#let's cook together again

[ravensuizo]

95 Theses (Meower's version), Everyone is Miranda

Hello good people! This is part 2 of @alexandroseleven post [HERE], which laid the foundations for me to explain this theory. The next posts will be at @zeleneagle [HERE], @h-doodles [HERE] and @lapisdemon22 [HERE] respective blogs, who will continue to explain what happened last night.

SO LET'S BEGIN

THIS was us last night, playing around, saying stuff to see if something would eventually stick. Up to this point we had slandered Alcina, Cass was slowly becoming Miranda, then KJ said it. Let's zoom in on her messages for a moment.

That's when it hit me. Perhaps I'm not as delulu as I thought?

For context, the night before yesterday I had been working on a theory with the help of both Lee and Myrddin, said theory talked about the possibility of all Dimitrescu's and Beneviento's representing a side, a stage you may say, of Miranda's life. Like pieces to a giant puzzle.

EVERYONE IS MIRANDA.

So, I know it sounds far fetched, but let me explain from the beginning.

First of all, let's begin with Bela (<3). She's been cooked and served in the past, we can officially describe her as the kinder, caring version of Miranda, the one that always has MC's back and viceversa, as confirmed by the devs with the Parallels Theory. I will quote Cinder in this:

"When MC is in need of care, Bela goes to their “territory” with soup to aid them despite “not caring”. Although she’s pissed, she still helps them when they need it, and they only go to Bela’s dorm when they’re both feeling better and have the capability of saying no. Bela goes to MC, not the other way around, and there is always a choice."

"When MC is in need of care, Miranda takes them to her home. It doesn’t even occur to her to take them back to their dorm where their friends are waiting and concerned. She takes them to her place, where she feels like she is most in control of her environment and how people function and there is barely a choice at all in the matter as MC is literally drugged out of their mind in her car. Eventually, they make it back to their dorm safe and sound, and they are taken care of well enough to not feel endangered." 

They have similar responses when caring for MC, completely parallel to each other, Bela for the better and Miranda for the worst. Which leads me to think, is there a possibility Miranda could have acted like Bela with Feather? That she once was the right side of the coin?

We know Miranda and Feather met in 1976, they crash into each other and even though Feather apologizes inmmediately, she's still met with a "Get out of my way." From Miranda. However, the very next piece of info we get on this flashback is this:

"You rear back, you know - somewhere in your bones - that she is mean. She has a propensity for cruelty, especially if someone wrongs her. It is the only way she has survived this long."

I find that last part quite interesting. It seems Miranda's cruelty very foundations come from external pressure, people wronging her, society perhaps? In the 70s and even up until today, misogyny was a very common factor in society, no doubt, something that could have affected Miranda. If keeping her mean persona up meant respect from others, it would only make sense to keep it on, this is further proved by another part of the same flashback:

"You have been balancing precariously in the realm between friends and more, but neither of you have wanted to risk the societal persecution that would follow if you were to be wrong."

Society continues to fuck things up I guess.

Anyways, back to Miranda can be kind ramble, Miranda personally searches for Feather to apologize. This is a version of Miranda we do not see with MC, however is a version we see Bela perform.

Which leads me to believe that Bela in reality represents the old Miranda, the one who would care for Feather and would no doubt fight her mean instincts to make her happy. The one who would be softer with Feather when away from prying eyes and judgmental voices that could very well destroy them both.

Interesting connections do NOT end here.

If Bela and Donna (talking about her a bit further in the post) can share traits with Miranda, who says the rest can't?

If there's someone people haven't talked enough about, it's Dani. Our girl is gathering dust, but why?

I began thinking about her, analyzing her route. Dani cannot fall in love, because she's cursed to become a beast when she does by Miranda. Her route is almost like a fairytale, isn't it? The friendliness, the sweetness, the way only MC can break the curse by choosing to stay (which is vastly different from Bela's route, in which if you choose to stay and support her, you get killed).

So, I began cooking with that. I think Dani is the perfect representation of young first love, the innocence that it brings and the cruelness of when it ends. Daniela is cursed to become a beast that brings a finale to her own fairytale.

She represents the monster you become when love has to end.

That clear, I believe that in this theory, Daniela represents Miranda's grief after losing not only Eva, but also Feather. Her young love, who was killed just a bit after her daughter. She would move the sun and the moon for them, create a cult of followers, create experiments and discover inmortality, she would make a beast out of herself just for them.

If Eva stayed, if Feather stayed, I assure you Miranda wouldn't have becomed the beast.

We move on to Cassandra, she is this social figure with big expectations for herself and even BIGGER dreams, that when they get destroyed by an outside force, she's willing to tear the world apart and even taint her hands in the blood of someone else, even when it's someone who helped her, to get them back. This is proven by her bad ending, where there's little to no hesitation on her side when Alcina suggests sacrificing people.

Are we seeing this? Cass loves theatre with all her heart, aspires to make a living of it, her dreams are based on this, if she loses it, if everything is destroyed? She doesn't back down and instead takes the next best decision, even if it's unreasonable and in turn destroys everything else.

Does this sound familiar? It better be because this is exactly what Miranda does, except she isn't inclined to theatre like Cass is, she's inclined to family and love. She's represents Miranda's ambition and determination and how willing she is to destroy the world for her Eva and her Feather, how Miranda never backed down even after countless resets, after years of the same shit, just for another chance.

Angie is next, and I believe she might be very important.

We see Angie on all routes, including her own, having a close relationship with vices and unhealthy coping mechanisms. On her cult ending, it's also revealed that Angie originally died with Claudia, and Donna in her despair went to Miranda, crafted a doll to Angie's appearence and gave it her soul.

This is going to sound far-fetched, but HEAR ME OUT-

I think Angie represents loss, she represents the unhealthy things Miranda continues to do, the vices and the willingness to put herself through everything to get back her daughter. Angie was brought back to life by a family member that couldn't stand the idea of being left behind, that would do anything to keep her by her side, no matter the sacrifice, Angie represents Miranda's purpose and mission to keep going in both RE8 and RL, Eva.

Which brings us to Donna being Miranda's mirror. This part has been cooked by Lee in the past, they both have the possesive side, the obsession, the desire to keep what is rightfully theirs, if we do not focus on MC, that would be Eva and Angie respectively. Donna would do ANYTHING for Angie, she kills, she sacrifices, poisons, and other questionable acts, if prompted she would definitely go Miranda lenghts. And she has technically, hasn't she? She brought Angie back, created a doll to fit her soul into, I'm sure if the doll hadn't been a possibility, she would have gone Miranda levels and broken time for her.

And to finish this huge ramble, let me talk about Worst Mother of the Year award winner Alcina Dimitrescu, who, for some reason, was difficult to wrap my head around.

You see, on @alexandroseleven post, you could very well see me struggling with her and eventually reach a conclusion, but let me explain it a bit further.

Alcina is a clear representation of two things, pride and failure. Throughout the routes we see how much she prides herself in what she has and her reputation, her power you might even say, on what she can do and the opportunity given to her by the cult. This is an influence she tries to give to her daughters, trying to guide them into Mother Miranda's hands, and only successfully convinces Cassandra.

In her route, we see her trying to desperately fix her relationship with her daughters (specially Daniela), however, at the very ending of her good ending, we see how she breaks it even further! Because she doesn't see the main source of the problem, which is her desire for her daughters to follow a path she's putting them on.

For all that, I believe Alcina represents Miranda's pride over her power, but also represents Miranda trying to fix what's already broken and the failures that come with it (aka, the thousand resets), not seeing that the main problem is she's not letting go.

Having explained and argumented everything, I can safely say I believe every character in this game is meant to represent a stage of Miranda's life. So yeah, everyone is Miranda :D

That was me, that's my meal, it's burned on the edges but it's finally out of the pan.

Take these extra screenshots of us going crazy on Fungus Theory:

[starry-bi-sky]

realizing i have. a lot of untapped trauma potential for clone^2 danny because i just Fully Processed Four Months Late the fact that his parents were capturing and torturing ghosts in the basement before he became Phantom. and the fact that he was on house rest for 2 weeks. during that time period. and he wasn't really leaving the house. he could hear their screaming through the floorboards

*points at clone danny* i can give you suuuuuuch a bad time babe ahaha. i've got two untouched years before you meet damian what fucks you up before then

[anjasitdown]

I have so many Thoughts I wanna say before I move on from the Public Safety Arc. There'll be manga spoilers by the way.

To be honest, I put off watching Chainsaw Man when I heard the protagonist's sole aim in life is to... touch boobs. I thought Denji was just like any other shonen MCs with perverted tendencies. I tried watching because it was animated by Mappa, but I stayed because of Aki, Denji, and Power (and Meowy). But as I reached the ending of Public Safety Arc, I realized Denji's more complex than that.

All his life Denji was deprived of basic needs; he couldn't even afford the bare minimum. He didn't get to experience love from a parent or admiration from his peers. Denji craved so much for love and affection, but the only way he knew how to get that was through sexual intimacy with a woman. Receiving affection from friends is completely foreign to him. That's why when he and Power did that in the bathroom, Denji's like, "Wait a minute... that's it?" Deep down Denji knew there's more to love than that—there's more to affection than just touching breasts. The moment he started to realize that, Makima just had to twist his mind and turn him back to his sexual urges (screw u for that makima btw).

Throughout the whole arc, Denji continued to believe in his idea that love is just about touch and sex. He ran after women after women who fulfilled that but left him feeling hollowed because, well, they tried to kill him afterwards. It's actually entertaining to watch Denji finally gets his first kiss only to get barfed on the mouth and his second got his tongue cut off. And Makima, the woman he truly loved, not only used him but also discarded him when she got what she wanted. Most of those women don't see Denji as more than a dog. Denji is just some dumb boy who doesn't deserve the normal life he's having.

But Denji really is just some boy. But he's Aki and Power's boy. There's nothing special about him. Aki and Power know that because they looked beyond the Chainsaw—they saw Denji as he is, and accepted him. People treated Denji like a dog and no one saw his worth as a person. But not Aki and Power. Aki gave him a house, taught him and Power manners, cooked for them, and taught him how to cook. Aki treated Denji and Power as his own. And Power, as unhinged and selfish as she is (affectionate), relied so much on Denji. I think that trust taught him to be a better person. To have someone rely on you can make you feel loved and respected. That's why helping Power overcome the fear of the Darkness Devil felt so natural to him. Sleeping with her on the same bed, taking a bath together, and Power walking in on him while he's on the toilet didn't feel naughty (as Denji said). The love Denji's searching for everywhere has always been in front of him: Aki and Power.

Makima can tell Denji she fabricated everything for all I care, saying everything has been a lie and that she set it all up to destroy Denji's mind and heart. But what Aki and Power felt toward Denji was real because they were the only ones who truly loved Denji without asking for anything in return. They saw him as he is, and loved him.

My precious children 🥺🥺🥺 I'm going to miss them

[clairenatural]

standing by my angel!cas endgame truth while also kicking my feet and giggling writing cute domestic human!cas post-canon fics. a woman can do both

[bulldagger-bait]

When it comes to hygiene tasks and self care with disability and chronic illness, its pretty much a constant case of: don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Basically: it's better to do something, than to do nothing at all.

TLDR: Just because you can't do something "properly" doesn't mean you shouldn't do it at all. Do it half-way. Do it shitty. Do it barely. Do it on a technicality. But do what you can. Just try, because doing something will help you.

If you don't have the energy to scrub your body with a sponge, just rub soap over your skin with your hands.

If you don't have the energy to wash your whole body with soap, just hit the places where sweat accumulates, or where you're smelliest.

If you don't have the energy to wash with soap AT ALL, just sitting in water is better than nothing. It will wash away dirt and oils.

If you can't bathe or shower at all, a warm wash cloth is your new best friend. If that's too much, then try bath wipes. They're a bit bigger than regular wet wipes, and a bit more heavy duty. They're designed to help keep bed ridden patients clean in hospitals.

If you don't have the energy to dry yourself after a bath or a shower, just put on a bathrobe and get into bed. If you don't have the energy to get dressed afterwards, just don't. It can wait until you can.

If you don't have energy to brush your teeth for two minutes, honestly, just a cursory scrub is better than not doing anything.

If you can't brush your teeth twice a day, brush in the evenings. It will help take away the build up of food from the day.

If you don't have the energy to brush AT ALL, honestly, just take a cloth and wipe the plaque off your teeth. Rinse with mouth wash after if you'd like. Something is always better than nothing.

If you can't floss twice a day. Try once. If that's too much, try a few times a week. If that's too much, try setting aside a day once a week as a goal. If you can't keep a schedule, do it when you're able to. Hell, I keep some floss next to my bed so that if I forget and don't have the energy to go get it, I can just reach over.

If you can't iron your clothes, don't bother. Wrinkles are fine. Wear jumpers over wrinkly t-shirts. No one will know, and honestly, most people won't even care. If it's really wrinkly and it's A Big Deal And It Needs To Be Ironed, here's my life hack. Step 1: take a spray bottle, and spritz the item of clothing (while you're wearing it is easiest) until it's lightly damp. Step 2: use a hair-dryer on the clothes until they're dry. It gets rid of creases like nobody's business, it's easier than lugging out the iron and ironing board, and you get to have nice toasty warm clothes afterwards.

If you can't fold your clothes, try just hanging them up. It's less commitment. It's quicker to do. Granted, you need to have the space in order to do this, but it is also good at helping you downsize, and lets you visualise exactly what you have.

If you can't put your clothes away, invest in a couple of laundry baskets, and then just keep your clean clothes in the baskets. You can then separate washed clothes into underwear, pants, and shirts baskets. You can just leave them like that. I'm giving you permission to never fold your laundry again if you can't. Just leave it unfolded. Who's going to care? Something is better than nothing. If you can, try to put those baskets into your closet so that you can keep the clutter out of sight, and give yourself a more restful environment.

If you can't separate your clothing out into different categories and wash them "properly" (whites, warm tones, cool tones, darks, delicates / switching between hot & cold washes / paying attention to laundry instructions on the label) then just don't worry about it. If you cold wash your clothes, colours won't bleed. Maybe gradually over the course of dozens of washes there'll be some changes in hue, but it's really not as high stakes as the One Red Sock In The Whites Turns Them Pink trope makes it out to be.

I've pretty much come to the point in my life where if a piece of clothing can't survive the washer and dryer, then it's just not meant to be. I colour separate my clothes, and if I have the energy/remember I'll take my bras and jumpers out of the washing machine to drip dry. But otherwise, I leave it to the universe.

If you can't separate out your recycling, then don't. If you have a large amount of rubbish you need to get rid of but the idea of separating it out properly is stopping you from doing so, then just don't worry about it. I know it's not ideal, but if you have garbage in your room/house and you need to get rid of it, please just get rid of it. Don't let the problem get bigger and harder to deal with. Don't let "doing something properly" get in the way of keeping your living spaces clean. Please. Give yourself understanding.

If you can't wash your dishes, get paper plates. Obviously, it's not ideal, but it is better that you eat food than skipping meals. It is better that you have a clean kitchen, rather than having dishes piling up and making it harder to look after yourself.

If you can't prepare meals for yourself keep making the tasks easier and easier. If you can't do recipes, then simplify. Use pasta sauce from the jar instead of making it. Eat canned soup. Buy food you can just stick in the oven. If you eat fish fingers and microwave veggies every night, it's better than not eating anything at all. It's better than having to fork out money on take-out. If you need ready-made meals, then get them. If you're literally just eating a raw cauliflower for dinner; 1) I see you, 2) me too, sis, 3) something is better than nothing.

These are the basic things you need to do every day to function as a person. They are your activities of daily living. Brushing your teeth. Bathing or showering. Using the bathroom. Getting dressed. Eating. Drinking. Sleeping. Keeping your environment clean. You don't need to do these things perfectly, but they need to happen in order for you to have a decent quality of life.

And it breaks my heart, because I know that so many disabled people can't do these things every day. I'm not saying this to guilt or judge, I'm saying that these are basic needs; you deserve these things. These things bring dignity. If a disabled person is unable to do these things, it diminishes their quality of life. It robs them of dignity.

If you need help to do these things, Its okay to ask for help. It's okay to need help. But if you can't get that help and you have to do these things by yourself -- or you just plain want to be independent and do it without help-- then don't hold yourself to standards you can't meet.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Even if it's not perfect. Even if it's not done well. Do what you can.

[some-mari-thoughts]

What do you make of the idea of Blackspace kinda fusing with Hellmari after a post-good ending Omori gave her true life, therefore making her the entire realm by technicality? Omori would do that cuz he needs something to kinda fill the void that appeared when Sunny left and he's getting desperate after not finding anything in Headspace to do that...

(woooooooooo explaining my omori au lore-)

Truthfully this is so wildly different to my idea of headspace and omori and after-good ending that i cannot make anything of this! i think that's up to u to decide

[flhoarder]

A niche kink shame, but a kink shame nonetheless.

[deus-ex-mona]

rip nagisa you’ll get your mv soon™️

[sleepyagent]

I want someone to love me quietly and loudly at the same time because Im an idiot

[gl1tchxr]

the dynamic between juxt and ny is unparalleled. they learn from each other without meaning to. they're both jealous of the other. they inspire each other to be better. they absorb each other's worst habits. they seem like they would get along least but they understand each other in a way no one else can

[shakerofthebutt9000]

My dad after tasting the bolognese we made: "You know what we need more of."

Both of us simultaneously:

"Don't say more oregano."

"More oregano."

[todayisafridaynight]

i think itd be cute if sawashiro was from kansai. if i may speak.

[dirt-str1der]

Literally cant care about anything other than majima haruka bonding

[takoyakiwarlock]

boys these new kits are looking scary, what do you mean they gave it sticky bomb and tristrike

Also a repeat of Firefin splat charger from the previous game but now without flanks

[maskedbyghost]

arranged marriage with simon. yes i am talking about this again.

simon doesn’t talk much about the marriage at first, but his actions say it all. he insists on carrying your bags, walking on the outside of the sidewalk, and making sure you eat enough during missions. you don't ask him why, but it's clear he's claiming the role of protector, even if this was supposed to be temporary.

he won’t admit it, but simon begins to get used to the little domestic routines. you cooking dinner, him taking care of repairs around the house. it feels too natural, and although he never says anything, he’s already mentally putting the two of you into that “forever” category.

the first time you mention needing space or wanting to stay in a separate room, simon just gives you a look. "what do you mean, separate? we’re married." he’s not joking either. to him, this isn’t a temporary arrangement anymore. if you try to argue, he’ll just pull you close and mutter in your ear, "ring’s on your finger. means you’re mine." and that’s the end of the conversation.

he starts doing small things for you that a husband would—restocking your favorite snacks, making sure your gun is cleaned before missions, and slipping extra blankets on your side of the bed when it’s cold.

after some time, he’s not shy about touching you anymore—brushing a hand against your arm, holding you a little too close when you’re out in public. the more time passes, the more his touches become possessive, like he’s reminding you who you belong to now.

simon is up early, always. you’ll wake up to the smell of coffee, and he’ll have a cup ready for you without asking. if you take your time getting out of bed, he’ll mutter, "c’mon, mrs. riley. don’t make me drag you out." but there’s always a smile on his face.

when you share a bed, simon always pulls you into him at night. no matter how much space you take up at first, by morning, you’re wrapped up in his arms. if you stir in your sleep or seem restless, he’ll murmur, "got you, lovie," without fully waking up, his grip tightening as if to remind you he’s there, keeping you safe.

simon doesn’t open up easily, but after a particularly intense moment, he’ll lean in close, his forehead resting against yours, and he’ll whisper, "don’t care if it was for a mission or not. you’re the only one for me now." it’s not a grand declaration, but the sincerity in his voice makes your heart race.

simon will leave subtle marks of possession on you—his dog tags hanging around your neck, his scent clinging to your clothes, and his bite marks on your skin after an especially heated night. "need everyone to know who you belong to," he’ll growl against your skin, his lips trailing kisses down your neck.

he also has an odd obsession with your wedding ring. he’ll turn it on your finger, kissing it softly whenever you’re close. if you ever take it off for some reason, his brow furrows, and he’ll slip it back on. "keep it on, yeah?" his voice is low, almost pleading. "means something to me."

after a particularly dangerous mission where you were almost hurt, simon corners you in the hallway, eyes filled with emotion. "you’re not leaving me," he growls, pinning you against the wall. "ever. understand?" it’s a statement, a vow, and in that moment, you know you’re his forever, and he’s yours.

when you’re lying in bed together, his arms wrapped around you, simon will sometimes whisper, "mine," into your hair. it’s soft, almost inaudible, but you feel it in your bones. he needs the reminder just as much as you do—that you’re his, and he’s never letting you go.

[tofixtheshadows]

I've been thinking a lot lately about how Kabru deprives himself.

Kabru as a character is intertwined with the idea that sometimes we have to sacrifice the needs of the few for the good of the many. He ultimately subverts this first by sabotaging the Canaries and then by letting Laios go, but in practice he's already been living a life of self-sacrifice.

Saving people, and learning the secrets of the dungeons to seal them, are what's important. Not his own comforts. Not his own desires. He forces them down until he doesn't know they're there, until one of them has to come spilling out during the confession in chapter 76.

Specifically, I think it's very significant, in a story about food and all that it entails, that Kabru is rarely shown eating. He's the deuteragonist of Dungeon Meshi, the cooking manga, but while meals are the anchoring points of Laios's journey, given loving focus, for Kabru, they're ... not.

I'm sure he eats during dungeon expeditions, in the routine way that adventurers must when they sit down to camp. But on the surface, you get the idea that Kabru spends most of his time doing his self-assigned dungeon-related tasks: meeting with people, studying them, putting together that evidence board, researching the dungeon, god knows what else. Feeding himself is secondary.

He's introduced during a meal, eating at a restaurant, just to set up the contrast between his party and Laios's. And it's the last normal meal we see him eating until the communal ending feast (if you consider Falin's dragon parts normal).

First, we get this:

Kabru's response here is such a non-answer, it strongly implies to me that he wasn't thinking about it until Rin brought it up. That he might not even be feeling the hunger signals that he logically knew he should.

They sit down to eat, but Kabru is never drawn reaching for food or eating it like the rest of his party. He only drinks.

It's possible this means nothing, that we can just assume he's putting food in his mouth off-panel, but again, this entire manga is about food. Cooking it, eating it, appreciating it, taking pleasure in it, grounding yourself in the necessary routine of it and affirming your right to live by consuming it. It's given such a huge focus.

We don't see him eat again until the harpy egg.

What a significant question for the protagonist to ask his foil in this story about eating! Aren't you hungry? Aren't you, Kabru?

He was revived only minutes ago after a violent encounter. And then he chokes down food that causes him further harm by triggering him, all because he's so determined to stay in Laios's good graces.

In his flashback, we see Milsiril trying to spoon-feed young Kabru cake that we know he doesn't like. He doesn't want to eat: he wants to be training.

Then with Mithrun, we see him eating the least-monstery monster food he can get his hands on, for the sake of survival- walking mushroom, barometz, an egg. The barometz is his first chance to make something like an a real meal, and he actually seems excited about it because he wants to replicate a lamb dish his mother used to make him!

...but he doesn't get to enjoy it like he wanted to.

Then, when all the Canaries are eating field rations ... Kabru still isn't shown eating. He's only shown giving food to Mithrun.

And of course the next time he eats is the bavarois, which for his sake is at least plant based ... but he still has to use a coping mechanism to get through it.

I don't think Kabru does this all on purpose. I think Kui does this all on purpose. Kabru's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be understood as informing his character just as much as Laios's autism informs his. It's another way that Kabru and Laios act as foils: where Laios takes pleasure in meals and approaches food with the excitement of discovery, Kabru's experiences with eating are tainted by his trauma. Laios indulges; Kabru denies himself. Laios is shown enjoying food, Kabru is shown struggling with it.

And I can very easily imagine a reason why Kabru might have a subconscious aversion towards eating.

Meals are the privilege of the living.