#underwhelming honesty

[rqbossman]

Hello Mr Quill Boss, I was wondering in regards to Heinrich Unheimlich was he at all inspired by the recent Nosferatu movie? Something about the accent, the gutteral voice, the being tall and thin but presumably keeping the toys features of being lumpy and weird looking, etc. all gives me major vibes of the bad vampire man.

(Also side note but I love this guy, not just because he's super cool and kinda funny but also because it's rare a monster genuinely considers that if he doesn't kill people they are scared for longer)

Interesting parallel. I see it but I confess Nosferatu wasn't what I was thinking when we made the character. I was looking a bit further back. @jonnywaistcoat may have separate thoughts though, I know he loves a good Nosferatu.

[wahroh]

Some are just whelmed period.

[coffeeinthelibrary]

i am a full grown adult and it is not until today at 1:24 am that i realised that the Cask of Amontillado and the Tell-Tale Heart are two different stories. I fully thought the Cask of Amontillado ended with the guy going insane after he buries his friend alive I didn’t realise that’s a separate story. i was so close to doing a degree in english literature why is this something i just didn’t know

[churchofnix]

In the pursuit of knowledge, let not the heart be swayed by the whispers of underwhelm, for beneath the veil of familiarity lies the hidden gems of discovery. Through the sacred path of the scientific method, illuminate the shadows of uncertainty, for in its light, truth shall be revealed and ignorance dispelled.

[believe-you-me-you-believe-me]

Discover the subtle power of "underwhelm" - a simple yet effective tool in influencing others. With just a slight lowering of expectations, you can seamlessly guide perceptions and reactions towards your desired outcome. Experience the art of persuasion firsthand as you harness the understated charm of "underwhelm" to effortlessly shape narratives and influence decisions.

[faith-in-democracy]

In a world where sensationalism often overshadows substance, embracing the power of underwhelm can serve as a beacon of civility, fostering thoughtful discourse and restoring faith in democratic principles. By valuing measured responses over hyperbole, we honor the integrity of democratic processes, nurturing a culture of respect, understanding, and genuine engagement.

[capitalism-is-a-psychopathy]

The psychopathy of capitalism often manifests in the perpetuation of a culture of underwhelm, wherein individuals and communities experience a persistent sense of dissatisfaction despite material abundance. This phenomenon underscores the disconnect between capitalist ideals of productivity and consumption and the human need for fulfillment beyond material acquisition.

[nuumbie]

Trust Fall

Prompt: An elite member of the organization Fractsidius… Scar appears before you in order to explain his beliefs… so you may understand all you have to gain by joining forces and hands and to change the world with them all.

You’re weirdly open to the idea.

Author’s Note: Crack Territory. Surprisingly Wholesome? As wholesome as a Scar Fic can be. He’s a weirdo. This is the kindest fic I currently have. Technically, can be read platonic or romantic adjacent... ( He is flirting with you. You don’t exactly return it. ) Please send me Scar Fics. Otherwise I’ll need to make them all myself. Carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.

The face of the legendary resonator, his fellow black sheep, his fellow revolutionary in the new world if they had merely opened their heart enough to let them all inside. Well, you could have worn a more dynamic expression. You eyebrows are knit together, their mouth is curved into a frown. In all honesty? A little underwhelming of a reaction especially considering he's sent their little friend. ( A girl. You’re surrounded by girls! It's scary how every time he blinks it's like another one surrounds you. You're too popular! ) Where was he?

Oh, right.

He sent them to The Shadow Realm. Not like he actually hurt her! Well, he could have! To be honest a part of him wished to. Already planting ideas into your head. Getting you on their side. But he chose not to. First Impressions matter a lot. He even wore his nice pair of pants instead of the easy access ones he usually wears just for this moment. The others all gave him all this time so he even had a moment alone! With you. So of course it had to be special! Even though he was sure you'd share many moments. Just like this. "Well, well, well... we finally meet."

"You're... Scar, right?" It's such a coincidence she bought up his name! You don't know a thing. But everything falls into place so you're exactly where you need to be-- you truly are lucky. While Scar? Well, the fact you already know of his name means you know of all the foul, horrible, nicknames she's called him. An already dirty image in your head with his name attached. "Where did you put her?"

You have your hand on your sword. Pointed directly at his neck. He goes to tap it to the side. Away from his face. He already has plenty of stories for how he got all of these scars. Well, maybe he can get another. One specially made by you. Permanent proof of you.

Not bad at all. He casually goes to play with the sword in your hands, putting it back where you planned on threatening him and he leans just close enough so that if you wished you could drive it into his skull. Like a trust-fall! A trust-exercise between you both to see if you'd behave or try to crack him open like an egg. Smiling through the gap between you and the steel edge of your blade. "She's irrelevant. If she were here. She'd add a lot of meaningless dialogue. Right now I wish for your full, undivided, attention."

"Allow me to share with you my side of the story."

He raises his neck for your eyes. It isn't like he covers it up. But it's rare for him to brandish this mark so callously for others. It’s for you! It’s special for you. "I've been watching over you... to think you've forgotten everything."

"They're all fighting for you." He looks through his fingers-- undeniably you're you. Your confused expression gazes back at him. He winks at it. You squint your eyes even harder. He takes it as a win. ( He’s gained lots and lots of personal multiple little wins while watching you. ) "Wishing to use you and drain you of all of your worth. Despite being a human person, they've used you the moment they found you had an inch of worth. While we are no different..."

"We wished to be honest with you." He smiles as he steps closer. He notices how your hold on the blade tightens. You hold it still. It does not stutter or tremble. He leans in close enough that the outline of his neck is at the knife of the blade. "To allow you to understand us. We've been granted precious alone time. I'm here to show you we are not the villains...—“

He expected that if you did fight back. You'd hit him with your blade. Then he'd know to go to the next phase of the plan -- i.e. beat you up. Show you why they’re stronger. So the human, more basal part of you, would understand why not to resist and prove their worth through overtaking you. Offer to join the winning side.

It seems that's not what you're going to do.

"Let me stop you there." You step back and sheathe your blade. You've been exceptionally quiet. Mouth closed in a thin line. Eyebrows furrowed. Handsome. Beautiful. An odd mix of both words.. As he watched over you-- the most you said had to do with what that red-headed girl ( Chia? Chilichuck? What was her name? God. He basically ignored every word of theirs besides your dialogues.. your friends really did talk a lot.. The red-headed one with the gun especially annoyed him. ) And food. This is by all means a pleasant surprise. "Does everyone in this god-forsaken world speak in riddles?"

"Oh, but we have so much time! To explain it all would be no fun. It'd ruin the game." He widens his arms and shrugs his shoulders, showcasing the sight of the destruction behind him. "Besides, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. Would you? You have to come to conclusions on your own for them to matter. It's just me and you. No need to rush. Just trust the process."

You laugh at that for some reason. Scar clocks it. But, the fact you stop glaring seems like a good sign. Your smile is nice. So it does have the ability to be his way. Though, it appears you're laughing at him. He cherishes his victories however small and frames it on his mind-wall. "A town on the brink of destruction... if it wasn't us... how did it fall? A story of false devotion, fleeting kindness, senseless killings and the worst humanity has to offer... of course... there is only one truth. But history can take many different meanings dependent on the person. This is a world filled with oppressors and victims and..."

"That's not what I mean." Hm? Hmm? Hmmm...? "You're playing around. You wish to show me how sick this world is. You wish to understand how I'm being manipulated... that was your point from earlier... right? Stick with that. Are you trying to get me on your side or what? I'm tired of being dragged around."

Scar... has to take a moment... to process your words. Not really expecting... that. "Oh...? So you are listening! I’m glad! Well... inevitably. Yes, that is the point I wished to make. You and I are the same you see... both of us are outcasts... a story of a shepherd, it’s flock, and a black sheep—“ he does have a point to make, he thought really hard about the symbolism before coming here so it was easy to digest and everything.

"I'll join you." You hold out your hand towards his. "Scar, that's your name right? I'll join you right now. I'm not in the mood to play any more mind-games. If I join you. You don’t have reason to not tell me, right? You promised.”

Scar's world lights up.

He stares at your hand. It’s the one with your resonator mark no less— offered out to him. A sign of trust. An offer of companionship. You wiggle your fingers and ahem rather loudly. He immediately takes your hand with both of his own. Maybe a bit too frantically. Maybe a touch too desperately. The closeness is surprising to even him.

He studies your hand. He doesn’t remember the last time anyone’s offered their to his. And you did so unprompted. He feels the weight of your hand in his own. And he almost forgets what he’s here for—

"..." "Seriously?"

"Why are you acting surprised? Why did you even bother to meet me here if you weren't even open to the possibility of me joining you? Was it to sow the seeds? Slow-burn me? I'm not nearly as patient as you all seem to think I am." You cross your arms and huff. "Are you suddenly questioning whether or not I'm the resonator you're looking for? You're right. I don't remember anything. I'm not the hero anyone expects me to be. I'm not what you want from me either." “I want you to prove yourselves to me. You said you’re the ones in the right… that the others are just trying to use me.” You linger on those words. “If that’s true… well… you’re clearly suspicious, mentally deranged, to be honest I was tempted to hit you really bad just now... but... I don't exactly doubt your words. Every single person I've met has been..."

"Reliant on me." You gaze at the mark on the back of your wrist. "This is an equation of my worth. I can't disagree. No matter how hard I try to. That in itself is proof you have a point. So… it’s an avenue worth exploring.”

"..." "....." "Aha... ahahahaa... ahaaa... seriously?!" Scar doesn’t remember to use his indoor voice. He remembers after you jump a little. Doing his best to whisper. "Wait, no, that's bad. Oh, I'm so sorry... I was right... they... did use you as a pawn... and they made it so obvious… That you immediately..."

"You chose me." Scar is giddy. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling even if he wanted to. Each word. He falls a little deeper. "You weren't even forced into a corner. I didn't even have to make you do it.”

“You’re already understanding of how alone we are in this world…!”

"You're not really different from them. You just admit to it." You sigh. "You're worse in a way. I'd doubt they'd force me to help them."

You're insulting him but he's still on cloud nine-- you're joining them aren’t you? Purposefully reaching in to touch the filth you apparently so despise! Ah, they're hardly ready! They'd thought this take much longer... it's true. He doubted you would believe him. Believe any of them. Maybe the villainous appearance and rumors of sociopathy, psychopathy, and all of that doesn't quite help.

Whoopsies. ( He isn't very sorry. You chose him regardless and you would have anyway because he knows at the end of the road you would’ve realized the hopelessness and that you had no choice and all. But you chose him over them and saw through their deceit. Him. Him. Him. He’s the one who got you to change your mind— ) He really can’t find it in himself to care about how menacing he seems. His smile’s just too hard to wipe off…

"I want to understand the world you're fighting for." You sigh. "You see yourself in me, right? You were projecting pretty hard on me earlier... So the world you're trying to make..."

"It's a world which is better for me. And... I can't help but to wonder if you're not wholly in the wrong." You rub your wrist. Like the mark of skin burns. "I want to see.. how worse it gets... I want to see what you've seen. I'm just opening myself for understanding. Isn't that what you wanted? An open, honest, discussion.”

"You do have purpose behind the evil, right? I'm not going to join and you make me blow up an orphanage or something… you're morally-grey bad at worst." You pause to consider. "I don't really have a point of reference for the terrible things you've done actually. Maybe we can put this on hold until I get one-"

"No, no, no! Noooo orphanages! We're not monsters." Scar pouts. "You'll see, okay? I’m going to show you all the horrors! Then you’ll get it. We’re ultimately in the right.”

“You knocked out Yangyang.” You sigh. Detached. But the sentiment behind the words is there.

"So they did get you to care." Scar hums. "Shed your worries. Such useless feelings do little good... she'll be fine... see? We are willing to reason! This whole talk was to prove we can communicate. She wouldn’t listen to me. She wouldn’t even look at me. She’d keep us apart and spread her little lies.”

Okay, maybe he’s a bit jealous. Why was she so exceptionally close to you? He doesn’t even mind the gossip. Everyone talks to him like that. Looks at him in that way without ever understanding.

He’s the one who should have been offering free dinners, doing small little romanticisms, giving you small yearning gestures with you, not her. And he will from this point onward! And he will be the one to do it. Even if he has to pry you from the others…

( Seriously, why are you so popular? It just isn’t fair! He’s going to be fighting for crumbs when he brings you back to the base. He just can’t win. )

“If I shed all my worries then won’t I just be the same as any other sheep? It’s the wool that makes them look different.” You sigh while rubbing your arm. “What even is that metaphor about…?”

“Oh. I did use that metaphor, didn’t I? Yes, with fur so black! It was obvious against the rest of the flock… for black sheep are the outsiders! Those who go against the grain—“ Scar responds dumbly. Rambling, because he really is so happy! He's got you right where he wants you! You're not struggling, nor running away, you've walked right into his arms! And he didn’t plan this far at all. So, his mind’s a bit fumbled. This is the best first date likely in the history of ever. Though, he notices your unimpressed look. Thus, he straightens his back and smiles as gentlemanly he can muster pounding his fist against his own chest considering you’ve made it a point that you hate long-talk. “— anyway, yes, shepherd evil, white sheep stupid, black sheep good.“

He looks at you to see how well you’ve taken his shortened explanation. You use your other hand to facepalm. ( He hasn’t let go of your arm. He realizes. You haven’t pulled your arm back. This sparks joy. This sparks incredible joy. He holds it even tighter. And you don’t even struggle. )

“I should have done the puzzle first. Lacking lots of subtext.” Is what you put together from his explanation. “Just explain on the way. Come on. I’ll lose brain cells if I’m here for any longer.”

Right.

He’s taking you home. You’re still not gone. You’re here with him.

You’re with him.

"Ahaha.” he rambles, graining traction as his grin grows more manic, he can feel his skin getting hotter, the urge to hold you tightly within his hands and explain growing stronger with each passing moment, every second, every millisecond. It’s a feeling you wish to feel forever. “You want to listen to me.”

And he will feel it forever. He’ll make it so. He doesn’t have to wait any longer.

"There’s so much to tell you. About this world.” he cackles, loudly, his voice crackling throughout the air with a reinvigorated passion as he leans close to your ear to whisper with as much love as his dried up little heart has. Putting it all for you. “And I’ll tell you about all of it.”

"Okay. I seriously don’t know how the hell you expected me to trust you." You whisper. Tired? Yes. Terribly so. You so hope Yangyang can't hear him. From wherever he's put her. Shadow Realm or whatever. "You’re making me regret this already—“

"NO!" he rushes forward and leap-hugs you. "Noooo take-backs. You already said it! So you can’t take it back. That’s how it works. When you say it. It’s forever.”

“That’s not how it works-“

"You're all mine, forever.”

"Agh-- hey!" You yelp... a touch high-pitched. He squeezes you tightly and you see the flash of smoke-- Yangyang's passed out body on the ground. You shut your eyes, awkwardly looking away. You’ll know she’ll be saved soon. “I’m coming. I’m coming, okay?”

Perhaps you're even better than his wildest dreams. Well, he'd love you as much regardless. Whether or not you came now or later. This is a drastic changes of plans. But a pleasant one.

His cards fly through the air and they capture you both-- you hold onto him. His laugher resonating loudly, a wicked sound which is proof of the choice you’ve made. A choice you’ve made which you certainly can’t entirely turn back from no matter how hard you try to reverse you’re being taken along.

More like dragged. He’s holding your hand like you’ll run if you don’t. ( He’s not exactly wrong. ) You just awkwardly hold back. Unaware you don’t even need to be touching him to get warp-jumped.

He doesn’t exactly tell you either or warn you or do anything to stop you. Instead encouraging it by opening his arms out so you can hold on properly.

As you’re flashed away through a red door… the person you’ve decided to trust manically laughing as you phase through that door. “There’s so much… to tell you! Well let’s start at the very beginning…!”

No matter where you are you’re susceptible to lore dumps. At least he’s excited about it. You wonder how long he’s been holding this in.

You close your eyes tight and just hold on tight as you embrace your new life.

Again.

[slytherinzz]

A special game of truth or dare

Summary: after a thrilling Quidditch victory for your house, a magic form of truth or dare leaves MC and Sebastian in the aftermath of their feelings.

Pairing: F!MC and Sebastian Sallow

a/n: it's been a while since i've been on the fic train. Please let me know if you have requests! I'm a sucker for friends to lovers or enemies to lovers :)

the school was buzzing aftert he aftermath of last night’s Quidditch victory. Sebastian had been at the center of it all, of course—his winning catch as Seeker was the talk of the evening, and he had basked in the attention like a natural performer. MC had been at his side most of the night, sharing jokes, sneaking glances, and engaging in the playful flirtation that had always defined their friendship. But something about his lingering touches, his winks directed only at her, had set her nerves alight.

Did he flirt like this with everyone? Or… was there something more?

As the party wound down, a smaller group—just the closest of friends—had remained in the common room, with Garrett leading them into a mischievous game of Truth or Dare. Imelda rolled her eyes. “We’re not kids, Weasley.”

Garrett shrugged, unbothered. “If you’re too scared, you can sit out. But I’ve got a potion here that guarantees honesty—or bravery.” He waved the bubbling concoction for effect, its sickly green glow lighting up his freckled face.

Poppy giggled nervously, glancing around the room. “This is a terrible idea.”

“That’s why it’s brilliant,” Garrett said, pouring small amounts into each of their cups. “Now, everyone drink, or you’re out!”

It wasn’t until Sebastian asked Ominis whom he fancied that the game turned scandalous. Ominis , ever stoic, had answered bluntly: “Anne.”

The room had fallen silent. Even Sebastian seemed momentarily caught off guard before muttering, “Well, that’s… something to unpack later.”

Then it was MC’s turn. Garrett, ever the troublemaker, grinned wickedly as he asked, “Alright, MC, who’s the most attractive guy here?”

Her cheeks flamed instantly. Every instinct screamed at her to deflect, to choose a safer answer. But the potion forced her honesty, and the words spilled out before she could stop them:

“Sebastian.”

The room erupted into a mix of laughter and awkward coughing. Sebastian’s face turned a deep crimson, his eyes darting to hers before quickly looking away. dormitory, heart pounding and mind racing with what she had just revealed.

“Alright, folks, it’s time to spice things up. Truth or Dare!”

The group exchanged hesitant glances before downing their firewiskey in unison.

“Right,” Garrett said, rubbing his hands together. “Imelda, truth or dare?”

Imelda glared at him but chose dare, of course. Garrett grinned. “I dare you to admit that Gryffindor’s Seeker isn’t half bad.”

“I’d rather hex myself,” she shot back. But the potion compelled her to grumble, “Alright, fine. He’s decent. For a Gryffindor.”

Laughter rippled through the group as the game continued, the dares and truths growing bolder with each round.

When it was Sebastian’s turn, he leaned forward, a wicked glint in his eyes. “Ominis,” he said smoothly, “truth or dare?”

Ominous, ever composed, sighed. “Truth.”

Sebastian didn’t miss a beat. “Who’s your first kiss?”

A rare blush crept up Ominous’s neck as he folded his arms tightly. “That’s none of your—”

“The potion, Ominous,” Garrett reminded him gleefully.

Ominous exhaled sharply. “Fine. Her name was Lydia Travers. It was… underwhelming.”

The group howled with laughter, even Ominischuckling softly.

Then it was MC’s turn, and Garrett was quick to pounce. “MC, truth or dare?”

She hesitated, knowing she was trapped either way. “Dare.”

Garrett’s grin turned wolfish. “I dare you to sit on Sebastian’s lap for the next round.”

MC’s stomach flipped. “Garrett!”

“Hey, it’s a dare,” he said with a shrug, looking far too pleased with himself.

The group’s eyes turned to Sebastian, who simply raised an eyebrow and patted his lap dramatically. “Well, come on then.”

Her face burned, but there was no escaping it. She stood slowly, ignoring the teasing whistles from Garrett and Imelda, and perched awkwardly on Sebastian’s lap. His arm instinctively wrapped around her waist to steady her, sending a jolt through her body.

“Comfortable?” he murmured in her ear, his voice low enough for only her to hear.

“Shut up,” she muttered, her cheeks flaming.

The game pressed on, but MC was hyper-aware of Sebastian’s every shift and breath, the warmth of him seeping through her skin. When it was Imelda’s turn, she grinned wickedly at the pair.

“Sebastian,” Imelda said, “truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he said without hesitation, his cocky smirk firmly in place.

Imelda leaned forward. “I dare you to kiss MC.”

MC froze, her heart slamming against her ribs. Sebastian’s smirk faltered for a moment before he chuckled, glancing at her. “Well, a dare’s a dare, isn’t it?”

Before she could protest, he tilted her chin gently, his lips brushing hers in a featherlight kiss. It was brief but electric, leaving her breathless and the room deathly silent.

“Well,” Garrett finally said, breaking the tension, “that’s one way to win a dare.”

Sebastian’s arm tightened slightly around her, but he said nothing, his gaze lingering on her for just a moment too long before he leaned back casually, as if nothing had happened.

By the time the game circled back to MC, her nerves were frayed. Garrett, naturally, took his chance to push further. “Alright, MC. Truth or dare?”

She hesitated, her voice barely steady. “Truth.”

“Who’s the best kisser you’ve ever had?” he asked, clearly aiming to stir the pot.

MC’s mind went blank, her heart pounding as the truth serum worked its magic. Her gaze darted to Sebastian before she could stop herself. “Sebastian.”

The silence was deafening. Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly, but then a slow, knowing grin spread across his face.

“Well,” he drawled, “I’m flattered.”

Mortified, MC pushed off his lap, her face burning as the group erupted into laughter and teasing. She muttered an excuse about needing air and fled to her dormitory, her heart in her throat.

The next morning, the weight of her confession—and that kiss—sat heavily on MC’s chest. As soon as she woke, the memories flooded back, vivid and undeniable. The idea of facing Sebastian in the Great Hall, or worse, in class, was unbearable.

Instead, she found herself retreating to the Undercroft, seeking the solitude and familiarity of their secret space. She had barely settled in when the door creaked open, and Sebastian stepped inside.

For a moment, they stared at each other, the events of the previous night hanging heavily in the air.

“I had a feeling you’d be here,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“I needed to think,” she admitted softly.

“About last night?” he asked, his tone unreadable.

She nodded, unable to meet his eyes. “Sebastian, I—”

“MC,” he interrupted, stepping closer. “About that kiss… I know it was just a game, but I meant it. And if you felt the same—”

“I did,” she blurted, cutting him off.

His lips parted in surprise before a slow, warm smile spread across his face. “You did?”

“Yes,” she whispered, finally meeting his gaze. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”

Sebastian’s grin turned soft as he reached for her, his hands steady on her arms. “You just did.”

This time, when he kissed her, it wasn’t a dare.

They were so lost in each other that neither heard the door open. Ominous’s voice broke through the haze like a bucket of cold water. “Merlin’s beard, will you two get a room already?”

They sprang apart, both red-faced as Ominous smirked. “Honestly, you’re worse than Garrett’s potion experiments. Keep the Undercroft..uncristened, please.”

Sebastian laughed, pulling MC close despite her protests. “Noted. Now, where were we?”

[xenosagaepisodeone]

"raw" is often used to describe media where the creator relents to some honesty about their lives but it's hard to not feel with certain books or movies restrained by their underwhelming execution that "raw" is sometimes just a bandaid term to describe exhibitionist navel gazing where other facets of a story should be. it is very obvious when a creator is evading feeling shame, when parts of their story are confessional but do not revel in discomfort in a way that would humiliate or peripheralize the creator-insert. these people convey huge swaths about their lives while simultaneously saying nothing. while I understand the motivation to be seen or understood, the kinds of ways people handicap themselves when overly conscious about writing for an audience comes to resemble preening themselves to the reflection of their victimhood. when I think about autobiographical or semi-autobiographical stories I like, the chasm between the creator-insert and others is both upfront and well-understood by the creator themselves. "I am stupid" "I am slow" "I am impotent" "I am a bug" "I am an ugly sweaty gasping hulking beast" etc where the story affords a lot of room for shame or humor based in this otherness but little manicured for appeals to the audience for pity. I dont know, maybe being obsessed with the idea of your own theatrical greek mythology-like fall from grace is starting to remind me of those myopic youtuber drama videos.

[definitionsfading]

okay so I have some niche family issues I need to talk through about potentially not being invited to my half sister's 150-guest, $60,000 venue wedding, so if anybody has advice feel free to drop it in the chat lmfao because I'm pretty much at a loss

historical context: my mother and father divorced when I was 2 years old, my mom retained full custody of me and my dad had visitation rights every OTHER weekend. my dad remarried when I was about 5 and had two more girls with his second wife, who I was semi frequently around as children. my dad physically separated from his second wife in 2015 and my relationship with her and the girls has been somewhat strained since then because of familial tension and me living with my own mother an hour away from the rest of them. now my half-sister is turning 26 this summer and getting married in March 2026. I have not seen her since 2021, and she lives in a different state from me now. but I do follow her on Instagram and interact with her posts; she does NOT follow me, by her own choice, nor engage with me on social media.

--so: last night.

called my dad to catch up (read: have not spoken to him in about 2 months) and over the course of our frankly underwhelming conversation he reveals that my sister sent out her wedding invitations two weeks ago, and he received his last week. bear in mind, there's only about 40 miles of distance between me and where my father live in the same state. so, when I expressed to him that I did not receive an invitation to this large and extravagant wedding, he acts casually bemused and tells me that perhaps it got lost in the mail. he offers no other solution or explanation for this. when I said that in ALL HONESTY I was 50-50 on whether my sister would even extend an invitation to me because she doesn't even really talk to me, he tells me that I'm 'making up drama' and then the conversation pretty much ends there. I have not even been made aware of this wedding other than an engagement post on Instagram from April of this year, and my dad's sister and my dad himself informing me of the engagement. nobody else has spoken to me about it.

my question for you all is, basically....what would YOU do in this situation? should I sit around and continue to wait for an invitation? should I do nothing at all? should I reach out to somebody and ask to be invited, or express concern that an invitation was lost in the mail? like I literally have no idea what to do. but I feel like a fucking idiot with my hands tied because it also seems clear my sister doesn't give a shit about me and wouldn't really care if I went or not. I mean, I guess therein lies the answer, but why would she invite my dad's extended family members and specifically exclude me? I haven't done anything to hurt her or be cruel, though I have obviously been 'absent' from her adult life. for obvious physical constraints, but also mostly out of my own shame and horror because of my failures as a person, and us having nothing in common other than a father.

my sister isn't even 26 and already makes over $100,000 a year for some added context, lmfao. so I don't know if she thinks I'm a loser or what. I wish I understood what was happening here so I could navigate it better.

[rqbossman]

do you think “Hotel California” falls under the domain of the Spiral?

Congrats. This question has itched my brain. Having reviewed the lyrics, yes. Yes I do.

[constantfragmentation]

The way I ugly snorted at « It was just starting to feel good when it was over as Silco slumped, exhausted over your exerted body with his hot breath on your neck. That was it? Lying there, you didn’t know what to think. »

Lmaoooo. No because girl, same ✋😔

Yea, I wanted it more realistic. 🤣 I don't know about other ladies, but my first was so underwhelming.

But that's ok. You learn what you like as you go. Not to mention, our man Silco isn't blind, deaf or dumb, hence laughing at her brutal honesty. He loves that she didn't lie and say it was great.

He's excellent at foreplay and I like to think he hasn't been laid in a while, so he got to the point where he needed his nut and then realised she didn't get off. Oops.

He's very aware of that too.

[the-elder-polls]

Ive just been thinking about something that I’ve had on my mind for months and I just don’t ant to hear your honest opinion and thoughts.

Can I just say how underwhelming and underdeveloped the Altmer are.

They contribute so much to history whether it be good or evil yet their culture is focused on magic, perfection and that’s about it, everything is connected to how perfect they view themselves and how they hate anything non elvish, which could be an interesting concept if we knew how high elf society gets around the rules and what their lives and relationships are like. We know that there are less conservative groups of Altmer especially the ones that were killed during the battle of Green Fire so why don’t we learn about their customs and culture, otherwise the upperclass seemingly are almost carbon copies of other fantasy elves, it makes them washed out and feel easily overlooked in the elder scrolls. Even the thalmor are so cartoonishly evil it really feels like Bethesda needed some evil so they chose the altmer because of the trauma they went through, I feel it would have been much better if they were a group with a good cause who simply wanted to not be controlled by the empire but overtime became more tyrannical and radical over time. I don’t know but I hope you can maybe give some insight.

no honestly i agree. out of all the mer, i find the altmer to be the most lacking in terms of lore and depth. they're all so unique and different and then...there's the altmer. they're painfully flat. they read to me like the stereotypical Evil Elves (elf magic good, human magic bad!) with somehow even more racist tendencies.

honesty it makes me sad. there's a lot of potential there that is squandered. i think the most we see of altmer culture is in eso, and i'm very thankful for what little we got from there, but compare it to what the other mer have throughout the other games and it's just...crumbs.

i do wish bethesda would flesh them out more. it makes me sad and makes it hard for me to really ever want to play an altmer because their lore is largely just flat and redundant.

the fandom has done wonders for altmeri culture, but it's once again the issue of fans having to step up and fix what bethesda was too lazy to do. :[

[terriblyvexed]

hey hey! its one of your readers on ao3 i realized i can ask questions on tumblr so i am trying it out. this may be a controversial question as opinions vary greatly from person to person lool but i am curious being a fellow fan of aot and a fan of your work, so, what did you think about the ending to aot? 👀

(personally i subscribe to a specific fan theory (NOT ANR GOD FORBID i rebuke it!) to keep hope alive in my heart that theres more aot to come cause i did not like the ending much so basically, theres no judgement from me srsly im delulu myself as it stands 😭💯)

anyway thats all thank you for writing left behind and answering my question (potentially)! hope you have a great rest of your day :D

Yeah I know your nickname haha and you can ask or yap about anything!

Ahh yes the ending opinions where swords are drawn two minutes into the debate lol and it’s annoying that people can’t state their thoughts as freely because of the toxicity from every side. This is going to be long I’m sorry😭

I personally didn’t like the ending that much either. I don’t think it’s as bad as people make it out to be, I mean we’ve all seen GoT, but I know a story like AoT could’ve done a little bit better than that, so. It’s not that I wanted Eren to live happily ever after, because his death made the most sense even before I knew about it, but it’s the execution of the episode in general that makes it feel rushed for me.

Mikasa killing him is a beautifully tragic twist, I started bawling my eyes out right there, but I wish the cabin scene was done differently. For me it didn’t feel as raw and honest as the Eren-Armin convo, which I’m not the biggest fan of either, but I’ve always wanted more communication for Eremika so maybe that makes me bitter. Let me see them talk about the table scene and let me see Eren apologise to her. It’s their last moment together, I wanted to see more emotion and honesty rather than an already established relationship that they did off camera. I get what it’s trying to show, and the scene itself is not bad, but I was just a big EM shipper at the time and hoped for more. (I felt the same back when he told her he would wrap that scarf around her forever and always. It hit me just in the right place I remember wanting them to talk about it afterwards but nothing was said.) Same with the memories he gave back to his friends, I’d have liked to see them talk. Him opening his eyes one last time to see her was beautiful no comment there.

Other than that I also LOVED when Levi saluted his friends and comrades! Liked his internal monologue where he said he didn’t regret not bringing Erwin back (Which also made me wish we could’ve seen Armin coming up with impressive strategies and ideas like he used to.)

I liked how Hange was sent off, but I missed them in the final fight.

I really liked the rumbling montage with Guilty Hero playing and Armin’s VA pouring her heart out + that cry at the end when Armin sees Eren. The Levi&Mikasa team-up/final stand was amazing. Those were all done nicely, but that’s pretty much it for me.

For some reason I wasn’t vibing with Annie. I mean she was never my fav but her in season one and in her ova was so much more interesting to me.

I was left underwhelmed by the final fight considering we’ve had great battles like RTS and Liberio previously, it does not compare in my opinion. I understand that Eren won’t kill his friends and I definitely agree with that, but something else could’ve been done with Ymir to make the stakes higher. The ancient titans didn’t feel threatening when you just knew no one was going to die, especially when Falco (first time flying) could dodge all of their arrows.

When everyone there turned into titans, like Jean and Connie, I would’ve preferred if they stayed titans and died when the curse ended. Bringing them back a few minutes later is just meh for me, and makes the emotions I’ve felt a one time thing only because that Jean&Connie dialogue didn’t hit the same afterwards. Not to mention that Connie’s mom was brought back only for us to not see their reunion lol.

Ymir’s storyline was interesting when Eren saw her memories, but after that she lost me a bit. I also don’t like that that *chef’s kiss* scene with Eren telling her she’s just a person didn’t free her at all, that killing Zeke stopped the Rumbling, that Levi was nerfed for the sake of the fight. If all these decisions were done in a slightly expanded time period, I don’t think I would’ve minded much. Especially the final episode itself was, again, rushed in my opinion.

Also, this isn’t just the finale but Historia being sidelined like that is a no-no for me. Not a fan of how the Hizuru-Mikasa plot line didn’t go anywhere either. That may just be nitpicking, but again I do believe season 4 should’ve been longer, maybe with a season 5 as well.

With all that being said, these are just my personal opinions/feelings and despite all, thematically the author did a good job wrapping everything up. Ending a story like AoT couldn’t have been easy at all. Watching it was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget or get over and I’m forever going to miss it. (I’m reading the manga now and the uprising arc has me hooked since it’s a bit different from the anime, and dare I say better?)

The ending didn’t ruin it for me or anything, just sad that I won’t get to see the things I wanted to see because naturally everyone has their own expectations, but what are fanfictions for?

What’s the fan theory that you believe? Other than that ANR I’ve heard about the mist and ouroboros but I’ve never read them in detail.

Thank you for reading Left Behind! I’d also like to state that my criticism of the AoT ending does not mean I’ll write one better lol. I like my ending for my story but I’ve already made peace with the fact that some readers might have problems with it. Which is fine as well because I love a good finale debate.

You have a great day/night as well!💓

[imagine-silk]

Fo4 companions with a sole survivor that's very upfront about their romantic feelings for them? Not in a egotistical kinda way but in a honesty is the best policy type of way :)

》I get it. I'm this way too. I don't typically hide how I feel, seems unnecessarily hard. (Also cut some people)

【Cait】 "Ain't wasting any time, are ya?"

She appreciates it. For a while she thought she was imagining things when she saw them look at her a certain way or make excuses to be around her. And she's just as blunt back, saying she's a broken person but not letting it stop her from trying out a relationship with them.

After they get together nothing really changes. She's not a particularly touchy person and still is brazen to pick a fight with everyone, them included. So when they casually mention they're dating everyone does the surprise pikachu face.

【Deacon】 "No roses? No song? No romance? You're lucky I like you."

Make no mistake, under his composed joking he's freaking out. He kinda felt something going on but he didn't expect it to just be told out in the open. It made him feel naked and unprepared. But who would he be if not an improviser. Like always he'll hide his surprise behind jokes and light teasing.

After they get together he gets used to the bluntness and he eventually adopts it. He'll still talk around what he means, it takes forever and a half to say the three words but he does get to it. And direct questions get direct answers.

【MacCready】 "That's pretty blunt. I like you too."

He doesn't mind the straightforward approach, in fact he likes it. He doesn't like wasting time and he feels like he already wasted enough waiting for a perfect time to confess. It might seem underwhelming but its more something that was agreed on the spot.

After they get together their relationship stays blunt. He doesn't like talking around things. If he has a problem he'll tell them and he expects the same. He says "I love you." a surprising amount all things considered. His justification is if they get to be upfront he does too.

【Piper】 "Warn a girl first."

She was not ready for it. And not in the cute blushy way, in the 'I was in the middle of something and now we have to talk this out' way. That said, she's not actually that annoyed. SoSu's timing could have been better but she wants a relationship with them more than her work stuff in that moment.

After they get together they find out just how blunt she can be back. She's pretty uncompromising too, if she says they're having a night in with Nat that's what they're going to do. However that goes both ways. If SoSu demands something important to them she listens.

【Preston】 "Oh, um, I like you too."

He was not fucking prepared. You'd think a grown man who lead a militia would be more calm and collected but no, he stutters through it. In his defense it had been a while since he had been with anyone and he was leading people, barely taking any time for himself. And it was coming from the person he arguably respected the most!

After they get together they call him out all the time. Due to their no holding back attitude they're able to get him to sit down longer than an hour or even take days off. He learns very quickly to appreciate what they give him, what they bring out of him.

【X6】 "I would like time to think about it."

He can't say he doesn't feel anything for SoSu, he knows it's a different feeling than other people. It's completely serious too. While he's doing his tasks around the settlement they left him at he considers what it'd be like if they came back and kissed him. He's so stoned face no one can tell he's imagining what it'd be like to kiss SoSu and listen to them talk about nothing in particular.

After they get together he follows their lead. He stays still as they kiss him and wrap his arms around them as they hug him. It's so awkward you'd think he doesn't want to be in a relationship with them. But over time he learns what he should do and does it. And he does it completely unapologetically.