#because it felt disingenuous to leave it out

[exrellian]

Replaced MC AU

I’m pumping this out cuz I’m motivated! Still in third person

TW: the brothers being mean, MC getting bullied-

Part Two!

Everything is Changing

Mammon was the first to fall for Amelia, then Levi, Asmo, and Beel followed quickly

Satan, Lucifer, and Belphie were… weary about the new girl, the three found it odd how quickly their brothers fell for Amelia, seemingly forgetting MC completely

“Hey Beel, Hells Kitchen has a new menu item, it looks delicious! Want to go try it together?”

“Sorry, Amelia and I are going to try it in a couple minutes”

MC shrugged it off, happy Amelia was making friends

“Mammon, I’m bored, wanna go to the casino tonight?”

“Amelia and I are going to watch some movies tonight, no can do human.”

What? MC started to feel weird about this, not really too phased by the fact that the two were hanging out, but the fact that Mammon so nonchalantly called him ‘Human’

“Asmo..? Want to go clubbing tonight?”

“Hm? Not with you, not really. Sorry!”

Oh.

What?

“Levi? Want to play Raft together? I heard a new update came out!”

“I already beat it with Amelia, it was really fun!”

“Oh? Well would you mind playing it with me?”

“Amelia used your account, so we would have to start over for you to really see the update and that would just be boring”

“Oh um… alright, I’ll just play it on my own!”

This went on for about a month before the next brother dropped

“Hey Belphie, do you still have my blanket? It’s kinda cold in my room”

“Oh, I let Amelia have it because she was cold.”

“You gave my blanket to Amelia? Why couldn’t you give her one of yours?”

“She liked yours, don’t be selfish MC, you can just go buy another.”

“Fine.”

MC left, frustrated and still cold.

It was then when the worst so far came to be.

“That will be 18 Grimm”

MC swiped his card and it… declined? That was weird, he had more than enough Grimm! He had a part time job for a while and was payed by Diavolo for hosting events at RAD too! He opened his DDD and checked his account

-143 Grimm

What!?

He puts his DDD away and pays out of pocket for the blanket before returning home in a rush and going to his and Amelia’s room. Luckily for him, Amelia wasn’t there. Grabbing his laptop and checking his bank account he sees a bunch of online purchases on various video games. He slams his computer shut and runs to Leviathans room to see Amelia and Levi playing some random gacha game.

“Are you on my account Amelia?” He tried to keep his voice low and calm but he was shaking

“Oh! I’m sorry MC, Levi said I could!”

“Did you buy anything?”

“Well yeah! I didn’t like your account so I reset it so I could get the characters I wanted! Levi said his card was attached so I could spend as much as I wanted! Wasn’t that so nice of him?”

MC was writhing

“MY card was attached to that! You drained my account completely!”

Amelia looked almost… happy?

“It was your card attached? Sorry MC” leviathans tone was disingenuous and annoyed

“Since it was meant to be your money can you just pay me back for what she spent? I was saving up for something!”

“I’m not giving you my money MC, you need to stop being so selfish. Get out of my room.”

“No! Amelia spent all my money thinking it was yours so clearly you have the money to reimburse me!”

Levi stood up and walked over to MC

“I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you are not the person I fell in love with. You are almost more selfish and self centered than Mammon. First you go bullying Amelia, then you think I have to give you money for a little mistake. Leave my room MC, I don’t want to see you.” The hatred in Leviathans eyes struck a fear into MC that he hasn’t felt since he first arrived in the Devildom, weighing his options, he left, deciding it would be in his best interest to talk to Lucifer about it. He arrived at Lucifer’s study to find it empty, he then checked his room, finding it also empty

MC [Hey Lucifer, are you home?]

Lucifer [I am in a meeting. If you need to talk meet me in my study tomorrow.]

MC [K.]

Tomorrow could not come sooner

#obey me #obey me satan #obey me solomon #obey me angst #obey me x reader #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me oc #obey me one master to rule them all

[literary-motif]

Black Daffodils

Zaros Atha'lin x Reader

You're poisoned. Thankfully, Zaros knows his way around plants.

“You cannot be serious,” you said, looking at Zaros as if he had just proposed burning down the library.

The two of you were taking a stroll by the garden, having just finished eating dinner together. Zaros had taken the opportunity of the meeting to fly into one of his rambles, explaining his grand visions and plans for the future if he were to succeed in the trials and ascend to the throne. It had been straining to keep your composure and smile politely at him to keep up appearances, especially since he had put it into his head to tease you relentlessly and with such vigor that you were sure ‘mocking’  would be a more appropriate term.

Zaros raised an eyebrow, shooting a sidelong glance at you. “Yes, sure. You think just because something has been a certain way for centuries that it should not be changed — it gave you a position of power, after all. It suited you to keep the common people groveling at your feet like the spoiled brat you are—”

Your laugh made him pause. It was not the usual incredulous amusement coming from you as he told a truth you did not want to believe, this was real, genuine amusement, laced with a pitying heaviness that made him feel as if you had found a chink in his armor.

“And here I thought you were smart beyond your botany,” you said, shaking your head, “you’re so naive.”

Zaros exhaled incredulously. “Me?” he asked, disbelieving, “really?”

“You are, with your values and ideas and utopias,” you said, holding his gaze to convey how serious you were, “they are all great, honestly. I’m happy for you if you know what to believe in and what to fight for, but it’s all theory. What do you think will happen if you take the throne and change the very foundation our nation is built on overnight, dismantling the societal classes, tearing apart the system and the political principles we govern by?”

“How rich. So we should just keep the status quo because it suits you? That’s not—!”

“Shut up for a moment, Zaros,” you snapped, taking hold of his arm to halt his steps, “Do you really think the throne gives you power? You need to play the system, in it rather than against it, and twist it out of shape enough to incorporate your ideas, but never break it. Do you honestly believe the entire nation would not revolt against you the moment you start dismantling our society according to your wishes? The nobility hates you already, you’re right about that. Do you think you can rule without them? Alone?”

“I rule for the people the nobility has forgotten about and never even looked at in the first place,” Zaros answered coldly, “I’m not alone.”

You chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that, but remember that people hate sudden changes. It will only be a matter of time until your policy of revolution starts annoying them and then, you need strong allies to appease the masses and back up your right to rule. If you discard the entire nobility as self-righteous snobs, you’ll be alone against the world.” You started walking again, leaving Zaros to follow with furrowed brows. “And you know how fast solitude kills in our lives.”

Zaros was deep in contemplation, looking through the stone arches of the courtyard to view the garden. He stared at the nobles strolling through it in the darkness of the evening as if they held the ultimate truth and shook his head, meeting your gaze briefly in the dim light coming from the palace wall. 

“I think you’re wrong,” he said, smiling at you so disingenuously that it made your mouth twist in distaste. You had hit a nerve. It was evident from how he turned his gaze to look straight ahead, picking up the pace to walk briskly across the paved part of the courtyard adjoining the garden. “I would reform the system for the people it systematically oppresses. I— I don’t need the nobility to back me up if I have the favor of the many!” 

The conviction in his tone was almost comical. It felt good finally being able to get under his skin. It was your time to tease him and, adjusting your pace to follow closely behind him, you smirked to yourself, wondering which buttons to push to get Zaros to snap. “Leader of the masses, oh popular one?” you baited.

Zaros growled, “Mocking me, are you? Well, not everyone had the privilege to be born into the spotlight. We common mortals need to earn favor and respect, and I intend to do just that as I topple the injustice in our world!”

You hummed in acknowledgement of his words as if they were a mildly interesting expression of an idea you had already discarded. “You would have a revolt on your hands as fast as—” 

“As fast as what?” Zaros asked challengingly as you cut off, “Have you run out of similes?” There was no quick, angry reply as he expected, only silence. He could no longer hear your footsteps following behind him, so he turned, puzzled.

In the dim light, he could see you leaning against the stonewall separating the courtyard from the garden, your eyebrows furrowed and breaths labored. You were pale, one hand resting against your chest as if you had difficulty breathing, the other placed against the stone to hold yourself upright. 

“What is it?” Zaros asked in confusion. 

“I—” you began, but could only gasp as your knees buckled. Your hand roamed across the stone, trying to find purchase as you crumbled to the ground. Zaros rushed forward in an instant, catching you in his arms.

“Help!” he yelled, causing the nobles strolling through the garden to turn their head at his panicked cry. “Someone get the chief curer, hurry!” his eyes were wide with worry, searching your face hastily for any indication of what was happening to you.

Some of the nobles had gathered around the two of you, gasps and murmurs flying through the crowd at seeing you slumped against the wall with half-lidded, delirious eyes and a wheezing breath. Zaros paid them no mind, focused entirely on you.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked, cupping your cheeks with unsteady hands, “Hey, look at me. I’m right here.” 

You mumbled something unintelligible that sounded somewhat like his name.

Tilting your head to the side slightly, Zaros saw a faint discoloration on your cheek, spread across it in the form of a tree branch. “I—” he breathed, his brain taking a moment to connect what he saw to a poison he had been forced to study. “I know,” he whispered in a sudden epiphany, tearing his gaze away from you to look towards the garden. “A moment, I’ll be right back, my heart, only a moment,” he rushed out, dropping his hands from your face and darting into the garden, ignoring your muffled whimper of protest.

When he returned, the chief curer had just kneeled next to you, starting his examination. “Move!” Zaros said briskly to the nobles barring you from him and pushed through the crowd of onlookers. Ignoring the curer, he tilted your head towards him, placing a few green petals in your mouth. “Don’t swallow them,” he instructed gently, leaving a hand on your cheek as the other found yours, squeezing comfortingly, “These petals are a natural remedy for various types of poison. You should be better in a moment.”

“What is the reason for this commotion?” Queen Roena’s clear, sharp voice cut through the murmuring crowd, silencing them in an instant. The curer sprang up to bow and explained hastily that he could not yet tell.

Zaros did not leave your side, helping you sit up properly once the antidote allowed you to move again and holding out a handkerchief for you to dispose of the petals. “Help me up,” you whispered to him after regaining your breath, and Zaros obliged, keeping his arm firmly around your waist to hold you upright. 

“It will take some time for you to recover completely,” he said quietly, putting more of your weight on him, “You’ll likely be weak for a day or two, but no longer than that.” You groaned in reply.

“What happened?” Queen Roena asked, looking at the two of you with confusion and worry. Her gaze lingered on you, silently checking you over. 

You cleared your throat. “Well, your Eminence, that’s not easy to say. You see, one moment I was engaged in a most pleasant debate with my— my acquaintance here, and the next I found myself on the ground, out of breath and unable to move.”

“They were poisoned, your Eminence,” Zaros said, but before he could add anything, the chief curer interrupted him.

“And how would you know that?” he asked, distaste evident in his tone. 

“I have studied the poison that evokes exactly these symptoms,” Zaros said to him before turning his gaze back to the Queen, who was looking at him intently. “That is why I knew which antidote to search for in the garden.”

“How very convenient,” the curer observed and a tide of new whispering erupted from the crowd. Zaros could feel his blood starting to boil at the suspicion turned on him. 

“Zaros,” you said breathlessly, closing your eyes briefly to stop the world from spinning around you. “I need to lay down. Walk me to my room?”

“Of course.”

“Your Eminence, is that wise?” the chief curer’s voice was faintly audible to you, moving away from the crowd with Zaros by your side. “What if he's only waiting to be alone with them to finish what he started, to eliminate his contestant for—” Zaros huffed beside you, continuing to lead you away. 

No matter how much he insisted that he did not care about what those around him thought of him, you could see beyond his carefully constructed mask and had always noticed how much it bothered him. Although he never acted on it, choosing instead to remain passive and seemingly nonchalant at their words, the epitome of calm collectedness. Deep down, you had seen it gnawing at his heart, and it did still, evident in the hurt shining in his eyes. 

“This one,” you nodded toward a wooden door to your right, leading to your chambers. “Right, thank you. I’ve got it from here. I’ll just—” You twisted out of Zaros’ arms, bracing yourself against the wall to keep from falling. You underestimated your strength, however, and would have collapsed to the ground if Zaros had not caught you again. 

He chuckled hollowly but without malice, as he adjusted his grip and led you into your room. “Yes, I can see how well you’ve got it,” he said, setting you down on the bed, “Stubborn like always. What is it with you and thinking you’re above such feeble things as being helped? A side effect of your upbringing, I’m sure.”

“Shut up,” you whispered, leaning back on the pillows with a groan and closing your eyes. The feeling of a hand on your forehead made them snap open again. Zaros was looking at you with an unreadable expression, perched on the side of your bed. “Like what you see?” you murmured, trying to crack his serious demeanor. He did not smile, mouth twisting into a tight line.

“Here,” he helped you sit up slowly, handing you a glass of water. “Drink, it helps.”

“Oh, does it?” you teased, taking small sips, “Did you poison that too to get rid of me and start your top-down revolution?”

His reaction was immediate. “Seriously?” he raised his voice in a near scream that made you jump, “What, you think I’d kill you for my own gain? You think I’d go over your dead body to implement my ideas?” Zaros leaped to his feet, looking down at you with rage and betrayal shining in his eyes. “You’re just as bad as everyone else!”

“Sit down, Zaros,” you said tiredly, taking hold of his arm and tugging him towards the bed. “I’m only teasing.” Your eyelids were starting to drop of their own accord, exhaustion finally overtaking you. 

A part of you was afraid to rest, considering what had happened. You were poisoned, and although the realization had not entirely set in yet, the thought of laying asleep, defenseless against the poisoner, made you shudder. 

“I know you’d never—” you said, holding onto Zaros’ hand as he sat on the bed again. He had a frown on his face and you could tell he was biting back a sarcastic remark or sharp jab of some kind. “I know you’d never hurt me,” you finished, eyes drifting shut with a content sigh at having him near you. 

Despite your differences, you knew you could trust Zaros. He wore his ideals on his sleeve, and you had been acquainted long enough to get a feeling for the sort of person he was. 

Looking at your entwined fingers, he swallowed thickly, the frown on his face replaced with a soft expression as his gaze drifted over your sleeping face. He reached up his free hand to brush tenderly through your hair, contemplating how improper it would be to lay down beside you and keep you safe.

#sakuverse #zsakuva zaros #zsakuva #zaros atha'lin #yes I looked up his surname #zaros x reader #zaros atha'lin x reader

[artsyunderstudy]

hey i’ve read someone wicked 3 times and it never fails to leave me emotionally distraught for days afterwards (compliment!) the epilogue literally rips out my heart every time. this is going to sound so stupid, but why did you make the choice to keep simon in the escort business alongside being in a monogamous relationship? i completely respect that it’s a professional career, but def a hurtful/unsustainable one for someone in a relationship, and simon’s not really sticking to it because he HAS to (he has other profitable skills, weldwork, construction, etc). so why did he stick to it even though they’d both be better off without?

Hello! So, first thank you, I'm very glad you enjoyed the fic enough to read it multiple times. It's very near and dear to my heart.

This doesn't sound stupid. Writing it, I did realize that people would wonder about this. And that some people would feel quite negatively about it. But it was very important to me that the end of this story not be Simon leaving his job.

I'll try to condense my feelings about it as much as possible but this will probably be long.

This story is about a lot of things, but one of those things, one of the most important things, is about freedom from sexual repression. Baz comes to Simon in the beginning of the story all bottled up about his sexuality and the act of sex itself, even within the context of masturbation. He has a lot of shame around all of it. It's mirrored throughout his life in his schooling choices, how he interacts with family and friends.

Simon represents freedom for him, and through their relationship and his acceptance and love of who Simon is, all of who he is, he comes to accept who he is and what he wants. I felt very strongly that it'd be disingenuous to tell a story about escaping shame around sex just to turn around and say that Simon has to leave his profession of sex work to pursue a romantic relationship. That his work, since it's sexual in nature, is incompatible with it. We wouldn't expect someone in any other profession to leave their job, their security, to pursue a relationship.

I did not go into it, and maybe I should have but I also had feelings about the need to justify his decision, but ultimately it was not reasonable for Simon to immediately leave his job, even if he wanted to. He does make art, but the art he makes requires expensive materials, and it's slow to create and slow to sell, and he's in his early 20's in London. He needs a steady income. He came to work for the escort service because it offered him good pay and protections (sex work is legal in the UK) with very flexible hours, and allowed him to actively pursue art on the side, something not a lot of other jobs could have given him. I think about how hard it is, simply writing fanfiction and doing fanart for fun, and I often lose sleep trying to do all of it.

Could Baz have afforded to take care of both of them? Probably, eventually, but they didn't immediately live together, and Simon wouldn't have wanted to be financially dependent on Baz. That's no good for a relationship either, not a new one. In my mind, once they move in together and pool their income, Simon spends more time in the studio, less time doing escort work, until he feels secure enough to move to art full-time.

I do agree that this is a particularly difficult job to have alongside a monogamous relationship. That's one of the main reasons I wanted to have that in the epilogue, them learning how to make it work. I did a lot of research about this by reading accounts from sex workers on message boards and how they approach their own relationships, and while this is complicated it's not at all uncommon, and you can still thrive.

The main thing I learned is that it is not a romantic profession. Many people who do sex work talk about it very much with the same level of titillation I might talk about my excel spreadsheets at work (maybe even less, I love excel) There is a disconnect that most people have with the work that they do, even if parts of it are fun, and parts of it are fulfilling. I tried as much as I could to honor that perspective.

All that being said, it's okay if you didn't like it or agree with it. I don't discount that for a lot of people, this doesn't work. It's not a fairytale ending. But it just felt like the right ending for me.

#someone wicked #artsyfic #ask #hopefully i articulated this well #ive literally had hours long conversations about this decision with a number of people #its hard to distill

[jungkookschin]

nepotism baby- drabble/prequel to to err is to love

synopsis: the breaking point of your marriage with jungkook

word count: 800

a/n: takes place before to err is to love! basically what lead to their divorce yikes.

"i literally pays the bills in this house. you don't have the right to dictate what i do with my money." the ice cold words that leave jungkook's lips puncture your heart like a tranquilizer bullet, rendering you stupefied at the unfamiliar man in front of you.

you swallow in perturbation at the sight of your indignant husband- the same man who vowed to love and protect you for life. his chest rapidly rises and falls, a hand angrily swiping through his hair in a feeble attempt to calm his raging nerves.

you felt like you've never seen this man in your life. who is he?

your adam's apple bobs in your throat before your inhale deeply, mustering the courage to grace him with a palpable response. "baby, all i said was that i don't think it's wise for you to keep spending money at Armani- i know how hard you work and im grateful-"

your words falter when jungkook shoots you an incredulous look before he scoffs. he's glaring bullets at you like you're his arch nemesis, and it grieves you beyond belief. tears that threaten to spill from your waterline begin to fall from your eyes with each plink, and the pattern of your breathing becomes painfully unpatterned.

you think that you stop breathing at the next words that shoot out of his mouth.

"but are you grateful? cause i feel like all you do is bitch and complain whenever i get home from work. you just don't get that i'm fucking tired."

the most excruciating agony courses through your veins. had you been standing, your legs would cease its function and you would have definitely collapsed. you scrutinize your husband, jaw violently quivering because you don't recognize who this person is.

"look- i'm sorry for yelling at you," despite what the bullshit he's regurgitating, his words are entirely disingenuous; he just wants to end whatever the fuck this is and go to sleep. his next words indicate just as much. "but i'm fucking exhausted from work right now so i'm going to head to sleep. you're welcome to join me in bed but you can use the guest room if you're mad- or whatever."

you gawk at his words, his coldness is practically tangible; it forms goosebumps on your skin and makes you shiver. the humiliation spreads through your system vexatiously, as if he just ignited a cataclysmic wildfire in your system, one that fiercely burns down any empathy you had in your heart.

jungkook doesn't even spare you a glance before he grovels up the stairs. his steps falter when the echo of your sobs bounces of the walls and reaches his ears. he closes his eyes, his hand coming up to massage his temples. he can't believe he has to deal with this.

"jeon jungkook, you don't get to fucking talk to me like that! you are born from nepotism!" the words rip from your throat as you uncontrollably sob into your hands. "i would be ten times more successful than you had i been given the shit you have in your life!"

jungkook exhales steadily, not even properly processing what you're saying from how how incredibly burned out he is. with a harrowing day at work, and now this? he can't take it anymore. he takes a seat on the stairs, maneuvering his head to crack his neck and hopefully expel all the stress accumulating in his body.

the shrill of your screaming immediately snap jungkook back to reality.

"the only reason i'm not fucking working is because i'm taking care of our fucking children! i've thrown my whole life away for our kids. if i could go back to work, i would but i can't right now because my body has been fucking ruined from carrying our children!" the clarity of your words debilitate as you continue, and at the end of your rant all that is coherent are your desperate and heartbroken cries.

when you effectively muffle your sobs with the cup of your palm, a deadly silence washes over the house. jungkook isn't able to conjure a response, his enervation crippling his cognitive senses.

horror seizes once your body once the cries of your now awake babies bounce off the walls and reach you.

something similar happens to jungkook, his blood turning frigid once he realizes that your crying has awoken the children.

at this point, the both of you knew that something on your paths has gone horribly wrong, but both of you are too agonizingly drained to properly pick up the first aid kit and mend things.

#jungkook angst #jungkook scenarios #jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagines #bts angst #bts jungkook angst #bts jungkook scenarios #bts scenarios #jungkook drabble #bts jungkook drabbles #jungkook drabbles

[arcanemadman]

The Castlevania franchise feels like it's getting more and more divided since Netflixvania started and it's getting really bloody frustrating to the point that while watching Nocturne I've felt disquieted, and I think I've realised why that is.

It's the fucking DmC:Devil May Cry white hair fiasco all over again.

For those that don't know, when the DmC reboot was revealed people had a lot of criticism, including turning Dante from a cool but likeable hero into a foul mouthed smoker, the dumbing down of the gameplay, the antagonism towards the fanbase, and turning his iconic white hair black. Of all these criticism, only the hair colour change was given any attention, painting the fan base in a very negative light and side stepping the real issues people had by only focusing on the cherry rather than the whole sundae.

All this attention directed towards something that in the grand scheme of things is very minor but it gets all the attention while the bigger stuff is ignore.

Yes, there are people mad about the show for racist reasons and they shouldn't be listened to, but there are genuine complaints that are being swept up with that.

The character changes have a sort of domino effect on everything. Maria being a serious revolutionary is interesting, but I saw someone put it best that what made her special was the fact that she was a little girl in a world of classic horror that believed she was in a fairy tale and had the power to force that reality on everyone else. Netflix Maria is good, but lacks the charm of Maria.

The second example is Juste. When I saw him I was very excited, but that was mainly because it was acknowledgement of the original canon than anything else. His magical prowess, the thing that makes him stand out among the Belmont linage, is mentioned and then brushed aside, and the worst ending of his game is what is taken as canon. And once Richter gets his magic back, Juste is gone. He feels like a plot point rather than the character. I sympathise with people who's favourite game was Harmony of Dissonance.

Annette was a compelling character with a well developed story, but anyone that says her original characterisation would never work are being disingenuous because they literally did that, except that did so with Tera. The connections to Richter and Maria, the damsel elements, the fact she gets turned into a vampire, all from Annette. Swapping them around wouldn't work for multiple reasons and I'm not going to say I can do better than people you get paid to write when I don't, but I feel I can say that if they had wanted to they could have done something closer to the original while still touching on the themes and narratives they wanted to.

Olrox... honestly the only criticism I can really think of is the removal of any reference to Count Orlock.

There's an elitism with both sides of the fanbase here. On the Netflix side, there's the feeling that since theirs is more popular that any criticism is because people are just nostalgic, and game fans feel that since theirs is the original foundation that anyone that doesn't agree with them is just a new fair-weather fan. And honestly, I'm more sympathetic to the game fans.

I've seen Netflixvania fans look at people complaining that the character have changed and go "yeah well the version you like sucks so you should just grow up" As if that's going to make everything better. And all the people complaining about the race changes or posting "WOKE?!?!?!" have poisoned the well for any actual discussion about this, not helped by the social media accounts deliberately stoking the flames in the mistaken belief that all publicity is good publicity, which raised the ire of nexflixvania creators. Unfortunately marketing can often be removed from the intentions of the creators.

Yes, Netflixvania is a great show, with beautiful animation and great storytelling, but it's not perfect and as an adaptation is leaves a lot to be desired. And that's the crux of it! The show is good, really good! But it doesn't feel like an adaptation of Castlevania. It's just a bunch of little details that pile up to make it less of what the game fans liked about the series. It's more grimdark horror than classic horror. It's more crude than it is philosophical. It's more hopeless than it is hopeful. And regardless of what you individually think, that's what people have liked about Castlevania for almost 40 years.

Ultimately I just have to ask, why do people seem to assume that you can't make a faithful adaptation while also making it interesting? They're not mutually exclusive.

#castlevania #castlevania nocturne #castlevania netflix #netflix #animation #adaptation #richter belmont #maria renard #annette #tera #dracula #alucard #olrox #honestly I feel I personally wouldn't be as disquieted if they had just kept dracula the villain #sort of shot themselves in the foot on that one #not because its inherently bad but because it fucks up the rest of the series #but seriously people need to chill the fuck out here #just because the show is good doesn't invalidate people that like the game #a good adaptation doesn't mean it can't also be a good story #probably going to piss people off #but i'm tired of this stupid distraction from real criticism people have #just because something is good doesn't mean people can't criticise it #and anyone feeding the fire is a tar pit #castlevania hot take #apparently that's a recurring tag now #god I hope this doesn't blow up in my face #as someone that's a fan of Devil May Cry I'm just praying that the series isn't messed around with #if they make dante a pottymouth then I'm going to combust #That's Nero's thing leave dante out of it #dmc

[kosmic-apothecary]

I have some thoughts I'd like the pro-Israel Jewish community to consider with an open mind and open heart.

As a white person who has been fully supportive of calling out the evils white people have done in the past (and to a lesser extent continue to do in the present), I can't come to grips with how so many Jewish people who have been at the forefront of every other social justice movement in American history can be so resistant to recognizing that Jews can commit evil acts too, and in admitting that supremacy and racism are never okay, even when it's your own people who are doing it!

What Zionists have done to Palestine over the last 75 years is a disgrace that should be condemned by every decent person on earth, just like any other instance of colonization, ethnic cleansing, apartheid or genocide. If you expect white people to admit that many of our ancestors had slaves, and ethnically cleansed and genocided native Americans (which I fully support), then you must also be willing and able to recognize that a great many Jews are currently taking part in commiting same horrors in Palestine right now. (I know Zionists claim, and some genuinely believe, that they're "de-colonizing" Palestine and therefore the ethnic cleaning and mass murder of the "invasive arabs" is flipped on its head to be seen as moral and just. To that I will remind you that Zionists openly admired they were "colonizing Palestine" for decades until it became unpopular to do so. Now they claim that same statement they used pervasively is "antisemitic", which is obviously disingenuous and entirely hypocritical.)

Secondly, it wouldn't matter if Israel actually were a decolonization project, the people of Gaza have been trapped there with the vast majority never allowed to leave, for 17 years. Bombing innocent people who have been held captive like animals is barbaric and inexcusable, no matter WHO was there first.)

I never felt personally threatened when people call out white supremacy or white privilege, because I want those things to end. It's not anti-your own race or religion to want it to become more moral and less harmful to others, but for some reason a lot of Jewish and Christian zionists apparently believe that any criticism of Israel or Jewish supremacy is antisemitic and intolerable. This doesn't make ANY sense. All systems of oppression are unjust, no matter WHO is benefiting.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, so if you care about social causes and human rights at all and you're not yet loudly and boldly condemning Israel and demanding a permanent ceasefire, a total withdraw from Gaza, and a sovereign and free Palestinian state, then you were never serious about social justice at all, you were simply following trends.

To date over 30,000 people have been killed (a number that’s been static for weeks despite continued attacks on civilians) half of them children. Never again is now. This is another Holocaust, and Jewish voices have the most influence to stop it.

#israel #gaza #palestine #zionism #am yisrael chai #antisemitism #jumblr #jewblr

[sareeen]

The Deal

Pairing: Eris Vanserra x fem!reader

Summary: There is only one way to make a deal, especially for old lovers.

Warnings: Smut, smut and a little bit more smut. Please read only if you are not disturbed by the sexual content.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who is patiently waiting for the chapters. I'm sorry for the slow progress, but I hope to have more time to write in the future.

English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistake. :)

Part 1: And we meet again

Part 2: The Pair Choice

Present:

Y/N was painfully aware that there was no way out. She had already started and must finish it.

The butler opened the solid oak door that led into the dimly lit room. The fairy light and candles gave the dining room an intimate atmosphere and Y/N knew exactly that this was Eris's plan. After their meet at that club a few days ago, her life had been turned upside down once again. That night Eris suggested they meet again, but at the castle. They made a deal, that would benefit both of them. No emotion, just sex. Violent, destructive intercourse.

But Y/N knew that he wanted to break her just to tell her what she wanted from him, because he knew she wouldn't come back to him without a reason.

Eris was now sitting in one of the neatly carved chairs at the table, one leg draped over the other and his chin resting on his strong fingers as he watched her. The loose, white linen let his golden brown skin and the elaborate muscles that lay flat beneath the fabric show. Y/N, if she closed her eyes, knew exactly how his skin would feel, how she could feel the steely muscles tighten beneath her fingers and where they would be rougher from the scars he'd acquired over the years. Goose bumps fluttered over her body, that she would soon experience these things again.

"I didn't think you'd actually come" Eris said as Y/N took a seat next to him. His amber eyes followed her movements as he sipped from the glass in his hand.

"Then it seems you don't know me as well as you pretend to" Y/N replied. It used to be common for them to have dinner or breakfast together, which usually involved laughter and light conversation. However, instead of joy, there was now a tense atmosphere and Y/N felt that it was only going to get worse and that one of them was likely to start an argument.

"Yes, apparently not anymore" Eris whispered softly more to himself than to her, then motioned the servants to leave. They did as he ordered, and the sound of the door closing sounded in Y/N's ears.

"Are we not having dinner?" Y/N asked as she felt her throat tighten. It wasn't that she was afraid of the man, but she was undoubtedly nervous.

"If I remember correctly dinner was not part of our deal" Eris said in a mocking tone and put his glass down on the table. "But enlighten me if it was."

"Oh, I was only asking out of kindness, since I know how upsetting it is for an old man like you to get out of your routine."

Y/N was overcome with gloating joy when she saw Eris' eyes flash. After a moment, however, the man leaned back in his chair and spread his arms wide, then grinned.

"Well, come over here and let's settle this quickly so I can get back into my routine as soon as possible" he offered in a honeyed tone.

The dim light and the teasing made Eris so attractive at this moment that Y/N was breathless. Suddenly she couldn't move from the emotions that were overwhelming her and Eris seemed to be aware of this as a mocking smile came to his face. This jerked Y/N back to reality and she looked around in disbelief.

"Here? Really?" The huge dining room may have been empty, but she knew that the servants were probably waiting outside the door. She had no desire to hear them together and then have them the gossip of the week in the Courts.

"In the past, it was not an obstacle, as I remember." Eris reminded her in a disingenuous tone. "You had spread your legs for me anywhere, willingly and gladly."

Y/N's blood froze at the comment.

"You son of a bitch!" she whispered with clenched fists as she was overcome with venom and jumped up.

If he's playing like that, so am I, Y/N thought to herself.

Eris grabbed her the moment she got close and pulled her into his lap. Y/N took no time and kissed him, hard. She could taste the blood and hear Eris cry out in pain, but he kissed her back. His hand wandered over her body and everywhere he touched there was heat left behind, making Y/N even more aroused. Years of repressed desire and the lack of a man had her on the edge of madness at this moment and all she wanted was to have Eris inside her. However, she had a plan and so she pulled away from his lips and peeled herself out of his grip.

She gasped violently as she stood up and looked down at Eris. The man's chest heaved heavily beneath him and his tongue emerged from his swollen lips to touch the slightly bleeding wound on his mouth. His shirt was missing a few buttons that she must have ripped off in the heat of the last few minutes. Now he was watching Y/N with fiery eyes and knew he was about to grab her to continue, so she spoke quickly.

"I came back because I need your help" Y/N was dizzy, so she leaned against the table behind her and put her hand on her chest, as if that would soothe her racing heart.

Surprise flashed across Eris's face, but was gone in an instant.

"And what makes you think I'm helping you?"

Y/N pushed herself away from the table and stepped over to him. She cupped his face in her hands and Eris looked up at her.

"Because you can't say no to me." Y/N whispered. "You still like me too much for that."

Eris smiled wryly and his hot hand covered hers, still resting on his cheek.

"I don't like you" he said with a look so intense it made Y/N's legs tremble. "I love you."

Y/N swallowed hard.

"Even after what happened? After all this time?"

"Always," Eris murmured. "I can't stop loving you, even when I want to hate you. So that's why I'll help you. Let that be part of our deal."

"Eris," Y/N whispered with tears in her eyes, but he stood up and picked her up, laying her on the table.

Eris leaned over her and pressed a gentle, soft kiss to her lips.

"However, that doesn't mean I'm letting you back into my life" he grabbed her thigh and pulled her roughly against him. "You hurt me too much for that. Just sex, Y/N and don't you forget it."

"It's not like I want to be a part of your life again" The lie left a bitter taste in her mouth after it slipped out of Y/N's lip.

Eris's movements stalled for a moment, then Y/N found herself back on her feet as he held her to his chest. For a moment they just looked at each other and the look in their eyes said it all. They wanted to hurt each other, in word and deed. Their past still haunted them and Y/N had the feeling that this time she might come out of it worse off. Eris was too driven to take revenge on her and feel the soul-crushing pain he had felt back then. If only he knew that Y/N had suffered the same way he had.

Eris turned her over in a single motion and flipped her hard, pushing Y/N down onto the cool surface of the table with one hand. Y/N gasped in surprise as Eris reached roughly under her skirt and yanked it up violently to her waist. His hot palm brushed along Y/N's thigh and reached between her legs wordlessly to touch her.

Y/N whimpered as Eris stroked her swollen clit, trying to find something to hold on to as she felt herself about to collapse from the sensations. As if sensing this, he snuggled closer and leaned over her to whisper in her ear.

"I can see you still love my touch" Eris' tongue ran playfully over the soft skin of her neck and trailed tiny kisses back to her ear. "You still burn for me, just like you did all those years ago."

Y/N was unable to squeeze any words out, so she just reached up blindly and grabbed his short locks to kiss him. Eris leaned into her obediently, pressed her lips to his, slid her tongue into his mouth and gave him a fierce, sweeping kiss that made him groan. His desire strained against Y/N's butt and even the material of his pants couldn't hide how hard he was. She squirmed and with great difficulty she managed to slip her hand between the two of them, smoothing it through the fabric. The sound Eris made was almost animalistic and he grabbed Y/N's arm.

"What?" teased Y/N, panting. "Is that enough to make you come?"

The man laughed hoarsely, then pulled Y/N's hand back and slid it down his pants so she could touch him without any hindrance.

"No, honey" His manhood throbbed in her grip as she touched him. "I just prefer it when you stroke my cock and not my pants."

Eris's laughter quickly died away, when Y/N gently squeezed and began to stroke him. She watched with amusement as his amber eyes narrowed and closed as he involuntarily thrust his hips towards Y/N.

"I see you love my touch as much as you did all those years ago" Y/N repeated Eris' words.

"Fuck, yes."

Eris's response burst out of him as a tiny hoarse moan and his shifting fingers began to caress Y/N's heated body again. Y/N couldn't believe that they were actually standing at the dining room table where they had eaten so many times before, doing just that. It was all so surreal after all these years, but she didn't have much time to think because Eris let go and pushed her away a little.

A frustrated growl erupted from Y/N, wanting to feel him. She wanted him to finally bring her to the climax she'd been craving for years. She wanted to cry at the thought that Eris might not keep their bargain and leave her hanging.

But Eris had no intention of doing such a thing, because a minute later she felt his manhood at her entrance. She didn't even have time to react, he had already penetrated her without warning and Y/N felt like she was about to faint from the pleasure that washed over her. Her palms slapped loudly against the tabletop as she braced herself and lowered her head, unable to hold herself up at that moment. Eris didn't move and all Y/N could hear behind her was him gasping loudly for breath and he was probably trying to overcome his emotions as well.

Y/N pushed herself back, used to the feeling of being filled by a man, and was overcome with a wonderful, boundless joy as he finally moved. At first he made a small, shallow movement, as if venturing into unfamiliar territory and not yet knowing what to do.

But for Y/N, that was enough to drive her completely mad, and she let out an ecstatic moan. He then, as if awakened from some trance, grabbed her waist hard and began to lash her with harder, deeper thrusts.

"You can't imagine how long I've been craving for this" Eris hissed as he fucked her harder and harder. "To be inside you again and feel you."

Tears welled in Y/N's eyes, both from finally feeling him inside her and from the aching pleasure that flooded her at his words.

I missed you too, Y/N screamed in her mind, but in reality she didn't say a word, just put her head down on the table. Her elbows and forearms ached as she leaned on them, and kept slipping from the violent thrusts, but if it had been her life she wouldn't have moved a single foot. She began to push against Eris's movements, causing a groan to escape from them both. Y/N could sense from the tensing muscles in the man's muscles and the hands squeezing her that this was going to be quick, but she didn't mind. She also noticed her groin tightening and the familiar warmth in her lower belly spreading. Eris reached under her with one hand and began stroking her clit as if he knew exactly what she wanted. And it was enough. The two together brought her to the edge of the precipice so fast that when she climaxed she shuddered and squeezed him so hard that he came inside her and collapsed on her back, pinning her to the hard wood.

They panted for a minute, Eris's lips softly touching Y/N's naked back over and over again. She couldn't even remember him tearing her dress away.

"Good heavens," Y/N said in disbelief. A chuckle erupted from her, for it had been so long since she had felt so careless as she did at this moment. "I feel like my brain is fried."

She felt Eris' grin on her skin.

"Don't worry, you're going to feel this a lot more in the following time"

The deal was officially sealed.

#acotar #eris acotar #eris vanserra #eris vanserra x reader #eris x reader #acomaf #autumn court #eris x y/n #eris x you

[dinkbear]

camp camp s5 e1 review (MAJOR SPOILERS!)

yea i thought it sucked

i just watched the new cc episode and i thought it was....not great

the pacing was very off, i feel like they had the potential to tell an emotionally complex story regarding max's feelings to returning to camp and seeing so much different, but that's difficult to do in 15 minutes, i feel like it could've worked better if it were even just 20 minutes. also, in "With Friends Like These" i thought max's new VA sounded practically the same as his old one, but in this episode he just sounds...off. again, a lot of the lines felt forced, when i hear this new guy i don't hear the little shit-stain max i just hear Some Guy™. i understand WHY they changed the va, but as a poc myself i genuinely could not care less if a white actor voices a poc character esp in an adult cartoon. it actually really brought me out of it when max was snapping at the obstacle course because it just felt like nothing, like i didn't care.

i. hate. CJ. i think he's unfunny, i don't like his design, i just...don't like him. hoping and praying that gwen stays and he LEAVES or there's some crazy twist or SOMETHING i just do NOT like him. also, why does he have the authority to deny the campers food??? is david not his boss??? DO SOMETHING BRO

david also felt off, i know that now he knows the campers better and he's had character development but he just seemed disingenuous

the bit with nikki freaking out over max possibly being mad had so much potential to be built on and have something done with it but it just...didn't. it was just that one line and that was it, i was excited for some crazy conflict that didn't happen.

i thought the thing with neil's clip on earring was hilarious and im sad that it'll probably only be in that one episode </3

UGGGGH they CAN tell heart-wrenching stories, they CAN expand on these characters emotionally, they CAN DO SO MUCH and they HAVE....but, for me, a big part of what made episodes like "The Order of the Sparrow" and "Parents' Day" so moving was that it was out of the formula. i LOVE LOVE LOVE shows that set themselves up as being episodic/formulaic/sitcom-y and then slowly introduce lore and show that the characters are 3-dimensional and have conflict, etc, etc. but in this episode and in "With Friends Like These," the emotional story-telling feels forced. it's not set up like its a regular camp camp episode where something unexpectedly emotional happens, its set up to be the unexpected thing...which makes it expected and lose its value. especially because, back when i was SUPER hyperfixated on this show like 4 years ago, post watching "Parents' Day" or "The Order of the Sparrow" or whatever, when i rewatched other episodes i saw more to these characters hidden in little aspects of their behavior or their reactions or their dialogue that was there the WHOLE TIME, but seemed like it was just a regular old episode where regular old things happen, but now it seems as though they are straying away from that and instead having the emotional development and storytelling be completely unsubtle and on the nose. i suppose it is the writers' choice and they have every right to do that even if i don't like it.

speaking of on-the-nose, i wasn't a fan of how they just flat out said "max is upset that things are different," in the episode he said how he didn't like that everything was changing over and over and over again. and like.....take "Parents' Day" for example, max was being an extra asshole to everyone subconsciously before realizing and admitting the real reason, which was great and how kids work (because remember, max is 11) but in this episode it was pretty much "GRRRRR EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND IM MAD ABOUT IT!!!!!" and i know it was supposed to be like 'well WHY is he so mad about it :o" which could've been good and interesting if there were...buildup...or anything...and not "This camp sucks, but you know what else sucks? Life out there. Family, school, a crumbling society?" and "You're just as lame as before, which is why you didn't have any friends back home to begin with." its just like....come on. was that REALLY the best way to get that across??? THEY CAN WRITE SUBTLY SO WHY DON'T THEY!?!?!?!?

i feel like there is SO MUCH potential to exploring max's emotions but they just seem to keep being unsubtle and on-the-nose about it, which an emotionally neglected kid would NOT be. we have to remember, they're kids. i feel like the earlier seasons did a great job of making that obvious- making them little rascals, oblivious to things, mischievous, full-of-energy, little devils, the line "I saw it on TV!" from s1 e4- but in these newer episodes its treated as though that aspect is not important (note: i have never rewatched s4 because i didn't like it, so i am not going off it for reference bc i barely remember anything that happened) max wouldn't know that he's upset with them changing because of how lonely it is, and i know he was supposed to be projecting but the dialogue felt so forced it didn't even feel like projecting it just felt like admitting. i don't expect the writers to have a phd in child psychology or something, but if they want max's emotional reactions to have power and be meaningful, i feel like they should be a CHILD'S emotions.

granted, this is all my opinion. i'm sure for the reasons i disliked the episode, someone really loved it for the same ones. i would give it a 3/10, but there was no jasper, so it gets a 0/10. very excited for the next episode, the post-credits trailer made it seem like it'll be good.

#camp camp #cc max #cc david #cc neil #cc nikki #cc cj #camp camp season 5 #camp camp spoilers #camp camp review #fif talks

[littlegaydruid]

@crunadh regarding this post here. This is a long post so hold on to your hat.

Thank you for your question! I honestly felt much the same way starting out. It's kind of a hard practice to get into if you don't join a group for it.

I’ll point out first that my practice is solitary, so what I do likely looks a fair bit different than those who belong to a grove or order. I'm also in no way an expert. If anyone else wants to reblog or comment with their own resources, please do.

It's also my opinion that, much like with being a witch, there’s no “wrong” way to practice druidry exactly. The fact is modern druidry (or "druidism") is really just an inspiration of what we think the historical druids did because we have so little information on them. The information we do have almost entirely comes from roman sources, and that was usually in the context of like, conquest. So if anyone tells you they know the one true way to be a druid, side-eye them because they either don't know what they're talking about or they're being highly disingenuous. With that out of the way…

I personally try to do three things (and feel free to try any of them to see if they work for you):

On a spiritual level, I go out into nature when I can. I believe humans are very much a part of nature and unfortunately, we've become disconnected as a society because of greed, capitalism, and the mindset that we are somehow better than nature. For this reason, rebuilding and maintaining a connection is very important. (This was easier when I lived in the mountains instead of the city but I make do with what's around, whether that's in a park or with the birds who come visit the trees outside my apartment.) At most I’ll bring a sketchbook, and I’ll walk among the trees or wherever I am, perhaps sit with them a while. And I’ll just observe, and meditate. I like to take notice of the sounds around me- the leaves rustling, the birds, the squirrels, the deer, the stream. Sometimes I talk to the trees. They don't literally talk back, but very occasionally I notice a subtle shift in their presence if that makes sense. (If there are any gods/goddesses you believe in, this is where I might suggest you could incorporate them or leave plant/animal-safe offerings in some way, but you don't have to.)

While I'm doing these things I try to maintain an awareness and respect for the fact that I was not the first one here. Both in the sense of "hey, this is not my house, but my grandparents' house," and in the sense that, "hey, Indigenous folks were here before me," because I'm from the US. Imo it all goes hand in hand and is a simple step but a necessary precursor to physical action.

On a mental level, I study. I like to research herbalism and how to identify the different types of plants and animals. Not necessarily to forage (though I do enjoy that, too), but I found it's a good way to get to know the plants and wildlife in an area, especially if it's hard to get outside sometimes. I also like to research both local folklore, and "Celtic" histories and mythologies (I'm a bit of a reconstructionist). This includes researching what we do think we know about the historical druids and the history of the modern druidic practice and spiritual concepts like Awen. I also like to study philosophy, ethics, and morals because I've found that it ties in quite well.

Then finally on a physical level, whenever I go out, I try to give back to nature. To me, picking up trash is a perfect offering to nature/land spirits. If I can, I try to find a new use for it so it doesn't end up in a landfill (recycling is a bit of a lie, so to me "reuse" takes priority). If I see an animal that was hit by a car, I try to see if there's any way to (safely) move it from the road. Little things like that can go a long way.

I also take action at a voter level and monetarily where I can. I mentioned in my other post that I greatly enjoy the concept of solarpunk. The mentality behind it (one of hope) is one that I like to embody, and I like to use it to help spread awareness about the environment and potential solutions to many of the climate problems we face, especially in the areas that I'm most knowledgeable (for me that's the construction and housing industries).

I do small things as well in observance of the solstices and equinoxes. I don't exactly follow the wheel of the year, but I want to mention druids do have one that is similar to the Wiccan wheel of the year but with different names for the festivals.

Resources

For getting into it yourself, I can point you to a few places.

OBOD (druidry.org) - You might have found this one already because its one of the first to show up when you search for druidry on google. The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids was founded in the 1960's by Ross Nichols and currently lead by Philip Carr-Gomm. They have distance learning kits that you can buy if thats your cup of tea. You can also join their order. If not, they still have a fair bit of resources and information on their website for free. They also host lives on their facebook and youtube. Philip Carr-Gomm has his own youtube as well.

The Druid Network - A resource founded by Emma Restall Orr after she left OBOD. It has information you can read about regarding practices, events, and has a whole list of books that you can read to get yourself started.

Living with Honour, A Pagan Ethics by Emma Restall Orr - She has quite a few books actually and you'll find some of them recommended on TDN, but I wanted to mention this one because it's not listed there and I think it's still relevant.

What do Druids Believe by Philip Carr-Gomm - This one IS mentioned on TDN, but I wanted to highlight it in particular as a kind of supplement to the info you can find with OBOD.

If you're interested in incorporating Celtic reconstructionism into your druidry, I recommend you check out Alexei Kondratiev's Lorekeeper Course as a potential place to start. Its an entirely free online resource.

Mhara Starling has a nice little video here talking about the differences between witchcraft and druidry with a friend of hers so I'd recommend giving it a watch.

Unfortunately, there aren't really set rules on how to do druidry like there are with organized religions, but hopefully what I've mentioned here will help point you in the right direction and get started. <3

#little gay druid thoughts #druidry #celtic paganism #paganism #pagan #witchcraft #green witch #druidism #druid tips #witchblr #environmentalism #environment #solarpunk #baby witch #forest witch #spirituality #meditation

[onewholivesinloops]

the bit where satoko is put in solitary confinement and has a breakdown, wishing she said no to rika back then, wishing she could go back in time and say no this time...it's really important, because each time she tried to say no rika didn't take no for an answer.

[reddit dudebro voice] "all satoko needed to do was talk it out with rika and all of this would've been avoided which is why this is entirely satoko's fault"

SHE LITERALLY DID. SHE DID THAT EXACTLY. SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HER PROBLEMS WITH ST. LUCIA TO RIKA HERE:

the thing is, rika ALWAYS actively refuses to listen to satoko when she says she doesn't want to go there and she's also dismissive of satoko's anxieties about it, even though they've been living together for a long time. rika firmly believes that this will be a good experience for satoko, because it is one for her. this is rika's arrogance about knowing what's best for satoko that ryukishi spoke of before!!!!

this isn't me saying rika brought the whole Torture Murder Time Loop thing on herself or that she deserved it, but it's disingenuous to act as though the problem is one-sided or that none of satoko's anger is valid when rika wasn't a good friend to her here. it's just very important to understand that rika is also a flawed person, grappling with life-long trauma. she genuinely loves satoko more than anything but that doesn't stop her from doing a lot of things wrong.

remember when satoko kept saying that rika couldn't both leave hinamizawa and have her, that she needs to pick one, and rika kept insisting that she wants both and that she's not going to settle for less because she wants to be as happy as she possibly can?

satoko gave rika an ultimatum and made it clear she ABSOLUTELY refuses to ever step a foot inside st. lucia again because everything about that place is a trigger for her past abuse and yet rika was actively denying her the chance to say no to it in wanting both.

regardless of whether she's doing it consciously or not, rika was also victim blaming satoko here. she knows satoko better than anyone, she knows satoko struggles with feeling like a burden and being pitied, she knows satoko finds it hard to reach out to others because of these things, but when satoko made one final gambit to confront rika and have her feelings of betrayal acknowledged and validated...rika told her it's her fault instead of apologizing.

hey remember the parts in the original higurashi.

where people abused and ostracized satoko saying everything is her fault. such as all those times her mother told her she wishes she was never born and blamed her for being unhappy. or when the town treated her like an outcast for being a houjou. or that time shion took her anger out on satoko and beat her with a chair. or when she was being abused by her aunt and uncle.

satoko has spent her entire life with the swords of hatred constantly surrounding her, pinning her into this...she's victim blamed by others at every chance and opportunity, so imagine how devastated she must've felt to hear that from rika of all people?

rika who was on her side when she was being treated like an outcast by the village, rika who supported her when she was being abused by her aunt and uncle, rika who insisted she lives with her when she had no home left.

even in minagoroshi when satoko broke down and asked for help, the person she reached out to was rika. it was rika. it was rika because rika was always the one who put herself on the line for satoko.

until she didn't and satoko felt like her entire world crumbled right before her eyes.

this shot in irregular entropy from satoko's pov is really meaningful. rika standing with nothing but a waste land behind her. a literal interpretation of satoko's world.

satoko ends up abandoning this fragment by committing murder suicide with rika, but that's not something she was planning to do from the beginning. she only did that because rika didn't listen to her.

satoko finally snapped because she was wronged by the person she loved the most in the same way she's always been wronged by others. it was the last straw.

satoko also didn't consider "breaking" rika until she was exposed to her worst fragment.

not only that, eua also put her through the most violent portions of rika's 100 years, which rika doesn't always see or remember. eua got her claws into satoko and pushed her into a loop of her own trauma responses, to the point that satoko ended up entirely gamifying the situation and heavily dissociated/compartmentalized the reality of violence. it's why she calls it an 'endurance match'. it's just a game, one of the club activities, no different from her traps and pranks that she always pulls.

in the same episode satoko kept committing suicide over and over again to get the Right Kakera Solution which is something i really like because it also shows how she's already distanced the violence against herself and others from reality.

aaaaaaaaaaaa. lays down. i love satoko. i love satoko. i love

#higurashi #higurashi gou #higurashi sotsu #satoko houjou #rika furude #gamo.txt

[coffeebanana]

How would you recommend interacting with a writer. If a story wasn't to your taste, or left you unsatisfied. But you still want to encourage, the writer. And show gratitude for the free entertainment?

Hi anon!

The short answer is, a simple "thanks for the fic!" or "thanks for sharing!" or even a few emojis will often suffice. You really don't have to let the writer know what you didn't like. At the end of the day, they're not writing the fic for you, and obiously not every story is going to satisfy everyone the same way--otherwise we'd all be the same and that would be a horrendously boring world to live in.

The long answer is probably unecessary, but I like to procrastinate on my WIPs talk 😂

There's a format of commenting that goes a little like this: "i don't normally like [X ship, X trope, the way X acts in canon, etc...], but i love the way you do it!!" And honestly I myself have used that before--mostly for tropes, though possibly for some ships as well. And on the surface, that's reads as a compliment. Personally, when ppl leave me that sort of comment, I'll usually interpret it as a compliment too--unless they're full on bashing the thing I love (which sometimes happens with people criticizing canon). And I do think it's INTENDED as a compliment. (That's how I've meant it, when I used it, so I do try my best to also interpret others in good faith.)

But it can also read as "I don't like this thing that you really like and I felt the need to tell you that." Honestly, I didn't even realize it would come across that way until I saw someone else point it out. And then...yeah, I started to notice the fics I get it on more (A lot lot lot of my ladrien fics, lmao.)

So I'm at a weird cross roads where I try not to use that anymore--unless it's with someone I'm fairly sure will understand how I mean it?because sometimes you do have more of a rapport with certain ppl and they'll understand what you mean--but I also don't want to say it's 100% a bad thing to say. I really do understand the intent.

Anyways, my point in bringing that up is that you never don't know what seemingly innocent "this wasn't quite to my taste" comment is going to read as an insult. And so if you really DO want to encourage said writer, I'd recommend sticking to the positives.

Another big thing that's important to me personally is: don't lie.

People have a tendancy to...I don't want to say be disingenuous, but certainly to exaggerate at times on the internet. You see that in the SCREAMING CRYING EATING GLASS types comments. And those are USUALLY sincere in the way that the emotions they convey are sincere. We as a society understand they're not literally eating glass but that they're in agony because the angst in the fic was so good and they want more. But then--something I've noticed--that sort of lingo has a way of slipping into a default response of sorts. And sometimes that makes me question if people really mean it?

This second thing is probably more of a personal thing than a response to your question, but since it's something I've been thinking about lately I hope you don't mind that I brought it up too. I really don't want people to lie to me about my writing.

Not even if it's "to be nice".

Maybe this is in part because I myself find it...difficult to be insincere with ppl, but I don't want false compliments--that's something I tell my friends too. If I write a trope or pairing you don't like? There's never any pressure to read it. I don't expect comments or kudos from anyone. And I'm not someone who in general believes people are insincere--that's not really fair to other people. But everyone has doubts at some point, and I feel like adding to that by straight up lying to make someone feel better just isn't the way to go? If you can't pick out a detail from the fic that you genuinely enjoyed, then maybe keep it to the simple "thanks for sharing!"

So, I guess the TLDR is: keep it short and sweet. keep it encouraging if that's really your goal. (and, if this ever happens to be in reference to something that I specifically have written? please don't feel like you HAVE to say anything at all)

Thanks for the ask!! Sorry I went on for so long LOL💜

#ask response #anonymous #long post

[discountsoysauce]

Okay so the Denholm brothers have been on my brain a lot recently, and with the direction this smp is probably going + what I know from outsiders, it's pretty unlikely that both of them will survive to the end. So here are my ideas of what would happen if one of them sacrificed themselves for the other (both written slightly differently because I just went wherever the thoughts took me)

Acho

- Scott would take in Dipper and reminisce with him about the good times he and Acho had when they were kids. Dipper becomes a permanent addition to the Heron faction and can often be seen milling about the tavern or sleeping next to the waterfall. Scott tells him that he was a good boy and he did his best to look after Acho while they were here.

- He would regret not searching harder, thinking maybe if he had found Acho and talked everything out, things wouldn't have ended up this way, or at least he would have had some more time.

- He would look back through his diary and rip out all the pages where he promised to protect Acho. He gathers them all and puts them back where they go almost immediately after.

- Maybe he'd look up and talk to the stars just like Acho used to do. It feels a bit awkward at first, but eventually, it becomes natural, and he finds himself talking to the stars like they're an old friend.

- He would possibly start to grow resentful of his parents depending on their reactions to Acho's death, and angry at them for pushing Acho away from the family.

- He would feel guilty for driving Acho away. If he had realized how they felt, had done more to show he cared, had tried to understand Acho better, maybe star would have never left. Maybe they could have done it together.

Scott

- Acho would be angry at first. He had told Scott so many times that they didn't need protecting, that they could hold their own. So why? Why was Scott gone and Acho still standing here? He told him he didn't need protecting, and yet there he went, throwing himself into the fray like an idiot. Did he not think they could protect themselves? Did he still think they were weak? What had Acho even done to deserve that kind of devotion? He left. He left Scott alone for a year with no message, no warning, and yet he still did it. Acho just doesn't understand.

- Then comes the guilt and regret. The times he told Scott he didn't need protecting, the times he ignored him, ran the opposite direction, blamed him for their parents' mistakes and left him to shoulder the brunt of their expectations alone. He can't say he regrets leaving, that would be disingenuous, but he often spends nights tossing and turning in his bed, wondering what could have happened if they had just left some kind of message. Maybe it wouldn't have saved him, but at least they would have had a little more time.

- Star would deny being upset about it to anyone they weren't close to. Scott made his choice, Acho never asked him to give up his life. He wouldn't have done the same. Graecie, of course, sees right through this and eventually manages to get through to him enough that he admits everything, and it becomes a nightingale secret.

- Acho has another person to talk to in the stars. He thinks about if the two of them would get along, decides they probably wouldn't. He hopes they stick around for him all the same.

#pirates smp #scurvyblr #pow creations #smajor1995 #ggacho #p!scott #p!acho #piratessmp #denholm brothers posting #they've taken over my brain #pirates smp angst #im sorry if you see this #braindumping my random thoughts about this smp

[centrally-unplanned]

There is a particular brand of Trump Apologism from the Wonk Standpoint that I particularly hate, that tries to Well Actually something by shifting the goalposts. MR is giving me one today it seems, about the NATO comments:

Long-time MR readers will know I am not fond of Trump, either as a president or otherwise.  (And I am very fond of NATO.)  But on this issue I think he is basically correct.  Yes, I know all about backlash effects.  But so many NATO members do not keep up serious defense capabilities.  And for decades none of our jawboning has worked. Personally, I would not have proceeded or spoken as Trump did, and I do not address the collective action problems in my own sphere of work and life in a comparable manner (“if you’re not ready with enough publications for tenure, we’ll let Bukele take you!” or “Spinoza, if you don’t stop scratching the couch, I won’t protect you against the coyotes!”).  So if you wish to take that as a condemnation of Trump, so be it.  Nonetheless, I cannot help but feel there is some room for an “unreasonable” approach on this issue, whether or not I am the one to carry that ball.

This idea, that like "oh you know he may have phrased it weirdly but this is a real NATO problem ya know" is hopelessly disingenuous: how he phrased it is the problem! If he just talked about how NATO allies are free-riding on defense procurement, a thing everyone has been saying for 20 years, it wouldn't be news! The news is that he just casually mentions the idea that he would love to see our allies invaded! He is running for President! Its literally a diplomat job! He sucks at it to a hilarious degree! That is why this is a story!!

It actually is fine to, behind closed doors, go to NATO partners and say "okay, we are gonna set a deadline that if you don't reach force readiness the US is leaving NATO" or w/e. I don't think that is wise, NATO is still a net win for the US, you gotta appreciate that these things work dynamically - note how NATO partner Poland is stepping up to the plate right now because they have a strong reason to, and NATO makes that easier for everyone involved. But anyway, fine enough if you think the gambit can work.

But what you don't do is publicly cast ambiguity over your mutual security deterrents when you yourself haven't decided on them. Will Trump pull out of NATO? Who knows! He hasn't said he will. Will he back NATO allies in war? Idk he publicly says maaaaaaybe not. But if you are Russia, and you hear public comments like this, perhaps you might think huh, you know, I could roll the dice, invade Estonia! And then Trump doesn't back down because its Tuesday or w/e, and suddenly you are all at war. Because you intentionally cast doubt on if your alliance was real because you felt pissy one day!

I spend my life shitting on how basic IR theory is, because it is, but sometimes life makes you realize exactly how much more basic everyone else is. However, Tyler Cown, you are not basic. You are a very smart person. You know all this. Stop trying to be a uwu Straussian Hot Take clever little baby boy and score "both sides" points on the ledger in your status brain to appease your audience.

I don’t usually blog on “candidate topics” or “Trump topics” but 

That "but" is a war crime against rhetoric, I would convict you at Nuremburg for that alone.

[lilflowerpot]

You probably already know about this, but i was reading an old post where you said how weird it is that Lotor and Keith are perfect narrative foils and I just wondered if you knew there was actually a reason for that? I think (as we can only speculate from what the people involved in the show said) that was by design. However as Shiro was a fan favourite and had unexpected popularity he was written back into the show earlier, despite the fact they had already storyboarded/written at least parts of s4 so they kind of replaced Keith with Shiro in s4 and sent Keith to the BOM. I feel like re-inserting keith back into the narrative though makes so much more sense in some scenes as it explains why some parts felt so *not* lead-up to and out of character and why a lot of loose ends weren’t tied off (Naxzela fallout, Keith being a hybrid never really developed, why the paladins never really mention Keith leaving to the BOM much, Shiro trusting Lotor after very little lead up and giving him the bayard which seems like a much more keith-ey instinctive thing to do, Keith & Lotor’s narrative foils and potential friendship as well as being a perfect way to get the audience to trust and like Lotor even more before his betrayal, Shiro being written suddenly as hot-headed and using Keith’s mannerisms, like his wall leaning thing etc)

There’s an interesting video that explains it a lot better here if you are interested: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iiFiVFxR_Q8

(Also to be clear absolutely no hate to anyone who made the show, it was still great.)

Also thanks so much for writing little blade! Your attention to detail in world building is amazing and really gives an extra depth to the story and makes it so engrossing.

As you say, we can only really speculate the ins and outs of why certain decisions were made and narrative directions taken, and honestly the fact that there's so much that we as fans simply don't know makes it really hard to comment, but ultimately, whatever the writer's reasoning for doing what they did,,, they messed up.

I'm not even saying this as someone who, obviously, loves Lotor blindly, but to use him as an example, his character arc didn't make sense; I can accept absolutely everything (alteans being used as batteries included) as a valid and narratively-supported exploration of his character up until his declaration that he wanted to commit genocide and wipe out the entire galra race,,, because that went against literally everything his character had been built upon. It wasn't a "twist" that served to prove he'd been pulling a long con, it was just... bad writing, plain and simple. Lotor, who'd been actively working to undermine everything his father had become, is ~revealed~ to want to commit the same atrocity that Zarkon did, just in reverse?? Lotor who begged on his knees for the lives of Ven'tar and her people- Lotor who was so gentle when talking to Allura about everything he'd lost in the past and everything he wished to build in the future- Lotor who was trying to create a second Voltron not as a weapon but rather as a means of supplying an endless source of clean energy for the Empire so that it would no longer have cause to devastate and destroy entire planets... that Lotor?

And look, here's the thing, so they'd planned to kill Shiro off only to be surprised that he was popular and so bring him back, fine, they had enough time to do that and do it well... but did they? Because frankly, Kuron got more dedicated screen time than "resurrected" Shiro, and all they really succeeded in doing was shove an obsolete character into a narrative that no longer had room for him, which was d e e p l y unsatisfying no matter how you slice it. I say this as someone who //adores// Shiro, and wanted nothing more than for him to be alive, but from an authorial perspective it felt deeply disingenuous and like an obvious after-thought. Not to mention, as that video says, "team voltron" didn't feel like a team at all, by the end—they barely knew each other let alone liked one another. Keith's ousting from the squad had so much potential from a "Kuron is a double-agent actively working to destabilise voltron" sort of way, but if they wanted that to work then there needed to be some recognition of what happened? Some apologies from the other paladins for never really fighting for Keith at all? Never understanding he was grieving not only Shiro but Regris too (sans, of everyone, Allura, who was the only person to actually recognise & acknowledge that Keith was in pain)?

Speaking of Allura, she's another character who suffered from what I can only assume was the writers repeatedly changing their minds on the direction of the story and simply shoving her into whatever box best fit. She & Keith at first seemed to be building something important, and while I'm not especially a kallura shipper, god, at least they had an actual foundation for a relationship (in whatever form) hard-won,,, having her throw herself at Lance, who she'd shown ZERO interest in before that point, immediately after her former lover (1) reveals he has a secret colony of her people that he's been using as living batteries, and (2) dIES RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER...? She should have been grieving, and //slowly// healing, but instead she jumps straight into a new relationship that the narrative treats as if it's some sort of epic yet tragically doomed romance rather than an ill-thought rebound?

It just.. it wasn't even a good plot, let alone a satisfying one.

Hunk was originally implied to be the beating heart of the group, except they gave him next to no screen-time only to realise in those last couple of seasons "shit, people are supposed to care about him, errr have a tragic family rescue mission". Lance was treated as a joke from day one, despite being set up to (I personally suspect) become Keith's right hand and emotional support in more than just battle. Keith himself was repeatedly given all the foundations for genuinely solid and satisfying plots only to never quite follow through in the end (learning to let down his walls, to trust, to love- until the entire team casts him out never to apologise for it and only takes him back when they lose their replacement once more / becoming a confident leader and Shiro's successor only for it to be undermined and then thrown back together again when convenient / finding and building a relationship with his mother, except they speed-ran it in one montage and had Krolia leave again soon after).

Truthfully, Pidge is probably the only core character who managed to come out at the end with what felt like a properly concluded arc.

#this is low-key a rant post but also a genuine critique #beyond this I don't want to dwell on canon's ultimate direction tbh let's just let sleeping dogs lie shall we? #sa screams back #the author speaks

[slashingdisneypasta]

Commander Lyle Rourke x SecondLieutenant!Lover!Reader || Drabble

Plot: You're being honourably discharged and Rourke tries to cut you loose like a military man. Clean, swift, easy. He doesn't want to miss you at all.

He tries.

"One day, you'll choke on it." "Goddamnit."

Warnings: Angst and smut mentions. Unedited.

"Calm down. Its not like we were in love, darlin'."

As soon as those unsurprisingly cruel words crawl out of Rourke's mouth, his heavy and measured drawl like a knife to the gut that makes you stop short in your spot. Your eye widen and your lips part and for a moment you cant think of one single word to utter back to him; all you can feel is heartbroken.

Rourke's never surprised, you know that. But he certainly wasn't expecting that look on your face. Because you didn't realise it was anything near love, either- not until he said that. And you felt something in you snap.

His mouth is still tight, a tooth-pick tucked into his teeth and his eyebrows permanently furrowed but you see his fists clench at his sides. That tells you he's not completely unbothered by what's breaking between you two, but in true Rourke-fashion he still doesn't allow it to show. Like nothing bothers him. Sniffling, you look crossly to the side; you think you'd be unable to look at him, without screaming. Surely he cant keep that up forever. He has to break over this. He's going to miss you, you know it.

"I cant even believe... " The words lip out of you at a whisper, before you clear your throat and speak up. "Maybe... maybe we didn't date. You didn't introduce me to anyone with your hand on my back or- or tucking my hair behind my ear. Maybe we ate together over maps and campfires, not at restaurants. And we had to pretend we've never seen each other naked,.. But I've been your second lieutenant for years, and it was something. You know it. And to- to belittle it like that- I just- God- " You have to stop talking. You have to stop. So you hold a hand over your mouth and take a deep breath, closing your eyes and counting to ten. You cant even describe how terrible him saying those words is, you cant put it into words.

After a moment, Rourke gives a put-on sigh, and shrugs. "... Look, sweetheart, you were a good squeeze, don't get me wrong. I'm gonna miss you." Wincing at his disingenuous words, you fight to stay quiet. "But its over, now, alright? You're bein' discharged, which means we aint gonna see each other anymore. Here," Rourke raises his large hand before your eyes, assumedly for you to shake- a small sincere gesture, but its too little and too late. Giving another sniffle, you once again look away; a stubborn and sad look on your face. "Its been nice."

" -its been nice!?" You snap immediately, turning viciously back to him with a fire in your eyes. 2 years of seeing each other every day, going through the motions of everything together and sleeping together-- was 'nice'!?

"Well, yeah." He's still seeming unimpressed; pretending like nothing bothers him, and you're starting to realise that that's not going to change. You cant teach an old dog new tricks.

"Rourke- I- " Finally, you take a deep breath in through your nose; and let it out. You try to let out all your feelings for him, too. Doesn't work too well. "Fine. Deal with this... however you want. If you wanna leave it like this, enjoy. I don't- I don't care." You do, you do, you do, though!- The wobble at your lips gives you away. He definitely sees it, the frown on his mouth getting tighter and the furrow in his brows becoming deeper at the sight. "... But you know what you're giving up. One day, you'll choke on it."

With that, you turn on your heel and storm off, never wanting to see him again. You make it to the door, your fist tight around the doorknob and ready to swing it open them slam it closed again when you hear his voice behind you.

"Goddamnit."

You're fighting against the urge to turn around and find out what that means, fighting to keep going and put him as far behind you as you possibly can, when that choice is taken from you. A large hand wraps around your wrist and you're turned back around manually. You watch him flick the toothpick off to the side and before you know it, Rourke draws you in close and your eyes fall shut out of instinct and he seals his lips with yours in a deep, passionate kiss.

Its a better kiss then you have ever shared before; its not a desperate stolen tongue-kiss because no one else is looking, its not a slow dirty lead-up to sex, its not a peck on the forehead that you pretend didn't happen because it was too close- too soft- too affectionate.

Its a lovers kiss. Neither racing towards a finish nor nervous at all. Just a kiss, between two people who have done it a million times before. It says i love you.

When he pulls back, theirs a huskiness in his voice as he glares at you with his eyes; a gentle contradictory smirk on his mouth an inch away. "... hold on, there. You drive a hard bargain, ex lieutenant, and I gotta give it a think."

#a little something #Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke x Reader Drabble #Commander Lyle Rourke x Reader Drabble #Commander Rourke x Reader Drabble #Rourke x Reader Drabble #Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke x Reader #Commander Lyle Rourke x Reader #Commander Rourke x Reader #Commander Rourke #Commander Lyle Rourke #Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke #Drabble

[jewreallythinkthat]

I think I've worked out part of my issue with a lot of the antisemitism from the performative allyship for Palestinians and that is the disingenuous patronising way these people will talk about October 7th.

This isn't about those who deny it, it's about the people who say "of course I condemn October 7th..." And then try and change the subject because that way they can fully avoid actually acknowledging the level of trauma that was caused to Israelis, and the worldwide Jewish community, that day. It allows them to say to themselves "I am a good person" because they have acknowledged that this happened and now they can say whatever they want, no matter how bigoted, or simply untrue, safe in the knowledge that they can point to this one line and shut down any discussion about the actual details of the atrocities which are still coming to light.

To borrow a phrase so many people like to use to justify the butchering of innocent civilians in Israel, what is happening in Gaza "did not happen in a vacuum". That is not to say that what's happening is acceptable, but it is unbelievably important to preface any discussion about the situation as a whole with the fact that there was a actual caesefire in place on October 6th which was broken by Hamas in the most vile, horrific ways that wouldn't even make it into a horror film because it is unfathomably awful.

To acknowledge the events of October 7th, you MUST talk about the grizzly details of what happened, you must be willing to engage with people who are still coming to grips with losing family, and friends and never feeling safe again because all they have seen since is unbridled glee at the thought of their death. Frankly, I'd never want anyone to be able to empathise with how I have felt as that would mean that have actually experienced the fear that someone will actually kill you because you see people hunting you down in broad daylight because I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

To flippantly say "of course that was awful, but anyway now I want to talk exclusively about the other side..." When someone Is trying to discuss October 7th itself is just trying to shut up Jews, Israelis, and anyone else who is trying to actually have a productive conversation.

What is happening in Gaza at the moment is a catastrophe and an horrific loss of life; an event which will leave lasting scars of trauma for generations. This doesn't mean it was unprovoked. And saying it wasn't unprovoked is also not saying that it is deserved. This is the fallacy of the argument. Multiple thing can be, and are true. If you only want to consider one, without the others, you are deliberately changing the situation and spreading misinformation.

The whole situation, and in fact the entire history of the middle east is one of the most complicated around the planet. But you cannot pick and choose where to count from just to make your argument work. If you think the only way to engage with people with different opinions to to infantilise, patrinise, and belittle, then you are not doing anything to help anyone. You are cementing yourself as a narrowminded fool with no ability to think for yourself.

If you genuinly think someone else's human rights should be taken away because of something they have done, they why shouldn't yours? It's a slippery slope.

If your opinions are not actually productive and you only get your news from one source, you are genuinely part of the problem. This is not meant to be a call out, it's a plea to actually do genuine research and read what people who disagree with you say with an open mind. You do not have to agree with them, but you have a duty to at least understand other people's point of view if you think you're important enough to be involved in the discussion - especially if it doesn't affect you personally in any way, shape or form.

#jumblr #antisemitism #i/p #shower thoughts tbh #the number of people who habe claimed they are acused of antisemitism to shut them up #and then immediately used this line to shut down any jews talking is insane