able to implement his progressive agenda because the incumbent PiS president, Andrzej Duda, made full use of the extensive veto powers that define the office in Poland. And now the wafer-thin majority has swung back to the right.

Nawrocki had already declared during the election campaign that his goal was to bring down the Tusk government: "Prime Minister Tusk must prepare himself for strong resistance from the presidential palace." A rigorous policy of obstruction could wear down the coalition and unleash centrifugal forces. The first reaction has already come: Tusk wants to call a vote of confidence in parliament on June 11. In other words, he wants to clarify whether he still has the backing of his coalition. This could have a disciplining and motivating effect - but it could also backfire.

If new parliamentary elections are held, another shift to the right would come as no surprise. Look at the Netherlands, where, according to polls, the right-wing extremist Geert Wilders will once again benefit from the new elections he forced. This is because the narrative of right-wing populists is most effective in times of uncertainty. They channel latent prejudices into a fundamental question of identity: do you want to be a true Pole or just a German-European puppet? If the political discourse narrows to this, democracy and the European idea have already lost.

Good News of the Week

The unholy alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is over. The paths of the most powerful and the richest person on the planet are diverging. From the outset, this was not a bromance, but a relationship based on a cool assessment of mutual benefits with a small dash of misunderstood father-son complex. The fact that this could not and would not last long was already evident in his official position as "special government employee" as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, with the associated limitation on his participation in the government to 130 days (per year).

So it is not the end itself that comes as a surprise, but only the bumpy way it happened and, above all, the quick backlash. Trump's political relationships are never long-lasting and are based on a simple principle: loyalty to the king. Conversion is welcome - Cruz, Graham, Vance, Rubio, Kennedy... the list of former enemies who have embraced the MAGA faith is long - but renunciation is punished with excommunication, which can range from complete ignorance to fierce revenge attacks.

In this case, too, the loser is clear. Musk invested in Trump. Money, time, media presence, and personal reach. It worked. Some political analysts even believe that Trump would not have become president without the support of Musk (and the tech entrepreneurs who followed him). But what was expected in return? More government subsidies for Neuralink, perhaps, or direct contracts for Starlink?

That didn't happen. On the contrary, the volume of orders from the US to SpaceX only accounts for about a tenth of Tesla's loss in value, which can be seen as a direct consequence of Musk's political involvement. In doing so, the sociopathic visionary probably misjudged his political influence. "Trump has 3.5 years left as president, but I will be around for 40+ years ...". That's what I call a solid narcissistic self-overestimation.

If Trump now drops him completely, no one will listen to him anymore. Because all he has is money. But he has no administrative positions to offer or political influence to wield. Fortunately, that drop will now be the case. Because the damage he has done in what is actually a ridiculously short 130 days with just a few dozen young people and DOGE is immense. The de facto abolition of the USAID development aid agency alone will cost millions of lives in the Third World -- from a lack of food and medical care to a lack of technology such as drinking water purification.

The damage he continues to cause solely through his questionably targeted misinformation on the propaganda platform X, formerly the balanced microblogging service Twitter, continues unabated. But perhaps his demystification as the "Dogefather" - measures that disappoint even with inflated figures and are often stopped by the courts - will be enough for him to lose his status as a mouthpiece for many lazy-minded convenience MAGA heads. The same would apply here: less Musk is better than more.

Personal happy moment of the week

Father's Day is always a bit of a chore, as it needs to balance out Mother's Day, which is actively celebrated (and probably just as much an invention of the florist lobby as Valentine's Day). And my children didn't neglect me. My adult daughter gave me a kind of picnic basket with snacks for movie nights at home. It included non-alcoholic wine - because, of course, she couldn't resist offering some educational criticism even on this day. And even my son got me a card, a forward-thinking move (because Ascension Day is a public holiday when the shops are closed), which is nothing short of a logistical masterpiece for him. Thank you!

I couldn't care less...

...that the famous "Black lives matter" sign in Washington DC was removed this spring under pressure from the Trump administration, which found it "problematic" and threatened sanctions to the city administration. It has just been five years since the death of George Floyd now, after which the slogan became a memorial facing police violence against African Americans. Even on this side of the Atlantic, the memory remains alive. And it will remain so as long as this latent racism exists.

It's fine with me...

...that the speech from the throne at the opening of the Canadian Parliament was not read by the Governor General as representative of the British Crown, but by Canada's official head of state himself. King Charles III took the opportunity to praise healthy patriotism and emphasize the country's sovereignty and democratic and cultural values - especially in relation to its intrusive neighbor to the south.

As I write this...

...early summer is taking a break. It is getting cool and, above all, rainy. This is a good thing, as the lack of meltwater from winter and hardly any rainfall in spring has left the countryside far too dry. Unlike Canada, we have been spared forest fires so far, but we are a little apprehensive about the summer, which is expected to be extremely hot throughout Europe this year.

Post Scriptum

When the European Union introduced emission limits for the vehicle fleets of local car manufacturers, the aim was to promote electric drives on the one hand, but also to make combustion engines cleaner on the other. However, this led to several vehicle manufacturers investing their technical expertise less in exhaust gas purification and more in methods of circumventing the relevant tests - the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal then came to light in 2015, when Volkswagen, then the world's largest car manufacturer, had to admit to manipulation.

Special software ensured that the engines complied with nitrogen oxide limits on the test bench but emitted many times the toxic exhaust gases on the road. This resulted in losses of 33 billion euros, which are still weighing on the group's balance sheet - mainly due to compensation payments to buyers whose vehicles had lost their resale value. Normally, that would have been the end of it: like other white-collar criminals, they would have been able to buy their way out with money.

But now, following a ruling by the Braunschweig Regional Court, two top managers will actually have to go to prison - without parole. The head of diesel engine development will spend four and a half years in prison, and the head of powertrain electronics two years and seven months. One downside, however, is that the two were only convicted of fraud. They were not hold responsible for the immense damage they caused to the environment. That is still not a criminal offense. And nature is not allowed to be a joint plaintiff.

[angy-grrr]

Friends to lovers is a hard trope to do right, because people already know the outcomes of it before it even gets there. But obviously, it depends on the story.

Iz//ch had the good opportunity of us seeing them becoming friends and then develop to more. But fsr they chose to keep it one-sided, lacking in true communication, or simply trying to sabotage it's moments with the addition of another character that is more important for the story/their character development. And they also missed in trying to add a conflict that would make their relationship more complex along the way. (that involved the both of them, to clarify).

In the end, they did exactly what i think is the biggest weakness of this trope, which is this delayed reaction to romance that makes it feel that "well i didn't care about it now, but now i do for reasons and i want you" is what they were thinking, and relying on a frankly baffling idea that after all these years, and the multiple lessons Ochako had, she STILL didn't learn a damn thing, and convinientely still feels the same way she did, only this time Izuku finally notices her first.

I think many ppl were pretty neutral over their relationship in the first place -it didnt bring anything new to the table, it was just boy meets cute nice girl and they fall in love, but now, bc they prioritized the ambiguous canonization over the hero world, I believe most ppl will start disliking it. BNHA was sacrificed in order to make... that thing, so bad.

Its just insulting to believe she should keep stuck in the past in order to make her still love him, but not enough to keep in contact as best friends, and Katsuki to not give Midoriya a drive for him to casually find her in the street -like damn, he noticed something in the dinner, got interrupted, then proceeded to continue with his life not talking to her. Just huh?? Why?? And why do we focus on Ochako like this all of the sudden? Her "romantic arc" wasn't even properly solved at all, she didnt try to confess shit or express her "true hidden feelings".

What, are we supposed to believe the world isnt ready for a couple like this, two hetero friends who share literally every value and perspective in life?

[blueskyportrait]

hi hi, posting an ask to clarify a few things: apparently the budgets for v9 and the JL league were separate and the real reason for v9's delay was the transition to working at home at covid. i dont like spreading misinformation (good lord the rwby fanbase has enough of it already) so i think this was fair to bring up. while i dont doubt the validity of the animators who worked on v9 and the JL cross over, i can't help but to feel weary due to the fact that this is freaking roosterteeth. a company notorious for their abuse of animators to the point of disability, how their shows are produced on slave labour, how they abuse their starry eye fans for cheap labour, how the higher ups of the company are very much either incompetent or rotten to the core. how can i in good conscious give this company the benefit of the doubt that the JL crossover didnt went through the same crunch or workplace issues? sure the animators got more worked, but were you guys properly paid for it? arianna fillipini's twitlonger details the MASSIVE amount of crunch (50 hr/weeks), how the pay was still below industry standard, how the leadership in v9 didnt help the animators, how everyone got laid off cus RT taking away full time employment, and this was all during VOLUME 9. something produced in 2020-2021, not 5 years ago. im glad the animators got a year of work, im glad they had an opportunity to network with other artists. im not upset that the JL happened, im worried that the same crunch and workplace abuse from v9 was carried over as a consequences of these crossovers being developed in house. while its really dumb to knowingly spread misinformation of RWBY's budget and production, i cant help feel this uneasiness towards every rwby fan on twitter just taking their word that the JL was 'totally a good thing!!!' and anyone upset by how they assumed that the JL took away resources for v9 (because it happened to v6 with gray smuggling money for gen:lock) are 'stupid little haters who use the poor animators at cudgels to flame roosterteeth!!!' am i supposed to trust the notion that suddenly all of the decades workplace abuse and mistreatment that persisted to it's latest season all went away? that suddenly the animators were given enough time and compensation for their work? that suddenly management became leagues better? suddenly all of our concerns towards the production of RT's shows and RT as a company are nonsensical? idk, the entire thing is really weird and the uneasiness i have towards CRWBY's production isnt exactly alleviated by the fact that the JL had a seperate budget :P at least we got to see the beacon designs again 🥃

@unovaslankiite your concerns are completely valid and you're not wrong feeling this way. Even if the budgets for vol 9 and JL were separate, that doesn't make what the animators revelaed just last year what they've been through all go away. Ar*yn Tr*che (who I personally belive is an RT shill so they can keep their job) should not be treated as the only source of info. Their words mean nothing to me. Like, ok, the JL and vol 9 budgets were separate. That doesn't excuse the animation department having to work double time during covid. Yeah you want to ensure they got work, and yet they were snubbed of their overtime pay.

And you're right, why should any of us believe Rooster Teeth? They've been proven over and over again to be liars, and it really isn't hard to notice the patterns of behavior over the years. They said crunch issues in production have been resolved and that was a fucking lie. The cuts to vol 9 and the production of the JL movie sound very similar to what happened to vol 5 when Gen Lock was being made. So people are right to assume the crossover movie affected vol 9.

Pointing all of this out doesn't make you "a bad faith rwby critic" or "wanting to pin blame on crwby" as some stans like to accuse others of. People like you and I are not content with just taking Ar*yn and K*rry's words at face value so they can continue to bury the truth. The stans who try to convince themselves that MKEK and the vas of crwby are separate from RT just want to ease their guilty conscious in wanting to continue to consume rwby content.

That's why they spam #greenlightvol10 on every rwby related post they make. It's a sign of sheer copium.