#that ending always stuck me as one of the most memorable parts of the whole text

[oldtvandcomics]

13th century Roman de Silence (the modern French translation by Florence Bouchet because that is the one I have): I want to finish my story here. Blessed be he who told it to you; blessed be he who wrote it! May Jesus accord what they desire to those who will have heard it! (Je veux arrêter ici mon conte. Béni soit celui qui vous l'a conté ; béni soit celui qui l'a conçu ! Que Jésus accorde ce qu'ils désirent à ceux et celles qui l'auront entendu !)

ending a story in other languages

kurdish: “my story went to other homes, god bless the mothers and fathers of its listeners” (Çîroka min çû diyaran, rehmet li dê û bavê guhdaran.)

greek: “and they lived well, and we lived better” (και ζήσανε αυτοί καλά και εμείς καλύτερα)

afrikaans: “whistle whistle, the story is done” (fluit fluit, die storie is uit)

goemai: “my tale has finished, (it) has returned to go (and) come home.” (tamtis noe lat / dok ba muaan yi wa)

amharic: “return my story and feed me bread” (ተረቴን መልሱ ��ፌን በዳቦ አብሱ::)

bengali: “my story ends and the spinach is eaten by the goat” (aamaar kothati furolo; Notey gaachhti murolo) *means something is irreversibly ended because goats eats herbs from the root

norwegian: “snip snap snout, the tale is finished” (snipp snapp snute, så er eventyret ute”

polish: “and i was there [at the wedding] too, and drank mead and wine.” (a ja tam byłem, miód i wino piłem.)

georgian: “disaster there, feast here… bran there, flour here…” (ჭირი – იქა, ლხინი – აქა, ქატო – იქა, ფქვილი – აქა)

hungarian: “this is the end, run away with it” (itt a vége, fuss el véle)

turkish: “lastly, three apples fell from the sky; one for our story’s heroes, one for the person who told their tale, and one for those who listened and promise to share. And with that, they all achieved their hearts’ desires. Let us now step up and settle into their thrones.” (Gökten üç elma düşmüş; biri onların, biri anlatanın, diğeri de dinleyenlerin başına. Onlar ermiş muradına, biz çıkalım kerevetine.)

[fictionismyreality3]

Before You Go (18+)

Warnings: romance and everything that come with it, SMUT AT THE END

Notes: thank u lana del rey for giving me this title 🫡 he’s so lana coded. we love our emotionally stunted bbg simon

Kisses with Simon weren’t always as easy as they had become over the years of you being together.

There was a time when Simon wouldn’t even let you touch anything but his hands or his arms. It took coaxing him like a scared animal, gentle words you offered again and again for him to finally take his balaclava off. That was a good night. You can still remember his shakiness, hands that had been so steady taking a life now quivering at the act of being known.

“Just fuckin’ hurry up.” He snapped, but the anger tasted more like fear when it left his mouth.

“You aren’t gonna want-”

The words of self-loathing barely met the air before you’d leaned down, pressing your lips to the corner of his mouth. You held his hand as his breath heaved, not commenting on the way his whole body trembled when your lips finally connected with his.

Then there were kisses of maintenance.

At least, that’s what Ghost thought of them as. Keeping you as his slowly became the most important part of his life, the need to have you weaselled its way into his soul. He had no fucking clue how to how to make sure you stayed. He didn’t even really know why you showed up in the first place, but whatever gods that still thought he was worthy enough had given him you, and he wasn’t going to damage the opportunity.

You were his girl.

But Simon was oblivious to how to keep a woman happy. Yeah, he fucked you raw every chance he could, he beat the shit out of anyone you frowned at, but the gentleness you exuded existed nowhere in himself.

It was only when he’d been cleaning his guns, not on the kitchen table because you didn’t like that, that he got a little spark of understanding.

He had to take care of you.

Never letting you go without a reminder that he was always around. It started with morning and night kisses, making sure you were stuck with the taste of him even in your dreams. He’d find you when you were cooking, pressing his lips to your cheek or the top of your head without saying a word. It was nothing intense, just a subtle way that he made sure you were real.

“Si? You okay?” The weight of Ghost hugging you from behind made your heart warm, and you put down the wooden spoon you were holding.

“Yeah.” A kiss to your temple. “M’okay now.”

Marking you up with hickeys that even one of your oversized hoodies couldn’t cover was his way of maintaining your relationship, and knowing you had a visible memento of his claim on you every time you looked in the mirror helped him feel a little more secure.

And then there were the fervent kisses.

Lips colliding in the dim, warm light of your bedroom, Simon’s large hands holding your hips down as he kept you on his lap. He’d swallow every sound you made, knowing he had to leave in the morning. Not being able to see you for months, or even longer, spurred him with the urge to leave you with a lasting memory. He could have you forget him when he was gone.

It didn’t matter if you were tired, he’d force you down onto the bed, drawing mewls and gasps from your lips as he tried to memorize every detail of your body before he went off on his next mission. Latching his lips to the inside of your thighs, he’d suck hard enough to leave a hickey that would take weeks to fade.

“Not gonna leave ya.” He’d echo, kissing your clit like it would offer some form of protection for wherever he was being sent to.

“Gonna keep you all t’myself.” His soft lips would kiss at your even softer cunt, devouring every twitch and shudder that went through you. “Si. Si, I can’t-”

It didn’t matter if you’d been up all night, trapped under the weight of his hands while he ate you without faltering. “You can take it. C’mon, dovie, be a good girl an’ give me one more.” He wouldn’t stop until you were limp on the sheets and he was nose deep in your pussy, permanently engraving his name on your clit with his tongue.

And when he left in the morning, he left knowing your lips were sore.

[7grandmel]

Rip of the week: 04/11/2024

You Are Sus

Season 5 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume D

Ripped by Retro Gaming

Requested by Corb! (Request Form)

I've written a fair amount already on here about my somewhat...muted feelings, regarding Season 5 of the SiIvaGunner channel. It was, retrospectively, a sort of transitional year for the team, as they had to officially move past the King for Another Day Tournament after over two years of fixating on it, not to mention how large parts of the team had left during those years due to creative and personal differences. It's a net good in the end that the channel team wound up finally being free of the edgy assholes that had festered since the dark days of 2016, yet this transition left 2021 in particular feeling a bit...lost, in terms of long-term goals for the channel. We were, of course, still getting stellar rips as always; be it the remaining old guard showing tremendous growth with rips like Hopes and Divinity+, or fresh faces like R.L.99 from Through the F-F-Fire and the F-F-Flame and Memmy from Welcome to 2021! They finally invented summers that hurt motherfuckers😂 only at sonicforces​.​com making immediately memorable first impressions to help pave the way for the future of the channel...yet taken on the whole, it can be hard for me to remember just what Season 5 of SiIvaGunner in particular was aiming to prove.

As fate would have it, however, a set of huge events in the online world wound up happening in the lead-up to 2021, the very year of this initial uncertainty for the channel. The channel was no stranger to responding to ongoing online trends – Plains of Des-passing-to was far from the only upload of its ilk – yet the events in question had such a magnitude to them, to where it was as if SiIvaGunner's responses to them wound up inadvertedly defining the entire year's Season, in part defining the channel's whole legacy. The most obvious example is in the year's April Fools event; The Disappearance of Super Mario, rather than playing with the expectation and goals of the SiIvaGunner channel itself the way that ...of 2023 did with Season 7, was instead entirely built on an existing online joke that had been bubbling in the gaming community for the course of multiple months, one I covered pretty succinctly back on Your Best Nightmario and Mario Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Princess.

The second of these events would be the initial release of Friday Night Funkin' and the immediate surge of popularity it came with; doubtlessly, the SiIvaGunner team's choice to provide matching visuals for every rip of the game as shown on Satinpanties Symphony and Euler's Panties wound up giving the channel tons of attention from new fans, and over three years later it feels as if the culture of SiIvaGunner is inextricably linked with the youthful punk spirit still keeping FNF alive. Yet most momentous of all, above the aforementioned two events, there was a third that would end up festering into 2021 of SiIvaGunner, not through thematic coherence or through the die-hard passion of any one ripper in particular, but through sheer force of overexposure and comedic value; 2021 was, indeed, the rise and inescapable plateau of all forms of imposters, crewmates, tasks and sussy bakas; At last, it is time to talk about AMONG US, and time to talk about You Are Sus.

I've had the request for this rip in particular stuck in my head for months on end, awaiting a proper time to cover it; I've scraped the very surface of Among Us' presence on SiIvaGunner on here beforehand through Among Drip Drop Galaxy, and it's been looming over this blog since near its very beginning all the way back on Big Sus Chocobo. Yet to try and comprehend all that Among Us is feels nigh impossible: more than a video game, more than a phenomena, Among Us took the entire shitposting world by inexplicable storm and mutated like a virus into what feels like several hundred different memes over the course of mere months. It was rapidly growing in absurdity and layers of irony, much the same as SiIvaGunner memes like Grand Dad did like I wrote about on Waluigi Pinball (Beta Mix), yet now done on a wholly mainstream level; no matter who you were, if you were frequent on the internet you were only a few posts away from seeing the Among Us Drip memes, from knowing someone who had permanently added "sussy" to their lexicon, from seeing the vague silhouette of a crewmate wherever your eye would wander. Among Us shitposting was omnipresent, and the worst part was; It was, through some bizarre construction of the collective human consciousness, pretty much ALWAYS funny. The SiIvaGunner team witnessed this meteoric rise in an entire new genre of shitposting, and it was as if it gave the channel a newfound passion; as if to say, "no matter where our vessel heading, we're gonna make the best damned Among Us shitposts possible for as long as its afloat.".

And so, the rips came in; Expensive Dispenser's Among Fresh Drip, a mixture of these latter two phenomena released near the very start of Season 5, may perhaps be worthy of coverage on here in its own right for just how foundational it is to the Season 5 SiIvaGunner experience as a whole. But the rips riffing on the game only continued to grow in number, and as the meme itself grew it had yet more sources to pull from; like Bottom G of Lagplane fame, Among Us' greatest strength as a meme was just how damn versatile it was, as there were a seemingly neverending amount of audiovisual cues that would immediately let the viewer make the connection to Among Us and the growing insanity of its derivative content. Now, imagine taking a distillation of that insanity, and mixing it with what may be one of the SiIvaGunner team's most insane rippers; Retro Gaming. Featured on here previously through Logan Paul's Shop, the guy is a ripper whose output I have been SORELY underestimating, someone who – as made evident in the aforementioned rip – has a sort of unhinged knack for adding onto his rips through additional sources and jokes that only barely feel cohesive with what the original concept for the rip was, like teetering on the brink of madness. With these two combined, you end up with a whole bunch of Among Us rips; and, indeed, with You Are Sus in particular.

It's remarkable to me that You Are Smart now has two clear all-time amazing rips under its belt for me with both You Are Sus and Season 7's You Are Book Smart, but it goes to show just how much inherent comedic value the song has. The off-kilter feel of Katamari Damacy as a whole, distilled into a weird beat, melody and voice samples, make it the perfect canvas for true lunacy to breed; and with You Are Sus, practically every part of the Among Us shitposting homunculus is leveraged to make something truly unbelievable. It's far from the only Among Us YTPMV on SiIvaGunner – I mentioned Big Sus Chocobo before – and yet it feels perhaps like the most cohesive rip of the game you could possibly make. All the hits are here; Arcade Craniacs-posting, Stop Posting About Among Us, Among Us In Real Life, A M O G U S, all woven together in such a chaotic, unpredictable way, like a barrage of Among Us noise more than aiming to be organic parts of the original You Are Smart. Yet they're paired with additions that ARE almost seamlessly integrated with You Are Smart, changing the titular chant into "You Are Sus", Among Us sound effects being added to the original song's beat to give it just that slight sussy texturing, even giving it a sort of "beat drop" around 0:40.

Retro Gaming doesn't get sidetracked off the original joke here the way you could argue (despite being to its benefit) Logan Paul's Shop did; EVERY joke present here, every layer of madness added is all to further You Are Sus's agenda. The usage of Arcade Craniacs clips in particular is immensely inspired; the channel was one of many content farms on YouTube that found increasingly absurd ways to play off of the Among Us branding to boost their own popularity, and through voice clips relating to said efforts are intersperced throughout You Are Sus, it all comes full circle at the two minute mark. "It literally says 'You Are Sus'", a clip rings out, thereby connecting the echoing edit of the You Are Smart voice heard throughout the rip to the title and concept of the rip as a whole, a madhouse of every possible angle of the word "sus" played all at once.

I can express as many gripes with the overall direction of SiIvaGunner's 5th Season as I wish, but none of that will take away from the sheer talent and quality found within its rips; and a rip like You Are Sus excels in ways only a Season 5 SiIvaGunner rip could. Channelling the peak of Among Us shitposting insanity through the veins of one of the SiIvaGunner team's most cracked-out rippers, executed with the detail and finesse on a level to where the Stop Posting About Among Us-guy's ramble is synced to the beat of the song used... it was bound to become an all-time fantastic rip, is what I'm saying. It was as if the loose direction the channel took during 2021 in particular gave the team free reign, a freedom to adapt all that the internet was yelling over throughout the year with a degree of effort it would otherwise direct to the channel's own internal ecosystem. If that effort was what gave us rips like You Are Sus, then I'm perfectly content in calling Season 5 of SiIvaGunner a truly successful experiment.

[blues-valentine]

this might be mean but i am glad nini was off the show and a lot of characters were taken off regular status because the show needed fresh story lines after season 2

This is going to be a long answer and probably a controversial one too but I feel now that the show is over I can finally say it. I really agree. And this is in no way shade to the actors but how things were constructed in the show. I feel like it helped the show to just focus on other dynamics and characters. If you take the S1 nostalgia aspect, Season 3 and Season 4 were such a massive improvements after Season 2, which is undeniably their weakest season of all.

I liked Nini, but as a character I feel like she wasn’t giving “main character energy”. It didn’t help either that most of her arcs were individual or about Ricky or Miss Jenn. So when you took her out, she wasn’t really missed in terms of the dynamics with other characters because those improved so much after she left. On Season 3 and Season 4 the group dynamics finally felt like a family and solid friendship instead of separated groups with separated plot lines.

Also, character arc wise, I feel like Nini’s arc ended on Season 2. Her arc has always been about spreading her wings outside of East High and finding what makes her happy. She got that at the end of Season 2 so it feels like it came to a natural conclusion. Nini’s send off on Season 3 was beautiful and a nice tribute to her character and her relationships. Even now, the small details that keep Nini’s character alive are sweet. I like Olivia but Nini as a character just wasn’t memorable enough for me to care. There's not "void" to me because the show has so many great actors and vocalists that were able to shine in Nini’s absence and I am glad. I would have hated if they Rachel Berry-ed her.

A character that benefited the most from Nini’s departure was Kourtney, who was perpetually stuck in the “black best friend” stereotype. Season 3 was such an improvement because Kourt was given an individual arc that wasn’t about Nini and her issues. Plus, Gina and Kourtney’s friendship felt so much more natural and reciprocated as well and her interactions with the whole group, especially with Carlos.

Gina always felt like the hidden female main character to me because her character had so many emotional layers. I’ve always said Sofia is the best actress the show has and is constantly rising the bar in scenes with her other co-stars. Anyone that's not giving her the flowers she deserves for this last season are just crazy.

Now, one of the biggest issues with Season 2 was adding new characters while also trying to handle plot lines for the established characters. It was messy. None of the plot lines were resolved and it was too crowded with most of the new characters staying as one dimensional and stereotypical. The season was dragged out and boring. The best choice this show made was to cut down on some of them for Season 3. I like Big Red but I don't think he was neccesary as a regular at camp. I am glad he wasn't there because it gave Ashlyn space to explore herself and get one of the best character arcs on this show. Same goes for Ricky. He needed new friendships and Jet was a great one to have. I liked Big Red's cameo and it was well placed. Same goes for Seb, I like him but I am glad Carlos was able to have a solo storyline about his own insecurities and also develop stronger dynamics with the group. His friendship with Ricky was great. Seb’s cameo was well placed.

Maddox and Jet were the best additions this show has ever made. And I don't take anyone seriously if they think otherwise. After season 2, the show needed changes. A new enviroment and characters that added value. Maddox and Jet gave us a new dynamic and instantly felt like a part of the group because they weren’t there to just exist temporarily, they pushed the story lines of the existing characters forward. The show needed a canon sapphic character and Maddox was perfect and relatable. Her arc with Ash goes down as one of the best on this show. Jet was great and Adrian's vocals are show stopping. Not only did the siblings added a much needed representation but were very easy to love. Even Val, in her minimal screen time, added actual value to the story lines.

And now goes to EJ, he was not going to be a regular part of Season 4 since he isn’t in East High anymore. It was the natural progression of his character. His appearance this season felt very well placed with where his character was. It would have been very weird to find an excuse to keep him at the school just for the sake of keeping him as a regular. Glad they didn’t do it.

So yes, I think a lot of the changes were necessary and made this show better.

[mammondrivesamazdamiata]

Obey Me! Boys as Baristas in a coffee shop

I myself am a barista and so I feel qualified enough to make assumptions :P Enjoy

(includes foul language lol)

Lucifer

- The opening manager

- Clean freak

- Always has a rag tucked into the pocket of his apron

- Arrives fifteen minutes early every morning and complains about it

- Keeps everyone on task during rushes

- Will passive aggressively argue with customers

"I want a medium cappuccino. Don't make it a latte. I don't want milk to the top, I want about two inches of foam."

"Ma'am, please do not speak to me like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm aware of what a cappuccino is and how to make it. Unless you'd like to come behind the counter and make it yourself?"

- Will snap at his crew when he's stressed and apologize for it later

- Freaks out when nothing is stocked

Mammon

- Strictly an order taker on most days

- Can not remember recipes to save his life

- Constantly gets into these long, drawn out conversations with customers and has to be reeled back in

- Honestly great at customer service, but totally fake

"Bye, guys! Have a good one!" *Turns around* "Holy shit they were fucking annoying."

- Has a crush on every good-looking person that comes in

- Pretty good at memorizing regular customer orders and tries to have their order saved into the POS system before they arrive

- LOVES making pup cups. He considers it the best part of his job. Will argue with Satan over who gets to hand it out

- Always gets stuck mopping the floors because no one else wants to do it

- Will straight up eat espresso beans

Levi

- Actually a very good barista

- Memorizes recipes and measurements really fast

- Can be seen carrying multiple drinks in his arms during a rush

"I've got the entire first and second tickets, so don't worry about those."

- So bad at customer service. So awkward. Not allowed to take orders unless he knows the person

- Will start dancing on the line when he thinks he's alone. Runs to the back and hides when he realizes a customer was standing at the counter watching him

- Eats a single croissant on his break

- Puts 6 shots of espresso in his drink every day. Lucifer is deeply considering cutting him off

- Won't take a bathroom break until it's an emergency

Satan

- The baker

- Usually opens with Lucifer to catch up on baking. He hates this and ignores Lucifer the whole morning

- Loves to decorate cupcakes and sugar cookies for the holidays/seasons. Always gets compliments on them

- Him and Asmodeus always come up with the specialty drinks every month

- Fights with Diavolo every day about making the coffee shop a cat cafe instead

- Would rather make food orders than coffee orders

- Gets stuck prepping everything

- In charge of inventory orders. Won't even ask anyone to help him because he doesn't trust them to do it right

- Gets so frustrated during rushes

- Will slam things until he's forced to step outside to take a breather

- Will argue with customers if they catch him on a bad day

"Jeez, seven dollars for a latte? Are you kidding me?"

"Well, yeah, it's a dollar-fifty up-charger for oat milk."

"That seems ridiculous!"

"Listen, I don't make the prices, lady, now are you going to give me your money or not?"

Asmodeus

- Employee of the month

- Literally so good at customer service

- Everyone loves working with him because he's constantly getting tipped

- Addresses regulars by name and compliments them

"Liz, did you change your hair? It looks so good!"

*Gasps* "I love your nails! Where do you get them done?"

"Good morning, Ron, are we just doing your small French roast today?"

- Is also confident in his ability to take orders

"Wow, I really am just a delight to talk to."

- Always leaves milk on the counter or forgets to close the fridges after making something

- Keeps forgetting to empty the espresso pucks after pulling. Pisses off Levi to no end

- Likes making cold drinks over hot drinks

- Doesn't even like coffee. Drinks chai lattes almost exclusively

- Flirts with customers

- Refuses to count registers

"Nah, I'm too cute for math 😊"

Beel

- Closing shift manager

- Keeps getting in trouble for sneaking bites of food between orders

Lucifer: "Beel, you cannot keep eating pickles out of the container when you're not wearing gloves that's cross contamination."

"Try and stop me."

- Every customer's barista crush. He's completely clueless to all advances

- gets hangry and snaps at his coworkers

- eats some pasta salad and is perfectly fine afterwards

- Closing shift always calls on him for customer complaints because he's such a large individual and can be really intimidating

- Will procrastinate the closing list all day and haul ass for the entire last hour to get it done on time

- Holds a lot of grudges against his coworkers but doesn't say anything to avoid conflict

- Will be fine all day but blows up at the slightest inconvenience

- Likes to take the trash out so he can decompress in peace behind the dumpsters

Belphie

- Hates his job

- Only works there because Beel convinced him to apply

- So clumsy

- Always spills drinks

- Won't argue with customers but glares at them from across the counter

- Counts registers at the end of the night

- Complains about everything

- Wants to start the closing list five hours before the cafe even closes

- Will purposefully mess up drinks for customers he doesn't like

"One Soy latte. You're all set." *Under his breath* "Joke's on you, bitch, that was 2%."

- Talks about putting in his two weeks every month but never actually does it

- Always forgets to write dates on items he opens

Diavolo

- The owner, obviously

- Has no idea how to do anything, so he leaves the brunt of cafe work to Lucifer and Barb

- Tried to make coffee for a customer once and forgot to put espresso in it

- Hands things out to the wrong customers, so the boys have to remake orders constantly when Diavolo's working with them

- Has to be restrained from making terrible business decisions

Diavolo: "Hey, what if we did a Bloody Mary bar on the weekends?"

Lucifer: "Not happening."

Diavolo: "Well, it's a good thing I'm the owner and can do whatever I want 😝"

Lucifer: "WE DON'T HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE."

Diavolo: "Oh... How do you get one of those?"

- Goes on a cruise every month and leaves the cafe to be run by his employees

Barbatos

- Exhausted

- Handles all finances

- Sees a mouse one time and loses his mind

- Clean, clean, cleanCLEANCLEANCLEAN

- Quietly cries while he signs paychecks

- Has a nervous breakdown every time the health inspector stops by

- Stops Diavolo from making OSHA violations

Undateables as customers! (bonus)

Solomon

- Kind of a dick

- Leaves 50 cent tips

- Always complains that his black coffee is too cold

- Will not drink it unless it's 200+ degrees

- Always asks for a sleeve even though he's been told multiple times that it's already built into the cup

Simeon

- Gets a really complicated drink but all the baristas love him so it's okay

- Large iced dirty chai with 2 shots of espresso and oat milk, light ice

- Usually leaves a tip that's more than his drink

- Gossips with everyone that works there

- Super patient no matter how long it takes them to get his order out

- Diavolo keeps trying to give him a job, but Simeon is smart enough to kindly refuse

- Brings his work and sits in the lobby for hours

Luke

- Orders a hot chocolate (frozen or hot depending on the time of year) with whip cream and rainbow sprinkles

- One time he burned his tongue so bad that Lucifer gave him free drinks for a week

- Luke would just put the amount the drink cost into the tip jar instead because he felt bad

"You could pour hot coffee in my lap and I'd probably apologize to you."

- Asked for a job once. Mammon convinced Barb not to hire him on grounds of "he's so annoying."

[tieria-erde]

i finished rewatching gwitch! here are some of my final thoughts, broadly and in no particular order

~7.5/10 show. i enjoyed it a lot and i would recommend it to others even if i feel that it fell flat thematically in a number of places

suletta is an unbelievably good protagonist. i do not have particularly charitable opinions on the portrayal of women in the gundam franchise, so when this show was first announced i deliberately kept my expectations very low. i'm glad i did, but i really didn't need to, because holy shit they knocked it out of the fucking park with suletta

similarly, i still can't believe that they made a yuri gundam and the yuri is FANTASTIC. they got lesbian married and everything. no notes. when the finale first aired i saw a baffling number of people complaining online that gwitch was queerbait, ostensibly for not having an outright confession or kiss scene. to those people i have to say: GOD YOU ARE STUPID

i started this rewatch because this show's stance on parents has bothered me since i first watched it, and it made it hard to properly recommend it to people. i will, eventually, make a very long post about this, but i think i've successfully made peace with my grievances about this specific topic, for the most part

...however i still find the trajectory of guel's character arc egregiously disappointing

this show did not spend enough time on earth

when gwitch was first airing i saw someone point out how norea expresses a really potent grief over the idea that "earthian lives are cheaper than spacians'", and that line hits really hard, but then... the show proves her right by having earthian characters be basically the only deaths in the cast by the end. that's always stuck with me. i mean, it's fucking true, jesus

i said something midway through season 2 along the lines of "the rest of this show is too heavy to have earned the ending it got" and i don't know if i still believe that. for one, i've said this before and i'll say it again: the lesbian gundam show ending with a literal rainbow light show is FUCKING FUNNYYY

for two, i do think it became kind of hard for this show to kill its characters off at a certain point because they REALLY wanted to drive the point home of "you can't run from your past mistakes, you have to move forward" and a character kind of has to be alive to move forward... oops!

i ALSO said something about "run and gain one, move forward and gain two" being a "flawed adage" or something, and that was kind of me misremembering certain aspects of the story... i thought they condemned prospera's little motto at some point, but it actually continued to in fact basically be the message of the whole show...

i found it kind of hard to connect whatever prospera was doing to the political goings-on of the plot... to be honest, throughout the whole quiet zero thing, i kept thinking to myself, "god, i wish we were looking at the political situation on earth instead right now"

I Should Read The Tempest BTW

this show's character writing is straight up fantastic. i feel like almost every single character was memorable and charming in some way

for some reason, though, ojelo's name is only said once in this entire show. i'm not kidding. they tell you his name when they introduce him and then never say it again. i know this because i heard his name in his first appearance, forgot it, and then spent the rest of the show waiting for them to say it again so i could remember it. it never happened. do you know who ojelo gabel is? no, you don't. because they ONLY SAY HIS NAME ONCE.

also, unpopular opinion, but i don't really care for prospera. i don't know if i'm insane for this, but after watching it multiple times i STILL don't understand that scene where all the ghosts from the prologue are talking to prospera and suletta's like "you chose eri's future over revenge, and i can't fault you for that!" like, holy shit, i genuinely don't get it. she didn't do that at all. she killed people? she actively declared that she wanted to get revenge on delling rembran and Kill Him? am i missing something. this scene doesn't make any sense. if this scene makes sense to you legit please explain it to me

i had fun yay ^_^ ok thanks for reading

[calkale]

Okay dead reckoning spoilers ahead ill put a cut just in case also if you like the movie maybe don’t read either 👀😬 but if you do please read the whole thing or at least the last paragraph because that in my opinion is the most important thing i have to say

Before i say anything i know im in the wrong here, i have a really personal issue with the movie that i dont feel comfortable sharing but its one of the names used A LOT in the movie, so that definitely plays a part in my opinion whether i like it or not. That being said, usually i can ignore stuff like that, ive done it with other movies but there was nothing else to grasp my attention so i got stuck on things like that.

Also wanna say this first because i feel like it explains why i hate a lot of the things i do. I could really be reaching here but i think they’re trying to set up hayley as the new face of these movies and dead reckoning part 2 is gonna be the end for tom. She was the main character, Ethan was not. She was a part of 2 stunts out of the 3 big ones in the movie and Toms solo stunt (the cliff jump) was maybe a minute of the movie and correct me if im wrong but thats never happened before, Toms always had a big stunt thats just him that takes up a good, MEMORABLE, chunk of the movie, and that just wasnt in this.

I didn’t like it at all. Up until the airport i loved the movie, i really liked the way it was shot, i liked the mi1 callbacks, i really liked ethan and ilsa and everything was good, i could ignore the AI plot (which i knew i wasnt gonna like going into it i hate AI villains) and just watch the movie but after the airport i started to not like the movie anymore. During the fiat car chase i realized i was gonna really not gonna like the movie. That was one of the three big stunts of the movie and i hated it, it just felt really rushed and there were so many characters who i didnt know and didnt know why they were there, WHICH IS OKAY i love not knowing things thats part of my brand im all about that but it just did not work here, sometimes not knowing anything about character works and other times it doesnt.

I dont remember a lot from the middle chunk of the movie, i wasnt enjoying it but trust me i was trying. Not even benji and luther made the movie enjoyable and to top it all off ilsa died and im getting mad again but that was one of the worst deaths i think ive seen. If shes not actually dead then thank god but also im sorry mcq but awful writing unless something got cut because she was free? She was dead? There was no bounty on her head anymore, that was why she “died” at the start of the movie and correct me if im wrong but she really didnt need to be in Venice with her face showing either. It really feels like she just died so hayley could be in the spotlight with ethan and there were too many characters so they had to get rid of her along with benji and luther who arent dead but may as well be with their 10 minutes of screen time.

But all of this i can look past, i dont like the plot? whatever, thats not why i, personally, watch mission impossible movies, i watch for the stunts, i wanna see tom cruise do some crazy shit but i didnt even get that. Im really mad about the lack of stunts in this movie i feel insane idk if anyone else is complaining about this but i didnt like a single one of them. Im so let down and i hate that im so upset over something like this but i am. Thats the promise thats being made when you go see these movies and in my opinion they didn’t deliver. All the fighting was really good i loved the fight in that tight alleyway with ethan and paris but i hated the car chase, the cliff jump could’ve been better? i dont even know what to say about that one tbh, and the train, ohhhhhh the train, i dont even wanna talk about the train, i was trying so hard to like it i wanted it to redeem the whole movie for me but it just didnt, i feel so bad but it didnt and im so disappointed.

[caltropspress]

RAPS + CRAFTS #24: NAHreally

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

I’m NAHreally, an MC and beatmaker from Massachusetts currently living in Jersey City, NJ. I’ve been releasing music as NAHreally since 2016. My most recent album is called BLIP. It’s a collaborative album produced entirely by the Irish producer The Expert. Before that, I put out two self-produced projects called HACKINAWAY and Loose Around The Edges. Before those, I put out 5 tapes entitled TAPE through TAPE 5.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

I turn rhymes and lines over in my head everywhere I go all day long, but the central hub of my writing is my desk at home. Nothing is final until it reaches the desk. I don’t have a routine or consider myself all that disciplined—I just write when I find the time to. I work toward writing every day, but probably only sit down specifically to write two or three times a week (more when I’m lucky).

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

Lately I’ve been using the notes section of my DAW (Logic) in the project I’m going to record into. Sometimes I’ll write a whole song in there. Other times I’ll start in a notebook, continue on the phone, then compile everything in that DAW notes section. I typically have my verses memorized by the time I record, but when I don’t, it’s easy to pull up and read as I go. Plus, it helps keep me organized.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I write in bars and quatrains.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

As early as right away and as late as album sequencing. I’ll sometimes salvage a handful of lines from an abandoned song, but generally the stench of abandonment keeps me away.

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

My day job involves a lot of writing and editing—nonfiction educational video scripts and even rap lyrics. This type of writing has greatly influenced the clarity of my rhymes. I want my lyrics to be immediately digestible, and my day job has helped me with that a lot.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

I edit as I go. It’s rare for me to move on to a new line until the one I’m working on feels final in both content and delivery. This can leave me stuck on a single line for hours and sometimes months. When I do know what’s coming after a line, I’ll make a note but almost never start writing anything in earnest. In some cases, when I finally write the line, it can strike me as a better fit for one or two lines later. When that happens, I move it down and get back to work on the set up.

Because of this approach, the only editing that really happens after a verse is written is to achieve a different shade of meaning through certain words or because I realize the flow could be cleaner or more interesting.

In some cases, particularly with more conceptual songs, I’ll write out what I’m trying to say in prose then make it rhyme.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

A big part of my writing process is rapping aloud, so I almost always write to a beat (though it may not be the beat I end up recording over).

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

The first line tends to dictate the direction of my lyrics. In my mind, once you have a great first line, the song is basically written—it’s just a matter of trial and error until you find the rest. That first line often determines whether a song will have a topic or be a little more random. Occasionally I’ll pick a topic ahead of time, but usually it’ll stem from a more naturally occurring bit of writing.

My opinion on rhyming changes depending on what I’m trying to do. If I’m writing in a stream-of-consciousness mode, those rhymes better be unique and interesting. But when I’m looking to communicate information, I’ll take whatever rhyme I can in the name of clarity.

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

Free and flexible mostly, but I’ve been in a tinkering mood lately. We’ll see if anything sticks.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

“That Many of ’Em” on BLIP. The experience of being inundated with information and opinions is practically universal and yet it’s hard to discuss without sounding like a whiny baby. I think I did OK here:

Where do people find these opinions On every last thing that’s outside of their dominion? I mean, the way they pull them out of thin air Makes me worry my opinion-having muscle is impaired. I’m confronted by opinions on a litany Of subjects daily, and it’s starting to get to me. It’s so hard to find out what’s taken place Without first working backwards through a bunch of hot takes. And I’m so damn inundated That it’s difficult to tell which opinions I’ve created In my own head and which ones were osmosis. Also, there’s this collective psychosis That makes pedestrians opine like a pundit On big picture things about which they know nothing. Fantasy GMs and political junkies Will write War and Peace on smooth vs. chunky. Too much cable news. Expertise brutally murdered by YouTube. I feel surrounded by a vocal minority Whose willingness to speak is their only authority. But squeaky wheels get grease And comments and likes and of course retweets. It appears we’ve made sane people retreat By handing the megaphone to these opinionated freaks.

But I don’t think there’s that many of ’em, And I don’t wanna know any of ’em. But it feels like there’s plenty of ’em, But I don’t think there’s that many of ’em.

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

This section is from “Civic” on Loose Around The Edges:

In a Civic bumpin’ Misfits. Number one in your heart, two on your shit list. I’m an interesting fact not a statistic. One of my friends is related to Michael Chiklis.

Like I said, when I’m going stream-of-consciousness, the rhyme matters more. “Misfits,” “shit list,” and “statistic” were already there. When I try to think of rhymes—particularly multisyllabic ones—I form the sound(s) with my mouth over and over. Real words, gibberish, whatever comes out—just something that might make a light bulb go off that leads me to the right rhyme. I don’t actually remember it, but I’m sure that’s how I landed on “Michael Chiklis” (famous actor and my friend’s semi-distant relative). 

So there the line was: “One of my friends is related to Michael Chiklis.” It’s the type of mundane thing that might make you say “oh wow” in idle conversation but not really anything you’d find in a rap song. There’s just something so funny and exciting to me about transporting a throwaway tidbit like that into an unfamiliar and absurd context. On top of that, the preceding three lines are all a bit unexpected in their own right, so there’s a sort of build up leading to the oddest possible payoff—something I love to watch people react to in real time when I perform this song live.

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

I can rap all of my verses straight through. I don’t do punch-ins, but I do often comp portions of multiple full-verse takes together to create a final Franken-take. I rap the entire time I write (out loud in private or just above silently in public), so lines I can’t rap get changed immediately. For what it’s worth, I have nothing against people who punch in.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

When I was writing BLIP, I read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut, slightly less George Saunders, and a little Joan Didion. The Expert also sent me a monster playlist of what he considers well-written non-rap songs. Some highlights: “Depreston” by Courtney Barnett, “Lah-Di-Dah” by Jake Thackray, “I’d Rather Dance With You” by Kings of Convenience, and “Cult Boyfriend” by Jeffrey Lewis. My favorite non-rap songwriter lately is Jonathan Richman.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

I oscillate between not-quite-crippling self-doubt and utter certainty that I’m one of the best rappers ever (with several stops in between).

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

Homeboy Sandman.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

I don’t think so, but as the years have passed I’m less and less sure.

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: Noah Anthony Mezzacappa

[mismatchedmimic]

@freshlybakedspiderbread

Oh, that's a potentially long list, let me see if I can narrow it down.

I'd say my top 5 that left the biggest impression on me (In no particular order) were:

Justice League Unlimited (And the rest of the DCAU but that period specifically), just because of how many heroes/villains it exposed me to and how it showed them all existing together. It got me right at the start with Green Arrow being brought in to "Keep them honest" and the whole thing with Cadmus probably influenced a lot of my stories plot.

Static Shock (The tv show), cause of how it took the practically godlike world of DC heroes and showed it through the eyes of a local guy. And it being part of the DCAU meant they could interact with the other larger than life heroes and that was always fun. If you know the show you might be able to see some of my characters have pretty direct inspiration from some of the ones from the show.

SpiderMan (The 1994 tv show) For much the same reasons as Static Shock. The later parts with Madam Web were especially memorable but also the arc where he was mutating into that spider monster most likely had an effect on how I like characters whose powers betray them in some way.

Teen Titans (Again, the tv show). I just seem to like when heroes get to be part of larger teams. The funny episodes were always great but what really stuck with me were the serious arcs. Every arc with Slade has stuck with me but the arc that I remember the most was the one with Raven, where her dad nearly destroyed the world if not for the power of friendship. Tbh, that whole thing is probably where the importance of emotion relating to powers started in me. No wonder I drew Emma dressed as Raven last year.

X-Men (The 1992 show but also Evolution and all the other variants to minor degrees.) It's hard for me to pin down the exact reason for this one, but the overall concept of the powers being something your born with for better or worse, and the problems they can cause in ones life through it effecting your ability to do things and/or bringing on discrimination, all feel like the perfect superhero setting to me. Which is funny cause it's practically the opposite of the Justice League, which is also a hero world I love. I probably end up taking things from both worlds in my own stories as a result.

Bonus sixth entry: My Hero Academia. This one just showed me the absolute energy and hype you could have in hero media, owing to anime's style. The side story Vigilantes has also become a personal favourite since it focuses on those heroes that work outside the system.

[maymemoria]

Underlined by Ana May, a collection of memorable quotes & segments

Book Title: Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth

Author: Hermann Hesse

Quotes:

“From two opposite poles came the day and the night.”

“For him, betrayal was not a crime.”

“My sin was not this or that in particular, my sin was that I had reached out my hand to the devil.”

“In the end all men are brothers.”

“All I wanted to do was try to live the life that was inside me, trying to get out. Why was that so hard?”

“I cared only about myself, always myself. But I desperately yearned to someday, at long last, live a little too: to put something of myself out into the world; to struggle against, and connect with, that world.”

“There's no reason to be afraid of anyone. If someone is afraid of another person, it's because he has given this person some kind of power over him.”

“If you believe that Cain was in the right and Abel in the wrong, then it follows that God was in error, or in other words that the God of the Bible is not the one true God but a false god.”

“I too experienced my slowly awakening sexual feelings as an enemy and a destroyer, as something forbidden, as temptation and sin.”

“The idea of the two worlds, or half-worlds, one of light and one of darkness.”

“Anyone too comfortable to think for himself and be his own judge simply obeys the laws as they are.”

“There is no point in clever talk, none at all. It only leads you away from yourself. Going away from yourself is a sin. What a person needs to do is crawl entirely into himself, like a turtle.”

“I was well aware that it was impossible to love me as I was, and I did not love myself either.”

“The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born must destroy a world. The bird flies to god.”

“When we hate someone, what we hate is something in him, or in our image of him, that is part of ourselves. Nothing that isn’t in us ever bothers us.”

“We make gods and then wrestle with them.”

“It is a bitter and terrible moment when we suddenly recognize that the currents inside us are carrying us away from the one we loved.”

“No one dreams of anything that has nothing to do with them.”

“The world wants to be reborn. The smell of death is in the air. Nothing new comes without death.”

“The next time you call me, I won’t come so obviously on horseback or by train. You will have to listen inside yourself, and then you’ll realize I’m in you.”

Segments:

“Many people experience the death and rebirth that is the destiny of us all only this once, as childhood rots from within and slowly disintegrates, as everything we have grown to love abandons us, and we suddenly feel the solitude and deathly cold of the universe around us. And very many people remain stuck at this hurdle their whole life long, desperately hanging on to the irretrievable past and clinging to the dream of a paradise lost—the worst and most deadly of all dreams.”

“I had often liked observing bizarre natural forms —not to study and analyze them, but to abandon myself to their unique magic, their confused, deep language. (.....) giving ourselves over to irrational, confused, bizarre natural forms, creates in us a feeling of harmony between our inner selves and the force that willed these patterns into being—before long we even feel tempted to see these patterns as our own moods, our own creations—we see the border between ourselves and nature quiver and melt away and learn what it feels like not to know whether the images on our retina come from external or internal impressions.”

“You wouldn’t call every biped you see on the street human, would you, just because they walk upright and carry their babies in the womb for nine months? You can see how many of them are fish or sheep, worms or angels, how many are ants, how many are bees! Now every one of them contains the possibility of becoming human, but only when he intuits this possibility, or even learns to bring it at least partly into his consciousness, is it truly his.”

“When I compared myself to other people my age, as I would do every now and then, I sometimes felt proud and conceited but just as often demoralized and depressed. There were many times I saw myself as a genius, many times as half insane. I was never able to share and join in the others’ pleasures, and I was eaten up with worries and self-hatred about how hopelessly isolated I was from them, how cut off from life.”

“God knows where these things we say come from! I wasn’t trying to be nasty, and had no idea of the disaster my comment would cause. I had said something I didn’t understand at all when I said it; I had indulged in the impulse of a moment, a little bit clever and a little bit mean, and it had turned out to be fate. My careless minor act of cruelty was for him a judgment.”

“Whether the workers kill their capitalists or Russia and Germany blow each other to bits, the only thing that’ll change is who owns whom. But still it won’t have been in vain. These conflicts will clarify how worthless the current ideals have become; they will wipe out all our old stone age gods. The world as it is wants to die, it cries out to be destroyed— and it will be.”

“I had decided that losing the glittering colors of the world inevitably went along with the loss of childhood, and that to a certain extent you had to pay for the freedom and manhood of the soul by renouncing that beloved shimmer. Now, enchanted, I saw that it had all merely been overshadowed and covered up, and that it was possible, even as a free man who had renounced childhood happiness, to see the world aglow and feel the heartfelt quiver of childlike vision.”

“Earlier I had given much thought to why people were so rarely capable of living for an ideal; now I saw that many, indeed all people were capable of dying for one. Only it could not be a personal ideal, freely chosen; it had to be a common one, taken from someone else.”

———————

available on google docs:

[allinmycorner]

Dancing With the Stars celebrated Disney's 100th anniversary with a night dedicated to the music from the company's first century. We opened with a performance of "Bare Necessities" that accompanied the pros all riding in Hyundai IONIQ 5 SUVs which come with a Disney100 edition. We even got a glimpse of Val and Jenna's son Roman and he is adorable. Of course Mickey and Minnie dropped by to help our stars celebrate and the audience was even given special light up Mickey ears to wear in the ballroom as well.

On a somber note, the show paid tribute to former contestant Suzanne Somers who died over the weekend. They showed a picture of her before the show and Alfonso gave a little speech toward the end that was accompanied by a picture of her and partner Tony. It was a sweet moment.

Alfonso also had another sweet moment at the very end of the show when he wished former partner Witney Carson a happy birthday.

So who had a happy ending and who had their Disney Dreams crushed? Let's check it out!

Adrian and Britt: I'm not very surprised that Adrian got eliminated this week. His Viennese waltz to Dumbo's "Baby Mine" was nice but it didn't really standout. I always make it a point to really watch every dance and not let myself get distracted but even when this one ended, I knew I wasn't going to remember it. And I didn't. The most memorable thing was that he was accompanied by pianist Chloe Flowers on a special edition piano made by Steinway to commemorate Disney's 100th anniversary. So that didn't bode well for him and his elimination proved it.

Xochitl and Val: Xochitl landed at the top of leaderboard by herself this week with her paso doble to "Un Poco Loco" from the movie Coco. It was an unusual choice for a paso doble, which was acknowledged by the judges. The song is faster than the traditional paso and is more of a silly song while the paso is a rather serious dance. But Xochitl handled it like a pro and showed why she is a serious contender for the Len Goodman mirrorball trophy. I think this will be a routine that goes down in DWTS history.

Ariana and Pasha: Fun fact - Ariana used to work at Disney World after graduating college. It sounds like she may have been a princess based on Julianne's comments during Ariana's skybox interview. I can see it. Anyway, Ariana channeled Elsa for a contemporary routine to "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2. And while it was a beautiful routine, it felt a little too safe for me. I wish Pasha had given Ariana some more complex moves and really let her act out some of the angst of this song, stuck between wanting nothing to change but knowing that there is more out there. Hopefully we get to see Ariana do another contemporary so she can really wow us.

Charity and Artem: Charity closed out the show with a waltz to "Part of Your World," paying tribute to this summer's remake of The Little Mermaid. She talked about how it felt to see a Disney princess who looked like herself and how she hopes to inspire girls who look like her too. And she continues to be technically proficient but she's still not topping the leaderboard. I still think her lack of emotional connection to the songs is what is holding her back. "Part of Your World" is an "I Want" song but Charity danced it with the biggest smile on her face the entire time. I think if she had played it more wistfully, it would've really elevated her routine and she could've placed higher.

Jason and Daniella: I loved Jason's foxtrot to "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. I'm not sure why it didn't get scored higher. I guess the judges might now expect more from him. Or I wonder if they saw something through the fog on the dance floor that we couldn't at home. But I think if he continues the way he's going, he's a lock for the finals - barring any surprise eliminations.

Lele and Brandon: I'm not sure why I didn't like this routine as much as I've liked Lele's other routines. She seemed to handle the rumba to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King well enough. But it lacked something. Maybe it was a spark? Maybe Brandon played it too sweet that it lost the sultry? I don't know but it was something.

Harry and Rylee: There was some buzz that Rylee had stolen big sister Lindsay's choreography because Lindsay danced the quickstep to Toy Story's "You Got a Friend in Me" with partner Sean Spicer. So I watched Harry's and Sean's routines back-to-back and while there is one sequence that looks lifted from Lindsay's routine, they are still different enough to consider it an homage than outright copying. Though maybe the producers should've given them a different song and/or dance style. Either way, Harry did handle the quickstep well enough and I would say he was better than Sean - Rylee added some more complicated moves that he pulled off well. Harry may end up being this season's dark horse - we're just going to have to see.

Mira and Gleb: Mira danced a waltz to "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella and it was gorgeous. She finally let herself be lost in the dance and the music, which I think really helped her. Again, like most creatives, she is likely her own worst enemy. Once she stops standing in her own way, she'll really start to soar.

Mauricio and Emma: Mauricio opened Disney night with a paso doble to the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence from Fantasia. With Emma dressed as a broom, they danced across the floor with ease. The paso doble isn't an easy dance but he did well with it. Was it at the same level as Xochitl's? Of course not. But it held a charm all its own. And it's clear that Mauricio has fan support so I think he'll have a few more chances to continue to improve.

Alyson and Sasha: Alyson danced a jazz routine to "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, though she was honoring the Broadway version and the start of Disney on Broadway. It was a nice routine but I feel it could've popped more. The judges gave her props for dancing with her hair done up to mimic Lumiere's top candle but I wonder if her performance would've been better if she didn't have to worry about it.

Barry and Peta: Barry talked about working with Bob Freakin' Fosse in the Broadway production of Pippin, so Peta hoped it would give him a leg up in their jazz routine to "He's a Tramp" from Lady and the Tramp. And it seemed to be going well until a trick went wrong. At first, I couldn't tell who messed up - Barry or Peta - in their lift but it seems it was Barry. That through them off but he seemed to catch up, though a little too late. But he's still fun to watch and hopefully the audience keeps him around a little longer despite sending him to the bottom three this time.

So that was Disney Night! Break out the tissues because the next show is Most Memorable Year night, which always promises to be a tearjerker. The show will also have a special tribute to Len Goodman as the current pros will be joined by past pros to perform a Viennese waltz to "Moon River" in his honor. For a moment, I worried that by "past pross" they just meant Julianne and Derek but no, they mean several past pros! Kym, Tony, Anna, Edyta, Karina, Maks, Louis and Mark will be joining in this tribute. So it will be nice to see them again and it see their tribute to Len.

See you all then!

[pftones3482]

I'm not sorry, actually, for being tired of Doof.

They add him to EVERYTHING. Season 4 basically took over as the Doof show - there are more Heinz centered episodes than I can count in Season 4, yet I can barely name more than a handful of Big Ideas, even AFTER more recently watching the show. The episode with the most balance was literally the Where's Perry special (and I'm biased, but Happy Birthday Isabella - it meshes the B plot with Stacy's C plot in a perfect way). They also added him in (infomercial style) to Hamster and Gretel more recently and I literally rolled my eyes and groaned out loud.

And don't even get me STARTED on MML and how adding Doof in to the second season flopped the show. MML aired over a full year after PnF ended, and season 2 didn't start until FOUR YEARS LATER. I feel like we forget that there was such a big gap between the end of PnF and the beginning of season 2 of MML.

Meaning that by the time MML season 2 aired, there was a whole new generation of watchers on Disney. And bc Season one didn't include PnF virtually at all, none of the new watchers would really CARE about the PnF characters. Adding Doof? Added a new, annoying character out of nowhere to a show that didn't need him with viewers that knew nothing about him. MML was doing wonderfully on its own, there was no need to add a (pardon my French) washed up has-been to it.

Also...without Perry there, Doof is obnoxious. He's loud, and grating, and doesn't have a plot purpose. They added him to MML purely because Dan can't let go of his successes and is stuck in the past.

Dan also, in his love of his own character, has forgotten I think what made Phineas and Ferb popular in the first place: the fucking kids.

You ask any non-fandom member what episodes of Phineas and Ferb they remember most, and their answers are ALWAYS: "the one where they become popstars" "the one where they built a rollercoaster" "where they built a beach" "when they met that alien/went to space" "where they got that band back together!"

I have never once in my life had a non-fandom member describe the show by the B plot. Sure, they remember the B-plot. But that wasn't what made the show memorable to the average viewer.

It was two boys, their sister, and their friends doing absolutely wild shit during summer vacation.

I have a love in my heart for Doof, I swear. But as we get closer to the new season and I get more and more nervous that they're going to just make it PnF Season 4/MML Season 2 (Part 2) again, I find myself really, really resenting and hating his character.

I'm not sorry for that.

And yeah. They SHOULD be exes for shits and giggles. It'd be better than whatever Doof plot I'm sure they've currently got cooking.

I made a post about this ages ago but I have to say it again:

If they give us Perryshm*rtz (literally a romantic relationship between a man and an ANIMAL) in the new season but not ACTUAL FUCKING GAY REP, I'm done with Dan and Swampy. I am at the point of this where I truly just don't want Doof in the new season at all. I'm sick of him being the star of PHINEAS AND FERB.

[jeggsistence]

Making of Scans and Ian

First time huh, kinda traumatic

I might as well talk about my latest story, Scans and Ian and how hard it is to write a story

Subscribed

To summarize, Scans and Ian is about some dude living on his own in a cave during a dystopian future. Instead of being about an "odd-one-out" character that fate chose to save the world in an epic 240 chapter novel, it's about some anti-social dude that lives in a cave; fixed his phone himself and now has to go through a futuristic city to scan it for verification.

It's meant to be a subversion where the main character is not the hero or villain of a story; but some ordinary guy that doesn't care for the fact that his world is essentially teetering to a fall and just wants to mind his own business. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't allow that and he suffers through constant setbacks with people that, for some reason, see more in him than there actually is there.

Sounds like a nice concept, might even be funny, and both of those assumptions are indeed true!

~~BUT IT WAS A FUCKING NIGHTMARE TO WRITE~~

This was my first time writing, and, it's not like I couldn't figure out the plot. Thinking of how it would generally go was the easiest part. The beginning, middle and end were roughly in my head. The issue stemmed with actually filling the gaps with detail. 

The development of this nauseating narrative started at around September of 2022, and (technically) ended last month. I say technically because I first uploaded it on Wattpad in January, then here because I wasn't getting enough views, and then updated it like right now to be a bit more organized. 

What was so difficult about this narrative? It was my first published piece so maybe that had something to do with it? 

Well, not really. I've been writing since I was like 8, I just kept that to myself and whatever. If we're talking expansive stories, I technically have a whole anthology of stories memorized in my head since I was 12 that I never bothered writing until now. I'd say I'm adequately experienced enough to know the basics of writing a story.

Was it because of school life? I mean, I am just a teen.

No, in fact I wrote the most in school than anywhere else. Besides that, I don't really take school as a priority since (pardon my VERY humble brag) I was always a decent student without really needing to work that hard for it.

Nah, the biggest reason was a disease that has engulfed many writers, both young and old. That disease is: ~~WRITER'S BLOCK~~

We all know what that is. It's a horrible condition that comes out nowhere and only gets cured by the stupidest solutions known to humanity. For example, an important plot point, THAT YOU KNOW HOW IT WILL GO DOWN, cannot be written for weeks, even months or years. Stories are like boats, it will completely sink to the bottom if you find a tiny hole in the plot, and you'll be stuck figuring out, editing, reworking, rewriting a piece only to realize that either nobody else will notice the plothole, or the solution was a 2 minute job of thinking in bed.

On the other hand, motivation will come by simply because you redesigned the kitchen in which a 6 line banter may have taken place, which wasn't even important to the overall plot. You can never tell when writer's block will hit you, and why it's hitting you at your breakthrough moment to make a piece of art.

My problem was what I wrote the story on before. A computer, which is odd to say, in retrospect, since it's the easiest medium to write with.

My issue with computers is that I get distracted way too easily, and the computer's ability to multi-task takes the best of me. I'd be expecting to get a chapter done by the day, but then I'll distract myself with videos I rarely watch, music I barely listen to, and games I never play. It's the worst enemy to my low attention span.

What was my solution?

Writing on my phone. It's less distracting, and you could even lie in bed all cosy while tapping at the screen to make your next thriller. What took me months to write one chapter, suddenly boiled down to a week as I quickly finished the first draft, edited it on computer and then posted to Wattpad.

I'd say with my first piece published, it's a lot easier to get into the work loop. I have so many ideas on my list and I hope y'all stick around as I realize each idea!

[hereallbecauseofsoup]

January 7, 2023

The 7th Day of 2023

-Dear God, dear God, dear God

I’m sat upon the kitchen bench with my back against the wall, I’m not a child anymore but there’s something comforting about sitting as if I am. This year hasn’t begun how I anticipated it would. I’m feeling a whole lot and very little at the same time. Today grocery shopping didn’t have its usual therapeutic appeal and even though I found peace in cooking I thought writing might help process things. So as “Soft Sounds from Another Planet”  by Japanese Breakfast echoes through the kitchen I’ll reflect. Somehow lately every year has started the same, "Vulnicura" by Björk. 

Love will keep us safe from death.

I saw Abby this week, we got all dressed up just to sit in a carpark and eat takeout. Typical. I’m worried about Taliah, like me she hurts herself in helping others. I’m trying my best to be here for her but a voice in my head assures me I’m not good enough at this. I showed her Sisyphus 55’s newest video “do you want to be loved or do you want to be yourself?” Based on the title, I wasn’t sure this video would mean a whole lot to me, but it really resonated. The parts on Gabor Maté’s take on Type C Personalities and how they’re fabricated in childhood especially stuck with me. I’ve been thinking about Harrison again, this isn’t inherently bad, but I had hoped my feelings for him would subside in the new year. I guess I should’ve known that wouldn’t be the case. Time isn’t real and I’m not capable of forgetting my feelings at the moment. I’m left hung up like my clothes in the wind that ended up in the dirt. 

I also saw Eric this week. I find him sweet, intuitive and inquisitive. These are all traits I admire, and at any other point in my life, I’d be absolutely head over heels for him. I suppose taking things slow for once could be a positive thing. I really do like him but I hope to like him some more soon. Anyways, we got dinner and were interviewed on the street. We walked and we sat in a park too. Up until now, we’ve been fairly platonic though our closeness this time is memorable. At some point we swapped jackets and at another, we held each other in the middle of the square for the whole world to see. He keeps on telling me I have a humanitarian superpower within, I’m not quite sure what he means by this but so far he’s done well reading me. Speaking of guys I should be in love with by now, Julian texted me. He hadn’t replied to me because his Australian number is no longer in service. He says he has stories to tell me and that he’s not enjoying Indonesia too much at the moment. I weirdly, really look forward to seeing him again in February, I tend to listen to his stories like they’re a book. Also, I imagine solid company, sex and weed will do wonders for me. 

I should really read a book this month. I’ve been listening to “BURN TO ASHES” by Backxwash at nauseam again. It’s really become one of my favourite songs of all time. Verse 2 always hits me like it’s a freight train. I had the honour of seeing Remi Wolf perform at The Forum, on the day of I hadn’t eaten so I was in pain but it all went away once she stepped on stage. She is very easily one of the most excitable and talented performers I’ve witnessed in person. At the show, I met a mysterious character whose name I can’t recall at the moment. She’s here from the Philippines, visiting her sister. I found her aura to be interesting. That night I got off the train and danced the whole way home. Mum was asleep but I kissed her on the forehead goodnight and continued dancing as I got ready for bed. Kobe watched on confused. I felt so happy in that moment. Afterwards, I didn’t sleep, Alex and I played PlayStation until 6 in the morning. Some things never change. 

I also got to see Shygirl this week. It was fucking incredible. During “Coochie (a bedtime story)” the crowd transcended sound itself we were so loud. I really love music venues that are underground, there’s no reception so it allows everybody to be there and nowhere else. Despite how important this night was to me, it didn’t come without the lingering of darker feelings. I went alone but really wanted to make friends there. I know it’s trivial but as well as having the desire to meet people I felt superbly introverted too, I wanted to make friends but not to be the one to initiate it. I left without any new friends. Oh, to be approachable. In the midst of the show I was on top of the world but my surroundings soon got the best of me. Post gig I walked along the river solemnly as if I was in a shitty movie. Drunk people make me dearly uncomfortable. For me, queer-dominated spaces seem to only incite indescribable loneliness. I hate that this happens, I guess I feel as if amongst these people I should fit in but I always seem to be just as out of place as ever. If I don’t belong in the settings meant for me to belong where do I? I felt disillusioned but found peace and camaraderie in an unusual place: Skateboarders who were too young to be out that late. I’m not sure why they approached me or how meeting them in that brief moment has stuck with me but I’m glad it happened. To witness the innocence of youth, to see their rebellion, to understand that freedom, everyone else in our carriage seemed bothered by it but I just hope the kid was finally able to snap his board. Also, I may have somehow made a friend who attended Shygirl, just not how I thought I would. The guy who stood beside me at the show and in line has been messaging me. He seems interesting, I wonder where this will go. 

[treysimp]

Violent Delights (Part 1)

GN!Reader/Yandere!Cater Diamond (Explicit)

Part 1 (This Part!) // Part 2 // Part 3 (Coming Soon)

Well, I tricked myself into another one lads. Pour one out for me thinking that I can control myself around anime boys. This might end up having at least a part two because I am a mess.

Tags: smut, yandere, masturbation, unhealthy behavior, obsessive behavior, reader's body not described nor are pronouns used.

Want more twst? Here's my masterlist!

It felt like fate, really. 

His life had been black and white, monotone and bleak. It was a constant game of hiding his feelings, and his intentions, masking every thought with a giggle and a smile. 

It was like a game, but not a fun one. The kind of game you get stuck playing to keep someone else distracted long enough to pass the time with less idle conversation. A distraction. Not an unwanted one, just bland, boring, and mostly useless.

That was until you burst into his life. 

At first glance, you did seem so normal. 

There was nothing that clearly set you apart from any other Night Raven student. You were cute of course, there was no denying that. However, as soon as Cater saw the ripple effect that your arrival had on the school as a whole, his idle interest turned into fascination.

Life was finally worth paying attention to. The lifeless day-to-day he had been trudging through his whole life had become a flurry of color and excitement. It was fascinating and exhilarating, and somehow you were always at the center of it. 

A person probably couldn't get into more trouble if they tried. You were constantly making enemies and friends. The poor magic-less Prefect of the Ramshackle Dorm always seemed to tangle themselves into yet another carefully constructed web of lies, resentment and deceit on the daily. Your action ultimately unraveling even the most carefully designed plots.

Cater was thinking of you constantly. Wondering what you were doing, who you were talking to, wishing that you were talking to him instead. 

He found himself idly checking your MagiCam account for updates whenever he had nothing to do. His fingers would automatically type in your username to see if you had posted something new in the last five minutes. 

Whenever you add another gorgeous snapshot of you and your infectious smile, your sardonic sense of humor, he felt hypnotized. He would stare at the ways your eyes crinkle when you smiled, the way you knitted your brows in disapproval in candid shots, and how you covered your mouth with your hand to hide your laughter during a particularly chaotic moment. Heavenly, all of it was.

He was the first to admit that whatever these feelings could truly be called, they weren’t a good look. If someone else heard all of the thoughts that passed through his head they would wonder what was wrong with him. That was okay, he only needed you. He had decided to call these feelings ‘love’, regardless of what anyone else might think. It was romantic after all, like a fairy tale.  

Daily, he would regularly spend time obsessing about how he would ‘accidentally’ run into you today. Luckily for him, you spent a lot of time with his underclassmen, so you were in Heartslabyul often. Unluckily for him, you knew his underclassmen and they were the reason you visited so often. 

He restrained a frown when he would see one of tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber touch you, or call your name too familiarly, or look at you too long, or talk to you for more than a minute at a time. No one else knew that you two were soulmates yet, but that’s okay because he did. 

Cater had devoted his time memorizing your habits, likes and dislikes. It would be worth it when you had a bad day and he could surprise you with your favorite dessert, when you were sad he would know exactly why, and someday he would buy you every gift you had your eye on, just to prove that he knew you so well.

One day he noticed that you weren��t using your favorite pencil to write. Your pen strokes were less sure and steady and your brows knit into a frown of concentration. 

Thankfully he prepared for these kinds of eventualities. 

Cater silently walked behind your seated form, holding a pencil identical to your favorite in hand. Kneeling down to the ground and then pretending to pick the pencil back up with an audible clatter, he quietly cleared his throat to get your attention.

“Did you drop this, Prefect?” He asked, extending the pencil to you. You had lost this pencil the other day, left it somewhere probably. That was okay though, he was here for you.

Your eyes lit up when you saw your pencil, gently taking it from Cater's hand.

“Oh my gosh! I thought I had lost this! Thank you for picking it up.” Your smile was sweet and breathtaking. 

Cater felt himself reaching to stroke your cheek, but he was able to divert his hand to clap you on the shoulder at the last second instead. 

“Any time! You know I’ve got you!” Cater said with a wink. 

He took the opportunity of his hand being so near your head to mess up your hair and laugh at your grumbles of dissatisfaction and half-hearted attempts to swat his hand away. Despite all of this, you were still smiling.

“I know, Cater. Thank you.” 

Cater gave you a final ‘yeah, yeah’ while he walked away, covering his face with a sleeve to hide the flush that had spread from his nose to his ears. 

You were something else. It was too early to tell you that he loved you, but it was getting harder to resist every day. He just needed to bide his time for the perfect moment. 

You deserve no less.

Any time he was lucky enough to get a glimpse of you in the halls he felt like his breath was taken away, every other person and thing dimming from his view as if a spotlight had shone itself on you and you alone. His heart would beat like crazy the whole time, but he had to take the opportunity to talk to you. Missing a single second of your attention seemed unthinkable. 

Today you had done something different to your hair and something else was implacably off about you as well. It looked like you tried to look nice for someone. 

Shoving down the stab of fear and anger that thought elicited from him, he knew he needed to go say hi. Cater had no idea why you looked so gorgeous today, but you were truly perfect. He knew that you wouldn’t betray your future love like that, he was just overthinking it. Clearly, there was a reasonable explanation.  

Plastering on a smile, Cater ran up behind you, swinging an arm around your shoulders as he snapped as many pictures of your surprised face as he could manage. 

How could he help it? You were just so cute.

"Smile for the cam!" He giggled, taking the opportunity to quickly peck on your cheek for the photo op. He was going to save this one in particular.

You yelped but quickly settled back into laughter as you played along with him and mirrored his pose. After he stopped snapping pics, you turned towards him and poked him in the side. 

"Cater!" You admonished him, crossing your arms and lips forming into a pout "You scared me!"

"Aww, but you look so cute when you're scared! How can I resist?" He replied, scrolling through the tens of pictures he took and sorting them into 'good', 'okay', and 'delete'. 

Cater's bright gaze flicked back up to you with a wink, reveling in the way your own eyes slightly widened at his action. 

You slapped him on the arm, pursing your lips and smoothing your hair back into place. 

Cater arched a brow, maybe you were trying to look good for something after all. 

“You’re looking extra done up today, finally decided to confess to me?” He teased, praying in his heart that the answer was ‘yes’. 

He knew you would never admit that though. You were far too shy to make the first move on him, and that was another reason he trusted you so much. Even if another pretty face caught your eye, you wouldn’t be the one coming onto them. He just needed to look out for anyone that got the silly idea in their brain that they were allowed to come on to you. 

"You're such a tease." You said, sticking out your tongue at him and crossing your arms. “Crowley is forcing me to tour some VIPs on the campus later today, and he told me that if I ‘stopped looking like Cinderella’s cleaning rag’ he would add a good chunk of Thaumarks to my food budget for the month.” You said with a sigh, voice leaking out the bitterness you felt at being forced to play a chipper student that wasn’t forced to comply by circumstance. 

While Cater had felt a wash of relief in his heart upon hearing the very practical reason you dressed up, he also had lost his brain in a dreamy fugue upon peeking at the soft muscle of your tongue. Thinking about all the things you could do with said tongue made him bite his lip. You really had no idea what you did to him, huh?

"Is that so?" He said with a smirk, taking the opportunity to poke you in the ribs in the same spot you had jabbed him. "Then how about we go somewhere this weekend? Just you and me? It sounds like you need a break." 

"Oh, like a date?" You teased, slowly evolving your pokes into an all-out poking war as you and Cater giggled trying to dodge the movements of the other. “Are you confessing to me?” You threw back coyly, imitating the same intonation he had used just a moment earlier.

"If you want it to be a date, I guess I could consider telling you about my undying love." Cater said, not joking in the slightest.

You seemed to still for a moment in thought. After a split second of staring a bit too deeply into Cater’s glimmering green eyes, as if searching for something, you forced yourself to stare at a far away cobblestone instead as you answered with a wavering voice.

"Might as well?" You hadn’t meant it as a question, but it came out as one.

Cater all out squealed as he pulled you into a bone-crushing hug. Just as quickly as he glommed himself onto you, he released you in a dizzyingly burst of conflicting energy, eyebrows furrowed at the face of his watch. He was suddenly reminded that he had a class to get to (sadly) and while he didn’t mind being late for class, he would feel bad if you got in trouble because he was distracting you. 

He had briefly reconsidered this thought process in the beginning as he wanted to offer to tutor you, but you were doing well in school on your own, and if you get detention all that did was take more time out of your day that he could be potentially spending with you. 

Even if it was just you, your little firstie-friends, and himself being quiet in the lounge, as long as you could be near him, it was worth it. Once again shaking that tangent from his mind, Cater grabbed your hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before he began running down the hallway, yelling over his shoulder at you before he got too far.

"I'll text you the deets, 'kay? Come by my room later!" Cater hollers as he takes off at a full sprint for his next class.

You stood in the hallway feeling stunned. You could feel that your face was burning, your eyes felt defocused and glassy and you nervously wring your hands together, looking down at where Cater’s hand had touched yours just a second prior.

"...a real date?" You mumbled aloud, hugging your arms around yourself in flustered nervousness. He was just being friendly like he was with everyone... right?

Cater's heart was beating out of his chest. Not only was he able to touch you multiple times and in multiple places today, but you had also agreed to a date AND to visit his room. 

He had initially run off to go to class, but the incessant beating of his heart and burning of his body alerted him to another problem he had to address before anyone noticed.

Spotting the nearest lavatory, he stepped inside, intentionally slowing his gait and trying to catch his breath to be as inconspicuous as possible. Taking a beat, he saw no one and heard nothing. Perfect.

Slipping into an empty stall, he closed the latch as quickly as his shaking hands could allow. Biting his lip to the point it risked breaking skin, he unbuckled his belt and flipped his phone open. His gaze was met with the pictures he had just taken of the two of you in the hall. Your mouth was making a flattering little ‘O’ in surprise to the cheek kiss he had been able to plant on you. 

Your skin was so soft under his lips. You smelled like the earth after the rain and freshly bloomed lavender in the spring. 

Being so close to you was addicting. By the time you had escalated to playfully poking him, he had to consciously keep every muscle in his body coiled tight to keep from touching every inch of you he could.

He wondered how the rest of you would feel under his hands, what sounds you would make, and what words you would say. He imagined you saying his name, breathless between hurried kisses and shivering from need as he pulled every garment from your body.

Pulling himself out of his boxer briefs with a hiss, it was clear that he was painfully hard. Beginning to softly tease and stroke the skin of the head of his dick, Cater shivered slightly while imagining that it was you doing it. 

You would look shyly up your lashes as you repeatedly asked him ‘is that okay?’ or ‘does that feel good?' and he would nod in agreement while placing his hand over yours to make you go faster, grip tighter. 

Biting his lip as he scrolled through more photos he had taken of the two of you, he paused on one that had caught you with your shirt partially unbuttoned, clavicle exposed, looking so so perfect to sink his teeth into. 

He imagined gripping his hand around your neck to restrict your breathing as he dug bruises into your skin with his mouth, groaning at how good he was making you feel and how much you loved him. Loved him more than anyone. He felt the same, he loved you more than everyone, and everyone else needed to know that too before they got any funny ideas in their heads.

His hand had sped up to a messy beat. 

In a moment of desperation, he pulled the collar of his dress shirt into his mouth to stifle his moans. He felt the coil inside of him grow tighter and tighter, his legs shook, his arm cramped, and then relief came in a burst of bliss so strong that he was seeing stars behind his lids. 

It felt good, but he knew that it was nothing compared to you.

Wrinkling his nose as he wiped his release off of his hand, Cater threw the paper in the toilet and flushed. 

Slowly tucking his tender length back in his pants, he fixed his clothes and washed his hands, mentally making a list of what he needed to prepare for your visit tonight and your ‘date’ on the weekend.

He was going to do anything to have you. He was going to do everything it took to make those dreams a reality if it killed him.

This fic was inspired by the incredibly hot fanart below.

Please give @simpingseafood a like or a reblog (or a million compliments) if you are so inclined, they deserve it!

(Also I hope you don't mind me brain-rotting at length over your gorgeous concept!)

Thank you so much for reading! Love you, reader!

Requested tags: @readinganas, @yandere-kou, @buckketboy, @aikochan4859, @kumiko-desu @star-gods, @sarahyumiko2, @sappyisyourpappy, @rosalie-in-twisted-wonderland, @naniky, @kashasenpai, @the-mermaid-of-the-stars

And @ravenlutionary (because you seemed excited at the prospect haha)

[kiigan]

«Yes. Kisame, of the Hoshigaki clan from Kiri.»

ㅤA name that brings a shadow of grief to darken Itachi's eyes all the more than what they already naturally are. A name that comes associated with feelings of loyalty, companionship, strangely compatible interests and opinions... and with a lot of tangled-up things that Itachi doesn't feel prepared to revisit just yet. And so he pushes it all back to a tiny corner of his mind, and moves on. What's another ghost to carry within him, after all.

ㅤ«I didn't see all that much - it wouldn't be wise to linger, as you can imagine. Mostly, I'd see you in passing when you were headed to class or to a mission, later on, and that was already good enough. My intention was only to make sure you were healthy and safe, and lacking for nothing.»

ㅤOther than, you know, an alive and present family. But that's probably another topic that neither brother is prepared to tackle for now, if ever, and so he moves on again. And then it's the use of this specific word, diverted, that has Itachi blinking in surprise, at first, and his eyebrows creasing in thought ever so slightly.

«Sasuke-»

ㅤCareful now. There is a lot to unpack from those brief sentences alone, and by the gods he does not want to sound like he's criticizing his brother. Alas, Itachi was never one to know when to shut up instead of being strongly opinionated, and not even the years in Akatsuki have changed that. Let's try to find a middle ground, then.

ㅤ«Forgive me, I am not sufficiently aware of the village's current state and conditions to be able to offer accurate feedback.»

ㅤSeems like a decent enough start and it's not a lie, either; being stuck in a hospital bed for months and months, first in an actual coma and then undergoing a myriad of tests and exams and treatments and recovery protocols, tends to leave a person out of the loop. Not to mention, it's none of his business to start with. He's not part of the Council, he's not Hokage, he's not ANBU captain anymore, he's not even a shinobi of Konoha as it is. For all intents and purposes, he's a pardoned criminal and even that pardon came from the extraordinary time-of-war circumstances and an ungodly amount of kindness and understanding on Kakashi's and Tsunade's end. It's not the kind of matters he has any right to comment on but, at the same time, there is one particular thing he really wants Sasuke to know.

ㅤ«Either way... please, don't fall into the same mistake that I did myself. Believing that you should do everything on your own, without knowing how to ask for help and let alone accept it.»

ㅤAt least, there's solace in knowing that Naruto is there as well - though, with Kushina's son, the odds are always 50/50 on whether he'll help for good or help to create more chaos. Which Itachi thinks very fondly of, and he wouldn't have chosen a better friend for his little brother. Taking a few further seconds to carefully collect his thoughts, he stands from the table, feeling around the edge of it to gain a better sense of orientation in relation to the counters, and from there walks over to stand by the window instead. And it's not like his eyes can see anything outside, but he's memorized the sight. The other houses nearby, the neighbors that are home at this time of the day and the ones who left to go about their work, the shops that are open. All part of the village that is his most treasured glory and, at the same time, cause of his/their cruelest tragedy.

ㅤ«There is much to consider, when taking action towards peace - no matter how inherently good the intention is. Even the smallest changes have repercussions, and nothing exists in a void. A village is like a living organism, it contains many different parts that come together as a whole and all of them are important in their own way. Which is why, in turn, it's important to have transparency in what is being done. Among the Council members, between the Council and organizations such as the ANBU, between all the people in leadership positions and the people that are being led and who trust them for such. Achieving peace should be a common goal for all, and even that will be only the first step. Then, ideally, should come cooperation with other villages, big and small alike. It truly is no easy feat, nor something that can survive based on localized patch-ups of something that is being done incorrectly.»

ㅤCryptic words, he supposes, and the kind of conversation he's only ever felt comfortable enough to hold with Shisui, back in the day. Maybe even abstract and utopian, and in a way he's curious what Sasuke will make of it all - as much as he hopes his brother will also forgive him the impromptu speech. Turning around again, he returns to the younger one's side and fumbles around for a couple seconds till finding one of Sasuke's hands, that he gently takes with both his own along with the same loving smile from before.

ㅤ«With all this said, I am very proud of you. For caring and for wanting to change things for the better.»

mhm. (he hums, fiddling around with the stuffed animals hes carrying. somehow talking about his pursuits he did in his brother's name, in front of his brother, feels rather embarrassing.) we've diverted the funds from the ANBU into building the orphanage and mental health clinic and funding it. we're...hoping that supporting children and other citizens will decrease the "need" for military operations. go back to having shinobi helping with productivity...and stuff.

(he knows his brother cant see him, but he cant help but feel intimidated by his eyes. he also cant bring himself to treat his brother any differently. so, his eyes are cast towards the floor as he contemplates his brother's words. would he have liked to see him at that point in time? probably not. yet, his heart still aches that there was a time his brother was close to him--but not close enough.)

youre talking about the swordsman? it seems my team member grew up with him.... but anyways, how much did you see? of me? (worrying his lip, he wonders if his brother observed him trying to hurt his teammates or being cowardly in battle.)