#modest proposal vibes

[cal-writes]

for spoopy day i will share more haunted home au! its the whole bit this snippet is from first time writing franky pov but he's a joy

-

"So what do you think Robin needs you for?" Franky asks Zoro as they walk. The paved road underneath them ends right where Robin's property begins, leaving only the desirepath stomped into the dirt. He had offered to make a path several times, some nice stonework, maybe a little bridge that led all the way to her deck but Robin had declined. She enjoyed the rural vibe. 

Zoro shrugs, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. He looks straight ahead, avoiding Franky's resulting squint. He might not know Zoro quite as long as the others did but he knew that when Zoro chose not to say something it was as close to lying as he came. Right now, Franky got the impression that Zoro did know exactly why Robin had asked him to come.

Which was fine! Franky wasn't jealous at all. Robin and Zoro were longtime pals and kindred spirits. Their resident introverts. They hung out together a lot and that was super. Franky was glad Robin had someone in their group of equal temperament. He knew his own fiery self was hard to keep up with sometimes so it was all super.

Still, he was man enough to admit to himself that he had been a little disappointed when Robin had called him only to ask him to fetch Zoro, who must have lost his phone again as he was not picking up. 

She had been back from university for her spring break. Months of her being gone finally over. They had all seen each other already, and her and Franky had gone to see that movie at Usopp's shop the other day. So it wasn't her playing favorites or anything and she hadn't told him not to come. Just asked if he could perhaps tell Zoro she needed his help with something.

Franky was totally not jealous. That'd be uncool. He's not. He's just curious what Zoro could help Robin with that Franky couldn't.

The seasons on their island are moderate due to the water streams running past their island but this far inland into the swamp, the plants and the mud make the air humid, chilling it down to where Franky always wished he had bought another jacket. His arms were getting goosebumps. Fortunately his prosthetic legs had no such issues, flying free in his hot pants. 

The main lake comes into view around the corner, previously hidden from view by the thickening foliage and around the bend sits Robin's house. His greatest work. She had bought it early, taking up a loan after her first book deal had been promised to buy the property. The house on it had stood there for as long as Franky can remember and based on the architecture and materials used originally it must have been there for decades before that. Robin had been enamored with it since childhood. They used to sneak off there with the others, climbing around the rotting wood and hiding from their teachers. 

It used to belong to an old man who lived on the neighboring half island who had been looking to sell it for quite a while. A hard endeavor as most of the property was a natural habitat so most construction work was forbidden. Robin hadn't cared, had seen it a perk of the property, in fact. And so, her little refuge had become hers.

And Franky had made sure her house was up to his rigorous standards and Robin's every wish. 

She had wanted a modest cabin, not much larger than the original hovel. Most of it had to be torn down but Franky had used the wood that was still good for some detailing and some of her furniture. Such as the ornate decorative knobs atop of her porch fencing and an inlay in her front door.

One of the steps creaks slightly as they step off the dirt path and climb up so Franky hangs back to examine the stairs as Zoro knocks on the door. The humidity is always hard on the wood even with Franky's expert treatment. He should remodel the stairs, he has had a fantastic idea for a ramp that he could propose to Robin. Good thing he came along! He follows Zoro up the stairs, testing the creaking step with his weight a little before taking his notepad out of his pocket and sketching something down before he forgets.

Robin opens the door and the smell of her shampoo and shower gel wafts enticingly in their direction. Her hair is still wet, a towel draped around her shoulders. She gives them both a smile though she does seem a little surprised at Franky's presence here. He ducks his head and fiddles with his notepad sheepishly. 

"Thank you for coming." Robin says gently and invites them inside. "I made a curious discovery on my walk this morning and require your expert opinion." Franky's head snaps up in attention but unfortunately finds Robin addressing Zoro with that statement. Which is super cool, Franky's a different kind of expert. Robin probably didn't need him here, she probably hadn't even noticed her creaking step, always absorbed in her brilliant mind when she returned from her walks.

She leads them past her hallway through the archway to her living room - a gorgeous woodwork flower design with stained glass elements in the corners. 

Franky steps into the room last, stopping by the archway and drops his notepad.

On Robin's wicker rocking chair - a yardsale find that Franky spruced (ha) up - sits a skeleton with a huge black wig and a floral halter top dress that Franky knows to be Robins. 

"Yohoo." The skeleton says, lifting a bony hand and wiggling his fingers in greeting. He is holding a cup of tea on a saucer, sipping from it idly. The liquid splatters through his bones, soaking the cloth napkin on his lap.

Robin takes a seat on her couch next to the rocking chair and gestures for them to sit down. "This is Brook." 

Franky knows he is gaping. feels his tongue dry. He dares a look at Zoro, who thankfully has a similar, albeit more subdued expression. That somehow makes Franky more at ease. Even Zoro with his weird stories about ghosts is freaked out a little and-

Oh. Ooohh. Franky slaps his own forehead. "That's why you said you needed his expertise." He says out loud, proudly his hands on his hips proudly. "It's a ghost thing. It's a ghost thing." His hands fall to his sides as the realization hits him. "Shit, bro. That was real the whole time?" He asks Zoro, grabbing him by the shoulder and earning himself an annoyed glare.

"No, I was making it up for shits and giggles." Zoro throws back, shrugging off his hand before heading over to Robin's seating area. He kicks the plush footrest closer to sit right in front of Brook, elbows braced on his knees and hands folded between his legs.

Brook puts his cup down on the saucer. "Miss Robin told me you are a ghostly expert." He says. 

Zoro shrugs. "Wouldn't say that." He is so modest sometimes that it takes Franky off guard and tugs at his heart. "I'm going to be honest, I've never seen anything like this before." Both Brook and Robin deflate a little in disappointment.

"Ah," Brook says softly and Franky slowly makes his way over to the couch, shuffling past the coffee table and hitting his shins on them as he always does.

Zoro offers his hand and Brook almost seems to startle. He puts the cup down on the end table and places his hand into Zoro's. The entire skeletal frame of him shudders briefly, reminding Franky of a wind chime.

Zoro closes his eyes, placing his other hand atop of Brook's and sits there unmoving. Brook, perhaps compelled to or for the lack of anything else to do, lays his other hand over Zoro's knuckles, making a stacked hand sandwich.

Franky scoots closer on the couch until he can lean down to Robin's ear. "You just found a skeleton out there?" He asks.

Robin inclines her head towards him. "I was looking for amphibian or fish fossils in the mud out by the big tree." She tells him in a hushed tone as if they were sharing a secret. 

"Huh," Franky nods. "He's gotta be dead for a while right? I don't have to be worried about murderers running around here, right?" He asks gravely. 

Robin chuckles and glances up at him through her lashes. "I believe so but perhaps you should stay the night regardless." She murmurs with a cheeky smile and Franky feels the chill of the swamp evaporate as a fire lights in his gut.

"Of course." He purrs back, putting his arm around the back of the couch.

"Not yet a hundred years, I'd say." Zoro says nonchalant. He slips out from between Brook's hands, blinking as he opens his eyes. "You remember your life?" He asks Brook as casually as he would talk to anyone. Franky can't restrain his awe at the display even as he's distracted by Robin's hand in his knee.

They all know Zoro's tick, his thing. The ghost thing. Town as small as theirs was addicted to gossip and the orphan child talking to ghosts was a great story to pass around. Even being two years above Zoro at school, Franky had heard about the weirdo in his sister's class and had laughed along to the jokes and the teasing. Then Robin had befriended him and as such made him part of Franky's circle. Afterwards he had discouraged the comments and the mockery. After all, Zoro was a troubled child! He was bound to be a little cuckoo, especially after Zoro's own sister had died. 

Franky had never considered it to be true. 

Brook takes a while to answer. "Bits and pieces, I believe. I can play the guitar. I was a sailor." It's hard to tell where he is looking, given the lack of eyes but Brook appears to be staring off into the distance. "I remember the whales." He says, trailing off by the end.

Zoro nods. "If you don't remember how or why you died, makes sense you'd stick around. Is there anything you feel like you need to do you haven't done yet?" He asks and Robin leans forward, observing with interest. Franky is a little more freaked out than fascinated but he swallows it down, taking inspiration from Robin. She is always his greatest muse.

Brook scratches his jaw bone and hums in thought. "I feel like there is but I cannot quite grasp it. It's on the tip of my tongue." He says before letting his jaw drop open. "Not that I still have a tongue." His voice has the cadence of a pointe to a joke but Franky figuratively hears it land with thud as none of them even crack a smile.

"These are your actual bones, aren't they?" Zoro asks, jutting his chin at Brook's skeleton. 

"I sure hope so! Otherwise that would be quite awkward." Brook replies.

"You haven't seen such possession before?" Robin asks, intrigued. She holds her chin with her thumb and index finger. 

Zoro makes a vague hand gesture. "Object possession is pretty rare. Usually only with violent ghosts. If they manifest physically they don't usually need a medium to do it." He explains with a nonchalant confidence that baffles Franky. It's almost like he's seeing his friend for the first time. An entire aspect of his personality hidden just in plain sight.

No, not hidden, Franky has to concede. Zoro had never hidden this talent of his, they had just dismissed it. Ignored it. Written it off as some delusion. It makes him sick to his stomach and his eyes fill with tears. He sniffs loudly.

"I'm so sorry, Zoro bro." He wails and Zoro jumps, pulling his shoulders up and giving Franky a weird look. 

He looks horrified. "What? Why?" 

Robin gives Franky's knee a soothing squeeze but it's not enough. Franky has to stand up, pushing the coffee table away in his fervor before he takes a big step to cross it. Zoro nearly falls off the footstool before Franky wraps his arms around him. He tenses in the warm embrace of Franky's muscles.

"For never believing you. You were always true to yourself and I doubted you. I'm a disgrace. Please forgive me?" Franky asks tearfully, tilting his head so his snot won't rub on Zoro's clothes. 

He feels a sigh against his throat and Zoro's hand comes up to pat his arm. "It's fine." He tells him, muffled against Franky's chest.

"I believe you, I should have believed you before. I'll do better in the future, I swear." 

"Alright. Can you let go now?" Zoro asks and Franky gives him one final squeeze before they part. Robin holds a box of tissues into his direction and he takes a handful to blow his nose.

Brook chuckles. "Well, I do enjoy you guys' company if you don't mind me staying while I get my bearings." He asks carefully.

"Of course." Robin says immediately. "I am quite curious about you, if you don't mind the occasional question and I have the room to spare." She offers kindly and Franky's heart swells with affection for her. That was his Robin, the kindest soul of them all.

"Not at all, perhaps we can uncover my past together." Brook says with genuine excitement and a little bit of relief. 

Robin smiles, the sun coming up in her living room before she turns to Zoro. "I do apologize as well, for not taking you seriously all these years." 

Zoro looks away, shrugging and rubbing the back of his neck. The tips of his ears pink with embarrassment. "It's fine, don't worry about it." He mutters before clearing his throat, signaling his desire to end this thread of the conversation. "Dunno how much I can help. Far as I know, if you don't remember more details and there aren't any clues around where you first appeared, not a lot I can find out." He says slightly apologetic.

Robin perks up. "I am sure we can find out more." She says, her eyes alight and Franky falls in love with her all over again.

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

thoughts on "i'm just a girl" thing being trendy as to girls can't do math, drive and can't be smart?

It's repackaged pro-patriarchy propaganda. Same with the "bimbo-ism" trend from a little while ago- women think they are satirizing this phenomenon, or that they are reclaiming it, however satire falls short when there is no inversion of social characteristics happening within the narrative.

For example, the classic " A Modest Proposal" takes the moral standard of not eating your own children- and turns it into the obvious correct choice of action. That inversion of moral status-quo is the punchline of the satire. It's the hinge that reveals the hypocrisy of the those enforcing harmful ideological stances on the public. This trend of "I'm just a girl" is not inverting any social phenomenon, nor is it making a statement of moral integrity by flipping something heinous into something normal to point out the dominant ideological social standards as harmful. Instead, it's only further perpetuating the dominant ideological social standards- without challenge by replicating things women have fought so hard to prove false in stupid Tik Toks.

Others, who are also participating in the trend are simply re-enforcing patriarchal stereotypes because they are actually sexist.

-__-

Thank you for asking me a non- Taylor Swift related question <3 apologies for taking so long to get to it- hope you are well and thriving even in such a difficult world.

The only Swift I vibe with is Jonathan Swift.

[shoezuki]

discussing a modest proposal in class today n i shall bring a vibe that is so off putting,

[amypihcs]

Hello! As late as usual and a bit more frozen than usual! Let's see today's story!

Holmes just wants to do his scrapbooking! He doesn't want a case now! Leave him ALONE!

heyheyhey! This is playing DIRTY!

Holmes being quite a bit vain (and this we already knew) and also very very kind. Lol, the comment of not being seen for weeks! Mrs Hudson only sees him on an almost daily basis because she's FAMILY and adopted him! And worries if he doesn't eat his dinner. Well, what's the MATTER with this lodger?

Ah, the landlady is anxious, how to find any fault in it! And who wouldn't be calmed by staring into Holmes' eyes? lol. Bet that Watson speaks also for personal experience (when he has nightmares), for exemple.

Now remember, EVEN THE TINIEST DETAIL!

This smells a lot of Mafia, tbh. And usually there is fire when there's smoke. mmmhn we'll see. What about the food? Watson stop glaring

W-why printing? (also guess that printing means not writing in cursive?) This is an actually weird way of communication. Well, the idea of concealing the handwriting is good, tbh but again, WHY. Also, short messages and apparently the lodger seems very cautious. How did he look? this lodger, i mean...

Oh this smells SO MUCH of mafia...

Well, you MUST enter the room in the morning? can't do otherwise!

WATSON STOP GLARING! Looks after himself? WEIRD.

AH! Something to observe, finally!

H: He has a beard... but he can't have smoked these! Watson, even with your pretty modest mustache it wouldn't be possible! It would be singed, and it would be such a pity... W: Holmes, stop staring at my mouth, you'll have your kisses. Later H: Alright, alright, spoilsport.

The landlady goes away, Holmes gets his kisses and then back to the analysis!

This lodger might not be the bearded man who took the keys! It's an idea. But WHY?

WELL, we can always look in the AGONY COLUMNS! scrapbooking for win! I love how Granada Holmes has his whole little art attack project with the agony columns! He's cute!

AND THEY FIND THE MESSAGES! yahoo! Maybe in the following day's gazette....

THE MANTLEPIECE POSE! YES! only, Holmes should be happier, but it's alright! Holmes is feeling very satisfied of himself and HEY! CLIENT? What? Hey, they kidnapped her husband... and then let him go? He's shoked? oh damn!

Nice, time to see this guy! Ah you say you can give us a hiding place? NICE! we'll be there!

Uuuuh! Here's the house of the last ad on the paper! Ah, is the hideout ready? yay

W-what? Oke, the substitution, but... WITH A WOMAN? WOW. And such a woman to impress HOLMES! Stuff to meditate on!

Oh, come on, Watson! I have made a cute deduction! Well, probably she's entangled or well, she and her man are entangled in a matter of life or death! -vibing holmes noises-

-Holmes is vibing HARDER- While he tells Watson that it's of course l'art pour l'art! (This passage sounds soooo early case! later Watson would know already!)

Evening and they're at the landlady's again! -i'll be very italian now-

A CODE A CODE A CODE! Eh, Holmes! You should practice your italian a bit more! 'Attenta' means a lot of stuff, as you are freaking out she is understanding (Also the proof that us Italian women as so cool that we even manage to impress Sherlock Holmes uwu) Meanwhile, Holmes sclerandone (sardinian way of speaking) and Watson proposing a cipher and in fact...

AAAAH! You remember your italian at last! HEY! more messages!

Holmes going 'WTF's happening now?', freaking out a bit more but no Watson, stay with me! (Yes, Holmes 'pericolo' means 'danger', glad you remember your lessons) We're going to investigate now!

And we'll see their discoveries in the next story!

Vibing a lot with the last part in italian! yes!

[zahri-melitor]

Actually let's play 'titling stories is hard' and give people the chance to say nice things about your story titles (meme time!)

(if you want to join in, take this and repost and let me know so I can tell you how banger I think some of your horribly agonised over titles really are)

The basic categories of fic titles I use:

What it says on the tin:

Tabloid Media in the Nexus 

Real Conspicuous 

Coming Home 

Embracing My Yin 

Room Parties and Banquets

Acknowledged Brother 

Orange Juice

TES 34/64

State of Origin

The Desert

Tea for Two 

The Circus

A Single Cut

New Visitors 

Buried Six Feet Under

Time to quote various canons:

I'm Not Pregnant

A Duty To Your Family 

For the Honour of Vorhalas

Herds of Little Vorkosigans

You poured out honour like a fountain, all around you

What’s in a dream?

A Fabric of Marvels 

everytime you breathe, a grown-up dies (seventeen)

Quoting pre-19th century political pamphlets is a perfectly reasonable decision and doesn't sound pretentious at all:

A Modest Proposal 

The First Blast of the Trumpet

Song lyrics:

the picture frames have changed and so has your name

Find Out What It Means To Me

there's an endless road to rediscover 

Teach The Children Well

I Just Want to Wish You Well 

It's a pun:

College Daze 

I’ll hold your memory in my hands tonight 

The Wonderful Bats, Handmade By Babs 

Death of the Writer 

Engaged! (in defending your previous poor decisions)

I couldn't find a quote to fit so I made one up:

From the Outside, It's Shiny and Glamorous

Little Chick in a Nest 

bones of a dinosaur, bones of a city 

a gap where a parent should be 

Yes I have absolutely no consistency in how I capitalise titles, no I do not plan to change it any time soon. It's got to do with the vibe of the story.

[chaotic-history]

I know nothing about Machiavelli or 1500s Italy but I just started The Prince and I cannot get over how much the book just *sounds* like a satire, regardless of if it is or not. Cause it's just like, here's my incredibly short instruction booklet on how to rule every kind of monarchical state for dummies :) The only way to ensure a city remains under your control is to absolutely fucking destroy it :)

Idk. I kind of get the vibe it's more of a 'monarchies suck but if we have to have one then at least it could be one with stability,' plus thinking he could improve upon it if he has a position where the rulers are listening to his advice, but the tone of it just feels so much like an A Modest Proposal-level satire

[bracketsoffear]

Flesh Leitner Reading List

The full list of submissions for the Flesh Leitner bracket. Bold titles are ones which were accepted to appear in the bracket. Synopses and propaganda can be found below the cut. Be warned, however, that these may contain spoilers!

Awad, Mona: Rouge

Barker, Clive: The Hellbound Heart Basye, Dale E.: Blimpo Bazterrica, Agustina: Cadáver exquisito (Tender is the flesh) Boote, Justin: Carnivore Bradbury, Ray: Skeleton Brown, Daniel James: The Indifferent Stars Above Buller,  Jon and Susan Schade: Mike and the Magic Cookies

Calvert, Amy: You Are What You (M)Eat: Explorations of Meat-Eating, Masculinity and Masquerade Carroll, Emily: Some Other Animal’s Meat Clarke, Arthur C.: Food of the Gods Cook, Robin: Coma

Dahl, Roald: Pig

Ellin, Stanley: The Specialty of the House Enriquez, Mariana: Carne (Meat)

Fink, Joseph: It Devours!

Gaiman, Neil: Babycakes from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions Graves, Damian: An Apple A Day Guanzhong, Luo: Excerpt from Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Harris, Thomas: Hannibal Harris, Thomas: Silence of the Lambs

Ito, Junji: Glyceride Ito, Junji: Tomie

Katsu, Alma: The Hunger KFC: Tender Wings of Desire King, Stephen: Survivor Type King, Stephen: Thinner

Lee, Tanith: The Beast Levene, Rebecca: Too Rich for My Blood (in Seven Deadly Sins)

Miyazawa, Kenji: The Restaurant of Many Orders

Ojeda, Mónica: Mandíbula (Jawbone) Orwell, George: Animal Farm Ovid: Metamorphoses

Pinkwater, Daniel: Slaves of Spiegel Piper, Hailey: Benny Rose, the Cannibal King Pizarnik, Alejandra: La Condesa Sangrienta (The bloody countess)

Quiroga, Horacio: La gallina degollada (The decapitated chicken)

Rymer, James Malcolm and Thomas Peckett Prest: The String of Pearls; or, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Shusterman, Neal: Duckling Ugly Sinclair, Upton: The Jungle Smith, Clark Ashton: The Garden of Adompha Smith, Cordwainer: A Planet Named Shayol Stine, R.L.: Chicken, Chicken Stine, R.L. and Stephen Roos: The Boy Who Ate Fear Street Summers, Chelsea G.: A Certain Hunger Swift, Jonathan: A Modest Proposal

Wells, H.G.: The Island of Dr. Moreau

Yoshitomi, Akihito: School Ningyo (School Mermaid)

Awad, Mona: Rouge

The book’s themes centre on consumption and perfecting the body. Much of it is reminiscent of the denizens of the mortal garden. Vague cannibalism and vampiric vibes but the latter distinctly not in a hunt way. A lot of juxtaposition of sterility and cleanness with fleshliness and revulsion. Towards the end of the book, the main character finds herself in a production line-esque march to some unknown doom. The book is tinged with several powers (haven’t even touched on the spooky mirror-dwelling dark prince who assumes the guise of whoever the watcher most desires) but flesh seems like the dominant one.

Barker, Clive: The Hellbound Heart

Frank Cotton is a hedonistic criminal selfishly devoted to sensual experience even if it harms others. Believing he has indulged in every pleasure the world can offer, Frank obtains the Lemarchand Configuration, a puzzle box said to open a "schism" or portal to an extradimensional realm of unfathomable pleasure ruled by beings called the Cenobites. Solving the box, he is confused and horrified when the Cenobites – horribly scarified creatures whose bodies have been modified to the point that they appear sexless and in constant pain – arrive. Frank still eagerly accepts the offer of experiences he has never known before, and the Cenobites take him to their realm, where they subject him to total sensory overload and he realises their devotion to sadomasochism is so extreme and their personalities so removed from humanity that they no longer differentiate between pain and pleasure and have no care to ever stop even if their subject no longer wishes the experience.

Sometime later, Frank's brother, Rory, moves into the home in England with his wife Julia. Unknown to Rory, Julia had an affair with Frank a week before their wedding and has lusted after him since. While in the attic, Rory accidentally cuts his hand and bleeds on the spot where Frank was taken by the Cenobites. The blood, mixed with semen Frank had left on the floor before he was taken, opens a dimensional schism. Frank returns, his body now reduced to a desiccated corpse by the Cenobites' experiments. Julia later finds him and promises to restore his body so he can truly live and they can be together. Julia seduces men at bars and kills them in the attic, where Frank feeds on their corpses.

Rory's friend Kirsty encounters Frank, who attempts to kill her. Kirsty grabs the puzzle box before fleeing and later accidentally opens it. The Cenobite intends to take Kirsty now that it is here, but she then reveals Frank is alive on Earth again. Though skeptical that one of their experiments could have escaped, the Cenobite is intrigued. It agrees that if Kirsty leads them to Frank and he confirms his identity, they will take him back and perhaps leave her alone.

Rory and Julia claim they killed Frank but Kirsty realizes the man she is speaking to is Frank wearing Rory's skin. Another altercation ensues, during which Frank inadvertently kills Julia. Kirsty then baits Frank into admitting his true name out loud. The Cenobites appear, ensnare Frank and return him to their realm, telling Kirsty to leave. Downstairs, Kirsty sees Julia's disembodied head calling for help. The leader of the Cenobites, a being called the Engineer, then appears and seems to take away Julia as well before briefly bumping into Kirsty. After leaving the house, Kirsty realizes the Engineer gave her the puzzle box to watch over until another seeks it out.

Basye, Dale E.: Blimpo

"After his second escape from Bea "Elsa" Bubb, the Principal of Darkness, Milton Fauster makes his way to Blimpo—the circle of the otherworldly reform school, Heck, where he's sure his friend Virgil is sentenced. Virgil's only crime is being, well, plump . Milton has to wonder if that's really enough to justify eternal darnation. And what Milton finds in Blimpo horrifies him. The overweight dead kids spend most of their time running on giant human hamster wheels called DREADmills that detect and exploit their deepest fears. The rest they spend eating Hambone Hank's barbecue—mystery meat that is delicious, but suspiciously (to Milton, anyway) haunting . Every classroom has a huge TV screen showing happy thin people who taunt Blimpo residents with a perfection they will never attain. Meanwhile, at her new job in the devil's Infernship program, Milton's sister, Marlo, knows all about trying to achieve perfection. And failing miserably. Can Milton get himself and Virgil out of Blimpo in time to rescue Marlo, too? Or is Fauster the next delicacy on Bea "Elsa" Bubb's menu?"

Bazterrica, Agustina: Cadáver exquisito (Tender is the flesh)

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore.

His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.

Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

***

The virus makes animal flesh unsafe to eat. Society converts to farming humans for meat. The book describes functioning slaughterhouse, often exaggerating the violence that goes on within. Where does the border between animals and human lie? What does it means to be reduced to meat? How would a human behave if they were treated like cattle?

Boote, Justin: Carnivore

Detective Inspector Jim Morfield is worried. In the quiet, countryside village of Fritton, human remains have begun appearing. Bodies so viciously mutilated that only their bones are left behind, in some cases less than a few hours after they were reported missing. What creature could possibly devour human remains so quickly? Surely, as with the case of farmer Stanley Walters, it couldn’t be his cows nearby and covered in blood that dismembered and devoured him? Then, when another person is attacked by a horse, his arm nearly torn off, he has no choice but to consider the impossible.

The problem is that there is another killer to contend with. One who has Fritton terrified. A serial killer hiding among the woods and fields, unseen, unchallenged. Now Jim has to decide if the bodies accumulating in the area are the works of a human or something as harmless as the local wildlife.

Bradbury, Ray: Skeleton

The story of a hypochondriac who becomes utterly terrified of the alien form of his own bones, and sets out to have them... treated. The character of M. Munigant alone, and his terrible office, would have made for an excellent Flesh avatar.

Brown, Daniel James: The Indifferent Stars Above

In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of emigrants led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and fourteen others set out for California on snowshoes and, over the next thirty-two days, endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.

In this gripping narrative, Daniel James Brown sheds new light on one of the most infamous events in American history. Following every painful footstep of Sarah's journey with the Donner Party, Brown produces a tale both spellbinding and richly informative.

Bonus: This is a nonfiction account of The Donner Party, probably one of the most famous occurrences of survival cannibalism in history.

Buller,  Jon and Susan Schade: Mike and the Magic Cookies

The protagonist and his family are turned into animals by the antagonist who is planning to eat them. Pretty Flesh i guess.

Calvert, Amy: You Are What You (M)Eat: Explorations of Meat-Eating, Masculinity and Masquerade

A fascinating essay on the concept of carnophallogocentrism (the connection between meat-eating and masculinity, as defined by Jacques Derrida) which discusses the gendered politics of consuming, preparing, and raising meat animals, viewed through the lens of the US reality television series Man V. Food. Calvert argues that the show represents the sexualization of both women and meat, and represents a cultural backlash against feminism as traditional concepts of masculinity are reasserted through the grotesque displays of meat consumption onscreen.

Carroll, Emily: Some Other Animal’s Meat

An excellent blend of the body image issues central to the Flesh and classic body horror.

“Aren't you tired of all those half empty bottles cluttering up the cupboard beneath your bathroom sink? Why not choose something that actually WORKS for once? Alo-Glo is all natural rejuvenating healing”

“But I wonder... What if inside. it's somehow the wrong stuff? What if my meat is some other animal's meat and the human part of me is just the skin like the smooth layer of dough you drape over an uncooked pie”

Clarke, Arthur C.: Food of the Gods

In this imagined future, we have stopped killing animals for meat and started to grow tissue in vats instead (to help support our even-more-massive population). People actually retch at the thought of eating animal flesh, although the vast majority of the various manufactured foods replicate the characteristics of various meats exactly. Several companies manufacture the stuff and get into a competition about who can make the best. Eventually, one company makes one that apparently tastes delicious and is perfectly tailored to human needs, calling it "Ambrosia Plus". The competition goes before a Senate subcommittee to explain why this might be a problem:

"Yes, Triplanitary's chemists have done a superb technical job. Now you have to resolve the moral and philosophical issues. When I began my evidence, I used the archaic word 'carnivore'. Now I must introduce you to another: I'll spell it out the first time: C-A-N-N-I-B-A-L ..."

Cook, Robin: Coma

Susan Wheeler is a medical student working at the Boston Memorial Hospital. Young, healthy patients are coming in for routine operations and leaving in permanent comas. Susan investigates, eventually unearthing an Organ Theft conspiracy. Apparently, they started using hospital patients who were already comatose, but demand (and profits) is such that they start artificially inducing brain death in healthy patients undergoing surgery to get more victims.

Dahl, Roald: Pig

Once upon a time, a boy named Lexington is born in New York City. Unfortunately he is soon orphaned when his parents are accidentally shot by the police, who mistake them for robbers. Lexington is sent to live with his Aunt Glosspan out in her cottage high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is an eccentric old woman who schools him herself and raises him to be a strict vegetarian. As he grows older, Lexington starts to exhibit a talent for cooking and Aunt Glosspan encourages him to write a cookbook. By the time he is 17, he has invented over 9,000 different dishes. He is shocked when Aunt Glosspan suddenly dies, though, and he buries her himself behind the cowshed. The next day he finds a letter she has left him instructing him to go to New York and meet with her lawyer. Apparently the lawyer will read her Will and then give Lexington money to pursue his cooking ambitions. Unfortunately for the boy, the lawyer is an unscrupulous man who takes advantage of Lexington’s trusting nature and ends up giving him just $15,000 out of the $500,000 his Aunt left for him. Upon leaving the office, Lexington decides he is hungry and heads to the nearest restaurant for some dinner. To his surprise, he is served pork for the first time in his life and he finds it delicious. Eager to learn about this new food for his book, he bribes the waiter to take him back into the kitchen to meet the chef. The chef tells him though, that he can’t be sure it was pig’s meat. “There’s just a chance,” he says, “that it might have been a piece of human stuff.” He tells Lexington that they’ve been getting an awful lot of it from the butcher lately. He’s pretty sure that the piece Lexington had was pork though, so the boy asks him to show him how to prepare it. The cook says that it all begins with a properly butchered pig. Wanting to see how this is done, Lexington takes off for the packing-house in the Bronx. When he gets there he is ushered into a waiting room to await the Guided Tour. He watches as others go through the doors before him: a mother with two little boys, a young couple, and a pale woman with long white gloves. Finally his turn is called, and he is led to the “schackling area” where the pigs are grabbed, looped about the ankle with a chain, and then dragged up through a hole in the roof. While he is watching, one of the workers slips a chain around Lexington’s ankle and before he knows what is happening he is being dragged along the path as well. “Help!” he cries. “There’s been a frightful mistake!” But no one stops the engine, and he’s carried along to the sticker, who slices open the boy’s jugular vein with a knife. As the belt moves on and Lexington begins to feel faint, he sees the pigs ahead being dropped into a large cauldron of boiling water. One of the pigs seems to be wearing white gloves. Lexington’s strong heart pumps out the last of his blood, and he passes on “out of this, the best of all possible worlds, into the next.”

***

A short story about a cookbook writer, Lexington, who was raised by a strictly vegetarian aunt. After her aunt's death, he seeks to expand his culinary horizons, first by tasting pork for the first time and then going to a factory tour to see how meat is processed. Unfortunately for him, the slaughterhouse he goes to appears to specialize on processing meat of the "long pig" kind...

Ellin, Stanley: The Specialty of the House

https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/books/stanley-ellin-the-specialty-of-the-house/

A macabre little tale about an unusual restaurant in Manhattan and its lonely patrons.

Enriquez, Mariana: Carne (Meat)

From the book Los peligros de fumar en la cama (The dangers of smoking in bed).

After the suicide of a controversial culty musician who sang about how we're all meat, a couple of teenagers dug up his rotting body and began to consume it until they were detained by police. This leads to a huge debate in the city as to wether these girls were insane groupies or if they "understood his message perfectly".

Fink, Joseph: It Devours!

From the authors of the New York Times bestselling novel Welcome to Night Vale and the creators of the #1 international podcast of the same name, comes a mystery exploring the intersections of faith and science, the growing relationship between two young people who want desperately to trust each other, and the terrifying, toothy power of the Smiling God.

Nilanjana Sikdar is an outsider to the town of Night Vale. Working for Carlos, the town’s top scientist, she relies on fact and logic as her guiding principles. But all of that is put into question when Carlos gives her a special assignment investigating a mysterious rumbling in the desert wasteland outside of town. This investigation leads her to the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, and to Darryl, one of its most committed members. Caught between her beliefs in the ultimate power of science and her growing attraction to Darryl, she begins to suspect the Congregation is planning a ritual that could threaten the lives of everyone in town. Nilanjana and Darryl must search for common ground between their very different world views as they are faced with the Congregation’s darkest and most terrible secret.

Gaiman, Neil: Babycakes from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

In this story, all the animals disappeared and people resorted to using babies as a substitute. Eating them. wearing clothes made with their skin and testing various things of them. A remarkably macabre Flesh vision of the world. Also, written as a benefit for PETA which, I think, should give it bonus points in the flesh category.

Graves, Damian: An Apple A Day

Tim Barnett decides to get revenge on his cruel neighbor, Bill Cole, by vandalizing his apple orchard. He steals and eats one of the man's apples as a souvenir, prompting a slow, painful transformation into an apple tree.

Guanzhong, Luo: Excerpt from Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Untitled, fictitious story in the larger work, meant to demonstrate Liu Bei's incredible character. He stops at the home of Liu An (a hunter, and one of his relatives). Liu An doesn't have enough meat to feed his lord and his retinue, to he kills, butchers, cooks and serves his own wife so that Liu Bei and company wouldn't be under-served. When Liu Bei finds out this he is shocked, but not outraged, at having been unknowingly fed human flesh. He is, instead, amazed at Liu An's devotion to hospitality (to the point of feeding his lord his own wife), and instead praises him as a model citizen. And this is a story the author inserted to make Liu Bei sound more virtuous and heroic than he was in actual history!

Harris, Thomas: Hannibal

Lecter's backstory. As horrible as you would imagine.

Harris, Thomas: Silence of the Lambs

Not only is this book about a guy who kidnaps, captures, and kills women and peels off their skin to make himself beautiful, there’s an unrelated cannibal (Dr Hannibal Lecter) just hanging out in jail. The title derives from Clarise’s experience growing up on a farm and hearing “the silence of the lambs” after they’ve been screaming before being slaughtered.

Ito, Junji: Glyceride

The story revolves around a father and his daughter and son, who run a barbecue joint, which results in grease rising from the bottom floor to their living space, making everything in their house- their clothes, the walls, the furniture - covered in a film of grease. There's a constant motif of the horrors of the flesh at their grossest: The constant bullying the daughter Yui endures from her brother Goro, her stress and disgust at what she calls the "saturation level" of grease in the air, the horrible acne Goro develops and his strange addiction to drinking cooking oil, and the unnatural, greasy body odor their father has. All of this is later put on disgusting constract against their father's job at the barbecue, and how his customers think the meat he serves is delicious...

All of this escalates until Goro tries to kill Yui. However, their father saves Yui by bashing Goro over the head with a frying pan, killing him; he subsequently gets rid of the body by serving his flesh to the customers in his restaurant. The restaurant enjoys a revival in popularity due to Goro being served to the patrons but, when the meat runs out, the customers stop coming back. Yui begins to develop acne and a bad temper, just like Goro. She wakes up one night to find her father forcing oil down her throat just as Goro used to drink it. From then on, Yui can't sleep due to her father's constant efforts to break into her room and give her oil.

With no more meat left, Yui's father is forced to close the restaurant. He begins drinking the oil himself. His skin and hair become even greasier, and the saturation level continues to rise. The entire house is now full to the brim with grease, and grease drips constantly from the ceiling the saturation level is 90%. Eventually, Yui catches a glimpse of her father cutting off his own leg to serve in the restaurant since Goro's been eaten and she refuses to drink the oil; she observes that her father's leg is not leaking blood, only grease, as she realizes the saturation level is now at 100%.

Ito, Junji: Tomie

Not only has body horror and cannibalism, but is also a commentary on beauty standards and objectification of women.

Katsu, Alma: The Hunger

Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck--the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions--searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand--evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves "What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased...and very hungry?"

KFC: Tender Wings of Desire

It's a romance novel by KFC. What more do you really need to know?

King, Stephen: Survivor Type

One of the few short stories that even King thinks he went a little too far on.

From Wikipedia: "Survivor Type is written as the diary of a disgraced surgeon, Richard Pine nee Pinzetti, who, while attempting to smuggle a large amount of heroin aboard a cruise ship, is forced to escape when an explosion causes the ship to sink. He relates growing up poor in an Italian-American neighborhood and playing college football (which he hated) to get into a good college and then went on to medical school and in time a successful practice until his illegal distribution of prescription medicines and blank forms led to the loss of his license. He arranged to smuggle heroin from Vietnam to make a large amount of money, which would then be distributed for bribes that would enable him to return to practicing medicine. While encountering a storm in his empty lifeboat, Pine finds himself marooned on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean whose exact location is completely unknown to him, with very limited supplies and no food. A self-proclaimed "survivor" type, Pine bitterly whiles away the time by using a logbook as his diary, detailing his rise and fall in the medical profession and his determination to survive this ordeal, get even with the people that "screwed him over," and return to prosperity.

Over time, the diary entries become more and more disjointed and raving, revealing Pine's slow mental decay and eventual insanity caused by starvation, isolation and drug use. Determined to hold out for rescue, he goes to horrifying lengths to survive. He eats insects, kelp and seagulls. After fracturing his ankle while attempting to signal an airplane, he amputates his own foot, then realizes he has to eat it to survive. He continues to amputate his own limbs to use as a food source, ingesting the heroin as a crude anesthetic during these operations. His last few diary entries, barely comprehensible, indicate that Pine has sliced off and eaten both legs, as well as his earlobes, and drools uncontrollably as he ponders which body part to consume next. The diary entries end when he cuts off his left hand to eat it and writes "lady fingers they taste just like lady fingers." "

King, Stephen: Thinner

Billy Halleck is a successful, arrogant lawyer known for his chronic obesity and sleazy manner. While driving across town he is distracted by his wife Heidi and runs over an elderly Romani woman, killing her. The woman's father, Taduz Lemke, curses Billy outside the courthouse, and Billy begins to lose weight rapidly regardless of how much he eats. Later, Billy discovers that the judge who cleared him of manslaughter charges has been disfigured by hideous scales growing on his skin, while the policeman who committed perjury on Billy's behalf is now stricken with uncontrollable acne. Both men eventually commit suicide out of shame for their malformed appearances.

(The judge is literally slowly turning into like, a literal alligator man, in horrifying detail per Stephen King. The policeman's "acne" is his entire skin basically turning into one giant pimple and sloughing off. It's very Flesh and VERY horrifying)

A now-emaciated, nearly skeletal Billy tracks the Romani band north along the seacoast of New England to Maine. He confronts Lemke at their camp and tries to persuade him to lift the curse but Lemke refuses.

Billy calls for help from his mob boss friend who threatens the Romani with violence until Lemke agrees to meet with Billy, who is now at risk of death from heart arrhythmia because of his emaciation. Lemke brings a strawberry pie with him and adds blood from Billy's wounded hand to it. He explains that the curse can't be taken back, so Billy must pass it to someone else by getting them to eat the pie. (The pie starts pulsing like it has a heartbeat by the way.)

Billy returns home intending to feed the pie to Heidi as he blames her for his predicament. He falls asleep, and when he wakes, he is horrified to find that both Heidi and his beloved daughter Linda are now cursed. Without hesitation, he eats the rest of the pie. And then the book just fucking ENDS, leaving you the reader to speculate on how the curse manifests to finish them off.

Lee, Tanith: The Beast

A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling that inverts a lot of the fairytale's traditional tropes: instead of Vessavion starting the story as an ugly Beast who becomes handsome at the end when the Beauty returns to him and recognizes his inner beauty, he starts the story as a handsome and seemingly perfect man who becomes an ugly Beast (and dead) at the end when his wife Isobel leaves him after learning about his secret hobby of murdering ugly people and taking their incongruously beautiful body parts for his collection.

Levene, Rebecca: Too Rich for My Blood (in Seven Deadly Sins)

The stories in Short Trips: Seven Deadly Sins are based on the Christian concept of seven deadly sins. This story's theme is gluttony.

On a trip to Las Vegas, Chris Cwej watches a hot-dog eating contest go horribly wrong as a painfully skinny contender devours his entire plate... and then his competitors'... and then his competitors. He's been spiked with alien hormones that massively accelerate his metabolism, burning away his calories as he eats -- and it's infectious. Soon, the casino is overrun with a zombie plague as Chris tries to lead the survivors to safety and ensure that the infection doesn't make its way onto the streets. Meanwhile, the Doctor searches for a cure, and Benny has stumbled into a poker tournament where the prize is getting to live.

Miyazawa, Kenji: The Restaurant of Many Orders

From Wikipedia: "Two gentlemen in Western-style dress go hunting in the woods, accompanied by two dogs and a guide. After a day of hunting, they have failed to capture any game, they have become separated from their guide, and their dogs suddenly drop dead. As the two gentlemen lament their losses and trudge forward, they suddenly turn to find a large Western-style house with a sign reading, "Restaurant Wildcat House Western-Style Cooking". The hungry gentlemen, though unnerved, enter the restaurant to encounter a series of doors that open before and close behind them. Each door is preceded by a sign, the first few of which bear double-entendre messages of welcome. The gentlemen interpret these signs, apologizing for the restaurant's "many orders", as indicating the restaurant's popularity and quality. Later signs bear commands (the Japanese 注文 chūmon having the same two senses as the English "orders") instructing the men to undress and rub themselves with strange substances. All the while, growing hungrier and colder, the men speculate about the fine food and diners they expect to find in a restaurant so discerning.

Finally, the men realize they cannot go back and realize that they will be devoured by the proprietor of the house if they approach the last door. In a deus ex machina, their previously dead dogs return to fight the demons lying behind the final door and the house vanishes into mist. The gentlemen are rejoined by their guide, and they return to Tokyo forever traumatized by the experience."

Ojeda, Mónica: Mandíbula (Jawbone)

“Was desire something like being possessed by a nightmare?”

Fernanda and Annelise are so close they are practically sisters: a double image, inseparable. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin, held hostage by one of her teachers and estranged from Annelise?

When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends from the Delta Bilingual Academy convene after school, Annelise leads them in thrilling but increasingly dangerous rituals to a rhinestoned, Dior-scented, drag-queen god of her own invention. Even more perilous is the secret Annelise and Fernanda share, rooted in a dare in which violence meets love. Meanwhile, their literature teacher Miss Clara, who is obsessed with imitating her dead mother, struggles to preserve her deteriorating sanity. Each day she edges nearer to a total break with reality.

Orwell, George: Animal Farm

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned—a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.

When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece have a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.

***

"It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, the rebellion is betrayed and, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon, the farm ends up in a state as bad as it was before. "

A tale about animals trying to rebel against the slaughter and failing. What's more flesh than that? Also, it's a metaphor against totalitarian regimes and in those humans are often treated like cattle.

Ovid: Metamorphoses

A series of stories all about transformation, the flesh being reshaped in radical ways. Sometimes the changes are punishments, other times rewards, but all of them are carefully detailed and totally irrevocable. May have played a role in my own furry awakening.

Pinkwater, Daniel: Slaves of Spiegel

At the beginning of the story, a community of obese space pirates inhabit the planet Spiegel, but periodically raid other planets for fattening food. At a feast celebrating their raids, the pirates' supreme commander 'Sargon the Great' initiates a new expedition for the three greatest cooks in the galaxy; at the conclusion whereof, the three finalists and their assistants are brought to a grand festival on Spiegel, and ordered to satisfy all the pirates in a contest of their skills, of which the winner's prize is the lifelong position of chief cook to the pirates themselves. Among the finalists are Steve Nickleson (the protagonist of an earlier book) and his assistant Norman Bleistift, whereof Norman serves as first-person narrator of nearly one-half of the text. Ultimately, Steve and Norman win the second prize of 600 pounds of Spiegelian blue garlic and transport home, which Steve later uses to create a "bright blue" pizza. The first place winner is forced to cook for the pirates forever.

Piper, Hailey: Benny Rose, the Cannibal King

The main antagonist of the novel, Benny Rose has a special hunger for children. During the 50s, he ended up trapped with five kids in the basement of a hospital that caught fire and consumed them to stay alive, which caused him to become a supernatural entity of some kind. Now, every Halloween night, he strikes and feasts upon the trick-and-treaters who are filling the streets. To make him even more heinous, he eats his victims piecemeal, while they're still alive.

Pizarnik, Alejandra: La Condesa Sangrienta (The bloody countess)

The book is based on the real life story that inspired the figure of the vampire.

Accused of the murders of 650 young women, Erzébeth Báthory is one of the most sinister criminals in history. In her castle on the Carpaths, in the late 17th century, the countess closes in on her victims to bleed them and keep her youth. Her cursed and fascinating legend lives on through time. The bloody countess is one of Alejandra Pizarnik's key works, its pages build up a disturbing portrait of sadism and madness.

Quiroga, Horacio: La gallina degollada (The decapitated chicken)

A couple has a deep desire to have children and a legacy. Unfortunately their first four sons turn out to be idiots because of a congenital disease. They have a fifth child, a daughter who appears to be healthy and quickly becomes the favourite while the idiot sons get sent to live their lives sitting on the backyard. One day, the sons witness the cook beheading a chicken for lunch, and become obsessed with the colour red from the blood, chanting "Red, red". When they see their sister playing outside, they, in unison, replicate what the cook did to the chicken with her while chanting "red, red".

Rymer, James Malcolm and Thomas Peckett Prest: The String of Pearls; or, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The book that inspired the musical, complete with delicious meat pies.

Shusterman, Neal: Duckling Ugly

Cara is so ugly, mirrors would rather break than show her reflection. Not even her own parents can deny her ugliness, and nothing can make up for the cruelty of her schoolmates. Tormented and tortured by the shallow people of Flock’s Rest, Cara’s life is miserable. Then Cara receives a shimmering note from some exotic place suggesting that there’s more to her than meets the eye. Cara wonders if her destiny has something to do with her recurring dreams of a beautiful green valley where the people are so accepting, her ugliness doesn’t matter. Soon, Cara discovers that her valley of dreams is real. It’s a place where the ugliest of ducklings can become swans. A swan, however, can have a serious taste for revenge . . . deadly revenge.

Sinclair, Upton: The Jungle

Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. Many readers were most concerned with his exposure of health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meatpacking industry during the early 20th century, based on an investigation he did for a socialist newspaper.

The book depicts working class poverty, the lack of social supports, harsh and unpleasant living and working conditions, and a hopelessness among many workers. These elements are contrasted with the deeply rooted corruption of people in power. A review by the writer Jack London called it, "the Uncle Tom's Cabin of wage slavery."

***

It examines the desperate lives of meatpacking workers in Packingtown, Illinois, an area of southwest Chicago marked by its abundance of stockyards, slaughterhouses, factories, and cramped tenements, in the early 20th century.

Sinclair's primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the United States. However, the novel's most notable impact at the time was to provoke public outcry over passages exposing health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meat-packing industry during the early 20th century, which led to sanitation reforms including the Meat Inspection Act.

***

The Jungle is the story of Jurgis Rudkus and his family, Lithuanian immigrants who come to America to work in the meatpacking plants of Chicago. Their story is a story of hardship. They face enormous difficulties: harsh and dangerous working conditions, poverty and starvation, unjust businessmen who take their money, and corrupt politicians who create laws that allow all of this to happen. The story follows the hardships of Jurgis and his family and the transformation that Jurgis undergoes when he accepts the new political and economic revolution of socialism. The novel's most notable impact at the time was to provoke public outcry over passages exposing health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meat-packing industry during the early 20th century, which led to sanitation reforms including the Meat Inspection Act.

"He lived like a dumb beast of burden, knowing only the moment in which he lived."

"They use everything about the hog except the squeal"

***

“They use everything about the hog except the squeal.”

The Jungle is probably the most famous muckraking novel in American history. Its unflinching description of meatpacking plants in Chicago brought public attention to the unsanitary, inhumane conditions of the industrialized meatpacking trade, eventually leading the U.S. to adopt the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which created what would eventually become the Food and Drug Administration. According to Wikipedia, the author Sinclair--who was an avowed socialist--told Cosmopolitan Magaizine: "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."

If that's not enough to make you think of the Flesh, consider one of the book's most infamous passages:

"…and as for the other men, who worked in tank rooms full of steam, and in some of which there were open vats near the level of the floor, their peculiar trouble was that they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting—sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out to the world as Durham’s Pure Leaf Lard!"

Industrialized, inhumane slaughter of animals: Check

Visceral recognition of the fragile embodied state of human beings: Check

Cannibalism: Check

The Jungle is the perfect example of a Flesh text.

Smith, Clark Ashton: The Garden of Adompha

King Adompha and his equally vile court magician Dwerulas rule Sotar, which is known for Adompha's royal garden, hidden from the eyes of all but himself and Dwerulas. In truth, Adompha and Dwerulas capture or execute anyone disfavored by them in Sotar in order to butcher them and have Dwerulas fuse their remains to the plants of the garden, creating half-human, half-vegetable hybrids suspended in a strange state between life and death. Adompha orders a servant girl murdered purely for her hands, ordering the rest of her body fed to the plant her hands will grow upon, and furthermore murders Dwerulas on nothing more than an impulse. Dwerulas manages to curse Adompha in retaliation, resulting in Adompha's garden turning upon him and raking him to pieces.

Link: http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/76/the-garden-of-adompha

Smith, Cordwainer: A Planet Named Shayol

The protagonist, Mercer, who lives within the Empire, has been convicted of "a crime that has no name". He is condemned by the Empire to the planet Shayol, where he lives in a penal colony whose inhabitants must undergo grotesque physical mutations caused by tiny symbiotes called dromozoans. Most grow extra organs, which the Empire harvests for medical purposes. The bull-man B'dikkat administers the prisoners a drug called super-condamine that alleviates the pain of their punishment and various surgeries.

More than a century passes. Mercer has found a lover, named Lady Da. B'dikkat shows the couple a sight that horrifies him: children have been sent to Shayol -- alive, though with their brains removed. Lady Da knows how to contact the Lords of the Instrumentality so that they can intervene. When the Lords arrive on Shayol, they are shocked by what they find. Moreover, the children there are heirs to the throne. Apparently, the Imperium has become so bureaucratic and corrupt that it condemned them to prevent them from committing treason when they matured.

The Instrumentality voids permission to allow the Empire to exist and to maintain Shayol. They will free the prisoners who are still sentient and provide a cure for their suffering with a substitute for the super-condamine, namely an electronic "cap" which stimulates the brain's pleasure center. The mindless prisoners will be decapitated, their heads "taken away and killed as pleasantly as we can manage, probably by an overdosage of super-condamine", leaving the bodies to be used by the dromozoa. Ultimately, Lady Da claims Mercer as her consort.

Stine, R.L.: Chicken, Chicken

"Everyone in Goshen Falls knows about weird Vanessa. She dresses all in black. Wears black lipstick. And puts spells on people. At least, that's what they say. Crystal and her brother, Cole, know you can't believe everything you hear. But that was before they made Vanessa mad. Before she whispered that strange warning, "Chicken chicken." Because now something really weird has happened. Crystal's lips have turned as hard as a bird's beak. And Cole has started growing ugly white feathers all over his body... "

-People turning into chickens!

-Detailed descriptions of how grossly biological chickens are!

 -A cliffhanger where we think the narrator's mom is going to kill and eat her!

Stine, R.L. and Stephen Roos: The Boy Who Ate Fear Street

Sam Kinney used to be a very picky eater. But after a friend’s eccentric Aunt Sylvie put a weird spice in his mac and cheese, suddenly, Sam can’t stop eating. Paste and pepper. Dishwashing soap. Even dog food. Sam has to find out what is making him eat...and eat...and eat. Before he eats his house. And all his friends on Fear Street…

Summers, Chelsea G.: A Certain Hunger

Food critic Dorothy Daniels loves what she does. Discerning, meticulous, and very, very smart, Dorothy's clear mastery of the culinary arts make it likely that she could, on any given night, whip up a more inspired dish than any one of the chefs she writes about. Dorothy loves sex as much as she loves food, and while she has struggled to find a long-term partner that can keep up with her, she makes the best of her single life, frequently traveling from Manhattan to Italy for a taste of both.

But there is something within Dorothy that's different from everyone else, and having suppressed it long enough, she starts to embrace what makes Dorothy uniquely, terrifyingly herself. Recounting her life from a seemingly idyllic farm-to-table childhood, the heights of her career, to the moment she plunges an ice pick into a man's neck on Fire Island, Dorothy Daniels show us what happens when a woman finally embraces her superiority.

Swift, Jonathan: A Modest Proposal

The famous work of satire that suggested that poor people should sell their children to be eaten by the wealthy. Some people... didn't get the joke.

Wells, H.G.: The Island of Dr. Moreau

A shipwrecked man, Edward Prendick, reaches a sinister island inhabited by notorious vivisectionist, Doctor Moreau. Prendick suspects that experiments are also being carried out on humans, resulting in hybrid forms; however, the doctor explains that he has actually been changing animals into people.

Yoshitomi, Akihito: School Ningyo (School Mermaid)

"Description from TvTropes: A horror manga / anthology series by Akihito Yoshitomi about Japanese school girls who really want boyfriends. But rather than going through the trouble of getting the attention of a boy, talking to them and just being themselves, they decide on a much quicker way to do so… By hunting mermaids in their school and eating their flesh."

Already submitted this for a hunt bracket but it works as a Flesh Leitner even better.

Spoilers: All the mermaids used to be people. They were turned into those mindless creatures meant to be eaten. If you don't eat the flesh of a mermaid during the hunt you turn into one so you have to consume flesh to avoid becoming it.

[phoenix-shmoenix]

so i've gotten back into the sims 4 recently while i'm unemployed and out of grad school for the summer so i thought i'd start posting it here for literally no one except me to see lol anyway. i'm doing the sims in bloom legacy challenge as outlined by @a-sims-garden in this post and i'm already a decent chuck of the way into the first generation but hopefully i'll be posting updates more regularly. anyway here's what we've got so far:

my founder's name is Bellis Perennis, which is the scientific name for a Daisy, which is the first generation. he started out living at The Shipping Views in Evergreen Harbor. i don't have the pack for the "simple living" lot trait (i think it's cottage living) but i thought living off the grid was probably similar. i didn't start taking pictures until like way later into this so sorry i won't have any for a hot second 😭

one day while out for a walk around the neighborhood, he ran into Daisy Hayden and they hit it off right away. she invited him into her apartment and they talked for hours. not long after, she had some kind of disaster and asked to stay over for a few days with Bellis. he, of course, obliged. he did a lot of scavenging to be able to sell things and get enough money to buy a second twin bed for his humble living so Daisy would have her own place to sleep. although the vibe between Bellis and Daisy was certainly flirtatious, he was afraid to ruin their friendship by making a move on her.

while Daisy was staying with him, the two of them worked together on his modest home garden. both of them enjoy gardening and spending time outdoors. things continue to heat up between them, and once Daisy's first stay over runs out, Bellis invites her for another stay over. at this point, the chemistry between them is almost undeniable, but Bellis is still hesitant. finally, the two go on a wild night out together, during which they get drunk and end up hooking up together. for the rest of Daisy's stayover, they continue to screw around. finally, Bellis asks Daisy to be his girlfriend.

it's clear that Bellis and Daisy have something special. Daisy asks Bellis to move in together almost immediately, but Bellis says no. He's focused on his career as a gardener and his lifelong botany passion. Plus, Bellis is a gentleman, and worries about the two of them moving in together before he proposes. He already found the perfect thing to propose with, but he's waiting to get the crystal back as a gem in order to propose to her.

Bellis' rejection of moving in with Daisy almost derails their relationship entirely. She goes home and refuses to speak to him for 24 hours afterwards. Bellis must apologize several times over the course of several days before he can get her to agree to stay the night again. Finally, the relationship is back on steady ground and Bellis has received the gem in the mail so he's ready to propose.

He asks Daisy out on a date to her favorite museum, where he proposes to her in the middle of the garden.

Daisy is overjoyed to say yes! Now that the two are engaged, they move in together in a small starter house in Brindleton Bay. The wedding is scheduled for the end of that week. Bellis continues to focus on his career as a gardener, while Daisy is less committed to her job as a civil engineer. She would much rather stay home all day and hang out with all the stray cats and dogs that like to hang out in their garden, but she goes to work anyway.

Really, Daisy's dream is to have a big, loving family. Daisy's parents aren't in her life anymore, and as an only child, she has felt lonely for so long. She wants her and Bellis to start getting to work on having kids before the wedding, but Bellis again says no. As a proper gentlemen, he won't get her pregnant on purpose before the wedding.

Finally, the wedding comes. The happy couple wastes no time getting to the alter. It's a small wedding with only two attendees--the best friends of Daisy and Bellis respectively.

After the ceremony is concluded, the newly weds rush home for a very long night that turns into an early morning of trying for a baby. The next day, a test reveals Daisy is pregnant! During the pregnancy, Daisy develops an attachment to one particular stray cat in the area and adopts her into their home as well.

The morning Daisy goes into labor, Bellis is excited and terrified at the same time. The first baby is a boy, named Anthony Bloom (as the next generation is Buttercup, and another name for that flower has something to do with St. Anthony). But to their surprise, a second baby, a baby girl they name Buttercup Bloom, is born as well!

Bellis opts not to take paternity leave, and Daisy is more than happy to spend the day working from home and tending to her kids.

So yeah that's where I'm at now. Gonna get better at taking pictures and posting more consistently so it's not such a long drawn out post.

[moiraimyths]

So I'm writing a literature review for my British Lit class about Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's poem called The Reasons That Induced Doctor Swift to Write a Poem Called the Lady's Dressing Room. I'm not sure why, but I feel like this is something that Keagan could write. It just gives me Keagan vibes. I highly recommend taking a read. It's eloquently written and quite entertaining.

So I read this poem just for you Anon! I gotta say.... yeah. Keagan would absolutely take a satirical bite from a pompous jerk's famous work. I think he would have a similar take to Montagu on the original poem, "The Lady's Dressing Room." I was unaware of Swift's poem as well, though I am familiar with "A Modest Proposal" so it was nice to get to read some good satire!

Thanks for the suggestion anon!

***

THANK YOU FOR THE SUCCESSFUL FUNDING OF OUR KICKSTARTER!

Keep an eye out for what comes next! If you’d like to play our FREE demo, check the pinned post for links!

[arson-the-clown]

Prompt 1: "Stay For Me" Wally Darling (Welcome Home)

"Stay for me" his eyes were as wide as dinner plates, as they always were, as they stared into my own

My chest hitched as he said them. His voice was surprisingly soft for someone who was ususally so boisterous. I floundered for a moment already hating the words that had to come out of my mouth.

"Wally, I can't. You know I can't."

Much to my dismay, he immediately became crestfallen "But neighbor, why? Don't you love our little town? All our other friends in the neighborhood? They most certainly love you!"

Thoughts of the day rushed through the forfront of my mind. Watching Eddy tease Frank and the way Frank stammered and became flushed. Chatting with Mr Piller outside of his little store. Being nearly crushed in Barnaby's great arms as he gave me a hug. Poppy and Juilie laughing together in the afternoon sun, Sally skipping down the street beside them. And Wally, dear sweet Wally introducing me to all of them with a beaming smile and such pride! More than anyone had ever shown in me before.

As much as I wanted to stay here with them all and live each day in this colorfun world of fun, where nothing bad ever happens, I simply knew I couldn't. And for that my heart broke. And for the expression on Wally's face, standing in the setting sun with his hand on Home's doornob and the small expanse of space between us.

"Wally, I loved today. I love all of our friends. I love the Neighborhood. But for as much as I wish I could, you know I can't stay here." My voice cracked as the last words left my mouth.

He seemed to go through an array of emotions all in a moment. Anger, then sadness, then nothing at all. "Why not?"

That startled and confused me "Why not? W-wally you know why not. I'm not like you all. Look at us. You are made of felt and fluff and fabric, brought to life in the magical world by something I don't understand. I'm flesh and blood and bone. As much as I may wish to god that I was like you and the others, that simply can't happen."

As I talked the more impossible to read his experssion got. Wally looked down at his nice leather shoes. He lingered there for a moment before swiftly letting go of Home's doornob and closing the space between us. The moment he let go, Home's giant eyes shifted downwards to look at me. They felt cold, hostile somehow.

That feeling only got worse as Wally took me by the hand and got down on one knee. There was something different about his eyes. I couldn't place it, but something about this whole situation suddenly felt off, uncanny. "How about a modest proposal then neighbor?"

I took a shaky breath "How's that?"

"Why don't we have a sleepover?!" He smiled widely "At least stay a little bit longer before you have to go! I understand if you want to go home and I know you see us as being very different, but please neighbor give me the opprotunity to show you that we aren't as different as you think!"

My brain seemed to lag. A slumber party? I couldn't fathom how that would solve anything. It wouldn't make me felt. It wouldn't make my new friends human. And yet...and yet was I foolish enough to pursue this venture? I took a deep breath and tried to center myself. I looked at Wally. His excitement, his smile, all seemed the same as they had all day. Had I imagined the weird vibes a moment ago? I looked up and Home seemed to smile and welcome me in with it's whole structure.

Wally stood up again, easily towering over me, pulling my hands into both of his and up to his chest "Oh please neighbor say yes! We can order pizza and watch movies all night and I can tell you everything about everyone here! And I'll make you breakfast in the morning, pancakes and bacon and omlets! I'm a great cook I promise!"

That broke me down enough to get a giggle out of me "Okay, okay, Wally. You've wittled me down. I guess staying for one night couldn't hurt. Gosh you're hard to say no to."

I don't think he could have possibly smiled wider "Yay! Thank you neighbor! I promise, I'm going to make tonight the best night of your life! You're just going to love it!"

He picked me up and a big hug and spun me around, making me laugh. He set me down gently on my feet once more and let go of all of me but my hand. "Come on in neighbor! Home is just going to adore you I'm certain!"

Wally walked me up to the door and with each step I felt that cold, uneasy feeling settle into my stomach deeper and deeper. Something in me told me that what I was doing was intrinsically wrong. But the soft feeling of slightly warm felt and cotton in my hand grounded me perceptively. I tried to tell myself that I was being silly, that it was just my anxiety getting the better of me.

But as we stepped inside of Home and Wally closed the door behind us, I felt my stomach drop into the pits of me when he said quietly "Oh neighbor, we're going to have so much fun together."

[harlowmiller]

Character Name: Harlow Miller

Character Age:  32

Birthday: July 27th, 1991

Faceclaim: Kat Graham

Neighborhood: Orchid Park

Occupation: Owner of Bread & Butter

Biography

Harlow Miller was born in 1989 in Covington, Georgia to a single mother. Harlow's mother worked hard as a nurse to provide for Harlow, often working long night shifts at the local hospital. Her father was not present in her life growing up, which sometimes made her questions why he couldn't bring himself to be in her life. Despite that, she had a happy childhood, with a modest and loving upbringing. She had a huge family in Covington, and knew almost everyone around town. 

In high school, she really came out of her shell. Her kind and jovial nature not only made here likable, but popular. Harlow's athleticism led her to try out for the cheerleading squad in 10th grade. She made the team, becoming one of the star cheerleaders. Harlow brought infectious energy and enthusiasm to the squad, t. She balanced her cheering commitments with challenging courses, earning excellent grades. 

Life would have been perfect, until tragedy struck when she was 15. Her mother was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. After a brave battle, Sarah passed away just before Harlow's 16th birthday. Losing her mother at such a young age was heartbreaking for the teen. Her mother's death forced her to grow up quickly, though it didn't dim her kindness. She moved in with her aunt and uncle nearby (who she always saw as her second set of parents) and finished high school living with them. 

After high school, Harlow set her sights on higher education at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design. The creative vibes at SCAD gave Harlow a place to express her grief through art. She put her amazing talents to work and graduated with top honors, earning a BFA in Painting. However, while she was job searching, she felt as if something was missing. 

It was her childhood friend Amy who first introduced Harlow to the wonders of baking. One particularly difficult week—after Harlow failed to land a job, again—Amy invited her over. There, she suggested they bake since Amy found baking relaxing. As they baked, she felt a familiar sense of comfort and creativity stir within her. Amy called her a natural and persuaded her to take baking seriously. With no job prospects in sight, Harlow signed up for a prestigious pastry program soon after. She immersed herself in mastering the techniques of breadmaking and decorating elaborate pastries.

After honing her skills, she took the courageous step of opening her own bakery at 27 years old—using the inheritance her mom left her to help finance the new business. She named it Bread & Butter. Harlow poured her heart and soul into creating a welcoming community space that shared her love of baking through high-quality breads and pastries. Owning her business was fulfilling but demanding work. At the very beginning, Harlow routinely worked 15 hour days. Her perseverance paid off as Bread & Butter gained a loyal following for its exceptional baked goods. 

A few years after starting her business, romance came knocking. He was charming and driven, and they formed an instant connection. After 1 year of dating, he proposed, and although she knew she wasn't ready—she accepted and they began planning their wedding. However, as the big day grew closer, she realized deep down that she couldn't go through with the wedding. She was glad to have followed her instincts because not too long after that; she found out he had gotten another woman pregnant. This experience left Harlow guarded when it came to romance. She has remained single in the years since, focusing her energy instead on the bakery, her friends and family.

Personality

Sunny Optimist: Despite the hardships life has thrown her way, Harlow maintains a cheerful, glass-half-full perspective. Her warm smile lights up any room she enters.

Old Soul: Wise and nurturing beyond her years, Harlow has a nostalgic old soul. She loves music from the 60 through to the 90s.

Empathetic Listener: She never shies away from lending a listening ear to someone in need. She offers compassion and thoughtful advice.

Cautious with romance: After almost marrying the wrong man, she has remained single, guarded when it comes to relationships.

Wanted Connections

Best friend: Samara Khanna, Ahalya Reddy

Tennis partner: She's not that great at tennis, but likes playing just to get active. That's how they met. They could be close or just have a passing friendship.

Friends: Harlow knows everyone, so this is pretty straightforward.

Enemies: Maybe another competitive baker, or her ex. I'm open to any ideas lol.

Love interest: He's a teacher who has visited the bakery in the mornings—for a year now—before school to grade papers and enjoy coffee and pastries. He's friendly and before long, Harlow starts to look forward to chatting with him during his visits. There’s an undeniable chemistry sparking between them, although she's hesitant to take it further. Little did she know, he was the best friend of her ex fiancé. Nolan Jackson

[asnarkyandironicusername]

Listening to Talk by Hozier and thinking it’s Remadora coded before realizing a ton of his songs are (Eat Your Young, though based on A Modest Proposal with a modern twist always makes me think of Dumbledore’s use of Harry) and deciding that Remus would have been an absolute slur for Hozier. Like, he’d run out to buy them on vinyl & play them on a record player because “it just sounds better that way!” and Tonks would have power over the aux cord (if they used cars) but Remus controls the music in the house because if there’s one thing he knows how to do it is set a moody/dark academia vibe & what did Tonks fall in love with if not his moody aura & dry/witty humor???

And with all of this rotting my brain I’m supposed to be studying for my linguistics final? How???

[iwanttoeatpedropascal]

dsmp characters headcanons : how they feel about you based on your zodiac sign

Aries

Tommy : you two don’t get to know each other on a very personal level, but are fine with that. You both always have a good time when you hang out.

Technoblade : he has a huge crush on you that he tries to repress but he just can’t get over you.

Dream : he’s your partner in crime

Slime : besties

Karl : he is a bit jealous of your self-confidence

Wilbur : he used to see you as someone who looks down on other people but now he doesn’t care because you are fucking hilarious to him

Schlatt : there was an animosity between you two at first for the same reason as with Wilbur. But then he became fond of your sense of humor as well and now your relationship is pretty neutral as long as you make him laugh

Fundy : he would trust you to help him get rid of a body. Also he will probably propose to you at some point and if you accept you will both live happily ever after

Puffy : she also trusts you a lot, she will probably present herself as a rival to Fundy for your hand in marriage. You will also have your forever happy ending if you pick her.

Niki : she has a huge crush on you and you like her a lot too but it just doesn’t work out for some reason

George : he had a huge crush on you but you rejected him… only to develop feelings for him later on, when he has already gotten over you. Painful for the both of you.

Ranboo : you both are kinda crushing on each other but prefer not to get into a relationship (it hurts them a lot but they suck it up) (you too lowkey)

Foolish : he’s a fan of your aura, your charisma.

Tubbo : you guys don’t talk much, but he thinks you are a magnificent and kind person and he doesn’t fail to remind it to you, especially when you’re doubting yourself.

Quackity : like with Tubbo, there’s not much interaction between you two, but he thinks highly of you, and reprimands you often for being too modest.

Sapnap : you don’t know each other and have no intention to do so

Philza : neutral, doesn’t know you or care much for you

Taurus

Tommy : he thinks you’re a weirdo, you both can’t get along at all, even just to build or mine in each others presence is unbearable.

Technoblade : you two are farming buddies. Techno acts both as a wise master that teaches you his techniques and a boastful brat when you get half his results in triple his time.

Dream : you don’t talk much but you don’t need to, he understands you without that. He tries to get you to get you out of your house and socialize more, even though that’s the last thing you want

Slime : you both vibe together, often without much words exchanged. He looks forward to introduce you to each and every person he encounters, while you would much rather just hang out with him.

Karl : childhood friends, you know you can count on him when you’re feeling down

Wilbur : you hang out a lot together, he sort of inspired you to be the person you are

Schlatt : you spend a lot of time with him and he’s always pushing you to be the best version of yourself

Fundy : he copies you a lot in hopes to be as mesmerizing as you

Puffy : you both have a lot of admiration and respect for each other, she sees you as a model to follow

Niki : she loves when you sing (whether you’re talented or not doesn’t matter to her)

George : he loves to hear you humming or talking to yourself when you think no one is listening.

Ranboo : his favorite thing about you is your voice and he wishes you would use it more.

(you probably have a crush on Niki, George and/or Ranboo)

Foolish : he thinks you’re stubborn and obstinate and you think he’s weird and a little creepy but he is the only one who can make you laugh in your darkest moments

Tubbo : you two are each others best friend, often mistaken for siblings

Quackity : absolute besties, he is like a brother to you

Sapnap : you are one of the few that protect and support him in critical moments, and when you hang out you can be sure you will always end up crying in laughter

Philza : he knows he can always count on you in difficult situations, and you both have the same sense of humor, which makes you both capable of turning any circumstances into a laughing matter

Gemini

Tommy : you have a big crush on him that you can’t get over, but he sees you as just a friend, friend with benefits at most

Technoblade : no one else can make him laugh as hard as you can, and vice versa

Dream : to him, you are a sarcastic good-looking person that likes to make fun of his over dramatic personality a little too much. But in the end you vibe together just fine.

Slime : you like teasing him too and the fact that he can’t understand sarcasm makes your dynamic a truly comedic duo to watch. But you also know how to just enjoy his company and you actually adore his quirks and silliness.

Karl : he sees you as very hardworking and knows he can count on you for whatever project he has in mind (you’re probably in love with him and would do anything for him)

Wilbur : you have lots of things in common and often feel like you are both the same person. But for some reason, he doesn’t like you very much. You are uncomfortable in his presence as well because it feels like he sees through you, unlike anyone else.

Schlatt : you are also similar to him, and he also keeps you away. You are as uneasy in the same room as him the same way as you are with Wilbur.

Fundy : only you has a deep level understanding of all the facets of his personality, which makes you all the more intrigued by him

Puffy : you also have the capacity to read through her like no one else, and the deeper you dig into her layers, the more interested you are in her

Niki : thinks you are the best for deep convos at night, you two always have good vibes together

George : likes speaking about deeper than usual topics with you, and you both enjoy each others presence very much

Ranboo : they like to open up to you about personal stuff and have you share your own experiences, you never get tired of each other

Foolish : he doesn’t know it yet but you two are meant to be together. Also he is the best travel buddy you could ever ask for

Tubbo : you see him as an older brother and he thinks of you as adorable and interesting, doesn’t mind killing time with you, but he can’t trust you

Quackity : you love him like family, he thinks you’re cute, friendly and have riveting conversation skills, but his trust issues make him pull away from you sometimes

Sapnap : he doesn’t understand how someone that looks so inoffensive can like bullying him so much. You like to blackmail him into farming or mining for you lol

Philza : you like to tease him a lot, he was surprised at first but then accepted it (he is used to it anyway). He does some work for you when you ask him to if he’s bored or if you bother him until you are given what you want

Cancer

Tommy : he sees you as a younger sibling that he has to protect from everything and everyone

Technoblade : you are his one and only true love, he mines and farms and even builds for you a lot

Dream : you are a like a family member to him

Slime : he considers you as a part of his goop family

Karl : best friends

Wilbur : you are very dear to him, and he is always here to reminds you that you are awesome

Schlatt : he holds you in high regards and is often trying to convince you that you are a marvelous and amazing person

Fundy : you don’t know each other a lot but he thinks you are adorable and pitiful, because you somehow always have the worst luck. You kind of weird each other out, so you don’t interact much

Puffy : even though you’ve never talked before she already sees you as a poor thing and your sight alone often makes her emotional (lol). You two don’t really understand each other

Niki : family, she will always support you, even though sometimes you don’t really know what she’s thinking

George : he sees you as family and you can count on him, but he can be too sarcastic at times with you

Ranboo : sometimes his jokes go over your head or you feel unsure of what to take seriously or not. But you are family to him and in the end he will do whatever he can for you

Foolish : you have good tastes in a lot of domains, and he admires you for that. His way of showing his fondness is like a playful banter, which you take as form of bullying and don’t understand his true feelings

Tubbo : he asks himself how can a human being be so innocent and endearing. You will always appreciate him, even though you don’t always get along

Quackity : your friendship has its ups and downs but he thinks very highly of you and your affection for him doesn’t budge

Sapnap : he cries with you when a character you both like in a movie/series/book dies and he is one of your best friends

Philza : he also gets emotionally invested in fictional characters with you, and your friendship is a deep bounded one

Leo

Tommy : you two are partners in crime, and you are his favorite mining, farming and building buddy (you both thrive in making inconvenient holes and towers on people’s property)

Technoblade : you always vibe together, and even though you sometimes get fed up of him sassing you, you stay good friends through the drama

Dream : you both are rarely seen apart, and you have each others backs. There is a sort of rivalry between you two in relationships, you both are often interested in the same persons at the same time. But the conflict stays superficial and never truly hurts your bond

Slime : You spend a lot of time with him, and you are both loyal to each other. He is like your right hand man, or right hand …jelloman. He likes to be liked by other people, just like you, which often results in you both competing for people’s attention or affection, one-upping each other and such. But it never affects your friendship whatsoever

Karl : He thinks you are very attractive, and wishes you would lend some of your beauty to him

Wilbur : He thought he was your only friend and when he learned that was not the case he got a bit upset

Schlatt : he is a bit of a possessive individual, or maybe just jealous of your ability to get people to like you ? You will never know, but what you do know about him is that under his articulate, suit and tie wearing façade lies an insane man, that you can see when he’s drunk (which is most of the time)

Fundy : you are like an aunt or uncle to him, he doesn’t know much about you other than you like flowers

Puffy : she sees you as family, respects you and also knows to bring flowers when she meets up with you.

Niki : thinks you are too much of an attention seeker, and doesn’t have time for you as she puts herself first. She is one of the only ones that can manage your gigantic ego, but you can’t bring yourself to trust her because of this power she holds over you

George : to him you are an attention whore and a waste of his time, but that means he knows how to bring you back down to earth when you spiral into your god complex. Again, you don’t like how easily he can control that side of your personality and don’t trust him at all

Ranboo : he is the last person that can handle you when you get too full of yourself, which still doesn’t sit right with you when people manage to do that, so you avoid him. He doesn’t mind because he already has a lot to deal with on his own

Foolish : you are his favorite party and hang-out buddy. You’ve discovered he can cook very well, and you love to when he cooks for you

Tubbo : he really hates your over dramatic personality

Quackity : same as Tubbo, he absolutely can’t stand being in your presence when you’re being dramatic

Philza : even though it can be hard to see at first, he knows you have a gigantic heart and would trust you with his life

Sapnap : one of the few who truly see how generous and caring you are, he knows he can count on you with his eyes shut

Virgo

Tommy : he thinks you look down on people a bit too much but likes you anyway because you’re funny.

Technoblade : he thinks you’re annoying because you can read through him easily and don’t believe his lies like everyone else. You two are similar in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t bring you closer, on the contrary

Dream : he knows you hide chaos under your calm and quiet façade

Slime : when he first met you he thought you were the discreet and polite kind, but he witnessed with shock some insanity slip out during parties, making him aware of your true chaotic nature

Karl : you’re always hyping him up and he appreciates that

Wilbur : right person wrong time trope, none of you regret a second of your time spent together

Schlatt : you were in a relationship with him that ended for some reason and you both keep wonderful warm memories of this moment of your life

Fundy : you are his free therapist who gives amazing advice that he never follows

Puffy : she also comes to you a lot for advice, but never actually uses it

Niki : there’s a 90% chance she has a crush on you, she expresses her affection by always being by your side and giving you her precious advice

George : he likes you A LOT, he’s probably hiding a ginormous crush on you. He is one of your best friends, he likes to watch over you as much as he can

Ranboo : you are everything they look for in a romantic partner, they just have to gather the courage to ask you out. They are always trying to make everything work out for you, guiding you towards the best outcome in sticky situations, finding solutions to your problems.

Foolish : he’s your biggest fan, and always trying to get you out of your comfort zone

Tubbo : You get along super well, you understand each other without talking and he adores you, in a completely platonic way

Quackity : you two are like peas in a pod, no need for words, you two are always on the same page. Your friendship is extremely precious to him.

Philza : You two are very different but get along awazingly well. He feels a sense of security in your presence, which is very rare for him to find in relationships, so he values it more than anything.

Sapnap : You don’t have much in common but there’s a deep connection, he wants to propose to you and trusts wholeheartedly that no one will make him happier than you.

Libra

Tommy : he’s your futur husband and would absolutely commit crimes with you

Technoblade : he’s very intrigued by you (in a good way)

Dream : to him you are the funniest person that has ever existed

Slime : absolutely loves your humor above anyone else’s

Karl : you guys are in the same friends group but don’t talk ever (he finds you a bit weird)

Wilbur : he would like to have your artistic capabilities and your attractiveness but never follows your advice

Schlatt : he thinks you are a talented and adorable person, and envies your qualities, yet when you try to share some of your techniques for inspiration or appearance, he ignores every solution you offer him

Fundy : you both appreciate each others kindness, and don’t dare to tell the other no when they want to hang out, because you both easily get bored of each others

Puffy : you are both maybe the nicest persons in the smp, but don’t enjoy much hanging out together, because it somehow always ends up being a drag for one of you

Niki : friends with benefits

George : he can’t get his hands off you, you are by far the best in bed according to him

Ranboo : you are his bootycall

Foolish : your brother in spirit

Tubbo : he wants you so baaaaddd

Quackity : he wants you for your body

Philza : he’s in total awe and admiration of you everyday, no matter what you do

Sapnap : he’s head over heels for you, and falls in love with every single thing about you

Scorpio

Tommy : he’s your ex that still loves you, but you broke up with him because you know it wouldn’t work… he will get over you eventually

Technoblade : he wouldnt mind living the rest of his life with you because your vibes together are immaculate

Dream : he doesn’t trust you because you hold some sort of power over him, and he hates the idea of someone else being able to control him

Slime : he is very intimidated by you, and is surprisingly careful around you, not at all his usual naive self. His animal instincts are probably dictating him how to act around a potential threat, although there is no factual reason as to why he would see you as one.

Karl : he’s uneasy around you because he doesn’t understand your humor, when he’s supposed to laugh or to take you seriously

Wilbur : you are his best friend, he tells you everything even his deepest darkest secrets and thoughts, and values your opinion a lot

Schlatt : you are the only one he truly goes to for advice, comfort, solutions, i guess you are the closest thing to a friend to him

Fundy : he’s supeeeer attracted to you, unlike with anyone before

Puffy : the connection she feels with you is almost supernatural

Niki : you were each others first love, and cherish the memories you have together of the blessed time of your relationship

George : you had a crush on each other in the past, but neither of you will forget, the experience is forever engraved in your hearts

Ranboo : you shared a passionate kind of love, the kind you only get when you’re young, that forged you two as the people you are today (in the best way possible)

Foolish : he is your neighbor, and he is very scared of you, he even suspects you to be a witch/wizard

Tubbo : you had a small romantic adventure together, that he got over a long time ago

Quackity : a past love story that went by quickly and didn’t impact him much

Philza : he enjoys when you visit him because he gets to hear news about everyone in the smp, as you are aware of most of what’s happening. He especially enjoys hearing about the drama

Sapnap : you two are the gossipduo, creating and spreading rumors

Sagittarius

Tommy : you’re his crush

Technoblade : you’re his favorite parter to go explore with

Dream : you’re his friend, but he often treats you as his servant

Slime : you are the only one he actually enjoys human food from, and constantly asks you to cook for him when you visit

Karl : he thinks you’re an annoying bully and can’t stand you

Wilbur : he tries to channel your energy while you get him out of his comfort zone

Schlatt : he pushes you to be more productive and organized, and you challenge his beliefs and habits

Fundy : he’s your fiancé that you will run from when you get in front of the altar

Puffy : she’s your 2nd fiancée that you will leave dramatically alone in front of the altar

Niki : you were in a relationship together and you cheated on her, but she somehow forgave you

George : you betrayed his trust one time when he counted on you to be there for him. It was hard but he got over it and you two are now in good terms

Ranboo : you also cheated on them during a relationship but again, they found it in themselves to forgive and forget

Foolish : you two are the travelduo, the best explorer team of the server

Tubbo : he truly loves you but knows there won’t be anything serious between you two because you don’t seem to see him as boyfriend material

Quackity : he loves you with all his heart, but he’s also aware that you don’t feel the same way

Philza : mining/building/farming buddies

Sapnap : he thinks you’re cool to kill time with, just a bit dumb

Capricorn

Tommy : he’s your neighbor, you never really talked. He thinks you’re cute but a little too crazy

Technoblade : he’s your older brother in spirit, except you have absolutely nothing in common

Dream : he sees you as an older, say smarter than him sibling, but he knows he’s the attractive and popular one

Slime : he’s like your younger brother, he admires your intelligence a lot while he tries to give you advice on how to get along with humans, a talent even a slime developed better than you

Karl : he will always appreciate you, even if you two don’t always get along

Wilbur : he considerers you to be one of his most knowledgeable friends, capable to deal easily with phobias, anxiety, and most important of all you can handle him and his antics. You two get along magnificently and are always on the same wavelength without even communicating

Schlatt : the thing he likes the most about you is your ability to stay calm in stressful situations and to manage his eccentricities. You get along just fine, and understand one another without exchanging a word.

Fundy : your fiance

Puffy : your fiance

(they both want you so bad what else do you want me to say)

Niki : she acts very motherly towards you, you are one of her best friends

George : even though you're friends, he treats you like his daughter

Ranboo : you're their best friend and they tend to be very protective towards you (totally platonically), they also watch over you and constantly fulfill your needs

Foolish : he sees you as someone who doesn't know how to have fun and never knows what you're thinking about

Tubbo : your one and only soulmate

Quackity : you two were meant to be, as friends or lovers, it doesn't matter

Philza : he's very fond of you ever since he met you (platonically)

Sapnap : he has fallen hard for you and cannot move on or forget you

Aquarius

Tommy : he envies you because you obtain everything he dreams to have

Technoblade : he knows you have a crush on him, but can't consider a relationship with you. But then again, he also likes this situation because he likes to feel desired

Dream : you are the only person he will actually, truly fall in love with

Slime : somehow he has developed real feelings of love and affection towards you

Karl : you two are very different people, he finds you arrogant and you don't understand him at all

Wilbur : you often have long conversations together about everything and anything, you always vibe together

Schlatt : there's definitely a friendly feeling of understanding between you two (not going as far as to say you're actually friends). He actually likes to speak with you about deep and complicated topics.

Fundy : you're like a long lost sibling that was separated from him at birth, that he finally found again. He enjoys hanging out with you a lot, even though you don't see each other a lot

Puffy : when you first met, she felt as if she had always known you, and thinks you're really cool. She's always far away with her crew on the oceans, but you stay friends no matter the distance.

Niki : she doesn't like you but she doesn't know why

George : to him you are an undesirable person, even though there really isn't any existing explanation to his opinion

Ranboo : he wants to stay as far away from you as possible, without any specific reason

(you probably were part of a group that had disagreements with their friends, and their loyalty pushes them to dislike you, so by association rather than by your actual actions)

Foolish : you don't see each other much, and one day you get along fine, the other you are insufferable to him and he declares war to you

Tubbo : you are like an annoying judgy family member to him

Quackity : he is tired of you imposing your values onto him

Philza : if the Goddess of Death didn't exist, you would have been the closest thing to his ideal partner

Sapnap : he wants your bodyodyodyody

Pisces

Tommy : he thinks you're useless

Technoblade : he does all your work for you, but he bullies you while doing it

Dream : he gives you the illusion that you're superior to him in power but he actually thinks you're way too easy to manipulate

Slime : he respects you a lot but worries you might be too naive for your own good, maybe even more than him

Karl : you're his best friend

Wilbur : very different but you have a connection like there's rarely, and get along super well, he'd be the perfect future husband for you

Schlatt : you don't have a single thing in common but are thick as thieves. As a husband he would provide you with the safety you've always searched for

Fundy : you're his shoulder to cry on from time to time

Puffy : she goes to you sometimes when she desperately needs warmth and comfort

Niki : you're one of her best friends, and has some feelings for you but dosent want to act on them because she knows she will hurt you

George : you are a dear friend to him, which is why he won't ever try anything with you, to protect your feelings

Ranboo : you guys are close friends, and they are fine with that relationship, for your own good and for the sake of simplicity

Foolish : he thinks you try too hard to be funny

Tubbo : you're his ex that he regrets going out with

Quackity : you're also an ex to him, he doesn't understand what he ever saw in you

Philza : bffs

Sapnap : You two are the bestest friends in the whole wide world

A/N : im sorry most of these are shit but I had fun and in the end that's all that matters I think

[duskoscrawl]

A break down of my 'The Voices Beneath' Series and Playlist

The entire playlist can be accessed on YouTube here and the series is on ao3 here and is summarised as following:

An exploration of the pervading influence of Dwendalian Nationalism over the Empire's citizens and how it seeps into their mentalities. Particularly through the life of Caleb Widogast.

The Playlist, Song by Song:

Mordred's Lullaby, Heather Dale: this is the song that the series title is drawn from. It draws from Arthurian myth and is pretty dark for a lullaby. The series premise draws from the lines 'And you won't understand the cause of your grief | but you'll always follow the voices beneath' which I think really feeds into the collective grief stricken nationalism of the Zemni Fields.

Eat Your Young, Hozier (Bekon's Choral Version): A lot of my work for this series is rooted in Irish literature - especially since my reading of the EGW suggests that the fields are mostly worked by tenant farmers - therefore I was thrilled when Hozier released a song based on Johnathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' which argued that as the English landlords had stolen so much from the Irish, why didn't they just eat the children too. It is this kind of energy that fuels the first half of Zemnian Days (fort, doch nicht vergessen), which is a bildungsroman of Una Ermendrud's life and explores day to day life in the fields.

The Worker's Song, Ben Robertson (Ed Pickford, arr. Dick Gaughan): this is a very good folk song about the systematic abuse of the working class. The lines 'and when the sky darkens | and the prospect is war | who's given a gun | and then pushed to the fore?' play into the Righteous Brand's recruitment of farmhands from the fields, seen throughout Zemnian Days.

Pleasant and Delightful, the Longest Johns: this is a folk song about love and grief and longing, perfect for the last section of Zemnian Days, where Una and Leofric fall in love, but Leofric signs up to the Righteous Brand to be able to financially support the child Una falls pregnant with.

Unbreakable, Keiino: this is one of my go-to songs for Caleb. It's based on the story of the Snow Queen and carries that fairytale vibe that Caleb delivers so well with Der Katzenprins and the Waldhexe. It is paired with Looking Out of the Window which is a fic in which Una watches her son grow up for sixteen years, and ends in fire and flame. When listening to the song, I often position Ikithon as the evil mother figure from the Snow Queen who is making Bren unbreakable

The Innocent, Aurora: this is where the thrumming beat of Rexxentrum starts to play. Where Bren gets his scholarship and meets the city with wonder and joy. The song slowly spirals into a kind of desperation, wherein you can imagine Ikithon taking power over the Blumendrei.

A Temporary High, Aurora: this is the song for the Blumendrei being each other's only comfort in the midst of Ikithon's torture. There's a running motif throughout the song about being cold and hoping that the love is not just a temporary high - which I think really plays into the whole story of their imprisonment in the Academy tower.

Wulf ond Eadwacer, Hanna Marti: this is my favourite Old English poem, excellently performed by Hanna Marti. It is spoken by an Anglo Saxon woman about her two lovers (historical debate and difficulty in translation makes this uncertain), but I have drawn from my favourite bits of translation to write Ungelīc is ūs (we are apart). This covers Astrid's story of the first month after Bren breaks and she is a fully fledged Vollstrucker. It is very intense about the level of control Ikithon has over her life.

The In-between (piano solo), Evanescence: this is a particularly haunting piece of music that encompasses the first part of Bren's imprisonment in the Vergessen Sanatarium. It pairs with the fic Hourglass of Ash, which is a free indirect discourse piece showing Bren's perspective of his time in Vergessen.

Me and the Devil, Soap&Skin: this covers the end of Hourglass of Ash where the man who will become Caleb Widogast comes to himself in Vergessen Sanatarium and begins to face the horror of what he has done.

The Tragedy of Widogast, Chase Noseworthy: this is a wonderful song, and in this playlist it bookmarks the birth of the man who is becoming Caleb Widogast. As a lot of this is covered in game, I have not written much for the next section of songs.

Feed the Machine, Poor Man's Poison: this song is another one about the systematic abuse of the working classes. It is my song for Nott and Caleb before they meet the Nein.

Give Me a Reason, Chase Noseworthy and Lilli Furfaro: this is a beautifully haunting song about Astrid and Caleb meeting in Rexxentrum. It keeps its context in this playlist.

Dine with the Puppetmaster, Chase Noseworthy: this song is about the dinner with Ikithon. It keeps its context in this series, and I very much enjoy the imagery that is used in the song.

This is Love, Air Traffic Controller: this song is my go-to song for Trent Ikithon. It has a relentless set of vocals that sing from the perspective of an abuser. There is also another voice that reminds me of Astrid. In this playlist, this song represents the final battle against Ikithon in the finale.

I Won't, AJR: courtesy of @leetlesapphiretiefling. This song directly pairs with the fic I do what you tell me to (and do it to death), which is a character study of Eadwulf. The fic is inspired both by the song and by a hedgerow in my village that I was walking along. It explores snippets of Wulf's childhood, paired with his survival technique during his years with Ikithon.

So Human of You, Shireen: this song is about deriding a person who bases their humanity in cruelty. It pairs with Inheritance of the Archmage, which is a fic about Astrid having Wulf, Caleb and some members of the Cobalt Soul helping her to clean out Ikithon's Candle, which she, as the new Archmage of Civil Influence, has inherited. It is about coming to terms with the cruelty that has made up the last 17 years of her life.

The Devil is Human, Aurora: this one is also related to Inheritance of the Archmage, as it carries a similar message about humanity and cruelty. It also refers to the singer and associates as becoming 'real human beings' which I tie into Astrid and Wulf being able to move out of living in survival mode and process what has happened - something that is explored in the fic by them finding a cache of genuine letters from their families that Ikithon had withheld from them.

Waldhexe, Chase Noseworthy and Ginny Di: this song directly inspired Waldhexe (spare us from your claws). This fic is a pov outsider piece from the perspective of the Ermendrud's neighbours, who see Caleb come to visit home as a ghost. It is about the collective grief in the Fields, as the War of Ash and Light (I think that's what it's called, Essek's war) had robbed the Ehlers of their three children, all of whom were called up to be soldiers. It works to reconcile the broad strokes of the campaign with the minutia of the thousands of inhabitants of the Empire and the Dynasty.

Lost Without You, Freya Ridings: this is the purest grief song on this entire playlist and it is dedicated to a goose called Peck Beck, who is the narrator for Find Familiar. This fic is about a goose who loves baby Astrid unconditionally and is then eaten when her family die, before being brought back as a familiar. I adore this fic. It was inspired by a trip round a lovely Welsh museum of culture (it's the kind of museum where they have lots of historical buildings on site and they had medieval farmhouses through to modern ones).

Gloria in Excelsis Dei, Vivaldi: I would have put the whole Gloria oratorio in here if I thought I could get away with it. This accompanies the fic Gloria, which details Essek viewing a graduation at the Soltryce Academy and exploring the role of pomp and ceremony in nationbuilding. It was inspired by watching my flatmate perform Gloria with a university choir in a particularly nice church.

Garden of Bones, Galdorcræft: this is a very dark sounding song about being in the garden and keeping on living. It pairs with my fic Bitter Meadowsweet, which deals with Caleb mourning the mundane aspects of his childhood, as well as the fact that he will never be able to learn skills and recipes off of his parents.

Earth Mother, Fáerhin: this is a fairly dark sounding ambient song that carries an ominous sense of peace. It is another one for Caleb's garden and the uneasy sense of peace you get when mingling the soft epilogues with the political uncertainty of Rexxentrum politics and Essek's situation.

Brave New World, Kalandra: this is a beautifully dystopian song. I associate it with Beau and Caleb beginning to uncover just how deep the Cerberus Assembly corruption goes, as well as trying to utilise Caleb's role in the Academy to curb wizard hubris. For that reason, it goes with the fic Control Flames, which is a pov outsider view of professor Widogast that I began writing in the wake of the finale.

A Good Song Never Dies, Saint Motel: this song has a very determined beat, and a very strong sense of purpose. It is a song I associate with Beau and Caleb working to take down the Assembly.

Death to Cerberus, Chase Noseworthy: this song is about taking down the Cerberus Assembly and the implications that might accompany it. It keeps its context in this playlist.

Hiraeth, Plu: this is a lovely song in Welsh that sounds almost hymnal. It is for this reason that it makes a good conclusion to the playlist and a good companion to No More Children On The Pyre, which is a love note to the impact that the Mighty Nein's ethos has had upon Wildemount, and Exandria.

All in all, I think that The Voices Beneath is the series that I'm most proud of.

[readingrobin]

for the magical ask~~

dandelions, roses, fireflies

Dandelion: List three songs that you’re loving right now.

Love of My Life by Queen because I realized that it fits one of my OCs very well so you know I had to throw it up on their playlist. I may have or have not looked up funny Freddy Mercury comps on Youtube afterward as a result.

Home Again by First Aid Kit. Really because I love the chill, nostalgic vibes and it's nice to sing along to.

Eat Your Young by Hozier. Pretty much because it feels like this generation's A Modest Proposal and I love that for this song. Plus I'm just excited for more Hozier music.

Roses; Do you think your zodiac sign fits you? Why?

So I'm a Leo, which is apparently the most attention seeking sign I suppose. I guess that fits, but mainly because, well, loneliness is a thing I struggle with. So it's a not "everyone must pay attention to me all the time," more like "if someone doesn't acknowledge my existence for a couple days, I must spiral." Fun stuff.

Leos are also fun, creative, loyal, and have a sunny disposition. That last one seems a bit iffy, but the rest seem on point. One of the Leos downfalls is their selfish nature which, yeahhhhh makes sense.

Also Leos being good leaders I really don't connect with. I've never wanted to be in a leader position and am more comfortable as a supportive figure. All that power is just too much pressure.

Fireflies; What’s something that makes you laugh out loud?

The dumbest shit you could possibly imagine. I am very easy to make laugh. You could just mispronounce a word in a humorous manner and that's enough to get me.

Well timed slapstick also has a good chance of making me laugh. What can I say, I grew up with the Three Stooges.

Send me a magical ask.

[smooth-goat]

1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 20, 69

lmmao mmost of these are from my hunter owl house playlist afjdsl

Welcome To Eden - The Wild Honey Pie Buzzsession -- Samia

And I'll love her forever but how could she know When I look in her grave and her cold fingers reach up and Rachel, I'm sorry for calling you by the wrong name It was just a suggestion

I really like the quick transition on "reach up and--Rachel" like whatever is happening at the grave is too difficult to talk about that the narrator has to switch subjects. And "I'm sorry for calling you by the wrong name / it was just a suggestion" is very Character for the Character Playlist.

2. Rät -- Penelope Scott

I bit the apple 'cause I trusted you It tastes like Thomas Malthus Your proposal is immodest and insane

The lyrics here are pretty dense writing, with the Biblical reference (which is a common throughline), the name of Thomas Malthus (anti-Irish, classist, genocide man), and the word "immodest" referencing Johnathan Switft's "A Modest Proposal", which satirizes Malthus. I think it's pretty clever writing.

I mean this is very much a song for the Hunter OwlHouse playlist. I could go into a whole infodump about Hunter and Belos and maybe I'll do that to you on discord afdjlks but basically there's a lot of little things here that work in addition to the basic premise of betrayal felt by a tech daddy role model.

3. Trouble -- Cage the Elephant

I said it was love and I did it for life Didn't do it for you

Something interesting for me there in those lines. About how the relationship was more about checking off a box and wanting a good life experience over the person they're actually sharing that experience with. Mostly though what I like about this song is the moodiness of it. It has this vibe of like, being lost in a city and turning round and round looking for where you're going, asking for directions but no one's talking to you, helplessly going in circles. Also, I like the "the wicked get no rest" line referencing another of their songs; I love when musicians do that shit.

4. Bumblebees Are Out -- Jack Stauber's Micropop

Kind of odd and difficult to pick favorite lyrics here because there're so few of them. But I put it on because of the unsettling tone, implicit child abuse, and the contrast between said abuse and disowning with picking flowers, and how even picking flowers can't be free from some pain.

10. Problems -- Mother Mother

You and me, we're not the same I am a sinner, you are a saint When we get to the pearly gates You'll get the green light, I'll get the old door in the face

I don't honestly have strong opinions about this song? It just fills a transition gap in the playlist for me. I do think though that it has a strong opening. I also like the line "Some go to baseball, some go debase a face they can't seem to save" because of the repetition of the "s" sound; I think that's fun and clever.

20. Art School Wannabe -- Sorority Noise

Maybe I'm my own greatest fear Maybe I'm just scared to admit that I might not be as dark as I think Maybe I am not the person That I never wanted to be

I like the commentary this song has about the persona of the tortured artist. How the creative community (in this case, the music world) places so much value in the romantic ideal of depression, when not only is the reality not that but also that wanting to be happy and recover is actually good; it won't make you a worse artist and it won't make you a less interesting person.

69 (nice). Campus -- Vampire Weekend

How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?

I just think this song is fun and catchy fjdsakl And I think it's very evocative of the specific lifestyle of college casual sex: having "important" things to focus on but hooking up instead, learning how to navigate a sexual social life with new relative independence, and being in a fairly small and confined social space making it hard to avoid past encounters.