#the duality of this show knows no bounds | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thewertsearch · 5 months ago

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Ask Comp 01/07

Anonymous asked:i think youre the first liveblogger ive seen to actually remember that orphaner dualscar was eridan’s flarping name?

Mindfang clearly describes the Serkets, so I wonder if Dualscar says anything about the Amporas?

Eridan's greatest enemy does have a duality theme, after all - and he was certainly scarred when the guy stole his crush >:)

@captorations asked:i have terrible news regarding homestuck and the good place: https://x.com/nbcthegoodplace/status/1039908767763259392?lang=en not to mention that. well. the two share more than you've encountered yet. it's very likely not a coincidence. have fun! oh and. re: my ongoing campaign of pointing out the homestuck ancestry of tlt characters. please compare aradia's "i am very much alive and i intend to stay that way" with dulcinea's "i'm not in the river and i won't ever be again"

...oh my god.

On reflection, this makes a lot of sense. Homestuck's fandom is pretty large, and some of its members were bound to be involved in the production of mainstream media. Still, it's wild to see a Homestuck reference - or, technically, a Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff reference - on the official Twitter for a show this big.

And Aradia does have a lot in common with Dulcinea, doesn't she? For one thing, they didn't really start influencing the plot until after they died.

Anonymous asked: Not really important anymore, but looking at what Gamzee has in his Strife Deck, it doesn’t look like he has any ranged options: he’s got the bowling pins, what appear to be a discarded sickle and lance from Karkat and Tavros respectively, what I’m PRETTY SURE is a whip of some sort, and the Zillyhoo hammer. The closest to a ranged weapon in that stack is the whip, or maybe the pins if he’s willing to throw them, but neither seem like they’d work very well against Vriska. Barring some secret power or other plot twist, I think Gamzee would genuinely be the underdog in that matchup. (Which feels weird, because Gamzee’s been mutating into a slasher villain while Vriska’s still very much an antihero protagonist. Usually the power balance is the other way around with those archetypes!)

On the face of it, Gamzee didn't seem to have great odds in that fight - but it's hard to know for sure with this pesky Bard. His Strife Deck contains plenty of cards we haven't seen, and whatever he did to the Black King is still shrouded in mystery. Everything's just so uncertain with him.

@mimescantscream asked: I've really been holding back all this time, but now that we've met the Grand-highblood, it really is extra painful to see a Gamzee who was once incredibly loving of his friends (despite their constant ridicule) end up falling down the path that fate seems to have pre-ordained for him. Was he truly always meant to repeat echoes of the past? Could things ever have gone differently for him?

Yeah, I've been having similar thoughts. His PoV seemed completely sincere, so I don't think his original personality was a fabrication, or anything. I think there is a part of Gamzee that cares about his friends - and maybe even he wants it back.

@jade-harley-real asked: […] I want a rant on the bad doctor from you pls pls pls

Scratch is straight up the scariest character in Homestuck.

What's he up to now? Hard to say since we're not telling him what to do. Guardians can never be told what to do.

The aura of menace he's cultivated is incredible, especially considering he barely even moves. He's playing the entire cast like a fiddle, armed with nothing but a typewriter and his own supercharged brain - and there's no doubt in my mind that his confidence isn't a mask. He knows he's going to win in the end.

English is coming. He's basically already here.

@elkian asked: I'll probably never be a Vriska FAN, but I gotta admit, she really never had a chance, what with the only adults in her life being: a trollvorous spider 1 missed meal away from eating her, Marquise "I do what I want" Mindfang, and Doc Scratch. Some role models! @manorinthewoods asked: So, now that Mindfang has been revealed, here's a question for you: how much of Vriska's Vriskyness is because she's Vriska, how much is because of Mindfang, how much is because of her lusus, and how much is because of Alternia in general? ~LOSS (20/6/24)

This is why I don't think she'd be like this on Earth. At this point, it's obvious that none of her Incidents were the result of her personality as it naturally arose.

I mean, look how anti-Aradiacide she was! They weren't even really friends!

Anonymous asked: ‘AA: there are all sorts of friends to meet AA: ones you already know and ones you dont’ I mean…couldn’t she just be referring to various doomed selves? I don’t see why the dream bubbles would just be confined to the alpha timeline seeing as the furthest ring is weird in terms of time and space

I was assuming that only Alpha Timeline deaths would be preserved by the Bubbles, but you're right - I'm not sure that was a reasonable assumption.

The Horrorterrors seem to eschew the concept of the Alpha Timeline. and, they've coordinated with both Doomed and Alpha versions of Rose and Dave. Plus, yeah, there is no time in the Ring, so timelines are probably meaningless there. Why would it only interface with the Alpha?

If the Bubbles do preserve doomed souls, then we might also run into the John who died to Typheus, and the Jade he couldn't save. That's a pair of ghosts I'd be very interested to meet.

Anonymous asked: If every Aradia comes back from every doomed timeline, the number would double each time, so you could get over a thousand of her with only ten doomed timelines.

Fair point- although, if an already doomed Aradia went back in time again, she'd be double doomed. Is that even possible? Would she die twice as quickly?

@mhafanlol2000 asked: Your issues with quirks and speech-to-text are pretty simple to explain. If a troll were to speak into a non-modified speech-to-text program, it would output text with their quirk. Because they, quite literally, speak in their quirk. Terezi probably isnt actually saying “YOU H4V3 LOST TH3 G4M3”, each number at a time, but the vibes are definitely there. I don’t know, this is hard to describe if you don’t inherently get it.

I think, jokes aside, it is indeed about the vibes.

In the troll intro pages, you get told a little about how each troll talks, and I think that's how we're supposed to translate their quirks to an audible medium.

Anonymous asked: i think ppl in the fandom have over time kinda built up a like, generally separate understanding of quadrants from how theyre described in the "official" explanation. which is like, not representative of how these terms are used in homestuck, but probably more useful for describing Good relationships that Do Not Suck. like basically making moirails equivalent to being queer platonic partners, making blackrom more about having a healthy fun rivalry, that kinda stuff.

It's funny, actually - I don't think I've encountered a single asker who accepts the quadrants as they're originally described.

The main issue is that, with the possible exception of matespritship, we haven't seen a single troll relationship with reflects the infodump's explanation of the quadrants. I think Hussie might just have jumped the gun a little when dropping it.

Anonymous asked: Shoutout to Karkat poking his friends in the background! Terezi (crying over Dave) and now Soloux (talking to Terezi). Karkat isn’t sure what the right response is but wants to be included! Reminds me of actual cats, just putting a paw on you for no discernible reason. @manorinthewoods asked: I'd like to note that Karkat poking Terezi's tears is the same sprite (and same 'poooke'!) as Karkat poking Sollux's burnt-out eyesockets. ~LOSS (12/6/24)

My man just likes poking.

@alicesoinions asked: not much to say just wanted to say I really enjoy your liveblog!!

Glad you're enjoying!

I've actually got a few new followers recently. Maybe I'm showing up in people's recommendations?

@heliotropopause asked: Dream bubbles are pretty neat, eh? Neat enough to inspire half of HtN, I'd bet.

…wait.

Oh my god, you're right. It's literally a River Bubble. They're both located in afterlives, for crying out loud!

Anonymous asked: Wanted to thank your liveblog for reminding me of a lot that I had flat out missed in canon, due to not putting it together or just reading too quickly. Most recently and notably on my mind right now, is that Feferi is the one who set up the dreambubbles!!! I had always thought that they were just a part of the world that readers didn’t know about yet, like how we weren’t yet introduced to Alternia and it’s moons until act 5. This went right over my head and it has me absolutely REELING (fishing pun included just for fef!!)

Feferi truly is the MVP.

I wonder what happened to dead Players before the Bubbles?

They're certainly not the only type of afterlife in the multiverse. Alternia has at least two types of undead, which implies that the Players are very, very lucky to have retained their personhood postmortem. Imagine this was what Feferi looked like in Jade's dream.

Anonymous asked: Knowing sollux, he probably already had coded his tech to recognize if his speech ever changed, and gave himself a different typing quirk for it, long ago. Not because he knew or thought it would happen, but because he thought it would be a fun coding project ((I know nothing about coding))

And yet, you somehow know exactly how we think.

Anonymous asked: Something I hadn’t really thought about, until I started reading this liveblog, is how much VRISKA ((autocorrect decided to caps that and I’m leaving it in lol)) was manipul8ted into a lot of her violence. Scratch pushed her towards vengeance against Aradia, and she didn’t want to go through with it. Did VRISKA ever tell anyone how much of her live she spent resisting these forces, or even really acknowledge it? She didn’t hide Spidermom, and arguably her need to kill other trolls was to prevent herself from being killed. BUT on the other hand, VRISKA voice would make it sound like a compliment “I almost didn’t kill you why don’t you appreciate me!!!!!!!!”

The thing is, VRISKA probably felt a lot of social pressure not to tell people she was coerced into her crimes. That would reveal that she was reluctant to kill, which is the opposite of what the Empire wants.

@manorinthewoods asked: You could have written a great Homestuck if you'd been Hussie. I think your style, if translated from reacting-to-comic to making-comic, would work great with what Homestuck is, and could have made a better product. I think you'd make a cerebral Homestuck, which would have been cool to read, except I would have botched reading it like I botched reading Homestuck in our Alpha Timeline. ~LOSS (11/6/24)

Thank you! I've tried to write before, actually, but whenever I reread my stories, they come off as esoteric, stilted and a little hard to follow. It's not an insurmountable problem, of course, and I really need to take a writing workshop at some point.

I'd love to make a webcomic, too, but my art also leaves a lot to be desired. I can adapt sprites just fine, but original drawings are hard, guys. Did anyone else know about this?

Anonymous asked: i counted just now, and only like 24 out of all 54 paradox space comics have zero spoilers. some of them are certainly more substantial than others (e.g. i counted ones that include jade’s consorts that you havent seen yet as spoilers) but a lot of them have Very Big Spoilers

It would have been awfully messy. I'm probably just going to read it once I've reached the Gigapause of 2013, and no longer need to worry about spoilers.

@bladekindeyewear asked: “Nepeta wasn't trying to pacify Equius, nor did she seem to be fulfilling any rigidly defined 'role' in his life. They just came off as very good friends, and their relationship was much better for it.” Well, maybe we ought to look at it through the lens of real relationships between friends? Once a healthy dynamic and boundaries are established, perhaps Moirails stabilize as long as they’re together.

That's a good way to interpret moirallegence - although, it does raise an issue with the quadrant that I'll be discussing on its own post, once I've finished the comp. There's no point in prehashing what I'm about to say, so I'll see you there!

Anonymous asked: karkats message didn't go through because of trollians narrative awareness feature, where it'll display something different in service of one of the several "all"-seeing entities, of which the reader is one <3 watsonian and doylist explanations are kissing with tongue

Since the fourth wall is an actual, physical piece of technology in this world, this isn't even that far-fetched!

@sashonya asked: So, as the session's timers continues to count down, what do you think will happen after The Scratch?

Beyond 'the session ends', it's difficult to say for sure. I think the two most likely possibilities are that the kids start exploring other sessions, or travel to a location completely outside the current scope of the comic. I am, of course, hoping for both.

@ericvilas asked: "I still believe that out of all the trolls, Karkat’s traits were featured the most prominently in humanity" yeah, I guess even humans aren't free from the effects of carcinization

CG: THERE IS ONLY ONE STEP. CG: AND IT IS ME.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

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thenerdofthegroup · 18 days ago

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See, after many rewatches here’s the thing:

To me this show is perfect. And honestly I love 90% of the final two. But I love genuinely everything… UNTIL the last 10 minutes and your hit with

“Fuck. This is all we are getting”

We aren’t getting Agatha’s story, the darkhold, anything that was basically promised. And then we have Billy being… I won’t swear because I’m already treading the line, but he’s being Billy and Agatha just goes ‘yeah I’ll help you’ without knowing anything. I fully believe she’s doing it either to get back to life or/and to find Wanda. But it doesn’t tell us that. So we don’t know. We are told almost nothing about Agatha… in Agatha’s show.

That’s my problem. The rest of it is fucking perfect. Honestly. I loved the Billy reveal SOLELY because we see Agatha being fucking incredible. She is above everyone. Yes there are people more powerful than her but she is above everyone in the game of life. She is perfect. Her kissing Rio was just pure love and forgiveness for her love. Beautiful. But I’ve described before there should have been an Agatha conversation maybe in the afterlife or on her own or with Rio to explain her emotions at the end. Because it feels like her death isn’t really the end.

But

We get to the last 10 minutes and you are really hot with ‘this is it. We aren’t… fuck’

That’s my personal problem. Geneuinly everything is pretty much perfect until you hit the last 10 minutes of content (aka when Billy goes to her house) and then it hits you… there isn’t a secret episode after explaining her, there isn’t a post credit scene. Nothing. We leave in Billy being a twat (I’m sorry but he was) and not knowing what Agatha’s feeling or almost any of her history or lore.

Yay

This show is so perfect… until then. And I hate that it ends with me so viscerally angry and upset that there is no follow up about Agatha and her history or her emotions. That it’s just about Billy and she’s going to become a side character without us ever finding out about her history the way we should have, that they were telling us we were getting throughout the show. We got more Billy backstory in those 3 years than we got of Agatha in her 100’s of years. She is so complex and… we got so little. The nick stuff and ballad twist is my favourite scenes of… well ever. I’ve cried every single time.

But there is so much more to Agatha. And we got none of it. So when I watch it back I get the duality of:

“OMG!! That makes so much sense!! Agatha’s so clever”

(Them saying something with Agatha’s backstory) “WELL WE ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE THAT ARE WE!!!! YOU FUC-“

Do yeah. Agatha all along. Perfect. Genuinely perfect, until the last 10 minutes and it hits you, that’s it.

My love for this show and Agatha goes beyond bounds. Agatha is my special interest. And I cannot bind my anger that erupts every time I finish it.

And reading everything from Jac, it’s fucking marvel. So fuck you marvel for not allowing them to show Agatha’s backstory fully because apparently it wasn’t ’important enough’ but Billy’s kissing his boyfriend in the car for 4 minutes or whatever else about him we didn’t need.

Uh I’m a bitter autistic lesbian. This is not a good combo haha

Another gift for any poor soul who got to the end

GREY HAIRED AGATHA MY BELOVED AND THE GAYEST WOMAN IN THE 30’S!!!!!

#another rant #agatha harkness #agatha all along #sorry…#no one in my life cares so I have to put it somewhere #Agatha I love you #I love you #kathryn hahn #you goddess

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blasphemecel · 3 months ago

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can you tier list all your yns based on toxicity

Ok I went through my entire AO3 account for this 😭

Evil Narcopath - Junkyard Dog + the rewrite in my files, Most Ineligible, Power Trip, Dogma

r/personalitydisorders lolcow - Perpetual Chase for Greener Grass, Formlessness & Base Materialism, Black Flamingo

Heinous but not to the point of psychologically damaging people around them - Maneater, Duality, Thorn In Your Side + Truce, Fast Cars, Clever, Tether, The Weight, Deflowered, Like Teeth, Taming Demons, Dog Walking-verse, Gooch Grease, Painting Pictures

Justified - Rigid, Solved The Problem, Undecided, Bound To, Oblivion, Pest Control, HADO 98: Massage, AITA for tricking my coworker into showering, AITA for trying to cancel my bf?, The Worm Ouroboros, Language Barrier, Just One Fix, Exciting Electrifying Evil, Mean, Stench, What Does It Mean if I Can't Write a Love Letter?

Inoffensive? - Facial Recognition is Quirky, Fun Fun Fun, Irk, Schemes, Fleurs du Mal Fleurs du Vertu, From Shikamaru's Vernacular: Troublesome, Parabola, Lazy Hero, Priorities, Kind Of Maybe, Wack, Faux Pas, On Your Knees, Bad Company, How to Subtly Show Someone You're Interested

Innocent & Gorgeous - Kill Cheerleader, Slick Talk, Aliens Exist, (Ruining) The Christmas Spirit, Not Exactly an Elegiac Romance, Butterfly Paralyzed, Detox, Applin & The Flop Confession, AITA for showing my appreciation for someone?, Jersey #2, Coil, Molasses

Bonus tier for "I don't know really" - Voyeur to Belonging

#This is for real death13/blasphemecel heads #The toxicity level came out lower than expected

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archivalofsins · 1 year ago

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In a funnier turn of events after getting that Mikoto post out I am feeling more comfortable discussing his character. It was really bugging me that I was perceiving the fandom as an unsafe space to discuss plurality on a two alter system basis. It never seemed appropriate to gush about it given the things I'd been shown being said.

Yet, I was really happy with Double and the Neoplasm voice drama. Because it showed how diverse dissociative identity disorder can be with just two alters. Instead of just doing the same old hi I'm the totally good one and I'd never hurt a fly and I'm sin incarnate sometimes I just do bad shit for the lols you know.

The thing that most media does when discussing that presentation. I don't know how to really tackle my own feelings on it. It's like most my life I grew up seeing it represented as oh no, the evil one is out. As though the person had been possessed almost. So, it was very refreshing to see it be like, "Oh well, they're both just people. No one is as simple as just good or bad. They both have a variety of behavior."

It's something that should by now rightfully be expected when it comes to that sort of representation of it. Yet when it comes to two people always focus on the duality. The light and the dark the good and the evil. They try to separate all nice in neat like that without really focusing on the individuals. So, I was ultimately really pleased by Milgram. Though it could be because I'm more on the older side or just I gave up on looking for good representation and started avoiding anything thar covered it in middle school.

Honestly, I still avoid things that deal with it outside of Milgram. Simply out of habit of thinking, man, is it gonna be this shit again? How do I know it's not that shit again? Oh well, you gotta watch it, of course. I'm not doing that. I don't trust it. Yet with Double, there were just so many great things about it that really made me go.

Yeah, they get it. This is actually great. I couod harp on the lyrics all day.

Like favorite lines were,

1. That'd be good.

With the lyrics before it and how it's enunciated with so much longing paired with the visuals of him wiping the blood to look down into the other end of the train. It really fucking goes hard as a line. Really embodying the whole come on praise me for helping you I did good right I saved you right so hey where's my thank you it'd be good if you said it energy.

2. Doesn't matter if you didn't wish for it, can't get rid of me now. Just the two of us, relieved, aren't you? I'll protect you (us).

Just the enunciation the growl. It's just really good as if going oh you want to push me down well I'm not going anywhere.

3. "He's a liar," you said and made me out to be a scoundrel, why?

The fucking double meaning if this one line is just so got damn amazing. It's not only calling back to the ridiculous accusations lines in Double but discussing the audiences response to Mikoto. Calling him a liar claiming he was faking. But the second half is referring to the audiences reaction to John making him out to be a scoundrel immediately blaming the murders on him. Labeling him as the bad one without even a second thought. Only leaving him to ask why? Putting more meaning behind the line

4. Hey, I just wanted to save you, so why did it come to this? Cling to me hoist me up as your savior stand up and sing out your gratitude- So, why?

As though Mikoto is their asking why is your song like this you should be praising me. You should be grateful so why?

5. I don't remember a thing it couldn't be helped I'm Double (MeMe).

This line is super great because it's like John and Mikoto both claiming onus of their own songs. And John answering Mikoto's question about why his song is like this. Basically going it couldn't be helped I'm Double. Basically saying it was bound to turn out like this because I'm like this.

6. Why, why? If only I were never born, if only-

To me, this came off as John going. If only I had never been born at all, then neither of us would have existed, and this wouldn't have happened. Expanding on the idea that Es and Kotoko both bring up that his existence is the problem. Which most wouldn't immediately go they mean because of my disorder but go yeah fuck it you're right if I never even lived to begin with this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't even be here for this to happen and then the apology after these lines as if apologizing for having been born at its sooo good.

It has no right to be sooooo good. So, yes despite the incredible detriment that this week has been to my mental health and my anxiety literally being on a fucking hundred. Double has been the best fucking thing to ever happen to me personally. And it's so fucking amazing.

I love it so much.

#milgram #mikoto kayano

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bardic-tales · 13 days ago

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happy sts!

is there a character dynamic you've really been thinking about lately? why? Ramble!

have a great day✨

Hi, Star! Happy STS. Thanks for the ask.

Lately, I have been thinking about creating an original work where the main character and antagonist has this yin-yang type of relationship. Like they are two opposing forces still bound together. I don't have much but a feeling, you know?

I love the idea of them being mirror images, reflecting each other's traits in contrasting ways. Like where one is driven by a strict moral code while the other one is just a chaos goblin. They would both feel a similar intensity and ambitions. I feel it would be compelling to explore how their values and actions clash but yet they intertwine, showing how each challenge strengthen the other. I have been big on duality, lately.

I feel that the dynamic between them would be layer with tension, where the other is constantly testing the limits of the other's values and beliefs. I think it would be fascinating to write about the complexities that they would feel glimpsing themself in the other character until they both have this begrudging respect of the other. I think it would bring out the strength and weaknesses of each other's traits.

Other than a vague sense of the characters I don't really have a plot or anything with them. I could even place it in the first half of Fantasy Worlds Collide, which is where my angel, demon, and angel of death original work is. Hm. Maybe, I'll use this concept for the Knight Commander Alexander and whoever his antagonist would be (since I haven't gotten it that far planned out).

#nl answers #storyteller saturday #sts #writeblr #writeblr community #type: writing process

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thelunarfairy · 11 months ago

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Hey I LOVE your Yugi twins analysis post!! ( not because I like the toxicity/ incest I just think it’s a great analysis of tbhk) and I wanted to ask your opinion on a thing

Toilet Bound Hanako Kun as a series is a Gothic Romance

I’ve been going insane about because I’m a huge fan of the genre

( some examples: Crimson Peak ( movie), Jane Eyre, Dracula, Rebecca ( novel and movie), The Fall of The House of Usher, etc)

and I’m 100% convinced by now but I need validation

agree or disagree?

Oh! Thank you!! I'm happy to know you liked it :3

Yeah, I don't like incestuous relationships either, but if it's in the story we have to analyze it.

I don't know if this helps you, but here in my country, this anime is within this genre. Even if elsewhere it does not have this classification, the story itself leads to this path.

"How is the Gothic novel characterized? The Gothic novel is an essentially hybrid manifestation, a link between the novelistic and the novel in which an atmosphere of mystery, affliction and terror prevails."

There's a strange duality to the relationships in this series. If I were to ask you if you could name me any JSHK romantic relationships that are TOTALLY HEALTHY, could you name them for me?

Mitsuba x Kou It's not canonically romantic yet, but even before it is, Kou is aggressive and demanding of Mitsuba, not to mention that he puts Mitsuba's wants above his own. Mitsuba, on the other hand, demonstrated a desire for "death together", which Kou tried to do without hesitation. A guy tried to take his own life for someone else, and Mitsuba wanted to trap him in the PP arch along with him.

Aoi x Aoi Akane is extremely possessive, aggressive, jealous and intolerant. When I say intolerant I am referring to anyone who has a romantic interest in Aoi. He doesn't give her the power of choice, he simply decided that she is his. Traces of an EXTREMELY abusive and DANGEROUS relationship, yes, imminent risk of death. Many REAL LIFE cases start like this. Aoi is jealous of Akane's popularity (in terms of friendships), and doesn't think twice before impaling him.

Hanako x Nene It follows a fine line between Aoi x Aoi, the difference is that Hanako is not aggressive, BUT, he is vengeful. We constantly see him punishing Nene when she shows interest in other guys. He makes decisions about her life alone without consulting her and without allowing her to choose what is best for her or not. He is jealous, possessive, insecure and needy. Hanako would be able to kill Nene if he believed it was the best option for her. I don't need to mention the PP arc or the number six arc. Nene is a girl who tends towards disrespect, she flirts with other guys in front of Hanako, even though she is about to enter into a relationship with him.

This is just a SUPERFICIAL summary of the three main ships in the series. They all seem to want to culminate in tragedy, something that fits into the gothic genre.

Besides of course, the relationship between the twins, a mysterious and dark relationship, you can't follow this relationship without thinking that there is "something strange"

If we compare, for example, the relationship between Edward Elric and Alphonse, we see here a healthy and common relationship between brothers, with its ups and downs and with great brotherly love between them. Remembering that Edward's entire journey is dedicated to his younger brother. Ed made a mistake in the past and his younger brother suffered a serious consequence, Ed took responsibility and promised to solve the problem. They are together almost all the time and yet you clearly see that it is a healthy relationship.

Not in the case of twins. There's a strange ambiguity in what they consider "love", it doesn't feel like sibling love, and it's not ordinary love, it's something more obsessive, more… how can I say… suffocating? There's something I still can't see. It's not just "maybe it's incest" it's something more than that. Maybe one day I will be able to organize my ideas and think more clearly.

So yes, JSHK fits into this genre, it fits into many other things in this genre too, I only focused on relationships because you talked about the twins' relationship.

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jjungkookislife · 1 year ago

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Sunday Drabble

pairing: bartender!jungkook x f. reader

genre: f2l, coworker au, fwb [18+]

summary: Jimin stops by your end of the bar for a chat, and accidentally reveals something he shouldn't have.

wc: 624

warnings: alcohol mention, mention of anxiety

date: August 1, 2023

The moment the back door opens, Hoseok is raising his head as he pauses counting the drawer.

Yoongi leans over the railing on the second floor, rolling his eyes.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he says with a grunt. “Though I should have known you were fucking when I spotted your cars.”

“Fuck off,” you grin, flipping Yoongi off as you head for the stairs. The door shuts behind you with a slam, automatically locking. Jungkook grins, following you up the stairs.

“Yeah, yeah,” Yoongi waves you toward the locker room. “Get that stench off you and get to work. We open in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir!” You salute him, running off with Jungkook, giggling when he presses you to the wall to kiss you.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, looking down at his husband, who shrugs and continues his task. At least you’d shown up somewhat on time.

Jimin stops by the bar to say hello, a smirk on his lips when he sees you eyeing Jungkook.

“You got a bit of drool right here,” Jimin teases as he presses his thumb into the corner of your mouth. You startle, stepping back and wiping your mouth as Jimin cackles.

It’s a slow night, with a few people showing up for the half-priced drinks and Jungkook’s heavy hand. He smiles at a customer, his laughter following soon after as they place a twenty into his tip jar.

“Fucker,” you curse at your friend, who grins proudly and looks over his shoulder. It’s pretty tame, with a few people here and there dancing, others sitting or standing at tables and a few standing by the bar chatting.

“How was your pre-work romp?” He asks with a raised brow as you hand him a water bottle.

“How do you know about that?” Your eyes widen as you quickly turn to glance at Jungkook, who is bopping his head to the beat of the song, filling a glass for another regular.

Jimin pauses, confused. “Everyone knows about you two. Did you not know that?”

Jimin feels a little bad now. He only meant to tease playfully, not make you anxious.

You clear your throat. “No, I didn’t. Jin and Joon too?”

Jimin nods solemnly, apologizing, but you shake it off. Besides, if the boss knew, it was bound to get around. It was hard to keep secrets in a small establishment, much less when you all formed friendships that went past work hours. You just didn’t like everyone knowing who you went to bed with at night.

“There’s no rule against it,” You shrug, cheeks still hot as you try to forget about it and plaster on a smile when a customer comes up to the bar.

Jimin chugs his water, waiting for the customer to leave with their shots before leaning against the counter in front of you.

“It’s no big deal. We all thought you were dating secretly,” he shrugs. “Not that it matters if you aren’t.”

“Thanks,” you wave him away as Jungkook approaches you with a sweet smile. People chat in front of you and Taehyung squeezes by with Hoseok after him. Another employee works the other side of the bar, giving you a minute to gather your thoughts and warn Jungkook of the info you just received.

“They know we’re fucking,” you whisper-shout into his ear.

His eyes widen in that cute way that has your heart doing somersaults. His pretty lips make an ‘o’ shape and you resist the urge to plant a huge kiss on him.

Jungkook schools his shock, smirking. The duality makes your head spin as he places his tattooed hand on your lower back, his lips right by your ear.

“Good, they should know you’re mine.”

next >>

thank you for reading! ♡ if you liked it, please let me know! 💌

#bangtanarmynet #btsgoldnet #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook fanfic #jungkook drabble #jungkook x reader #jungkook x reader insert #jungkook x you #jungkook x y/n #bartender!jungkook #fwb!jungkook

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sunnydaleherald · 2 months ago

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, September 22nd

Xander: “Hey, Red. What you got in the basket, little girl?” Buffy: “Weapons.” Xander: “Oh.” Buffy: “Just in case. Like the tux, Xander.” Xander: “Bond. James Bond. Insurance, you know, in case we get turned into our costumes again. I’m going for cool, secret agent guy.” Buffy: “I hate to break it to you, but you’ll probably end up cool head waiter guy.” Xander: “As long as I’m cool and wield some kind of power.”

~~Fear, Itself~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Rod Beneath by Ellen_Brand (Batman crossover, Buffy/Jason Todd, Buffy & Giles, G)

Reflections Of Tomorrow by LoneFrog (Xander, FR15)

Just the Way You Are by Zab Jade (Buffy/Spike, 13+)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Something Red - Chapter 1 by Little_Bites (Faith & Willow, not rated)

Truth and Consequences, Ch. 25 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)

Hope is the thing with feathers, Ch. 12-13 by will_ (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2] Ch. 52 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Little Light, Ch. 9 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Linchpin, Ch. 5 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Troubling Deaf Heaven, Ch. 5 by JuneCurry (Buffy/Spike, R)

Unholy Matrimony, Ch. 1 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Dawn Rising, Ch. 75 by Luna (Buffy, Dawn, FR15, self harm)

Oh My Goddess, Ch. 4 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Drawings by darthmimaulette (Buffy, Buffy/Spike, probably worksafe)

Manips: The Hungry Wolf by spyder-baby (Drusilla, Spike/Drusilla, worksafe)

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer button in progress by lunar-goodness (no people depicted, Buffy quote, worksafe)

Sims by mistyintherivers (Scoobies, Drusilla, worksafe)

drew some buffys! one from the tv show, and one from the medieval flashback in the 1992 movie by nodudeshutup (worksafe)

A Gachnar doll in progress by Nocturnal-Nycticebus (worksafe)

Welcome 2 the Hellmouth collage :) by DefDoomedPod (Buffy, Darla, Luke, the Master, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Episode 5.4 - Hell Bound - crossposted by rock-and-compass

The dialogue in IWMTLY [I Was Made to Love You] by Stoney, HardlyThere

Buffy Season 1 is low key maybe my favorite season by AmbitiousOutside7498

SEDUCED BY A TEACHER? Up The Buff! Ep 4 - Teacher's Pet by bigbadllama

Buffy Season 3: Where will it go from here? by RedRxbin

Vampire F/X- film or tv? by CaseTarot

the way season 3 final episodes are epic is beyond by Kindly_Ad2280

[Fandom Discussions]

I had a dream that Angel was helping Buffy... by oveliagirlhaditright

If you couldn’t have the original cast - which cast would you choose [BtVS S1] by primal-slayer

Skeptical of how realistic it was for the characters to consider working for Wolfram&Hart by thequeenofsastiel

Was Spike a special or unique vampire? by garfan and others

Are any of you involved in Scholarship on Buffy? by friendofathena

Looking for DVD set that has "Once More With Feeling" NTSC 16:9 native NOT letterboxed by Maximum-Telephone268

Fancast: Once More With Feeling - dream cast in music theatre by Icy-Morning6813

Did you know that TV tropes exists because of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? by Cailly_Brard7

Spike VS Faith (who wins in a fight?) by FoxIndependent4310

Has anyone gone to the Buffy Popup in Chicago? by BalrogSlayer00

What campfire songs do you think they sang? by AndrewHeard

Quotes from the show to remember when you're in a dark period of your life? by incantopatronus

A defense of Xander by foreseethefuture

Has your opinion any character shifted as you’ve aged? by Tamika_Olivia

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

James Marsters UltraCon 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos via dontkillspike

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Coming to Free Streaming (Tubi) Just in Time for Halloween

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series

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puella-peanut · 5 months ago

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Season 4, episode 5! Do I believe Terry was really sorry when he apologized to Daniel for his past behavior? Yes I do, and so does TIG himself. However…

This apology was terrible and bound to fail from the start because even if you take away Daniel’s obvious horror, anger, PTSD, resent and fear from the situation, the way Terry issued this apology was straight up trash.

He invades Daniel’s dojo without any warning, just inviting himself in after over 30 years when the last time Daniel and him saw each other it ended so poorly after weeks of torment.

He says he’s sorry…but COMES WITH KREESE!! Another person who caused Daniel total misery (to a lesser extent) which rather takes away from the sincerity of the apology itself, while at the same time, adds yet another layer of threat and unease and tension to a situation that’s already full of threat and unease and tension thanks to Terry himself.

“Okay. Okay I tried.” NO YOU DIDN’T Terry! You gave the most half-assed, bare-bones and poorly executed apology in the history of the Valley’s karate wars. You meant it, sure, but meaning and intent falls flat when they’re presented the way you did!

Terry came with Kreese so Kreese could declare his little karate war in front of (Johnny and co.), though he still thought it was okay to apologize for his past wrongdoings before immediately starting on this new wrongdoing, and he still has the audacity to get angry when Daniel obviously refuses his apology and gets pissy with him. Like, NO SHIT TERRY.

“Now, we get to work. So we can wipe the mat with that arrogant little prick.” Terry went from (maybe not 0, but a lower number nonetheless) to 100 reallllllly quickly there when Danny boy refused to forgive him and stood his ground. Terry doesn’t even give a shit about Johnny, it’s like he wasn’t even there. His attention and anger and disappointment is focused entirely on Daniel. Which makes me wonder: what would have happened if Daniel had accepted his apology? He had forgiven Terry? Then what?

TIG did say that Terry liked and enjoyed teaching Daniel, and that he wanted friendship. I wonder how the scene would have gone if Daniel had forgiven Terry and been kind to him instead?

Anyway, Terry clearly has social skills. Looks at the life he’s created for himself in 30+ years, and the good social standing he has retained in society. He obviously has acquaintances in the Valley, and is liked enough that people actually show up to his parties. He clearly knows how to behave in public, maintain a good image, and/or manipulate the situation with all the charm and sophistication he does possess to ensure a solid and likeable reputation.

Interesting how that all flies out the window the moment he comes in contact with Daniel. Also interesting that Daniel (and Kreese) are the only ones who know Terry’s actual nature. Terry can both go off the rails with them while at the same time stay true to his real nature and personality. The duality is fascinating. And funny.

Terry is trash with apologies. But that’s okay because he steals every scene he’s in and I live for his interactions with “Danny boy”.

Heh.

#cobra kai #terry silver #daniel larusso #sweep the leg #in which peanut posts her nonsense #lowkey silverusso but shuush

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cherrylng · 5 months ago

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Matthew Bellamy Interview - Muse [CROSSBEAT (November 2009)]

The Resistance Goes On MUSE First cover story! In-depth look at the new album and its trajectory!

"I think this album represents the way the MP3 generation listens to music, because it's so fickle and inconsistent."

When you think of Muse, there's bound to be a 'Muse verse' that rings in everyone's head. What's great about them is that they never betray that 'Muse verse', but constantly update it with fresh and innovative ideas. There is always a Muse that you like and expect in each new album, but there is also a Muse that surpasses it. That is their greatest strength. With "Black Holes and Revelations" in 2006 and "HAARP", which is a condensed version of their appeal, they are finally showing signs of a big breakthrough here in Japan, and with their new album "The Resistance", which is also self-produced, their appeal is like a fireworks display. This issue of the magazine is the fastest in Japan to feature Muse on the cover, and will thoroughly dissect their appeal with interviews and articles on their material! And for the first time ever, the supplement "MUSE BOOK" provides a comprehensive look at all the interviews from the past! Muse, the eye of the typhoon in the scene in the second half of 2009, will be pushed all the way!

Muse were, after all, a tremendous band. On their new album "The Resistance", the most anticipated album in the band's history, they have delivered an unmistakable "Muse-esque" sound with intensely emotional melodies, a sound that swings from static to dynamic, lyrics that present grandiose images, and Matthew Bellamy's full-bodied vocals that carry them through. The band has successfully sublimated to the next level of "Muse-ness" by maintaining the "Muse-ness" while challenging various new things so that it does not end up sounding the same as it has in the past. In fact, when I first heard the album, I felt like it didn't have any killer tunes like "Plug in Baby", "Stockholm Syndrome", or "Knights of Cydonia". But I realised on the second listen that it was just the lack of strong, fast guitar riffs, but the melodies, hooks, sounds, and beats were all full of elements that grabbed the listener firmly. There were so many elements that were firmly etched in my memory, even though it was only the second time I'd heard it. And yet, every time I listened to it, it felt fresh. This is an album that will definitely satisfy previous Muse fans, and will definitely blow away new listeners.

Take the grandly titled "United States of Eurasia". The song opens with a graceful piano, followed by Matthew's restrained tone, and then a thick chorus straight from Queen ("legendary champion"!) cuts in, and before you know it, the Arabic phrases are flowing. Immediately after the climactic big part, Chopin's "Nocturne" is played over a background of children's voices, jet fighter engines, and what sounds like communication with the ground, bringing the song to an end, before the next moving and beautiful part of the song, "Guiding Light", is played. The band's ability to combine so many elements into a single song with a natural flow is something no half-baked band could ever hope to achieve.

The whole structure of the album consists of an opening with a fun, thumping rhythm, leading up to a synth-heavy section of "Undisclosed Desires", the big song "United States of Eurasia" and its continuation "Guiding Light" (reminiscent of Presley's "I Can’t Stop Loving You"), the solid, fast rock number "Unnatural Selection" that could only come from Muse, followed by "MK Ultra", a bluesy/classical duality that calms down and leads into the final chapter. The trilogy of "Exogenesis Symphony", which boldly incorporates orchestral elements, carries on in a perfect flow with a significant change in musicality.

After all this, there was no moment when I personally felt astonished or bewildered when I first heard the album. Rather, I must have listened to it with a grin on my face, thinking "Oh my God, they're doing whatever they want". And sometimes I even laughed out loud. (It was a trial listening session where everyone listened with headphones, so I was lucky that no one noticed……). In other words, Muse's openness has been there for a long time, and it is not at all surprising that Muse would do a symphony, slap bass, and use a pipe organ or clarinet. I'm sure they did this because they were self-produced and, in a sense, 'unstoppable' (in a good way), which means they put everything they had into it in a total package.

Where will they go next after this? With their unchanging core and sincere inquisitiveness for music, Muse can always continue to grow, shedding their skin while still remaining being Muse. There is no doubt about that. Still, where is the snare sound that Dom (Dominic Howard: Dr) was seen in the pre-released teaser video, strumming while listening to the clicks on his mobile phone (probably) with a flock of sheep in the background in a wide meadow? (laughs). I'd like to examine that carefully from now on. And of course, I can't wait to see what kind of show I'll be able to see next time.

"Thom Yorke once said something like this: 'We're run like the United Nations. But my position in that is the US.' I can relate to it a lot."

When interviewing Muse, journalists always interview all three members separately, rather than meeting and talking to just one of them, which is a unique approach, isn't it? How did this happen? 「When the three of us were being interviewed together, they [the journalists] would often direct questions to me personally. And I'm pretty quick at answering. And Chris (Wolstenholme: B) would get left behind, and he'd be like, "What the hell am I doing here?" But then I thought it would be better to communicate the idea of the band as a whole, rather than just me doing the promotion on my own. When it comes to the sound-making process and the arrangement of the songs, it's actually very democratic. Songwriting is undemocratic. Thom Yorke of Radiohead once said: 'We (Radiohead) are run like the United Nations. But my position in it is the US. It's an interesting analogy. I can relate to it a lot. Our other two members are not as confident as I am when it comes to songwriting. They're very shy [when it comes to songwriting]. But I'm always encouraging them to write songs and I want to open up new avenues. Chris gives me all sorts of ideas that he has and asks me to finish them. But I'd rather he finish them himself. That way he can feel more like it's his own song. So I'd say we're a very democratic band, but at the moment we're quite dictatorial when it comes to songwriting (laughs). But I rely on both of them to help me sift through all the ideas. Because sometimes I come up with ideas that don't really fit with Muse or aren't very cool. And they help me sift through all those ideas and they end up being just right.」

Can you give us some examples of "not so cool ideas" that you've come up with? 「When we were working on the last album, I wrote a song called 'Soaked', which sounds like an Elton John song. It's like an 80s number, like 'Nikita' or something like that. Our publisher says it's Adam Lambert-esque. He's a male singer who was runner-up on American Idol (an audition programme aired on US television), which means it was that kind of music. I want to write songs in a variety of genres, whether it's classical or pop. But there's a clear line in Muse that I'm not allowed to cross, and as a songwriter I sometimes step over it. So, with Chris and Dom's help, I can clarify those boundaries. The last three songs on The Resistance are the ones I've been trying to push for the last two years. But it wasn't until I added bass and drums that they really started to sound like a real band, and I'd say they're songs worthy of Muse. Dom and Chris have helped me tremendously in that respect. They added beats and rearranged things that had been more freeform in terms of speed, and it became a Muse song. There are always different genres of music around me. It can be more abstract or classical. When I'm working on Muse, it's not just the goofy songwriting that I try to keep aside.」

"The first part of this album is about 'political unrest', which is a bit influenced by the opposition protests that have been happening in the UK recently."

Black Holes and Revelations was influenced in part by the Neapolitan folk songs you were listening to at the time of recording. But there's a curious lack of that influence in 'The Resistance'. Why did that kind of music drop out during the process? 「I think if there's something you're exposed to in your day-to-day life in the months before you start making an album, whatever it is, people naturally absorb it. Originally we wanted to start working on this album earlier. It ended up being delayed until now. We first started thinking about actually recording something last January. But then we got a couple of offers to tour. One was in South America. Then we did a couple of shows in Dubai [United Arab Emirates] and South Africa, and a couple of shows in England. We ended up staying in Dubai for four or five days. I remember listening to all sorts of things, especially the music on the radio in the taxi. You can hear those influences in the middle section of "United States of Eurasia". I think people absorb different things as they go through different stages in their lives. It means that it sparks an interest in something different from what they were used to. In addition to that, the MP3 generation is very used to listening to a wide variety of music from different genres, eras and styles, in no particular order, in the same row. I think our album represents that way of listening to music. It's very fickle and inconsistent. Another key thing was that we recorded part of the last album in a studio in Milan. There I met a string arranger called Mauro Pagani. He was the one who introduced me to the music of southern Italy. This time I didn't get to meet him, because I'm arranging the strings myself. So maybe that made me less influenced by those things. But this time I made a conscious effort to reintroduce some classical sounds, and I also wanted to experiment a bit with electronica. Well, it only ended up settling in the song "Undisclosed Desires". There was a time when "Uprising" was going to be more electronic. But in the end, we ended up with a more live, glam, guitar-oriented version. I thought it sounded a bit more modern that way.」

Of all the current British bands, Muse in particular seem to be the closest to continental Europe, both melodically and aesthetically. You are based in Italy, and have built a studio in Como (A city in northern Italy, famous for its scenic Lake Como). Where does this affinity for the European continent come from? 「Ah, that's a good question, because it's difficult to answer. It probably has something to do with the history of music. Most classical music was born in Europe. Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Poland, all these countries have produced many great composers in their history. So I think my appreciation of European music came from my interest in classical music. But also, interestingly enough, a lot of the music that we were into as boys was by bands from Belgium and the Netherlands. Deus, for example, or Evil Superstars. Or, if we're talking about younger bands, like Millionaire. I personally always thought that European bands had a more creative and futuristic approach to rock. There's great stuff in American music, but what we were aiming for was something different and individual, and we found more of that individuality in European music.」

Regarding classical music, "Exogenesis" is placed at the end of the album. Would the three-movement symphony have worked better if you had divided it into three parts and placed them separately throughout the album, instead of putting them together at the end of the album? 「Maybe in concerts we'll get creative and incorporate things into the set. For example, you could play part one first, then part two in the middle of the show, and part three towards the end of the show. If you listen to them all at once, you'll probably get a bit full. But for the recording, I wanted to record the orchestral part all at once, for 13 minutes straight. Because we wanted to capture the whole sound in there, including the in-between sounds, the 'sound' of a lot of people not doing anything. We wanted that kind of continuity. The feeling of a breather before moving from one thing to the next.」

On a completely different note, the beginning of the album develops a George Orwellian theme. That's not reflected in 'Exogenesis', though. 「Musically, lyrically and conceptually, that part is certainly quite different from the rest of the album. At one point we were even talking about not including that part on the album and releasing it as a separate, independent EP. The first part of the album stands on its own as a separate thing and is about 'political unrest'. It's a bit influenced by the recent protests in the UK. I've also been influenced by the G20 summit, the parliamentary scandals, the economic crisis and of course the anti-war protests that have been going on for years now. My flat in London is very close to the US Embassy, so almost every weekend I look out the window and see demonstrations going on. That's what really struck me. So the first part of the album is like a love story that emerged from the current political unrest. There are quite a lot of similarities with '1984' (George Orwell's futuristic novel about the inhumanity of a totalitarian state under a one-party dictatorship). Before I started working on the album, I went back and read '1984'. So I put the love story between Winston (Smith: the protagonist of 1984) and Julia (Winston's girlfriend) at the centre. When I was in doubt about the lyrics, I used '1984' as a reference. Not all of the songs are about that, but the song "Resistance" is. There are terms like 'Thought Police' (the police force in '1984') and things like that.」

Muse are not generally regarded as a political band, are they? For your part, are you okay with being perceived as such? Or can those labels be a burden? 「I don't care how other people perceive us or what they think, and I'm happy for them to say whatever they want, really. There's no point in me worrying about it. It's impossible to control the aftermath of what I do. So it's more important to just concentrate on what you're doing. At the same time, I don't think politics is an influential factor in the direction of the band. Well, maybe it's a factor that's slowly being brought up. I mean, there may be things that go in that direction in the future, but… I think as I've gotten older, I've developed certain views and certain opinions and I've started to incorporate them into the songs. But I wouldn't say the whole album is political. Of course, there are some very direct love songs on the album that don't have any political commentary in them at all.」

Perhaps a more accurate description would be that Muse is a band of twists and turns. Up until now, the companies Muse has fought against to prevent the use of their songs and names without permission have been large companies and big names, such as Nestlé or Celine Dion, for example (see column under p. 27). 「I think that's true. I think people of my generation, and the younger generation who are now becoming adults, have a very strong rejection of the commercial corporate structures that have been there since they were born. If the parliament is run on a proportional representation system, the MPs are supposed to represent the views of the majority of the people, but in reality they are influenced by people like lobbyists from large corporations. With the internet, there is no longer any reason to stifle the expansion of pure democracy. Decisions on major issues, such as whether or not to enter the war or to enact new laws, should not be made by a very limited class of people who spend more time in London than in their own constituencies. There should always be a referendum, in which the general public can participate. The internet has given people access to an awful lot of information. There are far more sources of information now than there were 30 years ago, when there were only a few newspapers and a few TV channels and it was easy to control public opinion. Thirty years ago, if the BBC said something, everyone believed it. But now with the internet, it's much more possible for people to have a genuine free opinion.」

And people are also willing to make an effort to collect information and increase their knowledge, because it's now seen as cool to gather information. 「I agree. I think we should move in that direction, and I'm definitely in favour of that happening. Apart from the demo, the album's opener 'Uprising' is an overview, so to speak, about being fed up with someone else making decisions about us. That's a political view that's coming up in my mind at the moment, and it's something I hope to express more and more in the Muse album.」

Going back to the music, can you tell us anything about the advantages and constraints of being a three-piece band? 「With our first three albums, we felt constrained by our line-up quite early on. So we were trying to cram all these other ideas into our playing as a three-piece. There's a certain simplicity in the three-piece framework that I don't want to lose. But at the same time, I think we've opened up the possibility of playing live synth and sample parts by having a fourth musician on stage when we play live. But in the case of this album, the last three songs are impossible to play live without making some dramatic changes. The whole thing has to be played on synths. An orchestra is impossible. But we think the majority of the album should be played live with a fourth musician. For us, there's always a fine line between 'we want to be a three-piece' and 'we want to be more than a three-piece'. It's a bit contradictory, but we like both. We like the simplicity and roughness of the straight rock that only a three-piece can give off. Three people can actually sound more powerful than a five-piece, because you can clearly hear the three distinct instrumental parts. At the same time, we're very much into more carefully crafted, complex music. Music with more depth. And unfortunately, three-piece bands are very good at straight-ahead rock stuff. Like the Jimi Hendrix Experience or the Police, for example, they had a lot of energy. But of course we're influenced by other music as well. So we try to do both. I don't really know which is our essence. We're not sure if we should get more musicians involved or not, and we've been wondering for a long time now.」

Earlier in the interview, we asked you about the division of roles when it comes to promoting Muse, and it's interesting to hear that you've adopted a democratic approach when it comes to the music aspect as well. Just earlier you were talking about instruments with clearly assigned roles. 「Maybe with 'Exogenesis' we broke that rule for the first time. But I'd like to think that the three instruments we're each responsible for are the most important axis on which the song depends. The bass riff is usually as important as the guitar riff, and the drums are usually the first signal. In terms of playing, I think we're a genuine, really democratic band. Chris probably plays as many lido riffs that get the crowd going as much as I do. And Muse are not a guitar hero band.」

"Words like 'over-the-top' and 'too much' that were used as insults in the early days are now used as compliments in a positive way."

Aside from the added flourishes added by the arrangements, some of the songs on The Resistance seem more curvaceous and graceful than on previous albums. Is this related to the fact that Muse have started playing live at arena venues in recent years? In other words, were you influenced by the fact that you learned what works well and what doesn't in such large-scale venues? 「That's an interesting perspective. When I started the band, it was definitely to play shows. I didn't form the band to make recordings. I started the band because I wanted to get on stage and tour the world with my friends. It's like being a teenager who dreams of touring. I see playing live shows as the end result of what we're doing. Most of the time, I'm making this kind of music to play live in some way. But as the venues get bigger and bigger, I've noticed a phenomenon happening. In the bigger venues, there are grandiose, flashy parts that get things going. Those parts didn't work in the smaller venues. In the early days, the reviews about us used to swear by words like 'over-the-top' and 'too much'. But when we started playing bigger venues, those same words are now used as compliments in a positive way. They say it's great because it's 'over the top' and 'flashy'. It's like that part of the band has been capitalised on and we've been able to get the audience more involved. If you listen to songs like 'Uprising', you can hear that we want the audience to sing along with us. We want to feel at one with the big audience. I want the people at the back of the room to sing along, not as me, but as each of us singing about ourselves, in a chorus. I use the pronoun "we" a lot, like at the end of "Knights of Cydonia". I think the fact that we're playing bigger venues has definitely had an effect on the way we use the word 'we' a lot.」

But apart from that choice of words, would you say that your music has not been 'adapted' to larger venues, but that you have found the right size venue for you? 「Sometimes you suddenly realise that there are things you've always wanted to do that are better suited to a bigger venue. We've always had this idea in our heads that we've always wanted to push the boundaries, but when you're playing a bigger venue you can be a bit more open than you normally would be. I'm not worried about doing that at all anymore. The third album['s song], 'Blackout', is one of my favourites, but it didn't work out so well back then when we were mainly playing hall-sized venues. I was a bit disappointed that people didn't like these graceful songs as much as I did. So for a long time I left it out of the set. But when we played it at Wembley Stadium, it went down a storm and everyone said it was one of the best songs at the concert that day. I was really moved by that. So, I thought, maybe I have to make it over the top? Otherwise, I won't be able to show my best qualities. When we used to play in smaller clubs, when we played this song, people would go and buy beer or look at their watches and wonder when we were going to play a rock song next. But in the big arena venues, when we play this song, people are holding up lighter fires and shaking to it. People listen to it more intently now. I don't know how it works, but there's definitely a key to it.」

Translator's Note: In case some of you are too lazy to click on that link that I put there, here's the video of Dom playing a snare drum in a sheep field while listening to his phone. You're welcome.

youtube

#Matt Bellamy #Dom Howard #Chris Wolstenholme #Muse #The Resistance era #Muse band #my scan #translation #interview #CROSSBEAT #CROSSBEAT November 2009 #Youtube

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wanderingwittch · 5 months ago

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Transgender - Spiritual Pillars of Humanity

Within the tapestry of existence, souls weave threads of genderless spirits, embodying harmony beyond earthly realms.

Though eunuchs and transgenders can be used interchangeably, my focus will be more on transgender people who have the ability to master their feminine and masculine energies within their causal bodies. Many pagan and indigenous cultures, including my own, place great importance on transgender individuals, seeing them as essential for human growth.

What makes them so revered by ancient saints?

Is it their dualism that makes them special considering them to be a gift to humanity?

On my spiritual journey, I have been mesmerised by transgender also known as “trutiyapanthi” in my culture. I have always loved to believe that they can experience spirituality more profoundly than others due to the merging of masculine and feminine energies within them. Many light workers, healers, and spiritualists I know confirm that the higher realms have no distinction between masculine and feminine energies, since both of them are consumed and worked equally. Perhaps this is why higher beings, beyond our current understanding, feel humans cannot yet match their consciousness.

I have also been deeply influenced by Carl Jung, a psychologist who integrated spirituality and psychology, showing how they can coexist harmoniously. Jung’s theories such as Hero’s Journey helped me explore the tarot in much more profound way - the craft that I had been working for a long time. Through him I understood the shadow and through him I learnt about Anima and Animus. Anima being the personification of all female tendencies in a man while animus being the male psychological tendencies in a female. It proved that we can have this polarised form only in physicality but inside we manifest both the energies.

There have been real examples of transgender who have inspired me beyond the spirituality. Gauri Sawant embodies motherhood and compassion, helping me connect with my divine mother energy. Manabi Bandopadhyay, a professor and also a principal to an educational institutes helped me understand how to be authentic as well as knowledgeable, teaching me the value of liberation. Naaz Joshi, trans model showed me that beauty can be found in unexpected places. It doesn’t end here. Sushant Divgikar who became my personal favourite, a singer who can perform in both male and female voices, represented the perfect blend between of divine masculine and divine feminine energies.

Historically, transgender people have also played important roles in society. In the Mughal empire, infamously in Ottoman empire men were castrated to guard the women of royal courts; but their significance dates back even further. They were also revered in ancient times, serving as political advisors, generals and administrators.

I remember a story being told in Ramayana capturing their essence. Lord Rama was being asked to leave royal court and banished for 14 years instructed his followers - men and women to return the city. However the transgender community didnt bound to the directions and chose to stay with their lord due to which Ram blessed them with power to confer blessings on people during auspicious occasions. Native Americans have their two spirit theory — a name given to transgenders indeed valuing them for their roles as healers, mid-wives, leaders in spiritual communities.

This duality not only makes them great spiritually but also paves a dense and transformative path. While the internal focus is to balance, they live a life overwhelming with challenges on the physical level. Continually challenging societal norms, they transform themselves and the world around them. They do so by simply existing - by being truthful to themselves.

In my country, they also value profound connection between teacher and disciple — as seen in ancient Gurukul system. Amidst their journeys, they achieve success but also give back to their communities, sharing the compassion and love they have cultivated despite being treated as a dirt. Their ability to operate with innate divine wisdom and offer kindness to others, even after enduring immense hardship, is profoundly inspiring to me.

They do help us understand the complexity of human existence, power of duality and boundless potential in human spirit. Acting as a living testament to harmonious blend of masculine and feminine, they challenge the close-mindedness of societal norms. We can open ourselves to at-least acknowledge their presence rather than denying their individuality because they are different than us. Divine can manifest in countless, wondrous form - and they are the perfect example.

#writeblr #transgender #higher consciousness #spiritual healing #self discovery #the divine masculine #divine feminine #spirituality #spiritual #shifting #thoughts #observations

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lightdancer1 · 1 year ago

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The other pair of Endless who are set up as direct foils are Destiny and Delirium:

Consider that Destiny and Delirium are both seers, with Delirium bluntly not only noting that there is more to the world than Destiny knows (including how she became Delirium which I have two particular types of answers as to why, one more dramatic and one more mundane). Delirium can see more than her brother can and what it is that she sees is also correct, if stated in an odd fashion by the odd one out in her family and as such seldom listened to in the way it needs to be as foresight, not hindsight.

There is also an eye motif, Destiny is blind, Delirium's eyes are mostly heterochromic except in the one occasion she pulls herself together. Blindness and heterochromia aren't the same thing, in multiple facets, but each speaks to the reality of the duality of the Endless. Destiny's blindness is a means of granting free will, Delirium's dual-sight reflects that Delight and Delirium co-exist and that Delight did not simply wither away because she grew up into Delirium.

There is the reality, too, that Destiny is the Endless the most resilient to true chance, as he is shown in the distant future merely grateful to finally put his book down and having shown no visible change at all. Delirium, on the other hand, like Death shows that the Endless can change without dying and can even grow up both mentally (as Death does, at least within limits) and physically (comparing the glimpse of Delight in Endless Nights to Delirium shows that Delight was a child who grew into an edgy, moody teenager cosmic entity with a teenager's sadistic streak amplified by phenomenal cosmic power).

Both Delirium's realm, Madness, and the Garden of the Forking Ways have their puzzle-like aspects, Destiny's hedgerow maze and Delirium's multi-media labyrinth with Del in the center of her own realm like the Minotaur waiting and biding her time to be found. Both are also constantly marked in light, in contrast to the multi-toned aspect of the Dreaming, Desire's singular oversized apartment building with a single home built in their image, and the shadowy fog and mirror-bound aspect of Despair's realm.

And of course Destiny is first of the Endless and always the eldest as Delirium is last and always the youngest, with Destiny seldom leaving his realm and Delirium tending to both be in her realm and to walk the worlds as much and as little as she sees fit.

Dream is both protagonist and main character but his siblings are very deliberately set up in different ways as mirrors, much as the so obvious even people who failed English class can see it similarities between Dream of the Endless and Desire of the Endless, down to the distinct eye colors, the similarity between a Dream and a Desire, and that the very similarities at least in part are the cause of the feud in the most cosmic narcissism of the small difference ever done in comics.

#sandman meta #destiny of the endless #delirium of the endless

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a-beneficial-union · 2 months ago

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I feel like rambling, and maybe this will have some cohesion.

I've been working on this short-ish fic on-and-off that works on the premise of Ben (or “Ren”, in this case) going about his usual domestic and work activities but his plans get laced with hiccups. Of course, it's Ren Tennyson, so they stray rather considerably from what we'd consider normal.

One of the hiccups is that a long-distance friend from his underground vigilante days is captured by a shady organization. Ren breaks Danny out easy, this is not his first rodeo.

Another hiccup is that his simultaneous boss and grandfather has tasked someone his age to spy on him. Ren avoids Zak out of spite and begins scheming around why he's being investigated this time.

I originally wasn’t going to give Zak and Danny much focus, seeing as the fic was about Ren’s life and perspective (inherently limited and omitting details), but I’m not so sure I like the deal anymore. If I kept it wholly to Ren, the story will be dreary the whole time. If I let the other characters have voices in the narrative, the tone will be bounding about like an unbidden bouncing ball— and probably end on a downer with the possibility for future fortune.

Character motivations of the main three characters would be:

Ren: “Getting through the hour, the day, the week; gotta keep on keeping on.”

Danny: “Thanks for helping m- You’re overworking yourself again aren’t you? Stop that. Trust is Nice sometimes, rest is muy bueno. Hey- HEY! No workaholism! Bad! Get in here and wat something!”

Zak: “Oh wow, I get to spend time with THE Ren Tennyson; a shapeshifter! I’d trade a leg and an arm to be able to do that- to be the creatures I speak with. Wait I don’t like this- WAIT WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS-“

Supporting character perspectives:

Doc Saturday: “Wow, that’s a kicked puppy. You’re not exactly human, that’s- Wait something’s wrong and I don’t know how to help because I’m unfamiliar with this physiology. Science time, pretty please?”

Drew Saturday: “Wow, a kicked puppy. Holy autism, batman. I shall now study you as a creacher, not a creature. 0.0 Kicked puppy, indeed.”

Rook Blonko: “I am an expert in human behaviors and am a phenomenal partner to my human companion- Yes, I am. Yes, I am. How am I not?”

Max: “There is nothing wrong with my grandchild.”

Danni: “My Auntie has a body count in the hundreds and I’m getting popcorn to watch him blow up a building.”

Zak: “SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FU-“

Zak has been the most difficult character for ke to conceptualize. I’d put this down as him only ever being a peripheral interest, but his parents, especially his father, were easy to a fault. In his show, he is yet young and personalities can fluctuate rather dramatically in those early years as people come into their own. For his Omniverse appearance, he seems mostly on point, if a bit watered down..? He’s a compassionate person with a fancy for grandeur, an understanding that it wouldn’t actually be a good thing to have, and a slight tendency to over impose (he’s used to only being around family and close friends). He is decent at deception in short bursts and likes to brag about his successful trickery (thereby ruining his chances at future attempts). Anxiety and caution riddle him like bullets as he fears harming those around him or that he is secretly vile.

I considered making Zak the antagonist, pushing Ren's boundaries to the breaking point and serving as the catalyst for Ren to emotionally leave the situation. I also considered having Zak spend the fic being envious of Ren for his fame, authority, and abilities. Zak can either be the duality or antithesis of Ren; being from a supportive family, wholly human, ambitious, and utterly assured in his security. I think some of that will remain in the final product.

Ren plays the long game and can be called a professional liar. He’s a high functioning spoonie and is allergic to relaxation, occasionally collapsing from the fatigue. His go-to method of dealing with pain/stress/anger is to pump that energy into something constructive, like patrolling the airways for the hundredth time or throwing himself into a tycoon. People are exhausting because he can never drop the act, the person behind it being an uncomfortable stranger to him. He’s spent years pulling together his public reputation and uses his flounders, intentional or accidental, to further portray himself as a nonthreatening goof. Zak is trying to figure him out, his family is doing much the same, and that is a threat to all of the work Ren’s done for the last half decade.

Danny, meanwhile, sees the Saturdays as possible allies whom they should be honest with, especially when Ren comes down with a sudden, likely stress induced sickness. The doctors are here to help, after all. :))

#ben 10 #Alighted rambles #crossover fic #danny and Ben #Zak time baby

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