#if anyone has any other interpretations id love to hear them!!!

[kai-rio]

ggy song analysis III - the liar by the arcadian wild

im so normal about this song, the first time i heard it i immediately knew it was super uber ggy coded

(this is a long one so ill put my analysis under the cut)

by the way, i use greg and gregory as terms for different people - gregory for the character in sb, and greg for the persona we see in ggy

i sense theres trouble ahead, clear by the signs and warnings i think gregory would know that somethings up because i mean its probably pretty obvious if you have lots of gaps in your memory, or if he only gets control back for a little while after a long period of greg taking control, then he’d know thats weird too

that should tell where all blame is due, so why are they pointing at my head? this could be read as gregory not knowing the things greg’s done and being confused, if he notices vengeful tony & ellis then he wouldnt know why theyre vengeful

all have been led astray, we’ve all fallen short in some way literally a line in the game omg. but yeah i imagine during the short moments of control, gregory seeks comfort in vanessa and/or the other followers like finbarr or tape girl because he’d know theyre going through the same thing

please understand im ashamed he would feel guilty for greg’s actions once he actually remembers them or is told them by someone else

and i beg of you, please find your grace i think this reads as gregory trying to warn greg’s victims, like tony and ellis, but he’s unable to actually do anything

cause i'm not in a right state of mind, i just wish i had strength to admit it i doubt gregory would accept the idea of being one of the followers immediately and he might have fallen into a state of denial in a way

my stubborness will put up a fight, but i dont deserve to win it however, when he does accept it, he’d feel immense guilt, so much that he thinks he doesnt deserve to be forgiven despite how badly he wants it

we’re left in the dark, pondering our mistakes this could be gregory trying to piece together what happened during his amnesia gaps

in the light i swear i will deny it all i personally think that if gregory was to find out while he was still being controlled periodically, malhare might just try gaslight him into thinking otherwise to make him more compliant

cause i am the lying man, and i have made you my next victim ‘i am the lying man’ sounds like a title, maybe like greg confessing he’s ggy before he eliminates tony. the next victim obviously because the victims before were the therapists and i guess you could even count vanessa since he manipulates her - tony wouldnt be the last victim either, it probably continues on to ellis, crystal and maybe even cassie if gregory never escaped the control fully

oh i need you to see through my act, to tell me im wrong, to take off the mask again, this is about gregory trying to warn tony and ellis about his murderous counterpart, and it could be interpreted that taking off the dr. rabbit mask is a metaphor for freeing gregory, similar to how in the princess quest ending, our first sign that vanessa is free is that her mask has been abandoned

or else ill be left in the lie obviously this about still being trapped under the influence, but i also have another interpretation of this - i think that during the influence, gregory dissociated to an imaginary world where all the bad things didnt happen to cope with what he could remember, omori style

and ill decieve my way straight to demise i know everyone celebrates gregory for being like the first alive fnaf kid in the games but i honestly dont think thatll stay that way for long with how fnaf has a history of dead kids lol

i am the host of this hostility if the ‘wizards favourite apprentice’ line is true and not just greg pretending, then it would make sense for everything to revolve around him - he’s trusted enough to manipulate another follower and carry out a lot of murders so i would think its true. this probably means that gregory is under more surveillance than any of the other followers which would make it more difficult for him to escape

another interpretation of this is a ‘host’ that a parasite uses - this could imply that each of the reluctant followers personas’ arent specific to their body and could just inhabit a new one - this could be disproved by saying that each follower we’ve seen (vanny and greg) have made their names centered around their body’s original inhabitant, but then again that could just be them rubbing it in vanessa and gregory’s faces about their lack of control, or perhaps it was commanded by the mimic1 virus

im the master magician that makes you believe speaking of the mimic, if i remember correctly, there was a room in sb with a bunch of staff bots representing the afton family, and william was framed as a magician if sorts - the mimuc is supposedly mimicing afton, so it would make sense if it called itself a magician

im real, im not fake, but in reality im a lying man honestly i just think greg would be a fan of paradoxes and stuff like that, seeing how he led a trail of breadcrumbs for tony to follow

my lifes become this grand game of deception in gregs eyes, tony could be treating the whole ggy mystery like a game to be finished, a grand game because theres a high possibility of there being way more followers than we realise, already with 4 confirmed ones (vanny, greg, finbarr & tapegirl as far as i know)

my minds ignored all my hearts good intentions his mind because its mind control… yeah - this could also represent gregorys learnt behaviour of closing himself off from others to avoid them becoming another face on the missing posters despite only having goid intentions

we all feel this tension, we all have our own illusions the followers again, i imagine they all have their own ways of coping, perhaps by simply blocking everything out or pretending/dissasociating

[urbestestwindgod]

tw for discussion of rape and all and a hot take i guess

ok i dont rlly like to get serious or anything on this blog but i just wanted to mention that even if it was left up for interpretation if calypso raped odysseus or not, the stuff she still does isnt okay. like she still holds him captive, she still harasses and tries to coerce him after knowing that he is married and doesnt want her. she holds him captive KNOWING IT MAKES HIM SUICIDAL. thats not haha girly things that called being an abuser. yes, holding someone captive and trying to manipulate them out of suicide (as opposed to support them) is abusive.

i know she has a pretty voice but like, did you think jorge would cast a random untrained smoker from an opium den to play her so we know that this isnt a good character? and also you can compliment people’s designs of calypso without being ok with rape, because its just a design, but when its “shes my wifey” and “ii love her” its suddenly not like any other epic villain simping because the thing is she isnt a god sinking his ships or lighting bolting his crew to death; shes sexually abusing him (i am also not going to debate if sexual harassment is different from sexual abuse because its not. even if she never raped him she was still trying to coerce him and harassed him; which is abusive)

if there’s anything i dont fuck with its sexual misconduct. rape, harassment, abuse, all of it. dont give me that shit. the only thing that irritates me more than “haha id dropkick that child in self defense” is any victim blaming or pro rape statement that i displeasurably have to hear. like back to “her voice is so pretty” or just “shes so pretty” hey yea thats what most male rape victims are told. that she was so hot though, so he must have liked it. shes not “just a girl” shes an abuser.

now i know people where a little peeved that jorge removed rape from the circe saga; but i think its reasonable why he did. the epic community is very connected and always has memes for the situations odysseus is in. which, when its haha his friend was killed by a cyclops, or his crew was killed by an angry father, or his men where turned to pigs, or haha hes sad at whatever fantastical situation hes put in; we can laugh at it. because not only is it not real because its a story, but also no one has ever been through that. no ones ever faced off a cyclops in a cave before.

but people have been raped. men have been raped and heard the whole “shes so pretty and sweet thoo”. thats real. and with the circe saga jay knew that putting in rape, so early in too, that it wouldn’t be a plotpoint that fit in because that isnt an epic misfortune they face! thats a real situation; not the men to pigs and sea witch stuff, but being pressured and coerced into sleeping with someone? that is a real situation that real people are put in.

and i know male sexual assaults are iffy to people somehow. so lets say that a woman was in odysseus’ place and circe/calypso were men. does that make it worse? because both are bad. i dont fuck with rape towards ANYONE. regardless of gender, i dont think in 2024 we still should be debating is men can be raped

but back to jorge; i think he was brave for making love in paradise go how it did. i think even implying rape was a brave choice for the musical; especially with a very unserious and jokey fandom (not saying its not also serious but still) but even if you interpret that calypso never touched him. in the odyssey she did, and how tf do you LIKE a character who in the source material was a rapist? shes not “allowed to do bad” shes not “just a girl” shes a predator, and idn something about seeing her get support despite that reminds me of people like my uncle, my brother, my friend’s stepdad, a classmate or two. my uncle being able to have a restaurant, my brother having “a bright future” a certain classmate who got a girl pregnant and then went on to go to prep school. while she carried a child from a random guy in another state. you can support and joke about poseidon from epic and all, but when you start talking about calypso the same way you aren’t invalidating odysseus because hes not real. but you are invalidating countless real life victims.

and these are bold words from someone who isnt even mad about zeus of all people, because i know the culture he was from and i know that he was a metaphor/symbol to said culture. but the odyssey was a story with characters who survived by virtue of extending past that cultural bias. i can pull away from the odyssey as a piece of its time and understand that calypso wasnt probably seen as a rapist back then because the term didnt apply, but as a character i hate her like i hate theseus

and i know calypso was technically a goddess but that didnt mean much for her except immortality and being able to sexually abuse better. she wasnt worshipped (to my knowledge?) or exactly metaphorical. and epic is a modern retelling; so modern standards apply; shes a predator. i wont be taking any counter points because like i said dont do me with that shit

tl;dr your support for fictional rapists extends to what real victims have gone through, and check your lust because backing up every pretty voice/face is a rape culture classic

also im not saying that if you like calypso youre a pro rape asshole, dont think that. but i am saying youre not helping anyone and more hurting than anything by treating a character who is a sexual abuser like just another fantasy villain

[audinite]

OMG OK i’ll ask more specific questions about bella… how would u describe his dynamic with schezo (idk anything abt puyo so feel free to say however much you want abt schezo id love to hear) & how did they meet? plus anything else you’d like to add of course

i took a bit to answer but omg thank u for the questions it makes me happy😭💛 now then time for a readmore cus i ramble a lot🥹apologies for all the incoming words LOL

it changes a bit between how i see them (couple or one sided) but honestly its basically the same (ofc theres some differences) anyways ill be writing with the one sided relationship in mind. bella is obsessed with schezo and has equal amount of normal and affectionate moments. schezo sometimes is wary or has his guard raised against bella since the lovey dovey-ness from him can be too much for him to handle (mainly with how one of bella's way to show his affections is cooking..schezo made a one time mistake of accepting his gift + schezo is just a loner. likes silence) but besides that they get along<3 bella is like schezos first real friend. ok like schezo has some friendly relationships but doesnt really have any actual friendships since he likes to do his own thing and his words doesnt help either (blunt + his accidental innuendos) ->making this about bella now and how he personally handles those two aspects of schezo. bella interprets his words literally like his classic "i want you" line bella would be like "for what?" or something like that. and this is more important to their relationship but the bluntness can honestly be upsetting to bella if what is said is something hurtful or negative. theres a few incidents of bella getting sad which honestly gets to schezo, he doesnt like to see him sad so unlike with everyone else he is a bit more gentle with bella. might be ooc but the way i think about it makes sense (treats bella like how he usually does with everyone else➡️bella gets sad/upset once or a few times bc bluntness➡️oh this kinda sucks➡️a bit more gentle now). gentle in the sense that he will sometimes think and reword his thoughts better before actually speaking (im the overthinker but i dont think anyone would assume this but its not like he babies or is over the top kind to bella but he just will be more conscious at times). i guess considerate would be a better word for this? LOL also forgot to mention but bella is a mediocre mage and really admires schezo since hes pretty powerful. bellas pretty sensitive about his own skills so thats one of the things that can be upsetting to him.

ok now to how they meet.. ill try to keep this one shorter☠️ this would be like a madou monogatari story thing. bella is atop of a hill during the night and sees a shooting star (which unknown to him is filled with magical energy) and decides to wish on it to become a better, stronger mage! soon after he does that, out pops a doppelganger of him (theres a lotttt of doppels in puyo/madou and i want bella to have one🙂‍↕️no design yet but being a doppel..you can already guess how he looks but just with a different outfit on). the bella doppel ends up pushing bella off the hill and into a forest because of a simple "well we both can't exist" + is way stronger than the real bella so goodbye!! but that leads into the bella schezo meeting since schezo just happens to be in that forest and at the exact spot bella is falling from so hes forced to catch him because its that or get smashed. for bella its pure love at first sight but to schezo its some bothersome stranger. schezos searching for the random spike of power that he felt (the doppel) bc hes a guy who kinda sorta steals others magical powers, all the timing was just rightt...welp im gonna end it right there since i think the introductions probably the most important part and im rambling and writing so much its kinda embarrassing....anyways😭thank you for the ask ily💛

[haysprite]

can we hear some of your headcanons about frank :)

OMG YES !!! I feel like my interpretation of him is like really different than other people's, but its finnnneee :o) Also there's a lot so brace yourself 👍 I also wanted to focus more on just him this time around since I've already done a HC dump about him and Julie !

• AuDHD also go brrr (I’ll be real I’ve hit all four of em with this lmfao)

• Has a really high pain tolerance! He could break a bone or somethin and literally try to walk it off despite the other’s protests. 

• ON THE OTHER HAND THO, he is PATHETIC when it comes to getting sick (which isn’t often, but that means it hits him HARD when he does). Talk about man colds fr 🙏 The other three tend to make fun of him for this, but Julie still takes care of him cause she finds it a bit funny and wants to help her silly bf out.

• Absolutely loves being the center of attention, so he defo tries to impress anyone around him

• He really did enjoy playing basketball and being on Fairview’s team! He didn’t really get along with most of his team, but he was pretty good at the sport and being on the court was sometimes freeing for him. Was also a p good excuse to stay away from home.

• Dropped out of school early into his senior year, punching that referee was simply his final straw

• During the car ride to Ormond, he defo tried to run away while Clive was stopped to get some gas, but got caught pretty quickly. Frank may be strong, but Clive was stronger, and managed to force him back into the car. The rest of the ride was pretty silent after this

• Absolutely loves hoodies and jackets, and is rarely seen without one (whether he’s wearing it or just has it on hand). They’re just comfy, what can I say

• Loves the thrill of fights, which he gets into a bit more often than he probably should. Also tends to be the one to throw the first punch.

• He is NOT a morning person whatsoever. It takes him forever to finally drag his ass out of bed. He’s more of a night person, both for the peacefulness and because there’s more potential to cause some mayhem without getting caught.

• Though he’s the leader of the Legion, most of the plans and ideas come from Julie and Joey, since they actually like to think plans through unlike Frank, who will jump straight into something without giving it a second thought. He’s got zero impulse control lets be fr

• Hates the quiet, he either has to have music playing or be talking to somebody or else he just feels uncomfortable

• Has quite a few tattoos, though the only one ever really visible is the one on his neck. Got his first tattoo at 15 and loved the rush he got from getting one. I feel like he got his neck tattoo right before being dragged to Ormond at (roughly) 17. He had to be sneaky about getting them, ofc, but he’s always been pretty good at faking IDs and lying about his age (hence why he’s able to get his hands on alcohol n shit p easily).

• He’s a bit of a flirt, having a pretty charming nature to him, which he defo uses to his advantage when he needs to get out of sticky situations

• Not trusted behind the steering wheel, so Julie or Joey are always the ones to drive everyone places, which he’s a bit annoyed by, but he got over it eventually

• Has a lil collection of random trinkets he’s saved throughout his life, like things he’s stolen from every foster home he’s been through, random shit he’s found on the ground, gifts given to him by his friends, etc

• Whenever he was relocated, he would ALWAYS research as much as he possibly could about where he was being sentenced to. He found the history behind certain places really interesting, especially if there were any murders or creepy shit involved, and it also helped him plan out ways to get out of there as quickly as possible.

• Absolutely hates Clive with the PASSION. He did nothing but ignore Frank, no matter how hard he tried to get his attention. Frank picked a lot of verbal fights with him, some of them almost escalating into something physical, but Clive wasn’t afraid to fight back and stopped each fight pretty quickly.

• Got kicked out about half a year after turning 18, but he didn’t really care since he basically lived at the lodge anyway. Just meant he was finally free from living with Clive permanently

• He has a funny older brother / younger sister relationship with Susie. They’ll do shit like yelling at each other from across the lodge about what kind of pizza they should get, or walking into the room the other is in only to stand there silently before turning off the lights and BOOKING it. They annoy each other a lot, but they do it out of love (platonic obv) lmfao

• He and Joey do stupid shit like wrestling, arm wrestling, or straight up fights to see who’s stronger. Despite Frank being the one to initiate most of these, Joey wins a good 90% of the time unless he’s really caught off guard.

• Would do literally anything for Julie <3 He is so pathetically in love with her. I feel like Susie bugged him a lot about this before he and Julie started dating, calling him out whenever she caught him staring at Julie for too long or just teasing him about it

• Is REALLY bad at comforting his friends when they’re feelin down, but he tries his best 👍 It’s either him threatening to kick the ass of whoever made them upset, or just being silent and letting them vent cause he doesn’t really know how to respond

• Got super excited when he found out Julie also loved slasher films and learning about serial killers, and was really happy about finally having someone to talk about this shit with. They have movie nights a lot where they watch stupid slasher films for sure !

• It takes a lot to calm him down when he’s angry. Though his friends are sometimes able to help, most of the time they have to leave him be and let him punch or break some shit to release his anger.

• He always feels really bad whenever he blows up at one of his friends, he just struggles with actually apologizing about it. Julie is helping him a lot with this, and even though progress is slow, he’s slowly learning and getting better at it

[cinnabundolly12]

Hi, I wanted to say that your art style is super cute, i love how bright it is, snd I wanted to ask if you have any particular headcanons for the fnafhs cast, any ideas or relationships (of any kind, to be clear) you have made! Things that you changed from the source material, kept, expanded on, anything! Id love to hear how you interpret these characters

For example, you drew bonnie snd fred working at an ice cream place, and il thats a trend going around but do you have any hesdcanons for anyone working in particular places or any coworker dynamics ?

So sorry if this is too much at once or unintelligible!

Thank you I tried sticking to edo's color pallets while also fixing them to fit my color picking choices XD the style for the series was changed to being chibi like to draw easier and faster (due to my hand pains I have been recently having these past months) I wanted to try cartoon like style but I haven't picked a decent coloring style yet which is why everything hasn't been rendered so well worry guys ;v;

Yea ok the team and I decided that some characters desperately needed a rewrite so all the headcanons and some of my comics jokes are canon to the au they're not just my ideas but mostly are

Here's some stuff I've added/kept relationship wise

Golden x Fox

Owynn x Fred x Joy

Toddy x Onnie

Meg x Spring

B x B?

Fede x Felix

Eak x Town Trap

There's most likely more ships in the future but they're extra characters from the rest of the fnaf franchise c:

In my au Bonnie's mother is having troubles paying bills so bonnie gets a job to help out and the animatronics offer to help take a shift so they take turns (still a process being looked through) it's a small workplace that I haven't finished designing yet so more on that later but the animatronics are like siblings so there will be chaos >:3c

Spring would take on small jobs like he did in the series except he will be getting his money because he needs to feed the household somehow XD

The au has the bands working to get 1st place so they'll get the prize money so not many of them are job focused uwu)b

The villains are kind of a mess atm since there's 2 villain groups and they themselves are fighting each other because of their goals (and the meddling of fred/dy and joy)

My favorite thing which I have not shown yet is owynn and vanny hating each other so much they want to get physically violent but their solution has been nerf gun fights in the student council room xD (vanny is president and owynn is vice president) others in the council are Mai, Puppet, eak, TownTrap, Moon (other positions being looked at aka no more spoilers lol)

The world of shadows is being included in a different kind of form if you've seen the glitches in fnaf world then you'll probably understand and the locked door from help wanted is being turned into a thing which is where security puppet is placed in which is why I have had her interacting with fred/dy and joy (joy is sorta having this big role along side the boys so her character development is supposed to be made with their help)

Ann and bonnie are going to continue getting bullied but I'm going to try to expand on it a bit (I've also been bullied before and I ended up becoming friends with one bully but I'm not pulling that deltarune card xD)

I made Freddy's emotions a bit more dramatic and he ended up being a little depressed I'm not sure how far to censor that tho but Fred has been showing his scars which Freddy does not like since he's still trying to "play normal" and their role of their friendship with the animatronics are flipped from the original Fred wants to hang out with the animatronics to be normal and Freddy wants to be by himself not talking to anyone trying to pretend to be normal especially since Fred keeps getting more out of his control and taking over the body by force

I gave Fred a pet to help balance out this human thing which is also playing the part for the "magical girl" thing where the creature helps transform the person but Fred can be human at the cost of being a pet owner to a very hungry monster xD the problem of this creature is trying to balance out how long Fred can be human since I don't want it to be like a Fred can turn whenever he wants to he actually has to make sure the pet has energy up so that Fred can continue being human at school all day

The problem with golden being "the golden boy" has definitely been looked into and his rank position will very much effect the band especially against upcoming rivals I have written down UwU

I'm still debating which things get drawn into a side comic for fun and which will actually get put into the series as I'm writing down future episodes but if there's any questions about specific characters (existing fnafhs characters/ fnaf franchise/ fnaf fazbear frights/ fnafsb tales from the megaplex/ fazbear fanverse) I don't mind answering especially since most are still being looked into or being made as background characters c:

[sheydandcherub]

Introduction to SheydandCherub ✍︎

* this post will be constantly updated and edited.

— Table of Contents

i. About the Author

ii. Unique Tags

iii. Beliefs of The Blog

iiii. Expectations & Guidelines

v. Ending Notes

— About the Author

Vinido bueno! I am Elle (They/them), a Noahide, future Jew, Traditional Demonolator, angelologist and all around occultist. I am a minor, and have been practicing occultism in a variety of forms for roughly four years at the time of writing this (6/7/23). I was raised in a non-denominational and non-spiritual Christian household, however my dad comes from a line of Curanderos. Hearing tales of their craft and speaking to them inspired me to pursue occultism (thanks Titi!). I am half-hispanic, and incredibly proud of my heritage and the culture of which both my dad and mom come from and the unique forms of spirituality developed within these cultures (Appalachian folk magic on my mom’s side, and Curanderismo on my dad’s). I am also incredibly, incredibly queer, I am both non-binary and gay. Through this blog I hope to bring to light the appropriation present in western occultism, and the ways in which one can deappropriate their practice(s) while still having a complete and workable system of magick and spirituality.

Outside of my spiritual life I pursue a variety of hobbies, including writing (obviously because of this blog, but I also write poetry!), singing, theater, and music enthusiasm. I have sung for nine years, and worked in theater (both behind the scenes and on-stage) for six. Over quarantine I made it my goal to develop a decent music taste, and that I believe I did! My absolute favorite artist is Fiona Apple whom I love and adore; some other artists I enjoy include Leith Ross, Beabadoobee, Ani DiFranco, Lizzy McAlpine, Mxmtoon, Boygenius (and all artists of the band independently), Faye Webster, The Smiths, Radiohead, and SO. MANY. MORE. Additionally, I attend an early college program and am currently taking college classes for a Nurse Aid degree; through the program I am able to take non-nurse college classes as well, so I take classes that assist in my religious studies research (sociology, ethics & morals, philosophy, etc.).

— Unique Tags

#ellesoteric — Western occultism posts!

#shaelleom — Judaism/Noahidism posts!

#elleanswers — Answers to your questions!

#angelleic — Angelic and/or Enochian posts!

#sacrificiallambs — Demonic posts!

— Beliefs of The Blog

My beliefs revolve around Conservative (aka Masorti! Also, conservative used in a Jewish context has nothing to do with political conservatism) Judaism. I believe HaShem has always existed, before human comprehension, and HaShem will exist after human comprehension as well. Other divinities are a result of human comprehension and interpretation of HaShem’s eternal energy. I don’t see anything wrong with people interacting with these divinities. In fact, I interact with divinities other than HaShem; I am a Traditional Demonolator in addition to my Noahidism. The Demonic Divine are incredibly important to my life— I am devoted to Empress Delepitore, the demoness of magick, divination, dreams, and enlightenment. The main way I differentiate myself from non-Noahide Demonolators is that I do not make efforts to worship the demonic divine, I solely work with the demonic. I also research the angelic to a great degree through both enochian and Judaic lenses!

— Expectations & Guidelines

In order for my blog to be a space I feel comfortable, I expect for everyone who interacts to follow these guidelines:

1) No antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, etc.

2) All questions are encouraged (even ones that seem dumb, because I promise they are not)! My dms and ask box are always open, so don’t be afraid to use them! Additionally, you can always dm me on discord; my user ID is @702921106675335208

3) I am not perfect, and am open to critiques and corrections!

4) Do not try to convert anyone to any religious belief. Proselytization is not welcome here.

5) Be kind and respectful always!

I try not to block anyone in hopes of educating as many people as possible, however I will block someone if they do not follow these guidelines.

— Ending Notes

I hope you enjoyed having the opportunity to learn more about me and this blog! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or the ask box; I would love for some requests so I know what y’all might want to read from me. Thank you so much for stopping by! ♡

[the-atrium-of-fools]

Franz Ferdinand mini review

40'

Really love the guitar on this one, it's got a really funky dark sort of groove to it. Just looking at the lyrics I'd have to guess it's about someone burying something, though who or what is unclear. It definitely wouldn't feel out of place over footage of a killer hiding a body.

Or it could be someone glancing over a ledge, thinking about all of the ramifications of following through, thinking about those 40 feet left.

Or it could be referring to depth of a lake or other body of water.

Not entirely sure, haha

The Lobster Quadrille

When I first put this one I hadn't made the Alice and Wonderland connection, so realizing that I knew the lyrics as a poem was a really fun experience. The instrumental on this one is sinister and builds to this grand crescendo and then immediately pulls you back in for one more round of the haunting chorus. Perhaps the crescendo is the oysters finally being consumed, with the last chorus repetition being them sealed away in the belly of the beast. Also I really love the deep vocals, they hold this sort of sick honey to them. They really capture the charismatic nastiness of the Walrus.

Swallow, Smile

It's almost nostalgic before the vocals kick in, with this consistent little guitar motif that evolves somewhat, but remains the backbone of the song. The vocals are smooth, yet they feel raw and almost anxious? The entire song has this sort of nervous energy, like you're waiting for a release of the tension and it never happens. I feel like this intertwines with the lyrics very nicely. They seem to be someone reminiscing none too fondly on a past relationship.

The singer states that "come on, let's fight, let's feel alive / it's the only feeling i've kept towards you that resembles any passion ". However, this is contrasted by the final verse, which is as follows: "well, that was easy waiting / everything's easy now / oh, and the days are 'oh so normal' / but oh baby / how i miss you." This, to me, suggests a sort of yearning for that toxic push and pull.

Another indication of this being a toxic relationship is the lyric " hiding from the twitch and crash / of the mood i hear you hatch " which I don't think I need to really explain.

Quite honestly, this song works for me as both a song about a romantic relationship and as a song about a familial relationship between mother and child, though the second interpretation is mostly based on vibes and self-projection haha

It's a really unique song, I don't think I've heard anything else quite like this. I really like it!

I did this as sort of an impromptu thing for fun, but if anyone else wants to send me music to do a lil write-up on I'd be glad to!

@digital-non-existence here's the review i said id do, hope you like it (:

[zip-toonz]

if u have ANYTHING to say abt trevor (either your interpretation, anyone else's, or just plain old canon trevs) id LOVE to hear abt it...i care abt him soooo much trevor fans make some noise ‼️

I HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT TREVOR WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN!! First and Foremost I have to say I love your interpretations of the characters! I love reading your head canons and Ideas and I'm honored my stuff inspired you like your work inspires me! (Obsessed with Schrödinger's Trevor). I should draw our Trevors hanging out sometime I think that would be a fun art piece! Also the fanart you made for the PLA au still makes me go crazy /pos

ALRIGHT *cracks my knuckles so hard my bones turn to dust* Trevor time! Read more cause I never shut up about Trevor

Trevor is by far my favorite Pokémon character of all time. I use to spend hours scrounging up any fanart I could find back in like 2013-15. I'm pretty sure he did things to my gender identity. Trevor of Trans your Gender.

He reminds me a lot of one of my other big time blorbos Mary Ann

Something about kids with this hairstyle I guess haha. I think they'd get along though they have similar personalities.

My Interpretation of Trevor!!

My interpretation of Trevor is a weird amalgamation of the game, manga, and anime. And sometimes I have multiple interpretations of him depending. But the one that I have a design for is a solid mix of all. He likes photography and wants to complete the pokedex. Gets really excited seeing Pokémon even if its a Pokémon he's already seen before and yet is very shy when meeting new people. He's only really comfortable with his friends, his sister, and Sycamore (who is effectively his father figure). Very smart but kind of clumsy, he tends to get a little beat up because he focuses in on things and forgets his surroundings. He's not big on battling but he loves studying Pokémon and want's to be a professor when he's older just like Sycamore. He takes photos of pokemon and keeps them in a little scrapbook with help from Shauna. Also he thrifts all his clothes and can never find anything that fits him just right.

Canon Trevor HCs

I tend to have sadder head canons for him due to the lack of parents. I don't think he likes Celebrating his birthday because his parents are never there to celebrate it with him. He has a hard time making friends and is always silently worried his friends will leave him one day. He's scared of getting hurt and so he tends to shut himself off from others involuntarily because he's scared of being abandoned again, and most of the time he only meets new people through the others in his friend group. Sycamore is one of the few adults he trusts.

Because of the manga I like to think he has this sixth sense of snuffing out harmful or dangerous people based on their aura. Lysander makes this kid faint his vibes are so bad. But that's really just for fun rather than anything serious or concrete.

I think he's got a wet paper bag for a stomach and gets queasy very easily. Its possible his anxiety has something to contribute to his health. and he should probably be on some kind of medication to manage it.

I love love love how hes handled in the manga. He's not the coward he thinks he is. He's scared but he's willing to fight for what he believes in. He's willing to stand up for his friends even when he struggles to stand up for himself and its so nice watching him grow.

AUS!!

I have a few aus major with Trevor PLA and REVIVAL are my two major ones but there's also Paldea (a spin off following PLA) and Wondar (My fan region that features him minorly)

Despite both major ones having godly deer screwing him over in one way or another I characterized him differently

In PLA is emotionally dead. He's got no fucks left to give and handles Pokémon with his bare hands. He's exhausted and numb. I don't think I've talk a lot about him and his relationships in PLA but he practically adopted by Laventon, and ends up making good friends with Akari and Rei. When he does return home he finds himself missing them a lot. Also he never wants to see another shinx in his life hes got scars for days from shinx alone. Also theres a Yanmask with a mask of him implying he died before returning home. (Paradoxical nonsense but its meant to represent the part of him that lived in paldea and not the part of him that died if that makes any sense? its like the physical manifestation of the impact he had on the past).

In the Revival au (sometimes lovingly called Revival Rival cause its fun to say) he's physically dead. He's practically a walking corpse with a conscious. His heart barely beats, his skin is cold. A medical anomaly. Xerneas splinters a piece of its power off (so to speak) to bring him back because humans are far more complicated than foliage. Because of this he can understand Pokémon, Flowers grow in his wake, and can revive fainted Pokémon. It seems neat but to him it just further alienates him from his peers and is a responsibility he doesn't want to have to handle. Its overwhelming. He can't stray too far from Xerneas who's is practically his life support. I've jokingly compared it to a soul gem from Madoka where if he strays to far he slows down and then eventually loses consciousness/dies again. Theres a grace radius but he can't really explore places like Lumiose anymore because Xerneas can't/won't follow. Meaning he can't go home. He lingers around smaller towns and forest. When emotinally distressed he loses his ability to control these new powers.

anyway!! enough of me rambling!! if you wanna talk about him more or have follow up questions just ask!! My dms are also open!! I can keep talking about this silly lil guy for ever!

[rememberthe1fallofsnow]

as a non swiftie with psychosis, id love to know how she makes you feel seen- maybe i dont pay enough attention to the lyrics of her songs when i hear them, but i had no idea they could make people like me feel seen.

i'd love some reccomendations on particular songs you think encapsulates the feeling of being psychotic/mentally ill in general !!

Hey! Thanks for your patience, I’ve been living hell lately and wanted to give you a thorough answer.

So as a general response (but i will definitely put a list somewhere in this ask with all my recs), I do want to preface by saying I am not and will never diagnose Taylor with anything. When I say “this song reminds me of my psychosis” or “this song is so BPD coded,” it’s my own experience and interpretation of a piece of art that she willingly gave out to be experienced and interpreted.

That being said, I’ll also say that when I say a lot of her songs remind me of having psychosis, it’s not about the staple paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, etc that you may experience (although if anyone has any song recs that do relay that lmk pls lmao all I know is paranoia by neoni 😭😭), it’s more about the slightly more widely experienced, uhhhh, “look” to other people? And to explain that, let’s take a deep dive at uhhhh Blank Space

Ok so the first few stanzas, which I’ll put a picture of here, she’s obviously setting the scene of the song and outright states like twice that the relationship will not last. Before my current partner, that was definitely my viewpoint on things. Knowing my mental illnesses will get in the way of any healthy relationships. That doesn’t immediately spell out psychosis but let’s move.

“Got a long list of ex-lovers; they’ll tell you I’m insane.” So yeah here we get to the meat of it, she’s clearly (imo) acknowledging the “crazy bitch” label and I think that’s something every psychotic person experiences to some degree, even the cishet white masc ones. Like yeah probably not as much as like an afab person or a femme aligned person or someone else, but you can’t act like ableism is ever fully stopped by privilege. It’s not.

More on being a crazy bitch—she has a lot of songs on this. She has a lot to say. I will keep listening, bc yeah lmao.

Ok this next part is like… really relatable to me?? Let me know if you agree, lyrics I’m about to discuss are the next image.

So like yeah it’s like a fun song and it sounds upbeat n shit and like I do have a lot of fun listening to it, but if we pay attention to what she’s actually saying, it’s like yeah she’s throwing a party but that’s because what else is there to do? She’s tried controlling it, she’s tried getting help, getting better, she’s tried being honest, being fake, nothing works. (She is me I am she). So… guess we’re crazy bitches now

I don’t know if any of this is making sense so far, ugh it definitely made more sense in my head

Anyway thats like a super basic example but honestly the what I would personally call ableism that she has had to deal with is LITTERED in her songs. Whether she’s psychotic or not, whether she has BPD or not, anything else, idc. Even if she’s perfectly fucking mentally healthy. Anyone coming at her (or her fans, or uhhh anyone??) for displaying what look like poor mental health symptoms, whether they are or not, is coming at her with ableism.

Ok let me pull up Delilah’s /sys playlist lmao.

Ok screenshotted below is our alter Delilah’s playlist, two of them are not Taylor so have fun. But yeah I’ll quickly run through a few of them:

Don’t Blame Me—the feeling of being absolutely consumed by love that it feels like you’re high, like you’re losing your mind, like you’re out of control, and loving it

New Romantics—the feeling of wanting everyone who ever abused you to watch you sing the eras tour live on stage 53 times in the States and 30 international, but they can’t afford to come to the Eras tour themselves or even buy that Spotify sweatshirt that they won (bc they’re a top fan because they listen to your music on loop because your success pisses them off and idk i guess they just don’t know what to do with that) so they talk shit about you online on anon on like young girl’s tumblr accounts trying to like “downfall” the swiftie nation but everyone blocks them immediately, they’re an idiot, and ur still singing the Eras tour in 53 cities in the US and 30 internationally so idk who’s winning?

Who’s afraid of little old me?—fuck you fuck you fuck you it’s your fault i’m like this and now I have to fucking clean it up so fuck you and also watch me absolutely destroy your life with nothing but my songs you idiot fuck you

(I got carried away really fast rip)

Ok yeah this wasn’t as good of an answer as I hoped I’d make but I hope it at least made some sort of sense and my ask box is always open, swiftie or not.

[cicadaclan]

Who are your top two clan leaders and what abt them makes them ur faves... and also who's ur absolute least favorite leader out of them all n why?

well if u know me, first and foremost is blackstar. i have bias for him as a kid, and i love him conceptually now as well, acknowledging that some thoughts i have of him are from my own interpretation,

it's so tasty tho, I think i was definitely onto something when i was little. guy who supported both brokenstar and tigerstar rising to become leader and ultimately resolving to do a better job than the both of them? brokenstar was his old friend and he sincerely believed along with the rest of shadowclan that tigerstar could improve their odds? like cmon man. he has so much flavour to him,

and arguably he Did do better than the both of them, over a longer period of time. for one, not killing his own apprentices thru unjust practices, and thinking of his clan first over revenge or petty grievances. there were a lot of reasons for everyone from all three of the other clans to mistrust him, for what he did under both bad leaders, and he's the one who calls out lionblaze for being literally a murderer. and he Is. lionblaze sucks.

he aimed to steady out the life of shadowclan, and from what i remember, his arrogance took a back burner to consideration for his clan. strong but not cruel, as a group instead of individual. i think he succeeded in the end, up until he grew too weak to properly lead any longer,

tallstar, messy as he is, i still enjoy him a lot as a leader. windclan was put thru a lot very early on, and that would throw anyone's abilities into question, but he managed to keep everyone together long enough to return home. despite the rising xenophobia, he chose to hear out fireheart over resolving to battle w thunderclan in the middle of the first arc, and then later banded up to keep from being driven out again. he was a cool old man, making more choices on his own judgement than being pressured by his warriors, which i can't say the same for peaceful or resolute leaders like pine and sunstar,

special shout out to nightstar bc i like shadowclan, even if his leader status can be argued against. he was never accepted by starclan, but i like to think he maintained the position otherwise shadowclan cld have felt even more lost than they already did after brokenstar was driven out,

now for least favourite ... i have complicated feelings abt onestar. was he an interesting antagonist? yah, id say he was, but god damn did his decisions not seem utterly stupid at times. he was infinitely more interesting than mudclaw in the end, but in his aim to prove other cats wrong abt something that's objectively helped windclan in the past, he ruined a lot of his personal relationships in the process,

he was self-involved in a similar but opposing way to tallstar, where tallstar did act in self interest to hopefully benefit the clan, with his own biases in play, onestar sabotaged clan relations in some attempt to make himself out as stronger. he wanted to look better than someone who relied on outside help, but man.. he didn't need to do all that,

but he thought he did, bc of the whole undermining of mudclaws rebellion. he narrowly didn't become leader until the moonpool was founded, and there'd be a good chance the rebellion caused cats to continue to question his leadership even after it was squashed. it cld have all been in his own head tho; he knew the most how close he grew w firestar,

i think im also still sad how he did so much that his relationship w firestar became unsalvagable, even for fire. and then firestar died, w them as enemies. :(

[commander-diomika]

[Image ID: Screenshot of a tumblr reply from user @weareallfromearth ​​ saying “Holy shit I would V much like to know what you’d do with ZolfWilde.” End ID]

This was in response to me tag rambling that if Alex “I don’t Actually Have That Much Experience in Courtship” Newall and Ben “I just Realised I’m Too Straight For This” Meredith don’t know what to do with Zolf/Wilde, they should hand the ship over to me. 

*rubs my gay little hands together.*

I initially characterized them offhandedly as Enemies-to-Lovers but that’s not quite it, is it? On reflection I would say it’s more of an Opposites Attract situation.

Oscar Wilde, as re-imagined in the RQG universe, is a homme fatale; a dangerous, attractive man, skilled in encouraging people to underestimate him, wearing different masks, never quite being able to trust or be trusted by anyone.

There is NO personal/professional line for Wilde. He lives his work, and his work is subterfuge and interpersonal manipulation. (whether or not he started this way in his field as a journalist, or was forced to become this way by the changes in his world, is another post.) He is a person who either cares very deeply what people think of him, or is has decided that manipulating what people think of him is the way to get what he wants, and from the outside it makes no difference.

Zolf Smith does not care what people think of him. He isn’t even skilled at being kind and empathetic to people he cares about; he has no time for emotional manipulation or genuine charm. He doesn’t even have a fantastic grasp on his OWN feelings, let alone other people’s. He’s grounded, disinterested in frippery or appearances. Which is why Zolf and Wilde started out so deeply at odds with one another.

Despite the differences in the interpersonal approaches, they have plenty of common ground.

They are both deeply dedicated to a cause. They care about their work to the exclusion of all else. They are both pragmatists who have their own internal moral code, and are willing to bend or break other people’s rules in order to get the job done. They are fundamentally good people. Despite their rocky beginnings, they can respect each other because of these things.

And they might have maintained their mutually disdainful, begrudgingly respectful working relationship and that could have been the sum total... Except then the world fell apart. The Meritocratic organisation was initially compromised, then disintegrated. The blue vein plague isolated everyone and made it even harder to trust supposed allies. The Cult of Hades was on everyone’s ass making their life difficult, the other PCs disappeared off the face of the planet. Zolf and Wilde ended up in a situation where they had no one else they could trust.

Familiarity breeds contempt, but maybe if the contempt is already there, it builds Something Else. Wilde was stripped of his magic in a way that made it much harder for him to keep people at a distance and (pardon the pun) project the illusion of the debonair playboy. Zolf would have had the chance to see through Wilde’s masks, and get a better understanding of what parts of Wilde were a calculated tactic, and what was his genuine self.

Whatever betrayal transpired that gave Wilde his scar and hardened him, Zolf was privy to. He was either there and saw it happen, or he was close enough in the aftermath to see Wilde properly vulnerable for the first time in their friendship. Hell, maybe Zolf was the one who rescued him and patched him up. That was a chance for Zolf to realise that this insufferable man is a friend who he cares about deeply. At this point, he’s cared for awhile, but has been too wrapped up with his own spiritual difficulties to have space to admit that to himself.

And Wilde, oh Wilde, he’s desperate to be seen and known and loved, but he’s never allowed himself. He’s never felt SAFE to. He doesn’t let people get close, treats every conversation as a battle to be won. His safety and his power lies in being admired, but never loved. So even as trust and fondness for Zolf blossoms within him, he won’t for a second allow himself to hope that the fondness is reciprocated

With all that out of the way, this is my version of events.  

Wilde is a slut (affectionate), and Zolf is gray-ace, so if there’s any bridging of that gap in terms of physical intimacy, it has to be from Zolf’s side. Giving canon a tender massage into place, that first instance of Zolf grabbing Wilde by the collar changes. (This happens on the Vengeance after Zolf has taught Wilde to steer the ship). Zolf drags Wilde down to say “I’m glad to see you perked up.” That moment now involves a whiskery kiss on Wilde’s cheek, and the man would be absolutely FLOORED by it.

I’m talking slow-mo glittering lights as Zolf stomps off blushing, unsure what just came over him; Wilde touches his cheek in bewilderment for a stretched moment before realising he’s completely agog, and he let go of the wheel for a dangerous length of time. Every interaction, every moment they’ve spent together over the last two years is flashing before Wilde’s eyes and a new context is being applied rapid fire. I’m talking the italacised oh kind of moment.

(on top of Zolf being witness to The Betrayal, throw some other moments of almost-intimacy into said flashbacks. I’m talking late nights, Zolf doing his gruff-yet-kind caretaker thing, cooking for Wilde, maybe sharing quiet and rare downtime with Zolf reading a Campbell novel on a couch in Wilde’s office)

Wilde is realising, “Oh this is allowed, oh this is reciprocated, this is possible.”

And of course they don’t talk about it, because what’s a slowburn if they immediately go and TALK about their feelings? No, the kiss goes completely unremarked upon, and Wilde continues to needle and tease and get under Zolf’s skin, except now with an added warmth in his eyes because he finally gets it. He finally understands that Zolf cares, that Zolf loves him, he’s just not the kind of dwarf that knows how to express it.

And Zolf, frustrated by feelings he can’t express but is beginning to understand, can hear the undertone of “haha, you looooove me,” shining through Wilde’s deliberate antagonism. They continue their time on the Vengeance just a little easier and closer to one another.

And we continue on to the death/resurrection arc, and Wilde’s spirit pushes for Zolf to open up about his feelings, because if not when he’s literally past death’s door, then when? When Zolf finally manages his “I need you,” it’s like a dam has broken for both of them. The second collar-grab and “We’ll go on a holiday or somethin’,” is now followed by a full kiss on the lips, not particularly erotic but passionate, (it’s the epitome of kissing someone to shut them up) and Wilde makes a surprised and delighted squeak that he would be glad he can’t quite remember when he returns to land of the living.

Once returned, Wilde might not remember everything that his spirit said or did, but he remembers the kiss. The comfort and ease that the two of them share in 179 (Eat Drink and Be Merry) is there, only instead of the two characters still being in a place of questioning their feelings for one another, it’s been answered.

Whether or not this relationship is sexual in nature is kind of up to you and what kind of fan works you like to read/write. I think there are wonderful scenes to be written an explored in many directions.

Wilde allowing himself to enjoy sex for intimacy and closeness instead of using it as a tool/ Zolf not being one for sex but Wilde’s never slept more soundly than when he’s being held in Zolf’s arms/ Zolf realising that the unfamiliar feeling he’s been struggling to express is the desire to rail Wilde til he cries/ Wilde realising that if his partner doesn’t want it from him, he’s actually quite content without sex/ The two of them being mean, antagonistic bastards to each other while fucking but Make It Kink (of the trusting and RACK kind). There really isn’t a single bad interpretation.  

So really, I’m not doing anything different with them other than reading between the lines, giving canon a little nudge, and sticking the landing. This isn’t to disparage the concept of queer platonic partners. (I’ve got one!) or to talk shit about Ben or Alex (I DO respect their craft).

It’s just to say I find these two characters , and everything they’ve been through, PAINFULLY romantic, tropey, and delightful. I’m looking forward both to how Ben and Alex play the QPP, the fanworks I’m gonna read and hopefully write, and the inevitable tragedy that you KNOW Alex is gearing up for.

[kerie-prince]

We’re Worlds Apart (1)

Draco Malfoy x American No-Maj/Muggle fem!reader

Post-Battle of Hogwarts

warnings: language

series m.list | general m.list

summary: Draco Malfoy is a pureblood wizard. Magic runs through his veins and has been since his birth. You're a Wiccan No-Maj; a non-magical being with ordinary blood through your veins, but practices what you call magick. And this very practice upsets your neighbor.

(gif cred)

"They want... me?"

Draco Malfoy sat across his supervisor in his office at St. Mungos. His eyes widened at the offer he was given.

"Well Mr. Malfoy, you've certainly shown us around here that you do well at your job. If I must say so myself, I believe you're ready for the job," his boss has explained. Draco had recently finished his Fellowship and became a remarkable Healer. So much so that the Santa Marie Hospital for Maj Persons in Buffalo, New York contacted his supervisor to offer him a position as Head Healer. It was an incredible opportunity, one that a person could only dream of.

Draco sat still in his chair, shocked that of all Healers from his department, Santa Marie wanted him. After the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco was determined to change the views people had of him. He was no longer the prejudice prat that he was at school. Draco Lucius Malfoy is now a matured, capable young man. He worked hard and was proud that he did everything on his own. No help from daddy dearest, no pressure of the Malfoy name. It was all him.

"I would love to take this job. When would I start?"

Draco finished filing his paperwork at the Ministry of Magic that was to be sent to the Magical Congress of the United States containing his work permit and all the necessary identification. Walking around London, he grew excited about it. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since he got his letter for Hogwarts.

The next thing he has left to do was to find housing. There was an office located in Diagon Alley that specialized in international real estate. Draco walked into the brightly lit office. Much to his surprise, Daphne Greengrass stood at the reception desk.

"Well, well. Long time no see, Malfoy," she said with a smile on her lips. He was quite relieved to see a familiar face. "Good to see you too, Daph. I'm checking in to see Ms. Moreau. I'm moving to America soon." Daphne was both shocked and impressed that Draco would be making such a big move. They chatted momentarily about the reason for him moving and she congratulated him. Soon enough, the real estate agent walked out and called Draco into her office.

She sat at her desk and gestured for him to take the seat opposite her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy."

"The feeling is mutual, Ms. Moreau," Draco had slightly bowed his head.

"Please, call me Gwen," she smiled as she reached to shake his hand, "I see from your paperwork that you're moving to America, correct?" he nodded his head in response. "Fantastic! Now, looking at the locations for Buffalo, we have quite a bit of selections from houses to flats. Of course, in America they're called 'apartments'. With your budget, you would be able to get this nice house that is just a 10 minute drive to the Apparition office to Santa Marie's." She showed Draco pictures of the house. It was quaint. An all white, one story house that had three bedrooms, a lifted porch, small kitchen, two bathrooms, trimmed green grass in front and a dark stained wooden fence that went around the house. Draco nearly fell in love with it. Its contrast to the Malfoy Manor was warm and inviting.

Gwen had shown him pictures of the other places she had gathered for him, but none of them peeked his interest as the first house did. It was quite silly as he thought about it. Most likely, he would be working long hours at the hospital to even be able to appreciate the home. It made more sense to get an apartment as he would most likely just use the space to sleep and eat. But the house was begging for him to live there. After about an hour long session, Draco made his final decision on the small house.

"Excellent choice, I had hoped you'd love it. Now, before I contact the sellers about your offer, I must let you know this before you sign anything," Draco shifted in his seat. Of course there had to be a catch. A house this perfect needed one thing to go wrong. Was it busted windows? A terrible neighborhood? Shitty pipelines? He nodded for her to continue.

"This is an integrated neighborhood. Both muggles and wizards live around and you might not know which are which for a while." Muggles. He sat in silence, staring down at the photos of the house. Did he really want a muggle neighbor? No, you're past this Draco thought. The old Draco wouldn't even give the place a second thought. But he wasn't him anymore. "I don't care. I'll take it."

—

You woke up in the morning, stretching your arms and legs out of the thick blanket. It was currently 8:47 am, your alarm clock beside you still had 13 minutes to alert you to wake up. Deciding to just get a head start on the day, you walked into the your bathroom and started your shower. The water was at the hottest you took and you went about your daily routine. You said your repeated incantations in the shower as you lathered yourself with soap:

Water, water, wash away. Water, water, cleanse today.

Walking out your shower, you grabbed your towel and recited the next spell as you dried yourself:

By the earth in the soap,

by the air in the steam,

by the fire that heats the water,

by the water that cleanses,

I am cleansed, clean, and ready for the day.

When you were 12 years old, you used to watch your grandmother perform Wicca in her bedroom. Your mother didn't particularly join in on the belief, but also didn't oppose to you starting alongside your grandmother when you turned 18. Now, you were almost 26 and still kept on the same practices.

On the contrary to people's interpretation or views of witchcraft, you called yourself a White Witch; someone who performs good magick upon selfless reasons. You never hexed anyone nor wished any ill fate. The Laws of Nature was surely watching at all times and if you did, expect to get the same fate but in threefold. Not that you even had any reason to do such things, anyways.

After getting ready, you grabbed your bag, keys — which held a protection charm — and went on your way to work. Your cat sat in her tower located in your living room and she watched you walk out. Getting into your car, you noticed movement next door. A big, moving truck was parked and a crew of movers carried furniture into the house. Finally, someone new you thought.

Feeling nosy, you sat patiently to figure out who it was moving next door. Was it a family? An elderly couple? Maybe newlyweds. Right when you were about to pull out of your driveway, a handsome blond stepped out of the house guiding the movers where things were going to be placed. You couldn't hear his voice, but could tell from the distance that it had to be attractive.

He looked around the street and caught you starting from your car. You hesitantly raised your hand to wave at him but was cut off by a man walking up to him with a clipboard gesturing where to sign. You looked at the time on your watch and nearly panicked at how the time passed, leaving you with only 15 minutes to get to work. Hauling ass, your car let a screech out as your foot punched the gas pedal. You'll be able to introduce yourself later, Y/N.

—

A few days passed and Draco was headed for the Apparition office to his new workplace. He had leased a new car to drive there. According to the Magical Congress, wizards and witches that lived in integrated neighborhoods must check in at Apparition offices to not raise suspicions from No-Maj. Seemed quite silly at first, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. He remembers the first time he went to Diagon Alley with his father through the Leaky Cauldron, finding it hidden with a wall that required taps against it. Behind it, a magical alley hidden from muggles.

He pulled into the office building lot with ease. It was clean on the outside and had a sign on top that only read MCA Co,. At the front door, there was a pin pad with numbers on it that kept it locked. Draco pulled the paper from his pocket and dialed the number. The door made a clicking noise which signaled that it was unlocked.

In the front was a young man sat at a reception desk typing away onto a computer. It was a strange sight for Draco as he's never seen one before. He walked up to the desk and waited for the person to acknowledge him.

"Hello, sir. Welcome to the Magical Congress' Apparition Office. May I see your ID pass, please?"!the accent was unfamiliar to Draco, but he nonetheless reached for the pass clipped to his trousers and gave it to the receptionist. He scanned the pass, handed it back to Draco and raised up from his chair to guide Draco to the door which had a direct line to the hospital. "Have a good day, sir!" were his last words before he went back to his desk.

Draco looked at the address once more before appariting into Santa Marie's. Here goes nothing.

—

It was a long day at the office. Setting up appointments with new clients, greeting all the new people he'd be working with, and a surprise welcome party to end it. Everyone he met had different variations of American accents. Some from Chicago, some from California, and some from the native state of New York.

A man by the name of Ian Parker helped Draco navigate around the building. Draco was quite relieved to hear that Ian had lived close by, just two blocks and a turn away. They had lunch together and talked about just simple things about each other. It felt nice to meet somebody and they not know who you are and things you've done in the past.

Once he got home, the first thing Draco did was start to run the shower, gathering his sleepwear as the water heated up. Not meaning to, Draco noticed how his bedroom window had perfect view of yours. To him, it was extremely odd.

You had faux vines that curled around your four-poster bed, a couple of plants that hung against the wall and posters of movies that Draco knows for a fact he's never seen in his life. You walked into your room and went up to a small drawer and dug through it. After a few seconds, you grabbed out some incense sticks, lit them and stood them on the stand that laid on your dresser. Afterwards, you sat on the floor with your legs crossed and started taking deep breaths.

Draco caught himself staring for too long and was about to head into the shower until he saw movement from the corner of his eye. There you sat, but this time, you held items in your hands. One held what Draco thought to be just some colorful rocks. The other hand held a bundle of herbs on fire at the tips. Your lips moved and it had Draco curious. Your hand with the herbs moved in a specific pattern, creating smoke around you. Once you finished, you set the rocks and herbs down at a table and left the room. That was odd. Draco thought. He passed it off and went on about his night.

—

"It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. And trust me when I say that Hogwarts has its fair shares of odd moments," Draco sat in the break room with Ian and two other people, Ashley and Blaine. They laughed at the description Draco had of you and settled after Ian began his explanation.

"It seems that your No-Maj neighbor is considered a Wiccan." What in Merlin's name is that?

"Pardon? What's do you mean?"

"It's what they call witchcraft," Ashley added, "it became a popular thing after the Salem Witch Trials. Of course, there's no real magic to it like what we can do, but they nonetheless believe it works."

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. Muggles are trying to be witches? This was probably the last thing he ever thought he would hear. Inside, a familiar feeling had ignited. A feeling he had, or he supposed still had, for a certain species. He didn't like it but to find out that what he is had become a fantasy to be was upsetting. He was born into this life, not them. Not you.

—

It had been a really nice day at work. People had been kind and you sold out of a new oil you made. As you entered your home, your cat ran up to your legs and purred against you. You smile down at her and made your way to prepare your dinners.

She nibbled away at her bowl and you watched in content.

Outside, you heard a car pulling in. It's probably him. You peaked out the window in the living room and your guess was correct. He stepped out of a black car and walked to his door. You tried catching his attention by waving your arms about, hoping he glanced your way. When he did, you waved excitedly to him.

He stared at you with a straight face, no hint of any feeling. It was odd, people usually like you and wave back but this guy was just looking at you. Not doing anything. You looked around to see if there was something behind you, only to look back and see that he was gone. Ooo...kay?

You grabbed your sweater and decided to introduce yourself to your new neighbor. It had been almost a week and it seemed that he still hadn't acquainted himself to anyone on the street. The cool, spring breeze sent a pleasant chill down your spine as you walked on the sidewalk.

Once you stepped in front his door, you knocked three times. No answer. Three more times. No answer. The lights that were on had turned off and curtains had been shut in almost a blink of an eye. He had made it clear that he was not in a mood to talk to anyone. It slightly hurt your feelings, but you told yourself to not dwell on it. He's just tired from work. Just then, an idea popped in your mind as you headed back home.

—

"Stupid fucking muggle clock," Draco cursed as he was running around his bedroom getting dressed. He overslept by an hour and had 10 minutes to be in the Apparition office to go to work. Damn American laws.

He grabbed an apple, not his usual sour green one but a sweet red one this time, grabbed his bag and ran for the front door. Something taped to the door caught his attention and he halted his movements. It seemed to have been a note someone left. He unfolded the paper and read it to himself;

Hello! My name's Y/N and I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood! I hope we can become good friends~ if there's anything you need or if you'd ever like to get acquainted over coffee, please feel free to knock on my door! It'd be nice to get to know you :)

At the bottom of the note was a small drawing of a witches pointed hat and Draco immediately knew who left the note. Almost on instinct, the note caught on fire in his hands and the ashes fell to the ground. He dusted his hand off and went to work. As if we would ever become friends.

—

next chp

taglist: @beiahadid @malfoy-styles-wife @fivenightslaughter

[phoneybeatlemania-bit-the-dust]

I’d disagree with the anon that Paul was “incapable” of love, but I do agree he was very distanced, and pretty cruel (to women) when he was younger. (It was unfortunate they bought into the love at first sight myth, but he was also a charmer, and dropped affection and got colder after fucking them.)

But I just can’t see romantic interest on Paul’s end. I’m sure he loved John, but a lot of the “sexual/Romantic evidence” really can just be as construed as platonic love. I feel there may be some confirmation bias looking for “clues”. (Not an attack on anyone, but some of the analysises seem to try too hard, really).

He does make references, with the whole “calling him babe during concerts”, and “in bed” but that could just mean he’s not uncomfortable with coming off “gay”. He has a quote about it somewhere I think. He’s supportive of the community at any rate.

This is kind of my own bias, but at times I think he…plays it up a little during the present day? Again, I’m positive he did love John a lot, but with how he is, a charmer, good at manipulating his image, he knows there is a benefit to building up the “magical” Lennon McCartney dynamic. John’s dead, and the old conflicts have faded, so he has no reason not to. I don’t think he’s anti-social, or a psycho or anything, but he certainly does put a lot of thought into his image, especially now, with how he wants to leave his legacy.

I’m less knowledgeable about John, and the speculation about his mental illnesses, but on his end, I can certainly see it. Maybe he’s just blind, but the looks are very much…yeah. He does seem to rely Paul a lot, and hold him in very high regard (REGARDLESS of what those old male biographers might make of him). You just know he was suffering over Paul, poor bastard.

Not sure if anything happened. I think Paul knew though, and either ignored it, or was kind, knowing John wouldn’t act on it. OR he didn’t notice! With the whole “we shared beds A LOT. you would think he’d make a pass at me, darling~”

I guess that’s how I see it. I don’t really have strong feelings on the nature of their relationship, or want them to be “confirmed”, so I try to be as objective as possible! Not a shipper, but not a male biographer. In fact, I was very put off learning the ship was a thing at first! With every fan base “having to” ship the main male leads, that’s what I thought this was. But after three years, reading actual books, primary stuff, I’ve began to change my mind on its legitimacy, and this was my conclusion. But new information can always change!

(Sorry for the long long analysis, god! I just took my adderall and I should go eat! Feel free to block me for spam/harassment.)

Yeah, this is basically my big mclennon dilemma: did Paul love John?

Of course he loved him, but I mean did he harbour any homosexual feelings towards John - and I just go back and fourth on that a lot.

In my last response to an anon I wasn’t necessarily trying to argue that Paul was romantically/sexually attached to John, because all in all, I don’t believe he did - but it probably came off that way because I didn’t particularly like the way the anon had phrased some stuff (like calling him “a master manipulator” and “incapable of love”) and so I just sort of wanted to show that the relationship was more nuanced then just “john was simping for paul”. My overall point with that response was more so that whilst I think Paul struggles in showing real affection and emotions, I don’t think he was incapable of love prior to Linda. I think he did really love John (in whichever form of love you want to take it: romantically, platonically etc.)

And so my point I guess wasnt so much that Paul was always capable of love (because I think he did at least love his family, his close-friends, probably Jane etc.), but maybe more so that he was always capable of intimacy with another person, though he struggled with it.

But yeah, he was quite cruel to a lot of the girls he slept with in the 60s, but I wouldn’t say that suggests he was incapable of love (i know thats not what you’re saying but other people might interpret it through that lens) I would just say he was young, dumb, ridiculously rich and famous and not emotionally mature enough yet to really empathise with most of those girls. Not trying to completely excuse him, but like, i dunno, i always just try to view people from the most human perspective. Everyones an twat sometimes yknow

I also really struggle to see romance on Pauls behalf towards John - the only times I think “wait but maybe he did fancy john back” is when I read some of his lyrics (like in ‘Coming Up’, ‘Yvonne’s The One’, and to some extent ‘Here Today’ - though I think interpreting Here Today as strictly platonic love is still a valid interpretation). I mentioned this in a different post though, that analysing his lyrics just isnt particularly convincing for me, because it feels more like speculation - and also as someone who does write songs, I know that a lot of lyrics just arent as deep as we wish they were. It is really difficult to be truly introspective and honest in a song, without exaggerating or hyperbolising or fictionalising any autobiographical aspects.

I do see your point with Paul possibly playing up the “Lennon/McCartney m a g i c” - im not entirely sure how much I agree, but I do agree to some extent. I think he’s always been very image conscious, and being in what is probably the all-time most famous pop band definitely wouldve heightened that. Even as a teenager I think he’s always just had this natural charm about him, and that tends to stem I guess from a need to be liked; I think you can see it in every interview he’s ever done to be honest. Its not necessarily a bad thing, (because id take a charmer over a rude knobhead any day) but I guess it sort of just shows that Paul is flawed like everybody else. Also, just read @mothernatures-sons tags and I agree with her - Paul just knows when to be a nice person! Nothing wrong with that! It isnt manipulative like the last anon suggested, its just how most people are: polite :) Ive heard a lot of anecdotes from people who have worked with or met Paul and the majority of them say he was a just a nice guy. Not saying he was never an arsehole (cause yeah he was pretty cruel to those girls in the 60s) but I think overall, hes a pretty good guy 👍

On the other hand though, you could also say that superficial journalists are looking for superficial answers - and Paul knows what the people want to hear. But occasionally ill hear an interview that does seem more intimate then most - I havent listened to it in awhile, but the interview he did with Sean I remember felt more honest to me then most. And when he said he’d like to spend the day “in bed” with John, to me that felt like a genuine and fitting response. Because, whilst it has sexual connotations, it also just feels like he’s saying he’d just like to sit around, chat, dont chat, just whatever with John for a day. Like he would just like another moment of intimacy with him.

I think we are pretty much in agreement on most of this though! At first I was also like “nah, mclennon isnt real, teenage girls just love shipping guys!” (I am a teenaged girl and I can confirm this lol) but then it just sort of became apparent to me through reading more and more about their relationship that there probably was something more on Johns behalf. If John wasnt in love with Paul, then it feels as though a lot of things he said and did just dont add up (the big one for me is him marrying Yoko so soon after Paul married Linda - like I really cannot come up with a heterosexual explanation for that!)

But when it comes to Paul, though ill have moments of doubt, I dont think he was in love with John (homosexually) and I do think a lot of the evidence on Pauls behalf seems like a stretch (but like you, im not having a go at anyone, because I understand that it is easy to carried away, plus its fun - but realistically, most of Pauls evidence just is not convincing to me). He’s comfortable with his sexuality, and I really do try to respect that and not force a gay interpretation of quotes or songs from him, unless it is genuinely making me question his sexuality and mclennon.

PS dont worry, I didn’t take this is spam at all!! And also, I would never block someone just for disagreeing with me! I enjoy discussion and I think its good to engage with people who disagree with you! To be honest, id only block someone if they were purposely being a real arsehole <3

[fatal-rewrites-warriors]

Please excuse my name LOL, But ive been hot minute of scrolling through your feed, and ive been trying to see if you made changes to like the Medicine Cat code? (ive just read your 2 rewrites+ the short stories and ilysm. I didnt think id be into the more fantasy story angle but omg it is good.)

oh thank you! I love hearing about people who weren’t sure about the story at first getting hooked :’)

I think I’ve mostly talked about the med cat code in terms of the relationships clause, but here’s what I have in my notes:

A healer is not bound by borders.

For a healer, borders do not exist.  A healer may go where they please and help who they please.

A healer may not steal from another clan. Should they do so, the clan is allowed to drive them from their land, take them as prisoner to demand reimbursement, or take the matter to court so that the healer may be punished.

A healer is also not allowed to take a mate from another clan.

A healer must help every cat in need.

Regardless of what clan a cat belongs to, if they are injured then a healer is required to help them.  Failure to do so may result in the healer’s name being stripped.

A healer has a responsibility to their clan before any other.

A companion law to the previous, if more than one cat is injured, a healer is beholden to their own clan first and must tend to them, regardless of which cat is worse injured.

This law is not as strict as many of the others—mainly it applies during war and battle, telling a healer that they are not required to help a cat from the enemy clan before they help one from their own.

A healer may not retire until they have a successor.

One of the boons of a healer is that they may choose to retire regardless of their age.  However, they may only retire once they have a fully trained successor, no matter how old they are.

A healer is a keeper of secrets.

A healer exists to interpret signs and songs from Starclan as well as be the caretaker of the sick and the injured. Who they are allowed to share their knowledge with varies.

A healer may always choose to consult another healer, regardless of their clan, about a sign, a patient, or an herb. Anything that a healer has discussed with another may not reach the ears of their own clan under any circumstances.

A healer may speak to their leader about the signs and omens they’ve receive from the stars.  Without the leader’s permission, however, they may not share the words of the stars with anyone other than the leader.

A healer may consult an elder about a matter that the leader has not given them permission to speak of, in which the elder is not allowed to repeat the healer’s words, in order to obtain information and stories about the past that might be useful.

A healer may not share the private details of a patient’s status unless:

With other healers.

With the parents or guardians of a kitten or a cat who is otherwise unable to make decisions for themself.

With an elder, with the intent of finding stories about a rare condition that may not have been remembered by the healers.

Given express permission from the cat in question, free of painkilling medicines and after being awake for one hour.

A healer must show compassion.

A healer is required to ensure the comfort of their patient insomuch as it allows them to be healthy and begin their recovery.

A healer must do anything within their power to ensure that their patient understands their illness or injury so that they can be a part of the decision making process for their own future.

A healer must never go against a patient’s word, unless in times of great stress.  If in calm discussion a patient rejects treatment, a healer must respect these wishes.  If a patient, free of painkillers and awake for an hour, asks for the healer to kill them to save them from a chronic condition, a healer must oblige.

Clan specific rules:

SHADOWCLAN: The healer’s word is law.  To defy the healer is high treason, and grounds for exile. 

WINDCLAN: Healers must not take a mate or have kits.  This allows for spiritual purity and to eliminate bias.  Sometimes, healers are expected to dissolve any strong ties they may have within the clan, such as friends or as family, as well.

[pumpkinpaix]

HI! I'm new to the MDZS fandom and I fell in love with Suibian, but you don't see it that much. I seen somewhere that it would burn out a weaker core and I cried cause I wanted to see that, and as far as I know it doesn't happen anywhere. I'm wondering if you could tell me anything and everything you know about Suibian. I'm starving for anything about it

hi anon! ahahah, it’s always a dangerous thing to ask me about “anything and everything” on a topic because I usually have too many thoughts, most of which are unorganized. but! if you’re interested in that, then here we go!

First, re: your comment about Suibian burning out a weaker core: I am not aware of this theory (or is it something from an interview?? if someone knows, please say so!), but if it brings you joy, then it’s certainly an interesting one to consider! Unfortunately, I don’t have much more to say on it because I’m unfamiliar with it, but I do have quite a lot to say on some other Suibian concepts!

ask and ye shall receive (a very jumbled heap of thoughts as i spiral further and further out of control):

[all rough translations are mine, and thus all mistakes are mine. I am using the version of the novel that is available on luoxia because I can’t be bothered to go flipping through my print edition ahaha.]

the questions about Suibian that interest me the most are why it sealed, when it sealed, when Wei Wuxian began to wield it again, and what that might all mean. I’m going to be talking about novel, CQL, and audio drama canon all together, because I think looking at each canon alone and in combination can raise a lot of very different points!! (I have not watched the donghua or read the manhua yet, so forgive me, I have nothing to say about them. /o\)

So! the one piece of information that we’re given consistently throughout all three of the canons is that Suibian was sealed after Wei Wuxian’s death and that no one but Wei Wuxian himself (and Jiang Cheng, by proxy) could draw it from its sheathe. Thus, Wei Wuxian’s identity is revealed and the golden core swap comes to light. Wei Wuxian is surprised by this, and asks Lan Wangji, “Did it really seal itself?” (novel, chapter 63; CQL, ep 42; audio drama, S2E15).

The novel and audio drama both include a line from Wei Wuxian that emphasizes Wei Wuxian’s surprise, implying that sword-sealing is very uncommon:

万中无一的大好事竟然让我给撞上了

Something incredible that happens less than once per ten thousand times, and I actually encountered it.

the irony, of course, is that this incredible thing is what ended up blowing his cover. rip Wei Wuxian.

but what I think gets really interesting is comparing different points at which Suibian sealed itself and what that might imply in conjunction with other information. Jin Guangyao says “shortly after” his death, but CQL includes a scene in episode 19 that implies that Suibian actually sealed itself much earlier.

[ID: Gif from episode 19 of the untamed drama. Lan Wangji attempts to draw Suibian after he and Jiang Cheng storm the Nightless City and retrieve their swords. He cannot pull it from the sheathe. /end ID]

(in case anyone is curious, it’s about 30 minutes in. I spent the effort to make the gif, so I might as well give you the timestamp lol)

this scene takes place during the period of time when Wei Wuxian is in the Mass Graves (aka the Burial Mounds) after Wen Chao cast him down and left him for dead, right near the beginning of Sunshot. I’m fairly certain it’s not mentioned in either the novel or the audio drama, so this is a CQL-only detail. (please correct me if I’m wrong; I get my canons muddled all the time //hides face)

CQL basically does nothing narratively with this scene other than giving us some sad shots of Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng (honestly, valid ;A;) but!! if we decide to accept this scene as our jumping off point, we can get to some interpretations about Wei Wuxian using information from the other canons!

take this exchange from chapter 57 of the novel (immediately prior to the massacre at lotus cove):

江澄道：“还不是又为咱们的剑的事去温家了。一想到我的三毒现在说不定被哪只温狗握在手里，真是……”

他面露嫌恶之色，魏无羡道：“可惜咱们的剑还不够灵，要是能自动封剑，那就谁也别想用了。”

江澄道：“你再修炼个八十年，说不定可以。”

Jiang Cheng said, “He’s gone to the Wen sect regarding our swords again, hasn’t he. Whenever I think that my Sandu might even now be in some Wen-dog’s hands, ugh…”

His face filled with loathing, Wei Wuxian said, “What a pity our swords don’t have enough spirit. If they could seal themselves, then no one could even think about using them.”

Jiang Cheng said, “If you kept cultivating for another eighty years, maybe.”

from the novel, it seems clear that sword-sealing is something that only happens when a person’s cultivation level is exceptionally high. if this is true, and we go with the CQL timeline of Suibian sealing itself long before Wei Wuxian’s death, it means that Wei Wuxian’s cultivation level wasn’t just high, it was leagues above pretty much anyone else when he was still a teenager. (In fact, Suibian had most likely already sealed by the time this conversation takes place.)

If we don’t go with CQL’s timeline, however, I think we could make a very different argument. It’s a bit of a reach, but I think it’s a lot of fun, if you’re willing to come with me on this journey!

Jin Guangyao says Suibian sealed itself “shortly after” Wei Wuxian’s death, but we don’t really have external confirmation of that. For all we know, someone only bothered to test it sometime after his death, and Suibian had been sealed for some indefinite amount of time. All we can say for sure is that by some point shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian was already sealed and resisted being drawn by anyone who tried it.

We’re told over and over that one can only wield a spiritual sword effectively if you have a golden core/the spiritual energy to match it. Wei Wuxian stops carrying/using Suibian because he knows that in his hands, it will act as nothing more than an ordinary sword. His method of cultivation is no longer suitable for the sword. Suibian is tied to both Wei Wuxian’s soul and his golden core.

If sword-sealing only happens when the cultivator’s level is unbelievably high, then I think we can make the argument here that by the time of his death, Wei Wuxian’s core was likewise unbelievably strong – but Wei Wuxian is no longer the one developing his core. Jiang Cheng is.

I know it’s a ridiculous reach. To be clear, I don’t think the text actually intends this or supports this in any meaningful way, but I do think that it gives us some very tasty potential!! If Suibian sealed itself sometime after the core transfer (which, honestly, we wouldn’t know – after all, who’s been trying to draw Wei Wuxian’s sword?), but just if, I think we can plausibly make the argument that Jiang Cheng’s cultivation is truly extraordinary.

:DDDDDDDD

It’s fun right?? It’s a fun concept!!! Even if it’s nonsense, even if it’s not that deep, even if this was an unintentional coincidence, I think it would be interesting to look at this as being some kind of measure of Jiang Cheng’s accomplishments. On the flip side, I also think it’s very important thematically that Jiang Cheng’s value as a person has nothing to do with his cultivation, that he is, in fact, always second-best, but that doesn’t make him any less worthwhile or deserving of love. Maybe I’m just projecting lmao. Of course, being extraordinary doesn’t preclude him from still lagging behind Wei Wuxian–Wei Wuxian might have just been more extraordinary ahahah. We can have both!!

Now for a totally different thing! Interestingly, this conversation about cultivation levels and sword-sealing (the one with Jiang Cheng) also happens in the audio drama, S2E12 (about 15 minutes in, since I just checked), but Wei Wuxian adds an additional comment:

(don’t have the transcription of the original chinese, I’m just going to translate it as I hear it)

“But maybe you don’t need to cultivate to a certain level to have your sword seal itself. What if there were some other way?”

these two versions of the conversation actually imply pretty different things, I think! this addition opens the possibility to the audience that sword-sealing is possible even without an extraordinary level of cultivation, and I think lends credence to the idea that Suibian is just an unusually loyal sword, regardless of Wei Wuxian’s cultivation level. Whether that’s something inherent to Suibian’s “personality”, or whether this says something about how Wei Wuxian inspires loyalty wherever he goes, or whether it just speaks to the strength of their bond remains to be seen.

(obviously, this could imply any number of other things as well, but I find this to be the interpretation that makes me happiest.)

If we go with “Suibian seals itself after Wei Wuxian’s death” in this canon, I think this emphasizes the loyalty aspect with a touch of grief.

If we combine this with CQL and have “Suibian has been loyal since he was a teenager”, that also emphasizes the loyalty aspect – just in a different way.

Of course, doing meta combining unique details from different canons is largely pointless in terms of crafting any real “analysis”, so I’m mostly saying all of this because I enjoy the process of building the supercanon in my head that brings me the most joy! To summarize the varied interpretations I’ve brought up in this post:

CQL-only: Suibian sealed itself when Wei Wuxian was a teenager, at latest, by the time he was thrown into the Mass Graves.

Novel-only: Sword-sealing is very rare and achievable only through extraordinarily high cultivation. Shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian is discovered to have sealed itself, so Wei Wuxian’s core, by the time of his death, was extraordinarily powerful.

Audio drama-only: Sword-sealing is considered very rare and achievable only through extraordinarily high cultivation, but might also be accomplished by other methods. Shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death, Suibian is discovered to have sealed itself. If Wei Wuxian’s core is not wildly and improbably powerful, this implies that Suibian has become an exceptionally loyal sword by the time of his death.

CQL/novel: Wei Wuxian was already incredibly powerful by the time he was a teenager.

CQL/audio drama: Suibian has been exceptionally loyal to Wei Wuxian since at least his teenage years.

Novel and audio drama-only have a much wider range of when Suibian could have sealed itself, as mentioned, so there are further variances within those interpretations.

there’s a lot of potential here!! with my personal feelings regarding the story, I like novel-only with Suibian sealing post-core transfer, audio drama-only with Suibian sealing post-Wei Wuxian’s death, or CQL/audio drama with Suibian sealing as a teenager pretty much all equally. I think the CQL/novel interpretation gets too close to casting Wei Wuxian as a hyper-special and innately noble individual in a way that undercuts the strength of his character arc, but that’s my opinion. (As an aside, this is actually one of my major complaints about CQL in general, independent from what I’m talking about here. But that is a topic for another day ahahaha. To be clear, I still love CQL very much, despite my many frustrations!)

As for what I think is the most “likely” to be the “right” interpretation (whatever that’s worth), I would probably say the one that emphasizes Suibian’s loyalty with Suibian sealing post-death, because I think it’s the most thematically cohesive and has the textual support to back it. (I think it’s a valid interpretation even using novel-only text; it’s just slightly less explicit without the additional comment from Wei Wuxian.)

A final detail:

We don’t get anything from either CQL or the novel that explicitly addresses when/if Wei Wuxian is able to wield Suibian again, but the audio drama’s rendition of the “Yunmeng” extra very subtly indicates that by the time that extra takes place, Wei Wuxian has cultivated a golden core and is carrying his sword once more. You only get it at a couple of moments, but Suibian sometimes clinks when Wei Wuxian moves or when he bumps into something. The two instances I can remember specifically are when Lan Wangji tosses the ring onto him (the ring hits Suibian), and when he’s rowing the little boat onto the lotus pond and the motion makes a sound. It’s!!! Extremely good!!! It makes my heart very full!!!!!

ANYWAYS, if all of my scattered rambling didn’t fill the Suibian-shaped hole in your heart, I would also like to recommend @zeldacw‘s wonderful WangQingSuiChen series of comics, featuring anthropomorphized versions of Wangji guqin, Chenqing, Suibian, and Bichen. I believe the most recent comic is here, and there are links to the rest of the comics in the post. If you just want her general tag for the AU (which is more than just the comics), it’s here!

If you have interest in listening to the audio drama yourself, you can purchase it through the MissEvan app (Mao’er FM). There are buying instructions linked in this post! If you need English subtitles, @suibiansubs is the group that does them. :)

I really can’t recommend the audio drama enough, tbh, it’s really really dear to my heart, and the team clearly worked so hard and cared so deeply for the story they were trying to tell. Consider this my regularly scheduled plug for the audio drama ahaha.

As always, my meta is my meta and if you don’t vibe with it, that’s chill! I change my opinions constantly (I think I changed them like three times in the course of writing this ahahaha), and I know some of my older meta has been making the rounds and every time I see it I think about all the ways my views have shifted since I wrote it rip. For this post moreso than usual, I want to emphasize that pretty much all of the meta included in this is meant to explore intriguing what-if possibilities, not for serious literary analysis purposes. I am aware that a lot of this is reaching/overinterpreting into implications that probably aren’t there. I just think they’re fun to consider!

so this was a mess, but I hope you or someone out there enjoyed it anon!!

(ko-fi, if you’re so moved)

[word-scribbless]

Family part 1

This is my first Gibbs fic I’m posting! I intend to do more parts but I’m not there yet!

This is a gibbs x female reader it also includes an OC, Cori

Masterlist

Part 2

(Italics mean the character is signing. In most cases, they are speaking as well, except for Cori.)

———————

Gibbs and y/n had been seeing each other for the past 5 years. She was a linguistic specialist at the FBI who had consulted on several cases with NCIS. Gibbs would never tell Fornell, but he was beyond greatfull everyday that he brought y/N into his life.

Their relationship started off slow. Gibbs was a functional mute as usual, but Y/N had a way of reading him like no one else could. She understood that he would never stop loving Shannon, but helped him see that he didn’t have to stop loving his first wife in order to fall in love with her. Y/N understood all too well what losing someone felt like. Her fiancé had been killed during a deployment as a marine while she was deployed her self as an interpreter in the navy years ago. She had never felt the need to fall in love again until she met Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

After 3 years of dating they decided to officially move in together. Most of Y/N’s belongings had lived there anyway. So for the past 2 years they had been living together and were happier than either had been in a long time. The month before they had ended a long weekend trip together by getting married, just the 2 of them and a witness from the courthouse. They hadn’t told anyone yet, but it really wasn’t anyone’s business but theirs as far as they were concerned.

Y/N was sitting at her desk at the FBI working on finishing some paperwork when her phone rang.

“Y/L/N” she answered out of instinct without looking at the caller id

“Liar” she heard Gibbs say with a laugh, referring to her name being Y/N Y/L/N Gibbs now. She chuckled. “you busy?”

“Hey you! Sorry, instinct” she smiled “No I’m just finishing some paperwork, you need me?” She asked

“Yeah” Gibbs sighed. “I have a girl here, about 10, she won’t talk or let any males near her, but everytime she says no, she signs it.” He explained. “Our victim was her foster mom... so we need to talk to her but I’m the only one here that signs and she won’t let me near her. Ziva is sitting with her now but she’s not talking. I don’t wanna drag Abby out of the lab if I don’t have to.”

“I’ll be right there J. Let me just tell Fornell” Y/N said, already standing in front of her boss’s desk. “I knew I shouldn’t have introduced you to my best agent Gibbs” he yelled with a smile. “Get outta here”.

“Thanks boss, call if you need me.” She said as she left.

When Y/Ngot there she saw ziva sitting on the curb next to a little girl wrapped in a blanket with tears in her eyes. She walked over and approached slowly signing as she talked, even to ziva.

“Hey ziva.” She greeted before turning towards the young girl. “and hey there, I’m Y/N. Can I sit with you both?”

“Yes” the girl signed and mouthed back.

“Can you tell me your name sweetie?” Y/N asked

“Cori” she spelled “this is my name sign” she said making a signal for her name.

“This is ziva” Y/N sighed

“I know” cori responded “I can hear but not talk very loudly or too much. I was in an accident when I was younger. Can you tell her I said thank you for sitting with me?”

“Sure, would you be okay if I talked what you signed so we can all talk?” Y/n asked

Cori nodded. Y/n explained and ziva smiled “you’re welcome.” She said.

“I work for the FBI and ziva and her team work for NCIS, they’re like police but they help people who are in the navy like your foster mom.” Y/n explained.

“Do you guys have to ask me a ton of questions?” Cori asked.

“We’ll have to talk to you, but we want to make sure you feel safe too.” Ziva said.

“Ziva’s boss” y/n said before pointing over her shoulder at Gibbs talking to tony and McGee “Gibbs, the one with the silvery hair, he speaks sign language also. Would it be okay if he came and talked with us too?” She asked

Cori curled up a little bit signed “ he’s a good guy?”

” a very good guy” ziva said with a nod. Y/n added “yes! he used to be a marine and now he helps people as a NCIS agent.”

“You trust him?” Cori signed to Y/N.

“I married him” y/n laughed causing ziva to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “So yes, I trust him very much.”

This made Cori laugh and nod “okay I’ll talk to him.”

“Ziva can you go get Gibbs?” Yn asked

“Oh you mean you husband?” She questioned sassily

Y/n rolled her eyes “yeah him. I’ll tell you more about it later!”

Cori giggled “she didn’t know you were married?”

Y/n shook her head. “No. She knew we were together, but we got married by ourselves about a month ago” she said with a smile. “Gibbs is very nice, but not much of a sharer most of the time.” Cori nodded at this.

“Thank you Y/N” she whispers and signs causing Y/N to nod, happy that she trusts her enough to use her voice.

“Hi there Cori I’m Gibbs” Gibbs signed and said as he walked up to them and sat on the curb.

“Hi, I’m sorry I wouldn’t talk to you before.” Cori signed

“No need to apologize, I can look a little scary” he said, making both Cori and Y/N laugh slightly.

“Your wife says you’re really nice, I just haven’t known many nice men.” Cori admits with a sniffle.

Gibbs raises his eye brow to y/n at the word wife causing y/n to smirk shyly. His face softens at cori saying she didn’t know any nice men. He could only imagine the things this girl as gone through already.

Cori explains her story and what happened to her foster mom. She opens up to Gibbs quickly and is even okay when y/n has to step away to answer a call from Fornell.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Cori asked Gibbs. He is surprised to hear whisper her words as she signs them.

“Well let’s take one step at a time. You’ll come back to NCIS with us for now because we have some more questions and want to make sure your safe.” He explains.

“Okay” Cori nods

“It looks like y/n is probably going to have to go back to her work, would you like to ride back with ziva?” Gibbs asks

“Can you come with us please?” Cori signs, looking worried.

“Of course” he says.

Gibbs gets ziva set up in the car with Cori and goes to check in with Y/N before he drives them back to NCIS.

“Hey, you gotta get back?” Gibbs asks

“Yeah, Fornell has a case he needs an interpreter for and says it’s gotta be me. Will she be okay?”

“Yeah, she trusts me now. I’m gonna get her set up with Abby when we get back hopefully.” Gibbs explains.

“Alright, I’ll try to get back over as soon as I can. This has to be so scary for her.” Y/n said remembering what it felt like to lose her parents at a young age.

“She’ll be okay. She’s strong, I can tell because she reminds me of you.” He says rubbing her arm gently.

They usually didn’t do PDA but he could tell where her mind was.

Y/n smiled. “That explains why she trusts you then.” She says, making him smile.

“Alright I need to get back, but I should warn you that the whole team is gonna know we’re married by the time you get to head quarters. I’m sorry I just was trying to get Cori to trust you.” Y/n explained.

“That’s alright, I’m glad they’ll know. I hate not wearing my ring at work.” He said smirking “see you soon. Be safe.” He leaned in And kissed her cheek.

Y/N had been back at work for a few hours working on Fornell’s case when she stopped to call Gibbs.

“Yeah, Gibbs” he answered

“Hey me too” she joked back

“Hello Mrs. Gibbs” he said with a smile in his voice. “I was just about to call you after I talked to Abby”

“Mmm I love hearing you call me that. Need to call me back?”

“Nah I’m good, I need to talk to you about something important.” He said turning down a hall where he could be alone.

“Okay shoot”

“ Cori needs a place to stay while we work on her case. I talked to the social worker and she said that if we had the right clearances one of us could....”

“Yes. I’ll bring by the paperwork that proves I’m an emergency foster parent. Call the social worker and get yours started, don’t forget to tell her I have mine. It’ll make it easier.” Y/N quickly blurted. She had gotten emergency qualified when one of her nieces friend’s single parent had been admitted to the hospital.

“God, I love you!” He responded right away. In awe of how selfless his wife was.

“Ditto marine” she responded

“You’re positive this is okay?” He checked

“Yes! Ask cori her favorite color. I’ll take her shopping later, but she at least needs fresh sheets that are all her own. I’ll pick them up on the way home, and I’ll get the stuff to make my lasagna while I’m at it.”

“ I’m a lucky man” he answered

“Don’t you forget that” she laughed “I’m lucky too Jethro. I’ll see you at home okay?”

“Yup love you”

“Love you” she said hanging up the phone smiling at how amazing the man she loved was.