#think of your monster and how it did the same to you

[cha0s-junkie]

Ooo! Can we see more shapeshifter yandere?? Maybe see the aftermath of the part two of them being revealed and offing the actual readers dad? I can’t imagine how tense it must be now

shapeshifter drabble!

warnings; i kinda hate this, yandere-ish

--

"It's scary. I know, but I want to take care of you. I do." He says so earnestly that for a second, you believe him. Again. But it was all lies, trying to lure you out of your room so that he can murder you in cold blood.

Just like he did your dad. Your actual dad.

"I'm sorry." He says it again. He's been at this for days now, trying to convince you to come outside so that he could 'talk' with you. He's a trickster. A liar.

Your stomach grumbles and you wince in pain. Hiding out in your room surviving on the candy bars you had stashed was not for the weak, you needed actual food. The monster cooks food for you everyday and brings it to your door, the aroma sneaks into your room and it's delicious.

Of course it was, but you had to ignore it. It could very well be poisoned.

It's the same today. He knocks again and you hear a plate being placed on the ground. "I have dinner."

Ugh, actual food. You rolled on your bed and covered your face with a pillow. Think about literally anything else. "It's your favorite, I made sure it's how you like it."

"Go away." You finally say. He never does but you hope this time he takes the hint. You hear nothing for a second until, footsteps and you hear a door shutting.

You look up from your pillow and call out again. Nothing. No fake comforting words or even apologies. He finally left, you jumped down from your bed and walked to your door, opening it.

The plate was filled with your favorite food, it was hot and it smelled amazing.

"There's nothing bad in it," You flinched at the voice, wanting to dart back into your room. He was standing right in front of your door, hands on his hips as if he was a concerned parent. "You have to eat. I'm getting impatient."

Not good, you ticked him off. You quickly try and close your room door again but he slams your door open. "Wait I'm sorry please-" You beg as he steps over the plate of food at your doorstep and walked towards you.

He's going to kill you. You're backing away from him and flinch when his arms wrap around you. He's going to kill you.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for how scary all this must be for you." He's hugging you. "I would never hurt my kid. Never."

Lies. "I want to take care of you." He releases you and looks into your eyes. You don't know who's identity he's taken but you don't recognize him. "You're my child, my kid. So please eat."

You're shaking from fear. But you nod, he sighs in relief as he finally moves away. He took care of you. Giving you the affection that you craved so much from your father, but now? It was too much. Suffocating. You wished he would just leave you alone, but he's a parasite that lives in your house claiming to be your new and better father.

[eldritch-riotgrrl]

Why did Nolan become a writer?

Recently watched Invincible and had a few thoughts that I would like to share here with you. I don’t know if this gets covered in the comics or in S3 (wich I haven’t yet seen), so if I missed something let me know.

I think it’s very interesting that Nolan decided to make his "human civilian persona" a writer out of all things. You’d assume with his natural strength and buff build he would pretend to be a construction worker or a boxer or something. But I feel like making Nolan a writer was very intentional.

Theory 1 (the boring one): A writer can easily work from home and might have a wide time window to complete deadlines, wich comes in handy for when he has to randomly leave to fight off Monsters somewhere. Mark‘s absence affects his daily life since he misses school for months at a time (as an example). As a writer who probably doesn’t always have to work in an office, Nolan‘s disappearance isn’t noticed as much. His Boss wouldn’t know he’s not really working if he can’t see him. And every artist knows that pulling all nighters to finish your work and hit deadlines is very common. Debbie is also a real estate agent and (probably) already earns a lot of money herself. I haven’t found the correct numbers, but I’ve read that the yearly salary is around 100.000$ a year. That’s already a lot of money, so even if Nolan‘s books weren’t successful, it didn’t really matter. He switched from Sci-Fi to travel books, wich seemed to sell better. If he misses a deadline or two it wouldn’t be the end of the world, and he and Debbie would still be financially stable. Just look at their house man 😭

Theory 2: But despite the conventional disguise for a job, I feel like it fits Nolan‘s character. He seems to enjoy writing. He’s written a lot of books after all. On Viltrum, the only value is strength. I don’t believe they have people who get to live out their artistic dreams if those even have room to exist (wich I doubt). What good is a Viltrumite, when they’re not serving their empire and proving their strength? Writing a book about space and how to destroy your own kind would hardly benefit their empire.

But Nolan doesn’t have that issue on earth. He can take on a job that seems unconventional to his kind. It doesn’t really matter if it’s "worthless". He seems to be writing about his experiences, inserting himself into his stories and also hinting at the Viltrumite‘s weaknesses. But for what?? Why would he even write them down?? Even if he didn’t believe anyone from earth (who would be reading his books) to be a genuine threat to the empire, what use does it have to have your species’ weaknesses written down? What if those fall into the wrong hands?

His Sci-Fi books also turned out to be a flop. So why continue writing them if they’re not doing well? Why would he continue to write down how to defeat the Viltrumites if he could just switch to writing travel books way sooner? Art has a box full of Sci-Fi novels. I think after realizing that two of your books are not selling well, you’d switch genres immediately. But that didn’t seem to be the case for Nolan.

I believe the reason for that is that he was starting to doubt his mission early on. The Sci-Fi books are his manifested concerns about conquering earth. Maybe he even wanted someone to find out how to defeat the Viltrumites. We see in the show that he’s not the best at expressing his emotions, at least not in the same way Debbie is. People often have an easier time writing down their feelings instead of verbalizing them.

Perhaps to Nolan writing Sci-Fi books (wich Allen confirms to be actually scientifically accurate) was his little outlet. His only way of telling his family and the world who and what he really is, and how to stop him.

Because deep down he always loved Debbie and Mark.

And he doesn’t want to conquer earth.

[rei-ismyname]

X-Men hating X-Force

After their effectiveness tracking Cable and destroying Predator X in Messiah Complex, Cyclops commissioned X-Force as a proactive black ops squad. They handled threats like The Purifiers, The Legacy Virus, Bastion, Marauders, The Right, etc. Anyone with genocide on their mind.

Word got out and many X-Men were horrified to the point of leaving - but why?

Nightcrawler and Psylocke (ironically) figured out something was being kept from them and that Cyclops knew about it. Laura doing a spot of lethal torture tipped them off and Betsy confirmed it telepathically. Kurt, especially, was not happy. He died shortly after, which exacerbated everyone's emotions.

Ugh. Greg Land.

After Second Coming and the defeat of many of the more dangerous genocidal agents, folks had time to think. Despite fighting ten different wars at once with fuck all outside assistance (and definitely none from the state,) certain folks made clear their objections to killing in general. Storm asked Scott what Jean would think and we never get an answer on that one. Jean was dead for this 'darkest hour' period after M-Day though she did join Krakoan X-Force to be 'smart, swift and violent.' The canonisation of St Jean was often used as a symbol and rhetorical device, but I have to wonder how she'd behave in the same circumstances.

Xavier, upon sensing no remorse from Scott, looked at him like a stranger. I guess secret drastic action is only okay when he does it - like The Illuminati, or the secret team that didn't come back from Krakoa, or his entire career. It's not always a bad thing, but it often is. The existence of the Xavier Protocols makes his stance a little hypocritical IMO, and that was plans for killing allies not proven ruthless enemies.

It's easy for him to say 'I never wanted this for you' while admitting he's facing every nightmare scenario at once - a multi-front war of genocide. With stakes like that, how do you not kill people? Victory came with a high cost and was a close thing, without X-Force they definitely would have lost. All mutants dead, but with their conscience intact. Somehow I doubt the kids would find comfort in that.

Storm and Logan are processing Kurt's death and the revelation of X-Force hangs in the air. Logan is full of self loathing, and frankly, Storm is full of shit. Their enemies are genocidal monsters who deliberately target children. The Purifiers have lynched mutants, blown up a school bus, and so much more. Their mission hadn't changed at all - in fact they were escalating and joining Bastion plus every other hate militia for a final attack. The state is unwilling or unable to stop them - waiting around for them to attack again, especially with kids on the island, is suicidal.

Heroes don't kill, except when they do. Most heroes aren't constantly at war without a safety net either. Would it be ethical to be the last mutant alive fighting every threat alone, thinking 'at least I didn't kill anyone' as Nimrod tears your heart out? As The Purifiers crucify Academy X, or the Sapien League releases the Legacy virus mark 3? I don't think so. None of them want war, but war wants them.

Hank, of course, leaves. Now that most of the extinction threats are gone he can hang out in Avengers Tower or chill at home without being worried about a robot from the future killing him or his remaining putative students.

I don't say this very often but Namor is right. Fuck Hank's conscience. He's no stranger to opting out of mutant affairs, and in a different story that'd be a viable choice. The X-Men exist in a world of heroes where an endless parade of very dangerous entities specifically want to kill them all. They act as heroes often, but are they actually allowed to be? I'd say no. Especially post M-Day, every threat to mutants is a genocidal one - a war.

Could X-Force have been better? Of course. Would it be nice to have the luxury of traditional superheroics or pursuing a normal life? Definitely. Would the world be better off without X-Force? Depends on whether you value mutant lives. In the sixties, X-Force would be considered a Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. As a long running franchise the X-Men's enemies experienced power and motivation creep to the point that they're at war no matter what they do. Ethics are nice to hold onto, but so is breathing. So are the lives of children in your care. If they waited they'd be dead, so these mutants may not like X-Force, but they should probably say a prayer to it for removing the threats that would destroy the school (again) and everyone in it

Scott's assessment is pretty accurate here. Unlike The Avengers, The X-Men aren't a government sponsored team - the government frequently tries to wipe them out. Unlike the Fantasic Four, the X-Men are mostly despised by the public. The other super teams are fickle allies at best.

They've always been a team with a school, and a school means children. How many children need to die before a policy of reactiveness becomes naive? How many genocide attempts or successes before you classify it as a war? The Avengers fight Kang or Ultron or whoever and that's great for them. The X-Men would be helping if they weren't attending funerals, raising mutant children because nobody else will, and fighting for their lives against the countless parties who want every single mutant dead. They don't get the choice most of the time, and when they do it's often because there're other mutant teams doing what they won't.

If the narrative wants to convince me that lethal proactivity is unethical, including unwavering enemies that won't stop until all mutants are gone was a mistake. Putting Norman Osborn in charge of national security, who included mutant existence as a threat to that was a mistake. But they did, and we all have to play the hand we're dealt.

Many of the mutants who objected to X-Force were powerful or well-trained enough to protect themselves non-lethally. What about those who aren't? The X-Men came to the Morlocks' rescue, but it's called the Mutant Massacre for a reason. In a story where endless forces want every mutant dead - which becomes more true every year - fighting a limited and bloodless reactive war is a luxury.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi nalyra!

Regarding your latest post about going into the tags, I've been having a similar experience to be honest, especially lately. Definitive factors are the lack of news and s01 and s02 leaving us for 4+ years with this "tale". So much so that I've been actually starting to take it as face value too. Because really what does one have to say otherwise? Hints? Hints are not canon yet so they can't count as proof -also we don't know how they are going to be used.

Promised revisits? Yeah we saw those in season 2 and they definitely did not help change the tale. Contradicting promises and half truths from cast? It's not enough to rely on. The responses are often more about how the actors interpret their characters motivations not what the writers actually write and how they see the characters.

I really don't wish to be negative but I think it's equally possible that season 3 will infact not turn everything onto its head and this is largely based on the creative decisions taken so far. So many relationship dynamics were changed to their core eg. Armand-Louis.Core events altered completely, murder scene, trial scene etc.

And may I just add here a comment about rolin and not everyone has to agree this is just my impression, but listen to the way he talks.

Nickistat is a "super emo relationship", lestat is always described with epithets like "messy" "volatile", the world "sexy" was used a lot. Emphasis is given on how this is the Monster Vampire Show where everyone is equal in monstrosity because that's how monsters monster.

I really don't mean to dump all over anyone's dreams here but when people speak they show you who they are and what their intentions are. How hannah reacted to the 1x5? That's who she is and what she believes and what she writes stems from this.

When they spoke of the 1x5 revisit they were speaking like they somehow altered the whole series and its trajectory when infact no? The scene interpretation and its fall out stays exactly the same. Has stayed the same for the audience!

In no interview did they mention about setting up how lestat functions as the hero in the VC universe, not because to use a quote "this guy is a mess" but of how horrible things keep happening to him (some based on his bad decisions but others not) and he keeps going some times with existential angst others with a joie de vivre.

They did not mention or give emphasis on how the core of iwtv was parental grief, and how it WAS supposed to be about claudia.

We cannot expect season 3 to magically alter all of That. The edited tale very likely will never change but instead "added upon" let's say with some revisits and clarifications.

As of right now 90% of the Fandom is confused and to that i say it's not because all the pieces are missing its because the pieces don't match.

The writers intentions vs the actual book arcs and characters don't match right now there is a dissonance.

I apologize for the offensively long post, of course anyone can feel free to disagree I love hearing how other iwtv fans are experiencing the series and fandom and their thoughts on the future season(s).

And massive thanks to you Nalyra for providing this space that is much needed!!

You're welcome.

I mean... I do think the revisits helped to change the tale? And massively so, because the "sales man" comment alone made it clear that there had been whole memories implanted.

Should have made it clear, I need to say though I guess, because that for example is what I meant.

People... don't take the mental step back to evaluate the tale they were told. They "waited" for the big revisits to change everything they had been shown.

And what the show did instead - was change key scenes... and it expected everyone to be able to follow.

To re-evaluate why Lestat in 1x05 did not have blood on his face outside or in the sky... but was shown in the revisit to have had blood all over - for example. Because it's an implanted memory!!! The hair styles also indicate that, I have talked about that at length before.

What really happened out there is up to interpretation right now, and I do think it has to do with the arc they try to do that Sam hinted at.

But this way of revealing things... and expecting people to have the mental capacity to reevaluate the whole show after the fact... THAT is what did not work.

At least for some.

Because I have seen enough fan reactions to know that it did NOT in fact stay the same for the whole audience.

I do not expect s3 to give us many more explicit revisits. I do expect a revisit to "murder night" because the words in Claudia's diary do not match and the revisit was hinted at before.

But Lestat did not go and contradict everything Louis said in his book - some, yes, but not everything?? - so why would s3 do that.

No the show is not the books, and yet it is.

It is an adaptation.

I do not like all of the choices... but what I do get is what they intended with the revisits and how these few key scenes do, in fact, actually do change the whole tale.

Go on, nonny, do a rewatch.

Look at Lestat's hair in Louis' memory, and notice the hair in what turned out to be a wrong memory... notice what Louis could not have known, but told of, and then... re-evaluate.

Because that is what this show wanted us to do with the revisits :)

Because it's all in there already... and THAT - as much as it frustrates me, given parts of the fandom not understanding it 😅 - is quite ingenious.

[yael-art-den]

Ref sheet for my Beastkin (Artic wolf) Hvass. He's a "loner" AKA a guy who voluntarely left all social pack life to go live on the wilds on his own. A freak, culturally speaking.

Beastkin (Beastfolk or Hombres-Bestia as I got them in writing), especially Wolfkin have complex social groups and rules that very clearly define your place in the social hierarchy and how you must act with people that are higher/lower than you on that scale. A lot of that includes micro-expressions and body language; things that are... hard for others to understand when you're always in a half-feral form. Hvass doesn't like to show his face to strangers, so he's seen as "rude" because others can't infer further meaning other than strictly literal. That's not his intention, but that kind of behavior is often tagged as cagey at best, and outright lying at worst. His wolf head actually emotes and does facial expressions, but people aren't usually able to interpret them and ask to see his "real" face which is, in contrast, very inexpressive.

Living on your own is only seen in teenagers and early adults trying to find a new pack or create their own groups, and it's a behavior that is expected to end when someone becomes an adult and settles in a group. When you live in a Monster Hunter-esque world in terms of wild danger, big groups mean a bigger survival chance. Being an adult without a pack subtly means that "no one wants you in their group" and it's seen as a personal failure; though it's sometimes romanticized in storytelling (in a similar way that werewolves or pirate romance stories are, "Oh what if this hot and mysterious stranger took me").

Hvass has tried and failed for most of his early adult life to make it work with different groups, but it never did. He's BAD bad at reading social cues and cannot physically imitate the body language of others (dog heads don't work the same way as humans do). There have been times when he thought he was doing fine and then discovered people didn't want him there anymore and he was just supposed to Get It and leave. All of that distrust in people made him become very quiet (which was also bad! now you're just a wolf-headed freak whom people think can't talk!) until eventually he decided to fully live on his own.

He's "friendly" though extremely cautious and has built a lot of walls around himself. He's learned that he doesn't know how to tell when people are lying, so he keeps his distance until you can prove that you're trustworthy. Still, he's not a talkative person even when he likes you.

He has an adoptive bio kid. He's 90% the child is his (found him abandoned near the path of a pack he spent some... time with in the past) and he shares the same quiet "weird" behavior that he does. He's a great dad, but having to raise a kid made him stop and think for a long time what he was going to tell him about the world. You cannot tell a kid that others are scary and will lie and hurt you, and that people are weird and complex and you cannot understand them. You can't tell a kid there is no hope. But he cannot just lie, it's a complex problem for him.

Claws and (wolf) jaws are natural weapons, but he needs to use ACTUAL weapons to hunt. That's not an issue when you hunt in groups, and certain hunts or particularly traditional packs forbade their use. Why are you (as a beast) using tools.

[witch1nghour]

𝜗𝜚 ⠀𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗕   ﹔   various  sentence  starters   (   platonic/romantic/antagonistic/etc   )  from   JEKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL   (   1990   )   .  please   , like   or  reblog if   you   plan   on   using   .   don’t   claim   as   your   own   .   content   warning   :   tw murder, violence, religion  .   

in  each  of  us  there  are  two  natures.

he's  beyond  help.

he  stil  has  a  soul  -  as  pure  and  good  as  yours  or  mine.

madness  is  the  cruelest  of  all  prisons.

there  must  be  a  way  to  help  him.

my  theories  convince  me  there  is  a  better  solution.

use  your  gifts  wisely.

once  there  was  morning,  now  endless  night.

if  I  could  reach  you  I'd  guide  you  and  teach  you  to  walk  from  the  darkness  back  into  the  light.

please  try  to  hear  me.

I'll  never  desert  you  -  I  promise  you  this  till  the  day  that  I  die.

I  need  to  know  the  nature  of  the  demons  that  possess  man's  soul

why  does  he  revel  in  murder  and  madness?

I  need  to  find  a  way  to  get  inside.

I  need  to  try  to  separate  the  good  and  evil  -  if  I  can.

give  me  courage  to  go  where  no  angel  will  go.

there's  a  face  that  he  hide  till  the  nighttime  appears.

man's  a  master  of  deceit.

what  is  his  sinister  secret?

if  we  could  extract  all  of  the  evil  from  each  of  us  think  of  the  world  we  could  create!

what  makes  you  think  you  have  the  right  to  play  god?

my  fate  is  yours  to  choose.

I  did  try  to  warn  you.

you  should  exercise  greater  caution.

you  have  come  this  far,  remember  what  you  have  at  stake.

comments  on  style,  madam,  should  never  be  made  by  those  who  have  none.

you'll  get  what  you  want  in  the  end,  you  always  do.

the  only  thing  to  fear  is  the  unknown.

we  knew  there'd  be  a  price  to  pay.

look  in  my  eyes  -  who  do  you  see  there?

love  is  the  only  danger.

we'll  make  our  one  dream  come  true.

you  know  who  I  am...take  me  as  I  am.

give  me  you  hand  -  give  me  your  heart.

swear  to  me  we'll  never  part!

goodnight,  my  angel.

goodnight,  my  devil.

if  we  want  our  love  to  grow,  we  musn't  be  afraid  of  letting  go.

you  are  playing  a  very  dangerous  game.

a  little  touch  of  sin  -  why  wait  another  minute?

why  should  tonight  be  different?

here's  to  the  night!

if  you  only  knew  the  games  we  could  play.

you're  not  up  to  the  chase.

you  have  got  a  lot  to  lose  ...  think  of  the  consequences.

for  all  these  years,  I've  faced  the  world  alone.

I  have  started  this  alone  ...  and  I  must  finish  it  alone.

I  have  a  thirst  that  I  cannot  deprive.

tonight  I'll  take  from  all  mankind,  conquer  all  the  gods.

I  see  the  pain  in  your  eyes.

have  I  become  my  work  and  nothing  more?

what  kind  of  monster  would  do  such  a  thing?

I  am  in  love  with  the  things  that  I  see.

if  someone  like  you  found  someone  like  me  then  suddenly,  nothing  would  ever  be  the  same.

I'd  feel  so  alive  if  someone  like  you  loved  me.

it  warms  my  heart  to  know  that  romance  still  blossoms.

how  dare  you  speak  to  me  like  that?

you  don't  seem  like  yourself.

I've  been  better,  name  ...  I've  been  better.

I  did  everything  I  could  to  save  the  others.

I  am  dangerous.  more  dangerous  than  any  wild  animal  stalking  its  prey  ...

my  love,  what's  happened  to  you?

I  must  be  left  alone  to  finish  what  I've  started.

yu  never  promised  me  the  journey  would  be  easy  -  only  that  we  would  take  it  together.

you  were  heaven-sent  to  me,  was  it  never  meant  to  be?

don't  abandon  me  now,  name.

if  you  need  me  you  know  where  I'll  be.

did  you  really  think  that  I  would  ever  let  you  go?

do  you  think  I'd  ever  set  you  free?

you  will  never  get  away  from  me!

this  is  not  a  dream,  my  friend,  and  it  will  never  end!

no  matter  what  you  may  pretend.

I'll  rejoice  as  you  breathe  your  final  breath.

there's  a  beast  at  the  door,  and  he's  wild  and  free.

[barksenji]

DÉJÀ VU: YOU'RE A DUMBASS, SANS.

I'm starting to think that I probably should make a tag for this. What do you guys think? Again, Déja Vu is a Dusttake from Dusttale that focuses more on Sans' paranoia and mental decline. Hope you enjoy this one. Lol.

Here's the AO3 link;

As soon as Alphys saw Sans, she sensed something wrong with him. He was slouching like always, hands stuffed deep in his hoodie, but he seemed oddly restless. His grin was still there, but it was stretched too thin, like it might shatter any second. And when he spoke—

"hey, alph. got a sec?"

His voice was off. Too stiff. Too careful, like every word took effort to hold together.

He hesitated before handing her the papers. He’d asked her to review something about the timeline—something about resets—but what she got was barely legible. It was a mess—fragments of text scratched over one another, formulas spilling into margins like they'd been written in a panic.

"Uh... Sans—what is this?"

"I told you, it's about the timeline," he muttered. His eye lights flicked nervously between Alphys and the pages in her hand. "something’s off. It's not right. like an… an echo? or, uh, a ghost? but without the sheet."

Alphys frowned, flipping through the pages awkwardly. The words were a blur. They made no sense.

"N-no! I mean, I get that you're talking about, uh... resets? b-but this—this doesn't make sense. I can't read it."

She made a brief pause.

"S-sorry."

Sans gave a dry chuckle, his hand pointing shakily to a specific formula with a bony phalanx.

"Sure it does. It’s easy, like Sunday morning... except it’s not a song. Heh."

R = T(∞) - T(0). The page read.

"A reset should erase everything, right? but it doesn't. something sticks. something stays behind. why?"

"Uh— you say something stays?"

"yeah. look at this."

His finger slid to another part of the page. Alphys squinted, trying to follow.

1/(T - R) → ∞ as T → R.

"When the timeline approaches the restart point, something happens. something weird. something that shouldn’t. a singularity, maybe? quantum collapse? a mistake? a... a probability? or—oh—wait—it's a choice. is that it? That must be it."

Alphys tried to keep up. She really did. But Sans was jumping between ideas too fast, like his mind was racing on parallel tracks that never fully met.

"Sans… I think you need to rest."

His hands clenched into fists. He was shaking.

If someone said the same fucking thing again, he swore to god—

"no."

His voice came out sharp. Too sharp.

"just… please. help me, okay?"

Alphys stiffened. Sans never asked for help in these kinds of things. Never. But the way he looked at her—strained, his eyes wide with exhaustion, the almost pleading undertone—made her throat tighten.

"A-ah... O-okay. I'll do what I can."

For a second, his tension seemed to ease. Then, before she could react, he pulled her into a hug.

"thank you."

His voice was quiet, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"god. thank you so much."

Alphys froze.

"I-it’s nothing, Sans."

———

It wasn’t long before he was back in the lab.

This time, something had changed. There was an unspoken understanding between them, heavy in the air.

Genocide.

Neither spoke for what felt like an eternity. And then—

"Sans—I checked your notes and—I couldn’t—"

"I need you to use the determination extractor on me."

Alphys felt her breath hitch in her chest.

"WHAT?!" She nearly dropped her clipboard. "How—how do you even—"

"buddy, i need you to do it. right now. or i'm going to do something real stupid."

There was something frantic in his voice, like he was running out of time. Like he’d already made up his mind, and these were just formalities.

"You’re out of your mind!" Her voice cracked. "It wasn’t made—it wasn’t made for monsters, Sans! I could kill you! It won’t work—"

Sans grabbed her shoulders—too rough, too sudden—and Alphys barely had time to process the desperation in his grip before she saw it.

The lights in his eyes burned red. A deep, searing red with the faintest flicker of sky blue, like a dying ember.

My god. So it was true.

"alphys. i need it. i need you to do it now. or i’m gonna do it myself."

There was a moment—an awful, fleeting moment—where she almost caved. His voice, his expression, the sheer need in his words…

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t let him do it. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something went wrong again.

"You know what? It’s okay. Yeah, it’s fine—do whatever you want, pal. i—yeah."

Before she could react, Sans turned away—

—so she grabbed him.

She clung to him tightly, shaking.

"I-I’m not going to let you do it! Please, Sans. The risk is too great." She begged. "We can—we can fix this together! We can keep looking for answers—"

"i’m tired of looking, alphys."

His voice barely rose above a whisper.

"i just—"

A pause. A breath.

"i just wanna forget."

And then he was gone.

A shortcut. A flicker of blue light. And when Alphys tried to follow—

The entrance to the True Lab was blocked. Thick, towering bone walls sealed every path.

Her stomach twisted.

"Sans… what are you doing?"

---

The machine loomed before him.

Even looking at it made something in his soul twist. He knew what this thing did. What it had done. But he pushed that feeling aside.

There was work to do.

He wouldn't have to give a shit if he didn't remember anything in the first place.

He wouldn't have to care.

The thing was, the system wasn’t built for someone like him. It was locked behind layers of security—redundant checks, energy barriers, biometric scans. He spent what felt like an eternity picking it apart, bypassing one system after another, forcing the piece of trash to acknowledge him as an eligible subject.

Finally—

The machine hummed to life.

Sans didn’t hesitate. He stepped into the containment chamber, bones heavy, sockets dark.

The process began immediately.

First—the scan. His soul flickered into visibility, bright and trembling in his chest. He barely had time to take in the sight before—

Pain.

A searing, pulling, wrong sensation as the machine latched onto his essence, analyzing, deconstructing. His soul shuddered under the weight of it.

Then—the extraction.

Hooks digging into him, yanking, ripping. A deep, awful tearing sensation that cracked through his form. His body trembled violently. He couldn’t breathe—couldn’t think—

It hurt. God, it hurt so much.

And then—the liquidification process.

Determination seeped out of him, pooling into the tubes. The bright red substance siphoned away like it was nothing. Like he, once again, was nothing.

His vision blurred. His thoughts slowed. His hands—his body—his soul—

He barely stayed conscious.

Somewhere, distantly, he felt a bitter, hollow sympathy for the poor bastards who’d been in here before him. The humans who had suffered through this.

At least they had been built for it.

He wasn’t.

He was going to die.

Oh god, he was—

---

He woke with a gasp, his hands instinctively reaching toward his soul. His fingers trembled, his breath erratic, the overwhelming sense of panic tightening around his chest.

And then, realization.

...No way. No fucking way.

He scrambled out of bed, disoriented and desperate, rushing toward his drawer. He pulled it open with frantic hands. He yanked out a mirror. His breath caught in his throat as he held it up—

"SANS! WAKE UP, YOU LAZYBONES! WE HAVE WORK TO DO! MAYBE TODAY, WE'LL FINALLY CATCH A HUMAN!"

No. Fucking. Way.

Across resets?

...Really?

...How?

Why?

The questions slammed into his mind. For a moment, there was a brief flicker of fascination, even curiosity. In any other situation, he might’ve lingered on those thoughts, but those feelings were quickly drowned out by the crushing weight of devastation.

He wished he’d just melt away, like all the others.

"...Sans?"

His gaze shifted, his eyes hollow with a distant kind of sorrow.

"You're a dumbass."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know."

"I know, Paps. I know."

Imagine realizing that even if you get rid of your determination, it'll just respawn next reset. Couldn't be me! The determination extractor did not extract the determination, sadly. It did however worsen his mental state. Yippee! Hooray!

[lord-squiggletits]

Y'know I kind of feel like when Megatron killed Tarn and said 'I want you to spend your final moments thinking of this: that everything you've done has been for nothing' he was kind of self-projecting onto Tarn? Mainly because at Megatron's statue, M and T had a conversation where Tarn explicitly asked if all the Decepticons in service to Megatron died for nothing, if HE did everything he did for nothing. (And I think M even gave an answer along the lines of 'idk I think we basically did'). And then after Megatron killed the DJD and Rodimus teleported in to rescue him, there was that silent moment where Megatron just stared at Rodimus not moving at all before he finally took his hand at the last moment.

It honestly feels to me like for a while, Megatron fully intended to murder-suicide himself. Murder the DJD, his monsters and his creation, and then take himself out alongside them, because he is also a monster. Because he also feels that everything he's ever done has been for nothing.

Goddamn it's no wonder I liked that scene so much LMAO, as someone who thinks villain Megatron > Autobot Megatron, literally one of his key traits is that Megatron basically took his pain/trauma/worldview and used it to lash out at the universe and try to subjugate it to his vision. So the fact that he took his own pain and brutally murdered the DJD while telling them the very same thing that puts him through so much agony is so very deliciously ironic. And a return, however brief, to the Megatron characterization that I know and love.

[katerinaaqu]

I am honored that you liked it! Yeah it is a shame indeed given how it is part of the theme of the poem. I am happy you think so! And I am also happy you shall put it in the list of it.

Hmm...can't say I have any since like you I haven't read the entire thing either but seen bits and pieces out there so I am not sure how much I can contribute but from what I remember it is incredibly inaccurate in many things for instance they made her be raped? How? Like that doesn't make sense at all. In fact in the Odyssey it is implied she will be scared of Odysseus's sword but that seemed more at the logic of fairytale on how to defeat a witch aka "do this and then she shall do this". In fact Hermes even warned Odysseus that he has to make her promise that she wouldn't try anything at him while he is vulnerable. She also randomly added a romantic past with Hermes for no reason? I suspect that this is because in the Odyssey it is mentioned that Odysseus's arrival was announced as a prophecy to her by Hermes? Dunno but that is not part of mythology of hers to my knowledge She DOES have a relationship with a god though and is Poseidon. According to Nonnus in his Dionysiaca she is the mother of Faunus, one of the followers of Dionysus, whom she got with Poseidon and there is no mention to violence to my knowledge.

Also for some reason she pulls some idea out of nowhere that "oh these evil men wanna rape me so I turn them into pigs because they deserve it" or something if I remember correctly which again to my knowledge has nothing to do with Circe's lore. There is ONE source (surprise surprise! Ovid again!) who mentions a myserious love story with a man named Picus (which is latin for woodpecker) because she was filled with lust upon laying eyes upon him. He rejected her and she got furious and cursed him so he turned into a woodpecker. The angry men that followed their prince came against her with spears to attack her and she just defended herself with her magic. But in here it seems more like Circe not being able to take rejection, feeling her fury take over and show her incredible power (and a bunch of men coming to kill her seem powerless against her) From the same writer (and also Hyginus) and the whole love story she had with Glaucus is even worse. In Hyginus she basically loved him and he was in love with the nymph Skylla, whom Circe transformed to the known monster we know in the Odyssey (and Skylla's nature and parentage are totally different in the Odyssey) and she transformed the nymph by poisoning the water to which she usually bathed. In Ovid we have the other side of her story in which Glaucus was aiming to earn Skylla's heart but she was not willing. Glaucus went to Circe for help. He basically begs her to enchant Skylla so she would feel the same flaming passion that he did and that he was the only one suitable for her. Circe gets angry and tells him that he better go and find someone who is actually willing but then she proposes herself as his match. She expresses her love for him with very warm words in fact she says "I want to be yours so better chase after me instead" but Glaucus says to her "sooner will seaweed grow on land and leaves in the sea than me forget my love for Skylla while she lives" and Circe got furious and attacked Skylla, transforming her to a monster (Sweet irony again how then we see that Skylla attacked Odysseus's comrades to hurt Circe according to Ovid...? Ok...)

We even have Parthenius present a story of a man named Calchus who arrived at the island of Circe...apparently about the same period Odysseus was there? But Circe was very much experiencing her passion for Odysseus and she didn't wanna let the guy land on her isle even though he kept trying till she got mad at him, lured him in and offered him the known meal transforming him into a pig. Much later his own people arrived to her island to claim him and she releases him but makes him promise never set a foot on her isle again or woo her again.

Either way none of them seems to be related to the context of the Odyssey at all. In fact many of the sources, minus the sources do not even speak on events that happened before the Odyssey but rather at events that either happen at the same time or later. One event I can imagine is the traumatizing dream that Circe had in Colchis in the roman retelling of Argonautica that is also rescued to my knowledge the best. But even then she basically had to witness a murder and cleanse those who performed it.

Apart from that and her settlement to the Aeaea I am not sure exactly what "game in the hands of the gods" Circe would be referring to or how Odysseus somehow raping a goddess (which again that is what I remember on the book, correct me if I am wrong) is some kind of trauma response or talk about it. Circe in the Odyssey and most sources for that matter, is a powerful goddess that deals with people for the funs of it almost literally. Even in Argonautica is mentioned she was already handling drugs that could turn others to animals. Many of her actions she chooses herself. Apart from an unlucky love life I am not sure how Miller did that to her book and why. I can hardly call Circe attacked by the gods yet alone a puppet. I definitely see Odysseus to that side of the spectrum but I fail to see how Circe would be suffering from something like that

Sure we can speak on the gods also being part of fate and not be able to change it and of course they suffer too but I am not sure what Miller refers to with what you said. I will need some more info for sure! ^^;

Hello! I just stumbled upon your blog when I joined The Odyssey community! If it isn't too much a bother to ask, what things, reccuring themes and characterizations do you feel are most important and iconic within The Odyssey?

I am asking this mostly because I really do like your rants and opinions, I find myself agreeing to a lot of what you say, which sorta surprises me because of your clear dislike of Epic, whereas I personally adore Epic: The Musical. (I stayed away from it for a while -I was wary of retellings, adaptions and what-not- until I finally got into it like, a month ago and since, I have been listening non-stop)

So, when I came onto your posts, I was immediately drawn towards your Epic based rants and your translations. Point for point, you hit all the parts I disliked about the musical, albeit, my dislike is obviously much milder, since I still love it. I also completely understoond your stance on source material over so-called retellings since I have felt and still do feel the same about other (unrelated to The Odyssey) medias and fandoms.

If you'd like to talk, I love to hear more of your thoughts! Tell me all of what you loved about The Odyssey. Refresh my knowledge and give me your insight! I'm getting back into reading it, since I read it only once before a long time ago. I have always been more of a casual enjoyer, but now I'm really trying to dip my toes in.

(You don't have to say anything about the musical either, I just really liked your rants on it and the corrections you made on the misinformation rampant in the fandom due to preconceived notions... Sorry, I talk a lot-)

Why hello and I am quite honored you discovered me hahahahaha oh my, my once again being known for my runts huh? Hahaha XD I can see why though! I am really honored you decided to ask me such intriguing question! Hahaha how dare you! You know I am a yapper about this book! Hehehe!

I would say one reoccurring theme in the Odyssey that I rarely ever see in adaptations is the theme of seeking of knowledge. I find it so disappointing how it is literally one of the main themes of the Odyssey and yet I rarely ever see it happening. It is literally at the first lyrics of the poem:

πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω

He saw many cities of men and gained knowledge from them

(Translation by me)

Odysseus was not just experiencing his homecoming. It was a cognitive trip; a trip where he learnt things and he achieved things on his way.

He didn't stop at the cave of Cyclops because he had nothing else to do or no food to go by. It is clearly stated in the Odyssey that the island of the Cyclops was extremely fertile and had many wild goats and other animals they could hunt and feed on. Odysseus entered the cave because he wanted to meet the people that lived there. He ignored the signs that showed the residents were non-human because he wanted to give a chance to whoever lived in that cave to show that they were more than what met the eye.

He met the land of Aeolia next. His stay in that land for one month was share knowledge with Aeolus. He told them his story, they also told him their own experiences, thus Odysseus knows about how Aeolus arranged the marriage of his children and all

He sent scouts to the land of the Laestrigonians and their city, he was though more prudent this time and assured a safe passage even if his comrades didn't follow his prudent stance this is what costed them their lives but one ship.

He shared knowledge with Circe, not only on the part of his trip that he needed to move on but also gained knowledge from her. One example is the mention of a cunning knot he learnt from her which he used later in his adventures. Small details like that.

He gained knowledge from Tiresias not only on how to break his curse but also on what happened the years he was away from his home.

He had no reason to hear the sirens! The sirens is exactly the manifestation of his trip being of cognitive nature. He wanted to hear them. He NEEDED the knowledge they provided! Removing that concept from his trip in any shape or form shows to me someone who does not understand the Odyssey (I know it is harsh to say but I feel like there is one part of the Odyssey that is so iconic like the 12 axes challenge and that is the sirens passage)

Odysseus learns in every part of his trip and uses that knowledge to future adventures. But what I also fail to see is how CONSCIOUS this knowledge-gain is. Of course he learns things accidentally too but most part of it is knowledge he chooses to acquire for himself.

Another theme that I do not see much is theme of fate and destiny. Odysseus is not some idiot who doxxed himself as most people use the overused joke. In fact his trip is so thick of plot that one way or another something would have happened to cause this wandering.

Troy was destined to stand 10 years (from the Iliad),

Odysseus was destined to go home in 20 (hence he needed extra persuasion to go to the war).

Polyphemus was prophesized before that he would have been blinded by a man named Odysseus (he just didn't know who that Odysseus would be)

but we also know that Odysseus was destined to meet Circe (Circe mentions how Hermes had warned her for the prophesized man coming to her isle. She probably was unaware on the identity of the man or how that man would arrive at her doors)

Odysseus was also cursed by Polyphemus that he would either never return or return alone without his companions and find misery at his home

The true line between fate and destiny and human will is very thin in greek mythology. However we also see that Odysseus tries repeatedly to change fate even if it is inevitable (see my analysis here). It is this human part of his that is so relatable! Also the fact that oftentimes in the joke people forget that Odysseus experienced the absolute horror in the cave of Polyphemus for days. Exhaustion and anger took the best of him as well as of course his ego being inflated that he had managed to take down such a powerful opponent. And of course the reoccurring misunderstanding that Odysseus never cared for anyone else but as I have also analyzed there that is simply not true. It is even stated in the Odyssey:

πολλὰ δ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν, ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.

He suffered many torments in his heart out at the sea, seeking to win his own life/soul and the return of his companions

(Translation by me)

The whole trip was always about Odysseus wishing to return them all safely home. Which is also part of his tragedy and shows why he went in so many lengths to save them etc.

I am honored that someone that likes this piece of media can still understand and even liking some of these opinions. I understand that for someone that genuinely like it might be a bit annoying or tiring but yeah I guess I love the original way too much! Hahaha! And okay I understand the songs are really catchy so it can be getting into someone's head easily but I am really delighted to hear you say that! And of course to be fair there are many things one can like about the musical for example the talent of the people related to it and their passion

However ironically that was the source of my dislike as well hehe I know it is paradoxical but when I see someone with obvious knowledge of the sources and passion for something, twist the original material to THAT degree...dunno I feel it even harder. I mean of course one does not expect it to be accurate but when I hear that and yet someone claim to adapt material I would expect of course these small details changing here and there for example adding dialogs with Poseidon (that is like a must in every adaptation minus the 1968 version I noticed...like Poseidon never interacted with Odysseus but that is something every adaptation adds!) or extra scenes with Hermes or whatever or even some of the details added. The problem is that the whole plot was twisted beyond repair, basic parts of the plot that made the plot unique and beloved were thrown out the window And BECAUSE I recognize the talent of the people involved AND seeing they had the chance as they did to make not only the Odyssey available to public but also influence more people to see it and they could do it by staying respectful to the material and yet they chose not to which increased as I said my disappointment. I was also very warm when I watched the first two sagas even if they were also inaccurate because they had exactly what I describe. So yes of course I absolutely understand why people would like it. Dang I absolutely do at least on the artistic department but the way as you brilliantly stated not only the plot but also the fandom of it has been at times it really got to me more than many things

So it is really a good change to see more people see this point of view too and I respect the fact that some people like it and yet do try to see the other view too. You are very kind for saying that!

Hahahaha dude you are asking a dangerous question! Hahahaha! I can talk about it forever! Hahaha Honestly what is there to me not to love about the Odyssey? For starters the fact that it is an ancient Greek poem, something linked to my country and my history and being loved in such a great degree and continue to inspire even almost 3000 years later, fills me with so much pride! Makes me inspired to do something similar! Like not caring if I will be a celebrity but someone see my work and admire it even if they do not know who I am...someone that can see this and continue to speak on it for generations to come... Of course many writers do the same as well like classical literature and all but for the specific one I feel so much pride!

The Odyssey arguably has everything! Romance, friendship and companionship, horror and peace, war and bloodshed and also tenderness of a family, drama and comedy, adventure and domestic life even daresay sci-fi details with the Phaeakes island that have literal robotic dogs created by Hephaestus for them. Odysseus is one of the most complicated personas in all literature history and earned that position in the hall of fame. Arguably even ancient Greeks and Romans could not handle the guy with so many different opinions that paint him from hero till villain. The same guy that held back from the battle till the proper moment and then abandoned his last escape to save Diomedes in the Iliad is now sailing to the seas. The same man that took Ismarus and slay the men and took women of it as his property and mentioning it as casually as he could was also crying his eyes out in guilt upon hearing a song about Troy and the way the city fell. The same guy that tenderly held his son and cried like a baby holding him and kissing him was also the same person that slaughtered 108 men in his palace and executed their allies in less than a day. The same guy who reigned the kingdom like a father; who embraced and kissed his slaves like equals, was also undoubtedly a strong leader and king who defended his authority with iron hand and he was ready to even slay his own brother-in-law when he defied him. The same man that held back from volunteering to face Hector in the Iliad and made sure he would be the last to be chosen, in the Odyssey he armed himself ready to face an immortal 6-headed monster all by himself. The man known for his mind and cunning and indirect ways is also known for being one of the greatest warriors known. Arguably even his age being one of the oldest kings in the Iliad and yet as Antilochus said he was also one of the fastest and more agile and one of the best in spear. The most pious and religious people to the gods, favored by one of the greatest goddesses of all, Athena, and loved by Zeus was also one of those who suffered a great deal from his hubris.

This man is the absolute perfection of contradictions in one body and the way he is portrayed by Homer especially in the Odyssey where he is the protagonist is a masterpiece of emotions. Arguably Odysseus is also one of the earliest male rape victims in literature for he was not just attempted to be raped and seduced but he had to literally sell his body once to Circe and then he was being forced by Calypso. A warrior that was absolutely powerless before the gods

The Odyssey is also a great allegory of the spread of Greeks to the Mediterranean sea before the official set of colonies and the way it provides us information on how they moved around. It is also an allegory on the dangers humans faced out in the sea, how they struggled and how the families left behind also struggled with the consequences. How the power of nature can bend someone but also how human with seer will can do incredible things Odysseus survived the impossible not because he had gods as parents or hardly any help from the gods itself with the exception of Leucothea in the last adventure and of course finally Athena to the final stage. Odysseus survived because of his seer will and his need to return home. Odysseus can be any one of us; a person who struggles every day; everything can hold us down and we might have no help or very little help from others but we must keep pushing through. The Odyssey also shows us the importance of companionship and family bonds, loyalty and trust. Odysseus didn't slay the suitors because he was a mary-sue all-powerful person. He had help from three loyal slaves (Euryclea, Eumaeus and Philoetius) and his son Telemachus. He didn't do it alone. He used the help of those who believed in him and quite frankly he faced a much less bad situation at his palace because of his wife's seer will and loyalty to not abandon the throne of Ithaca to anyone till he arrived.

The Odyssey is also about how there are many forms of strength. Penelope was not less strong than Odysseus because she didn't kill anyone with a sword. She was strong for keeping more than 100 men and several parts of the household that were betraying them with her seer will and mind. Telemachus was both a fighter and someone who tried to see the best in people and that saved his life (when he spared Theoklymenos at his return from his trip. Theoklymenos was a man who had committed murder. Telemachus chose to give him a chance and in return he received the prophecy of Theoklymenos that the suitors were planning an ambush) Odysseus also learnt forgiveness in one way when he was ready to start another bloodshed by the end of the Odyssey when the families of the suitors saught revenge but Athena stopped it, making sure both sides stopped the never-ending circle of violence. Nausicaa is an example of loving someone and yet you must respect their wishes and let them go. Telemachus is an example of self-discovery... The very realistic scenario of someone not recognizing the place they left for so long and people not recognizing you back. That you have to work yourself through the very same place you left behind! Even Telemachus as a character not even knowing what to believe anymore about the father he never met, not knowing whom to listen and whom not to etc. like a realistic scenario of absent veteran fathers who disappeared a long time ago...

Honestly...what ISN'T the Odyssey?! It is in my opinion one of the most complete pieces of literature that opens the way in many things! I am really happy you shall decide to look at it more attentively and I hope you shall enjoy it because honestly it's worth it.

(My friend I do not mind at all speaking about it. I am just not a fan so I am just asking the understanding of anyone that I am not gonna be very positive about what I mention and say. However I shall try not to be hater with no reason or logic, that I can promise to try)

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi and thanks so much for answering my last ask, don't mean to spam! but i have some follow up questions based on your answer, so is the audience generally meant to operate like the majority of season 1 and 2 was false?

What i mean is if none of the most "incriminating" for a lack of a better word scenes never get revisited, drop scene, train scene, murder scene tower scene, trial, even antoinette with the finger thing, which I think unlikely surely we will receive some additional information for maybe a couple of these, but if we don't, the audience should still not take the events of season 1 and 2 at full face value? Doesn't that sort of invalidate the story itself? If it can all be questioned and disputed the impact for the watcher who was invested time and feelings for two seasons sort of becomes less? If that makes sense ?

And it would sort of be a cop out, for me personally I think either the series has taken a huge gamble taking 6 years to show the audience the complete story and it must land to pay off or it may remain with answers left unanswered and plot holes up to questioning in perpetuity and up to everyone's interpretation for better (or if you go on Twitter 😬) for worse?

Sorry for talking your ear off about this, promise I won't bother you anymore with this, thanks for reading 😊 😀!

Oh, bother away :)

The thing is... this is how the books are as well.

And so I do NOT see this as a "cop out", I do NOT see it as something out of the... let's say ordinary.

The Vampire Chronicles are a series of books written by vampires. Most of them by Lestat, some by Louis, Armand, Marius, and others.

They are their stories.

These stories are written for an effect, for a reason. Louis' told his to Daniel after Claudia's death, still angry and yet still numb, mourning. Lestat wrote his in an answer to Louis'. Queen of the Damned is a collection of stories of various characters but written down by Lestat. And so on.

This format includes in and by itself and per default a point of view. And an intention.

Of course these characters hide some of the truth within the narrative. Of course Armand tries to soften the blow of what he did with Claudia in his own recount of the tale. For example. Of course of course of course :)

The show does the same, in its own way.

They have Louis tell the story to Daniel, and he does it again, for a reason. Daniel has been called Louis' lifeline for the second interview, meaning Louis tried to break himself free with it. Because Louis knew deep down that some things were not true. But Louis also presents Lestat as a monster because he's angry.

I said it before, I expect the end of 1x05 to be revisited, quite often, actually, and expanded with more context. Not "just" the drop, but the dragging and spoken parts as well - and the aftermath. None of that fits with what we saw in the revisit after all, and Sam's words and the "possessed" comment in 1x06 rang all the bells in my head wrt Amel.

The train scene cannot have happened as shown, they don't need to revisit that, they gave us all the clues already.

The hotel scene and Antoinette's finger cannot have happened as shown either, there, too, the clues are all there.

Murder night... well, we have the not-fitting diary already as a clue - the only other person who can give account of that - and, more importantly maybe, DOES so in his own book - will have his say in season 3. There I do expect a revisit, yes. Maybe only a short one. But I BET Lestat has a thing to say about that.

The trial will be revisited in some kind of way as well - Sam already mentioned that he has the "original" of that scene/script, and there was an extra back then, who mentioned they filmed more than made it into the season. There, too, I expect Lestat, the only other participant still living after all, to have a word to say about it. Again, which he also does in his book.

IWTV seasons one and two... are a tale. An influenced tale.

The discrepancies are riddled through it everywhere - all the dates are off(!), the stab wounds in Lestat's back in 1x01 disappear, Lestat cannot have talked to Louis' mind directly in 1x02, and I seriously doubt that he would have let his brand new fledgling run out into the sun. Seriously doubt it.

And so on.

They put clues in - like the hair styles, imho.

So no, you can not, in fact, take the story at face value.

But... forgive me, but that is the nature of a tale, isn't it?! Louis urges Daniel in 1x01: "Let the tale seduce you." He spins a tale, with what he knows and wants to tell. Louis does not lie per intention, not really, though he, too, lies ((Jacob literally says “not everything Louis says is a lie“ in this video)) ... but more to himself - and to shield Claudia... and to downplay his part in it. He literally says that in episode 2x07, that he "played down his role in it" (Claudia's turning)... he shields himself from the ugly truth and regret and pain, and that is... all too understandable I think.

This is not a "normal show", where you can take what you see as the absolute truth. For one - what exactly did we see? Louis' imagined scenes? Or Daniel's?? Probably Louis', but you get what I mean, right? Because it was a mix of memories and edited tale, not a neutral retelling! We do NOT have a neutral camera! We have a tale within a tale, and "supposedly" only the reunion scene had a neutral camera, according to Rolin!

For ME that is part of the attraction - and frustration :) - of the show.

Because I get what you mean, but it is a HUGE puzzle also, and we will never get a "this was the truth" mock-up.

All we will get are point of views and more tales, documentaries, and, if we're lucky, neutral cameras in the "present time". And hints.

Lots and lots of hints.

And, tbh, this is very much in line with the books, to come back to the beginning.

Lestat, in his book, literally says it to the "reader": "Read between the lines."

You have to.

You have to look at what's unsaid, and what does not fit. You have to note what is out of place, or what has reasons that character does not want to talk about. This holds for all of the chronicles.

And this plays into this vexing, ingenious and frustrating show :)

I ... feel quite confident though promising that the eventual rewatch value will probably be immense. :)))

Because if they continue like this????

Show of the fucking decade.

[random-autie-fangirl]

The saddest idea for what happened to Chara in Deltarune is that they climbed the Mt. Ebbot like in Undertale but well...since the monsters left early on, there's no-one to save Chara when they fall and so they just lie there or wander around wounded until they are..."erased from existence" just like they always wanted.

[kira-the-whump-enthusiast]

sorry this took me a while to get to!!

Historical or Futuristic

Defff prefer historical stuff. Idk I’m not really into sci-fi? Usually I write/read semi-modern or fantasy stuff. I have a soft spot for dystopian settings tho :D

Opening or Closing Chapter

I’m gonna be honest here, I have never written an ending chapter. And I don’t know how to! I’m bad at finishing things! It’s much easier for me to begin. And not even at the beginning. I just write something from the middle of a silly plot in my head and post it and just be like “here’s 3 sentences of explanation, have fun” and that’s my idea of an opening chapter woohoo.

Light and Fluffy or Dark and Gritty

Seriously, mad respect to the people who can write fluff. I can’t. I am anti fluff. All characters need to be in situations. Dark and gritty stuff is great but I think my tastes lie a bit in between. It can’t be all dark and gritty. Gotta be a little light stuff in there. Something to hope for. Otherwise I get depressed. 

Animal Companion or Found Family

I have a cat. I do not have a lowkey kinda shit family forcing me to rely on friends for all my family needs. I think my OCs usually end up with nice friend groups rather than like found family stuff specifically. Also one of my OCs has a time kitty who can control time. I think that’s really cool.

Horror or Romance

Look. Cocaine Bear vs Hallmark movies. I know which I’d rather watch. Obviously cocaine bear is not peak horror lmao but girl I am literally so tired of the romance genre and it’s 6 million cishet white man and cishet white girl fall in love Twilight-ass bullshit 😭 Also I’m aromantic. Romance isn’t cool unless it’s dysfunctional and toxic as fuck but not in like the heterosexual way in the queer way. If you get what I mean. Or they eat each other. Idk man. Horror is better. Honestly I think whump could count as a form of horror itself--some of the most horrifying stories I’ve read have been other people’s whump pieces. Horror is fucked up and owns it and I like that. I could go on but let’s leave it there.

Hard Magic System or Soft Magic System

Look I am so bad at making consistent rules. I just get a silly idea and I’m like “yeah I’ll make that work.” I could never make a comprehensive system for all this unless I bullshitted it. It feels like inventing math.

Stand Alone or Series

Literally can’t consistently write a series for the life of me. The devil grants me my writing skills and he gifts me motivation at completely random times for completely random ideas. The shit I post? That’s up to Satan, baby. Also I’m bad at making series so everything ends up being stand alone anyways just in case I never write the next one. I love love love reading series tho. Shoutout to writers who can do that I love you all very much.

One Project at a Time or Always Juggling 2+ 

Just look at my masterlist. My WIPs folder has like 10 projects in there. Never, ever have I been able to do one project at a time. Too many silly ideas in this accursed brain.

One Award Winner or One Bestseller 

I’d get embarrassed if so many people read my book,,, also I feel like winning an award is easier to brag about. Actually no if I do become a published author, I would ideally like to have a small but dedicated fanbase that makes a fuck ton of video essays and dissertations about my book. Also they have to be at least 10 years late.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi 

I like the silly things you can do in fantasy. Like immortality and curses and stuff. Idk how to explain it man. Also fantasy outfits are cooler sorry.

Character Description or Setting Description 

I am so bad at settings. Theyre all kinda vague in my head. Characters I’m better at. Also cuz I usually get a visual reference for them so it’s easier to describe them.

First Draft or Final Draft 

If I can get to it, that is.

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tagging uhhhh anyone who wants to jump in cuz I am become Tired and I cannot do a thought rn. have fun guys :D

This or That Tag

Thanks @verkja for the tag!

Historical or Futuristic

Hm…I prefer to write in a setting that’s loosely based on irl historically-inspired timelines. It serves as a sort of backdrop I can manipulate into an entirely different setting— which works great for writing fantasy. But if I’m reading, I love a futuristic setting.

Opening or Closing Chapter

Okay I love both but an opening chapter sets the stage— it can have so much tension and I love it when a story hits the ground running.

Light and Fluffy or Dark and Gritty

Dark and gritty! Serious undertones and desperate characters and the snap of a lighter in the background? Yes please.

Animal Companion or Found Family

Well, I’ve never written a character with an Animal Companion before, so we’re going with Found Family.

Horror or Romance

Eh, neither. Romance stories really aren’t something I enjoy and Horror may be slightly better, but if I had a choice, I wouldn’t read horror either.

Hard Magic System or Soft Magic System

I like the creative license a soft magic system gives me. I have tried to write a hard magic system but I often box myself in with rules that contradict themselves…so soft magic system it is.

Stand Alone or Series

Cannot for the life of me write a stand alone. The stories always drag on way past the ending I had planned so I usually try to write in trilogies or in interconnected stories.

One Project at a Time or Always Juggling 2+

Oh lord, I wish I wasn’t juggling so many. But my brain refuses to just work on one WIP— always bringing in different ideas, like the jerk it is.

One Award Winner or One Bestseller

If I was ever traditionally published, then I’d have to go with the award winner. I feel like it would be more satisfying, but idk.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi

Fantasy. Yes. That’s all >:D

Character Description or Setting Description

I struggle more with setting description than with describing my characters. I guess I’m worried I’ll bore my readers by over describing the scenery, and so by default writing setting also bores me.

First Draft or Final Draft

Ha it would be great if I could finish either. But yeah, final draft— I can’t think of anything I want more than holding a completed manuscript in my hands.

tagging: @kira-the-whump-enthusiast, @another-whump-sideblog, @whump-queen, @whither-wander-whump— if you want to, no pressure!

[icewindandboringhorror]

just a few little bits from the past few days

[em-b-sides]

I think about that tiktok trend where you like paint your partners eye color on your nails or make a bracelet or something with the color a lot actually

[mad-hunts]

one thing that i think about in regards to how complex barton's relationship with his kids is is that, at the same time that he will treat someone like poor jack (his youngest son) like he has no idea what to make of him, because he isn't 'like anyone in the family?' and thus, in turn, he is harshly critical on him? well... there are also these little 'blooms' of humanity that one may notice in their relationship, i suppose you could call them; and what i mean by that is that, over the years, barton has shown jack glimpses of humanity even though it may seem like he's deprived of it at least 50% of the time.

one example that stands out to me in particular is before jack was diagnosed with nightmare disorder, which — not so fun fact — kept him up for weeks on end once upon a time because his nightmares were so bad... barton slept in the same bed as his son because he was worried about him + might've even cuddled him a few times when things got particularly bad, like he did when jack was a baby. so once again, it's like. barton is ultimately a bad person, yes, because of everything that he's done. i certainly won't argue against that. but i think this shows that he is capable of being a semi-decent person.

and that makes it even more devastating that the path barton chose to take is the one that indirectly followed in his father's footsteps because it's also cruel as well as excessively violent.

[widevibratobitch]

laalalalala another vent post because i have no therapist to pay for listening to my bullshit