#like i have a lot of posts in here that i clearly intended to eventually finish or polish up and never did but this is a complete post

[marley-manson]

I just don't know why they're shooting at us. All we want to do is bring them democracy and white bread, transplant the American dream: Freedom, achievement, hyperacidity, affluence, flatulence, technology, tension, the inalienable right to an early coronary sitting at your desk while plotting to stab your boss in the back. That's entertainment.

The author of that Watching Mash book took this quote from Our Finest Hour and said it hadn’t been in any earlier episode, and speculated that it had been cut. He could’ve just been wrong, but I wonder if it ended up cut from O.R. in syndication and only restored on dvds/streaming. Which would be a shame because like the author I also think it’s one of the best quotes in the show, and it’s very hmmm if this is what ended up cut to make room for more commercials.

[i-heart-hxh]

Hey! This is purely me and my morbid curiosity asking, but you mentioned you buy in to the pregnancy stone oops baby Gon origin story more than an actual mother. Can you elaborate, even if it falls with what others may have already brought up? I'd love to get your take! (also, I sent a review of your chapter 4 hxhbb fic, but I think it might've been eaten!)

Hi!

So, I do buy into it, somewhat! I think, for the time being, it's the best theory we have on Gon's parentage. There are a few interesting details related to it.

First off, Togashi included this woman with Ging in some of his early HxH concept drawings, from November 1997:

People have speculated that the woman next to Ging might be Gon's mother, however there isn't actually conclusive evidence of this--it's just a theory. It could also be an early design concept for Mito, Menchi, or one of the other female characters from the series, as the drawing isn't labeled with a name or description like some of the others. Or, she could be a scrapped concept even if she was intended at the time to be Gon's mother, as clearly this isn't finalized in any way.

You can read about this drawing a bit more here!

However, of course within the series itself we have no info on who Gon's mother might be, and Togashi did bother to include the Pregnancy Stone card:

Now, an interesting connection with this is that Togashi is known to have read the BL manga Patalliro!, as he based Hiei's hair off one of the characters, Scunky:

(From a doujinshi Togashi released, Yoshirin de Pon!)

There is also an unconfirmed but very reasonable theory that Killua may have been based in part of the character Maraich from Patalliro!, as the basis of both characters is similar and we know for a fact from the above image Togashi has read Patalliro!.

Now, how does this connect to the Pregnancy Stone theory? Well, Patalliro! also has mpreg as part of its storyline (with biologically male Maraich getting pregnant twice through unexplained means, with one of these pregnancies leading to a son), and considering Togashi may have used other elements from Patalliro! as inspiration... You can see where I'm going with this. I do think it's interesting he put the Pregnancy Stone card in the series to begin with, and there's also the Panda Maid card ("excellent at taking care of human children"), and Ging has used a panda plush as a substitute for himself in the Election arc. Coincidence? Hmmm...

Image taken from this post, explaining more about the Pregnancy Stone theory.

My personal feelings now that I've laid all this info out are basically... I've talked a lot about how intentional Togashi's storytelling is and how much attention he pays to things, so I think he planted this knowing people would consider it a possibility, at the very least. We don't have any other theories about Gon's mom that have this much to go off of. It's possible he will reveal more info eventually and either make this more likely or explain Gon's origin in some other, totally different way, but for now I think this is compelling--there are enough pieces that it is a legitimate possibility.

I'm not someone who is interested in mpreg (or any kind of preg, for that matter, LOL), so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about this whole situation or the mechanics behind it, but I do think it would be pretty hilarious if this does canonically end up being Gon's origin story after all. Just such a wild way for Gon to come into existence. It'll be interesting to see if we ever get answers with regards to who/where Gon came from, whether it's by Pregnancy Stone or not.

It's a fun topic because it seems so goofy and farfetched initially, but the more you look at it, the more it's like, "Actually..." 🤔

(And thanks again for the review, my apologies that it took me a while to reply!)

[tyrantisterror]

Your recent train of posts about you-know-who’s book series got me thinking. You once said “The Owl House works as a sort of rebuttal to Harry Potter in a lot of ways”, care to elaborate on that statement? Especially in regards to how The Owl House’s worldbuilding and themes clash with Harry Potter’s?

Oh man... I don't want my blog to be consumed by Harry Potter Hot Takes. I'd prefer to vent most of those feelings through my wizard books instead, it's more productive that way.

So, ok, short version: The Owl House is about a teenager from the mundane world discovering there's a magical world hidden away, goes there to learn magic, and in the process uncovers a plot by an abominable fascist to commit genocide. In very simplistic terms, that is more or less the same plot as Harry Potter.

But the devil's in the details, isn't it? Luz doesn't have any grand inheritance to claim, no prophecy to fulfill, nothing that makes her the most special specialest special person of all time. There's even a whole episode early on where a villain tries to lure her to her doom by claiming she's the chosen one, and the lesson is that NO ONE is "chosen" for greatness - greatness is something you make yourself, not something that's thrust upon you. She is not inherently gifted as a witch - in fact, she struggles harder because she doesn't have a a special bladder true witches are born with, and has to learn an ancient and forgotten method of spellcasting basically from scratch to cast spells at all. She is, emphatically and at times definitely deliberately, the opposite of what Harry Potter is.

So is her academic experience. There's a magic school in this setting, and (at first) it wants nothing to do with Luz because she's human, not a witch, and thus is believed to be incapable of casting spells. So Luz's primary mode of education on magic comes from a private mentor, Eda, who is also a wanted criminal and social outcast because of her disdain for the draconian rules of their society. Eda is an unconventional but magnificent mentor, one who is as willing to try new things and learn new methods as Luz herself, and who helps Luz discover ways to make possible what everyone else claims is impossible. Eventually Luz does convince the magic school to take her in, but in the process she changes how it runs, challenging a lot of its preconceived notions and forcing them to do better.

Which is vital, because the biggest problem facing the society of this magical world is narrow-minded reliance on outdated social categorization. Like HP, people are sorted into categories (covens here instead of houses), which they are then forced to stick to and never dabble in the others. It is explicitly compared to both the concept of tracking in real world education (i.e. forcing kids into a career path early and ONLY giving them education relevant to that one career) and the house system of HP:

And it's wrong. It's both presented as needlessly limiting, terrible for encouraging advancement and growth of both the students and society as a whole, and an immoral system that's only kept alive by the "Well, this is how we've always done it" inertia that keeps so many awful traditions in education alive. And I really do mean it's immoral, because it's the brain child and secretly crucial evil tool of a genocidal fascist.

I kind of cringe at writing those two words since I feel people have been WAY too quick to accuse cartoon villains from children's shows of fascism and genocide - like, Chairface Chippendale writing his name on the moon with a laser would probably kill a shitload of people in real life, but that doesn't mean he's an analogue to Hitler. But Belos, like fellow Disney villain Frollo, is clearly intended to be exactly that: a genocidal fascist. In a world full of magic-fueled absurdist black comedy beats, Emperor Belos stands out as a consistently serious threat, tonally dissonant with his surroundings in a way that makes him chillingly effective as a villain. And like real world powerful bigots, his power primarily comes from the fact that the systems of society favor his mindset over those of outsides like Luz and Eda - all the systems of oppression our heroes chafe against were either created by or worsened by him, with the express purpose of using them to kill everyone and everything in the magical world.

Luz could not be more thematically opposed to her enemy, and the story is incredibly consistent in showing how defeating Belos alone isn't enough, but that the systems that empowered him have to be disproven and dismantled. His enablers must be destroyed or humbled, the prejudices he encouraged must be torn down and fought at every turn, and innovation and progress must be embraced for the good of all. There's so much stuff you could analyze about the themes in that show regarding oppression and the othering of people who are different, and it's all so, SO much more consistent than the discussion of the same themes you'll find in Harry Potter.

[mysticbewitched]

My Beliefs Have Evolved..

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▪︎ I'm about to piss off some popular bloggers & start a major fire in this community.

{ Lights, Camera, Action.}

A serious epiphany hit me hard out of nowhere as I was wandering through some of my old posts way back when I first started this blog. As I was reading through some of my old writings from my former posts, I realized that I held certain beliefs at those times that no longer resonate with me anymore.

I did not realize at the time, but I took some teachings of things from Neville in a *literal manner* that were never supposed to be taken in that way and some aspects of my understanding of the law of consciousness were completely distorted due to the ridiculous amount of ignorant misinformation and misinterpretations flooding through tumblr.

I admit that in the beginning, I was one of the ignorant ones, and it was because of all the information you're constantly seeing spread around like chaotic wildfire in this community.

It clearly warped my understanding and I thought I finally had Neville's teachings all figured out.

Let me tell you, I was beyond wrong.

Recently, I had discovered that I've been missing the main puzzle piece: the entire source of the law of consciousness.

For that reason alone, I want everyone to know that I will most definitely be revamping and transforming quite a lot of my older posts to reflect my newer, evolved beliefs to reflect the philosophy of nondualism.

Now before you start stressing out, I want to explain to you that Neville Goddard was actually teaching nondualism at the core of his teachings, which a lot of people wrongly mistake as something separate or completely different from the law of consciousness.

They could not be more mistaken, and they simply do not understand it. The law of consciousness is the expression of nondualism at its core.

I'm here to tell you that they are the exact same philosophy with different delivery. That is truthfully what Neville was teaching about all this time.

Now whether or not you believe in nondualism, that's entirely up to you, and you are free to believe whatever you wish. - I just want you to truly understand and realize that Neville Goddard was, in fact, truly teaching nondualism.

Admittedly, Neville did start off his teachings with some limiting beliefs, but he eventually evolved in his beliefs and his teachings after he experienced the promise.

The law of consciousness is just a name for the physical expression of nondualism's philosophy. Simple as that.

For everyone who is here for the "law of assumption" and you are being led to believe that you are somehow separate from your own reality, or the law of consciousness is a law "operating outside of you"- you are seriously not being taught the law of consciousness in the way that Neville Goddard actually intended for you to understand the whole core his teachings.

*Your understanding of the law is being warped and twisted out of shape because of all the countless amounts of misinformation.*

Neville Goddard and Alan Watts both taught nondualism at its core. However, their styles of teaching were different from the other, and they were focused on different aspects of nondualism.

Neville focused his teachings on the true operation of the law of consciousness shaping our own lives from within us for his listeners to understand how to consciously create their own realities while Alan Watts' teachings were more centered around our true self as unmatched, infinite awareness and how we as awareness are the original source of the universe experiencing the physical expression of itself.

Nondualism is all about oneness and unity, not separation.

All the total bullshit you hear these days coming from the most popular bloggers in this community about: "The 4D vs. The 3D", "The 3D conforming to your desires", or "The 4D is more real than the 3D" -

Blah, blah, blah.

Throw all of that shit out of the door.

All of that implies separation. There is no separation.

You are the prime *source of all creation* and one with all. This is what true nondualism is all about.

You are source of the universe.

You are God of your own reality and all things come from *within.*

All comes from within. This is the core of nondualism: absolute oneness and unity.

You are one with your reality.

Consciousness is the only reality.

"All things come from within; nothing comes from without-" - Neville Goddard

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A lot of my former beliefs were about:

▪︎ The "3D conforming" - That's a huge no, no. There is no damn "conforming" going on, and I will explain all about that in another post. "Conforming" implies separation, and there is absolutely no separation. You and your reality are *one*. Simple as that.

▪︎ Taking Neville's whole "mirror" comparison in a literal manner to imply separation between imagination and reality.

Guess what? That teaching from Neville was *never* meant to be taken as literal.

I'll say it louder for the people in the back this time. There is absolutely *no* separation. Your reality "mirrors" your state of mind because there is no separation between you and your reality.

You can thank the ridiculous flood of popularized misinformation flowing through this platform for making me think there was some sort of invisible, barrier between imagination and reality that performed as a literal mirror in action.

What the hell was I thinking? Most definitely not. Those former beliefs of mine are history and deep in the trash where they belong.

▪︎ Focusing on the "time" with manifestations:

I actually now feel as if focusing your attention on the "time" implies a lack mindset because you're just supposed to focus on enjoying already having your desires in the present moment.

"Time" does not matter.

Stressing out and worrying about the "time" is a strong indicator of a victimhood mindset, and I only want to empower my followers to step into their power and change their mindset to manifest their dreams.

I firmly believe that the more confidence in yourself and your own ability to manifest, the less "time" it takes for the physical manifestation of your desire to be expressed in your reality.

▪︎ Thinking as if the "law of assumption" was a law that was somehow operating outside of us. -

Oh, hell no, it's not. Not even close.

The law of consciousness is *you*.

Everything is coming from within you.

You are the *infinite source of all creation.*

It's simply a beautiful and freeing realization.

Free yourself from the chains of misinformation.

▪︎ { I will be doing a post sometime to explain nondualism in greater detail and how it is actually about the true nature of the law of consciousness under a different name and form of delivery. }

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None of the former beliefs reflect my views anymore, and people who are still following these beliefs are only overcomplicating and distorting their understanding of Neville's teachings about the law of consciousness.

I resonate far deeper with the true intended teachings of nondualism from Neville and Alan Watts compared to the popular ways that people are trying to teach "law of assumption" these days on here.

I'm just not having it, chief.

I have stepped away and opened my eyes. I am on the outside looking in and I am now seeing just how much distorted misinformation are being blindly accepted as the end-all and be-all from even most of the Neville inspired blogs.

The teachings from Neville in this modern community are incredibly warped and distorted. These people just don't get it, man and I remember being in the exact same position, myself.

I shake my head when I think about the old, ignorant version of myself. I really thought I had it all figured out and I was missing the main piece of the puzzle the whole entire time to tie everything together.

It is now safe for me to say that I have definitely strayed far away from the distorted misconceptions and "popular" ways a lot of bloggers are trying to teach "law of assumption" these days. I'm just not having it, man. The ignorance is unbearable.

*Knowledge is power* and you want to make sure that you are being exposed to the right information from others that will simplify everything and actually help you achieve success on your manifestation journey.

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[kradogsrats]

Schrödinger's King in the Bird Box

Time for a return to the single topic that most torments me in this entire franchise canon: is Harrow in the goddamn bird or not?

Except not really. I'm not going to go over the evidence again. I've done it before. Almost everyone has done it before. It has only gotten stronger. At the absolute minimum, an attempt was made to put Harrow in the bird. That's not really disputable. I admit it. It's over.

This is actually the second time that I've struggled with narrative cognitive dissonance regarding a real core factor of this show (like not "what's the deal with Archdragon reproduction," but something that is clearly supposed to be thought about with the intent that it will eventually make sense), and eventually managed to rotate it so hard in my mind that the way I wanted to see it slipped out of my grasp and I saw it the way it's actually intended. Ironically, I think I may have been thinking about the Ocean arcanum at the time.

Anyway, what previously always bothered me about this question was mainly two things:

It would have a devastating impact on Ezran's character development if Harrow reappeared during s1-s3, but the timeskip and arc of s4-s5 made it so it would also be deeply weird for him to reappear before the show ends.

If Harrow is in Pip's body, both Viren and Pip's subsequent behavior, as well as how Pip is treated by the narrative on a meta level, make absolutely no fucking sense.

But... if Viren doesn't know whether the spell was successful or not? If we are meant to not know whether the spell was successful or not, because it's not going to get resolved in the show itself?

If we accept that the earliest point with any chance of the hooks for this plot being set is late s7—because yes, Aaron Ehasz would do an exact beat-for-beat repeat of Zuko and his mom—that both puts Ezran far enough in his growth for it not to be threatened by the "real" king returning, and keeps Harrow out of the loop for long enough that it doesn't really make sense for him to do anything but step down from the throne in favor of Ezran, anyway. As for Viren and Pip's behavior, if the show isn't going to advance that plot much further during its runtime, there's no reason for us to be constantly reminded of it. The setup has been made, and they can just let it stew because it's not actually relevant.

That being said, Viren's behavior actually does make a lot of sense if "is Harrow in the goddamn bird or not" is a question that is also tormenting him. To that end, I'll be doing some digging here on the nature and context of the body-switching spell, Pip/Harrow's behavior post-swap, and what the hell is going on in the Harrow section of Viren's dark magic dream.

The Spell is Made Up (Unlike All Those Real Spells)

First of all, I think there's been some long-term incorrect assumptions made about the body-switching spell. It's not a known spell: this is Claudia and Viren essentially flying by the seat of their pants... but we rarely stop to think about how that contextualizes the rest of the discussion around it.

The initial plan is to find the assassins and ambush them before nightfall. As Soren points out and Viren himself confirms: if they fail, the assassins will be unstoppable under the full moon and Harrow is as good as dead. Claudia decides to put her mind to that problem, so naturally she stops to flirt with Callum in the library and gets the inspiration for the spell from something he says.

(Fun fact: none of that happens in the novelization. Zero amount.)

She brings the idea to Viren, and they develop the spell from there. It's not really clear if Claudia actually knows whether something like that would be possible, but Viren does know that transferring the essence of a person can be done—he's got a nice little coin collection that proves it.

As for the snake, there's no way Viren "acquired" a two-headed soulfang serpent because he has a book somewhere on how to use a rare, malformed specimen of a dangerous Xadian creature to switch people between bodies. He probably thought "that's weird, but could be useful," or maybe whoever sold it to him just had a great sales pitch. A non-trivial amount of success at dark magic is in having access to rarer and more powerful reagents than your competition.

Anyway, what this means is that Viren has absolutely no idea what success looks like for this spell, particularly when using it on subjects of different species. When he describes it to Harrow, he is 110% talking out of his ass. He sounds like he knows exactly what the spell will do and how, and I think a lot of us kind of fell for that. He needs to sound confident, because if he admitted that he doesn't know if it will even work, with a possible failure condition of "snake eats your soul," well... a) Harrow rightfully wouldn't go for it, and b) he'd look incompetent, which is the worst thing ever.

When he goes to Harrow's room, he casts the spell... but did it work? I think that whatever it did, it did it in a way that Viren can't tell whether it worked or not. Maybe both Harrow and Pip passed out. Maybe Viren just didn't want to hang around for the aftermath—in the novelization, when he exits the room and runs into Callum, his eyes are still black from spellcasting.

Activities of Dr. Pip Harrow, Ph.D.

Probably the thing that has always bothered me the most about the entire Harrow-Pip theory is that yes, literally everything in the lead-up and immediate aftermath of the assassination points to that being exactly what happened... and then the narrative lens of the show completely drops the rope. Pip doesn't even appear in the novelization until Viren's pre-coronation scene, which is funny given his looming presence over half the scenes with Harrow in the show.

Pip appears exactly twice after the assassination—once in s1 and once in s2—otherwise he goes completely ignored. He's not in the background of Viren's office, or the throne room, or Harrow's bedroom. No one ever mentions him ever again. Ezran never mentions him again, in the show or in any supplementary materials. You'd think the boy who can talk to animals might have some interest in his dead dad's beloved pet... but who knows, maybe Pip has always been an asshole and Ezran's actually like "thank goodness I never have to speak to that dude again."

Anyway, in all of Pip's appearances, he behaves like... a bird. A trained bird—Harrow can rely on him not just fucking off—but he doesn't demonstrate human-like intelligence the way Bait does. That being said, Bait is essentially a main-cast character (at least as much as, say, Corvus... maybe even Soren) while Pip is a plot device, and even then it takes until well into the first arc for Bait to show the kind of complex reasoning and initiative that separates him from an unusually smart dog. Pip's human is also a stressed-out king, rather than a rambunctious ten-year-old, so he's probably a bit more sedate overall. I would personally bet, given the way the show has progressed with regard to Xadian creatures, that Pip is as intelligent as Bait.

The point of that is: even if Harrow's consciousness is occupying Pip's body, he's not really doing anything with it. He's pissy, sure:

But is that Harrow's pissy-ness or Pip's? Even if Pip is only as intelligent as a trainable bird, that's plenty intelligent enough for both grieving/confusion that their human is gone and holding a grudge against obvious assholes. Viren cages him, but is that because he flipped out and got bite-y? And was it Harrow flipping out, or Pip? Or is he caged just because Viren's of the general attitude that animals belong in cages? Those who fail tests of love... We just don't know.

A lot of us also, to circle back to assumptions about the spell, have tended to think of a body swap between Harrow and Pip resulting in Harrow flailing his arms around wildly and screeching... but again, we know literally nothing about this spell, nor do we actually know anything about Harrow's behavior after Viren leaves his room. Maybe his body sat catatonic on the bed until Runaan came in and shot him. Maybe Pip, being intelligent, was able to maintain the facade—once everyone's in the heat of battle, it would be hard to notice even significant deviations from normal behavior. Even if "Harrow" appeared to fight only halfheartedly, or give up entirely... well, he hasn't been the same since he lost Sarai. Maybe the spell only partially worked, and only half of his soul is inside Pip, with minimal or no influence over the bird body's behavior.

Viren does appear to take some precautions in case Harrow is alive inside Pip. The cage, for one... but he also has nearly all subsequent important conversations outside of his office. Like I said earlier, Pip's cage isn't rendered in the background of any scene, but since he escapes from Viren's office I'm assuming that's where he's been. Even if Pip was just out of frame in every scene in Viren's office post-assassination through end of s2, the only things he's seen are... Viren eating butterflies, and the conversation between Viren and Claudia about the mirror and her side mission to bring the egg back at all costs. He doesn't know about Soren's instructions to murder the boys. He knows about the mirror and Viren's obsession with it (which he could have known before), but he doesn't know about Aaravos. He may know that Viren stole his seal but only if Viren was stupid enough to stamp the letters with it in front of him (which... look, he could be). The only things he's really learned are that a) his sons are alive, and b) Viren lied to him and the egg is alive.

Now, realistically, if we were meant to hang on to the is-Harrow-in-the-bird plot thread because it's going to be significant within the scope of the show... I'd be expecting to see at least one cut to Pip glowering at some point during all these machinations. If it weren't for the mirror and Aaravos, I'd expect Viren to be yelling all his monologuing at Pip, too. But the show does none of that. Instead, the next time we see Pip, we see him peace-ing out of the show for at minimum the next three seasons, and possibly the remaining two, as well. If Harrow's in there... why? Did he go to find Callum and Ezran himself? It's not actually clear that he knows Ezran can understand animals, so it would be reasonable for him to think Viren is his only chance at ever not being a bird again. Maybe he thinks that chance is gone with Viren's arrest and would rather not spend the rest of his life in a cage. Maybe he really isn't in control of the body.

Back to Viren, though: since Pip refuses to demonstrate any behavior that could be taken as distinctly Harrow's, Viren actually has no idea at any point whether Harrow's in there or not. He doesn't know if Harrow lived. He doesn't know if he succeeded or failed. It's a constant reminder that he's almost, but not quite, in control. Almost, but not quite, good enough to achieve what he wants.

It probably drives him absolutely insane.

Did You Think You Were Somehow Getting Out of This Without Me Mentioning Kpp'Ar?

Just kidding, it's finally time to talk about Viren's dream. We've gone two entire seasons and a two-year timeskip without any mention of Harrow or Pip (though those maniacs dropped the fucking snake basket on us as an incidental but obvious prop early in s4), and then suddenly we get punched in the face by Viren's subconscious.

First, though, I do actually need to point something out in the scene with Kpp'Ar. Bear with me, I promise this is relevant.

Viren sealed Kpp'Ar's soul in a coin 12-ish years ago, and the coin has been sitting collecting dust in his secret dungeon for... some amount of that time. Now he opens the door and finds Kpp'Ar standing there, free—and I will note that I don't believe Viren actually knows how to free people from the coins, or whether it can even be done. His reaction is surprise, followed by suspicion and wariness:

When he encounters Harrow—dead—his reaction is horrified shock, which is fair since the last time he entered the room that way there was no surprise body chilling out waiting for him in it:

Then, when Harrow speaks to him, suddenly alive and unharmed, he drops straight into relief:

Some of this is undoubtedly due to the differences between Viren's relationship with Kpp'Ar and his relationship with Harrow. With Kpp'Ar, after that initial moment of confusion, he's absolutely determined to not show a single hint of ignorance or weakness—this is a trick, or a test, and a passing grade in "light verbal sparring with the mentor you're pretty sure you remember betraying" is a thing that is both normal to want and possible to achieve. For Harrow, who he wants so desperately to call him brother, who he walked into this very room ready to die for, before everything went horribly awry—he not only immediately and willingly goes to his knees, he literally prostrates himself.

... I'll give everyone a moment to get all the innuendo and suggestiveness out of their systems, because that's not the point. This time.

What is the point is that Viren's reaction to Harrow isn't disbelief, but relief. Hope. Kpp'Ar is supposed to be in a coin, and Viren immediately questions how he got out. Harrow is supposed to be dead but Viren doesn't give a second thought to how he's not. Fortunately, Harrow helpfully explains:

Fun fact: back in s1, we don't actually see Viren actually taking action against the assassins. We don't even see evidence that he re-entered the room at all—it's only Soren and Claudia who participate in Runaan's capture.

I haven't actually touched a lot on the complex shit going on for Viren, emotionally, throughout all of this—I mentioned it's was probably driving Viren insane over the course of the first two seasons, but let me elaborate. If Viren successfully switched Harrow and Pip, that means Harrow survived... but he expressed his feelings on the proposal in no uncertain terms, and there's a good chance he will literally never forgive Viren. I don't think Viren thought far enough ahead to consider how to get Harrow into a human body again, but I do think he's dragging his feet on it a little because if he can work things to his advantage—unite the Pentarchy against Xadia and follow through on the war Harrow was avoiding—he'll prove to Harrow that he was right all along. Any chance of that flies out the window with Pip at the end of s2.

If the body-switching spell failed, it means Viren essentially killed Harrow himself. That's the reality I think he grows more and more resigned to over the course of s1 and s2, when Pip remains unresponsive. He had no choice but to take the best chance at saving someone he loved—but this time, instead of saving Harrow, he murdered him.

In the dream, Harrow has not only survived, but credits Viren with his survival. He doesn't just dismiss Viren's show of remorse, but makes his own apology to Viren. He calls Viren brother. After an impossibly long nightmare, everything is okay. All is forgiven. Maybe there was nothing to forgive, in the first place. Maybe Viren was right all along.

Then it all turns sinister with the callback to the coin incantation, and we have a sharp return to reality:

The cinematography here treats Pip a lot more like how I would expect him to be treated in s1/s2 if we were meant to know he was actually Harrow. There's focus actually on him, instead of just other characters' reaction to him. He "speaks"—as I noted in another post—in raspy sounds very unlike his songbird chirps from s1. This is absolutely Harrow as Viren actually left him—even if he's not dead, he's in a warped prison of dark magic, a perverse mockery of himself.

Oh wait.

Harrow-who-is-both-human-and-alive was never an option, and what we've got now is mirror images of Harrow-the-dead-human and Harrow-the-live-bird, and they're going to do to Viren what he did to them.

Now, it's not that none of this makes sense if Viren knows for sure that Harrow is in the bird... but it makes a lot less sense and has less emotional resonance. If Viren knows Harrow survived as Pip, he'd be more likely to question Harrow's human form than his survival—the way he does with Kpp'Ar. He might be more guarded, expecting hostility—which, I will note, is what he gets when Pip enters the scene. Instead, because until now he believed that he actually killed Harrow in his attempt to save him, he's so relieved to see Harrow alive that for that one moment he loses all pride and is ready to beg for forgiveness at Harrow's feet.

Since legitimately none of this makes sense if Viren didn't at least attempt to put Harrow in the bird, we're left with Harrow maybe or maybe not alive, Viren having maybe or maybe not been the one to actually kill him (gonna be a fun one with the Runaan context), and a plotline that is definitely not going to be resolved in the remaining two seasons of the show. I'd be kind of surprised if they even did any more setup for it (like Callum/Ezran finding out it's a possibility, or even a hint drop like Runaan being all "it was fucking weird, he just sat there" or something) outside of future supplemental media.

Conclusion

Either Harrow is alive and in the bird, with the future intent being to do a spinoff story The Search-style, or we're in for a huge bummer of a "actually, it was Viren all along who killed Harrow, therefore Runaan is a good guy and we can all be one happy family" pile of absolute bullshit. Yes, they said Harrow's dead. Harrow's body is dead, we knew that all along. There's a note in the artbook that Viren was actually going to rip the shroud off at Harrow's funeral in order to publicly prove it's his body, because that is an extremely normal thing to do.

The show just treats it extremely weirdly because, even as the only person with any chance of knowing, Viren is in the same uncertain boat as the rest of us. (Actually more uncertain than the rest of us, since he's not genre-aware.) Also it's another chance to torment Viren emotionally, and they'd never pass that up.

Thanks for coming to my absolutely ridiculous TED Talk on this topic, I hope this screenshot now does as much psychic damage to you as it does to me:

[muchanmocha]

Round 7 (and beyond)

I never intended on releasing a prediction post bc Team Vivinos is capable of excellent plot twists and there wasn't enough to go on imo to really have any solid guesses. But the recently released teaser gave me enough confidence in my current theories to put this out there. (Apologies if it's incoherent bc I'm basically just reposting a discord spiel I gave to an unfortunate friend a while ago lol.)

In sum:

Luka will be the winner of season 50 but Till won't die.

Bonus half-crack prediction:

Luka will win against Till, but Till won't die and Hyuna crashes the party to win season 50.

I can't recall the source but I believe Team Vivinos has mentioned that we're entering the main plot/part 2 of the story. Everything in this post is formulated based on this premise.

The artbook synopsis also seems to back up the claim that a bigger plot is coming.

Luka wins

Fairly sure Luka will win because that's his role. He is the epitome of this system. He is the symbol of Alien Stage. He cannot fall this easily.

Him maintaining his position at the top means he and the segyein enter part 2 with a strong presence.

Alien Stage may be fractured — 2 current participants have escaped to the rebels alive — but the system is still standing. It's scandalous, sure, but they have a winner and they will eventually go on to have Season 51.

Till survives

Till won't die because that's just weak sauce writing, plot, and character and we know Team Vivinos isn't capable of weak sauce writing, plot, and character.

Fact of the matter is, if Till dies in the next round he and his personal story will forever be overshadowed by Ivan's.

The climax of Round 6, Ivan's narrative and ending, it was executed so goddamn well. It was compelling. It was incredible. We are still not over it. And so—

There is nothing Till can do in the space of one episode ending in his death that can overpower Ivan's momentum from the previous episode. (Ofc everything in this series was somehow packed into 4 minute spurts that leave us emotionally wrecked so I am fully prepared to eat my words)

If Till dies here, regardless of what he does on stage before it happens, Till will be reduced to "the character who dies of guilt and regret after being the subject of someone else's obsessive love and sacrifice." He'll end up a passive player in his own story.

But if Till survives:

Till from here on out

Imo it would be FAR more interesting to see where his feelings and relationship with Mizi develops and shifts from here because Ivan has effectively tainted his idea of love.

Why do I say this?

Well Till's love for Mizi is... very innocent, very pure, very "first love"y. It's all things naive and fantastical and shoujo manga heart-shaped bubbles.

Meanwhile Ivan's love for Till is dark and gritty. It's obsessive. It's all things murky and ugly (I mean it in the best of ways don't come at me with your pitchforks) — the complete opposite of Till's impression of love.

Which makes it all the more impactful when Ivan forces Till to come face to face (literally) with that deep, obssessive love in Round 6 with his last moments.

After this incredibly traumatic eye-opener — an intimate, violent look into a different kind of love — I don't think Till can look at Mizi the same way again. (No not because he does or should be obligated to return Ivan's feelings, and that's a hill I'll die on regardless of pitchforks. If Till develops feelings for Ivan it should be on his own terms. If Till falls out of love with Mizi that should also be on his own terms.)

Hyuna wins Season 50 (jk)

Look it'll be funny.

Luka facing off against Till and then Hyuna crash the party, stomps him (vocally), effectively wins Season 50, and then yeets with Till and Mizi — one over each shoulder, hauled like sandbags.

(In all seriousness tho, not a very high chance of happening. They clearly have a lot of issues to sort out that'll prob happen later in part 2.)

"Never come back again"

The whole reason why this post is up. The caption for the new promo art gives me more confidence in the theory that everyone leaves except Luka.

'Never come back again.' I feel like there's a good chance this is Luka saying or thinking this to Hyuna (and co). If indeed it is, there's a lot to unpack there.

Tl;dr

Hyuna and Mizi busts Till outta there, Luka is left utterly alone seated on the throne again, Sua and Ivan eventually come back wrong to wreck emotional havoc as zombie androids

[factual-fantasy]

23 ASKS! :D Thanks ya'll!🎂

(Post in question)

AAAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'M SO GLAD YOU NOTICED!! :DDD✨💖✨

Now the only cool detail that you missed/I'd like to point out about the clones is.. they don't cast a shadow.. 👀

I have a vague memory of them.. I haven't seen their characters in a while- I imagine I still like them tho :0

@unicornfpotatoesdir

Thank you! Though sorry, I don't take drawing requests. And that sounds like its intended to be in a romantic light.. I don't dabble with ships, Sorry! <:/

@neo-metalscottic

AAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DD As for her growing power, I honestly don't know if it should be magical or not. Are there cookies in the game that can change size but its only due to magic?? I don't know-- I pictured it being something that she can just do and always could have. Idk if it would fit the games better if it was due to magic- I have no idea <XDD Sorry!

As for the Vegimals, I do intend to keep the original story. :0 Some strange eggs showed up in the side of the ship and boom! Out popped the Vegimals XDD

I'm sure the crew has done a lot to try and figure out what they are or where they came from. But there are some mysteries that just cannot be solved.. 😔

(Post in question)

:DD THANK YOU! I'm so glad you like her! :}}}

@sparkdrawsstuff

That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out <XDD but you're right about the found family idea! :D

So for the backstories, so far I have a few vague ideas..

Seafoam met Octo when he was like.. 10 years old..?? and Octo was like 2 or something- they grew up together as best friends and have been together their entire lives.

Now when they were teens/young adults, before they got their ship.. they worked in a local restaurant. Where they met Ellie. She was one of the cooks there. She loved to cook but she hated her job and hated her life. The only people who ever treated her with respect was Seafoam and Octo. So when they finally got their ship and were on their way to live out their pirate dream. Ellie went with them, and became their first crewmate.

Now for Louis I was thinking that he was really down on his luck when he met the crew. He had no friends, no family.. he lost his house, his job.. heck, his arm. Everything. I'm imagining him as some homeless person that the crew stumbled upon while they were passing by a fishing village of some kind. Somehow he joined the crew and became their fourth crewmate. Not sure how it happened but that's the idea-

Now the story for Blue is that when it was just the first 4 crewmates, their ship was out at sea and they hit a crazy storm. Their ship was a vessel meant for at least like 10 people, not 4. So when this storm hit there just wasn't enough hands on deck to control the ship. They needed to do this with the sails and do this over here and do that to stabilize it but they just couldn't keep up. Thankfully though its around that time that Blue was passing through and saw this ship clearly struggling against the storm. So out of the kindness of her heart she stuck with the ship and kept it balanced/afloat. Eventually guiding it to calmer waters and meeting the crew.

Seafoam was endlessly grateful for her help and thanked her. I think Blue wasn't used to people speaking so kindly to her.. so for a while she sheepishly followed the ship around and eventually just became an official member of the crew.

Now for the rest of the crew I don't really have an order in mind.. though I think Red was the most recent addition to the crew. Speaking of him- Red is Seafoam's great nephew. I haven't figured out the details but some kind of tragedy happened that took the life of him mom, and everyone else on his ship. Seafoam wasn't very connected to his sister or the family that she built. But he somehow heard about this disaster and got a hold of Red and took him aboard his crew.

There's also Pinwheel. I'm thiiiinking that they found her adrift at sea when she was like... 14..? And Seafoam really took her under his wing. He basically raised her. Her grim backstory before being lost at sea is still development-

Uhhh who else.. Oh! Cuttlefish. She was an experienced pirate from another crew that some how got stuck with Seafoam and his crew for a time. By the time she was able to leave, she decided to stick around becuase she really liked these people. I'm still working out the details-

As for Urchin, Coco, Tuna and Spidercrab though... aggghh I got nothin. I'm thinking that Coco was a stowaway..? And Tuna has clearly been through a lot. But their stories still need some time to develop 💔💔

(Also thank you for taking interest in my OCs! Its means a lot :}}} )

My good man I have done nothing but rest/sleep/hydrate/sit around for the past several weeks- 😭 If I rested anymore I'd be in a coma 💔💀

But have you considered, c h i c k e n

I don't intend to.. that just feels like a lot of work to get into- 😖

@minnesotamedic186

Oooo that sounds like a good character to take some inspiration from! :D

I'm goin through a very hard time atm but I'm doing my best!

@astaherussy (Post in question)

That is a TASTY prompt! 😋 Though I see it more likely that these things all happen separately as opposed to all at once. And I'm particularly interested in the first part of the prompt, since I haven't given Marsh much angst yet.. 👀👀

Marsh having a dream about his late wife.. and it just starts him off on the wrong foot that day. He seems more tired and gloomy than usual. But only Natquik picks up on it at first. Natquik might ask him how he's doing and Marsh says he's fine. Natquik isn't convinced but takes that as an "I don't wanna talk about it.." So he'd drop the subject.

But he could still try to do things to make Marsh feel better. Knowing that clearly he seems unwell today. Natquik would put in some extra work to help out around the swamp and pick up a lot of the tasks for Marsh. Just to give him some time to rest from what ever he's dealing with.

Later on that day, maybe at night time when Jack has already crashed for the night. Marsh could talk to Natquik and thank him for all his help. In which.. he might open up a bit. He could talk about the dream he had. "Its been years.. but it still hurts just as much as it did all that time ago." Natquik would be sympathetic. "I've lost those I love too.. it is hard to feel ok with it. I understand." They could talk, a few tears shed. But in the end Marsh feels like a weight has been lifted somewhat. It felt good to share his pain with someone..

alSO WAAAGH THANK YOU!! :DD I'm so happy to hear that you look forward to these posts! They take many hours to make sometimes <XDD

I have not, but a "happy" cartoon world corrupted with angst?? Color me interested! 👀👀

XDD Oh man, that would be spooky for sure! Though I worry about the stress that would put on his neck <XD Having to hold the weight of his entire body-

@2006-stupid-thatsme

I'm hanging in there as best I can, thank you for asking. <XD.. As for how I got into drawing, I'm not sure.. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure what originally inspired me or got me started drawing. Though some of my oldest drawings are Sonic drawings, mostly Tails.. maybe that's what started it..? :0

And as for my style, that's hard to say too. I just draw what ever is easiest. Plus a lot of the shows/games/movies I like/draw are very cartoony. That's probably where my style comes from. :0

And My Little Pony? I have a lot of friends that are into it! But I myself have not watched it. Though I've heard that the story is actually a lot darker than people think.. 👀.. plus all the redesigns of the mane 6 look super fun! I've considered getting into it for sure.

Keeping up with another show though just feels like a lot of work rn.. 😔

@jesterpiecethejester (Post in question)

XD To be honest that drawing might be the brightest he can go. Any brighter and his coat would just be completely white XD

..Actually, imagining the foam and the coat kind'a fusing together and becoming this completely white fluffy coat with a long glowy cloudy train... Jester my good fellow you have given me a very good drawing idea 👀👀👀

@wdillustration

OOOO THIS MAKES ME THINK!! What kind of cookies would they be??? Of course there's the obvious "Polar bear cookie" and "Penguin cookie". But actually, like a food or a theme separate from the species of the character. What would they be??

My first thought is Tweak being a carrot cookie. <XD Kind'a plain but its a start.. Would Kwazii be a pirate stew cookie?? Or just "Pirate cat cookie"? Hmm.. would one of them be based on fish biscuits?? XDD

@chaotic-public-menace

OHHHH I SEE XDD Yeah that's a good idea! There's been a lot of times where I really want to finish a drawing and I'm excited to get it done! Buuuuut the drive kind'a dwindles and I start to slow down.. Taking a 5-10 minute break to doodle something else might be just the fix I need! :D

XD I'm not familiar with this meme unfortunately-

@manybrokenquills

XDD ITS OK!! THANK YOU!! :))))

@100percentevil

Uhg,, always a shame to see. Thank you for letting me know :(

@weirdweeb83

Such a pwebby kitty 💖💖💖

[eezeybreezy]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜɴᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ᴄᴀᴛ ➜ʜᴏʙɪᴇ ʙʀᴏᴡɴ x ɢɴ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

I have fallen to the Hobie brain rot and this is the result. This was a lot longer than intended so now it's broken into multiple chapters! Lmk if I should post those too or if this is too cringe.  Part 2, Part 3, Part 4🔞

warnings: suggestive, not-so-accurate accent, recreational drug/alcohol use, partying, punk shit, eventual smut? 

As they entered the headquarters, the pair were met with a cacophony of sound and movement. People in spider suits and uniforms hurried to and fro, carrying files, and talking urgently on their phones or to each other. Clearly, this was a place of importance, filled with sensitive work and decisions.

The first was a young woman, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and dressed in a long, flowing maxi skirt in earthy tones, paired with a crochet top. Adorned with beads or other natural details, she walked confidently, looking around with a sharp eye and taking in every detail. The second was a young man, his steps a little slower and his gaze mellow. He was dressed in a concoction of ripped fabrics, belts, and buttons, his studded vest and chunky boots a signature in the halls they walked.

"Wow," breathed the woman, taking in the bustling scene. "I knew this was a big deal, but I had no idea.."

The man chuckled. "Told you it was the real deal."

The Spider you’d come to know was none other than Hobie Brown, a stand-out among his peers and variants alike. You’d only met after being rounded up as an anomaly, though you’d come to the HQ willingly, as any means to getting home was better than being stranded in some uppity renaissance dimension. After learning of your role as the Black Cat in your world, the punk had found a new friend in an unexpected place.

“Hm…” Hobie peered at you absentmindedly, seemingly turning something over in his head.

You didn’t like that look, and knowing the kinds of ideas an anarchist could come up with, you decide to pry, “What’s up?”

Hobie finally looked at you and not through you, “How did you get those abilities bruv like, I was bit by a radioactive spider so I have spider DNA in me, but how’d you get ‘em?”

“Hear me out, a cat bit me. But she wasn’t radioactive or anything, actually quite sweet.”

“Wait wait wait, you ‘ere bitten… by a cat? And you now have abilities like me??”

You giggled at this, he’s dumbfounded over a cat but a radioactive spider giving powers is the norm around here. “I don’t know about ‘like you’ per say.’

“Aight, maybe not exactly like me, but it’s similar yeah? You have wall-crawling abilities I presume or am I wrong? And probably enhanced strength?”

Why the sudden interest in my abilities, you thought. “I mean I do have enhanced strength and speed, but I can only climb up walls with my claws, I don’t stick like you all do,” referring to the bustling crowd of Spider-people you found yourself in the presence of.

“I see, then I have one last question… What does your suit look like? I’m proper curious ‘bout that.”

Now this was unexpected, not only was he interested in your powers, but your alter ego altogether. In the few months, you’ve been friends, little was spoken about your homeworld, let alone the role you play in that dimension. You wonder what’s gotten him so interested, and so you decide to tease a little, getting Hobie Brown flustered was something very few could boast.

“You ever been to a BDSM club? It’s like a leather dominatrix suit

“…” “That’s… huh.”

“Problem ‘Obie?” You poke at him playfully, gliding to stand closer to the slender man.

“Not at all… can’t say I’m not confused though…” he trailed off. “But hey, as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man it’s not my problem that you have an… um… interesting taste in fashion.”

That got a snort out of you, “You’re one to talk about ‘interesting taste in fashion’, Mr. Spider Punk.”

A sigh comes from the taller man. “Fine. You win.”

Deciding to toy with him further, you play nonchalant and petty, “If I’m so annoying I’ll just leave then. I enjoyed meeting you Punk.”

“Oi oi, I didn’t mean to insult you, I swear… I'll be 'onest wiv ya, mate. I don't really know what I'm doin' 'ere. I'm just takin' it one day at a time and seein' where it takes me.” He looked up from the ground to look at you again, something sad in his eyes. “Life's a funny old game, ain't it?"

“The rockstar runway model is bad with people? Color me shocked”

Hobie let out a huff of air, which you could only assume mimicked a laugh, “Is that meant to be an insult or genuine criticism?”

“I was being serious Hobie, you seem to have a good handle on people. You’re just so cool I thought maybe you’d have it down by now” Despite wanting to crawl into a hole at your admission, you said it with your chest, and you’re not about to back out now.

He’s quite surprised by this, not anticipating such a blatant compliment from you. “Huh… you’re actually pretty rad yourself. Most people don’t think that and just call me a freak.”

“I mean I’d say I’ma freak too but that hasn’t gotten me any complaints if you know what I mean.” You say with a wink, deciding to lay it on thick.

He smirks at you, catching the vibes you're putting down quickly. “Oh, I understand what you mean. I just didn’t expect you to be this forward luv.”

“What’s the phrase? ‘You miss 100% something something-”

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take?”

“Yeah yeah somethin like that”, you past your giggles. “You tryna get out of here?”

Hobie looks at you almost sideways, and if you didn’t know him better, you’d be put off by the glare. “Get out of here and do what exactly? What’re you planning?” He takes a step towards you, covering more ground than you’d anticipated due to his long strides. He was so close.

“I’m not dumb, I can tell you’re trying to trick me into something, but I’m not quite sure what…”

You smile at that, despite telling the truth, he’d managed to tease you in the process. We’re in the clear. “No trick here, not today at least.”

You look at him through thick lashes, “Did you have any ideas Spidey?” you ask coyly.

The punk chuckles,

“Ah, the ol’ playing coy shtick ‘uh? Not that I have anything against it, honest with you I kinda like it.”

Your tone is drenched in sarcasm, “Me? Coy? What kind of women do you take me for?” You’re feigning being offended, and he continues your banter. He laughs in a friendly way, deeply and honestly, a sound you wish was heard more often by the masses.

“Oh trust me you’re not like the other girls. You’re cool.”

“I’m not like other girls,” you say mockingly, trying to keep him amused. “So, what’s the punk down to do?”

Hobie’s face lights up with excitement, “I know just the place. Ever been to a punk rock show? There’s always tons of wankers to hang out with and it’s basically a Beano with loud ass music.”

You’d know about Spider-Man in front of you’s reputation, his subtle flex of eclectic success was something you’d come to admire about him. “I’ve had my fair share of underground events, though I’d call myself more goth than punk, you ever been to a goth club? I’m down to go to one of your shows if the anarchist is down to do some substances with me.”

He perked up at this. “Hell yeah, I’d be down, I love partying. Although, can I ask what kind of… substances you’re planning on using? I wanna make sure I bring the right shit.”

“Fuck no nothing hard, just weed and drinks will do it for me. That’s pretty stereotypical punk shit tho huh?”

“Yeah, well stereotypes exist for a reason. Though the whole ‘punks are stoners’ stereotype always bothers me, I never got why people think punk = drug abuse…” He shrugs.

The hair feels heavier, don’t kill the mood now! “ Well I do love me some weed, and hell yeah it’d be great to drink with you and have fun.” You keep going, hoping to bring that light back to the spider that was there but a moment ago. “I think the whole stereotype thing is stupid, but I totally understand why it doesn’t make sense to you, hating labels and all that.” You punctuate the end of your sentence with a punch to his shoulder.

“Alright, lead the way ‘Obie!”

He chuckles a bit at that, and playfully shoves you back into the portal he’s opened. You always land on your feet as you enter his dimension with a thud. He’s crouched next to you, standing to take off his mask and tuck his suit away.  

“What was that for huh? I know you can punch ‘arder than that.”

He closes the portal and starts walking towards the club, throwing you a glance over his shoulder. He beckons you to follow. “It’s just up this way, hopefully, there won’t be too big of a crowd.” His guard is down now, it’s just you and Hobie Brown, not Spider-Punk and Black Cat, just two “civs” kickin it.

“If you’re down to spar I can show you more than a little punch Bee.” You send a wink at Hobie, hoping the new nickname didn’t make him uncomfortable. “And hey! I thought you were a celebrity, don’t get special treatment even in the underground huh?”

Hobie smirks at that, “Hah. You’re funny.” He peers down at you, despite your above-average stature. “So you wanna spar then? Because now I’m very tempted to see what you can do.” He’s being cheeky, you can hear it in his tone.

Oh, this man was dangerous, and you can’t help the sly smile that makes its way to your face. “Oh, I’d love to show you everything I can do.” You’re sultry now, biting your lip as you gaze up at him.

“Damn, you’re a cocky little cat huh?” He shakes his head laughing, but can’t hide the big smirk forming on his face.

“Don’t think I won’t accept your challenge, because I will…”

“Oh? Is that so? What’s the punk challenging me to do exactly?” You step closer, still looking up at the man, with a smug grin on your face.

“Oh, I think you know…” He smirks at you and steps closer. “Or should I remind you?”

You grab him by his guitar strap, pulling him down until your lips almost touch. “It must’ve slipped my mind, Bert.” You emphasize his name teasingly.

Despite the way your eyelids flutter shut, and how your lips seem to draw each other in, he chuckles and gives you a quick kiss on the lips, still very clearly smug.

“I’m glad I could remind you.”

[theamityelf]

Wait, but also, in the AU where Izuru kidnaps memory-erased Makoto, we still eventually get Kyoko finding the files on all the other students. So it's like, "Mukuro Ikusaba, the 16th student, hiding somewhere in the school. Also, there's this guy named Makoto? I don't know, he was the Ultimate Lucky Student. I don't know what that means or entails. He feels significant, too, but I don't know where he comes into play."

Except of course, she probably doesn't confide this in anyone. But there is a point in the game where she knows there's another student in their class but not what the deal is with him.

The way I'm imagining the scenario, Junko was fully caught off guard by Izuru taking Makoto, and she restructured a lot of things to accommodate that. Either she goes through with the killing game right away, which will be the case in this post, or she delays it to track down Makoto. Maybe sends the 77th class after him; that is a cool scenario to pursue.

But for now, the scenario where she just starts the killing game without him. She left Makoto's room with his nameplate and everything, so now there's a question of, "Who's this fifteenth guy clearly represented as one of us who we've never met or seen?" Then they get to the courtroom and there are sixteen podiums, and that's like...Okay, noted.

Junko doesn't kill Mukuro, because in her mind she's going to confront Izuru later because she can't let this one classmate get away unscathed, and if she wants to confront Izuru then she'll need Mukuro.

Mukuro also knows that Izuru has Makoto. She's still pretending to be Junko. She's deeply worried about Makoto the whole time.

This feels so mean, but I am going to say Chihiro survives because the idea of training with Mondo is not suggested. The reason I'm saying this is to make it so we no longer have to worry about how the group will get through the final trial without Makoto to encourage them; they have Alter Ego and they have Chihiro, so their solutions are more in the spy thriller genre than the intended hope/despair stuff. The world isn't given hope, the killing game is pretty much a bust for both sides.

When enough cards are on the table that Kyoko can talk about Makoto openly, Monokuma reacts with extreme irritation, like "Don't even say that name in front of me! I'm still pissed off that he was taken out of play so early! To put a guy like him in a killing game- that would really pull the heartstrings! But I guess you wouldn't know, since you've never met him before. Puhuhuhu~" Very different to how he reacts when Mukuro is brought up.

Maybe at some point someone asks, "Could Makoto Naegi be the masked figure who attacked you?"

And Kyoko just goes, "No. Look at his file again; Makoto Naegi is five foot three."

All of this to say: Eventually some of these kids get out of the school, get their memories back, and find out that someone took Makoto. Maybe Junko even leverages this; maybe she induces them to recover their memories so they suddenly care about Makoto and then makes it a race to see who can find him first.

Izuru's secluded place is well secured against intruders, and his entire focus has been on "guiding" Makoto to love only him. He's not paying enough attention to the broader world to know that there's a hunt on for his luckster. That Enoshima's disciples and what remains of the 78th class are searching for him, the full weights of their talents devoted to the search.

One day the power suddenly cuts off, and Izuru sits up in bed at once. Makoto's just like, "What? It's just a power outage, right?"

And Izuru goes, "We aren't connected to the local power grid; we have a private generator. And it should not have failed." He gets up to leave the room. "Wait here."

[aromanticannibal]

I will populate the aro mha tags by myself if I must. hcs. (Izuku, Katsuki, Ochako, Shouto, Mina, Shinsou)

Izuku is partnering aromantic. he likes making people happy and he doesn't really get what's so different between a strong friendship and dating so he'd prolly date any of his close friends if they wanted. he definitely wants a house and a dog with someone but in his head the idea situation is all of his friends living with him on different days. one week he's living with Kacchan then Uraraka then Todoroki then Iida etc. He isn't really ace but he doesn't care much for sex even if he does experience sexual attraction.

Katsuki is demiro and demiace and I'm correct. he's also gay but if drunk enough or challenged he will absolutely kiss a girl. he doesn't care about all that romance and sex shit until this One Person (for me it's Izuku in my head he's dekusexual dekuromantic but feel free to imagine your own preferred Bakugou ship) pulls up and makes him catch these rare feelings.

OCHAKO. One day I will write a long post about arochako but until then. Ochako has no fucking idea what romantic love is. She has no fucking idea what being aro is either so she just assumes she's like everyone else. She's so jealous of Toga because she has something she doesn't have, she's so focused on her supposed crush on Deku because her feelings for him have to be romantic, she can't be broken, she can't she can't she can't she can't. Anyway. Aromantic Ochako, she's bisexual but she has no felt romantic love ever in her life and she will never. She would have spent her forever with Toga anyway.

Cupioromantic Mina which I feel is a common hc. I don't consider it canon cuz it's clearly not intended but it's a very good interpretation and I find it sweet. She doesn't fall in love but she wants to, dreams of romance and she will eventually find someone who doesn't mind and will give her all the love she wants <3 (my favorite Mina ship is kirimina but again, feel free to put your own Mina ship in here)

Shouto is aroace he does not careeeeee he is so friendship pilled. friendshippilled friendmaxxer. He loves his friends a lot. he was scared for a long time to be broken, that what he saw of romantic love in his family disgusted him forever, but he isn't particularly repulsed by romantic love (he IS sex-repulsed tho. except when he's drunk then he suddenly becomes sex jokes georg. no one knows why)

Hitoshi is alloaro (no I'm not projecting) he'd probably date someone if they wanted as long as they weren't too overbearing with their love and didn't expect too much from him. he's a kisser he's a hugger he's a hand holder but he WILL panic if he's told "I love you".

I've ran out of juice but PLEASE send me characters. I'll tell you want kind of aro they r.

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #1 v3

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

This post was last updated 08/03/2024.

Take it all in.

Treasure it for all that it is.

Because you will never see this hairstyle this clearly on Crowley ever again, not even from different angles...unless there's a treat waiting for us in season 3. But otherwise, no, that's all we get of this gorgeous, gorgeous shot.

...

Sideburn Check

Before we see Crowley pull that newspaper down, we are given a profile view of his right side of his face and can see his right sideburn. This sideburn looks short but is a little longer than the shortness we'll eventually see is the intended shortness after driving the car for a long enough time.

Let's take a look:

Wow, that is really hard to tell, but I'm still going to go with thinking it is little longer.

So, why is it a little longer in this human space that is the park?

Theoretically, it's a combination of factors that add up to Crowley making that newspaper his own personal door to manage his own personal space. I'll cover that more in the Earthly Objects section. It might also help that this human space is a more familiar one to him.

Two characters are going to show up, at different times, and there will be no interaction from him to them until he has deliberately pulled the newspaper down from his face. That is to say, he passes through his designated threshold to talk to them.

Once the newspaper goes down, we'll see the sideburns some more. They will look similar in length. It's hard to be sure due to the angles and expressions on his face.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

In our initial view of Crowley, we can't see the streak. Once the newspaper goes down, it will become evident. That means we have to be suspicious of the fact that we didn't get to see it at the start of the scene because this story lies. Repeatedly. Something is amiss with its chronology. There is possibly a book somewhere in here and a lot of games messing with our heads.

There is a weird blocking and blurring thing happening all the time in GO2, and it's really overt in this scene. Basically, Crowley's right profile view from the side of the bench is going to just keep being blurry, so that we still can't really see the streak in those particular shots.

Otherwise, on the more clear front or other angled shots, it's more clear the brighter red streak is there.

Hairstyle Changes

Crowley's hairstyle changes frequently during GO2. It will even change in really subtle ways during scenes, such that I simply cannot catch every style. The style when Crowley pulls down the newspaper for the first time is actually something like in between the first shot we see with the profile view and then another shot after it when Shax arrives. You probably won't catch that if you aren't trying. I missed it when I was first studying this stuff some months ago.

Far more subtle, and admittedly iffy—I could just be seeing what I want to see—but to me, it looks like the initial right profile shot has a more obvious gradient. The hair towards the bottom matches his season 1 color better and gets brighter up until the top. The after-pushing-newspaper-down style has a gradient, but there is even less of the season 1 color on the bottom area, as if the hair itself is transforming into its new season 2 state. Here's a comparison view if you wish to decide for yourself:

Here's the original collection I made from this scene before realizing the first style at least is different:

Now with streaks indicators too:

So with all of the above in mind, I reached the following conclusions back when first trying to figure out the hair generally...

(1) Crowley's hair is now a brighter red than season 1, including season 1 present day and season 1 flashbacks.

(2) There is yet an even brighter, more saturated, streak of red hair above his left eye.

(3) His sideburns are longer than they were in season 1. At this point, we have no comparison to season 2 present day, but they are going to get both longer and shorter than what is seen here in this same episode.

(4) In this scene, the hair is lighter and more saturated on his left side; it is darker on his right side. For episode 1 at least, in my past notes, that was standard for most of it.

(5) I can't tell you what the top style is telling us about Crowley's mood, but it does seem to do that, at least sometimes. I'll point out if I think I notice it at times later.

(6) The left sideburn does not have as much hair as the right sideburn. Just as the color of the hair is lighter on the left, it seems the left sideburn is supposed to be "lighter" than the right through that way. That seems to be the more frequent way these things work, but it does sometimes switch.

...

Earthly Objects

For Earthly Objects, one of the reasons "earthly" is specified in the name of the game is touches can depend on how an object is used on Earth, instead of just limiting things to tangible objects and physical touches. For example, looking through a window is an earthly object touch because people look through windows to see things on Earth.

Next, I am going to talk about pockets, so this part is going to get ridiculous. You might want to skip down to the next "..." if my saying the newspaper is like a personal little door for Crowley was enough. My understanding of pockets is limited, but I'll share that limited understanding nonetheless.

Before we get to a lovely right profile view of Crowley, there's lens flare rainbow stuff!

Pockets love rainbows combined with Crowley. We can blame Elvis Presley and his song, "A Pocketful of Rainbows". The most noticeable and seemingly official rainbow, in my opinion, is the one right before Crowley himself appears in the cut. I have indeed, checked frame by frame, to see that technically it has not fully disappeared once Crowley himself is visible. It's really close though!

Okay, back to when we get a closer view of Crowley on his initial profile view.

Crowley has his back to the bench. He has his elbow on the arm rest. He has his line of sight directed at the newspaper as if reading it. Those are 3 possible earthly object touches right there. Crowley is holding the back of the newspaper with only two visible fingers. They are the index finger and the middle finger. Only the index finger is showing its tip. That's not enough to receive credit for touching the newspaper physically as an earthly object yet. He'll get that later, when he wants it done. The other two partly visible fingers on the front are probably significant as well.

For the record, I do not like talking about the pockets as frequently or to the extent that I do. I talk about them because I've noticed they are important. They irk me because they are the hardest part of these games for me, at the present moment. I am downright incapable of solving The Pocket Trick to my own satisfaction. A key mechanic in that Trick is the use of word play. Another is to use one's imagination.

One of the first things to know here about Crowley's super advanced play in Earthly Objects and pockets is that his tie strands are connected to his hands because they are his Tied Hands. It's actually really funny when it sinks in, but it does make the game so, so hard. These silly cute Tied Hands have thumbs. The thumbs are the tassels, so the tips of those tassels are the thumb tips.

Thumb tips matter for Door Mode.

Due to Crowley's posture, there is a pocket between his right arm and the bench itself. His right jacket sleeve is open enough that there is yet another evident pocket existing between his shirt sleeve and his jacket sleeve. This pocket is the key one of interest to me because the newspaper touches it. Even so, there is still another pocket formed between the newspaper, Crowley's right hand, and his clothing that the newspaper touches so long as a breeze isn't messing with it.

Those tassel tips I mentioned earlier...are on his pants. That's why I'm spending so much time on this part by the way. There's some metal thing sticking out that only ever sticks out here touching the vest. The belt is his Belt Head, which the vest does like to touch at other times. So, if this metal is somehow the buckle from the belt—since I can't see it being the tie or anything else, that's probably supposed to be its "tongue" while the other visible part of the snake on the belt is pocketed between the vest tips.

Update 08/03/2024: After going over this scene thoroughly months later, I can now see this metal thing is probably the lower metal part of the clasp for this strand. It's so hard to tell with the lighting and the tassel sticking out from it. The tassel could be bunched together then hidden behind the vest, then peeking out again. Here is a color-coded image of this possibility:

The red would be the metal parts of the clasp. The green would be the tassel. The black is the vest near this area. The part between the red that is not color-coded is some small extra part that connects these metal parts. I've also lowered the opacity on the overall screenshot. The color-coded parts are layered over it. I'm honestly still not sure this setup is exactly as I speculate; it just seems the more likely scenario at this point, after months of studying these scenes. For reference, here is another image of what the clasps and tassels look like from the front as I tried to figure out the possibility with lighting and angles.

End update.

Based on how the game plays itself, the Belt Head is helping the Tied Hands in ways beyond my comprehension, so Crowley can take advantage of pockets. What? Do they need belt assistance to be tied because he's sitting down and the watch is not on screen? Somewhere in here is Door Mode on the clothing, channeling its way through pocket imagination powers, so that all of the apparel can work together and give Crowley his newspaper door.

Apparently, this method requires the watch to not be visibly on screen for now. I really want to know what the watch's job is for silly pocket mechanics.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Check out the self-made pocket of hair since we have an active Belt Head messing with things:

Yeah, sure, could be nothing, but The Pocket Trick is really, really intentional about these types of things, and even though this scene is not one of the touches in The Pocket Trick, pockets are still relevant. I mainly suspect such things because of those tassel tips.

Even some of his hair is pocketing the collar of his jacket. The profile shot is so precise, none of the left part of his sunglasses can be seen.

While we're at it, Crowley's sitting really still. He'll be standing really still later in episode 6 with a more obvious pocket touch for The Door Trick. Said Trick is another big part of why I'm noting so much about the pockets by the way. It also has a self-made pocket of hair visible in the first cut.

Update 08/03/2024: I have gone over this scene cut by cut with a long list of what to look for in my attempt to figure out how retying works. Because of how I progress in the puzzles over time and for simplicity's sake, I am not going to give every painstaking detail here. I will say that if my notes are correct, the tying sequence goes something like the following. The Tied Hands are tied 8 times during this entire scene. They also switch which hand they are connected to 3 of those times. He uses reflection connections and Shax's lapels to make these switches. More can be found in visual form here: Park Reflections. I have long suspected retying is required for crossing every threshold but been unable to recognize them because one of its key clues is a "joint" or a "hinge". The obvious such key is the one I've looked for of a metal part of a clasp striking a lapel edge. Well, it doesn't have to be just that. An actual thumb joint, especially Crowley's left thumb CMC joint, can accomplish this same task. For instance, here at the park, the left thumb CMC joint presumably qualifies as at the edge of the newspaper in the opening back shot of Crowley. Even though it's not clear at first glance due to the distance, I can take in numerous other clues of the scene, such as the large reflections in the lake and the rainbow that tying is already done. If I zoom, I can then find the face of the watch and a very good guess at where the left thumb CMC joint is. I still can't confirm retying happens for crossing every threshold, but current studies suggest it is likely or will have some further puzzles where I'm supposed to figure out the method in use or why it might be exempt. The below notes will remark on things I noticed about the tying, the connections, and the reflections, without quite getting the full process in motion because I did not break down the scene cut by cut with extensive notes to myself to figure out such things back when this post was first published. End update.

Okay, that's enough about pockets. Finally! They'll be mentioned later but not to this extent.

...

During the scene after Shax shows up, Crowley's going to touch some mail. We'll see his shoes on the ground at one point. A notable earthly object touch is the first one he gets when Shax shows up after he pulls the newspaper down. He's going to see himself in the mirror. Crowley does not see the way humans see most of the time. He senses with his eyes. But a mirror's actual literal function on Earth is generally to look at yourself, or something of interest.

One of the ways Crowley can and does see is if someone—or something, is deliberately showing him an earthly object. So, by Shax holding the mirror and Crowley intentionally looking at it, with its general actual function, he theoretically sees himself.

That's helpful to him because based on his actions during the story, he doesn't sense that the sideburns themselves have changed length when they do, even if he's using them to manage his space. He checks by looking in the mirror if possible and necessary, notably in his car. Catching when he might be looking at all is harder than this one part of this one scene. He is quite subtle about it. This game wants people to look closely to catch these types of things as they play and interpret the story.

The cut between Crowley holding the newspaper in profile view and pushing it down has him holding the newspaper differently with his fingers. That could be a suspicious chronology edit or it could be Crowley testing/managing the bounds of his created space or both.

...

You can see some of the sky and dark parts of trees reflected in Crowley's sunglasses. I consider that significant because it's a clue among several others that great care is taken to what is and is not reflected in his sunglasses during this story. You can find out more about why I think that's important here: The Window Trick Visual Representation.

...

Story Commentary

I don't know what the stillness does, but I suspect it is relevant because of how still Crowley is near the end of episode 6 when standing by the door to the car. My overall guess has been that it helps Crowley be sensed or seen since humans often don't actually approach him with the exception of Nina later. However, one human approaches him here before Shax will later arrive.

Due to how I play these games, Crowley's seeming listlessness here actually strikes me as more of a strategic move than what it looks like on the surface. He has his saturated streak. He has his sideburns. He had his newspaper door. He's messing with pockets without even putting actual hands in pants pockets yet. There was a rainbow. This sneaky snake is up to a lot, and he's hiding the extent of what that is from Shax and whoever else is reading him in the story.

When Crowley leaves, he will pass by Shax with him in the background. He is blurred, and there's something gold around where he's holding the newspaper, that is presumably his bills. After he passes Shax, you can't see the presumed bills anymore. Due to the angle? In this story, I'm skeptical, but yeah, could be. Crowley's going to be conveniently obscured many times throughout the season.

Based on this timeline rundown post, this scene could easily be out of order from the presented story. The sunlight and rainbow stuff is too confusing for me to understand in trying to figure out the time, but I think the idea this scene takes place out of order is a good, valid one. The basis from that post is the chimes I didn't notice on my own and wouldn't even know what they mean if I had noticed.

Not only that, in my watching the scene repeatedly to try and figure out what pocket mischief Crowley's up to next, I noticed the tie strands keep just swapping what side of the vest they are on in different cuts with no indication he moved to make them do that. It's not every cut, but it happens. He's a demon, so he could just do that because he wants to, of course.

The scene has ducks and some other birds. While some birds do appear when Crowley makes it rain in episode 3, animals are otherwise rather lacking in appearance once closer to Whickber Street and wherever Crowley parks his car when it's isolated.

The scene is nicely lit, thanks to the sunlight. We actually aren't going to see Crowley's hair this well lit for quite a bit of the story due to the other settings, especially the dimly lit bookshop.

That's it for this post. Way back when I started to track these things, I did have a tendency to update even these posts, so that could happen again, just FYI.

...

Past versions of this post:

Post #1 (meeting with Shax in St. James' Park)

Post #1 with mistake

...

Project inspired by these posts:

Crowley’s Sideburns & what do they mean?

Ok, I love this theory that it could be some sort ...

[dreamless-daydreamer]

TBB as Taylor Swift Songs - Song + Character Analysis(Part Two)

(Part one) (Part Three)

Hello there.

Okay so I actually spent so long on this one and I struggled to find a song for this character for like forever but then I remembered this post And It narrowed down my options by a lot, and I eventually landed on this.

Tech - Forever and Always

When I realized how this song fit him, I went feral. Get tissues, here we go.

'Cause it seems to me, this thing is breaking down We almost never speak I don't feel welcome anymore Baby what happened? Please tell me

'Cause one second it was perfect, now you're halfway out the door

Okay so this is mostly about his relationship with his twin brother Crosshair. How their whole family seemed fine one moment and the next thing he knows order 66 happens and Crosshair starts to act weird, differently than Tech knows him to be.

Was I out of line? Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide

For Tech this line references that he doesn't always understand social cues, and as such sometimes says things that are true, yet hurtful without him intending to. Such as when he hurt Omega in The Crossing and couldn't understand what he did wrong as all he did was tell the truth.

So here's to everything coming down to nothing Here's to silence, that cuts me to the core Where is this going? Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore

And this is when Crosshair has completely betrayed them. He files a counter report. He shoots Wrecker. He hunts them down. Their entire relationship has crumbled into nothing. Tech had thought that they were immune to the effects of the chips but then Crosshair is clearly being controlled by his.

And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called And then you feel so low you cant feel nothing at all

And the main reason I chose this song is because, as the post I linked earlier pointed out, Tech frequently checks their comms to see if Crosshair commed them. When Echo left he frequently checked to see if Echo commed. And Tech didn't understand either of their choices but he had to respect them anyways. He might have missed them but its fine. It's a part of life to move on from change.

You didn't mean it baby, I don't think so

Oh back up, baby, back up Did you forget everything? Back up, baby, back up Did you forget everything?

And then Crosshair reveals that he had his chip removed. The entire batch spent the entire time thinking that Crosshair was under it's effects and that if they got the chip removed it would be okay again. Tech had spent so much time building a scanner to remove the chip and the rug gets pulled out underneath him.

And Tech is the first to accept and Acknowledge that Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding so maybe this is who he really is. But then hes the first to believe that Crosshair turned on the Empire, hes the first to insist they have to go back for him.

[moodywyrm]

Saw you wanted Jill Valentine asks and came (pun intended) here at the speed of sound. How would she be with a bookworm s/o? Better yet! How do you think she would be in a college au?

birdy you're a goddamn genius. also, can I call you birdy? you've been here literally since my first tlou fic and ily <3

Jill seems older and ik she's supposed to be like 40 in the newest movie? but for the sake of this she's 20-21 and in her last two years undergrad <3 she is not a cop here <3

Jill Valentine, human rights major! Used to be in political science until she realized she cared more about the human side of politics and law than the logistical side. and if you know. you know that a lot of (male) political science majors are the most insanely out of touch/unethical mfers out there. she simply did not want to do that when she could focus on what she actually cares about! people! human rights!

you meet her in a joint-subject class for human rights and history, specifically dealing with instances where U.S. involvement exacerbated and/or facilitated human rights violations. totally not based off a class I took <3 totally <3

it was a required class for your major/minor, so of fucking course you were running late the first day. you got in the door two minutes before class started (late for me), and sat in the first available seat. front row, next to this very pretty and very serious looking girl. the first row type.

you were literally just trying to steady your breathing, having sprinted down three flights of stairs when you realized you were in the wrong classroom, when the very pretty very serious girl handed you a stack of syllabi.

you took one and handed it down, and clearly you must have looked anxious as all hell bc when you turned forward, the very pretty very serious girl leaned over and whispered to you.

"You okay there?" She murmured, looking genuinely worried and a little bit amused.

"I- uh, yeah, sorry, just nervous. I forgot we were in lecture hall 8 and not 108," You rambled, pulling out your notebook and pen, laying everything out.

"Easy mistake to make. It's not exactly easy, finding the basement level in this building," She said, her voice smooth and kept low. The room was loud, so you had to lean in to hear her, and dear god she smelled good too?

She hadn't even really done anything, and yet here you were, melting and panicking because of her.

That was y'all's first meeting!! You got her name and number before the end of class, because it's always good to have at least one contact in a class, and you didn't seem like a creep so she had no problems handing it over <3

Btw Jill? Huge study date girlie. Y'all started having regular study sessions (read: dates) like a week into the class because history readings combined with government/political logistics is just. hard. not a fun combo.

It's usually in the library or in a coffee shop, where she always brings fuel (caffeine and snacks <3) for the two of you <3 even buys you lunch if y'all are studying for a long time!

But eventually, once y'all are closer friends (two sapphic yearning for each other), she just starts inviting you back to her apartment? and cooking you dinner? and letting you sleep over? in her bed? you know, casual friend stuff.

this is in fact how y'all get together, because one day literally neither of y'all can take the tension anymore, but that's for another post

point is! you spend a lot of time at her apartment! even when you're not studying, she'll invite you over literally just to keep her company because she's so down bad. just having you sit on Her Couch, reading your books in Her Blanket makes her melt into a puddle.

that gets us to bookworm reader!! Jill also strikes me as a reader, so she always lets you read from her collection. If you're ever reading a book from her shelf, you leave it at her place and she Refuses to move your bookmark. She is also like, absolutely the type to buy books that you wanted to read but didn't have, just so you could read them. Doesn't matter if they're not her taste, if you want them she's getting them. Mostly because she knows you'd feel guilty if she gave them to you outright, so she had to be sneaky about it <3

Also!! If you read before class, she 100% respects your reading time. Glares at anyone who tries to bother you while you're reading, also started bringing books to read before class!! Y'all literally started showing up super early just so you could read together, in peace <3 (is this kinda like abby in bookish little crush yes. what about it.)

loves having reading dates with you. aka you go to a coffee shop, you read and she either works or watches you (or both). keeps you fueled, keeps you cozy, and by god if you haven't read an insane amount since you've known her. queen <3

this is all I have for now :( sorry :( trying to get the writing brain back online :(

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

Do you have any idea why John may have cut Julian out of his will? I don’t know much about it but what I’ve seen has cut Yoko out to be the guilty party but I don’t really understand that seeing as she had no relation to Julian besides distant ‘stepmother’. I know John’s relationship with Julian was fractured as is usually the case for these type of parental dynamics but based off secondhand accounts John was quite soft and sensitive (and did love his first kid) so it’s hard to wrap one’s head around the idea of John deliberately wounding his child but he was also clearly capable of making brash decisions so I’m left with no idea of what John’s thought process behind this was if there even was any. So now I’m just thinking about how sweet it is that Julian and Sean have apparently managed to sustain a loving relationship despite other factors. But really I can’t conceive why John would’ve done that unless it was a grand gesture of devotion to Yoko and their family or he simply viewed Sean as the wanted (harsh but it is what it is) child and therefore the ‘special’ one. OR John’s will was impromptu and not intended as a final piece? As an aside, what do you think John’s relationship with his sons would’ve been like? Clearly Sean would’ve been his baby boy forever but I think Julian would’ve had his ups and downs culminating with the tentative friendship that usually evolves (in my experience anyway) from stunted child/parental relationships. An aside to the side lol but I I know John was very coddled by Yoko and the people close to him so I’m curious as to whether you think Yoko would’ve continued to be the main delegate on John’s internal connections? And when or if you think J&Y would’ve stuck it through (marriage 💀) together or not? I know people are generally against J&Y but by 1980 they did seem to have solidified their commitment to their partnership despite the cracks if Double Fantasy is anything to go by. Sorry it’s a lot lol

I had a back and forth about John's will about 10 months ago. My thoughts on it haven't evolved much since and aren't too different from yours. I really am not sure what to make of it all. But I have a hard time believing it was a serious, thought-through document.

Here's all the relevant posts: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

As for how John would have been with his kids, had he lived, I think I agree with you. It's not like John and Julian never saw each other, though I personally kind of side-eye him for choosing to continue living so far away from his kid, even if I get why he liked New York better. I don't know Julian that well, so I don't want to be too presumptuous, but I suspect that John dying contributed a significant amount to his resentment. Once reciprocated reconciliation is taken away from you as an option, forgiveness must become so much harder.

I tend to think JohnandYoko would probably eventually have broken up, but they weren't super close to it in 1980. It more seems like they were both invested in re-vamping their relationship. I get that a part of that was probably PR, but given that Double Fantasy isn't actually all sunshine and roses, I still think it's credible they were genuine. I talked about this a few days ago actually. Here's some more thoughts: 1 / 2

Whether Yoko would have loosened the "reins" on John is very hard to say. I feel he didn't have enough time to adapt to his newfound self-confidence for me to say :(

[misc-obeyme]

This was amusing to me so I feel like sharing it, CC lol I hope you don't mind the newspaper I'm about to print out here :P

So, I've recently read a couple of smut mangas and seen the titles of others while I was at it.

When I first began playing Obey Me in 2019, I thought that the titles of the mangas Levi talked about were crazy and MUST be exaggerated for comical purposes. Even during my #? replay last year I still thought, 'no way the silliness and these long-ass titles are legit in the real world.'

I wasn't curious to delve deeper or research to check whether or not the aspects I deemed to be attempts at comedy were like that in reality, so I ignored it in belief that it's a part of the humour.

Man was I wrong.

Because lo and behold, this many years later I suddenly get image recommendations from mostly smut manga on my dashboard even though I've never interacted with similar posts or accounts before maybe because I used to play 'What in "Hell" is Bad?' or perhaps I was probably just destined to find a silly answer I never looked for. Anyways, I end up liking a portion of what I see and reading the corresponding mangas as a result—only to then make the hilarious discovery that certain titles can indeed be insane in both content (many are as weird as hell) and length (how much longer can one title get?)

After that I wondered why such standards get applied to manga titles and did an immensely brief, fraction-of-a-minute skim on the information: the titles help make the mangas stand out in the saturated market, give readers a sort of 'summary' on what the manga is about, and higher the chances of anime adaptation. There was also something about how title choices will eventually run out since there are so many mangas out there, so longer titles take the cake.

Well...as a writer I thought, 'I could never.' I mean, though I know it's not the same thing at all and this a completely different scenario, I can't so much as imagine choosing for my fics such a lengthy and weird not-in-a-good-way (in my opinion) title.

No offense intended to anyone, of course, but here's the thing: the manga world is a world on its own, with its own themes and norms.

As such, while some titles may be entertaining to read, as writers there are certain things/words that don't tickle our fancy or match our linguistical preferences, so our 'writer side' doesn't deem them satisfying in general or fit for our work in specific, if that makes sense, and we hence can't bear to choose them for or include them in the fics we write. It's almost like I mentally shudder at the thought of titling my writings with a manga-style sentence or a near mini-paragraph lol

I tend to suck at expressing my thoughts, but since you're a writer yourself I suppose you get what I mean, CC?

Now I babbled a lot and announced my belated discovery, I'll see myself out :P

You know quite honestly my favorite thing about those titles is coming up with some whenever I write Levi in a fic. Like it's clearly just for humor and there is no story attached to it, but they can be fun to come up with.

HOWEVER, titles in general are the absolute worst. I find them very difficult because it's like you want something that embodies what the story is about, but you also don't want anything too cheesy? I don't know, I always struggle with the feeling that my titles are cheesy lol.

It's always I either don't come up with anything and post the fic sans title, something comes to me like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, OR I spend untold amounts of time agonizing over it before finally picking a single word.

But I have read about the trend of naming manga with basically an entire sentence. I think it's a little silly to suggest that all the titles will eventually be taken. There are so many words and word combinations in any given language that I think you could have them all be a two word titles and not end up with repeats.

Though this kind of thing tends to be dictated more by the market and how well things sell rather than how much sense they make. If manga publishing companies are seeing a spike in sales due to manga's with a sentence for a title, then they're going to keep on doing that.

Anyway, I think I do understand what you mean! Titles are tricky and if I can avoid coming up with one, I often will lol.

[beepborpdoodledorp]

Hey all, quick update.

So when I posted about taking a break I was really only expecting to take a couple weeks off max so my family and I can get our shit together, but now with…certain events…added on top of what is already the shitpile of July 2024 I am honestly not sure when I’ll get back to posting. Don’t mistake this as me saying I’m abandoning social media, I’m not, I do intend to make a full return eventually and I am keen on fighting tooth and nail to ensure my voice and my works on this platform will not and never will be censored.

But god, guys, I am so fucking terrified. That shriveled orange fuck is being set up to have his win delivered to him on a silver platter by his cultists and my family and I just do not have the resources to get out of the country if that happens. Living in a blue state is a cold comfort. Maybe I’ll be able to claim asylum somewhere but that’d mean being separated from everyone I know and being left by myself in an entirely new country. But better than facing whatever Project 2025 has in store for me, I guess. My family and I just need a lot more time to plan if we have any chance of getting out of here by January.

I am still working on RE:Breach, I will make sure I manage to complete that series if it’s the last thing I do. I had plans for its 1st anniversary in November but that’s…clearly going to need to be delayed.

If nothing else, just keep this in the back of your mind: to everyone who’s reading this who’s a US citizen and of legal age to vote, PLEASE, for the love of GOD, vote. I know things may seem hopeless right now, hell I sure feel hopeless right now, but if everyone just decides that voting isn’t worth it because Trump will probably win then we lost before the game even begun. Love Biden or hate him, I don’t particularly like him myself, there’s only one presidential candidate who has a fully written outline of turning this country into a dictatorship and endangering millions of those in minority groups, and it isn’t him.