#this is before they get together for context
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
elkiwifuckedyourmom · 3 days ago
Text
not putting it in the notes since its a long one.
▪︎Caused a gas leak at school twice in the span of 2 hours in the last day of school.
(for context my school doesn't have halls, its all open aired. its uncommon to have closed schools in mexico)
i wanted to make pancakes for a convivio with a mini gas stove i brought to school and i thought "hey can't i just hook this bad boy up to one of the gas pipes inside the lab" (mind you the lab we had was a 3 out of 10 at best, no security nor safe equipment).
so i connected the tube to the stove and just hoped for the best, around a minute or so i began to smell the scent of gas in a direction that wasn't where i was with my mini stove, not in the 'oh its filling up' but of a 'uh oh gas leak', i inmediatly close the hatch and began investigating.
and thats when i saw my principal passing by and pointing me to her office. she inmediatly began questioning me as to what the hell i was doing, my answer in short "pancakes"; she sent me right back to my classroom and suprisingly didn't tell my teacher where i was.
around an hour or so passed until i was "screw this i want my pancakes" and just sneaked my way to the lab, unfortunatly for me it was in use but the teacher let me in for the exchange of some pancakes. same thing goes and now i have a classroom full of 13 year olds watching me in both pity and embarrasment as how i could possibly mess up a simple connection and causing yet another gas leak.
so before i got caught by my principle again or the teacher ratting me out, i grabbed my mini stove and booked it behind the lab mainly because there was where all the pipes and stuff was and also because i didn't wanted to get caught.
i got there and began to sniff out where the strongest gas scent was, and to my upmost surprise the pipes responsable were in such bad condition that it was a miracle the school hadn't gotten reported for this, I'm talking about rusted, only being put together by worn down masking tape, gnawed down by rats kind of bad.
honestly at the time i was insulted that they thought i was the reason for the leak.
anyway, in comes the teacher that was in the lab, an angry janitor (handyman? idk), and a very pissed off principal. she inmediatly began scolding me and all i did was point at the pipes, she saw them and just wiped her head to the janitor who had the color drained from his face.
taking advantage of the situation i just left with the stove, the rest of the day i didnt get called again by the principal.
i still wanted my pancakes.
what's the most demented thing you guys got in trouble for in school mine was when an english boy in my class made fun of my name and called my mum a (derogatory word for irish travellers) so i told him my ira uncle was in town and was coming to blow him up after school
24K notes · View notes
celuere · 18 hours ago
Text
it‘s happening again.
Tumblr media
pairing: ex!arlecchino x fem!reader
context: you just can‘t seem to get over her.
cw: modern au, desperate sesbian lex, rough sex, fingering, strap on,  unhealthy relationship, arle is very bad at feelings, hurt no comfort
word count: 900
art credits: bad thinking diary
got this idea while listening to right here from chase atlantic, i can‘t explain why it fits modern ex arle so well.
Tumblr media
hot.
you felt so incredibly hot.
she was burning you from inside with each skilled curl of her fingers sending sparks of ecstasy down your spine. your skin seemingly boiling with how her lips made sure to leave no spot untouched.
you promised yourself to not let this happen again. to not fall back into her net each and every time fate forces you to cross paths again. whether it be at a birthday party of your mutual friends, the gym you both frequent or your local bar. it always ended with your naked bodies entangled with each other. you were the fuel to her fire just like you were drawn to her flame like a moth in the darkest voids of your heart. starved. starved of her. of her touch, her scent, her voice, her very presence. every single fiber in your body was screaming for her. craving her. you could never deny yourself a night with her, even though you already know what will be awaiting you the next morning. 
your attempts to form a single sentence between the breathy moans and whines falling over your lips were immediately cut off by her mouth. plunging her tongue into yours to avoid any kind of confrontation, your teeth clashing together in the instance.
she should know better than this. than letting you get close to her heart again. but it was you. her heart. the bane of her existence. but in her mind she just wasn‘t good enough for you. never will be. she doesn‘t deserve waiting for you at the altar one day, to promise herself to you for the rest of her life. you were the only good thing that life brought her and she didn‘t trust that.
the arch of your back into her while she felt you clenching around your fingers were enough indicator of your orgasm. she would usually stop herself here. however couldn‘t bring herself to. the way your fingers ran through her silky hair, that pleading look she could still make out in the darkness of your bedroom. pleading for her to stay.
in a moment of weakness she flipped you around on your stomach, she had to get you out of her system once and for all.
„a-arle…“
„quiet.“, the sound of a drawer being pulled open followed by the rustling of leather caused your core to slowly melt. you knew what‘s next.
„ass up.“, you hated how much of an effect that sharp tone had on you. causing your already puffy clit to ache at the bare thought. it wasn‘t fair.
feeling the weight of your mattress sink behind you before a pair of tattooed fingers snaked around your hips and pulled you back against her. a whimper so soft and desperate fell out of your mouth as she lubed up the silicone by rubbing the shaft through your slick folds. the sight of your bare ass presented to her, waiting to be plowed into gnawed at her already declining self restraint. 
she was gentle and rough at the same time. robbing you of your last bit of dignity with each drive of her hips into yours, a strong contradict to how tender her hand ran along the length of your spine. 
truth be told, arlecchino was happy she didn‘t have to look at your pleasured face right now. how full of love your eyes still were for her. as if she was somehow deserving of it. it angered her how you couldn‘t see it. how you deserved better than this mess of a person she is. she wants to hand you the world on a silver platter but she can‘t. and she hated it.
she hated herself for being everything you crave yet not what you truly needed.
the sound of your pleading voice bounced off the tense bedroom air, „a-arle, can we- mh-!“, your sounds now coming out muffled as a strong hand pushes your head down into the pillow, her pace turning almost feral.
„can we talk?“
you knew it was a foolish question and you felt beyond humiliated for even trying in the first place. just like it‘s foolish of you to have kept some of her clothes to yourself when she moved out. or how her toothbrush is still sitting in the same glass as yours. or how you refuse to throw away the shared photos of you.
or how you planned on proposing to her.
she was the future you wanted but never got. a flower that was just about to bloom but was stomped down before it had the chance to.
arlecchino was everything you needed yet nothing you owned.
were you crying out of pleasure or heartbreak? you didn’t even know the answer yourself. your fluids soaking the sheets underneath you just like your tears were staining the pillow now. but you‘d cry even more if she stopped now and you felt even more pathetic for it. 
but nothing compared to the emptiness filling up your heart when you woke up in your bed the next day. alone. in a cold bed. with nothing but the soft ticks of the clock thats hanging on the wall filling the room as you stared at the open chat on your phone.
„can we please talk?“
delivered.
115 notes · View notes
1moreff-creator · 1 day ago
Text
Fool's Table MV - Analysis
I absolutely adore this MV so it's getting an immediate analysis post. I cannot fucking believe what was in it. After playing coy with Mai for so long, we get an entire MV about her and Teruko?!?! The Terumai stocks are through the roof and my adoration is immeasurable. Let's go!!!
Tumblr media
I hope I'm able to pick up on at least most of the most important details, I am doing this a bit off the cuff lol. As always, an important disclaimer is that the following is just my interpretation, I could be wrong about some things, and others may have multiple valid interpretations, I’m not claiming that my way of seeing the MV is the only “right” one, yadda yadda, you know this by now.
First, the description:
Together, alone, until the curtains close, I want to dance on the stage with you.
Pretty straightforward. The entire MV is framed on a stage, there's curtains, Mai and Teruko even dance. Just reinforcing the togetherness of Mai and Teruko (and don’t worry, we’ll get to that).
But, wait. Not everyone knows who Mai is, or what we already knew of her relationship with Teruko. That’s understandable, she’s had literally 9 seconds of screen time in the main series, and while it’s widely speculated she’s Unnamed Classmate, that’s not immediately obvious.
If you don’t know anything about her, I'll recommend you read up on the relevant sections of my secrets masterpost, since all you really need is her profile, Mai quotes and maybe her LGI numeral to understand this post. Or, if you're down for a longer read, my only somewhat outdated Mai post.
Next, we have to ask, what is Fool's Table actually about? I find it helps to talk about the song's overall meaning before diving into any specific lines, so we can better understand them in context.
Fool's Table is a song primarily about societal rules and expectations, and what it means to live within them. You'll see plenty of references to manners, people wearing masks, etc. The song also dwells on the concept that suffering is an inherent part of being human, and how to deal with this fact. The titular Fool's Table refers to life itself; it's framed both as a table, where society would claim manners and cleanliness are important, and described as a stage in various occasions, somewhere to dance and dirty and act on. You'll see what I mean when we get to line by line analysis, which this should be enough to get us started on, I think!
Tumblr media
We open on a shot of a table, filled with plenty of different foods. Given this is the "table of life", you can easily interpret this as a representation of the large amount of experiences which life can offer. Before Teruko and Mai appear, the following lyrics play:
I'll deliver the final blow Already, that kid has a pitiful look on their face Everything everywhere is in flames Savages acting "sensitive"
"Everything everywhere is in flames" is pretty straightforward, I think. A very Teruko-like sentiment. This sentiment is possibly why the table that represents life is shown upside down; being "upside down" is a way of showing that everything's wrong with it, and by extension the world. The "final blow" mentioned, in my opinion, is showing this "truth" to the "kid with a pitiful face." Basically, this kid, possibly a stand-in for all children, was already sad, and now you're telling them everything is in shambles because of "savages" who pretend to be more compassionate, "sensitive", than they truly are.
On its surface, this seems like exactly the kind of fatalism that Teruko has held throughout most of her life. However, the next lines actually recontextualize these statements in quite an important way.
Let's let the flowers bloom until the end From the cradle to the grave, there's not enough love! Impatient guests, in a hurry Everyone is wearing the same face
This reveals that the singer actually wants things to get better, "flowers to bloom until the end." Although discontent with the current state of the world, with all these people who have lost their identity ("wearing the same face") due to "being in a hurry" (which you can interpret in a few different ways but it's not all that important for us), they seem to believe there are ways to improve it. And this idea that the singer wishes to go against society and make a better world for themselves is immediately tied to Teruko in the next line.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
"You have no manners"
(The color's not actually in the MV just to be clear lol)
So first, sick animation. DRDTDev is awesome.
Anyways, there's the connection. For all that Teruko in current canon doesn't particularly believe her life can get better, she's certainly someone who goes against what is expected of her, here represented by dropping her cutlery and eating with her mouth. That's because Teruko doesn't think acting the way others act is going to help her, so she does her own thing. For example, pushing everyone away after the first trial, when others would want her to be more approachable. And with this idea, we reach Teruko's side of the table.
Tumblr media
Now, gather around the pure white table
"The pure white table" is an ironic statement. Remember, the table represents life, so pretending it's "pure white" would imply it's simple and orderly, which the singer obviously doesn't believe. To amplify the irony, the statement is contrasted by the image of Teruko spilling blood all over the "pure white table." The statement is pretty clear: Teruko is a challenge to the orderly nature of society. Not only because she's a disruptive person herself, but because her life of misfortune is in itself a challenge to the idea that everything's perfect and okay, the mask that the other people mentioned before in the song wear.
Tumblr media
Dance on spinning dishes, oh no
I actually quite like this line. The imagery of dishes is obviously connected to the table, which represents life, but spinning dishes in particular is a circus trick. Literally calling the world a circus, lmao. And asking you to dance on the dishes once again invites images of disorder and going against expectations.
Tumblr media
We've forgotten the right way to breathe
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!!!
Indeed, our favorite mystery girl (and birthday girl!), Mai Akasaki, makes an appearance. Unlike Teruko, Mai's eating with her cutlery, the way society would want her to. And this isn't exactly the first time we've seen Mai be contrasted with Teruko in this kind of vibe, remember?
Tumblr media
In the LGI MV, Teruko is described as "someone dearly unloved", while Mai is "someone dearly loved." If you know anything about Mai, you know the idea that she's perfect by all standards, including societal ones, isn't exactly new.
However, it's worth noting that this is only a first impression. We'll see Mai dancing on the table later, and based on that and the whole "document" situation with Xander and Unnamed Classmate in Visiting Graves, we know Mai's perfectly fine with going against the grain and doing what she believes is right, despite what society may think. That said, unlike Teruko, her existence isn't actually a threat to the status quo, as she's:
[Mai Quote - Min]: An average girl with nothing special at all about her.
It's worth noting, though, she seems to be eating flowers instead of food. This can be an early indication of her more rebellious leanings (you eat food, not flowers), but I think it could be meant to serve as further contrast with Teruko. Remember how the foods could represent life experiences? Well, "eating flowers" in that sense could mean that Mai actually had a pretty pleasant life, which is entirely possible as, again, ordinary girl. We know from Charles' Mai quote that she loves her family, from Whit's that she has many friends, and from Visiting Graves that she doesn't have money issues. She could certainly have other issues, mind you, but right now we don't have much indication of it.
Oh also the lyric. "We've forgotten the right way to breathe" is just another way the singer has of expressing dissatisfaction with how others act. It seems like it's explicitly ambiguous whether Mai is one of the people who've forgotten the right way to breathe, or one of the people who hold the singer's opinion, playing into the dichotomy of how Mai is first presented here (eating properly) and how she dances on the table later. By the way, the word "we" actually appears and disappears before Mai shows up on screen, while the camera is still in the middle, so take that as you will.
Tumblr media
It's all over once we drown What a luxurious dining table!
To quickly cover the lyrics, "drowning" I imagine is an allegory for death. Remember how the singer was upset others "lived in a hurry"? Yeah that. And the "luxurious" dining table thing is once again sarcastic.
You might have been wondering if I was ever going to talk about the things on the table, and don't worry, I am about to, I was just waiting for this wide shot. In general, I think most of what's on it is decorative, as I struggle to find any metaphors hidden in most of the food. The 12 colored biscuits next to Mai may be representative of the 12 members of the cast who are still alive in the killing game, maybe, but I don't think some of the colors match all that well (where does yellow go? why do we have so little blue?). Could also be the altDRDT cast + mascot, as pointed out by accirax. I don't think it's too important to know what this is, so I'll leave it open-ended.
The candles are a point of interest to me, though. The one on Mai's side is taller, but further from her, while the one on Teruko's side is smaller, but closer to her. There are like a billion ways you can interpret that, but I'm gonna choose to think of them as the two girls' "warmth", if that makes sense. Teruko is keeping it closer to herself, not as willing to open up, and the candle's shorter, so she has less warmth to give. Conversely, Mai is more willing to give Teruko her "warmth", as she's a really nice person from what we know, and that warmth is very intense judging from the length of the candle. Works well enough for me.
Finally, the most important part of the table, the cake. Obviously the centerpiece, it has both flowers and a red liquid, which I assume we're meant to see as blood. Notably, the side facing Teruko has the blood on top and the flowers below, possibly representing the way Teruko, at least in CH2, shows off her harsher side to the world while hiding more delicate and complicated feelings. Meanwhile, Mai's side has the blood being covered by the flowers, as if implying that Mai's kindness and love hide a fiercer soul underneath. Given the whole "she was probably staging some kind of revolution against Hope's Peak with Xander based on Visiting Graves" thing, I'd say that's a pretty accurate description of her character. Not to say she's intentionally hiding an evil side or anything, just that her real feelings are more complicated than what her seemingly perfect exterior suggest.
I haven't talked about the flowers because they're drawn the same as the flowers on Mai's tattoo, the Bonus Episode text boxes, and the "flowers of an unknown species" of the LGI MV. If you know the common interpretations, you'll know the two popular options for what they are is white camellias or white mai flowers. White camellias represent purity and honor like other white flowers, though they also specifically represent adoration and respect and are popular funeral flowers in Japan; while Mai flowers represent "prosperity, happiness in the new year, as well as resilience against storms and challenges", and the yellow variation of the flowers is connected to a legend about a girl who died protecting her father and village from a snake monster. Oh yeah Mai's probably dead by the time the killing game starts. 'Cuz, you know.
Tumblr media
See that arrow pointing to Mai's portrait when her numeral XI shows up alongside the word God?
Tumblr media
Yeah it's not very subtle. Mai's God, Mai's dead. There are other interpretations for this, mind you, but there's also other reasons to believe she's dead, so.
Tumblr media
Trash is trash, trash will act like trash Fools are fools, fools will act like fools That's the ironclad rule of society And there's no room to complain
You get the lyrics by now, right? I don't have to point out that this is once again talking about rigid societal rules and expectations? Good!
Tumblr media
Everyone everywhere is a nuisance The noisy crowd from earlier
Tumblr media Tumblr media
For now, let's dance in the palm of their hands
Yay more pretty animation! :D
Here, the singer once again insults society at large, but also says that "for now, let's dance in the palm of their hands." As in, they're not fully ready to complete go against society yet, and will engage with its expectations for a while longer.
However, we're actually left with a pretty important question: what the fuck is the apple? Apples are usually representative of the “forbidden fruit”, a temptation or desire which goes against what is accepted. So, perhaps Mai is doing as the lyric on screen says; by discarding the apple, she’s discarding that which is forbidden by society and “dancing in the palm of their hand.”
That’s certainly an understandable interpretation, but I don’t find it fully convincing, because it just… doesn’t fit Mai.
[Mai Quote - Xander]: She couldn’t stand to do nothing.
Not only because of the whole “rebelling against Hope’s Peak” thing, but because later in this very MV, she’s seen dancing on the table with Teruko, going against societal expectations.
Additionally, it doesn’t explain what giving the apple to the dog would represent. Dogs can’t go against human societal norms, as far as I know. So, that’s another point that would need to be explained in that interpretation.
But maybe the doggy can help us? Maybe we can get to another interpretation through it, because I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before-
Tumblr media
Oh for the love of- Can this stop being the most plot relevant execution of all time???????? I don't want to think about it anymore!!!!!! /silly
Yes, the presence of a black dog/wolf is an explicit callback to Min’s execution. This would draw a connection between the apple and Min. On the surface, there are a few other ways we can connect them, as apples have a lot of associations with a bunch of things. In pop culture, apples are a common gift students give their teachers, and Min is a Student who wished to be a teacher. Allow me to ignore that this could also connect to the About Page Text and altDRDT Teacher real quick, since this connection is very minor and very cherry picked and only works because of the dog that doesn’t have ties to those two things.
However, it does bring even more issues with the interpretation I previously mentioned. Because, to put it bluntly, Min is the exact opposite of going against societal norms. Her recap foil is the Rebel, she’s under the orders of XF-Ture Tech, you know the drill.
Is it possible, then, that the meaning of the apple is the opposite as well? That eating the apple represents accepting society’s rules? It may seem weird with the associations to forbidden-ness I mentioned earlier, but if you go back and look at the Lone Apple scenes again, this idea gets a bit stronger.
The apple is full when the singer talks about the ironclad rules of society, as if implying that the apple is the ironclad rule. Then, right before we hear the singer talk about dancing in the palm of the hand of the “noisy crowd”, the apple is seen eaten, as if eating it is directly connected to dancing in their palm and following the rules. This would be consistent with the apple’s connection to Min, as Min herself is representative of following societal expectations as discussed earlier.
But then, why would it be “forbidden”? Well, I propose that we’ve been thinking about it wrong. The apple isn’t forbidden from society’s perspective, but from Teruko’s perspective.
Theory: An “Unfortunate” Point of View
The idea is that the MV doesn’t show things from a neutral perspective, but rather, from Teruko’s perspective, specifically. I’ll discuss why I believe this in more detail in a bit, but for now, I’ll ask you to bear with me.
This is the final piece of the puzzle for my take on the apple. Since the world has been unkind to Teruko, playing along with the rules of the world would make you an enemy in her eyes. She has been opposed to them from the very start of this MV, after all. Thus, the act of accepting the “ironclad rules”, eating the apple and “dancing in the noisy crowd’s palm”, would be seen by Teruko as eating a forbidden fruit. Therefore, the MV presents it as such, since I believe it’s shown from her perspective.
However, Mai discards the apple, which in this case is consistent with her dancing on the table later. She’s forgoing society’s rules and “throwing them to the wolves.”
Am I cooking? Am I burning down the kitchen? I have no idea! But that’s what makes it fun! This whole thing is obviously very up to interpretation, and there’s not really such a thing as a right or wrong one, really. I’m very open to hearing other interpretations on this thing.
Btw while we’re here, the wolf thing could also be connected to Elliot’s death, since he likely got killed by dogs as well (long story). In that case, the apple could represent knowledge, as in, the “forbidden” knowledge of Elliot’s existence and death. But… that’s kinda really disconnected from the rest of the MV and I don’t know how to relate it to the other lines the apple is seen alongside. So, throwing it out there, but I don’t think there’s a connection there.
Finally, I don’t think Mai’s the mastermind. Yes, I know that her throwing something to a wolf could be an allegory to her executing Min. But as stated earlier, it’s likely she’s already dead, and it’s kinda hard to mastermind a killing game from beyond the grave. You could connect it, in a more roundabout way, to theories that Mai’s death caused the killing game, but I don’t think it can really go further than that.
Tumblr media
Gather around the pure white table Dance on spinning dishes, oh no We've forgotten the right way to breathe Let’s continue until we drown
Same lyrics as before, except for the change of “let’s continue until we drown.” It fits with Teruko lying on the table, not really doing anything. See, I believe this moment represents one where Teruko has given up on actively fighting, and is just deciding to go along with the flawed society she lives in. If I compared her eating with her hands earlier with her attitude at the start of CH2, this could be compared to her attitude when MonoTV told her she’d get executed but before Levi jumped in. That is, resigned and just letting things happen. This bouncing between harsh and “socially condemned” methods of self-preservation and resignation to her fate is a common thing for Teruko, I find.
Tumblr media
Go ahead, enjoy the sour and sweet as you please Forever uncertain, I’ve held onto this poison Let it make my cells dance With those sharp-edged words! Our pain, we couldn’t choose any of it Look, it’s spinning round and round On the dining table of “life”
Yeah remember that thing about Teruko resigning herself to her fate and bad luck? “Our pain, we couldn’t choose any of it” is pretty in line with that. Teruko’s just accepted that bad things will happen, the world’s terrible and her existence is suffering. Hence, “enjoy the sour and sweet as you please” while she’s lying on the table; she’s a meal ready to be consumed by those who hurt her at their whims.
And who do I mean by “those who hurt her”? Well, if you didn’t catch it, the type of knife and its placement is a clear echo of Xander stabbing Teruko. Now, judging by several of her statements through the series, Xander isn’t the only person who’s ever hurt her, but he does work as a stand-in. Someone Teruko trusted has stabbed her in the… I’d say back but it was really the stomach, and she thinks this is what will always happen if she opens herself to hoping things will be better. She wants to, to some extent (“forever uncertain”), but she knows it will still hurt her eventually (the poison “making her cells dance”).
Well, except.
Tumblr media
Here Mai is, pointing a knife away from Teruko. Defending her, possibly. This is the same knife she held at the start, the one which seemed to suggest Mai was playing by the rules of society. Except, she’s now taken those things, and is now using it to point at whoever may want to “eat” Teruko. That could represent a couple of things, but the most straightforward idea for me is that several of the things that make Mai a standup member of society are also just good traits for a friendship, such as her kindness and compassion.
Now, the next section has a lot of repeated images, so I’m just going to describe what shows up with each lyric.
[Mai pointing knife from uninjured Teruko] Now, gather around the pure white table Dance on spinning dishes, oh no [Teruko stabbed, alone] We’ve forgotten the right way to breathe [Mai holding knife, Teruko hidden] It’s all over once we drown (What luxurious dining table!)
(Btw you can know if Teruko is injured or not by facial expression, if you were wondering how I could tell)
Chorus, we know the lyrics. However, I’d like to point out that the line “we’ve forgotten the right way to breathe” is shown with Teruko injured and no Mai, possibly implying that being alone is “the wrong way to breathe” as it gets Teruko injured. That’s my favorite interpretation for that, anyways. Also ominous showing Mai front and center when talking about drowning as an allegory for death, but frankly? This is the first “dead” allegation she’s caught this entire video, and seeing how she managed to catch, like, three in the two seconds her numeral shows up in LGI alone, I’m actually quite proud of her! She may not be beating the allegations, but at least she's not getting one per scene!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Now, play a pure black elegy Let’s dance on the palm of your hand, oh no How does it feel to be devoured by the prey you once mocked?
Let’s start by focusing on what’s happening with Teruko in in the background, because it’s quite sweet. Not only does she start smiling and crying in joy, her stomach is covered in Mai’s signature flowers. This is pretty clear; Mai’s kindness has “fixed” the injuries other people had caused Teruko, her flowers covering up the Xander related injury that serves as a stand-in for all the betrayals Teruko’s endured over the years.
Admittedly, such heartwarming visuals are a bit of a contrast to the line “play a pure black elegy”, which if you don’t know is a “poem of serious reflection, usually a lament for the dead”, and the whole “devoured by the prey you once mocked” thing. However, that’s presumably because Mai is still very much holding a knife up to someone, so we can get away with some darker stuff.
I choose to interpret these lines as these two effectively talking to the status quo of Teruko’s life, if that makes sense. With Mai’s help, Teruko’s finally regained the courage to fight against her fate and stand up again, looking to “devour” the vague enemy of her luck whom she was always the prey to. The elegy, then, is aimed at this vague enemy, who they seek to defeat and “kill.” Does that make sense?
And this is the final link I need to explain my aforementioned “this MV is from Teruko’s perspective” theory. Because, you see, I believe this entire MV shows a story, and there’s an arc about Mai and Teruko’s friendship which can be followed. I believe this MV represents the process of Teruko befriending Mai, from Teruko’s perspective.
Think about it. It starts with Teruko and Mai literally opposed to one another, and Mai effectively being shown as one of the people who “wears the same face” as the others, given she’s following proper table manners. She’s nothing special, just someone else who will betray Teruko eventually, hence Teruko’s almost angry expression on that table. Someone who will bite that “forbidden fruit” that is the ironclad rule of the world. Trash will be trash, fools will be fools, and Teruko will be unlucky and get betrayed.
But then, Mai rejects the apple. And when she grabs the knife again, she points it away from Teruko, even when Teruko was lying on the table and ready to get hurt again. This is also, by the way, the first time Mai opens her eyes in the MV; the first time Teruko and her see eye to eye (per se). Because Mai always trusted Teruko, always wanted to be her friend, and only now is that good faith being returned. Well, I assume she never had any bad intentions, anyways.
Look, from how Mai is usually presented, she may as well be perfect in my books. If I catch her burning an orphanage, I’d probably assume the orphans deserved it. This is hyperbole, of course, but only barely.
And so, Mai has officially broken through Teruko’s bad luck and allowed her to “devour” that horrid fate which had always been pushing her down, allowing them to finally dance together in the end, smiling all the while.
Now, obviously, this makes 15000 assumptions as to how Mai and Teruko actually met, what their relationship was like, etc. There are a million things I may have just gotten horribly wrong. But as always, we know too little about Mai to make any good theories without a lot of assumptions. And with the little we do know, this interpretation makes sense in my mind, so it’s the one I’m currently going with!
Tumblr media
Go ahead, enjoy the sour and sweet as you please Forever certain, we’ve been waiting for love Let these cells dance With that completely decayed mind! Nothing will be taken from us Our pain and everything is spinning On the dining table of “life” What a luxurious fool’s table!
Look, by this point, you’ve heard what this scene is all about. Mai and Teruko finally both throw away the rules of society and dance upon the table together, not caring what they destroy or messy up in the process. They’re more certain now, because they’ve found the love they were looking for, and feel like nothing will go wrong because “nothing will be taken from us.” The pain’s still there, but they’ll face it together! What a wonderfully hopeful ending! Ignore that Mai's probably dead please.
And since this part’s pretty easy, it gives me time to appreciate the yuri!
You see, this may be something I’ve only ever brought up once, but Teru-Min-Mai is my favorite DRDT ship, and it has been for a while. And while I can’t find any excuse to talk about Min for longer than I already have (a tragedy, I know), I can spare some time to spread the Terumai side of the Agenda, at least! I’ve seen a few people start thinking about shipping it too because of this MV, so let me make a sales pitch. Ehem.
-Opposing themes: You’ve heard of the “dearly unloved” and “dearly loved” thing from the portraits, but did you know red and green are complimentary colors?
-Looking for each other: I mean, just look at what can show up on Mai’s page.
[Mai Quote - Teruko]: Some years ago, she was searching for someone named 'Teruko Tawaki.'
Come on. Why’re you so interested in looking for her if not to kiss her on the lips?
-Matching phone charms: We see that Teruko’s monopad has a phone charm in 2-1, which she shares with Unnamed Classmate. Btw, Mai’s profile states she likes phone charms :)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
-Matching tattoos?: Mai’s iconic flower tattoo is on her left arm, and Teruko’s left arm has always been conspicuously hidden from us. But from the jacket off reference, it seems there is something important there. And from the only time we’ve ever had even a glimpse of it, it seems like she may be hiding the same tattoo as Mai.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
-Dream sequences: Teruko literally dreams of Mai in her 1-6 dream sequence. And her dialogue there couldn’t hold more fondness if it tried.
It's strange I would remember her now, of all times. What was her name again? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember. Xander always reminded me of that girl. Perhaps that's why I'm thinking about her now. They looked similar, with that same red hair and smile. And... they both wanted to help, didn't they?
-Teruko’s favorite color is red “by association”: Considering Xander stabbed her, I think the association comes from someone else. Imagine loving someone so much they change your favorite color wow.
-Apocalyptic levels of doomed: We’re DRDT fans, we enjoy our yuri when it’s doomed. And the second anniversary art makes the doomed-ness pretty clear.
Tumblr media
(I have to remake this collage there's like three pixels on it total lol)
The code translates to “It’s all your fault.” Combined with Mai likely being dead, you can put two and two together that Teruko might blame herself for Mai's demise, or at least she would if she had all her memories. This is doomed as can be.
-This entire MV: Like come on.
Anyways, ship Terumai. Or don’t, I really don’t care about shipping much and you can do what you want forever. This is just so newer fans aren’t hopelessly confused on why these two are together in this MV and seem to be about two seconds from proposing to each other; the basis for them being really good friends, if nothing else, has always been there.
Anyways, the video ends with a curtain closing, because we’ve been interpreting life as a stage to dance upon, so it’s a natural way to close things out. If you wanted a sadder reading, you could take the idea that Teruko ends up seeing her relationship with Mai as a play, an act that would always end eventually, because it was too good to last when taking her luck into account. The yuri is even more doomed than we expected, I fear.
-
And that should be it! What a wonderful MV this was! It’s nice to really get insight into what Teruko and Mai’s relationship looked like, sort of, and I know I’ll personally savor some of these frames forever. Loved it. Happy 5th anniversary everyone, and happy birthday Mai! Thanks for reading! See ya’!
79 notes · View notes
opal-owl-flight · 3 days ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
“…I thought…youd be happy to see me again.”
"|You promised me that you will stay away from here. Why would I be happy?|"
But its clear from the screen behind them that theyve been dreaming of her, much like she has of them.
So 3s perspective on 4s return!!
A bit of context: Part of why 3 returns to being cold on duty (and during times of stress, which Ive explained before somewhere is bc of their clan teaching them these values and "snapping back to bad habits" is just smth that happens bc of said stress) is bc they keep believing that they have to keep everything together.
They learned this in (my rewrite of) RotM. They were the only person who was diplomatic enough to make all involved teams work together.
They learned during theur first big mission as the new captain that they can only ever rely on *themself.*
Neo3 was an asshole, Neo4 can work well but is a bit of a wet towel when it comes to confrontations, Callie and Marie are actively arguing with Octavio, Deep Cut are following NO orders from anyone and also keep arguing with the Squisters,
Its madness.
3 had to multiple times fire a weapon to get everyone to shut the fuck up. Or hiss, or bark orders.
Putting on this intimidating aura of command to pull off a management save of the CENTURY to save the world.
Ever since that time, theyve stuck to the same "show no emotion. Be cold. Ruthless" Principles. Bc this is what damn worked. This is what kept everyone alive.
-------------
What Rain experienced upon her return was Tanara at the end of their rope.
They were strict with themself before, yes. But they were generally more warm and supportive to everyone else back then (Rain remembers this well). They wanted everyone to grow into their best selves. They use their team captain experience for the betterment of the platoon (even before they were promoted). A nudge here, a word of advice there. Like a cool upperclassman. A good, observant teammate.
Come promotion they...
...well, even shortly before, theyve become significantly less expressive. They continued to nod their approval, but its clear that Rain's absence is affecting them.
And then rotm happened. Their usual strategies for keeping teams together wasnt working. So they became...someone else. And then everyone fell in line.
They didnt want to become like the monsters that were their military relatives. But they were pushed to become that, for a time.
They hated it, such ruthlessness is something they knew would start doing damage if they push it for too long. but its what will keep everyone safe. As long as theyre safe, the means dont matter.
And then they hurt the one they wanted to keep safe the most, and this entire act falls apart.
------------
They became cold to 4 partially because of this mask theyve put on as a captain, but also as a means to drive her away again. The only way to keep her safe from their hands forever stained in blood is to make sure she stays away from this place. From them.
They believe so hard that they destroy everything they touch. They dont want Rain to be the next thing they destroy.
But it happened anyway.
101 notes · View notes
from-the-owls-nest · 1 day ago
Text
mhm. what if you're too broken, in too tiny pieces, even the base too shattered to rebuild from. what if there's too little good left.
*swallow* that... that probably wasn't the most helpful answer. but I know what you mean. and I don't really have a fix or anything.
*drily, like, ironically* should probably clarify that the you in that first sentence meant me and just me. so. before you get any more ideas. because of course for Me that's Different! At least for my chaos brain tangles.
[ooc: Philosophy Below. idk brain ran away with thoughts call me if u find it /silly]
*silence, thinking over the words again* I don't know. All I can hope is that - that sentence from the movie Aria likes. When we can see no future, all we can do is the next right thing. the next little ray of sunlight. the next little moment of peace.
And if none of that is possible... Wait, and hold on, and look for them, and hope they come back soon. This is just my thoughts - my little agreement with myself. I gotta try the best I can, even if the best I can is a break from trying to recover. And then I'll know that Past Me did their best for me now and that I owe it to Future me to do my best for what they might become. Even if they weren't very successful. Like deciding that however I am right now is me too, and so I am all these things and parts, the good and the rough ones, and they all together make the full me. It's these nice little shortcut across the self blaming and infighting that take a long time to work out but help wherever they hold.
But like. I think I owe it my future self to hold on, and to get through the storms. Our past selves have come such a long way, and who knows where we'll go next, what our future selves and lives might be like. So like. I do think that new paths open up all the time, possibilities. Even if the ones now are all bad, who knows where we can still go. And the only way to find out is to try, and to do our best.
*they pull out their diary, and from the front a little calendar page* Look. I... It's one of these pages I'll keep forever and ever because I need the reminder, and give to others when they might need it. I don't know if it's right. I hope so. and I think the only way to find out is to try and hold on.
For me that's enough. That, little hopes, little good moments, even just the memory of warmth and hope and the knowledge that all that was once can come again - in different forms, maybe, but it can. *turning to lay it next to Will's sneaker*
Tumblr media
*more silence* But. Well. That's really big thoughts, and hard to see when everything is so dark. Hm. okay just to throw some thoughts out. You don't have to tell me, you don't have to think about it, just... some ideas. Little windows into that maybe, whenever you're able to look.
what do the voices say? can they maybe be talked to, or be both a little right?
is there anything you wish wouldn't stop? or come back? any little thing. ignore realism and context all that. if you were playing make-believe, your own little world, what would it look like? if you want to we can take turns. I play that game regularly cause, well, bad memory, and i probably should start again.
and... does it have to be a *bad* hurt? like. yes. you're different. stuff happened, and it changed you, and that really really hurt. you might not be the same person as before. is that a bad thing? or, you said nasty. sure. right now it's raw and painful and doesnt fit yet. but... could all these little shards grow back together and become something scarred and mended, and different?
I hope they could. I'd really miss you - not you from before, you however you are right now and however you want to be. Idk doesn't make much sense but - people if they change are still that person, right? just... changed, by a situation or because they got to know themselves better or whatever. Like Butterflies. I'd like to see the next chapter, with you if you want or just knowing there was one for you.
Image Credit @thelatestkate and her website
Love love love characters that present themselves as emotionally open social butterflies but the more you see of them the more obvious it is that they’re the most closed off fuckers in the story. Sure, they want to help you with your personal problems and messy emotions, but if you turn that shit back on them, they’ll shut down or deflect every time. Why are you sticking your nose in their business anyway? It’s not like it matters. They’re not a person, they’re just a role being played. They’re the guy who fixes things and saves people. Please ignore the man behind the mask, he’s fine. Everything’s fine.
54K notes · View notes
eisenartworks · 2 days ago
Text
Transformers One Analysis: A foreshadowing of Starscream's betrayal - conflicting loyalties?
Because I've been observing the seekers a lot, and I was rewatching the end credits for Transformers One, because it got me curious where exactly they're getting branded, and if the three examples we got were Shockwave, Soundwave, and Starscream - turns out, it wasn't, it was all seekers. But! I did notice something:
Tumblr media
*Seeker may not necessarily be Thundercracker, but with similar cockpit design (Seekers vary by cockpit design).
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Observing what little we can in this shot, we do see that a good deal has it on their cockpit/chest or their shoulder:
Tumblr media
But on the other hand, we get an explicit shot of Starscream's insignia ON his wing, and the shot is lead with that before revealing the freshly rechristened Decepticon High Command:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
And I thought "that's weird".
Or maybe, it isn't that weird. Since, ofc, Starscream's insignia placement is where it's traditionally located, it's an allusion to that!
But the thing is, we also have to consider all the other factors in the context - there's a deliberateness here, an emphasis. For one, the animators didn't spare a single shot of any other seekers getting branded on their wings. They emphasized that they got it on their chest or their shoulders, and it's odd! Because in any other transformers media, seekers also get it on their wings! Are you telling me they couldn't be bothered to show at least one who had it branded there?
But the thing is, the movie is rife with intentional details. It's a movie that encourages you to observe. And with what you observe, you question. And the scene wants you to ask the question:
Why is it significant to show deliberately that seekers got branded on their chest/shoulders? Why is it significant that Starscream got branded on his wings but not his cockpit unlike any other seeker?
My theory: loyalty.
Which is an insane thing to accuse Starscream to have considering his, uh, established precedence of treachery in all transformers media, BUT HEAR ME OUT AND CHECK THE CONCEPT ART FOR THE SEEKERS, OR RATHER, THEIR COCKPITS:
Tumblr media
Ofc, the other seekers are simply a mix and match of these examples, but I also want you really look at Thundercracker and Skywarp:
Tumblr media
Checking T.C.'s and Skywarps resective cards, the symbol of their cockpit matches with Starscream:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
"But wait, maybe it just matches with any other seeker?" I considered it as well, but I think the emblem isn't just there for decoration. Why do I think so? Because of Skywarp; he has the same cockpit design as Slipstream and two others, but he's the only one with an emblem. Why?
Tumblr media
Me, I think that emblem is a symbol of the High Guard - the cockpit design on Starscream isn't just for aesthetic, it's there to show he was the leader, and the High Guard served the Primes. Thundercracker and Skywarp also has these emblems to set them apart with the other seekers, and traditionally, they were Starscream's teammates (or trine in fanon terms). It explicitly tells us that Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp are to be grouped together.
Here's the thing: Starscream on first watch seems like the typical Starscream, but there's something more than meets the eye with him (lol). We can debate how effective his leadership is back when he used to lead to and fro or what his actual moral allegiance is considering by joining the Decepticons and when he attacked Iacon, he's betraying everything the Primes stood for, but weirdly enough, I DO think he is genuinely loyal to the Primes. Considering the movies theme of 'Fall from Grace', Megatron isn't actually the only example of it in the film - the High Guard is too.
Questionable effectiveness aside, I would like to point out the High Guard didn't serve Sentinel. Or more explicitly, Starscream doesn't beg Sentinel for mercy or to be spared to try to bargain his way into gaining power (let's be real, we all can think of a Starscream who would absolutely do that), instead he viciously threatens Sentinel, even when set on execution. Another thing I want to point out, is that if the High Guard was only fighting Sentinel JUST so they could get their high status back, then they could have just. Served him? If they truly don't have any moral backbone, they could have just bargained with Sentinel to keep their status and comfort and still do High Guard things with a "Prime". And it's a win-win for both groups too - Sentinel gets to have an elite force to be his enforcers for his regime, the High Guard gets to keep their status and safe from any retribution. But they didn't. Instead, they chose exile on the dangerous surface with little to no energon, hiding from Sentinel and the Quintessons, all the while trying to survive with incessant threat of death hanging over their heads, potentially killed by their environment, their enemies, or starvation.
Which makes me assume some things: while definitely no longer good people, there's some lines they won't cross, Starscream included; they're not motivated by status, they're motivated by revenge on Sentinel; it seems they're loyal to who the Primes ARE, not to the system the Primes' established.
Which brings to my theory: Starscream DOES betray Megatron, but not because out of greed for power, but rather for a good and understandable reason, and because Starscream still holds some belief in the Primes' ideals and what the High Guard used to fight for.
That's the significance on why Starscream has the Decepticon insignia on his wings - not on his cockpit, where he could brand the Decepticon insignia over the High Guard emblem, not below the emblem, where both symbols exist in equal measure, but on his wings, the farthest away from his chest, leaving his High Guard emblem in full, untouched view.
76 notes · View notes
diazsdimples · 3 days ago
Text
Buck is going to throw up. Probably. The panic attack is barely being kept in place as he flings himself from the driver’s seat of the jeep and races up the stairs of the Diaz house.
“Maddie!” he yells, kicking his shoes to the side and throwing off his jacket. Usually he’d knock but today, it’s an emergency. His brain isn’t working, not even considering the fact that he might be waking up his 3-month-old nephew as he powers through the house calling his sister’s name. “Maddie, are you home?”
“In here!” his sister’s voice echoes down the hall, originating from the kitchen. He finds her making lunch, the baby strapped to her chest in a muslin wrap, like a little joey in his mother’s pouch.
God, she’s glowing like this. She’d had a rough start, postpartum depression rearing its head in the first few weeks, but she’s seeing a therapist, and Eddie’s managed to negotiate some time off work. She still has bad days, but on the whole, she seems happier. Lighter.
Her brow furrows as she takes in his dishevelled appearance, and her hand comes up to cup the back of the baby’s head.
“Evan? What’s going on?”
Buck does a quick scan of their surroundings – they seem to be alone in the kitchen at least, but he needs to know if they’re alone in the house. He can’t do this if there’s a chance someone will walk in and interrupt.
“I-Is Eddie home?”
“No, he’s out getting Benjamin some new diapers. Why?”
“Good, I just – you can’t tell him what I’m about to tell you. You promise?”
Maddie’s brow furrows and she rounds the kitchen island, taking Buck’s arm and leading him into the lounge. She unwraps Benjamin and carefully places him in his bassinet before turning and giving Buck her full attention.
“Are you in trouble?”
God, isn’t that the question?
“No! I mean, yes? Maybe? Probably. Eddie’s going to kill me, at least.” Buck scrubs a rough hand over his face, hoping the slight sting will clear his head a little.
“I feel like a bit of context wouldn’t go amiss here,” Maddie comments with a raised eyebrow, her arms crossed across her chest. She looks decidedly unimpressed, and honestly, Buck can’t blame her. He’d be a bit annoyed if she burst into his house, announced something was wrong, and then proceeded to be extremely cryptic about it all.
“Adriana’s pregnant,” he blurts out before his courage wanes, and holy fuck, it’s one thing to know and a whole other thing to admit out loud.
Maddie’s expression pulls into one of confusion, and Buck can practically see the cogs turning in her head as she tries to connect the dots.
“Adriana’s…. pregnant?” she repeats slowly, and he nods. He feels like he’s swallowed a ball of lead, and there’s sweat trickling down between his shoulder blades, prickling his skin. “And what does that, uh, what does that have to do with you?”
Right. This part, admittedly, will be worse to reveal. This is where the disowning and being thrown bodily from the home of his sister and his best friend will come in. Buck is regretting a lot of choices right about now.
“A-Adriana and I, we’ve – uh – we’ve been, um, sleeping together, kind of.”
Maddie’s eyebrows disappear into her hairline, and Buck slouches a little further into the couch, making himself small.
“Kind of?” Maddie echoes, incredulous. “How do you ‘kind of’ sleep with someone. Did you trip and fall into her vagina?”
“Jesus, okay it’s not kind of, we are sleeping together. And now she’s pregnant and – fucking hell Maddie, I’m so screwed. I’ve fucked up.”
His sister looks less than impressed, and that makes Buck’s stomach roil. He feels sick, so so sick that he doesn’t know what to do with it.
“And I presume that’s why you don’t want me to tell Eddie this?”
“He’ll kill me, Mads! Please, you can’t tell him. He doesn’t even know that –”
“That you fucked his sister?” Maddie cuts in.
“Hey, don’t say it like that!” Buck says, affronted. “He fucked my sister too, by the way. First!”
“He’s my husband! That’s different!”
“He wasn’t when you started!”
Maddie holds up her hands in surrender, glancing nervously at Benjamin as he stirs in his crib. His little face screws up and he lets out a tiny whine that burrows deep into Buck’s chest, igniting a dormant protective instinct that only flares up when he’s around helpless creatures.
“Give me a second.” Maddie crosses the room and lifts her son into her arms, pressing a kiss to the soft hair on his head. He squirms in her arms, shifting and stretching before eventually settling back down. With a fond smile, Maddie makes her way back to the couch and holds the baby out for Buck to take, which he willingly does.
45 notes · View notes
h-sleepingirl · 1 hour ago
Text
Dolly in the Art Gallery: A Charmed 2025 Scene Log/Recap
“Art is how we decorate space, and music is how we decorate time.”
Tumblr media
I first heard this Jean-Michel Basquiat quote in a rope class from Barkas, in the context of how we play within both space and time in a kink scene. I think about it frequently, especially as I feel more and more passionately about the brutally human impulse to create art.
I have been coming to hypnosis events since 2013, before Charmed existed -- my first event was packed with my own manic energy, held in a dungeon where people could hypnotize me basically at will. No hotel staff, no sneaking back to a private room. I developed a reputation as an aesthetically pleasing subject, often put on display in subtle and overt ways.
I have grown up in this community. Essentially my entire adult life has been spent involved in going to events and cons. I'm 33 now, and as Charmed celebrates its 10th year I've perhaps been unconsciously influenced to reflect on myself aging.
I feel so much older than that 21 year old exhibitionist. I'm more reserved, quieter, more selective, and certainly smarter. I like who I'm becoming, but I do miss parts of who I used to be -- that confidence, that energy. 
On Friday evening I looked at the schedule and saw there was going to be a Gallery of Living Art -- it's been a staple at Charmed for a number of years, but I'd never done more than peek inside.
I thought to myself: “Why not try to get in touch with that playful younger self? Why not show everyone who I am nowadays? Why not live out a fantasy?” 
Surely I’m not too old. Surely I haven’t grown out of this.
The time comes and I connect with my partner about it. He knows that one of my absolute favorite things is being totally frozen. We decide against anything complicated. No one will touch me or trigger me or anything like that. It’s the most “negotiating” we've maybe ever done, but I still leave all details to him. I tell him: “I was really just thinking this is an opportunity for me to sit blank and still for a long time.”
We walk into the room, and it’s overwhelming. People are setting up intricate exhibits with lots of creative interactions. There is a sheet we need to fill out to describe what our “art” is, which my partner writes on cryptically.
“Dolly can't talk. Duh…”
“Dolly is precious -- don't touch!”
Under “Artist”, where he is meant to put his name, he writes a question mark.
I am so in love with him, watching his mind work on the spot.
We find a place in the loud room and look at each other. We are a fluid force of nature in a bed together, spontaneous and wild. This planning doesn't feel like us. This hypnosis isn't a formality, per se, but it just feels sort of like “We both know how this is going to end on some level -- so how do we spend this time?”
He gingerly removes my name tag and starts murmuring to me. 
Being a dolly is such a luxurious treat that the moment he suggests it, I crumble, gripping his shirt with my weak little fingers, moaning too softly to be heard by anyone but him.
He poses me. He fixes my gaze blank and forward. He lets me practice standing and sitting. This kind of rehearsal is unfamiliar for us, and I almost relish doing something that feels a little awkward.
I am a dolly when he leaves me, frozen and posed, but I know it is going to take a couple minutes to settle in. I am a dolly getting comfortable, a dolly with twinges of self-consciousness. After a couple minutes he walks me over to a different chair, one that is highlighted by empty space around it, and I sit, and I know this is truly where I am supposed to be on display.
Finally, total stillness rushes over me like pure relief. 
I sit, and I stare, and I don’t do anything else. My mind is blank, and sometimes all there is inside my head is “I’m a dolly, I’m a dolly,” in my little dolly voice. It is pure, simple bliss.
People begin to come up to me to look at me. I am a good dolly and I am silent and I do not move even my eyes. They patiently read my sign and then observe me. I cannot change my body position to be any more or less appealing to them, I cannot hide nor flaunt myself.
Some people say things to me, little compliments and appreciations, and I can’t really process their words. The little dolly voice in my head screams in pleasure when I’m spoken to and given attention.
I have ADHD, I’m addicted to my phone, I’m a fidgeter. But there is nothing that carries the unique pleasure of being frozen and still. It reminds me of Quaker meetings, of spiritual silence and meditation that makes one feel time itself as though it has a sensory texture.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel talks about the Jewish sabbath as proof that it is not intuitive for us to sanctify time. But nevertheless as Jews we must learn to do it to make shabbat holy every week. Shabbat is “a cathedral in time,” he says, and I’ve been thinking about how much that applies to my experience of hypnosis. Hypnosis is not a physical object. We may sometimes have props but we cannot touch trance and it leaves no marks. It is time that is the sacred dimension in hypnosis, the time that we set aside (“kadosh” in Hebrew) with another human being.
Heschel says we are slaves to space and material things. And in this moment I feel like I have gotten as close as I can to releasing that. I am not even moving my physical body within the physical world. I am just relishing each passing second of stillness, building my cathedral in time.
Of course, sometimes I think sacred space and objects are very important. After all, I am in a space that is incredibly rare, that only exists very briefly, that I had to travel at length to get to.
And I am an object -- art -- inside of it. I am literally decorating the space, as Basquiat would say.
Am I thinking all of this as I sit there motionless? No, not with any sophistication. I truly feel blank. But I am feeling flashes of this as abstract mental sensations that I will untangle later.
Something else strikes me very quickly that I observe within. When people walk up to look at me, something inside me tenses up. I realize that I am unconsciously preparing myself to talk to them. I have been coming to cons for so long, and especially since beginning to write books I always meet a ton of new people every year who come up to me to talk, which I adore. But right now I am in a space where I literally cannot have a conversation with anyone. I don’t even have my nametag on anymore -- my partner was so clever to remove it.
It is the opposite of vending books, where I sit in a chair and am helpless in the sense that I must engage in conversation with the people who come up to meet me. Now, I literally cannot talk to anyone, and they cannot talk to me, and most people may not even know who I am.
It is a hit of extreme objectification, more real than it has ever felt. I am not sleepingirl -- I am a dolly. “Who” I am doesn’t matter. I am art.
My partner also is not sitting there receiving compliments for me. He is nearby, in eyesight, just watching. But he’s anonymous too. And there is something about this mutual anonymity that makes me feel even prouder about us as a couple. There is no performance of who we are. I don’t know how to describe it, but obviously it feels more authentic than public play usually ever does. Like a little secret we are sharing a corner of.
And he looks ever the artist, sitting back and watching me. I feel very strongly that this little scene isn’t the art -- it’s me. Our relationship is what’s really on display. All the work he’s done over 7 years of brainwashing me, real work on my personality and identity, my wardrobe, every single way I express myself and who I am. The people coming by are seeing his bimbo, his dolly, his [x] -- without necessarily knowing who either of us are.
The rhythm is addicting. My mind babbles my self-given dolly mantra over and over, I luxuriate in the stillness, and I stare. I only can sort of half-see with darkened vision, though my eyes are wide. I love when people notice me sitting there -- their expressions change as they observe me. They step into my metaphorical space, which is eerily silent compared to the revelry of the creative demonstrations that fill the room. They are no longer “being entertained,” and no one can communicate to them what I am doing -- they must engage with me out of their own curiosity.
Sometimes they decide to talk to me. I can’t process most of it, but I remember a few interactions.
Someone says, “What an excellent dolly.”
Someone else notices that I’m wearing a bracelet that says “bimbo,” and says, “Even the details on this one are exquisite.”
Someone else says, “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen sleepingirl play before.”
That last one hits me in the gut with memories of a time now long past: Play in public spaces was universal at cons; I couldn’t move from one place to another without someone dropping me into trance; absolutely everyone knew what I looked like when hypnotized.
Even now as I am on display, I have a mask on, and the people can’t see my gently parted lips.
It is a rush of emotion that is very complex for my simple little dolly head, but it goes away.
For a long while, I just exist as a thing in bliss while the room -- the whole world -- bubbles with activity around me. 
Eventually even as I sit frozen and blank, a little timer starts ticking in my head -- I could sit here for much longer, but I don’t want to make him wait for me, and I have other things I want to do tonight.
Reading Heschel has been helping me release some of that odd panic that bubbles up when I awaken from trance -- the feeling that magic is slipping through my fingers, memories are slipping out of my mind, and I can take no memento from it. I sometimes write, draw, or make music to try to capture the things I feel in hypnosis with my partner. I think it is from that impulse to be able to touch and hold hypnosis, to make it a “thing” in space as opposed to something of time.
But I do think there is something else, just a human drive to create art about this transcendent experience that we engage in together. I need to create art to try to communicate the perfect way I don’t move and my eyes go glassy. I need to express my emotions, my desires, my dreams, my love. I am only human, a human blown away by this very human thing we do that we call hypnosis.
Only my partner sees it, and he does see so much into the soul of it for me. But this is exactly what I have wanted -- a chance to publicly communicate the beauty of what he and I do. To make this art by performing it, living it. To engage in a human act of creativity by having my humanity stripped away from me.
I am a bimbo, a dolly, I am art -- and that doesn’t go away when I get up to tell him I am done sitting here. I am his art. I am a manifestation of his creativity in this world, and he has a beautifully creative mind which I love so dearly.
This is serious for me, this is real for me, this is so highly personal and jealously guarded as my own precious identity.
Ten years ago I laid my head on his lap and he transformed my eyes into dolly eyes and told me that someday he would turn my whole body into a dolly body. And as we laid together in a bed after the Gallery on Friday he talked about how I had those dolly eyes again in that room. But to me, it’s not about being a dolly, or even being a bimbo. It’s about creating art together, art with a power imbalance. And fucking respecting that as sacred and exciting.
I don’t have much else to say except extreme heartfelt gratitude to Mazirian for running the Gallery, and everyone who came by to look at me and said nice things to me and joined me in my world for just a little while. 
(If you’re curious, I was sitting there for about 30 minutes.)
35 notes · View notes
darcytaylor · 1 day ago
Text
When “Just Looking at the Evidence” Becomes a Problem
Before I get into this, I want to be clear - this is not directed at shippers who simply enjoy Luke and Nicola’s chemistry, those who appreciate them as people, or those who respect their private lives.
Shipping is a natural part of fandoms, and when done respectfully, I think it’s fine.
This post is directed at the people who have taken shipping to an extreme - those who have convinced themselves they are "just looking at the evidence" while weaving together wild, invasive, and often insensitive theories. At that point, it’s no longer shipping - it’s something entirely different.
Shipping vs. Fantasizing: Know the Difference
There’s a huge difference between harmlessly shipping people - whether fictional characters or even co-stars - and creating elaborate fantasies about real individuals. While shipping can be a fun way to engage with a story or fandom, projecting detailed, speculative narratives onto real people can cross into invasive territory.
Shipping: Enjoying the chemistry, friendship, or dynamic between people, often in a fictional or lighthearted context.
Fantasizing: Constructing speculative stories about real people’s private lives, often based on incomplete information (and flawed so-called "evidence") without regard for their boundaries.
Why Fantasizing About Real People Crosses the Line
When fans create elaborate narratives about real people, it can:
Blur the line between fiction and reality: Making it harder for others to separate speculation from truth.
Perpetuate false narratives: Leading to harassment or invasions of privacy.
Disrespect individuals: By reducing their lives to a storyline crafted for entertainment.
People are far more nuanced than the curated glimpses we get online or in public. Social media posts, photos, or even patterns of behaviour aren’t a roadmap to someone’s inner life or relationships. They’re just snapshots - fragments of a much larger, unseen picture. And often, those fragments don’t connect the way people want them to.
The Loophole That Isn't a Loophole
I’ve seen some people claim that Nicola saying "If you have an opinion about me, that's ok. I understand I'm on TV and people will have things to think and say, but I beg you not to send them to me directly" somehow gives them permission to speculate about things like pregnancy.
Let’s be real - that is absolutely not what she meant. She’s literally acknowledging that people will have opinions, but she’s also making it clear that things like that make her uncomfortable. Saying "Don’t bring it to me" doesn’t mean she’s fine with people debating her body - it means she knows shitty people exist, but she’d rather not be subjected to it.
And sure, maybe you’re not sending it to her directly - but you are still doing the exact thing that makes her uncomfortable. And by putting it out into public spaces, you’re making it far more likely that it gets back to her indirectly. So whatever justification people think they’ve found? It’s fucking moot. It’s still insensitive.
Belief Doesn’t Equal Truth
Believing you’ve pieced together the “truth” because some moments appear to align is misguided. It overlooks the unknowns - the context we’re missing and the layers that exist in people’s lives. Just because something can seem a certain way doesn’t mean it is that way.
Humility matters. Recognizing that no matter how much you think you know, you actually know very little. Taking a step back and saying, “I don’t know what’s really going on” is not only more truthful but also shows respect for the people involved.
It’s okay to want people to be together - innocent shipping of loving chemistry between people is okay - but it’s not okay to create wildly speculative stories that exist only in your own mind.
Humility in Speculation: Knowing What We Don’t Know
Here’s the truth - I don’t know the full picture. None of us do. I don’t know Luke and Nicola as people, and I don’t know the ins and outs of their personal lives. And that’s okay. I'm not going to piece together and come up with my own flawed story about other peoples lives.
What I do know is that certain theories and speculation can be harmful, even when people think they’re harmless. Just because something is being discussed publicly, or even “positively,” doesn’t mean it isn’t invasive. (Cough spreading invasive pregnancy rumors cough). It doesn't mean it is kind. The line between curiosity and intrusion is thinner than people think.
Even if you think you've “figured something out,” there is always so much more you will never see, hear, or understand. Just because an idea feels compelling or fits a certain pattern doesn’t mean it reflects the truth.
So before engaging in deep speculation, it’s worth asking:
Am I respecting their privacy?
Am I letting curiosity turn into entitlement?
Am I remembering that these are real people, not fictional characters?
On the Idea of “Being Duped”
I’ve also noticed some frustration in the fandom, with people feeling like Luke and Nicola somehow “duped” the public with their behaviour on tour.
What we saw on tour was not unusual for two people who:
Are comfortable with each other.
Work together (and especially in the acting world).
Have shared an intense, career-defining experience.
This kind of dynamic isn’t uncommon in the entertainment industry or in any field where people work closely together (I know from personal experience). Their bond is unique, but that doesn’t mean it has to be romantic. To me, it’s always read as a deep friendship, a strong professional partnership, and two people who genuinely enjoy working together. And it really is beautiful!
I think some people wanted their interactions to confirm a specific narrative, and now that things aren’t aligning with that, they feel misled. But that’s not on Luke or Nicola. It’s a reminder that interpretation is subjective, and that sometimes, we project our own expectations onto things rather than seeing them for what they are.
The Consequences of Unchecked Fantasies
Making up stories about real people and treating those stories as fact (even when you say that you are okay if you are wrong, or if you say that you are just speculating) adds to:
Noise and confusion: Amplifying drama and misinterpretation.
Unnecessary pressure: On the individuals involved, complicating their personal lives further.
Public harassment: Rumours often escalate, influencing others to unfairly judge or attack. Bringing it indirectly to the main people in your fantasies.
Sure, you can feel like you’ve pieced together a narrative in your mind that makes sense to you. But actors are human beings, not characters in a fan-fiction. They shouldn’t be stripped down to an idea of what you think they should or shouldn’t be doing.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again - people are nuanced. People are dimensional. If you don’t know them personally, you have no idea what goes on in their day-to-day lives. A few curated moments from interviews or social media will never give anyone the full picture.
I’ve seen a lot of people build theories around what they believe is evidence. But if you really looked at it critically, you would find that much of it is based on assumptions rather than actual confirmation. It’s worth asking - are you trying to make reality fit the story you want to believe?
Public speculation/fantasizing can have consequences that extend beyond the screen - impacting the real people you claim to support.
31 notes · View notes
daily-memory-of-touch · 3 days ago
Note
Sorry i never played this game and don't intend on to but. Could you explain what's the meaning of this scene in fortnite terms (no more seriously actually wondering about the context or whatever. If you don't mind spoiling this random anon. Ty)
Okay so leading up to this scene is Siffrin (hat + cloak fella, uses he/they) reliving the same Fortnite game over and over because he's in a time loop. He and his squad mates (Mirabelle, she/her; Isabeau, he/him; Odile, she/her; Bonnie, they/them) are the last ones alive aside from a few other players. There's a griefer on the server named the King (he/him) that they gotta defeat and the party has rallied the entire server against him. Not everyone has the best gear for the job so that's why it's up to the party to defeat him. The King is making the storm disconnect you from the server if you in it for too long
So Siffrin has been in this loop of playing Fortnite for a while now. The King has placed himself in a big structure and set up traps to try and catch the party off-guard, and every time the party (or just Siffrin) dies and can't be revived time loops back. With the help of Loop (they/them), a knowledgeable gamer who's aware of the loops, the two of them have been in a separate VC figuring out how to handle all of this (Loop gives advice and Siffrin does their best)
At this point Siffrin is pretty sick of the time loop. They actually have beaten the King a few times, but even if the party gets their 1# Victory Royale time still loops back. Every morning the party actually meets in-person to grab lunch before heading back to game. Siffrin and Isabeau have been pining over each other for a while now and the time loop makes Siffrin's yearning worse and worse, especially since Isabeau (and the rest of the party as well) think that Siffrin is touch-adverse when in reality he just gets surprised by sudden touch and is just touch-starved
So before everyone else gets to the shop they all eat together at it's just Isabeau and Siffrin. The two of them are having a convo they have every loop, which in the middle of it includes Isabeau going to put a hand on Siffrin's shoulder but then pulling back when he remembers that he should respect their space. This has been bothering Siffrin the entire time loop, and on this loop he has certified had it and doesn't want to feel stuck anymore. So, without wanting he grabs Isabeau by the collar and kisses him. Isabeau immediately pushes Siffrin away, but his actual reaction is unclear because Siffrin then loops back to right before he made that impulsive choice and the convo goes on like normal. It's unknown if Isabeau reacted like that out of surprise or disgust or any other emotion. Siffrin and Loop later talk about this during this loop and Loop isn't happy with them
Not relevant to the rest of the post but Siffrin and Loop tend to meet up for breakfast separately from the rest of the party, but if they don't meet up Siffrin just makes something at home to eat. Sometimes they'll grab a quick coffee together if they talk mid-day before the Fortnite gaming session. It's not important but the detail matters to me as to how those two have irl talks
29 notes · View notes
reagent-leon · 14 hours ago
Text
Let's talk about pre-Sinyala Coyle!!
Okay so, I’m really into character design, and I’ve noticed that a lot of people who draw pre-Sinyala Coyle tend to miss out some cool details about his Blackwell uniform. So, I figured I’d break it all down, covering 1950s fashion conventions, how Coyle blatantly ignores them, why he gets away with it, and some extra points about his overall dodgy behaviour. Because this post spiralled out of control.
Before we jump in, a quick note: Because of the comic’s style, there are definitely some inconsistencies, but I’ll do my best to piece things together. If you're into history, fashion, and Leland Coyle, stick around 🖤
First, some historical context.
Whether we like it or not, personal grooming and aesthetics have always played a big role in how we’re perceived. But in the 1950s, fashion wasn’t as focused on self-expression as it is today. Rather than standing out, most people aimed for conformity, with conservative ideals and public perception heavily influencing fashion choices. How someone dressed and presented themselves to the world immediately signalled their social status, character, and values. Maintaining a facade of respectability and adhering to social norms was a priority for most.
After World War II, being clean-shaven became a key part of a man's appearance. This was partly inspired by young men who had served in the military. Veterans accustomed to shaving daily carried the habit into civilian life. Of course, not everyone was clean-shaven, but facial hair was generally more common among older generations, as well as musicians, and actors, people who could flout convention without damaging their reputations.
By the mid-1950s, however, facial hair started making a bit of a comeback, thanks to cultural icons like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Alternative hairstyles, especially those associated with greasers, weren’t widely accepted in professional settings. Instead, they became symbols of rebellion, linked to actors, outcasts, and those who rejected the status quo rather than conventional, well-to-do citizens.
Tumblr media
With that out of the way, let's talk about Coyle!
Thanks to the comics and in-game documents, we know that Coyle meets Clyde Perry in a Blackwell diner on February 16th 1956. Based on what we can piece together from his past, Coyle would have been around 33 years old at the time. Perry’s account of the altercation directly tells us that Coyle was well-liked and respected within his community.
Blackwell was (and perhaps still is) an extremely conservative town, where conformity to social norms would have been enforced through intense social pressure. The fear of negative judgment would have kept most people compliant. This makes Coyle’s deviation from 1950s conventions all the more apparent, though when we consider his past, things begin to make a bit more sense.
From both the comics and Coyle’s in-game dialogue, we know he had a troubled childhood (details to follow in a separate post). His adolescent delinquency eventually landed him in a military academy. However, his honourable service in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, combined with his undeniable charisma likely convinced most locals that he was a reformed man, paving the way for his position as a police sergeant.
His rough-around-the-edges persona may have only added to his charm, allowing him to get away with behaviour that might have otherwise raised eyebrows, such as openly flirting with a waitress or publicly beating a man senseless.
Tumblr media
Although Coyle is primarily depicted as a silhouette in most full-body images, we can still piece together details of his uniform. Interestingly, his attire aligns more with a 1940s police officer than one from the mid-1950s. This could be a deliberate design choice to emphasize how both Coyle and the town he rules over are stuck in the past.
His uniform has a few key features:
Sam Browne belt – A leather belt with a supporting strap that runs over the shoulder and connects to a waist belt.
Standing collar & shoulder boards – Formal elements more common in earlier decades.
Shoes instead of boots – Just a note for the artists in the room. 
Utility belt essentials – Includes a handgun, handcuffs, and a nightstick, which were standard for the time.
We get a clearer look at the general appearance of his uniform from some of the police cutouts in the Trials, though none of them feature a Sam Browne belt.
Tumblr media
Coyle’s hair defies the social conventions of the time. It isn’t styled into any particular fashion and appears free of product, an unusual choice for a police officer, who would typically be expected to maintain a polished image, if not for personal pride, then at least for professionalism's sake. His hairline is noticeably receding, and it’s possible he combed it forward to disguise the thinning. By the time the events of the game take place, he’s completely bald, whether from stress-induced hair loss or simply shaving it once the recession became too obvious to hide. Pure speculation on my part. 
His stubble, mussed hair, and unfastened top button suggest that when he meets Perry, he’s either finished work for the day or, at the very least, on his lunch break.
I found a few references of what I think Coyle's hair would look like because the comic is very bad at keeping it consistent. I went out of my way to find a guy with sideburns too. (Don't say I never do anything for you.) It's also worth noting that Julian Bailey, Coyle's VA had a receding hairline.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
As a ‘respectable’ police sergeant, he should present himself as buttoned-up, clean, and tidy, proudly representing the Blackwell Police Department and setting a good example for his subordinates. Instead, everything about his presentation suggests a man who sees himself as above reproach, someone who enforces social conventions but doesn’t feel the need to follow them himself. In fact, one could argue he’s rewarded for breaking them, receiving positive attention from women despite (or perhaps because of) his disregard for propriety.
Coyle placing his hat on the waitress is a particularly bold move, especially given the strict dating conventions of the 1950s. Historically, a man placing his hat on a woman's head was a flirtatious gesture, a subtle but effective way of ‘claiming’ her, particularly in cowboy culture (Coyle’s parents were cattle ranchers, cowboy Coyle is canon).
In this context, it’s unlikely to be a genuine display of interest. More than anything, it’s a power play, a deliberate act of pushing the limits of propriety while asserting his dominance. The real impact comes when Perry walks in, seeing Coyle has already ‘marked his territory,’ immediately undermining Perry and ensuring he feels off-balance in the face of Coyle’s effortless machismo. 
At the comic's conclusion, while Perry is driving away, injured but alive, he looks back to see Coyle standing outside the diner, wearing his police cap. At some point, he must have retrieved it from the waitress, likely with a charming, offhand apology for making a scene. Coyle doesn’t need to kill Perry to send a message, because letting him live IS the message. And Perry hears it loud and clear.
Tumblr media
A quick side note, this isn’t so much about Coyle’s appearance, but rather his character.
When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, it adopted prohibition as part of its constitution, remaining a dry state up until 1959. Alcohol was largely banned, though moonshiners and speakeasies operated in secret, often with local law enforcement turning a blind eye. As a consequence, one of the only widely acceptable alcoholic beverages was “low-point beer” a drink containing just 3.2% alcohol, considered non-intoxicating under state law.
Perry states that Coyle ‘drank heavily’ before their encounter, but the fact that it was low-alcohol beer explains how he could be four pints down and still completely in control when it came to beating Perry.
It’s possible Coyle was pulling a deliberate ruse, letting Perry believe he was drunker than he actually was. If so, it wasn’t just about drinking, it was a test. Coyle may have wanted to see if Perry would try to take advantage of what seemed like a weakened opponent, only to prove that he was never at a disadvantage to begin with.
For a police officer to drink so openly in a conservative Christian town flies in the face of everything he’s supposed to uphold. Yet no one seems to care, or at least, no one dares to challenge him. Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s respect. Either way, Coyle knows exactly what he can get away with, and he enjoys every second of it.
Tumblr media
There are plenty of inconsistencies in the comic, and the art style doesn’t always make the details easy to see. Honestly, I could spend forever picking it apart and analyzing it, and one day, I probably will.
But in the meantime… I hope it's been informative. And I hope that some artists who draw pre-Sinyala Coyle will start depicting him in his Blackwell uniform. As much as I love a leather jacket, I’m a sucker for those military-style uniforms.
I hope you enjoyed this little dive into Coyle and his antics. Before I wrap up, I’m leaving you with a picture I annotated—it was meant to be the main image for this post, but... it’s awful. Apologies in advance if it hurts your eyes.
Tumblr media
If you enjoyed my descent into madness, please inflict it upon your friends. I welcome friendly and constructive conversation in the comments. And hey, if you think I’m talking out of my arse, that’s your prerogative! This wasn’t meant as a critique, just the ramblings of someone who spends far too much time pondering the hows and whys of this man.
Well done if you made it this far, and thank you for reading!
As usual big shoutout to the Coyle Crew @misa-bun @decayinghost @soggy-bean for enabling me
28 notes · View notes
sufferu · 3 days ago
Text
Finally read the most recently translated Arc 9 chapters (up to chapter 18).
Aldebaran is fucking crazy but we all knew that. Wasn’t prepared for him to start paralleling all of the IF Routes and also Natchuki Subawu like that though oh my GOD. —Well I WAS, but not to THAT EXTENT—
Including a parallel to the pinky promise scene was vile lmao. Love it
Heinkel is amazing. Truly the universe’s punching bag. I’m really wondering about his “sturdiness” now lol — but also, him and Reinhard…!
PETRA KNOWWWS— But she only read that one Book, hmm…? So she only knows a little bit… BUT ITS ENOUGH—
I wonder if the Witch of Envy would have come out if Petra had read Any Other Book, or if it was specifically because Subaru had confessed about Return By Death that she surfaced like that…
I love that none of these people were trying to kill Aldebaran lmao. Ezzo, Garfiel, Reinhard, and I’m pretty sure Felt, too — all of them were just trying to fucking pacify him. And then he kept killing himself over and over again. What were they thinking in all those loops? What the fuck was that?
What do you MEAN Reinhard doesn’t actually have the [Divine Protection of Wind Reading]?! I mean it makes sense in context but WOW. OKAY.
(…BTZ just got ever so slightly easier to write, not gonna lie— like I had plans for how to deal with that, but I guess I don’t need them after all)
…You know, I knew that Al would be paralleling Subaru and Subawu and all the IF Barus. I did NOT expect to see Arc 3 Rem being paralleled by an “all-purpose maid” character who is explicitly, openly, and gleefully facilitating Aldebaran’s sprint towards his own self-destruction and eventual suicide. That’s — wow. Even when Amnesiac!Rem isn’t around, Arc 3 Rem isn’t getting even a single break in the subtext of the story, is she?
Interpreting Priscilla as a symbol of fate within the story of Re:Zero really adds a whole other layer to Aldebaran’s internal contemplation about her character and how she interacted with those around her.
These characters sure do love commenting on death, suicide, immortality, and all that junk, don’t they? It really takes on a different tone when you realize that everything they’re saying is supposed to be applicable to Subaru in some way (and also Aldebaran).
Aldebaran needs to get rid of Natsuki Subaru “So that I can be myself.” …I really have the feeling that he read Subaru’s Book of the Dead and it blended their identities together somewhat, and that’s why he’s like this. Could also match with him losing his Authority when he got de-aged while Subaru didn’t — as well as why baby!Al was like. DRASTICALLY different from baby!Subaru, with him being a huge crybaby and all while Natchuki Subawu himself was off chasing shinobis and being a little hell-raiser. If that experience got temporarily reversed due to the whole de-aging thing, then that could very well explain all that. …Wonder who he would have been before that.
The idea of Aldebaran wanting to kill himself immediately after gaining his own identity WOULD parallel how Sphinx only finally got her own identity in the instant before she croaked.
The Witch of Envy IGNORES him, he says? …Huh.
Okay so Aldebaran SPECIFICALLY learned Al Shario from Echidna because she expected him to take over Volcanica and use it to fight Reinhard. Which means that she planned for this to happen. Which means that she planned for everything up to this point to happen. …There are a LOT of implications that come with that reveal. A LOT OF THEM.
Felt showed up with FIVE HUNDRED FRIENDS. REINHARD HAS FRIENDS.
Man tho I’m really looking forward to all the Felt Camp focus. They’ve had some really great moments already…!
29 notes · View notes
sonicssweetheart · 1 day ago
Note
Omg I love your writing!! 🥹 please could I request nsfw Sonic x Reader with it being readers first time? Thank youuuuu 🫶🫶🫶
⋆🎐˚。⋆ — hehehe i’ve been waiting for this one… turn it up!!! since there is no specified gender for reader i will do fem! (thank u for requesting! <3)
sonic x fem!reader ୧🍓 ༘ ₊˚.
ᝰ.ᐟ warnings ; NSFW 18+, suggestive shower scene, gentle sex, oral (reader receiving), praise.
Tumblr media
it’s winter, and it’s a harsh one.
you and sonic are the type to stay indoors when it’s cold, especially since it’s well past 9 o’clock and a snowstorm is manipulating vastly outside your kitchen window. typically, you don’t mind a heavy flurry, but it can be easily anxiety inducing with the fear of the power going out — which wasn’t ideal.
as you sat with one leg tucked under your knee on your leather couch scrolling on your phone, you could hear the mere moment of vibrating electricity before sonic appeared beside you , his leg crossed over his other and his arm behind you on the back of the sofa. he peered over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of what you were looking at, which he was bad for, being nosey and all, which just ended up being a Pinterest board. his gloved finger tapped on the back pillow, his gaze switching to your face as he awaited your acknowledgment. you tilted your head back on his arm and rolled your head over to look him in the eye, putting your phone down. “yes?”
“mm, hi,” he hummed before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “i’m taking a shower, id like to be clean before and if the power goes out.”
he spoke with charm in his voice, as if he was still attempting to win you over, regardless of the fact you haven been together for a little over 8 months. frankly, he swept you off of your feet each time.
you furrowed your eyebrows at him, lifting your head as you grew serious. “uhm, no. i’m taking a shower. you had one yesterday.” you protested, which in response he scoffed and looked into the distance for a second.
“you also don’t run around all day everyday smelling like every biome on this earth. c’mon, please?” he looked back at you with that stupid persuasive look in his eye that put you into a chokehold, however you weren’t complying.
“i also haven’t washed my hair in two days and look like i crawled out of an oil slick,” you turned to face him, gesturing your hand towards the window behind the couch. “i don’t want to risk going in after you when there’s a storm outside. that freaks me out.”
feeling rather indifferent about the jab at yourself, sonic ran his hand over his ears, leaning forwards to put his elbows on his knees, looking back at you.
“likewise, princess,” he teased, making you scrunch your face at him, “what’s the compromise?”
you opened your mouth to reply but stopped yourself, your chest contracting for a quick second before swallowing hard and shrugging.
“well, we could… shower, together? maybe. i don’t know. there’s less of a chance that way.” you suggested. he was slightly taken aback, since you both haven’t been in such a suggestive context before. however, he would be stupid to decline.
────୨ৎ────
you stood awkwardly in your bathroom within your shared bedroom, watching shyly as the blue hedgehog turned on the faucet, trying to get it at the right temperature. you held the towels tightly to your chest unknowingly, starting to overthink about how he would react seeing you so vulnerable and exposed. of course he has seen you basically naked, by changing clothes in the same room and what not, but this was different. however the soft look in his eyes as he turned around to face you softened that fear slightly. he took the towels from you and placed them on the counter and opened the shower curtain.
“i’ll get in first, you come in when you’re ready.” his patience and kind voice made you purse your lips in order to not randomly smile like a freak, and so you hesitantly slipped off your clothes piece by piece.
the steam from the water filled the bathroom quickly, and you eventually stepped into the shower to avoid wasting any time. sonic stood with his back to you, facing the shower head. you noticed the muscles in his back, flexing and straining everytime he moved his arms to wash his head. biting your cheek, you faced your back to his and began to wash your body.
it didn’t take long before it felt slightly awkward, however when you went to grab the shampoo, sonic had suddenly turned around and grabbed it first. you froze momentarily as he seemed to pop open the cap and a cold sensation ran over your scalp. his hands began massaging your head, gently working the shampoo through your roots and down to your ends. you definitely didn’t mind this.
you closed your eyes in pure bliss and groaned, leaning your head back onto his shoulder as he rubbed circles into the sides of your head. your back was now flush against his chest and a flash of heat travelled through your legs, provoking the other storm that brewed in your gut. there was something about his act of service that made your face flush and your knees to grow weak.
“does it feel good?” he asked in a tone that made you panic internally. you tried your best to nod, turning around to face him as you let the water flush out your hair. your sudden boost of confidence under the water with him turned quickly intimate as your chest was now flush against him. sonic lifted a hand to take a handful of your hair and strain the excess shampoo out — and you knew exactly what he was doing.
before another word was said or worse, you simultaneously crashed against each others lips, your hands raising eagerly to wrap around his neck as his instinctively ran down the dip of your back and latched on to your hips to pull you closer. the kiss instantly deepened as a few groans slipped past your lips and onto his, making his breath shudder. sonic had reached behind him blindly to turn off the faucet and whipped open the shower curtain. as much as his eagerness to get out of the bathroom was harsh, his lips and touch were certainly the opposite. the kisses lingered slowly as he savoured every taste and scent that flooded into his senses, completely drunk off of you.
you felt him grow hard against your leg, causing you to jolt a little at the sudden feeling. he pulled away, looked into your eyes with a feral expression in his own, and pressed his lips to your neck. he seemed to lap at the shower water that beautifully coated your shoulder & neck, being rewarded with the soft sounds that erupted from your throat.
“sonic, m’ please” you fumbled in a whisper, your hands clawing at his bare back. he hummed in response and didn’t hesitate to lift you up by your legs, stepping out of the shower and bringing you to bed. taking a break from your lips for a moment, sonic gently placed you down on your silk sheets and looked into your eyes with a serious expression.
“do you want this?” he asked softly, his eyes gazing at your soaked body and heaving chest. face flushed, you looked away for a moment.
“i..i do, just nervous. i don’t know what to do or say.” you admitted shyly. sonic pressed a gentle kiss to your jawline and leaned his lips to your ear.
“just let me take care of you, yeah?” his voice echoed in your eardrums, and you nodded eagerly, a soft whine slipping from your lips. getting you fully on the bed, sonic trailed small kisses from your forehead down to your stomach, his hands fondling anything he could grab.
“so pretty, baby,” he whispered as he reached your pelvis, looking up at you to observe your reaction. of course you were beet red and beyond nervous, however you craved this like a drug. you’ve only been dreaming of this moment basically since this man walked into your life. and now he was about to be buried between your legs, and the thought left you aching.
rubbing circles into your hips, sonic maintained eye contact as he pressed his lips to your inner thigh, his breath wafting over your aching core causing you to shiver. you cursed under your breath as you tried to keep your hips from jerking upwards out of excitement.
“you tell me when to stop, and i’ll stop, okay?” listening to him setting boundaries with a soaked body was something you would only find in a harlequin book. you stared like a dumbfound dog, nodding in response. he smirked before slipping his thumb down your clit and between your folds, feeling the wetness that overcame you. propped up on your elbows, you threw your head back as you moaned gracefully, making his ear twitch in response. he was quick to put his tongue to work, teasing you with small swipes against your clit then transitioning to sucking and tongue fucking you like his life depended on it.
it was impossible for you to stay quiet, and it was equally impossible for him to not rut against the bed out of desperation. sonic craved to make you feel good like this, to have the power to manipulate your pleasure by just his tongue. he took pride in knowing that he made you come undone like this.
he groaned deeply as his tongue slipped in and out of your core, having to keep your hips still with his hands as you squirmed and whined. he looked up at you with lidded eyes, his aching cock not being able to wait any longer to be inside of you. the look he gave you made your stomach tighten and a ringing to start in your ear. the tip of his tongue grazed over your clit once more which nearly sent you over the edge.
he could tell by the way you gasped, where he then pulled back and took a gasp of air, his mouth coated with your slick. he used his thumb to wipe it off and smear it on his tongue, crawling back up to you to kiss you once more. you already felt tired and overstimulated, yet your muscles were not satisfied as they awaited their closure.
“you taste so good, y/n,” he mumbled between kisses, his hand trailing down your chest and to your pussy once more to gently prod a finger at your entrance. you gasped in the kiss and bucked your hips up which notified him that you wanted more. he slipped in a second finger and groaned at the sound of your core squelching around his fingers. he pulled away from your lips, his arm propped up beside your head as his other hand worked through your core.
your insides felt as if they were swelling rapidly, the heat mixing between you and sonic had you basically melting into the sheets. “ ‘want it now, please,” you whispered shakily, your mind so clouded with pleasure you were sure you wouldn’t be conscious in the next few minutes. he slipped out his fingers, earning a gasp from you, and eagerly grabbed protection from the night stand.
you both chuckled softly at sonics struggle to open the condom with wet fingers, your heart swelling knowing that you didn’t have to be serious even during such an intimate moment. when he finally opened it and rolled the rubber shakily on himself, he hovered himself over you and bashfully scanned your body for a moment.
“are you, uh… ready?” he asked awkwardly, the poor boy afraid to do anything rash in fear of you becoming uncomfortable. reaching your hand up to run your hand down his damp quills, your legs instinctively spread open, your arousal nearly pooling under you. “uh huh,” you replied with a squeaky voice, giving him a look that would be forever imprinted in the back of his head. he cursed under his breath, knowing that he would severely fail at keeping his composure longer than two minutes.
the moment he began to slide into you, you let out a quick sob at the sudden pain, sonic being quick to ease you out. he pressed soft pecks to your jaw and neck, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. it was unbearably uncomfortable at first, however once he gave a final push, it felt like a puzzle piece connecting. you gasped , your walls clenching around him at the pleasure that quickly over took the pain. you moaned loudly, signaling for sonic to begin moving his hips.
he raised his head, his hands again placed beside your shoulders, a drunken look falling upon his eyes. fuck, you felt good, and he wasn’t hiding it.
he just watched you — mesmerized and drinking in the euphoric sight of your flushed face, hazy eyes and wet hair sprawled on the pillow, his lips parting in awe. he often day dreamed about seeing this, however that was nothing compared to being in the real moment. his hips twitched every time you made a sound, and he would’ve sacrificed his soul to have that on repeat for the rest of forever.
“does… does it feel good?” he asked in a shaky breath, seeking the reassurance that what he was doing was satisfactory. “mhmm, yes, yes,” you huffed out, your hands gripping onto his biceps as his body rocked against yours.
the soft creaking of the bed and precious huffs & moans exchanged between the two of you filled the room quickly, and it was just perfect. sonic found himself losing his coherence as he became quite vocal and sped up his movements ever so slightly, careful not to hurt you, his hands moving to your hips to steady himself.
and that sight was just godly. his fur still damp, ears twitching, eyes half lidded and muscles flexing with every thrust… the sight alone could have easily caused your orgasm. however, instead it was caused by a whole other sensation.
as one of sonics arms wrapped under your hips and was hoisted slightly to give an incline, his other hand rubbed small circles onto your clit. he retracted his cock slightly from inside of you, now only giving small thrusts around two inches inside of you. he watched you intently, breaths quick and ragged as he licked his lips at your reaction.
he was stimulating probably one hundred different spots right now, and it was ethereal. you tried your best it maintain eye contact, but the growing knot in your abdomen threatened your composure.
“fuck, fuck sonic i-im, i,” you babbled as your hips involuntarily jerked and sputtered like a broken engine. some sort of whine broke past his lips as he was clearly on edge as well just from the sight of you, his hips stuttering every few thrusts. “ ‘you’re doing so good, s-so good, y/n —“ not another word was exchanged before you completely let go, the sound of your voice on his tongue triggering what was threatening to come undone. sonic was quick to follow along, not being able to control the rest of his cock pushing all the way inside of you, hitting every mold in your sore cunt.
the heavy pants that followed your boyfriend riding out both yours and his orgasm let the moment sink in, your sweat and salvia mingling between the tension in the air. pressing his forehead to yours, you both closed your eyes and came down from your high.
a kiss was quickly captured between the two of you, locking in place what was just commenced. his hand stroked your hair, leaning his index and middle finger away from you so he wouldn’t get any fluids onto your clean locks. (gentleman!) pulling away, he looked down at you, smiling like a fool and climbing off of you to lay on his side, propping his head up with his palm.
“imagine, all of that just happened just because i wanted to shower. i think im gifted.” he was instantly back to his smug ways, which meant being back to your annoyed facade. you rolled your eyes as much as you could and attempted to push him away.
“you’re so gross.”
“mm… but you love me.”
“yeah. yeah i guess i do.”
˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖
a/n — holy yap… i feel like i dragged that on alot but its hard to stop once you start LOL anyway tysm for requesting anon n im currently working on new reqs!! 🩵
49 notes · View notes
team-cap-for-the-win · 4 hours ago
Text
Obviously as you stated the MCU is an adaptation where the characters are different and it's completely fine to ship stucky there (and it's not ok to try to shame them the way op of the screenshot did).
That said, however, I don't blame comic fans for being TIRED. Yes, the purism goes both ways, but there are many mcu stucky fans that take 616 panels out of context (yes, even pre-retcon, because they have no clue what they're talking about) and use them as "evidence" for the basis of stucky as a whole. And that's how you end up with them saying stuff like "omg they are so in love in the comics" and the context is 20+ years old Steve grieving his 13 year old pseudo son before the Winter Soldier storyline was ever written.
There is also the issue of the mcu synergy. Sure, the movies really helped the comics' popularity, but the rippling effects they have on 616 are annoying to say the least. One of those things was the relationship between Steve and Bucky, which they kind of tried to match closer to the mcu version (you cannot tell me SoL wasn't pandering to mcu fans). Other examples would be in Gwenpool strikes back, where she straight up says "you two look good together, you should wrestle" and a panel in Squirrel Girl that the writer (or artist, I can't remember) described as "stumbling into a stucky coffeeshop au". And it's annoying as hell.
But of course there is more, like the recent Thunderbolts line up closely matching the upcoming mcu movie, and Sam's new comic being all about Red Hulk, also to match his upcoming movie. Do you see the issue here? And it's not just the CA side of things (but it's the one I'm most familiar with). So I don't blame comics fans for being tired of the mcu fans barging into the comics sphere just to boost their ship. Still they shouldn't harass the mcu stucky shippers or anything, but to me it's valid to call them out when they try to bring that into 616, because again, it's just weird.
The other day I saw another post complaining about how twitter is bullying the stuckies right now but they tried to defend their stance on 616 by talking about the age of consent and "16 is legal" so. I think as soon as you start mentioning THAT, you immediately lose the argument.
TLDR; it's not ok to harass and shame mcu stuckies but they should do their research if they want to talk about the comics and it's valid to criticise them when they get weird about it.
Tumblr media
This post I saw is obviously insane. No, MCU Stucky fans are not shipping pedophilic sudo-incest; these two Bucky Barnes’s are just different characters. All of this is obvious, and there is not much of a point in dunking on it. But I do think it really exemplifies something I’ve noticed in the Marvel fan spaces that has been bothering me.
Both comic purists and movie purists seem so miserable, and I can not believe how many of them there are. The whole fanbase is just crawling with people who seem to be willfully choosing to misunderstand the idea of adaptation in a genre entirely built off adaptation. Even within comics themselves, every character has been reimagined and retconned and stretched to fill a thousand different shapes; the ‘definitive’ version of a character for you truly just comes down to personal taste and exposure. So people’s whole hearted dedication to acting like there favorite version is the only version anyone could possibly except and changing that vision is a immoral betrayal of the character is insane.
I haven’t been here that long, but Ive already learned that the only option is to go with the flow. I don’t know how you purists manage, because living like this sounds stressful.
35 notes · View notes
msfaeriearts · 1 year ago
Text
Tumblr media
"Look how she lights up the sky"
Two totally platonic friends having a totally platonic dance on the beach after a banquet. totally.
13 notes · View notes
s0fter-sin · 10 months ago
Text
i need ghoap frantically making out against a door finally taking the leap on their feelings. need ghost grinding against soap, expecting to find him just as hard as him, only to feel nothing
and in all his wisdom and experience, he concludes soap was tortured and never told him
he’s trying to think of a delicate way to say he understands, that he’s been through it and it doesn’t change anything about how he feels (and who the fuck touched him so he can hunt them down and rend them limb from limb)
meanwhile trans!soap’s just trying to find the best angle to grind his cunt on ghost’s thigh
just it never even entering ghost’s head bc he’s never known a trans person but he has met plenty of people who’ve been tortured - himself included - so of course that’s his logical leap
soap takes off his shirt and he sees his top surgery scars and ghost asks if he wants him to kill the one who did it and soap just hums like, “actually, man did pretty good, they healed real well,” and ghost’s just teary-eyes with awe at how well he’s coping, “looking on the bright side, that’s my johnny.”
imagine he thinks johnny was fully castrated but sees he’s determined to still have a sex life with him so he buys packers and straps to help him bc hell yeah healing and soap’s just like, “holy shit i’ve never had such a thoughtful partner before, such a sweet man, lt.”
#he a little confused but he got the spirit#its so good bc it can be super angsty of ghost really dreading whats been done to his sergeant and trying to make it right#or just go full crack treated seriously and have fun with it#i love just completely oblivious ghost#in any military context hes the smartest guy in the room#he always knows the play and has more experience than anyone#but stick him in the normal world? man is Lost#ghost just thinks hes had some kind of reconstruction surgery after being tortured and accepts thats what johnny looks like#bc hes never seen a pussy before#it takes years for soap to actually come out to him bc he just never thought to#hes seen him naked theyve literally slept together what else is there for him to say#then he shows him like a family album or something and ghosts just like ‘why arent you in any of these i only see girls’#and he just goes ‘hang on a second’#soap gets one of his sporadic periods one night and panics a little thinking it would weird ghost out or remind him that hes not cis#but ghost just thinks its a normal part of such a thorough reconstruction that hed bleed sometimes#and doesnt question it when soap grabs a pad out of his drawer bc ‘thats such a good way of handling the discharge my johnnys so smart’#just really supportive ghost for the wrong reasons#coming out of my cage and ive been doing just fine.txt#we’re a team. ghost team#soapghost#ghostsoap#simon ghost riley#ghost cod#john soap mactavish#soap cod#save post
598 notes · View notes