#pariah mouse

[shoeboxasylum]

[thatlittledandere]

Man I dreamt I was Mickey Mouse trying to deliver Minnie something she forgot home while leaving for a friend's party, but when I got to the event venue it turned out to be this HUGE multi-storied building, like, the floor area was probably measured in kilometers, and it functioned as basically an authoritarian micronation with a strict, color-based social caste system. The most common way to identify someone's current standing was by wristbands or watches; upon entering I was given a white one, the lowest of them all and the only one permitted to visitors.

I had never even heard of this THING before and tried my hardest to piece together the laws and rules from the fragments of context clues I got from trying to talk to people, all the while also trying to hide the fact that I wasn't one of them (my initial entering caused quite a stir and I got the idea that turning up uninvited was frowned upon, to put it lightly.) For example I quickly learned that, while the biggest in numbers, white was technically below the ranking altogether, and its holders didn't enjoy the same rights as even the lowest of the castes. Whites were like interns to the society; they had to prove their piety to and knowledge of the customs before being fully admitted as citizens.

Minnie had left house carrying a purple hood so I assumed that to be her color, but when she eventually found me, it turned out to be fuchsia instead. And fuchsia was one of the higher castes, if not the highest. She told everyone in the room I was with her, and we started making our way to more private quarters somewhere in the upper floors. The floorplan was ridiculously convoluted; we passed SO many staircases, hallways, elevators, doors, and escalators. Minnie tried to catch me up to speed with what it was all about; turns out the community had been there functioning for over ten years, unknown to the outside world, most of its inhabitants living there full time in its many living quarters. The ones like Minnie who had a life in the outside too lived a double life, keeping the house a secret. The community was almost religious in how its residents treated it; it was basically a theocracy. I kept asking Minnie to please list the ranking order of the colors, as everything seemed to revolve around which caste you were, but she always had something that in her mind was more important to teach

Then we got separated. We had been moving in pairs in a group of about ten to be less conspicuous, and I couldn't see Minnie all the time with all the apparent hurry we were in. So when some of the people in the group started stuffing themselves into an elevator, I wasn't facing Minnie but figured that's where we were going. That was not where we were going. She didn't enter the elevator, having also lost sight of me. But the elevator took us back to the lobby we started from, so I started following our pervious footsteps to the best of my memory. Every time someone stopped or acknowledged me I told them I was a fuchsia's servant and had been summoned by her and had to get to the upper floors posthaste. I had no idea if higher ranks having personal servants in the lower ones was a thing, but people did let me through.

We also stopped being Mickie and Minnie Mouse at some point. You know how dreams go.

I found out the wristbands weren't the only way to express one's color; anything that stood out enough to serve the function was a go. At some point I stepped into an elevator only to come face-to-face with my brother, from real life, who was indigo, and it was apparent from the accents in his otherwise black outfit. I was happy to see a familiar face, even though I knew he was NOT thrilled to see me lol, and would absolutely not help me on my quest. He would much prefer not to be associated with an outsider. And as Minnie, who was no longer Minnie but just a nondescript friend I was looking for, hadn't explained the caste order to me, I didn't know where dark blue stood. But from the way he carried himself and how the other guy in the elevator reacted to him, I deduced it must have been closer to top than bottom, at least.

Another thing was that these color assignments CHANGED. They were frequently reshuffled, and you had to figure out a way to quickly switch to displaying your new color, and adjust to your new social standing in your behavior and relationships. When I finally found my friend, she had switched to green by quickly dying her hair with spray dye. As she was now one of the lower classes, she conducted herself with a certain shyness and shame, posture hunched and eyes withdrawn.

She showed me to a lounge for people of various lower castes, where I found another nondescript friend who is not a real person that I know, and two who are and who I've known since childhood but haven't been in touch with in YEARS. Talk about a happy reunion! We got to talking, some about this place and its culture, some just regular chitchat.

And that's when I brought Homestuck into it by mentioning there's a webcomic I read that also has a color-based caste system. One of my childhood friends was delighted to hear there was something else with a similar system. I used a word for the system that I don't think really exists; the other childhood friend thought it was too long and difficult to pronounce. So I suggested "How about hemospectrum instead? That one is shorter and easier to say." I note that the Finnish word would be hemospektri, which is shorter by one letter! Yahoo! My friend was pleased. I woke up happy to no longer be stuck in Hotel California for discount homestucks.

[stevenbasic]

Growing into the Job, Post 374: Marisela's Project

“Hi sweetie..!” came the voice of Melissa Monroe, currently the Office Manager of what was Far Horizons Medical Associates. She had stepped back into the office just a few minutes ago after a long day of testing at Evolution Pharmaceuticals, where everyone seemed to have their panties in a bunch after seeing what she could do. Evening was dropping earlier these days, and the light coming in thru the windows of the staff offices was already red with the oncoming sunset.

“Hey,” replied Marisela Vazquez, as she turned around in her desk chair to face her supervisor...

She’d been working on, simultaneously, tracking the city police department’s investigations, a predictive model of product assimilation, and this weird little animation. She was happy for the break.

“Whatcha doin’?” came Melissa next, with a friendly smile and earnest interest. She was so happy she had girls like Marisela, Lakshmi, like Randi and Aubrey. They took care of the office when she had to be away.

“Working on this algorithm for the study and, uh, this…” Marisela answered, pushing her chair out of the way just enough so Melissa could see her screen.

With a few mouse clicks the animation sprung to life, filling a good part of her monitor’s 27-inch screen…

The rough, hand-drawn skit looped and looped, several times.

“Oooh! Cool!” Melissa sang, laughing as she watched the pencil-sketch woman outgrow the pencil-sketch man, over and over. Like it was doing to Marisela, stuff like this lit a secret little fire inside the beautiful, towering woman, and she felt herself wetten. How weird haha. “You’re such a good artist!”

“Thanks,” Marisela replied, somehow a bit bashful under the attention of this overgrown sexpot. The irony of her own reticence was not lost on her; she was shy when it came to her sketches, but had no problems with what she’d done last night, in the darkness of the city’s alleyways. She tucked a long lock of her straight, sable hair behind one ear, riddled with piercings, and ran her tongue over her eye teeth.

“You’re going to send this out to everyone, right?” Melissa urged, smiling broadly as of course she was picturing herself in place of the pencil-sketch woman. They’d all want to see this, and picture themselves there, too.

“I was, uh…considering it,” Marisela responded, squirming a little bit in her own chair. She’d gotten past the point of wondering how she, “Scary Mary” - once the office pariah for her acerbically prickly personality and dark sense of fashion - had come to relish sharing funny gifs with her coworkers. Now the thought of sending this out made her hot. “You don’t think he’d mind?”

“Haha no he’ll love it!” Melissa laughed, leaning down a bit to place her hand on Marisela’s shoulder as the young woman turned back to her screen.

The touch of Melissa’s strong but gentle grip sent shivers into Marisela. What the fuck is that? she shuddered. It was a nice feeling, a great feeling in fact. It made her feel good, strong, confident. It excited her. It brought back a rush similar to what she’d felt after what she’d done last night. Stringing that asshole rapist up above the alleyway, after she’d broken his spine and butchered his friend made her feel alive, just like this.

“Okay, if you insist,” Marisela chuckled, moving her cursor around, re-saving the animation in a new format, better for attaching to an intra-office e-mail. Her eyes sparkled as she did stuff like this; it’s like she could feel them twinkling, like two dark stars in her sockets. Between her everyday tasks at the office with patient care, her tech-support duties, her side-hustle working with the study data, and silly little projects like this animation, Marisela tried to keep herself busy to distract herself from her murderous cravings. They’d grown over time (like these goddamn tits), and now came to her all throughout the day, rather than just waiting for nightfall as they once did.

Melissa stood back up.

“Hey, so, is he still here?” she asked,  “I really want to see him.”

“I think so- he was in the procedure room, last I heard, working on the abscess on Mr. Burke’s right f-”

“Ew gross okay,” Melissa stopped her, “I’ll go find him.” She watched as the animation loop ran and ran on Marisela’s screen. She hesitated.There had been something she had been wanting to ask Marisela to do, but she never seemed to find the right moment. Now, she figured, was as good a time as any.

“Hey, so, sweetie,” Melissa began, “I have a project I’d like you to work on…”

================================================

big big thanks to friend-of-the-Basic Joshua67 for the animation and RiF again for his help with copy

[ero-juice]

I think "niche content" is so needed, today more than ever, since we're living in the era of repeating formulas over and over, not before having passed some Mickey Mouse Morality test, I think creativity is still alive but people is afraid of showing their creations sometimes due to the tik-tok-scented mentality

that was so horribly long I'm sorry, guess I just wanted to say that I think your art is great<3

Don't apologize! My inbox is open to the public for a reason :-) I am happy to be a repository for your thoughts. Having discussions about fandom is needed, especially in this day and age. Also, ty! I'm glad you like my work 🥹🥹🥹

Your sentiments are echoed in me. Sometimes, I struggle to create confidently. I'm often fighting the doubtful voice in my head that tells me it's "cringe" to devote so much effort to making Beetlejuice fanart. I'm not sure if other creatives share this feeling. There are two conflicting forces inside me; one tells me my art means something precisely because it is niche. On the other hand, it's hard not to feel like a pariah for obsessing over something like Beetlejuice, which is considered obscure and frankly irrelevant on a broader scale of modern fandom. This is because the mentality of fandom culture today is fast fandom, so people jump on the bandwagon of the latest flavor of the month. Once they've exhausted their resources (the artists, the writers, etc.) and pilloried those who don't conform to their moral code, there's no one left to make their o-so-precious content, so they abandon ship and move on to the next trend. SUFFICE TO SAY, one of the big proponents for sharing my art is the hope that it will inspire others to give life to their "weird" or niche ideas. :-)

[quitealotofsodapop]

LMK assorted Headcanons/Theories:

The terms "Yaoguai/Demon" and "Xian/Celestial" are loose terms used to denote supernatural beings that live in the Three Realms. The terms can be specific to where the being lives/is decended from or who they associate with.

The supernatural population of Megapolis refer to themselves as "Yāo/Yao/Yaoguai" or straight up "Demons". It's considered a badge of pride since "Demons" (a deliberately loose term) have not been allowed into the Celestial Realm/Jade Palace since the war. They are the most varied of the groups, and frequently intermarry with humans and former celestials.

Those who live in, or are decended from those in the Celestial Realm are considered "Celestial/Xian". Celestials will rarely marry outside of their own kind - save for a few famous exceptitions. However they are considered no better than "pariah dogs/mutts".

The Meishan/Plum Hill Boys were formed from a group of half-celestials who felt like they didn't have adequete rights in Heaven, so they formed their own palace and training grounds so they could defeat their full-celestial critics in battle. The Plum Hill Boys are happy Erlang in the LMK verse is a Heavenly General, but they really want him to address the social issues Heaven has been ignoring for millenia to the Jade Court.

Celestials try their best to appear Only Human/Ethereal - as having animalistic/plant traits is considered uncouth. Very discrimatory towards percieved "lesser" species. Think the Gems from Steven Universe.

Dragons inhabit a category of their own, being neither Yao/Xian. They're just Dragons.

Humans are seen as So Weird to the supernatural races cus they can both ignore or transcend categories without issue. Even former mortals that achieved immortality like Lao Zhu are considered really weird. To the long-lived species, it's like seeing a mouse suddenly just… not die and start doing magic.

Celestials and Demons are bad at understanding how reincarnation works. It's like an entirely alien concept to them. Why wouldn't this person remember who they used to be? In Jttw we see this with Kui Mulang not understanding that Princess Baihuaxiu didn't remember/recognise him depite them being lovers in their past Celestial lives. Mulang likely kept his memories by refusing the Meng Po soup, while his gf Yunu drank it and lost all hers.

Literally everyone legit thought that the reincarnation lineage of the Golden Cicada ended with Tripitaka/Tang Sanzang. Even Guanyin was convinced until she tried to mediate to/call up GC in the Pure Lands and got LMK Tang's confused "Um, new phone [body] who dis?".

"Tang" is called that cus he's legit decended from the Tang royal family. He's got that royal clout in Megapolis that very few know about - hence why he was a judge in "Food Wars". Doesn't seem to work much cus he's got that trust fund payout. However, he's not on good terms with his bio family for Whatever Reasons, and barely even Pigsy knows about his origins.

The Monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain are intelligent yaoguai/demons like Wukong and Macaque. However, after the Burning of the Mountain; many were forced to relocate and hide less they be hunted down by the armies of the Celestial realm/humans who liked monkey meat. It's why all the remaining monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain seem to be regular earth monkeys. The "big ones" that fought for the Monkey King and protected their home from war are no longer there. When the Monkey King returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, it was like returning to a town that had been left empty by war. Where are the suriving Monkey Yao nowadays? Living in the village outside of Megapolis, the one with the Shame Temple (S1 Ep 07). Why else would SWK have such an important temple there? Plus all the monkey imagery.

Most demons dont actually eat humans anymore. Most who legit miss the taste/need the protein just buy Imitation Human™ (comes in vegan and low-salt options) instead cus its cheaper and less immoral. There's still however, a black market for geniune human meat in some cities... •+The Monkie Kid gang once accidentally tucked into "Imitation Human Meat Buns" while at a festival, and it left everyone feeling gross afterwards. Most grossed-out was Pigsy cus it was the version made with pork. Tang had seconds "just to be sure".

Sun Wukong's favorite book/film of all time is "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle. Themes of immortal perfection and blissful ignorance vs mortal love and emotion, beauty & pain, finding yourself becoming "other" from who you once considered your kinfolk due to your experiences... he also likes "Big Fish" by Tim Burton. •+: Red Son has a "kaiju form" resembling a slightly-more humanoid/minotaur-like version of the Red Bull from the same story.

Pigsy watches "Chef" (2014) at least once a year like its gospel. And it's why he got the food truck. Tang similarily loves films about enjoying the pleasures of food ala Chocolat (2000). These films are their go-to "date night" movies at home. When MK was little, he also watched Princess and the Frog (2009) and Ratatouille (2007) a lot cus those were "Dadsy's and Tang's favorites".

[gilly-moon]

Is your initial idea for the vampire hunter AU a mutual game of cat-and-mouse or are you leaning towards something more one-sided?

Will Pariah be the overarching antagonist or is he just there to be undeservingly attractive but sus?

It's definitely mutual (and maybe a little more than mutual if you catch my drift lol). At first Vlad & Danny were both just annoyed that neither of them could defeat the other, but eventually Danny figured it's at least a good way to test his new gear and push his limits in a fight. Vlad's mostly just entertained by Danny's struggle to kill him, and came to enjoy the consistency of their fights and the banter that goes along with them.

Pariah is definitely going to be an antagonistic force! I'm still working thru details but he'll be a significant part in the story ♡ also I'm cackling over how perfect 'undeservingly attractive but sus' is for him lmao

[inanimatewight]

Shadows of the Last City

Summary: In the forsaken city of Aetherhold, where shadows intertwine with despair, Faelion, a solitary mutant, navigates the ruins of a world ravaged by plague and fear. Amidst the echoes of death, he discovers Nerea, a timid artist whose fiery hair and gentle spirit spark a flicker of hope in him. As he carefully aids her family, their paths converge in a dance of trust and terror. Haunted by their pasts, they grapple with the darkness surrounding them. In a realm where love battles dread, their slow-burning connection illuminates the shadows, whispering of a fragile redemption amid the chaos of a crumbling existence. Chapter 1: The Ruins of Aetherhold Chapter Summary: In the forsaken city of Aetherhold, Faelion, a solitary mutant, navigates a world steeped in decay and fear. Haunted by his past, he conceals his healing powers, yearning for connection. As bounty hunters prowl, he remains a phantom in the shadows, seeking a flicker of hope amid darkness.

Overall Story Warnings: Dark Themes, Violence, Death, Blood, Mental Struggles, Isolation. Disclaimer: Sadly I lost my previous account, I had opened it ages ago and for the life of me I cannot remember the email I used. I want to take the chance to share my stories with you all. If you are interested in Fantasy stories, make sure to give my stories a go. I take a lot of inspiration from the Witcher as it is my all time favourite fantasy world. This is going to be a multichapter story. Feedback welcome. Please do not copy or translate my work. ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

In the forsaken city of Aetherhold, remnants of a once-thriving civilization lay crumbled and forgotten, swallowed by the relentless grasp of time. The streets, lined with decaying buildings and shattered dreams, echoed with the whispers of lives lost to a plague that had long since ravaged the populace. Shadows flickered beneath the pallid glow of a dying sun, casting a haunting light over the alleys where fear reigned supreme.

Aetherhold was a fractured world, where the struggle for survival had forged a landscape of distrust and desperation. Ordinary humans, gripped by terror of the unknown, cast wary glances at one another, their faces drawn tight with the weight of sorrow. Among them were the mutants, once the hopeful outcome of ambitious experiments to create superhumans, now hunted like vermin for their powers. They were the pariahs of society, their existence a constant reminder of humanity’s failed aspirations and darker impulses. The air was thick with the stench of decay, while the howling winds carried the wails of the afflicted, a symphony of despair that filled the empty spaces.

Bounty hunters prowled the streets like wolves, their eyes glinting with predatory hunger as they sought the mutants cast aside by society. Ruthless and driven by the promise of reward, they thrived in this unforgiving landscape, a cruel game of cat and mouse unfolding beneath the shadows. In this world, survival hinged on the ability to blend into the darkness, a lesson Faelion had learned all too well.

Faelion was a tall figure, a spectre draped in shadows, with long white hair that flowed like silver against the encroaching darkness. His blackened eyes—voids that seemed to absorb the light—held a depth of sadness and longing, a reflection of the life he could never lead. He moved with an unsettling grace through the ruins of Aetherhold, his presence both haunting and majestic, yet his heart ached for connection, a longing buried beneath layers of fear and despair.

As he wandered through the crumbling streets, Faelion found fleeting solace in the remnants of art that adorned the dilapidated buildings. Faded murals and graffiti whispered of a time when creativity had thrived, before the plague and the terror of mutants overshadowed the vibrancy of life. He paused to trace the lines of a painting, feeling a spark of inspiration ignite within him, a flicker of the humanity he once cherished. Although he was feared and hunted, he possessed the power to heal, not just physical wounds, but the emotional scars left by a world torn asunder.

Yet, even with his gifts, Faelion lived in solitude, helping few people who dared to seek his help for little reward operating like a phantom in the night. His magic eased the pain of the dying, but he remained concealed, hidden from those he wished to save. Each act of kindness was shadowed by the risk of discovery, a constant reminder of the fine line he walked between saviour and monster. Darkness offered safety, yet it deepened the loneliness that clung to him like a shroud.

The dusty tomes salvaged from abandoned libraries were his only companions. Their fragile pages, filled with the wisdom of ancient scholars and poets, expanded his understanding of the world, offering a glimpse into a life just out of reach. He spent countless nights poring over their words, finding solace in the inked thoughts of those who had once walked the earth. Yet, no book could fill the void left by human connection, no tale could substitute for the warmth of companionship.

As twilight descended upon Aetherhold, the city transformed. The dying sun bled crimson across the sky, casting long shadows that stretched like ghostly fingers across the cracked pavement. Faelion moved through the twilight, a solitary figure draped in darkness, his heart heavy with unspoken desires. The weight of despair hung in the air, thick and suffocating, yet within that darkness flickered a tiny ember of hope.

He often lingered at the edges of the town square, where remnants of life still flickered like dying embers. Here, in this forsaken heart of the city, he would observe the ordinary humans. A weary mother cradling her feverish child, a man scrounging for food amidst the rubble, their faces etched with worry. It was a scene that tugged at the fragments of his heart, the empathy he felt for their suffering intertwining with his own.

But hope was a dangerous thing in Aetherhold. It could lead to moments of recklessness, a slip of the mind that could bring about disaster. Faelion had seen it happen before. Foolish mutants who allowed themselves to be seen, who thought kindness could overshadow fear. They were hunted mercilessly, their lives snuffed out like candles in a tempest or forced to serve tyrants.

As the last vestiges of daylight faded into the abyss, Faelion decided to retreat into the darkness of the alleys. Each step he took felt both like a burden and a release, a reminder of the duality of his existence. He had the power to heal, yet the world saw him as a monster, a reminder of humanity’s darker impulses.

But even monsters craved connection. As he wandered deeper into the night, he could not shake the feeling that he was not entirely alone. There was something lurking in the shadows, a sense of being watched that prickled at the back of his mind. He paused, scanning the darkness for movement, heart pounding in his chest. The city was alive with whispers, and the air crackled with anticipation.

Then, like a flicker of lightning illuminating the depths of a storm, he caught sight of a figure in the distance. A young woman, cloaked in shadows, her fiery red hair cascading down her shoulders like a halo of embers. She moved with a grace that captivated him, a stark contrast to the decay surrounding her. In that moment, Faelion felt an inexplicable pull, an unquenchable thirst for connection igniting within him.

But as quickly as the feeling surged, fear clamped down like iron chains. She was ordinary, she would fear him if she knew what he was. He could not allow himself to be seen, not now, not ever. With a heavy heart, he stepped back and sighed.

And so, Faelion continued his solitary existence in the haunting ruins of Aetherhold, navigating a world filled with death and despair. He resolved to persist in the shadows, to heal in secret, and cling to the fragile hope that one day, he might step into the light, if only the darkness would let him.

As the moon rose high in the sky, bathing the city in an eerie silver glow, Faelion vanished into his hiding spot in the city. TBC Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5...

[voidsentprinces]

Black Mage be like

BLM Quest Expectations: Welcome to the world of Black Mage, where the dark powers shall be bent to your will for the ULTIMATE DESTRUCTIONAL POW-- BLM Quest Reality: So, surprising no one, the Beast Tribe Black Mages are actually keeping Eorzea from falling apart at the seams by all doing their part in sealing off planar fissures that pop up at random all over. Something that has been growing worse and worse as black mages from every walk of life are hunted down and killed. Causing these planar fissures to grow rampant like killing cats and then having a massive mouse problem. For it is actually an ancient magic necessary from keeping massive swarms of Voidsent from breaking through and destroying the world at large. Despite this these Black Mages have been persecuted throughout history making them pariahs to civilizations who fear their power due to a couple misunderstood bad apples. Take for example, Ququruka, a simple scholar and mage from ages past who wanted to delve into the secrets of the world but in a moment of ill judgment when trying to unlock a new spell power, ended up in the killing his friends and peers. A moment that would forever haunt him for ages to come. Or the actual bad apple, the Mother of Black Magics, Shattoto. Who just enjoys the trill of making a man turn to ash before her powers. But, hey, we respect women's rights and women's wrongs and at least she's happy to help us stop meteor golems from falling from the sky with us. In conclusion, with the exception of Shattoto, Black Magics are extremely helpful to society and should be praised as unsung heroes, as per usual the Eorzean States are just COLOSSAL DICKS about power they can't personally control. So fuck 'em.

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Ch. 5 Meakashi pt. 24

Well, I suppose that's that. The mystery can be put to bed.

Sike, it's time for the credits. So in this version of events it shows that the curse of Oyashiro indeed isn't a thing. A whole bunch of citizens from Hinamizawa all moved and are living it up in Tokyo. Also it's interesting to note that since Shion single-handedly killed the entirety of the power structure of Hinamizawa the volcanic gas incident didn't happen. Also Teppei lives to be a social pariah another day. I wonder how the elderly followers of Oyashiro handled Rika's death? Did they all experience a massive crisis of faith since the reincarnation of their god got killed? Fun little thought experiment I suppose.

Also, awww, would you look at that. Everyone got to be friends in the afterlife. Or in an alternate timeline. The way the manga did this part was exceptionally vicious. This little hallucinatory bit took place after Shion hit the elevator and started falling to the ground below. Then afterwards: two page spread of dead Shion.

You may recall at the start of the episode it once again brought up the "There are console based bad endings available. Would you like them turned on?" Once again, I did have them on, but there no choices ever appeared during the course of the chapter. So, wondering if there really was nothing I decided to start a new game having finished the chapter and just hit the skip button until anything different happened. Getting to the penultimate chapter where Shion is about to torture Keiichi to death:

Remembering that the choice in chapter four was a simple three screen bad end I prepared myself for something similar to happen this time too. I chose the top option, for some reason the screenshot didn't catch the mouse hovering over the choice, yet it does for every time I moused over a dialogue in the log. Weird.

I thought for sure for a little while here that the dialogue was exactly the same as when the scene plays out regularly. But the skip function only advanced a line at a time showing this was all new dialogue.

Point of order Shion, you absolutely had no intention of sparing him. Just prior to the choice you were going on about how you were going to kill him so good.

At least Shion doesn't really try to justify her decision to kill Keiichi or argue away why and how he betrayed her by defending Mion.

It's interesting how in the narrative of the bad ending Keiichi did give Mion the doll. The rest of the chapter plays out as normal, but here at this moment the game decides to say that Keiichi did actually give her the doll and not Rena. It's an interesting twist, and one I think was made to deliberately make it confusing to put the player/reader off edge so they would doubt the truth of what they've seen or read up until now. You might think this is something to do with the console port of Watanagashi, that there was a similar choice section in that chapter. There isn't, the visual novel is just one unbroken narrative from beginning to end.

[shoeboxasylum]

GUESS WHO'S MEDS STARTED WORKING!

Stay tuned for the full colored version!

[pigeonrocks]

tell me about birbo buddy friend please

YESSSSSS. of course of course. there is so much for me to talk about.

Stryx is my favorite freak ever, I love it so much. I'm going to cover like. as much as i possibly can.

(for convenience, bc god knows this is gonna be so long..)

So Stryx is apart of a very very smart species of outworld shapeshifters. They can only really appear as animals through varying degrees but as a whole Stryx enjoys owls and effectively decides to major in them for 90% of the time. Naturally they're not owls? no 'true' form nonsense. They live in big numbers & have a crazy concept of self and how their society works

(they do however, lack a concept of family. siblings & parents are understood but theres nothing in depth about it to them, other than they exist & their blood is all but the same ^_^)(Like, Noctis knows Stryx is his parent to some degree but there's nothing else besides that, no concept of "blood is thicker than water" or whatever. That's just Stryx to them tbh)

-- I also just remembered they have barely any concept of gender either. they're not anything but themselves :)

Now, besides all of that! Stryx is kind of like a mercenary, it dgaf really. It's tryna make money, it needs it more than you. But like at that time they also worked with Shao & them bc it got shot out the fucking sky during one of the many conflicts bc it was mistaken for some vampire & stuck around for a little until it was offered better than sticking through some rebellion by Havik (which is not no damn better.) and it helped kill people when Seido got flooded by Rain (what is life to something that believes in nothing after death? uhm. not much.) before left cause it got a little too tense in outworld and Havik did NOT pay that mf if im honest. Stryx is still mad asf about it.

And y'know, cause stuff got hot & Stryx was exiled from its society entirely for the crimes it did with Havik (🍅🍅🍅) but whatever, killed some people. probably would've gotten tossed in jail and also would've probably gotten out really quickly (mouse is small) but it leaves for Earthrealm where it thrives bc woawww.... it eats anything smaller than it & theres lots of things there but also its like. maybe 8? 9? ft tall so thats like goddamn anything 😭

My favorite detail is that in technicality with Stryx's voice claim: it's russian ^_^

But like, Stryx carries itself as being very very apathetic. Not an ounce of pity or sympathy in this one. and as much as it wants to swear up and down that it cant feel anything - it does, and at worst is thinking with the heart which has very skewered views from the way it grew up & whatever. Very anarchical in the way that's really alien? but also very much reserved, a pariah, too independent, detached and too solitary. + being far too proud to admit when it needs help. Which is definitely one of many reasons that'll lead to its downfall & probablyyy being made a martyr of.

butttt thats the bird :) i like shoving it & noob saibot together cause i think its funny + the owl & crow symbolism devastates me. anyway! heres all 3 of the timeline designs for Stryx <3 Ily big giant Russian bird... ily forever & ever.

Another background detail i really enjoy about Stryx is that they have hobbies! They like woodworking :) they like sculptures. & they have more than just the owl look (seen below)

anyways, Stryx is both a play on words of Styx! and Strix :) for y'know... the river styx. and that a Strix in mythology is like this vampire bird thing + its also a genus of owl :) the earless ones like the big great greys & barred owls! I think that's all I've got but STRYX ❤️ my sillyyyy

[shadowwingtronix]

BW's Saturday Article Link> Disney Animators Defend Classic Disney

Believe it or not, my introduction to “Zip-A-Dee-Du-Ah” (I question Firefox’s spellcheck, as right now I’m not that instead of Chrome) was a disco cover for the Mickey Mouse Disco album, which I still have around here. There was a time when Song Of The South wasn’t the pariah that modern Disney thinks it is today. Apparently that doesn’t include people who worked on it, nor do they think Snow…

[filthystill]

aren't you the last person who should be giving me legal advice? — kennedy bruce

meme // accepting.

"What is this reputation I have -- so a guy can't cry in court, one time, without becoming a pariah, the goddamn townsfolk marching up with their pitch-forks and their torches?" Hand gestures, so many hand gestures, it's a wonder he didn't start flying like rancid seagull.

"All I'm saying is I spent six years locked in litigation with the mouse -- there ain't NOTHING you can't settle out of court. I had Mickey himself take the stand and grilled him like a stack'a ribs, it was a shitshow, I was eaten alive. Almost literally, by hounds in Goofy costumes."

[asolle]

Click on the link to download/stream Music Music Music spring 2024 episode 11: https://app.box.com/s/i7g9sxlew4uj0y39x8c176s6ni78pck3

Playlist:

Vampire Weekend - Classical Gorillaz - Sweepstakes/Dead Butterflies Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Because Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting NxWorries - Daydreaming Deap Vally - I Like Crime Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone The Black Keys - This is Nowhere/You'll Pay Ki! - Jimma Nick Waterhouse - I Feel an Urge Coming On Brittany Howard - Prove It to You CHAI - ACTION Action Bronson - Ninety One Chicano Batman - Parallels David Bowie - Young Americans She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? BODEGA - Dedicated to the Dedicated Charles Wright - Express Yourself Maggie Rogers - Drunk Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD - It's Alright Buffalo Daughter - Great Five Lakes Squid - Green Light Death from Above 1979 - Trainwreck 1979 LEISURE - Rescue Me/Too Much Queen - Killer Queen Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Meshuggah Chubby and the Gang - Pariah Radio

[phantomskeep]

Crack Treated Seriously is my jAM

Just... legit 200k word fic of nothing but Danny tricking Pariah into thinking humans need giant death-rays these days. It’s for chicken pox - the only way to really keep chicken pox away is a giant death-ray machine made out of half a dishwasher, four oreos, and a rusty spork. Danny absolutely gaslights Pariah into thinking phones are evil and if anyone dead touches electronics they get trapped in them forever (Just look at Technus. Not healthy at all.) which is how Danny’s able to keep up with the outside world.

You want some angst though? On the flip side the Justice League thinks they completely killed this kid. Danny Fenton is dead and it’s their fault. They allowed a fifteen year-old kid to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world and it’s because they just weren’t good enough. None of them could defeat Pariah and none of them paid the price for it, not really. Whenever they get notices about ghosts stealing random stuff across the world they start working overtime, joining forces with the GIW in order to fight against these creatures who are all clearly evil. Some of the Amity Park rogues get caught in the crossfire. Some manage to make it back to the Zone, others? Well, it has been recently confirmed by the GIW that ghosts can be killed. The JL+GIW gear up, working towards punching another hole in reality in order to fight Pariah Dark in the name of Danny Fenton, the young man who gave himself up for all of them.

Little do they know, Danny Fenton is on the other side tearing apart a Micky Mouse shaped waffle maker for the last piece on his newly made Fenton Thermos. 

I would love to see Pariah Dark utilized more often in DP x DC crossovers. And not as a reason for why Danny gets pulled in summoning circles, or why he becomes Ghost King, but Pariah Dark himself. Can you imagine that?

Picture this: Cultists find a way to release Pariah Dark into the mortal realm, the Justice League get wind of this. And you know what happens? He frickin' crushes them. They have powerful members, yes, and powerful magicians too. But he is the King of an entire Realm for a reason, and it is a burden and a crown not gifted to just anyone.

And yet he's been defeated before. These 'superheroes' don't compare to the boy that fought him once before, another one of these so-called heroes. He cannot decide if he is hellbent on revenge, or intends to make the boy a vassal, a replacement for Fright Knight who clearly failed in his duty to the King. The boy was young, he could be taught, molded- with the right pressure and a guiding hand, of course.

However, Amity Park is heavily protected by shields and other anti-ecto equipment. Assuming he even knows where and how to get to Amity Park in the first place. The portals have been shut down, either purposefully or because they crumbled under the pressure that's required to rip open a tear in reality. So where does that leave Pariah?

He gives the Justice League an ultimatum.

The Justice League brings him a whelp named Danny, who once defeated him in battle, or the planet burns.

Eventually, the JL figure out the last time Pariah was released, and how a small city called Amity Park was caught in the middle of it all. It's never confirmed who defeated him, but if Pariah's words to them hold any truth, someone with the name of "Danny" is the first place to start.

Oddly enough, there's exactly one person in Amity Park that goes by the name of "Danny".

Who just so happens to be a teenager.

So now the JL have to decide to either turnover a literal child, or let the planet be destroyed.

Only, Danny has not been told anything about what is going on, and is just mildly concerned about why all these superheroes are suddenly being so fussy when they never cared about Amity Park before?? And why are they being so nice to him? He's pretty sure he caught the Flash going a little teary eyed the other day, and he overheard Superman trying to convince Batman not to kidnap him, lock him in his basement, and forcibly adopt him??

He never took Batman for a Fruitloop.

The Justice League don't tell him what's going on. And it's for the best, really. Because if they did, he'd go with Pariah in a heartbeat if the world would be saved.

Even if he didn't like the person monster he'd return as.

[acewithapaintbrush]

My last post about how Bruno got something in common with every one of the Madrigal kids?

How about I take that a step further and make it angst?

What if the sisters notice?

What if Pepa sees her little Dolores listening and snickering at something and when she asks about it Dolores says "Tio Brunos stories". And Pepa will suck in a breath and scold her for pretending and Dolores sees her mother getting upset and the skies turning dark, the clouds growing heavy with tears rain and she will stop mentioning Tio Bruno as she grows older, like they will all stop talking about him soon.

But as the years go by Pepa will still see her daughter tilt her head to listen and smirk and do that little "eep" sound her brother always made when he was surprised by something and even though Dolores always says "It's nothing" when she asks Pepa will keep watching and wonder.

Always wonder.

And she will applaud her Camilo when he shows her a play he has been writing where he plays all the characters himself and she will remember her little brother, pretending to be someone else and desperately insisting that his real gift is acting as the green still fades from his eyes and his brows are knitted over tearfilled eyes in a headache. And she'll see Camilo rubbing his forehead after overdoing it with the shape shifting and her heart aches in sympathy.

And then there is Antonio and his animals. Always so tender and careful even with little bugs, just like her Brunito was careful with the rats he always seemed to find and nurse back to health. She will remember her brother, whispering with the rodents long after he stopped talking to the rest of the family, feeding them crumbs under the table, trying to ignore Mama's disapproving stare. And when she sees her son playing with a rat or a mouse, her heart rate will pick up and she looks around, expecting to see... But she never does.

She never does.

And Julieta looks at her daughter Isabela and how hard she tries to impress her abuela, how every little mistake and imperfection leads to a meltdown until there are no mistakes anymore and her little girl fashions herself into this woman, a blank canvas, walking around town, gifting her flowers to her admirers without pausing, without lingering with anyone or meeting anyone's eyes. An untouchable goddess, just like her brother was this untouchable pariah, sneaking through town not pausing, not lingering, not meeting anyone's eyes but always on the lookout for Mama and her approval.

And Julieta can't stand seeing the same look in her eldest eyes and concentrates on her food and the little injuries because that is something she can fix.

At least this, she can fix.

And Luisa, carrying too much, answering every call for help, no matter how inconvenient no matter how tired she is. No call goes unanswered because helping the town is her duty, this miracle demands a sacrifice for all the wonders it brings them. Just like her mother always forced Bruno to leave his room, urged him to answer every call for a prophecy no matter how much he begs not to. "They will blame me" he always said when he was still small enough to think what he wants should matter. "You are supposed to use your gift. That's why the miracle chose to give it to you" their mother would say and usher him out the door.

And with the years his protests fell silent and he started to shrink right before Julietas eyes until he was gone for good one morning.

And Julieta looks at Luisa and her beloved daughter looks so strong, and present and just "there" and sometimes she looks like she will disappear any moment and Julieta suddenly can't breath.

Mirabel is so much like Bruno, it sometimes hurts to look at her. Their personalities are so very different but their spirit, oh their hearts and souls, they shine with the same warm light.

Julieta often remembers that dreadful night, the tears and the disbelief and the shock and she remembers Bruno, kneeling down by a shell-shocked Mirabel and ruffling her hair and saying "It's okay, Miri"

And she will only later realize that he was the only one.

Everyone else had said things like "It will be okay" or "We will figure this out". Even she herself had held her crying child against her chest and whispered "I'm so sorry corazon. Please don't cry" and her little girl had cried even harder.

But when her brother said "it's okay" her youngest had stopped crying and stared at that tall, disheveled man like he was her whole world and only too late will Julieta realize why.

Her brother was the only one who said what Mirabel needed to hear.

It is okay. You are okay. Nothing needs to evolve into "okay", there is nothing that needs to be fixed. Nothing to be sorry about.

You are perfect, just the way you are.

Julieta doubts that Mirabel remembers. Too small and too traumatized by that night but sometimes she wonders if maybe her daughters heart still remembers after all. When she walks with confidence through the town, when she talks back to a prickly Isa, when she declares, loud and proud, how much she loves her Familia.

Julieta hopes so. She tries to right old wrongs, tries to overshadow her own careless words that night by repeating over and over again how perfect her Miri is, just the way she is.

Julieta fears it's not enough.

Julieta wishes her brother was here to ruffle her daughters hair.

Julietta wishes for a miracle.