#just his contract was like. insane like i don't know the actual details

[atthebell]

okay also nonnie i don't think it's 'psychoanalyze-y' to theorize on content changes cellbit might make; theorizing a ton on why he might make changes is dubious (aka leave that man alone his mental health is none of your business) but just thinking 'oh he's mentioned youtube more this year & said he'll change things a bit after his contract expires' isn't psychoanalyze-y it's just normal to be curious about what a streamer you like is going to do in terms of content. and i do think he'll probably try out some new things and hopefully keep doing interesting collabs but for the most part i think streaming is his passion and otherwise he'll continue to work on enigma do medo and ordem stuff. idk if you saw the tweet where he talked about calamidade 2 and how it's still not happening for a while, but basically there won't be any main campaign ordem stuff for a bit because it takes time to write and he doesn't want to rush it (also major props for not wanting enigma do medo devs to deal with crunch-- we love to see it!!). so i would imagine there'll be more smaller stuff to work on, including the second part of osnf's comics. so that's the ordem side of things, which, imo, constitutes like. two full-time jobs at least again i don't know how he has any time ever for anything.

anyway yeah i think thinking about content stuff is interesting and he has talked about making changes so i get being interested in what they might be, and i do understand the appeal of youtube videos (thank you hermits for being my breakfast companions) but yeah i obviously can't know what he's actually got going on these are just my thoughts. pretty sure i just reworded everything i said already but its fine

apologies if this is too 'psychoanalyze-y' but do you think cellbit might be returning to youtube more seriously after the twitch contract expires? the rubberross video + him saying he'd be streaming less + saying he might make a video once no players online releases fully makes me think its possible, but it also could be wishful thinking because i way prefer youtube videos over twitch content

there is no way this man stops streaming lol he has mentioned moving to youtube for streaming (youtube streaming sucks royally so I do not think there's a high chance of that) but otherwise he's probably not changing things much. he just really is not a youtuber anymore-- i really doubt he'll make a no players online video bc he also said he'd make a qsmp arg video and that didn't happen, and he just does not make videos.

his contract expiring matters bc he wants to stream way less this year bc he has a lot of work otherwise to do, and i doubt much if any of that work is making youtube videos. he wants to work on enigma do medo and ordem and he's been writing more recently, and he also probably wants to spend more time with lore and not have such an awful sleep schedule. i don't know that any of those things will happen because he is addicted to streaming but we'll see. he's talked a lot about how streaming is something he genuinely enjoys and loves doing, it's his favorite thing about content creation, and so i don't think he really has any desire to move to focusing on youtube. he also just doesn't have time; even with streaming less he's still insanely busy (genuinely do not know how he gets anything done) (the answer is he does not sleep even close to enough).

idk im not a prophet nor am i cellbit himself so i can't say anything for certain but i think he's just thinking about various ways to do content rn. he might make more youtube videos, he might just do more collabs (this is definitely likely, our little ambassador), he'll probably take some breaks and do more international trips. desperately hoping personally for another ordem oneshot, would kill for that.

sorry if this is curt i just got off work 😭 i actually love talking content and stuff im just so tired rn

[yuurei20]

hello! first of all I love all that you do, its so helpful having something I can come back and refrence when needed. secondly I would like to ask for your help, I swear in the prologue book with Crowley in the library they used the same sound effect as Divuss whip/pointer and I swear the model of Crowley even in that moment was holding a whip but going back and trying to find it has been fruitless for me, am I going insane or was this something that maybe they took out in an update or was it not in the english verson? many thanks.

Hello hello!! Thank you so much, you are too kind! ♡

I am not sure if he was ever physically holding a whip (he does not seem to have one in his sprites), but you are very right that there is a whip sound effect in that moment!

Grim is bound and gagged by something in the game that the novel explains in more detail (below).

While the situation is vague on both EN and JP in the game, it is possibly moreso on EN because of untranslatable wordplay:

After the whip-crack sound, Grim reacts as though he is in pain and Crowley says, "Consider it tough love."

And in Japanese the kanji used to express "tough love" is love (愛) and whip (鞭) (literally, "whip of love"), but it is just a form of expression and (usually) doesn't mean literal whipping is taking place.

We've never had an official, visual representation of Crowley with a whip (not in the game guide, manga or the game itself, though the novel may have solved the mystery), but this is not the only time "tough love" comes up:

Later on in the prologue Grim refers to Crowley's "whip of love" binding him, using the katakana for "whip of love" rather than the kanji for "tough love," possibly because he only knows the attack by the name that Crowley used for it.

Crowley repeats his, "It's tough love!" line again on JP, possibly for the wordplay.

While sometimes things happen in the novel that don't happen in the game at all (and vice verse), it can be useful as a reference, and the violence of the "tough love" scene is described as follows:

"A long, black cloth wraps around Grim, binding his limbs and torso in an instant. The fabric stretches and contracts, moving as if alive.

'What the…! What is this rope?'

'It's not a rope. It's my tough love.'

The masked man points the end of the staff he holds at Grim.

'You tried to use magic just now, didn't you? We cannot have you thrashing around in a cramped place like this.'

'If you're gonna take it this far--grr.'

'Tried to use magic again, did you? You may not.'

Now with his mouth covered as well as his body, Grim bounces around at their feet.

Every time the man waves his key-shaped staff, the wriggling cloth he refers to as 'tough love' tightens around Grim. It is not unlike a large snake devouring a frog." -Twisted Wonderland the First Novel

And something similar might be happening in the game! While "lashings of love" is great localization, it means that EN loses Grim's actual line of, "He's gonna bind us up," as if something similar happened to Grim in the game as what happened in the novel--he was tied up--but due to the limitations of the visual novel medium, we weren't able to see it.

And right after Grim gives this warning there are two whip-crack sounds, and Grim and Ace are suddenly closer together on screen:

This might be to represent that they were tied together by Crowley's cloth! While it might also just be Grim hiding behind Ace--visual novels tend to leave a lot to the imagination--Ace and Grim getting tied up by Crowley's cloth is exactly what happens in the novel:

"Though he, too, tries to flee, Ace finds himself magically bound along with Grim, perhaps for being seen with his pen in his hand.” - “Still bound, Ace desperately shakes his head.” - “The laughing Grim is bound even tighter by the cord.” - “Crowley nods as he unties the cord from around the shocked-looking Ace.” - “Looking exhausted, Ace stands up and brushes the dirt from his uniform.” - Twisted Wonderland the First Novel

If you've ever seen fan art of Crowley with a whip, this is why! But I am not sure that the weapon he is using has ever been portrayed on-screen, in the form of a whip, magic cloth or otherwise :>

[mountainscouts]

I think Gary shouldn't be just a perfect overachiever gentleman that soothes Stan's depression. I don't dislike it but I also want to see Gary not have everything in his life in order, allow him to get angry, question Mormonism (racism, homophobia), pressure him with familial expectations (don't set bad example for his siblings, must marry a woman, etc), let him cut loose and party. Conversely, Stan isn't 24/7 doom+gloom. He can be stable, proactive and self-reflecting even before dating Gary.

WHEW. OKAY THIS ASK HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY ASK BOX FOR A WHILE NOW BECAUSE ITS JUST SO. SO PERFECT. where do i even begin?

okay, i have such a specific view of gary that is essentially this, seriously. when it comes to stary, people tend to gloss over gary as a character and while i can't really blame them for doing that, considering that gary is just a guy who has in total less than 3 minutes of speaking roles in his only episode, it's something i've noticed. while i wish that more people would explore him as a character with as much depth as stan, i've kinda just accepted that it won't ever be the case. BUT because of that, i've sort of hyper focused on these types of details about gary and built on his character more in that regard, going that exact direction you went in your ask.

gary, to me, is a well-polished & put together mess when he gets older. the church is such a fascinating and important facet of his life, and the fact that his character is so inherently & quintessentially mormon is a very accurate portrayal of a lot of mormons from SLC. with that, any type of interpretation of him that deviates from typical norms and values in the church is actually asking for a lot of character dissection. i understand that a lot of people would rather not, but i WOULD. and HAVE BEEN...

gary to me is gay, and i can't really see him otherwise. he finds this out– or at least has a feeling that he might be at a younger age, so already his sexuality giving him leeway in questioning the church and its beliefs. this starts leading him to be more self-aware of his societal and familial role, juggling his own beliefs, the church's, and by extension his family's. with this baggage, i guess, i'm sure it'll extend beyond that to his sense of self. what does he want to be? what does he want to make of himself? how can he feel so trapped, but by the loving arms of his family? so much to build and unpack here!!

speaking of his family, i truly believe they're ignorant folk, conservative, and traditional (inadvertently confirmed by how many children they have and how they all interact with eachother- even if that's just a joke, it proves my point that the harrisons are a decent portrayal of mormon families yet again). gary, being the middle child and if one wanted to write him as "the special one", makes for these dilemmas even more interesting honestly. from setting a good precedent for his siblings, following the path of his older ones, cramming extra-curricular activities as a means to both please his parents and even distract himself from his issues, to having to attend church meetings— it all piles up, all while his own contractions are fed more and more at the incessant exposure of daily life.

the reason why he's considered a polished mess is because he's your typical "looks like he has everything under control, actually under insane amounts of stress" character. i firmly believe that the harrisons have no ill-will, but i think the way that they raised their children falls strongly on the line of emotional neglect. their children were never taught any life lessons that'd help actually help them like- you know, regulating emotions. i've mentioned this in a previous post (and also elaborated on gary showing anger specifically) but i personally believe that while gary is a kind, and generous person to his core, there is an incredible amount of repression deep within him— a product of being raised with many, "boys dont cry"s, "love thy neighbor"s, and "forgive and forget"s. kindness specifically is actually an incredibly important aspect to mormonism, as it's a key part of the lifelong and ever present journey to celestial afterlife. but that's the thing: objectively speaking– this is just a way of control.

so when one wants to break free from this way of thinking, to lose this control, to break away from all they've known— their very livelihood— it's not going to come in the form of an overnight epiphany. in gary's case, considering how tight he is with his family versus his budding progressive views and drive to have more free reign over his self, it's going to be one hell of a struggle.

to touch on your point of him not getting everything he wants, i think that's another fundamental reason why he would question his standing in the church as well— depending on What he doesn't get. perhaps he doesn't want to serve his mission, but does so anyways. or maybe he simply had a bad day, but he can't allow himself to get upset, convincing himself that "things could be worse" as a way to make himself feel better, barring himself from healthily expressing his feelings. repeatedly saying "its okay" is going to be his downfall lol

and, i too would love to see him cut loose and party eventually- without a second thought that he'd be disappointing anyone.

okay now for stan. oh yeah that guy— no i'm just kidding, i'm also actually very picky about stan as well. :P most of your points about him align perfectly with mine. i don't like it when people woobify him to a point where his only/a major part of his character is his pessimism and depression, and while they are a part of him, it seems to be a big theme when people talk about stary. i definitely love the whole "i can fix him" thing gary has with him (because of gary's primordial urge to "fix" things and be persistent until he can't anymore) but that's definitely not all that they are!! (also gary's initial thought of "fixing" stan would already be faulty from the get-go anyways- but he will learn)

with stan, i think people tend to make him already pretty "helpless" in general fandom, and while he has shown to be more vulnerable than his peers, hes still pretty resilient. i do think that he would need a little bit of a push when it comes to his mental health, but that's only because he's found a way to cope with these issues- none of which are truly healthy. he's moreso content with being in a stalemate with himself and while he does wish he could do more, it takes a lot out of him to get out his more personal comfort zones.

kinda gives him another reason as to why him and gary are narrative foils, i just realized :P!!

but yeah!! i really loved this ask, and i probably really should indulge more in this aspect of gary >_<. its something i truly think about, and those who are close to me DEFINITELY know this! thank you for the ask and sorry it took so dang long haha. also thank you to those who read this behemoth, genuinely didnt expect to yap this much

[originalcharactersexyman]

Hiya! Howdy! Id love to toss my goofy silly mailman tf2 oc in the ring if there were slots left! His names Brodie :> Heres his toyhouse

Meet YOUR 10th Class Merc. The Courier. His name is Brodie 

From New York! Go Yankees!

Around 32-34

6"1

Lets take alook into the past: For a lot of his life he has committed ,,, so much fraud. So much. All of it. Mail fraud tax fraud voter fraud healthcare fraud identity fraud. Even credit card fraud when credit cards came out in 1966.  Frauding it up ever since he was a kid delivering newspapers and snooping in neighbor's mail. 

Eventually his fraudulent lifestyle catches up to him and lands him in prison when he suddenly became the inheritor of a minuscule fraction of Australium. And a certain group of individuals did not take too kindly to some rando getting his hands on the  insanely precious resource.  In order for the Australium to be ‘misplaced’, Brodie had to die. And die he did. Not long after being incarcerated, he was hanged for his many, many crimes. A bit of overkill, really, but it was apparently the only way. Plus a lot of the guards and inmates kept finding themselves in varying degrees of debt so two birds one stone. Miss Pauling herself attends the hanging to make sure Brodie does die and sure enough he is pronounced dead. As dead as it gets. 

Well. Mostly.

As his soul prepares for judgment in hell,  Brodie decides “I am absolutely not ready to be dead yet.” Soo he convinces Satan “hey you guys got the wrong guy. I’m blah blah blah, here’s my ID and credentials n whatnot. Here’s who you’re actually looking for” (a lie obviously) but Satan’s like “Oh shit. Um wow- this, like, never happens. Lemme…fix that real quick.” (This is intentionally left vague and about how much hell tell ya about it with changing details each time)

Back in his body, Brodie sits up, completely nakey, save for the body blanket, and startles Miss Pauling who instinctively has a gun to his face. Quickly thinking, Brodie strikes a deal; “Hey hey! Don't Shoot. Uh, listen.  Technically, I was pronounced dead.  Obviously you can keep whatever I was supposed to inherit, I won't even give it another thought but just lemme go - please?”  Sure enough, Miss P agrees, except now Brodie has to…start over again.  Which isn’t a big *deal*, but it’ll take him a minute to get back on his feet since his last identity is supposed to be cold turkey. 

Though, this gives Miss P an idea.  “Hey, do you want a job?”

So he’s back, babyyy. Brodie is a new man (who legally doesn't exist) and is recruited by Mann Co to be the teams smuggler mailman and a merc when violence is needed!!  Someones gotta deliver the mercs all their niche needs and all that, ya know? Someone who ain't afraid to get their hands dirty or have fingerprints or the same teeth they did before or leave any paper trail!  Someone who isn't afraid to break into the next city over's local zoo and get some baboon uteri and hearts for medic, or do a 24 hr trip to Australia for Saxton hale pain tonic for sniper (so they avoid import fees), wine for spy, copious amounts of Tom Jones merch for scout, crates upon very weighty crates of ammo for Heavy, etc etc. Even just snacks from each mercs country (that Courier def sneaks bites from but dont tell anyone shhhh). Or just the pizza the mercs ordered in town.

Need something delivered? Brodie is your Courier! (He has to as his contract states, lest he break it and is 'super killed'.  No its not explained what that means but Brodie don't intend to find out.)

--

He's a bit of a goofy guy.  Quick witted when it comes to fraud but would ask Alexa what 4 x 12 is. His undying passion is committing petty crimes and scams and changing people's legal last names to something like "Scrotum". He's very *very* nosy and will read the merc's mail before he even gets it to them. He's got gossip to share. He loves snacks and has an awful diet consisting of gas station foods. Caffeinated soda and donuts are go-to's, especially on the road. His fav mode of transportation is on his motorcycle.

WOOF thats a long one lol Thank you sm for ur consideration !

WELCOME ABOARD!

Seats Taken: 22/24 (TWO LEFT)

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

Thank you for tag @searchforahero

rules: answer and tag nine people you want to get to know better and catch up with.

favorite color: Black, and I need there to be a ton of black surrounding any other color to enjoy it, but I'm also a fan of lilac and teal

last song: Uncle Sam Goddamn by Brother Ali

currently reading: Almost nothing tbh, though I am sifting through various comics off and on to try and get a handle on the characters I'm trying to write, so some 1900s Young Justice stuff, and I read a bunch of Robin Tim sorta recently.

currently watching: Helloween4545 playing Crow Country I really don't do TV shows at all these days, and my movie nights crew hasn't gotten together in a long while

currently craving: a nap with my boyfriend

coffee or tea: Tea. Specifically the kind of southern US tea that comes real cheap in gallon jugs or tea bags meant to steep a gallon of water at a time, like the red diamond kinda shit

hobby to try: Coding. The squiggly little lines that make the computer go intrigue me

current au: ooooohhh I got a million of these going at all times, here's the current crop:

Chained AU

Jason is set in front of a contract that will grant near omnipotence over every facet of reality. The catch is that it requires the person who actually gains the power to be permanently bound into the service of someone else. Afraid of what this could do in the wrong hands, Jason asks Tim to be his new Master.

This one has been on permanent rotation since I was like 16 tbh

Brothers In Blood Hive King AU

In which Jason was lying at the end of BiB and was not back to normal and is still some kind of alien tentacle monster and Jason and Tim and I get to be freaks about it

We Are One clone AU

So you know how most clone plots end up with the doppleganger trying to take over the other's life and someone has to choose the real one? What if the clone and the 'real one' decided they could share actually and were complete freaks about it?

In this one Jason dies and comes back to life as per usual, except he ALSO gets cloned by someone who doesn't want Bruce to go through the horrors of a dead son. Which then means that there is a very literal replacement Jason hanging around living the life Jason would have had if he didn't die. They fight for a while but then decide that actually, they both have equal claim to this life.

So they decide to get like insanely weird with it! They take turns carving their scars into each other and telling each other every last detail of their lives and memorizing each other's verbal ticks so that they can just... pretend they are one singular person. Forever. Every day they swap which of them is doing outside things and which is doing the indoor cooking/cleaning/resting. It's a drastic improvement in quality of life for both Jasons simply due to the fact that they now actually rest a lot, and get adequate time to heal from all their injuries. They take this as a sign that they were incomplete without each other and get Even Weirder About It.

A secondary fic would feature Dick's POV as it gets revealed that for the passed five years, his younger brother has been two different people who are continuing to insist that they are one singular person even now that they're both in the same room together, and Dick can't figure out if they're trying to gaslight him or if this is some kind of ritualistic mutual cult reinforcement thing that they've used to gaslight each other into genuinely believing it's true. They talk in unison for upwards of an hour without either flubbing anything, but there's no psychics involved so they have to have just practiced that shit which is actually a thousand times scarier than there being something supernatural about them. Also Dick's pretty sure they're gonna murder him if they realize he's taken blood samples and knows that one is a clone.

Both this one and the BiB Hive King AU originally started out as Chained chapters, with Jason from Chained having been the one to ensure Hive King Jason got to stay a tentacle monster and the one to convince clone Jason and birth Jason that they both had equal right to their life. (And that since both of them already knew who the clone was, the only thing they were really fighting over was the affection of their family - something neither of them had any control over and which neither of them was ever going to get. Might as well each focus on loving themself.) I'm def keeping the Hive King one as a Chained cameo thing, not so sure about keeping this one.

Jason marries Orcus, Demon Lord of Undeath, from D&D AU???

idk man my two special interests are Jason and Demons, it was bound to happen eventually, but this one is probably staying firmly locked up in my noggin forever tbh

Uhhhhh let's see, nine whole people...

@laufire @lazaruspiss @zeroducks-2 @deepwithintheabyss @acaffeinefiend

@cologona @kittykatninja321 @swamp-spirit @cleromancy

feel free to do this thingy if you want :3

[3416]

All of your Mitch rants and raves are spot on, and it's very comforting to see another person who is just SO tired of all these narratives. Please indulge my two-cents for a moment:

Mitch has said he wants to stay in Toronto. The deal for him to waive his NMC at this point would have to be like...the best deal in all NHL history. He isn't some single, 19-year-old kid anymore who is just starting out; he's firmly established in his career in Toronto, and has his entire family/wife/friends there.

While I do think his next contract ask will be in the ballpark of what Auston and Willy are making (as it should be, he's worth the same amount, imo), I also don't think Mitch is super unreasonable. If the Leafs came back to him and said "we really want you to stay, but we can only give you $10m, I really feel like Mitch would take it, as long as it's a decent length and all the details are reasonable, etc.

All the discourse about his last contract was very much his father's influence, which he won't be dealing with this time around. He was also dealing with Babcock as a coach, so of course he wanted to get his money's worth!

I don't think he would settle for a super lowball offer if he knew he could make substantially more on another team, but he's also not a diva who won't get out of bed for less than $10000 a day, y'know?

Sorry for ranting in your inbox, lol.

no, i'm happy to have people to talk with about it!! feels like no matter how much i say, i never get tired bc i'm just soooo tired of the fanbase's narratives getting in the way of actual facts and of fans inability to sort through what media personalities are pitching as an OPTION and what's like. actually happening behind the scenes right at this moment. like no legitimate insiders are giving actual information, and if anything, i think this go around might be more tight lipped BECAUSE of what happened last time. auston and willy extensions were kept pretty under wraps tbh, the leafs know discretion.

i mean. i'm gonna be real, but 10 million would be lowballing him and he SHOULD get between willy and auston and that's not even a real problem imo. if 2 million makes or breaks a team with the cap space free from the jt deal, they're being very unserious and brad's bad at his job. they're the ones who set the precedent this time around with willy by giving into everything. it's legit not my job or any of our jobs to cap manage despite how much we all love to pretend we could build a perfect team, but he's probably not going to take a considerable discount and i don't see why people think he should, lol. HE'S had career years too over the course of this last contract, ones that surpassed someone who is now getting paid more than him. i'm obviously not mitch, so idk what he'd do in that scenario, but i can say it's HIGHLY unlikely he's taking any pay cut in his prime (literally no hockey players do). i really don't think he should be expected to despite this insane fanbase's reaction to his salary and i'm sure the leafs aren't going to approach him like that tbh. it'd be weird business. they might try to get him for a willy number which would honestly be a discount for him, so lol. i think it's less to do with being a diva and more knowing how much you're worth and your comparables in the league (and on your team) and the team you're with knowing what's fair. and that's why i think people are wrong about the leafs mindset in general. i don't think they WANT to get rid of him, lol. i think they're going to look at the market (as they do every year and have done every year since the core was assembled bc it's their JOB to do that) and see what's there, but the options are even more limited now with the nmc. i don't see it a given that the team will be like. oop we can't afford you now. i think they'll pay him and he'll get a raise, lol.

my best guess is EITHER mitch signs a longterm deal with full nmc at 12-12.5 OR he takes slightly closer to willy's deal for a shorter term to try to maximize his earnings and match what auston's doing in that way. i don't know his mindset about it all and wanting security in toronto over all or wanting to maximize the money, but we will SEE. i just hope everything is more lowkey this time around for my own sanity 😭😭😭😭 bc it's already out of control WITHOUT the team and mitch even talking yet.

[kitsu-katsu]

I'm gonna make this post as condenaed and abridged brainrot to explain why Victor Frankenstein is my boy from 200 yr old media prompted by a tag question from @samathekittycat in a post I reblogged because that highjacking would've been too much

So. Basically every adaptation ever is way off, Victor in the og novel is a guy from a rich family, yes, but one that has it's own fucked up occurrences that shape him even though he says his life is the peak of idyllic and that can lead to really good character analysis

He becomes an alchemy fanatic at 13, completely obsesses over it, even harder when his father claims the whole subject to be trash and he's in general somewhat fascinated by natural occurrences as well, so he gets it into his head that he wants to change the world by attaining the alchemist dream of basically defeating death, and this is all exacerbated when he's about to be sent away to study in Ingolstadt at 17 and just days before his mother dies of an illness his cousin-sister-future wife (it's complicated, it's a whole mess with hiw mother's involvement too) contracted first, so his trip is delayed a bit, but he never really processes his grief and is not that interested in actual science at first until a professor he meets there validates the alchemists ambition and he starts to hyperfixate on science so bad he's surpassed his professors in 2 years, and with all this baggage, at 19, he decides he's going to decode the secrets of death basically, because as he sees it at this point, if applied enough in the right direction with a scientific method any mediocre man could change society

So he builds his creatire after 2 years of isolating himself completely to do it, so he finishes it at like 21, and the thing is, the guy basically did all of this in a hyperfocused state he started at 19 and influenced by All That Baggage and grief he has Not Processed, so he wasn't really thinking about the consequences of anything. So his creature opens its eyes and suddenly the weight and terror of everything falls upon him along with a good mix of uncanny valley, and he just. Collapses. He sleeps a bit, his creature's still there, and he's so scared he runs away from his dorm room and by chance meets with his bff who was back in Geneva with the rest of his family he hasn't talked to in 2 whole years, his creature sneaks out while this is happening, and when going back, Victor is so mentally collapsed and strained and also scared he mighr be called crazy that he's just glad that the creature's gone and enters a fragile state where he's just completely physically sick and done for for a Big While, he can't take care of himself anymore and can't even look at anything relatingnto science anymore

When he's getting better, he has to go back to Geneva because his brother died. Whoah-oh, it was the Creature. He confronts it eventually and it asks for a bride and promises to go away with her, this is a Whole Conflict, because Victor can't reveal what he knows or he'll be labelled insane, he also doesn't wanna finish the bride because she'll also be her own person and what if she doesn't wanna run away with og Creature as his bride? While all of this is happening, one family servant is being accused of the murder and trialed, Victor is squealing in a corner

Basically, he's very autistic, he's seen a hysteric, his creation of the Creature can be analyzed from so many different angles, from teenage pregnancy and postpartum depression, trans experiences (both transmasc and transfemme! I've seen excellent analysis from both perspectives, though I have a personal bias towards the transmasc reading), the process of artist in general (like, that point when you start drawing something and you start zooming into every detail for hours and once you zoom out again you realize you don't like how it came out at all even though you put so much time into it), his illnesses and disabilities both mental and physical are really interestingly depicted as well, overall, he's a very meaty character who was FAR from making everything right, in fact, he did a lot wrong, but he's also a victim of his circumstances, a teen/young adult in the whole duration of the thing, and is suffering tons of pressure from everywhere while losing his purpose and selse of self to his opposition to his own creation. They are the definition of "they can make eachother worse" and Victor loses everything. He's a tragedy. A tragedy that a lot of people wanna ignore and just say he's plain evil because the Creature must be plain good and they feel smart if they say the typical "Small brain: Frankenstein was the monster vs Big brain: Frankenstein was the scientist, not the monster vs Galaxy brain: Frankenstein was the monster all along" and they completely skip out on all the depth this character has

I went super aurface level in a lot of parts here, but I hope it's somewhat understandable

I recommend reading the novel though! It's Good

[minorfamilysupremacy]

it is insane to watch bible's actions nowadays. i will say, even back in kp era, there were one or two things he said that made him deeply unlikable to me, but like most i just ignored it. but holy hell has the facade dropped. the only thing he is now is a professional victim and you can tell he is SO pissed that his little show failed. these interviews or rather fluff pieces are just for bible to be sad on camera because it's the only way to stay relevant and ensure his fans continue to attack and blame build for everything, because despite it all, his fans couldn't be arsed to watch his show so this is all he has left. they will continue to beat the dead horse of "it was a thing that happened between two people", because anything else would mean they had to admit they chose the side of the woman who was sentenced to prison. oh and btw bible, weird how you never faced any repercussions for your social media posts about underage girls, rape, and transphobia... sure has its benefits being close to ponf hasn't it. god I hope karma comes for all of these people.

yeah, as an ex-stan i know i personally handwaved away a lot of stupid shit as his being young and having been catapulted into overnight fame and blah blah blah, but no. we got played for fools. dude's a piece of shit through and through and it's honestly kind of horrifying to watch. like, really, dude? pond is the fading star you want to hitch your wagon to? i'm just embarrassed watching him make a bigger and bigger ass of himself in every interview. it's always someone else's fault, he's always the victim, bloo bloo, crocodile tears (even more embarrassing since a lot of these interview questions are sent in advance so he can practice his fake waterworks).

and i think in his warped little mind, it IS build's fault that 4m is such a shitshow, or at least he's firmly convinced himself as such, because he and pond are glued at the asshole now and he can't let himself go against the party line. i've always thought sammon deliberately turned in a subpar product -- after all, did BOC ever say boo about the plagiarism accusations? because i sure don't remember it. and poi was punching way above her weight class by dragging in a much more respected writer when she was just trying to have a petty grudge match against her ex. i lost respect for sammon in the entire debacle for other reasons (i draw a hard line with animal violence, and the very vague details i know make it just sound gratuitous and lazy writing), but i was shocked she even stuck around to give them SOME kind of script. pond must have the best lawyers in thailand when he draws those contracts up.

but 4m was a shitshow not because of build, but because of poi and, more importantly, because of pond. pond sat back and dithered about which nong (gag, dude) he could wring more coins out of and tried, unsuccessfully, to play both sides like the loathsome little quisling he is. he did fuck-all to protect his talent and then he gambled on the 4m name still having enough appeal to gawkers to be successful, when anyone with two brain cells to rub together could have told you the project should have been scrapped with a quickness. (besides, if the version of the show we ultimately got bore ANY resemblance to its original vision, i sincerely question what was so tear-jerking about it. but i have a feeling what it was originally envisioned as is a far cry from the steaming pile we got.) the fact that they couldn't get anyone to pair with bible for ages is yet another red flag pond ignored, because god forbid he admit to any fuckups, and the coping about how jes is actually So Much Better and Lovely and Wonderful and their chemistry is So Incredible is...well, it's fucking pathetic. it's clowns all the way down.

and pond further bears responsibility for that fuckup of a 'rollout' of the show. how many countries did it get aired in, officially? seven? eight? half of those were places where explicit gay sex (which, as near as i can tell, is a good portion of the show to make up for the limp writing) is banned. european and american fans got entirely shut out from official support. i suppose that's probably because when build was in berlin, he personally spoke with the german government and explained that they needed not to air this particular show as an act of revenge, right?

but bible is never going to fucking look at the dumpster fire his life and career have become and lay the blame where it belongs, because he and pond are in this creepy symbiotic relationship where pond pimps him out to keep the business going -- seriously, jeff fucked off ages ago and mile is MIA with schrodinger's girlfriend, so they have no major talent outside bible to rely on -- and in return, bible gets shielded from repercussions outside of some well-deserved social media jeering. and both of them constantly pat each other's asses and soothe each other's egos and keep each other from any kind of introspection.

bottom line is, pond thought build was expendable at the time, because he was rolling in so much KP goodwill he thought the gravy train would never stop. turns out build wasn't expendable, so now pond's gotta choke the life out of the other half of the pairing to make sure he doesn't give up the grift (his constant european vacations don't pay for themselves, do they?), and that other half is more than content to play his simple-minded lackey because it's easier than having to fucking put a modicum of effort into anything.

karma will get them -- of that i have no doubt. there's too many rumblings of discontent, too many oldheads who have turned anti, not enough new people to stem the hemorrhage. man suang, for all pond's windbaggery, sank without a trace. THC is more notable for its controversy and rigging than anything else. DFF and 4m both couldn't sustain themselves through their entire runtimes and even people with no axe to grind with BOC were critical about the latter. they keep scrabbling for relevance in idiotic ways -- a sitcom with bible? a sitcom?! with what fucking comedic timing? -- or are late to the party -- they're supposedly planning a GL, which, by the time it gets to market, will just be one of many. gap was a while ago. GL isn't as much of a novelty as it was. and i mean, let's face it: do you trust this fucking studio with GL? i wouldn't trust pond to take out my trash without ripping the bag open, spilling it everywhere, and then making childish vague references about how SOMEONE he used to know paid off the hefty bag company to make his (pond's) life harder.

pond's all ego, greed, and stupidity. he'll trip over his dick (well, harder than he has already) soon enough. i personally can't wait to see it happen.

[imagineamagicworld]

Slept on my Thoughts and Big Feelings™ about yesterday's patch, here we go (in true stereotypical fashion, this got a bit longer than I initially thought)

Spoilers for the 7.3 story moments (impside)

So obviously this was a very character-centric patch and its highlights really were the cutscenes. Like many people, I expected slightly more out of the gameplay part of the patch, especially after 7.2 and everything we got on Ruhnuk...

But the team really, really pulled through on what we got out of the cutscenes.

Rivix seems like a slimy bastard and I alternated between cheering him on for decking that other random Sithy guy and praying for his downfall at Tau's hand (you'll get him next time baby girl <3)

pleasantly surprised to see him immediately contact the Commander, and YET, I am and will remain suspicious of his every move and will anticipate the inevitable backstabbing

"what about your fascinating Hutt scientist?", mum come pick me up, i'm scared

Sa'har's interactions with Ri'kan make me want to bawl my eyes out, why can't Bioware ever let siblings be happy, she's so gentle but so blind and he's drowning in resentment and rage and they are so doomed

"I had little choice. Some earn what they have. Some are given everything", "and some lost it all", "you dare speak to me of suffering" I am going Insane™

Heta is so delulu it would be funny if it didn't make the situation go from worse to worser so fast, "it's never safe to change a galaxy, never easy to fight corruption and hypocrisy" be for fucking real

Sa'har, just say the word and we WILL come and pick you up (i have all the adoption papers ready whenever)

"I would be more than happy to go over the details", "... But not right now" PLEASE the Commander is SO TIRED lmaoo

not Oggurobb admiring Darth Nul's work, can you please focus

more on The Discrovery™ later in this post

Mind you, I played this whole patch on my main (Elias my love <3), who is a Saboteur ex-Imperial Agent, but...

my god, the Torian alert talk hit Different™

whoever decided this should be a cutscene and not just a letter... you are everything. It felt raw, it felt reflective, it felt absolutely necessary and i'm really liking the depth it is bringing with it

"I agree with Heta about the banner being used as a symbol of shame and betrayal. And yet... how dare she burn it"

"How you feel about your past is for you to decide"

"I spent so much time trying to be better than my history, I didn't stop to think about where I came from", "Good and bad, this box contains my past. Who my father was. My family. My sense of right and wrong. I can open it and remember when I need to, or I can leave it shut. The choice is mine."

It's the intergenerational trauma, fighting against yet embracing your history to shape your future and find your own purpose in life, I-

This Barbie is an ex-war criminal haunted by the Past!! And so am I!!

The whole Malgus cutscene was incredible and I probably spent at least half an hour (if not more) just going over all the different options.

flirting with Theron at work!! In front of our bestie Lana who is So Done™!! "May I remind you both we still have more to discuss", it never gets old <3

was actually shocked by how involved Theron was in the cutscene? actually had a lot of lines and he felt materially present in a way that i hadn't seen in a loong time (I will never ever kill Theron off [I have morals and I love him, your Honour] but I do wonder how the cutscene looks when you don't have him around?)

Theron calling the Imperial characters the fuck out is a kink I didn't know I had, but I do, so thank you for that

"Some higher-up is all sweaty about my past contracts with Malgus", "One of those contracts was destroying the defense grid on Coruscant during an Imperial invasion", get her ass my love!!

the tensions with Shae are back and, listen, I love our problematic girlie as much as the next person (too much), but I am thriving

"Don't you get it? With the holocron, Heta is part of that plan, willing or not", "You weren't interested in the holocron when you shot a teenager out of nowhere we ran into Sa'har", the girls are FIGHTING

I just can't get over how similar yet different they both are. Probably won't resonate with all Outlanders, but as a former Imperial agent, Elias NEVER thought he would become a Leader of any sort. He was always content to stick to the shadows, do what he does best with few restrictions and little scrutiny. It's so so so interesting to see Shae feeling like she owes so much to her people and yet struggling so much with being Mandalore

"Make him think you understand" and isn't the interesting part that some Outlanders really might understand, at least in part? Unique perspectives indeed.

"You and I are very much alike. I couldn't stand it when my mind was at the mercy of another... I don't fault you for wanting to break free" (patch 7.1)

"... few minds can comprehend my vision", "none who have stood by my side have understood this. The only one who could have... is my enemy" (patch 7.3)

Mirrors and narrative foils and the weight of our choices and I'm going Insane™ once again

we didn't learn much from the interrogation that we didn't really already know or couldn't suspect, it was very much about the Themes™

I know it's controversial, but I actually like the Nul and Mandalorian plots intermingling

"The Mandalorians are fractured... a broken people. They struggle to decide who they are", something that is so so important in basically all of the Mando characters we have here. Torian, Akaavi, even the Ordo brothers, Heta herself of course and the Varad, the Dar'manda and the Ash'ad, SHAE SHAE SHAE

I am going to ignore how this would inevitably resonate in many Outlanders too, the longing for home versus the morality of doing what's right for the galaxy and fighting your home and saving your independance but never knowing if it's going to be enough-

it was a bit weird that there was no way to prevent Shae from listening in on Malgus' interrogation, but then again, the whole scene where he bypasses us to speak to her directly is so powerful that I can't really mind too much

the them of HISTORY strikes again!!

"Can you not see it? The past looms over us all... a shadow of unchanging history. There are fools who believe they can outrun the shadow. Without a flame to chase it away, it will consume them - they are doomed to repeat the same failures"

the SILENCE once you get back from the interrogation is so LOUD and I felt a true sense of heaviness from it

Unfortunately, I feel like the Voss part of the patch was the weakest in many ways. I haven't played Shrine of Silence yet (the Flashpoint), but it is (as was announced) not required for the main story content.

The highlights truly were, again, the characters.

Arcann is back!! and we get to have a very nice talk with him about redemption, acceptance and forgiveness. all things that felt very important for Arcann's journey (and for my MC as well, actually)

"I saw centuries worth of horrors committed by my father. I felt the rage and the cruelty born of my desperation to please him", "I was afraid I saw those ruins because I was doomed to follow in his [my father's] footsteps", navigating intergenerational trauma and trying to trace the lines between what you suffered and what you are responsible of, painfully delicious

"I will never expect forgiveness - or even acceptance - from anyone I have hurt. But I will cherish any that is offered", what, me, crying? no, it's just raining, i would never cry (i am bawling like a little baby and will never stop)

can't say I was that surprised to learn that Darth Nul had been a Jedi before being corrupted over to the dark side, but I'm glad that finally puts to rest the "Lana is Darth Nul" theories

I am very intrigued by that Force power of hers , however : "she could mentally bond with anyone who could feel the Force. In those who did not recognize their own abilities, she awakened that realisation", okay, but what does it mean exactly?

the Voss stuff was otherwise a little bit on the forgettable side, I must admit (but I'm always happy to come back to Voss, so it's okay)

"[the Three] would never share them with an outsider, even one of your status", hmmm, excuse you, Sana-Rae, but I was once married to a Voss lady, doesn't that count for something

And just like that we were back to doing little chores-like quests and rocking it KOTOR-dialogue style. Which was okay, but not groundbreaking by any means.

of course it was Czerka, of course it was

out of all the side quests, I really liked the cantina one, it was so silly

the talk with Sana-Rae before going to see the Three was really touching <3 It really is all about personal choices and finding one's purpose even if it clashes with what you were taught growing up

the... prophecy itself is very vague and doesn't give us much more than what we've learned so far

"Life will be reshaped... scales unbalanced... A wave of change rises and falls... beyond the reach of Darth Malgus... and as he dreams, he awakens a great power... one that will tear the galaxy apart"

"Should Darth Malgus perish, this catastrophe will transpire more quickly"

I can't for the life of me begin to guess at what the devs have in store for us, but you can colour me intrigued for sure (and a bit wary)

the sheer unavoidability of "what is to come" is ???

and yet, somehow, "whatever is to come from this, it is you... who will choose the fate of us all"

"I'm tired of being responsible for the consequences of every decision"

"You can fight against destiny, but it is inescapable"

When I tell you boyo is TIRED

Overall, very strong themes for this patch. The way both the past and the future are inescapable, unavoidable, dooms that we cannot run away from.

The way we have to embrace them, embrace who we are, who we were and who we can become.

The way there is always a choice, there always has to be a choice.

[ccrowsiie]

I've decided to explain what's been going on with me for the last few months. I figured I owe it to my mutuals since it's definitely going to affect my behavior going forward. I feel it's fair to say something now and maybe even apologize in advance.

In a nutshell: My best friend of 12 years ghosted (me and only me) for people he just met, destroying our relationship. In a coconut shell: One of the most important people in my life allowed our relationship to not just stagnate but actively die, willingly and knowingly breaking our social contract and my boundaries in favor of the adoration and attention from strangers and newer, fresher friends. The fallout sent me into a several months-long spiral that regressed my mental and physical health and led to the relapse of my most self-destructive addictions.

The full story, abridged (if you can believe it):

1/? CW, mentions of child abuse, drug use, mental health.

For clarity's sake, I'll be referring to him as 'Bestie'.

In the hierarchy of closeness, Bestie was right under my husband. Our relationship was 100% platonic but emotionally watertight. We had our disagreements like any pals would, but for the most part, we were siblings. We'd gone on vacations. We'd cooked meals together. We hung out for hours and hours over the many years of our friendship. It's safe to say that he was the closest thing I've ever had to an actual brother. …Because my real one totally sucks ass. I don't have a good relationship with my family. At. All. The majority of our interactions are made out of obligation. It was my dad's literal dying wish to at least try and reconcile with my mother after a lifetime of drugs and abuse. I've been trying my hardest, but dear God she makes it hard sometimes. My sister is alright, I tend to keep her at arm's length because she's a control freak (eldest daughter syndrome + history of abuse) but to say that my relationship with my brother is antagonistic would be a massive understatement. I usually say 'We don't get along' and keep it at that, but it goes deeper. We barely tolerate each other… for reasons I can't understand. I was born dead last in my family, the next oldest sibling is 13 years my senior. Despite the age gap, I may as well have been born the middle child, because bro didn't give up his youngest spot. Both he and my mother show signs of classic narcissism.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Crow, not everyone you dislike is a narc just because your personalities clash~' Save it, please. Don't speak on what you don't know. My mother and brother are a classic narcissistic binary star system. Mother and her golden child. They revolve around each other in a borderline emotionally incestuous way. They do drugs together. She coddles him to an insane degree. He did not move out or get his first job until his 40s. Mom didn't parent me so much as she let me live in her house so she could collect a check from my dad. When I wasn't being actively abused by her husband (won't go into detail here, but know that he was my primary abuser, as he was also her abuser and to a lesser extent my sister's) I was almost always being actively neglected, sometimes in favor of brother. Like, locked out of/into rooms or told to go away whenever she didn't need me for something. Especially in my formative years (age 5-10), when mom was still shooting dope and leaving me alone for days at a time or bringing me around the men she'd shoot up with. I almost lost her to drug-related violence and she almost lost me to the state a couple of times. Eventually, she found a way to have her cake (me, child support check generator) and eat it too (heroin and crack). While she gained sobriety from hard drugs just before I entered middle school, the neglect and other forms of abuse persisted through the remainder of my childhood, until I enlisted in the military out of desperation.

So with all of that boo hoo hoo shit out of the way, it's safe to say that I have a bit of a -thing- surrounding abandonment.

[havendance]

It's Library Trade Roundup time, baby!

Descender: Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 by Jeff Lemire, art by Dustin Nguyen -- I will be honest, I was reading this primarily because I love how Nguyen paints space in watercolors. Otherwise, I'd say that this was a fun, easy read. I don't think the plot ever really hooked me but I liked it well enough. I'll probably pick up Ascender (the sequal series) at some point which has a more fantasy vibe I believe, because while this wasn't one of my top comics, I certainly don't dislike it. And also I do like whenever Nguyen does the watercolors. (I am a little annoyed that it appears that Effie has contracted dead mom syndrome in the Ascender though because I really liked her.)

Dawn of X vol. 3 by various -- I am continuing to poke my way through these because it looks like my library has a good chunk of them. It's honestly kind of fun reading this in an approximation of publishing time (picking up a new volume of 6 #Xs every few weeks). Marauders continues to be one of my favorites. Fallen Angels continues to not work for me, and it's always fun when it calls back to previous comics and I get to go 'sure, why not, might as well happen' as opposed to actually knowing the callbacks. (I am being serious here. I do want to read more X-men comics but I am also down to just vibe.)

The Forged Vol. 2: Home Sweet Home by Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann, art by Mike Henderson -- Look this is very by Greg Rucka like most of his original work. This comic is in the space marine genre which I am here for. I had read the first volume digitally, and I've come to the conclusion that this is just one of the comics I need to read physically because it's published in the same oversized format as Historia, and while the art doesn't have that insane level of detail, it still just breathes way better full sized whether than on my little tablet. I enjoyed this volume much more than the first and I think having it full sized was a big contribution (as well as the fact that I read the first volume while sitting in the back corner of a full car on the way to vacation which probably didn't help either.) This was also a downtime arc and I liked how it built out the characters and the world more rather than the more action focused first arc. Issue #9 is coming out next week I believe, so I'll be waiting for when the 3rd trade comes out and my library gets their hands on it to see how this next arc goes, but I'm looking forward to it!

Coffin Bound Vol. 1: Happy Ashes by Dan Watters, art by Dani -- I picked this up because I was curious about reading more of Watters' work, but I only ended up reading half of this before deciding it wasn't doing it for me. There were interesting elements, but I'm not sure what to say other than it just didn't click.

The Autumnlands Vol. 2 Woodland Creatures -- This continues to be right up my alley. I liked seeing more of the world and the implications of nuclear energy in this volume were very interesting. Seeing Dusty rub off on Learoyd, the plotline with the Galateas, and all the fun sci fi fantasy fusion of the world was all very fun and it left me sad that there's only 11 issues of this.

Sleepless Vol. 1 by Sarah Vaughn, art by Leila Del Duca -- Courtly intrigue/romance + Fantasy makes this quite different from a lot of the other comics I've been reading, but still very enjoyable. The artwork is beautiful for this (I love all the pretty dresses) and has a very nice atmosphere. I liked seeing Poppy trying to navigate the court after everything got shaken up on her and the worldbuilding was also interesting.

[xanthezhoupropaganda]

Cass looks apologetically at the dishes and then towards the door. She's too graceful to shift from foot to foot, but Xanthe can see how anxious she is to get moving from the darting of her eyes. Of course she is; Wall doesn't give either of them leeway, even though they're the most efficient team out of all of them. But at least she sends a car for Xanthe; Cass has to use the entrance on the opposite side of town, and Bruce is either close to figuring it out, or has already.

"Don't worry, I'll get the dishes," Xanthe says, with a grin. Cass made breakfast, after all, and caramelized onions are Xanthe's favorite, so the least they can do is get the remains of the omelettes down the disposal. Of course, they're going to be late, too, if they don't hurry, so they can't follow Cass and watch her change into work clothes, either. Which is a shame, because her new pinstripe suit is excellent.

"I have a new contract," she calls, from the other room, and Xanthe is thrown for a moment, thinking that she means this morning's assignment. "The other lawyer sucks. Just a real asshole," she continues, and Xanthe has to scramble to catch up. She might be talking about an actual lawyer - she is sometimes - but more probably she's talking about Deathstroke again. It's just that wouldn't make sense to someone who still thinks she works for Bruce, which Xanthe is very much supposed to.

They were never supposed to find out. And Cass managed that for years - and Xanthe, to be fair, did too - which might have gone on forever if Xanthe hadn't tried to catch her for lunch one too many times. This is how they know that Wall has absolutely no idea they're married, and didn't do that to them on purpose; there's only so many times Orphan needs to be sent on a team mission without Spirit to handle her, and when Cass doesn't turn up for lunch every time?

Xanthe probably should've been more discreet, because they definitely piqued Bruce's suspicions, but they didn't start them, which is the important part. He already noticed strange things about his little girl, at work and with the family both. She's a fantastic lawyer, too, which just makes everything harder to prove. Oh, sure, a lot of agents are covering her workload, but Xanthe's seen her in court; she's putting in enough of the hours. She knows more about copyright law than Jason does, and Xanthe is very sure he's not killing people on the side.

Although he might know. Because they do work together. Would she tell her brother she's an assassin, and then not tell her spouse? No, Xanthe doesn't think that's what's going on, but Jason's awkward enough around them that maybe Cass just makes it out like she's having an affair and expects him to cover for her. Or maybe Jason is an assassin. Trust Wall to recruit multiple times from the same family. She does go on about Kate's impressive marks at the Academy.

Obviously just knowing isn't enough to trigger the chip; no one would program it that way, because letting things slip about one's identity is something everyone does by accident, and it wouldn't benefit anyone to try to hide things from people they're supposed to trust. So, yeah, people figure things out; as long as you don't say anything outright, you're fine. It's just that Xanthe wants to say something outright.

It's not fair, is it? That they figured out about Cass months ago, and she still doesn't know, still goes on about office culture to make Xanthe laugh about the stupid things people want to fight over, and how they needed to ban communal paperclips? Because Xanthe's just got the tiniest store where they hardly ever even talk to Johnny, and both of them would look at paperclipped files in horror.

Except, right, they don't. They have an insanely expensive microphone and an overly precise tone of voice, looking at maps and guiding Orphan through obstacles and checkpoints. Xanthe is too professional to ever give away details - clubs, sometimes, or what book they're reading, but they grew up knowing that so much as their gender or religion is too much of an identifying mark to readily share with people. And Orphan works in silence. It's why they're the best team, and it's why neither of them ever should've notice.

And the thing about Orphan - and Xanthe can't stand knowing Cass must be tamping this down all the time, even when they're together - is she always notices the slightest change in routine. So if Spirit starts getting more detailed with the personal stuff, or changes their speaking voice, or anything, Orphan is going to freeze and recuse herself from the mission. And if Xanthe starts talking too much about work, or trying to be less emotionally closed off, or even lets themself admit, in the privacy of their mind, that they handle assassins for a living - Cass is going to know something is wrong. And be concerned.

And concern isn't the thing that Xanthe is going for, when it might distract from the mystery in the first place. Not that it is a mystery. Xanthe wishes it were still a mystery, because then they wouldn't have to know the answer, either. But Cass just busses a kiss against their cheek while she slips on low heels, muttering all the while complaints that are definitely about Deathstroke's unprofessional behavior. And Xanthe is overly concerned about the threats to kill him that they never thought, before, Cass would follow up on.

"Ugh, the worst part of working for my dad," Cass says, by the door, checking all of her keys in an overly familiar way that Xanthe should've noticed is the same way Orphan looks over her equipment, "if I'm late they say it's nepotism." She laughs at herself, looking expectantly at Xanthe, who really needs to get her out the door and get themself changed and off to work, where they're both just going to have to change again anyway, and cycle through and through until they offer one clue enough to tip Cass over the edge into awareness. If only she were looking. But she trusts Xanthe too much.

Which was fine, before, when it was just, you know, a living. Yes, Xanthe killed people - not pulling the trigger, usually, but there's only so much difference someone can convince themselves of when they remote detonate a bomb - but it was work. It was sanctioned, it was for, they're constantly reassured, a good cause. And Xanthe can put that away, and enjoy eating dinner with their wife. Taking her to the ballet, and then wandering into the street to dance in their fancy clothes. Instead... instead, Xanthe just says, as always, "but, darling, it is nepotism. You know you'd never even have a job if Brucie could remember how to sign his own name."

And Cass kisses her spouse on the way out the door, already, Xanthe can see, if they look hard enough, shifting into Orphan.

Your spouse is leading a secret double life as an assassin, trying their best to keep it secret from you. This has never really worked, because, unbeknownst to them, you are actually their handler.

[handsingraphite]

.

I know I should stay off certain fan takes but they bleed into timeline even momentarily, Twitter enables this a lot of the time.

But if I see another conspiracy theory about Mile and/or Apo mistreatment because BOC have favorites, I am going to scream.

The fans have reached a point where it's just intentionally reading malice into every move, and that is the most exhausting mindset to be in. How difficult is to not assume, to not keep track of what's happening with other people you say you don't care about, and to not just be covetous of what the other side gets.

Repeatedly: we do not know behind the scenes what goes on. There is a level of transparency that can be demanded, but not everything, because contracts with advertisers and other members of the creative industry still have confidentiality clauses built into them. Not to mention that event work guidelines will differ all the time.

This is specifically in reference to the perceived oppression of Apo and his popularity because he didn't get a flight send-off but BBB did, but no one knows or has been able to confirm if (a) his official FC requested, (b) Apo preferred to keep flight details private until last minute (which is not at all implausible as he has expressed discomfort with stalking/wanting to keep his "off work" time private), and (c) as BOC has tweeted there appear to be confidential details being kept re: his work schedule and it's likely some sort of other extra work he's doing beyond the released event schedule, that they'll want to keep under wraps until the opportune time to publish it. On (c) this is a normal thing that happens! Projects may fall through hence details aren't released until finalized and sometimes that's right before the actual release of whatever it is!

Not to mention there's a real indication here as well that BBB's event contract includes their preparation process which is likely why BOC approved the flight send-off. Largely for the optics as it's going to be filmed.

Or the fact where people alleged the release of Mile's WanDay was orchestrated to specifically make Mile and Apo "fight" on the hashtag charts or whatever, since it was filmed around August, but. This is wild to me how people don't realize it takes time to edit footage, and they were in the thick of preparing for KPWT Phase 1 which is probably why they're only releasing longer footage now (the Mafia Kindergarten eps are 15mins long at most, quicker to churn out), and they may have had it queued in even before Apo's event schedule was confirmed. But it's insane to assume they chose this date to "war" with Apo's schedule or hashtag trending.

Which also makes me uncomfortable how much policing goes into what the fans have to be doing to "be a fan." Like. Fans are allowed to not trend hashtags, or choose to consume content at a later time, or maybe even choose what activity to keep up with at a certain time. Why are people fighting over "how to be a fan" and calling each other fake for only committing to trend for one person or whatever. It's unrealistic. People have varying attention spans and interests, let them be. Let them have their fan experience as they want it. Hashtag trending is one aspect and should be a fun thing to do, not something weaponized at this point.

Like. I am not a company stan and I do not want to be one, but assuming malice right out of the gate is so wild when you could just. Wait for more details, or clarify things. Anything but jumping straight into "must defend" mode when no one is being attacked. Coveting and comparing is not something I expected to see in a fandom for actors, who all will get very different opportunities anyway according to their branding and preferences.

And I know BOC also instigated a lot of this as well with their past unprofessionalism but they have recently actually been taking steps in the right direction. They're becoming more transparent, responding more quickly (they postponed Mile's WanDay vlog as soon as the fan feedback rolled in), and accommodating fan requests where applicable. It is definitely not perfect, but I'm uncomfortable with the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" gut reactions people are continuing to have.

Look, I'm not saying they don't deserve criticism. But maybe recognize we don't know all the details behind the scenes, and there is a good reason for that (contracts! confidentiality clauses!). Also work to remove yourself from a cycle of assuming the worst because it can literally fuck up your reactions so much that you get mad over the seemingly innocuous, harmless things.

Remember, the KP cast are very much social media aware. They see everything happening in real time (👀 Mile), don't put them between a rock (BOC, the company they will work with indefinitely and have personal stakes in) and a hard place (their fans, whom they're all so grateful for and are trying their damnedest to please).

TL;DR Life is 100x better when you wait and seek out more information rather than assuming malice at every turn.

[captainsteveamericarogers]

Why are you so quiet? Everyone has gone insane and making up new facts every five minutes, you're usually the first one to lose your patience and lay it down. You're obviously on Chris' side yet you're letting people talk shit about him. You need to say something!!

I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted. You talk as if I'm some matriarch of the fandom when in fact I'm just a mediocre fanfic writer who is exhausted with this whole debacle and it's barely been two weeks. Nobody listens to me!

Today I saw a magnificent example of both Chinese whispers and alternative facts in this fandom. The person who alleged that CE was at her work for medical imaging, who I suspect was also the author of the now-deleted Reddit post, only tweeted that she had found out he was at her work. I appreciate that many people deleted the screenshots of the tweet as it was a gross invasion of his privacy and a HIPAA violation that, if true, would have very serious consequences for both the tweeter and her employer, and that a lot of people didn't see it. But suddenly people were talking about an actual x-ray or MRI image that had been posted and deleted. There was never an image. That didn't stop a few people from saying they knew someone who had seen it, which adds credence to the rumour despite being a lie due to there never being an image.

A lie can run around the world before the truth has got its boots on - The Truth by Terry Pratchett

We are seeing this in action every single day since the People article. I've seen people make the most outlandish claims. Suddenly, everyone has a friend who knows his flight details or what he ate for dinner. It's utterly demented. It's beyond crazy.

Let's go through all of the utter horse shit I can recall from the past fortnight. Shall we have more bullet points?

It's all PR

They have a contract for two years (how could anyone possibly know this?)

Chris obviously cannot stand Alba anywhere near him

The girl in the park who was forced to delete her Twitter was in on it and planted there to record

Chris has been personally seeking out Tumblrinas to block on Twitter

Narrative PR wrote the deranged fan letters to make the fandom "look crazy" (lol) and garner sympathy for Chris

Literally anyone who sticks up for Chris or Alba is, in fact, Chris or Alba or their moms

Alba wore a halter to WDW to show off her tattoo and be recognised (Really? Who on earth is going to recognise her?)

She only flew into FL to record the video and then left immediately (y'all really don't like them spending time together, huh?)

They are reading every single post every single gossip blog writes and using the comments to make their fake PR relationship more convincing

There's more but this is so exhausting. If you take one thing from this post, let it be this. Take EVERYTHING with a pinch of salt, no matter who posts it and how sure they seem. Sometimes people are right and sometimes they are wrong. This fandom has a nasty habit of voicing their opinions as facts, then others take that and run with it, like today with the medical imaging business.

The fact is, nobody cares whether or not you believe it. But you are devoting hours of your life, every single day, dissecting everything and going around and around in circles and it is not healthy. It is not healthy at all. Take some time off or at least talk about something else.

Someone asked what I personally think is happening with Chris and Alba, so I'll leave you with my thoughts. It's serious. They are in love. I think they'll probably get married sooner rather than later. The laser focused comment was an FYI, telling the fandom that he's going to be taking his foot off the gas and concentrating on his private life for the foreseeable future. Take it with a pinch of salt. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[himitsu-luna]

Headcanon

✿｡♡Jaemin as your husband ♡｡✿

Jaemin is the type of husband that shows everyone he is your husband. How? "This is my spouse. Beautiful, right?", he tells anyone who talks to him randomly, even if no one asked anything// He is always bragging about his wedding ring and showing it to everyone, especially when he feels there's someone that has second intentions over him or over you// He keeps all the photos of your wedding in his phone, so he can tell the story of you as a couple everytime he has the chance to do so - "Have I ever told you how I met Y/N? Oh yes?! Four times? Ohh maan, I still remember it clearly.. I was there and..........." - and continues the story for the fifth time to the same person.

Speaking of pictures, he likes to take hundreds of photos of you. And at the end of every year, he prints every single one of them and builds an album with your special moments.

He frequently has a look at these albums, and afterwards he acts even more caring towards you than he already normally acts

He is extremely caring and nurturing, and there's no one in this entire world who would take better care of you than him.

He worries about the things you worry. Your matters are his matters. He reminds you of your schedules, of taking your medicine, of the birthday of that third degree aunt of yours you don't actually talk to anymore, but that he knows because he basically knows literally your entire family.

And speaking of family, your family simply love him. Since the first meeting, Jaemin just snatched everyone's hearts. He values and treasures your family sincerely.

He is a gentleman, extremely respectful, and treats you like royalty.

He happily cooks for you. And he is very considerate even with the food. He knows everything you can't eat, everything you dislike, and even asked your family about the recipes you grew up eating, so he can still cook them for you.

He has at least ten different nicknames for you. "Sexy" is his personal favourite, used with moderation at family gatherings though. I'm sorry, I had to do that xD

He is the touchy touchy type of hubby. Of course he will always respect your boundaries, but he likes it so much to feel you close to him, not only emotionally, but physically too.

Hugging, kissing, cuddling, holding hands, giving massages are his favourite things to do with you.

He also loves to act all flirty with you. Your flirt battles are insane.

When you go out with your friends, ohh well, they definetely feel like a third wheel. The amount of attention and love he gives you even in public is truly enourmous.

You often catch him looking at you intensily. It's still easy for him to get lost in your traits, even after years of marriage. He gets very distracted around you, and people always pick on him because of it.

If there's something he enjoys better than time alone, that would be time alone with you. He easily easily trades any night out with friends or any event for a good calm day with you. Just the two of you, watching a movie, talking, sleeping all cuddled up, that's the paradise for him.

He is very observant, and he knows all of your details and expressions. He is able to notice the slightest change in your mood just by seeing a tiny different muscle contraction in your face.

He has a very comforting and reassuring touch. He doesn't need to say anything to make you feel better and safer. When you're sad or feeling down, just looking at him and receiving his embrace make you feel that everything is going to be alright.

He is the type of person who doesn't impose his opinions, thoughts or beliefs over you. He is a good listener, hates conflicts, and is pretty much understanding, open minded and goes with the flow.

So, he being able to read your moods + he being very chill and understanding = a peaceful marriage.

If he nags or gets angry at you, it's because you probably are not taking care of yourself, or because you're doing things that will not end up nicely for you. In these cases, he doesn't hesitate in giving you a good talk. When he is angry, he can act either really emotional or really cold. And it can be intense. But that's because he cares a lot about you.

He is a little protective, especially when it comes to your feelings. No one who dares to hurt you will get away with it. He makes your enemies his enemies. He death stares anyone who he knows have some problem with you. It's honestly quite frigthening.

Your house would be pretty simple, large, kinda monochrome, decorated mostly with neutral colors.

If you want to, you two would definetely have a dog as a pet. He would insist for you to adopt one, actually.

He is the romantic type. Not that type that would do big extravagant things though. But he routinely does some cliché things in a small scale. For example: bringing you a very simple breakfast in bed whenever he can; buying your favorite flower on his way home; lightining candles at an ordinary dinner just to make something different; carrying you from the sofa to the bed while planting hundreds of kisses on your face.

He can't sleep without telling you he loves you. Even when he goes to bed first, he will sense you laying beside him and will say half asleep "I love you". It's a habit now, but it's not banal at all. He means every word he says.

Overall, Jaemin is that type of husband that gives you that strong feeling of family. You found your home in his arms. You are truly loved. You won't ever feel you have to do things alone anymore. You proudly say "This is my dear husband". And he, even more proudly, repeats "Yes, I'm your dear husband".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

•° Anon, thank you for the request! I hope you like it! <33

•° taglist - @starrdustville @mairah-shaikh @mairahshaikh @cupidluvstarrz @kpopsnowball @kaepopsicle @purplepsycho03 @najatheangel @dundun-baby

* If you want to be added to or removed from the taglist, just send me an ask or a message (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

•° Masterlist

...

[sobbingdistantnoises]

I am sending start of 2x22 Dean to Doom Hell to kill his brother to get him back.

Sam does not realize yet that the "innocent person" he killed is literally just a zombieman demon and he's already killed like 10 of those.

The place I am modeling where Sam and Dean are/will be is E2M1 which makes like 2% sense (E2M1 aka episode 2 map 1 takes place on Deimos, which is one of Mars' moons and not actually Hell even though I have made it very clear that Sam is in Hell; E3M1 is actually where Hell starts in Doom 1, but I don't properly know my way around it and also the pinkie hallway makes me mad because of their stupid path finding here thus I did not consider it <3; technically I could have maybe done E1M1, but I already described E1M1 in excruciating detail in my fic in which Tommy and Dee Dee go to Doom Hell and do not particularly wanna do it again, so...E2M1 aesthetics are really cool though, so wooo for that) and also I've fricked up monster counts because I was going off memory but also this really doesn't matter.

^ Me from later here. FREAKING NEVERMIND ???? " It is later revealed at the end of Episode 2, The Shores of Hell, that the entire moon had somehow been transported to Hell" says doom wiki.org. SURE. OKAY.

In all, HAHAHA. Time to discuss actual writing snippets :)

^ I think I am really neat with how the demon doesn't get anything proper, actually, because the contract went to Lilith and the demon didn't really get anything despite being the one to make the deal with Dean. She just died via Sam later, HAHAHA. The way I split it up looks like a shopping list to me. Like a proper contract (???)

^ Industrial Revolution comment may not fit the mood of literally anything, but also Sam called the household with no salt "low sodium freaks" under high stress that one time, so I feel like it is in character. It's also funny to me, and considering my target audience that consists of 1 person is me, I am keeping it

^ I feel so evil for this actually. Dean counting the hours, minutes, and seconds is. MMMM. This can also help contribute to eventually realization by the fellas that there are multiple Hells, because they do not have this information yet and probably won't get it until after 4x1.

This is a snippet that isn't quite part of anything yet. In this fic, Doomguy talks about eating demons since he's sort of spent hundreds of years in Hell, and that has stuck with me for months <3 Combined with how Sam restricts what he eats...There are evil thoughts in my head. Dear Sam: I am sorry I hurt you this way <3

^ I want to remove the Hell smell bit so that I can use the words in a Dean description of Doom Hell.

About where I plan to take this: currently uhhhh, not sure. I'm considering doing a canon diverge after spn season 4 end, but the issue with that is that I do not actually know how s4 ends yet. I also don't know half of Doom's lore because it is kind of insane. I am writing a crossover between two pieces of media I overall do not even know half the events of. Incroyable. (This is honestly just kind of funny to me, HAHAHA.)

I am thinking maybe the reason Sam goes to Doom Hell the first time in the first place should be because of something Doomguy and Vega do. I feel I am falling into the trap of introducing vital characters too late without ties to earlier parts of the story.

Maybe I could also do a silly Time Is Wrong Sometimes in Doom Hell bit with Castiel from a later season going to Doom Hell and ending up at the same time as s3-4 Sam and Dean ??? Hmmm. If I go with this, it could be interesting for me to compare Cas and Vega. Castiel is an angel, and Vega is like...basically God except he originally wasn't and actually "retroactively altered history to make himself the creator deity" between him and the guy who made him, but then he went into hiding from that guy and lost his own memories of being God since he became an AI made by one of his "angels" (maykrs, who are worshipped across a few universes but don't actually have anything divine about them that is known), and that's Vega.

Currently reading doomwiki.org, and hm. Some things I want to note as interesting in the context of this fic:

"Doom Eternal reveals that some demons were once humans that were forced to wander the depths of Hell; as their souls and life essence were siphoned away, their bodies became demonic over a period of eons. Following the aid of the Maykrs and the Argenta, a new process was designed in which a human was tortured to the point of complete despair, at which time the soul was forcibly extracted with a device called the Evulsor. The soulless body was then dumped back into Hell, where it would rapidly become a new demon. The essence of the departing soul is then used as energy, either on its own or after being converted into Argent energy." And apparently souls are used as an energy source at least a few times spn!

"Urdak is in effect on the "opposite side" of the universe from Hell" Urdak is also run on the power of tortured souls via really old agreement made between the Lord of Hell and the Maykrs, who are actually sort of machines things (?) created by the Dark Lord Davoth (guy who made Hell when it was really great, even better than Urdak) to figure out how to make Davoth's people immortal who then realized immortality for Davoth's people would be a threat to the rest of the universe and thus did NOT tell him how to get immortality. The MAJORITY of tortured soul energy actually goes to Urdak.

Vega, before Doom 2016 happened, ran on Argent energy (basically human/other living beings suffering power) in the UAC base.

"During the construction of the tower, [Samuel Hayden] was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 brain cancer, and put all of his efforts toward devising a scheme for his personal immortality." Who remembers that one episode in season 3 where Sam (Winchester) was like "heehee, let's become immortal zombies so that you don't have to go to Hell, Dean". Insane about that still, actually.

Other assorted heeheehahas:

"Much like in Doom 3, the incarnation of the UAC in Doom (2016) was secretly aware of Hell's existence for some time before the game begins, so much so that the inner corporate structure of the company has transformed into a cult."

"[Samuel Hayden] then steals the Crucible by somehow pulling it through the air into his hand" "SOMEHOW" HAHAHA.

You can't just shoot a hole into the surface of Mars...

I am a GOD by the way (I was bored and had no internet but yes offloaded google doc, so I actually did WRITING STUFF)