#to their truly batshit decisions

[helimir]

This sequence of episodes (Vergesson heist and its aftermath) are also a testament to the sheer determination of the mighty nein, both in the narrative and on a meta level.

When Trent shows up in Vergesson, Matt makes it clear that Ikithon wants to talk. He makes no actual attack on the PCs, and Matt openly expresses surprise when Caleb starts immediately casting offensive spells. They very easily could have been caught there, they only make it out because of Caleb’s nat 20 counterspell.

Then again in Nicodranas, Trent just wants to talk! He’s just curious! And he backs them into a corner that there really should be no way out of… but then they come up with a way. A crazy genius way that Matt could not have predicted.

In a situation where it would have been so easy to let the DM’s expectations combined with the mechanics of the situation guide them into a particular course of action… the mighty nein said ‘fuck that, it’s bad, we’re running’.

Ikithon’s manipulation and Matt’s signaling that a conversation is a viable story path is no match for Caleb’s abject fear and the Mighty Nein’s ride or die attitude. Caleb really said ‘this is the scariest man in the world and I’ll burn down anything including myself before I let him touch your families’ and the Mighty Nein said ‘we’re with you.’ This is the same party that walked across the continent to save part of their family, and it shows.

[lady-raziel]

Not to talk about the watcher thing again as I’ve already kind of said my piece, but one of the most batshit insane parts of this whole unbelievable situation is that for some reason they decided that for some fucking reason the BEST time to announce this highly controversial decision was literally DAYS before they would be going on an international tour and having to face irate fans IN PERSON. Guys. What the hell. At least have the sensibility to announce a move that you HAD to have known would make people upset AFTER one of the few times you actually interact in person with your fanbase.

I hope you’re ready to investigate the Tower of London for ghosts, because I have a feeling the Londoners will be more than happy to acquaint you with the building later this week.

Insane move after insane move. Truly.

[respectthepetty]

I had no idea from Secret Relationships' trailer that this messy Korean BL would be getting a Colors Awards nomination, but this show deserves it because even the name tags were color coded!

But more importantly, this show knew what it was doing with the colors every single episode because although Pink Person Jaemin comes across as an angel who has been heaven sent to save Daon all the time and help out his family too,

He actually hid his darkness very well!

Because he is batshit crazy!

However, this Pink Person is truly in love with Daon, a Yellow Yal, and we see that through the colors and lighting.

Daon has always been a source of happiness and warmth from the men who after him even in the most desperate of times.

But Jaemin, with all his darkness, latched on to Daon believing that only he deserved Daon's warmth and happiness. He loved Daon for who he was, but that meant that he wanted nobody else to experience that with Daon.

So Jaemin's ring for Daon is just slightly better than Su Hyeon's because it's gold and in an orange case which are reminders of what Daon represents to him, yet the ring is too small.

And it's ironic that the neighbor who interrupts his little hostile honeymoon states that she lives right next door with the house that has a green roof because the color green constantly thwarts Jaemin's plan to keep Daon all to himself.

The Green Guy could've had Daon if he has just been honest with himself from the beginning.

But honesty is reserved for the Blue Boys.

So while Su Hyeon hides some blue under his darkness,

Seong Hyeon's blue is always on full display.

Even in the worst of times, he will be loyal to Daon.

Su Hyeon and Jaemin, standing there in their full white and black, are complete opposites when it comes to Daon. Jaemin would kill him and Su Hyeon would kill for him, but only Seong Hyeon would die for Daon. Jaemin and Su Hyeon want Daon's happiness for themselves, but only Seong Hyeon would sacrifice himself for Daon's happiness.

Seong Hyeon even apologizes for not coming sooner to rescue Daon, but the after-credit scene gives more weight to this statement. Seong Hyeon, since he met Daon first, could have rescued Daon from both of these men long before they started stealing his warmth and happiness, so as much as people dislike Seong Hyeon, the colors show that he is the only one to give Daon back his yellow color, even as Seong Hyeon possibly lays there dying.

Seong Hyeon's request is absurd, but it prioritizes Daon's future over Seong Hyeon's, which is something neither Jaemin nor Su Hyeon ever did.

That ridiculous dying wish for Daon to give the presentation showed that regardless if Seong Hyeon was going to be next to him or not, he wanted Daon to be happy, while Jaemin and Su Hyeon would have rather Daon be miserable with them than happy without them.

Once again, Pink Person Jaemin and Green Guy Su Hyeon do love Daon, but neither of them loved him enough to rescue him. Instead, they added to his misery. They didn't want him to shine.

But this Blue Boy does.

So the genius decision to transition the lighting between Seong Hyeon's blue to Daon's warm yellow as Seong Hyeon encouraged Daon to take the job overseas because he could wait forever as long as Daon was happy is the prime example of why this show's visual narrative deserves an award!

Seong Hyeon loves Daon.

So although I worried about him wearing green since that is Su Hyeon's color,

I remembered that green is a blend of blue and yellow.

And Seong Hyeon wants to share a life with Daon. He doesn't want to suppress him like others because Daon's happiness is Seong Hyeon's happiness.

This Blue Boy wants his Yellow Yal to remain bright and happy, so he gives him a ring that actually fits and balance, which is something neither previous man offered.

So in the end when they kiss as snow falls after a year apart, it replaces the snowy Christmas at the cabin where Jaemin vowed to be Daon's last love because Jaemin was not even the first guy to love Daon.

That honor goes to the guy who always shows up just when Daon needs him the most.

Because only a Blue Boy would ever apologize for not showing up sooner even when he was already first.

[crag-dreams]

It’s the Saturday before Election Day 2024 here in the US, and stress/anxiety/fear/etc… is pretty high for a lot of people. That’s warranted, because another 4 years of Trump/GOP rule will harm so many people. You should do whatever you need to manage the next few days (including voting if you haven’t already), but I really want to encourage you to stop giving polls and “close race” media coverage much / any of your time or consideration.

Polling processes are wildly obsolete for how Millennial and Gen Z voters act compared to Gen X and Boomers (this is not a dig at these generations, just a factual observation). Polls are also easily manipulated to return a desired result, and the people running polls have a vested interest in getting your engagement. Keeping the results tight keeps eyeballs on them.

Similarly, the 24/7 media environment needs you constantly on edge and worried so you keep checking in and listening. They have no interest in a boring election or landslide victory. The majority of journalists have not risen to address this moment with the deliberate, in-depth reporting that we need. It’s far easier to throw together click-bait headlines to pump their numbers. It’s why they spend days covering the tiniest slip by Harris/Walz (and previously, Biden) while giving Trump/Vance a pass on every insane thing they say. Trump is *incredible* for news companies. He is so outrageous that their headlines write themselves, and as long as they don’t follow-up to truly report on him in a way that would end any other politician, they have unlimited content. Whatever you think about Biden, just remember: a single debate performance that wasn’t great was seized upon by the media (because it made for great engagement) and ended his candidacy. Trump can say the most batshit things (they’re eating the dogs!), and they minimize it at every opportunity, because he is good for them. They are sacrificing their journalistic integrity and responsibility at the expense of real people’s lives and rights.

So, what do we do if polls and most news coverage isn’t useful? Remember:

Trump lost the 2020 election. The Electoral College is the only reason it was even close. People were fed up then, and they are even more fed up now.

Roe was overturned by an activist Supreme Court that Trump is responsible for. In virtually every state-level election since then, the results have been outstandingly positive for Democrats, including in the Deep South™. This is why so many GOP politicians have stopped talking about abortion, even going so far as to remove their position from their websites, or directly contradicting themselves when asked about it. The only person making a decision about a woman’s body should be that woman, and these predominantly white dudes still don’t realize how badly they fucked up.

The majority of Trump’s former Cabinet and senior leadership have very publicly turned on him. While it would have been nice for them to do this earlier, it’s unprecedented to see so many prominent Republicans declare they will not vote for him. This doesn’t impact the hardcore MAGA crowd, but it absolutely speaks to more centrist Republican voters.

Trump has been convicted of sexual assault, and he is an adjudicated rapist. He’s been convicted of 34 felony indictments, with more to potentially come. Even though it seems like he never suffers consequences for these legal issues, it costs him voters. People who could justify supporting him before are finally reaching a limit, even if they don’t publicly admit it. (Some do!)

Also, more and more people who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 are willing to publicly admit they are tired of him and can’t do it again. His rallies are smaller and smaller, the crowds are less engaged, and, yes, people leave during his rambling rants more and more often.

Gen Z is getting to vote for the first time at any real scale. Say what you will about TikTok and other platforms, but they are more informed and showing up and caring about issues that didn’t move the needle for Gen X or Boomers. Remember the Access Hollywood, grab ‘em by the pussy, tape? That should have ended his original campaign, but it didn’t. Gen Z has found out about that, and it’s just one of so many things driving them to get out and vote. The turnout is going to be incredible.

Because we still use the stupid Electoral College, this election largely comes down to swing states. The Trump campaign has done almost everything imaginable to lose those voters. Whether it’s bashing unions (Trump said a child could do the same job as automotive workers building cars, he bragged about not paying overtime, etc…), immigrants (they’re eating the dogs, GOP-led states demonizing them), Puerto Ricans (calling their home a floating pile of garbage, Trump denying hurricane relief for almost two years), or women (abortion, telling women they should vote how their husband wants them to, Vance thinking their purpose is nothing more than baby-making, stay-home, wait-on-a-man’s every need), they are losing the swing states.

Elections are *incredibly secure and trustworthy.* The Trump/GOP camp has attacked this at every opportunity with virtually no success. The few instances of voter fraud we’ve seen in the last few years are almost entirely from Republicans. They have already started the narrative that the election is rigged if Trump loses. This narrative will only increase as results start to roll in on Tuesday. Don’t even worry about it. They will lose every / almost every single lawsuit they try to bring. It will have no impact on the eventual outcome.

Early voting, including absentee and mail-in ballots, turnout is incredibly encouraging. The higher the turnout, the better, and people are showing up. There’s fatigue and embarrassment on the GOP side (you’re gonna eventually hear from those voters that they stayed home, voted for Harris, etc…), and there’s excitement and motivation on the Dem side.

Are there reasons to be worried? Of course. The Trump campaign is going to try and obstruct the voting process in every way they can. They’re blocking poll monitors in Texas and Florida. Drop boxes in some states have been attacked. Voter rolls have been illegally purged. They’re bringing lawsuits (most of which they’ve already lost) even before Election Day. They’re going to claim fraud. They’ll probably incite violence again.

These are the actions of a desperate campaign that isn’t trying to actually win, because they know they’ve already lost.

So, we can acknowledge our stress, anxiety, and fear, but we don’t have to let it ruin the next few days. Get outside and enjoy (hopefully) beautiful Fall weather. Snuggle your pets. Listen to your favorite albums. Read a great book. Hang out with your people. Vote.

We’re a few days away from a massive weight being lifted from our shoulders. Don’t let it weigh you down until then.

[cressidagrey]

hiiiiiiii

just read the new chapter and i have things running in my head that i need to get out

kk humour me?

my brain is running overtime trying to guess whether the lecfam finds out about belle and max before or after the proposal (im really hoping its after the proposal so we can see a massive breakdown and crash out)(can you tell i love chaos????)

i kinda am waiting on the edge of my seat waiting for the crash out of mr charles leclerc (assuming proposal happens before they find out)and he spontaneously combusts at the fact that max proposed and he(charles)wasn't asked permission (i kinda feel like he ,lorenzo and arthur would feel entitled to it since their dad passed away)and cause a whole other wave of drama.

on the same note i kinda want pascale to go batshit crazy about the fact that her ONLY daughter is getting married and won't let her give her opinions and help arrange the wedding cause i totaly see that happening.like imagine belle standing up to her mom and saying" NO ,THIS IS MY WEDDING AND I WILL PLAN IT THE WAY I WANT TO .I DON'T CARE HOW YOU WANT IT, THIS IS MINE .YOU'VE TAKEN SO MUCH FROM ME BUT THIS-THIS IS MINE AND MINE ALONE(also maxie's)"[cue camera panning to emelie sipping champagne with a proud smirk starring at pascale and then when she(emelie)and pascale make eye contact she raises her glass to make a toast]

AHHHHHH im crashing out .....so many possibilities...so many decisions i cant imagine how fun this must be for you like -your basically the god of this au like you can make anything you want happen damnnnnnnnnn...

anyway sorry for spamming imma go calm down (can you tell im really excited????)

sorry if there's any spelling mistakes or you can't understand something

imma go now bye!!

Okay wait—WAIT—because this is one of the most gloriously chaotic, emotionally unhinged, cinematic masterpieces of a message I’ve ever received and I am OBSESSED 😭🫶🏻

YES I will absolutely humour you. YES I am screaming along with you. YES you may be seated at the head of the “Let the Leclercs Spiral” table because YOU GET IT.

The idea of Charles spontaneously combusting over not being asked for permission?? ICONIC. ENTITLED. SO on brand. Meanwhile Max is just sipping his coffee like, “Why would I ask a man who doesn’t know her birthday?” 💅🏼 And don’t get me started on Pascale. I felt that speech. I saw Belle standing there, back straight, voice shaking but steady. And Emilie raising that champagne glass with the slowest, most savage toast while Pascale is silently dissolving. Like?? Emmy Award-winning behavior right there.

And yes, yes it is wildly fun (and a little evil) being the god of this AU. The possibilities truly are endless… and the amount of unhinged outlines I have open right now is borderline criminal 😂

Please never apologize for messages like this — your excitement is the best thing ever and absolutely made my day. I understood every word and loved every second of it. Come back and scream with me any time 🫶🏻💛

P.S. “also Maxie’s” 💀 I wheezed.

[neinofthem]

rewatching pre-reveal essek clips is my favorite pastime oh it’s so good like. ok so the nein hit him up and are like hey we talked to the empire and they let us see the beacon and they agreed to give it back! how cool is that! and essek is seeing red one eye twitching talking through gritted teeth like they agreed to um. to what. how nice. wonderful. you know that he had some fucking words for ludinus later but on the outside he’s sitting there going :) you all have done me proud :) on the inside he’s seriously considering killing himself or faking his death and then two hours later he shows up at the nein’s door with a bottle of wine to invite himself to dinner which is an absolutely insane move! truly the king of batshit decisions! the supercut is doing some cocomelon shit to me.

[requiemism]

maybe its just because jinx is bpd (or, at least, HEAVILY coded as such) and i have a mood disorder but i truly cannot help but be bewildered by the lack of understanding and empathy towards her character both in the show and in the fandom. shes essentially a broken, manipulated, desperate child- even if shes "grown" now, shes so severely traumatized i sincerely doubt her brain developed properly and she certainly didnt and doesnt have the help required to become a well adjusted stable individual. i dont say this to take away her agency or infantilize her- her actions ARE her choice, and she DOES understand what she is doing. however, despite this, a majority of what shes done has NEVER been in a moment of rational thinking. she only did what she did as powder due to desperation; she threw the bag in the water because she was cornered, she accidentally caused the deaths she did because she didnt understand the tech she had and she was desperate to save her family. everything she does after as jinx is largely due to silcos manipulation, being severely disordered, traumatized, and abandoned, and literally every single person in her life telling her all shes good for is destruction and causing pain. she spends almost her ENTIRE life being told by EVERYONE but the person actively manipulating her that she is incompetent, annoying, destructive and batshit. OBVIOUSLY SHES NOT GOING TO BE NORMAL. OBVIOUSLY SHES GOING TO LOSE IT WHEN THE O N E PERSON SHE HAS LEFT FUCKING DIES BECAUSE SHE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIM DURING A PTSD DRIVEN BREAKDOWN CAUSED BY HER GODDAMN SISTER. O B V I O U S L Y SHES GOING TO DO SOMETHING RASH AND IMPULSIVE IN HER MANIC, BROKEN STATE. because now, she has nothing left. she has nothing to lose. shes a jinx, and she ruins everything that she touches, and maybe, just maybe, she can use that to honor her fathers lifelong goal. obviously this goes horribly and backfires on everyone, putting a target on the entire undercitys back, but she ABSOLUTELY wasnt thinking about that when she bombed the goddamn capitol mid breakdown. in season 2, after making this impulsive (and frankly idiotic but thats neither here nor there) decision she lays low, avoiding causing any damage unless necessary (although it IS overkill whenever she does harm people, thats what shes been taught is normal. she literally grew up in the undercity where people are murdered and mugged on a daily basis.) and using every opportunity to scourge her own existence. she VERY clearly hates herself for what shes done, and she certainly doesnt seem to be proud of any of it. i think this is best displayed in the discussion she has with isha when they first meet. when vi and the enforcer squad come after her, shes literally minding her business, making a GIFT for the woman who has repeatedly hurt her because "it was something (she) could fix." she cant even shoot vi when shes actively gassing her, literally CRYING at the thought. the only reason she actively begins attempting to kill her and caitlyn is because THEY'RE DOING THE SAME DAMN THING, and once again she very clearly cant bring herself to do so to vi. even in s1, during the tea party scene, its pretty evident that she doesnt intend to kill vi in my opinion? to make matters worse, when vi tries to kill HER, she practically BEGS her to do it.

i understand that jinx is objectively NOT a good person!!! she has literally killed tens of maybe hundreds of people and yes, she did kill caitlyns mom (although very honestly i could care less about that ngl caitlyn is absolutely a good character but i dont like her as a person for reasons largely unrelated to jinx 😓). she literally builds bombs and guns and whatever the fuck for fun. she enjoys watching people be beaten and killed. but i think the absolute lack of any empathy or understanding towards her a lot of people exhibit is a little ridiculous and it infuriates me to no end 😭 thank you for coming to my autistic ted talk!!!!

[candyskiez]

hi new mutual 🎀🫣 i have a half baked jonelias thought that hasn’t gone anywhere yet, but i wanted to throw it at you. something about the horrible act of creation? and being in love obsessed with and also responsible for the thing you made? elias building jon into the archivist and ultimately into something far more powerful than him. elias honest to God not minding handing things over to Jon is so interesting to me, because elias doesn’t actually care about jon in any traditional sense, but i think he respects him, and seems to see him as equal, or more, and it’s so. oh my gosh. compelling. like what does elias SEE when he looks at the archivist.

I put a summary at the end because this got ridiculously long. Whoops. I feel like my wording of my Thoughts gets a little better throughout the post ? This was honestly just me talking until I started making sense so. Idk keep that in mind akshdkdhdh

Fun fact this is actually one of my favorite parts of their dynamic and what got me interested in the first place. Jonah is just so weird about him and it's so much more interesting with context. Like. The way he talks about the process of risking Jons life and actively destroying parts of it to bring about the end of the world while being very self aware about the fact that this is awful and cruel and taking joy in it, and also sounding so?? Fond? Tender? During it. It's insane. What the hell. Like he's gloating and tearing him apart and hurting him on purpose and he sounds so fond of him, THATS the stuff I like. He is a horrible person, he is aware of it, he can and will get worse on purpose, and he also talks about Jon so...proudly?? How do I explain it. Like hes a project he completed perfectly. He adores this man in the least normal way possible. "Passed with flying colors", insane. You know he was smiling when he wrote that. He actively says as many hurtful things as he possibly can to Jon and yet he sounds so fond of him throughout, like he's truly impressed with all of this and how good he's doing at bringing about the complete destruction of the entire world. Where's that one post about how he views Jon as his gift from himself to himself. He's utterly enchanted by how Jon came about and how while yes he did have to put an annoying amount of effort in at times Jons own decisions and flaws led him to this path again and again. He fully adores this shit. I think he was having a fantastic time watching Jon read 160. If he could he would've framed that entire moment and hung it up in the panopticon.

Okay okay I'm gonna actually seriously talk about what you said now. Sorry KDGDJFH

I am, as stated before, batshit insane about the act of creation and jonelias. There's a really good comic about it. Two actually. I'm tagging you in them after I post this. It's SO. The inherent homoeroticism of shaping someone into whatever you choose and them fighting you the whole way. The inherent homoeroticism of hurting someone on purpose and admiring their reaction. Like??? Insane. Literally insane. Jonahs views on jons becoming fascinate me. Forever thinking about his thoughts in s4. Do you think he was watching the first time he took someone's statement, wide eyed and so proud of him? Do you think he sees himself in the clumsy ways he uses his powers at first? Do you think he feeds off of his fear of who he's becoming, fondly watching as he works himself into circles trying to prevent what started before he even knew it existed? I think he was grinning the whole day after Jon called himself The Archivist for the first time. It's just fascinating dude. Thinks about Jonah idly surprised by how fond he is of this ridiculous man, this wonder in the making, that *he* shaped with his own two hands. That *he* created. Where is that one fic where he calls Jon his greatest creation I've been losing sleep over it for months. Thinks about Jonah watching him start to give up on being human and wishing he was there to feel all the complicated, bitter emotions first hand. Thinks about Jonah smitten, in the worst way possible, with this man he helped turn into this.

Literally insane how he fights everyone tooth and nail not to die or lose any power. But with Jon he just goes "it was beautiful while it lasted." He only panics once it sinks in, oh god. This is what death feels like. This is what being truly helpless feels like. And yet when he sees Jons gotten so much more vicious, he aquises? Hello??? The fact that he sees Jon completely broken under the weight of his own guilt and hate for himself and Jonah, his own compassion tearing him apart from the inside out, hating every bit of himself, driven to the brink out of deep empathy for everyone around him mixed with self hatred mixed with just wanting it all to be fucking over already??? I think. In that moment, Jonah thinks he's the most beautiful he's ever been. And he tells him, "Good luck". And he dies at the hand of his perfect creation. His favorite. He wouldn't have chosen any other way to go.

I've been thinking about specifically the nature of their relationship a lot lately? It's very much Romantic to me and definitely not heterosexual but I don't know if I'd describe it as either of them in love with each other. And I'm not saying that as a "if it's bad it can't be love" or "elias is too Evil to feel love", because...no. Just no. And it's like. Hm how do I describe this. It's like yes I think Jonah loves Jon. But I don't feel like it's the best way to describe it because of the Assumptions you immediately make. He loves him in a religious way. Do you get it. Not that he doesn't also adore all his flaws and ugly parts, or find his interests and little habits endearing. He loves those, very specifically religiously! He loves Jon but saying that feels like it takes away from the dynamic because. Yes it's romantic but idk. Saying "Jonah is in love with Jon" just doesn't explain it. A way I tend to describe it to myself is "They're not in love but it's far too close to it for Jons comfort." Jon doesn't like that he relies on Jonah, or that his first instinct is to go to him, or that he feels betrayed by Jonah not being here even when he wanted him gone. Jon doesn't like that he feels deeply and uncomfortably connected to Jonah. He wants him dead a thousand times over, and yet he feels unbalanced and unsteady without him. Like the world just got tilted on it's axis. He wants him gone but he needs something satisfying, something cathartic and personal, not just. Jonah is gone. Jonah is suddenly just gone and he still has no answers and all of the awful feelings are still tangled up in his chest. He doesn't love him but he has this constant itch to know him, to understand him. He respected him, liked him even, before everything. He looked up to him. He craved his approval. They were friends, really, not that Jon would ever say that. He doesn't love him but they're drawn to each other so deeply, Jon can never stay away from him. Jon is just deeply drawn to him and. I feel like. In other circumstances, Jon would've ended up falling in love with him. I think the starts of that are there. Shit there was a comic with another ship that was "I never loved you. I think that's worse. At least then maybe I would've been able to stop." Like. Do you get it. I also think yknow how Jon finds the horrors in the apocalypse beautiful. I think in the back of his mind, he finds Jonah beautiful in the same way. I think his first thought upon seeing Jonah as the pupil was that it was beautiful. I think he never forgives himself for that.

Tldr it's like. Idk. Obsession/religious adoration isn't all there is to Jonahs feelings on Jon, but it feels a lot more accurate to say because you make certain Assumptions when you say someone's in love with someone but like. Idk. His weird religious Feelings about Jon don't just extend to the fear shit in my eyes they extend to literally everything about him. So for me it just works better to say "he is Weirdly Religious about him except like. Romantically." because it communicates the dynamic I imagine quicker and easier. But also he is absolutely smitten with him. Do you understand.

Anyways this has gotten. Long! And rambly! I hope you enjoyed the brain worms thank you SO much for the ask I had a wonderful time. Woo!

[houliburns]

some additional thoughts on my most recent reblog, which i didn't put in the tags bc i didn't wanna derail from the base message... as frank exists in canon, he's an irredeemable laughable caricature. he's also a fantastic character who, while not particularly multi-dimensional, is given just enough depth for us to know why he is the way he is. and that backstory is sad. that backstory makes you feel bad for him. it's meant to. i saw another post about how frank is a scared child who became a cruel adult. fear breeds reactivity. narratively, he's a mocking personification of the values he upholds. he's representative of how dangerous ideology typically comes from the most absolutely batshit insane, beyond parody types of humans. there's another post about how frank's an absolute cartoon of a man and simultaneously someone we've all met. truly, people like him are just like that. bizarrely, he's an accurate depiction. down to a callous, oppressive, hateful childhood ruining a perfectly innocent child. and these people continue to exist. some of frank's more deluded beliefs are things i've heard modern conservatives say unironically fifty years later. as a one-off character says at the beginning of season two, 'his kind is indestructible.' so what do you do when you just have to live with these people? when you have to tolerate them because you don't have a choice? you laugh at them. you take the piss out of them. you treat them as the joke that they are. and the cool thing with frank, as opposed to real world people like him, is that it ends up paying off. frank's flanderization and downward spiral can be attributed to a lot of things, but within the show, frank's a lot more competent in season 1. he's more confident, he's a 'fair' surgeon rather than a terrible one, he's less dependent on margaret, he's less whiny and more decisive. by season 5, he's a mess. at least some of this is because hawkeye, trapper, and bj completely wear him down with their antics. entitlement dries up fast when no one takes you seriously. he loses his confidence and his only ally and he spirals. he is, effectively, defeated. fortunately he didn't take anyone down with him. that's satisfying, narratively. he's never redeemed because he can't be, because of what he represents within mash as a satirical media.

so with all that being said, how do you get someone like me who actually likes frank? how do i justify that? and i've been thinking about it, after seeing some discourse, and i guess it boils down to the fact that morals personally don't factor into my interest in a character. for me, i can think a character is an awful person who i'd never want to encounter irl and who got the unhappy ending they deserved, because they're representative of horrible real-world things, and still consider them my favorite. i can have strong personal values pertaining to real issues, and not feel as strongly about the same issues within media. i guess that gets into the fiction vs reality debate, but i think it's just how different people are wired, because personally, fictional characters being a certain way simply doesn't inspire the same gut-feeling reactions as their real-world equivalents do. i think that differs from person to person. to me, a real person is a threat; a character is a narrative device to be studied, if the themes pertinent to them are remotely interesting. and sometimes unsavory things are interesting! being fascinated by how something works isn't an endorsement of it. it's an academic interest. and sometimes you get attached to your test subjects. that's really the crux of it. some people have a knee-jerk reaction to frank and deem him unworthy of analyzing deeply whatsoever, and that's fair, but to me, he's an idiot on a screen that i like picking apart. my favorite characters in shows are almost always the ones who give me the most to think about, who are a challenge to dissect. frank's so fucked up that when i watch mash, i go "wtf is wrong w this freak", and that, for me, is often what leads me to deem a character my favorite. and his shitty beliefs are part of that. it's not that i think other aspects of him are enough to erase his politics and make him redeemable; it's that he's a bizarre bundle of neuroses and shittiness all packed into a fucking. rubber ball band of a man and that compels me. that's all there is to it. i think when people criticize liking frank it's bc they think we're going "this character is a fascist BUT he's also queer and ND so i like him and can excuse the fascism 🥺". in reality it's "this is a character who is a mess of contradictory qualities and reprehensible behaviors that imply a deep-set pervasive but unconscious self-loathing and internal confusion and that's immensely interesting as a character trope". i think that people think favorite characters have to be people you'd want to know irl but most of my favs are mfs i wouldn't touch with a twenty foot poll. i have a room full of specimen jars that i do inhumane experiments to recreationally and i wouldnt want it any other way <3

[the-most-humble-blog]

The Great Disconnect: Why Pro-Lifers See Pro-Choicers as Literal Monsters

When You Think You’re Fighting for ‘Rights’ But They See You as the Devil in Yoga Pants

There’s no middle ground in the abortion debate—just two groups staring at each other across the moral apocalypse, each convinced the other is batshit crazy. But here’s where it gets real interesting:

Pro-lifers don’t just disagree with pro-choicers. They don’t just think they’re misguided.

No, no, no—they see them as full-blown, selfish, soulless, degenerate female monsters.

And honestly? From their point of view, it makes sense.

Let’s step inside the mind of a pro-lifer for a second. Not to agree, but to understand why they see pro-choicers the same way you’d look at a dude kicking a puppy for fun.

1. The “Kill a Baby, Call It Self-Care” Mentality

Imagine you’re a pro-lifer. You believe life begins at conception, that every fetus has a soul, and that killing it is no different than drowning a toddler in a bathtub.

Now, imagine scrolling Twitter and seeing a chick with blue hair posting:

💅 "Got my nails done, had my latte, and aborted that clump of cells! Self-care, ladies!"

To a pro-lifer, this is a horror movie. It’s like watching someone casually update their Instagram story:

📸 "Just poisoned Grandma for her inheritance! #Blessed"

In their minds, you’re not just wrong—you’re a literal death cult member bragging about body count like you’re collecting Pokémon.

2. The “Shout Your Abortion” PR Disaster

Now let’s get into the really unhinged part.

The Shout Your Abortion movement told women to be loud and proud about their terminations. From a pro-life perspective, this is like watching someone remix genocide into a TED Talk.

Think about it: If you truly believe abortion is murder, then a woman gleefully “shouting her abortion” is no different than a dude wearing a “Shout Your School Shooting” T-shirt.

This isn’t debate to them. This isn’t politics. This is straight-up serial killer energy being marketed as feminism.

3. “B-but What About the Men?!”

Oh, but it gets worse. Because pro-lifers don’t just see women celebrating abortion—they see them acting like it’s some kind of empowering flex.

Picture this:

A guy gets a girl pregnant. He says, "Nah, I don’t wanna be a dad," and ghosts her. Society calls him a deadbeat loser.

A girl gets pregnant. She says, "Nah, I don’t wanna be a mom," and gets an abortion. Society calls her brave.

To pro-lifers, this isn’t equality. It’s feminist hypocrisy on crack. You wanna be equal to men? Cool. That means taking responsibility like them too.

But instead, they see modern women happily skipping down the "Do Whatever the Fuck I Want" road while men are expected to shut up and pay up.

4. Abortion as “Plan C” (After Bad Decisions and Birth Control Fails)

Then there’s the fact that abortion has become the backup plan to the backup plan.

Plan A: Don’t sleep with dudes you don’t trust.

Plan B: Use protection.

Plan C: Fuck it, let’s just get an abortion!

To pro-lifers, abortion isn’t some tragic, rare necessity. It’s a get-out-of-jail-free card for women who made reckless decisions and don’t feel like dealing with the consequences.

Imagine watching someone speed drunk through a school zone, hit a kid, then casually sue the school for “not having a better fence.”

That’s how pro-lifers see pro-choicers. Not as people making difficult choices, but as reckless degenerates shamelessly sidestepping responsibility.

5. "If You Wouldn’t Kill a Puppy..."

And then there’s the biggest, most frustrating argument pro-lifers have against pro-choicers:

🐶 "If we put a puppy in your womb instead of a fetus, you’d be pro-life instantly."

The same people screaming "Free Palestine!" and crying over factory farming will swipe left on their own flesh and blood like it’s a bad Tinder match.

Tell a pro-choicer they should feel bad for terminating a pregnancy, and they’ll say "My body, my choice!"

But tell them "Hey, maybe let’s not mass-exterminate baby seals," and suddenly they’re gluing themselves to the freeway in protest.

To pro-lifers, this double standard is pure insanity.

You wouldn’t microwave a kitten, but you’ll crush a fetus for being inconvenient? Yeah, okay, lady.

Final Thoughts: Monsters vs. Monsters

The real disconnect here is that pro-choicers see abortion as personal autonomy, while pro-lifers see it as a straight-up war crime.

And once you see someone as a baby-killing, morality-free gremlin who laughs in the face of what you consider sacred?

There’s no conversation left to have.

So while pro-choicers are out here chanting "My body, my choice!"

Pro-lifers are looking at them like, "Nah, bitch, you're a walking horror movie."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why the divide isn’t closing anytime soon.

🔥 Follow The Most Humble Blog for more brutally honest, no-BS takes. If you're mad, take a number, because you're not the first.

[captorations]

once again thinking about how batshit insane catherine and akua's situationship is. like. catherine looked at this girl who killed a hundred thousand innocents under catherine's protection, and said "no, death isn't nearly enough. instead, i will use you, and befriend you, and turn you into the kind of person who understands the indelible nature of the sin she has committed, who regrets, who truly feels the pain of her actions... and then i will kill you, slowly and painfully."

except. catherine wasn't just punishing akua, she was punishing herself. because she failed those people, and sees akua- at this point- as a mere force of nature, a vessel for a higher power, rather than a person making her own decisions. catherine blames herself for failing to understand and stop akua. catherine also recognizes akua's potential to be important to her, and the wonderful person she could become if she breaks away from the culture which raised her to be unflinchingly vicious. so catherine committed herself to the murder of not only a person she would grow to love, but one who had the potential to do so much good. a person who would end up better than catherine herself.

and catherine knows how stories work. she understands the narrative forces driving their reality; they are her greatest enemy and her most powerful weapon. catherine knew she would try to back out, and be forced to follow through anyway. and she did. and she was.

what the fuck

[mothymayhem]

I have been tagged in so many of these today! I just have to make one!! So into this we go!!!

I'm not good at words, but yippee!!!

@radio-atlas CRAZY IF YOU THOUGHT YOU'D ESCAPED ONE OF THESE FROM ME. First and foremost, you're absolutely my favorite person ever. You've dragged me from the depths of some of my worst moments this year. No matter how much shit I went through, no matter how many dumb decisions I made, no matter if I thought I was being the worst version of myself. You were there. You talked with me for hours about anything and everything. You were my shoulder to cry on. Truly an amazing friend! And even more so my brother!! God knows how many AUs we've created this year! And I hope we make a bazillion more next year!!!! You're stuck with me bitch!! We're sitting in vc as I type this and I can't wait to absolutely kill you when I post this.

@cataqu33rz YOU!!! THE MF WHO PUSHED ME TO HAVE WHIMSY AND JOY WITH MY GENDER. WHO BRIGHTENS MY DAY WITH ALL YOUR MENTIONS AND TAGS ON DCA POST. FRIEND OF MANY YEARS. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU SO CANNOT EVEN UNDRRSTAND. WE'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH CLOSER AS TIME GOES ON AND IT MAKES ME THE HAPPIEST. I GET SO HAPPY WHEN YOU DM ME AND WHEN YOU TALK TO ME. I LOVE THAT I DRAGGED YOU INTO TSAMS,, I LOVE THAT YOU'VE TRUSTED AND TOLD ME A BAJILLION THINGS. I LOVE THAT YOU ENCOURAGE MY BATSHIT INSANE BONKERS RAMBLING. I LOVE YOUUU /P

@milian-aran MY NEMESIS. MY RIVAL. WE'VE LITERALLY KNOWN EACHOTHER SINCE HS AND IK WE DON'T ACTUALLY TALK THROUGH TUMBLR OFTEN BUT YOU ALWAYS DESERVE A TAG. AND I'LL HATE YOU TIL THE DAY I DIE. PROBS BY YOUR HANDS! /aff /p YOU'RE INSANE AND AN AMAZING FRIEND!!! FUCK YOU <3!!!

@eternal-soup @beeshoesometimesdraws Definitely the people and mutuals that got me so much more accustomed to interacting on tumblr again!! I go bonkers insane whenever you guys pop up on my dash!! I verbally exclaim my excitement when y'all pop up in my notifications!! And by the gods!! I'm gonna get the guts to actually talk more with you guys!!! Y'all are so slay and full of whimsy!!

@starheirxero THE MORE I YAP WITH YOU. THE MORE I NEED TO SHAKE YOU VIOLENTLY /pos. You are by far one of my favorite people I love to yap with about lunar! Absolutely same wavelength type shit!! You've unfortunately been dragged into my bs! And you'll never be hearing the end of my cannibal lunar brainrot!! You're also so slay and whimsy!!!

@cirrcusbun You have made adjusting into the fakemon project so very nice! And obvi!! Had to tag as you're my wife!! But sincerely! Know we haven't been friends for very long but absolutely adore chatting with you!! Energy and vibes are infectious!! Anyways! Sorry for all the tags today!!! Heart emoji!! <33

@mister-bombastic I KNOW WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CHAT ALOT BUT I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE AND THE MOON TO OUR DYNAMIC!!! ANYTIME YOU'RE ABLE TO POP IN IT MAKES ME SO SO SO HAPPY!! EVEN JUST SEEING YOU ON!! JUST NEEDED YOU TO KNOW YOU'RE LOVED AND THOUGHT ABOUT MF!!

☆ • ☆ • ☆ • ☆ • ☆ • ☆ • ☆ •☆ • ☆ •☆ • ☆ •

EUGH I STILL FWWL LIKE I'M MISSING PEOPLE BUT UNDRRSTAND. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND EVERY LIKE AND REBLOG AND TAG OVER JOYS ME!!! TRULY NEVER EXPECTED ANY OF THIS!!!! I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR EACH ABLND EVERYONE OF YOU!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEARS FUCKERS!!!!!!!!!

[greenteabelle]

just finished watching the frog (2024) and wow i'm surprised go minsi manages to stay so skinny because she absolutely ATE AND DEVOURED her character !!!

spoilerish discussion below

there are some things that i feel like the drama did right and some that were just like ... you didn't have to do that but you did and now we're here like huh ?

for example , i love the fact the yoo seunga is just batshit insane . like , no redemption , no reasoning , just a plain old psycopath who kills like a child throwing tantrums . sure , her childhood probably had contributed somewhat to who she became , like her never receiving the approval or trust from her father who's too busy trying to keep up appearances , but it's so insignificant that you can tell that the drama doesn't try to humanise her at all .

yoo seunga is just purely insane , and i respect the drama for making that decision !

which is why it makes me feel so conflicted regarding the decision for her to ACTUALLY kill off the child . like murder is already bad enough , but the child of your husband ??? like i was genuinely so shocked i had to pause the drama a bit and debate whether i wanted to continue the drama or not , because i felt sick to my stomach .

sihyeon's death proved her lack of humanity from the get-go and ensured that there wouldn't be any redemption for her , yet i still wonder if it's truly necessary .

another thing i feel conflicted about is how yoo seunga died , because i genuinely believe the last showdown should have ended on the night she was surrounded . it was the best timing , and dragging it out to involve her husband and for him to be the one to deliver the final blow was just .... URGHHH IDK IT FELT A LITTLE FRUSTRATING ???

like my guy jeon yeongha was SUFFERING ( which does not negate his responsibility in covering up the crime just because he " didn't want to overthink " (??) btw ) and he doesn't even get to see her locked up and rotting away in jail ??

yeah if i were him i would have ended it all !

speaking of suffering , URGHHH I FEEL SO SAD FOR THE KOO FAMILY !!!!!!!!!! i honestly think focusing on their story alone would have been sufficient , but oh it hurt so bad i just wanted to rip my hair out !!!

like i fully understand that seo eunkyung had it rough , especially since she was the one who found the body , but straight up blaming it on koo sangjun was just RAHHHHHHH !!! not blaming her for it btw , i'm just lamenting the effects of ptsd and what damage it can genuinely cause to people , like they could have been so happy if it weren't for that damn killer FUCKKKKKK

and don't even get me started to koo sangjun getting dementia because i straight up started bawling when he started organising his bed like he used to in fhe motel !!!!!! why can't kind people have happy endings oh my goddddd

but overall , i don't regret watching this drama , even though it is admittedly ridiculous at some points ( like mother yoon bomi was CARRYING the entire south korean police force on her back and how does yoo seunga have so much strength in her tiny body to kill so many people like i need her pilates routine )

also side note i screamed when park mf chanyeol showed up on the screen because HELLO ??? I WAS NOT AWARE WE WOULD HAVE THE STAR OF EXO NEXT DOOR IN THIS SLASHER-ESQUE THRILLER DRAMA ??? that's what we call range !

so yeah 9/10 kdrama for me and if you disagree i think you are correct !

[notquiteaghost]

i don't like wholesale dismissing the capabilities of The General Public and this is something i am tested on five days a week when a customer walks down one (1) aisle of my shop and doesn't see any potatoes or onions and then assumes that this grocery store has made either some deeply nonsensical layout choice or the batshit decision to not sell two of europe's staple vegetables. rather than that there is, shock horror, a second produce aisle. right next to the first. truly i want to believe the best of people hand on my heart. please just turn the corner.

[a-strange-inkling]

If it were up to you ( one of the best hellcheer fanfiction writer) what would you fix or change about the fight of Icarus?

Aw shux, that’s high praise! I really don’t think I’m worthy of that, but thank you 🤍

Oh God… what a laundry list 😆 read at your own risk below (I think I’ve finally run out of things to say about this book and will be moving on now 😅)

I’m going to be honest, the best way fo fix it would be to not write a book. Point blank. If I was involved with the show at all I would have NEVER written a book about Eddie in any official capacity. I don’t know if the author was aware of just how unhinged certain parts of his fanbase are (I’m sure she is now) but you’re not going to make anyone happy with this. Eddie’s ridiculously popular yes, I get it, but part of his appeal for people was how untouched his background was.

Flight of Icarus is kind of a mess plot wise with pretty weak/poor characterizations. There’s some good elements and scenes in it. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. It’s pretty mid. I mean books based on tv shows aren’t exactly known for their… luster. It’s obviously going to lack the passion of an unpaid fanfic writer who has spent endless hours watching season 4 and doing in-depth research and analysis for their work… but that’s what we’re all used to. That’s our standard. So it’s kind of already set up for failure.

But, if I was in charge of a book like this, here’s some of the things I would do differently:

I’d have picked ONE main plot to focus on because there is way too much going on in these 280 pages for me to have the time to be invested or care about anything. There’s like three plus storylines going on with Eddie all to push ONE narrative which is basically him choosing between risking everything for a fantasy/dream of fame and money or staying true to himself and what’s real which is the steadfast loyalty of his friends and family. This takes the form of Al vs Wayne, Paige vs Ronnie, LA vs Hawkins, solo career vs band/hellfire, dropping out to try to become a rockstar vs being the first Munson to graduate, who Eddie wants to be vs who he truly is deep down.

It’s just too much.

I’d have taken a little more time making Eddie three dimensional. I know he’s a side character, but a lot of heart and thought went into creating him (at least on Joe’s end). I’d have made more conscious choices for his character, especially if he’s narrating in first person (I would have not used first person). His outer dialog is great (the dialog throughout the whole thing is actually really great, you can tell the author’s a screen writer and it’s one of the stronger elements to the book) but his inner monologue is pretty ooc and at times really off. He lacks a lot of the things that drew people to him in the first place or it’s just not as strongly presented I guess. He doesn’t feel fully formed.

If I was going to give Eddie a love interest (I don’t know why you would do that to yourself at this point, his fanbase is volatile at best and either ships him with Steve, Chrissy, or themselves, no one is going to like it) I’d have given her WAY better writing than an immersive wattpad character with little to no character traits outside of her aesthetic and interests which is an alternative style and liking music. Wow. Groundbreaking. I would have her make decisions based on a fully formed personality verses the convenience of the plot. And if not, if she’s going to be a means to an end, I’d at least go all in and make her wild or evil or a total bitch or conniving or funny or grumpy or goofy or something. She’s not given enough focus or time to be well rounded so I’d just have fun and go batshit crazy with her (don’t worry Paige, you’re mine now and I will give you an actual character and vindication).

Eddie choosing between his dad and Wayne would have probably been the plot I picked to focus on and I would have really dived into that. The good, bad and the ugly of the Munson family. Because Al (that would not be his name btw 🤢) and Wayne reflect the two sides of Eddie’s character. A charming, self serving, cowardly asshole and a good, strong and kind person who protects and looks after others. I like Ronnie a lot and she’s probably the best written character in the book, but Wayne needed to have more spotlight for this.

I’d have definitely made the plot a lot less fantastical and way more of a simple character study. Just Eddie deciding between embracing the infamy of the Munson family or choosing to rise above it. Does he decide to scheme and cheat like his dad to get more out of life or does he do the right thing and stay the course to actually graduate and make something of himself. That’s it. All that’s needed. Eddie getting a shot at being a rockstar at eighteen in Hawkins is already kind of odd, especially when his in is a twenty year old “junior scout”??? Who just happens to be at his dive bar and have the hots for him and fucks him and pretty much offers him a life in LA on a silver platter with no issues other than having to bail on his band and high school club?? It’s… a bit much for our unlucky loser boy we see in the show. Book Eddie is as lucky as they come, but he’s a total dumbass and decides to trust and scheme with his deadbeat father??? Who has always failed him? Why? I get he needs money but his kinda girlfriend’s got a job and he’s pretty much got a record deal. What even is this? That whole storyline would be scrapped to hell. But hey, at least it’s more believable than an actual drug heist and a kingpin and a shoot out. Oh and arson. It’s giving… *shivers* Riverdale and not in a good way.

Lastly, I’d have taken the opportunity to develop characters from the show a little more. Not a ton, but like the author did with Higgins. I really like how he was written in the novel. He had a lot of fire and personality out of nowhere which was kind of hilarious. I probably would have expanded Jason the most actually, I’d have added more to that tense rivalry. And I’d have left Chrissy pretty much out of it. The talent show is best left to the imagination and we already have a delicate narrative between them because of the forest scene. I wouldn’t want to add too much there. But she’d have a cameo for sure. Like brief eye contact or a shared smile or something at the very end of the book. Just a little glimmer of what’s to come. I’m also a Eddie has always had a little bit of a thing for Chrissy truther, so in my bias I might have him quietly admire her from afar or something.

And there you go.

I mean you’re going to get my version of his backstory eventually anyway and bonus he and Chrissy live, get married and have kids. Yay!

[nozamikochiyo]

i’m obsessed with i want to eat your pancreas’ philosophy on chance vs choice. and as many things are for me, i think kagehina is a poignant example.

when kageyama and hinata meet in the junior high match, it’s not entirely chance, yes the brackets were random but part of the reason is that hinata even bothered to create the team in the first place. and they choose to say those things to each other (main culprit “what have you been doing for the past three years?!”) which cause more conflict. they could’ve ignored each other and moved on but they chose to speak up and insult acknowledge each other (this also says something about their strong first impressions of each other! but that's a discussion for another day)

they also do not meet at karasuno by chance (although i feel this was obvious?). they both choose to go to karasuno because they admire someone on the karasuno team (the little giant and coach gramps ukai for hinata and kageyama respectively) and for kageyama there's the additional external factor of not being accepted into shiratorizawa. even more importantly, both of them chose to continue pursuing volleyball despite previous failures (hinata badly losing the only official match he’s played, kageyama’s teammates abandoning him). only a great amount of passion and persistence got them to push through.

it's not a coincidence that they can pull off the minus tempo freak quick either (again i think this is obvious but i feel i have to mention it), it's a combination of both their talents and skills which they have polished and honed for personal improvement. this makes kageyama's innate talent, years of practice and hinata's jumping talent, fearlessness, practice, an explosive chemical reaction resulting in the freak quick

of course luck is a factor and sometimes you can’t control external circumstances, but ultimately these things happen because of the choices they make. every single choice and decision we make daily has brought us to where we are today. both kageyama and hinata, after meeting each other, gain something essentially important to their lives (greater motivation, a best friend, someone who understands their batshit crazy love for volleyball and is just as passionate), something they were in severe need of (a friend and a partner respectively), they learn to become better versions of themselves and push each other to fly even higher. i truly think they would not be where they are now had they never became friends, hell maybe even if they never met.

but isn’t it nice to think that their meeting wasn’t coincidence, or fate- it’s an accumulation of every choice they had made leading up to that moment. “perhaps i’ve spent 17 years waiting to be needed by you. just like cherry blossoms wait for spring!” i think this quote rings true for kagehina as well.