#idk why this is them but it feels like them. like. proverbially

[huntershowl-moving]

@vsagis

*holding onto ur heart thru ur ribcage* so what are we

[ironunderstands]

These Aventurine, Topaz and Jade comparisons are getting out of hand…

As much as I adore both of them, I think it’s very disingenuous to compare Aventurine and Topaz’s lore and be like “but they are the same!!!! If people like Aventurine and dislike Topaz that’s just misogyny!!! and like… no?

Topaz’s whole thing is that she doesn’t know the extent of the IPC’s evil, and believes that what she’s doing is genuinely the right thing to do. Even if she never had a choice in joining the IPC, she (incorrectly) believes what they did to her and her planet is justified, logical and moral, and for those reasons she stands with them. Part of this is likely IPC brainwashing, as she was probably very young when she became an indentured servant to them, and someone living on a planet on the brink of destruction would likely view anyone who stepped up to save them as heroes (imo the IPC likely waited for the point of no return to establish contact so her people had no other choice to except).

However Topaz got best end of the proverbial stick, her planet and its people were deemed useful by the IPC, and didn’t fight back, even if in the end they were still exploited.

Unfortunately, we have seen through Boothill, Belabog and Aventurine what happens when that isn’t the case.

Boothill’s planet got bombed and people genocided because they had a resource useful to the IPC, but were unwilling to cooperate with them or hand over their home, so the IPC decided to eradicate them.

Belabog had a debt owed to the IPC that was ridiculously high and very unfair to expect them to pay back, and had Topaz not convinced the higher ups to give them some time (which she got demoted for), the IPC would have taken Belabog by force

That leaves us with Aventurine, whose story is in no way on the same level of bad as Topaz’s. Unlike her, he has witnessed and experienced firsthand the truly awful shit the IPC can do.

They took custody of Sigonia and promised to offer the Avgin aid in their fight against the Katacans, at the very least protect them from harm. (Sidenote, since the IPC held control over Sigonia, they should have stopped the fighting in the first place). However, they simply stood by and did nothing, resulting in the deaths of around 6,000 Avgin, with around 3,000 went missing (or injured, I don’t remember, either way it’s bad).

But wait! It gets worse! Aventurine when he was still known as Kakavasha referred to the IPC as “the men in black/the men in black suits”, and his first master says he bought Aventurine from “the men in black/the men in black suits”, likely mocking the way he referred to them. Therefore THE IPC TOOK PART AND LIKELY EVEN CREATED A FUCKING SLAVE TRADE IN SIGONIA

Look being made into an indentured servant isn’t fun, but idk personally I’d take that any day of the week OVER BEING ENSLAVED

That’s not even to mention how horrible of a reputation Sigonian’s have in the galaxy, one likely spread by/resulting from the IPC themselves, as at least on Aventurines planet they do not have the mobility to make a name for themselves. (Honestly it’s a mini theory of mine that Aventurines scam is what partly contributed to this reputation, and his status as a slave is something the IPC conveniently left out in their broadcast about it-)

But, you might be saying, didn’t Aventurine have a choice to join the masked fools and leave the IPC, isn’t he free now? And to that I say, it’s complicated.

Considering the amount of suicidal shit Aventurine has done while being part of the IPC, he clearly hasn’t been having a fun time as a member of one, so why does he stick around, especially with the Fools invite? Even if he was a slave, does that absolve him of the crimes he’s committing now? What could justify his actions?

Revenge, plan and simple.

This is going to delve into some spoiler territory for the end of the Penacony 2.2 quest, something which I didn’t feel like mentioning earlier because I’m sorry but everyone and their mother already knows Boothill’s lore. Now, let’s get into it.

Aventurine accepts Jades offer to join the IPC, and when he becomes a Stoneheart, the first thing he asks about is the fate of the Avgin, to which he then learns that besides him, they are all dead. You see, from birth Kakavasha was pushed onto a pedestal as the savior of the Avgin, but now that there are no more Avgin to save, his primary motivator in becoming a Stoneheart (beyond not being enslaved anymore) is gone.

So what does he do now?

Simple, try to kill the motherfuckers behind it.

That’s why he takes on such risky gambles still, and why he wagers and wants Diamond to promote him to rank p46. The higher Aventurine gets the closer he gets to his goal of taking down the IPC for good.

Which is why his meeting with Boothill is so meaningful. I think Boothill is going to “kidnap” him and together they are gonna take down the wicked bitch that is Oswaldo Schneider for his literal crimes against humanity.

Mark my words, an IPC downfall is going to happen, and I think Topaz, Aventurine, Boothill and Ratio are going to be at the forefront of it.

However, Topaz and Ratio (and by extension the rest of the galaxy) have to learn/realize the true horrors of the IPC (although I can sense Ratio doesn’t really like them, and he’s learned a lot from Aventurine, I doubt he knows the full extent of the situation or is in any way happy about it). Therefore? Topaz mental breakdown arc? Ratio lore? PLEASE??!? The IP3 compliment one another so well and god I can’t wait for that to come to fruition.

I really want to see a Topaz and Ratio centered story leading up to an IPC smackdown, and I think we are gonna learn a lot more about how shitty they are in the later half of 2.2 and in 2.3 when the interlude and Jades release arrive.

As for the aforementioned Jade, she’s gonna need a Aventurine squared amount of trauma or reasoning behind her actions to seem in any way sympathetic, because right now she just seems like an evil bitch (in a semi good way, I will always respect the commitment to the bit) who loves her job and would make Machiavelli weep over how hard her ends are trying to justify her means.

[musashi]

w(h)ip wednesdayyyyy

here's some nonsense from chapter 2 of metal masquerade!!! which is about 10k words atm idk what my writing schedule is gonna be like with my laptop fucked (:

“While I’m here, then, Wright, I’ve some business with you.”

“Uh,” the idiot in question swallows loudly, “am I in trouble?”

“Hardly, though I do have a favour I’d like to ask…” 

Miles plods forward to pull him to the side, acting as though there is nothing else in the world worth his time, acting as though the crime scene is not fresh around them, acting as though the other two are not even there. 

Whatever business Miles has with that fool, Franziska is infuriatingly not privy to, as they walk off out of earshot and into their stupid little impromptu meeting room. Franziska doesn’t realize that she’s a hair shy of ripping a hole into her sleeve until Maya pipes up next to her, pointing at the furious folds in her blouse.

“How many of those big-ass sleeves do you deflate every year?”

Just like that, Franziska’s back down to reality. “Pardon?”

“You’re always fidgeting with your shirt like that,” says Maya. “Are those things made of titanium? How do you not rip them to shreds on the daily?”

“Incredible temperance of will,” says Franziska right back, and Maya’s air of sadness turns to something lighter, more bittersweet. She smiles a sad smile, snickers below her breath, and pointedly angles her line of sight toward Wright and Miles, chatting on the not-so-distant horizon.

Most certainly, they are no longer talking of anything businesslike. Wright is grinning a toothy grin, running his hands through his mess of raven hair, holding himself with a lackadaisical air that runs contrary to everything Franziska knows of him. Miles, in contrast, smiles privately to himself—dipping his head so that his overgrown bangs hide the scope of it, seemingly radiating an incorporeal sort of warmth, like a crackling hearth against what’s left of the snow. He offsets it by saying something dry and cutting, and Wright shuffles his expression to fond exasperation, and then they just sort of stare at each other for a too-long while. 

They are, in every sense of the phrase, flirting with each other.

“Gag me with a freakin’ spoon,” says Maya.

Indeed.

“I require no assistance from any proverbial utensil,” Franziska agrees. “This deplorable display is more than enough.”

Deplorable might not be a strong enough word. Really, the scene is disgustingly saccharine—the two of them giggling like the fools they are, pretending they’re talking about anything of importance, all the while surrounded in wilting rose bouquets and misshapen heart balloons? Any other couple might look idyllic and sweet, but the two of them? There’s nothing in the universe that can hope to invest Franziska in her little brother’s frightful taste in men. 

“D’you think they even know?” Maya asks as the two girls watch on the fringes, not looking at one another.

“Not a chance,” says Franziska, exhaling through her nose. “In the many years I have known him, Miles Edgeworth has—thankfully, for my sanity—shown no interest in any romantic exploits. I fear that without external force, he never will.”

“You fear?” Maya snorts.

“If I have to witness one more second of this miserable song-and-dance, I may lose what’s left of my self-control.”

“Ugh, right? Like, why are they both so stupid?”

“Scholars have been trying to get to the bottom of that singular truth for countless centuries, Maya Fey.”

Something in her chest feels… warm. A nervous jitter she hadn’t noticed was even there, melting where it lives and spilling into her nerves. Back to normal, it whispers, but Franziska isn’t rightly sure what the irregularity was in the first place.

“D’You think that if you and I put our heads together,” Maya’s saying, “and tried to puzzle out a way to get them to just kiss and get it over with, we wouldn’t have to deal with this garbo anymore?”

“Oh, most certainly.” Franziska finally looks at her—a side eye, but an eye nonetheless—with a knowing smile pulling at her lips. “Clever as we both are, I’m sure we could work our magic and force the bumbling lovebirds together.”

“Oh yeah?” Maya’s own side-eye turns into a proper look, her head turned and hanging where she’s bent at one-fourth, her hair like a sprawling black curtain falling toward the ground. “Well then, whaddya say, Fran? You wanna flex your stellar wingmanning skills and get your fruity brother some?”

It’s a struggle not to actually retch. Why did she have to phrase it like that? Because she was Maya Fey, of course, but still.

“Franziska. And I would rather scoop my eyes out with a melon baller than engage in anything residing in the same zip code as what you have just described.”

“Samesies. Wanna ditch?”

For some reason, Franziska expects there to be another word after that. Rather, something more fitting to punctuate it—a laugh, an admission that she’s just kidding, something of that sort. When no such epilogue follows, Franziska finally turns to face Maya Fey fully, and she’s just… standing there, expectantly, with that mischievous look on her face. Crooked grin, dimpling cheeks, arched brow, big, dark brown eyes that seem to sparkle with that glint of devilishness. 

“Excuse me?”

“You, me, getting the hell outta dodge.” Maya waves a hand. “What, you wanna sit here and wait for them to finish their weird eye-fucking session?”

“Absolutely not!” Franziska says before Maya can finish the last word. The girl in question snickers, louder this time.

“Exactly. So let’s ditch.” She gestures behind her shoulder with a sideways thumbs-up. “Edgeworth’s house is like four blocks away, right? Let’s bounce back to our stomping grounds for a bit. I bet they won’t even notice we’re gone.”

Franziska studies Maya’s expression, as though she will find her answer within it. Discovering no such thing, then, she casts a glance back over to the lovesick clowns and their uninspired circus routine. That aura of wonder from a few days before falls back over Franziska’s shoulders like a strange, ineffable veil—Maya intends to lead her somewhere on a whim, once more. And, once more, Franziska finds she is curious enough to follow.

There are more questions she has, of course—go back to Miles’ house and do… what? Running them over in her head, though, she finds those questions need not be verbalized until much later. Whatever frivolous leisure Maya plans to bring, Franziska knows with utmost certainty it will be more pleasure than watching her brother canoodle with Phoenix Wright.

Her work here is done, in any case. There’s no point in lingering when the case is airtight, no point in messing with perfection. Franziska lifts her briefcase once, twice, testing its weight in her hand to better balance her gait. That settled, then, she turns on one heel and begins walking toward the mouth at the end of the parking lot.

“Very well,” says Franziska, and she hears Maya scuttle excitedly into form behind her, wooden sandals clunking on the cracking sidewalk. “But I will be giving you no more late nights, Maya Fey. I expect you to vacate the premises before seven PM so that I may get the proper amount of rest to crush your pet fool in trial tomorrow.”

At her side, Maya’s off-kilter steps strike an odd harmony against the uniformity of Franziska’s own. “You go to bed at seven? You freakin’ pilgrim.”

“Of course not,” Franziska says, “I go to bed at eight. The extra hour is for pre-sleep preparations and routine hygiene.”

“Sorry, my bad, Miss-Freakin’-Pilgrim.”

Franziska doesn’t know what to say to any of that, and so she simply huffs and continues walking, hot breath turning to a disappearing cloud around her.

[kirasworldofwords]

I feel like it’s pretty damn easy to name something bad about any F1 driver, idk why it has to be an Olympics? Yeah they’ve all done bad things at some point, they’re out of touch rich men, that doesn’t mean people can’t be upset about racism and erasure their driver faces??? Idk if this wording makes sense but I am on your side

It does make sense, don't worry, lol. Thank you for the support! I have genuinely no idea why people are so pressed that I'm just trying to protect a ship fandom's established name, so much so they have to harass me over it.

Yep, they're all out of touch. You know why? Because they're literally the 20 richest men driving the world's fastest cars in one of the most dangerous sports that has the potential to kill you at any given time. They got the looks, they got the money, they got the girls... Why should they care what they talk about, laugh at and do?

And yes, I'm mad as all shit that Checo is just getting erased. Because this wouldn't be the first time, but it for sure was the time that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Now, I'm the whitest white to ever white, coffee creamer and Irish people are jealous of me, and I'm nowhere near being Irish. Still I find it to be important to stand up against the sheer waves of hate POC drivers get, even if one's own nationality and/or race has dogshit to do with the driver's nationality and/or race. I will not sit by idly and watch as fans from some mediocre white guy from yet another first world country (I know, I know, rich coming from me but don't lose me here) just go like: "Oh, look, this name over there fits our pookie-wookie-bear and the other person we ship him with!" - and then it's a name that has already been in use for another fandom's ship for perhaps already more than a decade (which is the case for Chewis, mind you, their journey started in 2012). It just so happens that the other person their special little corny coffee whiter snowflake is being shipped with in that fandom is no one of significance to them - in their eyes, to anyone because they're not as popular, not as "good-looking", which is subjective anyway, I mean, have you seen Checo? There's a very good reason why he has five kids, and you can't say it's all solely for the money, I'm begging you.

They're also not significant because they're not white, oftentimes. We can't deny that a subtle whiff of racism and prejudice is in this mix as well - we do, after all, still have a significant racism, sexism and queerphobia problem in our community as a whole. You cannot tell me in good faith that none of the Lewclerc shippers knew that Checo has been the actual second part to Chewis long before Charles even debuted in F1 and thus made an honest mistake, because I call fucking bullshit. It's well-known that Checo's been getting shit from all directions, especially the racist directions and especially especially towards the end of his career with Red Bull due to his lack of podiums (which I'm by the way still convinced were not his fault, the RBR mechanics have admitted it themselves that he had a worse car than Max - I shall die on this hill, and if I die alone there). So to be fairly honest, a revelation like that would not surprise me in the slightest. Not at all. It was another well-known fact that many Charles stans hated Checo's guts, too, for whatever fucking reason. Many hardcore fans of other drivers hated him, regular fans, too. I don't differentiate, because why should I? But this isn't about others, this is about Charles stans who don't know when to drop it.

So if you're a regular fan of Charles and you made it to this point, congrats, I don't mean you. Don't feel attacked.

This still doesn't justify just erasing his name and substituting it for Charles' name in the ship name Chewis, however. Have some respect for other fandoms. Rant over.

Now I hope I made sense here, because this turned out to be much more word salad than I intended it to be, lmao. Oops.

[sexhaver]

independent of the current discussion about AI art, one of my foundational political beliefs is that trying to stuff proverbial genies (i.e. automation tech like the automatic loom/printing press/warehouse robots/AI art programs) back into proverbial bottles is a noble but inevitably losing fight at best and downright reactionary at worst/on average. ironically playing Talos Principle 2 has really driven this home for me because the entire plot centers around an allegory for the story of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to humans, but instead of fire it's the ability to violate thermodynamics to create mass and energy out of nothing. and the game keeps trying to frame the decision of what to do with this tech as a huge moral and ethical dilemma, and i keep not getting why im supposed to feel conflicted. "the gods themselves are warning you against it!" damn, they sound like dumbasses. "members of your utopian society are conflicted on what to do!" okay so some of them are wrong. "here's some audio logs showing that misuse of the technology killed someone by accident!" great! now we know what not to do to avoid that! "are you really so full of hubris that you think you can avoid the same mistakes as your forebears?" uh, yeah, they wrote down their mistakes for a reason. like idk why people on here keep being surprised that i support technological advancement for the sake of advancement and THEN critique how it sucks under capitalism specifically instead of just declaring it (say it with me now) Ontologically Evil. i spent 5 years in college majoring in robotics/CS and worked in warehouse/biomed automation for another 5. do you really expect me to entertain literal Luddite rhetoric? be serious

[cartoonsbrainrot]

How 'bout more "Roses And Cinder"? Sounds good? Splendid!

Everything started at an after-party following the engagement party of Hercules and Megara; Zeus wanted something else, on top of the event at the mortal couple's residence, so up on Olympus we go! (I'm still debating whether or not Herc and Meg will be allowed to join the Gods this one time or not; or if they wanted to take part in this or not. Either way, the Gods are celebrating for them from dusk till dawn.)

Everyone is invited, including Hades. (despite what he did, he's still familiar after all; That, and Zeus is sort of trying to rub it in that his brother's plot failed by inviting him to see everything thriving and having a good time.) And Hades comes to the party just to show everyone that he's still there, he's unaffected by his loss (a total lie) and doesn't feel any remorse for what he did (this part is true).

And then there's Persephone, who's being dragged around the grounds of Olympus and forced to mingle with the "approved" suitors her mother has in store for her. The party would have been great (and she was looking forward to it), but Demeter's constant presence at her side made Persephone wish she would have stayed at home.

By chance this two cross paths while trying to avoid the other Gods (Hades running away from his brothers; Persephone ditching her mother) and they start talking about the people in their lives and complain about their situations. That's when Persephone's proverbial light bulb lights up; She knows exactly how to fix both of their issues!

Hades wants his brothers' (and everyone else's) eyes off of him, and access to Olympus. Meanwhile, Persephone wants freedom to go wherever she wants without Demeter hovering and pushing her to go on "dates" with the likes of Ares and other "eligible bachelors". So what better way to get rid of all of that, than to make everyone think they're dating? It's perfect! (in that moment, at least)

Hades gets to use Persephone as an excuse to be on Olympus, and Persephone gets to use Hades as a "chaperone" (tho not really one) and shield against her supposed suitors.

[Yes, I tried to color code the whole thing; idk why. Feedback is appreciated :)]

[duck-in-a-thrift-store]

Prologue? Pilot? IDK Man I Just Work Here

part 1.1

{hello and welcome to the very first chapter of the full house au. i know @moreover-clover and @redley-of-many-noodles offered to beta this fic for me; i appreciate that and i may very well take you up on it for later chapters, but tbh i have homework that really needs to get done and i will not be able to focus on anything else until i get this out of the way, so... hopefully its not terrible i guess. that said, i did initially start writing this in past tense and then decided to do it in present instead, so if anyone notices a typo/tense error, feel free to point it out so i can fix it lol

trigger warning for mentions of injuries and death

now without further ado...}

~~~

Stumbling past the automatic glass doors, covered in blood- but is it his own? Or does it belong to the barely conscious man he’s dragging along beside him?

Probably both.

The bright white lights overhead burn his eyes and the sharp sterile scent of chemicals does the same to his nose- this is not a pleasant place to be, but it’s the only place to be right now. It’s their only hope of not losing yet another person to this alternate dimension shit that’s been plaguing their lives for three years.

Seeing Eddie’s crumpled, torn-apart body in the Upside Down, watching Dustin sob over him- that had been bad enough. They may have had almost matching wounds, but Eddie’s were deeper, and there were twice as many of them, and, god, that could have been him, it should have been him.

Dustin’s devastated and the world is ending and we’ve lost someone else and dammit didn’t I tell him not to be a hero?

But then he’d found a pulse. The faintest flutter, but it was there, and it spurred him right back into action, adrenaline pumping overtime through his veins even as he was ready to collapse. Both of them might well be on death’s door, but they had hope.

And then, just as they made it back through the gate, they had gotten the call over the walkie about Max.

The panic and despair threatened to settle back over him, driving him into the ground with its weight. He had been trying so hard to keep her safe since they realized she was Vecna’s next target, and now…

They were supposed to meet up at the hospital, so that’s where he went. He has to see the kids and he has to keep Eddie breathing and maybe just maybe he’ll get a chance to get his own wounds looked at, if there’s time. Robin will never forgive him if he lets rabies take him out.

So he and Dustin have Eddie slung between them, barreling clumsily through the Hawkins ER like a lopsided bull in a proverbial china shop while everyone else stares on in confusion and horror at the state they’re in. If anyone recognizes the fallen king or the target of the ongoing manhunt, they don’t say anything, and for that one tiny thing in the long and awful list of what’s happened today, he’s grateful.

There are, however, voices aimed in his direction, lilted up at the end in interrogation, but he can’t afford to think right now; he can only keep moving forward, giving weakly shouted answers to questions that go in one ear and out the other. His mind is clouded with fear and the desperation to get all his important people back together in one room so he can see that they’re all still alive. If they aren’t, if someone is missing, if Max doesn’t make it, if no one will treat Eddie-

He’s vaguely aware that he’s begging at this point, but he doesn’t care. His brain is too busy listing.

Robin, Nancy, Erica, Lucas- they’re together, they’re with Max. The Byers are all the way in California; Mike is probably on his way back right now- what a mess to come home to. Dustin- he’s with me. Safe. Eddie- also with me, not safe, probably dying.

They may not have known each other long, but he does feel tears prick his eyes at the thought- they had literally marched into hell together, after all. A nurse offers him a tissue- when did they get here? When did he sit down? And why is the room spinning like the Starcourt ceiling last July?

He doesn’t get an answer to any of his questions, doesn’t even get to voice them, before the room is going dark and Dustin’s frantic voice at his side is sounding further and further away, until everything goes quiet.

~~~

The silence is broken by a harsh ringing noise, followed by muffled voices, the latter growing clearer as the former slowly fades out. He knows those voices.

He jolts upright, sending a sharp trail of pain through his lacerated torso, but is momentarily distracted by the fact that he had somehow wound up in a hospital bed between blacking out and waking up. As soon as his mind catches up to speed on his new whereabouts, he looks wildly around the room- not exactly a typical hospital room, but that hasn’t registered yet- taking stock of every face he can see, every voice he can hear.

To his immense relief- and also confusion- he sees Max in a bed just like his right across from him, Lucas and El at her side. She’s in bad shape, but she appears to be alive, at least.

Thank god. Wait- El? What is she doing here?

The next thing he sees is the entire Byers family- plus two extra guys, one of whom looks familiar but way paler and thinner and more beaten up than Steve remembers- squeezed onto a couch at the far end of the room.

Weren’t they in California? And- hold on- is that Hopper? Isn’t he dead?

Wait.

Am I dead?

Before he can have an existential crisis, though, something snaps him out of it. A hand on his shoulder, rougher than he would have liked, to be honest, but grounding. Dustin- who he realizes must have been sleeping in the chair between him and the next bed over- has just woken up in time to catch him doing the same, and the kid looks thrilled. Exhausted, emotionally drained, but thrilled.

“Steve! Guys, he’s awake!”

All eyes turn his way, just about everyone accounted for, it seems, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders how Robin and all the kids got here with their usual chauffer currently out of action. But then he notices something else. Something that honestly shouldn’t be as startling as it is, considering everything else going on.

All the parents are here too. And they look… well, about how they can be expected to look, given the circumstances.

“Good, I’m glad you’re alright,” says Karen Wheeler, arms crossed over her chest, menacing gaze sweeping the room. “Because my son came home in the back of a pizza van, begging us to take him to the hospital, where apparently you and two of his other friends have been half-dead all night in the middle of these so-called ‘earthquakes,’ and I’d really like an explanation. From all of you.”

~~~

The room was dead silent, the parents staring in wide-eyed shock as the long-winded, traumatic narrative drew to a close.

“So… I guess you guys need some time to process all that, huh?”

Dustin’s question was met with a sudden cacophony of returning inquiries, sharp and frantic and tinged with bewilderment, overlapping one another in their haste. It was hard to tell who said what through the haze of whatever painkillers they put in his IV.

“How the hell did we not know about any of this?”

“Hawkins is cursed?”

“Why didn’t any of you say anything?”

“All this has been going on under our noses for years?”

He had been expecting disbelief, accusations of letting their imaginations run away from them, but… their tale connects a few too many dots, makes a little too much sense, considering how strange and malevolent life has become in their formerly sleepy little town.

“Are- are you guys- mad?” Will asks, even though he, out of all of them, has the least to worry about.

Before any of them could answer, Mike jumps in, “Because, if you are, that’s really not fair, we’ve sorta been through a lot as it is-”

“And that’s exactly why we’re mad- no- furious. Our kids have been going through hell right in front of us and we had no idea! Of course we’re going to be upset about it! You guys could have died, and we would have had no idea what happened!”

“Well, yeah, I guess, but- we didn’t. We’re fine, mom…”

“You are absolutely not fine. After everything you just told us about? There’s no way you could possibly be fine. This whole thing is so far outside the realm of fine.”

There’s a heavy pause after that; it’s not like anyone can disagree with her. When no response comes, she turns her fierce, teary eyes on the older teens.

“What about you guys? You- Steve, Jonathan, Nancy- you’ve known about all this the whole time! Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you come to us for help?” It sounds like an accusation, and yet… there’s more pain in her voice than anything. Her targets wince, crumple, while Robin and Argyle- whoever that is- just sort of awkwardly shuffle about off to the side, none of them meeting Mrs. Wheeler’s gaze.

It's Joyce who ends up breaking the tense silence.

“In their defense, Karen, Hop and I knew about all this too. The thing is- we weren’t allowed to tell anyone.”

Having become one of her anger’s new targets, Hopper quickly explains, “The Hawkins lab freaks made us sign a bunch of NDAs, take a vow of silence on the whole matter, basically. It was the only way to get them to cooperate. If we had gone around telling people, we could’ve put everyone in even more danger. And besides, before now, would you have even believed us? If we had told you there were monsters like something out of a sci-fi movie hunting folks down, taking over minds, opening portals to another dimension- right in the middle of Hawkins?”

“Would you have believed your kids?” Joyce adds softly, addressing all her fellow moms in the room.

At that, Karen deflates. She exchanges a look with Sue and Claudia, and speaks for all of them when she says, “I… I guess not. I want to say I would have, but… it’s all too crazy. If we hadn’t seen what we saw today, and if you all didn’t have each other backing up your story, well… honestly, I would have thought you were making it up.” Apparently the Wheelers had almost driven right into one of the rifts- one of the very obviously otherworldly rifts- on their way here. Well, they had to find out somehow.

“And that’s another reason we couldn’t tell you. We didn’t want you to think we were crazy,” Nancy explains.

Lucas tacks on, “We also didn’t want you to send El back to the lab, or to any other messed up place that would lock her up and hurt her.”

El nods seriously, a fearful expression flashing across her face as she takes a step back, bumping into Max's bed. Lucas places a reassuring hand- the one not occupied with holding Max's- on her shoulder.

“Oh- honey, no, we would never do that. Don’t worry. We actually owe you a lot, it sounds like; I can’t thank you enough for saving my children’s lives. You’ll always be safe with us, as far as I’m concerned.”

“But that’s the thing,” Susan interjects, not taking her watery eyes off her comatose daughter. “They’re not safe, none of them are, not here. And they haven’t been for a long time, it seems. I don’t know when they will be safe. I hate to say it, but I don’t think our kids should stay in Hawkins.”

This triggers a rush of protests from the kids, voices once again blending in a way that’s difficult for Steve to keep up with.

“But- but Hawkins needs us! Now more than ever!”

“Yeah! We have to stay and fight!”

“We can’t just let Vecna have our town!”

Hopper motions for everyone to settle down. “Listen, kids. I know you want to help, but you’ve been fighting this battle for too long as it is. You all never should have been involved in something so dangerous in the first place.”

“Right, what he said. I mean, you’re just kids, for god’s sake!” Claudia adds in, although she still looks mostly stunned by everything she’s just found out about.

“This is not your responsibility. We’ll stay here and fight, and you all will get somewhere safe, somewhere far away from all this.”

This does indeed sound like a direct order from their returned-from-the-dead resident chief of police. What comes next, though, is much gentler, fatherly, and he’s definitely looking right at El when he says it.

“Let us take it from here, okay?”

~~~

{i decided to break this up into 2 parts; idk when ill post the second half but it should be fairly soon. also dont know when ill put it up on ao3 as i dont currently have an account there, but im definitely planning to bc with as much as i have planned for this au so far its going to be a pain in the ass to read it all here lmao

edit: its going to be 3 parts instead of 2

Link to part 1.2 here}

[diamondcitydarlin]

In the midst of all this political insanity I've been sort of curious about how members of the cult perceive what's going on (somewhat against my better judgement) and I get a lot of opportunities on my neighborhood FB page as I live in a very politically divided rural community of weirdo/artist/hippy types and big time MAGATs that have Trump iconography plastered all over their houses and lawns etc, so there's a lot of arguing back and forth. And I know this probably isn't new information to a lot of people, but it just continues to stun me how obstinate these people are in defending their 'great leader' even when provided with concrete evidence and receipts that directly contradict what they believe to be true. Like, no matter how logical and rational the argument is, no matter the sources cited, these people continue to insist, over and over, that it's not real, that no critical evidence against Mango Mussolini could ever possibly be real or true, even if they themselves have no evidence or sound argument why it isn't apart from the refusal to believe. Like, 'hey you realize there's a very good chance he'll take away your medicare and social security, right? Here's a million links proving this, pick whichever one to look at if you feel some sources aren't credible' and they just dig their heels in and scream 'NO! FAKE NEWS! IT'S NOT REAL!' while, again, providing no evidence to debunk it whatsoever other than yelling/typing in caps and what they personally believe to be true. It really feels like watching someone put their head in a hungry gator's mouth and when everyone around them is saying 'No, don't do that, the gator will bite your head off!' they just say 'NO HE WON'T, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE HE WILL', as if the power of belief alone will stop this starved, wild animal known for eating people from eating them, or watching someone about to jump off a cliff because they obstinately believe they'll sprout wings and fly (again, no reason outside of their own mind to believe that to be true). It's very childish/infantile in a lot of ways, like this how I thought about things when I was idk 4 or 5? You know, like thinking if I went into the water and said a spell I made up that I'd turn into a mermaid or something. It makes me wonder if, god forbid, the fascists are successful in actually taking away the cult members' healthcare and livelihood if they'll still be singing his praises while losing their homes, living on the street and/or dying from a preventable illness? Is there a threshold to this at all or is everyone still loyal to him ready to essentially be murdered on his altar (and not even quickly, but a long, slow, drawn out death)? And if so, what's the point in being so loyal to him at all? What's the point if he's just going to sacrifice you along with everyone else you hate for no real reason other sadism? What, in their minds, are they possibly getting out of this at all? Is it really worth literally one's entire life to be enabled in bigotry for five minutes and 'own the libs'? (Can someone tell them we're 'owned' now, we're fully 'owned', can we stop the insanity please??) I know to some extent it's got to be a perfect storm of lack of proper education, refusal to accept being duped and insidious bigotry and hatred, but even then it's kind of wild to me how much those things alone keep them running full-tilt into the human meat machine without a one single second thought. I used to think, in our capitalist oligarchal society, that money spoke the loudest, but even under the real possibility of losing theirs the cult members don't waver. Idk, I guess they just really don't see it that way, they just cannot and will not perceive any possibility that the proverbial leopard will eat their face too and I'm not sure they will even when it does.

I also saw a clip today of a guy interviewing a cult member and asking him what he'd do to a guy that had purposefully walked in on young girls changing, what he'd do to a guy that said several things Dear Leader has said and the cult member said 'beat his ass ofc', and then the interviewer revealed to him that those were all things his idol had said and done, and suddenly the cult member switched up and accused the interviewer of taking things "out of content", yet when it was 'just some guy' that had done those things the "content" didn't matter at all somehow. So it's fine if Dear Leader violates children? It's fine if Dear Leader says creepy, sexual things about his own daughter? If Dear Leader told this guy it was fine to molest children and to do it immediately, would he??!??! The thought alone is terrifying and I'm not certain the answer would be 'definitely not'.

Idk, again, I know a lot of this has been going on since 2016 and isn't some new breakthrough in their collective psychology but it continues to stun me how much these people are willing to sacrifice for so very little in return- their principles, their dignity, their money, their health, their lives. The chokehold this ridiculous clown of a man holds over them needs to be studied in depth by the world's top psychologists someday.

[runthepockets]

abt your men being proverbially shit on post: i mean i agree sorta, bioessentialism is unhelpful and hurtful, and rn you see a lot of shit from cis women abt how men cant help but be bad people etc. and that kinda shit is not helpful at all. but i agree w the person who replied to that post too. i mean i wouldnt make a joke like "i hate men" to a dude's face bc it's unhelpful in the same way i wouldn't say i hate white people to a random white person's face, but like. yknow? i dont know specifically what example you're thinking of but i would pretty confidently say there IS a difference between how women talk abt men and how men talk abt women. i agree that it's unhelpful for them and YOURSELF to genuinely earnestly think men are genetically unable to be better bc it just. isn't true. but i would definitely say misogyny and "i hate men" are different. again though idk what example you're using here, but just like... when i walk around as a woman, and even when i walk around as a man, i see like every third guy talkin crazy shit on how Fundamentally Different women are from men and women are This horrible thing and women are That horrible thing and women Can't Help But Be Crazy and when i talk to women all i get are "well he's a man. he's stupid." and usually that doesn't read as bioessentialism, it reads as tiredness from dealing with misogyny all the time. so i agree to an extent, bioessentialism is an issue, and all the "feminine energy astrology balanced by male aggressiveness and men can't help but be stupid people because their brains are wired differently" are contributing to a worsening of some kind, but also i don't know that i'm seeing more manhate than i am misogyny, still to this day, and i am able to opporate socially as both a man and a woman so i see both sides pretty frequently. i feel like you have a specific example you're thinking of that i don't know, because all i can think of are the times i've personally seen men freak out and do shitty stuff because they know a woman who doesn't feel safe around men that they are close to, and both are really horrible about communication, which is a two part thing and a lot more complicated than just random negativity

I don't think I said manhate is more common than misogyny, and I'm sorry if I did because that's not really what I was going for. The point of that post was more to point out the hypocrisy of taking low blows at men while women doing the same thing gets crickets and tumbleweeds. Maybe you haven't experienced this, but I certainly have as a man. Just as there's things I can do that are easier for me to get away with as a dude, there are things chicks can get away with easier than I ever could.

I don't really think the way different genders talk about each other is that different, pre transition I heard women talk crazy shit about dudes, about how we can't control our sex drives and how we're useless if we don't make enough money, and tbh I don't really see how "he can't help being dumb and useless, he's a man" is any less of a meanspirited generalization than "she can't help being oversensitive and hysterical, she's a woman." It's both generalizing stereotypes that are, on some level, hurtful to the demographic they're being hurled at. There's plenty of men who have greivances with abusive and shitty women and we (RE: LEFTIST SPACES) don't let them speak poorly of women, so why is it ok in these same spaces to let women say whatever just cus of their trauma? It's like you say, respect is a two way street. I'm not listening to anyone who makes blind assumptions about me because of my gender and presentation.

I'm going to parrot my friend's reply as well: I don't think a lot of this is "just venting", I don't think making generalizations and saying cruel things about 50% of the population exists in a vaccuum. And even if it did, I still think I'm allowed to say "hey, it hurts my feelings when you say I'm dumb and useless", because at the end of the day you can't deny feelings.

I'm glad you don't say shitty things about men to their faces, but women have done those things to me so you can't speak for all of them. I've been called a moid and told I wouldn't get respect until I "stopped raping and killing women and children" even though I've never put my hands on a woman or child in any way that could be described as anything short of "platonic and consensual". I've been told that I'm not allowed to feel hurt and upset when women verbally abuse me because women are saints who can do no wrong, because they're lower on the social pecking order than me, because other men are nasty and cruel so I have to suck it up and take one for the team. I think people only think this stuff is "harmless venting" because they don't actually realize how biased their perceptions of men and masculinity are. I've had many trans men who can testify to my experiences word for word going as far back as the 70s in the very queer and feminist spaces that I've been bitching about for the past 3 years. So while I don't think institutional misandry is real, or anything, while I don't think women are at fault for being annoyed with how shitty we can be, I do definitely think prejudice is real and I think it's dished out rather unfairly and uncritically.

[borom1r]

No pressure to answer/do when has brain but 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18 (idk what this is but I’m intrigued), 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31, 38, 40, 42 for the PC asks >:) and then these ones for Fýrulf and Hjaleth: How does (Dream guy) feel about your OC?How does your OC feel about (DG) Did your OC bear witness to anyone’s full character arc? What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?What is your OC’s ‘‘darkness moment’’ and redemption moment?

oooooooooo yayy m gonna do. all of these for both bc technically Hjaleth could get built out into an actual D&D PC too :3c

— Fýrulf —

1) Does your PC believe it’s possible to save someone?

hm. tentative yes? in that you can love and support someone + be there for them but ultimately they have to do the work to save themselves. and also there are certain things you just Cannot come back from

3) How would your PC describe themselves?

oooo.... extremely factually if you pushed him. light brown hair, orange eyes, scars, etc. generally speaking he thinks of himself in terms of his pack and doesn't really quantify himself as an individual. tends to give very generic answers (i.e. "what's your favorite food?" "meat.")

4) How do they perceive themselves?

again, bare bones and factual. brother, protector, moon-kissed warrior, child of Loki.

7) So if your PC had a car what kind of car would it be?

he wouldn't

9) If your PC rolled through a McDonald’s what would they order

40pc chicken nuggets

10) How does your PC fidget?

cracks his knuckles repeatedly

11) How does your PC show affection?

gets physically in the way of danger to protect ppl he considers his packmates, brings them gifts, hunts for food, will actually listen to them if they give him commands

14) How does your PC feel about white lies?

necessary facet of survival in the wider world but 1) he's bad at lying and 2) he Will Not lie to packmembers/clanmates.

18) Where would your PC fall on the futch scale?

butch

21) What tarot would your PC be?

suit: wands

court: knight

major arcana: the tower

22) What is your PC’s #1 personality strength?

loyal to a fault

23) What is your PC’s #1 personality flaw?

feels everything intensely + can be quick to jump to conclusions/does not think through anything logically

24) If your PC found a book that detailed their whole life, from birth to whatever death they’ll have, would they read it and why?

no bc he couldn't care less

27) When your PCs hit rock bottom, what do they do?

force a transformation and kill people about it (he's a lycanthropic barbarian, adapted so that as part of a rage he can trigger a transformation so long as it's 1) night out and 2) he has a knife to cut himself with) (his transformations are specifically inspired by Trick r Treat; i.e. he has to peel his own skin off. painless on a full moon but causes damage if forced)

28) When your PCs want comfort, what do they seek out?

if he's at home, his older half-brother Komash or his older half-sister Wulfflæd. if he's adventuring, he'll go find some wild wolves to hang out + hunt with.

29) Please describe your PC’s romantic type:

he would say "I'm not picky" but in reality his sense of romantic love is loosely defined at best + he would much rather be treated like someone's loyal attack dog than looked at with anything resembling lust. he's a wolf before he's a man and while he's not opposed to rolling around in the proverbial hay it is exclusively done either for his partner's enjoyment or bc he needs to bring home a new clan member (but he's not old enough to worry abt fathering pups yet so that's not really on his mind)

31) What’s your favorite part of playing your PC?

SADLYYYY ive only had the chance to play him as a BG3 character but he's a bit of a freak and i enjoy that about him :3 it's also been fun ironing out his morality more bc it really does all hinge on his packmates' perceptions. isolated from that it's a bit of a wash and he's gonna be a lot more inclined to fly off the handle without a packmate holding the proverbial leash (i.e. he likes Gale enough to behave with at least SOME decorum)

38) How did you choose your PC’s name?

it's an old Norse name that would roughly translate to "Wolf [of] Fir Trees"

40) What are your PC’s eating habits?

.........meat in various questionable states of rawness

42) Who is your PC’s favorite NPC(s) and why?

he's romancing Astarion and got REAL close to romancing Gale (platonic boy best friendssssss < he still wants to fuck the wizard but Gale said no polyamory 😔). currently in the process of romancing Halsin as well, + he has an unhealthy relationship w the Dream Visitor for sure

How does (Dream guy) feel about your OC?

Inscrutable Astral Being Who Seems To Be Fond of Fýrulf. at the very least he definitely wants sth from him. if it turns out DG was only using Fýrulf there Will Be Problems.

How does your OC feel about (DG)?

lovesick little puppy who wandered into the astral cube bullshit in the crèche PURELY to see if DG was alright.... Fýrulf is gonna fuck that guy so HELP him gods

Did your OC bear witness to anyone’s full character arc?

we're getting there :3 he'd see Astarion + Gale both thru hell or high water, as it stands currently

What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

constant murder? potential fratricide? technically speaking, probable cannibalism? pick your poison.

What is your OC’s ‘‘darkness moment’’ and redemption moment?

hmmmm not sure that he's had one yet. if his little brother chooses to Turn + fails to embrace his lycanthropic bloodlust, Fýrulf will be expected to ritually hunt + murder him (if he's at home visiting the village, at least). which'll be rough, dgmw, but it's an expected part of life. unsure atm how he'll handle it but it won't necessarily sway any of his beliefs abt pack life etc. he really couldn't give less of a fuck abt bog standard mortal morality. leave him alone let him have wolf brain

— Hjaleth —

1) Does your PC believe it’s possible to save someone?

oh 110%, he's a Cleric of Týr, a god of justice. the ability to save people, the ability for people to come back from the worst places, to atone— it's foundational to Hjaleth

3) How would your PC describe themselves?

oh he's just a simple tiefling picking his way through life, doing what he can to do right by people. humble guy through and through

4) How do they perceive themselves?

he's Just Some Guy :]

7) So if your PC had a car what kind of car would it be?

is he too tall for a 1970 cobalt VW beetle? yes. will that stop him? no.

9) If your PC rolled through a McDonald’s what would they order?

sausage biscuit w/ hashbrowns

10) How does your PC fidget?

wears + fidgets w/ his rings

11) How does your PC show affection?

he's a touch guy! a hand on the arm, an affectionate nudge, a hug, so on and so forth— very much a fan of bodily draping himself over Gale + resting his chin on top of Gale's head so he can watch whatever he's doing

14) How does your PC feel about white lies?

like Fýrulf he's bad at lying but instead of it being bc he doesn't get the point of lying, it's bc Lying is Morally Wrong and Generally Unjust. doesn't consider surprises to be lies + finds communication to be important so Hjaleth's gonna talk things out WELL before he'd ever consider lying. ppl deserve to know the truth.

18) Where would your PC fall on the futch scale?

butchy femme

21) What tarot would your PC be?

suit: pentacles

court: queen

major arcana: the world

22) What is your PC’s #1 personality strength?

extremelyyyyyyyyy strong sense of justice

23) What is your PC’s #1 personality flaw?

a little too trusting

24) If your PC found a book that detailed their whole life, from birth to whatever death they’ll have, would they read it and why?

no bc ultimately he'd feel like it's not his place to know. that's up to the Gods, not him

27) When your PCs hit rock bottom, what do they do?

meditate, and ultimately seek justice. how did he get rock bottom. if it was external forces, what can be done to right those wrongs? if it was internal, how can he better himself? how does he start moving forward.

28) When your PCs want comfort, what do they seek out?

nature, rivers especially. he generally prefers to be alone to contemplate things before he seeks comfort with People. he finds comfort in quiet communion with his god.

29) Please describe your PC’s romantic type:

............Gale.

31) What’s your favorite part of playing your PC?

it's very fun to play someone with a strong sense of morality and justice compared to Fýrulf, whose morality really boils down to "bite things first ask questions later."

38) How did you choose your PC’s name?

.......slapped a J in Haleth

40) What are your PC’s eating habits?

he tries to have a balanced diet even while adventuring! he likes to forage and hunt and he's a decent enough cook

42) Who is your PC’s favorite NPC(s) and why?

Gale!! Gale!! Gale!! Gale!! < he's holding that wizard up by the scruff of his neck /silly (he's also fond of Shadowheart, Wyll, and Karlach)

How does (Dream guy) feel about your OC?

they have less of a bond than Fýrulf does with his DG, but Hjaleth's sense of justice means he wants to do right by DG. they're friendly! Hjaleth's also less manipulable

How does your OC feel about (DG)?

again, they're friendly. as it stands currently, Hjaleth feels driven to help DG but he's not foaming at the mouth staring at DG's tits the way Fýrulf is.

Did your OC bear witness to anyone’s full character arc?

Not Yet either but. we're seeing this Gale romance thru to the end babyyyyyy

What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

HRM. I think ultimately Hjaleth will have to betray someone. whenever his lowest point comes, it should ultimately mirror Týr sacrificing his hand so Fenrir can be chained. betraying someone in the name of the greater good, no matter how you feel about the personal injustice, and losing a part of yourself in the process.

What is your OC’s ‘‘darkness moment’’ and redemption moment?

see above. redemption... a lot of atonement. ensuring what was done was for the greater good. doing whatever's in his power to make the world a brighter place, to make up for the personal betrayal. it's sth he'd carry with him for a long time (beyond just the obvious physical scars)

[halimpark7]

I'm not ok w frazzle. It makes people Immune to suffering. It makes you into a zombie. People are suffering from beatings. It causes people in your soul tribe to be abused. You're spiritually stealing their hormones.

(my dad had a class in college where people could volunteer to be spanked before class, idk why. Anyway my dad always volunteered. My dad was really sparkly. You want to shine, have someone jazz hands the shit out of you) better than frazzle and you don't have to pay for it spiritually. Find a mean bitch who loves you and spank her.

You're going to have to pay for everything you've ever done to the degree you've caused harm. Find everything in a mutually beneficial way.

Method Acting steals from real life people who were more abused than you. It's channeling. You're stealing their life energy, their nervousness, their life or death anxiety, or their life story. You're just acting.

Causing them to be meth/crack addicts. Reliving their trauma.

They're supposed to, as well live the high life, but you're all so fucking greedy that you always have to take take take. You steal from all your soulmates.

You being mean to a nice person is your demons being jealous of their God energy. It's stealing their light, eating their motivation from God. It's trying to kill that piece of them so you can wear it for yourself. Crazy narcissists do this all the time. (Every bully ever) Will rip your proverbial hair and tape it to their personality. They're crazy.

You're secretly dumb. Secretly jealous, secretly something devious. Everyone is.*shrugs*

Everyone is selling something, don't be judgemental of whores. We all sell something we never wanted to. First integrity. And when we were young "control" to our dumb parents.

We are guardians of souls around us. Not dictators, tyrants, slave owners. People are themselves. Let them be who they are. Controlling them is narcissistic. Narcissism is a possession.

It feels good to lay back and have someone else suffer and work. It feels way better to be the farm owner than the cotton picker. Way better to be the executioner than the criminal.

We were all here before. Those desires run through all of us. Do "you" in the most healing way possible.

Want to kill people? Find a kinky freak and have murder her vagina sex. (Thanks Mike, for this idea)

Someone who loves you and who you love that you want to be human towards.

Or be a prison executioner. Everything you spiritually are inclined to is a part of you or your past life to transform and evolve.

Want to feel powerful as a woman, rape your husband. (Consensually)

There's always a way to get your needs met that helps you calm the fuck down.

I'm not going to hell and I don't want you to either. Your kids need to learn consequences and compassion for the suffering of others. You're part responsible.

Evil people don't feel ok unless they feel the suffering of good people. They need to squeeze God out of things just like the fallen angels torture humanity to feel the energy of what it's like to be close to God.

If you have an evil kid, hurt for them, make them feel guilty with your pain, so they don't kill the lives of others. If you're evil, get your wife to beat you up. Beating smaller things is demonic. Having them torture you makes you compassionate to suffering and empowers them. And it hurts.

Let me know how this goes. Let's all make a better world together.

Don't hate prostitutes. Everything exists in society bc people want it to be here. We all have needs. We are all monsters somewhere.

I truly believe no one is all that good of a person, unless your a "saint".

We just have social shame that prevents us from going too far.

Look at the Holocaust. So many "good" people thinking they were doing the right thing. People love being bullies. It makes us feel powerful.

Imagine someone you didn't really like, needing a place to crash forever, really want to help them? They don't want to sleep w you anymore?? Out you go. Bye.

Whoops. Human nature is good but also really bad. Work on where you suck. Night.

[eldritch-spouse]

Thank you for answering my ask about lust monsters so detailed! I hope it didn't come off as judgemental to others who enjoy lust monsters (I just wanted to say how I enjoyed your work which is new for me).

I really like monster-loving for exploring "forbidden" topics. People who are interested in things outside what is considered "acceptable" are often mobster-ised so it makes sense that we enjoy monster loving. (Especially since monster loving has often historically been about autonomy and/or the ostracised loving and being loved)

I find your universe really interesting, especially the idea that certain more powerful monsters (I forgot what you called them, I think it started with V?) Like Krulu and Hummuna Mama exist.

It's an interesting take on our pursuit for an "all powerful" boss at the top of the proverbial pyramid. Th fact that there are those considered gods that are of the same species but not necessarily the same "pantheon". They all have different interests and goals but it isn't portrayed as a "war of evil vs good" - it's less black and white in a way that humanists them while being consistent to the fact that they're disturbingly inhuman. It creates an interesting dynamic.

There being different types of powerful monsters & monster power structures as well (the icons of the rings of hell > demons of the rings > imps, the scientifically created monsters, the clergy structure) makes a mismatch of cultures in a way that makes the world more bustling and rich. It's kind of a paganistic/pan approach that I really love!!

Real life doesn't follow a simple a > b > c pipeline and is more messy so the wonder/wildness in your stories that allow escapism and exploration of weird ideas/topics isn't overshadowed by a sense of being lost in the senseless madness that's trying too hard to be mad. (Idk if that makes sense)

Stories often use "rules" and "laws" within the world (sort of a "okay, this ridiculous thing can happen because of this explanation behind it, but because of that this other can never happen because that would be ridiculous"). And I love how different writers approach it but sometimes it can be restricting and easy to forget there are always exceptions to the rules. It can be daunting.

Are there any aspects of your world that you feel exceptionally proud of? Or any that you put a different line of thought behind? I always like hearing about the thought process of authors who write monsters & fantasy

[Once more, most of it under the read more.]

I don't really dwell on the "why"s of monsterfucking. There's always some level of psychology behind it -And I know this sounds ridiculous, but you could make a pretty interesting sociological study about certain aspects of this philia- Everyone has their own reasons as to why they developed this, and I don't really take "pride" in it in the sense that I feel special for being a monsterfucker or that I revel in my own perceived "otherness".

This kink is for those who fit in and those who do not, which makes it a little weird when I see one or two rare instances of people making a weird sort of gaslight gatekeep girlboss situation out of it. Again, it's not too often I find this.

The monster species you're talking about are "siadar" (the longer designation being "astsar siadar"). It's hard for me to create all-powerful figures. For an all powerful character to succeed, they need to be used very carefully and scarcely, because the more of them you expose, the more you risk showing flaws in their design and supposed omnipotence. That's why I made it a point to not do that. Siadar are considered gods, but in reality they're just another species, with their own defined natures.

I leave a lot of loose and undefined ends in this narrative on purpose, and this is so that I can always pick and pluck at new sides and aspects of what I've already built, effectively never running out of potential content to explore. I can one day start chipping at siadar culture harder. I can go into the period of time where Hell was governed by the betrayer (which I intend to do something with, something that is already beginning but you can't tell yet). I can poke at all kinds of things.

I don't think the rules I've made thus far are restricting, but let's be honest, I'm leaving a lot of things vague on purpose specifically to allow myself a looser leash when creating pieces.

I wouldn't really say there's something I'm particularly proud of, so to say?

I liked incorporating the idea of Heaven and Hell not as "black and white" systems of "good and evil". Heaven is not a place where you go to when you die and have been good, nor is Hell a place you get dragged into post-death because you were a piece of shit in life. They're their own areas with a lot of history behind them, the general perception of which having been distorted somewhat with time, both by outsiders and insiders.

I like the way I've built religions in this universe, even if it would take me a long while to explain how each annex to "the surface" is perceived and why that's the case.

In fact, I like the origin behind monsters I concocted too, even if it's not exactly the most original.

Dorem's relationship with undead is also something I enjoyed thinking out, because most people assume a figure like him would revel in the chaos undead entities make, when Dorem is only a soulkeeper being constantly worn down by the shackles of his own work, constantly faced with what he perceives as his mistakes- Who, as the final nail in the coffin of his dignity, worship him as if he intentionally created them.

I like a lot of things about my narrative, but I'm not going to sit here and write paragraphs of what essentially amounts to petting my own ass.

The input was nice though! :v

[professorspork]

8 17 24

[8 answered previously; I have no new thoughts]

17. Past or present tense? Why?

Present, 100%. The easy 'why' is that I have an MFA in screenwriting and screenplays are always in present tense, so once I got in the habit there was no going back. It's just how I'm trained.

Beyond that, though, I do have a stylistic preference. I just... like the immediacy of it, the way it makes the story feel like it's living and breathing. Like. The difference between

Oh, she realized. She loved her.

and

Oh, she realizes. She loves her.

may be sort of a hyperbolic example because the strength of emotion I'm leaning on here, but it just... grabs me more, idk.

24. Thoughts on flashbacks/flashforwards.

Positive!

Like any tool, I suppose they can be overused in some instances, but I can't imagine why anyone would want to take them out of the proverbial toolbox. Not only can they be really useful on a macro level in terms of structure, but they can also be delightful as, like, a fun little parenthetical aside-- like a quick flash punchline cutaway a la Arrested Development.

But like... on a showing vs telling level, sometimes you just need to write a character actually living through something in the moment instead of just remembering it or describing it.

[shmowder]

Ascending is thee greatest compliment I can imagine, wow ♡ I too am ascending, meet me on the astral plane.

The P1 music being good is quite the selling point for me actually! I absolutely adore a good video game soundtrack. There are some songs from P2 that I love, but a lot of unmemorable ones, too. On that note, are there any songs or albums that you associate with Pathologic? Over the past few days, Shrines by Purity Ring has become this for me. Grandloves is a Victor song and Cartographist is a Yulia song... maybe because of the name. I also really heavily associate that whole album with Silent Hill 3 for some reason.

I love the little divorcing Yulia drabble omg. "Why bother honey? Just come back to bed." Like ok. I suppose I will. *does my best impression of that gif of Tigger walking away dejectedly* And the divorcing Eva one is funny.

Out of everyone, Yulia is actually the one I have the most trouble imagining as a yandere. She's so gentle and mild-mannered - so I agree with what you said in your other reply. She'd make it so she's the only one who'll be there for you in this sick sad world.

Your yandere thoughts are my yandere thoughts <3 What's better than codependent mutual obsession to the exclusion of everything else... wait, don't answer that. I think I imprinted on the relationship in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. "You've such a lovely temperature." "Your blood coagulates beautifully." Would yandere Daniil say those things? Probably not but I'm thinking about it anyway.

Losing my entire MIND over your yandere Victor thoughts and I didn't even send you a request? You're telling me this in casual conversation and I am eating it UP omfl. Ooh thanks for reminding me of that quote. (Would Yulia say it was destiny that I chose to be 🐿️, a prey animal, before these ideas ever existed?) God, how uncomfortable would that be for Khan and Maria. Especially given you're closer to Maria's age than to Victor's.

YOUR WHOLE HEART LAID BARE BEFORE HIM ON A SILVER TRAY! PLEASE why is this reminding me of when you said "dissect and break her down to use for their own biddings" from your post on the Kains obeying the laws of nature. The lyric "I'll stake rare toothpicks in my dirt filled heart / meander the sacred lot of you in every season" from Grandloves by Purity Ring. Are these like the Lines that the kin talked about?? Not to sound like an insane person but I always imagined that letting someone get to know you, really really know you and the entirety of your ugly soul, is like being peeled. Ripping all your skin off and being so vulnerable. And for someone to want anything to do with you after that? [disintegrates]

More overprotective yandere Victor thoughts I had while doing the dishes earlier in this mcfreaking humidity (before I read most of your reply): not a big gift giver but will make dove-themed things for you or have them made for you. A cuckoo clock, a music box. You're the proverbial bird in the gilded cage. Spoils you in the sense of not having to do small labors/chores - even if you want to do the dishes, well guess what, that's someone else's job. (Perhaps this was wish fulfillment while doing the dishes).

Idk where him randomly ignoring occasionally came from tbh, but oddly I feel it's specific to him as a yandere only. Perhaps he has flashes of self-awareness - is he being overbearing? He's giving you some time to yourself! But the townspeople are so chilly - they're polite to you, but you won't find any warmth or companionship there. There isn't anywhere else you belong. Will solicit your opinion on intellectual pursuits but will only use and credit your small ideas. Will twist your big ideas & won't publicly credit you for them; will have a convincing and perfectly rational reason for not doing so that he explains gently to you. But truthfully, it wouldn't do for you to be getting *too* much of the townspeople's attention, and god forbid you start thinking you can make something of yourself without him.

I love the contrast of yandere Big Vlad! Yandere Big Vlad my beloved indeed... DON'T MAKE ME HAVE FEELINGS FOR BIG VLAD PLEASE 🫣 Ngl the #1 quality that the fictional men I would bang (though there are not many) have in common is Being a Widower 😭 Gosh the glorified pet/temptation & sin incarnate/prince/princess paragraph is good stuff. And Saburov 100% ok with being a cuck lmao

Yandere Aspity - if she falls in love with you then the earth itself would too? That's so cute honestly!! I also really like the second option, "a piece of the earth defying its original self." Neat. I saw bits and pieces of human kink stuff while looking through your archive at sorcerous-caress. It's interesting to think about, though difficult to wrap my head around another species seeing humans as "other" and exotic haha

We haven't mentioned yandere Aglaya yet. I haven't progressed past day 7 yet so there's some context I need to refresh myself on probably. But I think yandere Aglaya is overprotective and isolating as well. It's for your own good and one day you'll understand. She wants to save you! She'll take you far away from here and build the two of you a little nest and you'll be so safe and happy. You're the only one she can be her true self around, the only one she can bear her soul to.

-

Ex-husband Artemy was great and and I'm completely sold on aroallo Artemy :) For him to give you a kiss without being drenched in the smell of post-surgery blood? lolllllll Not to butter you up even more (jk I am happy to do this) but you can get me to read x readers for characters I don't wish to know carnally and that's not typical of me. It helps that the characters are all really interesting, but the way you write them definitely helps too 🫡🫡

Thanks for letting me be a silly goose on your blog!! And for all your sweet comments. I have the same worry about repeating myself, oh well. But you make me feel comfortable being a little deranged on here. As always, take all the time you need to respond.

🐿️ anon

Hmm songs I associate with Pathologic

There is one! but it's in Arabic "مطلوب زعيم - كاريوكي" It talks about leaders or governments in general betraying its people and how those people still fought to survive despite it all. Despite the leaders they entrusted throwing them to the wolves. The song describes wanting a righteous leader that can hear their (town) heartbeat (literally the lyrics which fit too well) A leader that doesn't live in castles when a portion of their people live in houses akin to graves (again pathologic lore)

The Kains, the Olgimskays and even the law obiding Saburov all used the plague to try and gain more power, to prove that their way of thinking and living is superior. They didn't help people just for the sake of helping them or combating the plague, no they wanted something out of it. They derailed the healers progress and made everything way harder for everyone.

Oh and my favourite Pathologic 2 OST is Twyrin. Yeah it's on the shorter side but god is it so iconic? OF FUCKING COURSE ANDREY STAMATIN GETS THE BEST MUSIC IN THE GAME >:(

While in Pathologic Classic HD it's Utroba Disease

I also love the character specific music? Like the Haruspex Lair theme, because it embodies him in a way! It's an impressive feat to merely use music alone without lyrics to tell a story or communicate a certain vibe, but god does P2 and P1 achieve it seamlessly.

Take the soundtrack Warehouse-Rubin for example and how it starts so quietly, building up ever so slowly that the silence itself merges with the music notes.

Like an ever growing shadow in the corner of your vision, it's hard to spot and you forget about it immediately after looking away.

But then. Oh but then.

Insanity spiral. A painfully sharp high pitched sound pierces your eardrumns, akin to a human scream muffled by the beat, a symphony of agony, a tortured soul crawling out of the grave to give one final scream with the last of its breath.

Lastly, it stops. The screeching of the record follows, someone choking on air, or regaining their breath.

The curtains are drawn back, and Rubin puts his gaurd up again.

There are so many beautiful ones too that tell a tale with just their title. Painting a melancholic picture.

The Haruspex is all alone

The music itself feels as if it's making fun of him while letting him wallow in his sadness. Cruelly taunting him and breaking his already bruised heart into a million pieces. Not even giving him the courtesy to lick his own wounds or mourn what he has lost.

The Bachelor learns

Starts with one instrument, and then gradually, more and more are added, as if every new sound is a puzzle piece that the Bachelor is putting back into place. Slowly making progress until a whole symphony is formed when all he had at the start was one single note, sounding like the bells of a clock.

The Changeling sneaks into the Stamatins loft

The suspension! The thrill in every note, building you up before letting you fall when it suddenly pauses. You can't be discovered, someone is nearby, you need to be cautious. Hold your breath, steady your feet, and don't step on the creaking wooden boards. After the excitement dies down, you're given a steady rhythmic beat that guides your foosteps. The sound of someone taking a short breath is incorporated into the notes, even the breath in your lungs need to follow the beat and blend in

I'm glad you liked the Yulia divorce hc lmao. I feel like whatever worst case scenario possible there is, Yulia already thought of it and not only that but spent restless nights imagining the divorce before the two of you even got married?

So when it arrives she is prepared, doesn't even bat an eye. And her casual approach makes you doubt yourself out of sheer shock? Like huh, maybe divorce is really not a big deal... yk what sure I'll stick around for a little bit longer, scoot over.

The biggest flaw in Yulia's design is that even if she had those yandere urges, would she bother acting out on them? Suddenly, her fatalism becomes a beneficial trait. Gentleness goes a long way more than possessiveness ever does.

Yandere Yulia would rather reel you in slowly, be as soft as a breeze of air. You could spend your whole life together and never be aware of the unhinged thoughts going through her brain at all times.

She is easily content and doesn't demand a lot. Probably one of the safest bets in terms of yanderes. She doesn't isolate you or try to hold power of you. While eats her up at night that you might leave or find someone else, those feelings aren't new to her, she had a similar crisis about the thought of the world ending last month.

By being unstable and unhinhed naturally, the yandere thoughts perfectly blend within her inner world and all that comes out is the same mild-mannered Yulia you've known.

And oh 👀 those are amazing lines for Yandere Daniil. Honestly he'd be as intense as a storm, you'll be constantly prodded and questioned as if you're the greatest enigma he has ever seen.

It'd would annoy him so much that he can't understand why he is so obsessed with you. He NEEDS to know. Why is everything about you so special? Why is the colour of your blood the most beautiful red he has ever seen? Why are your pupils the loveliest black there is? Why are you so intoxicating and magnetic?

If that was before getting together, he'd notice some unhinged comments slipping his lips every now and then while everything else seems to be as business usual.

And omfg yes everything you said about Yandere Victor is so true.

He wants you to think he is on your side, that he could never be anything but supportive and kind. That the idea of him purposely sabotaging your attempts to have anything that doesn't involve him is silly and you're overworked, sweetheart.

He babies you intentionally so you forget how to fly. The townfolks are nice and chill to you no matter what so you never have to put in effort in socialising and therefore will never develop any meaningful relationships or build a support system besides him.

It's like being suffocated by a feather pillow. Victor can't possibly be stealing your ideas if he credited you for the small ones and makes such a big deal of mentioning that it was you who picked the colours for the townshall new curtains.

So how come he stops at that and doesn't even bring up the new laws you proposed adding or public wellfare plans you worked hard on?

Coincidentally, the next month, people stop you in the streets to sing the praises of your husband for coming up with such a brilliant plan for aiding people struggling with income. A plan that suspiciously sounds similar to your own papers left collecting dust in one of the locked drawers in his desk.

Except it's just different enough that you feel doubtful it was on purpose. Remembering his words, how silly of an idea this even is. Yeah... you're probably just need some rest. Victor is a genius, what would he ever copy your papers for? You need to have more faith in your husband.

Until one day you'll wake up and realise you've completely forgotten how to fly, that the wings weighted heavy by your sides. How kind is it of your husband to offer to pluck some of the feathers off and relief you from the burden of thinking or working? Even simple tasks are too much. No, leave the dishes. That's someone else's job, dove.

oh god Yandere Aglaya is a special case. Because she is a meta character, she knows about the 4th wall (in a way) That makes her so much more dangerous.

And 👀 She can fall for the player, becoming a yandere for this force controlling the healers around.

Aglaya knows she is a doll and thinks you are a doll, too. She knows this is just a game played by kids, that nothing really matters. No one is really alive.

So it's completely morally justified in her views to take you for her own. I mean, she is THE inquisitor and her word is law. She is the one who orders the destruction of the polyhedron, you think she can't simply order you to be her spouse?

But Aglaya wouldn't take stoop that low, it's also tiresome to constantly throw her weight and power around. Instead, she will tell you about the bleak reality you're living in and how everyone and everything in your life is a lie.

Did it break your mind? Good, stay with her then. It will be extremely easy to nudge you along.

Did it not? ...that is strange. Explain yourself. Now.

Are you that apathetic? or are you too stupid to comprehend her words? Which one is it?

...oh, you don't care because the love you feel is real even if the people are not?

You've spelled your doom with that sentence, she is hooked. All her life she has been the only one with free will, in all her years of living she has never ever met another person who is aware of the truth of this universe without having gone insane.

But you stood your grounds.

Yandere Aglaya doesn't beat around the bush, she doesn't play mind games nor manipulate you.

She puts all her cards on the table, shows you ever single one. Explains herself fully and make her intentions clear.

She is not letting you go, you cannot run far enough. She has you corner on this chessboard, what is your move?

Be with her and she will make your life heaven. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, she won't force you. She just needs you around like her body needs oxygen to stay alive. She will provide you with anything you dream of, she will use her powers to shield you. Even in the worst case scenario where whe she is stripped of her inquisitor powers, she will find a way somehow to make sure no harm befalls you.

Aglaya is very direct. She doesn't lie, but... she has a tendency to conceal the truth. Would you count that as her lying? She doesn't.

But if you call her out on it, she doesn't deny it. If you ask if she's the one who behind why your world is suddenly falling apart, why no one dares look you in the eyes anymore. She will admit it with zero shame.

She doesn't try to paint herself in a tender soft light like Victor, nor does she keep her innermost desires in her brain and only show you gentleness like Yulia.

Aglaya is a constant, she doesn't falter. You can slow her down but never stop her. It's simply a matter of time before she wins.

And really... her feelings are sincere. The way she openly admits her awe when it comes to your mind and heart, the flirtatious poems that smoothly slide off her tongue in an almost jarring scene from the usual icey lips of the steel inquisitor.

She refuses to involve you in her work, they're bad people and will only try to take advantage of you. Everything you are will be broken down then stiched together to fit their views.

But she lets you fly freely instead of caging you in. It is your freedom she fell in love with after all. All those extreme measures before were just so you'd agree to her proposal, after getting together, Aglaya is more than content and never clingy.

She only asks to see you once a day. The rest is up to you. They are all just dolls in the end. She doesn't even consider them human enough for her to be jealous over.

Aglaya is used to getting results and finding solutions to impossible problems. Why would she ever do something which might harm you or scare you away? that is counterproductive and won't result in you falling in love with her.

Instead, she offers to compromise. You can live your life, have all your friends, and do whatever your heart may desire. As long as she stays a constant in that life, write her letters back and tell her about your days. She genuinely enjoys taking a peak at your mind.

Aglaya is very charming when she wants to. She knows how to read people like the back of her hand. It's easy to figure out what motivates you and what you're attracted to. It's easier for her to dapt those traits and watch you subconsciously seeking her company more. She knows what makes you tick and how to sweep you off your feet.

[taehyungfirst]

I think we'll start to see some of the members break into other solo activities. I'm here for Actor Jin. I think we're going to see Namjoon work in other mediums, sooner rather than later given his mystery project promo (and his repeated mentions of art and other mediums). I could see him creating and curating. Yoongi? I think he's going to be focused on producing the group efforts. But, pipe dream, I'd love to see him take on scoring a film. His lyrics and rapping skills get deserved attention but the backing of his songs is so interesting and I've love to see more of it in a different form.

I'd love to see Hobi lean more into fashion -- a fashion partnership/collab -- he could be the guest editor of a shoot/project/mag or do a small run of something. I don't know about the others. Tae has already been involved in so many other projects. I definitely think he'll act in some way-- the amount of offers he must have after the IU music video! But Tae keeps us guessing. Variety shows, live performances, acting in music videos, coffee ambassador, muse for all the magazines. I know he's got something up his sleeve we don't expect.

I think we may see more collabs for JK. There is no way that every major recording artist isn't fighting through his proverbial inbox. I could see him doing collabs in conjunction with group work to keep his toe in the solo side (and on the charts) but not take the time/attention of a full album. I hope Tae might do this as well in his own way. I think he was so smart with his first album -- no collabs, live performances, not written by him (so people can't speculate). He's a critically and commercially acclaimed artist in his own right. I'd love to see him partner with other artists -- especially ones that aren't as mainstream.

And I think they'll do some big spon con together -- of what I don't know -- but something to globally highlight the reunion.

I could also see SK wanting them to do more prominent cultural ambassador-y stuff post-ms. I think of that video that Namjoon had to do for his graduation ceremony. It will be interesting to see how the navigate that and what they feel that they have to do in those capacities.

Ok, that's enough of a random ramble of thoughts...

Hi!

I love the idea of Namjoon curating a museum! I think it would suit him very well, and I hope his next project (which I assume it’s music) it’s gonna be something like Indigo again, I really liked the album. Yes for actor Jin and uhmmm I think Yoongi is gonna be an even bigger producer, if Pdogg isn’t in Hybe he will produce the group songs and I can see him having more projects piled up for other artists, I think he likes being a producer a lot.

I hope Hobi does some mentoring in a show again, he’s a great teacher and the industry’s best dancer so he should get a gig like that. Regarding Jungkook, do you think this America trial will keep going? Like do you think his solo career will keep being centered there?

I think Taehyung will drop a second ep somewhere in the future, and that he will drop Travel with me too idk why but I’m convinced that song is gonna see the light of the day (I’m just convincing myself 🕯️), also yeah more acting gigs, something international at some point.

[antlers-and-omens]

F - Friend - What kind of friend are they? How do they judge potential friends? Where do they draw the line between platonic and romantic relationships? How far would they go for a friend? How do they handle conflict in relationships?

A-Z OC Asks

Well, as a new OC... he doesn't have any friends yet - and I'm not too sure how he'd judge them; with Jak, she's just a judgy little shit all the time, constantly weighing the worth/worthiness of those around her. A'vaanoh... is here for a good time. If you're raining on that parade, you're probably not someone he wants to spend much time around, unless it's fun to laugh at you, I guess. Laugh, drink, be merry - he has a demon inside him that makes things hard enough as is! He doesn't want his friends to make it worse.

As a friend, himself... I feel like he shows up for you? I mean, he met @xmimiteh and despite teasing her a bit for being so grumpy... he rather genuinely was glad to let himself be the proverbial punching bag, if it meant that this person got to blow off a little steam. Why not? She was having a bad day, and he's dealt with far, far worse than a pissed off chocobo jockey. But, if he's willing to do that for someone he just met? I imagine he's a pretty good friend. He's not a very selfish person by nature - he has money, so why not spend it? On new friends, old friends, whatever. Money is money, and you can't take it with you when you're dead! He was buying drinks for everyone at the last Gold Saucer hangout, so again... I imagine friends feel the weight of his gilded benevolence even more?

As for where the line is between platonic and romantic relationships... that feels like one I'll have to RP to know! And is likely dependent on the person - I could say 'as soon as there's physical intimacy' it's romantic, but... you can just be friends who have sex sometimes and it's still platonic! But a relationship can also be romantic without ever saying that it is out loud, too - so that's something so hard to define and ever-shifting in interpersonal relationships that... I'll just have to see how that happens in RP, if it does!

So much of this is 'I don't know yet'!

How far would he go? It depends on the person, and how close they are, I suppose. He's capable of... quite a lot. He's strong, smart, and wealthy. And stuffed full of a voidsent! So he can fight for you, go to court for you, write you a book, take you on a hunt...punch the shit out of whoever you hate, idk. Depends on the person! And if he's close enough to them to care to take action, I suppose - or if he's asked to.

I couldn't even begin to tell you how he'd handle conflict in a relationship - is it romantic? Platonic? Is it a fist-fight, a verbal argument? I have 0 frame of reference, and again... it likely depends on the person, the reason for fighting, and so on. He likes violence! But I doubt he likes it when it's his friends.