#we've lost out minds as a society is all i have to say

[jam-packed]

actively being bullied cus apparently my beautiful wife luca marini my cringefail princess is OLD???? and nepo.

[ultravioletrayz]

Miguel x Curvy!f!reader

It’d be so cute if they’ve been besties for a while like since like the society got started but they’ve both had feelings for one another but they’re too afraid to admit them to not ruin the friendship but it gets all fluffy and cute when they found out they feel the same 🤭.

Then they have the cutest first time (together) and it’s like they were made for each other ^O^.

making this pt.3 to the 'undress' series 😚

PART 1, PART 2

Pairing: miguel o'hara x curvy!f!reader

Warnings: 18+, making out, starts a bit rushed and frantic but turns into soft n slow sex, vaginal fingering, missionary, protected p in v

Summary: after confessing your feelings, miguel rushes you into his quarters to worship your body

A/N: friends to lovers sex is so cute, especially with Miguel :(

Word Count: 2.38K

Overwhelmed by carnal need, you and Miguel come crashing into his quarters, his large, muscular frame guiding you until your back harshly collides with the wall. Your lips haven't left one another's since you left the bathroom stall, tongues circling around each other, teeth nibbling on each other's lips, drool practically overflowing from your mouths as you both revel in the taste of each other. Your hands are glued firmly to Miguel's face, keeping him bent down so that you can kiss him with all of the passion you can muster.

His hands are squeezing and caressing the flesh of your waist, as if confirming that you're real, that the girl he's been dreaming of making love to for months is no longer living within his depraved mind. Fuck, he should've done this sooner. The two of you could've been up to a tenth round by now if he had just fucked you when he walked in on you mere hours ago. But, hey, better late than never.

With a moment of hesitation, Miguel pulls away from the kiss, his tongue quickly lapping up the spit hanging onto your bottom lip before he leans back to look into your eyes, getting lost in the rich pools of affection and lust.

"Wait a second," Miguel whispers, still holding you close, not wanting his hands ever to leave your sides. "I didn't get a chance to explain myself back there. And before we do anything, I need to make sure we're on the same page."

"Before we 'do anything'? I think we've gone past that point, Mig." You tease, your hands sliding down the sides of his throat to rest on his broad shoulders.

Miguel scoffs at that, but he can't help the slight chuckle that leaves his lips. He had re-activated his suit to cover himself while the two of you stumbled into his room, but he could still feel his own cum dripping down his muscular thighs beneath the hologram, proving your point.

"Still. I need you to know that I care about you. That- That I have real feelings for you. I don't just want to fuck you and treat you like shit around the Society like... like you're some slut. I want to actually be with you. Joder… Quiero amarte, preciosa." Miguel confesses, his gaze dropping to the minuscule space left between the two of your bodies, unable to look you in the eye after being so open, so genuine, so human in front of another person, especially since that person is you.

Your face falls, the need in your eyes shifting into adoration as you tilt your head slightly, absorbing Miguel's cute confession. He's always had to make his plans known, unable to let curiosity and assumptions about his intentions linger in the air. It's a trait of his that he's always found irritating, but it's so endearing in your eyes. Especially in cases like this where you can reciprocate that purity.

"Miguel, I want the same. I... I care about you the same way. It sounds so stupid, but I feel like I've fallen for you... and I've felt like that since I first saw you. I really like you, Mig." You say softly, your hands coming back up to cup his handsome face, watching as it lights up almost instantly with a lovesick, goofy grin.

Before you can really process the significance of the feelings that have been vocalised, Miguel is scooping you up in his strong arms, carrying you to his bed with an almost adorable sense of urgency, further emphasised by the way his dick is throbbing with need beneath his suit.

His sharp red eyes are wide and puppy dog-like, his gaze worshipping your position on his bed as he undresses you almost obscenely fast, ripping through fabric, straps, and lace, unwilling to wait any longer to see every inch of you. And it's better than he ever could of imagined, better than seeing you in your underwear hours ago. Better than anything and everything.

The bed creaks with Miguel's weight as he kneels above you, knees on either side of your thighs, caging you beneath his muscular physique. His mouth immediately finds your throat, nibbling and sucking as his hands trace along every nook and cranny of your body, squeezing and stroking your soft skin. Your head falls back against the pillows, mouth open and letting out soft sighs and whimpers, one hand tangling in Miguel's brushed back waves, while the other reaches for the gizmo wrapped around his veiny forearm, pressing a few buttons that cause his spider suit to dissolve off of his sexy body, leaving his bare form pressed against yours as he leaves a trail of hickeys and spit down your shoulder.

Eventually, one of Miguel's wandering hands makes it's way down between your plush thighs, thick, long digits ghosting over your wet, needy cunt, your walls clenching around nothing due to your sheer desire for any kind of contact. Oh, how Miguel wishes he could indulge you right now. He wants to dive mouth-first into your sweet warmth and lap up the liquid fucking gold that's seeping out of you. He wants to worship you, make it obvious how desperate he's been to have you. But, Miguel is a busy man. A busy man with avid needs that need to be fulfilled.

Quickly, Miguel dips the rough pad of a single finger into your pussy, making you gasp and let out a soft little squeal, teeth biting down on your lower lip and hands irritatedly grabbing at Miguel's thick chest hair, tugging at the strands as you whine.

"Mig! You... ah-! c-can't just do that!" You manage to splutter, already breathless as Miguel gently glides another digit into you and scissors your pussy open, getting a good feel of how wet and ready you are for him. In any other scenario, he'd be prepping you and taking care of you like a true gentleman, slowly fingering you and kitten-licking your clit until you've cum three times and he's certain you can handle his dick. But he hasn't got the time, nor the patience right now.

"Lo siento, preciosa. Just need to make sure you're gonna be able to take it." Miguel chuckles, his voice a faint whisper as he puts all of his attention on your tight cunt, gently thrusting his fingers in and out of you as his sharp, scarlet eyes focus on the way your hips jolt whenever he presses against that spongy spot inside of your warmth. "You have no idea how badly I wanna taste you right now. Bet you're so sweet, just f'me. Pequeña cosa desesperada. I promise I'll eat your pussy so nice and slow next time, sweetheart. But I just need to feel you."

Your eyes glaze over at Miguel's forwardness, your walls tightening around his fingers as you whimper and mewl beneath him. You'll take anything he's willing to give you- fingers, mouth, cock. You just want Miguel. Much to your dismay, your body is filled with an overwhelming sense of emptiness when Miguel pulls his digits out of you with a slick pop! making you whine and curse under your breath, looking up at him with such need and desperation that it almost causes Miguel to let out a whiny moan of his own.

With freed hands and the drive of a yearning man, Miguel hastily reaches beside you for his tiny, shitty little nightstand, grabbing a single condom from the drawer. He fumbles slightly while unwrapping it due to his impatience and overwhelming arousal, making you giggle, earning a mean tweak to your nipple that makes your back arch and a whiny moan fall from your lips.

"It's your fault." Miguel scoffs, managing to get the condom out, quickly rolling the latex over his huge, meaty, throbbing cock. Not wasting a second more, Miguel hikes your supple legs up, spreading them and pushing your knees to either side of your chest. He lines the head of his girthy, heavy dick with your glistening folds, nudging your clit gently to keep you in the moment. Without a moment's delay, he's pushing that huge cock of his inside of you, the blunt stretch making you hiss through gritted teeth at how overwhelming this whole situation is. Your boss, your friend, splitting you open on his cock. It's like one of your wet dreams come to life.

Miguel goes as slow as he can stomach, your tight, pulsing walls memorising every contour and detail of his veiny shaft from the inside, wanting to somehow tattoo the feeling of his dick onto your flesh and feel him inside of you forever. You can see why he was apologising for not preparing you, but somehow, the mere fact that it's Miguel that's spearing you open agonisingly slow but adorably quick is putting your body at ease.

"F-Fuck, feels so good. Dios mío, se me ha antojado este coño." Miguel pants, rough hands pawing at your plush waist as his knees sink further into the mattress, his back hunched so that his arched nose and unruly strands of hair brush against your face from above. Now that he's finally got you like this, legs spread and pinned in place by the weight of his own thighs, hands gripping at his broad shoulders, warm, panting breaths hitting his face, Miguel can breathe. He can continue knowing that you're really, truly in his bed, giving him the fucking honour of making love to you. And he's not gonna disappoint his dear friend.

Slowly, gently, Miguel draws his hips back, sharp red eyes fluttering as one of his hands comes up to hold your throat, not applying any pressure but stroking his thumb across your skin soothingly. Inch by inch, he pushes his entire cock back into you, making you both moan. He does this a few more times, really stretching you out and getting the two of you accustomed to the foreign, blissful sensations.

Miguel readjusts your positions, his swole, beefy arms wrapping around you and hoisting you up slightly, pulling you into a hug before laying you back down. Your legs instinctively wrap around his hips, and you reciprocate his embrace, arms loosely slung around his shoulders.

"Mig, please." You whisper, your voice so meek and breathless as you beg for him to give you what you crave. He's trying so hard to be gentle and treat you right, not wanting to risk messing up this perfect moment. It's cute, but your patience is wearing thin while your need grows thicker and more unbearable.

Building a sensual rhythm, Miguel rolls his hips again and again, his fat dick leisurely pistoning in and out of your warm cunt. His face is now buried in your hair, his groans and hitching breaths getting lost against you as he embraces you tightly, the veins along his arms bulging each time he thrusts entirely into you. You were in no better shape, keening and sighing in ecstasy each time Miguel's chubbed tip so delicately kisses your cervix.

Miguel's thrusts become more deliberate, each movement a slow, deliberate dance of passion and need. His hands roam your body, exploring every curve, every dip, as if he's memorising you with his touch. His fingers trace down from your throat through the valley of your breasts, his thumb brushing over the sensitive skin , sending shivers down your spine. Your breath hitches as Miguel's pace quickens ever so slightly, his cock gliding in and out of you with a rhythm that's both maddening and intoxicating. The sound of your combined moans fills the room, a symphony of desire that only heightens the intensity of the moment.

"Just- Just like that," You moan, your voice barely audible, but he hears you. He always hears you. His eyes lock onto yours, a mixture of love and lust burning in his gaze. He leans down, his lips brushing against yours in a tender kiss. You feel dizzy, your body arching involuntarily as he hits a spot that makes your toes curl. You can feel the tension building, the pressure coiling inside you, ready to explode.

Miguel's hands move to your hips, his grip firm but gentle, guiding you as he thrusts into you with a slow, steady rhythm. Each movement is calculated, each thrust a testament to his desire to make this moment last. His breath is hot against your neck, his lips leaving a trail of kisses down to your collarbone. Your hands clutch at his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin as the pleasure builds. You can feel the edge approaching, the precipice of ecstasy that you're both teetering on. Miguel's thrusts become more urgent, his hips snapping against yours with a fervour that matches your own growing need.

"Miguel, I'm close!" you gasp, your voice trembling with anticipation. He responds by tightening his grip on your hips with a wanton, desperate moan, his thrusts becoming more insistent, more desperate. His cock pulses inside you, the sensation almost too much to bear. You can feel the heat pooling in your core, the pressure building to a breaking point.

With a final, powerful thrust, Miguel buries himself deep inside you, his body shuddering as he reaches his climax. His cock twitches, filling the condom with his release, his breath coming in ragged gasps. You follow soon after, your body convulsing around him as waves of pleasure crash over you, pussy gushing around him and soaking the sheets as you shake and squeal, panting as you come down from the sort of high you thought could only be mustered in your filthy imagination.

For a moment, there's only the sound of your combined breaths, the room filled with the aftermath of your shared ecstasy. Miguel collapses onto you, his weight a comforting presence as he nuzzles into your neck, finding solace and a grounding warmth in the feeling of your sweaty body beneath him. In the comfort of each other's arms, it doesn't take long for the two of you to fall asleep, the work that was meant to be getting done in Miguel's office long forgotten, and the promise of a future together hanging in the air like a dream come true.

this is disgustingly late. i hope it was worth the wait

[andy-wm]

So...Who then?

A BRIEF SYNOPSIS of WHO:

Jimin is searching for the girl he thinks is out there for him (one who he can give the world and more to). He can't understand why he hasn't found her. Who is his heart waiting for?

Clue: it's the person who literally falls into his path. This is the ONLY person for him - everyone else has walked away.

I have to confess... I didn't hear WHO as more than a generic pop song the first couple of times i listened. I was in my car driving home from work when i first listened, and then bustling around with domestic stuff as i listened a second time.

Its very unusual for me to be so casual and negligent with first listens but my head wasn't in the game. I didn't want to push it.

So I consciously put it aside until i could give it the attention it deserves.

I want to clearly state that if WHO was purely a fun and impersonal pop song i wouldn't be judging the song or Jimin for that. It's got a catchy tune and i enjoyed it, and I'm not expecting everything Jimin creates to speak to me personally.

Some things are just for fun and that's okay.

But I think there more to this song...

As with much of Jimin’s work, what seems simple on the surface is more complex when you dig a little deeper...

I watched the mv with the lyrics onscreen and my impression is forming (It's still basically a first impression though so i probably missed things)

What i notice, reading the lyrics as i listen, is that it's not the love song i first thought it was.

It's not a love song at all.

This song is all about about Jimin

and it's full of questions...

She's always on his mind, this woman he has yet to find. He thinks about her every day.

He's not telling us his standards are too high, or all the girls he likes are unavailable, or he never goes out to meet people.

He's telling us he's been searching but he hasn't even MET her yet.

Hes telling us he doesn't know why he hasn't found her.

((Why the insistence that it has to be a 'her'?

That's easy:

Anyone who was raised in a hereronormative environment is going to go through life thinking they will find love with the opposite sex. It's the default expectation. Everything in society tells us this from advertising, to entertainment, to the government. For a lot of gay or queer people, you expect that to happen. You kiss a lot of girls or boys and you expect to feel that spark (shoutout to the enbys who nobody can see).

And the spark just isnt there, so you keep looking. You search for that one individual who will make you feel the way you're *supposed* to feel.

The lyrics of this song are basically saying exactly this.

If you believe - as i do - that Jimin struggled with his identity and that he didn't recognise his love for JK as ROMANTIC love until JK started returning his affection, then it makes sense that he believed he would (or should) fall in love with a girl.

And look, he dances with ALL the girls. He has a red hot go at this. He really tries, but nothing sticks.))

Now back to the song...

He tells us that he goes out and meets a lot of people:

But he still doesn't know who she might be.

HE'S NEVER MET HER...

"We've never met" he says it twice in succession. So he hasnt even met a girl he thinks COULD be the one?

🤔

Can i take a guess?

MAYBE THERE'S A CLUE HERE:

"Who is my heart waiting for," sings Jimin as a BILLBOARD falls from the sky.

Its "crash landing on you" but figuratively, not literally.

The face on the billboard looks very familiar 🤔

And also...

KEEP GOING>> says the billboard.

When asked in an AMA what he would say to his debut self, Jimin said "You nice. Keep going."

We know how tough things were in the lead up to debut, especially for Jimin. He nearly lost his place in the group several times. And it's no secret that as a group they struggled to be taken seriously by the industry.

But wait... what else does the billboard say?

W H O

Not 'WHO?' but WHO

It's a statement, not a question.

If you're looking for a sign, this is it.

THIS IS LITERALLY A SIGN

Dont forget that this billboard/person crashes into his life - falls directly in his path - when hes alone out there.

There's nobody there but Jimin.

And for Jimin, there is nobody else

🐰🐥

ETA: Here's the next part of my response to 'WHO'. This post looks at the MV Specifically.

[weirdmageddon]

the original post i want everyone to see is way out of my hands now, so i’ll repost this again here as new but separate post. it touches on things i want to go into more depth about.

@wasabikitcat gets this idea. this reply—thank you so much for not just understanding what i was going for, but putting my exact thoughts into cleaner words on the bad reading comprehension site.

i can't believe how misunderstood my point was about “spirituality” (i didn’t know it was that much of a loaded phrase!), but thank you for putting what i meant into more nuanced terms.

it's something that can be hard for me to put into words, and maybe i gave people the wrong impression by using the word "spirituality", since words mean different things to different people. i just haven't seen people discussing it so i wasn't sure how to really put it. but regardless of terminology, this reply is exactly what i'm getting at. and this is coming from someone who has a very scientific mind. i wouldnt even consider myself a traditionally “spiritual” person in the normal connotation of the word.

edit: this one as well!

i see this as a cultural/political factor that we shouldn’t ignore, because this sense of meaning has driven people's motivations since the beginning of human civilization.

there's a primal aspect that hasn't really left us but there seems to be no room for it in our modern culture because half of these “guides” seem to be driven by “i cant wait for civilization to collapse so MY ideology can rise from the ashes" and the other half of it seems to be driven by greed. and often they are hand in hand.

i would really like to see actual enlightening ideas stemming from buddhist thought, analytical psychology, collective unconscious, and archetypes to take off in the public consciousness. (completely divorced from jordan peterson. just the original jungian stuff)

i am especially supportive towards getting people interested in carl jung's works. his idea was to get people to understand, "what myth am i living?" based on the same archetypes and symbols that recur time and time again throughout human history that we can all collectively recognize regardless of culture. so it's a sense of meaning based in the self. i don't want people being sent down reactionary paths when looking for meaning in their lives.

i think it would benefit people to who feel lost especially in uncertain/unprecedented times like, with those “there's got to be more to this, something deeper,” insinct. i see that people are looking for this but get taken advantage of or manipulated.

but on this deeper sense of meaning in life thing, the Left isn't doing a great job at providing an option for “lost” people looking for meaning that the Right seems to be having no trouble with. i wonder if this is why we've seen so many of these lost young men flock to reactionary commentators?

this reminds me of an excellent point contrapoints made in her video about jordan peterson, saying,

“The last thing I like is that you talk about deep shit. I was watching a video where you and a couple of zany goons were talking about Plato and Aristotle and the meaning of life. And I thought, ‘Huh… on the Left, we don’t really talk about that kind of thing. All we talk about is how society oppresses people.’ And that might not be enough. Because people need to have a positive purpose in life. I mean, personally, I don’t give a shit. I’m pretty happy to sit here watching the same three seasons of Strangers with Candy until I die. But other people, like Dostoevsky, Camus, other white guys who talk about lobsters…they have this need to have purpose in the face of suffering, and like, not just complain about patriarchy. I guess it’s easier to not complain about patriarchy when patriarchy isn’t the thing that’s making you suffer. But I do think that an education that only teaches people about oppression is inadequate. We spend four years teaching undergraduates why capitalism is bad, and then we say, ‘Well, you’re educated now. Good luck getting a job under capitalism, bye!’ …And that really kind of sucks! But you know, I think that’s a point that can probably be made without comparing transgender activism to Stalin.”

speaking of her, this is a related post i wrote earlier on young men being radicalized and how to approach communication

and by the way, if you are interested in learning jungian psychology and want to see what it’s about, here are some resources to get you started:

i think the jung subreddit has a great collection of resources on its about page.

i highly recommend Demystifying Jungian Psychology to start. it’s meant for beginners. it is available in english and spanish. you can currently find the book in the comments section here. since sometimes these links lead to a 404, i don’t want to link directly to the google drive page. i want you to have a link to the original thread in case it gets broken.

[idanit]

ok now i need to know about your niche country-specific jeeves AU

"Every valet takes great pride / in cooking what his husband likes" an edit of a makatka by @maidblues

(You've probably forgotten about sending this ask. I almost forgot I had a reply sitting in my drafts.)

This is incredibly niche and very hard to do for numerous reasons, but I've been thinking about a Polish Jeeves AU for a good while now. I'm not the best person to come up with the best way to cut almost all politics out from a story set in the 1920s in a country that has just become sovereign and is about to go through some further enormous transformations, so I'm not going to try very hard. Wodehouse's stories already take place in an idyllic sort of fantasy on the theme of interwar and postwar Britain, so I suppose a Polish AU would have to just lean into that even harder.

(Polish aristocracts lost their legal protections in 1921, but let's not think about it too much. Don't think about how you could possibly make "Comrade Bingo" work in a post-1920 Poland either. Etc., etc.)

So we've established that this would have to be some sort of barely recognisable fairytale Poland. But something in me is compelled by the idea of trying this out anyway because there are not a lot of wodehousian stories in Polish literature of the time. Not a lot of comedy without other genres mixed in in general. And one does wonder what it would look like.

Names are tricky. I want Bertram to be Bartłomiej or Bartosz (Bartek in the diminutive). @maidblues likes to give him the surname of Kogucik (rooster) and I toyed with the idea of giving him the Kur (another word for rooster) crest.

As for Jeeves's name, his case is more complicated because as far as I know servants in Poland were usually called by their masters by their first name, and the most common servant (as well as Polish in general) name would probably be Jan. So I'm tempted to make Reginald Jeeves a Jan Regulski or a Jan Reguła (reguła means "a rule").

This choice has the advantage of turning the "Jeeves?" / "Yes, sir?" exchange into "Janie?" / "Tak, jaśnie panie?". It rhymes. I find this amusing.

Servants at the time were overwhelmingly female, especially those who worked alone and for a single person/household, but we're going to ignore that.

Bertie is an aristocrat living in Warsaw, since it's the capital city, but his family is from some Mazovian dworek (manor house).

Aristocracy was not quite as much of an exclusive club as it was in Britain (some historians say it made up 10% of Polish society). Bertie probably says his ancestors fought at Grunwald, but he would likely bring up the Romanticism and the XVII century a lot as well, because they were as alive in the Polish public consciousness of the time as Middle Ages were in the mind of a certain kind of Englishman. Bertie could lean into something commonly called "the pride of the Sarmatians" (duma sarmacka).

Bertie's school is important. Everything depends on this, I think — Bertie's language, his friends, his club. Wealthy aristocrats did send their children abroad sometimes, so he could even have a typical British public school education even if he'd be unlikely to attend Eton and Oxford, specifically, but this feels like a cop-out, so I'm going to assume he was a student at some Polish university and not think about it too much lest I get caught up in the timelines of what university in what partition of Poland it would make sense for him to attend.

Bertie's way of speaking. My heart wants to make Bertie use some elements from the Warsaw subdialect because it's very fun and it would fit him, but regrettably, I think it's too working-class for him. I am fascinated by the idea of Bertie borrowing words from German and Russian in addition to French, though. He'd probably make use of some form of gwara uczniowska (student slang), too.

And Jeeves could know the Warsaw subdialect well, even if he would probably not use it while speaking to the members of the aristocracy (I'm pretty sure an early version of canon Jeeves spoke with a subtle Cockney accent, calling Bertie "guv’nor"). I wanted to make him a Warsaw local, perhaps with some family in the countryside, perhaps in the former Prussian partition, since I think the level of literacy was higher there and I need a way for Jeeves to have a chance of getting some education.

The Drones. There were no gentlemen's clubs, so I think the Drones would have to be a coffeehouse, a restaurant, or a szynk / pub called "Truteń"/"U Trutnia"/"Pod Trutniem". It's a significant change because they were not exclusive places, but it's the best I can think of. Coffeehouses in particular had a rich tradition as cultural places where people spent hours and hours on discussions. I think a Polish equivalent of a Drones Club could even serve as a tongue-in-cheek satire on artistic groups like Skamandryci. The Polish Drones would just have to take their gambling elsewhere. (@maidblues came up with another name for a Drones-like place that served food: Darmozjad. I love the pun — the word means someone useless, lit. someone who eats for free.)

As for the Junior Ganymede (Ganimedes), I think it would be a stowarzyszenie (club/society) without its own venue. Its members would probably meet at regular conventions. Here, I see an opportunity of some comedic nods to the tradition of "zjazdy", which in the centuries past were politically significant meetings of the aristocracy.

Bertie sings Mieczysław Fogg's songs.

Jeeves knows quotes from Mickiewicz and Słowacki (Polish Romantic poets) by heart.

Bertie is bi/multillingual enough to run off to Paris instead of New York City every now and then. Not quite putting an ocean between you and your aunt, but far enough for Ciotka Agata not to follow him.

I'm unlikely to ever finish writing anything for Jeeves in Polish, so, to finish things off, have this contextless excerpt from some draft of mine:

Mam na myśli tyle tylko, że podczas półtygodniowego pobytu, w którym jaśnie panowi udało się wpaść do sadzawki, zaręczyć, zostać pogryzionym, rozsierdzić Spodkowskiego i obrazić trzy stateczne matrony, choć nie dokładnie w tej kolejności, Jan ocalił mój ulubiony garnitur (bez krawata), zgrabnie mnie odręczył, opatrzył i odwiózł do Warszawy, a skroni jego nie zrosiła nawet mgiełka potu. Wspaniały człowiek. Obsypałem go, rzecz jasna, pewną ilością marek, ale wydawało mi się to zgoła niewystarczające. Dusza moja śpiewała, wolna jak ptak bez obrączki, a mój wybawca miał z tego tylko trochę świstków papieru, które i tak natychmiast wyśle rodzinie spoza stolicy — znałem go doskonale.

[mettywiththenotes]

I know the general conclusion people are coming to is "wow so nothing has changed the civilians haven't changed their minds nothing has changed in society" but. how many chapters has it been since the end of the war. actually a better question would be how many days/weeks has it been since the end of the war. because idk man things aren't going to change as quickly as that

You have to factor in how no one outside of Izuku, Shouto and Ochako knew about them wanting to save the villains. When the footage of the final war is inevitably shared around, the first thought probably isn't "wow they saved those bad guys" but likely just the fact that they stopped them from doing more damage meaning they can put them in jail or whatever

Even when you put that aside, society is unlikely to change in a short space of time anyway because there was the general idea that the heroes winning meant bringing things back to how they were. And bringing things back to how they were means a society that favors the good quirks and good victims over the people who are ignored and those who slip through the cracks. If they get that back, then of course things aren't going to change immediately

And in the end, they did get it back. The villains have been stopped. The heroes prevailed. Society is rebuilding as fast as possible like nothing happened. But we've been shown that the idea "things are going back to normal" is usually accompanied by the implication it may seem like that but really things will change in an inevitable way

The saviour squad as a whole (Izuku, Shouto, Ochako, Hawks) all have the potential to speak up about their experiences, prove the world/country wrong about their surface-level view of villains. Shouto and Ochako could relay their thoughts, what their intentions were, what their conclusions are now. Izuku could choose to tell everyone what he saw in Tomura, the crying child. More than that, he could do some introspection, think over his time with Tomura (USJ, mall scene, war arc and so on) and talk about his thoughts too. Hawks being one of the first of the heroes who tried and failed to save his villain is an interesting parallel to Izuku, and also shows that he could have a personal account on this too

With all this in consideration, I believe that it's not going to be a random relaying of these experiences in bits and pieces over the remaining chapters, but rather a single united action together - like their own televised interview or something. It's not like Hawks wouldn't have the power to organize it, the HC literally has the authority to put what they want in the media. Though whether that happens or not remains to be seen

But the point I'm trying to make is that this is going to take time. The whole of society isn't just going to wake up and realize the error of their ways after all of that. There has to be a beginning, a starting line, to the conclusion that maybe villains deserve something better

I say that this is going to take time, while knowing that we have only 3 chapters of the story left... and while it frustrates a lot of people, it's looking to me like this is going to be an open ending. I imagine the very last chapter will show the starting line of change. Personally I'm okay with that, I think it would be compelling. Depending on how it is set out, I don't think it would be a bad ending

Idk how exactly to end this post but... it just seems like people think that all hope is lost because the civilians didn't all collectively wake up the day after the war and change their minds, and I don't think it works that way. It will take time. I believe Hori may give the story an open ending so we are shown the starting line and in the end it will be up to us how things change specifically

[creature-wizard]

I see this (alien abduction communities) having a lot in common with ROMCOA stuff. The Controversial History of Alien Abductions by Kaz Rowe on Youtube (https://youtu.be/of8igM9WFWc?si=LrE_pCrDUMbujQah) What people may get out of ROMCOA (Validation of trauma in a way that is more obviously bad and may be not be as emotionally difficult due to a less personal abuse or mistreatment having clearer motivations.) is different, but the conspiracism of it feels similar.

I say this as a system who has skirted the edge of ROMCOA stuff for reasons like those stated above, but I wondered if you'd have any thoughts on it. (If it's of any interest, I'll send a separate ask with thoughts on the why/how we've dodged the ROMCOA bullet despite being drawn to it, but that's a significant tangent. Also sorry to be anon, I'm shy.)

(To anyone reading this: If you've heard the term "RAMCOA" but haven't heard how it originated among conspiracy theorists and was always meant to push conspiracy theories within legitimate psychiatry, further information is provided at the end.)

Oh yeah, you are absolutely right. I've been comparing these two things for awhile now, and it's basically two presentations of the same exact social phenomena.

You usually have somebody with psychological or physical problems that seem to defy explanation, but are very likely related to something like anxiety, depression, chronic stress, PTSD, C-PTSD, BPD, schizophrenia, bipolar, autism, ADHD, allergies, mast cell activation syndrome, or fibromyalgia. Y'know, a lot of the kinds of things that doctors will dismiss as "all in your head," or that just aren't that well-understood by the public, or might not seem possible because they underestimate just how traumatizing their life actually was.

The way they fall into it is nearly always the same; they never really "remember" any of it until they start coming across literature and people who introduce them to the idea of RAMCOA or alien abduction. And of course by this point a lot of them are absolutely desperate for some kind of explanation or validation, so they look deeper into it. They start learning and absorbing the tropes and narratives that go along with whatever mythology, so to speak, that they've fallen into. Then when they undergo hypnosis, they start "remembering" events that just so happen to line up with whichever narrative they've been exposing themselves to.

There are other groups doing this same thing with their own narratives, of course. In New Age and neopagan contexts, people often seek explanation and validation by trying to uncover past lives. In fact, the whole entire practice of undergoing hypnosis to recover lost memories actually began with people trying to find their past lives.

A common thread is that people remember something that pretty much everybody would agree would be absolutely terrible to endure. Whether you're "remembering" being burned at the stake for witchcraft, eating the heart of a ritually murdered child, fleeing the destruction of Atlantis, or aliens performing invasive procedures on your body, there's no ambiguity or uncertainty that what supposedly happened is horrible. In a society that constantly tells people that they haven't had it bad enough to be traumatized, because real trauma can only come from something way more severe than what they're experiencing, it's just no surprise that this keeps happening. Their subconscious minds seek the images and narratives that seem to align with the distress they're feeling.

It's been observed that what people experience while under hypnosis is basically the same as what they experience while dreaming. What they experience isn't necessarily logical; in fact, it's often far from it. Weird, surreal stuff just happens out of nowhere. People just do things with no genuinely reasonable motive.

In the context of RAMCOA, this is often handwaved away with "well, they're cultists, this is obviously part of their weird cult practices." This is not only an incredibly weak explanation for most of this stuff, but when you look at other supposedly recovered memories, you just can't help but notice that this is a pattern in every belief system people try to recover memories in, so trying to do this for supposed cases of SRA and the like is just special pleading.

And yeah, if you wanna share your story, I'd love to hear it!

For anyone reading this who isn't aware: The term "Ritual Abuse, Mind Control & Organized Abuse", or RAMCOA, is not an innocent catch-all term for religious abuse, institutional abuse, sex trafficking, etc. It was coined by conspiracy theorists in order to repackage Satanic Ritual Abuse/Satanic Panic/Project Monarch alter programming conspiracy theories into something they could pass off as legitimate science/research. Essentially, it's a Trojan horse for far right bullshit. For more information, see Cathy O'Brien - The First Project Monarch "Survivor" and Fritz Springmeier and Cisco Wheeler: Two Of The Most Dangerous Conspiracy Theorists Most People Have Never Heard Of.

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - His Bride

What can I say, he cute 🤭

Summary - Reader gets ready for her wedding day.

Enjoy!

"We have a problem..." Your maid of honor, a.k.a Rubens sister, said. She entered your dressing room just as you were putting the finishing touches to your hair.

"What is it?" You said, turning in your chair.

"We can't find your bouquet. We've looked everywhere."

You shook your head and smiled. "Can't we just make a new one out of all the decoration flowers we have?"

"Make a new one?" Rubens sister gasped. "You can't just make a new bouquet. Do you know how long it took me to make the arrangements for the decore to match the design of your dress?"

"I'm sure it took a lot of your time, which I thank you for putting in. But I'm sure any arrangement of flowers will do for me. I mean I'm marrying your brother not the flowers."

"I suppose." She didn't look happy, but left you to finish putting pins into your hair.

Who would have known that weddings would be so demanding, you thought. Your parents were never married and so you had absolutly no one to prepare you for this moment. This was a shame, but Rubens family really insisted on you to have a traditional wedding in a church, paying for the whole thing themselves. Really, it was more their wedding than yours. You were merely a fly on the wall on your own wedding day, the day that was supposed to mean the most to you.

A knock on the door interrupted your thoughts.

"Come in!"

You were not ready for it to be Ruben who entered the room.

"Ruben, what are you doing in here?"

"I just wanted to check on you." He said, straightening his tie. He looked so handsome in his grooms attire.

"I don't think you're supposed to see me before the ceremony. It's bad luck."

"Well my sister keeps telling everyone that you've lost your mind, so excuse me for worrying about my wife."

"To be." You chuckled.

"What?" He approached you were you sat, planting a kiss on top of your head.

"You called me your wife, but I'm still your wife to be."

He smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Well I guess I can't wait for you to be my wife."

"You sure about that? Even though I've lost my mind?"

Ruben caught the glimpse in your eye. "Weddings can get a little crazy huh?"

"I dunno, it's my first one." You turned back to the mirror. Ruben got behind you, helping to put the last pins into your hair. "You mean this is your first wedding as the bride?"

You shrugged. "And my first time attending one."

"You've never been to a traditional wedding before?"

"I'm not even sure I knew anyone that was married where I came from." You came from a broken home in a society equally as broken. Your family never had much money when you were growing up, but you learned to appreciate the little you had along with the people you had around you that cared and loved you. Meeting and falling in love with someone like Ruben equaled an introduction to a brand new world, a world you sometimes didn't feel like you belong to.

"You still want to marry me though, right?" Ruben asked you this, his eyes meeting yours in the mirror.

You smiled. "There's no doubt in my mind." 

He sighed in relief, his hands grabbing your face to tilt your head backwards. Even the chair tipped as he brought you back to kiss your lips. The kiss didn't last long however. The door flung open with Ruben's sister in shock of what she was seeing.

"Out, out, out!" She shouted, chasing her own brother away from his bride to be.

"For the love of God, can't you two just wait for the honeymoon? I...I mean you, have a wedding to go through with."

You chuckled as their bickering disappeared out of the room and down the stairs. You took one last look at your reflection in the mirror, nodding your head. "I'm ready for this,  I'm ready to be his bride."

[starmage-constellar]

anyone talking about the secondary musical reference in thisisnotawebsitedotcom?

i dare say i'm stretching it but

with a capital "T", and that rhymes with "P" and stands for "pool"? or, even, words like.. like "swell?" (trouble, trouble, trouble.)

or, if you want to go even further, he's got a girl in every county [...] and that's 102 counties!

the speech predates the musical by a whole 5 years but i think that's the least of our concerns

(more nerdass explanations down below)

if you're not familiar with what musical is being referenced here, i don't blame you. it was a broadway phenomenon in the late 50s-early 60s in america, later had a (rather stellar) hollywood adaptation, and an at-home movie adaptation in 2003.

it's called "the music man," and the only reason i even know of the musical is because it's one of my dad's favorites.

now, i could just stop here, leave you with the information, and go on my merry way. but as someone who is (for better or for worse) very well acquainted with the story of "the music man," you bet your bottom dollar that i noticed some parallels right quick.

the protagonist of "the music man," harold hill, is a traveling con man who's so well-versed at the art of sales that he can put up with the speedy advancements of society without an issue. he seems to have a particular scheme of promising to set up marching bands all around illinois, then running with the money before they get a chance to check him out for anything.

though, of course, professor hill proves himself not a con man for the sake of one person. a lovely librarian and pianist, marian paroo. she's a skeptic and sees professor hill for the scam artist that he is, and attempts to distance herself from him and prove he's a liar. sounds familiar, doesn't it?

(though, of course, ms. paroo doesn't set professor hill on fire, and emmaline doesn't start dating the pseudo-alive silas at the end of the story.)

now, there's already enough comparison to make here already, even if half-assed, but i'd like to take a deeper look at the specific song that silas was mentioning here. "ya got trouble."

professor hill, a little bit after settling into our story's setting of river city, illinois, is informed that the billiard room was just hooked up with a new pool table. this sets off his plan to rally river city to his side: convince them of the trouble that could arise from such "sinful" activities such as your teenaged kids sneaking off to... play pool!

"Just as I say; it takes judgement, brains, and maturity to score In a balkline game; I say that any boob Can take and shove a ball in 'a pocket And I call that sloth; The first big step on the road to the depths of deg-ra-day I say, first: medicinal wine from a teaspoon ... then beer from a bottle!"

the narrative of the song follows professor hill deluding the crowd into his point: don'tcha see what we've come to? the new pool tables here? heck, pool at all, for that matter! do you want your kids bein' enticed by sin like that, hm? influencin' their fickle, innocent minds with this sort of stuff when they can't fight against the devil, unlike us adults?!

(note, "mass-staria" is a portmanteau of "mass hysteria")

silas does almost the EXACT opposite, in terms of message. isn't conformity boring? society, law; it's all so mundane! conformity's made in order to hide what you're REALLY meant to be: a crazed, sinful animal! you were MEANT to act on your impulses, every desire you've had. stop following the flock, and follow those who renounce society, like me.

take a listen for yourself, too, i'm sure you could find even more to it if you looked deeper, dug further.

and i'm sure i have more thoughts, but i think i might've lost my own plot on this one.

[axolotlclown]

Alright, everyone's talking about the recent bans happening on Tumblr and I want to spell it out plain and clear for anyone lost or confused. Basically, what's happening is community guidelines are being enforced unfairly, and at times, nonsensically.

Here's what started it: a trans woman attempted to post some transition photos— one at the start of her transition and one of her now. The photos kept getting removed for "violating community guidelines." Most of us have seen this post. She kept trying to reply with the photos and every time they got removed. What community guidelines were violated was not made very clear. It seems that in the second photo, she was wearing cat ears and a fashionable choker collar. The photos may have been flagged as "fetish gear." But is that the line? Cat ears? No one can wear Hot Topic chokers anymore? How is this fetish gear if she was fully clothed? What happened?

I believe what happened was the post kept getting reported by TERFs. Tumblr infamously does not have many staff members and relies on bots and AI to scan posts for unwholesome content. With that, I am not confident that a human was involved in the original removal of these photos.

Frustrated, not just this trans woman, but multiple trans people have made posts expressing ways they hoped the CEO or Tumblr staff would cartoonishly die. For example, "I hope a piano falls on your head as you're walking out your front door." They have been banned because of this. There isn't a whole lot of weight to this decision, because clearly these users had no intention of bringing real harm to any staff members. What about the real harm and harassment that not only these trans women have experienced these past few days, but the entire trans community deals with on this app? This decision already felt like a slap to the face.

Then, the CEO threatened to get the police involved. Again, this threat holds little legal ground. These are clearly not real death threats. In order for the police to seriously consider a death threat, it has to be explicit. For example, if you make a post saying "I am going to shoot up the school tomorrow," then the police will investigate it. This is a realistic threat. If they find a gun and have reason to believe that you were actually going to shoot the school, you'll get arrested.

The CEO knows this, of course. That's not why he's made these threats. The banning of these blogs means that real staff got involved. They agree that these blogs have violated guidelines repeatedly and agreed that they should be removed. Keep in mind, the threats must have been reported multiple times as well, so there may have been more hands involved in this decision than it appears.

We have to remember that this website is full of trans people and allies. These decisions have rightfully outraged this community. The threats to involve the police were made to encourage the rest of Tumblr to stop talking about it. The problem is, we've been talking about this all along.

Society views trans people as a fetish. Over and over again we've expressed how frustrating it is that our bodies only exist in porn. Can you fathom how frustrating it is to hear that porn is allowed on this website but not cat ears? Trans people could breathe air, and we'd immediately be sexualized. It's a real world problem that is much bigger than this site.

To the Tumblr CEO and staff, you can't keep unfairly banning trans people. If you tried to ban every trans person on this site, you wouldn't have anyone willing to use it anymore. These decisions are going to cost you greatly. Please be clear about the community guidelines and enforcing them realistically moving forward.

And to my cisgender followers, please don't stop talking about this. You may have the privilege to forget about these issues, but we don't. Please keep posting about it. Please support the inevitable blogs that will be banned in the coming days because they dared to talk about it.

[misty-fandom]

You Left Me Last Night

Miguel fic!!! EXTREEEEEMEE ANGZT!!! You throwback to all of the happy memories with Miguel ever since he left, and you thought that your family might've been right after all. (SFW)

(In this plot, Miguel left you for the spider society. Enjoy!)🩷🩷

It was your usual afternoon, you were always getting alone at home the more Miguel works. You didn't mind it at first, but you felt bad that he had to deal with this all by himself. So, to make it up to him, you make Miguel some lunch and coffee!

"Ah..Cariño, you didn't have to do this for me." He didn't smile, he didn't take a peek, he was engrossed in the screen.

"Well, at least take a bite! It wont hurt!" You say with empathy, thinking he'll change his mind.

And there he goes again, ignoring you for the 8th time these 2 weeks. You walk around the headquarters, thinking that Miguel won't mind anyways since he isn't focused, you found a Spider Woman to talk to. Particularly Jess, she's always been there for you like your best friend ever since Miguel started the spider society, but you had to tell her something different today.

"Jess..How are you and your husband?" You ask as if you lost hope of your own.

"Why? We're good, but why?" Jess raised an eyebrow, and gives you a funny look "Don't tell me you're going to take him out on a date!", she exclaimed.

*you shake your head, in disappointment*

"Huh? Whats the problem?" Jess asks, clearly intrigued with your current emotion right now.

"Well, Miguel has been ignoring me for days now. Sometimes I even wonder if he loves me anymore." Jess looks stunned.

"WHAT?! Thats crazy gi--"

Suddenly, your phone goes off. You have to leave and get to work.

-message part-

17:59

Mom: Hello! Did you eat now? are you okay? how is your work?

*You look at your buzzing phone filled with messages from your mom*

You: I'm okay, work is fine, I ate some food.

Mom: Doesn't sound like it!! What happened?

You: Miguel has been ignoring me..

Mom: I told you not to stay with that man!!

*You stand there, shocked and pale, you remember how that was the first comment about Miguel that your mom gave to him when you two first started dating. Although, her words made you realize that she might be right.*

You: Sorry mom, but I love him.

*But does he love you back?*

-after work!-

Miguel comes in, late as usual.

"Hey Miggyy!! Lets eat dinn--" Once again cut off by his voice.

"Y/N, we have to talk."

You worry about what you two will talk about.

"Y/N, i'm making this quick and easy for you, i'm divorcing you."

What?

divorce?

When did that come up?

"Why?!" You cry loud. "Out of the 10 years we've been together?! All going down the drain?"

Your protests are no match for him.

"Please Y/N, it's for our own good."

Why did he want that so bad?

"Why?" You yell softly.

"I'm going to focus on the spider society for now."

What? All for nothing?

What a good day to be feeling bad.

He leaves the papers on the table, and teleports to the next universe he's supposed go be going to.

Thats..quick..

A few days after he left you gathered your things to move back to your house, you saw a picture album under your bed, many pictures of you and Miguel shown. You two were just dumb high schoolers who had the same interests. Happy, so happy together. At least you were.

You left every memory of him under your bed. Then you packed up and left your last lunch for him, your last note, but you never signed the papers. Why would you leave him when you're technically still married to him? You love him, you still do.

but in the end nobody really loved you...

UNLESSS we reach 50 notes then there'll be a part 2🧡❤️‍🔥

[stackslip]

people went insane about the last two pages which, valid, i cackled out loud myself, but there's so many little details in this chapter that make my head spin, like:

nayuta getting her classmates to give her their desserts. that's so insanely petty i love this child i love that she's still very much the control devil and a little shit

the scale of the mass deaths and disappearances makes so much sense and it's gonna keep getting worse, and it's good to see how it affects everyone in society. so far we've mostly been seeing orphans who've lost their parents but kids themselves are just as likely to die, if not moreso!

asa's recurring dream.......... What Does This Mean

oh i'm losing my mind about this one. "report any persons inciting fear" could mean anything, from reporting wannabe doomsday prophets out of worry they'd increase the fear and thus the power of devils, to grifters, to an excuse to report and jail anybody who says anything about the government as "people inciting fear" lol

also yeah this is affecting the entire world. fun

I FUCKING KNEW HARUKA WAS GONNA BE A FIRE PUNCH SUN STAND-IN I KNEW IT. SUGAR WE ARE GOING DOWN SHIT IS GONNA BE SO AWFUL

watch the chainsaw man society get more and more powerful, watch as pochita's powers decrease, watch as eventually something happens to turn awe and adoration of chainsaw man into utter terror and thus increase his power

there's something really nasty about the talk show host inviting teenage haruka who's seen so many people die and is obviously so dedicated to chainsaw man in part because the world is so fucked up just to poke fun at him, like his classmates weren't murdered a couple of weeks ago.

i really, really like the use of mirrors here. genuinely

also fami's "you don't need to think"........ hmmmm the makima parallels are increasing

a world without evil.......... yeah they're gonna try to use pochita's powers to erase some things huh. we know yoshida talked about erasing death a while back huh

g-d i generally have absolutely no feelings on yoshida whatsoever except that he's fucking hilarious. hysterical even. gosh denji sure is good i plucked you out of class huh!!!!

he is certainly not beating the accusations either lmao

also denji losing his mind at public safety (bc no way this ain't public safety or a government org) putting their hands on nayuta......... emo

you know for all the jokes about yaoi it's definitely kinda chilling that denji would propose sexual favours in exchange for nayuta's safety. like idk if fujimoto is ever gonna explicitly state that denji is a csa survivor but it's hard for me to not think of this as another clue in that direction

only one week wait this time YIPPEE

[mariana-oconnor]

The Devil's Foot pt 3

The last part of the story and still no devilish feet in sight. I have to assume it's the name of the drug at this point, because otherwise I don't know what's going on.

Last time Holmes and Watson did a very stupid thing and almost died a very stupid death. Then they declared their undying devotion to each other and it would have all been ever so sweet if I hadn't wanted to bonk their heads together to try to get their brains working via percussive maintenance.

⬆️Holmes and Watson's last two braincells there, right before they killed them inhaling an incredibly fast acting lethal poison.

"It would be superfluous to drive us mad, my dear Watson," said he. "A candid observer would certainly declare that we were so already before we embarked upon so wild an experiment."

Holy shit, that poison gave Holmes the ability to read my mind.

"But the cause remains as obscure as before."

I wonder. Could the weird poison that Holmes doesn't appear to have come across before possibly be linked to the famous explorer/adventurer/lion guy who has been to many exotic and distant locales?

Maybe?

Perhaps?

"I think we must admit that all the evidence points to this man, Mortimer Tregennis, having been the criminal in the first tragedy, though he was the victim in the second one. We must remember, in the first place, that there is some story of a family quarrel, followed by a reconciliation. How bitter that quarrel may have been, or how hollow the reconciliation we cannot tell. When I think of Mortimer Tregennis, with the foxy face and the small shrewd, beady eyes behind the spectacles, he is not a man whom I should judge to be of a particularly forgiving disposition."

Multiple murderers? How very un-Occam of you, Holmes. I did entertain the possibility for myself for a little while. But if he did the first one he must have been in league with the second murderer, or at least close enough that they knew what he'd done. (By second murderer, I mean lion guy. Unless it turns out to be the housekeeper getting revenge. The only other option is the vicar and he'd have to be supremely arrogant to have brought both crimes to Holmes' attention).

Also, we've been through how you shouldn't judge people's characters based on their appearance, well, not their facial features.

But yeah, this all lines up with what I was saying at the start before Lion guy showed up.

I had heard the click of the garden gate, and now the majestic figure of the great African explorer appeared upon the path.

In my head, this guy is literally just an anthropomorphic lion.

For a moment I wished that I were armed. Sterndale's fierce face turned to a dusky red, his eyes glared, and the knotted, passionate veins started out in his forehead, while he sprang forward with clenched hands towards my companion. Then he stopped, and with a violent effort he resumed a cold, rigid calmness, which was, perhaps, more suggestive of danger than his hot-headed outburst.

This is the sign of an entirely rational and calm human being.

"I have lived so long among savages and beyond the law," said he, "that I have got into the way of being a law to myself. You would do well, Mr. Holmes, not to forget it, for I have no desire to do you an injury."

Yep...

He's clearly in no way a danger to society.

Absolutely not. I would feel completely safe in his presence.

I do not understand why he has such a strong and obvious reaction to the first bit, then attempts to back pedal and be all 'No idea what you're talking about'.

I mean, I do get it, but I don't get why he thinks it's going to work. As previously stated he absolutely should keep asserting that he has no idea what they are talking about. But it's such a transparent ploy after he's already lost his cool.

"I saw no one." "That is what you may expect to see when I follow you."

This line goes hard.

I love it.

Ninja Sherlock

🥷

"Yes, Brenda Tregennis," repeated our visitor. "For years I have loved her. For years she has loved me. There is the secret of that Cornish seclusion which people have marvelled at. It has brought me close to the one thing on earth that was dear to me. I could not marry her, for I have a wife who has left me for years and yet whom, by the deplorable laws of England, I could not divorce."

ACD's war against the British divorce laws continues. I have tried to look up the history of divorce law in the UK, but it is an incredibly tangled web that I do not have the inclination to untangle at this time. Although I just learnt that until 2012 people in this country couldn't get married before 8am or after 6pm. Weird.

I think we can all agree, though, that ACD thought the divorce laws were bloody stupid and he was right.

On the outside was written "Radix pedis diaboli" with a red poison label beneath it. He pushed it towards me. "I understand that you are a doctor, sir. Have you ever heard of this preparation?" "Devil's-foot root!"

"The root is shaped like a foot, half human, half goatlike; hence the fanciful name given by a botanical missionary."

But how tho?

Which half? I don't understand how you can have half of each of these... does it have toes? Is it a hoof? How? I cannot work out what this would look like at all.

Does it have five little hoof toes?

I don't understand.

"Among other things I exhibited this powder, and I told him of its strange properties, how it stimulates those brain centres which control the emotion of fear, and how either madness or death is the fate of the unhappy native who is subjected to the ordeal by the priest of his tribe."

Mortimer. Mortimer, Mortimer, Mortimer. You're dead, so I guess this doesn't really matter now, but you don't... take the incredibly obvious poison from the incredibly mentally unhinged man and then use it when he's still in the country. Not when it has such obvious and unique effects. This is what is called Bad Planning and Obvious.

It's like you wanted him to kill you. Is that victim blaming? probably. But you're also a murderer, so... does it balance out?

Also, Mr Lion Man, don't... tell people about your weird crazy poisons and then follow it up with 'also you could kill people with it in this country and law enforcement would never be able to detect it, lol.' Especially not if you're suspicious of the guy.

So many bad decisions in this story.

"I well remember how he plied me with questions as to the amount and the time that was needed for its effect, but I little dreamed that he could have a personal reason for asking."

Yeah, because that's a really unsuspicious line of questioning.

'So, this undetectable horrific poison. How much would I need to use... hypothetically, of course... to like... kill three people. In a room the size of... ooh, say my siblings' card room? And how long would it take? Just asking... out of curiosity. No reason other than purely scientific interest. I'd never actually kill anyone with it. Bu-ut if I wanted to...'

Lion man... you should not be allowed access to hazardous materials. Your OSHA compliance is poor. That needs to be in a locked poison cabinet. You shouldn't be handling it without PPE and you definitely shouldn't be letting untrained and unvetted people in there.

"My soul cried out for revenge. I have said to you once before, Mr. Holmes, that I have spent much of my life outside the law, and that I have come at last to be a law to myself."

But sure, he can get off because he was killing the first murderer... I guess. I'm not as sympathetic towards him as I've been towards previous people. Maybe because he doesn't strike me as the kind of person for whom this was his first or last kill. His reaction to Holmes seems like he's prepared to just murder anyone who gets in his way. Previously the people Holmes has let go have been people who killed as a last desperate attempt to free themselves or were pushed too far past their breaking point in one instance.

This guy just... seems like he wouldn't bat an eyelid at killing again. And again. And again. For far less reason.

"And now, my dear Watson, I think we may dismiss the matter from our mind and go back with a clear conscience to the study of those Chaldean roots which are surely to be traced in the Cornish branch of the great Celtic speech.”

I still think this is nonsense, but sure. I have discovered that apparently someone somewhere apparently wrote Holmes' paper on the subject and published it in 1998. Which is a thing.

Thanks Watson for warning me against poisoning myself. I'll bear that in mind. Perhaps you could take your own medical advice?

[warping-realities]

Not a Story

Hey, guys. I made this post as a way of saying thank you and also to say that from now on the frequency of stories will unfortunately decrease.

I exhausted the main ideas I had in mind. Although some of these stories were not programmed, they just came up while I was doing some other activity (Rebranding came to my mind when reading gossip from sub-celebrities willing to do anything to maintain their fame and Dark Lord's Last Curse after rewatching a Harry Potter movie randomly).

I read this kind of story for a long time, but it was only last month, when going through a crisis period in my life and playing with new imaging tools through A.I. that I decided to write as a joke and the result is here.

I never thought anyone would actually want to read what I had to write. I know that nothing is original in what I do, but despite being a niche literature, we've had great authors working on it and exploring it for a long time, some of them I even paid homage to, the first stories I wrote are quite derivative of them.

So, what was my surprise to see that not only did people like what I wrote and even reblog it. I can safely say that it was one of the best feelings of my life.

And now I've had some specific requests for stories. Guys, I can't promise that I'll write your requests down, as several of my stories started with a specific idea and evolved into something completely different. Found Family for example started out as a Fanfic of Lost Boys (the 80's vampire movie) but ended up evolving into something much less dark and more hopeful (and corny I know).

That's why I ask that you continue to send requests and ideas, as it will certainly help a lot with new stories, but I repeat, I do not guarantee that I will be able to write them and I do not promise that they will be written exactly as requested. If I decide to write one, which at the moment is unlikely, I'll tell you why.

Although that most troubled period of my life has passed, I am currently studying for a very important test that will define the rest of my career, hence the decrease in the flow of stories. Writing them down has been a great way to distract myself while I rest from my studies and wait for the new challenges to come. But their writing is just that, a way to distract myself and express some of my desires. But they should never be a priority in relation to my life goals.

All this to say thank you again, I will slow down but I will continue to write whenever an idea pops up, from my head or yours.

PS. The post was also an excuse to post several pictures of different Avatar possibilities. I like to think of them as members of a magical society that bends the destinies of unsuspecting individuals to its will. And I'm crazy to write about them, to try to create some kind of mythology that would sew my stories together. But only after November when I have already taken my exams.

PPS. Yes, I have a thing for muscular men with shaved heads!

PPPS. Thanks again!

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: A Tough Decision

(Funkinverse by @robovoidfrog)

During an early point of the Funkinverse crossover, the two Funkin' Gangs came together at one dimension, neither having had any luck in finding Salty.

Benjamin: Did anyone manage to find Salty?

Brooke: *sigh* No such luck. It's as if he's somewhere that's not in the Funkinverse.

Bently: We'll have to keep trying, though. He could be anywhere, and we don't know how soon The X is going to show up in Salty's world.

Bunfriend and BluBuni looked at each other a little.

Gracie: From the records, Cam claimed he'd be set to show up within the next week, and none of us have found Salty anywhere to help him out.

Neo Girlfriend: Honestly, I think we need a break before we continue the search. Since we've no Funkin' Society watches, they can't currently track us down.

Benjamin: Honestly, good call.

A few minutes later, the two Gangs got themselves settled for some rest before the search continued.

Toon Boyfriend: So you're saying you're, like, my great grandson?

Benjamin: I, um, think so. I got memories of my grandfather looking like you being trapped in Hell with a Mickey Mouse.

Toon Boyfriend: Yeah... It was such an awful experience for me. I did get out, but Satan kept looming over my life, to the point that I had to distance myself from my family. I thought I'd never have happiness again until I met these guys. Oh! And got this thing!

He showed the Rubik's Cube he had.

Benjamin: Ah, a Rubik's Cube!

Toon Boyfriend: Mhm! I could project the memories I shared with them into the cube and block out Satan with it. It ultimately let me come back to my family with a fresh mind.

Brooke: I'd say Salty made each of our lives better in some capacity.

Golden BF: Absolutely. I honestly owe him big time for getting some weight off my shoulders back in my dimension.

Close by, BluBuni was with Bunfriend and Aloe, while Evan was occupied with Brooke Junior.

Bunfriend: You're definitely like me! Heh, in more ways than one.

BluBuni: Hehe! I suppose I am.

Aloe: Had things been stressful for you, Bun, after you got back home?

Bunfriend: Well, it was barely different to the usual stuff, honestly, though my own failure to save someone still nags in my mind.

BluBuni: D-Did something happen? I-I'm sorry if that was too personal-

Bunfriend: Nah, it's okay, girl me. I figured it'd need to come out one way or the other. In my home, I not only lost Porker Lewis of the Freedom Fighters, but I also had that horrid Metal Virus to contend with. Brr... Still gives me the shivers today. Why'd you ask, by the way, Aloe?

Aloe: Things got pretty dicey for me once I got back home. Lots of other guys I had to deal with, a self-contained Corruption entity... I could barely think straight once it was all over, even with Nene trying to comfort me.

Ben sat down with them.

Benjamin: God... I'm sorry to hear you haven't been so well off, Aloe.

Aloe: It's fine. At least I could get my head back in gear after I ditched the Funkin' Society. After seeing so many people numbed to the pain of losing close ones and being forbidden from doing anything about it... it just sours any hope of happiness at the far end.

Benjamin: That's just awful... Makes me glad I turned down the offer when I did.

BluBuni: Me too.

Aloe: Speaking of, wasn't it Kenji that tried to recruit you, Blu?

BluBuni: He was? If he did, he definitely got distracted with anime tropes and all that.

Benjamin: In turn giving my side the chance to knock him out, but if Cam's got a target on my back for it, it's likely he might continue to hinder us.

Bunfriend: If the melodramatic guy does show up again, we'll be ready!

Aloe: Mhm.

Outside, Gracie was just looking longingly at her picture of her and Salty, as Boom came by to check on her.

Boom: Hey, er, Gracie?

Gracie: Yeah?

Boom: I'm sorry if my interaction with Salty before made you uncomfortable.

Gracie: Nah, it's fine. I was just in a bit of a rush before and didn't want Salty slowing down. But considering what happened afterwards... I honestly would've preferred it if he stuck with you and didn't have to witness the worst of the Society.

Boom: I mean, if he didn't, we wouldn't be out here as our own team trying to stop The X from destroying everything.

Gracie: Yeah, I guess you're right. I really just hope he'll forgive me...

Near the camp, Salty managed to emerge from a portal, his priority set out.

Salty: Right. I gotta steal a watch from one of those other -friends and use it to hurry back home. I just hope I'm not too late. Now, where do I go first...?

Grace was on lookout duty while the rest of the Gang had their discussions, quickly catching sight of Salty.

Grace: Wait... Is that him?

Pico: What do you mean?

Grace: White hair, the visor...

Pico: Oh, snap! Hey, guys!

Benjamin: You guys saw Salty?

Salty, realising he had been spotted, was about to take off, before he heard Gracie's voice.

Gracie: Salty!

Salty: G-Gracie?

He turned back, seeing her before him.

Gracie: We came to help you, Salty.

Salty: Gracie, I... How do I know you're not still on his side?

Gracie: I ditched them, very shortly after you escaped. I rallied our old team together again to give you a hand in stopping The X.

Salty: I can't, I...

Bunfriend came closer.

Bunfriend: They told me and Toon what went on, and I'm just as disgusted with them as you are.

D-XML: Precisely! Why else do you think I was sabotaging their stuff before? To lead a rebellion against them in the name of doing the right thing!

Benjamin also approached with the other Funkin' Gang members behind him.

Benjamin: Cam tried to enlist me and several of these guys in, but I resisted him and rallied them together to give you a hand.

Soft Pico: Likewise, me and Neo GF here want to get our Boyfriends back out of there, too.

Barbara: Honestly, Salty? The fact you managed to outrun hundreds of -friends with little to no help and expert planning was a great act you could pull.

Benjamin: And if that's not proof enough that you've got what it takes to stop The X, I'm not sure what is.

Salty looked down.

Salty: I... I don't know if I can trust any of you after what I've been through. I know you've got good intentions, but I... I don't know if I'm ready for my trust in multiversal counterparts to be broken again like it was in the Society HQ. All I need right now is a watch to get back home in time.

D-XML: I can make a new one for you. It's what I pilfered all that tech for.

Pico: Dude, you can trust us... can't you?

Salty: I...

Salty took a step back, looking at his microphone, before swiping the cord at Benjamin and taking his watch away.

Benjamin: Hey!

Salty: It's something I have to do alone... I can't keep depending on you all forever. I'm sorry if what I just did causes you to glitch.

Benjamin: ...Nah, don't worry. I'm kinda immune to it.

Gracie: At the very least, Salty... That talk of "canon events" and how averting them will destroy a universe? It's not true. I found that out when I reconnected with the police chief and found out he quitted. It motivated me to further rebel against the Society for it. ... I just want you to know that... I'm sorry for before, Salty, I really am.

Salty: I know I'm gonna wing this one solo, but... I forgive you guys.

Gracie gasped a little, not expecting him to forgive her for what she did.

Salty: But I can't risk the Society being on my tracks again, I'm sorry.

He entered the coordinates for Earth-409 as a portal opened.

Salty: In the meantime, try and keep them off my tracks-

Benjamin: Wait!

Salty: Huh?

Benjamin: Gracie mentioned that they're waiting for you back at Earth-409, and they might be planning to force you to go through the death of Tsu.

Salty: Well, whether or not they are, I won't let them pull that stunt on me.

He leapt through the portal, intent on stopping The X and neutralising any -friend outside of those he just saw if they get in his way doing so.

BluBuni: What do we do now?

Brooke: Once we've had our rest, we'll split back up into our separate groups. Ben, you keep seeing if there's any -friends who need help in their worlds, and keep the Funkin' Society at bay as necessary.

Benjamin: Got it!

Brooke: And in the meantime, we'll follow Salty's trail and try to disrupt The X. Though it's likely that we'll need all the help we can get against him.

Gracie: Ben? What did you mean before by "immune to glitching"? I thought none of us were when out of our own dimensions.

Benjamin: I guess it's because I've done a lot of universal travelling in my time.

Grace helped Ben up.

Grace: We've no time to lose, then. We don't know when The X is going to reach Salty's world, and we'll need to gather more help to get rid of him.

Benjamin: Alright. (to Gracie's team) Good luck out there, guys.

Gracie: Thanks, Ben. Once we've had our rest, we'll rendezvous back with you guys as soon as new developments come up.

The two teams got their sleep before they made their split in a bid to help Salty, defy the Funkin' Society and stop The X once and for all.

[1nm8translations]

1Nm8 Voice Drama "SHOWDOWN AFTER" Translation

You can listen to the voice drama here. Translation below.

Rokuta: This kaarage is the best! The hamburgers get a perfect score, too! The omlet is fluffy too, what joy...

Rokuta: Today's dinner is really fancy!

Itsuki: You said you'd like to eat something special, since we're having a Paradox Live wrap-up party, after all.

Rokuta: (sounds of chewing) That's right, Paradox Live - the result was frustrating, but it was really fun, wasn't it?

Kei: (audible sigh)

Rokuta: Kei-chan?

Kei: Ah, I'm sorry. What were you talking about?

Itsuki: Are you feeling under the weather? You haven't touched your food.

Rokuta: Don't tell me, was your trap reaction worse than usual?

Kei: No, that's not it. I was just... thinking.

Rokuta: Thinking?

Kei: Mhm. About our future.

Rokuta, Itsuki: ...!

Kei: 1Nm8 as a team was created to win in Paradox Live and bring the dangers of Phantometal to the attention of the public.

Itsuki: However, as we've been defeated, achieving that goal has become difficult. Certainly, we need to reconsider our future activities.

Rokuta: Right... Yeah.

Kei: Our thoughts failed to reach the society. Is there really any meaning to 1Nm8 continuing to hold phantom lives?

Itsuki: (thoughtful hum)

Rokuta: Hey, hear me out... Maybe we should stop doing phantom lives for a while?

Itsuki: You mean, quit?

Rokuta: How about we take a break from music, go somewhere far away, the 3 of us together, and just take it easy?

Rokuta: Kei-chan, you like the sea, right? So I think a town near the sea would be nice!

Kei: Oh... That might be a good choice.

Itsuki: Kei...

Kei: But is that really what you want, Rokuta?

Rokuta: Eh?

Itsuki: You seemed to enjoy performing in the Paradox Live, Rokuta. It's hard to think that you'd choose to move away from music of your own will.

Kei: You're so kind, Rokuta. Did you say that for my sake?

Rokuta: (sigh) To tell you the truth... If possible, I'd like to continue on as 1Nm8.

Rokuta: When we appeared in Paradox Live, it was really exciting. We became one and gave it our all on stage... And many people cheered us on.

Rokuta: My heart was racing so much, i thought I wanted that moment to last forever.

Kei, Itsuki: ...

Rokuta: But... even so... What's the most important to me is Kei-chan and Itsuki-nii. If Kei-chan can't find meaning in phantom lives anymore...Then I think it's best to quit.

Kei: Rokuta...

Itsuki: To me too, you two are the top priority. That is why I need to say this. I do not want to back down from phantom lives like this.

Itsuki: Through taking part in Paradox Live, I noticed a "certain possibility" in the music envisioned by Kei. It would be too much of a shame to conclude activities without exploring that first.

Itsuki: What is on your mind, Kei? If you don't mind, can you confide in us?

Kei: I... I thought I made up my mind. To eliminate the Metal no matter what and cleanse this tainted world. But now, that it's become impossible to fulfill... I've lost sight of where to go next.

Kei: With our appeal having reached no one, we may be unable to do anything but watch the tragedy unfold.

Itsuki: Kei...

Kei: It's all because I was too weak!

Kei: I went as far as get you two involved, and still I couldn't see it through. My music can't save anyone-

Rokuta: That's not true.

Kei: Eh?

Rokuta: I told you, haven't I? That when we performed in Paradox Live, I was so excited. If Kei-chan had never formed 1Nm8, I'd probably never get to know that feeling.

Kei: Rokuta...

Itsuki: We've chosen to walk along this road with you of our own will, Kei. I did not consider myself to have been "pulled into'" anything in the slightest.

Itsuki: For us, who grew up locked away in a facility, without even knowing what we're alive for, you were the one who gave us light!

Kei: ...Thank you, you two. But... I'm sorry. I'd like you to give me a bit more time to think of what to do next.

Itsuki: I do not mind. We have all the time in the world.

Rokuta: Let's think about it hard, and discuss it a lot. That way, we should be able to choose the best idea.

Kei: That's right. For sure.

Rokuta: ...Aah, the kaarage went cold! Itsuki-nii, are there any seconds?

Itsuki: There still are. I'll serve you, give me your bowl.

Rokuta: I can do it myself, though?

Itsuki: Did you forget how you broke the rice scoop last week? It's fine, so sit down like a good boy.

Rokuta: Okaay...

Itsuki: And you, Kei. Even if you have no appetite, you should eat at least a little.

Kei: Okay. I'll have something. It's a feast we've prepared together, after all.

Rokuta: Right, right! I recommend the kaarage!

(fade out)

(sounds of washing up after dinner)

Itsuki: That's all for the washing up. Has Rokuta gone to bed yet?

Kei: Yeah. He seemed sleepy, so I send him to the bedroom first.

Itsuki: I see. I'm going to turn in for the night soon, too. What about you?

Kei: I'm thinking of going for a little stroll. I'm just wide awake somehow.

Itsuki: ...Got it. But don't think yourself into a corner.

Itsuki: There's no need for you to carry this heavy burden alone, Kei. I'm always here for you. Rokuta is probably thinking the same thing.

Kei: ...Thank you. Goodnight, Itsuki.

Itsuki: Goodnight.

(outside)

Kei: To purify the world through music... My ideal should remain unchanged, even now.

Kei: So why am I unable to clear away the haze in my heart?

Kei: Just what should I do from now on?

(soft piano music fading out)