#won't continue the post cause it's just spiraling

[aromantisk-fagforening]

I need perfect songs. I -

[nonbinoclard]

>>> TUNES TO LOSE YOUR MIND TO <<<

KEEP IN MIND: This is a living playlist! Songs may be added and removed at times to further curate the vibe I'm going for. I'll try to keep this post updated, but you can just check out the link for an up-to-date track list.

(EDIT: Song discussions are not finished! I have a lot more to say. I'll reblog when I've updated.)

This is set in a sort of nebulous time between Harry's life right before Martinaise and the night before he lost his memory. I wanted this playlist to feel erratic-- full of manic energy one second, then slow and bleak the next, dreamy, unreal, then right back to ridiculous.

(In no particular order. Shuffle for full emotional whiplash effect.)

I Don't Like My Mind - Mitski

I don't like my mind, I don't like being left alone in a room [...] And then I get sick and throw up and there's another memory that gets stuck / Inside the walls of my skull waiting for its turn to talk / And it may be a few years, but you can bet it's there, waiting still

The days before cleaning out the rooms... also, eating an entire cake and throwing it all up again feels very harry-esque... Overindulgence

A whole cake, so please don't take / Take this job from me

End Of The World - Hether

I mean, I could just post the entire set of lyrics as evidence, tbh. Struggling to find meaning and purpose in his life in the wake of heartbreak (5 year old heartbreak, but who's counting anyway)

I wake up in the morning and I wonder / Why everything's the same as it was I can't understand / No I can't understand / How life goes on the way it does

Cane Shuga - Glass Animals

Baby, don't go / I'll stop breathing coke / No more bloody nose / No more John Does Burn through my love / Just like your drugs / I've had quite enough / Or lack thereof

This is about the last moments of Harry and Dora's relationship to me. The chorus (a kind of circular, endless, self-aggrandizing internal monologue likely fueled by stimulants, implied in the song) continuing after the second verse kind of reflects the solution for Lonesome Long Way Home.

"11 Voyager Road. You no longer live there. Those times are gone, and so are those people. Why did you come here? Why are you still here? And where’s the dealer? You have to get back to work. That’s all you have now."

Hot Venom - Miniature Tigers

Hot venom is mixing with my blood / I can feel it on my fingers and taste it on her tongue / It feels so good to fall in love with you

I've heard a lot of people say this song is about heroin addiction, which is thematically appropriate for this playlist, but also. Harry's unhealthy obsession with Dora/Dolores Dei. Adoration (and hatred) so strong it's killing him.

Her venom makes me strong / Stronger than I am on my own / Before too long, I'll wake up to it gone / Wondering how I ever was happy [...] You can't go back now; that's not how this works / And as long as she's gone, I can never be happy

Who Is She ? - I Monster

This is just straight up about Harry's recurring dream to me. Just. Gestures at the lyrics.

Oh, who is she? / A misty memory / A haunting face / Is she a lost embrace? Am I in love with just a theme? / Or is Ayesha just a dream?

I feel like it falls in line really well with the idea that Harry's mind has been affected by the Pale-- a lack of memory, or maybe mixed memories, in a misty haze beyond the boundaries of reality. (and maybe Dolores Dei has started haunting him via Pale? Like some theories I've read.)

Somewhere across the sea of time / A love immortal such as mine Will come to me / Eternally

I Don't Miss You at All - FINNEAS

Dummy - Portugal. The Man

F the World - The Northern Boys

You Stupid Bitch - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV Show)

These shards are a metaphor for my soul Won't stop the self-pity 'cause I'm on a roll

This song perfectly captures the inherent melodrama of a mental downward spiral imo. Catastrophic and all-encompassing. This is what I think it sounds like in there (Harry's head).

You ruined everything / You stupid bitch / You ruined everything / You stupid, stupid bitch / You're just a lying little bitch who ruins things / And wants the world to burn / Bitch / You're a stupid bitch / And lose some weight

Oleander - Mother Mother

Intermission - Scissor Sisters

Skit #2 - Kanye West

Self explanatory. He's got no money. He's got no clothes. He has no car and he has no hoes.

We broke, broke broke phi broke We ain't got it Broke, broke, broke phi broke We ain't got it Don't spend no money, ain't got no clothes Ain't got no cars, ain't got no hoes

Nobody - Mitski

My God, I'm so lonely, so I open the window To hear sounds of people, to hear sounds of people

This one is more about the feeling of the song itself rather than the lyrics specifically; I love the upbeat tempo that continues through the song (trying to remain steady, continue working), how the beat is simple at first then builds into a kaleidoscope of sound by the end of the track (overwhelmed by the world), then ending in a distorted loop (trapped in a cycle). This song has always felt really authentic to my own experience with mental spirals. The themes of loneliness tie it all into a nice bow.

I'm A Broken Heart - the bird and the bee

Not Allowed - TV Girl

Party Time - The Northern Boys

Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sisters

(Do The) Act Like You Never Met Me - TV Girl

Novocaine For The Soul - Eels

Basket Case - Green Day

Do you have the time / to listen to me whine About nothing and everything all at once? I am one of those melodramatic fools / Neurotic to the bone, no doubt about it

I just think this one fits him well during Martinaise... just shaken up and unloading trauma onto unsuspecting strangers like a can of soda (bad analogy lol), depending on the dialogue you choose.

I went to a shrink to analyze my dreams She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down I went to a whore, she said my life's a bore So quit my whining 'cause it's bringing her down

Sometimes, I give myself the creeps / Sometimes, my mind plays tricks on me It all keeps adding up / I think I'm cracking up Am I just paranoid, or am I stoned?

Also it's just a little pathetic, which just... it fits. Sorry Harry.

Labyrinth - Miracle Musical

[centrally-unplanned]

A bonus pre-election thought as I post my way through this week: there is one strain of Trump supporter I will call the "policy gamble Republican". They think Trump is a moron and a shitheel, and generally do not think Kamala Harris is worse in any way on things like character - they know all those arguments are bullshit. Instead, they are just coolly looking at the expected policy outcomes for each and think it comes out Trump.

They focus on markets and tend to be libertarian types - oh sure Trump says that he will do the tariff thing, but he won't, Republicans will back him off that ledge. And meanwhile Harris will continue to double down on the nanny state, and do "price controls", woke DEI stuff, etc. "Given the exponential returns of long-run GDP growth a 1.3% reduction in GDP today is worth approximately 200,000 babies in 2100" type stuff; the kind of people who argue Bush was Good, Actually, because PEPFAR saved more lives than the Iraq War killed.

And I do get this argument, I am mocking them affectionately here - there is valuable policy analysis to be done like this, it isn't a crazy instinct. Obviously to me, my first objection is just "the 5% or higher chance of authoritarian backsliding is not worth any of that", and I think that does carry the day. But there is a second point, which is that they treat the election itself as bloodless vis a vis the wider political currents. That if the Republicans win or the Democrats win that means one of them is in charge, but it won't change the underlying parties and they repeat next year.

I think they don't realize they are making this assumption since when you spell it out like that it comes off as quite naive. When Trump won in 2016 it broke both political parties in the US - the Republican party spiraled into nativist, anti-trade platforms, while the Democrats fought a huge culture war over things like whether America was Irredeemably Racist or if economic populism would carry the day. And as much as people tend to forget it today, losing in 2020 - and Trump's behavior afterward - got quite close to breaking his hold on the party. Honestly he got absurdly lucky, with Biden being such a deeply unpopular president and his challengers coalescing around Ron DeSantis who turned out to be incredibly mid.

It isn't predictable or formulaic ofc, but all of this is to say that Trump winning is very likely to consolidate and expand his hold on the Republican Party, which if you are a libertarian-esque market type is an awful outcome for you. Trump actively endorses anti-market populists for down-ballot elections! The "Free Trade Center" isn't gonna hold forever in the face of someone who keeps winning. And meanwhile his defeat will likely have a positive impact on making the Republican party saner. He is certainly an electoral liability for the cause if you want it to be empowered!

So yeah, independent of any policy bills or actions, elections themselves are important events that shape political culture. I would value that over a good number of specific reforms of this or that market regulation in any EV calculation.

Not the Jones Act though. Fuck the Jones Act.

[genshinluvr]

Lost and Found

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader (Neuvillette x Isekai'd!Reader x Wriothesley focused)

Summary: You and your boyfriends end up getting separated in the City of Justice, causing you to scramble all over the city searching for them, only to no avail. Two handsome and well-dressed men from Fontaine offer to help you search for your significant others.

Note: This is a spontaneous mini-fic for the two men from Fontaine :) I'll be posting another fic later today for Genshin and another fic later for HSR ^^ Since not much of the Genshin men in the harem appeared in this mini-fic; the tags will be centered around Neuvillette and Wriothesley ^^ I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: None that I know of

Word Count: 2k

You frantically run all over the City of Justice, searching high and low for your boyfriends. You all decided to visit Fontaine for the day, and when you looked away for about fifteen seconds, the twenty-five men managed to somehow disappear into thin air. It was supposed to be a relaxing day, but no. They all disappeared, and now you're running around the City of Justice like a chicken with its head cut off. 

Because you're unfamiliar with the City of Justice, everything looked the same, from the architecture to the vendors to the people walking around the beautiful city ruled by the Hydro Archon. Their clothes are magnificent and breathtaking, but you're too worried about searching for your boyfriends that you barely have time to process and admire the things around you. As an outsider of Teyvat, you stick out like a sore thumb. 

And since none of your boyfriends are from Fontaine, they should stick out like sore thumbs, too, right? Wrong. Somehow, these men manage to blend in no matter what they're wearing. Archons, you fear you might spiral and have a mental breakdown in the middle of Fontaine, searching high and low for your boyfriends!

"Excuse me, are you alright?" A deep voice interrupts your inner turmoil.

Your head snaps up to see a gorgeous, tall man with silver hair and blue streaks. He's dressed extravagantly in blue and silver. Dear, Archons. Even his beauty intimidates you. The man stops before you, gazing at you worriedly. Despite his stoic exterior, the worry in his tone eases your anxiousness. The mysterious man looks of high status, given by the way he holds himself. You gulp and look around the city nervously, your heart racing against your chest. Are you okay? 

You clear your throat, nodding warily. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just looking around for my friends!" You squeak, crossing your arms over your chest to hide your trembling hands from the tall man before you.

The silver-haired man hums, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't seem to be fine. Are you, perhaps, lost? You don't look like a native to Fontaine. In fact, you don't look like you're from Teyvat," says the silver-haired man.

You're fine, you're fine! You'll be okay! You just need to relax and gather your thoughts because if you don't, you won't be able to find your twenty-five boyfriends in the City of Justice. Plus, how does one lose sight of a big group of people so easily? The silver-haired man continues to examine you closely while you're deep in your thoughts, eyes frantically searching around the city for a familiar face. So far, there's no familiar face in sight. Archons, you and the men should've planned a meeting spot in case one of you gets lost.

"Back off, Neuvillette. You're scaring them."

You peek from behind the silver-haired man, whose name is supposedly Neuvillette, to see a black-haired man with silver streaks in his hair. The man struts up to you and Neuvillette, one hand propped on his hips and the other running through his hair. Oh, Archons. More handsome men to deal with. How can you relax at a time like this!? Breathe, [Y/N], breathe! Don't hyperventilate, or else it won't end well for you. The black-haired man stops beside the man named ‘Neuvillette,’ sighing and shaking his head.

"Are you alright? Do you want to sit down by any chance? You look like you're about to faint," says the black-haired man.

You gulp and nod, letting the unnamed black-haired man escort you to the nearest chair. The man pulls the seat for you; you quietly thank the man and sit. You close your eyes, taking deep breaths to soothe your racing mind. The two men stand before you, gazing at each other while waiting for you to calm down and collect your thoughts. 

"What are you doing here, Wriothesley? I thought you had business to deal with," Neuvillette mutters, gazing at the black-haired man with silver streaks in his hair.

Wriothesley chuckles, rolling his eyes. "I did, but then I saw you with this trembling person. I assumed they were shaking with fear because of how intimidating you are," says Wriothesley. "If they were, I don't blame them. I would be shaking in my boots, too, if I ran into someone as intimidating as you."

Neuvillette scowls at Wriothesley before turning to you. You're staring at them blankly, not saying a thing. How long have you been watching them bicker? Wriothesley clears his throat and smiles at you, sitting beside you while Neuvillette continues to stand with his arms over his chest. Archons, from this angle and with that look on Neuvillette's face, Wriothesley can see why so many people find the man intimidating.

You sigh, tapping your fingers on your knees anxiously. "The way you two bicker reminds me of my significant others," you murmur, looking away from Wriothesley and Neuvillette. "I wonder what they're doing right now."

Wriothesley does a double take, looking at you with wide eyes. "Pardon? Significant others? As in plural? There's more than one person?" Wriothesley asks.

Heat rushes to your cheeks as you tuck your hair behind your ears, nodding. Neuvillette sighs, pinching the space between his eyebrows while Wriothesley continues to stare at you with shock. You don't know how much time has passed, but you're starting to wonder if the men knew about your sudden disappearance. You can call for Xiao, but you worry he's going to be as lost as you since he rarely steps into other nations that aren't Liyue (unless you dragged him along with you).

You stand up, dusting your pants. "I think a few minutes of sitting is enough for me. I want to continue to search for my significant others," you say.

Neuvillette raises his eyebrows at you. "You told me you were looking around for your friends, not significant others," Neuvillette says.

You clear your throat, nodding. "I said friends instead of significant others because I never know what people's reactions are going to be when they find out I'm dating more than one person," you reply nonchalantly. "Anyway, you two can continue your interrogation while we search for my partners, alright?"

Wriothesley and Neuvillette look at one another before nodding. The two men proceed to show you around the City of Justice while asking you about the physical description of what your boyfriends looks like. After introducing yourself to the two men, you told them your boyfriends are from many regions— from Mondstadt to Liyue to Inazuma to Sumeru to Khaenri'ah. Hearing you mention the fallen kingdom of Khaenri'ah, the two men stop in their tracks, gazing at you with interest.

"What's next? You're going to tell me you're dating an Archon?" Wriothesley asks sarcastically.

You pursed your lips and didn't say anything. Wriothesley blinks at you, then looks at the silver-haired man like a fish out of water. Wriothesley combs his hands through his hair before propping them at his hips, tapping his foot on the ground. You and Neuvillette stare at Wriothesley, watching the man trying to wrap his brain around your relationship with more than one person and one person being an Archon.

You look at Neuvillette. "I'm surprised you didn't have a reaction after finding out I'm dating more than one person," you murmur.

Neuvillette sighs. "As interesting as it is, I am in no place to judge," says Neuvillette, smiling at you.

Your eyes widen after seeing Neuvillette smile at you. You clear your throat, rubbing the back of your neck with a sheepish smile. There's no way you'd add another person to your growing harem. Especially with how Wriothesley reacted when he realized you're dating more than one person. Of course, his reaction is normal because who would date that many people aside from royalty way back then? As for Neuvillette, you don't think he'd be the type to share his significant other. 

You sigh in relief. "Thank you, Neuvillette. Anyway, let's continue where we left off!" You walk off with Neuvillette following after you while Wriothesley stares after you, dumbstruck.

Wriothesley shakes his head, running after you. "Wait a minute, don't walk off now! You have things to explain!" Wriothesley exclaims.

The city of Fontaine is beautiful, and now that you're not alone in a foreign city, you're able to admire its architecture and scenery. The City of Justice is beautiful, and the citizens of Fontaine dress so elegantly that you almost feel out of place. While walking around the central city of Fontaine, Neuvillette and Wriothesley were giving you background information on the city that is ruled by the God of Justice. 

"Who do you think will stick out the most out of everyone in that group?" Neuvillette asks, his eyes scanning the crowd.

You hum, tapping on your chin. "I would say Tighnari because his ears are bigger than Gorou's," you reply.

Wriothesley snorts. "Hey! It's not nice to make a comment on how big someone's ears are! Have your parents not taught you manners?" Wriothesley chides, nudging you with his elbow.

You open your mouth to retort but close them. You're not the best at describing things, and quite frankly, you don't think they'd be interested in your tangents regarding what each men (who are not human) are. And even if they were, you didn't want to bore them. You stifle your laugh at the thought of Wriothesley assuming Tighnari is a human male with giant human ears. A voice calls out to you from a distance. The chatter from the bustling crowd muffles the voice calling out to you.

"Does anyone hear that, or am I hallucinating?" Wriothesley mutters, sticking his finger into his ear while searching around for the voice.

Without missing a beat, Neuvillette says, "You're hallucinating."

Rapid footsteps approach you, and you're tackled to the ground. Your breath gets caught in your throat before being knocked out of your body. You let out a mix of a strained yelp and squawk. You look up to see the person that tackled you to the ground to see Aether and Heizou grinning at you. 

Aether rests his head on your chest. "Oh, thank Archons! We finally found you!" Aether wails.

Wriothesley scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "You found them? Oh, please! It is us who found your poor friend wandering around aimlessly!" Wriothesley says, scowling at Aether and Heizou.

Aether and Heizou finally get off you, helping you up from the ground while smiling at you sheepishly. You take deep breaths, trying to fill your lungs with air. Archons, these men knocked so much air out of you that it's almost painful to breathe. Aether and Heizou steadies you while the other men approach the five of you with a girl in tow.

She smiles at you, propping her hands on her hips. "Ah! I'm glad to see you're in good hands! Your poor, poor boyfriends were scrambling around my city, searching for their lost lover," The girl giggles, turning to look at the other men with a devious smile. She turns to look at you with a soft sigh. "Morax and Barbatos nearly had a meltdown when they asked for my assistance to find you."

"Furina, please spare us the embarrassment," Venti sulks, waddling over to where you stand and hugging you tightly.

Itto and Childe sizes up Wriothesley and Neuvillette. The two men stare at Itto and Childe, raising their eyebrows at the duo before looking at one another from the corner of their eyes. 

"These two look incompetent," Wriothesley whispers to Neuvillette.

Neuvillette presses his lips into a thin line and chuckles. "Perhaps [Y/N] likes them dumb," Neuvillette murmurs, earning a snicker from the black-haired man with silver streaks. 

Childe narrows his eyes at the two men before him. "You know we can hear you, right?"

Wriothesley nods eagerly. "Oh, we know! We made sure to be loud enough for you two can hear us," Wriothesley grins.

Childe, Itto, Wriothesley, and Neuvillette glare at one another. You’re too tired (and winded) to step in to stop the four men from tearing each other apart. What’s important is that you and your boyfriends have reunited after getting lost in the City of Justice with the help of two handsome men from Fontaine and the Hydro Archon herself.

Note: Because this is a spontaneous mini-fic, I won't be tagging anyone. But I will be tagging people in my next posts since there are two more updates heading your way. My vacation is coming up soon, so the fics are going to be a bit shorter. I'm not sure how long the other fics are going to be while I'm on vacation 🤔 The links to my discord server are expiring in a few hours! I will be posting new temporary links to my server in the next two fics. If you like the server, you can stay longer. If it's not your cup of tea, then you can leave whenever. Anyway, To my new and/or returning readers, please keep in mind that I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Read more of my works on my Masterlist | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

[vixnarts]

sorry not sorry for reblogging that post about treating book fans the same as show fans 10 times in a row because you are absolutely right and need to say it louder with your whole chest and i will continue to reblog this post until pjotv fans get it through their skulls that the majority of pjobook fans are NOT against the new casting, fancasting, headcanons or racebending. having a nostalgic preference for what we grew up with in the books and continuing to create fan content based on these earlier depictions does NOT automatically mean that pjobook or pjomusical fans are automatically racist or against the pjotv based fan content. we just experienced the franchise at different stages of its development, is all. either way, harassing pjobook fans and trying to cancel the book fans who a) grew up with the books b) are older fandom veterans and therefore are likely to c) be involved in the production choices of the show? is incredibly scummy and infantile behaviour which along with other things in the fandom (eg. shipcourse, or the atrocious crosstagging and lag of spoiler tagging, which i won't get into) are reasons why i have personally had to step away from the riordanverse fandom for several years at a time. it saddens me to see the fandom's infighting continue to cause a further downward spiral fueled by this kind of behaviour and i am honestly disgusted by some of it.

You have every right to feel disgusted by the fandom’s behavior. In 2021, I vowed I wouldn’t join the fandom and I’ve kept it. Everyday I see fans insult others because they think differently, which affects the way I think about this fandom. I love drawing my favorite things: Percabeth, ocs, other PJO fans ocs, and interacting with other fans that like the same things as me. I agree with what you said about this.. it’s honestly disappointing that it came to this. I get harassed for liking the books and the movies, but their hatred towards me doesn’t make me stop for what I love and I’m stubborn about it.. we need more people like you and I.

[hemingwaystan]

A Guide To Actually Portraying The Lords Part 2: House Beneviento

Hello, fellow RE8 fans, this is the second part of a rant/post/open letter/essay which I intend as a detailed essay with five parts on how they should've portrayed the lords and then Miranda, with more realism and nuance, because they are nuanced characters when you actually think but Capcom is so bad at showing it. This is my opinion, feel free to disagree.

This is the section I'd change the least of but that doesn't mean I don't have a ton of shit to say so here we go. I'd say the player shouldn't be lured to the manor, the Duke just tells you where it is, no Mia picture, assuming we keep Mia because honestly? Ethan as a single dad makes more sense. No Mia bashing it's just that a marriage, if we think with even a tiny bit of logic can't survive all that. Also single dad rep is so rare in media. Because the player being lured to the manor, to me, just feels illogical to her portrayal otherwise, think about it. Donna is portrayed as a recluse who almost never leaves her house right? She probably didn't even want to have a Rose flask. She's the least involved in Miranda's work. Why would she want to bring another person, let alone one set on killing her or at least from her perspective but honestly pretty much true, to her house? Why would she in any universe want a home-invasion. So the player arrives in the manor and begins tripping balls. I'd keep this mostly the same with a handful of major changes, Angie and Donna don't do anything that could be misinterpreted to cause the braindead infantilization of them some people have been doing.

Throughout the house you'll experience flashbacks, one of your life in the mannequin section, and 2-3 of Donna's life, besides that mostly general horror stuff but also those. You'll see a few major moments in Donna's life so the characterization isn't limited to just reading stuff. But right before the end, in a vision, she cries, she has no idea you're seeing this as with the others. These visions of her only happen after the player first gets a hit off on Angie (Donna) which I'll instead put around 65% in. Killing Angie is still the focus through this because as far as you know Angie is not secretly Donna and they're, of course, trying to kill you. This happens because it lessens her control over her powers which she had before but in the pain is also experiencing a spiral because like, wouldn't you if you were in this situation, especially if you already had Major Depression. So we see our own reflection in the proverbial mirror but we also see manifestations of Donna's life and emotions.

The player will also be attacked by groups of armed dolls more than once, maybe every time you break them in defense Angie gets angrier causing some kind of increase in danger. Just because you get one stab off on Angie early doesn't mean it will end quickly, because Angie could be anywhere, not just among the dolls, hiding in any number of places, maybe even in the basement at times although the baby would've already happened by now. Trying to destroy Angie is just the goal but you have to do all the other Resident Evil puzzle shit throughout as before. And I'll put this to rest, the baby is and will be a hallucination, being eaten by it is representative of losing your mind. Why the fuck would she keep a giant baby in her basement? This is kind of out there but toward the end their could be like a sanity meter that goes down slowly. Like 90% in, you're in the room where she said "You can't leave, I won't let you." earlier. And right as you're finally about to defeat Angie the mirror shatters and you see the actual world.

Donna is on the floor, the blood is still on the wall, but she's very much not dead, just very injured, she'd survive because Cadou regen if you don't continue. You see her face either way because the veil was knocked off during the fight so there'll be real emotion to see in her expression. She begs you not to kill her. It's your decision whether you do or not, if you don't she'll show you where she hid the Rose flask, this also means she might say a couple things to the player, maybe good luck or something, Angie will say something too so it's proven and not just obvious that they're independent entities that are closely connected. Maybe Donna gives you a really good defensive charm and if you do kill her you'll get Angie and a Donna crystal to sell to the Duke for like combined 1.5x what Angie is worth in game, you'll also get a horrible charm with a directly opposing bonus as the one she would give you in the spare route (this is more for storytelling purposes as opposed to the kill one being useful) but you will have to search the house for the flask which will be a fucking pain but still a puzzle with clues. But past the gameplay decision, the real, meaningful choice is, are you putting a mentally ill servant of Miranda that tried to murder you out of her misery or is she not evil, just a victim of Miranda that deserves to live.

[i-am-the-oyster]

Hi there, I also have a quick question about this post (Paul's guilt about hurting John, possibly evidenced in song notes during the making of RAM, and its source—that he left John, despite having promised not to).

Are you saying Paul felt guilty towards John, and knew why, during the making of RAM? And, if so, how would you square this with Paul's notorious 'grief rant' phonecall with Hunter Davies shortly after John's death, where Paul appears not only upset by the idea that he hurt John, but also unaware of what he could have done to cause this hurt?

"But what had really got Paul upset that day was an interview with Yoko in which Yoko was quoted as saying that Paul had hurt John more than any other person. Paul thought they were amongst the cruelest words he ever read." (Hunter Davies grief rant fun)

Was Paul bullshitting Hunter? (Go, Paul)

Was Paul being defensive and angry b/c Yoko blamed him for hurting John in public?

Was Paul not surprised to hear he'd hurt John (after all, they hurt each other often), but struck by the 'more than any other person' part?

I don't mean to say you're right or wrong. I'm just curious to hear you elaborate on this. Meaning, your take on Paul's guilt, and how accessible it was to him consciously. I've long been thinking about him hearing this claim, 'you hurt him more than anyone else', and how different that would have landed, depending on how aware/guilty he felt.

(Whether Paul was right to feel guilty or not is a completely different matter, and doesn't play a role on my question.)

Thank you for the wonderful meaty (sorry Paul!) ask!

I think Paul *did* feel guilty at the time, but I wouldn't exactly say Paul was bullshitting Hunter. The thing that always jumps out at me from that transcript is where Paul says:

There's only one incident I can think of that John has mentioned publicly.

(emphasis mine)

Isn't that an interesting distinction in the context? It makes me think that there were deeply private things that they each did to the other but Paul feels certain that those things would never end up the subject of public discussion.

I don't buy the image of Paul as lacking self-awareness or self-reflection. BUT he is extremely good at re-framing things in a positive way "so many times I had to change the pain to laughter" AND he is a very contrary person. He seems to often instinctively push against whatever narrative the person opposite him is proposing, especially where the topic needs some nuance. (eg the one time he approaches the topic of Jim's violence is in response to Stern pushing Paul's own "idyllic childhood" bit).

So back to the version of their story that had in mind when I made my original post. (Which I'm not married to, but seems like a plausible scenario worth exploring). Paul and John are in a codependent relationship, John has clearly expressed his terror that Paul might leave (as he did with Cyn). John's behaviour has become erratic and (at least borderline) abusive. Paul knows that if he lets go John will "take a tumble", but he's exhausted and Linda is teaching him to take his own desires and needs into account in a much healthier way. (Not to suggest Paul was never selfish in the 60s lol, but he wasn't practicing actual self-care).

John is spiraling, and pushing Paul away in that heartbreaking pattern I call "see I knew you were going to leave". (I'm sure there must be a name for it in psychology). Linda doesn't yet realise the depth of feeling she's dealing with. Paul knows how terrified John is, he's promised he won't be like the others, he won't leave. But he can't do it any more. John finally convinces him that he actually wants him to leave, he bawls his eyes out in front of Mal, and he disappears to Scotland.

I think he would be absolutely wracked with guilt.

And then I think as part of his recovery from that depression he would reassure himself that he did need to leave, that it was the right choice, that he and John could continue to care about one another deeply and move on.

I think Yoko's statement was unnecessarily cruel hurt him, and triggered that contrary response. What's she even talking about? What did I do? The worst ever?!

Thanks again!

[leighlew3]

Hi Leigh, hope you are doing well!

Maybe you have answered this question before: how would you have written the Supergirl reveal to Lena?

You still have the elements of it being so late in series and that Lena actually already knows.

I wonder how a good writer would approach this because in the show it was an actual train wreck- Lena wanting to expose Supergirl’s identity at the Pulitzer party before Kara actually said it?! So out of character. And all that stuff after? So stupid.

Anyway thanks for answering this question :)

Hi! Hangin' in there, thank you. 🤗

Well, it depends on what point the launch off was.

Let's say she learns via Lex, just like in the show (rather than rewrite the whole damn series in this post, haha).

Just thinking on the fly, here goes... I woulda just had her reeling, feeling betrayed, and isolating rather than putting on a front.

Kara doesn't understand what's happening, but wonders if maybe Lena is secretly angry with her for killing Lex (remember, Kara believed she took him down in that final fight at the end of S4). This is hammered in further after Alex plants the seed that, evil or not, Lex was still Lena's brother, and so some level of sadness is likely to still exist there. She advises Kara to give Lena time and space.

Kara, further worried by Lena's worsening isolation and mood, ignores her sister's advice and makes efforts to connect, but increasingly senses the distance and her guilt grows.

Meanwhile Lena -- between finding out the truth that Kara is Supergirl in such a terrible way, while also hiding that she killed Lex (to protect Kara, ironically) truly spirals and starts to think that Kara perhaps never was truly her friend at all, only using her to be able to eventually take down Lex. A means to an end. Feeling like that's all she's ever been to anybody, including her "best friend" who meant the world to her, Lena becomes darker and more cold, sure -- but never takes those ridiculous 'villainous' actions of any kind.

Alex pulls a typical Alex move and starts to suspect that Lena's isolation and darker vibes could mean trouble as "She is a Luthor." and she's worried she'll carry Lex's torch now that he's gone, and her isolation means she's up to something. Kara of course doesn't buy it -- much like in the show, defending Lena, rebelling against the notion.

After ramping the tension throughout Season 5A on these fronts, a dramatic series of events eventually leads Kara to go to Lena and try to have a much needed conversation. Lena thinks she's perhaps finally going to confess, and she allows herself to feel hopeful again -- alas that hope is dashed, when instead Kara simply apologizes for killing Lex (so she thinks she did), and not realizing how much doing so would cause Lena pain. Lena finds this ironic, Kara's concern for her pain, considering she's lied to her all this time and still won't be open with her. Lena then decides that if nothing else, she won't lie.

She tells Kara that Lex died at HER hand, not Kara's.

Kara is shocked. She's pulled away by an emergency before they can discuss this further. And thus, Kara now believes Lena's distance and darkness is driven by guilt over killing her own brother, and Kara now feels more guilty than ever that she went through that, and that she continues to keep Lena in the dark, even though Lena opened up to her. As we approach mid-season, the two have several 'almost' moments where it seems Kara might actually confess her identity. And we make it clear that she wants to. But the more she sees how hurt Lena is about having to kill Lex, to protect her no less, the worse she feels and the more she's terrified to tell Lena her secret, believing that Lena's done so much for her, meanwhile all she's done -- is lie. It wrecks Kara. And her anger issues start to rise up again, and that comes out a lot in Crisis crossover (in which our world's Lex is NOT yet present again btw), which is of increasing concern to everybody.

Post Crisis, in which Lena and Kara work together to save everybody even though they can barely even look at each other, we have these two idiots with their secrets, both struggling tremendously -- Kara with her anger and guilt, and Lena with her sadness and pain. And both with their regrets. And the rest of the group is noticing these tensions, between missions / various genre adventures.

It ramps up, until finally, shit hits the fan in a 100th episode. Lena is held hostage by someone threatening to kill her if Supergirl doesn't reveal her identity (similar to how it was in the show, but without the Mxy stuff, or at least using it better) -- Kara is fully willing to reveal herself to save Lena. She prepares to do just that, and even goes to the press conference, but just before she has to do it, her friends find a way to save Lena without the reveal needing to happen. But Kara is also nearly killed in the battle. The closest she's ever come to dying.

In the aftermath, Lena has now seen how far Kara would go to protect her -- both in terms of being willing to give up her life AND reveal her identity to the world. Lena of course forgives Kara (quietly, to herself) and decides to let Kara have her secret, even if it means they both pretend the other doesn't know, silly as it it. Alas, what she doesn't expect, at the end of the episode --

Kara reveals her identity to Lena (at Kara's place after everyone else goes home). Turns out almost losing her life made her realize she didn't want to die a coward and a liar on this front. And also, Lena not knowing put her at worse risk than knowing. And she deserves to know, so she can protect herself. So Kara can better protect her.

After/during her confession, Lena sheds a tear, and Kara starts to profusely apologize, thinking Lena is devastated by the revelation. But Lena confesses that it's tears of relief, because she's already known. She was just wondering if Kara would ever trust her enough to tell her the truth. Kara is shocked to know Lena knew, grateful she's kept the secret for her, and heartbroken to know she learned it from Lex, before killing him. She also makes it clear she didn't keep it from her because she didn't trust her, it was never about that. It was simply the belief that not telling her protected her somehow. But now she's seen that was foolish, in this case. Realizing now they've both been dumb and their secrets have done nothing but cause each other, and themselves, so much pain -- they agree: no more secrets.

And they hug it out -- because besties! Just gals being pals right?!

*eye roll*

Then the rest of 5B becomes all about Lex popping up alive, and being furious that Lena and Kara are closer than ever, and that his attempt to destroy their relatio- I mean "friendship" failed. And he comes at them harder than ever, with Lillian's help. And so on. And by the end of S5, in an epic battle, Lex is finally stopped and captured once and for all and hauled off to prison, but not before sending Kara to the phantom zone.

Lena is devastated, as she and Kara only recently had all cards on the table and were growing closer than ever, so S6A then becomes all about the super friends trying to find Kara in the Phantom Zone (with a LOT less cheesy stupidity, and a lot more focus on Kara's traumas and torture while in the PZ rather than any dumb filler crap with her dad being alive -- perhaps she sees him, but it's just a cruel illusion).

Meanwhile, Lena, at wits end, visits Lex in prison, hoping to get information out of him as to where and how they can find Kara in the PZ. But he taunts her, plays games with her, etc until finally, she tells him goodbye for good. He doesn't believe she'll be able to stay away forever, especially as long as he knows how to find Kara. But she finally sees through it all, basically tells him he's full of shit, that he has no idea how to reach Kara in the PZ, he's a liar, always has been, and his power over her is gone. She vows to find Kara on her own and to never be anything like him, as he's selfish and cruel and insane. And she finally walks away from him. And he can't believe it.

Now that she's found her inner strength, Lena is able to think more clearly, less out of anger and desperation, and thus she, Alex and the Superfriends eventually embark on an action-packed retrieval of Kara in the Phantom Zone, ultimately saving her in the mid-season finale.

The final half of the final season (6B) focuses on Kara's deep traumas experienced/re-lived in the phantom zone, as she struggles with doing her job as "perfect" Supergirl while mentally screwed up. No one really notices but Lena, because Kara hides it well. Alex is just happy her sister is back, busy planning a wedding, focusing on vigilante work, etc. And the Superfriends have lots of other issues to focus on as well. But Lena sees Kara's struggles because she knows a thing or two about trauma, and she's there for her. Especially after Alex and Kelly get married with a few episodes to go and Kara doesn't want to burden her sister, who is finally so happy.

The final episodes feature Kara facing her demons, internal and external (as villains from past seasons pop up to haunt her, as it turns out the events post Crisis brought them into this universe, and now they've come after her, and they've all got to take them down).

In the end, the show wraps up with Kara finding a level of peace she never had before, having faced the past and all she's gone through and lost, in great part thanks to having Lena by her side.

And the show ends focused on Kara, for an episode called KARA. Not focused on Lex, nor the supporting characters, not on shoe-horned cameos, nor other bs. But Kara herself, and her journey, her healing from a lifetime of loss and trauma, her relationships to her family and friends, and rediscovering that which is always going to rest deep within her soul, even if it gets a little lost sometimes...

Her unbreakable sense of HOPE.

The End.

[dirtytransmasc]

I hope we get a scene of Alicent with Aegon's body. If her son is damned to die, if she is damned to spiral into insanity, if she is to lose her life too the grief, let me see her with his body.

let her hold her baby in her arms one more time. let her wipe the blood that poured from his mouth and nose as he died. let her run her fingers over the viscous burns that adorn his skin. let her fix his hair. let her bathe him with a cloth as she had when he was a babe. let her kiss his cheek, his forehead, his hair, his hands. let her lay her head against him, hugging him like she had failed to do for years.

he was her firstborn and yet, her heart was still beating and his was not, she was not yet cold in her grave, no, no her son was cold, her flesh was warm, too warm. he was her baby, her son, the boy she tried so hard to protect, who had loved even when it hurt, who she had stood in front of a dragon for. she loved him, the very bones of him, and now he was dead.

let her lose her mind right there, in that room, still clinging to her body, one that's too cold, too still, too quiet. let her scream out to the gods, damning them, cursing them for taking her eldest son, amongst everything else in her life.

I want her to drive away anyone who tries to take him from her, forcing the silent sisters or whoever would be left to deal with his body at that point. let her curse and spit and claw at anyone who comes too close.

she would stay there for hours, reflecting on her memories of him. maybe she talks to him or hums a lullaby until she finally loses her battle with what remains of her consciousness and sanity, falling still against the table.

she dreams of Aegon, she dreams of the life she wish she could have provided, the life she had tried so hard to give him. a life where he was safe, a life where she had been a better mother, a life where she didn't need to live in and impose fear up on her children. maybe if she had tried hard enough he would still be alive, she'll think as she floats in the space between consciousness and unconsciousness.

she'll wake in plain chambers she only partly recognizes, she'll learn of her sons lackluster and sparsly accompanied burning, she'll learn her son was gone and she was alone. there won't be much of her left to care. she just continues dreaming, dreaming of her dead children and spiraling to madness until her broken heart finally gives out.

[my previous post inspired this, cause all I can think about now is Alicent mourning her son and its gonna put me in an early grave]

[grangerdang-r]

Dual Taylor Theory- Lavender Haze/Midnight Rain Outfit Change

If you need context on the Dual-Taylor theory, I will link that here (x)

The following is under the Gaylor assumption so keep that in mind, I won't be trying to justify that part in this post.

SO, I believe the outfit change during the midnights set is very intentional- this is not something she does any other time. The songs being performed- Lavender Haze and Midnight Rain are a stark contrast of both Taylors individually. Lavender Haze is taylor the person, who feels safe and comfortable in her Lavender relationships while she gets to do as she pleases behind the scenes. Brand Taylor continues the "conversation" between the two by coming out and singing Midnight Rain, a song about how Taylor the person "wanted it comfortable//wanted a bride//family" etc. while she chose to pursue fame and make a name for herself.

I'm making this in somewhat of a rush, there are contradictions and holes but if anyone else wants to play with this idea feel free!

Further lyrical analysis below the cut

I've been under scrutiny You handle it beautifully All this shit is new to me

This is Person Taylor addressing Brand Taylor (BT), giving the media handling over to her.

I feel the lavender haze creepin' up on me Surreal, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say No deal, the 1950s shit they want from me I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Person Taylor does not want to conform, doesn't want to be public either, just live a happy queer life with her privacy.

Talk your talk and go viral I just need this love spiral Get it off your chest- Person Taylor Get it off my desk -Brand Taylor

Again addressing BT, "do what you need to do and I'm going to do what I need to do"

and a line that feels like speaking to each other here-

"Maybe you should get this off your chest, let go of the expectations so I can be free"

"Get it off my desk // not happening we're thriving in our career" etc.

Now moving to Midnight Rain:

he wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain He wanted a bride I was making my own name Chasing that fame He stayed the same All of me changed like midnight

PT wanted a normal quiet queer life, BT wanted the fame and chaos and success, but it came at the cost of personal relationships and her reputation.

My town was a wasteland Full of cages, full of fences Pageant queens and big pretenders But for some, it was paradise

The life of being a celebrity, full of "big pretenders" like herself. Still, many people idolize this life, including her younger self who wanted this more than anything.

My boy was a montage A slow-motion, love potion Jumping off things in the ocean I broke his heart 'cause he was nice

This reminds me a lot of the lover era, "jumping into pools from balconies" "love potion" and the very sad-looking aesthetic change that followed.

ie: this sad af performance

She broke her own heart because it didn't fit her image to be openly queer.

It came like a postcard Picture perfect, shiny family Holiday, peppermint candy But for him it's every day

So I peered through a window A deep portal, time travel All the love we unravel And the life I gave away

Comparing the life PT has in private with family and loved ones (and maybe a lost female muse) to what she gave away when she continued the BT image.

I guess sometimes we all get Just what we wanted, just what we wanted

Feeling heavily what she wanted- for better of worse. She has her success, but not the life she wanted to live.

And he never thinks of me Except when I'm on TV

BT only exists when on stage/public eye, etc. PT tries to separate herself from this persona as much as she can.

I guess sometimes we all get Some kind of haunted, some kind of haunted And I never think of him Except on midnights like this (midnights like this)

BT tries to forget PT exists while performing and putting on the show, but it can't be obviously very difficult and painful to play the part.

Starting LH with "Meet me at Midnight" and ending Midnight Rain with thinking of PT "on Midnights like this" is also very telling.

Again, a lot of holes here, not extremely thorough in examples but please let me know if you have any ideas that would make this theory more solid or if you think it holds any validity. Just something that's been on my mind!

[kaurwreck]

It would be beautiful if war sprang from nothing. If it was a natural disaster for which no one could be held culpable, if there weren't people pouring into it, bubbling within it, spilling out onto the other side of it. It would be gentle if war's objective meaninglessness rendered it spontaneous, and it would be easier to shake from us if its burr-like roots were just burrs.

But absurdism doesn't abrogate consequences, although approaching absurdity in a Japanese work entirely through Western expression might obfuscate them. It's relevant to Bungou Stray Dogs that modern Japanese writers engaged with absurdity not to replicate Kafka but to explore their post-war observations and criticize complacency through a lens influenced by Kafka.

Which is to say, Bungou Stray Dogs isn't set against a blurred or uncertain backdrop; the details indicating why the Great War happened are unobstructed and plainly present for how grounded in our reality they are. There couldn't be an international port city of Yokohama without the events that caused the Great War. We know what those were, or at least we're capable of knowing.

But if you accept at face value the setting, the military police, the sectionalization of the city, the discordance of Fukuzawa's office, the anachronisms, the superpowers, the names, the characters' theatrics, the art deco architecture, the German cake Naomi eats, the outlandish adversaries and even more outlandish paths to overcoming them— if you abandon any intentionality and adopt the world as absurd and divorced from any familiar reality, without seeking any meaning for the Great War out on your own, then no, I suppose we can't know what caused the Great War.

But once you begin seeking meaning in the antics, digging for reasons where there isn't any exposition, and engaging curiously with the world across its mediums and source material— you still won't find any objectivity, but the world splits open, its edges blur, and it becomes prismatic, nuanced, complicated, malleable, and meaningful. The characters' arcs deepen, and the consequences of their choices jam piercing teeth into the narrative's otherwise fleshy gums.

There isn't any certainty or exactitude to how you can or should apply the context of its other mediums and source material to Bungou Stray Dogs. But the text's absurdity invites you to find meaning where the story cheekily won't offer any outright and rewards you for shedding, rather than ceding to, your complacency.

It's like how Atsushi could have succumbed to his cowardice and allowed himself to wallow helplessly in the wake of his tiger's relentless self-preservation but instead chose to use his ability to protect others. How Kunikida could choose to sink into his romanticism and reject reality, but instead tethers his ideals to discipline. How Dazai, absent any objective difference between good and bad, could have embraced inertia and continued to spiral but chose to act outside his own patterns to save others (and himself) instead.

Anyway, you can decide war is absurd, but if you decide it has no meaning while others imbue it with meaning enough to induce it, you've ceded the page to them and allowed them to write reality. Which is itself a choice. That's enough reason, I think, to chase curiosity and make the choices that might instead be wonderful.

[porcelain-gal]

tw/cw .. mentions of psychosis, paranoia, and christianity

. . . CONTEXT + PSA!

i had someone in my inbox basically say that shifting can cause psychosis and/or paranoia due to some reasons they provided and i'm going to be speaking on this and giving my opinions on this topic! i accidentally deleted the post like an idiot so i can't reply to it directly which i apologize for!

please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions and i am in no way a mental health or spiritual professional or anything of the sort, i'm just speaking about my own thoughts on the matter.

also to those reading, please don't be disrespectful to op because they were respectful in their original message and this is a serious topic i wanted to discuss!

. . . MY THOUGHTS!

My opinion on this is: people possibly having these issues isn't because of shifting itself.

one of your points was that people sometimes make others feel like it's their fault for not getting their desires (i paraphrased so i apologize if that's not entirely accurate but that's what i got from it!) notice that it's not shifting itself causing that issue, it's the community.

say christians say to another other christian who is struggling that they aren't being recognized/forgiven by god because they're doing something wrong and they're just shitting on them and whatever. then this person goes on to start spiraling into paranoia and all this stuff thinking that they're being shunned by god or that they aren't pleasing god. this person isn't feeling bad because they're a christian on it's own, it's because of the community making them feel that way.

for another example, say someone who is a dog owner is dealing with a dog who has health issues and people in the dog community are blaming the owner because they think they aren't taking care of the dog meanwhile the owner is doing everything they can, essentially blaming the owner without knowing their circumstances. in this situation, the owner doesn't feel bad because they own the dog and are dealing with its health issues, it's once again because of the community blaming them.

if both the christian and the dog owner simply decided to leave the community or just ignore it, they would be able to get help and heal would probably continue on their life being a christian and a dog owner. why? because the issue was never what they were doing, it was the people around them fucking with their head and making them feel bad.

for the second point, if someone is developing psychosis and paranoia, literal mental disorders, from not obtaining their desires then i personally believe that person was not stable in the first place. if said person decided to just stop shifting entirely and leave it, they would still have to deal with the possibility of going into psychosis and paranoia over other things because shifting was never the problem, it was their mental state.

your average person won't just develop whole disorders from simply believing in shifting. people believe in gods and higher powers and aliens and manifestation and all these things that sound just as fantastical as shifting and a lot of them aren't dealing with those issues but there are people who do. the only difference is that the majority of people who do develop these issues were never mentally healthy to begin with.

and of course there are special instances where seemingly normal people develop issues through believing in these things but those are pretty rare and usually happen because of additional causes, not just what they're believing in/doing (e.g., someone converting to christianity and being taken advantage of by other christians, causing them to develop issues.)

i hope this explained my point of view on this and maybe gave some others some insight! if you don't agree, then you're valid of course but please don't be disrespectful or rude in the comments or my inbox. thank you for reading!

anti-shifter, proship/profic, ageplay, pro ana, bigot/incel, and any variation dni

[ultraericthered]

Another King Magnifico Post

A common criticism of Wish is that King Magnifico, like pretty much every character in the film, doesn't seem to have any solid motivation driving his actions in the story, and that the backstory we're given doesn't sufficiently set up any such motivation. I partially agree, but partially disagree. It's not that motivation for Magnifico's villainy isn't there in the story, it's that the presentation of it in the movie that fails because ironic enough for a simple fairy tale, they overcomplicate it.

King Magnifico's motivations, made simple:

Keep his crown, his power, and his iron-fisted control over Rosas and the system of wishes he created so that he may continue to make his own wishes come true, even if at the expense of all other wishes, and his people's reverence of him and dependence on him endures.

King Magnifico's motivations post-forbidden magic book:

Still that, but with the added feature of him being so drunk on power that he wants to take and break wishes, along with Star itself, to add to that power with which he'll quell any dissent to his rule and re-subjugate the dissenters, and in this state of mind, he would rather see his kingdom razed to the ground than relinquish that power.

King Magnifico as seen in the movie:

Safeguard all wishes in Rosas because he sincerely believes in the value of wishes due to his tragic backstory, so that THAT will never happen again and no one in the kingdom he built will suffer the sort of trauma and heartbreak that he did...but he's a little too tight with how he asserts his control, is too paranoid, biased, close-minded and self-interested in how he judges which wishes to grant and which ones to not grant, hoards so many ungranted wishes away for their magical blessings, and doesn't simply return the wishes he won't grant because reasons, possibly because he fears pulling away that carrot on a stick would disillusion people with him and he'd lose his relevence, attention, adulation, and respect. 'Cause he's a malignant narcissist who is so comically in love with his own self-image that he has a God Complex/Savior Complex that makes him more arrogant and power-hungry, don'tchya know. But he also loves his wife, wants to protect her too, and will trust her judgment when she advises him to not go to extremes...except when he doesn't. And when Star is in Rosas spreading a new magical power that isn't his, Asha acts out in rebellion against his rule and system, and the people all start to question him rather than give him the blind respect, adoration, and complacency he feels so entitled to, he spirals into madness and villainy to the point of opening up the forbidden magic book...which drives him to madness and villainy even more, and once he's drunk on this power and learns that breaking wishes enhances it, he wants to break wishes and add Star itself to his power and make everyone all sad and disspirited forever with no more wishes so that they'll stop resisting and he can oppress them without consequence. Because he's evil, has lost all good in him, and nothing about the character that was set up in the first half of the story really matters anymore.

Where was I? Oh yeah!

Had the movie shared a fuller account of Magnifico's backstory with us at the very beginning, and then alluded to it at only a few key points in the story to clearly link how Magnifico presently percieves something and feels about something with what happened in his past that set him down his path to becoming the bad man he is now, and otherwise just played straight the simplified motivations of the first two paragraphs up there, his characterization and descent into full-on villainy would've been all the stronger and easier to follow for it.

[disdaidal]

Touch starved roommates, touch starved ROOMMATES!

Oh 🙊 This is one of my favorite tropes, honestly. I've also loved writing this one (even if it's not a ST ship, but anyway).

This turned out a bit long (I was supposed to post a small snippet only) but oh well:

—

Slowly, Cloud started running his long, slender fingers through Zack's hair again. Massaging the scalp underneath with gentle, rotating motions. The blond tried his best not to gawk at his gorgeous raven-haired friend whose head rested comfortably on his lap. Bright blue eyes speckled with mako green, half-lidded and hazy—long dark eyelashes spread like a curtain around them—, stirring prettily every time Cloud's fingers hit the spot. Cloud bit his lower lip and barely held back a whine when Zack's eyes closed, and the other man suddenly hummed deep and low in his throat. A sound which vibrated deep within his chest, and came out less like a sigh and more like a small moan. If Cloud didn't know any better, he could've sworn this moment between them had slowly turned almost... erotic. The thought alone made him swoon, just a little bit. His mind had quickly drifted off somewhere else for a moment—to a land far, far away filled with dreams and inappropriate desires regarding his best friend slash roommate—that Cloud knew he should not even consider doing, let alone be thinking of. Deep in thought, swirling through a hot daydream, Cloud's hands had gradually stalled over Zack’s head. His mind spiraling out of control and entering an unknown territory, that felt both strange and good; far better than his reality. His head spun, his ears rang with the blood rushing through them, and his chest suddenly constricted with emotions and desires that couldn't be unleashed, so he kept them safely locked inside his mind instead. That is until a snap of fingers interrupted him. Cruelly pulling and dragging him away from that sweet, sweet, hot daydream, that made him feel so happy and safe for a moment. Away in a dream. Cloud blinked dumbly. His big, baby blue eyes all wide and confused. "Huh?" And there it was again. That wide, playful grin that Zack used whenever he was flirty—with Cloud, or just anyone, really. The corners of his eyes wrinkled with joy while his turquoise eyes glinted and sparkled with this sudden, self-satisfied mischief.

"Where were you? You kind of zoned out for a bit," Zack asked, smirking. "Were you daydreaming about me?" Cloud's face burned. He looked away, not wanting to witness that stupid, smug grin plastered on Zack's stupid, smug handsome face, that Cloud had become all too familiar with and knew like the back of his hand. Unlike Zack, Cloud was painfully shy on most days, and his cocky roommate love to tease him and make him blush.

Cloud wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Not today, not now. “Don’t be ridiculous, Zack. Why would I ever daydream about you?” “Hmm, let me see...” Zack put a finger on his lower lip, pretending to look thoughtful there for a moment. Cloud considered punching him just for that. “Oh, I know! Cause I’m hot, irresistible and funny?" "Umm, how about modest?" Zack hummed, casually and unironically, and continued, "'Without me, your life would be lonely, boring and miserable. 'Cause you're not exactly a people person, Cloud; you don't actually go out and put effort into making new friends and connections, so that's where I come in. I bring them here and take us to all these cool parties, so you won't have to sit here alone and die of boredom. Also, not to be mean or anything but you can't cook to save your life. Like, seriously, dude. You lived off of microwave foods and energy drinks for months until this one mysterious, handsome chef moved in, took over your kitchen and saved your day. And every single day he cooks you these nice, delicious meals completely free of charge and out of the goodness of his pure heart because he likes to see you full and happy. So... you're welcome, babe."

Cloud rolled his eyes and wanted to argue that there was absolutely nothing mysterious about Zack. But his lips had already quirked at his friend's words, instantly betraying his delicate, quickly crumbling facade. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Zack whose victorious grin only seemed deepen at this quiet admission. Zack wiggled his eyebrows stupidly, and Cloud could only snort fondly and shake his head at him. This guy. “You’re so full of yourself. You know that, right?” “But I’m not wrong, am I? You'd miss me, terribly.”

[cult-of-the-eye]

( this is on the post of the list of The Fears from scariest to least scary)

please tell me your thoughts about The Fears

1. To me the corruption is the scariest cause wdym there's something inside me slowly rotting me inside to out and there's nothing I can do about it apart from let it take me and it hurts and there's no known cure (btw I am deathly afraid of getting cancer)

2. Flesh isn't as scary as corruption cause like it could be removed from the idea of life, we used to go to the Bangladeshi butchers and watch then cut slabs of frozen fish using their huge machines and shit but also gore and body horror kinda terrifies me, it goes hand in hand with medical horror, like someone's been sliced in half and you realise just how fragile human life is, how at the end we're just organs that are pumping blood and moving chemicals around.

3. Slaughter is less scary than the others cause it could be comforting being killed as a collective but also the theme of death continues, the idea of masses of bodies is so very human in it's causes and consequences and doesn't feel so fictional

4. Buried is less scary than the others cause it's less about death but listen. my entire life I've been terrified that I'm just gonna get stuck somewhere. Like I once couldn't get a churi (bracelet) off my wrist and I got so panicked I just smashed my wrist against a wall to break it off. So yah.

5. The stranger is less scary than the buried cause I could run away from the stranger but the idea that this person I know is not at all who I thought they were is bone chilling. It feels like betrayal at its core.

6. Dark is less scary than the stranger cause over the years I've gotten slightly less scared of the dark but I've gotten more scared of people not being who I thought they were. The dark is comforting, it's a sensory neutral and a life saver on some days. Other days i sprint up the stairs cause I'm scared the murderers hiding in the cupboards will stab me.

7. Mmm now that I think about it I'd probably put web a little higher cause I despise the idea of being manipulated, like don't fucking do that to me, if you want something just fucking ask. But maybe I was right to put it here cause it mostly just makes me irritated than scared.

8. This is the mm kinda chill territory I think cause spiral is just how I spend my life, my brain is not a fun place to be so yeah I'd enjoy being the incarnation of indescribable for the rest of my existence but also the idea of losing my control over myself is a little scary despite my having so much experience in it

9. The eye is ok, I feel some comfort in being watched over, never been left alone, constantly needing information like I get it, I was an autistic 7 year old gorging myself on horrible histories once. But also like if eyes started growing on me I'd start screaming and never stop but I think that's more body horror than beholding

10. The vast is so fucking comforting like the idea that I could just be inconsequential in the face of everything, I could maybe just relax and float in the nothingness for a while. But then also I'm scared of drowning so like I'm bringing arm bands

11. Everything ends. I'm good with consistency and the idea that everything ends makes me feel like there's something to keep going for. I'm not good with endings but what comes after, I am extremely skilled at.

12. I adore the desolation. Oh how I've fantasised about giving it all up, watching it burn before me, the cruel satisfaction in it. I like how quiet everything is after it's been destroyed. A clean slate.

13. Yeah so I have re occurring dreams about being hunted. I think it's half the idea about being wanted enough for someone to pursue me if I run but also the comfort of survival mode. The comfort of knowing the fight won't ever end.

14. The lonely. Oh man. Let's just say I'm on 40mg of fluoxetine for a reason.

[geddy-leesbian]

hey look it's all my Serrennedy fic (note that I did not come up with tags for the AU's until making this post, meaning I have to go back to retroactively tag the posts I've made, which is going to take a while because tumblr's search is hot garbage.)

and also due to tumblr's search being garbage, searching my blog for my tags won't give you shit, but if you click to search all of tumblr instead, every post will show up. idk man, that's just how it is.

RE2 AU

started as a one-shot and then spiraled into a whole RE2 AU. the only thing I've written where things pretty much go right for them 💖 Leon isn't a government agent, Luis is a stay at home dad, and Claire and Luis lovingly bully Leon together.

tag: 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆.

How Do You Talk To Girls? (2/3 chapters posted)

❝Don Juan, eh? Always thought of myself as more of a Don Quixote, but if the shoe fits… How about we try some practice anyway? I can talk to you like I'd talk to a girl, give you a first-hand demonstration.❞ OR Leon tries to learn how to pick up women from Luis, and instead has a bisexual awakening and picks up Luis. Task Failed Successfully.

“𝑻𝒉���� 𝑮𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝑰𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒖𝒅” (unpublished WIP)

Claire and Luis are getting married.

Something A Little More Plain

Not in the same continuity as the other two fics, but it is an RE2 AU, so I'm putting it here. Just really soft Luis being a dad to twins content. The only thing I've written about them that is just fluff and no angst.

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Signals // Childhood Friend AU

playlist

tag: 【𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝗈 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙜𝙤.】

𝑇𝘩𝜀 𝛥𝜋𝛼𝑙𝜎𝑔 𝐾𝜄𝜕 (1988)

you move me, you move me. with your buildings and your eyes, autumn woods and winter skies. you call me, you call me.

»»————-💙————-««

somewhere out of a memory, of lighted streets on quiet nights… (1988)

»»————-💙————-««

ΠⴹⰞ Ⱎ⎕ᒥᒪᗪ ᎷᗅΠ (1988-2004)

he's old enough to know what’s right, but young enough not to choose it.

»»————-💙————-««

Digital Man // Open Secrets (2004) (1/? chapters posted)

Well I guess we all have these feelings we can’t leave unreconciled. Some of them burned on our ceilings, some of them learned as a child.

The things that we’re concealing will never let us grow. Time will do its healing, you’ve got to let it go.

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BU2B (aka Leon Fucking Dies)

(2/3 chapters posted)

❝That Agent Kennedy is proving to be quite a thorn in my side, much like you. I need him to live long enough for him to appreciate his gift and go home and begin to spread it to the rest of the world, but he's starting to cause a little too much trouble. But still, it would be a shame to have to kill him. Such a 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 it would be. If only there was some distraction to keep him occupied and out of trouble… You 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 him, don't you?❞ ❝This isn't about him. Say whatever you want about 𝘮𝘦, but keep 𝘩𝘪𝘴 name out of your mouth.❞ ❝But you'll want to hear this: He's quite fond of you too. He doesn't want to admit it, but I've been in his head. He likes it when you tease him. He 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘴 you. You could send him on wild goose chases over and over, and he'd just keep following you, until time ran out.❞

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𝐌𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 (𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆)

My very first Serrennedy fic,,, someday there will be a second chapter, but I have zero idea of when because I've been fighting demons tbh (by demons I mean various rough drafts because I can't figure out what the fuck to do with it. The ideas are there,,,,, but the execution is not 🫠)

Luis thinks he's a shitty person. Leon disagrees.

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Other random stuff kicking around in my drafts (and feel free to ask about any of these because I love talking about them):

AU where Luis sabotages the Nemesis Project, gets caught, and sent to Rockfort Island.

Alfred Ashford notices that Luis was a child prodigy and thinks that's neat because he's a weirdo and Alexia was a child prodigy. So instead of being executed, Luis is forced to be his friend until Alexia wakes up from her cryo stasis thing. (And being his friend is not a good time, because he's a weirdo and threatens to get his sniper rifle and hunt down Luis for sport a lot.) Luis gets out when Claire does, and goes back to Valdelobos after to hide from Umbrella, meaning RE4 will still happen, although slightly different. Luis is much colder and very hesitant to help Leon, because trying to do the right thing previously got him sent to a concentration camp.

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DON'T WALK AWAY

Songfic. While Leon and Ashley are waiting on a helicopter to come pick them up post-RE4, Luis tries to quietly slip away, because he thinks he's a shitty person who doesn't deserve to have Leon. Leon notices him trying to leave and says fuck that and argues with him, insisting that he will come with Leon.

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Don't have a title yet, but a little thing where Leon gets a call from Chris right after he gets back from Spain. Chris says the BSAA has been conducting their own investigation into what happened, and they found someone ex-Umbrella they had been trying to track down for years severely injured, but alive while searching the place, who claims to know Leon and that Leon would vouch that he's a good person now.