#and completely rejected the other

[haunted-phantom-student]

Shameless writers: "Ian likes how Mickey smells."

Gallavich fans: "Hell yeah he does!"

Shameless writers: "Mickey doesn't like having his ass licked."

Gallavich fans: "Absolutely fucking not."

#I say this with so much love #I get it I just think it's funny how universally we took one of them and ran with it #and completely rejected the other #it's kind of nice in the way it unifies the fandom actually #gallavich #ian x mickey #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #shameless #shameless us

[kyouka-supremacy]

That time I was showing my cousin the Oda death scene and as a light-hearted, thoughtless question she asked me why Dazai threw away his coat and I answered without hesitation “that's to symbolize how he's repudiating everything he's ever known for Oda”. I still stand by that

#Like I never really paid mind to Dazai throwing away his coat but ever since I think about it every time I see that scene. #Because it *is* out of place for Dazai to throw away his coat #(what would that be fo? other than accentuating the urgency and desperation of the scene which it does very well. that scene is beautiful.) #But even then I do really think it holds a strong symbolyc meaning of Dazai completely rejecting everything that’s mafia related- #and that brought them to that moment and it’s so so good!! Odazai is GOOD #osamu dazai #odazai #bsd #bungou stray dogs #mine #q. #I don't care about pretty much anything Dazai related but I was showing her in order to make a point about how ss/kk was compared to odazai #24/07/22

[queer-reader-07]

ok i want to talk about aziraphale’s reaction to The Kiss. (yes i’m talking about The Kiss again, it lives rent free in my head)

he looks both desperately confused and angry. he’s upset in ways he can’t fully express to crowley or honestly, even to himself.

and i think what’s happening here is that azi can’t handle the fact that crowley’s actually leaving.

because crowley always comes back. after the bandstand breakup, he comes back. after saying he won’t help hide gabriel jim, he comes back. in multiple minisodes where they say they don’t need each other or it’s been decades apart, crowley always comes back.

and this is the crux of the issue, crowley is always the one to come back. crowley goes back to the bookshop, crowley shows up to save aziraphale in azi’s damsel in distress moments. crowley is always the one coming back. never aziraphale.

yes of course azi loves crowley. i think, in some ways, he understands that love more than crowley does for most of the story (even if it’s HEAVILY repressed, and that’s on religious trauma). but azi never does the coming back. he does the waiting. he waits for crowley to realize he was wrong. he waits for crowley to save him (because saving azi makes him so happy).

i think. maybe just a little. aziraphale thought that crowley’s Kiss was him coming back. that it was crowley realizing he was wrong and that he should come back. (also, just throwing this out there. AZI KISSED BACK. AZI HELD CROWLEY AS CLOSE AS HE COULD. HE LEANED INTO IT.) but The Kiss wasn’t crowley coming back. it was a last goodbye. a last “we could’ve been Us. do you see what we’re losing? DO YOU?!”

obviously there was a lot going through his (and crowley’s) minds. a lot of emotions, a lot of pent up anger and frustration, a lot of everything honestly.

but i think part of azi’s anger and sadness post Kiss is because he genuinely thought crowley would come back. because crowley ALWAYS comes back. azi can’t admit that he’s wrong (and if i’m being honest, i don’t think either of them is really wrong per say but that’s a topic for another day)

and the thing is. crowley didn’t come back but he didn’t leave either. yes he walked out of the bookshop but he stood there waiting for azi right up until he was sure azi was actually gone.

for once he gave azi the chance to come back.

crowley didn’t hide in his car. he didn’t drive off before aziraphale could say something else. he stood outside the bentley in clear view. crowley wanted azi to be the one to come back for once. he would’ve been so elated if azi had come back and gotten in the bentley. but azi didn’t. because azi doesn’t do the coming back… at least not yet.

#i’m telling you there’s endless analysis to be done on this one scene let alone the rest of the show #there wasn’t any rejection but there was a lot of other shit going on that needs to be addressed between them #aziraphale is almost definitely gonna have to do the coming back in s3 #i’m just not sure exactly how yet #but i’m pretty darn sure that crowley is finally gonna let himself do the waiting #because deep down #crowley is an optimist and he won’t lost complete hope that azi will return #at least that’s what i’m manifesting because they better end up in their south downs cottage one way or another by the end of s3ep6 #aziracrow #good omens 2 #ineffable husbands #ineffable kiss #good omens #aziraphale

[bumblingbabooshka]

B'Elanna, Neelix, Tuvok and Chakotay needed to star in an episode where they just talked about their different beliefs and approaches to spirituality/religion. Paired off and all together. I need to gain more insight. I need characterization and I need it to be messy.

#B'Elanna's difficulty with Klingon myths and religion (especially due to her internalized racism) #Chakotay's current strong belief in his own spirituality despite his initial complete rejection of it (and how B'Elanna seems to admire #and have talked with Chakotay about it extensively in the past given how many specifics she's aware of) #Neelix's belief in an afterlife being the only thing that comforted him after his entire family was killed - the knowledge that he would be #able to reunite with them again and that knowledge being ripped away from him #Does he still believe? Are there other aspects of his previous spiritual beliefs that are thrown into question? #Just because it isn't 'real' does it make it unimportant? How do we even know whether or not it's 'real'? #He died and doesn't remember reaching that tree and seeing his family - does that mean it didn't happen? #Tuvok's line in 'Innocence' about how he's begun to have doubts about whether or not a katra exists and what happens after someone dies #and his firm ties to Vulcan spirituality and ritual #ALL SO INTERESTING!!!!!!!! #star trek voyager #I don't think it'd be a calm or healthy conversation either - they're not therapists and I don't think anyone but Chakotay #would be particularly careful with his words #and before you say Tuvok's a Vulcan so he would be let me remind you that Tuvok told B'Elanna to her face that he thought Klingons #were basically savages - he is INDELICATE to say the least #Neelix is careful with his words bc he's a people pleaser for survival but also he has a tendency to bother people and be overly pushy #and I think he'd do a lot of research and be the one leading the conversation/the reason they get on the topic and continue on it #B'Elanna wouldn't want to talk about it. She wants to talk about it the least. But she must!!!! Bc the episode demands it!! #st voy

[s0fter-sin]

sometimes i think about how wild a mw2 movie would be if they just dropped soapghost right in the middle with no warning or marketing. like imagine it being beat for beat the exact same, it’s your typical military action movie, promoted as just another military action movie then after they get to the safe house, ghost has to patch up soap and he’s still out of it, overwhelmed by the betrayal and everything he’s seen and ghost needs to ground him and keep him in the present, to remind him that he’s alive and safe so he kisses him and they have sex. the tantrums and the rants and the “ReAl sOLdiErS aRen’t liKe ThAt”, god i can taste it and it’s delicious

#theres never any talk of a relationship or sexuality crisis its just this moment of humanity and comfort to bring soap back to himself #real any time you need me by thirteenbullets vibes #theyre not the type of men to have something as normal as a relationship #theyre just everything to each other they know that and its enough #ghost can be such a complex character if you let him #this guy whos rejected his humanity has buried himself and become a ghost #willingly digging himself out of the grave to stop soap from digging his own #like how are there not more explicitly homoerotic military movies that actually pull the trigger (heh) on the homo part of the eroticism #you know how if movies have even a hint of queerness they wring it out for every drop of respresentation they can get #theres a hundred articles and its mentioned in every interview and it all journalists ask those actors #imagine it being a complete secret and everyone expects just a typical action movie #then boom battle buddy gay sex #like if it were a male and fenale character you would see that scene coming a mile away so why cant it happen with two guys #just doing it is the only way of normalising it #i still see men saying they act like brothers which is denial so strong even egypt is impressed #but imagine the general public expecting this manly man military movie then getting hit with the alone mission flirting and denying it #then getting smacked in the face with tender wound care and grounding love making initiated by the edgelord they were using as a self inser #coming out of my cage and ive been doing just fine.txt #soapghost #ghostsoap #ghoap #john soap mactavish #soap cod #simon ghost riley #ghost cod #cod mw2 #we’re a team. ghost team

[blueskittlesart]

any thoughts on how once again zelda was robbed of her agency because her "father figure" didn't listen to her? even if rauru was kinder to her than her father. and that she had sonia who was patient and loving for a little while before she died (just like her mother). i know rauru apologizes for his hubris but still, i wish we saw zelda be upset about it. and even if zelda was such a big part of the quest she still literally sacrificed her humanity once again because of someone else's mistake- because rauru literally didn't listen to the girl from the future that warned you that shit was going to go down. o know nintendo just loves putting zelda inside crystals and stones but i wish we got something better. even if it was her decision to become a dragon... did she have any other choice? it really just feels like they robbed her of agency again just like botw and the games before

i've been trying to figure out how to answer this one. because there are two ways i could analyze this plot point, either from a writer's perspective or an in-story perspective, but neither of those lead to me fully agreeing with your interpretation? I think there's definitely something to be said about zelda consistently being pushed aside in these games, but. well. ok let's get into it ig

from a writer's perspective, I do honestly have quite a bit of sympathy for the zelda devs as they attempt to navigate the modern political landscape with these games. The cyclical lore, though canonized relatively recently, holds them to a standard of consistency in their games in terms of certain key elements. one of those key elements is that there has to be a princess, and that princess must somehow be the main macguffin of the game. The player must chase her, and the end goal of the game must be to reunite the player and the princess. In 1986 this was an incredibly easy sell. women didn't need to be characters. players were content with saving a 2-dimensional princess whose only purpose was to tell them "good job!" at the end. but as society advances, that princess becomes a much more difficult character to write while adhering to the established overarching canon. (as a side note: i don't necessarily believe that the writers SHOULD be held to the standards of that canon. I think deviating from it in certain areas would be a good change of pace. but i also recognize that deviations from the formula are widely hated by the loz playerbase and that they're trying to make money off these games, so we're working under the established rule that the formula must be at least loosely adhered to.) Modern fans want a princess who is a person, who has agency and makes decisions and struggles in the same way the hero does. but modern fans ALSO want a game that follows the established rules of the canon. so we need a princess who is a real character but who can ALSO serve as a macguffin within the narrative, something that is inherently somewhat objectifying.

the two games that i think do the best job writing a princess with agency are skyward sword and botw (based on your ask, our opinions differ there lol. hear me out) in both games, we have a framing event which seperates zelda and link, but in both games, that separation was ZELDA'S CHOICE. skyward sword zelda runs away from link out of fear of hurting him. botw zelda chooses to return to the castle alone to allow link the time he needs to heal. sksw kinda fumbled later on by having ghirahim kidnap her anyway, but. i said BEST not PERFECT. botw zelda I think is the better example because, with the context of the memories, she's arguably MORE of a character than link is. we see her struggles, her breakdowns, her imperfection, specifically we see her struggle with her lack of agency within the context of the game itself. when she steps in front of link in the final memory, and when she chooses to return to the castle, those are some of the first choices we see her make almost completely free of outside influence; a RECLAMATION of her agency (within the narrative) after years of having it stripped from her. from an objective viewer's standpoint, this writing decision still means she is absent from 90% of the game and that she has little control over her actions for the duration of the player's journey. however I think this is just about the best they could have done to create a princess with agency and a real character arc while still keeping the macguffin formula intact--you're not really SAVING zelda in botw. SHE is the one that is saving YOU; when you wake up on the plateau with no memories, too weak to fight bokoblins, let alone calamity ganon. the reason you are allowed to train and heal in early-game botw is because SHE is in the castle holding ganon back, protecting YOU. When you enter the final fight, you're not rescuing zelda, you're relieving her of her duty. taking over the work she's been doing for the past hundred years. in the final hour, you both work in tandem to defeat ganon. while this isn't a PERFECT example of a female character with agency and narrative weight, i think it's a pretty good one, especially in the context of save-the-princess games like loz.

as for totk, you put a lot of emphasis on rauru not believing zelda and taking action immediately, which, again, from an objective standpoint, i understand. but even when we're writing characters with social implications in mind, those character's actions still need to... make sense. Rauru was a king ruling over what he believed to be a perfectly peaceful kingdom. zelda literally fell out of the sky, landed in front of him, claimed to be his long-lost granddaughter, and then told him that some random ruler of a fringe faction in the desert was going to murder him and he had to get the jump on it by killing him first. the ruler which this girl is trying to convince rauru to wage an unprompted war on has the power to disguise himself as other people. no one in their right mind would immediately take the girl at her word. war is not something any leader should jump into without proper research and consideration, and to rauru's credit, he DIDN'T ever outright dismiss zelda. he believed her when she said she was from the future, he allowed her to work with him and he took her warnings as seriously as he could without any further proof. but he could not wage an unprompted war on ganondorf. that's just genuinely not practical, especially for a king who values peace among his people as much as rauru seems to. as soon as ganondorf DID attack, giving rauru confirmation that zelda's accounts of the future were real, he began making preparations to confront him. remember that zelda didn't KNOW that rauru and sonia were going to be casualties of the war--she didn't make the connection between rauru's arm in the future and rauru the king until AFTER sonia's death, when rauru made the decision to attack ganondorf directly. I think the imprisoning war and the casualties of it were less an issue of zelda being denied agency and more an issue of no one, including zelda, having full context for the events as they were unfolding. if zelda had KNOWN that sonia and rauru were going to die from the beginning and was still unable to prevent it that would be a different issue, but she didn't. none of them did.

I think another thing worth pointing out with rauru and his death irt zelda is that rauru is clearly written specifically as a foil to rhoam. this is evident in how he treats both zelda and link, with a constant kindness and understanding which is clearly opposite to rhoam's dismissiveness and disappointment. consider rhoam's death and the circumstances surrounding it. He died because, in zelda's eyes, she was unable to do her duty; the one thing he constantly berated her for. Rhoam's death solidified zelda's belief that she was a failure, a belief which she KNEW rhoam held as well. his death was doubly traumatic to her because she knew he died believing it was her fault. Now contrast that to the circumstances surrounding rauru's death. Rauru CHOSE to die despite zelda's warnings, because he wanted zelda and his kingdom to live. rauru's death was not agency-stripping for zelda; in fact, it functioned almost as an admission that he believed her capable of continuing to live in his place. With him gone, the fate of the kingdom fell to her and the sages. he KNEW that he would die and still went into that battle confidently, trusting zelda to make the right decisions once he was gone. where rhoam believed zelda incapable of doing ANYTHING without link, rauru trusted zelda COMPLETELY with the fate of his kingdom. several details in totk confirm that when rauru died there was no plan for zelda to draconify, that all happened after rauru was gone. it was HER plan, the plan which rauru trusted her to come up with once he was gone. and I think it's also worth noting that zelda's sacrifice with the draconification parallels rauru's!! Rauru gives up his life trusting the sages and his people to be able to continue his work in his place. Zelda gives up her physical form trusting link and the sages in the future to be able to figure out what to do and find her. these games in general have this recurring theme but totk specifically is all about love and trust and reliance on others. zelda relies on link, link relies on zelda, they both rely on the champions and the sages and rauru and sonia and they all rely each other. reliance on others isn't lack of agency, it's a constant choice they make, and that choice is the thing which allows them to triumph.

The draconification itself is something i view similarly to zelda's sacrifice in botw--a choice she makes which, symbolically & within the confines of the narrative, is a demonstration of her reclaimed agency and places her at the center of the narrative, but which ALSO removes her from much of the player's experience and robs her of any overt presence or decisionmaking within the gameplay. again, I think this is a solution to the macguffin-with-agency dilemma, and it's probably one of the better solutions they could have come up with. Would I have liked to see a game where zelda is more present within the actual gameplay? yes, but I also understand that at this point the writers aren't quite willing to deviate that much from their formula. the alternative within the confines of this story would be to let zelda DIE in the past, removing her from gameplay ENTIRELY, which is an infinitely worse option in my opinion. draconification allowed her to be present, centered the narrative around her, and allowed the writers to reiterate the game's theme of trust and teamwork when she assists the player in the final battle, which i think was a REALLY great choice, narratively speaking.

In any case, I don't think it's right to say that zelda was completely robbed of her agency in botw and totk. Agency doesn't always mean that she's unburdened and constantly present, it means she's given the freedom to make her own choices and that her choices are realistically written with HER in mind, not just the male characters around her, and I think botw/totk do a pretty good job of writing her and her choices realistically and with nuance.

#as a note i do think that loz still has a LONG way to go in terms of defining female characters by their relationships with men #and i acknowledge that a lot of zelda's choices within these games are STILL made irt male characters like her father link rauru etc #BUT i still don't think it's fair to act like shes been completely stripped and reduced to a damsel because.. she hasn't. #she's a very nuanced depiction of a girl who is used to being dismissed and ignored and powerless #her initial response to that powerlessness in botw was to reject everyone. she got loud and mean and she tried to do everything alone #and she discovered that that wasn't the right way to get what she wanted. it didnt make her happy and it didn't win her anyones approval #what DID work for her was learning to rely on the people around her and work with them. she found solace in teamwork and family #which is why in the final battle she and link fight TOGETHER against ganon. neither of them can do it alone but they can together #the same thing applies to totk. she continues her own journey by finding others like her who understand her powers and can teach her #so by the time she DOES end up alone she has been given the confidence and skillset to figure out what she has to do #you get it. you understand what im saying #asks #totk spoilers #zelda analysis

[laniemae]

Not gonna get into danganronpa another spoilers because this whole scene is something else that I’m still processing but I absolutely love this line. Like to bring up milgram I think this is an idea which can reflect on lots of the characters as well. The idea of basing your entire existence off of a certain thing/person/ideology and then for something to happen that completely destroys that. Your entire person has been stripped away and just what’s left? You can’t comprehend your own existence or meaning without that specific attachment and you start to question all of your actions based off that…

I can only really think of John, Kotoko, and Es here (and possibly Amane and Mikoto to an extent). And John bases his life off of Mikoto, Kotoko upholding justice, and Es being the warden.

John’s idea of his whole existence and reason for being is Mikoto. It’s the only reason he believes he exists and if he were to fulfill his role he’d “disappear” as he would be completely worthless without him. John tries to repress and ignore his humanity and reduce himself as a tool to protect Mikoto and that’s all he can see himself as. But now Mikoto’s starting to not deny his existence and feels pure hatred for everything about him. And what will happen to John, when the person he’s dedicated his entire life to and desperately wants praise from, denies his existence? What will he be but some worthless existence that is only a burden, to him.

Kotoko. An ideology of upholding justice and punishing evil that has completely overtaken her. She has pushed herself into a role of a “fang” for justice, protecting the weak and persecuting evil. But even so matter how much she tries, she knows her goals are unreachable. She denies relationships and attachments to other people based on this ideology. Kotoko admits that she does feel attachment to the prisoners, but has to deny them in order to fulfill the role as a tool. And believes that pain and violence is necessary to achieving a greater good. Trying to deny any regret because wouldn’t it be easier to believe you’re entirely in the right? She latched onto Es, believing them to be similar as the warden who carries out judgement on wether the prisoners are forgivable or not. But now, Es has denied her whole ideology, her whole existence due to the pain she’s caused. Kotoko wants to believe that what she did was right and that Es, another enforcer of justice would accept her, because that’s how it is.

And Es… they’re the warden of the prison. There’s nothing more to them than that they believe. Es has no memories of their identity or past before Milgram and immediately latched onto the identity given to them, of being the guard. Es took this role as their entire identity, an extension of the milgram system in order to interrogate and judge prisoners. I think Muu put this best.

“Warden-san, we call you "warden" because that's what you are, right? And I was assigned the role of prisoner, but that doesn't mean I'm now nothing but a prisoner at heart, too. After all, I'm still me.”

Es has an unstable sense of identity, to the point they latched on to the first thing they were given in order to give themselves a purpose and a meaning for existence. And Kotoko calling them “imperfect caused them to question their identity. But as the story progresses Es will probably begin to learn about the audiences control and the truth behind what they assumed to be their verdicts. That their will never was 100% their own. Who knows what Es’ past was, but eventually they’ll likely have to tackle it and their whole identity, the warden, the arms of milgram, is gone.

gonna think about Mikoto and Amane here as well. Mikoto, although may not seem to be as first, focuses his entire identity around other people. He’s the friendly sociable guy who’s easy to chat with. But that’s all he believes he should be, I guess. As perhaps this mindset is upheld by an inherent fear of other people rejecting him, so he focuses all his attention and identity on being a social person. He’s never truly friends with people, as perhaps that would be “too close” and open up the possibility for danger. He doesn’t completely deny his identity like the others, but he molds and shapes it in a way that is acceptable to others. He likes what everyone else likes and does what everyone else does so the fear of being rejected for being different won’t hurt him. But now he’s stopped denying John’s existence and his DID, believing himself to be crazy, and to be completely rejected from other people, his entire sense of identity to an extent. And especially with John scaring other people off with the mindset that will help Mikoto, he has now been completely distanced from everyone else and now has to come to terms with himself, but not the ideal persona he put on to be acceptable to other people.

Amane is a more different case as she in a way has rejected that idea, but not completely. Growing up in a cult it’s very likely that she was always conditioned that she was just a servant for god. That all the good things she did were actually god blessing her and all the bad things a fault of her humanity, herself as a person. She is in a unstable relationship with the whole submitting her personhood to her religion, as she sacrificed her ideologies in order to help a cat. But at the core, that wasn’t about herself and her identity, rather a focus on the cat’s life. Amane’s murder was her will. Rejecting everything and fighting for her life in direct opposition to what she has been taught her entire life and how her identity should be, a rejection of that and a glance into “herself”. But once again, this murder wasn’t entirely self motivated. She’s still broken enough that she can’t fully grasp herself as a person besides god and religion. And a large cause of her murder was out of the death of the cat, rather than simply protecting herself. Amane still slips back into the belief that her personhood is entirely dedicated to god. As she tried to convince herself and Es that the only reason she killed is because they deserved religious punishment and she is in the right for carrying out god’s will, once again denying her personal reason for doing so. Reducing herself to “we” on behalf of her religion, that this isn’t herself anymore. Amane is in a limbo between rejecting her personhood for god, but at the same time rejecting the suffering she’s been through in order to save “herself”. Amane’s case is so interesting, as there’s no clear answer of what she believes in here, and it is truly fascinating.

#milgram #Milgram theory #milgram analysis #amane momose #mikoto kayano #john kayano #john milgram #kotoko yuzuriha #es milgram #uhhhh this was meant to be a quick analysis how did this turn into an exploration of the identities of 5 characters #And comparing it to a scene from dra which focused a lot around the loss of someone’s beliefs completely destroying their identity? #May analyse that scene directly because the whole philosophical and psychological concepts coming into play there is just soooo cool #and man I was kinda figuring out stuff as I was writing this but like I said it’s so interesting how Amane isn’t completely dedicated to go #Like the other characters I mentioned who have dedicated their whole identities to something #And Amane’s at the struggling between her true self and her perfect religious self #But perhaps she doesn’t entirely realise this conflict going on within #Which is interesting as a realisation of their identities would probably cause the other characters to lose it #But Amane it’s coming to her in a different way #She’s so strong uahhhahhajajshshshs #Tw cults #Ok now thinking about this more I’m starting to see this whole ideology apply to other dra characters as well #Man this is just so interesting #Like Kinji although having nowhere near as bad of a situation of amane was in a way forced to repress his emotions his entire life #Due to religious reasons and to devote his life to god and reject personhood #Surprisingly he’s actually not a bad person but still is very stoic and avoids other people due to being taught those values #And kinji’s a whole parallel to Tsurugi so this would be really interesting #I would talk about Tsurugi here but this is primarily a milgram post so for everything he’s like kotoko with a dedication to justice #But handles it in a very different way #His story is just way to long to analyse now #But hey this is an invitation to play (or watch bc downloading the game is hard technically) danganronpa another

[butchscientist]

I do not think violence being "less personal" makes it any less depraved or evil. I refuse to concede to the idea that killing someone by bombing them is any less murderous than shooting them point blank. The idea of bombing someone to death should produce just as visceral reaction as slitting their throat does.

We should view killing someone from a distance, from relative safety, as just as depraved, visceral, shocking and violent as killing someone from close proximity. This idea that it is somehow less violent to bomb someone than it is to stab them only serves to justify and excuse massacres, and we need to be willing to challenge it. It is a way to paint the violence of the powerful as less severe than the violence of the powerless - even when the body counts are much higher.

Bombings are not sterile or impersonal, they are violent, they are gruesome, they are horrific. Casualties are not "collateral damage", they are inescapable and intended consequences. Being able to distance yourself from the violence you commit does not make you a better person.

#yes killing a baby by shooting or stabbing or burning them is violent and horrible #and i am not here to argue to what extent h4m4s has done that #because even if it WAS true that they had beheaded 40 babies #i completely reject the idea that doing that is morally worse than the IOF killing babies by bombing them #i will not accept the idea that bombing babies is less depraved than killing them through any other means #behind every single air strike there is a calculation of likelihood of civilian casualties. and those who orchestrate air strikes knowing #there is a high likelihood or complete certainty of civilian casualties #is just as fucking depraved as someone who shoots someone else in the head. #they do not deserve to sleep any better. they are no less murderous. they are no less guilty.

[salvadorbonaparte]

I have two interviews lined up (secretary and translation intern) but after applying for roughly 40 jobs this month I already received like 20 rejections and the others just never answered.

You'd think it would be easier to find a job with a first class master's degree.

#I not only got rejected by jobs in my speciality but also by ones in other translation areas #And completely random jobs and internships and minimum wage jobs

[dootznbootz]

I feel kind of bad about that post I made talking about how Odysseus would never sacrifice his family to save his own skin while I didn't give a name, I hope that person doesn't feel bad or that they get hate. As I don't want to gatekeep someone's interpretation of the Odyssey but also...while I guess you could claim that he would do that, there's so much MORE evidence as to how he would literally rather be stabbed than see his wife and son have even a splinter

Her rejecting him at first put him in a bad position. Honestly, in an alternate universe, where she didn't accept him or trick him that night, I think the poor guy would've cried himself to sleep again in that separate cot. He'd probably cry to Athena and ask if he did something wrong.

It would probably be an "awkward morning" of Odysseus and Penelope silently doing their things (not bringing up suitors' parents right now. And Odysseus would probably tell Telemachus to not say anything stupid.) and eventually, everything would bubble up out of Odysseus and honestly, I could see him straight up begging her to accept him. Not even caring about how he appeared to others.

Honestly, if she DID take a lover in that time...I think he'd either accept it and just...wander? Around Ithaca as a beggar as he doesn't want to be away from them but if they won't accept him, what else can he do? OR if she had another lover, (War flashback of the shitty retelling where Penelope has an affair) he'd probably kill the lover as let's be honest, Odysseus is basically a Yandere, to put it simply. Touch the wife, you get the knife.

And yeah, he doesn't JUST want his family.

"Oh, he wants to not be in constant danger."

"He just wants to go back to Ithaca."

"He wants to be king again."

Boy howdy, he sure does!!! But if, for example, Penelope and Telemachus for some reason moved to somewhere else? IDK, AU where they permanently moved to Sparta, hanging with Helen and Menelaus, and she didn't remarry or something. He'd be like "Shit, okay, BRB." And go to them. He'd probably have them all go back to Ithaca but still, THEY ARE HIS HOME. They make Ithaca home. Any place is home as long as he has them.

Despite having the opportunity to wed the most beautiful woman in the world, he took the Oath so then he could marry Penelope. And even then, it wasn't "for sure" as he had to race her dad. He did so much simply to have the CHANCE to marry her even though he probably wasn't planning on getting married as he brought no gifts. And he did so much so then he wouldn't have to leave the life they had built together and their young baby.

He could've had ANYONE. Went ANYWHERE. Did ANYTHING and he still wanted THEM.

Like??? Holy shit. This guy would do ANYTHING for them. I mean that's kind of why he's considered to be so "scummy" in how ride or die he is for them and basically a bitch to everyone else. That's what makes him SO different from many of his peers.

Person: Would you rather have your family- Odysseus: Family, always. Person: I didn't even say it yet- Odysseus: I don't fucking care. Always family. Person: Even if it meant you got immortality and a hot goddess for a wife? Odysseus: You act like that's a good thing? That was literally torture. Fuck you. I already have a hot Water Wife™ that I get the privilege to drown in every day. She gave me a wonderful Water Son™ who is the light of my eyes and who I am more proud to be the father of than I am of being the son of an Argonaut Person: Even if I give you a million dollars? Odysseus, acting nonchalant while Penelope picks the person's pockets: As if we can't get that on our own. Person: You'd die? Odysseus: I'll set myself on fire if I have to. Person: ...Okay, new question. Would you rather lose your family- Odysseus: The other option. Always. Person: Even torture? Odysseus: I never said I would like it, just that I would do it. Person: Even yeet a baby?! Odysseus: I'll punt the baby if I have to. It's not like I wanna but I gotta do what I gotta do.

And so on and so forth. You GET IT.

#It's technically not enough as I will not shut up about them EVER but yeah. I have cat on lap. I have a cookie. aaaaaaaaaaaa #I did mean for this to be an apology and it became a rant again. I'm so sorry. but yeah... :'D I'm so fucking sorry. I'm such a bitch #I realized that there really wasn't the best evidence for this idea of him saving himself. there's more evidence to COUNTER that. #I mean he could've killed Penelope because she rejected him at first. HE was at risk because she didn't accept him. #and while he was REALLY fucking hurt and called her cruel. he STILL let her have their bed. Their fancy bed that represented THEM #that he refused to sleep in any other bed but that one but if she's not in it with him? There's no point. #It's not a marriage bed if he can't have the marriage that it represents with it. #sad au where Odysseus isn't accepted and he just...stays and watches... can't even move on because he doesn't want anything else #Mad rambles #shot by odysseus #let's be real. Odysseus is against drowning but if it's from the Water Wife???👀 He'd be fine sinking to the bottom of the “river” #“Get in the Water” sung by Penelope would be a COMPLETELY different...tune. #*coughs* #I feel so insane right now. Yahoo #sdkjfskldjf #essay

[ride-a-dromedary]

I need no one to ask Larian how tall Halsin is canonically because I wish to exist in my "pushing seven feet/213 cms, literal tree of a man" delusions.

#BG3 Musing #if JC says he's like 6'2“ i will close my eyes i cannot read suddenly #completely lost the ability sorry that man is 6'9“ at minimum #this is a joke but not the part where i will vehemently reject the answer #delusions in the way where its like let the man be above average height but like SIGNIFICANTLY #not in any other way #he's the same size as the male dragonborn that man is almost seven feet tall

[tired-fandom-ndn]

I think everyone should have an interest or hobby that makes someone sid-eye them or ask "why?" in that tone of voice. I think everyone should be passionate about something that other people think is weird or uncomfortable or gross. I think everyone should experience what it feels like to genuinely love something that most people hate or avoid thinking about.

#this isn't meant to be edgy i am completely sincere about this #it's about rejecting social expectations and letting yourself find things you love regardless of how others feel #and about loving the things that are necessary to our world but that others don't want to think about

[emotivehardcore]

The thing about those posts that are like “cis people can go on masculinizing/feminizing hrt” or “cis people can get trans surgeries” is that imo if you’re doing things that change your sex you kind of are trans. Even if you identify with the gender you were assigned, you are transing your sex and that’s a trans experience. Like you may not be transgender but you are transsexual which is still trans. I just don’t think it really makes sense to classify someone as cis when they have materially changed their sex, even if they identify as the gender they were assigned

#this is why I identify as a transmasc woman. I was cafab and I’m a woman but I’m pursuing medical transition to change my sex #so it doesn’t make sense to me to call myself cis because taking hrt and getting surgeries to alter my sex is a trans experience #there’s more nuance to my identity as a transnasc woman than just that and I also don’t see my sex and gender as completely separate #but I’m not getting into all of the details here. although I’m always willing to answer questions abt it because I love to talk about myself #also because I know people on this website love to interpret things in bad faith on purpose #this post is not implying that trans people who don’t medically transition aren’t trans #medical transition and rejecting your assigned gender are both things that make you trans even if you do one without the other #because they’re both in opposition to the way that gender and sex are imposed upon us by cis societal rules

[wo-der-horizont-beginnt]

so much art about being rejected romantically and not enough about how devastating it is to find out someone was only interested in you romantically and therefore your rejection of their romantic intentions is also their rejection of your platonic intentions

[good-beanswrites]

Hello! Are you still doing requests for the drabble game? (If not it's still okay!!)

I've been browsing the milgram tags and I keep seeing your drabbles here and there and I've been so in love with each and single one of them. You characterize them in a way that feels so canon I wish it was actually real. Your stories are such a delight to read!

I'd like to request Lies + Kazui and Yuno, or Kazui with anyone really. He's been a liar through and through and I'd like him to talk with someone about it, and Yuno's the only other prisoner who can truly understand him. Especially with Kazui's trial going on and him leaning guilty, he would be more antsy than usual. (But if there's another scenario you'd like that's totally fine as well ^^) Thanks!

Aww thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed! :D And thank you for the request, these two are so interesting !! I imagine that Kazui can tell from the voices he hears that he's leaning guilty, or at least very close in the middle. Here's him and Yuno, following an instinctual lie that she just can't leave alone...

“I’m doing fine,” Kazui said, perfectly accustomed to lying about himself. He was used to putting on a smile when his insides were yanked into knots. He was used to ignoring signs under the surface for the sake of others. There was one thing he wasn’t prepared for, though, and that was Yuno Kashiki.

“Mmm, no you’re not.” She said matter-of-factly. She braided her hair in a complex pattern, hardly even looking at Kazui. Instead, her eyes stayed fixed on the tiny handheld mirror she’d propped up on the table in front of her.

It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him in one of his lies. She’d been merciful in the past, allowing the group to laugh it off and move on. Now, in private, she seemed much less forgiving. She wasn’t the only one in an unforgiving mood (which, conveniently, brought him back to the root of the problem.)

“What are you doing with your hair?” He peered over from behind. “It looks nice -- what’s the occasion?”

Her voice lilted as she said, “oh, well I’m so glad you asked! I’m celebrating the day that prisoner number seven tried and failed to hide his true feelings from me after I asked him oh-so politely how he was doing!” 

He returned her smile with a pained one. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m doing as well as any other prisoner. Better than most, for that matter.”

She returned to her task. “That’s a pretty low bar.”

“Heh, I guess.”

“So? What’s eating at you?”

“Just annoying young women who can’t leave an old man alone…” 

He thought they could leave it at that. Yuno disagreed. 

“Come on, it’s just us. Be honest.”

After a pause, he furrowed his brow. “Why?” 

Yuno wasn’t the nosy type. She could have probably gone through all three trials without knowing a single thing about the others’ sins. She’d been even more solitary this trial, forgoing the usual gossip and conversation. For some reason, she seemed unmovable on this request.

She caught his gaze through the mirror. He could only see one of her eyes, but from her angle she probably saw most of his face. “Because it hurts, to lie.”

It did. It had hurt for years. Even when his act became second nature, when the words flowed easily and his body moved without pause, the truth was still somewhere deep inside trying to eat him alive. Here in Milgram, he continued to feel its ache. Now, on top of the same old lies, he was trying to play the part of the calm and collected adult. Yuno was right about the bar being low -- the prisoners were in a sorry state. He had to be strong for them. She herself wasn’t doing well; despite the airs she put up, she was struggling just as much. (She wasn’t the only one who could pick up on someone else’s well-worn mask.)

So he couldn’t be honest and falter in front of her, either. Aware that his silence would be equally telling, he asked, “are you speaking from experience?”

“I’m not letting you change the subject,” Yuno pursed her lips, “but I’ll never miss an opportunity to talk about myself.”

She shifted in her chair, now turning away from the mirror to look at Kazui. He was taken aback with how smoothly the confessions spilled from her. “Yes, I know firsthand what it’s like. I know how much it hurts to lie to someone who loves you. I know what it’s like to wait until the last moment to say something, realizing it’s too late, and you’re screwed. I’ve had to cover up my pain in front of others, pretend like it’s all fun and games when it’s clearly not. And most of all, I know what it’s like to be caught in the middle of the warden’s judgment.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” He did. 

Being named guilty is the worst fate for a lot of reasons. The thought of being forgiven, though, felt worse. There was no winning. Just another thing to claw at him from the inside out.

“It hurts, Kazui. I know you feel it. I realized how much all that secrecy tore me apart inside, so I came completely clean to the warden during my interrogation. I thought maybe it could help you, too.”

His expression softened. As much as Yuno wanted to be independent of this whole situation, there was always a part of her that wanted to treat others right. Seeing her intentions were pure, he felt himself relax under her gaze. 

“Telling them the truth… and being forgiven afterwards… will it help this ache, then?” He placed a hand on his chest. It was easier to direct his questions at her, but it was clear he was curious about his own fate. “Do you feel at peace now? Can you forgive yourself?” 

She turned back around. Her eye watched him from the mirror once more. 

“Yes,” she told him, and Kazui knew he wasn’t the only liar here.

#milgram #kazui mukuhara #yuno kashiki #ahh thank you sm! you guys are so kind ;-; and YES i really love yuno and theyd have such interesting interactions... #its cool that shes a liar who completely opened up in milgram while kazui doubled down on his secrets since arriving #with every drabble im like DAMN these two prisoners are exactly the same 😅 #i know we're not sure on yunos story but its easy to piece together she and kazui were pretending to love someone they didnt #and after opening up about the truth (gay) (baby) they were wholly rejected #i also think its sweet that they both stay pretty distant but still look out for the others #yunos shown to be caring despite her isolation and kazui accepts his role as the protector #i was half referencing that one timeline convo where she calls him out about his taste in women #but im sure its happened more than that lol #and yeah i really Hope this verdict helps yuno forgive herself but given the story so far i cant be sure ;--; #sorry i always leave an extra rant in the tags asdfsdfds #i hope you enjoyed!! #drabbles

[baby-xemnas]

Bepo :“brother meet my boyfriend!”

Zepo: *staring at the sack of spite and skin that makes up Law* “I’d say you could do worse but, this just may be worse.”

Zepo would approve but very begrudgingly. (Him and Law do not get along, like the cattiest in-laws imaginable) idk I think it would be funny.

YEP

hes really really not impressed... as a pirate he is worldly enough to be okay with humans but at the same time? choosing one as a lifelong partner? and its not even a woman????? (dont tell him what bepo's role is...altho he would probably guess if he thought about it too hard. but zepo wouldnt because why the FUck would he wonder how it goes between them)

zepo: damn i was hoping that you'll cover for the settle down find a good bear girl and make some cubs for mom to be happy while i go off adventuring and do none of this shit BUT YOU WENT AND DID THE SAME DAMN THING AS ME

its very funny to think about because inside bepo are 2 wolves one is valuing zepo's opinion and the other is BEING SO PROUD THAT HIS CAPTAIN CHOSE HIM AND FEELING THAT ITS WAY MORE FIT FOR THE CAPTAIN TO BE ASHAMED OF HIM AND NEVER THE OTHER WAY AROUND - those expectations crash against the wall of zepo's judgement and trad values...he wouldnt expect his goofy little brother to pull this shit and yet there they are. human. seriously...

tbh law being the captain at least gains him some points (law voice: jee thanks) at least if its a human its not a nobody its the most important human on the crew

also thinking more - law and zepo are not types to pretend to get along and be friendlier than need to be (cuz 1- it just not in either of their natures 2-bepo would call them out too quickly) but they are not antagonistic either. zepo didnt have much expectations towards bepo he wont lie and law always has a hard time to be mad about petty things when bepo is all over him

#mangyraccooon #loving law and being proud of him is the wolf that wins in bepo of course #only difference is while in other cases he can feel a swell of pride in his chest when law introduces him...but when he is the one having #to introduce law. and its to the least impressed audience? it stresses him out he feels bad that his brother isnt amazed by law #law has to comfort him about that its not his fault that its a different culture #esp ridiculous considering that topic is ''im sorry captain my brother isnt blown away by you'' which is insane to law #noone has to be. especially family #dear god hes grateful he wasnt completely rejected <- law wont ever admit that he was a little stressed #lawbepo