#there's never a point as an adult where you're like

[morealias]

""lying is wrong" what evangelical nonsense is this???"

It's not evangelical. It's parental and societal. If you cannot be trusted to speak truthfully, you cannot be trusted to speak truthfully.

Children (in general) do not have the capacity for complex moral codes. Something is either wrong, or it is right for young children. As children grow up they will encounter instances where adults lie, hopefully they'll have a discussion with their parents that leads a more nuanced moral code, a greater understanding of where flexibility of speech and being truthful intersects.

I posit that it is never "good" to lie. It can be morally neutral in totality of the act. Deceiving someone can serve the Greater Good - "but whose greater good?" is always the question to ask here.

Lying is never a 'good' thing, however, if it serves a good purpose, a necessary purpose (survival), do not hesitate. To anyone saying "But that's good!" No, lying is never good. Ask yourself, which is better, to live in a world where you never have to lie, or to live in one where you must? If that doesn't show you that lying is not "good" but rather is necessary to avoid worse outcomes, then I cannot help you.

"sometimes it accomplishes a goal"

If you are lying it should always be in service of a goal. If you're lying just to lie… that is wrong.

If you're lying when it's meaningless to test your ability to lie, that is in service of a goal, "testing to see if I can lie".

"sometimes the truth is nobody's business, or is tricky to articulate, or you don't know what the truth is but are expected to have an answer regardless."

Then just say that. "It's none of your business", "that's hard to put into words/it's complicated, give me [TIME UNITS] to figure out how best/simply to say it", "I don't know, but I can find out for you".

If you don't feel safe speaking the actual truth, then of course lie.

"However, it is also still a useful social tool, and of course it’s part of the tool kit that you used to create stories. If you can’t lie, how can you write or tell a good story?"

I put forth that storytelling* is not lying. You are not decieving someone else, you are sharing a fiction. Maybe this is some small autistic line I refuse to cross or some weird ethical flexibility that serves me, but it's my line and my flexibility. Maybe it's even my lie. * By which I mean you and your audience understand your just 'telling a story". There may be truth in it, but the story is a story, facts are changed, obscured, elements of the story are whole cloth, if not all of it. This is the understanding between storyteller and audience. If the audience isn't made aware of this†, at least at someone point, it is lying and likely dangerous.

† See 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast. Yes the public was made aware of the broadcast just being a story, and thankfully no one lost thier life over it, but the radio station apologized for good reason. The panic was also not anywhere near as widespread or as terrible as the news media reporting on it made it out to be, or as CBS or ORson Wells played it up to enhance their legend.

A lesson for modern times about how the news sensationalizes things eh?

"Which is kind of a dark art."

Manipulating people into believing something that "never happened", something that is not true, is not "kind of a dark art", it is completely dark. Even if it's for the Greater Good.

"lying is wrong" what evangelical nonsense is this???

[tossawary]

I'm reviewing episode transcripts from "Merlin" to build up my worldbuilding document (character list, mostly) and, a little ways into S2, I'm kind of feeling like the show is actually quite mean to Arthur as a character sometimes? S1 E14: "To Kill the King" is one of those episodes where I forget how badly it pissed me off until I run into it again.

Like, don't get me wrong, Arthur can be a bully, entitled, hotheaded, and reckless, but he's also at this point risked his own life to save people multiple times. Both individuals whose lives were "worth less" than his own (getting the Mortaeus flower for a poisoned Merlin, smuggling Mordred out of the city, protecting Ealdor from bandits) and also Camelot as a whole (fighting the plague-causing monster in the sewers, fighting the mam-eating griffin, drinking poison to lift the unicorn curse).

Arthur is giving me vibes of being both bored and frustrated (and probably not able to name those feelings or exactly why he has them) because he wants so badly to do good things, but he's not really sure how to go about it because (no one ever tells him anything, he almost NEVER knows what's really going on to make informed choices, and) he's also stuck under the thumb of his tyrannical father, who spends most of their scenes together berating Arthur for being too merciful, for not being dutiful enough, and/or not finding sorcerers for execution fast enough. When Arthur tries to be fair-minded and compassionate, Uther often essentially tells him that he's going to be a weak king with that attitude.

Arthur's pathways to betterment are limited, his parent and role model and boss here is an AWFUL person, but he's trying!

So, it's quite frustrating to get to this one episode where characters like Gaius (extremely biased, admittedly, clearly not an objective individual) are saying things like: "Arthur's not ready. The responsibility would be too great. Brave though he may be, he lacks experience, he lacks judgement."

Like, I don't know, Arthur may be only 21 and kind of a dipshit, but I personally think he'd still do a better job than the guy who tried to kill a kid (Mordred) just for existing a few episodes ago? Maybe? Gwen's father, who wasn't even a sorcerer or knowingly working with one, is dead explicitly because of Uther's awful laws. Did everyone in this episode forget that Uther tried to BURN GWEN ALIVE AT THE STAKE not that long ago (Episode 3)?

ARTHUR: "[Morgana]'s right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen."

UTHER: "You saw it for yourself. She used enchantments."

ARTHUR: "Yes, maybe. But to save her dying father, that doesn't make [Gwen] guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart."

UTHER: "I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish."

ARTHUR: "I understand that."

UTHER: "One day you may become King. Then you will understand. Such decisions must be made. There are dark forces that threaten this kingdom."

ARTHUR: "I know. Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of king I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in. It would be where the punishment fits the crime."

UTHER: "I fear you're right. She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire."

When the adult druid (Cerdan) accompanying Mordred is killed (Episode 8), Arthur objects afterwards! On his own! While Arthur is sometimes an active participant in Uther's tyranny and otherwise complicit, he's been told all of his life that magic is inherently evil and corrupting, he was raised by the very man spreading this hateful philosophy, he should probably hate magic more than anyone after Uther, and yet he still disagrees with Uther's methods and judgments. Even though Uther is apparently VERY willing to lock both his son (Episode 4) and his ward (Episode 8) in the dungeons for disagreeing with him and disobeying him!

ARTHUR: The Druid was only in Camelot to collect supplies. He meant no harm. Is it necessary to execute him?

UTHER: Absolutely necessary. Those who use magic cannot be tolerated.

ARTHUR: The Druids are a peaceful people.

UTHER: Given the chance, they would return magic to the kingdom. They preach peace, but conspire against me. We cannot appear weak.

ARTHUR: Showing mercy can be a sign of strength.

UTHER: Our enemies will not see it that way. We have a responsibility to protect this kingdom. Executing the Druid will send out a clear message. Find the boy. Search every inch of the city.

Obviously, running a kingdom is complicated! Uther apparently won Camelot by conquest and is in conflict with many of the neighboring kings, including Odin and Cenred, and likely has more of the respect of the local nobility than young Arthur does. Uther's death would create some instability! (Agravaine de Bois hasn't been created yet, but let's assume there are many other potential vultures.)

But the show generally isn't pushing that angle. This isn't really about smooth transitions of power. Personally, concerning Arthur's "lack of judgment", I do find his ready conviction that it is his duty to die for Camelot's honor if necessary (he says as much to Merlin explicitly before fighting Valiant in Episode 2, then again before fighting the Black Knight in Episode 9) more than a little concerning, but that doesn't seem to be angle pushed here either.

The show has characters (Merlin, Gwen, Gaius) suggesting that offing the King, who regularly kills innocent people whether they have magic or not, who has forbidden use of the tool that might have saved innocent people from Nimueh's plague or the wraith of Tristan de Bois, would be wrong! It would be murder and murder is bad! It would make (in the words of a grieving Gwen) her "just as bad" as him.

Even though Merlin has at this point already killed Aulfric and Sophia (Episode 7), as well as Mary Collins (Episode 1) because they were trying to kill Arthur. And arguably got an assist with Valiant (Episode 2). And will kill many more as the show goes on. This conversation with Kilgharrah in S1 E14 is in many ways so, so funny:

KILGHARRAH: Well, young warlock, what is it you come to ask of me?

MERLIN: I need your help.

KILGHARRAH: Of course you do, but this time, will you heed my words?

MERLIN: The sorcerer Tauren is plotting to kill the King. He's made an ally of Morgana. I don't know what to do!

KILGHARRAH: Do… nothing.

MERLIN: What do you mean? If I do nothing, Uther will die.

KILGHARRAH: Don't you want Uther dead? It is Uther that persecutes you and your kind, Merlin. It is Uther that murders the innocent…

MERLIN: But surely that doesn't make it right to kill him.

KILGHARRAH: Only if Uther dies can magic return to the land. Only if Uther dies will you be free, Merlin. Uther's reign is at an end. Let Arthur's reign begin. Fulfil your destiny!

[The dragon flies off.]

MERLIN: Wait! Where does it say my destiny includes murder?

KILGHARRAH: Free this land from tyranny, Merlin! Free us all!

I feel for Kilgharrah here. He was VERY straightforward. I don't know how he could have been clearer about this.

I won't say that Merlin's character writing doesn't make ANY sense here (I do think the character writing in this show is NOT amazingly consistent), because... he IS being influenced by Gaius, who is, unfortunately, a bootlicker and also probably extremely traumatized by all of the death he's seen (big contributor of the bootlicking) (also, apparently Gaius only becomes a "freeman" at the end of Episode 6, so there's that). And Merlin is also being heavily influenced by Arthur, who loves his father, despite everything. For Arthur's sake, if no one else's, Merlin will go out of his way to save Uther. Sure! That tracks!

Merlin spends a lot of time in this show protecting a terrible status quo under some assumption that Camelot will... somehow suddenly become better under Arthur? Instead of perhaps eventually just trusting Arthur and talking to him after their years of knowing each other? There are several, in-world reasons for this and I don't think they're all unrealistic! It's tense! It's thrilling sometimes!

(Though I am ultimately a little annoyed that Merlin's many secrets never really come out and get dealt with by the characters, because that would have been fun drama and some resolution to all the tension, even if the story did still end in death.)

There's some tasty tragedy in this silly show, in many ways. Merlin is confused and conflicted and scared and without clear guidance in many ways. Kilgharrah is mysterious and not at all reassuring. Gaius is complacent and (very reasonably) incredibly secretive. Merlin doesn't get to see many of the moments where Arthur speaks up for magical people and tries to talk Uther down. Morgana and Arthur are both stuck here in a "The hands that cradled you are covered in an unimaginable amount of blood." "But they cradled me, yes?" nightmare scenario. (There's also a sexist element where male characters like Gaius and Merlin won't let Morgana know about her own powers "for her own good" in a gaslight-y way that's fascinating to me in how it creates a villain.)

But, also, the compelling tragic elements here don't make certain episodes any less frustrating to watch in their execution. (I don't think villains being frustrating to watch or read necessarily makes them effective villains, especially when what I really find annoying here is the heroes' reactions to the villain. Uther has killed SO MANY PEOPLE! FOR NO REASON!) Especially when a lot of the overall results of this show often feel more accidental than purposeful. I do understand why the writers keep Uther around! He's a formidable antagonist to have looming all over the place and the actor is fun.

But OOF, I felt that "Do... Nothing".

Merlin! MERLIN! LISTEN TO THE SCARY DRAGON! MERLIN, REMEMBER THAT TIME UTHER TRIED TO BURN GWEN ALIVE??? JUST BECAUSE GWEN IS TOO NICE TO GO AFTER UTHER WITH A KNIFE AND TAKE REVENGE, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY MEAN KILLING HIM MAKES YOU "JUST AS BAD"!!! MERLIN!!! YOU HAVE ALREADY MURDERED MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO KILLED WAY LESS PEOPLE THAN UTHER!!!

In Episode 4, Morgana says to Uther: "You can't chain [Arthur] up every time he disagrees with you." This implies to me that Uther has had Arthur thrown in the dungeons before. In Episode 3, Arthur says to Morgana: "Father will slam us both in chains if he knew I'd endangered you," and maybe he wasn't at all joking with that? Arthur is rattling the bars of his cell here, apparently fairly ready to be aimed wherever Merlin points him, bucking against being aimed at innocents by his tyrant of a father.

But nooo, Gaius says Arthur is "not ready yet" because...??? He seems less hotheaded than Uther to me, honestly. Are his tax policies not up to par yet? You can hire a guy for that. Suggesting that Arthur would be in any way worse than His Majesty "Anyone Who Talks To A Sorcerer Gets Executed Even If They Didn't Know They Were A Sorcerer" feels quite mean to Arthur, really. I think he'd do alright, in comparison, Gaius who lies to the King every single day, but I suppose you sometimes want to be a loyal friend to good ol' King "Made Merlin Drink Poison That One Time And Wouldn't Let Anyone Go Get The Cure". Good for you. Bad for everyone else.

Like, I know, I know this show is not very deep. I like that all of the characters are flawed and fumble a lot! I even kind of enjoy that it ultimately ends in death with so many loose emotional threads. It is a weekly burst of fantasy nonsense that is not especially concerned with consistency in worldbuilding or characters from episode to episode. But the executive discrepancies here are, like the ones in "Star Wars", weirdly fascinating with all of the holes and wobbly bits it creates.

This show: "Yes, our hero has once again saved the tyrannical king who kills innocents! Preventing the oblivious prince from assuming the throne and trying to do better as he so clearly wants to do! Good work, Merlin, taking the high road (which involved murdering the rightfully angry people trying to kill the tyrannical king) again!"

Me, every time: "...I am genuinely not sure how the show wants us to interpret this. What did they think they were doing with this? Was this always meant to be a tragedy from the first season? Because personally, I'm getting some kind of tragedy from this."

[tinfoil-jones]

For Your Own Good: Intermission

Askbox? Open

If you don't know what this post is about, "For Your Own Good" or tagged as "Early Amnesia AU" on tumblr is a dialogue-only Gravity Falls fanfiction I've been working on that kinda-sorta follows a Mystery Trio -esque timeline, where Ford doesn't build the portal. To sum it up, the whole fanfiction boils down to:

Researcher Ford: I told you I never wanted to see you again.

Mullet Stan: Dude, I don't know who you are or WTF you're talking about right now, but I'm leaving this town and never coming back. You are never seeing me again after this. I'm probably going to forget you in like five minutes.

Researcher Ford:

Researcher Ford: *immediately kidnaps him*

You can consider chapters 1-10 to be Act 1 of the fanfic, and I’m taking a break for at least a week, most likely longer. The chapters so far were already written out in advance, and so was a huge reveal, but I still need to tie things together.

Here’s some authors notes/extra stuff about it, some of it might have already been put in the AO3 before or after notes. These are in no particular order:

This takes place 10 years after Ford and Stan were separated, currently they are both 27 about to be 28. Fiddleford is slightly older than them, being in his early 30s.

Ford is unironically the only person who finds Stan’s really dumb jokes funny.

Ford is the one who displays the most behaviours that would be seen from Mabel and Dipper decades later. Like Dipper, he views washing clothes as a waste of time, and like Mabel he ate an entire tube of toothpaste (granted, it was on accident)

While Ford is the more likely of the two to display traits that later present in Mabel and Dipper, it still happens with Stan as well. Stan has a similar nervous-chewing habit that Dipper displays in the OG series, but his only comes out when he’s particularly anxious. In this case, it was because he had nicotine cravings.

The 'That motherfucker is ugly' line that Stan used on Ford can be considered extra ironic because of how much the Stan Twins look like their dad.

Bill Cipher was originally supposed to speak in Times New Bastard (which is Times New Roman except every 7th letter is jarringly sans serif, a meme from tumblr), but AO3 and tumblr don’t let you change the font.

Stan goes out of his way to avoid using Ford and Fiddlefords given names- but this isn’t because he doesn’t know what they are. In the few times he has used their names, it was a sign that he was being sincere.

If you want to wonder whether or not Fiddleford likes Stan back, consider the fact that he could have walked away at any point, and either washed his hands of the whole thing, or just outright reported Stanford to the authorities. 

Bill is more like Discord from MLP - he’s just chaotic, often to the detriment of others, but he isn’t outright malicious (anymore), and he’s too busy SIMPING to cause any real harm. Basically, Bill is Fords patron for studying weirdness - he helps Ford in his research, but the cost that Ford pays is that Bill is able to possess him when he sleeps, and has unlimited access to his brain.

If Ford knew Rick Sanchez, why didn’t Rick see how similar Stan looked and put 2-and-2 together? Easy; Rick didn’t give a single shit about Ford, so he never committed his face or name to memory. Ford himself only remembered Rick because Rick was such a massive, egotistical asshole. If anything, Rick would think Ford is the lesser version of Stan.

Chapter 10 was the first concrete proof that the Stan we’ve been following likely is Stanley Pines and not some similar conman named Stan Malone. The last time Ford saw Stan would have either been when they were teens, so other than Stans commercials for his failed products there’s no way Ford would know what an adult Stan would even look like, and he’d have to use himself as a reference.

Stan has given some insight on his Thalassophobia (fear of the ocean / large bodies of water). In Chapter 10, he told Ford a number of things he escaped, including the trunk of a sinking car, and cement shoes. Cement shoes are either when you tie someone to a cinder block and throw them into a body of water, or when you literally incase their feet in cement, wait for it to dry, and then toss them into a body of water, so they’ll drown. Presumably, these are still things that would have happened to him even if he didn't lose his memories, so why would it give him a fear of the ocean now? Stan Pines in the OG still had a lot of positive memories associated with the ocean - he grew up on the coast, and had a lot of his hopes and dreams tied to the ocean. But without his childhood memories, he has no positive associations with it, only memories of times he almost drowned. 

Ford himself is not a touchy guy. The reason he hugs Stan even though it isn’t reciprocated is because from his perspective, this is his twin brother who is in pain and has been suffering all by himself for a long time. And Stan - at least how Ford remembers him - had a very touch-based love language. Fords doing it because he thinks it’d comfort him.

Stan seems pretty calm and chill for someone who’s been kidnapped by a ‘stranger’. This isn’t because he’s an overall chill guy because of amnesia, no he’s super pissed and the second he knows he’s free he will let them know that with his words, and incredible violence. He’s remaining calm because he’s been imprisoned and kidnapped enough times to know that pitching a fit or lashing out at his captors won’t do him any favours.

Fiddleford is still married to Emma-May and they do have Tate. But it's one of those lavender marriages (they're both gay and mutually bearding each other)

[ladyloveandjustice]

Someone's been in the Revolutionary Girl Utena rabbit hole for a bit 👀

I don't even know what it's about, I just see it and get happy

Mind telling me a bit on what it's about? I might watch it myself if it sounds like my thing, bc you seem to have great taste in anime and games

I do have good taste thank you! *flips hair* lol just kidding,

Revolutionary Girl Utena is a surreal and wild queer feminist deconstruction of fairy tale romance and shoujo tropes and it has a lot to say about systems of power, cycles of abuse, the ways people cling to an ideal of innocent childhood which may have never existed anyway, the concept of purity, fear of change and loss, and whether becoming an adult inevitably means being corrupted in some way. Lots and lots of gender, lots of queer characters struggling with compulsory heterosexuality... but over all, it's a deeply meaningful story about the human condition and growing up in an imperfect world.

But also people turn into cows sometimes, there are elephants of surfboards at one point, and one character has a very emotive pet monkey in a tie. at least we think it's a monkey. It can be very silly, is what I'm saying.

The basic plot is that a girl named Utena lost her parents at a very age, but a prince came and comforted her, giving her a ring and telling her to never lose her strength and nobility. Rather than taking that as an engagement offer and aiming to be his princess though, Utena actually admires him so much that she decides to become a prince who saves girls in trouble too. She's determined to find the prince who changed her life though, and her search leads her to a very fancy and phallic looking Ohtori Academy.

Then, when this shitty popular guy makes her friend cry, Utena challenges a guy to a duel to make him pay (as you do). ONLY to find out that the student council of her school are all secretly dueling each other to be engaged to "the Rose Bride", a girl who is supposed to give whoever's engaged to her the power to revolutionize the world. As part of the student council, the shitty popular guy assumes Utena wants to "win" the Rose Bride too.

So next thing Utena knows, she's been dragged into a duel to "win" the "Rose Bride" (who is actually just Utena's classmate, Anthy). Utena thinks that fighting to possess a girl like she's an object is pretty screwed up, but on the other hand, she IS devoted to saving girls, and that shitty popular guy IS treating Anthy pretty badly....

Could be that she'll end up engaged to Anthy, whether she likes it or not....

It covers a lot of dark topics, from misogyny to abuse (sexual abuse included) to child predators to incest (never framed as healthy or okay though, in one case it initially comes off as a joke thing for a character, like the typical anime comedic brother/sister complex, but throughout this characters arc it becomes clear that no, it's really not, and it is not good for the character in question). It's not a graphic show by any means, it handles its subject matter tastefully imo, and the way it explores these things is very effective. It takes a while to build up to where it's going, but the journey is worth it.

If you're interested at all in queer anime or like...queer western cartoons even because odd are they'll have a Utena reference-- it's a must see because it was massively influential. It was made more than 20 years ago and really holds up still.

I also did a review series about it here a while back that people found handy!

[theagstd]

One Night stand ; 08

➥ rundown ; as if the unexpected twist of a one-night stand turning out to be your CEO boss wasn't surreal enough, the situation takes a more challenging turn when both of you discover that you're expecting his child.

→ genre ; enemies to lovers | CEO au | pregnancy trope | slowburn

→ Jungkook x y/n

→ contains smut, fluff and angst

→ Chapter eight ; wc | 3.1 k

primarily on Wattpad

index ⇢ next chapter

I'm glad you decided to show up, an ultra scan can help you understand your body and the baby better." Dr Sohee speaks as she sees you looking at her timidly. She gives you a soft smile and gestures for you to join her to the scan room. you were told to remove your clothing from the waist down and your shirt was raised up.

you lie on the examination bed and look around the room, you're nervous and have no idea what you'll be seeing, what you're supposed to say and do. Sohee sees your state and can tell that you're anxious with the fumbling of your fingers and your closed eyes. "it's gonna be fine Y/n. Don't be tensed."

she applies a cold water based gel on your abdomen and uses her transducer to make contact with your skin as she spreads th gel and monitors the baby from the screen. Sohee's got a soft smile on her face and expects you to have a wider one however you look at the screen with a confused look a rather disappointed look sits on your face.

"do you know what you're seeing?" you shake your head, all you see is a weird shape that doesn't define anything like a baby. "this is the baby's head. at this stage of pregnancy, major organs are developed.

the shape of the face is beginning to form and that you see is the head." she points at the larger part of the visual that doesn't exactly look like a head to you but you understand it, you're getting how the baby looks. "the baby is the size of a bean, so the larger side is the head and the rest is the slowly forming body."

your eyes are immersed at the visuals you see through the screen, how amazing the world is, that you can see your baby through a monitor while he/she is inside you. you gulp, watching the screen closely. you didn't notice the sound of something thudding, until Sohee spoke. "that you hear is the heartbeats of the baby.

it's much faster than an adults, that's why it sounds like this." she chuckles. your eyes get cloudy when you hear the beating of the tiny human's heartbeats. it somehow brings a wave of relief to you that he/she is there. inside.

"the baby is fine." she speaks and you nod, biting your lower lip to stop yourself from letting those tears out. you're happy to hear that.

;

Silence. Guilt. Fear. Stupidity. And most importantly, confusion.

A whirlwind of emotions rushed through your body. The silence in the place where you both stood was loud. Jungkook appeared bewildered, while you desperately wished to disappear into the ground. "Shit," you muttered under your breath, swiftly pulling away from the man's arm that had been steadying you. You hurried down the stairs, this time with more caution.

You needed to escape before he started questioning you. This shouldn't have happened. You were in a massive mess. "Y/N?" He called out,

not Ms. Lee? just Y/N?

"Y/N, stop!" You exited the building, thankful that everyone was too engrossed in partying to notice your absence. You fought back the tears threatening to spill, terrified of how he would react if he learned the truth. You were anxious about your job, fearing he might fire you on top of everything else, and you worried about the pregnancy too. How could you have let it slip so easily, especially the pregnancy? Jungkook was quick to catch up with you, grabbing your arm to halt your steps.

He was done with your half-truths, he wanted the whole story or nothing at all. You never gave him the option of nothing; you always gave him more reasons to overthink, and he had enough of it. "Enough of the crap, Y/N." His voice was filled with urgency and anger. You stopped, feeling his tight grip on your wrist, and swallowed hard, knowing he wouldn't let this go. You didn't face him, staring blankly at the ground while he stood behind you, both of you struggling to catch your breath from the chase.

He moved to stand in front of you, just a few feet away, trying to make eye contact, but you weren't ready to meet his gaze. His intense stare, however, felt like it was burning through you, leaving you no choice but to look at him. Jungkook tried to read your expression, to understand the issue or even guess it, but he couldn't.

You had perfected a mask to hide your emotions, and it was working; he couldn't decipher what you were feeling. "What is all this about?" He finally voiced his frustration. If you wouldn't speak first, he would. He would do whatever it took to find out what you had been whispering and what you had screamed about moments ago. "What is what about?"

"Oh, not again," he groaned, turning aside and rubbing his forehead. "Y/N, don't play with me." "Mr. Jeon—" "Cut the formalities," Jungkook interrupted, stepping closer with a piercing gaze that only intensified your fear. His body language was sharp and forceful, though he maintained a respectful distance between you. "What do you mean by 'kill your child'?"

His question left you feeling exposed, your heart pounding in your chest. Everything was unraveling. The one person you wanted to avoid was now demanding answers. Deny, deny, deny. It was your only option. "What are you talking about?" You laughed nervously, avoiding his intense eye contact. Diverting his attention seemed like the best strategy. "When did I say that? What does it even mean?" Jungkook exhaled deeply, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Tell me, Y/N! Just tell me, stop covering this up!" "What are you asking me? When did I ever say—" "Fucking tell me!" he yelled, his face flushing red with anger. He couldn't let this go. You had directed those words at him, looking into his eyes when you said them. "It has to mean something!" You flinched at his raised tone, feeling the impatience and authority in his voice.

It echoed through your bones. He was desperate to understand the meaning behind your words and why you had said them. You stared at the ground, questioning all your life choices. Your gaze fell on his polished black office shoes while he continued to watch you, waiting for an answer. 'No, Y/N. You can't tell him.' But what else can you do? Who can you confide in about this? He has the right to know, doesn't he?

Jungkook counted the seconds, biting his inner cheeks with each passing moment. "i asked you something." "but i don't know what you're talking abo-" he caught you off guard by gripping your shoulders, making you look up at him in fear. He noticed your visible gulp, and his eyes softened slightly as he let go of your arms. "I'm asking you respectfully and kindly, Y/N. I expect you to give me my rightful answers." His words carried a sense of understanding, his tone calm.

He noticed your quickened breathing and realized you were hiding something significant. No one would react this way if it were trivial. You glanced at Jungkook and then at your fingers, which you had been fiddling with for hours. You were grateful for his patience, waiting for you to find the right words. You weren't just his employee; you were part of his past and now his future too. Even though it was just one night, that night had its significance.

What was supposed to be a simple fling had led to this situation. If Jungkook and you had never met and were merely employee and boss, this drama would never have occurred. But now, because of that night, everything was complicated.

Jungkook hadn't had a one-night stand in years. He had left his bad habits and addiction behind when he turned nineteen, determined to make a name for himself. After eleven years and only a few brief flings, you were his first one-night stand that he spent the whole night with, and he was furious that it had to be you. He might have suspected some things, but he wouldn't voice them unless you did. After about five minutes and some quick breathing tricks, you resolved to tell him. It was his decision once he knew the truth. "I'm waiting—"

"I am pregnant," you whispered under your breath, hoping he didn't hear it because you realized you lacked the confidence to say it louder. But Jungkook heard every word. He wasn't convinced, though. He had suspected you were pregnant but needed more confirmation, especially about the emphasis on 'your' at the stairs. "So the nurse was right?" "She was."

"And?" Now the discomfort was almost unbearable. Jungkook frowned as he saw your eyes filling with tears. He didn't understand why you were so emotional and vulnerable. He felt himself getting nervous and scared, as if you were about to drop a bomb that would hurt both of you. "I—I didn't want you to find out about th—" "Just tell me," he insisted.

"If this is something about pregnancy, then—" "Haven't you already guessed it?" you asked softly, looking at the ground, spotting each stone. He gaped at you, the thought crossing his mind, but he couldn't believe it. You looked at him with guilt, hoping he'd understand without you having to say it out loud. His instinctive and quick reaction made you chuckle.

"I don't understand this, Y/N. Stop beating around the bush for God's sake." "What more do you want me to tell you?" "So you're telling me that you're pregnant and that kid is mine? Are you insane?" You laughed out loud sarcastically with tears at his reaction. Of course, that was expected. No man, especially someone like Jeon Jungkook, would readily believe a normal, middle-class woman claiming to have his baby.

Jungkook was trying to process everything, but his mind felt like it had shut down. "You don't have to believe me. It's exactly why I told you it's nothing. You've got money, reputation. There's no way you're going to accept what I say," you spoke, and he tried to calm his mind. He didn't want to leave this conversation without fully understanding everything.

You pointed out the same things every woman he'd met did—money and reputation. At least he was glad that you weren't trying to manipulate him. "How are you so sure it's me? It could be anyone—your boy—" "I'm not in any relationship, and neither have I slept with anyone except you. That explains everything."

Jungkook's expression shifted, the reality of your words sinking in. He was struggling to accept the situation, but he knew you weren't lying. This wasn't just about money or reputation; it was about the truth, no matter how complicated and inconvenient it might be.

Jungkook took a deep breath, looking up at the sky as he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the tension. You bit your lip to keep from crying. 'See, Y/N, he's not going to say anything. Why would he?' You must make a choice, alone now. "When did you find out about this?" he asked. "Why are you still curious to know?" "Because I want to know." His responses were instant, straightforward, and clear, as if he had it all on the tip of his tongue.

His gaze made you speak up. You weren't afraid, just mentally exhausted, ready to give up. Maybe saying it all would ease your burden, even if he wasn't going to help much. "I found out the same day you told me to get a checkup done." "That's a long time." His eyes showed more concern than anger. You could see his eyes widening before he huffed and zoned out.

You weren't sure what he was thinking, but his reaction was unexpected. Why wasn't he bombarding you with questions and making you feel guilty? The silence was killing you. "Mr. Jeo—" "Just call me Jungkook. I'm not your boss right now." His tone was soft, almost a whisper, telling you it was fine to call him by his name. He wasn't your boss right now; he was the man you slept with and the man who might be the father of your child.

"I'm not sure why you're still standing here and listening when you don't believe me. I get it. Anyone would think I'm joking or playing with you, but I'm not. I never wanted you to know about this in the first place." "Why not?" He looked into your eyes, searching for a reason. "Jungkook, do you really believe me?!" He exhaled deeply, chuckling at your continued disbelief.

He knew and believed. "Doesn't it make sense? Do you even remember what happened that nig— you know what, come with me." He didn't want to discuss that night in detail in front of the company. He walked toward the elevator, glancing over his shoulder to see if you were following. Hesitantly, you did, wanting to clear this out.

It felt weird. Even though you both had a one-night stand before being boss and employee, this whole place made it seem like you were committing a sin by discussing that night. You followed him to his office room, where no one would come, especially with everyone busy partying upstairs. "I'm just going to ask you a simple question. Were you aware of this from the beginning and pretending that you didn't know, or is this all serious?"

You stared at him, disbelief and frustration mixing in your expression. "You're really asking if I got myself pregnant on purpose and was pretending about it? What?" He scowled, knowing the implication behind his words. "You really think I would do this for money? For your name? You know what, fuck this. I should've never told you about this!" Your voice trembled with anger. You were having the worst time of your life since finding out about the pregnancy, and now he was implying it was an act for money. He may not have said it outright, but his look said it all.

Here you were, being questioned as if you were some gold digger putting on a dramatic act to get money. Your eyes darted around the room, and the only thing you could think of was a drink. Screw the pregnancy, screw him, and screw the world. "I need a drink—"

"Y/N, no." He grabbed your wrist before you could run away again like you did before."Yes, I did this all for your money and name, happy? I don't need money or a name. The problem is this freaking pregnancy, so I'm gonna get rid of it so we both are safe—your money and reputation too." "Y/N, you're not gonna do anything stupid." "You're no one to tell me that I'm stupid! Let me go." Your words came through gritted teeth as you glared at him.

He wasn't afraid of your glare; he was afraid of what you might do once you left the room. There was no way he was going to let you out until this was sorted. "We need to talk, Y/N.""Talk? About what? You just told me what you thought about all this." "Don't jump to conclusions." You faced him fully, stepping closer, eyes locked on his. Jungkook never thought of you that way, but all this reminded him of his past, making him fear it would repeat.

He didn't know you well; you were still a mystery to him. But he was afraid of being misled again. "Firstly, I'm not the woman you're assuming I am. Secondly, this is all a mistake!" Your words were bitter, and he felt it deep in his chest. He looked down into your eyes, and you looked up into his.

You were angry, and he could see it. Meanwhile, he was staying calm, which infuriated you even more. "If this is a mistake, then why haven't you gotten rid of it?" His question hit you right where it hurt, the question that had been gnawing at you but had no answer.

"Why haven't you gotten rid of it yet? If this is a mistake, then why?" The anger inside you turned into sadness, confusion, and guilt. You couldn't meet his gaze, feeling his eyes burning into you. Jungkook clenched his jaw, memories of that night flashing through his mind. "Answer me." He spoke softly, almost a whisper, desperate to understand. He knew you weren't someone who would do anything for money and status. Anyone else in your place would have gotten rid of it, but you hadn't. "I-I don't know."

You stammered, your words barely audible. You gulped, taking a deep breath as your chest tightened. Being questioned was the worst situation to be in. "Why don't you know? You said this is a mistake. What's stopping you from correcting it?" It felt like your heart was in your mouth, and you couldn't speak. Your hands were numb, and you were sweating despite the air-conditioned room. "I-I don't know." "You can't say you don't know! There has to be an answer—"

His voice grew louder, ringing in your ears and making you question everything. "What do you mean you don't—" "I'm scared. I'm just so scared to take a step. I'm alone in this! I don't know what to do, who to ask. I'm so stressed out, my mind isn't working. I'm so fucked up!" You blurted out everything in your mind, bursting into tears. The pressure you had been holding inside finally released, and you felt a bit of relief.

"I'm sleep-deprived, I can't focus, I can't make a decision!" "Why don't you just get rid of it?" "Because it makes me feel guilty!" You looked up to meet his eyes, his furrowed brows and worried eyes showing that your words affected him. He didn't fully understand, but he was trying, and he could see why you'd been acting strangely. You weren't okay.

He could see it now, you were vulnerable, not because you wanted to show it, but because your emotions could no longer be contained. "It makes me feel guilty. I tried to do it, but it wasn't working out."

Jungkook decided to give you time, not wanting to push further questions considering how much was on your mind and heart. He had to calm you down but didn't know how. He'd never helped a woman calm down before. "First, breathe. Take a deep breath." You followed his instructions, controlling your tears until they stopped. "Okay? Can we talk calmly now?" You nodded, and he did too. "Do you want to keep it or not? I need a clear answer. Whatever it is, I will support you in any way I can."

You looked up at him, seeing his seriousness. You had a decision in mind but weren't sure how he could support you. But that was something to address after giving him the answer he sought.

"I want to keep it."

next chapter ⇢

[vertumnanaturalis]

OH BOY DO I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS! Sorry there is a lot here lmao oops

First off, on teenager jobs:

From my reading of the game, it's implied that a lot of the launching population was in their teens, and one of the things Flulu mentions about applying was that a lot of teens didn't want to sign up as bonded pair/trio/ect, which is extremely reasonable - But if you think about it more, this implies that teenagers were applying to the Strato as a bonded pair/trio/ect, something that the founders were actively seeking out.

Think about what a huge and insane commitment that is to ask from somebody not old enough to drink; To go on a one way trip with their middle/high school sweetheart(s), with no way to turn back and few options if the relationship doesn't work out - All possibly with the added promise that they'll one day have kids as part of their bid to even get on the ship! It stands to reason that if they'll treat teenage relationships with the same gravitas as a marriage contract, it'd make sense for them to want the same level of career dedication from their possible future exocolonists.

Another thing in favor of this is the way that adults (but Flulu specifically) treat Sol growing up. On Sol's twelth birthday we get the scene where their parents ask them what they want to be when they grow up, something that out of context sounds very normal and is covered in placating statements about how they didn't know they wanted to be Cultivators at that age... But at the same point, it's made to sound like they really do expect Sol to have a concrete idea of who they want to be as an adult soon and to stick to it. Which, from a gameplay perspective, yeah that makes sense! There's only ten years of game to play, you only have so long to work on skills/relationships/events, you should pick what you're going for sooner rather than later if you want a specific ending! Sol's choices in their teenage years completely dominate the rest of their life, no if-ands-or-buts about that. Even so, on the other hand, the in-universe perspective of it is a little....

Yeah.

There's also a lot I could say about the fact that Flulu, who was apparently wanted enough back on Earth that the space cops they sent after the Strato recognized her face after 25 years MIA, still had to apply to get on the ship and over emphasize her relationship with Geranium to do it - Or how Instance, just as infamous, but still had to be good at a dozen different things just to get on the ship as a woman who did not want to raise children - but that would take over it's own post.

As far as job changes post-landing go, the game does mention a few times that peoples job did change, like Tonin going from Spaceship Navigator to Chief Surveyor (another slightly insane set of skills if you think about it). While the concept of other creche parents is mentioned in passing, we never directly see any other adults helping Anne and Tammy in the creche, but the game does directly mention that there are other adults and teens working in the kitchens and Sol and Tammy aren't being left alone there.

I actually have a pretty long term WIP fic that focuses on the adult perspective of the colony during a lifetime where Sol doesn't have any of the magic answers, with Anne and the quarters being the most common POV for the story. Maybe one day I'll actually gain the ability to write again and actually work on it.

(Mandetory disclaimer that I find major issues with Anne but I don't think her failures are malicious or intentional, just a lot of terrrible, terrible choices.)

Anyway so do you guys think the Strato colony teenagers who left Earth were generally already assigned their job (like Besk the colony psychologist at the tender age of 16) or do you think some of their jobs were figured out on the way? Like, I imagine there would have been at least some kids who were 13 or younger (Utopia was youngest being a toddler but she is implied to be the only one in her age cohort in both directions).

Either way I personally headcanon that they had to do some work reshuffling after landing on Vertumna, what with the catastrophic levels of food insecurity. If every person who could be spared was shuffled into working in Geoponics, it would also explain why Anne was running kinda ragged — I mean, having the same person as the main person in charge of both kitchens and the creche is pretty insane the more you think about it.

[justalittlebluetiefling]

In today’s episode of Adults: We’re Basically Teenagers. One of the assistant coaches of the dance team asked the head coach if there’s still room for her as a coach with me moving over there. “Do we really need three coaches for Varsity if we’re downsizing?” All because I’m going to help chaperone a camp for the officers that is being hosted in the city I currently live in. 

It’s fine now, but that was a very dramatic 45 minutes. 

[deus-and-the-machina]

you know the contrast between how Vergil is presented vs thinking too hard about Vergil’s story is pretty funny. Man’s reputation is this iconic badass, the pinnacle of what video game rivalries can be, the coolest guy to play as, the guy who breaks every game he’s added to,

and then you go to the story and like. man’s lost his free will and autonomy at 19 and then came back a fractured man half of which was a lovecraftian eye beast the other half of which was a chronically ill goth man. and then he reunites and hes in like his 40s now I believe but legit the last time he was actually in a game where he wasn’t being mind controlled when he was 19 which is both sad but also thinking about how this guy who’s considered one of the top badasses of gaming has never really lived life outside of being a teenager.

Anyways this is the secret comedic potential of post DMC5 for Vergil because not only has the human world probably changed a fair bit in terms of technology, if he’s sticking around Dante he’s gonna actually have to learn in depth how taxes and grocery shopping work. Amazing.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Do you ever read a post where someone is explaining a pokitical thing and from the way they're saying you know with absolute certainty 1) they got their info from a tumblr post and have never actually followed up on how feasible that information actually is to act upon (they may not even have checked if it was CORRECT, but when they do they have clearly not looked into how easy or hard it may be to follow those instructions with a positive outcome), and 2) you know WHICH tumblr post they're quoting because it is basically a copy/paste of it, and 3) it was YOUR goddamn post and the thing they are saying is entirely counter to the point you were making when you said it to the point that you genuinely wonder if they just like. Memory-holed the entire context once they saw that one itty bitty point.

It's like the motherfuckiny dating apps all over again. I do not want people to love my words if they are not actually willing to do the work of understanding them! Didn't your kindergarten ever make you play Telephone to teach you how heresay falls out????

[tumbloggingattheendofitall]

And not that it's actually going to stop anyone from coming for me I guess, but like. Not voting in the US this election cycle because of your disgust at the handling of the Palestinian genocide by the US government isn't actually the Great Big Political Statement Of Solidarity you think it is

What it is, is apathy. No I'm not naïve enough to believe that voting blue absolves me of the crimes committed by my country on the word of a bunch of out of touch oligarchs. But not voting doesn't actually absolve us of any of that either, and it only materially makes things worse for everybody, locally and globally, when we allow our political apathy to keep us from Working Towards Better outcomes

[chao-chachaslide]

I understand where people are coming from when they say they don't like Amy's development on her crush on Sonic. Like if you listen to the question where they have to compliment Sonic, when Tails teases her, she gets very defensive (like Sonic did on the sonamy Q in takeover 4). Because like yeah she's ambiguously older now, but older ≠ not showing love. In IDW she's older but still is very open about her crush on him. (I know she's still supposedly 12 in the comics but about 3 years are meant to have passed in that canon iirc)

I do however think it does make sense in terms of development for Amy. Think about it, she met Sonic when she was 8 and fell in love with him then and there. When she was 8. I'm gonna assume she's around IDW age now, and that makes her roughly 15. She's (finally) not a kid anymore. I feel the defensiveness could be a reaction because, as I said, she's not a kid anymore, and her crush is something carried over from when she was very young. And like, I estimate she's at about the right age where people start to mature a Lot, and it might be something she finds more embarrassing and childish now? Idk that's my two cents.

[shredsandpatches]

Also none of this is confined to people in their 20s

Being a young adult is so strange. You enter a coffee shop. The 20 year old girl waiting behind you cried all night because she just came to a new city for university and she feels so alone. That 27 year old guy over there works a job he is overqualified for, he lives with his parents and wants to move out but doesn't know what to do about it. That one 24 year old dude already has a car, a house, and a job waiting for him once he graduates thanks to his dad's connections. The 26 year old barista couldn't complete his higher education because he has to work and take care of his family. The 28 year old girl sitting next to you has no friends to go out with so she is texting her mother. That couple (both 25 years old) are married and the girl is pregnant. The 29 year old writing something on her laptop has realized that she chose the wrong major so she is trying to start all over. We are not alone in this, but we are actually so alone. Do you feel me

[ashtcnirwin]

🌻

[painted-bees]

A quick, sloppy little comic about Magritte

[OC's]

(image description under the cut)

[Image Description: It's a vertical comic strip of 14 panels arranged one under the other. The style is realistic, done with sketchy lines in a dark burgundy. It is not colored or shaded and there is no background. The comic features the interactions of a couple, Magritte (also called Margie) and Rafael (also called Raf). Magritte is a young woman, she is wearing a baggy armhole tank top with a tight fitting black top underneath, shorts and boots. She has a messy bun and a small messenger bag slung over her left shoulder. Rafael is her partner, wearing baggy pants, sneakers, fingerless gloves, V-neck t-shirt and an open button-up jacket with a hoodie and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair has short side with long top bangs and a short goatee.

 (First panel): There's only Magritte visible from the waist up. Off screen, Raf says to someone else: “Magritte has our tickets.” Magritte is excited, looking straight forward. Her left hand in on her bag's strap, her right hand rummaging inside her bag. Magritte says: "Yeah! Even made sure to put them in my wallet so that I wouldn't- uh..."

 (Second panel): She is beginning to look concerned, now with her face turned to her back, both left hand holding the lip to open the bag wider and her right hand still rummaging inside. Magritte says: "wouldn't forget.... Hang on, it's not on it's usual pocket. Haha." The last is a nervous laughter.

 (Third panel): Magritte is kneeling on the ground. Rafael is standing to the side and behind her, only his feet visible. Magritte looks frantic, searching inside her bag. Her right arm is forearm deep digging in her bag. Magritte says: "It's definitely here-! It's the one thing I never forget 'cus I never take it out of my bag!" Rafael says, firmly: "Margie, when you took it out to put the tickets in, did you put the wallet back in the bag?" The letters are bolded, with the word "back" underlined for emphasis. Magritte says: "Give me some credit, there's no way I'm that stupid." The last three words are underlined for emphasis.

 (Fourth panel):  The scene has changed and now Magritte and Rafael are in a car. We see them from the passenger's side. Rafael is driving, looking straight ahead at the road. Magritte is hunched forward, hugging herself with the left hand. Her right hand is holding her head. She is looking out the passenger window, avoiding Raf.

 (Fifth panel):  Rafael turns slightly to look at Magritte.

 (Sixth panel):  The point of view is now a side profile view from the drivers side. Rafael has his left arm leaning on the open window, his right hand on the wheel. Magritte is hunched over facing the passenger window. Rafael says: "I'm not mad at you, if that's what you're worried about." Magritte says: "I can literally feel your disappointment."

 (Seventh panel): Back to the passengers side, Rafael is looking at the road. Magritte is frustrated, no longer leaning her head against her right hand and instead her hand is palm upwards. Rafael says: "Well, yes. It is a disappointing situation, but-" Magritte interrupts: "You'd think I'd be able to do the one thing I was asked to do-! That I'd at least learn from the last billion times I forgot shit. Rafael says, quieter: “that's not where I was going with this...”

(Eighth panel):  Magritte has her right hand holding her face with the palm on her cheek, left hand placing the tips of her fingers on her left temple and eye brows. She is frustrated and angry. Magritte says: "It's not like I've got anything more important rattling around in my brain.  But, for some reason, if it's not my music, or like.... food or something, then it's just not a priority. I can't make myself care enough to make it a priority!"

(Ninth panel): She now has both hands in front of her, elbows bent, finger extended in a vague hand gesture as if there was something in front of her. Magritte says: "I'm an adult in my 20s and I still manage my responsibilities like a child. I'd be more dependable if I could just stop and think for a second, but I'd probably forget to even breathe if it weren't for the..."

 (Tenth panel): Her frustrated expression turned to confusion. Her hands are still in the air in the same position as before. Magritte says:"... why are we parked?" Her noticing this stopped her rant.

(Eleventh panel): Magritte straightens up and faces the window entirely, left hand crossed over her body to lean on the car door. Rafael, off screen: "Margie." Magritte says: "Oh." Magritte's inner thoughts are written around her. "He stopped the car to scold me. No, not ‘scold’. Don't be a child about this. He's disappointed and just needs to make sure you understand so you can do better next ti-"

 (Twelfth panel): Magritte is still looking out the window, but now with a shocked expression. Rafael reached with his right hand, and its now resting gently on her upper back. Rafael interrupts her inner monologue with "I need you to stop repeating the shit your parents and teachers and such yelled at you growing up. They were wrong, and nothing you just said makes sense."

 (Thirteenth panel):  The perspective switches back to the driver's side profile. Rafael says: "A poor memory isn't synonymous with poor priorities. Nor does it speak to a lack of maturity. The priority was there, we just have to build a better habit of checking things before we leave the apartment. Both of us. It's gonna take time. You afford everyone else a ton of patience, all the time. Can you please afford some for yourself? The situation sucks, we were both looking forward to this. But it's not the end of the world. We didn't forget things on purpose. So let's take it easy and try to end the day on a good note. Alright?" Magritte says: "Okay... c-can we um...."

 (Fourteenth panel): Magritte has turned to face Rafael and her eyes are filled with tears and they're running down her cheeks.  Rafael looks startled, lifting his arm off Magritte's back. Magritte says: "Can we get some ice cream on the way back?" Rafael says: "O-of course!" End of description.]

This description was written and provided by Hiwi.

[tkbrokkoli]

a family member: *lecturing me abt how i should live my life*

me, almost 30:

[Begin ID: A gif of Root from Person of Interest. She is turning around in a swivel chair to wink at the camera, all while swinging one leg over the other and taking a sip from a her iced coffee. Her attitude is flirty and cheeky. End ID]

[awkward-teabag]

The body horror and violence also works in large part because it doesn't forget it's a kid's series. It's there but it's not voyeuristic and doesn't dwell on it except when the intention is to be horrifying. It's not disturbing because it exists in the first place but at the implications of it in that moment and what it means to the characters.

It doesn't pretend things are fine but it doesn't relish the bad parts, either.

"This is the reality of war".

It doesn't sugarcoat things but also doesn't fixate on the bad and isn't written where it's clear the author is intentionally trying to shock the reader.

And when you finish the series or learn the finale was explicitly to show that war has no winners and doesn't tie things up in a neat little bow, that people involved still have to live with what they went through and did, it puts a different perspective on things.

A lot of it went over kids' heads, mine included, because fuck yeah turning into animals, aliens, and waging a secret war, but as an adult? The implications are disturbing.

Which makes me appreciate and applaud Applegate and the ghostwriters for walking a line that a lot of writers fail at, especially with that many books over multiple years.

people ask me "how the hell is [scene from animorphs] in a kid's series" and i cannot emphasize to them enough that animorphs does not forget for a single moment that it is a kid's series