#they are their own worst enemy at this point

[majikkulu]

━━ ❝MASTERLIST❞

these are my personal observations and may not resonate with everyone. please take them with a grain of salt, as i'm not a professional astrologer! :))

credits to @m1nd-r0t for introducing the asteroid messerschmidt! took a while to really sink in, so i hope i understood it well!

𓂃⋆.˚

★ MESSERSCHMIDT (16450) in your chart isn't something subtle or easy. it’s a heavy hand, a brutal cut that pulls you to the edge, tearing apart whatever comfort you have and showing you the raw aftermath. think of it as life ripping the bandaid off in the most unforgiving way possible, pushing you into chaos and leaving you with consequences you have no choice but to confront. it’s a ruthless teacher, one that throws you into the darkest extremes of your own existence until you face parts of yourself you never wanted to see.

★ EXAMPLE: ted bundy's messerchmidt his messerschmidt in the 2nd house, sitting in libra at 4°—a cancer degree—screams deep self-worth issues. he was a man starved for validation, but in the most twisted, destructive way. he might have craved material things, but it wasn’t really about possessions; libra’s influence made it all about power and control in relationships. his interactions with women were warped, nothing short of vicious—manipulative, domineering, a game of possession. to him, women were objects, there only for his control and exploitation. he hid behind a charming mask, using it to get what he wanted from people. libra rules justice, which adds another layer; i think he wrestled internally, questioning if his actions were “right.” but he twisted the narrative to justify himself, feeding his twisted sense of entitlement. he saw the world as unfair, and his answer was brutal violence. his need for validation was so consuming that it fueled his drive to dominate, the same way his violent behavior erupted. his crimes? just a sick means to feed his hollow self-worth. that cancer degree points back to family—his home life likely left him void of real love. maybe his mother or caretaker was absent, emotionally cold, or worse, stoking his bitterness and rage against women.

𓂃⋆.˚

MESSERCHMIDT IN ARIES / 1TH HOUSE you’re your own worst enemy here. messerschmidt in aries/1st house rips through self-restraint, pushing you to make reckless decisions that only ever end in chaos. the self-destruction comes fast and hits hard—you’ll tear down your own sense of identity until there’s nothing left. this isn’t a gentle self-discovery; it’s a brutal unraveling. it’ll chew you up and spit you out as you’re forced to face the fallout of your own impulsiveness, stripped down and exposed, fighting against a world you’ve alienated.

MESSERCHMIDT IN TAURUS / 2ND HOUSE comfort, security, stability—everything you think you own or control is on thin ice here. messerschmidt is merciless; it tears apart everything you rely on, leaving you clutching at straws. your worth, your money, your possessions—there’s always something threatening to rip it away. you’re taught, over and over, that nothing is safe. material loss, the constant gnawing feeling of instability—this placement forces you to face the hollowness of everything you think you need to survive.

MESSERCHMIDT IN GEMINI / 3RD HOUSE mental warfare. your thoughts spiral, your words turn toxic, and there’s no escape. it’ll ruin relationships, sever connections, and leave you isolated in the ruins of your own making. your mind is a battlefield, where the casualties are your closest ties and any sense of peace you might’ve had. there’s a pull toward paranoia, obsession, mental exhaustion that drags you down, leaving a chaotic mess that no one wants to touch. it’s relentless.

MESSERCHMIDT IN CANCER / 4TH HOUSE home becomes a prison with this placement. family trauma isn’t just present—it defines you. every illusion of safety gets ripped to shreds. family relationships go from complicated to toxic to something that rots you from the inside out. you’re left picking up the pieces of a childhood or family life that doesn’t hold anything close to comfort, leaving scars that never fully heal. even as you rebuild, it’ll tear it down again. issues with maternal figures or just women in general.

MESSERCHMIDT IN LEO / 5H HOUSE self-expression? try self-destruction. this placement brings you face-to-face with the ugly side of your ego. creative pursuits crash and burn as quickly as they ignite, and romantic entanglements turn into battlegrounds of shattered pride. your need for attention or recognition backfires spectacularly, leaving you humiliated or hollowed out. you’ll keep reaching for validation that doesn’t come, each failure leaving you angrier and more desperate.

MESSERCHMIDT IN VIRGO / 6TH HOUSE this is the grind from hell. messerschmidt won’t let you rest; it’ll drive you to perfectionism so extreme it bleeds you dry. health issues, toxic work environments, and burnout are your constant companions. you push yourself to breaking point over and over, and every time you think you’re close to relief, you’re torn down again. this placement demands everything, and it leaves you holding the scraps of what used to be your sanity.

MESSERCHMIDT IN LIBRA / 7TH HOUSE relationships here are wreckage waiting to happen. messerschmidt drags your heart through betrayal after betrayal, leaving you with trust issues so deep they fester. you attract partners who bring out the worst in you, leading to cycles of breakups, power struggles, and raw exposure of every insecurity you tried to hide. it’s like an endless loop of heartbreak and resentment, leaving you wondering if connection is worth the cost.

MESSERCHMIDT IN SCORPIO / 8TH HOUSE this is shadow work that never ends. it pulls you into the depths of your own darkness, stripping you of illusions and tearing apart your defenses. intimacy and trust? twisted into something unrecognizable. you’ll face betrayal, trauma, and loss on levels that go beyond the ordinary, as messerschmidt pushes you to confront every fear, every raw nerve. it’s a constant death and rebirth that leaves you wondering if there’s anything left to salvage.

MESSERCHMIDT IN SAGITTARIUS / 9TH HOUSE faith, ideals, beliefs—all fall under the blade here. it tears down your philosophies, leaving you stranded in the ruins of your convictions. what you thought was solid gets shattered, pushing you into existential crisis after existential crisis. travel, knowledge, growth—everything leaves you feeling more lost, more disillusioned. it’s an endless search for meaning that’s stripped of any comforting lies, forcing you to face a void of your own making.

MESSERCHMIDT IN CAPRICORN / 10TH HOUSE the grind never ends. messerschmidt shreds your ambitions and leaves you clawing your way up a cliff that keeps crumbling. nothing you build stands. you’re forced to witness the collapse of everything you’ve sacrificed for—career, reputation, self-respect—all reduced to rubble. this isn’t a test of resilience; it’s a punishment for ever wanting power or respect. you’re pushed to rebuild, only for it all to fall apart again, leaving you questioning the worth of any success.

MESSERCHMIDT IN AQUARIUS / 11TH HOUSE friendships are where messerschmidt strikes hardest, pulling people close only to throw them into betrayal or abandonment. there’s a brutal edge to your social life—you attract people who tear you down, backstab you, or leave when you’re most vulnerable. dreams and ideals get ripped to shreds as reality refuses to meet your expectations. it’s loneliness, over and over, as every attempt to connect seems cursed, leaving you questioning if you even belong anywhere.

MESSERCHMIDT IN PISCES / 12TH HOUSE messerschmidt here is the ultimate isolation. the subconscious becomes a hellscape where unresolved trauma festers. self-sabotage is constant, and there’s no escape from the memories and fears that haunt you. you’ll be pulled into dark places, stuck in cycles of self-destruction, as you confront every unresolved piece of yourself in brutal clarity. mental health spirals, leaving you feeling like an outcast in your own mind. every shadow you’ve hidden from drags you down, and there’s no running from it.

★ THANK YOU FOR READING! ★

[kaontic]

Oh my actual Lord, the dream’s come true. O_O

*Kicks down door* OH THUNDERCRACKEEER~

BUSTER’S ‘BOUT TO GETTA NEW FRIEEEND~ (´∀`)//🐱

He’s got a pet human now too, I guess—

Why my dumb human ass, with my crappy art, could almost wish upon an evil shootin’ star, that it was me instead “What?” What—? 😶

Alright. Now we just need Skywarp to get one. Or two. Or a few. Someday. Maybe.

Um—

*Whispers* Psst, hey, Megs, I don’t wanna be that betch—I make unintentional mistakes I gotta edit for my sanity all the time—but, it’s “What do you say”. That’s probably why they’re givin’ ya looks.

I mean, that’s pretty accurate Megatron dialogue ngl. Like this is the same guy that said in G1 “Power flows to the one who knows how”, as if that was an actual full sentence.

Ik, that’s beside the point of what the frag’s goin’ on, so, “respectfully” (with heavy emphasis on the quotation marks)—

Can ya just…rip out your own chain-smoker soundin’ aft voice box, and shove it? Pretty please? Mr. Geneva Suggestions?

“YoU kNoW tHe LiMiTs Of My PoWeR! i NeEd SoMeOnE tO wIElD mE!”

“But my leader, you have your fusion cannon—”

“Do NoT qUeStIoN mE sTaRsCrEaM!”

Unless Skybound’s gonna give us a “good” aft explanation for this, like some Cybertronian gunformer curse we dunno about yet (given the serious corruption goin’ on, from the looks of it, with Star and Op)—

I would say more about Megs’ gun mode as an effective concept, but I��ll save all that for another post.

Instead I’ll just spout out this scrap to review:

Most explanations are welcome for why villains do what they do, even if it’s just “Cuz I’m evil”. 😈

(TF One Sentinel tho…yeah. Gotta make a post regarding him as well)

Here, they wanna save their home planet as energy sources dwindle.

Ok, so resources. Got it. Yes. #1 reason why wars are fought, and wars need soldiers to fuel ‘em. Enemies turned potential recruits who are prisoners don’t comply? Well, logically speaking then— 🤡

Or maybe, just maybe—this might sound crazy, but—how about not start a whole goddamn war that will worsen this crisis, Megs?

How about not turn fellow Cybertronians into the worst versions of themselves, and delete their innocence? Cuz great, now ya created a monster that will betray ya!

Ask yourself: What the frag are you fighting for?

Cuz you’re just makin’ the problem worse, mate.

At least Jetfire tried to look beyond Cybertron peacefully for a solution, which despite how well that went, sounded a helluva lot better than exhaustive in-fighting, but no, frag exploration.

Frag trading with “filthy” organic alien species.

Frag experimenting for new sources of energy (lookin’ at you, Shockwave. Now I know your aft was enabled).

Frag examining Cybertron’s history for answers.

Frag speaking with Optimus like a civilized individual.

Population control’s where it’s at, apparently. ಠ_ಠ)

Jesus, so many questions NOT ENOUGH DEETS.(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

WE NEED MORE FLASHBACKS STAT.

Skybound Megs so far, is coming off as a guy who, when the worst happens, will just use the apocalypse to his advantage to do terrible stuff, and get away with it through all the chaos.

Furthermore, it’s like we’re watching him live out some sick fantasy of his while he’s all “This is for the greater good of Cybertron!”. Like no bitch! There’s other options! You have no excuse!

You wanna be a pred, who kills for pleasure and power, while demanding to share that experience with others with or without their consent.

There. That’s what kept me up last issue.

Well, this is one moral of this ongoing story, and life advice I guess:

BEWARE THE F*CKIN’ NICE ONES!

For they may be the worst of all. Great…

*Proceeds to pollute my sketchbook with more Megatron art cuz I am indeed that betch*

[silamander]

People who hate Joker and want to see him gone for good are so funny to me because they clearly don't understand why Joker is so important to the Batman mythos and why he's Batman's arch nemesis.

It's the duality that makes them interesting. And the fact that Joker is right in the sense that one bad day made the two of them who they are.

Joker is nihilism incarnate, he believes that life is one bad joke and that deep down everyone is capable of being just like him, they just have to be broken down to the point of no return. He believes it's humanity and the corrupt system it created that caused him to become who he is. So he doesn't feel bad about the horrible things he does because in his twisted mind it's all just a game, and it's what they deserve. Joker believes Batman is just as insane as he is, and he's not entirely wrong. To be the living embodiment of a strict form of justice and devoting your life to it is pretty insane. Bruce doesn't HAVE to be Batman, he's a billionaire, he can live his life any way he chooses, but he chooses to dedicate his life to his crusade.

I mean what is he? Stupid? (I'm so sorry)

But that's the thing. While Joker is the embodiment of nihilism and cynicism, Bruce is the exact opposite. Underneath the Batman persona, Bruce is a flawed, broken man who at his core is someone who doesn't want to see anyone suffer the way he's suffered, and doesn't want anyone to die if he can help prevent it. The reason he doesn't kill his worst enemies, as much as he really wants to, as insane as it is considering how it contradicts his goal of keeping Gotham safe when Arkham is quite literally a revolving door, isn't because he'd end up killing non-stop or some bullshit like that. No, the real reason is because of his parents death, Bruce believes in the absolute sacredness of human life. He believes that everyone deserves a chance to live, no matter how wicked. He believes that everyone can become a better person if they're willing to put in the work to do that, and deserves to at least try that and give them the help they need. And no matter how horrible, cursed, or doomed to forever be a city where crime will always run rampant, Bruce never backs down on this belief, and will always fight for the people of Gotham. His one true superpower isn't his gadgets, or his money, or his plot armor, it's his empathy.

But Joker can't wrap his head around this. He's so deep into his own belief that everyone is just as insane as him but doesn't want to admit it, that he can't understand why he would save anyone of Gotham's rogues, especially himself, arguably the worst of them all. So Joker makes it his mission to break Batman, and drive him insane, to prove him wrong. To prove that no one is entirely good, and can be driven to the point of no return like he was, to go down a path of anarchy and mayhem. If he can push Gothams hero to insanity, then he can prove once and for all that he is right, and he'll have the last laugh.

The duality between them is one of the most interesting things I've ever seen (when it's written well, that is). Batman and Joker are two people who are so similar, yet they act in the complete opposite way. Joker kills anyone and everyone just for a laugh. He's a sadistic, narcissistic mass murderer who lacks any empathy for anyone and wants to see the world suffer the way he's suffered. Bruce will save anyone no matter how heinous their actions are, because he's a flawed, but well-intended man who believes everyone deserves a shot at redemption. He's a man who wants to prevent the suffering of others because if he couldn't save his parents, then he can at least try and save everyone else.

They're two sides of the same coin, and that's why they need each other.

[mothdust23]

"MISS, COME IN! COME IN!!"

Hinder's voice crackled in her ears. Everything was sore. One of her wings is painfully bent, and when she rises and brushes the rubble off, a burning smell reaches her nose. Rana glances down at her arms, feeling a strange pain, and notices cracklike scars running through her flesh, still smoking. That explains the burning smell..

"Yeah, yeah, I.. I hear ya.." she manages to cough out, wiping soot from her eyes. Her hat lays in tatters, the remains of the brim still burning with unnaturally scarlet flames. The witch plucks a scrap from the ground, watching with growing concern as it reduces itself to ashes before her eyes.

"You were hit and went down, these ones feared the worst.." Hinder whispers, projecting a feeling of worry and comfort to its witch. "Are you still able to move? You should get out of there."

Rana didn't enjoy going out without head protection, but..

"Not until I finish the mission. Are you still in contact with Harm and Hurt?"

She puts her hand up to lower her hat, but only meets air. Scowling, she climbs up out of the crater she's stuck in and looks over the horizon. A fortress stands far in the distance, with dozens of pinpricks of red light standing between it and her. The enemy.

"They're on their way, miss. This one wants to note it could send out Heal to-"

She lowers her hand to her ear, hurriedly yelling "NO." to the doll. "Heal is too fragile, it wasn't made for a battlefield like this."

"..Yes, miss. Nevertheless, help is on the way."

"WHAT!? HELP ISN'T DURABLE ENOUGH FOR AN ACTIVE CONFLICT EITHER!"

"O-oh- no, this one didn't mean Help the doll, rather help the concept!! It apologizes!"

She lowers her hand, sighing. Hinder may be a mess at times, but it was the only doll she made who could communicate with her and her other creations. "It's fine. ETA on Harm and Hurt?"

"They're close. This one will stand by for further orders."

"HELLO, MISS!!"

"Ah, finally-"

Two combat dolls in matching green kevlar run up to her, one of which is smiling unnaturally wide. They're both covered in scorch marks, and the smiling one's hands are covered in reddish liquid. Unlike its halberd-carrying twin, it's unarmed.

"Hello Harm, hello Hurt. Are you two doing alright?" Despite her own injuries, Rana doted on them, using her sleeve to clean red liquid off the smiling one's cheek.

"Yes, miss! This one took out thirty-seven enemy soldiers with its bare hands!! Is miss proud? Is it? Is it?? IS IT?" it says, grabbing onto her sleeve as she lowers it back to her side. Its smile widens.

"Yes, very proud. What about you, Hurt?"

"Thirty eight, miss! Are you prouder of this one?"

Hurt smirks at its twin, who blushes a bright green and looks at its witch in betrayal.

"Now now, it isn't a contest. I'm proud of you both." Rana mutters, putting fingers to the bridge of her nose. "We have many more to get through before we reach the fortress."

Hurt and Harm step back and whisper to each other. Harm points to its witch's head, only for Hurt to scoff and flick its nose with its hand.

"Miss, where's your hat?" Harm asks, leaning out from behind its witch. Its expression is imperceptible.

"Huh? Oh, one of those dreadful soldiers shot it off with some sort of firebolt. I'm fine, don't you worry."

"But.. if you don't wear the big hat.. you gave these ones an order.. to kill everything in this valley.."

Hurt tightens the grip on its spear.

"Yes, so I did. Why do you as-"

Harm's claws are parried by its twin's blade, inches from Rana's throat.

"W-what is that one doing!? This is our witch!"

"She isn't wearing the hat! She doesn't count!! This one wants to kill her! It wants her to be the 38th!"

Rana steps back in horror, green light forming in her palms, as Harm giggles and knocks the halberd to the ground.

"This one remembers, miss! It remembers its old life! This one used to be the enemy!"

"I.. I gave you a better life. Calm down, you're not supposed to remember."

"T-this one was a civilian, miss! It never wanted to kill! It n-never wanted to harm!!"

"Harm, choose your next words very carefully-"

A swipe of claws, a flash of green light, and Harm collapses into inanimate pieces. Hurt stares at the pile in horror and kneels by it, picking up a fragment of Harm's face. Its eyes are empty, and its smile reminds the doll of a skull's.

"How.. how many of these ones, were the enemy, miss?"

"...."

"Miss.."

"We have a fortress to capture, Hurt. Do you want to end up like your twin..?"

"N-no, but, please miss-"

"THEN KILL THEM. FOR ME. FOR YOUR OWNER. I GAVE YOU LIFE."

Hurt flinches, tearing up, and shakily holds up its spear.

"A-are we.. even the good guys, miss?"

...

...

"I'm sorry, everyone. After they called in air strikes, Harm and Hurt.. couldn't make it out."

Her many dolls sit and stand around her, Heal tending to her injuries and burns.

"They.. they're dead..? But.. they were so brave.."

"This one c-can't sleep without Hurt in the room protecting it.."

"This one was going to help Harm with its nightmares.. it.. it never got to help.."

Rana looks up and sees Hinder staring at her from the balcony.

"This one heard the whole thing." it whispers in her mind.

..well, that'll be an annoying doll to replace. Luckily, she has all the raw material she'll ever need.

[derww]

DAY 28: POSESSION

CW: Death, violence, religious themes

He wakes up and feels a knife by his throat.

Firstly he panics, but then sees the person holding it and it's Mapicc – in Spoke's body, but it's still Mapicc. After that, he calms down instantly.

– Pina colada, - he says and the weight on his neck disappears. Mapicc nods and pulls a knife away.

– Welcome back, Zam.

It cannot be said that everything is fine with Mapicc himself too: he has never been able to get used to the inability to see clearly beyond his nose, the desire of this pathetic body to complete deformation and the continuing flow of the inaccessible but too great power of God in the blood. His center of gravity had been knocked down, and Spoke's twin blades, instead of the falcata destroyed in the explosion, were too light for the comfort and lingering blows. Zam gives him his saber, taken from the corpse, but even it lies wrong in insufficiently material fingers.

It's a coinflip every time – who will wake up, who is responsible. Zam was stronger, more tenacious, but Spep was also breaking through from time to time. They were afraid that one day it would be Minute who would wake up. It never happened but they couldn't afford to let their attention wane. Their worst enemy in the middle of their base is a death sentence.

Sleepwalking, Zam was unstable in his activity and could pass out half a step away. But he refused to give up – he wrestled control for himself, adapted to the sword from Minute's corpse, and moved step by step.

Jumper was standing against them. And two immortal gods with their wings torn off. Void and chunkban were the only ways to solve the problem, and they burned too many Ashes bookbans to deal with them themselves. At least while they have another option.

Mapicc had to learn to identify each of them by vague figures, Zam had to study how to faint safely, and Ro had to withstand the loads and fight over and over and over again. Only Clown looks as always, but even his hands are gradually starting to tremble.

Jumper is chosen by the gods, and they feed her with divine apples and crown her with a laurel wreath, and black and purple and red ribbons are woven into her cropped hair. She has no shortage of armor, she always has the exp bottles and golden apples, she almost creates potions out of thin air and never removes bright pink elytras. But she is still mortal. Unlike Ash and Squiddo, Jumper is still mortal.

Zam refuses to sleep. As long as the body belongs to him, he uses it, no matter how exhausted it is. Spep's body is not his own, it is weaker and more vulnerable, it is not hardened in endless battles and days of grinding, and one day Zam exhausts it so much that Spep who wakes up in his own body next cannot even move a limb.

They manage to push Squiddo into the void, but before that, she point-by-point blows up Mapicc on the spot. This time it's Zam who has to grieve for his dead partner, but he just doesn't have time for it. He and Ro have to climb out of another chunkban, and he is knocked out almost immediately after. The next time he wakes up, it's Clown who's holding him and asking for the password. Zam thinks wearily that he would like to cry.

Instead of two gods, there is only one now – and Jumper, she is still here, angel wings and one more ribbon in her hair – and Ash is noticeably gloomy, carrying a bible of saving the world under his arm. In such a man, with pointed facial features and dark eyes, black lightning burns from the Bhaal sunk deep into the skin are especially noticeable.

This time, Ash throws an inventory ban at Clown, and Clown doesn't even have time to say anything. While Ro cuts Jumper off, Zam writes a first book for the bookban with unnaturally icy fingers and then breaks the shulker on the build limit right above Ash. When he finally gets down and reunites with Ro, he can barely stand on his feet, and Ro, taking on some of the weight, brings him back to their base. Home. Zam's pupils roll up halfway through, but he finally falls asleep only inside the base. Ro leaves him on the bed, making sure he doesn't break his neck or swallow his own tongue, and only then allows himself to take a break.

This is... Exhausting. It wasn't the first time Ro had been involved in a war, but never before had it demanded to give it his all. This war had been going on for a month, and every new day was full of deadly dangers and demanded to give everything for the sake of a ghostly chance to achieve something.

But they almost did it. Jumper was left completely alone. Neither Squiddo nor Ash will be able to help her, and the world border is so small that they can always find her. And Branzy still hasn't revealed himself as their ally...

Just a little more, and he can finally get it over with. Kill Jumper. Destroy the world. Retire. See Mapicc again. He nods to himself. Take a rest, and then end the world, reminds Ro to himself, and then passes out.

Zam wakes up before Ro does. He moves with both mechanical and slightly awkward movements. For some reason, there is no pupil in his whitened iris.

[pucksandpower]

Are you normal or do you daydream about what Charles Leclerc could be achieving if he was actually on a competent team?

[separatist-apologist]

Do you see how I dislike a ship without turning it into a moral crusade? Very demure, very cutesy. I don't stalk the tags of ships I hate. I don't stir up the ship war when I get bored. Very demure. Very mindful.

[pseudophan]

several people are writing think pieces about how it's wrong to say dan and phil are joking when they call each other best friends in videos because they Are best friends even if they're also more and i just... yeah no shit... they're still joking when they're very pointedly going Best Buddy xD in videos though. joking is not a synonym for lying. please

[iliveinarainbow]

need to stop spending too much time alone bc i just decided that lestat is the one who was in charge of doing claudia’s hair.

he would braid it and put in the little bows we saw in season 1… :(

just made myself upset for no valid reason.

(yeah louis had a sister and claudia was old enough to do it by herself, but lestat is real life goldilocks so he too had experience with hair).

(and i just like suffering so plz leave me alone to my misery, thx).

also i’m sorry but “she looked at me in the end, like a child does her father. but i was never…”

BUT YOU WERE.

you weren’t just uncle les pookie.

the way these lines were delivered hurts my soul.

the pain of knowing that she now only lives on through them and their memories of her, but that all the happy moments they shared will forever be overshadowed by the unspeakable horror of losing her? so they will never even be able to find any comfort in the good times they had with their only child? with their baby??

grief is love persevering and everything sucks.

i hate this show.

[bornetoblood]

To be fair I don’t really see Gehrman as a Healing Church devotee, I see him as specifically trusting Laurence whole heartedly. Obvs there’s him staying in the Dream for Laurence’s sake but Gehrman’s devotion to the hunt imbodies this too. It presents more so this mutual compromising of morals to appease the other.

Laurence appears to have doubts about the hunt yet Gehrman is steadfast; seeing it as the one thing keeping them human. Laurence chooses to perpetuate the hunt, in part, because Gehrman is devoted to it. Maybe he would’ve done that anyway (sunk costs and all that) but the only Laurence opinions (tm) we see on the hunt is him expressing these doubts to Gehrman, and Gehrman talking him round.

Basically Gehrman compromises his morals to kill people for Laurence and Laurence compromises his morals to let Gehrman keep killing people for him. The worm is eating itself.

[atopvisenyashill]

“saying rhaenyra is heir and the greens usurped the throne because they hate women is not true it’s more complicated than that.”

andal law is based on the hatred of women, the subjugation of women, and the upholding of violent patriarchy and bigotry as above reproach because it’s “proper.” the greens make the argument that andal law should prevail even tho the great council rejects andal law and also could have very well meant - as viserys clearly takes it to mean - that what matters is not the gender of the heir but that the heir is chosen & acclaimed by whoever sits the throne. jaehaerys chose baelon, then viserys over rhaenys and the council backed him, ergo, viserys has the right to name rhaenyra his heir and expect the backing of the lords. it’s not what ultimately happens - and viserys and rhaenyra assuming the lords will just back this reading bc viserys said so is at best an incredibly naive thing to think - but it is a perfectly valid reading of the great council’s decision, and otto specifically uses this line of thinking to cut daemon out of the succession and name rhaenyra heir when it pleases him, then switches over to “only men can sit the throne” when she’s no longer a convenient pawn in his game of thrones.

it doesn’t matter if aegon ii’s “claim” is greater than rhaenyra’s based on andal law or on a specific reading of the great council’s decision, because both andal law and jaehaerys’ decisions are based in hatred of women and violent misogyny so yes, the greens usurp rhaenyra based on misogyny actually, they just hide it behind the idea of andal law and propriety and precedent because misogyny and patriarchy are considered proper in their minds.

also, aegon and criston spend all their free time calling rhaenyra a whore and a cunt for doing the exact same shit that aegon himself does so let’s not pretend like team green isn’t bogged down in sexism re: their decision to usurp the throne from viserys’ chosen heir. you don’t get to have the leaders of your faction walking around saying shit like “He had nothing against women, Lord Borros went on to say; he loved his girls, a daughter is a precious thing…but a son, ahhh…” and claim that the greens aren’t motivated by the exact same sexism that makes Jaehaerys pass over Rhaenys twice over as his heir.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

One of the biggest reasons I try to recruit all the characters in Three Houses isn’t just because I don’t want to kill them, but because if I do, I still have to go back to the monastery afterward. I still have to pass by their dorm rooms full of their belongings and know that’s where they spent their alone time and where they slept. I still have to pass by the spots they frequented the most. It’s not just the sad dialogue of characters reacting to the deaths, but passing by the spots I vividly remembered them hanging out at.

I realized this most in my first playthrough when I didn’t have the chance to recruit everyone and I accidently killed Raphael at Gronder. I didn’t have the enemy attack range turned on so I didn’t realize he was in range of attacking.

During an exploration, I was looking for Ignatz who was, unfortunately, in his dorm room... and I walked into the wrong room and into Raphael’s after he was killed and man that fuckin’ sucked! Feels bad but like, multiplied with big numbers, u kno??? ???

YES, IT’S A VIDEO GAME. YES, I HAVE HUMAN BEING FEELINGS ABOUT IT.

[dismaltouch]

♡ muse ↝ raegan mancuso

♡ closed for ↝ @bejcweled

"can we forget about the things i said when i was drunk?"

[fernspirals]

I think that

[punchthewitch]

How do people find the motivation to do stuff? Like really DO something meaningful. Seems like every time I get close to accomplishing what I want, I self sabotage and distract myself. Is it fear? Am I broken?? AM I STOOPID??? I've been working on the same shit ass song for months and restarted over and over but I can't let myself be satisfied with it just being okay. And then one day I just stopped trying... Again. The fuck is that about? All I've ever wanted is to create but sometimes the thought of trying makes me sick to my stomach.

[eorzeashan]

I keep forgetting Eight is SIS a lot of the time because I could never decide if it was the right path for him or not and most of his interactions with Jonas were outright failures that only made him even more disinterested, but then Theron comes into the picture again. And of course that is a point of deliberation.

Theron feels a responsibility towards him after KOTXX for not realizing sooner that Eight was just following Lana's orders to an obedient T not out of his own personal desire or will, but the simple need to repay a life debt, a fact which escapes most of the Alliance and even Lana herself despite it directly opposing his usual behavior. As the kind of person who has to save those in front of him whether they like it or not, this guilts Theron immensely not only for being a part of the blind crowd but enabling a violent warmongering path for Eight that he realizes now may not have been Eight's wish after all, that he'd pegged him all wrong-- and worse, treated him like so.

Eight himself cares very little at this point whether Theron treats him favorably or not. He was here to be used, and he was used. It's the way he's always lived. For a time he might've had the small hope to understand Theron and Lana during SoR, but that faded very quickly come KOTXX. He lived the same way during Intelligence with the added benefit that he did care for those people as they cared for him, but it never removed the stain of the dirty business he'd permanently undertaken, only made it more acceptable as part of his life and not treated like dirty laundry the way the Alliance did.

Theron latches on to the small thought that they could've been different if he'd only tried to get to know Eight, and out of a desire to make things right in his mind, starts attempting to extend the proverbial olive branch even though it's an awkward and uncomfortable attempt that feels too little too late. He has to do something, and try as he might he's not the kind of guy who cuts people loose to stay out in the cold. And maybe part of that is residual guilt for not protecting the Sixth Line and Master Surro, his repeated failure to be responsible for those under his command. Eight is essentially his last chance to prove he can do right by others, even when they share no common ground or bond. It's the barren ground of their relationship that makes him want to try, even if he shouldn't be using him as his own redemption.

Somehow this results in Theron making it a personal point to be involved in Eight's life from them on after, SIS included: unofficially, he stays as his handler. He prides himself secretly on the notion that Eight seems to like Jonas even less than him, which is legendary given Eight's notoriously aloof attitude (but not much to brag about from an outside perspective) and the SIS more or less doesn't give a womp rat's ass whether Theron meddles as long as the ex-Imperial agent stays on a short leash, and that's.. fine with him. Theron wouldn't have asked regardless.

Still, he tries. Hopes at the very least he can keep the SIS' use of him to a bare minimum so what happened in the Alliance can never happen again, optimistic as that is. Checks on him often enough that it looks like they're officially assigned to one another, and even lets him go in and out of his own apartment as he pleases (Eight gets his own. as usual, he doesn't care for it much and it still makes Theron antsy that he'll come to it one day and find it completely abandoned, so this is fine).

Eight doesn't say much. Comments that the life is fine when asked, doesn't watch the holos but idly listens when he puts it on. Does his work and doesn't when he's off the clock. When asked about how he feels killing Imps, it makes Theron's blood run cold when Eight casually says that was his only job over there too.

Theron buys him some street food in an attempt to make something different. At the very least, Eight says it's better than rations.