#there are implications that i haven't explored yet

[scleroticstatue]

The Spirit is, IMO, best defined by the Jewish Rabbis. The Hebrew word for Spirit is Ru'ach, which is also the word for wind. One teaching technique is walking into the wind and walking with the wind at your back. When you're working with the Spirit, the wind is at your back pushing you; it will be easy. That doesn't mean it won't be challenging, but things will happen that you won't expect. You'll think you didn't work enough to pay your bills but the paycheck will come and you will. You'll think all your obligations will be hard to meet but before you know it it'll be hours later and it didn't actually cause you that much stress. So often, the Spirit is neutrality keeping you from the pain you're dealing with. It's peace.

So many churches are raising young people to see the Holy Spirit as a force that primarily exists to make you “feel things” in worship. That you know you’ve been Touched™ because you have goosebumps and feel like crying or whatever.

I’m not downplaying the emotional impact an encounter with the spirit can illicit. That’s real. But when we place such an emphasis on our human response, we can make people who don’t experience these heightened emotions feel like they aren’t being filled with the spirit.

I’ve seen it happen before. “I felt nothing in worship”, “I’m in a spiritual rut”, “Why aren’t I being filled?”. The spirit is so much more than what you feel on a Sunday. Look at your fruits, look at God’s work in your life. That’s where you’ll find evidence of the spirit.

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Seriously, fuck the books and what not but there's just... bro they have Fazbear brand fucking Super Hell that's basically the Animatroinc Retirement Home. The fucking potential of Sewerhell in a story is insane

[eroguron0nsense]

I have my criticisms of Made in Abyss but I will also say that I haven't seen enough people comment on my favourite aspect of it (and I may be looking in the wrong places, I haven't term searched), which is that it's a breathtaking deconstruction of settler colonialism, and of the romanticism of the weird adventure stories of Europeans plumbing every as of yet unexplored corner of the earth and finding strange and wonderful things at great risk. It is a profoundly critical piece and one of the few that while capturing the allure of that genre and the call of the void and the human search for answers, also has the fucking balls to say, "Your choice to do this is to choose death and the loss of your humanity", "This place is built on atrocity in the name of gold and glory and colonial prestige, every attempt to get further into its depths requires horrendous sacrifice, and the act of settling was fundamentally amoral", and, as of where I've read up to (the end of Faputa's story), "this capital we've built, this land and its blessings that we have, are literally built on endless suffering, it is justified for the victims of that to retaliate, and to dust we shall return". Every aspect of its world-building is seductive but shows both implicitly and explicitly the horrifying truth of behind the siren song of colonial exploration, from the implications of what happened to the native people of the island to the sickness affecting the current inhabitants to the wrecked ships and remnants of failed predecessors, to the indoctrination of children into dreaming of seeking death, and the overwhelming sense that the Abyss will always, always get its dues Intentionally or not, it's one of my favourite explorations of the brutality and futility of the search for El Dorado

[a-doubleh-x]

Why I like Charlastor

The other day I noticed there was some negativity in the Charlastor tag, including antis and people feeling the need to defend against antis, so I thought I might as well take a step back and just write candidly about why I like the ship.

I only got into Hazbin in October of last year, but already it has inspired me a lot to write and fantazise about it. Like most people, I started with the classic "they look cute together", but as I kept looking I couldn't help but think there was something else to these two than first met the eye.

For starters, I love Pollyanas! I think they get a bad rep for being naive, but I just appreciate an optimist like Charlie who just wants to make people around her happy because it makes her happy. I also like bad boys 😳 I'm a pretty heteronormative guy, so I haven't had a big chance to explore that part of myself yet, but I do like the danger and excitement someone like Alastor brings to the table.

I will admit when I started writing Charlastor I felt like I was handling dynomite. It's a lil scary to ship a boundless altruist with a manipulative sociopath, but bear with me.

I think each of them has something the other needs. I think Charlie needs someone to challenge her, someone to steer her in the right direction while she's mostly isolated. At the start of the series, practically nobody but Vaggie takes her seriously, and Alastor is no exception. He mocks her, teases her, but she still listens and I think it's because somewhere deep down she understands there's something he's trting to communicate in his annoying, but curious way.

Of course, I also love the fanon Charlie who's down bad for Alastor, and even if that Charlie is a little naive, I think it's also sweet and she can use some indulgence while most people treat her like a child.

On the other hand, when it comes to Alastor, this is a bit of a theory on my part, but I think he's secretely lonely. He has friends, certainly, like Rosie and Mimzy, but they're not good enough friends to live together with him. They don't seem to be able to save him from "pure, absolute boredom". But Charlie, for some reason can, even though she's a stranger at the beginning when Alastor chooses to move into the Hotel.

Alastor is not as much of a cynic as someone who chooses to see things in a perspective that benefits him. He doesn't think redeeming sinner is "hopeless", but "hilarious" instead, which has interesting implications to me. That's why he chooses to hover around Charlie, not because he thinks she's lame, rather because he thinks she's silly. She makes him laugh. Which I think is kind of how Alastor sees "love".

And then you have fanon Alastor who, depending on the writer, is either a horny animal, a wisecrack edgelord or a soft boy who's mean to everyone but Charlie XD I like several of those interpretations, but I kinda prefer mine just out of personal taste. I think the best part about Alastor is that he doesn't *care* what anyone thinks of him and always does what he wants, even at the expense of other people, which I find pretty enviable.

They're kinda both outcasts in their own ways. Charlie by being unable to fit in and Alastor being unwilling to compromise. But they don't judge each other. He supports her in his own weird way and she houses him and is delighted of him in general, which is tasty food for his ego. I do wonder why Alastor is interested in Charlie, both in canon and in a fandom vacuum.

There's some cool potential for drama there, but also growth and healing, in my opinion. Personally, I think Alastor doesn't want to actually *hurt* Charlie, but he may hurt those around her, which will be a moment to start settling compromises if Charlie puts her foot down.

That haz bin my review so far! I'm honestly pretty grateful for Vivziepop for all of the work she's done so far, I know directing, animating and writing two shows over the course of 5 year or so ain't easy. I'm also grateful to the fandom who shares their thoughts and vision, which calms the terrible voices I started hearing in my head since I bought this weird old radio.

I'm in the middle of a break, but if you're interested in my fanfics I'll get back to writing very soon. Cheers! 🌈❤🦌

[dovesdreaming]

Minds entwined

Summary: Cassandra is able to read someone’s mind gently but she just chose not to usually, until you. She needed to know the truth about your feelings without hurting you.

Masterlist

-

The room was dimly lit, the hum of soft machinery echoing through the space. Cassandra Nova leaned against the wall, her imposing figure cloaked in shadow, eyes gleaming with an unsettling intelligence. The Reader stood in the middle, feeling the weight of her gaze. The psychic tension was palpable, but Cassandra, for once, was holding back choosing not to pry. Yet. "You know” Cassandra said, her voice like silk, slipping between words with a dangerous ease, "I’ve never enjoyed reading a woman's mind. Something about it... unsettles me. But you” she continued, stepping forward, "You, my dear, are different”.

Your heart skipped a beat. The subtle implications behind Cassandra’s words were enough to leave anyone shaken, but it was the undertone, the invitation to explore further, that truly left you feeling exposed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” you muttered, trying to avoid eye contact. You could feel Cassandra’s presence getting closer, her figure looming, a faint smile dancing on her lips. “Oh, I think you do”.

Cassandra lifted her hand, extending it toward you. It wasn’t the forceful invasion she'd used on others this time, her touch was soft, almost tender, resting just beside your temple. “Do you really think you can hide it from me? What you're feeling... towards me?”

Your breath hitched, but you remained silent, refusing to give in to the swirling thoughts Cassandra was on the verge of accessing. Cassandra’s fingertips danced along the side of your face, her other hand brushing against the back of your neck in a surprisingly gentle, comforting gesture. “I don’t need to dig deep” Cassandra purred, her tone lower now, soothing. “You’ve kept this hidden, haven't you? It must be exhausting. Let me help ease the burden..”

Cassandra’s powers slipped into your mind with a finesse rarely employed by the telepath. It wasn't the brutal extraction of thoughts she was known for, it was something delicate, warm even.

Her lips curled into a knowing smirk as she felt the truth stir within the your mind. The feelings, the quiet yearning, the unspoken attraction were all there. Gently, Cassandra let the thoughts rise to the surface, coaxing them without force, without pain. “You want me” she whispered, her lips dangerously close to your ear now, her voice almost intoxicating. “You’ve wanted me for a while. And I, darling, find that very... compelling”. You shuddered, fighting back the admission, but it was futile. Cassandra’s eyes sparkled with triumph as she probed deeper. Her hand trailed down your neck, her psychic touch drawing out the truth that you could no longer hide. “I knew it” Cassandra breathed out, her tone dripping with satisfaction. “You’re mine”.

Your heart raced, not out of fear but something far more dangerous, desire. Cassandra leaned in, her breath hot against your skin. “You could’ve just told me, you know” Cassandra teased, her hand gently tilting tour chin up. “But I have to admit, this, this is far more satisfying”. There was no cruelty in her voice this time. Only victory. And something else. Affection. The realization hit you harder than expected. Cassandra wasn't just toying with your emotions. She felt something too, didn’t she?

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” You asked, almost breathless now, your minds still connected as Cassandra held your gaze. Cassandra smiled softly. “No, my dear. I’m not. Because I like you. More than I ever expected”. For the first time, there was a softness in Cassandra’s expression, a vulnerability only you could see, her mind still swirling with the undeniable truth they both now shared. This cat and mouse game was over. And you had both won.

-

Thank you for reading!

[gachagon]

Frank is the "Question-Answerer"?

I've wanted to talk about this for a while but I've only ever spoke about it in Welcome Home theory discords lol. But anyways, this update we actually had two pieces of art from Clown's portfolio website separate from the main Welcome Home site be added to the main site, and I do remember Clown saying any art found on the main site is "canon" to some extent to the main story. Here they are:

These two images can be found on the Staff Only page! The reason I find these two pieces of art to be really cool is because they show a side to the puppets that we haven't really been seen on the website yet, which is that they're literally puppets being controlled by actual people. And not just that, but the implications of the Frank picture being that they can be easily replaced if they "break" or that their were other versions of themselves before that they've never even met before.

And with the newest update really shining a light on Wally's newfound sentience, the possible dissociation that comes with experiencing a new thing with no one to relate to about it, and the loneliness that someone can feel amongst their friends when they're "different" in a way the others aren't, I think these two art pieces really show a new kind of horror that the story has just begun to explore!

I've always been really suspicious of Frank as a character because I personally theorize that he might be the Question-Answerer that the WHRP got into contact with. And that red box that his hands are holding look eerily similar to the envelopes that Eddie delivers (and also the envelopes that can be seen in some of the photos in the new update) I also think Frank might have also been one of the first Puppets who "gained" sentience in a way, and became aware that he is alive and that the world around him is fake etc.

Frank's little bio here says he's the smartest neighbor in the neighborhood, and that the other neighbors would often come to him for advice on things. But also "Answers" to a lot of questions that would just be played off as a joke in the end.

And seeing as this is a piece of horror media about the experience of gaining sentience for the first time, I do find the one character who's whole thing is knowing more than the others to be kind of side-eye worthy lol. I've always personally interpreted that art of him with the red envelope as him discovering there were "prototypes" of other Franks. Perhaps the Playfellow company couldn't quite get his head to spin angrily in the right way, or it would do it to fast and he would "break" resulting in them having to make a new one each time.

[rafeandonlyrafe]

country club bathroom part two

words: 800

warnings: mentions of hooking up, no actual smut in this part, angst/fighting

part one / part two / part three / part four

“holy shit.” your eyes take in the grand entryway, the wealth of the cameron family on clear display.

“shit, almost forgot you were a pogue for a second there.” rafe laughs gently. he places his hands on your waist, hauling your body against his, lips meeting yours in a kiss.

you wrap your arms around his shoulders, expecting him to lift you up, to grip your ass and carry you up the stairs, to immediately take you to his bedroom, but after a few minutes of kissing, rafe pulls away.

“god, im starving.” rafe groans. you think it's a euphemism at first, especially considering how intensely he eats you out when you have enough time and privacy at the country club.

“yeah?” you smirk, but rafe doesn't smile.

“you're probably hungry after your shift, right? what do you want? ramen, pizza?”

“ramen?” you let out a giggle. “are you sure you're not the pogue?”

“alright, alright.” rafe laughs. “i would take you somewhere fancy but…” you get the implication. you may have been hooking up for months now, but that doesn't make it any less complicated to be seen in public together.

“pizza is fine.” you pat rafes chest, leaving him to call and order while you explore more of the house, unashamed of checking out every decadent piece of furniture.

rafe catches up to you in the living room, coming up to wrap his arms around your waist as you stare out the window towards the ocean, the waves gently lapping the shore.

“it looks just like my view of the water.” you mumble. ignoring the dock stretching out into the water, yours not extending nearly as far and certainly not boasting as many boats.

“yeah?” rafe questions, ducking his head to kiss your neck, knowing better than to suck a bruise on the sensitive skin, as much as he badly wants to.

“not that different afterall.” you hum. you mean it sarcastically, but it does have your mind whirling. these percieved small differences that divide the island, all based on nothing more than the numbers in your bank account.

“don't tell me my favorite pogue is sympathizing with the kooks now.” rafe scoffs.

you turn around suddenly, out of his arms. “as if you haven't been on your knees for me.”

“hey, hey.” rafe says softly, seeing you're actually angry. “i like you y/n. i know i tease you but you give good head. i wouldn't invite you back here if i didn't want you.”

“can't you see i have more qualities than just good head?” you question, not sure why you're suddenly so angry, why the feelings are building up in your gut. you just want to be recognized, recognized by rafe, by the kooks, want the divide to heal, or at least lessen.

“yeah, of course, baby.” rafe tries to reach out for you, but you take a step back, backing into the sliding glass door.

“what did i do wrong, baby?” he asks softly. “tell me so i can make it up to you. if i said something im sorry. i just like to tease you when i say that dirty pogue shit.”

“no, you mean it.” you shake your head. “i know how you treat the other pogues on the island.” you have never seen rafe fight anyone else, but you've seen the cuts and bruises and heard stories from maybank and pope when you visit heywards.

“you're different.” rafe doesn't let your backing away stop him this time, wrapping his arms around your waist, tugging you into his body. “yeah, you give good fucking head but you're also funny, and sassy. and have a backbone. everything ive done to the other pogues is because they're not like you. they're pieces of shit. probably not every single one of them, yeah. but i don't touch the ones that don't give me a reason to.”

“yet you still refuse to be seen in public with me.” you know you're asking a lot of rafe, and it's not like you can be seen together at the country club anyways. you knew he was only asking you to hook up when he invited you over, but the comment about taking you to a fancy restaurant struck you harder than you thought it would.

you pull away suddenly. “what are we doing here? i mean really. just hooking up? fucking? and we don't even really like each other? im sorry rafe, i don't think i can do that anymore.” you start to head through the maze of a house, needing to find your way out, needing to take a deep breath of air.

“what do you mean?” rafe follows your footsteps.

“if this is going nowhere… if we can't even go out on a single date, i… i can't do this.” you feel yourself starting to hyperventilate, chest suddenly getting tight, restricting your breathing.

“baby-” rafe tries to talk, but you find the front door and flee, running across his yard until you're outside of his fence, taking gulps of air. 

you look back and tanneyhill, and rafe doesn't follow you.

taglist: @drewstarkeyslut @forstarkey @f4ll-for-you @dilvcv @drudyslut @jjmaybankswifes-blog @rafescokenostril @jjsmarijuana @seeingstarks @angelofcigs @cece45450 @babygorewhore @vanessa-rafesgirl @michelleisheres-blog @outerbankspov @drewstarkeyswifehoe @cutielando @kamninaries @buckyswhxre @rafeinterlude @bellbottombaby @deeaardiary @rubixgsworld @wearemadeofstardust0 @leighbronk @starkeysheart @pradabambie @tobesolovelysstuff @alexiskirkland @rafestar @brioffthegrid

[scoobydoodean]

I was wondering if you, as a Dean fan have opinions about the different writers? Mostly because I see a lot of Dean fans really strongly dislike Dabb for some reason and I don’t really understand why. I’ve never seen a concrete explanation beyond “he can’t write Dean/doesn’t understand Dean/actively hates Dean” but with no examples as to what he does that’s so bad. And I see this in every shipping lane. I don’t have a strong opinion about him as a writer one way or the other.

I'm exploring this more as I rewatch the show (currently on season 6) so I'll speak mainly from that perspective on my most recent thoughts. I am not a big fan of Dabb or Loflin, but have tried to be fair about things so far when talking through each episode. I am a fan of "Alpha and Omega"—it's my favorite finale (it's also... a finale for a season Carver started as showrunner? So I don't know what the implications are there as far as storyboarding). Also points for having demon Dean stab a guy through in 10.02.

I'll focus on the negatives you asked about in this post, but in the links you'll find me moving the narrative this way and that toward much more charitable readings... I think. (I do have a tag #dabb disk horse which you can either peruse or blacklist at your leisure). What I can tell you is something almost always strikes me as a off about Dabb/Loflin episodes so far in this rewatch in terms of character work.

Dabb/Loflin's first ever episode was 4.06 "Yellow Fever". In the aftermath, Kripke felt the need to release a definitive interpretation of their episode to the public, stating, "Dean is not a dick... he's a hero." The whole episode toyed with, to an extent, the idea that all the victims of the MotW were bullies. You can take this other directions—for example, queer meta, or meta about Sam as the real bully. However, the story a lot of fandom latched onto was that "Dean is a jerk and deserves to be humiliated and punished for that" which obviously didn't make Dean fans watching live in season 4 happy—and this theme of Jerk!Dean continues into their next episode, "After School Special", where they once again parallel Dean with a bully literally nicknamed "Dirk the Jerk" by Sam, and throw what I think is transparent shade at Kripke's issued statement from before the Christmas break (post here)... or maybe they mean to throw shade at the Dean fans who got angry. In this episode, they also make illusions to Dean wanting to have sex with barely legal high school cheerleaders, which also did not ingratiate them to Deanfans at the time. I said on my last rewatch, "In After School Special, Dean seems more unlike himself than any episode ever in the history of Supernatural up to this point" (post explaining that here). I carry similar sentiments about portions of 5.06 "I Believe The Children Are Our Future". Yes—I am aware of performing Dean meta. I just... feel like they try a little too hard. It feels hamfisted—desperate. To the point it doesn't feel like Dean anymore sometimes. In 5.06, they also have Dean (guy who is generally very protective of kids) suggest to Jesse that he'd be good to have in a fight???? I can see how they got there, but again—it just feels... off. The last episode I rewatched that they authored, 6.04 "Weekend At Bobby's", also leaves a bad taste in my mouth—not in what it's trying to do with Bobby or what it's trying to do on a meta level—but once again, with dialogue from Dean that just makes me think "he would not fucking say that" (post here). I think looking at all of these, you can probably see deangirl ire toward Dabb has a long history. It's been around as long as he's been around, whether he deserves as much ire as he gets or not.

I haven't circled back yet on this rewatch, but Dabb and Loflin also penned season 7's "The Girl Next Door"... do I need to say anything specific? Maybe I'll just link my entire #amy tag. What narrative did they want you to get from that episode? Who the fuck knows. And that's often the problem:

When you watch various episodes I've mentioned, you can work around to a meta that tells you something different than you might at first think the page conveys—something hidden and maybe contradictory. The thing is... you could also... not do that? And that wouldn't be so bad, except that sometimes the two narratives you can most easily grasp completely contradict each other. "After School Special" can be an episode that points to Sam's envy of Dean and John deep down and foreshadows Sam becoming a bully, but on a meta level, it also just as easily says Sam becoming a bully is somehow Dean's fault, and Sam is some poor captive baby. Dean is a creep and a bully and a cheater but we should all coddle him because he saw his mom die when he was a child and he's sooo sad. "Yellow Fever" can be a queer meta story and might also foreshadow approaching Bully!Sam in 4.14, but it also very much does call Dean a jerk (should we take that seriously? should we not?) and implies Dean should be punished for the outcome of three decades of reality-bending torture. Even if it's a queer meta underneath... it's just as easily one about how closeted men should be humiliated for cowardice or how being closeted turns you into an asshole.

Jumping way ahead, I have to mention 15.10 "The Hero's Journey" just because. Yes, it is full of jokes and Garth goodness, but also tries to sell you the story that nothing about Sam and Dean is real, to a degree that feels like you are being flipped the bird for ever watching this show. And again—you can make meta that it's all a ruse! But is it? Or is Dabb actually just telling you to go fuck yourself? Like he totally wasn't when, after the SPN finale when fans were Not Happy™️, he tweeted a sign reading, "Don't feed the baboons"? Yet again—we play into the motif of the "hero" who isn't a hero at all but some pathetic loser who deserves to be publicly humiliated, bookended with Dabb's opening episode in his opening season. I'm not saying that's what it is on purpose—but I am saying you can make these arguments easily, and that leaves me consistently annoyed with Dabb for being fucking sloppy and leaving me to deal with some of the most insufferable meta imaginable that carries little support outside of episodes written by Dabb or the Dabb/Loflin writing team.... Yes—I am in fact saying that Dabb and Loflin's hamfisted episodes (regardless of their intentions) are largely responsible for some of the most insufferable, loathesome fandom metas about Sam and Dean's relationship around.

Look at 5.16 "Dark Side Of The Moon", and 7.08 "Time for A Wedding!" and 8.14 "Trial and Error", 11.17 "Red Meat", and 15.20 "Carry On". Along with 4.13, while they might or might not say something deeper or contradictory on a meta level, on a surface level, every single one of these episodes sows the narrative that Dean is needy and clingy and needs Sam more than Sam needs him—something I intensely disagree with for a multitude of reasons... but I'll just link this. Many of these episodes also follow a surface level narrative of "normal life obsessed Sam" (and here I'll link my entire #sam the hunter tag and #in which sam is not a helpless little waif with his hands cast over his eyes being carried along by the tides of the immutable sea). When I look at this episode list, I also don't find it at all difficult to believe that Dabb wanted Dean to die in the finale. There is nothing at all shocking about that. And yes—you can argue he's pointing to the opposite—that this fate should be subverted and that's what makes 15.20 the dark ending, but I think you can just as easily argue that yes it's a dark ending and yes Dabb has always dreamed of this ending. A "tragic" ending where Dean dies and Sam goes on to have a white picket fence... while also leaving you little hints along the way that maybe it's all a big ruse because how could he not? He never has to explain anything. Someone else will pick up the story and make it make sense. He's already fucked off to piss all over fans of Resident Evil.

That said, when I mention what I feel is off character work, I mainly mention Dabb/Loflin episodes from my recent rewatch, which suffer from the two of them being newer to the series (coming onto the writing team in season 4) and also leave questions about whether, perhaps, they had conflicting ideas about characterization. Was Dabb the one penning these lines? Was it Loflin? Was it both? Did they trade out who took the lead? I didn't really say anything negative about "Sam, Interrupted" or "Jump the Shark"... (though "Sam, Interrupted" also calls Dean "codependent") who wrote those? Is it possible that the messiness of the meta comes down to two writers at war? I have to imagine though, that they got along, or else they wouldn't have written together for four fucking years. If they didn't get along...? My mind always comes back to their first solo episodes, right after splitting up in season 8. Dabb's first solo episode is "Hunteri Heroici"—the only episode to lend any perspective to season 8 Sam's reasons for abandoning everyone—paralleling him checking out with Fred's catatonia, which Sam has to save Fred from. It is the only episode that lends Sam sympathy in the early part of the season. He follows it up with "Trial and Error"—where Sam promises to save Dean from suicidal thoughts. Loflin's first solo episode is what I would regard as the most scathing solo episode commentary on Sam in the entire series—"Citizen Fang". Then he writes again right after Dabb's "Trial and Error"—penning "Remember The Titans" where Sam tells Dean to get over the promise Sam so passionately made in Dabb's episode and face reality.

This is why we're exploring this rewatch.

DISCLAIMER: Now I just devolve into bitching because I'm writing at 3AM. Proceed at your own risk.

It seems like these days, everyone demands an explanation for disliking Dabb (something about some sort of destiel battle... I don't know what that flamewar is and I don't give a damn tbqh.) I guess I've just been wondering what's actually so great about him. Because it feels like people have overcorrected to basically acting like he's god's greatest gift to mankind. People point to how meta his episodes can be, but I think other writers easily best him on that front on multiple occasions (particularly enjoyed by me so far on this rewatch: 3.10 "Dream A Little Dream Of Me", 4.04 "Monster Movie", 4.12 "Criss Angel Is A Douchebag"), and without leaving their meaning so up in the air that you don't even know what the hell they were actually trying to tell you because there are two different completely incongruous narratives you could just as justifiably claim were the intended one. Some people may find that duality praise-worthy. I don't. I find it sloppy—and when I add in mediocre character work, I just land on the side of him being, at the very best, mid.

Add him in as showrunner, you have... at least two of my least favorite seasons (13 and 15). Add that he's a one-trick pony in terms of the Sam and Dean conflicts mentioned above that he continuously rehashes rather than come up with anything new or fresh, and the same conflicts between Dean and Cas being played out until they both die (shut UP I'm not talking about canon destiel as the alternative—I am literally just asking for more diverse conflicts). I can't say I understand what I''m supposed to find so impressive.

(Before anyone so much as breathes this near me, Berens also sucks and I am going to tear off your nose hairs if you start bringing him up as if disliking Dabb for some reason means wearing rose colored glasses about Berens. Berens can eat a whole cactus raw over "The Trap" alone.)

[8unknowndoee]

-- TMAGP SPOILER EPISODE 25 / Nothing big but still, very small implication of what happened in the new episode --

This has no logic behind it in any shape way or form, I just think it would be fascinating if not horribly ironic if Melanie turns out the be the new I.T. person. I've seen a few people say Sasha being the new I.T. person and I can 100% see the appeal to that but I would like to just point out that Melanie King has yet, in any form, to be mentioned.

Like I just think it's strange we haven't even heard her mentioned specifically by Celia as we have the other characters. Like, Jon and Martin being mentioned makes since, Jon was legit the antichrist and Martin was his plus one, they were attached to the hip so it would make sense to have them mentioned together and first because they are or related to the reason the world ended. As to the fact that Celia has met them before, even if for a little time.

Celia already sees Georgie in person often, already connected to her in this world. Celia looking for Helen is questionable because Helen tried to eat her when they met and I wasn't aware Celia knew Helen was someone before they met.

Celia looking for Basira before she looked for Melanie is also strange because, unless I'm remembering wrong, Melanie was the blind prophet of the people they saved, she was like their Jesus but more apocalyptic cult vibes, wouldn't Celia look for her before Basira and Helen? Then episode 25 came out and Lena looking for a new I.T. person and I think it would be a fascinating and tragically ironic if that new I.T. person to be Melanie.

Like it's not impossible, Basira is in a educational position rather than law enforcement and didn't seem to ever think about going into law enforcement. Melanie going from YouTube (God was she? I remember her going into scary places but I can't remember if she was a YouTuber or not) to being an I.T. person in this world wouldn't be an insane idea.

Yet the idea of Melanie being a normal I.T. person dragged into this horror story in the same way she was a horror explorer YouTuber dragged into the horror story is tragically ironic because she is going to work close to and with the Freddie system, Jon, Martin and Jonah, in some fucked up similar way she had in TMA. Except it would be the most fascinating thing in the world because what is Celia gonna do? How is she going to behave around Melanie? Melanie was her client as a therapist then became her savior, a literal blind prophet, when the world ended. Would she follow Melanie's words? Agree with anything she'll say? Or will she think that Melanie isn't yet a blind prophet because she isn't blind yet and, at the end of her line, snaps and tries to make her blind to allow her to gain prophetic visions and save the world before it ends? Like she's going to have a reaction. And to new listeners, Melanie being the new I.T. person wouldn't be strange at all, she hasn't been mentioned or even implied by Celia yet so no one would know of her but Celia's behavior towards her, the reaction and what she does afterwards would send more red flags like the ones she already has given.

Anyways, that's my random thought I had, New I.T. personnel Melanie at your service.

[nocandnc]

I have a small curiosity regarding the Hoshina family, and Soshiro's place in it.

The Hoshina family, as we know, is a prominent family with a bloodline dating back to the Muromachi period (roughly 1300 - 1500). They seem to be highly traditional, continuing to practice their Hoshina-style swordplay and martial arts even in this modern age where guns and other weaponry have become far more practical.

The two Hoshina family members we've been introduced to properly - Hoshina Soichiro and Hoshina Soshiro - are also very aptly named for such a traditional family.

First, let's look at Soichiro - Captain of the Sixth Division and firstborn son of the current Hoshina family. In kanji, that would be [ 宗一郎 / sou ichi rou ] - the 'so' kanji that he shares with his younger brother has a lot of different readings (religion, sect, origin, essence etc.) but that's not the part I'm interested in today. Instead, let's look at the second and third kanji.

[ 一郎 / ichi rou ] - Ichiro is a very common, borderline stereotypical name for the first son in a Japanese family because it means exactly that - First Son.

And what about the Third Division Vice Captain we all know and love, Soshiro? [ 宗四郎 / sou shi rou ] - and of course, we're just looking at those last two kanji - [ 四郎 / shi rou ]. Shiro is also pretty basic sounding, as it means Fourth Son.

Wait - Fourth Son??

This is what caught my interest, as the traditional naming convention of these two brothers seems to imply that not only is Soshiro the younger brother, but that he's also the fourth of at least four siblings?? The strong implication would be there are two middle brothers in the family we haven't met yet. They could be sisters of course... but then we're getting into technicalities with the naming conventions, and - well, let's just say that Soshiro should have a minimum of two older siblings we haven't met yet.

I assume not all of them went into kaiju slaying of course - maybe numbers 2 and 3 were similarly inept with guns, and lacked the supreme sword skills to make up for it like Soshiro does. Maybe they just had other passions. I'd be interested in seeing if Soshiro is on better speaking terms with them than with his older brother!

I'm interested in Soichiro too of course - we know very little about divisions outside the Eastern sector in Kaiju No. 8, and I feel like that's something we could explore once the current manga events wrap up.

I also have a teensy tiny theory that Soichiro just might end up dying, prompting Soshiro to take up his role as Sixth Division Captain(?) Barring Soshiro himself dying, I feel like this would be a pretty good way to progress his character arc if things must change. Kafka has reached Mina's side (even if it's not the way he intended), and Soshiro is in a much better mind to give up that spot now that he's reconnected with his true drive and motivations beyond his role as Vice Captain. So time for a promotion...?

And, well... no better way to introduce those other siblings than at a Hoshina family funeral!

We even had Soshiro and Kafka visiting the shrine where warriors who've died slaying kaiju are enshrined - including those from the Hoshina line. It sure felt like some kind of flag... I just hope it's not for Soshiro himself though I do have an OkoNo10 AU idea if that does happen!!!

Anyways, WOW!! That was a lot of rambling. I'm a pretty new fan so I feel like someone's probably brought this stuff up already, but I wanted to talk about it so here you go ^^;;;

[doumadono]

emergency request

i kinda feel so guilty. Someone confessed to me, he was a good guy i can tell, but i politely rejected him, since im still not over from my ex that cheated on me. I don't want to jump into a relationship knowing i haven't fully moved on yet and most importantly i don't wanna break that guys heart by doing so :((

With that being said, can i please request Bakugo and Shoto accepting a confession? thanks a lot <3)

A/N: I completely understand your feelings, and it's truly commendable that you're being considerate of both yourself and the person who confessed to you. It takes strength and self-awareness to make the choice you did. Remember, healing and self-discovery are crucial, and taking the time you need is perfectly okay. You're making the right decision by not rushing into a new relationship until you've fully moved on 💕

EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Bakugo Katsuki

Bakugo might initially respond with his classic fiery attitude, almost blowing up at their confessing.

He'd be taken aback by the confession but would admire the courage it took to confess and wouldn't take it lightly.

After a moment of silence, he'd grumble, "Well, you better not think I'm blushing or anything. You just caught me off guard."

Bakugo might add, "But I guess you've got good taste. You know, I'm pretty awesome," or "But don't expect me to get all mushy. I'm not doing any of that romantic crap."

He'd appreciate the directness, as he's not one for beating around the bush.

Bakugo's actions would speak louder than words, showing his care through small, thoughtful gestures rather than verbally expressing his emotions.

When they smile, he'd mutter, "Stop grinning like a fool, dammit!"

If asked why he accepted, he'd say, "You've got guts to tell me, and I respect that, and I also find you not as snippy as others, so why not?"

Shoto Todoroki

Shoto would listen calmly to the confession, his dual-colored eyes showing a hint of curiosity.

He'd appreciate the honesty and directness of the confession, a trait he values.

Shoto might nod and say, "Thank you for telling me how you feel. It means a lot," or "Well, this is a surprise. I didn't see that coming."

He would be the thoughtful type, taking time to process his emotions and consider the implications of accepting the confession.

Shoto would eventually smile gently and say, "I think we should give it a chance. I'm willing to see where this goes."

Shoto would gently brush a strand of hair from their face and say, "You have a way of making my heart race, and I'm not used to that."

He'd reassure them that he's not rushing into anything, and that they can take it slow. "We're taking this at our own pace. No rushing into things."

When asked why he accepted, Shoto would respond, "I believe in the power of connections. You've touched my heart, and I want to explore that. Let's see where this journey takes us, together."

[yanderes-galore]

Love your writing on Fear and Hunger! Can I ask for a scenario/short where the Kaiser (Legarde) finds Darling reincarnated in Termina? They died such a long time ago, surely he won't let them get away from him time.

Considering the soul system in F&H... This seems plausible, actually.

Rebirth

Yandere! Kaiser (Le'Garde) Short

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Murder, Blood, Delusional behavior, Intimate implications (nothing happens, just mentions it as you were flings), Stalking, Forced relationship.

Everyone has a soul that reflects who they are.

The Kaiser, once known as Le'Garde, has grown familiar with such occult things. Every person has a soul that allows them certain abilities. Some subjects even share the same soul type... possibly through blood...

Or even reincarnation.

The Kaiser, once all these contestants came for the festival, sensed a familiar presence he knew long ago. It was unnerving at first.... Such a presence brought back memories of a vulnerable time.

That presence... It reminds him of those dreaded dungeons. Those dungeons that made him reborn again into a new god.... He suffered in those dungeons...

But he didn't recall suffering alone.

No, when he was still a typical unenlightened mortal, he had companions in those dungeons. Most of them he considered pawns. However, there was one he deemed worthy of his attention.

You, a poor soul exploring the dungeons, had come to his aid. He originally thought you foolish... yet frustratingly appealing. You and him had grown close in those dungeons.

Le'Garde was normally never one for love. He had his eyes set on greater things. He didn't even recognize D'arce's feelings. Yet, with you... deep in those cold and bloody dungeons.

You managed to get him out of his armor more than once when you were alone.

To Le'Garde and most likely you, they were Sylvian flings. Just a way to find comfort in those dungeons while surviving. It wasn't about love...

That's... what he tells himself... yet back then he kept approaching you for more.

Did he like you more than he thought?

Before Le'Garde could sort out such feelings, his plan was set in motion. He was made to be a God, one way or another. Although... by the end of it...

He never saw you again.

As The Kaiser, he had not thought of such thoughts until now. It was only when he was reminded of your presence that he looked back on his feelings. He shouldn't be thinking of this...

You died long ago....

Yet, as though fate guided your soul, your soul somehow made it back here. The Kaiser was already wary of the contestants on that train. He had enemies hunting him down...

But he also saw someone similar to you... He could sense it was you.

This was your soul.

The soul of the one he felt was rightly his.

Naturally, The Kaiser felt drawn to you. It was though his own soul ached for you once again. He felt oddly... giddy at the idea of finding his love again.

It's amusing to him.... He thought he forgot this feeling. Yet the moment he feels your soul close to his he's desperate. You have so much power over a god such as him...

Even if you no longer know him.

Ah, yes, a problematic thought. The idea of you nor remembering echoes in his mind. However... surely once you feel his presence...

You'll remember.

In this place and new age... in this festival... you didn't stand a chance alone. The Kaiser knew this... but just like in those dungeons, you put together a team of contestants to help you. Although... by the time you feel confident enough to challenge Rher or escape this place...

The Kaiser appears before you... sword drawn with a snake slithering around his neck...

Before you knew it, you're overpowered, not equipped enough to challenge him.

The stench of blood is oddly familiar, even if you haven't encountered anything like it from what you remember. The sight of this... being in front of you sends chills down your spine. Yet you cannot tell why.

You feel nauseous when The Kaiser slowly but surely slaughters those you called friends. Even that feels familiar... along with the blood on your clothes. You truly never stood a chance...

Why does this all feel—

"Do you remember me?" The Kaiser asks, towering over you. He doesn't seem to care much that you're laying in the blood of your friends. Their corpses are grotesque... just like the rest of this hell.

"Don't you feel it too? Our souls that were once bound together. I don't think I could forget you if I tried...."The Kaiser murmurs, as if reminiscing on a distant memory.

He sounds nostalgic... yet you just sob.

"Please— Please, I'm sorry! Spare me...." You plead, sensing the end was near for you. Except...

The Kaiser merely chuckles, as if what you said was cute.

"Spare you? Of course I'm sparing you, my consort." The Kaiser grins, eyes gleaming under his yellow hood. "After all... Why would I kill you when I've just found you again?"

"I don't know you... what are you trying to do?" You try to get answers, but The Kaiser merely clicks his tongue.

"Oh, love, you'll remember soon enough. You'll remember the dungeons, you'll remember the blood... the danger... the passion... but most importantly..." The Kaiser coos, stalking closer before grabbing your bloody hand and yanking you to your feet.

"You're going to remember me. You'll soon remember me as your love and you'll never abandon me. You'll be my consort, as you were always meant to be." The Kaiser hums, not minding your fearful yet desperate attempts to pull away.

"Consort? No— Let go—!" You struggle, yet The Kaiser merely drags you close to him. His touch and skin feels oddly cold...

The thought of following him scares you on a primal level.

"No, my consort. We were always meant to be together in all lifetimes." The Kaiser growls, pulling you close to his side. "I need you to follow me, love... we have a lot to catch up on. You may be scared... but don't worry..."

The Kaiser chuckles again, squeezing your side as you tremble and walk.

"I'll make you remember what we were and who you belong to... and I'll never let you go again."

[leucisticpuffin]

Ooh, Elrond and earrings sounds interesting! Say more, please! :)

Thank you for asking :-) This one is in the tentative planning stages. It uses conflicting Noldor and Sindar opinions on jewellery as a metaphor for Elrond's complicated feelings about his childhood and cultural heritage.

Aside from earrings being far less common among the Doriathrim Sindar, many of them find the common Noldorin practice of piercing children's ears barbaric. Elrond, as a young adult in Lindon's newly-established court, finds that a lot of the old Doriathrim react very weirdly to his having pierced ears. (He was ten and just wanted to look pretty like Maglor! He had no idea of the implications!) In trying to dress appropriately for court, he's forced to wrangle with his complicated feelings about Maglor and cultural identity.

I haven't started writing it yet, mainly because it intimidates me a little: there are complicated issues there I don't have personal experience with. But it's definitely an idea I want to explore when I have a bit more free time to research it properly.

[mayapapaya33]

Is anyone else kind of annoyed that apparently Gilmore being a Runechild isn't a secret anymore with zero explanation. Idk if Aabria just thought it was cool and didn't care about the implications or what, but I'm still a little salty about it. Gilmore told VM that Rune children were hunted in C1. That's kind of a big deal. Is he established enough and powerful enough that he feels safe being open about it now? Are we ever going to explore that?

I'm a little behind in CR, currently on C3 ep 65 at the present moment, so if this does for some reason come into play, please don't spoil it lol, I would LOVE it if Gilmore came into C3 to kick ass and take names with his boyfriend/partner, I want to meet him! I want to see Matt play Gilmore and his boyfriend together and explore the Runechildren being hunted thing! That's all I ask! Maybe in C4 Gilmore gets kidnapped by the bad guys in order to exploit his runechild status and our new heroes have to save him! Ok now I'm just writing fanfiction I'll stop.

I haven't read the campaign books yet so if there's something about that in there, feel free to let me know so I can stop being mad about it lol.

(Please no Aabria hate, EXU/ her particular style isn't to my taste but that's not an excuse to be a dick ok? Media critiques only! Thanks!)

[veliseraptor]

June Reading Recap

Slower reading month on account of I got distracted by cdramas.

King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett. I don't know what to do with this book!!! It was by turns magnificent and difficult to get through. It definitely didn't hit me the way the Lymond Chronicles did/does, but even when I wasn't personally feeling it I can recognize a magisterial piece of work when I read one. The Thorfinn/Rognvald dynamic was probably one of the highlights for me, while it lasted. The premise of this one combines the life of the historical King Macbeth and that of Thorfinn Sigurdsson, positing that they were the same person. I did a lot of Wikipedia diving while reading, unsurprisingly. I recommend it for Dunnett readers, I think is what I'd ultimately say, or for historical fiction aficionados, but perhaps not more generally than that.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler. I keep reading Django Wexler because I enjoy his work, and keep finding that while I enjoy it and find it fun there's not a lot of real substance. But this book's gimmick (combining "time loop" and "villain protagonist") was too pointed directly at me for me to not give it a try. And I'm glad I did! It was very fun, and yet again it felt like the real substance was not quite there. However, I probably still will be reading the sequel when it comes out. So you know, I can't be too hard on it.

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. I feel like I did not exactly "enjoy" the experience of reading this set of interconnected short stories but I still want to recommend it to others, if that makes sense as a perspective. It also really made me want to read more generally about this period of time, both in fiction and nonfiction.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. This was totally a "let's just try something new for the heck of it" choice - fantasy romances are everywhere right now, this one was floating around in them and sounded potentially like fun in terms of concept, it was an impulse. I can't say it paid off. It wasn't an awful experience but I did find myself repeatedly going "why isn't this fluffy romance not digging more into its characters or implications" and the answer there is "that's not the point, Lise", I guess, and yeah, I think (English language) romance novels are probably just not for me.

The Law of Blood: Thinking and Acting as a Nazi by Johann Chapoutot. This was a really interesting book. It very much takes its point as "what if we take Nazi philosophy seriously as philosophy." I really haven't read anything quite like it before and it was definitely disturbing to read in terms of really...getting into the heads of How Nazis Thought They Were Supposed to Live, but fascinating for those reasons too, and the reasons of exploring how implications of ideology leads to specific real-world policy-making.

Translation State by Ann Leckie. Still haven't read anything else by Ann Leckie that gets close to the high of the original trilogy but I did really enjoy this one. It did make me feel like I need to reread the original trilogy because I've definitely forgotten a lot, and usually when reading something makes me go "I should reread this other work by the same author" it speaks at least somewhat well of it.

Qi Ye by Priest. Hard not to compare this one to TYK since, you know, same author and same universe, and ultimately this one I didn't like quite as much. I think I...wanted the whole "trauma from living multiple lives" to come up more and more often than I felt like it really did here, and the relationship between Wu Xi and Jing Beiyuan was fine but didn't have what I needed to particularly compel me.

Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago by Douglas H. Erwin. As something of a mass extinction afficionado (as it were), for the most part there was nothing in this book that was really new to me except for one little brief glancing note at the end of the book about the possibility that we are not yet into the throes of a true mass extinction event and that's good, because if we were it would probably be too late to really do anything about it. Overall, though, it feels like this book falls somewhere in a confusing gap between "true academia" and "slightly too academic for general audiences" in terms of the specific analytical techniques it analyzes when assessing different arguments for extinction causes." Interesting, but not one I'd make a casual recommendation.

Sha Po Lang by Priest. I was feeling sort of middling on this one while I was reading it in official translation release time so I decided to just read the whole thing to see if I wanted to keep buying it, and I think after doing so I've come down on the side of "probably not." It was good, but, to be blunt, not quite good enough to grab me in the way I needed it to for the financial outlay. I still feel like I'm chasing the magic I got out of Faraway Wanderers and (what I've read of) LHJC from Priest and haven't found it again yet. I think part of the gap here was that I really liked Gu Yun but struggled to care very much about Chang Geng. I did kind of love the Pope being a major antagonist, though.

So probably the other reason I didn't read much last month is because I'm having a hard time finding something to read to really get into.

I'm currently reading too many books at the same time due to a confluence of factors including "travel" and "difficulty getting into one of them." The list is: The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough, A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, Silent Reading by Priest, and (on the side) Black Midnight Holds the BE Script by Teng Luo Wei Zhi. so hopefully I'll finish at least one of those this July.

[phantasmiafxndom]

Out of all the animes you’ve watch what ones are your favorites

...you know what, you get the serious answer. I used to track my anime watching, so out of the 450+ completed ones on my list, here are some of my top recommendations! (In terms of quality, more so than what I've spent the most time dwelling on.)

. . .

One Piece — I haven't technically watched all of this one, but after falling back into the fandom after an 8-ish year break, I really can't understate the quality. One Piece's story is amazing, and I'm consistently impressed by the author's characters/worldbuilding.

Dominion Tank Police (1988) — I have FEELINGS about the villain in this one... Overall, 80s sci-fi vibes mix with themes of ethical responsibility and societal peacekeeping, and the "don't you just want to go apeshit? :)" protagonist (who's also extremely aromantic-coded) is a hilarious, yet wonderfully earnest little menace!

Kyousougiga — I've been rewatching this one recently, and the sheer detail in every scene is STUNNING. I keep having to pause to mentally scream about the symbolism, and tbh, knowing the plot from my original watch is only improving the experience.

Tekkon Kinkreet — This one's a movie, not a series, but SKLJKHS IT HAUNTS ME. Absolutely chilling, by the time the big plot twists roll around... Beyond that, the overall aesthetic/vibe is impeccable, and the exaggerated, messy art style only adds to that.

Kemonozume — Monster/human forbidden romance with stunning art and a great soundtrack. The plot started out a bit confusing, but all of the scattered story elements came together nicely in the end!

The Tatami Galaxy — The "get your shit together and start enjoying your life" anime. It's plenty good as just a story, but I got some excellent life lessons out of it too. Solid mix of comedy, drama, and charismatic-yet-extremely-bizarre characters interacting.

Monster — Excellent slow-paced, psychological horror packed with ethical dilemmas, traumatic backstories, and so many Extremely Depressed Men. In other words, there's a very good reason why Johan Liebert used to end up on so many "best anime villains" lists.

Paranoia Agent — I have nothing but praise for Satoshi Kon's work, in general, and Paranoia Agent has been my favorite of the ones I've seen so far. Compared to his movies, it really benefits from the extra space for plot development, and the big emotional twist hits hard.

Revolutionary Girl Utena — A true classic. <3 There are enough tumblr essays about this tragic yuri masterpiece that I won't go into detail myself, but yes, it's every bit as good as you've heard.

Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail — The entire Black Lagoon series is excellent, but Roberta is my special girl. Unfortunately, the OAV adaption compresses the manga's version of her arc pretty heavily (and the altered ending is kind of dumb), but I still have to recommend it. Babygirl's breakdown is a REAL mess kjshghs

Claymore — Excellent pseudo-medieval fantasy with badass female characters, lots of body horror, and top-tier monster design. The manga is MUCH better than the anime after a certain point, however.

Kuuchuu Buranko — An episodic series about an eccentric psychiatrist interacting with his troubled patients. The mixed-media animation style and bizarre characters are what sold it for me, along with the exploration of mental health through storytelling tropes.

Cannon Fodder — An artistic short movie that's twenty minutes of aesthetic experience and fascinating worldbuilding implications. I love the vibe, and the "one, long horizontal frame" style is neat.

Flowers of Evil — The art style. The VIBES. The whole thing is incredibly eerie and off-putting, with a plot that's pretty much: "congrats! two shitty teenagers are tearing each other's lives apart!".